Guessing Game

Our son recently pulled this lighted toy out of his toy box.  He discovered a new function for this toy and has now given the toy a new name which describes its new purpose. The name does not include the words "light", "wand" or "spin".  Can you guess what he calls this toy?  Please leave a comment with your guesses.  I will post the answer tomorrow.












Here are 2 hints:

Mother's Day 2011

Over seven years ago, this precious little girl turned me into a mother.



















Thirty-two months later, this little boy turned me into an overprotective mother.

I enjoyed a nice Mother's Day. I did not have to cook at all today! And the people said, "Amen!"

I also got to take a pleasant walk with my family along the rolling hills of the golf course behind our house on a perfectly mild and beautiful spring day.  Please remind me again why we are actually trying to sell this oasis.

My husband had to leave at the break of dawn to sing with the praise team for all three worship services at church, but I always enjoy watching him sing since it reminds me of the weekend we first met.

We watched several dozen babies get dedicated at church this morning which reminded me of our firstborn's baby dedication on Mother's Day of 2004.

The kids woke me up this morning with their arms filled with handmade cards, chore coupons, and a paper flower bouquet as gifts for me.  My apologies to Hallmark and FTD florists, but "You can't touch this!"

Next to each house we have owned since having children, we have planted two rose bushes, one in each child's honor.  It seemed fitting that the first rosebud of the season would appear today on Mother's Day. 

 

After church and eating out, we tried to take a few Mother's Day photos.  Of course, I first had to tend to the obligatory tucking in of shirt tails and wiping of food off little faces.

None of us felt like smiling for the camera. 

Then I realized that it is impossible not to smile while around these silly kiddos!

Apparently, I'm not the only mama bird residing at our address!

Happy Mother's Day!

The world is our classroom

We have been wrapping up our second school year at Keystone Academy.  Spring fever infected us much earlier this year since mild weather arrived in March.  We just completed the second round of standardized testing this past week, and I'm more than ready to announce, "School is closed for the summer!"  However, as a parent, I realize that we are always in the process of educating our children.  As a lover of learning, I look forward to making great discoveries with the children this summer in a less formal learning environment.

Ready for the symphony

Several friends from our homeschool co-op and I took our children to an educational concert given by our state symphony this past week.  The symphony performed a beautiful selection of classical pieces to illustrate musical rhythm, tempo, dynamics, texture, form, and melody.  We had previously studied orchestration and several of the classical composers featured during the concert, so our symphony field trip was a great supplement.  The kids were amused when I pulled out my old recorder from grammar school and played one of the selections from the concert for them.

The kids enjoyed seeing their friends from co-op at the concert.  Our son was especially excited to see his Spanish teacher there.  He gave her two big hugs at the concert hall, but when we got home, he told his father that he wished he had given her three hugs instead. His sister was right about him when she entitled a poem about him "The Loving Boy". (Read her poem here.)

I had made plans to attend a National Day of Prayer (NDP) event nearby after the concert.  Since I had already paid for all day parking near the auditorium for the Symphony concert and the prayer event was less than a mile away, I thought it would be easier to walk instead of driving and searching for another parking space.  Unfortunately, I had my average running pace in my mind when I calculated how long it would take us to walk there.  I did not consider that a 4-year-old takes five times longer to walk a mile than it takes me to jog that same distance.  Why is it that the same kids who run several miles in circles around the backyard each day complain profusely when their mother informs them that they will be walking less than one mile to a special event? 

As we walked, we came across a rather large crowd gathered at the state capitol building.  The children heaved a sigh of relief because they thought we had reached our destination.  When we drew closer, I noticed grim-faced people holding signs with such words as "Good without God", "You pray for me. I'll think for you.", and "Use your noodle".  Then I realized that we had come upon a public protest against the National Day of Prayer.  My children became frightened, so we rushed past the gathering.  I published a slightly controversial article about the protest and "The National Day of Reason" here.

National Day of Reason

Use your noodle!

Protestors

---------------------------------------------------

An aside
Some people assume that homeschooled children live in a holy huddle, sheltered from the world. While driving the kids to a piano lesson last week, I had to pull over at least 6 different times so that police cars would zoom by.  Then we got stuck in a rubbernecking traffic jam.  While we waited for the traffic to begin moving, the children watched multiple policemen pull men out of a dilapidated house and handcuff them. In the past 10 days, our sheltered children have witnessed both a drug bust and a public protest by a group of atheists.

----------------------------------------------------

As we continued walking, I mused over the irony of the protestors' signs which suggested that people who pray do not think.  Have they not thought about the statistical impossibility of even the simplest life form evolving out of nothing, much less the complex human brain?  In this article, I listed a few of the greatest thinkers of all time who happen to be Christian men who prayed.

The prayer event was very well organized and God honoring.  There was a great spirit of unity amid the diverse body gathered.  For a detailed account of this event, please check out the article I published here.

I was pleased to see several members from our church leading worship and prayers.

During the prayer gathering, there were two periods set aside for prayer huddles.  The kids and I joined some strangers for small group prayer.  My daughter was not the least bit timid about praying aloud and even initiated the prayer time in our group. She prayed for our nation and its leaders.  She interceded for the victims of the recent tornadoes.  She even prayed for the salvation of our nation's president AND for the souls of the protestors!  She really surprised and humbled me.  

The crowd was very diverse.

All ages were represented.

Prayer postures ranged from standing to prostrate.

These kids paid close attention and were serious about prayer.

Since we must commute long distances on a daily basis, we spend a lot of time in the car.  My favorite way to pass the time in the car is to listen to books on tape.  Sometimes I will be so wrapped up into a story that I'll sit in the car long after arriving so that I can listen to the rest of the chapter.  The first time I lingered in the car while parked inside our garage, my husband came out to ask me why I had not yet come inside.  I eagerly whispered, "He's about to propose to Elsie!"

On the way home from the NDP event, we finished listening to The Sugar Camp Quilt.  This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the life and culture of farmers residing in rural Pennsylvania during the difficult years leading up to the civil war.  An abolitionist in the story makes a patchwork quilt with symbols on each block that form a cryptic map leading runaway slaves to the next station on the underground railroad.  I have very little sewing experience and zero quilting experience, but our daughter wants to learn those skills.  

When I awoke late the next morning, our son ran into my bedroom and announced, "I know how to make a quilt!  First you cut squares out of fabric.  Next, you sew the squares together.  Then you add the fur!"

 

Well, I suppose batting does look a little like fur.

When I came downstairs, I saw what motivated him to talk about quilt making.  His sister had begun making her own quilt.

So, who would like to teach our daughter to sew and quilt?

What I've Learned About My Kids in the Past 2 Days

Our family scattered into 3 different directions this past weekend.  While I was at a women's conference where I got to share about one of my favorite passions, our son spent a night at Nana and Pops' house.  Meanwhile, my husband and daughter had a grand adventure at their first Y Princess spring retreat at a beautiful campground by an inlet.

Now that our family unit is back together again, I have received dramatic and enlightening reports from each child about his/her weekend.  Here is a smattering of what I have just learned about our kids:

About the first born:

• Like her father, our daughter is a gifted marksman.

• While she is a natural with a BB gun, her weapon of choice is the bow and arrow, which is more of a challenge for her.

• She is a perfectionist.  When she shoots an arrow, if it doesn't land dead center on the bullseye, then she thinks her shot was a complete failure.  When her father's shot pops the balloon in the center of the bullseye and hers doesn't, she gets more than a little upset.

• When she has just experienced one of the best weekends of her life, she sobs uncontrollably.   When I welcomed her home today, she just cried.  I asked her if she had gotten hurt and wondered if she had not enjoyed her weekend at camp.  Then she sniffed and snorted and finally said,  "A whole YEAR, Mom! I have to wait an entire year to go back!  I did not want to leave! (sniff, sniff)"

• When she is really tired, instead of speaking articulately in her usual poetic fashion, she becomes unable to communicate in complete sentences. When she tried to describe her weekend, she said,  "Screened windows ... screened doors ... cabins ... bonfires ... fireballs ... fireworks ... fireflies ... fabulous friends ... digging for shark's teeth ... paddling canoes ...must find superhero cape ... dancing on the boat ride ... should have ridden zip line one more time...."  Then she crashed onto the floor and napped for the next few hours. 

  

Cabin's screened windows

Look at you in a canoe

Zip line ride to river drop

About the baby in the family: 

• Our son is quite the conversationalist.  He seems to have a knack for knowing how to talk to people of various ages at their level.  When he's with little boys his age, he talks about Batman.  At church (and at home), he talks about the Bible and sings praise songs.  When he's with me, he often mentions chocolate.  Around his father, he speaks of computer games and golf.   When he spends time with his 7 year old cousin, he talks about what his cousin likes best, Scooby-Doo and soccer. And when he greets my parents, he talks about the weather.  As soon as I left him with Nana on Friday, he asked her, "Did the recent tornadoes cause any damage to your home?  Do you know anyone who was impacted by the tsunami?"   Nana said that talking to him was like talking to someone her age.

• Nana informed me that he can count past 100.  He counted each truck he saw during the drive to Nana and Pops' house and ended up counting over 100.  I don't remember teaching him to count that high, but perhaps he learned to count in English when his Spanish teacher taught the older kids in his class to count to 100 in Spanish.

• When he prays aloud in public restaurants, strangers notice, but he is oblivious to others who may be watching him since he's so focused on praying and has his eyes closed.

 

• Our 4 year old likes to mow the yard, especially when mowing involves riding Pops' Cadillac style riding lawnmower.

• He will remind you to trim your nails if they get too long.

• He has an interest in landscaping.  On the way to meet Nana, he informed me that the person living on the corner of an adjacent neighborhood "really needs to spruce up his yard".

• He occasionally uses hyperbole and does not believe that our house will sell anytime soon.  He told Nana, "My sister and I will each be married and have children of our own before that house sells."

Fresh Perspective

I have been trying to set aside special time to prepare for a seminar I'll be helping lead at a women's conference for MONTHS!  I kept waiting for some great inspiration to hit me as the deadline drew near. The conference starts tomorrow, so today is my last chance.  The day has not gone as planned.  A doctor's appointment that should have taken only one hour took up the first 6 hours of my day and involved visiting two different medical facilities with restless kids in tow.  While waiting at the doctor's office, I was humbled by my impatience, however, when I remembered my dear friends who are battling (and defeating!!!) cancer and must spend long days at the hospital 3 to 5 days each week for chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Our home is currently listed on MLS, so keeping the house tidy at all times is a sad priority. I decided to burn off some nervous energy by mopping the kitchen before sitting down with my stack of materials for the seminar. As I mopped, I could almost feel that ugly cortisol surging through my veins.  I needed to relax.  I needed a new perspective.



















Then my 4 year old who had been watching me mop at a frenzied pace said, "Mom, when you mop, it looks like you are painting.  The mop is your brush and the soapy water is your pallet of paint.  Will you teach me to mop?"  What I viewed as a dreaded chore was a beautiful form of artistic expression from his perspective. 

Those who know of my inordinate need to keep my house clean will understand that he wasn't suggesting that the floor was so dirty that mopping it changed it's color.  He actually saw the task of mopping as something pleasing.  So, while he finishes the household chores for me (smile), I'm going to work on my conference preparations with a fresh perspective.  I realize now that the best way I can prepare is to simply empty myself of me and be filled with Christ so that the attendees see and hear Him, not me.  I am excited and grateful for this wonderful opportunity.  May His power and His word flow through the conference speakers and seminar leaders.

Please pray for Whole Woman Day, and ladies, please consider attending.   There is still room for you!  I wrote a little article about it here.

People Get Ready!

Yesterday was our last LAMBS (Ladies AM Bible Study) meeting for the semester.  We wrapped up our fabulous study of the Book of Revelation.  The preschool children gave a cute little concert which our son previewed for us in this post.

Our joyful son before the concert with his teacher, Mrs. Joy

"I don't wanna be a Sadducee...because they are so sad, you see!

The homeschool class presented a drama about the 7 churches of Revelation (Revelation, chapters 1-3).  One of the parents posted a video of the drama here.  A reference to the love story I wrote earlier this year about how I met my husband appeared in the first scene and was my daughter's favorite line in the play!   At the end of the play when the actors normally bow and receive the applause, these young actors did not bow, but they chose instead to point their arms to Heaven signifying that all glory belongs to God alone.  This gesture also reminded me of Revelation 22:8-9.

Our lecturer's presentation yesterday was inspiring as always.  Our last lesson was on Revelation 22 which describes the new Eden as a glorious, breathtaking, eternal Heaven that surpasses our wildest imagination.  After reading this passage, one would think that the obvious response should be, "I can't wait to get there and experience if for myself!".  Yet, how many of us are really that excited and eager to reach Heaven?  We know God placed us here for a purpose, and it is an incredible joy to experience His will being worked in and through us.  Yet, are we so satisfied with this world that we do not hunger for Heaven?

Beth Evan's noted that the closer we get to Heaven, the more joy we should possess.  Yet, many of us (I'm assuming I'm not the only one) choose instead to lament over every gray hair, achy muscle, or wrinkle line which signifies our gradual journey toward physical death.  Beth stated, "If we have trouble desiring Heaven, could it be because we have trouble desiring God?"

Christians have been betrothed to Christ.  According to Jewish custom, once a couple has become engaged, they separate while the bridegroom returns to his homeland to prepare a house for his new bride.  When it is ready, he then returns for his bride who has been waiting expectantly for him.  The marriage vows are exchanged and a week long party ensues.  As the bride of Christ, Christians should be waiting eagerly for Christ to return to take us home.  The party plans are underway and our eternal house is being prepared.  Revelation 22 provides a glimpse of our eternal paradise.  12 pearl gates, streets of gold, 12 tiered foundations of precious gemstones, spectacular light like diamonds, a river of life, fruitful trees that bear 12 different fruits throughout the year, and intimate fellowship with Christ are all little hints of our future home.  Randy Alcorn describes this presentation in Revelation 22 as "little foretastes, like licking the spoon from Mama's beef stew an hour before supper."  The beauty alone should make us long for it, but the riches of heaven are nothing compared to the awe and wonder of standing in the presence of the Almighty God.

After the drama team sang the chorus from "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" and my daughter referenced my husband singing that song to me during our courtship days, I began reflecting back to that period of engagement to my husband.  When he proposed, we both wanted to get married right away.  We lived several hours apart and could only see each other every other weekend or so.  After he proposed, I was ready to give up my job, house, community, and almost anything to be with him.  I would have been content to live in a hut as long as we were together.   Young love is irrational, intense, and passionate.  Compare this love to our love for our eternal bridegroom.  Christ loves us more than any earthly spouse ever could as demonstrated by Christ's horrific death on the cross.  Instead of preparing a hut for us, He is building eternal mansions of glory infinitely greater than the sum of all beauty and wealth ever present on earth in the past, present and future.  Yet, do we long for Him the way we longed to be married to our earthly spouse?

While distance separated me from my fiance', I lived for his next phone call, email, or letter.  I cherished every note he wrote or word that fell from his lips.  Our love was all consuming.  Do we hunger for God's word with that same degree of passion?  Do we rely upon His word to sustain and uphold us? Do we treasure His words and yearn for time alone with Him?

Psalm 119

¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
   do not let me stray from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
   that I might not sin against you.
¹² Praise be to you, LORD;
   teach me your decrees.
¹³ With my lips I recount
   all the laws that come from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes
   as one rejoices in great riches.
¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts
   and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees;
   I will not neglect your word.

During my engagement to my husband, my primary focus was preparing for the wedding.  I made sure to wear my hair up as my beloved requested.  I searched far and wide for just the right dress, veil, and other accessories.  He and I both poured over scores of music to select the most suitable songs to honor Christ at our wedding.  We gave great attention to all the details of the reception to express our love and appreciation for our guests.  
 

Christ is making all the preparations for the wedding and the reception for us while we need merely to make ourselves ready.
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  (Matthew 24:44)

Are you ready? Are your loved ones ready?

 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.  (Revelation 22:17)

It's Just a House

Most of our friends and family know the trials we have had in trying to sell our house.  We have received so many encouraging words such as "God has a reason for your period of waiting" or "Your ideal next home just isn't ready yet".  Both friends and strangers have told us that our home is beautiful which helped me not take it so personally when it did not sell initially.  I am grateful for all the support and encouraging words we have received.  Now that we have just listed it on MLS again, I have struggled with the reality of the enormous financial loss we will incur if we sell it at the new market value.  One listing agent even recommended that we not even attempt to sell it anytime soon. 

A friend recently shared a link to this graphic on his blog.

 

Click on image source here to enlarge.

Note that home values reached their record peak in July of 2006 which is the exact same month we moved into this house.  Clearly, we are not the only people experiencing this house value frustration right now, and I'm so thankful that we do not owe enough on the house to put us at risk of becoming upside down on the mortgage as so many others are right now.

Yes, God has a reason for our waiting period, but the obvious reality is that housing values have fallen rapidly.  It's a great time to sell if you are looking to move up into a larger, more expensive home, but for people like us, the falling values can be disheartening, especially when our target location is not experiencing the degree of depreciation that is impacting our current residence.

So what should our response be in such uncertain times?    I do not believe that we should necessarily be asking "why?" or "when?".  Lamenting over our losses is probably not the best response either.  Instead, we should allow God to use this experience to draw us closer to Himself.

Seek the Lord

First and foremost, we must seek the Lord.   He bids us come to Him with our burdens and cares and cast them down.   We can only find true peace at His feet.

   ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30)

We must regularly ask Him for discernment, wisdom, and direction. 

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  (James 1:5)

Accept the Situation and Trust Him

We must trust the Lord to guide us and direct our steps.

A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?  (Proverbs 20:24)

Realtors, mortgage lenders, home stagers, financial advisers, and economic analysts have their place and can be of immense service to us.  However, we ultimately must place our trust in the Lord.

Psalm 118:7-9 (New International Version, ©2011)

⁷ The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
   I look in triumph on my enemies.
 ⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in humans.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in princes.

We must not put our trust in home equity or bank accounts.  Instead, we do better by placing all of our trust in the One who owns it all.  Money is fleeting, but the Lord will sustain us forever.

Proverbs 23:4-6 (New International Version, ©2011)

 ⁴ Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
   do not trust your own cleverness.
⁵ Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
   for they will surely sprout wings
   and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

We must accept the current state of the economy.   It is all we can really expect in a fallen world.  If our investment portfolio collapses or our home equity disappears, we can remain strong if our trust is in the One who never changes. He who cannot break a promise has promised to meet our every need.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

Renew Your Mind With Kingdom Perspective

Romans 12:2  instructs us to not be "conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

This world tells us that the home we have on earth is all there is, so buy the nicest home you can and live large.  But God teaches us that whatever we own on earth really owns us and that our true and lasting inheritance is in Heaven.  Why mourn over the loss in value of a temporal home that rots and decays when we have mansions of glory waiting for us to inhabit forever?

 ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Yes, this ordeal with the house has been frustrating.  Yes, I'm sad about the loss in equity.  However, this struggle is only for a blink of an eye when compared to eternity.  It's just a house.

 

Matthew 6:19-21

    ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

When we fix our eyes above and not on earthly things......

 ¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3)

...and when we consider the cross, our only response can be "THANK YOU"!

Happy Easter!

How to Stop the Aging Process

The calendar says I'm a year older today.  My parents left me a message on my voicemail today in which they lamented over the fact that I have gotten SO OLD!  So, I'm trying to follow the advice in this article which suggests that we can significantly reduce the affects of aging by simply acting younger.

 

So, if you look for me this week, you will likely find me on my tricycle or in the tree house out back trying to act younger.  Let's hope this remedy will help my knees stop hurting and cause my wrinkles to vanish soon!

Caption Contest

I posted this photo of me inside of a tornado simulator on Facebook when a slew of tornadoes devastated nearby areas.  A friend suggested that I use it for a photo caption contest.

So, please help me caption this photo.  If you don't have any suggestions, then please leave a comment with your vote.  I will add your suggestions to the list as you send them.  This contest is just for fun, but I might come up with a prize of some sort by the end of it.

Thanks for participating.

 
Caption Suggestions Submitted Thus Far:

1)  ‎"No!! I do NOT weigh 427 pounds!!"

2) "The new 'Barbie Mother Of Two' Mattel doll, shown above in her bubble-wrap packaging concept, was not well received at the toy show."

3) ‎"What? We're out of chocolate!?!?!" 

4) "I"m HOW old today?" 

Eager Offspring, Eggs, and the Elderly

Leviticus 19:32
“‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.

For centuries, it has been observed that both children and the elderly benefit by spending time together.  Even the U.S. government has reported that spending time with the elderly helps improve a child's self esteem, ability to communicate, and problem solving skills.  In return, interacting with mild mannered children has been shown to have emotional, social, and health benefits for the elderly.  While separated by over 80 years in age, these two age groups actually have a great deal in common.

We feel blessed to know the activities director at an assisted living facility in our city.  She regularly invites us to bring our children to participate in activities with the residents.  Today, these precious residents sponsored an Easter egg hunt for our children.  Our children put their best effort into making Easter cards for the residents while the residents diligently stuffed and hid eggs for our children.

Babes with baskets

Residents rally

Job 12:12
Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
 

"Seek and ye shall find!"

He found his allotted 10 eggs in about 60 seconds.

Eggs with a quarter inside merited a bonus prize!

Each kid also received a popsicle!

Colossians 2: 6-7

  ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Saying "Thank You"

1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God...

 1 John 4:11
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

Acts 20:35  

...remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’