What I've Learned

Check out Musings of A Housewife for links to some really wonderful bloggers who are all participating in this week's What I've Learned carnival.

MUCH learning for me this week. MUCH learning!

1. It is easy to convert that pumpkin on your front porch into something delicious! I cut up one of our pumpkins, roasted it, pureed it, and made it into the most fabulous pumpkin bread I've ever tasted. I never plan to buy canned pumpkin again!

2. Beef stew made in the crock pot is so much better than beef stew made on the stovetop. Recipe coming soon!

3. 7-year-old girls are prone to panic and melt down when their goggles come off during a race at a swim meet. This tendency to come unglued is multiplied exponentially when the 7-year-od girl is coming down with a fever virus.

4. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 is worth the investment, just for the ease of editing pictures, and the quality of the final product! I had saved up some giftcards, and was finally able to make my purchase! I love Photoshop!

5. I never fully realize how much I miss all my family in California until the holidays start drawing near. Then I miss them like crazy, and dread facing Thanksgiving and December and Christmas without all the beloved traditions and people of "back home." This will be our 4th round of holidays away from California, and I miss my family more than ever.

6. Not much else tops being told that your company is sending you on a business trip with your husband TO YOUR HOME TOWN...and that the business trip falls Thanksgiving week...and that airfares are low enough to allow you to take the kids, too! Oh, and some sweet friends will buy those kid tickets! Yes, that happened to us today!!!!! We're going Home for 10 days in November! I Can Not Wait!

7. Oh wait, something can top that! How about this:
We are missionaries. We are 100% funded by donations from individuals and churches who share our passion for seeing others reached for Christ. It has been normal that donations drop off in August-October, leaving us without full pay. On Wednesday I received notice that our paycheck for the 25th was going to be $850 short. That left us with a paycheck for less than the amount just of our bills. I resolutely looked back at how God has faithfully provided for us every time this has happened, and I chose to trust Him to provide again. I let it go, and was at peace all day, waiting expectantly to see what He would do. That very night at church, an anonymous church member left us a check for $550 and two $100 Walmart gift cards! The church treasurer was all grins when she gave us the envelope. I, of course, started bawling. Matt and I prayed and thanked God for His provision of $750. Two minutes later, another church member came to me and said, "Not a word from you now. God told me to give this to you." He gave me a hug and pressed a $100 bill into my hand. $850. The exact amount our paycheck was short. In our hands two days before the paycheck every hit our bank account!
This is not new to me, but I learned yet again that God is trustworthy. He says He will care for us. He is true to His Word, and I thank Him for it!

It's The Little Things...

So you've probably read my melancholy posts the last few days. I have been in a funk, unable to snap myself out of it. This morning when I woke up, I sat there in my bed, hugging my pillow, and asking God to give me a boost today. It didn't have to be anything big, just a little something to brighten my day.

My God is a God who cares about little things like that. He is a God who delights in details. He is a God who answers the desperate prayers of a moderately depressed, sun-deprived, energy-deficient woman in Arkansas.

You may remember the frantic despair that slammed me a few months back when the ever-so-charming Geek Squad at Best Buy deleted photos off of my hard drive AND my backup drive. I resigned myself to accepting that I had lost all my photos from March-July of this year. I cried for a few days every time I thought about those precious pictures. Then I let it go. What is done is done.

This morning I decided to edit a few more of my childhood photos that I scanned on my California trip. I popped in my thumb drive and THERE WERE MY PICTURES!!! All the pictures I lost back in July!!! I jumped up and did the happy dance. Then I cried. Then I danced some more! Of course I updated my status on Facebook.

It never occurred to me to thank God for brightening my day by recovering those pictures for me. Until now.

It has been 2 hours since I found those pictures, and I just realized that I bought that thumb drive brand-new in August. It was purchased expressly for my California trip. Every single one of my lost pictures was lost off my backup drive in JULY. How did they end up on a thumb drive I bought AFTER the photos were lost? How did they end up on a thumb drive that I have only opened 3 times since I got home from California?

Thank you, God. I can't think of any other explanation for how those photos are on that drive! It has to be You. Wow!

I'm still trying to claw out of my funk. It is still gray outside, and I still have no energy. But my day is brighter because my amazing God clearly answered my prayer this morning.

And I got a really cute picture of Pepper this morning! Hafta share it with you.

No Words Left

At 2:45 this afternoon, I picked Snapper up from school. As we drove to her swim team practice, we chatted about the events of her day. We don't have enough time to go home before practice, so we arrive at the swim club early and do Snapper's homework in the car. Her homework today was simply to read a book. I asked her what book she was reading, and she whipped her Bible out of her backpack. I was pretty surprised to see that. Here's how our conversation went.

Me: You took your Bible to school?
Snapper: Yup! During our quiet reading time at school, we can read whatever we want.
Me: So you're reading your Bible?
S: Yup, I took it with me yesterday, too.
Me: Why do you want to read your Bible at school?
S: Well, this is a public school and they don't teach us about Jesus. So I am taking my Bible with me so I'll be ready to tell other kids about Jesus if they want to know about Him.
Me: Wow! That's pretty cool, Snapper!
S: Yesterday Morgan and Aaliyah saw me reading my Bible, so I told them to bring their Bibles and we could read our Bibles together.
Me: Did they remember?
S: Yup, they both remembered. They brought their Bibles to school today and during reading, we sat together and read Genesis 3! I told some of the other girls, and I think Naomi is going to bring her Bible tomorrow. Are you happy, Mom?
Me: Yes! I am very happy, and I'm proud of you for wanting to share Jesus with your friends.
S: I knew you would be proud, but I'm not doing this for you, you know. I'm doing it for Jesus.

At that point I had no words. That doesn't happen very often! What more was I to say?
At moments like this, every parenting struggle and heartache fades away, and ceases to be important.

Two Prayers

Little in my life is as thrilling as watching my kiddos grasp new things about the amazing God of the universe, and when they understand how much He loves them. More and more, Snapper is "getting it." I love her enthusiasm for learning about God, and for hiding His Word in her heart. I love listening to her prayers, too. She is so frank and open in her conversations with God. I need to listen carefully to her and take lessons.

Every morning when we get within about a half mile of her school, we pray together, along with our 1st grade buddy S who we carpool with. Today's prayer was a classic, and I must write it down before I forget.

"Dear Lord, I mean, Dear God, thank you for this beautiful fall day you have made for us! It is such a perfect morning! God, please take this day and bless it to the nourishment of my body. And God? Please give me wisdom today. Give everyone at school wisdom today, especially the bullies. They need to be wise so they know better than to hurt people's feelings or bodies. Yup God, please give those bullies extra wisdom. Oh, and God? Please bless this day to the nourisment of S's body too, because he really needs it. Please help me be a good friend today, even when it is hard, because there are some kids at school who are hard to love. Please speak to me today Jesus, because I want to hear from you. I'll even give you a chance to speak to me right now. (10 seconds of silence, her eyes squeezed tightly shut) That's okay, Jesus. I know that wasn't really enough time for you to say anything, and I'm kind of rushed right now. But anyway God, don't forget to give me wisdom today. And thank you again for this gorgeous day! I love you, God. In the precious name of my Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen."

Then she was off, skipping to her class with bright confidence and optimism in her eyes. She has learned that God will give her the ability to make wise choices when she asks Him for help. And she trusts Him implicitly.

Oh God, I thank you for the glorious fall weather. Take this day and bless it to the nourishment of my soul. May I learn yet again to trust you in total confidence. Thank you for the precious daughter you have given me. Help me to be wise and to watch for you every day. I love you.

The Many Travels

Well hello there, strangers! That's how I feel. It has been so long since I had the time to sit down and write. There has been much going on and many miles covered. Thanks to those of you who emailed to check on me. Yes, I am fine. All is well now that I'm sleeping in my own bed again.

In the last two weeks Matt and I covered a lot of miles in our trusty, teal minivan. I'll let this photo collage I made give you an idea of how many miles!



Every other year our sending agency holds a staff conference in Colorado. We gathered for 9 days with the many other U.S. staff for a wonderful schedule of speakers, worship, prayer, and seminars on practical topics. Matt and I had many quiet hours together. We took advantage of the kid-free time to re-evaluate where we are as a married couple, as parents, and in our ministry. We did a lot of laughing, plenty of crying, and even more dreaming. We asked God to show up and reveal His plan for our family, and He did just that. I have some exciting things to tell you, but that will have to wait for another week or two. I don't have the time to do justice to what I want to say. Anyway, the conference was absolutely fantastic. We have come home refreshed in every way, and ready to tackle life again. The kids had a great time at home with the friend who stayed with them. They did lots of fun things together, and didn't even want to talk to us on the phone until the last few days of our trip!

Two weeks ago I blogged about all the food we ate along the road, and I promised some pictures. Here are a few.

Chicken fried steak in Oklahoma


Steak in Texas


Waffle...obviously in Texas!


Sushi with friends Gary and Michelle in Colorado






Every Christmas I make a photo calendar for the people who support us. In the past it has all been Arkansas scenery. This year it will include some photos from our travels. Here are a few favorites, a sneak peek for those who will get that calendar!

Wyoming


Wyoming


Nebraska


Arkansas


Arkansas


Arkansas


Arkansas


Arkansas


Well, that pretty much sums it up for now. I leave on Thursday for California. I'm going to spend 6 days there with my sister going through photo albums and scanning pictures of my childhood. I'm looking forward to some time with my dad and step-mom, and my auntie, uncle, and cousins, too! Matt and the kids are staying home this time. I'll try to blog from CA, but I doubt I'll get to it. So until I return, adios!

The Sweet Breath of God

Last night was a tough night. Snapper had a swim meet, in which she did very well! Swimming has been such a perfect fit for her. I'll blog about that later, though. The swim meet ended at 7:30. I brought the kids home, and Matt headed up to the office to make phone calls. In case you're new(er) to my blog, Matt and I are missionaries with an organization that for privacy reasons, shall remain nameless. We are fully funded by concernced individuals who have a heart for seeing families stay together and succeed. Because we rely on support, Matt and I regularly have to work at raising more support to keep our paychecks stable. It is hard work, but it is also extremely rewarding. We have built some wonderful friendships with our dear supporters, and we love them so much. Anyhoo, our support has been a bit on the low side (actually, a lot on the low side) recently, so Matt had lots of calls to make.

When the kids and I arrived home, I got them into their jammies, gave them a snack, and tucked them into bed. I encountered three problems:
Problem #1: Matt is the king of bedtime in our house. He always puts the kids to bed.
Problem #2: The kids are sick. We are waiting on some test results to verify whether or not we have whooping cough here. There was such an improvement in both kids today that I think we just had really bad colds.
Problem #3: Last night was Pepper's second night alone in his new bedroom.

To make a long story short, I spent 2 hours trying to get Pepper to stop screaming, crying, and making excuses trying to stay up later. And for 2 hours Snapper did all she could to disrupt progress, including singing at the top of her lungs in her bed, getting several drinks of water, kicking the wall, and screaming about "monsters in the closet." Hello...monsters? Since when has she been afraid of monsters? Since never! So I found myself home alone and very tired with two feisty stinkers who did not want to go to bed. To add to the chaos, our kitties, Pixie and Zoe, were bound and determined to cause trouble. They were racing all over the house, streaking in and out of kids' bedrooms, clawing furniture, and pouncing on my feet every time I walked down the hall. CRAZY HOUSE!

I stood there in the hall feeling like I was going start pulling out my hair at any second, and then the phone rang. It was Matt. Every part of me wanted to tell him to come home now and deal with the (monsters) children. But then, like a lighbulb turning on, I had this amazing thought: What if all the chaos and frustration are satan trying to get Matt away from what God wants him to be doing? If I give in to the frustration now, Matt may miss out on an important conversation with someone, and satan will have gotten the upper hand.

No way, Jose!

I voiced that thought to Matt and asked him to pray for me. He spoke briefly with Snapper on the phone, and hung up. Then I got up, put on my big-girl panties, and went back to Pepper's room for Round 7 of bedtime routine. When he would not stop screaming, I gave him two firm spanks on his litle bottom. To my surprise, he instantly stopped crying and sweetly asked for a big blanket. I got a quilt from the hall closet and tucked him in. He said, "Goodnight, Mommy. I loves you" (He also said goodnight to the Jesus picture on the wall by his bed, and goodnight to the Jimmie Johnson poster on the wall at the foot of his bed. Then he rolled over and closed his eyes.

I went back to Snapper's room to tuck her in again. And there she was, little angel, peacefully snoring away in her bed. In the time it took me to walk to Snapper's room, to check on her, and to walk back to Pepper's room, he had fallen fast asleep, too. I went downstairs, baffled at the sudden turn of events. And there, on the living room floor, lay Pixie and Zoe, fast asleep.

When I sat down on the couch and listened to the quiet, I realized what had happened. I had recognized what was happening in our house. No one will ever be able to tell me that spiritual attack isn't real! It is real. I asked Matt to pray for me. He did, and he asked Snapper to pray for our home and family, too. She did.

And the sweet breath of God swept through our home, bringing peace and comfort. I can't properly describe the dramatic difference in the feel of our home. It happened in the blink of an eye. It went from psycho house to safe haven, just like that. I got down on my knees there in the living room and thanked God for His presence. For His care. For His peace and love. It was quite an awe-inspiring experience, and I just had to share it with you.

Burned Fingers

I spent yesterday at work, happily engrossed in two different projects. I love Wednesdays because I feel so productive! Meanwhile, my sweet man was at home with the kiddos, also thoroughly enjoying his day. He cooked lunch for them...actually cooked! I usually make pb&j or cheese and crackers. But Superdad cooked. And Pepper kept bugging him, asking if the stove was hot. Daddy warned Pepper that yes, the stove was hot. Pepper slapped the burner, just to see. Lucky for him, the burner he chose to slap was off.

When I got home from work, Matt was cooking dinner. Teriyaki chicken, brown rice, and broccoli. YUM! Again, Pepper shadowed Daddy, asking if the stove was hot. Daddy again warned Pepper that yes, the stove was hot and DO NOT TOUCH! You'll get burned and it will hurt very badly. Dinner was served, and disaster averted.

After dinner, a family walk, and playtime out on the new tire swing, we came in to watch "So You Think You Can Dance," our favorite summer show. Matt went in the kitchen, followed by his faithful shadow, and made some popcorn for us to snack on while we watched. Pepper again inquired as to the temperature of the stove. He received the standard reply: Don't touch that stove! It is hot and it will hurt you.

Why do children not believe what their parents say?

Mr. Pepper had to find out for himself, so he stuck his little fingers directly on the burner...the one the popcorn pan was on. I heard the sizzle of frying fingers...and I was in the living room. Matt swooped down and grabbed Pepper before he even felt the pain, and stuck that little hand in the cold water. I came in and held Pepper's hand in the water for 10 minutes while Pepper wiggled and fussed. We bandaged the poor, blistered fingers, gave Pepper some Motrin, and cuddled up together on the chair with popcorn and apple juice. And then Pepper's lesson began.

The fingers are blistered, but not terribly. Sadly, they are burned just badly enough to cause a great deal of pain. Between bites of popcorn, sips of juice, and kisses from Mommy, Pepper howled and shook his fingers. After over an hour of pain and crying, he fell asleep in my arms. Thankfully, he slept through the night, and his fingers do not hurt today. It will take some time for them to heal, but they'll be fine.

As a mom, it is hard for me to see my baby in pain. Yet I understand that sometimes children need to learn a lesson the hard way. In this case, I did not intentionally allow him to get burned, but I could not have prevented it. Pepper understands what "hot" means. He has been told repeatedly in the past year not to touch the stove. He has been warned of the pain that will occur if he does touch the stove. Yet nothing would convince him other than experiencing the pain for himself. Sometimes these best thing a parent can do for their child is to not intervene, and to let a natural consequence teach a valuable lesson. I ache for my son as he suffers the consequence of his choice. I wish he had listened to me.

How often is God in this same position? He loves me and does not want me to hurt. He gives me clear direction and warns me of the consequences should I fail to obey Him. I know what I am not supposed to do, but I do it anyway. I'm sure I sometimes leave Him no other choice than to step back and let me have my own, stubborn way. Does God ache as He watches my pain, and does He wish I had just obeyed Him and avoided the hurting? I'm sure He does.

Wow.

Making this connection makes me want to listen more carefully to my Father. As painful as burned fingers are, I think I'd rather deal with that than with some of the consequences of living life outside of God's boundaries. Is there anything more horrible that choosing a path, knowing full well I'm ignoring God, and then experiencing the decline in my relationship with Him? No. I think not. Often there are other consequences as well. I could do without any of that, thank you.

Are you being faced with a difficult decision in your life right now? As you look down the two paths in front of you, I encourage you to follow God's path for your life, even if it looks darker and scarier than the path you would choose for yourself. Stick close to Him and avoid getting "burned fingers." God know what He's doing, and He will not lead you astray.

Pepper has learned his lesson. This morning, each time he walked through the kitchen, he was careful to cut a wide path around the stove. I also heard him informing Pixie (our kitten) to "don't touch the 'tove...it's very hot and it will hurt you and you will hafta get a bandaid."

Monday Attitude Check

Last night was not a good night. I went to bed too late. And after a wordless argument with Matt, I was definitely out of sorts when my head hit the pillow. Then Pepper woke up screaming at 2 a.m. Matt, who is able to go back to sleep right away after a sleep interruption (unlike me, who will lie awake for hours), got up to comfort Pepper. Daddy can solve every nighttime problem...usually. Not last night. Pepper wanted MOMMY. Matt tried for 15 minutes before I joined him him Pepper's room. After a heated exchange of words between Matt and me, he agreed to bring Pepper into our room. I cuddled the wound-up little guy for a couple of minutes, then settled him into a little bed on the floor beside our bed. I don't think more than 5 seconds passed before Pepper was asleep again. It was only 5 seconds more before Matt was snoring. And there I was, wide awake and grumpy as a bear in January. I don't know what time I finally drifted back off, but it was a whole lot longer than 10 seconds.

I woke up at 7:30 this morning. My eyelids weighed 50 pounds and my behind had bricks stuck to it. I dragged myself to the computer, and made my to-do list, trying to muster enough motivation to haul my heavy backside and eyelids downstairs to eat some breakfast. I didn't want to go down there because I knew what was waiting: a mountain of dishes, dirty, sticky floors, 6 loads of laundry, and a bunch of clutter from the weekend. Add Snapper's schoolwork to the list and it is kind of a daunting sight first thing on a Monday morning. I could not stop the tears that flowed in that moment. Since I could not bring myself to go downstairs, I decided to ease myself into the day by checking my blogroll. Sarah Mae at Like A Warm Cup of Coffee had a new post: Motivate Me Monday: Reclaim Your Life--A Challenge. That sounded like exactly what I needed to hear! So I read it.

First of all, Sarah Mae reminded me that the Holy Spirit is alive and well in me--therefore, I have the power to do the things I need to do. Second, she reminded me that my children and home are not a burden. Wow!

I bowed my head right there at the computer desk and asked God to forgive me for my selfishness and peevish attitude. I cried some more, and asked God to energize me, to lift the weights from my eyelids, and to demolish the load of bricks that is seeking to anchor me to my chair all day. I asked God to give me fresh perspective and to face the day with a cheerful heart. God is faithful. It is no coincidence that the next blog I read was this post on perspective from my friend Stef. Once again, Wow!

I am coming back to life. Here are my thoughts about what is coming today.

Task: Mountain of dishes in the sink
Waking thoughts: I hate doing dishes! It is messy and stinky. And the mountain never really goes away. I should just go buy paper plates.
Fresh perspective: The mountain of dishes in the sink is the result of having cherished friends spend the weekend with us. The dishes are dirty because I had the food necessary to prepare a delicious meal. There are approximately 40,000 children in Central Arkansas (www.ricedepot.org) who live in poverty and are likely to go without food every night and weekend. Why is it I'm complaining about dishes again?

Task: Dirty, sticky floors
Waking thoughts: It is so gross to walk across crunchy floors. I can't even go barefoot in my own kitchen! Why can't people wipe up the sticky messes they make? If Snapper hadn't left the broom outside on a rainy night, I wouldn't even have this problem. (My broom is in the trash, completely coated with mildew). I hate cleaning dirty floors. I should just leave this chore for Matt.
Fresh perspective: The floors are dirty because I have healthy children who eat in the kitchen--not on our new carpet, and who track dirt in from their delightful playtimes in our big, beautiful backyard. I'm sure my friend Rachael would love to clean up a mess made by her baby daughter Mia...because Mia can't eat or even breathe on her own due to an as-of-yet undiagnosed problem with her brain. I know Rachael hopes to one day see Mia living a healthy, normal life, able to eat on her own and play in the back yard. Why am I complaining about dirty floors again?

Task: 6 loads of laundry
Waking thoughts: GROAN! More laundry...Does it ever end? Will I ever make headway in my battle against the laundry monster?
Fresh perspective: Yesterday was cool, so we all wore long pants and sweatshirts. Today I'm at home so I'm wearing velour lounge pants and my Jimmie Johnson hoodie. Tomorrow I'll be at work so I'll be wearing a cute shirt and my black pants. Wednesday should be warm so I'll wear shorts and a tank top. Which comfy pair of pajamas will I wear tonight? Matt and I have plenty of clothing options. The kids both have full dressers. We have a great washer and dryer in a very spacious laundry room in our home. How many people don't have enough clothes? How many have to use a shared laundry room, or go to the laundromat? Why am I complaining about laundry again?

Task: Clutter clean-up
Waking thoughts: Clutter busting has to be the most annoying chore ever! I hate cleaning up after people. Why can't they just put away their stuff?
Fresh perspective: The clutter around the whole downstairs area is evidence of a weekend spent focusing on something eternal. While Frank and Tammy were here, none of us wasted time cleaning up anything. Our time was much better spent! Why am I complaining about the clutter again?

Task: Snapper's schoolwork
Waking thoughts: Three weeks and counting!
Fresh perspective: I live in a country in which I have the freedom to homeschool my child. I can teach her about God without living in fear. Snapper is a very intelligent child, and she learns quickly. Yes, she resists doing writing assignments. But she is able to learn with ease. I watch the struggles of friends whose children have learning disabilities. I know I have friends who would give anything to be able to stay home with their kids and homeschool, but they have to work full-time outside the home just to make ends meet. Why am I complaining about Snapper's schoolwork again?

Once again I say WOW! When I look at things this way, I realize how self-centered and negative I have been recently. I also remember that motherhood is a high and worthy calling. The tasks on my plate each day are a privilege, not drudgery. Once I post this, I will stop again and humbly ask God's forgiveness. I will go back and read this post...a reminder of my true job title. And then I will head downstairs, put on a fun playlist on my iPod, and tackle the tasks of serving my family, and making our home a clean, peaceful place. You'd better believe my attitude is miles higher than it was just 2 hours ago!

I will give myself additional incentive, too. A few months back, I posted a series of blogs on our home makeover. That makeover was completed a month ago, but I still haven't posted pictures. When my tasks for today are done, I will take pictures of our completed (except for the baseboards) home makeover projects and I will post them for you. That will be very fun! So off I go! God grant me energy and strength, and to Him be the glory!

What I've Learned

Happy Tuesday!
Here's what I've learned this week.

1. A visit from a friend is food for the soul. Our best friends Stan and Noel came from California last week. Even though poor Stan got really sick for half the time here, we still had fun. Come visit us! Our guestroom is ready!

2. The fact that I hate running has not changed. What I learned, though, is that a really good pair of running shoes makes running so much more bearable! I got a great pair of Sauconys yesterday. I walk/jogged a mile (first time I've done that in a LONG time), and guess what? I'm not even slightly sore today!

3. You never get used to the sting of a negative pregnancy test.

4. My almost 3-year-old, Pepper, has figured out deceit. *Sigh* Time to work on honesty. That should make for an interesting series of posts!

5. God knows best. If you humbly seek HIS plan for your life, He'll work it out. Ask Him for what you want, but trust Him for His best (even when it is hard and/or you don't understand His decision). He always works it out. For a cool example of how God moved in direct response to my prayers, read this post.

For more records of learnings, tune in to Musings of a Housewife.
And enjoy these pics from my photo session with Stan and Noel!

Theology, Penmanship, and a Minivan

We have now been home for a week, and life has settled back into a comfortable rhythm. I feel in control enough over laundry, dishes, and children to think about writing again. I'll warn you in advance--this blog is not very exciting. It's more of an update.

While we were in California, we made a 3-day detour up to the Lake Tahoe area to visit my cousin John and his wife Daisy. John is the youth pastor at a church up there. While we were there with John and Daisy, we had some great talks. If I lived close to Daisy, she would become a best friend for sure. We're so like-minded in so many ways. I loved the hours I spent cuddled up on the couch in their living room talking about everything under the sun with Daisy. John teaches a theology class at his church, and Matt and I got to go to that class while we were there. John is an incredible teacher. He taught a 90-minute class on a very...shall we say, heavy...topic. And the time flew by. He is so passionate about what he was teaching that his enthusiasm spread. It was an awesome class. The class, combined with my deep discussions with Daisy, have sparked a blaze in me.

I want to start digging deeper and learn more about God. I'm hungry for more of the Lord. So yesterday I headed to the Christian book store and purchased a "Concise Theology," by J.I. Packer. It is not a textbook by any means, but it is a basic theology book broken into bite-sized chunks for busy people like myself who don't necessarily have the time or energy to put into extensive study. I'm really excited to go through the book and dig for new truth!

Moving on.

While we were in California, we didn't get very much of Snapper's schoolwork done. All my good intentions, well, they remain good intentions that just didn't come to pass. We spent so much time on the road, meeting with people, working, that school took the back burner. And something very interesting happened. I discovered it yesterday, and confirmed it today. Either the time off, or a spurt of brain growth occurred in Snapper during the 5 weeks we were away. Her penmanship has taken an amazing turn for the better. Hallelujah! Her ability to focus has improved. And her general ease in doing schoolwork has matured as well. I was beginning to wonder if we'd be able to tackle cursive writing in 2nd grade. My concerns are now gone! Hooray! I love days like today.

Thursday will find us on the road...again. We're renting a car (our van still leaks transmission fluid when not parked facing down a hill), and driving straight through to North Carolina. It's a 14-hour drive. Don't worry, we borrowed a second portable dvd player to avoid disputes over movies. During our entire 5 weeks in CA (and close to 4,000 miles driven), the only movies Pepper would watch were Shrek, Shrek 2, and Horton Hears A Who. Poor Snapper is sick of those movies. So thanks to the borrowed dvd player, we'll be able to plug the kids in and go. They won't watch movies the entire time, but it will buy us some hours. Matt is working at a conference there in NC, and the kids and I will spend the weekend visiting Beverly.

While we're there, we're going to pick up OUR NEW VAN! Here's the amazing part. This van is being given to us. It's an older minivan with high miles, but it is still with the original owner who is a mechanic and has fixed the van up for us! When the owner gave it to us, he didn't know we were going to be in Charlotte in February. Charlotte is where he is. Amazing! Thanks, Lord!

I'll leave you with one last thing to think about. How can it be 71 degrees on a Wednesday and then snow on a Friday? That's the forecast for us this week. Weird...

A Good Book and Help Wanted

I'll start with the Help Wanted ad because it is so important. I know I'm already friends with a lot of you on Facebook, and some of you also got my email about this, so it may be a triple dose for you. If so, then view it as a prompting from the Holy Spirit...hee hee! (Just joking, of course! I would never pretend to be the Holy Spirit!).

My friend Bev who has leukemia is having her bone marrow transplant on November 23rd. Needless to say, this is a very scary time for her as she anticipates the transplant. There's a 20% chance her body will reject the marrow, which means death. She's not afraid of dying because she knows where she is going. But she doesn't want to leave behind her husband and her two little boys. The boys have some very tough special needs, probably too tough for her husband to handle on his own. But that's a whole other story. Anyway, Bev has asked me to gather 30 Bible verses from my friends to hang on the wall of her hospital room, so she will surrounded by truth from God's Word. I want to take her request a step further. Since she will be in the hospital a minumum of 6 weeks (2-3 months is more likely), I want to collect a verse for each day she is in the hospital. And I want these verses to come from all over the country, so she can know how wrapped in prayer and the love of Christ she truly is. As of right now--9:50 Friday morning--I have had 51 verses that have come in, representing 9 U.S. states! My goal is 100 verses. As each verse comes in, I'm printing it, mounting it on a brightly colored sheet of scrapbook paper, and attaching the sender's name and photo, which I have pirated off of your facebook accounts or taken from my personal photo files! I will put all the posters into a scrapbook, and take it to Bev when I go to see her in North Carolina on Wednesday. Her husband will hang them on her wall when she goes in for transplant. The bright colors will cheer up the drab room, and the verses will keep her focus on Christ in the midst of the "valley of the shadow of death."

If you haven't already, please post the reference of a verse (or verses) that have either encouraged you, or you think will be uplifting for Bev. Thanks for helping out! I'm so excited about this whole thing, and I am storing away some new favorites of my own as I read what comes in!

As for the book...
"Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore...



I finished it a 1 a.m. night before last. And then I had to take a sleeping pill, which didn't work fully until 2:30 a.m. because that book was in my head and I couldn't stop thinking. It is a book I will be purchasing to add to my permanent collection. Here are the reasons why.

1. It is a recent true story of three remarkable people.
2. It addresses some issues in our country, both historical and current, that I believe all people MUST be aware of.
3. There is no watering down of hard truth. The authors speak life just as it happened to them. I love people who are real and transparent about the events of their lives. That's the kind of person I am striving to be. I want God to use me to speak to others.
4. It breaks down stereotypes and infuses compassion for a "least of these" people group.
5. It opens eyes to a painful struggle, one that I have walked through once, and am walking through again. Reading this book was like opening a window into my spirit. Want to see into my heart? Read the book and you will.
6. It is a story of victory, of overcoming, of healing.
7. It vividly shows how "God causes ALL things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.
8. It is written proof that God speaks to those who are listening for Him, and that He still performs miracles today.

I will be honest when I say this is not an easy book to read. It WILL make you cry because it deals with real pain and suffering. But it will also change the way you think about life, freedom, suffering, and the goodness of God. Don't expect to sit down for a light, before-bed read because it is not! If you must read it at night, make sure you have pre-purchased some Tylenol P.M.! But do be ready for a book that will stick with you and inspire you.

Okay, that's my newspaper for today. Have a safe Halloween, and let you light shine!

Love Notes from God

Okay, so life has not been super easy recently. In fact, there have been some things going on that have been downright yucky. I've shed more tears than usual, and felt more stressed out, too. When I get to feeling like this, it is very easy to let my focus slide down to myself, instead of keeping it fixed on Christ, where it should be staid in the first place.

In the midst of the circumstances, and with my eyes pointed in entirely the wrong direction (can we say pity party), God has quietly left me some love notes--ittle things really, but just for me. Reminders that He lovingly allows hard things to come my way, in order to turn my eyes back where they belong.

Love Note #1, Friday: As many of you know, we are missionaries with Campus Crusade for Christ, fully funded by donations from people who want to see marriages saved and families strengthened. Our paycheck reflects the consistent (or not) giving of our ministry partners. On Friday we received 3 generous and unexpected gifts in our staff account. We aren't able to draw from that account for personal use, but those gifts ensure that our next few paychecks will be the full amount. "Emily, I love you and will provide for your physical needs."

Love Note #2, Sunday morning: Matt and I are teaching a class at church called "The Five Love Languages." Though I've read the book before, this class has revealed to me that receiving gifts is the primary way I receive love. My love language is not a mystery or an unknown to God. He regularly gives me special little things--large like a special gift in our staff account, or small like my zinnia plant blooming for the first time on a gray, depressing day. "Emily, I love you and will express it in the way your heart understands love best."

Love Note #3, Sunday night: Matt, Debbie, and I took a spiritual gifts class at church. I learned that my primary spiritual gift is faith. Reading the description of this gift bolstered my faith at a time when I needed that boost. "Emily, I love you, I have given you a special gift, and chances to exercise it. Be looking for ways to grow the faith I have given you."

Love Note #4, Tuesday night: After a fun day at Wild River Country, I began to feel sick to my stomach. I hate to be sick. Public restrooms freak me out, so I REALLY hate to be sick away from home. God allowed the illness to hold off until I was safe in the haven of my own clean bathroom. I didn't get sick at camp like Matt and all the kids from church. I didn't get sick at Wild River Country. "Emily, I love you and care about the very mundane details of your life, even the throwing up parts."

Love Note #5, Tonight: Our new adventure of homeschooling begins on Monday. I'm excited, but there are times when I hesitate, and wonder if I have made the right decision. Tonight was the kickoff meeting for Central Arkansas' homeschool group. The guest speakers were four young adults who were homeschooled, and have now graduated from college and begun their adult lives. Their presentations on how homeschooling shaped their lives confirmed for me that Matt and I have made the right decision. "Emily, I love you and care about the choices you make. Rest in me, you have made a wise choice."

Love Note #6, Tonight: At the meeting tonight, they gave away a few door prizes. The biggie was a dvd player. Our finances are stretched very thin right now, with no spending money left after the bills are paid. Last night we worked out a detailed action plan to help us regain control of our finances. We put our hands on the plan and gave it to God, knowing that without Him, we can do nothing. This afternoon I mourned the loss of spending money for the next couple of months. And wouldn't you know it, tonight God gave me that dvd player! "Emily, I love you, and I will bless you in unexpected ways as you honor me and put me first in your finances."

How blessed am I to get to experience a personal love relationship with the Creator of the universe. Tonight I am thanking God for His love notes to me, and my eyes are right back where they need to be: focused on His face.

Has God written you any love notes this summer? Please post a comment and share them with me. I'd love to hear them, and to God be the glory!

Have You Ever...

Have you ever experienced that sense of something being not quite right? The knowledge that something is about to happen, but you have no idea what to expect? It's hard to describe...almost like butterflies in your stomach, but that's not quite it. I guess the best way to describe it is a sense of unrest in your soul.

Tonight I have unrest in my soul. Past experience has taught me that when I feel like this, God is up to something. Sometimes it's something small, like Him reminding me to get back into a routine if digging deeper in my wuiet times. Sometimes it's something major, like an impending earthquake, or the coming of a big decision.

The last time I felt this sense of unrest was when I was making the decison to homeschool Snapper, and that was back in April.

What are you up to tonight, God? You have my attention and my soul is ready to hear from You.