Simply Sam

Thoughts on Christmas

2011-12-16T22:04:00.006-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is nearly here! Sometimes the busyness of the holiday season causes me to stress out, worry about money and forget to find peaceful moments to spend with my Jesus. This Christmas has been different than all others, and this is why:

Somewhere in world there is little boy or girl, made in the precious image of God, my Father, spending another Christmas without a mommy or daddy. One day, he or she may be ours. I can't do anything else but pray when the reality of that sinks into my heart. Heavy stuff, I know!

Over the last four months my little ones have learned to open their hearts to the needy and orphaned in this world. Hannah and I sit together and look through agency sites at the dear little faces looking back. We choose one that speaks to us and we all start praying for him/her and speaking as if they will join our family shortly! We rejoice (and cry) when we see their picture with a "my family has found me" label.

This is what the Gospel is all about! The Good News that God loved us so much that Jesus came to earth as that tiny, helpless babe, lived a perfect life for me and died a sacrificial death so that I could be called a child of God. To be adopted by the Father of Creation, made heirs with Christ, loved eternally and given a glorious home! It is the story of Christmas, and adoption.

It is my story, and I hope it is yours!

Merry Christmas, friends!

Thank You, Father

2011-11-30T20:05:00.001-05:00

A poem, by John Piper

Thank you, Father, for my life.
Thank you for my precious wife.

Thank you, Father, for my girl.
Thank you for this deep-sea pearl.

Thank you, Father, for my sons,
Fathers, wives, the little ones.

Thank you for the church I serve,
Staff and friends I don’t deserve.

Thank you, Father, for my birth,
Who can measure parents’ worth?

Thank you, Father, for the schools,
Mental tools, and passion fuels.

Thank you, Father, for my eyes,
Wonders of the earth and skies.

Thank you, Father, for my ears,
Priceless music through the years.

Thank you, Father, for my friends,
Comrades, care, and common ends.

Thank you, Father, for the books,
Deeper currents, distant looks.

Thank you, Father, for my home,
Sweetest pocket of shalom.

Thank you for the maple tree,
The swing, the yellow canopy.

Thank you for the neighborhood,
The interwoven bad and good.

Thank you, Father, for the tears,
Dying darkness yet appears.

Thank you, Father, for your word
Silver, honey, eaten, heard.

Thank you, Father, for your Son,
Stripes, the bruise, the mission done.

Thank you for the Spirit too,
Wak’ning, filling, giving—You.

Father, Father, can it be?
Thank you for adopting me.

Depraved Indifference

2011-11-11T08:49:00.004-05:00

I feel as though I have been asleep. I have been a Christian since I was eleven and am only now starting to understand a fraction of God's love and mercy for the world. I praise Him for waking me up and for showing me that I have a part in spreading His glory and love to people everywhere. My heart has been broken over and over again as I finally see, to a small extent, what He sees as He looks at the millions of people who are without His love and mercy and salvation.

My Father has opened my eyes and my heart to the orphans and widows, to "the least of these" in our world.

For so long adoption, poverty, homelessness, has been around me, crossing my path at different moments in my life. I've looked, shed an honest tear and then moved on with my comfortable life. I've thought that helping "the least of these" is a calling for certain Christians...."oh, isn't that great they're adopting, I could never do that!"

No more!! If I am a follower of God, then His words to me are clear and true and strong! And they are for all of us!

"Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow"

This is just one of so many times that God directs us to care for the oppressed, the fatherless, the widowed...

I have so much more on my heart concerning all of this, but lest I make this post into a book, I'll continue at a different time.

This video challenges, encourages and moves me to action.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T12:35:00.002-05:00

I can't believe its been almost 2+ years since I have written here. Its Valentine's Day and amid all the chocolate, paper hearts and sappy jewelry commercials, I am feeling so very grateful for those I love. I can't elaborate right now. We need to finish school, its a balmy 70 degrees today and the park is calling our names. Hopefully I'll be back ( but no promises) soon!

Hannah and Ethan in HSM 3

2008-11-06T17:21:00.001-05:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Amicalola Falls

2008-06-21T15:30:00.015-04:00

Oh my goodness , I've been gone quite awhile, so I will just try to catch up with our latest family outing!
We have decided to try and camp at least once a month, so for our June trip we headed up to Amicalola Falls in the North Georgia mountains. I was a little apprehensive because of it being summer in GA and all...but the weather was just fine and we ended up having a grand time!

On Friday we set up our tent and took a hike to check out the area. We've been to the Falls many a time but this was our first time camping there. Friday night the park offered a "furry friends" program where the kids were able to touch "skins" of many of the animals in GA. It was great fun for them and the best part was meeting a real live opossum named Posey!

Saturday morning we had a great pancake breakfast and then took off to Dahlonega for ice and a little window shopping.

The next program for kids was called "snakes alive" where we learned about the 44 snakes which live in GA. It was very interesting and at the end we were able to touch 4 of the non-venomous variety! We found out that Jonah is a true snake lover and every picture I took at that event shows him touching at least one snake.

Since we were visiting one of the prettiest falls in GA we decided it was time to take the hike to see them. I can tell we've been hiking a lot as the kids seemed to run most of the way up! On the way back down those dark clouds that we had been watching suspiciously all day opened up and it poured! Lucky for us David was totally prepared and we grabbed our ponchos and rain jackets from the backpack and hiked in relative dryness all the way down.

In the afternoon, the park offered a scavenger hunt for the kids in their visitor center/museum. I have to say, I really am impressed with our state parks and the programs they have to offer the kids. I was a little worried that we would be unable to find many things to do, but our weekend was packed!
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing at the campsite, reading, napping ( Ethan) and the kids playing their own version of "Meerkat Manor" ( let's hear it for Animal Planet!) After dinner we met the rangers and other campers for a campfire. We roasted marshmallows, sang songs, acted out a story and even got to pet Posey again!

The Astronomy Club from North GA college arrived with all of their expensive equipment and we spent the rest of the evening making our own solar systems, watching a slide show and seeing the moon, Arcturus and Saturn through a real fancy, shmancy telescope!

The weekend ended with a great Father's Day brunch at the Lodge and three happy,sleepy kiddos ( and parents!)

Aquariums, Birthdays and Easter

2008-04-02T08:03:00.005-04:00

As I had stated in an earlier post, we decided to take the kids to the GA Aquarium for their bdays this year. We had a great time and it was a memorable bday for all!

One of our favorite parts

Crashing at a coffee shop outside of the Aquarium

Easter was also this weekend and we had a great service followed by an Easter egg hunt at Uncle Alan's house.

Crazy Weather

2008-03-16T14:44:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday we had numerous tornadoes sweeping through the area. It was a little surreal to watch them approach and know that they were heading very close to us and in one case a mile or two away! Our house became alive with activity:
David-"Sam, get the stuff out of the closet"
Sam-"It's ok, Hannah, we're going to be fine!"
Hannah-(with much wailing) "I don't want a tornado to hit us, who are we going to live with?!!"
Ethan and Jonah- "cool!!!"

Right before the hail arrived
the hail
3 hours later

Birthday conundrum

2008-03-12T12:29:00.004-04:00

My little sweeties will be turning 4, 6, and 9 soon. (I can't believe that I have a nine year old! I'm far too young for that!) I've been trying to decide what to do about their Birthday parties...Ethan and Jonah are two days apart and Hannah's day is two weeks later. I usually combine the boys and have Hannah's separately but this year I thought I would try a little combo deal. I decided this for a couple of reasons. First of all, it would help save some $ to have the parties all on the same day and secondly it would help all of our friends and family members who would otherwise have to spend three Saturday's in a row at our kid's parties. So....I started planning this grand event and was struck with an even better idea. The aquarium! That's right, the new GA Aquarium! I was very happy with my idea but I still had to present it to the kids and David. Instead of a combined party we would take the kids to the aquarium for the day. I calculated that it would actually be less expensive than a party and we have all been dying to visit since it opened last year. Everyone agreed with much excitement and I ordered our tickets this morning. For those of you who are nervous of my departure from the stereotypical party with ice cream, cake and so forth, don't worry we'll still celebrate each little chickadee's special day and I'm sure we'll return to the "norm" next year! Whale sharks, here we come!

A little catch-up

2008-02-15T08:02:00.006-05:00

I really am completely out of the habit of writing here. This is a bad thing if someone's life was depending on it or if I had some life-changing information to provide. But alas....the main reason I have for keeping up this blog at all is to record those everyday happenings in my little area of the world. I like to look back at pictures of my kids and remember sweet and crazy times. I realize that I have become a little more private with my thoughts and feelings and posting them here for the world to see makes me feel a little "exposed". We'll see, its probably just a phase I'll get over soon!
So now its catch-up time.
Hiking has definitely become a passion for our little family and we try to find time to go whenever we can. Our latest hike took us to a nature preserve pretty close to our home. We weren't sure whether or not to go because Jonah had hurt his foot and literally could not walk. We were desperate for the woods and nature so we took the all-terrain stroller and decided that we would stick to the paved trails. After walking the one paved trail in a matter of minutes we decided to attempt the regular trails. All was well until we had to head back up the mountain and ran into many built-in steps that the stroller could not navigate. I put Jonah on my shoulders and David carried the stroller on his back. I'm sure it would have been a great picture of us but I was a little preoccupied with an extra 35 lbs on my shoulders so you'll have to use your imagination!

We also enjoyed a nice hike a couple of weekends ago in "our own backyard". A green space that backs up to our neighborhood:

Well, that's it for now....school, laundry, dishes are all calling!

The next day...It's here, part deux

2008-01-18T08:21:00.001-05:00

Ethan kept saying:"It's a winter wonderland!

We had been waiting and waiting...

2008-01-18T08:14:00.001-05:00

and the snow finally arrived!

We're jumping for joy...

2007-12-20T08:41:00.001-05:00

for Christmas!

Christmas Traditions pt. 2

2007-12-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how many times I have walked past the Gingerbread house kits at the grocery store and thought how much I would love to buy one to put together with the kids. For one reason or another I never do.....that is, until this year! We had such a fun time together decorating our little house that I have decided it will be a Christmas tradition from now on! We may even make our own from scratch one day when we are pro's, but for now the "kit" method worked well for us. I did have to make more icing because we kept eating it, and we did have to use legos at one point to hold up each side of the roof ( I guess we should have used a little more icing on the roof and a little less on our tongues!), but hey, that's what memories are made of! So, here are the first pictures of many more memories to come over the years:

Christmas traditions

2007-12-07T08:25:00.000-05:00

Ever since I can remember my mom has baked a very special Christmas cake to celebrate the holiday. If I described this cake to you most of you would probably not want to partake in its yummy goodness...this is, after all, a giant fruitcake.
I've realized after being an American for 21 years that most Americans have a general dislike, and maybe even a serious hatred, for the poor fruitcake. Just remember, that this is a homemade fruitcake and should not be compared to the little briquettes that make their way to various homes during the holidays.
Mom usually makes one large cake for the whole family and we share it throughout December and January whenever we visit. This year Mom made each family their own little cake and had the kids over to decorate. I decided that this definitely needs to become a tradition for our family! Here are some pictures from our fun cake time:

Bumblebee!

2007-12-06T12:07:00.001-05:00

The release of the movie Transformers was a dream-come-true for my dearest hubby. He owned many of these toys as a child ( as did I) and actually let out an audible *gasp* when the first previews started airing for the movie. The magic has spread to the other males in our home, and even though the little men will not be seeing the movie they are quite in love with the characters. After we rented and watched the movie we decided on sections of the movie to let the boys watch: mostly all of the interesting "transforming" scenes. Bumblebee has become a favorite and I spend way too much time in my day trying to transform mini-versions of these complex toys.

The other day the kids and I made a stop at Wal-Mart. We finished up our shopping and as we headed for the car, we were stopped dead in our tracks by an amazing scene. Parked right next to us was Bumblebee himself! The kids started screaming and jumping up-and-down. I have to admit I was kind of excited too! Since I always carry my camera for those "must-have picture moments" I whipped it out and had the chickadees pose in front of their favorite robot: (yes, I know...for all of you Transformer buffs, this is not the real car that played Bumblebee, but a Mustang painted the correct colors works for us!) And no , I did not realize that Ethan was leaning up against this very nice, does not belong to us, vehicle!

2007-11-08T18:31:00.001-05:00

Okay, okay, I know it's been about a year since any grand stories or pictures have been posted on this blog. You have Facebook to thank for that! Well, and life...and school...And now that we have entered that really crazy, busy time of the year I can't promise getting any better on my posting habits. Just thought I would let the 5 of you who actually read my blog every now-and-then, know!
Our latest family adventure took place at Vogel park in the beautiful mountains of North GA. The weather was cold, but the scenery full of tall green pines in stark contrast to the oranges, golds, reds and pinks of the hardwoods was well worth it all. Thankfully, each Vogel campsite is equipped with an electrical outlet and a faucet. We were able to set up a space heater in the tent at night to keep the inside temp. around 50-60 degrees while the outside plummeted to a very cold 28!

Eating Daddy's homemade "marshmallow melts"

The Appalachian Trail marker

The lake at Vogel

The little store that the Appalachian Trail cuts through

Camping 101

2007-10-10T08:37:00.000-04:00

We've been gearing up this past summer to take the children on their first overnight camping adventure. After scouting camps relatively close to home, we finally decided on one and set off last Friday with our car packed to the brim. We weren't sure how the kids would like camping and I was really hoping all would go well so that it would become one of those fun and memorable traditions in the life of our family.

Keri and Rusty were also camping for the first time with their little family so we decided to camp together the first night and spend the day on Saturday with our own families. We had a great time together despite the too-humid weather. Dinner consisted of fire-roasted wienies, fruit and chips. David started a fire as soon as he had set up our tent so that he could make our dessert for the night, a delicious homemade cobbler, made in a cast iron dutch oven and cooked in the coals of our fire. It was delicious and I was so impressed with my man! We, of course, also had smores which the kids loved!

Bedtime came and went with no great difficulty. I tried to give the chickadees a wet-wipe bath but the dirt didn't budge. The adults stayed up and chatted for a little while longer and then we retired to our "wet" pillows and sleeping bags ( from the humidity). Thankfully, we at least had an air mattress to rest our old bones on but sleep did not come easily. I felt like I was up most of the night, tossing and turning and listening to the night sounds. David was up as well but I'll refrain from sharing his issues with you!

The morning finally came and all three little cuties sat up in their sleeping bags and started jabbering about how much they love camping. It was too cute! That day we headed out into the wilderness with backpacks and GPS in hand to scout out some caches. We drove down forest service roads forever(bit of an exaggeration), found a beautiful waterfall and an old cemetery ( I have a thing for old cemeteries!) and finally made it to the place we thought we should start hiking...after 30 minutes of not getting anywhere and having to carry Jonah over all of the underbrush, we decided to give up and pursue other pleasures of the day. The drive back to the campsite put the boys to sleep and we were all ready for lunch by the time we arrived. After lunch we packed up our things and headed home. We couldn't spend another night because of obligations on Sun. morning.

Sooooo....I think our camping trip was a great success! The weather was disappointing with the warmth and humidity, but the kids did well and David and I had a great time together as well. You never know how these things are going to work out, but I think we have a fun future ahead of us in the world of the great outdoors and camping! Oh, and btw, I have my eyes set on a pop-up camper, so if anyone has one and would like to let us borrow it , we would be greatly appreciative. (I'm still trying to sell my dearest on the idea!)

A light in the valley

2007-09-23T21:31:00.000-04:00

It seems as though my family has been walking through this valley for some time now. I am weary at times, but mostly hopeful, resting and trusting in the promises of my God. Lately, however, my valley has grown darker, dimmer and the burden has been too much to bear. Obviously I have been trying to bear it myself. Trying to reason things out, looking for clues all the time of how God may or may not be working. Using my circumstances to measure God's presence ( I know, crazy)

Having mercy and using it in my own strength is completely exhausting and futile. I take on the world's pain and cares as if they're my own but I am only a small, helpless, scared girl without my Father. When He works in me to have mercy on others it becomes second nature: a breath, a blink of the eye-I am doing what I was created for, and I am at peace and fulfilled in doing so.

A shaft of light burst through the haze today. It was as if my Father reached down and took my face in his hands and raised my weary eyes to himself. This darkness has been oppressive, and I didn't even realize to what extent until I saw Him clear and beautiful and I remembered His amazing love for me!

In Church this morning we were discussing John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
I've been a Christian since I was 11 and have heard, studied and memorized this verse so many times. Today it became alive to me again. It was as if all of these pains and heartaches were suddenly put in their place next to a holy, righteous, loving, huge, powerful, unimaginable God.

We read in Proverbs 8 this morning , verses about wisdom and how this wisdom is really Jesus. Listen to the language of the relationship between Father and Son:

23"From everlasting I was established,
From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
24"When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25"Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was brought forth;
26While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27"When He established the heavens, I was there,
When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
28When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became fixed,
29When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
30Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men."

To even begin to understand the great love between Father and Son and know the great sacrifice that was made for me , for you. To remember that Jesus, the beloved Son was beaten, nailed to a cross and then the unimaginable...God's wrath was poured out on Him, the Beloved made the enemy. "For God SO loved"! His life in exchange for mine. The righteous for the sinner. I am ashamed of my response to this. I so easily forget this act which in one instant brought me to God himself, never to fear wrath or judgment, condemnation or death ever again. I have been so intent on seeking His hand in my life that I have forgotten how beautiful He is, just Him, not His blessings, provision, gifts....just Him because He is.

Flyboys

2007-09-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

There's nothing better on a rainy day than a cardboard box, scissors and some masking tape!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-09-12T13:52:00.001-04:00

remember...

2007-09-11T08:51:00.000-04:00

Tribute WTC 9/11 visitor center

I must confess...

2007-09-07T12:16:00.001-04:00

that I am an adult High School Musical fan! Yes, that would be both of the TV movies, 1 and 2. I love the singing, dancing, cheesiness, and even the adolescent love triangles. Of course without the singing and dancing I probably wouldn't have watched either movie. I am pleasantly surprised with Disney that they have effectively created two "G" rated stories with no s**, drugs or provocative dancing/clothing etc...Now, there are still cliques, peer pressure, and lost and found love, but I think that overall these are sweet and entertaining films for tweens, teens (and even the occasional adult)Did I mention that they make me want to get off my keister and dance!( and it doesn't hurt to feel like 16 again-well..the good parts of being 16)
btw, this video is the opening scene for HSM 2.

Happy 3rd grade!

2007-09-06T10:25:00.001-04:00

The first day of Third grade has finally come and gone. There has been much crying, wailing and begging associated with said day so I am thankful that it is finally over. Hannah loved her school last year but now remembers certain struggles she had with specific subjects and it really caused much angst leading up to this year's first day. It didn't help that I have had a horrible head cold along with recurring fevers and bouts of dizziness. I prayed for her in between my mini-naps ( I do still have the boys at home) and hoped she would come through the front door ( Nana picked her up for me) with a great big smile and lots of happy stories to share. Thankfully this is exactly what happened and it didn't hurt that Aunty Mandy bought everyone ice cream to celebrate the first day!

The Bed-head boys attack

Disappointments

2007-09-04T20:15:00.000-04:00

My mom sent me this and I had to post it because its such a great reminder to us all. Its taken from: "Today God is First: Daily Workplace Inspiration by Os Hillman"

Disappointments

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Life is filled with disappointments. Many of God's greatest servants experienced deep disappointment in their journeys of faithfulness to God. Joseph, after spending years as a slave and in jail for crimes that he did not commit, revealed deep disappointment when he was forgotten another two years in prison. John the Baptist, when awaiting execution, doubted whether Jesus was, in fact, the Christ because he was sitting there awaiting his death. Elijah, losing all hope and despondent to the point of death, asked God to take his life in the desert; and Peter, who left his fishing business and invested three years of his life only to watch his Savior crucified, wondered whether the purpose of those three years could be justified.
When life doesn't add up, it leaves the heart sick. When we have done all we know to do and the formula has not worked, it leaves us questioning. These are times that try the very souls of men. There is no human sense to be made of it. We are left with a choice: to cling or not to cling. There are times when holding on to our Master's robe is all that we can do. It is all that He wants us to do.
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not obtained by sudden flight;
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Standing on what too long we bore,
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern-unseen before-
A path to higher destinies!
Longfellow
There is only one answer to life's disappointments. Like the psalmist, we must "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken" (Ps. 62:5-6).

Finally!

2007-08-28T12:34:00.001-04:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!I've been begging David to go dancing with me and he finally agreed!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-08-15T09:18:00.001-04:00

TBS

2007-08-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

After many years of attempting to start my own home business I have finally jumped on the band-wagon and joined "The Body Shop at Home". Now, I know that the very thought of home businesses brings to mind many long nights spent at parties, spending money you don't have because of a sense of obligation and/or guilt to the host or consultant. I think because there are so many businesses out there we tend to all feel that way. For me it boils down to the money that I don't have to spend, on something that I don't really need.

So here I am, on the other side of it all, and you know what, I'm really excited to be doing it! My best friend Melissa is the home business guru and has been inviting me to join her on her entrepreneurial adventures for years. I've wanted to join her on many occasions but this is the first time I've been able to say "yes" and commit. You ask why? Well, because Melissa's been around the block with different products and businesses, I trust her judgment when she says that "The Body Shop at Home" is the best product she has ever sold. The quality of the products, affordability , the company's beliefs and values all come together to make this a great business. Her endorsement along with my family's desire to purchase products themselves made it seem quite well worth it. I have also looked far and wide for many a year to help supplement our one-income household.

I did mention to her (since she's my boss) that I wouldn't be having parties , well, you know why...

I ordered my kit and when it arrived it was just like Christmas ( as she had foretold). The products are great! Natural, smelly(in a good way), affordable, even the packaging(recycled) grabbed me. This all coming from a girl who used to be a tom-boy and would never think of spending any money on skin-care products. My dearest mom and sisters were excited also and proceeded to schedule a party to help kick start my little business. Did I tell you how much I dislike parties...but I agreed that I probably did need at least 1, so my first party is scheduled close to the end of the month. After all, you can't decide to like or dislike the products unless you find out about them.

Mom invited every lady at our church. I have to admit that as I prepare for my party by getting to know the products better I feel good about selling them. Most women use some kind of skin-care regiment and some would like to but can't afford it. The Body Shop products are so affordable and made with quality ingredients! Really, I'm not trying to sell my little pitch here on my blog, but it's true!

So now, let's talk about parties. If you're a friend of mine and go to church with me then you've probably been invited to my first one. You're welcome to come, or not....of course I would love to see your smiling face out there. Not everyone will be interested in these products and that's ok. I will promise that you will never be invited to another party, unless of course you wanted to be (hosts get free stuff)! I never want anyone to feel obligated to attend a party or to buy anything.
I think I do understand now why so many women are involved in these types of businesses. To be really excited about something and wanting to share it with others prompts people to have parties and share what they know. It also doesn't hurt to help the family budget a bit! So be a little patient with us and our home businesses, we really do have good intentions! If you're interested in seeing the products you can go to The Body Shop.

Rock stars

2007-08-08T19:55:00.000-04:00

Ethan : "Mommy, I want to be a rock star when I grow up"

Me: "Me too, Ethan, me too"

Ethan: "Mamma, you have to have an electric guitar.... and you're already grown-up!"

Me: "I am?! Oh no, Ethan, but I want to be a rock star! I practice everyday with my guitar!"

Ethan: "Mamma, you already are a rock star, at church!" (referring to my singing on the worship team)

Me: "Oh, that's right...thanks, bud, I had forgotten."

A fun look

2007-08-04T08:56:00.000-04:00

I had to try this for myself... Thanks, Keri! I love little moments of fun!
Try this for yourself at spell with flickr.

The Minneapolis Bridge

2007-08-03T08:21:00.000-04:00

Lisa has already posted this link on her blog, but just in case some of my many readers haven't yet seen it, I'm going to link it here as well. Great, great thoughts. John Piper wrote a similar type of article after 9/11. You can find him at : www.desiringgod.org

little men

2007-07-31T19:05:00.000-04:00

I was sitting at the computer today just finishing up with my emails and blogs. Ethan came over and grabbed my arm to give me a hug. I turned around so that I could give him a proper one with both arms and he stayed like that for a moment longer than usual. Bebo was of course playing in the background, a song called Try, off the album of the same name. It's a moving, sentimental song about him and his wife, being a boy, dreams...a specific line in the song always grabs me. It's so honest, vulnerable, and it makes me think about men in our culture. The struggle to survive, thrive and be men in a feminist society.

Bebo sings, "I'm afraid to grow up, but somewhere inside is the will of a man". I won't try to add or subtract from the ideas Bebo is trying to convey with his lyrics, but it makes me think of my little boys. I'm a girl who has grown up in this society where men are demeaned, mocked and disrespected. They are my children, but they will be men one day and I am a woman helping to raise them to become those men. Men who love their Father, cherish their wives and children, stand up for goodness and truth and virtue. I'm humbled and blessed to be their mother and at the same time I am so thankful that their Heavenly Father loves them even more than I do and will work out His perfect plan for their lives. I know that this plan will include sadness and struggle because that is the way of the Cross. But I believe it will also include joy and peace and I pray, an all-consuming love for their Maker.

This is the day that the Lord has made...

2007-07-29T08:55:00.000-04:00

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.

11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,

12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.

14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

It takes a child...

2007-07-27T13:01:00.000-04:00

to sometimes point out the truth.

I've been spending most of the morning cleaning and getting ready for the weekend. Kind of funny, like its some kind of event. I do know that if I get all of my "chores" done there is a better possibility of doing something fun and "familyish" tomorrow after David is finished with his chores( which he did confirm in a phone conversation this morning).

I don't know about you but music inspires me in every area of my life, and especially so when I have to clean. The problem is that I don't want to hear any other kind of media in the background like the TV, Leapster, computer...I know, I know I can just forbid it all and make the children play together, but then between breaking up the fights and so on I wouldn't get much cleaning done.

So, I turned on the TV upstairs for the little cuties and sent them up to play or watch, of course with a snack in hand, so that Bebo (Norman, that is) and I could get my cleaning done in record fashion and I could have a mini-worship time as well. ( BTW, he is my new favorite artist)

I reminded Ethan as he headed upstairs to please not eat on my bed. Crackers and sheets don't do well together. His next question was:

"Can I sit on that giant box with all your old stuff?"

The little dear is referring to a big wooden chest at the end of my bed filled with all sorts of personal mementos. But I think his description of it may be more accurate.

A thought on blessing

2007-07-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

Our Community Group met last night as we do every Tuesday. The topic of last night's discussion was centered around the sermon that was preached by a guest pastor by the name of Tom Wood. Unfortunately for David and I, we were teaching the k-3rd grades so we missed the sermon. I hate to even try and summarize since I wasn't present, but Tom had spoken of greed, money, our possessions and of course our sin in relation to it all.

In the middle of the discussion we started talking about how our views of God's blessing in our lives is probably misunderstood and mis-taught. Especially in our country where prosperity abounds and we have much, much more than we need we always seem to equate "good things and circumstances" with God's blessing.

Ok, let's take a step back for a minute and agree on some foundational issues. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever". John Piper in his book, Desiring God, flushes out this statement even more by adding that, "the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever". We were made for this. Every fiber in our bodies and every brain cell in our heads was created to bring glory to God. And in bringing Him glory we are completely satisfied and fulfilled because he is fulfilling our purpose for our very existence. Take a hike through the Psalms and experience over and over the language of praise, glory, adoration and love. The relationship between Creator and creation.

And now, in light of our purpose on this earth and God's glory we bring "blessings" back into the equation. We're feeling a little nervous at this point because we are realizing our previous and life-long thoughts may not be entirely correct. Yes, I do believe that God blesses us with things that are good; good jobs, healthy children, nice houses. His word even attests to this:

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17

but we need to be careful to assume that when things aren't "good" that we are no longer being blessed. It may be in those very times of struggle, sadness, hardship that we are being blessed the most. It is usually during our dark days that we call to him, that we realize our deep need for Him, this need that has really been there all along but covered with the clutter of self-reliance.

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good:teach me your decrees." Psalm 119:67-68

"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold." Psalm 119:71

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

What a great blessing to experience God as your only hope, your only salvation, your only reality for the very first time. (and then over and over again as you live in Him) This is something no one can take away from you. It is your relationship with Him, your Father, your Creator. What greater blessing could there be?! If we're honest, our money, spouses, children, health could all be gone from us in an instant, but our God is with us always:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 8:38,39

Blessings come in many forms but for one purpose:to bring God glory ( which in turn gives us joy and purpose and satisfaction). As Job loses all of his wordly possessions including his children, he speaks the words that our hearts all wish to believe we would speak as well:

"Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!'

10But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job 2:9,10

A Day on the Lake

2007-07-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

Matt and Becky invited us to spend the day with them on their new boat this past Saturday. The kids were so excited even though they didn't know what to expect! It took me all morning to get ready and pack our gear for the water(David spent the morning doing some man-chores for a couple at church). Isn't it amazing how long it takes to pack for something where kids are involved?! It was well worth it and we all had a great day!

Hannah loved the tube because she was small enough to sit in it and was pulled rather slowly. After Jonah and Ethan saw the adults being beaten and flung around on it they decided they didn't want anything to do with it. Good choice, boys. We later used the wretched device to pull each other around while swimming.

We ate lunch on the boat, sped around the lake taking in the sights, swam in a little cove, and made it back to the dock around 5 very tired, but happy to have spent time together. Thanks, you guys, it was great!

Hannah after her first "speedy" attempt on the tube

Here are some more pics from our fun day on the family blog, written by Aunt Becky!

Geo-what?!

2007-07-17T10:34:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday our little family headed for the hills on another Geocaching adventure. David downloaded three different caches on our GPS all located within a few miles of each other. I packed the food bag, David the backpack with the bug spray, first aid kit, etc.. and we were off! We decided to stop and take a look at Tallulah Gorge and found a really interesting information center that catered to the kids. They had a great time looking at all the "stuffed" animals and checking out the birds ( real ones) outside.

After the gorge, amidst the beginnings of whining and hunger pains, we headed off to the area where our caches should have been hidden(notice I said "should").

Ok, let me take a moment to try and explain geocaching a bit, just in case you're wondering...but if you want the full scoop on this great sport just follow any of the links that I've included so far. To summarize, geocaching is a grown-up treasure hunt, hide-and-go-seek etc.. Any one can play, but the one item you must have is a GPS. The process begins on-line where you register and find all of the caches within your desired area. For instance, when we first started we wanted to find caches just within 10 miles of our home. There are so many, we'll be looking for quite some time. This past weekend we knew we were headed to a particular area in the mountains so we included that zip and were shown the GPS coordinates for caches in that area. A "cache" is "pronounced 'cash' - In geocaching it is a hidden container filled with a log book and pencil/pen, and possibly prizes. Caches were often used by explorers, miners, etc. to hide foodstuffs and other items for emergency purposes. People still hide caches of supplies today for similar reasons. Geocaching comes from the terms "geo" and "cache" to explain the sport. Some caches have cash in them, but there is no pun intended :) ( taken from the website)

So..the coordinates from the website are downloaded to your GPS and off you go on your search for a cache. Caches are hidden by anyone playing the game(there are of course certain rules to be followed) and can be thematic, such as for kids or dogs. I believe hiking and the general love for nature prompted this sport, so most caches are hidden where there is hiking involved. Some are located in parking lots, etc. but the most difficult ones are usually hidden deep in a forest.

Back to the story....we decided to stop at a grocery store and pick up some picnic stuff. We then headed to Warwomen Dell,( Which David said was named after me..thanks honey..slap..punch..), the area of our first cache. We ate lunch, but the kids were eager to find our first treasure. We were already very close to the first cache but after much looking we still couldn't find it. We gave up and decided to pursue the second one. We walked and walked for quite some time and realized that we were probably heading down the wrong trail. The GPS works well in finding specific coordinates but because of the thick tree canopy above, ours was having trouble communicating with the satellites. At that point in an adventure, you're kind of walking around blind. ( no idea why this is black!)

Climbing the 66 stairs up to our trail. The kids did so well!

After realizing that we had probably taken the wrong trail we decided to head over to the third and last cache. I couldn't believe that we had yet to find one!

Our next trail took us on a path by a beautiful stream and onto a waterfall. The hike was difficult because we once again took the wrong trail and had to backtrack ( no satellite signal). We finally made it and David found the cache after more looking and backtracking. We left some McD's fly wheels and took a toothbrush (sealed), a Grinch Christmas ornament and a bead necklace ( Ethan), logged our name in and headed back to the car. It was a great day-3 hours of hiking, lots of sweat and dirt, and lots of family fun!

Cars mania

2007-07-16T18:09:00.000-04:00

Jonah discovered his "riding" equipment and begged to wear it all day long today! I couldn't resist-what a cutie! (the pj's were just a coincidence).

I have nothing without you

2007-07-13T16:32:00.000-04:00

I fell asleep with my Bible on my face last night. Before you start thinking I'm tooting my own horn by reading my Bible so much I fall asleep with it, let me correct you. I was actually desperate last night. No, nothing tragic has happened to me, well not in the way you may be thinking. I'm actually just a needy, pathetic sinner. I've forgotten the Gospel. I've forgotten who I am and the love that shines down on me from a happy, gracious, loving, satisfied, merciful Father. I am worried and weak. I am tired of my concern for my own welfare. I am tired of trying to be a great mother, sister, wife, friend, etc...(and feeling as though I never get there). I am tired of using all of my energy to be a pleasing person and to make others happy. I need my Daddy. I need to lift my face to His and remember how beautiful, loved, and cherished I am. And so last night I was crying to him, complaining about these things and how this world is making me weary...and he loved me ..so much so I put my Bible on my face and slept in peace.

A New Look!

2007-07-11T14:32:00.001-04:00

Isn't this fantastic?! And not because its my little face in the header, but because of the entire design! Dear friend Keri felt so sorry for me in all of my jealousy that she created my header as well as her own. I do believe we will be seeing more of her artistic talents around the web, so keep your eyes open and be happy you knew her in her humble beginnings!

Randomness

2007-07-10T09:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm completely impressed and unabashedly jealous of Keri's new header. If you haven't see it yet click on over and prepare to be wowed and also tell her what a great job she did! And if any of you are getting any ideas, I'm first in line for her services!

Its another lazy Tuesday this summer and I'm trying to figure out what to do with the kids today...If we go somewhere, our travels have to take place before noon. My un-airconditioned van is just too hot to motor around the sultry, sweaty countryside of GA. I'm starting to dream of crisp, cool Fall days, warm blankets, crunchy leaves, the pumpkin farm, fires and marshmallows. Oh, I shouldn't go there, I'm sure summer will be here for quite a bit longer!

There are so many projects that need to be done around the house before school starts. Well, at least one really big one, and that is turning our guest room into a school room. Right now I have dressers, plastic drawers on wheels and bookshelves filled with homeschool stuff, crafts, etc... This "stuff" is all over the house because we don't have one room big enough to hold it all.( and I really need to get rid of some of it) I've been trying to convince the dear to let me undertake this grand project but he has yet to concede. I have to admit that the room does look nice as a guest room ( minus the boys old decor still on the walls) and it will probably look a bit cluttered as a school room, but the practical need outweighs the prettiness factor. David is also in the midst of turning my little storage room into a mom's office. I can't wait for this as the room is a huge eyesore! Here it is:

This used to be a laundry room, but the folks who owned the house before us moved the washer/dryer upstairs and turned this room into a mini beauty salon. When we bought the house, we tore out the sink and filled it with our own clutter. ( ok, my clutter!) I can't wait to show pictures of it upon its completion!

Here is a pic of the bedroom that I want to turn into a school room. I think the biggest problem we have with this change is what to do with the bed. We could sell/give it away, but I think D really wants to keep it. He is still in love with it and frequently complains of how hard and uncomfortable our new king is. I don't mind keeping it. Hopefully one day we will have a house with enough room for a school room and guest room. Right now we only have guests about twice a year, so my vote is to put it in the garage until we can use it.

My window of time to get out before the heat arrives is coming to a close and the natives are getting restless, so I must be off!

A New Beginning

2007-07-07T07:47:00.000-04:00

Beginnings are always dramatic. A time for great change, a time to say goodbye to the things of the past, the familiar things you once new...so here I am beginning my new blog on Blogger. Its taken me a long time to get to this point. I've gone back and forth weighing the pros and cons of leaving my former host. I see the time has come and I'm heading off into the great blogging unknown ( I told you beginnings were dramatic)!

If you're visiting me for the first time feel free to pop over to my other site, here and view my 101 posts full of, well, you'll have to see for yourself! This indeed was my biggest dilemma in starting a new blog-leaving behind my stories, pictures, etc...kind of silly since its only a click away, but if you have a blog I think you will understand!

Thanks for visiting and see you soon!

Sam