Sunday, January 18, 2009

A Tree Planted by Streams of Water

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Our pastor preached on Psalm 1 at the beginning of January and this verse has stuck with me the last few weeks. It creates a mental image for me of the woman I want to be. A woman of quiet, peaceful and enduring strength whose source of life is in Him.
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Most days between our schedule, the kids, keeping the house from looking like a bomb just went off, and not seeing the sun for days on end with this winter weather, I often feel like I am running around in circles. Crazy would be a good word to describe how I feel on some days. I am not like that tree whose leaves never wither. I feel kind of like my house plants look - dried up, half dead and in need of a good drink.
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I've been meditating on this verse. Considering the source of the stream. Thinking about those roots that go deep, the strength of the branches and the yield of the fruit.
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I love this picture of Mirielle. I am that tree. I imagine my kids swinging from my branches - like on the days when I try walking through the kitchen with Kellan hanging on to my leg, or Mirielle pulling on my arm as we walk through the grocery store. Or on the days when Kellan falls and needs a hug or I spin Mirielle around while we are dancing. On those days they are literally swinging from my branches. I so long to be big strong branches, realizing in a new way that it only happens by being planted by the stream.
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So I am praying that I would be that tree, dependent upon that stream of water, yielding fruit, whose leaf does not wither.

Friday, January 02, 2009

Happy 2009


Last night we had a special family dinner to usher in 2009. It was basically an excuse to splurge in few things that we normally do not indulge in eating. I mean, how many times can you walk by all of that amazing food at Costco without giving in? Mmmm!

While we were sitting around the table we put together a list of 2009 goals/predictions. Here they are for your public enjoyment:

-Mirielle will learn to read and write
-Kellan will finally stop using diapers (I am afraid this one is going to happen against his will) and will start feeding himself at the dinner table (or starve)
-Jason will teach Kellan how to really throw a ball
-Mirielle will lose her first tooth
-We will go camping together as a family (hopefully we will make it past camping in our backyard)
-Jason will bike to the 49 degrees ski area and back (in the summer, which means it will either happen in July or August)
-Kellan will give up using sippy cups and move on to what we refer to in our house as 'big boy cups'
-Jen will take a photography class
-A 6 month 'spending fast' (this one has me nervous already) will occur in our household
-Jen will finish decorating the house (which should be interesting considering the spending fast)
-Jason will conquer the slopes at 49 degrees and Schweitzer
-Mirielle and Kellan will learn to swim
-Jason and Jen will have a proper 9th anniversary celebration

Hope your 2009 holds lots of promise for you!