Just a shrub in the desert

Read this and substitute the highlighted word "man" with "3 year old boy".

Jer 17:5-10
Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?
"I the LORD search the mind and try the heart, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."

For a reason unknown to me, this week will go down as my hardest parenting week so far. I am thankful because, as usual, God spoke to my heart in an incredibly personal way.

Lesson: My heart trusts in my children's obedience as the gage for my contentment way to often.

A friend and I were watching this week for when our attitude shows that our heart is discontent in Jesus and then the goal was figuring out why. What do we want more than Christ? Well... let me tell you God answered that one clearly this week! I still am working on the kids attitudes but I guess I have put that in the category of the "heat that comes". I'm just so thankful for the feeling of roots going deeper as I try with everything in me not to melt down when I am cleaning up poop for the third time in 3 hours, and not from a diaper (ah, potty training). I can actually feel my roots going deeper as Jesus meets me in the laundry room at the stationary tub!

Here are some shots of the happier times through the week. :-) John Patrick at PaPa Rex's land, Dora and I enjoying a rainbow and Dora taking advantage of cookie dough we made to take to friends with a new (peaceful, I might add...) baby.