The poor spaghetti

I was on the computer yesterday and I looked into the Google search bar and what did I see? "dying pasta" was up there. At first I was worried that there was some peer sickly elbow macaronin somewhere that needed a coroner, but then I remembered that I had made pasta for dinner and thought that I didn't kill it too bad. My fears were allayed when I went into the kitchen and this was what I saw:

Whew! My ability to boil water and throw starch into the pot are still unquestioned.

Here are some other cute photos from recent things:

Boys being boys

Graham and Addyson playing in the pool on a night when it was just dads with the kids.

Friends from current and past small groups at the marriage getaway last weekend.

Hiccups

The other night as I was putting Graham to bed, he asked for medicine.

"Why do you need medicine?"
"Because I have hiccups."
"Honey, medicine won't take those away, but when we pray we can ask Jesus to take them away."

So when we prayed, we included asking Jesus to take away Graham's hiccups.

Today, Graham came up to me and said (while hiccupping), "Can you tell Jesus to get my hiccups away?"

Out of the mouth......of my son, Graham. :)

If I really believed

I was reading Oswald Chambers' My Utmost For His Highest yesterday and the reading struck me and I had 5 minutes to think about it and came up with this. Thought I'd share it with you.
Joshua 24:19 "You cannot serve the Lord"
Oswald wrote "If we really believed that God meant what he said- what should we be like?"

My response:
If I really believed God,

1. I would not worry about finances or budgets
2. I would work hard 100% of the time at my job and not be upset about recognition
3. My children would ask more about Him because I'd always talk about Him
4. I'd read more of the Bible because I would want to know Him more
5. He would be my first impulse to consult in a tight spot
6. I'd talk, work, think, drive and do things differently- more reverently; with an eye towards glorifying Him
7. People wouldn't think I was "just a nice guy" because they would be told I was shaped by Him, not of myself
8. I wouldn't rely on my intelligence, education, etc to get me through things- I'd rely on Him with humility
9. My friendships, marriage and relations with other people would be better because I would be more humble and servantlike
10. Peace would be my beggining point each day instead of variable along the stress spectrum
11. I'd talk to Him more, and listen to Him more
12. I would have more turmoil in my life because He would refine me through that, but I could handle it better

How great a life like this could be. Who wouldn't love peace of that level? The irony is; that the harder we strive for this on our own, the further we push it away- like a ball floating in a pool. If I reach for God, He will pull me and the ball toward Himself. We get the ball by gowing toward Him, with His help.

How is your swimming?

-E