YahooGroupies

So, somehow my post about our weekend retreat ended up being sent via some NJ Homeschool based YahooGroup to all it's members. I have no idea what they are saying about me because the group is "exclusive" in nature, meaning you must live in NJ and homeschool to be a member. It's supposedly a Christian group with a statement of beliefs and also guidelines on resolving conflict. I'll assume those guidelines, including no flaming, apply only within their group, not with anyone outside the group. I wonder how much flaming goes on within the group? Hmmm..... interesting. But, I'll never know because I don't homeschool, but more importantly, I don't live in NJ! Hi, homeschoolers from NJ! It's the most visitors I've ever had on this blog! LOL

Take a Minute....

and visit with our friends in Cameroon. This family was host to T and his team this past summer. They just put up some awesome safari pictures!! While you are visiting with them, say a prayer for the work they are doing there with Cameroonian students - it's phenomenal, and they are amazing at what they've been called to do!

"Creative Christmas Letter"

Unfortunately, I don't have a creative brain cell for this year's letter (yet), but I've had several people search these same three words and for whatever reason, my blog keeps popping up. The sad thing is that when they click on the link, it gives them all of December in reverse.... so that letter from last year that they are hunting for?? They never find it!!

I'm not going to reprint it here, but I'll give you the link to it, so if you find this post, just click here! It was a very fun letter. Now how in the world am I going to top that one??? (insert frightened face here!)

Paralyzed by Seclusion

So, a couple weekends ago T had the opportunity to speak on a Navigator retreat for high school students. It was fun, the girls and I went along, did lots of swimming and froze our bottoms off at the cold beach. We had just finished an exhausting week with T's dad having surgery, finding out our little puppy has a fatal kidney disease and changing all our Thanksgiving plans. A weekend away was refreshing and much needed.

T spoke on a Faith to Follow, and included ideas about our place in the world, fulfilling our purpose and reaching the lost. It was fun to sit in on a couple of his talks, even if I had to make word searches for Em or watch the cutest little 5-month old boy while his mommy took a little break. The group of students was small and made up of mostly Christian, many homeschooled, teenagers. They were a nice group and a couple of them actually talked to me!! (I'm really very scary, so I was surprised! LOL)

Toward the end of his last talk on reaching the lost, there was a rumbling in the room. One of the leaders hinted to T that the students might need a few ideas on how to. In one of the most eye-opening and frightening moments in all our ministry to teens, it occurred to me that these homeschooled kids were not connecting at all to what T was saying. As he continued to talk about reaching the nations, being the voice of God to the unreached, hands began to go up. The first girl said exactly this, "But I am homeschooled." That was it. It wasn't a question, it was a statement and I was completely floored!!

In that second, I realized that these kids, about half of them, were all going to make the same statement. It sounded to me like, "You don't make any sense to me. This is irrelevant. I have no connection with the world." Another asked, "What am I supposed to do to reach the lost?" I couldn't resist, call it the scary, insensitive side of me, but I had to say, "Get a job!!!" I thought T would kick me out!! Seriously, though, I am not under the impression that these homeschooled kids never come face to face with a non-believer. They have neighbors, friends on sports teams, they babysit, go to birthday parties, and I bet they even have other homeschooled friends who are not Christians. I guess what shocked me was their apathy about answering the call of Christ to reach the world for Him. Their situation, being homeschooled, was like a crutch that could get them out of actually participating in mission.

Not being the biggest fan of homeschooling, I have to say I was insensed by this attitude. A whole weekend of material that they were basically calling irrelevant to them because they are sheltered in a home environment that does not allow them to participate in the work of the church. I realize this does not encompass all homeschooled kids or situations, but even more shocking was the general consensus among the half of those kids that this was the case. Not even one of them had a good idea or example to share of how they were able to be used by God in a life. It was so sad, and if you are a homeschooling parent, I would urge you to seek experiences for your children to be in the real world.

While driving home, I shared my shock with T, who shared a lot of the same sentiments I did. I had to admit that they reminded me of the time in my own life when I felt completely surrounded on all sides by only believers. It was almost suffocating! I had to make a conscious decision to reach out beyond that community into the world we are all called to be part of, to make an impact on. I hope I never again sound like those kids on that day, dumbfounded that anyone might suggest I should leave my nice, cushy suburban life and seek the real world. God didn't create me to stay inside, He's calling me out.

Catching Up.... again!

I can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since I've posted anything! In that time we've gone to the beach, cleaned our house (by far the most time consuming task!), bought two turkeys - long story!, hosted Thanksgiving with my family - which was awesome!, and finally things are back to "normal". The girls are off at school and I'm sorting through what I need to do today.

I've had many thoughts about things I want to post, but they are all still milling around in my head. Eventually, I'll post them one by one. For now, I'll stick with the one that has been on my mind for the whole 2 weeks and still on my mind now. Report cards!

The day we left for the beach, the girls received their report cards. Kt was quite pleased with herself, having earned straight A's and 1s for effort. She also managed, for the first time, to get Above Grade Level in reading and in math. The crazy thing about this is that this is the first year when school has seemed effortless to her, at least to me. She is entirely independent and I rarely even know what she is studying in school. Her teachers love her, as was quite evident at her conference. I'm happy I don't have to worry about her....

Onto child number two! Up to this point, kindergarten has been a breeze, other than being totally exhausted when she gets home from a full day. Em has on occassion mentioned being a little noisy in class, but I hadn't given it much thought. Her teacher has always mentioned how sweet she is and most of her work is pretty average. Her report card, however, painted a very different picture for me, of course possibly because it was in such stark contrast to her sisters!! What stood out the most to me were all the 2s for effort. While Kt hasn't always been at the top of her class in skill, she has always been a people pleaser, so I don't think we've ever seen a 2 in anything but handwriting. Em, on the other hand, had 2s everywhere on her report card.

Really from the beginning of her life, I've always recognized that we will have to learn what makes Em tick. T and I, both being first children, and Kt as well, none of us understand a second child. She's the only morning person in our house, discipline of any kind does not really faze her, she seems hard-headed but the truth is that she has the softest heart around. While I would have loved to keep her home another year, she absolutely refused to learn anything from me, so sending her to school to learn was imperative! The trick now will be getting her to actually show some interest.

At her conference, her teacher displayed some questionable work, all of which was very typical Em. Pilgrims with pink scribbled hair, Venn diagrams that she'd clearly made mistakes on so had given up and her flashcards?? Well, she knows a few of them, like "a", "I", and "one", although any word with an "O" in it is "one"! Last night, she knew which cards her best friend knows, but couldn't tell me what word was on them. The whole time complaining that she didn't want to do anymore. What could I say? Em was so excited about kindergarten until I told her she would be required to color. After that, she completely lost interest!!

The good news in all this, she didn't get any Needs Improvement or 3's for effort. At least we are getting somewhere. She is just a breed of child I am struggling to work with. T and I learned an important lesson about not comparing our children and keeping report cards under wraps. I'm certainly glad we never instituted the "pay you for good grades" reward!! So with all that hanging over our heads, we bound into the second quarter!

Our Crazy LIves

I'm taking a short break from life to update everyone on our current crises! T's dad had a successful surgery to remove colon cancer. He is hospitalized and we are not sure when he will be released. We just took our little 5 month old puppy to have a sonogram. She has one partially functioning kidney and one non-functional kidney in failure. She has anywhere from 2 months to 2 years of life - we don't have any idea which it will be. We do know that she is a spunky little puppy, but we still have a rabies shot to get through and we have not even spoken of getting her spayed....

On top of these two things, I'm pulling the last few things together for my maiden voyage as Girl Scout Daisy Troop leader - just one of those things I should have never agreed to! We are also trying to get to the beach this weekend. T is speaking on a retreat and we are currently planning to take the whole family. Our plans then took us to CT next week for Thanksgiving, but we are having to change our thinking on that a bit, based on the dog. Looks like we may be having Thanksgiving here now. I guess I'll have to go buy a turkey!

If you think about it, pray for us. T is in a brain freeze type condition - can't really think, make decisions, too many things overloading his mind. Em has one thing on her mind - Phoebe! Kt has been quiet, but that speaks volumes. I am completely overwhelmed. We were all very excited to go away for Thanksgiving, so changing gears and possibly staying home is only adding to the feeling of gloom and doom.

On a lighter note, my cousin from Newport Beach, CA is visiting us tonight - she is always a ray of sunshine and glimmering light for us. I'm hoping she can restore a little fun in our house for the evening. We are all looking forward to seeing her and hanging out with her for a bit.

Why God is Not Mystical

Mysticism (ancient Greek mysticon = secret) is meditation, prayer, or theology focused on the direct experience of union with divinity, God, or Ultimate Reality; or the belief that such experience is a genuine and important source of knowledge. In the context of epistemology, it can refer to using any kind of non-rational means — such as feeling or faith — in attempt to arrive at any kind of knowledge or belief.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystical

The debate is ongoing, encompasses many facets of Christian and non-Christian life and has riveted people of all ages, races and religions. Who is God? Does He exist? Is He real? I can only speak from the standpoint of an adult raised in a Christian family, alumnus of a Christian college and an active church going believer in Christ. Within my circle, the belief in God is quite real, and His existence is non-negotiable. That is something we, in my group of similar believers, all agree upon. The question about who He is and how He reveals Himself is completely different.

This question has long been debated around me about how God reveals Himself to His created beings. I read in the Bible of visions, dreams and even physical visitations by Christ himself. God's voice was audible, powerful and undeniable. When people encountered God, in the Old and New Testaments alike, there was no mistaking who He was. God was real, tangible, spiritual and mystical. He existed (and I believe He still does today) in a realm that is totally accessible to those who believe.

So, (once you are finished shaking your head!), why isn't God revealing Himself to us in America today in this same way? Where has He gone? Many would say that God is revealing Himself to us in "relevant" ways, that are consistent with our time in history and our culture. Others might suggest that He no longer chooses to reveal Himself to us for reasons unknown, or for having no reason to at all. Still others will not only choose to suggest that God has changed his mode of communication, but that former methods, such as the ability to communicate His message through speaking in tongues or prophecy, are an ancient, no longer necessary form of communication. Out of all of these various explanations for God's supposed lack of revelation to our generation have never really resonated with me. I still have this tug in my heart to hear God audibly, to make a connection with him that's is in some way mystical, spiritual and relevant to me in my time and circumstance.

In processing this idea, the thought occurred to me that God never changes, He is always the same. We change, we adapt, we see the world differently today than people during Biblical times. But what is it about us that causes us to skeptically denounce God as being mystical? Is it a fear of occult mysticism? Possibly the suggestion that we might actually be involved in something other than Godly activity? Or is it much deeper than that. Have we completely lost our ability to connect with the divine in an experiential way because our minds are clouded with our world, our comforts, our safe reality.

I really don't believe that God is not mystical, but I really believe that we are not mystical. I have heard of Godly mystical experiences of people in other cultures. Visions, dreams, an audible whisper, and audible thunder that is unmistakably that of God. He still speaks, He continually connects, He still appears but we just are not in tune to His message. Could we be a generation of deaf, dumb and blind believers? I think that might be a distinct possibility, and it's moving me to fear for us.

I hope that each believer wants a "direct experience of unity with divinity" that we can interpret as "a genuine and important source of knowledge" in our faith journey. God desperately pursues us, He wants to connect with us and if we are receptive, I think He might choose to be "mystical" with us, but we are the ones who must choose to be the mystic.

Blogger/Mozilla Issue

I have this strange issue and since my computer guru is out practicing his retreat speaking I can't ask him. He upgraded my Mozilla and now I can't get Blogger to do a spell check. It does everything else for me, but not that. I apologize if my spelling is much worse than usual, but my ABC check button is non-functional!

I'm a Pepper!!

My uncle would be so proud!! He's quite the Dr. Pepper collector, but the truth is, I'm posting this for my husband, who tonight accused me having little content in my blog other than "those silly quizzes"!! Whateva!! Some people like to have a little fun now and then, Mr. Serious. Besides, you're the one who made me blog!

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you. People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

The Warmth of a Church

I was awakened this morning by my 5 year old homebody, sneaking into my room to announce that today would feel like Christmas. That is what she heard on her radio, so she was just wondering, would we be going to church today?? She didn't like my answer, which was "Of course we are!" She then left to get dressed, returning in a halter top! I sent her back for more clothes, as today would feel like Christmas, and around here we wear more than that on Christmas.

Sure enough, today was quite chilly compared to the past week in the 70's. It was a bit of a shock to the system. It reminded me of going to church as a child in Connecticut. Our little Baptist church was within walking distance, just one house away! We would bundle up in the winter, walk a short distance and right into the first door we came to, which led into the Parish Hall. I loved that room. It's where we had our children's program, where we had all our pot luck dinners, parties, Pioneer Girls and even where my parents had their wedding reception. What I really loved, though, was that in the winter, when you would open the doors to that room, a big gush of that oil heated air would rush out towards you. It always felt so good!

Even better than the gush of warmth were the warm hugs, smiles, the laughter and joy that I found in that small church. I have wonderful memories of that church while growing up and there is always a part of me that wishes for that same experience for my own children. But as we got ready to head to church, my thought was on whether or not I would feel warmth in our huge church. Sometimes it is difficult to heat a building that size, but that doesn't always bother me. My children - do they feel warmth at church?

As we arrived today, we jumped out of our car and were greeted by a man with a huge umbrella who helped us in, then met by 4 smiling faces at the door. I didn't know any of those people, neither did my children. We found a few familiar faces inside as we rushed to get to class on time. That's really where the warmth began. We dropped the girls off and went into worship. It occurred to me as I sang that so much of the warmth I felt as a child was a result of my parents and the relationships they had built at our church. They were well liked, honest, faithful, funny and dedicated to the work of God. So the real question is, are we creating a warm environment for our children at our church?

This idea really extends beyond church, to our lives, our neighbors, and our communities we are part of. We are never going to find a place that has warmth if we aren't generating some of it ourselves. I'm so thankful that my parents did that for me and I'm hopeful that I can recreate that for my own children. Maybe someday they will be able to say that they remember their church as a warm place because of the people they met there, the friends we all made and the love we shared for the world.

Girl's Night

I have my girls and our little neighbors from across the street over. We had McDonald's and are now watching the end of High School Musical, although you would think it was Elementary School Musical. The girls know all the songs, and their ages? From 3-9!! And the conversation? All about Troy and Gabrielle.

The truth is, it's a really good movie for kids. There are a few things we have to address, such as lying to our parents, what "detention" is and practical jokes. The general message in the movie, though, is a good one. You should pursue things you love despite what others think of you. It's important for kids to learn that we all need to stop putting so much weight on what others think of us! Of course, this important lesson is at the pinnacle of high school life, where social pressures often dictate what kids choose to do.

Well, off to watch the end of this cute movie with these sweet little girls!!

Some sad news...

Today we received a phone call from the pool manager where we swim over the summer. She also purchased a puppy from the same litter as our little Phoebe. She was calling to let us know that her puppy has a genetic condition. He has abnormal kidneys that are unable to process and eliminate toxins. This condition will likely be fatal.

Ever since we brought Phoebe home, I have noticed a few things I think that are strange. First, she drinks tons of water. In fact, she now sits in front of the water dispenser on the freezer door and lifts her paw for ice water. Second, when she has accidents in the kitchen, I've noticed her urine is hardly yellow at all. It looks complete diluted and has little or no odor. Finally, since we've gotten her, she's had three days where she has vomitted all day. The first two days we attributed to her eating dead leaves and mushrooms. The third day, however, it was a frothy, foamy vomit, unlike the previous days. This last day is much like what was described to me in this phone call.

I'm very worried that our little puppy may also have this kidney disorder. I have read that sometimes it's not as severe, and dogs will live quite long with it. I'm not very optimistic, however. We will have to take her next week for a sonogram to see if she does, indeed, have this condition.

If our little puppy isn't going to be around much longer, Em will be the most devastated. She is the reason I even broke down and agreed to another puppy, as she lives and breathes her doggies. We have not told her anything and are waiting until we find out for sure. Please pray with us that our puppy is OK and that if not, Em will be brave enough to handle what we will likely have to do. Phoebe is a sweet puppy, very cuddly, obedient and a great best friend for a little girl.

No More Dirty Dancing!

He's a little less Patrick today!!

Blog Quiz Gone Wild!!

I'm not so sure about this one!?!

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

About that strep throat...

Em's teacher was leaving at noon today for the doctor. She's had a sore throat, not feeling so well, it's a good thing I caught her aid this morning and told her what I came home with last week! Time to purchase some Lysol and Purell for that classroom!!

Hysterical

T created this facebook account for me and when I have a few minutes here or there, I browse through the funny groups. I just joined a group tonight entitled, "I judge you when you use poor grammar" - of course, I won't link them up with my blog! (for shame!)

This picture was in that group - it's so funny! I'm sure there are more!!

I'm Water

At least that's what it says! LOL

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious. That's because you're good at going with the flow - but you also are deep. Highly intuitive, you tune in to people's emotions and moods easily. You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others. You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves. You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What's Your Element?

My Biggest Fear

Given the recent, as in yesterday, shift in our government from overly republican to overly democrat, what's my biggest fear?? It's not stem cell research, although that weighs heavily on my heart, nor is it gay marriage, because while I'm against gay "marriage", I'm not entirely square on my position where reasoning for it is concerned (health/death benefits). It's not even abortion, although I'm staunchly pro-life and I recognize that a woman's choice is at the top of the Democratic ticket.

What I worry about most in the wake of this shift in power is protecting our country in the war on terror. I'm not convinced that Democrats are willing to step out into the world as a country ready to defend itself. Their outspoken stance on pulling out of Iraq immediately frightens me, and I'm surprised it doesn't frighten more people. I fully support fighting the war on terror in the terrorist's countries and not on American soil - but that just doesn't seem important to some Americans.

I am sooo hoping I am wrong about this, but it worries me. Bringing all our soldiers home, being totally self-absorbed and refusing to admit that our enemy is formidable, just hoping for this chance to pounce on our shores gives me reason to shudder. I'm feeling a bit like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day - Maybe I should move to Australia!!!

What Do You Think?

My sister will kill me, but ever since I posted that picture of my new nephew, I keep thinking he looks like Patrick Swayze! It's a good thing they change so much in the first few weeks!! LOL

doctor woes

I need to head to bed.... so I'll try to make this brief.... then tomorrow I will share my airline travel woes!!

Last week I was feeling rather ill. After spending all Halloween morning at Em's school, I never fully recovered! I had fevers, a terrible sore throat and wasn't eating or sleeping. With a looming trip to Savannah planned for Friday evening, I decided to break down and drag myself to the doctor, something I only do if absolutely necessary. I was pretty sure I had either strep throat or I was dying!

The Columbia Medical Plan nurse practitioner and her John's Hopkins intern both agreed - I had something viral, no antibiotics necessary, it would go away on it's own. But, because I had bothered to stop in, they would do a "rapid" strep test anyway. "Rapid" is a HUGE exaggeration. While just across the way, in pediatrics, they actually have the capability of letting their patients know in 5 minutes if they have strep, the family practice people apparently are unable to acquire this ability. Instead, they send your test over to LabCorp, in the same building, who then sends your test out for the "rapid" strep test. Now, is this not the MOST RIDICULOUS thing you've ever heard of????

So, I left my "rapid" strep test in the hands of those trusty, slow lab workers and headed home with the instruction to call mid-morning for my results, especially since they knew I was leaving at 2 pm for the airport. At 10:50 am I placed a call to my doctor's office and was rudely received by the receptionist. She first informed me that I was not allowed to call for test results, that the office would call me. After I told her I'd been instructed to call by the nurse practitioner because I was traveling, she then proceeded to tell me, "MA'AM, if you had strep throat, you would have gotten a call before 10:50. There's NO WAY in the WORLD you have strep throat!!!" So, I hung up, feverishly packed my bags, my Robitussin, my antihistimines, and my Advil - lots of that - and went off to the airport.

Delta happens to be the carrier for the US Military, so on my flight down to Atlanta were 10 US Army doctors, just returning from Afghanistan. I was having a nice conversation with one who was stationed in Hawaii when I was rudely interrupted by T, who asked me, "Where are you?" LOL - he had just dropped me where I was about 20 minutes earlier. What do you mean, where am I?? Then he said, "The doctor's office just called.... you have strep throat!"

At that point, it didn't matter that I had a fever, or that I could hardly swallow, or even that I was sitting across from an Army doctor, the evil side of me kicked in. "WHAT????" Yup, that's what I said. And the rest, well, sorry if you were on either of my flights, or if I saw you when I stopped at McDonald's to eat so that I could keep my sister's kitchen clean - I mean, she was having a baby! I called that doctor's office and gave them a piece of my 100 degree mind! While the nurse was quite apologetic, the receptionist screamed at me again that my husband had already called to take care of everything - some customer service training in her future perhaps??

Off I went to Savannah, only to listen to my sister complain about how all doctors these days are so quick to prescribe antibiotics.... blah, blah, blah.... I then reminded her that mine wasn't, and that shut her up, because when I got there Friday night these were her exact words: Didn't that doctor know you were coming here to take care of your 2 year old niece while your sister had a baby??? And she still didn't give you antibiotics???? End of conversation, miss probiotics!

Anyway.... after 4 days of antibiotics, I'm finally home. Tired from my flight, but happy to home and healthy instead of sick. This is not the first time I've had a similar problem with my doctor... maybe it should be the last time, though!

And then there were two....

Welcome, baby Brendan Charles!

November 6, 2006

7:39 am

9 lbs. 8 oz.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

21 3/4 inches

Mom is doing much better, much lighter! and baby is doing well. He is the absolute sweetest baby, I mean toddler!!

Big sister, Skyler, is also doing well. Missing her mommy (like my own girls are), but very excited to be a big sister! I'm heading home tomorrow - will miss my little sweeties!! I LOVE being Aunt De!

Happy Halloween!!

After a long day of parties, parades and pumpkins, I am finally taking time to wish you all a Happy Halloween! I know this is one of those "controversial" holidays, but I'm happy to say that we've reclaimed it as a fun, friendly, giving holiday - so pooh to those who ever desired it to be evil!!



This year I had a Queen Amidala and Sleeping Beauty. They were gorgeous, had a blast and Em probably had more fun passing out candy than she did trick-or-treating. That is so typical for her. After she helped me with a second batch of costume laden guests, we closed the door and she turned to me and screamed with glee!! I had to laugh. After our last batch, she ran over to T, hugged him and said, "I'm SO IN LOVE!" There's a little spark of joy each and every time she gives something away - the gift of giving that one has!

I hope you all enjoyed your Halloween as we did. Until next year - "TRICK OR TREAT!"

8,000th visitor!!

I had my 8,000th visitor tonight, the night of mischief!! I had to check and make sure it wasn't my lovely husband - AGAIN!! It wasn't. And the winner is..... my lovely friend from San Marcos!! Woot, woot!! Let's hear it for the Lone Star state!

Ghosted!

We were trying to get our pumpkins finished tonight, way behind schedule as usual! As I was cutting out the bat mouth Kt asked for, the doorbell rang. How typical!! 7:30 pm, who would be coming to our door? Em ran to see and came back... it was no one! I looked at Kt and we both said, "GHOSTED!!" She ran back out and found a bag of goodies with the ghost sign and a note.

Each year since we've been here our neighborhood has done Ghosting. This year it freaked Em out because her older sister and a friend convinced her there was a ghost in our basement. They got in a HUGE amount of trouble for this, but Em is still pretty creeped by anything ghostlike. Since she didn't quite understand that a real ghost did not leave this bag of treats for her, we quickly returned the ghosting favor.

So, in the middle of carving pumpkins, we stopped, got all the Halloween candy that was "hidden" in the front coat closet out. We put together two ghost bags of our own, copied the ghost and ghosting directions and the girls quickly "ghosted" two of our neighbors. It was fun for them, and a great alternative to mischief night (a wonderfully fun even from my past!).

I still need to finish those pumpkins!!

If We are the Body....

If you ever want a new perspective on ANYTHING, just ask your 5 year old!! Tonight, Em was telling me how much she missed her "old church", meaning our old building. She says it was wider and she got to sing with her class in front of church. Yup, no singing in front of church in our new building!! Then she told me that someday she wants to go to a "real" church. So, I asked her what a real church is, and she replied, "You know, real churches look like castles!!" She is so fairy tale!

Anyway, I told her that Jesus tell us the church is like a body and it's made up of people, not a building. I explained to her that each believer is like a different part of a body and bodies are made up of working parts that contribute to it's purpose, like hands and feet. Those were my only two examples.

Now, I don't know about you all, but when I think of the body functioning together, I am thinking about arms, legs, hands, feet, a heart. Em starts listing things, beginning with a voice, so others can hear. She moves on to eyes, so they can see the world. Then, they have to have a stomach for all they eat and finally, they must have hair so they look good!! Wow, such a different idea than what I was thinking, but she certainly made me think.

There are so many functions of Christ's body here on earth, and each of them are so vitally important. What seems important to me may not be what others see as important, so I'm glad I listened to her and didn't jump in to correct her. She still wants to sing in front of the church, still wants a building like a castle and really digs the wideness of her old building (I'm still trying to figure that one out!). I never thought of Christ's body having hair, but there are times when I feel like we could represent ourselves to the world in a much better light than we do. As a matter of fact, some Christians are downright embarrassing to the church - they must have big hair or something!!

Ending on that note about how we look, a neighbor sent this to me tonight - it's great!! Check it out!

Bill O'Reilly on Oprah

I'm watching Bill O'Reilly on Oprah - I never watch Oprah. I used to watch her years ago, when her stories were much more light hearted. Nowadays, I haven't liked her show much. It's not something I want my children watching so she's out! But today, I just couldn't resist.

T came down and was watching a bit with me. I've never read any of O'Reilly's books. I stopped watching his show because he's a little rude to his guests. I agree with a lot of what he says, not all of it, but a lot of it. We were impressed with how well-spoken and well read he is. It's no wonder he's so popular and can easily insight left wingers. Talk about a formidable opponent!!

After some reflection: I guess a day of thought is always good! Not to mention an evening of reading other blogs about this show - he he. Someone suggested plants in the audience - I hadn't thought about that, but I could see that possibility. Another thought - I guess if Oprah wants to increase her number of male audience members exponentially, she ought to have Bill on more often!

After all the bickering about SP's and T-fighters (?) was said and done, all the debate about Iraq, the ACLU and gay marriage were done, the bottom line seemed to be this: In America today, there is a lack of understanding of our world. We are filled with misinformation from media and have formed disconnected views on various issues that are inconsistent with what we really and truly believe in our hearts. For as long as we form judgements based on what we are fed instead of the facts, we are putting our country on the verge of mental breakdown! OK - that's the dramatic version...

I've never read any of Mr. O'Reilly's books, but this one, The Culture War, sounds like his most interesting one to date. I might actually have a go at this one. Whether someone is a traditionalist or secular progressive, I think this book might be worth the read, because the point is that unless we learn to get along, nothing will be accomplished in this country. We can sit around an argue about rights and freedoms until we are blue in the face, but what will that do if we can't find a solution? I believe that it is good to debate these issues, but both sides need to listen. I'm pretty sure Bill O'Reilly isn't ready to listen to his opposing side, unless they are well-read, informed of the facts and not media driven. And he's got a point there!

If Oprah airs another segment on Bill O'Reilly, I'd watch it again. It was intriguing and was filled with food for thought. Most of the audience contributers were well-spoken and made for some great debate. I hope she actually invites them back as well!

A Moment

I heard a song today in the car that brought back some memories, made me think, I had "a moment"! Last August, I went up to Hartford with my mom and sister-in-law for the Women of Faith conference and we really had a blast! We started our weekend at the Yankee Candle flagship store, had a great lunch then checked into our hotel. The room we ended up with was more like an apartment!! There was a kitchen, living room, dining room, plenty of space in between and two bedrooms with their own bathrooms!! We felt like we'd definitely hit the jackpot!

To top it off, we were one block from the convention center, so we had a short walk over to the conference. Because of this, and the quick dinner we had grabbed, we arrived early. Not knowing what to do, we decided to head down to the floor level where WOF had set up their store. When we got to the end of the escalator, a man in a bright yellow T-shirt came up to me and said, "Do you know who Avalon is??" I said, "Yes, I believe I have one of their albums." He then said, "Would you like to meet them?" My first thought was, "And I didn't bring my camera - not even my camera phone!!"

After a bit of manuevering to get my mom and sister-in-law in as well, we ended up waiting in this little room with some "winners" who had called in to an online radio station (?) for a chance to meet Avalon. I had not called in, but they had extra CD's (free!), and I was early so I "won"! After waiting quite some time, the two men from Avalon showed up, looking a little haggered. One of the women was on maternity leave, the other was almost 8 month pregnant. What she was doing flying up from Nashville to sing is beyond me - I mean, that's dedication!! To make matters worse, they described what their day had been like. At the airport at 4:30 am, only to find out their flight had been cancelled. They had to rebook everything, finally arrived in Hartford at 4:30... then soundchecks, showers, changing.... need I say more??

During the concert that night, they made NOT ONE mention of the hoops they had to jump through to get to that show. I was a little surprised, I mean, if it had been me, I'd be playing the "you all are so lucky we love you so much to have gotten our butts here today!" routine! Nope, not one word. And they sounded amazing, especially considering they were one member short, filled in with one of the WoF worship singers (Jennifer Thigpen). One of the songs they sung was Everything to Me. I loved it when I heard it live, but today, in the car, this whole story came rushing back to me. And the song made more sense to me. And so does Avalon.

Everything to me
He's more than a story
more than words on a page of history
He's the air that I breath
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
He's everything,
everything  to me

There are a lot more words to the song, but these are the ones that keep flashing through my mind today. "He's more than a story - more than words on a page of history". And it's more than the actual tune, which I also love. Is Jesus everything to me?

Would I travel, almost 8 months pregnant, all day. leaving my little girl back home, to tell a group of women that Jesus is everything to me?

There are a lot of things in my life that are crowding my "everything" right now. Most of them I won't get into, but many of them are just temporal, stress-filled busyness and the truth is that I don't want them to be my everything. I don't want to be about all the stuff in my life. I want my everything to be Jesus, for Him to be what I'm all about. That's kind of hard for me, but it's really what I want.

And looking back over my
life at the end
I'll go to meet you saying you've
been...

I am completely aware, although extremely forgetful, of the fact that life on earth is temporary. There is an end, and what will I say when I meet Him? There was a time, shamefully, when I would have said, "Where's my daddy!??" Not angrily, but I missed my dad so much that I really just wanted to be with him. But for real, I think I do want to be able to say to Him, "You have been everything to me!" I want to say that and mean it, that simple. Not, "You have been everything to me, along with my family, my friends, my volunteering, my work...." I want it to be just that simple - He's everything.

OK, this one's funny!!

What kind of American English....

Your Linguistic Profile:

40% General American English

30% Yankee

20% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

My Mood

This one was a little strange... that's all I have to say!

Your Mood Ring is Light Purple

Clever Witty Sharp

Mood Ring Generator

A world where ...

When I saw the headline for this article, I totally laughed out loud!! Montana Principal Suspended for Giving Student a Wedgie
I mean, it's funny! Then again, it isn't. There is such a fine line between having fun and going just a little too far. But I give this principal credit. When the school system decided to reprimand him, embarrassed, he considered resigning. I'm sure that wouldn't have helped him professionally, but it's the principle (no pun intended - LOL). Instead, he decided that "I want to live in a world where we don't have to hide when we screw up."

In many ways, I'm a little like this principal. I hate it when I'm wrong and the last thing I want to do is admit it, especially in front of children and parents who look up to me. Even worse is when I feel like the punishment doesn't fit the "crime". I think this principal has taken a bad situation and turned it into a great learning tool for the students and parents, a lesson on life. I like that he has chosen not to claim that he did nothing wrong or even that he is being mistreated or harshly judged. Instead, he's admitting that his embarrassment over a bad circumstance is no reason to hide.

In many ways, this story brings us all back to the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve finally realized that they did something wrong. Their first reaction was to hide, but as they learned and we need to understand daily, we can never hide from God. And His grace is more than sufficient for our screw ups!! In this case, the humility of one will likely prove to be the strongest action in the whole laughable incident.

Am I Logical?

Well, I can't say as I'm very surprised. I love logic, practicality, preciseness.... just not in housekeeping!

You Are Incredibly Logical

Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

My Latin American Country

Since T keeps talking about international travel, I figured I ought to find out where I belong. Here's the answer (I'm sure he won't like the reason!):

You Should Visit Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the perfect place for you to get in touch with your inner beach bum. Relax on the beach, go for a bit of surfing, or try to communicate with the monkeys in the jungle!

What Latin American Country Should You Visit?

Tag Ban?

I cannot believe a school would ban tag, let alone dodgeball! I'm not even sure what to say about it. It's not like kids HAVE to play tag outside or dodgeball. They've eliminated tag because it's too dangerous... like swinging on monkey bars, jumping rope or playing hopscotch involve no danger whatsover? What will it be next?

Here's the real clincher: dodgeball was eliminated because it was "exclusionary". I guess kids these days should never have to feel like they are "out," instead they can only have games where everyone wins and no one loses. Because really, that's how real life is, correct?

Personally, as a kid at recess I pretty much tried everything. I played kickball, I played on the monkey bars, we did double dutch jumprope, 4 square, tag and hopscotch. I don't ever remember being traumatized by being excluded from a game. In fact, since my parents never signed me up for any competitive sports the ones I played at recess were my only experience with winning and losing games. It was great for me, and it taught me that some kids are better at some things than I was, but that there were other things, like academics, that I was better at. I learned that you can't always be the winner and sometimes, you're the biggest loser. I also learned that accidents happen, and our parents understood this as well. An accident is an accident, and when something is deliberate, then you eliminate the problem, not the entire game!

The more we eliminate from school, the less we will gain. No more birthdays, no more parties, no more tag or dodgeball.... Before you know it, there will be no more art - it's too creative, no more music - bad for their hearing, no more P.E. - too many lawsuits and losers, no more computer lab - bad for their vision, no more math - some kids feel bad when they can't do it, no more reading - it gives kids too many bad ideas and no more teachers - they use too much red ink. You think I'm being silly? Well, who ever thought tag would be banned?

FIOS

For anyone who doesn't know, FIOS is the new fiber to the premises thing that Verizon is offering. We've been hearing about it for a while and it's finally in our neighborhood - almost!! Circulating around our county are horror stories about the "installation" of these fiber lines and now, well, we can just add to them!

About 6-8 weeks ago, every got a little note on their door from Verizon informing us that they would be digging in our neighborhood. We'd assumed as much as Miss Utility had already tagged our lawns, clearly marking where electric, gas and phone lines were. The little note said they would be coming very soon and that anyone with an electric fence should clearly mark it, which is what all our neighbors did. Then, we waited.... and waited..... and waited..... No one came.

Finally, 3 1/2 weeks ago, after lawns had been mowed, markers removed and spray paint disappeared, at around 7:30 am the trucks rolled in and diggers started digging. Up first, our neighbors electric dog fence. It's a good thing no one got electrocuted! They worked well into the evening, and it was impossible for anyone in our neighborhood to warn them or communicate with them because every last one of them spoke only Spanish!! And the Verizon foreman who dropped them all off here?? Nowhere to be seen!

The ended that one day of digging by running off with my neighbor's phone line cut. On top of it, the operator she called refused to believe it was cut by her own company because the FIOS guys didn't call it in - duh, how can they? They don't speak any English! So she had to wait an entire week before they sent someone out to fix it. The Verizon repair man said obviously it was cut and he spends most of his time following the FIOS guys around!!

Well, for over a week he hadn't seen hide nor hare of these dayworkers, until yesterday. I had hoped they were done, but no. Even after the new electrical, gas and phone line marking were once again erased did they start digging again around to our house. Monday and Tuesday and checked our phone all day long to make sure they hadn't cut the line. I was prepared to run out and tell them, "Mi telefono esta messed up!" I wasn't really sure what I'd say, but I figured they'd have to understand me - LOL. What really happened, though, was just something I wasn't prepared for at all.

While getting ready to go work teaching 3's at a Mother's Day Out program, Em with a fever staying home with T and Kt just gathering things for school, the doorbell rang. I had just made lunches, thankfully, and was pouring milk into my cereal when I hear a man telling T to get everyone dressed quickly, grab all our important belongings and head up the street. The FIOS guys hit a gas line and this time, luckily for us, they reported it! Because we just had our gas line hooked up to our home two years ago, we had to get out immediately and no one in our court was allowed to start their car!

So, up the street we went, Kt with her school gear was able to hop on the bus. There was a huge firetruck blocking our street with cones and several firemen at the end of our court with gas spewing out of this pipe. While we stood up there waiting for BGE to arrive, another ladder truck showed up. This was a two alarm deal! Hmmm.... I was scrambling to get a hold of school to tell them I wouldn't make it on time, Em was in her pajamas with a fever (luckily it was a balmy 70 degrees today!), T, well, he was just standing around. Everyone else was allowed back in their non-gas hook up houses.

After BGE arrived, they finally gave me a minute to run in the house, grab what I needed and start my car. It was slightly nerve wracking, but I wanted out! As I drove away, I was wondering what Em and T would do all day! Luckily, they were allowed back in about 1 hour after the whole thing started. What a mess.

T told me this morning that the fireman explained that the workers were using the wrong tool, a shovel, to dig. Had they been using the correct tool, an air knife, it would not have punctured the gas line. For that error, the man with the shovel get two days off with no pay. That really infuriated me!! Verizon goes and picks up non-English speaking dayworkers, probably with no work papers, sends them into neighborhoods with shovels, tells them to dig and then the "jefes" leave. They hit a gas pipe because they were doing their job in an unmarked area and THEY get two days off without pay?? Seems to me like the "jefe" should be taking a little siesta!! What a joke!

I'd say in this matter, shame on Verizon. I've heard the horror stories, but now I've lived them, on our tiny court with 8 houses. We've had the electric fence ripped up (and when they returned, they dug it up AGAIN!), a phone line cut and not reported and a gas line busted. Will any of us ever get an apology? Doubtful.... and to make matters worse, they are not even done yet!

Facing the Giants

I was scrolling through the headlines in the Washington Post online and the title "God Was their Co-producer" stood out to me. My first thought was, "Co-producer? What kind of crap is that??" Then I read about this film that a church in Georgia felt led to make that made 2 million dollars in it's opening weekend in very tiny venues. I want to see this movie!! It's supposed to be a true to the Gospels high school football story.

It's times like these when I really dislike where I live. I live in this liberal bubble of Washington, where conservative, God and Christian are as dirty as they come. Just let me see this movie - you don't have to go!! I promise!

Why is Bono telling the church about poverty?

Here are some great notes from a speech Tony Campolo gave at Grove City by a favorite student of ours!=-) Thanks, LB!

And the answer to that question: The church is walking around with it's eyes closed spending money on stained glass windows.

It's totally true, and so is everything else she has shared. I encourage you to check it out, and hopefully more....

Playtime!

It's been a while since I blogged. I was going to do something like "A Week in the Life of a 'Stay-at-home Mom'" last week, but I was way too tired! I was so busy last week that I barely had time to breath. This week seems like it's starting out to be completely opposite.

Here is a short list of what I've been up to: tutoring 3x a week, Bible Study - Beth Moore's The Patriarchs, party room mom, Daisy troop leader - if that ever gets off the ground, 4th/5th grade administrative assistant at church - copy, cut and distribute supplies for 240 students each Sunday, and teaching a 3's class for a Mother's Day Out program. On top of that, I have to remember piano lessons on Monday, Brownies every other Wednesday and gymnastics on Thursday. T and I have Bible study small group every other Monday night. It's a lot, but seriously, other people do WAY more than I do, and I just don't see how they manage it all. What if I had more kids?

I came across this wonderful, short article about how unstructured playtime is so valuable to kids and they need more of it. I totally believe this, and while the weather is still nice, I love sending my kids out to play after school. My own kids don't get home until 4 PM, so an hour or two before dinner I think should really be unstructured. I think recess while in school is extremely important, which is why I'm not embarrassed to complain about our school's very shabby and undersized playground. The inner-city school with no library that I student taught in had a playground three times the size of our school's!! It's just unbelievable to me!

Well, enough! I'm off to Curves, then grocery shopping, then cleaning my house because Bible study is here tonight, then tutoring if my student doesn't cancel on me again. For some reason, he's too tired on Mondays to meet, or was it he was too "soar" - yeah, that was the text message I received. On a Monday, when he had three regular classes and a P.E. class. How do you teach an 18 year old that school isn't supposed to be easy and you really have to put some effort into it, even when you are only taking 1/2 a load of classes??? Reminds self - never let my kids go for the easy way out, it's just not worth it! It leads to very bad habits that are nearly impossible to break.

Last Call!

I won't fill you all in on my Girl Scout woes... they are too many! (Looks like our Daisy troop won't be happening... long story!) However, Kt is still in brownies and tonight is the deadline for buying cookies. If you wanted some but haven't ordered them yet, just let us know!!

Kt is 14 boxes away from her personal goal. The girls will be donating boxes to Healthy Families of Howard County and using proceeds from this year for several field trips, the biggest being the overnight at the Maryland Science Center.

This may be your last chance to order from this family!

Thin Mints
Somoas
Tagalongs
All Abouts
Do-si-dos
Trefoils
Cafe Cookies
Sugarfree Brownies (New - hmmmm.....)

If you don't order from Kt, I'm sure you have the chance to buy a box at your local grocery store sometime in November OR in the spring.

Enjoy!

Right on Again!

I'm not sure this is the right personality for cross cultural missions, but is there a right one??

Your Personality Cluster is Introverted Sensing

You are: Responsible, ethical, and trustworthy Loyal, with a sense of roots in your community Someone who treasures and remembers the past Adverse to surprises and the unknown

What's Your Personality Cluster?

Indignant Daughter..

of the mission's coordinator. Em is standing here, indignant that while she was outside having fun with her friends for over an hour no one bothered to take care of her puppy. She stood on the hearth and proclaimed that Phoebe (our 17 week old puppy) is likely feeling "homeless" with no one taking care of her or caring for her at all. Hmm... where is she coming up with these things? I think a heart for the lost might be developing somewhere in there, we just need to direct it towards people!

Sunday Reflections

We are doing stuff today... who isn't?! Sometimes I use my Sunday's to synthesize things I've been processing all week, and today was one of those days. T and I decided on a whim today to spend this Sunday morning at the Warehouse, which is the building our church built for the middle and high schoolers. At first, I thought I'd happened upon a heavy metal concert! It was likely the most metal I've heard at a high school event since the late 80's when I was actually IN high school! It was interesting, but true worship.

A few things came to mind for me while I was there, in relation to other thoughts I've had this week. Where do these kids go from here? They have created an environment of worship that is authentic to them, meaningful to them, real to them and quite frankly, the worship in "big church" doesn't even come close to what these kids are doing right now. So, where do they go? How do they see the "real world" when they head off to college?

Which brings me to another thought. I actually found this article in the Washington Post about a priest at Catholic University (I had a post about something else going on there earlier - I'll find it and link it here) who spends the beginning of each year "blessing" each dorm room, finding lost souls and the rest of the year reaching out to those students. It's a great image and reminder of how difficult college ministry can be. It's a rich mission field, a college campus, but also very intimidating. It takes really special, chosen people to commandeer a college campus for Christ!!

Which brings me to another thought, about the girl who shared with us this past week about her plans to head to Melbourne, Australia to serve with Campus Crusade for Christ (in light of all the "crusader" references, isn't time for them to change the name of that??? - just a random thought!). I'm amazed by this girl, who grew up in a Catholic family, went to four years of school at University of Maryland, getting involved in CCC through our friends who started the CCC in Australia and are now able to send one of their own back to help. I wonder what her parents are thinking! How cool, and how totally scary! Pray for support for her, please!

I'll just conclude with the meat of the high school "service" today. An unfortunate event, the death of a sophomore's mother to breast cancer, changed the Sunday morning for high school today. They surrounded this sophomore group, prayed over them, had impromptu worship that was phenomenal, they cared for each other, reached out to others... There was an outpouring of community in that room, a physical representation of the love of Christ. That doesn't even happen in big church, so it was refreshing yet very humbling to be a part of. Death is never easy, always sad but can be ever hopeful.

It's a big job, reaching out to middle, high school students, college students... but it's not for everyone. Be prepared for high expectations, to have to be authentic and real, to be willing to spill your heart and soul, not holding back anything because these kids know and they will settle for no less than the real you. And that's about all they ask for, but it involves a real relationship with the person you are trying to bring them to, the One, the Only. In the years I have been involved with high schoolers, they have taught me mountains more than I've ever had the chance to teach them. God uses them to bless me, to teach me and to show me Himself. It's SUCH an honor to know them.

So where do they go? Well, a lot of them go back to the Warehouse, or to Fusion, which is really for them. But soon, they'll be married, have children and they won't settle for big church the way it is. Things will have to change... and I think change is good.

Proud Parents

On Friday, T works at home so we are home most of the day together, until next week when I start teaching the 3's class at Mother's Day Out. This is my last free Friday!

T received a call this morning from the school Guidance Counselor. On Fridays, she gives out an ACE award, one per student per grade. Katie has gotten this every year early in the year, so each year we have gotten this call from Mrs. R to let us know how sweet our daughter is, all the nice things her teacher said about her, etc. It's basically a citizenship award and students must be chosen by their teacher or anyone else in the school to receive it.

T came to tell me that both girls got their awards today!! I'm very excited about this because Em is my short fuse - hehe. The guidance counselor told T that both teachers wrote very similar recommendations for them - they are helpful, kind to others and respectful. She also said that at the assembly where they were presented, Em was sitting in the front with kindergarten and Kt was in the back. When Katie was having trouble making it up front to get her dog tag (that's the little award they get) Em jumped up and offered to take it to her sister. Now that I can see! Em is extremely proud of her sister and so excited that they go to school together. (I'm trying to remember if her clothes match today!)

The beginning of this school year has been our best yet. I'm really thankful for that, because sending Em off for a full day of school has been difficult. I don't really think 5 year olds should be in school all day. It goes against what I believe philosophically and what I believe in my heart, but I did it as a trial sort of thing. Every time Em wants to stay home because she's tired, I really want to let her but know that will be the first of many times! She has been quite the trooper making it these last two weeks with no breaks.

Today will be one more fun memory for them of school together. It's things like that they will remember, hopefully not the long, boring days with no parties, no field trips, no cupcakes... Winning an ACE award together, well that at least makes their parents proud!

Crazy Weather!

Well, we didn't see any of this, but a tornado in Severna Park!! Em was right on with weather predictions yesterday!

Cloudy with a Chance of Cheesy Pizza!

One of my most vivid memories of my father is his love of weather. Even before the days of the Weather Channel, my father was constantly preoccupied with any "weather event", which included anything other than clear skies and warm, balmy temperatures. Once the clouds rolled in, my father would predict, patiently wait and evaluate every gust of wind, drop of rain or cyclone that might happen upon him. Hurricanes were the ultimate in weather events for him, ordinary thunderstorms coming in at a close second, especially if they produced hail!

His passion for weather only increased as each of his children moved away and he could track weather on the weather channel. Even better yet, when he could track weather anywhere in the world on the internet! We'd receive calls all the time about what we could expect in the way of weather while at college or traveling and when we moved, the first thing out of his mouth would always be weather related. In fact, when T called him to ask for my hand in marriage, after a quick, "Sure, congratulations!" he went right into our traveling weather, as we were heading to Connecticut for Christmas. So predictable!

Another vivid memory I have of him was his wonder for his second granddaughter Em. He was in awe of this little girl, from the moment she was born until he passed. I always thought it was uncanny how much like him she was. She had his twinkle in her eyes, her baby picture looked just like his, she has a little skip in her step just like he did. It was kind of odd, but in a small way comforting. She was only two when he died, and she is a constant reminder of him to me.

Em amazingly shares my father's passion for weather. She loves watching the weather channel and at any time, she will pipe up with the latest weather report. I used to think it was her fear of thunderstorms that fueled that passion, but now I'm not so sure. Each morning, Em will tell us all what to expect weather-wise and how we should all dress. She listens to WGTS, a Christian radio station, and I think the weather and traffic are more important to her than the music!

Today she was right on, although I think we all had our doubts! She showed up at the bus stop wearing a tank top, sweat pants, and then layers including a turtle neck and jacket. She announced it would be nice, but that storms would be arriving by late afternoon. It was a totally gorgeous day today, until around 3:30, when the wind was whipping up and now it's very cloudy out. I turned on the TV to find that there is now a severe thunderstorm watch. Boy was she right today! I guess it's a developing faith she has in the weatherman or possibly a kindred spirit that she shares with someone who loved her deeply. Whatever it is, I have this feeling I might someday be watching her on the Weather Channel!

Picture: Em yesterday having a little cheesy pizza for lunch with her weather!

Goofy Christians

So, here I am, a whole day to myself! Sort of... I met with a friend this morning that I'll be working with starting next week. Then I ran a couple errands and returned home to get ready to tutor. Then we cancelled tutoring... so here I am!

Have you ever seen one of the Praise and Worship CD advertisements on TV? They are so goofy! Now, I'm not bashing the songs. I happen to love most of them! But when I watch the commercial, I can't help but wonder what others think about us. I was watching one today and those Christians on there - they look so happy, like they are having fun or something... dancing, raising their hands, clapping, singing.... I reminds me of a co-worker of T's, who sang one of those songs from the commercial to him. I think it was "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord." He wasn't a Christian, but he'd heard that commercial so many times late at night that he knew the song! How crazy is that??

So, what do non-believers think of those ads? I pretty much know what some Christians think - we think they are goofy, right? Or do you sing along? Or do you just not care what it makes all Christians look like?? If we started seeing commercials at night for religious music not of our faith, how would we feel about that? Would we think it was goofy or strange?

As I was chuckling to myself about this today, I was reminded about the Bible study our group did Monday night, where we recalled King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. He "unabashedly" worshipped in the streets, singing and dancing. He didn't care one bit what it looked like to others, to non-believers. He was not ashamed. Am I ashamed?

Well, I guess I'm more ashamed of our "worship" becoming profitable to anyone other than God. I purchase CD's of worship music and I do enjoy them. But I really want my individual worship to be intimate, real, authentic and not displayed on TV. I'm a little embarrassed by those commercials, but I guess I'll get over it!

Well, after all these thoughts, I'm thinking it might be nice to take my now free afternoon, fill it with some great worship tunes and spend a little quiet time with my God. I think I'll pull out that new Patriarchs study of Beth Moore's that I'm working on and enjoy a little peace, quiet and privacy. I know it won't last long!

Impulse

I don't really think of myself as that impulsive, but last night I probably did something a little impulsive. I agreed to be a Girl Scout Daisy leader! Hmmm.... whatever possessed me to do that? I'm slightly worried about this, but I have been wanting to get more involved, just haven't had the opportunity due to others having a greater desire to be in control.

I had to check my impulsivity level in that blog thing that I've been using lately - sounds like me, yet again. Don't bother trying this at home, mom....

You Are 51% Impulsive

You're quite impulsive, but you never are reckless. You qualify as a very spontaneous person, but you still know how to honor your commitments. And while responsibility doesn't come easy to you, having fun does!

Are You Impulsive?

Brown-Eyed Girl

They were right on again!

Your Eyes Should Be Brown

Your eyes reflect: Depth and wisdom What's hidden behind your eyes: A tender heart

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

Blonde hair, brown eyes... that's me!

Livin' in Miami?

Some might think so! Em is learning her address and about where she lives, like her house. She got off the bus today and announced that she drew a picture for her teacher of her house today. Em has never been interested in drawing and definitely not coloring. In fact, when I told her she would have to use the crayons I'd bought her in school, we nearly had a mutiny on our hands!!

I probed her for some detail on this house, mostly because I've never seen a single attempt of hers at drawing anything other than stick figures. I was really curious. She told me it was her best drawing, that she had done a really good job, but her teacher told her she had to color it in. She was not allowed to leave it white. I kind of chuckled to myself because I'm wondering if her teacher thought she didn't feel like coloring it in and had no idea that our house is white, or really ivory, which is white to a 5 year old!

So, I asked he what she did to make her teacher happy. She replied, "Well, I just colored our house purple!" I mean, why not? It's her favorite color! I wanted to ask her if she remembered the pink flamingoes in our front yard!!

Just dreaming a little bit....

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

He Told Me So

Tony's been telling me for years that I'm a bit intimidating. I have no idea what he means. Maybe this explains it??

You Are 76% Control Freak

You are a pretty major control freak, though you may not know it. While your confidence is inspiring, your bossy ways tend to scare people off.

Are You A Control Freak?

Veggies in the Morning?

Imagine seeing VeggieTales on Saturday morning cartoons?? Wow, at least that's what I would initially think. Of course, I'm not up early enough on weekends to watch cartoons anymore. And my girls? They stick to Animal Planet. The truth is, I would have loved to see them when my kids were younger, but after reading this article I'm not so sure anymore.

Apparently, you will only be catching the Godless VeggieTales if you catch them on NBC morning cartoons. Vischer, the VeggieTales creator and signer of this deal, has had to remove all non-historic references to God from his creation. Hmmm.... Bob and Larry without God? Now who will be bigger than the boogie-man? Who will save Rack, Shack and Bennie from the fiery chocolate-melting furnace? Who made us special? I'm trying to envision this cartoon that my first child grew to love so dearly, who taught her many of her very important lessons at such an early age, without references to the One who made it all happen to begin with. I just can't see it.

I guess if it encourages people who might never have ventured into the land of talking Veggies to go out and purchase some Tales (who said this wasn't about money!!), then it might be worth it. Personally, I think it's a total sellout. I'm not advocating cartoons from every religion be shown on Saturday mornings, and I understand NBC having a restriction such as this. I find it difficult to believe that a deal was signed without any knowledge of NBC's policy - that is totally ridiculous!

Good luck, Bob and Larry, living out your wonderful adventures in your new Godless Veggieland. It just won't be the same without a Savior!!

The OC

This one was right on, down to Disneyland! LOL

Orange County

You're rich, pretty, and living a charmed life. (Or you seriously wish you were.) From Disneyland to Laguna Beach, you're all about living the California dream life. Just make sure to marry rich - so you don't have to work for it!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

And Finally....

I'll end with my favorite cookie (still trying to figure out how I ended up being my favorite color and favorite cookie!):

You Are a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Traditional and conservative, most people find you comforting. You're friendly and easy to get to know. This makes you very popular - without even trying!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

I cannot reveal the generated fortune cookie they sent me - I don't post that kind of stuff on here! EEK!

I'm Dangerous

You Are 32% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well. In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

And this one...

You Are

A Happy Pumpkin Face You would make a good pumpkin cheesecake.

What's Your Pumpkin Face?

I'm addicted...

to this site! I've done a lot of these, only posting my favorites. I LOVE green!

Your Power Color Is Lime Green

At Your Highest: You are adventurous, witty, and a visionary. At Your Lowest: You feel misunderstood, like you don't fit in. In Love: You have a tough exterior, but can be very dedicated. How You're Attractive: Your self-awareness and confidence lights up a room. Your Eternal Question: "What else do I need in my life?"

What's Your Power Color?

I LOVE Pizza!

So I tried this one:

Pepperoni Pizza

Robust and dominant. When you go for something, you go full force. You tend to take control of situations easily. And in return, you get a ton of respect.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

It was Someone's Birthday!!

Yes, yesterday was a big day here in the Sheng house. The big Kahuna had his birthday yesterday... as usual, I was not entirely prepared. That's nothing new. Of all the people I've ever known in my life, T is the most difficult one to buy presents for. I've all but given up! I have a long list of things I'd love to get him, but he thinks they are all too expensive, or that he would never use them or he goes and decides just as I'm about to buy something that he'd like something else. Really, I just want to give him something he wants, but I always fail!!

On my list of things to get him: an XBox 360, which he said he'd like, but we didn't get that. He said he also wanted a leaf blower (he ordered it for himself), new tires for his truck (he'll have to arrange that one!) and then, the night before his birthday he all of sudden developed this passionate desire for a 24 hour time zone eco-driven watch. I sent him off to buy it for himself, which is basically what I've resorted to. I mean, if he can't decide until the night before he's going to have to take care of it himself. Right? I can't research and purchase something like that in less than a day -it's just not in my nature!!

The night of shopping proved fruitless for him, so he came home with nothing. That means I spent two hours at the mall on his birthday trying to find something for him that 1) he would want, 2) cost under $100 and 3) he would want. I found pretty much nothing - it was very disappointing. Not to mention, when I finally did find something, I knew the entire time that he would return it, as he does with most every gift that I buy him. It's now par for the course. The girls are used to it as well. I do make him keep anything they've picked out and bought for him themselves, including the size medium Gap surf T-shirt Kt was so proud of a couple years ago. It's a bit small on his broad shoulders, but he's learned to love it!

Since I knew I'd failed in the gift area, as usual, I headed home, cleaned up the kitchen a bit and proceeded to make cupcakes, which is what he prefers to cake or ice cream. I bought a couple balloons, some funny cards and once he was home we all went out for Japanese Hibachi. It was fun, and yes, he's going to return the L.L. Bean fleece jacket I finally found for him. No surprise there!

It's been a crazy year for T. In a nutshell, he's survived lots of changes at work, been to Africa and lived to tell about it, finished another year of raising up more missionally, Christ minded young leaders, took his family across the country and has two children in elementary school. He looked at me at back to school night and said, "I can't believe we children who go to school!" Yeah, it's hard growing up!

Aside from T being totally picky about his gifts, he's a great leader, teacher, friend and mentor. On top of all those things, he's an incredible learner in his field of innovative missions church-doing. That's what I'll call it for now because what he likes to learn I'm not sure has a name. That's the way he likes it - always changing, for the better. It's been clear to me for a while now that the perfect gift for T is not something we can wrap up, or purchase or even shop for. It something that happens in an instant, when someone he has invested in "gets it" or someone who has witnessed what he does comes to the realization that it's working. They are God-given moments he experiences that I can't time or give him myself. Nothing I purchase can bring him nearly as much joy as one of those moments.

Ah, the leaf blower just arrived. A day late, but just in time for fall!! I can guarantee, there will be only a small look of joy in his eyes when he sees that compared to the look on his face when he comes home to tell me how so-and-so wants to devote a life to making Christ real to the nations. "Wow, look at this leaf blower!" doesn't nearly have the ring of satisfaction that "They really get it!" does!! I've also learned that God doesn't limit his gifts to birthdays or Christmas. He doles them out whenever He wants, at random times, when we may least expect it, and that makes them more special than that one day of the year!

Happy Birthday, missions man!!

Yup, that's me!

You Are Mud Pie

You're the perfect combo of flavor and depth Those who like you give into their impulses

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Thanks, deana!

Disney Shopping

OK, I admit it - I'm a Disneyholic, and not just the parks. I like shopping at the stores (which are not even owned by Disney!) and online - until today, that is!! I have been eying a Sleeping Beauty costume for Em for about a week now, and yesterday, after seeing a little offer for 20% off, I took myself over to the site and found the costume, listed as being on sale for $22.99, just like it's been for a few days. I decided to "add to my cart" this item and went on over to try this 20% off, shipping, etc. to see what my total would be.

When I got to my cart, the item was listed as $24.99 instead of $22.99. I had a split screen so I could clearly see that numbers didn't match, so I used the "contact us" form at the bottom to see if they could let me know what that true price was. Of course, no one responded until today, and here's what they sent me:

Dear Disney Guest,

Thank you for your recent correspondence.

We apologize for any inconvenience that we may have caused.  We are
pleased to inform you that we have the price of the item as $24.99 we
don't show any where that has that price.

If you should have any further questions, please feel free to contact
us.

Sincerely,
DisneyShopping.com

Now, this annoyed me for many reasons. Mainly because upon checking this item again, I see that they changed the price!! They have also removed the special 20% off offer. But even worse, why would they be pleased to inform me of this grievous act of theirs?? So, I sent them this little note:

No, I'm not really pleased to know this as you HAD listed the price on the item as $22.99 and now you've changed it. I think that is poor customer service and I'm totally appalled that you did that! When you make a mistake and the customer asks you to correct it, you should admit the mistake was made instead of covering it up to make it look like your savvy customer is incorrect.

I have enjoyed Disney products and Disney shopping and this incident really makes me feel like I'm not at all a valued customer. Why? Because in reality, $2 is measly, but accusing a customer of lying is priceless. I think you just lost a trusted customer!

I guess Em will just have to Belle this year, because it doesn't look like I'll be shopping Disney for some time!! That is some terrible customer service - shame on Disney!

OK - off my soapbox, back to real life! lol - Oh, wait - retail swindling customers IS real life!

EDIT: So, Disney called me yesterday - YES, on a Sunday! Hmmm.... anyway.... they wanted to correct the email they sent me. Apparently, after receiving my email (and maybe reading my blog?) they found they there was ONE DAY that they offered that $22.99 deal, so I must have gone to a "cached" page where that was the price. When I explained to them that I actually accessed the Disney site via the little 20% off ad on the other Disney site, then checked once again from that link to the dress, they did not believe me. So, once again, the customer is incorrect.

They did, however, offer me that dress at $22.99, which makes no sense at all. Of course, that was just beyond this woman, who didn't understand that I had expected to get 20% off $22.99, but since that wasn't possible, why would I spend $22.99 now when I could have had 20% off $24.99 that day had they written me back in time. In other words, she might have been doing me a favor by offering me this item for $19.99, but couldn't understand why I wasn't interested in $22.99. I tried to nicely explain this to her THREE times, but finally gave up and just said, "No thank you!"

Is it just me, or are people getting, uh, dumber? I don't really know how else to say that without is sounding really nasty. It just seems like cashiers, retailers, now these online people, they just don't get it. I'm kind of at the point where I just want to tell them to stop trying to do me any favors, because that's not really what they are!

OK - settled down and going to move on from here.... I missed the deal and I'm the one who is wrong here, right?

A Snip Here, A Snip There!!

Just last Thursday, we took Phoebe (our new puppy) for her first shampoo and trim. She came home all fluffy, smelling awfully nice (for about a few hours before she had ANOTHER accident). I could tell she had had a little trouble holding still, confirmed by the groomer. Her trim was less than perfect. A few days later, however, it appeared that the groomer had had a slip of the shaver. I noticed a whole spot of shorter hair on her back had been snipped, a place where they did not trim at all.

The whole spot on her back was really a mystery to me. T had mentioned something before she'd been groomed about a chunk of hair on her back missing. I thought he was crazy as he was trying to convince me that her puppy hair was falling out. That just isn't the case - she is pretty mutant in the growing up area. But after the trim, I could see that a portion of hair had been neatly trimmed, obviously with snips as the cut was quite clean. No big deal!!

Today, I tackled a rather large project and one that I'm finding I must tackle biweekly - Em's room. I've written about it before and today was no different. Finding one square inch of visible carpet was a challenge when I started. It's still not finished! After sorting through clothes, garbage, arts and crafts, etc. I came upon something fairly recognizable - a chunk of Phoebe's fur!! Could it be the missing spot??

Why the thought never occurred to me last week is beyond me. Em has been obsessed with cutting hair since she was a toddler, having given herself four rather gruesome looking haircuts! Even yesterday, when Phoebe was "lost" after Em had taken her out it still never occurred to me that she might be playing groomer right in our own house. Even the fact that I gave Em a little hair trim the other night, which likely put the desire in her little heart to once again cut hair. She's promised me over and over again, each time she has requested use of our closely guarded scissors (because of her snip-happiness!), that she will never cut her own hair again. I should have known!!

We had a little talk today when she got home. She is on puppy restriction for a bit, no taking the puppy out of the kitchen for her. Sometimes I forget she is still only 5. Full day school is a good cover for making children seem more mature than they really are. I will not forget, and on the way home from tutoring this afternoon, while I thought about Em giving the puppy a haircut, I really missed having her home with me! I was also hoping she wasn't trying out her new skills at school!!

Spelling!!!

Can I just say that I am ELATED that my daughter has a spelling book this year!! I'm so excited as her spelling "curriculum" last year was so totally bogus. Yahoo!! (She's not quite as happy as I am - were you wondering??)