day 2

she did "nothing" again today.

tales from the kindergarten crypt

after further inquiry i discovered what happened on em's first day of K-5.
talk about having a bad day:
"during recess a girl swung so high on the swing that she hit a tree and had to go home. " (it's important to note, there are no trees near the playground.)
"then the rest of the class swung into the trees. some of them went home due to their injuries. some of them stayed. those who stayed got pinched by a mad crab who lives by the seashore next to the school." (indy is known for it's beautiful coastline.) "they all went home and i was left alone with miss lopez" - one tall tale by my little stephen king.

i wonder what will happen on day two.

12:00pm plus 13 years

"what did you do in school today, em?"
"nothing."

8:50-9:30am

"when will they let me in?"
"when will the bell ring?"
"why can't i go in?"
"what time will they let me in?"
etc...

she entered confidently.
no tears (from either of us)
no hugs (for me)
just a fleeting "see you later, mom."

growing up...

6:40am

"we're up at the same time!" - em on her first day of school.

tomorrow

school

west end

presenting our new dining room set:

where a kid can be a kid

chuck e cheese

emmy celebrated her b-daywith her cousins.
a good time was had by all. also a bit of advice,
go to chuck e's in the morning. they had the
place to themselves.

a bug's life reprise

with tempertures soaring into the upper 90's the bugs in our habitat are frying. anyone for chocolate covered crickets?

10:44pm

my ever-lasting splendor...

one













two













three












four












five
















I pray the Lord will hold you close
and keep you through the night
that you will wake up smiling
in the early morning light
that he will always comfort you
and make you brave and strong
i pray that you will follow him
your whole life long
i pray that you will grow up
to be wise and good and true
i pray that you will please the Lord
in everything you do
i pray that you will hear his voice
and learn to sing his song
i pray that you will follow him
your whole life long
i pray the Lord will bless you
with his presence every day
and i pray he will protect you
every step along the way
help you love what's right
and lead you far away from wrong
i pray that you will follow him
your whole life long.
twilla paris

a bug's life

one minute your hopping along enjoying God's green earth minding your own business and the next minute a giant leans down, scoops you up and places you in a little plastic bag. suddenly, the temperture falls and you become very drowsy.

such is the life of a bug roaming our backyard.

today we caught three grasshoppers and a cricket. let me re-phrase that. i caught them. a daddy long-legs and a unfortunate green ladybug joined one cricket and one grasshopper in the deep freeze. (i can hardly believe how quickly they "fall asleep" in the freezer.)

what's even more remarkable? i'm touching insects. what i'll do for my own little stink bugs!

jung

While on vacation i made nate's family take the test.
here are the results:
nate's parents: dad - INTJ and mom - ISTJ
joel and lauren: joel - ENTJ and Lauren - INFJ
oh, so fun!

There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it's clear

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
There's nothing left now
There's only grace

You're starting over now
Under the sun
You're stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun

And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, get back up
Get back up again

matthew west

jonah prayed to the Lord his God:
in my distress i called to the Lord,
and he answered me
from the depths of the grave i called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
when my life was ebbing away,
i remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
but i with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
what i have vowed i will make good
salvation comes from the Lord


then the word of the Lord came to jonah a second time...

and jonah obeyed and went to ninevah.
the ninevites believed God.
He had compassion on them.

there's only grace
there's only love
there's only merecy and believe me it's enough
your sins are gone
without a trace
there's nothing left now
there's only grace

what i did on my summer vacation

DINOSPHERE - children's museum
emmy and maddie dressed up as dinos.
the dome ceiling had hogwart's dining hall characteristics. however, the very realistic thunderstorm terrified maddie and we were forced out of dinosphere



























examining dino fossils














manning a sub














CHESS - first kill














HAPPY 4TH














maddie lifted the sparkler over her head a couple of times. thankfully the falling sparks missed her eyes. her angel works over time.












INDY ZOO
emmy relaxing on a python













aunt lauren and hannah-bear petting a goat














emmy's goat














checking out the chickens


















pecked by the chickens


















LAKE MONROE
watching sissy tube













"i can do it myself"
(we didn't let her but i'm sure she could.)













grandpa, captain (uncle joel) and emmy













ahoy, mates!














emmy loved tubing and swimming in the lake















maddie did not! maybe next year.
(but we made her try twice. that may sound cruel, but boldness is a learned skill.)












the family soaking in the rays. notice hannah soaking in everything!












maddie loved to "drive" the boat.


















so that's what we did on our family vacation!

keswick at play

a couple of days ago em and mad were busy playing with their rubber reptiles. (no sugar and spice in our house) maddie took her snake and wrapped its body around a turtle and shouted, "snake killing you, turtle."
emmy took her lizard and exclaimed in a deep voice, "stop snake. i will punish you." she grapped the snake and threw it under the table. "i've punished you", she yelled.
so i asked, "emmy, why are you yelling at the snake?"
and here's the reply i received..."lizard is God and HE punished the snake who disobeyed HIM. "

my little keswickian.

so i said, "you know that God does more than punish. He loves us and take care of us and gives us what we need."
"yes."
*sigh of relief on my part*
"but lizard is God and he punished the bad snake"

moments later maddie retrieved the snake from"hell" from which the lizard god had sent it and entwined it about the turtle's body again.

this time the lizard god asked in it's lowest voice to "please stop killing the turtle."
the snake agreed and lizard god boomed, "good snake. i knew you could be good."

vbs

is over...
we survived

spiritual gifts

ok, our pastor has been preaching on the body of Christ lately. some good stuff that i never heard during my "fundy" childhood.

for example, (and maybe some of you don't know this :-), but there will be more than just baptists in heaven. it was nearly surreal hearing that taught from the pulpit.

last week, he taught an easy way to discover your spiritual gifts. ask yourself the following two questions:

what's in your heart? (God-given passion)
+
what's in your hands? (God-given abilities) God asked moses this ? at the burning bush.
=
spiritual gift

spitiual gifts aren't limited to the few mentioned in the Bible. they are examples. which makes more sense. God is too creative and multi-faceted to hand out the same couple gifts to everyone within the body of Christ. woo-hoo - that means i have a gift and so does everyone else.
now i must place it in God's hands and let him use it.

gamers

maddie playing dr. suess abc's.















emmy and daddy playing spyro on the playstation. (note maddie in the background playing computer.)











i didn't have a computer in my playroom growing up.
oh wait, i didn't have playroom. i didn't have a computer either -
not until we got married.

the icecream man cometh

the sounds of summer...

the painted house

"the wall is beautiful now."


















the table is beautiful too.
don't forget about the floor.













will i ever learn not to leave the darlings alone?













never fear - magic eraser to the rescue!

money tree miracle

i spoke with my sister this morning. bryan worked at a toyota plant most of this week. he's inspecting steering wheels or something like that. they told him on monday they would only need him on tuesday, but soon extended the offer through next tuesday. hopefully, the extention will last all summer. the plant is nearly two hours away, but the money is good, so the drive is worth it.

keep shaking the money tree.

money doesn't grow on trees

my dear nephew needs to find a money tree. or at least a job. he's been hunting for three weeks now with no hope in sight. last year God provided and bryan left school in may paid in full. as he approaches his sophomore year, he has no money, no job and no prospects.

-now let's take a short break for me to hop on my soapbox - (it's one of my favorite places)

*he worked all year at school and was not paid enough to cover one month's bill. (an honest day's work for an honest day's wage is a biblical principle swept under the rug by the school)
*if he attempts to get a loan from the school, they will screw him in interest. (yet another biblical principle here that they like to ignore) of course, no gov loans, which are repaid at a lower interest rate.
*also, he will be working two jobs at school next year, but only paid for one. the other job is an "experience" job. yet another way the school steals from their students. eight hours a week of free labor multuplied by X amount of others working "experience" jobs. that's a lot of "experience."

sorry to those of you who attend/teach at the school - you know what school-
but atrocities like these happened while i was a student and they continue to happen. they were morally wrong then and they continue to be wrong now. it's not a pretty picture to paint but it is true.

all that to say, please pray that he will find a good job this summer. pray for God to provide a money tree miracle in his life.

love and marriage

nine years and counting...

pulp and cane

n- had a home-made birthday party last week. we spent two days making paper to make his cards with and an afternoon making his birthday cake. (ok, betty crocker helped with the cake for those of you who know me well.) the girls decorated the cake with enough sugar to put anyone into a diabetic coma. how sweet it is...







after two days this is all the paper we made. probably, won't be doing this experiment again.

exodus

in your unfailing love you will lead your people you have redeemed.
in your strength you will guide them to your holy dwellings.
ex 15:13

just thirty seconds

i made two fatal errors today. i answered the telephone and i started to wash the dishes.
it took approx. 30seconds to create these masterpieces of mayhem.

cast gift

my darling baptist thespians signed a WWII german flag and gave it to me as a gift on closing night. they're so thoughtful.

God is good. He provided above and beyond my wildest imagination. i was a bit nervous this year compared to the others. the cast had a difficult time focusing their energy and thoughts on this play, but in the end God gave strength to each of them. all praise and honor to God.

sophie's cell

there's sophie's cell.
lots of fun.

whatever happened to...

my orange headed, green souled friend?

pray for sophie scholl

i know sophie scholl is dead, but the play lives on and needs much prayer! we open friday and play through sunday evening. about a month ago, the man who plays mohr found out that he has cancer. he's been dropping lines ever since. completely understandable. so, mohr has his lines delivered to him in file folders every few scenes by bauer. and he's writing a lot of reports at the end in order to cover up the reading of his lines. please pray for all involved. two more rehearsals before we go live.

our latest science experiment

our "butterfly" emmerged from its chrysalis two days ago. emmy and maddie look for it every day, but i have a feeling it found a quieter place to live.

miniture lumps

"the worst attitude of all would be the professional which regards children in the lump as a sort of raw material which we have to handle."
on three ways of writing for children
c.s. lewis

man-made rules

"legalist in our churches today warn that we dare not teach people about the liberty we have in Christ lest it result in religious anarchy. the christian who lives by faith is not going to become a rebel. quite the contrary, he is going to experience the inner discipline of God that is far better than the outer discipline of man-made rules. "
warren wiersbe

church the way it used to be - part 2

i want to make it clear that i believe that some of God's people actually have convictions in the aforementioned areas. i respect that. we are created by a multi-faceted being and therefore it is highly likely that convictions from one human to the next would differ. however, we become so enamored with our own belief system that we dismiss other christian's convictions.

i do believe that someone who does have these convictions need to tread carefully on the souls of believers who do not hold so tightly to their laws. (notice, i used the pronoun "their" and the object "laws".) for examle, God's choice for musical instruments used to worship Him on Sunday mornings does not appear in any version of the Bible as far as I know. (correct me if i'm wrong - my friends in "the message cult".) i love the sound of a well played, quality organ, and i do not fault any church for choosing to worship with one. i do, however fault that church if they contentiously pulpit bash another church for differing worship choices.

my purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love , so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God , namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge...i delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. Col 2:2-3 & 5

church the way it used to be

we recieved a leaflet in the mail yesterday.

"church the way it used to be"

all the men wore suits
all the ladies wore skirts below the knee. (i'm sure their slits were below the knee as well)
hymns sung out of a hymnal - "music that stirs the soul and not the feet"
piano
organ
occassional orchestra
they neglected to mention they had pews and not just chairs
yes, it is a very bj church.

the implication of the leaflet:
our church is right;
other churches are wrong.
it's just that simple.

WHAT?
i found the pharisees, but WHERE'S JESUS?

the girls need a bath tonight, so they smell pretty for church. don't worry they'll both be in dresses that are to their knees. after all, it is Easter. my knees will be bear. the drums will be assisting the keyboardists and guitarists (acoustic, electric and bass) play familar hymns of the faith and modren praise and worship songs that will be projected onto a large screen above the platform, chairs will be set up because we don't have any pews, coffee will be served before the service begins. pastor will wear a suit, but he's probably the only one. most importantly Jesus will be the focus, the center, the main attraction not the fashion, the chairs, the instruments. just Jesus.
more thoughts later...

missing

where are you? i miss my friend.

dream big

hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but when dreams come true,
there is life and joy.
prov 13:12

intj

well i took the test...
INTJ

fledge's insight

from magician's nephew:
i'm hungry, " said digory
"well, tuck in," said fledge, taking a big mouthful of grass.
"but we can't eat grass, " said digory.
polly and digory looked at each other in dismay.
"well, i do think someone might have arranged about our meals, " said digory.
"i'm sure Aslan would have, if you'd asked him," said fledge.
"wouldn't he know without being asked?" said polly.
i've no doubt he would, " said the horse (still with his mouth full). "but i've a sort of idea that he likes to be asked."

must see

sophie scholl: the last days

lil' rockers

emmy and maddie are proud owners of their first guitar.
pink
rock on...

theatrical question from the inanely naive

one of the best ?'s i've been asked in the past three years:
do the books come with instructions how to do all the sets and lights and stuff?

only in my dreams.

it would be handy if they came with a little man named "wan" who was willing to do all the work. (elea, i think you call your "wans" grad students. :-)

and the winner is...

heritage

sweet procrastination

things to do:
finish light plot
type light plot
enter plot into light director's book
revise sound plot
type
enter into sound director's book
gather all music to be used
get info to my "mix master"
figure jout what i need stage hands to be doing
type out
enter into stage manager's book
get promotional material from designer and get it to the printer
make an actual prop list
gather the rest of the props
order rest of the flags and propaganda posters
make "black-out" curtians for the set
find an artist to help paint set once it is finished
figure out the flooring for center stage
make-up plot
etc...

clean up the "snowflakes" all over the house inspired by the real snowflakes outside.
clean up and organize the toys all over the house

o.k. so i need to get this stuff done, but here i am indulging in sweet procrastination. i enjoy procrastinating. i thrive on stress. afterall, i still have nearly seven weeks until curtin.

wonderment

child of the pure, unclouded brow
and dreaming eyes of wonder!
though time be fleet and i and thou
are half a life asunder,
thy loving smile will surely hail
the love-gift of a fairy tale.
lewis carroll - through the looking glass

educational quandary

up until last week i felt confident emmy would be attending walnut grove christian prep school. it's a classical grammar and secondary school. emmy's personality and skill sets would adapt well to their environment. maddie, on the other hand, appears to have different skills and talents. i don't feel w.g. is equipped to handle.
so, we have an appointment to tour heritage christian. this school has ample opportunities for both girls. emmy may have to venture from her introverted bubble, but that's not all bad. they offer exceptional child classes starting in the first grade. they also have a computer lab which upon seeing, she declared, "it is good!" the classical school doesn't offer computers at all. quite disappointing for our little nerd. heritage features include a brand new building, an art room equipped with a kiln, a music lab, a library, etc. we think these will contribute greatly to maddie's education. she appears to be more"artsie" than big sis. also, their seniors ranked 4th in the state on their SAT's this year, so they are doing something right. well we welcome opinions. classical or progressive. small or large.

irreverent dance

i was treadmilling with "jack"; it's not as bad when reading lewis. in mere christianity, he states,
"God is not a static thing, but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama . almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance."

this made me laugh b/c i was told that we can't dance in the play that i'm doing. getting tired of tyrannical christianity. i want to dance.

exercise

i did it
20 minutes
treadmill
out
of
breath
doubt
will
do again
what was
i
thinking

identity theft

missing: one 40lb tomboy.
long light brown hair with bangs completely covering her big, beautiful, brown eyes
date missing: thursday
nate and i had an interview with the headmistress at "genius" school. emmy and maddie stayed with a friend. upon returning home that day, emmy asked if she could wear her cinderella dress.
her cinderella dress.
i said, "you want to do what?" it has hung in her closet, untouched for two years. in fact, the one and only time that she wore it (previous to thursday), i forced it on her body as she lay kicking and screaming. on friday she asked to dress up again. thankfully, it only lasted an hour and she was back in shorts (yes, it is only 30 degrees) and turtle neck.

worse yet, the day came several weeks ago when she asked if she could have a barbie. i thought i had escaped barbies, but alas, i am going to have to start shopping in the little girls aisle. (just for the record, we bought her a barbie for v-day. barbie is somewhere in em's room naked. )

if any one sees my little tomboy, i would like her back. i'm not sure what to do with a "girly" girl.

whizmo

whizmo - to fly
the baloon whizmoed away.
from the dictionary of emmy's grand and wonderful imagination.
time for me to whizmo to emmy's room

whispers

1 kings 19
"the Lord told Elijah,
go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by
then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. after the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. after the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. and after the fire came a gentle whisper. then elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave."
elijah cleared his mind. he ignored the rumblings of his situation and focused on the stillness. that's when he realized that that whisper wasn't just another distraction, but the voice of God. our pastor preached on this last week. you can look it up at hamiltonhills.org.

piano lessons

yesterday, we were listening to andre watts play chopin. i asked emmy if she would play like that some day. she responded "yes, teach me now" too bad she doesn't want to follow the written notes or timing, but one day...

nine

it has been nine years since our engagement.
nine splendid years
i wouldn't change anything
hard to believe so much time has past
it's a lifetime ago. world's away.
i wouldn't want to go back to my life before n-
i was empty. i was out of place. but i didn't know it.
now, i am complete. i am centered. i am free to be me.
nine

how sweet it is

roasted marshmallows
it's been years
oh so delectable

puddleglum

maddie - "not happy"
but like her fictional friend she lifts her chin up and puts her best foot forward.
constant

restoration

but as for me i will always have hope;
i will praise you more and more.
my mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though i know not its measure.
though you have made me see many troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up.
ps71

out of context

but God will shoot [him] with arrows...
i'm confident the psalmist wasn't
speaking of cupid's arrows , but . . .
ps 64:7

first excuse

yesterday, i asked maddie to help clean up and she replied, "i tired." this was the first time she used an excuse to avoid doing something she didn't want to do. typically, she just runs away shouting, "No!" or "No way!"
excuses, excuses, excuses...

waiting

i'm afraid it's been too long to try to find the reasons why
i let my world close in around a smaller patch of fading sky
but now i've grown beyond the walls to where i've never been
and it's still winter in my wonderland

i close my eyes and try to see the world unbroken underneath
the farther off and already it just might make the life i lead a little more
than make-believe when all my skies are painted blue
and all the clouds don't ever change the shape of who i am in You

i'm waiting for the world to fall
i'm waiting for the scene to change
i'm waiting when the colors come
waiting to let my world come undone

when i catch the light of falling stars my view is changing me
my view is changing me
my view is changing
i'm waiting...

jars o f clay
waiting for the world to fall
narnia

to a dear whimsical boy i don't even know

the time has come to realize
and see the plan you've been designed for
so face the fear of all unknown
and see the heart inside
so open up your eyes

jeremy camp
narnia (inspired songs)

all is vanity in maddie's closet

maddie hid in her closet today in order to avoid her nap. when i found her and picked her up, she started touching all the clothes in the closet. she came across the dress she wore in a wedding in october and said with a radiant smile, "i pretty!" obviously her self concept is in tact even with the scar on her chin.

incredabuls

maddie's favorite movie is the incredabuls (as she calls it.) a couple nights ago before bed she started talking about the movie.
i asked her if she had super powers.
she said" i donno"
so i asked if she could turn into fire like jack jack.
"yes." this is true, if you have ever witnessed one of her fits.
i asked if she could stretch like the mommy.
"yes." to prove this she stretched her arms as high as they can reach.
i asked if she is strong like the daddy.
"yes" she made two fists in the air.
i asked if she is fast like dash.
"yes." and some days i think she is.
i asked if she could disappear like violet.
"no." some days, when she is doing something wrong, she can.
so i have my own super fast, super strong, super stretchy, ignitable incredabul.

wanted: one magical wardrobe

the other night emmy asked to go back to grandma and grandpa's house. i asked, "why?" she replied i want to look into the wardrobe and get to narnia. (the wardrobe is filled with china.) i told her not all wardrobes lead to narnia. in which she responded, "i have an idea, let's go to the store and buy one that does."

lost

elea

true narnian soul

well it's official emmy has a true narian soul.
we finished dawn treader the other day and started the silver chair.
this morning at 3:30am she woke with a fever and wanted to lay with us. after a half hour or so, she decided to go back to her own bed. she asked n- to read her a book and he agreed. he asked which book and she responded the silver chair. she was refused.
but naria lives on in my four year old...

waxing eloquent

"my heart is in the mood for a new game."
-em
translation - i want you to download a new game on to my computer.
you would think she's been hanging out with elea and serendipity. :-)
sounds like something you two would say. making a simple request in such a beautiful way.

carry

to my dear one who is hurting.

i will not pretend to feel the pain you're going through
i know i can't comprehend the hurt you've known
i used to think it mattered if i understood
but now i just don't know

well, i admit sometimes i still wish i knew what to say
and i keep looking for a way to fix it all
but we know we're at the mercy of God's higher ways
and our ways are so small

but i will carry you to Jesus
He is everything you need
i will carry you to Jesus on my knees

it's such a priveledge for me to give this gift to you
all i'd ever hope you'd give me in return
is to know that you'll be there to do the same for me
when the tables turn

and if you need to cry go on and i, i will cry along with you
i've given you what i have, but still i know the best thing i can do
is just pray for you

i'll carry you
i'll take you to Jesus on my knees.

scchapman

favorite phrases

"no"
"no way"
"stop"
"go away"
maddie

Bible reading

the goal is not to get through the scriptures. the goal is to get the scriptures through us. just a different way of looking at the yearly resolution to read through the Bible.

resolutions

bah!

why i love santa

isn't santa a bit like God? (i can feel the heretical arrowheads zooming overhead as i type this.) he, like God, lives in a place we cannot physically get to, he comes on Christmas bearing gifts which we don't deserve, he requires nothing in return for the aforementioned gifts, he returns year after year. santa is a fanciful picture of what our heavenly Father did for us in Christmas past. He sent us a gift that we most certainly didn't deserve and He expects nothing in return for this gift of love (not works of righteousness which we have done but by his mercy he saved us). so i love santa b/c he examplifies God in a way my little one can tangibly grasp. merry christmas to all and to all a good night.

further up and further in

"the further up and the further in you go, the bigger everything gets. the inside is larger than the outside." cs lewis - the last battle
how vast, how deep, how immeasurable the Father's love for me. the further up and the further in i choose to go, the more real and more beautiful it becomes.

God alone

trust in him at all times, o people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
ps 62:8

i cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purpose for me,
God sends from heaven and saves me,
God sends his love and faithfulness.
ps 57:2-3

my soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
ps 62:1

Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in [my] behalf.
ps 66:5

insanity

i took the girls to the mall today
i lost my mind
they don't sell sanity
they don't sell straight jackets
i need both
they've recovered nicely
i don't bounce back as easily
what was i thinking

mundane

"there are no ordinary people. you have never talked to a mere mortal. nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life as a gnat. but it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors." cs lewis daily, we influence those around to become immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. for me, this means emmy and maddie. this made me think that these little people, although i've never thought them ordinary,they are constantly watching me, constantly taking cues from me about thier importance, constantly learning about their heavenly Father through my actions. (run-on sent) what is my influence on them? are they seeing Christ through me? Have they figured out that they are true princesses? that they are immortal souls and heirs of God. suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. my job isn't mundane - my job is eternal. they say you can't take anything with you into heaven, but i have two things - emmy and maddie - my eteranal splendors.

contusions

maddie won! she is the first of our children to require a trip to the ER, and she wasn't even doing one of her trade-mark death defying acts. she was sitting at the table eating lunch when she fell off the chair and hit her head. she became immediately sleepy. i raced her to the ER. soon after seeing the doctor she began dancing about as though nothing had happened, but she still had to get a CT scan to be sure. this ticked her off, but at least she was acting like her old self again. (she lives in a perpetual state of irritation mostly facilitated by big sissy.) the ct scan was normal and she is resting comfortably in her own bed.

He shall keep thee in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him. i haven't thought about this verse in a long time, but it popped in my head on thursday morning. during the early morning hours on friday we learned that nate's mom was rush to the hospital, (she fine, now.) and today maddie. He is perfect peace.

introductions

christmas is upon us. even arbys decked a christmas tree complete with garland, ornaments and a silver star. the star must have made quite an impression on maddie. she looked up and said, "hi star, i'm maddie." she can be so adorable.

it is finished

the Lord is good. it is finished (loud we screeched) at least til next august when we start anew. hopefully there will be fewer high b's involved. woo hoo!!!

stage fright

it amazes me that i could possibly get stage fright after all these years. i would rather direct a play, coordinate a wedding or manage the church's drama ministry than sing one little song in the christmas celebration. note, this will be the first song i have ever sang to a cd, and i believe that is why i'm a tad panicked. after all the cd doesn't follow me; i am forced to follow it. a difficult feat when there isn't a drop of rhythm flowing through your veins. oh well, sink or swim i'm singing tommorow and sunday.

picture perfect

two and a half hours of picture taking yesterday...
ten tear-stained, runny nosed, devil eyed, evil grinned poses
one sweet smiled, innocent eyed angelic pose
i bought 10 out of 11 poses. fact over fiction.

home sweet home

nothing better than being home. our own wonderfully messy,
fantastically unorganized,
brilliantly cluttered home.
oh, how i missed it.

turkey delight

yummiest of all days...
everything was better than turkish delight!

mud pies

i read this yesterday in my book a year with c.s.lewis, and wanted to share it with you all. it's scrumptious.

"the new testament has a lot to say about self-denial. nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire. if there lurks in most modren minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, i submit that this notion has crept in from kant and stocics and is no part of the christian faith. indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that the Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. we are half-hearted creatures when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum b/c he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. we are far too easily pleased."

it's our brady house

dave and vicky moved into their house yesterday. both closings occurred with hiccups, but at least they occurred. megan and aaron really like the orange and blue kitchen (orange, blue and green floor tiles, orange countertops and walls, and the 1970's favorite, orange and green ceiling tiles.) the rest of the house follows the same color scheme. the palm tree wallpaper is also a '70's flashback. (definately a keeper.) but as v puts it, "it's our brady house." and that, afterall, is all that matters.

home is heaven's reflection. hopefully, it will be a little less orange in the years to come.

praise you in this storm

i was sure by now that you would have reached down and wiped our tears away
stepped in and saved the day
but once again i say "amen"
and it's still raining

as the thunder rolls
i barely hear you whisper through the rain
"i am with you"
and as your mercy falls
i raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away

i'll praise you in this storm and i will lift my hands
for you are who you are no matter where i am
every tear i've cried you hold in your hand
you never left my side
and though my heart is torn i will praise you in this storm

i remember when i stumbled in the wind
you heard my cry
you raised me up again
my strength is almost gone
how can i carry on if i can't find you

i lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my strength come from?
my help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth

casting crowns

therefore we do not lose heart. though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 cor 4:16-18

well done

tomorrow dave and vicky are set to close on their old house (that God miraculously sold) and the new house (that God miraculously provided). God has been good to them even when His church has failed to be good and faithful. perhaps d and v are there in order to turn that church upside-down for Jesus. one day we'll know for sure why God has allowed all their hardships and struggles, but amidst all adversity they've been faithful. one day they will receive the greatest reward- "well done."

little cloud

snow's falling in indy thanks to emmy. her wish came true. i asked her if she wished on little star for snow and she said, "no, i wished on little cloud." well, that makes sense. snow comes from the clouds not stars.

wet feet

today's sermon was about stepping out on faith. interesting how that keeps coming up, huh? n- actually filled me in on this one since i was in with the kids. pastor spoke on the miracle parting of the jordan river. he focused on the fact that the river didn't part until the priest stepped in. they had to get their feet wet. the God of miracles wants me to step out into the river and dare to ask for miracles too.

classroom blues

last night we took emmy to an open house at heritage. emmy's response: " it was not beautiful. (n- and i had been discussing the facilities.) and it's boring."
i asked, "what did you think about the art room?"
"it's boring", she replied.
"what about the music room?"
response - "it's boring."
"what about the computer lab?" i questioned
"it was good." finally a positive answer from our woe-be-gone four year old.
what about the library?
"it was good too." two in a row...
"what about the K5 classroom?"
my luck ran out with this one. " it's boring."
the gym also struck out.

her continued solution to our "where should we send em to school dilema" - "i'll go to mommy's school."

to be continued...

all lines are busy, please continue holding

annoyed
disconnected twice
the fourth person finally comprehended my question
still annoyed
finished

tagged but 23 less

ghost'sword tagged me, but i haven't been blogging long enough to have 23 enteries. so i decided to pick one and use the 5th sentence.

from watch out isaac newton here comes maddie...
it's fabulous being the mother of the brightest kids in the room.

i'm a proud "ma" (as maddie calls me), so this sentence did describe me well.

also, i don't even have "token" taggees b/c elea & christy are my blogging buddies, so this is the chink in the chain...

popcorn

on sunday morning around 3:am a horrible storm rolled through indy. the wind howled, the rain thrashed, thunder crashed, and hailed danced around the house. n- went in to emmy's room to check on her and she declared that the storm sounded like popcorn. and indeed it did. our little shakespeare using simile. a mother couldn't be more proud. :-)

later sunday afternoon she set up all her cat figures and said,"they are going to the theater" i asked "what play are they going to see?" she responded, "knockdown." appearently, the stage was her slide, and she was the actor who (according to the script) would slide and knockdown the audience. wouldn't want to be in that peanut gallery. once again, a mother couldn't be more proud.

voice of truth

be not afraid neither be dismayed for i am with thee...

oh what i would do to have the faith it takes to climb
out of this boat i'm in on to the crashing waves
to step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown
where jesus is
and he's holding out his hand

but the waves are calling out to me and they laugh at me
reminding me of all the times i've tried before and failed
the waves they keep on telling me time and time again
"boy you'll never win. you'll never win"

but the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid"
the the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
out of all the voices calling out to me
i will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

oh what i would do to have the strength to stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
wishing they'd have had strength to stand

but the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
reminding me of all the times i've tried before and failed
the giant keeps on telling me time and time again
"boy, you'll never win. you'll never win"

but the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid"
the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
out of all the voices calling out to me
i will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

but the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high on top of them looking down
i will soar with the wings of eagles
when i stop and listen to the voice of Jesus singing over me

i will listen and believe
i will listen and believe the voice of truth
i will listen and believe
cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
i will listen to you

casting crowns

elea, these are the lyrics to the song i mentioned last night. we'll send you the file later, but n- wants me to call before we send it to avoid bogging down your email.

dive

to my dearest friends who are leaping:

the long awaited rains have fallen hard on the thristy ground
and carved their way to where to wild and rushing river can be found
and like the rains i have been carried here to where the river flows
my heart is rushing and my knees are weak as i walk to the edge
i know there is no turning back once my feet have left the ledge
and in the rush i hear a voice that's telling me it's time to take a leap of faith
so here i go

i'm diving in
i'm going deep in over my head
i want to be caught in the rush
lost in the flow
in over my head i want to go
the river's deep
the river's wide
the river's water is alive
so sink or swim
i'm diving in

there is a supernatural power in this might river's flow
it can bring the dead to life and it can fill the empty soul
and give the heart the only thing worth living and worth dying for
but we will never know the awesome power of the grace of God
until we let ourselves get swept away into this holy flood
so if you'll take my hand we'll close our eyes and count to three
and take the leap of faith
come on let's go...

steven curtis chapman - dive

i kneel before the father. i pray that out of his glorious riches he may
strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and i pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp, how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
now to him that is able to do immeasureably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory... eph 3:14-20

house of cards

"God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. he knew it already. it was i who didn't. in this trial he makes us occupy the dock, the witness box, and the bench all at once. he always knew that my temple was a house of cards. his only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down. "
c.s. lewis a grief observed
God doesn't need to send trials my way for his sake, he does it for my sake. he does it so i can see my flaws as he sees them. he does this not to break my will or destroy me, but to mold me into a vessel "fit for the master's use." he knocks down my "house of cards" because he loves me. he builds again.

watch out isaac newton, here comes maddie

our littlest einstein learned a new scientific concept today - gravity. as her ball crashes to the earth she shouts "gravity". she's been doing this on and off all day. (emmy learned this trick at about the same age, but she liked to demonstrate gravity using fries.) it's fabulous being the mother of the brightest kids in the room. :-) woo hoo!!!

current read

i'm currently reading the life you've always wanted by john ortberg. it has actually bought me to tears as it describes my life. (as you know that is a pretty difficult feat.) it is a study of the spiritual disciplines related to ordinary people. and as a bonus john quotes our dear friend c.s. lewis often.

Jesus Jesus Jesus

maddie made up a new dance this week. it's her Jesus dance. she runs in a circle around the room with her arms raised to the heavens singing Jesus, Jesus, Jesus High. true joyous praise and love to her Jesus.

suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

refrigerators and apples

years ago (in college) my aunt helen wrote me a letter with two stories seperate stories about child-like faith and i want to share them with my dearest friends b/c God keeps reminding me of these stories.
my aunt and uncle had very little money when their children were young, so when the refrigerator broke down they weren't sure what to do. they couldn't afford a new one; they could afford a repair man; they couldn't afford to buy all new food. my aunt was in tears and their little boy, Mike said, "why don't we ask God to fix it?" being a good mom and sunday school teacher she said o.k., hardly believing anything would come of it, but she had to pray b/c her 6 year old suggested it. Mike, his younger brother, jim, and my aunt knelt before the fridge and asked God to fix it. upon the final amen the motor roared. the fidge lasted for years after God fixed it.

she also wrote about another time her children taught her a lesson in faith. the boys wanted her to make an apple pie. she advised them that she had no extra money that week to buy apples. the boys prayed for apples on the way to the store. they left the store without any apples. God rained apples on them on the way home, however. A truck lost a crate of apples and there were apples everywhere. it was such a little thing and it taught those boys (and me) that God cares about the littlest detail and desire of our lives. it's not just an apple to God.

c.s.lewis said, "lay before him what is in us, not what ought to be in us."

praying hard for purple bikes...

breakfast of champions

eggo waffles and airheads - what more can you want when you're two and four.