Out of the Hearts of Babes

I will now pretend like it hasn't been 7  months since I've posted on this blog.

Every night - and even before most daytime naps - we say prayers.  Matthew has always tolerated this ritual well, especially for a little guy.  He went through a stage for a while this past year and no longer had the energy to come up with something to say to this God his parents are always talking about and talking to.  As long as he'd recite "Dear God, Thank you for all of my blessings. In Jesus' name, Amen" then he was off the hook.

Well, there's been a resurgence lately and his prayers have been downright inspired.  The boy even prays in tongues (I'm only half kidding - he'll be praying and just start making different sounds that sound pretty earnest without skipping a beat).  Mike and I usually have heads bowed way down low, to hide our grins and suppressed giggles (Mike giggling - ha!).  Last night was another one that was so incredibly cute, such a huge blessing, that I knew I needed to record it somewhere.  I often get these fleeting, silly little thoughts that if I record something on this blog then the perpetual ball will start rolling and lead to many-a-great post.  That may or may not happen, but at least the world will have this precious prayer from the heart of my boy:

"God: I just really need you to please come help me go to sleep.  I can't do it alone.  But...are you still a baby?  Because I sleep on the top bunk and grown-ups can't come up here because they're too big but if you're still a baby then you can come lay down beside me and help me sleep. Thank you, God and I love you. Amen."

And Evelyn?  She says "BeachSplash" for water, the ocean, a lake, anything with sand...that's the word "BeachSplash."  After she got a new book from my sister last night and promptly located and named the BeachSplash in the picture, my ingenious sister said "You should really write that down somewhere." Sis: Done!

Jonah?  He's an amazing stunt baby rolling all around on the floor as I type.  He can even recover his hands from under his tummy after such a roll.  Truly incredible.  

Happy New Year!  I really do hope to leave more than one post in 2012.  

It's Summer in the South

The Short, Amazing People

Gotta share...

My ex-roommie and sweet friend, Becky, is a pastor in Sacremento. I read her latest blog post just now and felt it was too good to keep to myself. Hope you find in reading it that there's something for you.

worshipping the God of love, justice, and grace > not niceness, status quo, and lowering the bar.

D) A multiple choice test.

It is perplexing that opposing worldviews can co-exist. Life is easier when there is a better or worse, a yes or no, a true or false, a positive or negative. When these categories are no longer, _________ remains. [HINT: This is not a fill in the blank question. Maximum 300 words]

Fear Not!

Where there is anxiety, there is always a sense of threat.

In myself and others who have anxiety, we smother dilemma/chaos onto people and say to them such phrases like “it’ll be okay,” or “it’s alright.”

The irony is we need those words whispered back to us...

If we will slow down, center ourselves, then maybe we will hear this voice.

[insert angelic picture here]

Secret Identities Revealed

The Saint Nicholas of Myra “had a reputation for secret gift-giving.”

If a man had a reputation involving secrecy, then we really shouldn’t know anything about him. I assume the last thing he wanted was a reputation; he wanted no personal glory. Yet somehow his disguise had a loophole. This led me to wonder… for a bit… how Power is ceaselessly dynamic in the delicate balance of giving and receiving... and how Shame is at risk when a name or a face is revealed.

This probably struck me because of the comic superhero kick I’m treating my son and nephew. For the most part, superheroes have secret identities, even the bad guys. The main reason that comes to mind for these nifty costumes is they wear it for their protection. For some, the benefit of a disguise is when the superhero’s day is done he or she can turn to the normal façade and blend in with society. They can view their image no longer someone who stands above the rest and revels in the spotlight but someone who is simply among the crowd. Without their disguise, they probably feel as if they wouldn’t connect well with humanity. I’m sure I could expound upon a multitude of reasons, but ultimately I believe the superhero disguise protects them from their laziness. If superheroes never wore the silly outfit and continued to perform their superhuman strengths, they would be battling an imperishable foe, Pride; without their disguise the superheroes are not just naked, but naked and talented.

A secret identity is about not wanting to be bothered, which is not necessarily a bad idea when our sanity is in desperate need of restoration. It is of caution that Pride wins the day when one hides (and subsequently gets lazy) behind their secret identity. Conversely, the enemy is lured into the open when the mask is removed. The flesh has a distinct scent.

Living in the two different worlds of secret vs. revealed creates more problems. The mightiest superheroes are the ones who know how to battle Pride head-on, whose true identity is their strength, and vice versa. Their Shame is their mask, and that is their Power. Both evil and good understand this.

This is probably why Nicholas of Myra became a Saint in the Church. He didn’t care as much for preserving his secrecy than he did meeting the needs of poor. So what if he had a reputation for secret giving?! So what if his disguise was vulnerable?!

All in all, I think it is appropriate that Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas in Dutch) became linked with the Christ Mass. St. Nick’s charitable legacy is a helpful reminder that giving and receiving is best performed not to one’s personal glory but to the glory of God. The mighty God of Israel revealed himself in his vulnerability by becoming born as a baby… among other feats.