Cold Oatmeal

That's what I eat for breakfast most mornings. Cold oatmeal. I know what you're thinking, "Gross!!", right? Now, let me clarify, I don't eat cold oatmeal on purpose. No one would ever do that! I make my oatmeal, mix in a little brown sugar and milk, sit down at the table and lift my spoon to my mouth - Then it happens: Life. Someone needs help with math homework, I just need to go look at this cute picture online, my phone is ringing, the baby birds in the nest just outside the window are looking like they're going to jump...the list goes on. I'm usually about half way through my oatmeal when I look at the congealed mass in disgust and try to decide if it's worth eating. It always is. I doubt I could make it through my morning without my breakfast. You might be thinking: "Why don't you just heat it up again when it gets cold?". Don't be ridiculous. We all know it will just get cold again. I'm doomed to a life of cold oatmeal.

I think I like cold oatmeal. 

All that to say that life is busy here. As always. Days are filled with school and kids. Weekends are usually filled with fun and friends. I'm reading some really interesting books right now. One I especially recommend is: "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. Very well written. Fantastic message about thankfulness. 

Dark spots in my happy days: I'm ridiculously tired all the time. I'm a little down in the dumps because I'm leaving soon. Just 5 weeks to go. I think the leaving and the tired are related. I think I'm slowly climbing out of the sadness to find an equilibrium were I still feel the pain of leaving, but live with the joy that I've been given another day of life.

I was reminded last week that sometimes if we listen hard we can hear God speaking to our souls, telling us "It's not about you. It's about Me." Does that sound harsh? At first it does. Then the truth of it seeps in and takes over. Life is about God and serving Him and His people. The second I take my eyes off of Him the earth shifts. I get frustrated. I give in to despair. I listen to the lies. But take heart! Jesus has not taken His eyes off of you or me.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~James 1:2-4

Is this a trial? I'm not sure. At any rate, I was encouraged and challenged by these verses.