The Messenger

Mike and I have been attempting to do Advent devotions with the boys this Christmas. We read a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible and then color a picture of the story and hang it on a timeline of sorts in our dining room. The time line will end with the birth of Jesus so all the stories are those pointing to Jesus. And as the time line gets more filled, the closer the boys know we are getting to Jesus' birthday. Anyways tonights story about Jonah really got to me and I have been thinking about it all night. In all my "grown up" bible reading this season, I do not think that anything has hit me this hard. The Storybook Bible wraps up Jonah by saying " many years later God was going to send another Messenger....but this Messenger would be God's own Son. He would be called "The Word" because he himself would be God's Message. God's Message translated into our own language. Everything God wanted to say to the whole world - in a person." Oh I just love this and it has brought a new understanding of the importance of this season. The coming of Jesus into this world was God's way of showing us in a way we could understand what He is all about. When we look closely at the birth, the life, the death of Jesus we are unraveling God's message to us. Jesus is everything God wants to say to us, everything God wants to show us, everything God wants to teach us. I can just see God pondering " how can I reach them, how can I make them see what I am all about, how much I love them, how much I want to be in relationship with them, how much I long to redeem them, save them, heal them....words just don't seem adequate, prophets and men of God won't do either. I know I will send them Jesus, a piece of Me, My Son, and His life will communicate everything I long to tell them and show them." And this was the plan all along. God didn't even have to ponder it, He knew this was how it would go from the very beginning. He knew this was it, this was the Way. I still don't think I am capturing with these words the wonder of this all. Perhaps I am truly getting this whole Christmas thing for the first time. How exciting to celebrate God's personal Message to me this Christmas.

It was a good idea

Mel, my cousin, had a good idea for our holiday christmas card, which we usually try and make funny and lighthearted...wrap up our children as presents and then have a third present representing baby boy #3.. the idea sounded wonderful but as you can see from the pictures above we just couldn't seem to get it right. For those of you still hoping to get a card from us, there is hope, but I think I may wait to get inspired...perhaps a new years card. Until now this will have to do! I also included some photos from a Santa visitation Will and I experienced...he was quite scared of the jolly old man so I posed in the pic with him.

Stroller chaos

Just have to get this story documented before it leaves my mind. The other day we went to our local park with some friends. We decided to celebrate the unseasonably warm weather by feeding the ducks in the pond. My friend Lucy brought a box of Kix and we went to the dock and enjoyed the activity UNTIL Will started screaming, "the stroller, the stroller..." Well the stroller, which fortunately was baby less had rolled into the pond and was submerged. Now before I go further I must say that this stroller is a very nice double stroller that is worth more than, well, anything we really own. Braylon immediately started crying "How did this happen?" And Lucy and I immediately began scheming as to how we could retrieve it. I must admit that even though it was submerged in about 3 feet of water and it was about 35 degrees out and I am 7 months preggo, I contemplated jumping in to recover this valued possession. However Bray gave me some sticks he found and Lucy and I were able to fish it out. Proud and happy I began heading back, when I realized that my phone and keys had been in the stroller. So I returned to the pond and clearly saw both about 4 feet out. This led Bray back into crying mode, " Oh no this is so bad, we need those, how did this happen ect..." I could not retrieve these items with a stick so I went to the nearby community center and asked for some help. The nice men working there made it seem like strollers rolling into the pond was a common mishap and quickly got to work and were successfully able to secure my phone and keys. Now for the Christmas miracle in all this...my phone, which had been submerged in the slimy water for at least 15 minutes is working just fine and has not been damaged in any way. Incredible, the whole thing....I have been known to exaggerate, but this is a completely true story!