My cleaning spree is still going. I had a moment of overwhelm with the clutter at hand and took my pictures and sent them to two of my sisters. “It’s like, after everything I’ve done to try and implement systems, be disciplined and inspired, make my home a sanctuary, etc” plus all the cry and defeated emojis. John Piper has this thing against self-pity where he brings this up more than any other sin as having some sort of gross and disgusting quality about it.

I can tell when women read him because they identify this same characteristic in themselves and make a deal out of it, almost like they’re trying to find something wrong. It’s the whole I’m going to try to be humble by continuously trying to find and confess something wrong with me thing. I’ve never thought about this, but is self-pity even in the Bible? Where is that in Paul’s lists?

Dad left for Nebraska to pick up Ethan from school. He has a teammate who lives in St. Louis but we haven’t quite gotten him brave enough to ask for a ride. Laura is scheduled to transfer next year and she at least will have a car. Earlier this week Josh went to the store and bought a cot that he can use on these trips to sleep in the dorm room. We tested it out in the mudroom and it’s actually not bad. It’s definitely more comfortable than sleeping on the floor.

The boys and I still have work to do. In the laundry room I finally noticed the Christmas tree tipped over and completely smashed and disheveled on the floor. I almost threw it out but then asked one of the boys if he could take it into the school room see if it still worked and if he could do something with it. I was thinking we could get a jump start and have it set up when Dad and Ethan got home.

He said he thought it was too early so we compromised. We’ll find orange lights to put on it and make a glowing fall tree with a harvest colored skirt instead of a Christmas one. But it’s a secret and we couldn’t tell them. The big kids will get home from practice and be surprised too. Some kind of crock pot meal will be ready for supper. How lovely it is that even after so long one can still be blessed with new thoughts and ideas and whatever cup we have fills up again.