There I Sat, Squatting In A Field Of Weeds...

...with my camera smooshed up against my face, feeling at peace for the first time today.
I was listening to a conversation at noon about extroverts vs introverts. (Extroverts get energized when around other people. Introverts get energized when they're by themselves.)

I am an introvert. "Introverts have more brain activity in their frontal lobes and when these areas are activated through solitary activity, introverts become energized through processes such as problem solving, introspection and complex thinking."

Extroverts, on the other hand, "tend to have more activity in the back of their brain, areas that deal with processing sensory information from the external world, so they tend to search for external stimuli in the form of interacting with other people and the outside world to energize them."

(I got the above info here.)

Which explains why I love going on photo walks by myself. Well, yeah, sure, I'd love to have someone join me, but I'm OK doing it by myself too. Gives me a chance to pray and mull things over in my mind.

I'd love to be able to say these are holy times, when I'm plunked down in amongst weeds n wild flowers, that I hear God clearly n all... but I don't. It's just me praying to a God who's up behind the cloudy sky.

It's a matter of faith these days, trusting that He is there and that He is listening.

Max came home tonight with a foot injury. He'd stepped on a nail earlier in the evening and it's swollen and sore. He's limping and wants me to do something about it.

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That's the thing with parenting. Kids just think you know things.

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Drew left for his dad's house minutes after I reminded him it was his turn to mow the lawn. He didn't want to, because, hello? It's FRIDAY. People don't cut grass on Friday's, they do it on Wednesdays. When I told him I asked him to do it on Wednesday, he said I DON'T DO CHORES ON WEDNESDAYS. Didn't I get it? What was my problem?

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That's the thing about parenting. Kids think you don't know anything.

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It's all very confusing.

Dear God,

I come to you in Jesus's name and give Clint, Max and Drew to You. I'm convinced that You alone know what is best for them. You know what they need. I release them to You to care for and protect, and I commit to praying for everything concerning them that I can think of or that You put on my heart.

Teach me how to pray, and guide me in what to pray about.

Help me not to impose my own will when I'm praying for them, but rather enable me to pray Your will be done in their lives.

Thank you that I can partner with You in raising them and that I don't have to do it alone. Please give me wisdom as I pray to You for answers.

Thank you for the precious gift of these three sons. Because the Bible says that every good gift comes from You, I know that You have given them to me to raise and care for. Help me to do that.

Show me places where I continue to hang on to them and enable me to release them to Your protection, guidance, and counsel. Help me not to live in fear of possible dangers but in the joy and peace of knowing that You are in control.

I rely on You for everything, and this day I entrust my kids to You.

Amen.
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Three things I'm thankful for:

1. Clint just called to let me know he's staying at Adam's for night. I think this might be the first time he's done that. (Both stay at Adam's and call me so I don't stay up all night wondering...)

2. My co-workers took me out to lunch today to celebrate my birthday. At the rate I'm going, this is going to be 'birthday month'...

3. I'm reading another good book. Love it that talented, artsy people do things like record songs, write books and produce various other forms of entertainment.

Shalom,