More Photos by Jared
Stacia has discovered that playing tug of war with mommy and the high chair tray is great fun!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Summer Routine –
We’ve sort of gotten into a summer routine – a stride – and so it seems boring to say “this is what we did” day after day…thus the “this is what I’m thinking” posts earlier in the day. {G}
I had thought I’d take my bike tire to Concho Bikes today – but I got side tracked. Adrienne called and suggested we meet her and her kids at the park at 9:30 a.m. We did. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the “cool” morning at the park. We went our separate ways for lunch. We met again at China Beach at 1 p.m. Jared was starting to think that he was jinxed with China Beach since every time he is with us we DON’T SWIM! The first time they were closed before we got there. The second time I forgot the pool passes. The third time they shut it down for storms. This is the pool right on base. The kids spent quite a bit of time at it while we were in TLF’s. I assured him that they WERE open today, it wasn’t storming and we’d be fine. We headed out.
I had to stop and get another pass for the Expedition to be on base. I was sure I’d have the van back by Friday and so had them make the pass through the 4th – yesterday. Keep in mind that I’ve already gotten *3* passes for this vehicle. The gentlemen in there today discovered that the vehicle registration I’d been given at the dealership expired in MARCH. There was no way he would give me a pass. When he left, the women, who know me by now, came out with me to the car…noted the current registration tags and said they’d write it based on that. BUT they also noted the vehicle inspection pass EXPIRED in June! ARGH. They said there is a 5 day grace period and decided to let us on base today. However, I can’t drive the Expedition ANYWHERE with the expired inspection tags….and who does the dealer think is going to pay for this? I wonder who will pay if I get a ticket for driving without insurance (which I had them fax me because they forgot to give it to me) or driving with an expired tag? We’ve still not heard a word from them. I checked the TX Lemon laws and since we’ve had the van in for the same problem FIVE TIMES (hadn’t realized it had been so many times) in the 8 months since we bought the van (the requirement is 2 times in 12 months) and since we’ve had it in the shop for 30 days in those 8 months (the requirement is 24 days) we qualify. It stopping isn’t a “serious safety issue” BUT it certainly would qualify as “impairing the operation of the vehicle.” We think we are going to talk to the dealer and tell him that FORD owes us either a fix, a new van, or our money back. This van is still under warranty….I’m tired of taking 4 hours a week to drive out and back and then go back to get the van and back home again.
ANYWAY – we got into China Beach after 30 minutes at the visitor center. We had a fun time. Jared and I reminisced of how Bre and Krista would take them to the pool last summer…how huge I was at 8 months pregnant and our first week in TX…..and then we saw the lifeguard that kicked Zander out of the pool a year ago for throwing rocks at a spider on a tree. {sigh} Today she was telling him he couldn’t go in the “deep” end without me. The deep end is 4 feet tall – and he can touch. We all had fun anyway.
We came home….I made Chicken Quesadillas for dinner. I read two chapters out of *The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe* to the kids. It’s amazing how small our family reading circle has become with the 4 older ones gallivanting around the states and Mike working late. Mike is still at work.
Jared took some pictures – I’ll check them out and upload a couple.
We’ve sort of gotten into a summer routine – a stride – and so it seems boring to say “this is what we did” day after day…thus the “this is what I’m thinking” posts earlier in the day. {G}
I had thought I’d take my bike tire to Concho Bikes today – but I got side tracked. Adrienne called and suggested we meet her and her kids at the park at 9:30 a.m. We did. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the “cool” morning at the park. We went our separate ways for lunch. We met again at China Beach at 1 p.m. Jared was starting to think that he was jinxed with China Beach since every time he is with us we DON’T SWIM! The first time they were closed before we got there. The second time I forgot the pool passes. The third time they shut it down for storms. This is the pool right on base. The kids spent quite a bit of time at it while we were in TLF’s. I assured him that they WERE open today, it wasn’t storming and we’d be fine. We headed out.
I had to stop and get another pass for the Expedition to be on base. I was sure I’d have the van back by Friday and so had them make the pass through the 4th – yesterday. Keep in mind that I’ve already gotten *3* passes for this vehicle. The gentlemen in there today discovered that the vehicle registration I’d been given at the dealership expired in MARCH. There was no way he would give me a pass. When he left, the women, who know me by now, came out with me to the car…noted the current registration tags and said they’d write it based on that. BUT they also noted the vehicle inspection pass EXPIRED in June! ARGH. They said there is a 5 day grace period and decided to let us on base today. However, I can’t drive the Expedition ANYWHERE with the expired inspection tags….and who does the dealer think is going to pay for this? I wonder who will pay if I get a ticket for driving without insurance (which I had them fax me because they forgot to give it to me) or driving with an expired tag? We’ve still not heard a word from them. I checked the TX Lemon laws and since we’ve had the van in for the same problem FIVE TIMES (hadn’t realized it had been so many times) in the 8 months since we bought the van (the requirement is 2 times in 12 months) and since we’ve had it in the shop for 30 days in those 8 months (the requirement is 24 days) we qualify. It stopping isn’t a “serious safety issue” BUT it certainly would qualify as “impairing the operation of the vehicle.” We think we are going to talk to the dealer and tell him that FORD owes us either a fix, a new van, or our money back. This van is still under warranty….I’m tired of taking 4 hours a week to drive out and back and then go back to get the van and back home again.
ANYWAY – we got into China Beach after 30 minutes at the visitor center. We had a fun time. Jared and I reminisced of how Bre and Krista would take them to the pool last summer…how huge I was at 8 months pregnant and our first week in TX…..and then we saw the lifeguard that kicked Zander out of the pool a year ago for throwing rocks at a spider on a tree. {sigh} Today she was telling him he couldn’t go in the “deep” end without me. The deep end is 4 feet tall – and he can touch. We all had fun anyway.
We came home….I made Chicken Quesadillas for dinner. I read two chapters out of *The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe* to the kids. It’s amazing how small our family reading circle has become with the 4 older ones gallivanting around the states and Mike working late. Mike is still at work.
Jared took some pictures – I’ll check them out and upload a couple.
Chapel Funnies (or another Zanderism)
Do you know the song “Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes, Yes Lord”? Our service sings that one quite a bit. Evidently Zander has been paying attention in church. On the way to the pool today he began to sing a familiar tune…but his interpretation was a bit subjective….
“Less Lawyers, Less Lawyers, Less Less Lawyers, Less Lawyers, Less Lawyers, Less Less Lawyers….AMEN!”
He does not like us to laugh at him but it was almost impossible not to…instead we joined him in singing with the proper lyrics.
Do you know the song “Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes, Yes Lord”? Our service sings that one quite a bit. Evidently Zander has been paying attention in church. On the way to the pool today he began to sing a familiar tune…but his interpretation was a bit subjective….
“Less Lawyers, Less Lawyers, Less Less Lawyers, Less Lawyers, Less Lawyers, Less Less Lawyers….AMEN!”
He does not like us to laugh at him but it was almost impossible not to…instead we joined him in singing with the proper lyrics.
Age of Opportunity (emphasis mine)
I’m currently reading this book. I really need to probably get that book blog running. {g} It’s set up. I’d thought I’d write chapter summaries of the non-fiction books I’m reading and whoever wanted to could comment…sort of a book discussion….but I’ve not had the time to write the summaries yet. I am rereading this book and finding his approach to be gentler than his brothers in *Shepherding a Child’s Heart*….but the principles are the same. This book gave us confidence to face the “teen” years as Bre (who is now 21) entered those years. With a 21, 19, 17 and 15 yo “under our belts” and a 12 ½ year old quickly entering this phase, we have found these years to be wonderful, exciting and truly an AGE OF OPPORTUNITY and reaping some awesome benefits from the early years of sowing into their lives. I want to encourage you that the teen years need not be feared. They have also been great opportunities of personal growth. In fact….maybe some of us need so much work that that is why we have so many years in the teen years. {bg}
Here are a few quotes I’ve read in the past couple of days that I especially liked.
“The rules and regulation approach that focuses on keeping the teen out of trouble will ultimately fail because it does not deal with the heart. {snip} We have to work at the level of the heart desires with our teenagers, or we will win lots of battles and ultimately lose the war. It is not enough to be detectives, jailers, and judges. We must PASTOR the hearts of our children with the kind of faithful, watchful care for their souls that we receive from our heavenly Father. (Yes, yes, YES!!!)
The parent who has a pastoral model of parenting will do more than hand down regulations and enforce punishments when the regulations are broken. Pastoring parents will befriend their teen. They will probe and examine. They will engage their child in provocative discussions. They will be unwilling to live with distance, avoidance, and nonanswers. They will not let the teenager set the agenda for the relationship. In times of trouble, they will hold discussions rather than cross-examinations. They will not be there simply to prove the child wrong and to announce punishment. They will seek to expose the true thoughts and motives of t heir teenager’s heart by asking heart-disclosing questions. {snip} They will help their teenager to look at himself in the accurate mirror of the Word, which is able to expose and judge the heart. And they will do all of this in a spirit of humble, gentle, kind, forgiving, forbearing, and patient love.” *Age of Opportunity*, Paul David Tripp, p 111 – 112.
Several things leap at me when I read this – obviously the whole thing and especially the parts I put in bold {bg} but also the fact that this type of parenting, this Pastoral Parenting, TAKES TIME! It’s WORK. I’ve watched my husband come home at 8:00 p.m. from a long day of work and take the time to shepherd the boys’ hearts. The time I’m thinking of he walked with me and we discussed the issues and my concern. Then he walked with each of the boys and then one of them a second time. He patiently listened and asked those “heart disclosing questions” – all with a view of helping our sons SEE what their actions exposed of their heart and it led the boys to repentance….now THAT’S discipline! He walked until well after 10 p.m. It would have been so much easier to say, “You are this, this and that and because you can’t do this and that you are grounded”. No, they weren’t grounded. BUT they saw their heart, they were broken and grieved before the Lord and they changed. That’s the goal….heart change….it just takes more time than other methods.
It takes me being in the WORD if I’m going to use the Word as a mirror for my children. I also must be very careful not to constantly use the Word as a club and create distaste for the Word in my children’s life.
Above all my care, love and shepherding of my children is to be KIND and patient…..Titus 2 (a passage so many quote a verse or two from but have never really studied – this little book is a jewel) instructs older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. I checked it out years ago. The word for love is Phileo. A kind, brotherly-hearted love. At that point in my life, my home didn’t show much phileo. I was in charge, I was the parent, they obeyed me without question and were well-behaved, I intimidated with bursts of anger….but God spoke clearly to my heart that I was NOT “loving them” the way I was commanded to love them. I was not doing a thing to shepherd their heart but was focused only on behavior….and He had a much greater focus than I.
Just thoughts I’ve been having.
I’m currently reading this book. I really need to probably get that book blog running. {g} It’s set up. I’d thought I’d write chapter summaries of the non-fiction books I’m reading and whoever wanted to could comment…sort of a book discussion….but I’ve not had the time to write the summaries yet. I am rereading this book and finding his approach to be gentler than his brothers in *Shepherding a Child’s Heart*….but the principles are the same. This book gave us confidence to face the “teen” years as Bre (who is now 21) entered those years. With a 21, 19, 17 and 15 yo “under our belts” and a 12 ½ year old quickly entering this phase, we have found these years to be wonderful, exciting and truly an AGE OF OPPORTUNITY and reaping some awesome benefits from the early years of sowing into their lives. I want to encourage you that the teen years need not be feared. They have also been great opportunities of personal growth. In fact….maybe some of us need so much work that that is why we have so many years in the teen years. {bg}
Here are a few quotes I’ve read in the past couple of days that I especially liked.
“The rules and regulation approach that focuses on keeping the teen out of trouble will ultimately fail because it does not deal with the heart. {snip} We have to work at the level of the heart desires with our teenagers, or we will win lots of battles and ultimately lose the war. It is not enough to be detectives, jailers, and judges. We must PASTOR the hearts of our children with the kind of faithful, watchful care for their souls that we receive from our heavenly Father. (Yes, yes, YES!!!)
The parent who has a pastoral model of parenting will do more than hand down regulations and enforce punishments when the regulations are broken. Pastoring parents will befriend their teen. They will probe and examine. They will engage their child in provocative discussions. They will be unwilling to live with distance, avoidance, and nonanswers. They will not let the teenager set the agenda for the relationship. In times of trouble, they will hold discussions rather than cross-examinations. They will not be there simply to prove the child wrong and to announce punishment. They will seek to expose the true thoughts and motives of t heir teenager’s heart by asking heart-disclosing questions. {snip} They will help their teenager to look at himself in the accurate mirror of the Word, which is able to expose and judge the heart. And they will do all of this in a spirit of humble, gentle, kind, forgiving, forbearing, and patient love.” *Age of Opportunity*, Paul David Tripp, p 111 – 112.
Several things leap at me when I read this – obviously the whole thing and especially the parts I put in bold {bg} but also the fact that this type of parenting, this Pastoral Parenting, TAKES TIME! It’s WORK. I’ve watched my husband come home at 8:00 p.m. from a long day of work and take the time to shepherd the boys’ hearts. The time I’m thinking of he walked with me and we discussed the issues and my concern. Then he walked with each of the boys and then one of them a second time. He patiently listened and asked those “heart disclosing questions” – all with a view of helping our sons SEE what their actions exposed of their heart and it led the boys to repentance….now THAT’S discipline! He walked until well after 10 p.m. It would have been so much easier to say, “You are this, this and that and because you can’t do this and that you are grounded”. No, they weren’t grounded. BUT they saw their heart, they were broken and grieved before the Lord and they changed. That’s the goal….heart change….it just takes more time than other methods.
It takes me being in the WORD if I’m going to use the Word as a mirror for my children. I also must be very careful not to constantly use the Word as a club and create distaste for the Word in my children’s life.
Above all my care, love and shepherding of my children is to be KIND and patient…..Titus 2 (a passage so many quote a verse or two from but have never really studied – this little book is a jewel) instructs older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. I checked it out years ago. The word for love is Phileo. A kind, brotherly-hearted love. At that point in my life, my home didn’t show much phileo. I was in charge, I was the parent, they obeyed me without question and were well-behaved, I intimidated with bursts of anger….but God spoke clearly to my heart that I was NOT “loving them” the way I was commanded to love them. I was not doing a thing to shepherd their heart but was focused only on behavior….and He had a much greater focus than I.
Just thoughts I’ve been having.
Do Not Fret
“Do not fret – it only causes harm” (Ps 37:8 B)
“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Ps 37:7)
“….until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced it live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to rest in the Lord then? If this “do not” doesn’t work there, then it will not work anywhere. The ”do not” must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty , as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstance at all, but on your relationship with God Himself. (my emphasis)
Worrying always results in sin. . . Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way”. *My Utmost for His Highest*, Oswald Chambers; July 4th
Do not fret – it’s a command. It’s not something that GOD will magically remove from my life. I must make the deliberate, conscious choice NOT to allow my mind and spirit to “get out of joint”. I must choose to focus on His promises, His character, His faithfulness, His perspective. Some of us have been blessed with great imaginations. My parents used to say that I was too imaginative. My brothers and I had to ride a little puddle jumper plane from Manila to a town several hours away from our home in Southern Mindanao, on school breaks. If Mom and Dad were late I would have them kidnapped, tortured and killed by terrorists in 3 minutes flat. It’s been a chore for me to learn NOT to FRET (Ps 37:8b) and to BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING (Phil 4:6-7) and to CONSIDER IT ALL JOY (James 1:2-7) These verses give us clear steps to help us in our fight against fretting, anxiety, and worry.
Realize we are commanded not to allow our minds to go down these paths. TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE to the LORDSHIP of CHRIST. This is something we are going to have to get deliberate about.
Rest in Him (acknowledge and respect His sovereignty in our lives).
Wait for Him…as we do this we are to let our requests be made known to God with prayer and thanksgiving, recognize that trials will produce endurance and mature faith in US, that we will become adequate for every good work through enduring our trials without allowing ourselves to sink into pits of anxiety and frenzied fretting.
As we do this the very peace of God is given to us and GUARDS our HEARTS and our MINDS.
I can look back now and see God at work in many areas of my life. Truly, this “do not” has WORKED in my life. I’ve seen the choices to choose joy and not to be anxious result in rest and patience over and over in my life…through financial hardships, miscarriages, deployments, employment uncertainties, chronic pain, children’s “issues”, predicted dire outcomes of pregnancies….I’ve seen that it is possible to rest, wait and be perfected in the trial. It is possible to have a mind and heart at ease through the peace of God. It all rests, however, on obeying these commands. Choose. joy. Do not fret. Be anxious for nothing. Let your requests be made known to God. I find myself grateful for past trials as they’ve built confidence that God will carry be through any future times when I am tempted to fret, if I obey Him and respond train my mind and heart to respond as He commands.
Choosing Joy....today and tomorrow and certainly in the months to follow.
“Do not fret – it only causes harm” (Ps 37:8 B)
“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Ps 37:7)
“….until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced it live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to rest in the Lord then? If this “do not” doesn’t work there, then it will not work anywhere. The ”do not” must work during our days of difficulty and uncertainty , as well as our peaceful days, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstance at all, but on your relationship with God Himself. (my emphasis)
Worrying always results in sin. . . Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way”. *My Utmost for His Highest*, Oswald Chambers; July 4th
Do not fret – it’s a command. It’s not something that GOD will magically remove from my life. I must make the deliberate, conscious choice NOT to allow my mind and spirit to “get out of joint”. I must choose to focus on His promises, His character, His faithfulness, His perspective. Some of us have been blessed with great imaginations. My parents used to say that I was too imaginative. My brothers and I had to ride a little puddle jumper plane from Manila to a town several hours away from our home in Southern Mindanao, on school breaks. If Mom and Dad were late I would have them kidnapped, tortured and killed by terrorists in 3 minutes flat. It’s been a chore for me to learn NOT to FRET (Ps 37:8b) and to BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING (Phil 4:6-7) and to CONSIDER IT ALL JOY (James 1:2-7) These verses give us clear steps to help us in our fight against fretting, anxiety, and worry.
Realize we are commanded not to allow our minds to go down these paths. TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE to the LORDSHIP of CHRIST. This is something we are going to have to get deliberate about.
Rest in Him (acknowledge and respect His sovereignty in our lives).
Wait for Him…as we do this we are to let our requests be made known to God with prayer and thanksgiving, recognize that trials will produce endurance and mature faith in US, that we will become adequate for every good work through enduring our trials without allowing ourselves to sink into pits of anxiety and frenzied fretting.
As we do this the very peace of God is given to us and GUARDS our HEARTS and our MINDS.
I can look back now and see God at work in many areas of my life. Truly, this “do not” has WORKED in my life. I’ve seen the choices to choose joy and not to be anxious result in rest and patience over and over in my life…through financial hardships, miscarriages, deployments, employment uncertainties, chronic pain, children’s “issues”, predicted dire outcomes of pregnancies….I’ve seen that it is possible to rest, wait and be perfected in the trial. It is possible to have a mind and heart at ease through the peace of God. It all rests, however, on obeying these commands. Choose. joy. Do not fret. Be anxious for nothing. Let your requests be made known to God. I find myself grateful for past trials as they’ve built confidence that God will carry be through any future times when I am tempted to fret, if I obey Him and respond train my mind and heart to respond as He commands.
Choosing Joy....today and tomorrow and certainly in the months to follow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)