What's in a Name?

Yes, we know how to finish the above. . .

That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
--William Shakespeare

So that tends to imply that the name you choose for your child isn't too big of a deal, right? In the past I haven't even thought about what a name means, we just find a name that we both think 'sounds nice'. Something that fits in with our family. Something that looks good on paper, and that flows well with our last name.

But have you ever heard "words have meaning and names have power"? I read a website not long ago which shared how parents named their children by knowing the meaning of the names, and then they put together a first and middle name that MEANT something--something of character--something of a promise to their child--a standard for the child to live up to as 'who they would be'. Some examples of what a first and middle name meant include "Victorious Mountain Flower", "Gift of God of Excellent Worth", "Praised Right Hand Son".

Isn't that just beautiful? I never thought of doing anything like this. We have always thought long and hard about names (and sometimes felt like we would never agree on one!) because we know "The name of a man (can be) a numbing blow from which he never recovers." But we never thought of bestowing upon our children a vision within their name.

What sorts of standards have you used in picking a name for your child? With our boys, we have tried to pick strong, masculine-sounding names. We also don't really want our kids to have the same name half the other kids have--I'm used to being the only 'Shonya' that anyone knows--so we tend toward the more unique. To me, our boys' names have a bit of a Western feel to them. I can picture these names in western books (in fact, I got Destry's name from a Louis L'Amour book and later learned there is an old western movie called "Destry Rides Again"--which I've never seen).

For Briana, we both just liked Briana Leigh--it is pretty and feminine and we didn't think it was overly popular (although it's more popular than we would prefer). When Kiana came along, we wanted a name that fits in with her African-American heritage. We loved the sound of the name, and it rhymes with her big sister, which we though reflected her being a part of our family. Her middle name, Jayde, is a shortened version of Jayden, the name her birthmother really liked.

We are thinking about this as we are once again making that decision of what to name a child if the Lord sees fit to bring us another. According to this website, here are the meanings of my children's names to date.

Briana Leigh--noble/virtuous, strong, delicate (I know! oxymoron!)
Destry Alan--western flavor (seriously, I'm not kidding!) precious
Easton Alex--noble power, defender, warrior
Kiana Jayde--ancient precious stone, protection

Some of them have meaning to them--I especially like the meaning of Easton's name--Noble Defender. WOW! And really, I think Briana's name fits her--she is virtuous, and she is both strong and delicate. So, ok. Destry is precious to me, anyway! :) And Kiana, hmmm, she doesn't seem ancient to me. . . :) Still trying to stretch that one.

So, the names we are thinking. . .

The girl's name would mean "Precious, awakening lily"
The boy's name. . .the first name I really, really like, and so does Alan. . .means. . .are you ready for this???? "STUBBORN" !!!! Does that scare you?! It does me!!! :) But I love this name! And I haven't had a "not stubborn" child yet. . .

So, is this crazy? We are looking for a middle name that would make stubborn a good thing. Like 'Amal' which means 'labor, hard work, pure, hope'. I could take stubborn about purity, stubborn to get the work done, stubbornly holding onto hope when others have given up hope. But Amal???? hmmmmm

'Aman' means honest, faithful, trustworthy. Stubbornly honest? Stubbornly faithful? Stubbornly trustworthy? Oh yes, I'm all over that. But Aman. . .hmmmm (you might notice the other two boys have middle names beginning with A--not married to that idea, but it might be kind of neat if I could find something that fits. . .)

Then there is Justis or Justice which means just, upright, righteous. Again, stubborn goes well with these character traits.

I don't know. . .but it's fun looking! I'm starting to think a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches (Proverbs 22:1). What do your children's names mean? Were you thinking about name meanings at the time? If not, what made you pick that name? I really want to know!! Leave a comment--even you lurkers! :)

A Book for Everyone

I finished my book I was so eagerly anticipating. It is called 'Adopted for Life' by Russell Moore. Don't think, however, that this book is only for people who are adopting children. You would be wrong. This book is for you if you have adopted a child, if you think about adopting a child, if you were adopted, or if you support friends or family in adoption. This book is for you if you have been adopted by God, if you can call Jesus your Brother, if you have a church family. This book is for you if you have noticed "there seems to be an orphan-making urge among us, whether we see it in the slave culture of centuries past or the divorce culture of today" (61) and you care--if it breaks your heart when you let yourself notice and think about it.
So what is this book about?

• It teaches us to trust in God.
• It reminds us that God has adopted us so we can be called the sons of God.
• It examines the relationships of families and what the church would look like if we truly viewed one another as brothers and sisters.
• It declares that adoption is a war against the evil one who preys upon the vulnerable and that Jesus calls the church to protect them.
• It reveals, not only our identity and nature (as Gentiles) before we were called children of God, but also that the children of Israel were adopted by God.
• This book beautifully expounds on the Abba cry, that we can groan out to God as the Spirit within us helps us to understand this life is not as it should be.
• It challenges us not to be content with the status quo, not to settle for the security of the familiar.
• It admonishes us that 'a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions' (Luke 12:15).
• It imagines 'if Christian churches were known as the places where unwanted babies become beloved children' (79).
• It warns against pride and self-sufficiency.
• It cautions us not to base love on performance.

This book also addresses physical adoption. It shares the author's journey through infertility and the adoption of two boys from a Russian orphanage. He addresses issues such as raising both the children you've adopted and the children of the flesh. He addresses transracial adoption. He addresses the financial aspects of adoption. He shares the insensitive (even rude) comments, questions, and cautions people offer. He addresses international adoption, domestic adoption, foster care and snowflake adoption. He educates regarding open and closed adoptions and warns against disrupted adoptions.

Doesn't it sound amazing?! This book is life-changing; it is deep; it is intense. Read it if you dare.

I'll leave you with a quote I love from this book. But be forewarned--I feel more ruminations rumbling for future posts!

"All of us are called to be compassionate. All of us are called to remember the poor. All of us are called to remember the fatherless and the widows. That will look different in our different lives, with the different situations and resources God has given us. But for all of us there'll be a judgment to test the genuineness of our faith. And for some of us, there will be some orphan faces there. . .a new son or daughter who escaped the abortionist's knife or the orphanage's grip to find at your knee the grace of a carpenter's Son." (83)

Mommy Said Yes!

I find it really cute these days that Kiana will come and ask me if she can do something special like watch a movie or have a piece of bubblegum or play with play dough. When I say yes, she goes running to one of her older siblings (oh, how I love the pitter pat of her trot!) elatedly calling 'Mommy said yes! Mommy said yes!'

When she so joyfully shared this news today it made me think of II Corinthians 1:20 which says "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ." Our Father will not give us a snake when we ask for fish, nor will he give us a stone when we ask for bread (Matthew 7:7-11). Just as we want to give good gifts to our children, just as we want to say 'yes' to them whenever we think it is good for them. . .how much more does God want to do the same?

Isn't this so reassuring, to think that God not only wants what is best for us but He knows what is best for us?! He doesn't say 'no' without thinking, He doesn't say 'no' to be on a power trip, He doesn't say 'no' because He is in a bad mood. It seems to me that we can trust Him to say 'Yes' whenever it is in our best interests.

As for me, I am in your hands;
do with me whatever you think
is good and right.
Jeremiah 26:14

The Joys of Young'ns

Here are a few pictures and some stories about Easton and Kiana this week. They are at such fun ages at 2 and 3, and they make me laugh every single day. This time goes by so quickly!
Easton asked me this morning "Can I brush my hair with the toothpick?" (He meant the pick.)

While I was in the bathroom, I heard some pounding on the wall. Since Alan wasn't too happy with the dents in the sheetrock in our bedroom from the pounding last time, I hollered "Hey! Stop pounding on the wall!" Expecting it to be Easton, I was surprised to hear the pounding stop and Kiana's little voice call "Alright!" This is her new response these days--tell her to pick up her toys, "Alright!!", go potty, "Alright!!", come here. . ."Alright!!" It's so cute!
Kiana loves to chew 'bubblegum'. She wanted to wear her "puppy gog" dress this morning.
Easton has recently become very aware of the 'L' sound and wants to make sure he is saying it correctly. He is correcting himself. This morning he asked Kiana to 'weave' something alone. I heard a pause, then "Llllleave. Lllllllleave it alone, Kiana." He does a good job, but the blending is not there yet. He is adding extra syllables to words. 'Puh-lease' and 'Fuh-lllly' (fly) and 'buh-lllanket'.
Easton has started smacking his lips throughout his sentences now, (especially when he's asking for something) which just makes me want to giggle. Here's an example: "Mom, (pause-smack), I was wondering (pause-smack) if I (pause-smack) could have a drink (pause-smack) of juice."

Kiana loves to run around naked. She can strip her clothes off by herself now when I tell her it's time to change clothes, and then she marches around the house (in the buff!) singing for awhile. This morning the song was "The B-I-B-L-E" accompanied by tapping Tinkertoys and her knees lifting high with every step.
I've never had a kid quite so interested in clothes. Kiana loves her clothes, loves to change clothes, pick out clothes, talk about her clothes, and take them out of her drawers (grrrr). I don't particularly enjoy doing laundry, so we have a rule of one outfit per day in this house. She never quits trying though. She brings me something new a couple times per day, tilts her head to one side and asks "I wear it???". I say 'no, go put it back', she responds 'Alright' and trots off to her bedroom.Kiana gets frustrated sometimes, particularly with Easton. If he takes a toy away she screams 'NOooooooo'. Then she gets the look from mama for screaming and she says, (with a scowl and in a very crabby voice) "Don't EVER do it AGAIN!"

Easton loves painting these days. It doesn't matter if it's fingerpaints, water paints, or tempura paints. I think the easel he got from Uncle Sheldon and Aunt Marcy for his birthday in May is still his favorite. He regularly paints pictures and says they are for his little friend Zayne or Mundan.
Easton wanted to go to his friend Zayne's house the other day. This is how he asked: "Mommy, can we go to Zayne's house today? I asked God and He said YES!!!"
Kiana loves Dora the Explorer. She and Easton both watch the movies and yell the responses. Kiana asks "I watch d-d-d-d-Dora, peas??" She now has a Dora doll and a Dora toothbrush holder in addition to the Dora shirt that she wants to wear every. single. day.

Using Books to Teach About Adoption

I think books are a great way to bring up discussions with our children. As a mother who has adopted two children, I am always looking for books that help the topic come up naturally and smoothly. I am of the opinion that it will be best for my children if they always know they were adopted so it is 'normal' and they don't remember 'the time mom and dad sat me down and told me. . .' or when a family member 'let it slip' or some other scarring event.

I'm finding, that just as with any other topic in children's books, some books handle the subject well, while others are boring, artificial, or simply unsuitable. I thought I would review a few books we have for future reference or for others who have adopted. This list might also bless you if you know someone who has adopted and you are looking for a special baby gift. (I copied the pictures off Amazon and am hoping if you are interested, you can click on them to go to the site and read more descriptions, but I'm not sure I know how to do that!)

This book (How I Was Adopted by Joanna Cole) tells the story of Samantha's adoption. It is very conversational, written in first person, and even has questions written in the text ("Mommy told me that I was adopted. Were you adopted, too?"). One thing I especially like about this book is the way she talks about the characteristics she was born with and she talks about "what I know, how I talk, the jokes I like, the things I can do come from just being me and growing up in my family." I also like this book because I think it is appropriate for a variety of ages. The text is a little old for Kiana, for example, but there are nice pictures that keep her attention. Easton is just starting to interact with the questions, and I think it is something we will be able to benefit from for several more years yet.
This book is a tear-jerker, in my opinion. It is a series of pictures of children and their forever families. Each two-page spread features a black and white photo on one side and a sentence explaining WHY 'I chose you' on the other. There are 100 different reasons, and I think every family who has traveled the road to adoption will find reasons that resonate with their unique experience. Here are just a few that I identify with:

I chose you. . .because I was led to you. . .because you needed a loving family, and mine needed you. . .because you needed the love that I had to give. . .because I wasn't ready to stop raising children. . .because I wanted to be the one to encourage your interests and talents. . .so that I could sing lullabies once more. . .to complete my family. . .because being a parent is what I enjoy most. . .when I saw that you were waiting for someone to hold you close to their heart. . .to give you the opportunities that were once given to me.

I really like this book, too, as the author uses a conversation between momma bear and her baby bear, all snuggled up together, to talk about the little bear's story and how he is his Mama's wish come true. There are three things about this book that appeal to me.

One aspect of this book that I really appreciate is the way the author addresses the birthmother. Barley Bear asks "What about the mama who grew me in her tummy? Didn't she wish for me too?" and Mama responds with "Sometimes a mama will grow a baby in her belly, and for all kinds of reasons, she'll decide she cannot be the very best mama she wants to be. The mama who grew you loved you enough to make a different wish--a wish for a family who would love her little one with a total and adoring love."

I also like the way the author shows God's role in 'placing the lonely in families' (Ps. 68:6) She tells Barley "Of all the children in the whole wide world, God picked you for me." I think this helps a child see how special they are and that God loves them.

Finally, Barley points out that his fur isn't the same color as his mother's and when he asks about that, she says "Some families look alike, and others don't. All families are different. What makes a family is their love for each other."

The fact that the main characters in this story are bears makes it easier for little kids, but it's a long book, so I don't know that it's great for children under the age of three because of their shorter attention span, but we sometimes just read pieces of the text to make it shorter.

We just recently bought this book (God Found Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren), because I read it in the bookstore and it made me cry. It is similar to "I Wished for You" in that it features animals (foxes this time) as the main characters, in a cozy conversation between the mama and baby. It also focuses a lot on God bringing families together. This book is shorter than the previous book, and I think more appropriate for reading to toddlers and younger preschoolers. I like the way the book addresses the process of parents waiting and waiting for the child God would bring them (pictures depict the mama waiting through the four seasons), and I liked when the little fox asks about his birthmother and part of his mama's response included "I think she prayed like crazy that you would be safe. I think she prayed for me as much as I prayed for her." Mama's voice got all whispery. "And God answered both our prayers."

Another feature that makes me love this book is the end where Little Fox asks "Mama, will you be my forever mama?" and the mama answers "Always and forever. No matter what."

There are other picture books that address adoption that we have checked out from the library. Some of them I don't like very well, and others just don't relate to our adoption journeys. But here are a couple I have enjoyed.
This book is about a bunny who is adopted by a cow and a horse. He realizes he is different from his parents, and has a really hard time with it and ends up running away. He eventually returns home and is trying to change and act like a cow and a horse, but they reassure him that they don't want him to change and they ARE his real mom and pop. Then 'they felt more like a family than ever before'. This is a cute book, great illustrations, and it's a short and easy read for young kids, but I'm not sure I love it. I guess it would be a good book if a child started focusing on his or her differences and they needed to be addressed for the child's reassurance, but I'm not sure it's my favorite book to just read on a regular basis.Finally, this book is about an older girl, Megan, who has an open relationship with her birthmother. Her birthmother has a tree in her yard that she decorates every year and sends a picture of it to Megan. But when the birthmother is getting ready to move and get married, Megan is afraid she will no longer be remembered without the tree in the front yard, so she tries to figure out how to give a new tree to her birthmother. As the story progresses, her birthmother tells her "I don't need a tree or anything else to remember you! Even though we don't live together, you will always be a part of me."

I really like this book for an older child, and will likely purchase a copy of it at some point. We are blessed to know our children's birth families, and I think this book helps a child figure out the roles played by the various members of their family (birth and adoptive), in a positive way, as the book ends with Megan thinking "how lucky I am to be part of such a special family."

If you made it through all that, share a couple of titles you like to use in teaching children about real life circumstances, whether they address adoption or some other topic that is important to you!

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Clothes Make the Woman--Ya Think?

Have you ever been invited to something and you find that wondering what to wear takes all the fun out of planning to go? I don't do this very often; for the most part I am pretty comfortable in my own skin and don't worry about what covers it. The only time I think about this is when I dwell on what other people might think. Will they be offended by what I am wearing? Is what I'm wearing appropriate for the situation? Will what I'm wearing reflect badly on someone else?

I felt this way when I went to a business meeting with my husband once. I wore my standard brown gouchos. There were women in evening wear. Oops! Now I have to admit--I was more comfortable in my clothes, I didn't go out and spend a fortune, and I was modestly clothed. But my concern there was a fear of making my husband look bad. (I'll know better next time!).

My standards of dress tend to be pretty simple: modest, it fits, and inexpensive. I've come to realize that some people have a big ole long list of rules for clothing. I recently told a friend she was more observant than I and had spent a lot more time thinking about this than I have!

So, my conclusion? To quote Popeye: "I yam what I yam." I am not who you see on the outside. I am thankful that 'the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.' I guess I'll wear what I have. If you look at just what I'm wearing, and stop there, you aren't going to know me. The clothes do not make the woman. I could use clothes to portray any persona you want me to--but that wouldn't be honest. I prefer to just be myself.

Who am I?
I am Yours
Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done,
Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are.

Snow Fun

Can somebody explain to me why a little two-year-old is so cute when she's bundled up until she can't move?! But it was the first snow of the year, so everyone had to go outside and enjoy the fun.All four kids, taking turns with the sleds. The weather outside was frightful. . .but the kids thought it was delightful. . .
Daring Destry finds snowboarding a more fitting challenge than mere sleds. Of course, this was a super small hill close to the house, but he likes the challenge of the long hills, too. The problem with the long hills is they are in the pasture and the cattle trails are bumpy, even with the snow!
Ready, set, go! Kiana is so bundled up she doesn't have control of her hands to hold on very well!
Speaking of Kiana, she is getting more and more ornery every day. Here she is goofing off after sitting still for a solid 30 minutes while I experimented with piggyback braids.
It was surprisingly quick and easy, and I know it'll go even better next time. I also plan next time to make more partitions in her hair. I divided her head into nine boxes, then started a braid in a top box. When it reached the middle of the next box in that column, I divided the new section into two pieces and used the braid as my third piece to continue braiding down to the next box and finished them off with decorative beads. It has stayed in really well, too! Now if I could just figure out how to keep the braids from getting fuzzy. . .

Who's the Teacher Here, Anyway?!

Briana has made homemade rolls from my 'easy recipe' several times, but she recently said she wants to learn to make the 'real homemade bread'. So, for Home Economics today, we learned about bread baking.

The funny thing is, as we were letting the yeast do its thing in the warm water, I told her the next step is to add the sugar, because the yeast and sugar work together in some way. (This is truly the extent of my kitchen chemistry knowledge).

She smiled, my little chemistry buff, and said "Oh, of course, when the yeast and sugar are combined they release carbon dioxide, which is what causes the bread to rise."

Oh. Well, okay then. :) It's so funny to me how she enjoys chemistry and just 'gets it' when I never have. She had fun mixing and kneading the bread. . .
and we had fun 'spanking' the bread as we shaped it into loaves. (There is probably some scientific reason for this, too--releasing air bubbles?! I dunno, it's just what I do!!!)

Two beautiful loaves coming out of the oven. . .
if only you could have smelled these smells as we spent most of this snowy day inside. And the taste was just divine. Daddy was pleased with his 'little' girl's first loaf of bread (one left for tomorrow!)

What a Waste

I'm reading a book again. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say I am re-reading a book, because I read it several years ago when a friend gave it to me. It's an easy read as I recall, has some practical pointers in it, and is called "Juggling Life's Responsibilities" by Anne Elliott.

I've only read the first chapter, and I'm feeling conviction already, and for the very reason I picked the book back up in the first place--I just felt like I needed to get focused. That's what the first chapter is all about. On page 13, she says "Wouldn't it be a shame if your life got so busy. . .if you had so many balls in the air. . .that you reached the end of your life only to find it had been a waste? Even worse, what if you thought your life was a success, but God considered it a waste?"

Wow! That just makes a person think. To top it off, it relates to some of my Bible study last week, and to my last post.

I've not been focused recently in training my children. I've just been trying to keep all the 'juggling balls from hitting the ground' and I've seen some things that needed addressed but have either been lazy or let my priorities get skewed. We had a big reality check in the meeting of the church this morning (or at least Kiana did!), and I was reminded just where my focus is supposed to be--raising my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

In my Bible study last week I read the story of Dinah's rape and the rapist's father trying to 'buy off' the family on his son's behalf (Genesis 34). A commentary I read said this father was counted among "fathers serving rather than ruling the passions of their sons." This got me to thinking about our responsibilities as parents to train the character and conscience of our children. Too many people in our society, certainly, have been allowed to serve their passions rather than being trained to rule them. Have you ever thought of the many examples in the Bible of parents not training their children according to God's plan?

Eli's house was judged because his sons were vile and 'he restrained them not' (I Samuel 3:13). Isaac and Rebekah showed favoritism between their sons which led to deception and fighting (Genesis 27), not to mention their son later showed favoritism among his sons which led to the favored son being sold into slavery by his brothers. King David had a son who raped one of his daughters and there is no record of him doing anything about it other than being furious (II Samuel 13), while another son rebelled against him and conspired to take over the kingdom. There are probably other examples--remind me, if you think of them.

In contrast, however, God said of Abraham "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment" (Genesis 18:19). God also says the purpose of marriage, making man and woman one, is "because he was seeking godly offspring" (Malachi 2:15).

So I am reminded, as a mother, what my focus is supposed to be. It's so easy for "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things" to "come in and choke" (Mark 4:19) my focus, my main priority, my God-given mission. So, I am thankful for this reminder and will try to re-set my priorities. Seeing the eternal consequences of not restraining my children and allowing them to serve their passions would be the biggest waste and heartbreak I could ever imagine. Be an iron-sharpening-iron-friend (Proverbs 27:17), will you, when you see my focus blurring again?

Getting Old

I'm starting to think my age is catching up with me. It's making itself known in a really strange way. No, it's not my gray hairs, or a couple extra aches and pains. It's extra patience and leniency.

No, not the good kind.

It's in the area of parenting. This morning Kiana ran through the house hollering "Iiiiiii WaaaaNT sommmmme BuuuuuuuuuBBLEGuuuuuuuuummmmmmm!!!!!"

I thought it was funny. Her little voice is so cute, and the way she says bubblegum just makes my heart clench.

Never fear, however, Briana is not old.

"How do you ask for bubblegum?" she firmly reprimanded.

Kiana tilted her head to the side, smiled sweetly, and said in the tiniest little voice: "I ha bubble. gum. peees???"

This is why God gives older siblings, right? To make sure the younger ones aren't given special treatment they never had!!

Shifting Standards

We went to see a movie Saturday afternoon. It was called 'Blind Side' and stars Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. In a nutshell, it was about a couple who provided a home (and ultimately a family) for a homeless teen-aged boy who then turned out to be a pro-football player.

But it's about more than that. The couple is white. The teenager is black. The couple is rich (seriously rich). The teenager is homeless because his birthmother is a drug addict. And the couple are professing christians (a shocking characterization coming out of Hollywood--then again, it's based on a true story, so maybe they were required to include that part).

The movie is very good, I really recommend it. It's a reminder of what's important--not money, not hobbies, not personal achievements, not race, not class, not STUFF--but people. Family. It's especially poignant to me, as an adoptive parent, because it does a good job showing how a person's life, focus, and family are changed when you open your home and heart. I especially liked it when one of the mother's friends said to her, "You are changing his life." And the mother responded, "No, he is changing mine."

I can speak from firsthand experience as to the accuracy of that statement. Adoption has changed my life, my focus, my family, and ultimately enriched my walk of faith.

So, don't let my upcoming musings discourage you from seeing the movie. It's definitely worth it. But here are some random thoughts that I just have to visit.

It's the depiction of a christian couple in this movie that is giving me pause. The first, glaringly obvious issue is the leader of the home. The husband is quiet, submissive. . . in short, inconsequential. The wife, on the other hand, is aggressive, smart, outspoken. . .she takes the bull by the horns and is the driving force in her family. She's not a bad person, don't get me wrong--she is compassionate and charitable. She's just obviously the leader in their marriage.

This part is played by Sandra Bullock, who I usually kind of like as the 'girl next door' type. This actress is not all glitzy, she is a very natural-looking brunette and you feel like you might run into her at the local grocery store. But the character she plays is a dyed-blonde, chic, made-up, jewelry-flaunting. . .well, let's just say what I'm thinking: fake. . .worldly.

There were a few cuss words in the movie, and some of them were spoken by the professing christians. They had wine with their Thanksgiving dinner, which they were eating in front of the television until their new 'guest' seated himself at the dining room table and they were prompted to enjoy their family during the meal.

Do you see why I'm struggling with this Hollywood portrayal of a christian couple? Where is the holiness? Where is the set-apart? Where is the light shining on a hill in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation? They just didn't look different from the world.

This is something I think we struggle with, as Christians. We don't want to be 'too different' to the point of being 'weird' and 'irrelevant'. But yet, we're supposed to be holy, a peculiar people--according to God's Word. We're not to be different just for the sake of being different, of course, but we're also not supposed to just blend in and be like everyone else. . .are we??? I'm just not sure this portrayal of christianity did God any favors, you know? I don't want to be critical or judgmental, it's just that the way they represented a christian family gave me a gut check. What is the proper balance? Are we Christians compromising God's standards and being absorbed by the world?

A Hairy Journey

You know, I just don't feel like I have much experience with my daughter's hair yet to share with anyone else, but I have some funny stories (mishaps), a few successes, and have benefited greatly from advice from others, so I thought I'd chronicle some of our experiences with her hair these last few months.

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have a lot of good pictures of her in her Zulu knots (otherwise known as Bantu knots), but I think they are really cute, relatively quick and easy, and they last pretty well, so she wears them at least once every other month.
A very popular style this summer was the 'three braids' look. I love this style. First of all, it's very quick and easy. I just part her hair by making a 'Y' upside down from her right temple, then make three ponytails and braid them. I think it is an adorable, young look.

There is also, of course, the ubiquitous 'puff' look, which can be translated as 'Mom didn't take the time to 'really' fix my hair today!' I think she still pulls it off well, esp with a couple spiral curls hanging out of the pony.
Then there are the cornrows. . .sigh, I wonder if I'll EVER master this! This was my second try, which was an improvement over my first try, but still. . .
It looks darling when other people do it, but I still need LOTS of practice! Any volunteers to sit still for an hour or so and let me practice?! smile I took pity on her this day and just did a 'partial' cornrow and left the back curly.
My older daughter was willing to let me practice on her, but I'm not sure I did any better with her long, straight hair! I ended up accidentally braiding the bottom as I was too lazy to pull each strand clear through as I was braiding the top. And finally, (drum roll), here is our most recent hairstyle courtesy of tutoring from my blogging friend Sarah. We just divided her hair into sections, braided and used Sarah's fun technique to string the beads on the ends. Kiana loves the beads, and constantly shakes her head back and forth to hear the clinking sound.
It's so amazing how long her hair is when it's braided. It's not real thick, which I imagine it will get thicker as she gets older (she's only two after all!), so there are only ten braids at this point.
I really like this style, so thank you very much for sharing your experience, Sarah! What shall we try next?!

A Family Project

I wouldn't have traded this day for anything. It is bonding as a family to work together and to enjoy the fruit of our labors. Besides that, it was just plain fun to giggle and work together as we gave God glory for the crop He gave us.

Alan planted corn this year, for the first time on our farm. It seemed a good idea to save on feed for the sheep, cow, pigs and chickens by raising our own corn. The ground had experienced a good rest, and Alan was thrilled with the crop. The ears were big and full and he has more corn than we really even need. This was a first experience for the kids and I, even though Alan grew up on a farm that did a little of everything, and we all had to get in on the fun.

Easton thought he was big stuff 'helping' drive the tractor. Really, Destry is the one who was the most help. He actually knew how to operate the tractor and all the implements and helped Alan with prepping the machinery and hitching everything up. At moments like these, I am reminded how much he is growing up, and I am grateful for the opportunities he has to learn these skills.

My rough understanding of how this process works is as follows: the machine in the middle is called a corn picker. This machinery has a pto, rather like a baler, which is powered by the tractor, and this machine is pretty amazing. It takes the stalk of corn into the machine, separates the corn from the stalk, then the ear of corn goes through another section of the machine to be shucked, and then a beautiful ear of corn plops into the wagon.Alan drove the tractor and the kids and I rode around in the wagon. I am ever so grateful there is no video of me getting into the wagon! Below was our view as we drove around the cornfield and evaded flying cobs of corn.Kiana found a safe place between Mama's legs where she sat secure in her safety and ate kernels of corn off the cob. This silly little girl will eat absolutely anything!At other times, the little ones stationed themselves in a corner safe from flying corn and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.Kiana enjoys picking corn. It's an exhausting job, apparently, but here she is, sprawled out on a pile of corn in the wagon. She's perfectly comfortable and at home there. Briana and Destry were laid back, enjoying God's amazing and bountiful blessing. Not only was the yield abundant, and the ground dry enough to work in, but we had a beautiful, warm, sunny day to reap what Alan had planted. Now the corn is all safely stored away in the corn crib Alan built, ready to be fed to the livestock.I love this picture of Destry. I can see a shadow of the man he is becoming, kicked back surveying his domain, strong and confident that he can do what needs to be done. I think there is just something about a man and the land--being in touch with God's creation and working with his hands. I see it in his dad, and I see a difference between my son cooped up in the house bent over a schoolbook versus repairing and operating machinery and seeing tangible evidence and benefit from physical labor.