That Final Frontier Thing

We took the boys out the other night to see the space shuttle and International Space Station. The shuttled had undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier that afternoon and both were briefly visible orbiting in tandem. We were so excited to introduce space exploration to the boys and really talked it up that day.

Except, really, their eyes kind of glazed over when we tried to explain the International Space Station thingamajig.

I had to leave right after the sighting, so we drove to the end of our street where we'd spotted a crowd gathering to witness this historic event.

Until we got to the end of the street and realized it was really just a kids' football team ending practice and we were the only space nerds there to witness this historic event.

Kids these days...they think space shuttles are a dime a dozen. They hear "moonwalk" and they think of Michael Jackson.

Okay...I do, too, but that's besides the point.

Anyway, as thrilled as our boys were at the chance to go outside after bedtime, sit on our car roof and look for this thing called a space shuttle, I guess it was so dark they didn't hear me count to three and tell them to smile...

An astronomy teacher at Brian's school sent out a message earlier that day that he believed there were only six more shuttle missions planned and that this may have been the last opportunity to see the two orbiting so close together. He told us to look for two bright white dots that moved briskly towards the northeast.

So, after just a few short minutes of watching the dark Texas sky, we suddenly noticed two bright dots appear.

And while the dots were a lot more visible to the naked eye, I tried to capture the historic moment with the camera. Good to know that if I'd been unable to find the dots in my lenses, I could've later just snapped a pic in a dark closet and declared it a space shuttle photo.

If you wipe the dust off your monitor and look really closely while squinting, you might see the two dots placed vertically in the pic. I prefer to remember it in my heart.

Two flying objects. The vast outerness of space. The Final Frontier.

I leave you with something to ponder..."Space is almost infinite. As a matter of fact, we think it is infinite." Dan Quayle (Whoe maye stille be ponderinge this.)

Yep, He's Good...All the Time

Words you should never say to someone who's hurting...

It could always be worse.

Words I tell myself all the time when I'm hurting...

It could always be worse.

Ironic, huh?

Tyler failed a vision test at his three year visit last week. His left eye passed while his right eye failed three times. I knew something was wrong when he passed in one eye and failed in the other. It couldn't have been the equipment in that case. I figured the boys would one day need glasses if they inherited my blind as a bat vision. However, I had always hoped that would come much later in life - like at least 6th grade, when I first got glasses.

T's been diagnosed with astigmatism in both eyes. He can still see, though he has some slightly blurred vision. It turns out astigmatism is hereditary and the doctor assured me it has nothing to do with how many carrots he eats or how much t.v. he watches, but guess what we'll be eating more of and doing less of the next few months anyway?

The astigmatism only causes concern if there is a significant difference in the eyes. Over time, the brain will make less connections with the weaker eye. T's doctor wants to see him again in six months to see if the difference increases. If so, he will need glasses.

And while I think Aaden Gosselin is so precious in his glasses, I shudder to think of how life would be for T in glasses. Do they make titanium lenses and frames? Because has LensCrafters seen the way my boys rough house?! And who will wipe raindrops from his glasses if I'm not with him? (Because, you know, Dallas is like Seattle's long lost rainfall sibling.) Will he be wearing two inch thick lenses by the time he's ten?

I know I have to tell myself to slow it down. We have another six months before we'll know anything.

So, we wait. And pray for improvement or no change in his vision until then.

In the meantime, I'm very blessed to be surrounded by incredible friends. When I posted the diagnosis on Facebook, I wrote, "T has astigmatism in both eyes and will have to be checked in six months to see if he'll need glasses. Almost cried when I heard that because he's only three! But, I have to have perspective. There are so many mommas worried about their kids for bigger health issues. I will just pray that his eyes get better, not worse, in the next six months!"

Several friends soon posted about their experiences with glasses at a young age (and assured me glasses can survive boyhoodness). Others encouraged me with their prayers and some even shared that their vision improved with age. Man, I really do have great friends and am grateful for the time they took to post their thoughts. It means a lot when people care about your kids.

One friend's private message struck me the most, though. I love being challenged to consider things differently and have always respected Loren's outlook on life. What he said really gave me reason to reconsider how I was looking at this diagnosis. He wrote...

"Sorry to hear about T. I once had a conversation with Steph about her thoughts on the conversation piece that goes like this, "Just found out my kid is going to need to have .... I need to have perspective though because God is good. I know there are other kids out there with worse issues like cancer or ...."

What do you do when you're the parent whose kid has the "worse" issue? Do you always compare upwards to a "worser" (I know that's not a word) issue?

Point is - God is good no matter the issue. Whether my kid needs braces, glasses, or needs chemo, God is good!"

RICH stuff, huh? So good that I spent my whole shower and time getting ready pondering what Loren shared. It pretty much rocked how I've looked at trials all my life. I thought I was doing pretty good to have a Pollyanna-esque attitude about life in general. My college best friend and I even played the "At Least" game, similar to Pollyanna's Glad Game, anytime life gave us lemons. But, I'm now realizing I was way off the mark because I always stopped short of the bigger picture.

And that is that God is good all the time.

Because, as Loren rightly pointed out, there are some people battling terminal illnesses, parents who have lost children, babies dying because their moms can't feed them...for them, it's pretty much as bad as it can get. What do they get to say to themselves to gain some comfort? For them, it really couldn't be worse.

So, do we focus on what's not so bad or do we focus on what we know is always good?

After all that thinking, I've decided I'm reserving, "It could always be worse," for a bad poker hand, a bad haircut or an invasion of crickets.

But for the larger things in life, I will no longer tell myself, "It could always be worse." Instead, I want to give God the credit He's due for being faithful and in control and GOOD no matter what comes my way.

So, glasses or not for Lil T, I'm telling myself God IS good and He is good ALL the time!

(Oh, and stocking up on carrots, too).

I Feel the Need...to Read

I need to start a reading list because I keep coming across books I want to check out and then I forget them.

So, here's my reading list so far...

Baking Cakes in Kilgali
Man's Search For Meaning
The Hole in Our Gospel
The Blue Parakeet
Crazy Love - have read portions of it and listened to Chan's podcasts, but ready to read the thing!

I like books that challenge how I live out my faith. Specifically, I love books on missions or any topic that challenges me to think outside myself and my comfort zone.

I also love books set in Africa. Me and Jerry Maquire love us some...well, you know.

In fact, if you're looking for an incredible true story about Rwanda, I highly recommend Left To Tell. It's one of my all-time favorites. Amazing. I was in high school in 1994, worrying about making district in swimming and passing Pre-Cal while this woman witnessed her friends slaughtered and hid out for 91 days in a cramped bathroom.

So, if you've read any good books you could hardly put down, could you please comment and help me add to my reading list?

The Shack has been a best seller but I'm not sure it really hooked me. Did it start that way for you? Should I restart it? Is it sound material or bogus?

And while Francine Rivers and Dr. Seuss are some of my favorite authors, I think I'd mostly like to stick to nonfiction for now.

And I'm gonna add right now...I'm not really dying to sink my teeth into any vampire books, so no Edward Cullen for me.

Yet.

Adam & Eve - Made in the USA

The boys have a Bible memory match game. It's pretty handy for reinforcing some of the stories we've told them from the Bible and introducting them to new ones.

This depiction, however, of Adam and Eve caught my eye. I think it was the initial shock of seeing two very delighted people standing naked behind some bushes. I've been naked and I've stood behind bushes before, but never at the same time. And I'm guessing I wouldn't be in a state of bliss if I had.

Second, I'm guessing Eve did not come with bleach-blonde hair. Unless the garden of Eden came with a Toni and Guy. Which, in some people's utopia, it would. Anyhow, it's a wonder Adam named her Eve and not Barbie.
And who could resist that precious little snakie peeking out of the bushes and smiling? I mean, really, I'd always pictured an evil-eyed snake with a Gollum-like voice that slithered in and out of tree roots. This little character makes me want to pinch his snake cheeks and give him some cotton candy. It's no wonder Eve couldn't resist.

The Sunday Special

I just love these fellas...

Happy Sunday!

Friday Night Lights

Boyd had its first football game last night and we made plans to meet up with some friends for the cross-town showdown. Boy, what a difference a year makes in the boys' ability to sit through an entire game! It helped, too, that there were five other kids to entertain them (and nine other adults to corral them). Wise rule of thumb when venturing out in public - always outnumber the kids. Also, bring lots of food to keep them distracted. KJ, I've already made a note to bring a cooler full of water for you next game, you precious, thirsty boy whom I love.

They look so sweet (and seated) here, but this was just the first quarter.
Jake found a friend in Kalli and I approve. She is an awesome girl and doesn't seem to mind sticky lollipops on her legs. That's always a bonus in a girlfriend.
I just love this pic for KJ's Boyd fever (he's putting his Bronco sign up), my boys' love of the Aggies/distain for the longhorns and Kendyl's love for America. Yes, she stood at solemn attention with her hand over her heart the entire Boyd school song.

We had such a great time playing with the kiddos even though I think I only watched about seven plays of the game (that part hasn't changed in a year). And the great thing is, we love their parents, too.

Aside from the crickets dive bombing the fans, it was a perfect night. Those crickets must've had some Japanese in them, considering the way they would suddenly go kamikaze and plunge out of the dark sky. It was so odd. And also, so creepy. I imagine this is how the Egyptians felt when the bug plagues hit. Except they weren't watching a high school football game and eating popcorn. And their locusts weren't from the Orient.

Still, the weather was comfy and we actually had a little breeze. Awesome and unexpected for August in Texas. Our little fan section got to see the Broncos stomp the McKinney North Bulldogs 28-7. What more could we have asked for?

As for our sons, they had a blast spending the fourth quarter collecting crickets in empty water bottles. That was definitely their highlight moment (mine came when we finally convinced them to release them the next morning). Another big moment for the kiddos was meeting the Boyd mascots. Kennedy and Jake - we'll have to get y'all in this next game! I'd heard the names of the students underneathe the equine garb, but one of them could go either way as far as gender. The following, however, left no doubt as to what gender the mascots actually are...


Clearly, I could've been a mascot in a past life because I totally relate to their desire to have some girl time even as our team is on the field and about to score. I think that's what's so fun about Texas high school football when you've been in a town awhile. It's fun to get together with people you like and just, you know, horse around.

(Tee hee!)

Oh, and watch football, OF COURSE (in case Brian's reading this).

We'd love to make it a tradition to meet up with friends for football games now that our guys have shown they can make it through a game. Come on out if you're looking for something to do on a Friday night. We'll bring the snacks and KJ's beverages, y'all bring the bug spray!

What A Friend We Have In Jesus...

Dear God,

I'm burdened tonight. Not sure I can pinpoint why, other than lots of stuff has piled up and I'm sad. I was feeling frustrated about some things earlier. But now I am hurting for some people I love. I chatted with three different friends on Facebook late tonight and I believe you orchestrated that. But, I never seem to know what to say to people who are sad. My words are never adequate when people are hurting. Sometimes there are just no words and no immediate solutions. Sometimes I feel like all I can do is sit silently in the dirt with them, like Job's friends, and just grieve with them.

And that is hard for me, the problem solver.

But, I am thankful tonight for prayers, God. And when I am emptied of words, I love that "the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." I'm so thankful, God, that you are compassionate and that you want us to come to you with what's hurting us.

John 11:35 is one of my favorite verses - "Jesus wept." Because in those two words, I see that your heart hurts with mine. I see that even though our lives are but a blip on the scale of eternity, you still see our individual hearts. You see the personal pain. The stuff that rips so deeply, we have no more words.

And, God, I'm really thankful that you know me so personally and that you love me so richly that I don't always have to have words. You know what's on my heart and you are working on the solutions I can't yet see.

So, God, I lift up my friends and ask that you give them peace and rest tonight and that you sit with them and comfort them. Hold them and let them feel your presence.

God, thank you that we don't always need words.

Just you.

Amen.