What motivates my passions?

This weekend will be one like few others. I'm going away for almost three entire days without Simon or the kids. I'm heading out tomorrow morning and driving to Hamilton, GA to meet my new nephew, Liam Becket, who was born last week. I'll visit for a few hours there and then drive on to my sister and her clan who live in Alabama.

Tomorrow night, Staci and I will be going to see Shonda Parker at a workshop she is giving and I'm so excited. I know, sometimes with my homebirthin', homeschooling, bread-baking, gardening, and now herbalist questioning self, I start to get nervous that I've doomed my fate and that others will think I'm a super crunchy mama or worse... just plain weird. It's a struggle I have. I love the path that I am on and most importantly get so excited about what God has shown me through all of His creation. I have been able to understand scripture and relate to Him so much deeper as I have questioned, learned and now stand in awe of what He has done and continues to do. The design of childbirth, the relationships gained in educating my children, learning about true sowing and reaping as different vegetables thrive and shrivel. Being able to apply these things throughout my day keeps me focused on Him - which in these crazy days of having young children gets me through the day when I get interrupted ten times during my quiet time with the Lord.

These things should not and I hope never are my sole focus. I never want to be the Pharisee screaming about what ought to and should be done by other families and if I ever come across that way, I would like to apologize. The Lord has been so gracious about sharing His wonder with me and sometimes it's so hard to keep quiet.

So, as I'm sure that I'll be back on Monday with tons of new information, I just wanted to express and keep in check my motives and passions. I want to make sure ahead of time that I will not be puffed up by knowledge, but that in all that He shows me, glorifies Him. I love these verses from Romans 1:

20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Please, if you think of me, pray for safe travels and that in typical first trimester sickness that I can enjoy this time in fellowship with family and in learning despite nausea and extreme tiredness! :)