going places

We are on spring break this week...yeah!! Kate and I are going to look at two colleges with some friends from school. David and the rest of the kids are meeting us down by Washington and going on down to SC to look at another school. We are looking at Messiah College, Patrick Henry and Charleston Southern Univ. We hope to spend a little bit of time with David's family while we are in SC.
Yesterday we took Jacob, Jonathan and some of Jacob's friends to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and had a great time. Our season pass expires at the end of the month and we wanted to see the Narnia exhibit before it left. So we had five boys running around and heard all the butt and fart comments imaginable. :) So I am in the midst of packing and cleaning up, etc...
My mind has a thousand thoughts running through it and can't figure out how to right them down.
Hopefully, I'll have pictures and lots to write about when we return (next Sat. or Sun.)

St. Patrick

I read the story of St. Patrick last year at this time. What an amazing man who changed Ireland for the glory of God. He fought against the powers of darkness (and it was very dark) with the sword of truth by the power of Holy Spirit. God radically changed him and then he shared the gospel and changed Ireland. It is a very interesting story...go read it. Here is the "Breastplate Prayer" called that because the words that speak of protection from evil.

The Prayer of St. Patrick

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.

Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation

musings

I have not been in a very good place in my mind lately. I have been battling anxious thoughts, worrying about stuff---constantly. This past Sat. night we went to hear our favorite celtic band, Beyond the Pale, at Stewarts Brewing Co. with some good friends. David and I had such a great time. We were able to relax, be ourselves, and just laugh and be real. Friends that you have history, who know all your stuff (good and bad), who have walked life with you, celebrated with you, cried with you and still love you are great friends! So why do I worry and become anxious? Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. We've got history, that's for sure. He definitely knows all my stuff and still loves me. I can relax and be myself with him. In His arms, is the safest place of all. He has gone to great lengths to show His love for me, his beloved daughter! He has even put people in my life to demonstrate Himself to me. Thank you, Jesus.

birthday pics

New bike for his birthday!

tin grin

Isn't he so cute!! I just love those dimples. Even with braces, his smile just melts me! Jonathan got braces yesterday. So he has the lovely tin grin for the next 15-18 months. The big scratch on the forehead was the marks of last weeks football game in the back yard with the neighbor boys.

excited

I am excited to hear Katelyn say her Fine Arts recitation again tomorrow night.
I am excited that my nephew, Sam, is engaged to Sarah! Yeah!!! Bring on the party!
I am excited that my brother got a much better job!
I am so excited to see God working in my son's heart!

Jacob's day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACOB!!! WE LOVE YOU!!

birthday boy

Today my baby turns 8! What a day it was...he came 6 weeks early after I had been in the hospital for about 10 days trying not to have him. He was our little peanut, and now he is our overgrown first grader! :) He is our entertainer. If you know my nephew Sam, then you can get an idea of what Jacob is like. Jacob had several health issues in his early years, but has been helped and now doesn't suffer from any health issues. (thanks to God and our chiropractor). We are so thankful for Jacob. He makes us dance, laugh, sing, and cry. We were laughing at him the other day and I said, "Where did we get you?!" He replied in his best attempt of a southern accent, "from Alabama!"
He is my snuggle boy and loves for his mama to snuggle with him at night and scratch his back. It is a sweet time when we talk and pray. It was during on of those times that he told me about when he prayed and "confessed it all" as he put. He told me when my Uncle Paul was preaching at our family reunion that he felt like he needed to go outside and pray....so he did. I asked him what he prayed about and he sighed a deep sigh and said, "I confessed it all, mom...all my sin" God loves to hear the cry of his children.
When he was born and cried out, I wept. His lungs weren't strong enough and that little cry wore him out. They showed him to me and whisked him away to the NICU. Later they rolled my bed into the NICU and I reached over and put my hand on his little head (the picture). We are so thankful for the gift that he is to us. God delights in us in the same way...but a much deeper, more perfect way!

Thanks, EM

My friend at "finding grace" always finds the best stuff...books, quotes, etc. So here is what I read tonight and had to pass it along. Emily, God uses you so many times to encourage my heart.

There are two basic narrative identities at work among professing Christians. The first is what I will call the moral-performance narrative identity. These are people who in their heart of hearts say, I obey; therefore I am accepted by God. The second is what I will call the grace narrative identity. This basic operating principle is, I am accepted by God through Christ; therefore I obey.

People living their lives on the basis of these two different principles may superficially look alike. They may sit right beside one another in the church pew, both striving to obey the law of God, to pray, to give money generously, to be good family members. But they are doing so out of radically different motives, in radically different spirits, resulting in radically different personal characters.

When persons living in the moral-performance narrative are criticized, they are furious or devastated because they cannot tolerate threats to their self-image of being a “good person.”

But in the gospel our identity is not built on such an image, and we have the emotional ballast to handle criticism without attacking back. When people living in the moral-performance narrative base their self-worth on being hard working or theologically sound, then they must look down on those whom they perceive to be lazy or theologically weak.

But those who understand the gospel cannot possibly look down on anyone, since they were saved by sheer grace, not by their perfect doctrine or strong moral character.

Another mark of the moral-performance narrative is a constant need to find fault, win arguments, and prove that all opponents are not just mistaken but dishonest sellouts. However, when the gospel is deeply grasped, our need to win arguments is removed, and our language becomes gracious. We don’t have to ridicule our opponents, but instead we can engage them respectfully.

People who live in the moral-performance narrative use sarcastic, self-righteous putdown humor, or have no sense of humor at all. Lewis speaks of “the unsmiling concentration upon Self, which is the mark of hell.” The gospel, however, creates a gentle sense of irony. We find a lot to laugh at, starting with our own weaknesses. They don’t threaten us anymore because our ultimate worth is not based on our record or performance.

Martin Luther had the basic insight that moralism is the default mode of the human heart. Even Christians who believe the gospel of grace on one level can continue to operate as if they have been saved by their works. In “The Great Sin” in Mere Christianity, Lewis writes, “If we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good—above all, that we are better than someone else—I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the Devil."

Gracious, self-forgetful humility should be one of the primary things that distinguishes Christian believers from the many other types of moral, decent people in the world. But I think it is fair to say that humility, which is a key differentiating mark of the Christian, is largely missing in the church. Nonbelievers, detecting the stench of sanctimony, turn away.

Some will say, “Phariseeism and moralism are not our culture’s big problems right now. Our problems are license and antinomianism. There is no need to talk about grace all the time to postmodern people.” But postmodern people have been rejecting Christianity for years, thinking that it was indistinguishable from moralism. Only if you show them there’s a difference—that what they rejected wasn’t real Christianity—will they even begin to listen again.

Source: “The Advent of Humility: Jesus is the reason to stop concentrating on ourselves,” by Tim Keller in Christianity Today (December 2008) pp. 50-53.

about to bust

At our school we have Fine Arts presentations. Every child does a recitation. Kindergarten does theirs all together. Wednesday was grades K-5 and yesterday was 6-12. This was Jacob's first time on his own and he did great. It is such a great experience because they learn all kinds of public speaking skills. We want them to learn to be comfortable with speaking in public. So we start young. Hopefully, they get better and better. In grades 6-12, it's a competition and the top two of each class recite again at a Fine Arts festival on the 13th. Well, my Katelyn got first place in her class. It was a powerful recitation called "The Vision"...about what it looks like to live passionately for Christ. I was sobbing by the end of it! There weren't too many dry eyes at the end of it. The video probably won't do it justice but God was with her. She knew it and felt it as she spoke. She was trying to hold back the tears by the end. She has practiced it over and over, getting ready, but she told me that she has never felt they way she did when she was reciting yesterday. God be praised. I was praying that she would be able to speak passionately from her heart. This poem was given to her by my dear friend, Joanne Foggy, on her sixteenth birthday. She read it to Kate the day of her birthday luncheon and Kate was greatly impacted by it. Thanks Katelyn, for sharing your gifts for God's glory! I love you with all my heart! I pray that God would help you to live out the vision and love people into the kingdom of God.

snow,snow,snow

Jacob and his friend playing football in the snow the night before
when the snow had just started.

Smurf boy....he's excited to go out in the snow...funny kid!

This morning...

....the shoveling done, for now. That's our new van.
Lots and lots of snow...blowing snow! I got my workout today shoveling the snow. That is the first time we have had to do that in three years. We have had such mild winters. I got to wear my wonderful warm boots (just like Meredith's) :). I was so excited to get out there and play in all the beautiful white stuff!! Loved it!

sights and smells

The smell of a hot water bottle reminds of my childhood. I think my mom fixed a hot water bottle for us at night. We put it at our feet to keep them warm.
It is snowing....really hard!! yippee!! I was helping Jacob get ready to play out in the snow and dug out the snow pants. He looked at them and said, "Cool! Do I have to take my jeans off to put them on?" I said, "No, you just put them on over your pants." He thought that was so fun! I asked him if he remembered wearing them and he didn't. It was like a whole new experience for him! (It has been three years since he wore them.) Then he went outside and played football in the snow with his friend across the street...in the dark. How fun!! :)

Sunday afternoon

Here is Mary Ellen starting out on the BIG wall!

Halfway there...!!


YEAH!! SHE DID IT!

This is Kate...starting out
climbing higher...

Go Kate Go!!

We usually have church on Sunday afternoons. We are a part of a church plant and don't have our own building yet. So we use another church's building after they have their morning service. Since going to this church, we have started a new family tradition on Sunday morning, a big family breakfast. Today it was sausage gravy and biscuits. I am home today with a sick one.
Mary Ellen and Kate went rock climbing yesterday and had a great time. Today....ooooooh, so sore! Then Mary Ellen started throwing up in the night, so she has all kinds of aches and pains. The weather man is calling for 10 inches of snow tonight and 1-3 more tomorrow! We haven't seen that much snow in about 3 years! Enjoy the pictures of the girls rock climbing.