Since I've been feeling GREAT for the last 3 weeks, I took my chances and started a big project...Cleaning out the oh so cluttered house... :) Baby steps at a time!! haha!!
Yesterday the basement got a good cleaning up, it looks so much better now! Almost all the toys are put into boxes with big labels on them. The kids can ask for one box at a time to play with. There are a few toys left on the shelve to play with (for example, woody and Buzz lightyear!) And some toys still need a box (like the little people, but they are hiding right now...) But overall, I am happy with the results... and don't worry, not all the boxes are full, just some of them (like the cars and the barbies... haha!)
Today I started baby-proofing the living room, which meant... taking the Lego out... And since I don't want the Lego in the basement (cause then it would end up EVERYWHERE) I had to put Tjipke's drums in the basement and use our music-room to make another play area for the kids... It turned out ok! The livingroom looks specious again!! :D Maybe today I'll be finishing with the diningroom... we'll see how well the kids and the baby behave!! haha!!
Written in my heart about 12,5 years ago, written for all to read on Sunday July 26, 2009.
Today's message in church inspired me to write about the dream I had years ago... I think it's finally time I write it down... not that I will ever forget, but I would like to share it with you all... :)
I was 13 years old when I got the dream. I did not understand it at the time, and did not want to talk about it with anyone... There is only a few people that heard this before... :s (shame on me...)
The dream:
Thousands of doves were flying in the air. All of them were grey, except for one. That one dove was pure white and flew all the way in the front. A lot of the grey doves were following and listening to the one white dove, but there were some that were trying to get away, and if they succeeded at leaving the group, they would fall down to ground. They didn't even look back at what they had left behind...
There was one dove that got my attention. It felt as if I was that dove, I always tried to get away but got pulled back by some other grey doves... I didn't feel in place where I was, but stayed because of them. Until that one moment, I pulled myself out of the group. I felt free, but only for one second, because soon after I pooled away, I felt myself falling and falling and falling... The one thing that was different about seeing this grey dove, was that it was looking up and crying about what it had left behind.
I would always wake up before the dove felt on the ground.
Almost 2 years after having this dream for the first time, I understood what the dream meant!
I was 2 weeks away from becoming 15 when I heard the 'Easter story' with my heart open! It finally wasn't just a story any more! I understood that Jesus had died on the cross for ME! All this time, I was trying to pull away from the most important Person in my life! All this time others were trying to pull me back. And I'm glad they did! And I'm glad He did! For a week I was struggling with myself, what would I tell others?? Others that always thought of me as 'that Christian girl' when actually I wasn't. I was just following my parents' believe, not my own...
Then there was youth camp. Saturday night, when everyone was in line for the one and only shower, someone offered me a bucket with water. I've never been a girly girl, so a bucket with water sounded just perfect for me!! :) I took it with me, and some soap and shampoo, to a little room in the barn. I sat on my knees and started washing my hair... And then and there I got this warm feeling inside, butterflies if you wish... and everything made sense! God had just told me the most important thing of all: "I love YOU!" I started crying and gave my heart to Him!
Just a few day's after this, I got the dream about the doves again. But this time, it did have an ending. Just before I would hit the ground, the white dove came down to me and carried me back to the group so I could follow Him! Without being held by my beloved, but flying with my own wings and listening with my own heart.
Now why did I never share this story? Good question, I don't know... Maybe because God didn't want me to use it until now, maybe because He wants YOU to read this right now at this moment... Or maybe because I was just to shy... :)
Wow, God does not sit still when you ask Him something to His glory!
I was having a very hard time finding some 'quite time' to spend with God. If it's not the kids that distract me away from Him, it's the laundry, or the dishes, or the garden... It's so easily done to put the Most Important One in second place...
For the last week one certain sentence of a song was stuck in my head:
"Jesus, my passion in life is to know You. May all other goals bow down to, this journey of loving You more."
And this truly is my passion! But why is it so hard to 'make' time for God? I praise Him through singing, and by looking at my kids, and looking at nature... BUT I don't take enough time to get to know Him more! And so I asked him with all my heart if He would help me find more time for Him! "Ask and it will be given to you"
Monday morning, 6 am, I am wide awake...
If you know a bit about me, you know that this does NOT happen to me, I have trouble falling asleep at night, and trouble waking up in the morning... I need lots of hours and lots of coffee to wake myself up...
And here I was wide awake... I was afraid to get up, since that could be tragic to the rest of the day... tired mommies are NO fun! So I stayed in bed till 7, and got up to do the regular things...
Tuesday morning, same thing happens again...
Since I'd be gone all day (shopping) I really needed that extra hour, I was SO frustrated... why would this happen???
Wednesday morning, same thing happens another time!
But this time, a still and small voice said: "you needed more time, here it is!"
So I got up and went downstairs to read my Bible! I finally understood! God was giving me more time!! And I so enjoyed my time with Him!!
Jesus, my passion in life is to know You
May all other goals bow down toThis journey of loving You more
It's that time of the year again... Just a few months before the new loads of toys come in, we need to say goodbye to some 'older' toys... Which was actually very easy this time, since Rachel was missing out on the fun for a good reason... :p
While she was at preschool and Bauke was having a nap in the car (since he felt a sleep on the way back from groceries), Marten and I were going through the toys that I had set apart a while ago and nobody missed... :p
Everything except for the mr. Potato head's family was allowed to go! Right in the middle of pricing it all, Bauke woke up and came in the house, he was actually very good, since it was all toys he really doesn't play with anymore... That boy got too big too quick... probably because he IS the third child in the family, I still see him as my baby, but he is turning 3 next month (!?!?!) Hard to believe... :p
So everything is now waiting to go to the sale! Kids toys and clothing sale in the rec center tomorrow... I wonder what cool toys will be there to buy!!!
(I know... I just make it go on and on and on... But I actually bought some pretty good Christmas gifts in the last couple of years!! Reduce Reuse Recycle!! AND I'm bringing in 10x more then I'm going to buy!)
PS. The picture above was at one of the basements worst times!! haha!! 6 kids in one basement with too many toys turns out to be a disaster! LOL
