Posts from — August 2007

I just picked up the Jewel “Pieces of You” CD from the library and I’m just loving it.  I listened to this all of the time in High School and Jared just informed me that when he realized I had this CD when we started dating, it made him like me more.  Hmmm…I never knew this!  Thanks, Jewel.  I love you even more, now.

We took a trip to Illinois this past weekend. I tell people that Illinois was our stepping stone to Covenant. We were there for about 2 years before we moved here to St. Louis and our church there (Christ Church, PCA) really does feel like home. We had a great visit and were able to catch up with some friends while we were there. Jared also preached on Sunday! They post sermons to the website, so I’ll let you guys know once it is there. We enjoyed our visit so much. There is something comforting in going back to a town that you once called “home”. All of the streets are familiar and as you drive around everything comes back to you as if you never left. We passed by the hospital where Shea was born and we reminisced about the day he joined our family. We visited with friends, some who were suffering in various ways, and we were reminded of our need for one another, but more importantly, our need for our Savior, who will make things all new in the end. It hurts to see friends suffer.

I’ll leave you with this wonderful picture of Jared with his friends, Dave and Jeff (pastors at Christ Church). Don’t ask, I have no clue!

 

We celebrated Shea’s b-day at Chick-Fil-A with a few friends on Tuesday. He loved it!

My little sister, Emily, and niece, Cayla are coming to visit us for the first time in St. Louis and we are all very excited! They’ll be here Tuesday!

For the past month or so, I’ve been enjoying music again. I haven’t sought out new music for a very long time. I guess this is mainly because I’ve felt like I just don’t have time for it. But, what I’ve discovered is that it’s really good for me. Patty Griffin’s “Rain” is my favorite right now. A friend and I were talking about counseling the other night, and I realized that one of the things that has happened as a result of counseling is that I can actually feel the pain from my past that I was so numb to before. It’s healthy to be able to feel it, rather than just stuff it down, and this song goes right along with the pain I felt in realizing a dream I had was shattered. It amazes me to see how God has pieced my life back together again. The scars are still there, but the healing He has done and is continuing to do in me is astounding. On a lighter note, did any of you guys listen to Lisa Loeb in the mid to late 90’s?! Oh my gosh! I loved her when I was in high school and college and I just checked out (from the library) her “Best of Lisa Loeb” CD and am loving it! Anyone wanna share your favorites?

I think I mentioned in one of my recent posts that Gage brought home a “herptarium” containing a turtle, 2 frogs and a cocoon. Well, boy do I have something to tell about that. Gage was so excited when we got home and wanted to show his friends his wonderful treasure from the outdoors. So, I told him he could, but that WE’D have to take it out into the hall because his brother was sleeping. Because Gage moves faster than lightening, he arrived at the “herptarium” before I did, picked it up by the lid and pretty much ran to the door to show them. I’m watching this as if it’s in slow motion, trying to tell him to stop because of the disaster I could foresee. However, it was too late and the entire contents of the “herptarium” fell on the floor. Here’s the dialogue that followed (minus the many, many cuss words racing through my head):

Me: (as I’m cupping the frogs onto the floor) Gage, get a plastic container with a lid, now!

Abi: Oh my goodness, I am so sorry this has happened. (repeated over and over for about 5 minutes)

Gage: I didn’t mean to, Mom! (as he’s crying)

Me: (Standing, over the black potting soil covering my floor, hand on forehead) Gage, I know you didn’t mean to, but I am really mad right now, okay?!

Abi: What can I do to help? Oh my goodness, I am so sorry this has happened.

Gage: I’m gonna kill myself! Just get me a dagger now!

Abi: Don’t remember what she said, but something along the lines of “you don’t want to do that, Gage”.

Me: Okay, I just need everyone to not talk to me right now.

We scooped all of the dirt up and were left with a big, black circle on my floor.

I sent Nate and Abi out and Gage proceeded to get the vacuum cleaner out and try to clean, saying, “Mom, I’ll clean it up.” Amazingly, we cleaned it all out of the carpet with a wet rag. I hate this blue carpet, but it’s definitely stain resistant.

As for Gage, he quickly recovered, as usual. But, that night as he was getting in bed he said, “Mom, I’m sorry about what happened today.” So sweet.

We now have a new rule. The “herptarium” stays where it is unless Jared or I move it. Somehow, I don’t think Gage is going to have a hard time with the rule.

My friend, Andrea, called about 10 minutes after the air had somewhat cleared and we laughed as we both exchanged our stories of the day. She, also, had experienced quite a morning, as she discovered her toddler had smeared poop on the walls while she was on the phone trying to pay bills. We came to a couple of conclusions:

1. Silence is really bad. If they’re quiet and we don’t see them for a while, we like to believe everything is okay and sometimes we ignore that inner nudge to go check, because after all, the bills have to be paid, right? It’s NEVER worth it! GO CHECK! LISTEN TO THE VOICE!

2. Anytime you’re having thoughts like “Wow, this day is going really good. I’ve got this under control”, things will probably explode. And you never know what it’s going to be!

We are officially home from our summer of house-sitting in the country and, although we enjoyed our summer of nature study, we’re all glad to be home again.  Shea is playing with all of his toys as if they are brand new and Gage has been outside playing with his friends since 9:00 this morning.  Oh, and we brought a piece of nature home with us.  A “Herphaven” from Petco containing 2 frogs, a turtle, and a caterpillar, which has attached itself to a stick and entered the pupa stage.  Yesterday, as we were packing up to leave, Gage came running in to show me that the turtle had eaten half of the live lizard he had placed in the “Herphaven”!  That wasn’t the plan, but, hey, at least we know the turtle isn’t starving now.

Now I’ve got to start unpacking.  We have 2 carloads to put away!

A long time ago, I told you all that I was going to post about the book our bible study read this past semester. Well, we finished it about 2 months ago, and I’m just now sitting down to fill you in on the highlights for me. This was such a great book and I highly recommend it to all you women out there. I think I’m going to have to leave you with one quote from the book a day or something. There is just too much here that I want to share and if I put it into one posting, you’d never read it all. So, here’s the first excerpt:

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2

“In the same way that a fisherman might cast his net over the side of his boat only to realize, too late, that his leg is caught in the net, we can be caught off guard by our own sin. The weight of the net pulls the fisherman over the side and he begins to sink. He can barely hold on with one hand to the side of the boat, but if he lets go of the boat to try to free his leg, he will drown. He is not strong enough to pull himself back into the boat. He is caught.”

‘Sadly, metaphorically speaking, if this fisherman was a Christian caught in sin, many of us would mock him: “Hey, Jerry! I thought you were a fisherman! No fisherman would ever let himself get stuck like that.”………..Instead of such a proud and condemning response we ought to run to the side of the boat and help our brother or sister. “Jump in! Hold his neck up so he can breathe! Get a knife and cut the net! Go and get help! He’s in trouble and he needs us!” This should be the response of the church.’

~Taken from “Peace Making Women”, by Tara Barthel and Judy Dabler, pgs.98-99.

That paragraph really impacted me. How many times have you heard of a brother or sister in sin and scoffed, with the thought of “I’d never do something like that!”? It sickens me to think of all the times I have done that very thing. It’s so easy to be proud and take on our salvation as an achievement, rather than a free gift from our Creator. When we are truly humbled and able to see our salvation as a gift that we absolutely do not deserve, we are able to run to our brother who has been “caught” and “cut the rope” rather than scoff and turn away. In my life, humility seems to come and go. My prayer for all of us is that our pride will be burned away and that we will not forget the free gift our Savior has given us.

I’m watching my friend Nikki’s kids today and I have to write about what I just heard. Oh my gosh! Hilarious! Shaylea was acting like she was frustrated and so I asked her what was wrong. Here’s the exchange that took place:

Shaylea: Gage doesn’t want to play with me because he thinks I’m acting too girly or something. But, I’m just acting like Hannah Montana.

Gage: You’re trying to act like a superstar or something and I don’t like it.

Shaylea: No I’m not, Gage. I just like fashion!

I asked Shaylea how Hannah Montana acts and she proceeded to do the whole dance and song that she apparently performs. I am clueless about this whole Hannah Montana thing, but I’m pretty sure Shaylea has the routine down pat! She is quite a performer and she and Gage together are very entertaining, to say the least.

Okay, I have to add this. As I was sitting here typing, Shaylea just said, “Miss Lyra, Gage thinks that I’m emotional.” Too bad you all can’t be here to enjoy the entertainment!