theology of progress

“The theology of progress forces us to act before we are ready. We speak before we know what to say. We respond before we feel the truth of what we know. In the process, we inadvertently create suffering, heaping imprecision upon inaccuracy, until we are all buried under a mountain of misperception. But Sabbath says, Be still. Stop. There’s no rush to get to the end, because we are never finished. Take time to rest, and eat, and drink and be refreshed. And in the gentle rythm of that refreshment, listen to the sound the heart makes as it speaks the quiet truth of what is needed. “

- From Sabbath by Wayne Muller

Taken from The Freedom Experiment, a beautiful and inspiring place.

Seven Months!

Since the twins turn seven months old today, I thought I would post some (or several thousand) pictures of them and their cuteness. Enjoy, family!

new book, new movie

Tina Fey's little auto-bio is awesome. Joel gives me those really adorable, questioning looks when we sit on the porch to read together, because I am sitting in my camp chair, laughing so hard I am crying...every five seconds. For a much more thorough review (I agree with everything she reports about it), go to http://lifeofcarbon.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/bossypants/.

The Descendants immediately filled my very empty good movie void. It is one of those very rare films that I can watch over and over and over...the music, the location, the story, the script: all are moving, real, and punctuated with just the right amount of funny. Love, love this.

A beautiful letter about first love.

Thanks, Nat, for sharing these!

baby talk

As much as I love getting advice, every now and then I get the urge to take all that information, chuck it out the window, and do it my way (which, unfortunately for my rebellion, usually turns out to be the way many many mothers before have figured). In other words, I much prefer getting advice when I ask for it, not when I am perfectly fine (and not asking). I am not completely begrudging here random strangers who come up to me offering advice or a comment; even though I can be rather touchy, I understand that they are just intrigued or trying to be kind and helpful. It is just that I sometimes get tired of constantly accepting advice. (isn't that okay?)

While shopping in Target one day with the twins, a dad stopped me and asked for any helpful tips because he and his wife were expecting a baby any day, and they already had an 18 month old. Ah, I had no idea what to tell him. Nap them simultaneously, take time for yourself, accept help from others, etc etc etc...I am sure they knew all of this, that their minds already had become a storage place for the piles and piles of help thrown in their direction, that they were like advice addicts. I should have said something ground-breakingly important about schedules. But all I could do was give him a look of true anxiety, fake a smile, and say, "You will both be fine." Here, someone was actually asking, wanting, craving a tidbit of help, but really, what else could I say?

Because they will be fine. I had my twins, I fed, burped, soothed, changed, napped, and played with them both, and it was tiring and tough and easy and hard. But it's all you know, and so you just do it. Perhaps the most important thing to realize is that it is okay if their naps are not in sync, or one is walking before the other one is even crawling, or they play in their cribs and not the living room when guests are over (or vice versa! do whichever one shocks them the most). Manuals galore give outstanding tricks, but really, all you need is a good head on your shoulders, and you can figure it out. It might take a while to figure out that you can do this on your own, and that's okay too. A little breathing room, trial and error, these are necessary for becoming a good mom. You and the babies (or baby!) really will be fine.

This morning while reading articles on parenting (I know, and after all that schmucking), I ran across these great (and totally real) tips from babble.com for mothers of twins. Here are just a few, three that I do/did, and they are the ones I want to be able to have ready if anyone ever asks again.

my oscar look

Forgetting that you don't get the channel on which the Oscars are showing, minutes before they begin is heart-wrenching! After weeks of anticipation for this night, Joel and I only caught some of the red carpet fashion/arrival live video feed from the Oscar website, and then we watched an episode of Portlandia online.
If I were a star, nominated for Best Actress, this is the look I would strut:

The Hair and the Dress.

Side Note

Alas, we were mistaken, and the Oscars never did come on last weekend. The finale of Downton was watched instead, and I am still horrified about what happened to Isis. This Sunday, the Oscars it is!

One More

Just as I was getting a little tiny bit bored with the happenings of Downton, last week's episode turned my world upside down(ton). My annoyance towards Bates has increased (who on earth says on their wedding day to the brand new spouse, "I hope this is a decision you won't regret."??) and so has my adoration for Cora (Cora! Cora! If only you knew!). I am back to obsession mode!

This Sunday, my little household will be watching the Oscars, so we will catch up with the series on Wednesday, when they show the re-run on PBS. What if it became practical fashion to name your house/property? I wonder what my house would be called, if I had to make up one?

Going Through Books Like Water

I have a friend who drinks so much water that sometimes she gets headaches from it all. Water is my favorite and dearest beverage, but I wish I drank so much that I got headaches. A headache is something definite to let me know when I have had enough; I would rather have too much than too little.

On the other hand, I usually get headaches from reading books. That may or may not be because I need reading glasses, but I like to brag that they're from reading so much. Here are a few of the many books stacked on my nightstand right now:

This book is pretty fascinating so far. It's written in a very beautiful an poetic way, a lot of times from a newborn's point of view. In my opinion, the cover doesn't quite match the content; it's a practical, textbook cover, but a sublime read with a lot of scientific information. Even so, it's given me lots of understanding about the ways of a baby.

Joel and I are reading this together.

Am already prepping the twins with this book's 'presigning games' and it is so much fun!

Joel are reading this one together as well. I love a good modern novel for it's ease, and witty heroines.

What's life without a little dash of '90s class? Joel and I are reading this for old times' sake.

Happy Gal-entine's Day!

The day is neither Valentine's nor Gal-entine's, but I can still wish this secret internet wall a happy one. Mine was spectacular.

How Pinterest Could Have Killed Me

If I had discovered Pinterest (which, by the way, I called "Pin-Interest" for the longest time. How embarrassing.) in the summer of two thousand ten, my wedding would probably have looked like this.

Last night, Joel and I found out that our dear friend and California free-spirit, Marley, died on Friday night. The redwoods mourn for the loss of his runs through their underbrush; he was full of joy and hope for everything he saw and smelled. We love you and miss you, precious one.

How on earth could anyone have been reading posts in such a tiny font size? On to larger letters!

This video is me, every time I click, "New Post."

Name Changer

Finally, a name for this blog with which I can be at peace. Whims are nifty and have their place, but this little title* has been my catchphrase for years (in my head). Comfort at last!

*Okay, Lupey is my darling sugarmuffinpuppy who lives with my parents, and who I miss so much it hurts my heart! I have a mission to get that little poophead living under my roof very very soon.

I just read this incredible post by Kristin Timmerman, from project:babyblog. Her words are so uplifting! I was amazed to discover that I can relate to so many Bible stories on a whole new level as a mother myself. Be encouraged and enjoy!

What does “faith” mean to you? I Googled it just to see what the official definition was. I found this pretty interesting: Belief that is not based on proof.

I consider myself to be a pretty logical person. A + B = C. This can be pretty problematic when it comes to faith in God. The truth is, believing in God is NOT logical. In fact, some might consider it foolish. The temptation is to put Him in a box. To make sense of it. God is BIG, complex, and mysterious - we will never fully understand the magnitude.

So to put your faith in something so…beyond comprehension…is hard! But to put that faith into action? OK, now we’re talking about scary stuff.

Tinsley’s newest Baby Faith video is “God Made Babies.” We popped it in last week and I was excited to see this story focused on Moses. Moses played a MAJOR role in the Old Testament. Talk about a leader! Faith! A champion for God’s people! His story is an incredible example to all believers.

But what really struck me was how the video began: with his mother - Jochebed. You see, Moses’ story was pretty dramatic from the beginning. He was born in a time when ALL male Hebrew babies were to be drowned in the river. The Egyptian pharaoh feared the Hebrew people were becoming too powerful. And so, mothers of little baby boys were forced to give up their precious newborns. Can you imagine?

Jochebed was different. When Moses was born she knew there was something special about him. So she risked her life to keep him in hiding for 3 months. But eventually she had a decision to make: What am I going to do with my baby? How will I save him?

She wove a tight, waterproof basket. She placed baby Moses inside. She set the basket in the Nile…and watched her 3-month-old float away.

I cannot (CAN NOT) wrap my mind around that.

She instructed her daughter, Miriam, to look after the basket from the riverbank. And guess who found baby Moses? The pharaoh’s daughter. Bathing in the river, she spotted the baby and immediately felt compassion for the child. Baby Moses was then adopted in the very family that wanted him dead.

Miriam approached the pharaoh’s daughter and suggested they hire a Hebrew woman to nurse and look after the baby. And so, Moses was given to a baby nurse who would take care of him for the next three years - his own mother, Jochebed.

You can’t make this stuff up!

Moses went on to do great things - he encountered God in the burning bush, freed the Israelites out of slavery, parted the Red Sea, received the Ten Commandments, and brought God’s people within sight of the Promised Land.

All because his mother had faith. FAITH IN HER GOD. Faith that the Lord would take care of her family. Jochebed’s confidence brought her and Moses through some of the most oppressive times imaginable. What if that had been me? Do I have that kind of faith? Do I believe in God’s perfect plan?

I often think what I want is the same thing God wants for me. “He wants me to be happy, stay healthy, keep my family safe. He wants me to grow old with Matt. Watch our children grow up, be successful, and start families of their own.” But that’s MY perfect plan…not God’s.

Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing what’s waiting around the corner. I have no way to see the storms on the horizon. My only hope is to pray, read the Word, focus on Christ, and live my life as an example to others. I must cling to the truth that GOD IS IN CONTROL no matter what. He can create miracles from what seems impossible if we will just TRUST in Him.

Best part of Before Sunrise

make-up: adding some flourish to an old routine

What is your make-up deal? It can be hard to pamper yourself each morning when you have young babies, but I have found a way to include the right amount of fancy for my face into my busy days.

:: If you wear make-up everyday, try going completely bare on a walk with your kids. Feeling the morning air on my cheeks, knowing that there is nothing between it and my bare skin is enough to make me feel cheerful, romantic, and pretty.

:: Before putting on any make-up, give yourself a facial massage with some Vitamin E oil. A massage stimulates the blood vessels in your face, and helps you relax before facing the day (and tantrums) ahead.

:: Try using a face brush when applying liquid foundation. This gives an artistic feel to the simple task of applying make-up, and makes me think like I am prepping for the runway (a futile dream, I know, but still fun to pretend).

:: Get a brow comb and arch those brows! Brushing brows gives an automatic well-groomed look, while rising fallen arches makes any girl feel saucy and glamorous.

That's all for today. Each one of these little changes and gestures will give you either a outside or inside glow, or perhaps both!

Love C

Where on Earth Did I Go?

I have been carrying, birthing, feeding, changing, holding, loving, THESE TWO! Be still my beating heart...

I found another one!