Anjelia has been freezing stuff for years. She loves taking a glass of water and freezing nearly anything in it, including crackers, cereal pieces, rocks. . . . you name it. None of us are surprised when we find silly things in the freezer.
Here’s what we found today: an inside out, knee-high sock and a Hershey’s bar purchased with leftover camp money. When asked about the sock, Anjelia said, “I’m doing an experiment. When it’s really frozen I’m going to throw it out into the heat.”
I’ve been thinking about Jesus’ response to the Pharisee’s question, “What is the greatest commandment in the law?”. His response, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I like the message translation for fresh insight: Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”
Lydia wrote a paper about someone she admires. She chose me! I cried. I didn’t think she listened. I didn’t know she was watching. What was a bit surprising to me were the things she didn’t mention. There wasn’t anything in the paper about me being a stay-at-home mom and a kid chauffeur. My meals weren’t mentioned. The state of our house or the clothes in her closet. . . . none of the things I do for her were mentioned. . . not one. She shared about how I’d baked for church, helped with class parties and field trips and ministered to women at the pregnancy center I volunteer at. She told a story I shared with her about how I’d prayed with a young woman as she chose to trust Jesus.
I think I get off track a lot. I get concerned, especially when I begin to make comparisons to other moms, that I’m not doing enough for my girls. I’m not an ambitious housekeeper, I’m disorganized and tired! I worry about the girls’ grades, activities, how many books they read. . . . the list can go on and on.
There must be something innate in all of us that understands and bears witness to the two greatest commandments, Love God, Love People. That is why we exist. The things that Lydia admired about me fell in these two categories. She noticed the times when I served people. That is what I need to be focusing on!
I’m reading a book that encourages living a good story. The author spoke to a father upset about his teenage daughter’s hidden pot and disrespectful, bad boy boyfriend. He commented that she wasn’t living a good story. After talking, her father realized he wasn’t giving her a good story to experience at home and she was out looking for the best story she could find. He decided to join an organization that builds orphanages around the world. He volunteered his family to build one even though they were broke, knowing that a good story involves risk. In just a few days time, his daughter began to get excited and asked to go to Mexico. It wasn’t long and she ditched the boyfriend. Her father gave her a better, more exciting story to live. He said, “No girl who plays the role of a hero dates a guy who uses her”.
Loving God and serving others is the best example we can give.
Our families are watching!
Well, we are one week into summer and the kids are eating me out of house and home. Combine one hour of swimming laps each morning for swim team with two to three hours of swimming in the public pool each afternoon, and you have the makings of an awfully hungry bunch!
I desperately need to stock up on food for the summer. We have an extra frig in the garage for overflow food, but I have a bunch of obstacles. . . lots of snowballs! We had a surplus of snow this winter and Jessica decided to put it to good use by stocking up on snowballs for a summertime snowball fight. These suckers have got to be rock hard by now. . . OUCH!
bags and bags full of snowballs!
It might be kinda fun to celebrate with snow on the Fourth of July!
Ryan as a baby.
Our littlest critter, Ryan Hammy, recently went on an unapproved expedition, lasting four days and four nights. We relentlessly looked for the little guy in every nook and cranny of our home. Hamsters are nocturnal, so we went on middle of the night walks throughout the house with a flashlight. We even held hands in a circle, as a family, and prayed we would find him alive.
On day four we were beginning to fear the worst. As Jessica was lying in bed, she heard some scratching noises coming from the furnace closet. We crowded around the closet listening to the sound of faint scratching coming from our ducts in the ceiling. James heard something fall onto the air conditioning condenser directly above the furnace. He quickly ran to the garage to get his toolbox and removed the cover and, in a final act of desperation, Ryan climbed out!
What we saw was a pitiful sight! The bottoms of Ryan’s feet were charred from being inside metal ducts with the furnace running. His black, scabby feet were swollen. His teeth were broken off and his claws were completely worn down. He was dehydrated and unable to hold the watermelon we gave him in his paws. We could tell he was so happy to be back in his cage, even if he couldn’t climb around in it. He went to bed and stayed there for several days! Elaina cared for her hamster quite well, cutting up small bites of food for him! He has made a full recovery, even his teeth have grown back!
Ryan was a special Christmas morning surprise for Elaina.
I found Ryan on Craigslist when he was just three weeks old. He lived in our master bathroom for two weeks leading up to Christmas. Somehow Elaina never discovered him! He is so gentle, never once showing any aggression. We love watching him stuff his cheeks full of snacks. Elaina couldn’t wait to celebrate his first birthday on November 15. She made him carrot cake cupcakes to celebrate. We will be thankful to have him around for another birthday!
