be still and know

Much to my mom's relief I made it back to the Cross family in France after my ten day vacation in the UK. :) My foot which was so very painful by Sunday got better within about 48 hours of arriving back in France. I don't know if the ibuprofen reducing the swelling made so much difference or just not walking on it so much allowed it to begin to get better but it's been totally fine since. There is still a twinge from time to time and the spot is still sore to the touch but I'm no longer considering looking up a doctor here.

School started back up this week so we've been trying to adjust to the new routine. It's so strange having the house quiet from about 9-4:30! Just about the time we'll be figuring out this new set up though Amy and Charles will leave for Houston and it'll be just me and the kids for ten days. I think though that the changing up in routine is a good thing for me because it doesn't let me get in a rut and I have to constantly pay attention to the task at hand, and yet there is much less chaos than in my life at home so that I'm able to remember what it's like to stop and smell the roses. I really really hope that when I get home I can not go back to crazy, helter-skelter, flying by the seat of my pants like I was before but settle into more of an easygoing pace that gives me time to help those closest to me who need it and also allow for me to not live on the edge of burn-out all the time. The lady who spoke at the GEM conference was amazing and so inspiring. Why do we think we are so important that the world will cease to move if we need to draw away for some time alone with God? I know I'm so guilty of this. It seems so overwhelming at times, all of the needs that are screaming at us. This was what she talked about that helped me so much as I began in my head to try to prioritize things. From Alicia Chole's blog:

rest, part two

2. rest: a framework

I would like to strongly suggest that you consider purchasing a great book that will provide a spiritual, physical, and interpersonal framework for our redefining of rest: Margin, by Dr. Swenson.

Barry and I read this book years ago. Picture a straight line that represents our daily reserve of personal energy. Swenson is a medical doctor whose premise is that God designed us (physically, emotionally, relationally) to live between points A and B and that the space between B to C is on reserve for the unexpected, for crisis. BUT on a daily basis we live from A to C. So when a crisis does arise, it pushes us over into overload.

In other words, God didn't design us to live to the end of our abilities every day. We're supposed to have a buffer. If we live each day to the end of our rope, there's nothing left to hold onto when an unanticipated problem calls for something "more."

How very very true this is!! And I know I've been living in overload for far too long. It's so evident just by the way that for a year or two I couldn't even handle being at church. All I wanted to do was go home and crawl into my PJs and my bed. I couldn't handle being with people. Sometimes I still feel that way when I am getting close to the absolute-overwhelmed-overloaded moments. I remember last year at VBS, CI and CMT needing to find a quiet corner at various points and just breathe. This year was better but VBS was a different level of involvement and CMT I didn't get to help with. I feel like this last month has been so great for being able to clear my head and ground myself a bit more, I felt like I was caught up in a tornado being carried higher and higher and faster and faster. I am keenly aware of how much too easy it will be to get sucked up into the vortex of business once I'm home but I'm bound and determined to give it my best shot at slowing down.

Back on a more practical note, Audrey has really good days and really bad ones. :) Hoping pretty soon she will settle into more of a routine that she is comfortable with and works well for Amy. I do have to say that when I gave her a bath the other day she didn't get NEARLY as upset when I got her out! And I think if I'd been a hair faster she might not have cried at all. :) We ARE making progress I can feel it.

Sunday is the first Sunday of September and every first Sunday of the month means free entry to some museums in Paris so guess where I'm going after church?? I'm hoping to go to the Louvre for sure and maybe I'll just stay there all afternoon. I'm pretty excited about it!

Well as I said we've been trying to get into the school routine so no new pictures this week or exciting happenings, but I think I put up enough pictures from my trip to the UK to last awhile yeah? Spin through them if you haven't seen them all yet. :)