Search for perspective and some quips and clips from daily life

When the routine and comforts of daily life are turned upside down for a time, chances are that God has some important lessons for us to grasp in the midst of it all.  We've been so busy with necessary "to-do" items that my prayer has been that I would not miss those lessons, making every effort to learn from Him through the chaos.

As soon as we moved into the apartment, I immediately recognized a ministry opportunity before us, but one disaster after another has befallen us keeping us very distracted and increasingly frustrated.  So I ask, "Does Satan use the same types of distraction tactics so commonly played by elected officers in Washington, DC?  Are these trials sent from the enemy of our souls to keep me from sharing the greatest news on earth with those who desperately seek it?"

So this morning, I remembered to put on the armor of God.

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:10-18)

As I was exiting my apartment today, that neighbor I have been wanting to get to know better and show kindness to surprisingly extended a warm greeting to me despite our cultural differences.  That was the reminder I needed to stay focused on loving Christ and on loving my neighbors while He takes care of all the problems.

So, I have learned through these trials how imperative it is that I remain armored up at all times because on my own, I am weak, easily frustrated, selfish, and volcanic.  Thank you, Lord, for your Spirit who comforts and guides us (Gift #341), your peace through any storm (Gift #342), Christ's righteousness which covers us (#343), the shield of faith which protects us (#344), and for Your truth, our greatest and only offensive weapon (#345).

My momentary contentment is strongly correlated with my focus. With so many petty problems within my current surroundings in need or remedy,  I must ask, "Am I seeing God's gifts or am I only concerned about my own selfishly rooted irritations?  Are my own light and momentary trials or financial frustrations distracting me from being the hands and feet of Jesus to those facing exceedingly more difficult trials?"   Right now, a close family member is at a Hospice facility waiting to die as his devoted wife of 48 years sits by his side without having had real sleep in over 10 days.   As I grieve over a childhood neighborhood friend who got hit by a drunk driver while she was out walking for exercise and recently passed away after an extended hospital stay and a tough fight against all the resulting injuries, am I faithful to lift up the husband, family, and friends she left behind?  What are my little trials compared to the agony of a dear friend who stood by her father (physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc.) every moment as he courageously endured the cruel, harsh, rigorous battle against brain cancer only to have it take his life?  As I listen to the story of the vibrant youth pastor and his pregnant wife who were killed before their young son's eyes while driving home from youth camp, just one mile from their church, and consider the mother who also died in that wreck leaving her adoring husband and five children behind, how dare I complain about anything?   Is my focus on God and His presence or on my temporal circumstances?  As the frustration with how each day seems wasted as I attend to problems that should have never happened, I must remember that no work done OF THE LORD is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58), whereas work done only to please oneself is.

"You aren’t wasting your life when you’ve poured out for eternity — wherever you are....There are a thousand ways to be stretched thin and it’s the stretchmarks that a soul wears gratefully that can be these thin places –that give us more of God." Ann Voskamp 

For whom am I working and in whom am I seeking contentment?  Look to Jesus, and bear it all for His name's sake.

2 Corinthians 12:10 (KJV)

¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

All these changes have had me thinking much about our missionary friends.  Various families we know well and love deeply, one with a baby on the way, another with four kids under six, or yet another with six kids under ten (and so forth), have each sold all their belongings except that which could fit into one shipping container and a few suitcases. My homeschooling supplies alone could fill up a container, and they homeschool six kids! They sold their cars, home, and possessions and used the proceeds to pay for their expenses on the field.  There they live and work in wretched conditions  compared to what they knew in America where the language is foreign, electric power is intermittent, the economy is weak, food selection is minimal, medical care is inadequate, and their physical safety is always at risk.  Love of God and people and a firm grasp of His vision for their lives compels them and helps them persevere.  I have heard their stories, watched their videos, and felt what I thought was empathy, but I have not truly tasted any of their sufferings, not that they would call them "sufferings" for it is all joy when endured for Jesus.  Now that I have lost a few modern comforts (internet access at home, operational household appliances, pest control, functional toilets, relatively large living spaces) and faced minor inconveniences like a bathroom that floods once or twice a day and bugs the size of my head (okay, the size of my head when I was much younger) for a rental payment 50% higher than our mortgage was at our previous home which was three times bigger than this apartment, I think life has suddenly gotten more complicated when I should consider how the MAJORITY of the world lives.  How would I like a one room mud hut with NO appliances, no running water, lots of bugs in the home which must serve as my DINNER (eek!), and a weekly salary of $2?  I have it good y'all.

When I returned back to the apartment today, I saw a note indicating that a maintenance crew had actually been there to address some of our smaller concerns.  They even offered to replace the brand new dishwasher which is defective with a new one, although no replacement date was set and there is no assurance the new one will work either, but at least I can wash dishes by hand with a little more hope now.  There's no telling when the pest problem will be addressed, but at least it isn't the swarm of locusts we all deserve.  I'm not sure if the flooding in the bathroom and resulting mold/mildew concerns will ever be resolved, but there is comfort in knowing this living arrangement is only temporary as is all of life in this world. (1 Chronicles 29:15)  I'm so glad this world is not my home. (Gift #346)

I also wish I could stop following the news (not the corrupt, fake, mainstream news..but more reliable sources) which makes our circumstances seem more desperate, but I simply cannot keep my head in the sand or remain apathetic when my children, your children, unborn children, the basic freedoms that so many brave patriots fought and died to preserve, and God's precepts which were the foundation of this country are cursed, destroyed or enslaved.  When my children are paying back the outrageous, immoral debts incurred by my generation, when their very lives are at risk for uttering the name of Jesus, when food is rationed as a result of socialistic leadership, they will not be asking, "Why did Mom just let this happen?  Why didn't she care about our future?"  They will know that I did everything within my power to resist those who hate the one true God and the freedom endowed by God for each of us.  My predictions sound outrageous now, but it seems all those things we feared would happen before but progressives assured us could not happen in America are happening now.   Prophecy is unfolding right before our eyes. America is not immune to the cycle we see in so many other civilizations:

1. Slavery of the masses + national poverty 
2. Christ's Gospel penetrates the culture.
3. Rise of committed Christ followers
4. People gain courage to stand up against the tyrants and seek independence.
5. Freedom is granted and protected.
6. Free enterprise results in great national wealth and prosperity for the masses.
7. Greed corrupts leaders who lust for more power.
8. God and His absolute truth are denied in the public square so that the people will begin relying upon the government instead of God for their daily bread and for solutions to all their problems.
9. The government increases its power by giving hand-outs, funded by the hard working taxpayers, to the new "gimme" generation whose supreme value is entitlement.
10.  As the government gains more power, the people become more dependent.
11. Freedom is abandoned as the greedy populace votes itself down the road to slavery
12. The economy falls apart as the masses are impoverished by greedy dictators. 
13. Return to step 1.

That we are following this cycle should not surprise me, yet I trusted that the balance of powers and efforts to preserve freedom in our Constitution were sufficient.  I misjudged the power of the sin nature.  Now we're on the downward spiral back to slavery, but the gross immorality characterizing our nation and applauded by her people has me completely astounded.   When I read of pedophiles gaining support in DC in their efforts to pursue the same rights as homosexuals in a culture where sinful choices are exalted by society, lest anyone feel any shame or guilt, just as other sexual sins like those of Anthony Weiner and Bill Clinton are treated as perfectly normal and even expected.  Every day it seems a new scandal, involving crimes worthy of life long jail sentences, emerges, but our citizenry, which values tolerance over justice, simply ignores or denies them while those who are tortured mercilessly and murdered as a result of such scandals (ie, Benghazi), rot in their graves.   I thought killing innocent babies through the well played scam case, Roe v Wade, was as bad as things could get in America, but now we have college students petitioning to make 4th term abortions legal.  Yes, 4th term, as in the baby is born, alive, and thriving, yet since they baby is unwanted by whoever birthed him/her, they suggest that killing that baby should be perfectly legal.  Good grief! The world has gone mad.

When the government exalts and MODELS lying, cheating, stealing, killing (Benghazi and Fast n' Furious in case you need examples), and sexual immorality (Clinton, Weiner, San Diego Mayor Filner), what will happen to our civilization?  It certainly did not bode well for Sodom and Gomorrah.  And when a country caters to America's enemies and all haters of God while turning against God's chosen people, the nation of Israel, all readers of Biblical prophecy know what happens. It ain't pretty, folks.

So, the times are bleak, but praise God for the hope followers of Christ have in Jesus.  He fights for us.  We are on his side, and He wins! (Gift #347) He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). (Gift #348)  We are HIS forevermore and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39)!  (Gift #349)

Aside:
Unfortunately the majority of mainline churches in America do not preach the Gospel at all.   Instead, they mislead their flock, making them think that if they are relatively decent, they will be saved.  Friends who are regular attenders of such churches say to me, "I am pro-gay marriage or pro-choice because God says we should love everyone" (without ever considering that true love does not encourage destructive life choices).  Or he may say, "I don't think I'm any less of a Christian because I don't believe everything the Bible says"  Hello!  Maybe he should turn to the last chapter in the Bible and read Revelation 22:19.   Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, and today.  His truth never changes.  And we cannot pick and choose which of His teachings we will accept.  It's all or nothing with Him.  He is either Lord of your whole life or your enemy.  We each get to choose.

I don't care much for politics because in today's translation, the word "politics" is all about deception and corruption.  What I care passionately about is the TRUTH.  Unfortunately, progressive politics and extremely misguided leftist groups like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are out to destroy everything in our society that is good, holy, and right by distorting God's absolute truth.  So as long as they teach people that actions do not have consequences, if it feels good, do it, you are accountable to no one, put your own interests first, truth is relative, there is no God, you are entitled to whatever you want even if you didn't earn it, parents do not have authority over you, yada...yada...yada, I will continue to correct such lies with the God's truth.  God's word is not progressive.  It doesn't change with each new administration or cultural trend.  Take it or leave it but don't try to feign Christianity because if you are lukewarm, He will spit you out of his mouth. (Revelation 3:16)  If your church does not proclaim the whole Gospel, if it distorts or ignores any part of God's word or denies the deity and resurrection of Christ in any way at all, if it teaches salvation by works or some form of prosperity gospel, if it exists more as a country club than as a base for equipping all its members for active ministry service, if it does not care about reaching the lost around the world for Christ, if it prioritizes tolerance over real love, then get out and find a gospel centered church.  Your soul is at stake. 

-End of rant

And if that (our hope in Christ) weren't enough to encourage us (it is!), reading articles like this one by Judge Andrew Napolitano reminds me that plenty of Americans still get it.  (Gift #350) They know what freedom is about and what it is worth.  Every voter should fully understand the principles outlined in this article before being allowed to vote IMO.

Thankfully, God is still alive and at work today!  During one weekend of great discouragement, God reminded me during church worship that He is still in control.  Our church commissioned 75 people on five different missions teams headed all over the world during that one service after sending out many other teams throughout the year. (Gift #351) Our boy's spiritual maturity astounded me that morning as he explained the significance of the bread and the cup and demonstrated an understanding of the attitude with which it must be taken.  (#352)  And after months of rain which was delaying the grading for our lot and making it nearly impossible to close before our rate lock expiration date, the sun actually came out that day!  (#353)  A church friend with kids at our kids' new school offered to help me shop for uniforms so that I don't waste money on items our daughter will not wear, and she also showed me around town and took me on a test run through carpool at the new school since it is so much more complicated than our kid's previous school.  All these blessing that day reminded me that  no matter how fallen the world may be, God is still and always will be GOOD, and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3: 22-23)! (#354)
 
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One of my sources of frustration since moving into the apartment has been that rascally rabbit of ours.  We had to move him inside while we are renting, but he tends to kick his hay, litter, and poop balls outside of this cage.  They eventually get circulated around the apartment by our cooling system and fans, so I end up sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting at least five times a day to keep it under control.  It's impossible to keep his paws clean in that small cage and with his daily hops about the tennis courts, so he needs regular baths which are so messy.  Cleaning out the cage (at least two times a week) is an atrocious chore which creates a huge mess.  And when I hold him, he usually scratches, bites or pees all over me.  He's already scratched my favorite pieces of furniture.  When I get irritated with him,  he'll do something exceedingly cute like beg, hold up his paws in his trance position, wash his face, or some other precious pose to manipulate me into spoiling him again.  And when he takes a bath, he looks so pitiful, I can't help but love him.  The little stinker.

I'm not sure if it's the need to file his ever growing front teeth (apparently the chew sticks aren't enough for him) or the quest for freedom that drives him, but he spends much time each day chewing on the wire rungs of his cage.  As he chews it looks like a Houdini bunny, feverishly trying to escape.

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Another frustration has been various illnesses.  The day after having to take both my daughter and I to the chiropractor where I spent another $1K on yet another treatment plan, I had to take her to the doctor for swimmer's ear and me to a specialist for some annoying skin rash inside my eyelids (probably due to stress or the air quality in our apartment).  Of course, we are living in a new town now, so I had to search all over the internet for new providers in the area, calculate travel routes, call to find someone who could see us on short notice, transfer all medical records, designate a new PCP for each family member, and fill out all new paperwork with each new provider.  But the gift in all that is that in one day, I established our family in our new town with a pediatrician, GP, eye doctor, and pharmacy. (Gift #355)

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The kids are taking a genetics class this week and looked at me closely to see if they got their dimples from me. While tracing the laugh lines in my face with his fingers, my son said, "You have big dimples, Mommy!" All these recent family changes and stressors have physically aged me, but praise God for the eyes of a child that can't see the wrinkles of an aging, weary woman. (Gift #356). 

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Speaking of genetics, I keep finding more ways that my daughter is like me.  For most of my life, I have been lovingly teased for my tendency to multitask.  I did 90% of my reading/studying for my engineering degree while working on out cardio equipment at the university gym.  Now I do most of my blogging, freelance writing, scrapbooking, reading, emailing, banking, and misc. other laptop work while working out on my elliptical trainer.  When my friends hosted a baby shower for our expectant first born, the shower games involved mommy multitasking, complete with stopwatches, supply carts, and standard operating procedures as any good old fashioned industrial engineer would expect.

So when I saw my daughter rollerblading around the tennis courts outside our apartment while reading a book, it was if looking in the mirror.

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Inspired by the genealogies found in the Scriptures and a youthful imagination, our 9-year-old wrote out a series of genealogies for each of her brother's stuffed animals. Instead of the Biblical pattern of "{Name} begat {name}. He lived {#} years and died.", her version went like this:

"{Stuffed animal name} found {funny made up wife's name}, and they came together, fell apart, and had {son's name} who was {character adjectives describing the son}. Then {wife's name} died." Repeat until you have many sons, lots of coming together and falling apart, and a heap of dead wives.

Thank you, Lord, for giving my daughter an extra dose of silliness. (#356)

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We have decided to keep our kids at the same gymnastics studio even though the move put us 35 miles away from it, and we must go there 2-4 times a week.  During all that driving time, the kids ask crazy questions.  Last week they asked, " How old are Oldsmobiles?".

Gym classes last 2.5 hours, so the younger siblings of all the gymnasts keep me amused while I wait.  Last week, I got to listen to a first grade boy explain to my 6-year-old how to tell if a hamster is male or female.  He also said that his mom wishes his pets would stop having babies, and then my boy explained how we stopped our bunny from making baby bunnies. Both boys are very naive, yet they were accurate in their observations using descriptive language so innocent you might hear it at church. You just gotta love the innocence of a child. (Gift #357)

May we never lose sight of your many gifts all around us, dear Lord.  Keep our eyes fixed on You and our hearts innocent before You through your perfect work of redemption and free gift of sanctifying grace.
    

Summer 2013 - Short and sweet...and sometimes stressful

Summer has been a whirlwind for our family with our trip to Ireland, the kids' trip to the beach with Grandma and Grandpa, multiple trips to Nana & Pops' house, selling the house, moving into an apartment, and beginning construction on our next home. 

Speaking of building a new home, aren't you impressed with the progress they've made since we signed our contract with the builder five weeks ago?

Me neither.  While we have purged the house (giving away over $10,000 worth of items to charity while selling another $1000 worth), packed up boxes to fill two PODS, an extra large storage building, and a 3-bedroom apartment, moved all these items, completed the rigorous process of applying for a new private school that made college applications seem like a cake walk in comparison, set up the new apartment, and selected every last detail and option for the new house, the builder has done...well...nothing except to apply for a permit.  Apparently the town administrators really took five weeks to issue a building permit.  We meet with our builder on Friday and are eager to see some real progress on the house as we deal with one maintenance issue after another in the tiny apartment.


Despite all the changes, the kids have squeezed in some fun along the way.  Both kids took golf lessons this summer.  Our daughter doesn't love it, but she will learn to play golf if she wants to keep her surname.  And she plays quite well for her age.

Our son enjoys golf more than his sister does, and I look forward to seeing him on the golf course with his dad, both grandfathers, and three golf enthusiast uncles in the future.

The kids attended a fabulous VBS program near our house where one of our neighbors served as our son's teacher. She has a boy our son's age, and they live only a few houses from us.  They are a precious family who ended up buying our piano before we moved.  Oh how I wish we could have met them sooner instead of just two weeks before we moved out of the neighborhood.

The theme for this year's VBS was trusting God.  The kids learned to overcome fear by trusting God and to embrace the changes life in this roller coaster world brings.  The messages each day were perfect for our kids as they faced the changes associated with moving into a tiny apartment temporarily and then into a new home in a new town and moving to a new school for our daughter and back to homeschooling for our son.  The final presentation ministered to my heart as well as I have struggled more emotionally with this move than any other (and I have moved MANY, MANY times in the past).  God's way of giving us the precise word we need at the moment we need it most astounds me and reminds me of His nearness, faithfulness, and love.

Our son's class performing for the parents

Our daughter's class performs for parents

During our daughter's class song, our son sang along with them using his hands and voice.  His teacher (our former neighbor) sent me this video:


The kids' shortened summer also included play dates, slumber parties, pool outings, and community group gatherings..

Our daughter's new school operates on a modified year-round schedule, so their summer was about 25% shorter this year.  Even science camp will be truncated next week since school starts next week!

New Life Camp Firsts

Our daughter finally got to attend New Life Camp for the first time this summer.  This camp is one I have heard so much about that I even published an article about it.  In fact I spent one night there when I served as a bridesmaid to one of my dearest college friends who met her husband at New Life Camp where they both served as counselors and who got married at New Life Camp.  All the bridesmaids bunked in a cabin the night before the wedding. It's a place where kids have loads of fun, learn new skills, venture out on their own away from Mom and Dad, receive sound Bible training and counsel, eat too much junk food, and most importantly, have profound encounters with the living Lord.

Our daughter spent six days and five nights there, and has not stopped talking about it since we picked her up on the last day.  Camp staff advise parents not to call or visit, but we are welcome to write the campers letters.  What a blessing those letters were because while my daughter rarely ever seems to listen to me when I am at home, she read every word of my letters, over and over again.  She even reread them again today, weeks after camp ended.  And I took the time to communicate meaningful information and love to her each day in those letters instead of all the nagging noise that too often falls from my lips as a I try to train her to become a responsible, independent, God fearing young woman.

What happens at camp, stays at camp, so I'll not say much more except to post pictures I took during drop-off and pick-up and that I copied from the New Life Camp Facebook page.

Okay, so I will add one brief comment that our daughter nailed the center of her target during riflery practice at camp.  She amazes me with her precision when shooting a gun.

So many changes...even for the bunny

Our family is undergoing a season of many changes right now.  We just moved out of our house into an apartment 1/3 the size of our home after storing entirely too much of our junk in various PODs and a storage building.  After we had purged and packed every room in the house and filled up the two PODS we had ordered to the brim, we were plum worn out. That's when we remembered that we had stuffed tons of old things into our "tiny" attic.  By the time my husband had pulled out everything from the attic, it filled up the entire third floor, and the movers were coming the next day.

Loading the first shell

At that point of utter frustration and exhaustion, I likened "stuff" to cancer.  It grows and grows, hidden from view, until it manifests itself in horrible ways after it's just too late to shrink it much.  We spent the next day hauling truckloads to the dump, but we still ended up needing a third storage unit.  When you consider how much most of the world owns, our excess is utterly shameful, and I was ready to torch it all.

Very last load

Some of the stuff in the attic were "keepsakes" Mom had kept for me all these years.  My parents are of the generation that kept everything, and with an attic the length of their ranch home, they had room for it. (Our next house will not have a usable attic at all which is the trend these days for our throwaway culture.) For example, when we were home for Father's Day, we mentioned that our daughter had outgrown her bike and needed a larger one.  My dad disappeared for about three minutes and returned with the bike I rode when I was her age. It was missing the brightly colored tassels and had faded, but the banana seat was as beautiful as the day I first rode her. 

Whenever my mom comes to visit, she usually brings a load of gifts for the kids and a few boxes for me as they gradually purge their attic.  I had forgotten about all those boxes, so during my frantic purging of our own attic I chuckled while glancing at old diaries, my prom corsages (yes, dead flowers she preserved all these years), high school graduation announcements, high school pom-poms from homecoming and so forth.  She also included a fold-out poster of John Stamos, my childhood crush, from those old pre-teen Bop magazines.

John Stamos poster from Bop Magazine (early 1980s)

The kids were shocked and amused to hear that I had a crush on a TV pop star, and I STRONGLY discouraged them from admiring anyone except God Himself, but they were at least relieved to see such a strong resemblance between John Stamos and their daddy when he and I first met.

My husband (circa 1991)

And at least John Stamos was modestly dressed in the poster compared to what some pin-up models wear these days.  Lawsie-me...what ever happened to modesty and decency?  And as one friend noted, when it comes to my fold-up poster, at least I "know when to hold 'em..when to fold him...when to walk away." ("The Gambler" written by Don Schlitz and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers).

We finally made it into the apartment after more trials and tribulations than I could possibly describe in this blog post, but I will mention that the last hurdle in selling the house was the roof, the roof which only needed a few shingles replaced for purely cosmetic reasons according to the due diligence report signed by buyer and seller. However, when one roofing company falsely claimed the shingles were defective and part of a class-action law suit, the buyers insisted that that we replace the entire roof.  All these negotiations went down less than a week from closing, but if the roof really was defective, we wanted to do them right by paying to have it fixed with the hope that we could collect a small percentage back from the lawsuit pay out.   The day before closing, another roof estimator came out to get us a sample shingle for the lawsuit payout. When we actually crawled up on our roof (unlike the other two roofing representatives who only judged the roof from the ground, he immediately determined that these are not the shingles in the class action law suit but standard shingles easily purchased at Lowes.  He also offered to write a guarantee that the roof had many more years of life left.  So we will not be collecting any payout from lawsuit, and we are out much more cash than we ever expected when we signed the due diligence, and I wish they realtor had sent out the roofing company I requested initially, but at least the house is sold, and the buyers have a nice wad of extra cash in their pockets.  We no longer own a home, and better yet, a home no longer owns us! (Gift #337)


I wish I could say that the move to the apartment went smoothly, but it has been one headache after another. I won't go into that in this post, but I will say that were it not for the amazing support of our church friends who helped us load the PODS and my parents who lent us their truck and took our kids for a few days during the move, the move would have been much more disastrous.  We can't thank God enough for all that support. (Gift #338)

All these changes have affected our bunny, too, who had to be neutered for apartment living.  His swelling from the surgery finally went down so we were able to give him his first bath. He didn't like it much, but he was so cute in his towel and sat so peacefully in our daughter's lap as she worked on her Latin homework while his fur dried.  He's such a sweet pet. (Gift #339)

While we purged and packed, he enjoyed hopping into Easter baskets he found in my Goodwill pile.  We got him a new indoor cage, and though it is much smaller than his outside hutch, he really seems to like being inside where he can beg for food (more dramatically than any dog) whenever anyone walks by.   Once we got to the apartment, our daughter made him a leash using scrap felt, and old headband and a carabiner.  She takes him for walks around the tennis courts, creek, and pet play area many times each day.  A bunny on a leash just isn't something you see every day, so he has attracted lots of kids in the new community who have become new friends for our kids. (Gift #340)

Gymnastics - Summer 2013

After wasting a year in the beginner class at another gym because the instructor failed to assess our daughter properly, we decided to try out a different gym this summer in another county.  We thought it might be worth the drive since it was so highly recommended.

I can't say enough good things about this gym.  It's owned by a super talented gymnast who makes prayer and devotions a priority before each class.  His staff is amazing.  They all have a passion for Jesus, kids, and gymnastics.  Unlike most gyms in the area, they offer competitive programs for boys and girls at all ages.  Our son loved participating in an all boys' class while our daughter got her first experience on a girls' competitive team.

Gymnastics is our daughter's passion despite inheriting my inflexibility which she is working to overcome.  I wish we had discovered her passion sport sooner as she is getting a late start, but she is eager to make up for lost time.  I am deeply saddened that we only got to be a member of this gym for one month. It is located much too far from our apartment and residential lot to continue taking lessons there though I am tempted to drive 90 minutes each way if it were feasible. It's the best gym ever!

After her first two weeks there, she flipped her first back handspring. She needs to clean up the frog legs, but she mastered the hardest part, and that is worth much celebration!  Way to go, my girl!

July 4 - Celebrating what freedoms we have left

I found it difficult to celebrate our national independence on July 4 this year as I have witnessed countless American liberties yanked from the American people by a fascist minded administration.  Surely the founding fathers are weeping for this nation as the freedoms they sought to protect through their brilliant drafting of the U.S. Constitution are being ignored or overruled by executive order.  The brave military personnel who honorably risk their lives and sacrifice most earthly comforts to serve the cause of freedom are now being persecuted for their faith and abandoned in combat while veterans' pensions are being confiscated by the government.  First Amendment rights are being withdrawn, and radically violent religious groups who hate the cause of Christ are killing, raping, and terrorizing children.   This story from Britain is an example of what is coming here if we continue to persecute those who follow the one true God who defines love and peace while cowering to radical terrorists, even arming the Muslim brotherhood. The Egyptian people hate our administration.

“Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy of his country.”

- John Witherspoon 

Illegal immigrants are given every financial incentive to continue breaking the law.  Terrorists have been welcomed here even after being warned by other nations of their insidious plans to destroy America.  Then they were offered government protection after coordinating a deadly bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Yet, a virtuous Christian family who came here legally seeking asylum and freedom to home school their children are deported.  America, the only bastion of freedom in the world, has joined the ranks of the rest of the enslaved world, captured by smooth talking, arrogant tyrants.

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”

- Patrick Henry

Yet, when I hear stories from my friends who immigrated here from communist led countries (stories like this one below and I strongly encourage you to take 11 minutes to watch it), I am encouraged by the Christian foundations and liberty loving heritage of our nation. (Gift #334)

So, our family celebrated Independence Day by praying for America and crying out to God to send us bold patriot leaders to steer our beloved country back to those freedom principles which made her great.  America has fallen from greatness as she has chosen greed, sexual immorality, lying, murder, and one scandal after another over honesty, integrity, virtue, and honor.  America is under judgment by our Holy God, and I pray these judgments will wake up our nation, showing her how much we need our Great God, Merciful Savior, and Loving Lord! 

“The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; that this Redeemer has made atonement “for the sins of the whole world,” and thereby reconciling the Divine justice with the Divine mercy has opened a way for our redemption and salvation; and that these inestimable benefits are of the free gift and grace of God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve.” - John Jay

My parents drove up on Independence Day to let us borrow their pickup truck.  They also assisted us as we took two loads of boxes to the new apartment.  They are so good to us.  During one trip, we forgot the key, so my precious parents sat on the steps (even in their 70s) and waited with our stuff for over an hour while my husband drove back to the house to get the key.  I wanted to be the one to sit there, but they insisted I take the kids to the pool while they wait.  They are saints, I tell you!  I'm so blessed by the way they give and serve. (Gift #335)  The move has us all stressed a bit, so the pool was good for all of us.  I'm so glad this apartment complex has an indoor and outdoor pool!  It will make living in such a tiny space feel like vacation. (Gift #336)

The next day, a dear friend and teacher from our kids' previous school invited the kids over for an all day play date.  They had a blast in their pool and just hanging out with such an awesome family while I purged and packed for the move. I'm so thankful for good friends who offer hospitality when needed most. (Gift #336)

1000 Gifts: A whirlwind few weeks of life changing decisions and experiences

I haven't had much time for blogging lately, but I hope to resume soon as I have so much exciting news and fun thoughts to share.  Since my last post, the following events have transpired:

• My husband's parents and beautiful niece from Oklahoma came to visit. Having them here was gift #311 on my 1000 gifts list.

• While his folks were here, we gave an impromptu little music concert.

• We cleaned the house from top to bottom in preparation for listing it on the MLS again even though we were content to stay here and had already spent a lot of money on curriculum and re-enrollment fees for the kids' school near our current home but no where near our target location.  Listing our house on the MLS is our yearly "fleece" unto the Lord.  We put it out there with no anticipation of having it sell until He is ready to lead us out of this place.

Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. (Exodus 33:15)

• My husband and I traveled to Ireland for 8 days to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary and 40 years of earthly existence for each of us. That trip was filled with gifts from God, but I'll consider the sheer opportunity to go as gift #312.  Expect more on this trip in future posts.
• Meanwhile, the kids enjoyed a trip to the beach with their grandparents from Oklahoma (Gift #313) whom they don't get to see nearly enough followed by two nights with Nana & Pops (Gift #314). 

 

• While at the beach, our son lost tooth #4 which is appropriate since our daughter also lost a tooth while at the beach with Grandma and Grandpa.  Apparently, the tooth fairy pays more at the beach because our son said he got paid twice (and more money than he gets at home with each payment) for that tooth.  I'm so glad Grandma and Grandpa were able to notify the tooth fairy in our absence. (Gift #315)

• Much to our surprise, the weather was perfectly gorgeous, sunny and warm (no rain) in Ireland during our trip even though it supposedly "always rainy and cold" there (#316).  However, the weather at the beach was unusually stormy with even a few tornadoes which my in-laws had assumed they had left behind in Oklahoma.

• While staying with my parents for the weekend, our high maintenance daughter had the following conversation with my mother:

9-year-old:                I want to go on a real vacation.
Nana:                       What about all those trips to the beach?*
9-year-old:               No, I mean a REAL vacation..like to ITALY!

(*Plus 1-3 trips to Oklahoma per year, several trips to Disney World, Williamsburg, etc.)

• Two days before our trip, I threw my back out worse than ever before...yes even after all my previous posts announcing my miraculous healing. My doctor says I'm like a finely tuned race car with a high sensitivity to small subluxations instead of adapting to them which would be much worse for my spine in the long term. Still...this increased pain level stinks.  For two nights, I don't think I ever fell asleep at all because the pain was so severe, and since it was during a weekend, my doctor could not help me, nor would anyone on his staff answer my calls to their emergency hotline, so I scheduled an appointment with him on our way to the airport Monday morning which provided a little (not total) relief. I'm so thankful I could get in on such short notice. (Gift #317)
• During our flight to Ireland, we had our first home showing of the year (after 5+ years of attempting to sell it on/off) and that showing resulted in an offer to purchase contract (#318) which the buyers actually signed this time! (#319)
• While in Ireland, between sight seeing trips, we negotiated the contract, signed it, and began looking at homes for sale on-line as we realized we would actually be homeless in a month.
• Our trip was quite an adventure, but the nights were largely sleepless because that's when I had enough downtime to process the housing situations and myriad of life changing decisions before us.
• We flew home to a rough spell of jet lag, more sleepless nights, and a frenzy of home sale activities.
• We completed 4 different inspections (one lasting over five hours), passed the appraisal, and filed due diligence paperwork.
• After searching all over the county for a house to buy only to be shocked by the exorbitant inflation in home prices since this very recent real estate boom commenced a few weeks prior.
• We gave up and decided to build.
• We secured a lot, selected a house plan and all structural changes, and signed a contract with a builder.
• During the four days following our signing of the build contract, we watched mortgage interest rates climb a full percentage point, the largest increase in at least three years.
• So we went ahead and paid extra to lock in a long term rate before rates went even higher even though this lock-in rate was much higher than we ever anticipated when we decided on how much house to build. We are praying for the opportunity to float down later.
• We hunted all over for temporary housing only to discover that rental homes require a one year lease, and short term apartments less than 1/3 the size of our current home rent at prices over double our current mortgage at 15-year amortization.  Then when I considered how much we are losing on the sale of the home, I realized we could have rented out an entire apartment complex during those years and still come out better, so rent prices didn't seem so bad anymore.
• We finally found a small apartment that would allow our bunny (if we kept him in a cage) and give us a 3 month lease at only 50% more than our current mortgage with POD storage fees bringing us pack to double our regular payments.  (Gift #320)
• Our bunny had to be neutered to live in the apartment (hormonal bucks spray to mark their territory and are difficult to litter train), so that surgery was completed this past Friday.
• Unfortunately, he was the most well-endowed bunny possible, and his breeder who boarded him for us while we were away determined that he was a 10+ on the hormonal scale from 1 to 10.  She keeps around 100 bunnies at any given time, so she knows! For that reason, the surgery was a much bigger deal for him than for most, and he is still ridiculously swollen, on pain meds and antibiotics, and in need of much attention.  He's still a little feisty and super smart, always finding a way to get out of that cone, so we took him with us to sign the apartment lease yesterday where we could make sure he didn't wiggle out of his cone and mess with the incisions again.
  

  

  Coming home after surgery

  

  True love is holding an iced gel pack on your bunny's privates to help the swelling go down.

• Even though he loves his hutch, we bought him an inside cage with bedding to live in while we reside in the apartment. He's much calmer now and seems to really enjoy being inside, especially on these hot and humid days.
• The kids started gymnastics at a fabulous Christian gymnastics center where the motto is, "We pray first".  This gym offers a full boys program from kindergarten through competitive high school which our boy loves, and our girl is on a competitive team.  It will be so very hard to leave this wonderful gym next month, as there isn't anything quite like it anywhere near where we will be moving.
• The kids also started golf lessons with a fabulous coach (who has an awesome Caribbean accent) in a location near our next home. (Gift #321)  Our daughter doesn't love golf, but she has a great swing with impressive power.  She was born into a golfing family, so she will at least learn to play, but we won't make her stick with it if she doesn't love it.  Our son seems to enjoy it more and has good balance and form.

 

• We decided to transfer our kids from their current school to the private Christian classical school near our next home despite the fact that all the fees we already paid to their former school are nonrefundable.
• I completed approximately 30 pages of application materials and requested references from pastors, teachers, etc. for both kids although they currently only have room for our daughter.
• We decided to homeschool our son until a spot opens up for him, and he miraculously agreed without any complaints whatsoever. (Gift #322)
• We collected report cards, EOG scores, and texts from their former school and said our goodbyes to former teachers and administrators.
• I delivered all the PE and Field Day equipment I had been storing for the home school classes I had been teaching and tried not to be too disappointed that I will not be able to teach those classes in the future due the new school schedule and location of our next home.
• We scheduled screening interviews for the kids at the new school and are praying through all those school related decisions, changes, etc.
• We chuckled over our daughter's first initial reaction to transferring to this school:

"I don't want to go to that fancy rich school.  I like my simple school in the country!"

• We marveled at her ready willingness to change schools even though it will require her to leave her favorite teacher and her best friends at the school, She cries rivers of tears over whenever she must leave this school for Christmas, spring, or summer break, so to be so willing to leave it permanently is miraculous! (#323)
• I have praised God for the kids' helpful and optimistic attitudes over these changes.  They have been troopers and are handling the changes better than I ever imagined even though they are leaving the only home they ever really knew.  (#324)
• I was most concerned about how my daughter would react to all these changes, and all glory to God, she has responded by giving Him praise. (#325)  I have been finding praise & worship tunes scribbled out on scrap paper throughout the house. Some she is composing tunes to the songs on the piano or guitar.  Here's one as an example that she has entitled "What If".

What if it didn't rain?
What if the earth dried?
Where would you be?

Chorus:
Over me healing me through
Showing me the way.
A mighty God!
Creator of all things. (2x)

What if God is holy?
What if He is mighty and merciful?
What if He is loving and caring, saving me?

(repeat chorus)

I love God. He loves me
Saving me, helping me through."
(repeat chorus)

• I realized that we have lived in this house for seven years, which is longer than either my husband or I has lived in any other home or apartment except for our childhood homes.  Ironically, we have been trying to sell this house for over five of those seven years, but I am thankful for that stability knowing full well how often others have to move or how frequently we would have moved if my husband had remained in the military. (Gift #326) 
• We have begun giving away clothing, toys, furniture and trying to sell some of the larger items, and I have been reminded that there is great joy in giving that outweighs any return from selling. (Gift #327)
• I enrolled our son into the home school class at LAMBS so I can continue with the Bible study fellowship that means so much to me.  What a miracle it is that they actually had room for him this far past the enrollment deadline. (#328)
• God has been so faithful to give me just the encouragement I need at just the right time through Scriptures (like Matthew 6:33) the Spirit brings to mind, daily quiet time and Bible study, inspirational blogs, sermons and classes.  It's simply amazing how all those lessons tie in perfectly with each other to speak directly to the deepest needs of my heart during this period of great change.  (#329)
• We've interviewed moving companies and selected one to help us move.
• I have schedule the first POD to be delivered next weekend.
• My husband has assembled boxes, and everyone has begun packing.
• We traveled to my hometown to celebrate my father's 72nd birthday (Gift #330) and Father's Day.
• I feel so incredibly blessed to have  such a dedicated, giving, supportive father.  (#331)  

• My husband has turned out to be an even more amazing father than I ever dreamed my kids could have.   (#332)
• Today as our family drove to another softball game for our son only to have it rained out yet again, I made the following observation:

You know that man who makes his son suit up for the game even though it's pouring outside? He makes sure his son shows up for every game even though he knows this particular game will eventually be cancelled just like 70% of the other games have this year.  That dad..the one who waits in the parking lot with his family as the rain hammers down with another system moving in behind it...continues to stay until everyone..even the coaches..have left before giving up and heading back home. Some may consider him stubborn or foolish, but he is truly wise, for he is teaching his son the meaning of commitment and faithfulness to his word and to his team no matter what storms of life may come. I'm so glad I married that man! (#333)

The McDonalds' Farm

An amazing homeschooling family we met through our homeschooling co-op recently bought a farm without have any farming experience.  They are learning as they go while reading voraciously.   They now have about 30 chickens free ranging on their farm.  The hens supply them with enough eggs for their family and for their egg business.  They also have a cow and some sheep and a large garden.  They recently hosted an open house.  We got to explore all over their beautiful farm as they patiently answered all my many questions.  What an oasis it is out there. Here are some photos from our day at the farm.

The pregnant cow gave birth to a healthy calf this past weekend.