Seven Quick Takes vol. 125

Joining Kelly the Pioneer Woman for Seven Quick ones.

{one}

Oh guys, it's a beautiful summer week around here. It's been hot enough to break out the hose, the kiddie pool, and to let certain toddlers run around naked outside. It's really great. I just want to get that out there. Summer is great=newsflash, I know. You're coming here for revelations aren't you?

{two}

I'm kinda digging for positives this week though to be honest. Not that life is terrible, or giant bad things have happened, but this week has been so hard parenting wise. I'm not sure what has changed. I homeschool, my kids are around me all the time, summer is not exactly a big change, but I'm really feeling worn down. Just the same dealing with constant discipline issues, and tantrums, and a more difficult child than usual. Is it just me? Am I losing my parenting grip? Do I need to go back to parenting school for a refresher? Is it just because he's a difficult child? It's not that it's a bunch of terrible things, but more of a constant dealing with screaming, obstinance, refusing to listen, constant arguments, tantrums. And his behaviour is light years better when it's just dad at home. I'm just not sure what I should be doing, but simultaneously feeling like I really stink at this job and sorta want to give up and he's only three! 

{three}

At the same time, it seems so far that my kids really have a hard time being three. It's been the hardest age for all my kids so far, so I know logically that it will get better. But in the day to day it is really hard to keep that in mind. 

I think I need a break. Or a restart. Or something! Ahh!! Just going a little crazy, nothing to see here.

{four}

Today I'm writing the devotion at Blessed Is She. Today's Mass readings include the story of God speaking to Abraham and the establishment of the covenant between God and Abraham. What struck me was that God wanted to use Abram's marriage to establish this important covenant between himself and humanity. He could have used anything, but the emphasis on marriage really struck me when I wrote this devotion about two months ago. 

I’ve always found the story of Abraham fascinating because it seems like a strange story that one of God’s first ways of revealing Himself to man would take place within the context of a man’s relationship with his wife. Not with a king or ruler deciding the fates of people or the building of temples, but God communicating with a man about the relationship he has with his wife and the building of a family. 

Click on over to read the whole thing!

{five}

I had no idea that this devotion about marriage would be published on this day when such a monumental decision was made by SCOTUS. Marriage isn't something that's malleable to human desires and wants. Although, we've been living throughout the last century or so as if it is. Courts, public opinion, laws, may say marriage is one thing but we can't get around the reality that God believes in the importance of marriage between a man and a woman. 

Five people decided for a whole country what marriage means. Five. Can we just think about that on a democratic level for a second? How do five unelected people have so much power? I find that to compound the error of this decision. We've lost so much when it comes to fundamental understanding of what freedom means, democracy means, truth means. 

{six}

On a cheerier note! Haley and I had a fun time talking books again on another book swap episode of the podcast! I know that these episodes are kinda hit or miss it seems, it seems people either really love them or don't listen to them at all, but this time we discussed to really interesting books and I thought it was pretty entertaining. I hope you get a chance to listen!

{seven}

We've also started a Fountains of Carrots Facebook group where we hope to have a bit of space to encourage conversation about the various topics we discuss on the podcast. We'd love to have you join us! We're probably going to take at least the month of July off when it comes to podcasting, mostly because Haley is going to be driving around the country, so we hope the group will be a place where we can stay in touch! 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! My husband's taking has the next five days off so I'm hoping for a productive/recharging break of sorts, but we'll see about that! 

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