My words will be few here, because they wouldn't be adequate anyways.
Yesterday, December 30, 2008, I was given the privilege of witnessing the birth of Reed Franklin Deaton, son of Rod and Sara. He is simply beautiful; a masterpiece of the Creator.
I stand in awe of our God, the Mastermind of the entire process of pregnancy and birth and LIFE. He is truly brilliant; far beyond my understanding. The events of the day have filled me with the pressing desire to praise Him over and over. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! To him be the glory forever! Amen!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Update...
My sister-in-law's mother, Mandy Cover, passed away on Christmas Eve morning, at the age of 56. Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the funeral home, watching over the children as my brother and sis-in-law visited with family and friends. The "feel" of the day was a joyful one, as we know Mandy sees Jesus face-to-face today. She had loved and followed Him for many years. What a joy to explain to our children that she isn't residing in that shell of a body anymore...
*May I just make a request here: I'd like lots of children at my funeral. They accept death quite well and ask things like, "Why are people crying if she's with Jesus right now?" Also, they run around and make noise and just be themselves. They do well to lighten the mood at a funeral and put things in perspective.
Please pray for my sis-in-law, Angie. She is only 34 and now without both of her parents. I can't count how many times I heard her say yesterday, "I just never expected to be without my mom this early in life." (Her dad died when she was 19.) She is trusting in Christ to get her through, but it is hard.
*May I just make a request here: I'd like lots of children at my funeral. They accept death quite well and ask things like, "Why are people crying if she's with Jesus right now?" Also, they run around and make noise and just be themselves. They do well to lighten the mood at a funeral and put things in perspective.
Please pray for my sis-in-law, Angie. She is only 34 and now without both of her parents. I can't count how many times I heard her say yesterday, "I just never expected to be without my mom this early in life." (Her dad died when she was 19.) She is trusting in Christ to get her through, but it is hard.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Waiting on birth, waiting on death
One of my dearest friends sits at home right now, waiting (as patiently as one possibly can) on the birth of her first baby. The plan is that she'll call me when she goes into labor and I'll be able to be with her and her husband as their baby is delivered. That's "our" plan, anyways. What an honor to be invited in on such an event! My heart flutters with nervous excitement every time the phone rings. It could be today, it could be several more days, only God knows.
While at this very moment, my brother and sister-in-law are at their home, waiting on her mother to die. She lays in a hospital bed in their home, cared for by her own daughter and Hospice nurses, as her body continues the process of shutting down. It hurts to watch people you love hurt. I cringe every time the phone rings. It could be today, it may be several more days, only God knows.
What a strange mix of emotions. What a strange space to be in; caught between a pending birth and a pending death. My comfort remains that my Lord holds all of His creation in the very palm of His hand.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die...He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a, 11a
While at this very moment, my brother and sister-in-law are at their home, waiting on her mother to die. She lays in a hospital bed in their home, cared for by her own daughter and Hospice nurses, as her body continues the process of shutting down. It hurts to watch people you love hurt. I cringe every time the phone rings. It could be today, it may be several more days, only God knows.
What a strange mix of emotions. What a strange space to be in; caught between a pending birth and a pending death. My comfort remains that my Lord holds all of His creation in the very palm of His hand.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die...He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a, 11a
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
I Got a Response!!
Nearing the one-month mark since I sent my email to K Love regarding Point of Grace's song,"I Wish", I'd almost given up on getting a response. I was pleased to get something, and not-at-all surprised to get something like this:
Hi Kati,
Thanks for your for sharing your perspective with us about Point of Grace's new song. I have forwarded your message to Programming.
For our playlist, we are always looking for the right songs that share a great message. Some songs will draw more new listeners in and our hope is that they will listen longer and hear the message of God's love. If someone listens for just 15 minutes, they will hear about the Lord and His hope for life.
Artists like The Fray, Mat Kearney, Point of Grace, and more, are Christians that play mainstream music. We are excited about the platform God has called them to - being a light to country radio listeners, concertgoers, stage hands, and so many more in the music industry.
Here is an excerpt from an interview about their new album re-release:"We sing songs about life...relationships, and real things...but we are never going to leave our Christian music roots. It's why we do what we do."PointOfGrace
I hope this is helpful in understanding the heart behind the music. God bless you and your family,
Laurie Davidson
Correspondence Assistant to Programming
www.klove.com
*If you watch the video and hang in there till the end, you get the special *treat* of hearing "I Wish" performed!! OH, Yippee!!
Implying that this song is one that, "will draw more listeners in", seems absurd to me. If one is interested in country music, (since this song sounds no different to me, musically or lyrically, than a typical country song) then it seems one would be more apt to tune to the local country music station rather than K Love. Just my opinion.
Also, though I know it may be controversial, "Christians that play mainstream music" seems to me to be an oxymoron. If you're a Christian, why in the world would you be interested in playing mainstream music? I understand the arguments that people might be reached for Christ while hearing a song like this on a secular station--and I DON'T BUY IT! The power of the gospel is in the gospel itself, not a "positive message". No one has ever come to Christ by hearing just a positive message.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18
Well, I gave my two cents, and with that I'll let it rest. K Love will obviously choose to play what K Love chooses to play. I can't say I won't listen to the station anymore, for at times it's simply the only station I can get, depending on whether I'm at home or in my van. And for the most part, I think the music they play is good stuff, and I told them that in my original email. So all I can do now,(as we should all be doing at all times anyways) is listen with discretion, and flip the dial when necessary.
Hi Kati,
Thanks for your for sharing your perspective with us about Point of Grace's new song. I have forwarded your message to Programming.
For our playlist, we are always looking for the right songs that share a great message. Some songs will draw more new listeners in and our hope is that they will listen longer and hear the message of God's love. If someone listens for just 15 minutes, they will hear about the Lord and His hope for life.
Artists like The Fray, Mat Kearney, Point of Grace, and more, are Christians that play mainstream music. We are excited about the platform God has called them to - being a light to country radio listeners, concertgoers, stage hands, and so many more in the music industry.
Here is an excerpt from an interview about their new album re-release:"We sing songs about life...relationships, and real things...but we are never going to leave our Christian music roots. It's why we do what we do."PointOfGrace
I hope this is helpful in understanding the heart behind the music. God bless you and your family,
Laurie Davidson
Correspondence Assistant to Programming
www.klove.com
*If you watch the video and hang in there till the end, you get the special *treat* of hearing "I Wish" performed!! OH, Yippee!!
Implying that this song is one that, "will draw more listeners in", seems absurd to me. If one is interested in country music, (since this song sounds no different to me, musically or lyrically, than a typical country song) then it seems one would be more apt to tune to the local country music station rather than K Love. Just my opinion.
Also, though I know it may be controversial, "Christians that play mainstream music" seems to me to be an oxymoron. If you're a Christian, why in the world would you be interested in playing mainstream music? I understand the arguments that people might be reached for Christ while hearing a song like this on a secular station--and I DON'T BUY IT! The power of the gospel is in the gospel itself, not a "positive message". No one has ever come to Christ by hearing just a positive message.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18
Well, I gave my two cents, and with that I'll let it rest. K Love will obviously choose to play what K Love chooses to play. I can't say I won't listen to the station anymore, for at times it's simply the only station I can get, depending on whether I'm at home or in my van. And for the most part, I think the music they play is good stuff, and I told them that in my original email. So all I can do now,(as we should all be doing at all times anyways) is listen with discretion, and flip the dial when necessary.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Taking Precautions...
...because you never know when some bread dough is gonna fly out and hit you in the eye.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Isaac Matthew 12/6/98
Well, here we are again with the last of the birthday tributes for the year. (I don't have to do this EVERY year, do I?)
My BABY is turning 10!! A short journey through our first ten years:
1 day old
4 months. I enjoyed him so much as a baby. I have thanked God many times that (even though I didn't fully appreciate it at the time) He chose to give me almost four years alone with my firstborn before the next baby arrived. I treasure those years we had together, just the two of us, on the long days while Daddy was at work.
Who can resist a cute picture on the pot? 18 months (And no, he wasn't potty-trained until a full year later. Must have been a first-time mom, trying to make it happen early.)
Age 2
Easter 2001, Age 2 1/2
Big brother at age 4
Age 6
Age 8. He has always loved to build. Rarely does a day go by when my kitchen counter is not taken over by building materials of some kind.
What can I say? Maybe a little practice on oral hygiene is needed......The child takes after his father; loves to be the life of the party, the center of attention, loves to make people laugh, and to play practical jokes! (Though we're still trying to teach him how to TAKE a joke!)
Isaac finished his fourth year of baseball this summer and has improved a lot! He is looking forward (hopefully) to playing the infield next summer. It has been good for him to experience being part of a team. I am thankful that God seems to have given him a pretty easy-going spirit when it comes to sports. Don't get me wrong, he likes to win as much as anybody, but also accepts losing quite well. As we've watched many of his teammates stomp off the field angrily after a loss, Isaac brushes it off, skips back to the van and simply wants to know where we're going for ice cream!
This summer he took up skateboarding....sort of. He discovered soon after getting his skateboard home that it looks a lot easier on TV!!
Over the years we've gone through a Thomas the Train phase, a Hotwheels phase, and others. Now he's into Transformers. He loves to build, take apart, and rebuild; anything he can do with his hands.
One of his most recent Lego creations; there have been many castles, houses, churches, airports, and so on. He also enjoys his erector set and creating just about anything he can think of!
His most recent "original"; a pirate ship he named "Killer". Give the boy a roll of duct tape, some straws, pieces of wood or other little random trinkets, and he can make a "masterpiece" out of it! This creating will often occupy him for literally hours during the day. (And you thought he spent his days "home schooling"! HA!) Anyways, "Killer" decorated the top of my refrigerator for quite some time before I decided it no longer fit my decor and it was moved back to his room! I am so glad for Isaac's creativity! And for this I get NO credit--it is simply a gift from God! (Just ask me about my ability to "create" anything!)
This past week was a first; Isaac went deer hunting with his dad and got to experience the "fun" of sleeping in a rough cabin in the woods, sitting perfectly still for hours at a time, (in sub-freezing temperatures), while waiting for the shot-of-a-lifetime to come walking past. Although Isaac didn't get to shoot anything, he did get to witness Matt shoot a beautiful 10-point buck. Isaac had a great time, and I was so thankful for the opportunity for him and Matt to spend the time alone together. A glimpse of the experience:
The Holiday Inn for hunters
(Looks like fun, ey?)
This entire last year has been one full of growth. One of my favorite things to do these days is to just sit and talk with my son. It is amazing how he is learning to understand life; able to comprehend things I don't think I understood at his age. My prayer daily for him is that He would fall in love with his Savior. Isaac understands who Jesus is and knows quite a bit about the Bible. And though he hasn't made a decision yet to follow Christ, He does talk positively about the Lord. He's full of questions and we talk often about his need for Jesus. We've made it clear to him that following Jesus does not mean an easy life. This concerns him a bit. :) Though we tell him it certainly does mean a good life. I am confident that the Lord will one day capture his heart. (Jesus, SOON please.) Would you say a prayer on Isaac's behalf today?
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this child. Happy birthday, my son.
My BABY is turning 10!! A short journey through our first ten years:
1 day old
4 months. I enjoyed him so much as a baby. I have thanked God many times that (even though I didn't fully appreciate it at the time) He chose to give me almost four years alone with my firstborn before the next baby arrived. I treasure those years we had together, just the two of us, on the long days while Daddy was at work.
Who can resist a cute picture on the pot? 18 months (And no, he wasn't potty-trained until a full year later. Must have been a first-time mom, trying to make it happen early.)
Age 2
Easter 2001, Age 2 1/2
Big brother at age 4
Age 6
Age 8. He has always loved to build. Rarely does a day go by when my kitchen counter is not taken over by building materials of some kind.
What can I say? Maybe a little practice on oral hygiene is needed......The child takes after his father; loves to be the life of the party, the center of attention, loves to make people laugh, and to play practical jokes! (Though we're still trying to teach him how to TAKE a joke!)
Isaac finished his fourth year of baseball this summer and has improved a lot! He is looking forward (hopefully) to playing the infield next summer. It has been good for him to experience being part of a team. I am thankful that God seems to have given him a pretty easy-going spirit when it comes to sports. Don't get me wrong, he likes to win as much as anybody, but also accepts losing quite well. As we've watched many of his teammates stomp off the field angrily after a loss, Isaac brushes it off, skips back to the van and simply wants to know where we're going for ice cream!
This summer he took up skateboarding....sort of. He discovered soon after getting his skateboard home that it looks a lot easier on TV!!
Over the years we've gone through a Thomas the Train phase, a Hotwheels phase, and others. Now he's into Transformers. He loves to build, take apart, and rebuild; anything he can do with his hands.
One of his most recent Lego creations; there have been many castles, houses, churches, airports, and so on. He also enjoys his erector set and creating just about anything he can think of!
His most recent "original"; a pirate ship he named "Killer". Give the boy a roll of duct tape, some straws, pieces of wood or other little random trinkets, and he can make a "masterpiece" out of it! This creating will often occupy him for literally hours during the day. (And you thought he spent his days "home schooling"! HA!) Anyways, "Killer" decorated the top of my refrigerator for quite some time before I decided it no longer fit my decor and it was moved back to his room! I am so glad for Isaac's creativity! And for this I get NO credit--it is simply a gift from God! (Just ask me about my ability to "create" anything!)
This past week was a first; Isaac went deer hunting with his dad and got to experience the "fun" of sleeping in a rough cabin in the woods, sitting perfectly still for hours at a time, (in sub-freezing temperatures), while waiting for the shot-of-a-lifetime to come walking past. Although Isaac didn't get to shoot anything, he did get to witness Matt shoot a beautiful 10-point buck. Isaac had a great time, and I was so thankful for the opportunity for him and Matt to spend the time alone together. A glimpse of the experience:
The Holiday Inn for hunters
(Looks like fun, ey?)
This entire last year has been one full of growth. One of my favorite things to do these days is to just sit and talk with my son. It is amazing how he is learning to understand life; able to comprehend things I don't think I understood at his age. My prayer daily for him is that He would fall in love with his Savior. Isaac understands who Jesus is and knows quite a bit about the Bible. And though he hasn't made a decision yet to follow Christ, He does talk positively about the Lord. He's full of questions and we talk often about his need for Jesus. We've made it clear to him that following Jesus does not mean an easy life. This concerns him a bit. :) Though we tell him it certainly does mean a good life. I am confident that the Lord will one day capture his heart. (Jesus, SOON please.) Would you say a prayer on Isaac's behalf today?
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this child. Happy birthday, my son.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Now That's a Good Present
The kids and I spent the afternoon decorating the tree.
You guessed it; then I spent some time re-decorating the tree.
A little while later I noticed an obnoxious white paper laying in amongst the branches. I reached out to remove it. Upon reading it, however, I decided it needs to stay on the tree this year.
Storybook parenting here, folks. I am one proud mama.
You guessed it; then I spent some time re-decorating the tree.
A little while later I noticed an obnoxious white paper laying in amongst the branches. I reached out to remove it. Upon reading it, however, I decided it needs to stay on the tree this year.
Storybook parenting here, folks. I am one proud mama.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
"Christian" Music
As I was driving today listening to K Love, a song came on that sounded eerily like one I might hear on a secular country station. Honestly, I checked the dial on my radio two or three times and fiddled with it quite a bit, while trying to figure out how it had gotten switched. It hadn't been switched after all, but I wasn't convinced until the song finally ended and the K Love announcer came on again. It made me so furious I immediately came home, looked up the lyrics online, and then sent an email to K Love requesting that they take another look at the lyrics and decide whether or not the song is worthy of Christian radio air-time. In my opinion, a song that only casually mentions God, Jesus, or "someone up there" doesn't do justice to our Savior. With all the awesome, God-glorifying songs out there today, do you think they ought to waste airwaves playing THIS?
"I Wish" by Point of Grace
I wish I didn't feel so helpless
I wish I didn't act so selfish
I wish I didn't wring my hands night and day
My hair was a little bit smoother
My jeans fit a little bit looser
And I always knew the right things to say
And I wish I wouldn't hide what's been going on inside
And I wish you wouldn't get scared and run away
Chorus
I wish I was doing better
With all the things that matter,
I guess I got some learning to do
I wish everyone had someone
To hold em and to love em
The way I'm always gonna love you
I wish wishes came true
I wish there was a cure for cancer
I wish somebody had an answer
And all God's children never got hurt
I wish Eve never bit that apple
Young men never went to battle
And I didn't get so mad at the world
I wish I was more like Jesus
And could pick up all the pieces
And make a better life for my baby girl
Chorus
For everything I am wishing
I know someone up there is listening
So I say my prayers when I go to bed
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Oh pray my wishes come true
Chorus
I know wishes come true
I wish, I wish
For whatever my opinion's worth, SHAME ON YOU, Point of Grace, for stooping to a new low! (I had already boycotted them after "How You Live", but this is getting ridiculous!)
And shame on K Love, for playing this garbage.
I'll let you know if/when I get a response to my email.
"I Wish" by Point of Grace
I wish I didn't feel so helpless
I wish I didn't act so selfish
I wish I didn't wring my hands night and day
My hair was a little bit smoother
My jeans fit a little bit looser
And I always knew the right things to say
And I wish I wouldn't hide what's been going on inside
And I wish you wouldn't get scared and run away
Chorus
I wish I was doing better
With all the things that matter,
I guess I got some learning to do
I wish everyone had someone
To hold em and to love em
The way I'm always gonna love you
I wish wishes came true
I wish there was a cure for cancer
I wish somebody had an answer
And all God's children never got hurt
I wish Eve never bit that apple
Young men never went to battle
And I didn't get so mad at the world
I wish I was more like Jesus
And could pick up all the pieces
And make a better life for my baby girl
Chorus
For everything I am wishing
I know someone up there is listening
So I say my prayers when I go to bed
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Oh pray my wishes come true
Chorus
I know wishes come true
I wish, I wish
For whatever my opinion's worth, SHAME ON YOU, Point of Grace, for stooping to a new low! (I had already boycotted them after "How You Live", but this is getting ridiculous!)
And shame on K Love, for playing this garbage.
I'll let you know if/when I get a response to my email.
Friday, November 7, 2008
The JOY of fall
While visiting friends earlier this week, I noticed my children practically salivating with desire over the piles of leaves in their yard. So, while at home yesterday, I let them "borrow" some leaves from our neighbor (since we don't have trees mature enough to produce a good amount of leaves) to enjoy what will most likely be our last day of Indian summer.
It is a good reminder for this too-serious-grown-up to enjoy the simple God-given gifts.
a
It is a good reminder for this too-serious-grown-up to enjoy the simple God-given gifts.
a 
Friday, October 31, 2008
Erin Nichole 10/31/02
By three months, we were beginning to wonder if there was some Sumo Wrestler in our bloodline.
One of my favorite pictures ever--around 9 months.
1 year
About 21 months
Erin didn't think it was so fun "being pregnant" either. (Mommy was very pregnant at the time.)
2 years. This was my favorite age. Yes, really!! She was as fun a two-year-old as I could have asked for! Obedient, happy, healthy--and hadn't developed an attitude yet!
On her third birthday.
Taken before her first "date" with daddy. Age 4
With cousin, Sadie. Erin is totally "in her element" in dress-up clothes. It is no exeggeration to say she spends as much, if not more, time in dress-ups than in her regular clothes. She is a girly girl, a princess at heart.
She can also hold her own playing with the boys. She's had to compromise at times and play cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, and such--since the boys aren't always willing to play princesses with her.
She is an absolute mother hen to her little brother. She takes care of him, literally leads him around the house sometimes, entertains him with tea parties, reads books to him, babies him when he's hurt, and above all, takes her responsibility of super-tattle-tale-big-sister VERY seriously!
I loved having her hair long, for a time. Any of you who know me, though, know that I am anything but high-maintenance. The long hair required too much attention on my part and most of it came off this summer.
I simply love this little girl. When at times I feel completely overwhelmed and incapable as a mother, she will come up to me, wrap her arms around my legs, and tell me how she loves me!! She can be so sweet at times that I feel like I just want to eat her up! She can also be extremely over-dramatic, oh-so emotional, whiniest of the whiny, and irritatingly habitual. (She spends literally 10 minutes at bedtime each night arranging her boatload of animals and dolls on her bed in JUST the right way.) She is overall very obedient, compliant, and sensible. However sometimes she surprises me with a lapse in judgment. (You all remember a certain hair-cutting incident not so long ago!) I suppose without these incidents, I might tend to favor her over the boys. So I guess God allows her just enough senselessness to prevent that!
I have thanked God many times that He chose to give us only one girl. For one, I'm not sure I could handle any more emotion in the house. But also, I love that she's my only one because it's almost like we have a little secret "girl-bond", just the two of us. Sometimes we just understand each other--when all the boys can do is look at us and roll their eyes.
Happy birthday, my sweet girl!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Elders at the North Pole?
As we were in the van this afternoon, headed to Dollar Tree with the mission of shopping to fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, I was only vaguely aware of the conversation going on between my three children in the backseat. I caught just bits and pieces of some discussion on Christmas, the North Pole, and whether or not children actually live there. Then Erin said something that got my attention:
"I know what an elder is", she said, in typical know-it-all fashion.
I was quite impressed that she had apparently been listening to the recent discussions Matt and I have had regarding church elders.
Then she went on, "They're the short guys who live at the North Pole....."
"I know what an elder is", she said, in typical know-it-all fashion.
I was quite impressed that she had apparently been listening to the recent discussions Matt and I have had regarding church elders.
Then she went on, "They're the short guys who live at the North Pole....."
Friday, October 17, 2008
Sad Reality
Today I sat my oldest son down and explained to him one of the sad realities of the world we live in: abortion.
As we've been driving around lately he's noticed the different political signs posted in yards and has started asking questions: "Who is McCain?", "Who's Obama?", "Why does it matter who's President?" His questions have given me opportunity to explain to him some important matters.
I'll make a confession here. I'm one of those one-issue voters. I don't follow politics closely. I don't care a great deal about the matters of the economy, national security and defense, or education. I know I should care more about these things. It's just not where my heart is right now. However, I can not NOT care about a candidate's position on abortion. It's just imprinted on my heart; I can not support a candidate who does not value God's gift of human life. Regardless of whether or not a candidate's elected position would make decisions directly in the area of abortion, I can not and will never intentionally cast my vote for someone who calls themselves "pro-choice". To me, it just says something about one's character; something that MATTERS to me.
So, when Isaac has asked me WHY we need to pray that John McCain gets elected, I had to first explain to him the terrible reality of what abortion is. In a word, he was SHOCKED. "WHAT?????" "How could someone do THAT?" So I explained to him the "reasons" that lead some people to do "that", like pregnancy out of wedlock, and the fact that sometimes women just don't want to be pregnant. And as it came out of my mouth, it just broke my heart again to realize the state of our fallen world.
I know God is in control. I know he ALREADY knows the outcome of this election. I will not fear, even if Obama should win. But I must admit, I pray often that Jesus might return for us soon before things get any worse.
As we've been driving around lately he's noticed the different political signs posted in yards and has started asking questions: "Who is McCain?", "Who's Obama?", "Why does it matter who's President?" His questions have given me opportunity to explain to him some important matters.
I'll make a confession here. I'm one of those one-issue voters. I don't follow politics closely. I don't care a great deal about the matters of the economy, national security and defense, or education. I know I should care more about these things. It's just not where my heart is right now. However, I can not NOT care about a candidate's position on abortion. It's just imprinted on my heart; I can not support a candidate who does not value God's gift of human life. Regardless of whether or not a candidate's elected position would make decisions directly in the area of abortion, I can not and will never intentionally cast my vote for someone who calls themselves "pro-choice". To me, it just says something about one's character; something that MATTERS to me.
So, when Isaac has asked me WHY we need to pray that John McCain gets elected, I had to first explain to him the terrible reality of what abortion is. In a word, he was SHOCKED. "WHAT?????" "How could someone do THAT?" So I explained to him the "reasons" that lead some people to do "that", like pregnancy out of wedlock, and the fact that sometimes women just don't want to be pregnant. And as it came out of my mouth, it just broke my heart again to realize the state of our fallen world.
I know God is in control. I know he ALREADY knows the outcome of this election. I will not fear, even if Obama should win. But I must admit, I pray often that Jesus might return for us soon before things get any worse.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
And yet another use for duct tape.........
Dads can really be quite ingenious sometimes. We've been trying forever to get Gabe to stop picking his nose. While I was gone this weekend, Matt came up with a solution.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Gabriel Benjamin 10/04/04
Four years ago today God gave us an unexpected little blue bundle. "Unexpected", because he was the only of our children we didn't "plan". Although there was not a moment when he wasn't "wanted". I loved him from the moment I knew about him. "Unexpected", also, because he was the only of our children who wasn't born healthy. Since most of my readers (I think I have a huge following of...........eight?) didn't know us back in the day, I'm posting a few pictures below to let you in on some of what you've missed of our Gabe.
Although by far the easiest labor and delivery of my three, that's where "easy" ended with Gabe, as it seems since then everything else has been harder, beginning shortly after birth. Then during his entire first year we had him in and out of the doc's office with all kinds of respiratory problems. To top it all off, he decided at about 6 months that a bottle nipple was his enemy, so until he was weaned he and I spent very little time apart.
His temperament is, well, PASSIONATE. (It's his birthday so I'll put a positive spin on it! :) When he's happy, he's ECSTATIC!! When he's angry, he is LIVID MAD! When he wants to be alone, by all means, LEAVE THE CHILD ALONE! But when he wants to cuddle, he is a TOTAL MUSH! One day, (I am sure of it) God will use this passion for His glory! We are so thankful for Gabe. And for as much as this road has been a challenge, all the more has it been a joy. (Listen to me talking like he's turning 18 or something!)
We spent Gabe's first five days of life at Children's in Dayton. Shortly after he was born at Wayne, his breathing became very labored and they feared pneumonia. It turned out his lungs were just slightly immature. ( Born at 38 weeks, this was a bit of a mystery?) But the experience, especially in the first 24 hours of "not knowing", surely taught us something about putting our baby in His hands. It was a hard time.
At about 4 weeks. We're so glad he's since grown into his nostrils.
At about 7 months.
Absolutely, positively, nothing sweeter.
Sometimes it's a joy when they tug at your pants.
Other times, not so much.
At age 2, we tried everything to keep the child out of stuff.
What's strange here is that Gabe doesn't yet know how to write letters. HMMMM?
The big accomplishment of this summer was Gabe's learning to ride his bike without training wheels!! But do you think I have a picture of him on the bike? Well, a picture of him wearing his helmet on the toilet is just as good, right?
I absolutely LOVE his smile!!! Happy birthday, my Gaby Baby!
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