Encouragement

Weak and wounded sinner

Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus, come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live! Untitled hymn, by Chris Rice

This is playing on my computer right now, cranked to the max :) The music is beautiful, and the reminder essential. I'm working was working in the kitchen, making three gluten-free/dairy free meals for this weekend so we can enjoy our time with our visitors, and there is something about having hymns playing in the background that makes the day absolutely better. I need these reminders when I'm up to my elbows in cough candies, kleenex' and motrin and the carpet needs to be steam-cleaned again. Oh, and 'Candyland' is on the agenda as soon as Jessie gets to bed, so I'd better go... but the line, "Now your burden's lifted, and carried far away, and precious blood has washed the stain away, so sing to Jesus" will be the refrain of my heart!

Music is a precious gift!

Days off

The weather has been beautiful, and Washington is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the initial planting of 3,000 cherry trees that were gifted to Washington by the Japanese as a sign of friendship in 1912.

The Washington Monument is surrounded by these cherry trees that in full bloom this week (3 weeks ahead of the scheduled festival :)

Rows upon rows of these trees surround the tidal basin, and pictures don't do justice.

Samantha

We've got 4 weeks of guests coming up, and we just found out that some are overlapping, so I've been frantically sewing curtains, staying up late to try to get the last two rooms done, and trying to come up with a gluten free/dairy free diet. I felt like we didn't have time to take a day off, to 'waste' it doing 'frivolous' things.

This is never frivolous. Spending time with family, giggling, growing.

How foolish I am. The curtains will get done. Or they won't.
Emma

But the blooms were only at peak for three days. And we ALL needed this day off, this day to just play, picnic, enjoy water, helicopters, and sun. And who would have thought that we would have needed sunblock in March :)

Thankful

We have so many things to be thankful for, and while this wasn't my initial reaction to hearing that Emma would need her arm in a cast for the next 4 weeks, especially while I'm busy preparing for guests, I do have much to be thankful for. This is not merely an inconvenient accident, this is an act of grace, a gift from a sovereign God who knows what we need, where we must grow, and what it will take to get us there :)

So here goes my thanksgiving list.

I'm thankful:

• that God makes little bones to heal, and gives us good earthly physicians to help
• that we have healthy children, who are actively running and getting bruised and banged, using their growing bodies to glorify God and testify to their amazing Creator.
• that this makes me pause and focus on the kids, giving them extra help during a time when I'm tempted to try to make the house a magazine museum for our guests, rather than do my primary tasks, and focus on the hospitality rather than the outward presentation :)
• that I got to spend a lot of one-on-one time with a little girl who loves doctors and nurses, and we had a lot of good waiting-room conversations and cuddles
• Emma is a cheerful adapter, and after picking up a ton of material to make cast covers, she's as good as new and has been learning how to do life left-handed.
• Samantha and Jessie get to learn to help more, and agreed to hide the sandbox so Emma wouldn't be tempted to play in it - they are learning sacrificial service.
• that hopefully she'll be healed up in time for the pool to open
• God gives grace, sufficient for the day, every day!!

In addition, we're getting to go on lots of walks, and are experiencing beautiful days, full of sun and blossoming fruit trees. We're heading to DC tomorrow to enjoy the peak of the cherry blossoms (3 weeks prior to the actual Cherry Blossom festival!)

Can't wait!

"We should do this more often, Mom!"

Dear sweet Emma. This was her response to seeing 4 doctors in 2 days, getting x-rays and finding out she had a broken arm! Fortunately her arm hasn't been hurting her and the thrill of attention, stickers and being told she was simply 'adorable' multiple times won the day.

Emma tripped and fell backwards while in Michigan, and seemed fine until she went to hug someone and just about hit the roof. Our former pediatrician assessed her in church on Sunday, and said we could wait to get x-rays until back in Maryland, and gave us a brace to use until we got back. Fast forward - trip to pediatricians, x-ray, pediatric orthopedist and pediatrician. X-ray results show a break from 5-6 weeks ago!!!! Talk about humiliating! She's been using it and doing gymnastics without ANY indication of discomfort :( The pediatricians were great, however, and reassured me that this type of break often goes undiagnosed because there is no loss of function and very few complaints of pain. Sigh. And now Sami is requesting x-rays :)

In other news, Jessie added fruit snacks to our stir fry last night, and green gummy bears do lose their crunch. The little monkey snuck into the pantry to get a fruit snack, fed 1/2 to Jack, then added some to the stir fry and I didn't realize until I was fishing out green goo and Jessie says, "Fruit snack!!"

All our girls had their doctors appointment several weeks ago, and after receiving many, many comments about how tall they were (they were short in dutch Grand Rapids) the verdict is that they are in the 80th percentile for height.

They keep growing, and praising God in their growth. We are amazed by how God made little brains to learn and process, and little hands to stay busy causing Mom's hands to stay busier. We are so thankful for them, and for an ultrasound that reveals that 'corncob' is growing well. I was saddened by an ultrasound technician who was very rude and disparaging about the gift of children, horrified to hear that this was number 4. And then I looked at the little profile, amazed that God has entrusted another blessing to us, and what a mystery that is! I saw glimpses of Samantha, Emma and Jessie-Lynn in the profile, the little pug-nose, the flat forehead and yet this profile was completely distinct and unique, as precious as the soul this body clothes. And I was amazed at God's work, wondering who this little one will be, and what character she/he will add to our family, and how God will use this little one to shape the rest of us. I was grieved again that the lady could so easily dismiss this and overlook the amazing treasure that her sonogram wand was revealing. I was reminded again "You knit me together in my mothers womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" And thankful I am called to honor God and my husband, not societal norms.

And now the other room has gone quiet, so I must run...