3!

I can't believe you're 3!

It was just yesterday I was holding you in my arms as an infant. Man, it's really true how much faster life goes when you're having fun! I couldn't imagine my life without you. You bring me so much joy, laughter...a lot of laughter, and growth. I've become a better person every day because of you.

Here's a few of your favorite things:

Dinosuars
Cars and trucks and trains and anything with wheels.
You love your bicycle.
Stuffies, especially Ham and Bacon (your pigs) and your monster pillow
Strawberries.
Super Why, Dinosaur Train, Sid the Science Kid, Curious George, and Thomas.
Music, especially playing the drums or the piano, and the air guitar while exclaiming, "rock staaar!"
Dancing.
Books! You love to read them back to me when I'm finished.
God. You have a unique love for God for a kid your age. You already show the gift of evangelism.
People. You love people of all ages, from babies to the elderly.
Tickling.
Peanut butter and jelly samwiches
Art. I think you're left handed.
Praying. Anytime. Anywhere. You're the only kid who prays with the worship team before we go on Sunday mornings. And if you don't get a chance to say a prayer, we have to pray again.
Messes.
Helping.
Decorating.
Good smelling things. You always notice when I have perfume on.
Complimenting and encouraging others. You always say, "good job". Every morning when I get dressed and ready for the day you tell me I'm beautiful.
Being polite.
Making up your own words.
Taking pictures even if you don't have a camera.
Family, especially your Grandparents.
Going somewhere, anywhere. You just love to go.

The list goes on.

You are rediculously incredible my crazy son. I love you very very much. Happy birthday.

posted from Bloggeroid

Masterpiece

Beings that I'm a painter, to hear God say I'm His masterpiece has always been so comforting. I imagine He picked out every physical feature I have and then smiled when He added my gifts and personality traits. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Not only did He create me as an individual masterpiece, but Paul writes that WE are His masterpiece, not masterpieces. God created me just the way He wanted me to fit in with the entire picture, on earth and in heaven.

I've struggled with "belonging" my entire life. I was born into an unhealthy marriage between my parents. To my dad I was an accident and a lie because my mom thought she couldn't have children. Don't get me wrong, my parents love me, but from the start I didn't belong in their picture. I've struggled because I was an only child, because I switched schools often, and as I get older my communities have changed as well, making it difficult to find a sense of belonging on this Earth. But God says this was all a part of His masterpiece, His design, His plan. I am made whole through Him. I find my belonging through Him.

It wasn't until recently that I truely understood this. I've had to rely on God to fill my every need. I've also had to retrain myself to seek guidance from Him instead of people. Since I was not brought up in a Christian home, I have had to learn all of this through the college of hard knocks. How to be a Christian wife, a Christian mom, a Christian friend, a Christian daughter, and a child of God.

I remember when all of this first started to click. I was craving a date with my husband about a year ago. We had just moved to a new home, far away from anything we were familiar with (including a babysitter). We hadn't been on a date in about 6 months. Instead of harping on my husband to take me out, I started to pray, asking God to fill ny needs. Husband, about a week later, took me to my favorite restaurant and on a beautiful sunset drive while holding hands and a sleeping toddler in the back seat. Even though we had him with us, it was the first time in a long time we felt like we had a date. When I had become so desperate and finally turned to God, He was excited to fulfilled my needs. He was probably thinking, "what took you so long"? Haha.

Now that the hard core toddler years are here, I'm relying on God for the strength to get through the rough days. I found implementing scripture into our son's life gives him strength. Especially when he gets frustrated when he "can't" do something all by his independent self. It also keeps me focused on God rather than my, what sometimes seems like, inability to parent successfully.

Now I'm working on relying on God to be nice to myself. I often critique His masterpiece. And if God's anything like me, a critique of something so personal hurts. Thank God He's patient with me. Beside's, doesn't God tell us to love our neighbor as OURSELF (Matthew 23:39), and that the definition of LOVE is: patient, kind, etc... (1 Corrinthians 13:4)? We are commended to love OURSELF, our neighbor and God. He wants me to love me.

Can you see yourself as a masterpiece in an art gallery filled with other amazing masterpieces that all fit together? God can.

posted from Bloggeroid

Shining as bright as the day

I've been reflecting a lot lately on what I need to die to daily (Luke 9:23). Then I heard an old U2 song, which was about a friend of Bono's OD'ing...but Bono's lyrics go so much deeper. He wrote:

" Into the half-light And through the flame

If I could through myself Set your spirit free I'd lead your heart away See you break, break away Into the light And to the day"

For me today that means if I can get myself out of the way and let Jesus' Holy Spirit break out through me, he would bring light to the darkness, a light so bright that it would become daytime. Right now it feels as if I'm only allowing Him to be a flashlight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdDBV6VX3fc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thank you Bono, my modern day psalmist.

posted from Bloggeroid

Over played and under worked...

Grandpa and grandma came out for a visit a week ago? Maybe two weeks ago. I have no concept of time anymore. Anyway, Ike was super stoked to wake up from a nap and see them! He asked where their plane was, expecting to see it in the parking lot. However this time they drove with a new big truck! And they brought a little surprise for a big boy!



Well the weather has been pretty nuts here lately with crazy winds. When the wind isn't here, we've been crazy busy. So today, after practicing circles for a couple of weeks, around the living room, into the kitchen, back through the living room, and through the kitchen again, we FINALLY got to take this bad boy (the bike, not the kid) to a real park with a really big parking lot!



He was a rock star for sure!

We ate sandwiches in the dugouts



Got off the bike for two minutes and checked out the big toys



And rode some more



We had a super fun day. When we got home he even said, "Mommy! I had a fun time with you today!" Melt my heart. Seriously?

Last night the women's group I lead at church had a girl's night off from serious studies and just watched a movie. Normally I'm hesitant to just watch a movie because there's no real fellowship time. But when the ladies suggested Courageous, I thought it would be a good opportunity for them to hear a message on parenting. Plus we've been working really hard lately, we just needed a good mind numbing break.

The message was on being the kind of parent and spouse God wants you to be from the perspective of fathers. To which my husband questioned me showing at a women's group...but a great deal of what we work on is our relationships with our own earthly fathers and looking to our father in heaven for a true, unconditional love.

There were some heart stopping moments in the movie. The kind to where you can't breath anymore if you relate it to your own personal life. Moments that made me reflect on how much time I spend with my family and how high of a quality that time is. See I like high quality things because they last longer. The way I parent and act towards my husband will have a ripple effect on the generations to come after me. I don't just want to be better than my father and mother, I want to be the best parent God created. I want my time here on earth to be like a 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheet.

This movie effected me. It was horrible acting, as most Christian films are, but the message was perfect. And exactly what I needed to hear. "I don't want to spend my whole life asking, 'what if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions'."

So today, I was more patient with Isaac. I made him pancakes first thing this morning and we snuggled while watching Super Why. I took him to the park and had lunch, just him and me. So long as he wasn't in danger, I let him control what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. Then, when we stopped by the police department on our way home, I let him check out the remote control airplane the court interpreter was flying on his lunch break even though I would have normally been in a hurry to get him home for a nap to keep the schedule. When we got home I took a nap with him and watched him fall asleep, when I normally would put him down in his own bed and wash the dishes or do laundry. I litterally soaked up every minute with him today. And I wore him out doing it too!



Isaac has never fallen back asleep on the couch after waking up from a nap, let alone on my lap. I just stared at his sleeping face, praying over him for a half an hour until he woke up. And truth be told, my son is better when mommy's better. And mommy's better when I am one with God and not one with the house.

posted from Bloggeroid

Gift

I thought I'd do a post on Isaac. It's been a while. He's getting to be such a big boy! He'll be 3 in exactly 1 month.



Words can't describe how I feel to be his mom. But I'm going to try :)

Last weekend at church a friend of mine who is in the process of getting custody of her son, walked in with tears in her eyes. Her regularly scheduled visit with her son, somehow, got messed up and he never showed. I can't imagine my time with Isaac to be limited to very small hours a week. Some weeks I'm fed up and need a break from my crazy two-year-old and take forgranted the blessing he is even in his craziness. Isaac noticed she needed a friend that day. He walked up to her seated at her table while holding back the tears, he said, "can I sit with you?".



Our little man has always been so full of love and compassion for other people that he truly sets the example for me. He's a comforter. There's something in his DNA that is such a unique gift for even a two-year-old, let alone an adult, which draws people to him. People of all ages receive joy from him and just cling to him, from babies to teenagers to the elderly. he is such a joy to watch and I feel priveledged that I get to share him with the world.

My friend needed his comfort that day more than any comfort I could give her and Isaac was right there for her.



My biggest struggle is not with him, it's that I don't stomp out the fire and passion God has given him for life. He runs around at church, but it's because he's saying "hi" to every person in that room. If I had forced him, from the begining, to sit and be "proper" he would never have felt the freedom to express himself to my friend that day. I remember another time, a single mom with 2 kids showed up. She was bear hugging her kids while they were squirming to get down. Isaac was making his usual run-arounds and my husband walked up to her and told her, "you see the little blond haired kid running around? Yeah, that's my son. So don't feel embarassed to let your kids be kids". We have another single mom who's kids were wild six months ago, running up on stage, sitting front and center for attention that they so desperately needed. When they felt the freedom to be themselves and be accepted, they calmed down. Now those kids are angels. You'd never know they had disabilities. I think a large part of that is because the pastor's kid set the example to express yourself and be free. When service starts all the older kids want Isaac to join them in their class. He spreads the love of Christ better than anyone else I know and it's so cool to be a part of.

posted from Bloggeroid