Besides the Prize.....

I actually got a whole lot more out of reading the Bible in a month than just the coveted prize! #1 It proved to me that my oft used excuse of "no time to read the Bible" is just that: an excuse! And a lame one at that. What I really want to do, I make time for. Nuff said! #2 I got the whole picture of the Bible story from beginning to end in a way that I never have before. #3 The amazing and wonderful gift of the New vs. the Old was driven home like never before! I can't imagine living in the days of "You messed up? Stoning for you!" "Your forgot that law? Off with your head!" I mean, seriously! That's how it was in the O.T.! Thank you Jesus for the Cross and Grace!! #4 I proved to myself that I could stick w/ it and read the whole thing! There's something about doing a "huge, impossible" thing that makes you feel capable of maybe tackling more "huge, impossible" things! So, yes. It was very worth it in many ways. And now I've been reading 7 by Jen Hatmaker. Hmmm... What is God saying about huge things?!

Bible Reading Extravaganza

It all started at the tire shop: Sell enough tires of a certain model and win an all expenses paid day at an amusement park! Chris, being the creative father that he is, gave Isaac and Jasmine the challenge of reading the Bible in a month. If they did, they could go along. Since I wasn't interested in the prize (and, frankly, didn't think I could do it) I looked on w/ interest and a bit of skepticism. Then Chris offered me a prize: My WISH for this summer. And I decided to reconsider! It feels a little lame to admit that's why I took up the challenge, but there it is. Since I'll never get Chris to go camping, I'd been wishing we could get a cabin this summer, close to water, for a couple nights - just us! And that's my prize...and I can hardly wait!! He chose the cutest little cabin, nestled in the woods and it's ours for July 17 - 18! Oh, and Saturday Chris, Ryan, Isaac and Jasmine are off to King's Island, expenses paid. So that's the story of our month in: The June Bible Reading Extravaganza! :)

The Bible in a Month

I don't think I've ever read the whole Bible through. I've started numerous times and I've read the whole New Testament, but I've never accomplished the whole Bible. So, when Chris announced in May that he was challenging Isaac and Jasmine to read the whole Bible in a month I smiled quietly and knew there was no point in me starting. See, this is the man I'm married to -you do something far fetched or you do nothing, you jump in up to your neck or stay out! I'm not made that way. And I knew my Bible reading record! But he challenged me to join the club...and laid out a pretty sweet prize...and so I joined. And so began a month like we've never experienced! People sitting around w/ Bibles constantly, reading reading, pushing to reach our daily goals and maybe a bit extra. Doing the work that had to be done, then back to the Bible reading! Chris finished yesterday and today I finished!!! Isaac and Jasmine are neck and neck on the home stretch! It's been a "good for us" month and I'm glad I joined the club!

"Messed up" Mom

I wonder, does every mom become more "mom-ish" as the yrs go by? I'm just not that mom! You know, the worrying, hovering, reminding kind. But it seems that 12 yrs of marriage and 5 children has "messed me up" and I'm feeling it, feeling it deep, that there's 5 pieces of my heart walking around outside my body! The big boy is gone for a whole week at camp and he's w/ uncles, but I worr....wonder: is he taking showers? Keeping his clothes together? Having fun? Being hurt? Being understood? Oh my heart! Do they have to just keep growing up, up and away? Then there's the little boy with the stuffy nose an watery eyes. Babies cause enough emotion w/o being sick and I worr...wonder: will he sleep tonight? Will he get worse? What should I be doing? Oh my heart! Do they have to be so little, so little and utterly dependent? Yes, I'm a "messed up" mom and my heart is wandering around in 5 different directions. But would I tuck the pieces safely back inside? No. No, I'll just become more "mom-ish" as the yrs go by!

Just little things

Just little things- a story read, a hand held tight, a kiss in bed. A bandaide here, a kleen x there, a hug to show how much you care. Just little things- an empty sink, brother getting sis a drink. A stranger's smile, the folded clothes, a sunny sky, a baby's toes. Just little things- a cleaned up floor, a hand strteched out to hold the door. A "thank you" said, an "i love you", a "please", "you're welcome", "sorry" too. Just little things- clean sheets in bed, a pillow for a weary head. A gentle word, a voice that sings, a look that's shared, green growing things. These warm ourt heart, they bring a smile, they make the weary day worthwhile. Just little things- but tallied up, they make the joy fill up my cup!

Anniversary #12

Someday, when we're old and grey, I can see us sitting on the couch, me w/ his head in my lap like usual, and one of us will say, "Remember our 12th anniversary?" And the other will say, "Was that the time we had company 3 week ends in a row, the last right on our anniversary?" "That was the week you ended up at the Dr with a kidney stone attack, remember that? We didn't know what was up!" "Yeah, and we were so tired cause Charles was only 8 wks old!" "Oh yes! Remember how we got a motel later in the week, just for some alone time?" "Yes, and as soon as the baby slept we both crashed at like 8:15 with the light still on?!" *chuckle* "The sleep was worth the motel cost if nothing else!" "Those were the days weren't they? We had no plan for the next day, just some wandering about here and there..." Long pause as I run my fingers through his hair and we remember... "It was all about just being together, me and you, wasn't it?" And then we'll look at each other, and one of us will say softly, "It still is."

Of Theories and Shoe Leather

I think God loves to take our theories and just see what we'll actually do w/ them! It's so easy to spin out theory. To wax eloquent and wise and sound good! It's quite another thing to put the theories in shoe leather and live them out. When your husband calls 15 min on his way to work and says, in a pain filled voice, "Are you gonna come pick me up and take me to the hospital?" When it's after lunch and there's still strawberries laying on the table to be made into jam and all I can do is hold a fussy baby. When two poor little girls are still wearing nighties and running around with bed heads at 2 p.m. because mom just hasn't gotten that far yet. When the 3 year old pleads "hold me, mom!" and it's impossible. Warm Paws anyone? Oh, it's so easy not to choose them! To scoff at the idea of a 3rd option and wonder who's idea that was anyway?! But it is possible, however small and reluctant the choosing may be, and just the thinking of it can turn the tide of gloom! I know. Because this was my day Tuesday.

Still more "Choosing Warm Paws"

So, the question is, how many times is there a "3rd option" that we could choose? The baby decides at 4:00 a.m. that he's slept enough tonight... I'm in town and have already pumped my gas when I realize I've left my wallet and check book at home... The children are not getting along and I'm sooo tired... The supper I worked to prepare didn't turn out and nobody wants to eat it... There is no end to the situations in life that make us feel like our "paws are freezing" and the only other option seems to be to have our seat in the same situation! Maybe the 4:00 a.m. Rising could be my opportunity for lengthy prayer (which I never have time for). Maybe I can laugh at the forgotten money and be thankful my sister's purse is in my van! Maybe I'll feel less tired if I say "ok, lets clean up and then we'll play games awhile!" Maybe it's a good night to eat cereal (or pretend you're in a poor country w/ nothing else to eat :) ). At any rate, I do believe Drover had a point. Maybe soon we'll all be grinning! :)

Happy birthday christopher!

A treasure hunt with a surprise day off of work given at the end. A birthday "schedule" to fill out.... Starting out the day with breakfast in bed...good times ahead! :) happy birthday to our wonderful daddy and husband!! We love you so much and hope you feel it today and every day :)