Again

Mary Elizabeth is a kindergartner now. It's still hard to believe as I watch her little pigtails bob while walking into school holding hands with a friend each morning. She loves it. She's thriving.

John Mark, however, has a new experience too: Lots of time alone with Mama & Daddy. As the third of three children, that time may have been limited before, but he's embraced it in his linebacker way. He loves it. He's thriving. 

He came up—unsolicited—and put his arms around his Mama this week & said, "Ah luh yew vey-ree much, Mama."

"Thank you. I love you too," Melanie replied while giving him a hug. 

He pulled away a bit, then pulled in tight patting her on the back & said, "Ah luh yew 'gehn." 

I love you... again. 

John Mark never stopped loving his Mama. He simply said it again.

How often do I need a love that never stopped?

How refreshing is it when that love is spoken... again?

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!—1 John 3:1 

Again. And again. And again.

Dat Be Cool

Our John Mark is talking. Like a crazy man. All the time. In his own language.

His current fav phrase is, "Dat be Cool."

We don't much say "That'll be cool." We don't often utter a plain ol' "cool." Don't know where the boy got it from, but got it he has.

"Dat be cool, Mama," as he joins his Mama at work in the kitchen even though she didn't ask & really would do better without his help.

"Dat be cool, Seffee," as he invades his brother's room becoming the ultimate destructive force in Seth's Star Wars universe.

"Dat be cool, Mehnee," as he removes a baby doll from his sister's arms to cuddle her more than Mary Elizabeth.

"Dat be cool, Dahdee," as he plunks himself into my lap to read a book even though I was already reading the paper.

A self-affirming mantra. Not mean or ugly, "you do it my way because I'm a stubborn toddler or else." But kind & enthusiastic, "even though I didn't ask to join you, watch out here I come because I want to & l love you."

It's more than assumption. It's as if he is certain of the outcome.

It's more than expectancy. It's as if he knows it will happen.

It's more than hope. It's as if he is confident it will be.

Not yet three year old or three foot tall John Mark has got the sort of faith the Lord Jesus welcomes.

Jesus said in John 14:13, "I will do whatever you ask in my name."

Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20 that Jesus, "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine."

What do you need, friends?

Then pray. Jesus' will. And pray BIG.

Dat be cool.

Eye Keem

- No. No. No! No buy shoes. Eye keem. Stated my emphatic toddler.

Elementary school open house tonight. School starts Wednesday. My little princess will be a kindergartner. That's a whole other post... My big boy goes to third grade. I'm feeling old now. That's another post too... So, Melanie had floated the idea on the way there, "Anyone want to get ice cream after we go to school?" You can guess the response.

School was filled with people. Friends. Neighbors. Teachers. The new year ahead like the new kindergarten wing with everything bright, shiny & smelling of paint & clean carpet. There was some tugging of parents down the hall. Some calling of kids back to the family fold through the crowd. Yet, surprisingly no begging for ice cream.

Back in the car. One family member had his face firmly set.

- You guys wanna go to Zesto? Mama asks.

- No Zehtoh. Eye keem.

- John Mark, Zesto is where we get the ice cream.

- No Zehtoh, Mama. Eye keem!

- John Mark, we go to Zesto to get ice cream.

- Eye keem. Ah wahn eye keem. No Zehtoh.

- Okay, John Mark, we'll get ice cream.

Satisfied with no mention of Zesto & only ice cream we motored along talking about other things. Until. Melanie noticed a good, old - stress old, folks - pair of shoes she was wearing had an all the sudden hole in the long faithful leather. I said, "We gotta go buy Mama a new pair of shoes." You've already read the response that received.

- No. No. No! No buy shoes. Eye keem.

John Mark wanted to hear nothing but eye keem. Talk nothing but eye keem. Go nowhere but eye keem. He was not ugly or pitching a fit. He was kindly insistent with precious pronunciation.

I had to wonder. Even though I know that I can not change God's mind. He desires my faith. He is loving. He will give good gifts so much more. He answers my persistence. Can I pray? Can I act? Can I be as single-minded & persistent as my young son? About things that really matter? About following Jesus? Loving my family? Serving my church?

Zesto was closed. Broken machine sign said. McDonald's for eye keem.

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:9-11 (italics added)

Active

Active?

Let's think about what that really looks like, why don't we, mister saleskid?

From our dear friend, Andrea, I bring you a salute to Mamas everywhere.

I don't think I've written on here yet what I have often said, "The world would stop spinnin' without women!"

Yes, I've oft imagined the human race would cease to exist if all the housework & especially the childbearing & childrearing were left to men. Sad to say. Yet true I believe.

So, keep "active" ladies & thank you for keeping the rest of us moving too.

Melanie & I read Andrea's latest post last night & she had us rolling in laughter. I asked Andrea if I could share the link with you. She said, "You absolutely may!"

Andrea, wife to dear Dave & mother to a fantastic foursome, has an inspiring outlook & is an honest-to-goodness transformed by Christ sorta gal. Challenging & humorous. Honest & funny. Searching & encouraging. She is a lover of life & a blessing to all.

And, Andrea, I hope your picture here isn't too big for your liking. I couldn't get this silly thing to make it smaller. And I sure don't wanna do anything that causes you to call me "bucko" when you're calorie deprived. Eesh.

Chubby

Along about April while training for my anticipated second marathon in four months I was looking pretty slim. Slimmer than normal. Slim even for me.

Running 30 miles per week. Doing core work on the big purple ball that is too hard to hide from the kids. Making smarter choices in eating. Expecting six-pack abs to appear soon. Hearkening back to high school days & being as ripped - if you can call it that for a skinny boy - as I'd ever been. Thinking something like, "I won't be another bulgy belly daddy at the pool this summer," in my average-American-unrealistically-imaged vanity.

Then came six days of a stubborn kidney stone & a few other set backs that have had me running much less in the past two months. Still eating the same however. The pounds became sticky. The bulgy belly emerged again.

(Reader time out: Before you bemoan the skinny boy with the little bulgy belly issue, please hang on. We are moving toward a point. Don't get lost in body-type comparisons along the way. Okay? If you are past that, then you can resume reading.)

So, we're at the pool yesterday. Seth in swim lessons. JM & I sitting on the side of the kiddy pool. ME splashing around in front of us. I bend over toward her. She recoils scaredy faced. Transfixed by bulgy belly.

"Daddy, you've got a chubby tummy," floats out with a giggle. Popping my pride with a BANG.

I made some fatherly, "It's not nice to say things like that about other people's bodies even if it is true, Mary Elizabeth," comment. You have to add the "even if it is true" with ME due to the five-year old honesty she'd just exhibited.

Yet, while instructing her I was praying too. "So much for my pride. Thank you, Jesus, for having my innocent little sweetheart bring me back to your reality."

How about you, friend?

Not your body-type. 

Your pride.

Is it skinny?

Or chubby?

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10