The sun is beginning to set in a haze of heat. All five of us have been holed up in our bedroom, next to the air conditioner, reading all this mess online, catching up on email, the children playing with blocks and games and dressing up and eating Popsicles in an effort to stave off the heat. After a crazy week and a long Sunday, its been nice to have our feet up and have some quiet time, if not quiet for the spirit, at least quiet for the body.
Matt ran out and bought some tubs of Indian vegetable curry and we've heated up some divine samosas (sp?) from our neighbor AND, I'm gazing at a beautiful summery bouquet of flowers from a person who obviously knows what the soul needs on days like these. AND, another knowing person dropped off one of those super fancy cakes you can buy in the bakery section of Wegmans-the really beautiful one with all the fruit carefully arranged on top. I have read stories to the kids and Matt at this moment is praying for them and singing (Jesus Loves Me for Aedan, and the Sanctus for Emma-their choices). As soon as he has done that we are going to very quietly and happily cut into this cake and try to eat it so that no child will hear and interrupt us. And lest you think we're very evil to deny our children cake, that is certainly not the case. They have been sucking on large crab shaped lollipops all afternoon. That's enough sugar to last them through at least until tomorrow.
I wanted, in the closing of the day, one more time to say how thankful I am to all of you for your prayers and thoughts and all the wonderful things you've said about me and Matt. I know there are cries for a proper apology on Stand Firm, and here, but in my heart of hearts it really doesn't make a difference one way or another. I bear Ms. Kaeton no ill will whatsoever. Matt and I have chosen the hard narrow way of the cross with our eyes open. We've made sacrifices, financially, physically, and in a host of other ways, not because we're on some kind of crusade, but because we love the church, we love our kids, and we love the work we're doing. We couldn't fathom doing anything else.
So thank you.
16 comments:
God bless you both, Anne and Matt.
Oscewicee
In a world where everybody is supposed to be special, you and Matt truly are!
W are behind you here in NYC. I am truly sorry for what you are going through. When I was pregnant with my fourth and walking down a NYC sidewalk with the three in tow, a passerby stopped us and said, for all to hear, you are a walking advertisement for birth control. My older two still recall this from time to time.
I've just read The Marketing of Evil-this anecdote would fit in well.
Amen! Indeed you are known by your fruits.
Dear Anne,
You and your husband are great role models for the Episcopal church. I am so proud of you and your family.
Many blessings,
Melisa
I don't have anything beautiful or poetic or inspirational to say. I'll stick with I love you. I'll see you when I get back in town. Blow kisses to your sugar-laden kiddies for me!
Joyce to Anne:
I just want to remind you, dearest, of one of the most important moments of my life -- when we were gathered around your grandmother's grave, and Arlyne, your youngest and craziest aunt (the last of eight kids -- me your mother being the oldest of the eight) said to all of us standing beside the grave:
Arlyne said: "While Oddvar and I were driving around Eastern Oregon this last week, not yet knowing that Mom had died, everywhere I looked I saw these signs that said in big black letters, 'WANTED'. And I can tell you, Mom WANTED me. All her life she wanted ME."
And I, the oldest, with tears all over my face at the loss of mother and the loving of Arlyne, knew that the world was a good place and right, and beloved in God's eyes especially because we were all completely, unequivocally WANTED. God wants us all, and plans us all, and gives us to each other.
And I, your mother, am so excited, waiting to get to know this next sweet girl-child who is being given to us all, by God who dreamed us up long before any light was seen in the sky.
Much love, ME
Anne+
I just wanted to let you know that you and Fr. Matt are also in my prayers. I can so totally identify with having other young children, feeling stressed, and in the later stages of pregnancy with the temp. in the stratosphere. Hope you are getting plenty of good encouragment and support.
Anne+, I also want to put in a word for Mother Kaeton. I'm sure her post must have hurt you on some level. But, at heart, I know Elizabeth+ is really a good, caring woman. She has always been very kind and courteous to me whenever I've posted on her blog even if we disagreed.
I know that in years past a large part of her ministry was focused in caring for victims of AIDS who were so ill and dying.
It maybe Anne+ that she has not had a great many personal, close friendships with Christian woman who feel called to have large families, practice NFP, homeschool, etc. Or maybe, all of her experiences have just been negative.
I'm praying that you will be able to reach out, share together, and find a unity and oneness in our Lord despite some of these differences.
God bless! Hope you are keeping cool. :)
Grace.
We are so blessed by the committment of both of you to our Lord, to the Anglican church, to your parish, and to your young family. If we lived in the area, it would be so good to be a part of what is happening in your congregation.
Bill Cool
Amen, Anne. Sometimes you have to make the choices about what you love. I am a bi-voc transitional deacon, and we have two young boys (Elijah is 3, Jonah is 2), with a baby girl on the way. Sometimes it is plain exhausting (I'm finishing seminary and working full-time), but oh so worth it. To be with my family, to wrestle my boys, is such incredible joy.
Of course, I am the oldest of my parents' eight children, so I was warped from the get-go!
Anne! How are you!? I wish I didn't tend to lose touch with you so often. What is my DEAL! I'm looking forward to catching up by reading you blog. :) - Polly
polly, please please email me
revakennedy@hotmail.com
please please.
Anne+,
I suspect that, on the issues besetting our Communion, I am more often on the side of Elizabeth+ than you.
That said, I fell moved to comment on the grace you have shown in the midst of this. More grace, it must be said, than many on BOTH sides who have used either E+'s original post or the comments of some "conservatives" as wedges to further rend the fabric.
The blogosphere is a wonderful thing. It allows us to see into the minds of people we would never otherwise meet.
But it is also a horrible thing, for the lack of real comment gives us all the opportunity to demonize.
I've read E+'s apology. Some from "your side" have derided it a perfunctory and insincere. I have no way of telling. I've often found that the most heartfelt-seeming apologies are also the least sincere. Who knows.
But thank you for reminding this occasional polemicist about how to be gracious.
Anne,
This is my first time visiting your blog. I had to write and let you know that you and you're family are in my prayers after I heard about "the fiasco".
As the mother of six, my heart goes out to you. If you need a bright side to look at, if this hadn't of happened, I probably wouldn't have visited your blog and I have a feeling I'll be visiting often. Not many can understand what it's like to have more than 2 or 3 children (joys that they are!!)
Keep strong and know that many are sending love and prayers.
this is crazy. i didn't know you knew polly. random.
Anne,
I am one of seven, and it was a great family, still is, all seven of us are still around. I suspect that since the revisionist have just about in their estimation destroyed the sanctity of the family, and marriage,now they can begin to destroy the fruits of the family, namely, children. There is not any excuse or apology that can FIX what this feminist has said, not that she would anyway. I just returned from the North American OSL Conf. in New Jersey and we had such speakers as Dr. William Reed, Jack and Anna Marie Sheffield, Dr. Peter Marshall and others, and it was absolutely exhillerating to be in the midst of such love and healing. I have to commend a book to you which I just began reading and it is great!
It's called, "The Cuture-Wise Family" by Ted Baehr and Pat Boone.
A chapter of it is archived at SF at http://www.standfirminfaith.com/media/who_stole_our_culture.html
Blessings, Peace, and Love
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