We're a Mess - I Mean . . . a "Work in Progress"

It's been a week . . . a week that has felt like a month.

Nearly 8 years of mom-hood has taught me that daily life rarely turns out the way you had planned, or even hoped, it would. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that some days (weeks, months) are messier than others. Like this one. And I want to someday look back and remember it all - to keep it close to my heart, and maybe even to laugh about it.

But rather than rambling on about our week, I'll just let you see a few snapshots of it. It wasn't BAD, as much as it was crammed full of little, and big, surprises. And some elements of it were just . . . pretty typical.

First I'll tackle Mr. Moo. I could just say "he's 2", and leave it at that - no explanation needed! But the past couple of weeks he's been especially 2-ish.

His battle-scarred face bears witness to the fact that it is nearly impossible for the little guy to avoid catastrophe 2 days in a row. His mishaps with bikes, teeter-totters, furniture and his own feet (most of which, I just realized, have involved Karis in one way or another), together with the growing red lump that's been camping out under his eye since Christmas, have pretty much kept me on the alert for Childrens Services. I expect them to call or just show up and take him away at any moment.

Fortunately, I was able to get a last-minute appointment with an eye surgeon on Monday, who informed me that the lump is due to a blocked oil duct, needs to come to a head and then drain, and should do so within the next 6 months. I wasn't exactly expecting to receive a diagnosis of "huge year-long eye zit", but hey, at least it's nothing 5 or 6 warm compresses a day can't cure!

By the way, the caption for the picture at the top reads: "Why not to turn your back for a couple of minutes when Malachi is eating tofu pancakes" (I use the word "eating" very loosely.)

On to the next mess . . .

It's almost never a good sign when you get a call from the school nurse, especially when she uses the words, "head injury." It turns out, Rachel had a run-in with a little boy during gym class, fell backwards and hit her head pretty hard on the concrete. Her eye looked more purple each day for about the first four days after the incident - that little boy must have had one hard head! As for Rach, she's thrilled to have one more reason to act pathetic. (Interestingly, her eye really starts to bother her when she's asked to make her bed, clean up her room, or do homework.)




I walked into Kari Bou's room yesterday to find this . . .



Assuming (desperately hoping?) it was doll hair, I went to ask her about it, and found this . . .



Let's hope the hairdresser can work some magic on Tuesday. I didn't take any disciplinary action, because she was devastated enough when she realized she may have to have all of her hair cut short like a boy.

So, Moo is a mess, Rachel is a mess, Karis is a mess, and now even the outside of our house is a mess. At least it matches the inside, I guess! Danny has begun the process of scraping and primering, and hopefully within the next month or so, we'll have the whole thing repainted - and there won't be any debate this time as to whether it's gray or blue! I can't wait.




As for the Beef Man, I've dubbed this "The Week of the Meltdown." I think just about every day this week has involved at least one. But it's all good, because I finally got a decent picture of him and it's been less than one month since his birthday! Last year it took me 6 months - my silly little dude just does not like cameras.



I don't have the room here, or the time, to go into the other "hiccups" that have taken place of late. But I'm thankful for the past couple of weeks. Mostly I'm glad that not every week is the same, and that my kids' personalities are so different, it forces me to study them, to learn what makes each of them tick. It makes me appreciate the love and support I receive from Danny, the time he spends playing with, and teaching, our children. I'm thankful that life is not predictable, because how boring would that be?

Mostly I'm thankful that God is good no matter what, and that His grace is sufficient for any and every hiccup, regardless how large or small.

Good-Bye

I've shared several other posts on this blog about our family visiting my Grandpa Emch. One week ago today, he exchanged his earthly body for a heavenly one.

We knew this day was immanent. Ever since a major surgery he had last August, his health, and his ability to think clearly, had steadily declined as his body began to shut down. The news of his passing, while not surprising, was still strange. He's been around all of my life. I used to climb up on his lap as a little girl and share ice cream cones with him. He would hold me and tell me how special I was. He took us for motorcycle rides and told us stories about life when he was a boy.

But after hearing so many captivating accounts of his life, I didn't realize how much about my Grandpa I never knew - until my Uncle Daryle shared at his Celebration of Life service on Wednesday. I always knew that Grandpa and Grandma left their church, which was really more like a family, shortly after they married, and that this was prompted by a pursuit of Biblical Truth. Their faith was in Christ alone, not a works-based religion. I knew that they were shunned by friends and family alike afterward and as a result they faced much loneliness. What I didn't know was how much hostility they faced, even to the point that my Grandpa's own parents burned the Theological books he had purchased while he fought in WWII. Still, he pursued the truth.

I knew Grandpa had fought in WWII, as a medic. What I didn't know was that he was sent to the wrong location at first and asked to handle a gun, and because of his convictions he refused, asking to be transferred. He endured hostility and persecution at the hands of fellow soldiers and officers alike, until the situation was finally corrected.

Grandpa was not the perfect husband, father, or grandfather. He had a fierce temper and could be very harsh at times, especially to those he was closest to. But I've gained a new respect for him, and for the legacy he left his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His life wasn't easy. Despite losing friends, family and a business he'd devoted countless hours and energy to (in a fire back in the '70's), he remained strong. And there is no doubt that He loved his Savior.

I pray that I can pass his strength, and pursuit of truth, on to my own children. I pray that I will be faithful to share with them the way that God worked in the life of their great-grandparents and has continued to work in their parents. And I love that I will someday see him again in heaven. Good-bye Grandpa . . . until we meet again.

3zekiel 6 Years Old

That is what I wrote, in bold black icing, on his cake board today! Then I realized I had the "E" backwards. So for today we are calling him "Three-zekiel".

Zekers is an odd child. I think that's what endears him to me - we are so much alike! About a month ago, I asked him what kind of theme he'd like for his birthday, to which he promptly replied, "Rock, Paper, Scissors." "Wait a second - you want a Rock Paper Scissors cake?" I sputtered. And that is exactly what he wanted.

After processing through his bizarre request, I finally came up with some ideas for the cake. And that's when he informed me he wanted a Henry and Mudge cake, to go with his favorite book series. And not just ANY Henry & Mudge design - it had to look like the cover of the very first book, complete with title and author's name.

It wasn't until a few days later, when he decided he'd like a giant squid cake, that I made an executive decision, and informed him that I'd be making a great white shark cake (I'd gotten the idea from the Family Fun website.) From now on, the kiddos will be choosing their birthday cakes from there - end of story! As it turned out, he loved his cake, and so did I, as it gave me an excuse to buy Swedish fish to go with the cake.

Since it IS his birthday today, I thought I'd share just a few of the things I love about my 6-year-old:

- He absolutely ADORES any kind of animal. He wants to be a zoo-keeper when he grow up.

- His love for animals is overshadowed only by his love for vanilla ice cream. Just plain old vanilla.

- He has read Happy Birthday Bad Kitty maybe upwards of 100 times - no exaggeration. I realized this is because he is alarmingly similar to the title character.

- He is so good with Karis and Malachi (when he's not annoying them to death). He often reads to them, or shows them how to play video & computer games. He's even trying to teach Karis to read - not too successfully, but it's sweet.

- Whenever I pack him a lunch he likes or make a favorite dinner, he gives me an extra kiss and hug at bedtime. I've earned up to 8 of them some nights.

- One of his favorite foods is carrots. I can't complain about that!

I love you Beef Man. Happy Birthday!!

The Last Few Weeks

After spending what seemed like most of February on a Level 3 Snow Emergency, we've welcomed the craziness of March! It will be much less long and boring to let pictures do the talking . . .

An unfortunate side effect of growing up with older sisters.


The winter olympics were apparently quite inspiring to some. I really got into the figure skating, snowboarding and skiing. It does get old after a while, though, when every men's event involves head-to-toe spandex, and/or hot pink piping.



Now that Karis' hair is shorter, it's lots more fun in the bath.



Rachel enjoyed practicing for, and taking part in, Sparks-A-Rama, the AWANA games for grades K-2.


I THINK Zekers liked it, too - at least that's what he told me when I asked him. But you wouldn't have thought it to look at him. He's the one hiding behind the trophy.


The kiddos were excited to see one of their favorite babysitters who moved away several years ago . . . .


. . . at the wedding of a sweet friend and her husband, who met in Mali - Rachel & Ibrahim Maiga. Danny had the privilege of marrying the 2 of them, and I had the privilege of keeping the kiddos entertained while he did it!


The next afternoon, we got to spend some time with another favorite past babysitter, Marissa. Karis was heartbroken to wake up from her nap and find her beloved "Mawissa" had gone.



Rachel and Danny had a very special night at the Father-Daughter dance put on by her school that evening. She donned her most princess-y dress, had Mommy put flowers in her hair, counted down the minutes until the event . . . and then spent most of it dancing with her friends. You gotta love second grade!


This past Saturday, we drove to Columbus to visit my grandparents. Grandpa is in a nursing home and Grandma has settled into a nearby community. First we stopped and saw her new place, and then we visited Grandpa for several hours. It was hard to see him so thin and tired, but he seemed to be in pretty good spirits, and he recognized all of us.


Grandma's girl


Afterward, we stopped by to see our dear, long-time friends Dave and Johanna, and their clan, which was increased by one last Monday.


So much chocolate . . . so little time!

One of Those Days

It started this morning with a 2-hour delay. For once, I had everything ready to go 20 minutes before they were supposed to leave for the bus: lunches, papers, bags, etc. I had this whole morning planned: Karis and Malachi and I were going to hit the ground running as soon as Rachel & Zeke got on the bus. And then the call came - a 2-hour fog delay.

On to plan B. I loaded up the kiddos and we all headed out together. And that's when the fun began. Minutes after leaving the house, I heard sirens behind me. I was pulled over for "failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign". I honestly thought I HAD come to a complete stop. In fact, I saw the police car coming and took mental inventory of everything - speed (check), seat belt (check), etc. I was not in a hurry (for once). Anyway, even though we always have our registration and insurance cards in the van, I could NOT find the insurance card anywhere. Not only that, I drew a complete blank when he asked me the name of our insurance company! Now, with health insurance I could rattle off names AND phone numbers, but it's been so long since I've had to think about car insurance, I was coming up with nothing. ("No, REALLY, Officer - we have insurance! I just can't find any proof and can't seem to remember the name of the company, but I promise, we have it!") Really convincing.

Citation in hand, I finished the short trip to the dry cleaners, made a couple of other stops, and then stopped at Wal-Mart. The cashier I got must have been new - she scrutinized every coupon and took basically 3 times longer than she needed to scan everything. The last item was a bottle of sparkling wine - which I was purchasing for a recipe I wanted to try this week - vanilla pound cake with sparkling wine glaze. Would you believe she actually carded me?!

At first I was elated. It's been YEARS since I've been carded, which is kind of depressing. So I was overjoyed . . . until I went to pull out my driver's license and realized it was still on the passenger seat with my citation. Since I can't remember the last time I've been carded, OR the last time I've been without my driver's license in my wallet, the odds that both of these would occur on the same day are almost nil. But . . . I've always been one to beat the odds, I guess.

I paid for my groceries (except the wine), went out and loaded up the van, grabbed my license, came back in and finished up. All this was with 4 kiddos in tow, of course. Which is why we ended up being about 3 minutes late for school. And I was so flustered by everything that I realized when we got home that I had forgotten to put drinks in Rach & Zekers' lunches (which we'd bought at Wal-Mart specifically FOR their lunches).

All I can say is, that pound cake had better be exceptionally good!

An Unexpected Gift

It was 6:30 on Monday evening. Danny had just left for a meeting, after running home and grabbing a quick dinner. And, once again (so I said to myself), here I was, dead on my feet, with two hours of caring for and entertaining 4 kiddos looming before me. I sat on the couch, marinating in self-pity that threatened to grow thicker by the minute.

As I sat there, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a grinning face heading toward me at top speed. Before I knew it, I'd been tackled by the 33-lb. tank I affectionately call "Mr. Moo." He immediately began asking me, in his barely-decipherable vernacular, to play a game with him. I sighed. "What do you want Mommy to do?"

He ran to his room, grabbed his pillow, and showed me that he wanted me to lie down on the pillow and pretend to sleep. He would then be the "alarm clock", screeching to wake me up. We spent a little while falling asleep and waking up, and then he decided it was time for Round 2.

For the next 30 minutes, we played this bizarre game, which involved him being different kinds of animals (interestingly, they ALL made loud growling noises), crawling up onto the couch, and me kicking the animals off the couch by shrieking and pointing at them. He would then wait on the floor while I hid behind the pillow for various amounts of time, before pulling it down and "scaring" him with weird faces and a lot of noise. I have never heard him giggle so hard - we're talking huge, hysterical belly laughs. The kind that, when you hear them, you can't help laughing too.

Eventually, he came over and tackled me again, this time to cover my face with huge drool-y kisses and give out big bear hugs.

While all this was going on, I noticed that Zekers and Karis had snuggled up together on the chair opposite us and were reading a book together, as he tried to work with her on her ABC's. And Rachel, unbeknownst to me at the time, had gone downstairs and cleaned part of the basement, before settling down with her own book. In almost no time at all, it was 8:00 and time to start getting ready for bed, which they did very obediently. I even got an extra hug and kiss from Zekers, for making him a fried egg sandwich for lunch.

Words cannot do justice to the sweetness of that scene. I've always loved my kids, but after Monday, I appreciated and enjoyed them more. So often life becomes a dreary cycle of obligations: making sure everyone's needs are met, fulfilling my responsibilities. Sometimes God has to remind me that there's so much more.

It may not sound like anything that earth-shattering, but to me, this evening was nothing short of a gift from God. In spite of my less-than-sanctified attitude, He opened my eyes to appreciate the good and the fun things in my kiddos - to realize again that they are truly a gift from Him. And in the times since then, when they've had their moments of fighting and whining and basically getting on my last nerve, God has brought that scene to my mind - and permanently etched it on my heart.

I am thankful for unexpected (and undeserved) gifts.

As if that weren't enough . . .

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord or who became His counselor?
Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:33-36

God is good. He is righteous and just and merciful and generous and compassionate and true and unfathomable and awesome and GOOD.

Helpless. Dead. Wrath's bastard child. Enslaved to lusts of mind and flesh. Flailing about in darkness. Drowning in sin's murky filth. Grasping at the burning misery of self-elevation. Running hard - away from the only One Who could save me from myself. Rushing full-speed toward certain doom.

but

BUT!!!!

But GOD . . .

Rich in mercy. Full of a great and unparalleled LOVE. The author of life. Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End. Giver of every good and perfect gift. Grace personified. Truth eternal. Power unimaginable.

But God, while I was dead in my errant ways, reached down and made me alive together with Christ - by grace, through faith!! O undeserved gift! Christ became human, then became sin, so that in Him I could become righteous. When the perfect and holy God looks at me, He sees - not my sin, but - Christ, the spotless lamb, sacrificed for my wrongdoing. It is through HIS blood, poured out for me, that I stand before God unblemished, pure.

I think I will spend eternity trying to wrap my puny, finite mind around this truth.

I know I will spend eternity trying to say thank you.

As if that weren't enough . . .

He's given me health. He's blessed me with a wonderful best friend and lover and made us one flesh. He's given us four children, who I pray every day will grow to know Him and to love Him with their whole being.

As if that weren't enough . . .

He's overwhelmed us with a Christ-chasing church body; with friends who daily love on and sharpen us; with parents and grandparents who prayed for us and taught us the things we now pray for and teach our children.

As if that weren't enough . . .

He provides all of our needs daily - food, clothing, shelter - and oh, so many things that aren't needs at all, but that we enjoy and take for granted because we've never had to do without them.

I owe Him everything. He owes me nothing. Yet He's given, and continues to give, more than I could ever hope for.

And as if all of this weren't enough . . .

I get to spend all of eternity (it makes me dizzy) worshiping Him. Reveling in the delirious and unending joy that flows from His presence.

What a cost! What a gift! What a love! I want to shout it into the falling snow - to thank Him with a resounding voice . . . and with my life. What does this mean? What great and wonderful avenues for expressing my appreciation lie ahead? I have no idea. But this I do know: I can, and resolve to, begin by honoring Him in the daily moments of my life NOW. To take pleasure in serving Him in whatever way He chooses to use me. And to do it in the strength that He alone can and does supply. Oh how I love Him!

Praise the Lord! Praise God in Hi sanctuary. Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds. Praise Him for His excellent greatness. . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:1,2,6

Shark Rays and Sun Rays!

As scary as the roads were yesterday, the thought of being cooped up in the house for one more day was even scarier. So, the kiddos and I stuck with our plan to visit Newport Aquarium. We left the house at 7:30, cereal bars and bananas in hand, and made our way down 49, which ended up being a little slick, but not as bad as I'd thought. The crazy thing was the fog. It was so dense, we couldn't see anything to either side of us, and could barely make out the car just ahead. We'd been driving for about 40 minutes, when suddenly, the sun came out, the fog cleared and even the road seemed much drier - all within about 15 seconds. I noticed at the same time that we were just passing the sign that announced the end of Darke County. No joke! The farther south we drove, the more it seemed like a different world than the one we'd just left.









Due to having to drive more slowly, and to some morning traffic on I-75, we arrived about 9:30 and soon after, met up with my sister Sarah and her little girl, Addie, who will be 3 in May. During the months of Jan - Feb, 2 kids get in free ($30 savings) with each adult admission ($22). So I got 2 in free, and Sarah got Addie and one of mine in free. I debated about whether to mess with taking Malachi, but finally decided to take all four and just pay the extra child's admission. It was totally worth it. I have rarely heard him squeal the way he did when I helped him "pet" the "baby sharks". The only bummer was that my mom and sister Hannah weren't able to go this year. I was a bit hesitant to take all four kiddos that far without Grandma there to help out, but they did beautifully. (Except for one head-butt and one running-off episode!)

Well, there was one other bummer. I'd packed lunch for all of us - including a variety of snacks - which spent the day in the fridge without us. I was almost sick to my stomach when I ended up paying a little over $20 for 4 plain hot dogs and 4 small bags of chips - ugh. It was the cheapest option. We're definitely packing lunches (and remembering to take them!) from now on. The weirdest thing was not having ANY snack food for the kiddos - I ALWAYS have snacks handy - it's a matter of survival. But they did just fine - until we were about 30 minutes from home.

Now for the pictures . ..


"Lulu" the penguin came out and got a big hug from Mr. Moo!


They all loved the march of the penguins - seeing and hearing about 3 African penguins named Simon, Paula and Randy. I found out they're changing Paula's name to Kara and adding an Ellen.


There was an AMAZING jellyfish display. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any pictures that did them justice. One new feature in the room was a blue screen with digital "jellyfish" swimming around. When the kids tried to touch them, they disappeared. The screen looks white in the picture, but was a really vivid underwater scene.


Zekers and Karis loved getting to touch horseshoe crabs and starfish.


The best picture I got of the 5 kiddos - whew!


The "Frog Bog" was a fun play area. It even had a version of "Frogger" that you could play by moving your feet over squares on the ground.


Waiting for sharks to swim by . . .


Rachel had great technique. She used 2 fingers, as instructed, and didn't stick her fingers in the water until the shark was directly beneath her. I had to hold Malachi up and stick his hand in the water for him to feel the sharks, so I didn't get any pics of him, but man, did he go crazy. He LOVED the shark tank!


What he did NOT love were the parts of the aquarium where you could look down at sea creatures through large squares of glass in the floor. He refused to walk on them, and it took some persuading to even get him to even touch them. I think he never really believed it was truly a floor, and was convinced he'd end up in the water!


Check out the teeth on this bad boy!


OK, the next several pictures are all "shark rays", a stingray / shark mix. I never would have imagined you could breed those 2 together. These guys are just COOL.









Outside on the plaza - pretty view, but too cold to stay for very long.


We were home by 3:45, and went directly to Wal-Mart for groceries, along with at least half the population of Greenville. What a day!

Snow Day

Today we . . .

slept in

had blueberry pancakes and eggs over-medium

read books

played in the snow - twice

shoveled the driveway - several times

removed an earring from inside an earlobe - the first minor surgery I've performed

made valentine cards

made brownies and pumpkin roll

made a snowman using 100 cotton balls, buttons, pencils, yarn, and construction paper

played "Guess Who"

played Wii

trashed the house

cleaned up the house

took baths and bundled up in cozy PJs




Today was precious. Thank you, Father, for snow, and for a whole day of family time at home!

Speaking of Joy. . .

It was Sunday morning. Danny had just left for church, and since the kiddos were all up - they're early risers - I decided I would take them to first service. About 10 minutes later, the chaos began. Malachi hated the outfit I'd gotten out for him; Zeke did nothing but whine: about making his bed, about what we were having for breakfast, about the fact that his socks didn't feel right in his shoes. Karis seemed to be getting her kicks from committing random acts of meanness, which made several of the others cry and sometimes fight back.

When it came time to leave, everything fell apart. NONE of their gloves, it seemed, had a mate. Zeke went into hysterics because he'd only had 30 minutes to eat one breakfast bar and one banana, and hadn't gotten even halfway through either one. I told him he could take them with him and eat them in the van, but he dropped the banana on the garage floor and wouldn't touch it after that - just cried harder. Finally, the last straw: Karis pushed Malachi down the steps leading into the garage, giving him a bloody lip and making him howl - right after I'd finally gotten him to calm down from his fit of anger at being denied a 4th breakfast bar.

It was too much. I reacted in anger, unable (unwilling?) to keep my temper in check any longer. Karis got a spanking, and it was NOT according to the format laid out in Shepherding a Child's Heart. (It wasn't any worse than a normal spanking, but it wasn't accompanied by patient instruction as much as by yelling and lecturing!)

On the drive to church, I wept hot tears. "When does it end?" I sobbed into my scarf. "How much more of this can I take?" I felt like a total failure - as a mother, as a Christian, and as a human being in general. I wanted to drive past the church and just keep on driving. As a pastor's wife, I sometimes struggle with feeling like I don't have the luxury, while at church, of being sad or depressed or angry or just plain worn out. No matter what, I have to put on a smile and make the best of it.

The inner battle raged. The way I saw it, I had 2 options. Either spend all morning at church acting out the way I truly felt - by sulking and avoiding people, or paste a fake smile on my face and act like everything was just peachy.

When I entered the auditorium, I didn't sing for a while - I just soaked it all in, and cried out to Jesus. As is the case every Sunday, the worship, both through the music and the message, centered on the cross: beautiful words, filled with truth and grace and forgiveness and JOY. The true joy that isn't dependent on the kind of morning I've had, or the way I feel about myself. The kind that flows from, and has everything to do with, Christ Himself.

And there it was. When I'm tired or out of sorts on a Sunday morning, my face can light up with a smile springing from a joy that reaches deeper than my frustration. And when I can't even muster a smile, my soul can still be alight with the knowledge of the grace of God, the riches of His mercy, the hope of His resurrection.

Ephesians 5:18-20 says "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; ALWAYS giving THANKS to the Lord for ALL things in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father."

Always and in all things! That means when I have that kind of morning, I can, and should be, giving thanks to God for it. God's gifts aren't limited to the pleasant things in life. The difficult times are gifts, too, because they help make us look more like HIM - they bring us closer to our Savior and make us long for heaven.

So, if I'm truly living in obedience to this passage, and many others like it, I can walk into church after a hellish morning with genuine joy in my heart, because of Christ. And the more joy I have, the more it spills out onto others. And that, I am happy to say, is the real thing!

Holiday Joy

A little taste of Christmas at the Wright house . . .

Why I Still Stink at Guitar

I lug my guitar up from the basement, search my notebook for Sunday's songs. I lay them on the sofa, take out my guitar, and begin playing through the first song.

Lord, You're calling me to come
And behold the wondrous cross
To explore the depths of grace
That came to me at such a cost . . .

I notice Malachi crawling onto my guitar case. "You know you're not allowed to be on Mommy's guitar case," I remind him. "Please get down." He does.

Lord, You're calling me to come
And behold the wondrous cross
To explore the depths of grace
That came to me at such a cost . . .

Malachi is at my knee, insistently handing me a different-colored pic. I ignore him as long as humanly possible (about 4 measures) and then take the tye-dyed pic from him. He beams.

Lord, You're calling me to come
And behold the wondrous cross
To explore the depths of grace
That came to me at such a cost . . .

I trade in the tye-dyed pic for the orange one Malachi is trying to give me and decide to move on . . .

Where Your boundless love
Conquered my boundless sin . . .

. . . trade the orange pic for a pink one, as he drops about 4 others into the guitar's sound hole . . . oh well, I'll get them later.

Where Your boundless love
Conquered my boundless sin . . .

Karis: "Mom, will you put the diaper back on my baby doll?"
Me: "I will as soon as I'm done playing through this song, Sweetie."

Where Your boundless love
Conquered my boundless sin, and mercy's arms were opened wide
My heart is filled with a thousand songs, proclaiming the glories . . .

Rachel: "Mom, when will you be done? We NEED you to put this diaper on - we can't do ANYTHING until you do."
Me (getting irritated): "You NEED to wait just a few more minutes until I'm finished with the song."

My heart is filled with a thousand songs . . .

I notice Malachi freaking out and banging on my guitar case. "Malachi, do you want a spanking? Do not climb onto Mommy's guitar case!" He cries harder. I'm in the process of taking him to his room, when Rachel lifts the top of the case, to reveal about 4 toy trucks inside. He squeals in delight, and I try to figure out when on earth he put those things in there. I grab my guitar once again and attempt to play . . .

My heart is filled with a thousand songs . . .

Zeke: MOM!

Proclaiming the glories of Calvary . . .

Zeke: MOM!!

With every breath, Lord, how I long . . .

Zeke: MOM!!!

To sing of Jesus, who died for me . . .

Zeke: MOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!

Me (trying to sound patient): What's the emergency??

Zeke: LOOK AT MY SNAKE! I MADE IT OUT OF LEGOS!

Me: Wow, Buddy - that's impressive. OK, go make something else! And remember: indoor voice.

Zeke: OK MOM!!!!

I spot the doll laying on the sofa and decide to go ahead and put on the stinkin' diaper to save myself the trouble later. Besides, I'm beginning to wonder if I will EVER be done practicing this song.

Lord, take me deeper, into the glories . . .

Karis: Mom, will you help me put on her PJs?
Me: Rachel! Will you please put on the doll's PJs?
Rachel: *sigh* OK. I don't know why I always have to do everything around here.

At a loss for words, I decide to go back to the song . . .

Me: Hey, where did all my pics go?
Everyone stands there and stares at me.
Me: Malachi, did you take Mommy's pics?
Malachi: Unna couch.

I feel around under the couch, and sure enough, there they all are. OK, deep breath - let's just get through the song.

Lord, take me deeper, into the glories of Calvary.

Yes! On to verse 2!

Sinners find eternal joy
In the triumph of Your wounds . ..

Zeke: MOM!!!!!!

By our Savior's crimson flow
Holy wrath has been removed . . .

Zeke: MOOOOMMM!!!
Me: What now?
Zeke: I MADE A BIRD PLAYING VIDEO GAMES!!
Me: Wow! Very good! (I could actually kind of see it)

I turn back to my music.

Sinners find eternal joy
In the triumph of Your wounds
By our Savior's crimson flow
Holy wrath has been removed
And Your saints below
Join with . . .

OK, WHAT IS GOING ON?! (The sounds of crying / fighting have grown steadily louder)

Zeke: KARIS JUST KICKED MY BIRD AND BROKE IT ALL IN PIECES!!
Me: Karis, you're finished playing with legos. Now, go sit in the green chair, and no talking! Zekers, why don't you go make something really big, using ALL of the legos!
Zeke (sniffling): OK

And your saints below join with Your saints above
Rejoicing in the risen Lamb
My heart is filled . . .

I hear a piercing screech, followed by sobs and gasps.
Rachel: MOM! Malachi just fell!
I scoop up my crying son and kiss his forehead, which now sports a rapidly growing goose egg.
Rachel: Can I please finish painting my tea set?
Me: We'll be eating lunch as soon as I finish playing through my songs. After that, you may finish painting.
Rachel: OK. When will you be done playing?
Me: I have no idea.

Malachi seems to be OK, so I sit him down with a slice of cheese, which he devours.

My heart is filled with a thousand songs
Proclaiming the glories of Calvary . . .


Zeke: MOOOMMM!!!
Me: What?
Zeke: NOW I MADE A DINOSAUR LEG AND FOOT!!

I look, and sure enough, he's made a ginormous dinosaur leg and foot, using all of the legos. Why, oh why, is he ONLY fast when I actually WANT him to be slow?

"OK, listen up, everyone!" I holler. "DO NOT interrupt Mommy anymore. I need to finish this song!!"
Karis: "Mommy, can I get down?"
Me: No! Not until I'm finished.

My heart is filled with a thousand songs, proclaiming the glories of Calvary
With every breath, Lord, how I long to sing of Jesus, Who died for me . ..

Me: Mr. Moo, I don't need any help playing the guitar, buddy.

Lord, take me deeper, into the . . .

Me: No, I also don't need any more pics.

Lord, take me deeper, into the glories . . .

Malachi: I pooped.

Lord, take me deeper, into the glories

Karis: Mommy, if Zeke is mean to me, does that mean he's going to hell?

Lord, take me deeper, into the glories

Rachel: Can Alli PLEASE come over? I'm bored.

. . . of Calvary

Zeke: MOM! I MADE THE EIFFEL TOWER!

Wright Family 2009 Christmas Letter

The end of one year, the beginning of another . . .

I've said it before and it's still true: I wish Danny and I could sit down across the table from you, and over mugs of hot coffee (or your beverage of choice) pour out our hearts about the ways we've each seen Christ at work over the past year. But, because of time and/or distance, this poor attempt at a year-end blog update will have to do for now. (Feel free to have a hot cup of coffee with me while you read it!)

Along with millions of others, I gather a few moments here and there to pause and remember what 2009 has held for our family. And to resolve to do better with certain things in 2010. It hasn't been an easy year, in a lot of ways. But it's been a good one. Because God is good - so good He sent His only Son Jesus to be born in an unassuming little stable in Bethlehem, so He could later give His life to "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). He's offered us eternal life and salvation from our sins! Everything else is just gravy, really.

Speaking of gravy, God has gifted us with a lot of it! Danny and I are so thankful for each other and for our 4 little munchkins. Here is a brief update on their craziness:


Rachel (Shrumshine)
This year Rachel turned 7 and began second grade. She has loved being involved as a Spark in the AWANA program - it keeps her, and us, accountable to memorize Scripture regularly. She also enjoyed playing soccer this spring, with Daddy as her coach. We thought the soccer was a good idea, since everything else in her life is about as girly as it gets. Her great loves are spending time with friends, talking, helping me around the house, BTO Yogurt, talking, reading "Magic Tree House" books, writing in her journal, and talking. If you're ever tempted to ask her what a book is about, trust me - you will save time by actually reading the book! She has a very chatty side, but she can also be very reflective, asking questions that often make me stop and think, or tell her to wait and ask her dad when he gets home! Other words to describe her would be: imaginative, bossy, dramatic, craft queen. Oh, and she also has the best smile ever - so sweet.





Zeke (Beef Man)
Now that he's 5 and in kindergarten, Zekers has begun referring to himself as "Ezekiel", but skeptical Mommy doesn't think it will stick. I have never been around a child who loves school, and riding the bus, so much. He loves doing "centers" with his classmates. He loves to read. And he loves to talk very loudly. His teacher recently informed me that he is the loudest student in his class, by a very wide margin. Zekers is completely transparent: what you see is what you get. His big accomplishment this year was learning to ride his bike. He has also enjoyed being an AWANA Spark. He played soccer with Rachel, and loved it until he discovered (around the 4th game) that it involved running! He is, and always will be, his own little person, operating on his own timetable. He becomes extremely offended (and lets me know it!) when I fix something for dinner that he doesn't care for, but he's also the first one to thank me when I make something he likes. While Rachel is in school and the other 2 are napping, we've spent some fun afternoons together, working on school stuff or playing board games (he always wins).


Karis (Bop Bop)
Karis turned 4 in August, and she's our little split personality. She has a mind of her own and has been on the receiving end of more spankings than all three of her siblings combined. But she's also a super sweet little aspiring mommy. Her favorite things are: playing house, singing, screaming, playing any kind of imaginative game, playing with friends, calling the shots, and going to Broadway Joe's for hot chocolate. When she's with a lot of people, she's pretty quiet, but get her one-on-one, and your ears will ring with her squawky voice, going on and on. Just when we begin to despair that her stubbornness and rebellion will never get any better, she tells us that she can't wait until she gets to heaven, because she won't sin anymore and she wants to see Jesus. She's such a little thing and can't ever seem to keep her pants up, yet she can beat up her older 2 siblings without much effort. What can I say? She keeps us all on our toes. This is Karis' second year to attend AWANA Cubbies - learning Bible verses, seeing puppet shows, doing crafts and learning more about Jesus.



Malachi (Mr. Moo or Wheezer)
At 2, he's a tank, although you wouldn't guess it to look at him. Nearly every day when Danny arrives home from work, he's greeted by a head-butt and attempted tackle from Moo. I guess the youngest of four has to be tough to survive! He's got a fun little personality, and has always been my super snuggler. Every time he gets out of bed, he runs to me for snuggles - too sweet. I've also realized lately that I MIGHT have spoiled him just the tiniest bit, and am doing my best to stop (most of the time). He can be very demanding and has quite a temper. He loves to yell "THANK YOU!", he loves to play with Karis while the other 2 are at school, he loves to pray before meals - for everyone he knows, he loves pizza, and he loves to make his brother and sisters laugh. He started going to "big boy" Sunday School for the first time this fall, and he really likes his class and teachers.


Danny & Charity
This year has brought lots of growth for us, too. In September we spent a wonderful week in North Carolina on our first family vacation. The church has continued to grow, which has brought some unexpected blessings, as well as challenges (but mostly blessings). Our nursery is exploding, as are all the children's classrooms.

Danny feels incredibly blessed to be serving in a job he loves. He has preached through maybe 2 of the toughest books of the Bible: Leviticus and Ecclesiastes. He's been stretched as his ministry has broadened this year to include much more counseling of couples, individuals and even families. He continues to be very involved in fantasy sports, as well - a vital part of life. He has done a wonderful job of leading our home. It brings such joy to my heart to see him wrestling around with the kiddos after work, making them squeal and belly laugh. But he also pours into them spiritually. He's had many meaningful conversations with the older three about things that truly matter. He bought Rachel her first "real" study Bible this summer, which she carries with her everywhere.

I have continued to be a part of 'Grace Moms', a group where younger moms come monthly to spend time together, be challenged in their walk, and be mentored by more seasoned moms. I also enjoy being part of a church worship team once every three weeks. Mostly, I'm thankful to be able to stay home with my children and to love and support Danny. It is a privilege I don't want to take for granted. I am thrilled to report that I ran my first 5K (hopefully not the last!) with some friends in June. My time was not noteworthy enough to put down, but I was proud of myself just for finishing!

This has been an odd year for me, health-wise. From February to September, I had a series of "episodes", involving the most intense pain I've ever experienced, along with many other unpleasant symptoms. For a period of time, they seemed to hit mostly after I ran in the mornings. The worst of these caused me to go unconscious for several hours and spend a few days in the hospital. Many tests were done, all of which came up negative. So . . . we aren't any closer to figuring out the cause of these mysterious episodes, the last of which hit over our vacation; but they seem to have tapered off for now, and I can live with that!

Also, in October I had surgery on my left ear and have regained much of the hearing I'd lost in the past 7 years (due to hormone changes, the dr. says)! It's wonderful to be able to actually follow conversations and not continually ask people to repeat themselves; not so wonderful to realize the full volume of fighting and carryings-on around here! But it has been a true gift from God, for which I am grateful.



The words from Handel's Messiah, taken from Isaiah 53, haunt even as they comfort: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows . . . he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by His wounds we are healed. What beautiful, beautiful words.







The perfect Son of God, born to die . . . then to defeat the grave by being raised from the dead and seated at God's right hand . . . Immanuel - God with us - born to save us from our sins . . . Jesus.

May this Christmas fill you with wonder and gratitude for undeserved gifts . . . for family . . . for friends . . . for health . . . and for the greatest gift of all: LIFE!

Merry Christmas!

Love, Danny, Charity, Rachel, Zeke, Karis & Malachi

Ah, the Memories

Today I tackled a dreaded and daunting project: cleaning & reorganizing the filing cabinets. Not my favorite way to spend the morning, but SO great to not to have it taunting me every time I come down to the basement! It's amazing how much junk paperwork a family can accumulate in 5 years. And it's also kind of interesting the things you find - things long forgotten but good for a chuckle.

One such thing was a letter written about 12 years ago, to "the Office of Chesterfield Villiage", and home of the first apartment we occupied as a married couple, in Richmond, VA. It was one of those places that nearly jumps off the cover of the apartment showcasing catalog you're given upon arriving in a new city . . . absolutely sparkling with potential as it beckons hapless renters into its web of deception. The model we walked through was, of course, immaculate in its perfection, and with no reservations, we signed away the next year of our young lives.

So, here is an excerpt from the letter I found, written about 3 months later . . .

To: The Office of Chesterfield Village
Re: Brief description of why we are disappointed with your service

Things we've reported that remain unchanged
* kitchen carpet is still dirty (turns our feet black)
* windows are still filthy

Things wrong with the place when we moved in
* screen door broken
* ceiling cracked and sagging
* several drawers fall out when pulled open
* cupboard under sink bowed, shelf broken (we fixed it)
* kitchen carpet cut too short around refrigerator
* tile old and mildewy (can't get it clean)
* shower doors soap-scum stained (can't get clean)
* one shower door does not stay on runner
* many surfaces have dust balls and /or other small items spray-pained onto them.
* kitchen cabinet above oven has black tar-like substance on it
* bathroom cabinet is warped and bowed
* all cupboards full of bugs
* hallway wall is blistered
* kitchen and bathroom baseboards stained
* bathroom tiles are cracked
* weight room has no pins for weights
* carpet has many stains
* kitchen sink stained
* oven did not work (you fixed this)
* fitness room door lock broken (after 3 weeks of telling us it would be fixed "today", you fixed it)
* fleas in the carpet (you exterminated them, after I asked repeatedly and visited the office)
* kitchen counter loose
* paint coming off in areas (you fixed this)

Other things to consider
* Our door mat was stolen
* other residents' cats are often on our patio
* my wife is having continuous trouble with her sinuses from the dust / mildew in our place
* washing machine regularly fails to clean laundry. It actually stained a load Saturday, and the spin cycle failed to work.
* We sent a letter to GSC on October 8, 1997 . . . On October 14, we received a letter from GSC stating they were sorry and would inform your office. We have never received any response from your office.

I remember it was within days that the office of "Chester the Molester" (as Danny came to call it) informed us we would be released from our contract without the $1,000 penalty (people were leaving like crazy b/c of several shootings which had taken place in one of the parking lots, so they kept raising the penalty), ONLY because of the line item mentioning my allergic reaction to the dust & mildew. We moved into a much cleaner / larger / nicer apartment near the church where Danny was the youth pastor - an apartment where parents would actually allow their youth group aged kids to come and hang out!

This seems like a bit of a random finding; but I believe that in God's ever-perfect timing, He provided this unassuming piece of memorabilia to give me an extra shot of gratitude for the house where we currently live. He took care of us that first year, and has continued to keep us in His care. Thank you Jesus, and thank you Chester the Molester!