Photo of the day Recap: January 7, 2010

Me: "I need to go check on the laundry, have you seen my shoe Miles?"

Miles: "ooose?"

Me: "Yes, my shoes. I have one. Where is the other?" (at this point I proceeded to check every trashcan and toy basket in the house....the most recent places missing shoes have turned up.)

Miles follows me into every room while I look for the stupid shoe.
*****
...and then ta da...
I eventually found the missing shoe. Miles had placed it in his shoe basket with all of his shoes. That's where it belongs, right?
Thank you son.

Photo of the day Recap: January 6, 2010

Me: "Miles, do you want to go outside?"

Miles: Eeease. Eeeease. (while signing please by rubbing impatiently with BOTH hands)

Me: "Okay. Lets put on your shoes."

Miles: "ooos?"

Me: "Yes. Shoes. Where are your shoes?"

Miles: Two hands up in the air motioning "where"

Me: "I can't find them. Where did they go? Not in here (shoe basket). Maybe we should pick up some toys and we'll find them...."
*******
...and while moving Miles' truck I found where he had placed his shoe. Why shouldn't a little person be tucked safely inside while going on a big truck ride? I mean, that makes sense right?

Mid January....how are your resolutions going?

I'm not really one for resolutions. I always have just felt that you can change how you do something, stop doing something, or start up something new any time of the year. Why wait for the first day of the new year? But, this year I decided to join the masses of those that start off with the newness of the year with a fresh look at how this year will be lived. Two weeks in, and can't say I'm doing perfect in all areas, but it is definitely great to be reminded that my intentions are to change it up a bit. So here it is....

1. At least 4 homemade meals a week. I would like to try organize these meals around the fresh vegetables and fruits that are in season. Meat can be the main ingredient on occasion.

2. Exercise. I know, 99 percent of the American population has probably jumped on the eat right and exercise bandwagon. Well, heres to hoping there is room for one more. There was a time in my life where I would rather be outside and dirty from climbing, hiking, running, biking, paddling or any other of the millions of activities that exist outside (yes even disc golf people). Any of these was a better choice than staying inside sitting on my butt and consuming empty calories. Then it happened....life with a career, then married life, then life in a new town, followed by pregnancy and life with an infant. Life doesn't stop or slow down, and over the last 5 years, my carefree attitude about my body has well....changed. Because, my body has changed. So, I will now be competing my own form of P90x (concentrating on the whole body but mainly on legs, butt, and gut).

3. Take a picture a day. So far I have been successful 16 of the 18 days in Jan. It has been fun to document some of the funny occurrences in the Bucklad home over the last month.

4. Read 1 book each month. I don't read much anymore, and find it hard to sit down and enjoy a book. That said, I haven't started this month's book yet.

5. Correspond by mail once a week. Yes, get out the stationary and use it! Now that Christmas cards are mailed, I'll begin the intimate act of writing words on paper to the people I love.

And....there they are. All 5. I still believe that I can drop, add, and modify to this list at any point, and won't feel guilty if I find it necessary to do so. I just wanted to take advantage of the "fresh start" thing and attack mind, body, and soul.

Here's to a better year!

It's all about Grace

Earlier this week after learning about the horrific earthquake in Haiti, Brad and I were beginning our day with some small conversation over coffee. (yes, I do feel guilty that we are in our own little world sipping coffee while lives were permanently changed from this horrible horrible event) I started to make a statement about how my heart hurt over the event and how Haiti seemed like such a dark place. We then got distracted with who know what without finishing our conversation. Had we been able to finish, I would have shared why my heart hurt concerning the situation. One, being that of hope. Two, being that of dumb people claiming God caused or made this to happen.

First of all, after a year of heartache which I have shared openly about, I have realized that the only reason, I am even able to function is because I have hope. My hope is from Christ. period. I believe that there is more to life than what we experience and understand here in the present. I hurt for those that suffer daily and don't know of Christ and what life can look like once it is lived to the fullest with hope that only comes from Him. I pray that those suffering after this disaster have hope. I just can't imagine continuing on daily with out the expectation of something more.

I have also come to realize that many people do not know how to deal with the hurt and heartache that comes from grieving after the loss of someone you love. At some point in time, people have adapted to dealing with this loss by saying such lame comments like "their time was just up, they're in a better place, God needed his angel, Her work was finished here on earth...."....to all that crappy advice...shove it. Its just LAME. Once again, I do not believe that God says "boom. I'm taking Lynne Rendleman. Or wham, sorry Haiti, your finished." God does not work that way. We are all looking at the same end result for our life here on earth. Death. We are all going to die one day. Whether it is at 57 from an aneurysm, 16 from a car accident, 95 while asleep in your bed, or from a tragic natural disaster such as a hurricane, tsunami, or earthquake that gives no mercy to any age. This is a broken world, and there are broken things that happen as a result of that. God does not make these terrible things happen. It is condition that we are living with that makes this world the horrible place it is. Where babies have to live with diseases, people have to fight cancer, where we have to face the nagging question every day "why do bad things happen to good people?".

This is where hope comes in. This is why I hurt for Haiti, and my concern for it being a "dark" place. Is there hope present? Do they know they are a victim of a broken world not the vengeance of God? I pray they do.

These feelings, as strong as they are, balance on a fine line of turning into anger when I hear comments like those from Pat Robertson. It makes my stomach turn that there are people that claim Christ yet speak of a vengeful God that causes an earthquake to a happen basically to teach a lesson because "they made a pact with the devil." What is the purpose of Christ's death on the cross if God deals out consequences because of the things we do. It is not about what we do (good or bad) cause we do a lot....and none of it is worthy of the love of God. We are broken. Jesus died to change all that.

For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--Ephesians 2:8

I am struggling to give grace towards Robertson. He is making the case for Christ that much harder. People hate christians because of attitudes like the one he has shown. Donald Miller wrote some words dealing with this situation. Take some time to read. He is graceful in his approach to react towards words that are so harsh and hateful instead full of light, love, and truth.

Future Glory...Romans 8:18-27

My heart is breaking. It seems that everywhere I turn, I see death, destruction, heartache. Early this morning, one of our dear sweet YL girls, Abbey Tsumas, lost her life after a tragic car accident. I'm not writing this post to speak about details of this tragedy or even to write about memories of Abbey (though if you knew her, she was beautiful, funny, and so full of life...words cannot do justice in describing this young friend) I am however constantly reminded of words I have read over and over in Romans...Not just now and with this loss, but because my heart has just continued to break every day since last March.

First of all, please do not think that I am going to stand up and preach that everything happens for a reason, and this is what Christ had planned, or even that we are being taught a lesson. Paul does not write this in Romans so that in every bad event, we can brush it off giving some lame advice or piece of wisdom that God caused or made these terrible things to happen, and He just knows whats best. Because he did not. He does not work that way. "Sin has been, and is, the guilty cause of all the suffering that exists in the creation of God"(commentary by Matthew Henry). Simply put, we hurt because pain exists. Pain, hurt, worry, and fear and not from God. We understand these feeling because we are part of this world. As long as we are, we will feel evil and what is evidence of work on this earth that is NOT FROM GOD.

But, there is good news. These sufferings, pains, fears, loss, and feelings of despair are only temporary. They can only last as long as we are here in the present. Compare that with eternity and it is only but "for a moment" (Rom 18). We are waiting in "eager expectation" for what we know is true, right, and glorious! There is so much to anticipate and await. We will one day be made whole again with the "redemption of our bodies" and the welcoming arms of Christ. Abbey has been made whole again. Mom is whole again. Sara is whole. Katie is whole.

If we wait to be happy in life here, on earth, we will never truly be happy. It has to come from Hope. It has to come from Christ. These ladies had it, knew of it, and are experiencing what our minds cannot, in this worldly condition, understand or even fathom.

-----For in this hope, we are saved! Romans 8:24

So...pray. Please pray. Don't worry for the right words. They are there. They are in your groanings, in your pains, in your doubts, and worries. They are there when your "words cannot express". Be still. Seek Him....and Pray

I Can't Believe I Get To Do This

Seriously, my job is the greatest in the world. It isn't always the easiest, but I still don't understand why more people aren't lining up to do it. This week at club I got to teach a couple of guys I've known for 3 years now how to do a classic Young Life skit, and then sit back and watch them perform for their friends.

Please Pray

My dear sweet friend Anne shared this story recently with me and the family set up a blog to follow along. Sara is a young friend of Anne's. The same week Sara found out she was expecting a baby, she found out she also had breast cancer. They have been treating the cancer the best they can while she has been pregnant. Last week, she gave birth and were able to bring their healthy little girl, Chloe, home. A couple days later Sara collapsed in her home with seizures. Read their story here. She has been in the hospital since last Friday, and she is not doing well. Their family could use a ton of prayer.
Thanks