Chismville

About 5 nights ago, we made a major change in the Chism household. We tried this change several months ago with no success. As Joli explained briefly in her blog the other day, we have finally made the decision to have Joel and Chalice sleep in the same room. I was a little nervous about the idea, but I knew we had to do it soon. Kirstie Howard, one of Joli’s fabulous sisters, will be staying with us for a month starting on September 19th. This was the reason I told Joli it was time to ease Chalice into her new living situation.

Much to my surprise, the kids have taken well to the new concept. I believe both of them enjoy the company and have not kept Mommy and Daddy up checking on them more than 2-3 times! They are so funny. They will talk back and forth in a language only known to children 2 and under before they both conk out and sleep through the night.  What great kids we have! We are so blessed.

News flash:

I appeared in court for the first time yesterday intending to plead innocent about a seatbelt ticket. The officer didn’t show so I won the case by default much to my relief! Remember click it (VERY CONSPICUOUSLY) or ticket (anyway).

David did Pilates with me twice in a row–yesterday evening and bright and early this morning.

Joel and Chalice are once again sleeping in the same room and love it. (Less study time for me in the morning though.)

My brain is spinning from a long day trying on and off to finalize a paper on terrorism.

Dental floss leaves quite an impression on your mouth if it comes in contact with Eternity for men by Calvin Klein.

Christians are called to fix their eyes on the end of the journey in order to motivate endurance in daily living. That was the premise of today’s sermon from the final chapters of Hebrews. We are to fix our eyes ahead and run faithfully. We will receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken. While we diligently procure for ourselves earthly stuff, God has provided an indestructible home that will never be destroyed. The sermon gave relevant application about worshiping God with gratitude and awe. Let brotherly love continue. Show hospitality to strangers. Identify with those rejected by society. Honor marriage. Don’t love money.

The radically applicable part for myself showed up at the end of the sermon. “I find endless desire to make this my home–to be settled.” I wrote, “Good application for me–not feeling at home in California.” This concept actually came as a relief! I’ve been here three years and it’s hit me that I don’t feel at home here. I miss having weather. I miss the changing seasons and the green and the space between houses and silly things like stairs and colors on houses. I was feeling all guilty and trying to figure out how to impose “settled,” “at home” feelings on myself. This morning I realized not feeling at home is actually a good thing or can be. If I am grateful for all my life’s blessings–and they are many–and if I use my longings to point me Heavenward, my homesickness can be changed to something pleasing to my Heavenly Father.

I’ve always loved the second line of this hymn, “Yet in a foreign land, we are not far from home; And nearer to our house above we every moment come.”

I think of one of our pastors who recently moved his family just a few miles to be closer to the community they wanted to serve. He wanted his wife to be able to shop at stores and their kids to play at the park and talk about the church being built in their community. He wanted to look over sermon notes at Starbucks and invite neighbors to church, right next door. That family acknowledges that you can’t get much of a back yard in San Diego, but it’s all part of this particular mission field. It was easy enough for me to talk to David when we were courting, about our home being a mission field wherever we live, but in daily practice I tend to forget. San Diego is not exactly Africa–but it’s our current mission field nonetheless. I have a lot to learn in terms of being faithful where I am planted and…..longing for my Heavenly HOME where one day we will all fellowship together with Believers from all the ages and nations!

I’m relaxing after a fulfilling day. What made it fulfilling you may ask? Well, I had a brief, albeit meaningful Quiet Time before I dove back into studying. A sweet friend (Emily Dinwiddie) came over to watch my kids while I took a test at University of Phoenix. I was especially nervous about this test, but passed. Praise the Lord! Three more credits out of the way. I enjoyed chatting with Emily back at home, played with the kids and cleaned the house. Cleaning is a GREAT diversion from studying and Joel loves it. I turned on fun music and he danced and helped me mop. Proseletizers from a cultish church interrupted my late afternoon Pilates while my husband enjoyed a cigar with our friend, Aaron James, before dinner. After a healthy dinner, David and I took a walk around the neighborhood and tucked our kids in their beds for the night. So now I’m missing Regina, my college roomate and dear friend who gave me this mug from Oxford from which I am drinking a Gingerbread Latte….just milk and gingerbread syrup since even decaf coffee would likely keep me awake. (Do you like my run-on sentence?) I hope you’re having as pleasant an evening as I!

Today is our third Anniversary! Good excuse for a date night, I’m thinking.

Today is David’s twenty-ninth birthday. I am blessed to be married to a marvelous man. David is thoughtful and caring. He assiduously fosters his relationship with his Savior and along with that, his family. It is a wife’s delight to be married to a man who so enjoys quality time. David is a loyal friend to all of his friends. He has whole-heartedly embraced all of my friends, my large family, and huge extended family. My life is sweetly and inestimably enriched by my wonderful husband.

David is a good story-teller who also specializes in a number of accents. On our honeymoon, David became a different ethnicity each night we went to dinner. Australian was my favorite. David’s amazing Donald Duck never fails to make people laugh, though babies give him mixed ratings. David is so good at saying anything in Donald Duck that I think some babies are confused to see a cartoon duck voice coming out of a California dude. (Our kids love their daddy’s Donald Duck of course!:))

Besides being talented, my husband’s thoughtfulness really is extraordinary. I guess that would be no surprise to anyone who heard how David proposed to me! He has on occasion gone grocery shopping for me with my shopping list, getting in some quality time with Joel and allowing me a little extra time to study. (Incidentally, David is a much better clothes shopper than I am.) Another example of David’s thoughtfulness is manifested by our VitaMix (fancy blender). David kept telling me about the marvels of the VitaMix to which I responded that our blender still works. At one point I told him that maybe he could save such a gift for a birthday or holiday. So shortly before Valentine’s Day, David gave me a VitaMix. I have used it far more than I ever realized I would–from smoothies, homemade ice cream and puddings to soups and baby food, the VitaMix has been an outstanding asset and luxury. Another especially thoughtful and generous act of kindness that David did recently to bless my life and the lives of others was to buy an airline voucher from a friend who would otherwise be forced to waste it and use it to fly my sister Kirstie out here for a month soon. David did this all completely on his own initiative and out of the kindness of his heart!

David is a loving, conscientious leader of our home. He is faithful to pray with me and for Joel and Chalice. He calls me throughout the day just to see how his little family is doing. He makes decisions carefully and prayerfully and incorporates me into his decision-making. David also models keeping Jesus Christ at the center of His life. I am so thankful for my amazing husband. Happy Birthday, David!!

Joli and I will be starting a marriage study out of our home next month, and the book we decided to use was Douglas Wilson’s “Reforming Marriage.” Our goal is not to teach other marriages how to have better marriages in the world but to experience with each of the couples how to have marriages that bring glory to God.

While reading the second chapter, I was struck with his conclusion sentence that I just had to post here:

“He [husband] must be a rock in his home, a small pebble that somehow by the grace of God pictures the Rock that is Christ.” (p. 41 of Reforming Marriage)

Men must be like a rock! If you have grown up watching the Chevrolet truck commercials over the years you will notice a similiar branding theme that is always heard and seen, “Like a rock!” They advertise to men that want to be strong and tough! Men do desire those things but typically, outside of marriage. A Christian husband must be a solid pillar in his home but looking to his example for how to do it, Christ. Being a rock in the home is where a Christian man differs from the worldly appearance of men and trucks. He is called to love and lead. Love involves sacrifice and selflessness and leading requires discipline and no laziness.

As Christian men, we move forward with our Lord’s example in being the Good Shepherd and Bridegroom for His church. He loved us with an everlasting love by laying down His life, and His leadership of the church is full of grace and perseverance: He will never leave or forsake us.

This is the challenge I am facing as a Christian man today: how to love and to lead. My pray is that I would look to our Savior and grow in grace. I am looking forward to learning what God has in store for my little family, and I hope I will be the servant leader that is a pebble that somehow “pictures the Rock that is Christ.”

Joel and Chalice just had a veggie-eat-out at the kitchen table (well, Chalice was in the high chair). Chalice ate chunks of carrots, bananas, and fussed for more pureed spinach and rice while Joel chowed down on carrots, broccoli, and grapes. I don’t have a veggie toddler/infant food wheel on my refrigerator and I don’t make sure that my kids always get the perfect assortment of foods in their diet. I’ve heard that vegetable consumption accumulates for the week–so I guess my kids are good till next Friday on their greens, oranges and yellows!

I got a guy to Ooooh at my hair today. (yeah, so my two-year-old doesn’t really count as “a guy” ) I’ve been particularly frustrated with my hair lately. I don’t really like all the different lengths and I have these obnoxious short hairs that seem to come and go with my multivitamins. I rarely spend the time to blow dry my hair properly so I’ve never really mastered great technique. Shortly after blow-drying my hair today, I was sitting on the floor playing with Chalice and Joel came up to me and reached out to touch my hair. He did the Ooooh!-thing (he learned from watching his daddy eat something he really likes) and leaned against my hair like he does his favorite blanket. Vanity has its rewards.

Partway through the morning I discovered that I have a fair balance of a couple grand in a checking/savings account I left behind in my Capitol Hill days. That was the good news. I knew I had the account. I had purposely kept it because the congressional bank account has some nice perks. I didn’t recall how much money I had remaining. The bad news was that they’ve been deducting five dollars a month for a few years now due to inactivity. More dollars and cents to good ole Uncle Sam–we know he needs money! I called the credit union and set up my account to manage it online. I could look at monthly balance sheets from the past seven or eight years–boring entries with no transactions. It was funny though, typing in random check numbers and viewing old checks from years ago with the nice neat handwriting I used to have before having kids and trying to write with someone pulling my earrings while I’m trying to sign the statement at Costco. I was also funny the simplicity of the stuff I used to write checks for as a single gal. The first check was to New Hope Church–the church I attended ever since I can remember, prior to San Diego. (That was a good thing. I know I was not as faithful at keeping track of tithing as I should have been. My husband is MUCH better. He is very faithful.) The second check was for a guy’s name whom I don’t remember. The subject line said, “thank you” and the check was for $10. Hmm? The third was a monthly Marc commuter train pass fee. I remember griping about that bill for one hundred something–back before I had real expenses. The last one I looked at was twelve dollars and change for gas. Am I old, or have gas prices gone up quickly? It was a funny blast from the past–like snooping through someone else’s private life, only it was my own! I’m glad for the way God has directed my life. I have a wonderful, amazing husband and two cute little kids who keep me company all day long! I have lots of purposeful things to occupy my days–not the least of which is writing miscellaneous blogs that have little to do with anything of substance. Sometimes it is good therapy to just start typing.

I love our church. It was slightly over a year ago that David and I began going to Grace church. I was thinking this morning how it takes time to become really plugged in to a network of Believers. I fluctuate between being an open book–sharing my heart on my sleeve, and cutting myself off from  some people–not wanting to be vulnerable. Vulnerability can be a curse and a blessing, as can telling too much to too many people. The way we speak to others is such a fine balance! This morning I was thinking about the Psalm’s lines, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord.” I’ve often been convicted by those words. I don’t LONG for the courts of the Lord as I should. I long for comfort, pleasure, sleep, safety and security for my children…. But last night I was thinking since I worked in the nursery the past two Sundays, how much I am missing from the real fellowship of Believers on Sunday morning. Though I enjoy serving the little ones and freeing up other moms like myself so that they can worship free of distractions, I really  felt the absence of that meaningful time with other Believers worshiping and being fed. I look forward to next Sunday, saying with the Psalmist, I rejoice to go to the House of the Lord! Also, I look forward to growing friendships with other believers from Grace. There are such sweet lives lived out whom I look forward to getting to know better.

If you ask most non religious people what the meaning of life would be, they would respond with things like this, “To live life to the fullest.” or “To have love, joy and peace.” or “To have fun while it last, then maybe I’ll think about if there is a God.”

Several weeks ago, Joli and I watched an old movie called, “All About Eve.” If you have not watched it, it is worth the time. Anyways, one of the non famous actresses (at this time in her career) was the young Marilyn Monroe. Some have claimed she was the most popular woman of the 20th century. After the movie, Joli and I looked her up on the web to read more about her so called “joy filled” life! She lived life to fullest until she died (probably by suicide) at the age of 36. I had no idea she was that young. She never really seemed to enjoy life, especially in light of her three failed marriages. Judy Garland, from the Wizard of Oz film also died at a fairly young age by committing suicide. Even before she took her life, she was know to be a very heavy drinker. Lastly, an agnostic park ranger my family knew while vacationing up in the Sierra Nevadas during my growing up years, Gary Ogden, took his life 4-5 years ago. This was one person that would have agreed with the above statements that one must live for himself, live life to the fullest and “eat, drink & be merry for tomorrow we will die.” This man hated the Gospel of Jesus Christ and tried everything he could do to put a damper on it. He seemed to love his life and lived a very self-centered and godless life. He was proud of his endeavors and God-hating “ministry.” He taught his anti-Christian religion by being a jr. college professor, and he seemed to really love it. However, Ranger Gary, in his mid fifties, became depressed. I can only guess why he was depressed. The things he held as very dear to his heart were beginning to fade away: his body was aging and his job at the Postpile had ended to name two. He began taking depression medication and then ended his life.

Proverbs 14:13 says, “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.” The three examples above are people that have lived everyday of their lives without trusting in Christ as their Lord and Savior. The entire book of Ecclesiastes deals with my examples by stating that if a person lives life life without God it is the vanity of vanities. Sometimes people may seem happy but inwardly they may have grief and need to hear the Gospel. My heart goes out to the many famous people who put on a smile, sign autographs and live in the spotlight until they die. Will they end their lives like Marilyn Monroe, or will they come and humble themselves by embracing the good news of Jesus Christ?

There is only one chance. The Bible has the answer for those whose hearts are full of sorrow. It must be an awful feeling for those who have left this earth without the hope of the Gospel? Everyone will face the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. Those who have the blood of Jesus poured out for them, will be declared righteous and the others will be found guilty. They will not be justified but will live in an eternal separation from the presence of God. We find this to be true just by reading Jesus’ parable in Luke 16:19-31 (The Rich Man & Lazarus). My hope is that I would never stop living for Christ and only love to proclaim His love to my neighbors as God gives me opportunities. God is so Good, and I hope those who are still living will taste and see that He is more than enough!