heart murmurings

Time to count some blessings and give thanks before bed.  Feeling frustrated tonight over a myriad of problems I can't solve.  Husband is still gone so many hours, he can't run interference with the children for me, allowing me to finish the bedroom shuffle job I started about twelve days ago.  House is in flux and my nerves are frazzled, which doesn't surprise me considering they've actually studied this and found that visual clutter upsets a person.

My gratitude list:

- Miss Beth amused herself with the tea set she got for her birthday (pouring water back and forth and making a sopping mess of the table.  Oh well :), so that Momma could peel at the sink--apples for applesauce and potatoes for mashed sweet potatoes, to go with the chicken already in the oven.  Mashed sweet potatoes and homemade applesauce are two of my favorite foods.  I savored dinner tonight.

- My Paul got a new math book and totally delights in it.  He says during Christmas break, he still wants to do math!

- The underemployment crisis we face takes its toll, definitely.  My husband and I have both aged a lot in the last two years.  But daily, compassion grows in my heart for the less privileged.  I could never, never have known their daily reality without the turmoil, and sometimes hopelessness, of the last 21 months.  The Bible says that the poor have no friends.  What that really means is that the poor are judged for their lack of upward mobility.  I will love, love, love on the less privileged for the rest of my life.  That desire is priceless, and maybe, just maybe, the ongoing nightmare is worth it.

- The three older children have fallen in love, once again, with their Geo Trax train toys.  They have spent hour upon hour over the last three days with their trains, conjuring up scenarios they've been exposed to through the Thomas and His Friends storybooks (we have the whole set of these stories).

- The three older children were in a Christmas Pageant at our church last Sunday.  They did very well, with Paul especially delighting the audience.  Many people came up to us and to the Children's Director telling how Paul had delighted them.  One woman told me he made her cry and that he has a future as a performer.  We were pleasantly surprised by his stage presence, definitely.  Husband and I were in tears throughout the performance.  It was just precious.

My only regret is that often Paul is praised by people in front of his big brother, Peter, which makes existing brother jealously all that much worse.  Peter also put in a very solid performance (both had short singing solos and speaking solos, and were part of the side singing group).  Peter did get complimented also, but not with the same animated praise Paul received.  Pray for Peter, please?  He recognizes that Paul isn't plagued with the OCD fears and other problems.  Although Peter knows he is fearfully and wonderfully made by his Heavenly Father, it's still hard for him to see brother ease through life (in his view)

Trying to finish this up during Beth's nap, which can be pretty short.  She's on day one of a cold.  More another day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, PRECIOUS FRIENDS!