Happy Halloween

At the moment I am highly irritated, because this was to be a mostly visual post, but for some reason my card reader isn't working. More technology woes...

Last night was the great Halloween Parade in Danville. Omigosh, fire trucks, bands, cheerleading squads (including Nicole's) and sports teams (including Tianna's softball team). The participants on the floats toss candy and kids scramble from the sidelines to collect yet one more tootsie roll. The only problem wasn that Nicole was long finished before Tianna even got out of the gate...

Tonight is the Trick or Treating and I just don't even want to see what Nicole comes home with...none of us need the calories. Her sister went to the football game.

I got the great end of the bargain. I am home dispensing candy while Howie is out supervising phase two of candy collection for the group of five kids that Nicole is a part of.

Tomorrow Nicole and I are going to Ithaca to visit Matt. Can't wait.

Now back to the comment column of the last two posts to continue the conversation.

Communication: From Poor to Purposeful

I really was in the mood to blog last night, but two things interfered with my ability to respond to a couple of posts. Fatigue of the drool dripping out side of mouth variety (common) and an inability to come up with something to write about (uncommon). Must have been the fatigue.

Poor Howie tolerates an awful lot of me being tired all the time...before that totally turns into TMI, I will stop there. I will be happy to have my iron levels re-checked later this month to see if I am still anemic. My pathetic fatigue would indicate I must be. Lucky me, if my iron levels are still down, I get to go for a colonoscopy. But heck, I will get it done this year with lots of great snow me under drugs and an already met deductible on my health insurance.

Anyway, I get Purpose Driven Life devotionals in my email every day. Generally they are pretty good, but I have to say I liked them better when John Walker was writing them. For some reason he has moved on and has his own devotionals that he writes from his site, www.gracecreates.com. I tried to copy his to post it here (there was one particularly great line about the swine in the story of the prodigal son passing biscuits that made me laugh out loud) but no go. It must have some kind of protection on it. So you get Rick Warren instead.

Now, I have to say, I have met (if you can call it that) Rick Warren, and I was less than impressed,which really disappointed me. Like 40 million other people, I read The Purpose Driven Life (Kara, maybe you could get a copy of this for Ray?) and found it to be right on the mark in many places. He has absolutely done some great humanitarian work, so I was thrilled to learn that a Sunday I happened to be in Southern California and went to experience worship at Saddleback Church, he was preaching. I agree with a remark made by a friend and former staffer there, that Saddleback is a Disneyfied Church. It was huge and showy.

I hung around after worship and waited for what I hoped would be an opportunity to say hello. (I kind of felt like a MLB fan waiting for the players to exit the locker room) and finally my patience was rewarded...sort of. He did exit, along with a "bodyguard" who had an earpiece in, and maintained a very healthy distance. When I took a step forward, he stepped back and didn't acknowledge me until I mentioned that I was a friend of a friend. Yet he never shook my hand or really engaged in any conversation. Now I am sure he meets people who want something from him all the time, so I suppose there is a balance. But hospitality and humility were absent, and that disappointed me. I guess Hollywood, not all that far north of where we were, rubbed off. But I still appreciate his work so have copied today's devotional below, which makes some very valid points about communication. And we can all probably learn a thing or two.


Breaking Through the Sound Barrier by Rick Warren
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)
*** *** *** ***
Poor communication is the most frequently mentioned problem in marriage counseling. To really communicate, you must give up three things.

You must give up your assumptions.

We get into trouble when we start assuming we understand the meaning of what people say to us. The truth is everything you hear goes through a filter. Your filter is determined by your past experiences and your unique personality.
You may not be hearing what the other person is really saying. Therefore, it’s smart (and safe) to ask for clarification.

There are six possible messages every time you speak:

· What you mean to say and what you actually said.
· What they heard and what they think they heard.
· What they say about it and what you think they said about it.

Proverbs 18:13 (NLT) says, “What a shame, what folly, to give advice before listening to the facts!”

You must give up your accusations. You never get your point across by being cross. Anger and sarcasm only make people defensive and that kills communication.

Here are four common forms of accusation:

· Exaggerating – Making sweeping generalities like “You never” or “You always.”
· Labeling or derogatory name calling – Labeling never changes anyone. It only reinforces the negative behavior.
· Playing historian – Bringing up past failures, mistakes, and broken promises.
· Asking loaded questions which really can’t be answered, like “Can’t you do anything right?”

You must give up your apprehensions.

Fear prevents honest communication. It causes us to conceal our true feelings and fail to confront the real issues. The two most common apprehensions are the fear of failure and the fear of rejection.

But real communication can happen when you face your fear and risk being honest. Freedom is the result of openness. Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT).
© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

I think they are also valid illustrations of why we don't share (witness) and if we do where we get it wrong. How many people do you think actually will be open to hearing more about God from a bunch of angry picketers? From judgmental and sarcastic messengers? From those who shove their views in other's faces like wedding cake at an out of control wedding reception? Maybe starting with a conversation about discovering your life's purpose is a great place to start, along with no matter how many times you screw it up, God is still there, loving you.

I love this excerpt from The Purpose Driven Life (p. 247). "The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life-the ones you've wanted to hide and forget-are the experiences God want to use to help others. They are your ministry! (BUT) For God to use your painful experiences, you must be willing to share them."

Go share and be an encourager.

Flying Through the Air

Flying through the air without wings can be dangerous. It's a bird, it's a plane...no, it's Matt Pride ready to injure a wrist for the 6th time. Matt is passionate about snowboarding...and loves to try outrageous things with a snowboard attached to his body while launching off a pile of snow bigger than my house. I wasn't surprised to hear he hurt his wrist (again) last winter while working in CO. It happened the time before that too. Last year he worked at Beaver Creek, a couple of winters before in Breckenridge.

The winter he spent in Breck he broke the wrist that isn't injured now pretty badly. He now will set off metal detectors every time he goes through airport security. It killed his season and his spirits too.

This past winter in Beaver Creek he hurt it again, but initial X-Rays didn't reveal a break. But when it was still bothering him this summer we trotted off to the orthopod and several expensive tests and a $500 deductible later learned that there are torn ligaments which will require surgery. But this time, even though it has killed snowboarding for this winter, it hasn't killed his spirit. I am very happy to report that he is handling this event with grace and maturity.

Yesterday there was some three way communication between Matt, the orthopod and myself and Matt was immediately available and engaged in the discussion (responded to emails within moments...) and the surgery is scheduled for December 22. What a Christmas gift.

But actually it is. He will be home for Christmas, plans to recuperate here and do Rosetta Stone Spanish, which has been sitting here since last Christmas waiting for my attention. It is still in the cellophane...He has come up with a very creative solution to take care of his wrist and still snowboard...surgery first, recuperate and then work in NYC as a film extra until our summer, but South America's winter begins. He is hoping to work there for the season before returning and finding a more permanent job.

He is loving his internship, graduation is close enough to be within reach, and for the moment, life is good. May it stay so.

The Privilege of Teaching Childbirth Classes

I finished teaching a set of childbirth classes this evening; the first in quite some time. But the privilege and awe that I feel in being able to somehow intersect with these families is something I hold very close to my heart. I love being able to spend time with expectant families, preparing them for one of life's most incredible events. I think I taught my first class in 1984...Matt was a baby. I remember nursing him, running out the door, teaching and then hustling back as quickly as I could, inevitably to a crying baby. But I loved interacting with the families. And I still do.

I hope I do a good job with the classes I teach...I want to strike a balance of preparing families for the miracle and joy of birth, while addressing concerns and unexpected outcomes. My goal is to eliminate as many surprises as I can, and infuse them with confidence as they await the birth of their child.

I always feel sad when I hear people comment that the childbirth classes they went to were worthless and a waste of time. After all, that was how I felt and it was what motivated me to become a childbirth educator. And now to write a book.

I spent some time linking to different blogs (this is addicting, dangerous and time consuming...) through some of the women who have responded to my request for stories and experiences to share.

I'm not sure when I teach again. January? But I am grateful to be a part of the ongoing story of life for the families that I meet.

Purging and Pruning Continued...

Wow! Look at that storage room now! There are still some bins I need to go through, but that can wait. And here was what I hauled off to HUF today. It was a mix of recycling and more bins of donations. It felt SO good to drop it off there and know it would support valuable programs.

I will note that the day and therefore the week did not start off all that well. While I was waiting with Tianna for her bus with the car off and radio and lights on (for like three minutes) my battery died...Howie had left already, and my cell phone was in the kitchen. So I trucked up my hill in my jammies )at least I had slippers on...called Howie and he came to my rescue. Now I have to put "check car battery" on this week's list...big sigh.

CHurched Review from Shelly

My friend Shelly won the copy of CHURCHED I had to give away. Below is her review. The notion of God being omnipotent and in control, yet bad things happening...and then what? Why do bad things happen to good people? Does God cause it, or allow it? Does he know all the permutations? Is the outcome static from the beginning or change based on free will? I had a very interesting conversation with close Christian friends who have been through lots of heartache...and they had an author/theologian they had recommended that helped them make sense of the mystery and struggle to get their arms around it. Do you think I can remember now who it was? But I left a message to find out, so stay tuned...what are your thoughts?

Shelly wrote:

I forgot to tell you this morning that I finished Matthew Paul Turner’s book Churched. Two things troubled me (other just the whole premise of the way some churches can put more focus on rules and numbers than accepting people into the fold, flaws and all, and allow God to mold them).

The first was the ending. I would love to know where he is now in his journey and I think, although real as it was, it may not show enough of the loving side of churches. Maybe he had just not gotten to that point in his journey at the time of writing this book to be able to find a church that shows love and mercy, while still teaching the basis of Jesus's purpose. I loved the book and thought it was very funny overall. Growing up in the church, I could relate to some of the things that occurred and it is humorous once you look back. You have to have a sense of humor if you are going to live in this world. I just wish the ending was different. It left me hanging and now I feel the urge to search down his blog and see if I can get a few more details about how things are now and how his view changed. I could have used a few more chapters.

The second was when he said, “People said odd things about God. They said he was in control, but when a teenager was killed in a car accident or a young mother died of cancer, they said that he allowed those deaths to occur so other people would come to know Jesus. That only made me fear God more, not have faith in him.”
You know we say it all the time. God's in control. Just let Him be in control. And then some very horrible things happen. So how can we explain God's omnipotent authority and still encourage faith? When I was diagnosed with cancer, it made me actually feel better to know that God was in control, even if it meant my death. To explain that is very hard. I couldn't even explain it to my husband who maybe lost a little faith along the way, not gained it. I think if I could address just this one sentence in his book, I would be getting somewhere. And so since this has been haunting me, I think this may be God's way of challenging me to look deep inside and search for the answer. I guess that's my homework.

Thanks for the book!
Shelly

Thanks, Shelly, for sharing!

Purging and Puppies

Can you believe I really show people this stuff? This is my utility room "before" picture, taken yesterday morning around 10 am. It was so bad you couldn't even squeeze in. The water softening unit in the far back right corner has been turned off for years because it was inaccessible. And our heating system filter is way off cleaning schedule too. But I have some wonderful friends, and Audrey, a friend from church came over for about four hours and I was amazed at what we accomplished! I will post an "after" picture tomorrow. Even Howie said, "WOW!" But it is a multi phase purging process. First stop was up the stairs and into the garage where it is being sorted out to go in the trash (very little) HUF recycling/discount center ( a lot) Erin for a yard sale at her convenience (doesn't matter to me when she has it, it is out of my house and going in HER garage!) and then finally a booth at an antique flea market. Today I took the stuff to Erin's and tomorrow I will make a HUF run. I cannot begin to tell you how good it feels to have it going! But I think I may have OCD...

Now, here are doggie and puppy photos. No wonder the girls would love a puppy for Christmas. No. It won't happen this time around. But the mama, Rags, below, may be bred again down the line.

She had eight puppies! We were there for the last one. They actually eat the sac. Remember I am a city kid and didn't grow up around breeding animals of any kind. I had a canary and a turtle. Now we have a menagerie.

Nicole especially liked the brown one.

They do look like little rats at the moment but they will get really cute.

So that's it for the purging and puppies.

Busy Day...

Just a really quick post before I collapse.

Pictures to follow tomorrow on yesterday and today.

Yesterday was Friday, so it included the last home football game of the season. It got chilly, but I was well prepared. Our team lost big time, but my posse of kids all enjoyed themselves and I got half a book read. Very productive on all fronts.

Just as the game was ending we got a phone call that a friend's dog was in labor, the daddy dogie is Chris and Erin's (son and girlfriend) dog Milo, (they are both Cockapoos) and we went off to see the final and eighth puppy being born. It was way late when we all got to bed.

I hauled my weary body out of bed for a flu shot this morning, did a little grocery shopping and then attacked the storage room which was absolutely inaccessible with my friend Audrey. We worked for about four hours straight, and by the end of the evening Howie, dear, dear man, had hauled every single last box that is to be taken somewhere (HUF, yard sale, flea market) up to the garage, which now looks like the storage shed, except the next stop is OUT!

Then my friend and blog reader Katy came and we have been just hanging out and having a grand time visiting. Her daughter came also and she and the girls are having a good time.

Penn State beat Ohio State (not that I care) and now the Phillies are behind, not that I care about that either. We are Boston fans in this household, so it was bye bye all over for us last week.

And now it's time for bed.

Blogging is Taking Over My Life :)

Blogging has taken over my life. It is 11:08 am and I am still here in my jammies, but I value and so appreciate the conversation.

As you are aware if you have been reading along for awhile, I struggle, vent, fall down, get up and generally rant and rave about issues I am passionate about, which recently include faith, politics and faith and politics together (as in how does one influence the other?).

On the faith front, I have been exploring the Emergent Church movement, which makes some people nervous, others hostile, and yet others really excited. Everyone has an opinion, and as I hope you know, I value them all here. I just decided to attend an event in Memphis called The Great Emergence the first weekend in December. I hope that it will impact my prayer and discernment for a non-traditional church plant that some of us at my home church are involved in. I am passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others, and the week after next will also be attending the National Outreach Convention in San Diego. It was through that organization's publication, Outreach Magazine, that I discovered the Faith in Action Campaign.

Politics. I never really considered myself a political activist, but perhaps having an opinion and being willing to share it openly has made me one. The catalyst for my sharing came from receiving one too many mudslinging, name calling emails, that I ended up muttering about on ad infinitum with my husband. His suggestion was rather than react defensively, I go on the offense, so I guess that is what I have done, by stating my opinions, which I hope don't become offensive in the wrong way.

But check this out: an editor from a web site noticed (My meta tags must be leading people to my site) and I got the following email:
Subject: RE: Politics Message: Hi,My name is Tia and I am an editor at Opposing Views. I came across your site, liked what I read, and wanted to introduce us because we both write about political issues. Opposingviews.com is a debate site where experts go head-to-head on a variety of topics. With Election Day approaching, our experts are discussing some of the most interesting and high-profile ballot initiatives from across the U.S. I encourage you to check out those of interest…I believe you and your visitors will appreciate these debates and might want to weigh in with votes or comments. If you like our site, I would appreciate it if you blog about us or give us a link to the debates. You can create a profile page giving readers information and links to your site. Or, if it is easier, I can do this for you. In the near future we’ll add a blogosphere section to each debate so we can directly feature outside blogs like yours.Thanks for the time and consideration. Let me know if you have any questions or recommendations for experts or debates. Sincerely,Tia www.opposingviews.com.

I went to their site and it looks interesting. Which is another reason it will be going on noon soon and all I have done is blogged, read other blogs and tried to figure out how to post links to blogs I like on my blog. I had to email my web gal for help with that one. I am a total techno peasant.

Which brings up the complicated inter-relationship of faith and politics. Should one influence the other? Does my pastor have it right by abstaining from voting as a peaceful way of protest? What about writing in a candidate instead? Should the government take over where the church has failed? How can we do this perhaps on a more grass roots level in our communities (for example the Faith in Action Campaign?) and do you ultimately believe as does my husband's faith that he grew up in but doesn't follow, that God has already selected the next president, so why bother?

OK. I need to get dressed, do some errands, forget the laundry, and yikes, I do have book writing related work to do, not to mention some church outreach business. But I am way hooked on this. Oh Boy. Now when I need to work on a book, I guess I will have to go where I can't get Internet...

Peace.

Church, Healing and Forgiveness

I had an interesting conversation with a friend yesterday, and it ties in with one of the comments on a previous post about the church's role in meeting people's needs and the fact that it was never supposed to be the government's job to do that. (Did I get that right? Please correct me if not).

But the church isn't always so good at doing that. That was part of the conversation with my friend yesterday. There are churches that do that, and do it well. I think the church I worship at does it well, and is on a journey to do it better. But it took me till I was 41 to find that kind of church. The church, and representation I had found of Christ prior to that time was harsh, judgemental and full of shame, blame and condemnation. Not a place to find healing if I was hurting and desperate. I only gave church, and as such, representatives of Christ (the Christians I had met before were not representing anyone I would want to know, let alone commit my life to) one more chance because I was desperate and I had a loving, caring friend who gently invited me to come to church with her when I was ready. No strings attached. But without the personal invitation from someone I loved, respected and trusted I never would have gone or expected to find in it a safe haven of love and acceptance.

Is church as a safe haven of love and acceptance the norm? Or is it an exception. The perception is certainly that it is an exception. Just read UnChristian and you will find an account of how most people not engaged with a local church view church. It isn't pretty. If you are a Christian and as such a representative of Christ, it is worth reading to give you insight into what others, those people termed "lost" or "unsaved" (and I have to admit that I cringe at those terms) perceive. And then see if you fit their perceptions (I hope not) or not. And reflect and pray about how you can better reflect the spirit of Jesus.

Which brings me to another thought tied into a previous comment, the one about Christians having two faces, one for Sunday and one for the rest of the week, and the reminder that there shouldn't be any difference because as Christians our lives should put a smile on God's face, even if it ticks off your neighbor...But how many transparent people do you really know? And how many are double-faced?

Which begs another question. When someone asks you how you are and it isn't anywhere near fine, do you answer "fine" or do you give the real answer, which no doubt is not what the other person was expecting. It takes time to listen and empathize. To me, that is one of the marks of a Samaritan. Someone who takes time to stop, listen and care. How many Samaritans do you know? How many people serve knee deep? Does the church promote a Samaritan lifestyle, or has church become consumerist too?


So anyway,I read the following quote on Pete Wilson's blog, which is what got me going on this stream of consciousness. He is a pastor of a church in Nashville called CrossPoint. I know I would really like it there.
The following was written by Henry Nouwen.

“When we have been wounded by the Church, our temptation is to reject it. But when we reject the Church it becomes very hard for us to keep in touch with the living Christ. When we say, “I love Jesus, but I hate the Church,” we end up losing not only the Church but Jesus too.
The challenge is to forgive the Church.
This challenge is especially great because the Church seldom asks us for forgiveness, at least not officially. But the Church as an often fallible human organization needs our forgiveness, while the Church as the living Christ among us continues to offer us forgiveness.
It is important to think about the Church not as “over there” but as a community of struggling, weak people of whom we are part and in whom we meet our Lord and Redeemer.”
- Henry Nouwen

This speaks to me today. We are a community of struggling, weak people. And we need to extend grace to each other. I need to extend grace to those with whom I don't agree, and I pray that they extend grace to me as well. If we did extend grace, we may be a step closer in meeting some of the needs of hurting people. After all, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Matthew 9:12).

And not enough healing has been going on.

Nicole's First Paycheck

Nicole has a job and recently received her first paycheck. She rides the school bus home with a neighbor Kindergarten girl, brings her to our house for a snack, often sits down with her to start her homework, and then escorts her home, often sooner than she would really like, because at the moment we have swimming after school at four.

She has earned her own money and even had to defer gratification as the mom waited for several trips (at one or two each week that also meant several weeks) before paying Nicole. Personally, I thought this was great, because it mimics real life where one has to wait to get paid.

I told her her dad only gets paid once a month (yeah, but we're used to it now, and now that I have transitioned to online banking, I know EXACTLY where we are standing, or sinking as the case may be). That caught her attention and her experience put it all into new perspective. She took her lump sum of cash (she asked me to please cash her check at the bank and get all ones, so it looked like more money...am I raising a materialist?) to the book fair at school the other night and spent about 75% of it, but was very content and pleased with her purchases.

My favorite was a pink and green pen - it looks like a huge makeup brush. The pen part is green and the brush part is pink. Plus she bought me my very own cool pink eraser. Very sweet. And I am pleased with the several great experiences that resulted.

Peace for the Day

The colors in the photo don't do the colors of nature justice. Yesterday when I came downstairs to put the coffee on, this was the view I saw. It was beautiful and a reminder to accept as gifts the simple things of life.

Song of Songs: Preview of Kathy's Book...

By request, here is something I will post on Song of Songs. Thanks, Katy, for asking! This admittedly is the easy way out of putting some thoughts down on this book. I will get around to more discussion in, well, no promises...I keep either getting emails of things I want to post, real life pops up with amusing anecdotes, or a beautiful sunrise happens in my back yard and I get sidetracked...But in the meantime here is what I am posting.

Earlier this summer I got a contract with Regal to write a book called What the Bible is All About for Moms. This is the project I ran away to Roatan to work on. I completed just about the entire rough draft while I was there and it has been sitting ever since. I am just practicing what every good author's advice column recommends: let your draft sit for awhile before going back to it. So it has sat.

Even though my deadline isn't till March 1st, I am planning on wrapping it up by December 1st. That way I won't stress over the Holidays, can pace myself on preliminary work with the pregnancy book and hit the ground running January 1 with that. My deadline for that is June 15th, but I have two releases coming out this Spring: The Bible Study and Stressed Out Moms Devotions to Go, so as to not get too stressed out myself I need to keep on track...all that to say what appears below is the rough draft, untampered with for the book. Editorial comments and suggestions happily accepted!

The concept of the book is to write from a contemporary point of view with a brief synopsis of each book, snapshot from Henrietta, since this book is tied in to her work, What the Bible is All About, and on the edgy side. So the Snapshot is the book overview, and the Mama Mia section is the story. Then at the end, there are segments for applying it to today's woman with Biblical application and questions for reflection. You will notice I haven't written those yet, but just wanted to include the headings to give you a sense of the flavor of the layout. There is one chapter for every book of the Bible based on either a mom in that book, or issue that moms deal with...happy reading!


SONG OF SONGS: WHITE TEETH AND PLASTIC SURGERY

SNAPSHOT FROM HENRIETTA: Hey, hold on to your hats. There’s some pretty racy dialog in this book of the Bible, written by Solomon, who also penned Proverbs. Didn’t know the Bible could get provocative, as in chick lit romance reading? Yeah, it surprised me too. The dialog takes place between wise King Solomon and a woman from Shulam (also referred to as a Shulamite) but symbolically paints a picture of God’s love for His people. It is a wonderful portrait of personal love to Christ, which Dr. Mears calls “the greatest need of the church today” (p.217). It’s just that the writing is a bit more explicit in this particular book; at least PG-13, sometimes R. No wonder it doesn’t get much flannel board attention in Sunday School...most parents try to put off these kinds of conversations for awhile...

DR. MEAR’S SUGGESTED READINGS:
Her Synopsis: Jesus Christ, the Lover of Our Souls
Her Suggested Bible Readings:
Day One: Joyful Communion (Song of Songs 1:1-7; 2:1-7)

MOMSENSE: How many women are satisfied with their physical appearance, especially after they have had a child or two? Well, some of the passages in this racy book aren’t likely to make women feel much better. In fact plastic surgery may seem more appealing than ever after some reading…white teeth, full, red lips, a graceful neck, and supple, fawnlike breasts? The reality is a different story…

SCRIPTURE: “Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing…Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon, your mouth is lovely…your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance…Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.”
-Song of Songs 4:2-5

MAMA MIA: OK, so I fully understand that I should love and accept my body just the way it is, but it was much easier to do that years ago when I was in my twenties. Even though I had had a couple of kids by then, I still seemed to be able to get back into shape.
Today I am decidedly approaching middle age, and it all just seems to be going downhill. Something happened when I turned forty, and it wasn’t pretty… My belly and hips are expanding, my boobs are sagging and my brow is starting to wrinkle. I remember one year asking for liposuction for Christmas. “I just wish I could get rid of twenty pounds between my naval and my knees…” Santa didn’t bring me liposuction (or Botox for my brow…even though I am married to a dermatologist) just clothes that were the next size up.
I recently decided enough was enough, but rather than engage in the difficult, sensible (and only successful) approach to weight loss, I succumbed to the infomercial sales pitch wooing me from the TV screen for the ten minute trainer. “Ten minutes of targeted exercise employing revolutionary stacking technology guaranteed to transform your body!” How gullible am I? It was the “ten minute” part that appealed to me. Never mind I spent much more time than that packing in the food.
The infomercial continued to seduce me into purchasing something I couldn’t believe I was considering. But just a few minutes later I was dialing 1-800…on my cell phone (because I was away from home in a hotel room and totally captivated) and found myself placing the order for the “money back guaranteed” ten minute trainer. I even opened my conversation with the very well trained phone sales gal by saying I had never, ever done anything like this ever in my life before, would she please tell me I wasn't crazy?”
Well, excuse me, what did I think she would tell me? Anything other than what I wanted to hear? But she gladly obliged and we had a delightful conversation, the entire time she continued to assure me that my impulse buy was completely guaranteed and completely refundable. So I did the unthinkable and read off my sixteen digit credit card number complete with expiration date. And I lied, I did do something like this once very long ago…at another time I also wasn't satisfied with my body. But then it was because I wished my boobs were bigger and I was duped by some breast enlargement gizmo that ended up being some pectoral muscle exercise device. There. True confessions of a frumpy model wanna be (not really).
So my ten minute trainer system arrived, and I was more than a little embarrassed and not 100% satisfied. So I did send it back and decided to do it the old fashioned way. Less consumption, more movement and increased gratitude that I am healthy.

WHAT’S A MOTHER TO DO:
LIGHTENING THE MOTHER LOAD:
MUSINGS FOR MOMS:

Comments gladly accepted. As a matter of fact, maybe I should gather an Editorial reader's panel to help make it the best it can be. It is geared to both readers who are not familiar with the Bible, to show a different than generally perceived side (like it is stodgy and has nothing to do with my real life, here and now) and those who are familiar but also like to relate it to real life.

Fun at the Farm

Saturday was one of those beautiful sunny, yet crisp fall days. Perfect for some afternoon fun at the farm. The only thing that could have made it better is if we had done it as a family; Saturday we went with the girl scouts. This was at Ard's farm west of Lewisburg. City kid that I am, I had never gone in a corn maze before. And we only tackled the kiddie one at that. I would be up for wandering (with growing frustration, I am sure...) in the super-sized one. In addition to the corn mazes and zip lines there was a rope swing inside the "fun barn" and other types of maze activities as well as a corn cannon.

Oh, and a huge tunnel slide. This picture was taken from the top of the slide. There were also hay rides to the pumpkin patch, a bluegrass/country band playing and lots of food (which we didn't indulge in).

I must be mellowing in my old age. I really, really enjoyed this. There was a time when I wouldn't have taken the time to hang out and relax, instead preferring to send Nicole with the girl scouts and instead conspire as to how I could spend those couple of hours on me. Curled up under the covers? (Probably not, because I wasn't good at relaxing then, either. Don't laugh, I am getting better...)More likely clean through a couple more boxes, go to the Salvation Army, or just selfishly spend the time on myself.

But see what I would have missed! The sunshine, and not just the Indian Summer sunshine, but the sunshine spread all across Nicole's face. The fun, the joy, the connection. And isn't that what we all really want? And on Saturday, that's exactly what we had.

And the Winner is...

Shelly!

Congratulations, you are the winner of MPT's book, CHURCHED!

This was not a particularly scientific or random number generated drawing. My techie inabilities prevented me from doing that. But I did go through all the comments, write every one's name down (except mine, of course) on a slip of paper one for each comment (Katy wins the prize for most comments...don't know what that is yet, but will come up with something!) and had Howie draw.

I asked him to please hold the pose while I ran and got my camera to make sure it was truly a Kodak moment, but he got a little testy (seems my family members are not too excited about having their photos on my blog...) so I deferred. I was going to go for a re-enactment this morning, but left the camera in the car last night and got a little chilly, so it didn't work...lens fogged up. He was relieved to be off the hook.

Congrats, Shelly. Watch for more blog book tours coming in the near future...

Alter Boyz

I believe we can't take ourselves too seriously. The ability for humor (especially self-deprecating humor) is a must. Maybe that's why I like reading Matthew Paul Turner so much...(I am still hoping he has time to write an endorsement for my upcoming Bible Study amidst the flurry of activity of his new release...) There is way too much tragedy in the world to get hung up on the "small" stuff. I find myself reflecting a lot these days on the big picture: God, grace, hope, mercy,justice and the ways we superimpose our views onto those things or filter them through a sieve of the small picture: whether I can watch an R rated movie with a group of girlfriends, how going to Neighborhood Bunco (Omigosh, a card game involving money, isn't that gambling?But before all Christians who think gambling is a sin yet still plan to vote for McCain just realize that he has very strong lobbying ties to the gambling industry), or how I can laugh at a hilarious performance of a production of the Alter Boyz, and still firmly hold onto my faith.

Obviously there are some long standing impressions that are still stuck inside the cobwebs of my head and I am working diligently to shake them loose and live a life without judgement that reflects the love of Christ.

For me, last night that included laughing hysterically at a production of a show called the Alter Boyz, that was performed at Bucknell University. It absolutely made fun of several stereotypes, beliefs, even of faith, but yet rung so true. Yet I found myself reflecting on yes, my new favorite author MPT (and he reads a guy called David Sedaris, so now I need to pull his work out...) and suspected that he would have been laughing right along with me...I will have to email him and ask. But for so long I felt like if I laughed at something like that there was something wrong with me...I was dissing Jesus and heaven's what might others think? I also suspect and said this to Howie, as we left, (having shared a really fun evening together...) I wonder how several of my Christian friends would have responded to this show. Contempt? horror? at least a lot of squirming...yet there was so much truth in many of the points they made, and I did have some true moments of poignancy as a lover of Jesus. Howie didn't agree with me on that one, but that's totally OK.

I can totally see how this show, "sacrilegious" as it was could, can and I suspect will be a point of conversation with those who only know that side of Christianity, and there are plenty. And not nearly enough who experience the grace and the desire to be a representative of Christ here on earth. But I believe it is totally possible to embrace both. And am finally becoming more comfortable doing just that.
But that begs a different set of questions...more for me to ponder myself at this point than share...

But what it does do is reconfirm for me the passion of pursuing a non-traditional church plant, which is something our home congregation is doing. A place where I can laugh alongside fellow congregants at fringe things, keep an Obama magnet on my car without getting too nervous, or believe that we can serve God on Sundays even if it means swinging a hammer. (A reference to our recent Faith in Action Campaign where "work" projects were moved to Saturday in observance of resting on the Sabbath...) And enjoy a glass of Merlot. But most importantly model, represent and introduce people to Jesus.

Yet it is my church home, the place where I met the real deal Jesus. But...and I don't want to be judgemental, I am just reflecting about thoughts that are swirling around in my mind about having a strong, strong faith and yet enjoying and embracing many different things...sorry, rambling.

Who'd have thought sitting through a show like the Alter Boyz would have been such a Spiritual experience...

Churched...Some Musings...

I have been talking about this book for awhile now, and the author even longer. What I love about his writing is he is real. Just read the subtitle, "One kid's journey toward God despite a holy mess." And he writes about several of those holy messes in his new book CHURCHED.

I remember when I read his book THE COFFEEHOUSE GOSPEL. I was hooked on his humor and candor. Here was someone I could relate to. So I can't tell you how excited I was when I actually met him. He is as real in person as on paper. And I love that.

Now, first, the cover isn't blue. It is yellow. And I have no idea why my computer put it here in blue...And I have to admit I hope I do this book justice; I am a writer after all, so I am feeling a lot of pressure about now to come up with the right words. But just like in prayer, they don't need to be fancy or eloquent, but just the real deal. And I believe that's OK.

So here are my real thoughts about Turner's Faith upbringing and journey. First, it allowed me to re-think my position about wondering why the heck God waited to get a hold of my heart till I was over the age of 40. If I had met God in Pastor Nolan's church I probably would have left. The candor, humor and grace with which his faith journey is told and followed speaks volumes to my heart about a God that loves us through it all and despite it all, and in spite of some well intended, but perhaps misguided representatives. The effect that some legalistic representatives of God had on me in my younger days was to make me run as fast as I could in the other direction. With friends like them who needed enemies? But Turner didn't turn his back and run, but survived and tells the story without condemnation. I love that. To me that is the gift of grace. And we all need more of that.

Turner's ability to weave stories with a strand of resonating self deprecating humor is a gift that I believe will help many find hope and healing in the God that has been there all along, but may take some of us longer to meet or find. I laughed and sighed my way through the book and am relieved there is someone with whom I feel like a kindred spirit. His writing has validated my own faith journey, allowing me to become more confident in the many ways in which we can meet and worship God. We don't all need to fit into a prescribed mold, nor should we have to. After all, we are unique!

God has gifted us with a variety of attributes and talents. I am so thankful that He has chosen Matthew as a scribe to share His love with others in his own style.

Leave your comment here for your chance to win a copy, or follow the link to www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074711 to order your own copy.

Eliminating the Word "Maybe"

OK, I know I am a total techno peasant. Probably sub-peasant. I need to rotate the photos before I get to this point, but somehow don't manage to squeeze that step in before sitting down to post, and in the grand scheme of things decide that posting and adding a sideways photo is better than no photo at all. Thanks for your support in yesterday's comments. I know that "maybe" always is heard as "yes" so I decided to boundary that word also. My life has become all about boundaries. I have come to the unhappy conclusion that I had none, or at least no healthy ones as a kid growing up and it has made me inept in this area of my life, which is way too big and has to stop. So I am working on it through reading the wonderful Boundaries book by Townsend and Cloud and spending time with a great Counselor.

So this is just going to be a quickie update, a longer post later, which will include a full fledged review of the book Churched, by Matthew Paul Turner, yeah, the one I keep talking/writing about. Remember that adding your comments gets you entered in a drawing to win a free copy.

So boundaries I established yesterday and leading into yesterday were:

• Not driving to NYC. I accomplished a lot in the catch up with Outreach related work and some writing work I needed to do. Remember to send me/tell me your pregnancy and childbirth stories if you haven't already!
• I took a walk; it was a gorgeous day and I enjoyed the sun stroking my cheek as I did my short loop and marveled at the brilliant foliage colors. I have also stopped, for the most part, talking while walking so I can be present in the moment, and quiet my mind while I walk.
• No Dunkin' Donuts for anyone. No coffee for me, no junk food for the girls.
• I responded to Tianna's new found vigor at harassment for a cell phone by saying, "you may present your case to everyone (dad too) later at the dinner table. I have told you how I feel. You are welcome to state your case and we will discuss it. But if I hear about it one more time before then you will spend the rest of the evening in bed without dinner." Period. It worked. She did make a feeble attempt at, "I really want a cell phone" to which her dad simply replied something to the effect of saying she would be sixteen before she knew it, time flies when you get older. (She will be twelve next month).
• I timed out my mommying at nine to watch the presidential debate stating that I had spent all evening being available and had warned them that at nine I was off duty. That worked too.

So as to "Maybe" I told them that it just allowed too much wiggle room and room for unnecessary debate, so I was eliminating the word from my vocabulary.

When I told Howie my plans for eliminating the word for at least the time being, his dry wit response was, "Well, maybe you'll be able to do that..."

Have a great day, see you later!

Why Did I Open My Big Mouth?

I was going to go to New York City tomorrow. But I changed my mind. In an effort to be open and communicative with all parties involved (my mom who is going back to NY and would get a ride, and my daughters who would be affected by my after school absence) I had somewhat of a monologue about the pros and cons of driving to the city and mused out loud, in fact just loud enough for Nicole to hear, that maybe she would make a decent travel companion. What on earth was I thinking?

She jumped all over that one, imagining a field trip to the American Girl Doll store. Does that count as an educationally excused absence? I am taking my daughter out of school for a day because it is easier than lining up after school rides and it can be counted as an excused absence. A bit of a stretch...I agree. So just as quickly as I mused about the possibility of taking her with me, I decided, also out loud that it wouldn't be a good idea, but it was too late. She had made up her mind she was coming along, even though I had decided I wasn't going.

There were a couple of reasons I had entertained driving to the city. One is my mom is ready to go home (I hate to say this, but I am also ready for her to go home) and a neighbor is part of a group art show that is opening tomorrow and her mentor is a friend of my dad's. So my dad said, "Why don't you come in?" and in a moment of advance spontaneity I agreed. Why do these decisions that involve several hours in the car, a late night drive home, $$ gas and then the added insistence of a road trip to the American Girl doll store always sound better weeks ahead of time? When will I learn?

We just got back from VA at about two this morning and about the last thing I want to do is drive another six hours tomorrow. All of a sudden it didn't seem like such a good idea. Not to mention the fact that it would be dark and late returning home. My mom agreed to take the bus and all of a sudden I was several hour and dollars in the plus.

Then there was the Nicole factor. Her persistence in talking about the NYC road trip and not dropping it earned her an early ticket to bed. Boy when she wants something, she wants it NOW! But I explained the sagging economy and the fact that if we were going to really enjoy NYC then we needed more than three hours. I think it finally registered. Now she's only asking if we can go this weekend...to which I also said "no" but I did promise that we would go sometime...and have a good time. On a day there isn't school and when gas has gone down maybe another 50 cents a gallon.

Bojangles Break

Happy Saturday from Virginia. We are at the lake this weekend, me, Howie, the girls, two of their friends, a friend of ours, the two kittens and the hermit crabs. A travelling menagerie.

And here is how pathetic I am. I had to go to the grocery store to get Smores ingredients and I chose the Kroger because it would take me past the Bojangles where for an endless cup of sweet tea I can connect to the wireless and feel connected. And free refills besides...

It is a beautiful weekend. We have gone tubing and Nicole and I fell asleep and napped in the boat while the sun warmed us. Heaven.

My mother is alternatingly glancing at me and her watch, no doubt concerned about the two boxes of Popsicles and three half gallons of ice cream in the car. She is also feeling guilty for not having made a purchase while I check my email, post and send one email that really needs to be sent. So I dare not tarry too long...

The evening plans include Smores at the fire pit and game two of the American League playoffs. The sports fanatics in my family live for Boston sports. When the Red Sox and Patriots win big things in the same year it is cause for celebration. I personally prefer my sleep.

Peace.

So Much to Say, So Little Time...

I have gobs I want to write about, and no time...we are leaving for the lake today and will be back late Monday night. I was hoping to post about various and sundry things like Bunco, new od shutters for the house and crazy hair day and perhaps a political comment or two...but it didn't happen. Sorry. I will try to find Internet over the weekend.

Peace.

Sex in the CIty, Churched and Hospitality

The following review was posted on a blog that I found through Matthew Paul Turner's blog written by a retired physician now homeschooling mom. The website is http://www.domesticadventure.blogsopot.com/.

Here's some reviews of some books I've been reading lately.Rapture Ready by Daniel Radosh - No, this is not a book about preparing for the supposed "Rapture" of the Church. Actually, it is a book by a non-Christian about his investigation into Christian subculture. He starts with a trip to to a Christian music festival and explored Christian bookstores, The Holy Land Experience, passion plays, Christian children's activities, and even Christian wrestling. This book was often entertaining, but at times disturbing. I wasn't always proud to be a part of this subculture. As Christians, we often put up with poor quality entertainment just because it's Christian. We even accept questionable theology because it is, overall, Christian. Radosh was open about things that bothered him - and they often bothered me, too. For example, a pro-life booth at a Christian music festival had pamphlets that stated that children born by in-vitro fertilization are just commodities. Radosh's children were conceived using this method, and he, quite understandably, took offense at the pamphlet. This is a very helpful book for those of us in the Christian subculture. We sometimes need to see from another perspective. I hope it will also give us an idea of how we can better impact the world around us. I highly recommend this book. A

At any rate, I thought her comments about the Christian subculture were interesting given my experience with hospitality and watching Sex in the City over the weekend, as well as thoughts and reactions I have had to reading Churched. It was the last three sentences that spoke to me in particular. The part about seeing things from another perspective. (Other than the "Christian subculture" perspective.) I see things from that "other pserspective" because I haven't been immersed or swallowed up by the Christian subculture. I love Jesus, but I only got to know him and "asked him into my heart" once seven years ago at the ripe old age of 41. But I also love all kinds of music and will watch an R rated movie.

But because I lived outside of Christianity for such a long time, I know I have lots of friends who are not Christians and I have not been absorbed into the Christian subculture the way some who have always and forever been a part of the church have. I definitely live in the world, but try to follow Jesus. I am by no means perfect. I am honest. And I mess up all the time. But it is really a foreign concept to me when I speak to some of my Christian friends who honestly share that they really don't socialize or get together with any non-Christians. I have lots of non-Christian friends (and relatives... In fact, I am married to one...the most wonderful, giving, caring, servant hearted and humble guy in the world; he just doesn't know Jesus...)

Case in point, I watched Sex in the City, rated R, the other night at a neighborhood girlfriend get together. I found myself wondering what Pastor Nolan, the fundamentalist Baptist Minister whose fire and brimstone antics are vividly recounted in Churched would have to say about this movie. If Rock and Roll were of the devil, then this movie, omigosh would keep the fire burning for ages and ages to come. Can one be a Christian and watch a movie like this? Pastor Nolan would say "absolutely not!" but I say, "certainly."

Yes, there were a couple of scenes that gave the movie its title. Yes, there were loose morals thrown around. Yes, at times I felt mildly uncomfortable. Yes there was infidelity, but there were also the underlying messages of searching for love and offering forgiveness through the journey of life. And isn't that part of the Christian message? After all, if we're honest, infidelity is everywhere, including the church. It doesn't mean we condone it. But it also doesn't mean we act totally horrified and pretend it doesn't exist. Instead we can glean from the very real struggles the characters deal with and do a little honest introspection and see if we either don't relate ourselves to some of their struggles, or at least know someone who does.

I also have to say that the evening gathering where we watched the movie was just a lovely show of hospitality. The hostess went out of her way to serve her guests wonderful treats in a relaxed setting. The food and company were delicious. And she opened her home to her neighbors.

What' On My Mind...

There are several things on my mind and deep in a comment the other day I left a dangling carrot about promising to post about how "Sex in the City" could possibly be related to hospitality and being a decent representative of Christ. OK, so I have a knack for getting ears ringing or pushing people out of their comfort zones from time to time. But I have to admit I was just too tired last night to post. I had to go to HUF to see the new store, and it is Awesome! I also found out that they are now involved in recycling for the Milton School District, so that is something else on my mind. The list (which may cause some aches and pains from stretching) follows below the next photo... No, this isn't sawdust, although it might as well be. It is ground flax seed that I heard and read is healthy for you so I added some to my oatmeal yesterday. Yuck. It was awful. It had the consistency of sawdust and some of the seeds which didn't get totally ground got caught in my teeth. I may hold on to it, though, because it might make good cat litter. All in the name of recycling. Which will bring me to the first of the other things on my mind...

RECYCLING:
I heard a really nasty rumor at Nicole's elementary school that the paper that is collected in recycling bins in all the classrooms is just dumped in the regular trash at the end of the day. Talk about lousy example and misleading and lack of integrity. So this morning I went in to ask the Principal if it was so. He didn't know for sure, but supported me 100% when I said I would like to cause some trouble and look into it. Apparently there are all kinds of restrictions about what can and can't be recycled. OK. They obviously need to take a lesson from HUF, where they take everything except Glass and it doesn't even need to be separated. So I have a call in to the appropriate powers that be. I know there are like minded people who will get on the band wagon. Yes, it takes time and effort. But our world is not a replaceable commodity.

COFFEE CONVERSATION:
That was a safer heading than politics...I just want to say I believe we all want the same end result for our country: hope, a better economy, peace...and a bright future for the next generation. But we disagree on who we feel is best positioned to get us there. I invite my friends and readers to not get too nervous about out of the box posts. My goal is not to offend anyone or compromise any friendships. So no nervousness, just love allowed.

DIRECT TV:
We switched to Direct TV and bundled it with Verizon phone and Internet a few weeks ago and my mother hates it and can't figure out how to use the remote. So every day I hear about how much she hates it and how stupid it was to switch. Of course never mind that my mom is the one who taught me all about frugality and she will go ten blocks out of her way in NYC to save a dime on a gallon of milk.

CHURCHED:
Matthew Paul Turner's book Churched released yesterday and with the help and support of several friends and fans it made it to #687 on Amazon.com. I finished reading it and have decided to muse and reflect on topics and stories from the book starting today and going through next week.

WIN THE BOOK:
Remember if you want an opportunity to win the book, you get entered in a drawing every time you leave a comment.

FUTURE POLITICALLY ORIENTED POSTS:
Will be posted separately, so if readers prefer to skip politics they can do so and still keep reading the parts they enjoy. I aim to please!

NATIONAL OUTREACH CONVENTION:
The first week of November I am flying to San Diego to attend the National Outreach Convention and can't wait. I will also have the chance to visit my elementary school friend who is courageously fighting breast cancer again. You may recall I spent her birthday with her in June.

That's it for now. On to Churched!
Peace.

Going Nuts Over Nuts...

Let me let you in on a secret. Fundraisers are some kind of punishment for parents. I don't mind Girl Scout Cookie sales, because the thin mints just seem to sell themselves. But most other fundraisers are, well, torture.

Here is the latest one going on in the Pride Household: Candy and Nut sales for Girl Scouts. They should just stick with the cookies...

Our first troop meeting was two weeks ago. In addition to several other forms and reams of paper, we were given the option of participating in the magazine and nut sale. Nicole and I said "yes" and "no" respectively and simultaneously. My opinion is that no one has time to read magazines anymore and that the nuts and candy are overpriced. I offered to simply make a donation; the girl scouts would have come out way ahead in the fundraising game. The only problem is there is no fundraising incentive prize for parental contributions; only number of candy items or magazine subscriptions sold. Ugh.

So I dragged me feet and tried to wheedle out of helping Nicole (she does the talking, I do the accompanying and shadow her as she rings doorbells) sell pistachios and chocolate covered pretzels. The order form is due Wednesday, but guess what, we have been given a reprieve and have an extra week to try to sell fifty containers of candy and nuts so Nicole can "earn" an inflatable chair.

Why not just buy an inflatable chair? (The much coveted prize). Believe me, I thought of that. I do not want to ask anyone, or even be seen on the same door stoop as Nicole when she asks anyone to pay $6 for a canister of pistachios when they can go up to the farm market and get triple the amount for half the price...

And of course, the more activities one participates in the more fundraisers there are and there are always incentives that just mess the whole thing up. We did sell Sheetz sandwich certificates. Now those I didn't mind buying...$4 per coupon good for any Made to Order item and extra large drink. Now those were a deal, and with swim season fast upon us and no expiration date on the coupons, I bought a bunch myself. But overpriced pistachios? No thanks. And I want my friends to still love me and my neighbors not to shudder when they see us coming.

From Faith Inaction to Faith in Action

I have to say, we had a really great message in church this morning. Our Faith in Action campaign culminated with service projects last weekend, and over 170 people from our church contributed almost 600 volunteer hours. And it was raining...and one of the guys had just lost his job the day before but came to serve joyfully anyway.
In church today we heard from some of those who served and how it affected them. I joked that they didn't ask me to share because they only wanted one to two minute snippets. Impossible...

And then the message was on putting hands and feet to our faith, that basically "faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26). Basically, we need to live our faith, not just give it lip service. This is my language, and actually the central message of a Bible Study I have that will be released in March, UNDOING CHURCH: NOT YOUR MOTHER'S BIBLE STUDY about being the church, not just going to church.

But I thought about moving from inaction to action and the things that stop us in our tracks, all basically lies meant to keep us in a paralyzed state of inertia:

• One person can't make a difference.
• I'm not qualified.
• I'm too busy.
• We're all going to die anyway, so why bother.
• It's not in my job description, my problem, blah, blah, blah...

But here's the deal, if we're Christians, we must act. "Saving faith moves your head, your heart and our hands. Faith alone saves us, but the Faith which saves us in not alone."

These words were spoken by our pastor this morning, and I wanted to jump out of my seat and scream, "YES!" It's the Samaritan lifestyle, something I have been giving a great deal of thought to lately. To have, to take, to make the time to be aware of life and needs around us, to be moving slowly enough to respond, and not simply wave off the needs as a nuisance or an interruption. To adopt the Samaritan lifestyle guarantees interruptions, but also blessings.

How do you live your faith? There is a hymn that has the words, "They will know that we are Christians by our Love". Have you read the book UnChristian? Love is not a word that most non-Christians use to describe us. Hypocrites, homo phobics and judgemental are closer to the top of the list. So do something to put your faith in action and change the perception. I know that those we served got a glimpse of Christian love through our service, our faith in action last weekend, but it is a lifestyle, not a program or campaign.

I echo here the verse our pastor used in closing, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me'" (Isaiah 6:8). And I want to go.

Chronicling the Day...

I was really going through camera withdrawal, so some of these pictures might be kind of goofy. Meet Sprinkles, our fifteen year old cheese eating cat. This is the cat usually responsible for barfing and peeing around my house. He is fifteen, poor kitty, and Matt's. I hope Sprinkles joins Matt at his next home. Dry cat food is too hard for him to chew, and wet food usually makes him throw up.Tianna looking thrilled to be back in the water swimming...

Nicole hamming it up at swimming...

Sorry this is cockeyed, I didn't rotate it before I posted...This morning Nicole handed me her left over drink from last night's BK drive through and I spilled it all over myself, making it look like I had had an accident...

Here are the photos of the house in progress. And yes, I do know all about those renovation projects that go on and on and on...

It is primed and the darker patches on the main body of the house are the color it will be when completed. The trim is yellow, and the front door and shutters will be purple. The porch got a roof lift which doubled as a face lift.

The small figure on the sidewalk is my mother marching off to the library where she can catch up on The New York Times and stay in touch with the civilized world while she is in small town rural PA.

So now I am back in business!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Twenty four hours and a world of difference in how the day started! The only thing good about how yesterday started was the fact that Tianna did make the bus. Her margin was pretty tight; she got up at 6:40 and I definitely violated the speed limit getting her to the bus stop. We could see the bus from the top of the hill as Tianna pleaded, "faster, faster." Thank goodness there wasn't too much fog, fog on our road makes me nervous...

We have been experimenting with different morning routines, and it is really peaceful (for the most part, at least peaceful in the sibling sense) when Tianna gets on the bus, is out the door, I can sip on a cup of coffee (the first of too many) and then go in and wake up Nicole about 25 minutes later and then deliver her. Not too much driving, which from a time and gas perspective is a good thing. But I do feel sorry for Tianna getting up so early, and everyone is grumpy the less sleep they have!

I did experiment with driving Tianna to school a couple of times this week, but there are several factors to be considered when trying to approach how to make this win win all the way around. I won't bore you with what they are, but let's just say to make it work for everyone I have a window of about two minutes to get everyone out of the house.

Yesterday was a nightmare, delivered I am certain to provide me with more boundary practice before going to work with the Counselor on boundaries and Nicole issues. I am happy to report I held my ground, used a gentle voice the entire time as Nicole pitched a fit worthy of an Oscar nomination and never raised my voice once, even with my mother who added several comments under her breath. I held the line with her too. Nicole was late to school, (oh well) but I never once faltered. From a shade of gray waffler this was a major victory. At one point she was saying since she was late she wasn't going to school, and my mom kept saying sarcastic and mean spirited things despite my request to please stop or go downstairs, so I just said to both of them, "Well, if you aren't going to school, and you aren't going to stop being negative or go downstairs, why don't you both join me at the counselor? That would be great!)" That got things moving...

So this morning when we all slept in, I announced to both girls that I would be leaving at 7:25 with whoever was ready. If they weren't ready they would be late, and if Nicole missed the ride then Howie would take her (an unacceptable option to her for some reason...) and we left on time without a peep and enjoyed wonderful conversation full of laughter minus the pop station. It was delightful.

I couldn't believe it! Driving the two hen pecking sisters to school in the morning a delight? Pinch me. No pop music. Pinch me. Smiles and more laughter. Pinch me again.

Boundaries are a wonderful thing.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words...

I did manage to get batteries for the camera today, but did I manage to put them in? No. And I missed two photo opps that I could have added much running commentary to.
One would have been a picture of how house to be renovated number one is coming along, and the other would have been of Nicole's hair pulled back for cheer leading.

Slowly but surely the old house is getting there. Stress slowly. This is the house that was going to be completely painted by mid-August. And what is today? October first on my calendar...I am glad I am out of money to help support renovations for the time being. No more, money bags here doesn't have any shekels left. And when the insurance bill comes it is getting passed along. The financial assistance phase out has been phased out.

Then Nicole really is averse to brushing or combing, or picking her hair. We even got great shampoo from the gal who cuts her hair guaranteed to detangle even the rattiest of thick, curly hair. Nicole has beautiful hair; thick red curls. But she doesn't brush it and it is a rat's nest. Well, today the rat's nest got loose in the middle of the half time cheer during the midget football game. Now, Nicole is famous for not being able to make it through a dance recital without tugging at a wedgie. Well, today we came up with a variation on that theme: her hair band bow came out in the middle of the half time dance, but got stuck in the frizzies and she had to tug and tug. I have to admit it was hysterical to those of us watching from the sidelines.

Now, I just wish that girl would brush her hair; but for the time being it isn't a battle I have picked.

The important boundaries are going well.

Peace.

Remember, Your Comments May Win You a Book!

Drum roll...Today is October 1st, so for the next 17 days each day you comment, I will enter your name in a drawing for Matthew Paul Turner's book Churched. I have started reading it and have laughed out loud and moaned to myself several times. So comment away!

Pregnancy and Birth Stories Wanted!

First, let me apologize for the lack of photos lately. My camera batteries died and the last three times I have gone to the Dollar Store I remembered the toothpaste, toilet paper, thank you cards and litter box deodorizer, but not the batteries. I am hopeful that today I will remember!

Anyway, I received my official offer for the book from Focus on the Family, so now I need to make more writing more a part of my everyday life. My goal with this book is to help eliminate surprises in pregnancy, but especially labor and delivery and the first few weeks at home. We all know that every woman has at least one, more likely several, great stories, often embellished a bit more with each telling. That's OK! I am on the hunt for these stories. One of my personal favorites is when my mother in law questioned me in all seriousness, "Why aren't you feeding Chris (our firstborn, now 26) the natural way and giving him a bottle?" No kidding.

So I also want to invite you to share your stories. If you do and your story is included in the book, I will give you a copy of the book when it is published! You too can say you have been published! (Of course, don't hold your breath, the book probably won't be out till late winter/early spring 2010).

I thought about listing the guidelines here, but it's kind of long, so if you are interested pop me an email at Kathy@KathyPride.com and I will send them to you and you can chuckle your way through the chapter headings. Like, "Pain is a For Letter Word" and "Birth is Not Spectator Sport". I would love to share your experiences, and as a veteran childbirth educator (over 20 years teaching and 1,000 couples prepared) it is helpful for me to know what surprised you so I can stay in the surprise elimination business.

Thanks, I hope to hear from you!