Easter Advent: Thursday

***Find previous Easter Advent entries here, here, here and here.***

As Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was full of sorrow.  He knew the excruciating pain he was about to suffer as we would take the punishment for every wrong thing anybody had ever done (or would ever do).  He knew the weight of what His shoulders would hold and of the heartache that stemmed from all of the sin, brokenness and pain in people’s hearts.

With death awaiting Him, He could’ve prayed a thousand different things – most, probably selfish in nature.  Wouldn’t you?  If you knew death was knocking on your door, wouldn’t you be pleading or screaming or flat out running away?  In that moment though, Jesus prayed with a heart full of trust and submission…“Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Wow.  So often we pray differently, don’t we?  Our sinful nature likes to pray things that we deem ‘best’ for us, not necessarily what the Lord has for us.  His way is always best and we should trust that truth, just as Jesus did.

Garden Prayer

Read: Mark 14:32-42    Luke 22:39-53

Do: Memorize scripture.

Not my will, but yours be done.    Luke 22:42

—Sing it, eat a piece of candy for each word, create a hand motion for a set of words – whatever it takes, memorize it!

Pray: Lord, thank you that we can pray to you about everything.  Help us to pray for Your will to be done in every situation.

Easter Advent: Wednesday

We’re on day four of our Easter Advent series and I hope you and your family have been blessed by this experience.  Parts 1, 2 and 3 are still up so feel free to go back and do them or just pick up here!

A Time to Remember

The Last Supper was a beautiful symbol of what was to come in the life and death of Jesus.  He knew His death was imminent and even though His disciples didn’t quite understand, He wanted to make sure they would always remember Him and His sacrifice.

While they were eating the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke it and gave it to the disciples saying, “Take it and eat, for this is my body.” Then he took the cup and gave thanks. He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, for this is my blood poured out to forgive the sins of many.”

This same act is a wonderful reminder to each of us of Christ’s sacrifice and love…

Read: Matthew 26:17-30      Mark 14:12-26

Do: Have a time of remembrance.

— Break bread and drink juice together and talk about how Jesus’ body was broken and His blood poured out for us.

IMG_4341-1—Really take time to remember how Jesus has saved us eternally and how He’s saving us daily from our sinful selves.

Pray: Lord, thank you for loving me enough to die for me.  Help me to always remember Your body that broke and Your blood that was poured out.

Easter Advent: Tuesday

For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.

That was the first Bible verse Sawyer ever learned (and before she was two years old, to boot).

Humble Servant

As Jesus and His disciples met in the upper room before the Passover Feast, He put that service into action.  Knowing His time was near, He got up and performed a job that was usually done by the lowliest of servants…He washed the disciples’ feet. 

My sister/friend Tredessa and I have given free pedicures to some of inner city Denver’s inhabitants as part of a city-wide outreach and it was a pretty humbling, and sometimes uncomfortable, experience.  Feet aren’t always the prettiest, neatest, cleanest parts of God’s creation.  Can you imagine the feet of the disciples??  They couldn’t have been any better, yet Jesus washed them and dried them and showed them great care…and His actions ran deeper than just His physical touch.  He knew they needed to be washed clean in their hearts.

Through this selfless act of service, Jesus set an example for us to follow.  The King of Kings acted as the lowest of low and asks us to do the same.

Read: John 13:1-17

Watch: Jesus washes the disciples’ feet      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmtAMUuFfkk

Do: Wash each others’ feet!

— Get a small pan of water and take turn serving each other by washing each others’ feet.  Talk about how Jesus did this very thing and think of ways that your family can humbly serve others.

IMG_4332Pray: Lord, teach us to be more like you.  Let us be sensitive to ways that we can serve others every day.

**Sidenote**

My favorite part of this whole exchange is when Peter all but refuses to allow Jesus to wash his feet.   

John, 13:6 starts: He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

And so Peter answers, “Then Lord, not just my feet but my hands and head as well.” 

In that moment, he got it.  If this is what it takes to be a part of You then I submit all of me to you; not just what you’re asking…all of me.  So beautiful.  Lord, I wanna live a life like this…

Wryder Douglas is ONE!

Oh, my sweet little Wryder Roo – I really, really, really can not believe that you are one!  Where, oh where, did that year go??  Too fast, my love…

I loved you the minute I laid eyes on you.  You looked just like your sweet sister, which didn’t hurt anything, but despite even that, you already had my heart.

Isn't the the cutest?!  He was about 5 hours old here...
Isn’t he the cutest?! He was about 5 hours old here…

From your first minutes out of the womb, you’ve been giving your momma grey hairs…or at least increased adrenal fatigue.  😉  You had low blood sugar and had to keep getting bottle fed to bring that number up, you cried A LOT our very first night at home and “schedule” was not in your vocabulary.

How can you not love this face??
How can you not love this face??

After a few months, we got it all figured out and life got easier.  You LOVED to eat (still do) and the only times you cried were when you were starving (or so you thought) or overly tired.  I am so thankful that you have always been a good little eater and sleeper!

Soooooo cute!
Soooooo cute!

You are a ball of energy, constantly on the go!  You’ve got lots to explore in your little world and you do it with gusto!  You keep momma on her toes, that’s for sure.  Seven o’clock comes and I am beat…but it is time well spent.

Let's go!
Let’s go!

You and sister have a sweet, sweet relationship.  Anywhere she is is exactly where you want to be. I pray you two will always be the best of friends..

My sweet tooties...
My sweet tooties…

You have always been a happy, smiley, outgoing guy.  (You’re a lot like your dad like that).  You know nine real words and a LOT of (currently) unintelligible ones.  You melt my heart every time you say ‘momma’ or smile at me across the room, and when you race towards daddy when he walks in the door it delights us all!

Ham!
Ham!

You are all boy and I love that about you!  Granted, it’s taken some getting used to, but it’s a good thing.  You hate wearing clothes, you hate having your face washed, you hate having to slow down for anything, you eat everything in sight (good or bad), you bang on everything in sight and the higher/faster/scarier things are, the better!

Yee haw!
Yee haw!

You’re a big guy!  You weigh 26.9 pounds and are 30.5 inches long.  My arms and back can attest to this…  You have eight teeth and if your behavior tonight is any indication, you have more on the way.

So handsome!
So handsome!

I love you, my sweets!  This has been one of the best years of my life all because you were in it.  It’s amazing how the Lord multiplies a momma’s love as more kiddos come along and He has done just that with me.  I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to love you as much as I did Sawyer and boy-oh-boy, there is no question that I do.

Sweet boy, on this first birthday, I bless you in the name of Jesus.  I bless your strong will and head strong personality and I pray that you use them to further the Kingdom of God.  I bless your hands and your feet and I pray that they serve the widow, orphan and alien and that they only take you down paths of righteousness.  I speak to your future and I pronounce it blessed; that your days would be easy and that you would never stray from Jesus.  I bless you with safety and protection and good health.  I bless you with rich relationships that will encourage you and exhort you and push you towards the Lover of your soul.  I bless you with endless stores of love, kindness, self-discipline, forgiveness, humility and generosity.  I bless you with the presence of Jesus in all that you do.

Happiest of birthdays, my handsome little man!

You're one!
You’re one!

Now, let’s eat some cake!

Easter Advent: Monday

**If you missed yesterday, do not fret!  Either backtrack and do two lessons today or just pick up here!**

Extravagant Love

Love makes us do rash things sometimes, doesn’t it??  Wrex and I stayed up waaaaaaaay too late last night visiting and as we discussed it this morning he said, “We’ve have had the problem since the day we met, haven’t we?”  (Insert big, cheesey grin here.)  It’s a true statement.  During the beginnings of our relationship, we’d spend time together until the dorms closed and then we’d talk on the phone to each other well into the morning…morning as in, time to go to class.  We were just so enamored with each other and we threw caution to the wind when it came to logic/rest/responsibilities the next day.  The same could be said of Mary of Bethany…

In the days that followed, Jesus went about His teachings.   While in Bethany, Mary got a wild hair and anointed the feet of Jesus.  She took an expensive perfume, broke open the jar, poured it on His feet and wiped them with her hair.  Can you even imagine?!  What a incredible, and somewhat crazy, gesture!

Those around them grew angry that she would waste something so expensive; they thought she should’ve sold it and given the money to the poor.  Jesus came to her defense and told them what a beautiful thing she had done.  Her actions remind us that following Jesus sometimes means throwing caution to the wind in overwhelming outpourings of love and compassion – extravagant, extreme love.

Read: Mark 14:1-10    John 12:1-11

Watch and Do: Worship the Lord

— Show Him love by taking time to worship Him with song and dance!  Take the time to prepare your hearts and rid the room of distractions…clear 15 minutes of your schedule JUST to praise Him.  (For moms, that IS extravagant, yes?!)

We chose to worship to Hosanna, Jesus is Alive, and Amazing Grace.

Pray: Lord, we love you!  Help us to love you extravagantly and without caution – You are so deserving of that kind of love because that’s how You love us.

Easter Advent: Palm Sunday

Save for Sawyer’s very first Easter, we’ve done an Easter advent of sorts with her.  It’s been a great tool for her (and us) to learn even more about Jesus and to prepare our hearts regarding the significance of the Easter holiday.

Each day, from now until Easter, I’ll post the advent activity that we’ll be doing in our home and I encourage you to check in and do the same! It’ll be good, clean, faith building fun.  🙂

The Triumphant Entry

As a Bible believing Christian, the death of resurrection of Jesus is quintessential to our faith and His entrance into Jerusalem is most definitely a part of that story.  If you think about it though, there wasn’t anything that was really “triumphant” or noble or victorious about his journey into Jerusalem.  He was riding a donkey…not even a horse, people…a donkey!  He didn’t have an army of men surrounding Him, just a bunch of ordinary people who would turn their backs on Him in a few days; the people shouting “Hosanna” would later shout “crucify Him!”  The man who was decorated as “king of Israel” would be brutally beaten and killed in five days.  Doesn’t seem very triumphant, does it?

Oh, but it was!  That entry was the beginning of the greatest triumph ever made in known history – the defeat of death.  No one, other than Jesus, has ever been able to gain victory over death; it simply could not contain Him.  I’d call that triumphant…

Read: Mark 11:1-11     Matthew 21:1-11

Watch: Praise Parade     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq64oLGugp8

Do: Act out the triumphant entry!

— Make palm branches out of construction paper.  We traced hands to make the leaves and glued them to a tongue depressor.

IMG_4314IMG_4316— Take turns having someone be the donkey (or get a toy horse), Jesus and the crowd.

IMG_4324— Wave your branches and shout “Hosanna!  Hosanna to the King!  Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!”

IMG_4318

Pray: Lord, thank you for being our King.  Thank you for coming to save us.  You are the God who saves!

Home on the Plains

It was an absolutely gorgeous day out on the plains of Colorado!  I mean, don’t get me wrong, there could still have been less wind, but considering…

Look at that sky!
Look at that sky!

We went into Grant this morning for Bible study and then we grabbed some Subway and headed to the park with friends!

Lunch with some cuties!
Lunch with some cuties!

The kids played and played and played some more…and Wryder may or may not have fallen out of the stroller because he wasn’t buckled properly.  Ahem.  We weren’t moving at the time and he’s fine, thankfully.  This has been one of those weeks where he’s gotten a little banged up.  He fell out of a little chair on Sunday and bonked his noggin, scraped his chin and cheek on the dollhouse, cut his nose with his fingernail and then the stroller fiasco.  Maybe I should put him in a padded room?!  Maybe he’s just a boy…

Post park, we loaded up and headed home to play outside some more.  Even the chickens enjoyed this beautiful day.  They were all out pecking around and took turns playing king of the mountain.

How cute are they?
How cute are they?

Daddy did some chores while Sawyer and I dug in the dirt, jumped on the trampoline and “baked some cakes” in the barn.  Then, it was pony time!

Be still my heart...
Be still my heart…

We rode out into the far pasture and I think the goat’s a little a out of shape.  She was panting like crazy as I stopped to snap a few pics…

Heavy breather...
Heavy breather…

Sawyer has really good balance and is really comfortable on Ozark and I’m still having to pry Wryder’s little hands off of the saddle horn when it’s time to call it quits.

I'm a cowboy, baby...
I’m a cowboy, baby…
Sweet pony...
Sweet pony…
A little choke-hold is good for brothers...
A little choke-hold is good for brothers…

Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for temps in the 80’s!   I’m thinkin’ we’ll be doing it all again tomorrow…

They Have Arrived

I am an auntie again!!

Remember when I told you about this?  Well, last Friday my sister {in law} delivered those sweet baby boys!  May I just tell you, they. are. precious!

Brenhem Rusk and Berwick Ray were born March 28, 2014 weighing in at 1.1 and 1.4 pounds, respectively, at 25 weeks gestation.  They are currently spending time in the NICU and are doing really well given their size and age.

We are so blessed that they are here and we are praying the favor of the Lord on their little bodies.  Their parents are some of the toughest, go-getters we know and these little guys are proving to be cut of the same cloth.

Their family has a lot going on right now (healing, decisions, logistics, fatigue) and it would honor me if you would pray for them as the Spirit leads.

And pray for those two, darling miracle boys!  We know the plans He has for them…and they are good!  We know that He knit them in her womb and that they are fearfully and wonderfully made!  He has ordained all of their days and we declare each of them blessed.  We remain confident that they will see the goodness of the Lord!

We are so in love with our nephews (and their parents and sister, too) and can’t wait to gaze upon them in person.  Oh, how we wish Oklahoma wasn’t so far away…

Show their family some love and encouragement would you??

I Gotta Have It

Praying this over my home this morning.  We need wisdom.  I need wisdom.  Parenting two is the hardest job I’ve ever had (the best, yes…the hardest, too) – especially two that are as different as night and day…in the little things and the big things.  I’m sure part of it is just the difference between boys and girls, but still.

He never stops moving…like, ever.  He even wakes up in the middle of his naps and says some unintelligible things, jumps up and down for in his crib for five minutes and then goes back to sleep.  What in the world?  If our house were bigger, I’d be afraid I’d lose track of him.  He’s always into something…the toilet, the trash, the dishwasher, the refrigerator, the pantry, the stairs.  Did you know we never even owned a gate for those things until him?  We moved here when Sawyer was his age and she acted like they didn’t exist!  She never even tried to climb them…seriously…ever.  His favorite things these days are to dive head first into the mudroom, climb the little stair and then slide down again…or toss something and chase it and toss it and chase it.  These things are somewhat manageable – and some are quite cute.

I just feel like I’m constantly on my toes – and that’s ok, I suppose – it’s just not what I’m used to.  Sawyer loved to read and learn and sing and explore and color.  Wryder?  Well, I hope he learns his animal noises and his alphabet by age 10.  Ahem.

Even from a young age, Sawyer received correction so incredibly well.  You could tell her no or remove something from her possession and tell her why you were taking it and she’d just move on.  Wryder?  Not so much.  You can do those things to him and he immediately does them again or throws a fit.

I don’t say these things to bash on him.  I know that he is fearfully and wonderfully made and I love him just as I love her…not based upon his actions but because he is mine.   I just can’t get over how different they are. 

Someone told us that you feel like you have it all figured out after your first one and then the second one comes along and you feel like a first time parent again, fumbling your way through life.  I’m there.

I’m so pleased with the Lord’s favor on our raising of Sawyer and I’m begging for it with Wryder.  I NEED HIS HELP.  I don’t want to grow weary or frustrated or just flat give up…I want to do this well…for Wryder’s sake.  I know I’m going to have to parent them differently, I’m just not totally sure what that looks like right now.  All I know is that he and his heart are worth my time and effort and redundancy to be taught and guided and shaped.  Lord, help me… 

 

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom

My child,[a] listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.

10 My child, if sinners entice you,
turn your back on them!
11 They may say, “Come and join us.
Let’s hide and kill someone!
Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave[b];
let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
13 Think of the great things we’ll get!
We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
14 Come, throw in your lot with us;
we’ll all share the loot.”

15 My child, don’t go along with them!
Stay far away from their paths.
16 They rush to commit evil deeds.
They hurry to commit murder.
17 If a bird sees a trap being set,
it knows to stay away.
18 But these people set an ambush for themselves;
they are trying to get themselves killed.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
it robs them of life.

Wisdom Shouts in the Streets

20 Wisdom shouts in the streets.
She cries out in the public square.
21 She calls to the crowds along the main street,
to those gathered in front of the city gate:
22 “How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
23 Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
and make you wise.

24 “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come.
I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
25 You ignored my advice
and rejected the correction I offered.
26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble!
I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,
and anguish and distress overwhelm you.

28 “When they cry for help, I will not answer.
Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
29 For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.
30 They rejected my advice
and paid no attention when I corrected them.
31 Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
32 For simpletons turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
33 But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”