Mostly anyway. It was fun to look through and see the variety of things I read. House church and emerging church blogs, charismatics and fundamentalists, art and photography and housekeeping, home schooling and little kids, and FRIENDS! Some I comment on. Some I read. Some I skim. I am really quite eclectic.
Anyway. Happy weekend.
doesn’t that sounds like I have something deep to say? Sorry to disappoint! 🙂
Last night we had a great time of fellowship (good church word for chatting and catching up) and time exploring the Word, and worshiping. God wasn’t done, but nothing else happened. Isn’t that weird and disappointing? I wonder when that happens if “we” should have handled it differently. We split up into girls/guys to pray and ask for desperate and hungry hearts. It was good.
But I don’t think that is all God had for us. I wonder what we missed out on, and who God wanted to work in, and ask that he grant the opportunity again. A kairos moment missed. ugh.
On the “family or foe” note: We have been experiencing what it is like to love on the body of Christ, particularly the body that meets in our home each week. The last couple months seem to have been FILLED with opportunities to love our body. These ones would be lost in the back pew of any decent sized congregation… even in a small congregation if fellowship only consisted of “foyer fakeness”. You know… Sunday smiles. Sunday greetings. Sunday start time / end time / off- to- lunch -beat -the -rush time. Forgotten because they don’t know how to ask, or don’t feel comfortable asking and they don’t receive the love and attention and family and TIME they need.
SO. There you have it. I have been on the receiving and the giving. AND…
I like my body. My family.
From Jeff Foxworthy. I have just included the ones that struck me as quite humorous and unique. I mean, I can use jumper cables, but I am pretty sure I am not the only wife in America who knows how to do that!
If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Alaska.
If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Alaska
If you know several people who have hit a moose – more than once, you may live in Alaska.
If you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Alaska.
If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Alaska.
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph — you’re going 70 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Alaska.
If you find 10 degrees ‘a little chilly’, you may live in Alaska.
If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Alaska.
and my VERY FAVORITE!!
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in Alaska.
A itty bitty taste of life from here.
Who am I kidding? 🙂 Myself apparently!
God is doing some beautiful things in our family. Nothing fireworks worthy by man’s eyes I suppose, but beautiful.
Read: less anger and impatience. more eye contact and hugs. more time for training through working alongside instead of barking out orders again and again. (why doesn’t that work? hmmm)
We are slowing down. Summer here is beautiful usually. I think we have had 1 1/2 beautiful days. there have been some nice evenings after 8pm. Oddly enough, as a mother of three, I don’t find myself outside at that time. Its nice for those working full time though!
We are doing art, ‘hiking’ – with the three children… that ‘s a relative term!, playing outside, biking!! yeah!!, playing more games and reading, eating lots of lazy breakfasts. Our life is still busy, but not nearly as fast paced and I am relishing it.
SO new topic. fasting and praying. how important do YOU think fasting is? I am asking God to show me.
BUT I just had to drop in. This week has been great. I am learning to say no. I am being released from all my ministry positions. This is a beautiful thing. Its not actually time to stop yet, but I know God is moving us on, and I can see it now. I have been praying for new worship leaders in our church, and for more musicians. And God has answered that prayer. I don’t know yet what it will look like after the summer, but I can see it coming together.
I bowed out of leading worship at the next Dunamis training week. This is my most fun time of leading worship, and yet I was relieved. It was just right that I not do it. Can’t explain it, the Spirit just told me.
On the family front. Reading, outside, projects, games, the zoo, gardening. Its been fun!! We even spent the night out at Bryan’s sister’s place in the valley for a change of pace. Shand is starting to repeat all sorts of things. She seems way to young to be speaking. she’s only 13 months!!
My Dad is not doing great. Going blind much sooner than expected and the steroids he was on to help that not happen are wreaking havoc on his poor body. Its been really rough on both of them as they try to discern steps in ministry, medical stuff, etc. I wish at least on of us sisters were close. But we aren’t. We are hoping to change that. We are due to go to Australia for a month visit in September. I am thinking of lengthening that stay. We were also planning on moving over there in a couple years, for two years. Now we are thinking that we might move that forward significantly. All the restlessness and releasing that God has been doing in my life and heart is starting to make more sense.
I just can’t imagine being on the same continent with my family… almost ALL of them, for any extended period of time. Its crazy exciting. I can’t wait to see what God has planned.
He thinks things through so thoroughly. And can ‘back think’ through and express it when he didn’t remember to think it through at the time. This makes for creative excuses and quite convincing arguments, even when I listen and know he is pulling the wool over my eyes!! Yesterday, while discussing the need for sweaters at soccer practice I asked him if he had been cold.
Thad: yes I was cold
Mom: I’m proud of you for not complaining and whining
Thad: Yeah, that’s because I didn’t want them to see me do it. Even, I didn’t want them to see me take a fit.
(I love how he adds the word “even” to the beginning of sentences when he is adding on a thought)
A few thoughts. I just finished reading the book of Genesis (javamama, I’m thinking my 90 days will be stretching long after 90 has past!! 🙂 )
So, I thought it was interesting, that so often (I’m not going back this time to notice if it was every time, and I am not really sure of the meaning… but I could sure easily surmise on this one). Anyway, so often, the elder son missed the blessing… over and over again. Genesis ended with Jacob blessing his grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim (Joseph’s boys). And he switched the order, on purpose :), Ephraim and Manasseh…
Kind of interesting going back through Jesus’ lineage. I’ve read about the women mentioned in Jesus lineage, and I knew of the failures God allowed in His family history… but I’d never noticed the succession of non-eldest. hmmm.
ALSO. I thought it was intersting that Jacob was buried with Leah, and not Rachel, whom he loved so much (Rachel was buried on the way from somewhere in Canaan (Padan) to Ephrath (Bethlehem). Just an interesting observation. Maybe something significant. Hopefully I’ll remember my observations one day when the significance is revealed.
And in all these pictures there is none of him on his bike!!! Its kind of hard with one mom, 2 kids needing help on bikes and a baby at a busy street trying to coach bike riding!! 🙂 Look at this kiddo… I was just reminiscing… here is my 25 week preemie, without his twin… born at 1# 13oz. (830 grams) 12 inches long. With all his physical therapy, and possibilities of other delays and setbacks and disabilities… Its amazing.
Here he is playing at the piano recital we put on in our home for all my piano students. Yes, he does have one of his feet tucked up under his other leg… and his hand position is frightening. As a piano teacher I should be embarrassed to post this publicly 🙂 BUT I am not.
from a month ago 🙂 I told you I was behind!! He wanted a volcano cake… WITH dinosaurs being swallowed by the lava. 🙂 There is also one lone frog, dinosaur sized. I don’t know why. Thad wanted it on there… so there it was. A giant frog, the same size as the brontasaurus.
It would seem logical that the 5 yr old would be the instigator in the cupboard hang-out. Not so!! He was the follower of the little sister. 🙂
This is Shand’s very favorite hangout now-a-days. She gets in there. Closes the door… ALL the way. And just waits, pokes her head out now and then. I love it. It is safe. quiet. non-destructive. I know where she is. I play periodic peekaboo. Its brilliant, really.
When she is not in the cupboard, she is on top of something… piano, table, couches… whatever. 🙂
I can’t do this all in one post, so I’ll post some over the next few days.
Here are a few of Thad’s hair… now long gone, a month now. at the end is a picture of his shaved head with his brother. His face looks so different. It took me a good couple weeks to get used to his new look!!
And a here are few of Shand from last month… ONE year !! We only just celebrated her birthday tonight! 🙂
Shand discovers she can climb on a chair… this is of course old news, now that she can climb on the table!!
More pics to come from Thad and Shand’s birthdays.
A Life of Balance 