8.16.2012 | By: Morgan

Grace Full Mama's Day :)


A Day

Awhile back, Tsh shared an example of a day in her life.  When I told her how much I liked it, she mentioned that I should do the same thing.  SO, here is a day in my life.  It is probably more mundane that you thought {please tell me you didn’t think I live in a hut and swing from vines?? I only occasionally swing from vines….ahem.}
Here is my day:
4:40am- I wake up to the sound of the mosque. I debate about exercise…but I think, if I strain really hard I can hear rain, so I opt to sit and sip coffee with my Bible instead.  My eye is goopy and it’s hard to open….I think it’s pink eye.  We will have to see…. or not see in this case.
6- I make some baked oatmeal and milk {yes, powdered} and go back to sipping coffee and reading.
7- Everyone is up and we all eat.
After breakfast Britton heads outside to check his traps…he caught something, and he’s happy because I pay him for every.single. one. 
7:15- Chaos ensues as sheets are stripped off of beds, laundry is started, beds and shelves are dusted.   My helper, Abi, is not coming in today because she is helping her friend get ready for her wedding.  I guess that means I have to wash dishes {I know…rough life!}….so I dive in.
7:45- Britton informs me that we are out of bananas {what?} and he needs some to feed his gibbon, George.
7:50-Dave leaves for work.  Normally he rides his motorcycle, but today he is taking our visitors, a newlywed college couple on a vision trip.  They pile into the car, along with Britton, who will get dropped off at the roadside stand down the road to buy bananas and then walk home.
8:10-I finish editing a post and publish it.  Then, quickly check Facebook. Britton is back from buying bananas and George, the gibbon, is satiated.
8:40-We start school together, devotions and reading history aloud.
9am- Older two start on independent work and I sit down with the twins and Hudson to read history and then it’s on to a project and math for Hudson.
10am-The twins and I make a snack as the older three work on language.  We deliver the snack and I notice the cat has killed a gecko and it’s laying on the floor.  Awesome.
11am- I sit down to listen to Hudson read and then on to do a writing lesson with the older two.
11:30-Have to figure out something for lunch…..I boil some eggs for egg salad and cut up some veggies
12:15- Dave returns for lunch with our newlywed guests and we all sit down for a quick lunch. What, more dishes?
1pm-Dave and Ryan head back to the hangar and Jessica and I sit down to chat while the older kids read, finish math, and practice typing.  15 minutes later, I excuse myself and go lay down with the twins to read Make Way for Ducklings and take a quick nap. Older kids read quietly.
2pm- Wake up from nap.  My eye is goopy and closed shut.  Pretty sure that it is pink eye. Laundry, sweeping, check email.  Yep, pretty exciting.
2:30- I read aloud to the older kids {twins still sleeping} and then paint two lines of painted wallpaper on my wall ala Jones Design Company. It’s coming along…
3pm-I probably need to shower since there is a wedding tonight of one of our helper, Abi’s, friends. Hmm.  I take a quick shower and then opt to go to the salon down the road to get my hair washed, dried, and curled.  (yes, completely frivolous, but for $3.00, I will happily let someone else do it!)
3:30-Kids are happily playing, twins still asleep, so I head down to the salon with my ipod loaded with an episode of Downton Abbey (don’t judge).
4:15-I return and all the kids head out to play outside with friends.  I don’t have to make dinner, so I get the card and money ready for the wedding later tonight…I get dressed and put some makeup on.
5:15pm- Dave gets home and I run to the Apotek (little drugstore) to get some eye drops. I point at my goopy eye and tell them that I need something to make it better.  The lady hands me an antibiotic and I also grab some worm medicine for the whole family while I’m there (that is how we roll in the tropics, people!)
5:30-Get everyone ready for the wedding.  We rummage through the clean laundry for appropriate clothes and finally have success.
6:30-We all pile into the car to head to the wedding
6:45-Arrive at the wedding. I feel two things: hot and very,very tall {I’m 5’61/2″ for reference}.
 We try to grab our food and make our way to the few chairs we see in the back…it is quite a feat.  We see Abi and head over to her. Typical Indonesian weddings can be summed up in these words from the movie, A Bug’s Life, “they come, they eat, they leave.” You come, eat some food, then go greet the bride and groom and all their family, drop an envelope in a basket, and then leave.
7:45- We head home, sweaty, tired, and happy.
8:30-Kids are in bed, I am pooped.  Dave and I climb in bed to watch The Mentalist, and I’m asleep before it’s over.
Life is good.  God is good.

My "Thing"

Last night I read a blog post by Grace Full Mama about her feeling like she didn't have a thing - but knows that kids (hanging out with them, teaching them, hugging them etc) are her thing and how she can serve and love God.

*wail* I don't have one! I mean, seriously. I have No-"thing". I like


  • children
  • knitting
  • playing the guitar
  • learning American Sign Language
  • reading Amish books (inspirationals)
  • reading Instructional/Informative Christian books
  • taking pictures - lots.
  • eating primal (most of the time ;)
  • Crossfit (sometimes I have to talk myself into it, but I'm always happy to be there and glad I went)
But all of those things are just things that I like doing, some of the time. And I'm mediocre (at best) in all of them. While I really enjoy them, I don't see any of them as my passions - how I could best make use of this life. Also, I hate not being the best at something I pursue, and there's no way I'm going to be an amazing guitarist or have the best.

(Kayaking with the Hubster this summer).

Things I STINK at but am looking forward to learning/growing in

  • knitting socks, cute hats, and mittens/maybe gloves
  • learning how to sew . . . currently, suck at.
  • learning about gardening, animals, homeschooling, and self-sufficiency 
  • becoming faster and stronger
  • growing in my knowledge and love for God
  • practicing His presence 
(Tomatoes and a few peppers from our garden this year, much better than last year).

Somethings that I love are
  • Studying the Greek/Hebrew words in the Bible and reading commentaries 
  • Talking with people - I love giving and receiving advice - how to better ourselves. 
  • Developing 1) as a wife and one day Mommy(through my relationship and knowledge of Nate, Christian woman books and blogs, what God's teaching me), 2) into a homesteading wife (blogs, videos, mother earth news and books), 3) physically (crossfit and nutrition), 4) more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ my Savior. 
(At hat I knit for my nephew, as modeled by my husband haha).

Again, while I love these things, I only scratch the surface of what's involved with them. I'm not kidding - I feel completely insufficient in all of them.

Do you know how are this is for a person who thrives on A+'s!! Ugh, it drives me nuts. It's so discouraging! I want to do something big for Jesus!! I'm not a sought-after inspirational speaker leading people to Christ, I don't excel at anything, I mean - what am I good for? How can I add value to His kingdom? How can I show Jesus that He made a good choice in choosing and loving me? 

After praying and my husband's words of wisdom, I have a different outlook. That maybe this isn't a reason to be discourage, but rejoice. It's ok that I don't have a "thing" to pursue and give myself over to, because I only want to purse a Person. Even if it was FOR that Person, I'd still rather not. My personality would get wrapped up in that instead of Him. And if I ever lost it, I would feel like I failed Him. 

I'm happy to be aware of my likes, future likes, and loves. I'm thankful to be growing in them and learning more about them. But I want the whole of my life to be an exultation of the Trinity - I want that to be my "thing." Growing in knowledge, love, and dependency on my Favorite Person ever.

Isaiah 40
29 He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. 
30 Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, 
31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.

Ok, that doesn't sound like someone who doesn't have a "thing." Like someone who isn't being usefully used for God's purposes.  

Here's to trusting Him. Here's to being mighty, flying, running, and walking by the energy of His power, for His Name sake. Because it doesn't matter WHAT I'm doing, as long is it's for Him:

"We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is preformed." - Brother Lawrence, Practicing the Presence of God 
Let's just love Him. Love Him most - and let everything flow from that.

Growing in Him,
Morgan