Saturday we woke up and started our routine of cleaning and such to get ready for Sunday.  Steve and I both got showers taken and then he headed downstairs to inform the kids of the day's plan.  (We had 3 extra kids whose mama had a birthday and their dad decided to take her to the big city on a day out.)  Anywho,  while Steve was downstairs he noticed that the carpeting was wet and on further investigation found that the hot water heater was leaking all over the floor.  He got out his handy-dandy homeowners guide to fixing all things yourself, and quickly realized that none of the problems listed applied to our hot water heater.  So, this required a trip to Home Depot to get a new hot water heater.  While trying to drain the old one, (with the water to the house off, and 6 kids needing to use the bathroom) he discovered that the old water heater was full of sediment and could not be drained.  Which leads me to this question..... Did you know that every 6-12 months you are supposed to drain the hot water heater?  So far I have never heard of anyone that knew this was to be done. The owners manual on the side of the tank says that sediment will build up in the tank if this isn't done.  AH HA!   So last night I was talking to my mom and telling her all this, which of course she's never heard at all.  The hot water heater in their house has to be at least 20 years old... probably way older, and they don't have a water softener, so the hardwater build up is substantially worse for them.  They just don't make things like they used to.  Now the next problem is that because we are unable to drain the rest of the water out of the old tank, it weighs a ton, and we aren't sure how to remove it from the basement.

We started our newest bible study last night.  It's a women's study on the covenental family.  The first few chapters are very good, and there were several convicting things even in the introduction to the book.  We read Psalm 78:1-8 where the psalmist talks about teaching the Lord's statutes to your children and to your children's children.  I was so blessed to grow up in a home where I was taught truth.  What I hope to get out of this study is how to teach my kids what God's standards are, but still model the Grace that he has bestowed on me.  So that they know that it's not an outward conforming to a list of do's and don'ts, but rather a heart transformation.  I am not good at being gracious, as testified to by my actions most of the time.  I love my "formulas."  Even though I know deep down that my "formulas" for turning out well behaved, obedient, thoughtful children are in reality not going to make life turn out that way.

It's really interesting how this all fits together with what Tim has been preaching about on Sunday mornings with the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus lays forth that the standard is perfection, and ends the whole thing saying be perfect as God is perfect.  Which is completely impossible.  For me, for you, for any member of the human race. Only by God's grace is that standard achievable.  Which doesn't mean that I am going to be able to live a perfect life even after God draws and saves me.  It means that He has to look on me through the blood of Christ. That's what makes me perfect.  Not me.  Not my will to be so.  Not my righteousness. God's righteousness.  Not my own list of do's and don'ts.  So if that kind of grace is given me, then I ought to extend that to others, especially my kids.