:. the sweetest sound .:

So yesterday I stopped by the Hulling manor to pick up Emily. (We were headed to Ames to work a little magic on Baby Girl's nursery.) Naturally, I ran inside for a minute to say hello to my three little loves.

Tate made happy sounds at me from his position on the solarium rug. Heart-melt.

Liam ran to greet me wearing nothing but a shirt and a smile. Heavenly.

Gavin gave me a huge hug while doing a little happy dance. Perfection.
And then he said:

"Grandma, would you please stay here and have your Special Day with me?!"

Music, I tell you.

:. the bad samaritan .:

Ice, snow, terrible roads. Naturally Benny got his truck stuck trying to get up our driveway last night. And I mean really stuck . . . as in "blocking the street" stuck.
I did go out to help him, though I'm not much help.
I was quite happy when a guy turned onto our block just then. I waved at him to let him know to hold off; there was no way he could get past us. At least there would be another set of muscles to help Benny push as I gunned it, trying to get out of the street.
Unbelievably, the man just sat in his car. For TWENTY minutes. He sat and watched a silver-haired guy and a woman try to get a very stuck truck un-stuck. And didn't lift a finger to help.
I was appalled. Stupefied. Ticked.

And I thought of my boys . . . and how either one of them would have jumped out of their car in a split second, without giving it another thought, and helped someone in need.
[My girls would have had the same impulse; they're just not much help when it comes to pushing cars out of the street.]

Hurray for my boys.
Boo on the guy in the silver Honda.

:. tragedy and the heart of God .:

The pictures coming out of Haiti this week are heartbreaking. There are those who ask, "How can a loving God allow such tragedies?"

Let me say up front, I have no idea why God allows such disasters to take place. I believe it breaks His heart to see so much suffering . . . and yet He, who alone could have stopped it, did nothing.

No, I don't understand that. But I do know that God originally intended for us to live in a perfect world, free from sin, and heartache, and yes, natural disasters. Because of sin, the whole world now lies under a curse.

God is Almighty - so much bigger than you or I - and His ways are "past finding out". To understand every way in which He works in this world would be to cut Him down to our size. And a God who was just like us wouldn't be much of a God at all.

But this post isn't about that, necessarily. This is more about our own hearts.

First of all, Pat Robertson is an idiot. To say that the Haitians have "been cursed" because they "made a pact with the devil" is just wrong. Yes, Haiti has had its share of brutal leaders, and definitely has deep societal problems. But to castigate an entire people is idiotic. That's tantamount to saying they deserved this.

What about Jesus' very own words in Luke 13? He was asked about a tragedy that happened in His day, and He replied,

"Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

I think perhaps God has a few questions of His own:

Why are you just now so concerned for the people of Haiti? They have always suffered from abject poverty. Isn't that, too, a tragedy? Why did it take an earthquake to shake you from your comfortable nest? Aren't there people all over the world who suffer every day? Where is your concern for them? Isn't it a tragedy that so many Americans need to count calories . . . when there are those in the world who go to bed hungry every night? Where is the justice in that? And what exactly will change now that you have this new-found 'concern'?

You see, I don't question God in events such as these.

I question those of us whom God placed here to make a difference . . . but who instead choose to close our eyes, our hands hanging limply at our sides.

:. rest easy, america .:

Yes, Jack is back . . . and America can rest easy for another 24 hours.

I've been so excited for the return of 24, and just this morning I finally snuck a peek at season 8. It seems my 'long-lost son' has landed a major role!

"Cole Ortiz (Freddie Prinze Jr.), a former Marine who wants to follow in Jack Bauer’s footsteps, runs the division’s Field Operations."

I love the sound of that!

:. it's a new day .:

First, the Year In Review (in no particular order):

• Tate Joshua Hulling! • Baby Saldanha! • Massachusetts • Son-Rise • focus room • badly sprained ankle • split chin • parkinsons • siding and windows • nationwide • Red Thread Laine • California • Disney Land! • ChildServe • learning to ride a bike • exploding speech! • family dinners • geel lunch • Special Days With Grandma • birthday buddy celebrations • fireworks • Jazz in July • Ragamuffins • knit, knit, knit • felt, felt, felt • reading • writing • not much 'rithmatic • laughing • some crying • Drake relays 5k in the rain • some good deeds • some selfishness • encouraged some • let others down • sister time • friend time • garden time • Gavin and Liam for a week • Lost parties • 24 parties • ewan and charlie • zombie movies • sunny days • dreary days • ordinary days • extraordinary days •

And now, some New Year's Resolutions (in no particular order):

1. Eat better. This would involve eating more fruit. (Who am I kidding?)
2. Exercise more. (Again with the kidding.)
3. Take vitamins. (I could possibly get this one done.)
4. Design some really smashing hats and bags. (Ha!)
5. Laugh more. (Shouldn't be hard; it's one of my favorite things.)
6. Make stuff.
7. Learn.
8. Grow.
9. Think.
10. Spend more time snorgling those boys and their little girl cousin!!
11. Appreciate people more. (Easy to do on the inside, I don't always show it outwardly.)
12. Walk more closely with my God. (Always, always my goal.)

I welcome you, 2010. I'm ready for whatever you have to throw at me, good or bad. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."