Sorry Peeps. I have lots to say and many drafts not yet ready to go up. So you can have a glimpse of what I am reading. I have tons of photo editing to get out the door and I will not allow myself to finish these blogs until my “chores” are done.

Jesus for President by Claiborne and Bread for the Journey by Nouwen. They are kind of opposite ends of the spectrum and feeding deeper things in me in challenging and thought provoking ways:-) So go read them for yourself.

and on a random note, my girlfriend just recommended this site for sassy tips on going green. So check it out!

Peace to all~

This year I have been very consistent with giving each of our children alone time each day, to think, create, sleep, talk to God. It has become an essential part of our daily rhythm. They all look forward to it, whether they think they do or not. They few times I have pushed it from the days’ activities, they have suffered.Let’s be honest, we all suffer! I see it in their attitudes and mine too. Our oldest no longer sleeps, our middles still sleeps about 3x’s as week and our youngest still naps most everyday, although I try to keep it short. Regardless, they get the privileged of having some alone space. We don’t nurture that enough in people today. It is okay and good to be still, quiet and alone.

There are a few new things I am adding into their routines. One of them being a deeper immersion into worship with music. I admit that I have not been drawn to “children’s worship” cd’s. They seem cheesy to me, however, the kids really enjoy hearing their own kind singing to the Lord. So I got over myself and starting investing in a few cd’s just so they hear children singing to our Holy God.

Today during quiet time I put a new CD on, and played it in the hallway outside of their rooms, as they worked away. After quiet time Jackson said to me, “Mommy, I really like that CD. It helped my creativity. Can we do that everyday during quiet time?”

So I am thinking - YES!

A little worship music goes along way to drawing children into the presence of the Lord. Little ones and big ones too!

I’ve been thinking about tons lately. Lots of it, not blog worthy. One day it will be. Just thinkin’ dreamin’ and steawin’.

One of the things I do, when I am thinkin’ away, is to have worship music playing on my computer. Then I get lost inside the photographic beauty of the flickr community. So much to see, and learn and be inspired by. Here are some of my favorite groups, if you want to get lost too:-)

• Bokeh Wednesday
• Shoot Wide Open
• Negative Space
• Nikon Girls Rock!
• Shutter Sisters

One thing I do know, is I need some knew worship music. Any recommendations? I love Rita Springer and cut my teeth on Vineyard Worship Music. Do you know any with that vibe? Singing to Jesus and not about him, is my biggest requirement.

In an earlier post, I talked about a story I shared with Jackson. I began the story with a door. I explained that Jesus is the door for all people to enter into real relationship with God. I told him the verse from the Gospel of John and the following story.

Photo taken in Arequipa, Peru

John14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know^[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Imagine that God lives in the most beautiful house you have ever seen. The house has many windows, but they don’t open, and there is only one door. It is a narrow, rough door that doesn’t really match the rest of the house. It seems too simple. Inside the house, God is there, preparing the most amazing meal you have ever eaten. You can sit at his table and talk with him and you can really get to know all about him.

When you enter His house, you receive a new set of clothes that are the most beautiful and comfortable you have ever worn. The smell in His house is heavenly, and everything is perfect. There is enough room for everyone who wants to enter in through that rough, front door. Many people come right up to the edge of the house, and can kind of hear through the walls laughter and maybe smell a bit of the good food. They don’t even think there is a God, they think the the house is just there, and the smell of food just happened out of thin air and leave thinking they know all there is to know. Then some people come up and look through a window. They can maybe see a small glimpse of who God is but they can’t really get in the house, and sit down and eat dinner and talk to God and really get to know them can they? Well, maybe one of those windows is a Buddhist window, and another is a Hindu window, and another is one called money, and another is the environment and so on. We then begin to think of all of the “windows” that give us small glimpses of God but don’t ever allow any relationship with God.

Many people, leave the house, thinking they know and have met God. They say there are many windows and many people can see God in their own way. All the while, Jesus is quietly calling from the front, come in, I am the way. But not many people want to go through such a simple door. They leave never really knowing all the wonderful mysteries that God has for those who enter his house through the door of Jesus.

It was a simple, story that painted a picture. Painting pictures and telling stories is a good thing. Not only for children but for people in general.

Peace to all story tellers today~

People really do keep their lights up year round.

.

Last week, we checked out the epic Little House on the Prairie movie from our library. It was stunning.  The cinematography was gorgeous, especially for a “children’s ” movie, although we all know that a book of this caliber is timeless and ageless.

The kids, were spell bound, and slightly horrified in all the good ways.  Our children our almost 7, a new 5 and a “brave” 3.5 year olds.  They did well with most of the film, and walked away for a few of the tense scenes. We are teaching them to walk away, if there is something they can’t handle yet. Even with good parental monitoring, children need to learn to manage their emotions within a given environment as well.  I understand that there will be times, that We can’t control everything they see, and they need to know how to walk away.  We stopped the film in a few places to explain some of their many, many questions, but mostly just enjoyed being together watching this as a family.

It was a huge clue to me, about how much our children loved this classic, when our 3 year old cried when we returned it to the library.   He asks each morning, if we can go back and borrow it.  I highly recommend this, even if you have “sullen” teens at home.  They may just be thankful for that ipod and having to do laundry when they see what Laura and her family really went through:-)

The other day I sat with our oldest reading the story of Hokusai, one of the most famous and influential artists ever to come out of Japan. The story goes through his whole life, from age 5 to 80. Towards the end of his life, the book describes how he was a Buddhist and believed that the stars literally guided him towards his destination.

He thought Mt. Fugi was a sacred Mountain and that a “sun-goddess” lived there. This concept is a reoccurring theme throughout world history. Jackson knows that many pagan people worship all sorts of false gods, so I reminded him, that at this time, most poeple in Japan didn’t understand that there is only one true God. We fit into our time line in relationship to what he knows of world history up until this point. This story drew him in, in a way that compelled him. This is how our conversation went. That is why I love good literature, it breathes life and lays groundwork for deep and formational conversations.

J: Mommy, is Hokusai still living?

Me: No, he lived hundreds of years ago.

J: Is he in Heaven?

Me: Well - who did he follow? (Notice I didn’t answer him, I asked him a question. Always giving him space to think and own it for himself.)

J: Buddha.

Me: So what do you think?

J: He didn’t follow Jesus. But he was a good Buddhist and tried to do good and was kind?

Me:That doesn’t matter.

He left the couch and silently paced the floor. I just let him sit with the uncomfortable moment. He was dealing with the reality, that the man in the story, that he had come to love, did not follow Jesus and that that meant something drastic for his eternity. I have stated before in other posts, that we don’t focus on heaven and hell in the beginning of our children’s spiritual formation. We focus on Jesus and his Lordship and that he is the King. We follow him and he teaches us how to live in this life and a natural allegiance to him forms without fear of being “left behind’. Starting a life long relationship with the Lord shouldn’t be done in fear but in anticipation and excitement.

So, as usual, I told him a story, and taught him a new verse in the bible. His little mind gained a foothold on how someone can be good and still not go to heaven. That goodness alone, doesn’t cut it. I will tell you the story and the verse tomorrow.

1. What one thing could you do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

Worship. For me this is where the rubber meets the road. In years past, I have led all types of worship all over the world, but since having little guys, I haven’t worshiped as much until recently. Up until now, I would worship by taking a “holy nap”. You think I am joking, but I am not. How can you praise the living God, when you are barely living yourself. Now, I feel God gently calling me back to the heart of worship. A way of being in the presence of the Lord that is like no other. Worship is singing to God and not about him - so that kind of guides what I do sing. Read the words of some of your church songs, and see if you pick up on a difference.

2. What is the single most important thing to increase your family time this year?

As we all grow together, I find we need to be more places more frequently and I can’t remember it all. So a family calender will help us all stay together. This last year I double booked myself, and stood people up more times than I care to remember. Say no to more, and organize what I do have better. Mike keeps recommending an online calender, so I will nag ask him to do it again.

3. What one thing could you do to increase your prayer life this year?

Schedule 2 silent retreats within the next 12 months, where I do nothing but sit, and be still before the Lord. No body else, no agenda, just letting go of all my little plans, and letting God do some rearranging as needed. This is a must in the basic essentials of being a disciple of Jesus. Hate to be so blunt, but if you aren’t getting this in, you are missing something huge.

4. What one biblical doctrine do you want to understand better this year, and what are you going to do about it?

I think the historical narrative is what is calling me right now in understanding the deeper hermeneutical circle. I know that is a big term, but it is the only one I know to describe what I mean. Just click the link and it will give you the diggs. As in, when was each book written in relationship to the history of the world. I am going back to my history major roots and putting some ducks in order in my mind so to speak. I am using Winn Griffins, God’s Epic Adventure as I study and it is mind blowing. I encourage you to get it and read it!

5. What does your devotion time look like?

It is fluid and dynamic. Changing as needed. I think the biggest mistake Christians fall into, is doing the same thing the same way all the time. Think about it, if you were training for a marathon, you would definitely do your running, but stretching, strength training, rest, diet and nutrition are all important components of running a healthy race. It is the same with our time with the Lord. I practice silence, solitude, worship, Lectio Divina, read many of the late mystics, read the Psalms over and over and right now I am on a Paul kick. That Dude - Rocked IT! I read Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence in my college years and it radically transformed my idea of quiet time. I do have a time first thing in the am, where I dial down and ask for grace to be obedient in my work for the day, and that Jesus would reveal more of himself to me each day, and then my day starts, and I just keep talking and the Lord keeps responding, and we roll like that all day, until I lay down at night and I lay it all down again. Sorry it isn’t very black and white.

So whether you blog or not, I encourage you to play along. This was very helpful for me.

So if you are reading this~ officially, Tag - You are it! Leave me a comment so I can stop on by and learn from you, and give One Thoughtful Momma some love while you are at it:-)

Peace to all!

Okay - now I am calling you out for REAL people! I have had so many private emails and face-book contacts from you people out there, who don’t like to comment. I know, I know, it seems a bit scary, leaving your voice out there for others to see and hear. I understand, but trust me you will get over it:-) A few months back, I took the Google analytics and map off of my blog. I didn’t want to care how many read my blog from day to day. So now, I have no idea who comes around these parts.

There is something I have learned over the past 18 months or so that I have been blogging on my own. Something amazing happens when you join a conversation, leavening your tracks, speaking your mind. I learn every day as I process through my thoughts and journey here in my little virtual space. I promise I don’t bite, and others will learn along with us as we have a little online convo.

I will say, that some of my previous lurkers are now some of my dearest friends….well because I left a comment on their blog or they left one on mine:-) One thoughtful Momma tagged me for a meme and stopped being a lurker. Props to this new blogging diva. She will become a regular read of mine.

So here is the deal, I will continue to share a little bit of my life from day to day - and maybe you will start sharing some of yours with me!

The whole world can be divided into those who write and those who do not write.
-Soren Kierkegaard

Think about it!

Peace to all lurkers today!

• building my Etsy shop for some of our photographic images. This has been on my “to do” list for almost a year now. So I am gettin’ it done!
• Meeting with some fellow artistic creative followers of Jesus and exploring what it may look like to start an artist co-op in our local area. Lots of ideas there!
• building my design portfolio and booking paying clients. I have done tons of free creative work, up until now. I am making the leap and beginning to charge for my time. People have no idea how much time editing and post production work it takes to make a brilliant image.

• writing out a plan, that keeps me centered and not working too much on being creative. I don’t want the tail wagging the dog so to speak. Just slow, steady consistent exploration. Some people watch tv in their free time, I run and create.

So - I will keep you people posted with links and other brilliant goodies as they are ready for the world to see! Until then, I will post one of my favorite images of recent.

Peace to all artists today!

of coconuts she gave us.

Yesterday, I sat down with the kids and explained that we were going to go on an adventure. We recently cleaned out their clothes and had 3 bags to donate. I had the idea that we would pray and ask God who we should give them to instead of giving them to good will.

So we all sat down. I asked them, “What does God say for his people to do?” They said, “obey, love, be nice” I said yes but what does he say we should do for people especially poor people. They said “Help them.” I was happy to know they have that concept down. So I said we are going to get in the car and drive to the poorest area of our town, where Mommies and Daddies don’t have enough to take care of their kids. They may need clothes and we can help them. The only problem is, we don’t know where to go, so we are going to have to have God lead us. I said, “The secret about this is, that when God’s people do his work out in the world, we get a special portion of him. ”

They were all excited, we got in the car, we drove and we waited. I had already decided that we would not stop for any men, but praying that God would lead us to a poor women that may need help. This was about modeling. So, we go to a poor area, where a large Guatemalan population live. I drove around and saw no-one except out of work men sitting outside of their house. So I said, “OK kids where do we go? What is God saying?” Jackson said, “He will show you Mommy.” Chloe said “Where is our poor family?” and Hudson said, “Mommy, listen to me! Go left, left then right.” So for lack of any other plan, that is what I did and you know what? We landed right at a house with a ethnic women outside washing her dog. I told her what we wanted to do, and she led me right to her neighbors house who had three young kids and one on the way.

She was Mexican and speaks little English. Her children were clothed in rags. They lived in complete poverty. I felt like I was in Peru or Cuba but I was 6 blocks from our home. Trash, filth, fleas, and we patiently waited outside her door to give her our gifts. Hudson wanted to go in. “Mommy we must go in. I want to be with them.”, he said. He was determined. He had some of his toys that he was willing to pass on to someone who had nothing.

I talked a bit of Jesus and the gospel with her, and she said she knew Jesus and said thank you for the clothes and gave us her coconuts. She wasn’t very open but that was not the point. The point was to go. I took 20 minutes out of our whole day. It was small and simple. But we went, we acted, I modeled the reality of what it means to follow Christ and I sewed seeds yesterday, in the woman’s heart, in my sweet children’s heart and in my own heart.

So - we are going to do it again, and again and again. Won’t you join us?

Goodness - you hear the left say “It is the end of the world.” and you hear the right say, “Oh come on, the earth goes through natural warming and cooling cycles. This is all normal stuff.”

I respectfully say, “BS people!” To those lefties out there, I submit that “God is in control of when it is the end of the world, so pipe down.” and for all you conservative righties out there “Your smokin’ the good stuff, if you actually think that we don’t need to consider the way we live and how it affects the earth.”

We try and make little choices to recycle and live simply and sustainable. We have a long way to go. We have a lot to learn. There is more we could do, but I am a firm believer in baby steps. It is not an “idol” in our families life but for us it is a stewardship issue. We are supposed to be good stewards…right? Being thankful and respectful for what we have and learning how to follow Jesus in it.

All I am saying people is, do your part. Be a part of Jesus’ redemptive message to the world, subversively. One day, the entire earth will be renewed, and not just humanity ether. All of it.

Here are a few tips:

• Recycle your junk. (Is it that hard to have 2 trash cans in your kitchen, one for trash and one for recyclable things?)
• Stop buying every new thing that comes down the pike. If you have last years version of the i-phone do you really need this years version?)
• Think locally-buy things grown in your area, try to buy green. (Better yet hand made - sorry folks you can’t get that at Wal-mart - I am really trying to figure out how to do this in our town, because for the life of me I am not sure where to find anything grown around here.)
• Think about how much you drive. Consolidate all of your errands on one day. (Gas prices may force us to think of this.)
• Start a composter - (It ain’t that hard, and your plants will thank you.)
• Start a garden, or a pot at least. Grow a few herbs, start small.
• Quit using paper plates and napkins. (I promise a few dishes and throwing some napkins into the wash wont kill you. Hey, make your kids do it! My Mom started this when we were teenagers and it kinda stuck with me.)
• Donate your unneeded items, to local charities that help those less fortunate then you. (I promise hording your junk does you no good. - God will provide for you - not holding on to that one little widget that you are sure you will need one day, although you have not needed it in the past 5 years.)
• Make it a game with your kids. Go through you whole house, and create a donate pile. Pray that God will show you who needs all of that unused stuff and then go give it to them.
• Shoot, sell some of that stuff on eBay and use the money to pay of your debt! If you don’t have debt, then give it away yo!
• Dang - we even have a few friends who have gone all vegan. Willingly giving something up for a deeper reason. We aren’t there yet, but hey people are thinking about it.
• If you eat meat/animal products, think about how it came to you. Was it humane?

Here is the deal, our kids are the ones who are going to have deal with all of this mess down the road. In the west what we buy, consume and throw away, day after day after day, affects more then just how many times you take out the trash. Here in the states, we have nice little land fills that hide our dirty little secrets. In many other underdeveloped countries around the world, they don’t. So it just sits all over the place, and you step over it, and you pick through it and you smell it, in some cases you live in it. I was thinking the other day, how most of the world, still lives in a type of poverty that was prevalent when Jesus walked the earth. What would it be like, if we sent missionaries around the world who could teach agriculture and sustainable farming, conservation, how to have clean water, safe trash removal and infuse it all with the redemptive message of the kingdom of God and I am not talking the Peace Core here. Better yet, what if I could be a missionary in my own context. What if I could actually make little choices in my life, that speak volumes about what I really think.

Just sayin’ is all~ I’ll tell you what we are doing in this vein tomorrow, well, after we do it ya know:-) Pray I follow through.

Peace to all~

From Jackson - just shy of 7

J- Mama - Do the poeple live on the bottom of the earth see everything upside down?

Me - No son it is all about perspective.  (I am stalling because, for the life of me don’t know how to explain it)

J - Well, why don’t they fall off?

Me - because of gravity.

J - what’s that?

Me - it’s the stuff that holds us on the earth, so we all don’t fly off. A guy named Newton figured it out. ( I know, I know you love my expert description.)

J- silent…

So I am off to the library today to check out something about Newton. Any ideas?

I took the kids to the pool last week. It is a normal routine to beat the heat this time of year.

Chloe our consummate animal lover found a “baby frog” trapped in the pool.

The kids then rallied around her, all of them coming up with plans on how to save the poor little frog.

Ironically, the boys were too scared to get it, so she mustered her courage and all 31 pounds of her saved the little frog by scooping it up with her mask.

They then proceeded to build it a safe home in the grass next to the pool, unfortunately, it had too much chlorine water and was not long for this world. I said they needed to leave it be and let it rest a minute.

Hudson proclaimed loudly, for the whole pool to hear, “Let’s pray to Jesus. We can’t see Jesus but he can make him better.” Shame on me for feeling a bit awkward as all the other people at the pool looked our way. It is true and he let everyone within a 2 block radius now the truth.

They agreed and prayed a sweet heart felt prayer and we all started walking home. Then Jackson said, “Mom that is what God’s people do right? We help things, make them safe and pray for them. We are supposed to take care of God’s creation right?”

I replied with, “You are right son, we are.” and went home thinking how wonderful it is to watch God take root in their tender little hearts. As parents, we keep teaching and modeling what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how to walk in his Kingdom. They do what they see, and that is a sobering thought if you really sit down and examine your family life.

Great Scott people, We are getting through to them. Prepare a good environment for your kids, practice what you preach and God will cover the rest! - If you haven’t noticed, I am having the TIME of my life. No short term mission trip compares to being missional with your little young charges.

Latah pool rats!

Richard Foster talks about a practice the Quakers use called “passing the peace”. The idea being, that you willingly and publicly verbalize what you love about someone as a way of edifying and encouraging that person along in their journey. It makes sense to tell a person while they are still living, all that you love about them instead of waiting for their eulogy when they die.

At times, in our little gathering of Christ followers, we practice this discipline. We go around the room and encourage each other with loving and encouraging words. Every time, this simple practice does more for me in the way of deep, inner healing, and a re-centering who I am in Christ and what he is doing in and through me, then almost anything else. You should practice it with a friend. Go for a walk and “pass the peace”. It is a transforming practice.

So today, I am going to “pass the peace” to a dear friend of mine. I grew up with only a brother and never had the experience of having a birth sister, so she is as close to a sister as it gets for me. We do not use the term “best friends” because it is a little high school. I work on not having any co-dependent relationships and feel that all of my girl friends are lovely and helpful and deeply special to me in different ways, each having a role to play in my life.

We met when we were just 21 and newly married in our sending church in Gainesville. This year we both turned 34, so there has been a lot of water under our collective bridges. We’ve grown up in the kingdom together in many ways. We’ve prayed for each other and learned about the dynamic ministry of the Holy Spirit together, praying and ministering side by side for who ever God put in our path. We’ve seen people get healed and delivered together, we’ve lead worship together, we’ve traveled together, built businesses together, learned to be Mothers together, learned to be stronger and better wives to our amazing husbands together, actively praying for and calling out the things we see God doing in each others lives all along the way. Our friendship has been built in the trenches, and maybe that it why it has endured the test of time, strain distance etc. I wish for all of you to have as loyal and honest and encouraging friend in your life as I have in her.

So today dear friend, I want to honor who you are as a mother a wife and a friend. You love your girls and your husband so gently and deeply. God has given you everything that you need to lead and teach your girls who they are meant to be. I respect how you are able to wait for God to move, in the lives of those around you, never pushing always putting others above yourself. I am challenged by your generosity and hope to one day be as generous as you are. Your gifts of administration and organization are spectacular and I learn something new from you most days of the week. Thank you for your loyalty and your honesty to me. Thank you for being willing to say hard things to me with love and respect, thank you for laughing at my absurdity and gently nudging me back into the realm of balance. I am better for knowing you.

So this year, continue to follow Jesus into the unknown, keep asking, seeking and knocking, share your little pearls of wisdom with me, as God reveals them to you and never loose sight of the fact that in Him, you are seen as royalty.

So now you know why I wanted to take your pictures the other night:-) With my heartfelt love and respect,

Amber

I am back into running - for like the 10th time in my life. Throwing kids into the picture puts a serious cramp on consistency around here. I am finally back at the “addicted and need to do it” phase. For me, it takes about 6 weeks of consistently hating every step, until you get in the groove.

The other day I ran an organized run down by the beach. A local run shop hosts it with water stops every so often. The run starts at 6am. You can run any length you choose, however, from the shop to the inlet and back is 13 miles. It was actually fun, to watch the sun come up over the water, and move along with so many different ages and abilities. All shapes and sizes were out to challenge themselves or train for the next marathon. I set my mind to pray through things as I went from water stop to water stop.

There were actually freaks elite athletes there, who were running the course 2x not just to do a marathon but to actually train for best times. I was spurred on when I began behind the 60+ year old grandma’s and grandpa’s. I thought, “if they can do this so can I”.

It got me thinking as I ran along, about discipleship to Jesus and discipleship within community. I actually thought how helpful it may be for Christians, who are physically able, to actually train for and enter a race. It doesn’t matter. Walk a 5k or something, it doesn’t have to be a marathon. But there is something about setting out on a course, and knowing that no one else can do it for you. There is also something equally as formational by seeing so many people doing it with you. You can’t be a Christian by yourself.

The idea of “running a race” is a common theme in the new testament. Paul uses it a lot in his letters. He likens the Christian life to that of running a race. I think that our culture keeps us detached from that idea. Everything is so fast, and instant. Not many people are actively training for anything, or willing to go through a little pain to finish something that may be hard.

So I am pouring over Paul’s letters again. They always have something new to say don’t they? I especially love 1 Corinthians 9. Paul doesn’t mess around about the honor and reality of his calling as well as his own personal discipleship to Jesus. Good stuff!

Peace to all those fellow runners in training today~

I would love the Nikon version however,  I don’t have $1500.00 just laying around.  I guess I will settle for saving my pennies for the Sigma EX - Zoom lens - 24 mm - 70 mm - f/2.8 at about $400.00  .  Donations gladly accepted:-)  If you want to see what this lens can do, check out one of my favorite Flickr pools.

Did you know I am raising an artist?  She just had to change the screen saver.  This is what she picked.

She has a good eye. Is a 5 year old supposed to want to play with pictures on the computer cropping them?

Peace to all photographic artists and those working on being one today~

Yesterday we had communion at the beach, ate dinner and then did some good old playing. Our children are great swimmers and Mike and I feel like we have accomplished a major task by helping them not be fearful of the water. I literally started taking them to the pool at 6 months and going under water with them, shooting them to the wall and jumping in straight away with them. People at the pool thought I was whacked, but I didn’t care. Swim lessons here are CRAZY expensive and I knew if they were to learn, I would have to do it, because extra money around here was used for food. (Remember my 5 part home school schedule story? Money was scarce.) We never used floaties with them, and trained them quick on how to get to the wall. I got the book “How to Teach Your Baby to Swim” and by 2.5 they all had it down pat, no help, across the pool, getting their head up with no problem. I think I was happier the day Hudson could swim unattended then I was when he kicked the diaper habit. We don’t have a yard, but we have the community pool and the beach 10 minutes away so we use it like a tool.

Recently, we have been helping them get used to the ocean and the waves, as it is completely different than the pool. The sting and taste of salt water is a bit daunting at first, but once you are used to it, no problem. Last week we taught them “duck diving” and they have been learning the merits of the boogie board from the older kids at church. They know the life guard flags and how to get out of a rip current. Yesterday was windy and choppy. Mike and I didn’t want to get in the water, but they did, so off they went with some other church family friends. I was a bit nervous watching them navigate the waves, but I just let them go and learn a bit and kept calling them back when they got too far. (Great Scott, that is a metaphor for life).

One of our families dearest friends is a life guard. He has been a part of our faith community from the beginning and has seen our kids, from inside me till now. They adore him and trust him entirely. He has been saying how he was going to teach the kids to surf and yesterday was the day, and now they are hooked. He pulled out the long boards, and everyone was hangin’ ten. Well my little two were belly riding, but they took it in to the beach. Can I say I am jealous? I grew up here and never learned to surf. I am now adding it to my list of things I want to learn to do. The kids say they will teach me:-)

It’s all about wanting a long board now for Christmas. Sorry the pics are so grainy. Alas, our camera phone grabbed this historic moment as I didn’t bring my camera. What was I thinking?

Yeap - It is 3am and I am up writing a blog. I was “summoned” by a child to help change sheets at two, and I don’t know about anyone else around here, but when I hear “Mommy” being yelled from an offspring in the midst of a deep sleep, I literally jump 3 feet in the air and start running like an Olympic track athlete. Well you know, all that adrenaline keeps me from falling back to sleep. I am also making a serious mental note to have yet another conversation with my dear children about how they are to wake me if they need me at night. I was a mess with infants, as I never deeply slept for about 4 years because I was pregnant or nursing and never able to fall into a deep sleep. Oh God Bless my dear Husband.

Peace to all those who hang ten today~

Okay people I am in a cold play phase. I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear this song, I wanna worship. Isn’t that what good art does? God is speaking and moving and using the arts to call out to a broken world. This is one is calling out to me! Enjoy!

This fourth of July,Try this.

Trust me I am a guac snob and typically make my own, but when there is lack of ripe avocados, and you gotta have it, you must give this a try. I found it by chance in our refrigerator section where the produce is kept at our local grocery store. The avocados where hard as rocks and I was making fajitas.

No preservatives, no junk, just the same stuff I put at home with a unique vacuum packaging that keeps it FRESH!

Enjoy:-)

He said it ever so casually. We were going to the beach for Kyle’s baptism. I said, “Tonight we are going to the beach for Kyle’s baptism.” (and Jackson pipes in with “me too”) The first time I was caught a bit off guard and blew it off.

The second time, he said it bit more forcefully, when again I reminded the children that we would go to the beach in the evening. This time I wondered a bit about it.

The third time He said it I asked, “Jackson do you want to get baptized tonight?” “YES” he said. “I decided to make Jesus my King when I was five, I am supposed to get baptized!” as if I was ignorant for not understanding this was what he was supposed to do. I was standing in bewilderment because we haven’t specifically talked about this with him. He has seen others baptized, but it wasn’t like we sat down and said it is time. The amazing thing is Mike and I were feeling like 7 was supposed to be a special year in his life.

My knee jerk reaction was - he is too young at just one month shy of 7. Then I put that away and asked God what he was doing. I said to Jackson, you will have to talk to Daddy about that when he gets home. Mike had a little convo with the dear lad, and it was apparent that he completely understood what it was about and what it meant. Now, you must understand, our oldest isn’t an up front people person. He is shy and rarely likes to be the center of attention, so for him to want to do this in front of us was one thing, but to do it in front of his entire church family was remarkable to us really.

It was then, that I was reminded of the little prayer we say over them every night, that God would give them deep and supernatural understanding of his glorious mysteries.

I guess this qualifies! Why am I shocked that God is holding up his end of the bargain?

Wow!