Christianity 101

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God of Wonders

Today I’m writing from our hotel room while Kent has the kids down at the pool.  We’re in Colorado Springs for a family vacation.  🙂

I wanted to tell you about that picture above, the view that brought tears to my eyes.

It was taken when our train was almost to the very top of Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs.  Off in the distance you can actually see Kansas.  I love how the clouds make dark shadows on parts of the mountain; and look at the lake and the green meadow – breathtaking isn’t it?  When looking around up there, my mind was flooded with thankfulness to God for how good He is, that He would create such beauty for us to enjoy while here on earth.  What a gift!

Here’s our view AT the top of Pikes Peak:

It was 90* when we got on the train to come up and was snowing at the top and freezing!

Apparently this was the location where Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write the song, America the Beautiful:

We also had an awesome view out the windows behind the altar at St. Dominic Church where we went to Mass last night:

You couldn’t see it in that picture, but here’s the shot of the mountains that we got to take in while we worshipped the One who created them:

The clouds do wild things here in the mountains.

Here’s a cool shot right in the romantic location of…the Whole Foods parking lot:

Here’s one of a storm coming over the mountains:

The next day we decided to drive up to the summit, and I got a couple more shots I had to show you!

This first is another one showing how crazy the clouds are up there at the top:

This next shot is just one more view that I wanted you to see.  Don’t you love the way the sun peeks out from the clouds to shine on a random meadow or mountain peak here and there?

And this is the Third Day song that’s been in my mind all week:

Are you finding the beauty in God’s creation wherever you are right now? 

It’s everywhere you look, whether it’s in the people you love or in your surroundings.  Here are more examples of His handiwork that I’ve captured and shared here on the blog before.

This Is What Integrity Looks Like

This recent blog post from Focus on the Family, This is what integrity looks like, was a heartwarming read, just knowing that there are many people of integrity still out there!

Read an excerpt:

“Earlier this month Robert Adams of Arlington Heights, Illinois, was waiting to use an ATM machine when he discovered something you don’t often see: a clear plastic bag containing $20 and $100 bills resting beside the machine. He later learned that the sack contained a total of $17,000.

Following some research and a trip to a local Chase bank, it was determined that the bag belonged to the Loomis armored truck company. Mr. Adams says he was never tempted to keep the lost treasure. “I don’t care if you put another zero on there, I wasn’t raised to take money that isn’t mine” he said.”

Read the whole post:  This is what integrity looks like, and you’ll love the comments too.  🙂

More posts you may not have seen:

Have you heard of ‘laminin’?

A good friend sent me this story on laminin via email and I had to check it out to see for myself.  Sure enough, check Google images and Wikipedia, it’s all there…

Here’s a 6 minute video to explain it.  This guy’s speaking style isn’t normally my favorite, but the content is worth listening to anyway.  I don’t know if it would necessarily convince an unbeliever that God exists, but it’s still cool.

I Love Tim Tebow

I know nothing about football.  Nothing. The kids will joke at school about who likes Michigan better and who likes Michigan State better, so they’ll ask me and I’ll tell them, “Don’t care.”  “But Moooom, which ONE, if you had to pick?!”  They don’t get it, I really don’t care. But now my answer will be this:  my favorite team is whichever one Tim Tebow is playing for.

I loved the Superbowl ads that he and his Mom, Pam, did last year with Focus on the Family.

Then I saw him on this Huffington Post video of his interview on Bill O’Reilly.  Did he just say, in clear language, “God bless you” on television?!  Did he talk about glorifying God with how he plays football?!  How sad that this type of language is so rare now.  I watched it and said to our 12 year old son, “Now THAT is a real man.”

Next I went and ordered two of his new books to send to a couple of my nephews who love football.  It’s called, Through My Eyes.  (Pictured at right.)

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Our Real American Roots

“The first bible printed in English in America was printed by Congress for the use of our schools.”

Check out this U.S. Capital tour with David Barton:

Celebrating Happy Homecomings this Memorial Day

USMC_Memorial_Day

SCAN0023 Over in the Kitchen Kop Monday Mix-up post today, I mentioned the nine long months that Kent was deployed for the first Operation Desert Storm when he was in the Marine Corps.  (And against Kent’s judgment I also shared this picture of his homecoming day with my readers, where I sported quite the mullet, haaaa!)

Here at this blog for Memorial Day, I thought I would share a video with you to highlight the sacrifice that many have made for our country, but most of the videos I found were so sad!  There were lots of flag-draped caskets and crying family members.  While it’s important to remember those who have fallen, I decided instead to focus on happy military homecomings.  When Kent was deployed, all I dreamed of and prayed for was the day he’d be home safe.  It was before we had kids, so I focused on getting our house all fixed up and inviting friends and family (who supported us so much!) to a big bash I was planning for him.  That day was one of the best of my life, and thankfully the whole experience drew us closer instead of pulling us apart as it does for some.

Happy Homecoming Videos:

This one shows a little girl when her Daddy surprised her at school.  I watched it five times (I had to show all the kids), and cried every time:

Next you’ll see soldiers returning home and their warm welcome at the airport.  I love how humble they are and how the clapping went on and on:

If you liked these, you can see more at the Welcome Home Blog.

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What is True Freedom?

Sr. Miriam James Heidland

“True freedom comes not when I can do whatever I want, and that’s what the world says, right?  The definition of freedom if I ask young people, ‘What does it mean to be free?’, they say, “Well I can do whatever I want.  So you can do whatever you want, with whomever you want, however you want, whenever you want, and don’t tell me what to do, and I’m free.”  But there’s also a saying that says, ‘If you do whatever you want to do, there will come a day when you do the things you never thought you would.’  Because we’re broken by original sin, we struggle.  That is not the definition of freedom.  The definition of freedom is being able to see what is good and being free to choose that good.  That is when I am truly free, because if I can’t say no to myself, I’m a slave to myself!  If I can’t say no to something outside of me, I’m a slave to that.  We as children of God, we’re not called to be slaves, we’re called to be free!  To be free in the power of Christ, and He comes for that reason, He comes to set us free!”

Watch Sister Miriam’s whole talk and learn more about Truth, self-sacrifice, and real freedom:

Keeping Jesus in Easter – Teaching Kids the Real Deal

Easter Jesus

Like all holidays that have become secularized, as Christians we need to be conscious of keeping our focus on the real deal at Easter time; and if you have kids, then there’s a big responsibility to make sure they “get it”. 

Here are a few of our family traditions for Holy Week and Easter to help kids understand what it’s all about:

  • Resurrection Eggs – I love this activity!  I’ve used it for years with my own kids and always did it yearly with my day care kids, too.  They love trying to guess what’s in each egg, and their eyes get huge as I explain what happened to Jesus and how He allowed it, even though He was GOD and could’ve made it all stop.  That’s how much He loves us.  I look each child in the eye to be sure they GET IT.  I pray that no matter where life takes them, they will never doubt that fact:  that He LOVES them and died for THEM.
  • I make a point to take the kids to see our church’s passion play each year – this is a little scary for the younger kids, so use your judgment.  It always elicits some good questions and discussions about good and evil, and love and forgiveness.  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they’re doing.”  I love emphasizing to them that Jesus, right in the middle of His unbelievable suffering, forgave the ones who caused it. 
  • On Holy Thursday for years now we have done our own special little family foot-washing (just like Jesus washed Peter’s feet in the bible).  Each person carefully pours a little water on a family member’s feet, one at a time, and says they’re sorry for something.  It brings tears to my eyes as a Mom to see one sibling carefully wash the foot of another and saying they’re sorry for teasing or hitting or whatever, and hearing the “I forgive you” that follows.  It’s also good for the kids to hear Mom & Dad apologizing and then forgiving each other for being selfish or snippy at times.
  • Before the kids check out their Easter baskets on Easter morning, we will say a little prayer and a thank you to Jesus.
  • EB book Yes, we take part in Easter egg hunts and visits to the Easter bunny, but we also read Easter stories that put these traditions into a Christian light.  Here are are a couple of my favorite Easter stories:

How do you teach your kids the eternal truths about what Jesus did for us on Good Friday and three days later on Easter Sunday?  What are your family Easter traditions?

Related posts you may not have seen:

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