So it's been a loooong time since i've blogged - it's not like i haven't thought about it or started writing something, but because of this blessing....

... i have been running low on brain power, -- well, low on all energy that goes towards anything other than feeding my kids, feeding myself, getting my kids to sleep, getting myself to sleep, changing their diapers, ....

But thanks to this blessing....

... i have a spark of energy -- and am not bothered by the fact that my toddler isn't napping but is instead tearing up her room! At least i get to eat these delicious candies in peace and quiet!!! (notice the low ratio of chocolate eggs to jelly beans - thank you, Cadbury!)

As if i could have forgotten what valuable lessons this season of life that i've reentered -- "Hello New Baby, Good-bye Sleep" can teach, now it's packed with a double whammy thanks to the whirlwind seasonal occurances of my toddler, aka, "Miss Independent."

God has taught me several lessons during the course of the last several days, but as my brain seems to have disappeared along with my waistline and as the fact that these chocolate eggs are wearing off fast, i'll just recount one "episode" during which i had a meeting with God.

The other morning, the kids and i finished our shopping at SuperTarget and headed out to the car --- Daniel sleeping blissfully in his carseat in the seat of the cart and Tessa (Miss Independent) sitting in the little kiddie seats in the front of the cart. As soon as we got to our car, which was parked next to a empty cart return, Tessa took off to walk through the cart return, to crawl under it, to run away from me to walk and crawl through the cart return on the other side of our parking space.

She responded to my calls to return to me just about as well as a husband responding to his wife's suggestion to stop and ask for directions --- a laugh and a continuation on the same dangerous course. Glancing from my 3-week old infant boy to my 3-year old defiant girl to the mom in the minivan next to me who had her sweet, obedient kids already tucked into their government-approved carseats, i decided i had to momentarily leave the cart and go after Miss Independent.

It only took a matter of seconds before i had her back safely beside our car, but those seconds ticked by in beats of fear, alternating with anger and disappointment that she would do something so dangerous and so disobedient! I thought we had already covered this topic of running away!

What God must think when i do something He's already showed me is dangerous and against His perfect will for me!

Needless to say, once we got home, the discipline came. For her. And, yes, for me, it always does when i speak to my kids -- i hear God saying the same thing to me!

But really, my moment with God that day came when hours later at the dinner table, Tessa and i were finishing our dinner alone, as Dustin was at church and Daniel asleep. I had finished my meal (Pastor Susan's yummy lasagna, which i had frozen pieces of for such a time as this) and Tessa had refused hers. Did i mention she has an independent streak?

The disappointments and struggles of the day broke away as i pulled up on my laptop a YouTube video of "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord," and Tessa began to sing the words along with me. We even made up our own actions, lifting our hands to praise Jesus ...

The presence of God was there at that table in the hearts of two of His daughters who aren't perfect but who are made perfect in Him.

I might not be running and crawling through the cart returns at SuperTarget, but there are times i try to run and do things on my own -- instead of running to Him.

Yet He is so faithful to show up and to shower down His love.

Simply amazing how a dining room table can be the setting of more than just a nourishing meal. If your toddler won't eat anyway, might as well serve them something that will sustain them better than anything SuperTarget has to offer!