All 10 Popes

Reading through the Bible is not for the faint of heart. This, a journey of a thousand miles in words no doubt. I think I've said this before. Yes, I'm pretty sure that I have. Then again, I do get to passages like this one in Isaiah 53 and I am reminded...again why I'm doing this. To know God. To know His heart. And to know what is exactly in the Bible though I might not understand every jot and tittle.  Here are some of the parts of Isaiah 53 verses 5-7. But He was [ h ] pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our [ i ] well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To [ j ] fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not ...

    John 13: 4-6 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.       6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to h im, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”   And just let me tell you, this girl, she feels a little like Simon Peter when getting her feet washed. Prideful, then humbled to have someone you love dearly wash your stinky feet. For some reason it is easier to do the washing. I imagine Peter's feelings are magnified by a thousand.     And for us, it's like a fun game. A picture lesson to remember. Our feelings a mere flash in comparison to His and those he loved that night. All that he knew. The betrayal. The abandonment. And in spite of it all, he bends low and takes the form of the lowest servant. ...

There are these faint voices that echo with in the direction of my past. They whisper and taunt me to remember who I was. They pop up in dreams and implore me to reconsider who I really am now in light of who I was then. Oh, not to worry, these are not real voices, no I don't need to be locked away somewhere in a padded room. What I hear are merely the soft voices of faded memories I wish I did not have. As I lie awake this morning not despairing, rather clinging to who I am now...right now in Christ...my mind tumbles around this idea of love and what kind of Love I'm putting my trust in.  What kind of love is true? Is this love any different than what I used to think it was when I was younger and had all the answers? "I think people really find out what love is after they get married," I tell my Love a few weeks ago, near Valentine's day . He smiles and agrees and tells me that he does love me...now, right now. So many times people think they fall ...

Learning to Garden. Yes, we are excited!   With friends. This is the best way, I think.      Getting our hands dirty. Just a little anyway.     Starting small. Very small. This is good too.   And this guy . Finally, all of us well enough to celebrate his big day.       With friends and a light sabor pull apart cake some special presants and all the rest of it.   So good.       

We named you Koen and prayed and hoped that you would grow into your name: honorable counsellor. Then you came into this world all screams and me all laughter kissing your Father thinking, "I can't believe I just did that!!!" Accidentally natural. Yes, it happens.  And I thought soon after, that perhaps, we messed the whole thing up. Maybe the naysayers were right. Maybe we had the "perfect" family...one boy, one girl. Maybe three was too much for me. Maybe there was not enough love in this momma's heart. Maybe we were just too far from home.  You cried and I think I cried more... if that is even possible. And we lived through that whole messy year crying bold, round, drippy tears together in Germany. No family around. No true friends that very first year. Just the 5 of us: one. big. mess. Together. Oh, and can I just say, son? That for every tear I cried, I have laughed out loud twice as hard. I smile just thinking of...

So as you very well may know, up in Yooperville, it does A LOT of this.     So we do things like this.     Oh, yeah!   And doing these things well, it means that lunch may be a little late because that darn tape just won't stick right And "Mom, I need your help!!!!" And though you think the 8 year old should be able to do this alone perhaps, he needs you to show him one. more. time.   And alas, most of us just need one. more. time. All the time Like, daily.   And Just so you know. Sister kept "score." And made all the "rules." Yes, she's good like that.   Love them. All of them. All the time       

I'm doing it again. That thing. When I say I'm going to do something. And then I don't. I think it's called being... unfaithful.   And well, that is something that I just don't want to be.   And so, here I am. Again. Desiring to be faithful to memorise God's Word.   Because really, on every basic level I. Need. To. Just do it.   Just take the time. And do it.   It takes time. But so does checking my email. And blogging. And playing Words With Friends. And watching Downton Abby. And scrolling through Facebook. And... And... And...   And none of these are bad things, really. But if they are substituting for what is really necessary. For what is needed. And not just wanted. I will starve spiritually speaking.   And how can I know the the promises I'm rooted in. The will of my Father. The law of Love . And of Liberty. How can I know truly, who He is...

Dear Midwest friends and family, I know you think you just got a lot of snow. And comparing, well is usually over rated... a waste of time. However, I wanted to just share this view out of our front door so that you can indeed see that, "this to shall pass" and well, the Popes will still be covered in snow.     So here amidst the Narniaish weather at the Pope house we are getting creative. Or trying our very best. Which means a lot of copying. Any good idea I have ever had, rest assured, came from someone else much more brilliant than I. Which, btw....those people aren't hard to come by.     And my dear not so little, Jordynn is taking a photo collage class. I thought these were some good catches for her "color collage" project.     Nope didn't use PicMonkey on those. She is beginning to really use the camera and experiment with different angles etc. Exciting!!     Happy Fri...