Wordless Wednesday--Harmony's Birthday

Birthday dinner at Little Mexico:

Double Birthday Party with Harmony's birthday buddy, Emi:

The aftermath:

Melodic Mondays: Connected

Both kids are singing this song from "Barbie and the Diamond Castle." It almost could make it as a worship song...

I'm blind folded on this carriage ride that they call life
keep trying to make it through that next turn knuckles white and holdin' tight
so here i go
taking a curve
but i know that I’m never alone
I think of you
and how you never let me go

Chorus: I feel connected (connected)
Protected (protected)
Its like you sitting right, with me all the time
You hear me (you hear me)
You’re near me (you're near me)
And everything else gonna be alright
Cause nothing can break this..nothing can break this
Nothing can break this tie.. connected
Ooh..Connected inside

It’s not an accident
The time we spend apart
But now we’re so close
I can always find you
Right here in my heart

You’ve given me something I need
And I don’t ever want it to end
Because of you
I know I’ve found my strength again

*Chorus

Bridge: Every time that I breathe
I can feel the energy
Reaching out flowing through
You to me and me to you
Wake a dream walk a stair
You are everywhere I am
Separate souls unified
Touching at the speed of... LIFE
Oh LIFE…
Oh YEAH…

*Chorus

Connected
Connected inside
Connected

The older brother

It's hard to be the older brother...Henry had a tough time this week, both on Harmony's birthday and today at her party. We did things to accomodate him, like inviting some boys to the party (post coming after I load pics!) and spending some undivided time with him. But he was still more whiny than usual, and had a melt down both days.

It reminded me of the parable of the prodigal's son. When you think about it from the older brother's view point, it is totally unfair--why is HE getting the party? I'm the one who has been loyal, who is here day in and day out, and yet I don't get rewarded.

Some days the Christian life feels that way...doing the work day in, day out, without seeing the rewards.

I love the dad's response: 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'

EVERYTHING I have is yours. I love that God promises the faithful everything!

I also evision the loving arm around the older son, a grace-full, loving answer. That vision helped me be gracefull with Henry (or at least attempt to be), even though he didn't have the reason to be offended, like the other older brother.

Lord, help Henry respond gracefully when others get attention or accolades, whether they deserve them or not.

Saturday night struggle

One of the most challenging things about not having a church home is the Saturday Night debate...where are we going to church this week? Before we left the donut church, we were having four day hangovers recovering from attending, and now we have the one day panic attack the day (or hours) before.

There aren't a ton of churches here, yet that almost makes it harder. Where haven't we tried? The hard thing is that we're between charismatic and evangelical, and neither fits us.

Although I've been moving slowly, I am still working my way through Acts. Acts 2:1 really struck me: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place."

First of all, when I think of Pentecost, I think of the story of Acts--tongues of flames on everyone's heads, speaking in other people's native languages. What I don't think about is why were they all gathered together? I know they were sharing everything, but even sow, just because you're sharing doesn't mean you spend every moment together. Turns out that Pentecost is also a holiday for Jews...the Feast of Weeks, the holy day celebrating the first fruits. That is just too cool, that the first fruits of the Christian "Passover" was the gift of the Holy Spirit!

The other thing that strikes me is that the unity in the church--there weren't separate churches for Peter, for Mark, for Luke, etc. This week I'm starting a Bible Study through a women's center here in town. I'm looking forward to getting know some other Christian women in town...and maybe find a church home too.

Thanks for giving us the first fruit of the Holy Spirit--of reversing the gifting and giving us the gift. Help us find a church home.

Thankful Thursday--Harmony

My daughter, Harmony, is turning five on Thursday. Happy Birthday, Princess!!



I'm thankful that Harmony has recently started wondering if we'll be young when Jesus gives us our new bodies. "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." 2 Peter 2:13

I'm thankful that the cup is always full to overflowing for Harmony. "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10



I'm thankful that she doesn't walk--she jumps, hops, skips, dances--sometimes I wonder if her name should have been Joy. "Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow." Jeremiah 31:13



I'm thankful that even when something is hard, she sticks with it. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 3:14


I'm thankful that she's generous, easily malleable, wanting to please her teachers. "To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness," Ecclesiastes 2:26a


I'm thankful that she loves to paint rainbows, complete with glitter glue and jewels. "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:16

Thank you, Lord, for Harmony, and the blessing she is to me and our family. Continue to bless her and grow her up in You.

Birthday party help

Harmony is having a joint birthday party with her birthday buddy, Emi. It works out pretty well, because they want "Barbie and the Diamond Castle", which stars two girls, Alexa and Liana. We invited 12 girls (including the guests of honor) and 4 boys (Henry, a sibling, and a family with two boys).

The activities for the girls are going well. They're going to:
--decorate a basket with foam flowers (Alexa and Liana collect and sell flowers in the movie)
--Make a heart necklace (the heroines find heart stones in the river that protect them from the villianess later)
--Do a scavenger hunt to find a puppy
--Play Karoke on the "stage" in H&H's bedroom (they perform in the movie)
--Eat lunch (if we're true to the movie, it'll be chicken wings and mashed potatoes...but it might be nuggets, grapes and carrots)
--Do an obstacle course to find the pinata of Slider, the villianness' serpent (the pinata is going to be a challenge!)

Here is where I need help...what do the boys do as parallel activities?? There are twin boys that are also in the movie, but they have smaller roles. So far I have:
--decorate a foam sword
--(need a parallel for the necklace)
--(need something for them to find on the scavenger hunt)
--play outside
--eat lunch
--obstacle course to pinata with the girls

Any ideas? The boys play guitar in the movie, but I don't know how to work that in.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Signs that You’re Getting Older

10. Your little girl is turning 5.
9. You don't know any of the songs on the radio.
8. It's your 20 yr high school reunion this summer!
7. There are pictures of you on Facebook with your collar turned up and feathered hair.
6. You have to use the full 1040 tax forms...and the Home Business Level TurboTax.
5. You shouldn't be trusted by anyone under the age of 18.
4. Your fridge contains vegetables. Of several varieties.
3. You're excited about signing up for a CSA...to get more of said veggies in the fridge.
2. The edition you teach from is the 9th...and you used the 2nd edition when you were a student.
1. During a generational marker conversation, a student asks, "So where were you when JFK was shot??" (A twinkle in my dad's eye...)

Ex voyeurism

A friend posted a high school meme on Facebook, and one of the questions was "are you still in contact with your prom date?"

My answers were no and no. Considering prom was the only time I ever went out with my junior prom date (and he asked me in a note), I don't even remember his last name.

But it did make me curious about my senior prom date. We met through 4-H; he lived in a neighboring town, about 15 minutes away. We dated my entire senior year, then I broke it off because I didn't want to be dating someone at college.

Amazingly enough, a quick Google search brought him up, along with his wedding page and he and his wife's (well, really only his wife's) blog. I was glad to hear that he's an electrical engineer, happily married, and running marathons. His younger sister has dyed her hair blonde and is as beautiful as ever. And strangely enough, his daughter was born a couple of days before our Chilita.

I was happy for him--happy things are going well, that he's healthy and has a family.

I didn't have the same response when I've been reading about our old church. They're moving into a new building, and I have a twinge of jealousy about not helping paint. They had a leader's retreat, and part of me thought I should have been laying on the blanket in the sun with friends between sessions. I want to have a church community, and I don't. At least not one that meets on Sunday mornings, or that I see on a regular basis.

So I guess I'm feeling like a dumped prom date. I know eventually we'll find a church home here, and the jilted feelings will fade...I hope someday I can be happy for the donut church, and not feel any of the negatives.

Bless the new donut church as they transition into a new building, and heal our wounds. Show us where you want us, and make us willing to go there.

Thankful Thursday

It's a crazy week, but I still want to share my thankfulness!

This week I'm thankful for:
--Both sets of grandparents having some special time with Henry and Harmony during Henry's spring break
--Hope being such a smile-y happy baby--she is such a blessing (even if she doesn't sleep more than three hours at a time!)
--There is a CSA delivering to our town this year! http://www.tranquilridgefarm.com/

First communions?

Even though we've had the "just friends" conversation with the neighborhood church and I don't think we'll be there long term, God and our children might have other plans.

Both kids have now had their first communion there.

In the church I grew up in, your first communion was a ritual of fifth grade. After a four week series of classes (including making a special altar decoration and the unleavened bread for the week), we all went down the aisle and had our first communion together (with our families, of course).

While I'm glad for the seriousness that my childhood church took in making sure everyone knew what communion was all about, it was a little artificial. Some children have professed faith years before fifth grade, while others are just going through the motions to make their parents happy.

The neighborhood church is fairly open about communion--the liturgy before communion is something like "all who have placed their trust in Jesus are welcome," and my kids have taken that literally. At the Sunday night service in February, I thought the kids were hitting the snack table while I took communion (Hubby was in the band), but Henry had other plans--he jumped in line behind me and took it. Afterwards we had a long talk about communion and what it means--he understood it and wanted to do it, so we decided it was ok.

This Sunday, Harmony did a similar thing. On Saturday, we had a long talk about what happens after you die (sparked by the death of a friend's dog), including a profession of faith by Harmony. On Sunday in morning church, she wanted to take communion too...so we let her. Though the three minutes she had to hold the cup before everyone was served must have seemed like an eternity to both of us--her because she was so eager, me because I was afraid she was going to spill it!

So I'm taking Jesus at his word... "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Thanks, Lord, for leading my children to you. May their faith have deep roots and last a lifetime.

Melodic Monday: PassOver Us by Andrew Peterson

This week is Passover, and this song is a great one celebrating passover...

Well, we all remember Moses on the banks of the river
He said "Pharaoh, you've got to let my people go.
You don't want me to have to tell you this ten times over--
Denial ain't just a river, you know"

And we all remember Pharaoh, he just wouldn't do it
So the plagues they came upon Egypt one by one
His heart was hard and the other nine just couldn't move it
So the last was the worst: the death of the firstborn son

But the Lord, he gave to Moses a word for the people
He said their firstborn sons could live to see another day
"Put the blood of a lamb on the doorway and death will pass right over"
That night all of the children of Israel prayed,

"Lord, let your judgment passover us
Lord, let your love hover near
Don't let your sweet mercy passover us
Let this blood cover over us here"

So the years went by and the people they whined and they wandered
And only sacrifice atoned for the sins of the land
So you see the priest he placed upon the holy altar
The body of a spotless lamb
And he prayed,

"Lord, let your judgment passover us
Lord, let your love hover near
Don't let your sweet mercy passover us
Let this blood cover over us here"

And the winner is...

Here are your random numbers:
1
Timestamp: 2009-04-06 03:27:51 UTC

So Jonell, the PotBelly card is yours...I don't think I have your snail mail addy, so please send it to me! Thanks everyone for playing...

Legal Stealing

So I got a deal at CVS today that was so good that it feels like stealing...

2 packs of Huugies size 3 diapers $10 each
1 pkg Gentle Care Huggies wipes (184 ct) $5
Tax 1.76
Total 26.26
MINUS:
-$5 off $25 CVS coupon I got in my e-mail box
-$2 quarterly Extra Bucks
$5 coupon off of Gentle Care (from coupons.com)
$1.50 Huggies
$1.00 Huggies

Total out of pocket: $11.76
PLUS I earned $10 Extra Care Bucks

So I paid $1.76 for 2 pks of diapers and a refill of wipes!

Side lined

Last night my mom showed me some things she had picked out of a catalog for my Sunday School class...which I'm no longer teaching.

Ugh. It feels like I've been sidelined. Hubby has picked up a Sunday night worship gig (before all this fell apart), so he's got an outlet for using his spiritual gifts. I'm very glad for that. And while I'll occasionally generate a lesson to use with our kiddos (and sometimes their friends) it does feel strange to be out of the game.

Not getting to use our gifts was a contributing reason for not going back to the church we were attending before we went on sabbatical. And I'm sure that no matter where we go next, it'll be a while before I'd be allowed to teach Sunday School. But I'm itching to be back in the game.

Give us opportunities to serve You and use the gifts you've given us, Lord.

Thankful Thursday--Lessons from the Beach

We had a great time at the beach when we were on vacation. One morning Harmony and I went down to see the sunrise. We looked for the sandcastle we built the day before, but it was nowhere to be found--the tide had washed everything smooth and flat.

It reminded me of the messes and piles I make in my own life, and that all I need to do for Jesus to wipe them clean is draw near to him and ask.

So this week I'm thankful for God's forgiveness, that wipes everything smooth as the beach when the tide goes out.

I'm thankful for the shells we found on the beach--but more thankful for the reminder that if you want to find life (not just empty shells), you have to jump into the ocean of God's love. The Christian life isn't a spectator sport!

What are you thankful for today? You can share your list at Laurie's this week.

Breakin' up is hard to do...

Although we've been estranged for a while, we have yet to have the "break up" conversation with our old pastor. It's like that dating relationship that should have ended a couple of months ago, but drags on...though both parties know it's over.

I knew it was time for us to finalize things when I found myself wanting to toss the Manderin Orange Bath and Body Works body wash and Cool Citrus Basil lotion that I got as "thank you's" for teaching at the donut church. And wondering who I could give the gift card to a restaurant that isn't even in my town (another "Thank You" gift). Kind of like cleaning house after a break up.

Hubby was going to bring a letter and have the conversation yesterday, but his car started acting funny--it wouldn't go over 40 mph, then would rev up to 3000 rpm. Instead he headed home. We took it as a sign that yesterday wasn't the day.

So I'll hold onto the body wash a little longer...but does any one want a PotBelly Sandwich gift card? My best guess is that it has $5 on it. I tried to check the balance, but the calculator didn't work. If you're interested, please leave a comment with an e-mail address, and if there is more than one person interested, I'll use a random number generator to choose a winner on Sunday.

Wordless Wednesday--signs of spring!

Henry's music program

Tonight the kindergarten had a "Fine Arts" open house; their artwork was displayed throughout the building, and there were two different musical programs with four classes each. Here is one song--Henry is the boy in blue with white stripes (and the only boy in the frame!)

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 things on my to do list

Yano at YanowhatImean (a great blog name!) posts an idea for "Ten on Tuesday" every week--thanks!

Here's my to do list at work:
1. Send out Faculty Development letters to recipients...and ones we turned down.
2. Write a report about possible ways of running Faculty Development with a tighter budget.
3. Grade 30 lab notebooks
4. Grade 14.5 6-10 page formal lab reports
5. Prepare my lecture for Wednesday
6. Revise and submit a departmental writing statement
7. Revise a case study I submitted to the Science Case Study Library
8. Review a paper for a journal
9. Order primers for my research student
10. Advise two more students tomorrow

House:
1. Play with Hope
2. Read Harmony her new book
3. Help Henry figure out how to play his new game
4. Balance the checkbook
5. Vacuum (this is always on my list)
6. Clean out the diaper pail (ew!)
7. Laundry (this is also always on my list)
8. Do some menu planning
9. Go grocery shopping
10. Plot my next Walgreens run

But now, I need to go to bed! What's on your to do list this week?

Dust if you must...

Laugh for the day, courtesy of my aunt:

LADIES... Remember...a layer of dust protects the Wood beneath it.

'A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture.'

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just
perfect - 'in case someone came over.' Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun! NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.

If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it!
Dust if you must .......
but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time . . . . rivers to swim, mountains to climb, music to hear, books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain.. This day will not come around, again.
Dust if you must , but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind.

And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!

(I think I'll still have the cleaning lady come every once in a while :))

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for evidence of spiritual growth in my children, despite not having a regular church home. I'm specifically thankful for:
--AllBoy's weekend report being all about going to church
--AllBoy praying for Princess to be healed from her cough and fever in a hands-on and faith-filled way
--Princess talking about Jesus right and left. Tonight she was asking about seeing Jesus, and how she couldn't wait to get to heaven to see him face to face.

Lord, I thank you for spiritual growth in my children, and for showing it to me.

Just friends

We had to have a "just friends" conversation with a pastor a couple of weeks ago. We've visited several times, and hubby plays for a monthly Sunday night service, and they were excited about a new young family.

And while we've worshipped there, it's not going to be our home church--it's a place holder while we're seeking God. It's two blocks from our house, so it's convenient.

So we had the "just friends" conversation, and it went well...though it's a strange one to have with a church!

Thankful Thursday--new life!

Spring has sprung around here! The hyacinths are poking their heads out, the trees have buds, and the students are wearing flip flops.

So this week I'm thankful for new life:
--for all the newness of spring
--that spring didn't spring a leak around here (with prayers for those threatened with flooding in the Northern Plains)
--for Hope--she's rolling over, blowing raspberries and generally being cute (though still not sleeping through the night)
--for the new life scripture promises us:
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

and thanks to Lynn for hosting Thankful Thursday this week!

Ten on Tuesday--Favorite things on vacation

Patrick and I have different vacation styles, so it's taken us a while to master "the vacation"!

Shared:
1. Eat at good (generally non-chain) restaurants. Since we have about 10 restaurants in town, this is generally easy. Patrick does lots of research ahead of time, and he does a great job picking winners.
2. Go to museums.
3. Walk around old neighborhoods and farmers markets
4. Eat donuts for breakfast

The kids and I:
5. Play in the hotel pool (while Daddy does #8 and #9)

The kids:
6. Take modes of transportation not available at home, like taxis, buses, trains, etc.
7. Do fun kid things, like play on the beach, go to a water park, children's museum, zoo, or the Mouse House

Patrick:
8. Sleep in
9. Read the paper

Me:
10. Take a bubble bath!

So what are your ten favorite things to do on vacation? I made this Mr. Linky long ago and far away, so might as well use it:


You can also share by making a comment here.

Saying no

On Sunday afternoon, Henry and I were working/playing in the yard. He asked if we could have a squirt gun fight and I said no--it's not summer yet.

Henry wanted to play light sabers, so we invited the neighbor boys (who were also outside) over to play. They were looking for a third light saber, and ventured into the back yard.

After a while, I got suspicious--usually their duels (or tri-els) range all over the yard, and I hadn't seen them in a while. So I went looking.

What I found was a soaked Henry and friends, Super Soakers in hand.

Uh oh...time for the neighbors to go home.

Henry was quick to point a finger at the oldest boy, saying it was his idea. My response was, "But you knew the rules. It's important that when someone asks you to do something that you know is wrong to stand up to them. Say no and tell them why."

I think that's easy advice to give, and hard to live by. Saying no has never has been my forte, so I hope I can teach my children well.

Lord, give us courage to stand up and say no when we know something is wrong. Help us to teach our children both your rules and the ability to stand up for what they believe in.

Church history

We have an interesting trend in our church attendance history:

Church #1: we attended here when we were dating until we moved. Our first Sunday was their groundbreaking for a new building. They met in the gym of a church school, and moved into the new building the year we were married (the gym wasn't really ready in time for our reception, but we had it there anyway!) They went through a huge transition during this time, with explosive growth. I was a middle school youth counselor, and my husband was on worship team and was worship minister for awhile.

Church #2: met in the Boy's and Girl's Club when we first started attending, and moved into a new building shortly before we moved. I really learned to study my Bible, but we were not well accepted because of my education level and occupation.

Church #3: We knew we were living in this town for only a year, so we wanted to plug in quickly to a church. The church met in a movie theater, then a school gym. They were transitioning from being a college church to a community church.

Church #4: During the year we were attending church #3, we felt called to continue going to that denomination, even if it meant driving an hour on Sundays. The day we committed to that, we discovered a new church listed in a town only 25 miles away. We didn't think it was real--the phone number had the wrong area code, and we both knew that town really well. We called, and that Sunday had been the contact's last Sunday at the old church; they were planting a brand new church. Their first activity was the day after we moved back to the area. We were as close to being on the plant team without moving with the team, though there was a distinct division between leadership that came from the mother church and the "townies". We were life group leaders, I taught kids' church (and coordinated the curriculum) and hubby played on the worship team. We easily could have been "lifers" there, never leaving that church.

So what patterns emerge?
--We must like setting up chairs, since most of these churches have not had buildings and had to set up/tear down each week.
--God has been very active and present, moving these churches to new/different levels.
--Serving is important to us; it's not enough to be a member of the congregation, we need to be actively using our skills.

Moving on

'May another take his place of leadership.' Acts 1:20, quoting Psalm 109:8

Acts 1 ends with the disciples replacing Judas. First they set the criteria, then nominated two men, and finally sought the Lord by casting lots.

Some days I wonder how the donut church has replaced all of us who have left--the worship leader, key board player, singer, hospitality coordinator, several life group leaders and kids' church teachers. They obviously have...I pray they've had smooth transitions.

Lord, I pray for the donut church and for all the new leaders there. May they seek you first, and may You be glorified there.

Guide my sword

The Princess Bride is on TV right now. This scene was just on, and it really struck me...Inigo is genuinely praying for guidance, and winds up sticking his sword in a tree, not finding the man in black. In defeat, he drops his head onto his arm on a knot on the tree...and opens the door to where the Man in Black is.

I'm putting my head on the knot, Lord...show me the open door.

Thankful Thursday--Freedom

I grew up going to a mainline church. During grad school, I realized that I was looking to people to provide what only God could. I decided to "marry" Jesus--that He would be my one and only. I set a date, wrote a ceremony, and even bought a special ring.

A couple of months later, I was contemplating dating someone. I wasn't sure if I should or not--did marrying Jesus mean I couldn't marry a human? Was it the equivalent of committing to be a nun? As I prayed about it, I didn't think that it did, but I didn't want to mess up my relationship with Jesus.

As part of my bedtime routine, I always hooked my ring through my watch and set it on the dresser. One morning, the ring was no where to be found. Not on the dresser, under the dresser, under the bed, anywhere. It was like the ring had just disappeared into thin air! Even two years later when I moved out of the house and could really look everywhere, it was no where to be found.

I took that as a sign that I was free to be in a human relationship...and married my now-husband of more than ten years.

So this week I'm thankful for God's amazing way of freeing me from that concern, and making it clear to me who I should marry!

Thankful Thursday--Maps

When we were getting ready to leave our final hotel to head to the airport, I asked the guy at the front desk for the best way to get to there. The directions he gave me didn't seem right--didn't we turn right, not left on that street to get to the interstate? And didn't the interstate go by the airport? And they didn't match the printed directions from the hotel, either--they had us just go straight on the first road.

It was hard to trust his words. In fact, when we stopped to get gas, I dug the maps out of the suitcase in the bottom of the trunk.

Turns out the guy was right--it was the shortest and fastest route. But I felt so much better when I saw it for myself.

Now it would be nice if we had a map for life?

The good news is, we do!
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

So this week, I'm thankful for:
--the Bible, our road map for life.
--Jesus, our personal tour guide. With Him, we'll never be lost.
--Martin Luther and the Gutenberg Press, for putting The Map in the hands of the people in words they could read.
--a great vacation
--a smooth re-entry into "normal" life

Please share your thankfulness with our new host, Lynn

Wordless Wednesday--Vacation

Top Ten Vacation memories

10. Meeting a T. rex on the Jurassic Park ride from the front row...and Henry refusing to go on it again.
9. Twenty plus times on "one fish, two fish"
8. Harmony's love of the Woody Woodpecker Rollercoaster and Ripsaw Falls (a very large flume)--she's going to be a coaster girl (unlike her brother)
7. Hope rolling over for Henry and Harmony, but not for Patrick or I
6. Hope's first plane ride
5. Henry jumping over the waves at Cocoa Beach
4. Harmony being the "queen of the beach" (She told me I could be "queen of the shells")
3. Patrick and Henry getting completely soaked having a water battle in Camp Jurassic
2. Meeting friends for a great and very fun dinner, complete with flamenco and belly dancers (Harmony was trying to imitate them!)
1. Having a wonderful and relaxing time as a family

Melodic Monday--Be my Guide

Be my guide, God of Abraham
Lead me by Your hand
You are strong and wise
I want to trust in You and in all I do
Bring You honour and praise

How I love You
Great and mighty King
You are faithful
Through the ages You never change

Be my guide in the dark of night
Set all fear to flight
You are hope and truth
I want to trust in You and in all I do
Bring you honour and praise

Be my guide for the road ahead
And should I feel misled
You are just and good
I want to trust in You and in all I do
Bring You honour and praise

Roller coaster rides

We're spending Spring Break at Universal Studios Orlando--Patrick won free passes during the Super Bowl, and he and Henry had free tickets that expired April 1.

Part of the fun of theme parks is being scared in a controlled environment. You're scared, but you know it's just for a time and that really, you're safe. We showed the kids the tracks, and explained to them that the rides are like life--they might have bumps, twists, turns and falls, but in the end, God is in control and he keeps us safe. When we put on the safety gear, it's like putting on the armor of God, and between it and the track, you're safe.

How scary life must be when you don't know this!

Wordless Wednesday--goofiness

Top Ten Tuesday: Theology of the Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies. I had it mostly memorized in Grad School, and wrote a list of "Everything I needed to Know I learned from the Princess Bride" (in the era of "Everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten"--which is now taught in preschool, not kindergarten). So here are my top ten theologically relevant lessons from the Princess Bride:

10. There isn't much money in revenge.
9. When things go wrong, go back to the beginning.
8. Rush a miracle, get a rotten miracle.
7. True love is the most noble cause of all (except for a nice MLT, where the mutton is nice and crispy...)
6. Sometimes it's just the name that's important.
5. Lies do not become us.
4. Just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean it can't be done.
3. Life is pain, and anyone who tell you otherwise is selling something.
2. As you wish sometimes means I love you.
1. Death can't stop true love; it only delays it a while.

Transplanting

I bought some potting soil tonight--I want to start some tomatoes, peppers and herbs to put in our garden. They'll start indoors, under a grow light with lots of fertilizer and regular waterings. Once they're well established and it's warmer outside, we'll move them to the garden.

If you leave them in the little pots, they won't flower and bear fruit, and if they do, it's pretty wimpy. The roots need a bigger pot to grow in. It's a little stressful on the plant to move, and it can take some time to acclimate. It's recommended that you set the plants outside for a couple of days before actually transplanting them, to help them get used to life outdoors.

I was talking to a friend this week who also moved on from our former church. We talked about how much we had grown at the donut church, and how we missed life group. This image of transplanting a plant popped in my head, and it fit. They had grown leaps and bounds, and were freed of some spiritual bondage during that time. But others in the church didn't necessarily realize that. While getting uprooted was painful, they've been transplanted into a bigger pot, and are growing and starting to integrate, taking on bigger roles than would have been available at the donut church.

God, I'm ready to move off the porch and be planted somewhere. Help us bear fruit and flourish where ever you have for us.

Temptation in my pocket

Toniht Henry and Harmony split some M&M's from a quarter machine. Since Harmony was on her way to dance, I kept hers in my pocket.

I rediscovered them tonight at the grocery store. It was temptation, right in my pocket.

You see, I gave up cookies, candy, and cake for Lent. For me, Lent isn't so much about "giving up" something--it's more like spiritual "spring house cleaning," removing spiritual clutter, dust bunnies, and idols that have replaced Jesus on the mantle of my heart.

So there they were, taunting me from my coat pocket...Harmony's forgotten about them, she won't notice if you just eat one. No one can see you in the car, go ahead. It's silly to give things up for Lent. It's just an M&M.

But isn't that just like the Tempter, saying no one will notice, it's just one, it's not important, you're silly for thinking that how you behave matters to your spiritual life. Notice the pattern of minimization?

But sin is sin. God classifies gossip in the same category as manslaughter--a sin is a sin, no matter how big. So flee from it.

I resisted the M&Ms. And with God's grace, we can resist sin too.

Melodic Monday: Sanctuary

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is you Lord
who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With thine own hand.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving I'll be a living
Sanctuary for you

Lead Me on Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
You holy spirit
Take away all my sin

Lord prepare me to be sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

Thankful Thursday--food

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

This week I'm thankful for sharing meals with friends and colleagues. It's not that big of a deal to cook for eight (or 12, like Tuesday night) instead of four, and it's fun to share time together.

I'm thankful that we live in a land of plenty and diversity, that we don't eat the same thing every day, every meal. How often I take for granted that morning banana or orange that came from many miles away!

I'm thankful for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness sake...and for those ministries that bring food to the hungry, from Second Harvest to Meals on Wheels to Bread for the World and World Vision. If you want to help, play the Rice Vocabulary game and donate rice through the UN Food program.

I'm thankful for the bread of life from heaven and manna for today--that God provides for today's needs today, and for tomorrow's needs tomorrow. I just have to trust that He will.

And I'm thankful to Iris for hosting Thankful Thursdays!

Works for me Wednesday--Cleaning the George Forman grill

I like cooking with our George Forman grill, but I used to hate cleaning it. It's one of the older models where you can't take it apart to wash it.

But I've found an answer! While the grill is warm (not hot, like after dinner), spread a couple of wet paper towels across the grilling surfaces and shut the grill. Wait about 10-15 minutes (long enough to clean the rest of the kitchen), then wipe off the grill. Voila, all the cooked on stuff slides right off!

What works for you? You can share at WFMW's new home, We are THAT Family!

The fridge is full, but there is nothing to eat

Do you ever look in the fridge, and although it's full, there is nothing to eat? Condiments, drinks, and things that have grown green stuff fill the fridge, and there is nothing to actually make a meal.

Sometimes my life feels like that--full of accessories and stuff I should have thrown out two weeks ago.

Lord, clean out my spiritual fridge, and make more room for the meat and potatoes of life--You.

Back to the beginning

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 1:12-14

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Princess Bride. Inigo Montoya is on a mission to find the six fingered man, but has taken a job with Vizzini to pay the bills. After being bested by The Man in Black, Inigo does what Vizzini said--if things fall apart, go back to the beginning. When told to leave by a member of the Brute Squad, he refuses, saying, "Well, this is where we got the job, so it's the beginning. And I am staying till Vizzini comes."

That sounds exactly like what the disciples did. Jesus tells them to hang out in Jerusalem until they get the Holy Spirit, then disappears into the sky. But rather than drinking themselves into oblivion, like Inigo did, they prayed.

This wasn't a dinner prayer; it was a continual supplication. Show us what we're supposed to do, Lord. Send this Holy Spirit thing you've told us about.

That's where we're at too. Ironically, our Wednesday night small group Bible study (of other people in the same boat) is meeting at the house where we first started. On Sunday morning, after the weekly"can't we go back to the church with donuts" conversation, Patrick explained that just like God told Noah to build a boat, God told Mommy and Daddy we're not to go back to the church with donuts, and we're obeying. But now we need to pray and listen closely to see where God wants us to go...or if He wants us to start a house church.

So we visited a church in our Jerusalem (we've been commuting to Samaria for church). The worship was ok, the sermon was good, a little more Pentacostal than we're used to (a time for speaking in tongues during the service, forced raising of hands), but they're growing and Spirit filled.

So we'll continue to pray and listen...back to the beginning, you could say.

Give us ears to hear and eyes to see...and patience to wait for your call.

BBC Book list meme

The BBC reckons most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.

Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read. (I'll bold those I've read and italicize those of which I only read part.)
2) Add a '' to the ones you LOVE.
3) Star (*) those you plan on reading.

My list:
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee X
6 The Bible X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily BronteX
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (started but fell asleep every time I tried)
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott X*
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare Some
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky X
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens started, didn’t finish
33 Chronicles of Narnia X
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (Isn't this sort of a repeat of 33?) X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (the kid books, not the original)
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell X
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery - X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker X
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle X
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I'm at 28...guess I have my "to read" list for a while! And if it wasn't for Advanced Senior English in high school or having a good library at home, I wouldn't have read most of these.

Henry playing basketball

Henry is #4 on the red team.

Saying goodbye

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11

I hate goodbyes. I hate even anticipating goodbyes--somehow knowing it's coming is worse. I especially don't like being the one left behind--it's much easier to be the one going than the one staying home.

I don't think the disciples saw this one coming. I can see them staring into the sky, thinking, "what just happened?? Where did He go? Didn't he just come back? Will he be back again?"

We just said good bye to a church. It's the first time we've left without knowing where we were going first, so it's a little unsettling. It's also unsettling in that we felt so strongly called to it, then so strongly repelled by it. So I kind of feel like those disciples, wondering, "what just happened here???"

At least the disciples had the angels to explain it. While we don't have that reassurance, we do know God is still moving and working among us, and if we're lucky, we'll get to see his return.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Help us keep looking for what you're doing and join in, church family or not.

Thankful Thursday

I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart,
I will enter his courts with praise;
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made,
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

I'm thankful that Harmony thought this was a good song tonight--she said, "we should sing that at church sometime!" I'd have to agree.

I'm thankful that Henry thinks the courts are the basketball ones...and wants to praise God for basketball in his prayers at night.

I'm thankful that Hope's full face/full body smiles are enough to melt anyone's concern away.

I'm thankful that this song reminds me that sometimes praise and thanksgiving are an act of will...and it leads to much rejoicing.

If you'd like to share your praises, visit Iris at Grace Alone!

Thankful Thursday

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8

I'm thankful that we don't know everything...and that's ok.
I'm thankful that God is God, and He is the one with authority.
I'm thankful that we WILL receive power WHEN the Holy Spirit comes. Our God is not an if/then, He is a WILL/WHEN!
I'm thankful that we're sent in concentric rings--first where we are, then to our neighbors, then to the ends of the earth.

And I'm thankful for the opportunity to share my thankfulness with the blogging community at Grace Alone--thanks for hosting, Iris!

Not getting it

So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6

They didn't get it. Even after Jesus conquered death and spent a bunch of time explaining the upside down priorities of the kingdom of God, they still thought he would restore and rule Israel as a physical nation.

Sometimes I don't get it either. It couldn't have been more obvious that we were to go to our last church...but God's purpose in that was neither for that to be our forever church home, nor to plant a church in our town out of that church.

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8

Jesus knew they didn't get it. But he knew explaining it wouldn't help...instead he sent his Spirit to empower them.

Send your spirit, Lord. Empower us to do Your will, not ours.

Top Ten reasons to pray for missionaries to go to China

10. Over 1 billion people live in China.
9. That's 20% of the world's population!
8. Only 7.3% of chinese people are Christian.
7. The country is officially atheist.
6. Churches must be approved, and most evangelical ones are not approved.
5. Christians are often persecuted for their faith.
4. Missionaries going to such environments need to hear a clear calling before committing to go, and ongoing prayer for fruitfulness and protection.
3. College students are both receptive to the message and personal interactions...and are enthusiastic missionaries.
2. The great commission requires us to go forth and tell the world.
1. If you're not being sent, you need to support the ones going.

Melodic Monday--1 Corinthians 13, camp style...

I have no idea who to acknowledge for this version, but it's stayed in my head for two decades, so it must be a keeper!

Love is a patient thing,
Love is a kind thing,
Love's not corroded with doubt or anger.
Love is enough when you've got nothing but love
Love never, ever wears out.
Wella, wella, wella...(repeat, getting faster each time)

I also taught the kids this simple song/bible verse (1 John 4:19) this morning, and heard Harmony singing it later...

We love (clap, clap)
because God first loved us. (repeat)
We love (clap, clap), we love (clap, clap), we love (clap, clap)
because God first (clap) loved (clap) us (clap clap).

Going to church vs. being a church

One day I hit a spiny bush and got a thorn in the back of my hand. I thought I got it out, but over the next three years, a lump formed in the area, and eventually it burst, expelling the embedded thorn.

I'm discovering that attending a church without being part of a church is kind of like that thorn...you can hang out for a while, but sooner or later you'll be expelled. When it's done right, church isn't something you can just attend. It's a body; either you're a part of it, or you're a foreign object, and sooner or later you'll be rejected.

This is really challenging when you have kids; even though our most recent church no longer exists, we're trying to give them at least some consistency in church attendance. We've been going to a church in our neighborhood on a semi-regular basis, but Hubby and I know what it's not going to be our church home--we're just attending.

But even our 4.75 year old daughter knows it's not our church home--she asks me several times a week, "Mommy, when are we going to the church with donuts?"

The donut church was more than a place that we attended on Sunday morning; we were a part of the body. And even if we were only a fingernail, it hurts when you get ripped out....even when you're only four. And although we see some of those people on a regular basis, it's different having lunch instead of worshipping with them.

So that's our challenge right now--to figure out where God is moving in our community, and plug into that church body...even if that means building our own.

The Kingdom of God

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

It is so cool that Jesus talked to the apostles about the Kingdom of God. One of the things I love the most about the Vineyard Church is it's emphasis on the Kingdom of God. I had originally planned to write a series of Kid's Church lessons on the Kingdom of God for this spring, but that's not happening, at least not for the time being.

So what might Jesus have talked to them about? Perhaps he explained all the things he had already told them, like:
--the parable of the seed and the soil (Mark 4)
--the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4)
--it's righteousness within you (Luke 17:21; Romans 14:17)

Lord, we want to see your kingdom come in powerful ways. Send your spirit to make our soil fertile and give us that grain of faith to live out what you've called us to do.

Happy Valentine's Day?

It's Valentine's Day. As I was standing in the bathroom, rocking Hope with the fan on in an attempt to get her to stop crying and fall asleep, I realized I'd been anything but loving.

I wasn't patient with Patrick, who is trying to figure out plane tickets for a spring break trip.
I could have been kinder to the kids at multiple points during the day.
I could have been less insistent upon my own way, especially in the vacation planning process.

Have I born all things? believed all things? hoped all things?

Not today.

I'd say I'd better try harder, but it's not by effort that I can love more...it's by spending more time with the source of love. Back to that preschool song...
we love because God first loved us.

ETA: I spent some time last night praying about why and what in particular gets in the way of loving others. And what I heard boils down to selfishness. "I've waited ten years; don't I deserve a normal looking house with light fixtures and trim? I cleaned the kitchen while everyone else was napping (Patrick and Hope), playing on the computer (my mom) or watching a movie (Henry and Harmony); didn't I earn a trip to the bathroom by myself?"

The answer was no: "For the wages of sin are death." The only thing I can earn and desere is death! When I spend time in God's presence, I'm reminded how much I don't deserve love; what a wonderful gift it is. I realize how far I fall short of the mark, yet He gracefully forgives and loves me anyway. Its those reminders that let me love others more.

China prayer vigil

My grandfather grew up as a missionary kid in China in the early 1900s. He told exciting stories, including one of how he and his dad hid in a haystack while the soldiers stabbed into it with their swords.

Even though there are some officially sanctioned churches in China, many Christians attend house churches and are still heavily persecuted.

One of my friends is involved with a missionary group in China, and they are having a prayer vigil next week. If you're interested in signing up for a time slot, either e-mail me or leave a comment and I'll connect you to the sign up wiki.

Prayer might seem like a little thing, but it's not--it's the most powerful thing you can do.

Thanks!

Dead or alive?

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. Acts 1:3a

A friend's grandmother passed away this weekend. She's having a hard time convincing her six year old son that great grandma is dead--he thinks she's on vacation in Europe.

Imagine how hard it would be to convince adults that the reverse was true--Jesus ISN'T dead, at least not any more.

I saw him die.
I helped bury him.
Someone must have robbed the grave.
You're an imposter--dead is DEAD.

I wonder, what were the convincing proofs Jesus gave? We know he showed Thomas the nailmarks. He probably continued just being Jesus, healing the sick, bringing sight to the blind, and totally turning over their definition of what the Kingdom really is.

Butthe most convincing testimony was the Holy Spirit...the same Holy Spirit that gives us a glimpse of that other Kingdom, that gives us a mustard seed of faith that blooms and grows.

Jesus isn't on vacation in Europe; he's alive and well!

Thankful Thursday

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:10-13

This week I'm incredibly thankful for community.

We've started a new tradition this semester--after faculty meeting, we have a couple of other faculty families join us for dinner. I'm thankful for the opportunity to get to know my colleagues and their families a little better this way, and for how we can support each other this way.

I'm thankful for Jen and her family. I can't tell you how blessed we've been by them, and their generosity blows me away. For Christmas, Jen gave us the gift of a meal a week. Not only does that relieve one of the stresses of the week, Jen is an awesome cook! I know what a sacrifice of time this is, and it is such a blessing. No wonder that is the name of her blog--she and her family are such a blessing!

I'm thankful for our community of Christians, both in the town where we live, the town where our church is, the town where we first met the Vineyard Church and the community of Christians on the internet...like Thankful Thursday!

Sitting in the dark

Tonight the wind was blowing, and blowing HARD. Hard enough that the power went out...and we were suddenly sitting in the dark. It was a little bit scary, to say the least.

It made me think of the first Christians after the cruxifiction--what's happened? How'd we end up in the dark? Is He ever coming back?

They were scared. They were angry. And they didn't even have the reassurances we have in the New Testament, that Jesus IS returning, and this world is His...He just doesn't do it our way.

We eventually lit some candles, and our eyes got used to dark, and tried to make do. It's hard to hang out in the dark for long.

So tonight I pray that the Light comes soon, that the Holy Spirit fills us to overflowing.

Thankful Thursday: Act 1

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach... Acts 1:1

What I love about this passage is the word "began". Jesus' ministry on earth was just the beginning--more was to come. It wasn't over when He died on the cross or even when he ascended into heaven; it was just the beginning...Act 1, you could say.

So with this first post, I'm thankful that God's not done with us yet, that He continues to send his presence and work through us.

Melodic Monday--Seasons of love

Patrick and I saw "Rent" in NYC several years ago. This song still pops in my head sometimes...

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?

How about love? How about love? How about love?
Measure in love. Seasons of love.

SOLOIST 1
525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan.
525,600 minutes - how can you measure
the life of a woman or man?

SOLOIST 2
In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried. In bridges he burned, or
the way that she died.

COMPANY
It’s time now to sing out, tho the story never ends let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends.
Remember the love! Remember the love! Remember the love!
Measure in love. Seasons of love! Seasons of love.

==================================================================

So how would you measure your year?

In snuggles, in giggles, in heartaches and tears.
In laughter, in books read, in new gray hairs.
in teeth lost, in milestones achieved.
In gym trips, in princesses, in legos...

It's been quite the year!

(Why am I being sentimental about this in February???)

Thankful Thursday--asking

Tonight I'm thankful that we can ask God for anything. Ten minutes into a thirty minute drive, I realized that Hope was going to get hungry...now. Ugh. I dreaded 20 minutes of crying, trying to reach back to comfort her, wondering if it was worth the big kids getting to bed late so we could stop and feed her.

Patrick heard my sigh as I reached for the spat-out pacifier, and said, "Why don't you pray for Hope?"

Duh...why DON'T I pray??

So I did. I threw up a quick "God, you stretched the widow's flour and oil to last for a famine, and fed thousands with a kid's lunch. Stretch Hope's last feeding until we get home."

And He did. There were a few squaks, then she fell asleep...until about two minutes after we got into the house.

James 4:2b: You do not have, because you do not ask God.

So why DON'T I pray??

Sometimes I think the problem is too trivial--why would God care if we have to listen to a crying child, or that Hope is hungry?

Sometimes I think the problem is my fault--I should have realized Hope would get hungry, and fed her before I left. I made my bed, shouldn't I have to sleep in it?

Sometimes I think the problem is too big--I'm sure someone else has already prayed for it, so what difference would my prayer make?

The good news is, I'm wrong.

Matthew 7:7-11:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

So I'm thankful that there is no prayer too trivial for God to answer. I'm thankful that God doesn't punish me by denying prayers because it's the natural consequence of my bad decisions. I'm thankful that God does listen to our prayers, both big and small...even when He doesn't answer in the way I'd expect.


Thanks, God, that you are a great daddy, and you love to give good gifts to your children. Forgive me, for not asking more, for minimizing my needs, relying on my own abilities. Help me to bring everything, everything to You in prayer.

Wordless Wednesday--

Hope at 2 months:

Guess what?

Harmony: Mom?
Me: Yes?
H: Mom?
Me: Yes?
H: Excuse me, Mom?
Me: Yes?
H: Guess what happened at school today?
Me: What?
H: At school today, guess what?
Me: What?
H: We painted a tooth with guess what?
Me: Painting sounds fun. What did you paint with?
H: You'll never guess what!
Me: What!
H: A toothbrush. And guess what?
Me? What?
H: We used toothpase to paint them!

Off and running...

Well, the semester has started. It's like being on a treadmill:

Week one: 3.0 miles per hour. Lectures start; I need to grade written comps, but it's not due for a while. Hope does great in her trial afternoon at daycare. An easy walk.

Week two: 4.0 miles per hour. Labs start, as well as lectures. Things are picking up.

Week 3: Monday 5.0 mph. Assignments start coming in...grading begins.
Incline goes up a notch: Hope and Henry tag team being up alternating hours of the night.
Tuesday: 6.0 mph. A committee I'm chairing meets tomorrow--gotta get everything out. Incline up another notch: Henry sleeps better, but Hope is awake from 5 am on, screaming. She's having poop problems.
Wed: 6.5 mph. I don't have the instructions for next weeks' lab written. Work on that during lab. Hope is boycotting the bottle at daycare and with Patrick, so she's up every hour or two at night.
Thursday: Incline up another notch...actual committee meeting happens; I have a bunch of work to do as a result. Speed back down to 6.0; the lab instructions are done.
Friday: 6.5 mph. Lab notebooks are piling up. The house is a disaster, and we need lots of basics from the store.

If I were in better shape, this isn't an unmanageable pace...but now I have a sinus infection, and a couple of clogged ducts on my right side. Plus this next week is our first biochem exam (gotta write it!) and oral comps....oy. So if I'm not here much, that's why!

Top Ten Mispronounced Words at Our House

Some remain, some have faded away...they're definitely endearing!

10. Indults (adults; by Harmony--she still says it)
9. Aminals (both big kids, still working on it)
8. Grape (scrape; Harmony)
7. Dider (diaper; Henry)
6. Boon (spoon; Harmony)
5. Life Savers (Light sabers; both Henry and Harmony)
4. Brecksbris (breakfast; Harmony; still said)
3. Kitties (mittens; Harmony)
2. Dee dee (Thank you; Harmony (I cried when she said it right!))
1. Statue of Delivery (Henry)

My night

midnight--go to bed (I need to go to bed earlier!)
12:30 Henry screaming for a good 15 minutes; stay with him until 12:30. Nightmares.
2:30 Hope up to eat.
3:30 Henry crawling in our bed--bad dreams. Walk him back to his bed and snuggle with him until he falls asleep.
5:00 Hope up to eat.
5:30 Henry's having another nightmare
7:00 alarm goes off; hit snooze a couple of times
7:30 start prying kids out of bed.

Anyone have any advice for dealing with nightmares? Henry's as bad or worse than Hope as far as waking in the night--I can sleep while she's nursing, I can't sleep when he's upset.

Reflections on dating/marriage

The first person I seriously dated was "safe"--it took him four months to kiss me goodnight, and that was only because I made him (it was New Year's Eve). I knew I had bad habits with guys, and was trying to figure out how to stop.

The second person I seriously dated was "perfect"--going to be a doctor, good looking, from a good family...but I've met puddles deeper than him. For the first three years of college, we'd start dating at the end of spring, then we'd go far apart for the summer. It was God's way of keeping what looked on paper to be "perfect" from happening.

The third person I seriously dated was "my dad". Similar job interests, similar personality...but with some attraction. I think a lot of women (especially if they had healthier relationships with their fathers) go through this.

The fourth person I seriously "dated" (though we never "dated", we said we were "just friends", but that wasn't the depth of what happened) was me...but better. The problem was we had the same faults. So instead of complimenting each other, we amplified each other...sometimes leading to disasterous consequences (like him leaving grad school and both of us messing up almost all of our friendships.)

The last person I seriously dated was very different from me. At first I didn't even really like him. But what I discovered is that we complimented each other. Those differences were the iron sharpening iron, that we needed those differences to both grow and be able to do what God has called us to do.

Dating is HARD. It would be so nice if God would just give us a big neon sign saying "Marry this one". I think he doesn't so that we can learn and grow...and depend on him.

25 things about me

So I was tagged on Facebook for this meme, and I thought I'd put it here too. If you have a list of your 25 things, please share your link!

25. If my dad didn’t know how to type 90 wpm, I probably wouldn’t be here. (He was drafted to go to Vietnam, but ended up being a clerk in Washington State.) My dad was in grad school in classics when he was drafted. However, his brother who was going to take over the farm had diabetes, so my dad had to do it. He wasn’t a very happy farmer.
24. My parents were living with my great grandparents when I was born—my dad had just gotten out of the service. They bought a trailer house on the way home from the hospital with me. My great grandparents and my parents are the only ones who have lived on that farmstead.
23. My second cousin, Kay, lived with us during the school week so she could attend a school with a hearing impaired program.
22. Every day after school, I’d play school with my younger brother, Mark, and Kay. I’d teach them everything I had learned at school that day. What do you do with a kindergartener who knows how to multiply?
21. My dad quit farming when I graduated from high school. They make way more money renting out the land than they did farming.
20. I was really swaybacked as a kid.
19. We lived in town briefly, for kindergarten to second grade.
18. I didn’t spend a birthday at home between the ages of 11 and 18—I was always on some type of trip (girl scouts, church, 4-H).
17. I reached the second interview step to be a U.S. Senate page.
16. I was a Minnesota State 4-H ambassador—and had a green and white wardrobe to prove it.
15. Everyone I dated in high school either was named “Mark” or a D name.
14. I sang in the Concordia College Concert Choir. I was the last woman chosen, but I was still in!
13. If I could live any year of my life over, it would be the first year of grad school. It was great, but I would make some different decisions.
12. I spent a month in Korea on a research exchange in grad school. I lived in the dorms and ate school food—imagine the Korean version of elementary school food.
11. I met my husband at a homeless shelter. (He was the director, I was a volunteer.)
10. My big toe is my longest toe.
9. I became lactose intolerant in grad school. I was also diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which got progressively worse until Harmony was 1 and I got prayer for healing at a small group Bible study.
8. Running is very good for my mental health.
7. A neighbor teen lived with us for a while when H1 and H2 were very small.
6. We lived in Ithaca, NY for a year when I was on sabbatical.
5. Last year my brother, Mark, and I ran the Indianapolis Mini-marathon…I was 13 weeks pregnant!
4. We didn’t intend for our kids to all have H names—Henry Lee is named after his great grandfathers and his middle name is from his grandfather: Harmony Kay is named after my grandmother, Mona Mae, and her grandmother, Wanda Faye; and Hope Eileen is named from Romans 5 and my other granmother (her middle name was Irene, but then Hope's initials would be HIT!).
3. We’re in year 10 of renovating a Queen Anne Victorian house. It’s definitely an exercise in patience.
2. Cookies >>>> cake >>>> pie.
1. I hate shopping, except for scoring big bargains at CVS, Walgreens or the grocery store.

Works for me Wednesday--Lo-cal dip

My favorite snack these days is veggies with this dip!

1 16 oz container of lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 pkg dry ranch dressing mix

Blend together with an immersion blender until creamy.

5 calories for 2 tablespoons! Can't argue with that--and it totally satisfies my crunchy/salty craving.

So what works for you?

Melodic Monday--Bear Necessities

Henry and Harmony have been singing this one a lot... Harmony says "Bear Ne-sesames" instead of "necessities" :)

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin' in the tree
To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life

Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw
Have I given you a clue ?

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard
'Cause let me tell you something little britches
If you act like that bee acts, uh uh
You're working too hard

And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

Annual review

Today I had to turn in a one page summary of what I've done in teaching, research/scholarship, and service for salry review (not that there will be any raises--we're in a mojor budget crunch).

It made me hink, what if I had to do an annual report for God? What progress have I made in my personal relationship with Him? In being the Jesus peole can see? In following His commands?

Just like the work review, there are things this year I've done well, and areas that need improvement. Luckily for me, my salvation doesn't depend on my performance...though when He comes back, Jesus will ask what I've been doing.

Lord, thanks for what you've done in and through us this year. Help me to follow you more closely and join you in what you're doing.

Thankful Thursday

The semester has started, so we're getting in a new groove. I'm very thankful it's working out--Henry having two hour delays has helped ease the transition out of vacation mode.

I'm thankful for the ability to nurse Hope--I keep learning about how I need to be fed from the Source, and fed often.

I'm thankful that a new set of labs worked (at least for me--we'll see what happens when the students do it!)

I'm thankful that even though it's cold here, it's better than where I grew up (-32 yesterday!) I'm still amazed the schools close here because it's cold (below zero) here. I remember one day in sixth grade when we were on the kid's news show because the wind chill was -100 F...and we were at school!

What are you thankful for this week?

Top Ten Tuesday--Favorite kitchen short cuts

We like to cook from scratch, but we do take a lot of short cuts. Like:

10. Minced garlic in a jar
9. Frozen diced onions
8. Minced ginger in a tube
7. Making a triple batch and putting two in the freezer
6. Assembling meals and sticking them in the freezer
5. Cutting a bunch of veggies on the weekend for lunch the next week
4. Browning a large package of ground beef and freezing it in one meal portions
3. Packing leftovers in lunch sized portions when cleaning up dinner
2. Have friends over for dinner...who often return the favor
1. Forget cooking, go to Little Mexico!

Cashew and Lime Chicken

We tried this new recipe and really liked it--and it's great for the diet!

1 c rice (we use brown rice)
1 t oil (or substitute non-stick spray)
1 T fresh ginger, minced (I used the stuff in a tube)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1 c chicken broth
1/4 c hoisin sauce
juice from 1 lime
1 t lime zest
1 pkg frozen stir fry veggies, defrosted
1/4 c cashews

Prepare rice according to package directions.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and brown chicken on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth, hoisin sauce, lime juice and lime zest; simmer for 8-10 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken up. Add veggies and heat through. Serve chicken and veggies over the rice, and garnish with the cashews.

Serves 4; 300 calories/serving (275 if oil is omitted)

Just cleaning me out...

Overheard from Harmony, between puking sessions Thursday night:
"I guess Jesus is cleaning all the junk out of me..."

What a literalist! She got that from our jack o'lantern analogy this fall...

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm extremely thankful for:

The Holy Spirit. That's what lets the heavenly realm break through here on earth. It struck me this year that Mary was the first spirit filled human of the NT (Luke 1:39).

Prayer. God so definitely hears our prayers--my very blase visit to the GI doctor (because I've been healed through prayer, there's nothing left to treat) and Hope are proof of that. We got some awesome and encouraging prayer. How often we don't get because we don't ask!

Community. We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, both here and at church. We've been blessed with wonderful friends--what can I say but thanks??

For more thankfulness, visit Iris!

Wordless Wednesday--family resemblance?

Can you tell which is Hope and which is Harmony?

Top ten things I want my kids to KNOW in the core of their being

1. God loves them
2. We love them
3. There is nothing they can do to revoke that love
4. God loves other people too, and they should treat them that way
5. God has a purpose and a plan for their life
6. God has given them gifts and talents
7. It's their responsiblity to develop and use them
8. God made the world and everything in it, and he wants us to care for it
9. Life is sometimes hard, but God is always good
10. God is active and works in their life

I wish I had thought of this...

We're studying Ephesians in our small group, and are at the armor of God. Henry was into knights for a while, and we talked about the armor a lot.



You don't put on armor to run away...you put it on to stand and fight.

I like to run...both literally and figuratively. I hope to do lots of the first and none of the second in 2009.

Thanks for giving us the armor...help me stand and fight when necessary.