Easter Book List

Anyone who knows us well, knows that good books are important to us. We spend a lot of time reading and are always on the hunt for quality books that are meaningful and well written. We're enjoying several this month leading up to Resurrection Sunday and thought we would share the blessing.

The Lamb by John R. Cross, is a beautifully illustrated book. It takes a clear journey through the heart of the gospel story, laying a foundation beginning with the Genesis creation. A clear identification is made between the sacrificed lamb of the Old Testament and the crucified Saviour Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins.

We read R.C. Sproul's children's books over and over around here; he is adept at presenting deep biblical truths to children on their own level. While The Prince's Poison Cup is one we enjoy all year, it is especially meaningful during the Resurrection season. In this theologically sound allegorical work, he focuses on the atonement to show that Jesus had to endure the curse of sin in order to redeem His people from spiritual death. The terrific illustrations are bonus.

This is the first year we've enjoyed Passion Hymns for a Kid's Heart by Joni Earekson Tada and Bobbie Wolgemuth. Steve and I love singing and reflecting on the deep truth of the old hymns; and their meaning and heritage is something we work hard to instill in the hearts of our kids. Passion Hymns is a collection of hymns that share the power of the cross and the joy of the resurrection. The book shares a Bible story related to each hymn and the cd is sweet; it's quality actually surprised me.
Of course, we're also looking forward to making our traditional Resurrection Cookies and might give Resurrection Rolls a try this year, too. He is Risen!!

Four Years, Seven Days

Last Wednesday we celebrated Giggles' 4th Birthday. What a happy day! She is so exuberant and full of life that she brings joy to any occasion, but when it's her birthday it's extra exciting.

She had faithfully done the birthday countdown for the week leading up to her day...and she didn't miss a beat; with fingers displaying the number of days left, she was 100% accurate. House FULL birthdays always start with a run to our small island grocery to pick up donuts for breakfast. Later in the evening, we had a small family party at home with her grandparents, our adopted great-grands and her siblings. "Small family party" is a relative term...

On Birthday Saturday, Daddy wakes up the birthday child while the other kids are still sleeping. They make a repeat run to the island grocery for a donut and strawberry milk and drive to the beach for a 'walk and talk'. It's a highlight for all, and Giggles was no exception as she returned home and bounced through the door...giggling.

Sunday night was the most anticipated event, however. Our church has recently reinstated the "Birthday Bank." Giggles marched into evening service with her four pennies carefully pocketed. When her turn came, she was almost beside herself with an ear to ear smile...her enthusiasm was so great, she could hardly stand still long enough to get her pennies into the bank!! Someone later asked me if she'd needed to use the bathroom while she was onstage. Nope, she was just that excited!! I really wish I'd had the video camera...

One of the greatest accomplishments of her third year was that she stopped sucking her thumb. Her success story is a depiction of her personality. At her semi-annual dental check up last summer, the dentist explained that pretty soon she'd need to stop sucking her thumb for the sake of her teeth. No big hurry, he said, just something to start thinking about. He then shared that when she stopped sucking her thumb for seven whole days, Mommy could make a call to his office and he'd send a present in the mail. Before we left, I whispered to the hygienist that she'd never do it; I still couldn't get this going-on-three-and-half-year-old potty trained!!

Three days after the appointment, Giggles came to me and stated matter-of-factly, "Mommy, I'm not sucking my thumb anymore." Hmmm...I hadn't noticed. But I started to pay attention. Sure enough, no daytime comfort sucking. I doubted she could be successful so quickly. That night I went up to check on her several times as she slept. While her hand was tucked up under her chin in a sucking position, her thumb was not in her mouth!! And she never sucked that silly thumb again. At the end of the week, we called the dentist to report the exciting news and, true to his word, he sent her a My Little Pony and a $10 Target gift card!!

And that's just how Giggles does life. She gets something set in her mind and does it (and she did finally get the potty thing down!!). Her determination and will, when directed properly, are something to be admired!!

She brings so much life to our days and truly is a ray of sunshine in our home. We can't imagine life without her and are so thankful for the gift the Lord chose to give us and let us keep.

We love you, Princess Bella Giggles!!

Severe Mercies

I have come to learn that blessings aren't necessarily what I always thought they were; the things I somehow believed God should grant me because I am His.

Very often, the Lord disguises His blessings as severe mercies. The trials of life that strip me of my resources and remind me that only in Him can I truly live. The agonies that crowd me to the foot of His cross. The healing that comes through pain, struggle and disappointment. Not the blessings I want; but the blessings I need.

The severe mercies of life. Because they are indeed His mercies.

I heard this song for the first time this morning. It is a sweet reminder of what the Lord has been faithfully teaching me over the past few years.

I especially love the last lines:

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:22

Two in One

Only a Peacemaker would be thoughtful and considerate enough to lose two teeth in the same day. That's just how she is.

Five...

I realize that it is entirely too cliche to begin a blog post with the phrase "where has the time gone?", but that is exactly what I'm asking myself today as my sweet baby boy turns five. FIVE!! To me, there is something so significant about five. It's like saying goodbye to babyhood and hello to boyhood with a single turning of the calendar page.

While he'll always be our little Davy Crockett and still sports his coonskin cap on a regular basis, he now aspires to the likes of Red Ryder. He straps his holster on, dons his cowboy boots and hat, tightens his red bandanna and with a twinkle in his eye, asks "Do I look him, Mom?"

He painstakingly writes pages and pages of words, carefully forming each letter, making sure he has perfectly printed the names of each and every member of his family. He loves memorizing Bible verses and answering questions during family devotions. He is not intimidated by being the youngest of the older pack; he is driven and motivated, desiring to prove he 'can' to himself more than to anyone else.

This little-big boy who began life so precariously is a daily reminder of the hugeness of God and the days He numbers.

This past week, we celebrated his 'last fours': the last time he would go to church as a four year old, his last bike ride as a four year old, his last bowl of cereal as a four year old, the last time I would kiss him goodnight as a four year old, and on and on. Though he was excited by the showering of attention, I'm quite certain the significance was lost on him.

He was looking ahead to five, while I wanted to stay in the land of four forever.

The land where matchbox cars are lined up by the mile, where exuberance and high-pitched squeals seem never ending, where l's and r's still sound like w's when he asks me to tie his shoes 'wee-wee tight', and where he still says 'Mommy, will you hold me?' Oh, I know these events will still occur; I know he won't stop immediately just because he's a day older than he was yesterday. But it's changing. He's changing.

He's growing, maturing, and coming into his own. There are moments when he's doing something inane like standing at the piano pounding at keys, but when I catch his profile, I see him in my mind's eye 10 years down the road: almost a man.

And it makes me want to savor every moment.

It reminds me that rather than telling him it's time to get off my lap so we can get our day started, I should deeply breathe his sweaty little boy morning smell; that when he asks me how to make a 'P' for the twentieth time this week, I should sit down with him while he makes rows and rows of 'Ps'; and that when he tracks in mud with his yellow rain boots, I should take a picture instead of telling him to go back outside. Because someday I'm going to wish it all back. And I have a feeling that some day isn't very far away.

Happy Birthday, Davy Crockett!! We are so blessed by the gift of you!!

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you... Jeremiah 1:5

A Week In Pictures

Sometimes pictures are worth a thousand words (although I'm pretty good at coming up with 1000 words...just ask my husband!!)

Ode to My Life...

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

Written by Kathy Fictorie
Based on If You Give a Moose a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

So she'll pour herself some.

The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do some laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With a Pound of

Hamburger.)

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.

She will look for the checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two year old.

While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring. (Of course!)

Her five year old will answer it and hang up.

She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come over for coffee on Friday.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

She will pour herself some.

And chances are,

If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.