Indescribable!

I had the privilege of leading worship this week at our church. As I was praying I asked God to shock us today, to stop us in our tracks and show us his indescribable beauty and power. We have three services at our church so even though I don't read off of a script I pretty much say the same thing each service ...I prayed this prayer in full worship three times.

On the weekends I lead worship I always come home completely exhausted. I've never run a marathon but I think that what I feel after a weekend is similar to what a runner must feel. Exhausted from giving every part of yourself to something you love!

I slept most of the afternoon away sinking into the kind of sleep that is so deep and so relaxing you have to climb out of it....does anyone know what I mean?

Anyhow, I went out around 8:15 to pick up a sandwich for Doug and I to have for dinner as I drove home I was stunned by the view I saw as I came around the corner. An orange moon so large it filled the entire sky, it was Indescribable! I uttered somewhat speechless a feeble thank you to God as I continued to drive and searched in vain for another glimpse of this amazing moon. No matter where I looked the moon had disappeared from my view...completely. No matter where I went or where I looked I couldn't find this gigantic moon. At that point I started laughing...and laughing...and laughing so hard I had tears coming down my face.

"Lord", I thought, "You've shocked me!" "How awesome!"

I'm still laughing... God rocks! Serving God is great...hearing form God is even better!



Who imagined the sun and gives source to it's light, yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night? None can fathom! Indescribable, uncontainable you placed the stats in sky and you know them by name...you are amazing God. All powerful, untamable, awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim you are amazing God!

My famous husband featured in Chicago Parent Magazine

Take a look see at what Doug's been up to...he said that a child psychologist called and said he saw Doug's article in Chicago Parent Magazine and would he please see a couple of children that needed to be seen...how cool is that? I'm so proud of him!

It's so pathetic but I love to play on...

Webkinz! Emily got one of these stuffed animals that comes with a special code for internet access. When I was telling my mom to get her one I couldn't figure out what the appeal was...but after a day on the website I'm totally hooked. How pathetic! The whole gist of the site is that you play games for Kinzcash and then you get to go the the W store and spend it on things like virtual clothes, furniture, decorating, food, vehicles...and this store has it all. There are 17 different types of beds to choose from an assortment of clothes and every hour they have different sales...can you believe this? Emily has been whinning that she hasn't gotten to play because I'm hogging it all...but what does she know? I think I need my own...that's what she's been telling me. How sad!

What I love about the rain...

I'm pretty sick of the cloudy rainy weather we've been having...so unusual for July. But one thing I do love about the rain is that my kids sleep so much longer in the morning. It's now 8:00 am and everybody is still in bed...how great is that!?? I'll take that!

Happy Birthday Emily!

My little drama queen is 8 years old today! She's a little freaked out that it's Friday the 13th but still very happy about the birthday. We had to reschedule her party(boo hoo) because all her friends are out of town, but came up with the cool idea of hosting a High School Musical 2 premere birthday party...how cool is that?



Emily is my little one who is bound to be on stage. She is always looking for the spotlight...has even asked if we could move to California because she's sure that if we do, she will be given her own TV show. Her whole life right now is about striking a pose or making up a new dance routine.

It's a true pleasure to see her mature into a young lady; to watch her personality grow, to see her heart grow and to listen to her express her own ideas(even if one story can last for 20-30 minutes)

So happy birthday Em...I'm so glad we have each other!

Love ya!

Jen's baby is on the way!

I know this isn't my news to tell...but the IV is hooked up and the Pitocin is flowing and baby ? Lampen is on the way! Jen just called me...please pray for a speedy delivery!

A page from my journal

It's 4:00 am and Lord, I know you've woken me up and want me to write this down...
We just got back from the Smokey Mountains and Florida...so many things I saw and experienced there taught me so much about God but lately one image constantly is in my mind~

As we drove through the mountains on the most remote paths, we would see big old trees and awesome boulders; so huge, the were bigger than a car or even a van, the rocks would be scattered up and down the mountain side as if someone had just tossed them where they lie.

Then all of the sudden we would come around a bend, cross over a tiny creek and see the most beautiful valley or creek bed-it seemed as if you could see for hours for miles through this tiny yet very large open space. Each rock carefully placed, each tree in a precise position, each flower open to all of it's potential. And what has really stuck with me is that all this precision was there before any person saw it...It was designed simply to be beautiful~for no one's enjoyment except the Creators.

My grandma used to set the most fantastic table for Sunday dinner. Although she didn't have fancy things and her house was full of boys paid no attention to beauty she always took the time to set a table. And as I grew up she taught me how to take care in folding napkins(even though they were just paper), the correct placement of silver wear, the proper places for glasses; she would design the Sunday table as carefully as she prepared the meal. And as I think back, no one except her and eventually me ever really enjoyed all her work. No one saw it, beheld it, appreciated it~just her, the creator. She did all that work simply because it was beautiful and it made her happy.

As I stood on the shores of the Atlantic ocean I was impressed by it's enormous power, it's life, it's magnitude! As I drove through the Smokey mountains I was amazed by their height and mass and enormity. But as I looked at the creeks and caverns "set" with beauty, I saw God's femininity~His love for beauty. I am in awe of the sacredness of it.

For I only have two eyes to see, and I have only visited one small place in the mountains...there are countless other places in those mountains and in this world that He has "set" with beauty and precision simply for His enjoyment. I love that!

All things bright and beautiful all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful the Lord God made them all!

Thank you Father...for instilling in my female self the love of beauty....thank you for sharing that love with me!

Photo Log

My four babies...they are growing up so fast!
Wesely loved the beach...he loved the water...he never looks at the camera...he never slows down!




Jed the original "Shark Boy"
They tried in vain to fill up a hole with water...but it was fun to watch them try!






These are the pictures I took on our vacation... I have so many of my three youngest and hardly any of my oldest. I was feeling bad about that but then realized he was never close enough to me to actually get him on "film" He was always out adventure seeking...I guess that's good????

Vacation...part three

Once in Daytona everything was beautiful. No one was sick, the weather was great, our room was extraordinary! The kids loved the ocean...we bought them boogie boards and they had a blast surfing the waves. Doug loved it too! There was a sand bar about 50 yards off of shore that was the perfect place to ride the waves. The girls went shopping for a few hours the second day we were there. I saw a Salty Dog Surf Shop that I had to visit and we also had to stop at the super sale in Nine West. Emily and Alaina had a great time trying on high heels and I had a great time buying more shoes...just what I need.

After being in Daytona for three nights we loaded all the kids back in the vehicles and drove 10 hours to the Smokey Mountains. Wesley had a rough day again in the car...I started keeping countless bags around just in case...ended up changing his clothes, my clothes...thank goodness we had brought some beach towels for him to sit on. Our caravan was very gracious with the delays and in the end we pulled into the resort around 10:00pm I think.

The next day we went whitewater rafting. Thanks to everyone for talking me into going...it was one of the most adventurous things I've ever done! And talk about fun! The first thing we did after they called our name was to grab a helmet, life vest and paddle. After we put on the vest the guides come around and tighten it for you...so tight in fact that I was quite sure I'd never breathe correctly again. Then we load onto a school bus that has our rafts on the top and ride up the mountain. Emily was so nervous during the bus ride that she was almost grey by the time we were at the top. She wasn't at all sure she wanted to really go through with it...and I wasn't sure I was gonna convince her. But she's tough and worked through her fear and got right into the boat when it was her time. We went through class 2, 3 and 4 rapids...what a rush! At one point in the trip Christian showed remarkable bravery and saved Doug's life after Doug got bounced out of the raft. Doug got the opportunity to swim the rapids...even if that really wasn't what he had in mind. One minute he was sitting across from me, the next he was gone!

We toured Gatlinburg...had one of those old fashioned pictures taken of our family, ate great biscuits and gravy, swam in the resort pool, went out for dinner with 10 children under 12 and then finished off the trip with some great go-cart racing! And then it was time to load up the van go home.

All in all it was an excellent time. All of the families got along, the kids played together great, we conquered the ocean and the mighty rapids of the Smokies. This will be one of the vacations that the kids will remember for a life time.