The Saturday 7

1. Another nice weather week. We actually didn't go to the pool at all this week! Partly because it wasn't smokin' hot, but mostly because the pool heater broke and my kids can't handle water temperatures below 75*. (#spoiled) But we spent a lot of time in our backyard. It's become my new favorite place to read my Bible. I know these summer days are numbered and I'll be trapped inside soon enough.

2. I've made it to Hezekiah's reign in my chronological Bible reading plan and remembered a series of books that came out years ago by one of my favorite authors surrounding Hezekiah's life. I've been really convicted lately about the trash I read, and am trying to get back into Christian fiction. But so much of it is "the same ol' same ol'." So I decided to dive into the Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin . . . and I was not disappointed. Of course, she takes many liberties in crafting a fictional story around the Biblical narrative, but having the story fleshed out makes it come alive so much more for me. There's very little romance - which is unusual for me - but it has kept me completely riveted. And it keeps sending me back to scripture to find out what is known for sure and what she added. (Hezekiah really was married to Hephzibah, but almost nothing is mentioned about her in the Bible. Austin creates a storyline for her that could have happened, but is not based in fact.) Mostly, I appreciate her research and her ability to make Biblical times come alive. Hezekiah was sandwiched between two horrendously ungodly kings (his dad and his son - which makes me sad), and it's easy to read past the names and dates and battles without understanding how much he risked by choosing to obey God's law. I've always known the Assyrians were bad dudes, but through Austin's research she's able to reveal how truly awful they were - how they loved war and violence and excelled at torturing their captives. They were especially merciless to kings of foreign nations who refused to pay tribute and sell themselves as a vassal nation. Knowing the unthinkable torture Hezekiah faced by holding fast to the promises of God's Word instead of taking the easy path enriches my understanding of the Bible. I feel like I'm doing the series a total injustice, so please just read it yourself!

3. On Thursday, the sister crew tried out a new-to-us farm/petting zoo. We discovered it via facebook, and found out it's only an hour away, so decided to try it out.

My van's AC went out, so we tagged along with Niki in her brand new car. It has wi-fi! The kids were in their glories . . . and blissfully quiet the whole time! #winning

We were actually pleasantly surprised! There was lots to do, the prices were reasonable, and it wasn't too busy. I noticed they have many more "attractions" that are only open in the fall, so maybe it's busier then, but we never felt crowded or had to wait in lines for anything. We were there for over 4 hours, and could've stayed longer if we didn't start getting hot and tired.

Lucy chose to spend the day with my parents since animals are not her jam, and she doesn't do well in the heat.

Our kids had the barrel train to themselves. (And Ruby enjoyed it more than this picture implies!)

A bunch of crazy animals.

Sloth! You can spend $65 a person to go in the sloth enclosure with him. We opted to stay outside the glass and watch for free. Haha.

4. We had small group last night with 5 other couples from church, and inevitably the topic of masks came up. Believe it or not, in a room with 12 people, we don't all have the same opinion on mask-wearing. And yet, we were able to discuss it gently, listening to each other's points of view, offering our own, and seeking to understand the other. It was insanely refreshing to have a rational discussion in a way that doesn't cause hurt or dissension, and to leave that night with love in our hearts for each other. I love facebook, but there's something about "debating" face to face that reminds you the other person has feelings, and causes you to empathize more readily. Of course, I'd prefer to avoid conflict altogether, but is that even possible these days? Oy with the poodles already. (Gilmore Girls reference.)

5. Despite that, I feel compelled to say something about politics. (Ugh.) I've been struck again this week by our dismal choices for the presidential election. Trump, Biden, or Kanye? Really? That's the best we can do? I can't help but wonder if many of my democrat friends are feeling the same way I was four years ago. They'll vote for Biden because his views most closely align with theirs, but they're only choosing him as the "lesser of two evils."

Yes, I know this is a satirical piece from the Babylon Bee, but it struck me that some of my most vocal democrat friends are anti white-patriarchy and anti-police, so this can't be their ideal choice.

And then there's this. I know that the allegations against Biden are much fewer and less severe than those against Trump. I'm not vindicating Trump in any sense. I'm just pointing out that neither candidate seems to be a paragon of moral excellence.

I'm not even sure what my point is here except that the older I get, the more I realize what a corrupt, broken system our government is. And the less faith I have in any hope for change. I'd also like to call for a little grace and compassion as people try to make a choice in November. I tend toward conservative values and pro-life stances, but I'm not naive enough to believe that every candidate who calls himself pro-life is actually going to make any real changes on that front. I also believe that pro-life extends beyond the womb, so I do have a heart for refugees and the under-privileged. Heck, I'm on WIC and Medicaid! So I don't feel represented by either candidate. How do you choose which issue is more important? Do you vote for a reprehensible human being who most closely aligns his policies with your principles (or at least pretends to)? Do you vote for the slightly less reprehensible one who is strongly against convictions you hold tightly to? Do you throw in the towel and not vote at all? There are no stellar options, so let's just all be kind to each other. And as Christians, let's be careful who we're putting our trust in, and who we're "endorsing" so vehemently. Blech. This paragraph gives me anxiety.

6. Moving on. I don't have a sixth, so I'm just going to slap down some pictures and go to bed.