Six under six, I think?

There's a certain family I know. They used to do blog posts every now and then. Not so much anymore. So I decided to write a post for them, or in honor of them, as it were.

They are remarkable for how they seek to live their lives in obedience to God and His Word, no matter the cost. The most visible example of this is their children. Here's a recent photo of proud "Papa D" with his 5 blessings ages 5, 4, 3, almost 2, and 7 months (give or take a month...I forget the last two's birthdays...that's right, no twins).



The "D's" have just announced that #6 is due in 2010!

Now I say they choose to live in obedience to God, no matter the cost. Having as many children as possible is not the obedience I speak of, however. It is deeper:

Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Mat 6:25-33 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?... But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Psa 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

Psa 127: 3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Rom. 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We are too easily conformed to this world. We are reluctant to sacrifice ourselves beyond our comfort zone. We trust in our ability to provide for ourselves instead of trusting the providence of God. And, we forget that "Solid joys and lasting treasures, none but Zion's children know." (John Newton.)

The "D's" don't do this perfectly. Neither do I. None of us can at all without the gift of God's grace.

Just wanted to give a shout out to their faithful example of humble submission to God and rejoice in the creation of another fallen representation of His image!

The Real "O Holy Night"

Dan Phillips has a great post about the original French lyrics to the carol we know as "O Holy Night."

If you're like me, you'll never be able to enjoy the English-language version again.

Minuit, chrétiens, c'est l'heure solennelle,
Où l'Homme-Dieu descendit jusqu'à nous
Pour effacer la tache originelle

Midnight, Christians, it's the solemn hour,
When God-man descended to us
To erase the stain of original sin

Et de Son Père arrêter le courroux.
Le monde entier tressaille d'espérance
En cette nuit qui lui donne un Sauveur.

And to end the wrath of His Father.
The entire world thrills with hope
On this night that gives it a Savior.

Peuple à genoux, attends ta délivrance.
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur !

People kneel down, wait for your deliverance.
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer!

Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave :
La terre est libre, et le ciel est ouvert..
Il voit un frère où n'était qu'un esclave,

The Redeemer has overcome every obstacle:
The Earth is free, and Heaven is open.
He sees a brother where there was only a slave,

L'amour unit ceux qu'enchaînait le fer.
Qui Lui dira notre reconnaissance,
C'est pour nous tous qu'Il naît,
Qu'Il souffre et meurt.

Love unites those that iron had chained.
Who will tell Him of our gratitude,
It's for all of us that He is born,
That He suffers and dies.

Peuple debout ! Chante ta délivrance,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur !

People stand up! Sing of your deliverance,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer!

Here's a wonderful French tenor singing it. I highly recommend reading both the French and the English translation while he sings. It's powerful.

Two down, one to go

Here's a little clip of Phillip playing piano with the kids orchestra and choir. He's in the green shirt. That's as close as I could get since I had to sit in the back with the munchkins, who enjoyed the concert way more than the rest of us :-)

How Many Kings

I am NOT trying to convince anyone to become a fan of contemporary Christian music (Nora), but this is a sweet song and does this guy have some pipes or what?


HT: Biblical Christianity

Reformation Heritage Books

Just had to do a "shout out" to RHB. If you are looking for some good reading, give them a browse. I just placed an order and it already shipped.

So, here in CA I went to the web site,
entered my visa #,
someone in Grand Rapids MI packed up my stuff
and put it in the mail
within 10 min.
Wow.

Now I do a lot of business with Amazon and they are great, but I feel good about supporting this solid, like-minded ministry when I have the chance -- and they're quick, efficient and discounted! Must be that protestant-Dutch work ethic.

Sign up for the newsletter or visit the blog heritagebooktalk.org

Sick over the state of state education

the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday rejected a proposal by Schwarzenegger and state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, that would have allowed children in the lowest-performing schools to transfer to any school in the state or let their parents force overhauls that could include firing teachers or changing the school into a charter school.

The open enrollment proposal, in particular, drew ire from teachers unions, who questioned who would pay for students to go to other districts or schools. Civil rights organizations and some parents groups, by contrast, said empowering parents would make a huge difference to struggling minority students who tend to be stuck in failing schools.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/10/MNTC1B15LP.DTL#ixzz0ZIv2bfXq

In other words: Sacramento politicians decided they know better how your children should be educated. We wouldn't want to leave these important decisions up to ordinary parents.

What Phillip's been up to

I just don't get to snap too many cute pictures of Phillip playing in the leaves or loosing teeth these days. For one thing, he's just not cute anymore. He's officially taller than me, smells bad, and does this when I get the camera out anyway:

But he is quite handsome. Ask the girls at school.

Several weeks ago Phillip volunteered to play piano for his music teacher's Christmas concert.

2009 Christmas Concert Promo from Muntean School on Vimeo.

One of the pieces he's accompanying is quite challenging and, after some procrastination and stalling, he finally has applied himself to the task of getting it "performance ready."

All things equal, we would not participate in such a holiday extravaganza. Cute kids dressed up in green and red performing nostalgic, religious songs and skits is not our ideal of God glorifying worship. However, this will be a great experience for Phillip. He's had to prepare, he'll have to deal with nerves and pressure, and he's grown as a musician.

That said, if anyone would like to come out and endure...(er, uh, I mean...support!) Phillip's concert with me on Tuesday you're more than welcome! He also has a music concert at Cornerstone this Friday night -- let me know if you want info on that too.

(I'll try to take pictures or video of it and post it here afterwards)

I think this is right

ht: Challies

Tiger is the greatest competitor I have ever, ever seen in my life. I hope he will continue to stun me with his golfing ability. I am not going to stop watching. But in the meantime, may the lesson we learn from this as a society get legs: God is God, and we are not. Getting caught is not the worst sin. And there is a peace that comes from obedience. All three of these lessons seem to me to be as old as the very garden where the very first tiger was created, thousands of years ago.

Cheaters, and Tigers, and Idiots -- Oh My!
by David L Bahnsen

Yes, he's his son. Gonna start following...

Leaf-raking time

and Sarah finally lost her top front tooth which has been inhibiting her ability to eat apples for MONTHS! Yeah!

Better than Coffee

I've been energized by this book:

Womanly Dominion - More than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit
by Mark Chanski

(thanks for the recommendation, Kim!)

Here's an excerpt:

By definition, motherhood is that dignified and strenuous life vocation taken up by a woman who has resolved to give herself fully to the task of nurturing godly children from a godly home environment. Women who dedicate the best years of their lives to this challenging endeavor are not to be laughed at and pitied, but highly esteemed and even envied.

Fun with blankie

Just wanted to move that last depressing post down the blog a little.

Here's some shots of Paul playing with his blankie. He calls it "Mine." That's thanks to Phillip who plays a game where he grabs it away and says "mine" and Paul grabs it back. Not the kind of game I would encourage any parent to teach their toddler, but I'm not one to squash too much harmless fun.

Here's another blankie game Paul likes:


"Where's Paul?"




"There he is!"


He likes his "Mine" a lot. I think it's pretty cute. I know he'll have to give it up someday. At least before he goes off to college.

The martyrs are rolling...

If the martyrs for the gospel weren't too busy worshiping the glorified Christ, they'd be rolling in their graves.

I love stained glass, pipe organs, wooden pews, and liturgies way more than your average evangelical protestant, but I just can't get down with the clown suit. Sorry.

So much more wrong with this picture than the bishop's outfit, but you'll just have to read it for yourself here.

Great Conference -- Listen Live

This looks like a worthwhile way to spend some time this weekend:



Click here to listen online


Here's the schedule:

Friday, November 13, 2009

7:00 p.m. Steven Lawson, "Making God's Word Plain"
8:00 p.m. Break
8:15 p.m. Derek Thomas, "Giving Praise to God"

Saturday, November 14, 2009

9:00 a.m. Philip Ryken, "Thinking and Acting Biblically"
10:00 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m. Steven Lawson, "Growing Together"
11:30 a.m. Lunch at area restaurants
1:00 p.m. Seminars
Philip Ryken, "Is Jesus the Only Way?"
Derek Thomas, "Why Bunyan Remains Important for Gospel Defense in 2009"
Calvin Reed, "The Authority of the Word"
2:30 p.m. Break
2:45 p.m. Philip Ryken, "Reaching the World"
4:00 p.m. Closing announcements and benediction

Things they learn from Grandpa

Grandpa and Grandma H visited a couple of weeks ago.

Now Paul tells a knock knock joke:




...usually it will go on like that for a while. He doesn't quite have the punch line down -- you know the one "Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad I didn't say apple?"

In Praise of God's Providence

According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, "God's works of providence are His most holy, wise, powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions."

And we know, as Rom. 8:28 reminds us, that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

Now, the question to ask yourself is this: who decides what's good.

Too often we pridefully put ourselves in the place of God, thinking that from our human perspective we could possibly differentiate the good from bad. All of God's providence is good. Even that which brings us sorrow. Even that which brings us pain.

So we say providence is a two-edged sword. It cuts both ways bringing both the good and the evil (differently, to be sure, but bringing them nonetheless). If we deny either, we deny providence. If we deny providence, we deny God. John H. Gerstner

Now that I've got that off my chest, I can tell you some good news: the baby is not affected by the platelet disorder. I'm thrilled to not have to worry about months of long treatments and to be able to plan for another natural delivery. I'm sure my insurance company is thrilled (the treatments for NAIT are massively expensive)! It's nice when God's providence coincides with our desires. The trick is learning to praise Him in all things.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Who said this?

The world is filled with false and superficial religion. We who love Christ and believe His word is true dare not accommodate our worship to the styles and preferences of an unbelieving world. Instead, we must make it our business to be worshipers in spirit and in truth. We must be people who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. And to do that, we must allow Scripture alone—sola scriptura—to regulate our worship.

Any guesses?

Warning: serious political rant ahead

Disclaimer: no cute pictures of the kids today. hormonal, emotional, talk-radio-listening momma has something to get off her chest...



I read this interview today with CA gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. I appreciate her honesty and Fleischman's skill at clarifying the issue. I am greatly troubled by this statement from Whitman:

My view is that if we are going to be pro-choice, that people do have the ability to have an abortion if they think it is the right thing for them...that it needs to be available to all women, and whether you are rich or poor, you need to be able to access that right. And it's unfair to women who can not afford an abortion, and that's why I support public funding.

Unfair? It's unfair that someone can't afford their own abortion? Unfair to who? A woman who, in the vast majority of cases, voluntarily had sex with a man she wasn't married to?

This may be unfair, but I'm o.k. with that. If you're poor there are certain things you can't have: a Lexus, venti frappuccinos, and abortions. Sorry, life's not fair.

It's unfair that a defenseless baby will never be allowed a first breath so that this woman won't be inconvenienced.

It's unfair that thousands of adoptive parents wait with open arms to welcome babies into their homes and hearts while our tax dollars pay to kill children.

That's unfair.

But let us not forget we serve a holy, just and sovereign God. I'm so thankful He was "unfair" to His Son on my behalf.

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty.

Nahum 1:2-3

Waiting for the day all things will be made "fair."

I'm not complaining, I'm just saying

When the husband's at work all weekend, what's a bored, pregnant wife stuck at home with four kids supposed to do?

Bake, of course!















Peach Cobbler.

Take that Russell.

:-)

I'm sure it will reheat well.

We'll leave some for you.

Maybe.

Afternoon at the Zoo

The weather is gorgeous. We had a free afternoon. I didn't want to fold laundry...

"Let's go to the zoo!"

Why Do We Do That?

Good question, Dan Phillips:

Isn't it kind of funny that, in the announcements, we give a special greeting to visitors? We say, "And especially if you're here for the first time, we want to give you a special greeting"?

Why do we do that?

Shouldn't we at least occasionally say

“If you're here for the first time, we want to give you a warm and friendly greeting, and we hope you'll stay, let us serve you with love in Christ's name; and we hope you'll come to serve with us.

“If you come here regularly, week after week, have committed yourself to this ministry in membership and service, have put your hand to the plow with us, and support this local work of God with your prayers, your time, your labor, and your gifts, we want to give you a special greeting. We'll never take you for granted!”

Wouldn't that make sense?

Around the house

Just some silliness caught on camera... The kids love to "race" from the front door to the back door. Ruth hopes to some day be faster than her sister. Not likely to happen anytime soon:





We love to eat popcorn. Russell mixes up a mean batch of the real stuff (corn, oil, butter, salt). You're all invited to stop by on Sunday nights (when we don't have church) to sample some.





Is this a sweet big brother or what?

How far we've come

Russell and I enjoyed a movie on dvd last night. It's rare to find one these days that's blog-worthy. This one is relatively clean, has a good message and quality acting. It's The Express: The Ernie Davis Story. It would help your enjoyment of the movie if you like football at least a little, but even if you don't, it offers a worthwhile glimpse into the civil rights issues of the 1950-60's.

The title character makes a name for himself as an awesome running back who happens to be one of a handful of black NCAA Div. 1 players of the day. I must admit I cringed at some of the scenes of racism and hatred depicted in the movie. It's saddening to consider how recent this history actually is. I know many of my blog readers lived it themselves. Yet the progress that's been made in our country is undeniable, and the contributions from the sports world are significant.

It's good to learn from the past. It's good to remember how disgustingly sinful mankind can be (especially West Virginians -- that's a joke you'll get if you see the movie!). It's good to examine myself and the world around me today to see if there's any prejudice tendencies creeping in. And it's good to know that vengeance is of the LORD.

Re-blogged: being a wife

Here's a link I read today and thought it was worth passing on (HT: Amy). I don't have time to summarize it for you or tell you what I think about it, but if you're a wife or interested in being one, you might like to read it. Here's some excerpts:

When brides are preparing to wed, the lion's share of time and attention is spent focused on the wedding day: the dress, the flowers, the food, the colors, you name it. It's all about our "big day." We view our wedding day as the culmination of a beautiful romance. All that's missing is for the preacher to end the ceremony with these words: AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER... and then reality rears its ugly head. It was all a big hoax. Not really, but when we're not prepared to be wives instead of simply brides, it can feel that way.

Everything about our culture encourages us to view marriage as the end of journey. Marriage is either the apex of happiness or the beginning of the end, depending on which narrative we buy into. We teach young women to expect happily ever after and young men to believe that marriage is something you do after you're done having fun.

It's that transition from falling in love to living in love and it's one that many couples never make, hence high divorce rates, even in the church. We've relegated love to a feeling, beyond our control rather than what it truly is, a choice.

Ode to Sourdough

Warm and crusty, soft and chewy out of my toaster.
Butter melting into every nook and cranny of your bubbly meat.
Which do I love more?
The excellence of your savory, tangy flavor?
Your texture: dense, filling, satisfying?
Truly, I love your baker: industrious, creative, loving, giving.

Thanks, Patty!

Parenting and the Gospel

Rick Phillips has a great little read over at Reformation21 on passing on our faith to our kids. Read the whole thing here, but I'll give you some excerpts:

Not long ago I saw a study stating that 88% of evangelical youths abandon the faith by the time they leave college. Whatever evangelical faith is, it must not be very impressive if we can only pass it on to 12% of our own children. More recently, I saw this study, that shows that only 14% of evangelical parents consider faith in Christ to be a significant success indicator for their children. Well, there it is folks! Evangelical churches are not distinctively Christian and evangelical parents are not evidently Christian, so what a surprise that "a generation arose in Israel that did not know the Lord" (Jud. 2:10).

I take two lessons from this. First, what many have been saying for years is true: American evangelicalism is for the most part non-Christian...Evangelical parents have raised their children to carry on their own faith, and that faith has been a religiously sentimental form of materialism and hedonism. So evangelicals have passed on their own faith: it just has not been a biblical Christian faith.

Second, Christians committed to God's Word should not be intimidated by this trend. It is not as if the gospel has failed. The gospel has been abandoned.

This is a convicting (and encouraging!) reminder to me to continually hold out a true and vibrant gospel-believing faith to my children.

OK, Pictures -- I know you want them

I think we could all use a little reminder of just how cute these kids are after all:


First, a big "Thank you!" to Grandma Helen for the roller skates for Sarah (and Ruth's bike, too):






Here's Paul wanting to help Mom cook (and Sarah being a camera hog):




Next, a few shots from Russell's sneaky 40th birthday party. We are very humbled that all these great friends of ours would take the time to celebrate such a silly occasion, but any excuse for a party!




Next, we bring you California State Fair fun:

Home Schoolers Top National Average on ACT

It's not a lot, but may be reassuring to some:

(CNSNews.com) – Compared with other students, homeschoolers scored higher than the national average on this year’s ACT, a national standardized test used to gauge educational development and college readiness.

The national average for 2009 graduating high schoolers reported by ACT (American College Testing) officials is 21.1 on a scale from 1 to 36. Homeschoolers scored a national average of 22.5.

Like the SAT, ACT scores are used in the college admissions process to evaluate applicants.

Scores are based on the 1.48 million students who graduated in 2009, Colby said. Among those students were 11,535 homeschoolers, he said.

Ian Slatter, director of media relations for the Home School Legal Defense Association, said the one-on-one attention home-schooled students receive is conducive to learning.

“Parents can tailor-make an education program to suit the child. The child can then advance at their own pace,” he said.

Homeschoolers are further prepared for college because they must take initiative to accomplish projects, Slatter said. “Typically, in the home-school environment, the teen is self-directed in their learning because parents set a topic or task, and the student will then do their own research.”

Doxology

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

I'm pregnant!

(assumed conversation with numerous blog readers)

"again?"

yes, again.

"were you trying for another baby?"

Well, no, but we're definitely in favor of the idea!

"Is this #4?"

If you insist on the womb distinction. We don't, so we are counting it as our 5th.

"When are you due?"

Early April, but might be as early as late March if we have to go for another c-section or I get carried away with the castor oil again.

"Another c-section? What's up with that?"

I have a rare blood disorder called, ready... Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia or NAIT for short. Each pregnancy has a 50% chance of being affected, depending on the baby's genetic makeup. Sarah and Ruth were both NAIT babies, but Paul wasn't. None of our kids have any lasting complications from the disorder, so we're very grateful for God's providence in this. In a couple of months we should be able to determine through amniocentesis if this baby is affected or not.

Trusting God is the primary job of parents, both before and after birth. We don't take our children for granted or even consider them our children -- ultimately they are God's.

Praising Him for another opportunity to learn that trust!

Off to the races

The day so far:

Coffee.
Shower.
Fed 3 kids breakfast. One fed himself.
Packed a lunch.
Blow-dryer.
Dropped 1 kid off at school.
Managed to have pleasant conversation with said kid. No small task.
Phonics 30min.
Piano 30 min.
Clifford.
Bible study.
Lunch
Recess :-)
Naps and Math.
Check the outside world (email, twitter, fb).
Plan dinner and start breadmaker.
Laundry going.

Lord willing, this afternoon I will:

Pick up said kid from school.
Swing through dry cleaner (I'm spoiled to not have to iron my husband's shirts).
Pull dinner together and enjoy the evening.
Go to bed.
Repeat.


This is not a complaint. This is turning out to be a really great day. The kids have been (mostly) good company and (mostly) obedient. I don't feel overwhelmed, just busy. I'm sure those days will come, but hopefully not anytime soon. Well, a girl can hope.



Here's some shots from Phillip's last day of freedom. Like starting school is sending him off to prison or something:

Coincidence?

I'm not as bold as Piper to venture an interpretation of God's providence. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." (Isa 55:8)

But this sequence of events is curious:

On a day when no severe weather was predicted or expected...a tornado forms, baffling the weather experts—most saying they’ve never seen anything like it. It happens right in the city. The city: Minneapolis.

The tornado happens on a Wednesday...during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's national convention in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention is using Central Lutheran across the street as its church. The church has set up tents around it’s building for this purpose.

According to the ELCA’s printed convention schedule, at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 19, the 5th session of the convention was to begin. The main item of the session: “Consideration: Proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality.” The issue is whether practicing homosexuality is a behavior that should disqualify a person from the pastoral ministry.

The eyewitness of the damage continues:

This curious tornado touches down just south of downtown and follows 35W straight towards the city center. It crosses I94. It is now downtown.

The time: 2PM.

The first buildings on the downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what’s left of the steeple in two...and then lifts.

Can you say "Yikes!"

True masculinity

We were out with Paul last week and a nice lady at a store said, "Oh what a cute baby girl." That did it. Paul needed a hair cut. So last night I trimmed him up. Here's the results:





I think he's quite dashing.




And here's some silly shots of Ruth for her fans:

How did this happen?

I'm TWO ISSUES behind in reading Modern Reformation! Definitely a sad commentary on my time management skills.



This issue just arrived in my mail box today. It looks really good.

A Feast in a Fast-Food World

July/August 2009





and I still haven't cracked open:

Calvin at 500: Does He Still Matter?

Special Issue 2009






I'm currently making my way through:

Jesus Among other Christs

May/June 2009




I love my Modern Reformation. Here's a quote from the editor-in-chief to give you a flavor:

The history of the covenant of grace--centering on Christ and culminating in his person and work--is not a means to some greater end; it is the end. The gospel doesn't illustrate a point; it is the point! We just need to tell it, from Genesis to Revelation, and to deliver it not only through preaching and teaching but through baptism and Communion, through the care of elders and deacons, and in the myriad ways that we are able to share it with our neighbors.

-- Michael Horton

Life is hard work

I just read this great post from I-have-no-idea-who-she-is-blogger. Another hat tip to Amy. The author was unfortunate enough to watch an Oprah show in which mothers "came clean, opened up and spilled the beans that mothering is all consuming, exhausting, thankless work."

I particularly love this thought:

Life. You know what? Life is hard. For all people. Mothers haven't cornered the market on long days and tough times. But not because they haven't tried.

The blogger, she calls herself Mrs. G, shares that:

Everywhere she turns (blogs, magazines, television, movies) women go on and on about the trials of motherhood. Really, she thinks everyone has gotten the memo: raising children is hard work.

Again, this is news? Motherhood has been around for a while. And, frankly, Mrs. G. thinks it has gotten easier. Women have choices, earning power, job sharing, daycare, dishwashers, washing machines and antibiotics. Many have plugged in partners to share the load.

Mrs. G. doesn't understand how privileged suburban women on the Oprah show feel so oppressed and overcome.

I think I like Mrs. G. A lot.

But, through it all, she always realized that she was lucky to be able to stay at home with her kids. She was lucky to have a husband who worked his ass off without complaining when she and the kids were curled up on the couch in their pajamas reading library books as he headed out the door for work. She had friends who wanted nothing more than to stay home with their babies but couldn't... Mrs. G. was so lucky.

Let's be real. As problems go, motherhood ain't that bad.

I second that. In light of the glories of the grace of God, His providence and our future hope, as problems go, we all ain't got it too bad.

"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."

1Ti 1:15-16

Wisdom...

...recognizes that when no perfect path is available and knowledge is incomplete, it is often helpful to reserve judgment on what appear to be poor choices that others have made. Most important, it does not refuse to participate in projects that are less than ideal, but applies itself to bring whatever improvements it can to whatever circumstances present themselves.

July 1st, 2009 by Rick Saenz



This sounds right to me. The implications are endless.



HT: Amy

When the cat's away

the kids will eat ice cream for dinner!








And, just for the fun of it, here's Paul asking for a "CACA" (cracker).

Doggie blog

"Owning a dog sometimes just costs money." That's a paraphrase of a friend's words to me as I debated whether or not to hospitalize Woody. He came down with a real sudden infection over the weekend. The vet wants to administer IV antibiotics and fluids. I still stand by my previous post, but I feet compelled to blog a few of the things I like about Woody. Maybe I'm trying to justify my vet bills? But, really, with my lousy memory, I just want to journal these things before I forget...

I love the way Woody:

1. follows me around the house. He always wants to be where I am. He whimpers if I leave the house (so I'm told.)

2. is so sweet with the kids. When Ruth was younger Woody would let her use him as a step stool to get up onto the couch.

3. cleans up all the kids crumbs and Paul's discarded food from the high chair. Saves me a lot of sweeping!

4. 's eye and ears perk up at the slightest whisper of the word w-a-l-k.

5. won't touch his water bowl if a piece of lint happens to drop in it, but he'll happily drink out of the toilet all day.

6. watches us pull out of the driveway when we leave, then curls up and goes to sleep until we get home.

7. "trees" all the squirrels who dare to enter his yard.

8. waits until I'm otherwise occupied (nursing a baby, giving a bath, etc.) before he digs in the trash can.

9. makes himself comfortable. Only the best seat in the house for him (our couches). And he will tug and fluff a blanket until it make the perfect cozy nest to circle down into a ball the size of a large cat.

10. hogs the fire in winter and refuses to go out in the slightest drizzle of rain.

Woody also has his share of headaches, but if I was going to list those it'd take more time than I have at my disposal! The kids will want food again. Soon. And laundry doesn't fold itself. Bummer.

How's this?

I had a couple folks tell me they couldn't view my older posts or links. I don't know if that's a problem with Blogger or with them or with me. Everything still shows up on my computer -- strange. So, I thought I'd try a new template. Maybe the last one was too wide?

Just thought I'd explain to all my faithful readers, you know who you are, why my blog is now this crazy green color. I kinda like it. I think.

Take me out to the ballgame

Russell took Phillip and Sarah to a River Cats game tonight. I was surprised he let her wear her Angels hat.