The Winner!

I would like to announce that I have cliched my second Fantasy sports championship of the year as I stomped all over my husband in our Jr. High Fantasy Football league. I'm trying not to gloat at home because I also beat him out in our youth group Fantasy Baseball league. So I will allow myself to gloat where he won't know it. Now it's time for the real playoffs so, "Go Steelers!!!"

It's Definately Christmas!

I've been terrible neglectful of writing lately, not that I haven't thought about it. In my hurried attempts to do all the Christmas stuff of gifts, cards, food and church on top of my regular responsibilities, I decided that something had to give. Unfortunately, this was the thing that "gave". One line of the Bible runs through my head; the verse that impacted me most last Christmas as well. Luke 2:19 says, "but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

There is so much kerfuffle surrounding Christmas; so much exhaustion. I decided to push to finish everything early so I could take time to "ponder" this week. Exhaustion still reigns, thanks to the massive amount of snow we've been shoveling. The pondering has been good. The still reflection, the wondering, the awe, the realization of what Christmas really is.

God offers us so much but my wish for you is that you accept his peace in your soul this Christmas. If you don't know of God's peace, search for John 3:16 - that's it in a nutshell. Wishing you a truly joyful Christmas!

Anyone for Coffee?

I'm sure all parents have "that one thing" they worry about each particular child in addition to the one child they worry about more than the others. This video provides me the proof I need that my son will indeed be Ok. He is quick to frustration, likes to play alone and is not as coordinated as other kids his age. On the other hand, he has a fabulous memory (helpful when I forget the grocery list...), is articulate and loving, and likes to run, run, run. When I have observed him with other children, he tends to play alone, approaching other children for the toy rather than for the interaction with the child. I think these two were well matched as she is sensitive to others, well-spoken, low-key, likes personal space and is just a few months younger than he. Their little play was charming. Of course, I missed the best interaction but managed to capture this one with a little patience. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the object used was our white elephant gift - a "old fashioned" coffee thermos that has logged waaaayyy to many hours in refineries. Thanks Uncle Harry!

P.S. My computer's sound system seems to have failed. Someone please comment to let me know if the Christmas music plays when you open the blog and if you can hear the audio on the clip above. Thanks!

Special Time

Our son is now 32 months old. He seems to have hit the terrible twos about six months late and has been giving us loads of fits, crying, tantrums and backtalk. We have really been struggling with the behavior, what sparks it, how to calm him and then how to teach him to handle his emotions more appropriately.

God knew exactly what I needed on Sunday and I had a wonderful opportunity to be with Thing One, just the two of us, doing something special. We are fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We have the Terrible Towel and a variety of infant and toddler clothing emblazened with the Steeler's logo. And... if there is a game on network TV, you can be your last dollar we are watching it! Sunday night, FOX aired the 4:00 game between Pittsburgh and Dallas.

My timing was perfect. I buzzed the kids out of youth group promptly at 6 and by 6:30 we were watching Big Ben attempt to break through the Dallas defense and Troy "Polamu" tackle anything moving. I went so far as to prepare Thing Two for bed downstairs so we could continue watching the game. [There.. I admitted it. I threw routine to the wind for a football game!!!!] After she was in bed (during a commercial break, of course), I had 30 minutes of solo time with my boy! We snuggled on the couch, cheering and booing each play as appropriate and even got to do a touchdown dance.

I had so much fun with him and I discovered that was what I was longing for - something special to share with just him; a positive and fun experience that I cannot replicate. Rarely does a 4:00 game last until 7:30; sometimes we leave youth group in a timely fashion; occasionally Thing One actually stays in one place for more than 10 minutes; and hardly have we gotten though 90 minutes without "a terrible incident". Sunday night has given me the enthusiasm and motivation to work harder at my parenting, to be more patient and slower to anger. I don't expect my son to remember that night as he grow up but this is one of those times I want to treasure.

Very Full

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with both sides of my family. I still dream about the mashed potatoes... Today I had a very "full" feeling. "The fullness of life" came into being through three avenues:

1 - Even though is hasn't been easy nor always fun, looking back over the past year has showed me how I've become closer to God by allowing him to change what needed to be changed in me.
2 - A man from our church gave me "a little gift" from he and his wife as a way to show their thanks and support for my husband's ministry. I believe this is the second largest "little gift" I have received in my life.
3 - I was reflecting on the previous two items while driving home from grocery shopping. Every branch, twig, leaf, blade, roof, rock and particle was coated with fresh, white show. It was a breath-taking sight.

All I could do was just be filled with a sense of care, contentment and revelation that this is what God wants for me - to stand in awe of him and to constantly give up who I am for who he wants me to be. He made me. He knows me better than I know myself, so who better to entrust with this 'self'?

A friend recently wrote a Facebook note about this idea from a different perspective. He and his wife are in the midst of a difficult time in their lives and at a deep point of brokenness, he wrote: "...what if God gives me such a heart for this lost and broken world that I no longer accept the normal paradigms of pastor but instead become the man that He has created me to be, then what..."

How does this look when I take my head out of the clouds and put my feet back on the dog-hair-covered carpet? Over the past two years, I've been taught about faith and true belief in God, I've been taught some about my role as a wife. So now I'm motivated and encouraged to take yet another step towards releasing who I am to who I am intended to be. But it's still hard to take that first step. Does it ever get easier to say, "I'll change"?