I'm no Pioneer Woman!

I've recently started following The Pioneer Woman's blog.  I know, I know!  I'm so behind on this since she became wildly popular a few years ago, but better late than never.  Actually, I'm not going to lie...I became interested in her only because she wrote a small introduction in the book "Sparkly Green Earrings" by blogger Melanie Shankle.  If you're a mom who loves Jesus, you really should read it. I admire Melanie and think her story is just pretty crazy! Melanie is a mom who started a blog years ago, and now she's got her own book...crazy and darn near impossible in today's blog heavy world.  Anyway, back to The Pioneer Woman's blog...

So Renee Drummond evidently lives on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma.  She likes to cook and take photographs.  She blogs these amazing looking recipes in the most maddening way...she takes a photo of every single step.  Now I understand that if you have no idea how to cook or read a recipe this might be helpful.  I, however, have the oh so practical degree in home economics.  That was a joke!  It's maybe practical for my current role as mom and chief executive officer of McKinney Estate, but a home ec degree is less than impressive.  It does mean that I should be able to follow a recipe without pictures.  So even though The Pioneer Woman's photographs are gorgeous, I find myself scrolling quickly to the actual recipe...which is always at the very end.  See, here's the deal:  I can either look at the photos or I can make the dish but I don't have time for both these days.  This maddening realization made me think how funny it could be if I blogged about something with photos of the entire process.

On this snow day I decided to blog about finding time for Bible study.  Bible study is both luxury and necessity to me.  Anyone who knows me knows that I believe I will hear God speak so much more clearly every day if I begin with time in His Word.  I live by Hebrews 4:12 that proclaims that His word is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword!  I teach women's Bible study and girl's Bible study on a weekly basis.  I LOVE God's word more than anything, but my current season on life makes me have to work for it!  I especially had a tough time today as we were in full on blizzard mode here in Kansas City. The entire family is at home...in one house...sometimes all in one room...no school. Get what I mean???

I sat down about 9:30am to do my Bible study.  I'm in the next to last week of a study called Discerning the Voice of God, written by Priscilla Shirer. It's fantastic and I highly recommend it.  I'm doing it to prepare for hosting Priscilla in KC this Friday!  That's a blog for another day I hope.

Usually I would be studying at 6:45am which is after the boys leave for school but before Sarah awakens.Today was a snow day so honestly I slept in with the rest of the family.

Here's what the scene looked like when I initially sat down to begin. 

Notice something is missing?  Who can do Bible study without the coffee? And here's where it gets crazy!

I went to find my favorite coffee mug, Disney Princesses of course, and noticed that my coffee K cup dispenser was out of my favorite caramel drizzle flavor. That box is stored in the space above the dryer.  Wouldn't you know it but I needed to fold a load of laundry that was in the dryer!  I stopped to fold laundry.

Where was I?  Oh yes, Bible study!  Oh wait, coffee!

 After getting coffee, I sat down to do Bible study again. Does anyone notice that I never actually got the coffee to the table.  Twenty minutes later I realized my coffee was sitting at the Keurig, and it was cold.  I had to microwave it.  Sadly, when I put the cup into the microwave I realized that the microwave desperately needed to be cleaned.  You know what happened next, don't you?

!  

Look how clean it is! But wait, I was doing bible study!  Forget the coffee! 

 After 20 more minutes or so, this adorable little thing came up and asked to play in the snow!

How can you say no to that face?  Jesus Himself would have taken time to play with her, right?? Actually the brothers were already outside so I didn't even have to go out with her.  I sat back down to finish my 

Bible study. Of course she came back in 15 minutes later because she was cold.  I fixed her lunch, which isn't pictured because it was a sad little lunch of leftover spaghetti, a banana, and tortilla chips.  That's how we roll on snow days.  You really should thank me for not taking photos anyway because I was still folding laundry and you didn't want  all to see our underwear.

After lunch I wanted to do just a little more Bible study so I asked Sarah to play quietly in the living room.  Here's what happened 5 minutes later:

I gave up and played Pop the Pig!  I think my Bible study was about how we each have spiritual gifts and are important in the body of Christ.  I'll try again tomorrow.  

So take that Pioneer Woman!  One day I'll have time for fancy recipes and uninterrupted Bible study, but not today.  I'm glad His mercies are new every morning!