Four Christmases...cont.

Christmas #3

Christmas morning after our adventures at home we piled in the car and headed down to Houston. Our morning was already great and we got to see this winter wonderland...a snowy Christmas who would of thought.



We arrived in Houston to an empty house and didn't have a key...so we decided to give Mickaela her first driving lesson...she did great (except for the looking at the road part ;0))



On Saturday we were able to spend the day with all of my family opening gifts and eating...lots of food :). Mickaela was tuckered out and took a nap on her Aunt Mary (who was pretty tired too)...



Mickaela and I stayed an extra day in Houston so Grammy, Mackenzie, and Molly (my nieces) got to drive us home on Monday because my sisters had caught a stomach bug. yuck. We were glad to have them even just for the night. The girls were thrilled to see a little snow left on the ground.

Christmas #4

We headed over to Mick's brother's house to meet up with his brother and sister everyone feeling better after having a stomach bug last week. I didn't take any pictures :/...But it was fun to have our first Christmas with the Chapmans (Mick's sister, her husband, and two girls). They just moved here from Wisconsin. It is nice to have all of his family so close.

Our house is full of stuff but our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for family, friends and most of all Jesus for coming to this world putting on skin and saving us. It is an amazing thing to me to see all that God has done this year in our lives and in the lives of those in our family.

As we begin 2010, my heart is full of hope and joy, I am so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to love a man of His and the responsibility to care for and love 2 of His children. What blessings He has brought us this year...

Wishing each of you a blessed New Year!

Four Christmases...part 1

So, mom fail...I can't find my camera. I know it is around here somewhere. The sad thing about this is that there are few pictures of Christmas. :( Thankfully I have an iPhone. So there were a couple at least. My sisters are sending me the ones they have from out Christmas #3 in Houston.

So for now here are the moments captured...

Christmas #1:
Christmas eve with some of Mick's family. Mickaela and I volunteered at the church on Christmas eve in the nursery since they were short on volunteers. It was a lot of fun. (I have a story about that but it is for another post).

Mick's Mom, Dad, Brother and Niece came over to celebrate Christmas with Mick, Tristan, Mickaela and me. We had a great time and some decent chili (if I do say so myself). The kids got some awesome toys thanks to Grandma and Grandpa; Mick and Alex got a lesson in big wheel construction :).



Christmas #2:
Christmas Day was a first for all of us. Tristan was able to wake up with us on Christmas Day which was a first, and Mickaela, of course, was celebrating her first Christmas as well! :) It was such a blessing to watch their excitement and get to celebrate with our family on Christmas morning. Tristan got some awesome "heavy work" toys (therapy speak for high energy...tiring toys). A trampoline, a bean bag, and this awesome bubble ball that I found that is a huge inflatable ball that he can get inside of. (It is now his happy place).



This is the mess that was left behind...



To be continued...

A Bi-Polar Day

Today has been the most manic depressive day I've had in quite a while.

This morning I received some great and unexpected news at work.

Our hearts sang, and praised God for His blessings, and my wife and I celebrated together.

Then, during work, we received this news about our pastor of 5 years, Matt Chandler: 

In the first chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes that whatever imprisonments, beatings and trials he may have suffered, they all "serve to advance the gospel" of Jesus Christ. We implore you to keep the gospel of Christ as the main focus as we walk with Matt and Lauren through this trial.

On Tuesday, Dr. Barnett informed Matt and Lauren that the findings of the pathology report revealed a malignant brain tumor that was not encapsulated. The surgery to remove the tumor, the doctor said, was an extremely positive first step; however, because of the nature of the tumor, he was not able to remove all of it. (full transcript available here.)


Our hearts are heavy now, and our prayers are with Matt and Lauren Chandler, and their three kids Audrey, Reid, and Nora.  May they live faithfully, and be given wisdom, and excellent care as they endure this trial.  Through all of this, their hope has been to struggle well, and to point continually to the cross as their fulfillment.  Matt and Lauren both, by seeking Jesus, have found joy in even this circumstance.  They do not despair, or delude themselves.  They understand God planned this for them, and they are prepared for any resolution which may come from it.  Their hope is, no matter how this unfolds, people may see it and hear them testify about the grace, redemption, and worthiness of Jesus Christ. 

Please join us in praying for them, and our church.

 

As my friend Josh Sims reminded me; God is just as good, and just as deserving of praise this afternoon, as He was this morning.  No matter how hard that may be to remember.  

A Greek Assurance

Emily and I go to The Village Church.  We've been in the news lately as most of Dallas has heard about the health problems of our pastor Matt Chandler.  What many people don't know is how blessed our church body is to be lead by such a gifted group of pastors.  In Matt's absence we have continued to be cared for, challenged, and instructed with an unwavering hand.

One of those pastors called us to spend time dwelling on the person, and being of Jesus Christ this week.  His sermon, and the conversation the Holy Spirit inspired in our Home Group last Wednesday have rubbed against each other in my heart, and formed a devotional of sorts. 

In Revelations, God refers to himself as the Alpha and Omega three times. Most people know those as the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing that God is the beginning and the end.  In recent days I have come to see them as an intimate, holy assurance of hope expressed in 2 Greek characters.  Hopefully I don't fail miserably in my attempt to share that with you. 

In Rev 1 God says:
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Webster defines Almighty as having an absolute power over all.  Absolute meaning there is no restriction, exception, or qualification on God's ability to affect.  It's as mind boggling as infinity, and as quantifiable as Pi.  He can stop a spinning atom with a thought, and all creation is under his authority.

Rev 21
6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

God is the beginning, and the end of all things.  Whatever you see in life, whether good or evil, living or dead, created or born, all things proceed completely from and return completely to God Almighty.  He is the source of Life and the Fire of judgment.  In Exodus this was Expressed in the name I AM.  I AM without boundary or beginning, without limitation or end.  I AM not encompassed or contained.  I AM defies description.

Rev 22
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

He is coming in power and terror.  A God, so great the mind cannot conceive His origin or the mechanism of his creation.  He will stand judgment over the multitude of humans he has created.  He will mete out Life and Death without restriction, exception, or qualification, and His Spirit will execute His will without failure.  Only God could stand before God to interceded.  Praise Jesus for our salvation.

Wednesday in Home Group we talked about anxieties; where they take root, and how we combat them.  In our conversation a common theme emerged.  Our anxieties often seem to be rooted in a proud place.  From the very beginning, the culture we live in has raised us to believe our value is in what we earn.  There is an assumption that if we "do the right things" everything will go well, and as people we are often judged solely on our results.  The rich are more respected than the poor, a stylish house is more honored than a bare one, and people are who buy designer clothing are more dependable than those who are threadbare.  Often, who we are isn't defined by what we do, but by how what we do turns out for us.  So we worry. 

We worry because part of us knows that even if we do everything right, the results of our actions are outside our control.  How much more is it the case when we only get almost everything right?  How much pressure does that put on every little thing to be perfect?  Regardless, the world still believes it is the results which define us, and the more we give ourselves over to the world, the more we believe the same thing.

So what should our response be? 

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We who believe, look to Jesus Christ.  We find our worth in the assurance that while we were lost in darkness, with no hope of redemption, and no value in us, Christ demonstrated his love for us through his death, so we might live.  Our value is in the bounty that was paid on our behalf; which is the priceless blood of an Almighty God who became a man.  His blood buys us freedom from the standards of the world.  It leaves us unburdened to focus on conforming our hearts through our actions, and it allows us to trust in God Almighty to justify the work of our hands.  We are no longer defined by our money, our appearance, or even by our sins.  We are defined forever as children of God adopted by Jesus Christ, and God's nature assures we will live up to that pedigree.  His Almighty Will continues day by day to transform us from one degree of glory to the next, continually granting us greater freedom and joy, as He changes our nature into a reflection of Jesus. 

What a sweet heritage of freedom and redemption we have been given. 

Thanksgiving Feast #1

This past Sunday the Lesko family set out on an adventure to the house of the Henkle’s where a feast had been prepared to be enjoyed with the best home group ever. With 2 kids in tow the journey began… Tristan has not had the joy of being around this whole group on a regular basis; while a few faces would be familiar it was mostly uncharted waters for him, he tends to have behavior issues when in a new environment with lots of activity. He rarely if ever makes it through one of these events with out having an outburst or several outbursts. That day was exacerbated even more because he had not had a nap nor was he going to get one on time… so as you can imagine we were unsure of how this afternoon was going to play out.

Hoping to minimize damage and still enjoy the time we decided on a divide and conquer approach. One kid to one parent switch off if necessary. All hands in the middle and “GO LESKOS! on 3”.

Ange and Helmut have a beautiful house all decorated for the occasion with their fine china out, their dogs Samson, a Rottweiler and Poco, a Chihuahua were running about and the backdoor was open with a great view of their pool in the backyard. Tristan immediately found his “safe place” outside near the pool and the two dogs.

About 20 minutes into the trip I realize I made a salad and didn’t bring dressing. Mick graciously offers to go to the store. We adjust our plan I hand Mickaela off and make my way outside to check on Tristan. This is where the dance begins... Tristan realizes Mick is no longer there to keep him from the pool, thinking I am the weaker of the two (let’s face it I am a sucker for that smile), he begins ever so slightly walking toward the pool pointing and saying “water” “water”. I have a feeling he was thinking “maybe she won’t notice if I just put a foot in if I am telling her the whole time that it is water…she loves it when I talk”! I respond “Yes, water. We don’t get in that water.” He gets where this is going and moves back closer to the dogs, where he begins “doggie” “doggie”. I respond, “Yes, Good Job! Doggie, (pointing), big doggie, little doggie we pet the doggies.” I believe that boundaries have been established and all is going well to this point. I begin a conversation, when I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye…”Tristan, We don’t ride the doggie, we pet the doggie”. Ange comes over; she gives her permission for Tristan to “ride” Samson and calls for her husband to come see. The group begins congregating outside laughing as Tristan climbs up onto Samson’s back and is guided around for a couple of minutes. Isaac luckily grabs his camera and snaps a couple picture of the immense joy on Tristan’s face. I thought for a second Samson was going to buck Tristan right into the pool, but alas Samson is just a big puppy and loved playing with Tristan. That was so much fun Tristan decided he should try the same thing with Poco (the Chihuahua)…Poco was not near as accommodating.

The rest of the afternoon was full of fun, laughter, good people, great food and only a one near meltdown. All in all a successful adventure, it is great to see how Tristan is growing and developing. It was also nice to be able to see what God has done in all of our lives as we were able to give Thanks.

Fall Pictures of the Lesko Gang

Here are a couple of our fall pictures that our sweet friend Paul took...you can see more at www.paulgoimages.com / clients password is Lesko.

Dr. Horrible, and Other Random Thoughts

I guess I should have titled this, "Other Random Thoughts, and Dr. Horrible" so it suggested the right order.  It didn't have the same ring to it though.

Other Thought 1:

Babies make you dumber.

It's true.  You know it, I know it, everybody knows it, and it's so accepted it has become normative.  For example, Mickaela is 10 months old now .  Isn't she cute?  

Yes.  Yes she is.  But not always.  Mickaela doesn't like getting into the car to go places, which is pretty typical for a kid.  The car seat must be traumatic or something.  Anyway, since the daily ritual of getting Mickaela into the car usually wound up with her in tears, Millie, being the sweet hearted mother she is, decided to start distracting her when she puts Mika in the car seat.  How you might ask?  Good question.  She... wee di wee di wee's her.  If you don't know what that means, I'm not surprised, but don't worry it isn't obscene.  She just makes her voice really high pitched, and starts squealing wee di wee di wee di wee di wee at Mickaela.  

It isn't a phrase often used in daily conversation, except among monkeys, and perhaps among Tribbles, or when talking to babies.  Make no mistake, it is also only one of many ridiculous sounds both she and I make at, or because of our baby.  

It's almost as though in trying to get Mickaela to learn English the two of us are active regressing.  Future updates are planned as I attempt to chronicle our precipitous return to our Cro-Magnon roots.


Other Thought 2:  

Houses are a lot of work.

Before you buy your first one, you don't really understand just how much work they are.  It's all HGTV, and interior design, and a pathway to financial independence.  Then... you movie in.  We (The Lesko's) have been hanging out in Frisco for just over 2 years, which really isn't a long time in the life of a house.  And yet... the Max, the grass, the laundry, the dishes, the hot water heater, the fence, the dishwasher, the microwave, and the refrigerator all seem to be marshaling their forces on a weekly basis for an assault against my free time.  I envision my enemies as an organized Posse.  

Now you understand why yard work makes me insane... or maybe you understand how being insane makes me want to carry a firearm while doing yard work.  



Dr. Horrible: 

Dr. Horrible and his Sing-Along Blog is Neil Patrick Harris' second foray into the realm of TV doctors, and let me say, this one is considerably more awesome than Doogie Howser.  He has an ambition, a nemesis, an unrequited love, a freeze ray, a Bad Horse, an Evil League of Evil, Wonderflonium, a strange side kick, and many more glorious moments.  It's the story of the true American Dream all wrapped up in harmonic amazing, and glorious hilarity.  I highly recommend it.  If you're interested, just set aside 45 minutes and enjoy.  I've linked to it... as part 1 of my nefarious plot to conquer the world.  Watch and be thrilled. PG-13.


This video expired on Hulu.  Sadly.  I tell you this though.  It was amazing, and you should google it if you can.

This concludes our post for today.