Yes, we read!

Nope, not them. But they do love to get in our bed and pretend to read our books.

Okay ladies, get ready for a monologue!
God has recently given me a hunger to read lately. I am still really in shock. Since Ella has been born, my time for reading has slowly dwindled. Time? What time?! There is zero to NO time to read with little ones. But over last summer and through the fall God was building a DEEP DEEP desire in my soul for more of him and reading his word.

It has ALL been of God's grace and ....a little of my own pride, that has put me in a place where I hunger after God's word and reading in general.
Last fall I was super slammed with photo sessions. And b/c of Ryan's work slowing down, we could not turn anything down. So sandwiches for dinner and no clean underwear or socks for a while it is! My time working on editing in the evenings left Ryan...well,...alone.
So he started reading. And I mean like reading fat books in days. Fat textbook like books that looked boring to me.
And in my pride I said to myself, " Hey, if he can read like that so can I!!".
So I started. I MADE time to read. Inside I kind of wanted to beat him. What did I pick up first?
A book that I had bought earlier that year (2009) and never read it. When I Don't Desire God by John Piper. It was so timely. So very timely and wise of God. That book only confirmed in me the ever growing desire in my soul for God and Piper faithfully pointed me to God's Word to enrich my soul...FEED my soul. I was hooked. Hooked on the Bible. And reading books in general.
Below are the books I have read since December.
That little sin of pride God actually used to produced fruit in my life!! I can't stop reading! Reading God's word is becoming more natural and consistent for me( and reading it throughout the day) has only lit a fire to read more.
It literally will usually take me sometimes months to finish one book. So I am in shock here folks! Total and complete shock. It took me three years, yes you read right, to finish Jerry Bridges Disciplines of Grace.

(And actually Shadow of the Almighty I have a few chapters to go. So I cheated a bit on putting this book in this stack. And the Fracine Rivers book I just finished. I have never read her books. I read it in 3 days flat. But it did not serve my family b/c I totally neglected them b/c I was so engrossed in it. So I would not rec commend it unless you are on a deserted island.)
Do I say all this to brag? No WAY! I am in total shock that God has done this in my life. Why would he? Why would he be so kind to ME!?
I share this also in hopes to ENCOURAGE you! Are you the mom who is so worn out all day that you are struggling to make it past noon? (raising my hand). That is me too.
Are you a wife that serves your husband by washing his clothes, making meals, etc... and doing it because you are suppose to and not because you really want to? ( raising me hand here too). Yup, me too.
Are you a woman who looks at all the faces of those you serve daily and wonder how much more energy or love can you pull out of yourself for this day? Because you simply do not have any more left? (raising my hand). Yes, that too.
BUT! Can I encourage you now? Yes, those are thoughts that I fight daily, minutely (if that is a word) and weekly. But God has shown me, and he PROMISES in his word, that only HE supplies JOY. That only HE brings LIFE! And HE is ONLY found in his perfect, unwavering, steadfast and true word. The Bible.
And the fruit of receiving joy and life? Oh my...too many to list. How about putting aside all your "TO DO" lists for the day so that you can play and train the children. How about not exhaustion from the morning by noon, but an eagerness to see the kids after their nap time? How about making it a priority find ways to better manage the home so that you DO have clean clothes and they are actually put away IN THE DRAWERS for your hubbs. Or changing around your day or week to do those things that will serve him most? Oh and yes...eagerly and joyfully doing it the entire time.
How about a home marked with peace and joy b/c YOU have joy and peace even though there is still laundry unfolded and the kitchen may not be in tip top shape.
If I could sell joy and life in a bottle to you I would! I really would! But I can't. You already have it. Probably sitting on your side table or shelf. It is your Bible.

***INTERMISSION***

( I know this is a long post...so you may now go pee if you need to)

Once I started rising earlier than the kids to read the Bible....it was like God gave my soul a power drink. No. More like he jolted the heart of soul with one of those things you use to bring a heart back to life.... What is it called?....( Yes,...I went to college.)
And the result of being spoon fed LIFE and JOY has resulted in more of a desire to read more and more and more.
Here is what I am reading now in the picture below. That skinny sliver of a book is a bio on John Calvin by Piper.
I will crack it open once I finish Womanly Dominion. Which by the way is an AMAZING book!
It is rocking my word and really, for me, is redefining being a mother and woman of the home.
Okay...I jabber too much. But I do hope you are encouraged. If you read this and think to yourself, "Sure, sounds easy. But it is not! Not for me anyways! I can't do that!
My kids get up too early. They follow me everywhere all day long. I do not have a moment to myself at all..not even when I use the bathroom they are there! At their nap time I am so tired that I nap- so no reading time. And in the evenings I am still cleaning up the kitchen at 8pm, then after a shower and a quick tidy up of our bedroom it is already 10pm! ". Well, that is me all over! Everyday at times!
And it is not easy. It really is not. And you are right! You can't do it! ONLY GOD can do it.
So pray. Just pray for now. That is what I have been doing for a years. YEARS. It took years of gradual and then earnest praying and desiring for God to bring me here. And who is to say that it is all sunny and glorious from here on it. I assure you...the struggle has only begun! The fight for faith always continues! I hope this encourages you this Tuesday. All 7 of you who read this blog!
Now I am going to brag on my man. THIS is the stack of books he has read since Thanksgiving. See how it towers in comparison to my puny stack of 4 books?
Two he jsut started and two others he has not finished. He still beat me though.Ryan thanks for reading all your fat textbook books in front of me.
Who knew that God would use it to produce such a deep change in me!?
And because of you, I will now read a book on Roosevelt. But only if it has pictures in it. Lots of pictures.