Score!

My friend Ambra gave me the heads up! Target has about three aisles of toys drastically marked down right now! Some things were only $5 marked down from $20! So, I loaded the frigid snowmobile, drove to Target and filled up the buggy! For what reason? Birthday gifts for my kiddos friends for the remainder of the year! Well, maybe not the remainder of the year, but 6 gifts will last us awhile! They were all $5 or under and really nice! Score!

Royal

Isaiah 62:3 " You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God."

Pondering our position in Christ sometimes takes my breath away. Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross sets us free and immediately transfers us from a slave to a child of God Almighty. How profound. How simple. How utterly hard to grasp sometimes.

The grace of God that was offered after the sacrifice of His one and only beloved Son enables us to walk in our new inherited right of being His child. I am now a joint heir with Christ Almighty. Whoa. I don’t even understand all that this entails, but the inner part of my being shouts out in gratitude. Thanks to Jesus’ obedience to His Father at the cross, and since I believe Him to be the Messiah and only way to God, I have been set free. Justice was met at the cross and Jesus paid a debt that I would never have been able to pay. When the Father sees me now, he doesn’t see a sinful being, but the glory and purity of Christ that has been implanted within.

It seems like the blessing would have been enough to proclaim my freedom. But, God didn’t stop there. He is lavish in His love. He wanted His love to spill over into our lives and not just take away the shackles from our wrists, but to gently lead us by the arm and welcome us into His throne room where the words glory and family somehow intermingle into the air very comfortably. At the moment of redemption, we have a new home in glory and our citizenship is no longer of this world. We are all the sudden inhabitants of a place where we have rights and privileges. We all the sudden have an allegiance to an eternal King that will reign forever and ever. All the sudden we can be summed up in one word: royal.

Ephesians 1:3-8 describes our new position in Christ quite well. God predestined us to be adopted as His children, which was a free gift. Because of the great sacrifice, we are free from all punishments and penalties. All the sudden, our position shifts from that of doomed slave to that of saint or holy one. We are “hagios” or consecrated and separated from common usage to be used for a sacred purpose. The Christian walk from here on out is to enjoy what He has done for us and live a life worthy of the wealth we have been given.

Unfortunately, the walk isn’t always a simple one. We live where Satan roams around as a lion, seeking something to rip apart at the sinews. He has come to kill, steal, and destroy and he longs for the children of God to be the first pieces of meat that he sinks his teeth into. After all, he lost his glory and intimacy with the Father and it makes him sick to see mere earthlings have such an inherited blessing.

God wants His children acting as, well, His children. He wants us to see Him as the eternal most powerful being, full of love and truth. Deuteronomy 33:29 says, “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high place.” It took me a second to realize that the verse says my enemies will cower down before me. The enemy recognizes God as my Father and cowers down before me. God is a very present help in trouble, but he also wants us infused with courage and victory. When we refuse to walk in our true identities, we instead walk around full of insecurity. God declares to us “Know your position! You are my child! The enemy cowers down before you! Live like it!” Our Father wants us to come to the realization that because of His name stamped on us, principalities will cringe before us.

Satan enjoyed tormenting my sister with lies that beat her down until she no longer believed the truth about her position in Christ. As a result, she often thought of herself as defective or pathetic. She listened to the lie that said she wasn’t worth loving. In her last moments, perhaps if she had clung to one simple truth, things might have been different: Christ died to prove that she was worth loving.

In Luke chapter 15, we see a beautiful portrait of what our Father’s nature is like. A certain man had two sons. The younger begged for his inheritance and squandered it away. After starving and realizing how foolish he was to stay away from home, he decides to return to his father, tell him he is unworthy to be called his son, and beg to become a hired hand. Little did he know that his father was on the lookout for him. Little did he understand the grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love that his father was ready to cleanse him with.

The son makes his plea that he no longer deserves to be called his son. The message version says “But the father wasn’t listening.” He knew he wouldn’t renounce his son based on foolish choices. He was his son; nothing would change that reality. So, he orders a celebration complete with the best robe and fattened calf.

I don’t want to speak for my sister and I obviously don’t understand the ramifications of what happens the moment one dies. But, I tend to picture Kiley about to approach the majestic throne with a tear snaking down her cheek. She looks up at her Father and starts to see him running towards her. He is filled with compassion for her as he throws his arms around her and kisses her.

Perhaps she takes one look at his eyes and hangs her head in shame at refusing the very breath that he had breathed into her. She blubbers that she isn’t worthy to be called his daughter and he doesn’t even hear her. Instead, he drapes her in the finest robe and begins the celebration. Our Father is merciful. He is compassionate. And He throws a party when his child comes home.

Spurgeon says it like this, “You are as much a son or daughter when you walk in the dark as when you rejoice in the light of Jehovah’s countenance.”

Lord, give us faith to live as we truly are: royal.

Hosanna!

I just recently discovered this! The meaning of the word “hosanna” has changed over the years. Originally, in the Hebrew, it is “hoshiya na” and is only found in Psalm 118:25. The King James says, “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.” Hosanna means to “save now” or “please save.” It was a cry for deliverance and salvation. John Piper says that hosanna in the Old Testament is what you would say if you were unable to swim and fell off a diving board. It is a desperate cry for help.

In the New Testament we see the meaning of hosanna morph into something deeper. When the people waved palm branches and cried “hosanna” in the streets as Jesus was led on a donkey, they weren’t just crying “save now.” They were also offering up a declaration of praise because Jesus was Messiah and he was their only hope.

The Jews in that day were primarily interested in being set free from the harsh rule of the Romans. They didn’t understand that Jesus was there to set them free from something much deeper: the entanglements of sin and death. God’s story of restoration always goes much deeper than the human mind can grasp at first glance.

Still, as they cried “Hosanna,” they were declaring that salvation had arrived. They knew that the Messiah could save and their voices became one large outpouring of vocal faith. Piper says that it is the “bubbling over of a heart that sees hope and joy and salvation on the way and can’t keep it in.” He says that they were sinking and yet could see the lifeguard coming to save them.

Hosanna Savior! We sometimes feel like we are sinking in this sin-filled world, but we can see you at a distance. We long for your return; we can almost see you coming to save us.

krazy kroger

My stars! Have you been to the local grocery store today? You would think we were expecting snow or something! (ha) They were out of green onions. I have 2 recipes that call for green onions and I didn't appreciate the rush on them. I then proceeded to buy a head of napa cabbage which is quite tasty in stir fry recipes. I thought the $2.99 sign meant for the head of pricey cabbage, but nooooo, when I proceeded to check out, it meant per pound. I made the poor young fella take the $6.99 head of delicious napa cabbage off my ticket. My Momma didn't raise no fool.

Something about this cold weather makes me want to go grab my kids out of school. Are they warm? My husband has transformed our house into my grandparent's home. At my Nana and Grandad's, they nail up quilts into the entrance of their living room and then put up a heavy duty space heater to keep it warm. That way, they can turn their heat down in the rest of the home and still stay cozy. Well, guess what my man does? He nails up 2 quilts that go into our sunroom, tells us to stay out, and puts a heavy duty space heater in the other part of the house. He means well, and his methods are working, but I feel funny with quilts over the doorframe. After all this, we think we remembered that the central part of our home is hard to heat because it is missing insulation. We tried to have extra blown in a long time ago, but this old home has a strange a-line frame that won't allow insulation past a certain point. Anyway, I feel like we have turned into my grandparents.

We've been checking up on our elderly widower neighbor, Mr. Bass, a lot more frequently. His heart hasn't been in good shape and this cold weather kinda scares me, so we've been taking him beans and cornbread and other warm things. His phone has been going out a lot, so he comes over to borrow the line and gripe out our local phone people. Good times.

Well, in the rush at Kroger, I still managed to get things to make while we are snowed in for a month, I mean day.

tacos
shrimp and wild rice casserole
chicken enchiladas
sesame beef stir fry (sans beloved napa cabbage)
lone star chili, fritos, cheese
chocolate chips for either cookies or chocolate chip banana bread

Well, my Bible and Italian Sweet Creme Coffee are calling my name. Have fun watching the radar.

Introducing Another Guest Writer!

Let me introduce you to Heather! We met back in my college days when we were both involved with K-Life. We managed to both marry hometown boys and so it has been fun to keep up with each other all these years. God has blessed her with many gifts, writing being the one that she is going to share with us today. I hope her words encourage you as they did me!

Lay it Down

My sweet baby girl is six months old. And for the last six months, I have rocked her to sleep every. single. night. It's partly because before she was born, I dreamed and hungered and longed for another sweet baby to rock for so long, and now that dream is fulfilled. It's also because she is the most precious thing ever and our time spent rocking together is so precious as well. And then there's the fact that our babies grow up too fast and you have to take every opportunity to snuggle them up while they will still let you. But I digress.

At her six month check-up, our pediatrician asked about her sleeping. I said she slept pretty good, which she does. He inquired about how we put her down to sleep. I knew he was NOT going to like the fact that I rocked her to sleep, so I stumbled and muttered something about rocking her to make sure she was drowsy, but I knew immediately what he was about to say.

"She'll learn to be a better sleeper if you let her put herself to sleep. Put her down awake and let her fall asleep on her own. You'll be glad you did, and so will she."

So, little by little, I've started putting her in her bed without rocking her. (Much- ha!) She does not like this one bit. Turns out, she loves the rocking as much as me because when I put her down in her bed she usually cries, raises up her head, and looks up at me with a helpless "Why would you do this to me?" kind of look.

She immediately rolls onto her tummy and cranes her neck up to look at me. (We've nicknamed this the "turtle" pose.) She lifts her head as high as she can in defiance and cries out in protest.

She will NOT lay her head down.

I pat her back and stroke her hair. I sing songs and talk softly to her. I turn on her "crib music" and try the pacifier. But no matter what, she will not lay her head down.

I know that if she does, as soon as she does, she will feel the comfort and relaxation of her head laying on the mattress, and be able to go to sleep. It is so frustrating to know this and not be able to convince her. She will not lay her head down.

Eventually, after much soothing on my part and much crying on her part, she gives in a little and allows me to gently guide her head down to the mattress. And almost immediately, she calms. It is amazing to watch her little eyes drift closed and see her breathe in deep to catch her breath as her head rests on the bed and her body relaxes.

Once she lays down her head, she is able to sleep. But she has to lay her head down, which most of the time she refuses to do, at least not without a fight.

The other night she woke up in the middle of the night and I was trying to get her back to sleep. That "turtle" head was extra stubborn, and I was so tired and ready to go back to sleep myself. I stood there beside her crib with my hand on her head whispering "Lay your head down, sweet girl. Just lay it down. You're okay. Mommy's here. Just lay that head down. Lay it down." And all of a sudden God brought these words to mind.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

And for the next several minutes, as I watched my sweet baby girl in her bed, God allowed me to see a picture of myself.

Crying out in frustration. Screaming in protest. Worrying myself into a frenzy. Thinking if I fought hard enough and kept my head up long enough I could change my circumstances. When all along, if I would just lay my head down, rest would come. Answers might come. Peace would come.

I wonder how many minutes God spends standing beside me, watching me, comforting me, and pleading with me to "Lay it down. Lay your head down sweet girl. Just lay it down."

"You're okay...I'm here...Just lay your head down."

But just like my precious daughter, it seems to always take me a while to give in. The learning process is hard and doesn't feel good at the time. But neither of us are alone as we struggle. And when we finally do lay our heads down, the comfort that envelops us provides that sweet rest we have been crying out for all along.

(Almost) a Snow Day!

We like to kick up our heels down here in the south when we finally get a dusting of snow! Trying to make snow angels proved difficult today, but the boys (and DOG!) enjoyed a good romp in the white fluff! It is also nice to have an excuse to make hot chocolate.

Stay tuned, I have a guest writer coming up very soon!

2009 through the camera lens

January: lots of backyard play
February: Going with the gals to see David Cook in concert

March: Going to the LR Zoo on "free" day

April: Amazed at God's creation during the spring

May: The Beach!

June: Cade and tons of baseball games

July: Independence and a rodeo

August: Helping Sir at the farm

September: Eli and lots of soccer

October: Pumpkin Patch and fall colors

November: Thankful and family photo session

December: Sam thanking Jesus for spaceships and beaches before he devours Christmas cookies.

Ready for 2010!

Treasure

I think I have discovered the secret. It seems too simple! The way to persevere through hardship and heartache is to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. In Him, all troubles fade away.

We have treasure! We are rich beyond compare. If redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, then we have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ within our very beings. (2 Corinthians 4:6b) Paul tells us that this treasure is found in jars of clay. Our bodily frames are being compared to clay jars. God always seems to choose strange things to place his incomparable riches! The Messiah, when just a baby, was placed into a feed trough. And the Spirit of God, who possesses all knowledge of the Father and Son, is placed into our weak and sinful beings.

When I reflect on a clay jar, I think of something that doesn’t possess a lot of cost in and of itself. What is inside is what makes it valuable. The clay can be easily shattered and broken. Our bodies have physical limitations. We each have shattered dreams. Our appearance is usually something we aren’t proud to flaunt. When we focus on these issues, we become downcast and laden with despair.

But, when we look at the treasure inside of our weak and poor jars, we find something that is priceless. When God fills our being, our ugly and battered lives are able to point to the glory of God alone, because there is nothing that these weak vessels can offer in and of themselves.

It is so easy to become discouraged in this world. But, we have hope! Paul says that, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” How on earth is this possible, you may ask? Because God is making life new on the inside. As we waste away on the outside and join Christ in his sufferings, we are daily being filled with fresh grace and revelation of the Saving One.

Of course, we would rather be at home with the Lord. And though everything says otherwise, we have no reason to lose heart. As long as we keep our eyes fixed on the treasure within and not ourselves, we will make it! We have the hope to persevere because we know that nothing can happen to our bodies on this earth that will take away the glory and celebration of our eternal home. In Christ, our treasure, we simply are victorious.

The decade of...

The year 2000 brought Eric and I a new trend that has continued thru the rest of the decade: kids! Or, to be more specific, BOYS! These past ten years have been full of sleepless nights, messy houses, shoes covered in dog poo, snorting laughter, 2 million loads of laundry, prayers over little souls, prayers over how to feed the bodies that house those souls, wrestling matches, sports both played and watched, "Goodnight Moon" read 101 times, sheets that have been wet, 3.4 billion diapers, little voices learning to hide God's word in their hearts, a few punches and brotherly hits, real golf balls hit towards our neighbor's windows, every animated movie watched and memorized, a couple of pictures here and there, field trips to the pumpkin patch, and cuddlers sneaking into bed with us at night.

It has been a decade of boys. And my heart is grateful.

bored

I am bored out of my mind. I function better when I have a schedule and the boys have a schedule that includes school. I think I have read over three books in the past week. ("Burn" by Ted Dekker is an excellent choice if you are looking for a good read...)

My house hasn't figured out how to house all the new goodies the holidays dumped into it. I am too bored/lazy to figure that out right now. I did really good one day and loaded a couple of trashbags of old toys and put them in the garage. But, my dining room table still needs some help. It becomes our catch all table during crazy times.

I asked Eric what I could do with the boys tomorrow (out of the house because I am losing my MIND) and he suggested I invite myself over to someone's house. I told him that was rude. I am a southern belle with Christian manners and I can't possibly invite myself over. So, since I can't invite myself over, would you give me some ideas that I could do tomorrow...preferably inside but not inside MY home?

I did go see Blindside with Michelle last night and it is REALLY good. I know that I am a little late in seeing it, but dog-gone-it, the theater was sold out! I think everyone needed out of the house or something.

So, I am feeling anxious because the new year starts in 27 and a half hours and I don't have a single resolution yet. I feel like I should have a resolution regarding exercise, but I can't ever find anything I want to stick with. I guess the key word there is "want." If you have a resolution regarding exercise or are already in an exercise habit, what is your secret?

I am going to go finish the stupidest show ever: Glee. The music just keeps bringing me back. I am such a sucker.

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed the celebration of our Immanuel's incarnation...I still can't get over the fact that Jesus came as a weak and helpless baby. He knows our weaknesses and limitations. He sympathizes with us and knows how to intercede on our behalves! Glory to His name!

We started the festivities at Papa and Bebe's house. We enjoyed a nice brunch and then laughed at the kids as they opened gifts. After watching the weather, we frantically packed and headed to see my family a day earlier than planned.

Here is Eli, throwing his stocking money into the air and watching it fall.

Just get the boy a Webkinz and he is as happy as can be.

This is one of my fave gifts: I had three humongo prints of the boys done and framed...it is the first time I have ever had anything other than 8x10's of them and I love the bigger size!!

Then, we headed to the great Northwest and THIS is what we woke up to on CHRISTMAS MORNING!! Can anybody say White Christmas?? YAY!!!

Dad carving our ham. Without the electric knife that has been in our family forever. I see a future gift idea coming up...

Mini in her new cowgirl apron! Howdy cutie.

Such an adorable pest my brother is.

The boys with their great grandparents.

The bow girls.

Mom about to open her diamond bracelet. Ya did good, Dad. Pearl necklace was a nice touch, too. OK, you win the best "giver" award this season.

Our Bingo loot!!

About to play bingo! What a fun game for such a competitive person like me! It doesn't matter that the game has nothing to do with skill...it is all about snatching the prize you have your eye on before anyone else does! And when your Grandad takes the chocolate brown Hog hat that you have your heart set on, you realize you will sacrifice your dream just to see it sit on his cute head! (And you don't utter a word that you had your heart set on it because you know he would give it to you in a heartbeat and all the sudden the heart's desire is just seeing him getting something he is going to enjoy!)

I hope you enjoyed your family time, too! Love you all!

I almost forgot to mention the best thing! Christmas night, we went to see my Dad's family at Aunt Karleen's. After stuffing ourselves once again, we sat around and had a little music fest! Kirby played guitar, my aunt Marcia played piano and sang, my cousin Chuck played banjo (which he just learned how to do and he is AWESOME), and Mom, Chuck's wife Maggie, and I sang as well. It was just good fun. Made me long for heaven. As I sat looking at everyone present, I counted at least 7 people gone from our presence. Pops, Granny, Kiley, (aunt) Joyce, (uncle) Jackie, (cousin) Jamie, (uncle) Lee...it made me long for the day when we can sit around a heavenly throne and pick a banjo in front of the King. All together.

In the sweet by and by, we will meet at that beautiful shore.

(Oh, and a special THANK YOU to Mini Moo for designing my blog...isn't she awesome?!)

Siblin' Love