* Life is disappointing... Point Blank

Okay, so the title gives off this ring of being a downer, but just stay with me for a moment. Our life is well, crazy. Maybe a better word should be messy. I think that is why so many times we, meaning you, me, even Joe the Plumber, plan out our lives to go in one direction and when it doesn't happen we start stomping our feet.

As Christians, we tend to do this, "sure Lord I surrender my future to you. As if this future is this far off lofty idea. Well, what about today? Are we surrendering today, this hour, this moment? To be honest, as of late, I pretty much have come up short on that. Oh, sure when I'm praying I say things like use me today as you will Lord. Let me be flexible. And those are good things to say, I'm sure. But when I'm actually conversing with God and not just checking in for my spiritual refill, my heart is telling God you can have my long term goals, but my short term goals and desires, those are mine.

I think this is common. We come up with these perfect scenarios in our brain of how our life is going to pan out. Almost like a movie or a great book. And why not? When we watch a movie or read we get to do something that we can't do in reality-- Know the ending of the story. Everyday we are filled with new decisions, consequences from previous decisions, the ugliness of sin clashing against another sinner, mixed right in there with the joys and thrills of life.

So yes, if we continue to try to plan out and lead our own lives in this demanding spirit than we are going to be disappointed. It is not going to happen our way. Because truth is its not about our way. Its not about us. Or more pointedly, its simply not about me.

Remember how in James 4 it speaks of submitting ourselves to God and later on boasting about tomorrow? I think James hit it on the nose in chapter 4 verse 13-17
"Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lords will, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

So life is disappointing... when its about me. However, the good news is when its about Christ there is freedom. That doesn't mean that a life with Christ is not hard or will not cause great pain and suffering. Sorry, but just take a look at the guys that hung out with Christ. Most of them were killed. But were they disappointed? I would have to wonder if they felt that the only disappointing thing was that their time was cut short of sharing who the Messiah truly was.

What are your thoughts? I might be off base theologically and would welcome and ask for guidance back to the biblical interpretations.

Jen

*Occassionally there will be post marked with an *. One of my aunts is part of a group of people that take turn bloging certain topics. If you see an * it means that post is in relation to the question. Please feel free to read and respond. Actually response is nice in order to see what others are thinking and processing. And I am the first to admit that I am a layman (or simply a lame woman : 0) ) and do NOT have all the answers. Just day to day living with Christ.

Princess Balance

My friend Katie Kopp PHD sent this to me today. The article is about another woman and her daughter but for the most part it could have been me and Mak. So enjoy the following ramblings:

"I have, on occasion, heard some parents of daughters rail against the phenomenon that is the Disney and/or Barbie princess craze. I’ve heard some parents wonder if we are setting unrealistic expectations of “happily ever after” for our daughters, or if we’re teaching them to define success by someday nabbing a handsome prince.

If that’s the case, then I am hosed. Because I have a three-year-old daughter who has bought in to the entire thing, lock, stock, and barrel. She is a walking billboard for the Disney princesses. She dances all over the place in her Jasmine slippers, carrying a glittery Cinderella purse, and she makes up songs as she goes along. The tune always changes, but the words go something like this:

“Belie-e-e-e-e-e-eve in your dreams...when you wish…in your heart…and the magic happens…of the whole world…and you can shine…and don’t give u-u-u-u-u-u-u-up…and your dreams come tru-u-u-u-u-ue…”

You get the idea. It’s like a cloud of Disney princess pop psychology follows her through our house. I’m not concerned about this. It’s not like she’s choosing a husband next year – she’s three, for Pete’s sake. I have plenty of time to teach her, by my words and actions, that happily-ever-afters actually require a lot of work, and that the best handsome princes aren’t the ones with the best ballroom dancing steps – they’re the ones who unload the dishwasher.

Anyway, I don’t believe it’s a bad thing for a little girl to revel in her femininity, should she be so inclined. There are plenty of years ahead for learning a healthy personal balance between a love for pretty dresses and the more cerebral things in life. I want to teach my daughter to embrace every part of who she is, including the delightful girly-girl part. My daughter would tell you that her favorite princess is Belle. Why? Because, she would say, “of the pwetty yellow dwess, and she likes BOOKS!”

And there you go.

So we’re diving headlong into the whole princess thing, though I’m keeping my radar up for little chances to reminder her gently of what real happy endings look like. The other day I sat with her as she watched an episode of Princess Stories. At the end of it, Cinderella shared her story. “I found my handsome prince,” she sighed, “and then we lived happily ever after.”

I nudged Corrie. “I found my prince, too, you know. You know who it is?"

“Daddy!” she giggled.

“Yes!” I said. “And you know why I picked him for my prince?”

She shrugged.

“Because he’s smart, and he works hard, and he makes me laugh, and he’s kind.” I thought about explaining how he encourages me to develop my own potential, and how (talk about princely!) he does the taxes every year, too. But I could tell I was starting to lose her – she was wondering when I would get to the part about the pretty dresses.

So instead I just sang along with her as she started her song: “Be-lieeeeeeeve in your dreams….”

We’ve got years for the good stuff."

Well that sums it up for me!

Addicted

We are on the hunt for a new dining table and some chairs. Turns out that our camping chairs are not ment for everyday use--- who would have thunk? So we have turned to the amazing awesome site.... dare I even say it... "CRAIGSLIST". I love this site. You can even offer lower prices and try to find a middle ground between the owner and the looker. And because it is done on the internet, I can coward behind the screen and pretend to be bold when offering extremely low counter prices. We had been desiring a chair for Greg's office and were able to get an amazing steal for $40 for a parason chair AND ottoman!!! Now if we could just find that table and chairs....

bro getting married!!!

So my little bro is getting married this coming Sat. It is crazy! We ( the weaver group) is super excited to fly home to be apart of the festivities. We are hoping to see Kathy (Greg's mom ) on thursday at some point since it will be her birthday. Then Sarah K has a birthday on Friday, then we all get to party on Saturday, then Sunday we get to go to Cypress Church and give some needed hugs, later hang out with family and friends, then sadly we load up on the plan on Monday and head back to reality.


I (Jen, the only one who really blogs on this thing) is now apart of a book club. We are reading The Love Languages of God. More on that another time. My awesome husband blessed me with a time out w/ my friend Liz. It was so great to hang out. She took me to a place called The Pied Cows. Which sells the BEST Chai tea ever! We were able to hang out on the patio and sit under a perfect cool night w/ a full moon. We then headed out to another spot called Bagdad and chatted it up until it closed. Wow, it is so great to have a friend to talk about life with. I enjoy Liz and her heart. Though it makes me miss some of my cali friends. There is something so intimate and special when we allow ourselves to be vuonerable and honest with each other. What a gem it is that God has allowed me to have a few of these people in my life.

Well hopefully I will be deligent to get the wedding and event photos up to share with the world. I am so proud of my brother.

Start asking questions

Our neighbors down the way, Sam and Trevor, are trying to teach their 7 yr. old son and 5 yr. old daughter to pray as if they were talking straight to Jesus' face and try to get away from repetitive prayer. That means just say whatever is on your mind. Letting them know they can ask questions. Well, the little prayers from their 5 yr. old is so genuine and sweet that it is actually convicting. She ask questions- to God while praying--such as "God, do you eat?"

Though at first it is tempting to smile and even give a little chuckle it somewhat pierces the heart. If I stop and think and be honest with myself, I realize that I come to ask request with an attitude of command. For example I would normally say something like, God I lift such and such to you. I ask that you do such and such.And of course I'll throw in some big flowery sentences and keep saying God's name during the prayer ( I guess, just in case He forget whom I was praying to?) But really what I'm saying is God do this. It usually does not sound like God, what is it that you have for this person? How would you like me to act today or when I met with this other person? How humbling a child's conversation is. How rude I must sound compared to the innocent child who simply ask God if He eats.

Crazy kids

Well I tried to upload some cool videos of the kids tonight... but after an hour of not being able to get it to work and wanting to throw our computer against a wall... I have calmly decided to not be so dramatic and just put up some photos of the kids and their new buds. I have not captured photos from all their buds but here is an introduction to some of their newest buds.




More pic's to come!

Day of the Nasty's

Well... cold season has already hit here in Portland. Kids in the community have been hit with the snots and coughs. However, Mak today was a little off. When she went down for her nap she told me that her stomach hurt (If you are a parent you know where I'm going with this). Well after nap she came outside where I was gardening and let me know she was awake then she went and laid down on the couch. The next thing we heard was the scream that lets a parent know that something is not right. I got in there and she had thrown up all over our couch and the blanket she had cuddled up with. Poor little thing. By the time we got her to the doorway to finish throwing up outside , she was already done. So we got her cleaned up and pulled the couch covers off two of the cushions and started a wash. She did throw up one other time in the bathroom later. But thankfully she made it to where we had put a pot. Oh, but it gets better.

Her brother will not be out done by his older sister. It was getting time for bath and we smelled an all too familar smell from Zeke's diaper. Greg, Mak, and myself went upstairs to get the bath ready. When we called for Zeke he came upstairs with his hands in the air. He had his poop all over BOTH hands and we look at him closer. He had finger painted his manuer all over his shirt. To say the least, the other 3 of us started gagging and got him changed. I threw away that shirt. I didn't even want to deal with it! It will be remembered as the Day of the Nastys.


YUCK!!!!