Just another reason to love Chick-fil-A :)

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/29/chick-fil-gives-free-food-to-motorists-stranded-in-southern-snowstorm/

Blessed Beyond Measure

I stand amazed at how God has provided for us these past couple of weeks. Not saying he didn't in the past, but I have truly felt your prayers while Joel has been in Africa.

I'm humbled.

And I may have even shed a few tears.

I must admit, I had been apprehensive leading up to the trip. It was clear God had wanted Joel to go, but at times it was a bit frustrating... I mean, hasn't he been gone most weekends and worked long hours during the week lately? (If you think I exaggerate, ask the ladies at church...) And he was going to be gone during wintertime... and those who know me well, know that I do not DO NOT handle water in a solid form well, unless it is coming from the freezer. You just rarely see that in the good ol' southwest. On top of that, well, it seems that just about every WORLD magazine lately (and sometimes Fox News) has had articles of Boko Haram.

What, you didn't know that Nigeria is only a skip hop jump away from Ghana? Well, neither did I until I google mapped it.

And I may have even wondered and struggled whether my initial excitement for him going was kind of like living vicariously through him. After all, I was supposed to have gone to Africa for a medical trip back in my pre-Virkler days. 

But I let go (and I hope I did cheerfully, though you will have to ask Joel for confirmation on that one).

But oh what a blessing it has been having him gone.

That sounds kind of  bad.

But it's true. I mean, we've missed him. We've definitely missed him. And Liam still tells me that his Daddy's parting words of wisdom were not biblical. But it has been a blessing to see what the Lord has done for us. And sometimes it takes a bit of vulnerability to see it more clearly.

• I had a neighbor come out in subzero temperatures to help me shovel the drive.
• Another neighbor will snow blow my sidewalks if he gets to them after work before I have time to shovel (during naps).
• Yet another neighbor stopped by to ask me if she could get me groceries so I wouldn't have to bundle the kids up and take them out on the ice-covered roads.

... None of them even knew Joel was gone in Africa, until after they offered to help.

• I've had friends offer to have us over for meals, and other friends bring us meals.
• I've had friends pick me up, drop the boys off at a sitter (who watched my children for free!) so that I could get some free time with other young couples at church.
• I had friends drive us to church, take me home, keep the boys for a couple hours to give me a break, and then take us to dinner.

And then God has blessed me with the boys. They have been phenomenal. Sure, they still have their moments, but for the most part they have been patient, kind and helpful... to me AND each other. And I with them.

And those are not even half of how He has spoken peace into our home this past week. Sometimes it was just the little things. A song here. A verse there. A random text from a friend. And we haven't lost any power, so we stay warm in the subzero temperatures. That right there is a blessing to me more then words can say.

So yeah, I have truly felt the prayers sent above on our behalf.

So thank you. :)

And he may still be gone for a bit longer. But help has arrived. And though she may not have a voice by the end of the day after all the books they have her read, I think they are all having a fun time. :)

"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think , according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. "

Ephesians 3:16-21

Book Review: Let There Be Light

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and best-selling author/illustrator Nancy Tillman were teamed together to produce Let There Be Light. With text taken from his Children of God Storybook Bible, this book is written for young children. It elaborately tells the creation story with anthropomorphic detail to make it personal and palpable for the child, including phrases such as, "God's love bubbled over when there was nothing else" and "God... clapped his hands together in delight. 'Isn't it wonderful!'". In addition, Tillman's artwork is imaginative and vivid, with intricate layers such as the wrinkles on the elephant, and the flower bursting forth from an African plain and music sheet.

 

I thought the illustrations were beautiful and creative. In each picture, Tillman places either the image/form of God or His hand, to show that He was actively involved in the creation of the world, hovering over its existence (although it could be semantically argued that God merely had to speak, no hands needed...). The text only loosely follows Scripture, taking away some of the important repetition seen in Genesis 1 (although Tutu specifies the days, he only mentions the evening and morning differentiations, as well as that God saw it was good once), while embellishing to draw out the feelings in the young child, by reminding the reader of the glory of a flower or how noisy the world would've been after the creation of the animals. 

 

Although my two-year old child enjoyed the story, my only real issue with the book is surprisingly what my disappointed four-year old child also pointed out; after I finished, he said that the book was "plain". Asking him to elaborate for me (the illustrations and text seemed anything but!), he said that it wasn't the full creation story, because although God made children, he didn't do it on the sixth day, but instead made Adam and Eve. My child noted that unfortunately, they forgot to draw in these two essential characters to the creation story, with Tillman instead opting for a scene of multi-racial, crowned children enjoying creation.

  

I don't think that our qualm is necessarily a recommendation-killer, but I do think that Let There Be Light  is for those looking for a whimsical book with well-known names attached, whereas those who would rather have the creation account with less embellishment would be best served looking elsewhere.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

 

 

To see some of my other book reviews, click here.

We are soooooo very thankful for...

Skype. :)

Even if the connection was a bit slow and blurred, it was so nice for the boys to "see" their Daddy for a little bit!

Although, somehow the Daddy knows how to get the kids obnoxiously rambunctious, even when he is a few thousand miles away.

My Chivalrous Children

I think the Lord has truly been merciful to me. It's not to say that we haven't had our moments. Because we have. Me especially. But from the time we dropped Joel off to meet his coworkers, we have been blessed by our wonderful friends to fill up our days with meals together, library play dates, afternoons away from home, etc.

I am so blessed. And so very thankful.

And the boys haven't been at each other nearly as much as usual either. They've been trying to be little helpers, because after all, they are "Mommy's knights". :) And of course, what do knights do?

They pick flowers for their Mommy.

(and even brought them over with the sled, so I wouldn't have to get my boots snowy ;)

Nevermind that maybe I should've cleared out all the debris last fall. Oh well. There were plenty of dead and dried flowers to be had by all. Even rosehips. ;) 

And of course they all smelled lovely and had to be placed in a glass vase. At least I was able to reason with them that these were special flowers that didn't need water anymore. :)

Ummm... he gets it from his Dad :)

This blog post could be more complete if I had pictures of Joel sleeping in the randomest places to match and provide comparison. But those who know us well can probably garner one up in their mind. And those that don't-- well, you will just have to take my word for it. I'm just not in the mood to dig through the photo archives to illustrate.

But lately I've been finding Aiden in awkward poses as well. Granted, when the camera was near on two of those occasions, he was sleeping in the same angle, just different locations. But still. Not sure too many people could fall asleep like this. Or at the dinner table. Which both of my loves have officially done. :)

The first picture is what I came across when I was going to do some laundry. If I didn't see the feet, I would've almost thought it was just his pair of jeans left downstairs (they are constantly bringing their clothes down).

Ramblings and a Book Review: The Prince's Poison Cup

If you want to avoid my ramblings, and jump straight to my review... click here :)

Erasmus, the Dutch theologian and scholar was known to have once said,

"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes."

I don't think I'm quite to that extreme, but I come pretty close. Back in high school and college, the people in Borders knew me. And I never let their bimonthly coupon go to waste it seemed, as I would just sit in the religion section and just stare, wondering what I should purchase next (you know, back when I was single and working with no responsibility :). It reminds me of a library book that my son once borrowed. A pirate came into a library, map in tow seeking to find the treasure that his "X" marked. The patient librarian throughout the book slowly taught him to figure out that the real treasure is found within the pages of a book. There's so much knowledge that can be had if the author chooses... sometimes good and sometimes bad.


The older I've gotten more children I've had, the more I've learned that my time is valuable and rare. These are precious minutes to myself-- and thus, with these book reviews I post, you will rarely see a fictional work that doesn't have substance to it. Don't get me wrong... I won't fault you for reading romance and the like, but I want to learn, to grow, to mature from what I read. And though they might not sound like fun to you, after being forced to read the great authors such as Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, Dickens, Shakespeare and Austen... well, is it no wonder that C.S. Lewis is one of my favorites??

My poor children.

Thus, they were doomed from the start. Their bookcases are filled with classics and Caldecott winners, board books and purchases from the ubiquitous Christianbook.com sales. And of course, there are the freebies. I've already mentioned that we enjoy getting free books in the mail each month (I've actually been slowly trying to prepare Liam for the fact that his books will stop come May). Some have cute stories, but there are times I don't care for the secular message or worldview in them, and out of the house they go, when little eyes aren't watching (until then I change the words- the blessing of them not reading yet :)  But with my book review program, I'm always on the lookout for books to add to their library, ones to help them grow. It seems like Liam has started to go that way too. Not sure if it's age, or personality.

His current favorites?

• Berenstain bears
• The Brave Young Knight (Karen Kingsbury)
• The Way Home: A Princess Story (Max Lucado)
• Pirates on the Farm (Denette Fretz)
• Twice Yours (Nan Gurley)
• The Crippled Lamb (Max Lucado)
• Jesus Storybook Bible(with cd)
• Adventure Story Bible (with cd)

Both light and heavy. I'm usually reading him at least one of those almost every day. Which is saying a lot if you were to see all the books he has. Don't get me wrong, he still likes all the others and I read them daily as well. And he will sit next to you for anything you would be willing to read him, even asking you to start over if he's missed the first few pages (even when I am counting ladybugs with Aiden... no joke!). But he loves stories with a message. And I love them, as I love seeing how creative authors can be in teaching Biblical truths to the little ones.

Enter my most recent book review. A friend recently had written a post on books with godly concepts for children. A couple of the books I had read earlier, but had never purchased because Liam was just a toddler at the time. Too young. But I was curious what he'd think now and decided to give it a go. So I was given a pdf copy of The Prince's Poison Cup to review (and will be compensated with a hard copy in exchange for this review :).

The Prince's Poison Cup is an allegorical book that begins with a little girl, Ella, who has a stomach ache and is given medicine by her father. Unlike the sugary syrups in today's world, this one did not impress the child and she asked the question, "Why does medicine taste so bad if it's going to make us well?". Her father passes the baton to her grandfather who then tells the child a story about the King of Life who can create anything; He has created a beautiful park for His people and enjoys walking in it with them. He also created a lovely fountain, but gave them strict instructions not to drink it's clear flowing water. Of course they are tempted by his archenemy, and their hearts are turned into stone as a result. They leave the park, set up their own dark city and remain in that state until the Prince enters their city to rescue them. Sent by the King, the Prince must fill a golden cup with murky, smelly poison that bubbles up from their city's fountain. When he drinks it, he dies, amongst a triumphant cold-hearted crowd. The King enters the plaza however, brings Him back to life, and the fountain is transformed. The Prince offers this new water as life to all who would come.

After reading the book once to make sure it was theologically sound, I read it to my four-year old. He loved it and has requested it multiple times the past few days. It could be just the boy in him, but he didn't really seem to get into the background story at all, usually zoning out at the end, and I think this book would have been just fine without Ella and her Grandpa.What did he enjoy about it? First, he liked the fact that there was a king and prince involved (he's Mommy's knight after all!). Next, he loved that the story was similar to the redemption story of the Bible. After every page, he excitedly say things like "the King of Life was like God, because He created the whole world too!" or "the archenemy was like Satan who pretended to be that naughty snake and lied".  The only thing he said was missing was that the Prince needed a white horse just like Jesus, though I had to remind him that Christ won't come riding on His white horse until the end. :)

I also thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations (by Justin Gerard) are lovely and capturing, from the rounded cherubic faces of those filled with love for their Creator, to the hardened, chiseled features of those whose hearts have turned to stone. The author, RC Sproul, is also the founder of Ligonier Ministries. On their website, he states that he started his ministry to "faithfully present the unvarnished truth of Scripture to help people grow in their knowledge of God and His holiness." I believe he accomplished this masterfully in this children's book, as even my four-year old was able to see the allegorical comparison. You can tell Sproul focused on every detail, hinting back to Scripture when he could (There are some great discussion questions and Biblical references at the end of the book). I loved the progression of sin that you could see with the people and the fountain (James 1:14-15, I John 2:15-16), and how he subtly establishes the respect for wisdom from the elderly. Personally, my only fault was at the end, where the Grandpa notes that the origin of sickness was brought about by sin- I felt that his contrasting explanation of this medicine to the cup of poison was forced. In the end however, I highly recommend this book, as yet another creative way (I'm always looking for them!) to teach such the story of God's love, sacrifice and redemption for us.

 

A Dinner Conversation

Joel: I'm really going to miss you guys.

Amber: We will miss you too.

Liam: Yeah Dad. You know what that means? That means you shouldn't leave us again. Ever.

Joel: Oh, does it? Well, Liam, let me share you some words of wisdom. ... Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Liam: (after a pause and looking to me then back at his Daddy)
         Umm, Daddy-- that is NOT a Bible verse.

Sledding... Take 3

We got another couple inches last night. Liam and Aiden came out with me, as usual, to help shovel snow. :)

Then they decided to go sledding. The sidewalks didn't quite meet their fancy, so they told me they were going to go sledding down the hill instead.

Meet the Virkler Hill.

Fun, but not fun enough, apparently...  Liam decided he would sled down the big hill instead. :)

(Aiden had a go at it too, but I wanted to make sure he didn't fall over, so I didn't film it. He slid further then Liam (less weight on the cement :)  Once he saw Liam's less successful attempt on the steep "big boy hill", he chose to eat it's snow instead.
 

Phoenix-Bound

Today we went shopping in TJ. They were out of the tropical fruit mix until May. My poor husband will not have them in Ghana apparently. Liam begged for watermelon- I told him we had to wait until it was warm outside. It could possibly be sweet, but watermelon does not seem like a winter fruit, nor do I want to chance it and end up with a dud. A TJ employee walked by, and told him that if he waited for June and July, it would taste yummy then. He looked at her, looked at me, and said,

"well, let's just go to Phoenix then. It's warm there, so the watermelon will taste yummy."

Hmmm. That has been his daily rhetoric for the past couple weeks (since the first snowfall post-Christmas). 

And he's not the only one.

If he's not on a boat to Phoenix (don't fault him, he doesn't know geography yet :), it's an airplane. And forget the clothes. All he needs is his trains (and owl backpack if it's not hidden in the car).

And apparently his airplane slippers for extra lift. 

Sledding...

the good ole' fashioned way.

It was finally warm enough to head out today. And since the polar vortex (or our children) killed the van battery and I'm roughing it one more day alone- well, we just had fun playing outside. To say the boys were dying to get outside would be the understatement of the month. Even Aiden, who normally doesn't last too long outside was out there a good three hours. (Don't worry, I rotated gloves :)

Liam prayed that there would still be snow tomorrow for him to play with. Even with it currently raining as I type, I'm sure the snow won't be gone anytime soon.

Gotta love the icicle popsicles :)

I told the boys I'd take them for a couple laps around the yard before I went back in to finish feeding Callum.
The older boy was super "discited!" (for some reason he always says "dis" instead of "ex")

 The other would not give the sled the time of day. Probably didn't trust me.

After I told Liam I had to head indoors, Liam asked Aiden if he wanted a sled ride. 

Apparently Aiden didn't trust Liam either. He'd rather eat snow.

 So Liam showed me how to make a one-legged snow angel.

 Aiden decided that was a better idea then sledding. 

No, the wings never got any bigger.

 How pathetic is this? Liam was so sad he couldn't pull anyone around, that he was forced to pull his bear, Six.

Who, btw, Auntie Katie, was cold-- he doesn't have a winter coat...

So after seeing the pathetic scene outdoors, I went and grabbed the baby snowsuit. 

My victim has a happy face. Even when he is immobile from the snowsuit. He didn't know what was coming to him...

 One of the only pictures of him upright. It didn't last long. I was afraid he'd fall out.

I love this little caravan :)

 And he's still smiling. Even after Aiden patted him on the face, leaving behind residual snow from his mittens.

I don't think this kid knows how to not smile.

 Aiden wanted his "baby" in there too. 

So two babies went tobagganing.

Yes folks, the kid is actually laughing. Unbelievable.

 He still wanted to be outdoors, but I brought him in-- he didn't want to wear mittens, and I didn't want his hands to get cold. And he needed a nap.

 Not wanting to be outdone by his baby brother- and realizing, his older brother could indeed be gentle,
Aiden tried out the sled-- backwards!

 Pulling Liam didn't work out so well. 

 After they were done sledding, they tried out "boating".

 Love these boys-- especially when they play so well together!

Sledding when you are "Snowed In"

Although the weather was warmer yesterday and today, my husband, knowing how I am with ice on the roads, gave me strict instructions to not be driving about until the weekend when temperatures are a bit above freezing. He even was willing to take some time from his day to take me to Target to get necessities (diapers!). And so I've begrudgingly stayed inside-- although the free drink from Starbucks almost got me to walk to the nearby coffee shop.

Not a B1G1, or a 50% off mind you, but an absolutely, no strings attached kind of free... oh the trajesty. I made a homemade cup of hot cocoa to make up for it. Not quite the caramel flan they were advertising, but still yummy.

The boys continue to go insane indoors. And my patience continues to be sanded down to a thin veneer. With some patches here and there. And I dream about sending them to school. And then realize I'm in it for the long haul. One more reason to stick around here so I can ship them off to Oakdale...

And I continue to be convicted read Families where Grace is in Place. Very good. Wonder what I must've looked like that Andrea gave me a copy... probably just a mom who is constantly praying for God's grace and mercy throughout the day. :) I keep wondering why my next blogger book hasn't come in yet-- I figure God's wanting me to get through this one first, albeit a couple pages at a time.

What does any of that have to do with the title?

Oh, nothing.

Thanks for allowing me to have some therapeutic journaling.

As for the pictures below, thankfully they were performed while there was an orthopedic surgeon "in house". ;)

Feeling convicted about their lack of exercise, I mostly scolded to not make any holes in the walls-- don't need any more fix-ups before we sell. Aiden didn't really ever slide down except on his rump. He used to be the more adventurous. Not sure if he is mellowing out, or just a bit wiser in some areas. He was, however, more then happy to give his brother a push and laugh hysterically the times when the Arby's box would catch on the stairs sending Liam flying into the wall. Callum patiently waited for his nap, as they were making too much of a racket too close to his bed.

Rare Footage of the Polar Vortex

A lot of people are wondering what the polar vortex looks like. They go on tv, listen to the radio, or surf the internet and see something like this...

Or maybe the extremes of this...

(That is the lovely driveway that my husband and I shoveled 4x throughout a 48hr period, and then my wonderful neighbor pristinely cleaned the last few inches with his snowblower so I wouldn't have to be out in the negative degree weather-- so blessed!)

But, I think you'd be hard-pressed to see this side of the polar vortex. What happens when a mother is unable to unleash her children outdoors for the second day in a row.

All of a sudden, this innocence...

 (sweatshirts are on, because the downstairs was not quite able to keep up, so it got down to 62, until mid-afternoon when it slowly crept back upto 70)

 (bittersweet desire to be outside... to shovel the snow and be 'Mommy's knight', but not lose his hands to frostbite...)

... unleashes a destructive vortex of it's own in a matter of hours...

Thank goodness warm(er) weather is on it's way.

I think Callum agrees.