William and his daddy watched the wolfpack's opening game last night. They enjoyed it even though we lost 34 -0. However, William was wondering if it might be better to go with his maternal roots and root for Mizzou.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A Visit with the Routszongs
Last week William and I went to Greenville to meet my Aunt Barbara and cousins Phil, Jenny and Dawn. Phil and Jenny's little girl Eden is almost exactly 3 months older than William. It was fun to see everyone and to venture out with William. He did great on the hour drive there and when we got to the Olive Garden he did fairly well but on the way back, well, he let it be known that he was ready to be at home.
When Phil was playing with William I just kept seeing Uncle Jim.
Eden really liked looking at William. She had her eyes glued on him.
When Phil was playing with William I just kept seeing Uncle Jim.
Eden really liked looking at William. She had her eyes glued on him.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Laundry & Seasons
Wherever I am that’s where William likes to be. I like it that way too--as long as he’s not whining. But whining or not, he comes along for the ride. Here he is in the laundry basket along with his clean clothes at the end of a laundry cycle.
A laundry cycle that will begin again all too soon. For you see, although these clothes are clean, he will, very soon, wear them and then spit up on them. And the cycle will begin again—undress him, open his closet door, get a clean onesie, throw the dirty onesie in the washbasket, empty the washbasket into the washer, empty the washer into the dryer, empty the dryer into the clean laundry basket, fold the clothes, open the closet door and put them away—an endless repetition. But not the only endless repetition in my life. Far from it. There are the dishes, meal preparation, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and the list goes on. Which brings me to my thoughts on Time. They are not my thoughts. They were a study my dad did on Ecclesiastes that my sister was in on and she shared them with me. I found them to be just what I needed at this season of my life and so I’m writing them down as a way to remember and use them.
Time is: The realm in which we live. Everything is controlled and revolves around time. It is inescapable. God created time, he owns time and he has given time to us as a gift. Time is the most valuable thing we have. With time we can experience friendship, and love, make money etc. Without time there is no life.
As we live in this realm of time we come to realize that our lives are made of endless repetitions. That is to what the phrase, “vanity of vanity” refers in Ecclesiastes. The man without God realizes this and despairs of meaning. He reasons, “Life is meaningless made up of endless inescapable repetitions. Therefore I must find what pleasure I can by whatever means as a way to escape this meaningless repetition.”
The Christian has a different response.
1. He first realizes that his meaning and contentment come from God. These are also gifts God gives to man. We cannot find contentment in the seasons or even callings of life. We must find contentment in the person of our Lord and Savior.
2. He then acknowledges that life is made of repetition. But instead of despairing, he embraces this as God’s plan and purpose. Instead of thumbing his nose at the cycles of life he should ask himself, “What does the Lord have for me to learn about Him, about me, about others through these repetitions?” “How can I reflect the beauty, order, care, love of my creator by the way I do the laundry over and over?”
3. He realizes that time on earth is a time of seasons. Like it says in Ecclesiastes 3. Our lives will go through all kinds of seasons. These seasons are not random. They come and go by order of a sovereign God. Each season of life will bring with it opportunities and limitations. Just as each season of the year has both opportunities and limitations. Winter is wonderful for snowmen and summer brings the beauty of crepe myrtles. The one who refuses to embrace the snowmen in winter because he longs to see the crepe myrtle blooms is a pitiable creature. So too are we if instead of embracing the season of life God has for us and rejoicing in it we long for something different.
4. Finally, at least finally for this blog, the Christian lives in light of the truth that there is life after death. The implication of eternity in a realm of time is that the Christian does not have to scurry around seeking to experience all there is to experience in the here and now. He can be at peace, embracing all that God brings in each season of life while knowing that those experiences are but the tip of fuller and greater experiences that will go on for the rest of his eternal existence in the presence of his good and glorious Father.
What that means for me is that I will try not to look at the repetition of laundry and dishes and spit up as something that is bad or bothersome. It is what God has for me now. It is a season that brings with it the most heart-warming smiles of a sweet little boy and the love of a wonderful man.
A laundry cycle that will begin again all too soon. For you see, although these clothes are clean, he will, very soon, wear them and then spit up on them. And the cycle will begin again—undress him, open his closet door, get a clean onesie, throw the dirty onesie in the washbasket, empty the washbasket into the washer, empty the washer into the dryer, empty the dryer into the clean laundry basket, fold the clothes, open the closet door and put them away—an endless repetition. But not the only endless repetition in my life. Far from it. There are the dishes, meal preparation, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and the list goes on. Which brings me to my thoughts on Time. They are not my thoughts. They were a study my dad did on Ecclesiastes that my sister was in on and she shared them with me. I found them to be just what I needed at this season of my life and so I’m writing them down as a way to remember and use them.
Time is: The realm in which we live. Everything is controlled and revolves around time. It is inescapable. God created time, he owns time and he has given time to us as a gift. Time is the most valuable thing we have. With time we can experience friendship, and love, make money etc. Without time there is no life.
As we live in this realm of time we come to realize that our lives are made of endless repetitions. That is to what the phrase, “vanity of vanity” refers in Ecclesiastes. The man without God realizes this and despairs of meaning. He reasons, “Life is meaningless made up of endless inescapable repetitions. Therefore I must find what pleasure I can by whatever means as a way to escape this meaningless repetition.”
The Christian has a different response.
1. He first realizes that his meaning and contentment come from God. These are also gifts God gives to man. We cannot find contentment in the seasons or even callings of life. We must find contentment in the person of our Lord and Savior.
2. He then acknowledges that life is made of repetition. But instead of despairing, he embraces this as God’s plan and purpose. Instead of thumbing his nose at the cycles of life he should ask himself, “What does the Lord have for me to learn about Him, about me, about others through these repetitions?” “How can I reflect the beauty, order, care, love of my creator by the way I do the laundry over and over?”
3. He realizes that time on earth is a time of seasons. Like it says in Ecclesiastes 3. Our lives will go through all kinds of seasons. These seasons are not random. They come and go by order of a sovereign God. Each season of life will bring with it opportunities and limitations. Just as each season of the year has both opportunities and limitations. Winter is wonderful for snowmen and summer brings the beauty of crepe myrtles. The one who refuses to embrace the snowmen in winter because he longs to see the crepe myrtle blooms is a pitiable creature. So too are we if instead of embracing the season of life God has for us and rejoicing in it we long for something different.
4. Finally, at least finally for this blog, the Christian lives in light of the truth that there is life after death. The implication of eternity in a realm of time is that the Christian does not have to scurry around seeking to experience all there is to experience in the here and now. He can be at peace, embracing all that God brings in each season of life while knowing that those experiences are but the tip of fuller and greater experiences that will go on for the rest of his eternal existence in the presence of his good and glorious Father.
What that means for me is that I will try not to look at the repetition of laundry and dishes and spit up as something that is bad or bothersome. It is what God has for me now. It is a season that brings with it the most heart-warming smiles of a sweet little boy and the love of a wonderful man.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Through the Months
It is hard to believe but William is Six Months Old Today!! Half a year has gone and it seems like we just brought him home. I thought it would be fun to post his monthly milestone pictures.
Minutes Old
A few days old
Seven days old and getting ready to come home from the hospital. This was the smallest outfit I had that was washed. It was a NB size. By this time lots of people had given us P (premie) size outfits but none of them were washed.
3 months
4 months
He is 5 months old and loves playing airplane.
He plays airplane and we play dodge the drool drops.
Minutes Old
A few days old
Seven days old and getting ready to come home from the hospital. This was the smallest outfit I had that was washed. It was a NB size. By this time lots of people had given us P (premie) size outfits but none of them were washed.
He turned 1 month old on this day and we went to Grandma and Grandpa Ayscue's house for the first time.
1 month old
2 months
3 months
He is 5 months old and loves playing airplane.
He plays airplane and we play dodge the drool drops.
6 months old
I think he has changed the most this last month. He just seems to get bigger every day and more and more interactive. He seems to understand more of what we say and he notices new things every day.
I woke him up taking this picture but thankfully he went back to sleep. He loves this corner of his crib. He sleeps here almost all the time. Usually he is on his tummy snuggling up close to the side with his head stuck in the corner.
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