Momentary Bliss

For just a moment...

{there is quiet in my house}.

The sound of the washer & dryer humming in the background, the soft whistle of my tea kettle on the stove, and...SILENCE. what bliss that is to my ringing ears! It's nearing 11am & I am just sitting down with my cup of tea, surrounded by complete clutter that is a reminder of the continual chaos of our life these days. I so desire to find PEACE amidst the chaos, but what I'm {slowly} discovering is that PEACE doesn't arise from a put-together life. PEACE arises from carving time out of my disheveled day to quiet my heart and listen to the Word of God. 

I'm so thankful that the Advent Season coincides with a season of ours that seems to be at the height of transition, uncertainty, and many unknowns. Focusing my heart back to the True meaning of Christmas helps me to stand on the sure foundation of what we have been called to as a family. Teaching my children about the meaning of Christmas, about expectantly waiting for Jesus to come, about how His coming changed EVERYTHING for us, reminds me of why we are even on this path of uncertainty. God has chosen us, has called us, has gone before us, is equipping us...to see HIM amidst the chaos. to see HIM amidst the suffering. to see HIM amidst the tragedies all around us. His very entrance into this world was into chaos, uncertainty, and unknowns. His entire life was about bringing PEACE into chaos, not changing chaos into PEACE. I'm realizing that there will always be chaos. I will never have complete control. Jesus did not come to make our lives orderly and pretty. Instead, He came to change our hearts to find solace amidst the difficult circumstances, JOY amidst the pain.

This season we can choose to spend time deciding what gifts will go under the tree (which would be fun), or we can look out from under the tree and struggle to see Jesus in the ordinary moments of our stress-filled days.

Look around you, in the midst of your chaos...where do you see Jesus today?

 Chaos? YES! would I trade it for anything? not the world...

 Decorating the Christmas Tree? Whoever said that was supposed to be fun?! 

{hehe, it was fun, by the way...well, some of it was...}

 Someone thought it was a lot more fun to examine Daddy than hang ornaments...

Here's the classic 

"Stand-up-on-a-high-ledge-with-a-2yo-on-your-shoulder-and-turn-around-and-smile!" trick.

 I think they pulled it off pretty well!

 Mommy & Lucy

Lucy's makeshift Advent Calendar

Day 1 we studied about LIGHT & how Jesus brought LIGHT into the dark world. We went in a dark closet to demonstrate the lesson. Unfortunately, Lucy just wanted to stay in the dark. Oh well. We tried...