A Toad and 2 Little Boys

Where is Christ Present?

This past Sunday the phrase that stuck with me from the sermon was, "Christ was present." Jesus was in the midst of the people and disciples after his resurrection. He was not a ghost. He was there, alive and well.
Before he returned to the Father he promised that he would be with us until the end of the age.

That means Christ is present even now.

The problem is that I often do not have the eyes to see it.
I see what is missing or what is going wrong. I see how our world is spinning out of control; how lack of work hours chisels away at a financial buffer; how gas prices are taking their toll; how health insurance makes no sense to me; how injustice is done upon the weakest.

But Jesus is present.

After reading the blog of a world-traveling friend, I see Jesus present in the hunger that people have for God's word in a country where it is forbidden. From another blog I see Jesus alive and present in helping a friend adapt to life in a new country. And more personally, I saw Jesus present in helping me find some misplaced important documents; in two bags of great hand-me-downs for Max; in a stocked fridge and freezer at very little cost to us at just the right time; in rain and sun that are helping our little garden grow; in being able to pay bills; in Joey getting his last 3 credits.
Some things seem very insignificant, but life is made up of the basic and insignificant.

And Jesus is present even (or maybe especially) in the insignificant.

I pray for the eyes to see and a heart to receive in thankfulness how the present Christ manifests himself on a daily basis here in Columbia and in the smallest darkest corner around the world.

Christ Is Present.

An Eventful Day

This "little guy" was in Dash's dog house late yesterday afternoon. Suddenly, Dash started barking like crazy while looking at his dog house; his tail was stiff, and he was not about to settle down. He wasn't barking like he usually does when someone is walking by, so I figured there was probably a snake or another animal close by. Sure enough, this guys was in the dog house. He may have slithered out on his own, but Dash never gave him the chance to do so. Joey took care of the situation when he got home. The snake struck the hoe once, and then finally slithered out of the dog house a lot quicker than I expected him to move. We thought he was gone, but then we saw him under a tree next to the dog house. Next thing we know, he was up in the tree.


Earlier yesterday, the boys and I went shopping. Will had the seat belt on in the shopping cart. I was just in the middle of lifting Max up to put him into the basket part of the cart, when Will somehow managed to stand up, get out of the seat belt, lose his balance and fall backwards into the basket of the cart. I am so thankful he didn't fall on the floor. He hit the back of his head pretty hard though and still had a considerable lump last night before bed.

I wonder what today holds?

More Easter

Since Joey and I go to an Anglican church, Holy Week is a very big deal. These first two pictures were taken before we went the the service Saturday evening. (This service is one of my favorites, and I am planning on writing about it later on.) Anyways, I thought it was a good opportunity to get the Lederhosen and Edelweiss shirts out of the closet. :-)

Max's Easter basket. It was hard to get a good picture of him because I think he has allergies for the first time this Spring, and he had just woken up. He really was excited about the paints. He will sit for a long time and just paint. (Be on the lookout, Omi. Your requested masterpiece is headed your way!)
Joey and I have been talking about how we want the boys to remember Easter as being a huge celebration in our home, comparable to Christmas (minus the gifts). I don't want Easter to turn into a mini Christmas, but I do want to have a feast and a great time with family and friends as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This year's feast was an orange roasted chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, home-made rolls, fruit salad, punch and a home-made carrot cake. It was awesome!
We were glad to have our friends, Hannah and Michael, over to celebrate with us. Of course, Uncle Mik was home too, which was wonderful. We miss him now that he is back at school again.
Will is now a choco-holic. The boy is crazy about the stuff. I had to hide his Easter basket because he would try to eat the chocolate with the foil. I just have to say the word chocolate, and he will sprint into the kitchen and eagerly point and reach up to the freezer until the treat appears.

Running

I ran 3 miles yesterday.

This has been nine weeks in the making. I started primarily because although I had already lost most of the baby weight I had gained, I had also lost quite a bit of muscle. So the initial goal was to firm up so that I would feel decent in a bathing suit this summer.

I started a program called Couch to 5K. I guess the first step on this journey was to admit that I was out of shape and in need of a slow start into a healthier lifestyle. As much as I wanted to have quick results, I knew I had to stick to the program even if it hurt my pride to walk more than run during the first few weeks. What I love about the program is that it challenges you but doesn't ask for too much so that you think the goal is unattainable.

This week is the last week of the program, and I will be running 3 miles two more times. I have seen positive changes in my body, but I have seen positive changes in other areas that outshine the physical ones.

1. I have a lot more energy.
2. I tend to be in a better mood after I have run. I know that something happens chemically in your brain when you exercise so that you are happier in the end. But for a task- oriented person and mother of small children like myself, I am happy and energized just to have completed something. House work is never done; taking care of children is continuous; there is always another meal to cook. But at the end of the day, I can look back and know that I did run a full 3 miles. I started it and I finished it.
3. I can think more clearly, so it is easier to guard my mind from going in a downward spiral of discontentment and at times maybe even self- pity.

These changes are making me a better wife, mama and home-maker.

I wasn't looking for an outlet that energized me, even though I should have been. But I am so thankful to have found this one. Running energizes me. I am sure that there are some other things that energize me as well. I love to write, for example. (I just don't do it very much. Hmm.)

All that to say:

What energizes you?

(I would love to hear from you.)

Easter Egg Hunt

Our church's Easter egg hunt is in a huge flower garden that belongs to an older couple in our church. Besides finding eggs, it is a great place to explore.

Will found one egg, figured out there was chocolate in it and could only then be persuaded to look for more eggs if I took his chocolate away. Here he is doing his best not to lose any of the big chocolate piece in his mouth.
I was with Will, but Joey told me that Max was a pro at finding the eggs. He was so fast and good that Joey said he needed to be with the big kids.
Max and his friend, Kendrick.

Easter Egg Hunt Now and Then

They grow and change so much in a year. The only thing that doesn't change is that I cannot get a good picture of them together.