Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Elijah turned five


Elijah turned five in March. Just before his birthday I wrote him this letter...

My baby boy you are five. Let me step back and look at the work that I have been entrusted to do. To raise you, to mold you, to shape you. Five years I have had you now. Five years to mold and shape you; chip off some of the hard edges, smooth out some of the wrinkles. The task of raising you is hard and the hours are long yet I look to the goal and press on. That is what daddies do. I won’t provoke but will bring you up.

I am raising you to only fear one. To die if it means life for your sisters, or your mother, or even your neighbor. Oh, and do that with a smile, considering it joy too. Son, you’re not there quite yet. There are glimpses. Sweet graceful glimpses. Like when you looked into your mothers water soaked eyes. “Mom it’s o.k. we will pray. God will bring the baby back to life.” With a mind full of stories of a God that speaks life and a heart full of a God that has conquered death; your little blue eyes were unflinching. Daddy was proud and you were right, even if we will meet that sibling another day.

I look forward to the day that I get to unleash you onto the battle field. This world full of pain, heart ache and loss. On that day your sword will be sharp and you will know how to use it. When the giants of destruction and the dragons of folly come to wage war I pray you thrust quickly with a war cry “Deuteronomy 6”, as one before you.

Your body will be marked with much pain and hardship; your soul will have no sting on it. When you die sweet son. Die well. Whether this year or in one hundred more, Laugh. Laugh at death. We all most die to really live. Remember your first death. Laugh loud, thankful for your part in this war, knowing victory is sure.

To that end I love you, discipline you, and call you son. Happy fifth birthday Elijah Joseph Zion. May your sword never rest until you see your savior.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

3 babes..precious babes, and they all speak.

August. August was the last time I posted. Wow. So, let me do a quick recap.

uh-hem...check 1, 2, 3, 4....(events at random and not in chronological order)

Tim got a job. Fiamma turned a whopping 3, along with her Uncle James. Elijah started karate at Miller's Martial Arts. Had a blissful time away with my husband for his birthday and our 8th anniversary. Drove around aimlessly around Vashon Island. Finally caught up on laundry and also developed a high-tech system of how NOT to let it pile up again, so help me Jesus. Attempted to get my carpets cleaned and failed, but we had our heating ducts cleaned! We journeyed over to the Ballard Locks to see the large and massive salmon spawn; totally a moment where you are in complete awe of God's creation. Walked with a bee, a ballerina and a knight for some trick or treat. Tim got a job, not a different one, same one, but come on..praise Jesus. Went to the farm for a fun, adventurous day with the family and the kids got to ride Bob the horse. Collected leaves with the kids by the wheel barrow full. Fiamma had a check up and weighs a huge 40 pounds and is in the 95th percentile for height. Elijah discovered the crossbow via picture in a magazine..now he needs one in order to protect his sisters. Began leading a women's bible study with Kirkland ladies from church. We keep returning to the French bakery whenever we can for their scrumptious, delightful, heavenly pastries....Divine. We made paper mache' puppets with the help of my creative sister and my lovely, just as creative, mother. Wonderful date nights with my husband, especially the one we were given at Cafe' Juanita. Truly excellent. Many long bike rides around Juanita Bay. Discovered a love for sushi...oh my. Finally pulled out the sewing machine and trying to gather up some ideas of things to create. Gratia can, with out a hitch, put on her own boots. "Morning baths" (by Fiamma and Elijah) in the puddles that accumulated in the front yard after a nights rain. Not exaggerating. That's actually the exact words they used to describe it when they knocked on the front door to come in. Lovely. These are all just "a few" events that have taken place since our beloved August. I know there are more, but the one that I want to end with for now is about my sweet precious, kind, little lady, Gratia. She speaks. She has not reached a stage of eloquence just yet, but she is almost there. She repeats everything she hears, and she hears a lot. So she has to be on her game consistently in order that she doesn't miss anything...I have 3 babes that talk. Chat. I love it. Love listening to them tell me that they want to read book mamma, or that there will be no spankings in heaven, or when they tell you that Jesus did die on the cross, but he rose 3 days later and He just walk, walk, walked out of the tomb, as they use their sweet precious fingers to also show me how easy it was for Him to do that. Oh Lord, how you are so faithful. These are all things that you have blessed me with. I have done nothing to deserve this. These are all evidences of Your grace. This is Your hand in our family's life. Lord, thank you for my children. The ones that I have here to hold in my arms and thank you for the ones that await for me in heaven. Thank you. You are a good, loving, gracious, all knowing, humble, holy, loving, protective, kind, generous, faithful, mighty, merciful Lord and Father.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

A lovely afternoon...

It was just Gratia and I. What do you do? We both kept stumbling over what to say and most importantly what to do? Just my sweet pea and I. Such a lovely thing and also very rare. I don't exactly remember what we did, a bit of this and a bit of that, but we each had eachothers undevided attention. What a way to spend an afternoon!

[This picture was taken toward the end of our adventure together. We are both wet, which pretty much implies that fun was had.]

Fiamma turned 3!

Yes indeed. Our baby girl is a big 3.

We celebrated by inviting all the princesses we knew!

We had a ball. Cinderella was a must as well as beautiful princess hats and a few beaded bracelets. Thank you all for those who came to celebrate Fiamma and her 3rd birthday. We are very blessed to have you all in our lives!

























Thank You Auntie Irene

Fiamma wanted to send a big thank you across the ocean to Auntie Irene.

Untitled from Tim Zion on Vimeo.

Monday, July 13, 2009

The past 6 months.

It's been 6 months, about, since Tim lost his job with Starbucks. Initially, for maybe 5 minutes, I was furious. Maybe, make that 10 minutes. Furious towards my loving husband, and furious at that woman who made the final out of no where from left field decision. I went back and forth, but then I remember my back hit the wall and I had no strength left but to just slide down inch by inch and land on whatever caught me. He caught me. Though in retrospect, He didn't have to catch me, He had never let go. Still hasn't. There are times though I wanted Him to. I know that can come off as a crazy thought, but if I had my way...I oughta!

I am definitely learning patience and to just trust. TRrrrUSSSttttT. Such and easy word to say, but so hard to truly do with all of your heart, strength and mind. Trust Him with everything. Trust Him with Tim finding a new job, to trust Him with our marriage, to trust him with our finances, with our children, our home, the list or whatever you want to call it, it's endless.

I had no idea though.... I had no idea this is what God had for us, in order to stretch us and make us more like Him. I had no idea. I had no idea that our community of friends and family at church, the body we serve with and love, would carry us through this season. I had no idea what His people were capable of. I had no idea what the body of Christ was capable of. It's truly amazing.

I really didn't expect anything. Not because I had low expectations, we just had never gone through this type of trial before or gone along side someone who has. We were just, some doing it better than others, patiently waiting. Waiting for Him to show up. Knowing He has us here for a specific purpose and plan. And He did. He has. Thank you. Thank you Jesus. So with that said, He showed up.

(God you are so gracious. Your mercies are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness!)

It's hard to find the words to describe what it feels like when: you recieve cards in the mail without a return address and money inside, or when a dear friend writes you checks for the next 6 months hoping that it would be something substantial to ease the hardship and get our family by a little easier, or when gobs of families come together to make meals for you 3 times a week for 2 months, or how about when you return to your car after Sunday service and there is a goodie bag of clothes for the kids perched on the passenger seat and an envelope on your windowshield that is marked: THE ZIONS with a gift inside, or the random cash Tim will find in his back pocket from a friend that snuck it in with out him noticing until later that day, or when you haven't had a date night with your wonderful husband and just so happens Tim ran into someone earlier that day and gave him a gift card for a lovely dinner or two out, or when you find random boxes of food or other goodies on your doorstep, or when people want to do a Costco run for you without reimbursement, or when someone takes you to the gas station to fill our large enormous tank FULL. We are so full. Full because we serve a God who is so very faithful and because He has put this body of believers around our family so very tightly; to walk with us, to help, to pray, to talk with, and to grow us. To grow us ALL closer to Him.

To be continued.....

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

More thoughts....

Chasing chickens will happen almost knowingly every day, when you throw dirt it inevitably gets everywhere...even on you and your sisters, laundry never does itself no matter how hard you pray or try to wrinkle your nose hoping that you have genie like skills, it's an interesting trip to the grocery store when all three babes are running around and not in a cart...and too, how did that happen so quickly? oreos (need I say more), the library is a good place to spend lots of time with the kids reading and then reading some more, raspberries make wonderful gifts, talking babies are weird,we picked our first 3 string beans today from the garden, blueberry picking is a hoot with 3 kids and 2 dogs, Gratia finds it necessary to hoard rocks to save and eat later, Fiamma loves to shop, Elijah for the life of him cannot figure out how to pull up his underwear and pants after he uses the bathroom, digging a hole in the back yard for a lizard is fun, it's disgusting what I catch in my vacuum every 2 days, I need to journal more, Psalm 1 is a good one that I enjoy having the privilege of teaching to my children, I personally think catechising your children is a must especially since the culture we live in is not about Jesus..I really don't know how parents correct and discipline their children unless they point to Jesus for ALL of it, enough tangents. Goodnight.

liFe aS A zIOn

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.