Yes, I’m still on the planet. We just got consumed with VBS, several day trips with the boys, a few church facility improvement projects, and now a long-planned vacation to the beach. We leave right after the worship service tomorrow, and we’ll be meeting up with my brothers- and sisters-in-law for a no-rush, no-agenda getaway. My goal is to read and relax a whole lot…while talking to as few people as possible. 😊 Below are a few random shots of recent shenanigans.
Samuel and Levi enjoyed touring the local airport.Thomas the Tank Engine was waiting for us in Strasburg.Samuel loves choo-choo trains.Levi loves my sneakers.Our vegetable garden has started to erupt.After least year’s weed infestation, I thought I would try a new approach.Radishes, (late) onions, carrots, two kinds of green beans, two kinds of peppers, and four kinds of tomatoes.On the tire swing at the Pretzel Hut.
I was attacked by two bubble monsters on my own patio.
Alas, Samuel and I have only one more Saturday swim lesson together. But we may enroll him in future lessons so he can keep learning. Not only that, Levi keeps asking, “Levi’s turn?” We’re going to sign him up in the fall, so I get to do this all over again. Have I mentioned lately how much I’m enjoying this?
Our Friday pizza-movie night is always a highlight of the week, and tubby-time is often a highlight of pizza-movie night. The boys were filthy last night, especially their feet. They helped plant new flowers on the front side of the house, and it’s a wonder there’s any dirt left in the flowerbeds. But, oh what a terrific tubby time they had afterwards. Thank you, Samuel and Levi, for all the joy you bring to our lives.
Bonus
I just discovered a Coldplay concert on Amazon Prime and took a trip down memory lane.
Levi was dedicated to the Lord this past week at his home church. It was fitting that the occasion fell on Mother’s Day. During the ceremony, Samuel burped. And just in case anybody missed it, he smiled and said, “Burp!” At one point, Levi yawned, and the pastor said, “O.k., I’ll hurry up.” It was delightful to be there.
After church, we went out to eat and then hung out at our house for a bit. The video below shows Levi walking around with a doughnut, complete with icing on his nose. The first pic is from the dedication, and the other is from Saturday’s swim lesson with Samuel. Only three more sessions to go. Levi keeps asking when it will be his turn. I’m ready whenever they sign him up!
“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:3)
I just found out that I’ll be taking Samuel to Saturday morning swim lessons at our local YMCA. The 30-minute classes start later this month and go through early June. The best part is that I’m allowed to go in the water with him to help him work on his skills!
I’m beyond excited to spend some quality aqua-time with this little guy. He already loves the water with the protection of assistive flotation devices, but now it’s time for him to learn how to swim. Maybe someday he’ll take up the sport and swim competitively like yours truly. But whatever he and his brother get into, I’ll be in the stands cheering them on.
Below are a few recent pics. Some are from our church’s Easter Egg Hunt, some are from the birthday bash we had for Andrew last week, and some are from the current parking lot renovation project at our church. Enjoy!
Samuel and his daddy at the egg hunt.Samuel likes the fancy ones.Sonya helping Levi.“I can do it myself, Gaga.”Assessing the haul with daddy.Samuel won the top prize at his church’s egg hunt.The boys and I checking out the construction project. Do you like our matching Phillies hats?Let’s make it a picnic.Little boys love dirt.And little boys love construction vehicles.I tickled Samuel all night at Tino’s Texas Roadhouse birthday dinner.Did I mention that little boys love dirt?
Life with these little guys keeps getting better and better. They’re eager for warmer weather, but they enjoy the snow, too. It’s the bitter cold they can do without. (I’m guessing that’s genetic.) Samuel informed us a few weeks ago that we’ll be joining him and his brother Levi at the Outer Banks later this year. O.k., then. It’s a date!
Bonus
Here’s a rich and helpful song for those clinging to faith in the hard times. We just started singing it at our church.
The past month has been a flurry of hospitality at our house, so I haven’t had a lot of time to write blog posts. From the various Christmas parties and out-of-town guests we’ve hosted, to last week’s church Epiphany party at our place, I’m now ready for that long winter’s nap. Before collapsing, I thought I would share some random photos from the last several weeks. As always, the highlight was standing at the front of the church with the whole crew at the end of the Christmas Eve service, holding candles during “Silent Night,” “King of Kings,” and “Joy to the World.” Samuel took his role very seriously, holding his (battery-operated) candle high for Jesus. Alas, we don’t have a picture of that precious moment. Otherwise, Enjoy!
The Christmas table is set.The renovated kitchen made serving a breeze.Our guests seemed to like the beverage center, complete with the tea collection.By tradition, the boys “camp out” in their living room on Christmas Eve.Levi, our little star.Joyful Samuel getting ready for bed in his new PJs.Uncle Joel playing baseball with the boys in our backyard.Now batting, little Levi.Samuel had to show off his tree fort that Papa made him.Over Christmas, “Buddy” is the name of a dog, not an elf. Boom whackers were a hit for the cousins.Most of the new toys were a hit.Grown-ups playing Mexican Train, always a blast.Bundled up blessings.
We took the boys to Cabella’s to see the animal displays.Samuel and Papa on the footbridge.Little boys love their marbles.Cousins came and went……and posed for the annual picture when they were here.Feasting is fun. And messy.We got the boys a snow rocket, which they love (with or without snow).
Old Saint Nick may be jolly, but his lap is apparently terrifying to little boys. Samuel and Levi gave it a try last week, but it didn’t go very well. (I seem to remember responding in a similar way when I was their age.) I’m not sure how often such reactions take place this time of year, but I hope that guy behind the beard is properly compensated.
More to Levi’s liking is that cheery, campy little song, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” His brother was quite obsessed with it last year, and this year it’s Levi’s turn to get down with it. So, to demonstrate that Levi can get seasonally excited, too, below are some of his dance moves. Try not to smile.
When Sonya and I were doing our undergraduate work at West Virginia University, we had the privilege of writing a few songs with Jon Swerens, my college roommate from Ohio. He was a wonderful keyboardist, and he had a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer with a multi-track recorder on it. That device enabled him to orchestrate our songs right there in the dorm.
During the Advent season of our junior year, the three of us were thinking deeply about the mystery of the Incarnation. I was a relatively new believer at the time, but I was eager to study, learn, and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Others who were in the faith before I was, including Jon, taught me a lot about Christian orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Those days in the dorm with Jon were magical, and I was blessed to serve as the best man in his wedding after graduation.
In November-December of our junior year, we wound up writing a Christmas song titled, “Fully Human, Fully God.” It was our best attempt to express all that we understood to be true of the enfleshment of God in Christ in Bethlehem two millennia ago. We tried to make the song as majestic as we could, pushing it to crescendo like most other power ballads of the day, something fit for a king. Something fit for the King.
The lyrics were thick, and the instrumentation was heavy. The message was lofty, and Sonya did it justice with her operatic pipes. Sandi Patty couldn’t have done it better. In the end, it wasn’t a great piece, but we thought it was a respectable effort for a couple of novice songwriters. We gave it B/B+.
The project wore us out. All that study. All that theology. All that writing and re-writing. All that struggle to capture the mystery and majesty of God becoming one of us in the person of Christ. We were physically and emotionally drained—right at the time we were supposed to be gearing up for finals.
One night as we were reflecting on the project, we quickly agreed that we had missed something. We were all a bit unsatisfied with what we had produced, and yet it was hard to put our finger on exactly why. At one point I said something along the lines of: “You know, for all that complex theology and soaring orchestration, we dare not ever miss the simplicity of Christmas—and the humble, childlike response we’re supposed to have to it.”
As it turns out, that was the missing piece. Jon quietly processed our postmortem, stilled himself before the Lord over the next few days, and then started writing again. After sharing with me his nascent thoughts and simple melody, I suggested a few lines and rhymes, along with a title for the new composition. We called it, “Nativity.”
Musically, Jon nailed it. It was so simple. So gentle. So light. So peaceful. Neither the instrumentation nor the theology was heavy or profound, but as Oswald Chambers once said, “Beware of posing as a profound person—God became a baby.” Quite significantly, we were much more satisfied with this second attempt. The first song touched our minds, but the second one touched our hearts.
I wish I still had the original soundtrack, but the recording is lost to history. I can reproduce the basic melody and chord structure on a keyboard, but Jon’s expert orchestration is gone, except in our memories. Consequently, I’ll just share the lyrics below. They came to mind last week while I was playing with Samuel and Levi.
Those beautiful boys make my heart overflow with love and gratitude on a regular basis—not unlike what happens to me when I ponder the Incarnation each December. They remind me of the childlike response we’re supposed to have to “Emmanual,” God with us—even after we’ve long since grown up.
Nativity
Let me be your angel singing loud and clear “Jesus Christ is born” Let me be your shepherd leaving flocks behind Just to see the Lord I owned an inn before I shrugged and closed the door Help me leave the world behind Let me worship you
Let me be your star burning bright and far For all to see Let me be your swaddling clothes Warm your heart in me O let me be that night When all was calm and bright Let me be your manger, Lord Come and rest in me
It’s been far too long since I’ve posted pictures of our munchkins, but these little guys continue to be a source of great joy and delight in my life. I’m beyond blessed to be able to watch them on Wednesdays and Friday nights (i.e., the pizza and sleepover night). A few shots below show their love of tractors and trains. You can also see their Trunk-or-Treat costumes—a firefighter and a Dalmatian, with Mom and Dad serving as the firetruck. Super adorable! My own “trunk” this year conveyed yet another post-season collapse by the Phillies. Only one word came to mind for the sign. 😊
Our little guys are gone this week. As summer hastens into fall—yay!—the family decided to head off to the Outer Banks for some final fun in the sun. Samuel and Levi are having the time of their little lives. Not only do they love swimming and building sandcastles, they’re learning to look for crabs at night. They’re having such a blast I’m not sure they’ll ever want to come home again. If not, I’m moving there myself.
We had a glorious time with our munchkins last week—nine whole days while mommy and daddy took a second honeymoon to Cabo, Mexico. We went to the pool, did tractor rides, visited a petting park, played at the playground, got ice cream, read stories, played in the toy room and backyard, went to church, and had a blast every single day. The best part was getting to do daily cuddles at nap time and bedtime. It’s a deep joy to just hold Samuel and Levi and watch them as they fall asleep. We created some treasured memories that will last a lifetime. The pics and clips below are just a few highlights of the many I could share.
In other news, my sister moved into our place earlier today. She was exhausted from the journey and is a bit weaker and thinner than I had expected. And getting the place ready was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. I set around pictures and knick-knacks from the old days, along with dishes, plates, and other items from our time growing up in East Reading, PA. Featured prominently are some of my mother’s counted cross-stitch creations. Then there are the bowls of nonpareils, spearmint gummies, and Swedish fish that our Nana always had setting out during the year.
Cancer is a dragon, but love is the Beowulf that can slay it in the end. Rumor has it that eternity is an exuberant and sanctified mead hall. So, onward we go to the heavenly Heorot, one day at a time.
Addendum
The kids at our “Stellar” VBS got a kick out of tonight’s character, Luna. In large measure, that was because she has blue hair. More than one child encouraged to make my hair blue, too. What do you think?
Samuel’s tuck-in time usually involves a bedtime catechism of some sort. Below is a recent night featuring some Bible quizzing. I got emotional at the end of the clip because Isaiah 12:2b was the very first Bible verse I ever memorized (thanks to the VBS teachers at the Fairview Street Mennonite Church in Reading, PA a long time ago). I doubt, however, that I was this adorable in my recitation of it. Below are a few other recent snaps and vids. Enjoy!
And a couple shots of our sanctuary before an incredible day of celebrating the resurrection.
Image credit: freepik.com
In addition to which…
It was fun to watch the coverage of the eclipse and see even professional commentators get emotional at the spectacle (cf. Psalm 19:1). Andrew went to Ashtabula, OH (which was in the path of totality) to get better pictures. Sonya decided at the last minute to go with him, so I stayed home alone to celebrate with Oreos.
Just kidding. That’s a cool meme making its rounds on social media, but here’s an old song that comes to mind when it comes to all things eclipse.
Given the special days we’re celebrating this time of year, you may have thought the title of this post had something to do with Judas’s kiss of betrayal. But no, the kiss I’m referring to involves Samuel and Levi trying to show a measure of affection to each other. The result of their clumsy attempt at a brotherly smooch is quite adorable.
In other news, our church recently got our new pew cushions installed, just in time for Holy Week. They look good, and they feel great. But there might be a fear afoot that the pastor will think he can preach longer sermons. Uh oh!
Seriously, it’s been a deeply meaningful week for all of us, and the turnout for the Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday services has been wonderful. We’re looking forward to a great celebration tomorrow at the Easter service.
I think I’ve done more sobbing during preparation this year than previous years, and that will probably continue tomorrow. After all, my mother-in-law passed away right as we were singing, “Fought the fight the battle won.” Maybe this dynamic comes with age, but, thankfully, the gospel story never gets old to me.
May it be fresh and new for you as well tomorrow as you rejoice in the empty tomb of Jesus.
There are so many reasons for joy in this neck of the woods right now. First, Andrew is thriving in his new role at Sight & Sound. He’s part of the lighting team for their newest production, Daniel, which premiered last week. From his description, theater lighting at that level is much more sophisticated than I had ever imagined, but he’s well suited and trained for it. (His undergrad studies were in film and media arts at Temple University.) Not many people get to say they work in professional music theater—let alone Christian musical theater. He says the show is not to be missed. I get to see it on April 11, which is his birthday.
Second, I got wonderful feedback on my latest dissertation chapter. I’m over the moon about it since this one had heavy doses of Sumerian and Akkadian in it, which I’m hardly an expert in but worked hard to get oriented to. It featured lots of Greek and Hebrew, too, along with a handful of other languages, but I was on edge about the Sumerian and Akkadian because the title of one of my readers is “Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Semitic Languages.” You can imagine the pressure a title like that conveys. It was, by far, the hardest chapter to write, so I really think I can pick up the pace now. Still, academic writing is awfully tedious, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m nerd enough to enjoy it.
Third, the boys continue to grow and delight everyone around them. How cool is it that we live just 10 minutes away from Samuel and Levi? We get to watch them almost every Wednesday and keep them overnight nearly every Friday, which is pizza night. Saturday mornings may involve some cartoons and pancakes. Oh, and the toy room. And yard time. Below are some pics and clips of these precious munchkins.
Fourth, the flower beds are starting to explode with signs of spring. My cherry tree is always stunning this time of year, and the daffs have really shot up, along with the hyacinths. I eagerly await the arrival of the tulips. Maybe they’ll get here by Easter, which just happens to be my birthday this year. But no one’s allowed to call attention to it. That day belongs to Christ alone.
Finally, below is an interesting tune by Coldplay, “Up with the Birds,” voted one of the top songs about springtime. I’m not sure I would have put it on the list, but a reviewer calls it “one of the most hopeful and optimistic things we’ve ever heard. The combination of cheerful lyrics and the enchanting string of instruments in the background has us feeling like we’re floating right into the warmer season.”
How ’bout we just stay in springtime?
Either way, enjoy!
Levi at 8 months.No more pictures, Mommy. I’ve got things to do.Brotherly love.Learning to take turns.Flowers for Mommy.
Micah gets a father-of-the-year award for this.
Double trouble at Home Depot.
Loving little Levi.No poker face on this dude.The view out my home office window.The flowering cherry is a gift I’ll always treasure.The daffs are here.And here.And here. (I need to re-set the decorative rocks.)The flower beds have come alive.The hyacinths await the arrival of the tulips.Home, sweet, home.
