Memorial Stones

Stones set up to remember the faithfulness of God. Oh, how many times the Israelites witnessed something awesome, saw their God show himself to be powerful and mighty. One specific time after displaying his power God told Joshua to take 12 rocks, once each for the twelve tribes of Israel, and set them up as a place of remembrance (Joshua 4:1-9). So any time their children saw them and asked they would remember what God had done.

This week (really it was last week- I am SO on top of things) at church we are talking with our kids about remembering times God has come through for us in times of need. I have shared with Kiersten, and I’ll do so again this week, about how God came through big time for my Beloved and I at the time of her birth.

You see, we were in the process of moving. The problem was the new jobs insurance wasn’t going to kick in until a full two weeks after Kiersten was due. Thankfully the old insurance was good for a month from the last day of employment. (Isn’t that a huge blessing right there?) This meant that while my Beloved went to another state, nearly 1,000 miles away, I was to remain behind and wait. Family was 70 miles or so away from the hospital and so I stayed with a wonderful friend as the time drew near.

We had known going into the summer that there was a huge possibility my Beloved would not make it back in time, once alerted, to be there for the birth of our first child. So what did we do? We prayed. Day in and day out we prayed.

My Beloved scheduled a flight up the week before I was due and could stay with me 5 days or so and then needed to return as school would be starting. We went to my weekly exam and just shared our concerns and asked what we could do. The doctor wasn’t for it but said they could induce me at the end of the week if I wanted. I just needed to show up at the hospital the night she would be on call.

Well, we mulled and prayed about inducing. But it just didn’t sit right with us. No matter what spin we put on it it just seemed like we were trying to yank control back from the very God who created this child. It became a control issue for us and not waiting and trusting in God’s perfect timing. So several days before the end of the week we had come to peace with just waiting on God’s timing.

Would you believe my water broke the very evening I would have been induced had we so chosen! Isn’t that just God? So a few hours later our sweet Kiersten girl entered the world to see both her Mom and Dad there. My Beloved was with us about 24 hours and then we drove him to the airport to head back to our new home alone.

Did God ever come through for us in our hour of need and show us just how much He cares for us or what?

We remember, Lord. Kiersten is one of our memorial stones. We haven’t forgotten and we thank you and praise you today for what you did in our yesterday.

Shore

Otherwise known as sure. That is a frequent response we get from Isaiah. Not yes or ok but shore.

                “Isaiah, are you handsome?” – “Shore am.”

                “Do you love to play with your Hotwheels®?” – “Shore do.”

                “Would you like some milk?” – “Shore would.”

 So recently my Beloved was messing with Isaiah, fully aware of the responses he was going to receive. It went something like this:

                “Hey Buddy, how old is Dad?”

                “I don’t know.”

                “Dad is 32.” (So far from the truth, but what does
                the Biggest Man know?)

                “Shore are.”

                “How old is Mom?”

                “I don’t know.”

                “Mom is 40.”

                “Shore is!”

Well, let’s just say Isaiah is a sweetie but if he were 18 his bags would be out on the porch so he could hit the road! 40?! When Dad is only 32?! I suppose I am being too hard on the little guy. It is really his father that is the culprit. My Beloved does like to try to minimize our age difference, 6 ½ years, to his favor. He just can’t win as he is rounding up to 40 and I’ll be rounding to 30 for some time yet. So Isaiah is safe. For now. As for my Beloved? Don’t you worry, he’ll get his! :)

Pray tell...

what is that smell?

When you have small children in your house still in diapers there is many an assortment of smells that come and go in the house. Heck, it isn't only the little ones that you worry about with regard to smell. But I won't go there. However, this morning I claim full responsibility for the smell that still lingers even after lunch.

What was it?

Burnt toast.

I think I am seriously lucky it didn't start on fire. Note to self the left side of the toaster is a bit out of whack. On a setting of 2 1/2 it burnt my toast to a crisp and filled my kitchen with smoke. It is a dual toaster and there must be some kind of relationship like Jack Sprat and his wife. One side of the toaster burns on a 2 1/2 setting and the other pops back up in 30 seconds as if toasted on 2 1/2 setting. Who knows the mind of a toaster? :)

Either way I smelt the burnt smell on myself after we had left the house. I wonder if those other ladies in Jazzercise did too. Or if they just thought, "That girl is literally smokin'!" :) (That might have been true if I hadn't come off like I couldn't chew gum and walk at the same time. I honestly just could not get coordinated.) So it was a morning of mishaps and secret smiles. Ah well, what are Thursday's for if not to make you smile? Have a wonderful day!

Halloween

We had a fun night. The two oldest headed out with Dad to canvas the neighborhood and the littlest one stayed with me. It was just a tad bit too windy and chilly to send her out. BUT that doesn't mean she wasn't dressed up!

Kiersten was Thumbelina, the Biggest Man a dragon and the feisty one was a pixie fairy - or something to that effect. You know you have a girl's girl when she must wear a crown (even though it didn't come with the costume) in order to complete the outfit. :)

The picture above is before they went out and then below is after they came home. You can see Isaiah's red cheeks. They were only out for about 40 minutes or so but still came home with more than enough candy. This picture makes me laugh because of Katie's not amused look.

This other picture captures the smile but not the costume. Ahhh, now you see the method to my madness!!! Oh, and it also shows her holding what is now the love of her life - Dora the Explorer. She has fallen hook, line and sinker for Dora.

And lastly, what would Halloween be around here without a little pumpkin decorating? The kids' seem to thoroughly enjoy painting the silly faces and such on their pumpkins...which will have to suite them for more than some time as they are no where near old enough to carve. So any carving of the pumpkins seen was done by my Beloved. We purposefully grabbed some seriously large pumpkins so that he could harvest the seeds from inside and bake them up for a tasty treat.

All in all we had a lovely night. Our church did get us thinking about ways to be more creative to minister to the families that literally come knocking at our door. This year they had bags full of joke cards (You know, like what do you call a pair of spiders who just got married?  Newlywebs.) to give out with the candy. They also had the churches address and phone # on the bottom. There were suggestions of preparing chili, hot chocolate or cider to hand out to the adults as they walked around with their kids. Definitely something we'll be doing next year! Hope you had a safe and fun Halloween too! :)

Rain, Rain....

go away come again some other day! Well, it isn't exactly the rain I need to go away. I'll take some rain. But would the clouds please leave for at least 24 hours? I NEED SOME SUN!

I have never thought not seeing sunlight for days affected my mood. Was I ever wrong.

Having been born and raised in one of the sunniest states in the Union, Colorado, (Ok, so it wasn't a state when there was a Union. But that saying just flows so well, don't you think?) I hadn't come to appreciate how incredibly spoiled I was.

Until today.

Sweet mother of mystery was I ever being surly! I was snapping at every little thing and as I was sitting there doing my Bible study (Isn't that nice, doing my study and snapping like a turtle at my children?!!) when I had to ask myself, "What in the world is your problem, girl?!" You know how you just know you are being ornery and then it occurs to you to ask what might be the root of all the trouble. Yep, that is right where I found myself this very afternoon.

No sun. I have hardly seen any sun for a decent length of time in at least the past week, if not a little longer. It is grating on my very nerves…all this gloominess.

So if you would, Lord, see fit to move those clouds away, I would be ever so very grateful. (My children would too!)

Such a sweetie

I’ll admit I do complain from time to time about the Biggest Man. I mean, the child does cry more than any 3 other children I know! It has become his automatic response. His manipulative tool. You ask him to help pick-up, he cries. You ask him to get his socks and shoes on, he cries. His coat on? Tears. You see where this is leading.

The point is that even though the incessant crying/whining really does grate on my nerves (and yes, I am trying to break him of the habit. Any tips? Helpful suggestions?) he is the sweetest little boy I know. He just seems to be a natural encourager or positive person. That seems like such a contradiction, I know.

When he isn’t crying/whining he can be seen galloping about. The child doesn’t walk he gallops. He has this little hop thing he does smiling as he goes. It is absolutely precious, I tell you.

And the comments that come out of his mouth. After Daddy prayed over dinner one evening he quickly said, “That was good prayin’, Dad.”

When he came down so early one morning I hadn’t finished working out (Not a constant thing…why I joined Jazzercise, but I am getting sidetracked) he watched me finish. I had about 10 minutes left on the tape. When I finished he said, “That was good exercising, Mom.”

He is just completely sweet like that.

And as for being gracious…well, aside from not being gracious with his Hotwheels or rather letting Katie even touch them, he has a forgiving spirit. He might still be whimpering from an offense a sibling has rendered (we’ll use no names so as to protect the innocent, or not so innocent as the case may be) and when apologized to he immediately responds, “That’s alright.” It is as good as done. He won’t be bringing things back up again.

He is just so precious in his little boy ways. He is so different from the girls, but in a refreshing boy kind of way. Know what I mean?

I think I am in love. Let me rephrase that, I know I am in love. I mean who can resist that sweet face with those long eyelashes?!

Extravagant

I have to say extravagant isn't a word I often hear or see. Not many things have what it takes to be described as extravagant. I heard it used recently in a song (I'll share the song in just one minute) and I have to say I honestly don't think there was a more appropriate word to use.

What was it being used to describe? God's love for us.

Puts tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.

Let me share...Your Love is Extravagant by Casting Crowns

Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate
I feel like moving to the rhythm of Your grace
Your fragrance is intoxicating in our secret place
Your love is extravagant

Chorus:
Spread wide in the arms of Christ is the love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known You considered me a friend
Capture my heart again

Spread wide in the arms of Christ is the love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend

Capture my heart again
Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate

If you'd like to take a listen to it please go here. I highly recommend the sound with the words (What can I say, I am a bit partial to a the mandolin that plays in the background)...but the words in and of themselves speak right to my heart.

Sometimes I get bogged down by me and my stuff. I, for whatever crazy reason, forget that God is sooooo much bigger than me and all that comes with me. I also let lies come in and whisper to my heart that I am not all that lovable. And as true as that may be...it isn't about me, but rather it is about Him. See the truth is He loved me before time began and will until the end of time. Why? Because I am His. He created me in His image.

One of my favorite verses is Zephaniah 3:17.

The LORD your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing

Why would He, on even my ugliest day, take delight in me and rejoice over me with singing?

I'll tell you why, because His love is extravagant. :) That is some serious and most wonderful TRUTH.