Early July Homecoming, or Veggies in Iraq

A couple of years ago, a guy walked into the church here for the first time. My mom just happened to be the one to greet him, and the next week she and Dad invited him to lunch after church. We just happened to be visiting from Springfield at the time, so we got to meet him, snazzy pinstriped slacks and all. :)

Fastforward to this past February. Lots of dinners at Mom and Dad's, game nights, a new-found friendship with my out-of-town sister, dating my sister, proposing to said sister, and lots and lots of flirting from Anna all comprise events that have happened over that time period. Then, Travis, being a civilian engineer for the Army, deployed voluntarily for the second time to Iraq. We knew that the months would be long for him and my sister until he returned in July. Then July came. We were so glad to see T back in the states!

Cheesy pose to show we were waiting anxiously, which was true, but the reality was that we spent a lot of time walking the kids around...

Licia wouldn't let us join her upstairs to meet him (why? Hmmmm... :) ), so we caught him as they came downstairs.

Caleb showed off his sign. Anna had been saying she was going to give T a "beeeeg hug." But she clammed up. I guess she had gone way too long without flirting with Travis.

But he hadn't gone alone! He had two stow-aways, mainly for Caleb and Anna's benefit. We were so excited that Travis took the time to bring a little piece of Iraq back for them. Check these Veggietales out. So brave...

Preparing for the long flight that would eventually end up in the Fertile Crescent, aka area of Ur, aka Babylon.

Hard at work and ready for anything...

Local wildlife.

Heavy Duty set of wheels...

Stylish transport, for sure.

Thanks, "Trav", for taking the time to do something special for our kiddos.

Also, it's T minus 7 days until you officially become Uncle Travis! We can't wait! :)

We're Baa-ack

We made it home last night around 10:45 after a stop in Austin for some Freebirds World Burritos. Mmmm. Even Caleb and Anna love the place! The running from Ike was a much needed personal retreat, and we're immensely thankful that Corpus was spared, especially since we were the target for quite some time in the forecasts. Our prayers go out to those in the Houston area who were affected.

For now, it's back to cleaning, de-boarding the windows (is that a word?), back to school, and back to the everyday grind. I'll get some posts up soon, I hope! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers while we traveled!

Ike's following us?

^^Update 3^^ We tried to make it as far as we could, and stopped at 2 am in Georgetown (N of Austin) for a four hour "nap" at a hotel and a continental breakfast. We hit the road again at 8 am. Currently, I'm "tethering" (see update 2) and we're about 15 minutes outside of our evac destination. Yea! The kids are doing great, and we just found out that our city back home just issued a mandatory evac order, even though we're not in the bulls-eye anymore. Just goes to show how wide the storm's effects will be... I may post again soon. Low battery.


<*UPDATE 2*> We packed up and left our home at 6:30 pm. Before we got on the highway, we checked in with my cousin who lives in town. They were finished boarding up but hadn't left yet. We decided to stay in town longer and help them get out of town sooner. Here's why: He and his wife have five kids. They're all under the age of 4. They have a newly-turned 4 yr old girl, a 2 yr old boy, and 2 month old TRIPLETS! They hadn't eaten supper yet, and neither had we, so we rustled up some Chick fil A and moseyed on over to help out. I can't imagine how long it would have taken for them to ready the house, pack, feed the older kids and themselves, feed the babies, and load the car without help!!! We got everything loaded and done by 9:30 and after dropping their other vehicle off elsewhere, we were on the road by 10. Yippee!! Looks like we'll be stopping somewhere overnight instead of powering through to North TX overnight. Thanks to a cool thing called "tethering" (connecting to the internet using your bluetooth phone as a modem), I'm updating from the road. We're 57 mi. south of San Antonio. Pray we don't get too sleepy. Traffic's light. Kids are sleeping. TTFN.






**UPDATE** I'll post updates by editing this single post: It's Wed. afternoon, and local schools have closed for the next two days at least. We've secured the church building as best as we could. Our home is boarded up thanks to the caravan of staff guys who've made the rounds. Now, I'm double-checking important paperwork that'll travel with us, and we're collecting several days' worth of clothing. We're off to Nanny and Dandy's tonight: seven hours plus depending on how packed the roads are (and we've heard they already are). Please pray for safe travels and for minimal property damage for all those involved!

The good news for our area is that the storm seems to be trending a little north of us. Nobody wants to be on the northeast side of the hurricane. However, it could always come straight over us or even south of us... no forecast is certain. The bad news is that they're thinking it'll be a cat 4 when it hits! That could mean around a 16ft. initial storm surge, winds between 131 and 155 mph and potentially a foot of rain in 4 hours!!! See the updated graphic below:






(previous update)
I still have more posting to do to catch you all up on what's going on at the McDonaldspot, but that'll have to wait for now. It's Ike's fault. He's got his eye on us, as we do on him, so we're doing laundry, collecting important paperwork and pictures, and preparing in case he comes for our area. I'll keep you posted here and on Facebook as to whether we actually have to evacuate on Wed. night or Thurs. morning, but for now, we appreciate your prayers! :)

McNuggets (9/1)

Just in time for Labor Day Grilling
(That is, if you're not on the Gulf Coast) See a unique way to clean your grill without having to use much elbow grease!

Remodeling Time
Check out this CS Lewis illustration about how it is that having a relationship with Christ is not what we expect... and yet is so much better.

Team Hoyt
Whether you've never seen it or have seen it 20 times, it's a moving depiction of a father's love and devotion.

No pockets?
Lots of us love Reef flip flops down here in Texas, but you have to check these out! I wonder if they really work well...

They chose life
I read this when it was posted back in early May. Little did I know that we'd get to know the mom profiled in a much more public way this past week. Also, I thought this photo below was a neat perspective on a historic moment...

only the second woman to be selected as a potential VP, and one who actually has a pretty decent chance of being elected. {Superficial note: Cute shoes!}

side note: Here's a picture prior to an equally timely moment from the Democratic National Convention... One that is interesting, I think, when comparing the I'd-rather-look-powerful-than-feminine image portrayed by their female candidate to the comfortable-looking-feminine image portrayed by the other candidate mentioned above. (Subtle, I know, but still there...)
{Superficial note: When you find a good pantsuit you like, get it in several different colors?}

*nine*

Here I am, two months behind on posting, but I couldn't pass up the momentous occasion that happened on our road trip:

Our 9 year anniversary!

Scott and I got to celebrate by spending the day in Tyler while Nanny and Dandy kept the kids. (This was prior to heading to Missouri). We got to eat good Mexican food at Mercados, and oddly enough, we went shopping so I could have something to wear for the Missouri wedding. How patient of Scott to (suggest that we) spend our time away doing one of the things he least enjoys! I'm grateful! :)

I thank the Lord always for His provision of a husband who has devoted his life to glorify God. He does so in the way he leads our family, the way he parents our kiddos, the way he loves me, and the way he is teachable when the Lord is working on an area of his life. I'm grateful that the Lord is daily shaping us for ministry. I'm looking forward to the many years ahead in which I'm privileged to serve alongside, support, and show love to Scott!

Here are some pre-1999 old-school pics to bring back some memories...

Road-trippin'

So, back to my post train of thought (catching you up to the present)...

We took a road trip mid-June (beginning with Sea World, then proceeding to North Texas, followed by Springfield, Missouri). The eight hour rides to each of the stops after Sea World were long, but the kids did so well.

We visited with Nanny, Dandy, Ashley, Mandi, Uncle Drew, and Aunt Debbie for a few days. Caleb loved the swimming pool, air hockey, Chuck E. Cheese, time with Webkinz and Mandi simultaneously, and his first experience with a Nintendo DS (uh-oh!). Anna loved clinging to my neck in the pool, but wanted to go-it on her own (not possible in the 3 ft. pool). She also loved to lead oldest cousin Ashley all over Nanny's house in circuitous fashion. We were all excited for her, as she had a very successful first experience sleeping in her own non-crib bed/air mattress. As a result, we went ahead and set up a real bed in her room when we got back home!

Following our time there, we trekked on up to Springfield, MO, for the wedding of some friends. We stayed with dear friend "Beppy"/Betsy. Scott had the privilege of being one of two Best Men in the wedding, and I must say he "cleans up" nicely!

We also got to see a few of our many other dear friends. Some of them have moved to Kentucky, others to Iowa, some to Dallas, and others are serving faithfully in the Ozarks. It was a sweet time, and we're grateful for Betsy's hospitality, the generosity of Barron and Betsy to watch our kiddos during the wedding and rehearsal, and for being able to spend time with friends. Our time there was short, but special.

'Tis that time again...

Are you enjoying the Olympics like we are this year? I can't remember a year that I've enjoyed it more! I do think that the opening ceremonies were spectacular despite the faked fireworks and the fake singer. (I'll save my thoughts on the reason for the fake singer for another time.)

I loved watching the men's 4x100 swimming relay the other night... such persistence and what a way to finish strong!

I also look forward to one particular commercial, which I think rivals many Super Bowl creations. Enjoy!




Oh, and I think it's hilarious that in this "one-up" competition between basketball stars LeBron James and Yao Ming, that a marching band, Santa Claus, and an old-school Caddy with a cattle horn hood ornament end up on the American side. (The buffaloes--bulls?-- and pandas are funny too!)

Oh yes he did! *snap snap*

Evidently there was a multitude of comments on the original location from my last post about what to do about sharing a bad report about someone with others. One of the authors posted this response:

I'm struck that many commenters focus on identifying the exceptions, rather than camping out on the major emphasis of our short article—everything that comes from our mouths (and computers) should be truly constructive to any who hear or read. We should actively intend good, seeking to “give grace to those who hear.” That takes thought about one's motives, tone, framing, balance of emphases.

There are times to name what's wrong and to name names. Both Tim and I do that in our writing and teaching, and the article mentions in passing the call to such candor. I appreciate efforts of commenters to identify exceptions and nuances, when and how to make someone else’s apparent wrongs more widely known. Thoughtful work on that topic will break new ground, applying the call to “speak truth in love” into an instant-information context where all errors, blunders, sins, failings, and mere clumsiness are potentially available for public scorn. What does it mean to forebear each other in such a world? What does it mean to cover sins in mercy (not cover-up, but true covering in mercy), to allow others to find care and restoration in their own interpersonal context, rather than attempting to humiliate them before the whole world? What does it mean to express the sort of communal tenderness that Dietrich Bonhoeffer captures so well in Life Together—a communal life that includes reproof as a form of love?

But the leading edge of our argument is to place checks on the tendency we all have to snide, sneering, self-righteous, gossipy, malicious words. Any growth we can make in the direction of Ephesians 4:29 will make life much more joyous for all, and bring much glory to our God. And even criticisms I make become more hearable when I the critic am not posturing, but actually care about others. When I don’t care, my bad attitude and superiority becomes my actual message. Love is patient, love is kind . . . and then love is candid. I hope readers might even go back and give our article a second reading.

Blessings,

David Powlison

Oh no he didn't! *snap*

Exactly a week ago, I came across (through a string of random links) a blog argument. It was between 4 Christian gentlemen (pastors/professors) who would likely be well known in Christian circles here in the U.S. The argument began over a planned friendly debate concerning two viewpoints on an area of belief about God. The discussion disintegrated into hurtful and harsh comments on personal email that made its way to public blogs. I won't link to the blog that I read, so as not to pass it on, but I will tell you I was greatly dismayed and ashamed as I witnessed believers attacking other believers. I recognize that any sinner has the propensity to act this way, but it was a horrible witness on both sides. Resolution of the issue in a Godly way was nowhere to be seen, and hasty judgments were everywhere. The real reason for disagreement had become lost. I didn't know the people involved personally, but my heart was heavy; I found myself crying out, "There's got to be a Biblical way to resolve such a disagreement without harming the entire Body of Christ (the Church--as a whole) in the process!"

I was reminded of many times in the past that I've experienced wrong-doing, with a former teaching situation, with friends, with ministry, to people I didn't know very well, and toward ones I've loved. Then today, in God's providence, I came across an article that addresses the problem (and may have been aimed specifically at the situation above). It was a "yeah, that's the right way"/"ouch" discovery on my part. I found it particularly helpful and challenging. May I share it with you?

(be patient... the article may look long, but it's a quick read)

I challenge you to read it from 3 perspectives: As one who sees a problem with someone that you feel you need to address, as one who has been confronted, and as an observer whose friend has confronted another/been the confrontee.

Should You Pass on Bad Reports?
by Tim Keller & David Powlison


One obvious genius of the internet is that it’s “viral.” Information explodes to the whole world. The old neighborhood grapevine and the postal service seem like ox-carts in a speed-of-light universe. (Do twenty-somethings even know what those antiquities once were? In the old days, people had to talk to each other or stick a stamp on an envelope.) Instantaneous transmission produces some wonderfully good things. Truth, like joy, is infectious. A great idea feeds into a million inboxes. But it also produces some disastrous evils. Lies, rumors, and disinformation travel just as far and just as fast.

So what should you do when you hear “bad reports” about a person or church or ministry? We want to offer a few thoughts on how to remain constructive. To paraphrase Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome words come out of your computer, but only what is constructive, in order to meet the need of the moment, that what you communicate will give grace to everyone who ever reads it.” That Greek word translated “unwholesome” is sapros. It means something that is inedible, either devoid of nutritional value or rotten and even poisonous. It applies to thorny briars or to fish or fruit that’s gone bad. At best, it’s of no benefit to anyone. At worst, it’s sickening and destructive. Consider three things in how to stay constructive.

What Does James Say about Passing Along Bad Reports?

Humble yourselves before the Lord.
Brothers, don’t slander or attack one
another.
(James 4:10-11)

The verb “slander” simply means to “speak against” (Gk. kata-lalein). It is not necessarily a false report, just an “against-report.” The intent is to belittle another. To pour out contempt. To mock. To hurt. To harm. To destroy. To rejoice in purported evil. This can’t mean simple disagreement with ideas—that would mean that we could never have a debate over a point. This isn’t respectful disagreement with ideas. James warns against attacking a person’s motives and character, so that the listeners’ respect and love for the person is undermined. “As the north wind brings rain, so slander brings angry looks” (Prov. 25:23). Everybody gets upset at somebody else: slanderer, slanderee, slander-hearer.

The link of slander to pride in James 4:10 shows that slander is not the humble evaluation of error or fault, which we must constantly be doing. Rather, in slander the speaker speaks as if he never would do the same thing himself. It acts self-righteous and superior toward one’s obviously idiotic inferiors. Non-slanderous evaluation is fair-minded, constructive, gentle, guarded, and always demonstrates that speakers sense how much they share the same frailty, humanity, and sinful nature with the one being criticized. It shows a profound awareness of your own sin. It is never “against-speaking.”

James 5:9 adds a nuance: "Don’t grumble against one another." Literally, it means don’t moan and groan and roll your eyes. This refers to a kind of against-speaking that is not as specific as a focused slander or attack. It hints at others flaws, not only with words, but by body language and tone. In print, such attitudes are communicated by innuendo, guilt by association, sneering, pejorative vocabulary. In person, it means shaking your head, rolling your eyes, and re-enforcing the erosion of love and respect for someone else. For example, “You know how they do things around here. Yadda, yadda. What do you expect?” Such a “groan” accomplishes the same thing as outright slander. It brings “angry looks” to all concerned. Passing on negative stuff always undermines love and respect. It’s never nourishing, never constructive, never timely, never grace-giving.

What Does the Book of Proverbs Say about Receiving Bad Reports?

He who covers over an offense promotes love,
but whoever repeats the matter
separates close friends.
(Proverbs 17:9)

The first thing to do when hearing or seeing something negative is to seek to “cover” the offense rather than speak about it to others. That is, rather than let a bad report “pass in” to your heart as truth, and then get “passed along” to others, you should seek to keep the matter from destroying your love and regard for a person. How?

Start by remembering your own sinfulness. "All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord" (Prov. 16:2). To know this automatically keeps you from being too sure of your position and of speaking too strongly against people that you hear about or people on the other side of a conflict. You intuitively realize that you may not be seeing things right. Your motives are never as pure as you think they are. To know this acts to keep you from being too sure of the facts, too sure of your position, and of speaking too quickly and too negatively about other people. Knowing your own sinfulness helps you not make snap judgments that take what you hear too seriously.

When you remember your sinfulness, remember God’s mercies. "Love covers all offenses" (Prov. 10:12). The God who is love has covered all your offenses. He knows everything about you (and the whole story about that other person). He has chosen to forgive you, and life-saving mercy cost Jesus his life. He could write you up with a 100% True Bad Report, but he has chosen to bury your sins in the depths of the ocean. That makes the life and death difference. If your sins are not buried in the ocean of his mercy, then you will be justly exposed and will justly perish. But when you’ve known mercy, then even when you hear report of grievous evil, an instinct toward mercy should arise within you. To savor the tasty morsels of gossip and bad reports is very different from grieving, caring, and wishing nothing less than the mercies of Christ upon all involved. And most bad reports are much more trivial. They are the stuff of busybodies and gossips going “tut-tut-tut.”

Then remember that there is always another side. "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him" (Prov. 18:17). You never have all the facts. And you never have all the facts you need all at once. You are never in a position to see the whole picture, and therefore when you hear the first report, you should assume you have far too little information to draw an immediate conclusion. What you’ve heard from someone else is only “hear-say” evidence. It has no standing or validity unless it is confirmed in other ways.

So when you hear a negative report about another, you must keep it from passing into your heart as though it were true. If you pass judgment based on hear-say, you are a fool. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out the facts. Go to the person. Hear other witnesses. If you’re far away from the scene, wait for more of the story to come out. Suspend judgment. Don’t get panicked or stampeded by mob-psychology and rumors. Be content not to know many things. You don’t need to have an opinion about everything and everyone.

Third, what should you do if you are close enough to the situation to be involved AND you think the injustice or matter is too great or grievous for you to ignore? For starters, notice that you only really need to know something if it touches your sphere of life and relationships. In that case, you should do what will help you to express God’s call upon you to speak Ephesians 4:29 words of wise love.

In Derek Kidner’s commentary on Prov. 25:7–10, he writes that when you think someone has done wrong you should remember, “One seldom knows the full facts (v.8) and one’s motives in spreading a story are seldom as pure as one pretends (v.10). To run to the law or to the neighbors is usually to run away from the duty of personal relationship.” See Christ’s clinching comment in Matthew 18:15: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." In short, if you feel the problem is too great and you can’t keep it from destroying your regard for the person, you must go personally before you go to anyone else.

When Should You Go?

Galatians 6:1 says we are to go when a person is caught in a trespass. That means there should be some kind of "pattern" or the unmistakable exposure of a wrong. Don’t go the first time you hear a bad report about someone doing wrong. As we said above, there’s another side to most stories, and our motives are never totally pure when we get indignant. Go if the person seems caught—that is, trapped or stuck in a habit pattern of wrong behavior or falsehood.

How Should You Go?

Galatians 6:1 says we are to restore gently and in humility, bearing all the fruit of the Spirit. Beware of your own tendencies to be tempted—perhaps to the same sin, perhaps to reactive sins of self-righteousness or judgmentalism, perhaps to avoidance sins of cover-up and pretending. Galatians 6:2 goes on to say that we actually fulfill the law of Christ by bearing each other’s burdens. We become nothing less than lesser redeemers in the pattern of our Great Redeemer. Jesus in Matthew 18:15ff says we should also go persistently, and not give up in the process. Patience is one fruit of the Spirit because problems don’t always clear up quickly. There is a progression in efforts to get to the bottom of a bad report, to confirm the facts, and to work at bringing restoration.

Who Should Go?

Galatians 6 says you—plural—who are spiritual should go to the straying one. That both defines how you should go and it calls for multiple people to get involved. Similarly Matthew 18:15ff says to bring in other people if matters don’t resolve one to one. The right kind of checking out a bad report is always done in person and often will be done by involving multiple wise persons.

Why Should You Go?

In both Galatians 6 and Matthew 18 the goal is to restore the person and to re-establish sin-broken relationships. You are working to restore people both to God and to others.

Conclusion

In summary, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the principle is this. If you hear bad reports about other Christians you must either cover it with love or go to them personally before speaking of it to any others.

• The first thing to do is to simply suspend judgment. Don’t pass on bad reports.
• The second thing to do is “cover” it in love, reminding yourself that you don’t know all about the heart of the person who may have done evil—and you know your own frailty. Don’t allow bad reports to pass into your own heart.
• The final thing to do is go and speak to them personally.

What you should never do is rush to judgment, or withdraw from loving another, or pass on the negative report to others. This is challenge enough when you’re dealing with the local grapevine or slow-moving postal service. In a world of instant world-wide communication of information it’s an even bigger challenge, because you can do bigger damage more quickly.

Whether the bad report offers true information, or partial information, or disinformation, or false information—it is even more important that you exercise great discretion, and that you take pains to maximize boots-on-the-ground interpersonal relationships.

I hope this Biblical perspective is helpful to you like it was to me! I love that there is an Answer as to how to address gossip and reconcile true issues of wrong-doing (without simply ignoring the wrong-doing). It involves humility on both sides. I admit I've failed in how I've responded to multiple issues. It helps me to be reminded of what John Newton said (a former slave trader who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace after having his life changed by Christ):

“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior.”

—John Newton, quoted in Jonathan Aitken, John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007), 347

McNuggets (7/27)

Check out these links I've stumbled across...

Plan a money-free weekend
Lifehacker brought us a link to a great article on things to do when you plan a money-free weekend. Gas prices may be going down, but I imagine we all could use this idea.

Veep Watch: Bobby Jindal
As the election season progresses, be watching for potential VP candidates. Here's a spotlight on Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and also his religious beliefs.

Does Archaeology match up with Biblical Accounts?
Dr. Leen Ritmeyer was recently interviewed on his discoveries about Calvary and the tomb of Christ. This guy knows his stuff!

A Father for the Fatherless?
The subject of adoption is everywhere I look lately. I have friends who are adopting, friends who are adopted, and my google reader subscriptions even seem to be developing an adoption mindset. How does that affect me? You? Our relationship to God? Check out the link above, this article, this friend's page, and this friend's page. (How's that for a 4-piece McNugget bonus?)

SeaWorld

To begin our vacation through North Texas and Missouri, we met up with the Haiglers, Hills, and Burnetts, and took Caleb and Anna on their first trip to Sea World!



Caleb got a chance to touch and feed the dolphins there!
(Anna fell asleep)

Some may boast of prowess bold

of the school they think so grand,
but there's a spirit that ne'er be told,
it's the Spirit of Aggieland.We packed the car and went on a road trip in early June. It was a trip of nostalgia, visiting friends, taking family photos, and staying with Aunt Sheesha (according to Anna).

I never understood why Dad and Mom had to take us sight-seeing as kids around the Texas A&M campus, but when we found ourselves doing the same to Caleb and Anna, it suddenly made sense. Seeing places that held dear memories for us brought the desire to share them with our kids.

Bryan/College Station has changed in so many ways in the decade or so since we've been in classes there. The southern edge of town is nearly the middle now. There are more restaurants than you can shake a stick at. (?) New construction of homes and shopping areas are springing up everywhere. Even in the summer, the campus was active with new student conferences, and traffic was still a consideration. Yet several places remain and flourish that we absolutely have to visit when given the chance.

One is Double Dave's Pizzaworks. Oh, the peproni rolls (yes, that's how they're spelled)...


Another is Freebird's World Burrito. Caleb and Scott shared a son/dad experience -- a half bird for C and a Monster for S.

We visited with our friends Kyle and Christine, who are about to leave Texas to plant a church in Virginia. Since we saw them and spent time with Will, Reese, and Luke, their house has sold. Praise the Lord! Check out their blog for information and updates.

Our friend Liz took some great family pics of us on the University's West Campus. If you're just that curious, I may be able to email you a link to the proofs. They turned out great.

We spent a great few days with Licia at her house during this time. If we'd had a little more time, we would have gone to Sunday services at Central and hugged the necks of several friends while there.

The Lord really grew us and blessed us during our years there. It's so much fun to go back and visit. Thank you Lord for using that time in so many ways, bringing Scott and me together, and placing people in our lives to invest in us so that we'd be prepared to invest in others!

^(keep)

Just a quick up-keep blurb about new McDonaldSpot features:

• a new layout... what do you think?

• a third playlist on the finetune player (lower right side) -- Kid Music -- a mix of silly songs, traditional songs, and kids' worship tunes

• if you'd like to keep listening while web surfing, click Pop the Player Out on the black screen, and your music won't disappear.

• McNuggets are here! I plan to make this a weekly or semi-weekly post, depending on how many interesting links I stumble across.
  

McNuggets (7/19)

Welcome to the first installment of McNuggets!

Do you remember how those little tidbits were once rumored to be many things other than chicken? I think I even heard Kangaroo once. Well, you can expect to find a true hodgepodge of link tidbits with every 6-piece McNuggets you encounter here at the McDonaldSpot. Expect some thought provocation, some silliness, and some curious things as well.

(tip of the hat to Tim Challies and his A La Carte series, as well as Sarah Jo and her For the Love of Links series for the great idea)

JellyTelly
VeggieTales founder Phil Vischer is launching a new venture this fall. Check out the preview now!

Trust
Don't miss this great photo from Iraq.

Drive-Thru Kid Wash
Beat the heat and give your kids a treat with this cool DoItYourself sprinkler project.

Wordle to get the gist
Use Wordle (a tag-cloud online program) to highlight frequent appearances of words in a text. Here, find the wordle of the complete text of the ESV Bible (OT and NT). Make your own if you'd like!

Like to write in books?
Use this neat trick to prevent, yet at the same time enable, compulsive book-writing, even in those that aren't your own.

Send a Surprise
You've got to see this unique idea for sending greetings to a college student, friend who moved, or anyone else, for that matter!


Hope you enjoyed this order of McNuggets. There will be more to come soon!

C+A+L+E+B = 5

I can't believe that my sweet boy is 5! We celebrated his birthday at Mimi and Pawpaw's on Memorial Day Weekend.

Below are some pics from his birthday breakfast at our house.


Still pretty groggy...

Opening presents did the trick!

Anna looked on while she scarfed down some cereal.

Science around every corner

I love that we can travel easily to the beach for one particular reason: the hands-on science lessons for the kids! (I don't care much for Texas beaches, and I don't get excited about hanging out on the beach in general) The cool thing Caleb discovered on this outing with some of our church staff was that many shells were washing up on the shore, complete with their original inhabitants living inside!

Here is our good friend, Bo, helping Caleb search for more critters...

Here are a few more fun pics!

"Yea, water!"

like brother, like sister...except she wouldn't get wet.

WALL-E thoughts...Compacted (heh heh heh)

[update: on further review, I was still a little disappointed, but I didn't mean to spend so much time on the soap box below :) ]

****WARNING: If you're determined to see it and don't want anything spoiled, skip the post entirely*****


**********SPOILER ALERT*************
(don't say I didn't warn you)



We took Caleb to see his second movie in a theater yesterday. His first was the VeggieTales movie about those adorable but lowly Pirates. It was GREAT!

For his second, we chose WALL-E by Disney/Pixar. Admittedly, we didn't know much about the plot except for the vague inference of the boy Wall-E making friends with a new-fangled girl robot. We left the movie with mixed reviews. Caleb would say it was fun (but not overly enthused). Scott was very impressed with the computer animation, and rightly so! I was somewhere between non-plussed and irritated.

The characters of the movie were great: the diligent, nostalgic, and very endearingly expressive trash compacting Wall-E; the cool, determined, and sleek Eve; the petite and tenacious cleaner-bot; and steadfast, hale, and strangely charming little cockroach. The animation was truly stellar (pun intended: much takes place in space). All in all, I had no problem with the general story line: robot is lonely, meets girl robot, desires innocent companionship and romance like he has seen on film clips of Hello Dolly.

My problem lies with the premise. Enter the hero, doing this daily job faithfully: compacting trash into efficient little cubes. The problem is that he's stacking cubes into huge skyscrapers that dwarf the actual skyscrapers of the big American city he occupies. This city has long been abandoned and the other WALL-E robots have broken down, but still Wall-E remains resourceful and even finds time to glean sentimental items from the trash heaps (a light bulb, a Rubik's Cube, Christmas lights). See, the earth has been abandoned after the all-controlling BigBox store has taken over every aspect of society, society has over-consumed and trashed the world, and thus society has been relocated to a giant space cruise ship. The hope is that once the robots get everything cleaned up, everyone can return. There's just one thing (OK, maybe several): Wall-E is all that remains after 700 years, and the space cruisers have become (all of them) morbidly obese and technological hermits.

Seriously, must we brainwash our kids with hyperbole? I've taught Caleb about being a good steward since he was 2, and I'm ready to start with Anna. I want to teach them to take care of their toys, others' belongings, and why litter is bad. They need to know that having stuff is not what makes a person happy. I want them to realize that all we have is from God, and He wants us to practice stewardship and simplicity for the time that we're here on Earth.

But, good grief! I'm getting a little agitated by the current trend of promoting Eco-issues to the point that we're worshiping the environment instead of the Creator. I won't even start on what I think about Global Warming, mercury-filled halogen light bulbs, and carbon footprints. It's time that being Green takes a permanent backseat to being Godly.

Should you go see Wall-E? Use your discernment. At the age of 5, Caleb was a little oblivious to the propaganda, but I will still work to make sure he understands what the truth is. Had Wall-E been built on a different premise, it would have been GREAT. If I had it to do over again, though, I'd skip it and see that VeggieTales film again on video.

Coming Attractions

Yes, I know that this is a sorry excuse for a blog post, but in order to keep me accountable and also to wet your whistle:

Coming Soon to a McDonaldSpot near you...
(in some order, but mostly chronological)

• My thoughts on Wall-E ***spoiler alert***
• Caleb's Bday
• Trip to Aggieland
• Sea World is cool (and really hot)
  
• Road trip! Canton and Missouri
  
• BIG Tahtors. Dey're Tomin'! (harvest is here!)
• A new regular post series with random links I've come across (fun, strange, crafty, etc.) PLEASE help me with names by posting a comment or responding to the poll on the right sidebar! Clever phrases or names are encouraged! Puns are even better! For some reason, most of my ideas seem to be food related...
  

The Moment has Arrived!

...talk about a loaded title...

I'm referring to the posting online of Scott's sermon during our church's Generations series based on Titus 2, which speaks to different generations within the church body.

The site is relatively new, and they've changed video players, so I've yet to figure out how to embed the file straight to the blog. When that happens, I'll post it anew!

Until then, you can watch the sermon in full here, but be sure to click on Generations #4 -- College Students (but boy, does the message apply to all of us!).

We've had a loaded summer as well, so be looking for upcoming posts documenting our month of June!

Something's hiding in my closet

(HT:Josh Harris)

Have you ever thought something in your house was out of place, but you seriously couldn't remember moving it yourself? I'd check my closet if I were you... check out this really strange article. btw, I have so many more questions about this that the article just didn't answer...

Post Leftovers and Summer Fun

Ok, somehow that sounds really gross to me, (leftovers...) but in effort to get some comments from you readers out there, I'm going to do a...


BUMP! (also known as TTT or To The Top)


from a previous post: Summa-time

I didn't think that the thought of summer would ever be a daunting
one for me. However, now that I've had our first school year of consistent
home-life structure, I'm a little intimidated by the prospect. That's not to
say that we don't have plenty of things clamoring for our attention. It's
more a matter of the desire I have to make the most of our time.

Both Caleb and Anna are pretty good at playing together and
independently, but I really want to keep some semblance of structure going
on instead of depending on their abilities to keep busy (or tv and computer
for that matter). So, consider this a poll of all you moms out there: What
activities and other things do you institute during the summer for your
kiddos? What would you like to put in place? Please click the comments link below to add your very appreciated two cents!

I really want to hear your ideas!

I LOVE to share things I find, so here are a few things I've come across, thanks to the girls at GirlTalk.

• Summer is Important
• Summer has Potential
• DEAR time
• Summer Vacations here and also here (The second has a linked-to pdf file with more ideas.)
• Summer Meals (includes pdf file link with 30+ recipe ideas)
• Summer Goals and Projects (This one has a link to a pdf file of ideas also.)
• Summer Activities (Check out the pdf link here, too.)

Heard at the McDonaldspot

Lest you think our kids are perfect, let me fill you in on what we heard at the grandparent's spot tonight:

(setting: dinner with a family friend is over, and we're sitting at the table talking. The kids are playing in the toy room, but they're getting restless. Caleb wants to build a marble run, but it's not safe to do so around Anna. We've told him "no" twice.)

Caleb from the living room: You know what would make me happy? Getting to play with the marble tower right now. I really want someone to make me happy right now.


We tried really hard not to laugh. Of course, the situation was dealt with, but have you ever been there? I don't mean with kids... have you ever been there?

Both the tune from this Chase Credit commercial and the theme of this settlement commercial sum it up pretty well, but haven't we all had a (several) bout(s) with that yucky part of our sin natures called selfishness?

...Not to mention the instant gratification that we crave from technology, fast food, and just about everything else in life.

I searched for some applicable verses when I decided to post this funny comment by our sweet boy. Here's what I found that encouraged and challenged me:

2 Corinthians 5:14
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Philippians 2:3,4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
both NIV translation

It's definitely a daily battle, but with the Holy Spirit's help and strength, I'm up to the challenge. Are you?

Constant Awe, Weighty Responsibility

I can't fully express the awe, excitement, joy, and gratitude I feel when I get yet another glimpse of how from the beginning of time, God has had a purpose in everything and how everything in Scripture points to Jesus and our need for Him. Whether that be the need for a Savior to restore what was lost when Adam and Eve sinned, the prophecy statements in Isaiah that Jesus fulfilled to the "t", or the symbolic example set by Jonah -- three days in the depths, then coming back to live anew, every story whispers His name.

I love the big picture of God's plan. I've recently studied about the Promised Land (linked to in previous post), and I read through Deuteronomy to get some context. There were the Hebrew people, poised (for the second time) to enter the land God had promised them . They had been there once before, but because they didn't have the faith to enter the wonderful land due to its formidable people, they were punished with years of wandering.

Now, at the Jordan River opposite Jericho, Moses stopped the people for some important words. The book of Deuteronomy (Greek deuteronomium = second law) is named for what Moses did there: he recounted the law God had given their parents' generation and reminded them of everything the Lord had done for their people. The new generation that would be entering the land (minus their faith-less parents who died during the wandering) must know Who gave them the land, His love for them as His chosen people, the necessity of obedience to His laws, and the consequences that would definitely come if they disobeyed. It was really a first-things-first situation. They had to be reminded in order to fully appreciate what was about to happen: God's faithfulness, provision, and protection.

The Hebrews went on to conquer the very peoples that their parents' generation had feared. Many of the battles were won without much effort on their part, because God led the way and showed His glory. Obedience led to victory and blessing. Disobedience led to failure and deaths at the worst, and assimilation in to a culture that worshiped other gods at the least (maybe that was the worst). The book of Joshua recounts this process of the Israelites possessing the land.

The people had been faithful to the Lord for the time of Joshua's leadership and the elders' leadership during that time. Then we reach the book of Judges.

In the first chapter we see that the tribe of Benjamin refuses to drive out the people in their territory. Assimilation begins. In chapter 2, we learn that enough time has passed for that faithful generation to pass away. Here's the disheartening part:

2:10

And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

2:11

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.

2:12

And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.

The remainder of the account in Judges shows the downward spiral of God's people, as God brought a Judge to bring them out of disobedience to faithfulness, they obeyed for a while and prospered, and then they began to worship other gods again.

What caused this?

There arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work He had done for Israel.

Thus the weighty responsibility:
to teach our children faithfully. To recount to them how God has moved throughout history and also personally in our lives. That's a hard thing to do! It doesn't come naturally to me to speak of spiritual things face-to-face with people. Is it the fear of being hyper-spiritual? Is it lack of gratitude or recognition of God working in everything? I hope not! But how convicting that blogging is another situation entirely for some reason. I pray that the Lord will guide me in making daily talk about Him a more consistent part of our family's life together. I pray that He'll give me boldness to make every moment a teachable one, that perhaps the Holy Spirit will use me to awaken their hearts to the One who can free them from the entrapment and despair of our sinfulness.

but there's a tangent to that...
to share Truth with others. After all, we can see evidences now that faith is much less important these days. Scratch that... religion and "spirituality" are important, but very relative and often composed of a mish-mash of different belief systems. I'm praying that I'll be bold enough to speak openly of the difference Christ makes. Not to make converts; rather, so that no one has to live life without a relationship with the One who made them, that life can be more than just "hopeful". Instead it can be one of true hope: a guaranteed hope you can "take to the bank." The promise is that we can be freed of our inability to measure up to God's standard if we'll accept that Christ sacrificed himself to pay our penalty for sin -- that giving our lives over to Him is actually freeing and allows us to live abundantly and bring Him glory. I worry sometimes that when I am bold enough, I don't communicate effectively. Yet the urgency of making sure that current generations know the Lord makes me want to combat that worry and trust that the Lord can use even my flawed communication for His glory.

I'm tempted to apologize for a lengthy post, but I'll stop myself and be reminded that to be more comfortable speaking of Christ is exactly what I'm needing.

Want some parenting resources to help you accomplish teaching your children as well? How about Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, Teach them Diligently by Lou Priolo, and the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. I love these, and though I'm not proficient at what I've learned from them, I'm working on it! Another, which I haven't read but looks promising, is Parenting with Scripture by Kara Durbin.

How about music? We LOVE Hide 'Em In Your Heart vol. 1-3 by Steve Green and Seeds Family Worship (4 CDs) All-Scripture-lyrics make it easy for the kids (AND ME!) to memorize and internalize God's Word so we can apply it to our lives.

Summa-time

So today is the start of the first day of summer... for our family at least. Caleb just realized this last night when Scott asked him what he was going to do tomorrow. Caleb easily came up with some ideas, but I was at a loss.

I didn't think that the thought of summer would ever be a daunting one for me. However, now that I've had our first school year of consistent home-life structure, I'm a little intimidated by the prospect. That's not to say that we don't have plenty of things clamoring for our attention. It's more a matter of the desire I have to make the most of our time.

Both Caleb and Anna are pretty good at playing together and independently, but I really want to keep some semblance of structure going on instead of depending on their abilities to keep busy (or tv and computer for that matter). So, consider this a poll of all you moms out there: What activities and other things do you institute during the summer for your kiddos? What would you like to put in place? Please click the comments link below to add your very appreciated two cents!

They're Exploding!

...Anna's language skills, I mean!

This past week has seen her putting together micro sentences much more adeptly than before! I love this stage where we are communicating better and better. She's even singing to herself. I've yet to understand most of those songs, but it's fun to listen! She's such a sweetheart!

First Ups

It seems I'm developing the habit of doing mass posts on the weekends. I'll try to remedy that for the future, but make sure you catch all five of the posts I wrote for this weekend! Pictures galore...

We also managed to catch a first on video this weekend!

Anna actually got some air!

First Sleepover

Some friends in our lifegroup had the chance to attend a marriage conference right here in the area, so we agreed to help them by keeping their youngest son, who is Caleb's age, for two nights. They get along pretty well. These pictures were taken yesterday afternoon as they played at my parents' house, had a picnic, and rode on a tractor. It was also before they got tired of each other last night. :) Overall, it was an exhausting (for me) and good weekend. I was glad to help... but now I need sleep.

B is for Brownies, Birthdays, and Blowing out pretend candles?

Caleb gets to have a day off from school for his birthday! Well, sort of. Caleb was born on Memorial Day, and his birthday falls during that holiday again! He got to have his school celebration on Friday, and though he didn't act crazy or prideful, you could tell he loved his moment in the spotlight. We love Mrs. James. She's done a great job of meeting the varied needs of the students in her class this year!