Mothers Day

I am normally all for any day that wants to celebrate me, but I have to confess that this year I was ... hesitant? removed? apathetic? bah humbugish? I am not even sure what I am about Mothers Day this year - except that it is very different then last year.

Do you have days that live in your memory as golden? They were so close to perfect that they should be subtitled with, "God is in his heaven and ALL is right in the world!"

Mothers Day 2008 was one of those days for me. We had planned in advance to picnic at Washington Park in Denver with friends after church and the day was sunny and beautiful. On the way to the park we picked up Popeye's Chicken with an extra tub of red beans and rice just for me (it is a long standing addiction). From there we proceeded to laugh and play - volleyball, track ball, boccie ball - you know - all the important ball games. The boys stripped down to their swimming trunks and played in the creak with the Vernaza boys and relished every minute of it!







At the end of the day we went home exhausted, sun burnt and happy.

*****Then came the week that changed everything*****

This Mothers Day - 2009 - was gray and cloudy with mists of rain off and on. The Carlson men asked what I wanted to do on my day and I have to admit I felt more then a bit withdrawn (maybe life remembers the wounds of last year). Most of the day was spent giving me time and space to process through... I guess memories of last year.

And now, at the end of the night, the boys are getting ready for bed and I am realizing that this day - while very different - is no less golden then last year.

God IS in his heaven, I am loved by my boys and all is right in my world.

Muligan

Wednesday was originally scheduled as "Sight" day in our experiment.

Most of our day rotated around Jake and the infection he is fighting - leaving little time to dedicate to using our sense of sight.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity - Sight day has been rescheduled for Saturday.

Day 2 - Smell

I have to tell you that, for me, there was nothing profound about about Day 2 - smell.

Apparently we are a nasally challenged family.

As we talked about it Tuesday morning I explained to the boys the idea that our Pastor had shared on Sunday, lighting a candle during a time of prayer and bible study, and having that scent be associated with meeting God. I really like the idea of it - but maybe it takes more then one day for it to work. When I lit the candle my thoughts were much more of, "Hey - that would be great in the master bathroom!" then, "Wow, I am really connecting to God".

Jacob came up with his idea right away, which cracked me up because at the moment his nose was so stuffed up he couldn't breathe let alone smell. He explained that the smell of wood helped him connect with God because it reminded him of the cross. Joshua quickly added his thought that the smell of communion helped him remember that Jesus died on the cross.

My cynical instinct was to be dismissive of their ideas - Ok, great! You came up with an answer because I asked a question - but that is not really a way of connecting. I chose instead to think about the fact that Jesus is personal with everyone who follows him.

What about you? Is there anyone out there with thoughts / experience with using smell to connect to God?

Experiment Day 1 - Hearing

Our Monday night discussion did not go as I had imagined it (which is so often true of our family times), due largely in part to the high fever, hacking cough and nose blowing of my oldest son. While it did not live up to my Rockwell musings it was really good and surprisingly deep.

Jacob shared how hearing other peoples prayers helped him connect with God. He explained that over the last year as he has heard people pray for, with and over him - it helped him to know that God was big and able to take care of him.

This reminded me of a comment made by a wise woman on my scrapbooking retreat. 16 women talking and sharing stories of life while we get the pictures in an album. One friend said in passing, "I like hearing everyone's stories because they know something about my God I haven't learned yet." That thought has lingered with me for weeks and I love that thought. When we live life together, sharing stories and prayers, we learn more about God.

Joshua told us that he learns a lot about God by listening to the stories and teaching at church. I have to brag a little and say that we have the best people ever working in our Kid Connect Church. They do such an amazing job at not just teaching the story and bible facts but making sure that the kids understand the meaning and how that impacts and effects thier life.

For me listening to music has always been a great way of connecting to God. Over the last year in particular there have been several songs that have really helped me anchor in my faith. The week after Jake was diagnosed I was driving back to the hospital and my mind and emotions were spiralling out of control. Every possible negative outcome was playing out in my imagination and I could not stop... I was to the point where I was having trouble breathing... and then a new song came on the radio, "Voice of Truth" by Steven Curtis Chapman. Hearing this song helped me focus on God's truth and the promise we have in him. It was exactly what I needed in that moment and now everytime I hear the song it takes me back to that place of faith. Another song that has kinda became my mantra is "Counting On God" by Desperation Band. First of all, it is just an awesome song and I love to sing it, not that I sing good - but I do sing loud! But the words - that is what I want my life to look like - that is how I want my life lived. When I hear the words - it connects me to God.

Hear it for yourself at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTR5EYnit4

Sacred Pathways

Our church is doing a series on Sacred Pathways for Lent and this week we looked at the Naturalists and the Sensates. I love the opportunity to pursue God in different ways so I am taking the "homework" assignments to heart.

The challenge for this week is two-fold

• Schedule some time with God outside.
• Use all 5 senses this week in worship.

I haven't made decisions yet about the where and when of the first (living in Denver gives LOTS of options) but I have a plan for the second.

As a family we are going to tackle one sense a day and focus on ways we can use that sense to pursue God and learn more about him and his character. We will then debrief at the end of the day.

• Monday - Hearing
  
• Tuesday - Smell
• Wednesday - Sight
  
• Thursday - Touch
• Friday - Taste

Anyone wanting to spend some time on this pathway is more then welcome to join our family experiment - I would love to hear what you learn about my God.

Looking Back.....Looking Forward

The Carlson family looked back on an incredible 2008. We learned this year just how essential it is to have an incredible family surrounding you. A family that includes those who appear on a family tree, and those who are considered family simply because of their proximity in our lives. We have taken an initiative in our family to pour ourselves into the lives of those around us. We reached a point this year where our pitcher had run dry and needed to be refilled. The love and support that we received from those around us was comforting and overwhelming all at the same time. There were people there for us when we needed physical support, mental support, and spiritual support. 2008 was a year where we got a chance to see the very best in people.

As we look forward to 2009 - we are anxious for the awesome things that God has in store for our family as well as for each of us individually. There are a number of areas where we have felt that God has been preparing the soil for an incredible harvest. Some of these areas will stretch us more than we would probably like. But many of them will allow us to grow in ways that can bring us closer to Him.

My prayer for our family in 2009 is that God continues to work His will in our lives and that we become increasingly purposeful in seeking after Him and listening for His guidance.

We thank you all for helping make 2008 a year that will never be forgotten. We also pray that 2009 brings incredible blessings in to all areas of your lives.

Celebrating Joshua!

Starting Monday morning Joshua will be Star of the Week in his 2nd grade class.

Here are a few great photo's celebrating our awesome son.