where did it go?

the weekend, i mean.
what happened? it was so quick i don't believe its Monday.
The weather was pretty dreary and icky, which helped it along. There didn't seem to be any change in the sunlight/time of day, so the days just blur together in their wet misery.
Friday night we got to have pizza with my parents which is always nice. We have good conversations and don't get to hang out with them as much as we'd like.
Saturday my sister had a craft show, my brother in law had a concert and my husband had a recording session so i had the 3 childrens. It was great fun, i don't get to have my nephew Cash very often so we kissed on him a lot. Cousins are wonderful.

i was going a bit crazy by saturday night and wanted to get out of the house so we met Joel's parents for a trivia night/silent action. They had paid for a full table and had two seats so we lucked out:O)
I felt like we should contribute something so i bid on a gift certificate for a massage. i ended up winning it for $11. Was it in the budget? no. did it help someone AND help preserve my mental health at the same time? YES. trust me, that will be a good day for my family:O)
and yes, my limit was $12.

Anywho.
Sunday I went to Copper Creek (where Joel's job will soon be starting) with the babes.
Joel is still filling in during a sabbatical at Community Crossings, a very friendly church on 159. They have been great to our family but i just could not bring myself to wake the kids up at 7 so we could leave with Joel.
Good thing i made that decision; Leland slept right up to 10am, which is when we walked over for church at Copper Creek.
It was very interesting getting 2 kids in church clothes, a tray of cherry clafouti and diaper bag across the muddy land... in 4 in heels. we made it and had a great morning. Jim did a lovely job with worship and Dr. Jones always brings the Truth. He is just a really funny, endearing man as well.
I was really surprised to see two of our wonderful friends from church camp who just got married. Apparently they just moved to Maryville and live about 2 minutes from us. It was so exciting!!!

We went back to Bruce and Janet's for lunch and while there i saw that the book "Why I Stayed" by Gayle Haggard was sitting on the arm of a chair. I picked it up and started reading it.... and finished it before we left.
I don't know if you remember the story from the news, but Ted Haggard, her husband, is the Colorado evangelical preacher who was in the middle of a homosexual/drug scandal in 2006.
I think it is fair to say if something of that nature happened to one of us, dear friends, that it would be life altering.
It's always difficult to discern who is telling the whole truth in these kinds of situations and "tell alls".
I really feel that this book was different than most though. Gayle, i believe, is honestly trying to use this situation to glorify God. In reading this book I have come to respect her decisions and strength.
The message is that *everyone* has the capability to sin. To sin in very depraved ways. Sometimes people we love have been damaged/abused in their youth and are more apt to have problems in areas that seem unforgivable to us.
The power of Christ in us, is to forgive as he has forgave us. To work for healing and love in a situation that seems hopeless.



Some of you are my "real life" friends and have seen my tattoo. You may or may not know it's meaning.
the top of my wrist says 'dignity' and the underside says 'depravity'. It is taken from a book titled Contemporary Christianity.
John Stott is speaking about the paradox of humanity, of humanity's spirituality.
Humans are the only thing that has the capability for such amazing, awe inspiring dignity and yet the capability of such heartbreaking and destructive depravity. Each choice that we make is in the direction of the dignity our Father created us for or leads us further down the path of depravity. We often wonder how people do such terribly depraved things... child neglect, homicide, genocide... they didn't chose dignity. We all have both extremes in our reach. I think this realization makes it easier to forgive others, knowing that with a few wrong decisions, we could be in the same place.
my tattoo serves as a reminder that as i reach my hand out, i will be making a move in one direction or the other.
I desire to fulfill the amazing dignity that the Lord has for us all.


Anyway, i hope you see how those two things (book/tattoo) relate, because i've run out of time. babies are waking, timers are going off and my belly is rumbling. check out the book if you have time!

<3
elise