Just Cause

Well, it has come that time again for the randomness of life to exit my camera.  :)  In the aftermath of K's birthday, I have discovered that K hit the motherload on gifts.  They were virtually all books, crafts, games, clothes and dress up...there isn't a single thing she hasn't played with, completed or learned from.  She loves it all and this Mom was reminded just how much she needs to add even more of this into her life.  People think I push science on my baby, but I don't.  She is just interested in it.  I'm not gonna lie, it makes my heart happy to see her learning the bones of the body at four years old and telling me about the "testins" (intestines) and how they make poo.  Hey, if she wants to learn it, I'm gonna teach it!

And then there is Em...I am pretty sure she was put here to lighten the mood in our lives.  She is always after a laugh and will do whatever it takes to get it...including the rambo look.

I just love it that they are finally to the point where they play more than they fight and now they are even willing to cuddle together.

Em checking herself out in the mirror.  We finally made the move with her and school.  I take her in once a week and on that day she gets her occupational therapy, special ed intervention and vision therapy...all in a two hour period.  She is pretty beat when she comes home but we have gained our freedom back as a family and it is working far better for all of us.  Besides, now I only have to listen to her cry once a week about not wanting to go to school instead of three days a week.  She still gets formal schooling on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at this point and we believe that is more than enough for a three year old.  (Not to mention Sunday school and all the crafts, games and puzzles we just do at home all the time).  By the way, she does a super happy dance when I tell her it's Friday or Saturday school, she just hates to be away from us.

Nana and Poppy came out to watch the girls so we could go to a marriage conference at our church.  Thanks guys!  It was great!

Ok, another one.

I will never get sick of this...Sammy is always dressed up with them!

Now that the rains have stopped and it is sunny, I have been having the hardest time convincing K that it is still not warm enough to swim.  In fact, I got so sick of the argument with her that I decided the only way to end it was to prove to her that I was not lying.  So, yes, it was 50 degrees out, and we were filling up our pool.

Can you see the snow on the mountains in the background?  Really?  The whole story, as I am sure you will guess, went like this...K walked in the water, then got out.  She then tried to get Em to go in so Em put her fingers in, ran away and asked me for her towel.  K then put her feet in one more time and decided that we should all have our towels.

And we ended up in here...like Mom had suggested all along.  I learn so much about God every day by watching my kids.  You know what?  Maybe God says No to some of the things I want because He might just have a little more experience and a much better perspective than I do.

Of course, they are girls...they had to trade outfits.  Cute story: As we were driving to Z's house the other day, K said, "Oh no, Mom!  The fields are turning into grass!"  To which I replied, "Well, that's good K."  "Yeah," she agreed, "then the animals won't get upset."  When I asked her why not, she answered, "Because they like the tasty grass."  :-)

We took our friends to the Living Desert and I managed to forget the memory card for our camera, but then I remembered that my new video camera has a picture mode so I decided to try it out.  It did pretty well until the sun came out then the colors got washed out so I only ended up with a few good ones, but I will certainly take it, especially since it is always with me and about the size of a phone.

There were actually real animals there, we just got so distracted by all the other things that we forgot to go look at most of them.

Yep, they have a carousel.  The girls all three wanted to ride a cheetah so we told them they were all on cheetahs...nevermind Em is the only one.

Well, we are now getting caught up with life and I am feeling better after catching that really fast and nasty flu...easily less than 24hrs but of utter misery.  My biggest praise?  No one else caught it!  Praise the Lord!!  Have a great day!  God Bless!

Tuned In

As some of you know, I have been trying to collect information about M's grandparents and their work in Africa, where they were missionaries from the 1940's thru the 1970's.  Well, recently, some writings from the missionaries who were out there at the time have been sent my way.  I have been reading a lot and all of it has been both challenging and encouraging to me.  This particular article, written by an American nurse in Africa, has been particularly challenging to me so I thought I would share it with you all.  I hope you find it serves your walk!

Tuned In – by Gudrun Stenoien

Today above the deafening din of half a hundred screaming babies I heard the clear sweet song of a single bird in the tall tree top.  Last night at a most unusual hour I was awakened by the persistent call of another.  Birds have always been here and singing.  Why should I now suddenly become so aware of them no matter where or when?

I know why.  For several days I have been intent upon recording the various bird calls in this area.  First I recorded the song of the sunbird that comes so regularly to our windowsill to sing.  Not so simply did I isolate others, and the pompous honk of the crown bird is yet to be recorded.  This current extracurricular activity of mine has brought to my attention more realistically the peculiar faculty of the ear to hear that which one is eager and waiting to hear.

Mothers, nurses, you’ve experienced this.  How sensitive you are to the least irregularity of breathing, the faintest whimper, the cry from the one entrusted to your love and care!  Here at the station we’ve so often gone to bed and perhaps fitfully to sleep expecting to be called during the night.  Long before the clap at the door, we have heard the approaching foot-steps on the sand.

My experience is that whatever concerns my heart and mind, that is what my ears are most ready to hear – even those things I’ve heard before, yet not really heard.  So it is that I am aware of a song, a voice, a cry – because I am listening for it.

How keen is our hearing as it relates to the voice of God?  Are we so occupied with Him that hearing His voice is the most natural thing? David the Psalmist says: Today, oh that ye would hear His voice (Ps 95:7). 

His Voice:

Speaking life-giving words: “Hear and your soul shall live” (Is 55:3); 

Speaking peace: “These things have I spoken that in Me ye may have peace” (Jn 16:33); 

Speaking directions: “Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, this is the way, walk ye in it…”(Is 30:21); 

Speaking encouragement: “For I, Jehovaah thy God, will hold thy right hand saying unto thee, ‘Fear not, I will help thee’” (Is 41:13); 

Speaking commands: “Ye shall be my witnesses…unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8) and go ye therefore…” (Matt 28:19).

But maybe we are not hearing these commands.  We don’t always hear so well what we do not want to hear.  Perhaps we are afraid it will cost us something.  David says of this: “Neither will I offer brunt-offerings of anything that cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24).  Are we reluctant to hear that we are primarily for His pleasure – not so much He for ours – and that our lives are to be completely surrendered to Him so that whether by life or death we live or die to His glory? (Phil 1:20)

Today we can will to either listen to or ignore His voice, but one day soon when “the Lord Himself descends from heaven with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God” (1 Thess 4:16), everyone, without choice, without exception, shall hear His voice.  To some He will then say, Come ye blessed of my Father…; to others He will have to say, “Depart from me, ye cursed…” (Matt 25:34,41).

Today, oh that ye would hear his voice!