Another Sabbath greeting to you!

Here I am nice and peaceful after another hectic week. The peace, I accredit to the sacredness of the day and the permission my mind has to be free of all tasks (other than tending to my children, of course!).

It is not even ten in the morning and I have already changed two poopy diapers, have suctioned Isabel's nose due to her difficulty breathing thanks to her cold, have read some books with Ethan, worked on some puzzles and attempted to teach the little ones the value of CLEANING UP when done with something (okay, okay... so I am still learning that one, too!), and now just attempted to wake up my teenage daughter who proceeded to grunt and growl at me in protest.

Happy Sabbath, y'all! Ok, now I am chuckling at calling you "y'all". Hee hee hee.

My blessings are abundant and it's just so nice to have a day set a part to make time to REMEMBER all of these blessings. Maybe that is part of what makes Sabbath so sacred for me... if I did NOT stop, I would likely complain about the mountain of laundry to be folded and put away, the dishes that pile up regardless of attempts to keep the kitchen clean, and more meals to be made. I would forget about the delight that is my family whom I have the privilege of clothing, of feeding and whose presence means that this house looks as though it is thoroughly and messily lived in!

I could easily miss that if God did not ask me to set that time aside. Thanks so much, God! You sure know what you're doing!!

It is also a great day to pray for others. This is often the day when I can really be intent on my prayers for all of you and any other situations we are made aware of that could use some special intentions. On that note, I would like to thank you for the miracle of YOUR prayers that have been blessing the very family I have asked you to pray for. The beautiful healing process continues and I have witnessed a grace among them this past week that has me humble and inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Last Sabbath, we ventured outdoors dragging the kids on sleds and soaking in the sound of birds chirping and the sun beaming down on the earth. It was a chilly day yet the sun was melting the snow and ice off the grain bins. Nature can be such a symphony of sounds and a visual display of perfect creation. Such a harmony in every sense of the word!!! The only not-so-great part about last Sabbath was Duane's snowmobile ride he gave me...

This is where I am reminded of where boys are different than girls (although I know some girls with the same dare-devil streak!). My logic about these machines is "hey, those seem dangerous... maybe they are not a good idea... unless used very responsibly." Duane's logic "how fast can I push this thing before it defies gravity and all other laws of physics?" He forgets to incorporate the question "could such a quest be FATAL???" Ay caramba! My dear husband asked if I wanted to drive and I said "no, I trust your ability to handle this thing more than my ability!" So I scooted behind him, wrapped my arms around him as tight as I could, nuzzled my head against his back, shut my eyes and held on for dear life as I heard the familiar roaring of the snowmobile as it attempted to take off for space!

All was fine until we went over a big bump and I smashed my face against Duane's back. Even over the roar of the engine, I could hear a snapping sound... not good, folks. I begin banging on his back to get him to stop which he interprets as "go faster." No, dear hubby, no. He finally looks behind him and stops the machine. My nose feels funny and it is bleeding. This creates two sensations for me: one is of sheer fascination as this is my first bleeding nose since I was five, immediately followed by nausea and lightheadedness!

Long story short (wait, it is already long) everything turned out perfectly fine! But Duane felt horribly guilty and I felt like an idiot for smashing my face against his back. Happy Sabbath, y'all? Hee hee hee... that's just going to make me giggle every time I say it!

Nowhere near this much action this Sabbath as Duane's shift work has him working this Sabbath and the next. These are always the harder ones because the element of observing this as a family is missing. But it's a good exercise for me to lead my family in an honorable day regardless of my husband's absence. It is special because God made it so, not just because my husband is there. It's a definite bonus, but no less a sacred day as designed by God.

But do you know what makes this Sabbath special? The fact that I get to share with you that God has blessed us with the growing presence of another baby! Yep, four kids and counting... Duggar family, watch out! NOT! God-willing, we should be welcoming Little Baby Vaags at the end of September or beginning of October... just in time for harvest. Once again, this is a little sooner than we anticipated (and yes, we know how this whole pro-creation thing works! We are just abnormally fertile! As Duane puts it, "it's like you're a fertile field! I just have to walk by with a bag of seed and something grows!!!").

I think October 10th would be an especially special day to be born. When else could you say that your birthday is 10/10/10? At this point, we just pray for a healthy baby free of allergens.

So thank you for making this Sabbath extra special for me by telling you our special and exciting news. We are richly blessed and praise God for the abundance in our lives and for His every provision for our family. We hope that we can share His grace with all of you. I hope this day finds you feeling special and may you be blessed with a moment of peace to reflect upon your own blessings and to rejoice at a Creator who loves you so very much... as do I. God bless you all!