Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Weird, wonderful, wacktacular week



What do you get when you combine 570 preschool and elementary-age children, high-energy music, a Weird Animals theme, and a few essential Bible truths?


Well, you get less brainpower to blog, for one thing.


But, you also get Vacation Bible School!  (Where Jesus' love is one-of-a-kind!)


So picture me getting my 4 children in the car every morning this week at 7:45, picking up 3 additional neighbor kids, driving to church, and dropping one off in the nursery, two in the preschool auditorium, and the other four in two different elementary groups, and signing myself in.  Then my day actually begins when I meet my crew of 6 (other) girls, greet them, sing and play with them, and move through various stations with my "pod" of 6 other crews, all of whom I'm overseeing as a mentor crew leader.   And picture about 520 other children moving around too.


Is your head spinning yet?  Because mine is.


It's been a great week though.  Can I leave my feet up until tomorrow?


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Another week off



"Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox."     -Proverbs 14:4


Though empty and quiet and lacking anybody to take out the trash, my house has been particularly peaceful, and clean this past week.  Two kids at one grandparents' house and another kid at another grandparents' house left me just Caleb at home.  Which is kind of like a vacation.  With a toddler.


This left me time to do things, such as finish a certain project that's been in the works for only 13 months.













We took advantage of the quiet evenings to hammer out a few (million) details regarding the future house.




We continue to feel excitement in slow motion on that front.  Version 2.0 of the floor plan has been sent to the architect.


Caleb spent the week playing with his toys unchallenged...




interspersed with moments of ennui without any siblings.


I also caught up on really important things, like registering for Pottermore.


Yes!


We had exactly six hours in which to celebrate Caleb's birthday with all four kids home, before the door revolved and one was gone again.




It was a lot of excitement to cram into a short time.  Even big birthday boys need their nap.  The new superhero quilt works!




Rested up, he could get back to the business of playing with his new vrooms.






It's serious business.





Monday, July 14, 2014

Home again



Astute readers may have noticed we went to the beach.




It was gorgeous, it was wonderful, it was fun.


There was family, there was an incredible house, there were cartoons...





...there was sun and sand and surf...






...and pelicans.

 


Also a pool and playground and good food and miles of bike trails.  




Sadly, now I must return to a life where I floss, eat sensibly, and drink in moderation.






But it was a great trip.




And happily, I get to go home with this guy:


Hubba hubba!



Wednesday, July 2, 2014

The gospel: 5 out of 5 stars



I may have been the last female in America to see The Notebook, but I have now righted this wrong.  What a great movie!  What a sobfest!  The soundtrack!  The 40's sets and costuming!  The element of mystery!  And the wonderful, swoony romance.


[Spoiler alert!  If you haven't seen it, for heaven's sake, go see it before you read on.  Don't let me ruin a good thing.  (And if you read on anyway, don't blame me for ruining the ending.)]


Maybe I'm not desensitized because I don't watch a lot of movies, but this love story just seemed so good.  He loved her all that time!  He built the house just so because he promised her he would.  He went after her.  He jumped on a Ferris wheel for her!  He didn't give up until she fell in love with him.


Although the very best sort of man will like this movie too, there's a reason these sorts of stories are called chick flicks.  Guys like blood-splatter war movies and women love swoony love tales.  Why?  Isn't it obvious?


In the beginning, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them... and behold, it was very good." -Genesis 1:27, 31


Males and females relate to God and reflect God in blessedly unique ways.  Why do guys like a good war movie?  Because our God is a warrior, a victor, powerful, almighty, and will finally put all His enemies under His feet.


Why do women like romance?  Because our Lord is the Lover of our souls, who woos us, wins us, is faithful to us and to all His promises.


Which brings me back to the The Notebook and why it's so great.  Is it not a shadow of the Great Story?  Boy sets his affections on girl and determines to win her, doing everything he must do to capture her heart.  Boy makes a promise (to build the house to suit her) and never goes back on that promise.  Girl leaves boy, wanders far and wide, even giving her heart and hand to another.... but still he loves her and continues to work faithfully to fulfill his promise.  And when she finally returns to him, he rejoices from on high (the balcony, although God rejoices from on highER).  And in the very end, his faithful love will "take them away together."


So we have in Noah Calhoun a picture of Christ, who sets His affections on His people, the Church; pays the ultimate price to win her; makes a promise to redeem her and works throughout history to bring this promise to pass; remains faithful when His beloved wanders from Him; joyfully welcomes her back; and in the end, takes His beloved away to be with Him forever.


What's not to love?



A glimpse of glory




Our oldest child, our firstborn son, was baptized on Sunday.  This was something he asked for, something on which we questioned him at length and for which he was interviewed by two church officers.  He demonstrated understanding of the sacrament and gave a clear and credible profession of faith.  He also took membership vows, thereby becoming a member of our church and becoming eligible to participate in the Lord's Supper.


I usually weep when I witness other believer's baptisms, especially when they're children.  I always thought if my kid gets baptized, I'll be bawling.


We invited family and friends for the event, taking up two rows of seats.  We took all of our kids up front and stood by Jeddy as he professed faith in Jesus, took vows, and received baptism.


I barely teared up.


I think there are several reasons for this, one major one being that I was holding Caleb, who decided to be extremely squirmy and try to escape the whole time.  Another is that it had been a bit exhausting just dealing with the logistics of coordinating and scheduling the interview, deciding on a date for the event, and directing all our visitors to the right place.  Thirdly, it's completely unnerving to be in front of about eight zillion faces--on a platform, no less.


I handed my phone to a friend just before we went up, and he took bunches of photos... you'll notice I'm not posting them here.  They're just too awkward.  I'm wrestling Caleb, most of our kids are scowling, it's this weird upward angle because of the platform, you can't tell that there's any water involved, and our church's utilitarian ugliness really shines forth in photos.


I think there's another reason I feel unexcited about the baptism pictures.  It's that the significance of the event was taking place in the unseen realm.  Within the dark mystery of my son's heart God was moving, and in the brilliance of the heavenly kingdom, God was rejoicing.  Those are treasures worth seeing, but they don't show up in a photo.


"My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
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."     -Psalm 139:15-16


Just as God saw us in the darkness of our mother's womb, so He sees our innermost heart, and there He works, planting faith and forming new life.  The day of Jeddy's public profession of faith in Christ was ordained and written in God's book long ago.  Our dearest wish and prayer since Jeddy was in the womb seems to have come true.  May all our children stand up for Jesus.


"Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well."     -Psalm 139:14


Also, what's rejoicing without cake?




And that makes an attractive picture.




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