Four P's Friday- An Introduction

This is a new thing. I've posted once before about this, but not as one of my new weekly topics. I decided that I really wanted to do this each week so I moved "Foto Fun Friday" to "Snapshot Saturday" and added this in as "Four P's Friday". To recap, it is described as:

1. Peaks- The highlights of the day/week. The good moments. Something overall positive that happened during the day/week.
2. Pits- The low point of the day/week. But, rather than just complaining about it, a way that looking back at it can be positive or a blessing in disguise.
3. Praises- Simply praising God for specific things that happened
4. Prayers- Prayer requests that may have arose from the new day/week or that have been lingering.

So, for this week:

Peaks: Feeling like everyday God is answering our prayers and my house is being restored to a place of happiness and love.
Pits: There are still some things that Jesse is struggling with, especially feeling overwhelmed with this stage of life having a newborn baby. I also got an email back from the church and their option for marriage counseling was really just to take a class for couples, following a curriculum where you do homework together but don't discuss it with the group. Not exactly what I had in mind. But I think that there's still hope for both of these issues and we're heading in the right direction.
Praises: I thank you, Lord, for answering our prayers. I thank you for the wise counsel of others, even when it's not what I wanted to hear. And I thank you for working through my obedience and sacrifice as I try to honor you in my marriage and show my husband the love and respect he needs. 
Prayers: Please continue to teach me how to be the wife I need to be for Jesse and the heart of this house for my family. Prompt me to be sensitive to Jesse's needs and to "be the bigger person" even when it hurts. I also pray that you give us direction as far as the counseling goes, giving us clarity about taking the class or if we should pursue traditional counseling. Thank you for all that you are doing in my marriage and in my house. Thank you for providing for our needs and caring about the things we care about too.

Changes!

I've been wanting to re-vamp my blog for awhile. I've become so bad at posting, and I become overwhelmed with everything I need to update any readers I still have, that my posts are long and months apart. I barely posted through most of my pregnancy with Micah and have a draft of his birth story waiting to be posted... and he'll be 4 weeks old tomorrow! I've recently re-read some of my old posts, especially ones I wrote while going through infertility, and I miss the passion I used to write with. But I can't just fake it. Much of it has to do with the circumstances I am facing and the things God is teaching me through it. And my life is filled with sleepless nights and countless diaper changes now and not so much with prayer and introspection and seeking God's direction. But I want to be better. I'm hoping to get into a better schedule as Micah begins to sleep more through the night and begin a devotional time and more journaling.

One idea I came across on Pinterest was this type of journal:


It is described as:

1. Peaks- The highlights of the day. The good moments. Something overall positive that happened during the day.
2. Pits- The low point of the day. But, rather than just complaining about it, a way that looking back at it can be positive or a blessing in disguise.
3. Praises- Simply praising God for specific things that happened
4. Prayers- Prayer requests that may have arose from the new day or that have been lingering.

Hopefully, this simple format to record the day will help me to easily post about what's going on without it being overwhelming. And recording it in this manner will help give me some insight into what's going on in my life.

So here's to new starts...
November 29, 2011

Peaks- Jesse spent over 3 hours cleaning our disaster of a house while I pumped, fed Micah, and then took a 2 hour, much needed, nap. He then made dinner for us and I was able to relax and spend the evening on the computer. I am so incredibly blessed with a husband that works so hard for his family. He works 8 hours a day, attends school 2 evenings a week, and balances his time with his wife, kids, cleaning the house, running errands, and helping me wherever he can. So many women do it alone when it comes to the housework and childcare. And I so much appreciate his support!

Pits- I have been so exhausted with lack of sleep. In pregnancy, I struggled with having to pee constantly, getting leg cramps, relaxing when I had so much on my mind, heartburn, and getting comfortable with my big ol' belly. Then I have the baby and I now have to get up every 1-2 hours to feed Micah. But, as tired as I am on a regular basis, I first of all am so thankful for my kids. After struggling through infertility, I know what I went through to get here and I know that there are so many women who would give anything to be in my sleepy shoes. And, I also know that this is temporary. Micah will soon start sleeping through the nights and my boys are going to grow WAY too fast. I'll miss these times with him soon enough.

Praises- My grandpa died this week. Although he's had numerous health problems for years, this all happened really quickly. He began feeling sick one day, was in the hospital 2 days later, was diagnosed with failing kidneys, failing liver, heart functioning at 20%, and began having seizures. Six days later, the dr called and said my grandpa was at the end of his life and they were just going to make him as comfortable as possible. He passed away late that night. However, as sad and surreal as it seems, I praise God for the way it happened. My mom and several of her siblings carried many hurts in their heart over the past decades concerning my grandpa, but God did a lot of healing in them before my grandpa died. Being that it was just after his 85th birthday, many people got to share in writing letters to my grandpa telling him what he meant to them as part of his gift. Imagine the closure in knowing you got to say how much he meant to you 8 days before losing someone you cared about! I'm thankful it happened quickly because the last days his body failed rapidly, but he didn't linger on in that state. And lastly, being that it was so close to Thanksgiving and my mom's birthday, I was fearful that he didn't pass on those specific days, but in between them instead. I know it was still a difficult birthday for my mom, but I think it happened the best way it could of. And I praise God for caring about each one of those matters and orchestrating my grandpa's death in a way that brought about peace, love, and healing.

Prayers- Thank you Lord, for the many ways you bless me everyday, in my family, in my house, in my personal needs, and in my finances. How you truly care about the things that touch our hearts. I thank you for my wonderful husband. Our relationship hasn't always been perfect, but I know without a doubt that he is the one you set aside for me. And I am so thankful for a husband that loves me. And while I struggle with being so tired each night, I am thankful for the time to nap and for a husband that gives me that time. I praise you for providing for our financial needs when we suddenly had to replace the battery in our new car and didn't have the money budgeted for it. And, lastly, I pray for my family that is grieving the death of my grandpa. I ask you to be near them during this time and wrap your arms of comfort around them. I find peace in knowing he's with you now in his glorified and healthy body. And I look forward to seeing him again someday when I see you face-to-face.