Leaving a Legacy

Boy Wonder

2011-07-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day of Vacation Bible School. Sans the last couple of years, we have attended VBS every single year since Mini me was three. The last time we participated, he was a receiver; this year he was a youth helper...a giver.

I was beginning to wonder about him...if he was ever going to get past that "little boy" stage and mature into the "young man" stage. He must have had a really good childhood; he's worked hard at holding on to it. I've heard many say that's typical of boys, but I have also seen what the boy can do. And I've wondered how the transition happens from goofy middle schooler to responsible adolescent. And not only how, but when.

I think maybe this week, he's taken a step in that direction.

Not only has he been volunteering at VBS this week, helping littler kids than himself play wrecking ball, bounce around in (and out of) the inflatables, and showing off his expertise in goofiness to impress the masses, but he's also been working like a dog helping his Granny move into her new house. Every afternoon.

He's pretty much been a second right hand to my DH. The two of them have been lifting the biggest boxes, moving the heaviest furniture upstairs, and setting up the most complicated devices. He has gotten up early and stayed up later than he needed to, and hasn't complained one time.

Now, I realize the goofy middle schooler is still alive and well in my boy, but I am thankful that God has shown me that he is, albeit slowly, still developing into a hard-working young man. And I say it's a beautiful thing.

And in his own words, "It's not so bad!"

Wacky Tourist Day

2011-06-29T11:28:00.000-04:00

This week is Vacation Bible School week at our church, and the theme is the Big Apple -- New York City. I thought that was a fun theme to go with, and I'm interested to see how they're tying that in with Scripture (as I'm sure they are).

This is the first time that my kids are going to VBS and I'm not working.

Can I just be real for a minute? This has been a real treat for me.

I have had so many things going on, several things to prepare (i.e. a possible event at our church that I'm working on, new school year curriculum planning and shopping, new classes at co-op I'll be teaching, a women's conference in September that I need to prepare lessons/keynote addresses and help coordinate, moving my sweet Mother-in-Love into her new house...and let's just throw life on top of all that too...whew). Let's just say I'm very thankful for this reprieve.

Other than a meeting I have tomorrow morning, which I am very much looking forward to, I have spent every morning this week at a desk in a local coffee shop with my laptop, a pile of books, Pandora radio, and a tall, dark, and tasty coffee drink to accompany me. :-)

It's been wonderful.

Anyway, I have to post a picture of my two youngest boys from yesterday, which was "Wacky Tourist Day" at VBS. They're such good sports.

The socks and sandals are just too much!

The oldest one is volunteering, but was not about to dress up like this. Middle school...go figure.

I'm loving my kiddos' childhood. And in spite of my faults and weaknesses, I hope they are too.

That's Absurd!

2011-06-29T10:50:00.001-04:00

Notes on Apologetics study from On Guard by William Lane Craig, Chapter Two, Part Two

In my previous post on this subject, I shared Craig's thought process in brief regarding the absurdity of life...many philosophers agree that without the existence of God, life is completely absurd. The difference comes, then, when some will say that God must therefore exist; others will counter with the belief that life is really absurd or pointless.

This is atheism. To say that God does not exist is to say that life has no meaning, value, or purpose. What implications follow that line of thinking? Is it possible to live consistently within that framework?

Over the next few posts, we will look at all three notions -- meaning, value, and purpose -- since these are the criteria that define the absurd.

Craig describes these in the following:

Meaning has to do with significance, why something matters.
Value has to do with good and evil, right and wrong.
Purpose has to do with a goal, a reason for something.

Keep these definitions in mind as we go through each.

Craig's claim is that "if there is no God, then meaning, value, and purpose are ultimately human illusions. They're just in our heads. I'm not saying that atheists experience life as dull and meaningless, that they have no personal values or lead immoral lives, that they have no goals or purpose for living. But my point is that, given atheism, these beliefs are subjective illusions [based on personal opinion]: the mere appearance of meaning, value, and purpose, even though, objectively speaking, there really isn't any." (pg. 30)

If we truly ponder life without God's existence, we have to picture a universe and all of life within it as doomed to an end of non-existence. Science tells us that the universe and everything in it is coming to an end...everything with energy (life) is winding down. We see this in the expansion of the universe, in the consumption of energy, and in the decay of all biological life on earth.

Take, for example, the Second Law of Thermodynamics [a.k.a. the Law of Increased Entropy] which says that all usable energy is ultimately converted into unusable energy in the way of productivity, growth, and repair. Thus, all usable energy is irretrievably lost to unusable energy.

That sounds like I'm-an-expert-scientific and all, when I'm not, but it's still pretty easy to see in real life. Think of a glass of water sitting on your kitchen counter. The ice is cold, and the air around the glass is, relative to the glass, warm. It is impossible that the ice should get colder; experience tells us that the ice will melt, and the cold water will eventually warm to room temperature.

Conversely, a cup of hot coffee sitting on the counter is surrounded by cooler air. The Law of Increased Entropy explains why that cup of coffee will never get hotter unless something else with more heat energy intervenes. Left to itself, it will cool to room temperature. The heat energy will be used up and will increase in entropy [heat death] until an equilibrium is reached.

Breathe.

So, what does this have to with the death of the universe? Based on this one scientific law, we should expect the death of the universe and all life contained within it at some point. It has to be, unless something, or Someone, intervenes. There is no escape.

The consequence of inevitable death and non-existence is that ultimately, life is absurd. Even if we think life is "better" because we ascribe meaning, value, and purpose to it, it's only an illusion...because if everything is doomed to come to an end, then nothing we do really matters.

No Ultimate Meaning

"If everything is doomed to destruction, then what does it matter that you influenced anything? Mankind is no more significant than a swarm of mosquitoes or a barnyard of pigs, for their end is all the same. The same blind cosmic process that coughed them up in the first place will eventually swallow them all again." (pg. 32)

In addition, Craig points out that even if there were no God and we did live forever, life would still be pointless. He tells a story about an astronaut who was stranded on a chunk of rock somewhere in outer space. He had two vials with him: one containing poison and the other a potion that would make him live forever. After realizing he was doomed to this rock and had no escape, he quickly drank the poison. Only afterward did he realize to his horror that he had swallowed the wrong vial. This meant he was cursed to exist forever in a meaningless and unending life.

So without the existence of One who gives meaning to life, our lives are just like that astronaut. They could go on and on, but still be entirely without significance. One might argue, "If we live to help others and we live forever, doesn't that provide significance?" To which I would say, "Partially, but significant to whom?" Without God, there is no broader framework within which one person's life can be seen to matter. Eventually, apart from an eternal Godhead, everything done is ultimately forgotten, lost, or otherwise deemed useless.

Think about it, after billions and billions of years, will it really matter that you helped an elderly woman cross the street or fed a hungry child? It may make a difference in the here and now, but ultimately, it will die away in significance.

This may seem elementary, but to one who has had faith enough to embrace life without God, this is a huge stumbling block. If one can get past the absurdity of life, one can begin to see why the existence of God, and particularly the God of the Bible, is a question that must be dealt with.

Discussion Question: What are the benefits of knowing that your life has meaning? How does it affect your attitude toward other people?

My Answer:

It creates in me a desire to do what's right, even if it means denying myself for the greater good. In doing so, I receive the joy of knowing that I am completing the purpose God had for me in that situation. Knowing that my life has meaning should also create in me an attitude of kindness and grace toward others -- if my life has meaning, then so also do their lives.

Next time: Value of Life

What Difference Does It Make If God Exists?

2011-06-21T06:27:00.098-04:00

Notes on Apologetics study from On Guard by William Lane Craig, Chapter Two

"I'm just gonna live my life and be as good as I can. When I die, hopefully my good will outweigh my bad, and if there is a God, then I hope He'll let me in to Heaven. I'll find out then for sure if God really exists."

Ever heard that? Ever said that?

I remember as an unbeliever, I thought many of those kinds of things. I kinda thought God existed, but I didn't have enough reason to think that it mattered if I came to know anything about Him; either He would accept me or not.

I'm so thankful that He's made it much more definite and knowable than that. Some people would retort, "How arrogant to think you can know that you will be accepted by God!" To that I would say this: It's not arrogance, because it has nothing at all to do with me or my goodness. It's only by the righteousness of Christ alone [His right-ness, by God's standard] being applied by Him to my heart and life that I am made acceptable. All I did was repent of my sin [my wrong-ness, by God's standard] and receive what He did for me and all mankind who will receive His gift [Christ's right-ness].

Many cannot seem to get even to this point in God's truth because they get hung up on why it even matters that God exists. Their view is that, if He does exist, He is seemingly completely removed from all that goes on in the world...just look at all the evil we see on a daily basis! Where is He if He exists? What difference does it make?

I believe I will get the chance to deal with the problem of evil later in Chapter 7 in this book, but for Chapter 2, Craig starts with the task of showing why it matters at all. Craig says, "By showing them the implications of atheism, we can help them to see that the question of God's existence is so much more than merely adding another item to our inventory of things -- rather it's an issue that lies at the very center of life's meaning. It therefore touches each of us at the core of his being." (pg. 29)

Reductio ad absurdum is a term used in formal logic to describe "a reduction to an absurdity; the refutation of a proposition by demonstrating the inevitably absurd conclusion to which it would logically lead." (dictionary.com) In other words, showing that something must be true by proving that its opposite would lead to an absurd outcome.

Craig uses this logic, reduction to absurdity, not necessarily to prove God's existence, but to show that the most significant question a person will ever ponder is whether or not a supreme, all-powerful Creator of the universe exists. "No one who truly grasps the implications of atheism can say, 'Whatever!' about whether there is a God." (p. 30)

Many philosophers have argued that if God does not exist, then life is absurd. What does this mean? It means that if God does not exist, then there is no ultimate meaning to anything in life...no intrinsic value within life...no conclusive purpose for existing.

If there is absolutely no meaning, value, or purpose in life, then we can define life itself as absurd.

"If atheism is true, then life is really objectively [based on known fact] meaningless, valueless, and purposeless, despite our subjective beliefs [personal opinion] to the contrary" (pg. 30).

This is the key. Because while an atheist will say that there is no meaning, value or purpose to life, he will still live his life as though it has all three.

Now, in order to keep these posts from becoming a verbal equivalent to this:

I will expand on this train of thought next time. Surely you can understand why I needed to chew this one bite at a time....

And Now, A Random Recipe

2011-06-18T21:32:00.000-04:00

This isn't going to flow well from my last post to this one. But I've always said I'm a little eclectic, anyway. :-)

Today I was going to make a simple tuna casserole for my kids for lunch. If you've never had it, it's just a box of mac and cheese (made), a can of tuna (drained), and a can of cream of mushroom soup -- all mixed together.

Sidenote: That is not the recipe I logged on to blogger to share with you. Please keep reading.

I was out of cream of mushroom soup, so I made some. Sortof.

Here's the recipe that I used. This is a powdered mix you make and store, and when you want a cream soup (mushroom, chicken, celery, etc.), mix 1/2 cup of this powder with 1-1/4 c water and cook until thick. Then add the butter to melt. It's wonderful!

Cream Soup Recipe

2 c dry milk
3/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c chicken bouillon granules
2 T dried onion flakes
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. dried leaf basil (optional)
1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground marjoram (optional)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2-3 tsp. butter

Combine all ingredients except butter together and store in airtight container. To use, mix 1/2 cup powder with 1-1/4 c water and cook until thick; add butter. This equals approximately one can of cream soup. The mix makes enough to equal 9 to 10 cans. For cream of mushroom or celery, saute the mushrooms or celery in the butter before adding to the cooked soup.

Enjoy!

New Task for an Old Friend - On Guard

2011-06-09T09:16:00.001-04:00

Hello Blogger.

I was just thinking.

I've been reading a lot lately on Apologetics. It's an area of my Christian faith that I hope to be studying for a long time, and some of it can be challenging to digest. And I'm still in the elementary stages of it.

Maybe it would be good if I turned to you, Blogger, as a tool to record the things I'm learning. I, like most people, tend to learn things best when I am able to regurgitate what I've just taken in. Perhaps it will spur others to think on these things as well.

Sounds like a win to me. I can't take the hand cramps it would cost for me to write all this stuff down in a traditional journal anyway.

So, without any warm-fuzzy welcomes, welcome to my self-discussion. Please feel free to join in if you have something constructive or otherwise encouraging to share. Part of my problem with this particular book I'm working with (which I will share in a moment) is that there are "Talk About It" sections about which I have no one to talk to.

Oh now don't get me wrong...of course I have people in my life I can talk to about this. My husband always listens (albeit sometimes against his own will), and my sister Rachele will listen to anything I have to say. My sweet friend Ronda has a shared love and excitement for this topic, too. But at 5:30 in the morning, they simply aren't available.

Blogger is.

So, away we go.

The book I'm using (aside from the Bible, the Word of God, of course) is called On Guard, Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig.

Craig is "Research Professor of Philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology. A respected debater, prominent Internet presence (www.ReasonableFaith.org), and the author of Reasonable Faith, Dr. Craig is one of the most influential defenders of Christianity in our day."

That's taken straight off the back of the book. I'm resourceful that way.

I can tell you that Craig also has not one, but two PhDs (how do you make that plural?); one in Philosophy, the other in Theology. He has authored or edited over 30 books and has written over a hundred articles in professional journals of philosophy and theology.

So I'm gonna say he's got a few credentials.

Of course, credentials don't necessarily mean that you know what you're talking about...or that you are in touch with reality for that matter. Certainly people have gone through 87 years of graduate work and emerged unable to choose an outfit for the day or cook a grilled cheese. But it helps to know that the guy has at least done some homework, and he's not some high school drop out who's still flying high on his acid trip days in the 70's and imagining all manner and sorts of convoluted rubbish.

Okay. So that's out of the way. Back to the book.

It's entitled On Guard, Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, published by David C. Cook of Colorado Springs, CO, just in case you wanna run out and getcha some.

Chapter One - What Is Apologetics?

Even though the term "apologetics" sounds like "apologize", Craig says apologetics "is not the art of telling somebody you're sorry that you're a Christian! Instead, it comes from the Greek word apologia, which means a defense, as in a court of law. Christian apologetics involves making a case for the truth of the Christian faith." (p. 13)

For those who question if this is a necessary process for a believer to undertake, he points to God's words as penned by Peter in his first letter, chapter 3 verses 15 and 16: "Always be ready to give an answer [apologia] to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with courtesy and respect."

The courtesy, or gentleness, and respect parts are pretty important. Have you ever gotten into a discussion with someone who was not courteous and respectful? Didn't it shift your gears from thoughtful and rational to defensive and irrational? That's human nature; it happens to all of us when we feel we are being attacked.

Craig gives three reasons why it is important for the Church (meaning the Body of Christ: the collective group of all believers everywhere, regardless of denominational backgrounds) to be able to give a defense for what we believe:

1. Shaping Culture - we live in a culture that neither understands believers nor comprehends our beliefs. He mentions the fact that our major universities were founded on the Name of Christ centuries ago, but are now hostile toward Christianity. Why is this so? Because we have allowed the Christian foundation to erode and the sands of secularism to be washed in. We need to help unbelievers understand what we believe - and why - so that we don't lose our voice in this culture.

2. Strengthening Believers - when we learn to express why we believe what we believe, then we are more confident to help others to do the same. A believer who is confident is able to persevere in times of doubt or persecution (which do come). Craig states, "People who lack training in apologetics are often afraid to share their faith or speak out for Christ because they are afraid someone might ask them a question." (p. 19) If you have an answer (apologia), then you are a much more bold to speak up. Another reason that the Church needs this training is because without understanding why we believe, many are more apt to walk away from their beliefs after being confronted with questions and doubts they can't answer. It's the reason so many of our young people end up straying from the foundation their parents laid when they were kids. They simply aren't connected to that foundation well enough with knowledge. In fact, very little if anything has ever been built on that foundation by the time they leave for college or the real world as adults.

3. Winning Unbelievers - obviously an unbeliever is going to be more willing to listen to someone who can answer their questions and reason with them over their skepticism. Some examples are Lee Strobel and C.S. Lewis. Lee Strobel (author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith) has stated that he's lost count of how many people have come to Christ because of his apologetic arguments in his books. Strobel himself was led to faith in Christ only after a two-year investigation of the claims of Jesus using his journalism and law examination skills.

C.S. Lewis "rejected Christianity as a teenager for both personal and intellectual reasons. However, as an English professor at Oxford in his twenties and early thirties, Lewis was exposed to writers and friends who offered convincing reasons first for theism and eventually for Christianity. Lewis became a Christian and began to use his intellectual and literary talents to articulate and defend the Christian view of the world. He became one of the most influential Christian apologists of his generation." (p. 23)

While it is the Gospel which leads to salvation, it is apologetics that helps skeptical unbelievers deal with the questions of their mind, which may eventually lead them to the point of being willing to hear the Gospel with a receptive heart.

The Study Guide lists a number of statements that unbelievers might make in response to the Gospel, and it asks the reader to share or write down my response. I will choose one. Or two.

Hypothetical Statement #1:

"I used to go to church, but when I didn't get anything I prayed for, I realized that there wasn't any God listening."

My response:

That's a reason that is suitable for why a child doesn't believe in Santa Claus.

There is only one prayer that God will answer for the unbeliever: "Save me!" Only then and afterward do we have the capacity to pray with His interests in mind and not our own. This is because it is at the point of salvation, when we've submitted to His Lordship, that the relationship of Father and child begins. Prior to that, an unbeliever asking God for a new car is equivalent to somebody else's kid that you've never seen before approaching you in the church parking lot asking you to hand over the keys. Suuuuuure.

Hypothetical Statement #2:

"How can you believe that this guy that lived 2,000 years ago came back to life from the dead?! Do you expect anyone else to do that? It doesn't make any sense!"

My response:

1. The Scriptures are an historical account of those who knew Him best and their experiences with Him...including eyewitness accounts of His Resurrection. There are over 5,000 original copies of New Testament manuscripts still preserved today. There are a little over 2,000 copies of Homer's Iliad original manuscripts today and only 49 copies of all of Plato's works. Why would you accept the history of Homer and Plato to be accurate, but question the historicity of the New Testament?

2. Many hundreds of other people who are not recorded in the canon of Scripture also wrote in letters and diaries of their own eyewitness accounts of seeing Him alive after seeing Him crucified.

3. There is more documented evidence of people witnessing His Resurrection for over a month after His death than there is written evidence of Christopher Columbus' sailing the ocean blue and finding North America almost 1,500 years later.

Reasonable? I think so.

He Blinded Me with Science!

2011-02-14T05:04:00.008-05:00

Brown Eyes rolled into double digits this fall.

He's my quintessential middle son. After I wrote that, I had to do a quick search to make sure that I knew what all I was including in that statement. The website I was checking out says that there are two types of middle children...Brown Eyes would be the quintessential Middle Child #2: outgoing, friendly, loud, laid back, and patient. And loud. Did I mention that one already?

Anywho, he is the most tender-hearted kid I know. And I don't mean that in a wimpy, thin-skinned kind of way; I mean he has more compassion and tenderness than should fit in his little body.

So I'm getting off track...he turned 10. And he's sweet. So I wanted to do something special for his birthday party. He also loves science, so rather than trying to find some awesome party-in-a-box thing, we got creative.

I observed that we should have areas in which we could analyze as many areas of science as we could. So here's a sample of what we did to construct his day in a Weird Science kind of way:

So of course we had to activate the thing with some solidified carbon dioxide (a.k.a. dry ice)...

...and some creepishly huge insects in ~~jello~~ lab jars in the windows...

...eyeball beakers were certainly in order...

...as well as a petri dish cake. Complete with multiple bacteria and lab rats.

We had a substantial collection of experiments to investigate, and we initiated the plan with a ~~scavenger hunt~~ Data Discovery game.

Hopefully, you've noticed by now how much linguistically scientific I have become since this party.

Ummmm....yeah. Anyway. Back to discovering data....

I wrote clues with a lemon juice and corn starch composite on regular paper, and classified a set for each team. One clue connected with the next so that the team collectively determined what clue they were to find next. Can you guess what picture they were to find based on this clue?

Once they evaluated and understood the clue, they had to search for a picture of that clue that I had hidden in the yard. At that point, they opened up the paper to reveal the next clue. (I had a separate line of clues for each team.) Watching them run around the yard trying to be the first team to find all of their clues was the best part of this game.

Once they had discovered all their clues, this was the specimen they found...

And now that they each had their own set of protective eyewear, we were ready for some experiments...

We concocted a silly bandz lava lamp using oil, water, food coloring, alka-seltzer, and of course, science-shaped silly bandz!

We interblended white school glue, Borax, and food coloring to make the classic Gooey Gunk, which many of the boys had never handled before. If you've got boys and have never made this, go here for the recipe. It's a good dose of awesomeness for a kid.

Lil'bit's face cracks me up in this one...

We also put a penny inside (almost) clear balloons, blew it up, and then shook the balloon in a circular motion to illustrate centripetal force.

We performed a couple of other small experiments before going inside for cake and ice cream, but I have to say this picture just beats all...the moment the best friend of the birthday boy realized his beaker was staring at him...

And last, but not least...we burned off a little steam with an explosion of epic proportions...mentos and diet coke.

We tested several of these explosions, but this was the best picture recorded...and the very first one we launched. We estimated about 30 feet of diet coke lift.

Incidentally, if you are ever in need of either 1) all kinds of science-related equipment or accessories; or 2) wasting a profusion of time unnecessarily, you must visit the American Science and Surplus website. I haven't laughed that hard from shopping in a really long time. The product titles and descriptions are hilarious!

My personal favorite: the product title for temporary tattoos = Rebel without a Commitment

Have fun!

Rising Out of the Ashes and the North Georgia Fair

2011-01-13T01:03:00.015-05:00

So. December was pretty much a blur.

After a fiendish case of strep throat immediately followed by bronchitis, once able to lift my head off the pillow I was suddenly faced with the monstrous task of making homemade gifts and cards, baking no less than 12 dozen cookies, freezing homemade pumpkin puree, ALL of my Christmas shopping (and I was shopping for everyone in my family PLUS for grandparents' gifts to the kids), and shipping everything except what was to be opened here in my own home...in just a little over a week.

I hardly remember the whole thing.

I shipped DH's grandmother's gift to her, and when I talked to her after Christmas, I made the mistake of asking if her cookies made it in good shape. "What cookies? I didn't receive any cookies."

Oops.

I haven't experienced foot-in-mouth like that since the last time I mistook a lady's distended midsection for a reason to celebrate.

Oops again.

Let's go ahead and throw in the fact that I needed to wrap all those gifts I bought, plan, shop for, and cook a sizable Christmas dinner, including pies and hors d'oeuvres that no family could ingest on one day. The whole time I was thinking to myself, "I'm not cooking again for another week. We'll live on this all week, just get it done." I did; and we did.

Now, before you get the crazed idea that I'm complaining, allow me to set the record straight: I am most certainly not complaining. I love doing these things. It's just that I usually do them over about a three week period...not all at once like that.

And so I will conclude this portion of today's post by saying that the Christmas season as a whole was a sweet time, and a glorious display of what God can do through a very tired girl in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Next year, a Vitamin C regimen is on the agenda beginning with Thanksgiving.

Now that you know what got me off track, let's finish catching up on the ol' blog, shall we? Back to last fall....

North Georgia Fair

We went to the North Georgia Fair, which is always fun. I'll just share a few pictures and captions and call it a night. It was a fun day, but the one thing that really sticks out in my mind is my own personal "that figures" moment.

For the months of September, October, and into November, I was successfully staying on an "eating plan" that consists of low carbs and very low sugars. When I get going on something like this, it's usually pretty easy for me to stick with it as long as I have healthy options.

But on this day, I was at a Fair, for crying out loud.

I really thought I was doing pretty well skipping past all the corn dogs, funnel cakes, and homemade sweet potato fries and heading straight for the Cajun booth selling steak wraps. Think about that: the only carbs are in the tortilla and a few in the grilled veggies, but really...that's not too bad for a Fair! Nevermind that the "wrap" was the size of a submarine; that's beside the point.

Afterward, I was ~~waddling~~ walking around feeling pretty good about myself. I got a "wrap" at a Fair.

Do you know that less than 20 minutes later, we turned a corner and saw a Greek salad bar?

At a Fair.

All of sudden, my I-actually-found-the-most-healthy-food-at-a-Fair attitude deflated. I missed out on a Greek salad...and on bragging rights.

Other than that...and sweating profusely...we had a rather fun day.

Here's the kiddos with their foot-long corn dogs.

Brown Eyes with his homemade root beer bottle.

Brown Eyes decided he wanted to do some rock climing...

Almost at the top!

Back down safely...whew!

DH at the Fair.

Lil'bit on his way up to the top of the inflatables.

Both times I tried to get his picture coming down this slide, there was a little girl that hadn't gotten off yet...I was cracking up!

This is my favorite picture from the day...it pretty much sums up how we all felt.

Mr. Potato Sack Race and Other Childish Shenanigans

2010-12-10T11:03:00.002-05:00

Lil'bit had him a new birthday, which catapulted me right into the series of parenting that no longer includes a toddler or preschooler. Wow. Time...it does fly.

I figured this slideshow would be the best way to document his Toy Story 3 party. Notice in the picture of Buzz and Woody "defending the galaxy"...they are standing in front of a bowl of Milky Way candies...aha ha...I slay me. Enjoy!

The Time I Made My Family Drive Six Hours for a Cheeseburger

2010-12-02T12:40:00.002-05:00

That title makes me sound a little demanding. I'm really not very demanding. But when I'm in the mood for a good ol' Whataburger, I'm not gonna let a little thing like distance get in the way.

Have you ever had a favorite something that you would really go out of your way to get to...even if it meant dragging your whole family down with you?

I was born and raised in South Texas. Whataburger and I share the same hometown, which means that where I grew up, there are more Whataburgers than fleas on a dog.

Bad analogy.

Let's say: there are more Whataburgers than fries in a Whata-size.

Better analogy.

My point: I ate a lot of Whataburger. Number 7 with cheese, please. All the way. Unless it's time for breakfast, in which case I'd like a Bob: Breakfast on a Bun.

The closest Whataburger to where we live now is in Birmingham, Alabama. I live in Georgia. There are Whataburgers in Alabama and Florida, but somehow the WB family has neglected the state of Georgia. Believe me, I have sent many a-complaint to WB Headquarters.

So when my birthday rolled around in September, I decided I wanted that Number 7...in spite of the three hour one-way drive.

Well it was my birthday; I wasn't about to go alone.

DH was all for it, because he loves the WB as much as I do. And my boys are always up for a road trip, so we set out on the interstate in want of a great burger and fries.

The trouble was that I had no idea what else we'd do while we were in Birmingham. But I figured there had to be some antique stores or something that I could torture my all-male family with, so I was content with that.

However, it's not like me to go somewhere and not have some kind of an idea, so I did a little research first. I found an old bookstore in downtown Birmingham called Jim Reed Books and The Museum of Fond Memories. (Sidebar: when the owner answers the phone, he says, "Reed Books...." I thought that was worth posting.)

The quote at the top of his website was a review of the store:

"To call Reed Books an 'old bookstore' is a bit like saying the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel has a good paint job." -- Allen Johnson Jr., author

As a lover of just about all things old, and especially old books, I just had to go there.

I was not disappointed...about the Whataburger or the book store.

We found the Whataburger first as it was just about lunch time and we were all starving.

This was the lovely lady who greeted us at the counter. She knew something was up when I walked in with my Nikon 35 mm camera taking pictures. I never saw her without that sweet smile on her face. She just about made my day, and I think we might have improved her day, too. She could not get over the fact that we had just driven in from North of Atlanta just for Whataburger.

We ate our wonderful, hot, delicious lunch and laughed with the staff and the other customers in the restaurant, who were as sweet as pie. And to prove it, that wonderful lady gave us all free fried pies before we left, just because we came all the way there just to see them. It was a treat well worth waiting for.

Here's Mini me after our meal, a.k.a. Les Miserables.

We made our way back on the road to look for this bookstore I had read about, and it revealed itself about 20 minutes later. Getting out of our truck parked on the curb in front of the store, I could hardly contain myself. There were squeals and claps and beaming smiles oozing from my being. I hadn't even entered the store yet.

We finally got past the storefront, which was interesting in and of itself, and much to my amazement we opened the door to this.

Immediately to the left of me just inside the door was this.

We didn't need to find any other antique store; this was going to suit my purpose juuuuuust fine.

We spent three hours in this one store, and I didn't even get to see everything. What's even more amazing than that is the fact that in three hours, my three boys didn't even get bored! Well, maybe a little at the end, but I'm telling you there was something for everybody in this place. Mini me got a couple of Star Wars books, Lil bit got a cheap plastic hero mask from the 1970's (huh?) and I got a coupla things for my birthday, too.

This glorious cabinet housed books that Mr. Reed kept locked away until someone asked to see them. They were either extremely rare, extremely old, or otherwise extremely expensive. In his acute discernment, he sensed my quivering excitement and pulled a book out of this cabinet that was no less than 450 years old and let me flip through it.

I was dumbfounded.

So much so that I forgot to take a picture of it before he put it back in the cabinet. :-/

Once we left antiquity paradise on earth, can you guess where we stopped before going home?

We had to eat dinner, didn't we?

Since You're Probably Cold Anyway

2010-11-30T08:50:00.000-05:00

And since we're playing catch up, I'll start all the way back at the Fourth of July. Maybe the pictures will warm our frosty toes a bit.

We had a couple of families over for snacks and desserts in the afternoon.

I'm going to say it looks like more desserts than snacks,
but who's counting?

This was one of my favorite things I made for the day:

Lady Liberty cupcakes.
There is cupcake baked right into the ice cream cone!

I used sugar wafers cut diagonally and frosted to make the flames.

Some of the kids playing in the pool.

Parents doing what parents do best.

Brown Eyes warming his buns by the fire.

Look at his face...goofball.

DH pulls out his big guns. Literally. The kids enjoyed watching him fire his "toys."

No Fourth of July is complete without the sparklers.

This is one of our guests...and can you believe it was his first time to hold a sparkler? He was pretty amazed. And a little nervous...but he got over it pretty quickly.

Up next: Lil'bit's Toy Story 6th Birthday party...replete with fun for all ages! (or at least for a 6 year old) Come back if you can stand all the rowdy tomfoolery! Can you handle it? We're a wild and crazy bunch.

Well, hello.

2010-11-26T22:07:00.015-05:00

So how do you start a post when it's been almost six months since your last one?

I'm not sure.

But it kind of feels like trying to write a letter to an old friend to whom one hasn't spoken in a long time. So much to say, but you don't know where to begin. You also don't want to say so much as to bore your reader to death. Yet there are so many things swirling in the mind, you just can't nail them down.

These conflicting feelings are still fresh on me today as I recently experienced them even before trying to write this post. Just a short few months before moving from Texas to Georgia, I rapidly became friends with a girl named Ronda. We had a lot in common, namely a deep love for our God and an insatiable appetite for good coffee, plus we thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. After going through a difficult yet rewarding time in her life with her, we had to say goodbye. After my family moved to Georgia, we tried to stay in touch, but life eventually took over and we lost contact.

Fast forward about seven years. We reconnected on Facebook, as so many are doing these days, and before we knew it, she bought a plane ticket to come to Georgia and go to a Christian Apologetics conference with me (a whole 'nuther blog post). When I picked her up from the airport, I thought I would be unsure about what to say first.

I was never so pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

We talked and talked...it was just like picking up where we left off seven years ago. We even discovered some similarities that have unknowingly developed between us over the years...i.e., she has a "thing" for old books, too. {grin}

So getting back to my blog post, I suppose the best place to start is to play a little catch up. The most efficient, albeit a little cheesy, way to do that would be some highlights. I started to list them here, but then realized I have too many pictures and would either bore you to death or boggle blogger to crash.

So...for the next several posts, I plan to give some updates on highlights that have been in the Legacy household for the last six months or so. I invite you to come alongside and see what we've been up to! It'll be like Ronda and me on the ride home from the airport...let's enjoy the ride! It sure is great to get reacquainted with good, old friends again.

Here's a snapshot of some things I'll be sharing as we go:

My birthday 3-hour trip to get a cheeseburger and fries...and books
Lil'bit's Toy Story birthday, complete with Mr. Potato Sack Race
North Georgia Fair
Brown Eyes' Science party
DH's Cowboy Breakfast
Painting the inside of the house
Thanksgiving Formal Dinner for 33 boys

Plus who knows what else I'll be reminded of. Join me?

By the way, my long-lost-friend Ronda just started her own blog this week...in case you wanted to stop by and say, well, hello. You can find her at Ronda's Rhyme and Reason. I just know she'd love to hear from you. I know I always do!

What Would I Say

2010-06-20T22:01:00.002-04:00

What I wish I could say to my daddy:

First of all, I've missed you. I've missed the advice you could give me about these boys. I've missed standing on my tip-toes, as an adult, to hug you and kiss your cheek. I've missed those puppy-dog eyes smiling back at me.

I've missed your bar-b-q. And the pride that you took in your techniques.

And I've even missed your quirks. I miss trying to control my laughter while watching you put a stamp on an envelope. I miss how you would get up out of your chair just to walk across the room and pick up the piece of lint on the floor. And just the other day, I smiled at your oldest grandson when he was putting the trash can liner in the trash can. He must have shook the liner 20 times before he put it in there.

He's a lot like you; he likes things to be "just so." As they ought to be.

Notice the empty pockets after purchasing his new truck.

I've missed sharing our home school with you. I remember when I was first talking about doing it, I almost dreaded your response. You would think I was insane, completely fallen off the deep end. Much to my surprise, you wanted to see the catalog I was ordering curriculum from and asked me a million questions about how it works, what we'll do, and what the benefits were. You were never condescending, just curious. You showed interest, and it fueled my passion for my kids' education like nothing else.

I wish you could see them now. I wish you could throw the ball in the back yard with them and ride the rides with them at Six Flags. If you were still here, you'd still be young enough! I try to tell them about you, so they remember your name. It's so hard when only one of the three has his own memories of you. The other two have so much to leave to imagination.

Dad's last Christmas with us.

Mini me was 4; Brown Eyes was 2 months old.

So many memories are flooding my mind. I remember the first Thanksgiving meal I cooked for our whole family. I was so nervous because I knew how partial you were to "how it had always been" and I wanted to make it right for you, as well as for my own husband, who had his own ideas. It was a big day for me and in the end all seemed satisfied; I was well pleased.

By the way, mom told me what you said about my "alternative" dressing. She said you really liked it, but you weren't going to tell me that. I guess you wanted me to sweat it out. And that's okay; I knew the truth.

One of my favorite memories is so simple, so elemental, yet it was so profound to me. You had suffered multiple strokes and couldn't talk, but you were still very alert. There were several people standing around your hospital bed, and I was settled somewhat at a distance, allowing everyone else to have their time with you. You turned your head to face me, and motioned with your hand for me to come to you. I thought you needed something, so I grabbed your hand and asked, "What do you need, dad?" You firmly grasped my hand, closed your eyes, and I knew you had what you needed. You were never the type to display much affection; the fact that you singled me out in a room full of people meant the world to me.

I remember giving you a haircut in the hospital, too. I was so nervous about that because of how particular you could be, but you couldn't have seemed more relaxed. I never would have believed at the time that it was going to be your last haircut. What a privilege that was for me.

After we had to let you go, I was so thankful to have that night of "Heaven's Gates" to cling to. I would be willing to bet that now, after seeing Christ face to face, you hold that memory dear to you too. I remember after the presentation, everyone in the cast was asked to come forward to the alter and pray with those who had responded to the call to salvation...and there were a great many. After I prayed with a few of the ladies up front, I remember walking toward the back and looking to where you and mom had been sitting. You were both gone.

I truly expected that because you were always the one to leave a place before the crowd did. "I want to get out of the parking lot!" You would say. So I just knew that you two had left once the invitation had begun. I was devastated, but I just couldn't give up the hope that you were still there somewhere.

People were everywhere. Every. Where. I peeked inside the counseling rooms to see if I could spot you or mom anywhere. Please God, let them still be here. At the exact moment that I peered around the corner, you stood up from talking with a counselor. I had never been so blissfully surprised in all my life! To think that you had actually walked forward, in the middle of that huge crowd, and told someone that you wanted to receive Christ for yourself was almost more than this little girl's heart could contain! It was the very thing I had hoped and prayed for...but could hardly believe!

It was only two short years before we lost you. Mom and I both agree we saw some major changes in your life after that night at our church. And I have to admit, sometimes I wonder why God didn't let you stay a little longer and develop that young faith that was born in you. But who am I to question the very One who created you? His wisdom supremely outweighs mine, and His jurisdiction reaches eminently further than mine. Just to say the very least.

What I can say is this: I am so thankful that I have the assurance that you truly trusted Christ that night, and I'm thankful for the hope that brings. I will see you again someday, and we'll have all the time we need to talk about all you've been seeing these last nine years.

Thank you, dad, for persevering beyond the difficulties of growing up, and for overcoming so much to provide a good childhood for me. I never felt neglected, undervalued, or unloved by you. I recognize that you loved me in the best way you knew how, and I love you for that. Don't worry about the times when you feel like you failed me, because I already know what that feels like; I've failed too. But our God redeemed it all and my eyes are wide open to this fact: you cherished your only daughter.

And I love you too. Happy Father's Day, Daddy.

Me, Daddy, and Momma

Preserving the United States of America

2010-05-31T10:22:00.002-04:00

I have spent a lot of emotional energy this year on Memorial Day.

Some of the reason for that is because at times I am overwhelmed with thankfulness, like yesterday in church when all of our service men and women were asked to stand so we could offer our gratitude and respect for them. Literally hundreds of people stood tall and strong, some in uniform and some not. Most had tears in their eyes it seemed...I suspect tears of honor, of deep love for our country, and perhaps some were tears of painful wartime memories.

Sometimes I am stirred, though, because I can feel the sting of many years of not realizing how much so many have sacrificed. I knew that many had lived their entire lives defending our freedom. I even knew that many had died in the very act of defending our freedom. But the fact is, for so many years, I took our liberty for granted. I never considered their cost, because it hadn't cost me a thing.

God, forgive me for being so selfish.

Now, it feels like I'm making up for all those years of not paying attention; not truly remembering people I don't know, those who made a decision early in their lives to protect my freedom to be self-centered. There is an awakening in me the older I get and with the more men and women I see in uniform...with their strong brow of commitment and determination, but tender eyes of compassion and patriotism. And they've known all along what may be required of them, but they serve with courage anyway.

There is one other recurring thought that I will leave you with this weekend:

Why are we, as a nation, now so willing to literally give away what they've fought so hard to preserve?

God, please, help us wake up and be willing to preserve the foundation You prepared for this great country.

Karl Marx once said, "A people without a heritage are easily persuaded." Will we be those people? Will we be easily persuaded because we've allowed our heritage of patriotism and love of country to be displaced by love of self? God help us.

I've Fallen Off the Wagon

2010-05-26T21:50:00.001-04:00

I couldn't resist any longer.

It's been a busy year, but with school coming to a pseudo-close, I got back on Facebook.

I know, what was I thinking?

I mean, sure, I remember the post I wrote about why I left it behind. But since the school year is winding down, and I'm no longer going to be "trying a new curriculum," you know, since I've already been doing it all year,
I think I can handle it.

Besides, this time, I know what to expect. I know where to draw the line before it gets insane.

No more Farmtown.

No more weirdo gifts to be obligated to pass around.

Sending a flying cockroach to my middle-school-childhood BFF was fun, but, it's been done now. No reason to do it again.

And absolutely no more goofy quizzes. Unless of course I find one that tells me what Mystery Science Theater 3000 robot I am. I might make an exception for that one.

Oh, and I'll pass on the Lil' Green Patch too. Sheesh. Do you have any idea how much time I spent watering, raking, and sending cabbage-patch-looking plants to people?

No more.

It's a Social Networking site, and that's what I intend to use it for. Anything else is just time abuse. See ya there!

Flashback Friday - Early Jobs

2010-05-14T12:24:00.002-04:00

How old were you when you got your first (paying) job? Did you work during the school year? What stipulations, if any, did your parents put on spending, saving, etc.? What types of jobs did you have before you were, oh, 21 or 22? Did you go to college or a technical/trade school? If so, did you work while you were pursuing your post-high school education? What were your favorite -- and least favorite, if you wish to share! -- jobs? What did you learn from those early jobs?

I'd love to tell you that my first job was something cool, like a child actress at Walt Disneyworld or as an intern at NASA, or as a tester for Godiva chocolate. I'd love to say that I spent my first year after high school giving tour guides on the Mediterranean or cycling in Paris, France. The title "travel journalist" unfortunately has never graced my resume.

I flipped burgers for McDonalds. Life can be so cruel.

Shortly after I got the job, I acquired a second summer job working for The Go Round in the mall. It was a high fashion store in the late 80's that all the hip people shopped at. It capitalized on short-lived fashion fads, which is a stroke of genius being that fads come and go almost monthly. Especially in the 80's.

For me, it was a way to acquire a ~~cool~~ gnarley-dude-radical wardrobe and work with my best-ies.

Probably the most interesting thing about that job was the MC Hammer pants I used to wear to work. Most people would get fired for wearing stuff like this to their job:

But, believe it or not, we sold them.

The best part of the McD's job was the free lunches. For a poor high school student, you can't beat a free lunch.

That's what I did the summer before my senior year. After graduation, I went to college in San Antonio and worked on campus at the cafe by the dorms. That was a fun job. I got to know a lot of people who lived on campus that way, and I didn't have to drive to work...which made it a lot easier to be on time every day.

Especially in those up-all-night college years where one tries to sleep until exactly three and half minutes before one must be at work. Eh hem.

Anywho, the guy that ran the cafe had a catering business on the side, and he would pull from his staff at the cafe to serve at the weddings/parties he catered. That was a lot of fun, and it was the closest I ever got to waitressing.

I worked as a telemarketer for a while after that. I don't really want to talk about it.

Shortly afterwards, I moved back home and went to work for the USO. Yeah, as in Bob Hope. Only I didn't ship out to all the servicemen in all the world wearing little more than a half a coat dress.

But I did get to work at the Naval Air Station and serve coffee, freshly baked cookies, and cable TV to those on our base. Really, I worked in the office most often, but it was fun non-the-less.

And no, I never dated a fly-boy.

So anyway, I think I'll stop there. I could go on to the other jobs I had after this one, but they were mostly office jobs that, although I enjoyed most of them, they are not much to write about. Plus, at some point, these memories must eventually become non-flashbacks.

Hop on over to Mocha with Linda and check out some other peoples' answers for Flashback Friday!

Out of House and Home

2010-05-13T19:14:00.002-04:00

I have a concern.

Let's just get down to the nitty-gritty of it, shall we?

Why is it that my 12 yo boy, who has recently shared with me that he now has hair under his arms, has suddenly reverted back to being an infant in a five foot tall body?

Observe Exhibits A, B, and C as follows:

He's a grump of epic proportion if he gets less than 10 hours of sleep. He actually prefers 12 out of the 24 he's given.

He cries at the drop of a hat. Or a baseball glove. Or a lego truck. Don't ask.

My first-born wants to eat...literally...every two hours. Just like a newborn.

Seriously? Is this going to happen with all of them? Because I don't think my husband and I together could make enough money to feed them all if this is going to continue. That's if I made any money at all.

I think I'll search Craigslist and see if there's anyone out there willing to pay a salary for doing laundry. I'm really good at that. My experience here is colossal.

Silver lining: At least he hasn't reverted back to diapers. Yet.
For this I can be eternally grateful.

The Real Reason I Miss the 80's

2010-05-12T12:06:00.000-04:00

Our former President Ronald Reagan had some incredible insight. This was recorded in 1961, while still an actor and a budding political voice. Incidentally, he was saying these things during the same time his political views were changing; the next year he officially changed political parties and became a Republican.

Listen to what he says about socialized medicine. There's a line at the beginning that completely blew me away; let's see if you can spot it.

I've been two-timing, but I haven't abandoned...

2010-05-11T18:26:00.000-04:00

Would you like to see what I've been up to in my silence? Well, at least one thing?

Check out my new blog for the Russia Mission team that is heading out next month! Be sure and read the Welcome post to learn about the trip and the place we will be going...

Please be praying for our team as they all prepare for the trip. I say "they" because I'm not actually going. {sniff} I want to SO badly, but it seems that this is not the right time for me. So, I am doing battle for them on the homefront by volunteering as their Prayer Captain. The blog is where you can find our prayer requests and reports about how things are going.

Please pray for us. Everyone on the team wants God to do a mighty work through each of us on this trip. Please pray that God's hand would be upon us, His spirit would abound in us, and His Word would abide in us.

Thanks so much for your prayer and interest in our mission.

Light to Desnogorsk Russia

Can't afford the new iPad? You gotta check this out

2010-04-08T21:59:00.001-04:00

I just simply can't pass this one up.

I may have a small platform here in my slice of the blogosphere, but shame on me if I don't share this with y'all.

Lemmie know whatcha think.

Anybody up for a gamble?

This is the Day

2010-04-02T09:51:00.002-04:00

"This is the Day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

This is one of the most well-known verses from the Psalms. Have you ever read this verse deliberately in context with the previous two verses?

"The stone which the builders rejected [Jesus] has become the chief cornerstone [on which to build our spiritual foundation]. This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the Day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:22-24

The next verse opens with "Save now, I pray, O LORD..." which translated from Hebrew, this becomes "Hosanna!"

The thought of Good Friday can make a Christian very mournful.

"He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!" Phil 2:8

I mourn the fact that my God and Savior had to endure all this because of my sin.

Yes, He did.

But He didn't "have" to as much as He wanted to. He chose to. It was the only way we could be redeemed.

The Hebrews celebrated "this day" as the Day of Deliverance. This is the Day of Deliverance for us, too.

"...He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." John 19:30

This Good Friday represents the most difficult day in the life of our Lord Jesus. But it also represents the day that He stood in my place. This is the Day that the LORD has made...let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you were willing to pay a debt that you did not owe, because I owed a debt I could not pay. For this I will worship You alone forever.

Cake for Supper and Dirt for Dessert

2010-04-01T20:14:00.001-04:00

We're friends, right?

And friends share recipes and exchange our impressively creative ideas with each other, right?

This is one of the many, many benefits to blogging: all the paramount ideas we can learn from one another. I got the idea for dinner today from one such blogger, Karen at Surviving Motherhood, and now I have the privilege of sharing it with YOU.

We did something like this several years ago, but I didn't get any pictures of it then.

I didn't have a camera.
I wasn't blogging yet, so it didn't matter.

But today, I'm getting pictures. Because you wouldn't believe me if I didn't get them.

Menu for the Day:

Breakfast
Vanilla Ice Cream scoops with chocolate syrup
(drop biscuit scoops with warm Nutella poured over the top)

Breakfast of the Year 2010

Lil'bit enjoying his "hot fudge sundae" breakfast

Lunch
Fish Sticks with mac & cheese
(vanilla wafer cookies covered in peanut butter and "breaded" with crushed corn flakes; mac & cheese was real)

Fish Sticks that fell from heaven

Brown Eyes was pretty fooled with this one; he had no idea until he bit into it.

Dinner
Chocolate cake with white icing
(meatloaf cake frosted with mashed potatoes, served with real green beans...I can't help myself.)

Lil'bit was the only one so fooled by this one. He kept asking if he could "lick the bowl."

Dinner was really fun...

Lil'bit was "less than impressed" with his "cake"

Mini me enjoying his "cake"

Red Juice Cocktail
(which was really red jell-o in a glass with a straw)

Mini me's thinkin', "How am I supposed to drink THIS?"

Dessert
Flower Pot Dirt Cake
(crushed oreos on top of pudding/coolwhip/cream cheese concoction)

Complete with Easter lilies

The last time we did this, we made cupcakes the same way as the cake; just make meatloaf in muffin cups, and "frost" with colored mashed potatoes. We also made green beans out of green jolly rancher chews, which was really fun.

Hope you guys had a great April Fool's Day...I know we did.

Have a Happy Resurrection Day!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2010-03-30T14:33:00.001-04:00

FYI: This post has nothing to do with Mr. Rogers. Except that it was a beautiful day in our neighborhood. So if Mr. Rogers was your draw here, then, feel free to carry on.

When we came home from Texas, one of the things we brought back with us was a picnic table and benches that my grandpa built when I was young.

The story is that he was driving in town one day and spotted a set in the back of someone else's truck. He liked the shape of them, so he came home and explained it to my grandmother: "This is what I want to build!"

The fact that I am visual in my creativity in that I need to "see" something before I can create something (even if it's in my own mind) is a characteristic I got honestly. From Grandma. She couldn't see it from description alone. So he took out some cardboard and drew his pattern for her to see and him to use.

The result is a beautiful picnic table and bench set that is as unique as he was.

When I was little, he used to tell me, "Matchabelli..." (as in, Prince Matchabelli perfume...I told you -- unique)...he'd say, "Matchabelli, you need to drink all that orange juice. It'll make your eyes curly and your hair blue." I'd laugh, and he'd look at me like, "What's so funny?" And then grin that precious smile of his.

Grandpa was the one who would squeeze me so tight that I had to hold my breath. I simply couldn't take any air in my lungs while he hugged me. Grandma would get onto him for hugging me so tight, but he loved me so much he couldn't help it. Those were great hugs.

Grandpa was also the one who, when I was four years old and loving the Love Boat show, promised me that when I was 16 he would take me on the Love Boat. And the summer before my 16th birthday, gave up his dream to take an Alaskan cruise because I had always pictured a tropical one, and took me and Grandma to the Bahamas.

He was a great man.

So, back to the picnic table.

Grandma didn't have room for it anymore, so she asked if we wanted it.

Um, that would be a yes.

Today was so much the perfect blue-sky-crisp-breeze-birds-singing-in-the-trees kind of day that we took a break from school to have lunch on Grandpa's picnic table.

Thank you, Lord, for a special Grandpa, warm memories, some awesome boys, and an uber-gorgeous day.

Flashback Friday

2010-03-26T06:12:00.033-04:00

Linda at Mocha with Linda has started a meme called Flashback Friday! Here's her prompt for this week:

What was Easter like when you were little? For example, did you receive a basket with toys and candy? Was the Easter Bunny part of your family's celebration? Did your family integrate both secular and spiritual aspects of the day? Did you dye Easter eggs. . . .and did your family eat them afterwards? Did you usually get a new outfit? (Post a picture if you have one!) Does any Easter stand out particularly? You might also share how your Easter today is similar or different to your childhood?

Easter when I was little was really more secular than anything. I never made the connection between what I saw as Easter and the Resurrection of Christ until I was much older.

But most of my early Easters were spent at my Granny's house in the beautiful hill country of Texas. My favorite memories of all those Easters are encompassed in one thing: bluebonnets.

I used to take a basket out in the meadow and pick as many bluebonnets as I could fit in it. Now, if you pull over on the side of the road and try to do that, you'll get heckled and honked at by drivers on the highway. Rumor has it you can even get arrested for it! (at least that's what they say *wink*)

Bottom Line: You're flat not supposed to pick bluebonnets on the Texas highway; you're taking away from everybody else's enjoyment of them when you do that.

But if you're on private land, now that's a diff'rnt story. And my Granny's land had more bluebonnets than dirt during the spring time, so propagating them wasn't really an issue.

So I would pick me a big basket full and take them back to Granny's house and make designs on the back porch with them. I would lay them out in the shape of Easter baskets, bunny rabbits, eggs (decorated with other wildflowers like buttercups and indian blankets):

Then the Easter bunny would come and fill the "baskets" I had made for all the family...each person got their own basket. My basket always included these staples: hollow chocolate bunny, a ceramic Easter "knick-knack," and a stuffed animal. I adored stuffed animals.

My other favorite memories include many walks down that old country road wearing my new Easter dress (Grandma was always so faithful to get me a new dress for Easter). I truly enjoyed the birds singing and the bright sun warming my face as I walked down Granny's driveway, which had to be a half mile long.

What a beautiful place she had.

As for now, we don't really buy into all the bunny hype for Easter. I think it rather takes away from the point of the celebration. I usually wake the boys for church by saying, "Happy Resurrection Day!" For which I always get a sleepy smile.

We don't do Easter baskets anymore, since we don't have bluebonnets here, but we usually do dye eggs a day or so before and then have an egg hunt in the yard. I don't usually buy the hollow bunnies, but last year I did find some chocolate crosses, which I was thrilled to see and buy for my boys. And we may not give many material gifts to each other, but we gift the gift of ourselves to each other.

After church, we usually spend the rest of the day cooking brisket, beans, and potato salad, some kind of yummy dessert (like banana pudding), and drinking sweet tea. And after the egg hunt is done, we find all the "Resurrection Eggs" out of our baskets, and go through them one at a time retelling the story of Jesus' death on the Cross and Resurrection on that blessed Easter morning.

Just special family time to celebrate a special family Holy-day.

What about you? Do you have any special Easter memories? What do you do for Easter to stay focused on the true meaning? Be sure and check out Linda's and others' answers at Mocha with Linda!

Where In Sam Hill is...Sam Hill?

2010-03-24T20:15:00.002-04:00

So I got this to-the-point comment from a great blogging buddy the other day. Basically, she just wanted to know where in the “sam hill” I’ve been lately.

So now I’m inspired to share.

Right now it’s 3:30 am, {as in morning} and I’m in the family truck headed to Texas. Our quad cab is stuffed to the door jams with favorite pillows, cuddly teddy bears, overflowing food bags filled with junk food we don’t ordinarily eat (and a few pieces of fruit thrown in for “balance”). We have no less than five large travel coffee mugs (for only two adults, mind you)… and it’s all surrounded by windows full of obscurity…except for the reflective white lines that disappear into it.

We’re somewhere in Alabama right now, and I have to tell you, since there is nobody else awake in this state besides the few of us on the road, it feels more like we’re running on an oversized asphalt treadmill rather than actually going anywhere.

Now don’t get me wrong, Alabama is a beautiful state…with all its rolling green hills and tall, thick evergreens. It’s just that I can’t see any of that right now. All I can see is pitch black all around, and a relatively short portion of road illuminated before us. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of another’s presence on the journey, but all I see are headlights. Or taillights. I can’t see who’s in the vehicle, where they’re going, or what they’re doing to stay awake. All I know is they are either ahead of me to some degree, or maybe coming up behind me, or just plain going in the opposite direction.

Some are even pulled over on the side of the road, resting.

We have guidelines to follow that show us the way, signs posted to alert us to what is up ahead, and the capacity to decide if we’ll stay on the road, obeying the directions, or suffer the consequences of veering off road.

I’m struck with the parallels of life here: Limited view. Sometimes, a WAY limited view. The necessity of following the written directions established by the Authority…or face impending danger if they are ignored one too many times. Occasional glances into the journey of others; and the stillness, perhaps even brokenness of a few along the way.

Sometimes it feels like I’m running like a dog, but not actually going anywhere. Tonight is reminding me that it’s all about perspective. When I’m 75, am I really going to feel like I didn’t go anywhere? I don’t think so. Because by then, I’ll be able to do something I just can’t do now: see the journey as a whole.

Right now, I can only see a few feet in front of me. All the time. That’s why it feels like there’s no progress. But those white lines were painted on my road before the foundation of the world. That’s something one can trust.

Lord, help me keep my eyes and my heart focused on what You have given me to do with this life You have redeemed.

I guess this is one of those “life is like…” posts. But you know what? As long as the journey takes me to the closest Whataburger once in a while, I’m just going to enjoy the ride.

Random Dozen - Olympic Style

2010-02-17T01:40:00.001-05:00

1. If you could compete in one Olympic event (not necessarily winter sports) what would it be?

As long as ability doesn't necessarily need to play in the equation, and in light of the fact that this happens to be the sport I watched today, I could see me loving the women's snowboarding. I mean, that is if I was that young, athletically trained competitor that saw snow more than 10 times in her whole life.

2. Do remember a specific Olympic moment from the past?

I remember Dorothy Hamill winning the gold in 1976 in figure skating. Well, actually the only reason I really remember it is because mine was one of those moms who flocked to the barber shops to get her only 4-year old kid a matching haircut.

3. Have you ever known anyone who competed in the Olympics?

Yes! In the women's ministry, WOVEN, of which I am a part, we had a guest speaker at our very first conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Her name was Kim Macklin, and she was a competitive swimmer on the 1984 Olympic swim team. Her story was awesome, because she spoke of our identity in Christ as women and as believers. Her point to drive home was that even having your picture on the front of a Wheaties box can't give you the identity our hearts long for. It was a touching story.

4. If everyday activities were Olympic-worthy, which activity would you have a gold medal in?

I would have to say...couponing! I saved over $112 two weeks ago!

5. Do you know anything about your ethnic heritage?

Yeah, this IS random...I just know that my mom's maternal side came from Sicily, and her paternal from Germany. I think all of my dad's family came from a part of Czechoslovakia that used to be known as Bohemia. Well, I think it's still referred to as Bohemia within the Czech Republic...or...

Well, you asked if I knew ANYTHING. That was SOMEthing.

6. Do you enjoy sleeping late?

I enjoy it while I'm in my warm flannel sheets and the house is a cool 65 degrees. But then I don't enjoy after I get up and I feel like my day is already half over before I start the coffee. I'd rather be up early...as long as I'm not up too late at night. Like now.

7. Have you ever performed CPR on anyone? Do you know how? (Yes, that's two, I know. Whatevs.)

I have never performed CPR because I don't know how to. That's also something I don't think I've ever had to admit "out loud." I don't like it.

8. Name one country you'd like to visit and explain why.

Are you kidding? Just ONE? I would have to say Israel. God has given me a love for His people, and I want to go there and get to know them some day.

9. Have you ever fixed up a couple romantically?

I called and asked my now-husband to meet me half-way between our towns (which was still a two-hour drive!) for our first date. That counts, right?

10. What is the last book you read?

The last one I actually finished: The Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
The last one I actually picked up to read: Way too many to list here.

11. ~~Do you enjoy sleeping late?~~ NO, YOU write the question! How's that for random??

Lidna, I hope you're reading this, because I have the most extreme respect for you right now. I don't know how you've come up with all these questions for us...I can't think of ONE that you haven't already asked!

12. What is your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant?

If you've read any recent posts lately (like in the last several months) you already know that we are currently engaged in the Dave Ramsey program. We don't eat out much these days, so I almost can't remember!

But the last thing I ate out was pretty stinkin' good, so I'll put that. And before you think you're going to call the Dave Ramsey Police on me, DH got money for his birthday, so he took me on a date. How cool is that?

So we went to this Cuban-Style Mexican restaurant named La Parrilla, and I had a killer fish taco plate. It was REALLY good. New fave.

And it looked just like that, too.

Now, grab ya a second cup, and head on over to Lidna's to see what everyone else is saying. Go ahead...it's fun!

WANTED: A Good Laugh

2010-02-16T17:19:00.000-05:00

My husband (DH) has gone over the top.

He is an addicted craigslist-er. He can't stay away. He shops for things he has no business buying, no plan of buying, and no resource for buying. But he can't stay away from the entertainment of it.

I can't tell you how many laughs we've had at some of the posts people will put on there. And I won't even go into all the grammatical issues that we see.

But some of them make you think they must not be from this country. Take this, for example:

i might take something on trade or just cash would be best its well worth the price and yes the price is firm ive got more than that in it im asking in it you must pick up thanks for your time [phone number deleted] mark also has new starter drive that was 30 dollars be glad to start it and you can ride i just want to say i dont have to sell just dont need watch what happens come spring ill also at good cb radio

I didn't have to look more than 3.2 minutes to find this shining example.

And then there are the ones advertising "1989 Jeep Creampuff!" and "Guy Stuff for Trade or Sale -- What'dya have?" or how about "Massage for Pine Straw or Compost!" You just can't pass this stuff up.

So DH went ahead and posted one of his own. Oh, it's a real post, alright. He means what he says about what he's looking for, and what he has to trade. He just went over the top in creativity, and I thought y'all might need a good laugh.

Here's how it went:

Post Title: My Wife Needs a Riding Lawnmower

I can weld just about anything. I can't weld the "crack of dawn" or a "broken heart," so don't send me your sob stories and expect me to "fix" them. If you have issues, get a Harley. You don't see a Harley parked in front of a Psychologist's office. However, if you have something made of metal, send it to me and your metal "issues" will be over.

I need a riding lawnmower for my wife. She is taking way to long to get dinner on the table in the evenings during the Summer. She doesn't have time to fix it either, so it must run now.

P.S. Ride Hard, Pray Harder!!!!

I told him he needs to get his own blog. Such the ~~comodian~~ comedian.

Who Dat Won the Super Bowl?

2010-02-08T09:18:00.010-05:00

Well I may not have lost my voice tonight like some o' you Cajuns down there in N'Orlins, but that was a great game...and I did my share of yellin' besides. I thought I'd share some of my favorite highlights of the night. So let's reminisce together, shall we?

Did you see Wynton Marsalis, the legendary jazz trumpeter, during the pre-game show? I thought he was great. He's from New Orleans, and had a few things to say about it.

Favorite Wynton Marsalis pre-game quotes:

"Ah, those N'Orleans Saints...confined to a purgatory of their own making...where fathers bounce kids on their knees while explainin' how we'd certainly blow a 30 point halftime lead by game's end. And the Saints did not disappoint."

"Have you ever waited for sumthin' so long, that waiting for it becomes the sumthin'?"

"We're with our Saints even when we ain't."

"Here comes that unflagging optimism and tabascco tough spirit..."

"It's like waiting fowty-three years for someone to say, 'I love you back.' And they do."

Love it.

More highlights:

Tim Tebo commercials. If you missed what these highly-offensive {insert sarcasm here} pro-life commercials were about, go here.

Obama's 30 minutes of more fame talking about the Health care stuff...again. NOT!

Honestly, don't we see him enough on national TV as it is? Do we really have to go over that during the Super Bowl pre-game? Seriously? And while I'm on my soap box, I've had enough of Katie Couric, too.

Drew Brees' special story...even though Couric did that one, too. I loved the parallel he made about his injury recovery lining up with the city's recovery from Katrina. It was a beautiful picture.

Missing Man formation after the National Anthem. It gets me every time.

A Cowboy heading up the coin toss.

"Don't put yo' hands on my momma, and don't touch my Doritos."

"Men, it's time to wear the pants again." Dockers commercial...too funny. Although I have to say I was a little concerned at the beginning watching that group of men walking and singing through an empty field in their underwear.

Watching the refs peel NFL players like an onion after the half only to reveal after much anticipation...

Saints' ball!

I came in from the kitchen right before the Saints' touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Good times.

This guy is camping in Africa...he sleepwalks waving to a cheetah, bumps into the rump of an elephant, crosses a river and almost gets eaten by a hippo. He finds a hut with a refrigerator and a coke inside. That's it, but we were absolutely mesmerized.

Six minutes left in the fourth quarter: "The points are good."

Yes! Touchdown Saints!

Screaming chickens. Screaming chicken in space. Free grand slam at Denny's on Tuesday. Free food is definitely a highlight.

Interception and 74 yard run with 3 minutes left in the game~! Game OVAH!

Drew Brees with tears in his eyes and holding his one year old son after the big win.

This isn't the image I'm talking about, but I'll come back and edit it if I can find it.
But this one's pretty good, too.

[Edit: Here's what I'm talkin' about.]

What I Learned from a Blacksmith

2010-01-28T10:34:00.001-05:00

A blacksmith, a true blacksmith, is a Master Craftsman.

If we look at the traditional blacksmith, not as the interesting man with a fire at the state fair, nor as the sweaty, charcoaled man of old with a leather face and massive hands, but as a master creator...or rather, as The Master Creator, we see a great deal more than just ashy cinders and bellowing bellows.

The Master Blacksmith must consider carefully what His new creation must be. He fashions each piece as He sees it already complete in His wonderful mind. He works the metal, little by little, forging it into the image it must become.

The metal He uses is always impure, but exceedingly valuable to the Master. He is careful never to waste a single piece of it. At the beginning, it is a rough, indistinct fragment. But He knows what He can do with it, deficient and useless as it appears to be.

What makes this hard, cold, bitter metal malleable at all?

It's the fire.

The more dramatic the shaping, the hotter the fire must be, and the longer the instrument must remain in it. But the Master Craftsman knows how long is too long. He knows if He leaves his masterpiece in the fire for too long, that His precious creation will smelt. So He carefully watches it in the fire, and pulls it from the fiery furnace at just the right moment.

While the metal is hot and pliable, He takes the element to the anvil. The anvil is mandatory to the Blacksmith's task. The work can't be done without it. It is the immovable rock, the unshakable Truth on which the metal is to be shaped upon.

Then comes the steady turning and pounding of the hammer upon the metal. The consistent circumstances of life, each making its mark on the soon to be tool at hand. Sometimes He pounds in the same spot, careful to get the exact curve needed before moving on to the next flaw.

He works steadily on it.

And the metal obeys.

The Blacksmith is a tool-maker. He makes tools to be used by His own hands, and to be useful for the benefit of others. The end result of the Master's long day's work is to craft a tool that is usable, available, and ready for His purpose.

My husband visited a blacksmith's shop recently, and the shop owner showed him a whole wall of tongs. The tongs come in all shapes and sizes, and are used to hold the hot metal while the blacksmith works it. He said to my husband, "You can't make tongs without...using tongs."

God could make His will come about without using us as instruments in His hands, but He chooses, like the blacksmith, to use other tools (tongs) He's made to make more tongs, which will eventually be used in His hands to make more tongs...and on it goes.

What a beautiful picture.

And now, a poem.

The Village Blacksmith

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1807-1882

UNDER a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And watch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought!

If you're in the fire, take heart. The Master has a plan, and it is for your good. It will make you more useful in His wise hands.

Random Dozen - I Can't WAIT!

2010-01-27T09:00:00.011-05:00

1. How good are you at delaying gratification?

I would say I'm pretty good at it. I'm of the mindset that I would rather wait and relish instead of rush and regret. That sounds all well and good, but sometimes it bites me in the rear.

Like the time I was in an antique store and saw a white, enamel-covered metal baby cup EXACTLY like the one I had when I was a tot. It had a navy blue handle and two flowers on it, red and yellow.

And an $8 price tag. And I WAITED.

It looked just like this, but with either two or three flowers on two sides of it.

Almost 12 years later, I'm still looking for that stupid cup.

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?

Marshmallow...not so much. But one of these Apple Dumplins? Well, that's a different story. I really shouldn't have them in my house. Deeee-lish.

3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?

I would say I'm about a 7. It didn't used to be that high, but I would say I've mellowed out some.

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?

It felt like FOR.EV.ER to turn 21. After my 21st birthday, it was really no big deal, except I felt more responsibility. That was kind of a bummer. Now though, I wouldn't want to be 21 again for all the world. I love being my age right now.

5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

I'll take shortcuts if I'm driving to a place and I KNOW that the shortcut actually works. But to shortcut around a job usually seems to end up in re-work. And I can't stand to have to do something a second time unnecessarily.

6. Which line is hardest to wait in?

The bathroom line.

7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?

We did wait on the first two; after they were both boys, we NEEDED to know ahead of time if the 14 boxes of blue were going to be trash or treasure for the third one. So we cheated with him.

8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?

I think I'm more patient with the elderly...I was always taught to respect my elders, and who am I kidding? I know I'm gonna be one some day!

9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?

You know what...I did that ONE time. I found all of my presents before my parents wrapped them in their closet one year. And it was the worst Christmas morning EVER. There was nothing that was a surprise to me. So I pledged I would never, ever do that again. (I've told my kids that story, too.)

10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?

I'm gonna say that cruise I mentioned last week...waited 12 years for that baby.

11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?

Um, that would be me. Unequivocally and hands down.

12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon
B) The Waiting by Tom Petty
C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx
D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

I'm gonna piiiiiiiiiiick......Richard Marx...Right Here Waiting for You, and here's why:

DH and had a long-distance relationship the entire time we dated. We lived about 250 miles apart, and our first date we met half-way in a little town called Victoria, Texas. We met through his cousin, who was one of my best friends at the time. I would travel to his parents' house to visit him on the weekends, or he would come up to where I was and stay with his cousin. It was interesting, to say the least....and it worked!

Well, was it worth the wait? Go getcha a Second Cup with Lid and the gang!

Create Post...Blah blah blah...

2010-01-23T14:21:00.002-05:00

I need a breakthrough.

Inspiration.

Creativity.

I want so much to compose something that takes me whirling through that creative process of discovering what something special will be, because it's always a special creation, unique, and one-of-a-kind. Although it's not to be considered unparalleled by any means. Many a blogger has written far better...but it's different. It's a part of me.

I had a creative burst during the holidays. Yes, it showed up on my blog in places, but it also was in my decorating, my Christmas cookies, my gifts that I made to give away. It was so freeing, so liberating to let that creative flow move where it went, and take me along for the ride.

I wonder if that's how God felt when He created. Everything.

Did He ever get stumped, "What do I do now?"

"I know what I want to say, I just can't get it into words."

Or the one I keep coming up with: "It seems as if there's nothing left to create."

I know He didn't. He's the Author and the Perfector of, yes, our faith, but also Creativity itself. He's got more creativity that I can even comprehend. As a matter of fact, He's got more creativity than I can even learn about. In my whole lifetime, I could never have enough time to learn about all of His creation.

All there is to know about:
Astronomy, inner and outer space
Physics
Astrophysics
Nuclear Physics
Biology
Microbiology
Cellular Biology
Marine Biology
Botony (plant life)
Human Anatomy
Zoology
Entomology (insects)
Aerodynamics
Anthropology
Geology
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Bacteriology
(yes, these are all real sciences)
Climatology
Electronics
Genetics
Meteorology
Mineralogy
Thermodynamics
Mathematics (oh, mercy)

The list could literally go on and on...these are all sciences that most people choose ONE, and then spend their whole lives learning about. Learning about it. Not creating it from nothing.

Our God not only possesses the mental capacity to understand every one of these concepts thoroughly, and to comprehend how they would all be interconnected as they are, but He also has the creativity to make it all to be.

And I can't seem to get a blog post out.

I believe that God gave us all some level of creativity because we are made in His image. Now, before you start saying to yourself, "Oh, no. Nope. He gave me NO creativity." Sorry. He did. You just haven't discovered it yet...or learned how to fine tune it, maybe. But there's something.

At any rate, I haven't been able to come up with anything since the 12 Days of Christmas, but this was a start.

Random Dozen

2010-01-13T06:11:00.005-05:00

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave?

Since I've started working out again, I tend to crave almonds. (huh?) I don't know why...but I loooooove them. And they're healthy, too, so yeah, I cave.

These are my favorite...with Sea Salt. They aren't as salty as regular ones. And I know it's more healthy to eat them raw with NO salt, but come on, we're talking about cravings here.

2. M & M's or Skittles?

Now I do like me some Skittles sometimes. It's fun to mix the flavors up and see what concoctions can be had. But I most definitely prefer chocolate over non-chocolate, so that would be the M & M's.

Especially these...

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?

Not all the way straight through, I'm sad to say. I have read the whole thing, just in different order at different times.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?

I'm going to say about 30 minutes. I have been getting up at 4 am (or close to it) to go to the gym before DH needs to leave for work. That necessitates WAKING UP.

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?

Yes! When I was four, my grandpa told me that he would take me on the "Love Boat" for my 16th birthday (loved that show). So every time I went to his house, I would tell him, "Grandpa, are you saving your money to take me on the Love Boat?"

So the summer before my 16th birthday, my grandpa kept his promise. Every year he and my grandma would go on vacation somewhere; they would take turns choosing their destination, and that year was my grandpa's choice. Little did we know it would be his last year to choose.

He really wanted to go to Alaska, but I had a tropical cruise pictured in my head since I was a girl, so he took me and grandma to the Bahamas. It was fantastic...and a blast to spend with them. I'll never forget it.

6. Who is your favorite actress?

Hmmmm...I have several that come to mind. Which is strange, because I don't watch very much TV or movies. For the most part, I enjoy Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.

Child abuse.

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?

I used to be on the cutting edge of technology when I worked...like a decade ago. But since then, not so much. The most technology I experience now is my iphone. And that took some getting used to.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?

I love selecting cards for people, when I remember to do it. My problem is whether to choose a humorous or a meaningful, sentimental one. I have been known to give two for the same occasion.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?

New haircut? November 2009. New style? September 1983.

Well, there is one exception to that. In 2006 my mom gave me a straightener. Same haircut, just straight instead of curly. I think it's fair to say that I'm a chicken when it comes to hair.

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?

Good deals! I absolutely LOVE getting a bargain. After Christmas sales for next year are especially fun.

I also love shopping for old books.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?

"Do I have my phone?" That's not a bend-the-universe kind of answer, but it's the truth.

Now you can go see my friend, Lidna (ha ha...I accidentally typed "Lidan" and had to correct her misspelled name. Her name is really Linda. Anyway.) Go see her and all the other crazy, fun-loving peoples who participated in this week's Random 12!

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 12

2010-01-11T08:29:00.001-05:00

Saturday before last, I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and the first 11 days here.

______________________________________________

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...twelve drummers drumming..."

Most people who have written on this subject will say that the twelve drummers are the twelve points in the Apostle's Creed. It seems the reason that many say that is because they also believe that it was the persecuted Catholics in England who devised the "hidden" meanings to protect their doctrine.

As I mentioned in my first post in this series, I'm not sure that I agree with that opinion since there is no physical evidence that it was a Catholic group or individual who wrote the song. Furthermore, and more importantly, it doesn't make any sense that this song would provide protection for the Catholic belief points mentioned in the song when those who were opposed to the Catholic church (the Anglican church) claimed the same points in their doctrine.

Plus, there are so many references to the number 12 in Scripture; why should I attribute these 12 to something that isn't in Scripture?

SO, I may be in the minority here, but here's what I see.

Look at this description, written by Neil W. Grover, as to the purpose of the drum during the time of the writing of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" --

"As far back as the middle ages, guilds of drummers were formed to add brilliant rhythm and flourishes to festivals, occasions of the royal court and to march troops to battle."

Festivals make me think of praise...they are a time of celebration and recognition of something of worth...just exactly what we do when we praise God. Festivals typically include a feast; when we praise God, we are feasting on His goodness.

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." Deuteronomy 8:3

The closest thing that I have ever experienced regarding a royal court is corporate worship. Think about it: it's a time when those who belong to God's Royal Court come together to give homage to One who is Sovereign. Here is a definition of "royal court" found on dictionary.com:

Royal Court

noun
1.	the family and retinue of a sovereign or prince [syn: court]
2.	the sovereign and his advisers who are the governing power of a state

Drums have been used in battle for several centuries. Particularly in the 1600's, drums were used for several purposes during warfare. They kept the soldiers in time so that they marched together in a straight line approaching the enemy. The drums also were used by the Commanding Officer to communicate maneuvers to his battalions. No doubt the beating of the company drums also instilled courage and vigor into the hearts of the men.

In "The 12 Days of Christmas" song, my True Love gave 12 drummers drumming. I believe these 12 drummers can be better represented by 12 leaders, one set for each people group:

For the Jews: 12 Tribes
and
For the Gentiles: 12 Apostles (after Judas was replaced by Matthias)

Those 12 tribes of Israel laid the foundation for the Ancient Hebrew and their descendants for the watching and the receiving of the long awaited Messiah. Not only did their Messiah come through them, but in the meantime they taught their descendants how to praise and worship God in obedience until He came. God also used the leaders of these 12 tribes to lead the Israelites to defeat their enemies.

Later, the 12 Apostles, those who laid the foundation of the church, were the men who gave us the instruction manual for understanding how God's salvation applies to us (evoking praise); they gave us the blueprint for what the Church should look like (corporate worship); and went before us in spiritual warfare to encourage us to press on.

Now I don't know if there is another soul who would ever see it this way, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :-)

Now, just for fun, I thought I would post a fun, contemporary version of this beloved song.
Enjoy the video:

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 11

2010-01-07T14:30:00.007-05:00

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"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...eleven pipers piping..."

The eleventh gift from our Heavenly Father (My True Love) is really pretty simple. The eleven pipers piping represent the eleven original faithful disciples who walked and talked with Jesus before His death and resurrection. Eleven rather than twelve, of course, excluding Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ and therefore revealed his true loyalty.

Remember in Luke 24 when the two men are walking along the road to Emmaus discussing all that had happened regarding Jesus, His death, and His resurrection? Do you remember who their surprise Guest was who appeared with them, stimulating conversation between them?

It always slays me how the one man asked Christ, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened therein these days?"

Ha ha! He actually asked the...Creator of the Universe, the All-Knowing Almighty...how He could be so clueless! Cracks me up.

Well after their conversation with Him, and after He informed them of a thing or two, they realized to Whom they had been talking and immediately made their way back to Jerusalem.

Theyfound the eleven and those with them gathered together andsaying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon!” Luke 24:33

These eleven, the closest of Christ's faithful followers, are pictured in the pipers. A piper, by definition, is simply "one who plays the pipes." I really like the way Helen Haidle put it in her book The Real 12 Days of Christmas:

"Like children joyfully following a piper, these disciples followed Jesus. They also called others to follow Him. They piped an everlasting tune of great joy -- the salvation message of Jesus' resurrection from the dead."

Amen, and amen.

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 10

2010-01-05T13:24:00.061-05:00

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"On the tenth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...ten lords a-leaping..."

The 1828 Webster's Dictionary describes the term "lord" as the following:

"A master; a person possessing supreme power and authority; a ruler; a governor."

Those referred to as "lord" in the Middle Ages (which is when "The 12 Days of Christmas" song was written), had authority to mandate adherence to the law as proclaimed in the land. Ten lords a-leaping is meant to represent the Ten Commandments of God as laid out in Exodus chapter 20 and again in Deuteronomy chapter 5.

But why are the lords leaping?

I long for Your deliverance, O Lord; I find delight in Your Law. Psalm 119:174

Or how about this one...

Praise the Lord! How blessed is the onewho obeysthe Lord, who takes great delight in keeping His commands. Psalm 112:1

Like the ten lords a-leaping, we ought to not only embrace God's Law, but we ought to love it, delight in it, and leap with joy at the thought of obeying it. After all, Jesus came to fulfill God's Law, not abolish it.(see Matthew 5:17 and Romans 3:31)

Hope y'all are staying warm out there wherever you are. I hear even Florida's cold right now, so that probably means most of you are too, if you live in the United States. I know I'm one frozen Southerner, myself.

See y'all tomorrow for day 11.

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 9

2010-01-04T17:30:00.106-05:00

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"On the ninth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...nine ladies dancing..."

"...praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute..." Psalm 150:4

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness..." Psalm 30:11

Dancing is a natural response to joy! The nine ladies dancing aren't grieving while they dance; they aren't bitter or angry in their merriment...they're full of delight and cheer!

As a Christian, what is our source of joy? Our source is Christ Himself, but how is it manifested in our life? How do we experience joy?

Here's a Scripture that can give us some insight:

"The godly bask in the light; the morally upright experience joy."Psalm 97:11

{This is all leading up to the representation of the nine dancing ladies...I promise.}

So if the joy we have to dance comes from walking in the light, what can the Father give to us that we can use to keep us walking in the light, and thereby filling us with joy?

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Galatians 5:16

A little further down...and what would be supernaturally produced from that?

"But the fruit [the produce] of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

D'ja count how many of those fruits are mentioned? Nine.

Even though this fruit is produced in us, it still is not of us; it is of God. It is a gift from God produced in our lives when we walk in the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit makes me wanna dance.

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 8

2010-01-03T14:51:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and the first 7 days here.

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"On the eighth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...eight maids a-milking..."

According to tradition, the eight maids a-milking are representative of the "eight unique teachings of Jesus sometimes called the Beatitudes." (Haidle) These specific teachings are found in Matthew 5:3-10:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, forthey shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

If you read one more verse, there is another "Blessed are...," which is simply restating verse 10. The Scriptures often do this to show emphasis on something in particular. Apparently being persecuted for Christ is something we should seriously rejoice in...He said it three times! Here are verses 10-12:

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Sidenote: If you're being persecuted by anyone for anything that pertains to your faith in Jesus Christ, take heart! He sees it; He doesn't miss a thing. And you will see treasure from it in heaven one Day. Treasure that you will in turn have the opportunity to lay at the feet of Christ Himself...oh Glory!

Okay, so back to the milking maids. Why milk?

Just as milk brings nourishment and promotes development in an infant, the concepts taught by Jesus here will edify and fortify us into spiritual maturity.

"...like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation..." 1 Peter 2:2

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 7

2010-01-01T18:40:00.073-05:00

Saturday I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and the first 6 days here.

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"On the seventh day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...seven swans a swimming..."

On this day, the seven gifts from God to His people are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:6-8):

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

The neat thing about it is that the life of the swan represents the growth of Christian. In her book entitled The Real 12 Days of Christmas, Helen Haidle says

"Just as baby swans grow and change from "ugly ducklings" into beautiful and graceful birds, so do God's children grow and change through the work of the Holy Spirit. The various gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed for the benefit of the entire body of Christ."

Baby swans, known as cygnets, are sometimes compared to a cute little duckling and found in wanting. They are awkward, disproportionate, and a little silly looking.

Awkward, but adorable little duckling, uh, I mean cygnet

Can you remember when you were saved? I can. And I remember being very awkward in my walk. I stumbled a lot, made a lot of clumsy mistakes, and sometimes even acted a little silly about things that I knew weren't "right," but I didn't have a mature understanding on how to deal with such things.

As the Holy Spirit has seasoned me and taught me how to exercise the gifts He's given me, I begin to develop. I start to see changes, inside my heart and outside in my behavior. Sometimes I still feel like I'm an adolescent in the Lord, but I know I'm growing, changing, maturing. And He's making me to look more like Him in the end.

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 6

2009-12-31T19:05:00.011-05:00

Saturday I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and the first 5 days here.

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"On the sixth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...six geese a laying..."

Throughout history and in many cultures, eggs symbolize new life.

Even in the practice of the Passover Seder that the Jewish people still observe today, we can see an example of how the egg symbolizes life. One of the objects of remembrance that is placed on the Seder plate is a roasted hard-boiled egg. As a representation of life, the roasted egg is signifying the life of the lamb that, at one time, needed to be slain to wash them of their sin.

Here's what one website, ChosenPeople.com, said about the egg on the Seder plate:

"A roasted egg is on the seder plate to bring to mind the roasted daily temple sacrifice that no longer can be offered because the temple no longer stands. In the very midst of the Passover Seder, the Jewish people are reminded that they have no sacrifice to make them righteous before God."

This is the reason that Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John in the New Testament was given the Name "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world". He made that sacrifice once-and-for-all, and it need never be repeated. It only needs to be applied to the heart of one who will believe. (see John 1:12; and John 3:15-18, just to start).

Now that we have established that an egg symbolizes new life, let's get back to those six geese laying so many of them. What could they represent as a gift from the Father (my True Love) to His children?

Most people (who don't resign to just believe that the song is nothing more than nonsense) say that the six geese a laying represents the six days of God's work of creation. With each of those days, God produced a different source of life, which, like the egg-laying geese, continues to produce more life.

We serve such a masterfully creative God.

This has been an interesting study to do. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am!
See you in 2010!

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 5

2009-12-30T16:11:00.003-05:00

Saturday I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and the first 4 days here.

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"On the fifth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...five gold rings..."

Up until now, most of the gifts of Christmas have had more than one interpretation. From here on, I didn't see much discrepancy on what the gifts could represent; everyone seems to agree for the most part.

All through ancient history, gold rings were meant to indicate lifelong commitment, security in relationship, and in some cultures, even ownership. It's the reason that the traditional wedding band, even today, is a gold band.

In "The 12 Days of Christmas" song, it is said that the five rings represent the first five books of Old Testament (or the Torah), known as the Pentateuch, which means "five books". These first five books were written by Moses, and in a nutshell, they lay out the original Covenant God made with His people.

This Covenant that God made with them was actually a Marriage Covenant. Watch this:

"For your Maker is your husband,
The LORD of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth. " Isaiah 54:5

Since the nation of Israel is said in the Scriptures to be the wife of Jehovah God, it makes sense that the Pentateuch would be represented by gold rings, the symbol of lifelong marital commitment, one for each book.

One may say, "But I'm not an ancient Hebrew...or Jewish." To that I would say don't forget that the New Testament Church is the Bride of Christ! Yet He still began with the nation of Israel, the apple of His eye, who would bring forth His Messiah...our Bridegroom!

Have you ever been to a Jewish wedding? Unfortunately I haven't, but I found a very informative website about Judaism written by an orthodox Jewish man. He does not write from a Messianic standpoint, as he is not a Messianic Jew (meaning he doesn't believe Jesus is the Messiah), but he has done much research on Judaism and seems to know what he's talking about. Here's one thing he said about the ceremony between man and his wife:

"The man then places the ring on woman's finger and says 'Be sanctified (mekudeshet) to me with this ring in accordance with the law of Moses and Israel.'"

So the five gold rings given by my True Love (God) represent the first five books of our Old Testament, the Pentateuch, in which the Law of Moses and the Covenant between God and His wife, the nation of Israel, was recorded and made known. Furthermore, the ring is a symbol of the commitment of the wife to her Husband and the Husband to His wife through the sanctification of the wife. Amazing.

I just can't think of anything more perfect than gold rings to be the picture of symbolism here.

I don't think I'll ever sing this song the same again.

Random Dozen...Grand Finale of 2009

2009-12-30T00:33:00.001-05:00

1. Do you find it gross to share drinks with family? Friends?

I wouldn't say "gross," but I generally don't share drinks. I don't mind if a good friend or one of my own family takes a sip from my drink, though. That's no biggie.

2. What have you learned this year? (You didn't see a question of that weight coming, did you? At least not for #2.)

By far, the biggest lesson I've learned is that no matter how I "feel", God is never as far away as I sometimes think He is.

3. When do you dismantle the Christmas decorations?

We usually wait until after the New Year holiday is over, like the first weekend in January.

But I can't let this question go without telling you this: When I was single and had my own apartment for my very first Christmas, I wasn't ready to take down my tree after the New Year. This was the first tree and decorations I had ever bought all by myself, and I was so proud of it! So I left it up a little longer. February rolled around and I was in the big middle of working a lot, a full load of classes at night, and partaking in some sort of social life, so the spring just flew by. Summer came and went and I was hardly ever home. By next fall, I just decided to leave the thing up as it was almost Christmastime! All I had to do was dust the ornaments on my tree and I was ready for the new Christmas season! I finally took it down the following January. Or so.

4. Something you wish to accomplish before the end of 2009 is:

Well I seem to be running out of time on this one. I have 'til like, Friday? I guess I want to get all my laundry done by then. :-)

Oh, I know. I want to finish reading "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. I've seen half a dozen versions of the movie 2 dozen times, but I've never actually read the book, until now. The book is always better.

5. How do you feel about winter (after Christmas)?

I don't have to deal with all the crazy snow storms that some of y'all do, so I don't mind it so much. I love the cold weather as long as I have a warm bed to crawl into at night. (Not to mention it doesn't get nearly as cold here in North Georgia as it does in other parts of the country.) I really do like to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a book, listening to the wind howling outside.

The best part about winter, though, is at the very end of it when Spring starts to show itself.

6. Have you participated in after-Christmas sales?

I looooooove after-Christmas sales! I love to get cards, gift wrap, and decorations for next year at 50-75% off, box them up with all our Christmas stuff, and then get all excited about using it next year. I haven't done any this year though. Yet.

7. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve?

Not anything specific at the moment. We'll probably just stay home with the fam, play some games, eat junky food and drink hot chocolate.

8. Is there anything special awaiting you in January?

It'll be my DH's birthday; he'll be one year away from 40! (I like that better than 39...at least for his birthday.) Other than that, a fresh, new start. Again.

9. If your life this year was a movie, what category or genre would it be? (Romance, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Suspense, Farcical, etc.)

I had to look up Farcical. I'm not ashamed. The crazy lady that writes these is an English major, for crying out loud.

So I'm going to say a romantic comedy. Yes I know that wasn't technically an option, but my DH has many romantic bones in his body, so we have our moments. But in reality, it's not totally just a romance, because some of the things that go on in our family are just plain laughable. That's the comedy part.

By the way, I play Meg Ryan...Romantic Comedy Queen in my book.

10. How much time per day do you spend blogging? Please do not lie. I will know.

Well that depends...am I in-season or out-of-season? I have yet to be continually consistent with this happy hobby. Okay, so in-season, meaning when I'm actually partaking in this creative outlet that I love so much, I probably spend a couple of hours each day. I could (and have) spend waaaaaaay more than that though. But we're looking for an average, right?

11. Who runs your household?

DH is the leader of our home (Christ is the head, of course). Managerially, he pretty much delegates it to me: cleaning, cooking, laundry, kid-rearing, shopping, bills, etc. But he ultimately makes both the money and the decisions, with my input, of course.

12. Share one hope/dream for 2010.

I am hoping that we can implement the Dave Ramsey tools we've learned this year so we can be FREE! I would love to see us be debt free and working on saving our full emergency fund (4-6 months expenses) by the end of the year. It may be ambitious, but who ever reached their goal without reaching?

Click on the button to the right if you want more info on Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It will change your life.

I hope you have enjoyed this week's Random Dozen. Go getcha a second cup of "huh?" from Lid next door. See y'all over there!

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 4

2009-12-29T12:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and Days 1, 2, and 3 here.

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"On the fourth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...four calling birds..."

Apparently, the old English has been changed a bit over the years, because the four calling birds are actually supposed to be colly or collie birds. Collie comes from the same root word as coalier, or coal, which means black.

So collie birds are actually European black thrush birds (better known as plain ol' blackbirds). In my research of these birds, there were two words that kept coming up over and over again: black (of course), and common.

Helen Haidle in her book The Real 12 Days of Christmas, as do most others, associates the four collie birds with the four Gospels, and more specifically the four Gospel writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Just as the blackbirds in the song, these four men were common, ordinary, run-of-the-mill kind of people. There was nothing special about any of them...no special markings or colors particular about them. No super-natural talents that warranted them special treatment or favor. They were ordinary men with an extraordinary Savior, in an extraordinary time, and with an extraordinary mission.

In fact, they were so ordinary, that any one of us could be mistaken for them. Matthew was a tax collector; Mark's previous occupation isn't even mentioned; Luke was a physician; and John was a fisherman. Normal, everyday people doing very normal things. Common as blackbirds.

Yet theirs were the voices that God Almighty, Creator of the Universe, intended to use from the foundation of the world to share the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the Messiah through the four Gospels. And God's words penned through their hands, calling out to the human race to come to Salvation, is still the embodiment of the Gospel message almost 2,000 years later.

The next time you feel as common and ordinary as an old English blackbird, rest easy. That's the very characteristic that God seems to like to use best.

Common Blackbird

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 3

2009-12-28T12:01:00.012-05:00

Saturday I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and Days 1 and 2 here.

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"On the third day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...three French hens..."

Like the two turtledoves, the three french hens have more than one symbolism attached to them. Some view them as the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Others believe it was a reference to faith, hope and charity (love). Fine gifts, indeed.

Still others, including Helen Haidle, refer to the value of the poultry during that time as being something only the rich could afford. As a gift, three french hens would be considered perhaps as valuable as the three gifts mentioned in the Bible that were brought from afar for the new King: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Gold has one main practical and rather obvious use for new parents of a King...as a monetary contribution.

Frankincense comes from root words meaning "true" (frank) and "incense."

It was used for many practical household reasons: strengthen teeth and gums by chewing it; digestion system; topical wounds (it fights infection, it's an antiseptic and has anti-inflammatory properties). The spectrum of its uses is so wide, it is said it can be used for everything from a cold to cancer!

In addition to its many practical uses, it was more importantly used as an incense in the Temple and for burning grain offerings to the Lord (see Ex. 30:34) and (see Lev. 2:1-2, 15). Keeping in mind that the sacrifices made were a tangible way to worship the Lord in obedience, it seems suitable for the King of kings to be given probably the most costly ingredient in this gift to the Lord.

Myrrh has a bitter taste, so its name comes from a Hebrew word meaning "bitter." It has many of the same practical uses as Frankincense, including its presence in the holy anointing oil (see Ex. 30:23). There is one thing in addition that I have found: It was also used by the ancients in their burial preparations.

Could this be a bit of foreshadowing?

I'm not suggesting that the wise men who brought these gifts knew what they were doing, but the God of Heaven and earth certainly knew what was to come. Down to the "nth" degree.

Here's the part that convinced me. In reading up on the Biblical references to myrrh, I found one other reference that says to me this was no coincidence.

In Mark chapter 15, we see Jesus on the dusty road leading Him to the Cross. When we get to verse 23, it says,

"Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it ."

It was customary during that time for wine mixed with myrrh to be offered to one who had been condemned to death by crucifixion as a way to numb the pain.

Interesting.

So the wise men brought gifts that were reflected in both the worship of Him as God and the death and burial of Him as Savior. I'll bet they had no idea of the deep significance in the gifts they bore.

Nor did they understand its intrinsic value.

Join me tomorrow for a look at the 4th Day of Christmas.

My True Love Gave to Me...Day 2

2009-12-27T14:04:00.014-05:00

Yesterday, I started the 12 Days of Christmas post series based on a book called The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. You can read the introduction about it and Day 1 here.

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"On the second day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...two turtledoves..."

There have been, interestingly, two different takes on the turtledoves. Many people say that the two turtledoves represent the two Testaments given by God in His Word: the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is certainly an adequate way to think of two gifts that the Father in Heaven has given to His own.

His Word certainly is a prized gift.

But I also like Helen Haidle's interpretation:

"For hundreds of years, Jewish families used turtledoves as offerings to God. The gift of two turtledoves is a reminder of the sacrifice offered for Jesus by Mary and Joseph."

"Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord...and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: 'a pair of doves or two young pigeons.'" Luke 2:22, 24

Turtledoves were considered to be "clean" animals, suitable for sacrificing in the Old Testament (see Lev. 1:14)

It really is just like Him to offer to us the very thing that He wants us to offer back to Him. He gives us abundant life on this earth; we give it back to Him in our obedience. He gives us spiritual gifts with which to answer His call on our life; we give it back in our service to Him and His people. He gives us eternal life spent with Him; we'll give it back in eternal, perfect worship. Everything we have has been a gift from the Father.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

And everything we have is meant for us to do His bidding. In that way, we have made that sacrifice of the two turtledoves back to Him. What a perfect Savior. He makes the Way, and then gives us what we lack to complete our part of the covenant.

I think I'm gonna love doing this series.

My True Love Gave to Me...

2009-12-26T11:48:00.015-05:00

No, this isn't a post delineating all the wonderful gifts I got for Christmas.

I just finished reading a short book entitled, The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle. I picked it up last Spring, intrigued by the idea of Christian symbolism being pictured by each of the 12 days in the traditional song.

I sat down to write this post with the intention of sharing the history behind this beloved, and potentially widely misunderstood song of heritage. Once I began some research to find more information on the song's origin, I quickly discovered there is much controversy over its chronicle.

Most of us know that very little about our Christian history and tradition goes unchallenged. It is to be expected, since God has an enemy who seeks to thwart all God does and says, that His Truth will be disputed by some who do not believe what God says. The origin and meaning of this old Christmas carol is no different.

Rather trying to explain all the versions, complications, and opinions that are out there on this subject, allow me to give a brief recap of what I learned, and share the conclusion that I have come to.

Many people believe that this song originated in France during the Middle Ages, in the 1500's. During this time in Europe, it had become a crime to be a Catholic, so many purport (including the Catholic church) that the song was created as a way for young Catholics to memorize basic tenants of their faith without exposing themselves as Catholics. It is said that there were symbols encoded into the song so that there were two meanings: a surface meaning but with a deeper religious meaning underneath.

As tender as this idea is, there is no evidence (written documentation) anywhere that can confirm this. There have been many who have researched this subject that could produce no physical evidence that this song was specifically written to teach doctrine secretly.

Furthermore, I agree with the logic of some, including the infamous snopes.com, that the idea that a Catholic would have to secretly code their teaching into the lyrics of this song doesn't make any sense, since those that they were persecuted by believed the very same things that are taught in the symbolism. There would be no reason to hide this teaching from Anglican Christians as it does not reveal a belief system of Catholicism at all.

Therefore, the conclusion that I have come to in my limited research is that this song may or may not have been written as a way to teach doctrine secretly, but certainly could have been used to teach Christian doctrine openly during a Holy Season. So my purpose has changed from sharing a bit of old history to sharing some possibly contemporary ideas of relating this song, "The 12 Days of Christmas," to our Christian faith and heritage.

The only question left unanswered being: How long have people been making these associations?

History does not seem to tell us. But that doesn't mean that we have to maintain that "The 12 Days of Christmas" song is nonsense. It can have meaning to our lives in the form of the following symbolism, if we choose to view it, and share it, this way.

Since the 12 days of Christmas traditionally began (depending on where you lived) on either Christmas Day or the day after Christmas (not 12 days before), I would like to post one lyric with its Christian symbolism each day for the next 12 days. That means you have to come back tomorrow to find out what the two turtledoves represent. :-)

"On the first Day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me...a partridge in a pear tree."

The First Day of Christmas would represent Christmas Day, the day we celebrate as the Christ Child's birth. My True Love is the one True Love of any believer's life, God Himself, the Giver of all good gifts.

The Partridge, as Helen Haidle points out in her book, "...was known as a valiant bird, willing to fight to the death in order to defend its young. This bird's readiness to die for its young made it an ancient Christian symbol of Christ." She then concludes that the tree that the partridge hangs on is a picture of the Cross.

What a beautiful picture. While looking up more information about partridges, I read about a particular study of these birds during which it was observed in an aviary that both parents would protect their young by hiding them under their wings.

Show the wonder of Your great love,
You who save by Your right hand
those who take refuge in You from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings
from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

Psalm 17:7-9

I hope you had a peaceful, restful, focused Christmas season. I pray that this next 12 days in this series will help us to perpetuate the season just a little longer. Join me tomorrow for a brief discussion of Day 2.

Additional Source: http://answers.org/issues/twelvedb.html

Anti-Spammers, Unite!

2009-12-23T10:14:00.007-05:00

Okay, so now I've about had it with the spammers. I didn't realize that's what was going on until I saw it mentioned on a friend's blog that they were having issues with it and were going to have to "turn on the dreaded word verification."

Well now, I've had to turn on the dreaded word verification thing. Sorry, dude.

For several weeks now, someone (or something) has been trying to leave a comment in Japanese on one of my older posts. I just kept rejecting the comment, thinking they would stop eventually. Well no. They haven't. Then I got another one today that was just a bunch of gibberish left by an anonymous person. Seriously, what do they hope to gain from doing that? There was no link to follow, none of their words made any sense, so what's the deal? Are they really that BORED with their own lives?

So now, my blogger buddies, you have to type in a weird non-word in order to leave a comment. I know that slows the process down a bunch, but I hope you understand. Maybe after the most wonderful time of the year has passed, these nincompoops will find something else to do and I can take it off again. But until then...

...verify, please.

And know that I will do the same for you, because no spammer is gonna come between me and my comments.

So there.

Merry Christmas, Everybody

2009-12-16T13:36:00.002-05:00

Things have been a bustle here at the Legacy home. I know they have been for you, too. We're cooking and baking and crafting and decorating and...{sigh}...but believe it or not, it's been a fun and peaceful season. I have refused to let things get me in a tizzy or to make me so busy that I don't recognize the beauty of the season we're in. Nutshell: no stress.

It's been good.

We had company over the Thanksgiving week, which was a blast. That was the first time I've had a houseful over the whole week. Dinner was both beautiful and tasty, and very low stress with the extra help I had in the kitchen.

DH had the lights on the bushes outside before they got here. After they left town, we got our Christmas decorations up, tree included, and the Christmas movies began...starting with "White Christmas." We have been enjoying a family Christmas movie, most of them from the Hallmark channel, almost every night since.

One of our faves has been "The Christmas Choir" shown on Hallmark.

"A workaholic accountant (Jason Gedrick) is inspired to start a choir at a homeless shelter, allowing him to rediscover the "miracle of music" and learning that everyone deserves a second chance." Taken from Hallmark Channel website

My favorite thing about it is that it is based on a true story. I love stories like that. Like most of the original movies from Hallmark, this movie is as moving and irresistible as any I've seen. The next airing I could find is on December 20, so set your calendar...or your Tivo.

Another Hallmark movie we've really enjoyed this year was one called "The Christmas Card."

"Moved by an anonymous Christmas card sent to the front lines of Afghanistan, lonely career militarist Captain Cody Cullen travels to the small town of Nevada City to meet the card's sender, Faith Spelman. Stars Ed Asner, John Newton, and Alice Evans." Hallmark Channel's website

No, I'm not being paid by Hallmark to post this. They don't even know I'm writing this. I just really have enjoyed their shows, and want to share the love, m'kay?

Today is December 16, and I've already finished my Christmas cards, AND I'll be finishing my Christmas gifts and cookies to mail by the end of this week. Please hear my heart here...I'm not bragging; I'm celebrating.

The last two Christmas seasons have been, for me, a complete blur.

It was all about a race against time...being behind on cards, behind on wrapping gifts, behind on making gifts...yada yada yada.

I read a book once entitled "Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas" by Sharon Jaynes. She has created an A to Z plan of ideas to incorporate into our Christmas season to be sure we and our families do not miss the "Reason for the Season." I want to share with you her idea for the letter "K". I finally grasped this concept this year, and my Holy-day experience has been completely different for it.

"K" is for kitchen jars. The kitchen jars are to be a reminder of where my focus needs to be. One jar is filled with large, fist-sized rocks, and the other is about three-fourths filled with sand. Here's what Ms. Jaynes says about the jars:

"I've discovered that I can pour all the sand into the rock jar, with the grains filling in nicely around the rocks. However, if I try to wedge the rocks into the jar three-fourths full of sand, the rocks won't fit. As the innkeeper said, 'There is no room.'

"In my life, the large rocks represent the things that God wants me to do: spend time with Him each day...love and support my husband, and nurture and care for my child(ren) with whom God has blessed me.

"The sand represents my to-do list, which is as endless as the sand grains: decorating, baking, running errands, etc. If I begin my day with the rocks, then all the sand will fit into place. But if I start my day with the sand, somehow the rocks never seem to fit in."

I've found the same is true in my life. Big rocks in first. Wanna join me?

A Better, Closer Look at Psalm 23

2009-10-21T21:46:00.002-04:00

If you tried to read my post of a paraphrase of Psalm 23 from our Sunday School teacher, and it was cut off on the sides, first of all I want to apologize. I couldn't figure out what html code it was having a problem with, and I finally figured it out.

Please go here to read it. It will bless you.

A Meme Without a Theme...Random Dozen {neuf}

2009-10-21T00:01:00.006-04:00

{Once again, no introductions really needed here.}

1. Candy corn: Your thoughts?

Love it. It's just one of those childhood memories that I can't give up.

2. Briefly, what was the first conversation you ever had with your spouse? (or best friend, if you're not married.) (Or someone significant, like your librarian.)

He asked me what kind of music do I listen to, and I answered, "Contemporary Christian music mainly." To which he replied, "Oh." I'm not sure he really knew what to think of me at that point. But he got pretty used to the idea quick enough!

3. Could you ever become a vegetarian?

Ummmm...I eat meat, but not a lot of it. And I really love sides more than anything else on my plate, so it sounds like I probably could be a vegetarian if I needed to. But even though I'm not an adamantly carnivorous individual, I don't think I could go FOR.EV.ER without eating meat just for fun. Capiche?

4. Have you ever dressed up your pet in a costume?

When I was a kid, I used to dress my cat (who always seemed afraid of me for some reason) in my doll's clothes.

5. Name something about childhood that you miss (like Clark Bars, Teaberry Gum, Malibu Barbie, cracking fake eggs on people's heads with your fist and "It's the Great Pumpkin" airing only once a year).

Picking tangerines by the shirtful from our neighborhood's "ancient man's" yard and eating them on the back of my best friend's dad's tailgate. We thought we were "getting away with it," but later found out he knew and just let us. Or knew he couldn't catch us running, one of the two. Knowing that he knew relieved the guilt I felt when I was older, so now I can enjoy the memory so much more.

6. Have you ever won a trophy? If not, what do you deserve a trophy for?

I once won a trophy for a hula-hoop contest! {sigh...those were the days...}

7. When do you think is the appropriate time to begin playing Christmas music each year?

July.

I'm serious! We always have "Christmas in July" at our house...complete with smoked turkey breast, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade rolls and pecan pie. Oh, and we bring a quart of egg nog (sans the rum) out of the freezer for the occasion too.

8. What's your favorite board game?

Right now I would have to say it's Blokus. It's a strategy game, a lot of fun, and I win a lot. 'Nuff said.

9. How do you feel about surprises (receiving, not giving)?

I LOOOOOOVE surprises!!

10. Is it easy for you to say, "I'm sorry?"

Generally, it is. Especially once I've been gently enlightened to the error of my ways.

11. What is your favorite candle scent?

Oooo, this is a tough one. I'll have to say any kind of baking smell candle in the fall and winter, and clean linen scent in the summer. Sorry, I couldn't narrow it down any more than that!

12. October is traditionally "open house" time in public schools. If you had a literal open house in your home (like a reception) what light snacks would you serve visitors and what would you show them (as in art projects, graded papers) that would uniquely represent you?

Well, let's see. For light snacks, I'd have Meatballs in BBQ sauce, Stuffed Mushrooms Florentine, and miniature butter biscuits with jalapeno jelly. Then at the dessert table would be Fresh Apple Cake, Pumpkin Dip with ginger cookies, and Espresso Delights cookies.

As far as displays, I would have to say the food table would be my presentation! JUST kidding. I could show my monumental stack of books I have started but not finished, my folded up fabric that at some point might become my Christmas gifts, and for the Grand Finale, I would feature........untold stacks of folded ready-to-pack summer clothes...AND...my boys' graded papers! That's about the one thing I've actually accomplished lately.

I hope you enjoyed this week's version of Random Dozen! Now go to Linda's 2nd Cup of Coffee to read others' responses to the same questions.

Fall Into Flavor...Yay!

2009-10-20T13:36:00.007-04:00

Oh Halleluiah! Lidna's doing Fall into Flavor again this year! I can always use some fantastic new fall recipes to add to my repertoire! She'll be doing this meme for the next five weeks (every Monday after today), so jump on in!

Here's my contribution to the 10 pound weight gain of the season:

MEXICAN COFFEE CAKE

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup oil
1 cup pecans
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 cup powdered sugar
milk

Mix first 6 ingredients, and take out 3/4 cup of mixture for topping. Add nuts and cinnamon to topping. Add buttermilk, soda, and egg to flour mixture. Pour into baking pan (9 x 13). Add topping. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. When slightly cool, mix powdered sugar and milk with a whisk until smooth and drizzle over top.

I make this for Christmas morning along with sausage balls and pigs in a blanket, but I tend to get lots of "practice" making it all fall long. {wink}

I also had these contributions last year if you'd like to read them, too. Those are really my favorite fall recipes, but since I already posted them I thought it would be cheesy to do them again.

Then go check out Lidna's other friends who contributed to this dietary bust! Happy fall, y'all!

Meme Without A Theme--Randome Dozen [Sei]

2009-10-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

{I'm not sure these Random Dozens need an introduction anymore.}

1. I've always wondered why we were taught both printing and cursive. Do you prefer to print or write cursive? (Keyboard is not a choice.)

I'll bet you'll get this answer a lot, Lid. I combine printing and cursive most of the time. And how much I combine them tends to depend on my mood and/or my level of stress.

2. Are you a dreamer or a realist?

I am definitely the realist. DH is the dreamer in our house, hands down.

3. Billy Joel or Elton John?

Billy Joel I think. Elton John kinda freaks me out a little.

4. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Not limited to horror flicks but also includes ones where the tension or suspense is killer, for example, Flightplan (2005): A bereaved woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet the child vanishes and nobody admits she was ever on that plan.

Hmmmm...I never saw Flightplan. Sounds pretty interesting. It's funny because I don't watch scary movies anymore. I just can't fill my head with that kind of stuff. But when I was a teenager, I used to love to watch them. So my point is, I've seen a bunch of them, but they were YEARS ago.

SO, I am gonna go the one I've seen in recent years. It's called "The Others" (2001) with Nicole Kidman. The ending....blew....my....mind.

5. Now what is the scariest real-life moment you've had?

When Mini me was 2 years old, I was very large pregnant with Brown Eyes and carrying Mini me through a yard. We all fell like a tree in the Avenue of the Giants in the Redwood Forest. Hard. We all hit the grass except Mini me's head, which hit a concrete pad. An hour later, he was throwing up, non-responsive and lethargic. And the hospital was 45 minutes away.

Makes my heart rush just to think about it. You can read a more full account of the miracle God performed in my sweet son on an old post here. But to answer the question for today, that 20-minute ride to the hospital was, I would say, the scariest.

And yes, I made a 45 minute drive in 20 minutes. :-)

6. What word do you misspell without fail?

Definitely. When I do spell it correctly, I am always amazed that the spellchecker didn't underline it with that rude red line.

7. Name something you like to do but are not really talented or good at.

I love to sing, but honestly, I don't have any idea "how" to sing properly. But in heaven, I'm gonna sing like a bird.

8. Do you get your emotional/mental batteries recharged by being around people or by having alone time?

I get more charge by having alone time. I was raised an only child, so I really do enjoy being alone sometimes. For just a while.

9. Have you ever been on TV?

When I was in the second grade, our class was in a commercial for...something. I have no idea what it was! But it was around halloween time, and so we all were dressed up so we could say our one-liner collectively. I was dressed like a clown. But not like a creepy, partially bald, white-faced clown with big feet; I had a funny hat, a silly vest, knickers, mix-matched socks and big plastic red lips.

Well maybe I was a little creepy.

10. Apple or pumpkin pie? (Don't be greedy.)

Oh, this is just cruel. But I think I'm gonna have to go with pumpkin pie. But only if it's homemade. I'm a snob that way, remember? ;-) Really, I'm not a total snob, because if it's store-bought and at someone else's house, I would never think twice about eating and enjoying it.

11. How many magazine subscriptions do you have?

N-O-N-E.

12. What lesson do you have to keep re-learning?

Well, we saved the doozie for the last one this week, eh?

That I really, really, truly, absolutely, positively, beyond question, firmly, DEFINITELY, seriously need to spend some quiet, meaningful time with my God every single, solitary day for the rest of my life! I am hopelessly useless to Him unless I do.

What a great week! Hop on over to Linda's 2nd Cup for a second helping...and a third.....

My Wonderful Birthday

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

My birthday was last month, so the fam and I decided to head north for the first time of the autumn season.

And no, I'm not really 25. Brown Eyes made that card for me...would you look at those lips? He asked DH how old I was going to be, and 25 was his response. What a man.

----------

I love going up in the mountains during the fall. When you can catch a day that's not raining, the air is crisp, the aroma is either a musky pine medley or a cinnamon apple cider, depending on whether you're indoor or out. Almost any establishment you enter in the north Georgia mountains will offer some form of apple-something. It's apple season up here, and it's wonderful.

Along the way, we hit a few of my favorite antique stores because my DH both knows me and loves to spoil me. He more than tolerates antique stores; he actually enjoys most of them as long as it actually has antiques in it. Especially antique guns, knives, blacksmith tools, etc.

After a little shopping, wherein I bought myself a 1938 Illustrated World History book...

...we went to Amicalola Falls. Yeah, I figured spell check wouldn't like that. It's pronounced {am-i-ca-lola} with a short i. The word is derived from the Cherokee language, and it means tumbling waters. It is the highest waterfall in the State of Georgia, and it is absolutely beautiful.

There are three places from which to view this cascade: the bottom, from across the middle of it, and from the top. In the middle, the state built a path around the mountain from a parking lot to a bridge that goes across the falls and then continues down in hundreds of steps. We chose to drive because we didn't think the kids could handle the hike up all those stairs, but you can walk from the bottom to the top if you like!

This picture was taken on the bridge that crosses over.

Here's another one of the boys and me. Look at my sweet li'l dumplin' there on the left. Isn't he just the sweetest thing ever? {insert sarcasm here.}

Here's the view from the top of the falls as it goes over the edge. It's just beautiful!

I can't seem to resist taking pictures of pretty flowers.

Here's Lil'bit on the slide. We stopped by the "prayground" while we were there.

Here's my Brown Eyes posing on the side of the trail...what a handsome kid.

This one's kinda funny. Although I don't think I would have wanted to be the one in the truck when it fell off the side of the mountain and was finally caught by the trees!

That's a very old pick up truck, in case you can't make it out.

This is Brown Eyes hanging out in a tree beside the small, quiet creek that feeds that massive waterfall!

After Amicalola Falls, we drove around the mountains hitting more antique stores and a couple of pumpkin patches.

This is the parking lot of one that we stopped at briefly before moving on to our favorite place.

Then we got to Burt's Farm. We love this place! We have sweet memories of coming here during the first couple of months after moving here, seven years ago.

These are pretty...

These are, um, unique?...

But these are my favorite punkins of all...

You can pick a wheel barrow if you need to haul one of those grand-daddy pumpkins!

Here's my oldest, Mini-me...he looks like a young man to me now. Wow.

Brown Eyes by the baby pumpkins. They have every size you can imagine.

When went to the top of the mountain on which Amicalola Falls runs, we stopped by The Lodge, which is a place we love to stop just to go in the lobby and look out the huge glass windows...

This view is even better the more the leaves are changing.

Before we went, the boys shared a quick checkers game by the windows.

What a blessing my family is to me, and how thankful I am that we got to spend my special day together in such a lovely place.

What's your favorite thing to do for your special day?

Project 365...Hawai'i Post

2009-10-10T22:50:00.001-04:00

So last May/early June we had the incredible opportunity to go to Hawai'i to do a job. Technically, the DH got the opportunity to do a job, I got to tag along. But considering it only cost us my plane ticket and my food, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to do something of this magnitude this affordably!

We got to stay at a very nice, rather fancy hotel on Waikiki Beach, which is on the island of Oahu near Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Much to our dismay, we did not get to make it to Pearl Harbor. We decided that would be the thing that would draw us back next time.

[Sidebar: The hotel resort was very nice, but next time I want an open-air bungalow on a virtually uninhabited beach on Kauai! The locals told me that's where I can find "old Hawai'i." Sounds like the place for me!]

So here are just a few selected pics taken from our trip:

This was taken at one of the Luau's we went to. Good times.

One of my favorite things we made a habit of doing was walking along the beach at night. DH snapped this picture while I was putting my sandals back on after said walk. This was the night of the Luau in the above picture.

It fascinates me that clouds like this seem to hover over the island like this.

Sunset on Waikiki Beach

I've never seen so many different types of beautiful flowers. EV.ERY.WHERE.

Sands of Waikiki

Eyes of complete bliss! This was taken at Ted's Bakery, which is apparently a locally famous spot for eating chocolate haupia (coconut pudding) pies.
Oh. My. Word. Watch the video at the end of the post to see more!

Waikiki at night.
Our hotel is on the left with the rainbow on it.

I think this is some kind of ginger blossom.

Flamingos. At the hotel. Yep.
It was almost like a built in zoo at the hotel: parrots, wrens, flamingos, PENGUINS (?!), ducks, etc.

I'm not sure if this is some kind of Bird of Paradise or not. But it's pretty!

This, of course, is the hibiscus, the State Flower of Hawai'i

I could bore you to TEARS with all the sunset pictures I could've put on here.

These trees were AMAZING. See the colors painted on them? That's their natural bark color! Yellows, reds, oranges, and lime greens striped all the way up these towering trees. Just beautiful.

Dole Plantation

Heaven...I'm in heaven...and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...come on, sing it with me!

Fields and fields of cocoa plants!
This picture makes me teary eyed.
Seriously.

Pineapple Row
World's BEST pineapples. Hands down.

DH on one of the beaches on the North Shore

See that big dark thing just to the left of me? Can you guess what that is?!

It's a Honu...a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle!
That previous picture was the closest I was allowed to get to her as they are carefully protected animals there. They have volunteers that stay at that beach (a honu feeding and basking area) for 4-hour intervals 24-hours a day.

Surfer on the North Shore.

This is the view from the same beach. Just breathtaking!

Mountains along the central part of the island of Oahu.

Pineapple fields forever....

Learning a hula
at the Polynesian Cultural Center
(which, if you ever get the chance...you MUST go there!)

Our tour guide at the Polynesian Cultural Center was from Tahiti, and she taught us how to make these childhood toys from palm leaves. It's a fish!

This was an Aussie named Bobbie (say it with the Australian accent!)
We met for the first time at the bottom of Diamond Head, so we decided to climb it together. She was visiting Hawai'i from Sydney all by herself!

The view looking back on the trail we were climbing to get to the top of the volcano crater.

There were tunnels to go through...

...and 282 VERY steep steps to climb...

...and an equally steep spiral staircase to climb...

This view is about half way up.

This is from the edge of the crater looking over the town behind.

This is inside the filled-in crater and also the place we started. We're not to the top yet!

THIS is from the top! View of Honolulu.

More of the same, but pulling the zoom back a little...

...and this is the actual view with no zoom from my camera. Absolutely no words.

Closer shot of Waikiki Beach from the top of Diamond Head.

Notice the curvature of the earth in the horizon. Wow.

This is an historic lighthouse at the base of the Diamond Head crater.

As promised, here's a little video of Ted's Bakery. You should watch at least the first minute or two if you'd like a good laugh.

Hope you enjoyed a walk through paradise on earth. I know I did. :-) Thanks again to Sara at Make Music from Your Heart to the Lord for hosting this awesome meme. Go check out what others have been up to! Have a great week! Aloha!

A Closer Look at Pslam 23

2009-10-08T00:01:00.014-04:00

Last Sunday in Sunday School, our teacher asked us to all come in close, sit toward the front and middle because, not if, but when he would get choked up, we may not hear him clearly.

Let's just say he knows himself pretty well.

Clearly the Lord of heaven and earth moved in his life in one of those humbling, teachable, yet worshipful moments. I hope you've experienced one of those with our God, because if you haven't, you should position yourself so into His Word that He answers with one of these moments.

But the moments aren't meant to last forever. They offer a glimpse, as our Sunday School teacher reminded us, a glimpse at the valley from which we just came, and a glimpse into the future valley that is sure to come.

During his preparation time over last week, our teacher briefly described his study time over Psalm 23. He said his first reaction to having to prepare a lesson on possibly the most famous Psalm was a complete blank. I mean, seriously, what do you do? How do you shed a new light on something so familiar?

So he did what any student of God's Word should do...he asked the Author Himself for divine revelation. He believed that God was leading him to take the six verses of Psalm 23 and look up in a Strong's Concordance every singe word except the articles. I wanted to share with you what came from that prayer:

My Shepherd
Psalm 23:1 – 6 (Paraphrased)

1) My Master is the Lord God. He is my tireless Defender, my active Provider and my ever alert and attentive Companion, a true Shepherd. Knowing this I must be content, because He proves faithful in providing my every need.

2) He makes provisions for me to rest at ease with a clean conscience. His forgiving grace allows me to experience complete relaxation, and as I lay down to sleep, the inner peace that is available, if choose to follow Him, can transform a bed of hard ground into a soft mat of fresh green grass.

As I live each day, my Master…my Shepherd, is there with me, leading me to press on in spite of my fears…in spite of the storms that may rage against me. Knowing what’s best for me, my Shepherd will lead me into the midst of my deepest fears. In the middle of it all, as the flood waters rise and relentlessly ravage the landscape, threatening my own life and sweeping away all other living things caught in its rushing torrent, I hear something…yes…it’s my Shepherd’s voice… calling out to me, reminding me that He is my tireless Defender, my active Provider and my ever alert and attentive Companion.

What will I do? Will I believe Him…or doubt…and let the storms’ fury swallow me alive. I believe my Shepherd…and suddenly the noise…the chaos…the anxiety…and the fears lose their grip on me. Though the storm may still rage, I am at peace in the watchful care of my Shepherd…and the floods…the raging river that threatened only moments before is now, but a peaceful, quiet stream.

3) My Shepherd has rescued me…my weak faith and wavering trust in Him has been strengthened. My heart and soul are completely refreshed. He has once again proven that I can and must trust Him. My Shepherd is teaching me the path I must follow if I am to live a life that will honor and glorify His name.

4) There are other times in life…when all is right and in perfect balance…that I am suddenly forced off the mountain top…down the steep slope of the back side of the mountain. I fight to regain balance, but lose my footing, causing me to tumble downward into a deep…dark…valley.

In this pit there is no visible sign of hope. All that seems to be present is the oppressive darkness of the enemy…a heavy…hovering…shadow of eternal calamity. As helplessness and hopelessness begin to stake their claim in my mind and soul…I hear something…it’s a voice…a familiar voice…whispering familiar words…I am your tireless Defender…your active Provider…your ever alert and attentive Companion.

It’s my Shepherd! He has found me! I am saved! I will refuse to live in fear and defeat…my Shepherd is right here beside me. I feel His rod lifting me up and correcting my path…the same rod He used in my defense against the enemy…the same rod He has used to draw me back to Him in times past. How is it…why is it…that I would ever lean on my own understanding…trust in my own judgment? Oh…what comfort my Shepherd’s staff brings!

5) Again, I have been rescued by Him. He has physically restored and sustained me as the enemy watches in defeat…unable to approach me. Now my Shepherd tends to my wounded heart and soul. He anoints me with the oil of restoration. I am overwhelmed with joy…this oil has removed my guilt and shame…the guilt and shame that came when I turned my back on my Shepherd…chose my own path…and fell into the snare of the enemy.

6) Hear me well, because this I know to be true. If…even in rebellion…I turn from my Shepherd and choose to stray…He will engage in relentless pursuit, with the hostile intention of taking the enemy down…if only I will turn my face and my heart toward my Him. His healing favor runs after me. He chases me so He can be there when I surrender in humility. When I do so, He will stoop down in loving kindness and restore my wayward heart. He has proven Himself faithful…over and over…and has promised that He will do this as long as I live. Because He is Faithful and True…I will commit to return to and remain in the presence of my Shepherd…willing to follow Him forever.

A Meme Without a Theme...Random Dozen No. Cinco

2009-10-07T07:31:00.005-04:00

Welcome to this week's Random Dozen! Lid's posted some great questions, so come along!

1. On an average, how often do you splurge and buy something for yourself?

Very, very rarely. Like I couldn't even put a pattern to it.

2. Are you more like Hall or Oates? Just kidding. Real question: What is the last creative project you began/finished? Feel free to post a pic of it.

Lil'bit's fifth birthday cake...a Wow! Wow! Wubbzy cake! If you don't have a preschooler at home and you have NO idea who Wubbzy is, that's okay. Believe me, I wouldn't either if I didn't have my little man watching him.

3. OK, Goldie Locks, do you consider your house too big, too little or juuuust right?

I would love it if we could expand this house juuuuust a bit. DH has some great ideas; we're just getting into position for it. :-)

4. What is your favorite outdoor chore?

Gathering vegetables from the garden (when we have one); otherwise, trimming the hedges. I feel like a sculptor.

5. If you knew that cigarette smoking was not bad for your health but would be a weight loss tool, would you use it? Why or why not?

No, it STINKS.

6. On a road trip, would you rather drive or ride?

For some reason, I want to put the lyrics to "Born to be Wild" here.

I'd much rather ride.

Although one of my favorite road trips was one where I drove my MIL and chil'ren up to Tennessee to see the mountains between here and there. The goal: to hit FIVE states in ONE day (Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, N. & S. Carolina).

The reason it was so fun was actually because I was driving, because the way my MIL copes with fear and nervousness is to make herself (and me) laugh! Now, before you get all "oooo, Chel's a bad driver" on me, it wasn't my driving that was turning her into a stand-up comic, it was the seemingly 1,000 ft. drop off the side of the mountain road that didn't even have a shoulder as a buffer, let alone a guard rail!

Although, one time we did see a guard rail that was literally a zig-zag, and to the right, and down, of us was a very far away dam. She had me laughing so hard I had to stop the car in the middle of the road! Good times.

But that was the only exception to the I'd-rather-ride answer.

7. What do you consider a trivial pursuit?

Material things.

8. This weekend, we downloaded the movie "Duplicity" with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Within 5 minutes, I was bored and annoyed, but I kept watching 5-10 minutes at a time hoping it would get better between small chores. I finally gave up and Jorge watched it alone, and then regretted wasting that time because he disliked it intensely, too. So ... how long do you watch a movie or read a book before giving up on it?

Unless a movie is vile in some way, I will usually stick with it to the bitter end. I don't want to offer my opinion about a movie if I didn't tolerate the whole thing (because if it's bad, I feel responsible to warn others about it). However, if I feel like I need to go get a shower because I can't deal with the grime the movie leaves me with, then I will turn it off waaaayyyy before then.

As for a book, I love reading, but my TIME for reading is at a premium, so if it doesn't hold my attention, I'll quickly move on to something where I feel like I get more bang for my buck, so to speak.

9. Is there a song that you really love but are embarrassed to admit because it's not cool or it's racy or because it's by Hall and Oates?

I honestly can't think of anything that I love but I'm embarrassed to admit. Oh wait, I still love the Monkees songs. I was part of that second generation of teeny-boppers in the 80's who were in love with 40+ year olds who were in their 20's...20 years prior. Mine is a sick generation. But if I'm honest, I still love those shows, and consequently, those songs.

10. On a scale of 1-10 (10 = extremely) how spontaneous are you?

I'm gonna give myself a 5; I'm fairly predictable, but there was the time that DH called from work and said he had to deliver a piece of equipment to a plant in Ohio and he was leaving in an hour...and I had all three boys and myself packed and ready to go with him!

11. Are you a food and/or beverage snob?

The only food I'm kind of a snob about is homemade desserts as opposed to store-bought desserts. I guess that's kind of snobby.

12. Who/What are you trying to control in your life?

DH and I are both trying to (and we will succeed!) take control of our budget and money...we are currently going through the "Financial Peace" program by Dave Ramsey at our church. It is most empowering and motivating, to say the least! It's all about making your money work for you. I am excited to see the effect of "making our money behave." :-)

Well there you have it! Hope you enjoyed another week of the Random Dozen...stop by Linda's 2nd Cup for dozens more!

Project 365...Epic Post

2009-10-04T00:01:00.012-04:00

Sara at Make Music from Your Heart to the Lord has been faithfully hosting this Project 365 (a picture from every day) since January 1 of this year. Many people have been faithfully posting every Sunday a picture of each day from the previous week in an attempt to photographically journal the entire year. Some people, not so faithfully. I would be in this category. However, I have been taking some photos and keeping them, so I think I'll separate the summer months out over a couple of Project 365 posts until I get caught up. We'll start with May and June.

May:

This slays me.
He's actually fallen asleep like that!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked outside.

These are some beautiful flowers a couple of my co-op students gave me as an end of the year teacher's gift. The smell literally permeated my whole kitchen for days.

We got Daddy an ice cream maker for Father's Day (and gave it to him early!) This brilliant piece of machinery came with a hand crank along with a motor. Daddy didn't tell the boys it came with a motor at first. :-)

Monkey see, monkey do.

Daddy hung a rope from a tree this month.
This is the best swing...like ever.

He was scared to get on it at first; now you can't get him off of it!

This is a tiny bird's nest the boys spotted in our bushes.

This picture reminds me of the poem about the kids' hand prints on the walls, and I can stress about keeping them clean, or I can enjoy having them at home while I have them.

Lil'bit got loaded up in his daddy's "slippers" as he calls them.
We had these out while getting ready for the trip to Hawai'i.

Speaking of Hawai'i, I think I will actually post a whole Project 365 of just Hawai'i pictures next week. Definitely the highlight of our summer.
This one was taken the evening of the luau at our hotel.

June:

Brown Eyes and the abandoned cocoon he found outside. I was impressed that
he knew what it was when he saw it!

Beautiful Plumeria in bloom. These small trees (which grow very abundantly large in Hawai'i) came from clippings that DH's grandparents brought back in the 70's. All of the grandchildren got clippings from their parents' clippings to grow our own trees.

Lil'Bit swangin'.

Still swangin'.

Tired of swangin'.

Come back next week to see SOME pics of our Hawai'i trip...don't worry, I won't post them all. I don't think Blogger could handle it. Thanks, Sara, for putting up with the renegade of the Project!

Please: Prayer in Action for the Philippines

2009-09-30T17:32:00.015-04:00

I have a new blogging friend, so to speak. We've only "conversed" a few times in recent weeks, but she is a young Filipino, in her early 20's, a university student. She's bright, seems to me to be very authentic and honest about her feelings and beliefs on her blogs, and I appreciate that about her. She's learning to find her voice out there in the world, and at such a young age, I admire that in her.

Her name is Jenny, and her blog is Oh, By the Way. She lives in the Philippines. She left me a comment today that said this:

"hi ms Chel,

I was thinking if you could somehow raise an awareness over what has happened in o[u]r country. Uhm, i know it's a big favor to ask but we really need your help. who knows, someone with a good heart will donate. the damaged in our country is beyond repair with just us..thank you so much for the time:)"

Realizing that Blogger is going to miss a few things in translation, you get the idea. So I started doing a little research.

It's not hard to find articles and videos on what's going on there. Three days ago, on September 27, 2009, these small islands were struck by a typhoon (basically a hurricane) called Ondoy.

In her most recent post about the typhoon, Jenny said:

I am imploring to those people who have the capacity to spread the word that Philippines is really in need of your help, be it financially and in prayers. This country needs more than just healing. The people who were affected by the calamity need to feel that they are loved.

As a child of God and a member of the Body of Christ, that last sentence hit me right between the eyes. You know, I may not have much, but I do "have the capacity to spread the word." Many of you do, too.

If you can donate, it is much needed and I'm sure appreciated. But even if you can't donate, can you spread the word? Nothing shows love like genuine concern. I know I would love nothing more than for this young Filipino lady and the people of her country to be able to feel the love of Christ during such a terrible disaster.

Wouldn't that be just like our God to take a horrific nightmare and turn it into a conduit for His love to pour out over them?

Click here to read more and donate to Samaritan's Purse.

Click here to read more and donate to the Philippine National Red Cross.

One last thing, and I've saved the best for last: will you pray? Will you pray a true, heart-felt petition to God for His mercy and grace and provision to be sent quickly to those in the Philippines...and in Indonesia and the islands of Samoa while we're at it?

Our planet is experiencing the birth pangs Scripture speaks of (see Matthew 24:3-8), which means we don't know how long these people have to hear the Truth and receive it.

The time is now.

Meme Without A Theme--Randome Dozen [Quatre]

2009-09-30T00:36:00.001-04:00

1. Tell me the absolute best way to watch a movie.

In my own home, snuggled under a soft blanket with my honey and the lights down low. Oh, and a side of hot tea or coffee and a salty/sweet snack to go with it.

2. Do you ever think about your own funeral? If so, do you have specific ideas about how you would like it to be?

I can't say I've ever really thought about it in the "preferences" kind of way. The only thing I've ever said to DH was that I wanted a godly man to lead it and give a tender, but clear, presentation of the Gospel. It would be some celebration if someone came to know Christ after going to my funeral!

3. Are you more of a giver or a taker?

When it comes to service, I'm more of a giver, for sure. But when it comes to gifts or material surprises, not so much. I think I'm just so surrounded by gift-givers (my mom, Chel, and my DH to just name a few...) that, compared with them, I am more of taker. I have to tell you though, that I don't even like writing that.

4. Vacations: planned activities and schedules, or play it by ear?

A little of both; I find that if I schedule too much, I end up frustrated because it doesn't all happen. But if I schedule just a few "important" things, then it's much more attainable and there is still plenty of free time to do whatever comes up. But I know if we don't plan anything, too much time will be wasted trying to find something to do, or we'll miss something great because we didn't do a little research first.

5. What is one often overlooked item in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly?

The corners of the rooms...some little turd spiders get in there and make these tiny cobwebs every time I turn around. Ticks me off.

6. Name a cause that means a lot to you.

This one was actually kind of tough for me because I don't serve a particular "cause" as in organization. I understand what the question is asking, but I'm not sure how to put into words what I'm thinking. So I think I'll put it this way: Reaching around the world with the Gospel is becoming something recently that means a lot to me. God has been showing me lots of areas where He is working and how I really could be involved in things that I never dreamed before. It's not that I didn't care before, but I was ill-informed. It's never been a priority for me, but it's starting to rise to the top.

Another thing that has drawn from my heartstrings has been helping other women grow in the Lord. It absolutely breaks my heart to see my sisters staggering in their walk and I so want to come alongside and help them gain strong footing again. My desire is that we would all walk in the one and only path that God has set before each of us. I know I need help in that area, so I want to do the same for those God brings into my life.

7. Do you eat a regular old peanut butter jelly sandwich, or do you customize it? And by the way, jelly or no jelly?

Well now, it wouldn't BE a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly, now would it Lid? Um, gotta have the jelly. Grape or apple are our faves. I do not usually customize it, because you just can't perfect a classic. But sometimes I put Cheetos inside, just because.

8. If we were having a conversation in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

I had to ask DH this question of myself, because I really don't know. Much to my surprise, he said he didn't know either! The only thing I can think of is that my voice shakes, but people tell me they can't hear it. Don't ask me how they can't, because it sounds like Poe's tell-tale heart to me.

9. Do you have an elaborate bedtime routine, or just the basics of toothbrushing and jammies?

I almost said, "Brushing? I'm supposed to brush before bed?" But since you all don't know me in person, I didn't want you to think I'm gross.

So it depends on how 5-9 pm goes. If it's 9:00 and I've just now tucked the boys in bed and my kitchen is still a mess, then basics is all I get by the time I finish it all. But if the boys are tucked in at 8:30 and I cleaned the kitchen and made DH's lunch before that, then I will take more care...meaning actually washing my face instead of just wiping the contact solution off of it, flossing before I brush, and rubbing lotion on my feet and arms.

10. Have you ever regretted something you wrote on your blog?

Not yet. Well, maybe the toothbrushing thing.

11. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a famous person or celebrity? Did you agree?

I have been told more than once that I look like Michelle Pfieffer, but I don't see it. Now that I've done a search for her pictures, maybe I should ask which one I most resemble?

12. If you were going to dedicate a song to a loved one or friend, what would the song be and to whom would it be dedicated?

Hmmmm....I am listening to Michael Buble's "The Best is Yet to Come" on the Pandora Radio website right now, so I think I'll dedicate that to my sweet Darlin' Husband. Awwww....

I hope you enjoyed stopping by...be sure and say hello to my good friend Lidna at 2nd Cup and see what all the other participants said to these rock-your-world questions!

Meme Without a Theme: Random Dozen Thres

2009-09-15T08:59:00.012-04:00

1. Which is worse: a long, boring meeting or standing in a return/exchange line after Christmas? A long, boring meeting is definitely worse. At least in a long line I can find someone to talk to...and I usually do.

2. Except for maybe Rosie O'Donnell or Ann Coulter, nobody likes confrontation, yet we all have to deal with it. When you feel cornered and defensive, do you "bite back" or become passive aggressive? Ordinarily I start out passive aggressive...but there will usually come a time when I've had enough, and it ain't perty.

3. Do you know anything about your genealogical background? (What country, culture, ties to prominent historical figures, or other stuff.) This isn't something I would normally brag on, but I have a distant relative who, during the 1930's, was a member of the mob in New York. Yeah, shining, isn't it? Apparently he was locked up for "fixing" horse races and money laundering. His name? Rocco Pollotti. Doesn't that just sound mobsta?

4. What is the quickest way a person can endear him/herself to you? Direct eye contact in conversation.

5. Cake, pie, cookies, or ice cream? (Note there is no "all of the above" option. You must choose one. Feel free to elaborate on flavor or memories tied to this dessert.) If you'd like, you can share a recipe, but you certainly don't have to. Warm chocolate cinnamon sheet cake. It's a family favorite. I like the fact that it's a sheet cake not because it's easier than a stacked cake, but because I pour the warm frosting over the hot cake and then I get to visit heaven for a bit.

6. Females: Do you regularly change your handbag to coordinate with your outfit? I have just started doing this in the last few years. Prior to that, I pretty much had a purse and wore the snot out of it. Now I love to have variety to choose from!

7. Are you task-oriented or relationship-oriented? I think I'm more task-oriented. Relationships are very important to me, so much so that if I have an opportunity to visit with someone I'll skip whatever needs to be done for as long as needed. However, because I know this about myself, I also have the tendency to put off the opportunities because of something I know I "have" to get done. I have to be careful on both ends. Is that normal? Am I confused?

8. IHOP, Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel? Cracker Barrel...all...the...way.

9. Have you ever left a movie in progress in a theater? Why? No. I am so selective about what movies I watch that if I'm going to pay MONEY to watch it, I know enough about it to know I won't leave.

10. What is one area of life in which you would like to develop more discipline or organization? I really miss working out. Once I get out the routine of it, it's SO HARD to get back in it again. I already get up so early, so I don't know where I'm going to cram it in, but I want to.

11. Was middle school fun or painful? Middle school was fun for me...more fun than high school. I met all new friends during those years.

12. What is your favorite Fall beverage? A hot cup of coffee with a touch of cinnamon brewed in it. Yum....!

There's another week of the Random Dozen...go see Lidna at 2nd Cup to check out more fun responses!

Worthy is the Lamb

2009-09-14T00:36:00.002-04:00

I love the fact that my kids learn God-honoring music in church. I can't count how many times I've heard each one of my boys at different ages playing by themselves singing:

The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me;
I'll stand upon the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!

You came from hea-ea-eaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the Cross
My debt to pay
From the Cross to the grave,
From the grave to the sky,
Lord, I lift your Name on high!

Last Sunday we were in the truck on our way home from church, and Lil'bit, who will be chowing down on his Wow Wow Wubbzy #5 birthday cake in about 3 weeks, begins softly singing from his car seat: "La la la la....Worried is the Lamb...sitting on His throooooone!"

In time of shifty political promises and economic uncertainty, thank God we can rest in the fact that the Lamb of God is most definitely NOT worried.

Here's the way the song really goes, and a beautiful creative movements piece to go along with it. These girls are in a Korean church, and it literally makes my eyes burn to think of people of all nations and ethnic groups all worshiping the same God together. How glorious. Enjoy!

Meme Without A Theme...Random Dozen Dos

2009-09-10T13:43:00.005-04:00

Round Two of 2nd Cup of Coffee's Random Dozen...go ahead, enjoy a sweet morsel, and then check out the link at the bottom to read more!

1. What is something that you have changed your mind about either recently or over a number of years? I used to think that parenting was not that hard, and what on earth is all the fuss about....yeah, that was when I had one little three year old who was a mommy's boy. I had so much to learn.

2. Choose either subject, but does your a) church b) job feel more like a dental chair experience or an easy chair (recliner) experience? Hmmm, easy chair implies laziness and the dental chair implies torture...is there an in between? My church experience feels more like a water rafting experience...sometimes fast and exciting, sometimes slow and reflective, but always moving and refreshing.

3. Kisses or hugs? I actually typed "huts," which might have been a more interesting question. I agree...some grassy hut on a South Pacific island somewhere sounds just right! As for the real question, it depends on who's doling them out...if it's hubby, I love a soft, tender kiss when he comes home from work. But my boys, I could squeeze the stuffing right out of them.

4. What do you think is the biggest threat to families today? Emasculating our men. Husbands and fathers are getting apathetic in their responsibilities because our culture has said that they are not important. Movies, TV, and even cartoons portray fathers as being foolish, slow, out of touch, and inferior to dominant females. Families need their men to snap out of their complacency and lead our families like they are supposed to.

5. A day after you grocery shop, you open a perishable item that is horribly spoiled. Do you take your receipt back to the store to be reimbursed or just throw it away and forget about it? I have taken a loaf of bread back to Wowmart because it molded within two days of purchase and more than a few days away from the expiration. A loaf of bread, people. What is that, like a dollar? I just can't stand wasting money, so if it's not my fault, then I want it back.

6. What personality trait (feel free to address good or bad or both) do you notice yourself adopting from your parents? Bad posture. I am trying SO hard to correct it, but after 30-something years.... On the good side, I am much cleaner and tidier than I was as a young person. I'm sure they worried about that when I was a teenager.

7. How many slices of bread do you leave in the bottom of the bag when you throw it away? Two? Three? Just the heel? None? (I really want to know if you eat the heel.) I make almost all of our bread now. Maybe it was the Wowmart incident that pushed me over the edge? Well since I put so much effort into making all our bread, when the heel is left over, I usually have one of my younger boys take it outside and tear it up into small pieces and throw it in the yard for the birds. Later, I get to enjoy a yard full of visitors!

8. What mispronunciation or usage error really irritates you? Let's see, hearing the word "irregardless" has always been kind of a scratch on the chalkboard for me. The correct word to use is "regardless." I always want to correct a preacher who says "Revelations" too. It's only ONE Revelation....the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

9. In honor of the uniqueness of today's date, what does the numeral 9 mean to you? (Any special life moments attached to the 9th? Are you the 9th kid in your family? Can you count by 9s really fast? etc.) Nine really doesn't mean anything to me except that it is one more than 8 and one less than 10. Oh, I was born in the ninth month...there's something.

10. Does the general color palette in your closet match the colors you chose to decorate your home with? I have a complete rainbow in my closet. I enjoy wearing just about any color...seriously. The colors in my house tend to be deep red, butter yellow, and khaki (with the exception of the red, white and blue of the Texas flag decor in my bathroom). So I'm going to have to go with "no, not really."

11. When you're hanging out with friends in the kitchen, do you automatically ask to help, or do you sit there and chat until the host asks if you'd like to help? I'm not implying that the 2nd choice stems from rudeness or laziness, just not a first-response like it is for some people. "Can I do something?" is usually the first thing I ask. I feel guilty with idle hands when someone else is working on something.

12. Let's end on a pleasant note: What do you enjoy about September the most? This will probably ring true for everyone who answers this question...but it's true! Definitely the weather change. Which also involves great fall food changes, too. Can't forget that. Oh, and it's the ninth month of the year! Yay!

Well there you have it! Go check out other participants in this fun meme at Lidna's 2nd Cup of Coffee!

Oooo...A Meme Without a Theme...Yummy Randomness

2009-09-02T17:10:00.006-04:00

So our good friend and blogging mentor, Lid, has created her very own random meme! Yay! I haven't done one of these in ages, and it looks like fun!

1. When you go to Wowmart, what one thing do you get every single time, besides a funky-wheeled squeaking cart full of frustration? More frustration because for some reason, there is always, and I really do mean always, ONE thing on my list that they don't have. I don't know how they do it, but it's always one thing. But if I must put an actual product: laundry detergent. (I try to not go but once every blue moon.)

2. What is something that people are currently "into" that you just don't get or appreciate? Rap music. It's not just the lyrics, because even Christian rap just doesn't do it for me.

3. What is something that really hoists your sail that other people might feel "ho-hum" about? Reading really old books. Like 1800's. Love 'em.

4. Favorite song to sing in the shower or car? It's been around a while, but I still LOVE "Shackles" in the car! When hubby's driving, I stick my hands waaaay up in the air like I'm on a roller coaster ride.

5. A really great salad must have this ingredient: Fruit (berries, oranges, strawberries, etc.)

6. Advice in a nutshell to new bloggers (one or two sentences): Don't worry so much about starting a career from this thing; just write from your heart and make some good friends. No stress, and be real.

7. What was the alternate name that your parents almost named you? Do you wish they had chosen it instead of the one they gave you? Michael Jr. Um, no.

8. What in your life are you waiting for? My husband to come home from work. I need some adult interaction, please.

9. You get a package in the mail. What is it, and who is it from? Usually books...from a seller. Oh, you don't want the USUAL answer, but a dreamy one? Um, how about a really cool book and a "I heart Ken Lee" mousepad from a really sweet blogging friend. Or an old Bible from another blogging friend? Those are always fun.

10. Today--what song represents you? "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"

11. What is one thing that blogging has taught you about yourself? I enjoy writing even more than talking...I like that I have plenty of time to think about my words and what I'm trying to say; it saves me the embarrassment of "...uh, what was I saying?"

12. How are you going to (or how did you) choose the clothes you're wearing today? What do they say about you in general or specifically how you're feeling today? Today, I feel good! I am wearing a lavender women's cut t-shirt that says "and they lived happily ever after." I chose it because, again, I am anxiously awaiting my other half's return.

Well that was random! You should all copy and paste all this to your blog and fill in your own answers. But leave me a comment and let me know so I can read yours too! And go check out Lidna's 2nd Cup of Coffee for more random fun!