Bubbles

I haven't much to say this afternoon. All is quiet and peaceful at the moment, and I relish it.

I've been slowly working my way through One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I find her writing style challenging, but profound. I was awed in chapter 4 as she described a ray of sunlight hitting a bubble:

"In the light, the sheerness of bubble shimmers. Bands of garnet, cobalt, flowing luminous...

I tilt my hand more to the light and the wave frequencies reinforce on bubble's dome and color bands deepen, fire-blue swirling flame into lurid scarlet. A kaleidoscope planet."

I wonder at the last time I stopped to watch a bubble.  To see its spectrum ever-changing as it rotates under sunlight.

A beautiful miracle so easily overlooked.

"I only live the full life when I live fully in the moment."

~One Thousand Gifts~

Eliminate & Concentrate: A Dynamic Approach to Ditching Your Baggage

 

Everyone has baggage.


When I was a child my parents took our family to Disneyland and Hawaii over a Christmas vacation. (Apparently flight travel for a family of 7 was a lot cheaper in the 80's.) As I was merely 8, and my sister Angel just 6, another member of the family packed our suitcases for us. Our family spent a few days in California, with Angel and I wearing outfits retrieved from just one of our two shared suitcases. By the time we arrived in Hawaii our dirty laundry was piling up, so my mom instructed one of my older sisters to retrieve some fresh clothes for Angel and me from the suitcase we had yet to open. Much to my older sister's surprise, she opened the second suitcase and found nothing but doll clothes!

You see, in our shared bedroom at home, Angel and I had several baby dolls and scores of doll clothes; my mom used a spare suitcase to store all our doll clothes in one place. Apparently in the chaos of packing the entire family for our vacation someone assumed the doll clothes suitcase contained clothes for Angel and me. I still laugh when I think of us toting an extra suitcase from Alaska to California, to Hawaii, and then back to Alaska for no reason at all.

Nowadays that second suitcase would have cost us $25 for each leg of the trip. (sigh)  Aside from the obscenely big hair, the 80's really were a simpler time.


I have baggage.


A year and a half ago my sister Jaimee sent me a copy of this book by Anne Ortlund. I'm sorry to say it has taken me that long to finally read through it - I blame a tough pregnancy and adjusting to life with three kiddos.

In her book Anne details disciplines for godly women: making daily time with God a priority, consistently setting monthly/yearly/lifelong goals to work toward, and organizing one's life in order to best chase those goals. One key principle really stood out for me: Eliminate and Concentrate.


Eliminate and Concentrate.


As Anne says: "You want to manage your time? You eliminate clutter and concentrate on your goals."


The reason Anne's statement hit so close to home for me (quite literally) is because our home is a great source of stress for me right now. We have stuff everywhere. Too much stuff. So much stuff that when I seek out moments of peace and relaxation in my own home I find instead that I am blocked at every turn by another stack of mail in the kitchen, another mess of toys in the bathtub, paperwork on the desk that needs filing, piles of outgrown clothes in the closet that need to be purged or donated, stacks of magazines I love but never have a chance to read, another mess of toys on the dining room floor...

Okay yes, kids should be allowed to have toys and make messes, but there is such thing as too many toys.

Maybe for some people clutter is just clutter - nothing more, nothing less. Its not a source of stress. If that is you, more power to ya! But in this house the clutter is affecting our way of life. How can I be the mom and wife I want to be when I'm constantly stressing over the state of our home? How much more free time would we have if we stopped shuffling clutter from place to place and finally got rid of the things we don't need/use?

How much extra baggage (and subsequent stress/work) are we carrying year to year?


Matthew 6:19-21 says: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."


I love our home. While I wouldn't call it my treasure, I know that my priorities are out of whack when I focus more on my home and its messes than I do ministering to the needy and the lost. Which is why I'm on a new mission to eliminate unnecessary baggage in our home in order to better concentrate on our goals as a family.


You have baggage.


Most of us are quick to associate the term "baggage" with things like personal insecurities, poor body image or wounds from previous relationships, but I would challenge you to think of it on a broader scale. One definition I found is 'an abstract thing or idea which weighs upon a person, and ends up obstructing or inhibiting him/her'.

For my sister Stephanie, the 'eliminate and concentrate' principle challenged her to remove the Facebook and Words With Friends apps from her iPhone. As a result, she has freed up time to do more reading and write personal notes to friends, activities she is more likely to glean from.

Do you spend too much time on Facebook and Pinterest and then kick yourself later because you failed to accomplish your to-do list for the day? Try taking a break from social media and see how freeing it can be.

Are you the person who says 'yes' to every commitment and then can't figure out why you're always so exhausted or don't have time to yourself? As Money Saving Mom says, when you say 'yes' to one thing you are saying 'no' to something else. It is okay to limit your commitments.

Its time to check your baggage.


You're at the airport about to depart. The pilot is asking everyone to gate check any baggage they don't need for the flight. Take a good look at what you're carrying. Do you really need all that baggage?

Eliminate and concentrate.


As a Christian, I prefer to view the analogy this way:

God, the True Pilot, is asking you to gate check any baggage you won't need for your journey with Him. Are you ready to let go?

Book Review: Mark of the Lion Trilogy (Books I and II)

After taking several weeks off I am linking up again with my girl Stephanie over at How Sweet This Is for a book review.

Mark of the Lion Trilogy

by Francine Rivers

Description from Francine Rivers' website:

A Voice in the Wind transports readers back to Jerusalem during the first Jewish-Roman War, some seventy years after the death of Christ. Following the prides and passions of a group of Jews, Romans and Barbarians living at the time of the siege, the narrative is centered on an ill-fated romance between a steadfast slave girl, Hadassah, and Marcus, the brother of her owner and a handsome aristocrat. After surviving the massacre of her family and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, Hadassah is captured and sold to a well-to-do merchant’s family. Brought to Rome, she is pressed into service as a personal slave to hedonistic Julia Valerian.  Hadassah struggles to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to treat her masters in a manner in keeping with His teachings, but she is forced to keep her religious identity a secret in order to survive.  Confused and alone, she has only her faith to cling to as she tries to subtly bring God into the lives of her captors.  Reckless, impulsive, and villainous, Julia tries to undermine Hadassah at every turn.  But Julia’s brother, Marcus, is a different sort altogether.  Is it possible for a love between Hadassah and Marcus to flourish considering not only their differing stations in life, but also the gap between Hadassah’s unrelenting faith and Marcus’ lack of belief in anything?  Simultaneously, Atretes, a captured soldier from Germania, is forced to become a gladiator. This is the time of Rome's decline and the decadence of a civilization on the verge of self-destruction serves as a powerful backdrop to the Barbarian’s struggle for survival in the arena.

My Review:

I cannot say enough about this trilogy! I first read through the series about five years ago and was immediately impressed with author Francine Rivers - enough that I have now read all but three or four of her novels. I have wanted to read this series again for some time and am so glad I did. The ladies in my book club are reading it with me (for their first time) and are thoroughly enjoying it as well.

Francine Rivers' impeccable descriptions of Jerusalem, Rome and Ephesus will have you wanting to visit these destinations in person - regardless of the fact that the Roman Empire is long gone. As she paints the portrait of Roman culture you will find yourself comparing many of Rome's immoral compromises to our own faltering value system of today. (If that doesn't trigger an in-depth conversation at your book club, I don't know what will.)

Rivers has amazing character development, not just in this series but in her other novels as well. The character of Hadassah will challenge any reader to take a closer look at their heart and their faith. Do I have the heart of a servant? Is my faith strong enough to uphold me when I'm surrounded by temptation?

Regardless of whether you're a believer or not, this series will leave an impression on you.

My only complaint: they haven't made a movie of this yet!  This story has it all - love, faith, gladiators, history, betrayal, politics and adventure.

Note: Although there are three books in this series and the individual stories are connected throughout, Books 1 and 2 center around Hadassah and the Valerian family, while Book 3 is about Atretes the gladiator.



Have you read anything good lately?
If so, please share!
I am always looking for books to add to my reading list.



Linking up here:

To Germany With Love

 

On Saturday, July 7th, we said goodbye to Justin's Nana.

 

Nana was born in Germany in 1935 and later married Justin's Grandpa Rodger in 1959, while he was stationed in Germany. They moved to the United States in 1960. Nana taught herself to speak, read and write English by watching television and reading magazines; yet she always kept a hint of her beautiful German accent.

Words cannot describe Nana. She adored her grandkids and her great-grandkids, and we adored her. I loved listening to her stories of Germany and hearing her sing songs to Kendry in her native tongue.

It breaks my heart that Nana will miss Kendry growing up, but at the same time we are rejoicing that she is now healed and has gone home to our Heavenly Father.

We miss you, Nana.

God Bless America!

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

~John 8:36~

Its been a little while since my last handprint craft with Kendry, but we regrouped just in time to do this one for July:

Thank you, Lord, for the freedom you give through Your salvation.

Thank you for the freedoms we have in America.

Thank you for those who have fought to protect our freedom.

Please guide and give wisdom to our country's leaders.

Amen.

Happy Independence Day from the Gimlin Family!

Book Review: Boys Will Be Joys

Boys Will Be Joys

by Dave Meurer

GoodReads description:

Parenting is not for wimps. When it comes down to it, sometimes parents just have to wing it, says Dave Meurer, father of two rambunctious boys. In this delightful read, Meurer waxes humorously on the miraculous feat of raising boys and staying sane at the same time.

My Review:

I snatched up this funny read while it was a Kindle freebie last month. I am always on the lookout for great Christian parenting books - and parenting boys books are even better. I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard reading a book, particularly in the first few chapters. While the author doesn't dive into any new and deep parenting concepts, I really enjoyed his insights. This quote really stood out to me:

"The Bible speaks of believers as "living stones" that are being built into a temple for God. I think that is an apt metaphor for parenting. Our kids are not widgits or robots or computer programs that predictably react to our "input". They are living stones. Of course, the comparison breaks down, because God is all-powerful, which is an extremely helpful attribute when you are dealing with living stones. Fortunately, God does not require you to make an entire temple out of these squirming, scampering, bouncing, and, eventually, driving stones. He is asking that you do your level best to set them on a solid foundation. Then He will do the heavy lifting. "

 

I only gave this book 3 stars because it contained more anecdotes than parenting principles. However, I loved the author's down-to-earth writing style and it is obvious he has a heart for God and his family. I would love to read more of his work.

 

 

Linking up here:

 

 

Book Review: Choosing to SEE

One of my goals for 2012 is to read 30 books. This goal stems from my realization that since becoming a mom three years ago I haven't been reading nearly as much as I used to. And I LOVE to read. So I decided to make it more of a priority this year. Having my Kindle Fire and the Amazon lending library is a big help.

My friend Stephanie over at How Sweet it is! has set a similar goal for herself in 2012 and has started a weekly linky party called Good Reads Thursday for book reviews. While I may not have a new book read every week - that would obviously be well over my goal of 30 for the year - I am trying to link up over there as often as I can. I love getting book recommendations from friends; I have already put Stephanie's latest read, Bloom by Kelly Hampton, on my reading list.



  
{By the way, if you check out Stephanie's blog you might notice her last name is also Gimlin. Crazy, right? One of these days we should really check out ancestry.com to see if our husbands are related - its not like its a common name. It would just be one more reason to eventually meet Stephanie and her fam in real life which, by the way, I am totally going to do whenever we take our family road trip to CA.}


Okay...back to books...


Last month I finished reading Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman.

Mary Beth is the wife of Steven Curtis Chapman, the Christian singer. Their family was in the news a few years ago when their 5 year old daughter was accidently run over and killed in the the driveway of the family home.

Amazon says:  "Mary Beth's story is our story--wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on."

My review:

This book was so much more than the story of loss and how God has brought them through it. Mary Beth shares about meeting Steven and the tough early years of their marriage, the joys of having their first three children and the depression she found herself dealing with afterwards, and the miraculous stories of adopting three more children from China.

From an infertility perspective, I was moved by Mary Beth's emotions over their first adoption - her hesitations and fears. While we are not actively pursuing adoption ourselves, I found myself identifying with Mary Beth's fears over whether she could really love a non-biological child as much as her biological children. It was also incredible to read about the advocacy the Chapman family has taken on behalf of foreign adoption in the wake of adopting three children themselves.

The story of little Maria and her short but precious life in this family had me in tears. What God has revealed to and through this family since Maria was taken to heaven is astounding.

I did have a hard time reading the last bit of this book as it was merely posts taken from Mary Beth's family blog inserted into the book. While I realize this accurately portrays how the family was surviving day to day in their grief, I felt like the book simply tapered off as an ending, rather than effectively drawing it to a close.

That being said, I highly recommend this book. Mary Beth is very real and transparent - even as the wife of a popular music artist. The story and testimony of this family is encouraging.

A Family Easter

For various reasons, our Easter this year was a little more mellow.

On Saturday evening we dyed eggs while feasting on jelly beans.

Kendry was more interested in the jelly beans than the eggs, but he did stop eating long enough to request - what else? - a basketball themed egg.

See the cracks?  Poor Mr. Green Basketball Egg bit the dust before we could even capture him on camera. Kendry still doesn't grasp what it means to be gentle with eggs.

On Sunday morning we attended the late church service, which we never do; we are generally an early service family. But I can see the appeal. It was nice to have a leisurely morning - plenty of time to enjoy a tasty cup of coffee and relish Kendry's excitement over the Easter basket he discovered outside his bedroom door.

We snapped a few pictures before heading off to pick up Grandma Ellen for church.

After a great service we took Grandma out for lunch...

...followed by a quick stop to say 'Happy Easter' to Nana and Grandpa before heading home for the day. 

By the way, later church service equates to a late naptime. Lesson learned.

Then I said goodbye to the boys and left for my brief jury duty stint in Spokane. As Kendry would say, "Mommy had duty duties!"  While laughing, of course. What is it about that word?

Does this look like an almost three year old to you?

Granted, his Easter ensemble's resemblance to a Catholic school uniform makes him look a tad older than he really is, but still...  where did our baby go?

Although you've heard this number from Kendry before, I'm going to share it again. This is our Easter jam session with Mommy on the drums, Kendry on the guitar, and both of us on vocals.

And a 'happy day' it was.

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

"O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?

O church, come stand in the light

Our God is not dead

He's alive! He's alive!

Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave"

~Christ is Risen by Matt Maher~

HAPPY EASTER!

Good Friday: This Blood is For You

Luke 23

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him...
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

His blood was shed for YOU.

Thank you, Father, for the gift of your Son, and that He paid the price for our sins that we might have life.

Ten on Tuesday

{1}

We hit 70 degrees today;
a sandbox worthy day for sure.

{2}

This is my latest project, and it is a doozie!

{3}
I saw Titanic twice when it first came out in the theater (fifteen years ago?! Has it really been that long?), and I've seen it countless times since.

Still, I would love the opportunity to see it on the big screen again.

That first full shot of the ship is positively mesmerizing!




{4}

"And the walls came tumbling down!"

In order to pour our backyard patio the steps off our back door must go.

Drill, baby, drill!

{5}

I think we have effectively alienated our new neighbors with the jackhammer racket on Saturday morning and again this afternoon.

But seriously, is there ever a good time to listen to a jackhammer?

I think not.

{6}

Don't judge me.

I downloaded an all Britney Spears running mix from Rock My Run this week.

Between Britney and Hair Guitar I may not be rockin' to the hippest tunes, but they have helped me log 37.4 miles in 2012 already.

I'm working up to three five-mile runs per week.

{7}
What did we do before iPods?



{8}
Speaking of healthy living, this Green Monster Spinach Smoothie is a delicious post-workout treat. Its a great dose of protein and greens, and just one lasts me until lunch - even after I give Kendry half a cup to enjoy for himself.


I'm tempted to do my evil mother laugh every time he slurps it down.
 "That's right....eat your spinach, my precious!"

{9}

My ever-growing reading list and the Kindle lending library might just be the death of me. I'm a few chapters into five different books right now.


I might have ADHD.

{10}

This Week's Blessing:

Remembering Palm Sunday and hearing a great message on the story of Lazarus.

I leave you with this video our church played on Sunday:

This Wasn't In the Brochure

Life is a daring adventure, or nothing.

~Helen Keller~

As previously mentioned, I attended a women's retreat about an hour away this last weekend. There was a beautiful hotel, a toasty hot tub, a nice exercise room, an introductory Zumba class, a late night bunco game, wonderful worship, a group of amazing women, and a message from that Lord so fitting I swear it was fashioned just for me.

Suffice to say, with fresh emotions from the anniversary of our failed IVF cycle last week I was a tad more fragile than I realized. As soon as the speaker, Jan Brauer, introduced her topic, This Wasn't in the Brochure, I knew without a doubt God's perfect timing was behind this entire weekend. Jan dove right into a study of Jonah and compared that with the surprises in our own lives - both the good and the bad. She had me in tears three different times during the Friday message alone.

If you're not familiar with the story of Jonah, here's a quick recap: Jonah was a prophet. God asked Jonah to go to the city of Ninevah to inform the citizens of their wicked ways and tell them to repent. Jonah basically said 'Nope' and ran the other direction...literally. He boarded a ship on the Mediterranean; once it set sail the ship got caught in a terrible storm. Jonah finally told the panicky crew to throw him overboard and the storm would subside. Jonah knew that God had brought the storm because of his disobedience. Sure enough, they threw him over and the storm ceased. But Jonah didn't die in the sea; rather, God sent a whale to swallow him. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days - where he obviously had a lot of time to lament over his actions - and then the whale spit him up onto dry land. God asked Jonah once again to go to Ninevah and this time Jonah obeyed. Much to Jonah's surprise, the wicked city of Ninevah heeded Jonah's warning and repented.

Thats usually where the story stops. Happy ending, right? Jonah obeyed, Ninevah repents, all is well. Except there is more. After Ninevah repents God decides to spare the city and, believe it or not, Jonah gets mad at God. He tells God: "You see? This is exactly why I didn't want to come preach to Ninevah, God. I knew you would have compassion on them." Then Jonah marches himself outside the city and plops down to pout. God causes a vine to grow and shade Jonah at his pouting site and Jonah appreciates it. He is in the desert, after all. But overnight God sends a worm to eat the vine and it withers and dies. Then the scorching sun and a horrible wind beat on Jonah; without the vine he is no longer protected from the elements. God asks him, "Are you angry about the vine?" Jonah tells him he is and then says, "I am so angry it would be better for me to just die."  A little overdramatic, don't you think?  God then points out to Jonah that he is upset over a vine that grew and died overnight. How then can Jonah criticize God for having compassion for the people of Ninevah?



I could go on and on about what God revealed to me through Jan's message this weekend, but let me see if I can simplify it a bit and capture my main takeaways for you:

1. We will all be hit with surprises. Life is never going to be like the Disneyland brochure: smiling faces, well-behaved children, the perfect figured woman, rides that keep you laughing and don't frighten you.

2. A pattern of peaks and valleys throughout your life is normal.

3. Perspective matters. When you're in the dark belly of the whale you can't see where God is taking you. Jonah probably thought he was still in the middle of the ocean and then -whop!- he is spit up unto dry land.
 
4. At some point you have to accept what has happened in your life - say "it is what it is" and trust God to take you through it.

5. Keep your momentum - keep praising, singing and thanking Him as you trust His direction in your life.

6. Learn from Jonah. He was so busy pouting he completely missed the amazing compassion God had for the people of Ninevah. Have you ever stopped to consider what miracles you may have missed while you were busy feeling sorry for yourself?  Ouch! This realization hit me hard. Sometimes my flesh tells me I have a right to sulk about our infertility. Its not fair. {Visualize me stomping my foot, if you will; I may be 31 but I still pout on occasion.}  But God is always working. If I'm too busy hanging my head in defeat I might miss what He wants me to see or, better yet, what He wants to include me in.



I leave you with this quote:

"We can't have adventure, miracles, faith and a deep knowledge of Jesus while holding on to comfort, security, control and success."  

~"Just Courage" by Haugen~

525,600 Minutes

"525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.

525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?"

A year ago today my blood test came back negative.

Our IVF cycle had failed.

I haven't discussed this much on the blog, but in the wake of this news we decided to pursue a frozen embryo transfer with the one embryo we had frozen from our 2008 IVF cycle. We didn't tell anyone about this cycle - not even our family.

The transfer took place on May 25, 2011.

Another blood test two weeks later.

Another blow of disappointment.

How do I measure 2011?

- Peace -

"My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

~Psalm 73:26~

I do not know why God has us on this path,

but I want to glorify Him every step of the way.

This week I entered an infertility essay contest.

The title of my essay is "Wonderful Infertile Life."

Writing this essay brought so many emotions to the surface for me. Only today did I stop to consider the ironic timing - submitting an essay about our family's success with IVF exactly one year after our failed IVF cycle.

One year.

I don't know if I will win.

It would be nice, of course, but that is not my ultimate goal.

My prayer is that God will bless each person who takes the time to read my essay, and that the peace He has given our family throughout this last year would be undeniably present in my writing.

"A peace that passes understanding is my song..."

Whats in a Guitar?

Remember the guitar we made out of recycled materials a few months back?

Priceless, I tell you.

Kendry has enjoyed this guitar more than I ever dreamed.

Although its merely cardboard, duct tape, rubberbands and twine, this guitar has withstood toddler destruction better than some commercially manufactured toys - mostly thanks to the half roll of duct tape we have used for repair jobs once every two weeks.

Lately Kendry has upped his rock star antics to include jumping with the beat and finishing the song with a floor dive.

And you wonder why the guitar needs to be repaired so often?

This song is one of his favorites, and one of mine as well.

This is the chorus he is singing:

"Oh, happy day! Happy day!

You washed our sins away.

Oh, happy day! Happy day!

I'll never be the same.

Forever I am changed."

What a joy to explain to Kendry this song is about Jesus washing our sins away.

Kendry is practically devastated whenever part of the guitar breaks. He will hover over my shoulder while I repair it, watching with such a serious face you would think I was performing an actual surgery.

I dread the day the guitar is destroyed beyond repair - more for myself than for Kendry.

You see, what Kendry doesn't know is that his grandparents got him a real guitar for Christmas. 'Real' as in not made out of cardboard. I'm sure his cardboard guitar will be forgotten mere seconds after he gets the real one in his hot little hands. Such is the way it goes.

Sentimentalist that I am, it breaks my heart to even think of throwing the cardboard guitar away at the end of its life.

Am I silly for wanting to save it in Kendry's keepsake box?

The Art of Running Late

I have to give credit where credit is due. I hijacked the title of this post from the novel I read just before Thanksgiving, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Its a touching and funny story about a family written from the family dog's perspective.

 

It was a fitting theft since my time spent reading this book contributes to the very topic of this post: TARDINESS.

I confess, I am one of those people who is late less than prompt to almost everything. I would blame it on having a kiddo if I could, but the truth is I was late perpetually tardy long before parenthood, and marriage for that matter.

Dang! There goes my excuse for blaming Justin too.

 

Is it just me or does the very word 'late' sound rude?

 

Doctor's appointments, parties (for which I call it 'fashionably late') and yes, even work and church.

Its bad.

And it needs to change.

Parenting finally showed me the light.

As of late, I have had one two many mornings that by the time I get Kendry into the car I have already gotten horribly impatient with him. Granted, his independent streak that demands he put on his own shoes and climb into his car seat by himself requires superhuman patience in itself. But when we're I'm already running late these little hold-ups nearly put me over the edge.

And thats not the mom I want to be.

 

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

~Galations 5:22~

Case in point:
I started reading The Art of Racing in the Rain on a Wednesday night and simply could not put it down, which means I didn't fall asleep until 11:30pm. Kendry is usually up around 6:30am.

lack of sleep + toddler 'slower than a snail' eating behaviors + poor time management + toddler independence =  unnecessary stress

unnecessary stress in the morning = tardiness = a grumpy and snippity momma

And as we all know:
When momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy!

The irony is that every time I am on time or {gasp!} early, I think to myself:

"This is nice. I don't feel rushed or stressed."



"I think I'm even a nicer person to be around when I'm on time."



Apparently the trend for 2012 is to come up with a 'word of the year' for yourself - a more specific New Year's resolution, if you will, all summed up in a single word.


My word for 2012 is:
Time Management


Okay, thats technically two words, but I don't care.
It fits.

God has been challenging me to re-think my priorities and identify where I am spending my time.

Am I a good steward of the time He is giving me?

Are my priorities centered around the things this world demands from me as a wife and mother?

Or are my priorities centered around things with eternal significance?

Are my priorities centered around God and the calling He has placed in my life?



I know its going to take some serious discipline and prayer,
but I am so excited to see what God will reveal to me as I honor Him with my time.



What is your word for 2012?

The 1st of Many

Last week we attended Kendry's very first Christmas program.

First of all, let me tell you this: our kiddo loves to sing.

I mean, really loooovvvees it.

In the weeks leading up to the program he was singing his Christmas songs at home so we knew he had memorized most of the lyrics and melody.

But as adults we know that lyrics and melody can disappear completely from your mind when you find yourself standing on a stage in front of a crowd of people.

We weren't sure if Kendry would clam up and try to get off the stage as quickly as possible, or if he would thrive in the spotlight.

Here he is with his trainer class (he is the tall one in the middle). They sang with the younger toddler class.

Aside from getting a wee bit distracted by the faux fireplace behind him on the stage, Kendry definitely thrived.

Yes, sir.

And by 'thriving' I mean jumping sky-high during the closing song, completely exposing his little white tummy.

No reservations, that one has. 

(Disclaimer: After 2.5 years I still don't fully understand our camera. I attempted to snap a few photos while also filming the videos; thus two of the three videos have a few "click" moments of pause. Darnit.)

Kendry's class began the official program, strolling into the sanctuary ringing their bells and singing "Jingle Bells".

In case you couldn't hear it, at the end he brags "I'm on the stage!" 

Then he says "Hi guys!" 

The "Mister Sun" song is one of Kendry's favorites.

Finally, all of the kiddos Kendry's age and up sang the final number, "Celebrate! Celebrate! Jesus is Born!"

Can I just say how blessed we are to have Kendry at a Christian daycare?

Could you hear the excited screams coming from our kiddo's mouth at the end? Obviously he was excited.

After the program everyone enjoyed juice and cookies.

Kendry with his bestie:

Nana and Grandpa came to the program too!

I hope we never tire of these Christmas programs.

Seeing Kendry singing, jumping and clapping to songs about our Savior's birth -

my cup runneth over.

Parenting "Aha!" Moment of the Evening:

At the start of the program Justin and I were kinda poking fun (shhh, don't tell) at the grandpa who had his fancy tripod and camera all set up at the back of the audience.

These Christmas programs are serious business, you know.

Then I started recording Kendry's class as they walked in. I don't know if you could tell from the footage but I was laughing so hard at the cuteness of it all I could barely hold the camera still.

Tripod Grandpa gets the last laugh.

Here With Us

This time of year our local Christian radio station mixes Christmas songs into their regular music.
Every time they play this song I am moved to tears.


"Heaven's love reaching down to save the world..."


Thank you, Father, for the gift of Your Son, our Savior.

Here With Us

~Joy Williams~

It's still a mystery to me
That the hands of God could be so small,

How tiny fingers reaching in the night

Were the very hands that measured the sky

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Son of God, Servant King,

You're here with us

You're here with us

It's still a mystery to me, oh,

How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time

How His ears have heard an angel's symphony,

But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Son of God, Servant King

Here with us

You're here with us

Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem

A baby born to save, to save the souls of man

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Son of God, Servant King

You're here with us

You're here with us