Don't Blink!

So I cleaned out my laundry room yesterday.
Now I'm sad.
Not sad, actually. Just...ok, we'll stick with sad because I don't care for the words nostalgic and melancholy, although those are probably more accurate descriptions of how I'm feeling...
Ok, I'll get to the point. I found some interesting items tucked away in my laundry room. This is one of the things I found:

That, my friends, is a sweet little size 4 New Balance shoe. That's a size 4 in BABY sizes--not in kid sizes. I also found this:

Though it would never be worth any serious money on Antiques Roadshow, that little piece of art created by Drew and Aubrey is priceless to me. (You'd never know it, though, since I had it tucked away in the laundry room. It's now in my room, though, so no worries.) I helped the kids make that lovely poster during the summer of 2005; those are little 4- and 2-year-old hands....

Now do you understand why I'm feeling a bit sad? (melancholy or nostalgic?)
My little girl turned 9 last weekend, and my little man will be in MIDDLE SCHOOL next fall! Sixth grade ALREADY!

To all of you parents of babies and small children: I'm so jealous.
To all of you parents of grown children: Why didn't you warn us that time suddenly accelerates to the speed of light when you have babies of your own?

Seriously, you (fortunate) parents of wee things: don't blink. You don't want to miss a thing.  Even those of you who haven't had a decent night's rest in two years or who are still buying diapers or who are traumatized by the tantrums your toddler is throwing--don't blink. Stay focused and take it all in and do like Mary (the mom of Jesus) did... ponder and cherish in your heart each one of these moments.   You're going to wake up one morning and realize your babies are wanting to shave their legs (or faces) and buy their own cell phones.

And you parents of grown children: I think I remember some of you trying to tell me that my kids' childhood would sprout wings and fly away, but I was so overwhelmed and exhausted that I didn't really believe you. Or maybe I couldn't hear you over the crying and whining (I've finally grown out of that stage, so I can hear you this time).  I get it now. 

Yes, I know my kids are still kids, but I'm also keenly aware that I have just a few short years left with them before they venture out on their own.... Melancholy...yep, that's it. Nostalgic...that, too.

Here's your warning: I am about to devote the rest of this post to overwhelming you with a barrage of baby pictures. For those of you who are about to click your way to a more uplifting site, please at least scroll down to the last two pictures. Sorry for being such a Debbie Downer (wah, wah). And for my parents, in-laws, Aunt Becky, and Aunt Martha, I think you'll enjoy scrolling down memory lane with me:)

He's "pulling" and not "pushing" her; she still doesn't like to be "pulled" around.

This is real life, folks.

That was the last Christmas photo of them with all of their baby teeth. (sniff, sniff)

Fierce little protectors of Jamestown

Aubrey decided to cut her hair one week before she started kindergarten.  She told her daddy she wanted a hair cut like his.  Fortunately, he looked up before she completed her task--he had a completely bald head at the time.  So, she ended up with a lop-sided mullet instead.  In that picture, it doesn't look as bad as it really was.

If you come to our house and can't find Drew, check by the pond.  He's been baiting his own hooks and taking care of all manner of fishing business since he was "knee high to a grasshopper."

Hair and teeth do grow back.

 I'm almost done now.  Just want to share a few more recent pictures.  If you can't stand it any longer, at least scroll to the last two pictures, please.

This was taken last Easter.  They don't care to hug each other and be all lovey-dovey in pictures anymore since they've gotten older.

This is what life often looks like these days.

That's her fish.  She won't take it off the line.  That's what big brothers are for.

Aubrey turned nine about two weeks ago.  (sniff, sniff)

That's a man-sized fish that my little man caught this past weekend.

Ok.  I'm done now, except for the last two pictures.

This is my gift to you, patient reader.

To you parents of grown children: I give you the opportunity to say that you told me so.

and

To you parents of small children:  I give you perspective...

Sweet little 4-year-old hands become 11-year-old hands almost overnight, and...

Tiny little baby feet become enormous.

Don't blink.

If I Were an Olympic Athlete...

If I were an Olympic athlete (go ahead and laugh...get it out of your system now...) 

If I were an Olympic athlete, what would you think of me if I tried to run the twenty-yard dash wearing combat boots and a woolen overcoat?

Or what if I tried to jump hurdles or participate in the pole vaulting competition with twenty-pound weights strapped to my ankles?  What would you think?

Or what if I tried to swim the 200 meter freestyle while wearing handcuffs and thermal underwear?  Would you expect me to beat the record set by Michael Phelps?

Perhaps I would be able to  finish those particular events in spite of those unusual hindrances, but in no way could I expect to win a medal.  Athletes who want to win medals always rid themselves of unnecessary weight or entanglements.

Some verses from the twelfth chapter of Hebrews have me pondering some of my own unnecessary weight and entanglements....  Maybe you've read this before: 

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith....(Hebrews 12:1-2a KJV)

When I ran across these verses again the other day, the Bible app on my phone was set to show verses in the Amplified Version, so here's how I actually read it:

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].... (Hebrews 12:1-2a AMP)

 The apostle Paul compares the Christian to a runner in a race.  In 1 Corinthians 9:24, he reminds us that in a race, all runners run, but only one receives the prize.  Then, he encourages us to run in such a way that we may win.  I'm not suggesting that we achieve salvation through performance--salvation was made possible by the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross, and it was proven to be true by His glorious return from the grave three days later.  "For by grace you have been saved through  faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 4:8-9). 

So no, I'm not talking about earning salvation.  I'm talking about the lives we live once we become children of God --the lives that we live out as representatives of Christ while a lost world looks on. 

It's difficult to represent Jesus well when we are encumbered with unnecessary weights and entanglements.  Hebrews 12 makes a distinction between the "weights" and "sin."  Unnecessary weights could simply be distractions or activities that are not enhancing or improving our Christian lives; rather, they keep our attentions diverted from the One on whom we should focus.  They may slow us down and keep us from making the most of opportunities to actually be the hands and feet of Jesus while we are on this planet.

As for "sin" that can so easily "beset" or "entangle" us... well, sin just gets us tangled into a web of trouble that leads only to heartache, pain, and regret.

So, I'm thinking about the unnecessary weights and entanglements that may be keeping me distracted, slowing me down, or causing much regret.  Here are just a few that I need to consider stripping off and throwing aside....



(Please don't judge me.  Phil and I vowed to avoid meats and sweets this week, and I have two ENORMOUS jars of nutella in my kitchen that are screaming for my attention right now....)

While none of those images above are sinful, they are--for yours truly--distractions that slow me down in my race as a Christian and even in my life as a wife and mom.  One might argue that those things are good gifts that God wants us to enjoy (especially the Nutella), but when my attention is diverted for too long and my focus shifts away from Christ as my Chief object of desire, then I have a problem.  And you know, it's very easy for today's unnecessary weight  to become tomorrow's besetting sin.  I don't think Jesus necessarily expects me to completely banish these distractions from my life forever, but I believe He would appreciate me putting them to the side for a while so I can re-focus my energies on the Person and the things that matter.

[at this point you'll observe that I am intentionally avoiding a discussion of weight that is measured in pounds and weight that could serve as an indicator of laziness or gluttony in a person's life....God help us]

Lord, help me keep my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of my faith.  While I'm here, I want to run the race well.  I don't want to miss the people and opportunities He places in my path because I'm too busy scrolling through Pinterest or Facebook.

I think I need to start unlacing my "combat boots" and stripping off my "woolen overcoat."  How about you?  Is anything slowing you down?

----------one last picture that I swiped from a blog post that a friend shared--------

This picture was posted with the caption "How to Miss a Childhood."  Below is the link to the entire blog post.  It will  simultaneously step on your toes and break your heart.  It's also fitting food for thought for anyone else who is pondering possible hindrances.

http://www.handsfreemama.com/2012/05/07/how-to-miss-a-childhood/ 

"Southernese," Samantha, & the Sovereignty of God

Here in the Southern part of the United States, we often add our own special twist to the English language.  We shorten or lengthen words as we see fit. We change vowel sounds and add syllables at will.  Sometimes we invent words or create alternate meanings for existing words. 

Have you ever heard the expression fixing to? [pronounced fis-sen to or fi-den-nuh, depending on how far South you live]  Some of us say fixing to instead of about to.

How about Mama nim?  I can’t speak for all Southerners on this one, but I know some of us from the Mississippi Delta use this expression when we actually mean Mama and them. This expression isn’t only limited to Mama; any family member or name will work just as well with nim.  [for example, Daddy nim, Aunt Becky nim, or Bubba nim.]

I personally don’t use this word incorrectly, but I find it HILARIOUS when some of my loved ones do; a few of my dear relatives mispronounce the word afghan (a blanket) by saying the word African (a native of Africa).

Here’s another: chester.  No, I’m not referring to the man’s name; I’m referring to what fancy folk call a bureau, or rather, a chest of drawers.   Some use the longer expression chester drawers, but others, like my Mamaw (grandmother), shorten it to chester.  

Here is an example of how one might use all of that Southernese lingo in a sentence: 

I’m fixing to go see Mama nim so I can put this new African in their chester.

I could go on and on with other unusual examples of Southernese.  I will mention just one more that has come to mind here recently, and I have a feeling that this one may not be peculiar to the South alone.  This expression may be used when something unexpected, exciting, or wonderful occurs:  you must be living right. [Some of us Southerners drop the –g in living and slightly alter the long –i sound in right. Y’all know what I mean.]

You must be living right….. That expression implies that living (or doing) right equals favorable results while NOT living right equals UNfavorable results.  

Consider that logic again: if you face unexpected and UNWANTED circumstances, one would have to assume that you are, in fact, NOT living right.

I recently received an email that has caused me to consider how I personally am prone to evaluate my own circumstances in this way.  Now, the next portion of this post may take a little longer to read, but PLEASE continue reading—it’s well worth your time.  Please consider what this email from Walk in the Word ministries has to say:

There are too many people (believers among them) who have fallen into the trap of believing that prosperity and blessing equal God’s favor. In other words, when it’s all going your way, God obviously likes what you’re up to and has rewarded you with good things. And when life is hard, God obviously doesn’t like what you’re up to and is punishing you with bad things. That thinking is pretty common. … Practically speaking, it seems we believe it is true. Our culture is no help. Life is measured by how much you have. Your bank account, your educational achievement, your address, and the number of Facebook friends you have become the measure of whether or not you’ve got it going on.

Ezra 4 helps us answer the question, “If I’m doing exactly what God told me to do, how is it that things can still go so wrong?” Ezra 4 recounts for us the frustration the Jews were experiencing when their vision to re-establish worship was stopped in its tracks by the lies, threats, and political maneuvering of some adversaries.

Though the purposes of the Jews were frustrated, God’s purposes were not. In the midst of the failure, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2). And what are His purposes for me? Answer: to set me apart from the world, to have me know His power, to have me man-up and trust Him, and to have me know that His ways are far greater than my ways.

And if those are the purposes, they can be accomplished whether I’m experiencing good times or bad. So in fact, life may be really hard for you right now, and yet you may be doing everything right. God is simply doing what He needs to do to accomplish His purposes.

Don’t that beat all? [translation:  Isn’t that an extraordinary thought to consider?]

Sometimes, our “doing everything right” has absolutely nothing to do with what God is accomplishing on this planet.

The old preacher J. Vernon McGee said this:

 “This is God’s universe, and God does things His way.  You may have a better way, but you don’t have a universe.”

His ways are not our ways…. Isaiah 55 tells us that God’s thoughts and ways and plans are far beyond what our tiny human-sized brains can comprehend. 

Here’s something I still cannot explain or comprehend.  Not so long ago in God’s universe, this happened.

This sweet girl, Samantha, married the boy she loved. 

Samantha was loved by many people. Her beautiful smile and infectious giggle brought gladness to the coldest of hearts.

Oh, how we loved her.

Samantha gave birth to her first son.  My goodness, was that baby loved.  He was surrounded by family and friends who adored him just as much as they adored his sweet mom and dad.

I had the privilege of meeting Samantha's beautiful son when he was about two weeks old.  Samantha was my former student, and she wanted me to meet my new "grand-student."

A few short weeks after that, Samantha went to be with Jesus.

Oh, how we loved her, and oh, how we hurt.

Her husband, her mom, her dad, and the newest man in her life experienced a loss that no one can explain.

This beautiful lady is Samantha's mother.  I've met very few people as loving and joyful as she. 

Along with many other loved ones, she stepped in to help care for her only child's only child.  Oh, how she loved that baby, and how we all loved her.

Less than a year later, she also went to be with Jesus.

This beautiful boy is Samantha's baby.

He's so easy to love.

His mother and grandmother went to be with Jesus before his first birthday, but he is surrounded by people who adore him.

I don't understand why some things happen like this in God's universe.

How do we deal with inexplicable loss?  What do we say when there are no satisfactory human explanations to our most heart-rending questions?  Did somebody do something wrong?  I’m by no means a theologian.  I don’t have the satisfactory answers because there are none that we can perceive. 

This is all I know….Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Those paths may lead us through unexpected, uncomfortable, or undesired detours, but we can trust the One Who holds us in His hands.  It is He “who fulfills His purpose” for us, and His Word assures us that “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  We may not understand or see the beauty in His purposes, but we can be sure that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

I don’t have all the answers because this isn’t my universe.  I do have this precious hope, though: one day, I will have the pleasure of dwelling forever with the One Who made the world and all who are in it.  Maybe He’ll use a few minutes in eternity to help me understand the things that perplex me now.  Or maybe just being with Him will be enough.

And guess who will be there with me?

That’s right.  Samantha nim.

A Reality Check from Tanzania

I have never been to Tanzania, but I want to go there now.

Today as I was scrolling through the Twittosphere, I landed on a link that led me to this beautiful account of an average American mom meeting the fifteen-year-old Tanzanian boy that she and her family sponsor through Compassion International.

I'm totally stealing her story and her pictures to share with you, but if you scroll to the bottom of this post, you will see that I'm including the link to her original account.  (It's way better than mine....I just want to give you a taste of what she wrote.)

OK, so the blog I am swiping these photos from is called The Nesting Place.  The lady in the picture is the writer, who refers to herself as "The Nester" because her real name is supposedly strange and difficult to pronounce.  [For some reason I want to call her "Keely" .... maybe that's her name on Twitter or maybe I dreamed it .... if that IS her name, then I don't find that strange or difficult at all.  I prefer Keely to "The Nester" any day.  But just in case I invented the name "Keely" and it really isn't her name at all, let's refer to the pretty lady as The Nester.] 

Please don't leave yet.  This will get better.  I promise.

So Keely and her family sponsor (through Compassion International) that adorable Tanzanian teen pictured below. His name is Topiwo. 

The Nester and several other sponsors were invited to be Compassion Bloggers, which means they are given the privilege of meeting and hugging the children they sponsor, and they tour all of the Compassion facilities and see how Compassion works in their "children's" villages on a daily basis.  While they are traveling and touring, they blog about their experiences.

The Nester explains it all so much better than I, but please, hang in here, OK?

So Keely The Nester wrote about meeting this beautiful boy that she and her family sponsor.  Follow the link to her post and see for yourself all the great pictures.  The ones below are the ones that grabbed my heart.  These are pictures she took on the way to Topiwo's home.  See?

These are the roof-tops of Topiwo's neighbors' homes.

This is the inside of Topiwo's home.

The Nester explains that before Compassion International found Topiwo's family, they had little, if ANY, food to eat.  Now they have food, and Topiwo has a new faith and a fresh start in life.  This next picture KILLS me.  KILLS ME DEAD.  Look at that. 

These are The Nester's words from her original post entitled "Decorating Truths from a 15-year-old Tanzanian Boy":

 On the outside of the home Topiwo had painted Psalm 23 and then his name and the names of others who live there.

Topiwo lives in a mud hut.

Do you remember how the 23rd Psalm starts?

Did I happen to mention that Topiwo lives in a mud hut? And that his family lives in Tanzania and didn’t have any food until Compassion stepped in? This young man quietly declares his faith and I wondered about what message I am sending people when they walk through my front door? Do I really believe that I have everything I need, or do I immediately launch into declaring what I don’t have and what isn’t good enough as soon as someone walks into my home?--from The Nesting Place, May 10, 2012

Did that grab anyone else's heart besides mine?  Talk about a reality check, right? 

I'm so convicted because I DON'T often invite people to our home because of its many flaws (like paint peeling on the front door, stained carpet, damaged dining room flooring, and I could go on and on....).

However, I should be thankful because we actually HAVE a front door.  We HAVE carpet on the floor.  We HAVE a room used just for the purpose of dining together--at a table.  AND, we have running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, air conditioning, a refrigerator and cabinets full of food, a roof that doesn't leak, and I could go on and on.  And so could you, right?

If "The Lord is my Shepherd," then I should be able to relax and revel in the knowledge that He has provided all that I need.  So what if my carpet isn't as clean or as nice as yours? I have Jesus.  He makes me lie down in "green pastures."  He also "leads me beside still waters."  Most importantly, "He restores my soul."  [Who needs carpet, anyway?]

Lord God, please help me learn a lesson from Topiwo.  Help me rest in the knowledge that as long as my Lord is my Shepherd, I will have everything I need. 

And truly, isn't HE all that we really NEED?

Maybe one day I'll invite you over, and maybe I won't make excuses or complain about my carpet (and door and dining room, etc.)   Instead, maybe we will just sit down for a hot cup of coffee and enjoy talking about how sweet it is to trust in Jesus, our Shepherd.

To read The Nester's own account and see her other pictures of Topiwo, visit http://www.thenester.com/    Her post was written on May 10, 2012, and is entitled "Decorating Truths from a 15-Year-Old Tanzanian Boy."


My understanding of how Compassion Int. sponsorship works is a little fuzzy, but I believe that it is a ministry that provides food, clothing, education, vocational training, and THE GOSPEL for children in poverty-stricken environments all over the planet. Compassion sponsors like The Nester send monthly contributions to aid specific children from specific locations.  Please visit The Nester's blog for a better explanation.