Stinking frogs

In Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) this year we are studying the life of Moses. In just the last eight weeks I've been amazed at how much the ancient story of this man's life has been applicable to mine. This past week we took a closer look at nine of the ten plagues brought about to show God's power to Pharaoh as he would not let the Israelites go. One in particular has stuck with me this week. Can you guess which one?

Yup. The frogs.

To summarize, In Exodus 8:1-15, Moses was instructed by God to have his brother Aaron stretch his hands out over the waters of Egypt, and gazillions of frogs crawled up out of the waters and onto the land, covering everything in sight. It says that frogs were in the houses and bedrooms, in the kneading troughs and ovens. They were everywhere. Yuck.

Interesting stuff, you say, but what can this story possibly teach me? I used to think the plagues were simply a display of God's power, showing that it was Him -- not Pharaoh or Moses or Aaron -- that was ultimately responsible for getting the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. But as I read some of the background of the Egyptian culture, I began to understand that the plagues were strategic moves by God against the three great natural forces of life that the Egyptians worshipped: the Nile River, the land, and the sun. Of all the calamities brought against them, the frog plague hit a nerve.

I read that archaeologists have found amulets carved in the form of frogs, showing that the Egyptians worshipped them. One particular Egyptian god named Hekt (or Heqet) had the head of a frog, or was sometimes pictured with the body of a frog as well. For this reason, it was likely that frogs could not be killed, kind of like the sacred rights of cows in India.

Can you imagine worshipping frogs only to have your life overrun with them, and that there was no way to get rid of them?

The writer of our study notes says this: "The Egyptians were forced to loathe this slimy symbol of their depraved worship."

It got me thinking... When we talk about having 'false gods' or 'idols' in our lives, it's easy to think that I'm exempt. I don't worship the sun or an image carved of wood or stone. Even money isn't that much of a struggle for me personally.

But what about my children?

I can't say that I "worship" them, but I do know that there are many times where my kids come first. I feel like they are my reason for living, my priority, my greatest joy in life. And as I do this I am subconsciously putting them before God. But God is full of grace and mercy -- and humor, I'm convinced.

These precious beings he has placed in my care become disobedient (gasp!) and have tantrums (no!) or a messy poopy diaper in the middle of a dinner party (never!). They melt down at bedtime, refuse naps, make big messes, break things, and often keep me from sleeping more than three hours at a time on any given night. As much as I love them and have a tendency to make my life revolve around them, they also want to make me pull my hair out or dig a hole and crawl into it.

I'm starting to have a sneaking suspicion that this is God's way of reminding me that frogs stink.

If my kids have become the center of my life -- which for me is a place reserved only for God -- then the hard days and moments of chaos have become a reminder to me that it is God alone who belongs on the throne, and that He needs to be my reason for living, my priority, my greatest joy in life.

Thank you, Lord, for the delight that my children are! They are a true gift from You and they bring my life so much joy! And thank you for using them to remind me that YOU need to come first.

A Breath of Desert Air

I had no idea that the desert could be such a refreshing place! We are in Moab, Utah, and have spent the last five days exploring and enjoying this amazing corner of our nation. Within 24 hours of crossing the state line, we hiked to Utah's most well-known emblem, Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park. It is truly a wonder of nature, and far more massive than we had imagined.


The kids have done so well with all our hiking. Josiah has gotten a ride everywhere -- whether strapped onto my back, up high on John's back in the Kelty carrier, or on our shoulders (for the shorter trails). Lucy has been a phenomenal hiker and has really enjoyed exploring these new places with us. Here are the kids, perched on the edge of Delicate Arch:

The views have been amazing. Here, John sits inside North Window in Arches NP, with Joey on his back:

I've also enjoyed experimenting with our camera's abilities. Fun fact: I've always dreamed of being a photographer for National Geographic, just so I could make a living taking photos like this one of Turret Arch:

Josiah never complained! He is such a content kid to begin with, so it shouldn't surprise me, but it was just such a joy to see him looking around and enjoying being outdoors. He played with rocks when we let him walk, and he squealed with delight at random times and 'sang' to us. Here he is looking like he is imitating the arch behind him:

Look, ma, a rock! Aren't they cute?

And the primary reason we have for being here at this beautiful time of year was for John to run The Other Half -- a half marathon down a portion of the Colorado River canyon. When he and a friend signed up to run, we figured we'd make a long weekend of it. (Does five days count as a long weekend?) Hey, as far as I'm concerned, he can run as many of these as he wants as long as the kids and I get to tag along! It's really fun to cheer him on as he finishes his races. Here he is just as he's about to cross the finish line in 1 hr 47 min:

Tomorrow we return home to Colorado, having been refreshed in an unlikely place: the desert.

It's that time again

Indeed, it's time for pumpkins and cider and the changing of the leaves -- ALL of which I love. But more importantly, and what I'm looking forward to as I watch the temperature continue to drop tonight, is crawling between my flannel sheets.

After our heat kicked on last night for the first time this season, I got up this morning and stripped our bed and put on our freshly laundered flannel sheets, knowing tonight would be just as cold.

Yup, it's that time of year again. Time for flannel sheets.

It's one of many things that make this my favorite time of year.

What do you like about Fall?

A new look

Every year in the Fall I get inspired to try a new look. Usually for me that means a drastic haircut. But since I already did that a few months ago and my hair can't get much shorter than it already is, I decided to try a new look on my blog. The cool weather outside, my love for everything pumpkin, and the Autumn colors I see everywhere I go--including in the trees in our neighborhood--have inspired me to go with this pretty seasonal background. What do you think? The best part wasn't just that someone else did all the beautiful work, but that it was FREE! Now, that's cheaper than a haircut. And I don't have to wait for it to grow out again to change it!

Super WHAT?

I have grown to appreciate the things my daughter is learning online. She can navigate to the PBS kids website, find her favorite characters or shows, and play nearly all of the games without my help. It's been a tremendous help in keeping her occupied when I need to be doing other things, like putting her brother down for a nap or making a meal or completing a single thought on a phone call. There are a few activities on the site with nearly no redeeming value, but for the most part, she has learned so much from them that, I dare say, they qualify as educational.

Last fall, I believe, a new show was introduced and quickly became a favorite in our house. Super Why's tagline is "With the power to read, we can save the day!" He and his pals use fairy tales and traditional stories to solve everyday problems. It's cute and interactive, teaching letter recognition and phonics, and it's not terribly annoying.

But today I discovered a small flaw that may come back to bite this generation later on: they change the story. They actually change the ending to the fairy tales. Will our children know the true classics when they hear them? Or when fairy tales are used as an analogy, will they understand?

Fairy tales are not a high priority on my list of information I want to impart to my children, but I do understand their value in culture. I suppose it's not a big deal such as a program about changing history or changing the multiplication tables. It just bothered me a little that Lucy was walking around the house this morning saying, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your ladder."