More Ships

Little did I know what I started when I decided to take the kids to Navy Week. William is so into the ocean and all things "deep, deep, deep." So yesterday I decided to go with the obsession and visit the World War II submarine and the bulk freighter in the city harbor. The kids loved it! They especially loved the sub because they were allowed to try out the beds, tables, sinks (that fold up), and many gears. Their favorite was working the gun on the deck.

This is the bulk feighter.  It carried bulk goods like iron ore, coal, and grain from Duluth to Cleveland and back again.  It's actually larger than Noah's ark. 

Always Christmas

A few weeks ago, William made this Santa and hung it on our front door window.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.  In this house, it's always Christmas and sometimes winter.

Explanations from the SGM Board

This past week the current SGM Board did us all the service of explaining their perspective and actions this past year, for which I am very grateful.  The responses match very consistently with the explanations communicated to us personally, but I'm so glad they've been published so all SGM church members can read them. 

Personally, I found the following sections most clarifying:

Regarding the way CJ and the SGM Leadership Team has related to CLC pastors (which in a previous blogpost this week the current board acknowledged have been in conflict) and members:

"These questions do not involve matters of sin or ethical violation—they are matters of judgment." (p.1)

They go on to say, "We also want to allow debatable secondary issues to distract us from our mission to plant and build local churches and to find a governance that pleases the Lord and seems good to as many of us as possible. As we have so many times in the past, let’s strive to allow grace and love to win the day."

And regarding CJ being re-instated as President:

"We do not think this is the time for a debate about who should lead our ministry. We have a major transition to make in our governance, and we believe that no other leader in our movement has the qualities that will effectively guide us through these changes." (p.5)

 

William's First Day of Class

Here's William entering MCS for his first day.  MCS is the school my dad taught at and my brothers and I attended K-12.  William's standing with Mrs. H, his art teacher and a longtime family friend.

There's a ninth grade Independent Studies girl who God provided on Day 1 to be William's special helper.  I will also be sitting in on music and gym class to help him learn the boundaries and to train the teachers and helpers how to relate to him.  This is new ground for us as MCS doesn't have inclusion experience, but they are all extremely loving, gracious, and accepting.  I am so grateful!

Lily's First Day of Class

We started school at home awhile ago now.  But the first week of September was both Lily and William's first day of class.  Lily is attending a preschool close to home called Fit by Five.  It's a national chain, though I hadn't heard of it before.  It's a "perceptual-motor based" preschool, which means they do a lot of gym-type activities working on endurance, coordination, and cooperation.  Lily's in the Pre-K+ class which is just two afternoons a week.  There are five kids and two teachers which is a real plus in my mind.  Lily loves it!  She often looks at the calendar and points out all the days she gets to go to school.

A Funeral to Remember

This seems to be a season of funerals.  Sobering, I must say.  I went to a funeral of a longtime friend's dad a few weeks ago, and it's been in my mind ever since. 

Funerals display people's character, both the person who died and their friends and family.  Sometimes it gets pretty yucky, but sometimes it's simply beautiful.

At this friend's dad's funeral, my friend's mom sang.  She sang a song she had written.  It wasn't about her husband or about her own life.  It was a song of worship to Jesus for His salvation.  And she sang it so joyfully.  It was such a striking picture; I can't get it out of my head. 

I can't sing, so I know I won't be singing any solos at Eric's funeral (which is hopefully many, many years away).  But I hope I will be able to worship like that in that moment.

Playing Teacher

Lily explained to me this morning that she was playing school with her teddy.  She had him on her bed with some books.  Then later she made him sight words flashcards.  Not being too much of an over-achiever, she had to ask me how to spell the sight words.