All Together

For a couple of days, we were--

All Together.

As one family was leaving,

someone had the idea that we ought to take a family photo!

(Wish we'd thought of this in advance so as to clean up/dress up, etc.)

Hastily we gathered, handed a phone to a relative, and this is the result.

Of the four of us siblings, 

our family was the one 100% present.

Wonder when that will happen again?!?

From the Lips of Children

Ollie:  “Look!  I’m making a train!”
Me:  “Be careful!  You’re going to fall over!”
Ollie:  “Umma!  Don’t make it not fun!”

This shared by my Facebook friend.  I couldn't help thinking of how many times God's Holy Spirit has cautioned me, and how many times I have thought He was squelching my "fun"...

Thanks, Eileen and Ollie.

Stimulated, Sad and Speechless

"Mikey and I decided not to raise a family. We feel that the culture in this time is not supportive of families. Mothers and fathers, by necessity, leave kids with childcare or hire nannies so they can go off to work and earn money. Neighborhoods are filled with people who don't know one another and so leaving kids alone is a vulnerability. Children are raised by nuclear families who are overwhelmed by child raising when this responsibility could be shared by community. Today children have natural reactions to an artificial system (civilization). When their behavior indicates disagreement with the methods of education, instead of catering education to meet their need, we name their reaction to the system a disease and give them pharmaceuticals.  This is science fiction come to life. It makes no sense. For these reasons we decided not to have kids and to instead work on shaping the world into one we can believe in. We hope that as people learn about the ways that a commodified culture diminishes life, these things will change."

(from an interview with Wendy Tremayne about her book & life experiences HERE)

I really DO enjoy "meeting" and reading about people whose lifestyles are unique and radical--at least compared to mine.  I'm sure I would enjoy reading Wendy's book.  I was stimulated and challenged by her observations and intrigued by her personal choices based on them.   I respect her thoughtfulness.   But after reading this particular paragraph from an interview with her, I was sad.  I just had to stop awhile and reflect.  And (except for these short sentences), I find myself without words--speechless.

And so I turn to the Word of One whose wisdom and ways are higher than mine.  I hope and pray that the Church and our church WILL be supportive of families!  That our church and the Church WILL be filled with people who know one another.  That our church and the Church (and I) would be faithful in living out and communicating our unique and radical lifestyle. Obviously, things need to change!  And if we who HAVE been changed by the power of Jesus the Christ are not the
change-agents, who is?

Children ARE a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
Psalm 127:3-5

Our "Reward"

 May the Lord cause you to flourish,
    both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 115:14-15 

Dessert or Not

A friend of mine posted this prayer a few days ago on facebook
exactly as her son, Owen, prayed it:

Jesus, thank you for this day. 

Thank you for this wonderful food.  

I don’t know if I will get dessert or not.   

Amen. 

 "...and a little child will lead them" (Isaiah 11:6)

We DON'T know if we'll get dessert or not!
(And we forget that dessert is not always good for us!)
It is enough to thank Jesus for what we have
and whatEVER lies ahead...
and trustingly leave the "dessert" up to Him.

Mother's Day--It's Complicated

 I have a small collection of these vintage, framed sentiments.

Mostly Mother's Day makes me feel a bit guilty.  

I fell and continue to fall so short of being the mother
described in poems and on plaques.

I wish I knew how to "mother" my adult children better than I do.

My love for my own mother would be described in different terms than these.

It's complicated.

If nothing else, this day reminds me of how blessed I am

that my mother still lives!

There really aren't adequate words to express my appreciation to her

for giving me life and roots and for praying for me every day.

I will probably NEVER realize all the ways she has shaped me.

And I thank God for our three children.

They have turned out remarkably well in spite of my flawed mothering.

I'm proud of each one of them.