Our annual Thanksgiving trip...

We just returned from our 3rd annual Thanksgiving camping trip. This year's destination was changed at the very last moment (like the day before), but I am so glad it was! We ended up spending five days and four nights at Choke Canyon State Park. We enjoyed the time together, away from our normal routine. God displayed His masterful handiwork all over the place and we enjoyed observing the works of His hands as we went on bird walks and nature hikes. Here are a few of the over 1,400 photos I took this trip...

The Green Jay, the bird to see at Choke Canyon State Park (and a year round resident). We spent days and days hearing these birds calling to one another, then observing them swoop past over head, only to disappear with no chance at a photo. The only time these birds would stay in view long enough for a photo, I didn't have my camera! This one Faith and I followed around for about twenty minutes as he flew between three trees in a parking lot while the rest of the kids played basketball.

This is a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher. He is a fast little bird who doesn't stay in one place very long... we followed him between three trees for a solid ten minutes before he finally stopped for a break and a photo shoot!

The Great Kiskadee - a new Life List bird for all of us, and an unusual find at Choke Canyon. At first we thought it was another Green Jay (from the bright yellow belly), but when we got it in the binoculars we knew it was something new!

True birders... last thing they wanted to do each day, first thing they wanted to do when they woke up, even skipping breakfast on the last day of the trip for an early morning hike (we ate when we got back).

Kids contemplating...

I helped Noah put together his comic strip earlier today, and he was elated. After I printed it out for him, I heard him discussing with his sister some big plans. Before long they shared their plans with me. They call it "The Tuesday Times". They are starting a newspaper. They are asking for their friends to contribute articles, artwork, stories, jokes, poems. They hope to publish every 1st and 3rd Tuesday (by 10am).

I am excited that they will be productively busy. I think it will be a wonderful exercise in diligence to meet (self-made) deadlines. And I am really excited to see how they pull it all together. (I plan on helping them on the computer end of things.) I think it will be a really fun endeavor that will unite them around a common goal. And I can't wait to see what kind of stories they tell!

I wonder if they will allow any parent submissions...

The adventure begins...

Noah and a couple of friends are building a LEGO adventure story, one brick at a time...

The "O"...

A key to cultivating the kind of joy that James (as well as Paul) encourages us to attain to, the joy that supersedes circumstances, is our attitude, and that is what we will consider now, the “O” in our little cup of COFFEE.

O – Offer thanksgiving and praise…

In 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 we are reminded to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Cultivating a joyful attitude is directly related to our understanding of how God works in our lives. We must be depending on God’s Sovereignty alone, trusting in His faithfulness and goodness towards us. 

Many of us can quote Romans 8:28 without batting an eye, but it is verse 29 which gives us the proper perspective for what “good” we are to be anticipating. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order than He might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)

What does this look like as a Mom? How does Romans 8:28-29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 shape my attitude in the mundaneness of everyday mommying? Well, let’s consider that mysterious hallway fluid. If I have learned anything in my decade of parenting, it is that the discovery of an odd or unknown substance never occurs during a point in my day that is convenient.

And if I have been dwelling on God’s Word, remembering that I am called to “rejoice always” and “give thanks in all circumstances” and remembering that “all things work together for good” my response looks quite different than when I have been neglecting to meditate on God’s Word.

In fact, when I am not being reminded of the goodness and grace of the Lord, my response will likely be sinful. But when I am content in my circumstances and resting in the joy of the Lord, and spending regular time in Bible study, I will be more gentle with my answer and more tender toward my children. I may even be able to laugh at the situation and consider that this may be a sign that I needed to mop my floor.

The joy of the Lord comes when we learn to look at each situation how God does. We can thank Him in the midst of the storm because we know who God is and we trust His Word when He says He will take care of us. We grow in joy when we allow all situations, whether trivial, like my puddle in the hallway, or more serious, to prompt us to prayer and thanksgiving instead of turning our hearts to grumbling and complaining. 

Coffee starts with "C"...

A couple of months ago I shared a baby shower devotional with a close friend. I intended to blog it right afterwards, but James went to be with the Lord and the idea of posting the devotional went by the wayside. However, these past couple of weeks I have found myself reminding myself of some mommying truths from the Scriptures, many of which were in my little devotional... so I think I am going to share it now... here it goes...

I am always impressed by those of you who skillfully construct your devotionals using an acrostic of a baby-inspired word or some other handy memory aid. Every time I tried to emulate that kind of cleverness I found myself only thinking of works like “burb”, or “poop”, or “spit up”. None of those seemed very pleasant to dwell on nor spiritual enough to shape a baby shower devotional around. So, instead of something about a baby, I thought about what a Mommy might need, and it didn’t take long before I thought of COFFEE. What Mom doesn’t need COFFEE, and lots of it?!?!?

Anyone who knows me knows I love coffee. I love to smell coffee, drink coffee, think about coffee, bake with coffee, make coffee for friends. We have enjoyed many a wonderful spiritual conversation over a latte. In the coming days, as this new baby arrives, you will probably enjoy starting your mornings with coffee to help you wake up, possibly mid-day to help you stay up and maybe even in the evening simply to relax. In fact, that wouldn’t be a bad model for each of us to follow, especially when we consider some spiritual COFFEE.

C – Count it all joy…

James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

When you think about new babies, the joyful things about mothering seem apparent; those sweet little feet, and fresh baby smells, the early morning snuggles which grow into tight toddler hugs, the first time they roll over through to the first word they utter, all these things brings joy to a mother’s heart.  

And here is where it is important that we make sure that our definition of joy is accurate, not simply a connotation of joy heavily influenced by joy’s cousin, happy. Happiness is a fleeting emotion, consider this scenario with me:

My husband made me coffee, I am now happy.

Fast forward twenty-seven seconds when…

My child spills my coffee, I am now unhappy. 

Happiness is transient and quickly affected by my surrounding circumstances. On the other hand, joy is an enduring contentedness, having joy in the Lord allows us to enjoy all that the Lord has given to us, and this is what James is taking about as he commands us to “Count it all joy.”

   

The only trial that seems to exist in those first babymoon weeks is how to get enough sleep to function or think clearly the next day. But not long into mommying other trials appear, like the first time your baby cries inconsolably through the night, or the first time that sweet little toddler stomps their foot down and clearly says, “NO!”, then there is the reoccurring nightmare at 3am or the mysterious fluid in the hallway.

We have shared the experience of waiting for the Pediatric Oncologist to come in, hoping to be told why your baby is so sick, only to hear that not even the most special of pediatric specialists is sure what is making your little boy so ill. These are the moments when the words of James need to echo in our ears, “Count it all joy.”

James tells us these trials will come – “when you meet trials of various kinds” – not if, he says, but when. James even tells us why they come – “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Then, Romans 5:3-5 Paul tells us, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Come back for the "O"...

Greener still...

... and quite silly... I have recently become enamored with the idea of making t-shirt yarn, also known as "tarn". I have my first five shirts ready for deconstruction, tie-dyed shirts of the kids' from their group birthday party four years ago. I will photograph the process...

And then I read about "plarn"... Any guesses? Making yarn out of old plastic grocery bags... Hmmmm... projects...

So much to post...

My mind is so full of things to post... pictures of painted leaves (and what to do with them)... stories of fun, excitement and danger from our weekend of camping at the most incredible State Park I have ever been to... but I think two things will have to happen before any real posts are uploaded... sleep and laundry... until then, just know, some good stuff is coming...