I don't remember ever seeing clearly. We think it was caused from an accident when I was very young. I started seeing double and we called it a "lazy eye" and some pretty intense far-sightedness. I suppose I get along just fine these days. Thankfully the years of my ENORMOUS, red, Sally Jesse Raphael glasses are over! My parents invested in some contacts when I was 15 and I was a new gal! However, since arriving at Camp Marannook, I've noticed that my vision isn't what I thought it was. My children's vision is WAY better than mine. Sort of frustrating.
For instance, today at "The Rock," our favorite after dinner hang-out to catch tadpoles and frogs, Julia mentioned that there were, "a million" tadpoles swimming in one certain area. I went to look and didn't see one. Then, tonight, the girls asked to go catch lightening bugs, of course I said yes. I finished up my Amazon order (I love my free Prime trial membership!) and headed outside. They said that they could see them all over the place. Me? Notsomuch. I have forgotten. It's like in Hook when Peter Pan is confronted with the cold hard facts about growing up. He forgot how to imagine. I think my vision has failed because I stopped using it. I stopped looking.
So, tonight I looked. In fact, I did look pretty hard for those tadpoles, I think she scared them away and they were hiding under the algae. But I was looking for the fireflies. Shoes off, age aside, I was running after them. I haven't caught one, but it's a victory to see them, isn't it? Then, after we had spun each other around until we fell down giggling into the wet grass (that is SO AWESOME...even more AWESOME is that the maintenance men from camp cut it! Those of you who know us know what an ENORMOUS deal that is!!!) we lay there watching the stars come out one by one. I saw them. At first I could only see 2, but as the night wore on and my eyes adjusted I could see them appear. It was like we showed up for one of God's daily wonders that we have ignored for quite some time. I almost wanted to clap and sing, "Again, again...do it again Jesus!" I didn't sing or clap because Anson was going on and on about the stars fitting into other stars and galaxies and blah blah blah :) that finally I said we should just be still and listen to the night. As the night got darker, my sight got clearer. Probably just another miracle, huh?
Something I have noticed as I've been here almost 4 weeks, is how nervous I get of time. I think I have trained my children to enjoy down time, but I don't like having "little" to do. I think as adults we might schedule our children for our own sakes, not theirs. They are happy laying in the grass...are we? I'm finding that being here is giving me what I say I want, time with my children, and it's an adjustment. It's easy to be with my children and never really speak to them...or listen to them. (although Mike just took them to Camp to listen to Mr. Charles read to the staff, they just finished The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and have started the Magicians Nephew...he reads to them for 30 minutes before they go to bed) I'm enjoying the QUIET!
So, I think I'm going to read my new book, Exploring the World of Mathematics, but I just wanted to encourage those of you who read this (I think it's neat that you do) to have your vision checked. Go to the Great Physician and find out if you are seeing things clearly, or at all. I'll tell you what, if you aren't seeing things clearly, you are missing out. Lay a blanket in the yard, spin your kids around until they can't walk straight, my best friend counted how many times they saw fireflies light up in a minute...that's counting God's glory! Imagine...counting God's glory...did I just make that up? I think I did, but what a great idea! Look for it, listen for it, His word promises that if we seek Him, we WILL find Him, if we seek Him with all our heart. So, I guess I can't remember seeing clearly, until tonight.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Camp by me, Love
I love that movie with the adolescent Patrick Dempsey doing the wild ant eater dance! Only it's, "Can't by me love." Well, this summer I'm putting a little spin on it as we are settled in a small town in Alabama at a camp with a big heart for a Huge Savior.
The sad thing is that, as usual, there will be no pictures. I hate that about my blog and yet I do nothing about it! At some point there will be some. I need to check with the CEO to find out what can be posted and what should not be posted...so until then, my words will have to do. This will not satisfy family, I'm sure...but I'm doing the best I can. Onward!!!
For several YEARS Mike has battled with the Spirit as to what he is supposed to be doing and where. We've taken the Perspectives on World Missions course, and that confirmed that we are not headed overseas, we've looked into teaching abroad...still nothing...and then we spoke with a friend about camp ministry. After a few years of struggling I finally said, "Alright, if you could do ANYTHING what would it be?" His response, "I love camp. I'd love to raise our family at camp." Alright, I thought, now we are getting someplace. So, last year we sent out a few applications to camps and again...nothing. So, we moved into our house. You remember my new countertops and the bookshelves. Well, an opportunity popped up for us to spend a summer at camp sort of investigating if this was for us. So, here we are. Our summer adventure at Camp Marannook. I think I can put the name of the camp, in fact, if you are looking for a top-notch camp to send your children to, look no further! So, I wanted to give everyone sort of an update as to what we are doing and what our days look like.
Every day is different, yet they have elements that remain the same. We wake to Secret Worship. That's a time where we read our chapters for the day before we "begin" our day. We are reading through Romans and Acts, all of Psalms and some of the Epistles...I think, I'd have to check my schedule. Then we get everyone ready and head out the door a mile down the road to have breakfast at Manna. We arrive only a few minutes early and the Training Staff trickles in to start their day as well. The Training Staff are college students from as far as Indiana and as close as Auburn who have come here to study the word (over 100 hours total for the summer) and share the gospel through the camping experience. These students are AWESOME! They are intelligent and funny and passionate about knowing Jesus and making Him known. So, we circle up (picture roughly 57 people holding hands on an open air deck) to thank Jesus for our food and the day. After a clap confirming it's time to eat we start through the line. The high school girls, "kitchies" as they are aptly named, provide service with a smile. We eat GOOD! We find our places at our picnic tables and enjoy some sweet food and sweeter fellowship. Roughly 45 minutes into breakfast a deep voice with a charming southern drawl belts out the first line of scripture signaling to everyone to stop their conversation and listen to what Spurgeon has to say from "Morning and Evening" sometimes we read the Word, "On the Rocks" that's straight up! Once the reading is finished we get the plan for the day and within minutes the deck is cleared and everyone is off to their business. Our children find sticks and rocks to play with the other children who are family staff (their Dad is the maintenance director). I might meet with the Kitchen Director to finalize the menu/grocery list, maybe we'll take a walk with our neighbors (the maintenance family) around the lake and hit the low ropes course. Perhaps we'll catch some frogs or tadpoles at "The Rock." Some mornings I leave to grocery shop with sweet, Mrs. B, while a kitchie babysits my children. Either way, we're back at 12:30 to circle up again and to fill our bellies with food while the Spirit nourishes our souls as we talk and share. You see, we have many "traditions" here at Camp and 2 major traditions are, "No gossiping and No complaining." Do you know how pleasant an atmosphere is when those things are not tolerated. Like, seriously, not tolerated. After lunch it looks a little like after breakfast, only naps are pretty strictly enforced. My children are EXHAUSTED and they haven't even had their week of camp yet! I suppose it's all of the fresh air and good food! So, an afternoon of rest, sometimes this is where I grocery shop, and then it's back to Manna (our cafeteria) for dinner. We listen to reading after every meal and no one is excused until it's over. It's INCREDIBLE. Sometimes we might sing a hymn that "wafts" (as Mr. C puts it) up from our heart. It makes my heart so full. So very full. Usually after supper we are ready to head home and call it a day, but maybe we take a trip to the pool first for an evening swim, just the 5 of us. Mike is busy with the Training Staff, learning and growing and watching. Then we come home and shower and the kids head to bed while I start my little (sorta big) task of ordering the food. Mike makes his way home a little after 9:00, we have a little bit of a "debriefing" and it's off to bed. This camp thing is no "walk in the park" or "woods" for that matter! It's FULL!!!
A quick idea of what I'm doing. I am ordering food. It's no different from what any other Mom does, it's just on a much bigger scale! We needed 495 buns! How do you even get that??? We shop from 2 places and then order from one place twice a week that delivers our nosh on a truck. I told Mrs. B last night that I don't remember the last time when I didn't get good at something quickly. This is going to take some time. Everytime my phone rings I think, "Oh dear, what did I forget? What are we missing?" Yesterday the Kitchen Director called and in her super sweet voice, "Mrs. Ali, I was looking at the forks and we have 6 or 7." Me, "Boxes?" KD, "No, forks." With the Saturday picnic to look forward to the children and I loaded up and headed to Kroger. That was after I had forgotten feta and pepperoni earlier. Thankfully I was already out! The Lord has been kind to have me where I needed to be when I get these calls, but I feel frustrated that I'm not perfect at it. Enter my kind Savior. I think it's been a long time since I've really been stretched. I mean, homeschooling 4 people will stretch you, but do you know what I mean? That kind of stretch that comes from the Holy Spirt that confirms you belong to God and He will not allow you to be complacent. The good stretch that causes you to look to Heaven and praise Him for filling in your gaps...for revealing them...for increasing in your weakness. It's a good thing...no, it's a great thing. Each week I am getting a little bit better...but I'm nervous at every meal. I feel like I'm the food police. Last week everyone was pleasantly surprised that swiss cheese showed up. I panicked! Swiss cheese was for the ham quiche...would there be enough? AHHHHH!!!! The ham quiche was today, all 14 of them, and they were delicious and there was plenty of swiss cheese! Tomorrow I'll meet the food truck with Mrs. B to see what we ordered (or what we should have ordered) and hopefully that will help me do this better. I want to give a shout out to Mrs. Barbara and Mr. Charles...have you ever been around people who know Jesus forgave them their sins? Like, really have dwelled on it and have given their lives to responding to His grace? It's a pleasure to struggle to learn something under them because they understand our frailty and help you become what Jesus wants you to become. I still put a ton of pressure on myself, but their gentle leading and guidance excite me to do better...to trust in Jesus to enable me to do my job...and do it for His glory.
So, that's us. We got to go to the library last week. What a refreshing day that was! Our kind neighbor, fellow homeschooler and book lover, loaned us some books when she found out we didn't bring any (Camp has a library, we just haven't made it there yet) so we were THRILLED when the librarian at the local library allowed us to have cards to check out books. I was so very thankful that she didn't run a background check on our ability to return books on time. Or, maybe she did and she's hoping to make some cash for their library while we're here running up fines! This sweet place is a TON different from our library. It's smaller, it's actually in a room of the old Presbyterian Church. It just says, "LIBRARY" out front. They have a counter that they use to count the folks who enter. I don't know why that is so cute to me. We headed home with 30 books and the best part is that our neighbors came over to read with us. God has been kind to provide people that we never thought to ask for, as partners in this summer. Only a few days in, their mom said, "Do your children ask to come over to my house as much as my children ask to come to yours?" It's a fact...God has provided good friends for us for this adventure. He also provided some small "pets" in the form of Chad and Chase, our box turtles. The children built a little pen outside with bricks they found in our yard (scavengers) and it's sort of fun to watch those little guys. We toss fruit out there every now and then. They certainly don't replace Sonny who is romping on the Graham Fam Farm, but they are sort of fun to have.
I think that's about all. That's a long and broad overview of what the Wessner's are doing this summer. Perhaps one day I'll post pictures. Perhaps. If you've got children that need a break from the world and want them to have a Christ centered week...send them our way...we'd love to see some familiar faces! I checked with Charles and Barbara and for 1-4 graders for the week of June 30-July 5th it's not too late and for the week following there is also a bit of room, just not as much. Y'all, these counselors are PRECIOUS! Your children would be so blessed by their time here. We also have camp for 5-7th graders the last 2 weeks in July. I'm telling you, I've watched one group of campers come and go and it truly is a blessing to be in this place. Here is the link again to Camp Marannook.
Oh...our house. Picture an old brick house on a country road with white awnings over the windows...that's our house. We have just what we need and are enjoying our home away from home. I was slightly disappointed at our inability to keep tidy a place that doesn't even have 1/10 of our belongings. I suppose we are the problem and not our house or our stuff...we just aren't a "neat" crowd. Oh well, Jesus loves me of this I am CONVINCED!!! The 3 older kids are bunked together, Mike and I (of course) and Caroline has her own room. A Marannook Miracle is that we were really having a hard time with Caroline in a big bed, so much so that we put her back in the pack n play at home, we brought one with us, set it up, but she wanted to sleep in the PRECIOUS bed provided. She stays in that bed and SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! We are so thankful and are trying to figure out how to sneak the bed home! :) Not really, there's not a single place for it...I do wish we could, though. So, we are doing well. Clearly God has placed us here for such a time as this and as we find our way, we find Him. It's a privilege to be here, to serve and be served as the Spirit ministers to us all calling us to lay it all down, consider it all rubbish that we might know Christ.
May it be so. Amen.
The sad thing is that, as usual, there will be no pictures. I hate that about my blog and yet I do nothing about it! At some point there will be some. I need to check with the CEO to find out what can be posted and what should not be posted...so until then, my words will have to do. This will not satisfy family, I'm sure...but I'm doing the best I can. Onward!!!
For several YEARS Mike has battled with the Spirit as to what he is supposed to be doing and where. We've taken the Perspectives on World Missions course, and that confirmed that we are not headed overseas, we've looked into teaching abroad...still nothing...and then we spoke with a friend about camp ministry. After a few years of struggling I finally said, "Alright, if you could do ANYTHING what would it be?" His response, "I love camp. I'd love to raise our family at camp." Alright, I thought, now we are getting someplace. So, last year we sent out a few applications to camps and again...nothing. So, we moved into our house. You remember my new countertops and the bookshelves. Well, an opportunity popped up for us to spend a summer at camp sort of investigating if this was for us. So, here we are. Our summer adventure at Camp Marannook. I think I can put the name of the camp, in fact, if you are looking for a top-notch camp to send your children to, look no further! So, I wanted to give everyone sort of an update as to what we are doing and what our days look like.
Every day is different, yet they have elements that remain the same. We wake to Secret Worship. That's a time where we read our chapters for the day before we "begin" our day. We are reading through Romans and Acts, all of Psalms and some of the Epistles...I think, I'd have to check my schedule. Then we get everyone ready and head out the door a mile down the road to have breakfast at Manna. We arrive only a few minutes early and the Training Staff trickles in to start their day as well. The Training Staff are college students from as far as Indiana and as close as Auburn who have come here to study the word (over 100 hours total for the summer) and share the gospel through the camping experience. These students are AWESOME! They are intelligent and funny and passionate about knowing Jesus and making Him known. So, we circle up (picture roughly 57 people holding hands on an open air deck) to thank Jesus for our food and the day. After a clap confirming it's time to eat we start through the line. The high school girls, "kitchies" as they are aptly named, provide service with a smile. We eat GOOD! We find our places at our picnic tables and enjoy some sweet food and sweeter fellowship. Roughly 45 minutes into breakfast a deep voice with a charming southern drawl belts out the first line of scripture signaling to everyone to stop their conversation and listen to what Spurgeon has to say from "Morning and Evening" sometimes we read the Word, "On the Rocks" that's straight up! Once the reading is finished we get the plan for the day and within minutes the deck is cleared and everyone is off to their business. Our children find sticks and rocks to play with the other children who are family staff (their Dad is the maintenance director). I might meet with the Kitchen Director to finalize the menu/grocery list, maybe we'll take a walk with our neighbors (the maintenance family) around the lake and hit the low ropes course. Perhaps we'll catch some frogs or tadpoles at "The Rock." Some mornings I leave to grocery shop with sweet, Mrs. B, while a kitchie babysits my children. Either way, we're back at 12:30 to circle up again and to fill our bellies with food while the Spirit nourishes our souls as we talk and share. You see, we have many "traditions" here at Camp and 2 major traditions are, "No gossiping and No complaining." Do you know how pleasant an atmosphere is when those things are not tolerated. Like, seriously, not tolerated. After lunch it looks a little like after breakfast, only naps are pretty strictly enforced. My children are EXHAUSTED and they haven't even had their week of camp yet! I suppose it's all of the fresh air and good food! So, an afternoon of rest, sometimes this is where I grocery shop, and then it's back to Manna (our cafeteria) for dinner. We listen to reading after every meal and no one is excused until it's over. It's INCREDIBLE. Sometimes we might sing a hymn that "wafts" (as Mr. C puts it) up from our heart. It makes my heart so full. So very full. Usually after supper we are ready to head home and call it a day, but maybe we take a trip to the pool first for an evening swim, just the 5 of us. Mike is busy with the Training Staff, learning and growing and watching. Then we come home and shower and the kids head to bed while I start my little (sorta big) task of ordering the food. Mike makes his way home a little after 9:00, we have a little bit of a "debriefing" and it's off to bed. This camp thing is no "walk in the park" or "woods" for that matter! It's FULL!!!
A quick idea of what I'm doing. I am ordering food. It's no different from what any other Mom does, it's just on a much bigger scale! We needed 495 buns! How do you even get that??? We shop from 2 places and then order from one place twice a week that delivers our nosh on a truck. I told Mrs. B last night that I don't remember the last time when I didn't get good at something quickly. This is going to take some time. Everytime my phone rings I think, "Oh dear, what did I forget? What are we missing?" Yesterday the Kitchen Director called and in her super sweet voice, "Mrs. Ali, I was looking at the forks and we have 6 or 7." Me, "Boxes?" KD, "No, forks." With the Saturday picnic to look forward to the children and I loaded up and headed to Kroger. That was after I had forgotten feta and pepperoni earlier. Thankfully I was already out! The Lord has been kind to have me where I needed to be when I get these calls, but I feel frustrated that I'm not perfect at it. Enter my kind Savior. I think it's been a long time since I've really been stretched. I mean, homeschooling 4 people will stretch you, but do you know what I mean? That kind of stretch that comes from the Holy Spirt that confirms you belong to God and He will not allow you to be complacent. The good stretch that causes you to look to Heaven and praise Him for filling in your gaps...for revealing them...for increasing in your weakness. It's a good thing...no, it's a great thing. Each week I am getting a little bit better...but I'm nervous at every meal. I feel like I'm the food police. Last week everyone was pleasantly surprised that swiss cheese showed up. I panicked! Swiss cheese was for the ham quiche...would there be enough? AHHHHH!!!! The ham quiche was today, all 14 of them, and they were delicious and there was plenty of swiss cheese! Tomorrow I'll meet the food truck with Mrs. B to see what we ordered (or what we should have ordered) and hopefully that will help me do this better. I want to give a shout out to Mrs. Barbara and Mr. Charles...have you ever been around people who know Jesus forgave them their sins? Like, really have dwelled on it and have given their lives to responding to His grace? It's a pleasure to struggle to learn something under them because they understand our frailty and help you become what Jesus wants you to become. I still put a ton of pressure on myself, but their gentle leading and guidance excite me to do better...to trust in Jesus to enable me to do my job...and do it for His glory.
So, that's us. We got to go to the library last week. What a refreshing day that was! Our kind neighbor, fellow homeschooler and book lover, loaned us some books when she found out we didn't bring any (Camp has a library, we just haven't made it there yet) so we were THRILLED when the librarian at the local library allowed us to have cards to check out books. I was so very thankful that she didn't run a background check on our ability to return books on time. Or, maybe she did and she's hoping to make some cash for their library while we're here running up fines! This sweet place is a TON different from our library. It's smaller, it's actually in a room of the old Presbyterian Church. It just says, "LIBRARY" out front. They have a counter that they use to count the folks who enter. I don't know why that is so cute to me. We headed home with 30 books and the best part is that our neighbors came over to read with us. God has been kind to provide people that we never thought to ask for, as partners in this summer. Only a few days in, their mom said, "Do your children ask to come over to my house as much as my children ask to come to yours?" It's a fact...God has provided good friends for us for this adventure. He also provided some small "pets" in the form of Chad and Chase, our box turtles. The children built a little pen outside with bricks they found in our yard (scavengers) and it's sort of fun to watch those little guys. We toss fruit out there every now and then. They certainly don't replace Sonny who is romping on the Graham Fam Farm, but they are sort of fun to have.
I think that's about all. That's a long and broad overview of what the Wessner's are doing this summer. Perhaps one day I'll post pictures. Perhaps. If you've got children that need a break from the world and want them to have a Christ centered week...send them our way...we'd love to see some familiar faces! I checked with Charles and Barbara and for 1-4 graders for the week of June 30-July 5th it's not too late and for the week following there is also a bit of room, just not as much. Y'all, these counselors are PRECIOUS! Your children would be so blessed by their time here. We also have camp for 5-7th graders the last 2 weeks in July. I'm telling you, I've watched one group of campers come and go and it truly is a blessing to be in this place. Here is the link again to Camp Marannook.
Oh...our house. Picture an old brick house on a country road with white awnings over the windows...that's our house. We have just what we need and are enjoying our home away from home. I was slightly disappointed at our inability to keep tidy a place that doesn't even have 1/10 of our belongings. I suppose we are the problem and not our house or our stuff...we just aren't a "neat" crowd. Oh well, Jesus loves me of this I am CONVINCED!!! The 3 older kids are bunked together, Mike and I (of course) and Caroline has her own room. A Marannook Miracle is that we were really having a hard time with Caroline in a big bed, so much so that we put her back in the pack n play at home, we brought one with us, set it up, but she wanted to sleep in the PRECIOUS bed provided. She stays in that bed and SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! We are so thankful and are trying to figure out how to sneak the bed home! :) Not really, there's not a single place for it...I do wish we could, though. So, we are doing well. Clearly God has placed us here for such a time as this and as we find our way, we find Him. It's a privilege to be here, to serve and be served as the Spirit ministers to us all calling us to lay it all down, consider it all rubbish that we might know Christ.
May it be so. Amen.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Double Dang Wait Time!
So, I very zealously signed up for the yearbook task for our homeschool group, Classical Conversations. Mike is pretty good at them, and I thought it would be fun. Which it was. However, ordering makes me so INCREDIBLY NERVOUS!!! I had to collect the money, which in hindsight I probably would have done at the beginning of the year, or at least not at the end. I had to count the money :) and I still need to deposit it. So, I set a deadline so that Mike and I would get it done, and of course the deadline came and went, but at least we knew that it came and went and so we were working somewhat feverishly to get it completed so that it could be ordered and the year would be wrapped up in a pretty book. SO...Monday and Tuesday nights were very late because we were working, but last night...I did the deed. I ordered the book. I had boosted confidence after some of the ladies were like, "Ali, order it. We don't care if there are mistakes and typos...just go ahead and order it!" Hooray, I will. So, I came home after another evening out and finished a few things and then proceeded to order the book. First of all, Shutterfly is an excellent site as far as customer service. They are available until 9:00 Pacific time...that's midnight here, HIP HIP HOORAY! So, I had to call someone because Mike was asleep (although I did make him wake up to kill a roach...no judgements please) and they are so nice, even at 11:45. One person was in Charlotte and then when I called back I got someone in Arizona. I found myself a little weird as I was waiting on things to save and whatnot, and there was a little bit of silence. I was like, "So, is it busy this late? Where are you anyway? Do you mind waiting until I finish my transaction or do you need to go?" It was a little strange. So, I got them ordered and finally tried to settle down and go to sleep. Which, was nearly impossible because I had just been with a bunch of other moms talking about school stuff and then the yearbook had me all keyed up...then there is a wedding this weekend...a food show next week...my brain wouldn't stop. Then, I thought that there was a spider on my pillow (strange dream? or fear that my half asleep husband wasn't quite the pest control man I needed him to be earlier in the evening). So, it was bad sleep which was stinky news because the night before I had gotten no sleep. So, I suppose I had finally fallen into somewhat of a sleep and then I popped alive with this thought, "Kimberly ordered 2 yearbooks...I only ordered one for her! DANG IT ALL!!!" So, then I couldn't do anything but lay there and recalculate and figure out what would happen. So, all I could do was wait until Shutterfly was available to help me in this teeny debacle. So, after a short nap on the couch where I did some awesome half asleep parenting I called Shutterfly. There is a 29 minute wait time. WHAT??? Did 753 other people make the same mistake? UGH...I was thinking of all of the things I could do while the phone was on speaker just listening to some awesome music when I thought, "I wish Jesus would give me a wait time." You realize how much more patient you are when you know, "How much longer." It's like the question of all times from the back seat, "Are we there yet?" Like, I can handle 29 minutes because I know what to expect. I can work with that. Then, to beat that they came on and said that they were experiencing longer wait times than usual and would I like to hold my place in line and have them call me back as soon as they were available. Sure! Why not? I'll get some things done around here and then they'll get back to me. Lord, you could totally learn something from Shutterfly. Look how calm and cool I am because they gave me information that I needed. Look how fine I am with waiting. I'm such a good waiter. You know, patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit, I must have gotten a double portion this morning from my nap. WHAT??? I suppose that defeats the purpose of TRUST. I suppose if the Lord said, "Hey, Ali, you've got a wait time of roughly 2 years on more children. Do something fun while you wait." I'd just wait patiently, like lazy river style...just enjoy the ride. Or, "Hey, Ali, you and Mike have about 1 more year of teaching and I'm going to move you on." Hey, alright...party on! We'll do it for Jesus! Go out with a bang, right? Right on! I could totally do that...and nothing would be worked out in me. I would remain probably the same. I would never look for His hand. I'd never seek His face...beg Him to reveal himself to me (Shutterfly just called me back!) I'd never struggle to be content with His right now. I'd never get creative with my wait time. I'd never wait again! I'd be a spoiled rotten tantrum throwing child of God. That's not necessarily a fragrant aroma to Christ, now is it? So, I'm off the phone now, and I couldn't just add a book, that would be super easy, but there is currently free shipping, and the books are on sale...and Robin (a man with a movie voice) said that he'd give me priority shipping so...what's a few more dollars right? When your Dad is the King of Kings. Hopefully I'll rest easy now. Until the next unexpected wait! I want to share one more thing with you while my children are not doing their school work and are happily playing something that will probably result in either a big mess or a creation that I need a power nap in order to listen to the explanation. Here's the verse...
Every night Mike reads to us from the New Testament. We are now in Galatians...that's a pretty awesome book. (Anson just brought me my Bible, update...they are playing restaurant. Hopefully no real food or water is participating...I should be folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher...or playing restaurant) So, last night we were reading from chapter 4. Listen to how this ends, I almost cried, "Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman." WHAT??? That struck a cord deep in my spirit. It was like cold water to my face. "Ali, you are not a slave. You don't come from a line of slaves. Your mother was Sarah...not Hagar...you are a child of the Promise...you are not children of the slave woman." Y'all...do you know how much differently that would cause one to live...cause one to wait. Knowing that you are free. I have been walking with God for roughly 16 years and still, freedom surprises me. I hope it surprises you, too. I am reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and I think that may be way it was a little bit more powerful. To picture how slaves are property of their master. They were considered only as valuable as their bodies and even considered soulless. I don't know what slaves were like in the time when Paul was writing, but I'm sure it wasn't a much prettier version if prettier at all. So, now I do have some things to do. I have to get our sub for Sunday School lined up, do all the other stuff and walk like a free woman...it's going to be a great day!
Every night Mike reads to us from the New Testament. We are now in Galatians...that's a pretty awesome book. (Anson just brought me my Bible, update...they are playing restaurant. Hopefully no real food or water is participating...I should be folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher...or playing restaurant) So, last night we were reading from chapter 4. Listen to how this ends, I almost cried, "Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman." WHAT??? That struck a cord deep in my spirit. It was like cold water to my face. "Ali, you are not a slave. You don't come from a line of slaves. Your mother was Sarah...not Hagar...you are a child of the Promise...you are not children of the slave woman." Y'all...do you know how much differently that would cause one to live...cause one to wait. Knowing that you are free. I have been walking with God for roughly 16 years and still, freedom surprises me. I hope it surprises you, too. I am reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and I think that may be way it was a little bit more powerful. To picture how slaves are property of their master. They were considered only as valuable as their bodies and even considered soulless. I don't know what slaves were like in the time when Paul was writing, but I'm sure it wasn't a much prettier version if prettier at all. So, now I do have some things to do. I have to get our sub for Sunday School lined up, do all the other stuff and walk like a free woman...it's going to be a great day!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Look UP!
It's mostly quiet around here. As usual Mike has beaten me to the Land of Nod and left me all alone in the mostly quiet. Just turned off the weird TV that was Jay Leno, now it's more quiet. I've been scratching out my plan of attack for school and I'm excited about it. We'll start a new routine on Monday (which I'm sure will be promptly interrupted by life, but I'm ready for it!) and so fresh notebooks and checklists. It's rather exciting. We also had a quick trip to see my Dad and Pam in FL and it was nice to have a little get away. Some pool, some sand, some golf...some time with Dad and Pam...everyone was a winner! So, this post has been in my head for quite some time, so since Mike will be home to help out with the kids, I'll stay up a little later to get it out of my head and onto this...paper? Well....anyway....
"Guys, let's try to find a spot in St. Andrews, this is my favorite day of Missions Conference." We were all packed in pretty tight, but I wanted to see the flags. I love belting out a 100 year old hymn and watching the flags from around the world find their way to the front of the sanctuary. I wanted to make sure that we could see it in person rather than on the monitors. (Our church is old and getting a facelift and so we're all scattered about right now in different rooms and buildings.) I wasn't the only one that wanted their children to see. As the flags were making their way down the aisle a Dad just in front of me hoisted his little guy onto his shoulders so that he wouldn't miss this grand entrance. I really almost cried. It was a perfect picture to me of what biblical parenting should and could be. Our kids are short. They miss the action. They see our knees and stay busy with their bulletin, but it's just as much about them as it is us (and ultimately about Jesus!) Our responsibility is to pull them from where they are and let them see that God is at work. There is a big plan, bigger than us, and it is INCREDIBLE and we get to be a part of it. Every nation, tribe, language...representatives from places we'll NEVER see, but when we get to heaven our brothers and sisters from those remote regions will be there...because the Gospel is for them too. When that Dad pulled his little man up and placed him firmly on his shoulders I felt like the Lord was pulling me up onto His. With a sweet fatherly gesture He was saying, "Ali, look! Don't miss it! This is what I'm up to. It's scary down there where you are living, but look UP! Look at what I have been doing and will continue to do. Look UP!" I get nervous with the news. I think we have way too much access to way too much information and it makes a gal nervous, I call it the church of fear. A place where we want to crawl into a hole and wait there until we hear that trumpet sound. That is a super bad idea because God is at work. A mighty hand is governing all things and it might be scary for a spell, but when I look up to where my help comes I get excited! I get thankful that God is still seated on His throne and He is NOT a nail biter! He's not nervous about how all things will shake out. He is kind and compassionate, but He is also just. All the crazy will not go unpunished. His name is a strong tower, the righteous can run to it and are safe. I memorized the Lord's prayer this year with a song and my first grade Sunday School class and when I feel like Chicken Little I remember that I have a Shepherd and He is good and His rod and His staff will comfort me.
I bet someone reading this also gets nervous. Even if I'm the only one that reads it...I get nervous. But I want to look UP! I also want my children to look up. I want to teach them how to see past the mess and look for the glory. I want to point them to the bigger, greater, grander picture so that they will be able to take heart. I want to take heart. So, I'll look up and encourage you to do the same. Take heart, He has overcome the world.
"Guys, let's try to find a spot in St. Andrews, this is my favorite day of Missions Conference." We were all packed in pretty tight, but I wanted to see the flags. I love belting out a 100 year old hymn and watching the flags from around the world find their way to the front of the sanctuary. I wanted to make sure that we could see it in person rather than on the monitors. (Our church is old and getting a facelift and so we're all scattered about right now in different rooms and buildings.) I wasn't the only one that wanted their children to see. As the flags were making their way down the aisle a Dad just in front of me hoisted his little guy onto his shoulders so that he wouldn't miss this grand entrance. I really almost cried. It was a perfect picture to me of what biblical parenting should and could be. Our kids are short. They miss the action. They see our knees and stay busy with their bulletin, but it's just as much about them as it is us (and ultimately about Jesus!) Our responsibility is to pull them from where they are and let them see that God is at work. There is a big plan, bigger than us, and it is INCREDIBLE and we get to be a part of it. Every nation, tribe, language...representatives from places we'll NEVER see, but when we get to heaven our brothers and sisters from those remote regions will be there...because the Gospel is for them too. When that Dad pulled his little man up and placed him firmly on his shoulders I felt like the Lord was pulling me up onto His. With a sweet fatherly gesture He was saying, "Ali, look! Don't miss it! This is what I'm up to. It's scary down there where you are living, but look UP! Look at what I have been doing and will continue to do. Look UP!" I get nervous with the news. I think we have way too much access to way too much information and it makes a gal nervous, I call it the church of fear. A place where we want to crawl into a hole and wait there until we hear that trumpet sound. That is a super bad idea because God is at work. A mighty hand is governing all things and it might be scary for a spell, but when I look up to where my help comes I get excited! I get thankful that God is still seated on His throne and He is NOT a nail biter! He's not nervous about how all things will shake out. He is kind and compassionate, but He is also just. All the crazy will not go unpunished. His name is a strong tower, the righteous can run to it and are safe. I memorized the Lord's prayer this year with a song and my first grade Sunday School class and when I feel like Chicken Little I remember that I have a Shepherd and He is good and His rod and His staff will comfort me.
I bet someone reading this also gets nervous. Even if I'm the only one that reads it...I get nervous. But I want to look UP! I also want my children to look up. I want to teach them how to see past the mess and look for the glory. I want to point them to the bigger, greater, grander picture so that they will be able to take heart. I want to take heart. So, I'll look up and encourage you to do the same. Take heart, He has overcome the world.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Little spaces...Big God
There really isn't a corner for it. There isn't even an empty wall. Every inch of space is being used...and being used well I might add. It's pretty much an eyesore with the orange bucket around it to keep it from falling over. It should probably be trimmed, but who has time for that? I can barely sweep the floor let alone trim a tree that doesn't necessarily belong in my house. We all love it though. Instead of calling it the Lenten Tree we've been calling it the Lenten Forest. Julia and Caroline sat under it while I read Proverbs this morning. It really doesn't fit, but I think that's the point. We make room for practically everything don't we? Think of Christmas. How many of us completely rearrange our living room to make room for a tree? A tree? In the middle of our house, dangling with a bunch of Hallmark ornaments that have little or nothing to do with Jesus. We completely restrung our tree this year because of a goofy string of lights (and because I wanted white NON LED lights to twinkle instead...Mike is a saint!). We moved a chair, we made room because we love Christmas, because we love the God of Christmas. I think America loves Christmas. Well, at least the "Holidays". Target starts hanging neon balls from it's ceiling well before Thanksgiving and I think we all start humming our favorite Christmas tunes long before December. Then there's that other holiday that makes Christmas make sense. What's it called again? Um, there's a rabbit (for some reason) eggs (I have read a book on why that is) and there's something about a, um...an empty room...no AN EMPTY TOMB! The greatest news. The fact that Jesus was born is certainly worth a celebration...worth giving our lives to, but I have to say if He didn't follow through we'd all be in a mighty fine mess. Christmas started it. It was the 33 years of perfection and then the obedience unto death that sealed the deal. He finished what He started and because of that we walk in the freedom that His obedience has afforded us. So, the Lenten Forest that is making itself at home in my "dining room" is here to stay. As we hang our paper ornaments on it's sparse branches it will remind us all that Jesus is always bigger than the space we try to cram Him into. He's never going to fit nicely and be something neat enough to "pin." He's big and bold and far surpasses anything that we could ever imagine. So, if you don't celebrate the Lenten Season, that is certainly alright. But may I please ask you to consider preparing your heart for that glorious celebration that sneaks up on us all? Maybe you don't want a Lenten Forest...but you might just like it. I run into it when I'm turning the corner and we have to find our way around it when we are trying to get to our Bible. Isn't that it? Isn't that the picture? That Christ would be such a part of our life that no one would be able to move around us without bumping into Him. That all of our spaces would be filled with reminders that He is alive and so are we! That there are those who don't know and as we meditate on His grace our arms would stretch to the dark corners and that we would become a Lenten Forest as we follow Him. Our limbs heavy with good news and reminders of the plan that always was. That we would be unavoidable and bigger than any space...only because of Him. Only ever and always because of Him.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Her eyes lit up when she heard his voice. "Da-ddy." Then she mumbled a little something special and then I stole the phone back. "Oh my word! Did you hear that?" "Yes," was the smitten response on the other end. Little Caroline is about the cutest thing going these days. She doesn't eat much that grows on trees or from the ground, but we do what we can. She wanders around pointing and smiling and most everyone complies. I have told them that they must stop or she'll be ruined!!! But the point of this post...she didn't see his face...she merely knows his voice.
(I wish the dog would stop barking.) When I saw her face light up like that my own heart was reminded of what it's like to know someone's voice. I know my Dad's voice, and Gary's voice (my step-dad). They don't typically need to tell me they are the ones speaking to me. You know what else? I love to hear them say my name. Dad calls me Mih-Al or Mih Weh-ner. (I bet you have no idea what the mih or weh sound should say...it's the best I can do) I know their voice and they know mine. It's only natural. What about my other Father? The One that I haven't yet stood face to face with. Do I know His voice? I'd like to think so, but there are times when I question if it's me or Him. Perhaps the reason Caroline knows Mike's voice is because he has been talking to her since before he saw her face. He set himself apart by how he pursues her. He initiates. He calls her by the name that he gave her. She can't help but to know his voice. The same really is true about our own Father. He has been pursuing us. He initiates to us. He calls us by the name He gave us: Redeemed. We know Him because He knew us first. It's just that simple.
Isaiah 43:1 - But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!
So, now, enjoy the relationship that He has forged. Join me as I struggle to sit still long enough to hear Him say my name, and hopefully respond with a, "Yes, Daddy."
(I wish the dog would stop barking.) When I saw her face light up like that my own heart was reminded of what it's like to know someone's voice. I know my Dad's voice, and Gary's voice (my step-dad). They don't typically need to tell me they are the ones speaking to me. You know what else? I love to hear them say my name. Dad calls me Mih-Al or Mih Weh-ner. (I bet you have no idea what the mih or weh sound should say...it's the best I can do) I know their voice and they know mine. It's only natural. What about my other Father? The One that I haven't yet stood face to face with. Do I know His voice? I'd like to think so, but there are times when I question if it's me or Him. Perhaps the reason Caroline knows Mike's voice is because he has been talking to her since before he saw her face. He set himself apart by how he pursues her. He initiates. He calls her by the name that he gave her. She can't help but to know his voice. The same really is true about our own Father. He has been pursuing us. He initiates to us. He calls us by the name He gave us: Redeemed. We know Him because He knew us first. It's just that simple.
Isaiah 43:1 - But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!
So, now, enjoy the relationship that He has forged. Join me as I struggle to sit still long enough to hear Him say my name, and hopefully respond with a, "Yes, Daddy."
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Who isn't?
So, sometimes you'll hear me say something like, "I saw on Kelly and Michael" or "They had a blurb on Good Morning America" and it sounds like I watch TV. Sometimes I turn the TV on while I'm making my bed or brushing my teeth, just to see what's going on. Then within 7 minutes it's off and I move on. So, with that in mind, "I saw on Kelly and Michael" last week maybe that they are giving away trips to moms that go, how did they say it? The extra mile? Above and beyond? I don't remember their words but I remember thinking, "Seriously, what Mom doesn't?" The mothers mentioned didn't sound like slouches, don't get me wrong. They were doing a great job, but aren't most of us at least trying? I mean, how many of us have VOLUNTARILY caught vomit with our own hands or clothing in order to spare our surroundings? How many of us sometimes forget whether we have brushed our own teeth or not but really try hard to be sure that our children are brushing theirs...most of the time. How many of us shower? I mean, can that please count for above and beyond? I mean, when there is so much going on and you are able to squeeze that in...how bout' ya! What about planning meals? Grocery shopping? POTTY TRAINING??? This gig is no joke.
I just started thinking that when we look for the "above and beyond" we end up on Pinterest and we end up the worst Moms EVER because we are comparing ourselves to everyone else. God's word teaches us that isn't wise. So, I still have to pack lunches for our co-op tomorrow and finish the dishes and it's 8:51. Everyone else is sleeping. Even Mike is catching the elusive nap on the couch while I type this. I just wanted to give a shout out to all those normal, every day, wear your jeans 3 or 4 times before washing them, laundry washing, baby bathing, vomit catching, mildly insane, a teeny bit tired, but struggling with all of His energy that works so mightily in you...I wanted to give a shout out to you and tell you to press on!!! Choose joy because you can. Work mightily as though working for the Lord because YOU ARE! Laugh at dumb jokes and dance when everyone IS watching. We were chosen by God to parent the people in our home. He knit them together in our wombs. He went above and beyond. Tell them His stories about how He went above and beyond sending a Rescuer. Someone to pull us out of our filth and put a new song in our mouths. Know that you are enough. Because of Him you are enough. Press on.
I just started thinking that when we look for the "above and beyond" we end up on Pinterest and we end up the worst Moms EVER because we are comparing ourselves to everyone else. God's word teaches us that isn't wise. So, I still have to pack lunches for our co-op tomorrow and finish the dishes and it's 8:51. Everyone else is sleeping. Even Mike is catching the elusive nap on the couch while I type this. I just wanted to give a shout out to all those normal, every day, wear your jeans 3 or 4 times before washing them, laundry washing, baby bathing, vomit catching, mildly insane, a teeny bit tired, but struggling with all of His energy that works so mightily in you...I wanted to give a shout out to you and tell you to press on!!! Choose joy because you can. Work mightily as though working for the Lord because YOU ARE! Laugh at dumb jokes and dance when everyone IS watching. We were chosen by God to parent the people in our home. He knit them together in our wombs. He went above and beyond. Tell them His stories about how He went above and beyond sending a Rescuer. Someone to pull us out of our filth and put a new song in our mouths. Know that you are enough. Because of Him you are enough. Press on.
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