How Big is Your Bathtub?

I've been Spring cleaning in the bathroom this week. I've sorted the medicine cabinet, gone through the drawers, cleaned the outside of the toilet, wiped down the light bulbs...etc. The number one thing that I dread in the bathroom is without a doubt, hands down, cleaning the bathtub. I don't care how many products there are out there that say "no scrubbing necessary," you just HAVE to use a little elbow grease on the bathtub! It's a pain, and I've been avoiding it all week.

Until this morning. I had a little change of heart when I read this:
He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths. -1 Kings 7:23-26

For those of you who may be wondering what "the Sea" was, it was basically one very large bathtub! Actually, it was one large bathtub that held several baths. The "Sea" was to be used by the Priests for washing. Did I say large? I meant gigantic! Think about it. One cubit is about 18 inches. I don't know about yours, but my bathtub is about four feet, or a little over two and a half cubits long, and maybe one and a half cubits high. That is nothing compared to Solomon's bath!

I'm still trying to picture it. I mean, I've heard of claw foot tubs before, but entire bulls? A dozen of them? I would love a nice large jet tub that I can sink into and disappear someday, but I think I'll pass on the one that I need a ladder to climb into! Who's going to clean that? The housekeeper? I certainly would not have wanted to be Solomon's wife back then.

All I'm saying is that today I am going to tackle my tub, and I will never complain about cleaning it again. Well, until next Spring and then I'll just sit down and read this as a little reminder of how lucky I am!

^{Colossians 3:23-24} Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 6.15.09

I'm half way there! This is memory verse 12. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then visit the LMP blog, or my first scripture post here.

Lately I have been dwelling on wisdom. It all started with a familiar verse that I've had memorized for a while. Psalm 90:12 says "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." That got me to thinking about the different ways that we can "gain a heart of wisdom."

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Psalm 111:10
• We gain wisdom from reading God's Word. Proverbs 1:2-7
• We grow wise when we walk with the wise. Proverbs 13:20
• The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. Col. 2:2-3
• If we lack wisdom, we should ask God, who generously gives wisdom. James 1:5

1 Kings 3:5-14 reveals the origin of the depths of King Solomon's wisdom. The Lord came to the young king in a dream at Gibeon and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Instead of asking for long life or wealth, Solomon asked for a "discerning heart." The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, (verse 10) and promised to give him not only a wise and discerning heart, but also what he had not asked for. Riches and honor would belong to Solomon plus a long life if he obeyed God and followed His commands.

I pray for God to give me a wise and discerning heart! One that can build this home, love my husband, and nurture my children.

Proverbs 24:3-4 reflects the desire of my heart. That is why I have chosen these verses to memorize for the second half of June. I like the Amplified version the best.

"Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

~Melissa

Company Girl Coffee 6.12.09

"Celebrate the significance and wonder of life. Don't wait until it hits you over the head. It's already there; waiting for you to embrace it." ~Nicole Johnson (Fresh -Brewed Life)

Good morning! When I read this at the end of my morning devotional, I had to share it with you. Grab a cup of coffee, make yourself comfortable, and I'll tell you a little secret that I've learned this week. Are you ready? I can picture you leaning in closer with anticipation on the other side of that screen.

Here it is: Life is not meant to be taken so seriously all of the time.

I know that some of you out there are laughing at me, and some of you who are just like me are wondering if I've lost it. You see, I am a serious person by nature. I am, as one would say, "set in my ways." I like routine, lists, and predictability.

While I would like to suggest there is nothing wrong with any of those things in perspective, sometimes my seriousness can be a serious downer to those around me! At that point I just need a little reminder to lighten up and enjoy life a little. For example, this week my favorite small thing was Finding Something to Savor. It has carried all throughout my week and I have been finding myself savoring all kinds of things. A silly dance. A new game with my kids. Laughing out loud at a funny book. A great talk with my guy while giving him a back massage to relieve some tension.

None of these things happened at the expense of my normal daily tasks. I still got most of my normal routine in also. It's just that in the midst of it all, I allowed myself to see what God saw from the very beginning when He created life. It is very good.

I like the wording in the Message version of the Bible...
"God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!"

Enjoy your weekend everyone! Thanks for stopping by for coffee, and don't forget to stop and embrace life as it happens! :)

Here's a great video for any of you who might remember the show "Fame."

Life is a celebration

Happy Birthday BC!

Today is my son's 6th birthday! I remember very clearly the day he was born. I was scheduled to be induced at 6:00am. My mother in law met my husband and I at the hospital and she roamed the halls with me as I walked out the labor. Before very long we were welcoming our third baby into the world! I love that precious moment when they first hand your baby to you in the hospital. He was so tiny then...

He's not so tiny anymore. In fact, I think he's probably going to catch up with his older brother soon! They grow up so fast. I sure do love spending time with him. He's one of the most creative kids I know. I will definitely miss our afternoon hangout times next year when he starts first grade.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BC! I love you bunches!

10 Things to Savor

This week I thought I would reflect on yesterday's small thing and list off 10 things that I savor and am definitely thankful for. :)

1. Good morning snuggles.
2. Long, lingering hugs.
3. The smell of my children right after they've taken a bath.
4. A fun game of Uno or Dominoes with my son.
5. Yummy Ginger cookies that my husband made.
6. The smell of the grass and trees after a good rain.
7. Watching my kids swing as high as they can go.
8. A good tickle session.
9. The sound of laughter.
10. Tucking my children in at night, lingering for just one minute more.

Savor the moment...it quickly fades into the past. :)

Company Girl Coffee 6.5.09

Good morning! It's a little rushed here this morning so I only have time for a quick cup. I really missed coffee last week though, so I figured one little cup before I'm off and running won't hurt, right? To be honest, most mornings I don't finish my coffee without having to re-heat it. Mornings are kind of hectic around here with five small children and although we try to keep a routine, there are bound to be interruptions! This morning I am looking forward to treating myself to a latte on my way to a play date with a friend of mine. Then we can have some face to face Company Girl Coffee! :)

Actually, when I read Rachel Anne's post today, I smiled to myself because even though school is not yet out for us, it is for my friend Andrea. You might remember that I mentioned Andrea over coffee before. She's taking the opportunity this summer to do some really fun projects with her kids. She's calling it "Make it Mondays", and you can see her first project over at Life With You.

As for me, I still need to come up with a plan. We practically have our own park in the back yard now, so there will be lots of playing on the swing set. We also bought an above ground pool that we will set up after school gets out because summers here are pretty warm. There's a "water park" just down the street from us that has all kinds of sprinkler fun for the kids. I plan to frequent that quite a bit.

When the sun gets just too hot and too dangerous to bear, you will find us in the comfort of our air-conditioned home, keeping cool. I plan on making some homemade playdough (there are lots of recipes to choose from) and keeping lots of craft supplies around. There will also be lots of reading and a little story writing of their own. (My kids have taken to writing their own books lately.)

Have a great summer everyone! I look forward to sharing what your plans are over coffee later this weekend.

-Melissa

Siesta Scripture Memory 6.1.09

Check out this valuable little nugget that I am memorizing from scripture in the first half of June...

"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed." -Psalm 112:1-2

Who doesn't want their children to be blessed? Lord, teach me to live an upright life so that my children will receive the blessing promised here in Your Word!