Make Me Smile Monday

On friday it was R's birthday. She turned 7. Aside from the regular (for our family) celebrations, I had an extra little surprise for her. Last year I borrowed this idea from "Trey and Lucy" (which of course I came across on Pinterest) for all the kids on their respective birthdays and they loved it. I did it on their own personal bedroom door during the night and they woke up to it in the morning.

I forgot how much they loved it until I was driving the kids home from school and R and S both mentioned they were surprised I hadn't done it again. So, feeling a bit like I'd dropped the ball on this one I immediately began trying to figure out what I could do instead.

And I figured it out! While R and J were downstairs playing at the kitchen table S and I went upstairs and I blew up between 25-30 balloons and put them on the floor. I quietly let Jason know that S would be calling R up to her room and that he should come upstairs when she did. I got J to come upstairs with me while S went down to get her sister. J and I closed her bedroom door and piled all the balloons close to the door. When she opened the door J, S and I yelled "Surprise!" and balloons went flying everywhere. There was a lot of smiles and giggles and balloons flying everywhere. She was completely surprised and it was definitely a hit! It took about 10 minutes to pull off and she will likely always remember walking into a room filled with balloons when she turned 7. It was even worth the disgusting taste so many balloons left behind. ;)

Make Me Smile Monday

Last year the kids watched Elf with Jason and I for the first time. They thought it was hilarious and talked about it for days. I heard about Buddy's giant burp for days from my little man. So last weekend when we were walking home from the Santa Claus parade and Jason and I asked what movie the kids wanted to watch when we got home it was not a surprise to hear a quick and unanimous "Elf!". So, Elf it was! It's such a fun movie. As you may already know, our children have always known Santa isn't real, but we have fun as a family using our imaginations and making him a part of our celebrations anyways. This movie is one of my personal favourites and it's fun to share that with them. Besides, there's nothing like the sound of my children laughing and of course it's a lot of fun to snuggle up with some hot chocolate and laugh together.

This past week, I found it pretty cute to discover J thinks it's called "the Elf". :) What is it about kids and the way they talk? The way they word or pronounce certain things can crack you up or melt your heart. One of the simple joys of life!

I hope you too are having fun making memories with your family this holiday season!

Make Me Smile Monday

Children are very easily entertained. They are so full of life and quick to make a game out of everything. This morning as I was helping J (my 4 year old) make his bed I was reminded of that.

When S (my firstborn) was only a year or two I discovered something. Whenever I would be making a bed, she would think it was the greatest thing ever to crawl underneath the sheet or blanket as it's up in the air (everybody makes their beds that way, right?) and "hide" under sheet or blanket. It quickly turned into a game where I would smooth the blankets all around her and pretend I couldn't figure out what the big lump was. (I have a feeling this is a pretty common occurance among parents with young children.)  She would giggle and squirm until I would throw the blanket back and gasp, "That's not a lump! That's my S!!!".

And of course both R and J loved this game as well. This morning it occured to me that both my girls have outgrown this, and it won't be long before my son does as well. By now he knows he's not really fooling me. He's aware that I know he's the lump but he's still young enough to pretend that I don't. So for the time being I'm going to take those extra few minutes whenever I can and enjoy the golden sound of his laughter, the joy on his face over one of life's simple pleasures.

Make Me Smile Monday

I'm looking for a line dancing instructor for a kids summer program I'm planning. There's a lady here in town who does this but I haven't been able to track her down. So, after doing a quick google search I dicovered there's a seniors group that meets every Monday morning to line dance. When I made the call I was immediately invited to go this morning and talk to the group myself. :)

So, today J and I went over to one of our town's rec centres to meet the lovely lady D I spoke with on the phone just yesterday. Dancing had already begun and there were a few people standing in the front entrance chatting amongst themselves. They greeted us warmly and asked if we were coming to dance with them. They talked to J and asked for his name and admired his Curious George shirt. D saw us come in from the other side of the room and she came over right away to greet us. She brought me up to the front and passed me the mic so I could make the invitation myself. 

After the invitation went out they went back to dancing. There were probably about 25 people there probably ranging from mid 50's to early 70's. They were dancing, smiling, laughing and full of life. But as I was sitting there watching I was thinking this is what life is all about...connecting with people, embracing the things we love and actually living!

Maybe I'm alone in this, but how incredible is that? And I don't just mean the dancing but the open, warm and all-inclusive way they welcomed us in. Because when I think about it, I'm not sure I would've had gotten the same welcome had the demographic been 20 to 30 years younger. And I can't help but wonder why that is? It was probably the single most inviting place I've ever walked into in my entire life.

I hope that at the end of my life people look back and say that I embraced it. That I didn't shy away from doing the things I loved because of fear or insecurity. I hope people say that I pushed myself beyond my natural comfort zone over and over again until it was miles bigger than it was when I began! I hope that people will say I was warm and inviting, and I always had a smile on my face. As adults, life can be busy and our responsibilities can sometimes distract us from lifes simple pleasures. I don't want to wait until I'm close to retirement to have be seen as a warm, inviting, brave individual. Besides, the danger is great that if I wait until then I might not be able to make the transition.

And for all of you, I hope that you take the time to do the things you enjoy regularly, that you connect with family and friends often and that your beautiful smile and sincere laughter are a part of your everyday life!

Make Me Smile Monday

My little man J turns 4 in just under a week, which is hard to believe. It's funny because he's 1 1/2 years older than S (our firstborn) was when we bought our first house 7 years ago. I remember how big Jason and I felt like she had grown. I can only imagine what it will be like to look back on this stage in another, say, ten years.

The other day when he was playing with his sisters I heard him call "Mother Gothel" (from the movie Tangled) "Mother Gobble", which for some reason I just think is the cutest thing ever. He has a very clear understanding that Mother Gothel is bad and likes to say that "she doesn't know best...she knows worst". (In response to the song Mother Gothel's character sings called "Mother Knows Best".)

He also likes to tell us that "Sidwey Wosby from the Pittsburgh Pengwens" is his favourite. And just recently I noticed that despite the fact he can say Nana and Ba, for some reason he can't seem to tie them together and say Banana. It always comes out Wana or Bawana. :)

I've always enjoyed the cute way my children say things as their learning to talk and marvel at the way their vocabularies clean up and those mispronounced words eventually disappear completely. But this time around there also seems to be this realization that he's my "baby" and once he loses all of his toddler vernacular I won't ever get to experience this with another child again. So I guess you could say I've been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. Feeling overwhelmingly blessed to have three healthy children with healthy speech development (something I never want to take for granted).

Right now the cute way J pronounces things is just that, it's cute. But one day the way he used to pronounce things will be a cherished memory. And if we're fortunate enough we may just just get the chance one day when he's a teenager to share those stories with his friends so he can pretend to be embarassed while secretly loving the attention. ;)

Make Me Smile Monday

Every once in a while I make breakfast for dinner. It's not the healthiest meal, but I make sure to sneak some fresh fruit in there and we don't do it too often. So last night the girls and I made breakfast for dinner together. Home fries, homemade waffles, bacon and fruit salad.

The amazing thing is they didn't just "help", they seriously were helping me cook! I'm sure you know what I mean. The "helping" stage. You do everything (read/measure/pour/stir) and then work at helping them help you. That too is a very fun stage and I really enjoyed it. But I'm also enjoying this new stage.

S made waffles. She mixed up the batter and even learned how to use the waffle iron (with an oven mitt and me standing just a few feet away giving step by step instructions). And R washed all the grapes, strawberries and even peeled and cut the bananas. And then of course gave everything a good stir.

I'm not exactly sure why cooking is so much more enjoyable when they're helping. But it really is. I don't mind cooking, and I enjoy the pay off of putting time into making a good meal, but I don't usually find it fun. But with my two little helpers I seriously love cooking! We talk and laugh all the while I'm gradually introducing them to cooking skills. I also find they have a bit of an air about them. An "I am so grown up and I am cooking with mommy" kind of air. It's really sweet.

I didn't think to take any pictures of the girl’s handy work but I'm sure that over the years cooking together will be an opportunity for many great conversations, much laughter and the building of many warm, fuzzy memories!

Catching Up

It has been a long time since I've posted anything. A long time since I've shared a MMSM post.

Most of you know I provide child care for friends of ours, a sister and brother who are 8 and 5 years old and have very much become a part of our family over the past 4 years. It will be really strange when J (my youngest) is in school full-time and it's time to move on.

You might also know I took on a second part-time job back in October. I wasn't looking for more work but I was offered a job where I could work primarily out of my home around my schedule doing something I'm passionate about. It's also a job that's very different than any other job I've ever had before.

At the end of February our family drove to Disney World. It involved a ton of planning, organizing and packing but it was an incredible trip (our first big family vacation) and so completely and totally worth the effort. Jason and I would really love to take the kids again!

In March the girls had a PA Day, so we drove down to the Niagara Region to visit my sister.  It was wonderful to see her and my beautiful niece and nephew. (Unfortunately Jason wasn't there with his iPhone so I didn't manage to get any pictures. oops! It appears I've become spoiled!) The 5 cousins had a blast together and we enjoyed dinner together before we left. An old friend welcomed us into her lovely home and let us spend the night. The kids got to watch Ratatouille and drink hot chocolate before bed. (Apparently L knows the way to a child's heart!) And then she and I (along with her hubby for the first part) just spent the night chatting before heading off to bed. It was really nice catching up. The next day before heading home I got in another visit with another old friend and her 3 children. The kids all played so nicely together and A and I got to have some more wonderful conversation. It was so nice to get a visit with my sister, L and A all in one weekend!!! :)

The next weekend Jason and I drove to Ottawa to visit my brother-in-law and watch Pittsburgh play Ottawa at the Scotiabank Place. (Both Jason and his brother are both big Pittsburgh fans.) It was my first NHL game ever and it was an amazing experience. We were three rows back from the ice and it was so much fun seeing the Penguins (translate: Crosby!) for the pre-game skate. I wasn't so sure I thought we needed to go as early as the guys thought we needed to go, but once we were there I was glad we did! I may not be a huge hockey fan but I am a Crosby fan and I'll be honest it has a lot more to do with his great reputation and the heart warming commercials he's in. ha ha! :)

I also got in to see another old friend of mine before leaving for home. It was a quick visit but I did get to see her looking super professional in her police uniform. I'm so proud of A, she's worked really hard to get there and it's a job that really suits her.

Over two weekends I got quite the visiting old friends fix. I didn't even realize how badly I needed it!

In March I also got hit with pneumonia, that part wasn't nearly as much fun, but I'm fully recovered now and things seem to have settled down enough that I can take a few minutes to write - hurray!

And we may not be far into April yet but we've already enjoyed Easter weekend which is also a busy weekend for our family.

I always feel really torn when I miss a MMSM post. I feel as though I've made a commitment to posting once a week and I struggle with feeling guilty when I don't post anything. On the other hand my family (and my health) comes first, so there will be times when it's not going to happen. So I'm thinking the best thing to do is just let you know that's how I feel. My blog is something I really enjoy. I always have ideas swirling around in my head as far as bigger posts. There are always at least a few issues I'd love to be writing about at any given time. But if it's between my family or a post my family is going to win hands down. All of that to say, if you've been wondering where I disappeared to, life had just got extra busy for a while and I couldn't quite fit it in. I'm sure this won't be the last time and I hope you haven't (and that you won't) give up on me. Rest assured that if I go on hiatus again, it's simply that life has gotten in the way and in time I will be back!

I hope you keep an eye out for Mondays post!

As If A Second Response Wasn't Enough - Guest Post

Today's post is a guest post by none other than my amazing husband Jason. He is an incredible writer and I hope you enjoy it!

So, this is something of a response to a response to a response to a concern I have with the modern church.

First, let me begin with a definition. I believe that the "church" is us, those of us that believe God is more than just loving, but is actually Love. That Jesus' sacrifice for us, those who are spectacularly unworthy, was a manifestation of this Love. We show this Love through community, caring for one another, challenging one another, and supporting one another. When we do those things, we are the church, because the church is not a building with stained glass windows. I believe that the church has shown Love in many incredible ways around the world, both now and throughout history. I'm grateful, and somehow both proud and humbled to have been a part of some of those ways, both on the giving and receiving ends. I believe that being part of a local church community is important. I have been, and continue to be involved in a local church community. So, when I say "church", I mean we, the people who make up the church, both locally and internationally. I mean something that I believe in and am a part of. And I mean that I am fully including myself.

Furthermore, I dislike complaining. I take issue with cowards who are only willing to sit on the (often virtual) sidelines nit-picking at the actions performed by those brave enough to actually participate in something they believe in. If you have a problem with something you are viewing, either become part of the solution or change the direction you are looking. So what I am attempting here is not to throw my own little can of gasoline onto the fire, but trying to clarify what I believe is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Now, back to my response to a response to a response. Let's start with my concern. What do I think the root of the problem is?

Fear.

A fear that we could be wrong. A fear that our entire system of personal beliefs is like a house of cards and that at any moment the soft breath of a stray thought or question could bring them all crashing down. We’re not afraid of being wrong about little things, because to us there are no little things. Everything is of grave consequence.

There is black.

And there is white.

That’s it.

There are no grey areas.

And because everything is either right or wrong, and to be wrong about any of these things would lead to a catastrophic conclusion, we live in continual fear of anything that doesn’t match exactly with our set of beliefs. Because we can’t afford to be wrong.

And so, to anyone we disagree with we respond by lobbing defensive arguments and ill-structured retorts, often beginning our responses so quickly that we don’t have time to actually listen to and hear the entirety of their message. And so, any actual truth and Love we would actually wish to inform people of is lost amid the disharmonious chorus of our voices as we each loudly proclaim the merits of our personal time piece to a world simply asking what time it is.

The danger in always believing you are right, is that it start to become very proud. I mean, being right all the time is something to be proud of, isn’t it?

Pride.

You know, that feeling that always seems to precede a tumble.

And it always comes before a tumble because when you are proud, you’re too satisfied with your own grasp of the world to have any self-awareness.

And this is where I’m concerned the church is headed.

This fear and pride manifests itself in many different ways, appearing to varying degrees in a multitude of actions, reactions, decisions, proclamations, books, blogs, and newsletters. It's not always easy to identify because often it's only present as a blink-and-you-miss-it stubborn glance, or is masked by religious sounding rhetoric, or repeated as well meant but misguided advice. It's not a new issue; in fact I'm fairly certain it's older than the church itself. Because really, it's not a "church" issue, it's a human issue. And the church being made up of humans means that it will have problems including this one.

This brings me to the last of the responses listed above: the response to which the other responses respond. The response to the concern.

There is a growing movement of people who believe that the true mission of the church has been lost. They believe we've stopped listening to the needs of others, that there is a disconnect between what the church is doing and what the church needs to be doing, and more than that, a difference between what the church is doing and what it believes it’s doing. That we've refined our rules, policies and theology to a place of apparent perfection, but somehow don't understand how to actually implement them. It's not difficult to find books, blogs and sermons from major church leaders around North America discussing this issue. And it's not just pastors and Christians voicing this concern. There are many who claim no interest in God primarily because they feel that the church is hypocritical, that we speak of Love for everyone, but don't show it (to use a passage from the Bible, "They will know we are Christians by our love", or they won't).

The latest voice is that of Jefferson Bethke, a young man who describes the problems he sees as "religion", something he hates, and something he believes is the opposite of what Jesus has called us to. He uses the word "religion" to describe our human ability to turn Love into a list of rules. A "man-made invention" that lacks any ability to grant salvation or offer hope of any kind. As you may already know, his spoken word poem immediately went viral, watched by millions of people within days. And why did it go viral? I think it's because he said what millions of people are thinking. It resonated with them. He was expressing what many people felt deeply and passionately, but have been unable to express nearly as eloquently. He was now the voice of response, the cry of millions of people unsatisfied with the church's current expression of Love.

And then came the second response. As many celebrated Bethke's video, a strong rebuke came from an apparently equally large number of people, those “protecting the church”. They felt that among other things, Bethke was misusing the word "religion", that he was disregarding the church and didn't have his theology straight. And it is to this response that I feel compelled to respond, the third in this trilogy of "responses".

I'm going to have to generalize a little bit here, but the basic arguments against Bethke are:
-Jesus was devoutly religious, so we should be to;
-Jesus is the founder of the church
-the church has done many wonderful things, so ease back on your criticism
-his use of the word "religion" is misleading and misguided

Why do I disagree? What is my response?

First, saying Jesus was devoutly religious is at best misleading. In a statement of the completely obvious, Jesus lived before the time of His death (and resurrection). Yes, He lived before He died. Which means there was no catholic church, no baptists, and no pentecostals. He was born into a Jewish family. So for Jesus to have been religious, he would have had to act according to the Jewish religion. And so, Jesus went to the temple. He read the Torah (what is now our Old Testament in the Bible). He kept all of the ten commandments. However, for the Jews of his era, being religious didn’t mean just following the ten commandments, it also required following the Rabbinic Law, additional rules, policies and theologies created by the religious leaders of His day. Of the many miracles Jesus performed in the Bible, many were not only a display of his divine nature and power, but also were direct criticisms of the Jewish religious leaders and their glorification of the Rabbinic Law. He used religious jars to turn water into wine. He healed on the Sabbath. And one time when He went into the temple, He started throwing over tables and chasing the vendors out of their stalls. Who allowed those vendors to be there? The religious leaders of the day. What were they selling? Pornography? Drugs? Nope, they were selling animals and other items to be used in religious ceremonies. Catch that? My guess is that Jesus did not purchase a dove for sacrifice prior to flipping the table over. Not only did He not follow all of the religious laws of His day, He was repulsed by some of those that placed value on the Rabbinic Law over Love. This, of course, led to Jesus' biggest critics being the Pharisees, the experts on the Jewish religious law. They were constantly pointing out all of the times He didn't abide by their laws, by their rules, policies and theologies. And Jesus didn't seem to think very highly of them either, calling them a "brood of vipers” and "white washed tombs" (an analogy adapted by Bethke). So was He then religious? The important thing to identify is the distinction between which laws He kept and which He didn't. The ones He did keep are then the ones that He deems important, those that proclaim Love. For Jesus, it all began with Love. So no, Jesus was not a devoutly religious Jew. He was the beginning of something much bigger and better.
 
One the first major pieces of this bigger and better was Paul. A major contributor to the Bible and a crucial part of the post-resurrection belief system the modern church is built upon. Now, as opposed to Jesus, Paul had been a follower of the Rabbinic Law, one of the best of the best according to one of his letters. So, being the perfect model of religion, he must have taken up the cause of Jesus pretty quickly and easily, right? Um, no, not so much. In fact, he had to be directly confronted by God and blinded before he recognized that he was completely wrong. He then spent a large portion of his life trying to escape his former religious colleagues as they tried to kill or imprison him. Paul wrote many letters to the early members of that church, often encouraging them to forsake their religious rules, policies and theologies in order to show Love, diligently working to ensure that the foundation of this new church was Love and not something created by man.

Which leads to the church itself. Is Jesus the founder of the church? For sure. No argument there. Except, this argument doesn't contradict Bethke's poem at all. In fact, Bethke says he "loves the church" and honestly confesses that he has been a part of the problem in the past. I'm sure he agrees that Jesus is the founder of the church. Bethke isn't calling for the dissolution of the church, he's calling for the church to step it up; challenging the church to be more than it currently is. Calling it (and himself) to fulfill a higher calling. He's including himself in the church. And he believes that Jesus created a church capable of much more Love. Did Jesus also perform the first communion? Yes. But was He creating a way for us to remember His sacrifice, or creating a law that must be closely adhered to in order to be granted salvation? You may disagree with me, but the understanding I get from reading stories of Jesus in the Bible lead me to believe that Jesus would skip a communion service if it meant he had the opportunity to show Love to one person. That Love cannot be formulated or measured out, that it is so immense that it cannot be fully explained or understood. That’s why Jesus believed in using simple things like bread and wine, or stories about farmers to illustrate His Love to others. He used ceremonies and traditions as a way bring us closer to Love, not the other way around. What is more important, our hymns, our ceremonies, our programs, our buildings, our slogans and our social policies? Or Love?

Next, is Bethke right to then accuse the church of doing that very thing, putting its rules and laws before showing Love to the world? To point his finger at religion for starting a multitude of wars? To ask that more money be given to the poor and less used for our own comfort? One argument against him states that saying religion has caused many wars is ignoring the fact that many wars have been started over other things like property and money. But, Bethke isn't saying that only religion has caused wars, he's saying that religion (as defined as laws and rules) is a human creation that alongside other human defined creations like property and money have started wars. To say that other things have started wars is only supporting his point that religion is a human creation. It is impossible to state that no war has begun over religion, and if we also admit that Love does not desire war, then is there not indeed a difference between religion and God?

Further, has the church done some amazing things to help those who are suffering around the world? Yes, they have, and nowhere in his poem does Bethke deny this. But have we done enough? Are there children in the world dying of starvation? How many people will spend tonight sleeping in a cardboard box without so much as a blanket to combat the cold? There is more to be done. To sit back and proclaim our accomplishments as the most giving and generous group of people in the world is exactly the problem he's trying to point out. We shouldn’t be satisfied. Remember, Jesus praised the poor woman who graciously gave her last coin to God, not the rich man who pompously submitted a much larger sum in order to gain the praise and adoration of others.

Finally, to argue over the definition of the world religion is missing the entire point of his message. In fact, several of his critics have claimed that they agree with most of what he is saying, but disagree with his use of the word religion. The definition he applies to the word religion is consistent throughout his poem, and the context of his words and their meaning is quite clear. He means rules, laws, and man-made righteousness. He does not mean that religion is the church. He does not mean that religion is Christianity.

So the next question becomes, where did he get this definition of religion? Is it something he made up himself? No, not at all! In fact, the definition he used is one that most people who are not part of the church (and many who are) believe to be true. Church, open your ears and listen,

THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE RELIGION MEANS!

And so we find ourselves back at the original problem. Due to our self-imposed fear and pride, we, the church, are failing to listen. Bethke isn’t randomly using the word religion to mean laws and rules; he’s using the definition that most people outside the church believe is true. And they believe this is true because this is many times what they've seen. We can try to tell as many people as we want that we don't have a fever, that we're sneezing because we have allergies, and our eyes are red because it's dusty, but at some point don't we need to begin to wonder why everyone except us seems to think we're sick. If the Bible says that they will know we are Christians by our Love, and they don’t, who’s wrong? Are we going to try to blame the “they” for not identifying our Love?

Bethke is attempting to take the negative connotation that WE’VE created, the definition that WE have crafted, the hypocrisy that WE’VE presented and show the world that there is a difference between their definition of religion and Love. And when we respond to his message with illogical, defensive arguments about how we define words, and how we are so proud of our accomplishments, we’re proving him to be 100% accurate in his analysis, him and every other person in the world who already see that our religious laws are not the same as Love.

Jefferson Bethke hates religion, but loves Jesus. And by taking some time to read between the lines of his message, you'll see that he loves the church as well. He loves it enough to admit that it hasn't been perfect in its proclamation of perfect Love, enough to tell it to listen to the voices of those who believe that it can be more powerful and more overflowing with Love than it has been. He loves it enough to attempt to separate for its critics its message from its failings. He loves it enough to lend his voice to the wakeup call going out to a slumbering church; one too long content with the status quo, one that can be unwilling to hear and admit its own shortcomings, disconnected from the reality of its reputation, too proud to admit a better way is possible, too afraid to consider a different way. He's not saying he has all the answers to the issues facing either the church or the world. But he is saying that He knows a Love that is the answer.

Don't Forget!

Be careful not to blame your own insecurities on other people or things. If someone or something stirs up feelings of insecurity in you recognize that those feelings were already there to begin with and use it as an opportunity to deal with them. Don't blame it on whatever (or whoever) it is in your life that serves as a trigger, choose to be proactive in learning how to deal with those triggers head on.

You are beautiful. You are valuable. You have purpose.

Make Me Smile Monday

Our family had a treasure hunt a little while ago. The clues had a theme. Think you can figure out what it was? Here's a few of them:

Each clue solved earned a word to fill in this puzzle:

When the kids arrived at the last clue, all of the spaces were filled. But the last word was actually a fill in the blank, so there was one clue left. We explained that the last clue would be the word to fill it in and we asked the girls to read it out loud as soon as they saw it so that their younger brother could discover the answer with them. The clue: 

Find me where mom and dad sleep,

and laundry is sometimes piled in a heap.

This final clue led them to the master bedroom. They couldn't wait to discover what the word was. They tossed around a few ideas and settled on "The Toronto Zoo". :)

Here's what is really said:

And their reaction? They were surprisingly quiet. They read the word and then just kind of sat/stood there and stared at it. Confused looks on their faces.

The reason why became clear when we discovered the girls thought they had to unscramble the letters to get the "real" answer. Jason and I couldn't help but laugh. :) How mean would THAT have been? Seriously!

So, when they finally put it together that this did indeed mean we were going to Disneyworld and that we'd actually be sleeping there they were beside themselves. That's when we got all of the squeals and jumping and laughter we'd expected in the first place! (We had just watched the Disney Christmas Day parade ago a couple days before doing the treasure hunt with them, so they'd have a feel for what was in store. They were so excited about the idea of going "one day" and they had no idea we we'd already booked our trip.) Since we've been counting down the days and watching promo videos, planning what clothes we'll wear.

I've been pretty happy to see that not only are the girls excited but our little man is too (he turns 4 in May). I wasn't sure if the concept might be a bit over his head until we get there. So, I've been pleased to hear him talk about seeing Lightning McQueen, Jack Sparrow and Winnie the Pooh. The one moment that totally melted my heart though was when I was making supper one night last week and I called him down into the kitchen to find out what he was doing. (Children often find productive things to do on their own, but sometimes need a little direction.) He came down right away and looked up at me very sincerely and said, "I'm packing my toys to go to Disney World."

P.S. In case your wondering about the clues. The ones I shared with you led to: a glass slipper (Cinderella); an umbrella (Mary Poppins); a red wig (Ariel); honey (Winnie the Pooh) and Lightning McQueen (Cars).

Make Me Smile Monday

You may have noticed that I didn't post last week. It was an extra busy day and I wasn't really feeling all that inspired. Grateful, but not inspired to write with any real creativity. Today I'm not feeling much more so. I think it's because there are a few other things I want to write about that have been preoccupying my thoughts a lot lately. Hopefully, I can squeeze at least one of them in sometime soon...

My lack of "inspiration" leaves me sharing something really simple this morning. Something I'm grateful for. Today I'm feeling grateful for this:

Are you thinking that maybe I'm not only uninspired...but that I've also lost it? :)

When I take the time to think about it, piles of laundry represent my husband whom I love and our three amazing children. It reminds me that we are fortunate enough to have a washer and dryer. That we have clothing to wear. Sheets for our beds and towels for our kitchen and bathroom. When I consider those things alone, I'm overwhelmed with a sense of gratefulness.

But on top of that today this pile represents to me a supportive and loving husband who washed and dried most of what you see here over the weekend. It's become a bit of a routine over the past couple of months as I've taken on exta responsibilities outside our home. His help (without me asking for it) makes me feel appreciated, like he understands that I'm trying to figure out how to balance my bigger than usual to do list and he's happy to support me while I figure it all out.

So yes, this morning despite the fact I don't really feel like folding it all and putting it away I look at this pile of laundry and I can't help but feel incredibly grateful!

Why Ricky Gervais Is An Atheist

I just read this interesting article by Ricky Gervais.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703886904576031640102154156.html

It was on my facebook newsfeed. It had been shared by a Christian friend.  He also found it really interesting. In the article Gervais uses an analogy to explain why he thinks the burden of proof is on the person who believes:

Why don't I believe in God? No, no, no, why do YOU believe in God? Surely the burden of proof is on the believer. You started all this. If I came up to you and said, "Why don't you believe I can fly?" You'd say, "Why would I?" I'd reply, "Because it's a matter of faith." If I then said, "Prove I can't fly. Prove I can't fly see. See, you can't prove it can you?" You'd probably either walk away, call security or throw me out of the window and shout, "F—ing fly then you lunatic."

When you first read this it sounds so incredibly logical. Of course the burden of proof should be on me if I say I believe. But there's a problem with it...

It's missing someone! Actually it's more like two people have been merged into one.

So let's fix that.

To make it less confusing I'm going to give the character's names. "Rick" says he can fly.  "Margaret" believes he can fly. Judy is searching for proof.

So, if it's true that:

1) Rick can fly, Margaret believes he can fly and Judy is searching for proof because she wants to know whether or not Rick can really fly. (then logically) 
2) The burden of proof is on Rick to prove to Judy that he can fly, not Margaret. Judy can ask Margaret why she believes Rick can fly and Margaret can tell her. (at which point)
3) Judy can either blindly believe Margaret or blindly reject what she has to say. (but logically)
4) Until Margaret goes directly to Rick and asks him for herself she's putting the burden of proof on the wrong person. (because)
5) The burden of proof is on Rick not Margaret.

[As a side note, I realize this is not a clear cut answer, because undoubtedly there are some who have gone to "Rick" and asked him to prove he can fly. But it was reassuring to me to notice that the pressure is in fact not on me, because I'm not God. I don't understand why I can say that I see "evidence" for God and others can't. Although, from my own personal experiences I do know that the belief I have in God right now at this point is in a God much more loving and merciful than the one I was scared of when I was little. I believe inspite of the fact the world is filled with misconceptions of who I now believe He is.
I also realize that to tell an atheist (who doesn't believe in God), they need to place the burden of proof on God by asking Him, is like telling them to ask Santa to prove himself. But nonetheless, if the burden of proof can't logically be put on "Margaret" (and God is believed to be a spiritual being who hears us when we think and speak) then again the only way to find out is to ask "Rick".]

I also found this statement to be rather thought provoking:

So what does the question "Why don't you believe in God?" really mean? I think when someone asks that they are really questioning their own belief.

That could very well be true! It’s important to note however, that questioning in and of itself doesn't make it untrue. It's healthy for everyone to consider why they believe what they believe. It’s really hard to do, though. It`s hard to settle your emotions and settle your frustrations and really consider “why”.

One of the reasons this article resonates with me is because right now I'm taking a few days to consider well the response to a friend of mine who's an atheist and has put forth the question: "Why do you believe in God? What's the proof that He exists?" If questioning is because they "know" deep down they're wrong then there are both atheists and believers who “know” they’re wrong.

Gervais also has some incredible insights in his article. One of them is this:

But believing in something doesn't make it true. Hoping that something is true doesn't make it true. The existence of God is not subjective. He either exists or he doesn't. It's not a matter of opinion. You can have your own opinions. But you can't have your own facts.

And:

"Do unto others…" is a good rule of thumb. I live by that. Forgiveness is probably the greatest virtue there is. But that's exactly what it is—a virtue. Not just a Christian virtue. No one owns being good.
I'm good. I just don't believe I'll be rewarded for it in heaven.

My reward is here and now. It's knowing that I try to do the right thing. That I lived a good life. And that's where spirituality really lost its way. When it became a stick to beat people with. "Do this or you'll burn in hell."

You won't burn in hell. But be nice anyway.

Statements like this are one of those reasons I think we as Christians need to be willing to listen and talk to those who have opposing views.  Because we can learn from them! I have learned so much from the friend I mentioned earlier. And interestingly enough, it has strengthened my faith. It has helped me to recognize those things that get in the way of others seeing God and realizing that not only are they unessential, but typically they're destructive and send unbiblical messages out to those people who are wrestling with the question of "why in the world do they believe?"

If we allow ourselves to be offended by his words (because he doesn't believe in sin or hell, for example), then we miss what's at the heart of his "message": That it's not healthy to pursue what's right and be kind to others out of fear of punishment. Instead we should pursue these things because they are by their very nature good. It`s also not healthy to pursue what`s right for a reward. We should be kind and do what`s right because of love. And that the life we have here and now is worth investing in. We shouldn`t be preocuupied with escaping but work on making the world a more beautiful place now. And that there`s a code of ethics (should we choose to live by it) that would be good for everyone. Everywhere.

Ironically, this in fact is at the heart of the message of Jesus Christ.

The bible says that "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment but he who fears has not been made perfect in love."

In regards to the commandments Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

It has been (and sometimes still is) a painful process trying to sort through the many accusations made against God, the church, religion and Christianity in general.  As a teenager I would have gotten very angry hearing something like this. Angry and scared. I would have done everything in my power to avoid hearing anyone's objections to my faith. And I was always quick to give the conclusions others had come to after wrestling with them on their own because I didn't want to ask the tough questions. I felt that in order to preserve what I believed I needed to close my ears to anything that opposed my faith.

Of course when we hear and read things from a non-believing perspective there will be ideas that don't line up with a belief in Jesus Christ. But there are many legitimate concerns to be considered. If you listen closely at the heart of it all tends to be "you all say one thing and do another". It makes me want to examine my life more closely.

I have become more and more convinced that God can handle the questions. That we don't usually get the answers we need overnight. In fact, I don't know of anyone who ever has. If God is real (which I believe He is), I don't need to be afraid of being overwhelmed by these questions and ideas as long as I invite Him in.

I hope you’ll ask the same questions I’ve been asking myself: what kind of message does my life send? Does it reflect a fear or even reward motivated belief system? Or does it reflect the belief that “perfect love casts out fear”? Have I contributed to this picture of God and Jesus that's held by so many? And is there anything I can do to help change that?

Make Me Smile Monday

I'm sure most of you reading this knows already, but I'm a HUGE fan of Pinterest. I'm also I big fan of I Heart Organizing and Mini Manor. There are many, many other great organizing blogs out there that I also drop in on, but these two remain my favourites. After a recent discovery I think it's likely Simple Mom will be taking a permanent spot on my list. We'll see.

Now when I say I'm a huge fan of these blogs, I'm not kidding! I find them inspiring, encouraging and, well, to steal the oft-used phrase of a good friend of mine, they "make me happy"! I find seeing others who love the same things I do, helps me think more creatively about caring for my house. Seeing beauty and function with shelves and baskets and bins almost makes me giddy!!! New ideas for organizing my house in a pretty and practical way makes me want to put the extra time and effort needed into getting it done. Have you ever noticed that some things (like organizing) sound painful and tedious for some and fun and exciting for others?

I found myself wondering at this and I think I've been able to piece together why...

I think that the reason I love organizing and caring for my home is because for me it fulfills a deep seated desire to be create, and be creative. Seeing others who share this passion inspires me and helps me find my own unique way of doing this. When I organize and decorate my home, my desire is to create something beautiful! It helps make it about more than just scrubbing floors and sorting laundry.

Before going through a stage where I thought I didn't ever want to get married or have kids, when I was really little I always played house. It always won out over playing school, nurse, bank,store or anything else make believe involving paperwork of any kind. As a child I loved also loved seeing my friends houses and was continually in awe of all the beautiful houses I saw and the variety of ways people would decorate them. That remained true into my teenage years and even now as a adult. From very early on this stirred in me a desire to have a beautiful home. 

As a teenager there was a period of time where this longing got a bit mixed up in the idea of being wealthy, assuming that being wealthy was what made homes beautiful.

As an adult I'm discovering that the desire to have a beautiful home comes from a place so much deeper than that. It comes from that place inside all of us that longs to create and be creative.

I look around and I see this drive to create and be creative in everyone around me.

Likely you can see it in your  children.

Maybe they "create" stories, crafts or games. (I love hearing stories about Jason and his brothers used to create new sports.) "A" who I babysit has an incredible imagination and I've thought many times how easily I could see her growing up to write children's books. Who knows where that imagination of hers will take her?

I see it in cupcakes, cookies, pies and cakes. I see it in clothing and shoes, hair and make-up. I see it in computer programing and graphic design. I see it in poetry and paintings. I see it in floral arrangements and gardens and stone work and framing. I see it in program planning and teaching. I see it in cooking and travel planning and recipe making. I see it in picture taking, house staging, picture taking, dance, music and video making. I see it business and health and fitness. I see it in knitting, crochetting, sewing and re-purposing.

I look around I see it everywhere...and I can't help but think it's beautiful!

In what area of life are you inspired to be creative?

When you think about it, can you see this urge people seem to have to "create and be creative"?