Simply Simple.

House Hunters.

2010-02-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

We’re going to be on the HGTV show House Hunters! HOW do these things happen?!!
Simple “How to” list:
1. Email the producer. Describe our musical family and throw in a few jokes as well.
2. Answer the producer’s phone calls: be funny, witty, and try not to gush.
3. Prepare and enter our own home video: complete with children, jumpolines and a Top 10 List.
4. Answer the producer’s phone calls: Be funny, witty and try to sound as if producers call us all the time.
5. Sign a release form. Develop a meaningful relationship with the fax machine.

And after that? Well, we’ll let you know! They’ll be here on Wednesday to begin filming!

T-minus 12 and counting.

Chlorine.

2010-01-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

I found leftover chemicals for a pool that’s been gone for 3 years. The directions clearly state: can be safely rinsed down the drain.

Safely?

Just ask my husband and his friend Peter, who now refer to Friday as “the day my wife tried to kill us.”

I began rinsing and pouring said chemical at a very slow rate. Less than 3 cups had poured out of my 2 gallong container, when trouble first appeared.

Series of cataclysmic events as best I remember them:
Clogged drain.
Get pokey thing. Poke said clog.
Drain runs for nanosecond.
Clogged drain. Again.
Eyes watering. Senses blurring.
Get plunger.
Firmly pack all powdered chlorine into pipe.
Eyes watering. Senses blurring. See image of Gandolf in the utility sink.
Asphyxiate anything moving in the laundry room… including Gandolf.
Call for husband and husband’s brave friend.
Bail. Plead for mercy on the court.
Watch He-Men bravely attack drain issue.
Clear path for He-Men to bolt thru garage and suck wind from mother earth.
Taste and smell nothing for nearly 5 hours.
Treat everyone involved to dinner.
Cheat death and live to fight another day.

catalyst.

2009-10-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

last week i was at a conference with 12,000 of my closest friends. it was held in an arena which is latin for: giant people bowl.

we had gotten excellent seats. front row. on the floor. near the sweat. during one session i went to the restroom. which involved walking up 70 steps. that's right- no restroom on the main floor. it was a 70 step hike to the mezzanine, which is latin for: only fools sit on the main floor.

at the end of my restroom break i waited at the top of the steps. the session was ending. and then it happened: the break. and 12,000 of my closest friends were headed up the steps right at me. i plastered myself against the wall as they began to pass. i remembered how much i loved my husband who was on the main floor and whom i would likely never see again.

my moment came. 2 incredibly large men joined me near the wall. they too wanted to descend to the bowl! i listened and waited. and when they saw a space in the onslaught of people they took it. they began walking against the current. and i, like a vapor, attached myself stealthily to them.

it was working! i was going to make it down the steps! i had successfully spirited myself into the wake of those brave leaders before me.

and... after 4 rows... they ducked into their seats... row 4... with 66 rows left to go... these giant men were gone like the vapor i had tried to be. and i stood facing a large amount of bowl people prepared to tackle me.

i ducked into their row. row 66. smiled as if i wasn't terrified. and waited out the storm.

note to self: if you're going to follow, know how far your leader is going.

meltdown.

2009-08-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

it was bound to happen. hard drive meltdown.

failure.

crash.

we use such terminal words to refer to this technology. very real, human words applied to this beloved family member of mine.

even in repairing it, mr. mr. referred to 'saving it'.

hope for a resurrection

transplant.

the most interesting part of it all is how nonplussed i was by the whole event.

my computer. my data. my work.

and mr. mr. more consumed with the failure than i.

i like him a lot.

Red dress.

2009-07-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

A little over 40 years ago, so the story goes, my mom tried on a new dress. She had gone to town with dad and they had stopped at a department store just to look.

Now before we go too far I should let you know that 'going to town' was a significant event. Our family farm was located nearly an hour from the nearest real town. Buying anything, especially a dress, was not a casual event.

So mom tried on the dress. A red dress. She came out of the changing room to show dad. She was pretty. Real pretty. Dad encouraged her to buy the dress. But instead she looked at the tag. She crumbled. It was far more than she was expecting, and far more that she thought they could spend.

She said no.

He said, "Listen, if we can't afford the dress, if money gets that tight... then we'll just have to increase what we give away."

What? Seriously? Yep. Give it away.

Dad did not believe that everything he gave to the church, God would return in exact dollar amounts.

But he did believe that if he gave generously to the Lord, then the Lord would provide for them.

Sometimes the Lord even provided a Red Dress.

stress relievers

2009-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

ruffles

hot bath

looking at van gough's starry night

read isaiah chapter 10

listen to my daughter sing

listen to my son drum (seriously. stress reliever)

listen to my husband laugh

organize a closet

nap

plan a vacation

re-read letters from my mom

plan an escape

what if.

2009-05-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

i have a lot of 'what if' moments in my life. usually the rearview mirror kind. the ones that begin with, 'what if i had done [blank] instead of [blank]?"

the kind that begin with old thoughts and end with new regret.

it's actually quite paralyzing to live with this 'what if' mindset.

last friday, i stood in our front room and looked out the window. i had a, 'what if...' thought. and as quickly as i finished that thought, the Lord gave me a new thought:

'if there is a 'what if' then there is no God.'

a life changing moment for me. you see He is saying that either He is in control of all things, past, present and future, or else He is not.

either He directs our steps or

He does not.

Roasting of the Peeps.

2009-04-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

That's right. Our Easter tradition now includes the Ceremonial Roasting of the Peeps.

Yes, we take those sweet little yellow sugar coated marshmallow treats, put on the end of a stick and stick them in the fire. But the cool thing is how the sugar caramelizes on the outside. Then smushed between a couple Keebler Striped Cookies and you have got a refined sugar buzz that should last until next Easter. (As long as the head doesn't fall off in the fire.)

It seems as if I should make some sort of profound analogy. Something about our delicate lives, thrust in the fire, returning even sweeter.

But honestly, nothing spiritual about this moment.

Just melting birds, dental decay and a lot of fun around the fire.

remote.

2008-11-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

i sit down on the sofa. it is a moment i have waited over 13 hours for. the moment that comes a few nights a week when smaller versions of myself are in bed and i am on the sofa waiting for mr. mr. to sit down.

sometimes i turn on the tv. then sometimes i read. sometimes i compute.

if i turn on the tv it goes to an innocuous sitcom, hgtv or maybe the news. but really, i'm all about waiting for the sofa and the man.

but then it happens.

i glance away, i ponder the arrangement of the candles on the table, or consider taking off my shoes. and in that blink the tv goes bad.

i mean really bad.

mr. mr. has remotely changed my comedy for something with aliens. or spies. or alien spies. one minute it's kelsey grammar, the next it's a 4 headed green thing with one eye and a desperate need for a 12 step program for anger management.

this choice of his is not bad. not good. not frustrating. not surprising.

it is consistent.

some nights the sum total of our differences boils down to steve carell vs. richard dreyfus.

i can live with that.

it's a contest.

2008-11-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

did you read the story about my mom and her cell phone?

well, we have a New Winner in the category of, "Playing Tricks on Myself with my Cell Phone".

a couple days ago a friend, whom we will refer to as Shania (hey, if' I'm going to rename her, I'm going BIG), Shania called me.

Shania was driving to the cellular provider of her choice in order to have her Sim card switched over to a new phone. As she's talking to me, I hear her panic. She says, "Oh great. Where's my old cell phone? I have to have it to switch the information...."

Long pause.

Do you see where this is going?

Yep. Shania realizes she is talking to me. On her old cell phone. While looking all around her front seat. For her old cell phone. Which is in her hand.

Who needs friends to play practical jokes on you when you can play them on yourself?

accountability partner hall of fame.

2008-10-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

yesterday's post regarded the ridiculous gift from the Lord of moving an entire family to be with our family.

today, i would officially like to nominate peter jundt and his scary smart wife, heidi, into the accountability partners hall of fame.

to move across the country to hold us accountable speaks of 2 things:

1. the jundt's depth of character, faithfulness and devotion

2. our depravity and need for accountability

how we see God's hand in this:

1. as we struggled for months to hear God's voice in this move, they sat for months with us and prayed

2. on the same day that john accepted the job here, peter lost his job there

3. heidi and i made a crazy 2.5 day trip down here to find a home for us

4. they were 'available' to help us move and spend 2 weeks with us here

5. heidi took isaac skateboarding while down here. she spoke to another mom at the park. and then the network began: one mom gave peter's resume to 3 contractors, who passed it on to 10 more firms and eventually peter got an interview, a call, another interview, and a new job

6. and the Lord was obvious. this one offer after 5 months of searching, eclipsed whatever else was out there.

7. in august i was bored. heidi and i took peter's computer and entered random 'things to do' on his calendar. including: buy a boat, make struedel, run for president and move to atlanta. we chose the random date of november 10 for 'move to atlanta'

peter's official start date has just been confirmed as november 10

when we entered it into his calendar he didn't even have an interview here

we are amazed

decades from now our children will look back at God's faithfulness and timing. their faith, like ours, will be stronger, deeper, richer because of this significant and profound moving of His hand in the lives of our 2 families.

they're coming.

2008-10-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

seriously.

our friends, peter, heidi and their son isaac, have been a part of our life for years. even back when john had a comb and reason to use it, they were in our lives.

we have walked thru the roughest seasons this earthly life can offer us. almost all of those seasons fall under the category of "losses". loss of family, loss of jobs, loss of passion, loss of nfl teams, etc.

when the Lord called us to Atlanta, they helped us move. drove across the country and for 2 weeks unpacked, fixed, repaired, prayed, improvised and bridged a gap between what we knew and where we had landed.

and now the Lord is moving them here. to be with us.

WHO DOES THAT?

i continue to lose my thoughts in the middle of such unmerited, lavish favor from the Lord. He knew the most traumatic and brutal part of this move would be the separation from His people. we lost those who were comfortable, familiar, forgiving, hilarious, spontaneous, sensitive, and involved.

and then He sent them to us.

WHO DOES THAT?

my mom.

2008-10-16T14:10:00.001-07:00

when my mom first got her cell phone, she insisted it didn't work... because she couldn't hear a dial tone. seriously. an entire week of her insisting she couldn't get the thing to turn on.

last week she sat on her front porch, picked up her cell phone and saw that she had 1 missed call. It was her friend Judy. So she pressed "Judy". Now my mom is not 'fleet of foot' these days, so when she sits, she likes to stay sitting. Just as she had dialed Judy, she heard her land-line ringing inside the house.

So she went in to answer it and closed her cell phone on the way in. By the time she got to the land-line it had stopped ringing.

Do you see where this is going?

She picked up her cell phone again, and called Judy. And again her land-line rang.

She closed her cell phone and the land line stopped ringing.

Then she remembered. This same thing had happened to her before! Just last month! Yep. Not only had she programmed Judy's number to be her own home number, but she had done this before.

Who needs friends when you can play practical jokes on yourself?

one year.

2008-10-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

where were you a year ago today? what were you doing? what were your worries, concerns and celebrations?

i'm sitting today in a place that 1 year ago i didn't even know existed.

1 year ago

my life was consistent with a pattern that had taken 10 years to develop
my mother-in-law had not been diagnosed with cancer
i knew where the post office was
my brother was still married
my mom was re-covering from a near-death surgery
my dad was harvesting (well, that one never changes)
i didn't know it could be this hot in October
i knew where my toaster was
we had finished writing the Christmas musical
we had begun rehearsing the Christmas musical
we had no clue it would be our last Christmas musical

i need to always make sure that in my search for Security i am not searching for Consistency. those are 2 different things. Consistency can provide Security, but Security doesn't guarantee Consistency.

God is a god of change. and my security has to be in Him, not in the life-shaking events around me. i can be secure even in the midst of this inconsistent, ever-changing, unstable world.

high maintenance.

2008-10-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

When it comes to friendships, I am high maintenance.

To be honest, I think we all are.

It takes more than one friend to support me in crisis, to run fast with me in service and to help me find my mind when I've misplaced it.

It is unfair for us to expect one Best Friend to meet all our needs. And by the same token, I cannot meet all the needs of any one friend. If we could do that, if we had the ability to be everything that someone needs, then they would not need Jesus.

So I step back, and I am profoundly grateful for the Circle that supports and sustains me:

she who encourages me to clean my bathrooms

she who knows my husband and explains his wiring

she who has a pantry I can borrow from

she who leaves her door unlocked for my kids

she who doesn't believe me when I say, "fine. just fine."

she who travels to the ends of the earth to see me

she who holds me accountable for time with my Lord

she who holds my hand when jumping in a cold lake

she who sits on the beach with me for hours and hours and hours

she who has smoked a cigar and giggled at the same time

she who listens to me on No Filter Fridays and forgives me

she who grants me grace in the stupid places of my life

she who is consistent

she who is spontaneous

it just takes a lot of 'shes'.

don't go it alone.

and don't be threatened by others.

hmmm. more on that one later.

quote.

2008-10-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

I wish I had written this:

"It's impossible to love God in a hurry. I typically view the person in front of me as an obstacle to accomplishing my true mission, but Jesus viewed the person in front of him as his true mission."

Vince Antonucci in I Became a Christian and All I got was this Lousy T-Shirt. Now, that's a good read.

For me it is easy to sit here on a nice, sunny afternoon and ponder who will be such a mission for me. Who will the Lord put in front of me tomorrow?

But the reality is that tomorrow I will forget today's conviction. Tomorrow I will be

frustrated by the clerk at Wal-Mart
irritated by the fry chef at Burger King
annoyed with the insurance guy who calls
and fed up with the warranty people on the phone

and at those moments, I am looking at myself. I am focussed on the interruption to my life. And I do not see what He sees.

How foolish I am.

Area Codes.

2008-09-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Never realized quite how much significance can be found in 3 little numbers. Maybe it's because our family is spread out, maybe it's because we've moved 79 times, maybe it's because our friends have all moved 79 times... not sure why. But there is huge significance in the Area Codes that show up on my caller ID.

319: someone from my home farm in iowa is calling

563: some member of my family in iowa is calling from their cell phone

843: the beach. friends on the coast of south carolina are calling to check in

515: governor of iowa. or my friend kim. usually kim

608: who IS that??? oh yeah. friends that moved to madison a couple years ago. still do not have their new numbers memorized

770, 678: someone new to me because i'm new to here

262, 414: someone from home, remembering us right now

I like the use of the word 'code' in 'area code'. It implies secret. It is a hint of something special, someone special. A secret clue to give me a hint about the gift on the other end of the code.

Roller Coasters.

2008-08-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

I stand in line for hours to ride a roller coaster. Once I finally get to my turn, I will even wait a few extra minutes to get in the front seat. Then, with my husband next to me, I grab the bar in front and scream for nearly 3 minutes straight.

Why do we do that?

Our life right now is a lot like a roller coaster.

Lots of ups, downs, unexpected curves and spiritual screaming. (is that even theologically sound?!).

The Lord reminded me today that I actually like roller coasters. That He is the Great Designer of the ultimate Thrill Ride. That He designed this particular ride (this season) with me in mind. I have waited for months for the ride to begin. Anticipated and dreamed of the fun, but also questioned the safety and wisdom.

Why do we do this?

Now, as the cart leaves the gate, and we have survived the first initial plummet into this new life, I realize that I'm not alone in the front car. In addition to John, the Lord very much wants to ride this ride, which He created, with me.

And one more thing.
The Lord may have actually asked me to stop screaming long enough to enjoy the ride.

Why do I do that?

Toaster.

2008-08-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Can't find it.
Anywhere.

We moved last week. A few days later our stuff moved. I sort of thought it would feel more like Christmas. 359 boxes, all for me to open!!!

Only, not so much. I lost interest after the first 9 boxes. It's not really Christmas if you already know what's in the box. And to be honest I just don't consider used rugs, flashlights without batteries and melted chocolate chips as great gifts.

We have hit a critical point in the unpacking process. It has to do with adrenaline, inertia, and gravity.
Bottom line: we are tired.

And we are without our toaster. Brave Little Toaster. Where are you? Are you somewhere in a box marked "Garden Tools"? or have you been dispatched to a child's room with a bunch of Transformers? or, perhaps the very worst has happened to you... maybe my generous neighbor, who helped me pack my kitchen up north, claimed you as a 'door prize' and is now enjoying my bagels.

So. We can't find it.
Anywhere.

First.

2008-08-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Today is the first.

The first welcome.
The first introduction.
The first new neighbors.
The first mail in the mailbox.
The first hug.
The first phone call.
The first missed turn.
The first night in the new house.

The first day I will cry all day.

We have lift-off.

Final.

2008-08-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the final.

The final party.
The final day.
The final night.
The final meal.
The final hug.
The final laugh.
The final song.
The final dance.
The final scene.
The final prayer.

The final final.

T minus 1 and counting.

Milk and croutons.

2008-07-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

As we prepare to move we are eliminating ‘stuff’. Even food stuff. Cleaning out the fridge and the pantry. Buying only what we need this week, eating what we already have.

So essentially we are down to milk and croutons. Not a tasty combination. Not a really good match either. Milk is innately perishable, dated and needs to be consumed in a timely manner. Croutons have the shelf life of cheeze whiz. Seriously. How do you know when a crouton goes bad? It gets harder? It dries up? It breaks a tooth when you bite it?

Maybe moving is a lot like milk and croutons. Facing the rapid evaporation of life here. Unable to preserve this life. Like trying to hold milk in the palm of your hand. But still consuming this life and getting great nourishment from it.

And confident that there are croutons. Little chunks of life here that will travel well with us, stories that will add flavor where we go, and memories that have an unending shelf life.

Maybe milk and croutons really do go well together.

T-Minus 6 and counting.

In-between.

2008-07-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Not quite there. Kind of not really here. Somewhere in-between.

Ever feel that way? It’s odd. Like being stuck in one of those old revolving doors. The kind that spin around, taking you from the outside to the inside. Supposedly from the rain filled streets to the well lit hotel.

But then you get in the revolving door on the day that Mrs. Hoeffer’s third grade class is visiting the city. And the other dividers fill up with giddy 9 year olds, running you around and around and around.

Never getting in, but never getting out either. Accomplishing nothing, but also not missing anything. Watching. Moving. Stepping. Still not there. But really not here either.

In 2 weeks we move across the country.

T-minus 16 and counting.

Moving.

2008-06-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

There are only 2 hard things about moving:

1. missing out on the good times

2. missing out on the bad times.

Everything else will be fine.

Missing the good times is always tough. When you move away you miss birthday parties of close friends, holidays with family and celebrating milestones. I'll miss the 'good' of meeting a friend for Pepsi, preparing for a big event, and then having that post-wow get together with cake.

That's tough stuff.

But tougher still is missing the bad times. Not being here when children get sick, cars get into accidents, jobs are eliminated or any tragedy hits. To be far away when things are bad is far worse than being far away when good things happen.

Moving. Part 1

2008-06-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's official. We are moving. From here to there. From Midwest to Southeast. From Racine to Atlanta. Nearly 700 emotions at work in my heart at any given time, so sorting thru them is impossible.

Listing the fears is helpful:

1. Our children: transition, friends, adjustment, schools.

2. Our home: selling this one and finding that one.

3. Timing: sharing the news in a way that honors each relationship.

4. Logistics: details terrify me.

5. School: homeschool or public school?

6. Age: maybe we're too old to move. maybe our kids are.

7. well, you get the idea.

Where there's smoke.

2008-05-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

How do you know God's will? Really. Any one out there got that figured out? There's the thought that God's perfect will is for us to know and love Him more.

ok. working on that.

Maybe my question is more about how do you find God's plan? His best?

Remember the days of burning bushes, parting seas and trumpet blasts? Yah. those were the good ole days. Days when even a fool could look in his garden, see the rhododendron burst into flames and say, "Well, me thinks tis time to buy a new blender. Thanks Lord for the sign." And then quickly add "buy new bush" to the list of landscaping needs.

My desire is for God to be overt, obvious, unconcealed and indisputable. For me to see His path, show it to others and say, "Tis the Lord's leading. Therefor, there goest I!" (I always imagine that when the Lord speaks that clearly, I will respond in King James vernacular. Seems appropriate.)

So, Path A or Path B. How do we know which is of the Lord? I'm willing to sacrifice shrubbery if it means His best. I am also willing to sacrifice small potted plants and my vegetable garden if that would be more efficient.

Trading Places.

2008-05-18T15:34:00.001-07:00

Did you see the episode with the feuding neighbors? Incredible.

Two families, living 50 feet from each other, and been at war for 6 years. One family has a single mom raising 3 teenage boys. The other is a young couple with a 2 year old son. One family is very loud with garage bands, skateboarding and late nights. The other is frustrated with no privacy or protection from the noise.

So they end up on the show. Mom and teen son re-doing a baby room, Young Couple re-doing a garage into a studio.

Let the healing begin.

Seriously.

I know this is not a Christian show. I have no clue about the faith of the families. But this is evidence of God's Truth at work when they may not even see His hand.

They served one another, they walked in each other's shoes, slept in each other's homes, and took time to gain perspective.

Talk about loving your enemy. Wonder if i would be so willing?

Lesson learned.

iPhone Roulette.

2008-05-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

Great Game! Made it up the other day when we were 4 hours into a 13 hour drive. Gotta know that my husband John is very normal, and really likes normal. Although he has no fear of risk or adventure, he is terrified by awkward social situations.

To help him with this anxiety, I like to create awkward social situations.

iPhone Roulette

Equipment:

iPhone
hands free adapter

Play of game:

Player One (that would be me!) holds the iPhone, while Player Two (Mr. Normal) wears earbuds and mic.
Player One scrolls through the contact list and stops randomly on a name and number (hence the name 'roulette'!)
Player One clicks on the contact.
When the contact has answered the phone, Player Two must say, "My name is John. How do I know you?"
When Player Two correctly guesses the contact name, he is immediately advanced to Round 2.
Which means I immediately hang up on whoever was on the line.

No explanations,
no warning,
no 'talk to you laters'.
Just click.

I haven't actually worked out the point system yet, but John has worked on the apologies for what he deems an 'awkward social situation'!

Road Closed.

2008-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

The scene is this: we are driving down the highway , I am in the back seat with my brother. Dad and and mom in the front. We fly by a warning sign that says, "Road Construction Ahead". It is followed by another "Caution" sign, a couple "Detour" suggestions, and then finally the giant orange and white barricade with flashing yellow lights and a hugantic sign that says "ROAD CLOSED".

Dad slows the car down and says, "Hm. Wonder what that means."

It's not a question.

He's not really looking for an answer.

He's just pondering.

By nature my dad is not a rebel. He is the very definition of coffee without cream. When he questions a department of transportation sign, he is not questioning authority. He does not think that rules don't apply to him. Nor is he looking for adventure outside of the stock market and a good round of golf.

He just honestly believes that there is no road that is truly impassible.

Regardless of the vehicle he is driving, the number of warning signs, or the complete lack of any other traffic, he is confident that he and his Oldsmobile Cutlas can make it.

I'd like to have that same confidence in my faith. That unswerving faith in God that regardless of the doubt, issues or barricades, I know that the road ahead is not really closed. Not for Him and therefor not for me.

Twinkies.

2008-05-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

I miss twinkies. Frozen twinkies. Little sponge cake landmines filled with cream goo. I miss finding mom's secret stash of hostess products. Most of them have unfortunate names that are no longer politically acceptable, but still delicious nonetheless.

Not having twinkies is my fault.

No one else's.

Choosing to take some moral highway of self-depravation that will theoretically be rewarding.

But I have replaced the twinkies with a one pound bag of M&M's.

Denied the twinkies because I am above that.

Embraced the M&M's because... because... because they are littler?

Playing mind games with myself hurts.

But I enjoy the company.

ashes.

2008-04-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

On my grandpa's farm (it really was as idyllic as it sounds) he had a burn pile. The common things of life would be burned, then he would gather the ashes into his wheelbarrow and spread them out over his garden. It was old school, but science backs it up. The potassium in the ashes benefitted the soil and therefor the plants. And my favorite: the strawberries.

Today God reminded me of that lesson from decades ago. How often I say, "I am burnt out". I feel as if I am a pile of ashes. Used and dry. Blowing around. No weight.

But even ashes are used to make life. Out of my burnt place He can grow things.

If I let him gather up my ashes, He will re-invest me into something new. Something different. Something way cooler than a pile of ashes.

Re-entry.

2008-04-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Re-entry after a vacation is tricky. Logically, I want to talk with my neighbors, unpack, go thru mail, pay bills, put away clean clothes, mow the grass, grocery shop, wash, dust, spin, pivot and race.

Reality? Yah. Mountains of laundry and a very comfy sofa calling my name. And all I really want to do is go thru pics, relive and relaugh at every sweet moment of an amazing trip.

Who puts the pressure on me to do more and more? Mostly just me. So who can make the choice to do less and less? Definitely me.

Today I am listening to my kids, going for a walk and contemplating scrapbooking.

Laundry Schmaundry.

By the numbers.

2008-04-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

3 years of planning

427 days of actual 'countdown'

17 friends

1 big boat

7 days at sea

16 lbs of chocolate consumed (maybe per day!)

8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night

2 children staying with grandma and grandpa

1 handsome man making it all happen

How about you? What are your numbers?

Here's hoping you don't have to wait 427 days to Get Away.

No way.

2008-04-03T17:20:00.001-07:00

I had spent the week caring for my friend, Sheila, in another state and her family while she recouped from surgery. During that week, I just did all the natural mom-things:

played with her kids
took them to school
occasionally remembered to pick them up
served Oreos for breakfast
"decorated" her van
and may have misplaced all the veggies in her home.

I also spent time with her friend and neighbor, Julie, in the yard, on the phone, getting ice cream and going to the pool (gotta love the south!)

A few days after I left, Sheila mentioned to Julie that my husband John is in ministry. Julie almost blacked-out. "SHE's a minister's wife?!!" It took some convincing, but she eventually believed her.

Sheila called me. Her first question, "What did you do? WHAT did YOU do??" She wanted details of what happened while she was medicated and why on earth would Julie be shocked that I was 'one of those'?

Whatever Julie's stereotype of a Christian Minister's Wife was, I had completely shattered it.

And it was a good thing. She was willing to believe I was in Christ, but the married to ministry was too much.

Makes me wonder what Julie thought I was.

Given a week with you what would a stranger guess you to be?

Rocket Dogs.

2008-04-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

I've hit that less than sentimental point in my life where priorities have shifted. The things that define a good day are radically different than a few years ago.

A good day then included:

no spills

less than 7 band aids

happy meal (left over fries for me)

naps all around

a great rehearsal

late night movie

A good day now includes:

a comfortable pair of shoes

and a nap... for me.

Ok, the great rehearsal is still good and you can never go wrong with a movie. But the day that comfortable shoes became important was the day I saw my mother in the mirror.

small sigh.

Save the man.

2008-04-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

My dad's best friend was named Don. He was a larger than life kind of guy, with a laugh kind of like a volcano. I mean it truly erupted in a room and caught fire. In a good way. His love of life was highly contagious, which is probably why my dad was so drawn to him.

For a couple years Don's business was in jeopardy. He stood to lose everything. For those few years Dad and Don would talk for hours every week. Repositioning, thinking, exploring and searching for solutions. A way to save his business.

In October one year Dad's best friend Don died in a car accident. He was living life fast that afternoon, and paid a terrible price for it.

My dad was devastated. The loss was so great.

Because you see, my dad is a great man of faith. His personal relationship with Jesus is the center of his life. And although Don knew that about my dad, it was not the primary focus of their discussions. Not in the decades they had known each other, and certainly not in the last two years of intense financial crisis.

My dad later said to my mom, "If only I had spent those years trying to save the man, rather than save the farm."

Save the man. Always choose to save the man.

It is easy for me to lose site of Christ when the crisis hits. How do we spend our time when crisis hits? Problem solving? or with the One who can solve the problems?

Rest.

2008-03-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

So what did you do today? If you had to use only one verb to describe your day, what would you choose?

run?

flee?

ricochet?

spin?

...rest?

Every home breathes differently. Our home breathes deeply on Mondays. The Mr. Mr. in my home doesn't work on Mondays, no one showers until the afternoon and eating is totally a self-feeding event. This is the day we breathe. We catch our breath and prepare for the week ahead. It took a few years to develop a pattern that really worked for this job, this home, our family, and this season of life.

Cudos to you if you took time to breathe this week.

Important Questions.

2008-03-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

This or That?

taco or burger?

blizzard or slushie?

here or there?

land or sea?

reading or writing?

steak or steak?

sweater or shorts?

nap or run?

drums or piano?

baseball or football?

Things To Do List.

2008-03-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

1. plan to be spontaneous.

2. wash down Advil PM with an espresso. evaluate effects

3. rally around something.

4. catch a cold. let it go.

5. sing a song of sixpence.

6. stop. smell flowers. go.

7. contemplate thinking.

8. run for president.

9. plan for cataclysmic event.

10. follow the leader.