Supper tonight "wasn't weird"

You read that correctly. That's exactly how Heather "promoted" it to a lady in the church who is ill, when offering to bring some over. Imagine that you're already ill to begin with. Would you accept an offer like that?

Anyway, since you asked (you didn't? hey... don't interrupt!), tonight's menu was:

Chef's salad (Mediterranean mixed greens, black olives, cucumbers, low-fat turkey breast, shredded jack, ranch dressing)
Pasta Primavera (Angel hair in a balsamic/italian sauce, tossed with stir-fried-crisp peppers, onions, mushrooms, and broccoli)
Garlic Bread (homemade)
Tea (Hot, brewed, touch of milk, touch of aspartame)

And why am I blogging all this? Well, aside from my toying with posting dinner here every night, it makes a great device for procrastinating those dishes to the east of me.

Just Aim And Pull The Trigger

Just like that, the day was shot.

You have to understand that it was 79 and sunny (same forecast for
tomorrow), so when after chapel at RTS (http://rts.edu) and our errands
at the

store (don't tell emmet, but i managed to slip a guitar for him for his
birthday under the cart and purchase it without too much fanfare. The
kids love to strum for me while I'm practicing on mine, and the one I
got him is the genuine article but shrunk down to kid size, with lower
frets and action, to be easier for him to play)

and the bank (where Kessedi charmed the teller by first including a
penny from her pocket in the deposit and then offering a perfectly
stated "May I please have a lollipop?" before Emmet finished it off with
a sing-songy chimed "thaaank-youuu" when handed is flavored sugar on a
stick)

it was around lunch time, so I called Heather, and it turned out she
could meet us, so we picked up pizza and wings and mommy and had a very
pleasant time at the park for about a half hour until it got too warm
and then made a quick stop at Bop's for ice cream on the way back to her
office.

Well, by the time we got home, the kids and I were so exhausted that the
extra hour lost in town turned into two more lost hours at home, and the
day was shot

BANG

We'll try again tomorrow, by God's grace.
Today's rating 6/10 (you can't really give it less than 5 if you attend
worship and sit under good preaching, an extra dose of which I got on my
iPod, pushing into chapter 3 with Dr. Duncan)

Another productive day?

Yesterday included the assembly of the replacement chest for the kids'
one that fell apart after just two years! But I paid twice as much for
this piece of junk as that piece of junk, so hopefully I'll get four
years out of it. Hah! Actually, I hope a lot more; it seems much more
durable, and frankly, there was so much assembly on it, I would be loath
to do it again just four years from now.

It also included the writing, printing, and mailing of the church
newsletter... which degenerated into an all-out brawl with the printer,
which refused to duplex without jamming on every other sheet, then
eventually ran out of toner (I discovered that it's using the toner
twice as fast as it should), and ultimately ended up with my banishing
my printer back to Heather's office from whence it came (when the office
refused to purchase toner for it, it came home, but since then, Heather
has had to go borrow the use of others' printers to do her reports,
since they refuse to provide her one, and you can imagine what that does
to her productivity numbers, based upon which the same people who refuse
to network her computer and refuse to give her a printer and refuse to
buy toner for the printer that she brought herself from home... these
same people mercilessly load her with an enormous amount of pressure to
bring her numbers up, even though she already works through lunch every
day, with implied threats of pay cuts and even job loss; see
http://hakimfamily.blogspot.com/2006/02/when-it-rains-bills-come.html
for more of their transgressions. God have mercy on them when they must
face this all on the day of judgment!)

So anyway, where was I, oh yeah. I bought a new printer that has
automatic duplexing for the home office, and am banishing this one back
to Heather's office (she never has to duplex anyway).

But between those two things, the newsletter and the 5 drawer clothes
chest, I managed to cook a fantastic thai steak, brown rice, sweet
potatoes, and broccoli supper, clean the house, prepare family worship,
do some reading, and listen to 4 or 5 sermons from Ephesians 1-2 by Dr.
Ligon Duncan.

And read to the children, played outside with them, practiced guitar
with them, played with them, changed diapers, etc.

So on the use of the day, I give myself an 8 out of 10. We all know
there's no such thing as a 10, and it doesn't even get a 9, because I
should really be doing 100 pages/day on my studies, and didn't even come
close :(

So... will this be another productive day?

Let us resolve that by God's mercy and grace, it shall be so.

Earth Shrinks Again

Despite a few tablespoons of sherbet around 9p!

Boy is it ever Monday

jammed printers
peed pants
more printer jamming
whining toddlers
printer out of toner
screaming toddler
toner-covered toddler
more printer jamming
you get the idea

Awesome God

"Awesome God" was just playing on K-Love, and every time Emmet heard "Our God is an awesome..." he finished it with "Gaaaaahd," right on pitch. What a blessing to have such music for him to listen to. What a blessing that he is healthy and smart and musical. What a blessing that he is learning the music. May God bless it to him and write the truth on his heart, not just his mind. Indeed, our God is an awesome God.


Winds Of Heaven, Stuff Of Earth
Rich Mullins
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Suuuuuuuny day... everything's Aaaaaaaaaa ok

Just checked the weather. 65 and sunny today. I think I'll take my
vacation right here, thanks. Working, of course.

Monday morning

It's just difficult to get going on Monday...

some news:
earth's mass increased yesterday :(
emmet got a haircut
daddy needs a vacation--friends with spare rooms in tropical zones may
apply via the comments link

It's Monday!

This Just In:

Earth's mass stays constant since yesterday!

Support Us With Your Internet Shopping!

I've set up http://hakimfamily.org so that if you start your internet
shopping through the search bar at the top of the page and end up buying
something from Amazon, we get 5%-10% of whatever you spend. Of course,
if your desire is just to support us, you can just send us cash; but, if
you were going shopping anyway, chances are that you couldn't do much
better than Amazon, and you'll have the added benefit of supporting us.
And if you don't care about supporting us, then why are you reading our
personal, family blog?! Huh?! Huh?!

Family Photo Album Updated

I updated the family photo album today. As before, you may find it here.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

18 straight hours of coming down in sheets now. The whole world seems
waterlogged, and you could literally row a boat around in what used to
be the front yard... and we live on a hill!

A Blessed Father

Am I blessed or what? Emmet wakes up and is a little grouchy. Kes, who
has been up and chatting with me for some time races up the stairs
exclaiming "Kes go upstairs and kiss it!" They meet at the top of the
stairs, where Emmet puts his arms around her and pats her on the back,
while she returns the embrace and showers his forehead and face with
kisses. Am I a blessed father or what?

Shrinkage!

Even ice cream and homemade apple pie couldn't keep the earth's mass
from shrinking 0.9% last night! Praise the Lord!

So He DOES Pay Attention In Corporate Worship!

Emmet just now (yeah, it's late; everyone's wired from the evening) was
sitting on the floor with a Bible open in front of him. He was waving
his arms in exact imitations of my preaching gestures and speaking in
long, prose sentences, with strong emphases in various places, just like
I do when I preach (except I use English words, and he was apparently
speaking in the tongues of angels). Like father, like son.

Date Night

Well, our babysitter was ill, so we did date night at home tonight.

I invited our best friends, an elder from the church and his wife, over
for supper, and we all ate together and then sang psalms and hymns
together until it was time for family worship. The latter, we had
downstairs, since she is disabled and could not go up, which was a
little difficult for the kids (behaviorally).

Supper featured Terryaki Turkey Burgers (including freshly ground ginger
root), Homemade broccoli slaw (this one is easy, just cut the florets
off of a couple heads of broccoli, mix in a little bit of mayo, rice
vinegar, and sesame seeds; it's fantastic), and then homemade apple pie
(that means granny smith apples that i peeled, pared, sliced, and
seasoned myself, baked in a crust that i also made from scratch), with
Blue Bell brand ice cream (his favorite).

It was a blessed evening with great physical and spiritual food!

We've Been Robbed!

Not like earlier in the week by BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi.
This time was quite literal. We woke up this morning with two less 5
gallon cans in the carport. They were full. So the thief made off with
about $30 in gas and cans. I'll put the rest on a gift certificate, Pat.

We're considering posting a sign at the end of the driveway that says,
"Please return the empty cans, so we can fill them with 10 more gallons
for you to steal."

Probably A Half Gallon

Well, our dinner guests thought it was hilarious, so, against my better judgment, I'll go ahead and post it.

Man, did I ever have to pee today.  We were out park hunting, and I had had three cups of coffee and several glasses of water.  But, at the first park we went to, there was this psycho girl who came running across the park to give Kes a tremendous hug, and Kes, who doesn't know any better, thought it was fantastic, and said, "Oooooh, a biiiiig hug!  This is my sister!"  After that, psycho-girl wouldn't leave us alone.  We even went to the highest piece of equipment, and I climbed to the top with Emmet and Kes, hoping that psycho girl would chicken out, but she thought it worth risking a twenty foot fall to cling to my daughter.

So we go to the next park, and there's a drug dealer there in the parking lot.  I figure that if we play a while, he'll leave.  Several of his buyers drive up slowly but don't stop, because there's someone else at the park, and they don't want to be seen buying.  By this time, my bladder is about to explode.  All I want is to watch them from a distance of 20 yards and go behind a tree, but of course I can't do this at this park.  Eventually, we leave, because I don't want to antagonize the guy who's missing his sales, and has started to watch us.  Kes notices that he's watching, and waves and says hi.  Time to go.  Fast.

I then propose that the backyard is kind of like a park, and we should go home.  The kids think that's a great idea.  I can be pretty persuasive.  But really, I just wanted to get home before I was soaked from my waist to my ankles.  By the time we get home, I'm ready to stop at the church, since the bathroom is closer to the door there than it is at our house.  The only problem is that we got robbed last night (that post will be next), and I'm not willing to leave the children in the car sleeping, even at our house, now.  So we go all the way home.  I'm in serious pain at this point.  Gonna have bladder cancer some day because of this one incident.  There's little doubt.

And what am I doing?  Running to the bathroom to get relief? Nope.  Unbuckling five point seat harnesses and shuttling back and forth to get my toddlers safely inside and the doors locked.

By the time I get to the bathroom, I'm thinking that I might pass out.

And this is where I get neurotic.

I have this thing where I weigh myself before and after a pee to see how much it was.  I lose a lot more weight peeing than pooing, you see.  My record is a 3.5 pound difference, which is approximately 56 ounces, or almost half a gallon.  Now, I am literally about to pass out, but it occurs to me that I must have a record-breaking bladder burster on my hands.

So not once but twice I tried to weigh myself.  Only one problem.  We have a digital scale.  I was shaking so violently from having to pee so badly that it could not get a consistent reading on my weight.  It gave me an error both times.

So finally, I gave up and covered my feet.  That's the Hebrew euphemism used in 1 Samuel, when Saul goes into the cave to take a leak, and David cuts a corner off of the discarded garment.

Anyway, long story short, I probably had my half gallon.

Has Anyone Seen My Green Guitar Pic?

It was last seen in the possession of one Mister Emmet Elijah Hakim

Armadillo In The Backyard

Fusion Power!

My new shaving plan is going well. Someone at Gillette marketing, really knows his or her business. I picked up a Fusion Power at a special promotional price, and was immediately hooked.




So I take it home and shave with it. Someone at Gillette engineering also knows his or her business. This thing is amazing. Makes the Mach 3 like shaving with a rusty lawnmower blade. I had been shaving with electrics, only bringing the Mach 3 out on special occasions, for a couple years for financial reasons (the blades were too expensive). But at this point, my electric immediately went into the "to be sold" pile in what used to be my study and will, God-willing, be Emmet's new bedroom on his birthday.

At this point I was shaving twice every day, and it wasn't a problem... until I went to buy replacement blades, that I was going to need soon (I was going through about a blade/week). And someone in Gillette pricing knows how well the boys and girls in marketing and engineering are doing.




It was $13.44 for 4 blades at Wal-Mart, so when you factor in sales tax, these deals are about the same. Let me do the math for you. Including taxes, that's $3.46 per blade. But the worst part is that by now I had already decided (and still think) that it's worth it for the shave that I am getting.

Solution?

Limit my shaving to once a day, and three days each week. Well, yesterday was my first non-shave day, and I was surprised by how well my beard was still doing by the end of the day (it did seem to have a growth spurt last night during my few hours of sleep, but that doesn't matter). The results are fantastic. Not only am I going to extend the blade life (I hope), but my ultra-smooth (couldn't be improved in that regard; it was so smooth) shave now leaves an even lighter shadow beneath the skin! (see previous post)

Fusion Power!

I'm absolutely thrilled. Also recommended for use with this razor (and worth three times ordinary shave cream or gel):

Good Morning!

I Was Up Too Late Last Night...

Either I am extremely bloated, or being up too late yesterday, and the inevitable snacking that comes with it, including a glass of wine and 32oz of White Grape Peach juice (i.e. liquid sugar), has led to an increase in the earth's mass of 1.6% in one day.  Why is it that sin always has far ranging and diverse consequences?  I couldn't just be exhausted this morning; it had to appear in other disciplines of life?  And I'm sure we haven't seen the end of just the immediate effects yet.  Just wait until I try to study to see what the effects are upon my mind!

Resolutions: I resolve not to sin against my God, my wife, my children, my church, and myself in any way as concerns my habit of sleeping and rising.
Application: I must retire to my bed by 9p.m. each day, except for that which is absolutely necessary, spiritually or physically, in that order.

To which I hereby put my electronic signature:
James N. Hakim

What A Long, Long Day

This entire day was fraught with senior moments, forgetting things at
home, forgetting to get things at the store, shopping and cooking that
took way longer than they should, aching that resulted from much shorter
activities than it should have, etc... And now finally (?) some rest.

I Used To Think I Was Intelligent...

While folding the newsletters (yes, they're late) I am listening to preaching on the ipod, while the children watch the story of Esther on TV. This particular sermon is on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, as Sinclair Ferguson condenses John Owen's exposition of the matter. He just mentioned that Owen was 28 when He wrote The Death of Death on particular redemption, a work that still has not been challenged, exceeded, or refuted in three hundred years...

Thank you, Lord, for humbling me today!

VeggieTales - Esther, The Girl Who B...

Phil Vischer

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Death of Death

John Owen

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Good To The Last Drop (not drip!)

Well, Dr. Martin (my physician, not the boot designer) said that I should drink less coffee to bring my blood pressure down, but I just can't help drinking the entire pot, if I use the automatic drip maker. Well, we brought our 3 cup French press out of storage, and I had forgotten how FANTASTIC the coffee tastes when made this way. Same beans, same grind, same everything... and the difference is something I can barely put into words. Care to test the difference? Try one out for yourself!

Breaking News: Earth's Mass Stays The Same

... due in large part to the last of Heather's birthday cake. Oh well,
it will shrink again tomorrow!

I Love You!

Emmet has been doing this thing for the last week or so that actually reminds me very  much of something that I used to do with my mom.  If I start to say "I love you" to him, he immediately (doesn't wait for me to finish) replies with "I love you" as zealously and quickly as he can, complete with a vehement finger-pointing.  If I then follow up by trying to say it again before he has finished, he will repeat, and becomes a nearly violent game of who can say it fastest and strongest, with the best finger point.  Needless to say it's a fun game.  I know the day may come when he is loath to say it, but for now, Emmet,

I LOVE YOU!

Enthusiastic For Worship

The last couple evenings, Emmet has just been bursting with enthusiasm
for family worship... belting out the songs, answering questions with
zeal, paying remarkably interested attention to everything. Yesterday,
I thought it was some kind of sugar rush, because supper had been late,
but today, it was almost four hours between supper and worship, and we
had a repeat. Whatever the cause may be, as his father, I'm thrilled.

When It Rains, Bills Come

I would have titled this "When It Rains, It Pours," but that's not what happened.  Worse happened.  Much worse.

In two awful consecutive incidents, Heather's employee-sponsored insurance raised her annual deductible to $1500 without any notice or opportunity to opt out (is that even legal?).

Then they denied to apply "Healthy You" to the charges for her mammogram and the reading of that mammogram.  "Healthy You" is their annual physical that she must have in order to carry their insurance, during which the physician deemed a mammogram physically necessary.  "Healthy You" is supposed to be 100% covered by the insurance policy, with no copay or deductible.  Part of their billing this "Healthy You" program so highly was that it covers mammograms.

Well, they decided that Heather isn't old enough for "Healthy You" to cover her mammogram, so the $626.52 that the hospital and doctor charged count against the ... guess what... brand new $1500.00 deductible, which means--that's right--it comes right out of our pockets.  100%. 

And her employee only pays a quarter of the premium for this policy and requires that she carry it (is that legal either?).

Is it understandable that I feel like a terrible injustice has been perpetrated against me and my family?  I hope so.

Oh.  For those who would like to know from whom not to purchase health insurance ever, the insurance provider is BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.”

Ordinarily, this noise coming from deep inside Emmet sparks an appreciative smile on my lips and minor skirmish against pride in the great battle against this the greatest of my indwelling sins.

This time, however, Emmet’s onomatopoetic outburst struck a chord of deep joy in me. You see, Emmet had been sick. Very sick. 5 days straight vomiting, 4 days straight diarrhea, and precious little eating. It’s not that we were starving him. He just had no appetite.

That’s how it is, when you’re sick, isn’t it? Physically or spiritually. You just have no appetite. Even the thought of food makes you dread the next meal. When you eat, it doesn’t taste good, and no sooner has the meal begun that you wish you were anywhere else but here. Emmet is ordinarily such a great eater that it broke his father’s heart to see him push away plates, frown at bowls, and make uninterested or even sour faces at forkfuls of what ought to have been his delight. The reason that it cut me to my soul was because this was evidence of just how ill my son’s body was.

But it’s not an unfamiliar feeling to me. My heart as a pastor knows this feeling all too well. Too often, I look at one whom I love from the flock that God has given me—push away offerings of more Bible, frown at the idea of more worship, and make uninterested or even sour faces at the helpings that he or she does ingest. The reason that it grieves me so is because it is evidence of just how ill my friend’s soul is.

And even worse, my heart as a Christian knows this feeling. Do I not often have my private or family worship and “just not feel anything”? Do I sometimes even preside over worship, only to be relieved when it is over, rather than find in myself an increased appetite for more? Was it not very long ago that I could go from one Lord’s Day to the next without hearing good preaching and not find myself very hungry at all in the interim? If I do not take good care of my soul, giving it a healthy spiritual diet and requiring of it vigorous spiritual exercise, it might not be long until that is true once again! And oh what grief it will be, for that lack of appetite will show me that my soul is quite ill indeed.

You see, my joy at Emmet’s rediscovered appetite was great, but not close to that joy when during family worship some evenings he sings with gusto, recites his catechism with enthusiasm, pays careful attention to the reading and explaining of the Bible, and follows closely while we pray, repeating some of the phrases himself. Now that’s an appetite I really love to see.

How’s your appetite?

Are you perhaps a little ill? Perhaps more than just a little?

Start eating right and exercising, and take regular visits with the Physician, and you’ll be sure to bring joy not just to your pastor’s face, but especially to your Father’s when once again soon, He hears you say,

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.”

Happy to See a Booger

Emmet has a habit of sticking things in places they don't belong...
like... his ears. So when I saw him struggling just now at some large,
white object in his nostril, i sprung into action with a pair of
tweezers, hoping to avoid a trip to the emergency room. Boy was I glad,
when I pulled out a

great

big

white

booger!

Food Poisoning Anyone?

Why does the impulse to never throw food away grow into an irresistible
compulsion if it's food that you spent valuable time and energy preparing?

Well, we're about to find out whether or not cooked Sweet Onion Pork
Chops are still good after a week in the refrigerator!

A Picture Speaks a Thousand words

(or however many were in the "Big Hug" post earlier)

[Edit: apparently photo submission doesn't work via email! Photo re-added manually at the site]

Note how big the size difference is! But Emmet is a very tough kid and
takes his licks well.
btw--as I was composing this email (I submit the posts to this
particular blog via email), Kes saw the photo and said "Look! There's
Kessedi and Emmet! They Love each other! Very much!"
Indeed they do.

30 minute meals? Hah!

So I just spent an hour and a half doing supper preparation... peeling, slicing, shredding, chopping, pureeing, opening, separating, and washing the utensils thereof.  At some time later today, I'll actually make supper--hopefully at that point, just a few minutes of effort.

When we used to have satellite tv, and watch Food Network, there was this show called 30 minute meals.  Who did that woman's chopping, etc., I wonder?  And notice that there were not toddlers swarming about her the whole time.

Ok, so I used Sesame Street as a big chunk of keeping the kids out of the way.
And the time wasn't wasted because the entire time, my iPod was pouring good preaching into my ears, through my mind, over my heart, and I trust unto my will.

But still... 90 minutes of dinner prep?  Sheesh!! (wah ezzaz).

Very Yucky

It's amazing how the kids have to try everything at least once. As I
was just now chopping onions for tonight's supper (soup), Emmet came
trotting into the kitchen, "Apple! apple!" I tried to convince him that
it wasn't an apple but an onion and "Very very yucky," but he persisted,
so I provided him with a little piece to chew on, about the size into
which I usually chop his apples. Then I followed him as he went back to
watching Sesame Street, ready to catch the rejected "apple." His pride
required that he chew it a little longer than he might have done
otherwise, but after about twenty seconds, he spat it into my waiting
hand, acknowledging that daddy was right. It wasn't an onion. How much
very yucky stuff could we all avoid in life if we would just listen to
those who are wiser and more experienced than we?

Amazing Love (a.k.a. Itunes Confession)

Ok.  I confess.  I'm addicted to iTunes.  It's just so easy to buy great music, one song at a time, instead of buying full albums for $20, when all you wanted was a song or two. 

And we all know that downloading copyrighted music without paying for it is not just illegal but a clear breach of commandment 8, for which you will either burn in Hell forever or the Savior had spit run down His face, still smarting from being slapped, His head pierced with thorns, His back torn open and shredded to the bone, His hands and feet driven through with nails, and when He cried out to His Father for help and vindication, received billions of eternities of wrath, where He ought to have received comfort.  Still gonna download that free music?

The danger becomes apparent when you consider that I am on download 22 of this year.  Yes, that's 22 x $0.99, but it's all fantastic music!

Currently downloading to my iTunes:

Newsboys - You Are My King
From the album Adoration:The Worship Project

I'M FORGIVEN BECAUSE YOU WERE FORSAKEN
I'M ACCEPTED, YOU WERE CONDEMNED
I'M ALIVE AND WELL, YOUR SPIRIT IS WITHIN ME
BECAUSE YOU DIED AND ROSE AGAIN

AMAZING LOVE, HOW CAN IT BE
THAT YOU, MY KING, SHOULD DIE FOR ME?
AMAZING LOVE, I KNOW IT'S TRUE
IT'S MY JOY TO HONOR YOU
IN ALL I DO, TO HONOR YOU

YOU ARE MY KING
YOU ARE MY KING
JESUS, YOU ARE MY KING
YOU ARE MY KING

Are you sure that YOU don't want to be addicted to iTunes too?

Babyproof? Not with MY babies!

Emmet just learned that he has become physically able to unlock the main
and screen doors at every entrance of the house. The only remaining
child-proof mechanism in the house that both children haven't
successfully both analyzed and conquered is the refrigerator latch...
and that's probably because it's at 150cm and then obscured from view by
the handle (otherwise, a chair-as-ladder-enabled Kes would have long
since defeated the last nemesis).

The "Big Hug" Game

God has revealed a little bit more of His purpose for those magnificent
skulls (not brains, though they have those too, but skulls) that He has
given my children.

They have been, the last few days, playing the "Big Hug" game (they are
currently playing it behind me, in the living room). They start at
opposite ends of the room and run at each other and meet in a fantstic
collision, hugging each other, all the while squealing, "Biiiiiiiig
huuuuuuuuug!"

The Sky Is Falling!

Well, not exactly, but according to the scale, the world shrunk again
yesterday! And then I found that once again my belt had grown. Praise
the Lord!

Family Worship Expanded (again)

Evening worship will now include a selection from The Catechism for Young Children, the next question added each week, with a quiz on all the questions to date on each Lord's Day afternoon.  May God bless it to the parents not less than to the chidlren!  By the time we complete it, at one question each week, Kes will be 6 and ready to memorize the Shorter Catechism. This also means that some time in May, I will be teaching my 1 and 3 year olds the doctrine of the Trinity!

How'd It Get So Late?

Keeping the daily routine is such a challenge.  We're supposed to have finished family worship by now and be reading in the dark as the kids drift away into dreamland.  But the kids are still in the shower, and several things that were supposed to have been done hours ago remain to be done after the kids sleep, and that doesn't even count the things pushed off today's list to tomorrow's (I spend almost as much of each day moving things to a future todo list as I spend actually doing things on the todo list)...

Sunshine!

Isn't God's grace just fantastic?

It's been dismal and downcast outside for several days, and I had just
finished checking the weather and finding that there was not even a hint
of hope in the forecast for some sun until Saturday afternoon.

You must understand that I have a strong depressive tendency that is
only curbed by God's grace through self-discipline, and that this is
much more difficult when it isn't sunny out.

Well, no sooner did I leave the PC, than the whole gray world lit up a
bright, warm yellow. Sunshine! I even took the trash out to bask in it
a little. It was only a few moments' worth, but a pleasant reminder
that accuweather.com doesn't control nature. The God who loves me and
gave Himself for me and knows me exactly--He controls it.

And that knowledge is some REAL sunshine.

More Poop

Ok, so Emmet took the other post as a challenge!

In a forthcoming entry at TGiN, I'll be blogging about how well he's been eating since the end of his recent illness.

Apparently, he's determined to be equally accomplished at the other end of his digestive tract.

(yes, he just made another great, stinky one)

How much radio do we listen to?

Klove (www.klove.com) is 100.9 in this area, and it has fantastic music, and no commercials. Apparently, we take full advantage of it.

Kes just sauntered by me singing the jingle to herself, "Moooore music, K-Looove!"

Not exactly the God-glorifying music that I had hoped she would commit to memory, but she is learning that too. As is Emmet.

Praise the Lord.

World Pooping Speed Record

Emmet was wet. Very wet. His diaper change included a new outfit. That's how wet.

Well, no sooner had I set him onto the floor, than he attended to other business.

We went straight downstairs, and by the time we got to the bottom...

Emmet smelled bad. Very bad.

It must have been 10s from diaper change 1 to diaper change 2.

I'm not gonna call Guinness or anything, but as far as I'm concerned, that's a record.

Daddy's doing his numbers! Gooood Joooooob!

"Oooooone, Twoooooo, Threeeee..."
The words come out in grunts and groans that emerge from under a mist consisting of sweat, mingled with spittle blown throw tightly pressed lips.
A sprightly voice joins with delighted exclamations, “Four! Five! Six!”

When the oddly paired duet gets to “Twenty,” the weights fall with a dull thud onto the vinyl floor of my basement, and my singing partner chimes out in the musical tones of her young speech, “Daddy’s doing his numbers! Gooood Joooooob!”

Before “No honey, daddy’s lifting weights” can escape my lips, the realization that she is correct silences them. I was doing my numbers. Of course, I was doing much more, but I was counting and I did do it quite well. To her young mind, counting correctly from 1 to 20 seems like a substantial feat.

She doesn’t know about things like increasing strength, lowering body fat, toning muscle, lowering LDL, increasing HDL, lowering blood pressure, increasing basic metabolic rate… all of which I was hopefully also doing.

Kessedi’s commendation was not unlike when many Christians say of some recent trial, “But this is what the Lord was doing…” God may be gracious to show us the tiniest bit of what He is doing in a situation, or He may not. Even at the end of the book, Job didn’t find out about the contest between Satan and Yahweh.

God holds all things together at all times. He ordains it all, in mind-boggling, comprehensive scope, and each part in its minutest detail—and with reference not just to space but to time. He knows and ordained how the quark in the neutron in the carbon atom in the molecule in the blade of grass under the thicket where the ram was caught to provide the substitute sacrifice for Isaac in Genesis 22 relates to the subatomic particle, as yet undiscovered by man on a planet in a galaxy, invisible even to Hubble, millions of light-years from earth, in 2006.

So when God is gracious enough to let us see a little piece of how it all fits together, when He shows us some good that has come out of our suffering, by all means, let us praise Him for it and thank Him for it, but let us all keep in mind that we are essentially saying,

“Daddy’s doing his numbers! Gooood Joooooob!”