Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Adjusting

We came home on Sunday. I was feeling really good and just wanted to get home and start the adjustment process. John has been very sleepy but his eating has picked up. He is a nuk baby just like his brother was. So far sleeping at night has been pretty good. Elijah is warming up to being a big brother but he is very sure Mommy still needs to come play cars with him. Of course all of this has been possible because my super sister is here helping take care of things. So I guess we will see how the adjusting really goes when all the help leaves. Until then...

Saturday, May 24, 2008

John Myron


My heart overflows with love. I have a brand new son. He is perfect. Arriving at 8:03 in the least dramatic birth ever, the first thing everyone in the room said was, "Look at all that hair." I knew getting heartburn from peaches would lead to some hair! He weighed in at 7 lbs 11 oz and is 21 inches long.


It took some discussion and research, but Chris and I arrived at the name John on Thursday night. I love the simplicity and the way John the Baptist was so bold in proclaiming that Jesus was coming. Chris was drawn to the name after taking some time to read the book and letters of John this winter.


Myron has been my choice of a middle name for a long time. My dearly beloved grandpa was Myron. As a young girl, he was the man I wanted to marry and as a young woman he was the standard by which all men were measured. I can think of no better way of honoring this faithful man of God than by naming my son after him.


Elijah is, well, I'm not sure. He thought the baby was cute, even though he kept saying "she". He wanted to hold the baby only for about 15 seconds and only after Michael and Anna held the baby (he likes to fit in).


We are excited and nervous for this new part of our lives. John Myron will certainly bring a whole new view to our family.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

My Greatest Teaching Moment

I have oft wondered why God would have me teach an age group of kids that I don't really relate to. I have cursed God for not putting me in a high school to be with the kids that I really love. But yesterday and today God showed me why he had put me where he did.

One of my favorite classes to teach is Christian Faith. I love it so much my class has been in the same workbook for two years because we talk so much about the lessons. (We still won't complete it this year.) I frequently remind my students that receiving the gift of eternal life will change them forever.

Yesterday after class one who I least expected came to me and said, "Mrs. Anderson, I, um have never invited Jesus into my heart before." I paused for a second and then stammered, "Would you like to talk about that?" The student paused and said yes but they couldn't do it right then so we set a date for today.

My mind was racing for the rest of the night. I had never led anyone in the saving prayer before. Would I even know what to say? Of course it only took a few moments for me to remember that I didn't need to do anything since Christ would work through me.

Today we met. We talked. We prayed. It was the greatest teaching moment of my life. As we were walking away the student shared, "You were the only person I could share this with." My heart stopped. Me?

Thank you Lord for keeping me in this job even when I didn't understand why. Thank you for cultivating a relationship I didn't even know was being cultivated. Thank you for choosing me as your vessel. Thank for this student, who bravely took a step of faith today. Guard and protect their heart and help them to feel your presence.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Six Days

There are six days until I get to meet the newest Anderson. In those days I need to wrap up Julius Caesar with 7th graders who are not quite sure they like this one as much as Romeo and Juliet. I need to wrap up Romeo and Juliet with 6th graders who are not quite sure how two people fall in love (I mean lust) and get married at 14 and in only 24 hours. I need to figure out how to explain to a sub that the 5th graders really are great kids they just talk too much. I need to remember how to install a car seat base into a vehicle. I need to motivate the same 7th graders who are unsure about Julius Caesar to finish learning about world geography without me and our random, if not funny, discussions of the world. I need to bake a turkey to make room in my freezer. I need to lavish as much love as I can on Elijah so he doesn't think I abandoned him while I am in the hospital. I need to forget about washing the windows. I need to make a packing list. I need to pack. I need to check with the friends who so graciously volunteered to watch Elijah this week. I need to keep my feet up so my ankles look normal. I need to pray. I need to convince Chris that waiting until the baby is born to pick a boy name is not a good idea. I need to write my "Story" for bible study on Tuesday. I need to remember where all the nuks are. I need to forget about all these things and just concentrate on the joy of new life and the awesome blessing of getting to raise another human being.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

My Moms

I think God knows that some of us require more than just the two eyes of Mom watching us. I certainly did. I wasn't purposely naughty; I just lacked the ability to forsee upcoming trouble.
So I had three moms.

Peggy was Mom. She loved me with all she had. She taught me how to love with all you have. I was her Suzy-baby and she always treated me like her baby. I know my lack of timeliness drove her nuts. I am not sure I was on time for dinner my entire school years. I also spend most of my elementary and middle school years grounded because of my blindness to trouble. But my favorite moments (from age 5 to age 24) were laying on her lap while we talked and she stroked my hair. We would fight, get it out there, and get over it. I am very certain she gets quite a chuckle from her spot in Heaven as she watches me try to parent my stubborn boy.

Pearl is Grandmom. She teaches me how to life by faith; how to find strength in the tough times; how to do work worth doing. My dear grandma allowed me to grow up in my own little world. It drove her crazy that I would speed through my cleaning duties so I could go outside to play in the playhouse, in grandpa's pickup, in the field, or wherever I could find space. When I got bigger I got out of cleaning (I still hate cleaning) because Grandpa discovered I was an excellent riding lawn mower operator. But I always had time and she always made time for tea at 4:00. It was tradition: Black tea, sugar, milk, and cookies. We would talk about the day, her childhood, how she met Grandpa, and pretty much anything else. It is such a joy to get to share the adventures of motherhood with her and hear her advice and stories.

Sara is sister-mom. It must be a birthorder thing. Sara, who I thought was bossy, spend our childhood trying to steer her sister away from troublesome situations. She did do her small part in getting me into trouble too; nobody said she was perfect. I will never forget the time she pushed me out the garage window, then let it slam shut, then run out of the garage declaring she didn't do it when Mom came racing out of the house to see what had shattered. I am not sure I can articulate all that I learned from her. I think the most important lesson was how to live a life of integrity and genuiness. My sister is nothing if not genuine with people. I always struggled with that (what if people didn't like the real me). Our phone conversations have become the highlight of my day. We trade mom stories, husband hillarities, and solve the world's problems.

Thank you, God for these moms who have helped raise me. Thank you for giving me three sets of eyes to watch over me. May I pass their wisdom on, may I always find time for those who need it, and my I always show love the way these moms have loved me.
Amen

Friday, May 9, 2008

For Ashley

It was my greatest pleasure to get to see my little sister graduate from college last Saturday. We didn't get the pleasure of growing up together but over the past few years we have learned a lot about each other. Probably the one thing that I love the most about her is that she introduces me as her sister; no explanation, no step, just her sister. I smile everytime and thank God that she thinks of me that way. She is a woman wise beyond her years, often counseling me in matters of faith and life. I am so excited to see what journey God has for her and to see how she grows along that journey.