Ben's 14th Birthday

Last week we celebrated Ben's 14th birthday, and boy did we celebrate in style! Being born around a holiday, especially a holiday with fireworks as its signature component, Ben's birthday tends to be quite a party :)

Ben decided to celebrate his 14th year by doing all five spans of the Sundance zip line. As one has to be 10 to ride, this was Sasha's first time and as you can see, she was just a little excited...

Mom and Sasha on the training span

The boys continually reiterated how not nervous they were

Down Bishop's Bowl they go!

Ben glides by Mt. Timpanogos

Ben and Daddy coming in for a landing

The party continued with the traditional Fourth-of-July cookout, board games, lazing about, and, of course, fireworks!

We never understand why the dog doesn't maul him.

We spent a wonderful weekend celebrating our fabulous 14-year-old. Happy birthday Ben!

Tragedy (sort of) Averted

Long-time Morningstar Happenings readers will recall a short-lived but highly-memorable column called "Tragedy-averted Tuesday". Every few weeks we would showcase some terrible idea Ben had. It was always Ben. And it was always entertaining.

After this week, we may be reinstating the column.

Our Monday evening went like this:
Mom: Boys, why is the oven on? The timer is done. [opens oven]

Mom: Aaah! Dear God, what happened? [turns oven off]
Ben: [rushing upstairs] I was playing video games and forgot about the pizza.
Mom: Aaah! Dear God, what happened? [stuck in endless loop of incredulity]
[removes very well-cooked pizza, sees strange disc beneath]
Mom: Aaah! Dear God! [note the theme] Ben, you baked the cutting board in the oven!
Ben: [eyes widen in terror at the recognition of what happened] Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. [walks out of front door. Just can't handle it]
Dad: Did you make him eat the pizza?
Mom: No! That's like cancer pizza now!
Dad: Did you at least take a picture?

So, we spent a good portion of our week scraping up molten plastic off of the bottom of the oven, pulling hardened plastic off of racks, and melting/burning/scraping the oven clean.

The miracle is, it all came off and our oven is cleared for cooking again!

I'm not the only one hearkening back to four years ago when we narrowly stopped Ben from microwaving an unopened can of soup, right? The boy is nothing if not an adventure!

Risky Love (no, not that kind!)

I've been thinking about this topic for a while, and I think it's important to record, to remember the significant things that God is teaching me in the current season of life. Jesus is the perfect teacher, and he'll re-teach me lessons as often as I need to learn them, but that's not my heart! I want to learn new things and go to deeper places of love and understanding; not keep re-learning the same thing over and over! Plus these lessons are usually pretty tough ones, so I'd rather learn from a tough thing once ;)

I want to get real about the inner fear I experience almost every time I reach out to somebody in love. Generally, this expression love includes a notecard and a stamp - the postal service is my medium and I'm just going to embrace it. But the reality is that I feel a little twinge of nerves every time I clip an outgoing letter to my mailbox. Over the past few years I've been learning about how love usually feels really risky at the time it is extended.

Here's an example of a delightfully common internal Jamie conversation:

Me: Oh, man, that's a funny pair of socks. My friend is going through a tough time. I bet she'd like a funny pair of socks.
Me: Or maybe she'd think I was a weirdo if I sent her a pair of socks. I mean, I don't really know her that well. I mean, I did know her really well a while ago but I haven't heard from her much lately. I know it's a tough time for her so I'm guessing that's why she hasn't reached out.
Me: Or maybe she just hasn't reached out because she just doesn't really like me. Or she thinks I'm too intense. Which is fine, but sending socks would probably seem like a weirdo thing to do.

Or another:

Me: It's my three-year work anniversary! I'm going to take the time to write a thank-you note to a few people I'm really grateful to work with.
Me: You know that's not a thing normal people do, right? They'll probably think you're over-the top... or needy... or overly emotional... or just have too much time on your hands... or all of those things. Weirdo.

The first me in these conversations - the one feeling the impulse to love rather than the one second guessing it - is the one I'd rather be, and I choose to express the act of love that I'm debating. But let's not pretend that the choice is easy!

The hard part about these expressions of love isn't the time or the expense; it's how risky they feel. These gifts, these notes are an extension of my heart. They means I care, I care personally, and I'm willing to communicate that care. And all that feels scary because I'm risking the real, unguarded me. The sentiment may not be appreciated or reciprocated. I may even look like a weirdo.

But over the years I've learned and decided that I'd rather look like a hyper-loving, stationery-obsessed weirdo than to miss the chance to express love and gratitude to the people around me.

The allegory is not lost on me. All of the emotion above is just a little shadow of how God feels about us. Sending Jesus was the very definition of sending "an extension of his heart." His love, his gift, was rejected. The most beautiful, world-changing, eternity-impacting, personal gift ever given was seen as scornful by most.

God is using all of this to teach me a little more about his heart - his passion for joyful, sacrificial giving. His commitment to expressing his love no matter the cost.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

1 John 3:16