Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Video Update

Tonight, I am posting two videos that relate to recent concerns of mine. I mentioned in my "I want to tell you" post that I was concerned that Adah was not crawling and that Elijah and I were struggling with respect and boundaries. This first video is of Adah crawling, yay, finally! You'll notice she is watching out for her brother, smart girl. He is shooting hoops, I don't think he ever got any in the goal but he hit the camera with the basketball.



The second is of Elijah reciting his first bible memory verse! It is Ephesians 6:1 ~ "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right", in case you can't quite make it out.



He was so excited to learn it and loves to say it. Since learning it we have witnessed an amazing turn around in his attitude and behavior. It is absolutely true what God says in Isaiah 55:10-11:
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Progress

The renovations continue. We are still living in a disheveled state. BUT! Progress is being made and here is the proof:



What a gift a from God to be moving from that to this.... we are still not done, but here is where are now...



Isn't Gabe doing a great job?

Dedication

( Somehow no pictures with the children facing forward.)

We had a baby dedication at our church this past Sunday. We asked to dedicate both Elijah and Adah. Here is what we promised in brief:

For Elijah Gabriel, our first born child and son, your name means My God is the Lord/ God is my might, may this be true for your whole life.

For Adah Lucia, our second born child, first daughter, your name means Adornment/ Light, may you be an Adorning Light.

We as your parents promise to:

Learn how to BE with Jesus, to make Him first in our life.
Protect our Covenant love for each other (our marriage).
Pray for you and your relationship to Jesus.
Nurture you in the Kingdom of God.
Disciple your self will asking your Heavenly Father for wisdom.
Seek God, even when life is full and complicated.
Ask your forgiveness when we make a mistake.
Forgive you when you make a mistake.
Lead you by example.
Persevere in our walk with God.

Each of these points was fleshed out and brought to life for us as we stood before our church family. The dedication was much more about Gabe and myself than E. and A. The focus was on our responsibility to God for their sakes.

It was sobering, authentic and already fruit is growing on the vines of those promises.

Monday, May 4, 2009

I want to tell you...


...about how our renovations are progressing; how one project wickedly mutated into 10.

...about our upcoming vacation and how we were given $2000 with specific instructions to use the money only for a vacation!

...about the tornado (yes, true) that ripped through our neighborhood and down our street last night, leaving a path of destruction steps from and completely not including our house. Thankfully, all of our neighbors are safe, but many suffered property damage.

...about Gabe's oral surgery tomorrow.

...and while speaking of Gabe, I want tell you how he conquered work that needed weeks to be accomplished in only days, living in a construction zone; our house devoid of all modern comfort.

....and how his truck died last week during renovations, leaving him to walk to work everyday (since we were out of town). His days while we were gone: Wake in construction zone, walk to work, work, walk home, work on the house to the wee hours, sleep in construction zone, repeat.

...also how E. has started hitting me; how we have been so at odds lately, like two people who hardly know how to be together and how sad this makes me; how I know that it is my fault but I don't know how to fix it; about how deeply I long to heal our relationship and fix what has been broken somehow, somewhere.

...how A. is still not crawling (she is almost 10 months old now) and I am beginning to worry. And about the guilty truth that I like that she doesn't crawl because it makes her my baby in my arms for a little longer.

...how I might be depressed, or maybe just tired and overwhelmed.

...about my decision to be fit again; that I will begin with a complete overhaul of my body and mind...how being out of shape, overweight, lazy and gluttonous not only encourages the worst in myself but also mocks God--Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are God's. -1 Cor 6:19-20

...how our kitchen and bathroom cabinets ( rather old and rotten) were ruined during our renovations last week; how we have 0$ to spend on new ones.

...and, lastly, how we were given a complete set of kitchen cabinets and a bathroom vanity from a perfect stranger yesterday because the Holy Spirit told him to (his words).



I want to tell you all of these things and more. I want to go into detail and share all this with you as if we were girlfriends sipping coffee, in a quiet cafe, having the mom's night out that I so desperately crave right now.
Sigh. Maybe one day. But not tonight and probably not for a while. Life is upside down and I am hanging tight on trying not to fall off until it rights itself.
But the Lord is good. And He is good to us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1:17