Why We Love Mondays

We hear a rumbling sound followed by loud beeping. Javen's jumps up from whatever he is doing, yells "truck!" and runs to the front door. We open it and rush outside to find . . .





We wave to our friendly trash collector, and he always waves back and honks his horn at the boys which they LOVE!




As soon as he finishes, Javen tries to copy his recycling man buddy by picking up and turning over our recycling bin.






Then we run out into the street and wave to the big green truck until it disappears around the corner.



That's right, Mondays are pretty exciting around here.:)

Mallory's First Birthday in Heaven

Today would have been Mallory's 26th birthday and is the first time in 26 years that I haven't been able to see or at least call her to wish her a happy birthday.

I miss her all the time, but there are at least one or two moments in every day when I miss Mallory incredibly much . . . moments when I think of something she is missing that she would have loved . . . when something happens that I want to share with her but can't (our multiple daily phone calls about minute details of our lives that no one else would care about is one of the things I still miss the most -I still pick up the phone to call her sometimes!) . . . moments when family are gathered together and she is not there with us . . . moments when I watch Javen play and think about how much Aunt Mal wanted to be a part of his life and how she would have loved to watch him growing up. . . moments when I see other sisters growing older together and wonder why we didn't get that chance . . .

Then I recall Psalm 84:10 - Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere, and I am reminded that Mallory is not missing out on anything, that she is experiencing a peace and a wholeness and a joy that none of us here has the capacity to imagine, that she would not trade even one day of experiencing God's presence in Heaven for a full lifetime here. Sadness is so opposite from joy, but when I recall Psam 84, I am truly able to feel both deep sorrow and deep joy at the same time.

Sweet Mal, you are so very missed here, but your life continues to be remembered and celebrated by many, and it continues to impact lives and bring glory to God. Love and miss you!

What Does a Duck Say?

It all starts with a tap on the glass . . . So we open the blinds to find . . .






This generates great interest and excitement . . . and quacking sounds from both ducks and little boys . . .




So of course we open the door and feed our little friends (hmmmm . . . I wonder why they keep coming back?)




And sometimes we try to invite them into the house (which Mommy puts a VERY quick stop to!)




This exciting event happens at least twice a day around here . . . I love my life.:)

Advice from Miss June

My friend Tiffany shared with me a blog by an experienced and wise woman and mother of eight who gives advice and encouragement to mothers on how to build beautiful homes for the Lord and raise children who impact their world for Christ. It is one of my new favorite blogs, and Miss June has generously given me permission to share some of her posts here. There are so many thought-provoking posts whose content has the ability to make all of us better wives and mothers, and since I know most of you who read my blog are wives and/or mothers, I am going to try to pick one of her entries every couple of weeks to share in hopes that her words will bless you as they have me (if you have time, you can go to her blog to read them for yourself). This first one I have chosen to share is the one that my friend Tiffany used to encourage me a few months back when she first introduced me to this blog (thanks, Tif!:):

The Exquisite Home Culture

What is home culture, you ask?

Home culture is the atmosphere that is purposefully and intentionally cultivated within the four walls of your home. It is the music when you walk in the door; it is the conversation at the dinner table, it is the games played by the fireside, it is the singing when your daughters do the dishes or the laughter of small toddlers who find a small green caterpillar. Culture . . . it exists just as richly and lively inside your home as it does outside your front door.

Dear Mothers, we weave the tapestry of home life for our loved ones as we create the culture of our home. As we sit down and plan the days and months ahead, we purposefully begin writing what is akin to a novel of soon-to-be memories of our families’ lives. The music played in the background of your homes today will become the soundtrack from their childhood. The art you hang on your walls can have a deep and lasting impression on a child’s mind and soul. Children will forever fondly remember the smells, music, joy, and memories of their childhood and always fondly desire to return to it . . . even when they are old and grey.

But even more importantly than these things are what is experienced in a home. Is there a joy, peace, and forgiveness? Or is there anger, strife, and quarreling? That is what makes a home. Not the fancy furnishings or the designer tablecloth that the magazines taunt us with – but the LOVE and TIME that is lovingly sacrificed for one another. Mothers, even if all the earth around you is wicked – you alone create and make your home a small haven for your family behind those closed doors, a sacred dwelling where Christ is center. There could be ruin and folly outside your doors, but inside your peaceful sanctuary, you, with loving hands, create a calm refuge for those you love.

Christ must always be the center of the home otherwise all other things will be off balance. True peace cannot be attained if the Prince of Peace is absent. At home, make every effort to teach children patiently His Word, doctrine, and apologetics. Teach them about the world around them so they will be a well-trained soldier going into battle totally prepared. Patiently explain to them the Gospel as many times as it takes in hopes of saving their souls, and do not abandon or assume this precious responsibility to another.

At the meal table be sure to enjoy lively discussions about Scripture, ethics, worldviews, missions, current events, church planting, sermons, ways to minister to others, etc. Home should be the hub of excitement – where great plans and great lives are molded, where hospitality and ministry takes place. We do not need a church program to do ministry – instead, we need to view our homes as a focal point for ministry to begin. Are our homes perfect? Certainly not – a home filled with sinners will contain sin! Mercy, grace, and forgiveness are common visitors at our home. A home of imperfect sinners will learn to rely heavily, humbly, and wholeheartedly on its Savior.

Home should be a merry, spirited place of celebration – joke around, wrestle, play games, chase each other, go out together, travel, play instruments, sing together, relax together. Do not stifle children with a rigid and cold home environment and extinguish the joy from their hearts. Children are like flowers who bask in the sun of love. Too often we ignore our children or put stern expectations on them and do not savor the grandeur and beauty of their childhood. Home should also be a place that when the dark streets temptingly beckon our children’s hearts – that they will remember the sweetness and joy of the home life and hopefully choose that shelter instead.

Home culture takes planning . . . it takes time . . . it takes thought.
Mothers hold the brush in painting the beauty, fun, and memories in children’s lives.

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” ~ Proverbs 24:3-4

Dear Mothers, what a privilege it is to prepare such a place for our families. Prayerfully begin planning the culture for your home today!

Adjusting

Our primary computer is in the room where K. sleeps, so it has been a while since I've been able to update. These past couple of weeks with baby K. have gone so much more smoothly - amazing what an attitude change combined with a healthier kid and getting everyone over the adjustment hump can do! K. is the sweetest little (big) baby and is a joy to have in our home.

It has also been a joy to watch Javen step into the big brother role (after one terrible week of resistance to sharing mommy) and to see how this is already molding his little character as he learns to love and share. When Javen wakes up in the morning, he immediately starts saying "baby" and can't wait to go to K's room to get him out of his crib, and whenever we are in public and someone new approaches them in their stroller, Javen imediately points proudly to K. to make sure that that new person has noticed "his" baby. It is very cute. Sadly, it is likely that K. may be leaving us in the next week or two, so we may be saying good bye to him and starting all over again with yet another new baby before long.

Although things have improved drastically from that first very rough week with baby K., there have in these last few weeks been days or moments that are intensely frustrating/exhausting/discouraging/etc., and I have been grateful for some sweet friends who have blessed me with words/notes/e-mails/blog comments/calls of encouragement. Some have reminded us to serve as if serving the Lord, and others have reminded us to let this extra child in our home be a humble reminder of the Gospel - of all that Christ has done for us in adopting us as sons into His family. I even received a very sweet annonymous note in the mail with a Target gift card enclosed to help with some of the baby expenses, so if that thoughtful someone is reading this, thank you for blessing me with that, and know that your encouragement could not have come on a better day!

Not everyone has been approving of our decision to foster and/or adopt, and experiencing the discouragement of a negative response as well as the boost from a kind word spoken in the right moment has been a reminder to me to be an encourager- to be careful that the words I speak are words that build up and not words that tear down and to intentionally be more generous with giving encouraging words to others.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ~I Thessalonians 5:11

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. ~Philemon 1:7

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ~Ephesians 4:29


In other family news . . .

We are STILL waiting to get our USCIS approval before we can move forward with getting our paperwork to Rwanda, and we just officially joined Covenant Life Church in Tampa and are LOVING this church and being a part of this wonderful church family. Other than that, nothing else new around here!:)