Guest Room - Part 2

Last week my mother, sister, and her little ones visited for our mid-winter break from school and all six kids got terribly sick. Isaac so much so that we had our first ER visit to make sure he wasn't having a reaction to his first ever round of antibiotics. He was okay but yesterday when all the kids seemed to be finally getting better Blake (who had been the least sick of all) came down with a new high fever again. Anyway, sick kids are a drag but I'm so thankful for the extra hugs and cuddles and as frustrating as it is that they always want ONLY their mommy I am profoundly grateful that this is a temporary illness. So what do you do with two babies that won't let you put them down? You make your mother hang curtains and art! Yes indeed, sick kids were not stopping us from having our decorating fun. It was our first attempt at an "art wall" and we had a great time putting it together. There is Trinity's "Cat Eye" that I just adore along with a story of hers and more of her art. There are a couple of FABULOUS scrapbook papers that I could never use for a book that worked perfectly to fit my oddly shaped frames and of course pictures of isaac. I want to get Blake in eventually too with either a picture or art but I didn't have anything at the ready for the day we did the project. We even managed a brief field trip to the local mercantile in Snoqualmie where we nabbed the adorable white door knob. The dishes I had, and the frames I had spray painted last summer with the intention of the art wall so needless to say I was chomping at the bit to hang stuff! Thank you to my Nana who gave my mother a ton of custom curtains from the house they sold when they moved back to AZ. They add just the right girly touch. I call the room's style "granny/retro chic". That was until Jeremy put his desk in there. Blech it's so sad having that hideous desk chair and all that black sitting on the desk. Oh well it was the best decision for giving him a quiet workspace and making room for the futon in the newly downsized loft.
Here are pics yay! The color is called Deep Royal and it was a little in your face when Daniel first put it up but I think we have tempered it nicely with the decor.

 yes I moved my favorite ever picture in here. I just couldn't resist with the colors. The view is from the door

 aren't the curtains fun?

 the art wall. I love it. That gold embossed paper is da bomb and the little girl golfer is on a sheet of tin. Love all the different textures.

 the complete (for now) effect! I tried to mix white with cream so nothing would look dingy and the gold/bronze parts really add a warmth.

 the closet and door. I just loved the idea of the bed being tucked into that little recess even though the large wall might have made more sense. This layout works better with the desk anyway.

 my "ugly" quilt. Thank Debbie Pugh it's still my favorite! 

Anything handmade rocks. I have had to stitch it back in a few places where the seams have busted and of course I can't even do a hidden stitch so it's ghetto but hey, it's LOVED.

4rth

Deuteronomy 6:5
you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Church and Children - Today's Dilema

Top 10 reasons children leave the church

This is so on point! It's exactly what I have worried about for my children's "church" future. When I grew up in church I occasionally had sunday school and I loved it but that was not the rule. What church taught me was to sing. Then we took that small joyful skill and we ministered to homeless people and other local churches. It was foundational to my faith and let me tell you we were not catered to but expected to glean from the messages what we could even at a young age. The sermons I listened to had theology (Dan) doctrine and historical content/context (Tim Tyler) and morals/values (Russ Bell). These combined to give me a deeper appreciation of my faith. I sat among different generations and saw that God was real to them and Jesus was the only Saving One. Even with a church raising more in keeping with the authors goals I still went through every struggle he mentioned of finding authentic community experience outside the church that tugged at me. Doubts caused by an onslaught of philosophical dogma that lead in the opposite direction of humble faith. Even the things I took for granted about the Word (inerrant) swayed with the reasoning of the scientific minded. I had to slog through all those situations and I agree with the author, I'm not sure I would have held my ground if I had come out of today's church style/living. That is a minor issue with our current church for me. I get the pastor's point that we shouldn't pretend we don't live in the culture we do. So I take the silly film clips they often open the service with with a grain of salt. After all, as an adult I do have some discernment in that area and you know I have seen most everything they show. When I see the "meet them through the culture" in youth/children's programming however I have an instant red flag in my heart. When we first went to church on the ridge I was frankly overwhelmed with their children's areas. I feel inadequate to "keep up with the Joneses" as it is in my own home but here the children have every contraption known to man at their fingertips in the church building! On Sunday night Jeremy and I went to the walk through of the new property (a God thing for our church family) and our pastor was really excited about the new children's ministry and kept saying things like "big screen TV's" and "tricked out". I think elementary age children don't have the discernment to guide them about what is social culture and what is church culture and when they look so much the same how is there any "transformation by the renewing of their minds" happening? For example I think it more powerful for a child to attend a children's program where they realize "this is different than my home, my school, my usual, and I think I like it"., You know what I mean? Does that mean it won't be fun or interesting or speak to kids of the current culture? Absolutely not! Isn't the Word relevant today? Absolutely! Does it really take a ton of money shelled out on a kickin' building to keep our children interested in God? Couldn't that money be better spent teaching the kids the power of ministry? Creating margin in their own church environment by a less is more philosophy that might allow them a more tangible way to "reach" the lost by actually using that money in the community?  Perhaps ministry skills being taught (like choir or something) could create true outreach, learning hard facts about the real world while enjoying the blessing of sharing Christ's love. Planting a garden and helping the parents work it and providing the fruits to the local food banks, etc. I am telling you from experience that your kids don't need to be middle schoolers to appreciate the impacts of their effort. They instantly realize they are making a difference and it provides them a profound sense of satisfaction and worth. Okay, the church can't teach them everything and that's why Trin and I  volunteer at Eastside Baby corner. I want the kids to develop a heart for the lost and struggling. That can be fostered both in and outside the church but when everything is just "cool" and "fun" about loving Jesus at church I feel that a great opportunity is lost to build our children's foundation in the faith. Can you tell he's hit my soapbox subject on this? I don't want to be legalistic ever but I have higher expectations for children's ministry than outfitting it with xboxes and wiis you know what I mean? Those kids need to find something DIFFERENT there. Most of them could care less about the accouterments if they feel they are getting something of value (hopefully knowledge of Jesus and attention/love from caring leaders).  It's a tough situation but leadership really needs to start looking at the statistics and take a hard look at how things are done in children's ministry. This is the tip of an iceberg people so please don't think this is a comprehensive or final say sort of post. Just my rant on an important issue currently facing my family and our decision-making. Last but not least I do have my children in our local church programs and I am so thankful to the leaders and volunteers that pour the love of Jesus into my children each week. This is not a judgement on you in any way be assured!

3rd

But seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. . .
Matthew 6:33

2nd

Micah 6:8 "He has shown you O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

First Scripture for the Year

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your path.

This is one of those I have known for a long time but not memorized the reference, I easily have maybe 50-60 verses that I can say but don't know the exact reference. Hoping to minimize that this year. It's a challenge so pray for me!