A Mother's Reflection

I have wanted to type my thoughts for awhile. I have thoughts. Most of the time they are a jumbled mess in my brain and sometimes it helps to write them down. Even if it's this new way to journal in the blog-o-sphere and record our pictures and the passing of our days. It goes so fast. And on this day set aside for Mothers - Happy Mother's Day! 
My family has left for the day. For this pastor's wife whose husband works all Sunday, my Mother's Day comes tomorrow!

The picture above is from Easter - already a month ago! We had a wonderful morning of services as we celebrated our Risen Lord. It was fitting that we also observed a Baptism - a couple from China originally, who have been taking doctrine classes with Wayne. I love serving a "foreign mission" on local soil. Our group of Chinese believers continues to grow through the grace of God and we celebrate the diversity of culture that is God's family! 

One of our Chinese members has been kind enough to offer her time in teaching us Mandarin and in learning more of the culture. It is such a challenging language to learn! We were able to practice a bit this morning in church when some members brought their friends to church who were visiting from China. We proudly (or foolishly, depending on your perspective) attempted a "ni hao" and tried to introduce ourselves in Chinese. Oh, well - hopefully at the very least they appreciated our effort!

These past few weeks have been pretty cold and dreary. We've spent a lot of time indoors! I really didn't know how much more I could take when finally it seems the clouds have parted and the sun has come out! During this forced hibernation I looked for ways to keep us entertained :

Zanna and I are enjoying "Anne of Green Gables" and I have to admit, I am loving the opportunity to reread this book with her after many, many years of reading it for my own pleasure! I was moved to tears when Zanna hugged me good night one evening and declared "you're my bosom friend!" to which I replied, "we are kindred spirits!".  I love good books......

We've also been studying Van Gogh (which I must admit is not my favourite artist) and most recently Monet. I love to see the kids interpret the art and make their own versions! 

Nothing soothes the soul like good music! Making music is such a gift! I love to have it in my house and I love the passion my own children now have for it. 

Zanna won't start formal lessons until maybe next year but she creates music on our "music maker". A beautiful harp sound and a great way to introduce the sound notes make and counting them. 
I myself have temporarily taken my violin lessons back up and am enjoying some fiddling! (too many Little House books?) 
My parents will be traveling this way tomorrow for their annual visit for Will's birthday. Could it be my boy is on the cusp of teenager? And oh, is he acting like it. I would go on, but some things are better left unsaid....

The Karate Kid

After years of training and practice and a long weekend of testing and being pushed, Will achieved his black belt in Karate! 

Congratulations dear boy!

He receives his official certificate.

Off with the old belt, on with the new!

The proud group poses for a photo.

He may look harmless enough, but don't get on his bad side!

Renewed in Grace - Together in Texas!

This July, Wayne will be celebrating 10 years in the ministry! I can't believe it's gone so fast and yet so much has happened in the past 10 years. 
 The synod has started a new "Pastor Partners" program to strengthen and support pastors from seminary to retirement.  To celebrate the 10 year milestone, "Renewed in Grace" retreat was offered for the first time to the WLS graduating classes of 2001 and 2002 - both classes that Wayne was in since he had the 5 year college program. Our church flew us down to San Antonio last week to attend (without kids!). 
Before you wonder how the kids did, let me assure you they were fine! They each stayed with families gracious enough to welcome them into their homes for 5 days. And because we were so confident in the competence of the aforementioned families, we only called them once midweek to confirm they were still alive and well. Once this critical information was confirmed, we celebrated by toasting their good health with the Margaritas we happened to be holding at the time:)
Returning to the part of being strengthened and supported, we were treated and blessed by some of the most gifted teachers of God's Word as they imparted their wisdom and built us up with God's promises. The opening and closing worship services were steeped in rich truth, incense hymns being offered up and soul's nourished by Body and Blood. 

The Bible studies were guided by a humble but extremely gifted man who drew us into a study of Philippians as we gnawed and chewed our way through the meatiness of the text. Workshops for both pastors and their wives tackled topics unique to each. Workshops for couples were also included in the agenda as we've recognized that teamwork and how we deal with one another is vital to how a pastor lives out his divine call in the ministry. No pressure:) 
Meanwhile, friends were reunited! New friendships were made! We stayed out wayayyyyy too late thinking we were our 10 years AGO selves. The first evening we were full of energy - out to 2 am. The next night was lights out by 12:30am. The third - I was propping by eye lids open at 10pm. 
The hotel was right on the San Antonio Riverwalk. It was beautiful! So many things were in walking distance and we enjoyed a walk to the Alamo.

We shopped a nearby Mexican market place. And of course, we enjoyed good food including a good ole' Texas brisket and real Mexican cuisine! Such a treat!
We look towards the future not knowing what it will bring but we "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."Philippians 3:14

Holy Week Help

In my house, Holy Week turns into harried week. I don’t like it and I wish I could figure out a way for it to be the week it’s meant to be. I desire it to be an intentional 7 days of carefully thought out traditions, crafts and a focus on the cross of Christ culminating in the celebration of Easter Sunday. What it turns into is a list of things that have to get done, a husband with 8 services in 5 days (between his 2 churches and 2 retirement homes he serves) and an unintentional attitude of “let’s get this over with”. Yuck.

Part of it is my role as a pastor’s wife and what I choose to take on. I do have boundaries and I have been known to say no. But this is such a special week and I want to serve. I do. I want to do what I have been doing but not at the expense of my family. When they are adults, I don’t want my kids to have an icky taste in their mouth when they recall their childhood memories and how Mom was a basket case around the holiest of holidays. 

Part of it is also that I’ve been suckered into “it”. “It” being the culture around me that tells me being busy and running around equals value, meaning and importance. I know better than this but am not acting like it. And I even hesitate to write this for fear of coming across as look how important I am - I’m so busy. The point is not that I’m too busy but that I don’t want to be too busy for what has eternal value - the hearts of my family and the focus and mood in our home. 

I wrote the above thoughts 2 days ago. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed between organizing the food part of our every other year Messianic Seder Supper tradition at church, one sick kid and not enough “education” getting done, laundry to wash and suitcases to pack, feeling like I’m missing out on too many teachable moments with my kids, Easter flowers to order and arrange to pick up, egg stuffing for the Easter egg hunt, a phone call from my hair dresser of 9 years (Keep Tish in your prayers as she deals with this news) announcing that she’s allergic to all things hair (this the night before I’m to get a cut and colour), doing some hair cuts for a family so they look nice for Easter, wanting a clean house to come home to for after we’re away, coloring Easter eggs and trying to come up with a special Easter menu for our family that doesn’t produce any leftovers and wishing I’d have time to treat myself to a pedi for when I’m sporting some sandals in the warm Texas weather next week! And 2 days after my heavy heart ramblings? The Lord provides. “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will act” Psalm 37:5

I did not overcook the lamb or undercook the potatoes and from the time I finally sat down to participate in the Seder supper I kept thinking to the Lord “thank you for this! Thank you for it not being about the food but about the spiritual nourishment you provide.  Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve you through your family of believers. Thank you for bodily food and more important, spiritual food. Thank you for these people surrounding me and for the body of Christ. Thank you for body and blood in the bread and the wine, linking us together in a common faith and strengthening that faith with this sacrament - your sacrifice.” And suddenly it wasn’t too much. It was good! 

Son’s sickness lasted all of a day. While waking me up at 5 am to announce he thought he wanted to throw up but never did, by evening he was perky and working on homework. I did not have time to make him some homemade chicken noodle soup like I would have liked, but he gobbled up 2 cans of Campbell’s. And Zanna came through in a pinch by reading to him in bed from the doorway - not too close as to catch whatever he has!

The Easter flowers were ordered and we made an all time high of 39 Easter plants to decorate the altar on Sunday! The eggs are stuffed, my neighbour cut and colored my hair and I earned enough cash on the haircuts I gave to send along with one of the children the week we’re away. 

Will got back to normal with not even a trace of cold and was in a cleaning mood. The children were fighting over who gets to Swiffer the bathrooms. If that’s not the hand of God, I don’t know what is! 

No worries about what to serve for Easter dinner because there’s enough of the lamb leftovers from the Seder to provide for our family meal with a few fresh sides to complement it. 

And I may not get that pedicure I wanted but I could do it myself. I’d choose coloring Easter eggs with the kids over that any day! With the cleaning done I definitely have time for laundry and packing.

Any concerns I had about the kids suffering from a lack of spiritual teaching moments dissipated when I overheard Zanna in her room during quiet time teaching her dolls the story of the Garden of Gethsemane. “Watch and pray. Why did you fall asleep?”  Ah, yes. A lesson I too could learn from. Why do I fall asleep to what he has done and be all consumed about what I’m doing or haven’t done? Thank you for the teaching moment, dear daughter.  

My reading from the Treasury of Daily Prayer reminds me on this day called Holy Saturday -

The commemoration of Holy Saturday encompasses our Lord’s rest in the tomb and HIs descent into hell. The descent into hell is not, however, the depth of Christ’s humiliation but rather the demonstration of His complete victory over death.  This day takes us out of the depths of the most painful sorrow and out of the solitude of holy meditation upon Christ’s Passion to the celebration of victory as we anticipate the Lord’s resurrection breaking forth in all its glory of Easter.

Happy Easter! He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Reading = Ice Cream

I am not above a little incentive (aka bribery). Each child finished reading his/her book and a trip to the Queen of the Dairy followed. Mission accomplished. Good job, kids!

In Between Days

These in between days - they are the ones stuck in the middle of cold and warm. Days that don’t know what to do with themselves. Only last week the expansive lake had a thick layer of ice to skate or play hockey on. Only last week was there snow to snowshoe, snow machine, sled or cross country ski over. 

The warm air blew in - yes, even in Canada it happens! Most of the snow melted in the balmy breeze leaving trees naked and lake ice thin and choppy.  And during the week referred to as “March Break”, we’ve been given a break from the cold along with our normal routine of early to rise and get dressed and quick, eat breakfast and get to work.

 Along with our break of the common everyday came an invitation. Could we call them “in between friends”? extended their welcome to visit and stay the night with them at their lakeside home. A family more than an acquaintance to be sure. A family warm and friendly that we enjoyed being around and gotten to slowly know better the last year or so. And so we moved in for the night! 

As we took long walks, careful to stay on the paved roads and off the mud caked off road paths we talked. We talked of families and churches, stories and kids, struggles and joys in between throwing the ball to their young, energetic black dog. The boys had disappeared somewhere with the four wheeler making memories and bonds of their own. Zanna held cats like babies until their claws showed and was forced to put them down. She attempted to keep the big, black dog in bed with her for the night - who didn’t last long in between two strange kids one of which a girl that wouldn’t leave him alone! 

Funny what happens when you are in someone’s home. It goes beyond the common civility, the superficial conversation - into something more.  And we move beyond the in between. 

The conversation flows like the syrup from the maple trees outside. Growing, meaningful friendship is sweet as the boiled down syrup over the homemade waffles that morning for breakfast. 

Daylight is extending in length these days and although the grass is dry and withered and the buds have yet to make their appearance on the trees and bushes, we’re enjoying these in between days looking forward to spring’s impending arrival and relieved to be beyond the winter doldrums of just last month when the days are short and so is my temper. 

We’re looking forward to the last months of the school year, sunnier days and new friendships! 

A Pinterest Inspired Birthday Party

My baby is 6! I can't believe it! So we celebrated by having some of her best girl friends over to par - tay - Pinterest syle! 
I'm loving this new resource of mine. It takes away most of my hard thinking and inserts someone else's great ideas. Why reinvent the wheel? 

We went with a Valentine theme since her birthday falls shortly after and there's a never ending plethora of Valentine ideas! Pink, red, white - it works, ya know? 

Where there's cupcakes, there's sure to be fun!

Having had a boy first and doing the following themes : Bob the Builder, construction trucks, spaceship, construction trucks, Lego, bicycle, Mad Scientist and Lego, I was ready to girl it up big time.

Oh, the crafts!!!! They love their crafts (and they're so quiet during it which I especially love).  I found the cute valentine placemat ideas through Pinterest along with a bingo game and those adorable lids for the mason jars.  They also crafted with things found at Michaels. What would I do without that place?

My Mom was my right hand women as she has been for every single birthday party I've ever given for either child. What a Mom/Oma!!!!!

For the particulars, you can find my Pinterest boards at http://pinterest.com/rhalldorson/ under the Valentine love bulletin board. FYI - I also make the heart shaped cinnamon rolls and fruit kabobs for Valentine morning. Adorable.