Fair?

The rich and the poor are alike in that the Lord made them all. -Proverbs 22:2
Have you noticed that God doesn't ask you to prove that you will put your salary to good use? Have you noticed that God doesn't turn off your oxygen supply when you misuse your gifts? Aren't you glad that God doesn't give you only that which you remember to thank Him for?...
God's goodness is spurred by his nature, not by our worthiness.
Someone asked an associate of mine, "What biblical precedent do we have to help the poor who have no desire to become Christians?"
My friend responded with one word: "God."
God does it daily for millions of people.
- In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado
--
Wow!
I read this short devotional on a day when I was really upset over the economic situation in this country. I was mad that I had been responsible with my money but now I was being asked for my tax dollars to help people that weren't. My heart was screaming that none of this was fair!
God reminded me that regardless of the economic circumstances he will care for me and I am still called to love and care for others.
It seems that the Christian community attaches so many requirements to God's grace. You have to look a certain way or act a certain way to be accepted. We forget to show in our actions and expectations that God's grace is free, his love is extended with no strings attached.
I saw this when I worked in child welfare. Christians talking about being pro-life and saving babies yet completely unwilling to open their homes to kids in foster care or in need of adoption. Christians willing to speak negatively about the government and complain about those in need of assistance but unwilling to work themselves in their own communities to stop poverty and abuse.
I am guilty of this too. My heart wants justice and fairness. I want people to appreciate what I do for them and show that appreciation. I want my husband to act a certain way in response to my care of him and our family. I want my children to behave a certain way because I pour so much of my life into them. I want people who are on welfare to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and contribute already.
I wonder what the world would look like if Christians chose simply to love others, with absolutely no expectations? You know, the way Christ does...

4 Years Old

Jeremiah blows out the candles on his train cake.
He insisted on a train cake and helped me decorate it.

Reading his new encyclopedia at the end of a fun day.

Playing in the new tent with Uncle Chad.
The tent provides hours of entertainment for the boys now.

Annual birthday picture. We love this boy!

Playing t-ball.

Everyone wants to help open presents. :-)

Mama and her boys.

My conversation with Jeremiah this morning:
M: Happy birthday Jeremiah!
J: My birthday is today?
M: Yes it is! How does it feel to be 4 years old?
few seconds of silence while Jeremiah ponders this with his head cocked to one side
J: Well...do I look like papa now?!

One

This game is floating around facebook and since I have been tagged a few times I thought I would post it here.

USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to tag the person you received it from!

1. Where is your mobile phone? KITCHEN
2. Your significant other? PATIENT
3. Your hair? BORING
4. Your mother? FRIEND
5. Your father? WISE
6. Your favorite thing? SLEEP
7. Your dream last night? NONE
8. Your favorite drink? WATER
9. Your dream/goal? ETERNITY
10. What room you are in? OFFICE
11. Your hobby? READING
12. Your fear? COMPLACENCY
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? COMMUNITY
14. Where were you last night? COUCH
15. Something that you are not? PATIENT
16. Muffins? BLUEBERRY
17. Wish list item? ENERGY
18. Where you grew up? COMPLICATED
19. Last thing you did? HUG
20. What are you wearing? UN-FASHIONABLE
21. Your TV? PBS
22. Your pets? NONE
23. Friends? DEVELOPING
24. Your life? BLESSED
25. Your mood? DETERMINED
26. Missing someone? USUALLY
27. Drinking? COFFEE
28. Your car? PAID FOR
29. Something you're not wearing? MAKE-UP
30. Your favorite store? ALDI
31. Your favorite color? YELLOW
32. When is the last time you cried? TUESDAY
33. Who will resend this?
34. Favorite place to eat? MOM'S
35. Favorite place I'd like to be at right now? BED

18 months

It hit me yesterday that last week Nathaniel turned 18 months old! One and a half years! In the past few weeks he has had some kind of developmental growth spurt and is such a little man now.

I am not posting a list of Nathaniel's new words because honestly I can't keep track of them. He uses new words every day, sometimes every hour. It is absolutely amazing. I had forgotten how much fun this stage was.

Yesterday we had a new friend over to our house for the first time. Her daughter is 3 1/2 and was happily playing on our livingroom floor when Nathaniel comes up and hits her hard on the head with a drum stick. After the crying stops I make Nathaniel stand in front of her and ask him to say "I'm sorry." I am not really expecting him to say it, it is more for the lesson. Imagine my surprise when he clearly says, "sorry" and gives her a hug!

When Nathaniel wakes up he stands in his crib and says, "mama" a few times. When I come and pick him up he puts his head on my shoulder wraps one little arm around my neck and pats my back with his other little hand. I love it.

The connection between Jeremiah and Nathaniel is growing. Jeremiah tolerates Nathaniel's presence more and they can actually play together (for short periods of time). It is a joy to watch.

Nathaniel's favorite toys are Mr. Potato Head and plastic dinosaurs. But mostly he likes to empty out my kitchen drawers and cabinets and find places for all the contents all around the house.

Nathaniel eats chalk.

Nathaniel has started to stash his paci's in various hiding places around the house because he knows that we will take them away from him if he is not in his bed. He will play for a little while and when I return to the room I will found that a paci has magically appeared in his mouth!

Nathaniel has a million watt smile that will light up a room and an impish gleam in his eye.

Dancing Boys

The boys like to dance at the end of the day, right before bath time. Aaron uses this time to expose them to all kinds of different music. Lately it has been some pretty heavy stuff (think Beastie Boys etc.). It is so funny to watch the boys just go crazy. This video only gives you a small taste of Nathaniel's wild dancing (I didn't think to video until he was winding down) - so imagine him as you see him and then multiply it by about 20. :-)

Little Things

We spent the weekend doing various little things that added up to a good (long) weekend together as a family.
- Saturday we drove to Atlanta and visited with some of Aaron's family. It's always nice to make those connections and it is always worth the effort.
- Sunday we had an impromptu lunch with friends. So much fun to eat, chat, hang out, watch the kids wander around and just enjoy each others company. It made us realize that we have been in something of a social hibernation and it is time to come out.
- Monday I went with the boys and had breakfast and Chik-fil-A with friends. A special treat that encouraged me and helped me feel less lonely. Jeremiah and Nathaniel were supremely excited to each get a balloon.
- Monday we spent the day doing a few small projects around the house while the boys amused themselves in the yard. Now that we are trying to get our house on the market we are finally doing those small things that we have been intending to do for almost 7 years now! It really is amazing what a big difference a few small changes like a new mailbox and exterior storm door make.
We have a busy week ahead but we continue to be thankful for the small blessings that we see that add up to a big knowledge of God's love and care for us.

New Seat

Nathaniel does not like to sit still. Ever. His latest thing is to run around and around the house roaring at the top of his lungs. He also likes to climb on the couch and do somersaults, which results in him falling off and hitting his head at least once a day. His new word is "jump" which of course comes from the favored passtime of climbing on furniture and flinging himself off, assuming that someone will catch him. The only TV he will sit still for more than 5 minutes to watch is football and anything that shows a baby (Bringing Home Baby on TLC he loves!). Which isn't that big a deal since I don't advocate letting kids watch a lot of TV, but it would be nice if he could sit still for half and hour so that I could take a shower. But again, I digress.
Lately we have been having meal time issues that involve him wanting to get down ("dah") after a few bites and then he proceeds to walk around the table getting bites from people or wanting to sit in someones lap to eat. If I try and be the disciplined parent and make him stay in his seat he squirms and wiggles and throws all his food on the floor. That ends up making meal time absolutely hellacious for me, and doing that 3 times a day is just too stressful. So, I decided to try out a booster seat at the table. So far it is a hit! Hopefully the feeling of being at the table with us and being able to eat off of the table will help him sit still and help meal time be a bit less stressful for all involved.
What a funny little boy our Nathaniel is!

Sappy Song

I am a sucker for sappy, pop, love songs. I can't help it and I am old enough now to embrace it as part of who I am. (Aaron however still sees it as a flaw in my character. smile.)
The other day Nathaniel found a shoe box in the office and in keeping with his usual style managed to strew it contents all over the house before I realized what he was up to. I started grumbling and complaining as I began picking up the scattered papers. Then I realized what they were, letters & cards that I wrote Aaron when we were first dating. What a walk down memory lane!
Re-reading those letters and cards reminded me in a fresh way of why I love my husband. I realized that the life we had dreamed about 11 years ago was now a reality. I found a letter in which I had written the lyrics to a song from the movie Anastasia and decided to look it up on YouTube. As I cranked it up and watched our sons dance around the room I felt a great flood of thankfulness to God for the blessing of my husband and the wonderful journey of life that we are on together.
At the Beginning
We were strangers starting out on a journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected what you did to my heart
When I lost hope you were there to remind me
This is the start
-
Life is a road and I want to keep going
Love is a river I wanna keep flowing
Life is the road now and forever
Wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I want to be standing at the beginning with you
-
We were strangers on a crazy adventure
Never dreaming how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you
-
I knew there was somebody somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
Now I knew my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart

I have a great idea!

"I have a great idea!" is Jeremiah's new catch phrase. Every time we try and limit something or say no to something Jeremiah enthusiastically comes up with "a great idea" to counter our limits. Here are some funny things Jeremiah has said recently:

After his nap Jeremiah comes bleary eyed into the living room holding his Pooh Bear and cuddles next to me on the couch:
J: "Mama, I brought Pooh Bear with me after my nap."
M: "I see buddy. Is Pooh Bear your friend?"
J: in a condescending tone of voice, "No mama, Pooh Bear can't really talk you know."
--

During dinner we are explaining to Jeremiah why he can't play the computer any more today. He is being stubborn and continues to question "why?" so I decide to haul out the big guns.
M: "Do you remember on Sid the Science Kid (a PBS cartoon) how Sid talked about it not being healthy to sit in front of the TV or computer too long? That it is not good for you to do that because you need to get up and move around?"
J: "Yes mama, I do." few seconds of quiet.... "I have a great idea! Let's watch Sid the Science Kid so he can tell us why not to play more computer or watch more tv!"
--

When we were visiting Eli for his birthday Shanna had made a sign for Eli that the boys all colored on. Jeremiah took an immense liking to the sign and wanted to take it home. I kept telling him "no" so he decided to ask Shanna.
J: "Miss Shanna, can I take the picture home?"
S: "That picture belongs to Eli, it is for his birthday and I think he would like to keep it here."
less than 10 seconds silence
J: "I have a great idea! Why don't I bring it to my house and then Eli can come and look at it whenever he likes to!"
Shanna is convinced that Jeremiah is going to be a lawyer. :-)

Decisions...decisions...

You may know that we have been thinking about putting our house on the market and possibly relocating for almost a year now. We have been taking things slowly and trying to process a number of factors into our decision making process. With Aaron finally completely done with his certification classes we feel like we are now finally at the place where we can move abit more agressively. Our first step was to find out how much money we would be qualified to borrow should we decide to buy a new house. We got the answer to that question last night and so the first piece of the decision making puzzle is in place. There are so many factors to consider emotionally, socially, and financially. And of course with all this crazy stuff going on with the economy we are trying to make responsible decisions as well. (Note: It seems that teachers at Aaron's school are starting to find out that their contracts are not being renewed. So even teachers jobs are not safe in these economic times. Seems ironic to me - we will spend billions and billions of dollars on bailing out Wall Street, banks, the car companies, and this new stimulus package that is full of crazy stuff but for some reason we can't afford to keep our schools running?! Makes me want to say bad words, but I digress.)
Aaron and I have a lot of praying and thinking to do. Please keep us in your prayers as we consider our next steps as a family. Pray that Aaron and I would communicate well and that we will listen to God's guidance.
And if you know anyone that wants a cute little 3 bed, 1 bath in a quaint southern town send them our way! :-)

Simple Songs

February is here. January passed in a blur of cold rainy days, sickness, and disorganization. Not a great way to start the year and yet I continued to learn to rely on God, not myself.
This past weekend Aaron and I spent Saturday together completely child free. I hope it does not make me a bad mother to admit that it was just what I needed. I needed a day to set my own schedule, to be able to sit down and enjoy a meal without the distractions of children, to be able to have a complete conversation with my husband, to lay on the couch and veg for a few hours without feeling guilty. My batteries were recharged and on Sunday morning I was able to approach my role as a mother with new enthusiasm.
On Saturday and Sunday Aaron and I spent some time riding around our area looking at real estate. We mapped out some houses to drive by (and peek in windows!), explored some neighborhoods we think we might like, and talked about the future. It was great to have the time to do that together. Except, now my mind is full of possibilities and I am chafing to get a plan going. We can't get a plan going until we receive the phone call we have been waiting for with some financial information. So, we wait.....
I don't wait well. I want to plan. I want to move forward and feel like I am accomplishing something.
This morning I awoke groggy from 2 nights of very little sleep. I had not been able to sleep because my mind was racing with possibilities and plans. I was thinking and worrying about things that I could not control.
Then I put on a new CD for Jeremiah. On Saturday I found a used CD with praise songs from Psalty the Singing Songbook. They are songs from my childhood. All of the sudden one song stopped me in my tracks as a little girl sang in a pure voice:
I cast all my cares upon You.
I lay all of my burdens, down at Your feet.
And anytime, I don't know, what to do.
I will cast all my cares upon you.

What a perfect reminder.

What a guy!

A friend of mine has been blogging every Friday about why her husband rocks. It has been fun to read her entry's and hear more about her relationship with her husband. I think it is such a beautiful thing for wives to publicly praise their husbands. I remember when I worked at DFCS before Aaron and I were married and all the married ladies would sit in an office and complain about their husbands. It was very rare for one of the ladies to say anything positive about their men. Society confirms the image of men being lazy, insensitive, stupid, unwilling fathers. Even I laugh at the Everybody Loves Raymond sitcom.
I have a daily battle with my thoughts. I guess I am an Eeyore by nature and tend to see the glass half empty as opposed to half full. Early in our marriage (due to the wise advice of a wise Christian sister) I vowed to speak only positively about Aaron to other people. I believe this has made a big difference in our relationship. The more I think and speak positively about him, the more thankful I am for him and the more loving I am toward him. Speaking positively about Aaron also gave me the opportunity to share about God's unconditional love with my co-workers because they would notice that I was not "trashing" my husband and would ask me why not.
The Bible says:
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
That is a convicting verse!
There is so much about Aaron that I love. He loves Jesus. He has deep compassion for other people, mostly people that society writes off or ignores. He is exceedingly patient. He is deeply thoughtful and incredibly smart, but doesn't show it off. He is not afraid to be himself, even if it is unconventional. He works hard. He never complains. He is an involved and caring father. He cares little for material things. He knows how to fix stuff. He is a terrific listener. He has great shoulders and strong arms. He keeps his word. He has a sarcastic sense of humor. He is loyal. He is always willing to help around the house.
I am truly blessed to have a husband who has the heart of a servant.
What do you love about your partner? Speak positively and it may just lead you feel positively too. Let's glorify God in the way we speak.

Thinking Through School

As tends to happen with Jeremiah he has all of the sudden exploded in the area of reading. The concept of linking all the phonetic sounds has been something he has been working on in the past few weeks (months really) and he has done really well reading individual words. Now a light has gone off in his head and he is realizing that he can read whole sentences. After we got back from the library on Monday he read this whole new Thomas book by himself!
Jeremiah has also learned how to work the computer mouse by himself and the Starfall website has provided him with hours of reading and fun entertainment. We have started setting the timer to limit computer time because he would play on it all day if he could.
All of this is leading Aaron and I to a lot of prayer and discussion about Jeremiah's schooling options. Our goal for our children is that they enjoy learning and we don't want Jeremiah to end up bored in school. On the other hand, I am just not sure that I am cut out for homeschooling. I was never really a big fan of it (don't get mad at me, I'm just not) and Jeremiah's relationship with me is at a stage where I am not sure that me being his primary teacher would be helpful. As for any kind of private school, there is no way we could afford any kind of tuition unless Aaron was to teach at one. We know that Jeremiah is only 4, but the reality that school decisions are not that far away are part of our thought process as we think about our future.
On Saturday Aaron had to work the clock at the middle school basketball games. I sat with the boys on the top row of bleachers and watched a community of people interact. I realized that when I think about my boys being in school I see imagine much more than just education. I imagine our whole family being part of a community. I want my boys to be exposed to people who are different than they are. I want them to have more skills than just educational skills.
So you see, there is a lot to sift and sort through. Right now I am reading Choosing Your Child's School by David W. Smith which outlines pro's and con's of public, private, Christian, and home schooling. It has been insightful. I hope to order a few more books to start reading soon.
Any thoughts or ideas?

25 Random Things

This game has been floating around the internet world for a while now. It is fun to see people list 25 random things about themselves. I have been tagged twice on Facebook so I will just post my list here. And I'm sorry, but I don't tag back.

25 Random Things
1. I grew up in Nigeria, West Africa from the time I was 9 months old until I was 10 years old. Something about Africa still tugs at my heart.
2. I never really had a strong desire to be a mom. Now I have 2 boys and would love to foster and/or adopt more children (because I hate being pregnant and because there are so many kids who need homes).
3. I am always full of good intentions, which I unfortunately rarely follow through on.
4. I love to read and sleep. They are my addictions.
5. I think often of taking my family and doing education/development work in other countries but am afraid I would not be up to the task.
6. I hate conflict and will do almost anything to avoid it.
7. My favorite color is yellow. I think that every kitchen should be painted yellow.
8. I don't really like to cook, but it seems like I am pretty good at it.
9. One of my greatest regrets in life is that I didn't take voice lessons when my grandpa offered to pay for them.
10. I started dating my husband when I was a senior in college and he was a senior in high school. We received a lot of skeptical and negative comments. We are now in our 9th year of marriage and I can't imagine a better partner for me.
11. I procrastinate. A lot.
12. I struggle daily against laziness, complacency, and materialism.
13. I hate to exercise. (I know it is not the cool thing to say.) The only exercise I enjoy is a long quiet walk.
14. Once a year I experience a strong desire to move, change, start fresh in a new place where no one knows me. Yet, I have lived in the same small town for over 10 years now and also have a strong desire to put down deep roots. It is a strange dichotomy of being.
15. I love to travel.
16. I lived in Amsterdam when I was a teenager. I never once did drugs. Crazy.
17. I love weddings. I want to be a wedding planner in my next life.
18. I love looking at real estate. I want to be a real estate agent in my next life.
19. Even though I hate violence, war, guns, or conflict of any kind I yell a lot when I am angry or frustrated. I am working on that.
20. I had a difficult relationship with my mom when I was growing up. Now I consider her a great friend and am often sad that she lives so far away.
21. I have a really bad memory.
22. I have an uncontrollable sweet tooth.
23. In the past few years I have gotten into stamping and making cards. I like it because I can make thoughtful, handmade things for people that don't take a lot of time. Plus, I love sending and receiving real mail.
24. Last year I exchanged my original diamond engagement ring for a sapphire. I did it because I had originally wanted a sapphire but I bowed to peer and societal pressure to have a diamond. I love my sapphire and now see it not only as a reminder of Aaron's love for me but as a reminder to always be myself.
25. I wish I was a better friend, but I tend to expect people to leave or not like me so I keep them at arms length.

Mighty to Save

I have been having a hard time sleeping. I am a bit on edge. There are decisions that Aaron and I are in the process of making and I just want them to be made so that I can have a plan. I spent last week feeling like a failure. I didn't really want to go to church yesterday, but I did. And of course I was encouraged and uplifted. We are learning this new song and this line especially comforted my heart: "so take me as you find me, all my fears and failures, fill my life again, I give my life to follow, everything I believe in, now I surrender."

Mighty to Save

Everyone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The Hope of nations

Saviour
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King

Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding
© 2006 Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding/Hillsong
Publishing/kingswaysongs.com

I told you so....

Here is a link to a blog that I read. Her entry was thought provoking.
Consider this:
When I went in for my second ultra-sound with my second baby I saw his little face and body in an amazing 4D picture on a huge plasma screen tv. His arms were waving, his stomach was moving in and out, his legs were kicking. It was amazing how clear the picture was. He was 11 weeks and 5 days and technically could have still been aborted because he was not yet 12 weeks. I still don't see how this is an "intellectual issue" that we can debate away for our own convenience.
--
I have been trying hard to catch news stories about what Obama will do as president with abortion and embryonic stem cell research issues. The major tv news has not proved very informative in this area. This morning a brief mention was made of Obama's plans to overturn a ban on federally funded international aid organizations providing abortions as a method of family planning.
I don't care how politically correct you try to word that - it sounds crazy and just plain morally wrong! Christians should be up in arms about our tax dollars being used in poor countries to fund abortion (the killing of babies) as a method of family planning.
Many many people told me during this election cycle that Obama as president would not have much effect on the abortion laws in this country. They thought I was uneducated and being manipulated by right wing conservatives to take this issue so seriously. Well, unfortunately they were wrong. He has only been in office 3 days and he is already effecting abortion laws.
I love that Obama wants every human to have a good life and good opportunities. I just wish he would realize that babies who are unborn are human and have that right too.
I continue to pray that God will change Obama's heart and show him that all life is to be valued - especially the unborn who have no voice of their own.

Warning! Mother bragging

Jeremiah is a reading and writing machine these days. I haven't started any formal "school time" yet (my lack of discipline I am sure) but there is probably at least an hour a day where he sits down and uses some method to practice his writing skills. One of his new favorite things is to copy words from his favorite books.
As far a writing goes he really has it down, but right now we are working on staying on a straight line and are using some work books to learn to write the letters the "right" way (you know, trace them following the arrows in the right direction). So it is really just the fine motor skills stuff.
As far as reading goes Jeremiah just continues to amaze me. I don't really work with him in any specific way, we just read a lot and he naturally seems to love books, words, and the sounds of words. Yesterday we got a new book in the mail. Jeremiah held it, looked at it, and promptly read the title with no help from me, "Little Monkey Lost"! Aaron and I just stared at each other.
It really is amazing to watch Jeremiah's mind grow and learn.

Watching History

This picture continues to amaze me. My boys will never know a time in which it was not possible for a person of a different color (or gender) to reach the highest office of our country. The irony, and beauty, is their oblivion to the significance of history happening as they played in the living room. It is my greatest prayer that they will become men of God who live out their faith through their actions. That people will know they love God because of the way they love others, especially those whom society ignores and mistreats. It is my prayer that they will live in world where people show more compassion and care for their neighbors and this planet. This morning, despite my sometimes constant cynicism, it seemed like that world was possible.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from President Obama's inauguration address:

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom."

"And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."

"...and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good."

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. "

"They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint."

"And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. "

Hope (?)

It is hard not to feel the enthusiasm and excitement of the historic inauguration that is taking place today. There is so much joy and hope in the air and this is a day where I am proud to be an American. I am often moved to tears when I think of a black man taking the oath of office on the steps of a buiding whose foundation was laid by slaves. I am exstatic that my children will grow up in an America where they can truly see that anything really is possible.
And yet....
As I watched some of the early morning coverage on CNN the news crawl along the bottom of the screen chilled my heart. "Obama aides outline busy first week.....Obama intends to review abortion laws." (Of course we haven't heard any news coverage of that issue on the major news networks.)
What a contrast. We have come so far as a nation, and yet part of me feels like in other ways we are going backward if we cannot protect the least vulnerable among us, those who have no voice of their own.
It also just so happens that this past Sunday was sanctity of life Sunday. A volunteer from a local crisis pregancy center shared about the difference that the programs of the center are making in this rural community where teen (and crisis) pregnancy tends to be normal. The work of that small center is phenomenal. They give free pregnancy tests, ultra sounds, adoption referral, parenting classes, mentoring, abstinence education in the local school system. These volunteers are on the front lines of the daily battle to save the unborn. It was a reminder that Christians need to give more than lip service to the abortion issue and volunteer their time and efforts.
In church this Sunday I noticed that we sang a lot of songs with hope in them. "My life is in you Lord, My hope is in you Lord", "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name." We also sang songs about Christ's return and our promise of heaven. It was a good reminder. I am hopeful for some of the things that Obama will do for this nation. Other things that he has stood for I am not so excited about. I feel a lot of unease for the future of my children. And yet, this earth is not my home. I am here to work for Christ's kingdom in anyway I can until the ultimate promise of His return in fulfilled. That is my hope.
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Edit: I found some interesting links:
John Piper, Being a Pro-Life Christian Under a Pro-Choice President
Implications of the Freedom of Choice Act

Birthday Fun

Yesterday we headed out for the morning to help Eli celebrate his 2nd birthday. The boys had a ball playing with toys that they didn't recognize. It was so nice for me to have some adult conversation with a good friend. Cupcakes were enjoyed by all!