Staggering Statistics.



"The foundation for building a 'good man' is built between the ages of 8 and 12."

whoa. wow. scary. challenging.

Lord help us all.
Cover us in Your grace.
Show us how to lead well. How to parent well. How to teach the life lessons.

By Your grace and with Your wisdom, may the end result of our parenting be good, godly men.
On fire for You.
Kingdom leaders.
Courageous husbands.
Intentional fathers.

May our good little boys, by God's grace alone, not become statistics.
May they grow to be good men - in EVERY sense of the word.

Lessons Learning.

So, I had an epiphany of sorts the other day.

I'm not sure the exact minute it happened, or the exact how or why precisely -- all I know is that, this weekend, somewhere between a heavy conversation with someone about "Does God even exist?" and then another conversation with someone whom I hadn't seen for ten plus years where I was literally listening to myself talk about something and knowing full well that I was not explaining myself nearly as intelligibly as I was thinking it in my brain -- I had this previously above mentioned epiphany.

I am really not very good with hard questions.
I do not have the gift of discernment.
Sometimes I don't have much of a filter.
And I do not have the gift of counseling.

I'm just not good at it.

My brain gets all funky, and the answers get all blurry, and I release this verbal spewage that makes no sense at all. And sometimes, I try so hard to be encouraging and understanding, that it gets misconstrued for full and free support of what is taking place, when in my heart I don't agree with it at all, but I am trying to be supportive of the friend - NOT the activity.

You tracking with me?

I often say really dumb things and give really bad advice.
I often see a situation completely for what it isn't.
I sometimes step on toes unintentionally, and other times I completely avoid stepping on toes when maybe they should be tromped on just a little bit.

But, that's okay.
I'm still learning me.
I am good at listening.
I am good at tangibly showing I care and am concerned.
The counseling stuff, I am learning to defer to Kevy.
And the things that might need filtering, I am learning to shut my trap.

I'm becoming very comfortable with saying "I don't know;" daily I eat humble pie, and that's okay; and I'm learning to defer to others who might be more qualified to handle things or even speak, for that matter, better than I.

That's what makes "the body" - the BODY, right?
I'm the "eye," someone else is the "arm," and others are the "feet" and the "hands."
It's good. It's all good.
Lessons learning.

It's the Simple Things...

Good morning, Sunday.
I think I love you.

Right now, the boys are running around playing ninjas, Kev has fun music on in the background, and we are sipping coffee and making pancakes together. It's a good start to our day.

For as long as we've been married, Sunday has always been one of the busiest days of our week, and though things have changed and morphed through the years, that fact still remains to be true. But, we are learning to slow and see the sacred. We are learning to focus on what the Lord wants US to focus on. And we are striving to really hear him - to truly listen.

And, as always - I love looking back over our week previous - and intentionally finding all of the little gifts that God has given me throughout. Little joys to focus on. So without further ago, here are just a few:

My top however many I end up with "little loves" for the week:

:: Coffee. In all of its various forms and locations. Especially at my favorite coffee shop with my favorite people whilst playing tic tac toe, the dot game, and Hangman.

:: Half off dining coupons. And belated Valentine's Day celebrations. At the location where it all began. Where he proposed and where we had our first dinner together as an engaged couple. And the crazyiest thing about this date was when we walked through the doors, I saw my uncle from way up in the county there - doing a week long conference for his job - so he paid for our entire meal. How I love him.

:: Kevy fixing my Great Great Grammy's dresser that I have had ever since I was a little girl. It was getting crazy rickety, and my Handyman fixed it for me. The man speaks my love language well, he does.

:: Watching Ransom watch "the guys." He finds them hilarious, and he loves to be a spectator of them playing outside. And they love to put on a show.

:: OH yes. I love this on SO many levels. This big boy is working to earn a game, and I tell you what - he cleans my floors better than I do. I'm going for brownie points with my daughter in law, someday. I figure it's a good goal to shoot for...

:: Bread experiments that somewhat end in flops. But by simply changing the name - it becomes something altogether different, and then it's okay. So, instead of my normal fluffy bread, it becomes "English Toasting Bread." Meaning, it's slightly more crumbly and heavy. I don't think that's really a lie. I look at it more like coming up with an entirely new breed of bread. It also becomes a lesson in swallowing my pride and gifting something less than perfection. It's the thought that counts, after all, right?

:: Hanging with this eclectic group of adults and college kids on Sunday nights, going on mission together, and striving to make God's Kingdom closer and more tangible to those in our communities around us. And I love doing it as a family. I love the sweet and the loud and the chaos and the quality time and the worship together as a group of all ages.

:: These three books. Favorites of all three of my boys and long been memorized by this Mama. When I look at my big almost eight year old, I am amazed that he was Ransom's age once. A long time ago.

:: Night time sparkler shows.

:: Chicky order forms. Although Kevy stands firm in never again buying a turkey, because he felt like he was slaughtering the family pet, I told him that I would try to be a better farmer this year, and we just might try our hand at raising a few meat birds and get a few extra layers, as well. Woot!

:: And lastly, pie making with the big boys - from start to finish, clean-up included - this was their little project that they worked on together.

:: Many hands make light work, so they say. That's a bunch of bull when it comes to wee ones. But many hands ARE good for making memories. And for licking bowls clean!


So, yes.
It's the simple things. Always the simple things.

Because "it's the joy of the small that makes life large," and what is life, really, other than a whole bunch of littles strung together to make one wild and crazy, beautiful, messy, big, living, loving LIFE.

Weekend Wanderings...


Weekends are for coffee shops and long wanderings outside.
They are for Camden and Mount Battie - for hikes and explorations.

Because "man's heart away from nature becomes hard." ~ Standing Bear.

And "the poetry of the earth is never dead." ~ John Keats.

And "in all of nature, there is something of the marvelous." ~ Author unknown.

And because "everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~ John Muir.

Because "happiness flutters in the air whilst we rest among the breaths of nature." ~ Kelly Scheaffer.

And "Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountains and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books." ~ John Lubbock.

"You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters." ~ St. Bernard.

Because "nature is the art of God." ~ Thomas Browne.

And "Earth's crammed with Heaven, and every common bush afire with God." ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

And because "truly is may be said that the outside of a mountain is good for the inside of a man." ~ George Wherry.

And because we - our little family - we "go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have our senses put in order." ~ John Burroughs

We go to find the sacred amidst the chaos.

"The Heavens are the heavens of the LORD. But the earth He has given to the sons of men." ~ Psalm 115:16.


* * * * *
2516. Weekend Wanderings.
2517. Intentional time as a family.
2518. God of ALL creation.
2519. Proper perspective - my smallness amidst the vastness of creation.
2520. Three boys - running wild and free.
2521. Seeing the beauty.
2522. Warm days, snowy nights.
2523. Maple sap running.
2524. Little rocks, humungous mountains - made by the same Creator.
2525. Little me, Creator YOU.

Payoff.

One day last summer, the boys and I came across a ginormously huge, green luna moth larvae. It was the coolest thing ever - about as big as my finger, and so we did what we always do. We put it in one of our jillion bug boxes, gave it some leaves, and figured we'd observe it for a few days and then let it go.

Well, what to our wondering eyes should appear, but by next day, it had completely cocooned itself into some of the leaves and around a branch! Well, that was pretty cool. We'd never had this happen before, so we moved it into our bug habitat and did a little research.

So say the experts - this puppy will cocoon through the winter and then hatch come spring - so long as it's in a dry place where it won't freeze.

So, this has been its home for the past six months, at least.
I find that it really goes with my kitchen decor, don't you?
It's been a good conversation piece to say the least.

Anyway, lo and behold -
yesterday, I was walking by this thing to go into the living room, and I thought I saw what looked to be an antennae or a leg poking through the mesh holes.

Sure, enough - I unzipped the little door to have a looksee, and look what I found!

Pret-ty amazing if you ask me!
I seriously thought we were housing a dud.

Here's the little hole where she crawled out.

We know it's a girl, because she had laid eggs everywhere.
We (or I should say "I") know that the eggs won't hatch because they haven't been fertilized by a male luna moth, but Kaden says: "Well, Mama. You were pretty sure our moth wasn't going to hatch either now, weren't you? And look what happened."

So, to humor my loves, we shall keep the eggs "in a cool dark place and eagerly await the eggs to {not} hatch within the next 8-12 days."

Kaden watched her lay an egg on his hand while he was holding her.
Totally cool.
Ransom's response was a little less eager: "That's a yucky, ouchy bug!"

Did you know?

~ Adult luna moths have no mouths, so they do not eat. Hence, they die in about a week. Kind of sad, but this makes me not feel bad about keeping her.
~ Females send out a scent to call their male counterparts to come and mate.
~ They will wait quietly for their man for a couple of days before they'll give up and lay eggs anyway - duds though they may be.
~ This is a really cool site if you had a hankering to raise any of your own. You know, just for kicks and giggles.
~ I'm thinking that this funky winter that we've had caused this little lady to hatch maybe just a bit early. We are still mid-winter with no other butterflies or moths flitting about outside yet.

Smudge is hoping for a snack.
He is less than impressed about the boys protecting "Miss Camoflauge."

Finally, a little taste of spring.
Now the boys are dreaming about snakes and salamanders; frogs' eggs and newts.
That's what little boys - and their Mama's, I guess - are made of!

Rolls: A Sharing Edition.


There are two types of rolls I'm thinking about today.
Both of them are mine.
Well, that's not completely true, I guess.
One type completely originated with me - the other originated from my good friend, Jessica Bloodsworth.

Let's talk about mine first, shall we?

Somehow, someway - in the days leading up to our trip to California, or during the week that we were in California, or in the week and a half since we've been back from California, I have gained seven pounds.

Se-ven pounds.
These are the rolls that are all mine.

(That Starbucks mermaid or whatever the whoseewhatzit she is and I were very good friends on one of our flights. Besty bests...)

We went jogging every morning that we were out there, and I guess I justified that a twenty minute run would cancel out all of the coffee and snacks I consumed during my meetings and all of the coffee and icecream shops that we visited during our seven days of summer out there. Alas. I am less than impressed.

So, I have begun to dutifully drag myself downstairs and put in my time on our treadmill, once again. And when I dragged myself back upstairs for my life giving cup 'o joe......

Well, this is where the second kind of rolls fits into my story.

You see, I have this recipe - originated from Jess B. as previously stated above - that are the easiest, fastest, absolutely most deliciously fool proof recipe for rolls that you have ever seen in your life. I promise you. I make them for every potluck supper, every holiday and company meal, and any other time that I wish to impress others with my bread making skills.

And without fail, each time that I make them, people ask for the recipe. I surely hope it wasn't a family secret, Jess, because people the world over have this recipe now. It is THAT good. And equally THAT easy.

Win win for the rolls.
These ones, anyway.
NOT the other ones. Blast them all.

I promise you that once you make these puppies - you will never go back to what you were previously making. Anyway, they are sitting by my coffeemaker as we speak. Mocking me. I made them for a potluck last night and have a few left over. And yes - three people, in fact - asked me for the recipe. I told you. You can thank Jessica after you try them out for yourself.

Super versatile. Super delish. Completely foolproof. And crazy easy.
People will think you are amazing.
And who doesn't need a little ego boost every once in awhile?
Especially when you have a few extra rolls of the other kind hanging around?

Here's the recipe:
JESSICA BLOODSWORTH'S SUPER AMAZING, MOST DELICIOUSLY ASTUTE, POTATO REFRIGERATOR ROLLS:

In a ginormous bowl, dissolve:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons of dry yeast
2/3 cups sugar

Let this stuff sit for a couple of minutes to get a little foamy.

In the meantime, boil enough potatoes to make one heaping cup. I usually cook about 3 medium to small taters to do the trick. NOTE: instant mashed works just fine, as well. (versatile! easy!) I have done both, and I honestly taste no difference. I just usually do the real thing because I still have a ton left from my garden. Mash them up and let them cool a bit.

Into your honking bowl, proceed to dump your potatoes along with everything else listed here:
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup melted butter (or Earth Balance for those with dairy issues)
2 beaten eggs
7 cups of flour (Any combination will do. Obviously the white flour of death makes the fluffiest rolls. I have also done with both wheat and spelt. Better for you. Not as amazing in looks or flavor. Depends on what you're going for...)

Mix everything together with a wooden spoon. It will be a bit sticky and lumpy.
Form it into a ball.
Take the ball out just long enough to grease your bowl, and then put it right back in. Voila! A one pot wonder!

If you want to cook your rolls that day, set them on your stove for about an hour until they double in size. Or, if you so desire, you can put them in your refrigerator to rise overnight....or get this - for up to seven days. Easy! Versatile!

Once, they have arisen to your desired size, divide your dough into two equal balls. Each ball will make either 12 large rolls or 16 medium rolls. I often will just cook off half of the dough and freeze the other portion for another meal. The dough freezes wonderfully.

Roll your dough out into a pizza shape, and using a pizza cutter, divide the dough either into 12 large sections or 16 medium sized ones. Just cut the circle in half. Cut it in half again. And divide each quarter either into three's or four's. Roll each piece up from the fat end to the point. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

And there you have it.
World's best rolls.
They may or may not play into my previously above mentioned dilemma....

However, as the great Luciano Pavarotti once said: "One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

Yes. yes! Here here!
I freely and fully agree.
And so thus, I shall run. So that I may continue to eat.
I am, after all, all about the food....

Food for Thought.

** So, as far as the jellybean jar Lent/Easter visual goes, need it be said that theologically, it is obviously not totally and completely spot on? Obviously, we can't "earn" anything when it comes to our salvation and that it is ALL about God's grace. That's not really the point here in this activity with the kids, but I just had to put that out there.

Okay, moving on.
Here's a video I came across today that was equal parts perspective and swift kick in the butt for me:



Whew. I find this video - this reminder - to be heavy.

'Tis true what James says, that life is but a vapor...

And how I long for Him - the author of my existence and my being - to write the story of my life.
How I need to get out of the way and let Him.

Because this world is not our home, but we get to live in the waiting room until the Forever begins. And He wants us to live fully, so that when the time comes we will be fully ready to go Home. This fleeting blink of a life here - where we may never leave the twelve-block radius of our one horse town, can still be lived in such a way that delivers into the fullest of Forever Afters.

We are not - everyone of us - going to be a Mother Teresa or a Billy Graham.
In fact, that was never to be the intention for our lives.
We have all been strategically placed right where we are, with the families that we are in, in our own little spheres of influence that nobody else around us has. And this is where we are to live - fully alive.

This is where we are to make impact.

And when we view life through the proper lens, our domestic routines and our crazy schedules can suddenly become something altogether different. When Christ is at the center of everything that we do, then "the work that we do is only our love for Jesus in action." ~ Mother Teresa.

We become His hands and His feet wherever we go.
We become empty so that we can in turn, fill others.
We are blessed, so that we might be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2)

If we are truly living for The One, than our little lives and the little deeds that we do each and every day - when they are done in His power and through His spirit - they become multiplied, making the larger world - our own spheres of influence - a better place.

We become "a current in a river of grace that redeems the world!" ~ Ann Voskamp.

And those fleeting years of life down here will have Eternal impact on the rest of our Forever.

Yes. Good perspective.

JellyBean Prayer.

** Yesterday's "Worth the Fight" post is still on the editing floor and in process. Typically, I write pretty stream of consiousness and don't do much with the proofreading or editing, per se. But, when I re-read yesterday's post, I don't feel like I was getting out exactly what I was trying to say, so I'm still working on it. My basic point was that our marriages are worth fighting for, and Satan will do everything he can to destroy them, and do you ever stop to think that we are given our children just for a brief season but our spouses for a lifetime - so we should be doing some heavy duty investing and that no matter or pasts or our baggage, Jesus is all about redemption and restoration and bringing beauty out of the ashes of our pasts - or our present's for that matter - and He wants to do a NEW thing, an amazing thing within each of our marriages and relationships so that we grow and thrive and prosper and are real and raw and madly in love with each other for as long as we both shall live. *whew.* So, yeah, that's basically what I'm working on. In a really run-on nutshell.



* * * * *

In the meantime, seeing as how Easter is around the corner - a little earlier this year, by the way... I wanted to share a fabulous Lent idea (of sorts) that we can do with our kids leading up to April 8th.

I believer this idea originated with my good friend, Shannon, and then went viral over facebook via my friend Wendy. So, the kudos goes completely to them, but I thought I would share it over here for anyone with kidlets.

On Ash Wednesday - which is tomorrow by the way, but you could do it whenever you feel like it really - set out a glass jar for each child with a small copy of the jellybean prayer taped to it. (The prayer is below - highlighted in bold). Determine a behavior to go with each jellybean color (corresponding with the prayer), and each day the kids can earn a jellybean of any color they followed through on.....but they can't eat any of the candy until Easter.

Thus, the Lent idea.

And here's the really cool part of the project. The kids cannot earn any white jellybeans, as they represent the Grace of Christ, which is a gift not earned ourselves. On Easter morning, the kids will wake up to find their jars filled up to the top where they were still empty (lacking) with white jellybeans (God's grace).

How cool is THAT?!!!
What a rockin' visual.
I love it.

Here are the ideas given for how to interpret each color.
Make up your own ideas based on the ages and needs of your own hoolies.

~ Red is for the blood Christ gave.
Each morning, choose something to sacrifice that day to earn the red jellybean.
It has to be something they would have had the opportunity to have or do on that day.

~ Green is for the palm's cool shade.
Green jellybeans can be earned for good deeds.
It was a good deed to provide a shade for Jesus with the palm.

~ Yellow is for God's light so bright.
Yellow jellybeans can be earned for sharing God's light through kindness to others.

~ Orange is for prayers at twilight.
Orange jellybeans can be earned for attentive behavior during bedtime prayer, family devotions, or nighttime Bible stories.

~ Black is for sweet rest at night.
These can be earned for going to bed obedient and good.
You could use blue if your kids aren't fans of the licorice flavor.

~ White is for the grace of Christ.
As mentioned above, these cannot be earned.

~ Purple is for His days of sorrow.
These can be earned through apologizing to anyone we hurt with our words or deeds that day.

~ Pink is for each new tomorrow.
Pink jellybeans can be earned when they forgive those who apologized to them for hurtful behavior.

And the rest of the poem reads:
And a handful of jellybeans -
Colorful and sweet,
Is a prayer, a promise -
A loved one's treat!
Happy Resurrection Day!


Go HERE to get more ideas and free jellybean prayer printables!

What If?

What if we allowed the Gospel of Christ to truly touch every aspect of our lives?
What if we let it regain its rightful place in our every day happenings?
What if we allowed the Good News of Jesus to shape and inform every single aspect of our lives?

Might this change everything about our community? Our faith groups? Ourselves?
Could it cause a Revolution?

Because, if Jesus tangibly walked the earth today, methinks we might not find Him hanging out at the places where we usually play. Or staying within the comfortable four block radius of His home where it's safe and comfortable.

I think He would be hanging out in the margins of society.
I think He would be making friends with the unlovely. The untouchables.
And I think He would be making His Kingdom tangible to those who might never get a taste of it unless He brought it first to them.

This is the radical love of Jesus that I know.

Shine 2010 Recap from Flatirons Community Church on Vimeo.

Finding our Groove.

We are slowing easing back into life again.
Finding our rhythm and getting back to our norm.

I, for one, have been living in the same pair of p.j. pants for the past three days.
Still a bit bleary eyed, but getting there.

It's been fun to watch all three boys settle back into their favorite little spaces and greet all of their toys and books...and pets....with new appreciation, and much, um, enthusiasm!

I'm pretty sure the chickens missed the boys equally.
Er, not so much.
Poor girls...

And this little cat of ours?

Holy Hannah - we could hear him meowing inside while we were walking up the steps when we first came home. He greeted us right at the door and has been a perpetual shadow wherever I walk. At bedtime, he can either be found wrapped around Kaden's head, or weaseling his way under my covers and begging to share my pillow with me.

I can't say that I really mind.
Kevy begs to differ.....

But, seriously, how can one resist this fat little ball of fluff?
He has it rough, this little Smudge of ours.

And so, we are easing in. Slowly and steadily.
Preparing to kick it into high gear and get completely back on track next week.
But, these past few days have been good for us.
Resting and refueling.
Reconnecting and rebuilding.

Happy weekend, friends!