Not So Long Ago, In a Galaxy Not So Far Away

The kids turned 6 and 4 this year! I can't believe how fast it's going. They are growing into such amazing little people! We are incredibly blessed by these two munchkins!

Earlier this year the kids discovered Star Wars. So when they announced (in June) they had agreed that they wanted to have a Star Wars themed birthday party, I jumped on it. I mean, how often will they be able to agree on a theme--and especially one that works so well for a brother/sister party!?!

The time arrived and preparations began for their party. They dressed up as Luke and Leia Skywalker and along with our wonderful family, we celebrated their birthdays. Here are a few pictures from our fun day!

"Yoda Soda" was just Sprite with green food coloring.

We had the "Wookie Cookie Shop".

We imported "SunWater" from Tatooine, the home planet of Luke. His uncle Own Lars owns a moisture farm there. :) (I had fun coming up with that one.)

Yoda!!!

Teddy Grahams = Ewoks

Sandwiches at the Darth Vader Deli.

Luke and his Dad, Anakin Skywalker (before he turned into Darth Vader)

Queen Amidala with her daughter Princess Leia

The whole family!

 Uh oh! Party's over! Daddy needs a nap!

Thanks to Elizabeth and Lee Ann for the ideas and letting us borrow costumes!!!

A Fine Line

I have had a whirlwind of emotions during the last few months. I've experienced everything from excitement to apathy to embarrassment to elation. Why?

My torment has stemmed from the struggle between the schools of the Big XII and the surrounding sporting news.

Yes.

Shocking. I know.

My alma mater, Texas A&M decided to break a contract and leave the conference for the SEC. At first I was excited because we would be in a great conference playing against teams like Georgia, but as controversy exploded I became annoyed and decided not to care. I was then told by a friend that I should care because the destruction of the Big XII could have seriously negative repercussions on our city's economy. I saw his point and not long after heard some disturbing remarks made by the president of my beloved A&M. I found myself feeling embarrassed (repeatedly) by decisions and unprofessional-ism displayed by the leadership in College Station.

I found myself not simply slipping back into apathy toward the whole thing...I started despising the whole thing.

But then a bright spot.

My husband's school, Baylor University beat the University of Texas in a very exciting football game. This was followed by rumors of Robert Griffin III possibly being nominated for the Heisman Trophy. Soon, this was no longer a rumor but a fact. RG3 had been nominated for the renowned trophy.

Just like so many others in Waco, Wesley and I watched the awards ceremony on TV. We were so excited (but not surprised) to hear Robert Griffin's name announced. It was a thrilling moment for the Baylor community and I was so happy to be "married into the family".

Since then the city seems to have been painted in green and gold. The local paper and magazines have RG3 and his new award plastered all over. Restaurant signs congratulate the athlete and the university. Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites are full of excited fans exchanging comments about the news. Even the spires adorning most of Baylor's noble architecture seemed to stand a little bit taller. Needless to say, our town is ecstatic!

Although I love my Aggies and will always love them, I do have a very special place in my heart for Baylor. I grew up minutes from the campus. I went to sports camps there in the summers. In junior high and high school I spent countless hours cleaning the apartments my grandparents owned on campus, dreaming of the day I would be a Baylor Bear. As a teenager most of my spiritual mentors at church were Baylor students and I wanted to be just like them.

It literally took an act of God to change my heart to attend A&M because that was part of His wonderful plan for me. After marrying Wesley, we spent our first year of marriage living in the same apartments I had cleaned growing up...smack dab on Baylor's campus. In more recent years Wesley and I have been Bible study/Life Group leaders for Baylor students and have come to absolutely ADORE each and every one. I am up to my eyeballs in green and gold and I love it! So, I am very excited for Baylor's success in football and recognition they have received this year!

Our family attended the men's basketball game this past Wednesday when they presented RG3 and the Heisman to the community during half-time. All four of us (yes, me too) wore our Baylor shirts and were ready to see the new Baylor legend raise high his trophy.

The moment arrived. The press was lined up on the basketball court. A pedestal was placed upon the top of the 3-point line. The crowd stood and started chanting, "RG3! RG3!" He walked out and held the cast bronze man up in the air. Flashes and screams echoed through the Ferrell Center. My heart pounded. It was thrilling...

but...

I then understood first hand what I had read the day before in my Bible study. This is an excerpt from one girl's experience:

In that moment I understood the desire to worship statues and felt the urge to drop to my knees. She [the statue] was so tangible and beautiful and she made me feel small and less worthy. It was an odd feeling that scared me but also allowed me to understand some things more fully. I am not unlike the Israelites and have moments when I just want to worship something I can photograph. I also realize that if a statue built by humans can make me feel that way for even a second, I can't imagine what it will feel like to be in the full presence of the God who built creation. (From No Other Gods by Kelly Minter, LifeWay Publishers)

Honestly the day I read this I didn't really "get it". I still thought the girl's experience with the statue she saw was a little strange, but I didn't want to judge her so I reminded myself I wasn't immune to those feelings and might relate someday. That someday came way sooner than I ever thought it would.

Let me say one more thing. I am not pointing fingers anywhere but toward myself. I am NOT saying RG3, nor anyone else for that matter, is "worshiping" the trophy. I am simply trying to be totally real with you by observing the feelings in my own heart and ask you to do the same--not to burst your bubble or steal the excitement you feel about this event or any other, but to protect your heart from the temptation of bowing down before a 25 pound piece of bronze.

I hope Baylor continues to do well and that RG3 is successful in which ever route he chooses to take. I pray that he and all of us who love Baylor will walk in humility before the Almighty God who is God alone and give Him all praise and honor in success or failure.





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Thanksgiving 2011

Here are a few memories we made this year during Thanksgiving.

We kicked things off with a service project at school. Here is Jo with her BFF making baggies for The Salvation Army. We are so thankful for her school.

Then we had a recitation of Psalm 100 and a Thanksgiving Feast with all the kindergarten families at school.

We spent most of the week at the ranch with our cousins. Here are all the kiddos as we did our own little Thanksgiving program as a family. Caleb noticed one of his own toys was in the box of ranch toys. He was very distressed. Hmmm. I wonder if he's really getting the idea of Thanksgiving.

Caleb fell asleep with all of his cousins running, jumping, talking, and yelling around him.

Caleb and Auntie Jenna have a special relationship.

We are so thankful for the gifts of Josie's school and for our family!!!

More Idols

The Bible study my friend Kim and I have gone through together this semester has taken a little longer than expected. We should really be finished, but, alas, we are not. We are almost there! It has been painful and wonderful at the same time.

Painful because with every verse of scripture it is like God is taking a scalpel and removing a tumor that was taking over my heart. Wonderful because the peace that comes from knowing freedom and healing are coming as a result of that spiritual surgery.

The Bible is full of stories of how people in ancient times would create idols, serve them and bow down to them. We see God's anger as a result of that worship. He describes Himself as "jealous". At first glance this description may make God seem immature and petty, but that is what happens when we see scripture through our blurry and sinful eyes.

Is it wrong for a husband to be jealous when his wife is attracted to another man? No. He has every right to be angry and feel jealousy and to hold his wife accountable to it.

Praise God He is jealous because it is out of that passionate emotion He fights FOR us! He rescues us and restores us to a right relationship with Him!

You might be wondering, "What in the world are you talking about? I don't bow down to idols."

Yes, we all do.

John Calvin said, "The human heart is a factory of idols...every one of us..."

Timothy Keller challenges us to evaluate where our thoughts, money, and time naturally flow and this can be a good indication of our personal idols. This line of thinking may lead you to objects, careers, talents, or even people.

I'd encourage you to spend some time thinking about that.

I'd also encourage you to think about how faithful those idols have been to you. Do they disappoint you? Have you ever been dissatisfied or even betrayed by this idol? Are they freeing or do they bring a burden upon you?

There is only One true God who satisfies, brings freedom and whose name is "Faithful and True".

My friend Kim wrote a beautiful post on her blog about her struggles with perfection. You should go check it out: http://alifetransparent.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-idol-worship-ideal-me.html
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A little something extra...and very thought provoking.

Josie's First Ballet Recital

This fall Josie has been taking ballet from a ballet school in town from which the teachers hold classes in different locations--including Josie's school! This is wonderfully convenient! Here are a few pictures from her Christmas recital held at a local Holiday Fair in November.

Absent Blogger

We will catch up soon! 

I have four finals and then WATCH OUT! I will have a lot (probably too much) to tell you! 

Until then I'll leave you pondering this.

Wren's Grace

This summer we welcomed our new Community Pastor Brian Horn and his family to our church. Only a few weeks after their arrival his wife, Wren, was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. As difficult as the news was it was complicated even more by the fact that Wren was only about 25 weeks pregnant with their daughter.

In August they welcomed their daughter Grace. Because Grace was born at 31 weeks she was kept in the NICU until the end of September. One day Brian posted this picture on Facebook of Wren holding Grace. 

Immediately I felt the Holy Spirit say, "Paint it." Of course, I was nervous, never feeling confident in my ability to paint people--especially people I know. But I felt a great peace about it.

The whole process was very quick and went incredibly smoothly. Never have I had such an easy time painting a picture. I know God--the Great Artist--was holding my hand with every stroke.

In the midst of this, Brian and Wren found out that the cancer had spread to her lungs and other places in her body. Brian and Wren have been so authentic and real during the whole situation, but they have also displayed incredible grace--something given to them by the Holy Spirit. I know that despite what happens, God will receive great glory and many lives will be changed because of their story.

Title: Wren's Grace
Medium: Acrylic

 This was another picture a friend of theirs took in the NICU.
I cried.

If you would like to pray for and follow their story you can find updates by joining the group: "Wren Horn Support" on Facebook. 

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A New Page

I wanted to share with you some things from my heart. 

I love to paint, draw, and simply create in general, but it isn't very often I actually share some of my projects with people. Part of that is because of time. I am a perfectionist to a FAULT. I'm highly critical of my work and if I can see things that should be improved, then I feel like others will be equally critical...in other words, I'm afraid of others' opinions. Another reason I often hesitate to share is I wrestle with worrying that people will think I'm prideful if I display my work.

Both of those reasons are WRONG.

God has graciously given me a gift, and if I continue to literally hide my gift in the closet then I am living in disobedience to His call for my life. I must always continue to guard against pride, the desire to please/impress people, or to even hoard the gift and keep it only for myself.

So I've added a new tab to the top of this blog that is to be a "Gallery" of sorts where I can share  the "dreams and visions" God has given to me. I pray they will bless you and stir you to a closer relationship with Him.

Thanks!

A New (to me) Bible Study!!!

Have you ever had one of those moments where you KNOW God completely orchestrated something? I've heard some people call them "divine appointments". Well, whatever they are, they are thrilling!

A few weeks ago I was in kind of a slump in every area of my life...physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was recovering from being in a car accident, trying to get ready to send my baby off to Kindergarten, attempting to prepare myself to go back to school, wondering where I fit in the world....blah, blah, blah...mix that in with some hormones...you get the picture (and I'm sure you've been there!).

Anyway, while I was doing some back to school shopping with my mom, my friend Kim spotted me from waaaaaaaay out in the parking lot. She called out and walked quickly toward me with open arms. As she met me with a HUGE embrace she said, "Ohhhh, I've missed you. I love you so much!" Well, that was just about enough to send me over the edge into tears...but not quite yet.

After a few moments of chit chat, she asked me what I've been doing for a Bible study lately. I had to honestly answer her with, "Well, it's kind of random right now..." and listed off a few things that proved that I had zero direction in my devotional time at the moment. Her response was, "Well, let's do a Bible study together!" That was it. I burst into tears.

 
Obviously,  she struck a nerve. After some discussion, prayer, and research over the next couple of weeks we settled on a study called, "No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern-Day Idols" by Kelly Minter.

We meet once a week to discuss the week's material and usually there is some sort of food and/or sweet beverages involved. This week we met at my house and Kim brought me sweet Tea from Bush's Chicken. Mmmmmm.

I have to say I love this girl, and not because she brought me straight sugar in its liquefied form. She is brilliant and passionate about Jesus. She is also not afraid to push me...hard. She asks me the tough questions and makes me evaluate myself, my motives, and just plain makes me want to love Jesus more.

So, anyway, this study has been a huge blessing. The author has no qualms about stepping on your toes! We are definitely working through some really difficult things, and I cannot even begin to tell you how liberating it has been to be able to identify the things I place on pedistals and in my own way bow down to worship them. But nothing is as liberating as demolishing those idols and returning to the One True God who is full of Love and is the only One who has the power to give freedom.

Just as a little something extra to encourage you to evaluate your own heart, you can take a look at this video from Breakaway Ministries. I had heard it months ago, but it had a completely fresh message for me after beginning this study.





What Are Your Idols? from Breakaway Ministries on Vimeo.

Happy Songs!

Just wanted to give you a list of songs the kids and I have been listening to on our commute to and from school these days. About a week ago I realized we all have a tendency to be a little sour in the mornings, so as a way to combat that I decided to make a CD with several "happy songs".

It's amazing what this has done to our trips to school and home and wherever! So here are a few of them:






How can you not smile, sing and laugh after those songs! All of us will sing and shout during most of the songs...I'm sure we look like quite a sight to anyone we pass! Oh well, they probably just wish they could have that much fun too! :)

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

Sooooo Long, but Soooooo Good!

My friend Kim and I are doing a Bible study together right now (I'll tell you more about that later). Last week she and I were discussing the idea of sanctification and she read me this excerpt from A.W. Tozer's Root of the Righteous. It was so powerful. I just wanted to share it with you:

Praise God for the Furnace

It was the enraptured Rutherford who could shout in the midst of serious and painful trials, "Praise God for the hammer, the file and the furnace."

The hammer is a useful tool, but the nail, if it had feeling and intelligence, could present another side of the story. For the nail knows the hammer only as an opponent, a brutal, merciless enemy who lives to pound it into submission, to beat it down out of sight and clinch it into place. That is the nail's view of the hammer, and it is accurate except for one thing: The nail forgets that both it and the hammer are servants of the same workman. Let the nail but remember that the hammer is held by the workman and all resentment toward it will disappear. The carpenter decides whose head will be beaten next and what hammer shall be used in the beating. That is his sovereign right. When the nail has surrendered to the will of the workman and has gotten a little glimpse of his benign plans for its future it will yield to the hammer without complaint.

The file is more painful still, for its business is to bite into the soft metal, scraping and eating away the edges till it has shaped the metal to its will. Yet the file has, in truth, no real will in the matter, but serves another master as the metal also does. It is the master and not the file that decides how much shall be eaten away, what shape the metal shall take, and how long the painful filing shall continue. Let the metal accept the will of the master and it will not try to dictate when or how it shall be filed.

As for the furnace, it is the worst of all. Ruthless and savage, it leaps at every combustible thing that enters it and never relaxes its fury till it has reduced it all to shapeless ashes. All that refuses to burn is melted to a mass of helpless matter, without will or purpose of its own. When everything is melted that will melt and all is burned that will burn, then and not till then the furnace calms down and rests from its destructive fury.

With all this known to him, how could Rutherford find it in his heart to praise God for the hammer, the file and the furnace? The answer is simply that he loved the Master of the hammer, he adored the Workman who wielded the file, he worshiped the Lord who heated the furnace for the everlasting blessing of His children. He had felt the hammer till its rough beatings no longer hurt; he had endured the file till he had come actually to enjoy its bitings; he had walked with God in the furnace so long that it had become as his natural habitat. That does not overstate the facts. His letters reveal as much.

Such doctrine as this does not find much sympathy among Christians in these soft and carnal days. We tend to think of Christianity as a painless system by which we can escape the penalty of past sins and attain to heaven at last. The flaming desire to be rid of every unholy thing and to put on the likeness of Christ at any cost is not often found among us. We expect to enter the everlasting kingdom of our Father and to sit down around the table with sages, saints and martyrs; and through the grace of God, maybe we shall; yes, maybe we shall. But for the most of us it could prove at first an embarrassing experience. Ours might be the silence of the untried soldier in the presence of the battle-hardened heroes who have fought the fight and won the victory and who have scars to prove that they were present when the battle was joined. The devil, things and people being what they are, it is necessary for God to use the hammer, the file and the furnace in His holy work of preparing a saint for true sainthood. It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.

Without doubt we of this generation have become too soft to scale great spiritual heights. Salvation has come to mean deliverance from unpleasant things. Our hymns and sermons create for us a religion of consolation and pleasantness. We overlook the pace of the thorns, the cross and the blood. We ignore the function of the hammer and the file.

Strange as it may sound, it is yet true that much of the suffering we are called upon to endure on the highway of holiness is an inward suffering for which scarcely an external cause can be found. For our journey is an inward journey, and our real foes are invisible to the eyes of men. Attacks of darkness, of despondency, of acute self-depreciation may be endured without any change in our outward circumstances. Only the enemy and God and the hard-pressed Christian know what has taken place. The inward suffering has been great and a mighty work of purification has been accomplished, but the heart [knows] its own sorrow and no one else can share it. God has cleansed His child in the only way He can, circumstance being what they are. Thank God for the furnace.

I wanted to add to this by sharing this video:

Kindergarten!!!!!!

We have officially entered into a new phase in our lives. My munchkin has started KINDERGARTEN!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness! I can't believe it! As with all parents these days are bittersweet...but mostly sweet. We absolutely MUST praise God for this time because He has provided for us to put Josie into a classical school.

If you are anything like I was about 7 years ago you're asking, "What the heck is classical school?" Well, I found out when I was hired several years ago to teach P.E. at a classical school in Austin. The more I learned about the teaching philosophy the more I fell in love with classical education.

In a nutshell, it is old. We're talkin' ancient--literally. It's methods are extremely similar to the methods used with people like Socrates and Plato. Yes, I mean old. Of course it's developed since then but at it's foundation it is the same. It uses the developmental phases of children to their educational advantage.

For instance, little ones are considered "sponges" so the aim is to allow them to "soak up" everything they can. Middle school ages are called "Logic" students. This allows those tween and teenagers to ask the questions and the teachers embrace the questions...teaching the students how to think for themselves. Finally high school is called "Rhetoric". Here they take all the knowledge they have, combine it with their ability to think things through and then articulate their ideas WELL...even defend them...much like debate.

The extra-super-fabulous thing about this school is it is Christian, so high school students learn how to defend their faith in a world that thinks it can't be proven....in other words, they are learning to love God with all their "hearts, strength, and MINDS" just as the first commandment instructs us to. (And how often we forget the MIND part of the commandment!)

Realistically, we have no idea if our kids will go all the way through the school. We are doing our best to stay open to God's plan for our EACH of our kids. What we do know is this has been a dream of both Wesley and myself and God has allowed it to come to fruition today.

Seeing her cousins made the whole morning even better!!!

I loved picking up a happy girl at the end of the day!!!

So what do Caleb and I do on the days we're home together? Well, here are a couple of ideas for ya.

He asked my mom for one of these for Christmas.

Need I say more?

BLORA

A few weeks ago we had a chance to go see one of my friends who lives near Ft. Hood and enjoy the perks of military life. She took us "on post" and we had a chance to play at the lake, their small water park, and even a really great pool there on the base. Here are a few pictures from our super fun day!

Who said sunscreen couldn't be any fun?

Popsicles during the life guards' break at the lake.

I was honored to introduce Ashley and both of my children to the joy that is Freebirds.

Happy tummies...proof that they are my offspring.

Caleb was fascinated by all the tanks, cannons, helicopters, planes, and people in uniform. He loved seeing all the equipment. At one point he said he wanted to be a superhero. I took the opportunity to tell Caleb that the men and women all around us in the uniforms were real heroes....like Ashley's husband Josh who is currently in Iraq. So, thank you to all our heroes who protect us! Praising God for your courage and your sacrifice!

Dreaming

This summer we went to my family's home in Lake City, Colorado. This is (in my opinion) the most beautiful place in the world. My family has been going there for over 60+ years, and we laugh because during the summer the city is crawling with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, great-aunts and great uncles, 2nd and 3rd cousins and all their friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends....I think you get the idea.

But LC is not only special to my family in general, it is a very special place for Wesley and me as a couple. It's special because it is a specific place that we MAKE time to dream with each other--not just ordinary dreaming like: what kind of house do we want to have, what kind of job do I hope to have, when do I want to retire, what sports will our kids play, what university will they go to...I'm talking about BIG dreams--God sized dreams.

Part of that kind of dreaming does include to plan (in pencil) for our family, and pray for God's glory in our family. It's not that we don't dream at home, because we do; but there in the majesty of God's glory and the peace of his beauty we find ourselves more refreshed, more inspired, and more purposeful in our dreaming.


We first realized the importance of dreaming and planning (in pencil) as a couple a few years ago from another family at our church. We learned about finding the purpose and vision God has for our family; clearly establishing a mission statement; making a list of specific values which we will use to create the atmosphere of home and even finding specific verses from scripture that define all of this. In fact, during our original planning of all this, we chose 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 as our "Family Verses"(--which explains the verse at the top of our blog).

I'd seen mission and vision statements in businesses and churches, but I never thought of applying that to a family. But why not? They give businesses and organizations a clear picture of the direction they are headed, and if an opportunity arises that doesn't fit the vision, mission, or values then the decision to avoid it should be easy. So, again, why don't we do that with our families?

Having these things in place have been very helpful when making big decisions
(especially in regards to spending money, investing time, parenting techniques, etc.). To be perfectly honest with you, we aren't always the most consistent about using our vision and mission statements as we had originally hoped. But having opportunities to escape into the mountains together is such a sweet time to reorient ourselves on the path God has laid before us and continue to dream God-sized dreams.

'Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ' James 4:13-15

"This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16

Fun in the Sun

Last weekend we had a chance to go to Dallas to see 2 families we absolutely adore! We had a chance to stay at Wesley's Aunt and Uncle's house despite the fact they were out of town.

We ate at some great restaurants, swam almost non stop, and were able to worship with an amazing body of believers in Jesus there in Dallas. This weekend was a much needed period of concentrated fellowship time with friends and our own little family unit.

All I can say is, "Thank you, Father for our sweet friends the Pokludas and the Tippits!!! You know exactly what we need, right when we need it."

Donuts on Saturday morning

Where we spent most of our time:

Some of our friends just moved from our town to Dallas. This was the perfect chance to get together! The girls were in heaven!!!!

The kids were able to squeeze in one last swim before we went to church on Sunday morning.

This is my talented family: