thoughts on service and leaning forward into life
Eden and I were talking this morning, we were talking about what she did yesterday – except she used “nexterday” instead of yesterday. Libby and I were half asleep, but we both started cracking up. Eden is always combining and abbreviating words, I think that’s one of her gifts. Along with looking cute…
What did you do nexterday?
~~i can’t wait to go trick or treating tonight~~
Eli will be buzz lightyear and Eden will be a ballerina, I’m sure Silas will be some cute and fuzzy animal, like every other 6 month old who can’t eat candy!
What was your best costume as a kid?
Pictures from the pumpkin patch this year: 
I love the King James Version of John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus came to bring the abundant life. Thinking of American culture I wonder if we’re off on his idea of abundance.
This past summer I spent some time farming with my brother-in-law and his family in Winnipeg. Darrell grew up farming, but now he has a day job but he still helps out during harvest. I had the chance to ride with Darrell’s dad on the combine, harvesting the early summer wheat. It was an awesome experience, I felt like a little kid.
Darrell’s dad and I talked for a couple of hours on the combine. He is retired now, and his oldest son runs the farm. He said something pretty profound, and it relates to the idea of abundance.
He said that farming has changed over the years. When he was farming, it was done for survival. But now it’s done for profit and it’s turned into big business. There’s no room for the small farmer and farms just keep getting bigger and bigger. He said the whole mindset has changed.
I wonder if that’s where we’ve gone even with our spirituality, and how we view abundance in our life. We’ve shifted from having enough, to turning a profit.
Our whole idea of the abundant life is so far off, that when we hear Jesus offering us the abundant life – our response is just confusion. We want the abundant easy life, filled with easy stuff.
Maybe we need to reclaim the word abundant, in a whole new way – so it has nothing to do with easiness and stuff.
Spiritual abundance is connecting with God in a complete way, that overflows into each corner of our lives. I hope I’m running after this idea and not chasing after profit in my life.
Tonight was “daddy night.”
Here’s the official Foester Family definition of “daddy night” – Lib goes out for the night and leaves the 3 little ones to me, it’s that simple. I look forward to daddy night. My kids are fun and I love to hang with them. And they still think I’m cool, which is an added bonus.
Being the thinker, I usually have a plan for “daddy night”.
Here was tonight’s plan…
THEN, it’s time for daddy to get out his guitar and record some music with the Presonus Inspire Firewire recording thingy. At least that was the plan.
But here’s how it went down…
Silas (5 months) was being a stinker so he didn’t go down ’till 9. I had planned for him to go down at 7. That didn’t happen, but he’s cute so he can get away with it.
I finally got Eli and Eden down a little after 9 and I was getting set up to play some music.
Then the storm came.
Eli and Eden sleep on our third floor so they can hear the rain and thunder pretty clearly in their room. I wasn’t surprised to see them standing outside my door, almost hugging each other in fear.
So I took action, I unplugged the computer and TV and turned all the lights off in our room. We all hopped into our bed and cuddled during the storm. It was one of those loud storms with lot’s of lightning. They had lots of questions about lightning that I couldn’t really answer, like how does lightning come into the TV and computer?
Then we prayed. Eden prayed for our computer which I thought was funny. Eli prayed for his mommy’s safe trip home.
Man, I was floored with the power of God tonight. I actually got a little afraid of Him during the storm. I was reminded how powerful He is and how little control I have over the way I plan things out.
I was reminded tonight that I’m trying to force some things in my life, and trying to make them happen on my plan instead of trusting in God and having true faith that he will see things through.
So I’ll try to keep having true faith and not get too caught up in my plans.
What plan are you holding onto too tightly?
The trees on the east coast are amazing…I’m so looking forward to the fall colors. It’s strange, but I feel like a tree. figuratively. Let me explain.
I was born in a Wilmington hospital. I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. My parents live in the same ranch house that my 4 siblings and I grew up in. Before we added on to our house, there were 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 5 kids and my parents. My brother and I shared a room through high school. The pile of clothes that piled up between our beds was a beautiful thing (except to my mom and sisters). I still live in Wilmington, Delaware. Libby and I had talked about moving a couple of years after we got married, before we had kids. But we didn’t. And now it doesn’t make sense to move. But we’re praying about it again. I feel like a tree with deep roots. There is always a Delaware connection to be found when you meet someone around here. And our kids are a couple of minutes from both sets of grandparents and we are so close to family and friends.
So I feel like a tree with deep roots, that’s about to be balled up and planted somewhere new. It sounds dangerous and a little scary. I admit, part of me does want to move – just to have a different view. But the rest of me absolutely does not. I know it will be hardest on Lib and the kids. Hopefully we’ll get planted in some soft soil and our roots will catch on quickly deep and strong in a new place.
Whether the scenery of our life changes or not, He is the true vine.
And His roots run deep enough.
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
1 Blessed are those
who do not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but who delight in the law of the LORD
and meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
libby took the above header photo of my alvarez md90c
God is awesome, 52 days after his big debut – Silas is smiling -
that is a sweet look little man
made in the image of his creator
shout it out
what has fear kept you from doing that God is calling you to do?
This is my new Alvarez MD90-C – solid Englemann Spruce top will solid Indian Rosewood back and sides. I’m enjoying it so far.
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