A Modern Day Hero

J.D. and his family; fast forward two years and add in a now almost 2-year old Sara Grace. Surprise!

I'm really excited about this post because it's about someone I admire. Can I make it very plain that to me, he is a modern day hero. Today (uh, tomorrow actually) is his birthday and now he's almost as old as his big sister, (that would be me,) but not quite!

J.D., which stands for John David, is the youngest of four children in our family. He was my buddy growing up. We grew up on a ranch in Montana about 10 miles outside of town. We went to a small country school and had a childhood that was more than worth holding on to. It wasn't completely dreamy, but as close as you could come. We were raised in the Lord, and in the fear and love of the Lord, which laid the foundation of our lives as much as anything I can think of. We had some serious reality checks on down the years which I'll not go into, but it didn't shake the foundation.

The four of us kids would play "I-Spy".....I would always start out with my oldest brother Gus, and J.D. would be on Liz's team. Well, preferences won out every time, so I would defect and go to his side, and Liz would go to Gus's side. It always happened that way-as predictable as Heckle and Jeckle. He was a willing participant in crab apple fights to rival any other-both fresh picked and rotten! He and I had a horse club together. We would draw saddles and pictures of horses. We would clean out the chicken coop. We would take our horses out into the pasture and do trick riding, well our version of it anyway.

When we were in our 20's our oldest brother died very suddenly and it was an adjustment that none of us preferred to make, but did by God's grace. I can remember the scene at the airport following the funeral standing there with my sister and J.D.. The gap was unbelievable. Where was the older brother? The picture seemed so very incomplete.

As we grew older and into our 20's and very early 30's our relationship began to branch out. It went from trick riding to writing worship music together, leading worship together at his church in California anytime I happened to be in the area. And simply put, every time we get together out comes the guitar, his instrument, and piano - mine. Now J.D. is pastoring a church called Calvary Chapel Houston Metro, and as his own sphere of influence has grown, so has my love and admiration of this guy we all know as J.D. We know the wrong kind of pride is....wrong, but the right kind, which is what I want to have, is the kind of joy we get when we see someone accomplishing something wonderful. And J.D. would be the first to say that it's God's doing. I know that, and I am sisterly-tickled pink about it too!

J.D. is a modern day hero to me because he loves Jesus, he's a steadfast husband, he's really funny, draws funny cartoons, and with all these qualities is a very humble guy. He's genuine, caring and compassionate, can do a mean Jerry Lewis impersonation (now that's to be envied!), he has worked hard at everything and honors the Lord without any fanfare, and God has blessed him. He would say anything good we see in his life is because of who God is in him.

I'm including a link which you may listen to if you like of last year's Father's Day Message from Pastor J.D.! (I confess, I haven't asked permission...) But the message is so good. It's about Leaving a Spiritual Legacy. A modern-day hero of mine, J.D. is doing just that, now with his own family, his wife and 3 children. So, without further adieu, Happy Birthday, brother of mine. I pray God's favor and continued blessing and best yet to come!

Please click to listen!
080615.mp3

The Invitation

I've re-started to read J.I. Packer's book entitled, "Knowing God," and in it he has a great quote by Charles Spurgeon that I find "blanket-like!" By that I mean comforting, and still amazing and wonderful, so....here it is:

"Oh, there is, in contemplating Christ, a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you lose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead."

Spurgeon was only twenty years old at the time he spoke these words. His quote is in the first chapter of Packer's book, and is a warm invitation to continue reading. And I shall do so.

Goodnight And Good News!

The funnies at my house was after prayer time tonight Daniel was crying a little with his face buried in his pillow. I asked him what was the matter, and he eeked out, "You hurt my feelings!" Then, kinda like a gopher popping his head up out of a hole, he sat up, dried the tears and said in a most congenial tone, "but the good news is, I know what 16 plus 16 is!" "Really!", I said, trying hard not to laugh. I wasn't aware things could get so good so fast! Well, so I need to explain carrying tomorrow, as he left his Mr. Ten out in the dark with no where to go. I think that God puts Moms and kiddos together at bedtime because the funny things they say are like His gigantic eraser to anything else that may have gone wrong during the day.

Note from the editor: It can only go up from here. Since my original post, Bethany got sick in the night, and Daniel's battery operated car is going off in Danny's desk drawer where I've hidden it to mask the sound following my search and rescue mission in the bowels of his toy shelf. Daniel slept through both events of course.

Hope: What Is It?

What is hope? I am not planning on answering the question right now, but just want to begin the discussion. I found Wikipedia's small synopsis on hope interesting, so I will post that for starters. Read it and let me know what you think. Wikipedia says:

"Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. [1] Hopefulness is somewhat different from optimism in that hope is an emotional state, whereas optimism is a conclusion reached through a deliberate thought pattern that leads to a positive attitude."

"When used in a religious context, hope carries a connotation of being aware of what Christians see as spiritual "truth"; see Hope (virtue). In Christian theology, hope is one of the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity), which are spiritual gifts of God. In contrast to the above, it is not a physical emotion but a spiritual grace. Hope is distinct from positive thinking, which refers to a therapeutic or systematic process used in psychology for reversing pessimism. The term false hope refers to a hope based entirely around a fantasy or an extremely unlikely outcome."

Wikipedia continues.....

"In some religious contexts hope changes from being a verb to a noun. For instance, when Christians say they have hope in God they are not saying they hope God will give them good things and make their lives happier but that God is in fact, their hope."


Oh, yes, I do have some very definite thoughts about hope, so this is not a complete quest, if you will. Let's define it, let's see what our life manual, God's word has to say about it. Do we really have hope? Is there a time when the Christian cannot have hope? What makes us feel like we've lost hope as we often hear or perhaps even think?

I will be out of pocket for a couple of days singing on a worship team (something I would find difficult to do without hope) at a conference about an hour away. This allows for a couple of nights at a hotel, but for me more than likely, away from a computer. I'll look forward to your thoughts, scriptures, and challenging each other in the area of hope!

A Large-Lettered Compliment

I am a blessed worship leader on staff at a local church here in our city. Sunday Morning my husband Danny played drums for the Worship Team. I love it when he plays the drums. He and I have had this discussion, so I share it now with you.

We are blessed with a handful of drummers in our church of varying skill levels. But the thing I love the most about Danny's drumming is that he is so in tune with the Lord as he plays. Whether or not he plays perfectly or exactly like we rehearsed I can usually be sure he will play at the speed the Lord is leading us.

Anyway, I wrote him a sweet note during announcements , and as I was writing it I recalled that he had left his eyeglasses at home. So, I scratched out my small to medium-sized writing and took on the role of Paul in the Bible. I rewrote my note with very large letters! And the good news is: he could read the large letters and therefore received the sincere compliment with joy!

Galations 6: 11 "See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand!"

Loving to Learn; Learning to Serve

Tonight the children, Danny and I went up to our church and helped with Vacation Bible School Props and set-up. Bethany and I did outlining of the painted props. Daniel helped sort screws and put them in the supports for the props that Danny and the guys were putting together. Plus we had pizza together and just enjoyed seeing the others as we went about our work.

This is part of it for us. What would it profit if they only love to learn. We are also teaching them to learn to serve....here at home, and in our place of worship. While we did not have a great desire to leave the rest and relaxation of our home, we all agreed it was wonderful to help. We remembered the passage in the Bible when it was written, "When you've done it for one of these, you've done it as unto me." We thought of the children that Jesus loves that will be coming to Vacation Bible School and the joy of participating in what Jesus would do for those children.

The Voice of My Father

My favorite Hymn is "In The Garden." My favorite hymn is one I remember singing as a little girl in a small Baptist church in Miles City. I especially remember the voice of my Daddy singing this Hymn.

When I was little we used to go as a family to an Indian Reservation and on those occasions my Dad would preach at a church there, and I would play the piano. He and my sister would lead the singing. Why this one is so memorable to me I don't know....I remember him singing so many songs. I always thought he sounded a lot like Jim Reeves, and I say that because we had some Jim Reeves albums in our collection filed behind the likes of the Sons of the Pioneers and Mahalia Jackson, and the record of Old Yellar was in their somewhere as well. My Dad's voice was one that I loved and still do as I think of it.

Daddy was and is so many things to me. The love I have in my heart for him now was there when I was little, the admiration as well. While Daddy did so many things for us a family, and worked so hard, as I recall his singing this hymn, I am profoundly reminded of the importance of the voice of the father. What Daddy says in a home matters. Who Daddy is matters. How he attends to his family matters. And in my adult years when I transitioned to being a big girl, I began to need the voice of my heavenly Daddy more and more and more. I saw how my Heavenly Daddy-God my Father had His watchful eye on me, his faithful hand upon my shoulder, and can see how His heart has shepherded me over hills and valleys, and through murky and sometimes fast moving waters. I am sure that the voice of my Heavenly Father was indeed saying, "Yes Kathy, I do walk with you and I am talking with you....you are mine. I will never leave you I will never forsake you."

What my earthly Father was doing was simply singing the song Jesus would sing over each one of us. He echoed the heart of the One who made both of us. Sing on Dads, sing the heart of the Father God over your children. Sing it in your homes, sing it because it's for you too. Happy Father's Day to Dads, my Dad, the Daddy in our home who really can sing too, and thank you for your voice in our lives.

Salvation's Song by Stuart Townend

I love about 98% of everything Stuart Townend writes and sings. The other 2% are songs I just haven't heard yet, so that tells you my true thoughts. His worship music is artistic and hymn-like, and that refreshes me. I hear so much music, and do a great deal of listening as a Worship Leader, always culling the waters for a really fresh piece. It resonated in me the first time I heard it. Sing Salavation's Song.



And here's the history of this song: I love it all the more.

What I Loved About Today

What I loved about today was the thrilled lit up like a Christmas Tree look on my son's face when I told him he would get paid one quarter for wiping down the trays inside the door of the refrigerator. You know, the ones that hold the 10 or so bottles of salad dressing, 2 mustards, an OJ Jar and Milk. Oh yes, and the creamer that leaked slightly! Better than honey was the light that came over him when the deal was made. I love his willingness to help. Sure, the financial incentives helped, but in his heart was something that said ,"yes, will work for change!" : ) Oh, I loved it!

What I loved about today was the look of certainty on my daughter's face when she was sure that she should spend 29 cents at the Teaching Store (our second trip there this week.) We planned to go to make an exchange on items we purchased yesterday. While there our first trip she spied a pencil she wanted to buy. For who? Not sure, but sometime between then and now it became a quest to purchase a gift for ....someone. Me? Shhh. I'm not supposed to have figured it out. She was thrilled to do it! It reminded me of the Proverbs 31 woman who considered the field and then bought it. So it was a pencil, but the considering has to start somewhere. The best part was her not spending it on herself, not spending all she had in her wallet, not being jealous because her brother was purchasing a tube of Dinos with his Teddy Bear savings.

And these are the things so far that I have loved about this day. Oh yes, and Danny comes home tonight!

Tying Up Loose Ends

I really did go to the zoo with my two on our last day of school (See my post from 5/29/09). I really did clean my pantry about 3 weeks ago....and it's still clean. Oh, I guess that happened 5/30/09. Just seems like 3 weeks ago! We really did go to Georgia for a quick vacation to celebrate Danny's Mom's 70th Birthday. (Of course that will be it's own post.) As for the other items mentioned, here are the pictures to prove it! Ah, the beauty of digital photography.

We're Back

We had a wonderful time on our vacation. We are all tired, our bodies are time-zone confused, and there is a pile of laundry to be done after we unpack. There are pictures to post and stories to be told. But one of the things we are most excited about is that today we start back to school for the year! Our two week start of summer break has ended. I wish I had a scribe to record Bethany's joy when I told her Gramma that we would start back to school today. Yahoo was the word, if I recall correctly. Daniel, being more conservative in his feelings, watched quietly as sister cornered the market on enthusiasm.

I thought it would be fun to do a little bit of back to school shopping for the kids to help things along, so last night I made a fun dash to Target and gathered all the makings for a Back to School bag for the children. Each bag included: a new pair of shoes, a composition notebook, a new mechanical pencil with a refill, a new pair of scissors, a new pencil sharpener for the days the mechanical pencil is out of lead, True To Life Twistable Crayons, a glue stick, and a pack of Pink Bubblegum. Just had to throw that in there! Last but not least was a Welcome Back to School note from Danny who is flying today. So, here are the pictures of the kids on their first day of school for this new year.



What I have learned and observed today so far: Kids love new things. Some children will cry if the loop is too big on their first pair of tie-shoes (re-enter time-zone confused body complete with emotions!). Discipline still happens even on the first day of school. Pancakes smooth the rough spots, and learning that the favorite part of Daniel's Back To School Bag was "the love" that was in it. I'm ready to start the day now!

Oh The Fun!

The children are in soccer camp for 6 weeks (one clinic and one weekly game) through our Homeschool Sports Organization called Sportskidz AZ. This was week two, and it's so much fun to watch them. Bethany and Daniel are on a co-ed team and two of their friends are on the team with them. Their coaches are superb and are so great with kids. They're homeschooling Dad's and both pastor a church together. The fun for me was watching Danny out there helping them with their kicking drills before the game. He had to do it just for his own sanity as the young assistant had about 20 kids lined up and wow, she was really relaxed about the whole thing. Thank you for relieving the stress of many Moms and Dads, Danny. That line really started moving after that.

Then the even more fun was when Bethany and Daniel really hustled, tracked the ball, and wah-lah, the first goal of the season for their team was by none other than Daniel himself. Bethany's face lit up like a Christmas tree. She could not have been more proud of her brother. I love their love for each other. It looks good on them, and it helps me get through the times when one gets aggravated at the other just for whistling. They gave each other a hug after Daniel's scoring opportunity, and it was really sweet. They love their sports team and seeing their friends mid-week so much they even gave up swimming lessons until July. We'll all be ready for the pool by that time. Until then, the water sprinkler works really well! They're wired for sound tonight as tomorrow we then fly to Georgia for fun with the cousin. In kid world, two children plus one more equals fun for a dozen, so we'll come home with pictures and lots of stories.

From Foundation to Fortress

Tonight as I was praying over Bethany I was thinking of the foundation that we are laying down in her life in teaching her how to love the Lord, to fear Him in the greatest and most wonderful way (and that is possible).
I don't know if this is a good analogy or not, but as I'm writing this now I'm thinking of an ice cube. The three states of water are solid, liquid and gas. Yes, a cube of ice is a solid block of frozen water. Right now we're handing her a solid cube-the knowledge of the Lord, fearing Him and keeping His ways and commands. These are things we're teaching both of the children. They are precepts. A solid cube has the potential to turn into a liquid state. Her love for the Lord and her expression of that love and devotion to His ways will have to be hers.....hence, the changing of the solid form to the liquid form. They are hers now, but time-proven truths must be tested, and that happens through the living out of our daily lives.

As I prayed I also realized that the foundation becomes a fortress as these seeds of truth are sown, grown, and tested in her life. I was so encouraged to remember these very things while praying as I know that the days and years ahead....well, the Lord knows what they contain. Even as a parent the choice is mine; I can go from foundation to fear, or to Fortress.

Additions

Announcing Bethany's blog: The Traveling Schoolhouse. (This is her choosing of title, subtitle, and template). The creativity that God packs in a child is amazing, and I'm excited to see His expression of it through her.

FYI

Hi, just thought I would let you all know that I have added another blog-a place to do my thinking for homeschooling. I'm hoping to track my thoughts and ideas, as well as journal our homeschooling adventures. A Field Lily will remain my primary blog, and will feature homeschooling as well, but if you just get plum curious....hop on over to Field Notes and walk a few paces with our family. Bring your water bottles though because it is heating up where we are! Oh yes, and if you're a regular reader, please take a peak and let me know what you think. I must be desiring change. Oh, and to comment on both blogs just find that teensy weensy little number which is currently a "0" and click.

Lady Gets The Last Word

For those of you in my family who read this blog, well, this is the update we think we've all been waiting for.

This past weekend I found myself in the ER very suddenly with one, only one, very dialated pupil in my left eye. Because there have been previous neurological concerns and because it's highly unusual for only one eye to be dialated, my doctor insisted that I head to ER where they would probably order an MRI. That's exactly what happened. Imagine my prayers, and imagine me recruiting the prayers of others! The MRI did show one small neurological doodad which I shall have investigated tomorrow, but zero evidence of a stroke, mass of any kind, etc. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord for answered prayer....yes, and for a very capable and knowledgable Opthamologist who knows his stuff. Turns out it really was an eye problem.

If you scroll down just a wee bit to an earlier post titled, "Online Beauty Contest" you will see what appears to be a fairly innocent picture of our dog Lady in her Elizabethan style collar, or "cone of shame" from the movie UP. Yes, this loving dog owner has been treating Lady for a serious eye abrasion and ended up "treating" her own left eyeball with Atropine, which is an analgesic-type drop for pain. Gee Thanks Lady! Sorry, Lady, I really didn't mean to poke too much fun at you. And leave it to a highly trained Opthamologist who confessed he was smarter than he looked to figure out that I must have come in contact with something to bring all this whoopla about. Uh, yes, I am a wee bit embarassed, but this too shall pass.

This update was typed while listening to the crunch-crunch of more than one Milkbone dog treat being enjoyed by Lady the Dog who, while being terribly spoiled this week, learned how to help herself to the treat basket. Now loved and spoiled!

Again

So, here it is....another template. Hmmm. Not 100% sure. So, over the next couple of days if I change it again, just please bear with. Danny came up last night about midnight, and as he viewed the eight different templates I was considering, we agreed it was like decorating a home. Yes, a blog is a sort of home for me. He said it was not the same for a guy. For guys, a blog is a stump, no, a platform. A thinking place! So, a simple tree diagram with a sophisticated root structure may suffice. I'm smiling, I promise. The good news is this puppy was free, (being a guy, he did like that part for sure!) and that alone is something worth blogging about!

Sixteen Cents

Although we try to minimize the times we discuss money in front of the children, such discussions do fall upon their ears every now and then. Today must have been one of them. While I was prepared to cancel a couple of personal appointments, "Kathy" appointments, my husband said, "No, this is how we can do it!" (Thank you sweetheart.)

As I prepared to leave for my first appointment I went into our bedroom to retrieve shoes and noticed my cover was pulled back. The tell-tale sign! Because it was quiet time at our house I thought that one of the kids had started their quiet time in our room. While re-adjusting the covers I found this note under my pillow:

Dear Mom and Dad,
The Lord just told me to give you some of my money. Love, Bethany

I collected my sixteen cents and went straight to her room with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye and said, "Bethany, you are a young woman of wisdom and obedience." I told her I would never spend the money she gave me, but would keep it as a reminder of her wisdom, the wisdom to listen and the wisdom to obey. Can we as Christian parents do anything less than pray heartily for each other? It's not like this every day. This event in our household was like an air pocket in the ocean of parenting and I'm the deep-sea diver. Most days are tiring, and many even are quite discouraging. Today I got to come up for air, and I am grateful for this day, sixteen cents, and a heart like His in a nine year-old girl.

This Just In

I've just returned from a First Class A-1 Inspection of Bird Capturing Club Headquarters. "I'm going to be a bird scientest!", he said. Budding Bird Scientest Daniel proclaimed his intentions tonight of his desire to capture a bird, "fur" it out, and then study it's skeleton. Ugh.....does that mean I have to help with clean-up? Would this count as our science for the day? Furring a bird out sounded painful and messy.

I was invited out to the backyard for a tour of the Bird Capturing Club. I answered that yes, I would like to visit. So, I went on the tour, and it was something else alright. I came to the green chair in the lawn, observed something that somewhat resembled a grossly constructed crossbow off to my left leaning up against the back wall. Upon the hill next to the crossbow/trap were two Milkbone brand dog treats, crisscrossed to form an "x". In case these birds can't read, then it's also decorated with a large pile of dogfood. Birds like dogfood, you know. Then I began receiving instructions. I was told not to sit in the green chair for in it lies a pile of dogfood camoflauged by a few pieces of grass. I was to sit in the grass....I decided I would just stand. He enjoyed giving orders in his usual detailed manner. There was a lot of hand gesturing, words missing their r's (something he's slowing remedying), and details galore until he was satisfied that I was clear on exactly how all of this would work. He then showed me how there was, or used to be (until Lady our dog ate it), a trail of dog food leading to the chair. Lady did seem quite happy with Daniel, and now I understood why. Then there was also a trail of dogfood from the back of the block wall to the piles and stacks of wood....where I also observed one of my kitchen measuring cups. I hated to disappoint my scientest fella, but I did have to retrieve that measuring cup. Scientests (atleast the ones in my family) like Peanut Butter Cookies, and I knew I would need that cup for our next batch.

So, I grew to love the little science fella even more than I already did, and wished to pieces that it was broad daylight so I could include a picture.

On-Line Beauty Contest

You decide! Who is more beautiful??? Our dog Lady, in her hand-decorated Elizabethan collar, or Queen Elizabeth in her own version of one incredible contraption. What was the Queen thinking? What was the Queen's clothing designer thinking?

Our yard came with cactus of varying heights, sizes and quill to pain ratios. Our question is....WHY??? Desert scapes, as they're called, totally escape me! As for Lady's encounter, are all the cactus in our yard laughing with punctured silence at our poor Lab/Queensland Healer, loser of the valiant fight with those prickly hosts? At this point, pun intended, her eye offends her, but we're going to try to not take scripture too far on this one. After all, she's a pooch! (Sorry for the snickers, Lady.)