All Mine

My daughter is my mini-me. I just can't say this enough. I look at her and see so much of myself that it's frightening.



Case(s) in point:

*She can make you laugh one minute, and then turn around and throw a temper tantrum in the next.

*She loves to watch people, and is not ashamed to open-mouth stare if necessary.



*She knows exactly how to push Noel's buttons. It's frustrating and hilarious at the same time.

*If nobody is listening to her, she just talks louder!

*She is messy. Whenever Noel and I play house and use pretend names, we always call her "Sloppy Jo" because she usually has a stain of some sort going on, just like her mom.

*She is stubborn and independent. She will only do things if she can do them herself. All summer she has tolerated going to pools, but not loved it. But when we were camping and we went to the beach, she had a ball because she could walk out as far as she wanted without any help from anyone.

*She loves to eat.



I think if you put Noel in a line-up with other kids, you might not guess he was even mine, but there's no denying my girl, Sloppy Jo.

For the record, she loved camping. Loved the outdoors, the dirt, the beach, riding in a backpack, eating marshmallows, everything!

I have a lot to learn about kids. I don't think I'll ever figure mine out. But every day I find out something new about who they are and what makes them tick. One of the reasons I loved our camping trip was because it made me slow down and see some of the great traits my kids have.

Take our trip to the lighthouse for example. The first full day we were there we loaded up the kids in the Burley (bike carrier) and rode about 2 miles to a beautiful lighthouse right on Lake Michigan. It was about 120 feet tall, and for $2 you could walk up to the lookout at the top. Noel said he wanted to do it. I was a little hesitant to let him, thinking he would want to quit halfway up, but since it was so cheap we went for it. We couldn't take Elise (you have to be 36 in.tall--Noel is 38), so David stayed at the bottom with her while we went.

And he loved it. Every bit of it.

He looked out every window we passed. He thought the super-steep curling stairway was fun (while I was a nervous wreck for him), and he was really proud of himself when he got to the top.



And when we got to the bottom, do you know what he said?


"Now I want to do it with Daddy."


And that's exactly what he did.





The next day we went for a walk past a river and a dam. We wanted Noel to try out hiking to see if he liked it. Along the way there was a huge staircase that led to the top of some sand dunes overlooking the lake. Without a thought about it, Noel started trekking up those stairs, and I think there were about 1,000 of them. He loved it. We had the best time.







The third day, we thought we'd take him for another hike. All of a sudden, he didn't want to do it. He complained the whole way, said he was tired and wanted to be carried. He ended up riding part of the way on David's shoulders. Why the change in attitude? He knew when we were done we were going to the beach, and that's what he really wanted to do that day.


So through all of this, I learned about my son:


*If he really wants to do something, nothing is going to deter him.

*Almost 4-year-olds have very little fear about things like tall buildings and how much work something is going to take.

*If there is something he is not excited about, there isn't any talking him into it. Something has to be his idea, or he's not gung ho about it. He has his mother's stubborn streak :)

Parenthood is challenging and rewarding, frustrating and hilarious, but most of all, it is as much of a learning expererience for the parents as it is for the child.

What can you learn today?

Lessons from Camping, part I

I have a lot to learn about kids. I don't think I'll ever figure mine out. But every day I find out something new about who they are and what makes them tick. One of the reasons I loved our camping trip was because it made me slow down and see some of the great traits my kids have.

Take our trip to the lighthouse for example. The first full day we were there we loaded up the kids in the Burley (bike carrier) and rode about 2 miles to a beautiful lighthouse right on Lake Michigan. It was about 120 feet tall, and for $2 you could walk up to the lookout at the top. Noel said he wanted to do it. I was a little hesitant to let him, thinking he would want to quit halfway up, but since it was so cheap we went for it. We couldn't take Elise (you have to be 36 in.tall--Noel is 38), so David stayed at the bottom with her while we went.

And he loved it. Every bit of it.

He looked out every window we passed. He thought the super-steep curling stairway was fun (while I was a nervous wreck for him), and he was really proud of himself when he got to the top.



And when we got to the bottom, do you know what he said?


"Now I want to do it with Daddy."


And that's exactly what he did.





The next day we went for a walk past a river and a dam. We wanted Noel to try out hiking to see if he liked it. Along the way there was a huge staircase that led to the top of some sand dunes overlooking the lake. Without a thought about it, Noel started trekking up those stairs, and I think there were about 1,000 of them. He loved it. We had the best time.







The third day, we thought we'd take him for another hike. All of a sudden, he didn't want to do it. He complained the whole way, said he was tired and wanted to be carried. He ended up riding part of the way on David's shoulders. Why the change in attitude? He knew when we were done we were going to the beach, and that's what he really wanted to do that day.


So through all of this, I learned about my son:


*If he really wants to do something, nothing is going to deter him.

*Almost 4-year-olds have very little fear about things like tall buildings and how much work something is going to take.

*If there is something he is not excited about, there isn't any talking him into it. Something has to be his idea, or he's not gung ho about it. He has his mother's stubborn streak :)

Parenthood is challenging and rewarding, frustrating and hilarious, but most of all, it is as much of a learning expererience for the parents as it is for the child.

What can you learn today?

Into the Wild

In case you've been wondering what happened to me, I just got back from our family vacation. We loaded up the kids, as much stuff you can fit into a van, and headed to Michigan. Along the way we borrowed a camper, accumulated more stuff, and then headed to Ludington State Park to camp for 4 days.

For some of you that sounds like torture. It wasn't.

It was the best vacation the four of us have had. We had such a good time being together. Sure, there was crying and some bumps and bruises. I think I gained about 4 pounds from s'mores alone. And we were beyond exhausted when we got home last night. But it was great. This week I will share some of my funny pictures and lessons I learned while camping. (If you call staying in a 30 ft. fully loade camper really camping. Ha!)

So stay posted!

Community

Oddly enough, the last challenge from David Platt's book "Radical" just might be the one I struggle with the most. His challenge is: Commit your life to a multiplying community.

In other words: join a church that believes in this radical movement and serve with them.

I love my church. I really do. I've known some of the people there since I was a kid. There are many people there who walk with God, who serve, and who share His love.

I just have a hard time finding where I fit in.

I'm kind of an odd person, not really fitting a specific mold, so I've always had a hard time finding a "group" of people with whom I identify. I'm not a "soccer mom", I'm not a "working woman", and I'm definitely not hip, cool, or trendy by any stretch of the imagination (case in point: I just used the words hip, cool, and trendy).

But I think sometimes I make that into an excuse. I know in my heart that there are tons of like-minded people at church whom I can serve with, grow with, learn with, love with, but I'm too comfortable in my circle to break out. So this challenge is going to be a tough one for me.

We were never meant to be alone. Even in Genesis, God created woman because man wasn't meant to be alone. Not just for procreating and marriage, but for relationships and service. We cannot make a radical move for God if we "rogue it", as my friend Ginny would say. We need community. You need community. I need community.

May you search for it and find it today.

Get out of here!

The fourth challenge (don't worry, there's only one more to go) from David Platt in his book Radical is to take some time this year and live it out of context. What does that mean? It means, get out of this town. This state. Hopefully this country.

Platt encourages everyone to take 2% of the next year (approx. 1 week) and spend it "out of context", specifically out of the country, serving. I know it's easy to come up with a million arguments why this isn't feasible for lots of people (and it genuinely is not possible for a few), most of us don't even give it consideration.

What if?

What if I spent my vacation time serving somewhere? What if I took my family with me on a mission trip? What if instead of waiting for someone else to line up a service trip overseas, I planned one and invited people along?

These are questions I am asking myself and hope anyone who reads this will ask. Platt argues that spending 2% of your year doing this will greatly affect the other 98% of your year, and I'm living proof of that.

A mission trip will change your life, your heart, and your view of the world.

A lot of people argue, "Why not just take the money you'd use to go and send it to the people?" And that is a legitimate concern. But no amount of money can buy a conversation with someone across the ocean about how they aren't alone and that they are special in God's eyes. Giving money is great, and we should all be doing that, too, but it's not the same as giving of ourselves.

If you've gone on a mission trip before and are reading this, please share your experiences in a comment. If you've never gone, please consider planning one. It's not as hard as you might think.

What does it mean to sacrifice?

The third challenge that David Platt gives in his book "Radical" (see previous two posts if you're confused) is to sacrifice your money for a specific purpose.

Platt challenges the readers to take aside one year and sacrifice something, either something they were planning on buying or something they already have and getting rid of it, and using that money to give to a specific need.

What does it mean to sacrifice?

Have I ever truly sacrificed something?

Sacrifice is much deeper than giving. We give in a number of different ways all of the time, but sacrifice implies giving something up that you are going to miss. An act that might be painful to do.

Consider this fact: if your family makes $50,000 a year, you are wealthier than 99 percent of the world.

I think we have a long way to go before sacrifice becomes a part of our everyday lives. We have so much to give, and we fret over every little thing.

So, let me pass on the challenge to you: what can you give up in your life for a year, or even a month, and give that same amount to a worthy cause, one that you believe in, one that would benefit from your sacrifice?

Read through the Word

Yesterday I shared a challenge that I am committing to, which involves 5 steps. The first is to pray for the entire world, one country at a time for a year. The second is to read the Bible cover to cover. In a year.

At first it sounds like these things are just Sunday school answers. Read the Bible and pray.

But consider what an amazing gift we have--the Bible--a love letter from God--sitting in our houses, most of us have several of them. And how well do we know it? And think how much of an impact not only reading through the Bible, but praying for specific countries while reading from Genesis to Revelation.

Stealing Platt's words,

"If we want to know the glory of God, if we want to experience the beauty of God, and if we want to be used by the hand of God, then we must live in the Word of God."

I'd like to extend Platt's challenge to anyone reading this as well. Pick up the Bible and read it! Soak it in! Find the excitement, the humor, the pain, the mystery, the frustration, and the incredible redemption stories that fill the pages.

Pray Around the World

So, I'm finally on the last chapter of Radical, the book by David Platt. To be honest, I'm going as slowly as I can, so that I can think through every point he is making. The first eight chapters were full of great insight and convicting material. Now the ninth and final chapter is a challenge to commit to make some changes for one year. This week I'm going to outline the challenge, so that even if you don't ever read Platt's book, you might want to do these.

The first challenge is to pray for the entire world. At first, this sounds overwhelming, but when you consider how God moves, our first action should always be prayer. We need to be praying for the millions of people who are starving, physically and spiritually, all over the world. There is this amazing website www.operationworld.org which gives you a different country every day to pray for.

If I can spend time on the internet, watching tv, eating snacks, and reading books, I have a few minutes to spend praying for people all over the world. And I hope you'll join me.

By the way, today's country is Nicaragua.

What's on my bookshelf

I've been reading a lot lately. Just wanted to share some of the books I've been reading over the summer, in case you're looking for a good read.

Brother I'm Dying, by Edwidge Danticat. Danticat is a native of Haiti, who now lives in the United States. I've also read Breathe, Eyes, Memory by her. This latest one I'm reading is a biography about her father and uncle and their lives. It's fascinating to me, especially just coming off of a trip to Haiti.

Gossamer by Lois Lowry. In keeping with Lowry's genre of books like The Giver and Messenger, this is kind of a sci-fi look at the world. It is about these little creatures that give people dreams at night. They also fight off the enemy creatures to give people nightmares. It's actually a really neat idea, but for me it was really undeveloped. Might be a good read aloud for a classroom.

Everyone is Beautiful by Kate Center. Just happened to pick this one up at the library the other day. It's what I call "fluff" reading. There isn't much substance to it, but I can't put it down. The main character is a stay-at-home mom with three kids dealing with living in a new city, unhappiness with her life, and her parents moving away. It's funny and easy to identify with the narrator. I might try out her other book when I'm done with this one (I really like reading several books by the same author in a row.).

Still working on Radical by David Platt. It's stretching me and challenging me every day. I'm on the last chapter. Hope that I can actually make some life changes to follow my convictions.

Hope everyone has enjoyed some good reading this summer. There is nothing like a good book.

If this isn't the face of summer, I don't know what is.








There's just something about baby feet. mmmmmmm. . .


Take some time today to enjoy the "little things", and while you're at it, make someone else's day better with something "little" too.

Thankful

I have been a little down these past few days. Not sure why, no big reason, but i know that the best way to combat this is to recognize how many wonderful things I have to be thankful for. So forgive me today as I list some of the many things I am thankful for (in no particular order):

*hot, Haitian coffee every morning

*kids who sleep well

*health

*my husband's job

*dvr

*listening to Noel make Elise laugh

*a good book (or 2)

*my guitar

*air conditioning

*a car that runs

*the internet

*getting to stay home with my kids

*truth

*Top Chef

*my kitchen

*hand-me-down toys, especially those with wheels and batteries

*baby wipes

*all the water I ever need

*chocolate

*my parents

Take a moment today to think about what you are thankful for, especially when you are tempted to complain. A little perspective goes a long way.

all out of ideas

It has been a fun summer that I've thoroughly enjoyed. Not only did I get to go to Haiti and take a mini-vacation with my husband, we also are planning an end-of-the-summer camping trip that will take place in a couple of weeks. I really think the kids have had a fun summer. We've tried every park in town (and some surrounding towns). Noel ran in the Coyote Kids races. We did story time and the reading program at the library. We've been swimming. Had popsicles. Gone on walks. Made homemade sidewalk chalk paint. Learned about the garden. Played outside. Even got in the sandbox a time or two.

But I'm on empty.

I've completely run out of ideas.

And with a week and a half to go before school starts, I'm a little stir crazy. I've been trying to stay clear of stores, because that just leads to unneeded spending, but we might have to visit Rural King today. At least I won't be tempted to buy too much there.

Does anyone have any free, fun ideas for a 3 year-old and a 15 month-old for the end of summer?

There is room enough for all of us

God loves everyone.

Would you agree with that statement? I know most of us would quickly say, "Of course! John 3:16! You bet!"

Then how come most of us don't live that way?

As I finished reading the book of Jonah, I was sad and convicted. Here Jonah finally does what God says and goes to Ninevah. He preaches that the people need to turn to the one, true God, and they do. Time to rejoice, right?

Wrong.

Instead, Jonah is angry.

Say what?

He prays to God to take his life, because he is so upset.

See, Jonah believed that the Israelites were God's chosen people, and that the Ninevites didn't deserve the same love and blessing from their God. But that wasn't God's plan.

I read this, and I'm so sad for Jonah, because his outreach was actually working, but he was missing the entire thing. God even gives him a little object lesson where he grows a vine to shade Jonah and then takes it away, showing him that we have no right to question who God takes care of and how He takes care of them, because it's all God.

And at first I read this, shaking my head, thinking, "Poor Jonah, he really missed the boat (no pun intended!) on this one."

And then I realize that we are guilty of this all of the time. We pick and choose who we think "deserves" to know about God's love. We surround ourselves, our time, our activities, with people who we like. People we agree with. People who are similar to us in one way or another. And most of the time we forget completely about those out there who don't know God's love and the amazing gifts He has waiting for them.

Am I taking any action to make sure as many people experience God's love as possible? Or do I focus on those around me who are easy to love?

I don't want to repeat Jonah's mistakes.

If you think your house is small, try the belly of a whale!

As I read Jonah 2, I had this whole blog post planned about how cool it was that Jonah spent his time praising God after he had been swallowed up by the huge fish. Why was he praising God? Because the alternative to being swallowed was death, and Jonah was incredibly grateful that God saved him from death. I also had this paragraph planned about how we can relate to the wordings that Jonah uses (distress, hurled into the deep, banished from God's sight, threatened), and how we should be thankful for God's salvation from all of those things.

Until I read verse 8

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

And I couldn't get past that verse.

How many times have I read Jonah? How many sermons, Sunday School lessons, youth group skits, Veggie Tales movies, etc. have I experienced about Jonah and missed this verse.

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Our culture is full of worthless idols. In fact, anything we hold onto that isn't God is a worthless idol compared to Him. Money, material things, career, education, achievements, reputation, even relationships can NEVER take the place of God.

What am I clinging to that I am missing out on God's amazing grace?

What are you clinging on to?

I heard an illustration by Rob Bell one time in which he talks about his son picking up shells at the beach. He has his hands full of broken shells when he finally sees a beautiful sand dollar, and he really wants to pick it up. Rob is telling him to drop the broken shells and grab the sand dollar, but his son doesn't want to lose all of the broken shells he has collected. He doesn't realize that all of those shells are meaningless compared to the sand dollar.

Today, I want to encourage myself (and anyone who is reading this) to let go of the broken shells and embrace God and His wonderful grace. You can't grab onto him if your hands are full.

Sink or Swim?

I started reading the book of Jonah today. I'm trying to look at it with fresh eyes and an open mind, because I think everyone knows this story so well that it's become cartoonish in our memories. As I read Jonah 1, I had some new thoughts:

*When God told Jonah (told, not asked), Jonah headed in the opposite direction for Tarshish. At first glance it looks like Jonah was just running away from God. But looking more closely I really think Jonah was planning on doing good things in Tarshish. What he was trying to do was what HE wanted versus what GOD wanted. It wasn't that Jonah was headed to be a pagan in Tarshish. He just didn't want to preach to the people in Ninevah. They were wicked and, in Jonah's opinion, didn't deserve to hear about God's truths. He probably had plans of telling the Tarshites (I just made that word up) about God's Word. But that was not what God told him to do.
Which leads me to the question: Is God telling me to do the things I'm doing "for Him"? Or am I doing it because I want to do it? Are there people whom God is telling me to minister to that I don't want to because I have a bias against them? Are there some people I think don't deserve to hear about God's love and forgiveness? I'd like to say no, but it's really easy to do. Think of those in prison, drug addicts, homeless, hard-to-love people. . .the list could go on and on.

No one is worthy of God's love. That's what makes it all the more amazing.

*This whole book emphasizes that God can use anything to speak to us. Weather, animals, pagan men on a ship, a tree, etc.
Does God still use these things to speak to us? Am I listening when He speaks in these ways? Not to over-spiritualize everything, but am I paying attention to what is going on around me and considering what God has to say though it?

*God takes our circumstances RIGHT WHERE WE ARE and uses them for His glory. Jonah ended up on a boat full of men who worshipped various pagan Gods. He ended up telling them about the one, true God. And when they threw him overboard (at his request), not only did the storm stop, but they acknowledged Jonah's God.
God is using every experience and occasion for His glory---if I act accordingly.

Just some thoughts from Jonah 1. More to come. . .

Because everybody wants to see more Traverse City!

Just wanted to share a few photos and memories from our second day in Traverse City. I know everyone was just at the edge of their seats yesterday, thinking, "Yes, but what did they do the next day?"

Well, let me tell you.

First we enjoyed breakfast at the lovely hotel (sorry, no pictures), and then headed off to play mini-golf. The 18 holes were filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, balls in the water, and off the green. We had a great time!



At one point, I was winning, if you can believe it. I even got a hole in one.





But of course my golfer husband stayed the course and beat me in the end.






After golfing, we drove up to Leeland, which is at the top of a peninsula. The drive is beautiful, and Leeland is a quaint little town. We did a little shopping, walked a lot, and ate at The Cove, which had wonderful fish and chips.





Their signature drink was called the 'Chubby Mary', which was a Bloody Mary with clams in it. I'll pass, thank you.




We did more sightseeing, including another winery, which was beautiful. We also stopped off at the beach for a while. Sorry, no pictures of the beach. I have terrible luck with breaking cameras, and didn't want to even risk getting sand in ours.

For dinner we went to Boone's, which is kind of out in the country, but has great food and a fun atmosphere. There is a huge deck where you can eat and enjoy the view. Plus, there was some live entertainment. Two guys played guitar, and although they reminded us several times that their cd's were for sale, SOMEHOW we didn't get one. :)

After dinner, we drove back into downtown Traverse City to enjoy an outdoor movie on a huge inflatable screen. It was so much fun!!!



Who doesn't love a little "Raising Arizona"?




Anyway, Happy Early Anniversary, sweetheart! Every year brings my heart closer to yours.

Lovebirds on Vaca

This past week, David and I got to leave the kids with his parents and head to Traverse City for a little anniversary getaway. It is the first time we've been away together since Elise was born, so it was much needed. We were gone for only 2 nights, but we packed as much fun into those 2 nights as possible. And let me tell you that Traverse City is a really fun place to go. We hit the beach, played mini-golf (more on that later), visited a lighthouse, went to 2 wineries, did some window shopping, watched a movie at a film festival, and ate at some great restaurants.

But the best part was just being together. With 2 little ones around, it's hard to have long, in-depth conversations, so this was a wonderful time to just talk about whatever we wanted. And laugh. My husband cracks me up. This trip made me thankful all over again for our marriage, our friendship, and the way God works in wonderful ways every day.









Getting some soda on the way. I love me some fountain drinks!




David enjoying his sandwich at North Peak Restaurant. We ate almost every meal outside. The weather was beautiful!







We visited a couple of wineries, mainly for the scenery. It was so pretty with all of the rolling hills full of vineyards. Made me want to start my own.









The two of us at the Old Mission Lighthouse