Just Another Day

It's high time for another picture post! There are too many to choose from, so I'll stick to one picture of each munchkin.

Last week finally felt like spring, and we spent most of it out-of-doors. Malachi had his first trial run in the baby swing, and loved it. He has started crawling - he rocks back and forth mostly, and does the inch-worm thing, but today he actually moved forward a little on his hands and knees. He's also slept through until around 6am the past 4-5 days - yea! He's usually either screaming his head off or grinning from ear to ear - there's no middle ground. I can't believe how fast the past few months have flown by - he'll be 7 months on May 3rd.


Sunday we attended the AWANA awards banquet; Rachel and Zekers each received a certificate for completing their books! Danny and I laughed when we realized we also had received a certificate for helping Zekers finish his year of Cubbies. I guess it makes sense - at that age, kiddos are pretty much dependent on their parents to help them learn verses. But all the same, we found it kind of humorous.

We also found out that Zekers is Zekers, no matter the setting. We hear almost weekly about the random comments he shouts out during Cubbies. He can be super sweet, though. Today he told us that when Karis joins Cubbies next year, he's going to take care of her.

It has been so cool this year working with Rachel on her book; I never would have thought of having a 5-yr-old learn the books of the New Testament or memorize a 4-verse passage of Scripture, but this year proved that she's capable of a lot more than I give her credit for. I'm thankful that the AWANA program is there for parents like us who need a little extra prodding and accountability to work with our kids this way. The kiddos have absolutely loved it.

And then there's Kari Bou. Her hair's finally gotten long enough that I can put it in a couple of little pigtails, and she had her first haircut 3 weeks ago (only because the front part was hanging in her eyes). There is nothing more impy than Kari Bou in pigtails. When she's angry, she furrows her brow and points at the offending party (usually me!). When I make the same face and point back at her, she busts out laughing - it's too cute.

So there they are. I'm not saying there aren't days I feel like running from the house screaming; but for the most part, I have so enjoyed spending time with the munchkins lately. They always find a way to make me laugh. They also seem to find a lot of ways to make Malachi cry, but we're working on that . . .

Spine and Ribs

This post is the result of a thought-provoking discussion our small group had on Thursday, the last session of our Bible study on the Psalms of ascent.

On Day 3 of Session #6, we looked at Psalm 133. How good and pleasant it is when brothers can live together! . . . . (vs.1) The lesson for this day was devoted to unity among brothers & sisters in Christ.

Beth Moore lays out what she calls "spine issues" and "rib issues". Spine issues comprise the backbone of our faith. . . . disagreement may mean one of us in in Christ and the other is not.. . .Rib issues tend to be more interpretive and less heretical. ( "Stepping Up", p.159)

One assignment was to label issues that fit these 2 categories. She then gave several examples, listing under "Spine Issues" Jesus is the only way, truth and life, and no one gets to God any other way, and under "Rib Issues" spiritual gifts, stands on the end times, and styles of worship.

We were trucking along, listing various and sundry "spine" examples, when someone mentioned baptism and communion. We discussed these at length, finally deciding they belonged in the "rib" category, because neither is necessary for salvation, which comes through grace alone - not from any work of ours, including baptism.

While I know this to be true, something just didn't sit right with me as I mulled this over in my mind, both for the remainder of the small-group discussion and throughout the day. (I should mention that I'm not the most quick-witted person, so often I have to sit and digest for a while before the answer finally hits. I can't tell you how often I think of a perfect comeback to something that was said to me during the day, at around 11:30 PM when I'm about to go to sleep. But I digress . . . )

Anyway, it occurred to me that baptism, communion and many other such issues really don't fit either category. They are not just a matter of preference or interpretation, like worship styles or stands on the end times. They are clear commands of Christ - like making disciples, worshiping God, etc. She needed to add at least one more category for issues that aren't quite as central as the bodily death and resurrection of Christ, but are biblical mandates not open for interpretation. One could also argue, though, that once a person is part of the family of Christ, obedience to these other things will naturally follow. (Mt. 7:16-23)

Come to think of it, there is a big difference between matters of preference (i.e., worship styles and formality of dress) and matters of interpretation (mode of baptism, spiritual gifts, stands on the end times). These really don't belong in the same category either.

While I feel this illustration falls short, the point of Psalm 133 does not: we are to love our brothers/sisters (I John 4:7-12) and live in unity. I believe this means that when someone disagrees with the salvation message, we don't hesitate to gently share with them the truth of Scripture and the heart of the gospel. When it's a preference issue, we can discuss things, and agree to disagree while still enjoying fellowship together. When it falls under any category in between, we are to encourage each other to do as Christ clearly commands and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. But no matter what, we need to have the humility to look for evidences of grace in each other, approaching conversations and relationships with an attitude of love, realizing that we are all unified by the blood of Christ.

Fluff

OK, I'm going to devote this post to predicting the outcome of my absolute favorite show, American Idol. It's fun to be a little shallow on occasion, and I have just been bursting to do this for quite some time. So here goes - we'll see how good I am at predictions . . .

This week - Jason Castro has to go finally! He's got a cool voice and has done some really cool arrangements, but he's pretty much reached his limit. Not really much of a "wow factor." Plus, last night was a disaster, proving that he's just not as versatile as some of the other contestants.

Next week - I hate to say it, but I have a feeling Brooke will be next. She peaked over a month ago on "Let it Be" and it's been downhill for her the past couple of weeks. I really like her folky sound, but I think she's beginning to let the pressure get to her.

Week #3 & 4 - I think that Syesha and Carly will be eliminated, hopefully in that order. Carly is my 2nd favorite, but unfortunately, she doesn't have the fan base of a few of the other contestants.

Final 2 - Davids Archuletta and Cook. I would describe Archuletta's voice as absolutely perfect, and . . . absolutely boring. I thought he was amazing the first few times I heard him, and I still think his vocals are pretty amazing, but he's getting to be quite predictable and one-dimensional. David Cook, in my opinion, is hands-down the best contestant, we're talking by a mile. He can basically sing anything and make it sound good, and he's also got the gritty rocker thing going for him. Let's put it this way: while he is performing (or Carly), I would probably duct take the kiddos mouths shut if Danny didn't intervene. Since David Archuletta has a HUGE fan base of pre-adolescent girls (and doesn't look much older than that himself!), he may end up winning the whole thing. He has Rachel's vote, if that tells you anything. But in the end, I think David Cook will win out. Let's hope so.

This One's For the Girls

For the past 7 weeks, I've participated in Beth Moore's study Stepping Up, which takes an in-depth look at the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). To be honest, some of these Psalms have struck more of a chord with me than others. But I realized I've never studied the Psalms like this before - really delving into them, reading them out loud and praying them. Overall, it's been a good study.

It may sound strange, but partly as a result of this study, and partly through other influences, I have become increasingly grateful for the women God has so graciously placed in my life - faithful servants of Christ who have encouraged, challenged, loved and inspired me.

1. I have been incredibly blessed to be part of a mom's group that meets monthly at our church. I have so enjoyed spending time with other moms who make me feel right at home because many of us share similar struggles, but also similar joys. We have had wonderful speakers - godly women who have shared with us on finding joy in the midst of hard times; becoming more organized; making our husbands a priority; parenting; and how to make our money stretch. I thank God for my friend Rachel, who had the vision for this group to begin with. And our 4 mentors . . . there simply aren't words to express how grateful I am that they are, firstly, willing to invest time and heart in us, and secondly, brave enough to stay for lunch afterward with us and our 30+ non-quiet kids. I am thankful for their spiritual maturity and the wisdom they have to offer as women who have been down this road, and who know and love God's Word.

2. When our pastor and his wife, Daniel and Teressa, moved down south a year ago, it left a huge void in many areas of our church. But since then, and more so in recent months, it has been so very cool to watch women in the church step up to help fill this void. Saturday we had a "sister brunch" where we laughed together, cried together as we heard 2 compelling testimonies of God's grace, sang together, and got to know each other. There was this atmosphere of total joy and unity that I can't even do justice to. We ranged in age from 17 - 90, and yet we came together as sisters in Christ. This was all possible because a whole team of women worked together to put it on, providing everything from decorations to silly ice-breakers to posters advertising the event.

3. I have loved getting to know the women in my small groups during 2 different Bible studies this school year. It never ceases to inspire awe, just hearing about how God is at work in each woman's life in different ways, even though we're all reading the same thing.

4. I'm grateful for friends I've connected with (literally) online since the conception of this blog 2 years ago. I appreciate their insightful, heartfelt, (and sometimes goofy!) comments more than I can say, and I've enjoyed keeping up on what's going on in their world. It is thrilling to be able to develop or renew a relationship - or keep one going - in spite of the many, many miles between us.

5. I can't say enough about the godly mother and mother-in-law I have been blessed with. It takes a lot of love to hold a sick kid for several hours so I can fulfill a previous commitment. Good grief, it takes a lot of love to even be around our family with any kind of regularity - nothing but barely-controlled chaos and noise most of the time! Not to mention the surprising fact that both of them survived our childhood and adolescent years with their sanity almost intact. But there is no doubt in my mind that they love us and will continue to love us as long as they live. That, my friends, is a gift.

6. I am so incredibly thankful for the support network of girlfriends that God has placed in my life. I would be in a world of hurt without both my earthly and spiritual sisters! Friends who sense that I'm having a hard week and offer to help with the kids for a few hours or bring over a meal; friends who challenge, encourage, and help keep me accountable; friends who bring joy to my heart and buoy me up with their prayers. Friends who are at the exact same place in life as me; friends who are a few steps ahead on the path, and friends who are a few steps behind; and friends who are way ahead, with grandkids and great-grandkids. Friends who have caused me to grow and change and think more deeply about things that matter. My life is so much richer because of you, and I wish you all could read this. Maybe a few of you will. Just know that God has used you to bless me, more than I could ever imagine.

I love you, sisters!

I'm Back!

It's been a strange couple of weeks.

The good news: the problem with my computer wasn't the hard drive. It was something else (don't ask me what) that affected the hard drive but was easily (though not necessarily speedily) repaired, and cost much less than having to buy a new computer.

The bad news: I've lost EVERYTHING on my computer. It's really quite unnerving to stare at a completely blank desktop and realize that all my files are gone forever. And most of the pictures I had in iPhoto are gone. I had all of them on CDs, except for the month of March, with all of Zekers' birthday pix. I also realized we didn't get any video footage of his special day. I thought about making another cake and taking some more pictures . .. for about 3 seconds.

So if you don't get a Christmas card from us this year, it's because we lost the spreadsheet with your address on it.

One good thing that's come of this "internet blackout" for me is that I've gotten a lot of other things done; like scrapbooking, getting out all the kids' summer clothes and putting away the winter ones, and playing with the kids outside.

I realized how dependent I've become on my computer - not sure whether that's good or bad. I go online to do research, to find recipes, to look at the 10-day forecast, and of course, to read the blogs of dear friends and update my own. I was grumbling this week because instead of being able to find something on a Bible study tools website I have bookmarked, I had to drag out (and dust off) the HUGE concordance I haven't used in eons! Wow - imagine having to actually look something up in a book!

OK, I'm going to go work on recreating some of my files.

It's good to be back!