I could not make this up if I tried

(Eating at Jimmy John's, where the music is played abnormally loud)

Mary: Is this the Beastie Boys?

Kevin: No, it's Rage Against the Machine.

Mary: I can really hear the rage in their voice.

Kevin: Yeah, I think you would like them. They hate America.

Mary: What? Are they not from here?

Kevin: No they are, but they're like Democrats...

Not to toot my own horn, but...

I am a domestic goddess this week!

Exhibit A: I planned, purchased, and installed drapes in Clare's room all in one day. The fact that I had to use power tools, should make my Dad glow with pride.

Editor's Note: Please excuse the blatant disregard towards the fold wrinkles in the drapes. That's how we roll in this house. If it bothers you, feel free to look away or come to my house to iron them out.

Exhibit B: I made this darling baby shower diaper cake for my friend Nichole's Shower/Good-bye party. It is too cute for words.

Exhibit C: With a house of 2 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 husband, I have found it very difficult to keep the carpets clean for my "rolling like a log" infant. I would have to vacuum every day to keep up with the mess, but not anymore. I have invented the Baby Roomba to roll away my problems. Simple strap on some duct tape to your rolling infant and sit back and relax.

 

Notice her natural gift to pick up grime.

 

Editor's Note: No children were harmed in the making of the post...

Just Let It Go

Do you ever find yourself lying in bed before you fall asleep feeling like there is a ton of bricks on your chest? It's like you've spent the whole day juggling the bricks. Then someone from the crowd throws in one to many for you to handle, and they all come piling down. I'm a classic brick juggler. I always think I can handle everything that comes my way, but then find myself flat on my back, out of breath, and covered in all the things I was trying to control.

Like so many people I live by the phrase "I can do all things", but forget about the second half of "through Christ who strengthens me". That's what I realize when I'm lying on the floor under all the debris. I try to handle everything on my own, and forget that God is essential in everything I do. But the bricks are still there, and they can not be ignored. It's time to Let Go, and Let God.

To 'Let Go, and Let God' is to stop, realize you've tried to control too many things on your own, and move over to let God take control. I sit in a quiet place and look at my fists. They are clinched tightly around all my problems. My nails dig into my palms, as the stress feels like it is going to swallow me whole. Then I take a deep breath, tell God I can't do it anymore, open up my hands, and visualize the problems falling to the floor with a loud crash. For those problems that cause me the most grief, I throw them to the wall like a dish smashing into a million pieces at the impact. I give all my problems to Him, all my anxieties to Him, all my responsibilities to Him, all my worries to Him. I check my breathing to see if my chest is free from the bricks. If not, then I do it over and over and over again till I feel free.

While the problems don't necessarily automatically disappear in God's hand, my impulses to control them have. Instead of juggling the bricks, I focus on the capable hands I gave them to. The temptation to pick up the bricks again is strong, but I leave them at the feet of God and walk away. Life no longer becomes overwhelming when I keep giving it all to God. "For my yolk is easy, and my burden light" when I walk with God by my side.