The Wood Family

Now that school is out, the neighborhood elementary school is a great place to take the boys to play on the playground. They LOVE it!!!

  

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you

to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle;

be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

(Ephesians 4:1-2)

As of Wednesday I have been reading through Ephesians 4, meditating on it, being really convicted, praying in repentance and for renewal and also studying through Paul Tripp’s book, “War of Words.” It is exactly what I have needed to redirect my heart and remind me how to think and speak and why. I’d quote all of Eph 4 here but it would be more text than anyone would bother to read, and those two verses are a good start.  Completely humble and completely gentle – no matter the circumstance? Patient and forbearing when I think I am wronged? Not easy. Not natural. But entirely possible when I draw on the Holy Spirit instead of my own resources. Every day I am finding new instances where I am failing in these two verses and I also am finding more than sufficient grace to overcome my weaknesses. God has shown His power at work in me, the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:20).

I’ve been taking the boys to the mall the last couple days to beat the heat. (No A/C is rough in 90 degree weather!) We drop Jason off at work then go to “walk, play, shop.” That’s the mantra I rehearse with Zachary so he doesn’t complain during the walk and shop times. Okay, he still may complain and want to play more, but I can remind him why we’re there – “Walk, play, shop…”

So, anyway, they love playing on the play structures and then in these vehicles in the food court. I was impressed that even Bryce would pretend to eat the ice-cream Zachary or I served up. They were pretty cute.

Todd is hanging out and talking with Bryce and me in the kitchen and before you know it, Zachary props himself up on the back of the couch next to him, arms draped over the back of the chair like him. Yesterday Todd was patient enough to let Zachary help him water the lawn. He loves to be with and be like his uncle!