5 Reasons Why I Love Jesus

This is so cool. My friend Matt Kingsley did this, and I loved reading the answers. Mine is not quite as eloquent or, um, (what's a smart word for smart???). But my heart was genuinely excited in writing out just 5 of the many reasons why I love Jesus.

1. His ability to redeem the most unlovable, pitiful creatures. It still amazes me that even knowing Judas was in the process of betraying Him, He still called him "Friend." I am amazed that He counts me worthy of redemption.
2. His power. He speaks, and the wind and waves obey. He calls, and the dead come out walking. He touches, and healing is present. He is the only one with the power to transform us into something God can use.
3. He knows perfect balance. He knew how to honor God's holiness, yet temper it with grace. He knew how to care for physical needs without losing sight of the true spiritual need. He knew how to live on earth, yet be consumed with the heavenly, the eternal.
4. He knows how to see potential. He is not discouraged by what is--He has the ability to see what is possible, and then the power to bring it about. He sees beyond sin and failure, to redemption, new life, and transformation.
5. Jesus suprises people. Even now.
They're expecting an end to Roman oppression. Instead he ends the oppression of sin and death (they set the bar too low!)
They're expecting the Messiah to conform to the man-made additions to the law. Instead He fulfills the requirements of the law and makes it all an issue of the heart.
They expect him to associate with the more important members of society, and then he welcomes the children and has the audacity to tell them to become like these little ones.
We think we have to kick and scream to be first, to be recognized, to be appreciated...Yet He gently reminds us to serve and to be last.
We think we have to fix ourselves to come to Him, yet He still beckons, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened."

Perhaps one of my favorite books is Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. (Sorry about the book title, I can't underline??) Most of you who know me well, know that it is a favorite of mine. But the main character says of her shepherd something that is forever engraved on my heart,

"I cannot live without loving You."

Much like when Jesus asked the Twelve, "You do not want to leave too, do you?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:67-68

This is my heart tonight...Without Jesus, I am sunk, I am lost. I love him because I cannot live without loving Him.

A Long Time...and oh yes, Frozen Peas

Well, sometimes life gets so crazy that you don't really have time to stop and say much about it. Or sometimes, life gets so heavy that you just don't have any words to describe it. I am not really sure what category I fall under anyway, but I haven't had many words, or the time to use them if I did.
Needless to say, I do feel like the Lord is at work, in our life, and in my own heart...gently convicting, bringing to mind a few things that He is changing my perspective on. But, I am not exactly sure what it will mean, or where it will take me. So I am just quietly waiting, to see what it is that God is up to.

The only news I really have to report is that Noah's doctor thinks he will be at least 6 foot 2 inches. So yeah, that's just crazy, but we do have my brother (who is 6'5") and Ben's brother (I think 6'2"), so we definitely have some height in the genes.

So, about the Frozen Peas...
I had forgotten that a good friend of mine had told me when Emma was young and teething, and already eating many table foods, about Frozen Peas. She used the petite ones. Anyway, Emma had loved them! And of course, that had carried on with Caleb. Somehow, I had forgotten about them, until my friend again reminded me for Noah. (Side note: Noah really doesn't eat any baby food, except that which I make like mashed potatoes. He just wants table food...) So tonight for dinner, we were having fish, and I realized that somehow I had forgotten to make the salad to go with it. Ben had already left for work, so I really didn't want to make a big salad, even one head of romaine lettuce worth, for just me and the kids. So, I got some organic frozen peas out for Noah to munch on while I tried to figure out what to serve the kids with the fish. They were so excited about Peas, begging me for them, and yup! They wanted them frozen!! I was so thankful in my heart, because they got a vegetable, it required very little work from me, and everyone was happy. Phew...I needed that. I am tired tonight. Thank you God, for frozen peas.

Good intentions, Banana Bread, and Vacation Bible School

Well, Ben had his first week off last week. I had had a couple of people suggest that during some point of his seven days off, I might start wanting him to go back to work!! Yeah, they were wrong. In fact, I kept thinking how fast the time was flying. He did get to go fishing and surfing (yes, surfing on his bad knee.) So, I think he really enjoyed the time off. But he is back to working his nights, trying to sleep during the day.
This week is Vacation Bible School, and I am teaching Caleb's class, which technically is not a class, so much as childcare provided for workers of VBS. However, if any of you know me, you know that it is not often that I "babysit", so much as have structure, routine, and guided activities. So, yeah...we are having a pretty good time, and the kids are doing very well. But it does make for a very busy week. In fact, I have already contemplated several times staying home a day, because Little Miss has already shown some wear from doing so much. I think that, like mommy, she is an introvert. So all those people all the time sort of wear her out. I have noticed her attitude struggling a bit, so we will see if we make it all week. She does enjoy the music most of all.
So anyway, Jonah (my best friend's little boy) has been a guest of ours this week. Now Becky, (his mommy, my best friend) told me that Jonah does not take naps. Well, I put Noah down in our room, Caleb on the floor in Noah's room (because I am not sure I trust Caleb to stay out of trouble in our room), and Emma and Jonah in Emma and Caleb's room. The first day they had some quiet play time, and all was well. Yesterday, Emma was getting a little restless, so I asked her to come and lay on the floor of the living room where I was...When I went to check on Jonah, he was fast asleep. So, Emma and I made some banana bread while the boys slept. There were two loaves, so I figured I could send one home with Jonah. It made a very nice snack for the kids when the woke up, and then Ben took some to work...well, needless to say, the banana bread didn't make it home with Jonah. Two loaves, almost all gone now. But, yeah, my intentions were good, just not good enough to overcome my urge for just one more piece....=) Maybe next time.

Update

Quick update...

The night shift has been pretty rough on Ben. However, the first three or four nights were the worst, and these last three or so have been much better. His knee is okay, he can walk and do most normal things, he just can't do the things he really loves...like surfing. He is going to see an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible to try and schedule a surgery for one of his off weeks. This surgery should have a relatively short recovery period...

Ben's truck is totaled, so there is a 4 runner in our carport that is very smelly and essentially has no right half of an engine, only copper wires with lots of charcoal. The fire also busted through to the passenger side of the car inside, but didn't get too far into the car. Ben loved getting to go to work, and having to ask for a new pager. When they asked him why, he said, "Oh, my pager got destroyed when the fire department was spraying their chemicals to put the fire out." Good for shock value.

Caleb seemed to thoroughly enjoy his birthday. He asked me this morning, again, very groggy, "Mommy, am I still three?" We have assured him that there is no turning back!!

Here is a picture of a really sad attempt at an elephant on the cake. Elephants are Caleb's favorite animal. But just so you know, art is not one of my strong points.

A Wonderful, Crazy Day...

Well, it's not over yet. But anyway, today is Caleb's birthday. This morning, he came in quite groggy, and said, "Mommy....am I three now?"
Ben has been working his night shifts, which has proved quite a challenge. Saturday and Sunday (today) he works an extra long shift, 3:30pm to 7am. So, when he got home this morning he gave Caleb a big hug, watched Caleb open a few small presents, and then went to bed. I was getting the kids ready for church, trying to get there a little early since I was to teach Caleb's Sunday School class. Emma came in and said, "Mommy, it's smokey!!" I thought, "Did I leave the burner on when I lit Caleb's candle this morning?" As I came around into the kitchen, I could see smoke pouring into the back yard and back play room. It soon came to mind that Ben had mentioned his truck was running funny. Well, you guessed it. It was on fire!! Ben ran out, I took the kids to the front, where a neighbor was frantically knocking and ringing the doorbell to tell us that we had a car on fire. Anyway, the fire department was already on their way, I got the kids out and on our way to church, and they put out the fire. So, the car is totaled. We will spend Ben's first week off looking for a replacement or something. But, Ben is okay, the kids are all okay, and the house (which could have very easily caught on fire from the carport) is unharmed. So, we are most certainly counting our blessings, that all the important things remain untouched and unharmed.
This verse has new meaning for us today...
"When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2b
And of course, we didn't walk through fire, but we are thankful for His protection none the less.

Amazing...

I have not had many words these week. Nor have I had the urge to post any of the words my children have used or cute things they have done. But this, this is just amazing...You must read this post:
Day 68 by Aaron's Mom
http://aaronboydston.com/
This is such a testimony to God's goodness. Please keep praying for Aaron, his wife Natalie, and their two kids and other family and friends.

The Long-Awaited...

Okay, so today we got the plants planted. Now, it is just a matter of how long I can keep them alive...and if they will actually bear "fruit." He, he. I mean vegetables. Anyway, I have never posted pictures on my blog... So, here are some pictures of the garden!!

This is Ben and Caleb digging up the soil under the box. Then chicken wire, to prevent visitors...Then, dirt mixed with organic compost, organic soil booster, and organic top soil.

We planted tomatoes, eggplant, Japanese cucumber, red bell pepper, yellow squash and zucchini. They didn't have all the plants we were planning on, so this is what we came up with. There is also basil, Italian parsley, and sage, which may, or may not get transplanted into pots. We'll see. So, there you go...we'll see what comes of it

Yummy Lunch Wrap

yummy...and suprisingly filling!

1 large tortilla (any kind, they make whole wheat, sundried tomato, etc.)
Cream Cheese (light if you want, I used the Whipped kind)
Thinly sliced cucumber (placed all over tortilla in a single layer)
One (or two) slice swiss cheese
Three pieces black forest ham (Or turkey, whatever you like)
Two pieces of Green leaf lettuce

Roll up and enjoy!! So good, I sent one to work with Ben today for lunch. And was tempted to eat it. At 6 am. =)

What's for dinner?

Sometimes, it's hard to figure out what to have for dinner. Especially in the midst of a big change, like trying to go organic, etc. Here are some great organic recipes...

http://www.organicvalley.coop/products_recipes/recipes.html

Happy eating!!

Praise, and Disney?

The kids love to sing...
I walked into the room to see Emma and Caleb holding their Bibles, while rocking in their chairs, singing:

Jesus takes our sins away,
He is the one
We should give him back some of our money
And he saves us after all,
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
He died on the cross

(Caleb)
He saves us,
Who's afraid of the big bad guy,
the big bad guy,
the big bad guy...

There was a bit more to the song, but they were singing at the same time, so that was all I could make out.

Fun Day?

Okay, so I had all kinds of things on my "To-Do" List for yesterday. But somewhere in the midst of organizing my thoughts, I started thinking that it would be fun to do something for the kids, since it was finally not gloomy in the morning. SO, we finished some chores (Emma is getting very good at making her bed) and decided to get ready for the park (Sarazotti, since it's so close). Then I thought, hey, I should pack a lunch, and take our Bible and we can read a story...Anyway, so we FINALLY got going, got up to the park, and started playing. I was on a time schedule since Caleb is wearing underwear and I wanted to make sure that we got home in time for him to go potty, so I was only planning on a couple of hours. Lunch was nice: peanut butter sandwiches, cheese and turkey, pretzels, and grapes. We read about Jacob and Rachel and Leah. Anyway, just as I was getting ready to start packing up our things, I met a really cool lady with kids about Caleb and Noah's age. So, I thought, okay, we'll just stay for a little while longer. The kids were on the playground, and Caleb announces, "I have to go potty." AH! So, the nice lady says she'll watch Noah, while Emma, Caleb, and I RUN to the potty that I dread with much of my being. But we made it, and he went potty, YEAH! After about another half hour or so, we finally began the process of leaving. We started walking home, and I am thinking, "Wow, nap time is going to be SOOO good!!" Yeah, not so much. Noah slept, but that's about it. So, Emma and Caleb kept getting into trouble, and getting more and more grumpy. Finally I let them out, and was going to let them watch a little video so I could get a shower. Then Noah woke up. So at this point, I am thinking, okay, no shower, but what are we doing for dinner? Ben went to work for his dad after he got done at his new job, so he wouldn't be home. My mom calls just at this moment and asks if we want to come up for pizza. I say no, we don't want to impose, etc. She says, just come...and I am thinking, wow, a year and a half in the mountains and all that time, I never had this option. So, yeah, we went up, the kids played outside and rode their scooters, we ate pizza, came home, had baths, and everyone went to bed. All in all, it was a fun day, although I am pretty sure that an offer to leave our house and have dinner taken care of was the ticket to ending the day on a good note. =)

The Plans...

Okay, so I have the best intentions and plans to build our garden. Whether or not it actually happens, we shall see. I think the hardest part for me is that I want to build it NOW, today...but I am thinking...Do we even own a power saw? Or, where do I go to get this stuff? And, do we have the tools I need, and if so, where would I find them in our garage? I guess what I am saying is that I am going to have to have some help on this one. However, Ben is quite busy, working his new job, and then going to work for his dad after he gets off. So, I will either have to get very creative, or...get very creative. Anyhow, here's some helpful articles in case you were planning a garden of your own...:

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?catref=C429&storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/1158091730278.xml

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/1137772891988.xml&catref=C429&psrc=storyrl

A Little Scary...

Well, today, I was a little overwhelmed by something. I have been learning and hearing more and more about different things surrounding the whole organic food vs. traditional. Shopping at Trader Joe's is great, because they keep their standards really high as far as no artificial ingredients, and no preservatives. Also, all of their dairy products, even if they aren't organic, are from cows that are not treated with the rBST hormones. And I know that it is theory, and no one really knows the answers, but I do find it interesting that the incidence of cancer and other disease are so much higher, and the idea of eating food sprayed with a bunch of chemicals has never really sat well with me anyway. The dilema, however, is cost. We will have to find a balance, because at the rate at which we go through milk, I just can't pay $6.50 a gallon!! But, that is for completely organic milk, so maybe I will just have to stick with hormone free for now. We are going to try to start growing some of our own stuff, but I am nervous since my thumb has never been very green, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I desire to eat well, and even more so, to feed my kids well. I would never knowingly hand them something all covered in chemicals to eat...
Anyway, I thought this article would be interesting for some of you...It's about Monsanto, the company who makes Roundup weed killer. My M-O-M (mother-in-law) alerted me to this company that is basically trying to have the monopoly on crops. And evidently, they are trying to develop seeds that will withstand roundup so they can spray everything with it. Anyway, read away!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto

Memorial Day...

Okay, so I was so inspired by Amber's blog about Memorial Day that I thought I would do a puppet show for the kids to teach them about this special day. Whenever we do a puppet show, I do the whole thing, then Emma and Caleb take turns repeating what they liked or remembered from my show. Here was Emma's prayer when she took her turn:

"Dear God, thank you for our mommies and daddies. Thank you for this very special day and for making thank you cards and thank you for this very lovely day."

When I had done my puppet show, I tried to explain what this day was about, and we said a special prayer for the soldiers and their families who were fighting or had fought in the wars so that we could have the special freedoms we have in the United States of America.

They always like me to sing during a puppet show, so I sang "America the Beautiful." Then I thought, this is a perfect opportunity to start teaching them our national anthem. (I mean, they're almost 3 and 4 years old, right?) Well, too bad I could not remember it for the life of me. Eventually, I wound up calling my mom just to get, "Oh, say can you see..." So much for my patriotism. Guess I'll be the one needing a puppet show.

Yeah Caleb!!

Well, it is not over yet, by any means...those of you who have potty trained know exactly what I am talking about!! But, Caleb has been wearing underwear and he even wore them today to Life Design. I was very nervous, so much so that I came and took him potty twice during the almost three hours...but he made it! Yeah Caleb!!

God's Goodness...

We were talking about this in Life Design, and the girls said it was worthy of posting. First of all, in my other Wednesday night Bible Study, about discerning the voice of God, we've been learning this week that in order to really hear from God, our desires has to be knowing God, more than hearing from God. So many times, we want to know what God requires of us, like the law, instead of just wanting to know Him, love Him, and then out of that to serve Him. Well, the timing was perfect because this week's Life Design study was about the Greatness of God. And Psalm 145 was perfect as just describing God and his amazing character. I am going to write it out here, just because most of the people reading this won't have time to grab a bible...so just read it and take time to think about God, just for who He is:
"I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.
I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.
Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.
All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will praise you.
They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power.
They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations.
The LORD always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.
He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.
I will praise the LORD and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever."

I know it's a lot of reading, but isn't is amazing? This is our God!! Okay, so back to the point...
The question in our study: If God has proved His goodness over and over again, why do we find ourselves waiting for His goodness to run out?
Well, there are many answers...but mine was because OUR goodness always runs out. No matter how hard I try to be a good wife, a good mom, a good housekeeper...I do well for a while, and then I run out!! But God's goodness has no end, it is not like ours.
So last night, the kids were getting into trouble. Emma just would not be quiet and go to bed, so yes, I told her that if she didn't quiet down I would take her night light. And she didn't, so I did. I know, even I felt bad as she was screaming and crying. But she settled down and went to sleep. Then about midnight, I hear her wake up and start crying. I go in to see what is wrong, and she tells me, "I don't want it to be dark!!" In my mind I am thinking, "Seriously? This is about the night light!!" But, I told her that she chose not to be obedient, blah blah blah. Then I leave the room. Noah wakes up, so I go get him and start feeding him. And it occurs to me, that God absolutely has consequences for disobedience, but His goodness to us still continues. He does not leave us crying in our consequences with no comfort, or no hope. So, I get Noah back to sleep and I go in and pray with Emma, that God's angels would come and watch over her, and help her to not be afraid even though it is dark, and to help her to make a better choice the next time Mommy asks her to be quiet.
God's goodness does not run out...And even though mine does, I am looking to Him, knowing that His goodness will go the distance.

The Heart of a Child...

Emma got some money for her birthday. $4.00, one for every year old she is. She hasn't really had money before, except for small amounts. Anyway, I told her that I was going to put her dollars away, to keep them safe, and that we could talk later about how we use our money. She had a lot of questions about this statement, so I explained (thinking that it would be quick, and we would revisit it later) that the first thing we do when we get money is give some of it back to God. This peaked the kids' interest. (The kids' answers are in quotes)
"Where is God?"
Well, he is in Heaven.
"Yeah, and Jesus is in heaven, because Jesus is alive."
Yes, you are right!
"Well, if God is in heaven, then how can we give him money?"
Oh my...well, there are different ways that we can give money to God. One way is to give money to the church, and then they use it to help send people to places where no one has heard about Jesus yet, or they use it to pay for the people who work at the church and help people. Another way is to give the money to people who don't have any food to eat, or clothes to wear, and that way we can help them.
"Oh..."
Then my precious daughter looks at her $4.00 and tells me,
"Mommy, I will give two of my dollars to God and to the people who need help. And then I will have two dollars to keep."
I told her that her heart is so very precious to God at that moment, and that He is so pleased. I also say that we can talk more about the money later, because she can choose to save it, or choose to spend it, etc.
"Oh mommy, I will spend it on a treat!"
Well, you can do that, because it's your money!
"Yes, and there will be one dollar for me and one for Caleb."
Oh honey, you can spend both dollars on you because it was your birthday money.
"Yeah, but I just want to spend some on Caleb."

The really sad thing to me, is that I had already calculated 10 percent, and was trying to figure out how to explain THAT. And in the process, I overlooked the most important things. My daughter's heart didn't need percentages or explanations of mathematical concepts...she just wanted to know what would make God happy.

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:3
"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." Matthew 19:14

Oh yes...

Well, it wouldn't be complete if I didn't post about our garage sale endeavors. Not much this weekend, however, Ben was thinking about how he will probably be having surgery and will need to do some physical therapy afterwards. He saw a Total Gym on craigslist for $100, but of course, we don't have $100!! SO, this morning, the first garage sale I went to had...you guessed it!! A Total Gym for $10. Yes, that's right, one less zero makes a big difference!! You see, I think God has a wonderful sense of humor, and I am very much a thankful elephant for this find!
P.S. Yes, we did go to the Young Life sale, but we got there late, I think...

God's Provision..The Saga Continues!

We are just amazed at how God continues to provide and take care of us. I don't know if any of you know this, but Ben has had three knee surgeries...two on the left knee (one to repair the meniscus in his knee, the second to remove the damaged part) and then about two and a half years ago, he had a meniscus repair surgery on his right knee. Well, Thursday night Ben went to play softball with the church league...no big deal, just some fun. When he was up to bat, he swung to hit the ball, and felt something funny. When he then went to run to first base, he knew it was bad because his joint locked and he couldn't straighten his right knee. So, he hopped to first base, and then got a runner. As he hopped off the field, I knee it was bad...in fact, I could pretty much tell from the look on his face that it meant surgery. But, there were a few things that made it a little more scary. The first is that we have no health insurance, and so all those bills would be our responsibility. The second is that he is supposed to start his new job a week from Monday and he can't even walk. So, I jogged home to get the car and picked him up to go home. I just decided that the best we can do is to pray for God to heal him, at least enough so that he can go to work because, well, we need him to.
Friday, we spent a good portion of the day at the emergency room, just trying to figure out what to do about his knee. The doctor forgot about us in the E.R. (he came back after about an hour and half and said he forgot us...), but then was very nice to us! He basically said that Ben will probably need surgery, however, there's no way to know without an MRI. But, he also said that the knee will relax, and he should be able to function fairly well in the next couple of days. So, hopefully we can just wait this week until we have health insurance, then figure out the whole surgery situation. And, for now, he is up and about, with a knee brace, just a little slower than normal. But, it looks like he'll be able to go back to work on Monday (yeah God!). After the E.R., we went to Trader Joe's for groceries. While I was in the store, Ben sat out in the car and was watching a movie on the DVD player. I ended up being in there longer than I planned...so yeah, you guessed it, when we went to start the car, the battery was dead. At this point, you really just have to laugh. But, thankfully, Ryan (Ben's brother) was on his way home from work, and we were on the way. So he stopped and jumped the car for us, and we made it home. God continues to provide and be faithful and we are okay. Yeah God!

Are you grumpy?

In our house, we end up spending a lot of time talking about our attitudes. Caleb found a great way to lighten the mood when someone is acting grumpy (or even just to have fun). He says, "Are you grumpy? Are YOU grumpy?" Usually laughing, tickling, and other smiles follow. So, this morning, Ben said to Caleb, "Are you grumpy, are YOU grumpy?"
Caleb's response: "No, I'm a thankful elephant!!"

On that note, we have two books from a series, which has been discontinued. They're neat, though, because they're about the fruit of the Spirit. Anyway, the one about God's goodness ends like this:

So, when I feel grumpy-growly
Here's exactly how I pray
God please remove my badness
And let your goodness stay.

So, we use that prayer to combat grumpy growlies around here. Besides, it is much more fun for everyone involved to be a thankful elephant.