Wednesday, May 27, 2009

What will happen

We have a number of friends going through very serious and difficult trials right now. Trials I would like to pretend could never happen to me, but I'm sure they thought that too. Watching the effects of sin and the curse (in the form of sickness and disease) in those so close to me has brought a sobering desperation to my soul. The reality that my every breath is indeed dependent on the Lord and that apart from His grace I too would fall into a deep pit of sin is being driven home in my heart. I am grateful to God that He is meeting me in my desperate state and drawing me closer to Himself and giving me grace to trust Him for tomorrow and grace to be more like Him today! Where would I be apart from His amazing grace? Lord, may I never find out! What will happen tomorrow? Only God knows and it's much better that way.

I was affected by this quote from Elisabeth Elliot and thought I'd share that it might help you as it has helped me to cast my cares upon Him because He cares for us!
“Is it our business to pry into what may happen tomorrow? It is a difficult and painful exercise which saps the strength and uses up the time given us today. Once we give ourselves up to God, shall we attempt to get hold of what can never belong to us – tomorrow? Our lives are His, our times in His hand, He is Lord over what will happen, never mind what may happen. … If my life is once surrendered, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!”
--Elisabeth Elliot “Keep a Quiet Heart”

Zoo adventure

Last week Jen and I loaded up the kids and headed to the zoo in DC. It was a perfect day to be outside all day and especially fun with our dear friends "Charis and Trogge" as Isaac always refers to them. We enjoyed the aquarium, farm animals, giant pandas, elephants and even got to hear the male lion roar! The highlights of the day were finding a monkey perched in a tree so close we could have pet him (though we didn't try!), watching the orangutans walk across the ropes high over the zoo, finding out the goats have their own playground (Isaac really likes goats), eating lunch by the seals' tank, and hearing that lion roar. Boy was that lion loud! I splurged and got the kids snow cones just to make sure they were good and hyper before we got in the car :)

I'm always thankful for any time I get with Jen but I could have done without such a long ride home as we sat in traffic for almost two hours--at least I had good company, though talking over our exhausted and napless children kind of hindered the fellowship :)
I'm so grateful the Lord allowed us to be their friends for the short months they're here! And I'm so glad they'll only be a few hours away.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

PC Open House

The Purswells very kindly opened their home for a near the end of the year party for the PC class and staff. We had authentic Mexican food and also some Tex-Mex in honor of our Mexican and Texan students. The food was excellent including home-made flan and pecan pie for dessert! What Mexican/Texan party would be complete without a pinata? It was hilarious watching these guys take on a paper mache boot! They managed to break the rope three times, but I think it was the fourth or fifth guy before the pinata finally broke. Julie and I were laughing that anyone who has ever watched America's Funniest Home Videos wouldn't be holding the rope, but Jeff managed to escape the bat :)
We ended the evening watching the guys presentations from their Eschatology class, which may sound boring but they were even funnier than grown men hitting a pinata!! I must say Darrel Schiel is one heck of a Matt Foley impersonator :)

Saturday, May 23, 2009

The nameless park

We happened upon this lovely park one Saturday when we were out driving around and tried to find it again but the only name I remembered seeing wasn't turning up any results on the GPS or google. But we set off determined a couple weekends ago and we found it again! But we still can't remember the name of that park :) Here's a few pictures of the kids throwing rocks in the lake and a couple other random pics.

Friday, May 15, 2009

A visit from Grandma

Keith's mom was able to come up to visit for a few days last week and the kids just had a blast! Grandma is willing to do some of those things Mommy won't do--like pick up frogs and buy them whatever they want at the toy store :o) The first day she was here, she and I took the kids up to the field nearby and Isaac tells me, "I thanked God for Grandma." So precious!
Kieran was so kind as to keep the kids all day Thursday so Keith and I could have an all day date in DC. We toured the capital, had a quiet lunch (with no need to say "stop doing that" or "no yelling at the table"), went through the National Art Gallery, took a quick walk through the National Botanical Garden (which is smack in the middle of downtown!), and had a very brief visit to the American History Museum. Oh, and loads of walking to find the Metro to get home--we're definitely still tourists in DC :o) It was fun to be a tourist with my dearest love!

Jonah was a prophet

If you've ever seen Veggie Tales' "Jonah" then you're certainly singing the song from the movie now :o)
Keith preached his first sermon a couple weeks ago! It was on Jonah 1 and God's Saving Purposes. I wasn't able to go with him that Sunday as he went with Bob Kauflin to Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick and the kids and I ended up being sick anyway. But I did get to go hear him give it in "sermon lab" the Friday before and then of course I listened to it online. It was so hard not to think about Veggie Tales while listening to him talk about Jonah--just one of those small trials of motherhood :o) But despite visions of Archibald Asparagus and the "pirates who don't do anything" running through my head I was so encouraged to be reminded that this story and the story of our lives isn't about us but about GOD and HIS purposes!
You can download his message here.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!

To all you moms out there, I pray you would feel God's good pleasure today! As Josh Harris reminded us this morning at church, motherhood is a great calling and of great worth in God's sight! How precious it is that we moms have the honor and privilege to not only bring our children into this world, but also to daily love and care for them and most amazingly to teach them about our Savior's life, death and resurrection that allows us to cry out to God for help in difficulties, praise Him in victories, and trust Him even in the most desperate situations.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Here mousey, mousey

Some little critter has been leaving behind evidence of his presence in our house the last few weeks. So we finally bought a mouse trap complete with fake yellow cheese. The mouse didn't go for it, so last night Keith put some peanut butter on the "cheese" and this morning we found our little house guest :) We'll be putting another trap out tonight just in case he has friends. Thankfully it's a cute little mouse and not a big ugly rat.

Last Thursday my sweet hubby and my good friend Jen's husband, Stephen, planned a surprise double date! Jen and I were ecstatic to find out we were going out together. We went to an Irish pub in Bethesda. About half way through dinner Keith announces to us that a mouse had just ran across the floor! Sure enough, we watched the little mouse run under the table next to us and then back across to another row of tables! We flagged down a server to tell him, but he was disturbingly nonchalant about it. A manager came over to apologize a few minutes later saying they've been driven out by the construction next door and sometimes run under the door, but assured us there were none in the kitchen. Yeah. We expected at least a free dessert or something :) Needless to say, I didn't put my feet down until we left!