Well, that is the idea, anyway.  I’ve joined up on a Purge challenge.  It’s for the month of October, in hopes that we will all be in the habit by the end of the month.

I’ll give you the link, because, I don’t know how to do it in a fancy way (sorry, still VERY illiterate when it comes to these things).

http://hiddenart.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/purge-stuff-challenge/

Now, what have I done so far?  Ummm, well, I uh, let’s see. . . hmmm. . . Oh, yeah!  I decided against an impulse buy at a link given by one of those taking the challenge (shame on her, although it did look ever-so-tempting).

But, seriously, my family and I have just come off of a two-week clean-and-purge, and I’m telling you, we were all a bit fatigued after that.  I am off my relax-and-stop-the-mad-woman-cleaning-spree, and back at it again.  Mine is definitely going to be a bit slower, now.  I plan on cleaning an area for 15 minute spurts, at a few nicely timed intervals throughout the day, or going through a box a day (I have boxes, boy do I have boxes). 

I believe the whole “gee-my-house-looks-cleaner” thing is enough to keep me motivated.  We visited my parents over the weekend, and my mom sort of looked at me dumb-founded when I told her we’d been cleaning, actually CLEANING for two weeks.  I believe it was kind of along the lines of “What could you possibly have in your house that would take two weeks to clean, and you say you’re still not done?”

I know, I know.  My husband and I have been married for over 17 years now, and both of us tend to sort of, well, you know, save stuff?

It is freeing to be rid of things, though.  Two of the things that are going are trophies from a boating race from the 1950’s.  Neither one of them is engraved, but we got them from my husband’s grandpa.  Go figure.  They’re still here because of what?  Sorry, can’t answer that one.  But, say bye-bye now.

Please join me if you will.  It will only hurt a little.

Really.

I don’t always get up to enjoy the sunrise, and certainly not in the summer.  Most nights I go to bed late, even though I prefer the mornings, and so, sleep in.

Today, however, I got to see the sun rise.  We have a vacant lot on our east, and the eastern border of that property is a treeline, which extends both north and south of the property.  At the anticipation of the rising of the sun, the trees light up with a flaming magenta glow, which slowly brightens to a brilliant orange-red glow as the sun advances over the horizon.

As I watched this magnificent sight this morning, I also looked up in the sky to see the last star twinkling overhead.  I waited to see at what moment I could no longer see the star.  I was not disappointed in the meantime, as the sky continued to brighten, with shades of pink and periwinkle rising above my head.  As the clouds above, before unseen, began to take on a rosy blush, the star vanished into the day.

My daughters’ room is the very periwinkle of the sky as the sun is rising in the east.  Their window faces the sunrise, and I matched the paint to that color one morning as the sun was coming up.  It is a glorious color, which never ceases to delight me.

Reflecting on God’s artistry, I am in awe of his majesty, and the beauty that he chooses to bestow upon us.  Being a shadow of things to come, it is so hard for me to fathom the glory we have yet to behold.

 We had our sonogram on Wednesday, and found out our baby is a boy.  Due date mid-to-late January (still conflicting info, but Dr. is going with January 29).

I had thought when I was pregnant with my little Baby Wig, whom I thought to be a girl from the get-go, how cool it would be to have a trio of boys.  A trinity, if you will.  I was not disappointed in getting her, she’s wonderful, but with this one, I thought it would be a boy, and so he is.

I am anxious to meet this new little person, but I am fine with waiting (Oh MY!), and to see what he will become.  My first two exemplify characteristics of both the Father (firstborn, obviously), and the Holy Spirit.  It took me awhile to figure this out about Puddle Jumpers.

He is so very full of life.  He sometimes tests my limits with his lack of fear, or his (perceived) lack of judgment, at times.  But something I have come to see in him is how he doesn’t testify of himself.  This is truly a characteristic of the Holy Spirit.  How is it that he does this?

Well, he obviously looks up to his Big Brother, and many of his opinions are formed based on what information he is given.  It’s not that he’s not smart, he’s incredibly bright, and has a very keen sense of understanding, enlightening me on many things I don’t think about.  What is different, though, is it’s as if the way he gives the information back is not HIS knowledge, just a way of sharing what he’s been told in a more precise light.

Also, at Tae Kwon Do, I have begun to notice that he doesn’t always seem so sure of himself.  He watches others (me included, oh, we are both in trouble if he’s following me) to be sure of himself.  It’s not that he doesn’t know it, he’s been doing this stuff coming up on four years now.  The difference is he doesn’t testify of himself.  He will mirror what others who appear to know what they are doing (not me, not me!).  So, it comes in handy for him to be privately instructed at home with Big Brother, and practicing again and again and again.

The lack of fear, a Comforter trait.  The lack of judgment, not what it appears, either, I’m sure.  The Bible says that as you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it goes, so it is with the Spirit.  I just don’t always understand what’s going on in all those little cogs and wheels of his mind.  Because, something is definitely always brewing.

So, for the third. . . characteristics of Christ, perhaps?  If so, I’m sure all of them will be glad he wasn’t born first!  LOL!

Today my freshman student had to read a Creation Myth from Ancient Egypt as part of his work for Year 1 TOG.  He came to me as he was reading this, and asked me, “Why am I reading this again?”

You see, up until now, I’ve been very cautious about the reading choices we’ve had.  We have discussed the beliefs of others, and I’ve tried to point them to where the breakdown in the reasoning is.  We all have it.  A breakdown point.  Man’s wisdom is not the same as God’s, and so, in every man-held belief where we assume into the text some thing that is not recorded anywhere in God’s word, there is going to be a breakdown.  I am not necessarily always able to find it.  I try.  I trust God for the rest.  If I am wrong, I do not mind being told.  I’ll believe what I believe until proven wrong.

What I want for my children is the ability to discern these things on their own.  There comes a time in their reasoning ability where they are better equipped to think through these processes better.  I haven’t wanted to bombard them with a lot of stuff contrary to the Word of God without their ability to discern. 

I feel my eldest is mature enough now.  So, I talked to him about it.  My bible says that the first five books of the bible were written by Moses.  A good time for him to have done it would have been when the Israelites were wandering in the desert for 40 years, although I don't know if this is when it happened, or not.  But the thought is, that these redeemed of the LORD, having been in captivity some 400 years or so may not have retained the knowledge of the story of their beginnings.  Some may have begun to believe the things the Egyptians believed.  Moses' books would have been very encouraging to them to see how special they were to God, and how Mighty a God they serve, having seen first hand his Power in delivering them.

It is a great contrast to the Egyptian’s beliefs.  By the hand of God defeating and defying the Egyptian gods through the plagues, He was showing himself superior.

I want him to see the differences, and similarities.  We need that ability to discern.  And to see the subtlety in man’s reasoning as opposed to God’s.

Am I there yet?  Not yet.  If I knew it all, I wouldn’t be here with ya’ll, I’d be before my Saviour.

Praise God.