Gardens and Grace- Consider The Lilies

Consider the lilies of the field...

...how they grow...

...they neither toil nor spin...

...Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these...

...But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore, do not be anxious...

Matthew 6: 28-30

Summertime

It's been a couple of weeks since I've written anything here.  We finished up school at the end of May, and I spent the last few weeks excavating some of the piles that built up throughout the school year.  After seven years of homeschooling, I have finally come to accept that I can do school well or my house well, but not both.  School and the kids always win over dusting and piles, and this reforming perfectionist of a mama is finally at peace with a decorating style that is best described as "Early Science Experiment with a touch of Dust and Lived-In".  (The basement decorating style is "AAAAAAAAAA! with a touch of Run for Your Lives", but that's probably a different post...)

Anyway, I've made a little bit of progress on the piles.  I've also got a ton of summer sewing projects on the docket, so my sewing machine is dusted off and out on the dining room table, waiting expectantly for those spools and bobbins.  We're spending time soaking up the sun, working in the garden, swimming in our neighborhood pool, and generally enjoying the more relaxed pace of summer.

I love summer, partly because the slower pace gives me a chance to reflect on all that God has done and is doing in our family.  As I sit on the patio, soak in the sunshine, look at the flowers, and watch the birds flit around the yard, I am so thankful for the ways God cares for His creation.  It sends me straight to Matthew 6 almost every morning-- "Look at the birds... Are you not of more value than they?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin... Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow..."  Summer is such a gift of grace-- a loving reminder from the Father who cares for His birds and His flowers and His children.

Soaking.
              Savoring.
                               Reflecting.
                                                 Regrouping.

I'm incredibly thankful for summertime.

Food Poisoning and God's Schedule

Paul was out of town this last week, so we decided to go out to dinner Thursday night on the way home from picking him up at the airport.  We had some "free kids' meal" coupons, and we thought it would be fun to have a nice dinner to celebrate his homecoming.

About 30 minutes after we ate, I started feeling sick to my stomach, and by Friday it was clear that I had some type of food poisoning.  I ended up spending all day Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday completely out of commission.  Praise be to God that I am feeling much better today!

To be completely honest, I was not a bit happy about being knocked out by this unexpected kink in my plan. I was mad at the restaurant and upset that I lost more than two days of productivity.  I had my agenda for the weekend, and it didn't include getting sick.

I often struggle to adjust to God's plan for my days when it is so dramatically different than what I had planned.    I know in my head that His plan is absolutely perfect, and I know that He works all things together for His glory and my good, but I am being sanctified as I learn to submit to His agenda for my days instead of insisting on my own agenda.  I'm learning that there is a big difference between just adjusting mentally and truly submitting with all my heart and mind.  As I lay on my bed wrestling with my attitude, the Lord kept reminding me of the verse that says, "All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be."(Ps. 139:16)

All the days ordained for me...even the ones with food poisoning.

I can be such a slow learner, but God in His wisdom used this last weekend to teach me more about what it means to submit to His schedule and to listen to His truth in the midst of the unexpected changes and adjustments.  Thank God for His unfailing love and tenderness as He draws each of us along, for He knows exactly what He wants to teach us in every moment that He gives us life and breath.  Sometimes those teachable moments come from unexpected speed bumps like food poisoning.

There is one other unexpected blessing that came out of being laid up for a few days.  I finally finished a book I've been working on for 10 months!

Gardens and Grace: The Paintbrush of God

Consider the paintbrush

 of Almighty God,

Who,

in giving His spectacular gifts,

still reminds us that they are only shadows

of the glories yet unseen.

Gaze long.

Breathe deep.

Kneel forevermore.

Pictures and Ponderings: June 1

Sometimes I come across a funny little scene in my house that makes me stop and say, "Hmmmm....I wonder how that got there?"  Recently, one such pile made me literally laugh out loud-- squirt guns, hair accessories, and a crystal-handled wedding cake server-- all hanging out on the laundry room bench together!

Yep, we are a family, and I guess this is a little bit like the way we roll--

  imperfect,
 sometimes illogical,
 but hanging together nonetheless!

Reflections on Memorial Day

At the airport- Memorial Day 2008, minutes before saying good-bye.

For the last few years, Memorial Day has had a double significance in the life of our family. It was on Memorial Day exactly four years ago that my husband deployed to Iraq for 12 months.  This blog was born out of those difficult days and the need to focus on the blessings instead of the fears that threatened to consume us daily.

Today I remember and honor all of those men and women who paid the ultimate price so that we can enjoy so many freedoms.  I am so thankful for their sacrifice.  I also remember and pray for the families that never had the joy of being reunited with their loved one.  We were so thankful that Paul came home to us, but I know that God had a different plan for many other wives and families, and I grieve for their loss.

"The Lord upholds all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down."

-- Ps. 145:14

May the Lord uphold all those whose hearts are bowed down today, and may He bless those who serve so far from home.

The Three Rings of Marriage

A few weeks ago, we were sitting at the kitchen table, and the kids were asking me about my wedding ring.

Suddenly, Micah piped up and said in a goofy way, "There are three rings of marriage:  the engagement ring, the wedding ring, and suffering!"

I was absolutely stunned (and slightly amused, I admit!).  Where DO they get these things?

Knowing that he probably heard it somewhere, and knowing that he couldn't have gotten that idea from one of us, I started querying him to find the source of such a comment.

"I don't know.  I heard it on TV or something."

The kids don't watch a ton of live TV, so all day long I kept asking him if he remembered where he had heard that statement.

Finally it came to him-- "America's Funniest Home Videos"!

They've only seen that show a few times, but that one line stuck.  I'm so thankful Micah got the joke and knew it wasn't true.  Even at his young age, he is already beginning to understand that being married is a good thing- a blessed thing- and not a life-sentence of suffering and unhappiness.  Hard times and suffering will come at some point to every marriage, to be sure, but marriage itself is a gift, not a curse.

Now Paul and I have even more reason to make sure we love one another in such a way that the kids would never believe that one of the "rings" of marriage was suffering.  By God's grace, may our family and marriage be marked by these "rings" instead:

sharing,

remembering,

admiring,

adventuring,

adoring,

anchoring,

caring,

savoring,

persevering,

ministering,

cheering,

maturing,

considering,

endearing,
and

enduring.

Oh, the ways God teaches me truths because of that one other ring:

MOTHERING!

Silly Saturday- The War on Germs

I came upon this scene this week:

I had to laugh as I noticed that the soap container is completely empty.

All hope is not lost, however, because we have obviously acquired a mighty and fearsome squirt-gun arsenal.

Therefore, I have now concluded that we can just simply shoot any lurking germs and call it a victory!

1,003 Words- May 18

(Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, I'll only add 3 of my own...)

Open

for

humming-business!

Who Knew?

Who knew we had a laundry room floor?


(It's normally covered with laundry, so I don't see it very often!)  


What a pleasant surprise to see it this week.


A reminder to myself and all of my friends to keep plodding on...

Gardens and Grace- May 11

I look up from my weeding when I hear the door open.

"Do you want some gloves?" asks the man that I love so well.

I look down at my dirty fingers, knowing that it will take days to erase the evidence of digging in the flower beds bare-handed-- filthy fingernails, brown outlines in winter-roughened skin, green stains from battling dandelions.  No, these are not model hands.  They're mama hands, garden hands.

"Thanks.  That would be great."

A few minutes later a pair of green gloves are tossed out the back door onto the patio.  As I pull them onto the stained fingers, it almost seems silly.  I'm already so dirty.

"How's it coming?"  he says with a smile.

"It's coming along well.  I'm about to quit soon.  The sticker weeds are bad."

Sticker weeds.  I'm sure they have some elegant-sounding Latin name, but you can't hide ugliness behind a fancy name.  They hurt to pull, they root deep, they pop out of the ground tucked under nice plants like lilies and irises, sneaking their way into the flower beds, stealing the sun and nourishment from beautiful things like dianthus and hollyhocks.

"Do you want some music out here?"

"No thanks.  I'm fine."

He's about to close the door, finish making lunch, feed four hungry kids-- the same four kids that picked fluffy dandelions all morning in the hopes that the few million seeds that have already blown all over the yard won't be joined by a few million more.

Suddenly, I have a burning thought, a confession.

"I know it sounds silly, but God talks to me when my hands are in the dirt."


Then comes the gentle reply from that man I love so well.


"I know.  He talks to me too." 

And wouldn't it be just like my God?

The curse was pronounced in a garden.

Sticker weeds, dandelions, dirty hands desperately pushing back the chaos for

a few more days.

My Jesus prayed and was arrested in a garden.

"Not my will but Thine..."

And yet God redeems the loss found in those other gardens by teaching me great things about grace,

  and little plants grown up,

and weeds that crop up in my heart under the things I like to think are beautiful and lovely,

and His pruning of the branches,

 and my bearing much fruit.

Oh, thank You, Lord, that gardens are not just for curses and loss,

but they are redeemed for teaching and blessing and beauty and speaking...

...speaking to Your daughter.

You know the one, Lord-- that messy one with the very dirty hands, who is ever so thankful

 that the winter is past and the time for gardens and listening has come.

A Completely New Look

I've spent a good bit of time lately pondering this little blog of mine and playing with different ideas to visually enhance the story of who we are and what God is doing in our lives.  As I have visited other blogs in the last several months, it has become very clear to me that you can often tell the worldview of the author the instant you reach their page.

I love to write about my family and the things that God is teaching us on this journey.  Lately I've realized that this blog has become my online journal and digital scrapbook.  As I have prayed about having this creative outlet, the Lord has impressed upon my heart the fact that since I belong to Christ, every facet of this blog should reflect His face-- from the title to the posts to the pictures.  After much trial and error (this girl is a technological work-in-progress!), I have completely revamped the look of "Chocolate Syrup and Cookie Dough"!  In the days to come, I will be adding some tabs at the top that will hopefully provide even more ways for the love and grace of Christ spill out all over this blog for His glory and our joy.

I'd love to know what you think of the new look!

Savoring His sweetness...

Pictures of the Latest Birthday Cakes

All of the kids have had birthdays in the last several months, so we've made some fun cakes to celebrate.  Josiah turned 11, Micah and Sarah turned 9, and Isaac turned 7.  How are they getting so big?  Didn't I just give birth to all of them yesterday?

I think we're up to 38 different cakes now including a couple that I've made for other events.  If you would like to see some of the other cakes we've made, you can check out the slide show entitled "Cakes, Cakes, and More Cakes" down on the right side, and you can also click on "Cakes" in my labels for pictures of more recent cakes that aren't in the slide show.

Here are the kids' most recent cakes:  (click any picture to enlarge!)

Josiah loves moose, so he asked for a moose cake.  I cheated and used figures for the moose because I truly had no idea how to do antlers in frosting!  The trees are sugar cones, and the logs are oreo straws.  The water is made with blue jello.

Sarah loves to play the piano, so she wanted a piano cake!

Micah LOVES the Denver Broncos, so to go along with last year's Broncos helmet,
 he asked for a Broncos jersey!

Isaac LOVES the Detroit Red Wings, so he asked for a very specific cake!  He wanted a polar bear in a Red Wings jersey with an octopus in front.  It is tradition in Detroit for people to throw octopi onto the ice after a goal.  The tradition goes back to when it took 8 playoff victories to win the championship.  The octopus is made with a lollipop and gummi worms.

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful kids I could ever imagine!

Distracted

There are a thousand distractions in my day-- a thousand ways that my attention and focus are pulled away from the perfect-to-do-list designed by God for each day that He gives me.

But once in awhile, God stops me in my tracks by a phrase that reorients my mind and gives me a renewed spirit to fight the endless distraction and savor the God-ordained list instead.

Last week, I was reading in Luke 10 and there they were-- three words that have hardly left my mind since that day...

"Martha was distracted..."

It could so easily read, "Heidi was distracted."  Those three words have haunted me, instructed me, caused me to think hard about how much I get wrapped up in serving my family, my church, my friends, without savoring Christ-- just like Martha did.

But then beyond those three words come the words of Christ that gently whisper to me through the busyness and distraction...

"You are anxious and troubled about many

things, but one thing is necessary..."

One thing.  One thing railing against the thousands of things that cloud my consciousness and clamor for attention.

Oh, that my heart would sit at His feet, listen to His voice, and rest in His sovereign plan for my days and weeks and months.  Oh, to fight the distraction and mindless drivel that flood my world with toxic discontentment and flustered activity.  Oh, for strength to search every minute for that one thing that is "heart-necessary" in order to joyfully balance the God-given responsibility of the "daily-necessary" that fills my time-- husband, children, meals, laundry, dishes, music lessons, and math...

Oh, for more and more grace...

Daily battle of mind and heart against

Inane and worthless time-thieves,

Stealing my energy and

Taunting my focus,

Rather than reveling in

Abundant life lavishly given by

Christ Jesus.

Teach me, Savior, to shun

Earthly distractions and instead,

Delight to hear Your voice above the din.

Expecting Perfection

Charles Spurgeon said in his sermon entitled "Ripe Fruit":

"He who grows in grace remembers that he is but dust, and he therefore does not expect his fellow Christians to be anything more.  He overlooks ten thousand of their faults, because he knows his God overlooks twenty thousand in his own case.  He does not expect perfection in the creature, and therefore, he is not disappointed when he does not find it."

Life-giving words to a Christian family--

And a perfectionist of a momma being transformed daily by grace.

So we drink deep, letting the gospel wash over us yet again, quenching the thirst of this family-blessing needing also to be watered with grace today...

Silly Saturday- Doughnut Seeds

I didn't have a Silly Saturday post last week because it seemed somehow out of place sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter.

So...in honor of the first Silly Saturday post of April, I thought I would share something funny from April Fool's Day!

Since I'm determined to laugh more with this dear family-blessing God has given me, I was looking for a good joke when I came across this very funny printable.  I made one of these for every member of my family, wrapped them in gift bags, and presented them to everyone with much pomp and ceremony.

My dear, sweet family was incredibly touched at my thoughtfulness.  In fact, all four kids spent the rest of the day trying to find a way to repay me for my kindness.  They never did get me, although I did check my bed carefully that night before climbing under the covers.

Don't you wish you could really grow doughnuts? I'd plant them in my garden next to the chocolate bars, one row behind the marble cakes and french silk pies...

An Easter Bloom

"Bleeding Heart"

(Dicentra spectabilis)

Of all the beloved blooms

 that color the landscape far and wide,

this bleeding heart- a garden favorite,

touched by the paintbrush of Almighty God,

always reminds me of grace, 

and of another garden, 

and an empty tomb.

I do believe it is no coincidence

that it always appears

just before Easter.

Grace blooms anew, and I am reminded yet again-

He is risen!

Silly Saturday- Never Bet on Guacamole

Lessons I have learned in the last 24 hours:

1.  Never make a bet that you don't intend to keep.

2.  As you sit at a Chipotle restaurant enjoying guacamole and chips (which you love), don't throw down the gauntlet to every other member of your anti-guacamole family and offer $5 to the first one who will eat and swallow a chip with guacamole on it. (What was I thinking?)

3.  Never count on the pickiest eater to stay picky when $5 is on the line.

Yep, the "silly" in today's Silly Saturday is me.  I'm $5 poorer, and Micah has now tried and swallowed guacamole.

Live and learn, Mommy....

Never bet on guacamole.

Or picky eaters...

1,003 Words- March 29

(Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, I'll only add 3 of my own...)

Daughter

needs

puppy!

To Know...

I saw this quote today.  It rang true with such a depth and sweetness.  Oh, that I may know Him...

"God is not a belief to which you give your assent.  God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love.  Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, 'Do you believe there is a God?' you may find yourself answering, 'No, I do not believe there is a God.  I know there is a God.' "-- Ernest Boyer, Jr.