Oh McDonald’s, you’re so grand
Your food is oh so good-oh
I can find you anywhere
From Rodeo to the hood-oh

How I love your value meals
I get them super size-oh
Because I just can’t get enough
Of your greasy fries-oh

My darling children go crazy
When they see your golden arch-oh
Their wild screams pierce the air
As I drive the car-oh

How they love your Happy Meals
With the cheapy toy-oh
Apple dippers, Chocolate milk
One for girl and boy-oh

Yes I love you fast food joint
You’re easy and you’re fast-oh
And now it’s even easier
‘Cause I don’t need no cash-oh

Then there is the Playplace
Where my shoes, they always stick-oh
But that place stinks ’cause when we leave
My kids are always sick-OH!

*Sorry, this post is a little long.*
So I got a CD I ordered in the mail yesterday and I am THRILLED! It’s the TRUTH 25th Anniversary album, which is my all time favorite CD. I lost it several months ago and have been so bummed because it’s out of print and is nowhere to be found…or so I thought. After some stealth internet searching, I finally found a website that sells old, out of print music and low and behold, they had my CD! Today, I gladly popped it into the CD player and sighed with contentment. I love this CD for several reasons. First, it takes me back to my college days as the first two songs are songs that I sang 500 hundred times with a travelling group I was in at Baylor. As I hear those notes, I remember the days that were filled with so much fun as we travelled all over Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and, well, the world, singing and performing. We went to Spain, British Columbia and Taiwan on two week long tours and I’ve never had so much fun in my life. Second, the singing on this CD is just phenomenal. Finally, the words of the songs are so powerful. They are deep and filled with such meaning. It’s just great music. Anyway, while driving Sloan to speech therapy, a song called The Church Triumphant came on. This song was never really of my favorites for some reason. I tended to skip over it, but today I really listened to it and I got chills. What a powerful song! By the time it was over, I had tears in my eyes and was blinking profusely (can you blink profusely?) so I wouldn’t drive off the road. Sometimes I get so discouraged as a believer. I feel like there are so many people out there who are led astray by people claiming to know Christ, but who are indeed spreading lies. I get discouraged by the many religious leaders who fall so publicly due to blinding sin and therefore make a mockery out of the faith that I hold so dear. I feel like so many people misunderstand Christianity because of groups like the one that protests the funerals of fallen war heroes. These radical people who are entrenched in hateful slander and are anything but loving. My point in this post is not to preach. I just share how I was encouraged today. I was reminded that the Church, God’s Church, is still alive and well, despite those who have tried to destroy it. Here are the words of the song. Roger Breland, the founder of TRUTH is speaking these words while the singers are in the background. Just reading it doesn’t do it justice. You should buy the album to really get the effect! I just checked the site and they are currently sold out but keep checking if you’re interested to see if you can get a copy. Anyway, I hope you are blessed by these words:

“God has always had a people. Many a foolish conquerer has made the mistake of thinking that because he has forced the Church of Jesus Christ out that he has stilled its voice and snuffed out it’s life, but God has alwasy had a people. The powerful current of a rushing river cannot be diminished because it is forced to flow underground. The purest waters are the stream that’s burst crystal clear into the sunlight after it’s fought it’s way through solid rock. There have been charliatains (sp?) who, like Simon the Magician, sought to barter on the open market that power which cannot be bought or sold, but God has always had a people. Men who could not be bought and women who were beyond purchase. Yes, God has always had a people. There have been times of affluence and prosperity when the Church’s message has been nearly diluted into oblivion by those who sought to make it solcially attractive, neatly organized and financially profitable. It has been gold plated, clothed in purple and crusted with jewels. It has been misrepresented, ridiculed, lauded and scorned. These followers of Jesus Christ have been, according to the whim of the times, elevated as sacred leaders and matyred as heretics. Yet through it all there marches on that powerful army of the peak. God’s chosen people that cannot be bought, flattered, murdered or stilled. On through the ages they march – the Church, God’s Church Triumphant, alive and well. Now listen child of God, it’s alive. Discouraged pastor, it’s His Church and it’s alive. Lonely missionary, sow the seed with confidence. It’s alive my broken hearted friend. Old saint, you’re not alone and forgotten, the Church is alive. Busy lover, cast your cares on Jesus. It’s alive young student, you’re not alone in serving the Lord. Faithful father, there’s rest in the Lord and the Church is alive. Cynical skeptic, you haven’t killed God with your noisy unbelief, He’s alive. So family of God, raise your hands and praise the Lord for the Church, God’s Church Triumphant, is alive and well!”

So, we put Tia in a big girl bed tonight. She went right to sleep. She seemed a little perplexed by it and kept looking at her crib like she didn’t understand why she had to sleep in this bed when there was obviously a perfectly good bed right there. But, she did not get up so we’ll see how it goes. I fully anticipate her waking up and traipsing into our room early in the morning.

In other kid news (because really, what other news is there?), Sloan is absolutely petrified of thunder. It all stems from last year when we had a big, nasty ice storm and had a lot of damage to our house. A limb came through the roof, lots came down in the driveway and yard so that we couldn’t back out and we lost power for five days. We still have a visual reminder of a tarp on the roof because we’re lazy and haven’t gotten it fixed yet. It didn’t actually come into the house so it’s been easy to ignore. Anyway, since then Sloan has been a basket case anytime he sees a flicker of lightening or a rumble of thunder. Tonight we told him that lightening was just the angels taking pictures from heaven and thunder was them clapping at how beautiful the earth is. Yeah, it wasn’t that effective, though we did notice him grinning really big when he looked out the window. The boy can never resist the chance to ham it up for the camera. Now he’s asleep with his sound machine turned up so loud it sounds like Niagara Falls in the next room. We’ll probably all have to pee all night…

My dear friend Nicole gave me the Excellent award for my blog. And I’m honored. But, I’m not cool, nor am I tech savvy because I can’t figure out how to paste the picture on my blog. So, you’ll just have to take my word for it. Or go check out her blog and Here’s the Diehl to see what I mean. Thanks, Nicole! You’re the reason I’m blogging and this blog has helped me keep my sanity over the last month. I’m now officially addicted.

I don’t know why I titled this speechless, since I’m obviously not, but I just wanted to let everyone know about a friend of mine that takes pictures and she is AMAZING!!! Her name is Tarah Craft and you can view her work at http://www.inthebeginningphoto.com/. She took Tia’s 1 year shots and she took newborn shots of Landon and our family. I just looked at the proofs and, oh my goodness, they are amazing. I’ve been sitting here with tears in my eyes for 20 minutes watching the slideshow and wondering how on earth I’m going to narrow them down to stay in my budget. If you go into her site and click on Previews, enter the password “kstuart” and you can see the shots she took of us. She even managed to get a couple of great shots of Tia who was being a total pill that day and wanted nothing to do with having her picture made. Tarah, you are amazing! Thank you so much. You captured my children perfectly!

The average four-year-old asks 437 questions a day. That’s according to a sign in the Magic House. Just thought you might like to know that. I think my kid is more in the 600 range, but whatever. There was also a sign that said the average 5 year old has watched more hours of television than he will spend in college classes. Depressing. Oh well, I’m off to put in a movie for the kids! 🙂

A better day. Landon slept really well last night, Sloan was in school until 3:00 today and my AWESOME neighbor, Carol, kept Landon so I could go to the grocery store. Thanks again, Carol. All three kids went to bed early and I relaxed. I just watched Jon and Kate Plus 8. Do any of you watch that? It’s on TLC on Monday nights. You should watch it – it’s great. It makes my three kids look like a walk in the park. Tia climbed out of her crib twice today. I think we’re going to have to transition to big girl bed soon, which I wasn’t quite ready for but I don’t want her to hurt herself. We’ll see. Now I’m off to bed. I may actually be asleep before 10:00 tonight! Woohoo!