stuff on my mind

1. from Donnie Hoover, my college pastor:
• "A True Leader models before men that which they desire of them".
2. The things that break God's heart ought to break ours:
• a neighbor's loneliness;
• a child who doesn't know what it is like to be a child;
• bitterness;
3. We are not trustworthy; God is. We do not need to spend our efforts and concern our lives with whether or not the person we are dealing with is trustworthy... because they are not. Do not rely on their trustworthiness, but rather on God's. By faith (and not by sight), He takes care of us.
4. We know grace because we have received it. Grace does not originate within ourselves, but is a learned behavior. The presence of God is found in the extension of grace to others. Forgiveness is the calling card of Jehovah God, and the mark of His children.

Summer Book Club !!!

This summer I am taking a BOOK CLUB !! I have to read 8 book''s by the end of the summer. & If I do I will get a prize!!! I have already finished Nim"s Island &Very Funny Elizabeth!!! 2 down 6 to go

Later I finished i fineshed i am going to the bookstore to get my book


Later i got Ramona

Bohring

performance of a lifetime

I will admit that my first reaction to Maggie's mentioning that Emily would be performing a 'solo' in the Music Camp week-end performance last night was dread. Emily learned at an early age in the back of the car to imitate a certain local voice who tends to waver in their notes and pulls it off beautifully. But the 18 month old Em tended to take these unintended lessons right to the Saturday-afternoon-Star-Search heart. There have not been a few times I have erupted in request to quit her singing... I've even been a bit convicted about it once or twice (she is a kid, after all, even if she sounds like an "Idol" reject).

But last night, she did beautifully. Nothing to make me want to sign her to an agent, but a nice sweet gentle voice singing of God's goodness. I was proud, and my ears were unharmed.

As an aside, Maggie has started teaching Emily on the piano this past week. "Dad, you should come hear me... I know a ton!" Just think what she would have known if she started last week. I cannot believe we missed such an opportunity.
-aeb

another birthday not noticed

We must admit on the parent end here that we allowed Garrett to not really notice his birthday. It will be another year or two before he realizes the world revolves around June 5th, and with Louise's birthday, traveling to Florida twice in the previous three weeks, generally being tired in the parenting role, and (as previously mentioned) Garrett not having a clue, we settled in for a minor, throw a few presents his way and give him an extra hug, birthday celebration.

I dare say he has celebrated three unheralded birthdays.
I wouldn't be surprised if we go all out next year
and take him to Dave & Busters or Atlantic City.

He's a sweet kid. Doesn't cause much trouble, excepting in the "I like to obey as slowly as absolutely possible" issue that is common in his species (homo tantrumus). I'm thinking we've been home about 3 months, and all things considered, it probably couldn't have gone much better. It would have been helpful is mommy #2 (yours truly) showed a bit more grace and patience. In the 'now', I get frustrated at the things he gets frustrated at in a "c'mon, quit whining over something so trivial". But on the other hand, two months ago I was frustrated with a lot more than that... so I would like to hope that this family is learning to live together.

Little color commentary for those not in the house as I write this: in the 6-7 minutes it actually took to type this up, you need to add Eliza coming and complaining that Garrett took her "house", which actually meant "horse", which is actually Louise's horse in her room, which they two-terrible-two's aren't supposed to be in alone. One round of trouble. Then we stopped to clean up what only parents of young children can understand as a mess for about an hour, then Eliza dumped out the just-filled-up trash can full of little pieces of propagating junk, denied it completely, and then ran off to take Garrett's something-or-other. He's yelling at her at the moment.

Well, Happy Birthday Garrett. Enjoy the 31 cars you got;)