Yesterday my daughter Hannah had to get a birthday gift for a friend who was celebrating her 10th birthday with a bowling party. I gave Hannah $15 and told her that was the limit. I had to set a limit because both my girls really seem to enjoy giving gifts to their friends. They will buy one thing, and then see something else and want to add that to the gift as well. While I appreciate their generous hearts, I have to draw the line because (call me cheap) I just don't think children need to be spending $30 on other children's birthday presents. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the price doesn't mean much when it's my money they're spending! :) However, Kaelie is a little older and usually purchases gifts with her own money now.
Thinking about my kids' desires to lavish gifts upon their friends also led me to reflect upon God's desires to lavish gifts upon us. What's so awesome about God is that his gift-giving knows no limits! His greatest gift to us was the costliest of all, the gift of his son Jesus Christ. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:7-8)
So often, the gifts we give are in response to an invitation. If we are invited to a birthday party or a wedding, it is customary to bring a birthday or wedding gift. If we are invited to some other party, it is good manners to bring a hostess gift. What's so awesome about God is that he does both the inviting AND the giving. Through the gift of his son Jesus, God invites us to be in fellowship with him now and for eternity. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Imagine the depths of God's love for us to offer up such an amazing gift with no obligation on our part other than to accept it! "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8)
Grace. A tiny little one-syllable word with huge, life-changing implications. It is a free gift extended to each of us. We readily accept birthday gifts, wedding gifts, hostess gifts, etc. Why is it so hard to accept God's free gift of grace?
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Stuck at Home Base
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes. 5:16-18)
God gave me this verse tonight while I was sitting on my front porch, all alone, feeling sorry for myself. You see, while I am sitting here typing these words Kaelie is playing in the finals of the state Dixie softball tournament and I am missing it. Not by choice, mind you, but because I'm on the DL ("disabled list," a term I picked up from years of listening to my husband talk baseball).
Yesterday morning I woke up and I could feel the familiar pain beginning in the back of my neck. I tried to be careful all day, but the longer I sat in the bleachers cheering the team on as they won last night in the semi-finals, the more painful it became. Today it has been excruciating, and my doctor thinks my herniated disc is rearing its ugly head. His office is less than a mile from my house, and every bump in the road on the way there today was agonizing. I knew there was no way I could handle the two-hour round trip between home and the softball tournament.
My sweet Kaelie was so understanding and we made Joey promise to call at the end of every inning with updates. In fact, he just called to let me know that it is scoreless after the first. Oh, how I wish I was there! These kinds of opportunities don't come around often in a child's life, if at all. I think that's why God gave me this verse. It is, after all, HER opportunity, not mine. She's going to sieze it and cherish it whether I'm there or not, as she should. I will find joy in knowing that she gets a chance to play for a state title. I will pray for her and her team, for their safety and sportsmanship, and despite my painful circumstances at the moment, I will give thanks that she is healthy and strong and able to get out there and compete.
What an amazing God we serve! He loves us way too much to let us sit around and wallow in self-pity. Don't ya just love him?!
Is there a time that he has pulled you out of a pit of self-pity? Click on "comments" at the bottom of this post and tell me about it...I love to hear other peoples' stories about the things God has done!
Oh, just to update. Hannah's district championship team also got to play in the state tournament for the 9-10 year-old age division. After losing their first game, they came back for a strong win in the second. They were eliminated on Saturday, however, after losing their third game. They were heartbroken, but we were so very proud of them for making it to state and giving it their all! And Hannah was able to close out her season with a great hit in the last game, scoring the first of her team's two runs!
Okay, soon I'm going to need toothpicks to prop my eyelids open. I guess the painkillers and muscle relaxers are kicking in so I better go. Who knows what I might write... :)A quick footnote: Joey and Kaelie just called to let me know they lost. The final score was 0-6 against a team that was undefeated throughout the tournament. Apparently Kaelie made an awesome leaning, backhanded catch in left field to end an inning...wish I had seen that! Sooo, State runners-up! Not to shabby if you ask me! Way to go Blacksburg!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Cleaning Up
Great news...my house is clean! I'm sure you couldn't possibly care less, but it sure makes me happy! But wait, it gets even better. I didn't have to clean it! For the last couple of months we have had a very nice young lady named Ginny coming to clean every other week. I can't tell you what a huge help that has been. It has gotten harder for me to keep up with it, and even though the girls help out, they're not good with deep-down scrubbing and Joey has had to carry way too much of the load.
Yesterday was Ginny's fourth time here, and when I walked into my clean house in the afternoon it just felt so good. There was no clutter (because I ran around in a frenzy in the morning trying to declutter so she could actually find the surfaces), no dirt, and no stress that is usually brought on by the sight of all the mess and not having time or energy to clean it! It was so free-ing and I felt so grateful.
The first time Ginny came was actually somewhat embarrassing. The place was so dirty that it took her about 5 hours to get it all scrubbed down, and that was after another lady had already spent a day cleaning several weeks before. Both of them assured me that it was definitely not the worst they had seen, but I have my doubts! :)
After those initial visits, things have definitely gotten better. Now that the layers of grime have been removed, Ginny gets the job done in about three hours. We're also getting better about not letting things pile up so that even the pre-cleaning de-cluttering goes faster as well.
As I woke up to my nice clean room this morning, the Lord showed me a parallel to the sin in my life. Ouch! Not something I want to think about when I'm trying to start a new day in my nice clean house. As I stepped into my clean shower, God let me know that no amount of scrubbing my body could do anything about any grimy build-up in my heart. I can hire someone to beautify my house. I can hire someone to give me a pedicure or put highlights in my hair to beautify my physical appearance, but only the Lord can beautify my heart. Only he can strip away the layers of grime or guilt or sin or shame.
Hebrews 12:11 says "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
I truly detest cleaning. For me, it is absolute drudgery. I guess that's why this parallel made so much sense to me. I submit to the torture (okay, so I'm a little dramatic) of house-cleaning when I have to, and it is always nice to see the finished product. In the same way, when the Lord needs to root out some sin in my life or do a little heart-cleaning, it is never a pleasant process. But I have to admit that it is much more free-ing than even having a clean house, and I am oh-so-very grateful that he loves me enough to do it.
Yesterday was Ginny's fourth time here, and when I walked into my clean house in the afternoon it just felt so good. There was no clutter (because I ran around in a frenzy in the morning trying to declutter so she could actually find the surfaces), no dirt, and no stress that is usually brought on by the sight of all the mess and not having time or energy to clean it! It was so free-ing and I felt so grateful.
The first time Ginny came was actually somewhat embarrassing. The place was so dirty that it took her about 5 hours to get it all scrubbed down, and that was after another lady had already spent a day cleaning several weeks before. Both of them assured me that it was definitely not the worst they had seen, but I have my doubts! :)
After those initial visits, things have definitely gotten better. Now that the layers of grime have been removed, Ginny gets the job done in about three hours. We're also getting better about not letting things pile up so that even the pre-cleaning de-cluttering goes faster as well.
As I woke up to my nice clean room this morning, the Lord showed me a parallel to the sin in my life. Ouch! Not something I want to think about when I'm trying to start a new day in my nice clean house. As I stepped into my clean shower, God let me know that no amount of scrubbing my body could do anything about any grimy build-up in my heart. I can hire someone to beautify my house. I can hire someone to give me a pedicure or put highlights in my hair to beautify my physical appearance, but only the Lord can beautify my heart. Only he can strip away the layers of grime or guilt or sin or shame.
Hebrews 12:11 says "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
I truly detest cleaning. For me, it is absolute drudgery. I guess that's why this parallel made so much sense to me. I submit to the torture (okay, so I'm a little dramatic) of house-cleaning when I have to, and it is always nice to see the finished product. In the same way, when the Lord needs to root out some sin in my life or do a little heart-cleaning, it is never a pleasant process. But I have to admit that it is much more free-ing than even having a clean house, and I am oh-so-very grateful that he loves me enough to do it.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Champions!
Just a quick post today to update on the softball tournament. Finally, after several rain delays, Kaelie and Hannah's teams played in the finals yesterday. Both teams emerged as DISTRICT CHAMPIONS! I'm posting in navy blue in honor of their team colors.
Not only did they win, but they absolutely crushed the competition. Both games were ended as a result of the "slaughter rule," which means that if one team is ahead by 10 runs after the fourth inning, the game is ended and they get the automatic win. It was so exciting for the girls and so gratifying for them to see all their hard work pay off.
There won't be any resting and basking in the glory, however. They now advance to the State tournament, which will be played next weekend about an hour away. Wouldn't you know it, both teams play their first games at 6:00 Friday night. I guess Joey will have to go to one and I'll go to the other, and we'll switch halfway or something.
I just got a new camera for my birthday last week and I took lots of great pictures at the tournament. I wish I could figure out how to show more than one photo on my blog, but I'm still a rookie!
Not only did they win, but they absolutely crushed the competition. Both games were ended as a result of the "slaughter rule," which means that if one team is ahead by 10 runs after the fourth inning, the game is ended and they get the automatic win. It was so exciting for the girls and so gratifying for them to see all their hard work pay off.
There won't be any resting and basking in the glory, however. They now advance to the State tournament, which will be played next weekend about an hour away. Wouldn't you know it, both teams play their first games at 6:00 Friday night. I guess Joey will have to go to one and I'll go to the other, and we'll switch halfway or something.
I just got a new camera for my birthday last week and I took lots of great pictures at the tournament. I wish I could figure out how to show more than one photo on my blog, but I'm still a rookie!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Seasons and Celebrations
Finally...back online after almost six days without internet service! There have been so many times I have wanted to get to my blog and I haven't been able to. I guess I could've picked up a pen and paper, but I've gotten so used to typing out my thoughts that somehow it just didn't seem the same. Writing everything out by hand is so much slower. I find I keep up with my thought process a lot better (meaning things don't fly out of my head before I can get them down) when my fingers are flying over the keyboard.
I've missed blogging through a several important events. First, an update on Hannah's trip to camp. She had a blast and came home all smiles and feeling quite full of herself. Even though we sent note cards with pre-addressed and stamped envelopes for her to write home, she didn't even bother. Turns out she pulled herself together and began having a great time from the moment she could no longer see me waving goodbye from the church parking lot. Go figure...
The day after she returned we got to celebrate her homecoming with fireworks. Actually, it was Independence Day, and since Joey didn't have to work, we really enjoyed just hanging out and having some down time. Joey got to take a nap on the couch, Kaelie got to spend the day at the pool with her friend, and Hannah and I went to the new American Girl movie, Kit Kittredge. It was really good, by the way, and one the whole family can enjoy. That evening we all went out to Texas Roadhouse together (we figured you couldn't get much more American than that) and then to the firewords display.
The next day, July 5th, Kaelie turned 13. Yes, I am now officially the mother of a teenager. We spent the morning standing outside in a downpour for the first day of the all-star softball tournament. Both girls made the teams for their age divisions, but neither got to play because all the games were postponed until the next day. Suddenly, Kaelie's birthday was freed up and she had no plans. I let her call two of her bestest buddies and took them to Kaelie's favorite Mexican restaurant, which just happens to be at the mall. We dropped them off and let them have dinner together, they called when they were ready for us to come and pay, then they went off and left us again to shop. I was really impressed with Kaelie for letting Hannah come along to shop with her and her friends. Hannah was feeling a little sad about her big sis becoming a teenager and I think it made her day when Kaelie said she could come with them. Joey and I made ourselves scarce and did a little shopping of our own, and when we realized that it was kind of like a date, we decided that maybe this business of having a teenager might not be so bad after all! Afterwards, we all went back to our house for cake and ice cream, and all in all the impromptu birthday celebration turned out to be a big success.
Since then, we have been busy with softball every day. Hannah's team lost their first game but they won the next two. They were supposed to play in the semi-finals tonight but alas, another rainout. Kaelie's first game was rained out twice, they finally got to play last night and lost. Their second game scheduled for tonight was also rained out, so who knows how long this tourney could drag on!
Sooo....the operative word for the Altizer family in July thus far is BUSY. The verse I have to keep coming back to is Ecclesiastes 3:1. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Right now for us it is softball and swim team season, then comes volleyball and soccer seasons, then basketball season, then track season. :)
Seriously, I have to keep reminding myself that this season of my life needs to be about my children. Yes, I have to take care of myself and my needs and that is important too, but childhood is so very short and so very special. I had my turn to be a child and do lots of wonderful activities that my parents sacrificed for as well. Now Kaelie and Hannah get their turn to be children and I want them to be able to seize the opportunities that they're given. No, softball is not my favorite sport, in fact I find it rather boring, and I have whined and complained about the schedule. But they really wanted to play and Joey is coaching their teams and it has given them some great time and interaction with their dad.
So, I dutifully sit behind the fence, I cheer when they and their teams hit the ball and make plays and I try to shout words of encouragement when they don't. And I'm realizing that it's more than softball season that will soon come to end. Their childhoods will also, and as my friend Denise wistfully reminded me today, before I know it they will be 20 (her oldest son's age) and I will be missing this sweet and precious season. Such a lovely thought to ponder as I approach my own birthday tomorrow!
I've missed blogging through a several important events. First, an update on Hannah's trip to camp. She had a blast and came home all smiles and feeling quite full of herself. Even though we sent note cards with pre-addressed and stamped envelopes for her to write home, she didn't even bother. Turns out she pulled herself together and began having a great time from the moment she could no longer see me waving goodbye from the church parking lot. Go figure...
The day after she returned we got to celebrate her homecoming with fireworks. Actually, it was Independence Day, and since Joey didn't have to work, we really enjoyed just hanging out and having some down time. Joey got to take a nap on the couch, Kaelie got to spend the day at the pool with her friend, and Hannah and I went to the new American Girl movie, Kit Kittredge. It was really good, by the way, and one the whole family can enjoy. That evening we all went out to Texas Roadhouse together (we figured you couldn't get much more American than that) and then to the firewords display.
The next day, July 5th, Kaelie turned 13. Yes, I am now officially the mother of a teenager. We spent the morning standing outside in a downpour for the first day of the all-star softball tournament. Both girls made the teams for their age divisions, but neither got to play because all the games were postponed until the next day. Suddenly, Kaelie's birthday was freed up and she had no plans. I let her call two of her bestest buddies and took them to Kaelie's favorite Mexican restaurant, which just happens to be at the mall. We dropped them off and let them have dinner together, they called when they were ready for us to come and pay, then they went off and left us again to shop. I was really impressed with Kaelie for letting Hannah come along to shop with her and her friends. Hannah was feeling a little sad about her big sis becoming a teenager and I think it made her day when Kaelie said she could come with them. Joey and I made ourselves scarce and did a little shopping of our own, and when we realized that it was kind of like a date, we decided that maybe this business of having a teenager might not be so bad after all! Afterwards, we all went back to our house for cake and ice cream, and all in all the impromptu birthday celebration turned out to be a big success.
Since then, we have been busy with softball every day. Hannah's team lost their first game but they won the next two. They were supposed to play in the semi-finals tonight but alas, another rainout. Kaelie's first game was rained out twice, they finally got to play last night and lost. Their second game scheduled for tonight was also rained out, so who knows how long this tourney could drag on!
Sooo....the operative word for the Altizer family in July thus far is BUSY. The verse I have to keep coming back to is Ecclesiastes 3:1. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Right now for us it is softball and swim team season, then comes volleyball and soccer seasons, then basketball season, then track season. :)
Seriously, I have to keep reminding myself that this season of my life needs to be about my children. Yes, I have to take care of myself and my needs and that is important too, but childhood is so very short and so very special. I had my turn to be a child and do lots of wonderful activities that my parents sacrificed for as well. Now Kaelie and Hannah get their turn to be children and I want them to be able to seize the opportunities that they're given. No, softball is not my favorite sport, in fact I find it rather boring, and I have whined and complained about the schedule. But they really wanted to play and Joey is coaching their teams and it has given them some great time and interaction with their dad.
So, I dutifully sit behind the fence, I cheer when they and their teams hit the ball and make plays and I try to shout words of encouragement when they don't. And I'm realizing that it's more than softball season that will soon come to end. Their childhoods will also, and as my friend Denise wistfully reminded me today, before I know it they will be 20 (her oldest son's age) and I will be missing this sweet and precious season. Such a lovely thought to ponder as I approach my own birthday tomorrow!
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