Some Journey

Sam joined the church

The weather has been way too nice for me to sit at the computer and blog lately, but I wanted to take a sec to note that Sam joined the church on Easter Sunday. He completed the communicants' class with David Marr and met with the session, making public his profession of faith. He joined alongside Yukari Takata, the Roerdinks, and Robyn Davis, who was also baptized. It was a special day for our family. Stephen and I gave Sam his first "real" Bible. . . one that is not a children's Bible or the NIrV. It was a brown backpack Bible with an orange suede cross on it. We had his name put on it, with Psalm 119:9 printed below. He was quite proud of it, and even better, has been reading it. He and Rebecca read it together for a while Sunday evening, which was neat.

Psalm 119:9
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to Your word.

Here comes the rain again. . .

Remember the Eurythmics? I've had this song stuck in my head all day as I've watched the blue skies I enjoyed so much yesterday melt away into the dark clouds. . .

Here comes the rain again
Raining in my head like a tragedy
Tearing me apart like a new emotion
Oooooh
I want to breathe in the open wind
I want to kiss like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you

Somethin' about the southland

I love spring. I would be hard pressed to say which I like better, spring or summer, but I definitely love the spring. I love the way a whole line of bradford pears look when they are in bloom (in spite of the smell). I love a whole bunch of daffodils grouped together. I love the smell of fresh cut grass and the hum of someone's lawn mower in the distance. I spent the afternoon cutting the kids' hair on the front porch and drinking the sunshine. Hmmm...

My sister's always been the bigger Indigo Girls fan, but the song that ran through my head all day was theirs:

And there's something 'bout the Southland in the springtime
Where the waters flow with confidence and reason
Though I miss her when I'm gone it won't ever be too long
Till I'm home again to spend my favorite season. . .
There's no place like home and none more pleasin'
Than the Southland in the springtime

Bert

This photo was taken by my dad, who, with my mom, joined in on the CVPC hike to see wildflowers on Pidgeon Mtn. I didn't go, because we thought the weather was going to be cold, and because it were concerned that Noah wouldn't be up for the hike. However, I heard that Sydney was not far from Albert's side at any given moment during the hike. And as far as Joseph was concerned, the only one on the hike that really mattered was Murphy, Albert and Karen's dog.
I blogged a few days ago about how much I appreciate the elders at our church. Albert very quickly became one of our favorite people in the world. He and his wife, Karen, are such great examples of people who constantly put into practice the promise we make in the PCA when we baptize our children, to take advantage of whatever opportunities we have to help train this child in the way that he should go. To go on would reiterate much of what I said in "what it really means to be an elder", but I am so grateful to have Albert and Karen in my own life as well as in the lives of my children.
Karen is having pretty major surgery this Thursday, so I hope you all will join our family in supporting them in prayer.

All things that love the sun. . .

Poetry sticks in my head. Music lines, too. Definitely movie lines. But somehow it is those lines of poetry which snake their way through my head which most often seem to surface when I am feeling a thought more than thinking it.
I have so been longing for the sunshine. I crave it. It is amazing how dependent I am on those wonderful endorphines which my body releases when I soak in the sun and when I am able to excercise, and today I was granted both. Stephen took Sam, Sydney and Joseph on a church hike. After a morning visit with Mako, I took Ethan and Noah to Walmart to pick up a few things and we decided to buy some goldfish for my little pond out back. Noah picked out the smallest goldfish they had. "I want that 'ittle tiny baby fish!" After introducing the fish to their knew home, we spent the afternoon just sitting in the sun and hanging out together. This evening after supper I got to do a three mile walk, too, which always makes me feel sooo much better.
Anyway, as I sat and soaked in the sun today, I kept having the lines of a poem by William Wordsworth run through my head in bits and pieces. . .
"All things that love the sun are out of doors. . ." It is a wonderful poem that describes today so perfectly. The beauty of a sunshine filled day, particularly when it follows days of wind and rain. What a gift poetry is. There's not room to post it all, but I'll whet your appetite:

Resolution And Independence
by William Wordsworth

There was a roaring in the wind all night;
The rain came heavily and fell in floods;
But now the sun is rising calm and bright;
The birds are singing in the distant woods;
Over his own sweet voice the Stock - dove broods;
The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters;
And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters.

All things that love the sun are out of doors;
The sky rejoices in the morning`s birth;
The grass is bright with rain - drops; - on the moors
The hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the plashy earth
Raises a mist, that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run.

The cost of discipleship

I was having a good day today. I haven’t had a lot of really good days lately. I’ve been struggling a lot with depression, which is pretty normal for me this time of year. I desperately need sunshine to survive. I am longing for the beach and the smell of the ocean and I desperately crave the warmth of sun on my face. But the combination of the weather and sick kids has not allowed me such leisure and it has taken it’s toll.
But this morning I had a doctor’s appointment, which isn’t fun, but it was my annual gyn check up with my midwife, and it was great to get to visit with her. She delivered four of my kids, and is someone with whom I have a special bond. Those of you with midwives instead of drs probably know what I mean. Anyway, after my appt I went to the bookstore to get a gift for a wedding shower and then to Lowe’s to get some paint samples, and bookstores and Lowe’s always make me happy. So I came home feeling refreshed and geared up to clean house.
Then I sat down and checked phone messages and email. I had an email from a friend who I have been concerned about. It is someone with whom I have had a discipleship relationship for a long time, and I had emailed her that I was concerned because she hasn’t been to church in weeks and I feared that I was seeing some old patterns developing. It always seems that no matter what I say, she misunderstands. I don’t ordinarily consider myself to be poor communicator, but with her I feel like a failure. I think it was one of the most hurtful emails I have ever received. For a long time, I was very guarded in this relationship, expecting to get hurt, expecting to be let down. So when it happened, I was ready. As this friend has matured in the Lord, I have let my guard down more and more. Even though this time I was sort of expecting it, I really wasn’t ready for it.
So much for getting housework done. All I’ve done this afternoon is cry.
But it has made me think about how God must feel when we sin. We let him down over and over. We hurt him again and again. And He is always patient with us. And He is never wrong. But we still rebel against Him and complain and argue. How it must break His heart. And I think about the verses in the Bible which allude to the greater accountability to which God holds teachers and leaders. As we mature, he expects more from us, and though He is still not surprised by our sin, it must hurt Him that much more. I am so glad that He doesn’t tire with me the way I do other people. What a blessed thing to have a God who never changes, always loves, always forgives.

Where can I get cheap passport photos?

When Stephen and I got our passports last year, we had our photos done at Kinko's for $14/each. Does anyone know if there is a cheaper place to do them or is that as good a deal as there is in Chattanooga? We've got to get the boys' done for a mission trip this summer.

What being an elder really means

David Marr is one of the elders at our church. We've been members at Chattanooga Valley Pres for a little over a year. The decision to move there was a difficult one, as we loved the church we were at, but it was a long distance from home and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to be involved the way we wanted to be. There is not room enough to blog about all the ways God has blessed us through this little body in the valley, but suffice it to say the list is endless. One of the things I worried about the most when we left our much bigger church (with all of its many structured events and well run programs for children) was whether or not our children would be fed and nurtured spiritually enough in a church with so few children. Now that almost seems silly, but at the time I was concerned. As it turns out, I am finding that what has replaced those numerous programs for kids has been one on one discipleship and relationships that are incredibly real and important to my kids. My younger kids won't leave church until they get a hug from Albert, our worship director and elder. Noah was sick last week and had to stay home. By Tuesday he just kept crying and begging me to take him to church. My kids have close relationships with most of the elders and deacons and others who are great spiritual leaders. What a comfort to know that they have so many people to whom they can turn in trust as they grow older and begin to look more aggressively at the paths they are taking in life. In the photo above, David was holding Tomoya, the pastor's son. Before he knew it, the other kids began to gather as well. What a neat thing to have elders who take seriously the covenant commitment to help us, as parents, to nurture and train their children, and to do so in such a hands on way. What an even greater blessing that those children feel so very comfortable with him, as well, and would gladly run to him when they need someone. I am so impressed by the elders in our church. They each take seriously the responsibility to not only make decisions and guide the body as a whole, but to be involved in the lives of the members, and to know them individually. The depth of these relationships provides them with much greater oppportunities for discipleship than would a more hands off approach to leadership. I feel so blessed to have my children grow up in this body.

What being a deacon really means

(Sorry, Scott. Couldn't resist.)

Chattanooga Valley Rummage Sale

Chattanooga Valley Pres is having a rummage sale tomorrow (Sat, Mar) 8-1 to raise support for the upcoming mission trip to Mexico. It is an indoor sale, and the fellowship hall is FULL of stuff.

Baby clothes, strollers, videos, clothes, garden tools, furniture, christmas decorations, glassware. . .

You name it, there is some form of it there. Drop by and help support the trip and take home some cool stuff.

The big tease

I think 1/4 inch of snow is just a big tease. Worse yet, it's like a total race against the clock. By the time the kids get all suited up and out the door, the snow's practically gone. Syd did manage to get several snow balls off, and got Joseph right in the head a couple of times. Still, I wish that if we're going to get snow, we'd get a good 6 inches. Enough to close schools and spend the day sledding and drinking hot cocoa. Otherwise it just really doesn't need to drop below 60 degrees.