Illustration

"When will this stop?!"  I thought.  Eliana lay on my lap screaming, after already screaming and throwing her temper tantrum for almost 40 minutes.  Esther lay on the floor naked except for her diaper.  She had already fought to throw her blanket, tigger, and stuffed bear far from her, and now came the fight about her diaper.  She defiantly unstrapped her diaper, still laying on the bottom portion.  Calmly, I explained to her that if she took off her diaper that she'd have to use the potty, she flipped up the front part and fastened it again.  Then while still screaming, "NO DIAPER.", I continued to explain that she could take off her diaper, but she'd have to use the potty.  She slowly weighed the consequences and then unfastened her diaper. 

She continued to cry and fuss, all the while pushing her diaper farther from her with her tiny little feet.  After only a few moments, she reweigh the consequences and decided that she did want her diaper on.  "You said, no diaper, and you took them off.  I can't help you right now, I have Eliana in my lap.  I'm sorry Baby Girl, you'll have to wait."  Well, you'd think that I had told her that I was going to kill her, because if she could get any louder, she did, and then she arched her back like some kind of gymnastics move.  Then it hit me...

How many times do we has God's children tell him, "NO this or NO that!" and then when the consequences come, we try to back track.  We throw temper tantrums, although they are often shrowded in "spiritual prayer requests", or framed by "seeking God.  What is really happening, if we are brutally honest with ourselves and others, is that we are in rebellion and simply need to obey Him.  I need to reflect on how I "arch my back and scream and God."  We should truly look at contentment and evaluate when we say, "No" to God.

Finally, Esther's "saviour" came to her rescue.  Daddy, got a new diaper and gently placed it on Esther and then took her in his arms to give her "cuddles and loves."  She needed to spend time with her daddy being loved and cared for and has since gone about her day happy and content.  Praise God for our saviour who loves us and wants to share His daddy with us.

Amundson Anthem October 2011

September Prayer Letter

Amundson Anthem July 2011

Amundson Anthem May 2011

Saddening

The twins are EXTREMELY active, especially in the morning around 10:30. So today we took a walk to two different parks. On the way back from our adventures, I saw a whole group of people in dress clothes; ties and skirts and all. They looked wonderful and they even had some of their kids with them. But then I realized what they were doing. They were from a religious group and were knocking on people's doors to share their version of the gospel with people. I have to give it to them, they are definitely a persistent bunch. However, I found myself praying for them as I walked by. Then I began to think...How do we distinguish ourselves from them?
Are we so in love with Christ that we can't wait to tell everyone we meet.

I was on a plane ride from Argentina to Miami back in 1998. I was pleased to see that I had an isle seat on a VERY FULL flight. I placed my things up in the overhead bin and settled into my seat. Then I smelled it, the woman's perfume. I have a very sensitive nose and strong smells can give me a headache or make me nausious. Well, needless to say as the night flight wore on the strength of the perfume smell disapated and I was able to sleep a little bit. However about an hour and a half before landing in Miami, the woman got up to use the rest room. When she returned I was OVERWHELMED with a second perfume scent.

This has often brought back Bible passages that speak about being a sweet smelling aroma to the Lord. How about sharing Christ that way? Are we sharing Christ, but sharing Him in a way that is like wearing a little bit of perfume and not bathing in it? I for one want to be a pleasant aroma to those around me to allow people to see a difference in my life rather than being immediately put off by my scent before I even make it to their "front door."

Amundson Anthem April 2011

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