My Ebenezer

I had always assumed that a downside to being a family with just boys was that our read-alouds would by necessity be decidedly masculine.  I would be doomed to Captains Courageous , Treasure Island , and Old Yeller , with not even an Anne of Green Gables or Little Women  to soften the blow.  I was bemoaning to my niece (and possibly to Jen too) the fact that we would probably never get to read the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder because those stories are too "girly", but Marisa set me straight. "But if you think about it, most of it is really about Pa!" she said.  "How he cleans his guns, sets his traps, tells stories, and plays his fiddle.  They're not that girly, really. Noah would probably eat it up!" And she's right.  We're two-thirds of the way through Little House in the Big Woods , and Noah loves it!  He listens raptly to all the descriptions of making maple sugar and smoking the meat, and the stories of being out in th

Our church is in transition right now.  There is a family who, though indispensable to our ministry over the last 5 or so years, is suddenly being moved by the clear direction of God to South Carolina.  We see the hand of God in it, and so we can do nothing more than praise Him for this working in their lives and hold our hands out in expectation of how God will fill the gap.  Because there will be a gap.  This family was involved in almost every ministry; deacon, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers (as the one "in charge" of scheduling nursery workers, just ask me how much I will miss them!), music, organization, and probably a myriad of other capacities of which I am not even aware, because they didn't serve to be noticed.  And did I mention that they drove almost an hour one-way just to get to church?  We're talking dedication. But as much as I am sorry to see them go, there is also awakening in me a kind of wonder-filled excitement at what God will do in our

 I am brave for posting those "before" pictures!  So admittedly Josh is not known for his tidiness as we would define it.  Actually it's a phenomenon I can't comprehend: though it may look cluttered and disorganized to my eye, ask him where any given document is, and he can usually find it.  I can't even begin to understand how... So as a sort of gift to me (he knew it would make my day and be beneficial for everyone), he let me clean out the office.  Elated doesn't begin to describe my feelings!  This is a room that I have dreaded to go into, and couldn't wait to get out of.  Until today. Above you see what it looked like as of 10am, and below is what it looks like as I type this. It's amazing what a little order can do for a person!  Well, for me anyway.  It probably doesn't have the same effect on everybody. :)

Noah, age 7. He'll be 8 next month, if you can believe that.  I can't.  He loves to read; specifically The Boxcar Children or Hardy Boys series.  He rarely gets along with Seth (this photo just isn't reality most of the time), but we are working on that.  He is competitive, imaginative, inquisitive, and loves to attempt joke-telling (His latest one: What state sneezes a lot?  Mass"achu"setts!).  Still talks almost non-stop, and has a memory like a trap. Seth, age 2 1/2.  We are still working on speaking clearly, as much of what he says is not understandable (though he did just start saying "Noah" instead of "No-No", which is forward progress!) I would also love for him to master potty-training before we start school in August.  If I remember to take him, he stays dry and clean all day, but left to himself it's accident city.  Seth is always hungry, declaring, "I so hummy" multiple times a day, even if we just ate.  He lik

I stink at making holidays memorable.  Gift-giving has never been my forte, and so I face gift-giving holidays with a mixture of denial and dread. My husband is particularly hard to give gifts to; in part because he just buys whatever it is he needs (the Lord is good!), and in part because he's really picky discerning.  Men have it easy when it comes to giving gifts on Mother's Day.  Flowers, check.  Chocolate, check.  Done! But there is no such one-size-fits-all gift that applies to men.  I know because I asked.  So in an effort to let my husband know I care, I asked him what he would like. He's not the type that surprises easily anyway, so I figured I could be open about his gift.  "I don't know, some beef jerky would be good," he said.  Really? I can do that! I stopped at Publix on my way home from a chat with my sister-in-law, and looked around for some beef jerky.  I had no idea that beef jerky comes in so many varieties. I brought it home, a

I have been itching to sit down and write about several things lately; namely....   Well, now that I'm in here with actual time to actually write, I have no idea what it was I was going to say!  Do you ever do that?  I will walk into the kitchen, go straight to the refrigerator and stare in, intent on grabbing....what?  I then have to shut the refrigerator and go back out of the room (it doesn't work if you stay in the same room; you absolutely have to leave) until I can remember, and then when I do remember, I go straight back to the fridge chanting, "Ketchup, ketchup, ketchup" until I'm back at the table, victorious with my ketchup. Or whatever it was I was after. Anyway.  All of that's certainly not what I wanted to say.  I guess I'll have to come back when I remember!