WELCOME
Welcome to our blog. Life is busy, but it is fun to share the stories of our craziness and it is kind of like therapy to have a place write it all down. Enjoy.
Please don't use our first names when posting comments
The princess is SG (for sunshine girl)
Mr independant is CB (b/c that is what we call him)
Tubby T is Tman (or Tbone)
The little bit of fish bait is Squiggles (or most affectionately the Wild Child)
If, as you read, you wonder whether I'm laughing or complaining--just assume I'm laughing...and chuckle along.
How I can Laugh
Sometimes I’m surprised when someone tells me they’ve been reading our blog. I tease the dad~ster that there must not be much on TV these days.
For awhile now I’ve been wishing there was some way I could share the reason I can laugh on even the craziest days. I suppose it is in part because I’m a little weird, but most of all it is because of GRACE. God’s grace has transformed me from what I could be (a perfectionist who is not perfect and is driven mad by her own imperfections, an idealist who lacks patience with the “short people” in my life who always seem to have a different agenda than me, an insecure chubby lady who often forgets that I am loved) into one who realizes that I have a big God who patiently loves me. It is God’s grace that is transforming me from what I could be (a suicidal alcoholic) to what He’d have me to be…and in the process He gives me the ability to look at life and LAUGH.
So when I read the following from Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel I decided to take some time and share it with you…because if all I ever did was make ya laugh without telling you about the One whose care makes the laughing possible…well…all the laughs would be wasted.
From page 167-171 in Grace Base Parenting
“The Bible says, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). It’s amazing how inclusive the word all is. It doesn’t say that we are to cast only our legitimate cares on Him. Frankly, I wouldn’t begrudge God if He had said that. Although He’s a busy God with a lot on His plate, He’s also on omnipotent God, so He’s never too busy….He knows we often lack perspective, but that doesn’t stop Him from inviting us closer to His heart.
A good example of God’s grace is not only the gigantic act of grace that Jesus showed by dying on the cross for our sins, but also the little acts of grace he demonstrated in the midst of His crucifixion. I think most people—including the most ardent critic of Christianity—would agree that if there was any time in Jesus’ earthly life when He actually had the right to be a bit self-absorbed, it would be when He was hanging on the cross. Man hasn’t come up with a more horrific way to torture someone than nailing him to a cross and standing back while he endures a slow, agonizing, and lonely death. In the midst of that agony, the utter focus of pain in human’s mind would make it hard to think of anything else.
But He did. There were some people at Calvary who needed a personal touch of His grace. For most of them, they needed it because of the His crucifixion was costing them personally.
There were soldiers at Calvary who were simply following orders. They didn’t realize that they were driving nails into the hands of the One who had created them. They had no idea that the man they were executing was actually taking a divine dive for them. Because they were so used to crucifying the underbelly of the criminal community, it was standard for them to show such low regard for their victims.
A fickle crowd hovered around the foot of the cross. Some came out simply to see someone being put to death. It was the Roman equivalent of a “reality” show that few wanted to miss. There were also the duped sheep—those who didn’t know much, read much, or think much. They were part of the mob who would chant whatever you told them to.
Then there were the men who wanted Him there, who needed Him there, and who helped put Him there. These were the professional-theologians-turned-powerbrokers who had seen Jesus as bad for business around the temple. They couldn’t see the crossbars that hovered above each of their heads. They couldn’t see the thin strings that came from those crossbars that moved their arms, made them jump, and manipulated their mouths. They couldn’t see the evil hand of Satan, using them like marionettes to do his bidding.
But Jesus could. He could see the religious leaders being used, he could see the crowd being manipulated, and He could see the soldiers doing what they were ordered to do. The fact the He even bothered to notice these things tells us so much about his grace. He did notice them, and in the process He did something to give all these people a gift they desperately needed. Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). …Jesus gave grace to the vulnerable surrounding Him, even when He had bigger issues on His mind.
And what about the thieves who were crucified on either side of Him? You would think, what with the sins of the entire world on His shoulders, that He’d ignore these men. When you add to the equation that both men joined the crowd in hurling insults at Him, you would think He would have been justified to view these two condemned men as mere footnotes of history—little more than simple props hanging on either side of Him to strike a greater contrast to the magnificence of His sacrifice. But that’s not how Jesus’ heart works.
Apparently, one of the thieves figured this out. His theology was crude, and his understanding was limited, but he figured out enough in his debilitated state. He figured out that Jesus was King, just like the sign above His head read. He figured out that His kingdom wasn’t of this world. And he believed that Jesus had the power to transport him to that kingdom after they both died. It was a primitive grasp of the salvation message. He called on Jesus by name, saying, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
This thief couldn’t have known that when they were being laid down side by side to be crucified Jesus already knew his name. Jesus could have told him how many hairs were on his head—not that he would have cared much at the moment. But Jesus already knew him that well. He could have told this thief things that no one else knew about him; things that would have demonstrated just how precious he already was to God. In the midst of His pain, His personal focus, His preoccupation with taking on the sins of the world, Jesus responded to this man’s faith: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43)
Soldiers, leaders, followers and criminals got Jesus individual attention when He had bigger tasks on His “to do” list. That’s because God’s grace notices vulnerable people. It’s in constant tune with their hearts….
…None of these people could see what Jesus could see. None of them had any grasp on the bigger picture. Their needs were the result of their myopic condition, or their naiveté, or their lack of sophistication. Jesus could have dismissed their needs because of how small t hey appeared next to the bigger task before Him. But his grace kicked in, and it will kick in for us whenever we’re feeling vulnerable. It also kicks in when we don’t even realize just how vulnerable we actually are…."
One family night we postponed for the weekend so we could trek up north for our yearly visit to the elk herd. We saw nearly 80 elk. This year was the easiest in a long while as the boyzies can now walk (with their little leashes on so they don't run away). Other than an insane potty stop along the side of the road where one of the younger crowd needed some non-present sit down facilities...and everyone falling asleep and forcing us to bypass the promised stop for dessert (which we somehow became the bad guys about) we had an awesome night. The big bulls were really possessive of their ladies and we had fun watching them keep the "lesser" males in line.
Practicing that politician/lady slayer smile
Blurry -- because it was pretty much impossible to look pleasant and growl at everyone to hold still. So I chose to look pleasant...
Our last family night was a fun bonfire. Made even more fun by the fact that the Sunshine Girl didn't have school the next day. So after we tucked the boyzies in, the dad~ster sat by the fire to finish his paperwork, and the rest of us read the the final chapters (7 I think) of Beauty and the Beast by candle/flash light. Despite our early snowfall just a week prior, it was a delightfully warm evening. Perhaps the last of the bonfires for this year. :o(
Daddy and the big kids went pheasant/rabbit hunting on Saturday and brought home a pheasant. We cooked it with some cream of mushroom soup, apple cider, and mushrooms. It was a tasty meal (which we thankfully had other food to go with since there wasn't a lot of meat there when you divided among 6).
Sunday Night Snacks--we usually make supper on Sunday Nights something fun and EASY. Like warm sticky rolls that are ready when we get home after church, or in this case pancakes and/or bagels. The Sunshine girl usually has to eat with her jammies on so she can hurry to get to bed when we are done. But I love how the boys look so cute in their Sunday duds, but relaxed and enjoying their food. 
1 comments:
What a marvelously mundane life! You are so blessed.
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