What a week it has been!? Seriously between the NFL dealing with domestic violence, child abuse and now Ron Washington in the MLB dealing with “marital unfaithfulness” I find myself sticking close to a radio and am fascinated. As I watch my boys whack away at an old tree stump I think about raising men up in this culture…
they take turns like lumberjacks. too be fair, Calista started this game but the boys LOVE it!
I am fascinated by the ability so many have in the media (I listen to ESPN radio and KFAN, a Twin Cities sports talk radio station) to take on these big issues and make sweeping judgments and decisions. Some of the men have admitted, others have been “ambiguous” in their stories but either way, they are losing their jobs or at least their reputations and endorsements.
Will we suddenly become morally upright and demanding of our sports’ figures? What about all the other yahoos out there doing the same thing? It is a sickening fascination, like watching a train wreck, or your kid about to face plant but you can do nothing about it.
I am also fascinated in how quick people are to disassociate themselves from these vermin, previously causing them to spend $200 each Sunday to cheer them on more loudly than is really necessary, wearing ridiculous costumes and ugly sweaters.
And I said it on Facebook: Jesus did the complete opposite. Not only did Jesus associate Himself with us vermin, these NFL players, their wives, kids and prostitutes (or whomever they found themselves with last night) but He entered into their pain. Took it on Himself. Just for the record: it wasn’t our sin that nailed Him there, it was His love for us, for us broken folks.
I am not a child abuser, but if there were a camera in my bathroom (that seems to be where a lot of trouble starts) or my van (car seats = are we done yet? Is he 4 yet?!), I would be ashamed. Mostly you would say calm down or take a valium. I’d say I’m doing my best but my best ain’t cutting it at 7:40am and we just had the little guy pee in his pants while on the toilet because that uncircumcised number seems harder to control and I had to change the pants, underwear socks then get those dastardly shoes back on and get us all in the van and did I mention Brian was out of town?
twins
My quiet time a few days ago challenged me to “consider a deep consciousness of God today.” I sort of laughed. Is that while I serve everyone their 3rd meal that day, watch them finish, brush their teeth and put shoes on while I am still warming up my meal? Is it when I’m doing laundry downstairs due to the pee accidents of late and forgot the noodles are on the stove and I forgot the wooden spoon on top (did you know that actually works? It won’t bubble over…)? Is it when I take a look at a book Calista just read that had some major issues with gender and sports, beauty, comments about girls being unable to play sports and a wife lying to her husband and Calista’s asleep already and I hope tomorrow I’ll remember to talk with her about it?
playing king and queen… of the table ; note the willow tree in the background
Or is it when I listen to all these athletes’ sins coming out in the open and realize, my blog does this as well. I want it in the open and I want to be honest about it.
I am not under arrest but for the Grace of God He stays my hand, my tongue and there are no willow trees on our property (there is one next door though…) If I didn’t have a husband who’s patience is as long as the Nile, a daughter who is more than just a Powerful Beauty (see the t-shirt) and a few days of vitamin D every now and then, I would be in the papers too. ( Thank You Jesus for the sunshine this week!) If I didn’t have friends who email me about their own marital issues, text me about their “true confessions” and just check in every once in a while for fun I’d go M.A.D.
new hair cut: long bangs!
I swear I only shut my eyes for a second…
Oh to have a deep consciousness of God in all these moments and the good ones, like when I find a new Lego book about the “Mixels” and we 4 snuggle in, listening to Calista read it to us. He is good to us, despite our failures.
I am amazed that even when I’m a crabby, yelling, demanding mommy they still want to snuggle, read and have me near them at night. Grace of God in the flesh for me every. single. night.
Ironicly, I don’t know how to spell ironically… it’s getting late. Watch out, that means I am losing the ability to speel and I’m about to get mushy:
I cannot imagine how much crazier I could be made than by these 3 knuckleheads, I mean sweethearts. (Wait until their teenagers, I know). Seriously some days, it is only Jesus that keeps me from doing damage to them, me, the van or some unsuspecting piece of dishware. BUT if I did not have these precious souls that we pray one day will be Temples of the Holy Spirit, I could quickly get lost in the bad news of the day, losing all hope in myself and the world… and the world of men.
snacktime! this table has been used by 3 generations in my family.