a little r & r

So we're just coming off of our first week of vacation since the big move to H-town. I've got to be honest...It was stinkin' awesome! Now, let's not kid ourselves, Galveston Island is no tropical paradise. After all, each morning we're not waking up to the breath-taking beach-front views of the North Shore. We're looking at the Gulf of Mexico baby! Brown, murky water, yes! And if you dig in the sand enough with your toddler's tiny yellow toy beach shovel, you may be lucky enough to find a tar ball. Get excited!

For me though, it doesn't always have to be about the destination when it comes to get-aways. Steph and I are by no means world travelers. However, in our brief married life, we've been able to see Hawaii, The Bahamas, and we've made a few pit stops in Chicago, New York, Virginia and a few more states along the way. This time around, we just needed a brief reprieve from the hustle and bustle of every day life here in the city. We didn't need the tropical paradise. We just needed a quiet spot where we could break away, enjoy some solitude and enjoy watching our (increasingly adventurous and hilarious) boys.

In the midst of playing on the beach, swimming in the pool at our condo, checking out the Moody Gardens aquarium, wearing out their splash pad, watching Happy Feet in 4D (well...the 3D glasses did not stay on the boys noggins for long) and a few more adventures to boot, we also got some much needed rest. I'm so napped out, I'm pretty sure I've met my nap quota for 2010-11. If there were penalties for exceeding a napping time limit, I would face significant time. That's fine though, I could nap all I wanted to in the slammer. :)

As I'm writing this (entirely too late), I'm thinking about jumping into another week of work and ministry. But you know what? I'm ready. I'm rested. What's most important, from a spiritual standpoint, I especially needed this vacation. One afternoon, as I lay in bed during nap time (oh yeah!) with Levi slumbering away on my chest, I had an hour to just think and pray. Funny how things come into perspective when you just get still and get quiet before God. In just one uninterrupted hour, I thought and prayed about life, my family, about ministry, about the people I love and am invested in. Mostly, I came away thanking God for modeling to me rest. You ever think about that? In Genesis, God rested. I don't even know what that looks like! How does the God who spoke creation into existence...rest? Does an all-powerful God need to rest? So what gives? I've come to the conclusion, it wasn't for Him. It was for me. It was a reminder for us. Every time I lay my head down to sleep, every time I unwind watching a little Sportscenter, every time I break away or take a vacation, it's a reminder of my dependence upon Him! Right? I am so finite. I am so limited, so prone to get worn down and to wander. God rested because His work was done, but I also think He rested not out of necessity but because I need to rest in Him!

All that to say, maybe you've taken your vacation already this summer. Maybe you haven't had a vacation in who knows how long. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you'll make it a priority to break away, to get still and to rest, maybe you'll be reminded of your dependence upon a God whose work is already done. Also, when we (husbands) make it a priority to find our rest in Him, we gain clarity, vision and direction for our lives...and that means for our families as well. I think true leaders know how and when to rest. Period. In our work-work-work world, we need to find our rest in God so that we can be replenished, so that we can hear from Him and get ready for another day!

I leave you with a few pictures of our restful weekend:

just relaxing...catching up on some reading

dad & levi taking a nap

dad and luke napping

sorry...the rock was crooked :)

ocean conquering...check.

dad this is not funny...seriously, where are my legs?

What a Legacy!

Last week the boys and I got to spend the morning with my grandparents, their great-grandparents.  Within minutes of our arrival the boys had an additional breakfast because as I have learned, that's what good grandmas do- offer more food!  They played with blocks, read books over and over again, and even got to chase a toad frog on the front porch.
One of the great joys that comes with parenting (especially boys) is watching them fearlessly make new discoveries.  As Levi kindly rearranged Gran's flower pots on the front porch he uncovered a large, but very cautious frog.  He reached down to pick it up, not realizing the frog was a living creature, and quickly discovered this thing did not want to be touched let alone captured.  The discovery lead to many curious and inquisitive laughs mixed into a ten minute chase scene in which Levi and Luke desperately tried to capture a new toy.  I have to confess, I was somewhat relieved to know we weren't bringing home a new pet.
As I watched the boys eat up the love and attention Gran and Pop gave them that morning, I could not have been more grateful.  Here were my precious 18 month olds sitting in the laps of their GREAT-grandparents listening to stories, playing games, laughing, and just getting to know them.  In a culture so motivated by success and living for the temporal, my boys and I were watching two people who have been and continue to be motivated by love and commitment.  They have instilled in their kids, grandkids, and now great-grandkids the love of the Lord and a love for family.  What a challenge to model in my own life and family, but what a joy for them in knowing that this is the legacy they are passing down.

Pop and the boys

Gran with Luke

Levi and as he would say "Nan"

Pop and Gran, thanks for letting us crash in on your morning.  My prayer is to model the legacy that you are showing us.  We love you!

I wanna be a superhero...

Our boys are superheroes. Well...at least they were Friday at Vacation Bible School. At VBS this past week we learned some valuable lessons from four superhero characters named Zirk, Zoink, Zip and Zing. So in the midst of all the fun, of course we had to purchase their very own "Z" t-shirts signifying their monumental jump to superhero status.

                                                                 our little superheroes

                                                          

So they probably won't be leaping tall buildings with a single bound any time soon. Levi did leap from the back of the couch a few months back, but that's a whole different story. Suffice it to say, the ER trip proved our children are far from indestructible. However, this week, for one brief moment as they dawned their "Z" apparel, they suddenly found themselves identified with a cast of characters idolized by hundreds of children (ages 6-12).

                                                              oh fearless doers of good...

                                                             levi and his super limb

                                         don't be fooled by this face bad guys...i'm dangerous.

As a Christian parent, I want our boys to know that our family is identified with the ultimate Superhero, One that laid down His life for us. I know that as our boys grow and mature, their imaginations will conjure up all sorts of adventures (I shudder to think of the destruction some of these escapades will bring). In the future, they will project themselves into the role of firemen, army rangers, athletes and on and on (all manly things of course!). One thing that is certain, children and adults alike love to idolize others. We long for the superhero we desire to hold in high esteem and maybe even emulate. All that to say (sorry I have propensity for being loquacious - ask anyone who has spent two minutes with me), I sure hope my boys want to emulate Jesus. I hope they come to see Him as THE Superhero.

Jonathan 

Swimming Lessons

Last week the boys finished an intense (wink, wink) two week session of Water Tots.  Now I've heard rumors that there are children who are absolutely terrified of the water, my kids on the other hand have the opposite problem.  If it were up to them, we would NEVER leave the pool.  Now, at 17 months they have mastered all the most important skills.  Here's what we've learned so far....

Always have a swimming buddy!

(I just love this picture)

Kicking is way too hard.  Just get Mom to help!

The slide is always the best part!

Hope you're getting plenty of time in the pool! 

Counting it ALL Joy...

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

Jonathan and I have had the privilege to listen to John Moore preach on this passage from James a couple of times.  Each time, the Lord has convicted me to follow His commandment (notice verse 2 is not optional, but written as a command). 
One of the ways we put this into practice early in parenthood is to thank the Lord for little things that seemed like a "trial"at the time.  Our favorite early on, was when the boys would cry for what seemed like days on end we would tell each other, "Praise God they have healthy lungs!"  You see, our boys were born 6 weeks premature, and I was given multiple rounds of steroid shots hoping to grow their lungs before their arrival.  Praise God He had His hand on them from the beginning.  Despite their small stature (4lbs. 3 oz. & 3lbs. 11oz.), they had NO health problems to speak of.  So their infant cries were an easy reminder to praise God for their health. 
All that to say, the past two weeks have been somewhat trying in the mommy world.  First Luke came down with a cold, ran a low grade fever for a few days and then was done.  We were all great and wonderful for a couple of days, until the middle of last week when Levi started to get the same symptoms.  However his has lingered much longer, and he even got a mild case of pink eye with his.  If one sick kid is no fun, imagine back to back kids for two weeks.  :( 
After one particularly exhausting day, we were bathing the boys and waiting for some friends to join us for supper.  The boys love the bath tub and will play until we force them out.  So they had been playing some time, and Levi reached up and handed me what I thought was a bath toy.  I quickly discovered this was no toy at all, but something far more squishy, brown, and stinky than I anything I wanted him playing with.  So we quickly got the boys out of the tub, Jonathan got them dressed, and I started the process of cleaning out the tub.  Only to mutter a quick prayer of thanks, and I'm not kidding this was my prayer.  "Lord, thank you that I get to clean poop out of the bathtub.  This is yet another reminder of healthy boys that are so loved."
This is definitely a prayer I have never prayed, but as soon as I uttered those words I laughed.  I'm such a work in progress, but my heart's desire is to follow the Lord.  My hope is that slowly my default will be to count all trials as joys, big and small!

all about the fam

What a weekend…

You’d never imagine that a game of Mexican Train dominoes could be potentially hazardous to your marriage. Ha! Seriously though, in the midst of a little friendly domino competition with a handful of couples from church, you can learn a lot. Our friend Rick (along with being baffled by the fact that the double zero is worth fifty points) is quite possibly my only rival in the category of really bad 90’s hip hop knowledge. We learned never to play catchphrase with Rose. Also, in the future we will refrain from asking Rose about pervious catchphrase highlights…ur…lowlights. Finally, I was again reminded about the “I’m bringin it 100% authentic 24/7” policy of my brother-in-law which I absolutely love. At a table full of couples, he let us know (via belch) that the barbeque from lunch earlier was having a battle with his stomach…and winning.

And that was just Saturday night. Friday we spent the day with family in our hometown, relaxing, eating entirely too much and watching a little TV. Which brings a thought to mind…

I don’t know what your family background looks like. Maybe you come from a jacked up home where up seemed like down and vice versa. Perhaps you were raised in a home where appearances were valued above communication, relationship and reality! I don’t know your situation. I’ll tell you this though: One thing that drives me as a husband and father is knowing the value of how God can use a home where Jesus is lifted up, talked about – a home where the Bible is more than the centerpiece on the coffee table. I’m talking about a home where parents and kids alike genuinely (and imperfectly) try to live out their faith. For Steph and I, our home life wasn’t perfect, but it was good. Spending this July 4th weekend with family was yet another reminder of God’s grace in this area in our lives.

Saturday we spent the morning hacking tree limbs off of our old house. Yes, I did say “old” house. At this point we are t-minus 18 days and counting away from closing. Every fiber of my being wants to complain about home inspectors at this point. I’ll fight the urge. Use your imagination and fill in the blank here ____________________. That’s what I’m thinking. Okay, honestly, of the 87 things that (the inspector said) were horribly wrong with our ready-to-move-in-to-right-now home, we came back and said we’d take care of trimming trees, and we’d throw in a bit of cash to boot. We had a deal. This process makes me feel like I’m at a garage sale haggling over a Tommy Hilfiger shirt from 1997…50 cents won’t do – they’ll only go 45…Are you kidding me! All right, I said I wouldn’t complain.

Back to family. Saturday, I look over and Steph’s dad is sweating his butt off sawing up limbs into smaller portions to throw out on the curb. Aaron is dangling from the roof with a gas-powered saw attached to an extender reeking havoc on some poor helpless dangling branches that were in the wrong place at the wrong time. At that moment, I’m thinking, having a good family is worth its weight in gold. I wouldn’t trade my family for the world. Maybe you would. Again, I don’t know your situation. I know this, and I already alluded to it earlier. I want to absolutely be the best husband, father, brother, son, etc. that God has called me to be. Before I leave a legacy in ministry, in my work, in my bench-pressing ability (okay, so this is more like a pipe dream) or in any other sphere of life, I want to leave a legacy in my family. I think Scripture is clear that your family health is a good barometer of your spiritual health. If you will value your home, you can come to value and love the gospel of Jesus Christ. The God who gave his Son so that we could have life and so that he could be known, invites us to give our lives away as well. I think it starts in the home. It starts with your family. Gut check time. I know this, but will I live it?

As I type this, Luke is sleeping next to me on our bed (hopefully for a few more minutes). We’re definitely stretching the limits of nap time right now, but dad’s got to get his blog post written. Ha. Levi is in the other room in his crib trying to kick a bug that he’s come down with. The other day, Levi’s temperature spiked up near 104 degrees. My poor wife who’s got enough on her mind had anxiety written all over her face. To be honest, I was pretty worried myself. I just do the default male thing and hold it in. All that to say, I think our second-born (by one minute) is on the road to recovery. Today he’s still been running a bit of fever, but his countenance says it all. He’s getting well. Insert shout-out to God here.

Within minutes of each other, both my mom and Steph’s dad had called this morning to check on our son. They adore him (and his brother). They would do anything for us and for our boys. What a challenge. What a legacy. Who’s up for living for something bigger than their savings account? Their j-o-b? Their toys? Their entertainment? Who’s up for living for the sake of the gospel? Who’s up for pouring out their lives for a legit legacy that can’t be taken away? Count me in.

Summer Lessons Learned

So here are a few things the boys have been teaching me since summer has started. (Really this is just a ploy to get some cute pictures of my kids up)!

1. Chores are always more fun when you have help.

2. Watermelon is one of summer's greatest treats!

3. Despite all of our toys, a cardboard box is still our favorite.

4. Food always tastes better when we can feed ourselves.

5. If you ever need laundry done, just let us know. We're always glad to help.

6. No matter how bad they are, we still root for the home team.

7. We really do love each other, A LOT!

Hope each of you are enjoying your summer too!

Steph