I Enjoyed The Day

Yesterday was a very nice day. It wasn't perfect. It had a few bumps. There was some bickering in the van on the drive up and there was some whining at the zoo and it took a while for the kids to settle down and get to sleep, but I really enjoyed myself yesterday. We got up, loaded the van and drove to Washington for breakfast. The kids ate well (always a plus) and were well-behaved during the meal. After some initial bickering, the kids settled down and listened to a story on tape while we had a beautiful drive to Seattle.


We went to the zoo where we saw part of the spectrum of God's ingenious creation. Who knew there was such a thing as a legless lizard? (It has eyelids and can regenerate it's tail so it's not a snake.) Okay, it was kind of creepy looking, but interesting nonetheless. They had an area with about 20 huge hydrangeas all in bloom, that was just gorgeous! Instead of the smell of animals, most of the time we kept getting whiffs of something incredible like jasmine or honeysuckle. Best of all for this cheapskate, the zoo was free since they have a reciprocal membership with the Oregon Zoo where we are members.

Abigail wearing her diving mask from Ivar's.
My family walked way too far out of their way so that I could eat the world's best clam chowder at Ivar's. On the way there I was wondering whether it was really worth the walk, but after eating a few spoonfuls, I decided it was afterall. It was the kind of meal I always hope for. No one fussed or whined about the food, there were no spills or disasters. Food was shared, conversation was enjoyed, and we all loved watching the entertainment...seagulls catching food right out of the air that people outside our window were throwing for them.


We missed seeing the sites at Pike Place Market, so we'll have to try going back again another day, but we did see the Space Needle both in daylight and after they lit the lights. The kids didn't complain that we didn't take them on any of the amusement rides at the Seattle Center (though Ryan was disappointed we didn't go to the top of the Needle, he didn't make a big deal out of it), and surprisingly they didn't even complain about the walking, which we had done tons of.


We were all ready to get to the hotel, and we crossed the world's longest floating bridge into Bellevue to the excited laughs of my daughter. She thoroughly enjoys life, and today's adventures kept her completely enthralled. It was a relaxing day (if you don't count the walking) of seeing the sites in a beautiful city, and I'm so grateful I am blessed with my wonderful husband and kids with whom I was able to enjoy it!

Fence Mail

The neighbor who lives directly behind us recently lost his wife. She was a sweet lady, though I don't think she knew the Lord. He is in his early 70s and is pretty lost without her. My heart breaks as I see him sitting out on their back porch alone where he used to be with her. He does have most of his children in the local area, which is good, but day to day I know he's struggling.


So the kids and I have been trying to share Jesus' love with him regularly in the form of passing things over the fence to him. Every week (just about) we give him some cookies or homemade jam or pie or a picture the kids drew for him, etc. He has been very appreciative. I often have trouble catching him at just the right time though since we're not always in the back yard at the same time he is. So I bought a hook and have been hanging things from it for him to find. Then last week I looked out the window and saw he had sent something our way! He returned the box I had last used and put four yummy Lindt dark chocolate candies in it for us. Then this morning there was a cucumber from his garden.


It's been a fun way to let him know we care about him and are thinking about him, and I pray the Lord will give me the courage to more directly tell him the gospel. By the way, he "caught" me taking these pictures, and he's probably wondering what in the world I'm doing that for!

Birthday Getaway-Part 2

The view from the living room window of the cabin.
My hubby won tickets to a concert in Lincoln City on Saturday night, but it ended up being cancelled so we took the scenic route down to Tillamook. The weather was rainy and by the time we got to the coast, it was fairly tempestuous. We stopped briefly to watch the waves and riptides from a viewpoint, and it was incredible to see God's creation all stirred up by wind and rain. I've never seen the white caps out so far into the ocean.


View from the upstairs bedroom window where we slept.
We stopped for dinner in Cannon Beach at my favorite place to get clam chowder. Unfortunately, we found out they don't make other things as well as they do clam chowder, but it was still nice to have a quiet dinner with my husband. After making one more stop to pick up a few things to eat at the cabin, we drove the winding road and made it to our destination. It is dated (late 60s), but fully furnished with just about anything you could want or need. We never turned on the satelite television or even the stereo. We played a couple games, finished the jigsaw puzzle that had been started and left, talked uninterrupted, wrote out our goals (something we haven't done for about five years), drank in the gorgeous scenery and even walked the property a bit when the rain wasn't too heavy.


One interesting thing we found saw was this wasp nest. It is huge. We took turns jumping up and down on the floor above so we could watch them get angry and come swarming out onto the outside of the nest trying to figure out what was going on. Juvenile, I know, but entertaining, nonetheless!


Yup, there was even a moose head!
Sunday afternoon, we reluctantly packed up, picked up after ourselves, locked up the cabin and started for home. We stopped for a very late lunch/early dinner at the Macaroni Grill before coming home to our children. It was a very relaxing day, and I am thankful my hubby planned it all! On the way home we were thinking up ways we might be able to come back, even with the kids. Hopefully, they need more computer work or something done soon!

The Judging Is In

This is what 15 pounds of blueberries looks like.

At the beginning of this month a sweet friend met me at the blueberry fields where we picked 15 pounds of blueberries, then brought them to my house where she showed me how to make her pie crust and shared her yummy pie recipe from Mom Lundy.

Picture perfect pie!

I don't think I have ever cooked with someone other than my hubby, kids and mom before, and it was really fun doing it with someone else! We made six pies, four of which were mine. I gave one to a dear neighbor who's wife has just died, took one to the 4th of July barbecue, shared one at Saturday barbecue at our house, and our family ate the fourth. Two people asked me for the recipe, and everyone who ate the pie just raved about it! Now I remember why I asked her to teach me...her blueberry pie is fabulous!

Not so picture perfect, but yummy nonetheless.
Oh, wondering what in the world you'd do with four pies? Well, guess what? They freeze beautifully! You can't even tell the difference between the fresh and frozen pie.

Gas and Proverbs

Okay, this picture is a month old because that's how far behind I am on my personal blog. Most of what I was going to post the last month is just gone, and this morning as I was reading Proverbs I decided it was probably for the best.

Proverbs 10:19-When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

But back to the picture...isn't it great to be paying less than $3.00 a gallon for gas!!! Who knew I'd ever rejoice at paying $2.79 (today's price) per gallon. Ryan and I were looking through his baby book recently, and it has a list of what things cost when he was born. Gasoline was $1.69! It made me search my past blog posts looking for the other time I posted about the price of fuel. I was thrilled then because the price had come down under $2.00, and that was just 19 months ago. I had to post this picture (despite it being a month old) because I figure that in another year or so I'll be posting about how happy I am to only be paying $4.00 per gallon and I'll want to look back and remember the good old days of $2.79!

Birthday Getaway-Part 1

My hubby surprised me (though he gave me heads up, wisely and thankfully!) with an overnight getaway for my birthday. I told him not to get me a present because he spent too much on Mother's Day and I don't need anything anyway, but I was wrong...I did need some peace and quiet!

He arranged for a long-time friend to come and watch the kids overnight. This family were our friends when we lived in Tennessee, and they have moved to Oregon this year. We spent the 4th of July with them and had such a wonderful time visiting with them. Though we haven't seen them for eight years, it felt just like old times again. They are a wonderful family, and we're so happy to have them living nearby (relatively) again.

Their children were young (in fact, I watched them a time or two and was a camp counselor for the oldest daughter!), but now they are all grown. The youngest daughter is living at home and looking for a permanent nursing job, but in the meantime she is a nanny. She came and spent the night with the kids, and they had a great time with her!

We've never left Ryan and Abby overnight with anyone except Gramie and then it's only been twice, but I have great confidence in Candace and didn't worry a bit. She did a great job and the kids can't wait to have her come again. She even balked at taking the money we wanted to give her, though we were able to get her to at least take some for gas. What a blessing!

The best part is that the kids were well-behaved enough that she's willing to do it again sometime...woo-hoo!

Two Years

It's my two-year anniversary in the world of blogging. I have been contemplating some changes, but in the end I just can't make up my mind! Do I combine my blogs into one so I can better keep them up to date or should I just combine the kids's blogs or should I just quit blogging altogether?

For now I will just continue what I have been doing, though if by some miracle more "free" time becomes available, I may make some changes. In the meantime, if you read my blog or blogs and you haven't yet signed my guestbook, would you please do so. It's so nice to know who's reading!

Checking Up On Hubby

So this is what my hubby does when he goes fishing with the guys?! Actually, it's my hubby who's awake and taking the picture of the napping fishing friends. He tells me that fishing is relaxing, and I guess this proves it!

Are You Broken?

The Broken Beloved

Repeat

I've been getting Elisabeth Eliott's daily devotions for several years now, and even though they just repeat the same ones over and over each year, I am still blessed and convicted and ministered to by them. Last week there was one that really hit home, and I wanted to post it here. First I thought I'd check my previous posts to make sure it wasn't a repeat. I had a hunch that I had posted it before, and sure enough, I had. However, since it encouraged and motivated me yet again, perhaps it will minister to others (again) also. So, click here to get encouragement on How To Do The Job You Don't Really Want To Do!

A Favorite Blog

I don't read a large number of blogs regularly, but one of the ones I do frequently visit is Kendra at Preschoolers and Peace. She has lots of great ideas and tips, but yesterday's post was particularly good, especially since it seems God has been walking her through many of the same lessons He is teaching me. She makes some excellent points and has some good advice, and sometimes it's just nice to know you're not alone in your struggles.

You Know Who You Are

We had coffee last night, we chatted, we laughed, we hashed over some of the same things we hash over every time we get together, we praised God, we commiserated, we shared joys and struggles...we fellowshipped. As I was leaving, what you said the previous time we parted ran through my mind, "I'm not sure we ever solve anything," and I ruminated on that thought as I drove home. On the surface it would seem that way, but as I ran the evening back through my mind I realized more than a few things were solved (at least on my part).

I believe God made us to need each other and to fellowship with one another, and since I don't have a church home yet, that has been sorely lacking in my life. You filled that need for me last night.

Also, you uniquely understand a couple of my deepest struggles and trials, and it's so rare and refreshing to talk to someone whom I know "gets it."

You encouraged me last night with what you called small but are very significant success stories. We do serve a faithful God, and it's a joy to praise Him alongside you knowing He is answering not only your prayers but mine too.

I know you have many ways to spend your time and that time is precious to you. I feel honored that you gave me a couple hours of it last night. Thanks for your time, your prayers, and your friendship!

Thanks for letting me know you read my blogs regularly and that you enjoy them...knowing that made it fun for me to do this post thanking you publicly (notice I didn't use your name!) instead of the usual email!

How Far To Go

Another valuable teaching from my "friend," Elisabeth Elliot:

We say that we are willing to follow Jesus. Peter said he would go with Him to prison and to death, not expecting that either would likely be required. Let us settle it once and for all--to follow Him will mean death. Not crucifixion in the literal sense, probably, but the coming to the end of ourselves, our expectations, our dreams. He must bring us to that end in order to bring us to the beginning of the Christ-life. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live," was Paul's testimony (Gal 2:20 AV).

But does this mean none of my hopes will be fulfilled? Is it all wilderness and sorrow? The people of Israel must have asked this while en route to Canaan. Must we follow so far? And when they were desperate for water, God led them to Marah where the water was bitter. Terrible disappointment. But then--the miracle of the tree that made it sweet!

How far shall we go with Him who calls us to fellowship with Himself? Shall we stop dead in our tracks if the water is bitter? Shall we turn tail and run if we glimpse a cross? "Whoever cares for his own safety is lost" (Mt 16:25 NEB). Think of missing the miracle of the water. Think of missing the resurrection.

Savior Christ, I want to go the whole way. Keep me from faltering today. Show the tree that transforms bitter water, and help me to live in its shade.

Thursday Evenings

For a while now my hubby has been blessing me by giving me the night off one night a week to go out and have some time alone or with friends or whatever. I often go to a local coffee shop with a hotspot and catch up on email and my blogs and Bible reading or just sit and pray, and sometimes I will meet a friend for coffee. For some reason or another, I got out of the habit of going and hubby decided I needed to start doing it again...we both agree that it helps me A LOT! Just a couple hours a week of time to think without interruptions keeps me much more balanced and less grumpy too. So I started taking one night a week again, only this time a friend invited me to come learn to paint with her and some other moms in our homeschool group. Since we haven't settled on a church home yet, we haven't made many friends at our new location, so I decided it would be nice to have some fellowship, though I really have no interest in painting. It took weeks to complete, but here's my first piece:


It turned out much better than I anticipated, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I may do another piece too, but I've gone back to just having some time alone. I really enjoyed the time with other women, but it doesn't give me the time alone that really helps me the most. So the last three weeks I've been able to get caught up on my blogs, my email, and other miscellaneous things that I have neglected for months. My painting friend said to me increduously, "You just sit there at the coffee shop all by yourself!?" Yep, and I love it! Thanks, Eddie.

Accountability

I have been working on my priorities for the last month and making a big effort to do more things with my kids, even at the expense of getting therapy, school, or housework done. Today I was reflecting back over the past four weeks to see how I am doing on this, and though there's still room for improvement, I have made progress. We have baked cookies, went to the pool, planted seeds, had friends over, splashed in the pool, read stories, made frozen bananas, watched caterpillars turn to butterflies, played outside A LOT, painted pictures, acted goofy, decorated the patio, went berry picking, made jam, and had tickle fights.

Yes, my house isn't incredibly clean (though it is picked up pretty well), and I didn't get Abby's therapy done completely each week, and Ryan didn't get all the school done I had planned for him, but we had lots of fun and have enjoyed each other so much. Lord willing, I will continue to line my priorities up with what really matters.

First Mowing

We took our lawn mower in for a tune-up right after we laid the sod, and we still don't have it back. They said they had a back log of 700 mowers! So a kindly neighbor loaned us his and Friday, Eddie cut the grass for the first time. It looks so good. You can still see the seams, but since it's not a creeping grass it will take a while for those to completely disappear.

Family project...spreading barkdust.
We spread barkdust on the borders and around the trees and flower beds, and I am very pleased with how it looks. It's not often that I envision something and it turns out the way I had hoped, but our yard actually looks better than I had envisioned. It's not perfect (the grass isn't perfectly level), but I love our yard now. I am planning the flowers, shrubs and trees we will put in next year, but for the summer most of the hard work is done.


Garner Park
We didn't quite finish spreading the bark dust in the front sideyard, but it's nice to have the bulk of the work done. Maybe I can finish up the front side yard for my hubby this week as a Father's Day surprise...

A Long But Gratifying Week

Ever since we bought our new house we have been planning and dreaming about putting in our yard. One of the reasons we bought the house was because we wanted a big yard, and our lot is 10,000 square feet. Since our house is only 1,520 square feet, that leaves quite a bit of yard! Over the last 16 months we've watch almost all of our neighbors put in their grass, shrubs, etc., and now it is our turn. Eddie took a week off from work so we would be sure to have lots of time to get it all done.


The first thing to arrive on Saturday morning was the Bobcat we rented. We knew we would never be able to finish the job if we had to move 50 yards of soil one wheelbarrowful at a time. We also had a unit of cedar chips to move and 10 yards of 3/4 minus rock to spread for an expanded driveway (we hope to concrete it in one day). As soon as the Bobcat arrived we got to work gathering up the piles of weeds and rocks (and even our Christmas tree) and moving them to our truck. We ended up removing about two tons of debris from our yard this weekend, and that's in addition to the tons we already had removed last year! We then laid rolls of weed block on areas that were going to be borders or flower beds, and then it was on to some heavier work.


The next thing to arrive was our mulch/sand mix which we used for topsoil. Our ground is nothing but clay and rocks, and though we spent hours and hours raking rocks up last year, the ground is just not suitable for growing grass in. We spent two days moving and leveling the mulch, but we got rained out on the second day. We worked for hours in the rain, but eventually the rain started coming down too hard and it was just too soggy to continue and we were totally drenched.


It rained a good portion of the next day as well, so we took most of Monday off and went geocaching and to the zoo. It was a nice break from the work, but the next day we were back to work finishing up the mulch. I was amazed at how much better our yard looked with just the new soil.




We did a few more odds and ends around the yard while we waited for the sod to be delivered Wednesday morning. It arrived right on time, 4,000 square feet of it (400 rolls), and we were eager to get started on the most gratifying portion of the yard work. It was heavy and hard work, but it was so nice to see the lawn taking shape right before our eyes. We got about 1,600 square feet laid the first day, and did the remaining sod the second day. We worked for over 12 hours on Thursday, almost to the point of exhaustion. We had to get it in the ground before it died, and so we continued to work until it was all rolled out.


It looks terrific, and I am so pleased with the result! It took lots of planning and an incredible amount of hard work, and I don't think my body can do it again. I'm just too old for so many days in a row of such strenuous work. We still have a few minor things to finish, but we're just too tired to deal with it this week. We need a bit more topsoil for a small portion of the front yard, and then we need to spread the barkdust on the borders and flowerbeds and over that small portion of the front yard. Next year we will plant some trees, shrubs, and flowers, but for this year, I think we're almost done!

Today We Baked Cookies

A few days ago Ryan came up to me and asked, "Mommy, how come we don't make cookies any more?" Guilt flooded over me, and I wanted to cry. It has been months since things have been "normal" around here. I have been consumed by trying to get all of Abby's "school" done and Ryan's school done, making meals and still maintain a fairly clean house. We have also added swimming lessons for each of the kids twice a week, and then there's the zillion regular things that need to be done each week. But the hard truth is that I haven't MADE it a priority to spend some fun quality time with my kids. We used to go to the park or for walks, paint and do crafts, bake cookies and make cards for grandparents, etc. We haven't done any of that since about February, and I need to let some housework go and focus on having some fun with my kids.


Why is it one of the hardest things for me to do, sit down and play when there is laundry to be folded and dishes to be washed and floors to be mopped, etc.? I like things orderly and clean. It gives me security and peace and calm, but what gives my children security and peace is knowing they are more important the house and laundry, knowing that Mommy enjoys being with them and playing with them. So by God's grace I am going to again make them one of my top priorities and move housework lower on the list. I recently heard someone say in reference to parenting, "The days are long, but the years are short," and I know that is so true. I want to enjoy these precious years with my children and not look back and be full of regrets. I want to put feet to my convictions right away, so today we baked cookies...

Mother's Day Weekend

My hubby and I are loathe to endure crowds, so we celebrated Mother's Day on Friday instead of Sunday, also because he had the day off and because we had a couple days' worth of yardwork we had to do as well.


The kids had swimming lessons, and afterward we got in the pool with them and splashed and played with them. We had the pool completely to ourselves, and we had lots of fun! Then we went home, got cleaned up and took Ryan to an eye appointment. We went to the mall and let the kids play a bit at the Lego store and then at the indoor playground. Then we headed to one of my favorite places to eat, The Cheesecake Factory. The kids were well behaved most of the day, which always makes the day special, and I really enjoyed my day.


Saturday the work began. We had to remove all the weeds from our yard in preparation of laying topsoil and sod next weekend. We rented a weed burner, which was pretty effective on the grass that covered so much of our yard. It took a while for this California girl to not feel paranoid about setting fire to the neighborhood (my dad told me these are actually illegal in California), but eventually I relaxed.

Look at all those weeds!
It took us over 18 hours to get rid of all the weeds! After all those hours spent among the smoke and dust, I felt like I spent the weekend in Mordor. My carpal tunnel syndrome flared up and I couldn't make a fist with my right hand for two days, but the yard looks so much better already! I can't wait to see it with grass.


Weeds are gone at last!

Medieval Help Desk

Since my hubby is the IT Manager where he works, I have come to appreciate some of the ups and downs of that job. This post is in his honor, and this video clip would be hilarious if it wasn't so true to life!

New Posts

I have been having a very hard time getting pictures uploaded and posts written on my blogs. I simply don't have the time available that I used to have since we began doing Abby's "school." However, today I have a "free" day, so I am going to publish quite a few posts. Some of these posts are pretty old, but since I use this blog as a kind of an online journal, I am going to post them anyway. We have had an extraordinarily busy month, and we took lots of pictures!

Going Crazy?

This week I have been feeling like every day is spinning wildly out of control, and today was no exception. As I sought a minute's escape from the demands and chaos of my day this afternoon, I read this timely article and heard the Lord speak to me through Ann...again. If you're feeling like you're going a "touch crazy," this post may bring you back to Peace or maybe even to Him for the first time.

Small Thrills

We live about quite a few miles away from a town of any size, and I drive about 30 minutes to do any major shopping...even to another state for groceries. We have a few fast food places, one (very expensive and crowded) grocery store, several coffee shops, a couple banks, a few restaurants, and some other miscellaneous stores. When we they build something new out here, we all get pretty excited. Last year they put in a Burger King, and the line in the drive-thru was wrapped around the place for weeks when it first opened!

So when I found out we are getting a Starbucks, I was thrilled! Our closest Starbucks is about 25 miles away, which for the Pacific Northwest is unbelievable. It seems they are everywhere, often two in the same shopping center or on opposite sides of a street. We have a pretty good local coffee shop which I will still frequent (Starbucks can't compete with punch cards for free drinks and discounts for getting the trivia question right!), but every once in a while it's nice to have a Starbuck's latte. I just wonder how long the wait will be when it opens. I may have to wait for months before I can even attempt to buy one!

OS Air

My computer has been limping along for a while and a couple months ago pretty much took a nose dive, so my hubby got me a new one. I would love to have been able to buy a Mac, but it was several hundred dollars more than we could really spend, so we got another PC (maybe next time!). Now I have been learning Vista, and it's been a little frustrating from time to time, so when my husband forwarded this article to me, I thought it was pretty funny!

Different operating systems. Different styles. But what if the quirks and styles of the different operating systems were applied to AIRLINES? What if airlines ran things the way operating systems do?

Mac Airlines
"All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don't need to know, don't want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up."

Air DOS
"Everybody pushes the airplane until it glides, then they jump on and let the plane coast until it hits the ground again. Then they push again, jump on again, and so on…"

Windows Air
"The terminal is pretty and colourful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off. After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane explodes with no warning whatsoever."

Linux Air
"Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself. When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, 'You had to do what with the seat?'"

Featured Ministry

Since we have been looking for a church home for quite some time, I have needed to find a steady source of spiritual feeding. I got an iPod for Christmas and began signing up for different podcasts and listening to sermons and teaching by various pastors and teachers. It is tragic how much junk is out there in Christendom. I shouldn't be surprised. The Bible tells us that this will be the case, that wolves will rise up from within the church and seek to deceive and devour the flock. It's often hard to tell the sheep from the goats. After being dismayed over all the unbiblical teaching I was finding, I was so pleased to run across a sermon series by John Piper that was fantastic! He's not for the faint of heart, to be sure, but I have been listening to him for months now and have learned much.

Not only do I appreciate his candid preaching, but the website for his ministry, Desiring God, is fantastic. You can download hundreds of sermons and articles and even books...for free! They have a "whatever you can afford" policy when it comes to other things for sale, which I think is great too.

Pick Up Your Cross

Maybe I should rename this blog The Elisabeth Elliot Herald or something similar because I find myself posting her devotions over and over. She is so wise and practical, and I find myself drawn closer to the Lord when I read her words. So here is another great article of hers that was timely for me, as usual.

Pick Up Your Cross

Jesus invites us to be his disciples. If we choose to accept his loving invitation, we must understand that there are certain conditions to be fulfilled. One of them is a willingness to accept the cross. Is this a once-for-all taking up of one particular burden? I don't think so. It seems to me that my "cross" is each particular occasion when I am given the chance to "die"--that is, to offer up my own will whenever it crosses Christ's. This happens very often. A disagreement with my husband can cause an argument and harsh words, even if the matter is ridiculously small--"When are you going to get that dashboard light fixed in the car?" I have already mentioned the light three times. It may be time to keep my mouth shut, but I don't want to keep my mouth shut. Here, then, is a chance to die. A decision which affects both of us may be a fairly big one, but we find ourselves on two sides of the fence. One of us, then, must "die." It is never easy for me. Shall I make excuses for myself (that's the way I am; it's my personality; it's the way I was raised; I'm tired; I can't hack it; it doesn't turn me on; you don't understand)--or shall I pick up this cross?

Perhaps my illustration seems to trivialize the cross of Christ. His was so unimaginably greater. What cross could I possibly take up which would be analogous? Just here is the lesson for me: when Jesus took up his cross, He was saying yes with all his being to the will of the Father. If I am unwilling to say yes in even a very little thing, how shall I accept a more painful thing? What sort of practice does it take for a disciple to learn to follow the Crucified? A friend hurts us, a plan goes awry, an effort fails--small things indeed. But then cancer strikes, a daughter marries unwisely, a business folds, a wife abandons her home and family. The call still comes to us: Take up your cross and come with Me. With You, Lord? Yes, with Me. Will You give me strength and show me the way? That was my promise--is it my custom to break promises?

Our First Geocache

I heard about geocaching several years ago and immediately knew I wanted to try it some day. It's been rolling around in the back of my mind, and a couple weeks ago my hubby bought a used GPS from a coworker for $15 and gave it to me. I researched some local caches and was surprised to find two right in our own little city! We loaded the coordinates into the GPS and headed off to see if we could find them today. The first one was very easy (the description gave it away a bit), but we were still excited to find our very first one. It was only a log to sign, so the kids weren't too excited about it yet. We signed the log, took some pictures, and then went and looked for three more. We found a total of three, but got skunked on the last cache of the day.

We love to hike and enjoy our local area, so this adds an extra dimension to the "great outdoors." We even discovered a couple of trails we didn't know existed, one which we will have to hike again soon because we didn't find the geocache and have to look again. So if you're looking for some clean, inexpensive family fun, you might consider geocaching! But be warned, it's not as easy as it seems at first!

Growing through Affliction

Recently, I have had so many posts in my head that I've wanted to write, but our circumstances at present have just not afforded me the free time I need to do so. During the last several weeks God has been teaching me much about grace and love and obedience and walking by the Spirit. I still have much to learn, but I am grateful for how He has been using some difficult circumstances to draw me closer to Himself and to help me more effectively put into practice what I say I believe.

Elisabeth Elliot defines suffering as "having what you do not want or wanting what you do not have." On the continuum of suffering, my portion is miniscule, but like everyone else, I would prefer to be comfortable and free from all suffering. My flesh rails against the chaos, turmoil and unpredictability that has been our lives the last couple of months. It's not in me naturally to be calm and joyful in the midst of confusion and bedlam; I need His supernatural power. So like the psalmist, I am learning that I can thankfully say

It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. (Psalm 119:71)

In the past I have encountered trials that I have fought against, sulked over, despaired under and questioned God about only to come through them thanking God for having allowed them in my life for His glory and my refining. By His grace and mercy, this time around I am choosing to thank Him on the front end for this small portion of affliction and to allow Him to do with it what He will in my life and the lives of those around me.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Praying Scripture

I have been praying lately for some people but finding that I really don't know how or what to pray for them. So I was grateful for this morning's devotion from Elisabeth Elliot; it was timely and wise, as usual.


Power to Meet and to Give Thanks

Often I pray for someone whose circumstances or needs are unknown to me. There are many prayers in Paul's letters which may be used for almost anyone. One of my favorites is in Colossians 1:9-12. A part of this prayer asks "May He strengthen you, in His glorious might, with ample power to meet whatever comes with fortitude, patience and joy, and to give thanks to the Father" (NEB).

That seems to cover every possibility. It does not ask for instant solutions or reversals. It does not call on God for miraculous deliverance out of any trouble that might come. It asks for a truly Christian response, by the sufficient power of God: to meet whatever comes as a true Christian should meet it, with the Holy Spirit's gifts of fortitude, patience, and joy. It asks for the power to give thanks. It takes power, doesn't it, to thank the Father when everything in us protests? But we find in Him (not always in what happens to us) plenty of reason to thank Him and plenty of power.

Pressure of Life

I have been feeling life's pressures lately, so this article was very timely. As usual Ann has a way of putting things in perspective and into words in ways I never could.

Crazy Year So Far

This year has been absolutely crazy, it seems. In January I got absolutely nothing done, and I finally realized it was mostly due to potty training Abigail. For weeks I was setting the timer every 20 minutes and taking Abby to the bathroom. Even with the frequency of visits, she was still having several accidents a day, which meant tons of laundry and cleaning up. We now have made quite a bit of progress with her. She still is having a few accidents a week, but mostly she is going on her own, thankfully!!

We've also had sicknesses and other out-of-the-ordinary things, like snow! We really enjoyed the snow and would like to see more of it, but it did bring things to a standstill around here for several days, including having hubby work from home for almost a week which is sure to create non-productivity around here.

So this month I have been catching up on everything that didn't get done last month. I went to take a neighbor to Longview, Washington, earlier this week and our van wouldn't start! It turned out to just be a drained battery due to the back hatch not completely closing, but we had to have it towed to Beaverton and were without it for a couple days. Everything was covered by our warranty, so we weren't out any money, just inconvenienced a bit.

I got caught up on Ryan's and Abby's blogs yesterday, and today I'm finishing up laundry and Valentine's Day things, hopefully. Maybe next week will feel more like a "normal" week since I won't be starting it off with tons of piled up housework and errands and things to do! I do need to get our taxes done soon too, but I think I can do that next week.

Snow Again

We have had a banner year for snow so far! Last week we had some flurries and enough stuck to let the kids go out and play in it, but it melted within hours and was gone. We woke up yesterday morning to an inch of snow and it continued to snow for hours and hours. We wound up with just shy of four inches, and it is gorgeous. It hasn't been above freezing for days so the snow is still on the ground today. It even snowed a bit more today and made yesterday's dry snow wet enough to pack and make a snowman with today.

Eddie came home early from work on Tuesday, and we did some sledding on the front driveway. The kids made snow angels, and my daughter ate and ate and ate loads of the stuff! Today we only went out for a short time to make a snowman and play a bit. It will probably melt tomorrow, but we're enjoying it while it lasts! Our little birds are having a difficult time finding food though. They usually get it from the ground, but a few of them have taken advantage of our pinecone feeder and are getting every last bit of peanut butter and seeds off of it!

No, I Guess I'm Not

Ryan and I marked our first anniversary in our house the same way we did when we moved in...throwing up our dinner. He seems to be feeling much better today, though it was a long night for him and Daddy. I am still feeling queasy and tired because I didn't sleep much. I repeat...health is such a blessing!

Yes, I Am!

Thanks for the prayers, well wishes and inquiries about my health...I am feeling much better! I am still tiring easy, but other than that, I feel back to normal. Health is such a blessing!!!!

One Full Year

Today's the first anniversary of when we moved into our new home. It doesn't really feel like a whole year. There's so much we still have to do to make our house feel more like home, but I think we finally have all the "bugs" worked out (thankfully, since our warranty is now officially elapsed!), which was a much bigger undertaking than I had ever imagined. I've never had to schedule so many people to come fix something in my life! The electrician is still supposed to come pay a visit to check on a couple things, but other than that I think I have managed to get everything else repaired or replaced. It is so wonderful to have plans for our house that don't include repairs and redoing what previous owners thought was tasteful! I love cleaning the house and everything is so new still. I feel very blessed by our home and our new community.

My biggest concern is that we still haven't found a home church. The church we had been attending "on trial" for about six or seven months had a huge mess explode right before Christmas, and since we didn't personally know the people and who was telling the truth, etc., we just decided to start looking again (we weren't whole-heartedly committed anyway because of some other issues). We keep praying, but we just haven't found where we feel the Lord wants us yet. We just found out this week that the pastor of the church we had been attending has resigned and the elder board was disbanded. We had a friend call us to ask us to come back. Ed is meeting with him next week to get more details of what's going on with the church. If they are starting over from scratch maybe we will stay after all. Please pray for us!

For the Love of Children

Ahh, the soft sound of snow falling...
broken by the screeching of Ryan's car noises!
We had a beautiful snowfall this morning! Since I am still pretty sick, I really just wanted to enjoy it through the window with a cup of coffee and the fire going, but of course that wasn't what Ryan and Abby had in mind. So I took a deep breath, put on the most enthusiastic face I could muster, and we got out the boots, mittens, and warm coats and went outside. They had a blast!


Our backyard became a huge, slushy mudpuddle in short order, and it was time to come inside. I took off muddy boots, muddy mittens, and muddy coats and clothes and threw them all into the washing machine while the kids took a nice warm bubble bath. It was a lot of work for 45 minutes of fun (and frankly I am totally exhausted now), but I'm glad I decided to "die to self" and bless my children. I know I would have regretted letting this opportunity pass just because I'm not feeling well.

Weekend Retreat

It's been a few years since I've been to a women's retreat or had any time alone away from my beloved children. So when a friend offered me her parents' house while they were away on vacation, I took advantage of the opportunity! My sweet hubby watched the kids, and I went on over Thursday evening.

I had a very refreshing and relaxing time...at least up until Saturday evening when it became evident I had caught my daughter's illness of the previous week. I came home sick Sunday afternoon, but it was so good to see my family. Eddie had taken such good care of them, and the house was so clean and neat that it added to my joy in coming home!

In addition to running a bunch of errands sans kids on Friday, while I was away I also spent hours reading my Bible and a book by Charles Spurgeon. I also made lists and more lists and I organized my computer files. I think I finally figured out how to use my new iPod that I got for Christmas, and I listened to a couple of sermons I had downloaded. I planned my homeschooling for the next several months, menu planned, planned sewing projects and household projects. I prayed and cried and prayed some more.

It was a wonderful time of focusing undisturbed on the Lord and His word. The house was so quiet! It was wonderfully quiet, though the first night it kind of creeped me out being in an unfamiliar house and all, so I turned on the television for a little noise and ended up watching the Food Channel for a while. I know that sounds pretty pathetic, but I love that network!

Another Day Dawns

We've been having some gorgeous sunrises and sunsets lately! We enjoyed this one as a family since sunrise is so late this time of year. But it's officially winter now, and I am grateful for the winter solstice though because less than eight hours of light per day starts to get to me! So now each day we're getting more minutes of light, and I'm happy about that.

Christmas Thoughts

My Christmas didn't turn out like I had hoped. We had a relaxing morning (with the exception of a messy mishap with the coffee pot and a freak accident with a bathroom candle). I tried to just enjoy being with my family, and for the most part I was successful. But I couldn't fully relax since I hadn't gotten all the cleaning done that I wanted to before Christmas. My hubby doesn't get it, I don't think, but I just can't fully relax and enjoy things when my house isn't clean...especially on special days when I like it to be spotless.

We have started having prime rib for Christmas dinner for several years now. They almost always have it on special this time of year, and since we rarely have extended family joining us, we can buy a small roast relatively inexpensively. I like it because not only is it a treat, but it's so incredibly easy and fuss-free that I can just pop it in the oven along with some potatoes to bake and leave them alone for a few hours.

However, when I went to put the roast in the oven Chrismas Day, apparently it had been packaged poorly and it was going bad from the bottom up (which is why I hadn't noticed anything wrong). I decided to go back to Safeway and see if they were open perchance and could replace it. They weren't. We live in a small town and nothing except Rite-Aid was open. So we had frozen pizza for Christmas dinner! Oh well.

I was disappointed, but as I was driving to and from Safeway I was reflecting on Christmas and our Savior. I am so grateful that Christmas is about Him and God's gift to the world instead of about presents and special dinners, etc. My dinner and other plans for Christmas were lost...but I'm not. I am bought and paid for! I am redeemed (along with my grumpy attitude), and one day I will live in a kingdom free from sin and death (and rotting meat). I am extraordinarily grateful for Christ and His gift of salvation. I am so grateful too that I have a healthy and beautiful family to celebrate with!

Merry Christmas!

I just want to wish all my family and friends a blessed Christmas today!

The Box Part 2

For ten years now we've dug the box out of our Christmas things, opened it, looked at each little stocking, given each other sad smiles and a hug, and then closed it back up and placed the box on our tree. But this year as I was holding the box in my hand, my four-year-old son asked, "What's in that box?"

The question didn't surprise me or catch me off guard exactly, but I hadn't anticipated having this conversation during our tree trimming celebration. My husband sat down next to me, and we pulled our two precious children close to us as we told them about the box. They had more questions, some of which we had answers for and some we didn't. Then they were satisfied and we went back to decorating this year's Christmas tree.

What a joy the last four Christmases have been! Sometimes I am overcome by the simplest things that remind me how very blessed I am to be a Mommy. As I watched my children excitedly running back and forth between the box of ornaments and the tree, my heart skipped a beat and my eyes filled with tears. It was one of those moments I had dreamed about all those long years when I was aching for children. The joy and fulfillment (and, yes, challenges) they bring don't erase the pain and sadness of the years we collected the stockings, but it gives our joy depth and richness and a perspective I am grateful for.

Though I should have known better, I assumed the kids would forget about the box until next year. But it had an impact, and they are still thinking about it. Abby has been talking about her brothers and sisters in heaven and how she can't wait to give them all a hug. And as I was pushing our grocery cart to the van this week, Ryan looked up and me and said, "Mommy, will you tell me about the box of stockings again?" Yes, Ryan, I would be happy to.

The Box Part 1

It's there every year, inconspicuously nestled into the branches of our Christmas tree. It began the year we found out we were pregnant for the first time. We were thrilled, scared, and dreamy like most first-time parents-to-be. We discovered the news at the beginning of December, and that year for Christmas we were given some things for our baby including a large plastic baby bottle bank filled with goodies and wrapped with a ribbon and a tiny stocking. It was a joyous Christmas despite the horrible morning sickness.

Then February brought heartbreaking news and our hopes and dreams came crashing down around us. We weren't going to hold and cuddle this baby afterall, we would never find out if it was a boy or a girl, we wouldn't be a Mommy or Daddy that year or perhaps ever, and we wouldn't be hanging a third stocking up beside ours next Christmas. We mourned instead, and we would mourn again three more times that year.

The next Christmas had an altogether different feel to it. As we opened up our Christmas boxes half-heartedly, we found the tiny stocking from the year before carefully packed away. I ran my hand over the red felt and remembered the joy of the year before. Suddenly I was surprised to feel something inside. Now intrigued, I looked inside and pulled out a small ziplock bag that had $100 bill and a Post-it note that read "For Baby Garner, to put in the bottle bank when it is empty. Love from Gramie and Granpa."

Though we didn't have the heart to hang up the tiny stocking, that Christmas we bought three more tiny stockings and put all four into a box. In subsequent years we sadly added more until our box now holds 11 tiny stockings, a small rememberance of precious lives dearly loved and wanted.

One Last Bloom

My African Violet has been blooming for eight straight months, but it looks like it's down to one last bloom. I have been enjoying the flowers so much, especially since it didn't bloom for almost four years! It's the only houseplant that I have ever managed to keep alive for more than a year or so. Hopefully this spring it will bloom again!

Simply Joys of the Season

Things didn't turn out exactly as planned this year. I had some things I wanted to do this Christmas, but sickness and other distractions kept me from doing everything I planned. But as I was going over my mental list the other day, I started making another list. I'm so grateful for the things I have and for the simple joys of Christmas:

The baby in a manger who went to the cross for me!

We have heat and electricity!

I have a hubby who would rather be home with us than anywhere else!

No wait in line at our small town post office.

I have two beautiful and healthy (mostly) children!

The smell of gingerbread, evergreen, and cinnamon filling the house.

I love crawling into flannel sheets each evening.

For the first time in my life, I have a house with a garage which means no scraping ice off the van windows each morning!

Hebrews 13:3

"Remember the prisoners, as though in prison wih them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body."

I often say a metal "puh-leeze" when I hear Americans talk about being persecuted for their faith. Though I am not ignorant of the fact that discrimination against Christians is increasing rapidly in our country, there are very few incidents of actual persecution. While I'm certainly not advocating handing over our rights as Americans, neither am I all that outraged by the secular forces-that-be removing the word Christmas from advertising or a nativity scene from a public area. It makes me sad that they choose to reject and revile my Savior and what He has to offer them, but can we really expect the world to act any differently?

It is possible (probable?) that one day Americans will indeed be invading our churches and trying to force us to reform or recant our beliefs, perhaps even to the point of death. In the meantime, let's pray for our country and, more importantly, let's not forget our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are truly putting liberty, life and limb on the line to follow Jesus. They need our prayers!

Megan Basham offers a little perspective as well.

Mr. Pretlutsky

There are a handful of columnists that I make a point of reading each week, and Burt Prelutsky is one of them. He used to write a humor column for the LA Times, and his current columns often end up pretty funny too.

This week's column in Townhall is a recycled column from Christmas past and it's not particularly funny, but I loved it and thought I'd share it with you. Burt is a Jew, but he gives a great tribute to Christians in this article and I appreciated his sentiments.

Edited to add: This week's column by Burt is a follow-up to last week's and all the responses he received.

Quiet Time

I loved this post from Ann at Holy Experience.

I am not a naturally early riser, and my children are very early risers. I try to get up earlier than they do so I can spend some time with the Lord before my day begins. I don't do well at concentrating deeply or focusing intently on anything once the kids are up and so I tend to want to be alone when I'm having my "quiet time" with the Lord, but I read this post a couple months ago and what a fantastic model this would be for my kids. I am a long way from making this scene happen in our home regularly, but it has given me something to think about.

Laura's Gingerbread

I am a big Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. I grew up reading her books, and I learned so much from them. So when my mom recently gave me a collection of books about her life, I was thrilled. In one of them there is a recipe for gingerbread which Laura was famous for later in her life. I knew I wanted to try it, and when we set up our Christmas tree this afternoon, I was in the mood to do some baking. Her recipe was a bit cryptic for me, but I managed to whip up a batch that was very yummy. I know this sounds corny, but it gave me pleasure to enjoy this small part of her life across the years.

LAURA'S GINGERBREAD

1 cup brown sugar blended with
1/2 cup lard or other shortening.
1 cup molasses mixed well with this.
2 teaspoons baking soda in 1 cup boiling water
(Be sure cup is full of water after foam is run off into cake mixture).
Mix all well.

To 3 cups of flour have added one teaspoon each of the following spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves; and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift all into cake mixture and mix well. Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs. The mixture should be quite thin.

Bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes.

Raisins and, or, candied fruit may be added and a chocolate frosting adds to the goodness.

Note: I just made the plain gingerbread and cooked it at 350 degrees since I have no idea what a "moderate" oven is. At this temperature it took an additional 20 minutes to finish baking. So perhaps moderate is closer to 375 degrees?

Sunrise

I am usually up before sunrise, but this morning I slept late (it was wonderful!). When I finally got out of bed and went to open the living room curtains, the view I saw just about took my breath away. The sunrise was glorious! The entire sky was lit up like it was on fire...only pink. By the time I went to get Eddie and my camera, it had faded somewhat. But it was a wonderful postcard from the Lord this morning while it lasted.