A good day for errands

Today all day was rainy, cloudy and cool (so the picture I chose is actually from yesterday at the park). Despite the weather, J wanted to go outside and play after daddy left for work. I had other plans to do grocery shopping. J did really well being patient in the cart while I shopped (unlike last week). When we got home, he asked to go outside and play in the rain. I got his boots on and we went outside and he splashed around in the puddles and walked around in the rain.

Today in my reading, Beth skipped to chapter 17 in Luke. In my prayer time beforehand, I was thanking God that I can approach him freely, the one who created the universe. Then it just seemed to hit me how incredible that really is. How I take for granted who I'm meeting with. I realized I often don't have the reverence and awe for God that I should. I prayed about that and just let it sink in. Beth shares that we are moving into chapters now that are more challenging and even confrontational. But she says we can be encouraged in trusting that God never confronts to condemn, but to complete in us what is lacking. The topic of the chapter is being careful to avoid leading someone else into sin. Jesus tells us that when we sin against one another, we are forgive our brother/sister, to dialogue with them, and even to rebuke them. Beth shares that what is appropriate is to speak the truth in love. From 2Timothy 4:2 Correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. Also part of us maturing, she says, is learning how to receive a rebuke.

Since it was still rainy in the afternoon, it was a good time to run some errands like stopping at the pharmacy and going to the bank (we are old fashioned and don't have ATM cards). We spent some time reading books before J's nap. When on his way to take his nap, he let out a little burp and said "excuse me"! He must have picked that up from the book of manner's we've been reading to him. It sunk in. While I was making dinner, J came over to me and grabbed my hand saying "mommy play". It was so cute that I stopped what I was doing to play with him a bit. I have to say at dinner we had troubles with J again. This time is started because he wanted the red spoon instead of the yellow spoon I gave him. Then he got upset because I put on the "scoop" bib (he had messier food) instead of his regular bib. Since we knew what we were in for with his hollering, daddy took him upstairs to chill out in his crib. We're hoping these dinner melt downs will just be a phase and that he'd just be a happy camper again. Later, he had fun playing in the bathtub (mostly with his crayons) until I had to wash him. I was quick though so he didn't protest too long.

We had time with our life group tonight. The main focus was talking about the sermon on "Why Forgive?". Part of the discussion centered around the difficulty in forgiving someone who is unrepentant (having or exhibiting no remorse). We agreed that especially these times we need to seek the Lord for help in having a forgiving heart, and then often we will need to forgive multiple times. Just when you think you've forgiven, something stirs a memory and the anger and pain are back. Those are times you learn to forgive again. L shared that recently God impressed upon him the important of confession. He was thinking of the verse James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. He shared how as a couple we pray together every morning for about 20 minutes or so before he leaves for work and he's introduced confessing something in that prayer time. We agreed this can be a powerful thing and the importance of this within a relationship where you trust can trust one another.