Summer Changes

By Ginny (MAD21)

I just can't believe how fast this past school year has come and gone. Over the years I've heard that once your kids are in school that time flies even faster than it did when they were babies and toddling around, but I had no idea how very fast it truly does go by. My heart is aching (big time) as our family slowly leaves this phase of life. But we are all growing and learning as we search to expand our boundaries while still protecting our time together.

My friend Billy wrote last week about similar sentiments as he is also getting older and watching his young kids grow up way too fast. He says, "In the end, that was what made me weary—knowing I was fighting time. And that’s a war I cannot win." Like him, it doesn't matter how much I don't want things to change. They will whether I want them to or not. So, I have to do what I tell my girls on almost a daily basis and that is to enjoy the journey. We need to do the best we can not to squander the time we have, and don't wish our lives away by looking only at the destination.

Therefore, in light of wanting to spend more time with my family over the summer months, and wanting the same for the others who contribute here, we are going to a three-day posting schedule. All of our usual topics and authors will still be here, just on a lighter schedule.

During the month of June, we are challenging everyone we know to make a difference in the lives of many by donating to charity: water and have already begun a series of posts from people regarding this ministry. We will also continue with our One Word carnival, devotionals, Tasty Bites, Fingerprint Fridays, and in July we will begin a new series on Mondays that will continue throughout the summer.

We pray you all have a fabulous summer. Work hard, play hard, read a lot, and remember, no one at their end of days is ever going to say, "I wish I had spent more time at the office and less time with my family." Be sure to take every opportunity to enjoy your family. That investment will last an eternity.

God Is... Almighty

By Jason V (Ponderings of a Pilgrim Pastor)

God Almighty Rules Over All

"The LORD has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all." (Psalm 103:19)

Do you remember when you first discovered that your dad was not really all-powerful?  When I was a small boy, I really did think my dad could do anything.  My dad is pretty handy and big (over 6' 5"), so to a small 6-year-old, he seemed like Superman.  Yet like all of you, I had to endure the hard, slow realization that my dad was not, in fact, omnipotent, until, as a teenager, I wondered if my dad could do anything right at all.

Some people (even those who call themselves "Christian") think that our typical childhood experiences with our earthly dads is a model for what should happen to our view of God over time, as we mature in our faith.  As crises and conflicts come, they reason, we ought to see that a world full of evil is incompatible with an all-powerful and all-good God.  Since we all believe that God is good, we must then abandon the idea that God is all-powerful in favor of a God who looks a lot more like our limited and fallible dads.

The Bible gives us no room whatsoever for such a pale view of God. In Scripture after Scripture, God shines through with radiance as the great and glorious King of the Universe. "Nothing is impossible with God," the Bible boldly proclaims time and again (see Luke 1:37 and Mark 10:27). When God's people doubt His power in Isaiah 59:1, "Surely, the arm of the LORD is not too short to save."

When Jesus came, He demonstrated the Almighty power of God.  Jesus showed unmistakably that nothing could stand in God's way or frustrate His will.  God was mighty enough to create life in the womb of a virgin.  He was mighty enough to use a wicked king's edict to get His Son to the proper place to be born, Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2).  He was able to use dreams and visions to deliver His Son from the hands of a murderous tyrant (read Matthew 2). 

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One Word At A Time: Road

By Ginny (MAD21)

Getting real with the road we are all on.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how often I write about the fun things we do as a family; ways that we as parents help grow our children; ideas regarding how to organize our lives; and make our family and faith stronger. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It is, after all, the mission of my blog to cover all of those topics. But after the last few posts I've written about Fun Fridays, playing games, and strategies that generally work for our family, I have felt the need to make sure you all knew that my family wasn't living in a realm of perfection where the sun is always shining, my house is always clean and organized, my children are always well behaved, and my hubby and I are always on speaking terms. If you've been thinking that, I'm sorry to shatter that image for you! Haha

We all talk a lot about our families, and our experiences as parents to children of all ages. We discuss how things should be in the world and how strong our faith should be, and how big our God is. Talking about all of these things is important, but I wonder if there is something else, something that is just as real that needs to be addressed.

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Fingerprint Friday: A Child's Perspective

By Ginny (MAD21)

My daughters love to take off with my camera. It's great to live in the age of digital cameras that make it possible for them to take as many pictures as they want without worry of the cost of film and developing.

My family attended an outdoor college graduation last weekend. The weather was spectacular and we had the best "seats" in the grass next to the field. The girls could watch the events if they wanted or just run around and play. My youngest decided to take my camera and wander around and take pictures of things that interested her.

I love to see the pictures that the girls take. I am amazed at how many times they get some really good shots of things we would normally pass by.

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The Cheering Crowd

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

The sun beams warmth even as the wind whips straight through fleece and long sleeves and windbreakers as we stand on the curb, arms crossed tight, shoulders hunched, hoods cinched.

Rowan takes his place toward the back of the pack, green number pinned squarely to the front of his tee shirt. Hands over ears as the gun cracks loud, they shuffle and stumble and then finally break into a jog. The front runners sprint, stampeding like a herd of wild mustangs, and it’s nothing short of a miracle that no one gets trampled as the pack thunders by, hundreds of kindergarteners bent on finishing first.

Brad and Rowan pace themselves, sticking to the strategy they’d formulated earlier that morning. “We start slowly at the back,” Brad advised, “and then when the runners start to tire, we pick them off one by one, passing the ones that started out of the gate too fast.” Rowan had nodded solemnly, a good plan.

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