Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Please Pray

We have been in touch via blog with some friends from our days in Denver. This last week they asked for prayer for their college friend who went missing last Wednesday from the Seattle area.
Nicholas called his wife to say he was on his way home from work on the 13th and hasn't been heard from or seen since. They found his car on the 18th but it has not given any clues as to where he could be.
I can't even truly imagine what Christine is going through right now. They have 2 little ones and she is pregnant with their 3rd child. Please pray that God will comfort Christine and give her peace as the days go by with no answers. Pray for the detectives as they follow up on any leads and pray for Nicholas. If you want more up-to-date info on the investigation here's the website: Nicholas

Monday, February 18, 2008

Photography

I have been getting more brave and so here is some of my recent photog work...

~Love~
~Joy~
Chilly Park Days
Childhood
Blue Skies, Blue Slide

Butterfly
Rose
Bumble Bees
Comfort

Sweetie

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Love Day!

On most Valentines, like my birthdays, I have been able to get through the day with very little fanfare. I know my man loves me and I truly do not need him to buy me candy, flowers or dinner out as a demonstration of that love - it's all too expensive & commercial for me. Neither am I much for contrived sentiment, but with 3 girls, I cannot let a holiday like today slide by. From the homemade valentines & candy hearts to flowers & school parties, I was in up to my neck in pink love.
In the past few days of preparation, I was trying very hard to bring the lessons of loving others and the gift of giving into this otherwise very commercial and superficial day. As I looked out the window this morning, the beautiful white snow was apropos for today. While the girls were enjoying their little love gifts from mom & dad, we were able to talk about how our hearts were washed as white as snow because God gave us the greatest love gift of all - His son Jesus.
All of us girls had a great day. Ellie got 4 Valentines from 1 boy, all 3 of the girls ate so much candy they were up too late and Tracy came home with pretty flowers for his honey, but I think the most fun we had was taking the love God has given us and giving it away.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

The Show's about to Start

Most of you know - some this will be news - I used to be a pretty decent singer at one point in my life. School choir, Church choir, musicals, competitions, solo performances, the occasional wedding. I still sing to my audience of 3 around the house. I'm used to putting my request for obedience to a song (sing it with me - "Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry, when you get impatient you only start to worry...") or a helpful reminder that yes indeed, "God is bigger than the boogie man". It comes naturally to me to burst out in song, although, lately I have noticed I stick to belting out songs that already exist rather than the precious made-up versions I sang when the girls were younger. Maybe I am already self-conscious about being the crazy mom who marches to the beat of her own drum!
The girls and I have a little routine on school mornings where mom tries to get out the door 5 minutes early and the girls figure that means they have 15 more minutes to get their shoes on! Well, the rare and beautiful morning happened yesterday when we all were up, dressed and fed with 20 minutes to spare. The girls marched upstairs to play while I cleaned up the kitchen. I had 5 more minutes before crunch time so I ran upstairs to throw in a load of laundry. As I came out of the laundry room I stopped to listen. No fighting, no movie, just girls singing a song. Kiki sang about how she was the mom fixing breakfast for the sweetie (that's what they call the daughters cuz that's what I call them!) Ellie returned her reply in a singsong voice. This continued for a couple more lines until I popped my head in to the room, smiled at them and got a garbled no word tune from Mattie!
Psalm 40:3 says, He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
I pray today that you have a new song to sing to those around you. I am sure it will be contagious; maybe there will be little musicals everywhere - all singing and giving God praise just because He is worthy of our praise.