I have been thinking . . .

Anyone who knows me knows that I never stop processing life and twisting my logical constructs into new shapes as I have new experiences and meet new people and read and see new things . . .

And so I have months of getting caught up if I were to try to post all of those journeys of thought and belief!

But the bottom line is still the same: I am determined to practice daily obedience to the TRUTH, which I still believe to be found in the Triune God and perfectly revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And I have found that He still lives -- very literally, in His resurrected body in the presence of the Father. I have also found that He makes Himself and His Kingdom known among us everywhere, if we learn to listen and take action when we are called to action, and if we are willing to know the TRUTH as He reveals it, and to be transformed by that TRUTH as His Spirit acts deliberately in us and through us -- individually and together as the CHURCH.

So, having reaffirmed that basic core to Maria, and having disclaimed the ability to write out all my journey of thought and belief within that core . . .

I will use this post to catch up on daily life.

I have spent this week driving down from Forest Home to home and work each morning and back each afternoon. My mother is there with my 2 littlest boys. It has been a good week, both at work and with them at Forest Home. Next year I hope to do what I did last year, and spend week 7 of family camp in a true retreat with those 2 little boys! And I hope to do that every year that they are young enough to be in one of the camps there.

I am still working at my husband's company, and learning the things in that that God needs to teach me right now. It is hard. It is spiritually challenging. It is satisfying in some ways, and frustrating in others. It is my time to integrate my spiritual journey with my work-life as it was before I quit my job at Fremont in 2004, and to integrate my home life and life at church together with that secular life. I am not sure whether it will all end badly or well, and I am not sure of all the lessons to be learned, and I am not sure where God is taking me in terms of career and school. I am sure that I am authentically learning to practice daily obedience in all things, and I am sure that He is in control of all of it . . . even of me.

My son Michael is wrapping up his time as a summer associate at the law firm he chose, and will finish his last year of law school this year and be back to live with us next year as he studies for the bar, and then off to the rest of his adult life.

My son Josh is a college grad with an engineering degree, and works here as the mechanical engineer at Anderson Bat Company. He lives with us, too, which is delightful so far. He is welcome until life takes him down a different path. He is settled in until God directs him elsewhere, and has a rich spiritual life.

Tyler and Cody are teens and are difficult now, but more difficult for their dad than for me. I pray for them and tolerate what I have to tolerate and love all there is to love and admire.

Noah and Brooks are the constant subject of my posts and pictures, and are a delight. They seem to like life with me working for their dad. They like having Josh home as a "permanent" member of the household. They are my most active disciples, and my most important responsibility.

I am busy at church too, and with friends, and with our never-ending remodel of our home. I have piles of books that call me, and music available at the click of a mouse or click wheel. I love web 2.0 stuff, and so you will find daily updates on my life on twitter or brightkite or facebook.

One of the greatest challenges to authentic discipleship is to spend my time and attention on the things that the Holy Spirit would motivate me to spend it on, and to develop discernment to see which of my interests and passions are motivated and blessed by Him, which are not, and which simply require moderation to add to the Kingdom life rather than to detract from it or injure it.

Life is good! God is good, all the time! And authentic discipleship frees me up to experience life and God and you in the ways that are most fulfilling to us all.

One more day . . .