It’s been a cold week with lots of rain and even some hail. Things continue to go well with Tyler. I’m enjoying every day, even though it’s mostly only feeding, naps and a few hours of wake time. I’m so glad that I can stay home to take care of him. Things around our place are adapting to a whole new rhythm. I’m cooking all our meals again–which I love! Laundry, house cleaning and showers are all just routine instead of the difficult task they seemed to be the first week after we brought Tyler home. People at our church are so gracious to us. Tyler is three weeks old now, but Bobby is still coming home from work with cards and gifts, many from people we don’t even know very well. This weekend he brought a gift from one lady–a little red sweater and hat that she had knit especially for Tyler!

I’ve been sad to miss the fellowship and teaching at church these last few weeks. Tyler is just too young to go there and have everybody meet him just yet. Plus it being cold/flu season we’re going to wait till we think he’s ready for something like that. However, I was really blessed to hear a recording of Bobby’s lesson for the high schoolers. He is talking with them about how being a Christian radically affects a person’s whole life, as if they were born into a completely new life. At one point he said that our lives boil down to one of two things–living for self or living for God. We cannot do both. I was challenged by this because I know in my mind that I must live for God and follow Him, but much of the time I give way to the temptation to live for myself instead. I can easily let my personal comforts warp my devotion to the Lord, making me feel as though following Him is a burden.

In Bobby’s message he addressed the problem of selfish living in terms of how we become preoccupied with the future–college, marriage, and career. He described following God as the stepping stones in his grandma’s garden. You only step on one at a time and might not even know what the next step is, but when God wants you to take it, He will provide a place for your foot to stand. I think we always want to know what is next, but I have learned that what the Lord wants from me is to trust Him and be faithful to obey Him. I’ve also realized that when I’m focused on Christ at the end of the path–and not so busy looking around at other people, comparing my life to theirs or trying to do things on my own–if I deny myself, following Him is anything but a burden. It’s really such a joy!

“You make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence there is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:8