To be Divine

     "God became man so that we might become God." St. Athanasius summed up Christianity in this short sentence. 

      I ask myself: 

• Do I really live this way, aware of my status as a member of the family of God? 
• Am I as generous as God, pouring himself out in total humility for the sake of others? 
• Am I willing to be misunderstood, as Christ was misunderstood? Ridiculed? Rejected? Disapproved of? Mocked for the sake of the Kingdom of God? 

    I have an uneasy feeling that I am nowhere near where God wants me to be in taking in and living out this calling, the call to divination. It's a tall order. 

Mardi Gras--Carnivale

 Annie and Leigh went to school dressed up for Mardi Gras--Carnivale: Leigh in 70's style and Annie as Disney's Anastasia. Annie wrote a rap for her friend Martina (how cool is that?) and Leigh won (unofficial) best costume. 

American flag sunglasses and hoop earrings

I spent the day making shrimp etoufée and king cake. Both were very involved recipes, both took all day (8 hours or more per recipe), and both turned out great! Helped assuage my homesickness. Being an adopted New Orleanian is one of my points of pride. 

Sha!

Aphorism by Ron Rombs

 Daily life with Ron is such a wonder. Today's passing comment that is worthy of the status of an aphorism is: 

"There is nothing like working your way through Athanasius and Arius to re-calibrate what you think it is to be a Christian." 

Firenze

 We had such a wonderful time in Florence!

Ponte Vecchio at night

Botticelli

Filippo Lippi

Fra Angelico

Our resident photographer

I learned how to use a Moka pot--Desperation leads to discovery (and the coffee was GOOD)

 

Clare in the Piazza della Signoria

Annie got a haircut

Dave gave Sebastian a prize for winning their tic-tac-toe competition

Fun with Aunt Swanee and Dave

Asleep on the way home--played too hard

10 Things I Love about Sebastian

1. As soon as Sebastian meets a child, he tries to make them laugh. Sebastian falls to the ground and pretends that the child killed him. The child is laughing within 30 seconds of meeting him. Children LOVE Sebastian. 

2. He is such a good friend. He makes his friends feel very loved. He is loyal and never tells their secrets to other people. 

3. His very best friend is Charlie, our Golden Labrador. When we lost Charlie and Sebastian and I both went into an open field and called his name, Charlie went running to Sebastian. They have a special bond. 

4. Sebastian loves the poor. We have never walked past a person begging on the street without Sebastian asking to give money to that person. Sebastian does chores at home so that he can have enough money to give them. He always tells me that his heart breaks for them.  

5. Sebastian loves God. He prays, listens to God's voice, and is very close to Him. He often cries during his prayers, saying he just loves God so much. He says he wants to be a priest so he can give his life to God and the poor. 

6. Sebastian is a great athlete. I love watching Sebastian play soccer. He is a fast runner and great with the ball. 

7. He wants to obey and please his parents, teachers, and all his authorities. He works so hard to try to do the right thing. 

8. I love that one time, Sebastian beat me at chess. It was only once, and I was a bit distracted. But he still beat me fair and square. He is so good at the game, anticipating future moves a few turns out. At 8 years old, that's pretty darn good. I love how he swings the pieces on the board, so nonchalantly, and then the move turns out to be killer smart. 

9. Sebastian love me and we are so close. Whenever he sees me in the morning, he greets me with a huge hug and cries, "Mommmmmmm!" as though we have not seen each other in ages. I love being with him. 

10. I love how playful and energetic he is. For example, he was a superstar in the disco number in the school Winter Show. He jumped higher and boogied wilder than anyone on stage. Dressed in a gold sequin jumpsuit, he really stole the show. He is also a mean sword fighter, winning most of his battles. 

Poor Little Sebo!

 Golly, poor little guy. He is out of school for the following symptoms: hyperventilation, panic, intense, irrational fears, muscle fatigue, sore throat… and even spots! He has strange spots on his face! What else could the little cherub sustain?! Oh, I know. the need for 2 root canals! 

    I took him to no less than 3 doctors yesterday. He handled the root canals well. Poor guy. When it rains, it pours. 

    He WILL be okay. He laughs, plays, and still loves chocolate and his dog, Charlie. 

    Praying for you, Sebastian!!!