Tuesday, January 17, 2012

InteGRITy

You gotta have GRIT to be a woman of inteGRITy.

A woman of integrity follows her convictions - those essential, unoptional beliefs that she holds - no matter what. To hang on to those beliefs takes grit (tenacity, determination, courage) many times. Opinions aren't on a level with convictions, and don't require much grit, so I have lots of them. I don't have very many convictions. I try to hold them down to just a few.

A woman of integrity must have grit to keep her mouth shut and ears closed when the gossiping begins in the office. Or in the church nursery.

It takes grit to keep promises made to God while on a spiritual high.

To gift her husband with her submission when she wants badly to have her way takes a substantial amount of grit.

It takes grit for the woman of integrity to resist the world's call to "do whatever makes you happy, live as you please, it's no body's business what you do."

Believing the Word of God takes grit, especially when friends take a more sophisticated view of Scripture.

A woman of integrity, a woman with grit, will remove anything from her life that prevents her from being the servant of Jesus Christ - note: not speaking of a husband or children.

To discipline a hardheaded teen who seems bent on destroying herself takes a truckload of grit.

How do I get grit?!! That steely determination called "grit" that's burrowed inside integrity is only as strong as my conviction that God is lodged within me and is working out his purposes in my life through godly convictions, integrity and lots of grit.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

San Fran part 2

A week and half into our San Fran stay – no new baby, but no matter, the ones that are here keep the days lively. (Eden keeps the nights interesting as well for Wes and Airiel.) She is, however, learning to go to bed on her own, stay in bed, and sleep until morning – or at least daybreak. She made it all the way last night! Airiel sat by her bed at first while Eden lifted the roof, then stood in the door the next couple of bedtimes (holding a spoon for a little extra persuasion), and plans to sit in the rocking chair in their room tonight. Except for some hearty screaming for a few minutes at the beginning, last night was a success.

One of the neighbors in the apartment complex is a sweet older lady who teaches at the university. Red-haired Adella has no grandchildren yet, and enjoys ours immensely! She especially is fond of Eden – thinks she’s very bright. Of course she’s right as rain. We sat in the afternoon sun on her miniscule patio and chatted with her on Saturday. Conrad had used her upstairs bathroom previously – when he ambled by pushing his trike he suddenly felt the call of nature and was graciously ushered in. She whispered, “He likes to use my bathroom,” then had to go get him after more than enough time had passed.

Boy am I finding out just how “mature” I am!! I crash on the bed upstairs at least once a day after hitting that proverbial wall. But after a few minutes of down time, I’m ready to go again, hugging, feeding, playing outside, bathing a sweet toddler girl, swabbing up cracker crumbs, and the myriad of other activities that takes all of us to accomplish every day.