I'm reading through Acts right now. Today this passage struck me.
"Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
These are Peter's words and my first response was "CRAP! That passage could be (and probably has been) used for all kinds of anti-Semitic ideology/theology." But luckily it doesn't end there.
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Hallelujah!! Even to those who put Jesus to death is offered the Holy Spirit.
"For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
Of course if we understand that we all participated in Christ's death this is good news for all of us!
It's only a small realization but I'm glad for this gift today.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Mommy Games
I have a new friend I met in Seattle and then she moved to Portland.
Today she gave me a great gift. Since both of us seem to be struggling with a feeling that winter will never end, she created a game that required that we get outside (in between rain showers) to collect flowers from the (very few) trees that are currently in bloom.
What fun!!
The goal was to collect 12 different flowers. I only collected 5 but I was sure blessed by the extra motivation to get outside and move around. :)
I'm so glad to have folks in my life to keep it light and fun but still fruitful.
Thanks, Calyn!
Today she gave me a great gift. Since both of us seem to be struggling with a feeling that winter will never end, she created a game that required that we get outside (in between rain showers) to collect flowers from the (very few) trees that are currently in bloom.
What fun!!
The goal was to collect 12 different flowers. I only collected 5 but I was sure blessed by the extra motivation to get outside and move around. :)
I'm so glad to have folks in my life to keep it light and fun but still fruitful.
Thanks, Calyn!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Monday Blues
Well, the boy is still sick. It's March and I missed the only sunny day in weeks last week taking care of my sick son. Today the cloud cover is heavy and oppressive to me. I never remember this feeling in connection with the weather before I lived in Seattle. I grew up in Portland - no big difference, right? WRONG!
I'm sure it's more to do with my mental state that the weather. Last year at this time I was pregnant and this year I have a very young baby. I need to be outside and I'm feeling impeded by my young child. BLAH!
I'm starting to feel like I'm just surviving these days instead of living them. I still have hope - but the clouds make it harder and harder to see.
I'm sure it's more to do with my mental state that the weather. Last year at this time I was pregnant and this year I have a very young baby. I need to be outside and I'm feeling impeded by my young child. BLAH!
I'm starting to feel like I'm just surviving these days instead of living them. I still have hope - but the clouds make it harder and harder to see.
Friday, March 9, 2007
One Tired Mama
My son turned 7 months this last week....and POOF he changed. OK he got sick - and that has shown me a boy that I've never known before.
On our last trip to Portland he caught a bug from somewhere. And on Tuesday he woke up with a fever and pretty constant diarrhea (probably more than you wanted to know, but he's a baby and if you have one you know how much your life starts to revolve around poop). First of all this is the first full fledged fever he's had - it really is sad to watch your super active little dude become so lethargic. My son is also (only by the grace of a loving God) pretty laid back. Usually, I can count on him to fuss only when he needs something. This has changed a little bit as he gets older because his needs start to depend more on how much interaction he gets, but I would never call him a 'needy' or 'clingy' child.
So his fever is gone and his poop is looking allot better but he is now incredibly whiny. I'm sure this is all very normal ('perfectly healthy, perfectly normal' as my husband would say in his best therapist voice). But where has my baby gone?
I'm trying hard not to let this become a piss and moan session - a long list of my hardships over the last 48 hours.
My point is how surprised I am at the change in his personality. I'm trying to keep faith that his old self will completely return, but maybe not. Maybe a different side of his personality has emerged and I'm getting to know more of my son instead of a different son.
Lord, help us keep our heads up. Help us get over this time with grace and an increased understand of the daily mercies you shower upon us.
On our last trip to Portland he caught a bug from somewhere. And on Tuesday he woke up with a fever and pretty constant diarrhea (probably more than you wanted to know, but he's a baby and if you have one you know how much your life starts to revolve around poop). First of all this is the first full fledged fever he's had - it really is sad to watch your super active little dude become so lethargic. My son is also (only by the grace of a loving God) pretty laid back. Usually, I can count on him to fuss only when he needs something. This has changed a little bit as he gets older because his needs start to depend more on how much interaction he gets, but I would never call him a 'needy' or 'clingy' child.
So his fever is gone and his poop is looking allot better but he is now incredibly whiny. I'm sure this is all very normal ('perfectly healthy, perfectly normal' as my husband would say in his best therapist voice). But where has my baby gone?
I'm trying hard not to let this become a piss and moan session - a long list of my hardships over the last 48 hours.
My point is how surprised I am at the change in his personality. I'm trying to keep faith that his old self will completely return, but maybe not. Maybe a different side of his personality has emerged and I'm getting to know more of my son instead of a different son.
Lord, help us keep our heads up. Help us get over this time with grace and an increased understand of the daily mercies you shower upon us.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
The Embrace
Some friends of mine have an icon in their sun room that always touches me. I imagine it's a classic icon of Mary and Jesus in an embrace - her face is turned towards his and she seems to fit perfectly into his arms. This icon matches much of my experience with Jesus, being small and secure in his arms. Often when I visualize Jesus holding me I'm only about 7 or 8 years old.
One of my favorite authors is Madelein L'Engle. She is most famous for her children's book "A Wrinkle in Time" but she has written many memoir type books that let the reader share her journey through life. She is a christian and is inspiring in her love of scripture and in her desire to love others. In her book called "The Rock that is Higher" she shares an intimate portrait of her and one of her adult granddaughters after they were unable to enter a concert because they had arrived too late. Fortunately they where able to sit in an adjoining atrium where they could still enjoy the music. They sat side by side on a bench and as they settled in her granddaughter laid her head on Madeleine's shoulder. Madeleine ponders the idea that maybe in that moment they were their true selves. Truly grandmother and granddaughter. (I am paraphrasing greatly since I've lent this book to a friend and cannot reference the story)
Yesterday, my 7 month old son and I were sitting on the couch together. He's had a fever for the last two days and has been terribly lethargic (something that is very hard for me since this is his first real fever). He has wanted to be in my arms almost constantly when he's awake, but this time he let me sit him up on the couch. I decided I'd see what would happen if I leaned up against him and almost instinctively he laid his head on my chest and was asleep in a few minutes. I think I can understand how Madeleine felt - how in that moment I felt like this was the 'truest' me there could be - loving my son who has allot less inhibitions when it comes to being 'himself'.
Is that what the icon is about, the real Mary (insert yourself in Mary's place) being embraced by Jesus who doesn't have the trouble we do with being his authentic self? Is that why it's appealing? He knows her and she desires to be known and loved by him.
And how wonderful to have an opportunity to be able to experience this in the context of other relationships in our lives!
Does being Jesus to one another mean that through God's grace we have moments where we are truely authenic and in those moments are an opportunity to allow others to be truely authenic and experience being loved for who they are?
Thoughts???
One of my favorite authors is Madelein L'Engle. She is most famous for her children's book "A Wrinkle in Time" but she has written many memoir type books that let the reader share her journey through life. She is a christian and is inspiring in her love of scripture and in her desire to love others. In her book called "The Rock that is Higher" she shares an intimate portrait of her and one of her adult granddaughters after they were unable to enter a concert because they had arrived too late. Fortunately they where able to sit in an adjoining atrium where they could still enjoy the music. They sat side by side on a bench and as they settled in her granddaughter laid her head on Madeleine's shoulder. Madeleine ponders the idea that maybe in that moment they were their true selves. Truly grandmother and granddaughter. (I am paraphrasing greatly since I've lent this book to a friend and cannot reference the story)
Yesterday, my 7 month old son and I were sitting on the couch together. He's had a fever for the last two days and has been terribly lethargic (something that is very hard for me since this is his first real fever). He has wanted to be in my arms almost constantly when he's awake, but this time he let me sit him up on the couch. I decided I'd see what would happen if I leaned up against him and almost instinctively he laid his head on my chest and was asleep in a few minutes. I think I can understand how Madeleine felt - how in that moment I felt like this was the 'truest' me there could be - loving my son who has allot less inhibitions when it comes to being 'himself'.
Is that what the icon is about, the real Mary (insert yourself in Mary's place) being embraced by Jesus who doesn't have the trouble we do with being his authentic self? Is that why it's appealing? He knows her and she desires to be known and loved by him.
And how wonderful to have an opportunity to be able to experience this in the context of other relationships in our lives!
Does being Jesus to one another mean that through God's grace we have moments where we are truely authenic and in those moments are an opportunity to allow others to be truely authenic and experience being loved for who they are?
Thoughts???
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