They said it was daft to build a castle on a swamp!

I sang a JJ Heller song, "Your Hands", this weekend in church.  The chorus starts with this line....

When my world is shaking, Heaven stands.

See, we have this Lego castle.  It's got 15,970 pieces and takes a little over 4 days to construct.  I'm exaggerating.  A little.  But it's definitely one of those structures that, once complete, should get "the kra*gle" (super glue in case you've not seen the Lego Movie).  We haven't gotten that far over here so, Kevin and I have rebuilt the Lego castle a good 7 times since the boys got it at Christmas.

It's sort of like that scene in Monty Python....

We will probably continue to rebuild this castle until the boys leave for college.  Then we'll get a break for a  few years until our kids have kids of their own and then it will start all over again. 

How many other things have I rebuilt over and over and over again?  My attitude, my behavior, my parenting skills, my finances, my health.  Starting over and over and over, bound and determined to get it right, because when everything else falls and crumbles and fails, Heaven stands. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God.  Not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:8-9

It's the only reason the rebuilding is even worth it.  Despite all of our failings and missteps, God makes us worth it.  Is it hard sometimes?  Yes.  Maddening?  Frustrating?  Exhausting?  Yes, yes and yes.  But try we must because for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.  His grace is ready, His glory is waiting.

They said it was daft to build a castle on a swamp. 
But I built it just the same. 
Just to show 'em.

XOXO....Kelly

Being Still

My mom’s childhood church stories are some of the funniest.  She is one of five kids and both of her parents sang in the church choir, leaving the children to sit unattended during the service.  And with all that freedom they couldn't help themselves.  They rolled up the offering envelopes and pretended to smoke them like cigarettes, waited for a quiet moment to ruffle the hymnal pages and slam the book shut and rolled marbles down the church aisle from the back of the sanctuary.  My uncle and his friend licked the communion wafers and stick them to their foreheads.  It didn’t matter how hard my grandparents glared from the choir loft or how bad the punishment was when they got home.  It’s a wonder that all five of them have grown up with a love of worship and rightness with God!  You would have thought my grandparents would have thrown in the towel, but it was clearly more than just good discipline practice at work.  It was God’s grace.  Somewhere, in the midst of all those shenanigans, a seed was planted.  God’s grace allowed it to grow.

I’m sharing this because this morning I grumbled at my child during church.  I wanted him to listen and learn and appreciate, not draw on the back of the bulletin and try to lay down in the pew.  But somewhere inside my heart I felt the Lord say, Be still. 

Be still and know that I am God.  Be still and know that I am faithful.  And relax! Sew the seeds I’ve given you and let my infinite grace do amazing things.

As our pastor, Lynda Zelenka, likes to say, Lord, put me aside.  Put aside my pride and my prejudice.  Put aside my weariness and my aggravation.  Put aside the things that bind me to this earth and let instead your glory shine through.  Let your grace water the seeds we are so humbled to plant for you.  Let your grace allow us to grow.

XOXO....Kelly

And, P.S., God's seed can't grow if you don't plant it in the first place.  Get your kids to church. Get yourself to church!! Pass it on. 

How to Build a Family of Champions

Zachary recently learned to swim and a ride a bike on his own, big milestones indeed!  To celebrate he got a trip to Menchie's and picked out a new toy at Target.  On the way home Blake announced that he couldn't wait for his next reward, which he intends to collect after learning to whistle.  That's right.  Whistling.  Blake wasn't born without lips, so as I was trying to figure out why a feat such as whistling might be reward-worthy, my mind flashed to the image of this ribbon he recently won at a swim meet...

Yes, you're reading that right.  It says 14th place.  This ribbon might be cool if there were like 750 swimmers in the competition.  I think there were 30.  Someone, somewhere at the Acme Ribbon Company is planning a very exotic vacation right now from their fancy new sports car because they are making a KILLING on sporting awards.

It's not that I'm not proud of my kids.  Did I squeal in delight when they first learned to sit up/crawl/walk?  Of course.  I've not seen a performance yet of Lowery Elementary's hit Kindergarten program "How Does Your Garden Grow?" that hasn't brought tears to my eyes.  I'm just wondering if 14th place and rewards for whistling might be taking it a bit too far.

It's not that I'm a hugely competitive person.  Ask me how many sports I played as a kid.  I signed up for dance because of the recital costumes.  When I learned you had to also dance in a recital I quit.  And frankly I think there is way too much meanness in the world.  We need to build each other up.  We need to promote and protect the sanctity of life, the preciousness of God's creation. 

But it can't come from a ribbon.

If we don't know that we are special, that our lives matter, no amount of frozen yogurt and sporting trophies are going to fix that.  If we don't see ourselves as God sees us, beyond what any new car or house or cell phone or clothing label could possibly do for us, then we are sunk.  And what hope do our kids have? 

You matter.  And not because of your job performance or place in society or athletic prowess or your ability to whistle the entire Battle Hymn of the Republic in four part harmony.  You matter because you are God's creation, fearfully and wonderfully made, so treasured that He sent His only son to die on the cross that we would have life eternally with Him.  The things that matter, the things that count have nothing to do with how fast you run, swim, walk or bike, how much money you make or the people you know.  His glory is there for each one of us, that we might be the light of the world, the best kind of champion. 

It doesn't come from a ribbon.  It never will. 

XOXO....Kelly