dear emily,
when he was six or seven, max asked hans if he knew what
a psychic was. "well, yes, but why are you asking?"
"cuz when i grow up i wanna' BE a psychic."
"you do, do you?"
"yeah, you know like batman and robin. i want to be robin!"
everyone is a sidekick to someone. if you are single, then you
probably have a boss, sister, choir director, friend, someone who
takes the lead that you tend to follow.
when our kids were little, they all thought that hans' executive
assistant was the boss, because he was always saying, "i don't
know let me check with r."
when we married, i easily slipped into the roll of my spouse's
sidekick. some marriages seem to work the other way around.
we had equal input on everything, but he usually made the
final decision. i am just not very comfortable being the final
authority, the one who pushes the 'red button'.
a wise woman once told me that i had more influence over
hans than any other person. "did i want to use that influence
for good or evil?"
i have always been impressed that mary treasured everything
in her heart and followed joseph's wise leading to go to
egypt. she could have said, "what the heck, i 'm the one
with the baby here!" they left on the impetus of a dream, but
their experience had taught them those dreams tended to be
very helpful.
the winners of evil influence would have to be jezebel and
sapphira, who both got themselves and their husbands killed,
either by intent or negligence. 1 kings 16 and acts 5:1-11
we have to choose to be women of integrity, honor, goodness,
truth, and purity, who are willing to make a stand for those
principles by our example and our objections to lies, deceit,
and causing harm.
love,
lea
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
peace in our hearts and homes
dear emily,
it used to tickle me when people would say, at social events,
"you have FIVE children? how can you be so peaceful?"
"umm, maybe because they aren't here with me!"
but truly, our home was peaceful. my nature required it,
and so i worked very hard to nurture it. hans and i didn't
raise our voices at each other or the children and didn't
allow them to do that, either. we encouraged happy play
that didn't cross the bridge to wild, loud chaos.
the only real enemy of peace was fear. sometimes it would
sneak up and seize me like a mad dog. "you're a terrible
mother, you can't do this, or your baby isn't going to make
it through the night!"
a few weeks before shelby was born, i was paralyzed with
dread that we might lose her. her big brother, isaac, had
not been expected to live after he was born, and i couldn't
face that again.
hans' mom, my junior high sunday school teacher, did not
tolerate my fearful behavior. "God has not give you a spirit
of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind!"
2 timothy 1:7
in other words, "snap out of it!"
or, as Jesus always used to say, "peace!"
love,
lea
it used to tickle me when people would say, at social events,
"you have FIVE children? how can you be so peaceful?"
"umm, maybe because they aren't here with me!"
but truly, our home was peaceful. my nature required it,
and so i worked very hard to nurture it. hans and i didn't
raise our voices at each other or the children and didn't
allow them to do that, either. we encouraged happy play
that didn't cross the bridge to wild, loud chaos.
the only real enemy of peace was fear. sometimes it would
sneak up and seize me like a mad dog. "you're a terrible
mother, you can't do this, or your baby isn't going to make
it through the night!"
a few weeks before shelby was born, i was paralyzed with
dread that we might lose her. her big brother, isaac, had
not been expected to live after he was born, and i couldn't
face that again.
hans' mom, my junior high sunday school teacher, did not
tolerate my fearful behavior. "God has not give you a spirit
of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind!"
2 timothy 1:7
in other words, "snap out of it!"
or, as Jesus always used to say, "peace!"
love,
lea
Saturday, January 30, 2010
bizarro blog
for some reason my silly computer reposted the 'spanking' post
for today. i wrote it days ago! just don't read it. i'm certainly
not going to...
for today. i wrote it days ago! just don't read it. i'm certainly
not going to...
to spank or not to spank
dear emily,
this is going to be a bit tricky, because i know many people are very
opposed to spanking, but i wanted you to know how we handled it.
when our children reached a certain age and willfully disobeyed
us, they received a spanking. our motivation was primarily their
safety. when we said, "don't run into the street or touch the stove,"
they knew we meant it.
we also wanted to be able to take them lots of fun places and
not terrorize the people around us. we have had waitresses
run after us and say, "those are the best behaved children i have
ever seen." hard working people deserve respectful behavior.
the children were never, ever spanked for childishness,
accidental spills, or roughhousing, etc. those kinds of deeds
received timeouts, removal of privileges, or simply cleanups.
i'm sure there are parents who have successfully raised happy,
confident, respectful kids, having never spanked them. i just
don't personally know any.
i also know that spankings can quickly turn the ugly corner
to abuse, which is heartbreaking and despicable.
not long ago, when all the kids were home, i lamented that we
ever spanked them. shelby looked at me in horror and said,
"mom, i hate to think what we would be like if you hadn't!"
"the Lord disciplines and chastens those He loves,"(heb. 12:6)
is not exactly a refrigerator verse, but we don't get to pick and
choose the easy ones when we choose to follow Him.
love,
lea
this is going to be a bit tricky, because i know many people are very
opposed to spanking, but i wanted you to know how we handled it.
when our children reached a certain age and willfully disobeyed
us, they received a spanking. our motivation was primarily their
safety. when we said, "don't run into the street or touch the stove,"
they knew we meant it.
we also wanted to be able to take them lots of fun places and
not terrorize the people around us. we have had waitresses
run after us and say, "those are the best behaved children i have
ever seen." hard working people deserve respectful behavior.
the children were never, ever spanked for childishness,
accidental spills, or roughhousing, etc. those kinds of deeds
received timeouts, removal of privileges, or simply cleanups.
i'm sure there are parents who have successfully raised happy,
confident, respectful kids, having never spanked them. i just
don't personally know any.
i also know that spankings can quickly turn the ugly corner
to abuse, which is heartbreaking and despicable.
not long ago, when all the kids were home, i lamented that we
ever spanked them. shelby looked at me in horror and said,
"mom, i hate to think what we would be like if you hadn't!"
"the Lord disciplines and chastens those He loves,"(heb. 12:6)
is not exactly a refrigerator verse, but we don't get to pick and
choose the easy ones when we choose to follow Him.
love,
lea
Friday, January 29, 2010
mushroom soup
dear emily,
this is NOT a food blog. whenever i call out, "time for dinner!"
my kids, husband, and westie run to hide. while reading a new
recipe, my imaginative side thinks it can improve it just a little
bit by adding...something it shouldn't have.
on the other hand, i occasionally, serendipitously create some
yummy dishes, that i, of course, can never remember to make
again. not this time!
i sauteed a yellow onion until it was tender and sweet in olive
oil, seasoning, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for punch.
(do NOT expect a wonderful picture here. those are on the
pioneer woman's blog. she knows what she is doing)
then i diced up a purple potato, the only kind i had, into 1/4
inch pieces. i sauteed them with the onion a few minutes,
turned off the burner and covered the pot for a long time...
time enough to write three thank you notes, put away the
laundry, skype with sunday, and exchange funny messages
with hailey on facebook.
when i looked into the pot, the potatoes were almost tender,
so i turned the heat back onto low and threw in a ton of sliced
portabella mushrooms, two big handfuls. i was a little worried
that the mushrooms wouldn't like the potatoes' strange color.
once the mushrooms were cooked, i tossed everything into a
processor, mushed them up, poured them back into the pot,
and added lots of milk and cream. delicious! didn't look one
bit purple, just nice and mushroomy, which hans loved...a
lot!
love,
lea
this is NOT a food blog. whenever i call out, "time for dinner!"
my kids, husband, and westie run to hide. while reading a new
recipe, my imaginative side thinks it can improve it just a little
bit by adding...something it shouldn't have.
on the other hand, i occasionally, serendipitously create some
yummy dishes, that i, of course, can never remember to make
again. not this time!
i sauteed a yellow onion until it was tender and sweet in olive
oil, seasoning, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for punch.
(do NOT expect a wonderful picture here. those are on the
pioneer woman's blog. she knows what she is doing)
then i diced up a purple potato, the only kind i had, into 1/4
inch pieces. i sauteed them with the onion a few minutes,
turned off the burner and covered the pot for a long time...
time enough to write three thank you notes, put away the
laundry, skype with sunday, and exchange funny messages
with hailey on facebook.
when i looked into the pot, the potatoes were almost tender,
so i turned the heat back onto low and threw in a ton of sliced
portabella mushrooms, two big handfuls. i was a little worried
that the mushrooms wouldn't like the potatoes' strange color.
once the mushrooms were cooked, i tossed everything into a
processor, mushed them up, poured them back into the pot,
and added lots of milk and cream. delicious! didn't look one
bit purple, just nice and mushroomy, which hans loved...a
lot!
love,
lea
snow!
dear emily,
i'm sitting at my cozy kitchen table sipping a yummy home
made chai latte, trying not to let the ingredients spoil the
pleasure. you can't imagine how much sugar and frothy
milk make your starbucks' latte taste so delicious.
the lovely soft snow falling outside my kitchen windows
completes the setting. oh my gosh, i sound like barbara
stanwyck from "christmas in connecticut!"
Free Twitter Backgrounds
because we have had such a big winter storm, my friend
d. is bringing me a rick of firewood. you probably know
her, she is that spiritual tornado, who forces you to 'walk
the walk'. she and her husband have recently taken in an
alcoholic father and son. they now attend three celebrate
recovery meetings a week and help his thirteen year old
with homework at all other times!
she makes the father chop wood for his keep, hence my
rick of wood. rebecca dunning wrote a moving piece
in today's "24/7" journal, entitled 'think global/act local!'
they have camps of people without jobs in colorado,
holding up signs saying, "we need jobs, propane, food,
and water." her husband just delivered a rick of wood to
them.
sounds like d.!
this is making me feel a little guilty about my latte.
"wash me and i will be whiter than snow." isaiah 51:7
love,
lea
i'm sitting at my cozy kitchen table sipping a yummy home
made chai latte, trying not to let the ingredients spoil the
pleasure. you can't imagine how much sugar and frothy
milk make your starbucks' latte taste so delicious.
the lovely soft snow falling outside my kitchen windows
completes the setting. oh my gosh, i sound like barbara
stanwyck from "christmas in connecticut!"
Free Twitter Backgrounds
because we have had such a big winter storm, my friend
d. is bringing me a rick of firewood. you probably know
her, she is that spiritual tornado, who forces you to 'walk
the walk'. she and her husband have recently taken in an
alcoholic father and son. they now attend three celebrate
recovery meetings a week and help his thirteen year old
with homework at all other times!
she makes the father chop wood for his keep, hence my
rick of wood. rebecca dunning wrote a moving piece
in today's "24/7" journal, entitled 'think global/act local!'
they have camps of people without jobs in colorado,
holding up signs saying, "we need jobs, propane, food,
and water." her husband just delivered a rick of wood to
them.
sounds like d.!
this is making me feel a little guilty about my latte.
"wash me and i will be whiter than snow." isaiah 51:7
love,
lea
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
principles in peril?
dear emily,
hans and i had a disagreement about whether we would lay
down our principles in order to save our children. he is a man
of such integrity and honor that he could not fathom doing it.
i, on the other hand, said that i feared what i might be able to
do in protecting my children. i promptly went through the ten
commandments in my mind and thought, "yep, i am capable
of breaking everyone, even making little idols of my little ones."
something transpired in my meek heart, once i had that first
baby; a lioness replaced the lamb who had always ruled there.
i need the Lord to continually draw me near to keep her claws
under His rule.
when two women were fighting over a baby, king solomon
wisely said, "let's just cut it in half, and you can share him."
the authentic mother cried out at the thought and was willing
to give him up rather than injure him.
i cringe to think of giving up any of my precious ones, but i
need to be willing to do that, too, if it would save them from
harm.
so, here's a question: what is the most extreme thing YOU would
be willing to do in order to save or feed your children?
love,
lea
hans and i had a disagreement about whether we would lay
down our principles in order to save our children. he is a man
of such integrity and honor that he could not fathom doing it.
i, on the other hand, said that i feared what i might be able to
do in protecting my children. i promptly went through the ten
commandments in my mind and thought, "yep, i am capable
of breaking everyone, even making little idols of my little ones."
something transpired in my meek heart, once i had that first
baby; a lioness replaced the lamb who had always ruled there.
i need the Lord to continually draw me near to keep her claws
under His rule.
when two women were fighting over a baby, king solomon
wisely said, "let's just cut it in half, and you can share him."
the authentic mother cried out at the thought and was willing
to give him up rather than injure him.
i cringe to think of giving up any of my precious ones, but i
need to be willing to do that, too, if it would save them from
harm.
so, here's a question: what is the most extreme thing YOU would
be willing to do in order to save or feed your children?
love,
lea
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