Happy Birthday

Hudson (a.k.a. Bee-baw, H-bomb, H.T., and Hoss-a-boss) is one today! Much celebration and revelry will be in order this weekend.

The Gospel of Abacoa

Given Amber's last post, the previous ones about Hudson, and the obvious (Hurricane Wilma), my blogging has slipped considerably. But enough with excuses, onward ho.

In the wake of Wilma, I've had a little mini-vacation from work. Yesterday we were hunkered down (for the third time in a little over a year - this is getting to be a little too routine) and today we just did stuff around the house. We've moved into our new townhouse which is an incredible tank of a place. Narry a shred of damage from the storm. Our power was restored literally 15 minutes after the winds died down. This is significant given there are still 690,000 FP&L customers without power in Palm Beach County. This afternoon, Brant and I were playing football with our kids at one of our local fine greenspaces in perfect 75 degree weather. I felt a little guilty...well not really.

I've poked a lot of fun about our new neighborhood in the past. It's new urbanism at its finest, and people swarm to live here for the benefits. Even though I'm so thoroughly converted to the ways of Abacoa, I still reserve the right to poke fun. Brant and I were joking today, what if you rewrote the New Testament from a Abacoan perspective:

"For I was hungry, and you let me take your old BBQ grill that you left out for the trash man and didn't even call the cops on me. I was thirsty, and the barista gave me your venti soy pumpkin spice latte that you ordered but forgot that you wanted it decaf. I was a stranger and you invited me into your garage to look at your new Harley but seemed hesitant to bring me into your kitchen for a beer so I left. I was naked, and you donated to Goodwill for a tax receipt your old Izod Lacoste shirts with the holes in the armpits you wore while mowing your zero lot-line palace. They only cost me $3 each."

"For the wages of sin is forfeiting the sick equity you would have earned on your pre-construction house because, between the Hummer you just bought and the 12 maxed out Visa cards in your name, your credit is shot."

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. The new Target store just opened and they have some sweet sales going on."

ER Junkie

Three trips to the ER and a 5 day stay wasn't enough for me last month. Nope, I needed to see Jupiter's ER first hand. This time with our 2 year old. She feel off of her bed and hurt her arm. What they told me was 2 year old's don't really break their arms because their bones are hollow like a straw and the "buckle or bend". Ether way, 3 hours later 6 x-rays, a referral to a specialist, 2 splints, 6 stickers and one sling that is a little too big we are the proud owners of a serious "boo-boo". Pray for Chloe because she is in a lot of pain. Pray for me. It was bad enough having a one year old that can't really talk and just cry and cry from pain. It is a different world when your 2 year old can say exactly what hurts and keep asking you to fix it and you can't. Helpless is a terrible feeling.

I have decided to follow Jesus.

I wanted to post this story as a way to jump back into blogging. I've been crazy between the hospital with Hudson and moving and work so anyway..no time like the present.

Jackson and I were driving to school last week and we were praying for his day. He stopped and scrunched up his face. I asked him what he was thinking about he said "Nothing." Then a few moments later he said, "Mommy, Jesus is the only one who can balance the cross. He is the only one who can be up there." I said "Yes, Jackson He is the only one who can be on the cross. The cross is a very special gift to God's people. God's people are people who follow Jesus and try to live their life like he did... like Mommy and Daddy do" There was a few more moments of silence and then Jackson said, "Mommy, the people who made Jesus die did not have the power of God in them..did they." At this point I was trying very hard to get out of the way of what God was doing and not brush past our conversation because I was too busy. That and I was interested in him talking about Jesus dieing because we talked about it over Easter but it isn't something we really dwell on. We always refer to Jesus in the present tense and pray to him directly so I was wondering what Jackson was thinking about. I said "No they didn't but what happened after Jesus died?" Jackson said very excitedly " Jesus has the power of God in him and the earth got dark and the huge stone rolled away and Jesus came back to life again." I said "Yes, isn't that amazing Jackson." Then I said, "People who follow Jesus get to have the power of God in them too." Then he asked that question that most 4 year olds start asking..."Mommy do we all have to die?" I said "Well honey, our bodies get old and they wear out and we all die one day but people who follow Jesus get to be like Jesus and come back to life and be with God forever." It was silent for a few more seconds and I heard Jackson say quietly in the back of the van "Mommy, I have decided to follow Jesus too." I smiled to myself and said "Wow honey, that makes Jesus so happy to hear that." Jackson smiled and said to me "I know Mommy." I remember exactly when I came to the same conclusion. I was also four and my Mom was putting me to bed and we where saying our prayers and I was acting out in my mind and with my hands the stone rolling away and the angel sitting on top and I just thought in my little for year old brain, this is true." And I believe it was the same for Jackson. I had just been stressed a few nights earlier wondering if Mike and I were doing enough to teach our kids about God. I guess I shouldn't be stressed at all. Immersing our kids into a way of Incarnational Living that is steady and consistent and not centered on a certain day of the week but on the person of Jesus is really all the Sunday school they need. Grace and Peace to you all. Let a little child teach you something today.