Task?  My quiet time.

I know, I know, completely WRONG way to think about spending time with God.  Completely.  I admit that.  Some days, though, when there are 5 million things running through my brain by 5:30am, it has to become a task.  I always get more out of it than I put into it on those days…

Anyways, today was that kind of day. I WANTED to spend time with God, but was having focus issues.

I decided to turn on my iTunes with the idea that  a little worship music could work its magic.  Happened to have the Kari Jobe album already open, so I just hit “shuffle”. And, friends, this is the song that played.

Maybe you’re having the same kind of day today?  If so, take a listen…

Today is our first Monday back after our magical Disney World vacation.  It was great.  Worthy of a separate post, which I have not yet begun to compose.

Ahhh, can we just go back?

Today crept up on us, and really, it began its attack last night.

Christmas party.  Fun times, friends we don’t often get to just hang out with.

Eli has an asthma attack.  Scary.  I had already administered his emergency inhaler before said party as he had started to have the chronic coughing that is characteristic of his asthma.  An hour and a half later (1/2 of the time before I could give him another dose), he is coughing uncontrollably and just laying on a chair.

We promptly left the party, and went home.

Thus began a crazy night.  He slept in bed with me so I could give him his inhaler every 3 hours.  In between the 3 hour marks, he coughed.  All.  Night.

Needless to say, by the time our gray, rainy Monday morning rolled in, I was sleep deprived & running late.

THEN, while in the car, Brady chucks his milk cup directly at my FULL cup of much needed java & knocks it over.  ALL. OVER. THE. CAR.

Yes.

Should have known based on cup choice that it was going to be a doozy of a day...

I admit, I *may* have lost my cool a little at this point.  I seriously got tears in my eyes looking at all of that lovely caffeine splattered over my dash.

Took Rachel to school.  We were late.  Had to walk her in.

Got back in car, had to cancel dentist appointments for the kids.

Made a *needed* stop by Starbucks to appease the roaring caffeine monster (umm, that would be me).

Home again, home again,  and now hoping to get Eli in to our dr. for a check up.  He is still coughing badly.  Hoping since I have another fun allergy shot today, I can slip him in at the same time…

*sigh*

Say a prayer, friends, ’cause at this point, Monday is doing a pretty good job kicking me in the pants.

the coffee spiller - good thing he's cute.

my pitiful little Eli...

So, today’s shot was the last of the blue vials. Next is yellow, and then red, which besides making red welts on my arm, will also be my “maintenance” dose.

Should be fun…

A little pic of today’s welt:

Oh yes, and I even pulled off a smile. That’s just for you, bloggy friend. I hope my allergic grossness brings a smile to your face.
Count yourself lucky.
1. You can’t fully see the height of the welt,
2. You don’t have to see it in person. That job is for dear Matty, who I feel quite sure will be grossed out.

Guess that’s it for now.

Happy Monday to YOU!!!

Reynosa.  This city has areas that would remind you of an American suburb.  Large houses, grassy yards, nice cars.  This is not where we were.  There is also an area with a more “middle class” feel.  Middle class, Mexico-style.  The houses and streets are what you would expect to see in some of the poorer areas of large cities in America.  This is where our hotel was, but it was not where we ministered.  The colonia is over the levee that prevents the Rio Grande from flooding the city.  It is between the levee and the river, and it is by far the most poverty-stricken place I have ever seen in person.  Trash everywhere, tiny (mainly) one-room homes with dirt yards.

And yet…

As we traveled around the 2nd day we were there, looking for the kids that some of us are sponsoring to go to school, I heard multiple times the phrase “we are content”.

They are content.

With the filth, the outhouses, the lack of privacy, the uncertainty of income for many.

Content.

Last night, as I pulled up to my 2-story brick home, I saw a 6X12 house in my mind.

I have taken 2 showers since being home, both in ONE of my THREE bathrooms.  I kept seeing the face of Nancy who was so proud of her beautiful home, and that it had a separate area (outdoors) for showering and toilet.

I took my garbage bag full of dirty laundry to the wash room this morning.  I kept seeing a boy carrying a garbage bag just as full of donated clothes; it was enough for FOUR people.

I put up a baby gate to prevent Brady from being places in the house he shouldn’t be.  I saw children playing freely in the dirt streets, eager for a hug, a smile, a lollipop!

I opened my “tiny” pantry to make my coffee.  I saw bags of rice, beans, and flour sitting on a rough wooden shelf.

I went upstairs to get my boys out of their room.  I saw a family of 5 (same size as mine!) who all share the same one-room tiny house.

And, it’s only 7:25 AM.

Why do I say all of this?  It’s certainly not to make anyone feel bad or guilty.  I hope that it might inspire thought.

What we have is nice, and I’m not feeling any conviction to see my possessions and give all my money to the colonia.  In truth, it wouldn’t make much of a dent.  However, I do feel the conviction to keep loving the people.

I feel like just as my eyes were eventually blinded to the physical poverty of the colonia, my eyes need to be open to the spiritual poverty of those around me.

We have it all, we suburban Americans; or at least we think we do.  Houses, boats, cars, nice clothing… but what is all of that worth without Jesus?

That is my take away from my short time in Reynosa… and what I hope will become my life-long mindset.

I will go back.  How could I not?