12:09am For a lot of us in the Kansas City area...and for Royals fans everywhere, it's been a fun October. We've been on a ride that many of us either don't recall in our lifetime or our 'lifetime' just hasn't been long enough yet to enjoy a 'Blue October,' as they call it. What a journey the Royals have allowed us to be a part of. Such fun watching them play; in my opinion a fun style of baseball to watch...seeing them steal bases and have to help each other out to hit each other home. True teamwork. And it's been so much fun at work or church or even at the grocery store or other random places speaking with complete strangers about how well they are doing. And, we've had some great times together as a family watching them play as well.--Things like this can bring families together. Such joyous times. In fact Wednesday night, the night of game 7 of the World Series, we were scheduled to have our women's bible study, the Beth Moore study we have been doing on Thessalonians. Bible study was scheduled to start right about game time and I really wanted to be able to watch the game with our girls before bedtime. BUT, I felt bad skipping bible study for a (silly) game. However a dear friend (our pastor's wife in fact ;) ) made a great point; she said it's not silly because these types of things bring families closer together, and God wants that!! So, I was able to do both. Our friend leading the study came in early so some of us could watch the video portion, then I was able to get home before game time to be able to watch the game with our whole family. Fun times. :) So I'm wondering how many people--those that are Royals fans...or at least those rooting for them in the World Series, just KNEW they were going to come back and win that game? The way they played in the post-season, had so many comebacks, so many extra innings wins, I just knew they were going to come back...and I think a very high percentage of people felt the same way I did. But it didn't happen, not the way we all thought it would. Another game comes to mind, as well, when I think about all this; one that Kansas City folks weren't near as interested in as I was (at least not for the team I was cheering for ;) ).--A few months ago, my dear Broncos had a similar circumstance. In the Super Bowl (I have since tried to forget), I just knew they were going to come back. We have Peyton Manning on our team for goodness sake; I just knew we were going to make a comeback. In the end though, not even a miracle game with Tim Tebow behind center could have helped us overcome that deficit. ;) Two BIG games. Both such heartbreaking losses.
Yesterday was Halloween, and leading up to this day--preparing the girls' costumes, I was pondering these events and something else came to mind. A few months ago, in February of this year, Josh and I decided to take a family trip to Disneyworld. I had never been, our big girls had never been, and we figured before a new little one entered our world, it would be a great time to go. In preparation for this, we thought it would be fun to surprise the girls with the trip. We bought them princess dresses from the movie Frozen and after they tried them on the night before our trip, we surprised them by telling them where we would be going the next morning. When I bought the princess dresses, Elsa for Brooklan and Anna for Aili, there was further reasoning behind it. Since I was 24 weeks pregnant, I thought it would be fun to have the girls also wear these costumes later in the year for Halloween and our soon to be baby girl could be the snowman Olaf from the movie. Fun plans we came up with months ago, which made it harder preparing for Halloween these past few days. What's crazy is that leading up to Halloween, Brooklan decided she didn't want to be Elsa. Since we had already spent money on this costume, I told Brooklan if she didn't want to be Elsa, she needed to come up with her own costume--one that would require no more money be spent. She agreed and as she thought about it, she decided she wanted to be an angel. When I asked her why, I can't even remember her answer, but it had nothing to do with her youngest sister now being one. :) She was able to come up with the costume, with the help of borrowing a dress from a friend, and finding a halo, shoes, and butterfly wings - turned into angel wings--all in our dress up bin downstairs. As she tried everything on the night before Halloween, it all came together beautifully. And of course when I saw her in it, I saw our baby girl...and I'm sure our baby girl was watching us too. :)
As I think about all these things the past few months...and the biggest loss of our life sandwiched between that Super Bowl loss and that World Series loss, it really helps me put life, and so many things with it, into perspective. As I watched that World Series game, I just knew I was predicting the outcome.--A ninth inning comeback in Royals fashion to celebrate a beautiful end to the season. And as I watched that Super Bowl a few months ago, I just kept thinking, 'we're gonna come back, we're gonna come back...' But unfortunately neither event happened as I predicted. But as I saw our oldest daughter in her near last minute, put together angel costume, it gave me so much peace to know exactly where our sweet Avelyn is. I have no doubt about this one. I KNOW the outcome of this one - no doubt about it. As our video from our Thessalonians study on Wednesday stated: "...in the secular view, time goes...we are always waiting for the next thing--what time is it, when do we need to leave for this, or when do we need to stop doing this so we can go to that, or make sure to set a timer or alarm so we don't miss that..." VS. "...in the biblical view, time comes--it is already set, God already knows the outcome." In Avelyn's album I made, one of the pages shows her room at Children's Mercy; the bed she slept in, her name sign that her nurse Kristyn made her, all the pictures her big sisters made her...and in the middle of the page I wrote "Your Temporary Home." I was hoping the hospital would be her temporary home before she came home to us, but as it turned out, it was the same temporary home we all have. This earth. Through this loss I have suffered, a stronger faith I have gained. God has pulled me in and taught me so much. As the book we are reading in life group has helped to teach me, a book given to Josh & I by our brother-in-law Jay Dee, I am 'Trusting God' (a book by Jerry Bridges) more and more...despite our circumstances, our loss(es), our daily challenges, our plans not working the way we pictured them working, just life here on this earth. Even though I can't predict the end result of major (or any) sporting events...or simple things in life like what crazy outfit my 5 year old will pick to wear to church tomorrow...or more major things like where we will live 10 years from now, there's one thing I do know. Time is coming to me. The Time will come. As Beth Moore stated in the video on Wednesday, there are 3 distinct time periods: (1) Now, then (2) A Little While, then (3) When Jesus is Revealed. We all are and will experience all 3 of these. I know where I will be when Jesus is revealed. I will appear with Him in His Glory. I know my precious Avelyn will be there. And I pray you, my friend, will be there as well. I know this outcome. And I praise God for this.
One major loss. And a faith that continues to be gained...
Yesterday was Halloween, and leading up to this day--preparing the girls' costumes, I was pondering these events and something else came to mind. A few months ago, in February of this year, Josh and I decided to take a family trip to Disneyworld. I had never been, our big girls had never been, and we figured before a new little one entered our world, it would be a great time to go. In preparation for this, we thought it would be fun to surprise the girls with the trip. We bought them princess dresses from the movie Frozen and after they tried them on the night before our trip, we surprised them by telling them where we would be going the next morning. When I bought the princess dresses, Elsa for Brooklan and Anna for Aili, there was further reasoning behind it. Since I was 24 weeks pregnant, I thought it would be fun to have the girls also wear these costumes later in the year for Halloween and our soon to be baby girl could be the snowman Olaf from the movie. Fun plans we came up with months ago, which made it harder preparing for Halloween these past few days. What's crazy is that leading up to Halloween, Brooklan decided she didn't want to be Elsa. Since we had already spent money on this costume, I told Brooklan if she didn't want to be Elsa, she needed to come up with her own costume--one that would require no more money be spent. She agreed and as she thought about it, she decided she wanted to be an angel. When I asked her why, I can't even remember her answer, but it had nothing to do with her youngest sister now being one. :) She was able to come up with the costume, with the help of borrowing a dress from a friend, and finding a halo, shoes, and butterfly wings - turned into angel wings--all in our dress up bin downstairs. As she tried everything on the night before Halloween, it all came together beautifully. And of course when I saw her in it, I saw our baby girl...and I'm sure our baby girl was watching us too. :)
As I think about all these things the past few months...and the biggest loss of our life sandwiched between that Super Bowl loss and that World Series loss, it really helps me put life, and so many things with it, into perspective. As I watched that World Series game, I just knew I was predicting the outcome.--A ninth inning comeback in Royals fashion to celebrate a beautiful end to the season. And as I watched that Super Bowl a few months ago, I just kept thinking, 'we're gonna come back, we're gonna come back...' But unfortunately neither event happened as I predicted. But as I saw our oldest daughter in her near last minute, put together angel costume, it gave me so much peace to know exactly where our sweet Avelyn is. I have no doubt about this one. I KNOW the outcome of this one - no doubt about it. As our video from our Thessalonians study on Wednesday stated: "...in the secular view, time goes...we are always waiting for the next thing--what time is it, when do we need to leave for this, or when do we need to stop doing this so we can go to that, or make sure to set a timer or alarm so we don't miss that..." VS. "...in the biblical view, time comes--it is already set, God already knows the outcome." In Avelyn's album I made, one of the pages shows her room at Children's Mercy; the bed she slept in, her name sign that her nurse Kristyn made her, all the pictures her big sisters made her...and in the middle of the page I wrote "Your Temporary Home." I was hoping the hospital would be her temporary home before she came home to us, but as it turned out, it was the same temporary home we all have. This earth. Through this loss I have suffered, a stronger faith I have gained. God has pulled me in and taught me so much. As the book we are reading in life group has helped to teach me, a book given to Josh & I by our brother-in-law Jay Dee, I am 'Trusting God' (a book by Jerry Bridges) more and more...despite our circumstances, our loss(es), our daily challenges, our plans not working the way we pictured them working, just life here on this earth. Even though I can't predict the end result of major (or any) sporting events...or simple things in life like what crazy outfit my 5 year old will pick to wear to church tomorrow...or more major things like where we will live 10 years from now, there's one thing I do know. Time is coming to me. The Time will come. As Beth Moore stated in the video on Wednesday, there are 3 distinct time periods: (1) Now, then (2) A Little While, then (3) When Jesus is Revealed. We all are and will experience all 3 of these. I know where I will be when Jesus is revealed. I will appear with Him in His Glory. I know my precious Avelyn will be there. And I pray you, my friend, will be there as well. I know this outcome. And I praise God for this.
One major loss. And a faith that continues to be gained...
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