I've always been a sucker for things done in unison. I often whisper the Pledge of Allegiance because I love to hear the rumble of voices all speaking a tribute to our country....it gives me goosebumps everytime. When the instruments drop out at church and it's simply a chorus of voices all singing together....another goosebump moment for me. There is something very powerful about words spoken or sung in unison.
We began a new year of Wednesday night activities at church. The boys are back in AWANA. A scripture memory based program that they love attending for different reasons than I have right now. They love the games. I love the fact as I've said many times before that they are learning the WORD! Yes, they memorize and move on, but I know God blesses that and His WORD remains hidden and written on their hearts!
While they are in AWANA, I attend a women's Pilates/Bible Study. We do Pilates for the first half, then the remainder of the time is spent going through a Bible Study. This semester we are reading Traveling Light, by Max Lucado. I was very excited about this study because I own almost every book he's written!
During our floor stretches, there is one in particular that brings us to what is referred to as a "child's pose." Imagine yourself on your knees, with your head on the floor and arms stretched out in front of you like a full bow to the King. Everytime we get to this stretch, our leader has us hold this pose while she stops to pray. It is a very humbling position to be in when talking to the Father. I have wiped away many tears during those moments. There are 26 of us in the class this time around and I'm telling you there is something very powerful about all of us kneeling in a child's pose before the Lord.
Last week, we all read the 23rd Psalm together outloud....in unison. Yet another goosebump moment for me. It was 26 voices of women speaking God's WORD! There is a definite POWER there. I wonder what it would be like if I sat with my husband and children and we all read a scripture together in unison. Would it make the stress of school and schedules fade for just a minute? Would it take the focus off of myself, my appearance, and my inadequacies for a moment....and what a powerful moment it would be.
Those unison moments remind me of the verse which He plainly states "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20. He knows those times bring about more than just goosebumps.
Family Pictures...
It all started at the Pediatrician's office for Margaret's 15 month appointment. I was in the tiny waiting room with all 3 kids in tow...one on the hip! I was thumbing through the Metro Detroit paper and came across several photographer's ads. One in particular caught my eye because it mentioned that she did portrait parties. I took a mental note of her name, but after 3 kids a mental note becomes a lost sound in minutes....so......I had nothing to write on.....I was desperate....so, I did it.....I TORE the ad right out of the paper and shoved it in my purse! There! I confessed! I'm officially one of THOSE people and not so ashamed of it!
To attempt to make a long story short, I later went to the photographer's website and loved her work, but REALLY loved her prices!!!! I contacted her, set up a portrait party, sent out emails to friends, got eight families signed up and the stress began.....the minute I know my kids are being photographed, I start scrambling to find the perfect outfits!!! It always causes much eyerolling and lots of "they will look FINE" from the mouth of the husband!!
The party was yesterday, Sunday the 20th at 2 pm! Everyone was given a time to show up for their session at the perfect location on what turned out to be the most gorgeous fall day in Michigan! Oakland University is just a block or two from my house. The campus is beautiful and inside the campus is a home that was once privately owned, but now owned by the school known as Meadowbrook Hall. It is a BEAUTIFUL home with gardens galore!!! I was imagining how absolutely cute the pictures of my 3 would be here....in the garden, peeking around an old wall, in the fall leaves....I was giddy.
My family was scheduled last due to Margaret's naptime. I had to be at the party the whole time to meet everyone at the location and help out. So, good natured Chris agreed to get the kids dressed and bring them up after her nap for pictures. I ironed everything in advance and had it all laid out. I quickly made a new bow to match Margaret's dress since the old one was broken and showed Chris (3 times....ahem...) where I was leaving it. I left it next to the spray bottle and comb that I also asked him to bring.
The day came and went and my time rolled around. I called Chris to inform him that some of the pictures were taking a bit longer, so not to rush....he informed ME that Margaret had been awake for an hour and a half. My heart screeched to a halt because that wasn't part of the plan! She was to be FRESHLY napped!!!! Great.
The van finally pulled up with my family and I rushed to the doors. The boys were putting on their shirts when the doors opened. He had them wait until they got there so they'd stay neat! How great! I noticed the spray bottle and comb and my eyes roamed for her bow. He hands me a bow.....the BROKEN bow!!!! The kids jumped out with me and the van screeched away towards the house to retrieve the NEW BOW.
Chris returned slightly sweating and it was our time. I wanted one of the 3 crossing this precious bridge in the woods holding hands. Margaret immediately dropped to her knees and wailed....loudly. We tried many things, but she was mad. We could never get them to all cooperate at once. Jack was standing like an Ethiopian in the National Geographic Magazine with his stomach extended and nose flared. We'd tell him to smile and he'd show one tooth. Thatcher's posture suddenly took a turn for the worst....he was hunching his shoulders in every shot. When they smiled, she cried. When she smiled, they were goofing off. I'd like to tell you what I was thinking during all of this, but I wasn't.....in my mind I was screaming at the top of my lungs. On the outside, I was calmly telling them to smile and situp between my teeth.
When we got home I had an excruciating headache. Afterall, I'd been screaming in my head for the past hour. I was disappointed. I've never had the "perfect" picture day. I'm not so sure that exists. It's a common theme through out families...the nightmare of getting pictures made. I remember being little with my sisters and mom headed to olan mills.....in silence.....because we were all mad. Half the time I didn't know why I was mad I just thought that's how you were supposed to be on family picture day!
Today, I blame satan. Here's why.....it often happens on Sundays getting ready for church. It's a madhouse! Everyone is grumpy, fighting....it's a battle to get there. You walk through the doors and fake a smile for a couple of hours....it's a lie....much like the family pictures. Satan is the father of lies and loves to rip families apart in every way possible. This is just another way he THINKS he gets the glory. Thankfully God's strength is made perfect in our weakness....I screamed in my mind...not outloud. ;) He doesn't give us more than we can handle.....eventually the session ended! ;) Our pictures weren't a lie because the baby was bloodshot and red in every photo!!
I still love my family. Today is new....I just hope there's one picture to claim good enough for a frame!
To attempt to make a long story short, I later went to the photographer's website and loved her work, but REALLY loved her prices!!!! I contacted her, set up a portrait party, sent out emails to friends, got eight families signed up and the stress began.....the minute I know my kids are being photographed, I start scrambling to find the perfect outfits!!! It always causes much eyerolling and lots of "they will look FINE" from the mouth of the husband!!
The party was yesterday, Sunday the 20th at 2 pm! Everyone was given a time to show up for their session at the perfect location on what turned out to be the most gorgeous fall day in Michigan! Oakland University is just a block or two from my house. The campus is beautiful and inside the campus is a home that was once privately owned, but now owned by the school known as Meadowbrook Hall. It is a BEAUTIFUL home with gardens galore!!! I was imagining how absolutely cute the pictures of my 3 would be here....in the garden, peeking around an old wall, in the fall leaves....I was giddy.
My family was scheduled last due to Margaret's naptime. I had to be at the party the whole time to meet everyone at the location and help out. So, good natured Chris agreed to get the kids dressed and bring them up after her nap for pictures. I ironed everything in advance and had it all laid out. I quickly made a new bow to match Margaret's dress since the old one was broken and showed Chris (3 times....ahem...) where I was leaving it. I left it next to the spray bottle and comb that I also asked him to bring.
The day came and went and my time rolled around. I called Chris to inform him that some of the pictures were taking a bit longer, so not to rush....he informed ME that Margaret had been awake for an hour and a half. My heart screeched to a halt because that wasn't part of the plan! She was to be FRESHLY napped!!!! Great.
The van finally pulled up with my family and I rushed to the doors. The boys were putting on their shirts when the doors opened. He had them wait until they got there so they'd stay neat! How great! I noticed the spray bottle and comb and my eyes roamed for her bow. He hands me a bow.....the BROKEN bow!!!! The kids jumped out with me and the van screeched away towards the house to retrieve the NEW BOW.
Chris returned slightly sweating and it was our time. I wanted one of the 3 crossing this precious bridge in the woods holding hands. Margaret immediately dropped to her knees and wailed....loudly. We tried many things, but she was mad. We could never get them to all cooperate at once. Jack was standing like an Ethiopian in the National Geographic Magazine with his stomach extended and nose flared. We'd tell him to smile and he'd show one tooth. Thatcher's posture suddenly took a turn for the worst....he was hunching his shoulders in every shot. When they smiled, she cried. When she smiled, they were goofing off. I'd like to tell you what I was thinking during all of this, but I wasn't.....in my mind I was screaming at the top of my lungs. On the outside, I was calmly telling them to smile and situp between my teeth.
When we got home I had an excruciating headache. Afterall, I'd been screaming in my head for the past hour. I was disappointed. I've never had the "perfect" picture day. I'm not so sure that exists. It's a common theme through out families...the nightmare of getting pictures made. I remember being little with my sisters and mom headed to olan mills.....in silence.....because we were all mad. Half the time I didn't know why I was mad I just thought that's how you were supposed to be on family picture day!
Today, I blame satan. Here's why.....it often happens on Sundays getting ready for church. It's a madhouse! Everyone is grumpy, fighting....it's a battle to get there. You walk through the doors and fake a smile for a couple of hours....it's a lie....much like the family pictures. Satan is the father of lies and loves to rip families apart in every way possible. This is just another way he THINKS he gets the glory. Thankfully God's strength is made perfect in our weakness....I screamed in my mind...not outloud. ;) He doesn't give us more than we can handle.....eventually the session ended! ;) Our pictures weren't a lie because the baby was bloodshot and red in every photo!!
I still love my family. Today is new....I just hope there's one picture to claim good enough for a frame!
In Between....
So, what's your favorite day of the week? I would assume most people would say Friday or one of the weekend days, but not me. My favorite day is Thursday. It always has been. Strange? I love the "leading up to" days...the week before vacation, the last week of school, the few weeks before Christmas, the week before school starts, and the day before the weekend begins. It's fun to anticipate, get ready and think of how wonderful the end result will be....but in all actuality, it's more often than not, a let down. It's never as awesome as I've dreamed it up to be. Perhaps I set myself up by setting my hopes too high? Maybe...it's not that the end results are bad...just not perfect...Once I've made it to Thursday, I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel....or week. I know I'm at the home stretch and I can make it no matter what the weekend brings.
It's hard to imagine heaven in my finite mind, but I know that this "leading up to" time is nothing in comparison...I couldn't even begin to imagine the greatness of eternity. When Jack and Thatcher have asked me about heaven I always tell them that it took God 7 days to create this world with every little detail in it, but he's been preparing heaven for us for over 2000 years....now that is pretty awesome.
So, for the past week we've been preparing for back to school up here. One of my favorite things to do is get new school supplies....however, this time around was quite unpleasant and anything less than stressful....I still enjoyed labeling their new things and Jack had just as much fun picking out the right color notebooks and scissors...
Tuesday will be a let down for many reasons....1. I love the ease of summer! 2. Jack will be in 2nd grade. He's ready, but I'm not so sure that I am. 3. Thatcher will be in Kindergarten...seems like he's been little forever, but now he's 6. He's not grown, but 6 is not so little either.
My mind has been JELLO this summer. My thoughts have been a fruity jumble...not worthy of blogging. Guess I'm getting back in school mode and reality is setting in. Life passes by so quickly. You blink and the newborn you just brought home from the hospital is now 15 months old and all over the place...or 8 and entering 2nd grade....and one day graduating. This is why I don't wish for the end results too quickly. I don't die for them to go back to school, or be able to drive to help out....I've learned that each stage just brings about new issues and adventures, and once a stage is gone you can never get it back. Everytime I'm close enough to one of my children to feel their heartbeats, I instantly think of seeing that beating heart on the ultrasound and what a moment that was...how long ago that seems.
So, I try to savor this "leading up to time"....though it's hard with endless laundry, and growing grocery bills...not to mention activities and church functions....I've started to rock Margaret a little longer, hug the boys a little closer, and let them giggle a little longer at night....cause this time is fleeting and the ONLY end result that's better than the "leading up to" is heaven.
sorry for the rambling...still traces of JELLO.
It's hard to imagine heaven in my finite mind, but I know that this "leading up to" time is nothing in comparison...I couldn't even begin to imagine the greatness of eternity. When Jack and Thatcher have asked me about heaven I always tell them that it took God 7 days to create this world with every little detail in it, but he's been preparing heaven for us for over 2000 years....now that is pretty awesome.
So, for the past week we've been preparing for back to school up here. One of my favorite things to do is get new school supplies....however, this time around was quite unpleasant and anything less than stressful....I still enjoyed labeling their new things and Jack had just as much fun picking out the right color notebooks and scissors...
Tuesday will be a let down for many reasons....1. I love the ease of summer! 2. Jack will be in 2nd grade. He's ready, but I'm not so sure that I am. 3. Thatcher will be in Kindergarten...seems like he's been little forever, but now he's 6. He's not grown, but 6 is not so little either.
My mind has been JELLO this summer. My thoughts have been a fruity jumble...not worthy of blogging. Guess I'm getting back in school mode and reality is setting in. Life passes by so quickly. You blink and the newborn you just brought home from the hospital is now 15 months old and all over the place...or 8 and entering 2nd grade....and one day graduating. This is why I don't wish for the end results too quickly. I don't die for them to go back to school, or be able to drive to help out....I've learned that each stage just brings about new issues and adventures, and once a stage is gone you can never get it back. Everytime I'm close enough to one of my children to feel their heartbeats, I instantly think of seeing that beating heart on the ultrasound and what a moment that was...how long ago that seems.
So, I try to savor this "leading up to time"....though it's hard with endless laundry, and growing grocery bills...not to mention activities and church functions....I've started to rock Margaret a little longer, hug the boys a little closer, and let them giggle a little longer at night....cause this time is fleeting and the ONLY end result that's better than the "leading up to" is heaven.
sorry for the rambling...still traces of JELLO.
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