a day for hot bath...

As I scrubbed up dishes tonight I thought about how it really has been a hard day in a very little way.   There's been 12 hours of pretty non-stop bickering and disobedience and I've stained the day with my own yelling and we've all been so crispy… And this is what forgiveness is for.  Good thing we have a Savior so full of grace.  We all need a new start… even though it will be the fifth fresh start of the day.  We still need it, we'll still take it.  Pause and pray and smile and cuddle hug again, this whole group of little crazies.

Some days are like this and we'll just have to keep pressing ahead even when it seems dark (#pullinga minorleaguecliffyoung.  I know there are a zillion harder battles in the world than this, but it did still felt like a hard day for me, still a "cliff young" of the everyday motherly kind.  And if you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the super great post from Ann last week).  For me, it' would be the perfect day for a hot bath to soak in the promises that Christ is with me, He will redeem, He is true and good and He is my High King and He loves me….  but I'll do all that in a long shower instead.  We don't have a bath tub I can fit in!  I hardly ever notice that except that today I wish we had a bath. I am praying for 2 toilets and a bathtub in our new place (we're moving early April.  We have 2 full bathrooms now but it's not so easy to find an apt like this in our new city.)

In the morning, we're leaving long before sunup on a jet plane bound for Hong Kong to renew some soon-expiring passports.  Thanks to a sweet flight deal and a very sweet retreat center, we're getting to make a vacation of it and we are all so very much looking forward to it!    Oh for grace to go out with joy and be led forth in peace tomorrow morning….

And now for a few very random bits of life.   (And a note about today's crab-fest: These pics are prettier than any I could have taken today!  Thank you Lord for proof when I need to remind myself that crabby days aren't all day every day.)

Sunday afternoon play time together.
(She's standing right about on the spot where she first came into our world.  Precious place.)

Gwen, our favorite sweater ever, this red one that you made for Marian, it's been in our doll clothes basket for over a year now…. too small for any of our kiddos.   But Vivi just decided she'd give it a try again and I'm so glad she did!  It's still a favorite for all of us!

big sister lost her third tooth this week, the fourth is hanging by threads...

Some dear friends here treated our kids to a wildly fun day out.  This super cool ropes course has just been open a few weeks….  such a treat to find a place like this!  And even sweeter to enjoy it with good friends….  Even Vivi got to enjoy play at an indoor sandbox with a little buddy.  Such a fun gift!

 Now… off to pack!  More from Hong Kong or maybe once we're home...

Photographing Life

This post is just so remarkable…. beautiful and very compelling in it's presentation of LIFE:  hearts beating, blood pumping, totally and completely living beings.  (HT, AV.)

And then this…  how right to grieve….  a beautiful post with sad, beautiful pictures honoring a sweet little boy whose birth was a miscarriage at 19 weeks.

I was thinking recently of the argument that a baby who cannot "feel pain" can be aborted, but abortions shouldn't be performed for a baby who is old enough to feel the pain.  I can't imagine this as an acceptable argument. Why is it then that we recognize in other eras and situations that assuming authority to decide who can and cannot be killed is a bad thing?   Can the baby feel pain?  Isn't it the same, essentially, as asking, can the baby see, hear, is s/he handsome, will s/he be smart enough?  Its a question that already assumes one thing: this is a person.

This is a person whose life has value whether or not this little person meets anyone else's criterion (even that of being wanted by his/her birth parents).  This pain limit question is just far too close a match with what was done in Germany 70-80 years ago.  If you're a Jew, if you're handicapped, if you're not one we like, we can decide to kill you….  No.  If it's a person, this is wrong.  And is there any doubt of personhood after looking at pictures like the ones above, after hearing a baby heartbeat and seeing them suck a thumb or wave hello on an ultrasound?

May the Author of Life open our eyes, convict our hearts and move many to action on behalf of those who cannot protect themselves.  And may He be honored in our loving, laying down our lives to serve and to bless these women and children, and men too, in His name.

and the fun goes on….

A little while ago our kids got a little crazy about the teapot.

I'm really happy that this guy got in on the photo fun with this make-believe photo booth.  

  It wasn't a quiet spot of tea (actually smoothies) this afternoon.  Maybe you can hear the joy?

I'm happy to report that we only lost one smoothie in the frenzy of our photo joy. 

( #itsplatteredallllover )

And we'll wrap it up with a calming shot to maybe make you think that we had a meek and mild, sweet and easy, tidy afternoon after this… (but surely you know better than that, right?) 

We are endlessly grateful to the Giver of every good gift….. including spectacular teapots and silly crazy sweetheart kids that I could not delight in more.

Worth It All