latest from camera: 3 months and two years

Michigan Seems like a Dream to me Now

Now that is what I call a 4th of July parade.

Sharon talked me into drinking chlorophyll. Easy compared to Barley Green.

Dancin....dancin in the streets!





In this 100 degree heat around here it is nice to remember that we were actually cold less than two weeks ago. I heart Michigan. Thanks, North Pole Jeromins for a beautiful couple days in the wind and an awesome 4th parade! I am definitely voting for a return here next year!

Lake Michigan

Mems and Gems

When July comes, we are ready for water. And grass. And family. It has been everything we hoped it would be, except for missing my sister and her babies. And, Kendall, Ricky, Jaxon, and Peapod, you were greatly missed.

It is so good to be together. I often hear people telling me via blog or in person how amazing my family is. Actually, we often tell each other how amazing we are. But now I will let the cat out of the bag and tell the world that we are not perfect. Oh, wait, was that obvious already?

I guess my point is this: God has been very, very kind to all of us. And part of his kindness was giving my grandparents, my parents, my sibs, and I pray, my children, the gift of acceptance and forgiveness. Every single one of us has messed up our life: some of us have driving records to prove it; others have a standing invitation with Dean Powers, and some of us will never, ever tell. Some of us spent all our time telling on each other. We are not a great family because of the ideal circumstances, place, church, school, job, people, parents, children, siblings--nothing was ever perfect. But we loved each other. And accepted each other. And forgave each other. And it's true: love covers a multitude, a multitude of sins. This sinner is grateful beyond grateful for that.

I guess when I hear someone complimenting my family, I should say more often that we are a bunch of people whom God has granted the means to love each other no matter what. That is the family. That is the church. That is the Heavenly Kingdom.

So that brings me to this little quote. From Amy's beautiful, humble blog. This quote was taken from an article on something totally unrelated, but I think Amy applied it well, and it really encouraged me. As she puts it: the answer to finding a great church wherever you live.

Wisdom does not choose a particular approach and champion it over the alternatives. Instead, wisdom works to understand the pros and cons of each individual choice. It looks to understand how particular choices interact to produce results, sometimes unexpected ones. It considers how wishful thinking can lead us to make poor choices, hoping that things will somehow turn out for the best. It distinguishes between practical matters and pragmatism. It recognizes that when no perfect path is available and knowledge is incomplete, it is often helpful to reserve judgment on what appear to be poor choices that others have made. Most important, it does not refuse to participate in projects that are less than ideal, but applies itself to bring whatever improvements it can to whatever circumstances present themselves.