Today I feel compelled to share
how absolutely WONDERFUL
it is to be a grandmother!
It's one of life's seasons
that one must experience in order to understand
the magnitude of its magnificence.
There are no words to adequately describe
the avalanche of emotion that spewed from me
when my "baby" had a baby...
especially when the realization dawned
that Sweet Husband and I are not the parents of this child,
our child is.
The sense of relief that came with that thought
was indescribable and pretty much made me
downright giddy!
Of course, Sweet Husband and I
want to be fully supportive and "in sync" with how
our children desire to raise their children,
in the admonition and fear of the LORD...
and we are excited about reading God's Word to them,
singing about Jesus with them,
praying with them...and for them...
which we've been doing since the pregnancy tests showed two lines!
But, we are also elated with the future fun (God willing)
of coloring on the wall (which will be covered with chalk paint),
eating ice cream before dinner (occasionally), building forts,
playing make-believe, hide-and-go-seek, go fish, and, of course,
reading lots of good stories...
perhaps even making up some of our own!
When I see Hudson, now 8 months old,
and he recognizes me, grins and reaches for me...
well...
there are no words...
you'll just have to think of something that makes your heart
feel like it's going to burst with joy...elation...euphoria...
and you'll be not even half-way to where my heart soars.
Grandbaby #2 is supposed to be making his/her grand appearance
on or around June 7th...
and momma-to-be felt him/her dancing during church on Sunday...
for the first time.
I don't have the privilege of feeling
those baby-in-the-womb flutters (or stomps) anymore...
but, the flutters (or pounding) in my heart are as palpable
as I remember my womb flutters being...
and they're minus labor and delivery pains...
hospital bills...diapers...sleepless nights...
not that they weren't all definitely worth living!!
One of the greatest joys of being a grandmother, though,
is watching our daughter be a mother...
and the anticipation of watching our son be a father.
As I spend time with our daughter,
observing her tender maternal love for Hudson,
hearing her heart for Hudson to love Jesus,
knowing her tinges of sadness that he's almost ready to wean,
sensing even now the brevity of these days...
And as I ponder our son,
who has loved babies and little children since he was a little tyke,
becoming a father,
knowing the miracle that is his life,
hearing his initial struggle to come to grips
with his impending fatherhood...
I am excited about the adventures that lie before them...
sure to be laced with infectious laughter and crocodile tears,
multiple stitches and a broken bone or two,
unending questions,
spontaneous, non-sensical knock-knock jokes
made up one after the other,
sibling fun and frenzy,
soaring achievements and heart-wrenching disappointments,
embarrassing conversations and teachable moments,
the mystery of what each day holds and
the amazement of survival at each day's end...
parenting is probably one of the best rides ever!
...until grandparenting comes along...that is!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
you are what you eat. but, do you know WHAT you're eating?
Just watched Food Inc. with Sweet Husband.
It's been a long time since I've been so disturbed.
The last time was probably when Michael What's-his-name
in Halloween became forever imprinted in my mind
raising up in the back seat of Jamie Lee Curtis's car
after she got in and started the engine...
I still catch myself looking in my back seat before I get in,
especially at night.
I guess I should now expect to have visions of maltreated
cows, chickens, pigs and farmers
racing through my dreams tonight...
and many nights to follow.
Will I ever look at a piece of meat
on my dinner plate and not see reruns
of scenes of chicken houses or factory farmed cows
or the largest pig slaughterhouse in the world?
When will I be able to summon up
the stomach to walk into a grocery store again?
I think I just developed an allergy to SKU numbers.
If I see one I might break out in hives,
start foaming at the mouth and
begin chanting in an unknown tongue...
that's pretty disturbed...isn't it?
The first priority of our government should be
the protection and welfare of the people.
After watching this documentary...
I'm feeling extremely vulnerable and unprotected!
I can only imagine how farmers have felt
for the past 30 to 40 years!
Politics these days are enough to make anyone sick...
but, for politicians to be so power-hungry
that they would allow the four or five giant food companies
to have basically unlimited control over
our food sources...permitting genetic engineering and,
in essence, protecting them from exposure...
that's just wrong...inhumane...greedy...pride at its ugliest.
And for the four or five giant food corporations,
which control and produce most of the
47,000 items on grocery shelves,
to be more concerned with cost reduction and profit margins
rather than the quality and health quotient of the food
we, the consumers, are eating...
that's just wrong...inhumane...greedy...pride at its ugliest.
Well...we, Sweet Husband and I, are going to do our best
to stop supporting these giant food companies!
We are going to get to know and support our local farmers.
There are several organic farms in our area
with vegetables, fruit, eggs, chickens and beef
available for purchase...
these will be our new merchants of choice,
and I dare say, I feel a little healthier already!
It's just going to take some planning on our part...
and it will be a lesson in diligence and perseverance,
because we have grown accustomed to convenience,
the drive-thru, the instant gratification of
comfort foods.
However, after being educated on how my "comfort" is being produced,
I'm thinking a little discomfort is totally in order!
It's been a long time since I've been so disturbed.
The last time was probably when Michael What's-his-name
in Halloween became forever imprinted in my mind
raising up in the back seat of Jamie Lee Curtis's car
after she got in and started the engine...
I still catch myself looking in my back seat before I get in,
especially at night.
I guess I should now expect to have visions of maltreated
cows, chickens, pigs and farmers
racing through my dreams tonight...
and many nights to follow.
Will I ever look at a piece of meat
on my dinner plate and not see reruns
of scenes of chicken houses or factory farmed cows
or the largest pig slaughterhouse in the world?
When will I be able to summon up
the stomach to walk into a grocery store again?
I think I just developed an allergy to SKU numbers.
If I see one I might break out in hives,
start foaming at the mouth and
begin chanting in an unknown tongue...
that's pretty disturbed...isn't it?
The first priority of our government should be
the protection and welfare of the people.
After watching this documentary...
I'm feeling extremely vulnerable and unprotected!
I can only imagine how farmers have felt
for the past 30 to 40 years!
Politics these days are enough to make anyone sick...
but, for politicians to be so power-hungry
that they would allow the four or five giant food companies
to have basically unlimited control over
our food sources...permitting genetic engineering and,
in essence, protecting them from exposure...
that's just wrong...inhumane...greedy...pride at its ugliest.
And for the four or five giant food corporations,
which control and produce most of the
47,000 items on grocery shelves,
to be more concerned with cost reduction and profit margins
rather than the quality and health quotient of the food
we, the consumers, are eating...
that's just wrong...inhumane...greedy...pride at its ugliest.
Well...we, Sweet Husband and I, are going to do our best
to stop supporting these giant food companies!
We are going to get to know and support our local farmers.
There are several organic farms in our area
with vegetables, fruit, eggs, chickens and beef
available for purchase...
these will be our new merchants of choice,
and I dare say, I feel a little healthier already!
It's just going to take some planning on our part...
and it will be a lesson in diligence and perseverance,
because we have grown accustomed to convenience,
the drive-thru, the instant gratification of
comfort foods.
However, after being educated on how my "comfort" is being produced,
I'm thinking a little discomfort is totally in order!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
begin with days, months and years. end with eternity...
Have you ever pondered the concept of time?
I mean...why do we measure minutes by seconds,
hours by minutes, days by hours, weeks by days, months by weeks,
years by months, our lives by years?
...kinda reminds me of a song...
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes...
five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear...
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes...
how do you measure, measure a year?
(From "Seasons of Love" in the musical Rent)
Sorry...got sidetracked...
sometimes you just have to go with it.
I'm back now...but it could happen again.
If you really want to get down to brass tacks...
God created time...it was part of his sovereign plan.
Genesis 1, beginning with verse 3 says,
And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God
saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from
the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he
called Night. And there was evening and there was morning,
the first day...
Then moving on to verse 14...
And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens
to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and
for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the
expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it was so.
And God made the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day
and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars.
So...from the very beginning our world has been marked by time...
morning and evening...a day...
and another song...
Sunrise, sunset...sunrise, sunset...
swiftly go the years.
One season following another
laden with happiness and tears.
(from "Sunrise, Sunset" in Fiddler on the Roof)
...I can't predict when it will happen...it just does.
And I'm back...
Three days of this week were for me full of isolation,
hugging porcelain, aching joints, no food, Sprite,
crushing headaches, sleep (because staying awake was impossible)...
these were not enjoyable mornings and evenings.
I was not sad to bid them farewell.
However, that was not my sentiment as our annual
Thanksgiving week at Telliquah Falls came to a close.
Neither did I feel a sense of relief when Christmas
vacation ran out of days.
Those days were full of family, worship, laughter,
food, great conversations, games, movies, shopping,
staying up late and sleeping in...who would want that to end?
I received an email that a former boss of mine
died yesterday morning.
The abruptness of death hit me in the face, once again.
How does it always catch me off guard...
even though I know it's the one sure statistic
each person alive can rest assured we will become?
Perhaps death is the great surpriser because
when God created man in his image,
the LORD God...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7)
Ecclesiastes 3:11b says,
Also, [God] has put eternity into man's heart...
God created us to live...breathing his breath into Adam,
and even placed within us
a sense that this life is not all there is.
Is that why we are so affected by death...
when there are no more days, months, years to measure?
Are we provoked when reminded of death to consider
that which God put within us...eternity?
Ecclesiastes 3:11b continues,
yet so that he cannot find out what God has done
from the beginning to the end.
This, I believe, is one of God's greatest mercies...
that he has not given us the ability
to know everything he has sovereignly ordained.
We couldn't handle it.
But, he providentially supplies days, months and years,
which hold for us birth and death, planting and harvesting,
killing and healing, breaking down and building up,
weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing,
scattering and gathering, embracing and turning away,
seeking and losing, keeping and throwing away,
tearing and sewing, silence and speaking,
loving and hating, war and peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
...name that tune...pfftt..that was an easy one.
I'm sorry...please forgive me.
Today, as I contemplate time and eternity,
sickness and health...life and death...
I am reminded of my own human frailty and
the increasing brevity of the days, months and years remaining.
Yet, I am drawn not to despair but to rejoice in this truth...
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
According to his great mercy, he has caused [me]
to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [me],
who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this [I] rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary,
[I] have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested
genuineness of [my] faith - more precious than gold that
perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result
in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Though [I] have not seen him, [I] love him. Though [I]
do not now see him, [I] believe in him and rejoice with joy
that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome
of [my] faith, the salvation of [my] soul. (1 Peter 1:3-9)
Oh, that everyone would know this great salvation!
May the rest of my days, months and years (God willing)
be marked not only by time but by boldness and courage
to share the gospel of Jesus Christ without hesitation...
for it is only this gospel that has the power
to change a life today for eternity.
I mean...why do we measure minutes by seconds,
hours by minutes, days by hours, weeks by days, months by weeks,
years by months, our lives by years?
...kinda reminds me of a song...
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes...
five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear...
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes...
how do you measure, measure a year?
(From "Seasons of Love" in the musical Rent)
Sorry...got sidetracked...
sometimes you just have to go with it.
I'm back now...but it could happen again.
If you really want to get down to brass tacks...
God created time...it was part of his sovereign plan.
Genesis 1, beginning with verse 3 says,
And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God
saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from
the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he
called Night. And there was evening and there was morning,
the first day...
Then moving on to verse 14...
And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens
to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and
for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the
expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it was so.
And God made the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day
and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars.
So...from the very beginning our world has been marked by time...
morning and evening...a day...
and another song...
Sunrise, sunset...sunrise, sunset...
swiftly go the years.
One season following another
laden with happiness and tears.
(from "Sunrise, Sunset" in Fiddler on the Roof)
...I can't predict when it will happen...it just does.
And I'm back...
Three days of this week were for me full of isolation,
hugging porcelain, aching joints, no food, Sprite,
crushing headaches, sleep (because staying awake was impossible)...
these were not enjoyable mornings and evenings.
I was not sad to bid them farewell.
However, that was not my sentiment as our annual
Thanksgiving week at Telliquah Falls came to a close.
Neither did I feel a sense of relief when Christmas
vacation ran out of days.
Those days were full of family, worship, laughter,
food, great conversations, games, movies, shopping,
staying up late and sleeping in...who would want that to end?
I received an email that a former boss of mine
died yesterday morning.
The abruptness of death hit me in the face, once again.
How does it always catch me off guard...
even though I know it's the one sure statistic
each person alive can rest assured we will become?
Perhaps death is the great surpriser because
when God created man in his image,
the LORD God...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7)
Ecclesiastes 3:11b says,
Also, [God] has put eternity into man's heart...
God created us to live...breathing his breath into Adam,
and even placed within us
a sense that this life is not all there is.
Is that why we are so affected by death...
when there are no more days, months, years to measure?
Are we provoked when reminded of death to consider
that which God put within us...eternity?
Ecclesiastes 3:11b continues,
yet so that he cannot find out what God has done
from the beginning to the end.
This, I believe, is one of God's greatest mercies...
that he has not given us the ability
to know everything he has sovereignly ordained.
We couldn't handle it.
But, he providentially supplies days, months and years,
which hold for us birth and death, planting and harvesting,
killing and healing, breaking down and building up,
weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing,
scattering and gathering, embracing and turning away,
seeking and losing, keeping and throwing away,
tearing and sewing, silence and speaking,
loving and hating, war and peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
...name that tune...pfftt..that was an easy one.
I'm sorry...please forgive me.
Today, as I contemplate time and eternity,
sickness and health...life and death...
I am reminded of my own human frailty and
the increasing brevity of the days, months and years remaining.
Yet, I am drawn not to despair but to rejoice in this truth...
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
According to his great mercy, he has caused [me]
to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [me],
who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this [I] rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary,
[I] have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested
genuineness of [my] faith - more precious than gold that
perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result
in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Though [I] have not seen him, [I] love him. Though [I]
do not now see him, [I] believe in him and rejoice with joy
that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome
of [my] faith, the salvation of [my] soul. (1 Peter 1:3-9)
Oh, that everyone would know this great salvation!
May the rest of my days, months and years (God willing)
be marked not only by time but by boldness and courage
to share the gospel of Jesus Christ without hesitation...
for it is only this gospel that has the power
to change a life today for eternity.
Friday, December 31, 2010
dusty frames. he remembers with compassion...
As 2010 draws to a close and 2011 approaches...
and is now a day away...
I have been, once again, drawn to self-examination.
What goals had I hoped to achieve during 2010?
What lifestyle changes had I planned to tackle in 2010?
What heart issues had I been compelled to inquire of the Lord
to examine for the upcoming 365 days?
Sadly, I don't even remember.
Perhaps I wrote the answers to the above questions
in a journal entry from 2009...
and I suppose I could get that journal and revisit that time
but, I dare say I would find my thoughts being quite the same.
Because at year's end, I have typically run the emotional gamut...
and have ended up falling too deeply into introspection;
the old narcissistic pool of pride that looks like this...
Sadness...another year gone.
Guilt...too many opportunities slipped past me.
Despair...why can't I follow through?
Defeat...I don't persevere in anything!
A few days ago I was drawn to meditate on Psalm 103:13-14,
"As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust."
In particular, the phrase "he remembers that we are dust"
seemed to reach out and grab me...
and in my pride and self-righteousness
I began to pray and ask the Lord to help me
when I am quick to get exasperated with Sweet Husband
to remember that he is dust.
(I know...you have to laugh to keep from crying...)
But, being the compassionate Father that God is,
he was ever-so-quick to redirect my misplaced attention
from my Sweet Husband's dustiness to my own...
and remind me that it is only when I am humbled by
God's compassion towards me in remembering my dustiness
that there will be less exasperation in my own heart
with what I perceive as Sweet Husband's dustiness.
So...what does this have to do with the price of tea in China
or the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011?
Reflecting over the past year and setting goals for a new year
are beneficial exercises, I think.
But, I need to be careful to see them
not through the defeating introspective lens of self-determination,
nor the judgmental idolatrous lens of self-exaltation,
but, through the redemptive and restorative lens of the gospel.
Perhaps then my emotional gamut would look something like this...
Sadness...another year gone
...turns to...
JOY..."For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Despair...why can't I follow through?
...turns to...
PEACE..."But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23
Defeat...I don't persevere in anything!
...turns to...
VICTORY..."No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
So...as we, believers in and followers of Jesus Christ,
reflect on 2010 and anticipate 2011...
may we rejoice with exceeding joy
that it is GOD who is at work in us
both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)
...and I will prayerfully seek to be patient,
kind, gentle, loving, unselfish, humble,
gracious and merciful towards Sweet Husband...
not because I'm mindful of his dustiness...
but, because God is infinitely compassionate to remember mine.
By grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone,
Happy New Year!
and is now a day away...
I have been, once again, drawn to self-examination.
What goals had I hoped to achieve during 2010?
What lifestyle changes had I planned to tackle in 2010?
What heart issues had I been compelled to inquire of the Lord
to examine for the upcoming 365 days?
Sadly, I don't even remember.
Perhaps I wrote the answers to the above questions
in a journal entry from 2009...
and I suppose I could get that journal and revisit that time
but, I dare say I would find my thoughts being quite the same.
Because at year's end, I have typically run the emotional gamut...
and have ended up falling too deeply into introspection;
the old narcissistic pool of pride that looks like this...
Sadness...another year gone.
Guilt...too many opportunities slipped past me.
Despair...why can't I follow through?
Defeat...I don't persevere in anything!
A few days ago I was drawn to meditate on Psalm 103:13-14,
"As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust."
In particular, the phrase "he remembers that we are dust"
seemed to reach out and grab me...
and in my pride and self-righteousness
I began to pray and ask the Lord to help me
when I am quick to get exasperated with Sweet Husband
to remember that he is dust.
(I know...you have to laugh to keep from crying...)
But, being the compassionate Father that God is,
he was ever-so-quick to redirect my misplaced attention
from my Sweet Husband's dustiness to my own...
and remind me that it is only when I am humbled by
God's compassion towards me in remembering my dustiness
that there will be less exasperation in my own heart
with what I perceive as Sweet Husband's dustiness.
So...what does this have to do with the price of tea in China
or the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011?
Reflecting over the past year and setting goals for a new year
are beneficial exercises, I think.
But, I need to be careful to see them
not through the defeating introspective lens of self-determination,
nor the judgmental idolatrous lens of self-exaltation,
but, through the redemptive and restorative lens of the gospel.
Perhaps then my emotional gamut would look something like this...
Sadness...another year gone
...turns to...
JOY..."For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Guilt...too many opportunities slipped past me
...turns to...
FREEDOM..."There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1
Despair...why can't I follow through?
...turns to...
PEACE..."But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23
Defeat...I don't persevere in anything!
...turns to...
VICTORY..."No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
So...as we, believers in and followers of Jesus Christ,
reflect on 2010 and anticipate 2011...
may we rejoice with exceeding joy
that it is GOD who is at work in us
both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)
...and I will prayerfully seek to be patient,
kind, gentle, loving, unselfish, humble,
gracious and merciful towards Sweet Husband...
not because I'm mindful of his dustiness...
but, because God is infinitely compassionate to remember mine.
By grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone,
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 24, 2010
a less familiar carol. give a listen and consider...
This is now a favorite carol of mine.
I really like Allison Krauss and Yo Yo Ma...
and the Irish melody soothes, while evoking a tear at the same time.
But, the true beauty lies in the lyrics...
Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His beloved Son.
With Mary [gratefully we] pray
To God with love this Christmas Day;
In Bethlehem upon the morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.
In the last minute, frantic rush to prepare
for the excitement, laughter and chaos
of tomorrow morning...
take a moment to listen
and consider the ultimate sacrificial gift...
Jesus...Messiah...Christ the LORD.
May we ponder like Mary and respond like the shepherds!
Merry Christmas and may God bless us...everyone!
I really like Allison Krauss and Yo Yo Ma...
and the Irish melody soothes, while evoking a tear at the same time.
But, the true beauty lies in the lyrics...
Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His beloved Son.
With Mary [gratefully we] pray
To God with love this Christmas Day;
In Bethlehem upon the morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.
In the last minute, frantic rush to prepare
for the excitement, laughter and chaos
of tomorrow morning...
take a moment to listen
and consider the ultimate sacrificial gift...
Jesus...Messiah...Christ the LORD.
May we ponder like Mary and respond like the shepherds!
Merry Christmas and may God bless us...everyone!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
putting it in reverse. have a nice trip...
So, I'm going to back-track a bit.
Life has been so busy that I haven't really had the time
to sit down and write a blog post about our 3rd annual
Thanksgiving trip to Telliquah Falls.
It was WONDERFUL!!!!
The highlights...then the pictures...
1) We were ALL together...Sweet Husband, me, Josh, Meggie,
Bethany, Peter, HUDSON, Jake, Loren, and Drew
2) My parents were able to join us...they rented the cabin
nearest to ours
3) Mike's parents and sister joined us for Thanksgiving day
and dinner
4) Did I mention Hudson? Our first grandchild was with us?!
5) Peter built some awesome fires for us!
6) Auburn won the Iron Bowl! WAR EAGLE!
7) Hudson. Hudson came! Did you hear? Hudson came!!
8) We started a new tradition...Advent Baskets. (Thank you, Molly Piper for writing about them on your blog!) My mom is AWESOME... she stayed up with me late one night and sat on the hard floor helping me wrap gifts for the baskets. I owe her...in a HUGE way! That floor was really unforgiving!!
9) God met us in a special way during our time of worship...
10) HUDSON was there...have I said that already?
11) Ben Finch came and took family pictures on our last day.
You can see some of them here on his photography blog. While you're
there...visit awhile and enjoy Ben's work. He's downright talented!!! If
you're needing / wanting pictures made...give him a ringey-dingey.
Now for some pics... Enjoy!!
Life has been so busy that I haven't really had the time
to sit down and write a blog post about our 3rd annual
Thanksgiving trip to Telliquah Falls.
It was WONDERFUL!!!!
The highlights...then the pictures...
1) We were ALL together...Sweet Husband, me, Josh, Meggie,
Bethany, Peter, HUDSON, Jake, Loren, and Drew
2) My parents were able to join us...they rented the cabin
nearest to ours
3) Mike's parents and sister joined us for Thanksgiving day
and dinner
4) Did I mention Hudson? Our first grandchild was with us?!
5) Peter built some awesome fires for us!
6) Auburn won the Iron Bowl! WAR EAGLE!
7) Hudson. Hudson came! Did you hear? Hudson came!!
8) We started a new tradition...Advent Baskets. (Thank you, Molly Piper for writing about them on your blog!) My mom is AWESOME... she stayed up with me late one night and sat on the hard floor helping me wrap gifts for the baskets. I owe her...in a HUGE way! That floor was really unforgiving!!
9) God met us in a special way during our time of worship...
10) HUDSON was there...have I said that already?
11) Ben Finch came and took family pictures on our last day.
You can see some of them here on his photography blog. While you're
there...visit awhile and enjoy Ben's work. He's downright talented!!! If
you're needing / wanting pictures made...give him a ringey-dingey.
Now for some pics... Enjoy!!
We were all so excited to see Josh and Meggie!
Brooklyn NY is so far away...
we miss them A LOT!!!
Oh, yes! Did I mention Hudson Jude Hedger
made his inaugural visit to Telliquah Falls this year?
He drew quite a crowd...
no matter what room he was in or what floor he was on.
...and there was always a lap just the right size,
whether it was PawPaw's
or Uncle Josh's
or Great-Aunt Sheree's.
On Thanksgiving day, while cooking was going on,
there was a lot of fellowshipping going on, too!
Jake and PaPaw, Drew and PawPaw
enjoyed some time together on the porch.
...meanwhile, I was cooking and
Bethany was doing a mean slicing job on MaMaw's
homemade sourdough bread.
All together now... YUM! YUM!!
The end result looked really delicious!
We only had to sound the dinner bell once...
they came a'runnin'.
I might have forgotten to mention that
HUDSON JUDE HEDGER
was there!!
He wears his banana well...don't you think?
Nonnie (my mom) blistered us in Scrabble...
she always does...
and she's so nice about it!
Peter and Jake played some other game
that was way over my head...
at least in Scrabble three-letter words are an option!
The girls weren't interested in the Iron Bowl,
so they piled onto a bed and watched "Criminal Minds".
I know...I couldn't believe it either...
perhaps they were a little frightened by Nonnie's
deeply guttural, "GET HIM!!"
It can be overwhelming.
There was lots of snuggling, cuddling, nuzzling that went on...
Hudson...got it from every direction.
He loved it!
Aunt Meggie introduced Hudson to some
apple-core-gnawing.
Where was Aunt Meggie when I was a child?
All I got was an old chicken leg bone!
Advent baskets...one gift to open beginning December 1st
and ending December 25th...with an envelope
each day that contained either a name of God or
an attribute of God to meditate on during the day.
Some gifts were pretty practical...some very random.
I hope each one has been enjoyed and
each heart drawn to marvel and worship anew
as Christmas Day approaches.
When we returned home, the kids were so thoughtful
and caring...they went to the store and bought
a bunch of pork chops, which Sweet Husband grilled,
Meggie, Bethany and Loren made homemade
macaroni and cheese (oh, my!!), steamed broccoli,
and I was blessed by their desire and willingness to serve us!!
Nonnie got in some good time with Hudson
while the cookin' was going on.
So...Telliquah Falls 2010 drew to a close...
it seemed so long in coming and
so quick in passing.
These are the people I love most in this world.
I'm drawn to love Jesus more whenever I'm with them.
This picture...that we're all in it together
is quite a miracle...
and not a testimony to our efforts or abilities.
This is a portrait of God's grace and mercy...
and Hudson...did I mention that Hudson was there?!?
Sunday, December 19, 2010
impossibilities? uh, no...
Just watched the video below... pretty impacted by it.
Our pastor preached from Luke 1 today.
He commented that Mary was probably around 12 or 13
when the angel Gabriel visited her.
A 13 year old girl was sitting in front of me
next to her father.
I couldn't help but wonder
how Mary had such incredible faith...
at such a tender age;
but, as the angel said,
"For nothing will be impossible with God." (vs. 37)
My thoughts moved from the child in front of me
to myself.
I didn't / don't carry the Son of God in my womb
but he has taken up residence within me...
not because of anything I have said or done,
but only because of his sovereign grace.
It was an impossibility for me...
but, as the angel said,
"For nothing will be impossible with God."
"When love came down to earth and made his home with men,
the hopeless found a hope, the sinner found a friend.
Not to the powerful, but to the poor he came
and humble, hungry hearts were satisfied again.
When every unclean thought and every sinful deed
was scourged upon his back and hammered through his feet;
the innocent is cursed, the guilty are released,
the punishment of God on God has brought me peace!
What joy, what peace has come to us!
What hope, what help, what love!"
(from the lyrics by Stuart Townend)
This truth...and only this truth
is the reason for a Merry Christmas!
Our pastor preached from Luke 1 today.
He commented that Mary was probably around 12 or 13
when the angel Gabriel visited her.
A 13 year old girl was sitting in front of me
next to her father.
I couldn't help but wonder
how Mary had such incredible faith...
at such a tender age;
but, as the angel said,
"For nothing will be impossible with God." (vs. 37)
My thoughts moved from the child in front of me
to myself.
I didn't / don't carry the Son of God in my womb
but he has taken up residence within me...
not because of anything I have said or done,
but only because of his sovereign grace.
It was an impossibility for me...
but, as the angel said,
"For nothing will be impossible with God."
"When love came down to earth and made his home with men,
the hopeless found a hope, the sinner found a friend.
Not to the powerful, but to the poor he came
and humble, hungry hearts were satisfied again.
When every unclean thought and every sinful deed
was scourged upon his back and hammered through his feet;
the innocent is cursed, the guilty are released,
the punishment of God on God has brought me peace!
What joy, what peace has come to us!
What hope, what help, what love!"
(from the lyrics by Stuart Townend)
This truth...and only this truth
is the reason for a Merry Christmas!
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