Two songs I can't stop singing

I am addicted to these two songs.  Seriously, I could listen to them over and over and over.  I almost can't contain myself when I listen to them!  If no one is around...I don't bother trying.

That first Christmas

I love hearing stories that tell the first Christmas story from the different perspectives of those who experienced it.  Obviously, we're limited in what we really know about what the innkeeper, or Mary, or even the sheep in the manger felt and saw that night.  It's something fascinating to imagine about, though, and I love when word artists paint the picture for us through song or story. 
One perspective that I wish I would hear more about is that of Heaven's {actually, I've been really interested, lately, in looking at more things from that "heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12) viewpoint}.  Maybe because it's more difficult for our human minds to grasp what Christmas was like in the spiritual realm, we hear less about it?  I'm not sure, but I did actually blog about it two years ago here (scroll down to the "on another note..."section).  I'm not sure if my thoughts are theologically sound, but I believe there's a good chance that they're not completely off-base. 

One of our pastors taught on this topic yesterday morning {you can imagine my excitement as I read the sermon title on the bulletin} and I learned there is more to the Heavenly story than what I imagined...

That first Christmas was a declaration of war.  A declaration of war. I guess it's possible that this sounds morbid, but I love that statement.  Read Revelation 12 and work your way through the symbolism.  When Jesus Christ was born to Mary on earth, Satan set out to destroy.  The battle between God's angelic and Satan's demonic forces was taken to the next level.  I picture a scene resembling one out of Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia.  An embrace between a Father and Son.  The Son walking a path to earth, lined with angels, swords raised in reverence and awe.  Angels turning to take their place in the ranks.  On the other side of the battlefield are the demons jeering and scoffing with an "enormous red dragon" poised to sound the battle cry.  Not the typical peaceful Christmas Eve we often picture, is it? 
While we must come to grips with the fact that this war will have casualties, we can rest assured that the victory is, without a doubt, the Lord's.  Because I know this battle is still waging around me everyday {and, I believe, becoming more deadly by the day...as we near the war's end}, this is where I'm choosing to focus this Advent season.      

Scrooge...or Excessive Christmasness?

Is anyone else annoyed with Christmas?  I should rephrase that.  Is anyone else annoyed with what the world is doing to Christmas?  I love Christmas, but I also love Thanksgiving. So, I love Christmas starting December 1st.  I'm a huge fan of celebrating Advent more so than Christmas, I guess.  I know I should be used to the fact that the world takes everything overboard, and, for the most, part I am...and I just ignore it.  Excessive Christmasness {yah, totally made that word up} is kinda hard to ignore, though.

I mean, really, do we need to put up Christmas decorations the day after Halloween?  Do we need to send out the Black Friday ads three weeks early?  As if they don't bombard us enough with all the things we should be doing and buying for each other to make Christmas magic and memorable, they've got to start doing it a month earlier?  How are Mark and I supposed to teach our kids to find the magic in the ultimate gift that was given to them in this environment?  Seriously, I'm asking. 

I feel like maybe if we took the time to focus more on Thanksgiving and how much we really have, then maybe we wouldn't feel such a need to be so excessively materialistic at Christmas. I keep hearing people {including myself} say they're going simple, but it sure doesn't look like it.  I feel the pressure to have gifts for teachers {school and church}, busdrivers, mail carriers, neighbors, etc.  Am I scrooge for opting out {cuz I feel like one sometimes}? Is a kid-made card and a couple homemade cookies enough to spread the joy of Christmas?  Again...seriously, I'm asking.

I do love to give at Christmas.  I just love to give to people who aren't getting.  I love taking the $100 we could have spent on gift cards for the above mentioned people in our lives and putting it into 4 Operation Christmas Child boxes instead.  I love that mine and Mark's siblings are all either in situations where they can't or don't want to exchange gifts, and we can put that money towards buying goats and chickens for a starving family in another country or to buying some gifts for a child in our own town whose family needs help.

Reading over this, I feel like it sounds prideful.  I'm not trying to toot my horn about how much we're giving, or say that if you give gifts to your kids' teachers you've got it all wrong...or even that if you break out the Christmas lights and music pre-Thanksgiving your messing with the meaning of Christmas. 

I guess I'm just venting about what feelings the season stirs up in me, and, once again, trying to find that balance between scroogeyness {how in the world should I spell that?} and excessiveness.  Have you found it?    

My confession...

At our MOPS meetings this year, members of the steering time are taking turns confessing some of their mothering mishaps, inadequacies, imperfections, etc.  We stand silhouetted behind a white sheet of anonymity.  It's really quite comical.  This past Tuesday was my turn and my confession wrote itself into a nice little blog post.  I got plenty of laughs...I hope the girls were laughing with me and not at me, though!?!?  Here goes...

Before I gave birth to our first little babe, I made the mistake of convincing myself that I would never be "that mom".  You know the one.  She's got four kids going 80 different directions and loses more of her mind with each passing week.  She locks her keys in the car {while it's still running}.  She forgets about doctor's appointments and goes to the grocery store unshowered and in sweats.  Yah.  I was never gonna be that mom.


Oh, how naive was I?


I can say I haven't locked the keys in the car...yet...


But I've had my share of that mom moments...beginning just weeks after my first, not my fourth was born.


I am that mom who, early one Sunday morning {after 6 weeks of sleepless nights} put my breast pump parts in a pot on the stove to sterilize them, then lay down to rest my eyes for just a minute, only to awake 45 minutes later to the smell of burning plastic.


I am that mom who brought a basket full of dirty laundry and two poopy diapers, an infant, and a barely one year old down the stairs and forgot the diapers were in the basket by the time a had a moment to toss the whole load into the washer.


I am that mom who has lost birth certificates and car titles, forgotten parent/teacher conferences and show & tell days, and paid $15 in library fines on late DVD's.


I am that mom who made a meal plan and a detailed grocery list and still forgot the mozzarella cheese, but never realized it until the lasagna was already started and so resorted to peeling a few sticks of string cheese to complete the dish. 


I am that mom who, just two weeks ago, talked to a friend about our kids' hour early dismissal from school the next day, only to receive a call from the school office the following afternoon while I was out running errands wondering if I'd forgotten about my kids.


Yep...I'm definitely that mom. 

**Oh stink.  As I was reading over this I realized I lied.  I just remembered I have locked the keys in the car.  After grocery shopping I somehow loaded the groceries and my purse, with the keys and cell phone in it, in the trunk of our car and closed the hatch.  All doors locked.  I had to go back into the store to call Mark, who had to make the 20 minute drive into town with the two little ones and no carseats because they were in the car I had.  At least the car wasn't running, right?

Score another one for that mom.  :O)

Our Pumpkins

I just had to post these pictures of our "pumpkins" carving their pumpkins Sunday.  We had a beautiful day, and for the first time ever in my life {at least that I remember}, we carved our pumpkins out on the driveway. You'll note Natalie's {fancy} shoes in the one picture and understand why she spent about 12 seconds participating in the carving process.   

I look at these pictures of these beautiful kids and know, without a doubt, that God is in the business of creating masterpieces.  We know that we are blessed every day that He gives us glimpses of the destiny He has for them and allows us to partner with Him in the process of fulfilling it.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, true to my expectations, September and October have been incredibly busy.  Aside from a few days here and there when I've been moments away from an anxiety attack, we've had a lot of fun.  Here are some of the highlights and a few pictures:

• Wednesday Adventure Club is off to a good start.  I love the kids in the small group and love that Mark has decided to join me in serving them.  It's not free of challenges as we try to adapt the material to their maturity level some weeks and keep a couple ornery little boys in line, but I love to hear their sweet and faith-filled prayers!
• Ethan had a great time at his "Minute to Win It" birthday party.  It was great to see him interact with his friends...some of whom we met for the first time.  
• It's been a great soccer season.  Ethan loves the game and has an amazing sense of it.  He handles the ball like a pro and can play any position well.  It's so exciting to watch him play.  Karis does not love soccer...in fact, multiple times she has said she does not like it.  It's crazy {and somewhat disappointing} because the girl has great ball control and is faster than probably 97% of the other girls she's played against.  She easily scored 4 goals in Saturday's game against a team that evenly matched her team.  She's good, but she doesn't have that competitive instinct. {It will be fun to see her go back to gymnastics instead}
• I was able to go in and eat lunch with Ethan and Karis during Family Lunch Week.  After lunch I got to spend recess time with them.  Although it was a bit disturbing to see what elementary recess looks like these days, I was proud of our kids and their responses to what was going on around them.  
• Natalie, Levi and I have enjoyed some good times at the Library Family Story Time and Nature Center Mommy and Me class.  While I hate that Ethan and Karis aren't here to participate in these things with us, I love having the time with our two little ones. 
• We kicked off our MOPS year.  I love being back on steering team.  There are days when I wonder whether I should have committed to it or not, but I am always reassured when I see things come together and see moms needs being met.  I love the team and I love our children's pastor, who invests so much in this ministry.  I'm excited about what the Lord has in store for our group this year. 
• We've had two weekends full of the stuff Autumn is made for. One weekend we went to Mt. Geez (a big hill that over looks miles of rolling hills) to watch the sunset and then hit up DQ one last time before it closed for the season, rode bikes/ran on the bike trail {Natalie's first trip riding on the trail and she went 3.5 miles!}, and hiked a trail at Mohican State Park {during which 875 rocks, leaves, and sticks were thrown into the river}.  This past weekend my family came down to visit and enjoy staying up way past bed time, blueberry pancakes, soccer games, picking out pumpkins and jumping in leaf piles with us, and we went to a Harvest party with some friends for hayrides, decorating pumpkins, and a super intense soccer game involving kids...and middle aged adults...:O).    

Happy Birthday, Babe...

On this day, 32 years ago, before you even took a breath, God had numbered and designed every single one of your days...placed everything inside you that would make you who you are today...an amazing husband, daddy, teacher, coach...I am amazed and so thankful that, in those moments of creating you, He had me {us, these kids, this life} in mind. He's given me more than I could have asked for or imagined. Love you, babe, and so do they!

{Well, I couldn't not post for Mark's birthday after doing Ethan and Karis'. It'd be too much work for me to pull out and scan his baby pictures this morning, though, even though I'd love to show this one we have...so you could see that, at one point in his life, my husband was chunky.}