Wedded Bliss

My brother is officially married and the boys were awesome through all of the ceremony and reception.  Seriously, they stood just like you see them here through the whole thing; more than I can say for my bro who is the tall slim guy in the middle.  Poor guy had to go sit down half way through.

Outside waiting for pictures in the shade.  It looks lovely and peaceful but what you can't see are the millions of black flies.  The boys handled it like pros.  Wondering why?

See that cute little thing in the pink over there?  As soon as she and her two flower-girl cohorts entered the picture, our little men became perfect gentlemen.  Ahh the power of women. 

And HUGE kuddos to my sis-in-law.  This was one kid friendly wedding!  The candy bar was open while we waited for the reception to begin making every child's dream come true.  And the cute little books with pink ribbon on the table were made by the bride and groom for all of the kids to use during the reception.  There were mad libs about Garth and Jodie, wedding word searches, coloring pictures and more.  

This is the loft at my mom's house.  It is the boys' domain for this month.  They love playing up here.  

This is at the other end of the loft.  There is a great little shelf that they use for all kinds of play. The triangle window behind Zay looks down onto the living room.  Elijah loves laying in this window like a cat and watching the TV down below.  

Watching Daddy mow from the back of Uncle Garth's truck.  

Trying out Grammie's new mower with Isaiah.  That's the same view I grew up with and never appreciated until now.  

The woman who makes it allllll happen.. my momma.  :) 

First full day in Keymar :)

Find of the day... This great park just minutes from our house. Maryland welcomed us with perfect weather. We toured the boys future school and found a Redbox for a bedtime movie. Can't wait to move in.

We found a bike shop to get Micah's bike repaired, bought enough frozen dinners for lunches and dinners for 2 days, and played in our back yard/ church parking lot all afternoon.  At the checkout, Micah told the cashier, "Look!  We got Kid Cuisine!  We never get those.  I mean it.  My mommy has NEVER boughten those before ever even though we always ask.  But we're in Maryland, not Kentucky."  He waltzed off and left me there to try and explain that one with a bewildered looking cashier.

Speaking of the grocery store, we happened through the "Family Friendly" lane.  I was unsure of the meaning of this at first.  I eyed the cashier critically- was she going to be extra nice to my kids?  Suckers?  Discounts?  Then I noticed the racks next to the lane that are usually laden with candy and gum.  Instead there were toddler snacks, mini-tissue packets and magazines for moms.  Very smart.  My boys however, not to be fooled, picked up a "mom" magazine and flipped through until they found an ad that they could "show" me, packaged with, "Mommy, I'm not really asking for this but LOOK at this bike.  If someone wanted to trade me my bike for this one, would you let me trade?  This bike is soooo cool.  Its not all rusty and old like mine."

Lots of tree climbing and only one pseudo-injury.  Micah turned over a brick under a GREAT climbing tree beside our house and a million baby ants swarmed all over his feet.  He dropped the brick on his foot, screamed and started stomping all over.  When I ran over to him, he had most of the ants off.  Their nest was so full it looked like the ground was moving.  He was still sobbing so I said, "Does your foot hurt from the brick or did the ants scare you?  He said, "the ants!!!!!"  Isaiah promptly ran over to the nest and started squishing the stray ones that had scurried away from the brick saying, "Leave Micah alone!"

I would imagine Micah will be leaving them alone from now on.  :)

Graduation weekend

Surrounded by friends.

Caught a friend's birthday party before all of the graduation festivities.

Staying busy with army men and dinosaurs.  Its amazing what becomes interesting when all of the other toys are packed.

They are displaying the Bionicles (sp?) they each built (perched on the boxes and bookshelf).  Elissa, their favorite babysitter ever, gave each of them a going-away Bionicle and became their heroine forever.

Friends

These women (and others not pictured) are treasures to me.  Know that behind these beautiful smiles there are hearts that love God and others.

New York Times Op-ed from February

The New York Times
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: February 27, 2010

For most of the last century, save-the-worlders were primarily Democrats and liberals. In contrast, many Republicans and religious conservatives denounced government aid programs, with Senator Jesse Helms calling them “money down a rat hole.”

Over the last decade, however, that divide has dissolved, in ways that many Americans haven’t noticed or appreciated. Evangelicals have become the new internationalists, pushing successfully for new American programs against AIDS and malaria, and doing superb work on issues from human trafficking in India to mass rape in Congo.

A pop quiz: What’s the largest U.S.-based international relief and development organization?

It’s not Save the Children, and it’s not CARE — both terrific secular organizations. Rather, it’s World Vision, a Seattle-based Christian organization (with strong evangelical roots) whose budget has roughly tripled over the last decade.

World Vision now has 40,000 staff members in nearly 100 countries. That’s more staff members than CARE, Save the Children and the worldwide operations of the United States Agency for International Development — combined.

A growing number of conservative Christians are explicitly and self-critically acknowledging that to be “pro-life” must mean more than opposing abortion. The head of World Vision in the United States, Richard Stearns, begins his fascinating book, “The Hole in Our Gospel,” with an account of a visit a decade ago to Uganda, where he met a 13-year-old AIDS orphan who was raising his younger brothers by himself.

“What sickened me most was this question: where was the Church?” he writes. “Where were the followers of Jesus Christ in the midst of perhaps the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time? Surely the Church should have been caring for these ‘orphans and widows in their distress.’ (James 1:27). Shouldn’t the pulpits across America have flamed with exhortations to rush to the front lines of compassion?

“How have we missed it so tragically, when even rock stars and Hollywood actors seem to understand?”

Mr. Stearns argues that evangelicals were often so focused on sexual morality and a personal relationship with God that they ignored the needy. He writes laceratingly about “a Church that had the wealth to build great sanctuaries but lacked the will to build schools, hospitals, and clinics.”

In one striking passage, Mr. Stearns quotes the prophet Ezekiel as saying that the great sin of the people of Sodom wasn’t so much that they were promiscuous or gay as that they were “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49.)

Hmm. Imagine if sodomy laws could be used to punish the stingy, unconcerned rich!

The American view of evangelicals is still shaped by preening television blowhards and hypocrites who seem obsessed with gays and fetuses. One study cited in the book found that even among churchgoers ages 16 to 29, the descriptions most associated with Christianity were “antihomosexual,” “judgmental,” “too involved in politics,” and “hypocritical.”

Some conservative Christians reinforced the worst view of themselves by inspiring Ugandan homophobes who backed a bill that would punish gays with life imprisonment or execution. Ditto for the Vatican, whose hostility to condoms contributes to the AIDS epidemic. But there’s more to the picture: I’ve also seen many Catholic nuns and priests heroically caring for AIDS patients — even quietly handing out condoms.

One of the most inspiring figures I’ve met while covering Congo’s brutal civil war is a determined Polish nun in the terrifying hinterland, feeding orphans, standing up to drunken soldiers and comforting survivors — all in a war zone. I came back and decided: I want to grow up and become a Polish nun.

Some Americans assume that religious groups offer aid to entice converts. That’s incorrect. Today, groups like World Vision ban the use of aid to lure anyone into a religious conversation.

Some liberals are pushing to end the longtime practice (it’s a myth that this started with President George W. Bush) of channeling American aid through faith-based organizations. That change would be a catastrophe. In Haiti, more than half of food distributions go through religious groups like World Vision that have indispensable networks on the ground. We mustn’t make Haitians the casualties in our cultural wars.

A root problem is a liberal snobbishness toward faith-based organizations. Those doing the sneering typically give away far less money than evangelicals. They’re also less likely to spend vacations volunteering at, say, a school or a clinic in Rwanda.

If secular liberals can give up some of their snootiness, and if evangelicals can retire some of their sanctimony, then we all might succeed together in making greater progress against common enemies of humanity, like illiteracy, human trafficking and maternal mortality.

Raven Run pics

We were collecting leaves for a school leaf project.  It was Elijah's homework.  I love this pic of him.  Totally spontaneous.

Isaiah took this picture and I didn't crop it at all.  He's quite the photographer.

Climbing the falls.  Miraculously, no one got wet, and I didn't have to go chasing after Micah's shoe down the stream either.

FROM A STUDENT

Grading memoirs today and ran across this 14 year old girl's piece.  Here is part of it:

We had listened to them fighting.  I was in my room, hiding, scared.  My brother came and got me.  We ran into his bed room, and closed the door noiselessly.  We turned on his TV with the volume up loud, but that only muffled the sound of our parents fighting.  I sat down on the wooden ladder, staring at the door knob, waiting for something to happen that would make this all disappear.  The noise finally stopped, the door knob turned.  I ran to my dad and hugged him.  He said we needed to talk.  We took a ride in his truck with its blackish purplish color that I so much adored. 

The divorce all happened at once.  The word we didn't understand had the power to tare a family apart.  The tears ran down my face like rain.  This memory haunts me.  It is truly the one thing I can remember from my childhood.

A reminder to me today.  This is part of my calling- to do whatever I can to bring the healing power of Jesus to hurting marriages.

ANOTHER ONE-  She writes:

...This went on and finally my dad told me about my mom cheating on him.  She did it when I wasn't around for her to look after.  I knew that if I didn't leave the house, she would have to stop so that's what I did.  My dad had told me that he was going to leave if she didn't stop.  I made this my new goal, not to let him leave again.  To do this I first had to stop her from going out which meant I couldn't go out and that's exactly what I did for five years.  I stayed inside every single day and night so she had no chance of leaving.  It worked.  She didn't leave the house.  Instead my mom decided she was leaving this time and she was taking me with her.  This made me sadder than ever.  I had to leave my house and all of my friends and go somewhere I hated.  All for some stupid reason. 

Today, I am with my mom still unfortunately.  I hardly ever see my dad anymore, but that's okay because I would rather have nothing to do with either of them than something to do with both of them.

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Lunch on the trail. Hiking Saturday. Elijah is off chasing dragons with a stick.


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Micah story

Micah: My armpit is really itchy. (scratching this morning)
Me: Let me see. You have a dry patch of skin in your armpit.
Micah: Oh. Do I need lotion or Gatorade?
Me: lotion. Gatorade is for a dry throat, not dry skin.
Micah: No, not Gatorade. What's that stuff you and Daddy rub on your armpits?
Me: Deodorant?
Micah: Yeah, (walking off to himself) deodorant... that's a hard word to remember.

Table Versus Clock

(My poor attempts at poetry, part 13 -not an exact count- done as an assignment with my students this week) The assignment- "Write about something that matters to you right now."
----------------------------------------------------

Solid and rectangular
We gather around you.
The melodic clatter of forks, plates and glasses
is punctuated by fits of laughter-
symphonic resonance.
Tears soak into napkins, discarded
on your surface.

You support the weight of empty
plates, full hearts, sadness and joy.
You are the foundation
of elbows that support fists on temples
of heads that contain minds
that give voice to words
that change the world
of the women who gather around you.

A clock on the wall bears silent
forboding witness to the beauty,
genius and fortitude that you
are privvy to on this night.

Rank and file hands march steadily onward
mocking this masterpiece.
There is nowhere to run from your force.

Table versus Clock: the two are at war.
But memory of beauty triumphs over
time.
To you, o clock, I say- "Do your worst!"
Our memories are keen
And the table will see us again.

Zay turns 5

How can you say "no" to that face..., and yet we do- on a regular basis.

I can hardly believe that our baby is 5 years old. Isaiah, at five years old... if I had to describe you in a word it would be 'charmer'. Some distinctions about your blossoming personality right now include your precision in speaking. You speak with careful enunciation of every syllable which often makes your speech slow and deliberate but easily understood. Adults find you charming because you know how to make conversation, and any stranger can understand you well.

You can be strong-willed at times, and you are VERY independent. Often, we'll notice that you're not with the crowd and when we go looking for you, we can usually find you building in the LEGO box or squishing sand between your toes in the sandbox. You have no fear of being alone for long periods of time- which makes you GREAT at playing hide and seek.

We love your easy laugh and smile, and you show a special affinity for music and dancing. In church, most Sundays you'll sing along with the worship music, even when your brothers and the other kids are drawing or whispering to each other. You are a special young man, we love you tons and can't wait to see who you become as a 5 year old this year.

Officially official (its been a while... sorry)

This will be the two younger boys' room in the parsonage.
This is the living room; I'm thinking about keeping the tables and chairs. :)

-----------------------------
We will have a new home. Relief. Excitement. Anxiety. Nervousness. Adventure. All of it, all wrapped up together. Mostly it just feels really good to have direction- to know where the boys will go to elementary school in the fall, to know where we'll live, and just to know.

Now comes the hard part, preparing to leave. I love my people here, and I love knowing where to get a free muffin with coffee before 8am, how to get fresh vegetables all summer long, where the discount bread store is and who to call if I need... anything.

Keymar, Maryland. That's where we're headed and we're excited.
But that's all I can write because there's a lump in my throat for all we'll leave behind.

Easter Suits

The boys have never had suits before. We have them this year for Uncle Garth and Aunt Jodie's wedding in June. For the most part, no one complained too much about getting dressed up this morning- that is after I convinced Elijah that he was dressing up as James Bond.

Spring in Jersey

A few days in Jersey with our cousins and Uncle Josh and Aunt Jess, and we're back home again now. We had a terrific time together as always and can't wait to do it again. I didn't ever get a good picture of Garrett or Nora so you'll have to see them on the steps in the picture of all of the kids. We love you guys! Happy Easter!

On Teaching

Love this whole article from Rob Bell, but especially this part. From my experience teaching, I can definitely say AMEN to this.

Things Taste Better When They've Been Marinated

I work on teachings for as long as four to six months, a year. You'd think I was obnoxious because if we go out to lunch I'll be diagramming on a napkin.

If you're married and I said, "Tell me about your wedding day," you could tell it to me. You wouldn't say, "I forgot my notes." No, you just tell me.

Those of you who have kids, if I asked, "How old are your kids, and what are their names?" You won't say, "I have my notes some place. I don't have my PowerPoint with me." No. Boom, boom, boom, these are the ages. Why? Because it's a part of you.

What if your teaching was such a part of you it was like telling about your wedding day or like telling about your first job? What would it be like if you could tell it like it was a story you told 200 times?

That's my passion. I have found the harder I work and the farther out I've been working on it, the more freedom I have.

The people who are listening to you, they know when it's become a part of you. They can feel when the speaker is just giving some information and observation, and they know when it is coming right through your soul.

We don't need people who sing the notes off a chart. We need soul singers. We need prophets. We need poets. Our generation needs people who have had an experience. They've got their hair set on fire. They're wild-eyed, and they can't wait. I got to say this, or I'm going to explode.

You can read the whole article here:

Creativity Abounds

I was at the sink. The boys were at the table doing homework. Isaiah whispered to Elijah.
I told them to stop talking to Elijah so he could finish.
Isaiah said, "Mommy, how did you hear that. I was so quiet."
Me: "I have super sonic Mommy ears. Its my super power."
Isaiah: Mommy could hear an ant screaming for help.
Then he imitates an ant screaming, opening his mouth wide, teeny high pitch sound coming out just barely, then giggles contagiously.
Elijah chimes in: Mommy could hear the trees blowing in Africa.
Isaiah giggles some more.
What about Micah? Between his sore throat (he was home from school that day) and his usual focused, stoic attitude toward homework, he merely frowned at his brothers in protest of their frivolity. :) I love these boys.
My heart is full!

Peace for a New Day

Falling asleep with
Shalom whispered past my lips
Brings new life at dawn.

Control: Dr. Suess Style (in honor of his birth week)

merimnaō- thought, WORRY:
1) to be anxious, to be troubled with cares
2) to care for, look out for a thing, to seek to promote one's interests,
--------------------------------------------
Do not worry about your life (Matt. 6:25)
Do not worry about your wife (1 Cr. 7:33)
Do not worry about food or water (Matt 6:25)
And do not worry about sons or daughters (1 Cr. 7:34)

But shouldn't I, like Martha, work hard every day? (Luke 10:41)

No. Sit with Me.
I take troubles away.

No worry for life? No worry for water? No worry for food or sons or daughters?
What about clothing- a stylish outfit from Macy's
Surely I shouldn't be stuck in the 80's.

Do not worry about stylish clothes
Not hats, pants, boots or ribbons and bows.
Look at my flowers with their delicate beauty
And tell me if Macy's can live up to them, truly.

But how do I know what will happen tomorrow?
We might be in a bind, and then have to borrow
From friends or family or a perfect stranger,
What then? What then? We could be in danger?

Worry not about what will happen tomorrow, (Matt 6:34)
Worry not about having to beg, steal or borrow.

For after all these things the world does seek
your Father knows you have need of these things. (Matt. 6:32)

Worry not for my house,
not for a career.
Not for my kids, pizza, job or root beer.
I think I might like this trusting in You,
I think I might like it
I do. I do.
And....
I think I have learned my eventual goal
That faith in You
means releasing control.

Book Orders

It is a battle I've chosen to fight, but one that I know he just can not understand right now. The Book Order.
You know those paper fliers we brought home from school every month. I LOVED them when I was in elementary school. I eagerly read book descriptions searching for that one perfect choice.
I feel like things have changed since 1986. Elijah's book order is FULL of media driven junk. Here was our conversation today:

Elijah: Can I get something from the book order.
Me: Probably. Why don't you circle the things you think you will want.

Later he brings me the paper and we sit down together to go through it. His choices include a mini-scooter with accompanying pamphlet, a Transformers book, a spy video camera with some kind of booklet, a door alarm with booklet and a SpongeBob book. We talked about his choices one at a time. I asked why he wanted it and why he thought it would be a good book.
Elijah: Its a scooter
Me: Its a toy scooter. It is tiny, and it isn't a book. We're choosing a book.
Elijah: Look at the spy camera one.
Me: Its not a real camera. Its just a box with a lens. It doesn't really do anything.
Elijah: Oh.
Me: Why did you pick Transformers and Spongebob?
Elijah: I love them.
Me: Really? Because you haven't seen either one on TV in probably a year. Are the stories really that interesting?
Elijah: I don't know.

So I made some suggestions... other boys themed books about adventures, magic, science, there were plenty of other good choices.
But alas, he was blinded by the fancy, media driven items. Oh how I wish they would just disappear. Every scrap of it muddies the waters of so many other more edifying, wholesome, high-quality items that kids would LOVE if they weren't so bombarded by mindless characters and endless trinkets.
Revolt!
Anyway, we bought some books that I think he'll love if he'll give them a chance. And I'll sleep well tonight.