That's the message I've been sent.
The mirror started to convey it to me a few years ago with a friendly little wink and a nod. Gradually it grew less coaxing and more insistent. Well, these past few months, my ears have been ringing with it every time I walk away from anything with a reflective surface.
So, I have heeded the call. Now, on an almost daily basis, I am...
wearing makeup.
Up until this point, I've been a mascara and lip gloss kind of a gal. I don't like wearing more than that for two specific reasons:
1. The stuff is messy--I prefer to rub my itchy eyeballs without fear of smudges. Also, I like to drink from glasses without leaving proof of my lips' lack of natural beauty all over the rim.
2. The disappointment factor--You see, when I come to bed at night and my husband beholds my newly cleansed face, I don't want him to wonder, "Where's that more attractive woman I've been looking at all day?" (However, I've realized that I'd rather he was a little disappointed at night than all day long!)
Alas, my sense of vanity has overridden both of the above.
I invested in some eyeshadows and have been dutifully applying them each morning. I bought a couple of lipsticks but am not very happy with them. (They always appear brighter on my face than they do in the tube.)
Do I dare admit that I purchased a set of fake eye-lashes? I know that some of you use those and you look quite nice with them on, but I couldn't get them to blend in naturally with the rest of my face. I looked like a wannabe-floozy. That's right, I said "wannabe-floozy" as in I looked so ridiculous that I couldn't even achieve floozy status.
So, there you have it...my tongue-in-cheek confession of what I'm doing about feeling 25 but looking 34.
I'm just beginning to get comfortable with this...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Adriana and Mandy!!!
Our friends, Adriana and Mandy are at school in Spain right now. They are missing certain things about American life, so we grabbed the little photo cutout that Mandy's mom gave us and took them on an adventure.
After church, we went to lunch. Tobias tried to share his fish taco with the girls. They declined, smiling broadly.
The girls were frightened by the sight of the massive burrito I purchased at Chipotle. Delaney tried to comfort them.
Having finished our lunch, we ventured over to the local family rip-off, uh...I mean family "fun" place and had ourselves a good time.
Unfortunately, A&M didn't meet the height requirement to ride any of the rides.
We settled on miniature golf. The girls were just happy to be there (even if "there" meant being posted on Jeff's rear end.)
Hey wait...I thought they were in Spain...so how is it that we got a glimpse of them in Holland in this shot?
And here they are in a place that looks suspiciously like Kentucky...
The girls weren't even embarrassed to join me in a goofy little victory dance to celebrate a hole in one! (Well, maybe they were embarrassed, but they didn't complain or run away.)
Uh, girls...I know that looks like a festive place to hang out, but you might want to move.
In More News As We Are Wending Our Way...
Jeff delighted me with a sweet pucker up when he came home after his lip and gum numbing dental appointment. (Yes, I did kiss him once I stopped laughing.)
Here's a close-up:
Delaney has now joined the contact lens wearing members of society. Although she had a rough start (touching one's eyeballs is not natural), she is now excelling in the application and removal of her new vision aids.
I successfully removed and refitted a tire that had picked up a nail somewhere, all under the watchful eye and helpful guidance of my husband. It was the first time I had ever undertaken this "manly" task and I was pleased that the car drove normally afterward. (Regardless of how the picture looks, my knees are not suffering from Elephantitis.)
And as for Tobias...well, he's just creeping around...
After church, we went to lunch. Tobias tried to share his fish taco with the girls. They declined, smiling broadly.
The girls were frightened by the sight of the massive burrito I purchased at Chipotle. Delaney tried to comfort them.
Having finished our lunch, we ventured over to the local family rip-off, uh...I mean family "fun" place and had ourselves a good time.
Unfortunately, A&M didn't meet the height requirement to ride any of the rides.
We settled on miniature golf. The girls were just happy to be there (even if "there" meant being posted on Jeff's rear end.)
Hey wait...I thought they were in Spain...so how is it that we got a glimpse of them in Holland in this shot?
And here they are in a place that looks suspiciously like Kentucky...
The girls weren't even embarrassed to join me in a goofy little victory dance to celebrate a hole in one! (Well, maybe they were embarrassed, but they didn't complain or run away.)
Uh, girls...I know that looks like a festive place to hang out, but you might want to move.
In More News As We Are Wending Our Way...
Jeff delighted me with a sweet pucker up when he came home after his lip and gum numbing dental appointment. (Yes, I did kiss him once I stopped laughing.)
Here's a close-up:
Delaney has now joined the contact lens wearing members of society. Although she had a rough start (touching one's eyeballs is not natural), she is now excelling in the application and removal of her new vision aids.
I successfully removed and refitted a tire that had picked up a nail somewhere, all under the watchful eye and helpful guidance of my husband. It was the first time I had ever undertaken this "manly" task and I was pleased that the car drove normally afterward. (Regardless of how the picture looks, my knees are not suffering from Elephantitis.)
And as for Tobias...well, he's just creeping around...
Thursday, October 9, 2008
So Sorry...
I seem to have unintentionally misled some of you with my last post.
I did not compose that poem in one sleepless night. I simply posted it. It took me several hours over several days to compose it last June.
Now I'll go back and rewrite the post to make that more clear.
Sorry!
I did not compose that poem in one sleepless night. I simply posted it. It took me several hours over several days to compose it last June.
Now I'll go back and rewrite the post to make that more clear.
Sorry!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Insomniac-Poetess
Lying in bed, turning and tossing, is one of my least favorite hobbies, and yet, I seem to partake in it quite regularly. Thus you see before you tonight's (this morning's?) post.
I started to write this poem on our trip to Oregon and finished it a few days after we returned home. It is about how Time is simply a measurement of the Earth's rotation on its axis and its progress around the sun. Therefore, would Time cease if the Earth stopped in its movements?
I started to write this poem on our trip to Oregon and finished it a few days after we returned home. It is about how Time is simply a measurement of the Earth's rotation on its axis and its progress around the sun. Therefore, would Time cease if the Earth stopped in its movements?
Each instance of the Earth's parade
About its maypole sun
Officiates a year's demise--
Declares four seasons done
A year is meted out oblong
And into twelfths is sliced--
The portions thus produced are months
Which into weeks are diced
A week sequesters seven days
Of hours, twenty four
Which julienned with sharper tools
Make sixty segments more
Each minute's divvied sixty times
Into tidy seconds--
Today spins into yesterday
As tomorrow beckons
All lives are measured constantly
And shorter ever found--
Each period unrolls outstretched-
A skein of yarn unwound
If cosmic brakes applied could halt
The planet's pirouette
Or stop the sphere's race 'round the sun
To tick would clocks forget?
(Arrrgh...I'm still not tired.)
About its maypole sun
Officiates a year's demise--
Declares four seasons done
A year is meted out oblong
And into twelfths is sliced--
The portions thus produced are months
Which into weeks are diced
A week sequesters seven days
Of hours, twenty four
Which julienned with sharper tools
Make sixty segments more
Each minute's divvied sixty times
Into tidy seconds--
Today spins into yesterday
As tomorrow beckons
All lives are measured constantly
And shorter ever found--
Each period unrolls outstretched-
A skein of yarn unwound
If cosmic brakes applied could halt
The planet's pirouette
Or stop the sphere's race 'round the sun
To tick would clocks forget?
(Arrrgh...I'm still not tired.)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
New Post Elsewhere
On August 16th, I started a new post and kept a draft of it. Tonight, I finished it, but when I published it, it appeared in its chronological order, so it's several posts back. I'm not blog-savvy enough to figure out how to alter the original date and place the post here. Oh well...So, if you want to read it, scroll down about six posts. It's called "Report to Carousel".
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Bit of Unexpected Encouragment
A couple of days ago, I was discouraged to see my hand emerge from my mailbox with a very fat envelope. You see, it was a group of my poems that had been sent back to me, rejected by yet another poetry journal (and no, I did not send them "Ode to Snot" nor the one about the wart on my foot.)
At dinner, though, Jeff said something that cheered me considerably.
Jeff: "You're quite popular at my work."
Me: "Huh?" (You see, I've only met one of the people he's presently working with. That was at Walmart and I couldn't imagine what charming thing I could have done or said while standing next to a large stack of Dial Soaps that would have endeared me to everyone in the Transpo Office.)
Jeff: "Yeah, Mrs. So and so says that you should be nominated for Wife of the Year."
Me, with an eyebrow raised: "Huh?" (At this point, I was beginning to think that he was being sarcastic and I almost slipped into defense mode.)
Jeff: "Yeah, she saw that you had packed me a lunch again today and said you deserved an award. Everybody sees the meals you send with me and says that you're awesome."
At this point, I started laughing because some of the meals I send with him are quite paltry. I mean, they're all edible (except for that one piece of cornbread that I didn't realize had turned rancid) but as for quality...they're just not very inspiring unless you're really into leftovers slopped into tupperware.
This made me so happy. I mean, I've been faithfully doing something that isn't really a big deal in my mind at all and apparently a number of people have noticed and appreciated it.
This doesn't thrill me because of my own "fame" at Jeff's office (in fact, if they actually tasted some of the food I send then they might withhold all future praise), but rather because they can see how our Christ-centered family functions. Jeff cares for me by going to a less-than-fabulous job every day and I care for him by packing him less-than-fabulous meals. Jeff's not shy about his beliefs so I'm sure everyone there knows He follows Christ and they probably suspect that I, Jeff's unseen wife, follow Christ as well.
Now, I realize this might not be something that you do, but that's okay. You don't need to pack meals for your husband to prove your love for Jesus to the world. If you truly do love Jesus then you are doing all sorts of things that convey that to others.
Christ's commandments to us to 1)Love God and 2)Love others automatically result in our actions shining brightly in this dark place and we are a witness of His love in even our most mundane tasks.
I hope that encourages you as much as it encourages me.
At dinner, though, Jeff said something that cheered me considerably.
Jeff: "You're quite popular at my work."
Me: "Huh?" (You see, I've only met one of the people he's presently working with. That was at Walmart and I couldn't imagine what charming thing I could have done or said while standing next to a large stack of Dial Soaps that would have endeared me to everyone in the Transpo Office.)
Jeff: "Yeah, Mrs. So and so says that you should be nominated for Wife of the Year."
Me, with an eyebrow raised: "Huh?" (At this point, I was beginning to think that he was being sarcastic and I almost slipped into defense mode.)
Jeff: "Yeah, she saw that you had packed me a lunch again today and said you deserved an award. Everybody sees the meals you send with me and says that you're awesome."
At this point, I started laughing because some of the meals I send with him are quite paltry. I mean, they're all edible (except for that one piece of cornbread that I didn't realize had turned rancid) but as for quality...they're just not very inspiring unless you're really into leftovers slopped into tupperware.
This made me so happy. I mean, I've been faithfully doing something that isn't really a big deal in my mind at all and apparently a number of people have noticed and appreciated it.
This doesn't thrill me because of my own "fame" at Jeff's office (in fact, if they actually tasted some of the food I send then they might withhold all future praise), but rather because they can see how our Christ-centered family functions. Jeff cares for me by going to a less-than-fabulous job every day and I care for him by packing him less-than-fabulous meals. Jeff's not shy about his beliefs so I'm sure everyone there knows He follows Christ and they probably suspect that I, Jeff's unseen wife, follow Christ as well.
Now, I realize this might not be something that you do, but that's okay. You don't need to pack meals for your husband to prove your love for Jesus to the world. If you truly do love Jesus then you are doing all sorts of things that convey that to others.
Christ's commandments to us to 1)Love God and 2)Love others automatically result in our actions shining brightly in this dark place and we are a witness of His love in even our most mundane tasks.
I hope that encourages you as much as it encourages me.
Feeling Blue?
If so:
1. Go to abc.go.com
2. Click on "Full Episodes" near the top left corner
3. Click on "Wipeout"
4. Choose an episode (week 8 is quite amusing)
5. Enjoy
If this doesn't bring a smile to your face then you should look into getting some counseling.
1. Go to abc.go.com
2. Click on "Full Episodes" near the top left corner
3. Click on "Wipeout"
4. Choose an episode (week 8 is quite amusing)
5. Enjoy
If this doesn't bring a smile to your face then you should look into getting some counseling.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Pertinent Info That You May Never Get To Use
Tonight, Jeff was stuck at work, so the kids and I had dinner without him. Over the course of the meal, I was informed that I am a "mean mother" because I was forcing them to eat butter beans. They were just kidding...sort of.
Afraid that my "cool mom" status was on the blink, I pulled out a sure-fire child pleaser from my arsenal...a mango!
Free MangoTutorial:
Knowing that my quality of life has improved since I began buying these little beauties on a regular basis, I've decided to share my mango knowledge with those of you who may be lacking in this regard in hopes that you, too, will benefit.
You see, I experimented with mangoes once in my mid-twenties with uninspiring results, so it was not until about a year ago that I began enriching my existence with mangoes on a regular basis.
It is easy to become frustrated while preparing mangoes for consumption because they are slippery little buggers. Thus, I offer to you tips to make your experience easier and more fulfilling.
(Note: Never try to peel a whole mango. You will be left with a squishy mess and you may have destroyed much of the edible flesh in the process. Another note: Never try to remove the seed from a mango as you would do from an avocado. It WON'T work. Mango seeds are very mysterious. I doubt anyone has ever seen one completely devoid of mango meat.)
Step One:
Cut the sides off of the mango, circumnavigating the knife past the large and oddly shaped seed in the middle of the fruit.
Step Two:
With a knife, score the juicy flesh of the fruit in a checkerboard fashion, being careful not to pierce all the way through the skin. Then, "pop" the cubes of fruit out, thus preparing for palatable edification.
Step Three:
Eat.
Notice Tobias' eye-rolling state of mango-induced bliss and Delaney's covetous gaze as she struggles on with her portion of butter beans. (You may want to ingest these delectable bits in private until you master the art of controlling your reactions.)Step Four:
While your children are partaking in the pleasure entitled "Mango", you can return to the cutting board and easily cut off the strip of skin that remains around the cross-sectioned, seeded portion of the mango.
Now it is your turn. Position yourself over the kitchen sink (your chin is about to start dripping) and bite all the remaining juicy flesh off of the seed. This is not the easiest part of the mango to eat--you gave those parts to your children. (Parenthood is full of such sacrifices.)
So...go out and buy some mangoes! If your first couple aren't that fabulous then try, try again. Some are definitely better than others, but once you get a really good one, you'll be hooked. I've had the best luck with mangoes that I bought at small Asian markets or fruit stands as opposed to those from supermarkets.
A Possible Farewell:
The reason why I entitled this post as I did is because the Large Hadron Collider is set to be activated sometime within the next three hours. I'll take this moment to bid you all adieu in case this is our last bit of communication.
(Fade out to REM's "It's The End Of The World As We Know It.")
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
It's Almost Over...
...Summer, that is.
I must confess that just about the only things I like about Summer are the family trips and the coleslaw. (Mix 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder, 2 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour over 16 ounces of shredded cabbage. Mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour. Voila! Yum.)
The heat of Summer feels like an assault on my soul. Every year, I feel like I'm just holding my breath until the end of September. It's almost here... :)
DEUTSCH:
I've been spending a lot of time at livemocha.com. Maybe a little too much. It seems that my English is suffering as a result of my quest for learning German. Yesterday, I was reading an article in Newsweek while at the gym and I stumbled on the word "only".
"On-lee?" I thought for an instant. "What's that? Oh, ah yes...own-lee as in 'singularly'."
Not only is my English suffering, but my German is about that of a 1 year old Berliner. I thought I had learned a lot, but Jeff had a co-worker who is a native German call me on the phone. She asked me, "Wie heisst du?" (What's your name?)
My brain totally seized. I asked, "Uh, can you say that again, but verrrrrry sloooooowly?" Yeah, I'm lame.
I love German because it seems like an amusing, trumpt up version of English. A lot of the words are the same or at least similar and they have a bunch of fabulous words that we can only tilt our heads at. This week's picks are:
Radiergummi = eraser
Zimmerschlussel = roomkey
Lebensmittelgeschaft = supermarket
Technically, there are supposed to be some umlauts thrown in there, but my keyboard is ill-equipt.
Jeff's New Experience:
Jeff's off on an overnight "extraction" for work. He and two partners will remove a couple of minors from the places they're in and bring them back to Juvenile Hall. The minors aren't expecting this turn of events and apparently it can sometimes get a bit scrappy since they aren't necessarily happy about going back to the Hall. One of the minors they're extracting this time is a big football player. Jeff says I shouldn't be worried about anything because one of Jeff's partners looks like he could be Djimon Hounsou's fraternal twin:
Okay, that's cool.
I must confess that just about the only things I like about Summer are the family trips and the coleslaw. (Mix 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder, 2 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour over 16 ounces of shredded cabbage. Mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour. Voila! Yum.)
The heat of Summer feels like an assault on my soul. Every year, I feel like I'm just holding my breath until the end of September. It's almost here... :)
DEUTSCH:
I've been spending a lot of time at livemocha.com. Maybe a little too much. It seems that my English is suffering as a result of my quest for learning German. Yesterday, I was reading an article in Newsweek while at the gym and I stumbled on the word "only".
"On-lee?" I thought for an instant. "What's that? Oh, ah yes...own-lee as in 'singularly'."
Not only is my English suffering, but my German is about that of a 1 year old Berliner. I thought I had learned a lot, but Jeff had a co-worker who is a native German call me on the phone. She asked me, "Wie heisst du?" (What's your name?)
My brain totally seized. I asked, "Uh, can you say that again, but verrrrrry sloooooowly?" Yeah, I'm lame.
I love German because it seems like an amusing, trumpt up version of English. A lot of the words are the same or at least similar and they have a bunch of fabulous words that we can only tilt our heads at. This week's picks are:
Radiergummi = eraser
Zimmerschlussel = roomkey
Lebensmittelgeschaft = supermarket
Technically, there are supposed to be some umlauts thrown in there, but my keyboard is ill-equipt.
Jeff's New Experience:
Jeff's off on an overnight "extraction" for work. He and two partners will remove a couple of minors from the places they're in and bring them back to Juvenile Hall. The minors aren't expecting this turn of events and apparently it can sometimes get a bit scrappy since they aren't necessarily happy about going back to the Hall. One of the minors they're extracting this time is a big football player. Jeff says I shouldn't be worried about anything because one of Jeff's partners looks like he could be Djimon Hounsou's fraternal twin:
Okay, that's cool.Saturday, August 23, 2008
I Am So Incredibly Glucklich!
A couple of days ago, I ran across what might be my all-time favorite internet discovery!
A year ago, my friend, Tecla, was teaching me the Romanian words to worship songs because we were going to Romania to put on a one day women's conference and I wanted to sing the songs with the women. I loved it. Languages fascinate me.
Well...lately, I've really been wanting to learn to speak another language. I mean, I know a little bit of French and even less Spanish, but I certainly can't have a real conversation in either one.
I was thinking about buying a Rosetta Stone program for my computer, but they are so expensive! Also, I knew it would be most practical (by far) to learn Spanish than any other language considering where I live. However, Spanish doesn't really capture my imagination like something like Gaelic does. (My hometown isn't exactly crawling with Gaels.)
Anyway, I didn't think it would be good-stewardly of me to buy a several hundred dollar program in order to learn a language that I'd pretty much never use, but the desire to become bilingual was so intense.
Of course, I prayed about it, not wanting to pour myself into something that would be a complete waste of time, but still feeling this strong want.
Hee, hee, hee...a couple of days ago I ran across this website where you can learn languages in a Rosetta Stone type manner and...it's FREE! It's at www.livemocha.com and it is awesome! (No, I'm not getting paid to write this.)
I chose German. Why? It makes me laugh (and Gaelic isn't an option).
German is great! I mean, what other language uses "Kugelschreiber" for 'pen' and "Krankenschwester" for 'nurse'? (Okay, quite obviously no other language does, but it's very cool that German does.)
I've learned so much in just three days. Sure, my conversations are limited to inane sentences such as: The woman is on the couch (Die Frau ist auf dem Sofa) and A boy is in the car (Ein Junge ist im Auto), but still...I'm loving it. (And, yes, I was supposed to capitalize all of those nouns.)
If you want to learn Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese or a few others (sorry, April, :( Romanian isn't offered ), then check it out.
It's very effective and some people (like me) would go so far as to say that it's fun. Native speakers correct your assignments and you get to correct assignments of people who are learning English. You can chat on line in English or whatever you're learning and you can work on your course of study whenever you want...
thus my excitement!!!
(By the way, "glucklich" means 'happy'.)
A year ago, my friend, Tecla, was teaching me the Romanian words to worship songs because we were going to Romania to put on a one day women's conference and I wanted to sing the songs with the women. I loved it. Languages fascinate me.
Well...lately, I've really been wanting to learn to speak another language. I mean, I know a little bit of French and even less Spanish, but I certainly can't have a real conversation in either one.
I was thinking about buying a Rosetta Stone program for my computer, but they are so expensive! Also, I knew it would be most practical (by far) to learn Spanish than any other language considering where I live. However, Spanish doesn't really capture my imagination like something like Gaelic does. (My hometown isn't exactly crawling with Gaels.)
Anyway, I didn't think it would be good-stewardly of me to buy a several hundred dollar program in order to learn a language that I'd pretty much never use, but the desire to become bilingual was so intense.
Of course, I prayed about it, not wanting to pour myself into something that would be a complete waste of time, but still feeling this strong want.
Hee, hee, hee...a couple of days ago I ran across this website where you can learn languages in a Rosetta Stone type manner and...it's FREE! It's at www.livemocha.com and it is awesome! (No, I'm not getting paid to write this.)
I chose German. Why? It makes me laugh (and Gaelic isn't an option).
German is great! I mean, what other language uses "Kugelschreiber" for 'pen' and "Krankenschwester" for 'nurse'? (Okay, quite obviously no other language does, but it's very cool that German does.)
I've learned so much in just three days. Sure, my conversations are limited to inane sentences such as: The woman is on the couch (Die Frau ist auf dem Sofa) and A boy is in the car (Ein Junge ist im Auto), but still...I'm loving it. (And, yes, I was supposed to capitalize all of those nouns.)
If you want to learn Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese or a few others (sorry, April, :( Romanian isn't offered ), then check it out.
It's very effective and some people (like me) would go so far as to say that it's fun. Native speakers correct your assignments and you get to correct assignments of people who are learning English. You can chat on line in English or whatever you're learning and you can work on your course of study whenever you want...
thus my excitement!!!
(By the way, "glucklich" means 'happy'.)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
5th, 8th and No Sky Light
The kids are back in school. I took pictures on the morning of their first day back, but they were both acting so goofy that the pics didn't turn out very well.
Delaney was uneasy about going back to school because only one of her five "best friends" was going to be in her new class. My assurances that she would make new friends soon only seemed to annoy her. Anxiety always seems to accompany change in her life. I remember that the first few weeks of first grade were really tough. She'd come home and seem fine, but then an hour later she'd burst into tears. When asked what was the matter, she'd blubber, "I don't know...I don't know!" I'd just hold her, thinking about how sometimes I feel like doing that, too. :)
Anyway, she has a male teacher this year for 5th grade and he's a very smart guy. He's been teaching the students "magic" tricks every day and their only homework so far has been to go home and perform the tricks for their family and anyone else who'll watch. That's one way to get the kids to like you! Delaney looks so cute and pleased when she has successfully wowed us.
Is that a grumpy girl with a super long tongue?
Nope, it's a happy girl with a big slice of red bell pepper.
Tobias is now a big, bad 8th grader. He recently dyed his hair black. What teenage boy doesn't want to do this at some point? I wasn't expecting to like it, but it looks quite nice with his eyes.
He had a wonderful time at the jr. high retreat. He came back saying that it was the best week of his life. On Thursday night, he was asked if he wanted to prepare a devotional for the following morning. He decided to prepare for it early Friday morning so that he wouldn't have to miss out on the fun that was happening on Thursday night. So, the counselor woke Tobias up at 5:00 am. Tobias knew he couldn't turn on the cabin light and wake up all the other kids and he thought he might get in trouble if he wandered off outside. Hmmm...there was only one place left to go...the bathroom, and there was only one seat there on which to sit...the toilet. So, he sat there looking up scriptures and taking notes on how to facilitate the discussion! If he goes into public speaking, he can always say that his career had humble beginnings. :)
What you see above has been a bane on our lives ever since we bought this house. It was a skylight in the den. The roof leaked around it and at certain hours it baked whatever poor fool was sitting at the computer. The sun would beat down and make you feel like a bug under a magnifying glass.
I wrote all of that in past tense because the skylight is no more. Yay! We had it removed and part of the roof redone over the past two days.
After we stain the wood, we'll be able to focus on fixing our shower:
Estimated date of completion--2033 (about the same time the mortgage is paid off.)
Speaking of monetary assets...I was at a party recently and a woman and I began to discuss a particular dining room set that we were looking at. She turned to me and asked, "So, in what style do you furnish your home?"
Realizing that she was serious, I quelled the chuckle that was tickling my throat, wondering, How do I answer this one?
I was afraid that my honest answer of "I furnish it with all of my relatives' cast off bits and pieces" might sound snide, so I floundered around until I heard myself say, "I'm big on practical items." (Hey, it's very practical to get free stuff from people who don't want it anymore, right?)
Apparently, this lady (who was a very nice lady, by the way) didn't know that she was talking with a member of a lower class. My Ross-bought duds didn't give me away! (Yesterday, I bought a dress at Ross for $2.99! I have to replace the zipper, but still...)
Delaney was uneasy about going back to school because only one of her five "best friends" was going to be in her new class. My assurances that she would make new friends soon only seemed to annoy her. Anxiety always seems to accompany change in her life. I remember that the first few weeks of first grade were really tough. She'd come home and seem fine, but then an hour later she'd burst into tears. When asked what was the matter, she'd blubber, "I don't know...I don't know!" I'd just hold her, thinking about how sometimes I feel like doing that, too. :)
Anyway, she has a male teacher this year for 5th grade and he's a very smart guy. He's been teaching the students "magic" tricks every day and their only homework so far has been to go home and perform the tricks for their family and anyone else who'll watch. That's one way to get the kids to like you! Delaney looks so cute and pleased when she has successfully wowed us.
Is that a grumpy girl with a super long tongue?
Nope, it's a happy girl with a big slice of red bell pepper.
Tobias is now a big, bad 8th grader. He recently dyed his hair black. What teenage boy doesn't want to do this at some point? I wasn't expecting to like it, but it looks quite nice with his eyes.
He had a wonderful time at the jr. high retreat. He came back saying that it was the best week of his life. On Thursday night, he was asked if he wanted to prepare a devotional for the following morning. He decided to prepare for it early Friday morning so that he wouldn't have to miss out on the fun that was happening on Thursday night. So, the counselor woke Tobias up at 5:00 am. Tobias knew he couldn't turn on the cabin light and wake up all the other kids and he thought he might get in trouble if he wandered off outside. Hmmm...there was only one place left to go...the bathroom, and there was only one seat there on which to sit...the toilet. So, he sat there looking up scriptures and taking notes on how to facilitate the discussion! If he goes into public speaking, he can always say that his career had humble beginnings. :)
What you see above has been a bane on our lives ever since we bought this house. It was a skylight in the den. The roof leaked around it and at certain hours it baked whatever poor fool was sitting at the computer. The sun would beat down and make you feel like a bug under a magnifying glass.
I wrote all of that in past tense because the skylight is no more. Yay! We had it removed and part of the roof redone over the past two days.
After we stain the wood, we'll be able to focus on fixing our shower:
Estimated date of completion--2033 (about the same time the mortgage is paid off.)
Speaking of monetary assets...I was at a party recently and a woman and I began to discuss a particular dining room set that we were looking at. She turned to me and asked, "So, in what style do you furnish your home?"
Realizing that she was serious, I quelled the chuckle that was tickling my throat, wondering, How do I answer this one?
I was afraid that my honest answer of "I furnish it with all of my relatives' cast off bits and pieces" might sound snide, so I floundered around until I heard myself say, "I'm big on practical items." (Hey, it's very practical to get free stuff from people who don't want it anymore, right?)
Apparently, this lady (who was a very nice lady, by the way) didn't know that she was talking with a member of a lower class. My Ross-bought duds didn't give me away! (Yesterday, I bought a dress at Ross for $2.99! I have to replace the zipper, but still...)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Report to Carousel
If you're sad about something, you may want to hold off on reading this post, or at least get a Wipeout episode revved up and ready to view.
Anybody remember that movie called "Logan's Run"? It was a sci-fi type flick that channel five aired once a year back in the day before DVD players (or even VCRs).
I may not have the story completely correct, but basically, the people of Earth had created an indoor Utopia. I think there had been a war or some cataclysmic event that had destroyed life outdoors. Anyway, a weird thing about this new society was that once a citizen reached the age of about 30, they heard their name called over the intercom system and they were ordered to "Report to Carousel".
Sounds nice, right? Pick a slow moving horse on the merry go round and relax for a few minutes as you gently move in circles.
Wrong!
"Carousel" was this big, round room equipped with lasers. Those who were "reporting to Carousel" arrived having donned these weird white uniforms. They would situate themselves around the Carousel's perimeter while the rest of the people (those who had not been ordered to report to Carousel) filled the audience bleachers to watch. When everyone was ready, Carousel would slowly begin to spin, the 30 and up crowd would float up into the air and one by one they'd get zapped (and thus obliterated) until they had all disappeared.
Creepy stuff (even if I did get a few of the details wrong).
Logan was this one guy who heard his name called and he decided he wasn't going to cooperate with his annihilators. He ran off (with a beautiful woman, of course) and thus the movie was entitled "Logan's Run".
I remember being about Delaney's age and asking my dad, "Why are they zapping all those people?"
He informed me that that society didn't value people once they reached a certain age and that they were looked at as burdens, so for "the good of everyone", they were disposed of.
That totally freaked me out. I mean, at that time 30 did seem pretty ancient to me, but still...
I think what disturbed me the most was that the people willingly reported to Carousel and the others came to watch the mass murder like it was some sporting event.
And my point is...
It horrified my little-girl-mind that these people weren't valuing each other or even themselves.
Now, we can watch that movie and call it ridiculous, but by observing actual human nature, it really isn't that far fetched.
I just finished Elie Weisel's Nobel Peace Prize winning book, Night. It's his real life story about living in concentration camps and barely surviving. To say the story is horrendous is the understatement of a lifetime. Ultimately, what it's about is the negligence to value human lives and even beyond that to sadistically enjoy doing so.
The sick things described really happened. Reporting to Carousel genuinely seems like a very pleasant alternative.
A more recent example...
The other day, I read a news article about this famous "adult entertainer" who was the spokesperson for some foundation that was dedicated to educating women. Curious, I read on. Well, she was educating women that they should always require their sexual partners to use condoms. She said that a lot of women are afraid to do so.
WHAT?
Women are giving away their bodies (and arguably bits of their souls) and they're afraid to have parameters in regards to the process? Where are the boundaries in our society? Sick...
It's all a part of not valuing each other or ourselves.
So what about me...
Okay, so my examples thus far are pretty far removed from my day to day experience, but am I successfully valuing others as I ought?
My efforts to do so are pretty pathetic.
Yes, we sponsor a few kids through Compassion and yes, we are attempting to teach our kids good manners and values, and yes, we buy meals for any homeless person who approaches us, but what about everything else that I could be doing?
By American standards, my kids both needed braces very badly.
(Sorry about that, just illustrating my point!)
Straightening one's teeth is more than just for vanity's sake. There are benefits for oral hygiene and even digestive health, but how drastic of an improvement is made in either of these areas?
Braces cost about $4,000 per kid. If I'd given that money to a specified organization, they probably could have dug a well for an entire village in some African country or fed the entire village for a year.
Still, I handed it over to an orthodontist and said, "Straighten my kid's teeth."
You can call me overly dramatic, but it's clear to me that I just deprived an entire village of a much needed well.
Living in middle class America is like living in a carefully tended bubble where the temperatures of our homes are just right, the food is so abundant that a bunch of it rots in our fridges, the entertainment is constant, there are effective medicines for headaches, kids can get a decent education for free, a truck comes by every Tuesday to collect our trash, etc., etc., etc. It's every day life for us, but it's a veritable dreamland for the vast majority of the actual world.
I like taking vacations. I want my kids to have those memories with us and see the sights, but how many truckloads of medicine could I have bought sick people with the money I spent on our fabulous trip to Oregon?
I like fixing Jeff a juicy steak instead of serving him beans and rice after a hard day's work, but think of all the beans and rice I could buy for starving people if I limited our own grocery budget.
I like spending money on haircuts, but think of all the Bibles I could send to China in one year if I let my locks just grow.
Welcome to the inside of my head.
I can't talk myself out of these convictions...and yet how much do I actually do about them?
This whole post is somewhat rhetorical (although I'd love to hear whatever any of you have to say). For years I've struggled with these haunting thoughts of entitlement and lack of generosity.
I still remember being about 10 and seeing the distended bellies of starving Ethiopian children on TV. I sent about 8 dollars to the relief fund which was a huge chunk of my piggy bank's contents, but I knew it wasn't enough. Nor was it all that I had.
How many of my actions (or inactions) will I regret when I report to Carousel?
(Sorry if you needed a pick-me-up. This probably wasn't it.)
Anybody remember that movie called "Logan's Run"? It was a sci-fi type flick that channel five aired once a year back in the day before DVD players (or even VCRs).
I may not have the story completely correct, but basically, the people of Earth had created an indoor Utopia. I think there had been a war or some cataclysmic event that had destroyed life outdoors. Anyway, a weird thing about this new society was that once a citizen reached the age of about 30, they heard their name called over the intercom system and they were ordered to "Report to Carousel".
Sounds nice, right? Pick a slow moving horse on the merry go round and relax for a few minutes as you gently move in circles.
Wrong!
"Carousel" was this big, round room equipped with lasers. Those who were "reporting to Carousel" arrived having donned these weird white uniforms. They would situate themselves around the Carousel's perimeter while the rest of the people (those who had not been ordered to report to Carousel) filled the audience bleachers to watch. When everyone was ready, Carousel would slowly begin to spin, the 30 and up crowd would float up into the air and one by one they'd get zapped (and thus obliterated) until they had all disappeared.
Creepy stuff (even if I did get a few of the details wrong).
Logan was this one guy who heard his name called and he decided he wasn't going to cooperate with his annihilators. He ran off (with a beautiful woman, of course) and thus the movie was entitled "Logan's Run".
I remember being about Delaney's age and asking my dad, "Why are they zapping all those people?"
He informed me that that society didn't value people once they reached a certain age and that they were looked at as burdens, so for "the good of everyone", they were disposed of.
That totally freaked me out. I mean, at that time 30 did seem pretty ancient to me, but still...
I think what disturbed me the most was that the people willingly reported to Carousel and the others came to watch the mass murder like it was some sporting event.
And my point is...
It horrified my little-girl-mind that these people weren't valuing each other or even themselves.
Now, we can watch that movie and call it ridiculous, but by observing actual human nature, it really isn't that far fetched.
I just finished Elie Weisel's Nobel Peace Prize winning book, Night. It's his real life story about living in concentration camps and barely surviving. To say the story is horrendous is the understatement of a lifetime. Ultimately, what it's about is the negligence to value human lives and even beyond that to sadistically enjoy doing so.
The sick things described really happened. Reporting to Carousel genuinely seems like a very pleasant alternative.
A more recent example...
The other day, I read a news article about this famous "adult entertainer" who was the spokesperson for some foundation that was dedicated to educating women. Curious, I read on. Well, she was educating women that they should always require their sexual partners to use condoms. She said that a lot of women are afraid to do so.
WHAT?
Women are giving away their bodies (and arguably bits of their souls) and they're afraid to have parameters in regards to the process? Where are the boundaries in our society? Sick...
It's all a part of not valuing each other or ourselves.
So what about me...
Okay, so my examples thus far are pretty far removed from my day to day experience, but am I successfully valuing others as I ought?
My efforts to do so are pretty pathetic.
Yes, we sponsor a few kids through Compassion and yes, we are attempting to teach our kids good manners and values, and yes, we buy meals for any homeless person who approaches us, but what about everything else that I could be doing?
By American standards, my kids both needed braces very badly.
(Sorry about that, just illustrating my point!)
Straightening one's teeth is more than just for vanity's sake. There are benefits for oral hygiene and even digestive health, but how drastic of an improvement is made in either of these areas?
Braces cost about $4,000 per kid. If I'd given that money to a specified organization, they probably could have dug a well for an entire village in some African country or fed the entire village for a year.
Still, I handed it over to an orthodontist and said, "Straighten my kid's teeth."
You can call me overly dramatic, but it's clear to me that I just deprived an entire village of a much needed well.
Living in middle class America is like living in a carefully tended bubble where the temperatures of our homes are just right, the food is so abundant that a bunch of it rots in our fridges, the entertainment is constant, there are effective medicines for headaches, kids can get a decent education for free, a truck comes by every Tuesday to collect our trash, etc., etc., etc. It's every day life for us, but it's a veritable dreamland for the vast majority of the actual world.
I like taking vacations. I want my kids to have those memories with us and see the sights, but how many truckloads of medicine could I have bought sick people with the money I spent on our fabulous trip to Oregon?
I like fixing Jeff a juicy steak instead of serving him beans and rice after a hard day's work, but think of all the beans and rice I could buy for starving people if I limited our own grocery budget.
I like spending money on haircuts, but think of all the Bibles I could send to China in one year if I let my locks just grow.
Welcome to the inside of my head.
I can't talk myself out of these convictions...and yet how much do I actually do about them?
This whole post is somewhat rhetorical (although I'd love to hear whatever any of you have to say). For years I've struggled with these haunting thoughts of entitlement and lack of generosity.
I still remember being about 10 and seeing the distended bellies of starving Ethiopian children on TV. I sent about 8 dollars to the relief fund which was a huge chunk of my piggy bank's contents, but I knew it wasn't enough. Nor was it all that I had.
How many of my actions (or inactions) will I regret when I report to Carousel?
(Sorry if you needed a pick-me-up. This probably wasn't it.)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The 73 Hour Ministry
Ahhh...I'm home.
Thank you to those of you who prayed for me. My time at Junior Camp with my eight girls was really wonderful. All of them were delightful young women and the biggest disciplinary issues I had to deal with were catching them eating candy in the cabin and whispering when they should have been either listening or going to sleep. They're all still up there in the mountains. (I had planned all along to come home one night early. My friend, Katrina, replaced me so I could spend a little time with Jeff before he left for a men's retreat this weekend.) I'm very thankful to announce that I slept quite well all three nights.
I slathered those 10, 11, and 12 year olds with tons of sunblock. No one was getting burnt on my watch. It got to where they'd freeze in place and stick out their cute little noses when they saw me coming with what they called "the Glue Stick" in my hand.
I knew they had accepted me into their tribe when we were playing "Telephone" and one of the sentences that went around the circle was "Aimee has big toes." Alas, 'tis true...At least they didn't say anything about my nose since that's harder to hide.
I pray that they understood the Biblical teaching. The main reasons for the camp were to help them know God and scripture better. It's a fearful thing to teach the Bible. You're basically speaking on God's behalf and that's about as serious of a part as one can play. Prayerfully the goals were accomplished.
I'll miss those girls. I'm glad I get to bring my favorite one home.
I won't post any pictures of the little darlings. Their parents' permission would be needed to post photos of children on a blog that has an audience as vast as this one has. (I'm very suspicious of one of the four of you.)
Thank you to those of you who prayed for me. My time at Junior Camp with my eight girls was really wonderful. All of them were delightful young women and the biggest disciplinary issues I had to deal with were catching them eating candy in the cabin and whispering when they should have been either listening or going to sleep. They're all still up there in the mountains. (I had planned all along to come home one night early. My friend, Katrina, replaced me so I could spend a little time with Jeff before he left for a men's retreat this weekend.) I'm very thankful to announce that I slept quite well all three nights.
I slathered those 10, 11, and 12 year olds with tons of sunblock. No one was getting burnt on my watch. It got to where they'd freeze in place and stick out their cute little noses when they saw me coming with what they called "the Glue Stick" in my hand.
I knew they had accepted me into their tribe when we were playing "Telephone" and one of the sentences that went around the circle was "Aimee has big toes." Alas, 'tis true...At least they didn't say anything about my nose since that's harder to hide.
I pray that they understood the Biblical teaching. The main reasons for the camp were to help them know God and scripture better. It's a fearful thing to teach the Bible. You're basically speaking on God's behalf and that's about as serious of a part as one can play. Prayerfully the goals were accomplished.
I'll miss those girls. I'm glad I get to bring my favorite one home.
I won't post any pictures of the little darlings. Their parents' permission would be needed to post photos of children on a blog that has an audience as vast as this one has. (I'm very suspicious of one of the four of you.)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Guess who's 38...uh, 37!
Yes, that's right: Jeff is 37. (He thought he already was 37 and was turning 38, but after I did the math for a second time, it was confirmed that he's a year younger than he thought.)
He said that for his birthday, he wanted to watch Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fights on TV while eating a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. I told him that I could work with that. It's nice to know that you're giving someone something that they actually want for their birthday. (I still get teased for buying him a badminton set nearly 15 years ago. I happen to like badminton.)
So, we trekked over to his parents' house for some chicken, potato salad, cake and testosterone-charged entertainment. I didn't expect to enjoy watching UFC fights, but it's actually quite amazing. Those guys are so talented and tough. God brought forth a fascinating creature when he put "Man" together. It's amazing how these guys will spend several minutes practically trying to kill each other and then they'll hug each other all sweaty and bleeding after the final bell rings.
PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!!!
This next week I'm going to be the "cabin-mom" for 8 girls at our fellowship's summer camp for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. The reason why I had the idea to volunteer in the first place was because I was nervous about Delaney losing her retainer at camp. I thought, "I don't want to put pressure on the cabin-mom to make sure D's retainer is safe because she's going to have 7 other girls to look after with all their various needs." Then it occurred to me...Maybe they still need someone to volunteer to be the cabin-mom...and that is how my service came about. It's funny how God can use our fears to get us into fulfilling a need.
Delaney loved the idea and I know that's not likely to be the case for much longer, so I need to take advantage of that while I can.
Anyway, please pray that God will help me to lead and love those girls with wisdom and patience and that I will be able to sleep well. (I often have a hard time sleeping in my own bed, let alone on some lumpy mattress surrounded by giggling girls.) If I can't sleep, then I won't be able to be a good "mom" to all my girls.
Thanks!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Got Hurt?
I've been thinking a lot lately about humans' potential to hurt each other.
Recently, I ran into a woman whom I haven't seen for years and years. Apparently, she felt pretty hurt by members of the Church in the past ten years or so and no longer even considers herself a part of the Church. She says she still believes in Jesus, but won't call herself a Christian. I don't know who is on her "list of hurters" (maybe I'm on it!), so I have no context by which to evaluate the authenticity of her grievances. However, I don't think that should be the point. When we hear about Christians doing un-Christ-like things, don't we automatically either assume that they aren't being represented fairly OR assume that they're just lousy Christians? It's one extreme or the other, but it probably shouldn't be. There are most likely sins on both sides of the conflict.
I'm a human fraught with faults and weaknesses and skewed perceptions. I'm far too sensitive and I'm ALWAYS thinking about myself. I'm a mess and I'm constantly dealing with other people who are messes as well. There have been a number of times that I've been tempted to withdraw from social groups because I was tired of feeling hurt on a regular basis. I'm not suggesting that withdrawal is never a good option, but we need to think rationally and pray things through, asking God to show us if we're making decisions based on our feelings or if they're actually wise decisions.
There are relational problems wherever there are relationships. It's more obvious out in the World, but we're liars if we say things are perfect in the Church. Congregants get mad at each other as do top leaders in ministries.
I don't like to make claims that I can't substantiate on the spot, so I'll inform you ahead of time that I don't have actual statistics for the following statement, (although I heard it from what I deem a credible source)-- Most missionaries who return early from the field due to relational problems didn't have the problems with the non-believers to whom they were ministering, but rather they had the problems with the other missionaries alongside whom they were ministering. I know there are A LOT of people who work very well together, but there are also a lot who really don't.
What is the standard by which we determine who is in the right and who is in the wrong? We all have varying codes of conduct. I may think of myself as being direct, but someone else labels me as rude. I might find someone's attempt at humor tasteless, but they think they're downright hilarious. Perhaps my attempt at being compassionate is perceived as blatant condescension. I think it's incredibly important to remember this when we find ourselves feeling hurt. When things aren't clear, assume the best in others. "Love is not provoked". (1 Cor. 13:5)
Of course, actual wrongdoing does occur. Jesus tells us how to deal with this in Matthew 18:15-17.
Once, I was tired of the frustrations I felt in a certain social group and after much prayer and even some fasting, I decided to curtail my interaction with the group. I knew that 1 Cor. 9:7 said, " ... let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver." My prevailing thought as I made the decision to limit my involvement with the group was, "I'm not a cheerful giver of my time, energy and resources to that group. I'm tired of feeling constantly like I'm in sin because of my frustration and the encroaching bitterness that seems ever ready to take hold of me." Of course, there are situations to which this logic doesn't apply. Many relationships can't be just cut off because we're frustrated with them (like with one's children!). That decision was a difficult one to make but I had peace in it because of the clear directive in the aforementioned scripture.
It's so sad that humans just can't seem to get along.
And yet, it simply reminds us of our need to look to God to be our sufficiency--not a ministry, not a leader, not a peer group. I think that's why cults can be so successful. They claim that their specific group will meet one's needs and wants completely. Some people want that claim to be true so badly that they'll give up virtually everything to obtain the hollow promise of completion.
Even people in the Church can be guilty of this. If I claim that my group is the group, then my focus is going to be on the group instead of God and disappointment is inevitable. It's just another form of idolatry.
Oh, by the way...I'm desperately trying not to be hurt by the fact that only one person I memed responded by actually spilling 7 facts about themselves! (Thank you, Andrea :) Okay, so maybe I'm not deeply hurt, but I am a little disappointed. :( All I wanted were a few random facts about my friends...sigh
Recently, I ran into a woman whom I haven't seen for years and years. Apparently, she felt pretty hurt by members of the Church in the past ten years or so and no longer even considers herself a part of the Church. She says she still believes in Jesus, but won't call herself a Christian. I don't know who is on her "list of hurters" (maybe I'm on it!), so I have no context by which to evaluate the authenticity of her grievances. However, I don't think that should be the point. When we hear about Christians doing un-Christ-like things, don't we automatically either assume that they aren't being represented fairly OR assume that they're just lousy Christians? It's one extreme or the other, but it probably shouldn't be. There are most likely sins on both sides of the conflict.
I'm a human fraught with faults and weaknesses and skewed perceptions. I'm far too sensitive and I'm ALWAYS thinking about myself. I'm a mess and I'm constantly dealing with other people who are messes as well. There have been a number of times that I've been tempted to withdraw from social groups because I was tired of feeling hurt on a regular basis. I'm not suggesting that withdrawal is never a good option, but we need to think rationally and pray things through, asking God to show us if we're making decisions based on our feelings or if they're actually wise decisions.
There are relational problems wherever there are relationships. It's more obvious out in the World, but we're liars if we say things are perfect in the Church. Congregants get mad at each other as do top leaders in ministries.
I don't like to make claims that I can't substantiate on the spot, so I'll inform you ahead of time that I don't have actual statistics for the following statement, (although I heard it from what I deem a credible source)-- Most missionaries who return early from the field due to relational problems didn't have the problems with the non-believers to whom they were ministering, but rather they had the problems with the other missionaries alongside whom they were ministering. I know there are A LOT of people who work very well together, but there are also a lot who really don't.
What is the standard by which we determine who is in the right and who is in the wrong? We all have varying codes of conduct. I may think of myself as being direct, but someone else labels me as rude. I might find someone's attempt at humor tasteless, but they think they're downright hilarious. Perhaps my attempt at being compassionate is perceived as blatant condescension. I think it's incredibly important to remember this when we find ourselves feeling hurt. When things aren't clear, assume the best in others. "Love is not provoked". (1 Cor. 13:5)
Of course, actual wrongdoing does occur. Jesus tells us how to deal with this in Matthew 18:15-17.
Once, I was tired of the frustrations I felt in a certain social group and after much prayer and even some fasting, I decided to curtail my interaction with the group. I knew that 1 Cor. 9:7 said, " ... let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver." My prevailing thought as I made the decision to limit my involvement with the group was, "I'm not a cheerful giver of my time, energy and resources to that group. I'm tired of feeling constantly like I'm in sin because of my frustration and the encroaching bitterness that seems ever ready to take hold of me." Of course, there are situations to which this logic doesn't apply. Many relationships can't be just cut off because we're frustrated with them (like with one's children!). That decision was a difficult one to make but I had peace in it because of the clear directive in the aforementioned scripture.
It's so sad that humans just can't seem to get along.
And yet, it simply reminds us of our need to look to God to be our sufficiency--not a ministry, not a leader, not a peer group. I think that's why cults can be so successful. They claim that their specific group will meet one's needs and wants completely. Some people want that claim to be true so badly that they'll give up virtually everything to obtain the hollow promise of completion.
Even people in the Church can be guilty of this. If I claim that my group is the group, then my focus is going to be on the group instead of God and disappointment is inevitable. It's just another form of idolatry.
Oh, by the way...I'm desperately trying not to be hurt by the fact that only one person I memed responded by actually spilling 7 facts about themselves! (Thank you, Andrea :) Okay, so maybe I'm not deeply hurt, but I am a little disappointed. :( All I wanted were a few random facts about my friends...sigh
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
I've Been Memed!
April memed me. Apparently that means that she has chosen me to record here on my blog 7 fairly unknown facts about me. I really enjoyed the random things she wrote about herself, so if you want to read them, just go to the comment section of my last post and click on the blue "April says" and then click on where it says "Learning". That will take you to her blog.
So the other "rules" of meming are that you have to post these rules, record your 7 weird and or unknown facts about yourself on your own blog, "tag" others at the end of your post and alert your newly memed friends by e-mail or leaving a comment on their blog.
Here we go:
1. I hate all-you-can-eat-buffets. I have some pretty strong convictions, two of which collide head-on at buffets. A) I am a firm believer in getting as much for my money as I can. I mean, why not (as long as it's legal and moral)? B) I'm disturbed by the tendency toward gluttony that I see in myself and others. A and B can not coexist peacefully in my heart and mind, especially while I'm munching on my fourth chicken strip.
2. When I was about 15 years old, my mom bought me a pair of Guess overalls. I liked the overalls themselves, but I immediately went about cutting off any trace that showed that they were Guess brand. Why? I'm not sure how to put it into words, but I know it's genetic because Delaney told me about a year ago that she would no longer wear the hand-me-down Roxy shirts that she got from her cousin. Her explanation was, "Popular girls wear Roxy shirts, Mom, and I don't want to be popular." As funny as that sounded coming out of a nine-year-old's mouth, I did understand. (I hope the social rebelliousness of myself and my daughter hasn't offended any of you Guess or Roxy fashionistas.)
3. Do I dare include this next one? It's really embarassing, but it's pretty funny so here goes...my first real kiss was a very stressful experience. You see, before I handed a lot of money over to an electrolysist and allowed her to torture my upper lip (until tears ran down my face), I had enough hair there to make 14 year old boys envious. Anyway, my date with a boy whom we shall refer to as Nick (not his real name) took place before my date with the electrolysist. We were out in the bright sunlight on a walk in the wilderness near my childhood home. He leaned forward to kiss me which was absolutely thrilling to a 14-year-old-me, but all I could think was, "Does he wonder if he's actually kissing a dude?"
4. Daily I read a British newspaper online. What can I say? I'm an anglophile. If I'm really comfortable in your presence, then I might lapse into a fake British accent, unless you're British yourself, of course, because then you'd know how poorly done my accent is.
5. A bit of vanity...I really enjoy having green eyes. It doesn't seem like a lot of people have genuinely green eyes, so I feel unusual. I don't, however, enjoy the crow's feet that surround my eyes, nor care much for the nose between my eyes.
6. One of the most common topics of my poems is death. (No, I don't paint my fingernails black.) I'm not morbid, simply realistic. I find it fascinating that we are all granted these bodies and live on earth for varying lengths of time during different time periods on various continents with our own set of circumstances. Here's my latest one:
So the other "rules" of meming are that you have to post these rules, record your 7 weird and or unknown facts about yourself on your own blog, "tag" others at the end of your post and alert your newly memed friends by e-mail or leaving a comment on their blog.
Here we go:
1. I hate all-you-can-eat-buffets. I have some pretty strong convictions, two of which collide head-on at buffets. A) I am a firm believer in getting as much for my money as I can. I mean, why not (as long as it's legal and moral)? B) I'm disturbed by the tendency toward gluttony that I see in myself and others. A and B can not coexist peacefully in my heart and mind, especially while I'm munching on my fourth chicken strip.
2. When I was about 15 years old, my mom bought me a pair of Guess overalls. I liked the overalls themselves, but I immediately went about cutting off any trace that showed that they were Guess brand. Why? I'm not sure how to put it into words, but I know it's genetic because Delaney told me about a year ago that she would no longer wear the hand-me-down Roxy shirts that she got from her cousin. Her explanation was, "Popular girls wear Roxy shirts, Mom, and I don't want to be popular." As funny as that sounded coming out of a nine-year-old's mouth, I did understand. (I hope the social rebelliousness of myself and my daughter hasn't offended any of you Guess or Roxy fashionistas.)
3. Do I dare include this next one? It's really embarassing, but it's pretty funny so here goes...my first real kiss was a very stressful experience. You see, before I handed a lot of money over to an electrolysist and allowed her to torture my upper lip (until tears ran down my face), I had enough hair there to make 14 year old boys envious. Anyway, my date with a boy whom we shall refer to as Nick (not his real name) took place before my date with the electrolysist. We were out in the bright sunlight on a walk in the wilderness near my childhood home. He leaned forward to kiss me which was absolutely thrilling to a 14-year-old-me, but all I could think was, "Does he wonder if he's actually kissing a dude?"
4. Daily I read a British newspaper online. What can I say? I'm an anglophile. If I'm really comfortable in your presence, then I might lapse into a fake British accent, unless you're British yourself, of course, because then you'd know how poorly done my accent is.
5. A bit of vanity...I really enjoy having green eyes. It doesn't seem like a lot of people have genuinely green eyes, so I feel unusual. I don't, however, enjoy the crow's feet that surround my eyes, nor care much for the nose between my eyes.
6. One of the most common topics of my poems is death. (No, I don't paint my fingernails black.) I'm not morbid, simply realistic. I find it fascinating that we are all granted these bodies and live on earth for varying lengths of time during different time periods on various continents with our own set of circumstances. Here's my latest one:
Each soul untethered exits life
Through diverse means to death--
Each moment moves the masses on
To a conclusive breath--
The sundry ways to oust a ghost
One can't enumerate
For there's no dearth of death on Earth-
With which all consummate
Through drownings, riots, crashing cars
Are new cadavers born--
In horrid wars, vitalities
From mortals' shells are torn--
By leaden slugs a soul's dislodged-
By cancer crowded out--
By lack of air, a spirit's loosed-
By thirst unslaked from drought--
Through malformations in the womb
Such little ghosts are made
While entropy undoes the old
Who sometimes simply fade
A life may jar out with a jolt
From trauma bluntly dealt--
The coups de grace of lucky ones
Are quick and never felt--
Extremes of heat create a husk-
Conversely, so can cold--
Many lonesome deaths play out
With details left untold--
A painless passage can occur-
A pleasant ferry ride-
More often, though, the shucking shocks
The one whom Life denied
The unwrapped essences of us
The Judgment Hall will fill
Since each physique's fragility
Defies the fiercest will--
And once the lease is not renewed-
One ceases to infest
Their corporeal figure here--
We're all a body's guest
July 19, 2008
Through diverse means to death--
Each moment moves the masses on
To a conclusive breath--
The sundry ways to oust a ghost
One can't enumerate
For there's no dearth of death on Earth-
With which all consummate
Through drownings, riots, crashing cars
Are new cadavers born--
In horrid wars, vitalities
From mortals' shells are torn--
By leaden slugs a soul's dislodged-
By cancer crowded out--
By lack of air, a spirit's loosed-
By thirst unslaked from drought--
Through malformations in the womb
Such little ghosts are made
While entropy undoes the old
Who sometimes simply fade
A life may jar out with a jolt
From trauma bluntly dealt--
The coups de grace of lucky ones
Are quick and never felt--
Extremes of heat create a husk-
Conversely, so can cold--
Many lonesome deaths play out
With details left untold--
A painless passage can occur-
A pleasant ferry ride-
More often, though, the shucking shocks
The one whom Life denied
The unwrapped essences of us
The Judgment Hall will fill
Since each physique's fragility
Defies the fiercest will--
And once the lease is not renewed-
One ceases to infest
Their corporeal figure here--
We're all a body's guest
July 19, 2008
7. I never vomited even once in my life until I was pregnant. In fact, the first time it happened, I had no idea what was going on. I felt kind of gross and I started salivating like mad. I leaned over the bathroom sink to spit out the excess spit and...voila! It happened. I looked and thought, "Is that my breakfast? Hey, I think I just threw up!"
Okay, so now I pick those to be memed by me. Eenie meenie minie mo...I tag Kindra (before JoAnna gets a chance to do so), Leann, FrankandLela, Raymond (although he's a bit busy trekking across the African frontier right now), KorenandConor, Micky and Andrea (although I don't think she has a blog, so she'll have to be a good sport and commit her meming on the comment section of my blog). Actually, I'm really into this, so if any of you want to be memed then consider yourself memed and let me know where to read your answers.
Okay, so now I pick those to be memed by me. Eenie meenie minie mo...I tag Kindra (before JoAnna gets a chance to do so), Leann, FrankandLela, Raymond (although he's a bit busy trekking across the African frontier right now), KorenandConor, Micky and Andrea (although I don't think she has a blog, so she'll have to be a good sport and commit her meming on the comment section of my blog). Actually, I'm really into this, so if any of you want to be memed then consider yourself memed and let me know where to read your answers.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Beach Day
Believing that a childhood without a few trips to the beach each year is indeed a very sad thing, Jeff finagled his schedule so that we could ensure the happiness and well-roundedness of our children's summer.
On the way there, the kids entertained each other in the backseat by drawing pictures of vomiting cartoon characters. (Ahh, yes...just another day in our car.)
Once we got there and found an $8.00 parking spot, Jeff declared the first order of business was to find a place that sells frozen bananas. (Apparently a good childhood has to have a couple of those thrown in, too.) As we went off on our search, I was surprised at the food offered in such close proximity to the beach. There were tons of places selling corn dogs, buckets of fries, pizza, frozen cheesecake on a stick, etc. Apparently the people eating this stuff weren't the same ones who were traipsing around in bikinis just 100 yards away. Maybe the "eaters" just ride the carousel all day. $9.75 later (for three bananas!!) and the kids and Jeff were enjoying their frozen treats.
It was finally time to go to the actual beach, so we loaded ourselves up like a bunch of pack-mules and trudged out onto the sand. On the way, somebody accidentally dumped the contents out of the mini cooler. (It was the same unnamed person who dumped the cooler out onto my seat in our rental car on vacation. Perhaps it's time to rearrange the list of who performs which duty, hmmm?)
As we approached the shore line, I heard a loud boom like a bomb going off. It took me a second to realize it was simply a wave crashing. Those waves were massive!!! I barely resisted the urge to call out "Tsumani!" a few times. Keep in mind while looking at the below picture that Tobias is 5' 7" tall and that wave is way over his head.
Tobias' swimming trunks (or momentary lack of swimming trunks) was another memorable moment caused by the waves' ferocity. I guess his railish frame doesn't give the elastic waistband much to grab on to. There are disadvantages to being skinny!
A few times, these surprising herds of Junior Lifeguards jogged past us in their red swimsuits. There were about 50 to a pack and they looked like they were ages 9-12. One guy in front was carrying a paper torch high above his head. Who wants that job? Poor kid had to run past a bunch of well-muscled surfer-types and bikini-clad college girls while lifting a fake paper torch like it's some vital beacon, guiding the masses behind him. Other than that, it looked like a pretty good program.
Jeff and the kids did usual beach stuff for the next three hours. You know, like digging in the sand, dodging killer waves and jogging junior lifeguards. I, however, sat beneath our blue beach umbrella (which Jeff declared to be the most "ghetto" umbrella on the beach due to its partially collapsed stature). A sun-worshiper I am not.
When we were "beached-out", we packed up and went in search of a sit-down pizza place. The pizza was quite good but the music over the speakers was awful. I think they were playing an album called "Were these ever really hits of the 70s?". When the best song you hear in a whole hour is "Mississippi Queen", that's saying something. The chorus of one song was something like, "Captain Jack is gonna get you high tonight." Uh...no thanks.
However, another redeeming feature of this pizza joint was that we got to watch pros doing BMX tricks on the plasma screen. In fact, with the beach, the pizza and the BMX tricks, Jeff declared it a nearly perfect day.
On the way there, the kids entertained each other in the backseat by drawing pictures of vomiting cartoon characters. (Ahh, yes...just another day in our car.)
Once we got there and found an $8.00 parking spot, Jeff declared the first order of business was to find a place that sells frozen bananas. (Apparently a good childhood has to have a couple of those thrown in, too.) As we went off on our search, I was surprised at the food offered in such close proximity to the beach. There were tons of places selling corn dogs, buckets of fries, pizza, frozen cheesecake on a stick, etc. Apparently the people eating this stuff weren't the same ones who were traipsing around in bikinis just 100 yards away. Maybe the "eaters" just ride the carousel all day. $9.75 later (for three bananas!!) and the kids and Jeff were enjoying their frozen treats.
It was finally time to go to the actual beach, so we loaded ourselves up like a bunch of pack-mules and trudged out onto the sand. On the way, somebody accidentally dumped the contents out of the mini cooler. (It was the same unnamed person who dumped the cooler out onto my seat in our rental car on vacation. Perhaps it's time to rearrange the list of who performs which duty, hmmm?)
As we approached the shore line, I heard a loud boom like a bomb going off. It took me a second to realize it was simply a wave crashing. Those waves were massive!!! I barely resisted the urge to call out "Tsumani!" a few times. Keep in mind while looking at the below picture that Tobias is 5' 7" tall and that wave is way over his head.
Tobias' swimming trunks (or momentary lack of swimming trunks) was another memorable moment caused by the waves' ferocity. I guess his railish frame doesn't give the elastic waistband much to grab on to. There are disadvantages to being skinny!
A few times, these surprising herds of Junior Lifeguards jogged past us in their red swimsuits. There were about 50 to a pack and they looked like they were ages 9-12. One guy in front was carrying a paper torch high above his head. Who wants that job? Poor kid had to run past a bunch of well-muscled surfer-types and bikini-clad college girls while lifting a fake paper torch like it's some vital beacon, guiding the masses behind him. Other than that, it looked like a pretty good program.
Jeff and the kids did usual beach stuff for the next three hours. You know, like digging in the sand, dodging killer waves and jogging junior lifeguards. I, however, sat beneath our blue beach umbrella (which Jeff declared to be the most "ghetto" umbrella on the beach due to its partially collapsed stature). A sun-worshiper I am not.
When we were "beached-out", we packed up and went in search of a sit-down pizza place. The pizza was quite good but the music over the speakers was awful. I think they were playing an album called "Were these ever really hits of the 70s?". When the best song you hear in a whole hour is "Mississippi Queen", that's saying something. The chorus of one song was something like, "Captain Jack is gonna get you high tonight." Uh...no thanks.
However, another redeeming feature of this pizza joint was that we got to watch pros doing BMX tricks on the plasma screen. In fact, with the beach, the pizza and the BMX tricks, Jeff declared it a nearly perfect day.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
He is Able, More than Able, to Accomplish What Concerns Me Today
Ahhh...it's over.
A few months ago, I was asked to consider being the snack coordinator for our fellowship's Summer Bible Blast (aka Vacation Bible School). I confess that my first inclination was to pass that endeavor on to some other lucky person, but as I was praying about it, I realized that the only reason I didn't want to do it was because I didn't want to be bothered and that's not a good reason to not serve God and others. I had the time, the resources and through prayer I could obtain the knowhow, so why not? There should be an element of sacrifice to our worship and this was a way that I could give of myself, so...I accepted.
I'm happy that I did.
There were a few moments here and there when I felt a sense of panic rising from somewhere deep within me and I thought, "What was I thinking when I took this on?!?!?" but each time, I just told myself, "God has always proven Himself faithful to you before. Keep doing your best and watch Him work out everything else."
Months of planning, five days of serving and 1500 snacks later and once again, He proved Himself.
I was blessed with a wonderful crew of people who stocked drinks, baked cookies, filled dixie cups of trail mix, etc. TONS of food donations came in from the congregation so we were actually able to stay under the budget allotted to the snack department. The closest thing we had to a crisis was when one little girl declared that she didn't like SpongeBob popsicles, so yeah...it went pretty smoothly!
Now it's over and I can focus on finding people to come over and fix our roof and bathroom...fun.
Just because posts are much better with a picture, here's one I took of the kids yesterday. Delaney's determined to get contacts soon, so she left her glasses off. Don't look at the dead part of the lawn in the background, okay?
A few months ago, I was asked to consider being the snack coordinator for our fellowship's Summer Bible Blast (aka Vacation Bible School). I confess that my first inclination was to pass that endeavor on to some other lucky person, but as I was praying about it, I realized that the only reason I didn't want to do it was because I didn't want to be bothered and that's not a good reason to not serve God and others. I had the time, the resources and through prayer I could obtain the knowhow, so why not? There should be an element of sacrifice to our worship and this was a way that I could give of myself, so...I accepted.
I'm happy that I did.
There were a few moments here and there when I felt a sense of panic rising from somewhere deep within me and I thought, "What was I thinking when I took this on?!?!?" but each time, I just told myself, "God has always proven Himself faithful to you before. Keep doing your best and watch Him work out everything else."
Months of planning, five days of serving and 1500 snacks later and once again, He proved Himself.
I was blessed with a wonderful crew of people who stocked drinks, baked cookies, filled dixie cups of trail mix, etc. TONS of food donations came in from the congregation so we were actually able to stay under the budget allotted to the snack department. The closest thing we had to a crisis was when one little girl declared that she didn't like SpongeBob popsicles, so yeah...it went pretty smoothly!
Now it's over and I can focus on finding people to come over and fix our roof and bathroom...fun.
Just because posts are much better with a picture, here's one I took of the kids yesterday. Delaney's determined to get contacts soon, so she left her glasses off. Don't look at the dead part of the lawn in the background, okay?
Friday, July 4, 2008
Ageing and Slapstick
Alright, I shall spare you all the sight of my foot and move on to other things...
Recently, the orthodontist gave me some pictures of Tobias which were taken when his treatment started and then again when it was over. Be astonished with me if you will at the sight of my son:
Can you believe that these pictures were taken less than three years apart? In the upper pictures, Tobias was 10 years and 7 months and in the lower ones he was 13 years and 3 months. Man, you get some hormones coursing through their veins and little boys are vaulted into manhood. (Well, perhaps "manhood" is a stretch, but still, he looks so much older and it's not just the length of his hair; look at his features!)
Base Humor
I've heard it said that puns are the lowest form of verbal humor. Well, if that is true, then slapstick must be the most base form of physical humor. What happens on ABC's "Wipeout" may not be classified as slapstick by the broadcasters, but if you've seen it then you'll understand why I have called it such.
It's one of those things that you laugh at but feel a bit guilty about doing so. How can those contestants still be healthy at the end of their time on the obstacle course? They eat it hard, right and left. Maybe there is a chiropractor on site to perform immediate adjustments.
All I've got to say is, those people must really need the money to subject themselves to that kind of physical danger and public humiliation. Jeff said he'd like to do it just for the challenge. I told him that I like his face and teeth (and the rest of his body) just as they are now.
Recently, the orthodontist gave me some pictures of Tobias which were taken when his treatment started and then again when it was over. Be astonished with me if you will at the sight of my son:
Can you believe that these pictures were taken less than three years apart? In the upper pictures, Tobias was 10 years and 7 months and in the lower ones he was 13 years and 3 months. Man, you get some hormones coursing through their veins and little boys are vaulted into manhood. (Well, perhaps "manhood" is a stretch, but still, he looks so much older and it's not just the length of his hair; look at his features!)
Base Humor
I've heard it said that puns are the lowest form of verbal humor. Well, if that is true, then slapstick must be the most base form of physical humor. What happens on ABC's "Wipeout" may not be classified as slapstick by the broadcasters, but if you've seen it then you'll understand why I have called it such.
It's one of those things that you laugh at but feel a bit guilty about doing so. How can those contestants still be healthy at the end of their time on the obstacle course? They eat it hard, right and left. Maybe there is a chiropractor on site to perform immediate adjustments.
All I've got to say is, those people must really need the money to subject themselves to that kind of physical danger and public humiliation. Jeff said he'd like to do it just for the challenge. I told him that I like his face and teeth (and the rest of his body) just as they are now.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Agony of De"foot"
'Twas not enough 'tis size 9 wide
(All decency demands it hide)...
To plantar fasciitis prone
(As is its poor afflicted clone)...
It's biggest pig baits all to stare
(And marvel at its girth unfair)...
The coarsened skin across its sole
Well imitates the hide of troll...
One more misfortune I report...
Alas, a newly sprouted WART.
(All decency demands it hide)...
To plantar fasciitis prone
(As is its poor afflicted clone)...
It's biggest pig baits all to stare
(And marvel at its girth unfair)...
The coarsened skin across its sole
Well imitates the hide of troll...
One more misfortune I report...
Alas, a newly sprouted WART.
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