Something Beautiful...

I made time. I pushed the work to the side and for an hour I went swimming with my children. After I got out of the pool, I laid on the hammock to get good and dry and even get a little sun. I set the timer for 15 minutes which was all I had left to spare of anything that looked like free time for the day. I turned on my iPod and "Something Beautiful" by Need to Breathe started playing. Suddenly, I was 15 again and laying out in my backyard with a small radio playing. I was seeking that savage tan...not caring at that age how unhealthy it is to "lay out". But being 15 again was something beautiful. And laying there on that hammock, Moose came and curled up beside me. Yes, we found the lost "I love you". That too, was something beautiful. I thought about Dawn as I always do when I hear that song, cause she often has it playing on her blog. And "the lady with the smiling eyes" really is something beautiful. And finally I thought about a nameless lady at church. I call her nameless, because I don't know her...although I want to. A few weeks ago, we had baptisms. They ran some video testimonies, and the nameless lady had the sweetest, most genuine testimony. It truly touched my heart. And when the pastor baptizing her asked her before submerging her in the water if she'd given her heart to Jesus, she said with a smile, "You know it." I giggled and tears filled my eyes. Her new believer enthusiasm for Christ was contagious. The following week they ran video of the baptisms and it was done with "Something Beautiful" playing in the background. And my eyes caught what my ears did not. After the nameless lady came up out of the water, she pumped her fist in the air as she proclaimed victory. Victory in Jesus was hers. She knew it, too...and she knew it was something beautiful.

And with all those random thoughts running through my mind as I laid on that hammock, I found that my 15 minutes was up. Who knew that 15 random thought filled minutes carved out of a busy day could be something beautiful?

The lost "I Love You"...

I thought that he might want to, ya know. Even though he's nine years old and really far too old for them...suddenly last night he was my baby again.

((a flurry of activity occurs in our house as we get Moose ready for church camp...his first trip away....alone....by himself....ever))

Me: Moose do you want to take your Peep?

((I was prepared to tell him how he could smuggle it in his suitcase and pull it out a night

when nobody could see))

Moose: ((Shakes head no))

Me: Oh. You want to be a big boy?

Moose: Yes Mam.

So, we finished packing with The Bob labeling everything that went into his suitcase with his initials, address, and the like. I think he labeled everything with that Sharpie except Moose himself. Me constantly telling him where his Benadryl and his Epi-Pen were in his backpack should he get stung by a a bee...or even worse, a wasp.

This morning we got up in plenty of time to get him to church. His dad left for work before anybody was awake, so he called him to tell him bye on the ride to church. Then he passed the phone to me, and The Bob talked to me about being very upbeat and not all sad and whinny so that Moose could in turn be a big boy and not be scared. We pulled into the parking lot, and the church rented a big charter bus. He's never ridden on such a big bus, so already the adventure was beginning. After waiting for the final parents and children to arrive, and after a brief summary and prayer by the Children's Pastor, the parents were told they could go. So in my very upbeat and happy voice, I told Moose bye...and we left. My last shot of him was out of the corner of my eye. He was headed toward some little boys...surely going to make friends. He makes friends easy.

((In the parking lot))

Fep: Are you about to CRY?

((strange that she knew because I had on sunglasses and she couldn't see my eyes))

Me: I'm thinking about it.

((In the car))

Me: ((Tears begin to stream)) I don't think I told him I love him. Fep, you know I love you even when I don't say it, right? Surely, he knows I love him.

((I drive contemplating how much of an idiot I would look like if I turned around, went back to church, and hugged him and told him I love him...))

I was so concerned about being all upbeat and happy and trying to ease his nervousness that my "I love you" got lost. Surely he knows from all the other times I tell him. I really do tell him often. And really, how could you not love a Moose like this....

Fep's Feathers....

Cause when Fep grows up, she wants to be like Ms. Jen :) All photos taken by Fep. And we are not clever enough to think of captions for every picture like Jen does, but we've put them where we could....

Where there's a will, there's a way...

Hello, Mr. Bluebird!

The Bluebird is The Bob's fav...

A face only a mother could love...

Ummmmm...I got nothin' here. No caption. Again, I'm no Jen.

Happy Birtday!!

A few weeks ago, we had a birthday party for a close friend. And I made him a cake. This cake...

(Rustifer is his nickname. We live by nicknames around here.)

And yes, I do homeschool my children even though I apparently cannot spell birthday correctly. There's a real reason I messed up, but I won't bore you with the details. The laughter and joking throughout the evening over it was so worth the mistake. It was the kind of laughter that makes you loose your breath. The kind of laughter that makes you cry. I just love that kind of laughter. We embraced the mistake and really got into it, because then we changed the signs....

Everybody has a birthday. But not just anybody can have a birtday ;)

Psalm 38:7

This past Thursday, we were supposed to go see Tim Hawkins. If you don't know who he is, he's a Christian stand-up comedian. My friends have raved and raved over him and all but forced us to get tickets to go see him in our area. The night of the event we couldn't go, so I sent my children with my friends. They brought us back one of his DVDs, and we watched it last night. This was one of my favortie skits on the whole DVD. I've been chuckling about this even a day later. This video quality is not good, and it looks kinda older. The DVD was just a smidge better (funnier) than this, but this still should give you a good chuckle....

Held...

For Beth...who went to let Jesus hold her on Mother's Day 2003...



Thank you, Jesus, for holding me, too....

Organize....

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up."

Winnie-the-Pooh/A.A. Milne

My favorite blogs and sites for organizing and homemaking inspiration:

Small Notebook
Inspired to Action
Keeping the Home

The Pearly Gates....

For the past year, our pastor has been taking us through the book of Revelation. He preaches what I would call "John MacArthur style" or expository preaching. We are finally toward the end of the book. Tonight he preached from Revelation 21:9-22:5. We've all heard the stories of the pearly gates. I think we've reduced them to something they are not. As my pastor noted, we picture a person standing at the little pearly gates with his checklist of those who may or may not enter. We must never forget that our God is so much bigger than that. And that He is a God of order. Revelation 21:19-20 goes through all the gems and stones found in the building of our heavenly home. Sapphire, Topaz, Amethyst, and Emerald just to name a few. Revelation 21, verse 21 specifically talks about the gates of pearl. A single pearl massive enough to form these great gates. Tonight in his sermon our pastor read us this quote:

"How appropriate! All other precious gems are metals or stones, but a pearl is a gem formed within the oyster - the only one formed by living flesh. The humble oyster receives an irritation or a wound, and around the offending article that has penetrated and hurt it, the oyster builds a pearl. The pearl, we might say, is the answer of the oyster to that which injured it. The glory land is God's answer, in Christ, to wicked men who crucified heaven's beloved and put Him to open shame. How like God it is to make the gates of the new Jerusalem a pearl. The saints as they come and go will be forever reminded, as they pass the gates of glory, that access to God's home is only because of Calvary. Think of the size of those gates! Think of the supernatural pearls from which they are made! What gigantic suffering is symbolized by those gates of pearl! Throughout the endless ages we shall be reminded by those pearly gates of the immensity of the sufferings of Christ. Those pearls, hung eternally at the access routes to glory, will remind us forever of One who hung upon a tree and whose answer to those who injured Him was to invite them in to share His home." (Exploring Revelation, rev. ed. [Chicago: Moody, 1987; reprint, Neptune, N.J.: Loizeaux, 1991], 254)

How like God and how appropriate, indeed. May we not take for granted what He has prepared for those who He loves.

"The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl...."
Revelation 21:21

Five...

That's how many weeks of homeschooling we have left. Five. Five long weeks. This time of year, every year, I suffer from burn out. I don't know if it's because we've been going for 8 months now, and we need to let our brains rest? I don't know if it's because the beautiful Spring weather beckons us to lay aside our books? Nah, it's not the weather. Today is cloudy and stormy, and I still dread the school hours today. Yesterday, I started thinking of a plan to shorten those five weeks. I haven't thought of a good plan yet. And then there's the dread of testing. Love it or hate it; we are testers. I both love it and hate it. Well, love is a little strong. I like it and hate it. I worry have I taught them enough? Will they do well? Will they bomb? I'm worn and weary I'm telling you. Worn and weary. But in five weeks, I'll find Summer Bliss! The countdown has begun....

Sunday's Comin...

Monday was surely a Monday. I spent a good part of the day worried and depleted. That evening I watched this clip on facebook posted by my Worship Pastor. When I first started watching, I thought, "Not really sure I like the look of that artwork." But what it said overpowered how it looked. And I must warn you that if you watch the clip, "It's Friday, but Sunday's comin'" may get stuck in your head. I went to bed right after watching with "It's Friday, but Sunday's comin'" rolling around in my head, and I thought about the disciples and those that loved Jesus so, and how absolutely dejected, discouraged, depleted that they must have been after Jesus died . Surely they must have felt like all hope was gone. And then I thought about my day...feeling some of those same emotions. I may be in a season of my life that "It's Friday"....but I know "Sunday's comin'"!!!




Yes, It's Friday...but Sunday's Comin'

Celebrate his Resurrection!