Favorite places . . .

 I love favorite places.
The world is full of them . . . just waiting to be discovered!
I've had lots of favorite places so far in my life, and I hope to uncover many more before I "shuffle off this mortal coil".
When I was a kid, attending public school in Belleville, NJ, the elementary school I went to was in an old, big, brick building. The left entrance to the building had a stairwell that went up four flights, from basement floor to attic. No one ever went up the attic stairs. Well, the janitor did occasionally to get stuff . . . there was a huge, locked wooden door at the top of the stairway with only God knows what behind it. Once in a great while, a teacher would have a student get a key from the office so they could open the big door and get a ream of paper, or new bottles of glue, or tubs of tissue paper. No kid wanted that assignment. Any number of things that live in children's imaginations could be living behind that door! And the kids who braved attic assignments and lived to tell, were surrounded by wide eyed schoolmates for the tale.
But on the landing across from the door, was an arched window of frosted glass. It went from floor to ceiling, and looked away toward my childhood home.
Sometimes, when I needed to, I would ask to use the rest room, but instead of descending the stairs toward the bathrooms, I would climb those stairs and sit in front of that window and breathe.
And think about being home.
No teachers, no kids, no subjects . . . just me and the window.
It was one of my favorite places.
These days, some of my favorite places include anyplace I can snuggle up with my boys, the warm comfort of my bed, my grandfather's kitchen table . . .
Daniel has discovered a favorite place too.
He loves to get up on the back of the couch, and perch there in front of our big picture window, and look out at the small slice of world in our front yard.
Sometimes, he gets behind the sheers, and we can hear him talking to himself, or singing. Or, he just sits there and watches the cars, trucks and tractors roll by. Usually, if it is a tractor, we hear all about it! He loves those!
I know he feels invisible. Like he is in a place no one else knows about. He cocoons up in the curtains and is transported to a place that is very special to him.
He can sit there for long moments at a time, which, for a two year old, amounts to about 15-20 minutes.
I love to watch him watching the world go by out our front window.
I love that he is finding favorite places.
I love finding more of my own.
What are some of your favorite places?

 

 

Some amazing things my kids have said . . .
This morning, though the sun was shinning brightly and the sky was blue, it was cold . . . burrr, and when Daniel and I left the house for school, he noticed his breath.
He was blowing streams of vapor and then trying to bite it.
"Look mom! I have dragon breath! There's smoke in my mouth!"
He was so excited, I didn't have the heart to go into the scientific explanation, so I heartily agreed!
Josiah responded to an alter call in chapel yesterday about un-limiting God in our lives. Later, he told Joe he wasn't going to respond, but he went up because he heard God's voice telling him to. Joe asked him if God's voice had been soft or booming. Little Jo replied, "Both".
Also, yesterday morning, I was having a cup of coffee (as is my usual custom) and placed it on the table so I could make a much needed trip to the restroom. When I came out of the bathroom, I found more than half of my coffee gone, and this . . .

Daniel strikes again!!

Coming soon . . .

Perhaps I don't have enough to do.
I mean, maybe my "plate" just isn't full enough . . . 
Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment.
Or an overachiever.
Or maybe . . . just maybe . . . I love books and reading and writing (and having opinions) soooooo much, that I would do anything to get free books, have to read them, and then write my opinion about them (otherwise known as a book review).
I will be adding periodic book reviews to the content of this blog!
Why are you doing this? you might ask. Or, How?
Well, I recently signed up with BookSneeze through Thomas Nelson Publishers. They will send me free books of my choosing in exchange for a short (under 200 words), honest book review to be posted here and on one other consumer site (i.e. Amazon.com, or booksamillion.com, etc.).
I have already chosen my first book, and it should be en route to me even as I write this.
Free books! Really?! Can you beat that?
How can someone like me, who loves books and is always looking to expand my personal library,who loves to think about what I've read and discuss it, who loves to write, pass up an opportunity like this?
I can't.
So, in the near future, you will find a book review, or several, tucked in among the antics of my boys and stories of our everyday lives.
I'm pretty excited about the whole thing.
And I think I can find some room on that plate, right next to the mashed potatoes!

You know it's an Olympic year when . . .

. . . your two year old says, as he is playing with Legos and wooden blocks that look like arched bridges, "Look, mom. Her snowboarding!" (we are working on that pronoun thing) as he slides the figure up and down the halfpipe looking structure. I guess he's paying more attention than we thought.
Don't they always? They catch lots of stuff we want them to, and lots of stuff we don't.

Today, Isaac is at his last junior division basketball game for his school. I am home with Daniel, who is still a bit under the weather, and Josiah, who we are struggling to keep well. His chest sounds yucky, and he gets pneumonia so easily.
This is the first sporting event I have missed. But Isaac is with his dad today, and that is good. Joe gave up sleep to be there. Joe gives up sleep to do a lot of things for the boys and I. Thank you, Joe. Sincerely and humbly, thank you.
For me, the day is to be filled with finishing the laundry (are you ever really done, though?) and playing castle with the boys, and folding clothes, and playing blocks, and putting clothes away, and reading out loud to the boys. Do you see a trend here?
Joe called a bit ago. Isaac's team won their first game, but not their second and they are on  their way home!
Yeah! I love when we are all home together!
We'll talk about the day and catch each other up on everything we missed at the game and at home, and then maybe we'll sit together for a while and watch the Olympics! Joe may doze off, but that's okay. He deserves every z he gets! As far as dad's go . . . he's a gold medal champion!!

Scribble and jot . . .

 

 (image not my own)

Writing . . . it is such a part of who I am.
It is how I make sense of my life, keep up with it, remember it.
I'm sure that without writing in my life, I'd feel pretty lost.
I love pens. Beautiful pens with ink that runs smooth, silking out words, spilling them onto paper . . . out into the universe.
I love pens that feel good in your hand . . . feel like another finger.
I love to scrawl. To dot and scratch.
I love the way it sounds, pen moving over paper . . . whispering secrets and punctuating declarations.
It is my favorite way to write . . .with pen and paper.
I so much prefer it to keyboard and screen. But really, I take writing however I can. Writers can not always choose how we write. The need to do it drives us to use whatever instruments are available to us at the time. Writing is writing, like air is air. Sometimes, it is harder to breathe than others, but you always have to.
I have endless books and myriad scraps of paper lying about filled with thoughts and quotes and lists and menus and color choices and verses and stories of baby genius and memories and rants and prayers and ideas and . . . bits of my soul, mind, heart.
It's like my life has been written out on leaves of paper, scattered in the wind.
You can find writings under my bed, tucked into books and bookcases, in my purse, on my desk, on the nightstand, in the closet, in towers of boxes stacked in the garage.
I have half used notebooks with all sorts of jots and scribbles all over the place. I always have a blank book with me, wherever I go. . . just in case.
Yet, the place I feel I have my best ideas . . . the place I compose the nicest words . . . or get flashes of scenes that really might amount to something story-wise  . . . or remember something I want to, or need to. . . is in the shower!
No pen and paper in there.
And so, I have thoughts, get ideas and words while I am soaping up, and they are gone from my mind before I hit the rinse cycle! Seriously, this happens all the time.
I have a theory that I actually have written a book, but it is out to sea by now, washed down the drain with the suds.
The attempt to write out thoughts and ideas on paper while showering, I'm sure, would end in a soggy, pulpy mess.
So, I had a thought today . . . what if I put a white board in the shower? Stuck it right to the far shower wall? And attached one of those dry erase markers?
Then, when I get an idea in the shower, I can just jot it down, and rewrite it later. 
No more lost ideas sliding down the drain!
And, practically, we can leave notes for each other, like . . . "Isaac, don't forget to wash behind your ears!" or "I love my clean boys!!!"
I think I will try this. I'll keep you posted on how well this works.
Who knows, you may even see some shower-writings here.
This was just an idea I had today . . . and I wrote it down.

I heart Valentine's Day!!

And why wouldn't I?
I have four very handsome and wonderful men in my life to share it with.
Yep. I'm a pretty lucky girl.
It's been more like Valentine's weekend here.
Last week, we made valentines for the boy's classmates and teachers, and I made a Star Wars Clone Valentine box for Josiah's classroom party that was on Friday. It was pretty hooked up, and he loved it, which made all the time it took to make it so worth it. When he saw the box waiting for him on the table Friday morning, his eyes lit up with twinkles and sparkles and a grin took over his whole face. I love that boy!

 

 

 There was lots of candy and partying and more candy. I want to send out a hearty thank you to all those teachers and friends who thought it was a good idea to sugar my kids up on a Friday afternoon. I'll be plotting my revenge soon. (Just kidding. Actually, we gave out our share of goodies to friends and teachers, so we're all pretty much in the same sugary boat!!!)
The boys had a friend over, and we had heart shaped pizzas from Papa Murphy's  for dinner. That was a lot of fun!

 

 

 After we cleaned up, we setteled in and watched the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. It wasn't as spectacular as the summer ceremonies in Beijing, but it was entertaining in it's own right, and some of it was quite delightful. Isaac said that one day, he wants to be at an Olympic opening ceremony. I hope that happens for him. I love that boy!!
Of course, our hearts were heavy for the family and friends of the fallen luge Olympian from Georgia. What a horrible shadow over the Olympic events. I pray that Jesus would be with those who knew Nodar, that He would bring them comfort and that they would come to know Him if they do not know Him already.
Yesterday, we visited Gramp for a while and then when shopping with MeMe. The boys bought me a silver heart necklace and earings that they wanted me to wear on my Valentine date with Joe. And that is just what I did! Joe and I went to Joplin for dinner, and we had a great time talking about the boys and future plans and just . . . everything.
And Joe got me a sweet computer bag. It's a SwissGear and is very elegant, yet holds a ton of stuff, so I no longer have to lug around three bags . . . I can just carry one with everything in it. I love it!!! I'm such a bag girl. I'm a Joe girl too! Gosh, I love that guy!!
Danny woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and a croupy cough. Ugh. So I am home with him this morning. Man, I love that baby boy!!
Before the boys went to church, we gave them their Valentine's buckets, with some candy and books in them. Not too much, but just a little something to let them know we think they are so sweet and we love them!!
Hope you are having a happy Valentine's Day!!

Hair raising . . .

Tonight, as Joe was helping get Daniel's socks off so he could get into the shower, Danny was holding on to Joe's head to steady himself as his dad lifted first one foot, then the other off the ground.
Daniel said to Joe, as he ran his hand over and over Joe's nubby short hair, "Your hair is so cute. Who put it in there?"
Joe replied, "My hair is so cute? [chuckling]God put it there."
"Who gave you more?" he wanted to know.
"God did," Joe answered.
This satisfied Danny, who ran squealing into the bathroom.
We looked at each other and laughed.
Where does he come up with this stuff?
I don't know.
But it sure puts a smile on my face when he does.

Flapjacks!

Our school had a Flapjack Fundraiser at Applebee's this morning. For $5, you got pancakes and a drink.
It was a pretty sweet deal. The pancakes were delicious, even though I am not particularly a pancake fan, and I ate most of mine. The lady from Applebee's who helped us pull it off said it was the most plates they had ever sold for a fund-raising event.
My son, Isaac, bought two tickets with his own money for our next-door neighbors, and treated them to their breakfast today! He went to their door earlier this week to give them their tickets, and told them breakfast was "om him." We saw them there this morning, and they were quite impressed with the whole thing. They made a donation to the school, and I got to connect with them in more than just an "across the fence" kind of way.
It was a lot of fun for a great cause!!
Here are some pictures.

Right after I took this, Daniel said "Don't shine me, mom!" He didn't want the camera to flash when I took his picture!

He is too funny!! My mom asked him yesterday, "Do you love your mom?" and he replied, "Yeah, her my lady."
Yeah, he can pretty much have whatever he wants from now on . . . I'm his lady.
I love that!!

What I want to be . . .

Today, Daniel said to me, as we were getting his shoes on and getting ready to leave the house, "When I get bigger . . . . I'm gonna buy a zoo."
This was totally random. I have no idea what made him think of it.
And it was so cute!!
He was so serious about the whole thing.
"Yeah? A zoo?" I echoed.
"Yeah. I wanna buy a zoo. Like Joe from Blue's Clues."
Right then, at that moment, that was the dream he was having.
It was what he was wanting to do . . .when he can. When he is "bigger."
There you have it.
A cross between zoo ownership and pre-school TV personality with a talking blue dog and lots of other crazily colored animals running around his house.
The funny thing is, a few days ago, I made a list of dreams and goals I have for myself (kind of a "before I turn the big 4-0" self-assessment thingy). Some of them practical and do-able. Some of them not. But I wrote them all down so I could see what is there on the inside. What I can still do.
It is a long list. 
Some of my items make me laugh.
Some make me sigh.
Some of them make me remember.
Some of them make me hope.
My biggest dreams are dreams about being better than who I am. Loving more. Knowing God more. Giving more. Seeing more. Doing more. Changing more. Growing more. (I am aware, so you know, that a lot of these dreams can and will only be realized with the help of God. I cannot do these things on my own. I am not capable of them. It is only by His grace and mercy that these things are even possible.)
And then there are the things like . . . "I want to be a ballerina."
Well, it is a list of dreams.
Just yesterday, my friend Kerri, on her Facebook status, posed, "Complete the sentence: my dream job would be . . . "
With 30 comments, it is the most replied to thread I have seen in my time as a facebooker.
People have dreams. No matter how young they are. How old. What they are doing. What they are not.
They have dreams, and they want to talk (or in this case, write) about them.
Between now and the then when he is actually "bigger", Daniel's dream of zoo tycoon will change and morph and grow and shrink and grow again. 
But it was his dream for a moment . . . today.
And it reminded me that, like myself, even my 2 year old has dreams.
Everyone does.
I hope he never stops dreaming.
Who knows? He just might own a zoo.
What are your dreams?

On another note, here is another cute Daniel story from today. When he woke up this morning, Daniel seemed fascinated, perplexed and a bit freaked out by the fact that he could not see himself.
"Mom! I can't see myself! I can't! I can only see my nose! I can't see myself or my mouth!!"
I assured him this was okay, and he couldn't see himself because he is inside of himself, and I told him it was okay because I could see him, and he was in fact there.
He looked at me for a long moment.
"I'm here?" he asked.
"You are." I answered.
"Okay."
That seemed to settle the matter.
Sometimes, we just need someone to tell us . . . they know we're here.

Knowing . . .

 photo by Ian Britton

I am sitting at my desk in the kitchen, cup of hot coffee steaming beside me and the smell of cinnamon waffles in the air.
I have been up since that time just before the sun rises over the horizon. At those times, and in the evenings after the sun sets over the rim of the earth, the snowy world outside is bathed in blue light. It is breathtaking, and for a minute, I have to remember that I am still on this planet.
Today, I walked out into the cold blue morning, and listened to the sounds of the world waking up. I breathed in the sharp air.
I was still.
And I knew.
God is God.
Now, back inside, Daniel is still sleeping. He has been sick with ear infections and stomach virus. He had to have blood drawn yesterday. He was quite brave, I must say. I am hoping his little body is healing as he is resting.
The boys are off to school.
Joe is at work today.
Ahhhhh. It is just me and my coffee.
I hear the ticking of the clock, the whirrr and click of the ice maker, the birds outside my window chirping out a stark winter song. The heat kicks on. Music plays softly.
I am enjoying things I usually do not hear, for all the other seemingly constant noises in our house . . . boys chattering and bantering and whining and making the noises of war and space and just plain silliness; phones ringing, the  t.v.'s empty talk.
It is nice to sit in quiet for a moment. To breathe and think about the day ahead and what I have to do in it.
I am able, if just for this short time, to be still.
And I know.
It is easy to know that He is God when the waters are calm, still, peaceful.
When all the mechanisms of our home are working, and our children are asleep or safely off to school, and our coffee sits so near, and we can sit and breathe.
But I know this, too.
That even when there is noise and chaos and sick children and broken appliances and the laundry threatens to become it's own entity and eat us, or when I am insanely busy, or inconsolably sad, or miserably at odds with those I love, or unavoidably facing strife, He still IS. God.
See, I am learning that the stillness is in me.
Because God is.
No matter what is happening around me.
Because God IS. Here.
And when we know that God is God, and who he is -- our loving, just, holy and sovereign father -- all the raging seas around us cannot cause one ripple in the still lake of our hearts.
The sun is up now, blinging brightly over the snowy surfaces, and so is Danny, smiling up into my face, melting my heart.
I must go begin this day . . . make breakfast and give medicine and face down the laundry pile and  . . . and . . . and . . .
But no matter what happens today . . . I know God IS God.

Snowy shenanigans . . . .

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

This is my winter song . . .

 

We are blanketed again in the downy soft snow. Cold wind blows outside and we watch from warm nooks and crannies and thank God for the wisdom of houses. Home life buzzes about, like the inside of a cozy hive.
Daniel has been sick these last few days with stomach 'yuckies". He has been a trooper about the whole ordeal, and the other night, when he was in the throes of "heaving" he kept saying through tears, "I'll be happy now. I'll be happy." as though he could will himself to be better, happier, than he was at that moment, hanging over the side of the bowl. It broke my heart. I wanted so badly to help him. I did what I could, but some things you have to do on your own.
Yesterday, our gift of a snow day was happily received, since I had been up from 3 a.m. with aforementioned sick little boy! That call at 6:30 am was a relief! I crawled back on the couch where I was sleeping with Danny, and closed my eyes to get a little more rest before the big boys woke up.
And indeed, they did wake up.
They got some cereal while I made coffee. I was going to need it!
The boys played Legos and some video games (a privilege they only get on weekends) and we read some Mattimeo (from the Redwall series) aloud together.
The older boys spent a little time shoveling the yard, and tossing a few snowballs around.
I took a nap with Daniel, who continued to be sick through part of the day.
In the afternoon, Joe rescued mom from the snow and she came to stay with us.
We had pizza and nachos for dinner, and then made hot cocoa and ate oatmeal cookies and watched America's Funniest Home Videos together. My kids love that show. It can be pretty corny, but it can be pretty funny too, and we had a good time laughing together.
Before I knew it, the day was over, and my kids were tucked into their beds, worn out from their day off.
I know some people complain about the cold and the snow and having to stay home, or having to battle the slushy, slippery conditions if they do have to venture out, but as for me, I love me a snow day! I love getting an extra day home with the boys.
And really, the snow is so . . . beautiful. At least for a while, before it gets all black and mushy. But for a while, it is white. So white. And it sparkles like a million slivered diamonds in the streetlights. I watched it in silence for a long time last night, out the window. Falling. And I thought about the God who created each snowflake, and who blows them down to the earth on the wind of His breath. And I thought, if He wanted a snow day, who was I to argue, anyway?

 

 

 

 

In a manner of speaking . . .

 I love this age of Daniel's, where he is trying to figure out how to communicate certain ideas and emotions, and has only really been acquainted with speaking our language for a year or so, so sometimes things get a bit . . . confused.
Well, I get confused.
Daniel knows exactly what he is talking about!
And it can be so cute!!
Yesterday, he kept asking me to "buckle" my door in the truck.
It took me a while, but I finally figured out . . . he wanted me to lock the doors with the auto lock button. But he kept saying, "Buckle your door, mom. Buckle the doors!"
Exactly.

What I want to say to you today . . .

Isaac . . . I am so proud of you for how you lead your drama group. Watching as you organized your group, came up with an idea and wrote it out, communicated it effectively to your group members, and successfully directed the scene (with correct terminology, by the way . . ."From the top!" "You'll be off stage!" "Action!") to completion, was amazing for me as your mom, and as your teacher. You are growing into such a capable young man. I was amazed yesterday at your leadership skills and your dedication to your team members.  I can't wait to see the final product!! Good job!!

Josiah . . . I am so proud of you for cleaning your room all by yourself the other day, after only being asked once, and not waiting for your brother to help you, but doing his share of the work, too. You did such a good job of putting everything away and not just shoving it places. You are a hard worker. Walking into that room with you, all I could think about was how you can do big things for being such a little man. As you grow, you will become more and more unstoppable!! Great job!!

Daniel . . . one of the most precious moments of my entire week was putting you to sleep last night and listening to you sing a song you were making up . . . "I love mommy. Mommy loves me. I love you. You love me. Mommy loves me . . . " I burried my face deep in your curls and sighed and wanted to remember that moment for the rest of my entire life. I do. Love you.

Joe . . . thank you for everything . . . but mostly for loving me. And for all the big and little ways you take care of me and the boys. And for being my friend. And for . . . everything. I love you.

Life is but a vapor . . .

Although the title of this post brings a funny story to mind about my gram and my good friend Amy, I am writing this under sad circumstances.
I found out this morning that a man Joe and I went to college with died suddenly of a heart attack yesterday morning. He was a young man, and he left behind a wife and two young sons. He was a pastor.
My heart is aching for his family.
My heart is aching for his church.
We weren't great friends. In fact, I probably had about a dozen conversations with him that went beyond a nod and a "hello" during the time I knew him. But for a time, all our lives mingled on a Hudson Valley hillside campus. And news of his death has made me sad . . . and thoughtful.
Life is short enough as it is. But when a young person dies (or, at least, one close to your own age) it sends a rattle down your mortal spine (or, at least, it does mine).
I believe in eternal life.
And  I know that death for those who know and love Jesus has ultimately lost it's sting.
But for those of us who remain mortal while our loved ones move on to that next place, death can still smart.
And it makes you think . . . (or, at least, it does me) have I been petty? ungrateful? withholding? selfish? unkind? unforgiving? to the people around me? The people I love?
Are all my relationships right? 
Am I appreciating the moments of my life? Making  the most of them?
Am I confident in my relationship with Jesus and am I ready to meet him?
What if today is my last day?
My heart aches for the Glancy family, but I know that God is sovereign, and that his wisdom is perfect.
I pray for the wife today, that God would give her strength and comfort beyond understanding. And I pray for the children left behind, that God would be their father and they would grow up strong and sure of who He is.
I will tell that story about gram and Amy . . . some other time.

A New Year tradition that keeps giving . . . 365 days of the year

For as long as I can remember, and maybe longer, we have a New Year tradition that has been very meaningful and powerful.
I've already mentioned that my grandfather was the pastor of a church in New Jersey.
We always had amazing watch-night services on New Year's Eve. The service would begin at 10 p.m. As people would come in the door, they would take a handwritten 3x5 card, from a basket perched on a chair by the door (sometimes Gram would hold them out like a fan of cards and let the people pick, blank side up of course), that had a scripture on it. That was to be "their scripture" for that year.
My gram, who took the time to write each scripture, would spend days praying and asking God what scriptures to include in that year's batch.
During the service, we would spend time singing and worshiping, and then each person would get up and testify about the year that was slipping away, and read their scripture about the year that was approaching new and full of possibility.
At midnight, we would have communion together and pray, and then dismiss to the basement fellowship room for some amazing Italian food and goodies. We were always there well into the early morning hours. It was such a wonderful way to ring in the New Year.
Grandpa no longer pastors the little church in Newark, and Gram has gone on to heaven, where she is no longer restricted by time, but my family has always continued the New Year scripture tradition. Grandpa has taken up grandma's post, and lets us pick our scriptures out of a bowl when we are together around the table on New Year's Eve. And he continues to send the scripture cards on to his family and certain old friends who are far away now as well.
Through the years, these scriptures have been a source of comfort and strength, a reminder of the promise of God for the year.
I keep mine with me, in my planner or in my wallet, and we either hang the boy's cards on the fridge or on their bedroom door, somewhere they can see it.
Our scriptures for 2010:
Joe ~ " . . .being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6
Joy ~ "Be anxious for nothing, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God." Phil. 4:6
Isaac ~ "When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you shall lie down and your sleep shall be sweet." Prov. 3:24
Josiah ~ "God is your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
Daniel ~ "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

A gift worth remembering . . .

I feel like I overlooked this in my post about Christmas, so now, it gets a post of it's own.
At our house, we have a small built-in desk in our kitchen.
Usually, this desk is the catch all for mail and school papers and coupons and magazines and recipes. The drawers seem like junk drawers, holding more toys and tools and nonesense items than useful desk items (i.e. pens and pencils and tape and staples and notepads, etc.).
Really, it has been an eyesore and a source of frustration to me.
On Black Friday, my mom, my boys and I went shopping and found ourselves in Target (love it!!).
We were in an aisle with all sorts of neat-o organizational trays and drawers and baskets and gadgets.
"This is what I need! I need to get that crazy desk organized!" I huffed out, an answer to my mom's earlier question, "What do you want for Christmas?"
My sons live in my house, so they know about "the desk", and they were there in that aisle that day. I thought nothing of my comment, and just assumed that I would continue to wrestle with messy-deskdom until I decided enough was enough, and sprang for the get-it-all-in-order gadgets that would change my life.
But someone was listening and hearing my wish.
Weeks later, when Joe took the boys on their annual "shopping for mom" trip, Isaac told him, "What mom really wants is for the desk in the kitchen to be organized."
And they bought some nifty trays and pencil holders and paper holders . . . and blessed me with two wonderful Christmas gifts!!
1) An organized desk.
2) The thoughtfulness of my oldest son, who heard me, and listened, and made my wish come true.
Thanks, Isaac.
It is truly one of the best gifts I have ever gotten!

Ahhh, aspirations . . .

Daniel got a hold of a Lego Bionicle catalog yesterday, and was looking at all the crazy alien creatures you can make with these particular sets.
All of a sudden, he ran excitedly into the kitchen and announced to my mom and David and I, "I'm gonna be a big man! I'm gonna be a Lego!! I'm gonna get a big truck and go in it on my own!!" He was waving the little catalog around, and pointing to these machine-like beings with all their accessories, wild wishes flashing in his eyes, and no thought of the impossibility of this crossing his mind.
So, my son wants to be a Lego when he grows up.
It's no wonder.
We have them all over the house.
His brothers play with them all the time.
And they are so darn cool.
It made me remember a certain little girl who told me she wanted to be a horse when she grew up.
Kids. They don't see the boundaries, so they dream big, impossible things.
They believe anything is possible.
Grown-ups forget this. Don't believe it anymore.
We live in a world ringed round with practicality and limited by "reality".
But when our father is God, who lives outside our practicality . . .our physical world . . . our reality . . . is anything really impossible? His ways are higher than ours. And his thoughts too.
Not that I think we can grow up to be Legos, mind you. But I do think we can do more, be more than we think we can.
What are my "impossible" dreams?
What are yours?