A Beautiful Mosaic

She was standing in between the end table and I. On the end table was the baby monitor. On her other side was me with arms wide open. I had already told her firmly not to touch the baby monitor. I had even redirected her attention and tried to help her focus elsewhere, on me. So there I was kneeling beside her, saying her name, holding my arms open ready for an embrace...and she stood frozen rotating her gaze between the baby monitor and me every few seconds. She was Eve and there was a tree and there were apples and I never seen clearer evidence of the unseen tempter that exists to all human beings no matter their innocence or age. And then it hit me. Exactly how God feels...every single day with every single last one of us. Because He...He is the loving, safe parent who stands beckoning us with open arms yearning for this connection He's freely offering while drawing wise boundaries for us to live by. And we are little children standing there acting like there is a decision to be...

I've been thinking a lot about parenting styles lately and whether it is inherited, absorbed or learned through our own childhood and life experiences, developed from our own personality and intellect, or most likely, a combination of all of these. It doesn't help I've also been reading, training, and pretty much living and breathing the topic at work lately due to an exciting new venture we are undergoing there to match our homes' parenting strategies with our youth's needs.  Because Michael and I have known for a long time we are called to someday ( in God's timing ) grow our family by adoption from the foster care system, we know our natural born children's lives and any future children's lives will be different than ours were growing up and this will require a great amount of intentionality, flexibility, and transformation in the world of our parenting.  A lot of learning and assimilating the great heritages we were both given with the all of the pla...

Our church is kicking off 2015 with a journey through Proverbs, the book of Wisdom and therefore a never-ending challenge, and I've been chewing on a new one each day so far this year. Some themes are already coming to the surface in what God is speaking to my heart. I would like to put some words to it, so I will remember ... realize ...respond ... reconcile ... represent.  2015 Themes : Humility   Proverbs 1:7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Proverbs 3:34: The Lord mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble. Proverbs 3:7: Dont be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Kindness & Giving Proverbs 3:27: Do not withhold good from this who deserve it when it's in your power to help them.  Proverbs 3:9: Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.  Discipline & Insight Proverbs 3:11-12: My child, don't reject the Lord...

12 Days of Christmas Fun to complete BEFORE December 25 in no particular order:  1.  Meet Santa  ✔️ 2. Watch "Elf" & "Rudolf the red nose reindeer" 3. Go to Monticello Christmas parade 12/6 and Warren Christmas parade 12/4  4. Go to Santa train December 13 5. Purchase first Christmas ornament ✔️ 6. Go Christmas Shopping ✔️ 7. Read the Christmas Story as a family 8. Make Christmas Cookies 9. Pajama ride to look at Christmas lights  10. Decorate the tree ✔️ 11. Camp out by the lit Christmas tree as a family and watch Christmas movies  12. Make birthday cake for Jesus 

Bad days happen. Bad weeks hit us. A month can accumulate a number of these days and weeks, and it seems like the other shoe has dropped, there has been rain at our parade, and the doc says the camel's back is broken by that pesky piece of straw.  Lawn mowers break down days after weed eaters bite the dust two weeks after the starter goes out in one vehicle when the air was already out and the battery was just replaced in the other. And so the grass is growing higher while responsibilities pile up at work, and homework is assigned, and students die, and new coaches have long nights away from home, and a string of (thankfully) minor illnesses/infections hit the family requiring appointments and driving and medication and stool samples and explosive diapers and days missed at daycare and work. And life seemed normal and then one day you wake up and it is all of this and one ounce too much.  But then she's giggling. From her gut. And grinning. With those two bottom teeth sticking...

Lately. I can't tell you how many people in my life lately have asked. They've asked now that we've had one child (because by all means, she IS already four whole months old), do we know if and when we will have more and how many more while we are at it? Harmless questions. All keeping in line with the stage of life we are now in.  Evidently there are only multiple choice options for questions to ask an-almost-30-year-old married couple and this question is the old favorite, option C. But in reality, the question misses the mark with me every single time. It just doesn't line up with how my story is going right now. And I am sure others could say the same thing.  But me, I have become excited about the fact that I don't have answers anymore. Six or seven years ago in my life, I took pride in how many answers i already had for my future and how a led so clearly to b which naturally gave way to c and ended up with d in a perfectly symmetrical timeline and har...

Let her see us listen Carefully to you Let her see us follow The path you lead us to Let her see us thank you In good times of blessing Let her see us trust you In bad, get on our knees Let her see us love the ones Who haven’t known Your love Let her see us overflow With new life from above Let her see us cling to peace When life just falls apart Let her see us love fully The shattered, broken heart Let her see us sacrifice Pour our lives out for you Let her see us find ourselves In You, not what we do Let her see us open doors To those who are alone Let her see us share our life And our hearts and our home And let these things that she sees Bring her to a place Where she will grow to follow you And live by your grace.