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.
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