Lent

I love the season of Lent. 4o days to think about renewal, 40 days to prepare for the Good News of Easter. I love the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday. A day when we get crosses on our foreheads and are told, "You are dust and to dust you shall return." A day to confront our mortality. The gift of life that we have is precious, and I appreciate the reminder that life is brief. May we enjoy each and every day to its fullest

These 40 days of Lent are an opportunity to think about Jesus. My friend the Rev. Dr. Frank Drenner asked in his blog, "What am I doing - or not doing - to strengthen my relationship with Jesus Christ." These are good words, how can I strengthen my relationship with Jesus Christ? What can I give up or take on this Lent? Some people give us chocolate or alcohol. The sacrifice of going without something that they love draws them to think about Jesus and his sacrifice for us. My senior pastor, Rev. Derrick Wright, advocates the Daniel fast during Lent (only vegetables and water).

I pray that we all will have a holy Lent, an opportunity to step back, to breathe in, to appreciate and give thanks for the gift of life that God has given us this day.

slides are fun

Today we went to the Lake Highlands Area Early Childhood PTA Heart Healthy Fun Valentine's Party. The kids had a blast! There was a huge blow up slide and a bounce house. It was so sweet to see Madeleine ride with Everett in her lap down the slide, and then Everett became more comfortable and rode all by himself!





I used to love these as a kid! They had these in the gym at my church.

Everett attempting to hula hoop. It is harder than it looks...

Children in choir robes are adorable

The Children's Choir sang at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church yesterday. And Everett donned his choir robe for the first time! It was wonderful!

Here's a link to a video of the kids singing.

During the service

At the Valentine's Lunch afterwards

More snow pictures

A foot of snow in Dallas! Here's a picture of a tree in our front yard with a very large branch that fell.

Madeleine in the snow...

Everett in the snow...

Madeleine and Everett in the snow...

Madeleine, Everett, and cousin Sydney building a snowman

Everett was a little taller than the snowman :)

Licking spoons

I know how wonderful it is to lick beaters, spoons and bowls when you're making brownies or a cake, but cornbread muffins? Really? Apparently, my kids thought that it was delicious! Though, they didn't like the muffins when they came out of the oven...

a weekend

Madeleine won the Awesome Attitude award for her kindergarten class. Here we are at Yumilicious celebrating!


Madeleine attended a cheerleading clinic Saturday morning from 9-12 and then performed with the 90 other girls during halftime for the Lake Highlands Varsity Basketball team. Here she is with the Lake Highlands High School mascot, Go Wildcats!

About 2 minutes before halftime I realized that one of the other team's players (Richardson High School) only had one hand. It was AMAZING to watch him maneuver the basketball. It really was inspiring to watch. There is a news story and video of him here.


Then, it was Sydney's (Madeleine's cousin, my sister Kristin's little girl) 6th Birthday!

My mom was the facepainter...

and here is Everett as the puppy!



Madeleine is playing soccer with the Lake Highlands soccer association and is one of the pink pandas. I have learned that there are sizes of soccer balls (Madeleine's team plays with a size 3 ball) and Madeleine's team will play with 3 players on the field at a time. They also make the coolest shin guards now, they are actually part of the sock! Unfortunately, due to the snow and extreme cold in Dallas we have had 3 canceled practices and 1 canceled game. They are thinking of changing their name from the pink pandas to the polar pandas!


a video of the cheering

It's Snowing!!!

100 days of kindergarten!

Today Madeleine's elementary school, Moss Haven, celebrated 100 days of kindergarten! There are 66 kindergarteners, 3 classes of 22 kids each. Another 100 day activity was filling a ziplock snack bag with 100 snacks, including m&ms, pretzels, gummy bears, twizzlers...

Here's Madeleine in her doggie turtleneck with her 100 days hat with 100 stickers.

Pictures from the weekend

Pictures from the weekend

Madeleine and her cousin Sydney in their matching sparkly hats, when I asked them to pose for the picture this is the look that I got...


and then Sydney gave Madeleine a big hug and the hat fell off!


Lee with Madeleine and Everett as we celebrated Lee's 35th birthday. Check out Lee without glasses! His eyeballs have been lasered!

Madeleine and Everett playing in a tub filled with blankets.

Madeleine tried to pull Everett around the house, it is harder than it used to be!


And then Everett tried to pull Madeleine!

What's more important?

I was reading this article in O Magazine (it was a birthday present, and I love me my Oprah!) and want to share this quote:

“What’s the most important thing in your life?” the founder of Bikram yoga, Bikram Choudhury asks. “I ask the same thing around the globe, they say the most important thing is God, water, wind, family, children, love – all bull. The most important thing in your life is you.”

The most important thing in your life is you.

In Dallas there is a media campaign called I Am Second. Different people share their stories about how God is first and they are second.

I thought it should be called I Am Third if God is first, then others are second, and then we are third, but I guess I Am Second has a better ring to it.

So, are we the most important thing or the second most important thing? (or the third?)

Jesus was asked which commandment in the law was the greatest and he responded, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)

But in order to love God we must first love ourselves. We are made in the image of God, each and every one of us. I can not love God unless I first love myself. I can not love others unless I first love God. So, if I must love myself first, that means I must take care of myself: plenty of rest, plenty of fruits and vegetables, plenty of joy, plenty of laughter.

In the newest Sunday School class at Oak Lawn, the Unlikely Disciples, we have been talking about Abundance. One of the things that we talked about on Sunday was Affluenza. Are we so busy keeping up with the Joneses that we are becoming sick with affluenza? The average working couple spends 40 minutes a week playing with their children, and 12 minutes a day interacting with each other. Loving myself means that I do not live to work but I work to live.

What do you think? Is the most important thing in your life you?