Matthew's Graduation

Matthew, our oldest nephew graduated this afternoon.

That's my brother talking during the slide show of Matthew's life so far.

His speech was awesome. We are so incredibly proud of him and his accomplishments. I know this is just the beginning.

I Did It

On my way out of the ocean, Lucas ran up to me and threw his arms around me and said "Yay Mommy, You did it!"

Lori (and her growing baby belly) also got baptized.

Let Go

I first became a Christian when I was 8 years old. We were living in El Paso, Texas at the time and I remember being at this huge revival. I stepped out in front of this HUGE crowd of people and decided to go forward because I wanted to be saved. A little while later I was baptized at Skyline Baptist Church. My parents still have my baptism certificate in their fire proof box where they keep all their important papers. When I was baptized I understood that God loved me and Jesus died for my sins but I still didn't get the "personal relationship" side of it.

When I was a teenager, I was in an awesome youth group for a while. It was easy to be involved with church when I had friends there but soon almost everyone moved away (which tends to happen when you attend church on a military base.) Even though it was not anyone's fault I felt a little abandoned. None of my other friends really went to church and I started to see church how they did, as this boring place that I would rather not be. However, I kept going because I was expected to by my parents. They expected my behind to be the pew every Sunday unless I was sick. (Now that I am an adult I am very thankful that my parents raised me in church.)

I don't remember ever telling my parents that I no longer wanted to go to church. It's not like I was doubting my belief in God. I just wanted to be at home sleeping or hanging out with my friends and I knew "because I don't feel like it" probably wasn't an acceptable excuse. I didn't hate everything about church. I loved the relationships with the people there, I just wasn't really into the whole learning about God thing. It seemed like a whole bunch of "Don't do This" (which seemed like some really fun stuff that I might miss out on.)

When I started college I ended up getting a job and I was scheduled to work on Sundays. I told my parents that it was because I was the new girl and had to take what I could get (which was true.) On the Sundays I had off though I would still say I had to work and just go hang out with my boyfriend (who is now my husband.) Then a few short months later Curt and I were married and I was out on my own and one of my first acts of adulthood was to stop lying and just admit that I didn't want to go to church anymore. I never had a crisis of faith. I was more like the prodigal son and just wanted to leave home and live without any rules for a while.

Things started to change after Lucas was born. I started feeling a little overwhelmed that Curt and I were responsible for raising this innocent little baby. I started feeling like something was missing from my life and felt like I was searching for something that was missing. At this same time I started to get to know Kerry, one of the moms in our playgroup. Her family had moved to Savannah for her husband Robert, to start a church. I just felt drawn to the family and started attending their church.

The very first Sunday I started going back to church I just felt like I was at home. I finally got that being a Christian wasn't about following a bunch of "do's and dont's." It was about having a personal relationship with a God that LOVES me.

Eventually Kerry and Robert felt God was telling them that they were supposed to move back home and continue to grow their church there. Before they left we got together to say goodbye's and they told me that when they moved to Savannah to start a church they thought they were going to be here for good and even though they were here for 2 years it was all worth it just to meet me and see me find my way back to Jesus. If I would have been the only person that had gone to their church, it would have been worth it. That moment was the moment I finally got just how much God loves me. He uprooted a whole family and moved them to the other side of the country just because he wanted me to know that he never left me.

I needed a new church home and after attending a few I ended up at Seacoast. It is a little different from the churches I grew up in (okay maybe a lot different.) A live band plays contemporary music and most weeks we watch a sermon on a movie screen while sipping coffee and munching donuts. People wear jeans and flip flops and some of them are pierced and tattooed. None of that matters though. We are all there because we want to worship God together.

This Sunday afternoon on Tybee I will be baptized. I'm not getting baptized because I don't think the first one "didn't count" or because I need to prove anything to anyone else. It is more of a symbol that I am ready to fully let go and to live what I believe instead of worrying that I'm missing out on something.

Dear Lucas (34 months)

In two more months you will be three (how is that possible??) and some days I feel like I'm already living with a teen-age boy. I know I this is cliche to say but being your mom has seriously been the greatest and challenging thing I have ever done (and probably will ever do.) You are so smart, sneaky, and STUBBORN! I can already tell we are in T-R-O-U-B-L-E the older you get! We have had to start putting locks back on the fridge and cabinets because you LOVE to sneak food and smear it all over the carpets. Also you have some sort of radar to be able to find any pen or marker in a room and proceed to the thing you can do the most damage to (furniture, walls, my cell phone, your body... basically anything that is NOT paper!) The magic eraser has become my best friend!

You have started on this new habit of constantly chewing on your baby and it drives me NUTS! Thank goodness we have back up loveys because I am constantly having to sneak to switch your babies out because they get so wet and slobbery! This all has started in the last month or so and I'm not sure why. I am always having to tell you "take your baby out of your mouth, I don't know what you are saying!" In your defense you always do take it out and then repeat what you originally said without any fuss.

You are getting better at so many things. Lately the main thing we have been struggling with is teaching you to pick up after yourself (and not trash your room in the first place.) This week you've just really started to "get it!" The trick is to give you little jobs like "put your cars in the basket" or "put your books back on your shelf." Sometimes when you don't feel like cooperating then we just tell you "Okay, well you aren't going to get anything else out to play with until these get cleaned up." You will usually pick up the toys then while you cry about how you don't want to clean up. As soon as the last toy gets put up magically you are over pouting and will proudly announce "I DID IT!" Sometimes if you see us cleaning up something when we finish you will also say "YAY MOMMY! You did it! Good job."

You are still a really great eater. You still eat a banana every morning as soon as you get up. Then you usually eat yogurt and will beg for an egg. You LOVE eggs. I don't mind making eggs for you though because I do it the easy way. All I do is spray a bowl with cooking spray, scramble the egg up, and pop it in the microwave and a minute late you are chowing down. You are still really good about eating your veggies too. If you see me making a salad to go with dinner half of the fresh veggies end up in your tummy before the salad bowl even makes it to the table. Your favorites are tomatoes, avocado, and black olives.

You also still love your books. We have always read before nap time and bedtime and every once in a while during the day but lately you've been bringing me stacks of books and I will usually drop everything so we can read together. You love to sit on my lap and will sit perfectly still listening to the words and looking at the pictures. It doesn't matter if the book is long or short. You just LOVE books. I honestly think we read about 15 books a day. I just ordered us a ton of new books from eBay and I can't wait for them to get here. Even though you will listen to a story 5,000 times in a row I'm starting to get bored of your books. I know we can always check books out at the library (and we do that often) but you get attached to books and I hate having to return books that you've fallen in love with.

You are also still very passionate about your prayers every night and your Jesus. I think you would go to church everyday if you could. Almost every morning you ask me "Church today mama?" If you see a cross anywhere while we are out you have to point it out to me and say "that's from Jesus." I never want you to grow up and feel like I shoved my beliefs down your throat but I do hope you grow up to have faith and have something to believe in to get you through the ups and downs of life.

Another thing you adore is your family. You are always asking to go visit your cousins. You love to ask to "go to Hunter's house" or "go see Colby." You also ask to go visit with your Grandparents. "I want to see Papa!" "Go see Grandpa O." "I want my Grandma with the big bag (Grandma Andrea)" of "Go see Grandma and Great Grandma (my Mom and Grandma!)" I'm so glad that we live so close to so many family members. You are one well loved on kid.

Bugga, I love you to the moon and back!

Mama

Reflections

Thursday afternoon Curt has his followup appointment with the orthopedic specialist and SHOULD be released back to work. He has been home since February 25Th. When his back injury first happened we were both worried about what was going to happen health wise and financially. Looking back however, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to us!

Right before his back gave out we were having a pretty rough time marriage wise. It wasn't anything that was anyone's fault (no abuse, no infidelity or anything like that.) We had just forgotten to squeeze in our couple time in between being Mommy and Daddy 24/7. There was one point that I honestly thought that we might separate. We ended up working things out of course but there were still some unresolved hurt feelings on both sides.

When Curt hurt his back he couldn't do ANYTHING for himself. I was suddenly left with ALL the chores, ALL the cleaning, ALL the caring for Lucas. Curt got a real appreciation for everything I do behind the scenes while he was at work and I got an appreciation of everything he really does at home.

For a while there we were really worried that Curt would have to have surgery on his back but after a lot of prayers it turned out he wouldn't need surgery but had to go to physical therapy. The DRs and PTs gave Curt a wake up call. He started exercising, watching what he ate, and paying attention to portion sizes. We now try to exercise together as a family AT LEAST once a week and Curt exercises at least 30 minutes a day on his own. We started turned the TV off and spending more quality time together as a family.

Looking back God really did work things out for good, even though at the time I didn't understand the why or how.

Easter Story Cookies Part II

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. HE HAS RISEN! Read Matthew 28: 1-9.
Yeah, so I don't think we beat the eggs long enough. I guess that's what happens when you are trying to make the cookies with your kid, wash a load of clothes, and give your kid a bath all at the same time. It was still a lot of fun and they still taste yummy! We are going to start this as a yearly tradition though and maybe they will be a little better appearance wise.

Easter Story Cookies Part I

You need:
1 c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 cup of sugar
plastic baggie
spoon
Tape
Bible

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place 1 cup of whole pecans in a plastic baggie and have your child beat them with a spoon to break them into small pieces. Set aside. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.

Let you child smell vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add 3 egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into your child's hand. Let him taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears that were shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts.

(I don't think we beat our egg mixture long enough) Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give your child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in deep despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

TO BE CONTINUED.......

The Passion of Jim Caviezel

Jim Caviezel (He played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ) was at Seacoast this weekend and listening to him speak and share his faith was AMAZING!!! I honestly do not even have the words to describe the experience except to say he is the real deal. He kept saying over and over how much he wanted people to realize how much God really loves them. He has such an refreshing intensity for God that I was moved to tears several times. Spreading God's word is such a big part of his life that he has even put out an audio New Testament.

Next week Seacoast is starting a new series looking at the life of Jesus and I can't wait.