New Every Morning (And Even Better than Buttered Crackers)

Buttered Crackers

Dear friends,


I woke up this morning thinking of buttered crackers.  I know that is odd.  I don't eat them often -- maybe once a year? -- but someone left out the butter yesterday next to a package of saltines, and I couldn't resist.  Buttered crackers are one of the comfort foods from my childhood.  Something about the smooth butter, the crunchy crackers, and the salt.  I used to eat frozen orange juice concentrate right out of the can, too.  I know, odd!


Anyway, about 6:20 this morning, as I was thinking about those buttered crackers, I realized I hadn't heard my 17 year old daughter getting ready for school yet, so I got up to make sure she was on track to catch her bus.  Seeing her scurrying around, I offered to make her lunch: a ham sandwich and some chunks of Granny Smith apple sprinkled with lemon juice and ginger.  Then my husband drove her to the bus stop a few blocks away.  He and I tag teamed like that for a while, me rinsing chicken thighs to prepare for baking, and he cleaning out the sink, me driving the three younger kids to school, and he getting the older boys out of bed and helping them with their home school math, etc.   I'm glad we took the time to hug and pray and laugh before I left.  He was driving out of the neighborhood as I was pulling out of the adjacent school parking lot, and we blew each other kisses.  He called me later to check in on who was doing what when and tell me about something he heard on the radio. We need those kinds of cooperation and connection to face all of the stress in our lives right now.  Sometimes it gets rather overwhelming.


I was talking with a friend the other day and we were both mentioning how sometimes it is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and taking life step by step.  God's mercies are "new every morning" to give us strength for the day.


This morning I needed that grace.  As I posted on Facebook, "I just signed papers to withdraw Melody from public school first grade and bring her back to home school. She had a good three months and a lot of fun there, but I think she will work better at her own level with me since she is a late bloomer with an August birthday, they run a very rigorous program at English Estates, and she is usually fried and not ready for homework in the afternoon. So I've got my pile of curriculum in front of me and I'm fixing to write my lesson plans for next week. This is actually one thing about home schooling that I always enjoyed. Reading on the couch with my littlest one again will also be a big bonus."  


I've been thinking about this for a while and after talking to Thad some more, I decided to take the plunge again.  I was a little nervous about talking to her teacher, but she was quite supportive of my decision.  She'd like to home school her own daughter.  I'm really thankful for how much she has invested in my daughter since January, when we enrolled her.  Now, here we are again.  I know I can do this.  I have home schooled my 10 kids over a 20 period, though this year four of them were in public school at least part of the year.  Back to the 3R's!

Pink Moss Rose

As I walked back into the house this morning, I noticed a bright pink moss rose blooming in my garden patch. I accidentally knelt on top of it yesterday when I was transplanting some lantana from the backyard.  I'm so glad it survived in spite of me.  I just planted it two days ago, and this one had only tightly closed buds on it, so I couldn't even tell which color the bloom would be.  I hoped it would be orange and yellow, like the other three moss rose plants I bought.  But it's a maverick.  Different.  Unexpected.  And that's how life is sometimes: not what you planned.  In this case, it's just as beautiful, and a daily reminder for me to embrace what comes, trusting in God's fresh daily compassion.  For comfort, that's even better than buttered crackers.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, 

for his compassions never fail. 

They are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness. 

I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; 

therefore I will wait for him.”  

Lamentations 3:22-24

Grace,
Virginia Knowles
www.comewearymoms.blogspot.com

P.S. You can see my other orange and yellow moss rose and lantana in this post: 

Not-So-Extreme Makeover: The Front of Our House

This post is linked at my blog carnival.  Click the picture and join the fun:

Also linked at:

 Ann Kroeker's Food on Fridays