He is Greater.....John 3:30 says He must become greater, I must become less"

Daniel 2;21 Says this:  "He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  and then Leviticus 2:13 says this:  "Season all your grain offerings with salt.  Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." The English language has this frustrating tendency to let 2 exact words have such different definitions.  I'm thinking of both today so I thought I might share. Spring time season in Northwest Iowa is ridiculous.  One day it snows, the next day the sun shines so hot it leaves sunburned cheeks on pale winter skin.  One day it rains, and the next there are rainbows and perennial plants and flowers blooming......the earth turns from brown to Green and the trees go from bare to heavily laden with the buds of leaves......it is both miserable and magical......and it only lasts for a season before it gives...

A long time ago......I had a conversation with someone that made me kind of  catch my breath, and choke on my tongue...I wasn't sure how to respond and as I freaked out.....God said to me:  "Breathe.  Swallow.  Apply Grace."  Quietly.  Firmly. Those conversations and interactions happen more frequently now, with time and as an older, seasoned woman.  His words echo in my heart daily......Breathe.  Swallow.  Apply Grace. Today was no exception.  I tried hard to breathe....swallow...and apply Grace.....and as I worshipped in my church and had a meal with my family and took a nap and then made my baby boy giggle with kisses and tickles... I can say this.  The Lord breathes.....swallows....and applies Grace to me every day. I think this is why...and how. Jesus, the son of God, came to Earth as an infant and lived as a Human (Christmas).  He had a ministry for 3 years and then the world He lived in killed Him.  In His ...

Last summer we decided as a family that we wanted to attend the Kredit Family Reunion in Lyndon, Washington.  Because we have 5 children, trying to get there became a bit of a financial challenge.  We decided that driving an RV would make the most sense.....so we bought one.  Roger did his research and was a smart shopper.....we drove to southern Nebraska on a Sunday afternoon.....liked the RV and after a lesson from the previous owner,Roger drove it home.  It sat on the driveway most of the summer and the kids played in it and sometimes I escaped to it when I needed a few moments of silence and rest......and then we took it on the road trip of a lifetime.  17 days of travel......up through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, then down the coast of Northern California to sister Lois and Dale for a few day, then home via Utah, Colorado, Nebraska.  Wow.  What a trip.  We have fabulous photos and memories..... Here's the thing.  We...

Tonight I am considering all that I know that I cannot share....confidentiality.  It is a powerful thing.  Often, I hear, "please don't repeat this" or "this stays here"......and it's important stuff.  Some should probably be shared with someone smarter than me....but I respect the sanctity of confidentiality. Late at night, the conversations turn around inside of me.....and the problems of the day cannot be solved but cannot be ignored......so where do I go with the tenderness of peoples' lives? I go to Jesus.  Jesus already knows.....and He is a secret-keeper......and He has POWER that I do not have. Jesus.....take the tenderness of the lives I intersect with....and set them on your path.  Take the hurt and the questions and the mistakes and the hopes and just move them to your plan.  Please.  I have no need to keep them, or ability to right them.....but you, Jesus, you do. Powerful, victorious Savior......you came to earth as an infant and ...

I've been thinking about Easter.  I committed to removing 40 items from my closet and donating them to a charity......as an effort to participate in Lent.  We attended a Palm Sunday church service in Minneapolis to start Holy Week.  I'm making plans for the kids on their no school days (since I still have to work!)  Last year, the Saturday evening before Easter, Precious prayed and asked Jesus into her heart.... I bought Precious and Josiah and Claire and myself something new to wear to church on Easter Sunday.  I debated about contributing to the Easter Brunch at our church....and opted out of it.  There are not many families at my church who daily feed 8 people.....my grocery bill is astronomical. I've asked my mom twice what the plan is for Easter dinner.....so that I can buy food and plan.  There is no plan so far.  It's only Tuesday.  There will be a plan by Easter Sunday...... Today, the Lord reminded me of this part of Easter........

Yesterday we had our family at the Mall of America.  We got there at 1pm and didn't leave until the Mall closed....at 10pm.  The mall is so, so loud.  It's fun, don't get me wrong.....and the roller coaster rides were a blast, and Precious discovered she likes the big kid rides much more than the baby rides....and Claire confirmed that she doesn't love rides so she and got to shop a bit more than the rest.  And that's ok. I was waiting for our 2 littles to finish jumping in the inflatable "pineapple under the sea" because the amusement park at the Mall of America is all Nickalodean......and of course it's impossible to leave the park part without buying all of the swag they sell that reminds American kids of the meaningless tv shows they watch while their parents are doing something else......hence the name.....Mall.  Of America. This is a very ethnically diverse place.  We saw humans from all walks of life and ethnicity and culture.  I'm a pe...

Spring Here..... Wind, rain, mud, sun. New perennials begin to poke through the wet, cold dirt. We plant, we beg for sun, we hope to pack away the winter clothes. We think about sandals and swimsuits and skirts..... We cannot yet put away the rain boots and warm pants and stocking caps. Spring means hope. We light the grill more often, we think less about casserole. We buy watermelon and strawberries...... And hope for ripeness. Spring means hope. Hope springs eternal. Words play on words play on seasons play on sunshine, play on life. Today I noticed that we all get 24 hours a day. We choose how we choose to use each day. We are accountable for what we do with our 24 hours a day. Spring is here....so are we. Let's make it matter.

Recently, Roger and I were talking.  An email from school had come, asking for grilling recipes for a cookbook they were planning to create.....a fund-raising event.  I asked if he had recipes he wanted to submit since he is the family griller.  His comment was that cookbooks are becoming antiques.....outdated.  He always finds his recipes on the internet, not from a book.  He's probably right.....for part of the time, and part of the cooking population.  He's not completely right, tho. I love to read through my cookbooks.  I recently de-cluttered a closet and got rid of many of them, keeping only the ones I actually use.  Most are church cookbooks because they have the recipes that my family likes to eat.  If I have some free time, I often grab 2 or 3 cookbooks, fill a big glass of ice water, and go sit somewhere comfy.  I usually start in the "main dishes" section, then veggies, then salad, then sometimes drinks and appetizers, and ...

Yesterday, my uncle Todd made us dinner again and I thought of this phrase a bit differently.  Todd has always loved food and cooking.  Before he was paralyzed, he was a great cook and came from a family of people who love food and celebrate with food......He had a car accident when he was 21 that paralyzed him for life.  Initially, he could at least eat and so when I cared for him/cooked for him, he would give me lots of directions and instructions.  He taught me alot about food.  Later, he wasn't able to do food anymore.  He has been tube-fed for years and years.....but because he loves food, he decided to cook others.  Us. Most weeks, he will text me with the mouth puffer devise he uses to navigate his cell phone and computer.  "Would you like a meal this week?"  I almost always say yes.  1.  I decided never to turn down a meal when offered.  2.  I know it gives him great pleasure to surf the internet and come up wi...

This girl.....oh my heart.  She loves dance.  Dance is part of her identity....tonight we were able to sit at the table and talk about dance and self-esteem and gifts and talents and boys and dreams and God's calling and pride and weakness and so much more.  She is 16.  She has this huge canvas ahead of her to paint and she wants the art of her life to be beautiful and meaningful and pleasing to those she loves and cares about.  It is the highest order of responsibility and priveledge to be her mama.  She matters.   She matters alot.  I love being her mother.  I'm not sad that she is growing up.  I celebrate her and I am in awe of her.....gosh.  She is destined for greatness.....in the small things, in the quiet things, in the Holy Spirit movement of life.....my girl is destined for greatness in all the ways that matter.  My heart is bursting with pride and humble gratitude......and love.  Claire Barbara.  Thank you...

It is March 7 and we had sunshine today....and warmth.  The snow melted and ran down the street in little streams.  I know because I took each of the dogs on a walk today and let them splash in the snow water......I worked earlier and then just enjoyed the sun and the dogs and moving my body on walks......and now I am so, so tired.  Winter made me lazy.  And fat.  Spring beckons me to be more active....... I opened windows today.  I welcomed spring.  I dared winter to leave for the season.  Everyone here is happier when the sun shines and the sky is blue and it feels warm.  Tonight, in my family room, I am getting little kisses of spring.  We have this awkward room where we watch television and play games and do life.  3 of 4 walls are windows.....and today I opened as many as I could.  At sunset it got colder so I closed most of them, but there is one left open.  It is low to the ground and the spring air is blowing in...

Isaac doesn't read my blog so I'm safe posting this....for now.  I am realizing I do not have many pictures of my big boys......I need to make a plan to fix that.  Maybe that plan involves a better camera and more focus on making them stop and pose for me.....because these days and years are so incredibly precious I can barely stand it.  Isaac is 14 today.  Today is his birthday.  I love how we do birthdays in this family......if it is your birthday,in this house, we celebrate you.   I find out what you want for gifts and then Roger and I discuss what is possible, probably and "no-freakin' way"......for a few weeks.  Then Roger purchases the "big" gift.  This year, Isaac gets his own laptop because he needs one anyway in the fall for high school and at the school he plans to attend, you purchase and provide your own.  We let him pick out something with a few bells and whistles since it was his gift.  Next, the birthday child and ...

so handsome

Tonight, Roger went to teach the sixth grade class at our church.  The class is Evangelism Explosion and he has taught it for each of the years our kids have taken the class so far.  Usually he is a "mentor" which means he is paired with 2 11/12 year old boys for the school year as they are walked through a course that prepares them to share the gospel.  This course is powerful and significant.  This year, Roger also needs to teach part of the curriculum.  He gets really stressed out when he teaches because he is not a teacher by trade, but a computer guy. My husband is the kind of person who responds to a need with a "yes".  They needed teachers.  He reluctantly said he would try.  Tonight he was stressed about teaching....I told him this. "Roger.....God doesn't call the equipped.  He equips the called."  I don't know who said this.  It's not from scripture but I still think its true.  God wants a yes from us and then he ...