Frogs and Other Things

One of the new things we have had to get used to in south Mississippi is the swamp land. As I mentioned in a previous post, we were introduced to the idea that we shared this space with alligators. There are many other creatures that inhabit our surrounding area, though; only a few we are aware of I am sure. We were given an up-close-and-personal look at some of them. There is a pond nearby, but these guys prefer hanging out (literally) at our front door. Our lamp post is a buffet open to amphibians and reptiles from dark to first light. It has been fun to see who is going to show up each night. Some of them even offer us a serenade! It isn't quite like Romeo at your window, but very interesting and enjoyable.

Wait a second... This guy is green and showing his musculature, but it isn't a frog! It is Elijah playing Wii bowling! My mistake~ I just had to get this pic in somewhere;)

In other news, we are moving AGAIN! To another position... to another place... to another chapter of learning, growing, and hopefully ending up somewhere permanently. May God give us the grace and strength to continue our journey "to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).

Micah's 32nd Birthday

Last night, Micah and I fell asleep on the couch watching TV. Around 2:30 in the morning, I woke up in the -fallen asleep on the couch and now completely stiff- position. I immediately sensed a kiddo sitting at my feet and realized that Elijah was wide awake with his gaze fixed on the glowing box at the other end of the room. After inquiring about his being awake, I realized that he had been watching Divorce Court. "What are you watching?" I asked, as if he had made this choice for himself. "I am watching this show. The show where they win $10,000 was on first and then I watched this!" he explained. I gathered he had been watching at least 40 minutes of television (maybe more?!?)- 35 devoted to Divorce Court. Needless to say, I felt like Mother of the Year! This morning as I was thinking about last nights events, I kept wondering what he could have heard from multiple post nuptial couples bent on publicly humiliating each other on national television. Thankfully, I was reminded of a quote I appreciate so much in Gary Thomas' Sacred Parenting. He speaks to the fact that "none of us can mess up so badly that our children somehow extend beyond the reach of God's mercy." That certainly doesn't mean that I do stupid things on purpose, but I feel encouraged that my inadvertent sharing of entirely inappropriate television falls in that category.

That was the first moment of Micah's 32nd birthday that he will remember. Birthdays are lots of fun at our house. I try to carry on my Mom's tradition of making the cake of the birthday person's choice. Andrew and Elijah really wanted to get Daddy a Star Wars or Iron Man cake, but sensing that these choices served them more than Micah, made him his choice; yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. He also really likes these Peanut Butter things... not sure what they're called...

Last night we celebrated with Sushi since tonight, Micah will be spending his birthday evening at Chick-fil-a. He is such a blessing to the boys and I. His diligence at work and presence at home is something I am especially thankful for. There are few men who can do both well and by the grace of God, I happen to be married to one of them.

Before the Oil Arrives

As I sit here and write, the sky outside is a dark grey and the air has the undertone of oil. The smell is a constant reminder of the current situation, even if the coast is out of sight. The atmosphere is calm, but everywhere you look, life is bracing for the inevitable. It is sobering. Knowing the gulf now harbors countless dead animals and fish. Knowing there are so many who starting as early as tomorrow, will not have jobs. The sky says it all. Our view is rather grey. We groan with creation feeling once again the agony of a world not yet redeemed (Rom. 8:18-25).

Just this past week, we traveled to Pensacola, FL and spent a couple of days on the beach. The sand and surf was as beautiful as my best memory of the coast. I have always loved the ocean. There is nothing like seeing the moon rest low against the backdrop of a calm sea and glisten atop the waves. As a little girl, the sound of the waves calmed my soul and lulled me to rest. With two boys to keep up with, I am not sure the waves had the same effect this trip. We had a blast, though.

We weren't completely conscious of the privilege we had been given at the time. It was only in the last day or so that the reality of the disaster has taken affect. But for two days, we collected shells, played in the turquoise waves, and built castles on the white sand. In a week, we probably won't even be able to recognize the same area.

A recent post by Russell Moore speaks clearly about our response to this disaster as believers in the One True and Living God. You can read that here.