As I was trying to explain the big deal surrounding New Years Eve I realized that I had never celebrated it with the kids! Since I don't want to keep them up all night we will instead be celebrating "Yesmas".
The Rules: Tomorrow I must say yes.
Can we have donuts for breakfast? Yes
Can we do play dough? Yes?
Can you fix my bunny, my pillow, my broken ornament?
Can you read me a book, play with me etc? Yes , yes, yes, ... and so forth
The only parameters are that I won't buy them anything, it must be within reason and be able to be started and finished in one day. I've been thinking of keeping a list of all the things I constantly say 'no' to somewhere and bringing it out once a month for "Yes" day but it all depends on how tomorrow goes.
Oh, and to start it off I will be going to a "Noon Years Eve" party at the Children's Museum at 10 in SLO if you want to join me!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas' Eve
Christmas' Eve
"It is good"
- a completed beginning
Earth* and Hayya**, the mother of all living
took unbreathed breaths from an atmosphere
still shivering
with 6 long days of labor and delivering.
1,000 year old child? newborn teen?
a year or two in between?
As the sun dried the hair
all ribboned with dew
it polished the glistening fruit tree too.
An arm length away was too close on that day.
Paradise lost for a snack.
-- but grace and mercy answered back.
A breadth of love, with an unknown depth of love
until:
Somewhere, someday, in a tree, on a hill
a Gardener lay still.
Without her we would have never know
Without Him, we never will.
Hayya or in English, Eve; means living, or mother of all living
Adam means earth in Hebrew
JM 12-23-2009
"It is good"
- a completed beginning
Earth* and Hayya**, the mother of all living
took unbreathed breaths from an atmosphere
still shivering
with 6 long days of labor and delivering.
1,000 year old child? newborn teen?
a year or two in between?
As the sun dried the hair
all ribboned with dew
it polished the glistening fruit tree too.
An arm length away was too close on that day.
Paradise lost for a snack.
-- but grace and mercy answered back.
A breadth of love, with an unknown depth of love
until:
Somewhere, someday, in a tree, on a hill
a Gardener lay still.
Without her we would have never know
Without Him, we never will.
Hayya or in English, Eve; means living, or mother of all living
Adam means earth in Hebrew
JM 12-23-2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
A VERY good book
I was 8 or 9, in a hotel with my family waiting for bed, and decided that "tonight is the night I start reading my Bible". I picked up the Gideon Bible from the nightstand and chose the book of Habakuk from the table of contents because I didn't know anything about it and it was pretty short. None of it made any kind of sense to me until I came to 3:17-19. It knocked my socks off.
There were so many wonderful things to be discovered back then. There were so many treasures, so many crazy stories (Jael? six fingers and six toes? a honeycomb in a lion's carcass?). I remember the month that I read Phillipeans every day. I remember reading through the entire Bible each year through highschool and college, trying to memorize Psalm 119, giggling through Song of Solomon.
I don't want my Bible to be a habit (and a very poorly cultivated one at that). I want it to be the place were I discover God again and again in deeper and more meaningful ways. In one hour I will turn 31 but tonight I'm going to finish being 30 and I'm going to sit down with a good book.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for calling out to me and gently leading me by the hand since childhood. You have been so very faithful. I am overwhelmed by your great goodness and mercy .. for they are from of old. You have guarded and guided me my whole life. This is the path you chose for me. You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good thing. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (psalm 16) Amen
(p.s. if you are a lurker, I'd love to hear from you - it being my birthday and all ...)
There were so many wonderful things to be discovered back then. There were so many treasures, so many crazy stories (Jael? six fingers and six toes? a honeycomb in a lion's carcass?). I remember the month that I read Phillipeans every day. I remember reading through the entire Bible each year through highschool and college, trying to memorize Psalm 119, giggling through Song of Solomon.
I don't want my Bible to be a habit (and a very poorly cultivated one at that). I want it to be the place were I discover God again and again in deeper and more meaningful ways. In one hour I will turn 31 but tonight I'm going to finish being 30 and I'm going to sit down with a good book.
11For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 (emphasis mine)
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for calling out to me and gently leading me by the hand since childhood. You have been so very faithful. I am overwhelmed by your great goodness and mercy .. for they are from of old. You have guarded and guided me my whole life. This is the path you chose for me. You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good thing. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (psalm 16) Amen
(p.s. if you are a lurker, I'd love to hear from you - it being my birthday and all ...)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunset
Did you see that Sunset last night? AMAZING!!
The blushing clouds shrank back
from the winking sun
the sea as well looked crimson
The five minute masterpiece
like wax
once lit, dissolved.
It's form relaxed.
The paintbrush soaked in disappearing ink
was rinsed once more in God's gigantic sink.
The blushing clouds shrank back
from the winking sun
the sea as well looked crimson
The five minute masterpiece
like wax
once lit, dissolved.
It's form relaxed.
The paintbrush soaked in disappearing ink
was rinsed once more in God's gigantic sink.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Merry Mythmas
I think every year I post something about the myths of Christmas. When I read the Christmas story I see no donkey, no inn and now ... no star.
Heresy? I don't know but it is very interesting how the birth of our Savior is celebrated by inflatable nativities, fat red guys, trees and twinkly lights. How this encourages a heart of worship or causes us to stand in awe I do not know but when we stand before a holy God we will not fall to our knees, we will fall on our faces. If I can communicate one thing to my children this Christmas it will be that God is great and worthy of our praise.
Heresy? I don't know but it is very interesting how the birth of our Savior is celebrated by inflatable nativities, fat red guys, trees and twinkly lights. How this encourages a heart of worship or causes us to stand in awe I do not know but when we stand before a holy God we will not fall to our knees, we will fall on our faces. If I can communicate one thing to my children this Christmas it will be that God is great and worthy of our praise.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
My Happily Ever After
This is a repost of something I posted 5 years ago. I had to publish it again because I found the perfect printable to go with it!
Eliannah: I can't wait to grow up and get to wear a beautiful dress and meet my prince.
Me: Do you know who my prince is?
Eliannah: Of course I do. His name is Daddy you know.
Me: But what happens after you get married?
(Eliannah looks stumped and doesn't answer)
I gaze around at the loads of laundry, dozens of dishes and mobs of dust bunnies silently proliferating in their den under the couch. I thought about all I had hoped for, all I had dreamed of when I was a child and all I had hoped to be. Then, turning from the chaos to look into her eyes I smiled and answered, "This is what happens after you get married. This is my Happily Ever After. "
Eliannah: I can't wait to grow up and get to wear a beautiful dress and meet my prince.
Me: Do you know who my prince is?
Eliannah: Of course I do. His name is Daddy you know.
Me: But what happens after you get married?
(Eliannah looks stumped and doesn't answer)
I gaze around at the loads of laundry, dozens of dishes and mobs of dust bunnies silently proliferating in their den under the couch. I thought about all I had hoped for, all I had dreamed of when I was a child and all I had hoped to be. Then, turning from the chaos to look into her eyes I smiled and answered, "This is what happens after you get married. This is my Happily Ever After. "
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Phillosophy of Benefaction
Gift giving this year is going to look a bit different and I want each present I give to my children to reflect my parenting goals for them.
Goal #1: I want my children to be captivated by the person and work of Jesus Christ, to be amazed at the love and goodness of their Heavenly Father and to fully depend on the perfect and continuing work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Goal #2: I want my children to grow up in an environment that teaches them to prize, cultivate and express their personal creativity.
Goal #3: I want my kids to enjoy learning about nature and exploring the great outdoors. I want them to experience the freedom to physically exhaust themselves as they learn to use and master their physical strengths and weaknesses.
Goal #4: to give them a gift that encourages them in and rewards them for an area in their life in which they are especially gifted or are making great progress.
.... because I don't just want to give them more stuff. What is your philosophy of benefaction?
Goal #1: I want my children to be captivated by the person and work of Jesus Christ, to be amazed at the love and goodness of their Heavenly Father and to fully depend on the perfect and continuing work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Goal #2: I want my children to grow up in an environment that teaches them to prize, cultivate and express their personal creativity.
Goal #3: I want my kids to enjoy learning about nature and exploring the great outdoors. I want them to experience the freedom to physically exhaust themselves as they learn to use and master their physical strengths and weaknesses.
Goal #4: to give them a gift that encourages them in and rewards them for an area in their life in which they are especially gifted or are making great progress.
.... because I don't just want to give them more stuff. What is your philosophy of benefaction?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
$easons Greetings
Just a few more lights
and a box of clatter
(we always buy
the ones that won't shatter).
The perfect tree swapped with little regret
for the Jackson five
archive in our wallet
layers of happy wrap
in a ribbon vice
holds on to those sweaters
that will be gifted twice
The 30 day sparkle
and 15 minute goodwill
take a one way trip -
Destination? Landfill.
-jm
No, I'm not a grinch. I love Christmas. I love presents. I love Christmas decorations, songs, etc. This poem was born of a conversation with someone who was so fed up with the commercialization of Christmas that their family boycotted it for several years.
and a box of clatter
(we always buy
the ones that won't shatter).
The perfect tree swapped with little regret
for the Jackson five
archive in our wallet
layers of happy wrap
in a ribbon vice
holds on to those sweaters
that will be gifted twice
The 30 day sparkle
and 15 minute goodwill
take a one way trip -
Destination? Landfill.
-jm
No, I'm not a grinch. I love Christmas. I love presents. I love Christmas decorations, songs, etc. This poem was born of a conversation with someone who was so fed up with the commercialization of Christmas that their family boycotted it for several years.
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