In process.

This whole home in order thing is a thing in process. After the day is done my kitchen is a mess, there are trains lining the stairs and my laundry is all over the bed. I smile at Kurto "but my 9th grade photo album is ready and in order to be digitalized." This kind of house order only makes sense in my mind. Kurto was home all day yesterday and Izzy & I couldn't have been happier. My recent process has been to digitalized my old pics (like the 100lb albums of pre-marriage). The word of the year is simplify. Who wants to keep moving 20 big albums with deteriorating pics every time we move? I want to be able to find pics, organize them, reprint a few keepers, and also show some funny shots to the world. =-) Yesterday I found all my pics of Kurto and I dating and it reminded me of our story of how we met, how he asked me out at Starbucks (no wonder I love that place) and how young we looked ( I was 17. Ten years goes by so fast!) Kurto & I got set up on a blind date (Wahoos fish tacos). We went there with my coworker from Starbucks miss matchmaker Charity. Within a week Kurto asked me to be his girlfriend and within two weeks I told him we would be married. (must admit not the smartest move to start off dating). Kurt was my first boyfriend and the Lord had told me that I would marry a blond guitar man. When Kurto showed up he was it. When I asked my family if Kurto could come on the family ski trip after only three months I think they knew it too. We both worked in Junior high ministry together. We dated for a year and a half. I worked at Starbucks and coached volleyball and Kurto surfed and worked a a telecaller salesman. We were married in 2000. Along came Israel in 2004 but that is for another post...

After Church

Sunday afternoon and Cowboy & I are cuddling. Someone who is short, blond & crabby is napping (finally). Church was so good today. I was praying through things in my mind this morning during worship about motherhood (& all its glory =-). John the Baptist was the message today. The forerunner spirit that comes from Isaiah 40. John knew his identity. He knew the bridegroom. He was called the greatest man that ever was born of a woman. He and the Holy Spirit found communion in the wilderness. He just didn't go through a wilderness season, he chose a wilderness lifestyle. Out of it came two short years of ministry and a small (comparatively to some ministries today) ministry following - yet look how Jesus spoke about him. Flash backwards to my thoughts on motherhood & mix it with this message and you get why I was crying at church. I want to be known by the bridegroom. To hear his voice. The arc didn't make sense until the rain came. The crazy prophet from the wilderness didn't make sense to the synagogue leaders. But what was the Holy Spirit saying & who did He speak to? I want to hear.

Another weekend

this is one of my old favorite pictures.

It is Friday already. Week goes by fast when Kurto is gone Fri-Sun. Today he had to leave at noon which was much nicer than 5am. Izzy & I dropped him off at FMA & away to Arkansas he went. Kurt's mystery weekends away are in reality ministry trips. He takes a team of students from FMA & they travel with different leaders or teachers and go to churches and teach harp & bowl style of worship. Basically they teach how to incorporate prayer into worship, how to sustain prayer within the church, and they usually have teachings, and pray over the congregation as individually. These trips have been instrumental for Kurto. He has really learned how IHOP does what it does. He is not just doing it (the prayer room), or reading about it (the classroom), he is explaining it and teaching it. This has made his heart grow so much. He really is walking out his calling for night and day prayer in this context as he and his fellow classmates teach others who have the same vision for prayer. Sometimes the whole church shows up. Sometimes thirteen people show up. God loves either one. I love that Kurto comes home refreshed in his spirit (although tired in his body).

If anyone from CA wants to come out to visit we are officially having some wonderful spring weather. In fact today I think Izzy & I will go for a walk and then work in the garden!
Partly Cloudy 16° | 9°
Detail Snow
Almanac 25° | 18°
Detail Chance of Snow
Almanac 31° | 16°
Detail Partly Cloudy
Almanac 39° | 22°

9am

It's 9am. Izzy is still in his jammies. It is a wonderful thing the washer/dryer. Modern inventions allow me to sit in my jammies til 9 drink a cup of coffee all while feeling so productive. I am not doing any projects (yet). Enjoying the morning. Israel is enjoying playing with his trains. It cracks me up. He comes to me and says:
Iz: "mom can I play with my trains?"
Me: "yes of course."
Iz: "No! Not until I clean up my cars."
Me: "um... ok buddy that is right. Great idea."
Iz: "Daddy says..."

Grammie Jan says Izzy is just like Kurto. She even labeled his drawers when he was little not for her but for him! He loved order. Like father like son. Izzy sure keeps me on my toes. If it weren't for Izzy the weekends kurt's out of town our house might explode.

Snow Day

We sure had fun this weekend with hopefully the last of the snow. Where are you SPRING?

the Big Mistake

Well it has been so busy around here. I have been really starting to enjoy my time around the house. I think my spirit is falling in rhythm with God's call for the season. Back in January praying for this upcoming year i felt His voice leading me to take the next six months and "get my house in order". This has had many meanings to me but as Sammy is going to preschool in June & I will no longer nanny this also has given me a timeline for entering into a new season. This week in the Prayer Room someone prayed over me and it was such an amazing time. She prayed Song of Solomon over me speaking about tending my brothers fields while my own field was in ruins. This also confirmed to me about "getting my house in order". My house is my home, the atmosphere that I raise Israel in, love Kurto in, and serve others in. It is also myself. The Holy Spirit lives in me and my body is the temple. I was deeply reminded this weekend that it is mandatory that I "get my house in order". Even though Kurto was gone this weekend again and my house was full of renters, projects, and messes everywhere I was able to take the time to do this. Sometimes this looks like reading the Word and meditating. Some times this looks like looking out my front window and waiting for His voice. Sometimes this looks like organizing a drawer or painting a closet. Whatever this getting my house in order looks like, I am finally able to rest in his wisdom of this time. Not trying to rush this project of my heart and home.



Now for the big mistake: I spray painted some closet doors rust red and ran out of paint. Big mistake. Big fumes. Big no no. Then I found a gallon of same shade red for $5 and painted over the mistake this weekend. I then sanded and distressed the doors. The result is wonderful! Kurto loves it too. I was kinda going for a manly rock & roll feel for his office.

King Israel

More Valentines Day hellos from Izzy King Weaver

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day everybody!

Thoughts

I am thinking ( and needing some time to really soak this in ) about Jesus. Kurto & I were talking about Jesus and how we want to be more like Jesus but in reality I don't think we do. I don't think I do. Of course I want to be like Jesus because I love him and love his word and He loves me and my heart cries out "Make me like you!" But when I really think about Jesus and who he was and what he said to people and how he acted in his environment and how he was treated my heart also says "Lord do I really want to be like Jesus?" Jesus wanted to be like the Father. So now also I need to ask do I want to be like the Father? Jesus was hated. Dispised. Misunderstood. Betrayed. He did things in secret. He wanted only to please the Father. He left family. He had no place to call home. He didn't care about his "ministry", reputation in the church, or about being noticed. Another thing this week someone said to me was that Jesus died on the cross and nobody really noticed. He did an amazing act of love and the people of his time missed it. His family missed it. His friends missed it (all but a few). His act of love transcends history and yet it really was done in the most humble manor that forever changed history. Do I really believe that my acts of love done in secret noticed by heaven alone can change history? Do I really believe that my prayer in my house while doing laundry can be heard and is as important than praying from stage at a stadium event? What do I really think about prayer and what do I really think about Jesus & what does He really think about me? Do I really want to be like him in my daily living out the Gospel? In my daily relationship with others? Does my heart really rejoice in the secrets between me and Him?

Mr Weaver

Kurto & I had a wonderful trip to Laurence yesterday. Happy early Valentines Day. It was bitterly cold and while we were walking down the street a man approached us and asked us if he could ask a few questions. He was from the Laurence local paper. Kurto said sure. Conversation as follows...
reporter: so are you an organ donnar?
Kurto: nope.
R: why not?
K: lazy?
R: have you ever thought about it?
K: yah, but the DMV has never asked me.
R: So would you consider it?
K: um I'm not really planning on dying.
R: (long pause)... that's um... a lofty goal. what is your occupation?
K: a missionary
Katchen: (trying not to seriously laugh at this point)
R: sir what is your name?
K: (trying to decide if he really wants to own up to these statements) um... Kurt.

Kurto

Kurto is back and I am so thankful. I love this man. He had an awesome trip. Thanks for any prayers. We got to talk over a wonderful at home dinner with Izzy and share about how the Lord spoke to both of our hearts in such different ways this weekend. I love coming back together and seeing how God moved. While we are in such different seasons of ministry it is wonderful to see God moving us both with such precision and love and gentleness. One weekend down. Three to go. Kurto leaves town each weekend this month. We are trying to have Monday night dinners to catch up and connect on what God is doing, prepare for the week, and enjoy being together. Izzy is glad daddy is home too.

Ask Martha

Martha Stewart says twice a year clean out the fridge grates and deep clean them. I didn't even know my refridgerater has grates. Is this for reals? On a side note Israel went to a Monster Truck show with Sean and Richard & his best pal Aiden. He had so much fun. The only pic I have seen is Aiden & Richard plugging their ears. Izzy told me "mom there were like Motorcycles and stuff and um, fire and stuff, and the guy had to get more oil, and we ate popcorn and watched motorcycles fly!" I kept asking him about any cars and trucks and he repeated to tell me "no mom - Motorcycles!" Thanks Sean for the treat! Today I am going to clean my house (getting ready for Kurto to come back). We have had a very nice weekend off. We went way to many places, drank free Starbucks and had fun with so many friends. Why is it always more fun to paint and clean other peoples houses? Perhaps I need a house cleaning party with friends here to motivate me (& clean my kitchen grates). Any takers? Come on over. I will be doing laundry til midnight and friends willing to swiffer or clean my bathtub get a great cup of coffee and a bit of dark chocolate. It was wonderful to be "out of the house" as Izzy calls it. Tomorrow back to the real world of schedules and routine and the gym!

Random Late Night Thoughts

Does anyone else have an infatuation with Costco? I always get the same things. Same basics. Mixed lettus. Apples. Avacadoes. Eggs. Cheese. The list continues. My single variation is that Kurto & I switch off on what type of Turkey we get. Very boring. Sometimes I call my sister and we swap list like " I got..." If one of us goes off the usual it's very exciting like "wow you got a dog bed and trash bags? Your're living it up."

Happy (1/2) Birthday Israel

Someone is 3 & 1/2 today! Horray for my darling Izzybuns. Can't call him that for much longer! We have had a great day today. Izzy opened a present from my mom (it's a long family story but yes we celebrate half birthdays around here) and then got a thomas magazine from Grammy Jan. We colored and took a walk to the prayer room with Sammy. It is now nap time and I'm spray painting an old chair from curbside. Pictures to come. Please continue praying for Kurto as he is on the road to Cinci again to do ministry. Another long weekend without my hubby!

Snow day

I woke up to beautiful snow! Snow snow snow! Israel has had an ear infection and been to the docs twice this week. Renter in town and after a mad cleaning streak Kurt is better and I am getting better myself. Pretty boring week around here. Going to take care of the sickie in the cozie house today.