Jillian Got Bap-i-tized

Jillian got baptized Monday, August 11, 2008 . She is 7 going on amazingly mature and godly. She is absolutely her parents pride and joy which is saying a lot since her older brothers are extraordinary people. The only problem Jillian has is that even though she has grown in a myriad of ways, she still can’t say “baptized”. Everyone she met this last week she asked, “Do you want to come and see me get bap-i-tized?” THREE syllables. Lots of people came.

One perplexing element of Jillian’s decision to be bap-i-tized is that we don’t recall exactly when she understood the truth about Christ and His sacrifice for her. We don’t remember that she ever prayed the sinner’s prayer. We don’t remember when she may have asked Jesus to come and live in her heart. I have a vague recollection of her telling me she had prayed to receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior after a Sunday School class. I must have thought she was too little to remember or know what she was saying. I must have thought she would do it again. Who knew such a little one would know and understand what it is to deserve blame and yet be blameless. Who knew Jesus would never let her go after that? I have to admit I missed the opportunity to rejoice with her. What I failed to do, the angels were doing, however. God’s face has shined on her ever since.

Since 2006, Jillian has been fixated on baptisms. She was always asking questions about what it was like, why they do it, and why did Jesus do it. She had the all the usual questions about the baptismals themselves and how the pastor actually dunks you. At one point she asked, “Can you wear swim goggles?” Jillian has been thinking about following Christ into the water for a long, long time.

But her journey has only just begun. There will be high times, low times and times when God seems distant. I came to the knowledge of Christ through the book of Ecclesiastes... not your usual recommended Bible read for a new Christian. Yet, the truth about the vanity of the world and its ways caused me to cry out for a God.... if He was there. God answered me 25 years ago. Today, I rest in the knowledge that my very good God now has hold of my daughter and by doing so, He answered one of the most important prayers I ever prayed.

For my daughter I am glad she will always know God loves her. He has been there from the beginning. He has been there from her beginning. He will always be there. He won’t ever let her go. Praise God with me and watch this video. Bass Lake is practically in our backyard and for many years, our church has baptized followers of Christ here. Every baptism is wonderful, but this one has a truly wonderful setting to prove it.

Well Pleased

They did it. Mom had to admit that she couldn’t do it. No. It was a job for Dad. Taking his son to the highest heights on the slipperiest slopes and making a mountain out of a man. Okay. So he’s not a man yet, but he did something today he will add to resume of great accomplishments... and he did it with his dad.

Evan hiked Half Dome.

This blog belongs on my Schneider’s Climbing Mountains “Brag” Blog but since no one has commented on my super cool and very first slideshow, (I think I made a technical glitch making it impossible to view) I am leaving my own accomplishments there and bragging about Evan here. Enjoy my second slideshow below (which is better than my first) and thank God along with me for a marvelous, wonderful and terrific 13 year old son who is growing up to be a fine young man.

I am very proud of my son. I am a Mom who is Well Pleased.

All Things Are Possible

I did it again though I don’t know why. Julie surmised it is a lot like childbirth. I must have forgotten what it was really like and only remembered the thrill. She must be right. (see Women vs.Wild)

Hiking Half Dome and Climbing the Cables is meant to be taken seriously. There is a sign at the bottom of the rock warning the risky to take heed to the weather. In 2007, someone died curtailing the cables in interest of a speedier descent. A speedy descent they got. Yesterday, a woman was very much afraid during her climb and held the rest of us up, hanging on, while she took each treacherous step with caution mustering her courage. Someone didn’t bring enough water and I watched another hiker give him some from his own stash. We watched some slip-n-slide down the rock on what I call “tennie runners” that lack grip.

Julie and I trained. We planned. We did our research. We bought expensive shoes. We carried lightweight packs. Julie even had the mindset to bring her SpotTracker and I had the mindset of learning how to use its 911 call capacity. It was a feat not to be taken lightly. We were as equipped as possible to make this hike and climb that rock.

So it is with our spiritual life. Once God grabs hold of you, the adventure begins. The journey with Him is treacherous, too, however. It is not meant to be a life of ease and pleasure. Life isn't meant to be taken lightly. Going out on limbs, entering the unknown, becoming not what you think you ought to be but becoming what GOD planned for you to be. Dying to self so that Christ might live in you. That really is a great adventure. It requires effort. It requires training. It requires doing your homework, so that when the tough times come, you are not left hanging by a thread but are equipped to muster courage and strength to take the next perilous step. What it most requires is trust. Climbing the cables requires trusting that they will hold you. Walking with God requires trusting He will never let you go. There is pain involved. Julie’s knees can attest to that. There is determination required when you feel like one more mile is one more mile too many. Yet, when the road comes to an end, there is also jubilation.... knowing that God chose to do the impossible through you.

Matthew 19:26
Then Jesus said, "With God all things are possible."

I think I now know why I hiked Half Dome. So God could remind me that He is my Source of courage and strength, that He will never let me go and that through Him, all things are possible.

Zachary - The Boy Who Could Not Read

In the beginning there was a boy who could not read. His brother could read very large books with teeny tiny words in them. His sister could read small books with large letters and pictures of people and animals doing amazing things. But Zachary was a boy would could not read.

One day, while sitting in his room at bedtime, he picked up his Bible. He began to scroll down the page with his finger looking for any word he could read. Suddenly, it was there! Plain as day he could see the word “and” and he could sound it out, too. He saw the word “the” which makes no sense but he knew the word. When his momma walked in to pray with him that night, he announced that he had found 2 words in his Bible that he could read! He showed them to his momma and read them aloud. His momma told him that of all the books in the world, the Bible was the only one truly necessary to know. If he lived his whole life long and didn’t read any other book, he would have all he needed from that one very good book. “The Bible,” his momma said, is Holy. “It is set apart for us by God, just as you are set apart for God’s purposes.” Zachary felt proud. Zachary could read 2 words from the Bible. That was a good start.

As his brother got older, his brother began telling Zachary about all the wonderful stories in his very big books. As his sister got older, she began sounding out words Zachary would stumble over and she learned to spell things he couldn’t. Zachary knew he was not like his brother and sister. Things came harder for him, but he also knew he was set apart for God. Zachary was good at memorizing things. He was good at making up songs on the piano. He could make up rhymes. Zachary made his sister and brother laugh. He could negotiate disagreements. Zachary was the one who knew best how to tell a joke, sing a song and understand a heart. It was Zachary who knew how to work at something and do it nearly perfectly. Zachary understood what it was to try his best.

Then one day, Zachary decided he wanted to do something difficult. He decided to read a book. It was the biggest book they had in their house next to God’s Holy Book. The great big book was The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkein. He began. Word by word, line by line, and page by page Zachary, the boy who could not read, read that great big book.

By June 10, 2008, Zachary, who was 10, read the entire gigantic, enormous and wonderful fantasy epic novel by JRR Tolkein. Zachary was proud for he knew that no book was impossible. His momma was relieved for she knew that knowledge would now be at his disposal and God knew that every Word in his Holy Book would be read by Zachary some day. This was only the beginning.....

(......of what might be an editing career. Just as I was finishing this blog entry, Zachary, The Boy Who Could Not Read, read my article and informed me I needed to use more pronouns! I hope you will laugh along with me as I celebrate the very great accomplishment of a boy who is turning out to be The Boy Who Can Do ANYTHING!)

Measuring Up

I have noticed lately that glass-half full type people really seem to enjoy my son. One of our new friends described him as “Tigger”. What an appropriate comparison. Evan is indeed Bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy and fun fun fun fun fun! Which is wonderful, unless you are a bit of an Eeyore.

As his mother, I must admit, I am a bit of an Eeyore. At times I am prone to sulleness and depression and negativity. I can be a glass-half empty type. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a good romp, but solitude feeds my spirit and my eldest son, for some reason, is anything but quiet! When Evan began enthusiastically remarking about his steady growth... first into my shoes and then toward my eyeballs, I thought I would kill him first!........nah...... But those of you with overly happy and confident children who prefer peace and quiet know what I mean. His excitement was irrepressible. My sense of dread was foreboding.

In response to what I perceived would be months of relentless comparisons, I cleverly devised a way of reinforcing his enthusiasm without allowing him to drive me nuts daily wanting to “measure” himself against me. So, we began taking the monthly photograph. I am so glad we did because I have a record now, of how fast my little Tigger has grown and how few days I have left before his bouncy demeanor and fun spirit will bounce right out my door and into the 100 acre world.

My prayer is that I won’t take one moment for granted
that I’ll cherish every embrace
that I’ll slow down enough to listen
that I’ll memorize his face

The way I did when he was new
when I held him all day long
when I listened to him breathing
when his life became a song

His life made me a mommy
he made motherhood begin
he made me a different person
he made me better than I’d have been

My prayer is that our future
will be rich and fun and good
we’ll spend years climbing mountains
together and for God’s good

When this season passes
when I’m nearing my earthly end
when I see his brown eyes look on me
I’ll see in his face a friend

A friend whose cheerful countenance
will bring comfort and joy and pride
when I think of all the bouncy days
we’ll have on the other side