For everything, there is a season...

There's a time for guests...
And a time to clean the house anyway!
There's a time for sleeping in...
And a time for getting up at the crack of 7:00 EVEN IF we are homeschooled.
There's a time for doing chores...
And a time for doing chores.

There's a time for juvenilely letting our emotions loose...

And always time for loving thine older sister as thyself.

I think Solomon would've been proud. Can ya tell I've been big sister for the morning/afternoon? :-) That was completely sarcastic, in light of the things we've undertaken as a crew of eight this past week. From guests, emotions, and work; to play, fellowship, and the hilarity of living with so much personality and drama...Maybe it's part of getting older, but lately I've appreciated things about my siblings I hadn't appreciated before--that disappoints me, as much as it encourages me. :-) Lately they've come up with the most randomly funny--and even the most enlighteningly wise things. I'll have to start writing them down for post material, cause only they can come up with this stuff!

They are comedians and philosophers. Artists and preachers. Critics and copycats. Hair-grayers and mess-makers. Adorable and Imperishable. And such is the kingdom of heaven. There is such a broad spectrum of blessed and cursed circumstances a person could be raised in. I wander if the Lord offers "treasures" to every person--even those living in broken homes, and broken lifestyles. Maybe it's all a matter of perspective--and a matter of what we do, or do not take the time to appreciate (it doesn't mean the appreciatable isn't there!).

Because no, I do not wake up every morning remember ALL the rich "treasures" I've been blessed with either. Truthfully I hardly take the time to think of them at all, and I tend to make time to remember the things I have not been blessed with. So today, after the past few weeks of the Lord checking the reality box of Jen's existence...I'm gonna post about a revelation of seven things I should be soooo thankful for. THESE are my treasures...as onery, irritating and deaf as they are, I really, really, truly love them. Wouldn't and couldn't replace them, and pray that everyday, I'm worthy of the calling my Father HAS written on the wall for me: to be their sister. And not only are they gonna...how's Josh say it?...pound me for posting pictures of them, but serve a hard time for saying such mushy stuff in a blog post all about them. :-) But I'm a sibling...it's what I do.

And how many 20-year-old sisters do stuff like this? :-)

May your week be blessed with similar brick walls of thankfulness, cause the embrace of them is worth the plunge into them.