Young Mom in the Big World

I Swear!

2011-10-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased with the Sunday School teacher that the kids are sitting under right now. She's a mother of 2 grown kids and approaches parenting with eternal purposes in mind which made/makes her a very forthright parent. This translates into her being a very forthright teacher on Sundays.

In past weeks they've talked over the 10 commandments, which caused my kids to ask her what adultery was. She didn't shy away from giving them a very tactful definition. They dug into the deeper implications behind the commandments as well.

Ruth's soccer team had played a very rough opposing soccer team Saturday (a la Real Madrid) and one of the girls on the other team had cussed at Ruth on the field. Their teacher on Sunday had asked them about their week and Ruth had brought up the game. This led them to discuss cussing and the meanings behind the words we use.

The Sunday School teacher made an extremely astute observation. All our cuss words fall into two categories: those directly offensive to God, those directly offensive to what He's made.

If you consider the meanings behind some of our cuss words:

sh**- poop
bi***- female dog
d***-to curse
f***- an intimate action with your spouse
c***- female anatomy
h***- place of torment
d***- male anatomy
p***- to urinate or be drunk
a**- donkey or ones rear end
various racial slurs which I won't list
There are also many, many more that predominantly have to do with bits of anatomy.

It's very interesting that people still damn others or use the word "God" to be profane when many of them don't believe that He exists.
As we've become a more atheistic/agnostic culture, wouldn't it make sense that people would find man-made objects something to be cussed about?

You never hear anyone stub their toe and say, "Macbook Pro!" or "Sailboats!" or "Pants!".
Along the same line, no one ever says, "Buddha!" or "Dali Lama!"

We still choose to wound the people around us by referencing God or predominantly the creatures made in his image, mankind. We insult their design both in anatomy and race.

This, I believe, is a result of what Paul talks about in Romans 1:18-19, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth by unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them.

I've long been a proponent of the alternative frustration words...here are some that the kids and I use:
Buckets
Frack (Used in Battlestar Galactica)
Darn
Freaking
Son of biscuit
Cripes
Blimey

Now, growing up, our parents ran a very verbally clean house, so clean that there were words that they were not familiar with. So, it was quite a shock to my sister and I when we realized one word that our family had been affectionately using to say, "Don't be silly" was actually a term that was a sex toy! (Psst, it was the d**** word)

I think we confuse some people because we fully support our kids knowing correct anatomical terms for private body parts, and yet we are against cussing. We give them the correct terminology for the privates because we believe that they're not shameful parts of the body, but parts that are to be correctly understood and explained to the glory of God.

I could go on and on about this topic, but sufficed to say, her observance has me thinking about the reasons that all cultures use the terms they do as cuss words.

What do you think? Do you cuss? (I have to confess, I'm not cuss word free) Do you have a good alternative word?

Foreign Adventure Countdown

2011-09-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

Okay friends, here's the bottom line.
I'm tired.
Tired because of all the planning that goes into moving overseas by Christmas, tired because of all the changes that have had to happen and tired because of all the changes of friendships that have happened and will have to happen as a result of the colossal move.
*Sigh*
But, there will come a day when there will be no more that I can do to prepare and will be on the plane (tired I'm sure) trying to wrap my head around not being stateside for a couple of years.

If you've miraculously hung with this blog and its huge drought over the last two years, you may see more of me depending on how this all goes down. Above all, pray for our sanity and that we would see God as amazingly sufficient and providential in the midst of our shifting sands.

10 Is Just The Beginning

2011-02-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about today for the last few weeks. It's our 10 year anniversary.

Ten years ago today, Jason and I skipped chapel at CCU and went to downtown Denver. We paid $10 each, said our vows in front of the judge and had our wedding kiss in the Denver Post in a story on that judge.

Ten years was a number that I looked forward to because it sounded like the number of a mature married couple. I see now that ten years is just the beginning of a glorious union that God has brought together. The places we've been, jobs we've had, things we've worked out are just a taste of all the things yet to come.

Seeing more clearly every year God's hand on all that we do has made these last ten years so good:

-We've traveled and encouraged believers in 13 countries

-We've had 5 jobs that have all moved us closer to what God had for us at the next job and phase of life.

-We've moved 8 times and every location has been exactly what we needed at the time.

-God's given us 5 cars over the last 10 years that we haven't had to pay for. They've all been glorious mid-90s monsters that have even broken down at just the right times.

-We've been given two kids to raise in the fear of God and to see His glory and we're only now grasping some of the magnificence of that task.

-We've gained a deeper and more God-entranced vision of all things, including each other.

And that last good thing has really been the best thing. Without this deepening and joy-filled sight of God, the little annoyances and day to day misunderstandings would have worn at these last 10 years.

Living together as a man and a woman is not made to be easy, but it is made to be good! So, my dear and faithful Jason, here are the things that cause me to respect and love you more as we shuffle on this mortal coil:

-Your faith that God's sovereignty is always good and right

-Being able to look at life and say, "What's the worst that could happen?" and knowing it's a momentary light affliction.

-The joy you have of our children.

-Your full understanding that all that you have is to be given to others to glorify God...whether it's your time, your car or your finances.

-That you do not write or say anything lightly, but weigh things carefully.

-And, while it may seem silly, I love that you are so strong and stately looking.

I love you and, if God wills, I want to be able to spend 70 more years maturing in the knowledge of all God has made marriage to be.

Let The Games Begin

2011-01-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Jason and I have 2 different language programs for learning Arabic.

Why two different programs?

Because we're pretty sure that we learn differently. So, since we're also competitive, it is now a race to see who can communicate the best when we visit Jordan next month.

I have to say, I'm nervous I'm going to lose solely because my husband seems to be such a smarty pants. I have hope I can pull this off, enshallah!

Much Ado About Life As I Know It

2011-01-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I've been seriously falling down on the blogging job lately. Thank goodness you can't fire me!

Much, and not much, has happened over the last couple of months. So, here's the flyover:

-Kids in school and soccer. They have a love/hate relationship with both.

-Daughter entered early stages of adolescence...trying to ignore this because I'm sure it will go away (psh!)

-Grandparents health has been absolutely aweful, so I've been trying to help where I can.

-Slowly, much too slowly for me, getting ready to move overseas. Have spurts of trying not to think about this since I'm sure it will be so easy when it all happens.

-Studying Romans and Job with my women's groups and loving them. Just finished Deuteronomy and think it's amazing. Who knew it was such a pivotal book?!

-Took a free four day vacation to Universal Studios, Florida. My daughter won us that trip and it was everything I'd hoped for and more. Found out my daughter is a roller coaster/thrill junkie just like her mom.

-Three of the four of us got the influenza virus which laid us all out flat for Christmas Break. Also, I had the joy of my eardrum rupturing. It's still in the healing process.

That's life in a very quick flyby...I'll try and post sooner next time!

Contest of the Week

2010-11-29T06:33:00.000-08:00

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to:http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

This Christmas season feels different to me.
I'm usually slightly irritated all month because of the disruption to precious routine that the Christmas season is. It makes a mess, rearranges rooms and costs us money we shouldn't spend. But, every year, my husband's generosity and calm attitude has infected me a little more. The big shift this year has a lot to do with the reality that our next 2 Christmases will be spent in a foreign land where they don't have snow and don't celebrate Christmas as a nation. I realize that all these fun and heartwarming "disruptions" will be events I'll miss dearly while overseas.
So I'm finally relishing all the little things this year. The gift wrapping, the advent calendar, the decorating of the Christmas tree, and the lights on the house. But most all I'm relishing the reminders we have of it being all about His glory and grace since His declaration of Christ's coming in Genesis 3.
The reminder of Christ and His mercy are my wish for my family this year as we gear up to walk away from all we are familiar with in our culture. I want this Christmas to give my children confidence in the larger realities of why we celebrate Christmas. I want them to understand that it's not a mere cultural duty, but a deeply rooted example of all that we've received as sinners saved by His gracious hand.
So, pray for me that I not become a grinch, but at the same time, that I continue to be awed by the deep meaning of this month. May you see Him as most glorious!

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition?

We go to the Christmas Eve service.

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?

I would ask for a working car with 10 years of free repairs.

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

We play in the snow and bake together.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

We loved Scrabble, Pictionary and Monopoly.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?

I've carried on the traditions of driving around to look at Christmas lights and opening one gift on Christmas Eve.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip?

Billings, Montana

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

Super Mario Bros for Wii

Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii

Lego Harry Potter yrs. 1-4 for Wii

Quote of the Week

2010-11-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

"The old idea was to treat adults as adults. They could do anything; if they did something wrong they were punished. Children were treated as children-to be protected from what is harmful and reared and reformed in what is right. They modern idea is to reverse this. We treat adults as children and reform them.

We treat children as adults and let them see and do anything and everything. If we say someone's background and education is responsible for his present need of reform, it is inconsistent to let children taste and see everything good or bad."

-John Wenham "The Goodness of God"

Nice To Meat You

2010-10-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

No, that's not a typo...that is a little view into my fall.

Both my husband and I are Montanans by birth and spent much of our childhood fall hunting with our dads. I have fond memories of singing along to the oldies with my dad in the garage. A dead deer hanging to the side and we companionably trimming the fat off each piece of meat. This background has blessed my husband because I'm thrilled to be a part of him bringing home the yearly meat supply.

For this reason, I am fervently hooked on wild meat. As an adult I've realized how healthy and economic it is. My kids love elk burgers, and balk at the taste of, ahem, beef. They are now at the point where they enjoy helping in the butchering process.

So, we've butchered one elk...deer season is in a week and a half. Then we have one more round of elk to go. Whew!

In other news, both the kids are playing soccer and I'm loving it. Granted, I hope they're enjoying it too, but I love the whole atmosphere: the crazy parents, the kiddy personalities, the goofy adolescent refs, and the ever different fall weather. My desire is that the kids will learn perseverance through playing out there. I also love them getting fun exercise.

Struggling with myself over whether it would be beneficial for me to try and get a part time job. I know it would be financially helpful, but is it eternally and family-wise helpful? Not sure yet.

Quote of the Evening

2010-09-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

"Love is helping people toward the greatest beauty and the highest value and the deepest satisfaction and the most lasting joy and the biggest reward and the most wonderful friendship and most overwhelming worship- love is helping people toward God. We do this by pointing to the greatness of God. And God does it by pointing to the greatness of God."

-John Piper "Let the Nations Be Glad

This very eloquently and succinctly sums up what I've been learning the true definition of love to be over the last year. Beholding in bigger and broader ways the amazing sovereign glory of all that God does.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things! Romans 11:36

Foreign Living Anyone?

2010-08-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, the rumblings you've been hearing are true.

God willing, we will be moving to a foreign country in the next 6 or so months. We were accepted to a company that does a couple of different things in the region. Our tasks will include: learning the language, leading a short term foreign group around the country in the summer, and my hubby may be teaching in a K-12 school for foreigners.

We're all extremely excited, me mostly about learning another language and putting used TP in a trash instead of the toilet (kidding about the 2nd part). The kids are looking forward to the strangeness of it all, though I know that will wear off fast. The hubby is looking forward to doing something that will stimulate his soul instead of killing it (and his vertebrae) like the airport is.

Don't Be A Vacationary!

2010-08-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

This article in the Wall Street Journal is so good. It addresses the state of missions in America in a very comprehensive way.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704895204575321101671590716.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h#articleTabs%3Darticle

Good Ending

2010-07-11T20:58:00.001-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the World Cup Final with our friends which included a Thai and a Nicaraguan. There's no other sports event that unites the world so heartily for a month than this game of futbol.

I'm in awe of God causing there to be such a sport to display the amazing ways He has spheres move. He's made bodies to endure 90 minutes of running exhaustion and gives men this venue to display to the world their emotions and character.

In our short married time we've seen the power of this sport in giving camaraderie between us and whatever culture we're visiting. When my husband gets on the field (or street) with Nicaraguans, Thais , Turks, or Chinese they all speak the same language with their feet.

I can't wait to watch again in four years.

Agh!!!

2010-06-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

After a miracle win last round the US soccer team decided it wasn't important to show up for 2/3 of the game against Ghana today.

Very frustrating to watch.

On the upside, go Argentina and Spain! Woot!

World Cup Month

2010-06-16T09:01:00.001-07:00

I love the World Cup. Every year I understand the game a little better and that makes it so much more enjoyable. Plus, it's something that Jason and I love to watch together and this year the kids are even getting interested.

Best game so far: Brazil and N. Korea...the first goal Brazil scored the ball curved, curved I tell you! I didn't even know it could do that!

Disappointing moments: While I'm glad the US is still in, they got lucky. So there win is disappointing. Also, Spain's loss to the Swiss today was just sad.

I know I still haven't shared the possible big change. The reason being the people we are talking to on the other side of this change are still gathering info on us and no decision has been made.

I will keep you posted though.

Update

2010-05-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

Much in the realm of good books, profound thoughts and God moving have happened recently.

I resolve I will blog about it soon.

Hint: It may involve another part of the world.

Reforming Marriage

2010-05-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is the title of a very good book that I read last week.
I say toss most of your silly marriage self-help books and get more marriage books with the Scriptures as its base!
With that in mind, here are some quotes from the book:

"John Bunyan once exhorted husbands to be 'such a believing husband to your believing wife that she may say, "God has not only given me a husband, but such a husband as preaches to me every day the way of Christ to His church."'" pg. 10

"God will not patch His grace onto some humanistic psychological nonsense-even if that nonsense is couched and buried in Christian terminology. It proceeds from an obedient heart, and the greatest desire of an obedient heart is the glory of God, not the happiness of the household. If we might paraphrase the words of the catechism, the chief end of marriage is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The reaon we are miserable in our marriages is because we have idolized them. But the glory of God is more important that our domestic happiness." pg. 11-12

"In the verses (he's speaking of Ephesians 5) following we find a very basic imperative indeed-husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church. But nowhere is the husband commanded to be a head to his wife. This is because he already is the head of his wife, by the very nature of marriage. If he does not love her, he is a poor head, but a head nonetheless." pg. 24

"A man may not be a vocational theologian, but in his home he must be the resident theologian." pg. 40

"Romantic love, as it is commonly understood, is a modern idol of the mind, emotions, and heart...Idolatry occurs whenever we look to a created thing with the expectation that it be and do what only the living God can be and do. " pg. 63

All quotes from "Reforming Marriage" by Douglas Wilson

Quotes of the Week

2010-04-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'm reading an amazing book "The Protestant Reformation" by Lewis Spitz...it's a compilation of writings during the time of the Reformation. Here are some that really struck me.

"Faith is a living and unshakeable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake. This kind of confidence in God's grace, this sort of knowledge of it, makes us joyful, high-spirited and eager in our relations with God and with all mankind." -Martin Luther "Preface to Romans"

-I desire so much that faith would cause this high-spiritedness in God to be seen in me.

"To repress these very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to ridicule of their enemies and to make Christians unhappy.
If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.
Away then with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, 'Peace, peace,' and there is no peace! [Jer.6:14]
Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, 'Cross, cross' and there is no cross!
Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ their Head through penalties, death, hell;
And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace. [Acts 14:22]"
Theses 90-95 of Martin Luther's 95 Theses

"Let us then consider it certain and firmly established that the soul can do without anything except the Word of God and that where the Word of God is missing there is no help at all for the soul. If it has the Word of God it is rich and lacks nothing since it is the Word of life, truth, light peace righteousness, salvation, joy, liberty, wisdom, power, grace, glory, and of every incalculable blessing. This is why the prophet in the entire Psalm 119 and in many other places yearns and sighs for the Word of God and uses so many names to describe it."
Martin Luther "Treatise on Christian Liberty"

There's more than just Luther in the book and I'll save other quotes for a future post.

Thoughts on Luther's interpretation of the Word?

Hopefully these encourage and exhort your week.

Happy Birthday to Me, Have Some Snow

2010-03-25T08:53:00.001-07:00

We had a massive snow storm Tuesday night, which caused my birthday (yesterday) to be an enjoyable Snow Day for the kids and I. I really couldn't have thought of a more fun way to play than Just Dance on the Wii, building Snow Forts and sledding!

All the extra exertion has me once again (though not in a melancholy way) considering the frailty and impermanence of our physical beings. This seems to be something that Christ, Peter and especially Paul understood to its fullest degree.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparision, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

My outer woman is wasting away and yet I cling to the hope that my desire to taste and see the glory of God will be renewed day by day.

Oh God, may this be the thing that this temporal body strives for above all seen pleasures!

Cold for Cold, Ache for Ache

2010-03-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

I got the pleasure this week of catching my sons cold, which came with all the fun aches, sore throat, fatigue and itchy nose that one could want....

"Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?'
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.' The Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.'
Satan answered the Lord and said, 'Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.'
So the Lord said to Satan, ' Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.'
Then Satan went out fromt he presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his food to the crown of his head." Job 2:1-7 (all excerpts from the NASB, italics added for emphasis)

In my current state of desiring to live a life that conforms to 1 Corinthians 10:31, I really thought that I would be fasting and dealing with more the food side of understanding doing everything for His glory.

But in the last couple of weeks, He continues to remind me of the obvious frailty and decline of my 27 year old body. Between chronic minor ailments (vision loss, hearing loss, issues of the female system) and now this cold I'm wrestling with my flesh which would like to go the non-glorifying route. By that I mean with my achiness and fatigue I chose the path of least resistance by laying on the couch and bed and completely checking out of reality by movies and TV. I could have spent that time reveling in an expository sermon or reading the Word, but I justified it to myself by saying my brain couldn't focus well.

Really? That little cold took your focus afield?

Yes, yes it did and that brought home to me the reality that I have to continue to fight to revel in Him above all these minor worldly escapes. My goodness, if a cold can derail my brain in my late 20s, I'm in big trouble the older I get!!

"Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!'
But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?' In all this, Job did not sin with his lips." Job 2:9-10

So, should I accept good and not the adversity (minor as it is) which will bring about more of His savoriness to me? May it never be to my life, and dear sister, may it never be in yours.

Quote of the Week

2010-03-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

"People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa...Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us (Romans 8:18). I never made a sacrifice."

David Livingstone December 4, 1857
Speech to students at Cambridge University

So hard to keep this reality at the fore of my brain in light of the daily "conveniences and charities" here in my land and my home. I'm catching glimpses of the absolute savoriness of His Words above all else and I envy people like Livingstone who seem to hold this truth so much tighter than I can currently.

May You continue to cause me to taste and see that You, and only You, are good!

Winter Camping

2010-02-22T13:20:00.001-08:00

This is me at the end of our winter camping trip thawing the corners so we could take our tent down.

The glorious warming stove that didn't work the second night due to operator error.

The cooking stove that kept us warm the second morning when above stove couldn't be turned on.

Our home sweet home for three days and two nights...is it possible to fall in love with a tent?

On the ice and loving our family time!

In the OT

2010-02-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

Saw this on http://www.desiringgod.org and it struck me as a good quote as I'm currently mining the OT in a Wednesday group (go Deuteronomy!) and in my reading through the Bible program:

"It's a quote from J. G. Millar about our need to know the Old Testament in order to know the gospel. He mentions Deuteronomy in particular, but what he says applies to the whole Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible):

'Much of the theological framework needed to understand the significance of Jesus' coming, life and death was put in place by Moses in his writing, and perhaps above all in Deuteronomy. For it is here that the theology of blessing and curse which lies at the heart of Jesus' sin-bearing work is first articulated. It is here that the hopelessness of humanity trapped in sin, even when chosen by God, is exposed. It is here that the prospect of a divine intervention so radical that it changes people at the very core of their being first appears. (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, pp. 164-165)' " -Tyler Kenney

When In Rome

2010-01-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

February 6th will be our 9th anniversary. It seems when you start out that you'll never reach a number like 9, but it's truly been a blink of an eye.

I've had special cause this year to think over our last 9 years, since we've spent considerable time talking to and counseling a couple in their first year of marriage.

I look back at the first four years and marvel that God caused things to turn around. Between being pregnant twice, being seriously post-partum, Jason going to school and all the normal adjustments from self focus to focusing God's glorious design for marriage it was a little rough. Granted, we were spared so much serious heart ache that we see in those around. Regardless of the size of the martial issues, it was God causing us to dwell more fully on Him that caused us to revel in our married state.

Let me say, I've enjoyed Jason from the very first time we met at church camp. What's blossomed in me toward him has been a deep respect and trust in the way God leads us through Jason. Jason's driving passion to glorify God in all that he does has made this marriage something that seems to glorify God to those around us. Jason's constancy and commitment level to both his friends and his family is a character trait that I admire much. He's been wounded by friends and family and yet still is committed these individuals. I, by nature, am a more reticent person, so this character trait has been one that has been such an example to me.

The reason I wanted to write this today is because of how much I miss him. He left to encourage a friend in Turkey on Tuesday and was due to be home late tonight. By God's design, Jason wasn't able to be on that plane and won't be home until Monday night. Not a big deal really, but in our communication we both miss the other so much that we're aching to see the other. This aching abiding love is what I thank God for giving me in my husband. Love you honey, can't wait to see your face!

Untitled and Unglued

2010-01-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

If wishes were fishes, mine would be a sturgeon!

The hubby flew off to Antakya, Turkey yesterday to visit a Turkish friend (Best is his name) who stayed with us 2 summers ago.

So far, things are trucking along here smoothly...so far.

Question

2010-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

What is the priesthood of all believers or the "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9)?

After you explain what it is, what is its function?

And So...

2010-01-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

...another shoe has dropped. I was asked to not to be a part of children's Sunday School anymore at our church. It hurts, I was really enjoying my time with the kids.

Also, in the same meeting, we were told it would be best if we left.
What if what they (the elders) think is best (or what would be so much less painful for us) isn't what God has us to do?

What happened to being a church family and working things out?

What about holding leadership to the same accountability as the congregation?

What about, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why can you partner with other denominations and the city and yet ask us to go away????

We're not staying because we hate you or are out to get you or want to make you look bad (don't we all look awful when held up against Him??)
We're staying there because we love you and truly desire the glory of God to be the thing that causes your hearts to be joyful and that He would be the center of all that you do!

If any of you dear blog readers would like a more eloquent and God-centered update, you can read my hubby's post here: http://jsbolt.wordpress.com/about/life-and-ministry/

I'd also love to hear your thoughts...there's not been a person out there so far who has thought it a "good idea" we stay.

Wii Sore

2009-12-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

My parents blessed us with a Wii this year for Christmas and I am so excited! The hubby and I are enjoying going 10 rounds of boxing a day with each other. I'm the kind of women who loves it when her hubby got her a PSP for Christmas 2 years ago, so this kind of behavior shouldn't surprise you.
I got Wii Fit Plus for myself purely because it looked like fun...not realizing how much work it actually would be! I've exercised every day since we've gotten it and I'm sore in muscles I didn't even know I had! The kids are even enjoying it. I'm hoping they don't get obsessed with the calorie counting side of it...I hope I don't either.
In other news, how do you encourage a fellow wife to follow the Word despite all that her culture deems right? I continue to reiterate, "He's sovereign, He put you together. It won't be easy, but marriage is for both your goods. Obey your husband as long as he lines up with Scripture." How counter-cultural I'm learning that last statement is! That's not what feminist tendencies will tell us and I hate being a product of that movement! I have to fight my learned cultural behaviors!
Just a side note:
Does anyone else realize how insulting it is to the generations of women before us AND the women in other cultures to say that feminism is the system that makes women strong and self-aware?!

All Satisfying Joy

2009-12-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

In the last 8 months I've thoroughly enjoyed podcasts on my Ipod. I've heard the most profound sermons by Spurgeon, Tozer, MacArthur, Washer, Piper, Luther, Chandler and Edwards.

What continues to shine through in their preaching is the all-satisfying joy they have in God. I've been in this place of marveling at His majesty for the last year and really grasping how to see that joy on a daily basis.

It's so simple...yet so contrary to what we want to do. Here it is: preach the gospel of the Glory of God to yourself on at least a daily (if not hourly) basis! Here I was trying to find that lasting joy in methods and encouraging nice words and "me" time and service acts when the whole time it was in front of me!

May you find this eternal satisfying joy in this most blessed month!

This post was written for a contest on a great blog, Barking Mad . Click the link to head to her blog and enter this fabulous and encouraging contest!

Thanks Martin

2009-11-27T16:25:00.001-08:00

Just finished reading the history of Martin Luther...all I can say is WOW!!!

What a strong man, who feared God utterly, who valued the Word above the church, who slapped the Catholic church down when it was the only game around, who was often in danger and yet translated the Word into German, who reformed the very way church functioned, who married a woman, who supported him well.

I'm amazed and heartened by all these saints who've gone in front of me.

Makes my own sadness and pain seem so light in comparision.

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do all to the GLORY of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

The Role of the Holy Spirit

2009-11-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I feel like the Holy Spirit is the least understood aspect of the Trinity. I've been doing some reading and here are some quotes that I came across that helped me out:

"The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason. For as God alone is a fit witness of himself in his Word, so also the Word will not find acceptance in men's hearts before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. The same Spirit therefore who has spoken through the mouths of the prophets must penetrate into our hearts to persuade us that they faithfully proclaimed what had been divinely commanded...because until he illumines their minds, they ever waver among many doubts."
-John Calvin "The Institutes"

(In reference to 1 John 5:6-11) "In other words, 'The testimony of God' that is, the inward witness of the Spirit, is greater than any human witness-including, I think the apostle would say in this context, the witness of our own judgement. And what is that testimony of God? It is not merely a word delivered to our judgement for reflection, for then our conviction would rely on our own reflection. What is it then? Verse 11 is the key, 'This is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life.' I take that to mean that God testifies to us of his reality and the reality of his Son and of the gospel by giving us life from the dead, so that we come alive to his self-authenticating glory in the gospel. In that instant we do not reason from premises to conclusions; rather we see that we are awake, and there is not even a prior human judgement about it to lean on. When Lazarus wakened in the tomb by the call or the 'testimony' of Christ, he knew without reasoning that he was alive and that this call awakened him."
-John Piper "God is the Gospel"

"Calvin affirms Scripture to be self-authenticating through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. What is this 'inner witness'? Not a special quality of experience, nor a new, private revelation, nor an existential 'decision', but a work of enlightenment whereby, through the medium of verbal testimony, the blind eyes of the spirit are opened, and divine realities come to be recognized and embraced for what they are. This recognition is as immediate and unanalyzable as perceiving of a color, or a taste, by physical sense-and even about which no more can be said than that when appropriate stimuli were present it happened, and when it happened we know it happened."
-J.I. Packer "Calvin the Theologian"

This last quote I just loved, so I'm adding it:

"A pernicious error widely prevails that Scripture has only so much weight as is conceded to it by the consent of the church. As if the eternal and inviolable truth of God depended upon the decision of men! ...Yet, if this is so, what will happen to the miserable consciences seeking firm assurance of eternal life if all promises of it consist in and depend solely upon the judgment of men?"
-John Calvin "The Institutes"

Any thoughts?

Contest of the Day

2009-11-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

I've read 5 Minutes for Mom for a couple of years now. They have great content and great contests! Check out their Christmas giveaways here: http://www.5minutesformom.com/10606/christmas-giveaway-2009/

Science Stinks

2009-10-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

My sweet 2nd grader is tackling the Science Fair this year with the question: "Does a plant grow better if you add sugar to the water?" All in all, a very benign project...my main concern has been how the plants will fare on the kitchen table with it being so cold outside.

That's not my main concern anymore...let me explain.

Both kids were sick all weekend with the flu and I did a lot of laundry. Midway through the weekend, I felt like all I could smell was barf. Then today hit and I could still smell it!!

The smell would surprise me in odd places in my kitchen and living room. Needless to say I was completely grossed out and starting to wonder if I somehow smelled like barf.

Turns out sugar water smells like upchuck.

Let that be a reminder to all you scientists out there...ugh.

Finally Able to Talk About...

2009-10-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

...what has been going on for the last 5 weeks. The reason why we desperately needed a vacation and the reason for my silence and withdrawal from many arenas.

On August 20th our pastors informed my husband and I that we were removed from our job of Missions Coordinator. The reason given in that meeting was cited as "philosophical differences" which they did not expound on at the time.

So, this is the letter we e-mailed to everyone that after the announcement was made to the church on September 13th:

Beloved Friends and Family, I begin this letter by calling you all beloved because that is what you have been to us. All of you in some way have supported us over the last four or more years. You have fed us when we were hungry and housed us when we were homeless. Many of you have prayed for us earnestly. Some of you have helped us with monthly needs, and others have helped us travel to more than 10 countries (some of them numerous times). In one way or another, all of you have walked with us as we have sought help Hillside Community Church fulfill its vision by meeting the needs of the congregation at home and missionaries abroad. Through it all, you have provided us with an example of the body of Christ functioning with all of its different parts. For this, we are eternally grateful. While our gratitude will last forever, we have always known that our time at Hillside wouldn’t. I used to wonder what would take us away from our role at Hillside as it was the best job I could have imagined. There is nothing quite like getting paid to do what you love to do. Throughout all of my time at Hillside, I never wanted to be anywhere else. This is one reason why my heart aches as I write this letter. Our time of serving at Hillside in an official capacity has come to an end, yet I still cannot think of anywhere else I would rather be. While this decision was quite sudden and painful, we nonetheless keep our trust in the sovereign Lord who indeed knows for what it is that He draws us away. While we do not know what our future holds, we rest in Him and exult in His ever felt company. We realize that this letter provides you with very little information about our situation. We hope to communicate more with you in the future especially as we begin to turn the page and continue on to the next chapter in our life. In the meantime, please receive our sincere thank you and know that Christ is continuing to make our joy complete even in the most difficult of times. By

His Grace and for His Fame, Jason, Sara, Ruth, and Caedmon

If you've made it this far you may be wondering, "What are those perspectives and philosophical differences?"

Good question.

We are still committed to our church.

We are hurt and confused.

We ask for prayers of wisdom on our part and that we will continue to proclaim His glory until He comes.

Questions?

Burning Calories Is A Vacation

2009-09-09T20:14:00.001-07:00

I haven't said anything on my blog (or really anywhere else for that matter), but life has hit a hug downer in the last month. It's one of those scenarios where the struggle is happening to your family from an outside source, which has the bonus of making your family stronger.

As a result of said struggles we felt the need to get the heck outta town for a couple of days. Thank God that someone gave us a little money and that we can fly for free. We got a hotel 2 blocks from the Strip in Vegas for 3 nights...$80!!!! It's a suite w/ a kitchenette and a great pool. Vegas' financial struggles are to our advantage. If you haven't taken a family vacation to Vegas, I highly recommend it because there's soooo many cool free things to do. Here's a run down of what we've done:

-swam a ton

-visited the lion habitat @ MGM Grand

-gone to M&M World (twice) to see their 3D movie

-watching the fountains @ the Bellaggio

-volcano @ the Mirage

-flamingo habitat @ the Flamingo

-pirate show @ Treasure Island

The exercise has come in through walking to all of these places with the kids in tow. They've been troopers, next to no whining. Also, the awe on their faces at all the bigger than life sites is fun.

I got extra exercise yesterday when I walked 6 1/2 blocks to Albertson's for food...it's paid off though. We've only eaten out 2 meals the whole trip. Sadly we have to head home tomorrow, but it's been nice to get life off of our minds and relax.

Oh yeah, if you're wondering, "Did you gamble??"

Yes, I played $1 in a slot machine (such a stupid invention) and entered a cheap poker tourney. I was out in 30 minutes...mix of crappy cards and nerves.

Falling Short of the Glory of God

2009-09-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

For the last three days I have been chewing over a message I heard on Romans 3: 23-26. It is mindboggling to me how many times I can read/hear a portion of word and miss the deep meaning behind the words.

That's how I feel about verse 23, "for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (NASB)

This is the very message that I am realizing that I need to convey in a deep way to my children and my friends.

Sin isn't just "doing something wrong against God"

At its core "doing something wrong against God" is not glorifying Him in my thoughts actions and attitudes!!

This view is why our American culture can hold God so lightly and consider themselves saved!!!

My words are very simplistic on the subject, but if you click the link below you can hear John Piper say it in such a way that it can weigh you and cause you to cry at your lack and His true grace.

The God of Worship

The First School Year Cold...

2009-08-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

...and it was ME who got it. The kids stayed healthy and had a blast at their first week in school.

I'm already realizing that the hours are going to fly by and I might not be nearly as productive as I hoped. But I'm looking at the small things this week and am happy:

-cleaning the living room, uninterrupted

-talking for an hour to Jason, uninterrupted

-eating an ADULT (read veggies) lunch, uninterrupted

-taking a hike on the mesa, for 1 1/2 hours, uninterrupted

If there seems to be a theme to this, there is. A glorious theme of being able to do things 5 days a week like I haven't been able to for the last 7 years.

UNINTERRUPTED!!!!!

And Yet They Cuddle In My Bed

2009-08-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

So, I bug bombed the house approximately two weeks ago and was thrilled to see many a dead spider in the aftermath airing and cleaning session. I did it then KNOWING that late August to mid-September is prime wolf spider time around our house.

In that last we I've squished
-2 in my tub
-3 in the kitchen
-1 in the living room
-STEPPED on a large one next to my bed
-AND had one trying to crawl into the crack between the wall and the mattress while I was laying right there

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Really, I handle most insects fine, maybe it's because of the word "wolf" (my nightmare animal since childhood), but these big, leggy beasts of bite invading my room make me want to flip!

Sigh....

Maybe I'll try to bomb again in a week...get 'em when they're big.

His Influence

2009-08-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

My daughter came home from the neighbor's house yesterday upset because her friend had yelled at her. She felt as though the whole world hated her and I assured her it was going to be fine.

"I guess it's for God's glory somehow," she sniffled.

Did my kid just say that? I continue to be touched at how much He is influencing her thoughts. Despite my parenting faux pas and my hormonal swings, despite my rantings and bad examples, He continues to work all of it for His good.

Amazing.

It Hurtles On

2009-07-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

In case YOU didn't notice...it's the last day of July, agh!

Yes, my mommy and college student buddies, school is about to leap upon you like moldy bread when you're craving PB & J. I for one am having a mixed bag of feelings about the whole thing. I'm excited for my kiddos to get some awesome book learnin' and to be able to interact with their school friends. I'm personally giddy to get back to cleaning houses (and the church next month) so that I can have glorious seminary lecture listening on my Ipod.

But, between me and the start of school I get to have some days to myself next week, take a 2 day family vacation to the beach and bug bomb the house.

Anyone ever bug bombed before?

Any advice?

Is It So Much To Ask?

2009-07-10T14:19:00.001-07:00

I'm not obsessed with keeping my diet sugar-free because I eat fairly well and don't worry about it.
But I admit that I've tried all of the sugar substitutes...that's because of my addiction to coffee and tea. With that many cups of caffeinated heaven I know I'm consuming more sugar than I want to be in my drinks.
I'm searching for that elusive calorie-free non-sugar that tastes EXACTLY like sugar. You'd think that we'd be advanced enough to have gotten this right by now people! I know some people swear by Splenda and stevia, but both have this funkadelic aftertaste I can't escape. Aspertame is controversial and gives me a stomache ache.
So, I decided to try Truvia (which to me seems to be stevia w/ a different name. Is that true??). I was once again mightily disappointed. Oh yeah, and I'm cranky because of the drawdown in my sugar intake. Blah!

Any thoughts or suggestions? Do you think honey, brown sugar or demerrera sugar is better than the straight white goodness? Anyone else curse the bitterness of the substitutes?

There Is Nothing New Under The Sun

2009-07-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

Do you ever look at joys and trials and think, "Hmm, kinda seems like a wheel."
I see both come and go and come back around again. The set of circumstances shift slightly, but they center on the same core issues. I'm having a week where things are circling around again. I'm amazed, looking back, on how much we've learned and thanking Him that He's prepared and sat with us through every turn.

"Two things I asked of You,
Do not refuse me before I die.
Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches.
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
That I not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is Lord?'
Or that I not be in want and steal and profane the name of my God.
Do not slander a slave to his master, or he will curse you and you will be found guilty."

Proverbs 30:7-10

RIP

2009-06-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of some very important members of our family. To the front tree/bush (Stumpy) you provided many a play club and I know you are much happier to not be a confused bush/stump anymore.
To the back dead tree (aka Hammock Holder), thank you for leaving enough of you left so that we can keep enjoying the hammock.
They are survived by Big Boy who continues to keep our A/C costs down and the Black Sheep (a tree that's attacking our telephone pole and serves no purpose other than oxygen production).

Know you will remembered fondly by those little children who counted you shady and useful.

Rest in...wood chips.

Lectures are Fun!

2009-06-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

This last week has been hands-down what I look for in a summer...I've done nothing! The kids and I have barely left the house. What have we been doing?
Well...

-I've been reading outdoors and indoors and anywhere in between.
-listened to a plethora of podcasts and lectures (I'm listening to lectures from Reformed Theological Seminary)
-I've played guitar.
-The kids have played with their friends in our yard, our house, the neighbors yard and the neighbor's house.

They've had their moments of being bored, but it doesn't take too long (if I ignore the whining) for them to figure it out.

It's a good thing I've had time to read and listen since I'm teaching my Wednesday group on the subject of canonization of the scriptures. It's an infinately fascinating subject. Amazing how God planned the Word out and has kept it as He wants it for the last 1900 years!

FIFA Baby!

2009-06-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you watch soccer...but I came to enjoy it beause of my husband who played soccer through his college years. I still don't understand a lot of the rules or formations, but I can now appreciate a clean, skilled match.

All that to say, did you watch the US vs Brazil today?! What a game! Why can't we play like this all the time?!

DCLA 2009

2009-06-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

If your teens are in LA this week for the DCLA conference tell them to wave at the security team. My hubby's the serious looking one with the beard!

Terminology Overdrive

2009-06-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or do we seem to be moving hyperquick through definative words these days? I was struck by this with some religious terminology today. In the early 2000s there was a lot of talk about the seeker-friendly movement and now it seems that this term may be applied to a movement called the emergent church...not sure what the term was before seeker friendly, but it seems like a good applicable word ought to be a part of the common vernacular for more than a decade.

We seem to have national word fads on a yearly basis and I for one cannot keep up...how in the world are you supposed to be conversant and educated if you have to research a new term for a movement every year. Though, I guess in reality, when it comes to philosophy and theology, many of the movements could be called by any number of terms since the time of Christ.

I recommend researching this term "emergent" church. There's also the "emerging" church which is somewhat different...but if you want to be up on the conversation it may behoove you to do the legwork.

Anyone have thoughts on the emergent or emerging movements? I'd love to hear them.

Your Average Ho-Hum Day?

2009-06-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

The first part of my day today was highly unusual and enjoyable. My friend Jess (whom I first met when we were babies in the church nursery) was in town with her hubby. They stayed at our house last night and we spent this morning catching up on life. I haven't seen her much since I moved here after high school. I love her steady and deep character and her sense of humor that reminds me so much of my husband.

The latter part of my day had an all-too-familiar hectic hour in it.

It's rent day.

We're short again.

This means I need to try and turn in the rent check in just before the office closes so that hopefully they won't try to cash it until Monday...at which time we'll (God willing) have it covered.

The added white knuckle aspect to driving the 20 minutes to the office today was that the car I was driving had an indecipherable amount of gas...all I could tell is that it was close to empty.

But, God's hand was on us and we made back into Golden before the low fuel light turned on.

That latter part...that's typical. So, I wait with hope to see how God displays Himself in providing for our needs this week.

Quotes of the Day

2009-06-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

" I fear there are some who preach with the view of amusing men, and as long as people can be gathered in crowds, and their ears can be tickled, and they can retire pleased with what they have heard, the orator is content, and folds his hands, and goes back self-satisfied. But Paul did not lay himself out to please the public and collect the crowd. If he did not save them he felt that it was of no avail to interest them. Unless the truth had pierced their hearts, affected their lives, and made new men of them, Paul would have gone home crying, 'Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?'...
Now observe, brethren, if I, or you, or any of us, or all of us, shall have spent our lives merely in amusing men, educating men, or moralizing men, when we shall come to give our account at the last great day we shall be in a very sorry condition, and we shall have but a very sorry record to render; for of what avail will it be to a man to be educated when he comes to be damned? Of what service will it be to him to have been amused when the trumpet sounds, and heaven and earth are shaking, and the pit opens wide her jaws of fire and swallows up the soul unsaved? Of what avail even to have moralized a man if still he is on the left hand of the judge, and if still, 'Depart, ye cursed,' shall be his portion?'
-C.H. Spurgeon (great preacher of the nineteenth century)

"The pragmatic philosophy...asks no embarrassing questions about the wisdom of what we are doing or even about the morality of it. It accepts our chosen ends as right and good and casts about for efficient means and ways to get them accomplished. When it discovers something that works it soon finds a text to justify it, 'consecrates' it to the Lord and plunges ahead. Next a magazine article is written about it, then a book, and finally the inventor is granted an honorary degree. After that any question about the scripturalness of things or even the moral validity of them is completely swept away. You cannot argue with success. The method works; ergo, it must be good."
-quoted in John MacArthur's "Ashamed of the Gospel"

What's Love Got To Do With It?

2009-05-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'm a nerdy type person and LOVE to study...so funny that I haven't gone to college yet huh? Yeah, I think it's strange too, but He has His timing. (hopefully His answer won't be "Never" to me)

I've been listening to a lot of theological material recently ( sermons, lectures {go Reformed Theological Seminary Online!} and conversations with various church-related small groups) and I'm coming to the realization that defining your terms is VERY important.

Here's a couple examples of what I mean:

Food-kids think candy, anorexics shudder, addicts salivate, I think of my food favs

Sad- some think pathetic, pet lovers think dead kitten, refugees think of their dead family members and war-torn country

Love- kids think parents always saying "yes", teenagers think constant togetherness or maybe sex, males think sex, females think emotional needs met.

That last word is one that I've been considering lately. We toss around the phrase "God's Love" often without defining what that means. Why do we do this??? Why do we give people something so profound as the infinite truth of His glorious love with no context and no Biblical definition.

This was brought to my attention in the passage 1 John 4:7-21. I have always taken the word love in this passage to mean kindness to those around me. But, if you read the passage carefully the love he's talking about is only given to those who are believers (know God). So, it can't be kindness.

If you look at verse 9 I believe it holds the answer of what Love means. In this passage love refers to God saving those He's written in the Book of Life from deserved death! That realization caused me read the whole passage in a new light. Whew! I would love to go on and on about how cool this passage is, but this post would get very rambly.

I fly home from Nicaragua tomorrow...I've been here visiting Dawn since Sunday. Ah, nothing like flying standby.

This was brought to my attention in my own reading of Scripture a couple of weeks ago. 1 John 4:7-8 is often quoted without context and I've often heard it implied that it means:

Gone But Hopefully Not Forgotten?

2009-05-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Life keeps getting in the way of me posting. I have so much life that blogging about it would take too much time away from it right now.
Highlights:

-I found out my son get FREE all day kindergarten next year! He's psyched and I'm mixed since I was planning on having him home half day...but, God knew this would happen when He put Caedmon in that school, so I trust it's the right choice.
-This means I could clean more houses (again mixed feelings) and I could stop being a lazy parent and maybe start volunteering around my kid's awesome school.
-Might be going to Nicaragua next Sunday-Thursday to see our one missionary that's still down there.
-I finally got our clothesline up! (woo hoo!) But the posts aren't in solidly enough yet to hang many clothes on it. (boo!)

That's all for now...how are you? I miss hearing from you my lurkers!

Thoughts

2009-04-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be please with it and be glorified," says the Lord. "You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?" declares the Lord of hosts, "Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.
-Haggai 1:7-9 (great book of the Bible, BTW)

Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote. Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."
-Isaiah 29:13-14 (also quoted partially in Matthew 15:8-9)

Mrs. Clean

2009-04-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

I'm a funny cleaner...not like I make people chuckle when I clean, but I'm quirky. I attribute this to getting married and having kids. When I was a kid I spent hours organizing my room...a place for everything and everything in its place. But my kids and husband don't seem to be wired that way...and since I love them more than I do a perfect house I've fallen into some interesting middle ground. That means I love it when the house is clean, but it may take 2 weeks to get that way if other family/life things take priority.

This gets even weirder because I clean houses as a side job. I'm really good at it and I think it's a good outlet for my neat side. Hmm, maybe my house would be cleaner if I didn't get my jollies cleaning other houses??

Anyway, my system is simple: start on the highest surface and work my way down to the floor. I also do tile floors before carpet so that I can vacuum while the tile's drying. I'm the worst at windows and mirrors...why can't they come with built in wipers?!

My cleaning advice is this: clean when you can, but make sure it doesn't own you!

This post was written for the weekly Blog Blast for the Parent Bloggers Network who is teaming up with Pledge this week to ask bloggers how they deal with cleaning! Go check it out and write your own post for a chance to win a prize!

A Castle Without Its King

2009-04-23T20:39:00.001-07:00

Two days...two days until my husband ought to be back in Colorado. I'm tired...this trip has been hard for me.
I want him here with me.
I don't like single parenting.
I don't like him not being near the internet and phone.
How in the world did missionary wives manage when their spouse would leave on a boat for a year with a sporadic letter?! Argh!
My son is going through a phase of lying and I hate being the stern one. Jason is much better at it than I am.
I do get extra lovings from both kids though since they only have one parent to dole it out to.
You know you love your husband when a friend describes an argument she had with her hubby and you wish your hubby were hear to fight with!

Where's the Snow???

2009-04-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings from quasi-snowy Denver. Just once I'd like the weather people to get it right. They predicted a couple of feet of snow by today. BUT they didn't account for the wetness of said snow. It's been raining for half the 2 day snow and the accumulation is disappointing and soaking. Good for the ground, bad for playing.
I can't complain too much because my hubby was able to fly out for Uganda today since the weather wasn't back. I'm a little nervous about this trip because the area he'll be in will be so remote. I won't hear from him much (if at all) between now and next Friday.
Pray for my sanity this week...I expect it go well though since I have the church Women's Retreat to look forward to next weekend.

How are you??

Home, A Day Late & a Couple Hundred Dollars Short

2009-04-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated you on our travels...lots of laundry and catching up on life has kept me hopping. The title of this post sums up the end of our trip.

The flights into Denver were full, so we bid the team a fond goodbye in Atlanta and flew to my in-law's house in Nashville. This actually made for a very enjoyable detour and we made it home the next day with no incidence... hence, the day late part of the post.

And now, the part where God displays His infinite wisdom and ability to be over all. We mailed the rent check in hoping they wouldn't deposit it before we got home because we weren't even close to having enough to cover it. When we stopped at my in-laws I checked the account and they'd deposited it! Thanks be to the Author, the bank took the check!!! We owed the bank a small overdraw fee, but it was an answer to not getting evicted. God also provided all the money we needed for rent this week and to be back on the positive side of our bank balance.

"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about yourl life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink: nor for your body as to what you will put on. Is not life more that food, and the body more than clothing? ... for your heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matt. 6:25, 32b-33

Update

2009-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

We are 3 days into being with our friends in Nicaragua...my kids are learning a lot:

-how to make sure a high boy doesn't invade their bubble

-how to still love said high boys and let him get hugs sometimes

-how to walk all day and still have energy for running around in the evening.

-how to (ever so slightly) expand their eating horizons

-how to sleep in the same twin bed and enjoy cold showers.

It's been great to be able to give our friend's 4 kids some playmates. I truly think that may be the predominant reason that I'm here. Also, I feel pretty cool because this is the only language that I have kicked butt in. It's nice to see my hubby be the one to smile and nod while I translate. hee hee! Gracias Senora P y Senora from Brazil who taught me everything I know.

Now to update you on what God's doing for provision. The project will continue to run as long as there's funds and it's looking like the church might pull through on that front. We called my sis and told her to mail in the rent check...we still don't have it, but the worst that can happen is that we'll be evicted. I'm prepared for whatever may come. I admittedly panicked for an hour today before my brain convinced my emotions of the truth: I have no control over what happens, my job is simply to lean into the one who lifts up mountains and causes countries to diminish.

Shnow

2009-03-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

We here in the Denver area were lambasted by a spring snow on Thursday and it's finally melting today. It was glorious and so needed for the water table here. I spent 2 hours outside yesterday helping the kids build a couple of snow forts. I LOVE building snow forts... things like that you tend to forget in your adulthood.

I'm all packed for Nicaragua tomorrow... no money for rent, for our trip or (apparently) any money for the project down there to run past next week. Do I doubt God in this... so far I haven't. We'll see how I feel the rest of the week.

Please, continue to lift up the glue boys, our friends involved in the project and the team that's going down there. I'll keep you posted.

Overseas We Go

2009-03-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

The hubby, kids and I are going down to Nicaragua next Sunday with 3 other people from our church. We'll be visiting our worship pastor, his family and my friend Dawn, who have been down there for the last year working to clean up some of the street kids who are addicted to sniffing glue.
We need around $1,500 to cover our expenses and rent by next Sunday. Jason and I just today were chuckling about it because this is one of the many times that we've sat in this place. It's a place we've become familiar and slowly more comfortable with. The reason I pass this information on to you is twofold:

1. We could use your prayer for the trip to go well and that His glory would be seen through the actions of the team and the Body in general.

2. So that you all can see the hand of God in the way that He continues to sustain us. That may mean we DO NOT get the funds we need to cover our expenses. But I do know that either scenario will be to further His glory. In that, pray for wisdom for us and a right response.

If you'd like to hear my husband's desires you can read his post here.

Maybe the Militias Are on to Something

2009-03-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!! And I have been wretched! I spent the precious time I was given yesterday watching a depraved TV show...I'm not making a blanket statement about all TV shows mind you. Some are fine, but THIS one, was awful! Yet, it took me 2 hours to stop watching it. Shall I go on sinning so grace may increase??? May it never be!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I've never been all about the End Times or being really a doomsday type. But with all that's been going on, the end of America is something that has become a part of my thought process. What I find interesting in my discussion about this with other believers is their comment is usually, "Psh, America deserves it! Look what has happened to this great nation! It isn't a Christian nation anymore!"
While I agree with the sentiment, I'm concerned with the focus. If Christians are admitting that they've bought into the American dream as much as the next guy and SWANDERED what He's given us, then we missed something. I fully admit that in our marriage, our focus manhy times is on our own selfish gains. Here is this world of people starving physically and spiritually and He gave us the resources to help them. How much of my resources have I used for His glory? How much of your resources have you used for His glory??? How much of His resources have we dumped down the crapper for our own comfort?!

Thoughts?

Betcha Didn't Know...

2009-03-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

...I love entering contests. Kidding, if you don't know that by now, you've never seen nor heard from me. The wonderful lady over on Barking Mad is holding another great contest. She asked us to spill something that no one knows and I've been wracking my brain to think of something that would fit...I'm a pretty open person, so most people know even the unusual things about me. So, I'm giving you two, the first being one that many (but not all) of my friends know and then second, something out there:

1. I used to sychronize swim. For four years starting in jr. high I swam for a synchronized swimming team in Montana. I also admit that I still like to do some of the moves when I'm the deep end of a pool.

2. I have a pretend split-personality named Igor! I loved to try my friends crazy in high school by hunching my back and cheerfully lisping, "Yeth Mathstur!" I don't pull him out often unless I'm talking to my sister or I want to make my youngins think mommies gone nuts.

Phew, so glad I got that off my chetht...I mean chest.

White Trash Happiness

2009-03-17T13:42:00.001-07:00

I'm currently typing from a VERY comfy, overstuffed recliner that's in our carport. Eeee!!!
Does it look tacky?? Of course.
Do I care?? Nope
This was the solution to me wanting to be outside while the kids are playing, but cursing the plastic chairs we had out there.

In other news, it looks like whole family might be headed to Nicaragua over Spring Break. We haven't taken our son out of the country since a hellish trip to Turkey around his 1st birthday. The fact that he's now 5 should make a difference, plus he doesn't have to even deal with changing time zones.

I'm excited to go see the street boys and my dear friend Dawn who's been their teacher.

Question of the Day: Can spiritual revivals still happen in the western world? Do you see any leaders rising up that may start a revival? Thoughts?

Quote of the Day

2009-03-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

"If He should determine to do so, if He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust." -Elihu (Job 34:14-15)

I Dreamt...

2009-03-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

...of the fall of America. It didn't go well and I woke up wanting to buy more ammunition for my birthday. Seriously, are we ready if it all fell apart next month?
Jason sees weekly how irrational and erratic people get when they miss a flight or something gets canceled. Do you really think all those people would take the loss of their work, finances and sense of control well???

Someone Steal Our Cars!

2009-03-06T10:30:00.001-08:00

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know about our struggle with our cars. We have 4 cars from the 90s that seem hell bent on making sure only 2 of them run at a time.
Around Christmas we had the "nice" car (1991 Lincoln Town Car) fixed from its stuttering problem. Yeah, it started stuttering badly again today. So, I'm currently risking my sanity driving our Buick Regal with the busted up front and a chronic coolant issue. One car is down (possibly for good) and the hubby has to take the Rodeo (the only quasi-dependable car right now) to the airport for work 35 miles away.

Honestly, the timing was impeccable...we have other big things happening in our life right now that are leaving us spiritually and emotionally drained. Throw in car issues and I'm living off of a stress sandwich today.

Here's the cool part: Jason and I are doing really well right now as a family and I know God is holding us in His hands. Yes, I'm freaking out emotionally, but it's nice to know that the reality is God allowed the cars to have issues. Therefore, what have I to freak out about?

I'm a great sitter, I swear!

2009-03-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning Caedmon (my 4 yr old) and I got up at 5:30am so that we could go over and watch a friend's kids for 4 hours. They have 5 kids ranging from 12 to 3 and part of my job was to get the 2 oldest to their respective schools. Everything went smoothly until I tried to start their van. I spent a couple of panicked minutes fiddling with the key until the 10 yr old showed me the special trick to get it turned. I dropped him off and was on my way to drop off his older sister when I can to a four way stop.
I did a California stop...with a cop staring right at me.
All the kids thought it was great fun to have me get pulled over. God saved my butt though...the cop came back with my license and said, "It's your lucky day, I forgot my ticket book back at the station."

So, yes, I am the best babysitter in the whole world.

Ahhhhhhhh

2009-03-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

Praise be to the One who is in control of flights...He got my hubby home to me safely and 8 hours earlier than we thought he would be home.
Needless to say, my world seems a little brighter today now that he's sitting back in his office again.

Thank you God!

Yes, It's Late...

2009-02-28T22:44:00.000-08:00

...and I'm up still because I have a helluva time falling asleep when Jason's gone. When he's here, I get irritated with him crowding me in bed. But, when he's gone, I'm so sad to lay down in the bed alone.

This trip has been amazing for both of us...he's doing exactly as he's told by the One in charge. And I'm getting to do the same thing here. Hey, have you ever told your kid's the story of Satan's fall from heaven? Why don't we tell them the meaning behind it all?

Also, a friend asked me this week why we took all the sad endings out of fairy tales nowadays. My instinct was to say it was a good thing, but is deluding our kids into thinking that life is easy such a good thing?

My Five

2009-02-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

Barking Mad is first and foremost a great blog to read. Secondly, it's a blog chock full of fun contests. Her current contest asks readers to compile their top five blog posts (aka the one's that represent them the best). Talk about a fun task. I enjoyed looked back at my own craziness. So, here they are:

1. Are Big Words Genetic?
2. What If...
3. Lesser Addiction
4. Generation Gap
5. Money Doesn't Make the World Go Round

Quote of the Day

2009-02-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

"O how we need in the church today spiritual leaders with passion for the truth of Christ! We need logic on fire, truth aflame with zeal, the light of sound reason and the heat of strong love for God's glory. Where are the people—young and old—in whom the gospel of the glory of Christ burns like a fire in your bones? The person burdened with a word from the Spirit of God finds no relief until he speaks it." -John Piper www.desiringgod.org

What Truth did Elisabeth Elliot grasp?

2009-02-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

"Behold, these are the FRINGES of His ways, and how a faint a word we hear of Him!"
Job 26:14

I've been having a blast with life for the last couple of months. "Why," you may ask. Through my husband's conversations with others and my own time in Job I feel like I have grasped, to a deep level, a great foundational truth of life. Here it is:

Everything that happens is to glorify God.

It's simple, it's amazing and it can be so profound. This has given me such confidance in Him and all He asks of us (as a family) and us (as a Body).

In all of Jason's overseas travel, I've waffled with acceptance, selfishness, whineyness, and anger over when/what He asks of our family. But in my current understanding of God, I can finally worshipfully accept whatever He asks of us. If this means that this is the trip that sends Jason to death or prison...I am okay with because it's to HIS GLORY. It doesn't mean I'm heartless, nor that I wouldn't be mournful, but I understand it all now.

I know I'm not explaining myself very clearly right now, but I hope to continue to show you my heart in these posts.

Please pray for Jason as he and a friend travel to Thailand today. Jason will be flying back to us on March 2nd.

May we be covered in the dust of Him who calls us.

Beat Freaks

2009-02-13T15:35:00.000-08:00

I love watching my kids revel in their sugar and brightly colored cards from class parties. What a sweet holiday for my kids. It is funny to watch my daughter and realize that as soon as next year she could get actual love notes from boys in her class.

She is still apparently the proud owner of 2 boyfriends...though one only likes her and she doesn't like him.

In TV news, I'm completely digging the Beat Freaks and Quest Crew on America's Best Dance Crew. A week ago I was glued to the computer as I burned through all the episodes of the 3 seasons. I have this crazy personality where I will run hard after a topic I like w/ music, books, TV, etc until I feel like I've exhausted it. I'm a passionate person, most definately...This can be really unfortunate when there are other subjects that rightly should have more importance and weight.

My back is whack right now because it's been weeks since I've been to the chiropractor (we're blessed with one who does it for free), weeks since I've found time to exercise, weeks since the hubby and I have been able to connect for any length of time and my hormones are off base.
There, that's my quick lament.

Some interesting things are happening spiritually. Hubby had God speak his name audibly and wake him up. There was a vision brought out during prayer about my hubby. Weird! He's flying a friend to Thailand in a week and we're wondering if this is about that or if it has to do with other exciting shifts in my hubby's growth in God. Hmmm..

How are you???

Mopey Muppets

2009-02-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

My son, my sweet son...how I want to hang you by your toes!
This kid has been on such a whining streak! Nothing in his life is good enough and it's all against him and his world is shattered daily by how sucky his life is! Poor 4 year old...boo hoo.
As you can see, I have no sympathy right now for him...he's got plenty of toys and electronics to entertain him. He can eat and chill and not work too hard.
Oh to be back in the days where the worst thing to happen in ones life was boredom!

The other problem I'm having with him is that he won't talk to me! My daughter expresses her feelings so that we can talk through it, but he clams up and won't talk to me about what's bugging him...Agh!

In other news, still missing my hubby. We're in this really busy phase in life right now where I really don't get to see him much. He has this great guy friend who was out of town for awhile and is now back. That's nice, but now I have to share my husband again and it causes me to pout. We only have Tuesday evenings free to even see each other any more.
So, I guess I know where my son got the whining from. :0)

8 Years Ago...

2009-02-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

...yesterday, I eloped with my sweet hubby! We were 18 and 20, following God toward the altar. We went to the Denver County Courthouse and the ceremony cost us a whopping $10! We went up to the mountains in our wedding finery and said our vows in front of He brought us together.
In honor of those crazy 8 years, here is:

8 Things I Love About Jason

1. His deep hunger to refine and grow in his knowledge of God
2. He cares fiercely for our missionaries and fulfilling the Great Commission.
3. He's wise and only shares his opinion when it really counts.
4. He takes life as it comes, trusting Him to take care of us (I'm getting there).
5. He's hot and has this amazing dimple on his cheek...I haven't seen it in a couple years because of his beard.
6. He loves me and strives to keep our relationship right.
7. He loves our kids and wanted to be a dad even before we met.
8. I LOVE that God, in His amazing power, gave me exactly what I needed in Jason!

Latest Addiction

2009-01-31T12:50:00.000-08:00

I avoid MTV...I usually find that there's nothing that even remotely interesting in their programming. BUT, they are currently showing "America's Best Dance Crew" which I LOVE. I secretly always wanted to take dancing lessons as a kid...but never did. I took swing lessons in high school with a friend and loved it and my fav workout DVD is Carmen Electra's dance aerobics. So, I watch the show on MTV in amazement at the team's skills. You have to go online and watch the fitness test episode. They've got some amazing cloggers (I kid you not!) that are tearing it up. There's a girls group (Beat Freaks) that I think are great.

Anyone else watching this show? Thoughts?

I'm Picking Up No Vibrations

2009-01-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

I'm going on day 4 of being without a phone...somewhere between the car and the house, it disappeared into the mountain of snow. I don't really mind not having a phone except:
-I don't know anyone's phone number
-I never know what time it is when I'm out and about
-The check engine light is on in the blue car and I'm waiting for it to die while I'm driving it.
So, my crappy $25 phone has bit the dust and taken my SIM with it to it's frigid grave.

Other than THAT my life is a little slice of theologically challenging sunshine! We're staying super busy and meeting with a lot of different groups during our normal week, but it's all great. You ever get those moments in your church when you feel a breeze of God-driven change stirred up. I believe we're feeling it.

Look at the Birds of the Air

2009-01-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me know I'm a low key person. I'm one who likes to keep it simple. As a result, I try to live a life that's well balanced. What does that look like?

Well, I try to get up early to either exercise.Exercise definately helps my overall outlook on my day by boosting the positive chemicals in my brain and body.

I know my limitations of busyness in my life and make sure that I stay within my limits of commitment.

I continue to pursue those things I love: guitar, reading non-fiction, video games.

There seems to be way too much pressure that we put on ourselves as women to be on top of everything...the house, kids, job (in or out of home) and interacting well with the hubby. I truly believe that studying the Word keeps my focus on what's really going on and (usually) keeps me from freaking out over things that aren't mine to be concerned about. I continue to come back to Matthew 6:24-34...I mean really can we add an hour to our life by being worried? No!

So, for me, I've found that keeping Him and His way central to my days keeps me balanced and (mostly) worryless. (hey, I wouldn't be female if my emotions didn't take over occasionally!)

*This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as a part of a sweepstakes sponsored by BOCA. *

Mentally Worked Over

2009-01-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE to dig into a subject. I'm shocked that up until a month ago, I had no idea what Arminianism was and that it was in opposition to Calvinism. My brain has been dwelling on such fun stuff and I've been doing so much research. It's great!

As someone who thinks it's stupid to take your Life laying down I'm guilty of not shoring up my own thoughts on things like limited atonement. I also think this has been fun because the hubby and I are able to have mind stretching conversations. It drives him nuts that I hold to some contrary thoughts. But where would the growth be if we all thought the same thing?!

All that to say, I'm totally neglecting my Wednesday group study of Job...we're halfway through and I'm tired of the same jerky ignorance by Job's friends. I hope I'd never be so harsh to a friend who has sores with worms living in them. Just hoping.

In other news, the hubby is currently down in Nicaragua for 5 days doing is mission's guy thing. Soooo, the kids are watching lots of TV so that mummy can keep her sanity! Props to my friend Michelle for giving me a break and thanks to Lanell and Bink for giving me grown up talk!

Brain Candy or Necessary Strengths?

2009-01-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

Loving my life right now. I just came back from B-town after going to April's wedding. This is someone who I've known for a long time...really the first wedding I've been to where I felt such a deep satisfaction and joy at the union. Not that the other weddings I've been to haven't been right, but this is someone who I know well. Makes me wish I hadn't missed my Jess's wedding a year ago. I had no idea weddings could make me this happy. Okay, okay, enough gushing.
The other recent life bonus has been this crazy weekly time where the hubby and I get together with a couple other people and tackle the deep Biblical questions and the brain candy questions.
Questions like:

Free will and predestination

Scriptural canonization

Armenianism and Calvinism

This is something I love doing because it's what gets me digging into the Bible and really getting to know what matters. It's something I wish we could do with every believer and in big groups...but both those settings can cause problems like: misunderstandings, schisms, lost faith, etc. I have a real beef with education...why the hell does a religous education cost more than a normal education when it's so important??? I want to go to seminary and learn, but I have to spend four years doing something else first. That's why I read so much, I hunger to learn these things (some of it I have) and do what I can about it.

It's also had the fun offshoot of causing the hubby and I to spend time searching the Bible during the day. Sigh, though admittedly, I'm still an extremely lazy person and get distracted from Real life by any number of TV shows, crappy fiction or video game. Ack!

Fascinating, in an Annoying Sort of Way

2009-01-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

Hormones are amazing things...I wish I could describe to males in a definative way how it can change our view of things from day to day. Some innocuous comment one week is liable to piss us off or make us cry the next.
Yet, when I see how matter of factly men take things I'm glad that we're different. I'm glad there's one who is less emotional and more emotional...most situations call for a little bit of both.

These thoughts rumble around today as my stinking hormones dip me in a little funk, one I know full well will disappear in 2 days for no reason other than the cycle.

Cockroaches & Barf

2009-01-01T16:06:00.001-08:00

The current barfiness makes me a very lucky girl...and I'll tell you why: this is the 1st barfing my son has done in the last 2 1/2 years! Woo hoo! Also, it only last for 10 hours and seemed to be food related and not actually an illness.

Onto the unlucky news: I believe we have cockroaches! Agh! I found one on my floor yesterday and everyone tells me that if I see one, then there's enough in my house to rival the national debt number. So, I was getting a little worked up about it envisioning us having to vacate for weeks will the nasty little, nuclear blast surviving bastards could be squashed. Then I did som research and it sounds like there some traps and sprays I could buy at the store that could take care of it.
Also, these cockroaches aren't the hand-sized monsters that live in Turkey and (I've heard) the South.

Anyone tried the store stuff? What works for you?

You Know You Came From a Small Town When...

2008-12-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

...you land at the "international" airport and recognize 8 kids from your graduating high school class...when you run into your boyfriend from sophomore year at the mall...AND you can't go anywhere without recognizing someone!
I adore my anonymity in Colorado...those people have no history with me and that's the way I like it. They know me as an adult only and I don't have any weird vibes from them. It's not like I have bad memories from this place or dislike any of these people, they're great, but I just hate all the interaction that happens with it. I want to hang out with a small handful of people and that's it.

Does anyone else feel this way when they go to their hometown?!

Handy Mommy

2008-12-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling very cool right now.

I spent 3 hours yesterday disassembling our garbage disposal. I accidently mangled my tea ball in it the day before and the chain got wedged in the small crack where all the waste goes. Two hours of my time was spent using a fondue fork as a...uh...er...stabbing tool...trying to move the stupid chain up or down and free.
I'm not sure how many colorful words were muttered by me, but I'm sure I could rival any plumber or sailor. The hardest part was actually getting the stinking device hooked back in. Thank God for a mop bucket and multiple cutting boards (great wedges they are).

In lesser news, I decalcifyed the shower head as well, but I feel much cooler about the garbage disposal.

Have you ever done manly house chores? Did you enjoy it as much as I did?

Bah-Humbug?

2008-12-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

I'm a very low-stress person...very low stress. This means I have a really hard time when things get hectic. Enter the holidays! No matter how nice everyone is during the holidays, I just get completely wiped out by the busyness of it all. This year has been much the same.
We had my daughter's birthday SLEEPOVER (yes, I am crazy) last night with four giggly girls, they all had much fun (Twister, cupcake decoration, pillow fight), but I'm lasting on about as much sleep as a momma with a newborn.
The economic turmoil hasn't affected us (yet) and so our Christmas is much the same as it is every year, except for two positive developments:

1. I normally suck at gift-giving...I lack creativity and fall back on gift cards a lot. This year I got my hubby lots of little things (think nuts, root beer, a tarp) that he is going to love.

2. Jason grew up with a dad who had a very Godly outlook on money and Christmas was a time of wonder and loving abundance for my hubby growing up. So, we were able to lavish our kids this year and I can't wait for them to feel it!

Our kids really didn't ask for much this year and they were able to buy gifts for less fortunate kids, which I think is great for them to experience. All in all, I think we feel very blessed to be us this year and are glad to spread that to those around us.

This post was written for the Blog Blast over at the Parent Bloggers Network http://blog.parentbloggers.com which is sponsored this week by FFDA, Families For Depressed Awareness, which helps families cope with stress (so needed for many right now).

Merry Christmas!

Around & Around I'll Go No More

2008-12-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

Can I just say, I'm a little happy about this recession. I have high hopes that it will cause us to reorder our priorities and look at what matters. I know that living like we have for so long has kept us from being very busy because we just don't have the means.

Our kids are on the cusp of both being in "real" school (2nd & kindergarten next year) and I've seen how busy that can make a family if both kids get super involved in a large amount of activities. I've made it a point, so far in their lives, to make sure they understand the value of playing with friends after school. I'm planning on continuing to make sure that they make enough time for each other and relaxing with friends after the busy school day.

I'm also a low stress person and keep my schedule fairly free. The last couple of weeks have been so nutty though that I've barely had time to breath (or blog for that matter). With both of the kids in school next year, I've considered taking on a job, but I'd have to pray about it ALOT before I take that step. I'll keep those things that matter to Him and consider everything else carefully.

How about you? Are you too busy? Just right?

This post was written for The Parent Bloggers Network http://blog.parentbloggers.com/ . This week, they've teamed up with BigTent (an online group organizer) this week to ask moms how they're going to make their "circus" easier in 2009. There is a great prize involved this week! Check out the contest here: http://blog.parentbloggers.com/2008/12/12/your-life-is-a-circus-join-our-final-2008-blog-blast/

Nothing Like A Bum Fight

2008-12-06T14:33:00.001-08:00

The hubby's currently away...not in some foreign land, but a wedding, on the east coast...which sort've counts as a foreign land to this Montana girl.
K, so all the big attractions around Denver have free days, one such entity being the Denver Art Museum. The first Saturday of EVERY month is a free day...for Colorado residents. So, I ventured down there with my kids, my pals (Crazy Uncle Connor & his wife Michelle) and his grandniece Orianna (Oreo). I was a little nervous about how they would take it all. It's all pretty comtemporary and some of it is pretty graphic. I shouldn't have worried though, my daughter loved it! She wants to be an artist, so she was fascinated. I could tell Caedmon thought it was mostly weird (some definately was) and would've been happier at a car museum. They lasted three hours before we adults gave up and decided to walk them to a McDonald's.

We're walking through a park in the heart of Denver and lo and behold we come upon a bum fight. Apparently a couple of bums had approached the stuff of some other bums. Those bums had to defend their shtuff. How do you do that? Beat the other bums away with a broken broom handle. Then get a couple more involved and start punching each other in the head.
I never know what to do when I come upon something like that...do you call the cops? Intervene? Pretend like nothing's going on? Connor considered intervening, but they had driven off the other bums by the time we got parallel to it.

As we crossed the street, I looked down at Caedmon and said, "Let that be a lesson to you son, never get in a bum fight."

A Sign Your Kid Is (Too?) Comfortable at the Neighbor's House

2008-12-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

We finally were blessed with snow this week and the kids were psyched. On Sunday they spent 3 hours sledding down the neighbor's hill.
I called my neighbor and told her how excited I was that they were having so much fun out there. She laughed and said, "Well, Caedmon actually came in a half hour ago. I was folding laundry in my room. He came in, said hi, climbed under the blankets on my bed and said, "Hey Steph, could you hand me the remote please?" So, I said sure and now my son is in here snuggling with him".
Wow, talk about owning your space! I'm so incredibly blessed that we've built a relationship like this with our neighbors and their kids. I adore Steph and her kids! It's exactly what I've been desiring in a neighborhood because it's what I had growing up.
Are your kids comfortable with the 'hood?

Winner of Gift Card Draw!

2008-12-01T08:34:00.001-08:00

The winner of the GC I was offering was Claire!! Woo hoo, go claire. Unfortunately, I didn't win a Zune. Oh well.

188,000 is All You Have In You?

2008-11-29T06:45:00.000-08:00

I love our mid-90s, high mileage cars...until they stop working. Sure enough, our gorgeous green LeSabre started smoking on the hubby's way home from work. Can I just say, getting Roadside Assistance through our phone service was a stroke of genius! We've used the service three times this year.

Oh, and I had to go meet them in the first snowstorm of the season! Very pretty, but untimely. We're not exactly sure what's wrong with the car, but I assume the antifreeze pouring out of the bottom of the car is not a good sign.

In other news, normally I go out on Black Friday and shop, but we are a little strapped and the hubby had to work. I've had a bad week of feeling whiney about finances...could be because rent is due at the end of next week. Ironically, I know He'll provide, but I just allow my emotions to run amok. Darn you emotions!

Vote for Me (and Giveaway)

2008-11-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

The Present Professor had a contest about the worst gift received and I could use your votes for my story!
As extra incentive, I'm giving away a $5 GC to CVS and $5 GC to Starbucks to one lucky voter. Head over here ( http://presentprofessor.com/2008/11/win-a-zune/ ) and vote for my story (The Cheese Wheel That Came Too Late). Then come back here and leave a comment that you voted. Contest ends Nov. 30th, so I'll draw a name on Dec 1st. (I can only ship to Canada & the US)
Happy voting!

Give Me Your Liver Sandwich, Prune Tajine, Hammam!

2008-11-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

Well, we're back home...hard to believe that we left only a week ago on our whirlwind trip.

I realized that in my last post about Morocco, I failed to mention the lovely country Moroccans that we sat next to on our 4 hour train ride. These studly folks (after what I'm sure was a long day) decided that taking off their shoes and propping said funky feet on the seats was the right way to end their day. Then they decided to talk to each other loudly and close the window and doors (Allah forbid they get cold). The smell in our little cab was...ripe to say the least.

One of my favorite parts of traveling is the new foods I get to try, by the second day I was itching to attempt something unusual. We hit the street market (medina) and walked around looking at jalabas and the donkey's that lumbered past with their wares. Jalabas are the native dress and (I kid you not) they are exactly like every Jedi robe you've ever seen. I couldn't help but look for light sabers or KKK members. We finally sat down for a meal in a sandwich shop. They all ordered beef kabob sandwiches (boring!) and I resolutely ordered the liver sandwich. I've never had liver and I thought the safest place for my first try of organ meat would be an unsanitary shop in Morocco. Our friends, and my hubby, were completely grossed out. I was actually disappointed when I bit into my sandwich. It was delicious...and didn't taste weird at all. They put green olives and cooked onions in it with some horseradishy mustard. It was good.

That night, our friend Mark cooked the traditional Moroccan meal of a tajine...it's what passes for their casserole/stew dish. You toss whatever you have on hand in a pot and simmer for a couple of hours. Mark made a beef prune tajine. I admit, the thought of prunes in my meal sounds, erg, yucky, but when we sat down to eat it I dug in. It was delicious! The beef and prunes sat in a mild tomato based sauce with toasted almonds over the top. We pick up the meal in yummy fresh bread.

On the last day of our trip, Amy and I went to her neighborhood hammam. For those who don't know what that is...is the bath house. Middle eastern cultures love being clean, and since hot water (and home plumbing) hasn't been common, then they go once a week (or month) to the hammam to get clean. We walk into a big tiled room and promptly stripped down to our undies. We walked deeper through three tiled rooms to a room filled with steam. You fill three buckets w/ hot, cold & warm water, sit on a bath mat, and start scrubbing the dead skin off. They say there that you aren't clean until the worms of skin come off your body. We didn't scrub that hard. Also, it's normal there to scrub the skin off your friends body. Erm, we enjoy each other at all but we weren't about to scrub each other down. It was a lot of fun sitting there, chatting it up, having everyone stare at the foreigners. All in all, a great end to the trip.

The kids did an amazing job with the grandparents...why wouldn't they when they get to eat junk food, play video games and skip school?! I'm incredibly blessed with having the parents that we do; who are willing to take our kids at the last minute.

The Cheese Wheel That Came Too Late

2008-11-23T05:38:00.000-08:00

For the most part, my Christmas presents have been wonderful things and as I've gotten older I've realized that there's more to it than the gift received. But there were two gift snafu's that stick out to this day. There was the infamous 4th grade Christmas when I got nothing but CLOTHES. I remember crying that day.

My favorite awful gift that we like to recall in my family is the cheese gift pack. As a kid, whenever I went out with my mom around the holidays I would see these brightly colored, orderly, delicious-looking packages that held summer sausage, a multitude of cheese, mustard and crackers. I would ooh and ahh and tell my mom that I really would love one of them. Then a year passed and I forgot about the glorious cheese.
On Christmas morning my grandparents were there and they handed me a large square box. I was excited because it felt too heavy to be clothes and I was hoping for Legos or books. I ripped of the paper...
there was the cheese gift pack in all it's late (and now unwanted) glory.
"Oh...thank you?" I said to my grandparents as I screwed up my face.
They all laughed as they realized that the cheese wheel I pleaded for last year was an awful gift.

I wrote this post for a great contest going on over at The Present Professor http://presentprofessor.com/2008/11/win-a-zune/ . Happy gifting!

Hey, Your Cow's in that Roundabout

2008-11-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Here we are in nutty, exotic, quasi-sunny Fes, Morocco! After roughly 30 hours of travel we made it here. Here's the flights:

Denver-Memphis

Memphis-Nashville (drop off kids)

Nashville-Atlanta

Atlanta-Madrid

Madrid-Casablanca

And THEN, you hop on a train for fours hours to get to Fes...easy, right.

It's really good to be here and see our friends, to love on them and (hopefully) bring a little familiar love and encouragement to them. Being here makes me wish I were in Turkey...it's been 2 years since I've gone there.

Wondering about the title. While on the train I kept watching the scenery go by and I noticed that people graze their sheep and cows wherever there's something to graze. This includes the middle of a busy roundabout. I also noticed what appeared to be rows of cactus that they were growing for some unknown purpose. We saw a shoving match while waiting for the train to Fes and drank a can of lychee juice. In my opinion, that's the hardest part of travel. When you're going quickly from place to place, it's hard to pick up anything close to a meal. Thank God for granola bars and gum!

We leave Thursday, so I'll post again if anything interesting occurs.

Stay Tuned...

2008-11-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

...as I will be next blogging from the foreign and fun shores of Fes, Morrocco!!

Ta Da, Last Minute Man!

2008-11-12T20:05:00.001-08:00

As if our week's haven't been crazy enough, it looks like He might be sending us to Morocco next week...as in leaving this Saturday.

Did I mention the hubby is currently out hunting?

So, yeah, kinda crazy.

I was in the bathroom yesterday and I asked/whined God why He was asking us to go to Morocco. Why couldn't He send someone else?

Then He said, "You doink, who else can fly at the last minute like you all can?!"

Oh yeah.

Also, I was reading James 2:15-17 which says, " If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself."

Why wouldn't He send us and how awful of me to not want to give our missionaries some loving!

I should say we're not 100% sure we're supposed to go, so stay tuned!

Non-Scrapbooking Scrapbooking Weekend

2008-11-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, my friends, it's that glorious time of year when I head into the mountains and hang in a scrapbooking cabin with 10 loverly ladies. Ironically enough, I don't scrapbook and I've spent the last 3 years of this weekend to do NOTHING. And by nothing I meaning bathing, reading, watching movies, contesting and whatever other chicanery requires me to relax.

I love this weekend too because the majority of these ladies are people who I don't know well, and I love seeing into who they are more. It causes me to see outside of my usual people bubble and appreciate the broader spectrum of ladies.

If you've read my previous posts you know this is very timely for me...I needed to destress. Oh yeah, NO ELK meat! Argh!

The Answer

2008-11-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

God came through today!! I got a call early in the day that someone wanted to meet with me. When I met with this person she told me that she and her hubby and been lifting us up and had felt that they were to give us money for rent. It was exactly what we needed! It covered the day late fee and everything!

Also, another praise, what that this scenario gave my mom and I the opportunity to connect and really talk through some things. I now know that I can call her to pray over situations like this.

Thank you to all of you who prayed for peace for me...I felt much stronger faith-wise this week than I've felt in a long time.

When Is It a Need?

2008-11-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the end of D-day for rent...and we don't have it.
Does that mean He doesn't care? No
Now my question is: When is it necessary for rent to be paid? Is He going to wait until we get eviction notice to provide it?
What about the electric bill? When do those need to be paid?
Is eviction something that He'll allow us to go through?
These are something of the questions I'm pondering tonight...I'm still at peace (miraculously) with our current situation...I'd love to have an answer though.

We Love to Move it, Move it

2008-11-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

The Mom Salon and Mcdonald's are trying to find out what families would do with one minute to move it!
It's hard to think of doing this for just one minute, but we like to crank up the music (Imagination Movers, Newsboys, Night At the Roxbury) and groove ourselves silly in our living room. I love dancing with them because they think every move they do is cool and don't know enough yet to think I'm a dork (wonder how long that will last).
Now, if we could only talk the hubby into showing us his cool moves.

Livin On the Edge

2008-11-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update on my prayer request from a couple of days ago:

Highs: I was given an anonymous gift of $100 on Sunday! praise God!
My son's tuition is covered for this month!

That leaves us with much still needed to cover rent tomorrow, but I had an amazing day of peace and sweet time with God. We've made Tuesdays unofficial No Electronics Day and I'm a lot calmer and God focused when I'm not flipping on all the distractions (yet here I am on the computer after the kids are asleep). Cheater.

Stay tuned to see how He provides!

How Many Giveaway Wins?

2008-11-03T09:00:00.001-08:00

So here are the stats for me from the Bloggy Giveaways:

1,268 giveaways entered
5 wins

That means that my odds of winning are 1 in every 254 contests...not the odds I was hoping for.

BUT let's take the number of wins that I've had in the last year.

221 wins / 12 months = 18 wins per month

Not too shabby, but I do shudder to think how much time I've spent sitting at this computer!

How about you, what's your average? How many Bloggy wins did you have??

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Update: I now have 6 wins so the new average is 1 win in every 211 contests entered