Update

We're having another busy week.  I know it's busy because my boys are still asleep at 8:30 in the morning as I write this. They are tired.  The swim lessons are fun for everyone, Jordan is doing really well, he can hold his breath for 10 seconds.  All he has to do now is remember to kick when his face is in the water.  Walker has fun playing on the steps while Jordan takes his lesson.  One of his friends from preschool class is in there playing too as her brother is in Jordan's swim class.

I started another Bible Study at our church on Wednesday mornings so I can attend while the boys are in preschool.  It's really good - a women's Bible Study.  I have 2 friends doing it as well and I am looking forward to meeting some more of the ladies.  

We still don't know what to do about Kindergarten next Fall.  Jordan's preschool decided not to offer the K-5 class, so now we are in limbo.  Should we send him to Christian school (which is really expensive), send him to the really good public elementary school, homeschool, or keep him in the 4 year old class one more year??  We are just not sure.  We are praying about it though.

Other than that, I'm still training for the 1/2 marathon.  This week has been tough - My body is tired and needs some rest.  I am racing in an 8k on Saturday and hoping to do well.  

Scheduled

Enough about my un-schedule, last week was filled with things to do.  We got home from Nashville Monday and I had small group monday night after a quick but necessary trip to the grocery, Tuesday made food for a friend who just had surgery, Jordan had swim lessons, sips 'n' strokes with friends that night, Wednesday the boys had preschool and Tony and I closed on our refinance (4.625% yay), Thursday was swim class and Friday Jordan's class field trip to the planetarium (pictured) and Parents night out at the church last night (Tony and I got to go to dinner with some friends).  Where did my un-schedule go and can it please come back?  As busy as last week was, I really loved it.  I'm feeling more connected in Birmingham.  I think they say it takes 2 years to adjust to a move, so we are definitely on the back half.  Whatever this week brings, we will find joy in it.

The Funky Tree

There's this place here in Birmingham called Sips 'n' Strokes.  You pay $25 and go and take a beverage if you want (sips) and an instructor teaches you how to paint a painting (strokes).  It's pretty cool.  Two of my friends and I went on Tuesday night and had a really good time.  Everyone learns how to do the same painting but they all look different in the end.  Here is my finished masterpiece!  It was a little stressful, thinking I might totally mess it up at any given moment, but it ended up being really fun and the company was awesome. :)  

Weekend Trip

Since Tony was out of town for work, we headed out to Franklin Friday to spend some time with Nana and Poppy.  We got to stop by and see my friend Jenni Friday night.  It was so good to hang out with her for a few hours while our boys played together.  The boys also got to play with Caroline Saturday and Sunday and I got to go to church with Kris and Caroline which was neat.  Thanks to Nana and Poppy for keeping us company on what would have been a lonely weekend!  Here's a picture of Caroline, Jordan and Walker having a "campfire" in front of the fireplace.  

Romans Again

As I trek through Romans, I halt at Romans 14.  

"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on disputable matters.  One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.  The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.  Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.  And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

That must convict EVERY Christian I know.  This is the 3rd day I've spent on this chapter, re-reading it, praying for clarification.  It's so rich.  The notes in my study Bible say "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in everything, love."  As Christians, I believe we spend more time trying to label people and tear them down, than we do loving them and building them up.  It's human nature - it's the flesh.  It's so hard to just LOVE and it cannot be done apart from the Spirit.  Shall this work in me ever be finished?  Alas, it will the day I meet Jesus face to face, and not a minute before.  Pressing On Toward the Goal -