Windy Gap recap

There aren't many places you can go to get away where it is cold and rainy all weekend and you still have the time of your life. This was our second year going to Young Life family camp. We have been attending the Young Life dinners and fundraisers since moving to Charleston but it wasn't until a year ago that we were finally able to go to camp. The stories are true--that place is sacred. 

Loulie has talked about it all year and couldn't wait for this past weekend. It was especially wonderful this year. For one, we had our own cabin with this breathtaking view. 2) Loulie was able to go to breakout sessions with an older group of kids. Bert and I would try to walk her to her group and she would turn around and hold her hand up for us to let her go alone. It's so safe there, we were able to give her independence. 3) We had a lot of friends there this year, friends that we love seeing in Charleston but staying in the same place for a long weekend as a family allows for more, less stressful hang out time. Loulie had buddies to play and dance with--it was sweet to see all the little girls feed off each other and share in worshipping Jesus at such a young age. 4) Loulie knew the ropes this year so she was less anxious. She knew exactly what to do and where to go and with a slight increase in height was able to tackle the ropes course. She was actually the youngest person at camp to get on the ropes course swing. (I was shaking just watching them climb so high.) When she finished, an older group of girls (9 or 10 maybe) were waiting at the bottom to high five her. The look on her face when those "big girls" were congratulating her on being so brave is something I will never forget. Throughout the rest of the weekend, people would pass Loulie and say "there's that little kid that did the swing." Being pretty shy, she rarely tries to draw attention to herself, but this praise of bravery she just ate up. 

Mainly, it was just an amazing time as a family relaxing, enjoying God's creation and spending time with good friends. I hope this is something we will always get to do. I think as life gets busier, this weekend is one that I will look forward to and treasure always.

January 2013

my parents' house almost every weekend in January

January is the quietest month in the garden. 

But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean nothing is happening.

- Rosalie Muller Wright

When I was younger, before I had years of memories of winter and time passing quickly, January made me a little down. The build up, excitement and busyness of the holidays being over followed by dreary weather and open schedules would make me antsy and unmotivated. A few years of this feeling gave me anxiety come January 1 of the looming winter blues. I would go overboard planning events and staying active to avoid the inevitable quiet of the short days and long winter nights. But further into adulthood, I relish this quiet time. I've found that I enjoy the holidays for the exhausting celebrations knowing that we will soon turn the calendar page into a time of rest.
And did I ever need January this year. I resolved that I would use the empty space on my calendar to rest, to listen, to prepare for the year ahead. I wouldn't get bent out of shape that there weren't festivals to attend or packed schedules. I would stop. I would take this season for what it is--just a short season in life. Good thing I did since week one of 2013, the whole family came down sick keeping us housebound for days. But it's as if by resolving in my heart to be thankful for this slow time; the Lord poured out blessing. Because though little happened from a "family album, blogging perspective," BIG prayers were answered and so much time was spent just relishing in family. We took time to think about the past year and what we wanted to change in the year ahead. We prayed about the growth of our family, about our health, about our business. I'm not saying that after days of being stuck inside and way more days of wearing rain boots than I would have liked, that I wasn't going a little stir crazy. I just think that the cold, housebound quiet is needed because that's were rest and listening occur which results in growth and development and most importantly answers.
So that's where we are for the beginning of 2013.

January 2013

- Rang in New Year with friends

- Spent a lot of days inside fighting off colds and catching up on Downton Abbey (obsessed!), and coercing Loulie into taking medicine
-Bridget Bojangle's 6th birthday

- Said good-bye to Bert's airplane, an answer to years of prayer to keep or sell

-Loulie's Class Holiday Concert where she performed front and center

- A friend field trip to Charlestowne Landing

- Mr. Rob came to visit from New York

- Good news from our neighborhood school and my first PTA meeting

-Movie dates with Loulie, girls' nights with Aunt Meme, and lots of family time
-Attended our first Journey Together ministry meeting & met so many wonderful families

- Closed one GAL case and picked up another

When in doubt, use the words of those wiser than yourself

Tonight half the country will go to bed disappointed and discouraged. Regardless of whether you lean to the right or to the left, I think this election has left people on both sides discouraged over the general behavior of friends, co-workers, family, and the number one offender--Facebook friends. (Doesn't anyone have a filter anymore?!) I haven't posted anything political so far. Do we all agree that social media needs to be as shallow as possible for the next few weeks--let's stick to pictures of kids and narcissistic vacation photos shall we? Your dog in a Halloween costume--that's what I want to see when I'm surfing through my newsfeed in the DMV line. ;)
But after seeing so many opinions and spending the last several months researching candidates and topics, I opened my book before bed and landed on this...

Dear Lord, you have sent me into your world to preach your word. So often the problems of the world seem complex and intricate that your word strikes me as embarrassingly simple. Many times I feel tongue tied in the company of people who are dealing with the world's social and economic problems.
But you, O Lord, said, "Be clever as serpents and innocent as doves."Let me retain innocence and simplicity in the midst of this complex world. I realize that I have to be informed, that I have to study the many aspects of the problems facing the world, and that I have to try to understand as well as possible the dynamics of our contemporary society. But what really counts is that all this information, knowledge, and insight allow me to speak more clearly and unambiguously your truthful word. Do not allow evil powers to seduce me with the complexities of the world's problems, but give me the strength to think clearly, speak freely, and act boldly in your service. Give me the courage to show the dove in a world so full of serpents."---Henri Nouwen

Thank you Mr. Nouwen. You took my thoughts and ordered them much more eloquently. The perfect prayer whispered at the perfect moment. I thought others might need to hear it too. A reminder that we serve a Sovereign, Just and Almighty God. To put all ill thoughts and negativity aside. To wake up tomorrow and act boldly in is service.

Checking Myself

I needed this today and you may too.

Yesterday I begrudgingly cut the grass, scrubbed bathrooms, changed bed linens, disciplined a sass mouthed child; all with a self-serving, "is this all there is?" attitude. I knew I was going about it surrounded in negativity and for some reason didn't really do much to change anything. Before I let it carry over into the rest of my week, I went to bed early last night and then read this from Ann Voskamp first thing this morning. I'm sorry if I've posted it before but I go back to these words often. They are such a good reminder. 

"This life of washing dishes, of domestic routine, it can be something wholly different. This life of rote work, it is itself public work, a public serving-even this scrubbing of pans-and thus, if done unto God, the mundane work can become the living liturgy of the Last Supper, I could become the blessing, live the liturgy! I rinse pots and sing it softly, "This is my song of thanks to You..."
      In the moment of singing that one line, dedicating the work as thanks to Him, something-the miracle-happens, and everytime. When service is unto people, the bones can grow weary, the frustration deep. Because, agrees Dorothy Sayers, "whenever man is made the centre of things, he becomes the storm-centre of trouble. The moment you think of serving people, you begin to have a notion that other people owe you something for your pains...You will begin to bargain for reward, to angle for applause,"
      When the laundry is for the dozen arms of children or the dozen legs, it's true, I think I'm due some apprecitation. So comes a storm of trouble and lightning strikes joy. But when Christ is at the center, when dishes, laundry, work, is my song of thanks to Him, joy rains. Passionately serving Christ alone makes us the loving servant to all. When the eyes of the heart focus on God, and the hands on always washing the feet of Jesus alone-the bones, they sing joy, and the work returns to its purest state: eucharisteo. The work becomes worship, a liturgy of thankfulness.
     "The work we do is only our love for Jesus in action," write Mother Teresa. "If we pray the work...if we do it to Jesus, if we do it for Jesus, if we do it with Jesus...that's what makes us content."
     That is what makes us content-the contented, deep joy is always in the touching of Christ-in whatever skin He comes to us in."
      From One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, p. 194

Sometimes it is just better to use the words of others greater than yourself. I think I am now ready to start this day.


   

It came and went, now what?!

Whew! It is a lot of work creating the "perfect Christmas" for your family. After all the cooking and cleaning and wrapping; I now know why my mother was always so tired on Dec. 26th. But at Loulie's (much delayed) bedtime tonight, she asked to take Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus to bed with her along with a few sheep. She said "I take Baby Jesus to seep wiff you." Of course we agreed and at 10:30 she was still singing "Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus" from her crib. It was truly one of the best worst things ever! So even though I've spent the better part of my week leading up to Christmas doing beyond ridiculous preparations, I couldn't help but think "SUCCESS" yesterday when Loulie asked me when the Hoy Night was gonna happen. Because the one thing Bert asks for at Christmas is a house full of peace and happiness. Not stress and last minute preparations and a mother in a bad mood. But that we all celebrate Christmas for what it is--a time to be together praising God for the gift of our Savior.

I am ashamed to admit that I have spent a lot of time this season trying to create a festive atmosphere for my family and friends and not near enough time giving to those truly in need. That I have gotten caught up in the tasks of parenting and buying gifts and decorating and not done some of the things for others that I intended to. But a friend of mine says that God can be glorified in any situation as long as your heart is in the right place. So though I haven't been to a homeless shelter and the make a wish tree was empty by the time I got around to picking out a child, I do feel that our advent season has been one of anticipation. Of celebration. And of praise!

That glory can be brought to God in a room full of kids dancing and laughing and singing praise songs.  In a mother so thankful to have her child next to her helping to prepare dinner for their family. In a wall full of Christmas cards filled with pictures of loving families. In a family together praying around the dinner table. That glory can be brought to Christ through all types of preparation. And that the anticipation of advent doesn't end on Christmas Eve. 
That it is not too late to show the love of Jesus to others, to spread his message and to proclaim the good news. Tonight as I finally sat down and looked around at the unwrapped presents and leftover food, I admit that I thought "Now what?" But isn't that the question! Christ came for ALL people and the countdown of advent doesn't end Christmas day. It creates a beginning--that Christmas is a reminder that God loved us so much that he came down in flesh. A friend posed the question today "What if Christ hadn't been born?" I am thankful that we don't have to know the answer to that question.
I am also thankful that because of that gift, there is a new beginning. And that the answer to the question of "Now what?" is to go love on the unloveable, proclaim the Christmas story and continue to anticipate the coming of our Savoir!

Merry Christmas!

First Beach Trip and the One Thing I Can't Live Without

The tater tot has decided that sleeping is a hobby and not a necessity. It is KILLING me! More importantly, its killing Bert. After 10 months of waking up at least 3 times a night to get my colicky, sleep optional baby to sleep; I have learned to let her cry it out. Not Bert--after sleeping restfully through the first year of Loulie's life, his motherly instincts have kicked in and he can't stand to hear her cry.
Or as we have both come to realize, whether we let her cry it out or not; no one can really sleep through "Mama Dada Mama Dada Bidge"! So all the coffee in the world could not help me out this morning. I plan on lots of jumping jacks and toothpicks for my eyelids :) So please excuse any rambling or grammatical errors.


 Loulie seems to keep finding herself surrounded by cute boys....

My cousin, his wife and their two kids were staying out at Wild Dunes this past weekend. We headed out there so Loulie could play with Clayton and Bubby. They are 6 weeks and 17 months older than her--just enough to keep her on her toes. It was our first afternoon on the beach this year only to have the weather turn on us after a few minutes. It was fine by Loulie who we discovered does not like the sand on her feet. A true girly girl! That will be plenty convenient this summer since we live at the beach. I guess Loulie is going to be THAT kid on the beach in laced up sneakers. Even though we had to head inside, you can tell the fun didn't stop for these three characters.  With a condo full of toys their favorite pass time was yelling and singing to people walking by on the beach.

The weather that rolled in on Saturday has stuck around for the entire week making me feel like it is still winter and giving us lots of time to catch up on our indoor activities. We've started reading Radical by David Platt for small group along with several other small groups in our church.  It is challenging to say the least. Platt discusses whether or not we have taken the gospel and adapted it to fit the American dream. That God's blessings don't necessarily mean a nice home with a two car garage, only eternal life offered through a sacrifice by His only Son. That the blessings God offers are available if we are willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus. 
See what I mean by challenging? 
"It is by grace that you are saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that one can boast." Ephesians 8:9 
Platt chalenges our response to this gift and describes the response to the gospel as this...
        "that gift of grace involves the gift of a new heart. New desires. New longings. For the first time, we want God. We see our need for him, and we love him. We seek after him, and we find him, and we discover that he is indeed the great reward of our salvation."
There's really just nothing else to say after that.


Have a happy weekend!