Beyond Bringing Up Boys

I officially joined the Balty family 15 1/2 years ago. I am grateful that we lived just a couple of miles from David’s parents the first year we were married. We ate Sunday lunch with them almost every week and often would be back there for a snack after church on Sunday night. It gave me an opportunity to get to know them. I have been blessed immeasurably. David’s mom, Glenda, has a birthday tomorrow. For many special occasions of our lives, she has been with us. We can’t be there but I wish we could –especially this year. Glenda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer this week. I ask that as you read this blog that you would ask God to give her a special day tomorrow and an extra measure of grace to face the challenges ahead.

It’s certainly no surprise to me that my boys have selective senses. As I write, I am being entertained by a recorder and guitar – both being played at top speed and pitch. So I am certain they cannot hear. Neither can they see toys that could cause the most agile to stumble and fall. In retrospect, I should have known that when two senses are lost, a third might be heightened. But I didn’t and it cost me. Dearly. I love chocolate peanut butter cups. David bought a pack for me last week, and I had them securely hidden in the bottom of my purse. Until last night. With the radio blaring and in the pitch darkness of the van, I retrieved them, thinking that with just Seth and I, I wouldn’t need to share…until I heard a small voice from the back call out sweetly, “Mommy, can I have one, please?”

I just started my school shopping for next year! My boys use flash drives at school and Jenny posted about a FREE flash drive. Check out her site for details!

You all have been so kind to re-read my blogs that I wrote on Yahoo and have been slowly bringing over here(just in case they become inaccessible). I wrote this in January of this year after Seth's check-up for his femur fracture. How little did I know then what this year would hold for our family! Tonight is a good time to remind myself...God IS good. January 2007 I’m currently reading, All That Really Matters , by Sheila Walsh. She briefly addresses the sovereignty of God in His name, El Elyon—The God who controls all things. She has this to say, "A belief in the sovereignty of God means that whether we understand what is happening or not, whether God seems silent or not, whether evil seems to be winning over good or not, we gather up faith and say to God, ‘I love you. I trust you. This hurts me, but I know that you have my good at heart, so I say Yes! to you and No! to trying to grab control and fix everything myself.’" In a previous post (STAPA), I mentioned that b...

I love to say to Seth, “You are a blessing! You are a delight!” He responds so sweetly and with exuberance, “I is a blessing! I is a delight!” It always makes me laugh and I am filled with delight, which is defined as “unparalleled joy…that amazing degree of enjoyment and pleasure.” This morning I was reading and meditating on Psalm 1. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The person described by the Psalmist is not a person who has personal quiet time out of obligation or guilt but rather immerses himself and delights (takes pleasure in) in the Word. And consequently, the result? This person becomes like a tree, planted by a river, resplendent in rich shades of green. He/She can withstand cold winter winds and hot summer temperatures. My devotional summed it up beautifully. “This is the person ...

David has added a plethora of dimension to my life not the least of which is his family, whom I love. I look forward to each visit—whether we have to travel—or they travel to us. This year we traveled to them. We left our delightful 70-degree temperature and headed northwest. We stitched together 7 states and eventually arrived in Des Moines, IA, where we spent Thanksgiving Day with David’s sister, Lisa, and her family. We had quite a chilly reception, I must say. The snow began as we left the Quad Cities and blanketed I-80 quite nicely (or not so nicely, imo) in some places! The road conditions made my Kentucky/Atlanta boys a little nervous—they’ve experienced so little snow. However, they had a great time playing outside the next day with their cousins—in spite of the fact that they had to don some borrowed girly outdoor wear! Seth got to snuggle with Grandma quite a bit--which he soaked up. Zachary spent hours in Grandpa’s library but the highlight of the trip for Zachary was go...