Ministry

Today this quote was in my devotions:

"Spend your time and energy with heaven's perspective.  Resist the urge to fritter away your valuable time and strength.  Invest it today in the only thing that will last through eternity:  people.  Your children, co-workers, neighbors and husband are worth all the time and energy you have to invest, for now and for eternity."

That is so where I'm at these days.  My neighbor is Egyptian.  She is Muslim and in her 60's.  I have begun walking with her every morning.  She grabs my hand when she sees a dog.  She's afraid of them and Islamic people have a "thing" about dog saliva.  They don't want it near them at all.  We walk so early we see skunks moving about our neighborhood and we are both afraid of being sprayed.  We talk about life and faith.  She loves God.  She prays 5 times a day.  I've heard the call to prayer app on her phone go off.  She ordered us a bidet attachment in thank you for Ben doing all sorts of handyman work over there.  This morning I was walking with her under a full lunar eclipse.  It just can't get any more unusual and wonderful than that!  She tells me stories from the Quran about Jesus talking as a baby.  I tell her stories from the Bible about Jesus.  It is interesting.

Antioch Woods is an apartment complex just 5 minutes from my house.  My house in a cozy neighborhood is butting up against an apartment complex in which people open their doors and they don't have a stick of furniture.  We have committed to going to these apartments once a week (Ben and I) and meeting people and praying with people and hopefully starting a small group Bible study there.  We are meeting and going along with a guy that has been going there for months.  He has the gift of evangelism.  Ben and I are gatherers.  We are relationship people.  It is a good match.  We are using this as a date night.  Meeting/praying with people and then going to dinner together.  We are going there Halloween night as a family.

Following Christ is an adventure... you never know what you are going to encounter.  I'm ready to go a little deeper and trust him more.  I'm ready to not be noticed and go to the people that feel forgotten.

Falling Leaves

I feel like I haven't blogged in ages.  It seems before I can sit down these days a week has gone by.  I am planning a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Beki.  This picture is of a diaper carriage I've been working on.  I need to add a couple of things, but I'm excited by how it is turning out.  

Gwen had a lap-a-thon at her school where you run to raise money for the school and Luke and Zeke ran too.  I have never seen Gwen try so hard at something.  She ran 12 laps.

Romy has officially begun her toddlerhood.  She screams quite a lot and gets into everything.  She screams when she sees other kids going outside and she can't.  She screams when I have a glass of ice water and won't let her drink from it.  She screams when I try to put her in the carseat and when people leave.  All of her communication is screaming, pointing at her mouth (when she's hungry and thirsty).  I'm trying to teach her to sign a few things... so wish me luck.  Since taking this photo we have managed to lose all her her pacifiers.  I think she opens the trash and throws them in sometimes.  I purposed in my heart not to buy more, so... we are off the paci.  But the screaming...

This is the month that Jake and Melody will have their baby.  We are looking forward to another niece or nephew.  I forgot to post any photos, but we also threw a baby shower for Jake and Melody.  It was "mama bird" themed and I was in charge of the decorations.  I borrowed this bird house from a friend.  I thought it made a nice centerpiece.

Time Racing On

It's a busy time in our lives.  Serving at church, raising kids, trying to show them how to work hard and love hard and doing all manner of strange diaper cake concoctions.  That's what I've been doing.  Romy had a photo shoot Saturday.  She is just so beautiful and I wish I could capture her way on camera.  She is just a beautiful soul and I enjoy her very much.  

I was saying "round and round the garden" and she was doing the hand motions.

Look closely for her special feature... the ear that looks pierced, but isn't.

Why can't rolls be cute on adults?  I'd be set!

I love them and think they are beautiful treasures.

This is how I see them most of the time.

My three waves of Grace.

Thoughts on a Tuesday

I haven't weaned Romy yet.  I just can't bring myself to.  Please know I don't want to be blasphemous here, but I feel like Jesus in the story of the women that bled for 12 years.  I feel power coming out of me when she nurses.  I know breastfeeding isn't a super power, but it's close.  I know it's not the milk that is the power I'm talking about.  It is love.  I feel like I'm pouring love into her.  She's the only one that has made it this long and although she's not super into nursing, she likes it for comfort.  I like it for comfort too so I'll do it a little longer.  There, I said it.

A quote I heard from the sermon on Saturday:  "do you have space in your life for people who are far from God?"  Yes, I think so, but I feel compelled to make more space.  I know people all around me that do not know Jesus.  I want to have the ministry of availability. I want to be available to my husband after a long work day.  I want to be available to my children when they talk about their day, laugh, or play (or nurse).  I want to be available to my neighbors that are lonely and need to be asked to dinner, or a single mom that needs a hug, or a Muslim neighbor that needs to see that Jesus requires something of us too and that He's the Messiah.

Proverbs 1:8-9
"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.  They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."

I do love garlands.  Been reading Proverbs lately.  Lord, help me to gain wisdom and discipline.

Romy Turns 1

We had a few neighbors and family over to celebrate Romy turning 1.  I must say, it probably was the party with the least amount of effort on my part.  But we had store bought desserts and she seemed ok about it. 

Here we all were singing Happy Birthday to Romy and he was lifting her up.

She was having a good time bothering my brother.

Beki and Jeff got Romy a whoopie cushion.  The kids thought that was great fun.  Giving a one year old a whoopie cushion... hum... their time will come.

Happenings

Here's Romy searching for food on the floor.  :)

Today was picture day at school.  I took these at home.

She came up with this pose... haha

all the Barreth Grandkids with Grandma Morris.  The chemo made her hair curly.

I made this with the help of mom for my sister-in-law's baby shower (Melody).  My first ever diaper cake.  The theme of the decor for the shower is "mama bird".

and last but not least... ROMY WALKING!!  We've been very busy moving and growing.

Zeke's First Day- Preschool

This was Zeke yesterday.  That poor caterpillar!  

Ben's Grandma gave me this bowl.  I have one like it except it is turquoise with white and now I have white with turquoise.  Love it!

This is Zeke's first day of preschool this year.  He is going two days a week just like last year.  He enjoys it so much.  He picked his clothes out and "gelled" his hair especially for this day.  He was so excited!

Here they are... growing big.

If I only could explain what I feel when I look at this face!

The girls.  Same class.

Zeke and his nap mat.

Love is a Verb

Love is that baby that wakes you in the night
Love is the hug to a neighbor going through divorce
Love is an open door to children
Love is a yes to a favor asked by a friend
Love is watching your child walk toward independence
Love is letting someone struggle when it is in their best interest
Love is supporting your spouse when they are too weak to walk
Love is a meal made for another with pretzel sticks they prefer
Love is a gentle answer when stressed
Love is a mature thing- a God thing
Love is a verb.

First Time in Sand

Romy's first time in sand.  I thought she'd eat it, but she didn't.  She seemed to really enjoy it!  

Gwen- First day of First Grade

This is Romy the other day at an apple orchard.  The kids went to a day camp there to benefit missions.  

Today Lugi came to our back yard.  We love hawks.  They are majestic.

My girl started 1st grade today.  Grandma took her to school and we were not emotional about it.  She is thrilled and happy especially that she has a locker.

She is a beauty.  Lord, help me to guide this one!

Oh my goodness... this baby... she crushes me underneath the weight of her cuteness.