The Soldier's Coat

This is a true story written several years ago when my now 13 year old son was a little boy. 

If you were at our church Sunday you heard Major Andy Taylor reference this story at the end of his sermon. 

This was one of those "treasure in my heart" momma kind of moments.

The Soldier’s Coat

Last night I watched my son begin to see a soldier.  This soldier is a man the child’s known all his life.  In fact this gentle, energetic man was there when he was born.  You see, this soldier is the unusually matched, shepherd-hearted, kindred spirit of this boy’s father.  These two men have loved each other and walked beside each other for many years as pastors and friends.  Each one has been a mentor to the other at times, a brother always.  This child has often been the receiver of friendly blessings, loud jokes of praise, and heartfelt interest from this dear pastor friend.

And now, this friend has become a soldier.  He’s a soldier’s pastor, not following behind to help soldiers in need; but leading them with a courageous heart.  Proving to them by his willingness to walk alongside them that he’s worthy of being followed in the things of God, because he’s worthy of being followed in the things of warriors. 

I believe young boys respond to the passion of the men they admire.  If it is sports, they become athletes; if it is music, they learn to hear it for themselves; if it is the acquisition of wealth, they become greedy; if it is pleasure, they become gluttonous; if it is their Creator, they become curious about the invisible. 

Tonight this child heard the passion of a man who loves God, family, and country; and it stirred him in ways he won’t understand for many years.  I watched his eyes as he sat next to our friend in a restaurant.  The place usually reserved for his adored father given to this interesting, yet familiar soldier.  As he began to ask about the medals and stripes on the man’s green military coat, his eyes continued to grow and shine.  Then the soldier jokingly asked if he really cared, thinking the child bored and confused with military lingo and rank..........so the child shrugged as all seven-year-olds do when something they know to be important seems just beyond their grasp.  He slowly moved closer and closer to the soldier and eventually whispered, thinking his hand was shielding his question from anyone else, “Can I use your coat as a blanket tonight?” 

We laughed at the question, and continued with the renewal of a deep friendship, but the question reverberated through my heart all night.  As I tucked my children into a warm bed in a beautiful home in a safe neighborhood and read a newspaper full of many Americans’ differing views on life and politics; I began to be truly thankful for soldiers.  Perhaps I would describe it as patriotic if the word weren’t so overused that it tends to dilute the true meaning. 

What if as Americans, as mothers and sons sleeping under many flags, we could recognize that indeed we all use the American soldier’s coat as a blanket tonight?

The letter Zach wrote after that special day.

Forever Family Day

This week we celebrated Family Day.  This is the anniversary of the finalization of our youngest daughter's adoption.  This tradition started (as is my manner) with a complicated idea that I have since simplified to be something my family actually enjoys.  We go out to eat somewhere nice and talk about family over the last year then have dessert together at home.  Part of our tradition is taking a family picture using the timer on the camera - which always yields funny results.  Dad and Baby Girl got to be the "focus models" before the real picture.........she loved the sound of the camera clicking on its own.

 How cute are these........she looks like an adorable cartoon. 

Fisher Family Day 2010

I would encourage you to choose a day to celebrate Family apart from your usual birthday and holiday celebrations.  Maybe it could be the anniversary of Mom and Dad's first date, or a special time when you know a miracle happened in your family - maybe a special accomplishment or gift that shaped your family. 

Each year our family picture goes into a little album that starts like this:

On this day every year we will celebrate what it means to be a family.  There are five of us.  Two of us chose one another to be the start of a family.  Then two were born into the Fisher home.  After that one was miraculously given to us to make our family complete.  And on November 8, 2007 her adoption was finalized.  On that day we became a Forever Family of Five.  And so each year we will celebrate the gift it is from God to have one another and to share our lives together.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (and in the Fisher Family) throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. 

Ephesians 3:20-21

And so we add a picture and a bunch of memories, lessons, stories, and goals to this book each year.  For us, adoption is a family miracle.  As one of my close friends who is also an adoptive mom said recently, "it fills me up to the top".  Yes ma'am!

Cheater, Cheater Pumpkin Eater Pound Cake

Our Fall Break camping trip got rained out and somehow I found myself in the mall at Williams Sonoma instead.  Forgot how much I love that store!  Todd bought me this cornucopia cake pan....it was half price and still probably too expensive, but I really love it!  I tried it with one of my favorite EASY Cake Mix recipes.  This is so versatile.....I like to type "versatile", somehow it adds credibility to any nonsense I write.  But this cake is seriously wonderful, no nonsense included!

Cheater Cheater Pound Cake
1 cake mix
1 small box of instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon extract or flavoring
Mix well, bake for 40 minutes in a well greased Bundt pan at 350 degrees.

For the Pumpkin Pound cake I used a yellow cake mix, pumpkin spice pudding mix and vanilla extract.  I made an easy glaze with powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. 

You see that the possibilities are endless...........happy sigh.