The Girlfriends

They met for lunch today, this group of friends who hadn't seen each other all summer.   And as girlfriends often do, they TALKED.  About everything from the best way to avoid mold in the rubber strip of their front-loading washing machines...to how to best communicate with their husbands. 

These ladies are not perfect - not by any means.  They've all admitted their weaknesses and faults to each other, because over the years, they've discovered that there is strength in sharing their struggles. 

And today, over lunch, they talked and laughed, and caught up on each other's lives.  

Somehow, the conversation shifted to their frustration about how their husbands dont listen to them...or if they listen, they dont remember what was said.  They all seemed to share that frustration, and strangely, that fact seemed to encourage them.  Because maybe it wasn't that they were unimportant or boring...maybe it was just a "man thing".  

And please dont misunderstand - these ladies didn't sit to have a man-bashing session!  No - these ladies were just speaking from their hearts.  They were joking and laughing with amazement at how all their husbands seemed to do all the same things! 

As she listened to her friends, one of the ladies secretly wished that her friends' husbands could be hearing the conversation.   If they could only hear their beautiful wives, talking in an environment where they knew that each word was being heard and taken to heart by the hearer - Instead of how they usually heard their wives...speaking in moments of frustration or anger.   Wouldn't they agree, that their wives were worth listening to?

 

One of the ladies said, "I’m home alone most of the time.  So when he’s home and I want to talk to him, he puts out his hand and says 'sssshhhh'...because he's watching TV."

 

"And it’s kinda hurtful, isn’t it?", said another.  "My husband comes home, sits down and watches sports.  I take the kids up for a bath, and when I come back down, he’s gone to bed."

Another said, "You know,  I asked my husband why he didn’t listen to me.  And his answer was, ‘because I know you'll tell me again.' "

“I know all my husband's coworkers' names", said another lady.  "..And I even know what each of their jobs' are. Why?  Because I listen to him and remember what he has to say because its important to him. But he cant remember what I just said to him.  What if he talked about work all the time, but I didn't remember anything he said?  I think he'd feel bad"

They were speaking somewhat lightheartedly, of course...but still, there was an ever-so-slight sadness in their voices.  

But these ladies know something. They know that the most important thing isn't to be heard...the most important thing is to be right with their Creator.

The lady who'd been secretly wishing that the husbands could hear the conversation said,  "The other day in a silly argument about nothing important, my husband told me that he'd change when I changed.  I didn’t say anything at the time, but I knew that I didn’t have the same privilege.  I know that I cant wait for him to change before I do...I have to change because I know God wants me to. "

They all agreed that it was easier said than done, but that it was the truth.

You see, after venting and sharing their struggles, this group of imperfect ladies know the conclusion to the whole matter.  That it doesn't matter.  That they need to do what is right in the eyes of God, no matter what other people do. 

Still, they all thought it might be nice if they could feel "important" or "interesting" once in a while.  

A Picture of the Church...at the Skatepark

The other day, we were at the skate park and saw this guy (in the video below) trying to do a front flip on his scooter.  


But it's hard.  And scary.  

He tried over and over.  At first, he used a pad to land on.  Then he'd try it without the pad.  I dont personally know how much it hurts to land hard on a wood ramp...but I imagine it probably hurts.  

He was obviously scared, which I think is normal.  But these guys...they just do stuff afraid.  I've mentioned before how they are so inspiring to watch! 

Anyway, this guy would stop, take deep breaths, bend over his scooter and hang his head, and then he'd give it a try. He'd tell his buddy to remove the pad, and then he'd try again...and fail.  It was a whole process. 

But as I stood there watching, a mental picture began to unfold in front of me. A picture of the Church.  

On one hand, I saw the person doing something he had to do himself.  Nobody could do the front flip for him.  He was scared, but he stuck to it, even though he was getting knocked around quite a bit.  

On the other hand, I saw the crowd around him.  They were shouting encouragement to him...  

"You can do it"!  

"You almost got it"

"You're almost there!"  

"Just go for it!"  

This is exactly what our Christian family should look like.  Christian brothers & sisters gathered around someone who is struggling...shouting encouragement to him.  And they weren't just giving him lip-service...they all KNEW he could do the front flip if he just kept at it!  They had faith FOR him, when all he could feel was fear, frustration and uncertainty. 

When he finally did it, the whole place erupted in cheering and everyone ran towards him and hugged him. It was Awesome!  

Rejoice with those who rejoice... (Romans 12:15)

So with this metaphor in mind...take a look at the video...

 *If you've received this by email and can't see the video, go here to see this post online.


Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  Hebrews 12:1

My Week in a Nutshell...

It's a wonderful life...

Reading my bible

Praying for strength

Waking a sleepyhead to start the school week

a drive to school

a scramble for lunch money

Tidying up the house from the weekend mess

Pruning the trees

Laundry Laundry Laundry

A drive to school and back again

Homework Homework Homework

Bedtime prayers

Big hug and goodnight kiss

Waking a sleepyhead to start another day

Another drive to school

To the store because we surely can't run out of COFFEE...

More Tidying

More homework

Impatience

Laughing

Lunch with the hubby

Shopping with Mom

Oops, almost out of gas

Don't forget piano lesson

American Idol

Bible Study morning at Church

Thanking God for the people in my life

More drives to school

Wondering why the glass is next to the coaster

Wondering why the dirty clothes are next to the hamper

Wondering by the paper towel roll is next to the Paper Towel holder

My heart hearing God remind me to give grace just as I received it

More helping with homework

Cooking and washing dishes

Folding endless piles of clean clothes

Buying Valentine's Treats

Dont forget to pay the bills

Laughing with my Mary Kay Lady

Starbucks with Hubby

New cell phone - yeah!

The bank

Oops, dropped my credit card on the ground outside, but hubby saw it

Talking on the phone with my sister about face creams

Movie and coffee with a friend

Vacuuming, sweeping

washing, folding

wiping,  arranging

...and putting away

Facebooking, Texting, Blogging, emailing

Wondering why the week was this easy...

Pursuing Peace

I was reading through all the old posts on this blog.  The first few posts are filled with details of my day - with errands and duties and activities.  Back then, I took a lot of pride in being busy.  I find that most moms do.  Its seems that we think the busiest mom is the best mom.

A couple of years ago, though, I hit a wall.  I felt like I never had enough time for everything.  I felt as if I always had to be on my way somewhere else.  "Everyone wants a piece of me", I used to think.

And then, one day I experienced...not even sure what.  An anxiety attack that didn't leave me for weeks.  I wont go into all the details of it, only because I dont like to dwell on that time too much.  Suffice it to say that I was overwhelmed and incapacitated by anxiety/panic attacks. 

One of the days during the time that I was going through this, Little Boy had appendicitis and had to have emergency surgery.  Wow - that story deserves a post of its own!  Here I was having some sort of breakdown, hubby was out of town...and Little Boy needs surgery!  I know that God helped me rise to that occasion, and only He got me through it. (And thank God for my parents!)

Funny thing is, that all the busyness of our schedule came to a screeching halt because Little Boy had to recover from his surgery. So while my son took time off to heal from his surgery, I began to think about things.  Why were we doing soccer?  After all, when its time for practice or games, Little Boy seemed bummed. Why were we doing Karate?  We would rush there, and we would rush home.  When we skipped it, we feel relieved.  In addition, that year Little Boy was really beginning to struggle in school.  We were at soccer and karate 4 days out of the week, so by the time we got back to do homework, he was tired and stressed and frustrated.  

It occurred to me that I did a lot things because I felt "I should".  When I asked myself why we were in soccer, the most honest answer was "because everyone else does it, so we "should" too.  I began to identify the things that "had" to be done, and then added to that list the things that we "wanted" to do.  We quit the activities,  and Little Boy began to just play in the neighborhood with the kids that lived on the street.  Believe it or not, this was something that we had always been too busy to do because we had always been on our way out somewhere.  He began spending the afternoons outside riding his bike or riding his scooter with his friends.  He seemed happier and more relaxed than I'd seen him in a long time.

 Its true that being busy was not the only cause of this episode of anxiety.  Since that period of time, God has revealed to me the various causes of what I went through.  I came to realize that I had a lot of fears about a lot of things.   

One of the things that I learned, was that I did the things that I thought I "should" do, because I was trying to "earn" approval.   I was raised in a works-based religion, and even though I thought I understood God's grace, I didn't really understand it, because I was still working hard for God's approval.  He showed me that no matter what I did..I could never ever earn His approval.  That's why He sent Jesus.

Today, I am still working through some fear issues, and dealing with occasional anxiety.  It seems that living a life of fear is a hard habit to break!  :)  But I know that God will be faithful to complete this work that He began in me. 


I am starting to see the value of a simple life.  Sometimes we Mom's do things that the other Mom's are doing because we feel we need to measure ourselves by everyone else.  But in reality, we are all different.  We have different strengths and different weaknesses.  We have to be honest with our limitations.  Because sometimes its better to do a few things really well, instead of struggling and stressing to do a million things just barely good enough. 


Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Romans 14:19


And so I've began to pursue peace. Doing the things I have to do, and then add to that the things that bring my family joy and peace.

This is a journey that I am still on.  As the old saying goes, "God isn't finished with me yet".  May your life be filled with the things that make for peace, and the things by which we may edify one another.


***

Just Commit

Big day today.  Today, my Little Boy overcame a major fear at the skate park.  He's been wanting to "drop in", but he's had a major mental barrier about it.  All the other kids there do it, and they all seem to say that it's easy.  Its a basic trick for scooter riders.  And he's wanted to do it...but something about standing at the edge and scooting down...well, it's kinda scary, and he was really avoiding it. 

To see what I'm talking about - go check out this video of a kid dropping in.  (This is NOT our video - just some video I found on Youtube)







So today, he went to the skate park with his best friend.  It was his friend's first time at a skate park with his scooter, and he dropped in and said it was easy.  So the pressure began.  We kept telling Little Boy to try it, and he wanted to...but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Another kid there was also telling him that it was no big deal, and that he could do it. 


Now - if you've seen the video, and think that you don't blame him for being scared...I totally understand.  But Little Boy LOVES his scooter, and he's good on it.  We KNEW he could do this easily...but he had some fear that had convinced him that he could not do it.  Again, this is a basic move for scooter kids. 

And here's the thing.  I struggle with fear...and living with fear SUCKS.  I'm kinda wishing right now that I had blogged about the struggles I've had with fear and anxiety.  I've been wanting to, but haven't been able to get everything into words.  So you see, watching my son allow fear to win?  No, it cannot happen.  I never want him to miss out on anything because of fear.   So this little lesson of dropping in...well, it goes beyond the skate park.  Its a life lesson.

Sadly, after a lot of stressing about it, he decided to not even try. So we walked to the car and were ready to head home. 

But in the car, he decided he wanted to try it.  So there we went, back to the skate area.  By this time, the other kids were noticing what was going on.  They were watching him stand at the edge, look down and stress out.   He'd ride to the edge...look down...ride away.  Then he'd ride to the edge again...look down...and ride away.  Over and over and over. 

Funny thing is, the other boys started telling him, "You can do it!  Just do it!"

Finally, this older kid - he was maybe 15-years old - had been watching him, and he asked him,

"What are you trying to do, dude?  Drop in?". 

Little Boy said yes.  

Older Kid walked over to him and said, "Just put your board here, your foot here, and just go.  Its really easier than you're thinking". 

I didn't hear what Little Boy told him, but I could tell by the hand movements, that he was telling him that he was afraid he was gonna go head first. 

Older kid told him, "Just bend your legs and lean back.  You can do it, really.  You just have to commit". 

You just have to commit. 

I'm also kinda wishing that I had already written the post that has been in my head for a few months.  About the skate park.  There are so many life lessons to be found in the fearlessness that those kids possess!  They are willing to tumble and fall and get hurt so that they can experience that "cool trick".  They push past the fear.  And as I've mentioned my battle with fear...pushing past the fear is major.  One of the things that I've thought about as I've watched them, is that some things need full commitment.  I like to do things slow and cautious so I can back-out or quit when things get hairy.  But I've discovered that some things don't lend themselves to "slow and cautious".  Some things require full commitment.  And if we wait until we're fearless...we'll never do anything.  Forget about Nike...sometimes its God who says, "just do it". If we're ever going to do cool tricks in life, or in our spiritual walk...we're just gonna have to " do it scared".  Just Commit. 


So there he stood, on the edge...thinking way too hard and long about dropping in.  He asked his best friend to come do it so he could watch.  He had him do it two more times. Everyone around him kept telling him that he could do it. 

It seemed like forever.

I was behind him praying that God would meet him where he was and give him just a little dose of the courage he needed. 

Finally...he went.

We cheered!  (or was I the only one clapping and jumping?  Hmmm...not sure now that I look back...)

Later, he would say that he heard everyone behind him go "yay!..."  And then, "Oooooh!"  Because the funny thing is, he "dropped in" perfectly, but when he turned to ride back around, he crashed and fell.  Isn't that the way life goes...we dread doing something because we're scared, and then we end up falling doing something we've done a million times! 

And that's another life lesson. Sometimes you will fall.  That's the risk.  I always say jokingly (sort of) that I like guarantees in life.  But that's not the way life is designed.  There are no guarantees.  You will fall.  As Brett Michaels said, "its not if life will knock you down, its when and how.  And its definitely about how you roll with it". 

Fear, you lost today.  And for the rest of his life, Little Boy will remember what its like to do something even though he's afraid.  And that sometimes all we're lacking is the commitment to "do it scared".

Different Perspectives

Today, the "Trash Boy" in my home gave a lively discourse on why we should use regular, washable plates, and not paper plates.  He explained that if we used regular plates, there would be less trash in our landfills. 


Dishwasher Lady rebutted that the amount of water used to wash a dish - in a state that was currently in a state of drought - would be was wasteful, and further, the water would require gas to heat it for dish washing purposes.   

My, my...what an environmentally conscious household I live in!

In reality, my son doesn't wanna take out the trash, and I don't wanna do the dishes! 

I Hate Wet Socks

After I take a shower, I crack the shower stall door open, ever so slightly...I squeeeeeze my fingers out...grab the corner of my towel...and...quickly snap the towel into the shower stall and shut the door.  Why? Well, because I like to stand in the steamy warmth of the shower stall while I dry myself.  And the bonus to this is that I don't go out into the cold bathroom while I'm still dripping wet. 

But boys?  Well, they're different.  They jump right out of the shower while they're still in the process of turning off the water, and they stand there, dripping wet... and shivering. 

Now, its certainly OK if they choose to stand there and shiver..but the 'dripping' part..well, that's where they drag me into their actions.  At some point, I walk through the bathroom wearing socks, and I inevitably step on the puddles of water that they've left...which soaks my socks...which makes me cold...and I hate to be cold...which is why I dry off in the shower stall.  

Its definitely interesting to be the only female in a home of boys.  None of them- including my husband - have any idea what its like to live with a sister.  They think that their "boy ways"  are just the way the world works.

Lets not even talk about the toilet seat. 

Or the bodily functions.

Or the coughing and overly exaggerated gagging & sputtering that takes place when they get a whiff of...gasp...HAIRSPRAY!  Ewww....so girlie!!!

And, I've had to learn to watch things like "Cops", or Nascar, or Surviver Man.  And I get NO sympathy about how long it takes me to get ready to go out the door (it only takes me 1/2 hour!).   And since I've been dumb enough to boast about how "strong" I am, I get no help toting a case of water into the house from the garage. 

But...I dont have to buy them 10 different pairs of shoes in various styles...or lots of different outfits.  They're happy to wear their favorite jeans and t-shirts every day.  And I dont have to worry about anyone playing in my make up.  (Heck, I have a hard time making them wear DEODERANT!)  And they sure do love their Mama.  :) 

BOYS?  I  Love 'em!  (But I seriously hate wet socks.)

The Story Behind the Picture

Today I have a guest blogger - my hubby, Craig! Its short and sweet, but it says so much. Now, without further ado...I present..a Blog by Craig...



Good looking little dude hua... That's my little 10 year old boy.

It all started about 14 years ago when I met my wife. Sometime before we were married, maybe about 3 to 5 months after we started dating, we went for a walk in a park. My wife ...saw a little tree there and got a naughty idea. She scratched "Craig + Liz" in the tree. This was back in 1995 sometime. After that day, many things have transpired in our lives, like getting married and having a child.

For the first time in about 14 years, my Son and I happened to be driving by that park, and I said, "I wonder if I could find that tree that Liz scratched our names into." Well, funny thing, it was right there after 14 years, very readable. When she did it, it was a couple feet lower, and much smaller.

So I had my Son stand under the little time capsule. My wife and I never would have imagined at the time 14 years ago, that we would have our little 10 year old boy, standing right beneath that little spur of the moment message. At the time, I don't think we knew we would be married and go through all the good times we have had since then.

Maybe I'll visit it in another 15 years, and put my grandson, or grand-daughter under that tree for a picture.

Again With The Weight Thing

Alright, people...I need to lose 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Sounds pretty easy. But that means...no fresh peach pie (see below), no Sam's Club-size bags of Doritos in the house, no fun BBQ's with friends, and definitely no stopping at my mom's house on an empty stomach! (Ok, so its too late for that last one today...but in the future...)

(Sigh)....reminds me of last time I was planning a trip to see some old high school friends. Yeah, I can just be happy being my old chubby self, until all of sudden, out of nowhere, a trip to see old friends comes up! Discipline is a wily and evasive creature...but I've discovered that with the proper motivation...I can capture him! At least for while...

I know we're talking about weight loss here, but I just gotta tell you how excited I am that I made a pie! I. Made. A pie.

Awesome.

OK, so I used the Pillsbury prepared pie crust...but still, I picked the peaches off my little tree, sliced them up, mixed them up with all the pie-ish stuff...and baked it! Now that I see how easy it was to do, I might even throw caution to the wind next time and make my own crust.

But that'll have to be after I lose those 5 lbs.

Just for the record...I need to lose 40. But I figure losing 5lbs will take me back to - at very least - the weight I was last time I saw these friends. ha!

Which reminds me, I've been working with a fitness trainer for a few weeks. She's part of a Networking group I belong to, and she offered the members a super duper good price, so I took advantage of it. We arent doing anything that I couldn't do myself at home....(did I mention that wily creature called "Discipline" already?)...but with her, I am forced to go, even when I dont feel like it. And believe me, there have been plenty of mornings that I haven't felt like it. I only see her twice a week, so I reeeeeeaaaally need to do something on my off days...like walk or something. I keep saying that. But that's about all...I just "say" it.

I swear I just saw that wiley creature stick his tongue out at me...

I guess that's it for now. Little Boy's playing at a neighbor's house, so I'm gonna head on over to my jewelry making studio (aka...the table in the corner of the office) and play with some beads. This weekend I made a bunch of sparkly, glassy, crystally stuff. But today is definitely a gemstone day.

Church Update

Last year, I wrote a post about how discouraged I was feeling about church. I had been wanting...no - really needing to hear some MEATY in-depth bible teaching. I mentioned in that post that the church I was attending gave "lighter" messages on Sunday, so as to make it easier to bring someone who doesn't usually attend church. They do the more in-depth studies on Wednesdays. But with Little Boy's homework struggles, it was kinda difficult for me to get away on a weeknight. So I was really feeling kinda like I was dying on the vine.

I kinda feel like explaining the whole thing again, but really, I already said my piece in that post last year.

• As a side note, when I wrote the above line, I had to stop and think...is the phrase "say my piece", or "say my peace"? Both make sense in their own way. But according to the Free Dictionary online, it is "say my piece". I am sort of a geeky word and phrase lover...so it pleases me to share that info.

But I digress.

As I mentioned in my previous post, it's been almost a year since I've posted anything here, and I wanted to update you on that issue because I know that my loyal readership has been waiting to hear the conclusion of that matter. Yup - all my fans....both of you.

In the "church" post, I also mentioned that I had found a listing for a local church that claimed to teach in just the way I was looking for. And when I looked up their location, I remembered seeing signs at their building promoting "Apologetics Month" . So I started listening to their podcasts and really, really enjoyed it.

Eventually, I went to check it out. I have to say, I love it. The pastor..."my" pastor is an AWESOME bible teacher. I attended their "5 Weeks of Apologetics" and they had some amazing speakers. I find myself excitedly awaiting Sunday morning to I can "get to" go to church! They teach the bible verse by verse, covering original language, who it was written to, how do WE practically apply it to our lives, etc.

Now...the next step here is that I have to meet some people there. I have been quietly lurking, not really getting to know anyone. I attended the Women's Study on Thursday mornings a few times, but various things kept coming up on that day/time, and I finally gave up. And since Little Boy was still struggling with homework, I didn't even consider attending stuff on weeknights.

BUT..it's summer vacation! Yay! And so I think its a great time to take advantage of that time and go to some midweek services. The Women's study is on Mondays and the Midweek service is..well, midweek (Wednesday)!

I'm tempted to attend Wednesday because of the awesome teaching. But I'm thinking I should attend the Women's Study for the sake of getting to know other women there. But I reeeeeaaaallllly would like to attend Wednesday for the teaching.

Maybe I'll throw caution to the wind and attend BOTH!

Little Boy and I DID volunteer for a Ministry there too! We're part of the...um..."(...mumbling while covering my mouth...) Ministry".

Oh, OK, it was the DONUT Ministry, OK? Ha ha! Once a month, we clean up the donut cart after services. Little Boy loves it because he gets to eat whatever is left over. and I have to say, he is a good little kitchen cleaner!

So that's the story. Found a new place. Love it. Learning a lot. Next phase: stop lurking quietly and get to know more people.

Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1

ALMOST A YEAR?????

Really? Has it been almost a YEAR since my last post?

See what happens when you are a SAHM? You get too busy to blog.

But the Blog Bug has been gnawing at me lately. So here I am.

So to start things out...I dont have much to say today. Seems like I've gotten used to the quick one line updates about life on Face book. So here I am on blogspot, with unlimited room for my thoughts.

So my mind goes blank. It figures.

But, I'm back. And I plan on carving out some time here and there to restart this beloved activity. Me spewing my thoughts. Yeah, I love it. See ya soon.

My Dad

Note: My sister and I wrote our own little article for my Dad and gave it to him for his birthday. Here's mine...

Today, we are celebrating my Dad's birthday! And it's always a challenge to figure out what to get him for a gift because he has everything, and of course, he can buy whatever he wants when he wants it!

So we're buying him dinner and giving him some small gifts he might enjoy - nothing too exciting. But my real gift is to tell him what a gift he is to me.

The idea of writing this came to me a few weeks ago when I had taken my Dad to an appointment for a procedure he was having done. The procedure only took about 20 minutes, and he felt perfectly normal when he was done, but they recommended he have someone to drive him home, so I went along to drive him back home.

Our destination was 30 minutes away, and the appointment was at 1pm. This meant that we'd be driving home right in the middle of rush hour traffic. The smart thing to do is to get on the Fastrack toll lane to bypass the traffic jam. But for me...well, in the past, I've battled anxiety and/or panic attacks when I drive. And the Fastrack is a separate lane on the far left of the freeway, which makes it difficult to "pull over" if you need to. So I usually just sit in traffic, in the slow lane, with the comfort of knowing that I can pull over if I start feeling funky. So I was a little worried that I might have to make my mom and dad sit in traffic for hours to accommodate my anxieties.

But on that day, I felt pretty good. And I feel pretty comfortable with my mom and dad. But still, the thought of the possibility of the panic attack was in the back of my mind. I was a little embarrassed that I might have to tell my Dad, "Uh...I don't wanna feel anxious so I'm gonna make you sit in traffic for a couple of hours. Hope you don't mind".

So I nervously said, "Um.. I cant quite decide if I want to get on the Fastrak or not". I said this to feel them out...to see what they thought. (Yes, I have to do this even though I've known them for 43 years!)

My mom says, "Do whatever you feel comfortable doing. If you feel like getting on the Fastrrak, go ahead, I f you don't feel comfortable, just take the regular freeway."

And she meant that.

My Dad said, "Do whatever you want, Mija. We're in no hurry".

And he meant that.

And you know what? Any feelings of anxiety that I had were removed by the fact that their only concern was for me to feel comfortable. I hopped on the toll lane and felt perfectly fine, because I felt no pressure. The only thing that mattered to them was that I felt ok.

As I thought about that, I realized that their response that day was a pretty accurate representation of them. They are always fully accepting of me and they love me despite all my "issues" and weirdness. All they want is for me to be happy. Total patience. Unconditional acceptance.

I’m 43 years old. I am married. I have two kids. I am in the wonderful position to look at my life and appreciate the really important things. As you probably know, when you are a teenager, you don't always appreciate the things and people you should appreciate.

My sister - she was kind of a mellow sort. Not much trouble. But I'm sure I tried my Dad's patience a lot more since I was a bit more trouble! But I've always known that there was nothing I could do where I couldn't come to my Dad for help.

He is also a great Grandpa. He is funny, wise, loving, generous, patient, forgiving. I know that my boys love him with all their hearts!

Aside from him being a wonderful father and grandfather, I can also say that he is great man. I see people come to him for all kinds of help. I've seen him get taken advantage of. But that never makes him bitter. He keeps on helping people and giving them chances to do better. Since we've lived in CA, my parents' home has been a refuge to a lot of people. Some have appreciated it. Some haven’t'. But they never stop being available to their friends and family.

This is why, when I hear that God is my "father", the image I get is of a loving God who loves me, despite myself. Not everyone can say that.

Just want to say Happy Birthday Dad. I love and appreciate you more than you can ever know!

What Encourages Me

Found an interesting new blog today. Its called In Courage. In the post I read today, the writer talked about having courage and the many "colors" it comes in. In the end, she asked...what encourages you? Usually, I read such things, take a minute, and then go on with my day. Today I am prompted to think a bit harder. And as I do, it becomes an inventory of the blessings I have...

I am encouraged by my husband. Who even though he gets on my nerves by leaving socks in every corner you can imagine, and who has opinions I think are too strong some times - he still is the one who can speak God's Unchanging Truth to me when I've dropped the ball and want to give up. He is unshakable in that way.

I am encouraged by my sister. Who found out she had cancer the week before her wedding. Who has had two miscarriages. She is married to her best friend and finds the things she has gone through as an opportunities to speak God's Rescue to anyone who is willing.

I am encouraged by my friend Gina - who, having endured things in her childhood, and in the difficult beginnings of her marriage, finds herself happily married to same man, who is a new man, and a house full of the most polite children you'll ever meet! the things she's experienced have served to fill her heart with compassion for others. She speaks God's Mercy

I am encouraged by my friend Tracy- who has the gift of faith and exhortation. My most precious memory of her is right before my son was diagnosed with Coats Disease. I went up to the altar for prayer at church and felt gentle hands on my shoulders behind me. I recognized her voice whispering prayers behind me. When I turned she was gone. She had no need for recognition, she simply needed to pray for me. She speaks God's Faithfulness.

I am encouraged by my friend Barbara - who is a quiet and gentle spirit, full of wisdom and experiences. As our friendship grows, I am surprised to discover how we go through similar things. She speaks God's Understanding to me.

I am encouraged by my Mom - who taught me to unclog a sink with Vinegar and Baking soda! (smile!) And even though moms get on our nerves sometime when we are grown mommies ourselves, she's always there when I need her. I know that I could throw up my hands and give up and she'd be there to take care of me and then gently get me going again. She speaks God's Comfort to me.

I am encouraged by my Dad who is the ultimate in generosity. He'd give his last penny to help me if I needed it. He has always been there to help me, even if the trouble I was in was by my own making. Its hard to sum him up in a couple of lines - so let me just say this, he has always been a grand example of God's Unconditional Love.

I could go on and one with this. I scratch my head and wonder why God has placed all these precious people in my life - does He do this with everyone???

What gives YOU courage?

To read the blog that inspired this post go to Incourage.me

A Mid Summer Night's Blog

It's the midpoint of summer vacation, and as you can probably tell from the silence on my blog...I've been busy! So I thought I'd throw a quick blog at you just to say, Yes, I'm still here!

I'd like to share some summer things that either work well for me, or just plain make me happy!

1. Once the hot weather hits, I start wearing sunscreen in place of body lotion. My favorite is "Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 50+" because it has a nice scent and feels light on your skin, not heavy and gooey.

2. Using a light scented body spray over my whole body every day helps me feel better on those really hot and sticky days!

3. Having the kids home equals a messy home. Concentrate on these areas to stay sane: Dishes, Laundry, and Making the beds. Most everything else can wait, and these particular areas go a long way in making you feel like you've got a handle on things.

4. Enjoy your kids! This is a big DUH for most of you. I, on the other hand, try every summer to keep up on things just as I do during the school year. This year, I've whittled the chores down to the few priorities listed in item #3, and made it a point to do something every day with Little Boy. And I'm not talking about anything too complicated, sometimes just buying a pay-per-view and watching a movie together is fun! Now that I'm not thinking about how productive I could be, I'm actually having fun with my kid!

5. Let the kids stay up late! I've been letting Little Boy stay up till 11pm, and as a result, he sleeps till 9:30 or 10am. Since I get up early with hubby (he leaves for work at 6am), I stay up after hubby leaves and enjoy some quiet time watching morning news and sipping coffee. Which leads me to the next item...

6. Try to get most of my quick chores done for the day while Little Boy is still sleeping so I can be ready to hit the day when he's awake!

7. Create a special holiday! We do "Jamba Juice Mondays". We went to Jamba Juice on one Monday at the beginning of the summer, and Little Boy said, "We should do this every Monday!" So we have!

8. Refuse to use the oven during summer. The oven really heats up the house and with the cost of electricity, I don't want the AC to work too hard! I make a vow every Summer that I will not use the oven, and I don't! I've even converted some "oven recipes" to work on the skillet or toaster oven.

9. Here's something I just plain love about summer: Dragonflies! I love when they make their appearance! They are such beautiful little graceful creatures!

10. Well, I actually couldn't think of another thing, but I wanted to end on an even number! So let's just say that my Number TEN favorite thing about summer is blogging about my favorite summer things/tips!

Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!!

Clueless!

The Season Finale of American Idol has come and gone - and as you may or may not know, this was my first season watching the show. (It really consumed a lot of my time, but I've loved it!)

My personal pick was Danny Gokey, who was eliminated last week. And truly, I'll be holding out for him to release something, because he is the BEST! I LOVED seeing him perform last night! Pairing him up with Lionel Richie was brilliant. (Lionel Richie is the soundtrack of my high school days!)

I also LOVED Alison Iraheta and Cyndi Lauper's duet of Time After Time. It was beautiful! I went on iTunes this morning to see if we could download any of the performances, but I found nothing! (bummer!)

But here's the main reason for this post today. I had to laugh at myself when I re-read the post I wrote at the beginning of the season. I had said that I couldn't figure out why the judges picked Kris Allen, and that I thought he was just "OK". Boy, was I ever clueless! I would have never guessed back then that he'd be the last man standing!

Congrats to Kris!

Not sure if I have the fortitude to face another season - I was on the edge of my seat every week! But yeah, I'll definitely watch next season because now I am hooked!

So NOW what do I watch on Tuesdays and Wednesday???

Church

Today is Sunday, and although I feel the desire to go to church, I haven't gone in weeks. Sometimes I've had a legitimate excuse - like going out of town on Mother's Day to visit my Mom-in-Law. And last night, Little Boy's friend spent the night over here, and they were up really late, so we all slept in this morning.

Then there were other weeks, when I could have gone. But I didn't. I've been feeling indifferent about going. Which kinda bugs me, because I've always loved going. But lately I've been craving something that I haven't been getting.

But first, here's my disclaimer: It's always hard to say that you need something else, without sounding critical of what you currently have. And that's not really my motive here.

My pastor gives a "lighter" message on Sunday mornings, because he wants it to be an atmosphere where you can feel comfortable bringing someone - someone who might be "searching". Someone who might not necessarily go to church on a regular basis. His messages are topical. Something based on scripture that you can apply to your life. He is good speaker. Very animated. Very funny. A real person you can relate to. But when I leave, I find that I don't feel like I've delved into the Word. I feel like I've gotten some wise advice for my life - and I guess there really isn't anything wrong with that. But the unflattering truth is that I don't want to sit through a message directed at an unbeliever, Sunday after Sunday.

There. I said it. I want to be nice, but I also want to be honest.

And yeah, I know what you might be thinking:

You get what you put into it.

You need to go there to give, not to receive.

Don't go with the attitude of what they can do for you, but what you can for them.

If you go with a good heart, you'll always learn something.

You should be learning the Word on your own, not just on Sundays.

And I totally understand all that. But truly, I don't think I'm going with the attitude of "what can they do for me?". I just want to go and learn and be challenged and get closer to Him.

My pastor does a more in-depth bible study on Wednesday nights, and when I've gone in the past, I've learned a lot. But I don't go Wednesdays. I like to be home on weeknights to make dinner for my family and be there when my husband gets home, and to help Little Boy with homework.

I've attended this church for about nine years. I've met some of my most beloved friends there. Friends that I can count on for true fellowship and for lifting me up when I'm down, and they know they can come to me for the same. So I'm not bashing my church. But I really am in dire need of something more.

My sister goes to an awesome church, and she loves it. She is so excited about it! I've gone a few times and I also download their podcasts. Their messages are awesome and challenging and scriptural and relevant. The sermons are topical, but they are also "meaty". But her church is too far from me. But that's what I want. To be excited, to be growing, to be challenged, to be intimate with God and His people.

And no, I don't expect Sundays to be the only time I hear or read the Word. I do read on my own, and I listen to my Sister's pastor, as well as others like Joyce Meyer, John MacArthur, etc.

So last week, I really gave this some thought.

And here's what I was thinking. Little Boy will be attending a new Christian school in the fall. And I was thinking that since he'll be going to school there, it makes sense for us to check out the church there as well.

But a couple of days ago, I talked with someone who goes there. They really like it there. But they said that it's kinda the same as my current church. Which puts me right back at square one.

I've been thinking..surely I cant be the ONLY person in my town who wants to hear a meaty sermon. Surely there exists a church that digs deeply into scripture on Sundays. So I Googled the churches in town and began to peruse the list.

Just so you know, my city has lots of churches. Lots of big churches. We visited a few of them before we found our current church. But if I am honest, I will tell you that most of them lighten up their Sunday sermon.

My sister tells me that kind or church is necessary, and perhaps she is right.

But, back to the list. I came across the name of one particular church that I actually drive by every day. It's caught my eye before because I remember once when I passed by, they had a sign up that said they were having "Apologetics Month". I was kinda intrigued, but soon forgot about it. But last night I went to their website and here's what I read:

Therefore, if you choose to make (us) your home church you can expect a strong, in-depth forty-five minute to one hour study on Sunday mornings. The teaching is from the Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. We will draw our wisdom and direction from God's Word and we as a church family consider it the final authority for all questions regarding faith, practice, etc. Sadly, this approach to ministry is becoming unique in American Christianity. All too often the Bible is abandoned, compromised or the message watered down.

I saw that they podcasted their sermons, so I downloaded a few of them. I started listening to one last night, which I thought was pretty good. The preacher seemed very knowledgeable about biblical theology. Not legalistic, but not postmodern. Very balanced. He gave a sermon about a topic (which he explained was a a break from their Sunday schedule - they are currently going through Hebrews, but took that Sunday off to speak about a particular topic). When he was done with the sermon, there was Q & A session about the topic, which I thought was kinda different. The whole thing seemed geared toward the Christian. And that is exactly what I am looking for.

(Not that I want to exclude the person who might be seeking. I welcome them to join us as we do our thing!)

I talked to Hubby about this and told him I'd like to check out this new church. He said OK. Maybe next Sunday.

So we'll check it out. Its not a huge church, I haven't heard anyone talking about it, nor have I run into anyone who has attended there. So anything can happen. I'll let you know how it goes whenever we decide to check it out.

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Casting Crowns -SLOW FADE video

One of my Facebook Friends posted this video today and it made quite an impression on me. I promptly posted it on my profile. But I'd also like to share it with you. It was the Dove Awards winner for best video.

(if you receive post by email, and the video doesn't show up on your message - click here to go directly to my blog to view it. I promise you it's worth it.)

Our Weekend "Excursion"

We finally got a chance to go the desert for some dirt bike/quad riding this weekend! We've tried to get away a few times in the past two or so months, but something has always come up. Either it's been raining or we had something else that had to be done. But this weekend, everything worked out, so we got the trailer packed and ready to roll!

We were going out there with our good friends, and had planned to leave at the same time so we could "caravan" out there. We figured we would pick up Little Boy at school, and then hit the road. At 3 o'clock, our friends still had a few errands to run, but told us to go on ahead and they'd be about a half hour behind us. No problem.

There was - as there always is on Friday afternoon - a lot of traffic heading out of town. But the place where we go ride is only 1-1/2 hours away. We called our friends to let them know what the traffic was like, and they still hadn't left! Turns out they still had to go to the bank, to the grocery store, and I don't know where else, but they seemed to be taking a long time getting on the road!

Little Boy was so happy to finally be going "camping"! That morning when he was getting ready for school, he had seen Hubby getting the trailer ready, and when he saw the trailer hitched to our Ford Excursion, his little eyes lit up! He said, "I can't wait!". And when we picked him up at school that afternoon, he walked out, saw the trailer waiting for him, and said, "I cant wait to get in that car and GO!"

So we hit the road, and were plugging along, fighting traffic. We were listening to some "Classic Pop" (Magnet & Steel, Only Time Will Tell..) Little Boy was playing his Nintendo DS in the back seat. Hubby got a gadget that allows us to be online on the road, so I was busily "Facebooking" while he drove! It was great!

But after about an hour, as we headed up a hill and around a bend...the car sounded a little funny...then it...stopped. Hubby reacted immediately and pulled over as quick as he could. The car died!! His best guess was that the transmission went out. Not good.

We called our friends to see how far behind us they were. They still hadn't left town.

We were on a highway, on a curve, so cars were coming pretty quick around the bend, and I didn't feel very safe sitting there. We decided to walk over to a restaurant that we knew was close by. As we started walking, I said, "I'm glad Daddy is leading this hike, cuz I thought the Cafe was the other direction!"

As soon as we began our little trek up the hill, a car pulled over and asked if we needed a ride. It was a man, a woman and someone in the back..I didn't notice if it was a child or adult. But I felt quite uneasy...which is probably a tribute to every movie I've ever seen where someone is stranded on a highway. I was really relieved when Hubby said, "No thank you, we're just walking to the restaurant over there".

The Cafe was a little place - there were a few people sitting at the bar, eating and chatting. It appeared that they were "regulars" because the waitress was sitting and talking with them like they were old friends. When we said we'd had car trouble, they all chimed in with some advice.

We called the Auto Club and they said a tow truck would be on the way. We started looking through the local phone books for a place to tow the car. The best idea was to have it towed back to our house, but we were an hour away from home.


FLASHBACK TO ONE MONTH AGO....

Me: Honey, our Auto Club membership is due..I was thinking that maybe to save money, we should just get the basic membership instead the the "Plus" Membership. We both have pretty new cars, I don't anticipate that we'll be needing to be towed 100 miles anytime soon.

Hubby: Why, that's a good idea, Sweetie! Yeah, go ahead and renew it with a basic membership.

FLASH FORWARD TO PRESENT TIME:

Me & Hubby: DOH!

(With the Plus Membership, you get free towing up to 100 miles. With the basic membership, you get 7 miles free towing. After 7 miles, it costs $8/mile.)


Our friends called and they had an idea: What if she drove their motor home, and he could drive his big truck to pull our trailer after our Excursion was towed. That way, we could still do the weekend!

That's why they took so long to get out of town!! :)

We told them that the Auto Club had sent a tow truck, and then mentioned our frustration with the fact that we had changed our membership to "basic". They said, "Wait! We have the Auto Club PLUS membership! Lets use our card!" Hubby called the Auto Club and told them that the people we were traveling with had the PLUS, and asked if we could use their membership for the 100 mile free towing. Yes, they said - we could do it as long as the Plus member was present and could sign for it.

Finally, the tow truck arrived. Although now we were worried that our friends wouldn't arrive in time to use their card! We told the driver about it, and he said he didn't mind waiting, but that his shift was almost over, and he would have to call in to his shop to find out if they would let him wait, or if they would want to send another driver. His shop said that was fine, but he'd have to tow it back to the shop, and then another driver would take it to our home.

At this point, Hubby told me he was going to go back to the Excursion with the Tow Truck Driver, and that we should wait at the Cafe. Said it'd be about 20 minutes. He walked out. Immediately, he walked back in and sat down. He looked over at me and said, "I'm not going anywhere". I was confused, but he said, "You'll see".

In walk two HUGE, HAIRY, guys with LONG grey scraggly beards. They wore flannel shirts and worn jeans, and they were loud and boisterous. This really struck me funny!!! But I was glad Hubby had chosen to stay!

As it turned out, the Tow Truck had enough seats for all of us, so we went back to our vehicle, and the driver began to load our car on his truck. As he was doing this, I saw our friends pull up behind us. Man, was I ever happy to see them! Perfect Timing!

We called my parents (who live on our street) and asked them to please go to our house and sign for the Excursion when it arrived. (Side note: When it did arrive, the driver wanted to be paid for it, because he processed the transaction with OUR membership, so there were a few frustrating phone calls back and forth, but the problem was finally resolved!)

When the Excursion was loaded on the tow truck, Little Boy and I hopped into the Motor home with my friend. Hubby and his friend stayed behind to hitch the trailer to his truck and then follow behind us.

We arrived at our destination at 9:30pm.

Well, it only took us SIX hours to get there!!!

Sheesh.

This and That

Earlier today, I was collecting clothes to do laundry. There were some clothes on the bathroom floor, so I bent over to pick them up. Actually, I bent over and yanked them because I was in a hurry. They just happened to be hooked on the corner of the cabinet, so when I yanked, I actually opened the cabinet hard and fast and it smacked me - hard - on the nose. Youch! I iced it right away because it was getting swollen, and I was starting to look like a boxer - not the dog, the athlete. I forgot about it after a while...until I looked in the mirror later. I have a nice blue bruise on the bridge of my nose. DUH!!!

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Best quote of the night from Little Boy as he watched Stevie Wonder on American Idol:

"Is he the American Idol from last year?"

*******

For the last couple of days, I've been trying HARD to get some good photos of my jewelry designs. I am NOT a photographer. (I should have asked Daiquiri for some advice!) I googled "photographing jewelry" and there was plenty of info. White Balance...yada yada...diffused light...yada yada... There are photography sites that give general info on taking pictures. Then there are the Jewelry sites, that give advice on how to photograph jewelry. Some of these jewelry designers say to take photos outside in the sunlight. Some say to buy a set-up with lights and tents, etc. Some say to make your own set up with a box and white tissue paper. It's quite confusing. Here are my sad first attempts:

Too Orange!









Too White!









Too Blue!









Just Right!








Hopefully I'll remember how I got that shot so I don't have to relive the frustration!

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As the title of this post infers...this post isn't much about anything. Just this and that. Hadn't blogged in while so I wanted to just throw something out there.

Until next time...

Readings That Have Grabbed Me

Just because I've been doing more reading than writing this week, I thought I'd share the "Gems" I've come across recently. Click on the links to go to the sites - I promise you will love them.

I'll start out with something serious. This is from a blog called "The Dirty Shame". Its a beautifully written plea to God to remember us and forgive us as we fall short almost continuously. Here's the link: Dust

This is from the blog "Conversion Diary". It's an older post, but totally relevant. The name is self-explanatory. The Danger of Being Overloaded

For the final read, I'll send you to a lighthearted one that will make you laugh. This is written by a young man who will be married soon. He contemplates how women are different from men. His blog is new, but I got hooked on it quick. The writer is very funny and has a very clever wit. His blog is called "Life is Easy". The entry is called (click on link) Wedding Planner

Until the next post...