Since its getting closer to Christmas, I have been thinking about the website (AdventConspiracy.org) I read about last year. Its basically about how Christmas celebrations have gotten pretty skewed over the years. We should be celebrating the life of Jesus and the amazing story of how God was born into squalor and genocide to rescue his lost loves. I like the ideas they have there about celebrating differently...
Our small group is reading Jesus For President so I skipped ahead to the part about holidays and was re-reading... The thing about it that gets me thinking is, we give presents because the Magi gave presents to Jesus. So, of course we want to give our loved ones gifts. As a church, we generally look beyond ourselves and give to an Angel Tree kid, or take the inner-city kids to North Boulevard for their huge giveaway. We find a way to extend the love to others. That's what we should do, right??
After I read about the water crisis going on in most of the world, and how little (relatively) money it would take to fix it, I wasn't so sure. Most of the world drinks dirty water, and wastes huge amounts of time to get it. David says his team in Tanzania walked with one of the girls carrying water one day and they were exhausted at the end! And women do most of the work to bring water to their homes. A lot of that water isn't even clean. According to the research on the website, millions are sick, dying, and unable to go to school- all because they lack clean water. And its there in the ground!
I know giving presents to a kid whose father is in jail is noble. I know it is kind and good hearted. But I, personally, think I will be sick if I buy a kid another X-Box game, when I could provide water for 4 kids for LIFE with the same money. While I don't want to discourage people from doing programs like the Angel Tree, I feel like God's people need to step it up, here! If we could provide water to these millions of kids, we would make their health, education, and therefore, life so much better! Honestly, I don't think buying Tickle Me Elmo for a little girl is going to do that much for her...
I want to live in a way that is not of the world, but of the Kingdom. I want Christmas to look different for my family than it does for other people. I want to celebrate the life of Jesus and the life he came to bring to us. I can't think of a much better way than to help people build wells so they can provide their families with clean water! Jesus even called himself the Living Water.
So I'm not sure exactly how we are doing Christmas this year... I would love to see my church family get in on this with me and really change some lives! Praying that God will show us how to serve him in all that we do! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, October 13
Friday, October 8
I have known the Harrells pretty much my whole life. When I was very young I would watch this home video my parents had made. I think they were saying goodbye to someone who was retiring, or something like that... I don't really remember. But in the video my parents and their friends were doing the silliest skits! One of them was Mark Harrell laying on a table with his head hanging upside down with his chin decorated like a face. He was singing and it looked so bizarre to me! My parents laughed every time we saw it. I also remember seeing a picture in one of our photo albums pre-me and Nikki with my parents, the Harrells, and some other couples from church. I always like the picture, because they all looked so happy. Lisa was laughing. And my mom is wearing this pink sweater, which she still owns and wears, so that's pretty funny.
The Harrells became very important in my life about the time I was 14 or 15. They called on me to babysit for them. I was looking for some extra money, and I have always liked kids, so they asked me to babysit for them fairly often. It wasn't until recently that I realized how much they were doing me a favor, and not the other way around. When I would babysit, Mark would come pick me up at my house, about a 20 minute drive. Then they would order pizza for me and the kids. When they got home, Mark would take me back to my house! So he was driving about an hour out of his way, when he could have just gotten a babysitter who could drive. And they paid me!! That is love.
Babysitting for them was wonderful and I will never forget it! Sam was quiet and just played on the computer the whole time. Shelby was a precious little thing who took most of my attention, since she was still in diapers! She forced me to watch more Barney than I had ever wanted to. But getting to play with her and watch her grow was totally worth it. She had quite a cute belly back then and I remember patting it and calling her Buddha Belly. One night I gave her a bath and tried to towel dry her hair. She got really aggravated at me and went to get the blow dryer and tried to make me use it. I had not really ever used one myself and I thought I would burn her little head. So I think she probably just air dried that night! Last, but oh- not least, there was Seth. Adorable, wild Seth. Seth who did not tell me we were playing hide and seek- but hid anyway. I may have had a heart attack that night! After looking everywhere, I finally got Sam to help me look. Of course, smart Sam knew just where he was- in a closet by the bathroom. I think he was under some towels... Anyway, I gave Seth a lecture of the dangers of hiding (cause, you know, a fire could happen and then I would die trying to find you and you would die because you were hiding!!!!).
My very, very favorite memory from babysitting is going to the lake! Lisa's family lives by a lake and have a boat and some jet ski's. We all went up one day and I came along to make sure the kids stayed out of the way of whatever they were doing. A few weeks later, my family and some other friends all came up to the lake together. This time we played all day! I remember riding on the jet ski for the first time and thinking it was the best thing ever! My mom thought Mark drove too fast (she was wrong :) ). Then I got on the tube behind the jet ski... It was the only time in my life where I truly thought I was about to perish. Obviously, I was fine. Riding so fast over the water with the surface inches from my face was exhilarating! Again, my mom thought Mark was driving the jet ski too fast (I may have secretly agreed that time). Then we loaded up on the boat to get some dinner at the Marina. I have a distinct memory of Mark at the wheel, the wind blowing his hair in crazy directions, singing "Cheeseburger in Paradise" very loudly. Then he let me steer the boat. His faith in me was astounding.
What I don't want to write about today is how hard it has been to watch Mark leave us. I don't need to tell you how I cried out to God to save his life, because if you are reading this, that is likely your story too. We share the grief, the the heartache of seeing him ill; if you attend Stones River you shared with me in the awe of watching him walk down the aisle at church as we sang "How Great is Our God". The joy and thankfulness and comfort in seeing him live so richly with his family the past two years is in all of our hearts. Lately, peace is all we have petitioned.
When I think of Mark, I will not think of grief. I will not think of loss. But I will always remember his kind and good heart, his sense of humor (even if I rolled my eyes more than laughed), and his deep love for his family. I will miss seeing his smiling face. I praise God he is smiling again now, his body whole and his pain forever gone. He is probably boating around on that crystal sea looking for a cheeseburger.
Jesus, bring us peace. Holy Spirit, comfort us. Father God, continue to pour out your goodness upon us. Amen.
The Harrells became very important in my life about the time I was 14 or 15. They called on me to babysit for them. I was looking for some extra money, and I have always liked kids, so they asked me to babysit for them fairly often. It wasn't until recently that I realized how much they were doing me a favor, and not the other way around. When I would babysit, Mark would come pick me up at my house, about a 20 minute drive. Then they would order pizza for me and the kids. When they got home, Mark would take me back to my house! So he was driving about an hour out of his way, when he could have just gotten a babysitter who could drive. And they paid me!! That is love.
Babysitting for them was wonderful and I will never forget it! Sam was quiet and just played on the computer the whole time. Shelby was a precious little thing who took most of my attention, since she was still in diapers! She forced me to watch more Barney than I had ever wanted to. But getting to play with her and watch her grow was totally worth it. She had quite a cute belly back then and I remember patting it and calling her Buddha Belly. One night I gave her a bath and tried to towel dry her hair. She got really aggravated at me and went to get the blow dryer and tried to make me use it. I had not really ever used one myself and I thought I would burn her little head. So I think she probably just air dried that night! Last, but oh- not least, there was Seth. Adorable, wild Seth. Seth who did not tell me we were playing hide and seek- but hid anyway. I may have had a heart attack that night! After looking everywhere, I finally got Sam to help me look. Of course, smart Sam knew just where he was- in a closet by the bathroom. I think he was under some towels... Anyway, I gave Seth a lecture of the dangers of hiding (cause, you know, a fire could happen and then I would die trying to find you and you would die because you were hiding!!!!).
My very, very favorite memory from babysitting is going to the lake! Lisa's family lives by a lake and have a boat and some jet ski's. We all went up one day and I came along to make sure the kids stayed out of the way of whatever they were doing. A few weeks later, my family and some other friends all came up to the lake together. This time we played all day! I remember riding on the jet ski for the first time and thinking it was the best thing ever! My mom thought Mark drove too fast (she was wrong :) ). Then I got on the tube behind the jet ski... It was the only time in my life where I truly thought I was about to perish. Obviously, I was fine. Riding so fast over the water with the surface inches from my face was exhilarating! Again, my mom thought Mark was driving the jet ski too fast (I may have secretly agreed that time). Then we loaded up on the boat to get some dinner at the Marina. I have a distinct memory of Mark at the wheel, the wind blowing his hair in crazy directions, singing "Cheeseburger in Paradise" very loudly. Then he let me steer the boat. His faith in me was astounding.
What I don't want to write about today is how hard it has been to watch Mark leave us. I don't need to tell you how I cried out to God to save his life, because if you are reading this, that is likely your story too. We share the grief, the the heartache of seeing him ill; if you attend Stones River you shared with me in the awe of watching him walk down the aisle at church as we sang "How Great is Our God". The joy and thankfulness and comfort in seeing him live so richly with his family the past two years is in all of our hearts. Lately, peace is all we have petitioned.
When I think of Mark, I will not think of grief. I will not think of loss. But I will always remember his kind and good heart, his sense of humor (even if I rolled my eyes more than laughed), and his deep love for his family. I will miss seeing his smiling face. I praise God he is smiling again now, his body whole and his pain forever gone. He is probably boating around on that crystal sea looking for a cheeseburger.
Jesus, bring us peace. Holy Spirit, comfort us. Father God, continue to pour out your goodness upon us. Amen.
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