Traveling tots ...

Happy New Year everyone. I apologize for the unplanned time away from blogging. Our family has been on our annual trip to the Bahamas for the holidays. Normally I stay connected and blog while we are away, but this year, I truly checked out for three weeks.

We came home on Friday. The girls are sporting cornrow braids and we all have some healthy tans, earning us a lot of questions about where we have been. When I tell people we have been in the Bahamas for three weeks, I get a lot of questions about traveling with the kids for so long.

Pete and I love to travel, there was frankly never a question about not traveling once the girls came along. In Sarah's first year of life she was on 26 flights. In her second year she visited seven countries. As I said, we love to travel.

Pete and I talked a lot this past trip about positive things we see the girls gaining from our trips. We appreciate that the girls learn to:

1. Be flexible - schedules and routine are great for kids, but the ability to be flexible is critical in life.

2. Make friends quickly - wherever we go, our girls make friends. This year in the Bahamas the girls had five friends that they had met last year and they also made a new friend, Mya, by walking up and asking her to play.

3. Experience different cultures - we love to take our girls to celebrate Junkanoo each year. To have them eat foods like Johnny cake and peas n rice and to make friends of all colors, shades and creeds.

4. Learn about the world - when we travel, the girls get to do things that we just can't do at home. This year we swam with dolphins and went deep sea fishing.

4. Rely on one another - I in large part credit my girls close relationship to the fact that Pete and I drag them around the country 5-7 weeks a year. They have to play with one another and hang out together when we travel. While traveling there is no school, no activities or play dates to get away from each other. We have family time 24-7!

5. Most importantly our kids learn that no matter where we are, who we are never changes. Mommy and Daddy are always there for them. God is everywhere we go and we can worship Him in all sorts of settings. Our family is the same, even if our setting isn't.

What if she doubted too?

I am reading the book Come Thou Long –Expected Jesus edited by Nancy Guthrie. It is a collection of Christmastime readings from classic theologians and contemporary writers. One piece that has really struck my heart was written by Martin Luther. The piece is titled, The Maiden Mary and in it he speaks of Mary’s part in the Christmas story. He writes:

Saint Bernard declares there are (at Christmas) three miracles: that God and man should be joined in this Child; that a mother should remain a virgin; that a mother should have such faith as to believe that this mystery would be accomplished in her. The last is not the least of the three. The virgin birth is a mere trifle for God; that God should become man is a greater miracle; but most amazing of all is that this maiden should credit the announcement that she, rather than some other virgin, had been chosen to be the mother of God.

Isn’t that so insightful? I had never thought about the fact that Mary had a choice in if she believed or not? Scripture says she asked the angel how this could be, but afterwards she went forward believing that all would transpire as she had been told. She believed in a completely outrageous and unbelievably amazing plan. This reading made me question if I believe in the promises God has made for my own life. I have not had blinding visions of angels or burning bushes in my life, but God has declared promises in Scripture for all believers and has laid truths on my heart about my own future. Do I believe them? Do I go forward with my life believing that all will transpire as promised? No. I worry, I doubt, I question … I don’t often enough, just believe.
What promises has God laid on your heart about your life? Are you living your life believing, or like me, often questioning? Let’s take young Mary’s example and believe – because the truth is, God does have a completely outrageous, unbelievably amazing plan for each of us too if we are faithful enough to believe.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas dear friends. Wishing you moments of peace, of laughter, of joy, and of awe on this wonderful day. Thank you for reading The Celebrated Family and being part of my life. You are a great gift to me!

"For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulders,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6