:. the babe, the awesome king .:

As you celebrate the birth of that tiny babe in Bethlehem, don't misunderstand who Jesus really is. Many of His day didn't recognize their King; many failed to respond to His offer of mercy. Most didn't understand that He was the Eternal God incarnate.

The apostle John knew Jesus well. He walked with Him on this earth, saw Him transfigured on the mount, and ate dinner with the resurrected Jesus. He saw Him ascend into heaven with his own eyes.
Yet towards the end of his life, John records a vision he saw of his beloved Savior and friend. When he beheld Jesus, he "fell at His feet as though dead." He was now seeing the glorified King of heaven and earth - awesome, indeed. Jesus placed His hand on John and told him he needn't be afraid.

That babe in the manger is now the glorified Christ who sits at the right hand of God in heaven. And He has said He will return to the earth one day. On that day, there will be no mistaking Him. He is coming the second time as "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS", with power and great glory. At the sight of Him, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
What kind of people ought we to be?

Yes, rejoice that the baby was born.
But recognize that He deserves your all.

:. a beautiful chaos .:

For various reasons (laziness being high on the list) it's been awhile since I've hosted family dinner. Last night we finally all came together.
There are twelve of us in the immediate family: six adults and six children. We grown-ups are all friends; we love each other dearly. And the cousins, well, they are absolutely ecstatic whenever they get together. My home is on the small side, so all of us together makes for a very cozy gathering. Very cozy. Some might call it chaotic.

Coming from the kitchen after seeing to the final dinner prep, I stood in the doorway drinking in the scene in the living room:

• my wonderful sons, engaged in conversation, deepening their brother-bond
• my two beautiful girls, sharing an armchair, talking and giggling madly
• all six of my littles, their toys strewn EVERYwhere, laughing, running, hugging, sharing

I thought my heart might burst.
It continued through dinner - the stories, the laughter, the happy chatter.
The highlights?

• the lovely prayers lifted up by the little ones before we began our meal
• Josh telling his crazy fat raccoon story, every child in rapt attention 
• Eisley guffawing that wonderful belly-laugh of sheer delight at the conclusion of said fat raccoon story
• Liam explaining how he planned (with my help) to make a brain out of yarn
• the way my kids love their nieces and nephews as if they were their own
• the deep love that showed itself as we sat around the table enjoying lasagna and family

I found myself offering up a prayer to my wonderful Savior, thanking Him for such beautiful chaos.

:. today .:

Today was a good day.
I spent some time with Gavie -
we invented a new game involving bubbles, squirt guns and Han Solo.
We also spoke in cursive...
and worked on our multiplication tables.
We sang...and laughed...
and enjoyed the glorious spring day.
Today was a good day.

Today was a good day.
I saw a girl crossing University on a unicycle.
A unicycle!
I walked out of the fabric store having spent only 66 cents...
and I overheard friends sharing a laugh.
The sky was blue, birds were singing...
And I had a good book to read.
Yes, today was a good day.

Today was a good day.
I had food, I was clothed, I had shelter.
I had people who love me...
and those I can love in return.
I had enough trial to help me grow...
and failure enough to keep me humble.
I had everything I need...
and more.
Yes, today was a good day.

"This is the day The Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

:. all glory to God .:

When one has a progressive brain disorder simple, everyday tasks become increasingly difficult. Getting dressed, getting in and out of bed, walking - movement in general - all becomes more challenging. Combine that with loss of strength and balance and a decline in cognitive ability and you have an idea of what life is like with Parkinson's disease.

It's no secret that the past few years have been hard for Benny. Putting in 14-hour days just trying to keep up at work; slowly realizing Parkinson's was making it impossible to do his job; and finally having no choice but to take early retirement - all that is quite dispiriting.
Hardest of all, perhaps, has been my life-long DIY-er watching his DIY-ing skills gradually slipping away. Benny has always been a master: refinishing, refurbishing, remodeling; you name it, and he did it. And did it perfectly. He still tackles many home improvement projects, but at a much slower, unsteadier pace.

A dozen years ago we added the pièce de résistance to our backyard garden: a lovely little pond complete with waterfall. It was a labor of love and it was beautiful.

** [Historical side-note: In 12 years, and with 6 grandchildren running around, only two people have ever fallen in said pond. Their names? Katie and Eisley . . . go figure.]

Fast-forward 10 years: our pond had become more trouble than we could handle. The past 2 years we've had broken pumps, out-of-control silt and algae, filters that refused to filter. It was a 300-gallon nightmare. Last month Benny decided the pond had to go. A huge job, but we knew we could enlist the help of our two super-strong boys.

Before we could even ask for their help, the cavalry arrived.

We have been a part of Westwind Church since last year. Like many churches, Westwind has a number of smaller groups (called "Connection Groups") you can join in order to connect on a more intimate level. These groups meet weekly in homes, fleshing out the message from the previous Sunday, getting to know one another better, praying for each other. When our little group got wind of this pond-filling project looming large before us, they did not hesitate. They signed on, signed up, and set a date.

Last Saturday, 20 people showed up at our house at 8am. Twenty people. They gave up one of the first perfect Saturdays of the spring to help us. And truth be told, Benny and I haven't exactly been stellar in attending our connection group the past 6 months. Some of those who came we hardly knew. But they came and they worked. They moved sand and pavers, they raked and tilled and mulched and swept. They replaced a rotten pillar. They even brought lunch.

It was a wonderful day, laboring together, and not only did we get a fresh start on our home, but 20 people are now tied more closely with an unbreakable bond.

And lest you say, "Well, of course they would do that for one of their own", let me be clear that this group, and Westwind as a whole, very actively serves many in the metro who are not a part of the church. They have helped the poor, the hungry, the homeless. They have tried to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

They can love like this because they are fully loved by God. They have chosen to align themselves with God's will, giving themselves over to the leadership of Jesus Christ in their lives. Jesus said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give My life as a ransom for many."

Christians have been known to get a bad rap, sometimes deservedly so. But when you find people who are being obedient to God and led by the Spirit of God, you see the Church as it was meant to be.

Need a church home? Want to be surrounded by people who will love you unconditionally? If you're anywhere near the Des Moines metro area, I suggest you visit Westwind. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

And our deepest, heart-felt thanks to our wonderful connection group. It is a pleasure doing life with you guys!!

:. talk about indolence .:

Gavie and I were hanging out the other day, playing a game of 'ways we are different, ways we are alike'. I threw out the fact that he likes to run, and I don't. Without missing a beat (and with absolutely no malice) he said, "Granny, you are indolent."
[For all of you people too indolent to look it up in the dictionary, it means 'lazy'.]

This from the boy who a year ago could hardly read. This from the boy who had pretty much been given up on by his teacher last year. This from my dear, sweet 2nd-grade Gavie, who is now reading at a sixth grade level, thanks mainly to the wonderful people at Educational Resource Associates.

What a wonderful thing, to be able to read! It broadens not only your vocabulary, but your whole world.
And you know what? Gavie's right: I do trend towards being indolent.

:. Orange ya glad it's not the 70's? .:

I was given this rescue chair a few months back. It was headed for the curb, but since it was in pretty good shape (other than the hideous out-dated orange velvet) I decided to give it a home. It remained stashed away in my garage until recently, when I finally found THE PERFECT FABRIC.

First off: EVERYTHING. There wasn't enough 'cush' for my tastes, and besides, I couldn't bear the thought of putting my beautiful new fabric on the old, worn-out foam and batting. So I took it down to the bare wood and springs.

You find such interesting things when tearing apart something that old (said the medical examiner as he finished up the autopsy. Just kidding.) I found a pair of tweezers, a pair of scissors, and THIS guy:

Such a McMillanish super stud. Oh, the 70's.

I didn't take a lot of step-by-step, but here I am midway through. New foam, new batting . . . and that gorgeous birdie fabric!! I used 4" thick foam for the back and seat cushion, and wrapped everything with a generous double layer of batting. CUSH-EE!!

And the finished chair:

And here it is in it's natural habitat:

A perfect addition to my little corner of the universe.

I am NOT by any means an expert upholsterer. This is only my second attempt, but with the limitless  information highway known as the internet, you can learn to do ANYthing. (I've often said if there was a tutorial online for brain surgery, I'd probably give it a whirl. IF I could find someone willing to let me try it out on them.)

And finally, I leave you with the CarLingHa family motto:

"Don't look too closely!"

:. balance .:

A faithful reader of this blog (perhaps the only reader of this blog) gently reminded me the other day that it has been nearly a year since I've posted anything. [Thanks, mom.] I decided to log on just to have a look around. Imagine my chagrin when I realized how outdated the pics were on my sidebar, not to mention the fact that I had yet to post a snap of my littlest Thatcher love.
Yes, I've been negligent, lazy, uninspired, busy, careless . . . call it whatever you will.

I decided a few weeks ago that 'balance' would be my goal for 2013. Doing what needs to be done, making time for people I love, taking time to relax, a little of this, a little of that.
And in that vein, attempting to blog when and if I actually have something blog-worthy to share.

We'll see how it goes.

For now, please enjoy the updated pics of the wonderful little people in my life.