And they said it couldn't be done...

Speaking of Tink in all her glory.... today I discovered her standing on top of the toilet, straddling the seat. Okay, so who said girls couldn't pee standing up? Who cares if she clogged the toilet with the toilet roll. She peed in the potty, and the clog is nothing a plunger can't fix, right?

Coming soon to a doorbell near you . . .

Tink in all her glory!
Stay tuned . . .

It's pouring!!!

Sometimes rain comes from out of the clear blue sky, completely unexpected blessings begin to pour. Just when you think you could use some refreshment you look up and it starts pouring. '

Precious friends asked if we'd like to go boating on Monday. Tammy had an OB appointment, so Brad took the day off. She went to the doctor's in the morning and the rest of the day was spent out on the water.
Peter spent most of his time assisting the "Captain"
Tink cracks me up. She picked up this arms-behind-her-head thing from her dad. She does it when she's super relaxed.
The life preserver was not Kate's thing at first. She screamed all the way to our first stop... lunch. After lunch, it was smooth sailing!

As we sailed back to the marina, the sun went down and Ospreys flew overhead. There's nothing like a sunset to draw God's blessings into focus. As I held my girls close, tears of joy streamed down my face. Just because there's no rain in the forecast doesn't mean it won't rain. Today God's blessings seem torrential! Great friends, good times, and God's creation all around. A memory for a lifetime, and on a Monday no less!!!

Redemption Part II

You know that friends blog I keep referencing most recently in the Redemption post... Well she did it again. She's always posting stuff I chew on for weeks. I had to share this: the concept of redemption keeps blowing me away, such unbelievably good news. Thanks Jody.

“The big story really is actually being told through our little stories, and by sharing our lives, not just our sermons, we’re telling God’s story in as reverent and divine ways as it has ever been told. God’s story was told in Hebrew and Greek, and I believe that it’s also being told in whispers and paintings and blogs and around dinner tables all over the world.

——

We dilute the beauty of the gospel story when we divorce it from our lives, our worlds, the words and images that God is writing now on our souls.

And let’s stop acting as if religious professionals are the only ones who have a right and a responsibility to tell God’s story. If you are a person of faith, it is your responsibility to tell God’s story, in every way you can, every form, every medium, every moment. Tell the stories of love and redemption and forgiveness every time you experience them. Tell the stories of reconciliation and surprise and new life everywhere you find them.

——

And when we tell the truth about our lives—the broken parts, the secret parts, the beautiful parts—then the gospel comes to life, an actual story about redemption, instead of abstraction and theory and things you learn in Sunday school.”

(s. niequist)

Flowers in Heaven

Today as we were playing in the backyard, Peter asked if there were going to be flowers in Heaven. I was quite heartened by his question thinking maybe my love for flowers and gardening has rubbed off on the little man. I assured him there were probably flowers in heaven. Afterall, they're beautiful and heaven is beautiful. I wasn't expecting his response. He was quite disconcerted.
Me: "Peter, why don't you want flowers in Heaven?"
Peter: "Bees go wherever flowers are."
Me: "Well, what's wrong with having a few bees around?"
Peter: "Bees have forms."
Me: "Forms?"
Peter: "Yeah, you know like cactus have forms, bees have 'em too."

Beware of Bees' forms.

Picture of my garden courtesy of Peter

Redemption

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. . . .You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who has dealt wondrously with you."

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the concept of redemption. It all started when I was reading a friends blog who's walked a really hard road over the past year, and then wrote this entry marveling at God's blessing. It struck me. She walked that road out of obedience. It would have been so easy to toss in the towel and quit, but she kept on placing one foot in front of the other with the darkness surrounding her without one tiny ray of light at the other end, all she had was a promise she held to dearly. She may have doubted it, but she still clung to it: God would see her through. He would redeem this if she walked with him, so she carried on mile after mile, when slowly ever so slowly the clouds began to lift and the sun began to shine and with it a rainbow in full bloom. He redeemed all the pain and made something that looked broken into something even more whole! I don't buy into the prosperity gospel. It's not that God paves the road with gold, but his promises are golden. He will redeem the broken, painful, hard, and ugly. He will use it all and the story will end well. As someone once said "this life is but the title page to eternity." God promises to finish the work he began in us (Phil 1:6). We will never be an abandoned project on his craft room floor. "He will work all things together for good to those who love God and have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). Our stories are not finished but if we keep putting one foot in front of the other, I do believe we will find the rainbow-- a giant check mark in the sky reminding us of another promise fulfilled! God has never failed to deal wondrously with his people, why would he would do any less now?

Katy...the family dog

It all started Christmas break 1998. I was home for college and out to dinner with my parents on our way out to visit the family ranch. I convinced them to stop by the pet store after dinner just to peek. Minutes later we were driving home with a 6 week old Malamute puppy. She wasn't something made in China or bought at Walmart . . . she was God's creation, and we treasured every moment we had with her. She died today in my parents' arms in the backyard, as they wept over her. Precious puppy, you were so loved. We will miss you!

September 4th

Peter,
As I mentioned yesterday, sometimes God loves us through our friends. However, a lot of times, God loves me through you! Every day you wake up in the same house as me it's like God is giving me one gigantic present after another. Your infectious laugh can bring me to tears. You brighten every day with your funny sayings and witty little comments.

Not only do you make us all laugh, but you love so freely. You are becoming quite the little man, with your heart for God. I hope that as you grow God will show you all the ways to express that love to those around you that are so hungry for it. You have so much love to give, and this world is hungry for the kind of love that you have. So in this coming year as you are starting kindergarten, and continuiing in Awanas, my prayer is that your love for God and others would grow in knowledge and depth. I also pray that your dad and I will have insight into how to nourish your little soul that someday you will stand as a man among men: a loving leader with a passion to please God by serving his people.

You're a friend for a lifetime, Peter, and I thank God that I get to call you my son!

Happy 5th birthday, little man!
Love,
Mom and (Dad)

Labor Day Weekend

Somewhere between the Pakistani relief effort, Dan's parents plane crash, and dad's chemo beginning next week. I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. One of the things that is the hardest for an independent minded Marine wife to do sometimes is admit that you need something. This weekend I needed ... to laugh... to get away... and to celebrate my little boy who just turned 5. And that we did, with our precious friends in Virginia!. 4 late nights, 2 birthday cakes, 1 Rennaissance festival, and 14 happy kids later, and my heart is full. Sometimes God loves us through our friends. I feel very loved!