Toothless Wonder

I have a lot on my mind today, but at the same time I'm having one of those days where it's difficult for me to express myself very well. So, being that I'm at a unique loss for words, I thought I'd just share a snapshot from the lighter side of life around here. Check it out - my little boy is growing up! Two teeth gone this month and only 14 days of Kindergarden left! Where does the time go?

Between his seriously cute gaping hole and my soon-to-be-in-place braces, I guess we won't be eating a ton of corn on the cob this summer, will we?

I hoping to have something better for you all soon, but until then I'll leave you with this thought from Adrian Rodgers that I heard on the radio this afternoon:

When we tell a story in preschool about a frog becoming a prince, it's called a fairy tale. When we tell the same story in school, it's called science.

How's that for a discussion starter?

A Fishy Confession

Ok, I have a serious confession to make, people. It’s a toughy to admit, but here goes:

Hi, my name is Samantha and I’m a fish killer.

There, I said it. On the internet. It’s out there for the whole world to know. I kill fish. More specifically, I kill dearly beloved family pet fish. The kind you can’t even eat, so I can’t even justify it. It’s true. I’m horrible.

It started with spring break vacation. I let the tank get a little out of hand – the water was low, something green was growing on the walls, and a brown plague had taken over the tube where the air stone resides. It was nasty to say the least – like a scene out of a little fishy horror movie.

Still, I could have saved it. I could have intervened, and yet did I? Of course not.

The water level kept getting lower, and the green stuff kept getting brighter. And then I noticed that the algae-eater (affectionately known as “Bubbles”) was laying on his side. On his side, people. You know there is a lot of algae in your tank when the fish who was put on this earth by God Himself to love algae has had enough. It was time for action.

I thought perhaps if I did a complete water change and treated the water with a little salt spa, that maybe he could still pull through. Maybe. So after dinner the other night I went to work. I placed each fish in his own little cup and went to work changing and scrubbing and treating and filling. In minutes the tank was sparkling and ready to be re-inhabited.

Bubbles was the first to move back in. I carefully poured him into the net and set him free in his newly cleaned room. He sank to the bottom, but stayed upright, so I was hopeful.

Next was Two Tales’ turn. I repeated the process of slowly pouring his water through the net to strain him out, but it didn’t go quite as well as it had with his roommate. In fact, when I got to the bottom of his cup, he wasn’t anywhere to be found. I checked the net. I checked the other cup I had used to catch the water. Nothing.

I checked the cat’s mouth. Still nothing.

Being the jump-to-conclusions-accuser that I am, I checked the cat’s bed. You guessed it – nothing. Where could this little guy have gone? Had he simply been rescued from this life Elijah-style? Aliens? What in the world?

That’s when something shiny caught my eye. On the carpet. I seriously don’t know how he got there, but somehow my straining technique had resulted in Two Tales being flung down to a golden Berber-y nightmare. I quickly scooped him up and – cover your eyes fish lovers – picked the cat hair off his tail, before swiftly placing him back in the tank.

The tank where he, too, sank to the bottom, right next to the motionless algae-eater. And, well, he looked a little like he shoulda had a V-8.

So, there you have it. Bubbles made it through the night, but expired some time the next day. Two Tales is still on life support, but the prognosis isn’t good. Apparently Berber is life-threatening to aquatic animals. Who knew?

But, as many of you know, this isn’t the first fish fatality to occur by my hand. No, there was Thiggy. And Diggy (or was it Ziggy? Enough of the children naming pets…). Oh, and Hayes. Who could forget Hayes? I’m sure it will be quite some time before my children forget the sight of his little fishy head falling off…

Ok. So I have another serious confession to make.

My name is Samantha, and I’m a serial fish killer.

The truth is a real bummer, you know that? And yet, I’m sure I’ll be off to the pet store next week to find yet another vict – uh, I mean pet.

Oh, someone’s gotta stop me…

Reminders

Wow. Life is complicated, isn't it? It just seems like things are always changing - that nothing ever stays the same, and that nothing good can just be good without something trying to mess it up. It's confusing, often heartbreaking, and almost always stressful. And at times, it seems like you're so aware of the "complicated" side of things, that you'll never be able to come up for air again and see anything brighter.

That's kind of where I've been lately - bent under the weight of what the world calls "life". But I've gotten several reminders today that what I see going on around me isn't anything close to the life that Jesus had in mind for us when He died.

I've been reminded today that I don't have to fall into the patterns that this world has tried to determine for me. He has set me aside for a greater purpose, and no one can take that away from me. No one can make me go back to the path I was headed down before, because I've been freed from that Egypt, and I ain't goin' back, no-way, no-how.

I've also been reminded today that God chose me to be His own - and He chooses me again and again every day. He doesn't tire of me (although I don't know how). He loves me, and wants me, and even desires me. And because of that, He will never, ever, forget me. Even if the whole world allowed me to be swallowed up and lost, He would still have His hand on my heart and my life in His grasp.

And I've been reminded that when nothing else is constant, Jesus is the Rock to which I can always turn. He is always good. He is always present. He is always the same.

I've needed these reminders today. The past few weeks have been rough ones for me (in many different ways - some more painful than others). At times it has felt like my life has been wrapped up in little deaths - some for the good, some, well, not so much - and it has been consuming, to say the least. So consuming that it's been hard to get that glimpse of Him. Hard to lift my head.

But then I was also reminded today that with God, death does not end in death.

For after The Death, there was resurrection.

And after these deaths too, there will be new life.

I love that our God is the God of hope. I love that in the midst of the darkest, loneliest storms, His light is right there with us because the darkness cannot put it out.

I love that He loves us the way He does.

I'm not selfish enough or so blind that I can't see so many others around me wrapped up in their own season of changes and deaths. I may be the only one fighting my own particular battle, but the battlefield is strewn with casualties right now. It's surreal, really, how much pain and hurt there is to go around today.

If you find yourself with me in those numbers, be encouraged. Find strength as we head into Easter, that while Friday is dark, Sunday is coming. Our Jesus is the resurrected lamb. He has brought life from death, and has taken us out of the grip of darkness.

He is the Way

the Truth,

the Life.

And that will never change.

Some Favorite Spring Break Moments

As promised, here are a few of our favorite shots from spring break.

First, there was the indoor water park - we went every day except one!



Little man loved the lazy river the best

We did some playing on the playground (and some just being cute)

We hiked to Grotto Falls and got really muddy in the process!

We mined for gems - and even found a few worth keeping! I think this guy is like the original mountain man miner or something. Do they come any more authentic than that?

We walked around Gatlinburg and played in the fountain...

...and met a couple of the 600 Santa Clauses in town for the annual Santa convention

And to top it all off, we went to the aquarium and saw some really cool sharks!

We don't get to do family vacations like this very often, so this was a really special time for all of us. I can't tell you how many times in the past couple of weeks I wish we could go back to vacation and forget about life again for a while, but I guess you can' "vacate" your responsibilities forever.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the pictures! And for those of you who are interested in the saga of Squirt, you will be happy to know that squirt has new friends. As far as I can tell, it's a mom, maybe a dad and two babies. And their name? California. Yeah, we live in Tennessee.... Whatever, right?

Samantha