New Mercies

Mercy - compassionate treatment , esp. of those under one's power. a disposition to be kind and forgiving. a blessing

(from the American Heritage Dictionary)

"But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-22

I was reminded of this verse recently as Xavier came home with some fun and surprising news. I think I've battled with anxiety over him starting school from the time he was about 9 months old. I would worry about where he would go to school - would God provide for us to move out of the city? Would he know when and where to get off the bus? Would he face bullies? All kinds of absurd things which I was never called to bear.

God did provide for us to move out of the city and what an unexpected way to answer prayer! This home is far beyond what we asked or imagined! Yet I must not have been convinced of his faithfulness because I would still have to fight hyperventilating when I thought about adding homework into our daily routine. His homework load has been extremely light and is usually finished when I pick him up from daycare so I just go over it with him. He is doing wonderfully in school despite the small amount of time I get to spend with him in the evenings before bed.

Two weeks ago Xavier came home with his first project: a diorama. I don't know how many times I had to cast that care as I kept looking at the calendar and my wallet. This had come at a time where I was particularly short on money, supplies and time. I didn't know how this was going to look or how I was going to help him learn to budget what's been laid before him. Through hard work and sacrifice (and much prayer) he was finally finished! He was quite proud of his work and eager to get to school on Monday. On Wednesday I picked him up and he was excited for me to guess what grade he received on the diorama. I guessed a letter and he responded, "No! It's a number!" So I guessed a percentage and he said, "Mommy! There are only 3 numbers to choose from... I got a 3." He then showed me a Third Place ribbon! Not what I was expecting at all. It was so neat to get to encourage him for working so hard at his task and being rewarded, but what was foremost in my mind was God's faithfulness. He does not fail to meet me right where I am and fulfill each need for that season!

He is so good to us beyond what I deserve. He gives me the desire and the strength to put forth these weak efforts and he just multiplies the benefit and lavishes me with blessings!

Another of our latest adventures was when Xavier almost stepped on a snake in the backyard. I saw something ahead of him in the grass and realized what it was in time to calmly put a hand out and encourage him to wait. I was trying to be very deliberate not to make him afraid but to make him aware. As he stopped I could tell something wasn't right. This snake was missing it's head! I'm not sure what happened but it was only half a snake and completely harmless. I asked him if he would like to get a stick and dump it in the woods. He didn't hesitate. He ran back and scooped it up to examine it before sending it back to the dust. We were talking about how the Bible said that Jesus would crush the head of the serpent and we would be free from sin and death. There was nothing left to fear. How kind of God to send an illustration that would pique the interest of a young boy :-)

Happy Birthday Xavier!

Please be kind enough to tell me if I ever sing like this! The lyrics are "Happy Birthday to me, in one more day"



Wow! 7 years! I am so thankful that I've had seven years with my son! He is such a joy to me and God has used him to reveal my sin more clearly than any other individual I know. It's been fun over the last couple of days recounting his birth story with him. I remember holding tiny baby clothes up and trying to picture a face in there... what would my baby look like? I was telling him tonight that when I first saw him I remember clearly thinking, "Oh, of course - how else would he look?" He was just right. He looked just like his family. I was able to let go of the soap opera fear that maybe someone would switch my baby and I wouldn't be able to tell - there was no denying this boy was mine! The sweetest part was the day after he was born ~ when God stripped me of my heart of stone and gave me a new heart of flesh! I look back and see how God was softening me over the months prior but there was a distinct turning point on April 25th as I lay there alone in that hospital room and the Lord drew me to repentance for a life spent on sin. In days to come I would get a taste of the magnitude of love a parent has for their child and this overwhelming desire to protect this little one. God allowed me to marvel at the work of the cross and how he crushed his son for a wicked rebellious thing like me. I love Xavier's birth story but it's extra special to me because of how inseparable it is from the story of God's saving grace over my life!



7 of My Very Favorite Things About Xavier

• His love for scripture - he is always very eager for Bible time each morning and evening and if we have a late night out he will ask me to come lay in bed with him to read so he won't miss out on it


• His sense of humor - we love being silly together and I love how he's learning to laugh at himself


• His desire to protect me and how he still insists he will marry me one day


• How he is growing in joyful obedience and self-control


• His admiration for men and how he is drawn to those he sees serving and caring for others


• How he is growing in repenting quickly, specifically and sincerely


• That he loves to rock - he shares my appreciation of music and amuses me with his taste. He has liked the band Skillet since he was about 3 years old. He told me the other day that he looked like Elvis when I gave him white athletic pants to wear (they did not have sequins down the side, just a green stripe! I have no clue how he knows about Elvis!) He heard a bit of Stayin Alive this morning by the BeeGees as I flipped past the oldies station and he said, "This is disco." I asked him where he learned that. He said, "I just figured it out."
  

Xavier wanted me to get a video of us singing Amazing Grace together because I've been trying to teach him this harmony. Sometimes he gets it, sometimes he just makes something else up (hey, he's his momma's son!) I told him he could cover his ears so he won't hear me singing my part when we do the harmony if it would help him. You'll see that it didn't work. He still sang something else, but it was funny. I'm embarassed to post this with me singing as well, but you've probably all heard me sing anyway.

Here we are getting ready for his party on Saturday and rather than sucking down whipped cream he asks me to squirt his mouth full of deviled egg filling. He is very serious about his deviled eggs.

This was Xavier's special birthday dinner on Wednesday since he'll be eating w/ Daddy on Thursday

Thank you Lord for Xavier Ryan Speedy Monkey Indiana Jones and thank you for calling me out of death and into life through your work on the cross!

Welcome Spring!

"Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness mercy and love"

- "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas Chisolm & William Runyan -

I love spring! But much of my enjoyment in spring really flows from how much I LOVE summer!!! Anticipation is half the fun, but I do get giddy over seeing the buds coming forth and hearing the Spring Peepers in the creek on warm nights. I love leaving my winter coat in the closet when I go out the door and I'm beyond eager for the first night I can leave the windows open. Aaah. I was driving home this afternoon and something caught my eye, something beautiful - Magnolia blossoms! They were barely open but I was still stunned by them. I think I may have actually gasped when I saw them because I forgot how they delight my eyes :-) I've been thinking about how Spring is evidence of God's faithfulness. Just like the seasons in a year there are seasons in my walk with the Lord. Each time I feel this great coldness in my heart - when I'm lacking passion, when my eyes only seem to see myself and immediate circumstances, when I am downcast and sinning in unbelief - God is absolutely faithful to bring "spring" to me again. Because of the desperate places my sin takes me, and because he kindly allows me to see that, I long for renewal and fresh vision for his glory. He consistently meets me there and I am never disappointed with where I end up on the other side.

some of the tree buds in our yard

Tonight I was looking at Zechariah 10:1 "Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field." I was reminded of something the Lord was teaching me this morning on the way to church. I drove past a small pond which is often full to the brim, but today I saw several inches of bare bank above the water level. I was surprised because I haven't been aware of a lack of rain. It seems to me to have rained quite a bit lately, but I tend to be more aware of those days than the amount of sunny ones in between them. But God spoke to me of his wisdom and faithfulness. I am so subjective and my measure of what is "best" is often what makes me most comfortable. Be glad God's wisdom is far beyond mine. He knows just how many sunny days to give and just how much rain we need to be full and effective for him. The direct result of those cool drizzly days are the flowers which are starting to come alive and the trees that are reawakening. God gets glory over how he perfectly measures and balances the sunshine with the storms. He is so trustworthy!

We had a fun day visiting with my sister Cheryl on Saturday. I love getting to spend time with her and my niece and nephew. Her husband was coaching his Quiz Bowl team in a tournament that day so we took the kids to That Fish Place and then later for a walk to a construction site in their neighborhood. Xavier and I had a blast and were smothered with hugs, kisses and giggles. Here are some fun shots from our day.

this eel had his mouth wide open at us like he was waiting to
chomp at anything that crossed his path - very intimidating

you probably can't tell but this hermit crab was about 6 or 7

inches tall and probably almost a foot long to the end of his shell