Just A Thought

"Hello, Mrs Vergori. I'm a pediatric oncologist. We need to talk."

2011-09-09T22:55:00.000+01:00

In the early days after Aiden was diagnosed with an inoperable brain stem tumor, I became pain. All of my existence was pain- my thoughts, my feelings, the daily basic things I had to do to function. From the moment the doctor approached me and introduced himself, I was in survival mode. At times I couldn't identify a coherent thought, while sometimes being conscious of my every breath. It was the worst combination of feeling drugged and in slow motion, on a train that led me at insanely high speeds to places I didn't want to go. My teary, swollen eyes stung like a runny nose that had been wiped too often. (And yet I'm pretty sure I never cried in front of Aiden. Tim and I became good at distracting him from the other when we needed to look away and wipe our eyes.)

Raw. Like a piece of meet pummeled by a culinary tool. Like a wound gaping, flesh exposed and skin pulled back. Like a burn, infected. It hurt to breathe. Eating felt frivolous. In the night while Aiden slept, Tim and I clung to each other like we were being torn apart permanently, the fear and pain and grief raining down, drowning us. I felt as if I would die standing there, and I almost wished I would.

Those were dark days. If I was a spiritual giant maybe I'd report that I never doubted God, never considered turning away. But I must confessed that the demons visited me in the night: "If your God was good, this wouldn't be happening. When Aiden succumbs to this you will know the truth: that God is a liar. He promised one thing, yet delivered another." I listened for about 10 minutes. And then I sent them away, not with conviction of heart but with conviction of mind. I knew what I believed and even if I didn't feel it, I knew who the liars were.

I didn't walk through those days, I was carried. There are those who picked me up in faith and carried me through the Valley of Death to my spiritual pillars (monuments to where God met me). Half a dozen people, some I knew well and others I barely knew, where put in my path and anointed for the task of carrying me. I will be forever grateful, to God and to these obedient servants of His.

~ ~ ~

When Aiden was a baby I saw a video for David Crowder Band's song "O Praise Him" and God used it to challenge me. In the video a man listens to the song in his headphones and looks around self-consciously when he sings aloud. Finally, he gives in to his desire to praise God and lifts his hands and voice in the middle of a busy NYC street. God asked me "Will you do that?" I knew He didn't mean literally, necessarily, but certainly in other ways. Specifically, when I write. It's easy to write and talk and go with the flow of traffic on a dirty, gritty street; it's hard stop and praise there. I knew what God asked of me but I didn't see how it played out practically in my life.

After leaving Germany and moving to England, I stopped writing. My solitary lifestyle expanded and I had less time to be introspective and plan out blog posts. I figured also that whatever there was to write has already been written. Who am I to think I have something to add?!

In May, as I watched the David Crowder Band perform, God reminded me of His challenge like a lightening bolt to my spirit. As I worshiped and He brought all of this instantly to my mind, I cried out "OK!" I yielded, still not knowing what it meant.

Today I find myself on a filth-ridden street; the people are hollow-eyed and hopeless and full of fear. For a time I walked with them, but now I've turned and I'll stand in this street and lift my voice in praise to the One who walks with me. I pray that God gives me the strength to set myself on fire with a passion that brings Him fame, and that as the world watches me burn it will bring glory to His name.

2011-03-04T10:14:00.000Z

I'm posting for the first time from my mobile phone. It seems I can do anything from my iPhone: order groceries, pay bills, surf the Internet, probably adopt a couple kids too! It's no wonder I have "iPhone elbow"!

I'm so blessed to say that my heavenly Father has continued to move in my heart concerning a great change of focus. And He's a very systematic, methodical God; He lays the foundation and patiently builds from there.

The first revelation: my Christian life has been segregated from my "normal" life, and both have been Reese-centered.

Second: God has given me freedom, grace, money, time and much more that I will be called in to account for.

Third: I've ignored my calling, The Great Commission and God's expectation for me to care for the poor, rejected, and outcast.

Fourth: Christianity as I've known it must end. I'm not called to my own comfort or to an easy, self-indulgent way of living. I'm called to pour myself out for others even as Christ did for me.

What this looks like in my own life is still somewhat of a puzzle to me, though God is laying that foundation as well. First and foremost, it's prayer. Early morning, late night, all day prayer. Charles Finney recognized intercessory prayer as the single most important factor to revival, along with speaking God's word. If I can't give my time in prayer how can I be satisfied with giving anything else?

Along with that is my testimony. How will our enemy be defeated? By the blood of the Lamb (done!), the word of their testimony and not loving our lives so much we wouldn't die for Jesus. What I tell others about how I've been set free- about this great hope I have- matters! A lot! It's crucial!

I want to be faithful. I WILL be faithful. That's my choice and I will see it through.

Prayer meeting, anyone?!

Believing For Healing

2009-06-25T19:15:00.003+01:00

I need healing. I have issues with my neck that cause pain, and when I saw the neurosurgeon a few weeks back he was urging surgery. To listen to him, I'd be fixed with the stroke of a scalpel (and some drilling!) with no further issues.

First off, I don't believe him. I looked it up online and the risks are greater than he represented to me. I could still have pain, I could have new pain, I could lose my voice for months, I would have a scar on my neck.

Second, I have a problem with the fact that this pain consumes me at times. It effects my moods, my thoughts, my attitudes, my actions. The pain becomes my focus. Not God, not others, but myself and my discomfort. Compared to the plights of so many around the world, a bulging disc just isn't that bad. I wonder if I had bigger issues like lack of food and true medical emergencies, if this pain would register on my radar.

Third, I think God wants to heal me. I've never been big on the healing bandwagon- I mean, sure God can heal, but will He? That's the question. I don't see miracles very often, so its hard to imagine one happening within my own body.

And yet, I sense that's exactly what's going to happen. If God wants me to have surgery, He'll have to tell me in a no-nonsense fashion 'cause this girl wants to see His mighty hand move. I don't want to be the center of my life, so I want to focus on others and allow God to take care of His child.

Now, I'm not saying that it would be a sin to have the surgery, or that someone absolutely shouldn't have it. I'm just saying that for me, for now, it's a no-go and I'm believing God to heal me. It's between each individual and God.

ALL for His glory,
Reese

Isaiah 58

2009-06-23T23:05:00.001+01:00

Isaiah 58

True Fasting

¹ "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.

² For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.

³ 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?

⁶ "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Food For Thought: Why You Are Where You Are

2009-06-16T15:56:00.005+01:00

Have you thought about why you are where you are? Unless you're living in direct disobedience to a specific call of The Lord, you haven't just randomly dropped down by accident in a town/city/base/state/country. You've been planted there by God's divine wisdom. The people you come into contact with aren't there by accident either, and neither are they in your path by coincidence. You were born for such a time as this.

For some of us, that's comforting only in the way that we know there is a larger purpose and plan behind the trials we are facing; for others of us that means we need to look hard and long at how we are spending the time God has allotted us where we are. Are you waking up every morning looking for the why in your "chance" meetings and dealings with people? Might there be more to it that what you have been willing to see up till this point?

Spend a moment at the foot of the throne of the Most High. Be humbled by His plan and the call He ordained for you before the dawn of time. Then stand up, walk out and be the light you were called to be.

Competence, Excellence, and Following the Radical Christ

2009-06-11T16:33:00.004+01:00

Today I've been thinking about competence: how being the best I can be (better with God) in a certain area or calling brings glory to God and souls to His kingdom. Excellence certainly stands out among all the people who scrape by with the minimum requirements. Isn't that what Christians are to do? Be excellent for Him?

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

How does that relate to my future? Well, after following the voice of The Lord and deciding on the path I am to follow (career-wise, mostly), I pursue it with a sense of urgent excellence. Study as unto The Lord. Test as unto The Lord. Walk in the chosen career as unto God. Bring glory to His name with all my choices.

And for now? Mother for the glory of God. Be a wife as unto The Lord. Be faithful. Be motivated. Be filled with grace, and have compassion for the lost and hurting. Certainly, don't hide my light under a basket.

I'm already sensing some undercurrents of questions in regards to my plans. Frankly, I don't even like being too excited about stuff; I don't like people to see me as "out there" or radical. I like to play it safe, to be the neutral character, to not make waves. It's going against everything in my human nature to speak up about the radical transformation I anticipate making. It's too much for people to understand - why, in a culture so self-centered- would I actively try to change myself to be Christ-centered in a big way? Why get a college diploma in order to make money so I can give it- and myself- to the poor? Why not save and stash away for my future and for the futures of my kids? Why be so excited about it?

Ah, and that's the root of it, right? Why go against the flow? It's so incredibly easy to follow the world. All the Christians I know are doing it. We, as Christians, shouldn't look like the world in action and attitude; but we do.

What will set me apart? How different am I willing to be? How different was Jesus? Am I really willing to follow His example and swim against the tide?

All for the glory of God,
Reese

Quick Thoughts

2009-06-10T22:28:00.003+01:00

I'm on my way to bed; just wanted to check in quickly.

First, I'm so excited by the encouragement I'm receiving from the podcasts I've been listening to and watching from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA. I've subscribed to the podcasts through iTunes. What a blessing to find a church that is striving to live biblically, in whatever form that takes. I've read that Pastor Chan always preaches straight from the Word of God, not flowery ideas and feel-good philosophies from elsewhere. I have been touched and challenged since listening, as well as since I read Crazy Love. I highly recommend you find a copy of that book and read it ASAP.

Second- and lastly- do you know how hard it is to try to break out of old molds? Very. I fall back into the same routines without even thinking about it. I do the same things, eat the same things, think the same things.... ENOUGH!!! I want to be different. I believe that to really see a difference I need to be spending significant time with my Father- in prayer and through reading His words. That's the goal- time with my Lord.

One morning this week the Holy Spirit woke me up and told me to pray. It turned out that I prayed for a majority of the time for Tim; later in the day he narrowly escaped a head-on collision. Since then God's left it up to me to initiate the prayer time, and I've slept through it every early morning since. I miss that quiet time in the morning, even though I've only had it once in such a long time. I loved it.

All for His Glory,

Reese

2009-06-10T09:37:00.001+01:00

"Live your life in a way that demands explanation."
~Unknown

More Musings

2009-06-06T22:54:00.004+01:00

I'm still trying to work out what this new life I want to live looks like, especially since I don't have an income of my own. But I guess throwing money at a problem is the easy way out, right? What does it look like when values change and the old ways are no longer an option?

I'm finding myself hesitate to tell anyone that I want to change in case my big plans fall through for lack of commitment. To combat this, I'm forcing myself to tell others. It's a sort of forced accountability.

I've just finished Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. It was directed at teenagers, but is in many ways relevant to all Christians wanting to be different and make a change for Christ. What stood out to me was the three important things to have to be what they term a "rebelutionary": character, competence, and collaboration. Obviously, this works for all Christians, not just teens. Character involves allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in Godliness, to make us like Christ. Competence is training and excellence in whatever we take up to do for The Lord. Collaboration is reaching out and working with those who have a common calling and can help us to pursue our divine calling.

As simple and even silly as it sounds, I am even wanting to change my diet in pursuit of higher way of living. Remember when Daniel refused to eat the rich foods of his captors, but only the diet allowed for Jews? He ended up stronger and more capable than those who ate the delicacies offered them. So, what if I was to eat less and forgo the rich delicacies of my culture? Certainly the case can be made that our "god is our bellies" in Western cultures- otherwise why is obesity so much of a problem? Not only might food become only a source of life and not entertainment, but I would also be choosing a sort of solidarity with those who don't have as much, and the money saved could be given to the poor.

I'm not talking about starving myself or becoming anorexic. I mean to eat only what my body needs, not what my sinful, gluttonous flesh wants. That's kind of a radical notion in our culture.

And I've started downsizing. Unfortunately, it's the books I tackled first, and they aren't worth much so there won't be much money made from those. I have 2 listed in eBay, one of which I expect to sell. I also have a lot of Max Lucado books I will list, which could make some money. Whatever sells, the profits go to charities.

I still need to choose "my" charities. There are so many to choose from. I will be praying that God shows me what to focus on.

Is there a centralized listing of worthy charities on the web? I need to find it... or make it.

~Reese

Please Consider Giving

2009-06-02T16:42:00.000+01:00

The Beginning of a New Way of Living

2009-06-02T13:46:00.004+01:00

I'm not going to lie: I've become increasingly bored with the brand of Christianity I've been practicing. It seems that I joined- no, was born into- some sort of club and the rules involve trying not to cuss, not drinking (or at least not drinking excessively), dressing up on Sundays and carrying my Bible to church. No matter what sort of week I've been having, there's an unspoken obligation to be perky at church. We should be happy at church, but because we're free and forgiven not because it's the thing to do. I've noticed that my life bears very little difference to the lives of my unsaved neighbors and friends. We're all after the same thing: security, money, a healthy retirement account, the American Dream.

Last year I read Max Lucado's book It's Not About Me. (My blog post here.) That was the beginning of seeing my life the way it should be rather than what I've allowed it to become. It was the first time I had consciously considered that Christianity wasn't a side thing to do along with the rest of my life, but the main purpose of the life God gave me. Then I read Tom Davis's book Red Letters (my post here) and started visiting his blog. Until then I had always thought of anti-hunger organizations as the non-Christian's way of feeling like they were making a difference without God. I thought it was making up for not having Jesus. What an eye-opening experience to realize that the saved are those that should be at the forefront of these efforts for the hungry, orphaned and widowed!

God began to speak to me about making a difference where I am- to bloom where he plants me. I can show his love to my neighbors, believing that He put me where I am for a divine purpose. I heard Lee Strobel's Focus on the Family- aired recordings "If Jesus Lived At My House" and suddenly a whole new world of opportunity opened up.

And now I've been reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I've been impressed with so much of the book, but these particular points have stood out so far:

Christians were first called "Christians". They didn't name themselves. The unsaved looked at them, at the way they lived, and said, "Those people are like the one they call the Christ. They are followers of his teachings. They are Christians." How many of those around you would voluntarily call you a Christian, or is that a label you've given yourself? What makes it true?
God is HUGE and doesn't need me. He wants me. He created everything through Himself and for Himself.
It's time to step out of our Western Christian mindsets and live radically for Christ in whatever way He calls each of us to do that.

I'm still not sure what all the practical applications of that will look like in my life. But here are my first, elementary thoughts: I don't have a job and I am raising kids. I want to raise them with an awareness of what true Christianity looks like. I want to be an example of that. In the following days and weeks I will be praying for God's directing in my life on how to do that. I will pray for the lost and abandoned and hungry and pray that the change I see in myself will be lasting and not a passing personal fad. I will start this year to get an education that will lead to money and skills to help the lost and hurting. Currently, I'm planning to pursue a nursing degree, unless God tells me otherwise. Until then, I will begin selling many of the possesions I have that weigh me down. I'm tired of feeling bloated and sluggish in regards to my material possesions. I don't need most of what I own, and it would be much better put to use for the kingdom of Heaven. I will be using my eBay account to sell my things, with a majority percentage of the profits going to charities that I will be choosing.

As you pray and consider what God has for you, please visit the links in this post, as well as the links on the right.

With the Spirit of Christ in us, we can change the world.

We've Moved!

2007-06-27T15:35:00.001+01:00

I started with one blog, then added another, and another, and another... Yikes! At one time I had 4 blogs going at once. I decided I could do everything I really wanted to do with just one, so several months ago I started taking steps to combine them all. Heather was kind enough to follow me to the new blog, so we are saying our official farewell to Just A Thought and asking you all to join us at Kicking It In Crazyville.

Don't Worry About The Future

2007-06-22T16:14:00.000+01:00

Joy Davidman- genius, Jewish, former Communist, poet, writer, divorcee, single mom, Christian, wife to CS Lewis- there is so much that could be said of her, but this is what I am writing to say: her words are resounding in my heart today, more than fifty years after she wrote them. She is my new hero, a mentor. I admire her for refusing to cower, for her directness, for calling me on my double-mindedness.

I have a soft spot for Christian Jews as it is. In 2002, a group of them ministered to me at a truck stop in Utah. They gave me money, advice, hugs, and offered up prayers to our God on my behalf. CS Lewis, who would later become her husband, says in the forward to Davidman's book Smoke On The Mountain that "In a sense, the converted Jew is the only normal human being in the world. To him, in the first instance, the promises were made, and he has availed himself to them. He calls Abraham his father by heredity as well as by divine courtesy. He has taken the whole syllabus in order, as it was set; eaten the dinner according to the menu. Everyone else is, from one point of view, a special case, dealt with under emergency regulations."

I don't even know why I own Smoke On The Mountain. It's been in my library for more than a decade and I have picked it up once or twice, but never read past the forward. Today I did, and was moved to tears. The introduction is called "The Sin of Fear." I'm a worry wart by nature- it's in my DNA, no matter how much my parents try to deny it. But lately my petty worries have become monstrous fears: fear for Tim's safety; fear of being alone; fear of being injured while alone and left unable to care for my children; fear of insomnia, from which I have been suffering more and more; fear of what the future holds, and fear that it holds nothing.

Here are some quotes from Smoke On The Mountain:

"To the spiritually old, however young and strong their bodies, death seems lurking around every corner, and fear sits by their bedside and grins at them."

"Fear is so much our disease that we have forgotten it is a disease; we take it for granted as the normal basis of all human actions."

The truth I gleaned from this chapter is this: that no matter how I choose to live my life- carefree or laden with fear- my life ends the same way: with my death. How glorious is that?! I can caste off and disown the spirit of fear with no change in the outcome. Except, of course, in the outcome of the life I lead; to reject fear is to accept peace and live an unburdened life.

"To be Christian is to be reborn, and free, and unafraid and immortally young."

Davidman tells of a native African who sees no need to try to keep the Ten Commandments because he is too old to do anything to break them!

"The real trouble with the Ten Commandments today seems to be that we frequently manage to obey most of them without much difficulty, not from virtue but from the lack of animal energy to break them. To the African who was too old, to the American who is too worried, the Ten Commandments seem at first glance irrelevant."

She goes on to say that to read the Ten Commandments restated in a positive way, read the Sermon on the Mount, the heart of which is "Don't worry about the future."

The rest of the book is a study of the Ten Commandments. I read the first chapter: Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me." Davidman says

"this is the law of life and happiness and courage. Courage himself, God the Lion, stands beside us to help us live it. Whatever we desire, whatever we love, whatever we find worth suffering for, will be Dead Sea fruit in our mouths unless we remember that God comes first."

As Christians we know better than to serve idols of stone or wood, but we are quick to serve ourselves, or a cause, art, science, education, government or no government. Christians who see a cause as an end in itself- rather than as a means to God- serve two masters. But we can't serve two masters without paying the price, for not only are we not to serve other gods instead of the one true God, we aren't to serve another god in addition to God. Such a person has divided loyalties and can't stand.

I realized how divided my loyalties have been. I desire to serve my God, yet feel the pull to do or be something "important," as if that important thing can be done apart from God or on a different level. What freedom in knowing that to serve God and God alone is fulfilling in the deepest way. I have made lists of my jobs, my roles, and how best to accomplish what I need to. But today that feels inauthentic to the way I really want to be: to serve God and let that be my legacy.

Trying To Be Good

2007-06-14T21:11:00.000+01:00

So, if you'll remember awhile back Reese and I had a discussion about vitamins, food, etc. To refresh your memory go here. Naturally I am not a health conscious person. I wouldn't choose to exercise, eat right or drink water but I have been running four times a week, only drinking one Pepsi a day, drinking lots of water, when I remember I take a multi-vitamin, calcium pills and now have added the dreadful green tea pills...and, I believe that when I took the first pills that I uttered an "ooohhh" as it went down. Those things are NASTY!

Hopefully trying to be more health conscious will pay off..but, sometimes it sure doesn't taste or feel good.

Reese, are you still doing your daily garlic experiment?

FDR's D-Day Radio Prayer

2007-06-08T09:34:00.000+01:00

Can you imagine what would happen if a president today addressed the nation with a prayer like this?:

Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. They will be sore tried, by night and by day without rest - until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war. For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a countenance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces. And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be. And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

Walking The Path Of Life

2007-06-04T06:12:00.000+01:00

I posted this on our family blog, but thought I would post it here too. My daughter, Amanda & I went hiking on Saturday with some friends. What was supposed to be a 4 mile easy hike, turned into a 5 mile difficult hike. This picture is so beautiful to me. It's Amanda walking the beginnings of the trail, but reminded me of walking on our path of life. We always have so many choices, but the Lord has chosen our path. If we don't follow it, we are bound to hit some trees, poison oak, and who knows what else. The path that he has chosen for us is not guaranteed to be easy..it's bound to be rocky and difficult, but he has promised to walk with us..and, in the end..all we will know is beauty:

This is what was waiting for us at the end of a difficult hike.

The Two Have Become One

2007-06-02T22:14:00.000+01:00

In loving you
I make myself
Transparent glass
Vulnerable
Exposed
Giving my heart
To your hands
My weakness
Protected by your strength

For loving me
I fashion you
Of strongest steel
That neither time
Nor heat
Nor cold can harm
An image of Christ
Your strength
Perfect in my weakness

~Reese, for Tim
I'm incomplete without you

Mercies New

2007-06-01T07:07:00.000+01:00

Nichole Nordeman's album Woven and Spun has comforted me in these past few, very difficult weeks. Here are the lyrics to one of the songs on that cd, Mercies new":

We stutter and we stammer till You say us
A symphony of chaos till You play us
Phrases on the pages of unknown
Till You read us into poetry and prose

We are kept and we are captive till You free us
Vaguely unimagined till You dream us
Aimlessly unguided till You lead us home

By Your voice, we speak
By Your strength, no longer weak
We are no longer weak

By Your wounds we are healed
By Your wounds we are healed

Passed over and passed by until You claim us
Orphaned and abandoned till You name us
Hidden and disclosed till You expose our hearts

By Your death we live
It is by Your gift that we might give
That we might give

By Your wounds we are healed
(Tell me what kind of love is this...)
By Your wounds we are healed

What kind of love would take Your shame
And spill His blood for You
And save us by His wounds?

Thankful Thursday

2007-05-31T10:13:00.001+01:00

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ~1 John 1:19

I'm so thankful for forgiveness. I don't deserve Jesus but by the amazing, free gift of forgiveness I get to spend an eternity with a clean conscience in the presence of my Lord.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ~Titus 2:3-5

What a blessing when women older than me, who have more experience in marriage and motherhood, take the time to teach me. They have been taught by others and the guiding of the Holy Spirit, and in obedience they pass that on to those of us who need to hear it. I am thankful for these women who are obedient to the Word of God, and I pray that I soak it in and one day pass it on to my daughter and others who will benefit from the guidance.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ~2 Corinthians 12:9

I am thankful for the miraculous grace that God gives, right when and where I need it. I am never alone, and like the ever-faithful Father he is, he never fails to give to remove my obstacles, change my heart regarding the obstacle, or give me the grace to bear it.

Lastly, I am thankful for Middle Eastern food. Whatever else the region may have produced, the food in phenomenal!

For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Sting My Heart.

Knowing and Loving

2007-05-30T13:36:00.000+01:00

A guest speaker came from Portland, OR to our church in The Columbia River Gorge when I was a young girl. I don’t remember who he was or what his message was about, but I can never forget the slight he delivered the town I loved and called home. As an illustration to one of his points, he emphasized the arid climate, the dryness of the land, the apparent barrenness in comparison to the lush trees and breath-taking mountains just up the Gorge. His point was clear: our town was ugly and inferior. I remember wondering at the gall of a man you visits a town and insults it from the pulpit.

Portland and my hometown are but a two hour’s drive from each other, yet they are separated by the Cascade Mountains which have a marked effect on the climate and landscape. Portland is known for its wet, mild weather. My hometown sits right where the drying begins that leads into the desert. The wind is funneled down the Gorge, a thrill for windsurfers, but a trial for those wanting to keep their hair in place and their skirts around their ankles. The cold winter air is likewise funneled down the Gorge and tends to sit there even after the storm has blown over in other places. There are very marked seasons there: cold winters, hot summers and blessed springs and autumns that bring the welcomed warming or cooling, which ever it might be.

I love that town. If it served my purpose here I could take you on a written tour, showing the cherry orchards that surround it and the grey, wide river that separates it from Washington State. I could take you down streets rich with memories and point out houses where friends and family have lived, parks where I played as a child and where I have taken my kids, and the church where I got married. But it occurs to me as I think of my hometown that I love it because I know it.

I doubt that the speaker that day held any real animosity for that little town in the Columbia Gorge, and his insult was likely not an insult at all but rather a quick observation of the surface of a place he didn’t know. Had he known the town, if its streets were his by virtue of a thousand memories, he would have loved it and his insensitive words would have been reserved for another place.

Isn’t it interesting when you stop to think about this tendency to love what we know? Be it a town, or a pair of jeans or tattered slippers, or something even more dear: a pudgy little hand or the five o’clock shadow on the face that brushes yours during an embrace at the end of a day. Both the condemned and the elderly are given a favorite meal in their final hours, a nod to better times and memories more pleasant. It’s the familiar that holds our hearts, that has meaning, that calls to us.

And just as I know the streets of my hometown and the faces of my children, and the hands of my husband, so God traces the lines of my heart with loving familiarity. In this, we are made in his image. He sees my thoughts; he spends his days thinking about me- about us- and loves us. He knows us. Because he knows us- and sometimes despite knowing us- he loves us.

¹ O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

Psalm 139:1-18

And The Winner Is...

2007-05-21T19:00:00.001+01:00

Christina Morales!

Email me (yet again) with your mailing address and I'll get the book right out to you!

And God Said, "Let the Sun Shine on Germany."

2007-05-21T18:43:00.000+01:00

¹¹ Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.

¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good.
(Genesis 1:11 & 12)

And Reese gave a hearty, "AMEN!"

Word Habits

2007-05-20T01:13:00.000+01:00

I am very predictable when it comes to the words I am going to say next. Isn't it funny how we get in a rut with our words. If someone makes me really mad I have to say "Whatever". If my boss is picking on me I say "Rudeness". If something spontaneous happens then it's "Random". Last time Reese was in town she pointed out that I'm one of the few people that can say "Incredible" and really mean it. Another one is "That's Amazing!".

Reese has some pretty funny words she would like to use more regularly. Ones that most people do not know the meanings to and would actually make you think.

Have you thought about how much your words mean lately? On Mother's Day I was extremely cranky due to the fact that my kids woke me up at 6:30..on Mother's Day!! I said some things that were not encouraging and wouldn't you know it..our Amazing pastor had some words to say that morning about the words that come out of our mouths.

The Bible has a lot to say about the words we speak and the consequence, either good or bad of those words. Proverbs 16:23-24 A wise man's heart guides his mouth and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

I had a lot of apologizing to do after church and I am thankful for our pastor's ability to listen and discern what the Lord is speaking to him. I want my words to be pleasant, sweet and healing to my children not destructive, critical and harsh.

A Little Encouragement From JoLynn

2007-05-15T19:54:00.000+01:00

We have a guest blogger today, JoLynn Reynolds from Oregon. JoLynn and I lived for a time in the same town, and her brother and I graduated the same year. My memories of her are few, her being a couple of years younger than me and in a different class. What I do remember is her smiley countenance and the way she was always laughing and making people laugh. I came back into contact with her in the past year (through MySpace!) and have found her to be so insightful and encouraging. The following is an excerpt from a letter I received from her this morning:

There is so much happening in our world. TV shows, internet, the TOP 20 countdown in music. Then there is the spouse, the children, the job that doesn’t pay you for over 40 hours! It would seem that God goofed on ONLY giving us 24 hours in a day. Where to fit time in for a nap?

Then I think, if we had more than 24 hours to call a day, we would spend those hours filling them with more distraction and useless cares and wants …more time in a day.

So I want to challenge myself and you, to use wisely the time that is given to us. So what if we aren’t on TV, making 400k a month, have the sexiest bodies or making front page….. we are created to worship Him. The Bible says we are created for HIS GOOD PLEASURE… not our own.

Somewhere in the demands of the day that WE created… God wants us to stop and awe and wonder on Him. To thank Him for life, for a job, for a roof, for people who love us.

I know some don’t believe in creation… but I believe we were EACH created by God. I thank Him for creating me! So trim the American Idol, the radio in the car, the “I HAVE TO’s” and take 5 minutes to ponder and thank the most amazing creator we have!

Food and Slim Fast and Rambling My Way to a Book Give-Away

2007-05-14T13:57:00.000+01:00

I eat things Heather wouldn't touch, even if they came with a life-time pass to the Australia Zoo and an autographed photo of the cutest Wiggle. I made up a variation of my favorite vegetable black bean soup today, and as I chopped garlic and zucchini and opened cans of black beans, corn and tomatoes, the second thought I had was Heather would hate this (the first was YUMMMY!).

Our different tastes became very apparent at Portland Saturday Market last year, as I handed her tooth-picked samples of marinated garlic, kalamata olives, and feta-stuffed olives. As for me, this was heaven- free samples of my favorite appetizers. She kept a great poker face, barely letting on that she wasn't sure she could stomach what I handed her. She valiantly put them in her mouth, but the tears and puckered face let me know the truth: she may be a good friend but she'll never eat at my house for dinner when I finally move back home.

And it's not just food. Her eyes were wary as I handed her fish capsules, those smelly pills brimming with omega-3's. She swallowed them, then copied me in jumping up and down rapidly to force a burp before the capsules dissolved. There are very few things as unpleasant as burping fish oil an hour after taking them, and I was trying to save her. She probably thought I was loopy. Then there's the green tea pill. If I remember correctly, she uttered an "ooh" after that one went down.

So, I'm wondering what she'd say to my new experiment of eating marinated garlic every day. I read garlic helps ward off cancer and is helpful in destroying pesky free radicals. (Some radicals should never be free, but don't get me started.) I figure, hey, Tim is gone. I can't destroy his olfactory nerve if he's not here. What better time to get those radicals in chains?

As long as I'm confessing: I drink V8 because I like it. The smell of roasting red peppers is a bit of an aphrodisiac for me (can I say that on a Christian blog?). In London I ate a salad made of fresh spinach, "rocket" (it looked like dandelion leaves to me), little balls of fresh mozzarella, avocado, and sauteed mushrooms all drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It was the best meal I had in London, and not because London has a shortage of good food but because it was incredible. I also had a portabella mushroom stuffed with goat cheese, which was very good. I like most vegetables; steamed, roasted, baked, sauteed, fresh, marinated. Add some garlic, olive oil or fresh herbs and they become all the better.

You may be asking what brought this little rant on. Well, here it is in plain English: Slim Fast.

Yes, I'm on yet another diet.

Slim Fast is to me what stuffed, marinated olives are to Heather: gross. It's sweet, artificially flavored, tastes like powdered vitamins, it's colored with dyes, and oddly frothy. It embodies all that vegetables are not. After 2 days of two Slim Fasts a day, I'm wondering if losing 20 pounds is worth the agony of a strawberry "milkshake" or a Rich Chocolate Royale. I'm thinking vegetarianism is a more viable option.

So, picture my mood when I had just drained a can of Slim Fast and walked into the bathroom to see Zach dunking a hand towel in the toilet. Dunking. Like a donut in coffee. Like the native of a third world country washing clothes in a filthy stream. I don't know what his purpose was. I can't begin to imagine his thinking as he submerged it in the toilet bowl, then brought it up to scrub the seat with it. He had just finished doing his business in that same toilet.

Hm. What's worse: towels in toilets or Slim Fast? Seeing as I don't have to put the towel in my mouth, my vote's with the Slim Fast.

Which brings me to The Secret Life of Becky Miller. I have heard amazing things about this book. It's Christian mom lit written by Sharon Hinck. I made a special point of buying it on my trip back home. Alas, a few pages into the book and what's supposed to be humorous just mirrors my life right now. I read to escape the pot of water boiling over on the the stove and the toys littering the floor. At this place in my life, with my husband deployed and the weight of the family on my shoulders, I need to be in Dicken's London or flying with the Wright Brothers or scratching my head over poetry too lofty for me to understand. I need these escapes to stay sane for the sakes of my kids. I love them too much to read about my real life stresses in my free time. Though I'm sure the plot looks up after the first scene, I don't have the heart to find out.

So, my loss is your gain. Leave a comment on food, supplements, dieting, motherhood, what you do to relieve your stress, or anything else related to this post and I'll enter you in a drawing for a free, postage paid copy of The Secret Life of Becky Miller. I'll draw a name in one week, on May 21st. Feel free to enter, even if you're not a mom. I'm sure you know someone who is, and she would appreciate a free book!

A Thought for Reese

2007-05-13T05:11:00.000+01:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY REESE!

I pray you have an amazing day full of all the things that being a mother is all about...plus, a little time for a cup of tea and a good book! Thank you for being a blessing in my life..My prayer for today, my friend, is that you are truly blessed! I love you!!! Heather

Whoa! I won!

2007-05-12T13:50:00.000+01:00

I won a box of Fruity Cheerios at Five Minutes For Mom! How cool is that?

Be sure to enter in their Mother's Day give-aways before it's too late!

When The Cold Weather Matches My Mood...

2007-05-11T10:20:00.000+01:00

nothing warms me, body and soul, like a good cup of tea. And while this chai tea mix isn't as good as fresh-brewed chai, or even chai from a coffee shop, it still does the trick.

The less-than-desirable traits of this mix: it's made with powdered creamer (which contains evil hydrogenated fats), it uses instant tea (in every way inferior to real brewed tea), and it leaves dregs at the bottom of the cup, making the last few sips undrinkable. Oregon Chai, the gold standard for American chai, has a powdered mix that also leaves dregs, so there must not be much that can be done about that.

For this mix, I adapted this recipe to my taste. Follow the recipe exactly for vanilla chai, or use flavored creamers to create a unique taste. I've made caramel vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon vanilla, and chocolate caramel.

Cinnamon Vanilla Chai Mix

1/2 c nonfat dry milk powder
1 c cinnamon vanilla flavored powdered creamer
1 1/4 c white sugar
1 1/2 c unsweetened instant tea
1 t powdered ginger
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t each: ground cloves and ground cardamom
1/4 t ground white pepper

Combine mix in a medium bowl. Process in small batches in a food processor or blender. Add 2-4 teaspoons to very hot water and mix well. Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Chai

1/2 nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 c hot chocolate powder
1/2 c vanilla caramel flavored powdered creamer
1 1/4 c instant tea
1 t ginger
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t each: ground cloves and ground cardamom

Mix as in above recipe.

If you want your chai less spicy, reduce or skip the cardamom and pepper.

What I'll Be Reading This Summer:

2007-05-11T07:27:00.000+01:00

These and about 50 others may actually have a chance, since the love of my life is away. These are the ones I lugged in my suitcase all the way from America last month.

For Tim

2007-05-09T15:54:00.001+01:00

On Marriage and The Hole in My Heart

2007-05-09T15:38:00.000+01:00

The dull ache started last week, every time I thought of Tim leaving. Twenty-four hours before he left it became a deep sadness, the deepest I've ever known. By the time we had only four hours together it was a desperate sadness- thick and mucky and lonely. I felt compelled to tell him how much I loved him, how he was a part of me and I wouldn't be whole until he came back. I felt the tearing- him from me- in my heart. The gray clouds, wind, and driving rain matched my mood as I left the place where he boarded a bus that took him out of my life until the fall.

We've had a turbulent marriage. The early years were the worst, the middle years contained a prolonged separation and near divorce, these last years have been the easiest as we have gained a small level of maturity and experience that likely came from joining the military and moving across the world. We've come to rely on each other as partners and friends as never before. By the grace of God, we've survived storms that would sink most couples. To God be the glory for this. It's despite our weakness that we still stand as a couple and a family.

This image comes to my mind: when back home last month I picked up a Nifty Knitter, a funky little device that allows Kristine and I to knit hats and scarves and various other things with ease. (Nifty, eh?!) I made a hat for Kristine, using 2 threads of yarn, one a pretty multicolor thread in maroon/gray/ivory, the other a soft, fluffy sage green color. Using them both at the same time made the hat stronger, thicker and more sturdy. In creating it, I tied, twisted, stretched and manipulated the yarns- in the end I constructed a hat with what might have seemed like a hardship from the yarn's perspective.

God joined Tim and I together, allowing us to be twisted and tugged with our own sinfulness and by the natural afflictions of life. At one point we rebelled against the discomfort of it all, separating and unraveling our life together. All along I heard God's voice in my spirit: "You and Tim were meant for each other." After a time we renewed our vows- renewed our commitment to being woven and spun into a couple again. Now, looking back over the past few years, I can see the project taking shape. I see the ways I've become like him, the ways he's more like me, the similar interests and the ease with which we carry on conversations when given a moment to do so. I feel a bond with him that words can't adequately describe. I know I wasn't remiss in following God back to the loom of "Tim and Reese." In these hours since Tim left, the predominant feeling I have is one of incompleteness.

And it's not like we have attained some awesome level of marital maturity. We still fight and have misunderstandings, and there were times in the past few months I thought to myself, "I can't wait for him to leave!" (I'm sure he thought, "I can't wait to get away from this lady!") But when enduring a prolonged absence from one another, especially in the face of the dangers of war, all the crap falls away and it's just us. Suddenly the little things don't matter. The petty stuff seems so... petty. Larger, more important things loom ahead. Like love. Commitment. Family.

That's my encouragement to those of you reading this who are married: cherish the good, consciously discount the bad, and keep with it. Most of the time the bad really is trivial. Resist the natural urge to magnify the faults of your spouse and to look over the strengths. Cherish the one God put in your life. The gift of companionship and love is precious and worth every effort you put into it.

London Eats

2007-05-07T22:39:00.000+01:00

This may possibly be the make-or-break confession for the readers of my blog: I took pictures of just about everything I ate while on my weekend trip to London. Maybe this makes me cute-quirky; maybe I'm just weird.

It all started when T tried to convert me into a scrapbooker. It's just not my thing, and I told her so. Later we talked about how when Tim and I travel, eating the local cuisine is as important to us as seeing the sights. T suggested I scrapbook about the food we eat. That's how the idea was born.

At the airport, Jasmine and I ate breakfast at a German restaurant. We ordered the "American Breakfast" of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and rolls. I added tea and a plain yogurt. The next morning, at our hotel, I forgot to take pictures of my yogurt, tea, croissant, orange, and coffee, so I snapped one of the plate afterwards.

The morning we left, just before hopping on the Tube back to Liverpool Street (where we took the express to the airport), we stopped at Paul, a French patisserie, and had mochas and pastries. I had the eclair-- it was hands-down the BEST eclair I've ever had.

Jasmine took the pictures of the dinner we ate in London. As soon as I get them from her I'll post them.

I Have Nothing To Add To This One...

2007-05-07T13:22:00.000+01:00

This is just downright creepy:

A 9 year-old boy with an earache was found to have 2 spiders living in his ear! EEeewww!!!! Read the story here.

London!

2007-05-07T10:21:00.000+01:00

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." ~Samuel Johnson

I love London.

Let's face it: I love TD for sentimental reasons. I love the hills surrounding the town because as a child I looked forward to the spring when they turned a soft, new green before drying out in the summer, and in the winter I watched them for the first snow at the top that signified that snow could soon fall on us as well. I love the river because it is the marker by which I know north from south, a bit of knowledge I lack in Germany. I love the streets because each one marks a snapshot of my life as it was. It is the people and the past that gives TD its value.

But London- well, London I love on its own merit. I've been there twice and have only scratched the surface of all the wonder it holds. I've seen the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, the London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, St Mary's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the charming little restaurant Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. I've walked along the Thames river path, seen 10 Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives) and the Cabinet War Rooms, the Horse Guard arena, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. I've bought cheap souvenirs from friendly East Indian vendors, sipped tea in various cafes, and brushed shoulders with a thousand other tourists discovering my favorite city in the world.

If my dream of writing for a living were to become reality, I would live in London for a year and become as familiar with it as I am my hometown. I especially want to visit the places of importance in literary history, the homes and haunts of Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Aurthur Conan Doyle, Shakespeare, Dr. Samuel Johnson, GK Chesterton. I want to explore the little cobblestone streets just off the river, to see the art galleries and museums and try every non-organ British culinary dish there is.

Until then, I will savor the memories of the times I've had there. Here is a sampling:

Laughing At Myself and In Need of Prayer

2007-05-04T05:29:00.000+01:00

I have got to tell on myself!! LOL!! Today when I logged onto the computer and saw that Reese had put a "Praying for Heather" sign on our blog...I thought it was for me - LOL!!! I was getting ready to head off to the doctor (I haven't been in five years) and was feeling a little nervous so it really hit home for me..that Reese is over there in Germany and cared enough about me to put a little sign on our blog saying she was praying for me! I even went so far as to write her a little note about how thoughtful that was!! I actually was so stressed this morning that I cried when I saw it and it helped me throughout the day. I was wondering where she got such a cute little picture tonight when I clicked on it to see if maybe it would lead me somewhere to find something special for her and I learned what this is all about.

I have not read all about Heather yet but I will..and, I will be praying. Please go click on the "Praying for Heather" picture and please, say a prayer for her and her family tonight.

Uncle Sam Beckons

2007-05-03T12:29:00.000+01:00

Tim's getting ready to deploy. We knew what we were in for when he enlisted after 9/11, but the reality of him packing his bags is hard to swallow.

Zach wakes up every morning asking if "Dadda left on the plane yet?" He's afraid Tim will leave while he's sleeping. He remembers his last deployment and knows we won't see him for a long time. It's hard to explain to him, we just told him that Uncle Sam said he had to go away for awhile. (So far he hasn't asked who Uncle Sam is!)

Ian only gets the daddy's-going-on-an-airplane part. Airplanes he knows. "Airplane too! Me!" he begs.

Last time he deployed, it was to America. I had a new baby and a newly-pubertal preteen with an attitude; I don't think I ever came to terms with the fact that I was dealing with this all alone while Tim was on an extended vacation. Alone. Like I wanted to be.

This time there's a new emotion- fear for his safety. It certainly makes my position here easier to bear, not feeling left out and all since I don't envy his precarious assignment, but now I almost wish he was going to The States.

Please keep us all in your prayers over the next few months. I would appreciate it.

A Five Day Weekend?

2007-05-02T12:37:00.000+01:00

Did you know there's a group pressuring Congress for a 5 Day Weekend? It seems that what Congress's schedule works out to: Congress is in session 104 of 365 days each year.

Visit their site to become a Friend of the Five Day Weekend.

I'm thinkin' it'll never happen. What do you think?

Happy May Day!

2007-05-01T17:52:00.000+01:00

The Little Boys and I went for a walk to get pictures of the maypole in the next town over. Along the way we saw all sorts of animal, insects and flowers. Oh yeah, and the maypole!

The Fam Visits Burg Nanstein

2007-04-30T14:00:00.000+01:00

I have been without my camera for weeks. We left it at the terminal on the way to America- that's why I don't have any pictures of my time there. Now, I'm making up for lost time.

Saturday we went with friends to the castle Burg Nanstein at Landstuhl.

I Travel Thousands of Miles for Tea...

2007-04-30T13:22:00.000+01:00

The only way I could be sadder about this is if all the bags had been empty...

Interesting Word of the Day

2007-04-30T11:14:00.000+01:00

Curmudgeon, noun:
a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.

Gaelic Prayer

2007-04-30T11:06:00.000+01:00

As the hand is made for holding
and the eye for seeing,
thou hast fashioned me for joy.
Share with me the vision that shall find it
everywhere;
in the wild violet's beauty;
in the lark's melody;
in the face of a steadfast man;
in a child's smile;
in a mother's love;
in the purity of Jesus.

Where Have All The Nice People Gone?

2007-04-28T11:48:00.000+01:00

What ever happened to customer service? Has the title of those who serve the public in businesses been changed to exclude it? Maybe "customer service" is seen as different from being friendly and courteous, since it's technically possible to serve the customer by scanning their purchases and bagging them without looking the customer in the eye or even uttering a single word.

I put a few small kitchen appliances on layaway a few weeks ago. To do this I must show my military ID. When the picture was taken my hair was blond; now it's red. The ONLY way the young lady assisting me acknowledged my existence was to look from me to the picture on the ID, back at me, back at the picture, then she ROLLED HER EYES! Oh yes, she muttered the total due as well.

Yesterday there was a question about the price on a short set I was buying for one of The Boys. As we waited, the girl (who hadn't even looked up when I approached her checkout and hadn't said a word to me yet) said, "Do you just want to pay for these other things and wait and pay for the outfit later?" She wanted to move me aside and go to the next customer. What? Is that customer service? The question about the price was the fault of the store, yet I was being treated as the problem, the one holding up the line. I told her no.

Sometimes in these situations I play the part of customer service representative and ask in a perky voice, "How are you today?" I may chat about the weather or ask how their day is going. I'm becoming increasingly annoyed with this approach, as I am doing the job they get a paycheck for. Lately I stand their sharing their sullen silence.

Am I the only one annoyed by this? Does anyone have a suggestion for how to deal with it, other than carrying a sock puppet in my purse and pulling it out so I can converse with it during these awkward times?

Quote of the Day

2007-04-24T12:35:00.000+01:00

"To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."

~ Helen Keller

2007-04-24T07:55:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday to my rockin' daughter!

Eleven years and counting...

(I'm a day late on this post. Sorry, K!)

Our Trip To America

2007-04-24T06:56:00.000+01:00

I'm back in Germany.

It's good to be home. (By "home" I really mean my house, which holds all my stuff. "Home", after this trip to America, has been solidified in my mind as my hometown. Still, it's good to be in my own bed, with my new memory foam pillow to go with my memory foam bed, and a fresh new stock of tea.)

The trip to America was so sudden that the stress of packing was reduced somewhat. There was no time for stress. It had to be done in a day. All of it: laundry, cleaning, bags for The Boys, myself, the carry-on bag, my purse emptied and its contents redistributed. After several years of doing this, I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

Then on the plane I clearly heard God speak to my spirit. I've set this trip up for a reason. Somehow I knew it, as it was all so unplanned yet effortless. I wondered if the purpose in the trip would be evident to me by the time we flew home.

It wasn't.

The major thing that happened during our time home was that our hearts were bound more strongly to our family and friends and to the town Tim and I both grew up in. In the years since we joined the military, moving back there has seemed like a quaint but impossible thing, possibly a town to retire to when we are old, but not a place we could sustain our family in now. But five years away has worked its loneliness into our hearts and even the beauty of the countryside surrounding our perfect house here in Germany seems diseased in comparison to the town we know and the people we love. I may have the heart of a pioneer, to some extent, but it is only a thin layer of tough pioneer mettle - in the end my longing for home wins out.

We usually stay 3-4 weeks; this trip was only 2 weeks long. That's likely why we didn't get burnt out this time around. Typically by the time we leave we're more than ready to leave- living out of suitcases in someone else's house is hard for long periods of time, especially with very young kids. This trip was pleasant and we were truly sad to be going back to Germany. Even Sean and Kristine begged to stay. That's never happened before.

There were many highlights:

Play time with The Boys at the park, while eating take-out from one of our favorite Mexican fast food places native to the Northwest.
Surprising my family and Heather with early morning stops at their houses as soon as we got into town.
The Last Days of Jesus annual production by a local church.
Easter with family.
Lunches with mom and Heather.
Dinner with Billie, and a quick stop at C and A's house to see them and their girls.
Dinner with A and W and their family.
Hooking up with old friends at Spooky's, and again the next day at church.
A trip eastward, with visits with my grandparents and aunt, an old school friend, and our former youth pastors.
Tea with my M-I-L and Kristine.

After a full and exhausting time, we had to go. Four hours to the terminal, a couple hour's wait, a five hour flight, eight hours at the terminal in South Carolina, a ten hour flight to Germany, a couple hour's drive... finally. "Home."

Identity

2007-04-15T17:29:00.000+01:00

I have been reminded the last few days that my identity solely lies in those around me. Is this the way God intended it to be? No. My identity should be solely dependent on who God says I am. I lack the self confidence to be myself and to accept myself as I am. God made me and to say that I am anything less than beautiful, competent, smart, etc., would be saying that my Creator made a mistake.

I am going to be transparent here. My husband bought something that I HATE! Something that I think makes him look bad, which in turn...makes me look bad. I am praying about it...but, at times my prayers sound something like this: "Lord, I pray you would work in my heart with this issue, please help me to be the wife I need to be, help me to be supportive and understanding...but, Lord, don't forget to take it away...make my husband take it back".

That is not a very trusting prayer. That is me trying to "fix" the situation to something that will make me feel better about myself instead of trusting in who God says I am and being worried about what people might think or say about me.

We are doing a bible study at church right now called TrueFaced. It's amazing! A lot of concepts that are foreign to me, but at the same time make perfect sense. It's all about finding our identity in Christ and who He says we are. I have been really trying to take it to heart, to truly understand what God says about me. To live my life in a way that honors Him, with the talents I have been given. The revelation this week astounds me on how dependent I am on other people instead of dependent on Christ. I have failed this week, but it's been good for me to look this issue square in the eye

One of the main phrases in the book TrueFaced is this: "Living Out of Who God Says I am". When we live our lives out of who God says we are, instead of how we may feel or what others may think, then we have an abundant life. A life that God can work through. That is my prayer this week. That I honestly Trust in who God says I am despite all the negativity in my mind and thoughts. That I be Me, the Me that I am meant to be, and not be worried about what anyone but the Lord thinks. The other thing I need to work on is letting my husband be who he is meant to be, instead of trying to change him. I think I have a tough week ahead! :)

A Lot of Money

2007-04-11T18:33:00.000+01:00

I think our youngest is going to be our most expensive child by far. She is almost five and this morning came into where her dad was sitting at his desk and says "Dad, when I'm a little bit older, you are going to have to buy me braces. My teeth are crooked!". What four year old thinks of this kind of stuff???

Easter With Reese's Family

2007-04-09T17:34:00.000+01:00

Big families are big fun.

And big headaches.

We are used to being at home, alone in our huge house in the middle of fields, the six of us left to our own smallish squabbles and joys. Now we're home with four grandparents, three aunts, two uncles, and six cousins. The Boys are finally old enough to relate to their cousins, though they can't remember their names and most often refer to them with grunts and pointing (Ian) or as "My Big Boy" and "That Boy/Girl" (Zach). At one set of grandparent's house, the house is bigger and the children fewer, which only seems to give the little ones room to pick up speed before bouncing off the walls. This scenario leaves the adults communicating loudly from all corners of the house as they chase tornadoes of smudged faces and unruly hair.

At the other grandparent's house, the house is much, much smaller with many, many more children. There's a sort of sardine effect, a dumbed-down bouncing-off-the-walls involving tripping and stumbling over toys and small bodies, the bouncing off walls initiating a domino effect that leaves toddlers and preschoolers sprawling. The adults still yell their attempts at communication, only the corners of the house are only ten feet away. The sea of children often requires that we repeat ourselves and lean forward to catch bits of adult conversation.

After our early morning Easter activities and church service, we went back to Tim's parents house for a quick egg hunt. Kristine and I filled plastic eggs with candy and Tim and his sister C hid them in the living room while the kids waited in the kitchen. This was the last of the orderly process. Tim forgot the eagerness that kids feel to hunt for the newly-hidden sugar-high inducers and sat down and began chatting. C, a bit younger and with a fresher memory of the antsy anticipation of youth, gave the green light to find the eggs. At just about the time all the eggs had been found, Tim came to and realized he had missed the big event, and that little Ian was still wandering around with an empty basket while the older kids struggled to contain their large finds. He made them put them all back. No kidding.

Then the wailing began. The weeping and gnashing of teeth. The dark night of the soul. Terror in the midst of joyous Easter celebrations. Let me tell you, taking candy from a baby is nothing compared to taking candy from elementary school kids.

Somehow we all survived and the kids went on to hunt and find, consume and hit the ground running off their sugar.

We gathered our brood and left for the second half of our day with my family. There we spent a few hours getting up close and personal (sixteen people in five small rooms will speed the re-introduction process by leaps and bounds) with family members we haven't seen in a long time. We stayed until Zach fell asleep up-right and flopped over onto his back on the floor. He snoozed soundly with his hands under his head as people stepped over him until we were ready to go.

Nothing compares to Easter at home.

Impromptu Vacation

2007-04-03T15:51:00.000+01:00

Where we are...

Where we're going...

How we feel about it...

My Van

2007-04-03T11:09:00.000+01:00

Being an American that has no clue, I had to Google Zima. So, now that I know... ignore the Zima parts and take a look at the van I drive.

They're Back!

2007-04-02T07:48:00.000+01:00

I knew the day was coming. At times I would almost forget, but even then the knowledge that my creepy housemates were only laying low for the winter was still lurking in my mind. Lurking like a spider. Like a really, really big spider.

I knelt down to help Zach get his jammies on last night when I caught sight of a big, fuzzy piece of lint. I picked it up and said with a laugh, "I thought this was a big spider!"

Zach started giggling and said, "No, Mama, that's the big spider!" He was pointing to the wall behind me.

It was a Twilight Zone moment. I could practically hear the eerie organ in the background. I turned and looked at the wall. Just above the book shelf was one of our monstrous spiders.

I knew the day was coming when they would reappear. Spring has sprung, and the spiders are back. I wrote about them last fall, right before they left us with the rosy illusion that we lived in the house alone. And now they're back.

Tim was absorbed in an instant message conversation with my brother, so if I was going to get his help capturing the beast I would need to allow some of the panic I was feeling to come through my voice.

"Tiiiiiiiiiiim!"

I must have over-emphasized the panic, judging by the way he bolted out of his chair and came running at me with a stance that could only have been born out of his military training. He was running a bit like a spider himself, his knees bent and his arms wide. His eyes were like saucers as they searched the room. He looked as if Osama bin Laden had been spotted, hiding out under one of the boys' beds. He was James Bond meets Spiderman, with a little Mr. Bean for good measure.

Had the spider been even a half inch smaller, he probably would have scolded me. Seeing the size, he understood my alarm. He handcuffed the perp and led it away.

Truly, the spiders are just about enough to make me want to move. I've seen so many spiders in my life, even had one walk across the covers, right under my nose one night in an apartment we lived in. That scared me. It made me shiver when I thought about it, but it never made me want to pack up my bags and leave the country. I'm afraid that when we're away in The States for spring break, the spiders will take over. They may take to using the toilet and have afternoon tea with my best tea cups. I can see Mrs. Monster with 4 pairs of my high heels on, my velvet red cape draped over her bulbous middle. On the bright side, all the groceries I just bought won't go bad.

Gretchen had a beast feast for her midnight snack last night. I hope she stays hungry.

Being a Parent is Hard

2007-03-29T18:16:00.000+01:00

Last night I sat on the bathroom floor with my soon to be 9 year old son, Mark, and watched as the tears poured down his face. He was crying because he can't remember his cousin anymore. James passed away when he was 19 months old due to a genetic disease called Menkes. Mark was 7 at the time. He says he just wishes he could remember something, but he can't. That's so hard. Mark adored James and spent so much time with him..but, he just can't remember.

He's finally asking questions...tough ones. Ones that I ask and have no answers for. We talked about all the wonderful lessons we learned and how we would not have ever learned those lessons if it weren't for James. We learned that every person, no matter what the disability, deserved love and acceptance. They have amazing personalities that shine through their eyes and their limited movements. We learned unconditional love. But, then you have to ask..why James..why did we have to learn those lessons at the sacrifice of James? Tough questions for an 8 year old, tough questions for a mom still muddling through some of those same issues.

It's hard being a parent. It's hard to watch your child suffer and question life issues. At the same time, it's wonderful to watch them learn about life and to find stability in a God that loves and saves them. One of the best lessons we learned is that God will not take away all of our tough times, but he will definately walk through them with us. He sees the big picture. James is already with Him, and we will be eventually. Maybe in the end, that is all that matters.

There are also amazing fun times, times that I am thankful for and still wouldn't change but, again, not an easy thing to understand.

Mark is a wonderful child. He's extremely sensitive and loving. I just have to keep praying that he will keep talking and expressing himself, that he won't bottle any of his feelings up. What a blessing it is to be his mom!

We Have Been Assimilated

2007-03-27T11:07:00.000+01:00

Tim and I were teenagers when we married. Certainly many of the troubles we encountered were due to trying to grow up as we adjusted to our new adult relationship and responsibilities. One of the silly things we resented rather than embraced in each other were simple differences in such things as beverage and food preferences.

I'm not sure when Tim began liking coffee, but by the time we had been married a few years he was a big fan. I, on the other hand, couldn't stand the slightest sip of the bitter brew. Occasionally he would make wistful comments like, "I sure wish you liked coffee". Or he would beg me to try a cup of some outstanding brew he was sipping, and when I recoiled at the taste, he would hang his head in disappointment.

This disappointment was shared between us on many issues. I like cinnamon flavored gum and mints; he doesn't. Until a few months ago, Tim thought he was allergic to many nuts, including cashews and walnuts. I never bought these nuts, or anything that contained them, and I resented it. He liked his toast made in a toaster; I have always thought toast made in the oven under a broiler is far superior to dry, one-dimensional toaster-toasted bread. I would read books all day if I could; imagine my shock when he confided to me that he's only actually finished reading two books in his life (aside from picture or children's books when he was younger, of course). I prefer to wake up early and go to bed at a decent time; he is a night owl and used to sleep the day away whenever he got the chance. I like country music; he could never even tolerate the first seconds of a country song.

To adults, these are little differences in personality. To us, they meant a lot and caused resentment and arguments between us.

I tried to like coffee, just for his sake. I choked down a couple cappuccinos in Italy - I added a lot of sugar - to complete the experience. My mom told me that she and my dad used to dislike coffee but learned to like it because not drinking coffee in certain social situations makes a person an oddball. I understood. I have been the oddball-non-coffee-drinker many times.

Somehow, after many unsuccessful attempts, I can now drink coffee. I sweeten it quite a bit, and use flavored creamers or syrups when available, but I like it. I look forward to Saturdays and Sundays when Tim is home and makes the weekend pots of coffee. I usually only have one cup each day. Sometimes, he even lets me sprinkle cinnamon in the grounds.

Saturday, he was making coffee when he asked me to make him some toast.

"The toaster's right there on the shelf," I pointed out. "Just pop some bread in."

"Well, I'd like some made in the oven. The good way, like you do it." He replied.

"What?! You always hated it that way."

"Well, it took some time, but you're right, it's better."

Then we took a second to smile at each other and comment on how we're becoming more and more like each other in some ways.

Slowly, with age, maturity, added knowledge and experience and lots of time spent together, a few things have changed. He found out from the allergist that he isn't allergic to most of the nuts he thought he was allergic to. I go to bed a little later, he gets up a little earlier. I drink a cup of coffee now and then, he drinks tea with me. He likes oven-toasted bread. I realized he actually reads quite a bit, but in the form of music and computer magazines rather than novels. While in Florida last year, he discovered the appeal of country music, even if he still isn't a huge fan.

Ah, the glory of the little victories.

Spam and Limericks

2007-03-23T09:50:00.000Z

Thanks to the new strategies by spammers to get their emails into my inbox, the spam cracks me up rather than making me upset. Here is a sampling of a few of the subjects of the 21 emails in my junk mail folder:

A sang is scarecrow

Go dessert do pounce (This one is quite malicious.)

When will it be okay

My caper on shin

Or vicksburg in colorado

The emails are written by such chums of mine as Lwkrebs sadden, Tcannot caption, Gzpgradate midshipman, and Ruemommy budge.

I'm still not sure how their efforts are being rewarded. Who falls for this sort of thing?

On a completely unrelated topic, I am issuing a formal challenge to my broad reader base to head over to The Limerick Lounge and submit a limerick. As it states on the blog, "You can't be grumpy if you start the day off with a limerick." If and when you accept this challenge, post your poetic creation as a comment here. (I currently have two of my three only limericks up at The Lounge. To see them, click here and here. For my third limerick, click here.) I feel certain there is a person or two out there just dying to put pen to paper and poke fun at a goofy coworker or capture their frustrations at any number of irritations. Anyone?

Ramblings: Illness, Bad Smells, and Green Tea

2007-03-21T09:27:00.000Z

I woke up at midnight to Ian crying after he threw up in his crib. After bathing him, changing his bedding, starting a load of laundry, and tucking him in, he threw up again. Repeat cleaning routine. Lay down, drift off for three minutes... wake up again to more vomit. Poor kid. I must have done at least 5 loads of laundry in the middle of the night. I can't be sure, I lost track around 5:30. That's when the vomit gave way to diarrhea, except for occasional episodes of loud, prolonged burping that I think would have been throwing up had anything been left in my little man's tummy. With all the extra pillows in the house at some phase of cleaning, a giant, stuffed Magenta became his pillow. By then poor Ian was so weak and achy, he didn't even notice.

One of the most valuable skills a mom can develop is the ability to breathe for long periods of time through her mouth. It's second nature to me now: one initial sniff of the room first thing in the morning or during times of illness to determine what it is I'm dealing with, then the nose shuts down. Tim still hasn't picked up this skill, even after 13 years as a parent. He walks into a room abundant with fowl smells and recoils in horror while exclaiming, "How can you stand being in there?"

Oy, and now my tummy is feeling distinctly temperamental. It's 11am and I've been up permanently for three hours and I haven't put a thing in my mouth. I don't want to fuel the fire. I hate getting the illness far more than I hate cleaning up after the sick child.

I started thinking about the numerous claims that green tea kills viruses. I really want to know if swabbing the inside of my nose with brewed green tea will help prevent colds and other virus-related illnesses. Along the lines of green tea benefits, green tea is also supposed to be miraculous for the skin. Skin care products with green tea can cost hundreds of dollars. Why can't I brew a cup of organic green tea, dip a cotton ball in it and wipe it all over my face? A couple Qtips dipped in it with which to swab my nose, then drink the rest. If my calculations are correct (and you know they aren't), I should live longer, have fewer viruses attack my body, and retain youthful skin well into my middle age years. I wish I could recruit my closest friends for a long-term experiment, but I can't imagine Billie or Heather agreeing to a daily nose swabbing.

In Defense of Freedom

2007-03-20T14:53:00.000Z

I picked up a book on Saturday called Words That Changed America, Great Speeches that Inspired, Challenged, Healed, and Enlightened edited by Alex Barnett. It contains speeches by influential people from important phases in America's history. Some are instantly recognizable by their most famous lines:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." (Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence)

"I have a dream..." (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Ronald Reagan)

Among these I found speeches I have never heard - or even heard of - as well as some I have heard parts of but not the context in which they were given. Such as John F. Kennedy's challenge during his inaugural address in 1961 to:

"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

One speech in particular moved me to tears. In Patrick Henry's address to the Virginia legislature, he urged the endorsement of a resolution of war against England. At the time tensions had reached their height, with England imposing numerous restrictions and taxes on the colonists while refusing them basic rights as British citizens, such as representation in Parliament. The American congress had boycotted British goods and had appealed to the king to mediate their disputes with Parliament. Britain's response: warships were sent to the colonies with the intention of subduing any attempts at revolt. On March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry said

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not for the strong alone; it is for the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentleman cry, peace, peace - but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

What a tremendous price our forefathers paid for the freedoms we enjoy. And what great price is being paid even today in defense of those invaluable freedoms. In a time when there are those who would see America fall because of her freedoms of speech and religion and her firm foundation as a Christian nation, some rush to her defense. Others cry out "Peace! Peace!" as they did in 1775, but at what cost? While the current price of freedom is high, the crushing cost of "hugging the delusive phantom of hope" for the sake of temporary peace would cost us everything our country is based on.

America lost its sons and daughters in the terror attacks on the USS Cole in 2000, in the September 11th attacks, and in other attacks in the past few years. We watched in horror as murderers beheaded our brothers and blew up not only military targets but civilians as well. As Thomas Paine said in his 1776 pamphlet Common Sense:

"But if you say, you can still pass the violations over, then I ask, Hath your house been burnt? Hath your property been destroyed before your face? Are your wife and children destitute of a bed to lie on, or bread to live on? Have you lost a child by their hands, and yourself the ruined and wretched survivor? If you have not, then you are not a judge of those who have. But if you have, and can still shake hands with the murderers, then you are unworthy of the name husband, father, friend, or lover, and whatever may be your rank or title in life, you have the heart of a coward, and the spirit of a sycophant..."

The similarities in our plight now to that of our ancestors is interesting and enlightening. May God raise up leaders now like the great leaders of the past, and may our resolve for freedom be as strong as that of the Americans who went before us.

I Copied Reese - This is Too Fun!

2007-03-16T18:33:00.000Z

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Reese's Visual DNA

2007-03-16T09:12:00.001Z

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Bathroom Entourage

2007-03-10T14:04:00.000Z

I had to laugh as I held the door for those who were following behind me: first Zach, then Ian, then the dog and her ever-present tennis ball. I shut the door as they took up their various activities in the room. Ian reached for the hand mirror and began playing peek-a-boo with himself, Zach started sorting through drawers, and Gretchen nosed the ball at my feet so I could nudge it back to her. The reason for the gathering? We were in the bathroom and Mama needed to go.

I think I use the bathroom with my entourage present more often than I do alone. When the older kids and Tim are home, I lock myself in for a few minutes of solitude. Usually, one of The Boys is knocking at the door before I've washed my hands. When my absence goes undetected, I'm likely to sit on the edge of the bathtub and enjoy the silence.

It's not uncommon for me to awaken first thing in the morning to Zach shoving Thomas The Tank Engine underwear in my face, asking me to turn them right-side-out so he can put them on. From that moment on, I belong to The Boys. I'm the nanny, the housekeeper, the nurse, the medic, the crayon/Play Doh/Candyland getter, the cook, the waitress, the busboy. Even Zach walking through a door requires my attention these days: if I'm on the other side of a door he wants to open, he knocks and waits for me to call out "Come in!" before he opens it. Yes, even if it's the kitchen or his own bedroom.

Bedtime for The Boys is 7:30 for a reason. When the boys' heads hit their respective pillows, Mama Time begins. I wrap up loose ends around the house- dishes, laundry, little messes and clutter- then retreat to my room to read, watch a movie or write. Most often I settle in... then wake up three hours later to Tim saying, "Reese, why are you sleeping sitting up in bed with the light on? You're drooling all over your book."

Ah, well. I'll try again tomorrow night.

Time To Vote!

2007-03-09T13:52:00.000Z

OK, people, it's time to vote! Head over to An Island Life and vote for one of the entries in the "What Inspires Me..." photo contest. You can vote once a day.

Heather's iPod Shuffle

2007-03-09T06:00:00.000Z

I love this! Most of my songs are from American Idol people (I need new songs!) this could be interesting....but, here we go:

Watching You by Rodney Atkins
Time by Day of Fire
Through the Fire by Day of Fire
Didn't you know how much I Loved You by Kellie Pickler
Escape Your Love by Michael W. Smith
Things that Never Cross a Man's Mind by Kellie Picker
Come to the Cross by Michael W. Smith
Oh Lord, You're Beautiful by Michael W. Smith
The Power of a Moment by Chris Rice
My Kind of Crazy by Brooks & Dunn

Wow! I have to say I am shocked by that. I have Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks and several other artists on my iPod. I guess they don't make the top 10 today.

I'm Back!

2007-03-09T05:47:00.000Z

For some reason I have been having a hard time posting lately. The truth is I try and think of something wise or fantastic to say and just can't think of anything. I'm not sure you all want to hear about my mundane life. So, since I am being pathetic about this whole thing, I decided to just give you an update on my life and hopefully that will get me back down the blogging path.

January is a month filled with grief for me. 9 years ago my best friend's baby died a couple days after he was born due to a labor accident. I was 8 months pregnant with my second. Since then January has been hard, but the last two years have proved that the month can get harder. On December 31, 2004 my precious nephew passed away at 19 months and now, this January, my great-grandmother passed away. January is just hard and I tend to go into "hiding" during that month and shy away. At times I want to run but I do feel the Lord working with me and guiding me through these hard times. There were times this year that I thought it would never end, but spring is on it's way! Thankfully there is always happiness in spite of sorrow.

February was full of normalcy for me. I always love normalcy - LOL!! It means no extremes either way and I am happy with that! I can't even really remember what happened in February, the month just flew by.

I am thrilled that we are into March. It means that spring is almost here. Spring is one of my favorite times of year. It means I can start planning hiking trips, open the doors and windows at home and just enjoy the weather and all that comes with it.

Reese has done an awesome job updating the blog. I have loved reading each of her updates. We have had a lot of new people stop by and that is so awesome! I hope each of you are doing well. I am going to try and step up to the plate so she doesn't have to do this all on her own like she has the last three or four months.

What Inspires Me...

2007-03-04T09:33:00.000Z

This photo reminds me of why I do what I do... and I why at times I don't do other things. This season of my life is all about the kids; the the diapers, the sleepless nights, the runny noses, the sloppy kisses, the squeals of delight, the hide-and-go-seek. There are a hundred little smiles just waiting to be found!

Head over to to An Island Life to enter the "What Inspires You?" photo contest. Then vote on the entries March 9-11.

iPod Shuffle

2007-03-03T22:11:00.000Z

Prompted by Greta's Musings, I hit "Shuffle Songs" on my iPod, and will now list the 10 songs that played:

Stand Here With Me by Creed
Undefeated by Audio Adrenaline
Once by Harry Connick, Jr.
Dizzy by Sixpence None The Richer
With Arms Wide Open by Creed
Do-Re-Mi by Harry Connick, Jr.
Good Times Gonna Come by Aqualung
Blaze Of Glory by Bon Jovi
Walk The Proud Land by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Come By Me by Harry Connick, Jr.

I wasn't surprised by the HCJ songs, I listen to his music very often and have eight of his albums on my iPod. On the other hand, Creed took me by surprise. I'm not even sure I knew I had any of their music on here! And Bob Marley...that's Tim's doing!

The Ultimate Blog Party!

2007-03-03T18:37:00.000Z

It's the Ultimate Blog Party over at 5 Minutes For Mom! I am oh-so-totally-new to the whole world of Christian/mom blogging, so I'm feeling a little timid, but I'll jump right in.

I'm Reese and I started this humble little blog as an outlet for my thoughts. Living on the opposite side of the world as most of my family and best friends, and 45 minutes from most of my Air Force Wife friends, sometimes I miss the informal ways people communicate. Sitting around with friends, I used to throw out ideas and thoughts and stuff I did without much thought- until the only ones in earshot were the 2 preschoolers hanging on my legs! So this was my answer to the silence and the mundane hubbub of my life. Since I've begun writing my random thoughts here I'm pretty sure I talk to myself less! LOL! I can't quite be sure though...

I'm 31, wife to Tim (husband of nearly 14 years), and mom to 4 kids (1 teen, 1 preteen, 2 preschoolers). I'm living in a small farming community in Germany, though I'm really a red-blooded American from Oregon.

I'm juggling my current dreams of writing and pastry school with dishes, diapers, and housework.

My friend Heather blogs with me when she has time and the mood strikes her. We have a no-pressure deal, but it's been awhile and I must confess to missing her posts.

I chronicle a few of my cooking experiences at my food blog The Know-Nothing Gourmet. It's become one of my funnest hobbies: cooking, taking pictures and posting them! It's a hoot looking back and having documentation of the stuff I've made! It's the closest thing to sharing a real plate of cookies or muffins with my family and friends.

I also keep a daily log of things that strike me as interesting on some level at Poetical Curiosity.

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to getting to know some of you better!

Caffeine Awareness Month

2007-03-01T15:40:00.000Z

It's
Caffeine Awareness Month!

Before you get too excited, you should understand that the awareness is aimed at educating you on the dangers of caffeine. Not all a bad thing, as then you are able to make an informed decision.

How much do you know about the world's most widely used drug? Take the quiz to find out.

Calculate your daily caffeine consumption here.

I found this article very informative and interesting. I was disturbed by the claim that as many as 75% of newborns have detectable caffeine in their blood.

# # #

In unrelated news...

This is the 100th post on this blog!

Woo-hoo!

Myspace Codes: MyNiceSpace.com

Rose Petal Tea

2007-02-26T19:05:00.000Z

Republic of Tea's Rose Petal Tea

Cologne Sidewalk Art

2007-02-26T11:05:00.000Z

Sidewalk paintings outside the cathedral at Cologne (Koln), Germany. These were taken last fall. When we walked by in early afternoon, there was nothing there. By evening the artists and ground were covered in chalk.

Come By Me

2007-02-16T19:14:00.000Z

I used to sing Danny Boy (replacing "Danny" with their names) to Zach and Ian at bedtime, but lately I've been letting their Veggie Tales Worship cd lull them off to la-la land. Tonight, Ian was a bit fussy so I started singing Danny Boy, hoping I could calm him down so Bob and Larry could take over. Zach stopped me, "No! Mama! Sing Harry Connick, Jr.!" (He pronounces it "Howy Conni Junoy".)

I said, "Harry Connick, Jr. sings 'Danny Boy.' "

"No, sing my favorite..." Then he broke in to his own rendition of Come By Me.

"Come by me. Blah-blah-blah-blah, Baby. Tell me how blah-blah-blah-blah."

He had the tune nearly right! It melted my heart. So in honor of my second favorite musician (Tim ranks first) and my favorite Zach singing his favorite Howy Conni Junoy song, here is the video Come By Me.

Baby Born In Mom's Sweat Pants

2007-02-16T10:09:00.000Z

Imagine this: you're in labor, waiting in the hospital parking lot as your mom and sister run in for a doc and a wheelchair. You have a really hard contraction, and the next thing you know, there's a baby in the leg of your sweat pants.

This actually happened to Rebecca Johnson in Connellsville, Pa. Mason Matthew Parkinson made his entrance into the world, directly into his mother's pants on Valentine's day. Click here for the full story.

Boy, am I glad I'm done having kids! There will be no babies in my sweat pants.

Milli Vanilli

2007-02-15T19:07:00.000Z

I realize this is a rather risky confession to make, but still I will make it: I still feel pangs of sadness when I think of the demise of Milli Vanilli. Yes, this confession dates me. Yes, I am a dork.

Blame It On The Rain still comes to my mind now and then, and I suddenly find myself back in my hometown sitting in my boyfriend's back yard in the drizzle, talking about something I can't recall. They sold 11 million albums- I can't be the only one that liked their songs. I openly hoped for years that whoever it was really singing would come forward and make it big.

Now Hollywood is cashing in on the biggest music industry humiliation of the late 80's/early 90's. Click here for the Reuter's story. Maybe watching it will finally bring me some closure.

Eeewww.....

2007-02-15T14:31:00.000Z

Office desks were found to have 400 times more bacteria than office toilets! And women have 3 to 4 times the number of germs as men do on, in or around their desks. Women, maybe you should pull those munchies out of your desk and go eat them in the bathroom today. Just a thought...

For the complete story, click here.

Reese...Story...Carrie....Reese

2007-02-15T10:11:00.000Z

So, it turns out I actually have 3 more readers than I thought I had. (Did I mention I have only 3 readers?!) Due to a near overwhelming response to my name change, I find it necessary to remind my readers of #'s 11, 12 and 13 of 100 Things About Reese.

I have been feeling a little lost lately, confused by my real identity and the virtual one I have created for myself online. I've always envied those on Blogger and MySpace who come up with clever names for themselves and catchy phrases that express their quirkiness or refer to some had-to-have-been-there moment that none of the rest of gets. The harsh reality is that my life is dull; hopelessly, irrefutably dull. I played around with different names (such as "The Lady in the Water" because that was the first thing that came to my mind, having just watched the movie the night before and thinking it would be infinitely more interesting to be Story than me), but in the end my childhood name of Carrie was all that came to me. No doubt, in a day or two I will revert back to Reese. So, for those of you in a panic, there is no need to start calling me Carrie. This too shall pass.

Asking For Faith

2007-02-08T09:19:00.000Z

God used a friend's tough time to bring this encouragement to my mind. I hope it helps her; it certainly helped me.

Remember the guy asking Jesus for a miracle? Jesus said he just needed faith. The man's reply was something like this: "I know you can do it. But part of me doubts. Please help my unbelief." He asked for faith to have faith. He didn't approach God pretending to have it all together. His mind knew what his heart had a hard time grasping. His solution- the right solution- was to be honest. With the simple honesty of a child he asks Jesus to give him faith for what he's asking for. Interesting, don't you think? Jesus is okay with giving us everything we need, not only the miracle we ask for but also the faith we need to believe for the miracle.

When you doubt that God has his best in store for you, simply whisper, "Lord, please help me to overcome my unbelief." Pray it every day until you see God's hand. Then wait in eager expectation. Don't run ahead of him, don't conjure up images of his hand when his hand isn't in a situation. He knows what's best for you. He will never leave you. He has something for you. He will pass the blessing along in his perfect timing.

Lift your eyes up. Where does your help come from? It comes from The Lord, strong and mighty who knows the perfect plans he has to cause you to prosper as you wait on him. That's the real reason you should keep your chin up.

Interesting Word of the Day

2007-02-03T09:41:00.000Z

Smatter

verb: 1.) to speak a language without fluency
2.) to study or approach superficially; dabble in
3.) to prattle

2007-02-02T09:49:00.000Z

Happy Groundhog's Day!!!

Update:

Phil didn't see his shadow! According to German folklore, this means an early spring! Yay!

Since 1886, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 96 times, and not seen his shadow only 15 times. The last time he failed to see his shadow was 1999.

God's Green Thumb

2007-01-31T16:19:00.000Z

I have an anti-green thumb. Whatever the opposite of a green thumb is, that's what I have. Just ask the ghosts of the many house plants that have perished under my care (or lack thereof). Most recently it was a hearty little guy (the best kind for me) that would eventually pale and go limp when I ignored it, yet perk up within hours of a good watering. It was fine after our move, but as it got cooler and we turned the heat on its outer leaves began to grow brown and the inner ones barely responded to water. A friend and I looked over it, discussing its health and agreeing that all it needed was a little pruning and a change of location. I cut back all the old leaves and moved it to a different window, away from the heater it was perched over in the dining room window. I was satisfied that it would once again pull through. It died less than a week later.

I have two tattered tropical tree-looking plants that hang on for dear life, despite their trunk-like stems sporting six inches of dead leaves. They tip terribly sideways, and I admit I have a little grudge against them. If they stood straight and tall they'd deserve better care.

A couple of nights ago I was reading Psalm 1, which is brought to you now by The International Bible Society.

¹ Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

What a blessing that God isn't a caretaker like me, eh? He takes his children and, as a reward for seeking his grace, plants them next to water. He doesn't hold a grudge against me for my crooked stance or evidence of the old life in me. He doesn't forget to water me or neglect to meet my deepest and most basic needs. He has the ultimate green thumb.

Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so!

Poem of the Day

2007-01-31T11:53:00.000Z


	Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so: For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death; nor yet canst thou kill me. From Rest and Sleep, which but thy picture be, Much pleasure, then from thee much more must flow; And soonest our best men with thee do go-- Rest of their bones and souls' delivery! Thou'rt slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell; And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke. Why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And Death shall be no more: Death, thou shalt die!

Interesting Word of the Day

2007-01-30T21:20:00.000Z

Cockamamie

adjective: ridiculous, pointless, or nonsensical

Again, another word too fun to pass up!

Poem of the Day

2007-01-29T11:45:00.000Z

I'm continuing through a book of "best loved poems." One a day, till I'm done.

My True-Love Hath My Heart

My true-love hath my heart, and I have his,
By just exchange one for another given:
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss,
There never was a better bargain driven:
My true-love hath my heart, and I have his.

His heart in me keeps him and me in one,
My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides:
He loves my heart, for once it was his own,
I cherish his because in me it bides:
My true-love hath my heart, and I have his.

~Sir Philip Sidney

Poem of the Day

2007-01-28T10:27:00.000Z

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant poises,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs;
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.

The shepherd swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.

~Christopher Marlowe

Interesting Word of the Day

2007-01-26T11:39:00.000Z

Lobscouse
noun: a stew of meat, potatoes, onions, ship biscuit, etc.

Anyone have a recipe for this one?!

Keep Your Fork

2007-01-23T13:56:00.000Z

This is an email I received a while back. It's a good reminder when you have a down day.

Keep Your Fork.

Interesting Word of the Day

2007-01-23T13:09:00.000Z

I'm nabbing this one directly from Word Imperfect.

Taradiddle
noun: a small lie or fib; pretentious nonsense

Haggis Anyone?

2007-01-22T15:46:00.000Z

In honor of the poet Robert Burns' birthday, why not try the Scottish delicacy haggis? It's sheep heart, liver and lungs rolled in oatmeal then stuffed into beef intestine and boiled for four hours. It's said to be "warm-reekin' rich" and healthier than hot dogs.

Click here for the Foxnews.com story.

Pepsi or Coke?

2007-01-22T14:17:00.000Z

Take the poll

Free Poll by Blog Flux

Interesting Word of the Day

2007-01-22T13:30:00.000Z

Hobnob
verb: to associate on very friendly terms
noun: a friendly, informal chat

There are some words I can't help but love!

It's Official!

2007-01-20T20:07:00.000Z

The kid's a teenager now!

Another Reason To Drink Tea

2007-01-19T10:48:00.000Z

When my preschoolers came down with a nasty stomach virus last week, I did what I usually do: started feeling queasy myself. It happens without exception that when one of my kids is vomiting or one of the Diapered Ones has diarrhea, I get nauseated right away. Often it's a mental reaction, sometimes it's because I have the virus too. Either way, it's the safest bet to eat easily digestible foods, and very few of those. I stuck to toast and applesauce every few hours.

I'm a hot tea drinker. Anyone who knows me knows this simple fact. As I realized the nausea wasn't going away and my stomach began to cramp, I debated whether I should continue drinking tea. I drink black tea, which contains caffeine, which is dehydrating. Since dehydration is one of the major concerns with a stomach virus, I hesitated. In the end, the soothing warmth of the tea won out. I drank more tea than usual. It is an emotional comfort for me, the heat and taste associated in my mind with relaxation and peace. Also, I was tired from getting up at all hours with the boys and the caffeine kept me going. But the heat also made my stomach feel better.

Kristine came down with the virus; she was up all night vomiting. Then Tim got it; he couldn't get out of bed, except to bolt for the bathroom. Sean got it days later, but only nausea and that I treated with hot tea. He kept asking for more because it made his stomach feel better.

I waited. Nothing. I continued drinking large amounts of tea. After a couple of days, the nausea lifted. I continued my meager diet and many cups of tea. I figured there was no way I could escape it. I was the one taking care of the Diapered Ones the most, coming into contact with all the germs and getting less sleep than usual. My immune system must be compromised. I continued to wait.

I never got it! What's more, I credit the tea.

Lest you think me a total fool: there's actually some science behind this. Tea has been found to fight viruses. Drinking 5 cups a day for 2 weeks transforms the immune system T Cells into super-fighters that pump out 10 times more cold and flu fighting inferons. Click here for the short Prevention Magazine article.

How long to you think it will be before we start seeing tea nasal sprays, something like Zicam, to help prevent colds and flu? I'd use it. I'm a believer.

2 Days Until Sean's 13th Birthday!

2007-01-18T20:05:00.000Z

2 days left!

With Gretchen and Kristine at the Tower of Pisa, September 2006

First Day of 7th Grade

Sean is:

1. The most conscientious and dedicated person I know.

2. Fiercely devoted to his family.

3. A very talented trumpet player.

4. Nearly a straight-A student. (1 B last quarter!)

5. Already set on his future, planning everything from high school through college, the military and beyond.

6. A great soccer player- the best on the team last season.

7. A loyal friend.

8. Tender-hearted, caring and sensitive to those around him.

9. A proud and loving big brother

3 Days Until Sean's 13th Birthday!

2007-01-17T18:59:00.000Z

Only Three Days To Go...

A field trip with his daycare in Portland

At church

What a smile!

Sean is:
1. The most conscientious and dedicated person I know.
2. Fiercely devoted to his family.
3. A very talented trumpet player.
4. Nearly a straight-A student. (1 B last quarter!)
5. Already set on his future, planning everything from high school through college, the military and beyond.
6. A great soccer player- the best on the team last season.
7. A loyal friend.

8. Tender-hearted, caring and sensitive to those around him.

You've Got To Be Kidding...

2007-01-17T18:49:00.000Z

After all the chaos and distractions from the car accident yesterday, today was a bit calmer. Both older kids stayed home and rested. Tim had the van so there wasn't an option of leaving the house. We watched movies, cleaned, played with the boys and made bread.

After following my usual routine for awhile, I realized I hadn't downloaded any of Monday's or Tuesday's podcasts that I usually listen to. I went to iTunes, and updated my lists. I was particularly interested in seeing what Focus on the Family had to offer. I was feeling rather vulnerable and needed a lift.

Imagine my dismay when the two podcasts I had missed were "Preparing for Widowhood, parts 1 & 2". No kidding. After yesterday the last thing I needed was a lesson in preparing for widowhood.

Then Tim came home with news that he's deploying. Another blow.

I definitely will not be listening to those podcasts.

4 Days Until Sean's 13th Birthday!

2007-01-16T20:13:00.000Z

What a blessing to have Sean as my son.

(More pictures of my blessing.)

About a year old

Three years old. On Father's Day

Being silly with little sis

Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma

With the first family dog, Gretel.

Sean is:

1. The most conscientious and dedicated person I know.

2. Fiercely devoted to his family.

3. A very talented trumpet player.

4. Nearly a straight-A student. (1 B last quarter!)

5. Already set on his future, planning everything from high school through college, the military and beyond.

6. Is a great soccer player- the best on the team last season.

7. A loyal friend.

Praise God

2007-01-16T13:22:00.001Z

Blessed be the name of the Lord. He is holy and worthy to receive praise.

I got my second most dreaded phone call this morning: "We've been in an accident..." (The first most dreaded is a call from someone else that my family was in an accident because my family is unable to call me themselves.)

Tim, Sean and Kristine were in a car accident. The car slid off the road and travelled along a ditch for 300 meters before hitting a drainage pipe. When Tim called, they were still in the car and I could hear Sean crying. Tim assured me they were okay. I could hear people speaking German in the background as they got out of the smoking car.

As soon as we hung up I switch into prayer mode, praying for protection for my family. I went on praying for Him to keep them safe when I heard God whisper to my spirit, "I did." Then I switched to prayers of gratitude.

Tim's jaw is sprained and his lip is cut, Sean is banged up and looks like he was in a fight. He was bleeding from his nose at the time of the accident, but now has a swollen nose, and scratches and bruises all over his face. Kristine escaped with only a bit tongue and sore back.

But they are all okay!!! Praise God!

The car is totalled. Still, praise God! My family came home.

Sean will miss at least one day of school, we may need to throw out his blood-stained clothes, and he's in a deep, exhausted sleep on the couch right now. But...

Praise God! My family is alive and mostly healthy.

And if God had lifted his divine protection for a moment, and the unthinkable had happened to my family today; if I was now a widow aching for my husband and two of my children, still the Lord's name would be worthy of praise. He would still be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, worthy of honor and adoration.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who was, and is, and is to come.

5 Days Until Sean's 13th Birthday!

2007-01-15T17:58:00.000Z

More pictures of my near-teenage baby...

Kindergarten school picture

I kept telling him he would grow into his front teeth... he did!

At the Alamo

More handsome by the day

Sean is:
1. The most conscientious and dedicated person I know.
2. Fiercely devoted to his family.
3. A very talented trumpet player.

4. Nearly a straight-A student. (1 B last quarter!)
5. Already set on his future, planning everything from high school through college, the military and beyond.

6. Is a great soccer player. The best on the team last season

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2007-01-14T18:23:00.000Z

Ian was the first to get the stomach virus, then Zach, then Kristine and I. Tonight Kristine was laying on the couch when Zach decided to pray for her:

"Jesus, please take her with you."

Eh?!

Kristine's response: "That kind of scares me."

In this case, let's pray the faith of a child availeth not much.

6 Days Until Sean's 13th Birthday!

2007-01-14T17:29:00.000Z

Less than a week to go!

More pictures, more memories...

With Kristine and a friend at a birthday party

With Uncle J. refusing to cooperate for a picture

Huh? Who's in here?

First day of second grade

Sean is:

1. The most conscientious and dedicated person I know.

2. Fiercely devoted to his family.

3. A very talented trumpet player.
4. Nearly a straight-A student. (1 B last quarter!)

5. Already set on his future, planning everything from high school through college, the military and beyond.

Cut Your Risk of Breast Cancer--- Clean the Toilets!

2007-01-13T16:05:00.000Z

Are you pre-menopausal and want to cut your risk of developing breast cancer by 30%? According to a new study of 200,000 women in 9 European countries you can do so by rolling up your sleeves and doing housework! The benefits of housework outweighed the benefits of playing sports when it comes to breast cancer prevention. That made me feel better, since playing a sport is unreasonable for me right now, but housework is a near constant activity.

Click here for the link to the BBC story.

7 Days Until Sean's 13th Birthday!

2007-01-13T15:28:00.000Z

A week until my baby is a teenager!

Missing his top front teeth!

First day of kindergarten. Daddy with more facial hair than usual.

Preparing to leave Sean in his kindergarten classroom for the first time. It took him awhile to let me go, and I cried after I left.

Before school with sister

Sean is:
1. The most conscientious and dedicated person I know.
2. Fiercely devoted to his family.
3. A very talented trumpet player.

4. Nearly a straight-A student. (1 B last quarter!)