Hilltops and a Valley of Vision: Fall is Here to Stay (we hope)

Happy Fall to all of our family and friends! Yes, our air conditioning has now been turned off for three days. Granted, it was 80 degrees in the house yesterday, but all the rain slowly cooled things off and we're set to have a cool week of 70 degree weather (with lows in the 50s) for the next 10 days. I am ecstatic.

We've had several slow days in the past couple of weeks. Rodney was sick again on Friday through Sunday and has had an all-consuming week at work (and is set to travel to Louisiana for an oil show Monday through Thursday next week). So Abigail and I have had lots of time together:)

Abigail update --- Well, she will be 9 months old in a couple of days and has her well-baby visit on Tuesday. Since she hasn't been sick, our only visits to the doctors have been for her well-baby appointments, so I always look forward to seeing how much she weighs and formulate a long list of questions for her pediatrician. She started clapping two days ago, and as a consequence, has also developed a liking for banging things together to make noise. She is also standing much better and likes to be up on her feet. She's mastered pureed fruits, veggies, and cereals, so we'll start introducing chunkier versions and some finger foods in the next couple of weeks.

A friend who watches Abigail in the church nursery also tells me that she thinks Abigail will grow up to be quite musical. She bops her head whenever she hears a beat, music, or a rhythm of any kind, and loves to hear us sing and play her little Fisher Price piano. It's quite adorable.

Mommy update: Well, it's kinda been a lonely couple of weeks. With Rodney being gone in the evenings (he got home last night at 9:30) and with him being sick, I've felt more like a single mom these past couple of weeks. But...don't get me wrong...I do count my blessings. Gosh, I don't know how my mom did it growing up, with my dad being gone months at a time. And I sure am grateful for such a great hubby, who is a blessing from the Lord.

I'm also really thankful for BSF. Rodney makes copies of the lessons for me every week so I can keep up, so I'm doing two John Bible studies (BSF is much more mind and soul challenging...church Bible study serves other purposes...building relationships, etc.)...

So this week I've been challenged by the passage in John, "He must increase and I must decrease." This by no means is an unfamiliar passage. John's disciples have come to him, concerned that everyone is going to Christ to be baptised (and not to John). And John responds that everything we have is a gift from heaven, his joy is full because Christ is here, and his purpose (to go before the Messiah, proclaiming his coming, preparing people with hearts of repentance) is complete.

I was struck again with new conviction that I am often concerned about being preeminent. Even my spirituality is too often from selfish motives, self-love. Oh to be like Andrew and John and joyfully be second place in this life! Being a wife, mother and friend means laying my life down in service, love and joy every day in all that I do, putting other peoples needs above me own. So my own personal challenge for this week is to lead people to love Christ, not to love me...

I can't do it alone, but as Paul who said, "Who can deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" How thankful I am that the grace of God is abundant for every need...

"He must increase, but I must decrease."

Hope you enjoy the new pictures!

clapping...