27-33/365...Happy Birthday, TBird!

We are entering into birthday season at our house.  The first to celebrate is our one and only Queen Monkey herself.  How could eight years pass so slowly and speed by in the blink of an eye?

This girl started it all for me.  There is no way in a thousand years I could have guessed that mothering would be the impetuous to my self-understanding.  But mothering you, my dear, has made me needy, dependent, strong, and brave!  

It is so fun to watch the creativity of this big idea girl blossom as she plans parties, science projects, and birthday gifts for friends. 

She was determined that her birthday party would be a scavenger hunt...but not just any scavenger hunt.  One with stuffed animals.  Because she loves stuffed animals.  Each friend had one hidden with clues to lead her to find it.  

She was also determined to have puppy cupcakes.  Because she loves puppies.  Thank you, google.

It is a beautiful, scary thing to watch the fruit of your young, inexperienced womb grow into a real live person...with dreams, and opinions, and preferences often different from your own.  With gifts and talents and personality...often different from your own.  What a gift it is to be your Mom, Queen Monkey!  It is all grace, my dear.  All grace.  

26/365...April Showers?

 

Could it be true that April snow showers bring May flowers?  

Bring on the flowers, May!  Bring it on!

25/365...Goggles

Somebody's getting ready for summer...and swimming pools...and goggles!

I'd be happy with 50 degrees!

24/365...Exodus

So much energy and thought goes into preparing our hearts, minds, and families for Easter.  Good energy.  But last night as I prepared myself for a week of meal plans, carpooling, dentist appointments and the like, I began asking myself...

"What now?"

What does it all mean?  For the next 364 days of the year, what is the celebration all about?  What literal intention is there for me at 6:45 am as I dress myself for another day?

I have been studying Exodus this semester.  Last week, on one of the monkeys' days off I had them storyboard with me the story of the Israelites cornered at the Red Sea, Pharoah and all his chariots in hot pursuit.  

 The Israelites naturally freaked.  Who wouldn't?  And then this beautiful verse, spoken by Moses...

"The Lord will fight for you, you have only to be silent."

While we were talking about the story, the male monkey drew a picture of Jesus in the boat with the disciples calming the storm.  ( I should add that the boat also had a plank...for walking, I suppose.)  On the back he wrote, "Thank you that you fight in my place."

Leave it to a 5 year old to connect the dots.  

There was a whole lot of fear going around after the death of the Christ.  And what were his first words to his friends when he first appeared to them after the resurrection?  "Peace be with you."  No more fear.  He's here.  Perfect love is here, and all fear is cast out!

So, what now?
Peace.  Cease striving.  Rest, daily, in the FINISHED work.
Awareness.  He is a covenant-keeping God who will never turn His face from me.  He will always be on my side.  Will always fight my battles.
Consistency.  Making faith a habit, a continual one.  I cannot fear AND believe.

23/365...Lenten Lights

 "Good Friday is the day when you can do nothing.  Bewailing and lamenting your manifold sins does not in itself make up for them.  Scouring your soul in a frenzy of spring cleaning only sterilizes it; it does not give it life.  On Good Friday, finally, we are all, mourners and mockers alike, reduced to the same impotence.  Someone else is doing the terrible work that gives life to the world."

Virginia Stem Owens

"When he received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished."  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

John 19:30

This Good Friday is "good" because it counsels me to cease striving.  I bring nothing.  I rest while the real work is done.  It is finished.  I have nothing to add.  

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

let me hide myself in thee;

let the water and the blood,

from thy wounded side which flowed,

be of sin the double cure;

save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands

can fulfill thy law's commands;

could my zeal no respite know,

could my tears forever flow,

all for sin could not atone;

thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,

simply to the cross I cling;

naked, come to thee for dress;

helpless, look to thee for grace;

foul, I to the fountain fly;

wash me, Savior, or I die.

22/365...Spring Break is for...Reading!

So much of parenting really is about observation.  Taking note of the details that make each kid who they are and connecting all their dots to see the beautiful picture that is your little person...or monkey!

My oldest monkey can wear. me. out. with all the drama.  She is a sass pot for sure.  I have finally landed on an appropriate and effective consequence for the sassy mouth.  Potty mouth cleans the potty. She's also a germaphobe (like her Dad).  Cleaning the potty ranks right up there with death by spooning out of eyeballs.  At least according to her.

I was recently reminded that all humans bear the image of God filtered through a screen of sin.  I want to grow in seeing beyond the screen and recognizing {observing} His workmanship in my monkeys.  This child of mine has a great passion.  For life, for love, for animals, for a good story, for monkey bars and cartwheels and for all things "fun"!  It is a God-ordained passion.  In a world of uniforms and uniformity/conformity, this passion is beautiful.

The feedback we received from her 2nd grade teacher at our recent conference..."It is such a great pleasure to hear her read aloud.  She uses such expression and gives each character a different voice.  It is such a pleasure!"  And this from our "little-engine-that-could" reader!

I walked in on these two huddled on the living room couch reading together.  What a pleasure for a parent to see this God-given passion channeled into the reading of a good book in the service of a brother.  She may give him an ear full a bit later, but for now she is loving him with her passion.

21/365...Spring Break is for...Protesting Winter!

 Happy Spring Break to you, too!

Here's to willing green grass and baseball diamonds to supernaturally appear...sooner rather than later!