THE Answer

On my walk this morning, I passed St. Mark's Church. On the sign out front was:

"Jesus! That's my final answer."

Made me smile.

I blog. I'm a blogger.

A few Saturdays back....
Greg: Mornin', Mom. What have you been doing?
Me: I started a blog.
Greg: You don't even know how to work the DVD player. How did you know how to start a blog?

Then that Sunday....
Ali: You started a blog? But, Dad's not even home. How did you do it?
Me: I pushed lots of buttons.

And on Monday....
Nick: Hahahahaha (only without any sound).

Julia (via text): Just thought you should know that everyone can read your blog every day...Just thought you should know. Hahaha love you!
(Not sure which post caused her to think that I needed a warning.)
Me (via text): But who would want to? Love you!

Love you, my precious kids and niece!
oxo-Me

Nick is 20!

Happy 20th birthday, Nick!!!

Early on the morning of each birthday, my dear friend, Carol, would get a call from her dad. He would wish her a happy birthday and then go on to tell her all about the day she was born. He ended the call by telling her how much he loves her. I thought, "What a great idea!"

So, that is what I wanted to do for you this morning, Nick. I would love to tell you all about the day you were born. But...I don't remember. I was a mom of two other young children. I do remember being very tired. Dr. Johnson, the doctor who delivered you, told Dad and me, as it was getting close to midnight, that it was his birthday. We thought it would be cool for you to have the same birthday, so he sucked you out with this vacuum thingy. Crooked neck and all, I was THRILLED that you, who I had known and loved for the last nine months, were out, and I could now cuddle you in my arms!

What I do remember about you as a baby is that we were all crazy about you! Even Gregory and Ali accepted you like they would a new puppy. :-) For fear of neglecting you, as my third child, in the area of photos, I went crazy. So, though I can't recall many details, your childhood is chronicled in (very unorganized) pictures. Thank God!

Nick, you bring so much laughter and fun to our home! I have always found it interesting that you appear to be this easy-going type, yet you know how to step it up when you need to (perfectionism??) and do a great job at anything you attempt. I love how relationships are important to you. Your circle of friends is not big, but you value and invest in people. It means a lot to me that our family is very important to you. I love your soft heart for Jesus and the ease with which you share your thoughts about Him!

So, happy birthday, my sweet Nicky! I love you so much!
oxo-Mom

WDJD?

You three know I have never been crazy about the WWJD thing. Trying to think what Jesus would do and then trying to copy it myself implies 1) that Jesus is not alive and well and living His life in and through us today, and 2) that I, in my own strength, could even possibly do what Jesus did. But, I realized that there were some things Jesus did while He walked this earth that we can do today. What did Jesus do?
-He emptied Himself.~Philippians 2:7b
-He did not seek His own will, but the will of the Father Who sent Him.~John 5:30
-He did nothing of Himself.~John 8:28b
-He did not speak on His own authority, but acknowledged that the Father who dwells in Him does the works.~John 14:10b

So, we can...
-Recognize that without Him we can do nothing.~John 15:5
-Realize that we are not sufficient in ourselves. Our sufficiency is from God.~II Cor. 3:5
-Accept the truth that we are dead to self, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies.~II Cor. 4:10 !!! I love all this!

So, WDJWTD (What Does Jesus Want To Do) in and through you today?!!

I love you so much, Ali, Nick and Greg!
oxo-Mom

Museums

I don't really like going to museums. There. I said it...Cultured people (which I am not) like museums. I have tried. I sometimes think I go so I can check it off my list. Visit the Louvres in Paris. Check. See Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Check. But, my mind wanders. While at Te Papa in Wellington, I am wondering if there is any place close by where I can get a flat white and if we will still have enough time to kayak in Oriental Bay.

I love being outside...Being so close to a mother duck and her babies that we could almost touch them as we hike through our lagoon...Making it to the top of Elfin Forest, looking to the east at snow-covered mountains, looking west to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island...Hiking down the Grand Canyon, that amazing crack in the ground, and then back up again...Stopping at the top of Torrey Pines to see if any whales are swimming by...Walking at our beach, watching dolphins perform their dance...Sitting in our backyard, enjoying a glass of wine with Greg, as we watch another, yet completely different, sunset! I love this art! And...I never forget the name of the Artist!

May you, G, A, and N, enjoy and be inspired by great art, and even more so, by the Great Artist!

oxo-Mom

Where is Jesus?

A few years back, I came across this passage: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."~Galatians 3:26,27 (NIV). How cool to think that I am clothed in Christ! But that's not all. He is my foundation~I Corinthians 3:11. He is sitting (except for when He was standing as Stephen was being stoned~Acts 7:55. Can't read or think of that story without crying) at the right hand of our Father in heaven~Ephesians 1:20. And, He lives inside me~II Corinthians 13:5.





Sometimes when I am out walking by myself and talking with Jesus, I say, "Thank You for being seated up in heaven. Thank You for being the foundation under me. Thank You for being wrapped around me. And, thank You for living in me!" Sometimes, if I think no one is looking, I do hand motions. :-)

1,2,3

1 thing to remember...don't bake
2 double batches of cookies while on a
3 day fast.

oxo-Mom

Greg-Happy snowboarding!
Ali-Have a blast with Julia!
Nick-Mammoth and New York City are over-rated. Want to hang out today?!

Eighty!

Today my mom is 80! What a great time we had celebrating, with our whole family together! All twenty of us, including my future nephew-in-law and my almost-ready-to-be-born great niece! Appetizers (including Deb's homemade pesto triple layer torte!) at the Searles... Thai dinner, lovingly prepared by Chef Ali, at our home... Delicious carrot cake, baked by Cassi and decorated by Erin...All of us sharing our love for this special lady who has had a great impact on us all!

Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

Double Sticks

As Ali's tenth birthday was approaching, I thought she would be excited about growing up, reaching double digits. But, no. She hated the number ten...a stick with a big, fat circle next to it. Not sure why. Maybe it had something to do with her being just a wee bit chubby (and incredibly adorable) as a small child. Who knows. We made it through Ali being a ten year old, though we didn't mention the number too often. She welcomed her eleventh birthday with open arms!

Twenty-stick-Big,FatCircle was a magical year for me...My 50th birthday, Greg's 50th birthday, our 25th wedding anniversary. It should be illegal to celebrate as much as we did. Along with the joys, we experienced pain. The pain of my dear sis-in-law being diagnosed with cancer, again. The pain of witnessing a precious friend so beautifully care for her aging parents. In the celebrations and the pains, we clearly sensed the presence of our God in and with us. I grew to love Jesus more, trust Him more, thank Him more, sing to Him more, dig in to the Word and get to know Him more.

So, what resolutions do I have for 2011? No resolutions. What goals? Not sure. I decided to have 2011 "thoughts": Love Jesus more...Love people more...Judge and criticize less (this takes Divinity)...Listen more...Talk less (is blogging talking?).

Well, my three precious children, what are your New Year's resolutions? Goals? Thoughts? I want to know. Just know that this Mama is thanking God for you and looking forward to seeing what He does in and through you this year!

And, Happy Twenty-Stick-Stick!
oxo-Mom

Blessings

When people say, "God bless you", sometimes I want to reply, "He already has, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ! He chose me, He predestined His adoption of me as His child, He made me accepted in the Beloved, He has redeemed me, forgiven me of my sins, He has given me a new inheritance, and He has sealed me with His Holy Spirit!" But, that would be kind of weird, and I usually don't have that much time. So, apart from the spiritual blessings God has given us, what is a blessing? "My company made a butt-load of money this year. God has really blessed me!" "My child got into their 'reach' (Brad's def.-a college you get into that you can brag about) college! God has blessed us!" That never sits well with me. That is great when businesses do well, when kids get into hard-to-get-into colleges. But, does that mean that God does not bless us when our business struggles financially, when kids do not get into the colleges they want to go to? A wise, old man (your dad~sounds better than a wise, middle-aged man), came up with the best definition of "blessing" that I have ever heard! Blessing=anything that draws our eyes and focus to Jesus Christ! (Long, contented sigh......)

So, Ali, Greg, Jamie, Julia, and Nick (abc order), my prayer for you today is that in times of unbalanced hormones, a light semester, a new adventure at Biola, long times of awakeness interspersed with days of non-stop sleeping, and broken ankles, you will see God's hand in everything, thank Him for giving you His spiritual blessings, and know that you are blessed!

God has blessed you!
oxo

Paul's letter to the saints at Ephesus is great! I love chapter 1!

Erase

Sexting with your spouse can be super fun! If/when (not before) you get one (a spouse), you should try it! Warning: Push "erase" before your youngest child accidentally reads something that could scar him for life. :-)

Jesus as Life

I thank God that Jesus Christ is not only my Savior, but He is my very Life! You, my three favorite young adults in the whole world, know my theme verse: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."~Galatians 2:20.

Jesus tells Thomas, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
My desire is that Jesus is and always will be my Way, my Truth, and my Life.
My prayer for you, Nick, Ali and Greg, is that Jesus is and always will be your Way, your Truth, and your Life!

Love you forever,
oxo-Mom

First things first

My greatest heart's desire for you, Greg, Ali and Nick, is that you love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength!