So there are these people who apparently think they're smarter than the Bible when it says that not even the angles of heaven know when Jesus' return will be- they claim the rapture is coming on Saturday at 9. I think they're a little pretentious, but that's okay. If Jesus comes, I want to go with him, I don't really care if it's Saturday or when I'm 80 or after I'm dead.
As a comparative religion major, I learned all kinds of crazy. You think there's a 7 headed blue half elephant demon god? Interesting. You think there's a "friendly zombie overlord" as some people put it? Me too! Vestal virgins for martyrs? Neat. Baptism for dead people, you say? Indeed. Religion involves faith, which necessarily requires a mental leap. It's not "faith" if there's no requirement that you believe in something unlikely or improbable.
Do I think that the rapture is coming on Saturday? Not any more than I think that it's coming today, and actually, probably a little less since the Bible says we won't know the hour. Much like a baby coming on its actual due date, I see Saturday as the least likely date possible now that someone's calling for it. What bothers me about this whole thing is how naive I've apparently been my whole life.
Growing up in a relatively Southern part of the US as a relatively mainstream Christian, I didn't really get the whole "anti-Christian" sentiment that Jesus warns of, and I still thought we were a largely Christian nation. I forget what that means, though. We are a relatively Christian nation in the sense that we all believe in Christmas (TM) with Santa and presents and commercialism. We are a relatively Christian nation in that we are afraid to completely abandon God, much like the hated Aunt that you don't completely write off just in case she leaves you money in her will. We are a relatively Christian nation in that in times of absolute crisis or despair, our leaders have our permission to express that we should "pray" despite the fact that a majority wouldn't even know what posture to strike to do so.
Over the past few days, I've listened. I've listened to the mocking on the radio, TV, internet, and even in person at a meeting I had to attend. The mocking isn't aimed just at the group that thinks Jesus is coming on Saturday- it's mocking of the entire "rapture" concept. Yes, these people's website reads like bad Bible fan-fiction. However, that doesn't change the fact that ALL of America's Christians should believe that a rapture will come. After the last few days, I'm pretty sure that my adherence to that belief makes me one of the crazies, too.
I've never felt like an outsider because of my faith- and I still don't. But the hostility and mocking I've seen over the past few days towards a very real portion of the Christian faith have weighed heavily on my heart, and while I'm not going to get a sign and stand on a street corner, maybe this is my stand. I still believe, and I hear you laughing now, World. I still believe, and I see you pointing. And, despite my disagreement with their approach, I admire the people who have stepped out and acted on a faith that can ABSOLUTELY be proven wrong on Saturday at 9. Not for what their saying, but for their faith itself.
I'm pretty positive I'll see you all on Sunday, but I'll definitely be more aware of what it means when I walk into my fairly conservative and Bible-teaching church when I do.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
In Which It's Mamma Day
I used to loathe mother's day. My first 2 were less than happy, and I actually forbade its observance for a year after that. My first (when I was pregnant) I spent the whole day waiting for something to happen, but Austin had been advised that it was bad luck to do anything for a pregnant woman. All day I answered friends who asked what he'd done with "nothing yet". It was embarrassing, but in hindsight, not that big of a deal although my hormones led to a huge tear-fest that night anyway. The second first (when Riley was 6 months old) my mother in law pitched such an unholy fit that Austin was spending mother's day with me and not with her that he left me halfway through the day so spend a few hours trying to coax her out of the bedroom she'd locked herself in to leave me a nasty voicemail message full of curse words and threats.
Yay Jerry Springer inspired families, right?
But then, once Riley was in preschool, the most fabulous thing happened and he came home with some beautiful handprint artwork that was wrapped lovingly in tissue paper and ribbon. He was so proud of the picture he'd made me. I remember him wrapping his little 2 and a half year old self around me and exclaiming "you're my best mommy!" as he gave me my present on Friday afternoon because he just couldn't wait until Sunday. Mother's Day was about him, not about me. Not about my mother in law. Not about anything but about a sweet little boy getting to tell me in his own fingerpaint and happiness that he was happy God let me be his mommy.
I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes.
I've enjoyed several fantastic mother's days since then. Our 3s preschool teachers host a Mother's Day Tea each year that brings me to tears every time. I have a box under my bed full of cards and stories transcribed by grown ups saying things like "My mommy is beautiful and I love her" beneath a stick figure of, what I can best guess, a chicken that's been mutilated by a dinosaur with blonde hair. I love them.
Today was awesome, too. I got to sleep in and Austin and the babies made me breakfast. Then Savannah and I got to spend some girl time at the Spa with my mom and brother's girlfriend getting our nails done. It's so fun to have girl time with Savannah! Logan and Savannah both planted flowers at preschool. Savannah decorated her pot and Logan grew marigolds from seeds. All three kids made me adorable cards and Riley's teacher helped the kids fill out a questionnaire. One question he answered that stuck out was "My mommy loves". Most kids probably wrote in "chocolate" or "reading", but Riley wrote "Me." I'm glad that he knows. Logan made me a necklace out of plastic beads that I've been wearing all day, and he's tickled pink.
The kids also took me to see a movie. We saw Hop, which was cute, but even more adorable was that they pooled together their piggy bank money to buy my ticket. I cried. I'm a pansy like that.
I'm so lucky to have my kids. They're completely awesome, even though they sometimes make me insane.
The afternoon was a little less happy, with a reminder that we don't have our mothers forever as we left the kids with my brother so that we could attend the visitation hours for my godmother's mother, who passed away this last week. They're holding up well, especially considering her husband's mother passed away the week before. Standing in line to greet my godmother behind my mother at the funeral home where we buried my grandmother definitely hit me pretty hard.
After the visitation, we stopped at Trader Joes (we used to have one right across the street from our apartment when we first got married- oh how I love TJ!) to pick up a few things and then the whole family enjoyed dinner at my brother's house (formerly my grandmothers). We're so lucky to have family close by. I love the legacy that my children get to be part of and wish they had Austin's brothers and sister closer, too.
Happy Mother's Day!
Yay Jerry Springer inspired families, right?
But then, once Riley was in preschool, the most fabulous thing happened and he came home with some beautiful handprint artwork that was wrapped lovingly in tissue paper and ribbon. He was so proud of the picture he'd made me. I remember him wrapping his little 2 and a half year old self around me and exclaiming "you're my best mommy!" as he gave me my present on Friday afternoon because he just couldn't wait until Sunday. Mother's Day was about him, not about me. Not about my mother in law. Not about anything but about a sweet little boy getting to tell me in his own fingerpaint and happiness that he was happy God let me be his mommy.
I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes.
I've enjoyed several fantastic mother's days since then. Our 3s preschool teachers host a Mother's Day Tea each year that brings me to tears every time. I have a box under my bed full of cards and stories transcribed by grown ups saying things like "My mommy is beautiful and I love her" beneath a stick figure of, what I can best guess, a chicken that's been mutilated by a dinosaur with blonde hair. I love them.
Today was awesome, too. I got to sleep in and Austin and the babies made me breakfast. Then Savannah and I got to spend some girl time at the Spa with my mom and brother's girlfriend getting our nails done. It's so fun to have girl time with Savannah! Logan and Savannah both planted flowers at preschool. Savannah decorated her pot and Logan grew marigolds from seeds. All three kids made me adorable cards and Riley's teacher helped the kids fill out a questionnaire. One question he answered that stuck out was "My mommy loves". Most kids probably wrote in "chocolate" or "reading", but Riley wrote "Me." I'm glad that he knows. Logan made me a necklace out of plastic beads that I've been wearing all day, and he's tickled pink.
The kids also took me to see a movie. We saw Hop, which was cute, but even more adorable was that they pooled together their piggy bank money to buy my ticket. I cried. I'm a pansy like that.
I'm so lucky to have my kids. They're completely awesome, even though they sometimes make me insane.
The afternoon was a little less happy, with a reminder that we don't have our mothers forever as we left the kids with my brother so that we could attend the visitation hours for my godmother's mother, who passed away this last week. They're holding up well, especially considering her husband's mother passed away the week before. Standing in line to greet my godmother behind my mother at the funeral home where we buried my grandmother definitely hit me pretty hard.
After the visitation, we stopped at Trader Joes (we used to have one right across the street from our apartment when we first got married- oh how I love TJ!) to pick up a few things and then the whole family enjoyed dinner at my brother's house (formerly my grandmothers). We're so lucky to have family close by. I love the legacy that my children get to be part of and wish they had Austin's brothers and sister closer, too.
Happy Mother's Day!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
In Which We're "Official"
Our deposit is in with a Classical Conversations group. We are officially homeschoolers for 2011-2012. As I put the money in the leader's hand, I couldn't help but think "oh my gosh we're crazy".
But I'm also crazy excited :)
But I'm also crazy excited :)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
In Which We Survey the Wonderous Cross
Easter is pretty fantastic at our house. We start with observing Passover (hooray for my 7 year old who can expound on the foreshadowing in Exodus of Christ's sacrifice....he definitely doesn't have a religion major for a mother...) and then observe several rather somber holy days including Maundy Thursday (this year with 100% more Catholic as we were able to attend a Stations of the Cross, which was awesome!) and Good Friday, which I typically attend alone because I cry.
Sometimes I forget about Jesus altogether. I can admit that. There are days when I am overwhelmed by all the junk in my day and I forget that my actions are supposed to reflect Him. I'm not proud of it, but it's true. Knowing that is why His sacrifice, in spite of my complete and utter failure to ever get things right, is so overwhelming.
One of the rectors at the service I attended talked from the perspective of Simon the Cyrene, the man who was forced to help Jesus carry the cross when He, after being brutally beaten, could no longer manage to drag it. The rector, speaking as Simon, recounted Jesus falling and silently wishing that He would just stay down, that the suffering would end, but Jesus would pull himself up with eyes resolute, fixed on the end, on the suffering, on the death that He knew He must endure for each of us. Riley asked me for the first time this year why Jesus didn't get down off the cross. He's God, after all. He healed the sick and rose the dead, so it seems rather simple to get off a cross. I've been waiting to tell him the answer to that question his whole little life. "He chose to stay, Riley. The nails didn't hold Jesus to the cross. Jesus Held himself because He knew that for all of us to be forgiven, so that we could have eternal life with Him in Heaven, He had to die as a sacrifice. Love for you held Him there, not metal." Riley cried, too. He's very like me sometimes, that little boy.
How amazing to be loved so much. In the Simon monologue, the rector then recounted "I'd come to Jerusalem on pilgrimage to celebrate the passover, and now, touching Jesus as He died, I was unclean, ceremonially unfit to observe the seder. But as I thought about it, the blood of the lamb would not be on my doorposts that night, because it was already on me, it covered me."
I hope that I have taught my children to observe Easter and the holy mystery that it represents with both joy and reverence. This CS Lewis quote has always spoken to me about our observance of holidays. I want our children to know that beyond the eggs and the candy, there is so much more happening. With God's grace, I hope that I can succeed.
Sometimes I forget about Jesus altogether. I can admit that. There are days when I am overwhelmed by all the junk in my day and I forget that my actions are supposed to reflect Him. I'm not proud of it, but it's true. Knowing that is why His sacrifice, in spite of my complete and utter failure to ever get things right, is so overwhelming.
One of the rectors at the service I attended talked from the perspective of Simon the Cyrene, the man who was forced to help Jesus carry the cross when He, after being brutally beaten, could no longer manage to drag it. The rector, speaking as Simon, recounted Jesus falling and silently wishing that He would just stay down, that the suffering would end, but Jesus would pull himself up with eyes resolute, fixed on the end, on the suffering, on the death that He knew He must endure for each of us. Riley asked me for the first time this year why Jesus didn't get down off the cross. He's God, after all. He healed the sick and rose the dead, so it seems rather simple to get off a cross. I've been waiting to tell him the answer to that question his whole little life. "He chose to stay, Riley. The nails didn't hold Jesus to the cross. Jesus Held himself because He knew that for all of us to be forgiven, so that we could have eternal life with Him in Heaven, He had to die as a sacrifice. Love for you held Him there, not metal." Riley cried, too. He's very like me sometimes, that little boy.
How amazing to be loved so much. In the Simon monologue, the rector then recounted "I'd come to Jerusalem on pilgrimage to celebrate the passover, and now, touching Jesus as He died, I was unclean, ceremonially unfit to observe the seder. But as I thought about it, the blood of the lamb would not be on my doorposts that night, because it was already on me, it covered me."
I hope that I have taught my children to observe Easter and the holy mystery that it represents with both joy and reverence. This CS Lewis quote has always spoken to me about our observance of holidays. I want our children to know that beyond the eggs and the candy, there is so much more happening. With God's grace, I hope that I can succeed.
“There is a stage in a child’s life at which it cannot separate the religious from the merely festal character of Christmas or Easter. I have been told of a very small and very devout boy who was heard murmuring to himself on Easter morning a poem of his own composition which began ‘Chocolate eggs and Jesus risen.’ This seems to me, for his age, both admirable poetry and admirable piety. But of course the time will soon come when such a child can no longer effortlessly and spontaneously enjoy that unity. He will become able to distinguish the spiritual from the ritual and festal aspect of Easter; chocolate eggs will no longer seem sacramental. And once he has distinguished he must put one or the other first. If he puts the spiritual first he can still taste something of Easter in the chocolate eggs; if he puts the eggs first they will soon be no more than any other sweetmeat. They will have taken on an independent, and therefore a soon withering, life.” ~C. S. Lewis
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
In Which My Sweet Baby Turns 5
We have 3 children. Of those, we successfully planned to conceive one. Riley was a massive surprise, Savannah came out of nowhere, but Logan- Logan was the one we ordered :) (Disclaimer: We love all 3 of our children dearly)
Logan is such a sweet little boy. He's content with a show and a snack any day of the week. He doesn't need other people's approval to be happy- in fact, I have to laugh when we're around other kids because he's going to play what he wants and if you want to join him, that's cool, but if not, that's cool, too. The picture above is Logan on his last day of being 4. It was his "Mama Day" where he gets me all to himself every Tuesday. He always wants to spend it the same way, snuggling on the couch in our jammies watching Ice Age 3 and eating Nutella. Well, the Nutella isn't always the snack of choice, but you get the idea. The boy is happy with simple things and I love that about him :)
Logan is such a sweet little boy. He's content with a show and a snack any day of the week. He doesn't need other people's approval to be happy- in fact, I have to laugh when we're around other kids because he's going to play what he wants and if you want to join him, that's cool, but if not, that's cool, too. The picture above is Logan on his last day of being 4. It was his "Mama Day" where he gets me all to himself every Tuesday. He always wants to spend it the same way, snuggling on the couch in our jammies watching Ice Age 3 and eating Nutella. Well, the Nutella isn't always the snack of choice, but you get the idea. The boy is happy with simple things and I love that about him :)
When Logan grows up he wants to be a bunnyninjachef (so hence the bunny ninja drawn hastily on his ice cream cake. I'd already made 3 cakes this week so I was super happy he wanted an ice cream cake but didn't realize until the last minute he also wanted it decorated. Yay for leftover frosting!!)
Logan is sensitive and kind, and a quietly fierce competitor. He is so proud right now that he can read small sentences and likes to rub it in his brother's face share his new skills with other members of our family because it is coming so easily for him. He is an awesome kid and we're so lucky to have him
Monday, April 11, 2011
In Which We Hang With Our Buddies!!
On Friday, Savannah and I attended a Mommy and Me Yoga Class at a new yoga studio in Occoquan. My friend Jeni and her little girl Abigail were there, and while Abigail was actually attempting the poses, Savannah was quite happy laying on the mat and laughing at me :) It was cute.
After that, we had our friends Mia, Katalina, and Isabella over for a little while while their mommy went to the doctor. Mia and Savannah are "best friends"
and Kat seems to have quite the thing for my Logan. It's not that I can blame her, he's pretty cute. The two of them played "house" for awhile with baby Bella. I managed to snap a family picture:
We've been watching our friend John David every other weekend while his mom works, which has been such a treat for Riley. This weekend we got to have his sister join us, too, and Savannah was on cloud 9.
We started our weekend off at a fundraiser for Rich Anderson who is a local politician that Riley just loves to death. John David and Riley were pretty happy for all of 10 minutes while they got to nosh on a huge pile of bacon and meet Sheriff Glen Hill who had on his "ACTUAL! SHINY! GOLD! BADGE!" He seemed really tickled that the kids were so excited to meet him. John David loves his DSi (I think that's what it is!) and before we got there he was actually playing a game where he was a sheriff- so I think that helped up the cool quotient.
The boys started getting bored before we even got to meet the governor, and being a huge believer that all politics is local (okay, and also that you should dance with the one that brung ya) we left early. I can meet the governor some other time....or never...but that's okay!
We headed over to the Lowe's for their free build for kids they host every other Saturday. It was actually really fun! The boys got an apron to collect patches on and goggles to wear that are just like Bill Nye. Oh how I love Bill Nye.
We took it easy the rest of the weekend with the kids playing together outside for a little while in the seemingly endless fog that has permeated northern Virginia for weeks. Today, Monday, it was actually nice outside and the kids spend a good hour enjoying the sun after school and then had some homemade lemonade when we got home.
(Oh, and Savannah got to try on her recital outfit. I'll leave you with the cuteness!)
After that, we had our friends Mia, Katalina, and Isabella over for a little while while their mommy went to the doctor. Mia and Savannah are "best friends"
We've been watching our friend John David every other weekend while his mom works, which has been such a treat for Riley. This weekend we got to have his sister join us, too, and Savannah was on cloud 9.
We started our weekend off at a fundraiser for Rich Anderson who is a local politician that Riley just loves to death. John David and Riley were pretty happy for all of 10 minutes while they got to nosh on a huge pile of bacon and meet Sheriff Glen Hill who had on his "ACTUAL! SHINY! GOLD! BADGE!" He seemed really tickled that the kids were so excited to meet him. John David loves his DSi (I think that's what it is!) and before we got there he was actually playing a game where he was a sheriff- so I think that helped up the cool quotient.
The boys started getting bored before we even got to meet the governor, and being a huge believer that all politics is local (okay, and also that you should dance with the one that brung ya) we left early. I can meet the governor some other time....or never...but that's okay!
We headed over to the Lowe's for their free build for kids they host every other Saturday. It was actually really fun! The boys got an apron to collect patches on and goggles to wear that are just like Bill Nye. Oh how I love Bill Nye.
(Oh, and Savannah got to try on her recital outfit. I'll leave you with the cuteness!)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
In Which We Go to the Circus
Austin likes to make fun of me for the amount of my "free" time (read: between 1-2 in the afternoon if I'm lucky and from 1-3am) I spend on my website and facebook group.
He has to stop now :)
I've been working on a website for about a year now, maybe a year and a half and hadn't really taken it very seriously, although once I'm done with PTA I have an actual business plan for it. It's been really fun because I get to interact with other moms and meet lots of fun people, and I've gotten a few fun free things for our family. (All of my "featured" businesses have given me a sample product to try. It's been great so far because they've all been good- I'm nervous about the first time I have to say I didn't like something!!) My website has enabled us to go to plays, Smuckers Stars on Ice, Madame Tussauds, and more. We've gotten free books, a bracelet for me that was awesome, and passes to kids in motion. It doesn't really make up in any way shape or form for me not working, but it tosses in some fun extras for our family.
The circus, though, was amazing.
We actually got invited to go to the media party. There was food and stuff for the kids, they got to meet the ringmaster, acrobats and dancers, and, there were also clowns. True story, I suffer hardcore from Coulrophobia. The world would be a better place without clowns. The kids, however, seemed to love them.
This was such a fun experience. I loved seeing how excited the kids got, and I had fun meeting some awesome moms who are way better at what I do than I am :) And really, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about- being able to give my kids awesome experiences....like meeting the circus cast.
The circus itself was awesome, too. It was absolutely nothing like the "3 Ring Circus" that I remember. It was way more artsy and there was a story. The focus was way more on performance artists and less on animals, which is fine with me. Riley was so thrilled with the motorcycle acts, too. There was one with 9 of them in a giant metal ball and another that rode up a tightrope. Logan seemed to like the acrobats the best. He got a little sleepy part of the way through (so I had them out until 10pm on a school night.....add it to my mother of the year application) but I was impressed with how well he did!!
It was a super fun date night with our boys- and I really loved every minute!! (Next time I'll take the real camera and not just the cell phone, though!!)
He has to stop now :)
I've been working on a website for about a year now, maybe a year and a half and hadn't really taken it very seriously, although once I'm done with PTA I have an actual business plan for it. It's been really fun because I get to interact with other moms and meet lots of fun people, and I've gotten a few fun free things for our family. (All of my "featured" businesses have given me a sample product to try. It's been great so far because they've all been good- I'm nervous about the first time I have to say I didn't like something!!) My website has enabled us to go to plays, Smuckers Stars on Ice, Madame Tussauds, and more. We've gotten free books, a bracelet for me that was awesome, and passes to kids in motion. It doesn't really make up in any way shape or form for me not working, but it tosses in some fun extras for our family.
The circus, though, was amazing.
This was such a fun experience. I loved seeing how excited the kids got, and I had fun meeting some awesome moms who are way better at what I do than I am :) And really, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about- being able to give my kids awesome experiences....like meeting the circus cast.
The circus itself was awesome, too. It was absolutely nothing like the "3 Ring Circus" that I remember. It was way more artsy and there was a story. The focus was way more on performance artists and less on animals, which is fine with me. Riley was so thrilled with the motorcycle acts, too. There was one with 9 of them in a giant metal ball and another that rode up a tightrope. Logan seemed to like the acrobats the best. He got a little sleepy part of the way through (so I had them out until 10pm on a school night.....add it to my mother of the year application) but I was impressed with how well he did!!
It was a super fun date night with our boys- and I really loved every minute!! (Next time I'll take the real camera and not just the cell phone, though!!)
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