1000 Gifts (Part 17): God's word applied to a scandalous generation

So continues my recounting of God's gifts..

The scandal-palooza taking place in Washington right now is mind boggling.  Just two weeks after the POTUS tried to convince graduates during a commencement speech in Ohio that they should not listen to the voices whispering warnings of government tyranny, numerous scandals by the Obama administration have been exposed to the extent that EVEN the outrageous liberal, Piers Morgan, admitted that why yes, this administration has indeed been acting like tyrants.  The list of "known" abuses is extensive and outrageous, but I will not detail a record of wrongs here (although I hope those in the position to prosecute and bring justice are keeping track).  Instead, I will rejoice in the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:6)

⁴ "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

The federal government may lie under oath, cover up scandals, and even lie to themselves, but...

265.  God is truth, and His word never fails or changes.  His truth always applies.

Government leaders may deceive and make false promises to win votes (just like Satan himself), but...

267.  God has never ever broken a promise, and He never, ever will!

Joshua 21:45

"Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."

The world seeks advanced degrees from reputable universities, wealth, and positions of power as the primary means to influence the next generation for good or for bad.  Those who obtain such earthly treasures are considered wise in this world, but how comforting it is to know that...

268.  God uses the weak to shame the wise. 

1 Corinthians 1:27

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

269.  And He works all things together for good. (Romans 8:28)

While driving the kids home from school last week, I was listening to the news summary on the radio.  The kids' must have overheard some of the reporting regarding the Benghazi cover-up, the IRS scandals, and the AP scandals  because my 6-year-old asked:

 "Is the government trying to punish those who don't believe like they want them to in the same way that Darius punished Daniel? When he prayed to God instead of to the king, Darius threw him into the lions' den."

I was so overwhelmed by the utter profundity of his question that I asked him to repeat it three times to make sure I heard him correctly. 

Metaphorically speaking, that is exactly what is happening.  Those who do not support the administration's political objectives are being bullied Chicago style and illegally mistreated with the intent of shutting them down or changing their allegiance.

During elections, my more moderate or left leaning friends assured me that my concerns over what might happen under another four years with Obama at the helm were grossly exaggerated and nothing more than conspiracy theory.  I consoled myself with the assumption that the reality is probably somewhere between his false promises and my worst expectations and the knowledge that...

270.  No matter our circumstances, God is sovereign and holds me in His hands.

As long as I fix my eyes on him (like an ice-skater fixes her eyes on set point when spinning to keep her balance), horrific events may spin all around me, but I will not lose my balance because He holds me steady.

So, the wildest conspiracy theories are now being confirmed through brave testimony by whistle blowers, and the truth of what we know already is actually worse than anything I ever imagined, but the gift is that the truth is finally coming out (granted...after the elections...when these truths would have dramatically altered those elections).

271. The truth will set you free!

Those who should be accountable and responsible for these crimes are not actually voicing the truth yet, choosing instead to spin, distract, distort, or ask, "What difference does it make?" (Hillary Clinton), but how refreshing it is to see the main stream media beginning to seek truth instead of political correctness.  I know this is only a season, and come election time, I fully expect the mainstream media to revert to political posturing, but for now, it is very refreshing to see the media acting like real journalists in search of truth.

272.  The truth will come to light eventually. 

"He reveals the deep things of darkness, and brings utter darkness into the light." (Job 12:22)

As I watch officials back pedaling, changing their story, and refusing to answer questions, I am reminded of King David.  He gave way to his sin struggles with lust and committed adultery.  Sin has consequences, and one consequence of his adulterous act was impregnating Bathsheba who was married to Uriah.   Instead of admitting the truth, he tried to cover up his misdeed with deceitful tricks.  He called Uriah back from battle to meet with him and sent him home with the assumption that Uriah would sleep with his wife and thereby assume the child was his own.  But Uriah was too honorable for such a plot, refusing to sleep at home when the rest of "God's men" and the ark of the covenant were camped out under tents in the open country.  So instead of confessing his sin at that point, David's misdeeds increased resulting in the premeditated killing of Uriah.

Oh how I wish our government officials could learn from David's mistakes and finally tell the truth instead of continuing this avalanche of lies, corruption, and bribery.  When David finally confessed, the pattern of sin ended and the agony of his soul abated.  Judgment was administered, but David finally found peace and ruled justly again.

273.  Confession brings mercy. 

"Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)

Confession requires humility, and our current administration is puffed up with so much pride that many of them believe they are above the law - both the laws of the land and the laws of God.  Oh, but what hope there is when they humbly confess and repent.

274.   Humble repentance brings healing and restoration.

2 Chronicles 7:14

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

As Americans watch these events unfold in DC, our hearts long for justice. We have evidence proving that Hillary lied during Watergate and throughout her political career.  We know that our POTUS cheated in the Senate races by digging up dirt on his opponents so they would drop out leaving an uncontested race.  We've seen him lie and break promises throughout his career.  So, it's no surprise that his administration is filled with so much corruption, and that the State Dept. under Hillary is committing so many crimes.  Unchecked sin will increase.  He who is faithful in little will be faithful with much, and he who is unfaithful with lower levels of authority will be even more corrupt when given much power.  So, the people of America want to see justice served to turn back the tides of corruption.

Yet, this generation has shown more cowardice in prosecuting wrong doings than any other.  As moral relativism takes over current world views and as corruption, bribery, and Chicago style politics run rampant, prosecuting offenders is something few are bold enough to do.  Instead of standing for justice, our generation tends to only be self-serving.  So I'm not overly hopeful that justice will be ever be served to perpetrators by human hands, but know with confidence that....

275.  God will set all things right and exact justice in due time.

“...'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:19b)

276.  Eventually, the prideful will be brought down.  We see it throughout all of history. 

Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Matthew 20:25-28

²⁵ "Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" 

The kids recently offered some interesting suggestions for getting government officials to tell the truth during all these congressional hearings. They first suggested using lie detectors but wondered if the these officials would figure out a way to cheat on those tests. Then they recommended a tracking gadget similar to the one Jon Arbuckle put on Garfield's collar to monitor what he ate. So I tried to explain that such a device would be illegal, and besides, the government is already familiar with this type of spy bug since they are using it on AP reporters.

277. Deep conversations with my children

Many of our kids' closest friends are not white, and like most kids, they don't really see skin color as anything that makes a person more or less valuable than anyone else. They know that God created all mankind in His image so all are of infinite worth to God. We celebrate diversity as a family. So after hearing the word "racist" on the news, they asked me what that word meant. I tried to explain the term and gave examples such as Margaret Sanger and Hitler who tried to wipe out certain races b/c they believed one race was superior to others. I also noted that sometimes people may share the same skin color as those same races they mistreat (Gosnell, for example) or they may support causes that oppress races they resemble, so we must never judge someone based upon their outward appearance. Our value comes from God, and the actions which characterize us indicate the motives of our hearts. So my daughter asked, "When people vote for someone simply because of his skin color without considering his actions, are they being racist?"


278.  Watching my children grow in discernment

279.  My daughter's determination to avoid government dependence

In an effort to correct her inappropriate table manners one evening, I asked her, "What would happen if your father acted like that during an important business luncheon?"

After rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter over such a ludicrous thought (he always exudes utmost professionalism), she admitted that he might lose his job and then find it difficult to support the family.

So I continued trying to get her to consider the day when she will be supporting herself and possibly a family, "When you are grown, who will support you?"

She replied, "I guess I will because I sure don't want to be dependent upon the government!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Speaking of table manners,  I recently commanded the kids, "Please stop playing with your food! There is never a time for that!"

And the 6-year-old replied, "Mom, didn't Solomon say that there is a time for everything?" (Ecclesiastes 3)

280.  Kids learning Bible verses (albeit not always in context)

281.  Courageous women who are not afraid to speak the truth and call people out in order to preserve the American Republic as its fibers seem to be all unraveling at once despite the high risk of IRS bullying, slander to ruin their reputations, and even threats to their own lives or those of their families

Scandalous Hat Trick
"Mr. President, when it rains it pours, but most Americans hold their own umbrellas. Today in the Rose Garden you dismissed the idea of a Special Counsel to investigate the IRS scandal. With that, your galling political hubris shined bright in the midst of today’s dark clouds.

Mr. President, how can we trust your Justice Department to conduct an independent investigation when there is a systemic violation of the Hatch Act throughout your administration?

Surely you are aware that the Hatch Act prevents certain federal employees from engaging in political activity. Specifically, it’s illegal for these federal employees to engage in action in support of or in opposition to a political party, a candidate for partisan political office, or a partisan political group.

Yet that is exactly what’s happened within the IRS, the Justice Department, and in the Benghazi cover-up. This scandalous hat trick is on your watch. It is not believable that you knew nothing about Obama administration actions in dealing with these scandals. And in regards to Benghazi, when you should have taken appropriate action to save American lives – for instance by calling in the Marines – you were AWOL. Just weeks before the election your team scrubbed the Benghazi talking points in 12 different versions, lied to the American people about some YouTube video being to blame for the deaths of brave Americans who put our country first, and you prove Michael Barone right when he writes, “What actually happened in Benghazi was out of sync with the Obama campaign line.” That’s why you all did what you did. Pure raw politics were at play during a horrific time of loss.

For more evidence of Hatch Act violations right under your nose, simply consider DOJ’s “massive and unprecedented intrusion” into the free press. Do you think they picked up some political talk when tapping the phones in the House press gallery?

Your team is out of control. Those who cannot remember the past and learn from it are doomed to repeat it, and that is exactly what is happening. Look back exactly 40 years ago this week and apply that disheartening chapter of American history to the team you’ve chosen and lead today.

Some of us warned America; we cautioned voters in 2008 that a community organizer with no executive experience and no sense of accountability would be a very poor choice for the nation’s top management position.

Mr. President, you said today that you have “complete confidence” in the Attorney General. America doesn’t. Eric Holder needs to appoint an unbiased Special Counsel to investigate the illegal political action of this administration. And then Eric Holder needs to resign.

Most Americans see ominous dark clouds looming beyond the White House Rose Garden, Mr. President. They’ll roll away only when light is shined on the Obama administration’s antics, and America will only recover when you cease avoiding responsibility in this mission of yours to fundamentally transform America. For that to happen, the press had better learn from their experiences of being duped and provide a deserving public fairer, more intelligent coverage.

Speaking of coverage, glad you finally called in the Marines... shame it was just to hold your umbrella."

- Sarah Palin

Must see video featuring Judge Jeanine Pirro here.

282.  A private blog where I can vent about political issues* without offending the masses...at least until the government bugs my computer or steals files from Blogger

*I have a hard time calling my concerns "political" since losing the American Republic and any semblance of a moral code in our country is far more that merely a political concern.  Freedom is so much more than politics but is the core of how God made us.  It seems as though the entire future of the world is at stake here.

283.  The greatest blessing through all of this for me personally is that God is sovereign and my children, husband, and other loved ones belong to Him where we are forever safe and secure in Him!

Mother's Day Weekend 2013

While I regret that we did not get to travel to visit our mothers (the kids' grandmothers) on Mother's Day this weekend due to various conflicts, I still had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend to remember.

A dear friend from college who was a leader in our college ministry group and a spiritual big brother to me brought his family for a visit that weekend.  They were here for a nephew's graduation, but it was so nice to have them stay with us.  Their daughters are the same ages as our kids, so the children enjoyed a weekend long play date.  The adults caught up when we could between their numerous activities.

Girl Power

Saturday morning, my husband made a delicious, high carb, high fat breakfast as is his tradition.  I requested his delicious cinnamon roll pancakes with cream cheese frosting.  They were a huge hit, and he made enough for leftovers for many days to follow.  He also cut up a spread of fruit and fried some bacon.

After breakfast, my friend's wife and I went on a lovely walk along the river greenway behind our golf community.  We had such a great time chatting and neither of us brought a watch, so we did not return until 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave again.  I quickly baked some appetizers which looked horrid, but my dear friend skillfully carved away the ugly parts to make my brie and cheese ball appetizers look somewhat presentable while I got ready.

Since this friend had influenced numerous people in our area for God's Kingdom, I felt like a mini-reunion was in order.  For weeks prior, the Sunday school teachers who poured their hearts, lives, time, and wallets into the college members during that pivotal time of life and I tried to plan this reunion.  The offered to host the luncheon at their home.  Unfortunately, with it being Mother's Day weekend and with so many people having kids who are active in sports this time of year, the crowd was small.  These teachers hosted students for dinner every Friday evening each summer for 15 years, and at times during my college years there were almost 300 people there, so they know how to feed a crowd.  The luncheon began at noon, and we assumed we would wrap up around 2:30, but they were there until 4:30 and would have stayed longer had they not had another engagement with family at 5:00.  When we gathered together this time, we may have had more gray hairs and a quiver of kids around us, but it felt just like we were back in college 20 years ago.  I laughed so hard I cried!  Here are a few pics from the luncheon.

On Mother's Day, I woke up early (rare for me) and eager to start the day.  I took great pleasure in making breakfast for my family and the friends staying with us.  Seriously, serving these friends in this small way was such a joy for me, and I was reminded that serving my family day in and day out should bring me just as much pleasure instead of feeling like drudgery.  Hosting them gave me a much needed attitude adjustment!

We had a great worship service at church and then journeyed to a new subdivision to inspect the lots and choose one to purchase for our next home.  The development had only completed level one grading, so I changed out of my heels and into my rain boots while traversing the muddy uncleared lots.  My daughter complained, "But Mom, you told me to never mix different patterns when choosing outfits. Your boots don't match your dress!"  Since every Mother's Day picture over the past few years has been awkward and amusing, I knew a photo of that setting with me in my church dress and boots would be the perfect Mother's Day picture for 2013.

On the way home, we asked the kids if they would like attending the private classical Christian school only a few minutes from this land.  This school is much more formal than their current school with school uniforms, stately buildings, longer school hours, and a large array of extracurricular opportunities.  My daughter replied, "No!  I don't want to go to any rich school.  I'm much happier at my little country school!"  I may have raised a little redneck in her, but I prefer to be around authentic, laid back, country folk than materialistic, self-righteous city folk too.  However, I think her stereotypes of both schools are completely wrong and that she will find loving, genuine, unpretentious people at both schools!

While driving home, we passed a helicopter on the highway. It was hitched to a trailer.  The kids thought that was pretty cool, so I tried to snap a photo with my husband's phone.  It certainly isn't something you see every day!

We took the the more typical Mother's Day photos in front of our hedge when we returned home.  Here is evidence that I did indeed wear heels to church that day and not the rain boots pictured earlier.

While out taking these photos, we noticed that the first rose bud for the year had just bloomed on the kids' rose bushes.  These roses are typically pink, but this first one was pale, almost yellow.  Since yellow roses represent friendship, I told the friends staying with us that the rose had bloomed yellow in their honor.

While listening to Pandora a few days later, I heard the song, "One Heartbeat at a Time" by Stephen Curtis Chapman.  I'm not sure how I went this long without hearing that song but it is the perfect Mother's Day tune and spoke to my heart at a time when I really needed the encouragement. While I'm constantly wondering what my ministry calling is in life and what I should involve myself in that has eternal significance, so I needed to be reminded that shepherding these children is my primary ministry calling right now.  Check out the full lyrics and listen here.

You're up all night with a screaming baby 

You run all day at the speed of life 

And every day you feel a little bit less 

Like the beautiful woman you are

 
So you fall into bed when you run out of hours 

And you wonder if anything worth doing got done 

Oh, maybe you just don't know 

Or maybe you've forgotten
 

You, you are changing the world 

One little heartbeat at a time

Making history with every touch 

And every smile
 

Oh, you, you may not see it now 

But I believe that time will tell  

How you, you are changing the world  

One little heartbeat at a time

 
With every, "I know you can do it" 

And every tear that you kiss away  

So many little things that seem to go unnoticed 

They're just like the drops of rain, over time they become a river

 
And you, you are changing the world  

One little heartbeat at a time  

Making history with every touch 

And every smile
 

Oh, you, you may not see it now  

But I believe that time will tell  

How you, you are changing the world  

One little heartbeat at a time
 

You're beautiful, so beautiful 

How you're changing the world...(repeat chorus)

Essentials of the English Language

While I taught PE at our homeschooling co-op this year, the kids took co-op classes. Our son took three classes: grammar, math/science class, and PE with me.  Our daughter took what many consider to be Classical Conversation's best course, Essentials of the English Language.  I spent numerous hours this past summer just compiling all the different texts for this course into three large 3" notebooks. Parents were required to attend several training sessions before the classes began, and we were supposed to attend all the classes although I could only attend the first 30 minutes before I had to excuse myself to go teach PE.

The material is very comprehensive and also includes the popular writing program, Institute of Excellence in Writing. The daily homework was critical to learning (not merely busy work), but it proved to be too much in addition to her four days of schooling, so by the end of the year, we were both quite weary.  I wish we could have gotten more out of it, but since our kids go to private school four days a week, there just wasn't enough time in the evenings with all their extracurricular activities to give the Essentials work the time and attention required.  I'm thankful the kids' private school has a no-homework policy, but oh, how I miss the flexibility homeschooling provides!  Her Essentials teacher was very enthusiastic and effective in her class facilitation and presentation of material, and the students progressed tremendously in their grammar, math speed, and writing skills, despite our family's lackluster home effort.  Other presentations that day included King Tut, Joan of Ark, and Cleopatra.

At the end of the year, each student presented a typed research paper from the time period of study in Classical Conversations Cycle 1 to the teacher and a costumed presentation to the class.  Our daughter chose Queen Victoria as her research topic.

Teaching PE

Since the kids came along, I have worn a wide variety of "hats" I never imagined I would wear during my ambitious engineering career days.  One especially enjoyable role I have had over the past two years is PE teacher to 30+  homeschooled students between the ages of 3 and 10.

Each year concludes with a big field day for all the students in the program.  Coach Sports (as the kids call me) is responsible for organizing and facilitating Field Day each spring.  Approximately 75-80 students compete each year. Usually, the students' families come to watch and many of them volunteer, so may have over 200 people cheering, participating or serving.  I really enjoy watching the students compete and demonstrate skills we have honed during class over the past 6-7 months.  Here are some photos from this year's field day.

Field Day fell on my 40th birthday this year, so they embarrassed me with a song during the awards presentation.  I am so thankful to all the volunteers who made this event possible.

1000 Gifts (Part 16): Agragrian gratitude

This post continues my observations and recounting of God's marvelous gifts which begins here:

249.  My softening heart toward cats

I'm never been much of a cat person because I've never met a cat who liked me.  Most just hiss and show their claws when I'm around.  My husband's college cat instinctively scratched our son when he was a young toddler, so that only increased my dislike of anything feline.

However, over the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of meeting two very beautiful cats who actually like people.  One such cat lives on the horse farm where our daughter takes horseback riding lessons.  Flitter loves people.

Flitter also likes books.

250.  Written language intelligently organized into educational and entertaining literature

251.  Parenting two children who are eager readers

While his sister rode horses, our 6-year-old read "bed time stories" to Flitter who eventually fell asleep.

252.  A cat's reminder that afternoon naps, or at least the Sabbath rest, should be a priority

253.  The smile on my little girl's face as Socks moves into a fast trot

254.  My parents' faithfulness for the past 16+ years to uphold our annual yard day tradition

When I bought my first house in another state as a single gal, my parents drove over three hours to my house one weekend to assist me with spring landscaping.  Dad brought his pick-up truck so he could haul mulch and various gardening materials from the nearest Lowe's store to my new home. They worked tirelessly in my yard teaching me how to plant and/or doing much of it for me since I'm hopeless when it comes to landscaping.

They probably regret that first trip because when spring (and my birthday) rolled around the next year, I asked them to return and help me in the yard again for my birthday present.  Soon, this annual yard day, mostly involving my parents' help, became an annual tradition.

Now that I have a husband and kids of my own, we all pitch in each year to spread mulch, plant flowers, and clean out flower beds.  Theoretically, everyone should be working on yard day.  Our bunny's job is to supervise the workers.  He did so half-heartedly from the shelter of his igloo.

 

During a break from my labor, I noticed that our baby bunny was nibbling on grass and sweet gum balls (ouch).  For a moment I thought I had found a solution our problem of mass amounts of gum balls falling from a neighbor's tree into our yard but that solution would involve more bunnies. Smile.

255.  Thankfully, these forbidden snacks did not make our bunny sick.

My jobs that day were to cook lunch, coordinate with suppliers, and spread pine needles out back.

256.  Thankfully, no one got sick from my cooking...at least not yet.

Last year, I ended up spreading at least 70 bales. This year, we bought less because out of the four different suppliers we visited, we could only cumulatively procure 52 bales.  I managed to spread 29 bales before the dark clouds rolled into the area  Usually this task, which involves bending over for several hours at a time, causes a relapse of low back pain, but after icing it twice last night, I was pain free this morning.

257.  Healing of my back and regeneration of my spinal discs that I can not only see on the X-Ray but also feel when my spine is tested 

My husband usually buys and spreads mulch around all our flower beds in the front yard.  Our normal mulch supplier was completely sold out of the mulch we needed, but thankfully, our backup supplier had what we needed.

258.  My dad's patience and willingness to drive his truck all over three cities in search of the landscaping materials we needed

He ended up making two trips to Lowe's, one trip to Home Depot, two trips to two different mulch suppliers, and a trip to the yard waste facility in addition to driving almost 75 miles each way to/from our home that day.  God bless my awesome parents!

259.  Our 9-year-old's thoughtfulness and generosity

While shopping with her daddy, my daughter saw this plant and liked it so much that she insisted on buying two as a birthday gift for me with her own money (okay, so technically she only paid for one and a half with her daddy covering the difference).

260.  My husband's servant's heart

My man does not particularly enjoy landscaping.  He may even admit to loathing it.  Yet, when his little girl bought those plants for her mommy, he helped her clean out the flower bed around the mail box and plant them there for me.  While they were digging, a neighbor stopped by while walking her dog to warn them that the plants were poisonous but only when eaten.  Oops!  Maybe these plants will keep out those dogs whose owners disobey the HOA covenants which forbid pet feces in other  homeowner's lawns, and maybe it will keep the deer, who eat all our flowers and blueberries at their peak, away as well.

261.  God's wonderful design in allowing animals to know which flowers are safe to eat and which are not

After helping her daddy plant the flowers around the mail box, our little girl was eager to plant some more.  So, she helped Nana fill up lots of flower pots with new flowers.

262.  Splashes of natural color, which will grow larger all season long, located all around the exterior of our home

She even filled a new rabbit planter with flowers this year in honor of the newest "member" of our family.  This planter is for you, Cody.

I'm not sure what our son's job was yesterday, but he did bring us cheerful company, clip bindings on bales of pine straw, and run miscellaneous errands for us.

263.  New blooms beginning on our rose bushes signaling that spring is here 

264.  The anticipation of an explosion of various natural colors all around us

Cody is 3 months old

Our bunny, Cody (aka "Bun-Bun), is now three months old.  He's grown so much since we first received him in mid March.  At over2.5 lbs, he is already almost as big as his daddy.  He has become more friendly toward us.  He doesn't bite or chew on us anymore, and he rarely ever scratches. He leaps when he sees us, and will actually hop over to us for back scratches and tickles behind the ears.   He's very playful and still enjoys playing hide and seek.

Just like my pet bunny from childhood, he does not like eating his food from a bowl. He usually flips it over and eats from the floor of the litter box. Gross!  He sure does love drinking from a water bottle, however.   He loves to explore and nestle in tight spaces just as infants like to be swaddled.  I guess it makes him feel safe and secure.

When he's feeling relaxed, he will usually put both legs out behind him.  I think he's so cute in this resting position.

He loves exploring outside his pen, but he doesn't stay outside very long.  He will usually return to his pen on his own now instead of us having to catch him and carry him back.

Training for the 400m hurdle event

Sometimes instead of returning to the inside of his pen, he will rest outside the pen right beside the door and up against the boundary. I guess he likes to feel close to safety and free at the same time.

Chillaxin' outside his pen

He also likes to hold one ear straight up while the other one lops.  Maybe he does that to listen more carefully.  It's adorable, but I am interested to know why he does it.

I've been joking that he must be 9 years old in human years because his spastic behavior at times is remarkably similar to our daughter's.

Two more teeth out

They say that kids lose their baby teeth in pairs.  Our son lost his second baby tooth on April 22 which is only 24 days since he lost his first tooth.  Now he says he has a wiggly tooth on top.  His sweet baby doll smile doesn't look quite the same anymore.

Update:  His 3rd tooth fell a few hours after I first published this post.  Now his smile is really changing.

1000 Gifts (Part 15): Glimpses of His Presence

These past few months have left me feeling exhausted.  Yet, God gives us strength when we are weary.

Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV)

^{29 "}He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint."

You know you aren't a morning person when you enter the bathroom to get ready for the day and reach for the switch to turn on the lights only to discover that the lights are already on and the reason it's so dark in the bathroom is because your eyes are still shut.

232.  Humorous reminders of my human frailty and the knowledge that when I am weak, He is strong

233.  Living long enough to celebrate my 40th birthday last week

Turning 40 must shrink or destroy a whole lot of brain cells because the same bike helmet that fit snugly and securely the week before kept blowing right off my head while I was biking the day after my birthday. It seemed as though the helmet was suddenly sizes too large.

234.  Coming to faith early in life and the abundant joy walking with the Lord brings

Jesus has been my Lord and Savior for over 30 years!

John 10:10
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

235.   The way God prepares our hearts in advance for trials awaiting us

A precious sister and friend in Christ shared with me that the Lord had set 2 Timothy 1:7 on her heart repeatedly as though He were intentionally reminding her to trust Him and to walk with courage.

2 Timothy 1:7
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."

A few weeks later during a routine physical exam, she discovered that she had cervical cancer.  When the doctor gave her the news, she replied, "So that's why God gave me that verse.  I trust Him to carry me through this trial, for He has always been faithful."  Her courage was a huge encouragement to her doctor who was undergoing health concerns of her own. This dear friend faced the surgeries to follow with great courage, and no chemo or radiation were required following the surgery! 

I had a similar thing happen to me on an exceedingly smaller scale, which is a reminder that God prepares us for both the big challenges in life and the minor day-to-day inconveniences.

During a time of reflection one night before bedtime following an in depth Bible study on Proverbs 31, I felt convicted that I needed to look for ways to be a better servant to my family. Then at 2:00 a.m that night, our little one began a cycle of vomiting that is the worst we've ever experienced in our home. As I scrubbed vomit out of carpets, bed clothes, pillows, car seats, and the floor board of my SUV while trying not to breathe in the nauseating stench, I could not help but laugh at this new opportunity to serve and how different it was from the ways I had imagined that I would serve my family better.

236.  Quick healing for a very skinny little boy following five brutal episodes of vomiting

The next day after he first became sick, he surprised me by installing one of the new interior bathroom door knobs I had purchased the night before on the front door (oops).  This sweet 6-year-old then attempted to change out all the hardware in the kids' bathroom. Clearly, the stomach bug had passed and as he was back to his usual, handy, tool-loving self.

237.  Inspirational quotes that address my biggest need on any given day placed conveniently within the pages of my Bible study lesson for that day

"On every level of life, from housework to heights of prayer, in all judgment and efforts to get things done, hurry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur.”
― Evelyn Underhill

"That in Christ, time is not running out. This day is not a sieve, losing time. In Christ, we fill – gaining time....We stand on the brink of eternity. So there is enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real. Time to laugh long, time to give God glory and rest deep and sing joy. And just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done." - Ann Voskamp

 Just as a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance....the only way to to keep your balance [in this whirling world as it spins out of control] is to fix your eyes on [Jesus], the One who never changes." - Sarah Young

238.  God given human liberties freely exercised

With all the recent banter about the Common Core Standards followed by Exxon funded television ads promoting CCS during major sports events, I had to laugh when I learned that Ron Paul is launching a new freedom curriculum (for free for the first six years) as a foil to CCS in September. No matter how you feel about the U.S. Constitution and individual liberty, you must admit that America would be a very boring place without all it's diversity and precious freedoms.

239.  God's power which vanquishes fear 

Isaiah 41:10
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  

The Boston tragedy has consumed many of my thoughts and prayers.  As evidence has been presented to prove that Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano committed perjury to protect a Saudi national who has been proven to be a radical Islamic terrorist with two counts of terrorist activities in the U.S. including a lead role in the Boston marathon bombings, a huge distrust of the government and the media (which refuses to report anything negative about this administration regardless of the evidence) can lead to great fear.  If those in the highest positions of authority in our land, tasked with protecting American life, will allow terrorists "with connections" to visit the White House on multiple occasions, give millions of dollars and sophisticated warplanes to a nation that funds and promotes terrorism, and even provide welfare checks to known terrorists in our country, what sense of safety is there in America?  If the president chooses to sleep while ambassadors and security/military personnel are brutally murdered by terrorists in a plot everyone involved, including the POTUS, knew about in advance and could have prevented, is it any wonder that the number one cause of death in the U.S. military is suicide?   If the President shows more remorse over losing his battle for stricter gun control than over the victims of the terrorist bombing and if his wife chooses to visit the Saudi national responsible for the bombings in the hospital but does not take time to visit the man who lost both legs and who courageously identified the Tamerlin brothers leading up to their capture, Americans can't help but wonder if the entire administration is anti-American and pro-jihad.

With the domestic and international security at such great risk, the economy in such upheaval, socialistic ideals robbing the country of both freedom and prosperity, no wonder the mental health of Americans is at an all time low.  This article describes the mental state of Americans and offers some practical advice for managing the stress of it all. Although for me, recounting blessings has been the best tonic of all.  Because of Christ, none of these concerns should morph into anxiety.   You can't pray and worry at the same time, and the Bible commands us to bring all our concerns to Him through prayer and petition.  So I'm so thankful that no matter what circumstances surround me, I can find peace and rest in Him.

240.  In Christ, there is no fear of death
  
As Christians, our family does not fear death by terrorists or any enemy because we are ready, even eager, to meet our Maker.  He has established every single day before us, so He will not take us until that preordained time comes.  

Psalm 139:16

"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them."

 Christ came to provide a way out of this world which is so corrupted by evil. When He returns, those who believe will dwell with Him in a world absent of wickedness, pain or suffering.  Hallelujah!

241.  In Christ we need not fear economic collapse because God, our Jehovah Jireh, is faithful to meet all our needs

 Genesis 50:21  "So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

Luke 12: 27-28 (NASB)

^{27 "}Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!^"

 242.  The illumination of truth in the minds of those who have the Spirit of God

Hebrews 6:4-5  "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come"

After reading an article by a PhD'd astrophysicist friend, our 9-year-old explained to me how his evolutionary based arguments actually disprove evolution and the "millions of years" theory of the age of the earth. Thank you, Lord, for opening her eyes and for using the "weak" and "lowly" (in this case our little apologeticist-in-training) so that no one can boast. (1 Corinthians 1: 18-31) 

Spirit Week at School: Dress to Impress Day

243.  The witness of all creation to a magnificent Creator God 

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Thank you also for scientific discoveries which point to your magnificent design. They are like hidden treasures in an universal treasure hunt designed by You, with clues set above, below, and throughout the earth to point us back to You. Yet, we cannot truly see until we choose to believe. 

244.  The marvelous uniqueness God gave every single created human being

My daughter's right-brained tendencies are revealing to me how masterfully God designed each person's brain.  No one is alike.  All are masterfully intelligent, but each mind processes information uniquely according to God's design through DNA.  Since my brain processed information differently than hers does, I have really enjoyed the discoveries into how she thinks.  Recently she debunked the myth that math is harder for right-brained people than left-brained. It just takes her longer to solve word problems because she first needs to understand why the pen mentioned in the problem costs more than the notebook. She then begins imagining all the creative, elaborate, handy features this pen must have to make it more valuable. When she gets around to actually solving the problem, however, the answer comes almost instantaneously.  She cracks me up!

School Spirit Week:  Wacky Hair & Clothing Day

245.  The way the Holy Spirit brings encouraging verses to mind when we need it most

John 14:26

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."

During a routine doctor's visit this week, I received some surprising news that will require months of costly, painful treatments to adequately address.  Tears welled up inside of me as I sat there in the exam room waiting for the doctor to come in and give me an overview of the treatments.  At the moment, my first thought was how much I wanted to share this news with my husband and have him hold and comfort me, but he was on an airplane leaving the area for a few days on business. I should have instead turned immediately to the Lord, for His comfort and peace surpass anything that any human can give me.  This medical news isn't life threatening or anything of great concern, dear blog reader, but it is something that must be addressed, and the treatments are painful, and the entire ordeal had me quite frustrated because what mother of young children has time for more medical issues anyway?  After finally getting some relief from all my back pain, I'm down to only one chiropractor visit a week compared to four visits per week last year, and those visits were relatively quick, easy, painless, and affordable.  These upcoming treatments will be none of those things.  I get overwhelmed more easily when my husband is away on business. (God have mercy on single moms who never have that extra support).  Yet, I knew I needed to regain composure before the doctor entered, and then the Holy Spirit brought  2 Corinthians 4:16-17 to my mind to give me perspective.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

As soon as those verses came to mind, my fears dissipated, and peace overwhelmed me.  I realized how trivial this trial really is and prayed that God would use it for His glory. 

246.  Musical reminders of God's goodness

As I was driving home from that doctor's appointment, I heard the song, "Even If", by Kutless on the radio.  I had been praying that morning for a friend had been rushed to the ER for heart problems, and another friend's family members who were undergoing a kidney transplant.  The lyrics of that song were such a powerful reminder that regardless of our circumstances, God is always good, faithful, and true.  

Here are a few lyrics:

"...Even if the healing doesn't come
And life falls apart
And dreams are still undone
You are God You are good
Forever faithful One
Even if the healing
Even if the healing doesn't come

Lord we know Your ways are not our ways
So we set our faith in who You are
Even though You reign high above us
You tenderly love us We know Your heart
And we rest in who You are..."

  247.  Positive reinforcement

Our kids' school uses positive reinforcement to encourage desired behavior.  While I greatly wish my son's teachers would not give out so much unhealthy candy in class, and while I wish the prize boxes used at church and school did not fill our home with clutter, I am thankful for the positive behaviors being affirmed.

There are 3.5 girls for every 1 boy in our son's class not counting the two female teachers. When I picked him up after school recently, he said to me, "The good boys got kisses today".  As my blood pressure soared, I asked for more details, and he clarified, "Hershey's kisses."

If people have sued McDonald's for making them fat, Hershey's better watch out because that company nearly gave me a heart attack .

 248.  Evidence that my daughter has accepted the Biblical perspective toward modesty in a world that bares all

 I overheard the 9-year-old talking to herself (will she ever stop all that incessant chatter?) while she was flipping through the mail, and she said, "Shame on you, Vaseline, for putting that photo in an advertisement! You can almost see that woman's behind."