Simple & Sweet: Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021!

Happy New Year! 

Our New Year's Eve celebration was simple and sweet, like much of this year. We played lots of games, baked cookies, had dance parties, blew noise makers and drank sparkling cider. We sat and remembered  with lots of laughter and excited exclamations as we watched the year play by picture by picture in our 2020 slideshow. There were many things missing from our slideshow that would "normally" be there - people we have seen once or not at all this entire year. Places we didn't go. Things we didn't do. We missed having our usual mix of grandparents, aunt and uncle here to ring in the New Year with us. And yet, there were so many things that filled that slideshow, picture by picture. So many smiles and simple, sweet days. So many adventures and outdoor fun with friends and family. 2020 was hard and long and challenging, but produced great growth, good change, and abundant joy in our family. We are incredibly grateful for God's grace, strength, peace and provision that sustained us through it all. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, even in the storms of life. We look forward in hope to this coming year knowing that the same God who carried us through 2020 will faithfully go before us and with us into whatever lies ahead. 

(and this is only some of the pictures from this year - ha!)

2020 Picture Slideshow

Tonight we gathered around our table and shared ways that we have grown in the past year, and one thing that we hope to see happen in 2021. Here is my hope, prayer and desire for this coming year:

Rest.

Rest for my body and soul. A calmness and quietness of spirit and an intentional living without hurry.

My body and soul have been aching for this for years - overwhelmed, exhausted and burnt out. With all the changes that came with this past year due to the pandemic, I thought that removing the rushing to and from school and to and from activities and to and from events would take away that frantic pace of life. Don't want to be late. Don't want to miss out. Need to get it all done. In a sense, our lives are much more slow and peaceful now. But the removal of my out of the home responsibilities has exposed that the problem is not external - it is internal. The hurry, the pressure to get things done, the feeling of too much to do is still there. Every day is still a battle against the overwhelm. Too much to do. Too little time.

And so, as I enter this new year, my hope, prayer and desire is to learn to rest - to live at a pace of life that is restful, calm, peaceful and unhurried. To be fully present with the precious people God has placed in my life, and to be fully aware of God's presence and work in my life and in the world around me.

May this new year be full of hope in God's promise and power, as we all learn to rest in God's care and provision, and discover how to live each day fully present, serving one another in love with the strength, joy, and peace we find in Jesus.

I recently began reading through "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by John Mark Comer and have been inspired, encouraged and deeply convicted - and I am only 40 pages in. I encourage you to check it out! Here are some quotes from just the first few pages:

“Hurry,” he wrote, “involves excessive haste or a state of urgency. It is associated with words such as hurl, hurdle, hurly-burly (meaning “uproar”), and hurricane.” He defined it as a “state of frantic effort one falls into in response to inadequacy, fear, and guilt.” The simple essence of hurry is too much to do! The good of being delivered from hurry is not simply pleasure but the ability to do calmly and effectively—with strength and joy—that which really matters. “We should take it as our aim,” he wrote, “to live our lives entirely without hurry. We should form a clear intention to live without hurry. One day at a time. Trying today.”Jesus invites all of us to take up the “easy” yoke. He has—on offer to all—an easy way to shoulder the weight of life with his triumvirate of love, joy, and peace. As Eugene Peterson translated Jesus’ iconic line: “to live freely and lightly."

"But love is painfully time consuming. All parents know this, as do all lovers and most long-term friends. Hurry and love are incompatible."

Walter Adams, the spiritual director to C. S. Lewis:

"To walk with Jesus is to walk with a slow, unhurried pace. Hurry is the death of prayer and only impedes and spoils our work. It never advances it."

"The things that make for rest actually take a bit of emotional energy and self-discipline. When we get overbusy, we get overtired, and when we get overtired, we don’t have the energy or discipline to do what we need most for our souls."

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

 and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls. 

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 - Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

Merry Christmas to All!

"Do not be afraid! 

For behold, I bring you 

good news 

of

 great joy 

that will be for 

all people:

 Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. 

He is Christ the Lord!"

Luke 2:10-11

The good news of Christmas is for *all* people- 

Young and old

Rich and poor

Famous and nameless

Welcome and rejected

Secure and unstable

Content and unsatisfied

Settled and anxious

Righteous and unholy

 

Jesus came for all

The lonely, the homeless, the outcast

The hopeless, the overwhelmed, the afraid

The weak, the weary, the burdened

The brokenhearted, the grieving, the desperate

The hungry, the sick, the suffering

The oppressed, the persecuted, the violated

The critic, the seeking, the lost

The sinner and the saint

Jesus 

God with Us - Emmanuel 

His birth, life, death, resurrection, presence here with us now and promise to come back again is

good news of great joy for all people! 

Jesus 

the Light in a world of darkness  

the Hope of all nations, a living hope 

the Prince of Peace who brings peace in the midst of storms, anxiety & hostility

the Fullness of Joy who makes our joy complete in him

the Love of God come down, who demonstrates perfect love and shows us how to love

the Bread of Life and Living Water who satisfies our souls 

the King of Kings who is in control even when our world seems in chaos 

the Savior who saves us from ourselves and brings salvation from a world in sin 

the Mighty God our strength who sustains us in our weakness and gives us rest 

the Deliverer who rescues us out of our troubles 

the Good Shepherd who cares for and protects his own 

the Healer who healed us by is wounds, and heals us by his power 

the Man of Sorrows who knows our pain and is near to the brokenhearted 

the Wonderful Counselor who comforts us, encourages us, and guides us with wisdom 

the Advocate who stands in our place

the Perfect Judge who is making all things right and avenges the wrongs done 

the Way, the Truth and the Life who offers us abundant life and eternal life

Jesus, you are all this and more

The greatest gift ever given.

May you find hope, peace, joy, and abounding love in Jesus!

Merry Christmas to all!

love,

The Poppens

“I am the light of the world. 

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love, in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will proclaim justice to the nations...

In his name the nations will put their hope.”(Matthew 12:21)

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope

 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..." (1 Peter 1:3)

"For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

"Do not be anxious about anything, 

but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

"For he himself is our peace, 

who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier,

 the dividing wall of hostility..." (Eph. 2:14)

"Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God 

and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him

 and he would have given you living water.'”(John 4:11)

“I am the bread of life. 

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, 

and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)

"They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph

 over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—

and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”(Revelation 17:14)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"(Romans 5:8)

"This is how God showed his love among us: 

He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him."(1 John 4:8)

Salvation is found in no one else, 

for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind 

by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)

“I am the good shepherd. 

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you

 and that your joy may be complete."(John 15:11)

"He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief...

Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering...

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, 

teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom

 and healing every disease and every affliction."(Matthew 9:35)

"But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 

Jesus Christ the righteous."(1 John 2:1)

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)

"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

Clinging to Jesus and taking hold of abundant life in the midst of 2020

Isabelle Turns 3

Our sweet, silly, spirited, and spunky baby girl turned THREE today. 

I don't know how that happened, but it did.

When Isabelle Lucille came into the world three years ago, we gave her a name that means "God's abundance" and "light." She has lived up to her name already! God has given us an abundance of joy and goodness through Isabelle and all the laughter, silliness, tender hearted embraces, kisses and cuddles and creative ideas she brings into our home. Her cheerful smile, eager energy and goofy giggles have been a light in the darkness of difficult times throughout her three years of life. Isabelle, you are such a gift! We are exceedingly grateful for your life. 

"My Favorite Things" was the most requested song for Isabelle's bedtime lullaby this past year - so here are a few of her favorite things...and a few of my (our) favorite things about her. 

Isabelle loves all things pink. Puppy is her most precious possession and goes everywhere with her and sleeps with her every night. She loves bananas and is always excited when I come home from the grocery store knowing that more bananas have arrived. Isabelle loves to read - she will look through book after book on her own, and would love to sit and read in your lap for hours. She loves the alphabet! At one point, she wanted the Alphabet sung every night before bed. Isabelle loves little things - legos, Shopkins (especially mini Shopkins), and big soft huggable stuffed animals. One of her favorite sayings is, "It's sooooooo cuuuuuuuuteee!" Her favorite pastimes outside are swinging in the hammock, playing in the water table, zooming around on her green scooter, and jumping on the trampoline. 

Isabelle LOVES Paw Patrol. I never imagined after Isaiah went through his Paw Patrol phase that we would go through it again AND have another Paw Patrol Party. But, here we are! Isabelle plays with her pups every day, building them houses with magnatiles and bringing them into her imaginary world - or entering into their adventures at Adventure Bay. She watches Paw Patrol whenever I give her a chance. For the first part of this year, Isabelle identified her colors by the correlating pup (Green = Rocky, Pink = Sky) and would shout out their names every time she saw something that matched their color. She can sing every word of the theme song better than her parents. So, to celebrate our little pup lover we threw a sweet Paw Patrol "paw-ty" that lasted all day with fun balloons, all her favorite foods, Paw Patrol hide-and-seek, a Pup Pup Boogie dance, and a little Paw Patrol marathon with puppy chow. The kids all helped make and decorate dog bone sugar cookies and we enjoyed them along with yummy cupcakes outside with the Aunties and Didi. 

Everything is full hilt for Isabelle. Go big, or go home. Every emotion is to the most extreme, everything needs to be in its order and place. Her facial expressions are hilarious and she has the funniest sayings with great inflection. Isabelle has many habits and routines that need to be just right or she makes sure we all know about it. She is a girl who knows what she wants exactly how she wants it. At night, Isabelle often wants 10 kisses - exactly. And counts them. And if I just happen to give one too many, she exclaims, "NOT ELEVEN!!!"

She is also the sweetest, most empathetic little child. If someone is crying - anyone, even a random child -Isabelle will start crying too. She can be so helpful and thoughtful. In the mornings (on good wake up days) she will come to my bedside and say, "Good morning, Mommy. Here, take my hand," and then help me up out of bed...so that I can get her some yogurt - another Isabelle favorite!

Isabelle is entering her 3's with all the independent will one could imagine for a toddler who is ready to take on the world. "I do it myself!" might be her favorite phrase. Ha! From putting on her clothes to going potty, to stirring and cutting (yikes), to turning on and off all the lights, to opening and closing all the doors, buckling and unbuckling, to carrying big baskets of toys all over the house - she does it all in her own way! She also is self-entertained most of the time and likes it that way. I will often ask her if she wants to join us with an activity, and she will say, "No. I want play," and go off in her room or elsewhere happily content with her many "friends." 

I love her expressive side-eye roll and cheesy grin. I cherish the sweet kisses when she wants to give them, and the cuddles when she gently lays her head on my arm or crawls over into my lap. Her precious little voice saying all sorts of big words and full sentences is just adorable. I love watching her play away with toys or stuffed animals, fully dramatized with different voices, sound effects and an exciting storyline. I enjoy watching her make art and deciding to draw very definite things - like a whale. Or a bird. I love how she observes everything, surprising us with what she understands of our conversations, and we always get a kick out of it when she wants to join in the conversation and tells her own story. Over and over. 

I love her big squeezes. She gives the BEST hugs. I love the feel of her soft lips on my cheek. I love that when she sees me baking in the kitchen, she grabs the step stool so she can help (and taste). I treasure the times when she would wake up early and grab some books to come read on my bed while I read my bible. I love her sweet singing voice and the songs she likes to make up. I love watching her pitter-patter run and speed by recklessly on her scooter. She is full of adventure and lives each day to the fullest. 

Isabelle, there is never a dull moment with you around. Thanks for bringing so much joy, laughter and adventure to our family! We love you, Isabelle Lucille!

Happy 3rd Birthday, sweetheart! 

Thankful

"Rejoice always, pray continually, 

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

More than ever, we are reminded that nothing in our lives can be taken for granted. It is all a gift. Each breath, every step. We are overwhelmingly thankful for the abundance of goodness in our lives given by an Abundantly Good and Gracious God. 

We are thankful

For our family far and near whom we hold even tighter in our hearts and ache to hold in our arms
For friends who have become nearer and dearer
For an over abundance of delicious food
For the ability to be generous out of our abundance to those in need
For a warm home filled with the noise and mess that makes us a family
For beauty in the midst of pain and joy in the midst of sorrow
For hope in Jesus who is mighty to save and at work making all things new
For the simple pleasures of life and the special people in our lives that make each day precious

Thankful

We celebrated Thanksgiving a little differently this year. We missed being able to gather with our extended family, but our time together was sweet and precious. Since it was just out small family, we we decided to forgo the turkey and opted for a lobster and shrimp feast with homemade cheddar bay biscuits - after all, lobster and other shellfish were on the first Thanksgiving table as well! We read through our "Alphabet of Thanks" and thankful leaves, and thanked our God for His goodness, faithfulness and steadfast love. We then took our feasting outside for a dessert party with our dear friends, the Park family. We have walked this PhD journey with them from the first day over 6 years ago through many difficult and challenging seasons, and we are grateful to have them in our lives as our "adopted family" as we navigate through this pandemic.

 

This fall has been full in a different kind of fullness. We did *not* miss the fast-paced hustle of long school days followed by a rush to after school activities leading into a weekend of soccer games and other school or community events. In one sense, it was quiet and slow - as "quiet" and as "slow" as possible with three busy and noise-making kids. Our days were full of learning and doing life together as a family. Homeschooling certainly had its ups and downs. Some parts were filled with fun, adventure and rich discovery. Other parts were extremely challenging and stretched us all as we figured out what works and what doesn't. I realized that much of our (read: mostly my) growing pains came from the need to retrain our minds, change our thought patterns, process our emotions and shift our perceptions of the problems and challenges that come our way. So much of our work everyday is more than learning facts and covering new material - it is learning how to learn and learning how to live in a healthy way. Learning to give one another grace, and to give ourselves grace too. Honestly, it is exhausting and time consuming, especially as I find myself having to learn and re-learn right along with them. But it is so worth it. 

We spent many afternoons outside with our small circle of friends. We biked and hiked and climbed a lot of trees. The kids were almost always barefoot. We revisited some old favorite places and explored some new. We celebrated birthdays. Didi came for a visit and we had *many* special outdoor brunches with Auntie Judy and a few with Auntie Gloria too. We painted pumpkins with the cousins and friends and carved our own.

 Zoë and Isaiah came up with new interests and hobbies almost every week, from carpentry to needlework to slime making to box architecture. We made beautiful art. Our garden grew and gave us a radish, peas, lettuce, and big squash plants and a tall sunflower that we hope can survive the winter so we can see it bloom. The kids found joy in the simple things of skate nights in the carport, bonfires with friends, and creatively playing with one another in the sweetest ways (most of the time). 

Zac is finishing up chapter one of his dissertation and presenting online for a conference in the next week. While it feels forever long, we are proud of him and his persistence in reading, thinking, and writing day after day after day in the midst of all the other challenges and distractions of life. Zac makes the effort to come home and encourage me and help lighten my load, even though we are both extremely tired. He is working on his man bun - ha! (more of a man-pony right now) and enjoying his early Christmas gift playing video games on his new PS5 during his free time. 

I have continued teaching piano lessons online and am so grateful for my amazing students and their families! Though homeschooling can be overwhelming at times, I truly enjoy teaching my children and finding fun ways to learn together. Even though I see fewer people in general these days, my friendships with a small circle of women have grown deeper and richer. These women are a gift and encouragement in my life! I have also been digging into Genesis through BSF along with a group of women on Zoom and working through the Bible with a small group of women from my church. The truths, teachings, promises, encouragement, character-shaping, heart-transformation and hope found in the Word of God have sustained me through these long months of uncertainty in our world.

We are full of thanks recognizing the good gifts we have been given and grateful that this pandemic has led to blessing for our family in the ways it has shifted our lives for the better and brought an increase of peace and joy into our home. Yet we also are full of grief and sorrow, heavy with aching hearts recognizing that this year has brought extreme hardship, pain and loss for so many - including friends and family. 

To those who are suffering, sick, or full of sorrow - may the Lord heal and comfort. May God be a very present help in your time of trouble. May you find peace and hope in the presence of Jesus. In time, may God turn your mourning into dancing. May this season of sorrow be followed by a harvest of thanksgiving in your lives.

"You turned my mourning into dancing; 

You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent. 

O LORD my God, I will give thanks forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

We are thankful for you!

Much love, 

The Poppens