Thoughts from Today

The older I get, the more I realize just how much this world is not my home. If this life was my final destination, miserable would be too tame a word to describe it. The events that unfolded in Newtown, CT today make my heart hurt. I cannot explain the emotion I feel in words. And as I have prayed for the families whose lives have been forever changed, all I can do is simply trust...there are questions that truly cannot be answered in a way that is humanly understandable. Only Christ offers true hope and peace, a hope and peace that will one day be fully realized when we are in His presence. Until then, life in this world filled with sin will point us who know Him as Savior look forward to His return.

I appreciated this blog post this evening: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/how-does-jesus-come-to-newtown

And this text from "Creation Sings" has been going through my mind:

"Creation longs for His return,

When Christ shall reign upon the earth;

The bitter wars that rage

Are birth pains of a coming age.

When He renews the land and sky,

All heav'n will sing and earth reply

With one resplendent theme: The glories of our God and King!"  (Getty)

 

My God is still on the throne. His grace is sufficient. The events of today did not catch Him off guard. He is still in control. And I can rest in His promises...because I rest in Him.

 

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. 2 Cor. 1:20

 

In the midst of the miserableness of a sin-cursed earth, a hope shines forth. Nothing, absolutely nothing can destroy what Christ has done in my heart. And that brings me great joy and peace!

 

"No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand. 'Till He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand." (Getty/Townend)

 

[I might add that I am thankful for the gift of music and "sermons in song" that encourage a struggling heart.]

 

 

I am also thankful for my precious children.

 

 

 

 

 

Things Learned in Song...

Growing up, a common phrase that "Uncle" Fred Coleman shared with us was "things learned in song are remembered long." I cannot tell you how many times the Holy Spirit has used "song" to encourage my heart. I vividly remember one instance in October 2007 when I was going through a particular loss. A song we had learned in children's choir came to mind, and I sang it over and over and over again that night.

  Surely He Will Care for Me

If God can dress a lily in a gown of white,

If God can guide a moonbeam thro' the dark of night,

If He can help a river find a friendly sea,

then surely He will care for me.

If God can paint a rainbow when the rain is done,

If God can give a summer day the gift of sun,

If He can teach a nightingale a melody,

then surely He will care for me.

He's with me when I sleep.

He's with me when I wake;

He hears my softest prayer.

Wherever I may go, whatever path I take,

I know he will be there.

If God can greet a morning with a new blue sky,

If God can show a young bird how a bird should fly,

If He can hang a blossom on a cherry tree,

then surely He will care for me.

Mary Kay Beall
Words © 1984 Hope Publishing Company

Simple truth that was so comforting.

 Miles Coleman suffered a serious head injury this week. Today, Anna and the Coleman family wait and hope for Miles' recovery. They have shown tremendous evidence of God's grace and testimony to so many! This sudden accident is not sudden to God. He has a perfect plan. Kristin, Miles' sister, shared these words from a song this morning: "King of glory, I know you love me, so I will trust You. Yes, I will trust you." It is true that "things learned in song are remembered long" and what a sweet comfort to be reminded of truth when we need it most! I am thankful for the Coleman family as they live out the many things that they have taught us over the years! And I am grateful that my Heavenly Father will "surely care for" the Colemans!

Miscellaneous Thoughts about Facebook

Facebook. A few weeks ago I had made up my mind that I was leaving Facebook for good. There were several good reasons to do so. One of which was my own inability to be disciplined about my use. In all honesty, I did not need to be checking posts 50 times a day. So, I left. I deactivated my account. A couple of weeks later I heard that a friend's son had been in the hospital. The day I heard was Monday; he had been admitted on Saturday. That was enough to push me back to the Facebook world. My time away did a few things for me. First, it allowed me to think about my reactions to things I would read and my motives for getting on Facebook. Second, it broke me of the "check it 50 times a day" habit. Third, it revealed that I can really live without it.

Today, I found out about a good friend who was in the hospital in a serious condition. I have been able to stay in touch with friends who really do care about our family and encourage me to grow in Christlikeness; I have deleted a few people; and I have enjoyed connecting with "old friends" and new friends.

I do believe that Facebook tends to define many of our relationships; occastionally I say or hear "they are 'Facebook friends.'" Another post about relationships another day!

My goal for Facebook is not to record our family history. I do not want to tell my children to "go on Facebook" to learn about our family. The art of journal composition and handwritten letters is quickly diminishing. That is something that I have tried to work on personally. I don't write as often as I should, but I do try to write occasionally; and the good old letter in the mail. Just this past week I have contemplated writing again. Letters. I fear much of our history will be lost one day if we don't write things down. Not that blogs, Facebook and technology aren't helpful. But what if the internet ever crashed or we didn't have access? I think often about printing out posts and putting them in a notebook. I really should do it as I go, but I don't. Maybe tomorrow. It is one of those projects that is in the "future ideas" list that really should be placed near the top!

So, these are my Facebook/letterwriting/journal thoughts for tonight. In the time it took me to type this post I could have written a letter....

It's ORANGE Friday!

It's college football time. Yes, we love football around here; Fridays we wear solid orange. Tailgate food is on the menu, which means it's time to boil some eggs for deviled eggs; make pimento cheese spread; and wash some grapes. Nothing fancy, just good. And of course, we can't forget the fried chicken. Football season is a special time for our family. Some of my most fun childhood memories include tailgating and football games. Now we have the opportunity to start our own family traditions! There are many important lessons to be reminded of during football season! I may take some time to share a few over the next few months!

All in a day's work

Goodbyes...

We said "goodbye" to our friend who is headed out to fulfill her commitment with the army. Here are some observations from the morning...
1.There are so many unknowns, new experiences, and possible difficulties ahead for these soldiers.
2. They have commited to serve our country however they are called upon to do so.
3. Many are leaving a spouse or children behind. All have family they are leaving behind.
4. They are leaving the comforts that we enjoy and often take for granted every day.
5. The only media present were 2 local newspapers. No local TV news picked up their departure as a headline.
6. A motorcycle group, several fire departments, and police escorted the buses as they left the unit.
7. As the soldiers gathered in formation before loading on the buses, so many thoughts go through your mind. Will they all come home? What will they face before they come home? What will their families face while they are away?

So many thoughts. So many tears. Yet, it was also a day of gratefulness for me. Gratefulness for the friend God has given me, and the work He has done in her life and in my life through her friendship. Our God is faithful, and He has each step of life planned for each of us, according to His perfect plan. I am excited about the opportunities that God has given my friend to serve Him as she serves our country over the next months!

Interesting Article

I picked the mail up today at the Post Office and the following article was printed in the Wall Street Journal. I have a congenital heart defect, and although I have not faced surgery, I have been closely followed since I was born. My pediatric cardiologists have been excellent. I have had 3 doctors, and my current doctor is an adult-congenital specialist. I am grateful for her, and for my previous doctors. Their care has been excellent, even through pregnancy. The pediatric cardiology field has always interested me (probably because I have been a recipient of the expertise of many), and I have no complaints about the excellent care I have received. I do have my opinions on trasitioning from the pediatric cardiologist to the adult-congenital specialist. I will save those for another day! It is a transition, but so far, mine has gone well. There were a few tears early on, but I will save that story for later...when I need to write a new post! I am thankful that the adult-congenital specialty is developing. Going straight from a pediatric cardiologist to an adult cardiologist does present it's challenges; so having the adult-congenital specialist has been a great development for the practice that follows me. More to come, but here is the article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444443504577601403187689064.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_LeadStoryNA#articleTabs%3Darticle

Milestones

Miss E is pulling up to sitting, and Sunday I found her standing in the crib. I remember when Little D hit those milestones. Can it really be true that Miss E is growing up this fast? She is so much fun, and Little D loves her!

A quote from Little D tonight at dinner "I 'hafta' (have to:) learn to play golf and not whine about it."

Sunday School

This past Sunday was "promotion Sunday" for the children's Sunday School program at church. I have been working with the 2's and 3's for the past year, but I have now been promoted to 4th-6th. I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the older children, but I sure did have fun with the 2's and 3's. My teaching time was during the last hour of the morning schedule, so my goal was to keep them happy! We would start out with a rest time and listen to a CD; then we would usually do some sort of craft; and finally we would have a snack (if there was time)/play a game/sing songs. Here are a few pictures of my summer "wall" ideas. There are so many easy preschool craft ideas, and the children had a great time!

If you think creatively you will recognize that these are Octopus creatures!

Jelly Fish don't swim under trees, but these are special jelly fish! The rainbows were fun to color with 2 and 3 year olds. Trying to keep the colors close to in line was fun!

The sailboats were probably my favorite "under the sea" crafts. We have hundreds of popsicle sticks in the craft closet, so we used a few for texture :)! The fish and starfish were fun too. I love wiggly eyes. There are hundreds of those in the craft closet too.

The lighthouses were from the dollar store. Our last lesson together before most of the children moved to their new 4-5 year old class was that "The Light of the World is Jesus."

I enjoyed the 2's and 3's. The class was mostly boys and full of energy, but what a great opportunity to share truth and plant the seeds of the Gospel even in simple teaching of the Word! 4th-6th is going to be a ton of fun too! I just have to try to think like an "older kid" now!

Monday Musings

One of my favorite things to do is help with bridal and baby showers. My mom, sisters and I have a lot of fun with these kinds of things! I have a dear friend who loves to create invitations, and so often, she takes care of that detail! Here are a few pictures from past events. The key is to keep things simple! And that's what we try to do. It is always fun to try to incorporate things that are personal for each shower recipient too. Here are some ideas from past showers.

For church showers, there is a small budget that we are able to work with. This was a morning shower, and we had had several "breakfast" occasions with the ladies recently. Instead of quiche and casseroles, we had Panera scones and bagels. That was a treat. My friend had used the "blue paper" hanging decorations for her son's first birthday party and let me borrow them. That reminds me...I need to return t hem. They are in my trunk, probably smushed to pieces by now!

This beverage dispenser shows up frequently at parties and events. It came from Sam's and has gotten lots and lots of use! This is a juice blend that I just threw together. You can add ginger ale to just about anything and float ice cubes and fruit and have something nices to look at.

This was one of the more elaborate projects I attempted. You cut a watermelon in half and stick flowers down into the flesh part of the watermelon. They stayed fresh in the refrigerator overnight! The ribbon and monkey came from Hobby Lobby. It was a bit of a sticky project- one that was fun to do but not necessarily a quick, do it every time you have a party centerpiece!

Often at baby showers I have the attendees write a card of advice/encouragement for the new-mom-to-be. It is always fun to see what the ladies come up with!

Sometimes instead of cake we serve petit fours. These are from Publix. They have little baby booties on top. They are pretty little things and taste pretty good too!

It is fun to have a variety of foods. Having friends who help is great, especially when they make really good hummus!

This cake is from Publix. They have a great bakery and always do a beautiful job! This phrase was taken from text of a couple's engagement story. Just a little something to make the shower personal for that bride.

Diaper cakes are the easiest things to make! It makes a great gift too! The scrabble pieces were one of my favorite parts of this cake. They were in Mom and Dad's basement from a project Rach had gotten into. There were plenty of pieces available, and the right letters :)...so they made it on to the cake!

We spent an evening painting letters for this decor. Hobby Lobby has more "cheap stuff" for these kinds of decorations. It's especially nice if it happens to be 50% off when you need it too!

A lady in our church made this cake. As you can see diaper cakes can vary in different ways. They always look amazing and hard to make. But they aren't!

We have thrown a lot of parties/showers/receptions this summer. I should have taken more pictures, but I didn't. It is always a lot of fun to share in special times in the lives of friends and family!

Miss E and Little D

Teething first, then a drum lesson!

Best Friends already.

Out with the old; in with the new.

We recently had our bathrooms completely remodeled. There are still finishing touches to add, but here is a look at the progress!

Monday Musings

DIY. Do It Yourself projects. Websites are devoted to such ideas. My personality does not lend itself to a crafty, DIY lifestyle. However, many people close to me (ie. Family) love to try DIY projects. Here is a look at today’s progress.

1.       Toy Box for Little D.

2.       Coffee Table for Auntie S. (J’s thoughts on the project: “I am considering boycotting Pinterest.”)

3.       Auntie A’s house. Many DIY projects lined up. Today it was ripping out sub-flooring, removing the old oven and painting.

4.       I like to keep my DIY projects simple and easy to accomplish J. Laundry, dishes, etc.

Overall, it is fun to see what you can do to make “something out of ‘almost-nothing.’” I am almost inspired!

Learning for Life

"Mommy, I am learning to clean."
I hope he always thinks cleaning is this much fun!

Monday Musings

1. God always brings encouragement at just the right times! I received a card from a friend in the mail today, and yesterday a friend's testimony was such an encouragement to me! Last week I was reading from Psalm 40. As I read and meditate on these verses still, my heart really can echo the heart-cries of the Psalmist. I really could copy all of the verses, but the last 2 I will share this evening:

 But may all who seek you
  rejoice and be glad in you;
 may those who love your salvation
  say continually, “Great is the LORD!”
 As for me, I am poor and needy,
  but the Lord takes thought for me.
 You are my help and my deliverer;
  do not delay, O my God!
(Psalm 40:16-17 ESV)

The more I learn and grow, the more I realize just how needy I am! What a glorious thought to know that in spite of my sinfulness and weakness, the Lord takes thought for me. He is my Help and my Deliverer. It is all because of the work Christ has done for me and in me! I am so grateful!

2. My sister closed on a new house today. We went over and helped pull up carpet and pull out staples! There are nice wood floors underneath. I expect we will spend many hours helping out over the next few weeks. I am so happy for her. I remember the excitement we had as we worked on our own home. The projects never end, but home ownership really is fun!

3. Miss E is still not feeling very well. We will see how she is doing tomorrow. I hope she wakes up her normal, cheerful self. I got to hold a 4 day old baby today. I forget how small they "come out." I had to go look at pictures of Miss E to remember that she really was that small!



First Tooth

Little Miss E was very fussy today. She felt a little warm, so I took her temperature. Sure enough...slight fever. In my mind I thought through all the possibilities of childhood illness. However, I remembered "check for teeth." Sure enough, first tooth is breaking through...bottom, front and center! I am really not ready to loose the toothless grin, but that day has arrived! Little D's teeth came in without any trouble, however I believe Miss E might be a little less pain-tolerant! Hoping we sleep well tonight and the tooth will be "in" tomorrow!

Dillard House

The Rocking Chairs are one of my favorite things about the Dillard House.

A Sample Menu. Ours was a little different, but same idea!

We went on a quick overnight getaway with the young couples from church to Dillard, GA. The Dillard House has been an anniversary/getaway place for us a few times. The best part is eating at the restaurant. They serve all of their meals family style, and more than half of it is fried. They grow a lot of the vegetables that they use, and everything tastes "just like Grandmas." Very southern. Very good. Very unhealthy. We enjoyed dinner and breakfast! Sunday starts the diet/exercise routine.

Growing up

Can Miss E really be old enough to be eating cheerios? She is so close to crawling. She has the army crawl down and is quite a determined young lady. She loves food. With the exception of green beans, you can't get the spoon into her mouth fast enough! Little D loves his sis. And Miss E loves her bro. My heart is so full of thanksgiving. Two sweet (most of the time) blessings from God!
Here is a look at life from last week...

Handfuls of Cheerios. She loves food.

She enjoys Little D's toys.

Swimming lessons session 2. Little D was the only boy. I don't think he noticed.

He was also the most timid student. However, after an hour in the pool last Friday, I think we made progress!

They really do love each other. We will see how Miss E's increased mobility affects the love.

Monday Musings

In everything give thanks, even on Mondays! Mondays seem to be hard days for me. Perhaps it is the change of routine on Saturdays and Sundays. I don't know for sure. But one thing that I do know is that I love Monday evenings! Tonight Little D is hanging out with Big D. It's Guy Night. Guy night is a popular event in our household. It's Pizza tonight, and there are 2 happy guys in my home! Time for leftovers...

A Pen and a Porch

I have a pen; I do not have a porch. I always admire wrap-around porches, and if I ever build a home, a front porch is likely to be part of the plan. Until then, I am going to imagine that I am sitting on a front porch, pen in hand. My parents have a lovely front porch, and many fun memories have been made, conversations shared, and ideas worked through while sitting on that front porch. There is just something warm and welcoming about the front porch.

So, welcome to my "front porch." Come, stay for a while! And come back often. If you wear out your welcome...well, no one has done that yet. Pull up a chair. Would you like something to drink? Enjoy life with us!