The Intentional Life

I thought it was a thing. I remember my mom doing it back when we were young. Cataloging it with a picture. 12 eggs all in a row, standing up on end. On the Spring Equinox.  It had something to do with the earth's position that eggs could stand on end on this day, perfectly balanced. Well, that was last century.  When Google was just a word you used to describe a really big number, not a search engine. My childhood facts were dashed, as Snopes.com revealed the truth. The Chinese are often cited as having originated the practice of standing eggs on end during the equinox. Just as the equinox symbolically restores balance to the world by signalling its rebirth after a season of darkness, the equinox literally balances the day by dividing it into equal portions of darkness and light. Nonetheless, the vernal equinox brings no special egg-balancing properties with it . Standing an egg on its end is something just about anyone can do any day of the year; t...

"We have a new family and a new home and we are now back in school!" -Famatta, child from New Hope Children's Home  Ebola . The deadly virus that prowled West Africa last year, dominating the news and our newsfeeds. In Liberia alone, taking the lives of over 4,000, and leaving in it's wake sons and daughters to be orphaned and alone. Meet three of those children: Famatta (14), Olbed (13) and Delight (8), son and daughters of George and Oretha Kanwah, whose lives were taken by the Ebola virus. In response to this catastrophe, Lifesong staff in Liberia have established New Hope Children's Home , a home to not only provide shelter for 10 children orphaned by the Ebola virus, but also to give caregiver jobs to Ebola survivors. Fametta graciously shares the devastation they have saw and felt, and of the hope that is slowly shining through... "My father got the virus when a lady in his church was sick and he took her to the hospital. While at ...

She gets her spelling honestly.  I have struggled with it just as much, if not more, than what she does at this current age. So, when she hands me this lovely little note....I'll try not to take it personally.

Welp.  Here we are nearly a week into March, and I'm just getting around to this. I have no excuse to give, though I can come up with some. Instead, I will post pics.  We've had a good share of snow days around here, though, thankfully, not quite like last year. This particular one was a Sunday.  Church let our early, all 3 kids went home and immediately put on snow clothes and played outside for several hours.  It also happened to be Maddie's birthday.   It was fun to be snuggled in together, with no need to go anywhere.  The only downside was that grandparents weren't able to join us as planned, due to the snow.  They were slated to bring the ice cream, so we improvised - snow ice cream!  Living beside a church means we have a huge pile of snow plowed from the parking lot right out our door.  It lends itself to sledding and snow forts.  Maddie's box she made for Valentine's Day at her...

The saga continues. Like a bad joke that keeps coming up. Paul and I were going to leave on a much anticipated weekend getaway with dear friends that we hadn't seen in more than a decade. We were T-minus 30 minutes from departure when I heard that gut-wrenching sound: Rushing water. Above my head. And then I saw it. Running down the wall, a waterfall in the doorway. Yep.  We have had yet another busted pipe.  You cannot make this stuff up. Thankfully, oh, my praise the Lord, thankfully, I was in the exact same place as the leak when the pipe busted.  I had a moment of complete shock as I stared at the water falling from the ceiling, but then made a rush to the water pump and turned the sucker off. Thankfully, I was there to turn it off and the water damage is minimal. Thankfully, I was there, because originally I wasn't supposed to be. Originally I was supposed to be on a field trip with Maddie, with none of us coming home until 45 minutes after th...

And everything in time and under heaven Finally falls asleep Wrapped in blankets white, all creation Shivers underneath And I notice you When branches crack And in my breath on frosted glass Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter You are Winter And everything that's new has breavely surfaced Teaching us to breathe What was frozen through is newly purposed Turning all things green So it is with You And how You make me new With every season's change And so it will be  As you are recreating me Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring from Nichole Nordeman's "Every Season" Listen to the whole song here .

Earlier this week in family devotions we asked the kids to pick a number between 1 and 150. Hannah was the first to call out with "147!" So we read Psalm 147.  And it worked quite well with our present time (of course it did, isn't that how His Word works!?)   He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.   He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.   He hurls down hail like pebbles.   Who can withstand his icy blast?   He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up the breezes and the waters flow. It's cold out there today - one of the coldest this year.  But take heart!  He will soon 'send his word' and it will all melt - Spring is coming soon!