In His hands...multicultural book pick

I love picture books. Not all of them, but the good ones. Words that weave pictures, illustrations that capture the imagination, I appreciate these books more now than I ever did as a child. Don't show me anything created by Disney, Barbie, Dora...anything made from TV or movies. It's almost like literary abuse to allow these in print. 

My mom gave He's Got the Whole World in His Hands by Kadir Nelson to our kids years ago and it remains a favorite. We sing it instead of reading it, and although singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" can seem cliche at first, it becomes comforting. It has been versed as much as "Jesus Loves Me" and "the Lord's Prayer," but although we can sing and recite sans thought, the truth and value of the words is not negated.

Kadir Nelson's illustrations are so very beautiful--he "envisioned a multiethnic family, representative of the earth's diversity." It's quite obvious why this book has a permanent place on our shelves.

hair day! yep, a WHOLE day...

It's the hobby I never imagined that I would have, but I love it. Our pool is now closed so it was time to work with Belle's hair and give her the extensions that she loves so much. Black hair is high maintenance, but it's really amazing. Created by God, a beautiful masterpiece, an exquisite compilation of art and architecture. That may sound strange, but as I've learned to work with her hair, I think art and architecture aptly describe what it's like to style black hair and how unique it is.

My skills are constantly developing. I have learned much and have much to learn. I have gathered tips and tricks from so many people, book, articles and websites (I like Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care). In the beginning I understood that hair was a big deal. I want her to love her hair. It is one part of how God has intricately woven her together and it's a part of her heritage.

Hair takes a WHOLE day and then some. I have D and Cece helping with all sorts of errands and hair assistance. We do it as a family. We watch a lot of Netflix too. They take turns picking shows, but Belle has to mostly approve of each choice because she is the one who has to sit ALL DAY. I intervene sometimes as Dora, Diego, Peg + Cat etc. for eight hours can make about anyone crazy. 

This time my neighbor/friend and her daughter (who also has beautiful chocolate hair) came over for part of the day. The two girls sat in tall chairs side by side, transfixed by TV shows and had their hair worked on. When Belle whimpered from a tight pull, her friend told her it would be okay. In turn, Belle also assured her friend that "It hurts a little bit, but then it will be okay..." So cute. My friend and I were saying we should try and do hair together more often, even for part of the process.

Hair pics!

September 11th...

This morning I was driving my kids to the first day of their homeschool enrichment program. We usually listen to one of the Christian stations and it always warms my heart when they comment on songs they love and ask me to turn it up so they can sing. Today, being September 11^th, the dialogue over media airwaves is dominated by remembrances of this day. The station DJ spoke of this day and then played a clip of a sermon that Billy Graham gave several days after the towers fell. It is well worth the time to listen to him speak God' truth, reminding us that He is the God of comfort, that He reigns over and above all evil we see in the world. On this day we saw evil. It changed the world as we knew it, one of those days in history where you can remember exactly where you were when you heard, and then saw the reality, almost not able to comprehend what was happening, our minds struggling to even fathom it.

D didn't remember at first what that date signified, so to all of my kids, I reminded them. I couldn't even finish explaining it without the tears coming. In part, the tears stemmed from the great tragedy of that day. But they also came from remnants and reminders of heroism and resilience and God's presence in the midst of great darkness. I will not forget that when the towers fell, left visible in the mass of steel and rubble, a cross stood. Some would call it random. I would not.

Last fall we were in New York City. We visited Ground Zero, we saw the cavernous fountains bordered by thousands of names, we viewed the new Freedom Tower than can only partially make up for the skyline void where two great towers once stood--the Freedom Tower's mere presence a reminder of what stood in its place. It was sobering. 

We also toured St. Paul's Chapel, the church which stood closest to the Twin Towers. Not one window was shattered on this church when the towers fell. Not one. It became a place of refuge and refueling for fire fighters, aid workers, and all who served.

It was not my favorite "outing" in New York, but I don't want to live in a fairy land (well, maybe I do...). We have to face the reality of the world in which we live. This includes unspeakable, heartbreaking evil. But, while facing this evil, we need to look vertically to a God who reigns. Great evil should force us to engage with who God is. The Great I AM. A God of justice, mercy, tenderness, comfort, peace, so many things.

I write these words to neither be simplistic nor insensitive to how incomprehensible life can be. I know. I truly know. I have not lived in an ivory tower nor am I surrounded by a community of friends and family immune to the blows life brings. We don't have to “get” Him, but trust that He wins. All will be made right.

On this day, remember. On this day, pray. Pray for those who mourn, pray for those who protect and serve us, pray for those who plot evil, that they may be transformed by Christ. Pray for peace to rest in God's sovereign hand whatever comes, knowing He is with us. And pray that we can persevere in faith in spite of all that is set against God in this world. He is active and moving. He does not sit passively. His Word is true.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

P.S. I have read many biographies and autobiographies about and by Muslim background believers. Several have been written by men who were raised in or joined terrorist organizations. I would highly recommend these reads. They are extremely relevant in the world today and above that, they have given me hope. No hurdle is too big for God. He has claimed these men as His own.

The Son of Hamas by Mosab HassanYousef—His father was a founding member and popular leader of Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine...his story.

Once An Arafat Man: The True Story of How A PLO Sniper Found A New Life by Tass Saada—He was a Palestinian refugee growing up in the Middle East who ran away to fight for Arafat, becoming one of his snipers. His story of Christ's transformation of his life.

And again, Billy Graham's sermon in the days following 9/11, worth your time.

the definition of a beautiful day (and some school pics too...)

I have been avoiding writing. Even when I most felt the need to put my swirling thoughts to paper, I couldn't seem to muster up the mental fortitude to do it. But I needed to today, just a bit. To fight my mental and physical fatigue and jot my thoughts.

Today, I'm tired. School has been going really well these last couple of weeks. I like the flow and rhythm that I have set so far. But today was one of those days in which I couldn't quite speak with the patience required and deserved to my children. I felt myself talking and lecturing in circles, trying to instruct, trying to explain, trying to understand, but feeling like I need a course in "Navigating Your Child's Emotions 101." 

Even though today is quite "blah," I wouldn't consider it the norm. We have sparkling days, glimmering with smiles, laughter, goofiness, discussions, tea and crumpets, experiments, sidewalk chalk artistry, new feats, devoured literature, perseverance and a love of learning. Oh, and lots of character development...not just the kids, for me too. Sparkling still has its challenges and struggles or its nothing but a glittery veneer with Styrofoam underneath.

we did not kill the butterfly, FYI...

How my "today" looks is not my favorite look. I prefer the days where I put lots of check marks by school subjects, the house gets picked up, the kids don't argue (much), and I have motivation to move steadily through my whole day, in a perfect homemaker sort of way. I never have days that look perfectly like this, but I have days that feel in line with this and I like them. But every day brings its own look, its own battles, its own beauty, its own mess. And, His mercies are new every morning..." Praise the Lord.

So, here are my snapshots, my reminders of the beauty found in each day:

On this day where my window view shows gray skies with light breezy gusts rustling the trees outside, I'm thankful for the cooler temperatures. Fall is coming and it's my favorite.

D has spent the whole day helping an elderly neighbor with his yard. He loves doing it. He didn't expect to miss this day doing school, but because we homeschool, he can do this. And in my opinion, his work today is just as valuable if not more valuable than a day with his textbooks.

I have two sweet girls who graciously forgave me for my harsh words to them. It is hard to fail in front of my kids. It is good to fail in front of my kids (and ask forgiveness) because failing is a part of life, sinning is what we do. They need to know that I'm human, I need Jesus too. They have to learn to walk in this world. Confessing their sin to God and people, sharing their burdens, will be a protection for their souls. I want them to resist the facade of perfectionism and the Gospel-denying platform of shame. If how I deal with my failings and struggles points them to engage with God in everything, I will be well-pleased.

seriously, Arctic mermaids...

We're enjoying our last week of the pool. In spite of the gray skies, Cece and Belle will make the daily trek. They are die-hard and I love their happy pool smiles. I never tire of seeing their goggle-clad faces underwater. They literally smile and always wave at me when we're all underwater together. I can't quite find the right word to describe Belle's facial expression. Her eyes are bright, joyful, vibrant, wide-eyed, enthusiastic. I love it. Every image, I try and capture in my mind's eye. I meant to buy an underwater camera this year but didn't.

We've been working on some Spanish as a family and Belle has taken quite a liking to it. Unfortunately, the only phrase she can remember right now is ¡siéntate! which means "sit down!" She hears this phrase quite a bit, so it has stuck. The other night my husband and I took an evening walk and the girls scootered. All through the neighborhood, Belle was continually exclaiming, ¡siéntate! ¡siéntate! ¡siéntate! Usually she screams, "This is AWWWESOOOME!" So, I think this was her substitute. Hilarious.

What else? A neighbor randomly offered to bring us dinner tonight. What a gift. The girls and D are working together to make forts in the girls' room, but they have taken a break to happily watch some new episodes of Wild Kratts first. I love how much time they have to spend together. We'll walk to a farmer's market this evening (weather permitting!) and hopefully get in a couple chapters of Tuesdays at the Castle. Simple, lovely.

I'm learning to receive and give grace for the ebb and flow of each day. I don't have to be perfect. I can't be. It doesn't have to be my definition of a beautiful day to be truly beautiful.