In a recent episode of The West Wing, my all-time favorite television show ever, Leo was agonizing over a war-friend who had made some bad decisions. This disturbed Leo because he and this friend had been rescued from enemy territory at the expense of one of their rescuer's lives, and he had always felt that they owed it to this fallen soldier to live an exemplary life of service, as a way of honoring him and his sacrifice, as a way of making his death worth something.
And it made me think of Jesus, and how he rescued me from enemy territory and it cost him his life. And it made me realize in a way I hadn't really thought of before how my life should be an exemplary life of service to bring Him honor. Jesus died to save me... was it worth it?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Life with Boys
It's amazing how often I relate to the Baby Blues comic strip. Here's another one I love!
To follow it yourself, log on to http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/comics/Baby_Blues.dtl.
To follow it yourself, log on to http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/comics/Baby_Blues.dtl.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Eight Years Old
Happy eighth birthday Isaac!
We had a fairly low-key celebration tonight (just our immediate family), but it was a big hit nonetheless -- when are birthdays not? After Wade got home from work Isaac opened presents, much to all the boys' delight ("I can't wait until tomorrow when all the presents are more shared" - Luke), then Isaac's requested dinner of sliced ham on toasted buns, and finally birthday cake -- make that LEGO birthday cake (thanks Amanda)! Tomorrow evening we'll finish off the celebration with a trip to Dickinson for swimming at the rec center and finding a resident for the new aquarium bubbling on the kitchen counter!
While at Legoland last month, Auntie Amanda picked up some Lego forms for making cake or jello, and man do they work slick!
Presents!
Levi wrote this birthday message for Isaac.
We had a fairly low-key celebration tonight (just our immediate family), but it was a big hit nonetheless -- when are birthdays not? After Wade got home from work Isaac opened presents, much to all the boys' delight ("I can't wait until tomorrow when all the presents are more shared" - Luke), then Isaac's requested dinner of sliced ham on toasted buns, and finally birthday cake -- make that LEGO birthday cake (thanks Amanda)! Tomorrow evening we'll finish off the celebration with a trip to Dickinson for swimming at the rec center and finding a resident for the new aquarium bubbling on the kitchen counter!
While at Legoland last month, Auntie Amanda picked up some Lego forms for making cake or jello, and man do they work slick!
Presents!
Levi wrote this birthday message for Isaac.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Young Love
Last week Luke informed me that Isaac was in love.
"Oh really," I replied. "With who?"
"I don't know her name, but she goes to our church and sits in front of us," he answered.
This narrowed it down to one of our pastor's daughters (he has five), but I didn't pursue it and soon forgot about it, until this morning as we took our seats behind Pastor Burkhalter's family and Isaac leaned over and whispered, "See that girl with the black shirt? I fell in love with her."
"I see," I responded. "Do you know her name?"
"No. What is it?" he asked.
"It's Ruth. So what made you fall in love with her?"
Isaac assumed a very serious expression and pondered for a moment, until Luke jumped in and said very seriously, "She waved at him. And he waved back."
"Yeah," Isaac said dreamily, nodding his head.
It was about all I could do to keep from laughing out loud, which would have been bad for many reasons. Several minutes later, Isaac asked, "What's her name again? I'm going to talk to her during snack time."
Unfortunately for him, Ruth and her family had to leave immediately after the service, but he didn't seem too broken-hearted. In fact, I think he'd forgotten about wanting to talk to her... at least until next Sunday!
"Oh really," I replied. "With who?"
"I don't know her name, but she goes to our church and sits in front of us," he answered.
This narrowed it down to one of our pastor's daughters (he has five), but I didn't pursue it and soon forgot about it, until this morning as we took our seats behind Pastor Burkhalter's family and Isaac leaned over and whispered, "See that girl with the black shirt? I fell in love with her."
"I see," I responded. "Do you know her name?"
"No. What is it?" he asked.
"It's Ruth. So what made you fall in love with her?"
Isaac assumed a very serious expression and pondered for a moment, until Luke jumped in and said very seriously, "She waved at him. And he waved back."
"Yeah," Isaac said dreamily, nodding his head.
It was about all I could do to keep from laughing out loud, which would have been bad for many reasons. Several minutes later, Isaac asked, "What's her name again? I'm going to talk to her during snack time."
Unfortunately for him, Ruth and her family had to leave immediately after the service, but he didn't seem too broken-hearted. In fact, I think he'd forgotten about wanting to talk to her... at least until next Sunday!
Monday, November 09, 2009
Picture Time
It's time again for fresh faces in our living room frames, so the boys and I headed to Mirror Lake Park and snapped away. Thankfully Elijah brought a small stuffed animal with him, and I was able to use it to coax more natural smiles from all four of the boys. You know that über cheesy toothy grin that little kids do that doesn't make their eyes light up at all? Yeah, you know the one -- I got a lot of those! Thankfully I was also able to get these more natural looking smiles too!
Isaac, almost 8
Levi, 6 1/2
Luke, 6 1/2
Elijah, 4 1/2
Isaac, almost 8
Levi, 6 1/2
Luke, 6 1/2
Elijah, 4 1/2
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Women of Faith
I had intended to write two weeks ago about my trip to Women of Faith in Minneapolis, but alas, my intentions went unfulfilled. I blame this completely on our computerless Sundays rule, cuz you know it couldn't possibly be my fault!
On October 16 and 17 I joined 11 other wonderful ladies and about 7000 strangers, who I'm sure were wonderful, too, for the Women of Faith Conference. Our group was a string of family members (and one unrelated friend) who were mostly not related to each other, but were all close family to someone else in the group.
My mom, sister and I originally decided to attend the conference in Minneapolis because it was the easiest/cheapest event all three of us could get to. And then the inviting began. Kris invited her mother-in-law and sister-in-law and a friend. I invited my mother-in-law (neither of my sisters-in-law were able to come). My mother-in-law's sister also came with her daughter and daughter-in-law. My mother-in-law's sister-in-law along with her daughter-in-law also joined us. It was one big mother-sister-daughter-in-law party! I was blessed to be related to the most people there.
The conference was great. We sang along with Nicole C. Mullen; we laughed with Anita Renfroe; we cried with Steven Curtis Chapman. And it was so much fun to listen to the "regulars" share their stories and their hearts.
But as fabulous as the conference was, the most memorable and enjoyable parts for me were with my family. The first night I roomed with three of my cousins-in-law, and we laughed and laughed and laughed. The second night my mom, sister and my sister's sister-in-law stayed up into the wee hours playing games and, again, laughing ceaselessly.
Six of us stayed through Sunday and had a little bit of free time to spend together. My mom, mom-in-law, sister, and sister's mom-in-law and sis-in-law and I got a walking tour of downtown Minneapolis (we did finally find that bus stop... about a block from where we started!) and visited the Mall of America. And what do you think these six ladies did there? Why, we visited Legoland and rode a roller coaster of course! Okay, actually just four of us rode the roller coaster -- somebody had to hold our purses!
Although we all came out of the weekend rather sleep-deprived, it was worth every sacrificed wink of sleep (and those of you who know how I love my sleep know that's saying something!). I know I am blessed to be connected to each of these women -- this remarkable family God has blessed me with.
James 1:17 says "Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights..." I know this weekend and this family are some of God's very good and perfect gifts!
On October 16 and 17 I joined 11 other wonderful ladies and about 7000 strangers, who I'm sure were wonderful, too, for the Women of Faith Conference. Our group was a string of family members (and one unrelated friend) who were mostly not related to each other, but were all close family to someone else in the group.
My mom, sister and I originally decided to attend the conference in Minneapolis because it was the easiest/cheapest event all three of us could get to. And then the inviting began. Kris invited her mother-in-law and sister-in-law and a friend. I invited my mother-in-law (neither of my sisters-in-law were able to come). My mother-in-law's sister also came with her daughter and daughter-in-law. My mother-in-law's sister-in-law along with her daughter-in-law also joined us. It was one big mother-sister-daughter-in-law party! I was blessed to be related to the most people there.
The conference was great. We sang along with Nicole C. Mullen; we laughed with Anita Renfroe; we cried with Steven Curtis Chapman. And it was so much fun to listen to the "regulars" share their stories and their hearts.
But as fabulous as the conference was, the most memorable and enjoyable parts for me were with my family. The first night I roomed with three of my cousins-in-law, and we laughed and laughed and laughed. The second night my mom, sister and my sister's sister-in-law stayed up into the wee hours playing games and, again, laughing ceaselessly.
Six of us stayed through Sunday and had a little bit of free time to spend together. My mom, mom-in-law, sister, and sister's mom-in-law and sis-in-law and I got a walking tour of downtown Minneapolis (we did finally find that bus stop... about a block from where we started!) and visited the Mall of America. And what do you think these six ladies did there? Why, we visited Legoland and rode a roller coaster of course! Okay, actually just four of us rode the roller coaster -- somebody had to hold our purses!
Although we all came out of the weekend rather sleep-deprived, it was worth every sacrificed wink of sleep (and those of you who know how I love my sleep know that's saying something!). I know I am blessed to be connected to each of these women -- this remarkable family God has blessed me with.
James 1:17 says "Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights..." I know this weekend and this family are some of God's very good and perfect gifts!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Halloween
I'm not usually a big fan of Halloween, but we did have some fun with it this year. A mostly happy group of pumpkins lit up our deck, and a very happy group of storm troopers led by the evil Darth Vador raided the neighborhood for treats. And, helping to ease my Dutch conscience about spending such a ridiculous amount on costumes, the boys have been wearing the Star Wars gear ever since.
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