Harms Family News

Our normal ride to and from church is a constant listening to Patch the Pirate. While I enjoy the values being taught by the music, sometimes I wonder if we are missing out on conversation opportunities by constantly having the music on. Yesterday Natalie requested no music. I am glad. We had some excellent conversation, but some funnies too. Natalie was singing Zacheus . In case you have never heard the song, here are the words: Zacheus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see And as the Savior passed that way He looked up in the tree and He said, Zacheus , you come down For I'm goin ' to your house today. For I'm goin ' to your house today. After singing the entire song several times and telling us the entire story, Natalie said, "But mommy, why is it a sycamore tree? Because the tree isn't sick, and it can't hold more people?" A few seconds later, Megan pointed out the window. ...

I have a friend from college and also Kansas City who is currently going through a trial that I cannot fathom living through. For a little background, the family took on a foster child at two days old. They sat with the baby through withdrawals and all sorts of things. The child is Megan's age, and just recently she had to be returned to her biological family. It is heartbreaking. I have spent hours in prayer for this family, and it has felt to me that God is not listening. Others have been in prayer for hours for this family, yet the circumstances have not changed. I have questioned God, even though it's not my family. Why would God not answer the prayers of hundreds upon hundreds of people? I have not come to full conclusions yet, but I wanted to share this link . Is it crazy that I have been learning through watching someone else's journey? This has caused me to have the desire to really study prayer. Can we realistically change God's mind? God has our plan mapped o...

My kids are under the weather, but in spite of their coughs we needed groceries, so yesterday we packed up and headed to the grocery store. Across the street from the grocery store is a small cemetery that has sparked many questions from my new four-year-old. Here was yesterday's conversation: N: Mommy, are people under those? (Pointing to the headstones) Mommy: Well, their bodies are under those, but their spirit, which is the part of you that makes you feel happy, sad, and makes you be able to think and talk, is not in the body any more. N: The bodies stay here and the spirit goes up up up. Mommy: Yes, if you are a Christian your spirit goes up to Heaven. If you are not, then you go to hell. (upon saying this I regretted it, because I think I need to spend more time in prayer before introducing the subject of hell. Salvation needs to come as a result of understanding sinfulness and Christ's role as redeemer, not because we want to avoid the negative of hell. Thankfully, there...

Since my 19-month-old is just starting to get into books (She's very much a go-er, not a reader), I thought I would post two of her favorites for a change. Honestly, I don't like these books as much as others, but reading with your kids is not about what you like but what they like and are attracted to. I prefer books with stories, and these have none, but we read them all of the time. They are both Priddy books. Megan received them from a good friend for her birthday when she turned one. The first is Big Board Books Colors, ABC, Numbers (Bright Baby) This book has a theme on each page. The first is ABCs, then there is everyday objects, opposites, things we do each day, places we go, counting, shapes and colors. Like all Priddy books, these have simple photographs set in brigthly colored solid backgrounds, with each image in its own square on the page. She is a slow talker (Natalie was too) and I think she likes this book particularly because a few of the words she does say ar...

Four years ago today, I became a mother. This tiny bundle has led me on the most amazing journey. I won’t say my “greatest” adventure, as marriage to my husband has been quite a ride, but she has changed me, grown me, and molded me into the woman God wants me to be. Natalie: One Year Old When I look at Natalie, I can’t believe she is four. She is ready to go to preschool, and will be starting “real” school soon. She is inquisitive, loving, sensitive, and her own individual person. I can’t believe I am the mom of a four year old. Four sounds so old. Natalie: Two Years Old Here are some things about Natalie at the age she is that I want to remember: She is my sensitive child. When her sister is hurt and crying, she will go into her room and find a stuffed animal to bring to Megan. A beloved plaything that is broken or torn will bring hours of sad tears. These are not fits, but they are genuine sadness. If our smaller dog is hiding under the bed because she wants some alone time, Nata...

Sorry for my absence from the blogosphere (like any of you actually read this anyway). We’ve had a family emergency. My father-in-law went to the hospital two weeks ago for a blood clot in his leg. Little did we know what was going to happen. Monday afternoon Tim gets a call at work that his dad would be having a blood clot removed from his lungs. Things went crazy, and next thing we knew we were in the hospital hearing a doctor telling us that Duane was a very “lucky” man. He had a huge blockage in his pulmonary artery, which should have killed him. The surgery to remove the clot was a full open-heart procedure, with the need to open the chest cavity and all. As the days progressed we learned that the surgeon, who has been working for 28 years, only has had two patients survive this condition. God miraculously saved my father in law’s life. For the next 10 days Duane was on life support. After the first 24 hours we felt confident he would survive, but it was slow going. However, today...