Eyes Wide Open

It’s yet another day at the hacienda and we’re pressing on.  The kids have buddies over and I’m sitting on teh net after an afternoon of running errands.  Vacuuming out the car, library, groceries, searching for lemon juice…et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! (willy wonka style) And so, not much to gab about.  We’ll be celebrating my brother-in-law’s 30th birthday Monday.  Then the plans get uncertain from there.  Where and what usually plans itself when we’re out of town.  Hopefully we’ll have this fresh funk to listen to on the 7 hour drive.

from elenajane’s blog,

A - Attached or Single: attached
B - Best Friend(s): Eric
C - Cake or Pie: For sure Cake!
D - Day of Choice: Thursday
E - Essential Item: A drink of choice
F - Favorite Color(s): All, schemed funky with excellence
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: gummy bears
H - Hometown: North Platte
I - Indulgence(s): chocolate and coffee
J - January or July: July
K - Kids: five
L - Life is incomplete without: seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, laughing,

M - Marriage Date: September 26, 1998
N - Number of Siblings: one little brother
O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P- Phobias or Fears: I’m working on deliverance everyday….
Q - Quote: I’d rather quote than plagiarize….although it’s tempting
R- Ring size: depends on the day…6.5 or 7
S - Season: Fall
T- Tag 3 Friends: Consider yourself tagged…all three of you….
U - Unknown fact about me: My front teeth are half fake
V - Very favorite stores: target, ikea, forever 21,
W - Worst Habit: procrastinating
X - X-ray or Ultrasound: I’m a tad bit confused….
Y - Your Favorite Food(s): Middle Eastern, Indian, snacks….
Z - Zoo or Museum: Both! Let’s go do some stuff, eh!

It said something like this, “As the eyes of a maid look to her mistress, So our eyes look to you O Lord”

In prayer with a few friends and not being able to find it, I said nothing.  I came home, asked Eric and got a blank stare. Googled it and found Psalm 123.  Exactly as it was said to me, I found in verse 2 with this ending, “until He has mercy on us.”  Ah, I’m struck!  The voice of the One I love.

I was reading a little here and there in some commentaries and landed on Treasury of David by Spurgeon.  He had a couple things in there that were simply profound.   Like things I’ve been praying put into theological terms.  Desires of seeing the small movements, catching the glances, discerning the breaths of Holy Spirit and being so intimately acquainted with Him as to just moving, too.  Like the wheels in Ezekiel, whatever way I move, it’s forward and with Holy Spirit.  Here’s a paragraph or two. The first on the first verse, “Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.” And the second paragraph, verse two.

The lifting up the eyes, implies faith and confident persuasion that God is ready and willing to help us. The very lifting up of the bodily eyes towards heaven is an expression of this inward trust: so David in effect saith, From thee, Lord, I expect relief, and the fulfilling of thy promises. So that there is faith in it, that faith which is the evidence of things not seen. How great soever the darkness of our calamities be, though the clouds of present troubles thicken about us, and hide the Lord’s care and loving kindness from us, yet faith must look through all to his power and constancy of truth and love. The eye of faith is a clear, piercing, eagle eye: Moses “endured, as seeing him who is invisible:” Heb 11:27. Faith seeth things afar off in the promises (Heb 11:13), at a greater distance than the eye of nature can reach to. Take it either for the eye of the body, or the mind, faith will draw comfort not only from that which is invisible, but also from that which is future as well as invisible; its supports lie in the other world, and in things which are yet to come. —Thomas Manton.

2. —In the first strophe the poet places himself before us as standing in the presence of the Majesty of Heaven, with his eyes fixed on the hand of God, absorbed in watchful expectation of some sign or gesture, however slight, which may indicate the divine will. He is like a slave standing silent but alert, in the presence of the Oriental “lord”, with banns folded on his breast, and eyes fixed on his master, seeking to read, and to anticipate, if possible, his every wish. He is like a maiden in attendance on her mistress, anxiously striving to see her mind in her looks, to discover and administer to her moods and wants. The grave, reserved Orientals, as we know, seldom speak to their attendants, at least on public occasions. They intimate their wishes and commands by a wave of the hand, by a glance of the eye, by slight movements and gestures which might escape notice, were they not watched for with eager attention. Their slaves “hang upon their faces; “they” fasten their eyes” on the eyes of their master; they watch and obey every turn of his hand, every movement of his finger. Thus the Psalmist conceives of himself as waiting on God, looking to him alone, watching for the faintest signal, bent on catching and obeying it. —Samuel Cox.

I was getting so much more than just obedience out of this.  I was seeing the intimacy in which you know a person when you can speak without speech.  When you can feel countenance and desire.  When you can sit and in silence be fully accepted and content.  Psalm 123 is the getting there.  Waiting by constantly gazing, not just looking.

I set my eyes to gaze.

Before I get into our trip to the city museum, I found this quote.  I took a personality test awhile back and found that I’m classified a ISFP, along with Joan of Arc, Steven Speilburg, Paul McCartney and (cringe) Christopher Reeve. It pegged me pretty good and this quote totally cracked me up.

“While an ISFP’s personality might seem flighty and their attention span short to an outsider, ISFPs live by the motto “Life is best approach–oh, look, potato chips!”

I don’t think I’m that bad…well, my husband would disagree, at least when we’re in Walmart.

So the city museum was SO great and funky and fun and creative.  What a ride of a time we had running and climbing and sliding and contorting and laughing.  It’s really hard to actually describe the museum to give you and idea or mental picture because there’s not really a comparison for it.  Think Mad Max meets WIlly Wonka with a jungle gym twist. For real.  Just check out the pics.

After McDonald’s we turn into wackos!

So funny!

We started with a family pic and then it was all person’s for themselves…oops, no Phin, he was in the stroller

We’re descending into a dark cement tunnel with no light except for that which is shining at the other end.  Sweet initiation!

A roller slide, like what you’d send shipping boxes along.  One of MANY different slides!  ANd a reason they tell you to wear pants and tennis shoes..thanks for the tip!

SO of the holes and crevices are so small that you’re unsure if it’s a tunnel or not until you just go for it. Most openings do lead somewhere… your comfort and speed depend on your girth

Aforementioned point proven here…

And here…

And here….pants remaining ON, optional

And here…notice blood on the head.

I LOVE this kid…who was on cloud 9 the whole time!

Very fun, I was right behind them the whole time

Grandpa kept up too

Looks like he’s sliding down a drain, this was part of the skateless skate park.  All ramps, no wheels.  Just feet and imagination!

5 story, metal Goth style set up with caves and tunnels also.  This part was really cool and we took the stroller through part of it.

Very fast slide on right.  Wowsas!

Great view from fast slick slide

View from the opposite side going up to the plane

Uri the Fearless.  Today he decided he was a dragon all day.  Most days it’s a lion or Edmund (Narnia)

I love this picture.  There was a big kid and little kid ball pit, yippee!

We all got in the action of the ball pit, big bouncy ball pit

Phin was strollered around most of the time but got a bit of slide and climbing action.  Grandpa took him to the ball pit too

He eventually graduated to being tossed down the slide solo.  This was his first time though

He turned out to be a little daredevil too.

You climb up to the wing, then through the plane, then out the other wing and up into the air finishing at a slide that shoots you at least 25 mph.  Serious.  It’s awesome!

And this concludes our little slideshow into the city museum in St. Louis.  Java, we’ll have to take our families together sometime.  It would be a blast!  Birthday parties would be cool here.  Senior pictures would be totally rad here.  All and all I give it 2 thumbs up.  Concessions are totally reasonable and the little shops are quaint and fun, too.

Oh, look, potato chips!….

Greetings from the Gateway to the West, St. Louis.  Eric and I and the kids and grandma and grandpa, left this morning on a little venture to hang together and have a little fun with the kids.  We got on the road around 11and headed down I-70.  When we hit Columbia for lunch, I remembered I had forgot the swim bag at the house.  So that warrented a trip to Target and the nearby Barnes and Noble for some bux joe.

We unloaded at the hotel, which has a connected room with a bunkbed, (Yes!) then regrouped and decided to go to the Gateway Arch and check it out and explore the city museum tomorrow.  We arrived to find streets blocked off and people EVERYWHERE!  Trying to get to the Arch and finding a parking place was an experience.  It was actually really fun for me because I love people watching.  We parked and walked a mile or so to the Arch to find a line of around 200 people and hundreds of others walking around and taking spots on the grass.  It was then we realized we had stumbled upon a HUGE Independance Day celebration.  We asked around and discovered we were in the center of the action which started at 9ish.  Also, there was a concert scheduled 10 blocks down and the Cardinals were playing the Cubs a couple blocks away.  So, yes, people, people, people.  Eric stood in line for the kids dinner at Hardee’s for 2 hours while me, the kids and grandma rode a horse drawn carriage around several city blocks.

We got to see the AT&T building and civil courthouse that were closed while they fimed Ghostbusters in the 80’s.  Cool.  We also saw a few cool fountains, the stadium, and the first steel structure building in the world built in 1880 something.  That has to be significant.  We went through the security check point rather quick and sat down for the kids to eat.  As it got time, and the kids were tired of waiting, we got up to leave.  We trekked the trail to our sub and as soon as we unlocked the doors the fireworks started booming.  HUGE, BEAUTIFUL fireworks!  BOOOOM! and all this crackling!  It was awesome.  We were driving but we drove over the bridge and had the most spectacular view of the fireworks reflected off the silvery Archway.  Awesome! ANd it’s all “up here” because the battery to my camera died when we got there and I prayed Life over it so I could at least have a few memories of vacation.  Not to many.  Aahhhh…. But here’s a couple.

The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve their neutrality.’

Robert F. Kennedy

Deciding to read through the New Testament in the next forty days, but not starting in Matthew because I’ve started there a gagillion times, I started in Mark.  As I was reading through Mark I was thoroughly thrashed on the whipping post.  As each of the Gospels highlight a different facet of Jesus, Mark seems to bring out the “touchability” of Jesus.  It paints the picture of Jesus being thronged by people everywhere he went.  He was brought all of the demon-possessed, ill, mamed etc…  One chapter says the EVERY one of those and the whole city came to him.  Can you get a mental picture of that?  What exactly did that look like?

In another passage Jesus tells the disciples to push Him out in a small boat because the people would crush Him, there were so many.  Yet, He met every need.  He was ddeply moved with compassion, He went here and there and served those who asked.  Hundreds and hundreds of people…everyday…sometimes they didn’t even have time to eat.

Yet, I have 5, only 5, little people who throng me all day and I tend to pull the “I need you to back off” card and demand my comfort and my space and my time.  I deserve it.  I serve you all day.  Now here I am NOT saying never have a break.  Jesus retreated to a solitary place to pray and commune with Father.  However, in my life, I tend to lean towards I want do my thing and have my time and I don’t want to …..fill in the blank.  “Go play” I say.  “Go find something to do.”  “Stop making a mess.”  “Don’t make a mess.”  And on and on and on.  Honestly, most of the time I don’t serve my children.  Really.  I take care of them, yes.  But when all the essentials are taken care of, I’m done 3/4 of the time.

And then there’s Jesus.  I love Him.  He has time to serve me even after serving all 6 billion other people on earth and running the universe and all.  He loves the process.  He loves taking time.  He loves the “interruptions.”  Life is the interruptions.  Hence, the reason He’s never in a hurry.  I need to be like this Man.  I love Him.

And now I shall get off the computer and watch a documentary of Robert Kennedy with my daughter.  She’s been begging.  I’ll enjoy it.

And from the aforementioned little community, one grand cook, Annie, stands out to me.  She is a Fabulous southern cook and blessed us with a short-rib dinner “to go” for our trip home the other day.  Complete with a pan of short ribs, baked potatoes, baked beans, potato salad and dinner rolls, we stopped at a gas station with a nice grassy area to feast.  I bought paper plates and drinks and grabbed a TON of napkins and we feasted.  So here’s some photos just for Annie.

So I should be stunningly beautiful as much as I’ve napped the past 4 days. I think I caught up for the past 9 years that I haven’t taken naps, mostly out of fear of my father-in-law finding out. He says you sleep half your life away. Thus I have developed quite a caffeine habit, I’ve noticed. And so I decided to go where  I’ve never gone before, at least before 6 years old, and cut the caffeine.  Besides the fact that I wanted to behead myself because of the atomic booms between my ears every time I moved, I also noticed my energy level just not the same. From energizer bunny to John Wayne just isn’t the metamorphosis you want to make with 5 kids in tow. I do have a VERY gracious husband and he endured my plight until today. I’m better, not falling asleep in motion, just when I sit down. That’s an improvement.

Tonight when we were taking Eric a drink,( he was working on a little project ALL day…no I’m not bitter…he really worked his butt off….) Uri and I were discussing the incoming storm. The lightning was lighting up the clouds but it wasn’t thundering yet or raining.

He says to me, “God IS lightning.”

Me, “God sends forth lightning but He’s even BIGGER than lightning! He’s bigger than the whole sky!’

Uri, “He’s stretchy…”

…I love this kid….

We’re finally at home, exhausted, but doing well. Since I posted last we’ve done a marathon of travel, meetings, services and meals. Seemingly not including sleep. We left Monday morning to take these three little chicas back to their mamma and papa.  Then we stayed for a service with a French man.  Then stayed overnight again and again to go to our home town to another service Thursday night.  When we get to our hometown it’s usually no rest for the weary and we were here and there and visiting and eating and meeting and bla, bla, bla.

Then back east Saturday for Eric to speak Sunday morning.  This town has more good cooks per capita than any other city on earth, I’m sure and there’s no getting away without loosening your belt….sigh….Andfor that reason I am so thankful I do not live within 200 miles.   On home late Sunday afternoon to get there at a decent time with the sun still up.

We’re now back on our schedule again after I flaked out a couple days with some phantom pains and exhaustion. But I’m alive and kickin’ now and ready as I’ll ever be.  I’m looking forward to going into a  deeper  season of consecration here at the base.  I think I have a pretty great schedule to facilitate that.  Who knows what the Lord has in mind?

Today is the beginning of the Fascinate 08″ conference.  There’s to be around 1500 young adults here this weekend.  WOW!  We pray they all get amazed by God!

And since it’s back to schedules, here and now, and the mundane I must get to my kids and get them going.  We’re doing school still.  Partly because we’re a little behind and partly because we planned it that way.  It’s good to do school when it’s 100% humidity outside.

Thanks to Moore’s Home Mechanical we are back in the 21st century with running HOT water.  After changing servicers, we had some one out this morning who, instead of trying to fix the thermal something or rather, changed the entire hot water heater.  So we’re sporting a brand new shortie 40 gallon tank.  Yippee!  I hear all of the inhabitants of this house saying Hallelujah!

Eric had service hours this afternoon so the kids cooled off in the driveway.  The View has been the hot topic of the morning but alas, 8 to 1 is possibly not the smartest move on my behalf.  They had fun though.  Creative little geniuses with pvc pipe, water coolers, and imagination are fun to observe playing.  Now they’re indoors playing school. Fun Fun.