Thankful

I just read a post from my Mom expressing her thankfulness on our family blog and I felt inspired to do likewise. This season of my life hasn't always been what I've expected and at times I've felt overwhelmed and very stretched. However, as I look over the contours of my life I see a pattern of blessing. The more time I spend in God's word the more I am amazed at the richness of the gifts he has bestowed on me. I know the Father's heart delights in generously heaping blessings upon his children. I can only imagine he enjoys it all the more when those gifts are given to grateful recipients, just as I am touched when my son expresses appreciation to me. I am most of all thankful for my eternal destiny, the promise of enjoying the One who loves me most forever. If he gave me nothing else for the rest of my life I would already have enough.

Yet he does continue to shower me with good gifts. Some of the things I'm most thankful for in my life are friends, old and new; my cozy little apartment; my precious children; pictures that capture special moments; a pot of tea and cookies; my red dishes and tea set; Christmas; warm fuzzy slippers; good health and good health care; America; my southern roots; good books; The Book; a godly heritage; technology that keeps me in touch with the ones I love; my spiritual gifts; a faithful, generous, godly husband; sunny days; Josh Groban's music; old movies; pineapple; flowers; electricity and plumbing; quiet moments; the senses through which we enjoy our world; Yellowstone; my bible study group; my teen girls life group; C.S. Lewis' writing; Spring time; memories; watching my son grow in his knowledge and love for Jesus. Those are just a few of the things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving season, the list could go on and I know the blessings will just continue to grow.

Introducing Willow

My sister Stephanie and her husband Justin welcomed Willow Champion Hoffer into the world this morning, November 18, at 1am. Ten days past her due date! Her middle name, Champion, is my maternal grandmother's madien name. She weighed 7lbs. 13oz. and was 19 inches long. Mom and daughter are both doing fine, though definitely tired. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on little Willow next week when we're in California for Thanksgiving!

photography

I tried to play photographer on Saturday with my kids. I wanted some pictures for the holidays to send out on a greeting card. Since I can't afford an expensive photographer and we don't have the cheesey Walmart photo center I thought I'd give it a try. Chris has a backdrop and lights set up in his ofice for filming he does for the church so I used those for the setting. It's too cold to do an outside shoot, which I would prefer. For some reason my camera didn't focus like it should, I think it had to do with the lighting. But mostly I couldn't get both kids looking in the same direction most of the time, much less smiling in unison. And Miss Maggie just wouldn't keep her fingers out of her mouth! Anyway these are some of the better ones. They will have to do for now, cause I'm not trying that again really soon.

Trains and sitting

Maggie is fascinated by Max's train set. This week Max and his friend Jacob set up his Thomas the train set in the living room and it provided a great deal of entertainment for all of them. She will just lay there and watch it go around and around. Yesterday when we had it set up she got a little bolder and snagged a couple of trains, we had a lot of fun. Actually as I write this she's in the bedroom watching the trains again. She's also getting to be a little sitter. She sits on her own really well but will occasionally topple over, especially when she reaches for something. We're borrowing a friends boppy and she sits in that nicely. She's more interested in books than I remember Max being at this age and we have fun looking at them together. She's growing fast, changing daily. I wasn't sure how the big age gap as well as gender difference would work with Max but I've been quite pleased. He's a big help and really loves his sister. Already she provides a lot of entertainment and companionship and I hope in the years to come they will develop a deep love for each other.

Max the evangelist

This is Max telling Danae (our youth pastor's 2 year old daughter) about God. Last Sunday a missionary from Africa, complete with all the wonderful African artifacts, spoke at our church. Max was enthralled and had lots of questions. In Sunday School he was given a box to collect money in for the great commission fund. He wanted to know why the missionaries need money and I explained they needed money to live in another country to tell people about Jesus. He thought about that for a while. Later he came back and told me he wanted to give the ice cream man money to tell people about Jesus! He wanted to know if he could tell people about Jesus too and of course I told him he could. He knew Danae was coming over later and asked if he could tell her about God and I said he could. So that night while Danae was here, she was banging on the piano, Max walked over and asked Danae if he could tell her about God, she said yes. After he was finished telling her about God he moved on to something else. She got down from the piano and walked over to him and said, "Max tell me more about Jesus." So he told her Genesis 1:1, the Bible verse we've been working on. It touched my heart to watch that exchange take place and I pray he will always want to tell others about Jesus.

Musings and ramblings (it's a long one!)

I must confess this election season, and then the outcome, have shaken me up a bit. The thing I think that has caused me the most concern is the church as a wholes response to politics and the culture. I've heard comments and conversations from Christians , whom I thought should know better, that have been so relativistic. I'm embarrassed to say I was surprised. I suppose I should have been paying better attention to the signs. Regardless, I am grieved. I know few Christians who truly look different than the rest of the world. Why is it that when God saved us and called us out from this world so many of us have stayed. He set us apart as holy to himself. I think we forgot. Sadly the power he offered us when he called us out of the kingdom of darkness (this world ruled by Satan) and into his Son's kingdom of light, in many of our lives has gone unused. I have heard Christians talking about how they prefer the Democratic party because it offers relief to poor and acceptance to everyone. Since when has that been our objective, we've settled for a counterfeit. If our Christianity was really worth anything to us we would never stoop to offering something so paltry. If we ourselves had experienced the power of God to transform, the refreshing forgiveness and cleansing of Jesus, the mercy of redeemed circumstances, we would never offer flimsy alternatives. I hear "well, someone shouldn't be punished or burdened with a child they didn't want or cause." Or it isn't fair for some to be rich and others poor. Excuse me?! If we really believe in the power of God to redeem all things and satisfy his people how dare we offer up such a lie. God makes all things beautiful. There will always be sin and suffering in this world. Our job as Christians isn't to remove it, it's to point to the one who can redeem, comfort, discipline, heal, sooth, teach, love us through it. So, sadly I don't see Christians helping to transform the culture, we've lost our saltiness. Instead I see a desensitization happening in the church. We are changing to be more like the world instead of drawing the world to be more like Jesus. I'm also seeing people use scripture in a shocking manner, as if God didn't really mean what he said when he said it. Horrifying. If we have no true compass we are lost.

Anyway, these have been some of my musings over the last week. I've earnestly asked the Holy Spirit to guide and prepare me in these days. He led me to a book by the 17th century mystic Jeanne Guyon and to Revelations. This little book has been amazing. She advocated cultivating a quietness and use of scripture to commune with Jesus. I've begun practicing this quieting of the mind and heart and seeking to meet with Him in the stillness. I have to confess it has been very difficult. With two small children, in an apartment, busy and sleep deprived it's hard to make the time (and stay awake). But I've been trying and learning through it. One thing I've realized is how very noisy our lives are. It's not easy to listen to the Holy Spirit or commune with Jesus with all the distractions and noise we have in our lives. The other thing I've learned is how essential it is. The more I spend specific times of focusing and reflecting on Jesus through his word the more in tune with him I am through out the day. He is not far from my thoughts and I hope that will affect my choices and behavior, I believe it already has. It's also made me hungry for the Word. Another thing I've noticed is, though I thought this discipline would bring more peace in my life, to an extent it has not. It has actually made me feel more out of sync with the world and christian community as a whole. I find though I am committed to loving others, believers and unbelievers alike, I cannot share fellowship with believers not of like mind. I don't know that that's bad though. The truth is a sword and at times it will divide. Perhaps that sounds harsh but the words and concept didn't originate with me. One thing I've learned also is that some things are grey and some things are black and white. It's important to know which is which and not be afraid to say so. To stand for the truth is not self important or prideful if we remember we are not the source of truth. In humility we can align our selves with the word and unflinchingly and unapologetically refuse to compromise. It's not an easy balance but essential. Otherwise we have nothing to offer people but a watered down, useless shadow of what was once the gospel that can no longer save and is no longer good news.

So, enough of my ramblings. Ultimately it's not about us, it's all about Jesus. Easy to say hard to live! To do it I must take my eyes off of the world and fix them firmly on him. Help me Jesus!

Bubble girl

Maggie is enjoying her new skill of making raspberries! She's a droolie, bubblie mess but so cute!

Worship

Well, election day is here. I have to say for the last week or two I've gotten caught up in the frenzy. Unfortunately my eyes have been on men and myself more than on Jesus and even more unfortunately it showed in my behavior. But praise God, he redeems. I woke up this morning feeling at peace and lighter than I have in days. I had the irresistible urge to praise him, so I did. I decided that today I'm not going to focus on the election I'm going to worship God. He's on the throne and no election or war or dictator can ever depose him! Snatches of Bible verses and worship songs have been flooding my mind all morning; For the Lord your God is with you he is mighty to save; Not to us but to your name be the glory; praise God for he leads us in his triumph.... All of these victories and triumphs and truths he leads us in are eternal and supernatural. Everything happening around us is temporal. I'm not saying things won't get ugly in the end but nothing has really changed. The prince of darkness is still allowed to rule this fallen world BUT the lover of our souls will still have the final victory for all time. So, today I'm going to worship!

Halloween

Here are some pictures from our Halloween day. Max, Maggie and I met some friends for pizza in the afternoon. Later that day, Max, dressed as a robot, went trick-or-treating downtown. The main street is blocked off and the businesses pass out candy. It was fun but definitely crowded. Max had limited vision and mobility in his costume and kept running into things! I'm not sure I will take them downtown again, it was so crowded and there were more scary costumes and decorations than I thought there would be. That evening our church had a Halloween allternative party. Since Max had had such a hard time seeing or moving as a robot we dressed him in a hand-me-down batman costume. His bestfriend Jacob was also dressed as batman and they got matching masks painted on their faces at the party. Miss Maggie wore a little halloween outfit that said Baby's first boo and sported a pumpkin hat. I bought it for her on super sale before she was even born. She and her friend Adaya, the little hourse, were adorable. Overall it was a fun day with lots of games and too much candy. I think Max had fun. He's already been asking what comes next and is looking forward to Thanksgiving, Christmas, his birthday and beyond.