a lesson from Cooper

One morning this week I was standing by our back door, looking out into the back yard. I noticed our dog, Cooper---a loveable 2-year-old Golden Retriever with boundless energy and a need for people and companionship. He is sweet-tempered, a little dumb in my opinion, but he loves us unconditionally and without reserve. He is slowly endearing himself to me, which is saying a lot since I am not particularly an animal lover.

But I digress.

Cooper was lying outside of his pen, curled up in a tight ball on the ground, trying to stay warm against the morning's frigid temperatures and a biting wind. His fur was layered with a light coating of frost, from being outside all night. A few feet away from where he was lying, was his comfortable cage, the door open and inviting. Just inside, his bowl of dog food was left untouched. The day before, Carl had installed a heat lamp and I could see the warm glow coming from inside.

But Cooper was afraid of what he did not understand. Instinct told him that the red light in his pen was dangerous, scary. His fear of the unknown kept him outside in the cold for over 24 hours--a full day and night and into the next day.

I stood there and thought about the fact that as a dog, Cooper simply could not understand my human reasoning. I wanted to tell him that we put the heat lamp there to make him more comfortable for the winter, and we did it because we care about him, but he was not able to comprehend and in fact, his doggy brain assumed we were doing something to hurt him. Even though we have cared well for him for over two years.

I had a "light-bulb moment," (no pun intended!) one of those times when a thought forms crystal-clear inside my brain. I like to believe this is God's way of teaching me a concept in living word pictures so I will be sure not to miss it.

How many times in my life, when something happens that is outside my comfort zone,I pull back in fear, trying desperately to stay within the confines of my own understanding. I am afraid to let go of what I know, what is familiar to me, and what I understand through the lens of my human reasoning. I simply can not fathom God's way of doing things. His thoughts are not my thoughts, His ways are not my ways.

I have to choose to trust that this God Who has been faithful to me all of my life, is continually looking out for my good. He is Sovereign, He is Wise, He is Good. This is what my faith tells me, even when my feelings scream against it.

So until the pain of staying where I am outweighs the potential pain of change, I stay out in the cold, curled up inside myself, waging an inevitable losing battle against a God Who is so much bigger than me.

By the way, Cooper eventually discovered how delightfully warm and cozy his little house is. I think he likes it!

Oswald Chambers once said, "Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading."

one year old!

"Babies are such a nice way to start people."
~Don Herrold









Morgan Belle has been with us for one year! It's been such a joy to learn to know her, to see the blend of her mommy's careful smile and cute little pug nose, her daddy's mischievious eyes and her very own "Morgan-personality!" Happy Birthday, Morgan, we are so glad there's a YOU!

Tyler

My sister Janelle's son Tyler is in the hospital with some type of infection in his blood. It's been a bit of a roller coaster for Jake and Janelle these past few days, with visits to the ER at Lancaster General Hospital, an overnight stay at Hershey Medical Center and the continuing uncertainty of knowing the source of the infection. It is difficult to see this vibrant, energetic ball of "all-boy" struggling with pain and fever, scary needles and probing tests--all necessary, yes-- but how do you explain that to a 4-yr. old?

I'm sure Janelle will update everyone on her blog as soon as she is able, but in the meantime if you are reading this , please pray for their family. I am so proud of my little sister and her husband; they are pouring their lives out for their three small children (Tyler is 4 yrs old, Luke will be 3 yrs old next week and Paisley is 10 months old) and although this unexpected turn is very stressful and tough for them to go through, they are choosing to take each moment as it comes and to trust that God has not lost control of their lives.

"There is in every woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity." Washington Irving

Normal Day

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are…

Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect Tomorrow.

One day I shall dig my nails into the earth,

or bury my face in my pillow,

or stretch myself taut,

or raise my hands to the sky and want,

more than all the world, your return."

~Mary Jean Iron~

I "borrowed" this quote today from my sister Janelle's blog. It struck me as such a timely reminder to proactively live each day, to savor the moments, to enjoy the little things that make up THIS day. Because this is it. Life must be lived one day at a time, not always looked forward to as if the "real" living was somewhere out there around the proverbial corner.

This normal dailyness is the stuff of living:
Waking up under toasty warm blankets snuggled up to another warm body.
My daughter's insistent alarm clock in the room next to ours.It plays the rowdy "Hey, Soul Sister" every morning at 6:15!
A steaming mug of hot chocolate or a glass of fresh orange juice.
The daily 6:50am toot of my niece's car horn (4 toots exactly!) just to let me know she's driving by.
A warming spring sun when I step outside to let the dogs out for a run.
Hot homemade soup for a tasty lunch.
The smell of rain.
An encouraging phone text from a close friend.

I know from experience that when those completely unpredictable moments come (and they will come!) when life throws an unexpected curve and everything goes topsy-turvy, how precious it is to recognize that God holds my future. He still owns tomorrow. And He will be faithful to bring back my "normal" OR He will give moment-by-moment grace to learn a "new normal". Which, by the way, isn't always a bad thing.

the story of a new mom

My daughter is a new mommy. Last week while she and baby Morgan were visiting our house, I caught her napping with this book beside her.

The picture tells its own story, don't you think?

13 days to go!

Tonight I miss my daughter so much my heart hurts. It's funny how our mind sunconsciously knows when a particular season is nearing an end; maybe I just let my guard down these past few days since she will very soon be coming home!In 13 days to be exact.

Tessa left for YWAM (Youth with a Mission) training in Orlando, Florida last September, but with texting/e-mails and a quick trip down to her base to visit her, she didn't seem very far away. After a short visit to PA at Christmas, she left for India for the outreach portion of her missions experience. Even with the distance between us, I haven't dealt with a lot of homesickness. I tell myself that I have done this YWAM thing twice before with our older kids and I can do it again. Time just flies by and life at our house these past months has been rather predictable and mellow.

I like predictable and mellow.

But suddenly her room seems too clean, too quiet (did this "obsessive-about-clean-rooms" mom just write that??) and I miss the whirlwind of activity that breezes in whenever Tessa shows up!The front door is practically revolving, as her friends come and go.She is vivacious, bubbly and energetic,very driven and passionate about life. She laughs loudly, feels deeply and plays hard! Her emotions can be her biggest hurdle at times, but I love how she is learning, with a growing maturity, to temper her feelings- both the highs and the lows. I never want her to stop being Tessa, though!











The picture below is of Tessa when she was just two years old. Already she had a sparkle in her eyes and a dance in her step! I love this girl.

Morgan smiles

When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. And now when every new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be.
-- James Matthew Barrie