Who Doesn't Love A Little Change?

As you can see, things look a little different around here. It was sunny today, so I thought it was time to brighten the blog. I'm not sure if I'm in love with it, but hey, I can always change it again. And I probably will. That's the beauty of this blog... it's MINE!

Another change you may have noticed (if not, you have observation problems) is that I finally put pictures up!!! Yippee!!! Tina convinced the computer to let me have my way. There are only a couple right now, as I have spent all night looking for the new background. I'll try to get more going in the next couple of days...in my spare time :)

There are going to be some changes around my house, too. I am currently reading the book "Toddlerwise", by the authors of "Babywise". I swear by Babywise and recommend it to anyone who owns a newborn or is thinking of getting one. So now I'm into Toddlerwise, because my little Robben is barreling into toddlerhodd full force, head-over-heels. It offers some interesting views and has caused me to see things that I was missing before. Like for instance, one of the reasons a toddler screams when he doesn't get his way is because he is used to having freedom. As parents, we sometimes don't realize the necessary boundaries until they are being crossed, which creates confusion and frustration all around. So it suggests some healthy ways to set boundaries and limit freedom until the child is old enough and mature enough to handle it. And of course mixed in with those boundaries are limitless lessons about self-control, working together, cooperating, following rules, etc... I'm kind of excited about implementing some strategies, but I also know that change is not always easy to handle, so the next couple of days may be trying.

And speaking of reading, I just finished the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, a christian author. OH MY GOODNESS!!! Those books were soooooo good! I highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys reading, and especially if you enjoy christian fiction and/or have ears to hear. These books have opened my eyes to how life was in the first century, and the struggles of those early christians, mainly to keep the word alive and spreading. They fought and died so that we would have the opportunity to learn about Jesus. Reading about what people went through makes me feel ashamed of myself and the church at large for what cowards we are when it comes to standing up for what we believe in. I, for instance, feel sweaty and shakey now just writing this. I worry that someone will take me wrong or think something of me that I find to be undesirable. But you know what? It really shouldn't matter. We scoff at Peter denying Jesus 3 times on the night he was arrested, and all the others deserting him as well, yet here I am afraid to say I believe. They walked with him for 3 years, knew him intimately, saw first-hand his miracles, and still they fled when the heat came. And I am no different. I've seen and felt the changes in me and in my life, but I'm too scared to talk about it. I'm afraid I will be judged by those around me, when my true concern should be about the Ultimate Judge. Talk about being put through the fire: I am a mother to 5 kids that were not my own from the start. I know that this is not something I can do on my own. I need God every day of my life just to handle the QUANTITY! ... Sorry, I guess I kinda went off. Anyway, I thought the books were really good :)