ROAD TRIP!!!!!!

Exactly one year ago today, my youngest sister and I embarked on a journey from Nashville, TN to Middletown Springs, VT to finally deliver me home after having lived away from my family for 9 months. It was such a fun adventure to share with my sister! Here is a glimpse into that trip from last year's scrapbook:

And finally getting HOME was one of the greatest gifts of my entire life. I went to work at my new job pretty much immediately:

Fix Your Eyes

"Fix your eyes on Jesus."

You've heard this phrase before, right? If you're like me, you've heard it lots of times. Enough times, in fact, that you've gotten so used to hearing it that you sorta forgot you never fully understood what it meant. Know what I mean? It just becomes one of those phrases that is part of the vocabulary you don't bother to question. And I'm not talking about the literal verbal meaning. I know what the individual words mean. Most people over the age of 2 do. ;-)

But what does it really mean? As in, how do I do it? I can't stare at him. He's not physically visible. I've been thinking about this a lot lately for some reason. I think I know what most people would say, and I'm sure they're all right. You read scripture, you pray, you interact with people who point you to Christ, etc., etc., etc. OK. All excellent advice. But somehow, at least for me, those things don't add up to being "fixed." They are all wonderful and necessary things to do, but what about the in between times? What happens when I'm washing dishes and can't be turning the pages of my Bible because my hands are wet? (I suppose I could be praying during that time, which I actually do sometimes, but work with me for the sake of this example, k? ;-) What I'm after here is figuring out that whole "fixed" situation. How do I stay fixed no matter what my activity?

Just a couple days ago, I remembered an interaction with Macy and Grace from a few years back that gave me a new perspective on this.

The people who know us best know that at times we can be a somewhat "wild" and loud and active family. There tends to be a lot going on in our house at any given time, and honestly the level of activity was probably even more elevated when the girls were younger. They were just starting to find their voices and explore and wander around the house, and they had lots of noisy toys too, so yeah--a cacophony pretty much all the time. And because of that, I developed a habit early on that went something like this-- When I needed the girls to give me their full attention, and I knew that they were being distracted by dozens of other things, I would get down on their level and say, "Girls, look in my eyes 'cause this is important" and then proceed to give them whatever instructions or corrections they needed. After just a few times of doing that, they quickly learned that those words meant it was time to pay attention, and for the most part, they took it very seriously. Gracie took it so seriously, in fact, that sometimes when I took my gaze off her to look over at Macy for just a few seconds, she would lean over in front of her sister so that she could maintain locked eye contact. It was a pretty funny and adorable thing to watch.

But what was really interesting to me was realizing that while they understood very quickly the idea of looking in my eyes, what Gracie had trouble with initially was figuring out when it was ok to look away. Once we locked eyes, she wanted to stay there. And she would do whatever she needed to do to make it so. Whether it was leaning in front of her sister, grabbing my face and holding it still or following me into the next room, she pursued that focused eye contact with everything she had until I specifically told her she could look away and go back to other things.

I wonder if I've ever even tried to do that. I mean, I set aside time to pray, read scripture and study my Bible all the time. But there is always an end point to those activities that I know is coming, and I'm not sure I have ever thought to myself until very recently, "What can I do to stay 'fixed' after these activities end?" When I close my Bible and stand up to go wash dishes or do laundry or work out, how do I still stay focused on Christ?

I think Grace was on to something. :-D As I have thought through this, I was at first so obsessed with the idea of looking with my eyes that I couldn't make it make sense. But as I've thought it through, what I *think* I've realized is that the phrase has much more to do with behavior than eyesight. It's not about physical eye contact; it's about obedience. It's about deciding unflaggingly that Christ is your ultimate desire and that running toward him is your ultimate goal. And just like Gracie learned to obey me and keep doing it until I released her from my instructions, it's about realizing that when God calls you to do something, he should be the ONLY one you allow to re-direct your path or relieve you from that duty to move on to something else.

So for me, practically that looks a little something like this: God has called me to be a stay-at-home Mom in rural Vermont. Washing dishes and doing laundry are a big part of that, so they fit the path that I am on. Sometimes this also means baking cookies and flying kites. I've struggled with feelings of guilt on days that I have had the joy of doing these types of activities all day long, but truly this is my calling. To be the kind of Mom I believe God has called me to be, I need to be fully present in the lives of my children--whatever that means.

God has called me to be a pastor's wife. This means all sorts of things. Certainly it means supporting my husband in any way I can, but it also means developing relationships, providing meals, communicating with our church members, interacting with our community, etc., etc., etc. If I am understanding correctly, anything I do toward those goals helps me stay fixed on Christ--even those late night conversations on facebook with people who need prayer. (I'm really just kinda messing with people who think facebook is useless. I disagree, but certainly I understand that it can be a huge time waster too. :-P)

The bottom line for me on this (at least for now) is that anything that is in keeping with my overall calling can be a way of staying fixed on Christ. And those activities will be different for everyone. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to read scripture 12 hours a day and pray the other 6 hours you're awake. For me, it sometimes means fingerpainting and blowing bubbles. Other times it means being on my face in prayer for someone. It changes every day. But it is all part of being "fixed" as long as it is in alignment with my ultimate calling.

So that's what I got for now. ;-)

Wacky Hair Day AND Pajama Day!

The Good List 4-27-10

10. These new(ish) Kellogg's Honey Nut Crunch cereals. They come in flakes and o's, and both are so yummy!

9. Celtics sweep the first round of the playoffs.

8. The original Fat Albert cartoons are now available on Netflix instant view. That's a crazy kind of awesome.

7. The kite we got Macy and Grace for Easter, which is over 7 feet wide. I can't wait to see that bad boy fly.

6. The loooooooong line of about 50 cows we saw obediently following each other in a single file line through a tunnel under the street to get to the barn on the other side. It was a very Vermont scene and pretty much awesome.

5. Macy's incredible SCAT (School and College Ability) results. She is in 4th grade, and she was tested against 7th and 8th graders. She ranked in the 85th percentile for verbal reasoning and in the 91st percentile for quantitative reasoning compared to kids 3 and 4 years older than her. Remarkable. This was to see if she would qualify for the young scholars program next year. She did. ;-) Is it ok to be proud of this?

4. Libraries. I love everything about them. The smell of the books, the sound of cracking spines and turning pages, the hushed tones in people's voices and the gentleness in their movements. The entire experience is so peaceful and calming.

3. The second Gospel Wakefulness conference is on the books for August in Ohio. Already praying for Christ to be honored through this event.

2. When God's provision comes in the most unique and unexpected ways.

1. Jared is working on another Bible study with LifeWay tentatively titled "Seven Deadly Sins" and tentatively scheduled for release in January 2012. I'm humbled and honored to be married to this man.

40 Reasons Why my Big Sister Vickie is Awesome ('cause it's her 40th birthday)

1. Because she crams more activity into a week than pretty much anybody I know and somehow still manages to do it all well

2. Because she is brilliant

3. Because she literally still owns (and wears) clothes that she wore in high school (Did I mention she's 40 today?)

4. Because she absolutely adores my children

5. Because she is the best nurse I have ever met and one of the only ones who spends time with people, asks questions, and does research until she gets to the root of the problem instead of just throwing medication at people

6. Because she always accompanies my Mom and Dad to any and all doctor appointments she can to make sure they are being treated right. ;-)

7. Because she once sprayed on a bright orange "tan" right before a family lake trip, and the sight of that in my mind still makes me giggle. A LOT.

8. Because she has this fantastic finished "upper room" in her house that she loves to make available for people as a "getaway" for a night or two. Jared and I have taken advantage of it, and it is quite awesome and relaxing.

9. Because she got me my first job at the same place she worked so that I would have a ride.

10. Because when she quit that job, she then got me my second job at the next place she worked so that I would still have a ride. :-D

11. Because I have never spent time with her that didn't involve A LOT of laughing.

12. Because her legs are almost as long as my entire body.

13. Because she pretty much planned my entire wedding.

14. Because she pretty much plans all of our family trips (and I mean to the minute, people!) I love this, because she's really good at it, and then I just get to be along for the ride. Fun!

15. Because she has this inexplicable ability to be pleasant even in the most tense and chaotic situations

16. Because she gave me a nephew and 2 nieces that are sooooo special to me

17. Because she once put on a big, fluffy bunny onesie right in the middle of Target which made me laugh so hard I almost wet my pants (but I'm still mad at her for not buying it)

18. Because she is never too busy to talk even though she is really always too busy to talk ;-)

19. Because she saves every little thing that could possibly be useful later, but unlike people like me who shove things like that into the back corner of a cabinet, she knows exactly where everything is and will go locate it for you in 2 seconds flat if you ever need it

20. Because we have more pictures of her butt than her face. This is a running family joke. Somehow she always manages to step in front of the camera and bend over at the most unfortunate times. :-D

21. Because she brought Blue Bell ice cream ALL THE WAY TO VERMONT from Texas to share at Macy and Grace's birthday party last summer

22. Because she loves to have all the little girls over to her house at Christmastime and give them their very own "spa day," which involves sitting in the hot tub, getting manicures and pedicures, eating decadent treats and sipping juice out of stemware. They all love it!

23. Because she made her entire Bible study group read Jared's first book pretty much immediately after it came out

24. Because she re-enacted Mission Impossible at a hotel in Lake Charles, LA during a girls' weekend with my Mom and all of my sisters (Inside joke, but I couldn't resist.)

25. Because she used to play Monopoly with me when no one else would

26. Because she quite possibly literally saved my life when I had a horrible 3-wheeler accident when I was 10 years old

27. Because really and truly, she just wants everyone to be happy and does everything she can to cause just that

28. Because she doesn't have a judgmental bone in her body

29. Because she is a champion eater. I mean, seriously y'all. It is a mystery to me that she doesn't weigh 300 pounds.

30. Because she is always up for an adventure.

31. Because every time there is a lull in the game, it's Vickie's turn. (another family joke)

32. Because she gives very creative and thoughtful gifts

33. Because she fully embraces the notion, "The more, the merrier." She wants everyone to join the fun and will find a way to make more room and find more food or whatever is necessary for everyone to enjoy themselves.

34. Because she is good at everything I have ever seen her attempt to do, but she would never tell you that.

35. Because she never made me feel like I got on her nerves when we were younger, even though I'm positive I did

36. Because she is one of the hardest workers I know

37. Because she has no idea how awesome she is

38. Because she has an uncanny ability to "make the best" of any given situation

39. Because I can't think of any reasons not to look up to her (plus she's really tall, so there's even that)

40. Because she was my very first best friend

Love you so much, Vick! Hope today is as special as you are. Really wish I was there to give you a huge hug!

Prayer Time 4-26-11

Another rainy Tuesday.

Ladies Bible Study (I really like this Paul character. ;-)

And then I'm giving myself rare permission to have more than one cup of coffee while I listen to the rain and pray.

Let me know if you have any requests I can lift up on your behalf. And as always, the comments on this post will not be published publicly for those concerned with privacy.

Photo of the Week 4-25-11

'Cause it's nice to start Monday with something pretty. ;-)

Sometimes I really love simple. . . Happy Spring!