Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

We dug out most of yesterday. We had a foot of snow here. It was so wet, the snow was bluish and looked like it contained washer fluid. They say that if the temperature had been 5-10 degrees cooler we would have had 40 inches of snow.

The funniest story of the day was that, due to the immediate warm-up, we tried to get out right after the storm. With massive power outages due to downed branches and grid issues, the grocery store had been on power generators for most of Tuesday. Kiowa and the surrounding areas were without power at least most of Tuesday and some into Wednesday. Anyway, we decided to load up the stir-crazy children for a romp in the truck while we went to the church on an excursion to get Nathan's work stuff to work from home. We promptly stuck the truck in a snow drift in the church parking lot.

Now, the words "snow drift" don't really do justice to the massive mountain of snow that the truck high-centered on. Nathan actually kicked at the door to move the snow that blocked him into the truck. The drift, at the point we were stuck at, was over four feet high! It took Nathan and I an hour to dig out the truck until a friend of ours, who works maintaining state roads, came and drug us out with a huge front loader. Jonathan was thrilled to see the "big truck" move us. He was delighted with our little adventure. Needless to say, Nathan and I were quite happy to be home and over our need to brave the elements.

I suppose that we all have storms that catch us off guard in our life. We all get frustrated when the elements change unexpectedly, or we misread the predictions and the storm lingers longer than its welcome. We are forced to dig out and elated when we see a familiar face willing to tow us out of the mess we tried desperately to avoid in the first place. Jesus said in Matthew, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life..But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matt. 6:27,33-34)

I am always awed by how little Jonathan worries. I wish that I could bottle up his trust in us and his Heavenly Father and store it for my days of little faith. Jonathan and I spent some precious time last night on our knees praying for Nathan while he had an important meeting. It reminds me daily to enjoy the adventure and leave the details to God. His plan is always better than mine!

Peace for the Moment

I am relishing in the glorious moment that both children are asleep (dare I jinx the moment by acknowledging the bliss?), so I will drop a few lines into space....

Nathan's baseball team is now ranked 7th in the state. They are well on their way to taking the district's first seed for the tournament. Everyone from their district will play a bracket tourney a week from Thursday to see who makes it to the regional tourney. The top two from district go on, and then the top two go to state. We had yet another kid accept Christ at youth group. What amazing stuff to see God at work!

Jonathan is talking mostly in sentences now. Although we have suffered massive backsliding in the potty training battle, he is convinced he is a big kid and becomes the ring leader of activity with any age of friends who come around. He has such a pension for fun and laughter and motion. I am really enjoying this age!

Naomi is rolling around and exploring her surroundings. She can sit up for a few minutes at a time. She is still very in love with Jonathan and loves being right at his side. Someone at church accused her of having Sanjiah hair and Meg thinks we should cut it, but I love her curly hair and white girl fro. Is there really a minimum age for hair products? At 19 pounds, she proves to everyone that she doesn't miss many meals.

Speaking of food, it sounds like our little princess has decided it's lunch time. Hope this catches you up on a little of our madness. I will close on a verse from one of our seasoned mothers in the church to all of the new moms:

"We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed." I Corinthians 15:51

Dear Mom,

I had an amazing experience this week that I wanted to share with you. I like to call it a "glimpse," although others may call it a vision. I saw a scene that broke my heart for so many reasons, but nothing this week brought me more hope.

You see, Mom, I had the opportunity to share with a friend of mine the relationship that Jesus offers to anyone who believes in Him. I bucked the system. I dared to offend someone who had never read a word from a Bible or knew how long it took God to create the universe or even heard that God loved her and created her with a specific purpose in mind.

I really did it for one reason; she deserved to have hope and love in her life. She grew up in a godless world. She lived a dark existence by our standards and has a rough circumstance now. Most would write her off and just expect her to make the most of what she has left. But, it broke my heart to see her pain, to gaze into her hurting heart, and send her on her way because I was afraid that I was going to give her trite answers or that she might turn it down.

So, I did the loving thing. I shared with her that I knew the secret to a healed heart and a hope for tomorrow. I told her that she could change her family tree and roots, giving her kids a chance at something different. I told her not of empty religion and liturgy, but of empty tombs and relationship. And the funniest thing happened....she asked Jesus to come live in her heart.

Thank you. Thank you for sharing Jesus with me, praying for me, loving me, and reminding me that God is always faithful through little times and big times in our life. I am so sorry that I take that for granted too many times. I forget that other people are going to live an eternity without God, an eternity in hell because they don't have families who share that or "evangelism" is unacceptable to share the love of Christ anymore. Thank you for not being afraid to be labeled with words like "proselytize" or "intolerant." Thank you for giving me the gift of eternal life.

Because of that, I realize that the only truth that exists in the world is from God's word. I can always return to that when everything else leaves me empty or unsatisfied. I am glad to say that you can stand before Jesus one day with a heritage of people who will live in eternity with us because you realized that trusting in God is much more simple than some people make it. You were a part of the body of Christ, and you were unselfish with the treasure God entrusted to you.

Please know that I intend to be faithful with the gift that I have. Know that I pass it on as often as I can. I am forever grateful that I get to invest in other people and give them what I have always known....Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

With Love, Your Daughter Kendra

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3

He Hears

"Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24).

God hears us in all the little (and big) moments in our lives.

Mom, I'm Sorry For...

This is the part of the show where I openly apologize for all of the pain and suffering I gave my parents while I was growing up and assure them that I am getting paid back in full for every minute of it.

Today's installment is brought to us with special thanks to Jonathan....

Mom, I'm sorry that I took the toilet paper and ran it around the rooms in our house. I realize how much of a tedious pain this is to re-roll and how much of a waste it is.

Please rest assured tonight, knowing that I have learned my lesson, and I promise never to do it again.

Online Loneliness

I was just commenting to my sister yesterday about how sad it made me that no one posted on the blogs we usually read. I am guilty of this myself, being as that, when I sat down to the two minutes I had to myself, I really had nothing to say. It amazes me that reading people's comments on my blog or reading other blogs gives me some form of adult sentence structure and content. All that being said, I suppose the true void that was there was talking with everyone and connecting on how life is going.

So, I will throw in the quick update. Nathan's baseball team is currently ranked 10th in the state for their classification. That is exciting, but it means that all the other teams view them as the team to beat. No more flying under the radar. Jonathan's potty training continues to go well. We are so close to being there, but nap time and nighttime still challenge us. Naomi decided to roll over on Sunday. Now all of her time is spent on her belly trying to figure out how to keep up with her brother. I am doing pretty well. I think that Nathan and I figured out a way to make a couple of changes to the schedule that might preserve my sanity (the jury's out, but so far so good).

Off to tackle the world for another day. I always enjoy hearing from you all. It lifts my heart and makes my day.

P.S. Who would have thought that blue and green food coloring could look EXACTLY like war paint? Leave it to Jonathan. And by the way, no...Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover doesn't take food coloring off. It just goes to show that if it is too quiet in the house, something must be up!


"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." Philippians 1:3-4

Establish the Work of Our Hands

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:14-17