At the end of Job, he said to God, "My ears had heard of you before (all the bad that has happened), but now my eyes have seen you." 42:5 and "I know that you can do all things and no plan of yours can be ruined." 42:2
Ella got her very first professional haircut yesterday. She's decided on a no bows, no pigtails approach to life. To make mine easier I decided she'd just get a low maintenance bob with bangs. Stylish, I'd say!
Today we went swimming with Ella's friend Cullen.
Look out Michigan! She's coming to a city near you...
Tomorrow I am leaving behind my precious husband and children for two days and a night. I'm going to Deeper Still in Atlanta with my mother-in-law and sisters. We are so excited for the chance to get away, spend time together and with the Lord (and an arena full of His daughters). I'm going to get dusted off...From the Deeper Still blog:
Woo hoo! Deeper Still is almost here. I can't wait! This weekend is going to be over-the-top great.
The band and I have been waiting (not-so-patiently) for this special weekend. We even had a rehearsal. That's a big deal, people. We have been learning some new tunes and brushing up on some older ones (see Psalm 134:2).
Yep...we have been getting our music ready. But we have also been getting our hearts and minds prepared for whatever it is the Lord has for us to learn and experience this weekend. The Lord brought to mind a funny story that Julie, a member of the praise team, told us recently...
Julie and her husband wanted to get their kids a Wii game system for Christmas. The problem was they waited until the last minute to find one. So, they were two of the crazies who slept outside Target on Thanksgiving night so they could be one of the first to secure a Wii on Friday morning.
Well, they were successful. And you didn't even need to know that part of the story. I just love to tell it. I love to expose the crazies.
Anyway, 2 or 3 months into the new year, I asked Julie how their family was enjoying the Wii. She said that she was going to have to send it in to the manufacturer, because the controls weren't working. Bummer, I thought to myself. Actually, I didn't just think it. I said
it. Bummer.
OK...so fast forward a couple of months after that. I asked Julie if she got their Wii back, and if it was fixed. She immediately got a sheepish look on her face, and ashamedly responded, "Uh...um...I didn't have to send it. The remote sensor was just dusty. Once I
cleaned it, it worked fine."
(My apologies to Julie for exposing her dusty Wii sensor.)
Hmmm...I thought to myself. I really just thought it this time. I didn't say it.
It made me think...
I don't know what all you have weighing on you this week. Maybe you come with heavy burdens...and you are desperate for immediate answers from the Lord about a specific hurt, or problem, or do-or-die situation. Or maybe you come full of joy because in this season of your life you are on the mountaintop. Or maybe you are like Julie's Wii game...and your spirit needs a good dusting off...a refreshing new move of the Spirit of God in your life...a new Word for this new day.
Whatever season you are in...I have a feeling that all of our "sensors" could use a dusting. And I pray that we all will come ready to receive it. If you are hurting...come with your wounds exposed, and let His grace cover you...heal you. If you are celebrating, bring your joy to Him, and let His love complete you. And if you are feeling dull, stale, in need of a fresh Word, let His perfect Spirit restore you.
Because we weren't made to watch this game of life go by with a half-engaged heart. We were meant to play it...live it...love it! And thanks to Jesus, this good life is there for the taking.
And we don't even have to wait in line all night at Target to get it.
Come ready to engage your heart fully...He is ready for you. And we will be, too...see you in Atlanta...THIS WEEK!
Blessings,
Travis
for 12 hours, 3 kids, 2 DVD screens, and who knows how many potty breaks.
Elijah met his new brother before he was even an hour old. I remember this moment so clearly. I had wondered and prayed and worried about the moment my first baby would meet my new baby. Elijah stood in a chair next to the bed and instinctively made these sweet little noises. Miles turned to look at the face that matched the little voice he had already heard so much of. This is one of my favorite pictures ever. The beginning of brotherhood.
Miles at 11 days old. Jonathan took this beautiful picture - it almost looks like a fetal image.
This morning I said, "hello birthday boy!" and Miles replied, "No, I'm a birthday man." So all day he referred to himself as the birthday man. Tonight in the bath he told us he was bigger because he had a birthday. We had a fun day starting with a birthday orange roll. We had to light the candle and sing to him three times before he took the first bite. And actually, Miles started the celebrating before Jonathan and I were out of bed - he helped himself to a cupcake from his party yesterday. The chocolate evidence was sprinkled over my white living room rug. This little one is growing up in a fast blur...
Miles turns three tomorrow, so today we were party animals at the zoo.
Ella with her cousin Ellison as he tried to rescue her from her stroller - they just might be partners in crime one day.
Miles with his favorite new toy as Elijah shows how old his little brother is now.
We had a fun, fun party with our fun, fun MANE man!
and I should know, because thanks to my brother I spent a good bit of time with underwear on my head. But Ella was not forced to wear these fruit of the looms in this way, she chose to. For some reason she has decided that her brothers' underwear is fun to wear - as a hat. I just thought Uncle Kevin would enjoy this picture. Now he's having flashbacks.
In our house, and especially in our van, this is known as Poppa's office tower. My dad worked in this building, and we live near it, so every day (and I mean EVERY DAY) when we drive close to it I have two little voices yelling about it. So, wise woman that I am, I decided to take the kids to Dad's old office to meet some of his friends and take a look around. I actually thought I might converse with a few people while I was there. The boys had other plans. From walking out the office door to turning on and off the lights to Miles being chased down by two (TWO!) of Dad's co-workers, it was pretty much a nightmare for me. While the sweet people in radiation control didn't mind, and I think even had a little fun, chasing my boys around, I was pretty embarrassed. They found themselves in a decent amount of trouble when we got home. On the way home, I was just about in tears when I realized that Dad probably laughed and laughed as he looked down on that spectacle. I guess I'm grasping at straws to make some kind of connection to my Dad for my boys, because Miles has no memories of him and Elijah only has that of a three year old. Oh, well. I'm not laughing about today just yet, but I won't give up trying to make him real in the lives of his grandchildren.
In ten years we have:
Anita and I taught this little group of two and three year-olds for VBS. This many at that age is crazy, fun, and pretty tiring. Tonight was our last night. That's Miles above playing ball - our theme this year was Game Day Central. Below is a group picture as we were trying to pump our kids up for the annual diaper derby.
Ella came in second in her race. In the diaper derby you must start out crawling, but can end up on your feet.
Miles' action shot - he was excited. Both to be in a race and to be running to his daddy.
And here's the picture I love. Our song time gets pretty loud and crazy, and here Elijah was just having fun, clapping and dancing for God. I love the feeling of this picture. One day, we will all be able to worship with this kind of purity, innocence, and abandon.
Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.(Psalms 8:2 ESV)
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
(Matthew 18:2-6 ESV)
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew 18:10 ESV)
the boys enjoyed their Home Depot work aprons. Miles' favorite store is "Home Depot's."
Here the kiddos are perched on their future play set.
blowing a kiss
Miles has been having some very stubborn moments lately, not the least of which include saying, "I don't want to obey..."
I'm not in trouble, right?
Here we are at Biltmore. Very beautiful and ridiculously large and well appointed. I kept thinking that our tour would end at any minute, and it went on and on. Lots of fun. 
My feet were so sore after the house tour that I did little exploring in the gardens. Jonathan took many beautiful pictures in the greenhouses, and I took this one of an orchid that caught my eye.
This view was at Sunset Rock just outside of Highlands. Not visible in this picture is a pretty view of downtown Highlands, where we stayed at the Main Street Inn.
We had read about a few falls to see, and the one we really wanted to see we couldn't because the area was closed for parking improvements. It would have been an easy little walk. Instead we chose to hike a mile downward to see Glenn Falls. After reading about descending over 700 feet in a mile we thought that just maybe it would be a bit too strenuous, and then we met a couple that must have been nearing 70 that had hiked it and recommended it. We thought if they could do it, so could we. So, not to be outdone, we hiked down, down, and down some more...
and found this beautiful creation. On the way down I kept thinking, "we've got to climb up and out of this..." but I also thought of the beauty of God's hand that created such wonderful things. We would have missed it if we had wimped out of the challenge - which I seriously considered when the sign at the trail head said most strenuous. I also thought about the majesty we will find when the new earth comes down. How much more lovely will the new earth be? And we won't be out of breath when we hike it's trails.1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:1-4
A picture at the top, when we were done, winded but grateful for the ability to enjoy the experience.
