Summertime Adventures

As much as I love to hate the MN winters, I have to admit that summertime can be absolutely splendid.
And when we are not all cooped up inside, there is actually quite a bit to get out and see and DO in this state!

Here's a little "window" into our world. All right, it's not actually a "window" - it's an outdoor sculpture at the Walker Art Museum. It's quite a large structure, actually. And I thought it was so neat because depending on where you stand, the sculpture frames different areas of the city. Here, it is framing our tallest building, the IDS.



Here are the kiddos and I standing in front of the famous "cherry on spoon" sculpture in the garden. Not sure if that's exactly the right name for it, but it fits, so I'll go with it...



Our visit was even more fun having Grandma along. Here they are discussing a sculpture that I was told looked like (to them) Moses staff at the burning bush. Wow! Did my kids really think of that on their own? Yeah- they did. And I think the tour guide was a little suspicious of me after that ;) I mean, how many 4 year old's come up with that interpretation after staring at a jumbled mess of bronze and wood? (It was Alex's interpretation, after all).



Perhaps the most fascinating part of the entire sculpture garden was the duckies in the pond in the center of the garden. My girls... they love their nature, that's for sure!

These are a few of my favorite things...

I love summer. I enjoy everything about it.
Long days.
Wearing sandals and shorts.
Eating all our meals outdoors.
Sitting on our swing and watching the kids play for hours.
Watching the families of birds in our yards create life and watching the babies take flight for the first time out of the nest.

And more than anything, I love it that my kids adore being together and spending hours on end outside.

The possibilities are endless and imagination and play rule the roost. Ahhh- childhood!

Here they are looking for a new "pet" - digging for worms...



Though it was cool and windy this day, they bundled up in blankets and sat on the swing for nearly 3 hours straight. Swinging, coloring, reading books and just being together...



And right here, just might possibly be the best $100 I've ever spent. This trampoline has not gone a single day unused in the summer. It is the perfect size for them- not to big, not to small- just right...



I cherish these summer days, for they end far too quickly!

More than I can handle...

"Hello??.... Oh! Hi, God!... you want me to endure WHAT?!?!?!?!!? "


(... insert tragedy, problem, challenge, discomfort)

And, just for good measure- let's throw in a couple of well meaning friends who pat you on the back and offer these gems of comfort, "Just remember, God never gives us more than we can handle."

There are 2 major problems with that sentence. One, God does not give us the problems, tragedies and challenges we face. He allows them- yes. But He does not give them to us to put our feet to the fire and see how we'll fare. Second, I don't know about you, but I know a lot of people who have been dealt a hand that is quite a bit "more than they can handle."

How do you tell the parent of a sick child or, even worse, one who has lost their child to death that it's not more than they can handle?


Or someone facing cancer, illness, bankruptcy, divorce, betrayal, fear, loneliness, despair that it's not more than they can handle?

Here is what I think we ought to offer to people when they face trials- or when we ourselves find ourselves in the midst of insurmountable challenge...

Take courage! You can endure (handle) this with Him by your side and through relying on His strength.

Let's offer truth! Not rhetoric. The truth that is found in His letter to us...

"The Lord is my Shepard, I have everything I need." Psalm 23:1

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27

"I will never fail you, I will never abandon you." Hebrews 13:5

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4


I don't know about you, but these promises of TRUTH sound a lot more appealing to me than a hollow cliche that someone made up a long time ago and as a society we've taken on to verbalize as the "gospel truth." I've been told, more than once in my life, "You know, God never gives us more than we can handle... it's in the Bible." Ahh, No. It's not.


But God does promise His peace, His comfort, His encouragement. And more than anything, I think we would do well to remember that our life on earth is not our final destination. It is so hard to understand that concept- for this life on earth is all we know! But the truth is that "This life is but a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes away." (James 4:14) Our real life is the one we experience for eternity, in Heaven, with Christ.

But while we are here, we will face challenges of many kinds. Because God designed it that way? No. Because we live in a fallen world that has been given over to Satan. But only for a short time. His power is short lived, and he knows it and tries to make the most of it. But keep heart! Know that the story has already been written- the battle has been won- and the victory over the grave has been fulfilled.

There is nothing that this world can throw at us...no challenge, problem, tradegy or even death- which is the "worst" this world can deal us... that God cannot redeem and use for His glory if only we open up our hearts, trust Him and allow Him to.

Doing what I don't want to do...

There's been a recurring verse that has floated in my mind- not just recently- but, well, probably since I actually started reading my Bible. It's not a verse of encouragement, really- nor is it a verse of "promise." It's a verse I find popping in my head at the most interesting times- and, lately, rather often.

Here goes...

"I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate." - Rom. 7:15

For some reason, this verse strikes me with a strange combination of equal parts humorous and serious- but all together totally true in my life.

It seems to crop up at the most opportune times... like, say, when I glance over at that tadpole tank and make a conscious decision not to feed him because I'm just too lazy (or perhaps it's a subconscious decision cause I'd like him to quit lasting so long). Or, when I tell my kids NO, for no good reason at all, other than I must like to hear myself say NO more than I like to hear my self saying "yes."

"Mom, can we have some more tomatoes for a snack?"

'NO!!' - I bark.
(...What? I mean, seriously... why? who deprives their kids of eating more vegetables? Apparantly, me... and for absolutely no good reason).

Senseless!

Or, other times when I think thoughts I should not think and say things that ought not to be said.... and, more importantly, when I go ahead and do these things AFTER I've already consciously decided I ought not to do them.

Lunacy!

Yet, I continue to "do the things I do not want to do."

Is there a way out of this mess on my own? Or does it all just lead me back to one place? My reliance on Him. Does anyone see a pattern here? My last post... now this post? Sorry to burden you with posts about my conflicted mind- but, well- it is my blog after all and I'm obviously using it now to vent. Which, I'll bet, is at least a little bit more interesting than recital pictures.

But, I digress.
And here I arrive, again, at the undeniable truth...
There is a God. I am not Him.

In other words, I just can't do "it" without His help. I mean, yes- of course- I can feed that stupid tadpole without His help. But I can't live the best life I want to live without relying on Him. I can't hold my tongue, I can't reign in my thoughts- I can't stop doing what it is I should NOT do, without realizing that my life is not my own to live and submitting to the fact that my own life cannot be lived fully without His presence in my life and total reliance on Him... to get me through each day and to help me make the choices I need to make. Without that, I continue on the pattern of doing what I do not want to do, and even doing the things I hate.

Lord, help me to focus on the bigger picture. Help me to remember, in all things- both big and small- that it's all about YOU. It's not about me. Help me to stop doing the things I don't want to do- but to make the conscious choice to do what is honoring to Your Holy Name. - Amen

Losing Control

I've been holding on so tight
Look at these knuckles
They've gone white, I'm fighting for who I wanna be
I'm just trying to find security
But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go.

- "Let it Go" - Tenth Avenue North

Ahhh- what do you know, a short break from "boring pictures of my kids" ;) I felt inspired to share with you some lyrics from a song that has been very powerful for me lately. As a natural born Type-A (or did I create this monster over the years? I think that's it)... this song is exactly what I need to hear.

I love this song because it couldn't possibly speak more fully to the truth. In particular, "You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control. You say you will be, everything I need." Why is it that so often I think I can "do" life without Him- and, more specifically- without Him in the driver's seat. This life is so NOT about what me, my plans, what I "think" would be best.

Trust me, there is nothing I'd love more than to be able to make all the plans for my life and know it would turn out just exactly how I'd planned it. Or, better yet, throw in my "ability" to plan out all my children's lives just how I think they should go... and then know it would turn out just as I had imagined. Bliss!

I'd love to be the one in the driver's seat. I'd love to be the one holding the pen. There's just one problem with that. There is an omnipotent Author and Creator who knows better than I do. He's already written the story. There is a God in Heaven who has it all in His hands. I can choose to trust that, or I can choose to push that aside and still try to do it on my own. But even during the times I fail to acknowledge Him, or even when I try to take over, it doesn't make Him being in control any less of a reality.

It's only when I submit to His will... and quit trying to always force my ideas, plans, and wishes (both big and small) will I be able to rest in His peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding. When He is in the driver's seat, it is so much easier to sit back and enjoy the journey along the way.

God- I pray that you would help me to sit back, quit trying to always take over and figure everything out. Help me to rest in the assurance and promise that you know the plans that you have for my life- plans to bring hope and a future (Jer. 29:11). Help me to not only stop being a "back-seat driver" - but give me the ability to sit back and enjoy the ride... to throw my hair to the wind, feel the breeze on my face and know that You've got it all worked out. - Amen

Recitals

I realize that lately my posts have been few and far between. And when I do post, my posts have been just boring pictures of my kids... maybe it's because I am too tired lately to post, or my "pregnant brain" has caused a loss of words and creative thought, or- perhaps, because all along I started this blog for the sole purpose of turning it into a hard copy printed book for my kids someday (by using Blurb).

Regardless, someday I'll get back on the ball- but, for now, you are stuck with recital pictures and photos of family vacations. Sorry! Speaking of recitals, Grace had 2 of them in the last month! Ballet and piano. Both of them were wonderful and totally worth sitting through 90 minutes of watching other boring routines to get to that precious 2 minutes where your little one is on stage, shining like the star that she is ;)

Not everyone shares my "patience" of waiting through the other routines to get to Grace. Anyone have any idea what this is, below?

Answer: It's Ariana laying underneath the church pew (where Grace's recital was held) and putting her toesies up on the bench in front of her! Frankly, it rather surprised me! All of a sudden I looked down and saw 10 little painted piggies peeking up from underneath me!

It dawned on me that I'm not sure I have many grandparent pictures on this blog! Here are Mike's parents with Grace...



And my Mom with her...

Grace before her ballet recital...

And what would a post be without a picture of all the troops ;)