Family Adventures...

Over the next few weekends, Matt and Jack and I will be having some firsts in our family traveling adventures...Tomorrow morning we fly to Minnesota for our friend Blake's wedding. It is our first to time to fly with Jack. He is 14 months old and doesn't have his own seat. My main concern is that we keep him happy and comfortable, and also that we are considerate of those around us. We know to have him drink as we are taking off and landing...but other than that, does anyone have any tips for flying with kids? Honestly, I have just been praying that we won't sit next to someone who hates children! I might also add the fun tidbit that I get to share a hotel room not only with Matt and Jack, but also with Eric and Micah, two of Matt's friends from highschool! Hope they don't mind a 14 month old waking up in the middle of the night because he is in an unfamiliar bed in Minnesota!

Then, next weekend, we are driving to Nashville to go to the ZOE conference. Yep...you read that right...driving...Now we have made road trips, but I think only about as far as Houston...and that was back when he was sleeping 16 hours a day anyway! We are leaving Wednesday night at bedtime, with the hopes that we might maximize the amount of time he is sleeping in the car(and maybe to limit the amount of Chevy Chase "Vacation" quotes I have to hear from Matt!)...but just in case, any tips here? We are also looking forward to staying with our friends TJ and Holly when we get there...any tips for being houseguests with a baby? He's such a good boy, I'm not anticipating any problems, but I always like to hear from those who have more experience than myself.

As you can see from the picture above he's already quite the little adventurist...so I am sure we'll have some fun stories to tell!
In case you missed the last post, you can look at more pictures by going to Memorable Moments Photography at http://www.memorablemomentsphotography.com

it wasn't me!

Isn't he adorable? And not mischevious looking at all huh?! For more pictures of my sweetie, click the title of this post. It's memorable moments photography by Kristin Morales.

laying down our lives

Sunday morning Matt and Jack and I got to go with some of our friends from college to hear Donald Miller speak at the Deep Ellum Church. It was a great group of people and, in a community that has long been associated only with darkness and evil, they have an amazing heart for the mission of Christ. I was so impressed with the hearts of the pastors of this church who have committed to planting a place of refuge, and have some amazing future plans for shining Christ's light in a dark corner that many don't have the courage to go. Matt and I had really enjoyed Donald's book, Blue Like Jazz, and Matt has also read the second one, Searching For God Knows What. I just got him the third one, Through Painted Deserts, and we are looking forward to starting that one. In Searching For God Knows What, he compares our relationship to Jesus through analyzing the familiar play Romeo and Juliet...this is what he spoke about on Sunday, and it was a beautiful analogy that I, even as someone who studied theatre in college, had never fully realized. He focused on the balcony scene, as Juliet tells Romeo that he must deny his name and take his own. He spoke also of how the two characters never consummate their marriage, but only become one through death. It was really enlightening. He also talked about how our society wants so badly to market God...we all want a three step plan, and not a relationship. One thing that he said that I really liked was this...
"The message of the gospel is not, 'Buy this and you will be happy', but instead, 'This is something worth dying for'"
It made me think of my own faith, and how much I doubt my own ability to "lay down my life".In the wake of all of these natural disasters, along with other horrible, sad, and confusing things I am witnessing, I am reminded that we were not promised comfort or peace in this life, but that we can know the one who IS comfort and peace...the one who gives us life to begin with. And I pray that I can open my eyes to the many opportunities that God is putting before me where I can lay my life down and serve Him by serving others.
We are praying for all of those affected by Rita, especially many loved ones of ours who are traveling and sad to leave their homes...we also pray for those from Louisiana who are moving for the second time...I hope that we will all embrace one another, and commit for the long haul to the long process ahead of picking up the pieces.

an insightful response

With all of the writing on Katrina, my mind is in a fog, and I find I often lose sight of what are truly the most important lessons. I need to talk less...I need to open my ears and my heart to those who have gone through this ordeal, and to what the Lord wants to teach me through it all.I have tried to sit down and write something, but the words have not come in a way that would be even close to intelligible...I am still just groaning...

So today I just want to direct you to my friend Jarod's blog. I think his latest entry is one of the best responses I have seen recently.

I will try to get back to more regular blogging soon...I know you are all just sitting on the edge of your seats!