lifeingrace » macdaddy

October Gave a Party…..

edie — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:58:55 +0000

i’m sitting on the deck this chilly morning.
enjoying the cool weather, the warm coffee, the gorgeous view.
finding so many reasons to be thankful.
for the gift of vocation, where the sacred intersects the mundane.
for the gift of teaching these children to love beautiful things.
for the gift of marriage, where we see the sacrificial love of Christ on display.
and for the gift of leaves—whose acceptance of their changing colors inspires us to
embrace our own.

i hold each moment still with my camera.
i savor the way things are, knowing that they’ll
never be just this way again.
so, why did october give a party?
and invite all the leaves to come and dance?
because he knew that we must celebrate every day.
every season.
even every trial.
for every day is a gift from God, who’s Word renews the face of the earth.
happy birthday stevie. you’ve given me so many things to be thankful for.

and now the girls will recite for you ‘October’s Party’ among other things. if you have time, stick around to the end where you’ll hear elea do a fantastic rendition of ‘Jabberwocky’. it only works if you say it in your best british voice

i must go inside now, the cardinal and the chickadee are both impatiently waiting for me to move so they can get to the feeder!

and i’m going to bookclub today at patty’s. we’re doing poetry this term and patty is a skilled writer with a contagious love for poetry. and she’s making butternut squash soup. i can’t wait.

hope you join ‘October’s Party’ and splash around in some leaves this weekend.

October’s Party by George Cooper
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.
Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly “hands around.”

10 years of bliss!

edie — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:39:20 +0000

{photography by studio 3z}

What greater thing is there for two human souls

than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen

each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow

to share with each other in all gladness,

to be one with each other in all the silent

unspoken memories?

George Eliot (1819-1880)

Happy Anniversary honey. A lifetime won’t be enough. Love you.

happy father’s day

edie — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 11:17:25 +0000

as waves of change crash in on us

you stand tall and strong and sure.

my knees buckle, i fear i’m losing my way.

and yet you set your eyes firmly ahead,

never flinching, just as steady as the sun rising.

gentle yet fierce,

tender but never weak,

strong like an oak and wise like your Father.

i have never known anyone quite like you,

with a heart easily touched and sometimes broken

but never wavering.

i see Him in you and am thankful.

and i know that you will carry me until the storm passes

and all will be well.

you have made a safe place for us to grow and play and love.

watching you father is one of life’s sweet joys

and our children are blessed beyond measure.

happy father’s day.

we love you.

I love this picture…..

edie — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:51:51 +0000

I love everything about it.

There’s nothing quite like little girls and their daddies—how they so easily undo what looks to be a solid wall of raw-edged masculinity. And oh how I love to watch him with them. They walk in the room and his eyes light up, his tone of voice changes, and his world spins brighter. His pursuit of their hearts has made them strong and sure. His pursuit of mine has altogether changed me.

We are lucky girls around here.

{p.s. Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions for the kitchen!! It’s so helpful to have all the creativity flowing. Now if you could just help me pack!}

when your husband tweets

edie — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:39:00 +0000

remember this sweater and vintage skirt

that I hacked up to make a dress for blissdom?

well, i didn’t finish it.

i basted it together and threw it in my suitcase

hoping to shop and find a real dress

before i got here.

i’ve been having way too much fun with all my

new/old blog friends to shop

so i wore it anyway—

–and tweeted this picture right before we left

for the harry connick jr concert

and i ended the tweet with ‘don’t pull on it’

because this dress was literally hanging

by a thread.

to my pleasant surprise my twitter-savvy-hunk

of-a-husband, who

is currently attending a very serious church meeting

in atlanta, tweeted me back with this:

shut.up.

i am still chuckling

and greatly anticipating my arrival back home.

post-edit: my great friend patty at blessed moon, who I begged to come to blissdom with me, is having a “i’m not at blissdom blog-hop” where you can introduce yourself and link up, so go and introduce yourself and link up! see you soon with lots of blissdom pics. i wish you all were here.

The Bridegroom

edie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:15:00 +0000

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

Yesterday, he:

Went to work, just like every other day, and tried to make a difference in someone’s life–if in no other way than to relieve suffering.
With great interest and love, made sure that our girls know that their daddy is on their side, that he is their biggest fan, their protector and their provider.
Came home early, gave out smooches and hugs galore, read most of the afternoon from Paradise Lost by Milton and commenced to draw parallels between C.S. Lewis, George McDonald and John Milton.
Discussed Issues like this and this and lamented the large gaps in our education.
Decided to take us to dinner out and then to our churches’ third Advent service.

And walking out from church, that’s when I felt the weight of it—-a glimpse of true joy, of complete contentment, a transcendent and yet very physical reassurance that this moment is a foreshadowing of the fullness we have in Christ. And this man, this husband and father is a picture of Christ—the very means God uses to nurture wives and children. A tangible, wonderful taste of what Christ ultimately gives us in Himself.

I receive it all with gratitude, take mental note of how handsome he looks in the white shirt (and the well- fitting jeans) and close my eyes to bask in the light.

A man after God’s own heart…..

edie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Sunday Grace……..

edie — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Because I have company and am learning some great fun things from Steve’s mom (like how to make krumkake and pepper nuts and how to knit cables) and because I have graciously acquired some wonderful new readers (welcome and thank you for reading), I am reposting from my archives (September 28) about my wonderful husband. He was trained well by a mother and father who loved him and taught him many wonderful things—–and now I get to reap the benefits. Thank you Ed and Evadne. I am one lucky girl.

There are so many things to love about this guy. He’s rugged, funny, smart, loves football and fishing and good scotch, can name nearly every tree in nature, reads theology books, can water ski and snow ski like a pro, likes classical music and Pearl Jam, and occasionally loses his temper. He’s edgy like that sometimes…..in a masculine, Jesus-and-the-money-changers sort of a way. He has huge biceps and makes you feel like he’d crush anyone who tried to hurt you…….all the things that make a girl go weak in the knees.

Yesterday, he saw our children and their friends throwing small matchbox cars in the pool. It was right after the Vols got beat so he was already a little ‘frustrated’, let’s say.

He yelled……

they cried……

I was bewildered.

Today, as we pulled into the church parking lot, he put his right hand on my shoulder and gave me a little touch of affection. He asked the girls if they remembered the pool incident and they, of course, did. He told them that he was wrong to lose his temper and asked if we would forgive him. Elea said, “Yes, daddy, I forgive you.” The exchange was powerful. I can’t think of a better way to teach forgiveness to your children. The historic liturgy of the church is beautiful on this subject, and thank God we say and hear these words every Sunday;

“Lord we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean and have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways……Almighty God in His mercy has given His son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.”

Now, that is comfort. We fail. We screw up. We lose our tempers, get angry. And He stands there waiting…..to forgive. It is a powerful force in any relationship, but especially in families. To forgive and be forgiven, what a gift from God! I am thankful for a man who is passionate enough to get angry and man enough to ask for forgiveness. He also just so happens to able to identify nearly every bird flying overhead and he can wind the bobbin on my sewing machine! I’m starting to feel so inadequate!

Knit Together

edie — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:14:00 +0000

I have a strange way of grieving. Lately, I am always on the verge of tears. Today, my eyes welled up with tears at least three times and I can’t even remember why. But I don’t usually slow down or withdraw. I cry frequently and then feverishly keep my hands and my head occupied. (officially called being ‘in a tizzy’). It’s the only way I know to give my heart a break. So, in this grieving season of little birdies leaving my nest, I’m reading and knitting. Almost ravenously. Since we arrived in MN, I’ve knit and read nearly continuously. Except for the multitudinous breaks for eating. I guess I should add ‘eating’ to my list of grieving activities but it seems much less industrious than knitting and reading.

Like this beanie I made for Taylor this week, I couldn’t get Psalm 139 out of my head.

You have searched me and known me

You search out my path and my lying down

You are aquainted with all my ways

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me

‘You knit me together in my mother’s womb’

Where shall I go from your spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

He will never be alone. His Lord will be ever present. And my beloved son will be ‘hemmed in’. He will be surrounded by a hedge of protection. (And a cute little beanie hat). I know that I need not worry. But I also know that this is just one more stage in the process of letting them go. And I don’t know any other way to walk through that valley except one painful step at a time. So bear with me. My heart is heavy. My thoughts and days are bitter sweet.

I guess I should be thankful that I’ll still have this one home to make me laugh. I’ve been trying to think up a good rap name for him. Maybe S. Macdaddy Wads or better yet, all one word, Smacdaddy Wads. And just that quick I go from tears to belly laughs. Welcome to my emotional roller coaster.

~~BTW, I did NOT ask him to pose. This is his natural gangsta face. Be very afraid.

~~And thanks to Grandma Evadne for her patience with my facial contortions when she told me I was going to have FOUR knitting needles going at once. She’s a saint with my questions and mistakes.

~~ Caiti like the beanie so much, I’ve started one for her. I feel a tsunami of tears on the horizon.

Guest Post

edie — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:50:00 +0000

I’ve been begging him to do this for-EVER. So, today, without further adieu, I give you a guest-post, by none other than Macdaddy, the sole sponsor of lifeingrace, without whose support and love, this blog would cease to exist. Take it away, my dear!

$10 clipper +

Reluctant Physician +

#1 on the sides and #2 on the top+

pile on the floor still “looks” black=

HAPPY-

CAMPER!!!

I know it does not look so black on the head. Alas….