It's 1:15 am, and I've spent the last hour sleepless, staring at the wall in our dark bedroom, Jason soundly asleep beside me.
As I lay there, I feel the kicks and squirms of the baby inside of me, and it dawns on me afresh: there is life inside of me. A child with ten tiny fingers and toes, with a personality, spirit, and future of her own is being knit together even as I lay in my bed. She is being knit together in my womb by the very Creator of the universe....maker of Heaven and earth! This very child inside of me is so cared for and loved that every hair on her head is counted and loved by God himself! Her talents and skills, He is weaving into her very being right now......because she is His design.....His workmanship. She is being created on purpose, for a purpose. How am I so blessed to have been chosen as a vessel for the creation of life?! Four times, I have had the honor and privilege to be part of the creation process. Three precious souls I have come to know, love and cherish because of this.
As I lay there pondering all of this, the verse clearly came to me: "Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I find it interesting how God uses our lives to teach us the things we need to know. However, there it is...plainly laid out before me: We ALL have life inside of us. That concept has always seemed rather illusive to me, but as I lay in the dark pondering my fourth pregnancy, it seems as clear as day. The baby inside of me is far more than just a physical life......just as my other children Caleb, Emet, and Anna Ruth are unique...each their own. Just as I am unique and you are. We are spiritual beings, and the Spirit of God dwells within us. I have had the benefit of God teaching me this lesson through a physical process, but each of us is no less full of life than I.
This child inside of me knows nothing but instinctively to allow the Creator to mold and shape her, trusting without thought.....and so too are we to be in Christ. The process does not end at birth! We are not to be carried away by the worries of this world but are to live His purpose knowing we were created on purpose, for a purpose.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. 19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. 20 For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalm 139
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday Night Football Ordway Style
After a week of Jason working 16+ hour days, having him home by 6pm, eating our traditional Friday night Little Caesars $5 Hot and Ready Pizza dinner, and playing football together outside in the driveway was a lot of fun for all of us. Everyone played except for Sampson, our cat! Papa, Mama, and Ru Bear vs Caleb and Emet. Greta was the referee? (sort of?) Here are a few photos from the big game...
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Carnival
This morning I woke to the sound of little elephants tromping above my head. Caleb had taken it upon himself to get Anna Ruth out of her crib when she awoke. (This was a first.)
As I wandered into the kitchen to make a special breakfast of Belgian waffles, the troops came downstairs and went to work straight away on using ALL of their legos to build a variety of weapons (swords, axes, pistols and rifles). It has been fun to watch Anna Ruth in the past few days plant herself in the middle of all of her big brothers' activities.
After breakfast, I headed upstairs and the boys informed me that after my shower, "the carnival" would be ready. They had been working since they awoke to set it up. It wasn't quite ready, but I got to sit at the top of the stairs to wait. After a few false starts, the big moment finally arrived: the carnival was open!!!
I was invited to come in and told I could look around, then I was to sit on the stools and shoot at the targets. I needed to shoot all three targets down (Batman, Superman, and Batmite) and had unlimited chances. There would be two rounds of the game, each with a different gun. I had unlimited ammo and no time limit. Oh yeah, and the game was free to play`. (Boy, this was my kind of carnival!) The prize dispersal rules were strict: I would get a prize for each figurine knocked down. Caleb would choose the first prize, then I could choose the second and third.
In the end I won all six prizes, and the boys took turns taking pictures of me. I can't say how many rounds I shot, or how many times Caleb reminded me that I needed to "cycle the action" after each shot. A lot.
Following the game, it was time to dress up. My options were blue bunny ears, a Larry Boy hat, or a spider man mask. I could choose two. I chose the bunny ears and Larry Boy hat, which I then shared with Sissy. We got our pictures taken again, then it was on to the exhibition hall where I could look at a Lincoln Log cabin, constructed special just for me or a display of the earlier assembled lego weaponry.
Finally, Caleb announced that the carnival was over and they began the cleanup process. Since then, there have been at least 50 arguments, several giggle sessions, a rousing game of "Narnians" outside as the boys marched with their stick swords and knives, and a sticky mess of peanut butter and honey sandwiches and spilled milk. Breakfast dishes are still on the counter, beds are unmade, laundry remains unfolded and unwashed, and the house is a general mess. And yet, here I sit, carving out time to capture the carnival. Overall, it's lining up to be a fairly unproductive day as far as the planner and housework tasks are concerned. However, I'm guessing in the long run, these are the days I'll remember as being the most productive of all.
As I wandered into the kitchen to make a special breakfast of Belgian waffles, the troops came downstairs and went to work straight away on using ALL of their legos to build a variety of weapons (swords, axes, pistols and rifles). It has been fun to watch Anna Ruth in the past few days plant herself in the middle of all of her big brothers' activities.
After breakfast, I headed upstairs and the boys informed me that after my shower, "the carnival" would be ready. They had been working since they awoke to set it up. It wasn't quite ready, but I got to sit at the top of the stairs to wait. After a few false starts, the big moment finally arrived: the carnival was open!!!
I was invited to come in and told I could look around, then I was to sit on the stools and shoot at the targets. I needed to shoot all three targets down (Batman, Superman, and Batmite) and had unlimited chances. There would be two rounds of the game, each with a different gun. I had unlimited ammo and no time limit. Oh yeah, and the game was free to play`. (Boy, this was my kind of carnival!) The prize dispersal rules were strict: I would get a prize for each figurine knocked down. Caleb would choose the first prize, then I could choose the second and third.
Following the game, it was time to dress up. My options were blue bunny ears, a Larry Boy hat, or a spider man mask. I could choose two. I chose the bunny ears and Larry Boy hat, which I then shared with Sissy. We got our pictures taken again, then it was on to the exhibition hall where I could look at a Lincoln Log cabin, constructed special just for me or a display of the earlier assembled lego weaponry.
Finally, Caleb announced that the carnival was over and they began the cleanup process. Since then, there have been at least 50 arguments, several giggle sessions, a rousing game of "Narnians" outside as the boys marched with their stick swords and knives, and a sticky mess of peanut butter and honey sandwiches and spilled milk. Breakfast dishes are still on the counter, beds are unmade, laundry remains unfolded and unwashed, and the house is a general mess. And yet, here I sit, carving out time to capture the carnival. Overall, it's lining up to be a fairly unproductive day as far as the planner and housework tasks are concerned. However, I'm guessing in the long run, these are the days I'll remember as being the most productive of all.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Today was one of those long summer days full to the brim of lots of everything and nothing in particular.
We started the day meeting Jason at the end of his Independence Day Race in Ridgefield, WA....(in which I can proudly say he came in 3rd overall and 1st in his age group!!!) Next, after a long line, was the Firefighters Associate Pancake Breakfast at the Community Center. It was well worth the wait to see the boys happily devouring their stacks of pancakes loaded with syrup. We walked to the park, then rushed over to catch the beginning of the parade, for which we found a front row spot. It was pure joy to watch the boys practice their manners while politely waving side by side in their matching t-shirts, yelling out "Over here, please!" Even Anna Ruth would wave from Papa's arms. I think they scored more candy from the parade than at Halloween. Someone gave them a little bucket, and while they collected candy, Anna Ruth happily organized the candy back and forth from the diaper bag into the bucket and back. They even got a few "neck-a-lasses", as Caleb would explain. Caleb commented at one point, "This parade is really enjoyable." :-) Following the parade, we strolled the town, and went to the playground to watch the boys play while Anna Ruth once again organized the candy. Lunch of gyros and pizza came next, followed by cotton candy and red, white, and blue shortcakes. (Caleb earned his by knowing the first president, and Emet by telling Papa the colors of the flag on his shirt. Orange, white and blue were a close first!)
As we sat in the shade on the lawn, a midst the chaos of the crowd, Jason and I commented how much fun we were having. Funny, considering all we were doing was wandering around together as a family absorbing the day with no agenda in particular. Or just maybe that's the point. You can't really "fit in" fun. You just have to really be where you are at.....no time-slots, no to-do list running in the back of your head. Jason commented, "You know? I think if you can just be here in the midst of this and just enjoy it, you've arrived."
After coming home, we took a leisurely afternoon nap, ate PB&J for dinner, rode quads, and after putting Anna Ruth to bed, the rest of us went out and played 2 on 2 football in the driveway. Papa and Mama vs Caleb and Emet. We shared some good laughs watching Emet tear off with the ball in the wrong direction, the boys needing to change from a green ball to a red ball in the middle of the game (one was Emet's...one Caleb's), or Mama waddling in for a touchdown. Most of all, it was just plain fun.
After bath time, we watched a few fireworks outside before heading upstairs for snuggles. Just before heading inside from the fireworks, Caleb said to me, "Mama. I really enjoyed sitting out here with you and watching the fireworks. Thank you for inviting me." Ah, how this made my Mama's heart smile.
Tomorrow begins the long summer work days at Mt Hood for Jason, and consequently some long days for the children and I. But this was one of those days we can ride on for a while, a bit of refreshment to prepare us for the journey ahead. And for this, I am thankful. It is another experience to treasure in my heart, even if my camera was absent.
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