Uggghhh...

Well, I am officially out of the running for mother of the year.  Saturday was Charlie's first off-shore fishing trip, and Jason and I made the grave mistake of thinking I could handle the calm seas at the Off Shore Reef and the Charleston 60...uggghhhhh...

I was fine until we made it past the jetties, but as soon as we hit the rolling waves my stomach hit a wall.  For the next two hours (and/or 2 million years...depending on your perspective) I felt like I was trapped in that moment immediately before you get sick.

Apparently it had been so long since I'd been out in rough water (since I was pregnant with Charlie, actually) that Jason and I had both completely lost touch with reality.  In addition to it being Charlie's first off-shore fishing trip, we took friends and their kids, so their was absolutely no turning back.

For about two hours (aka 2 million years) I was the absolutely worst host ever as I just stared off at the horizon wondering what on earth I had done to make Jason hate me so much and I how I could live with myself realizing that I hated him even more.

As we were circling over the sunken barges, (Yes!  Circling in Rolling Waves!!!),  and I contemplated suicide and/or murder, Robert got a bite and reeled in a nice black sea bass that all three kids took turns touching before they let him go. 

Moments later, Jason noticed a tug on his line, and as soon as he mentioned it Charlie shouted "Fish On!!", raced to the rod and started reeling.  He got the second black sea bass all the way into the boat on his own, but declined to touch this one since the first was slimy.  All the while, two tremendous barracudas were circling the boat -- it was picture perfect. 

Sadly, though, there is not a picture to be had.  There wasn't enough money in the world to get me to stick my head underneath to find the camera or look at that tiny screen.

Finally (and yes, I know that is horrible, but I'm just being honest), sweet little Alice started to feel the waves, too and burst into tears.  All I could think was that she was right, that was the only appropriate response, and I should have started crying long before.

As we turned and headed back in, the ride smoothed out since we were going with the waves and by the time we beached just across from Fort Sumter I was talking again and even ready for some lunch.

I am terribly sorry that I didn't get pictures of Charlie's first ocean fish, and a little bit sorry that I won't be able to help out with him on future expeditions, but to be honest, not that sorry about that.  I've made Jason promise to never ask me to go out again, because I fear that I will stupidly agree thinking it will be better.

Of course, he did mention that even though Dramamine, Bonine and the bracelets have all failed for me, there is prescription nausea medication available.  He then quickly agreed to not mention that again for at least a couple years -- when the horror of Saturday has worn off a little...

Just a moment...

Charlie: Why do you have to close your eyes when you pray?
Mommy: Well you don't have to, but sometimes it's a good idea so you can concentrate on God and not be distracted by what's around you.
Charlie: Oh.  I didn't know that when I was a baby.
Mommy: As you grow up you're going to learn lots of new things.
Charlie: Yep.  And when I grow up all the things you teach to me, I'll teach to my son.

Last Batter

Sometimes everything just falls into place to turn a common occurrence into a spectacular event...and Friday night was one of those times.

See, it all started Friday evening on the way to T-Ball.  Charlie asked me to tell him a story and pretty much all of my stories star Curious George as a blatant stand-in for Charlie himself.  In Friday's story George was the smallest member of his t-ball team and often feared that the other kids would laugh at him when he was up to bat because he sometimes missed the ball.  When it was George's turn to bat he did miss the ball on his first swing and expected to hear laughter, but instead everyone was cheering for him.  When he swung again, the ball went farther than it ever had and George scored a home run with all the ensuing fanfare...and everyone lived happily ever after.

Fast forward to the second inning, and Charlie had the coveted position of "last batter".  New to me this year, but essentially, when the last batter is up the fielding team has to replace the ball on the tee to end the inning.  Sometimes they also field the ball trying to get outs, but more often than not they just take it to the tee.

As happens in any sporting event, the crowd's attention waxes and wanes, but for some reason our whole section suddenly seemed to focus on the game as Charlie came up to bat, so he heard cheers other than just  mom's and dad's as he warmed up. 

After a brief chat with Coach TJ, Charlie swung and managed to smack the tee so the ball actually fell back towards him, but just like in our story, the cheers only got louder.  So he scuffed his feet and swung again, and the ball truly did fly farther than it ever has before -- almost to the pitcher's mound, so Jason's and my cheers were definitely louder than usual.

Charlie started to pull up at first base, but Coach Bill told him to keep on going, so in what I consider the cutest running posture ever (head down, chin out and arms motionless down to the elbows, then swinging below) he powered on to second, then with encouragement on towards home with the crowd roaring and Coach Lopez actually swinging his arm around just like they do in the big leagues.

The look on Charlie's face as he slid into home amidst the cheers was a mixture of shock and pride, and I'm sure Jason's and mine were a mirror of the same -- along with tremendous gratitude.

It wasn't a playoff game, it wasn't the final inning, they don't keep score in t-ball and the ball had actually been on the tee since about second base, but I would argue that in the course of over 6000 years of Creation that moment was just as significant as any final play in any Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl or Final Four.  No one could convince me that millions of dollars, lengthy contracts or fancy tropies bring more joy or build character better than a little boy trying his hardest and through the mercy and love of friends, family and strangers, exceeding his wildest dreams.

Sweet

It's no secret that our house is a wreck with random gadgets and gizmos all over the place...especially the dining room.  On the way up to rest this afternoon Charlie and I just had the sweetest conversation...

Charlie: Mom, what's that tiger game?
Mom: What tiger game?...Oh, that?  That's a cake pan.
Charlie: Can I have it?
Mom: Buddy, it's really just to bake in.  I used it to make your sock monkey cake for your first birthday.
Charlie: Well, when I grow up can I give it to my wife?
Mom: Of course, Buddy.
Charlie: Or I could keep it and use it myself.
Mom: Yes, you could.

I really love this boy.

What to do...

when you find yourself whining about the blessings in your life?

Take a break and enjoy the spring with one of your favorite boys.

It's hard...

I now have new-found respect for military wives and women whose husbands are transferred frequently.  Being a good mom when moving is really hard -- and we're just moving from Summerville to West Ashley.  I really don't know how these ladies that have to move cross country every couple of years keep their sanity or why anyone (us included) would choose to move without a really good reason (like saving the world, escaping a plague or something...)

I'm approximately two weeks into packing and by the looks of my house I have about two years left to go.  Granted, I only pack for a couple hours per day in an effort to maintain a relationship with my son and prevent him from becoming a complete couch potato, but it's tough. 

You start taping together one box and trying to figure out how to cram 48 coffee cups into it without breaking any and the next thing you know Curious George is over... 

(Don't tell Jason, but I am finally realizing that he has a pretty legitimate argument when he says no one needs 6 complete sets of dishes -- even if one was her Grandma's, one is Christmas, one is her wedding china, etc...)  Sadly, it appears all but a few odd plates will make it to the new house...you just never know when you might need extras...)

I am proud to say, though,  that I'm finally throwing away half of the left over embossed napkins from our wedding and all of the wine labels we saved from the wine of the month club (I'm not sure what we really thought we'd do with them anyway...).  

And to be honest, I'm debating chucking all our yearbooks.  Seriously, what possible use could we ever have for 13 years of bad pictures?  I haven't been able to commit to that one yet, though.

Ok, my break is over.  Charlie negotiatied (yes...I know it's terrible, but he's really good at it and I'm feeling weak today) for an additional 10 minutes before nap because he is using a ski rope and ultimate frisbee to save lives from his swingset -- he's in the Coastguard today (his poor wife will ave to move A LOT).  But it's already been 14 and a tired Charlie is a mean Charlie...

I'm assuming this goes without saying, but clearly if I'm struggling to find enough hours to be a good mother, there is precious little time to be a good blogger, so you'll have to forgive any extended silences (even you, Mom!).

Peanuts

Since his second Halloween Jason and I have encouraged Charlie's interest in Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends.  I have always loved the Thanksgiving and Christmas specials, and since Charlie does, too, we've gathered many of the other specials. 

Even though Jason and I find some of the shows a bit slow (Peanuts specials definitely have a slower pace than current kids shows...it's actually kind of refreshing), it is nice to sit down with Charlie and laugh at the same jokes we enjoyed 30 years ago (and not worry about questionable topics).

But, as sweet as the reminiscent fun has been, nothing could have prepared me for the absolute joy of his response to 1992's It's Spring Training Charlie Brown. 

There are many, many blessings and wonders of being a mom...but laughter is definitely my favorite!

My Little Realist

I once had a professor call me "una cinica" when I struggled with the premise of Love in the Times of Cholera...but seriously, how crazy is it to think that a couple could barely meet and still be passionately in love with one another 60 or so years later?  I think not.  At nineteen my opinion was that they should have focussed on their real lives and they probably would have ended up a lot happier...

I countered that rather than "una cinica" I was "una realista"... and it appears that my four year old is developing (or was born with) a similar mindset.

This weekend my mom forwarded me one of those adorable emails with gradeschool children answering somewhat philisophical questions, so of course we quizzed Charlie.  His answers are in bold.  And for anyone concerned, he does still believe pixie dust and that his stuffed Bella has feelings...it's hard to explain, but I can vouch for the fact that stubborn realism and joyful imaginations do, in fact, go together.

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

Charlie: "So they can have babies."

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

Charlie: "He spoke them."

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Charlie: "I don't know.  God."

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

Charlie: "Because He wanted to."

What kind of a little girl was your mom?

1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

Charlie: "A daughter...even now she's a daughter."

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Charlie: "That she'd spend her life with him forever."

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Charlie: "Because she loved him and she liked him and she wanted to get married...And because she wanted a son." 

 

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

Charlie: "DADDY!... I guess..."

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

Charlie: "She's a girl and Daddy's a boy.  And she has long hair."

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

Charlie: "Play and go to the Children's Museum and see friends and go to church."

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

Charlie: "God."

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Charlie: "That I make the rules."

 

 

Needless to say...it's pretty clear why God made me Charlie's mom...

A Fact of Life

"Hey Mom, cowboys either have horses or black trucks...fast black trucks."

 

 

Play Ball!

Today may have been my favorite day yet...  There are just no words for how much fun it is to be your son's biggest fan -- especially when you get to do it on "That Day" (first day you notice that everything is green) with the man of your dreams and one of your dearest friends.

I truly couldn't have had more fun today, nor could Charlie or Jason.

The play by play...

Easter Week - Saturday and Sunday

We spent Easter weekend camping at Hunting Island and participating in your traditional egg hunts and games.  Rather than create any crafts or activities to teach about Friday, Saturday and Sunday we really just tried to use every opportunity to talk about what happened on those days...so we had some serious, some confusing and some joyful talks in the tent, walking on the beach and riding in the car. 

Whether or not Charlie truly understands the meaning of Easter, I can't tell you -- but Jason and I are confident that he knows what happened that week and we hope that as he grows this knowledge will become faith, so he, too, can rest in the hope and peace of God's perfect and complete plan for our salvation.

Easter Week - Friday

Sigh...It's 6:41 AM and I haven't figured out how we're going to cover Good Friday.  It was such a horribly tragic day, but the purest and most perfect example of love in history.

I suppose we'll focus on that and read the account of the day then read I Corinthians 13.  Thankfully, Jason is home today so we can tag team it!

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death; and they bound Him and led Him away and delivered Him up to Pilate the governor.

Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."
But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!"
And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood." And they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter's Field as a burial place for strangers. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; and they gave them for the Potter's Field, as the Lord directed me."

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
And Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He made no answer.
Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?"
And He did not answer him with regard to a even a single charge, so that the governor was quite amazed. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the multitude any one prisoner who they wanted. And they were holding at that time a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew that because of envy they had delivered Him up.
And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him."
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death.
But the governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?"
And they said, "Barabbas."
Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?"
But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing,k but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves."
And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children!"
Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spat on him and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. And after they had mocked Him, they took His robe off and put His garments on Him and led Him away to crucify Him.

And as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots; and sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. And they put up above His head the charge against Him which read, "This is Jesus The King of the Jews."
At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left.
And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him. He trusts in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
And the robbers also who had been crucified with Him were casting the same insult at Him.

Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
And some of those who were standing there when they heard it began saying, "This man is calling for Elijah."

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
Now the centurion and those who were keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
And many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, among whom was Mary Magdalene, along with Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

And when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given over to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.


Matthew 27:1-61

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of  prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:1-13

Other References
Zechariah 11:12-13
Genesis 20:6; 31:11
Joshua 2:19
Psalm 69:21
Psalm 22:18
Psalm 22:7
Psalm 22:8
Psalm 22:1
Exodus 26:31

Easter Week - Thursday

Thursday is where so many Easter stories begin (including Charlie's Easter movie).  While in truth the story really began in Genesis 1:1, Thursday through Sunday are definitely the climax of the story -- at least until He comes back.

I thought about trying to recreate the Lord's Supper with Charlie, but I couldn't figure out how to impress upon him the metaphor of the bread and the wine.  I think that lesson might be better learned when he is older.

So I decided to wash his feet.  It's interesting that an act of such pure service really seems commonplace when we do it for our children.  To wash anyone else's feet would be a serious departure, but to wash Charlie's is pretty normal.

Still, it's tough to imagine that if after all I do to serve Charlie day in and day out, he were to deny that I am his mother or that he even knows me.  Clearly I would still love him and I don't think I would be angry, just terribly disappointed and terribly sad.

And to think that Jesus did and does so much more for us and we deny Him all the time...


Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.  And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.  Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.  And so He came to Simon Peter. 
He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"
Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter."
Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" 
Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."
Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."
Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."  For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."

And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.  If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.  Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is no grater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.  If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.  I do not speak to all of you.  I b know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who easts My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.'  From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.  Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

...

Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" 
Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later."
Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now?  I will lay down my life for You."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me?  Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times."

...

Peter therefore denied it again; and immediately a cock crowed.

John 13:1-20, 36-38; 18:27

 

Other References

Exodus 24:8

Jeremiah 31:31

Psalm 41:9

Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6

Amos 9:9

Isaiah 53:3

Matthew 26:17-75

Mark 14:12-72

Luke 22:7-65

John 13:1 - 18:27

Easter Week - Wednesday

If Tuesday was tough because there was so much, Wednesday was just the opposite.  There is nothing in the Bible about what happened on Wednesday...which is so odd when you think about the detail of the other days.

In an effort to impress upon him the difference, we sat down for our Bible lesson without the Bible.  He did notice -- but of course just assumed I forgot it. 

I think the absence of information made a much greater impression on me than on him, but we did spend some time talking about what he and I would be thinking/feeling if we knew that we were going to be crucified on Friday and then fulfill our life's purpose on Sunday by coming back to life and thereby providing a route to eternal life for millions.

I imagine that it was a frightening and exciting day for Jesus.  Very profound...maybe too profound for a four year old...in fact, maybe too profound for a 35 year old...

Easter Week - Tuesday

I suppose you could say Tuesday was Jesus' last big "teaching" day -- at least seminar-style teaching.  He spent the day answering questions from the Sadducees and Pharisees on topics ranging from resurrection to the end of the age.  And the day concluded with Judas sealing his own tragic fate by making a deal with the priests.  (Interesting how his personal failure played a key role in the salvation of millions...)

Aware of my own limitations and the age of my audience, I decided to focus on one particular discussion from the day -- the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:35-40) -- then talk through Judas' betrayal of Jesus (Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16)

I didn't find any cute activities for Tuesday, so we just chatted through the passages as we read them. 

1 - Who did Jesus silence? (Sadducees)
2 - Who asked about the greatest commandment? (a Pharisee)

At which point Charlie asked what Sadducees and Pharisees were, so we discussed the difference between religion and faith a bit.

3 - What is a commandment? ("a rule we have to obey")
4 - Who do we love first? ("the Lord your God with all your soul and all your mind")

At which point Charlie asked what our soul is.  I went out on a bit of a limb here and said our heart beats, our brain thinks and our soul believes...???  Then he asked if our soul is where we feel happy, and we agreed that it is quite possible that our soul is where we feel our emotions.

5 - Who do we love second? (our neighbor)
6 - What did the chief priests plan to do to Jesus? (kill him)
7 - When did they plan to kill him? ("after the dinner")
8 - Who offered to help the priests? (Judas)
9 - What did they pay him? (30 silver coins)
10 - To do what to Jesus? ("find him for the priests")

And as they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. And being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which You cursed has withered."

And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received hem, and they shall be granted you. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. [But if you do not forgive neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.]

And they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and scribes, and elders came to Him, and began saying to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?"

And Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer Me."

And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' But shall we say, 'From men'?" -- they were afraid of the multitude, for all considered John to have been a prophet indeed. And answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know."

And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

And He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard, and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. And at harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others.

He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

"But those vine-growers said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!'

"And they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

"What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read the Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

And they were seeking to seize Him; and yet they feared the multitude; for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away.

And they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him, in order to trap Him in a statement. And they came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay?"

But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at."

And they brought one. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"

And they said to Him, "Caesar's."

And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."

And they were amazed at Him.

And some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him and began questioning Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaved no child, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring to his brother. There were seven brothers; and the first took a wifeand died, leaving no offspring. And the second one took her and died, leaving behind no offspring; and the third likewise; and so all seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife."

Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?' He is not theGod of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken."

And one of the scribes came and heard them arguing and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?"

Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

And the scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher, You have truly stated that He is one; and there is no one else beside Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

And when Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

And Jesus answering began to say, as He taught in the temple "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet.'" David himself calls Him 'Lord'; and so in what sense is He his son?"

And the great crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

And in His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and like respectful greetings in the market places and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation."

And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on."

And as He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"

And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another which will not be torn down."

And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?"

And Jesus began to say to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and will mislead many. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will arise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

"But be on your guard for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. And when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.

"And brother will deliver brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.

"But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. And let him who is on the housetop not go down or enter in to get anything out of his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that it may not happen in the winter. For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created, until now and never shall. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened those days.

"And then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ'; or, 'Behold, He is there'; do not believe him; for false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders, in order, if possible, to lead the elect astray.

"But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance."

"But in those days, after the tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels and will gather together His elect from the four winds, form the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

"Now learn the parable from the fig tree; when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of the day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in the heaven nor the Son, but the Father alone.

"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. It is like a man, away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert -- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, at cock-crowing or in the morning -- lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread was two days off; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth, and kill Him; for they were saying, "Not during the festival, lest there be a riot of the people."

And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. And they were glad when they heard this and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

Mark 11:20 - 14:2,10,11

Other References

Isaiah 5:1-2

Psalm 118:22-23

Deuteronomy 25:5

Exodus 3:6

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Leviticus 19:18

Deuteronomy 4:35

Deuteronomy 6:5

I Samuel 15:22

Hosea 6:6

Micah 6:6-8

Psalm 110:1

Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11

Daniel 12:1

Isaiah 13:10

Ezekiel 32:7

Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15

Isaiah 34:4

Daniel 7:13

Deuteronomy 30:4

Zechariah 2:6

Exodus 12:1-27

Matthew 21:20 - 26:5,14-16

Luke 20:1 - 22:6

John 12:20 - 17:26

Easter Week - Monday

Hmmmm...so if asked I would tell anyone that Easter is the most important "holiday" of the year, so why is it that until an hour ago I had given no thought to how we would prepare Charlie and observe the most important miracle in history?

Thankfully, Childrens' Church did an an excellent job of covering Palm Sunday yesterday morning, so I'm not really behind yet.

Fully aware of my limited crafty abilities and short time frame, I decided to just go through the events of the week day by day and do a small activity with each.

So...today we are covering Jesus' removal of the money changers from the temple, with a handy-dandy coloring sheet I found online. (http://www.biblewise.com/images/kids_korner/fun_games/2004/april/colorbook.pdf)

Thankfully at four years old, Charlie's expectations are not too high...we'll see if I get more creative as the week moves on...



And on the next day, when they had departed from Bethany, He became hungry. And seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And He answered and said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.

And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a robbers' den."
And the chief prests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for all the multitude was astonished at His teaching.

And when evening came, they would go out of the city.

Mark 11:11-19


Other References
Isaiah 56:7
Jeremiah 7:11
Matthew 21:12-19
Luke 19:45-48

Four!

Charlie started the day singing his own new song...and it just got better from there.

He had a fabulous time opening presents, playing with his friends, learning how to take fingerprints and eating lots of cake and candy. 

Jason and I couldn't feel more blessed to have been a part of his past four years or to know we have many more ahead of us (maybe many, many -- per Charlie he's going to live with us forever!)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

T-minus 11 days.  That's what everyone tells us anyways.  In 11 days our three year old will turn four and peace will reign in our home.  Not to be cynical, but I'll believe it when I see it...

Take this past weekend for instance.  Rather than sit at home while Jason went on one of his boys' trips, Charlie and I road-tripped to Virginia Beach to spend the weekend with the Barletts.  Having done the same thing last year and had an easy drive and fabulous weekend, I was expecting bliss.  I was wrong.

The drive itself was fine with the rain letting up at South of the Border, and the friends were a delight, but the three year old was just too much.  No, he didn't break any laws (or even any furniture) and his head didn't spin around or anything, he was just unendingly defiant from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. 

That's right -- Sunday morning.  His behavior, the endless corrections and the repeated time-outs got so exhausting that we left a whole day early.  It finally came down to the realization that if I were Tony, Lea, Lakely and Cashton, I wouldn't want to spend my Sunday afternoon dealing with Charlie's frequent assertions of, "I"m mad" and my subsequent reactions.

So at 11:00 I made the call and by 11:30 we were on the road.  I have all sorts of justifications for his behavior:  he'd been sick last week, he missed his Daddy, he's not around anyone other than me 24-7, blah, blah, blah.  Bottom line?  He decided to be a brat and forced my hand.

To make sure he got the point, the 6 1/2 hour ride home was devoid of movies and/or kids' music.  After passing our third racetrack (who knew I-95 was a NASCAR enthusiasts Road to Hana?) we did find the race on the radio, though.  Charlie never could understand why they weren't talking at all about how Daddy was doing, though he is fairly sure he heard Jason clapping at one point...

Lest I portray the weekend as a complete failure, I should point out that the homemade pizzas on Friday evening were delicious, the Stroller Strides class on Saturday morning was a blast (though I still struggle going up and down stairs -- lunges are evil!), Lea's and my girls' night out was fabulous and the joy of both Charlie and I getting to spend quality time with some of our very best friends was amazing.  I am just so grateful for patient, gracious friends and the miracle of squeezing so much laughter, life-updates and relaxation between tantrums. 

You really can't underestimate the gift of genuine friendship, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat...though I might come up with some more effective consequences in advance.  Besides, by next year we'll only remember the pom-poms, wine and bunnies anyway (assuming of course my glutes stop burning by then...)