Christmas Wishes

I have not yet had a minute to sit and think this year regarding what my Christmas wish might be this year...My prayer for my family and friends. So, as I sit here (freezing in my drafty house whose water pipes freeze if we don't open our drafty cabinetry), I will download a few pictures of the kids that I have taken thus far --and think of what we as a family truly wish for you this year.

OK..I remember one Christmas about 5 or 6 years ago, Eric and I were at his dad's home getting ready for yet another Christmas celebration. The question was asked, before gift giving time, what would one thing could the family pray that the Lord would provide for you by the next Christmas -- I remember thinking.."great question.." Eric and I had just lost a baby due to a miscarriage and had desperately been wanting to begin a family for the five years up to this point in our marriage without success. So, with tears mixed with hope, Eric and I asked the family to pray for a little miracle -- a baby. In March or April of that year, we were able to announce that the Lord had prove faithful and provided another baby. At Christmas that next year, Mackenzie was two months old as we were able to introduce her to the family. I remember many tears of joy by my sister-in-laws and mother in law, as we carried the baby to the house. My wish for you as you contemplate your new year and Christmas wishes, is that you too will be bless with answered prayer. We now have two miracles...Mackenzie and Cooper (that is another story for another blog)! The Lord continues to prove to be faithful, and is our great provider, shepherd and healer of every wound. May He be ever close to you and yours this Christmas and this coming year. Enjoy the pictures of our miracles!

Gifts of the Magi

For Christmas, Eric and I have a tradition we began three years ago with our children. This year that they are now old enough to actually begin to understand the meanings behind our gift giving, we have begun to explain why we have our tradition. It is simple. To avoid the delima every year on how much to give our children with each year trying to compete with the last Eric and I decided to seek the Bible for words of wisdom. In looking at the the Matthew account of Jesus' birth -- we see that the Magi have been searching for Him.

I read an wonderful account of the Magi and explanation of their gifts online the other day, Let me share it with you.

"Undaunted, those magi believed the Scriptures. They had traveled several hundred miles to worship Jesus. They had been guided by God’s Shekinah light (the star that moved), and by His Scriptures—to find baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The Wisemen may have been part of the men instructed by Daniel the prophet about the coming Messiah. So when at last they saw the child, they fell down and worshiped Him. He was God in the flesh. Worship was all they could do.
In their worship they gave Him gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were unusual presents--by any standards. The gold, of course, we all can understand--but the frankincense and myrrh are not normal gifts. We can surmise that these Wisemen had also been exposed to Isaiah's prophecy which foretold that "nations will come to your light, and kings to your rising . . . They will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news. . . ." (Isaiah 60:3, 6) Knowing of that Scripture could explain the first two gifts and their worship--but not the myrrh.
In the world of the Bible, myrrh was a perfume, like frankincense. But unlike frankincense, myrrh always seemed to smell like death. It was the embalmers choice for preparing a corpse for burial. Jesus himself would be embalmed with this very perfume in John 19:39. Could the magi be thinking of Jesus' death when they brought the myrrh? Yes, it is very likely that the great and revered Daniel of Babylon had taught his prophecy of Christ's coming to the forefathers of these magi (Wisemen). Over the centuries the truths of Daniel's prophecy (9:24-27) were read and passed down, that the "Messiah will be cut off" and this "will make atonement for iniquity" and ultimately "bring in everlasting righteousness." So this may be how God led those Wisemen to bring that third gift. Amazingly, even at Christ's birth, the shadow of the cross is already falling over His life.

This reminds me of a famous painting by the artist Holman Hunt—showing how Jesus came into the world to die. In this painting called The Shadow of Death.
I love this painting because it shows the whole of Jesus’s life in one image – his birth, his life and his death.


"The scene shows Jesus and his mother Mary in his father’s carpenters’ shop. We see Mary searching through the trunk for something amongst the gifts from the Three Kings, we see Jesus, as a young man, stretching his arms after using the saw in the foreground and in the background, we see the shadow cast by Jesus on the wall foretelling his crucifixion.
"We do not see Mary’s face but can imagine her fear, as she sees the shadow on the wall. The painting is unusual, as it shows Jesus as a working man in an ordinary setting. It shows the love between a mother and her child, which again is universal."

Back to our family tradition: knowing that our Lord received three gifts at his birthday celebration, we realized those three gifts would be perfect to receive for our children as well. No, not the actual Gold, frankincense, and myrrh - but gifts that would represent each of those in our child' s life. For the Gold gift, we give our kids an extravagant gift that they have wanted for some time. Something that we wouldn't normally be able to purchase or make for them during the rest of the year. For this Christmas, Mackenzie has been asking for the Rose Petal Cottage for at least 6 months, so we saved and was able to purchase this for her ---(shhhh..it is still a secret). For Cooper this year, he has been wanting a battery operated motorcycle that he can ride on -- now this is still too extravagant for our budget -- so we had him talked down to a new bike--a new Spiderman bike to be exact! For the Frankincense gift, we purchase a gift that represents their spiritual or natural gifts given to them for Jesus --something we can help promote in their character and help others sense the frangrance of Christ in them. For Mackenzie, she has shown a nurturing/mothering/hospitality side in the last several years --so we were able to get her the nursery (cradle and changing table) for her new rose petal cottage. For Cooper, he has been developing his love for music this year, so we decided to get him his favorite singer's new CD (Toby Mack's "I don't wanna loose my soul") and a durable CD player/karaoke machine. Then, lastly, we turn to the Myrrh gift. Eric and I then purchase gifts for them that are on the practical side, as the Myrrh was used for practical and medicinal purposes. This year, Mackenzie has developed a huge love for arts and crafts and so mommy has depleted her supply at the house --thus we need to get her more arts and crafts supplies -- we will put in a large tub for her quite a few items that will help her do her art as well as an easel for a stationary place to complete it on. For Cooper, we have purchased a basketball goal (and Nerf ball) for in the house to let him get his exercise without making mommy stay out in the cold all day!

Thus, the three gifts for our children - and not going overboard on the budget! I will say that Santa does bring one smaller gift that they will love -- but it is not bigger or more significant that the Gold gift, frankincense gift or the Myrrh gift. Mackenzie will have a stocking this year with a new ornament, small art stuffs, toothbrush, toothpaste and a my little pony plush she wanted. --Cooper will be getting in his stocking a new ornament, guitar pics and strings for his guitar, toothbrush, toothpaste and a small electric drum pad that he asked Santa to bring.

I hope this wasn't too much info for you -- but just wanted so share our family tradition of celebrating the birth of our Lord --and how we keep from getting wrapped up in the material shopping craze and keep our focus on Jesus--especially during the financial delima our country is facing. I trust that you will have a Very Merry Christmas!

Answered Prayer

From the time Eric and I moved back to the States from Canada, we became fully aware of how Eric's brother's health had become to deteriorate even faster than before. With every visit, we have seen him continue to struggle with his balance, speech and thinking. With these difficulties, Bruce has been unable to care for even the basic maintaining of his home. The worst of all rooms in need of desperate repair was the bathroom. It was unlivable. My daughter, Mackenzie, in our visits to Uncle Bruce, would refuse to use the restroom until we left and returned home. It was falling apart, dirty and should have been condemned. Just to help you with the image, here are a few photos.

UNLIVABLE BATHROOM

Yes, his walls were wet and molded and falling into his bathtub-- where he was still showering. His floor was very old and dirty from years of backup. And the walls around the room were all caving in. He also had a large mirror that could have been very dangerous if he had fallen. The size of the tub, entering and exiting also was a large issue. He is unable to lift his leg up and still balance that far off the ground, and thus he fell several times. If he would have ever fallen into the glass -- we hate to even think of what could have happened. Being on disability, Bruce had a limited income, and the family had done all it could do to help him stay in his home, keep him fed and clothed let alone help with with minor repairs to his house. However, none of us could help with the large expense of a bathroom remodel. Thus the praying began. Eric and I continued to pray for an answer to this delima for several months. Upon moving to the Winchester area, now 8 minutes from Bruce rather than the 30, we were able to assess the situation even more closely. Then the Lord asked me to begin to contact local resources for assistance. Upon doing this, those that I contacted either failed to respond or took several months to even acknowledge my emails. Thus, I began to just "vent" some of my frustrations to a few close friends and asked them to begin to pray with us.

To make a very long story short -- our answer to prayer came when one of our friends told us that he had contacted his church pastor, showed him these photos ---and the church wanted to give Bruce a new bathroom for Christmas! The Lord indeed still does miracles today, and He used these very caring, loving and hard working men and women to carry out his miracle! In a very short time of two weeks, from beginning to end, with actual four days of work -- a new bathroom was constructed! Take a look at the bathroom now!

BATHROOM RENOVATION

During this Christmas season, I know one thing for Sure. I serve a risen Savior who is still in the business of accomplishing miracles. I would like to thank all of those who had a hand in this project (you know who you are) but most of them wanted me not to mention their names. I thank God for His body of believers who accept His challenge daily ---"as you do unto the least of these, you do unto me". Thank you God for your gift of Jesus and His body, the church, this Christmas season!

Perfect Plans

David, I am a fairly young mom -- and am still struggling to figure out this thing called life in God's family --- so, forgive me if I sound too preachy or heretical myself!

As a young mom, with a type A personality, plans are something I think about often ---and find that more times than not, my plan isn't really the plan...but a partial part of the ultimate plan of the day. No matter how messed up my check list gets with marks or erase scratches, at the end of the day I can look back and see how everything had a special place in fulfilling the overall goals of loving and caring for my children. (already you know what I want to say)....

I am not sure that everything that happens in our lives -- the details and situations that we worry ourselves over -- even the horrible of the horrible large scale decisions that us free willed people have encountered -- are ever part of God's plan for his children. His plan was for the children to live in the garden of Eden and enjoy the loving relationship He has so freely given us ---and now, due to our disobedience, to restore that right relationship. Just as Cooper falling off his bike and hitting his head on the pavement after mommy told him (over and over) to wear his helmet...his decision to refuse my promptings lead to a large and painful bump on his sweet little head. I am ultimately sad for him, but love him just the same and our relationship is restored upon learning mommy indeed knows best. I am not trying to trivialize the Holocaust or large scale attack on innocent people or even the sadness of loss and disease, but what I am getting at is that at the end of the day, the Lord's plan is still always accomplished. His children are blessed and His name is glorified. His children are loved and cared for. Their scares are soothed by the sweet whispers of his love and grace. They remember that the Lord is Lord and knows best --and place thier trust in Him once again. Their fears are conquered through the hope of heaven. And best of all, His presence is even closer than the day before. Is this heretical?? I am not sure...but it gets me through the bumps and bruises of my messy life -- I only wish that we (as a human race) would trust Him more and obey his promtings every time, we would then truly be in a better world.

I am interested in what you think! Thank you for following, and I enjoy your writing too. Mark and Darcy Dill forwarded me some of your book -- I have enjoyed what I have read thus far (have a lot of questions regarding it some of it) and looking forward to the middle and ending!

Understanding

I just finished a book that I wish I would have renewed from the library - and re-read. It wasn't a GREAT book in a sense that it was "the most amazing piece of work that I have ever read" -- but it was a great work in that it reminded me of a truth that I believe the Lord needed to really make me understand. I am not sure if you are like me in my thinking...the always analyzing situations, trying to "figure the Lord out", or "why" a situation is turning the way it is or isn't. I also don't know if you are like me and think - "Boy, if I were God, it would look totally different". Praise the Lord that Amanda is not God - what an arrogant thought that is anyway! The world would be in a BIGGER mess than it the state it is currently in, and boy -- it needs more help than I can give it! That's me, the Savior of the world...the "fix it now", the I can do it by myself, full of pride -- human, girl that I am. UGH.

Anyway - back to the reminder -- You will have to forgive me, for I do not have the book in front of me, nor do I remember ALL the details, but I will give you a paraphrase of what I took from it.

In the fictional story, a Polish man who spent several years in the Nazi prison camps, was explaining to a woman why it was that he wasn't bitter and angry at God, and still in fact promoted Him. He answered by telling a story that a rabbi in the camp told him at his moment in questioning God. Some time ago, there is a legend of a rabbi in Poland who .... (OK...I know what you are thinking...no it isn't a joke!! Place your mind back on the truth of the moment please!) This rabbi in Poland took a class of students one day to a hill that overlooked the entire city to teach the lessons of the day. While they were away, the enemy came in and destroyed the entire city and those that lived in it. As the students and the rabbi watched in horror, the rabbi just lowered his head and whispered..."Oh, if only I were God." To which a student replied, "teacher? If you were God, what would you do differently?" The rabbi, with tears in his eyes, looked at the student and then back at the city and slowly stated, "If I were God, I would not do anything differently -- I'd understand."

My reminder. Who knows the mind of God or can fathom His ways?? Who can understand his wisdom, or His ultimate timing? I understand why Solomon asked for Wisdom. I understand now why it is the Christian life can be hard to understand from a distance. If one doesn't truly know Christ, and I mean TRULY know him..love him, and trust him.... with everything that they are -- this world can seem upside down. UH, to the christian, it seems upside down at times. The only difference is, we know Jesus - we know He has an ultimate plan - that we are privileged to play a part in -- an irreplaceable role, that no one else on earth can accomplish in that plan. And how we carry out that role -- is the incredible miracle -- for we have a free will in which we can choose to listen to his calling -- or not. And still, if we truly know him and miss his voice -- he still works to our Good because we love him! What a gift. During this Thanksgiving weekend, the Lord has reminded me once again -- that he is God and I am not. That despite my attempts to try to control the situations around me, and my attempt to understand his ultimate plans for my and my children's future... That he alone holds the plan, and reveals it to me in a manner that I can understand -- piece by piece. How do you eat an elephant??? One bite at a time! He knows that if I see the entire picture, I would be completely overwhelmed, completely terrified and would crawl under my covers to hide -- at least until the pumpkin pie comes out!

Thank the Lord for His gift of grace.
Thank you Lord for your perfect timing.
Thank you Lord, for your gift of peace.
Thank you Lord for being Lord,
Thank you Lord for loving me,
AND thank you Lord, for pumpkin pie!

Cooper "The Tank" Durbin

Cooper Joseph Durbin

My little superman...ah, I better say spider man (his favorite super hero besides Jesus) or he might beat me up! He is my baby. He is my heart. He is my greatest sense of accomplishment and my greatest joy. He is also destined to play sports. Which one you ask? If it has a ball and you can throw, kick or hit it -- he will play it. And he will be good(and that isn't just a mommy's bias)! A few of his favorites: Baseball, Football and hockey. Not sure how we will swing the hockey now that we are in Indy-- just know he still wants to play it! I think they give a "I love Hockey" shot when the kids are born in Canadian hospitals! Just last Friday at a Halloween carnival, he threw a kid sized football into the center of a hoop -- not only one time, not only the first time....but all five times he picked up the ball -- then he got an audience and got a little stage shy, missing two. He cared not about the candy prizes for the games...just give him the ball! Today, throwing the baseball (soft one) back and forth from about 10 feet apart, I needed to go get a glove! THE BOY IS ONLY 3~! I guess, since his dad broke a lot of the sports records not only here on the state record in several sports, and had ONU's home run record for several years -- he kind of gets it naturally ---and he looks just like his daddy too! But who is bragging?? He looks small - but he is solid -- and weighs almost as much as his sister! Thus the "tank" nickname! They no longer wrestle due to the fact that Cooper can now whip Mackenzie's bum! She hates to loose. (She gets that naturally too!) Pray for him, Indiana allergies are not doing him any good this week. Despite the Zyrtec everyday, he has had a runny nose, sore throat and has gotten tired more easily. His tonsils are the size of baseballs, so he will need those out after he turns 5, and that doesn't help the allergy symptoms. But, he is blessed and we are blessed to have him. He loves to sing...and my favorite thing about him, is that he loves to worship! He will sing worship songs anywhere -- AND we always know when he is in the bathroom going "poo" for he will be singing VERY LOUDLY, "I am a friend of God" -- He calls it his "poo poo song"! :) Tonight as he was playing his play keyboard, he was trying to match the pitch with his voice. Someone once told me that they thought the Lord had a special plan for him in "ministry" -- I pray that it is a ministry that pays more than mine does!! -- But more than that, I pray that his talents and gifts of leading people to the throne of Grace will never be hidden! Below are some recent pics of my baby -- who could not love this boy???

(The older girl pictured with Cooper, besides his 5 year old sister Mackenzie, is his cousin Holly)

Enjoy!

"Myth-Busters"

In the secret life of Amanda Durbin -- there is perception and then there is reality. I am here to expose some myths believed about her - and give you a glimpse of her reality. If you are interested....you may read on.

1. Amanda is as organized in her home life as she is in the project she does for other people. If you believe this, then I have a bridge in Egypt to sell to you. I try to be organized, but with two preschoolers who in just entering a room can destroy all aspects of order and a husband who doesn't understand why we put our socks in the clothes basket rather than the crack of the sofa - and now a puppy who drags it's chew toys out of his "bed" all over the house following the kids -- some days I just give up after 4pm! Everything has a place, but not everything is ever in it -- tonight as I write this, sofa cushions are almost on the floor hanging off the sofa, Eric is itching and smothering himself with itch cream with his "stuff (he tends to nest everywhere he goes)" around him -- and the kids dumped out two plastic drawers of play kitchen stuffs out all over the foyer floor looking for a spatula (last night) and I haven't had time or energy to make them pick it up. This drives me insane...I thank God for Julie's Monday mornings every day!

2. Amanda is "all put together" - NOT! I fall apart every day just looking for a pair of pants that fit my ever growing hips! I am tired, emotional and irritated most of the time -- I just pray and ask the Lord to help me love -- without Him and his strength and grace -- I would be a mess!

3. Amanda is independent, self-motivated and self-reliant. hmmmmn. Co-dependent on my husband, procrastinator and proud to be more exact. All get in the way of making true and lasting friendships. My fear of failure keeps me from believing in myself without pep talks from my husband, keep me from starting projects in advance and then have learned to do my best work in a hurry -- and too proud to ask for help when I need it even from my Jesus! Ouch...how honest is that! Praise God that He already knows this and steps in when ever I need Him! (Now no one will ever ask for my help again eh?!)

OK.... that was hard enough. Don't ask for much more honesty than that tonight! See....FAR from Normal! Normal people are organized, put together, independent, self motivated and self reliant! right??

What a great message I heard this morning in Service. The Lord is good -- He is in control and knows what He is doing -- even when we don't. This week, I am praying that Christ Followers vote with a conviction and a call from our Lord. And pray, that no matter the outcome, that the Lord shows favor on this country we call the land of the free and home of the brave.

Mackenzie's 5th Birthday Royal Tea Party!

Craft Time!
Princess Mackenzie and Nana Examining the Table...


WOW! A new Puppy Purse!

Our little princesses

Little Mommy

GIFT TIME!
Cake Time!

Our Castle

Tea Time!

The Snake Charmer

Our "play tea set table"

One Happy Birthday Girl!

The Queen Mum's Table