"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon"
Winnie the Pooh
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
11. I can hardly believe it!
11 years ago at this moment I was at the hospital wondering if I was truly going to survive the day. Countless women had given birth and lived to tell about it, but I had my doubts. What if I couldn't handle the pain? After the pitocin (gotta love inductions) I wasn't progressing far enough to get an epidural and my pain got pretty bad. Bad enough that the nurse kept coming in and telling me to be quiet because I might be disturbing the other patients. Ha---now that made me mad!
After being at the hospital for 10 hours, I fell in love. With Cade Benjamin. How a fella only weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces can strip your heart bare is beyond me. But he did. He still has my heart. He only shares it now with a couple of other hooligans...and of course, his Dad.
Being a new mother was the most precious gift. I was fairly confident since I had younger siblings. What I didn't realize then that I now treasure is the amount of precious one on one time you receive with your first born. I didn't work, and so we would spend countless hours reading and playing. I would dress him up for a walmart run so the old ladies could ooh and ga over how adorable he was...most thought he was a girl despite his blue overalls and bib that stated, "Thank Heaven for little boys."
He didn't talk for the longest time and while others seemed to be anxious about that, I never seemed to worry much. I knew he was really smart. Even now when he talks, he seems to choose his words wisely and doesn't talk just to be heard.
One of my favorite times was when he was about one. He had little red Keds sneakers that he would don without socks. I remember putting his high chair outside so I could sit him in it for a haircut. I remember his first birthday party like it was yesterday. I could even tell you what I was wearing and who attended.
He is now 11. I can't wrap my brain around that. I can remember being 11, for crying out loud. He is entering the ages when he will remember things more clearly as he ages...these years are formative for how he is going to do this thing called life. I pray to God Eric and I model that well for him. I pray he refrains from peer pressure. I pray he isn't teased for being such a sweet and naive boy.
When I think of my firstborn, pride seeps out. It isn't a pride that says, "hey, look at how awesome my kid is." Instead, it is a pride that says, "wow. that is my son. what a priceless gift God gave...I couldn't be more proud than to have this chance to mother him."
Cade is a very dependable and reliable little man. He never complains when I ask something of him. He sometimes does what I want done before I even think to ask it of him. He is a huge help to our household. He will be a great leader to his family one day. He has respect for all around him and treats the lowly with love.
He is smart enough to be a doctor. He is leader enough to be in a position of power. He is loving enough to go spend his time caring for orphans in Africa.
It will be fun to see the story that God has already written come to fruition in his life.
But, right now, that story includes 8 more short years under our household.
Excuse me while I go bawl now.
I know the years to come will bring a lot of firsts...just like the first few years of his life.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Amelia's Bachelorette Party
Shocker.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Eli's fishing day
Eli won the fishing trip from his teacher. He read the most pages outside of class and got to go fishing. Just he and his teacher. He woke up bright eyed at 6:30 ready for her to come and steal him away for a few hours. He then brought home the loot.
lunch anyone?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
When the Wilderness Ends
The wilderness wanderings were over for the Israelites. After years and years of it, I wonder if it had become comfortable. The new normal. A whole generation only knew of the wilderness. The manna. The constant life of a nomad.
And then Moses died.
It was time for Israel to embark upon a new phase of life.
It was time for action. War. Conquest. Taking hold of God's promises. Comfort had to take a back seat while the warrior side of each man came to the surface.
God had promised them land. Land that supposedly belonged to others. The Israelites could only proceed with faith in a God that said He would personally drive out the enemies that occupied their land.
The conquest recorded in Joshua required a Holy Dance between Jehovah and His people. God promised, the people followed the rhythm with actual steps, God showed off, and the Israelites gave credit to the Master Choreographer.
His promise never negates our responsibility of action.
He wouldn't even part the waters of the Jordan until the Priests had entered the river with their feet. The river was filled to the brim at flood stage, impossible for a huge group of people to swim across. I wonder what was going through their minds at that moment.
What mattered is that they entered the waters no matter what was going through their minds. Their faith was tested. And God proved faithful. As He always does.
Once on dry ground, the people of Israel were now referred to as a nation. They had stepped onto their Promised Land, and they were now a nation, not just a group of wanderers. God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2 that He was going to make Israel a great nation is coming to fruition.
We, too are part of a nation. The Kingdom of God. Once washed in the purifying blood of the Lamb, we become citizens of Heaven. A royal priesthood. A holy nation set apart to declare the praises of the One who called us out of darkness.
Back to the Israelites. The new generation was circumcised. The Passover was celebrated. The new way of life was about to begin. The manna stopped. The day after the new nation ate of the produce of their new land, the manna stopped. God's timing of provision is perfect.
Conquest was about to begin. Jericho, Ai, city after city fell. Utterly wiped out. God gave the victory, but man had to enter into the fight.
You wonder if Joshua and the chosen nation of God got comfortable. Perhaps they entered into a new normal. Because in chapter 13, the Lord tells Joshua, "You've had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken. This is what remains..."
Joshua must have taken the Lord at His word, because he later asks the people, this new nation, how long they are going to sit around on their hands, putting off taking possession of the land that GOD, the GOD of their ancestors, had already given to them. (Joshua 18:3, the Message)
The Lord had fulfilled all His good promises to His people.
How were they going to respond?
How will we respond?
Will we go forward and possess what has already been given to us?
What does this look like?
What do we possess that we won't take hold of?
If Christ is our primary inheritance, what keeps us from enjoying and partaking of Him fully?
Perhaps we are overcome with fear as we see walled cities and giants on our land.
Maybe God wants us to ask Him one simple question: "In my life, what land remains to be taken?"
God wants us to do as Caleb did. Despite the fact that he is 85 years old, he marches up the mountain of Kiriath-arba and overcomes the Anakim. He takes down the giants. The land had been promised to him long ago. He waited 45 years for it. And his age was not going to be his deterrent.
He changes the name of Kiriath-Arba to Hebron. Hebron means Communion. Friend. Association. Life.
Because Caleb knew one thing. There is life when we take possession of our land.
And then Moses died.
It was time for Israel to embark upon a new phase of life.
It was time for action. War. Conquest. Taking hold of God's promises. Comfort had to take a back seat while the warrior side of each man came to the surface.
God had promised them land. Land that supposedly belonged to others. The Israelites could only proceed with faith in a God that said He would personally drive out the enemies that occupied their land.
The conquest recorded in Joshua required a Holy Dance between Jehovah and His people. God promised, the people followed the rhythm with actual steps, God showed off, and the Israelites gave credit to the Master Choreographer.
His promise never negates our responsibility of action.
He wouldn't even part the waters of the Jordan until the Priests had entered the river with their feet. The river was filled to the brim at flood stage, impossible for a huge group of people to swim across. I wonder what was going through their minds at that moment.
What mattered is that they entered the waters no matter what was going through their minds. Their faith was tested. And God proved faithful. As He always does.
Once on dry ground, the people of Israel were now referred to as a nation. They had stepped onto their Promised Land, and they were now a nation, not just a group of wanderers. God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2 that He was going to make Israel a great nation is coming to fruition.
We, too are part of a nation. The Kingdom of God. Once washed in the purifying blood of the Lamb, we become citizens of Heaven. A royal priesthood. A holy nation set apart to declare the praises of the One who called us out of darkness.
Back to the Israelites. The new generation was circumcised. The Passover was celebrated. The new way of life was about to begin. The manna stopped. The day after the new nation ate of the produce of their new land, the manna stopped. God's timing of provision is perfect.
Conquest was about to begin. Jericho, Ai, city after city fell. Utterly wiped out. God gave the victory, but man had to enter into the fight.
You wonder if Joshua and the chosen nation of God got comfortable. Perhaps they entered into a new normal. Because in chapter 13, the Lord tells Joshua, "You've had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken. This is what remains..."
Joshua must have taken the Lord at His word, because he later asks the people, this new nation, how long they are going to sit around on their hands, putting off taking possession of the land that GOD, the GOD of their ancestors, had already given to them. (Joshua 18:3, the Message)
The Lord had fulfilled all His good promises to His people.
How were they going to respond?
How will we respond?
Will we go forward and possess what has already been given to us?
What does this look like?
What do we possess that we won't take hold of?
If Christ is our primary inheritance, what keeps us from enjoying and partaking of Him fully?
Perhaps we are overcome with fear as we see walled cities and giants on our land.
Maybe God wants us to ask Him one simple question: "In my life, what land remains to be taken?"
God wants us to do as Caleb did. Despite the fact that he is 85 years old, he marches up the mountain of Kiriath-arba and overcomes the Anakim. He takes down the giants. The land had been promised to him long ago. He waited 45 years for it. And his age was not going to be his deterrent.
He changes the name of Kiriath-Arba to Hebron. Hebron means Communion. Friend. Association. Life.
Because Caleb knew one thing. There is life when we take possession of our land.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Kirby & Jen: The Reception
Hello Fun! We ate yummy food, danced, laughed, took pictures in a photo booth, dipped strawberries in chocolate, and then danced some more. Good celebration!
Have a happy trip Mr. and Mrs. Martens!
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