Day 26 - A "Family" Outing

Hello everyone and thanks for all the encouragement and well wishes we have received since our court appearance yesterday.  You all do such great things to keep our spirits high while we are here.  We are very blessed to be able to remain in the city during this process but many people who are going through the same thing we are must remain in areas of Ukraine that are not as modern and convenient to food stores, etc.  Still, we so much want to come home.  We very much want to return to our family, friends, church and jobs.  We love and appreciate you all very, very much.

Today was our first day as a family.  My part of the day started early because I chose to stay up and listen via radio to the Auburn vs. Mississippi State football game.  The game was exciting to listen to and I'm glad I was able to participate in something that's happening at home.  It's kind of different to listen to a game via radio all by yourself because there's no one to talk to, cheer with, complain with, etc.  I remembered that my grandfather, Paw Paw Heath, used to listen to every Atlanta Braves baseball game on the radio, most of the time while sitting in his car outside, smoking his pipe.  He never yelled, got excited, etc. but I know he loved baseball and the Atlanta Braves because he listened even though this was the late 70's and early 80's when the Braves were just awful.   

I went to sleep at 6:00 a.m. this morning and woke up at noon.  Angelia had the kids up and had finished serving them breakfast, getting baths, etc.  Angelia and the kids decided that we should visit the park again today, this time to feed the pigeons some of the old bread we have in the apartment.  So, we all got ready to head out.  We ran into a short delay because of the weather.  It's was a beautiful day but just a little too much of a chill in the air for my son to go outside wearing just a t-shirt.  His jacket was being washed so Angelia asked him to wear his sister's jacket.  I learned today that 10 year old boys don't want to wear lilac colored jackets that belong to girls.  He communicated that he didn't want to wear the jacket because people would make fun of him and call him a girl.  I should have know that "Chuck Norris" would never wear a purple girls coat!  LOL!  He was upset about this to the point that he sassed & grumbled at Angelia and I (which I have been trying to correct).  So, we had to all wait for 10 minutes before leaving so that Charlie could visit his old friend, the solitary chair.  :-)  After this discipline, he apologized to Angelia.  I then took the time to let him know (via Google translator) that (1) it was too cold for him to go without a jacket, (2) that his jacket was wet and couldn't be worn, and (3) he could either wear his sister's coat or he and I would stay home while the girls visited the park.  The drive to leave the apartment and miss pigeon feeding overcame the unwillingness to wear the jacket.  Still, as I wrapped it around him, you would have thought it was a pink dress complete with a frilly neck line and puffy skirt.  :-)  So, off we go towards the park.  We did have to stop on the way to take a picture of Charlie in front of a Hummer.  I did let him take the jacket off to take the picture because it's just wrong to have a 10 year old boy wearing a lilac girls coat while taking a picture in front of such a manly vehicle.  :-)  But, he had to put it back on.  LOL!

Charlie (without lilac girls jacket) & Hummer in Kiev, Ukraine

We spent about an hour in the park feeding pigeons.  This was great fun and I'm glad we spent some time enjoying what the Lord has made.  Anna is quite the "Pigeon Wisperer".  She so wants to catch one but I'm not sure what she intends to do with it once she does.  She has told me that she loves to go fishing and that she would very much like to go hunting one day.  Somewhere, I'm sure my friend Doug is smiling about this revelation.  :-).   After leaving the park, Anna had brought some coins so that we all could throw them in the fountain in the park.  This too was just a few minutes of family fun as we all tried to flip coins backwards over our head to ring the upper most bowl of the fountain.  Simple, I know, but it was alot of fun.

Anna in the park in Kiev, Ukraine

Taylor's feeding pigeons in the park in Kiev, Ukraine

The rest of our day was low key.  The kids spent time playing together in Anna's room.  The UNO cards (which were taken away a couple days ago because the kids couldn't play without arguing) were given back today with instructions not to argue.  The kids played and did other activities for a couple of hours without arguing, etc.  Angelia took a nap.  I dozed off on the couch while watching some American TV (Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel).  I woke up about 1.5 hours later with two children standing near my head, holding their stomachs.  The look on their face made me wonder if they were considering eating me.  But, I realized that it was about 7:30 and they had not eaten dinner.  The 4:00 p.m. lunch we enjoyed had obviously worn off.  I quickly got up and warmed up some leftover pizza and added some potato chips and dinner was served - no trip down the mountain necessary. :-)

All in all, it was just a nice, peaceful day as a family.  More and more, we can see the blessing that God has given us to know these children and to learn more about our relationship with Him by relating to and teaching our children.

Angelia read more from Scripture tonight and we discussed it as she read.  In Colossians 2:13-14, we see God's grace described yet again.  Colossians 2:13-14 states:

(13)When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (14)having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

Many people believe that they can earn their way to heaven by being a good person or performing acts of devotion towards God.  The truth of Scripture states that no one is a good person (all have sinned) and that our sin deserves and requires death.  Jesus Christ, being without sin, was the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world.  Today's scripture confirms that once you place your faith in Jesus Christ, your sins have once and forever been nailed to the cross - your sin has been atoned for by His holy blood and you receive life.  So, after placing your faith in Christ, you are under grace and not under the written code.  What joy there is in knowing that I am redeemed and forgiven.  All I can do in response it to joyfully be obedient to the word which has saved me by loving God and loving others. 

Thanks again for all that you do to pray for us and follow along as God works in the life of me and my family.  Goodnight from Kiev, Ukraine.