Simplicity

Seek simplicity--and distrust it.

~Alfred North Whitehead

Home Versus "Busy"

Today was a day that I felt like a bird that had been caged too long. Meeting everyone's needs, especially when sick, is very draining. The walls, at times, felt like they were going to close in on me. I feel this way from time to time. I do not panic. I know that it is a natural reaction from serving day in and day out. Being needed is such a powerful feeling.

As monotonous as some days may seem, I would not rather they be filled with scheduled this or that. I think it is sad how overscheduled or families are these days. I really have a passion for protecting our time here at home.

We do get out. There are weekly practices or get togethers with other families. Shopping with four children is always a real experience, but one I would not trade. I am careful not to "overdo". Maybe some may say that I am overprotective or somewhat of a hermit. There are worse things I suppose.

I believe that being at home with our children is important. I am blessed in that I get to do it full time. There are so many advantages to simply chosing to stay home more than being "busy" with too many outside activities and engagements.

* Being home encourages creativity.

* Being home creates security.

* Being home allows for less stress.

* Being home promotes reading.

* Being home fosters relationships.

Jesus Up Front

We decorated our Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago. It was a family event. We really enjoy this every year. Scott unwraps all the decorations. The kids and I set out a few decorations and hang our ornaments on the tree. Madelyn picked up our cross ornament and headed to our tree by the window. I was close by and was helping all the kids. I saw Maddie walk towards the window side of our tree. Quietly she said to herself, "this is like for Jesus and this needs to be in the front." She then walked to the front of the tree and put it in the very center.

It was refreshing to listen to Madelyn quietly deliver such an appropriate perspective of what this season is all about. Decorating is fun. Baking is yummy. Buying gifts for others is such a sweet experience. Putting all that we know about Jesus and his life at the front of our minds and hearts is truly what glorifies our King and celebrates this holiday best.

Learning from Al Gore

This past weekend, Scott and I watched An Inconvenient Truth with Al Gore. Down below, I have put together several of the facts he presented in his film. I found it all alarming. I highly recommend the film. It is not just for treehuggers like Scott and me.

What is global warming?

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.

The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.

We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

* The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
* Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
* The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
* At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.

If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.

* Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
* Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
* Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
* Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
* The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
* More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now--TAKE ACTION!

check out http://www.climatecrisis.org

Questions to Guide Actions

Once in a while we should ask ourselves several questions in order to guide our actions. We should ask questions like: Do I know the poor? Do I know, in the first place, the poor in my family, those who are closest to me - people who are poor, but not because they lack bread?

There are other types of poverty just as painful because they are more intrinsic.

Perhaps what my husband or wife lacks, what my children lack, what my parents lack, is not clothes or food. Perhaps they lack love, because I do not give it to them!

~Mother Teresa, Everything Starts from Prayer

Another milestone

Brady is starting to sit up! He is such a joy. It is so much fun watching him grow and change daily. I am so thankful I am able to stay home. Sure, some days are very hard and extremely taxing. Yet, I would not rather be pursuing anything else. Julian, Madelyn, Kalen and Brayden are shaping me daily into who God wants me to be. Hooray for Brady! Another milestone achieved!

Asheville Celebration

Last friday our family took a little trip to one of our favorite places, Asheville. We met Scott's mom, dad and sister there. We all were going to spend the day together celebrating Jan's (Scott's mom's) birthday. Great fun was had by all and I believe Jan was truly honored. She is the heart of our family, a rare gem. We ate at our favorite resturant, the Laughing Seed. We shopped until we literally dropped. A nice day trip for our family and lots of love for "Nana".

Christian

As a Christian, I am simply trying to orient myself around living a particular kind of way, the kind of way that Jesus taught is possible. And I think that the way of Jesus is the best possible way to live.
~Rob Bell

All Smiles

Kalen, Julian, Brayden, and Madelyn