A Pool Full of Heads

This summer my fam turned a corner...both boys can swim, and though they still require the "mommy hawkeye," going to the pool is a much more chillaxed experience.  I pretty much sit in a deck chair (I am the weird old lady in the shade) with a book or magazine.  I read one paragraph, find my kids, read one paragraph, find my kids, and so on...  And the weirdest thing happens every time I do "surveillance."  My eyes lock in on their little blonde heads immediately, and my heart feels full and I almost sigh out loud.  I know the shape of their noggins, the shade the water turns their hair, the line of their necks and the curve of their shoulders.  Even in a pool full of heads, theirs are the ones I see.

I wondered one day if every mommy/daddy there feels the same way and experiences the same phenomenon?  I'm pretty sure they do, and I'm pretty sure it's all a part of that beautiful, intense, almost mysterious parent-child bond.  

Maybe what I experience at the pool everyday is just a glimpse of God's love for and intimacy with his children...with me?  When he looks at the proverbial pool for full of people (and it's a LOT bigger pool), He knows each head (my head), and His heart feels full upon the sight of each of His children (of me), and maybe He even audibly sighs?

childlike faith

my son luke got baptized this weekend.  it was something he thought long and hard about and something he felt compelled to do, so that (in his own words)..."others will know Jesus is in my heart and that he died on the Cross for my sins and rose 3 days later."

obviously, i am super proud of him, and also quite thankful that i get to see faith---something i can so easily complicate---through the eyes of a child.

Taking Root

A good friend of mine went to family camp last week and had none other then Gary Smalley as her keynote speaker.  Needless to say, she left inspired and with a pocketful of gems to marinate on long after camp was over.

One thing she shared with me that Mr. Smalley shared with them, was the idea of mediating on a piece of Scripture for a long period, such a two weeks.  Truly letting the chosen text sink in deep and take root.

This resonated with me, as I have trouble memorizing Scripture, and also because I tend to try to "drink from a fire hose" if you will, and get in over my head.  The concept of taking a small piece of His Truth and giving myself time to assimilate it into the very deep parts of me was almost revolutionary (even though it's truly quite simple).

From Mark 9, a conversation between Christ and a father whose son is in dire need of Jesus's touch (I encourage you to look it up and get the full context for sure):

22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 

23 ” ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” 

24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 

So that's what I am going to spend some quality time with.  I am going to ponder it, pray it and wrestle with it.  It's always been one of my favs and it is exactly where I am right now in several areas of my life... 

I can't wait to see the way God nestles this into my heart...

retro song crush

Who can resist some good Pat Benatar?  Her voice is AMAZING.  The video I've posted is actually from this month.  The woman still has it!  

I LOVE this song and always have.  Very fond memories of singing my heart out to it as a young girl in my room, and feeling it deep.  Then there's the memory of actually performing it with my good friend Ashley in High School...our harmonies rocked, we were in the zone and again, we felt it deep :).  

If only I could get a hold of my friend Lisa's jumpsuit from the '80's (you know the one), I could totally channel Pat today.  Afterall, I've totally got the hair for it.  Maybe another time and another post?

So enjoy and never forget...we belong to the light, we belong to the sound of the thunder...whatever that actually means.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKzkYHDOYSA