My two littlest are playing in their room this morning. They are supposed to be cleaning up, and there is a little bit of that going on, but a lot of playing and planning, and talking.

At one point there is clearly some kind of disagreement, and Sasha bursts from the room,

"Mom!? Mom!? Gracie is breaking the Ten Commandments. Mom!? Gracie is bearing FALSE WITNESS!"

I managed to keep a straight face as I told him to go back in their room and remember to love his neighbor as himself!

Give me a sign...

The youth were in charge of the service this morning at church. They do this once a month, and I absolutely LOVE it when they do. Today was no exception. The theme was hope, and in what are we placing our hope.

One part of the service was pretty unusual for a church service here, but they did a short play. I could never reproduce in written words what they communicated through this drama, but it was very impactful. I've seen drama used before, but not in Ukraine, and not in such a powerful way - wow!

One young man preached the short sermon today, and it was the first time I'd seen him preach - we were very impressed. He used one illustration, and THIS is what I wanted to pass on. He told a story to illustrate the measure of God's love for us:

"Once there was a man in prison, who realized his sinful and needy position. He repented, and when he was about to be released from prison, he wrote a letter to his parents. He knew he had no one else to turn to, and he also knew how much pain and strife he had caused them. Remembering that the train would go past the family home before it arrived at the village train station, he asked his parents for a sign.

He wrote in his letter that if they were willing to take him into their home again, and if they could forgive him and look beyond all the pain and suffering that he knew had been his fault, would they please hang a bedsheet on the tree in their backyard. This way, as the train neared his village, and passed their home, he would see the bedsheet and know that he could get off the train and go home.

As he rode this train to the village, his heart beat faster in his chest and he began to feel nervous - of course. Would they receive him? Could they possibly forgive him after all that he had done to them?! He almost couldn't bear to look out the window!

As the train chugged past the family home, the man looked out the window and saw that every tree in the yard was covered with 2 and 3 and 4 bedsheets... he was forgiven and welcome at home."

The message of today's service certainly spoke to many hearts. One precious man named Victor came forward at the end of church to pray in repentance... he is a new creature today!! Praise God.

Psalm 13:6

Many of you realize that we've been praying about housing and a car for our time in the States this summer. As the time creeps closer, of course, we have a tendency to worry a bit about such things. Our minds start to run ahead to all the possibilities we might be able to pull together on our own. Then, we remember that God is good... and that means that He is in the habit of doing what is good for us, what is for our benefit.

Yesterday, that meant giving us a place to live this summer! We have been offered a furnished home in the country outside Rochester, Minnesota. I am very excited about what it will mean to our family to have our own place to be (Mom was right!) and to make summer memories in the country is going to be so precious.

Psalm 13:6
"I will sing to the LORD because he has been so good to me."

"honey-do"

Months ago I began a project of putting new covering over the seats of our dining chairs. In all this time I'd only done one of the four chairs! Tonight I decided to do one more of them - after all my hot glue gun has been on the counter all afternoon begging me to use it. :)

This evening I did one more dining chair, and decided to try another of our stackable "guest" chairs...this is the before and after. It was a can of worms, but once opened - you can't exactly put them back in the can!! Anyhow, now I have 3 of the eight chairs (all together) done... maybe by this time next year it'll really be finished!

more things I love...

On Valentine's Day last week we gathered as a family to talk a little about love, and Kevin opened the Bible to 1 Corinthians 13, of course. It brought such joy to hear those wonderful words read out by Sasha - our toothless first grader who is reading like a pro!
American History this year is SUCH a hit. Misha hasn't figured out that I have planned it purposely so that his reading and history are about the same times, same people, same experiences. He's so excited and surprised each time he comes across another "coincidence!"

little russian speakers

On Tuesdays and Saturdays, we have russian lessons for the kids. It is such a blessing to us, and their new teacher is wonderful. Her name is Yulia, and she is as beautiful "on the inside", as Gracie would say, as she is on the outside. Today our classmates were ill, so we had a shortened lesson. Yulia was pleased to see that Sasha and Gracie remembered the poem she taught them last time, and I was able to get it on video. Hope you like it!

they're growing up

Most evenings after supper, my boys have graduated from playing 'kiddie' games and are now hooked on "Settlers of Cataan"... it's such fun to see them all play together! The boys feel so big, competing against Daddy and I think it's alot of fun for K too.

"Perhaps I am a bear,
or some hibernating animal underneath,
for the instinct to be half asleep all winter
is so strong in me."
~~By Anne Morrow Lindbergh.~~.




"Advice is like snow - the softer it falls,
the longer it dwells upon,
and the deeper it sinks into the mind."
~~By Samuel Taylor Coleridge.~~

my love language

I'm not a "gotta have my coffee in the morning" type of person. But, when I could use a little cheering up, or a little moment of quiet comfort in my day - this is what I'm most likely to look for. Starbucks Cafe Verona...(Thanks R & T for the latest infusion!)

Things I love...

beauty

Ever since we moved the previous rug a few weeks back, we have been looking for the "right" rug for the livingroom. Today I found it. I wonder a little, if it was a wise choice, given the age of our family... but we are happy with it and the price was right!

Tonight we had a room-full of people and when they left, we sat and admired the rug. After a quiet while, K said, "It's important to have beautiful things." I'm so glad he thinks so!

Little Helpers

Little missie helpie girl is having a much better day today. She was on "egg patrol" this morning for our birthday breakfast bash. Bacon, cheesie eggs, biscuits & jam, fresh coffee... yummy!

Happy Birthday!

Papa is 35 today! Our day started with first birthday wishes from R & T in Minnesota - thanks, guys! K snuck back to bed, so that the kids and I could "wake him up" with Happy Birthday song and the invitation to our special birthday breakfast.

We are so thankful for K as the husband and father in this family unit. None of us would be the people we are without him. We are counting our blessings and he is at the top of today's list!

3 Years' War?

I'm sure many of you could not sleep last night for wondering what Gracie decided about her fish!

I'm glad to report that she DID clean her plate... at 3:30 this afternoon. Oh my goodness. At one point Kevin was encouraging me to stand firm and he said, "Hey - just think of it as a Three Years' War! The last time this happened (7-hour ordeal mentioned yesterday) she was 18 months old. It's been three years, something has been brewing - and here it is!" Well, I don't know if I want to do this every three years; but it's worth it if it teaches her to trust and obey.

When she cleaned her plate, I pulled her into my lap and asked her if she knew why it was so important for her to eat the food. She said very matter-of-factly, "Yes, Mama. It was all about obedience... not so much about fish." Well, I guess she got the point. Nine at-the-table hours, four re-heats, and many tears later.

Whew!

Fish

I have a nephew who, at the age of what - maybe 2years? - spent most of a day in his high chair because he refused to eat his oatmeal. I have another nephew who fell asleep in his carseat chanting, "don' want my hamerger... don' want my french fries..." over and over. (You guys know who you are, or at least your moms and aunties do! :))

I have a daughter who once spent 7 hours in her crib (including frequent check-backs from Mom & Dad with opportunities to reconcile) because she would not say "please" for her drink at the lunch table. Same precious daughter is sitting alone at the now-cleared dinner table, red faced, tear streaked, and completely terrified by the fish that I baked for dinner.

I can hear her in there grousing to herself, "Why DID Mama have to make fish anyhow? It's BAD fish, I tell you, BAD! Fish - pee yoo, right-o! And if I DON'T eat it, she's gonna keep it in the refrigerator and make me have it for breakfast, but I don't WANT to eat it for breakfast! Maybe I should just throw it in the trash and eat nothing... oh man, I'm broken!"

It occurs to me that I have, at different times in my life, looked with disdain and fear on what it is that God has prepared for me. I have wondered WHY He has given me a particular circumstance, I have wondered why I can't just throw it away and eat nothing. I have said to myself or my husband, "Oh man, I'm broken!" I have wanted to walk away and hope He didn't serve it up to me again for breakfast. But you know, in His Goodness...He always does. I've learned to eat my "fish", and I've learned to have a happy heart about it - most of the time.

Little sweetie girl hasn't learned that her fish tastes as good right now as it is ever going to taste - it's all down hill from here. Our dinner contest has quickly changed from being about fish. Now it's about obedience, and trust. Hmmm... just like God and me.

Special People

This is Genna & Armie Friesen with their boys: Joshua, Jonas, and Jan. They are very special friends, as many of you know. We were together in Sumy, and are now all in Kiev together. Our kids study russian together and we attend the same church. Besides the fact that our lives have so many similar activities, we are close friends - they are a real blessing to us! I am thinking of them today and I say, "Thank you, God, for these good friends and co-laborers."

Jack Vettriano

My internet exploration has shown me that not all works by this artist are as wonderful as the several that I love. I haven't figured out where to buy them at a price I can afford, but I have actually seen them displayed here in Kiev! This one is called "Back Where You Belong", and I first saw this painting when Kevin had been away for several days. I love the warm red and gold with the dramatic black. I am a hopeless romantic on the inside, and I coudn't help loving this photo.

Two More paintings: "The Singing Butler" and "Eulogy for a Dead Admiral"

So far SO good!

I know, it's only Tuesday, and the truth is we're not having a PERFECT week or anything. We knew it wouldn't be as though turning off the TV was our magic pill for domestic harmony. All that being said, it HAS been a good week. Yesterday I rearranged the livingroom (yay!) and now it is more conducive to conversation, not to mention feeling bigger and more cozy. Today I put my desk back together, and it is somewhat less cluttered at least. :) We've also had two good days of school with the kids. This was a good step... stay tuned!

Happy Dance

Gracie has a new habit that is adorable, hilarious, and inspiring all at the same time... we call it her happy dance.

She does a little jig - all elbows and heels, like Jiminy Cricket - and while she dances back and forth, she sings, "I'm Happy! I'm Happy! I'm Happy Happy Happy! I'm Happy! I'm Happy! Wheee!" It seems impossible for any of the rest of us to be UNhappy in the face of this dance.

This week we are concentrating on infusing more joy into our home. Kevin has been reading John Ortberg's book, The Life You've Always Wanted and it has been convicting to both of us. Lastnight we decided to try something a little drastic by some accounts.

We have unplugged the TV - playstation, DVD player, cable box - everything - and for this entire week (hopefully longer) we will have no entertainment of this kind. I am excited by the possibilities this presents... more time, earlier to bed, earlier to rise, more FAMILY time, more peace.

You know me, I'm sort of a drastic measures type of person, and I'm ready for this... God has been preparing me, preparing our hearts for it. I have a feeling that before this week is out, we'll all be doing a happy dance together!

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

Heroes

Everyone needs a Jedi hanging around, don't they? Now if only I could master that whole mind-trick thing!! Sasha has a wonderful imagination, and it is so fun to see the kids play well together... when it happens that way. ;)

Time is flying by for this little hero of mine... does every mother do this as her child is about to turn 9 years old? "Yikes!!! "My" time with him is half over... but I've so much more to do, and so much to undo, and I'm a failure, and, and, and... " Misha is a wonderful young man. He has a lot to learn, and some things to unlearn. But we're proud of him, and we love to have him around.

Special People

This is Taras, a special friend of our family. Gracie and I met him this summer on the team we went to camp with. He has had a special place in her heart from the very beginning, but as he has come to our discussion group, he has become a dear friend to all of us. Taras is a talented musician, and last week he volunteered to be the boys' piano teacher. What a blessing it was today to watch their first lesson.


Misha's lesson is entirely in russian, and his understanding is impressive! Sasha gets about half russian and half english with Taras, and a little translation from Mom. I was especially moved to see how patient and kind Taras is with Sasha. They have some kind of an understanding which has been really unusual for Sasha and anyone speaking russian.
We invited Taras to stay for supper tonight, and ended up talking with him until 9pm when he had to go. One of the many amazing people God has given to us... meet Taras!

Around the house...

Opportunity Arises

Just as I had hoped, I am given a chance today to serve someone else. It's not very convenient for me, or for K... but it matters to us that someone asked for our help and we are going to do it. We will be glad we did. Not only that, but my little peanut girl begged - literally on her knees - to be allowed to come along. I explained that we weren't going to a playdate or anything, and that she might be bored. She replied, "But Mama, I don't WANT to play! I want to be HELPIE!"

That's my girl - modeling the joy of service for me! Strengthen my frame today, Lord - I want to be 'helpie'.