Merry Christmas!

As we have celebrated today, my prayer is that the real reason why we celebrate Christmas will not be taken out with the wrapping paper, down off the tree, or off to shelves, wallets, or respective homes.

Praise be to God who did not see fit to let us stay forever separated from Him due to our sinfulness. Thank you God for sending Jesus to come as a lowly human, to live a perfect and blameless life, to suffer all sorts of pain and sorrow and separation for you by taking our penalty, and to defeat death by coming to life again. Glory to God for His mercy and grace, that all we must do to be reconnected to Him is to accept the gift we celebrate now at Christmas... His Son...that whoever believes in Him will not be eternally separated, but will have abundant and eternal life as God's adopted heirs.

Now for a Christmas wish for you and yours (derived from a favorite song and the prayer of St. Patrick)

Christ be with me and within me
Christ behind me and before
Christ beside me and to win me
Christ to comfort and restore
Christ beneath me and above me
Christ quiet or in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger

Christ in every heart that's broken
Christ in every joy and pain
Christ in every word that's spoken
Christ in sun and mooon and rain

Christ in resting and in rising
Christ the Lord of all my life
Christ to guide me and to seal me
Christ protecting me in strife

Merry Christmas to you all! And to Him be the glory in 2008 and forevermore!

Football Rivalries Part 2

Many Fridays ago, I posted a funny video on college rivalries. I meant to post this next one on Thanksgiving, but somehow that whole week and time since then have been a blur. Here you go, and enjoy!

There's no place like...

HOME for the holidays!

Yes, we're celebrating that our travels will be cumulatively shorter this year (we'll be heading to First Monday territory to see Scott's family) because we now live in the other location to which we usually travel! While living near family was never our intention, nor do we associate God's calling on our life with how close geographically we are to loved ones, it's an unexpected blessing that the Lord chose to lead us here!

But, there is a dual meaning in my post title...

We closed on our house this past Thursday. That, in part, is the reason for my absence from the blogosphere this week! We've been cleaning carpets, wiping down cabinetry, and painting prior to unpacking the storage unit full of our belongings that have been waiting patiently for us for five months! Since we've hit the ground running with ministry every time we've moved, it's another blessing that we've lived with my parents while we were seeking out whether the Lord intended to keep us here. Now, since they're in no hurry to see the kiddos less than what has become normal(and us too, I guess) , we are at liberty to move in one room at a time!

I'm obsessed about organization, but I've found that as we've moved and hit the ground running, our family has grown, our schedules become packed, and opportunities for ministry abound, it's become increasingly difficult to start out organized. I'm so excited about the chance to BEGIN organized instead of playing that dreadful game of catch up.

Oh, and for those of you who may be wondering, here are some specs on our new house...what a blessing!

It is three bedroom, two bath, but has a fourth room which is just smaller than the master. That bonus room has no closet, so it cannot be called a bedroom. However, we're excited to use that room for now as an office/craft room... Sewing and Scrapbooking anyone?

We have a large open livingroom, breakfast area, and kitchen. I'm thrilled that the utility room has space to move around and even room for ironing. We also have a formal dining room, which we will use as a study/sitting area, since the breakfast area has the exact dimensions of the dining room. The patio is stamped concrete and is covered, and there is enough space in the backyard for a swingset. I'll try to post some pictures as we progress with moving in.

We were praying and looking for a home with enough space to comfortably host life groups and other ministry events, and we're so thankful that despite the craziness that ensued with the sellers, we were able to make this house our own (and the bank's, in effect).

Heard and Seen at the McDonaldspot

Caleb walked into the room talking a few days ago and froze mid-sentence. We asked him what he was doing, and when he unfroze, here was his reply:

I was just pretending to be pretend!

House Update

We've continued to look around the city for a home to call our own (while our option period was still going). Even so, we still could not find a home in our price range that stood out to us like the one I posted about before. The sellers continued to be difficult, as it was evident that they'd rather not repair anything, because that would mean spending money. After what amounted to a game of realty chess, they finally agreed to fix the two major things we'd asked for (but not the other 7 reasonable ones). So, with our option period over, the house is ours, provided they complete the repairs and we close as planned. What a relief!

We bit the bullet tonight and purchased a washer, dryer, and fridge, since those things are going with the seller. (cancellable if something prevents the closing) Ouch, but exciting.

I'll keep you updated.

Campaign Funnies

I won't tell you who to vote for, but if you're familiar with some of the lore surrounding Chuck Norris (it's prominent amongst some college students), you'll love this commercial, which is set to appear in regional markets this week!

It's an actual commercial by an actual conservative candidate, who is in 2nd place in the Iowa Caucus polling.

Saturday's Can't Wait till Friday Funnies

On the same football note, watch (and try not to wince at) this clip:

(You may need to pause the music player on this blog (upper-right) to hear clearly)

Hunting Report

Just a quick update... we've extended our option period to next week to give them a chance to decide for sure what they can pay for. We looked at several houses and are still not able to find anything we like better...yet. Keep praying for wisdom for us!

Friday Football Fanatic Funnies

Some rivalries never end.... Part 1

I-N-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means to me...

Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me...
...wee-oo-wee-oo wee-oo wee-Inspect! Just a little bit....just a little bit.

Ok, so maybe it's only me with the song running in my subconscious. Here's a house hunt update. We like the "house" itself that I posted before, but the inspections turned up a long list of things that need to be repaired, and the house is only 10 years old. We still have 2 days on our option period, and the owners haven't said what they're willing to complete. What to do? It's apparent that they either didn't inspect it on their own to begin with, or their inspector did a shabby job (or maybe the house has really gotten worse over the 2 years they've owned it).

So, while we await their answer, it's on with the house hunt, just in case we have to jump ship. There are not many homes with the amenities/structure we desire in (or below) our price range... they must be quick sellers...they exist, but are not for sale. Be praying that we'll be wise in our investment. (and in which house we choose! The decision on the current one has to be made tomorrow!!!)

Friday on-time Funnies

In light of our house-hunting of late, here are a few encouraging illustrations...(?)

Your house as seen by:

Yourself:

Your buyer:

Your lender:

Your appraiser:

Your tax assessor:

Well, what would you inspect?

Today is a big day for us. We have made an offer on a house in cc, and it appears that in Texas, acceptance of the offer terms doesn't lock you in like in Missouri. Instead you can put $50 towards an "option period" in which you can do inspections. If in that 10 day period, you find something wrong, or just get the heeby-jeebies about your decision to buy for any reason, you can back out, giving the owner the $50 as a consolation prize. Otherwise, inspections are completed and your $50, held in "trust", goes toward your closing costs.

So, we're spending the morning with Inspectors and their Gadgets toward that end. Would you like to see a couple of pictures of the house?

Trip for Two

Back in August, Scott and I got to take our first-ever trip alone since Caleb was born. (Thanks Mimi and Pawpaw!) We spent two evenings in nearby San Antonio, eating some authentic mexican food and enjoying the atmosphere of the Riverwalk. I hope the pictures I took make you want to visit!

Treasure Map...

Scripture tells us that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also... So does what I treasure consist of the earthly and temporary, or is it what will last, even when I'm done here on earth? (Matthew 6:19-21)

As our church begins a journey of seeking to expand its reach and effectiveness, we are going through The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. Just when you think you're growing and learning so much about areas in your life that can better glorify our Lord, here comes a reminder of how entrenched we get into our materialistic culture!

This has been especially challenging as we desire to give above the tithe that God requires, and at the same time we're looking for a home to buy. We're having to consider our needs, our priorities, and whether the decisions we make reflect an attitude of cheerfully giving or simply storing up treasures here that we won't be able to take with us when we're gone. Pray for us as we seek to be teachable!

"Has Friday already come and gone?" Funnies

(Wow, I'm not as consistent with this as I thought I'd be...)

Heard in our household:

Mama, I'm bored.
You have your tent set up right here in the living room. Why don't you make up something imaginary to do in it?
Awww, Mama, imaginary STINKS.

I have never heard Caleb talk that way before, but I recognize the phrase, and boy howdy am I glad that I don't use other choice words... you never know when it'll be mimicked by your dear sweet little children!

"Oh Says-Anna" Oh don't you cry for me...

My last regular post was about some of the displays of opinion that we've seen from Caleb lately. Let me enhance your glimpse of our family life by filling you in on the latest display from Anna.

We're excited to watch how Anna is growing and developing. Here is a partial word list:

• Mama, Daddy, MehMeh (much like mama) for Mimi, Pawpaw, Dayduh (Caleb),
• hi, ball, cheese, uh-oh,
• teetoo (thank you), ah-duh(all done), puh (for "up" when she wants to be carried),
• boo (peekaboo), toe, eye, ear, bow (mouth but with a b), doh (nose),
• wah (walk), many animal sounds, and several other partial words for foods, etc.

Then there's the show of frustration when she doesn't get what she wants. Picture this with me if you would... She crinkles her face, shakes her head from side to side, then reaches behind her ears and flicks her hair forward to her face, saying a rather emphatic "Ohhh!"

This is usually a one time sound and motion, unless the severity of the offense against her warrants another.

Friday Funnies

So, this definitely was NOT me, but do you ever feel like even the simplest things go wrong some days?

but mama...

Caleb is embracing his fours with gusto. That includes loving his preK teacher (crush!), making friends more easily than in previous years, discovering more emotions and expressions, and, well, arguing. Yes, arguing.

My sweet boy always has a better plan or idea. When his agenda is interrupted, I know about it simply because his brow is deeply furrowed, he utters some guttural sound in frustration, and I'm likely to see a physical display of some sort. Not your laying-down-and-kicking-and-screaming variety, but a display, nonetheless.

Take this weekend for instance. We've learned previously about good stewardship (taking care of things whether they belong to us or not), respecting those in charge of you, and we are working on responding calmly to frustration. This scene opens at my mom's dining room table.

Me: Caleb, it's time to get down from the table and go (insert task here).

Caleb: (ignores)

Me: Please put your drink down and (do task) now. When you obey quickly, you will not get any bad consequences.

Caleb: (grunts) (slams cup down on table...big no-no on Mimi's easily scratched wooden table)

Me: (gets on his level for a serious conversation about obedience, stewardship, and acting angrily)

Caleb: But Mama, I was just putting the cup down fast so you would be prouder of me sooner.

My mom and I tried desperately to stifle our grins while trying to maintain our serious gazes.

I laugh inwardly because of the cleverness of his justification, but at the same time I'm reminded how often I do the very same thing when talking to the Lord...

Bonus Friday Funny

This is to make up for the previous funny, belated as it was. Enjoy this piece of internet nonsense and reminisce about music you grew up loving. Don't you wish you had moves like this?

"It might as well be Friday" Funnies

It must be ingrained in the second X chromosome, lying dormant until birth of progeny...



credit to Anita Renfroe at www.anitarenfroe.com

Friday Funnies

Well, the poll has officially closed, and the official winner for the weekly humor post name is: Friday Funnies. Thanks for communicating your opinion with me; now watch this clip on communication...

Little LAMM on Leave

Our little business venture has been on hold since the spring. Relocating to Texas has stalled things a bit, and I'm mulling over ways to better reach consumers, and possibly adding/switching products. I still want to market to moms, and for now, I want to still have paintings available. However, I want some feedback! Here are some items I'm considering: embroidered personalized burp cloths, and oilcloth (wipe-able) bibs. To all you moms out there who may be reading this, what items might you find yourself looking to buy as baby shower gifts or for your own precious one? Comment, please!

Replaced with the more efficient...

I'm de-commissioning the book blog I started in favor of recommending a new one! Are you looking for a site that reads and reviews the latest books? Try Discerning Reader; the editors review a variety of books with the goal of promoting books that honor God and helping believers sort through the plethora of published material vying for your attention. Expect a bold (but not intended to be harsh or judgmental) take on the content and value of each book. Whether you agree fully or struggle with their take on a book, prepare to be challenged on what internal filter you use when choosing reading material!

Friday Funny

I'm considering adding a section for Fridays, much like the girls at girltalk do. Just a little pick-me-up for your day!

Showers -- I could take them or leave them

So we've had an overabundance of rain this year in South Texas. That's not a problem if all I'm seeking is lower temperatures and a green yard.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?), though, this farmer's daughter is all too well acquainted with the faith walk that is dry land farming. We depend on the Lord to bring rain in the
growing season and keep things dry for the harvest...or to provide in some other fashion if that scenario doesn't play out in His will according to the needs of the crops. The latter is exactly where we find ourselves this year.

After the timely spring rains, the farmers in this area were looking at some of the best grain sorghum and cotton crops in 30 years. After July's, August's, and September's rains, however, the farmers are praying they can get a non-rainy moment and fields dry enough to avoid getting the heavy machinery bogged down -- with the hopes that they will be able to salvage enough to break even this year.

From a spiritual perspective, we fully understand that the Lord will provide for all our needs according to His riches in glory (as we follow Him). We are confident that He will provide in times of hardship. We still pray that the rains will stay away, though!

This summer, between showers, I was able to video a little bit of the grain (sorghum, aka milo) harvest. Would you like to see it? The video shows the combine (COM byne) harvester and the tractor pulling the grain buggy, which collects the grain once the combine gets full.

Did you notice a familiar face on the tractor driver? :) We were thankful for our track-tractors this year, because they pack down the soil less (packed down soil hampers next yr's growth), and because they don't get stuck in the mud as easily. We always had a tractor (minus the buggy) ready with a long chain, since the combines got stuck often...especially with a hopper full of freshly harvested grain!

Here are a few pictures to show the combine-to-grain-buggy unloading process...

Bring the Rain?

Scott had another excellent post on his blog . After that post, we discovered a song that had already been playing for a while on Christian radio. It's by MercyMe, and is appropriately titled "Jesus Bring the Rain." Can I share some of the lyrics with you?

I can count a million times ~ People asking me how I

Can praise You with all that I've gone through

The question just amazes me ~ Can circumstances possibly

Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed ~ Long before these rainy days

It's never really ever crossed my mind

To turn my back on You oh Lord ~ My only shelter from the storm

But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace ~ Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days ~ When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You...

Jesus bring the rain.

I am yours regardless of ~ The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me ~ By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain?

So I pray...

and the song continues, then ends with a prayerful, worshipful tag "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty". (song copyrighted by MercyMe, http://www.mercyme.org/)
I can't tell you what a blessing the heart attitude and lyrics of the song have been to me. With all that we've experienced in the last year and a half (or two), and with the changes that have come as recently as June, I cling to the truth that Scripture teaches us about our Lord.
While I have not arrived or attained, and while I'm sure that my conduct during difficult times has not been spotless, I am learning through both hindsight and the continuing rain what it means to be crucified with Christ.

I'm presently doing a study on Galatians compiled by a famous Christian speaker. In it, she shares ten characteristics of the life illustrated by Galatians 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Of those ten, I'll share a few with you to encourage and challenge you, should you seek to grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord:

• Like the disciples were clueless in John 16 about the events facing Christ, few will understand if you seriously decide to live a life crucified to self and alive in Christ.
• You must be willing to drop your own personal will and plans and seek Him with all your heart in order to live out the plans God has for you according to Jer. 29:11-13.
• There will be times when your dignity is shattered, and you may not be able to prove to others that your decision to stand firm in the Lord truly was the right way to go.

But if we are to truly choose victory in our battle (daily) with sin, we have to choose to die to ourselves-- just as Christ did in fulfilling God's plan for salvation.
All that to say that we can't expect our days to be rainless if we're following Christ. It's more a matter of being sensitive to where the Lord is leading and to what the Lord wants to teach us through the stormy times. I pray that I will continue to give up myself in order to allow the Lord to work in and through me, so that others can taste and see that the Lord is good!

bring me joy, bring me peace, bring the chance to be free
bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days when this life brings me pain
but if that's what it takes to praise You, Jesus bring the rain.

Beware the Towel Walker

I created this video today while Caleb was doing some extra work to earn a little hard cash. Hilarious! This is not the first time Anna has done this...



And just in case your video didn't load well, here are some still shots:

Bangs (but no booms or crashes)

Anna had her first haircut in July. Of course, being in Corpus warranted that we visit the salon of the stylist who has cut my hair all my life...Adolfo Salon (Adolfo is the stylist) on Alameda St.

Adolfo had the cure for the cute blond shagginess that was irritating Anna at 14 months... and she did so well!

Disconnect No More

My stack of pictures to post has been growing since we've moved back to Texas. I have things to post dating back to May!

Fortunately though, we discovered our long-lost camera cord, and now I can transfer pictures to Blogger via my dad's computer (ours is still packed). I'll try not to overload you with too many at a time! ;)

Hiatus Schmiatus

Please accept my humble apologies for going nearly 2 months without a post. Here are a few of the things that have happened over that time period, and I hope to elaborate on some of them soon (as soon as I'm able to hook up my PC):

• Caleb finished his AWANA Cubbies year at church.
• Caleb celebrated his 4th birthday, with a Chuck E Cheese party in MO and a dinosaur "party" in Texas over the Memorial Day Holiday.
• We visited the Texas State Aquarium.
• The Lord brought to a close the long process that clamored for our attention for now, and we officially began the process of moving away from Missouri: packing, putting the house on the market, announcing to our church, saying tearful goodbyes, having goodbye parties, lots of hugs, et cetera.
• God sold our house.
• We left Springfield, MO for the last time as residents, but not the last time as visitors!
• We drove halfway to our new destination and stopped in to stay with Nanny and Dandy, barely missing First Monday.
• We drove the rest of our trip (7.5 more hours) on the Fourth of July and parked our little U-Haul in Mimi and Pawpaw's driveway.
• After a minor fiasco, arranged for our belongings to be moved successfully from MO to here in a record 13 days. (I'll get back to you on whether everything actually gets here.)
• Anna decided that her reason for existence was table food (finally!), i.e. Mimi's rolls.
• Grain harvest began.
• Scott's new ministry opportunity began.
• We had an interview?! for Caleb's Pre-Kindergarten class.
• Anna got her first haircut, aka bangs.

Peak your interest? More to come as we tie up loose ends/cords... :)

Four Years Tall

We're proud of our sweet boy, who incidentally just finished preschool today and has his birthday on Saturday. We recently had a conversation about how Anna just had her one-year birthday. Caleb's astute observation was, "Mama, soon I won't be three anymore; I'll be four years tall."

I'm grateful for the progress Caleb has made this year and how he's handled this year's challenges. He is growing up in the blink of an eye, so I thought I'd slow things down, if just for a moment, with a recap of the past four tall years.

Fifty-two...

Not a dominoes game (umm, that's 42), nor the price of a new outfit. Not the number of cards in a deck, nor the number of toys on our floor after Caleb and Anna emptied her toy basket in the living room today before we left for church (but close!).

Fifty-two is the number of Tuesdays that have passed since our sweet girl officially joined our family and lay, blinking at us, swaddled in her hospital blanket. Anna turned 1 today! While she was oblivious to the significance of today (and probably wondered why so many different voices sang at her from Mama's phone throughout the day), I can't help but recount some of the events of her first year:

coming exactly on her due date despite the threat of induction, sleeping through the night early on, smiling with squinty eyes and scrunched-up face, squealing as she discovered what her voice can do, finally rolling over, refusing to continue to roll over, clapping (loudly!), crawling at 11 mo, tooth at 11 1/2 mo, fully mobile shortly thereafter.


I thank the Lord for the first fifty-two, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for the fifty-two's to come!

...But I'm Not Tired...

Anna has had a general willingness to rest and stay asleep without too much protest. However, now that she's mobile, it's a different story. She needs a much longer wind-down routine, and she doesn't like it so much when I prep her for nap and lay her down in bed. Today, after listening to her cry some in protest, play a little, then cry a little (checking on her all the while), she finally went to sleep.




Of course, I moved her to a more comfortable position, but only after snapping two pictures!

Roughing It

The end of April brought a special treat for Caleb...
his first camping trip!

Scott took several of our college students camping in the Mark Twain National Forest, and Caleb went along. We packed his sleeping bag, a change of clothes, snacks, and curiosity, along with a healthy dose of "do not run off from Daddy" and "do not touch spiders or other weird insects." We prepped him for the lack of bathrooms and talked about the smart way to be around a campfire. He was raring to go! The trip was to be Friday afternoon to Saturday noon. If not for the rain that came the first hour and a half, it would have been absolutely perfect. (Luckily, we packed Uno, Go Fish, and some other diversions). Caleb had SO much fun!

Here's a pictorial smorgasbord for you to feast on...

All I want for Cinco de Mayo is...

una diente por mi hija!

Anna cut her first tooth this weekend (bottom right center), and today it's really poking through for the first time! Bottom left center and Top right center are not far behind.

No more "Anna, the toothless wonder".

I'll post pictures when I can manage to catch her with them showing! (Good luck, right? That tongue is always out!)

Life as we know it has changed....

Two true stories...

A little background: Caleb has had chapped lips frequently for quite some time. He has grown to love chap-stick, and we recently discovered Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers (flavored chap-stick). We keep it on the buffet table in the kitchen, along with a pencil cup and some other frequently used supplies. There are also a few other lip-balms that we've acquired. We also require that if Caleb wants to play in the kitchen/dining room, he has to be there with one of us, because we don't have a clear view of him from the living room.

Now with the story: When we needed new Dr. Pepper chap-stick, all I could find was a three-pack with Dr. Pepper, Cherry 7-up, and A&W rootbeer flavored balms. Caleb immediately abandoned his love for the Dr. Pepper one in favor of the Cherry 7-up variety. Because he wanders in there to use it often, I offered to make it solely his and wrote his name on it with a Sharpie while he was watching.


Thursday night we were home and Caleb disappeared for a little while into the kitchen. He was really quiet, and then we heard things rolling and dropping onto the wood floor. He assured us he wasn't "doing anything" and upon further examination, here is what I discovered:




Story number two: in multimedia form! The initial instance below happened Saturday. This clip was recorded today.

Coping with Everchanging Technology

Any Day Now

Anna is so close to crawling...

(waiting for upload approval from GodTube.com in order for the video to work. For now, I'll use YouTube, with the caution that, after the video, there's the chance that something inappropriate could pop up at the end. Please check back soon)

What Kind of Tree Am I?

Today has been a minor disaster. Among other little things that happened, a 3 1/2 year old and tired and hungry don't mix well. I am ashamed to admit that I wallowed for a little while, but then something that I marvel at Scott being able to do actually happened to me.

[I always wonder how he's able to recognize spiritual implications to little things that happen and turn them into illustrations. I knew all along that those came from the Lord, but it's been too long since I've been in-tune to how the Lord ties those "loose ends" together to turn the indirect into a direct lesson for me to learn personally (apart from the obvious lessons from obvious trials/events)]

In the midst of the frustration of Caleb's public episode, getting him home and disciplining him, and decompressing afterward, I glanced out at our beautiful whitebud tree that sits in our front yard. (see previous Spring post) It's not pretty anymore. The 4 or so evenings of sub-freezing temperatures that we had for the Easter weekend wreaked havoc on our flowers and trees, which were all beginning to bud and blossom. The whitebud still has its blossoms, but they are shriveled and yellow, and the new leaves at the end of each branch are dead. It's really a sad sight.

Instead of being further saddened, though, the Lord brought to mind a Scripture verse that I had written out and posted on my bathroom mirror during a recent hard time. Let me share Jeremiah 17:7-8 with you:

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

Hard times, whether they are hulking and large or full of tiny frustrations, will prove what kind of tree I am. Have I been confident in the Lord and his strength, or have I relied on my own? I shared with Caleb today that often times one bad decision leads to many more. Past failures aside, we have the opportunity to start over now.

What will my decision be, right here, right now, about trusting the Lord? It will surely affect how I will weather both good times and bad in the future.

Sunday School Answer

You've heard the running jokes about "Sunday School Answers." There's even the one about the little boy...

The Sunday School Teacher asks the children to figure out the answer to a riddle:
What is gray, has a bushy tail, and collects nuts?
No one answers at first. Then, a boy raises his hand and, in frustration, answers,
"It sure sounds like a squirrel, but I'm gonna say Jesus."

Have you ever noticed how we segment out Bible stories, retelling the favorite ones, celebrating the heroes, and going over rules we find? Personally, I have loved learning from Scripture, but only in my college/adult years has it truly "clicked" for me that there is a common thread that runs through the tapestry of all of the beloved stories and even the difficult parts to read (Leviticus, anyone? :) ) There is a bigger picture to all of this than just a recounting of history, religion, and morality.

Caleb and Anna both received children's Bibles from our church when we participated in Family Dedication services after their respective births. Caleb loves hearing the paraphrased stories of true, real, historical heroes of the faith. Now, however, I've stumbled across something that I think will still encourage him to discover Scripture's stories all while pointing him to the One to which all of its stories reference, directly or indirectly.
I even find myself with misty eyes as I rediscover how all of the stories in the Word "whisper His name," and as I remember that this is not just a compilation of true stories, but the active work of the Living, Loving God who was willing to give the ultimate sacrifice to restore and redeem us, His creation, for His glory, if we will believe in and follow His Son.

Here a couple of excerpts from The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones, published by Zondervan:

from "A Giant Staircase to Heaven" about the tower of Babel:

After that, people scattered all over the world (which is how we ended up with so many different languages to this day).

You see, God knew, however high they reached, however hard they tried, people could never get back to heaven by themselves. People didn't need a staircase; they needed a Rescuer. Because the way back to heaven wasn't a staircase; it was a Person.

People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them.

And, one day, it would.

from "The Girl No One Wanted" about Leah and Jacob and Rachel:

Now when Leah knew that God loved her, in her heart, suddenly it didn't matter anymore whether her husband loved her the best, or if she was the prettiest. Someone had chosen her, someone did love her-- with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love...

...

...One of Leah's children's children's children would be a prince -- the Prince of Heaven -- God's Son.

This Prince would love God's people. They wouldn't need to be beautiful for him to love them. He would love them with all of his heart. And they would be beautiful because he loved them.

Like Leah.

from "God's Messenger" about Jonah and the Whale:

Many years later, God was going to send another Messenger with the same wonderful message. Like Jonah, he would spend three days in utter darkness.

But this Messenger would be God's own Son. He would be called "The Word" because he himself would be God's Message. God's Message translated into our own language. Everything God wanted to say to the whold world -- in a Person.

I'd recommend that every home have a copy (or borrow one from a library!)... even if you don't have kiddos! What a refreshing reminder for all of us!

You can click on the picture above to visit the publisher's website, or you can likely find it in the children's section of your local Christian book store, but I found my copy at WalMart!

Playdate

Anna is loving being around other kids her age. She enjoys being in the church nursery with Caroline and Matthew, and she really enjoyed having Lana Kate over yesterday. Here are a few shots of them in action.

There was definitely a lot of squealing and babbling as these two girls tried to communicate their excitement of playing together (as if babies this age truly play together).

It's fun to see Anna interact. She isn't saying any identifiable words yet, BUT, she waves and mimics "hi" by saying a very Southern sounding "Hah". It's really cute, and I'd love to count it as her first word, but she's not using it exclusively for "hi". Here's a picture I snapped while she was saying it:

He Is Risen Indeed....and boy howdy, it's cold up here!

We celebrated Anna's first Easter yesterday! Caleb is beginning to understand what Easter is and why we celebrate it, which is both exciting and sobering to think about. I pray that the Lord gives me wisdom on how to encourage him and teach him as he gets old enough to understand exactly who our Savior is and why he needs Him just like we do.

Our church had three services (we had to be there for all three), and thanks to our handy dandy programmable pressure cooker, we were still able to eat an Easter lunch at home. We had the Lewters over, as well as Betsy, a friend who used to be one of our students.

playing music with Betsy

Lana Kate (8 mo.)

It's been pretty cold up here, as we had snow flurries on Friday and have had lows in the 20s for 3 or 4 days. (Poor flowers and veggie garden didn't have a chance) We don't emphasize the "easter bunny" much, but we do let Caleb search for eggs. It's so odd to have to hide and find eggs when it's in the 40s outside! But we did it anyway...

"Can I go outside yet?"

Showing off a "find" while surveying for more. He never stops :)

Enjoying the loot...