Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Sandimonium

The wind chill was 29 here today.  29!  To my knowledge, it is still October, and here in the great state of North Carolina we pay very high gas taxes to avoid freezing temperatures before Thanksgiving.  Also, my children would like to propose a creative restructuring of the corporate structure of our household.  I may be facing a hostile take over if we can't play outside soon.

To me, this storm was chilly, and I worried about losing power.  I wondered if we would get iced in and we dug out the other box of winter coats.

But today, my heart broke for the people that I know who wouldn't be spending the day warm and snug, fixing up their beautiful new homes.  I was thinking about G and A who can't get into their housing until 4:00 every afternoon.  I was thinking about R who lives in an abandoned building where someone was murdered on Saturday night.  I prayed for them and I prayed for me.  I prayed that during these dark, cold months, God would give me the courage and vision to warm some of those fingers and toes.  I prayed for patience with my cooped up children.  I prayed that God would help me be faithful with the abundance I have.

Because I really do believe in prayer.

Also, there is a very special arrival we are preparing for.  More on that soon!  Don't want to wait...well, too bad.  And no, I am not pregnant.




Saturday, October 27, 2012

These Stones Will Cry Out



Ready? Steady! Go!!!!!

A friend looked at me this week and asked if I believed in prayer.  

The problem is I do.  I really, firmly, sincerely believe in the power of prayer.  

To change.

Me.

I deeply and honestly believe that God is working in our world.  I am convinced that nothing can stop the power of God, but I actually do believe that we can choose whether or not to participate in God's work and Kingdom.  

Prayer is one of the most powerful means of grace (pathways to God's grace) that links us to God's already ongoing work because it can be as continual as each person can stomach.  

I mean stomach, too.  There have been seasons in my life that I have stepped back from prayer; not because I don't believe in its efficacy, but because I do.  God is love but God is wild.  God is not afraid of addiction or homelessness or motherhood or fear or loneliness or stupidity.  God loves and moves and calls.  

God is.

Not was.  

Praying invites this present creator into the confines of our lives.  

And the question is not, do I believe in prayer.  The question is: am I willing to risk it?  Am I ready to begin yet again?  


Also,

Dear Politically Angry Persons--

Please stop referring to staying home and raising kids and cooking meals as cruelty to women.  I proudly stay home with my kids, and if you are hungry, come to my house and I will cook you something--barefoot.

Friday, October 26, 2012

{this moment}


{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Bragging Rights

Somedays I go to sleep thinking that someone is busy somewhere preparing to stage an intervention because my parenting skills are shockingly lacking.  As I review my day, I regret my tone and my tiredness and my overall non-awesomeness.  

I heard a sermon recently (sorry for the incomplete citation...Mama hears a LOT of sermons), I don't remember the context (Luke, maybe you do) but the gist was that we can't let God down because we were never holding God up.  Wow!  

So, my failures are there.  They are mine.  I hope I grow through them.  So do my kids.

But today God reached down and gave my heart a hug; today, I have the to right to brag.  

Today I watched my children embrace the deepness and abundance of life and radiate the very image of their good and mysterious Creator.  

I watched Annabel climb up on the lap of a homeless grandfather and embrace him with no reservations.  She didn't care that she couldn't fix him, she didn't have a plan to rehabilitate his brokenness and she didn't evaluate his needs.  She freely gave what she had--pure, simple, exuberant love.  

There is a beautiful community of faith not far from our house that loves simply.  It offers food to the hungry and clothes to the naked.  It offers a place to pray and sing and have a voice.  It is a place of deep connection and shared wisdom.  Theologians and vagrants come to the same table and receive the same nourishment.  It can be complicated and messy, but it is vital and raw.  And today my son tugged on my sleeve and asked if he could serve communion.  A child.  Four years old.  I was worried.  We hadn't arrived in time to set it up before the service started.  Maybe someone would think it presumptuous and precocious.  Maybe...maybe...maybe

Let the children come to me, Jesus said.  So I did.

My little Laine walked all the way to the front of the church and asked for the privilege of serving communion.  And today I received the true and potent grace of a living and powerful God from my son.

And I am bragging about it!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Well Played Master Laine

Tonight as we were cleaning up toymageddon for the SECOND day in a row, I was muttering to Laine in a motherly way.  You know, if you can't clean up your toys I will blah blah blah...well, I ending with the motherhood classic, "because I am not your servant."

Laine stopped and smiled down at me (as I was scrabbling around on the floor after 245,741 duplos) and replied, "Mom, we are ALL servants."

Seriously?

Geez.


Monday, October 22, 2012

I Voted

Let me tell you when you stop everything and ask God for a fresh view, God might just give you a fresh view...of yourself.

This might not be comfortable.  It might leave you nervous and shaky. 

Might also feel like taking the first deep breath in a long time.

ALSO,

Laine filled out a kiddo ballot today.  He was so proud!  I voted too.  Hope you will too.


ALSO,

Annabel is a force-of-nature!

ALSO,

This kid is great! Even if he doesn't need sleep...




Saturday, October 20, 2012

{this moment}


{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.



Thursday, October 18, 2012

Uncultured Swine

Jamie Martin wrote a funny little book called Mindset for Moms and she makes a point that is changing my life.

Kids are uncultured swine.

(The phrase is mine, but the idea is hers.)

After reading this unbelievably freeing information, I sat my squirmy, inattentive herd down after breakfast (read: time when three swine compete to cement the most granola to the surrounding furniture) and announced, lovingly, that they were uncivilized and that we would now proceed from that framework.  What is more, quoth I, I am civilized and have taken it as my mission to civilize my herd of uncultured swine.

I would teach them to live and operate within civilization--nay EXCELL!!!

What was their job?  Their job was to help me see the rainbows and wooly boogers.  To remind me to jump in the puddles on the count of 11.  To bring civilization to its knees in wonder.

And do you know?  They understood.  They play in the puddle of refracted light on our kitchen floor.  They gasp as the leaves fall from the trees.  They twirl in nightshirts and blink in the wind and squeal at a nimble squirrel tightrope walking our fence.  They tug my arms away from my civilized tasks and command me to see the abundance around me.  And I dance in the rainbows and twirl in the wind and wonder at the frantically indecisive squirrels.

Then I clean the peanut butter off the wall.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Larry Boy Water

6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.

That is the definition of full sun.

Tomatoes like full sun.  

I don't have it.

This is a gardening blog.  Hahahaha.  Because I have written at least twice on anything to do with gardening.  But listen here, I want to.  

And this is my problem.

The tulip poplar.  There are about 10,000 of them in our yard.  Approximately.  And they are enormous trees.  I am pretty sure we own the tulip poplar redwood forest.

So, I bought some tulips and daffodils.

And I dream of a patch of full sun.

PS thank you so much to Stacy for all of the amazing kids activities during Refresh.  Also, there is literally so much going on in my heart/head about that time, I can't really parse it out yet.  So, gonna stick to dirt right now.

PSS  Larry Boy water is cucumber water.  Laine is way sophisticated.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Week 7

So so so sorry!

I am late.

For a very important date.


Week 7: October 1-7

Open Our Homes

Focus Verse

John 13:34-35

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Scripture Readings:

Children's Activities


Prayer:

Open my eyes that they may see the deepest needs of people;
Move my hands that they may feed the hungry;
Touch my heart that it may bring warmth to the despairing;
Teach me the generosity that welcomes strangers;
Let me share my possessions to clothe the naked;
Give me the care that strengthens the sick;
Make me share in the quest to set the prisoner free.
In sharing our anxieties and our love, our poverty and our prosperity,
We partake of your divine presence.

~ Canaan Banana, Zimbabwe