Small Bodies...

SMALL BODIES, GREAT HEARTS

An early Puritan writer once said about children, "though their bodies be small, yet their hearts are great." He was speaking about a child's tendency toward mischief. As the mother of 4 young sons, I am reminded of this statement often and I figure it's time to throw my two cents in.

When a child is born, the infant appears so delicate and pure that we parents cannot imagine the trouble brewing within. But before long, the tiny little creature, helpless to overpower the adults in charge of him, identifies the fatal weaknesses in the parental armor and begins to exploit them. With my first son, I was completely uneducated on the tactical manoeuvers of infant warfare. My little angel quickly conquered us and proceeded to rule with an iron fist. But I know that I will one day escape filial domination and, in the meantime, I dedicate myself to educating potential parents everywhere about the reality of parental bondage.

It begins with sleep deprivation. Children do not hesitate to use torture to advance their agenda. Once a parent is sufficiently worn down, the child can then then begin to exercise domination.

Let me give you an example.

A master strategist at an early age, Stephen understood that just as a horseman maintains control by guiding the horse, if he wanted to be the Master, he would have to control our travel patterns. Within a short period of time, he trained us to pay close attention to his driving instructions. We quickly learned his preferred method of travel; accelerate to speeds over 70 mph and maintain high speeds. If we slowed down, he would scream. If we stopped for a red light or a stop sign, he would scream. If we drove on city streets which would not allow sufficiently high speeds, he would scream. He had complete control and successfully discouraged us from any unnecessary driving, completely eliminating any attempt on our part to trick him into sleep by taking "a ride in the car."

By the time I realized that I had been enslaved, we had already had more children. Yes, we are slow learners. I now have 4 masters who are expert at identiifying their own particular strengths. Perhaps you may recognize the following techniques:

Seth, the 2 year old has "the scream". Can you picture the painting by the same name? I firmly believe the artist also had a 2 year old, because the painting accurately depicts what happens to the parental psyche when "the scream" is unleashed. The tormented parent will then do whatever it takes to make it go away. Seth typically uses "the scream" to direct parental fury onto one of his brothers. Usually, the offending brother has intentionally irritated Seth. But sometimes Seth just wants what the brother has. We don't care. We just want it to end. Seth wins.

Elijah, the 4 year old is more complex. His particular strength is breaking people down. From a tender age, he has been able to reduce his older brothers into defeated, crying children; particularly his next older brother Austin. But his powers extend beyond other children, to the adults in his life as well. He is the strongest willed member of the family, and he's not afraid to use it. His battle of choice is dinner. His technique is superb. His earlier attempts to win the dinner war were crude, like making himself throw up the very food he was expected to eat. But his new strategy is flawless. While we happily eat, he manages to stay under the radar until we are almost done. At that point, he complains that his food is cold, prompting us to warm it for him. He then informs us how much better warm food tastes, tricking us into thinking he has actually tasted it. But we "quickly" realize the truth, and begin the battle of threats and tears which drives us to distraction. However, it is time to pick up from dinner and draw baths. Parents drop like flies and Elijah begins to ask for someone to feed him. Now, Elijah does not really want to be fed. He knows that if he asks to be fed, we get irritated and disappear, leaving him free to leave the plate of food he did not want to eat in the first place. Elijah takes his bath, has a snack with his brothers, goes to bed, and we find the abandoned plate of food later that night. Flawless.

Austin the 6 year old is the smoothest of the tormenters; you don't even know you've been bamboozled until he's gone. The child can lie with the face of an angel. Austin has learned the truth behind the old adage, "you catch more flies with honey..." The command, "Austin, put away your clothes" is met with a polite "Yes, Ma'am." Only much later do you find them shoved under the bed. Of course, this is the child who replied, "Why, did you see me?" to the question, "Austin, what did you just do?" But really, if you must be held captive, isn't it better when they're friendly?

Stephen, the original, is now 8 years old. The near future is not looking good for us. Last night, he was pondering how nice life might be if we were eliminated. I think my chances are better than my husband, but the grandparents render us both disposable. In the meantime, he's using his mind control prowess to keep us in check. Two nights ago, he was watching me play a computer game, when his Nana commanded him into his bedroom. I, hearing her tone, and wanting the best for my son, recommended that he go quickly. He then comforted me and proceeded to explain to me that, "I've got her all figured out." Apparently, as long as he obeys before she exhibits a very specific behavior, he will escape punishment. Being the subversive, unappreciative servant that I am, I told her... We need to stick together.

Well friends, I truly hope this helps some one or other of you. After all, they are merciless and they never quit. And they work together to keep us down. I've never done anything harder in my life than be a parent. I now know my limits. By the way, if you are like I was, you might be thinking that you should be able to out-think a child. Funny how it never occurred to me that my own children might be as smart as I am... After all, "though their bodies be small..."

Stephen's Haiku

Stephen wrote this haiku for school (and yes, I'm a proud mama).

In Years of Folly
Christmas Time is Jollier
Sleds Sleighing in Snow

Stephen (age 8)

Thank you Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby placed this ad in the newspaper today... amazing!

A Light Shining in a Dark Place

I will never forget the pain caused by Hurricane Katrina. I personally suffered very little. Losing my grandparents' homes and my extended family's relocation, the removal of my childhood sources of stability, has cost me the most. But my losses are small compared to many others. Many people in this area lost their homes, their family members, their marriages and other valuable relationships, their jobs, and, for many, their mental health.

Although some of the effects of Katrina's damage continue to affect this area, we have largely picked up the pieces and reestablished routines. But hard times are coming and have come. Companies are laying off employees or cutting back hours. Many have lost large sums of retirement and investments. The housing market is down and good jobs are scarce. All indicators suggest that life will get significantly worse before it gets better.

In a short time, some of the pain and suffering we experienced following Katrina will reappear in Louisiana and across America, if not the entire world. In anticipation of this, I am issuing a call to all who know Christ to get ready. We have been entrusted with a message of hope and peace for our generation, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." If you have been riding the fence, if you have been waiting until a later time or not really sure you wanted to jump in with both feet, your time has now come to choose. When the people around you are in need, will you be ready?


I heard the story yesterday of a young single mother who spent her days trying to look happy so that no one would thwart her plan to kill herself. What had she done wrong? Why was she intent on committing suicide? She felt she had failed herself and disappointed those around her. Oh, how I longed to share with her the hope that I have because I know where she's been. But it's not Christ that has kept her alive, it was a realization that her children need her more than she realized. I wonder, what will she do when she fails again? She now has a reason to live, but no reason to have peace and joy, and nothing but necessity to get her through the hard times that will surely come.

Life doesn't have to be this way.

What do we, as Christians, have to offer? What is the good news we have for a suffering person? First and foremost, it is forgiveness. This young woman's value doesn't simply lie in what she has or hasn't done. When you can accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers for all your past actions and you can give forgiveness to all who have wronged you in the past, then your life starts anew and your value lies in who you are as a child of God and the love you bring into this world as a representative of God. Second, when you accept God's offer of forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, then you enter into a new relationship with the God who created the universe. You are never alone. Even in the darkest hour, the Spirit of God "remains with you and will be in you." Third, the God of Heaven will guide and protect you; "For I know the plans I have for you - this is the Lord's declaration - plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

In April/May, I wrote about Jesus in the storm in three separate parts. As our country goes deeper into this financial storm, I return to the peace that Jesus offers us in this story. In short, Jesus sleeps while a storm whips up and rages around him. The disciples fear for their lives and wake him up, wondering how he can sleep when all of their lives are in danger. With a word, he calms the storm and chides them for their lack of faith.

In the past, I looked at why Jesus might have been sleeping and discussed the fact that God never sleeps. But I am amazed today that he was able to sleep and I believe that it illustrates the kind of peace he offers us. When the storm blew up, Jesus and the disciples faced a multisensory attack. The floor heaved up and down under their feet, causing them to lose their balance. The wind and waves knocked them around and stung their faces. The water rose over the boat and soaked their clothes, leaving them battered and wet. And the wind howled, the thunder roared, and perhaps lightening even struck, assaulting their ears and striking fear into their hearts. And Jesus slept.

Certainly, Jesus was on the boat and experienced all these things himself. Yet, while the disciples struggled, fought, feared, and yelled, Jesus was at peace. What was the difference between them? Jesus trusted that God was in control and the disciples did not. Their fear was caused by uncertainty. They didn't believe that God would take care of them. Jesus, on the other hand, understood that if God had other plans for him, God would take him through the storm safely, and if not, he would go home to his father. Christians have this same assurance and God offers it to everyone who will trust in him. As the Bible says, "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God."

So, ladies and gentlemen, sisters and brothers, "set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." Many in America are living in darkness and we have a source of light in the world, "the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts." We who know Jesus, "the light of men," are " the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." And when you see your fellow man or woman hurting in the troubled times to come, take hold of the promises that your Father has given you and commit to being a blessing to the world by sharing the love that God has given you and his message of peace and restoration.

Bible Verses in this blog: 1 Peter 2:9, John 14:17, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, 1 Peter 3:15, 2 Peter 1:19, John 1:4, Matthew 5:14-16

Unholy Union: The Lure of the Vampire and Why I Left My Love Affair

In 2004, I threw away my entire collection of Anne Rice vampire books. Yep, in the garbage... including my autographed copy of Blood and Gold. Why did I do this? What led me to throw years of enjoyment and loads of dollars of hardcover books in the trash? Well, I'd like to tell you.

Years ago, through experimentation and exploration, I came face to face with a regular source of frustration; my own limits. I'm not talking about limited abilities, limited experience, or limited knowledge. This was a different kind of limit. There was a barrier I could not cross no matter how hard I tried. That limit was myself.

I know, I know, you're thinking, "What on earth is she talking about?" I'll try my best to explain. As myself, I was alone. But I desperately wanted to share with someone else. I wanted to be united as one with someone else. So, I entered into a love relationship and I loved deeply. But still we were not one.

Every way we tried to unite was insufficient. Words just simply don't capture the full meaning of thoughts. Some of the most profound thoughts and feelings I tried to express sounded empty to my own ears. When he spoke, try as I might, I could not think what he thought and feel what he felt. I could not enter his mind or his soul.

But it wasn't just a spiritual barrier. I wanted to unite completely. Physical connection was not enough; I wanted UNION. I hated that my own skin prevented me from experiencing him more fully. I wanted to become one with him: share our blood supply, move together, share thoughts, share purpose, share life. I wanted to tear apart everything that separated us, but the barrier remained.

During this time, I met Lestat and his brethren (Anne Rice's vampires). They were like us; incredibly passionate beings. But they had managed to cross the barrier. In the act of drinking blood, the ultimate vampiric union, they became one with their victim. They shared the blood supply, they shared thoughts, they shared memories, they shared life, and if the vampire wasn't careful, they would share death. The undead were able to accomplish what the living could not; union with another human being. This spoke to my deepest needs. The books were entertaining, but the dream was enchanting. The evil became beautiful, death became life. The characters danced to the tune my soul was playing... and I stayed to watch.

While my life went on and I could not have what I longed for, I returned again and again to the world of fulfilled fantasies, where sharing blood made two become one. That is, my life went on this way until I realized that there is a reality that makes the fantasy pale in comparison.

In the 1992 movie Bram Stoker's Dracula, Count Dracula loves Mina and longs for her to share eternity with him. So, he drinks her blood and then offers him her own; the blood that would make her immortal. Mina drinks deeply, passionately, almost nursing like a baby, the blood of her wicked lover. But there is another Lover out there. His love is a pure, unselfish love and He wants to be one with us. He also has offered His blood, that we might share in His death and rise to His life.

He offered His blood to me, I accepted it, and we became one. My barrier went away. He lives in me. The deeper I drink of Him, the fuller I feel; I am never alone.

If you don't know much about Christianity, then let me explain this to you. Jesus said to the people, "'If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink! Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from deep within him.' He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive." Jesus taught that after His resurrection, His Spirit would come and live in all who choose to believe in Him. Read His words to His disciples:

"... I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."

I put some of Jesus' words in italics because they happened to me. I began to live, to really live. The dream I longed for, to become one with someone else, came true. God, through Jesus, filled my greatest need and took away my greatest frustration. I woke up and realized that I was satisfied and no longer needed the fantasy.

In fact, I looked at the books that were my love affair for years and finally understood that what they offered was just a cheap imitation of a more perfect reality. They could never satisfy me, but only promise what they could never deliver. I didn't need them and I didn't want them. I found the better offer.

Okay, so what's my point? Am I saying that you shouldn't read vampire books or see vampire movies? Am I calling for a boycott or condemning those who produce and enjoy such works? No, I am not. I still enjoy a good tale, vampire or otherwise. But Jesus advised His disciples to be "shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves" because He was sending them out as "sheep among wolves." In order to be shrewd as serpents, you need to understand the underlying message and know your own motivations.

Are you a Christian and looking to fill a personal need somewhere other than in God? Then, you need to be aware. If you don't believe in God, I would like to tell you about what I've found (or about who found me). Jesus told His disciples (students), "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." That is why we drink deeply of Jesus, because He sets us free. True Christians, those who have entered union with Christ, are not bound or contained or trapped. We are able to love deeply and freely because we have a constant source of life filling us as we give.

Does this mean Christians are perfect? No way! I am not. No one is. We still do stupid things. We still hurt people. We still fail to be everything that we should be. But we are more than we were. And if we continue to drink deeply, we will continue to grow and bring light and life into the world. But we must drink to grow.

So, if you have already tasted of Jesus, then I encourage you to continue to drink. If you have not, then I encourage you to try Jesus for yourself. Either way, please be wise and recognize when someone is offering you something tainted; a drink that cannot quench your thirst. Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst." May you accept His water alone... and never thirst again.

Bible Verses in this writing:
John 7:37-39
John 14:16-20
Matthew 10:16
John 8:32
John 4:13-14