What Would Jesus Do?...

Religion has been on my mind a lot lately. Christianity in particular has been pondered the most. There have been a variety of reasons that religion has been on my mind.

1. The Presbyterian Church amended its Book of Order. Homosexuality no longer prevents an individual from being ordained as clergy in the Presbyterian Church. PC(USA).

2. A discussion with some family members who asserted that it isn't Biblically correct for a female to be a minister or deacon.

3. Stephen Hawking asserting that there is no afterlife...the human brain is a computer that simply shuts down at death.

4. The Rapture. Apparently, many think the rapture is coming on May 21.

I just have to say it. Damn! Bring up religion, and people can flip out!

I just have to ask. What would Jesus do? Would he condemn homosexuals? Would he vacate a church led by a woman? What would he say to a scientist who denies heaven? Who will be considered believers if Christ makes an appearance Saturday?

It is my understanding that Christians believe in Christ and follow the New Covenant. Christ is the prime example of what it means to be spirit filled. Christ didn't walk past the lepers and say, "I'll pray for ya." He literally rolled up his sleeves, got his hands dirty, and did whatever it took to help. Why is it then that so many Christians quote passages of the Old Covenant to support discrimination and passing judgement? Now, I am the first to admit that I don't know scripture inside and out, but doesn't it say in Matthew....Judge not lest ye be judged? Christ didn't spend his time hanging out at the Country Club. He spent his time with those who needed him most. The lowest of the low at the time...prostitutes, lepers, theives, etc. So why are Christians so averse to so many groups of people?

And the atonement? Don't get me started on how confusing that nugget can be. Christ paid the ultimate price. BUT, who did he pay it to? God? Why did God need payment? Yeah, religion confuses me.

Hate mail ensues....

Here He Is...Finding His Calm...

So, I posted this pic in a screen shot, but now here it is in all its glory. Layton meditating at the farm. My lovely friend Carla took an afternoon out of her life to drive all the way out to the farm for a family photo session. When she got ready to do some of each child alone, Layton went into "Layton-mode." When she said smile, he sang Jesus Loves Me. When she said cheese, he sat down and struck this pose.

This was the inspiration for Ella's meditation at the zoo. Of course we all fell out laughing. Poor Carla won't ever want to have children after spending an afternoon at the farm with my three. HA!

Graduation Summary...

Layton's graduation can be summarized in one picture....

Yes, the whole time he had his personality out for all to see. It was marvelous.

The Last Day of Preschool...

Today is Layton's last day of preschool. He will graduate tonight and officially be ready for kindergarten in the Fall. Am I ready? NO. This is my last little one. The last preschool graduation. The last.

Time goes so fast after you have children. Really, it does seem to speed up. It seems like it wasn't all that long ago that we found out we were having a baby boy. Now, he's finished with preschool. He took his first breath of life what seems like moments ago in my heart. He's a big boy now. Excuse me while I go cry into my hands.

Work It...

He's Still Smiling...

Super Excited...Meditate on This...

This is just a silly screen shot, but it lets you see where Ella got her meditating inspiration. My lovely friend Carla came out to the farm and did a photo session with the whole family. I sprung for the copyright as well, so I hope this doesn't equal some kind of infringement. Ha!

I can't wait to pick up my CD and have a whole bunch of great family photos to print and have printed and to put on the blog!! You'll love them all!!!

I kept joking with Jay that I was fairly certain his wallet caught on fire while I was clicking through the proofs!

Layton Loves a Four Wheeler...

Layton loves all vehicles. Trucks, cars, trains, four wheelers. He seemed to really want to try and drive this one.

I think this one is more his speed right now.

Oh Yes I Did...

Coming from the North side of the farm to the South, there is a gate. One must go through the gate. When driving a truck or RTV, it's a trick to open the gate, drive through, not let the horse and donkey escape, and then close the gate. So one day, I just let Ella drive the Kubota through while I worked the gate.

And, I took pictures of it. She might be a little young to be driving, but it was so funny!

Just Being Adorable...

Layton in HDR...

Where the Wild Things Are...

The wild things are almost always getting into some type of mischief.

Especially at the farm.

DLR...What is the D?...

Layton's first name isn't Layton. It's something else. What does the D stand for? I'll tell ya in a bit.

Maybe She'll Look at the Camera One Day...

No One Wants to Smile All the Time...

Double Vision...

As funny as I thought it was that Ella sat down at the zoo to meditate, there was a reason she did this. You'll see her inspiration soon enough; just know that this pose was not her idea but one she imitated for the purpose of making us laugh.

Flirting with Fire...

She Is Something Else...

Ella is hysterical. She spent the first half of the day at the zoo with a sucker in her mouth. It was even in a number of the pictures from the day. Oh Ella. Someday I will be able to avoid being Ella-cuted. :)
-c-

Zoo Time with the Family....

Since Jay and I had some time off from work due to the tornadoes that came through town, we decided to have a fun day with the children. We loaded up and went to the Birmingham Zoo. It was a little chilly that morning, but it warmed up and was a beautiful day. :)

For a second I thought Layton might try to dive right in the pond.

Ella was as dramatic as ever.

The lion was quite a sight for Ella and Layton.

The children went on their obligatory camel ride. :)

Smiles were abundant.

The zoo has two gorillas at the moment. They were feeling a little shy, so the family stood and waited for them to make an appearance.

One of my favorite things that the zoo has are the lorikeets. You can buy some type of nectar and actually go in the area with the birds to feed them. Last time we did this, Ella dropped her nectar and was scared of the birds. This time though...

Hadley is always eager to feed the birds.

Layton wasn't too keen on holding his cup of nectar, so Jay held it for him.

It was a wonderful day. I packed a picnic lunch, and we sat under the trees for lunch. We watched the elephants and admired the primates. It was so nice to escape North Alabama in the aftermath of the tornadoes.

Happy Mother's Day...

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! I'd also like to send good wishes to those of you who are still waiting to be Mothers. I read several blogs of women who are trying to conceive; I cannot even imagine how emotional Mother's Day must be for them. I admire them so much for the lengths to which they go in order to have a baby. The shots, surgeries, pills, adoption diaries, legal fees...It's amazing and inspiring. Happy Mother's and Impending Mother's Day to all of you!!