Tag Archives: Jesus

Let it shine.

My daughter and I were driving to play practice today.   It was raining.   This is not surprising.  It’s March in the Northwest.   I was running late.  This is also not surprising.   It’s a Saturday.    I don’t know about you but when I think of the ideal Saturday it does not include an alarm clock in the morning.   It includes a large breakfast and pajamas until noon.

However, sacrifices must be made when important things come up.   Our church has its annual presentation of Bow the Knee in about two weeks.  Bow the Knee is a musical about the death and resurrection of Jesus told from the vantage point of a Roman soldier.    Since the play is in two weeks, practices are in full swing and so lazy Saturday mornings are on hold.

I’m married to one of the Roman Soldiers.  I think he enjoys the tough growling and marching as a balance to all the pink and frills he’s surrounded by living at our house.   I like the costume although it’s a little odd to see my husband with that much makeup.   My daughter is a peasant girl.  We lost her costume in the move over the summer so later today we’re headed to the fabric store.   I don’t sing and I don’t act but over the past nine years I have developed some skills were styrofoam is concerned.   I’m on the set design crew.  Mostly I just do what I’m told.

Today I was told to have the four-year old at practice, so I dutifully put on my clothes and dragged us both out to the car and we were driving in the rain.    My daughter asked “Mom, where is the sun?  I can’t see it.”    I said, “Oh honey, the sun is still there, it’s just covered in clouds and rain.”   She responded “Mom, how does the sun still light the world when it’s covered up”.     I grinned.   What a perfect teachable moment.    “Honey, the sun is strong enough to give us light even when it’s covered up.”.    She said “I know, because God is powerful.”   And the child becomes the teacher. 

You see, the Son is powerful too.  Powerful enough to shine His light to the world even when it’s covered up.   And that is why we spend our Saturday mornings at play practice.

Want tickets?

http://www.lbnaz.org/bow-the-knee-easter-musical/

Advertisement

Leave a comment

Filed under Faith, Family

Ring those bells!

I’ve had a week to recover from a preschool bell choir.  This is an annual event where we line up twenty or so preschoolers, march them up on stage in front of a full church audience and hand them bells.   It takes us about three months of practice to get ready.  It’s typically adorable.  The worst year we had one child running around on the stage while two other kids had a punching contest on stage.    It took us the rest of the year to forget and to decide this was again a good idea.   Frankly, at three and four, if you march kids on stage and told them just to smile I think their parents and grandparents would call it a success.

This year we also decided that Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas is in fact the cutest thing ever.    So we taught our preschoolers to say Luke 2: 11- 14 in between their two bell songs.    

“For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you, Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest and on Earth, Peace, Goodwill toward Men”.  

People sometimes are cynical about Christmas.    They talk about how our world isn’t exactly at peace and in this economy and political environment there is not a lot of goodwill.     

 I”m certainly not a bible scholar but I think what that verse means is not that Peace is everywhere or that Goodwill magically breaks out at Christmas.  I think what it means is that the Christ child is a gift of peace and goodwill from God to those who will accept Him.    

I love this version of I heard the Bells on Christmas Day.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7670CXvPX0

God is not dead nor doth He sleep.   

Ring those bells.

2 Comments

Filed under Family

Wondering, Loving and Praying

5:00 Wednesday PM:   Headed home.  Grateful for 4 day weekend.   Praying for friends and family.  Wondering if the traffic could go any slower.

6:00 Wednesday PM:   Putting together chairs.  Grateful for new furniture.   Wondering if anyone will notice if they wobble.   Hubby notices.  Hanging upside down trying to balance chairs.  Huh…made in China.  Praying for the persecuted church in China.

8:00 Wednesday PM:   Still putting together chairs.  Wondering if anyone will notice my hands have permanently cramped into the shape of an Alen wrench.   Grateful for my father who has worked with his hands his whole life.   Praying the doctor can help him with the new treatment for his curled fingers.

10:00 Wednesday PM:   Tucking in my daughter.  Loving her eyelashes, loving her goodnight prayers.   Wondering if she’ll ever have a sibling.   Praying for Christine in Rwanda.  Praying this other daughter will have a good night.

11:30 Wednesday PM:   Making cranberry sauce.   Loving the smells of cloves and cinnanmon.   Loving the sound the cranberries make when they swell and pop.   Making cinnamon rolls.  Grateful for 16 years of cinnamon rolls with this man standing beside me.   Praying for the marriages of friends and family.

8:00 am Thursday AM:    Running a mile.  Cold.  Wondering if a mile constitutes actual excersize enough to work off the meal headed my way.  Grateful for sidewalks, friendly neighbors and a track at the local school.   Wonder if the school tuition in Rwanda is caught up.

9:00 am Thursday AM:     Getting ready.  Blowdryer.   Its pink. Praying for a friend facing tests for cancer.  Loving my daughter’s little toes and big smile.  Grateful for warm clean water.   Praying for the 18 people headed to our house.

10:00 am Thursday AM:    Breakfast with family.    Loving the cream cheese frosting on warm cinnamon rolls.   Loving Greek yogurt, bagels, fresh fruit.   Hoping next year sausage and cheddar are back in my diet.   Praying for family not present at the table.

11:00 Thursday AM:     Cleaning out a turkey with my mama.   Loving 35 years with this woman.   Wondering if the marketing departments know I’m aware that they leave the fat chunks for extra weight.   Praying I get to clean many more turkeys.  Praying for friends who no longer have their mamas.  Missing my grandma, first thanksgiving without her.

2:00 Thursday PM:    Cleaning out the garbage disposal.   Wondering why its only me that clogs it up.   Grateful the only time I cook is at holidays.    Praying for patience.

4:00 Thursday PM:   Nineteen people in our house.   Grinning at the pile of coats and shoes and scarves.    Praying.   Eating.   Loving the full plates and full tables.   Grateful for a place to include everyone.  Wondering where the pepper went.  Praying that these guests feel welcome and loved.  Praying that they know how very much God loves them.

10:00 Thursday PM:   Hugs.  Lots of hugs.   Putting away piles of games.   Wondering whose crystal dish I found.  Grateful for a country where prayer and thanksgiving are free.   Praying for our leaders.

4:00 Friday AM:   Turning off the alarm.  Why was I getting up?   Oh yes, its about the socks.   Wondering if it might not be worth paying normal price.   Grateful for friends who are as crazy as me.    Praying for safety.

1:00 Friday PM:   Tired now.   Wondering why the bank didn’t tell me I had a daily spending limit.   How annoying.   Grateful for a sister who has a debit card too.   Praying friends and family will enjoy the gifts.   Grateful for the first and ultimate Christmas gift.

5:00 Friday PM:    Eating pizza.   Loving pineapple and mozarella.   Grateful for old friends.  Praying for their teen group and ours.  Praying for wisdom for parents.

10:00 Saturday AM:   Running three miles.   Did I already mention the cold?   Grateful for coaches.   Praying I’ll be in charge of my body, not it in charge of me.

11:00 Saturday AM:   Eating a cinnamon role.    I think I already mentioned the cinnamon roles.   Really they are that good.   Wondering when I last blogged.   Praying for my niece and nephews.   Grateful for time to sit.

2:00 Saturday PM:   Craft bazaar.   Wondering where all the hats came from.   Wondering if its right to feel guilty for not buying a pot holder from the little Grandma.   Grinning with my kiddo at the tiny Christmas tree for her doll house.   Grateful for fun days.

5:00 Saturday PM:   Sitting by the fire.   Wondering if I can finish all my shopping this weekend.   Probably not.   Praying that in our house, that the miracle of Jesus doesn’t get lost in the ribbons and bows.   So very grateful for Emmanuel.  God with us.

1 Comment

Filed under Family, Home