Wow, it's been a challenging few days in a several different ways!
First of all, I realized sometime last week that I am not as patient as I thought I was. I hate hearing myself be so snappish and feeling so aggravated with all these little toddlers or with my poor hubby in the midst of all the chaos. I wish I could be as good-humored and unruffled as I know I should be. They are just babies and most times they can't be expected to (for example) stay out of the toilet if they see it open and inviting! :} I just about lost it today when they were all ready for the zoo in cute matching outfits and I found them in our bathroom with wads of sopping wet toilet paper in their fists and in and around the toilet, and even my body lotion in the toilet! So much for my perfectly laid plans to get them out the door in a somewhat ordered and cute manner. Instead, toilet paper and my toiletries still littered the bathroom floor when we left, Marcie's shirt needed to be changed, and Gavin and I had to wash all those little hands and arms. I felt like such a failure! I know, it's no big deal, and normally I would mostly agree, but today I didn't do so great. I need help; I need prayer, and I need to remember that God's grace is sufficient for me, that His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am very, very weak. Good thing God's power and grace is infinite! :)
Along those lines, I was less gracious than I should have been in a previous post when I mentioned specific religions. I can't back down regarding the truth of the Holy Bible, but I wish I hadn't come across so antagonistic to certain groups in particular. Please forgive me!
Also, in planning our trip back to PNG (now aiming for mid-June!), the flight has loomed like our own personal Goliath. I just read Matthew 14 about Jesus coming to His disciples in the midst of the storm, Peter walking on water to him but then focusing on the wind and waves instead of on Jesus, and about how Jesus had to reach out and save him, take him back to the boat, and calm the storm. I feel like the whole transition to PNG - in particular the flights and time change adjustments - is a threatening storm. Please pray we keep our eyes on Jesus, trust Him to tell us when to get out of the boat (the "boat" being life here in the US), trust Him to carry us through, and that He would even cause the "winds" to die down so these new waters aren't nearly as rough as we're tempted to fear. (Gavin pointed out that we are planning something no one has ever done before: move year-and-a-half-old quintuplets to the other side of the world, including at least one 14-hour flight! And yes, we are praying/planning for three more adults. We realize there is NO WAY we can do this by ourselves!)
I am soooooooooooo tired tonight, even after many nights of great sleep in a row. I feel like I need a nap every day in order to not drag big-time by 8 p.m.! We had a great day at the zoo (and pictures to follow), but I need to head to bed because it's an earlier morning than usual tomorrow.
The kids sure were cute and endearing today, though. ;)
Love to all,
Carrie
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| Beautiful Marcie in new Christmas gift clothes |
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| Beautiful Grace strutting her stuff before church on Sunday. I love matching the girls especially. :) It was SO much fun to pick out these outfits for them - thank you Thauts! |
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| David dumps books, pacifiers, toys, chewable vitamins, anything in the laundry. He also threw a block into the diaper pail. |
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| Grandpadad with his people, as he calls them. Will, Marcie, David, Seth, Gracie. Beautiful weather!! |
I am only one (of what I am sure is many) LDS woman who reads your blog and prays continually for your family. I can be sure because I was referred here by another LDS woman. I have to be clear and say I didn't find the previous post offensive so much as perplexing. We have a history of being misunderstood and persecuted as a result of those misunderstandings and most of have a fairly well-developed thick skin. The perplexing part comes in because you clearly do not understand our religious beliefs well enough to even name things properly. Moreover, I am never going to understand why someone would attempt to bolster their faith by tearing down the faith of another. If your beliefs are not strong enough to stand on their own it is not the fault of someone else's beliefs. I understand and appreciate your desire to declare your faith and share the joy of it, it is something I feel strongly about also. You and yours are continually in my thoughts and prayers.
ReplyDeleteHi dear lady,
DeleteThank you for continuing to read the blog. :)
I have actually studied the LDS faith and have had quite a few LDS friends - them with their bibles and Book of Mormon, me with mine, going over Scripture and our respective beliefs together. We always managed to stay friends despite our differences in belief; that was one reason I was sorry I came across so antagonistically in my post (which I realized upon re-reading it from the perspective of subscribers to the LDS and JW faith). I certainly did not intend to pick on your religion in an attempt to bolster my own faith and religion; it was because I had just had a conversation with a new believer who thought it was all "one and the same," which I think you will agree it's not. I do truly appreciate your sweet thoughts and for caring about our family! Thanks for not giving up on us because I was ungracious. I am a far from perfect person continually grateful for the grace extended to me by my Father, His one and only Son, and the Holy Spirit. Love and prayers, Carrie
Don't be so hard on yourself! You have 5 toddlers to watch over, plus if 1 finds the toilet and wet toilet paper interesting-you can be sure 4 will follow! Moms of toddlers are often frustrated so you have 5 times more reasons to be frustrated. Love that Grandpadad calls the quints "his people"!
ReplyDeleteYour not "perfect", none of us are. I have had a horrible problem with "perfectionism" in the past and still "visit" there once in a while! I always remember Martha.....Martha, was “worried and upset about many things,” and it would appear she too struggled with perfectionism as she served the Lord (Luke 10:40-41). She set about making dinner and setting the table, she wanted everything to be just right, "perfect". The problem was that she was trying to create a higher standard for herself than Jesus wanted from her. “Only one thing is needed,” Jesus told her.......He pointed her to Mary’s example of peace and rest (Luke 10:42).
ReplyDeleteKnow you'll never be perfect, none of us will. We can strive for "perfection" but by doing we will not of spent enough time being "still" and really listening to His teachings to our hearts! Rest in His care Carrie, know that with each disaster that has and will befall the babies is part of their world, their learning experiences....be blessed (as I know you feel) that they are ALL able to get into an open toilet and have some fun! My mother always told me that the children would never remember the dust bunnies under the kitchen table but they WILL remember that you were under there with them having fun! Peace and love to you and your family...the best is yet to come! ~Melana
Beautiful words, and so true! I will cling to them!! Love, Carrie
DeleteCarrie - It is refreshing and an absolute blessing to see you stand up 100% for what you believe in. Too often, people aren't as strong in that area as you are and what an amazing world it would be if everyone was as adamant about sharing God's love and mercy as you are! How sad it is to know that so many that don't know Him (or even want to) are headed for a very unpleasant eternity. Thank you for continuing to plant the seed...
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Sherrie. I read a great quote today: The Bible is not hesitant to tell us that life without Christ is life without hope, both here in this temporal existence and for all eternity. And that is not presenting God in a mean, vindictive manner: it is the pleading of a loving God to His creation to choose life and not death. (Just someone's comment on a thread attacking Mark Driscoll for tweeting something about hell.)
DeleteCarrie, you are very beautiful inside and out. I admire you and have admired you since the day that I met you. We do have bad days you are not alone in that. I just had a bad Sunday where I was appeared to be Debbie, but ended up being the old Debbie that explodes with anger. I had to ask Steve for forgiveness because of my outburst. My bad day reminded me how much I need God in my life to be nice to people. You have a lot on your plate and you guys are adding moving across the ocean to it. I am so thankful for God's grace and forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteI pray that you see God's grace and love for you. I also pray that you see how much others really do appreciate you and love you. The other day when I saw you, I thought how can this woman of 5 babies continue to laugh and be happy to see her babies. You are amazing. I will pray that those who were offended with your post would accept your apology and forgive you. I think that is what I appreciate about you, Carrie. You ask for forgiveness when you hurt someone's feelings.
Debbie Miller