How can the same toddler that just got flipped over his big brother’s back and off the couch, landing hard on his face, get up without crying, shake his head no when I ask if he’s okay, and then laugh and get up and climb back up on the couch by his big brother then turn around, stick his paci in his mouth, and come play with his mama’s hair? He’s a funny little boy. I think he’s a very tough and masculine boy who’s very in touch with his sensitive side.
Last night, after Awana, we had come home, and were all in our bed talking with each other. I asked Elijah what he learned about in Cubbies, and this is the conversation that followed.
Elijah: “We learned about God.”
Me, knowing what his lesson was about: “Did you learn about Jesus?”
Elijah: “Jesus IS God.”
Me: “I know. What did Jesus do in your story?”
Elijah: “He went to His father’s house.”
Me: “Was His Father’s house in Heaven?”
Elijah: “Yeah.”
Me: “Who is Jesus’ father?”
Elijah: “I don’t know.”
Me: “God is Jesus’ father.”
Elijah nodded and then it was as if we could see the light bulb go off over his head.
Elijah: “Waaaait a minute. (Speaking slowly and thoughtfully.) If Jesus is God, how can God be Jesus’ father?”
Me: “Chris…”
Chris: “Well, Elijah, God is three people. He is God the Father, He is Jesus, and He is the Holy Spirit, and all of those three people are one Person.”
Elijah: “Oh!” Big grin. “Okay.”
And, that, my friends, is how our three year old was introduced to the Trinity. 
Owen and Jer sharing a chair while they enjoyed their Krispy Kremes.
Sweet Sarah
“Me love donuts.” (Said in a deadpan Cookie Monster voice, of course.)
The anticipation!
We’re having a special event at our church…Trinity Baptist Church on Highway 27 between Bitter Creek and Harriman…on Friday night at 6:00. We’re having world champion power lifter, Bud Jeffries, doing a strength demonstration and giving some sort of message. It’s free, and we’d love for you all to come. It should be pretty cool. Here’s a link to a video on his website.
I just got back from eight fun-filled days in Springfield, Missouri. Woohoo, right? Seriously. The kids and I went to visit Amy and her kids for a week or so. The ten hour trip there was uneventful. The kids were great. They’re awesome travelers. We made it there by one thirty central time. We left at five a.m., and we only had to stop three times.
Most of our days were pretty low key, but we had tons of fun being together. It’s always interesting to see how our kids are going to react to each other. In the past, Jeremiah and Kyra have played together more than any of them. This time, however, Jeremiah and Elijah decided to be best buddies. They spent the whole time locking the girls out of their “Elijah and Jeremiah Club”. It was nice to see them actually getting along with each other. They slept in Jer’s top bunk most every night, and were usually still awake talking when the rest of us went to bed.
The girls didn’t get along quite as well, but they did have their moments of playing well together.
On, I think, the second day we were there, we went grocery shopping and to Target. Why am I telling you this? Because it was fun, and we have pictures. 
That’s a cartload of babies, huh?
Our friend, Aimee met us at Target, and then we went home and made quesadillas.
Aimee and Amy cooking and talking. I don’t remember what they were talking about, but I love the look on Aimee’s face.
Our friend, Joy, came over, too. The kids all love Joy, but I think Kyra is especially enamored with her.
We sat around the kitchen table talking till after midnight. It was really nice. I wish I lived closer. I could get used to hanging out with friends.
Amy had class on Monday morning and all day Tuesday, and her kids had school all week. So, a lot of my time was spent taking and picking up kids from school, cleaning up their messes, and fixing a bajillion cups of chocolate milk. Five kids go through a lot of milk. I was really happy to actually get to be of practical help to Amy…watching Sarah and taking her to school when the babysitter unexpectedly couldn’t, etc. Living so far away, I can never do the kind of things that best friends do. I wish I could be helpful more often.
We had a donut party one day, but other than this one photo…I’m going to make a new post later with all our donut pics and video. They’re really cute.
We were supposed to leave on Friday morning, but we hit a little hangup. The night before, on the way to Bible study, my tire was low. We aired it up, and were going to check it in the morning. So, Friday morning, I was gonna leave at six, but I ended up sleeping later and getting up at six. I went outside in the freezing cold to check my tire, and it looked like it could be a tad low but not much. So, I got ready, packed up our stuff, and went to load the van. When I went out there, at about nine, the tire was completely flat. I had to call a tow service to come change my tire for me, and then we took it to the tire store to get it fixed. It had a nail in it. It was the grace of God, though, that I slept later, and we weren’t on the road when the tire went flat. That would have really rained on my parade. Especially if it blew out on me.
These are some pictures from our wait at the tire shop. They’re fun.
Hugging my boy.
Biting my boy.
My bitten boy.
Our beautiful girls, waiting patiently.
After we go the tire fixed, we went out for pizza for lunch, and decided it was too late to head to Tennessee, so we were staying another night. We then picked Jeremiah up from school, went to Honey Heaven (a honey store that had a hive of real bees that we looked at and honey sticks that we ate), and went to the Army Surplus store. We were looking for an old school Army pt jacket. Chris lost his, and I wanted one. Amy had one that used to be Joel’s that I was coveting. Anyway, while we were there, we had fun trying on silly hats.
I think we’ll all agree on who was the cutest.
After the crazy Army Surplus fun, we went to get Andy’s Frozen Custard. Apparently, it’s a must if you’re in Springfield. It was delicious. After that, we ordered sushi. I wasn’t the only one who tried sushi for the first time.
Sushi is good. I think it’s my new favorite. Seriously. I had it for dinner last night, and then ate it for breakfast at four thirty this morning, and then I had some more on the drive home since my amazing friend packed me a little cooler of it. She really does make my life better…breakfast burritos and sushi are enough to warrant a lifelong friendship, no?
I so enjoyed my trip. It’s always good to be with my friend. To go to church and worship with her, to sing along to the song playing while we wait to pick up a kid from school, to eat sushi in her living room floor…no matter what we’re doing, it’s fun. I treasure each moment that I get to spend with Amy and her kids.
She made me laugh right before she took the picture.
Craziness. We have so much fun together.
I don’t look so great in this photo, but Amy looks so pretty I had to post it.
I love my friend. I miss her already.
Here’s to hoping that our next visit is just as awesome as this one was.
God is good. I’m amazed at how good He is to me.
My friend, Joy, left me a Facebook message the other day that I had to listen to this song called “Amazed”. I listened to it right away, and I’ve been listening to it ever since. It’s really beautiful. It strikes my heart and calls me to worship.
That’s all I was going to blog about, until I searched for a youtube video of the song so you guys could listen to it. The video that went with this song was pretty interesting. It struck a chord with me, because it went along with what I’ve been thinking about today. I’ve been asking God to show me what He wants me to do…practically speaking. When he prompts my heart to do something for Him, I want to be ready and able to hear Him. I think He’s shown me what He wants me to do. He’s put a certain person on my heart that I think He just wants me to focus on being their friend. Encouraging them. Loving them. Showing them how He loves them. As of right now, I don’t know exactly how He wants me to go about doing that, but I’m committed to finding out.
I encourage you guys to do the same thing. What better time than this new year to take the time to ask Him what He wants you to do. We often think of it as some big thing. A call to the ministry as a pastor or missionary. A position in the church or some other big thing. Sometimes, though, I think He is pleased when we focus our attention on one of His individual children. Do you know someone who needs to really be shown God’s love? Maybe that’s what you’re supposed to be doing. Maybe He would just have you to be aware of the needs around you. There are a lot of lonely people who just need someone to spend some time with them. There are a lot of needy people who just need a helping hand.
I’m amazed at how He loves us. I’m amazed at how He is willing to use us…in all of our feeble frailty…to accomplish his purposes. Let Him use you to show someone His love. I’m often on the phone with Amy when she drops her six year old son off at his elementary school. She tells him goodbye and instructs him to “show and tell” meaning to show and tell others of God’s love. Can you imagine how awesome 2008 would be if we all committed to a year of Show and Tell?
2008…I think it’s going to be amazing. It’s already started off well for me.
