Thoughts on Halloween

Today I went to Walgreens. With my 3 year old and 16 month old in the buggy. Strolling up and down the aisles. And this guy directly above (approximately 5 feet in height) hung from nearly EVERY aisle. Well, it was a variation of this guy above. The ones we saw - had long, balding hair, and a much more evil expression. It was like Tales from the Crypt - in demonic form.

My 3 year old was torn between wanting to look and terrified. He had so...many...questions. What is it? Where does it come from? What does it do?

And I hate that I had to have THIS conversation with him. today. He is so little and while, he is a full-blown 3 year old with a normal sin nature, THIS does not have to be in his thoughts.

All I could say was. "That's evil."

And he said. "I hate them."

For years, Wes has been hung up on halloween issues. That's what I've referred to them as. He has always believed that because its very beginning was shaped from evil, it therefore should not be something we acknowledge or celebrate.

I loved Halloween as a kid. Trick or Treating. My neighborhood. My sister and I hand in hand, with our pumpkin candy holders in hand. Walking with my dad. Hi-fiving our neighbors as we'd pass each other dressed in sweet, fun characters. Mom at home, passing out candy to hundreds of our neighbors.

And I have fought him for years on celebrating this holiday and making it a part of our family.

But I'm running into a big problem. Its becoming blatantly evil. And I'm losing my argument with myself. I don't want to be a part of this. And why are these things hung up in the entrance, on every aisle and putting horrible images into my children's heads?

Are these things going to be on the front porches of the houses we go to? That's terrifying to a young child. After we had a conversation about this in Walgreens, we talked more about evil. The bible does tell us to cling to what is good. And to hate what is evil. Wyatt reflected all day on these "Scary things". And I could not argue or even correct him for hating them.

My overall thoughts: Its becoming harder to avoid and escape and overlook this kind of evil at Halloween.

A question: What is our role as believers living in this world that celebrates Halloween?

Tiny House Blog

So thus begins a new era for me and my family. God's faithful provision and promises of an abundant life have lead us to an apartment in Charlotte. First, before anything else, may I give Him all the glory for where we are and how we've come to be here. Truly as 1 Corinithians 10:31 proclaims: "For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things,"

I see this tiny place we are living as from Him, to Him and through Him.

The lessons I've already learned in this apartment. Wow.

Stay tuned for blogs on what we've been doing, what our place looks like and most importantly what He is teaching us.

*tinyhouseblog.com that has come to be a source of inspiration and practical tips for us in our new place. Check it out if you have some time.

Walker's Video

Walker has seen a video before but I will say this is his first one. Because today he comprehended it. It is a baby einstein one. And each time one of the puppet guys appeared, he reached out for it. He was fascinated. And so was I. 

These Two Sons of Mine.

Wyatt: Mommy, do you like to be protected?

Me: Absolutely.

Wyatt: Mommy, I'm protecting you.

Me: Well thank you Wyatt for protecting me.

Wyatt (in a whisper-voice with big eyes!): Mommy, Walker is the bad guy!

God is So Kind.

So my husband searched the internet far and wide in order to find the perfect way to brew our coffee at home. He resolved to a 12-cup Bodum French Press (pictured above). It includes a stainless steel filter, top, frame and a glass test tube-like center. It is a wonderful thing in our household.

One day. I was spinning Wyatt around in the kitchen. His feet tapped the drying rack on the counter and the french press, which had been drying on the rack toppled over into the sink...and broke.

At this point in my life, I had been reading "Feminine Appeal" and on this day in my life, I had read the chapter on biblical submission. It was a fresh, motivating look into my calling as a wife. And prior to this incident I was PUMPED about exercising submission.

I hesitated to even tell Wes while he was at work what I had done. Definitely was tempted to just wait until he got home. Fighting through those thoughts, I decided while we were speaking on the phone to go ahead and expose myself, swinging Wyatt around and all.

He was very kind in his response. He didn't question me. He didn't even ask why I had been swinging Wyatt around. He simply laughed a little and immediately got online and began researching 12-cup Bodum french presses at a reduced price. As they are rather pricey.

While we were still talking, he was not finding these french presses at a price in which he was satisfied and resolved to say
"It's okay. We'll just figure something else out in the morning."

Translation - we/he will not be getting our delicious fresh coffee we have become so accustomed to!!

I offered to do whatever he wanted in order to get a french press into our kitchen on this day. Including, the big wammy. Yep - wake my sleeping children and throw them into my car, driving from one store to another, risking everything that comes with a defeating trip to the store.

Wes patiently, kindly persisted that I not worry about it. And that he'd be fine. Having read my biblical submission chapter, I bit my tongue and followed his lead. I knew very well what sort of sacrifice this was for him. He truly waited and waited and waited to find the right french press, saved up and from the day he opened up the package it arrived in, we have enjoyed it to the hilt!

Well. We hung up. I felt terrible. Mostly for my husband. And for me as well. His kind reaction made me feel that much more bad for him.

As God's providence would have it, Wes's office had been arrayed from top to bottom with people's junk in preparation for an upcoming church yard sale. I mean, more than $10,000 worth of people's junk make its way into his office at one time or another and into our CLC. His frustration had been building and he was becoming weary day in and day out of trying to get work done amidst the junk.

He began fitting in cleaning out time into his daily schedule at work in order TO be able to get things done.

Picking back up to our conversation. Upon Wes hanging up from our phone conversation, he began to do his regular cleaning up. Moving boxes, items, clothes and other junk out of his office and into the CLC.

On this particular day, at this particular moment, he discovered that there was a 12-cup Bodem French Press.
My wise and patient husband bought it for $1 and brought it home to our household.

Did you know that the Lord was that kind? I felt so humbled/honored/won over by that kind act that I just had to pull my Wyatt into the kitchen and tell him how much the Lord loves us.

He even cares about the way we love our COFFEE!

Thank you Father, for your rewards that come from following you...and our husbands.
And in the words of Carolyn Mahaney:
"God, you always back this guy up."

Cute Wyatt-isms

Wyatt: Mommy, when Brighty dies, can we get a goat?
Me: What?
Wyatt: I really want to get a goat when Brighty dies.
Me: Why do you want to have a goat?
Wyatt: Well Daddy told me that we could.
Me: ?
Wyatt: We can have lots of yogart.

this has been the subject of our conversation about 5x in the past week.

two days ago:
Wyatt: Mommy, when Brighty dies, can we get a goat?
Me: Wyatt, we need to cherish Brighty. One day he will die and we will be sad. We will miss him. Let's enjoy him while we have him.

after he had some time to think about it.
Wyatt: Mommy, when will Brighty die.

yesterday:
Wyatt: Mommy, when Brighty dies, I don't want to get a goat. I want to get a ferret.
Me: ?

414th Chapter Closed.

We closed on our home this week.
All the memories.
All the hardships.
All the moments. Both joyful and horrifying.
A house can represent so much.
For me, it was a season.

Before Wes and I left our 414 Park Avenue address for the last time, we walked through the empty rooms, one by one and gave thanks to the Lord.

The kitchen. where I was reminded of Wyatt learning to make pancakes with Wes. And family dinners where we'd all be singing, loudly, hysterically.
The bathrooms - where I was reminded of the MANY potty-training failures (mostly from me) and successes. Through which the Lord showed me that His power is made perfect in my weakness.
Wes' and my closet - which served as our Walker's nursery his first 6 months of life. Where I watched him sleep, countless times.
Walker's room - which was also our guest room - where he learned to soothe himself to sleep at 9 months. And also where many a guest stayed. I thanked the Lord for providing such a place to house our friends from the nearest of them, to the farthest - from the smallest of them to the largest of them.
Wyatt's room - where he became a little boy. His room began as a nursery and became a big boy room. He learned to sleep in a bed. He gave up his paci. Where many nights we ran up there, fearful of sickness - and I praised the Lord that EVERY time our Wyatt was healed. All the "room time" he had in that sweet room - where I'd come up to get him out and he'd be reading his books and singing "here I am to worship..." in his high little voice.

Praise the Lord. For all that He did in that home. He lead us there. He guided us while we stayed there. And He made it clear when He began to lead us away.

Wyatt saw his first snow in this house.
Walker learned to crawl in this house.
Brighton jumped over our backyard fence 367 times there.
Wes adorned its walls with sweet post-it notes on my birthday.
We hosted many a LOST night there.
Wes walked to work so many times.
Wyatt and I chalked on the sidewalk weekly.
Wes made red pancakes for Valentines day.
Wyatt had 2 birthday parties there.
We brought our Walker home from the hospital there.

Oh the memories.
Oh the work of the Lord.
What a sweet, fulfilling, monumental chapter in our life.
Time to close it. And open the next.
Thank you Father, for 414 Park Ave.

"He is before all things. And in Him, all things hold together."
Colossians 1:17

*we have not actually moved to Charlotte yet. We will be in Florence for 6 more weeks. Wes' last day at work is August 13. *