Butterfly or Moth?

Have you ever wondered how to tell the difference? I have. So today I looked it up with the girls. We caught a bunch in their butterfly net and then brought them to the wonderful world of Google. Here's what we found:

1.) Antennae: All butterflies have small rounded clubs at the end. A moth's can be thin or thick, but are usually feathery with no club at the end.
2.) Color: A butterfly's colors are usually brighter than a moth's.
3.) Resting: A butterfly keeps its wings closed when resting. A Moth's are open.
4.) Sleep: Butterflies are active during the day, but moths are active at night.

Here's one of the butterflies we found:


And do you want to know how to spot a little boy? His feet are muddy...

Location, Location, Location

Location, Location, Location... that saying is true when buying a house, but it is also true when playing Barbies.

When I was a girl, I loved to play Barbies, but I rarely played them in my room. There were much cooler locations! The table in the hallway was a great apartment. The couches provided plenty of space to spread out. My closet, with all of my stuff removed, provided room for an entire town to be set up!

And the same is still true today. Although my daughter does like her Barbie House, the dolls do end up vacationing frequently in other rooms. They go to the family room for the ball, the loft for picnics, and on and on it goes.

So we have Barbie paraphernalia all over the house. I'd like to stop it and make a rule that all Barbie stuff should stay in the play room. It would be easier to keep track of all the little pieces, and we'd probably do a better job of keeping both pairs of the shoes.

But the thing is, I remember vividly how exciting it was to be somewhere different - so for now I'll keep quiet. Besides, it won't be long before they'll be boxed up again until she one day has a daughter. And hey, maybe I'll even play with her and show her a new location or two that she hasn't thought of yet.

Waiting - Part 4

I think our pastor must have been reading my blog because he spoke about waiting this Sunday! I'll have to ask him! LOL We''re starting through Nehemiah, and the time period from when he heard and grieved over the destruction of Jerusalem to when he actually asked the king to go was from around November to April (ish). That's a lot of waiting! While he waited I'm sure he prayed and planned, but still, he couldn't take any action in the waiting time.

So I guess that's ok. Not only is it ok, I'm kind of starting to gather that it is GOOD.

The other questions I haven't really touched on from my earlier post:

3.) How do I wait? (I tend to get restless and impatient)

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I am to wait patiently and without anger.

4.) What am I supposed to be waiting for?

Apart from the day to day things we are all waiting for, I'm also supposed to be waiting for Him to return.

2 Timothy 4:8
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

1 Corinthians 1:7
Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

Romans 8:23
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

I Thessalonians 1:10
...wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Titus 2:13
while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ...

We have something better than this life to be waiting for!! I need to keep that perspective constantly on the forefront of my mind. I might not know the future in regard to our family, but I do know the future when it comes to my eternity, and in that alone I can find joy in the midst of anything.


5.) When will we be done waiting?

I'm not a scholar on this or anything, but in Revelation 6:11 there is a group of people who are told to "wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed."

Will there be any waiting after that? I don't know... it is just a question I enjoy pondering, because if Adam had to wait for Eve before the fall, and there are saints in Heaven still waiting, then waiting in and of itself isn't bad. So I need to change my perspective appropriately.

Conclusion:

I guess waiting is ok, I'm supposed to be patient and obey in the process, and be ready when God says "Go." To stay focused, I should look to the future that I do have confidence in - our Perfect Eternity with God! And that's something worth waiting for!

Bored Summer Days

What did you spend your Summer Days as a freshman in High School doing? I could have been doing a lot of things, but I was making movies with my friends - very dumb movies that we thought were absolutely hysterical! We recently sat down and watched them. Oh my goodness - what were we thinking? But I have to admit, they were so stupid, they were actually funny... Well, at least to those of us who were there. My husband was like, "What in the world???" Probably a good thing he didn't see them before he married me... might have thought twice! :)

So none of us went into the film industry, and we probably can't use them to enter the "On The Lot" reality show, but it was fun, and I suppose there could have been worse things, right??? :)

Waiting - Part 3

Ok, so I'm still thinking about this. I'm in a big waiting time right now in my life, not knowing what the future has in store, needing to just wait for it to happen, with no action steps in sight (though I try and make some up that don't end up working.)

If I could paint a visual, it's like I'm playing that hand slap game, where you put your hands on top of someone else's and you wait for them to start to move and you pull your hands away. I'm standing here, with my hands on theirs, cringing because I'm no good at the game and I'm waiting for the smack to come, but afraid to move prematurely because they'll get a free slap.

Cringing.

Now that I've thought it through, there are so many problems with that!

For starters, even when I'm not waiting and I "know" what is going to happen - I don't really know at all! A few months ago I "knew" I'd be having a baby in October, who would be sitting up by Spring and walking by fall, which I thought would be very convenient, having had summer babies before. I was going to homeschool lightly this fall, with the baby and all, and then add more as the year went on. We were going to have to take an early anniversary trip so I wasn't super pregnant. On and on the planning went... And we lost that baby. I didn't really know the future at all, though at the time I felt confident and happy in whatever knowledge I thought I had.

So now as I sit here, fretting because I don't know the future, or being restless and uncomfortable, why do I think it is any different? This one thing I know is true: both wonderful and terrible things await me in my future. No amount of planning and thinking on my part can fully take care of everything. It's probably ultimately a control issue. I'm trying to be in control.

I "know" God is in control. He's taken care of me for almost 29 years. We're "tight." I just read a book that describes our life with Him as a dance, and I love that! So why am I clutching his shirt, looking over his shoulder, trying to figure out where he's dancing me to? I need to relax into his arms, lay my head on his chest, and enjoy the sway of his stride.

I do trust Him. I know he'll take care of us. I know He loves me more than my little brain can begin to grasp.

Breath in.... breath out....

He knows the future. In that I can rest assured. He's already been there. So for now, I will stop cringing and let him hold my hand and lead me where He wills.

Waiting - Part 2

Psalm 119:84
How long must your servant wait?

So once I learned that I'm not alone in my struggle with having to wait, a few questions come up:

1.) Why do we have to wait?
2.) What am I supposed to do while I'm waiting?
3.) How do I wait? (I tend to get restless and impatient)
4.) What am I supposed to be waiting for?
5.) When will be be done waiting?

In my search on waiting with the help of Biblegateway.org, I found another story where someone had to wait - Ruth. After potentially embarrassing herself by sneaking into Boaz's bedroom, she is stuck waiting. What is Boaz going to do? What if he rejects her? What if it doesn't work? And if he doesn't want her, then where is she going to get food? He had always taken care of her. She couldn't go back there - it would be humiliating...

On and on her thoughts could have gone, but she was simply instructed, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens." Wow! What a tough job! Definitely easier said than done.

1. Why do we wait?

I think sometimes it's because there is simply nothing else for us to do in the matter. Ruth had done all she needed. Isaac sent his servant to find a bride, and that was all he could do. Simeon was told he'd see the Messiah, but he couldn't speed things along.

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
Psalm 5:3

2. What am I supposed to do while I'm waiting?

Psalm 37:34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way.

Psalm 119:166 I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands.

While I wait, I'm supposed to "keep his way" and "follow his commands." That means keep on obeying. One of our pastors said recently, "Do the next right thing." As we all know, life keeps moving while we're waiting, and there are opportunities for good and evil all around us. I am to keep choosing good in the midst of the confusion.

Hosea 12:6 "But you must return to your God;
maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always."

I think the bigger question is "What am I not supposed to do?" One thing I'm not supposed to do is take matters into my own hands. If we are told to wait, to rush God is disobedience. The prodigal son decided not to wait and demanded his inheritance early. Esau decided not to wait and sped up dinner. David knew he was to be King, but he didn't kill Saul to get there. He waited on God's timing.

I'm also not supposed to worry! All of those thoughts Ruth could have had, that we all have, worrying, second guessing, running scenarios over and over through our minds... fretting.

Psalm 37:7-8
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

And the end there says I'm not to get angry. Proverbs 20:22 says, "Do not say, 'I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you."

Instead of worrying and getting angry, we are to be patient, just as Abraham patiently waited for Isaac (Hebrews 6:15) and God waited patiently for Noah to build the Ark (I Peter 3:20).

More to come...

Waiting - Part 1

I've been thinking a lot about waiting, as you know, and I've been waiting for a good time to write about waiting. I figured I could at least start, and add more later.

First, a quick quote from "Oh The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss:

The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

That kind of waiting is momentary and over quickly, but I'm thinking more of the waiting that takes a long time, like Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life."

Around me there are a lot of people waiting. Waiting for a home to sell or be built, medical test results, or the special guy to write. Waiting for school to start, a baby to be born, a lawsuit to be settled, or to find a job. Waiting for a daughter to call or a friend to say she's sorry. Waiting for a wedding, a vacation, a package, or a cold to go away. Waiting for a time when the house is finally in order, life finally goes as planned, and we finally have time for whatever is on the list.

I'm in a place of waiting. Without going into details, there's a lot going on that I can do absolutely nothing about right now. It is out of my control, and all I can do is sit and wait.

So one night as I laid in bed thinking in circles around the things I can't control, I started going through the Bible, listing mentally those who had to wait.

Old Testament

I started with Adam. He was waiting on his perfect companion as he named the animals. Noah had to wait 100 years for the flood. Abraham & Sarah waited 25 years for their promised son. Isaac waited at home for Rebecca when the servant went looking for a bride. Jacob waited and worked 7 years for Rachel. Joseph waited for years in Egypt before his brothers asked for forgiveness. He also waited in prison for the cupbearer to talk to the King. Moses waited in Midian as a shepherd. Esther waited a year to see the king. Job waited on God, not know that his life would be restored. Jonah waited 3 days in the fish. Daniel waited overnight in the den.

New Testament

To jump to the new testament, Jesus waited 33 years to begin the ministry he was called to. SImeon waited his whole life to see the Messiah. The disciples waited three agonizing days to see Jesus resurrected. They waited 50 days for the Holy Spirit to descend as promised.

Waiting is all over the Bible. I can think of two quick examples of those who didn't wait: Esau couldn't wait for dinner and sold his birthright for some stew. In Hebrews 12 he's described as godless, "who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son." In the new testament, the prodigal son in the new testament couldn't wait for his father to die to receive his inheritance.

I'm out of time now, but I have continued thoughts - will have to WAIT for another day...

Winter in the Summer???

Warning. This blog is gross. But I'm running on no sleep and I feel like talking about it.

Stomach bugs. Every parent can relate to the grimace we get on our faces at the mentioning of that word. And then add in "Toddler with Stomach Bug" and the face gets even uglier. Long nights, sleeplessly listening for the faintest sound that would trigger another episode, to be sure you can catch it in a bowl in time.

So that's what I went through last night with Nathan. He first got sick at a friend's house, and then 3 times in the car on the way home. Of course we were trying to get home as fast as we could, so when he'd get sick, I'd lean back and sit him up in his car seat so that it would go forward and not back on him. And when it would splatter all over me and my face, I'd just casually grab a diaper wipe and clean it off. I got home, covered his toddler bed with towels, grabbed a few extra ones just in case, and laid down next to him with a bowl nearby.

To top it off, at one point when I could tell he was getting close to getting sick, I heard Katie in the other room coughing. No, actually she was barking. She had gotten croup. I was struggling - what do I do? Leave Nathan to check on Katie? He'd probably get sick and make a big mess. Or hope for the best with Katie - who was wheezing and barking and sounding just aweful, and wait until after Nate got sick.

I decided to wait. When he was finished and back to sleep, I then checked on Katie and gave her something to drink and a little medicine. Then Lee went in to sleep with Katie and I resumed my post beside Nate, who was sick all night.

All that, and yet somehow this morning I'm still functioning. Barely, but I'm still here, and that is the complete Grace of God!

So I'm wondering - what is with the stomach bug and croup in the middle of summer? I'm used to that sort of thing in January, but August? When it's hot and sticky and humid? Strange...

Maybe we'll get it all out of system now and be healthy for the holidays. We'll see.

It's worth a thousand words

Well, I don't want Lori up late at night with nothing to read, so I'd better write something!

I just finished sorting pictures from a big photography weekend for me. Friday night I had a wedding, and it went great! I took almost 1200 pictures! And then on Saturday evening I received a call from a relative that their inlaw was getting married and the photographer didn't show! I got there shortly before the ceremony and shot that wedding as well.

Do you know how heavy a camera is when it has an arm and a flash on it? After 8 hours, it's pretty heavy.

I took about 700 pics at that wedding.

I sort the pics so that they have less to look through when viewing their proofs. I delete the closed eyes, too dark, or just plain bad. Hey, out of 1200 pics, I'm allowed one or two bad ones.....

I haven't had any time to really play around with them, but here are a few highlights: