The Middle Chief. . . all his own.

So, I desperately wanted to remember this event happening.  It was one of the funnier moments in our house.  This weekend my mom is coming up for a visit.  ALWAYS a very exciting time in our house.  Yesterday, I was asking her about sleeping arrangements, and the middle chief-having overheard, asked to talk to her.  He wanted to make sure that she knew about the bed under his bed in his room.  And that she was more than welcome to sleep in it.

As they talked a minute longer, I heard my mom say something about a secret.  For me.  Asking if Samuel could keep a secret.  He looked straight at me and said, "Yes."  He knew what a secret was and he knew how to keep it.  She said something else to him and he whispered back (as I was sitting right next to him).  Obviously, she couldn't hear on the other end of the line and kept asking him, and he kept answering-- without saying anything.  So, I figured I better intervene and told him to go to the back of the house and then he could talk to her, since it was a secret and all.  Where did he choose?  Under the kitchen table, not 10 feet from me.  Then he's still not talking to NaeNae, because he hasn't gotten himself situated under the table and she's still saying, "Are you there???"  Finally, he started talking again, once it was clear.  hahaha!

I laughed for a while and then realized how precious it was that he wanted to keep the secret from he.  He is a wonderful, amazing little boy and I am blessed to have him.  The Lord is good in all of his creations and I only get a little taste here, but I am ever grateful.  If we only knew all the secrets that the Lord longs to tell us, that we would put our hope in the day when the relationship is fully restored and all things are made known!  Praise the Lord!

Community Life. . . . again. :)

So, I've been having all these thoughts about community living- what it looks like, what is bad about it, what is good.  Lots of thoughts.  I don't think there is any particular formula.  We've had a family stay with us for three months (upstairs in the top of our house!)-- it worked for us, but I don't recommend that formula as a general plan.  Not enough space, too many kids.  ;)  Love you people though, you know who I mean.  Anyway, we have an okay system worked out here.  One rule I believe in firmly is doors.  Everyone has to have a door to close.  Even though large families in Africa live all in a one room hut- doesn't mean that us westerners should be able to do the same.  We have too much baggage for such a thing.  However, if you have some good doors to close, you will have significantly more success than if not. 
 

ANYWAY, this past weekend we went up to MN to see some dear friends (mentioned above) who were living in a house with another family.  They had their ups and downs, as everyone does, but we got to witness firsthand one of the beautiful parts of community.  They cooked together, cleaned together, payed rent together, and most importantly, prayed together.  They had scheduled times of prayer and worship set into their weekly schedule- 3-4 times a week.  And whether it was just the adults, or all 5 kids as well, it was a beautiful thing.  To sit in simplicity, one guitar, one hand drum, worshipping and praying to the Creator of the universe.  Putting love and repentance at the forefront, and then choosing to spend hours in prayer for the lost around them.  The neighborhood kids, the local churches and their outreaches, the large Somali population that gathered at a nearby mall.  Either way, it was so beautiful in it's simplicity.  Every voice could be heard, but no one was particularly amazing.  There was humility and genuine desire to love God and one another.  No one had any special training, and yet the seminarian and the 5-year old worshiped the same God.  So, as I was awed by what the Father was doing, the light was just right and I snapped a few shots.  They were just as beautiful as I thought the whole situation was.

 

Little mamas. . . ever mothering.

Daddies. . . ever leading.

Little girls . . .  ever dancing.

Acts 2:42-44  "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common."

The eldest, little chief.

Well, my apologies.  It has been too long, and though I have personally spoken to my loyal readers (ahem), it is still necessary.  I found  myself in bed last night rolling through all kinds of thoughts in my head and decided that I would try and spit them out.  For those of you who know me, you realize this is a most difficult process.  I have already processed them with a live person (at least one I can see in front of me) and so finding the time to do the second step is quite difficult.  Nonetheless, I begin.

1.  I want to start with my precious children, namely the eldest. He is amazing.  Hey is getting so big, it's unbelievable.  I know all parents experience the same emotions, so I am in no way different, but seriously.  How did I get to have an almost 7 year old?????  Last weekend we decided something had to be done about our driveway.  It is quite steep, paved with that black stuff (not concrete) and has been breaking apart all over.  It was consuming the Daddy chief's time and worries- as repaving a driveway like ours is close to 10k.  Missionaries don't really have that sitting around. . . .i suppose you all don't either, but you know.  AND if you do have that kind of cash sitting around, who really wants to spend it on a driveway when there's another member of your family out there some where waiting to be adopted????  (another post for another day)  ANYWAY,  we had a seal put over the existing driveway to prolong it's life and Daddy had to clear all the debris off it.  The guy said he would be here early Saturday morning.  Big Boy Chief had his first soccer game at 9:30.  At 10, daddy was still out on the driveway.  He was heartbroken.  They both were.  And to top it all off, the guy called (at 10) and said the paving plant was closed and he wouldn't be coming out at all.  As I was explaining to my son how sad his daddy was- we headed home.  We picked up daddy and they sat in the back of the van together and talked the whole way to Lowes.  (We had to pick up some broccoli plants, another post)  That afternoon when it was quiet in the house, I was sitting at the bar with him talking about the morning.  He looked at me and said, "Mommy, I feel sad that Daddy feels sad."  We then proceeded to have this precious coversation about what it means to have compassion for the people around you.  I know they have talked about it some in school, but seeing my little boy connect at a heart level with suffering around him was intimately profound, preciously beautiful, and humbly strong.  He has such an amazing capacity to love, just as the Lord told us from the very beginning.  Within the next several days, I watched him give his brother two quarters, when he was sad that he didn't get as much allowance.  He also asked me about when we would adopt again and with deep concern, what happens to the kids and babies that don't get adopted?  Maybe it's just boys, but this is a new thing for us.  Something that is very important to my heart and something I desperately want my kids to see.  Though we can't fix all the wrongs in the world, and though it is not our job- to be able to see them with the eyes of the Father is to be able to love them.  To have compassion in your heart is to begin to see things like Jesus does.  How I want for my kids to know the heart of the Son.  To have compassion, is to love at the simplest level.  Seeing can someday become doing, but doing will never happen if we can never see. 
 (sidenote, it is never fully about doing-- only obedience according to the Spirit)

Matthew 22:36-40   36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  38 This is the first and greatest commandment.  39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."


Matthew 6:22  22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light."

A Couple of Random Thoughts. . .

1.  So, my middle born and I just had a kiss war.  He is the more touchy of my boys, so often we give lots of kisses.  It's really sweet.  Today at naptime I kissed him goodnight, he proceeded to give me like 25 really fast kisses on my cheek.  As expected, I did the same to him.  Then, we did it again, but at the same time.  We laughed afterwards, and he looked up at me, as precious as ever and said, "It was a kiss war!"  hahahaha.

(and yes, we did get another snow.  Samuel likes making really big balls out of snow!)

 2.  At church this morning we talked about money- what it is, what we do with it, what the Lord says about it and I was so challenged and moved.  I was struck by the amazingly unique position the Lord has put us in and with gratitude, was able to look at our own finances and receive the Lord's heart for our family.  I don't know how to even say it well, but the pastor preached out of 2 Corinthinians 9:6-15.  It's kind of a typical giving passage, but we were looking at how specifically, in verse 11 it says, "your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."  And I am hit with the basic reality. . . . Everyone always asks us, "How do you support raise??  I could never do that. . . ."  And this is it.  The basic reality is that once we get over the fact that money is not ours, then we come to realize that giving and receiving of money brings glory to God.  There are times when I get it stuck in my head that something I am doing is causing all of this to happen and then the Lord,  ever so kindly, reminds  me I have nothing to do with it.  Amazingly, our bills will get paid, when I knew there wasn't enough money there, and I  give "thanksgiving to God."  We receive a check in the mail for John to travel to all kinds of places, and I give "thanksgiving to God."  We raise an absurd amount of money to save the life of a little girl, and I "give thanksgiving to God."  We give to others, out of love and obedience to a heavenly Father, and they "give thanksgiving to God."  We position our lives in such a way, that the generosity and the humility of the gospel come together- often.  I'm not saying it's all easy, or even exciting, but it is where we are and it is where we will stay until the Lord says otherwise.  We are filled daily with "thanksgiving to God."


3.  The other amazing thing?  At the end of that same passage, he says, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"  Thanks be to God for sending a savior to die on a cross that we might live.  Thanks for a Spirit that reigns in us, that we might grow in mercy and grace, as we await His return.  Praise be to God that we can travel to unseen parts of the world and share this gospel.  Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead- and if you know him and love him, you will live forever with him.  What Daddy Chief is doing right now is unbelievable- the truth that he is sharing, the gospel, is forever changing the people who encounter it.  He is love gone forth, from this place, that the WORD may go forth.  I am profoundly humbled that we can ride this life together- unified in marriage, united with others who long to be obedient to a loving father, submitted to a worthy God, forgiven by His Son, and filled with His spirit.

Can you tell?? I'm pretty grateful for today. 

Seriously. Is it possible??

Okay, so many of you have heard me say what a good baby the littlest chief is.  I guess we had all our misery and fighting on the front end of this one.  I digress.  Anyway, I had always heard that people had babies as good as she is, but secretly I thought they might be lying, because I had known nothing of the sort until now. 
Seriously, she sleeps, she eats, she smiles, she laughs, and now. . . .

SHE TEETHES!  And all with little more than a whimper.  Really, we are having a pretty good time around here.

New developments. . . .

Okay, so It has been a while since we have had an update, so I thought I would start with the youngest.  Baby chief is doing exceptionally well.  As you can see, she thoroughly enjoys her morning oatmeal with fruit and has the cheeks to prove it!  (she stores some away for later. . . . not really, but it looks like it!)  Also, we have just learned how to use the Moby Wrap as a bigger baby.  She was not all that thrilled facing in and missing all the action that her brothers so graciously provide.  Seriously, if I had a picture for it I would show you the joy that comes from this little girl when her brothers and daddy are around.  It's priceless.

And then there are her brothers.  The second in command has decided that there are two things in life definitely worth living for. . .sledding and hot chocolate.  And fortunately, they go together!  He flies down our front lawn with incredible speed, and walks back up to do it over and over again! Amazing

The biggest chief?  Well he has been LOVING basketball.  We have practice once a week, and a game once a week, and seriously.  You can't imagine how much fun he is having until you see the endless smile he has just running up and down the court!


What I am working through these days, is simply that.  We are here for such a short season, and we have been given so much.  I am longing (in the middle of this dreadful, snow/blizzard filled winter) to sit in contentment.  To appreciate what I have been given, and to love well.  Love the Lord well, and love those he puts in my path.

"Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "Matthew 22:37-39


"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:6-8 

What we're doing this afternoon. . . .

More snow. . . . another 6-9 inches.

Loving our new Christmas toy!  Thank you Braswells!

Mmmmmm. . . . .

Life at my house.

So, when it's really cold outside, you are 3 and 6, have lots of energy, and are fairly bored 

(and aren't allowed to watch a movie again) what do you do???

You play soccer INSIDE!

And then you play basketball in your bedroom.  Welcome to my world friends.  

Anyone else have any other ideas????

Fun times on Saturdays!

So, the biggest little person in our tribe plays basketball.  And let me tell you. . . .he is having a blast! 

(We might be too!)

Celebrating at a team shot made!

Snacks and cheering, of course.  :)

Getting ready to take the shot. . . .

CELEBRATION!!!

Half-time meeting with the coach.  (How we love our coaches!!!)

I think it's going to be a fun season.  :)

Just so you know. . . . we are still here, AND. . .

. . . . look how big we are getting!  

Someday I'll figure out something to blog about. . . but

until then, look how big we are getting!