celebrate!

Hey, celebrate with me! A missionary friend of mine just came home from an amazing summer mission in Africa! God did many miracles in and through her, and I am so excited she has returned "home" safely!

Pooh (Not Winnie)

I had an interesting job yesterday -- Collecting dog pooh from Oreo for a visit to the Vet....WHAT?!!

sucky

...so I got a little feedback from the neighbor/friend I helped write for a funeral last Monday. My friend's 7 yr old son came over to play after the funeral. 7 yr olds talk in the most precious way!

First he told me how he couldn't speak at the funeral. "I mean I didn't know I was expected to speak in front of those Army men," he said, "They had guns! BIG guns! So I wasn't gonna talk, huh-uh. Noooo way!" But then he followed up with, "But I did have a few tears, I mean he was my Grandpa. He was family!"

After reassuring him that it was okay to cry when he wanted to, I asked him if his Mom spoke at the funeral. "Yes she did," he replied, "And she asked people afterward and they said it wasn't sucky." (Hey, well at least we've got that going for us!)

funeral

Well, I experienced a first yesterday. A friend of mine lost her Father-in-law the same day we lost a very good family friend to cancer too. What a hard time. My friend asked me to help her write out what she will say at the funeral. She will be the speaker at his graveside service as his body is laid to rest at the Willamette National Cemetery. He was in the military and will receive full honors...so our job was to come up with something honoring for her to say as well.

At first I didn't feel "qualified" to help. But you know, I realized that because I know Jesus personally -- I am qualified! I thank God that He left us His Word to refer to, that gives us counsel and comfort in times like these! With some suggestions from our friend Pastor George (for which I am very thankful), we were able to come up with something she feels will be good and comforting to share.

...big sigh...

love at first sight

Do you believe in love at first sight? I sure do. No, I don't mean romantic love, although that may be possible. I mean a mother's love. Which is big, let me tell you. I'm referring to our new daughter Jennifer (she came to us with that name:-) from Korea. She joined our family yesterday and will be staying with us for maybe a couple years. I hope so, 'cuz we all love her already!

Oreo

We got a new dog. Oreo. He's 4 months old. We're dealing with kennel cough and house training for now, but other than that he's kinda great to have around!

hope

...it seems the bigger our church family gets, the more I'm confronted with hardship and tragedy in the lives of people I love. Still I have hope. Only in Him. We must remember, the rest is temporary. Psalm 142:

Psalm 142

I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

Relay for Life

Our family just returned from our annual Relay for Life 24 hour walk at a high school in Washington -- it was a great time for us to rally around our own survivor: My Mom! She's cancer-free for 9 years now! Mom likes dragon flies, so they are our team mascot, and our team name is Wings of Hope. It was a great walk, so many people with booths around the track to raise money -- very creative fund-raisers like bean-bag toss, bounce-house for kids, and at our site we gave people temporary tattoos. I'm proud of our family and friends, all together at our site we raised about $1000 to help with cancer research. It was a lot of fun with a purpose!

RE: music on the island (6/24)

Wow, I'm really humbled by your responses. You are much nobler than I, but since this is a truthful blog, I have to admit I would choose Elton John. It's not that I endorse his thoughts or choices, but almost every one of his songs can strike up a life-memory of one time or another...and Crocodile Rock, well...it rocks!

Honduras

Here is a link to watch a little video of our visit to Honduras. Dave made this as a 'thank you' to people who helped sponser a new building for the orphans at Hogar De Ninos Emanuel. The building shown at the end of the video is an apartment just for pre-schoolers to live in along with their own "house-Mom" rather than being in the dorm with older children.
Thanks again for documenting these amazing memories Dave!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFyLnYkqhEQ

graffiti clean-up

Check out this link to an awesome video my oh-so-handsome husband made when our youth group came to help in our neighborhood. It was a great evening of helping neighbors, making new friends, and showing people that teens have a really big heart!

http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/gplnk/ld/3654/play.html

my "shape"

My church has this cool thing to help people find out how they're gifted and how they might fit into serving opportunities in the church -- they call it: Finding your SHAPE. It's an encouraging way of looking at people's Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences and helps people get plugged in and serving Jesus in the church.

I really like the tool; I just don't like what it's called. "Finding your shape" has a whole different connotation for a girl like me. I mean, I already know my shape. Generally it's called "pear-shaped. " But I call it Barney-shaped and I'm trying to fix it!

The good news is that contrary to common belief in our society, our usefulness to God and reaching others with His love has nothing to do with our little imperfections. I find great comfort that when I look at my "SHAPE" profile at church, it has nothing to do with big-hipped, purple dinosaurs! Hurrah!

what would you choose?

Okay...so you're stranded on a deserted island. The only choice you have to make, the ONLY thing you can control is...what music will you listen to while on the island? It can be only one artist or group for all the rest of your days on this island...who will it be? (I know who I'd choose, what about you?:-)

throw me a bone

hey there friends! Lately many of you have mentioned you want me to blog more. And I want to too -- you know how it is with working and all...but really, it's hard for me to blog to the great unknown. Do you know what I mean dear Blogger friends? Say hello sometimes, would ya! I mean, throw me a bone, people!

Ugly no more!

Have you ever been thirsty? I mean really thirsty? That's how I felt a few years ago when I went to Mexico to serve with our church youth. We had the privilege of working with AMOR ministries and we were on a dry, dusty, sunny construction site and suddenly I was very thirsty.

I'm talking about the kind of thirst that drives you to stop all activity except that which leads you to water. It's funny to think that at first I thought the big, orange water cooler was to ugly to drink from. I know it sounds snobby of me, but it was dirty and smeared with hand prints and there was mud on the side where dust stuck to condensation when we sat it down on an old work table.

When I left the camp that morning with a full, clean water bottle I had the luxury of thinking that big orange thing was too ugly to drink from. I mean come on, I had my standards! Then after hours of manual labor (new to me!) and hot sun (also new to me -- I am from Portland you know!) my water bottle was drained and I had to find more...and the big orange cooler started changing. Not only did it hold water -- it was the BEST water I have ever tasted in my life! It was ugly no more!

I've been pondering water since I came across this cool verse during my morning quiet time with God's Word: Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. (Prov. 25:25) And then yesterday I heard from my good friend Aline who moved to the great CA years ago, and I experienced that verse first-hand. Whereas I didn't start my day feeling "weary" I sure had a little more pep in my step after she called!

Some good friends of mine are on their way to Alaska where I'm sure they will be like a cold drink of water to the friends they visit too. They are going to build and run a Bible camp for young people this summer and they have some really long-lasting friendships there and there are all these new people they will get to meet. I'm sure all who come into contact with them will be refreshed because these friends of mine -- they are tapped into the Living Water. Yep, Jesus Christ Himself directs their path!

lost change

My Lord Jesus told this really awesome story (parable) about a lady who lost a coin...well, here, it's short so I'll print it for you:

The Parable of the Lost Coin * Luke 15

8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

I am so much like that lady. When I lose something I can drive myself and my poor family crazy looking for it. I have been known to "sweep the house" and stay up late looking for certain things. Like one time last year I lost the grocery money. (oops, Dave, didn't I tell ya?) This was especially bad because we keep a cash envelope for groceries and that meant things were going to be real tight until the next paycheck. I searched for it with such intensity. I yelled at myself too, "Did I actually lose the grocery money?!" I couldn't believe it!

Well last month I lost a very rare and valuable coin. Only this time it wasn't money. This time my "coin" was a teenager that my whole family has bonded with and grown attached to for many years now...this particular coin is a person who planted a tree for me in the yard, who gave gifts to and spoiled my kids, someone we love very much, care about and even spent some of our well-protected "family time" with. You get the idea. The truly sad thing is this coin was not only lost, it ran away.

When this coin got lost...I had such an intense reaction. I surprised myself how driven I was to find this lost one. I did things that, because I'm shy, don't come naturally to me. Things like make phone calls (all my closest friend will tell you this is NOT normal for me), talk to school officials, even talk to the police. Things I didn't really have the "right" to do. Then I thought, "Hey, I'm like that lady in the parable about the lost coin." Even to the point that when the coin was found I wanted call people and rejoice! (of course due to confidentiality sharing this joy with others was not appropriate)

The only problem is, this coin didn't want to be found. Not yet anyway. So I continue to intercede and pray for this one...and encourage the family as much as I can. It's sad and difficult and we all feel a real hurt about this.

My Mom

...with tomorrow being Mother's Day it's only fitting to say a little word about my Mom. I love her, that's a given. But what really stands out about my Mom for me right now is how she teaches me to try new things. She's always game to try something new, like one year when I was volunteering in an orphanage in Honduras she joined me there and we spent Christmas with the kids. And lately she has made new friends and goes on adventures...like interviewing for a new job. And hiking! Suddenly she likes hiking and I so admire that! How cool are you, Mom?!!

being there

My kids loved Disney's "High School Musical" when it came out and one of my favorite songs from the show was about getting your head in the game. It is a catchy tune on its own but at the time it really described the challenges I face as a wife and mom.

I remember thinking, I've got to get my head in the game! I felt too distracted and stretched too thin, and my family was suffering for it.

Oh, most of what I was doing looked real good to others, you know -- things in church, working with youth, volunteering at the school, meeting after meeting, & the occasional things "just for me." I was running fast, spinning my wheels, feeling stressed and getting old too quickly.

When gradually I felt that longing to seek out a better life. Not just for me, but I knew the ripple effect of my choices would be great. I felt that tug on my heart to get my life re-focused on Jesus, and put Him first, again. And again. At the time I was studying James and read about the "double-minded man, unstable in all he does." And I thought, "That's it! I have got to get single-minded!"

Seeking God and reading His word, I just couldn't deny how clear it was that my husband and children are my ministry priority. Everything else, including church and community, get my "left-overs." And God gets the glory in my dedication to His priorities. As much as I like to make other people and myself happy, it's really His approval I'm looking for.

Now before you accuse me of backward thinking, be reassured that following His guidence has resulted in some of the wildest roller-coasters this life has to offer. People think you'll "miss out" when you walk close to God; but I've experienced things like: personal rest, peace at home (I find these are rare here in America), great adventures including international travel, and most of all a growing relationship to the One who gives me life.

Here's that verse I was talking about in the book of James:

1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
Trials and Temptations 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

fly

Struggling. Its hard to explain why, but I've been struggling lately in some of my relationships. I was never really trained on letting people go. I'm not talking about my Mom, or my Sisters, but there are those other kinds of really deep, important relationships that form over time and then suddenly I realize its been two years since we've seen each other...and I struggle with that. I feel a little guilt, but mostly a sense of loss. I'm not sure what to do, should I write? Call? Invite? Do nothing? So I talked to Dave about it, and he gave me a great insight. He shared about how some friends are like birds who have taken flight, and you can feel great that you were part of their journey. (by the way, let's agree to leave all those bird-dropping analogies out of this one, okay?) Yeah, birds who take flight...that's a good way to describe some of my friends. Especially those young college-age people that I've gotten to know over the years. I miss them, I love them, occasionally I pray for them. Fly little birdies, fly!

confidence

I'm in awe of her confidence.

I found this list my daughter made yesterday. I asked her permission to copy and add it to my blog.

That's all I want to say...this amazing list speaks for itself!