This interesting bird has shown up on the kids’ windowsill for several days now. The tree out back is currently molting it’s glorious Whimsical Wuzzies, which attracts bees– lots of bees.

This bird watches the unsuspecting bees from his hideout on the window sill. Then he flies off to grab a bee and returns to the window to eat it.

The kids think it is almost better than BBC’s Planet Earth.

* Don’t worry, the bidet is clean. We never use it…except as a baby doll bassinet.

When I was a freshman in college I read the books Desiring God and Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper. My life has never been the same since! (And that is putting it lightly.) I am forever grateful for the Desiring God ministry.

You can imagine the enormously humbling honor it is for me to contribute articles for the “Grace at Home” series on the Desiring God blog.

Writing articles to contribute to this series came along just when I finished the manuscript for the Crossway book on grace in the mundane. The book is laser-focused on God’s grace for life in the home, but I haven’t written it exclusively for women with children. The articles by the writers in the “Grace at Home” are laser-focused on God’s grace through Christ for mothers.

So for the sake of my own joy in God, whereby I have to discipline myself to think deeply on how Jesus sustains my work as a mother, I started writing. This kind of study of the Scriptures has been both humbling and thrilling.

Yesterday they ran a post I wrote about how God made the maternal instinct to glorify himself. This post in particular means so much to me, as having a “maternal instinct” is something that I despaired I would never have. My dear, patient parents can testify– as a young girl I was extremely standoffish and self-absorbed (I still need so much help, Lord, please keep changing me!). Teachers expressed their concern that I was impatient with fellow students whom I tutored in school. Helpless, needy people and babies made me feel uncomfortable, so I avoided babysitting and volunteer service opportunities. When Dave and I got married ten years ago and people asked me when we hoped to have children, I made up a number of years that felt far enough away but not too extreme to make them ask me more questions. You get the idea.

But, oh! God had mercy and he will not leave me to implode in my selfishness. Years ago, he began to create a desire in my heart to bring up children to love and nurture to his glory. It brings me to tears to think of how God, in his mercy, gave me these children. Of course, there are many ways God sanctifies me, more than I can count. But today I am specifically thankful how God uses these three cheeky little gifts that I don’t deserve to point me to Jesus, the one who gave me the ultimate gift that I didn’t deserve– God! Through his atoning work on the cross, Jesus obliterated every barrier in my way to knowing and enjoying God forever.

The specific thing I am praising God for in this article is how he, through Christ, can change self-serving sinners to reflect his sacrificial love as mothers love their children.

“All of our instinct to suffer, to love, to exercise patience, to endure pain, and to work for the good of our children is a reflection of the image of God. The image of God is most gloriously displayed in Jesus, who is the exact image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).”

Click here to keep reading.

If you’ve been following our adventures on this blog for any length of time then you’ve probably read lots of posts about Dave’s arms.

In this post on the Domestic Kingdom blog I specifically wrote about God’s faithfulness in our marriage in the midst of this ongoing trial.

Even if you’ve read lots of “Dave’s arms” posts before, please read this one, too! There’s also a story about another couple at the bottom of the article I’d like for you to read about.

Incidentally, Norah loves these photos. She asked me to frame the one of the alligator biting her head so she can put it on her nightstand.

I also feel like I should explain her hairdo. She has been experimenting with three ponytails lately. It looks rather Seuss-ical, doesn’t it?

Most of the time I am at a loss for creative activities to do with my kids.

The other day the girls were listing all the reasons why our buddy Sarah is such a fun babysitter. “She tells us stories without a book! She teaches us games without looking on the internet!”

My secret is out. I rely heavily on books and the internet for ideas.

It helps to borrow good ideas from other teachers!

This week I borrowed an illustration from Paul Tripp’s book Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands.

I wrote about it here on the Domestic Kingdom blog. Check it out!

When Aliza was a baby and she was extra fussy then we would watch a few videos on YouTube of laughing babies. That usually helped distract her from crying as though someone had taken away her birthday.

When Norah was a baby she liked to watch music videos and people dancing.

Technology has changed.

Since the girls were babies the world has been blessed with Angry Birds. Angry Birds is a great tool for distractions during diaper changing, road trips with fussy toddlers, and those times when the kitchen isn’t bringing your food fast enough and you’ve tossed all your Cheerios onto the floor.

But Judson is not amused by Angry Birds.

To him it is not a novel thing to not like pigs. He was born here, after all.

When Judson is fussy he likes to watch clips of Tim Keller.

Of course she has her moments of indiscriminate frustration with life just like every other 3-year-old (or 33-year-old).

But sometimes it seems like the only thing this kid takes seriously is being happy.

Our problem isn’t that we love joy too much; it’s that we’re quite happy without it.

That was my attempt to paraphrase that famous CS Lewis quote about how we’re happy to make mudpies in the slums because we don’t understand the implications of being invited to a holiday at the sea.

We would all do well to pursue what makes us the most happy forever.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

I’m always reticent to cut Judson’s hair for several reasons.

(A) The boy cannot sit still.

(B) The boy likes things that are sharp, electric, poisonous, and otherwise dangerous. Dangling scissors near his face is like taking Aliza to a pet shoppe and telling her she can’t take any baby animals out with her. You just don’t want to go there- it’s too painful for everyone involved.

(C) Cutting boy hair is different than cutting girl hair. Norah’s hair is quite forgiving with all of her layers and curls; Aliza’s is just straight.

The photo to the side is the before picture.

And now he’s too cool for school.