Little Animals

A couple of weeks ago Rivermont Preschool had the annual Noah's Ark parade. The kids dress up like animals, hear the account of the flood and God's saving grace to Noah and his family, and then walk around and through the church like they're following Noah onto the ark. Luke was very excited about his beluga whale costume, continuing the marine life theme from last year (he was a shark). We do realize that aquatic life probably wasn't brought on the ark, but obviously God made provision for these creatures to survive the flood. And Jackson was a giraffe and actually wore his giraffe hat pretty well, especially when his little friends showed up at school with their animal hats on.

Love & Thunder

Two posts in as many days--watch out, I'm on fire! No pictures for this one, but I had to share something I just read. I'm in the process of cleaning the house this morning while the boys are at preschool, trying to get ready to welcome my Bunko group tomorrow night. I went to put in a CD to listen to while cleaning, and I picked one of my favorite Andrew Peterson CDs "Love & Thunder." I found this on the inside cover and was just blown away by the truth and depth of it:

"All over the quiet plains, beneath the snow on the high mountains, rustling through the cattails that congregate along the water, you can feel the presence of a promise. On cold nights when you look at the sky, sometimes your breath catches in your throat at how bright the night can be, not nearly as dark as the tree line on the horizon, and as you stand there shivering with your hands bunched in your pockets suddenly you remember that you're standing on a rock in the midde of space. Suddenly the notion that there's a Someone who made it all and knows us all no longer seems quite so far-fetched; indeed, it seems too good to be false.

"But here we toil and we till the hard earth, where even the warm times with friend and kin are lonely because we know they won't last long enought to quiet the ache. Our sadness points to Home the way hunger points to the feast, the way the light of the cratered moon is always facing the sun, alwyas pointing to where the dawn will come like a pillar of fire when this rock we walk on turns again to burning day. All over the quiet plains and the cold stone cities full of dying and shame the promise is not drowned out by the weeping; it is declared by it.

"God died as a man and rose again, and the sound of the fiery blast of Death exploding shook the firmament. Throughout the wail and shudder, over the shriek and moan of man the thunder has sounded and sung, and it is both the answer and the promise. It sings still, and you can hear what it says if you listen: love never dies."

We live in this spiritual reality as much as we live in the day-to-day bustle of ordinary life, but I so often forget where my citizenship really is, that this life and this place are just shadowlands of what is to come. Some might think we're crazy for hanging our hope on what we can't see, but it doesn't mean we keep our heads in the clouds and become escapists who are out of touch with reality. Instead, living in the promise means our lives here are packed with purpose. I'm mopping the floor to the glory of God. I'm changing this diaper to the glory of God. I'm loving my husband and children to the glory of God, knowing that it's more than just mopping the floor and changing a diaper and loving my family. It's what God has given me to do in obedience to Him, out of love, in response to His grace and mercy.

Kicks and Giggles

Luke's soccer games have been sporadic due to rain--one was cancelled altogether and another was in progress when it started pouring. But this past Saturday was beautiful and the three and four-year-olds got a good workout. They practice for 30 minutes and then play against another team for 30 minutes. There is no real score being kept, but each week the kids are doing better. Luke enjoys it but is worn out by the end of the hour, even with several juice and goldfish cracker breaks. He told his coach this week, "I'm running out of running."

Luke and Coach Sam Holter, Levi, and Luke On a side note, doesn't Levi look like he could be one of our kids? His baby pictures look remarkably like Jackson's. Pretty funny. Luke practicing Jackson runs around the entire time dribbling the ball. Really dribbling. With his little feet and legs. He doesn't seem to get tired at all and has been known to jump in the game at any given moment--on Luke's team, the opposing team, or on another field in another game. He is in hog heaven on the YMCA soccer fields. We debated putting a jersey on him and officially putting him in the game this week.