Picture to Burn

(yes, Jena -that's two country songs ;-))

Here are a couple of posts with pictures that never made it to the blog, until now. Some for obvious reasons. Hope they will make you smile!

Ooh la la! Did we order a French baby?

Isaiah -a fashion icon waiting to be discovered.

Still waiting.

Hope that's not lead paint.

You've seen Sweeney Todd?

Wall-eye effect.

Where the Boys Are

Girls are cute. They do cute things. But boys are just downright entertaining. Here are a few recent moments among the young male breed of Sexton's:

Nathan informed us that his back was itching and needed to be checked because Isaiah had stuck a piece of poison ivy down his shirt. I asked Isaiah it this was true. "Yes. It l-l-l-looked like poison ivy." I calmly explained that if Nathan broke out with poison ivy and Isaiah did not, I would take him outside, strip him down, and plant his skinny, little, black, behind right on top of the stuff. No break outs so far. His behind has been spared. ;-)

Isaiah recently got his summer hair cut, shave that is, and Nathan has taken to smacking him in the back of the head. Why? According to Nathan, "I love the sound it makes when I slap his bald head." Isaiah was equally amused by this to begin with but he's beginning to lose sight of the humor. I predict that we shall soon hear what sound it makes when one slaps a curly haired boy in the back of the head. I also predict it will sound like the cries of one who can dish it out but doesn't like to take it.

I've decided that boys can turn anything into a competition. My theory was proved this morning when Nathan pridefully informed his brother that, "I have more history than you do, Isaiah, because I am older. I will always have more history than you." Since the only way this true but goofy fact could be altered would be for Nathan to die to an early death -I think Isaiah loves his brother enough to let him win.


While watching a movie recently someone "forted" (click here for an explanation of terminology). Everyone threw the blame to Nathan who denied it between cackles. I called him out by explaining that if he was the culprit he should at least say "excuse me." He sincerely offered this explanation: "Mama, I really don't know if it was me 'cause sometimes I feel it coming and I squeeze and squeeze really tight but a little bit squeaks through anyway."




Ay-yay-yay...you gotta love boys!

Pretty in Pink

What does the color "Heather Moon" bring to mind? I'm guessing it's anything other than this:

This was after she tried blending. It didn't really help. :0)

Daddy's Hands

"...were soft and kind when I was crying.
Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong.
Daddy's hands weren't always gentle but I've come to understand
There was always love in daddy's hands."

It's been so interesting to watch the ways the kids in our neighborhood (especially the young boys) respond to Tim. I don't want to paint an exaggerated picture of the situation -to our knowledge, most of these kids are not from abusive or even horribly neglectful homes. Let's just say that for many of them, the men that are around aren't necessarily their fathers and their fathers aren't necessarily around.

So, it's pretty clear that something different is going on at this house where the same guy shows up everyday at about the same time and hugs his kids, and then hugs and kisses his wife. Tim has become quite the hot commodity. "Can Mr. Tim pump up my bike tires?" "Can Mr. Tim fix my fishing rod?" "Can Mr. Tim play football with us?" These are common. But the moments I love the most are when one of the boys will stand as close as he can get to Tim or offer up a few air jabs in his direction. You can see all over their faces what they really want. And my sweet man does not fail to deliver. He'll grab 'em up in one arm and noogie their little heads. Then off they go to play, smiling.

The Bible says many times that God is the father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). And over and over we are mandated to care for the widow and the orphan (Isaiah 1:17, James 1:27). We recognize God's heart toward the least of these and have tried to follow His lead -thus the four adoptions. BUT I also think our definition of "fatherless" has been broadened by the culture we live in.

Tim and I have toyed around for years with a saying that we think would be great on t-shirts or bumper stickers. Here is the edited version...

"Any old xxxx can make a baby, but it takes balls to be a father."

You can probably see why a pastor and his wife aren't the most likely candidates for mass production of this little diddy. But it holds true. And when I see kids whose dads were little more than sperm donors, I can't apologize for the fact that I don't have gentler, more tactful words for them.

The irony of it all is that, for whatever reason, Tim and I aren't able to conceive a child the old fashioned way AND YET my husband has amazing testicular fortitude (yes, his ears will turn red when he reads this ;-). He is an awesome Daddy. And I pray that these kids will not only see something different in him but that they will crave it enough to break the cycle of past generations when they themselves become daddy's.

Nothing But the Blood

...of Jesus!

For any who are interested (sorry to take so long Lisa Shay) I have posted an audio link from my lecture/session/study/whatever at the Vibrant women's conference at our church. I am working on condensing the notes and will post them under the literary braindump site as soon as possible.

I've listened to it and chided myself over all the "um's," the hillbilly accent, and the fact that my nervous voice doesn't settle into a normal speed and tambre for a good 10 minutes. Having come to terms with all of those things, I'm happy to make it available to those who may want to hear it.


Late update: If you are having trouble getting the link to work -I hate to say it but I have no idea how to help you. I can tell you that it is a windows media player file so maybe you have to have that application to make it work but I truly do not know. Can anyone who is smarter and technically advanced post a comment to help me out?

Big Enough

Are you like us? You wonder if you're doing enough. If what you are doing is big enough. You see people who write great Christian books, speak to thousands at seminars, record worship Cd's and sell out concerts, and you start thinking God, what BIG thing can I do for You?

It seems like God has spent years giving Tim and I HUGE ideas for ministry and then showing us how He wants them to look on a much smaller scale.

Last night was the first of what we hope will be many Friday-grill-out-and-get-to-know-people-in-our-neighborhood-with-the-help-of-our-Sunday School-class nights. We're working on the name. On the surface, it may not have looked like much but here are a few of the highlights.

We had a single mom and 3 of her six kids (let me qualify that -single WORKING mom whose six kids all have the same father whom she was married to for 16 years before he walked out on her recently. In case anyone was tempted to slap a welfare stereotype stamp on her.) With the help of friends, we will be bringing her three youngest to church with us each week while she is working.

A woman from around the corner stopped by to thank us in person for bringing food to her home when her father passed away a couple of weeks ago. I got to pray with a weary and distraught young mom who recently had an abortion, and touched base with another mom who we have been able to hook up with baby girl clothes as Bella outgrows them; plus feeding and entertaining 18 kids.

So...

maybe the real question isn't "Are we doing the big thing?" but "Are we being faithful in the little things?" A bucket of chicken, a prayer, a ride to church doesn't seem like much but sometimes the biggest thing starts with just a walk across the street. And if someday, one of these little things brings one person to a relationship with Jesus...well, that would just be GINORMOUS!

(It's) Hairspray

As I write to you, one of my children is gracing me with a hair makeover -sweet gentle strokes of the brush, strategically placed pastel hair clips, bangs swept to one side. I think this kid has a real future in the beauty industry.

Unfortunately, we'll have to kiss that NFL retirement dream good-bye. Along with our dignity as we embrace our 6'4, 250 lb beautician...Isaiah. sigh. And don't go giving me the "love them no matter what they choose to be" speech. We will choose to love him while being completely embarrassed of him. No, no. I'm sure it won't come to that. We are planning now to send him to Haiti so he can man-up with Troy while killing small rodents. You don't mind another kid, do you Tara?

=)

I'm My Own Grandpa

It seems that this grand parenting thing has our kids a little confused. Today, Nathan asked me if he could start calling me "Grammy." uh, let me think about that- NO! I explained that his children will be welcomed to call me Grammy or whatever he chooses when the time comes but I see no reason to rush into things.

"But if my kids call you Grammy, what will I call you?"

"Well...there are lots of possibilities. We could go with Mrs. Sexton, Beautiful, Great and Wise One, or we could just stick with MAMA since that is who I will still be."

"Ohhhhhh!"

Between this and his period of mourning over my 34th birthday, I'm beginning to get a complex.

Off to take my Geritol...if I can just remember where I put it.

Going Back to Cali

Have you heard about the LA Test? NO!? If you live in the area, you are without excuse -it was ALL OVER the news last night. Still not ringing any bells?

You have heard the statement "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Right?

While flipping channels last week, we watched a few minutes of a certain reality show (a few minutes is all Tim can stand). You know how they do those individual interview clips? Well, it was a perfect example of what ol' Abe Lincoln was warning against when one of the girls said --"he's trying to make me look stupider than I am." Poor thing.

What does this have to do with the infamous LA Test? Well, let me qualify everything else by saying that my husband is not a fool! Not even close -this just wasn't one of his shining moments.

Severe thunderstorms are moving through the area last night (thank God for the rain) and so there are constant weather alert scripts scrolling along the bottom of the television screen. I was not paying much attention to them until Tim said, "What' the LA Test?" Shrug from me. He explained. "They just said something about information on the LA Test." As the warning strip started over, I began reading. Do you already see it? The exact words were:

"STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION..." I cracked up. "Honey, it says latest, stay tuned for the latest information." When I finally stopped laughing, I said, "you do know that this will be on the blog tomorrow?" He smiled coyly and nodded with resignation. He's smart and a good sport!

You Got It

Come on, you know this one. Sing along with me...

"Anything you want -you got it!
Anything you need -you got it!
Anything at aaaaalllll -you got it!"


It all started yesterday when I pointed out a strange spot on my leg that I don't remember being there before and asked Tim if he thought it looked like skin cancer. He shrugged and said, "ask the doctor." Then this morning I asked if he thought I had diabetes. He wanted to know what my symptoms were.

"Um, I keep dreaming about sugar -coffee with tons of creamer, hot chocolate, fudge brownies, ice cream, you name it I've dreamed about it."

"Okay, what else?"

"That's all."

No answer. Only a look. Then this afternoon he walked by the computer as I was reading up on Parkinson's disease. He stopped and questioned me. "I just noticed that when I hold my coffee cup up to my mouth my arm shakes really bad."

He said, "Let me get this straight, since yesterday you have developed skin cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's?"

"Maybe."

You can do the same thing Tim did -shake your head and walk away.


btw, according to dreammoods.com dreaming of sugar indicates that I am "denying myself pleasures in life" and should "indulge without considering the consequences." However, dreaming of chocolate denotes that I am "indulging myself" and should "practice some restraint." Wow, that's helpful. I plan to take the best of both worlds and deny myself restraint while practicing indulgence. =)