Oops

Yesterday as I was driving home after my date with the treadmill at Anytime Fitness, I noticed a high school student probably on his way to school in a really, really, really nice little silver Corvette. Now my brother Jeff could tell you all kinds of things about this Corvette, the make, model, the year, how many miles were on it, if it was preowned, etc. all in the time it took me to see it on the road. All I know is that it was a Corvette.

At least I'm pretty sure.

Now I don't know where this particular young man lands on the coolness scale at WHS, but driving around in a car like this can probably move you up the ladder pretty quickly. What I noticed about him though was that his face was pale white, even accounting for the fact it is December in Iowa, and he was either scared or very, very nervous. I was able to get such a good look at him because the road was semi-slick and we were moving pretty slowly, this was at 7:45 in the morning so lots of traffic, and, the Corvette was in a snowbank in the ditch. The young man kept looking behind him like he was looking for a break in the traffic to get back on the road. I will be the first to admit I don't know much at all about cars, but I don't think a Corvette is an off-road type of vehicle that you want to use to go in and out of ditches.

Three things passed through my mind as I passed this stranded teenager.

1. He's going to be late for school and I wonder if Mark is his dean.
2. I hope that his dad or stepdad or whoever paid for this shiny toy is grateful the young man is unhurt; thankful that he slipped into the ditch and not into oncoming traffic.
3. Teenage Driver + Corvette + Slick Roads = Not Such A Good Idea.

Slip slidin' away.



Thanksgiving
1. Praying and meeting with Dena.
2. Paige, Wellspring, peppermint lattes and Poore Bros BBQ potato chips.
3. Family together next weekend.
4. Games.
5. Chocolate covered graham crackers.

I'm Praying For
1. Tate.
2. Mark, Cody, Elizabeth, Carson and Carissa.
3. Jeff, Nancy, Noah and Brianna.
4. People who have lost jobs.
5. Safe travel.
6. Keeping the meaning in Christmas.
7. My D-Group.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

When I was growing up in Wisconsin, we had very traditional holiday celebrations. Every Thanksgiving, we began our day with church in the morning and then to my Grandma VW's house for the Thanksgiving feast along with all my aunts, uncles and cousins. Every year my dad would tell me he thought Grandma would be having chicken this year instead of turkey. Every year I believed him. And every year my Uncle Pete carved the turkey. How I love those memories.

That was a time when people grew up, got married and raised their families in the same area so traditions could be established. It hasn't been that way so much with me. I went to college in Iowa, married Mark who has always lived in Iowa and I haven't left since. But even though Mark has lived in Iowa his entire life, we don't live near his family so we haven't had the opportunity to establish traditions like I had as a child.

When we were first married and living closer to Mark's family, we usually went there with his extended family. But then we moved and over the years our Thanksgiving routine changed and now it's different every year. When Mark and whatever child was currently involved in high school basketball, I would take the other available offspring and spend Thanksgiving in Wisconsin with my parents. It could be different people in any given year. Two years ago, Cody and Elizabeth were doing a rotation in Philadelphia so the rest of us boarded a plane and flew out there for the weekend. Cody and Elizabeth had limted pots and pans so much of our Thanksgiving dinner was made in foil pans. As Cody brought out the dishes, he wished us all a "Happy Tinsgiving." Cleanup was certainly a breeze. Last year, we once again treked up to northwest Iowa and had our last Thanksgiving with Mark's grandpa.

This year, we once again had a new Thanksgiving experience with an old twist. We were invited by our good, good Waukee friends John and Monica to spend the day at their home. Cody and Elizabeth couldn't be with us this year and John and Monica's oldest son, Ben, is in the Merchant Marine and spent Thanksgiving on a ship somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. I was once again able to begin the Thanksgiving Day by going to church. We went to Lutheran Church of Hope and it warmed my heart to see them keep bringing in more chairs and more chairs as more and more people arrived. We were going to sit with John and Monica, but they were late enough that they got the front row. It was a traditional service just like I grew up with -- singing those wonderful Thanksgiving hymns.

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;He chastens and hastens his will to make known;The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;So from the beginning the fight we were winning;Thou, Lord, wast at our side,

All glory be thine!We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.Let thy congregation escape tribulation;Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

To me it was the perfect service for that day, an opportunity to reflect and just feel so humbly thankful for all the blessings I have been given.

From there, it was on to John and Monica's. I brought dessert, which Carissa made, and we (certainly me anyhow) ate too much, watched some football, talked a lot, laughed a lot, and enjoyed a day with friends. I could not have had a more perfect day. I could not be more thankful.

Sometimes I think it would be nice for my kids to have grown up with a Thanksgiving tradition and be able to enjoy that experience. But this is good too. It gives us the opportunity to be thankful for family, friends, loving the ones you're with and the ones somewhere else, setting aside this day for Giving Thanks.



Thanksgiving
1. A day set aside to give thanks.
2. Carissa and Carson home for the weekend.
3. Monica, John, Callie and Zeke.
4. Movies.
5. Fondue.
6. Safe travel for Carissa and Carson as they drove back.

With Lifted Hands
1. Safety for Ben in his travels.
2. Cody and Elizabeth.
3. Focus as Carissa and Rachel prepare for finals.
4. Rachel.
5. Tate.
6. Carson will be able to join us in Wisconsin.
7. Blessings on the Christmas season.

Football, Hawkeyes and Church

Last weekend Mark, Carson and I travelled up to Minneapolis for the Iowa/Minnesota Game. Our good friends, John and Monica and the fam were there and to say we had a wonderful time doesn't do justice to just how much fun we had. A big part of the fun was all the Hawkeye fans who had also come up for the game. There were Hawkeye fans everywhere -- At our hotel in Bloomington, at John and Monica's hotel downtown, at IKEA, there was black and gold everywhere you looked. The game was at night and we walked from John and Monica's hotel to the Metrodome. On the way, we would greet other Iowa fans, shout out a "Go Hawks" and slap hands. As we passed tailgaiters, a big "Go Hawks" would sound out again.

During the game, we cheered, we high fived everytime Iowa scored, or made a first down. One young lady a few rows down led us in the I.O.W.A. cheer every time Iowa got a touchdown and since they had 55 points, she was a busy girl. We were strangers with a common goal -- cheering and encouraging our team.

So then I was thinking. What if all these fans went to the game, but people in black shirts sat in one section, people in gold shirts sat in another section. Another section had people whose shirts said Hawkeyes and another section was for those whose simply said Iowa. And while the game was going on, we all looked at the people in the other sections and if we saw someone with a short sleeve shirt we would think "My goodness, doesn't that person realize we're in Minnesota? In November?" Or if someone had on a sweatshirt, we would nudge the person next to us and say "We're in a dome for pity sake, why are they wearing a sweatshirt?" And we would be so busy looking at all the people in the other sections that we would completely miss a nearly perfectly excuted game being played out on the field.

I see that as a picture of the church. There is the Catholic Church, the Baptists, Lutherans, Evangelical Free Church, The Reformed, Church in America, Nondemoninational and then along comes -- oh gasp -- contemporary versus traditional and on it goes. We become so intent on seeing the differences that we forget to keep our eyes on The Real Game, the One who is our common ground.

I have to believe that if I have a contrite heart acknowledging how sinful I am, but so filled with joy and gratitude for the saving grace that God has given us, then if I'm singing with an organ or drums and a guitar, if I'm at a Catholic mass or worshiping in an African-American community, that God is there with me.

At the end of the game, all the Minnesota fans had gone on home and Iowa fans were the only ones left in that vast cavern called the Metrodome. We were strangers with one common interest who had come into opponent's house, won the battle on the field and then took over their territory. I think if The Church would focus on the One we serve rather than how different we are, we could go far in defeating the real enemy and taking over much of the territory he holds on to. Fight on.

Thanksgiving
1. John, Monica, kids and extended family.
2. Iowa Football.
3. A day devoted to giving Thanks.
4. Cuzin Barby.
5. Having Carson along to Minneapolis.
6. Carissa coming home this week.

With Lifted Hands and Heart
1. Tate
2. Mark, Cody, Elizabeth, Carson and Carissa.
3. Safe travel for Carissa and others coming home for Thanksgiving.
4. Family blessings this week.
5. A successful cookie walk at the Reformed Church in SF.

Taking A Little Extra Time

Last night, I was watching the 6 o'clock news and and Andy Fales from WHO was interviewing elderly people about elections in the past. He asked how many elections they had participated in, who they had voted for in past elections, etc. One lady told Andy she dressed up to go vote. I can remember a time when people dressed up just to go do some errands. I think it's cool that men wore hats and women wore dresses when they left their homes. I love seeing June Cleaver wearing pearls. Although I never really see her do any housework.

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures.



This is my grandfather and me. There are a lot of things I like about this picture. I don't know where we were going when this picture was taken, perhaps for a Sunday drive as this picture was taken in a car. I love his hat, I love the bow in my hair and the fact that I'm pretty sure my mom made my coat.

God has placed some pretty wonderful people in my life. One of the people I just appreciate so much is a young lady named Tyra. Tyra could be my daughter had I started having a family much, much younger.

Okay, not that much younger.

Tyra is a bundle of energy and you can't help but have your spirits lifted just by spending a few minutes with her. She coordinates the children's ministry at our church and I can't imagine a person better suited for that role.

I have been on this cleaning rampage for several months now (it is waning somewhat, but I press forward) and in Carissa's room I found an angel suit and some crafty things I thought Tyra could use with her own little ones and in her children's ministry. I stopped by her house one day and I was completely caught off guard when she opened the door. She was wearing nice clothes, had makeup on, and, this really shocked me. She was wearing jewelry. Silver no less! I said do you have company, are you having a party? I was just thinking, well, I don't know what I was thinking. And guess what she said? She said she and her little guy were having some cuddle time. She looked this amazing for cuddle time. I have to tell you, I was in awe. I can go from bed to Hy-Vee to Target barely passing go. And since I work at home, I don't even want to talk about wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt for work. I think it was honoring to Tyra's little ones and her husband that she took the time and effort to look her best.

I don't believe in obsessing about our appearance, but I could at least not scare people when I'm running my errands. If I worked in an office, I wouldn't be able to wear sweat pants so I could do better with that. It's not like it takes a whole lot of time to fix oneself up a bit.

Oh, and I do wish men's hats would make a comeback.

Hope On Election Day

Dena wrote this in her e-mail devotional yesterday and all I can say is Amen Sister.

The reason I have hope, is not because of any candidate. I have hope because I know who holds tomorrow in His hand. I have hope because I see God in His beautiful creation. I have hope because this isn't all there is. I have hope because I've read the end of the book and we win. I have hope because Jesus said that He is preparing a place for me and He will come back for me. I have hope because I have been through the valley and God walked with me. I have hope because He said that He will never leave me or forsake me. I have hope because even though people will lie, cheat, disrespect, steal, hurt, and let me down--my God is still on the throne. My hope is in my Lord and Savior. My hope is in the One who made heaven and earth. The One who named each star and placed it in the sky. My hope is in God, who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.

I have hope.

Ten Absolutes No Matter Who Wins the Election

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

Go here to read more of Dena's writings and devotionals.

Thinking

25 thoughts. Some are my own, some from my studies with Beth Moore, some from others I've come across.

1. Indian Summer is great.
2. I really enjoy going to the movies.
3. Elections bring out the worst in people.
4. The civil liberties unions are intolerant and they don't even know it.
5. Killing unborn babies makes all life cheaper.
6. In this life, there will be some blanks that will never be filled in.
7. E-mail forwards are often false information.
8. When I see a young smoker, I feel job security.
9. The right words with the wrong delivery are impossible to receive.
10. You need to define your own faith.
11. It makes my heart ache to hear people take God's name in vain.
12. The Body of Christ should tear down walls, not build them.
13. We should encourage, not discourage.
14. We can be unhappy, but still filled with joy.
15. Never give something expecting something in return.
16. Relinquish the responsibility to save others, only God can change a heart.
17. Donuts should be a required food for good health.
18. I wish there had been facebook when I was in high school and college.
19. I am blessed immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine.
20. Influence should be used with gentle and quiet spirits.
21. Patience waits when it wants to whack; waiting is work.
22. Strength is being content in monotony.
23. Once Jesus Christ gets to us, we never get over Him.
24. We have twice as many ears as mouths.
25. There is only One in control and He wins in the end.

Going Down

This was the price of gas yesterday; it's been a while since I've seen this.

Thanksgiving
1. Seeing the Secret Life of Bees with Dena, Amy and Karen.
2. Talking with my mom on the phone last night.
3. Messages from Garrett, Katie, Sarah and Brenda.
4. That in less than a week, this election will be over.
5. Warmer weather.
6. Lower gas prices.

Please God ....
1. Your hand in this election.
2. Being able to agree to disagree.
3. My D-Group.
4. Mark, Cody, Elizabeth, Carson and Carissa.
5. The rest of my family in Wisconsin.

A Project Oh So Close To Completion

Since I spend oh so very much time in my office, known as the COD (Cody's Old Room), I decided it needed a little updating. It takes me FOR. EVER. to complete a project partly due to time, partly due to difficulty making decisions. Well I am happy to say that with the exception of a few details, the room is complete. And I love it. I can't be sure, but being in such a pleasing environment may also be having an impact on my productivity. And since the harder I work, the more I get paid, yes I would say it's all good.

Before -- Too many desks, boring walls. Too much disorganization.


One desk removed, painted walls and I can look out the window while work. The neighborhood now gets away with nothing.

The closet after a little bit of cleaning out. Ick.

The finished closet -- my own little scrapbook store.

One of my painters, but her dad had to finish the job who can paint a wall in 15 minutes without getting 1 drop on the ceiling. I think that's amazing. He worked while I was out so no pics.

In the corner, is the bookcase, Brenda and I painted this summer. If you could see it, the white frame above the bookcase has pictures of flowers that I took myself. Nothing like one's own artwork.

Surrounded by pictures and things that mean so much to me.

So, now next on my list is ripping off NBA wallpaper in Carson's room and painting, then onto the bathroom upstairs then our room and bathroom. Could take a while .....

The Tick of Time

As a wedding gift, Brenda and Dale gave us a beautiful clock that I believe Dale made. That clock has been on a very visible and prominent wall as we moved from home to home. Each week, Mark gets the key from behind it and winds it up again. Then one day a couple years ago, it quit working.

I carefully took it down off the wall and brought it to a clock shop and asked if it could be fixed. They gave me no promises, but said they would take a look at it. A couple days later, I stopped in the clock shop to find out the prognosis. The owner told me it could be fixed, but it would cost $125. If Brenda and Dale paid that much for my wedding gift, I owe them something because my gift to them wasn't even close. When he said $125, I blinked a couple times, swallowed hard, looked down at my feet, looked back up at him and said,

"Fix it please."

While that clock was in the shop, we all commented on how much we missed it. Someone was always looking at its spot on the wall to check the time and all we saw was an empty wall. No one realized how often we checked the time by that clock. Elizabeth says it ticks loudly and she needed to stop it to study; I don't usually hear it unless I make it a point to listen for it.

I look at that clock and think about all the ticks of time that have gone by since we first received it as a gift. Brenda and I have been married for greater than 30 years (not to each other of course), we weren't able to stay in close touch over the years, then got it back, we had children, now each of us has a child married, and this week Brenda became the grandmother to a beautiful baby girl.

That clock is a reminder to me of a sweet frendship, of how time slips through my fingers with each tick and how to make every second count. Every time I look at that clock, it reminds me of the blessings I have been so graciously given over these past 30+ years. Glory.

This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

Today's Thanks:
1. The new life of Ruth Vinson, healthy baby, healthy mom.
2. A really good beef roast for dinner tonight.
3. A work slowdown, but still plenty of work.
4. Being with Cody, Elizabeth and Carissa.
5. Watching Nicholas and Michael play football and their joy in playing.
6. Answered questions for Tate.
7. My children and my husband.

With Lifted Hands:
1. Safety for Brenda and Dale as they travel to PA.
2. Elizabeth.
3. Continued healing for Tate.
4. Job searches.
5. Friends who have been hurt.

Wish List

So, I have been realizing that retirement is just not that far off for us. That got me to thinking about what I want to do with that time and here's a list of what I've come up with so far.

1. Go places. I don't mean to spend a couple days or weeks somewhere. I am thinking about spending 3 months, 6 months, perhaps a year in some of these places. I would like to live in Estes Park, Colorado. Then to a loft in downtown Chicago. Spend time in Duluth -- and of course it simply has to be in the winter. How about Maine or Vermont in the fall? I believe I will have to stay in Alaska for an entire year to experience all the seasons there.
2. Travel. These are places to visit. The Netherlands to see the kinfolk there. Italy because they have fabulous shoes and purses. Switzerland to see the Swiss Alps. Didn't everyone read Heidi when they were young? Austria because The Sound of Music is one of the best movies ever. It would be fun to go down to the Plaza in NYC and see how the Today show works.
3. Learn. I would love to sit at the feet of someone like my mom's friend Harriett and just soak in her knowledge of God's Word.
4. Read, read and then read some more. I'm starting my list of books now just like my cousin Nancy was doing this summer.
5. Wherever we are, join a women's Bible study. Because how else will I get to know people? Visit many, many churches. Maybe we'll find one we don't want to leave, maybe we will just keep visiting.
6. Volunteer: As a park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. Read to elementary school students. Read to senior citizens in nursing homes. Serve soup at a homeless shelter. Be an usher at a Chicago theater.
7. Mission Trips: Number 1 is Africa to work with AIDS patients and children orphaned from the AIDS epidemic.
8. Up my knitting skills. It's time to move on from scarves and caps.
9. Bring my work computer with me in case I can pound out a few medical reports now and then. But only when I want to.
10. Write fabulous stories about my adventures on this here blog business.
11. Keep Des Moines as my home base. Because I love Des Moines and everyone has to come home.

I could wait for retirement, but as I look my list over, I realize there are a lot of things on this list that I can certainly start right now. It's always good to get a jump start.

Just Thought I'd Share

A friend sent this to me recently and I thought it was good enough to share. Lots of memories of my grandmothers in here.

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears . From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an Apron.

Coincidence? Maybe not.

Part of my job with Iowa Health System is to do what is called "Net Learning." By definition, Net Learning is The Ultimate Learning System. I suppose it's an OSHA requirement or some other government-required standard. We used to have to sit through meetings where they taught us about safety, fire hazards, what to do in an emergency, etc. So it's definitely an improvement to just read a module and then take a test and, hooray, you're done with that one for now.

Truthfully, I don't usually read the material. I jump right to the test. And this has worked pretty well for me. Not that I'm so smart, but quite frankly the questions are pretty easy. Here's a couple examples:

True or False: If you see a fire, you should pull the fire alarm.

Hmmm, let me think a bit. I think that might be true. Why yes, that's right. Here's another:

True or False: If there is a tornado, you should run outside and take all the patients with you.

I'm going to go with false on that one. And yes, I'm right again.

I kid.

But really you do not need to be a genius to pass these tests.

However, last summer I did my usual of jumping right to the test and wouldn't you know it. I failed. Now in my defense, it was a little harder. It involved Environmental Safety, Safety Management, Hazardous Materials, Emergency Management, Medical Equipment Management, Utilities Management and that all-encompassing Further Information. Is anyone completely familiar with Medical Equipment Management? Well I did find this bit of info "No weapons (firearms, clubs, knives with long blades) may be carried on hospital property." I'm certainly relieved, but I don't think there was a question about that on the test. Which is surprising. On this test, I had to know what was a hazardous material, how it should be labeled and how to properly dispose of it. That might sound easy. Trust me, it's not. There's all kinds of hazardous materials in a hospital. Who knew? Medical Equipment Management? Not so sure about that stuff either.

So there I was Monday morning doing my volunteer work at the surgery center when the thought occurs to me that we really aren't very busy, perhaps I should work on my Net Learning. Especially since I probably should read the material this time. I don't know if they keep track of how many times you take a test, but I don't want to take a chance and take it, like 5 times and someone monitors that stuff and thinks I'm a total idiot.

So I'm reading about Environmental Safety, Safety Management, etc., etc., and I'm thinking this is not fascinating reading plus I work from home. If there's an emergency, I would be the emergency. I don't think you can self administer CPR. And I don't think we have any hazardous materials around. But one thing I did remember from my reading was that if anything bad ever happens while I'm at the hospital, I should dial 777.

The action in the surgery center picked up a bit so I abandoned my Net Learning for the time being and I picked up People magazine or maybe it was Better Homes and Gardens. I know it wasn't Oprah because I don't really care for her, so I didn't want to read her magazine. As I'm sitting there, one of the registration clerks frantically came running out of her office telling us her patient, who was a child, was having a seizure and he had been seizing for 5 minutes. We all pretty much froze at that point, we're all volunteers at the desk and they don't give us training on these kinds of things. But then I think, this is probably the time to call 777. So I did, they announced it throughout the hospital and all the personnel from the surgical area came running. It was quite a to-do. It all turned out okay though. The child was fine. He wasn't actually there for surgery, just a procedure, and I saw him later running around.

We have all heard of UFO sightings. We talk about G.O.D. sightings. I think G.O.D. sightings are truly common, we just don't look for them. We call them coincidences. Or luck. Was the fact that I had been doing my Net Learning a coincidence? I've never tried to do that while volunteering before. Would I have remembered about 777 if I had not failed the test the first time? Was it a coincidence that I was there on the same day that this little guy had his appointment and I knew about 777, but I doubt any other volunteer knows about it. I don't believe in coincidence. I don't believe in luck. I do believe that sometimes God puts us in a place and gives us the knowledge we need to know to do what needs to be done. G.O.D. sightings -- Look for them. You will be amazed at what you see.

My Grateful Heart
1. Talking with Cindy on the phone last week.
2. Talking with Dena today.
3. Kids with faith bigger than their circumstances.
4. Talking with my mom today.
5. Seeing the Church Basement Ladies with friends the other night.
6. My D-Group and how they are growing.

Please God ....
1. Heal Tate. Please.
2. Wisdom for people making decisions.
3. The right jobs come up for those who are looking.
4. Healing.
5. The upcoming election.

Live With Passion

I love my Tuesday morning ladies Bible study. Westview's own Susan is a wonderful teacher, we've done videos by Beth Moore. Whoever is teaching, I come away blessed and learn so much. I know there are so many problems in our world today, but I do believe we live in a time with more resources, music, etc. to help us grow in our life with Christ.

Our study right now is with Beth Moore - John, the Beloved Disciple. Yesterday she talked about having passion, which is a topic Dena and I talk about quite often. We talk about wanting more -- not more money or more stuff, but to have this amazing abundant life. That's the life God wants us to have, a life of passion. a life of adventure. Beth Moore said we have a desire to be passionate. So much so, that there are times when passion can be misguided. But sift through the feelings and make the priority Christ. Beth Moore has a passion for God, oh my but she has a passion for God. Dena has a passion for God. I desire that. But here's the problem. It's not something that comes easily.

Dena is married to Greg, a nice Dutch man from a nice Dutch family from the nice Dutch town of Pella, Iowa. I'm a nice Dutch girl from a nice Dutch family from a not-so-Dutch town in Wisconsin. Dena will be the first to say that she neeeded someone like Greg, but it's also true that Greg's family needed someone like Dena. They needed Dena because when she went to see them, she said it was like visiting the wax museum. I think that coming to see us might be like a visit to the wax museum. I don't want to be like that. I want to live out loud. I want to have passion in my life. I want to feel strongly about issues and do something about things that aren't right. I want God to make my thunder from His lightening.

I just learned today that Katie ran for the student senate at her college. She won, which I'm so thrilled for her, but that's not the point for me. What I love about this is that Katie willingly put herself in a vulnerable position and took a risk.

God likes to put us beyond where we want to be, He likes to make things a little bit uncomfortable. So maybe it's time for a little discomfort. I want to be more willing to follow God than follow my fears. It's never to late to start taking a few risks, to live the life of adventure that a passion-filled, God-filled life can bring.

Thanksgiving
1. Talking with Carissa on the phone last night.
2. Being with Macee at the ICA VB game and meeting the daughter of friends from NWC.
3. Beth Moore and Susan and the gift of teaching they have been given.
4. Carson's job and his way of writing.
5. Elizabeth -- her Birthday is Today :).
6. A successful procedure for Mark's dad.

With Lifted Hands:
1. Healing for Tate and his decisions regarding college.
2. Good study habits and success in school for Carissa, Tyler, Garrett and Katie.
3. Healing and pain control for Ken C.
4. Mark, Cody, Elizabeth and Carson.
5. Complete healing for Mark's dad.
6. To live the adventure God has planned for me.

Update

Wow, it's been a while since I've been here. I'm not really sure where August went and now September is half over. I brought Carissa back to Chicago with a buzz up to Wisconsin and then we moved Carson to Fairfield, Iowa where, glory hallelujah, he got a job as the sports editor of the Fairfield newspaper.

My visit to Wisconsin was wonderful. I saw so many people and being there for a couple days, got to spend some quality time with those folks. Brenda and I did some things together, I saw all my aunts and uncles who are so dear to me and just spending time with the 'rents, brothers and their families is always a blessing in itself. I had lots of highlights, lunch with Shari, Nicki joining us at Firehouse Pizza where it is my opinion they have theeee very best pizza anywhere. Then there's Johnson's Bakery. **sigh** Lands sake, I can never get enough of their mudpies. I loved our tirimasu night in Sheboygan. I would mention the name of that restaurant, but I don't remember how to spell it. Trust me, it was good. As you can see we had a wonderful little group of us.

So, yes, it was marvelous time there.

Since I've been home, I have had numerous projects going on. I cleaned up Carissa's room and I am not joking when I saw that was a waaaaaaay bigger job than I thought at first. I believe the child makes lists about everything and never throws a single thing away. There are still boxes waiting for her visit home to decide if they contain anything she will ever look at again.

The project in my office continues. It's been painted for a while, now I'm working on the details. I have pictures so will put up before and after pictures. I'm going to love it and since I work in there, it's going to be a nice place to spend my time.

Finally, we continue working on the hillside that was weeds, weeds, weeds. It's been a long project; we killed the weeds, mowed them, raked them, removed them, tilled, raked again and last night we finally got the seed down. Now we have to water and watch it bloom. They say these things take several years before they are firmly established, but it will be fun to watch it take off. We should get some plants up this year. I've learned a lot and can't wait to see how it all ends up.

Now, I hope that I don't wait another month to come back here.

How Quickly They Grow Up

I have so enjoyed having Carissa home this summer. I think she's been okay with being home, but it's not the kind of summer she would describe as "summer lovin' had me a blast." She has worked hard with 4 jobs and then volunteering every Wednesday night at the hospital. I have tried to make it fun for her, we have seen a lot of movies, did a mini family vacation at the Omaha zoo, but I have to face it. I'm her mom. I think I'm totally fun, but she would probably prefer hangin' with someone closer to her own age.

So she came to me yesterday and asked if she could drive up to Orange City to see Rachel. Really, I was happy she could have this time to spend with Rachel and be with people her own age. Really, I was. There was just one problem. She would not be able to leave until after 9 p.m.

Now it's close to a 4-hour trip from here to Orange City. She has been to Orange City before but with us and during the day. But this time she was driving. Alone. At night. When it's dark. And late.

When I think of my children this is what I see.

But other people see my children like this.

Lands sakes, they are grown up.

One is married.

How did that happen?

I'm happy to report she made it safely. At 1:11 a.m. I could stand it no longer so I called (so very thankful for cell phones) and she had gotten there a few minutes earlier without incident. I don't know how people who don't rely on God send their kids out on their own. It was a praying night for me.

I am so happy she has this opportunity to be with Rachel and meet some of Rachel's friends up there at Northwestern. This just might be the perfect ending to her summer vacation.

But, I do miss those little ones.

Thankgiving:

1. Carissa's time in Orange City.
2. Rachel and friends.
3. Cell phones.
4. Prayer time with Dena.
5. Wellspring, Paige and Al.
6. Beautiful weather.
7. The adults my kids have become.
   

Petitions:

1. Continued healing for Tate, my dad's back, Rachel's wrist, Carissa's foot, and Katie Bloom.
2. Jobs for Carson, Curtis, Aaron and Mike.
3. Safety as Carissa comes home and we leave for Chicago on Friday.

Stuff versus Treasure

I have to admit I do enjoy shopping and I like stuff. I like makeup with its interesting packaging and playing around with it. I love shoes and purses. I feel the thrill of the hunt for bargain prices as I enter the mall. But I can have a good time just browsing and looking around without the need to necessarily buy something. However, that is second best. I have thought that perhaps I could be a Secret Shopper; that could be fun.

I am trying to do some updating on my house so I've been spending time looking for just the right thing.

Merely walking through Barnes & Noble, I see at least 10-15 books I would like to read. It gets worse at Wellspring.

I just like to be out and about.

Last winter, Mark's grandpa died at 100 years of age and this past weekend there was an auction at Grandpa's house. The house was packed full of stuff that we hauled outside so that people could look it over and buy it. There was all kinds of stuff. Mark's grandma had been quite a crafty person so there were also sorts of things she had made, there were some antique type things, some nice furniture.

As I walked through looking around, I could not help but think about the stuff Grandma and Grandpa had accummulated over the years and now it was just going to be sent off to the highest bidder. What was important to them, may not be important to anyone else.

So I wonder ....

Are the things I value, valued by anyone else? If someone had to look over all my stuff and decide whether to bid on it or not, would they? Finally, what do I want to leave behind that people would consider precious, something that could be passed on, something to be desired.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and seal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destory, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Treasure or just stuff? Time to decide.

My Grateful Heart

1. Family celebrating birthdays in July and August: Mark's mom and dad, Gerri, Larry, Katie, Garrett, my mom, Dale, Mark.
2. Starting to get some answers regarding Tate's medical issues.
3. Carson's willingness to volunteer with the WHS cross country team.
4. Safe travel for Carissa to Orange City last night.
5. Tirimasu Tuesday.
6. Our On-Line Book Club and their insights on "The Shack."
7. An e-mail from Shari on a job possibility for Carson.

With Lifted Hands

1. Continued healing for Tate, my dad, Carissa and Katie Bloom.
2. Blessings on Carissa's time with Rachel in Orange City.
3. Safe and healthy delivery of Eric and Laurie's baby later this week.
4. Jobs for Carson, Aaron, Curtis and Mike.
5. Answers for couples struggling with infertility.

Let's Put a Positive Spin On This

I enjoy reading the editorials on the opinion page of the Des Moines Register. However, one of the Register's editors has opinions I rarely agree with. I would say she is a liberal and I would say I am a conservative. Her pros are usually my cons and vice versa. So reading her editorials results in much rolling of my eyes and muttering "oh brother" under my breath over and over. You can imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when the title of her editorial for the day was "How High Gas Prices Could Improve Our Lives." I agree!!! Here's a few quotes from her editorial.

Tough as it is, they could force us to make adjustments that result in healthier, more communal and environmentally friendly living. And they could push governments and businesses to help provide the infrastructure.

And if people limit their forays to the mall just to hang out or exercise, and start using their neighborhoods for recreation, maybe we'd see more block parties and picnics and a growing sense of community connectedness.

...... when we stop behaving as if the Earth's resources are infinite and each of us has unlimited, autonomous access to them, we might also start living more consciously and purposefully.

She made some other good points about riding bikes, public transportation, shorter work weeks, etc. I did some checking and there has been a 3.7% decrease in automobile use. That doesn't sound huge except it translates to 9.6 billion vehicle miles. 3.7% is the biggest drop ever in the summer. And I noticed gas prices have dropped in the last few weeks. Supply and demand, demand and supply.

I see bike sales are way up.

My Attitude of Gratitude
1. Kenley Marie, born this week, healthy baby, healthy mom.
2. The perfect colors of my freshly painted office.
3. Dena, Paige and Wellspring.
4. Getting to see family this weekend in NW Iowa.
5. My new computer.


With Lifted Heart and Hands
1. Healing: Tate, my dad, Carissa's foot, Katie, Westview families.
2. Job Searches: Carson, Curtis, Aaron, and Mike.
3. Safety as we travel to NW Iowa.
4. Couples strugging with infertility.
5. That I can get my shortcuts into my new computer.

Our God Is An Awesome God

Every so often, God allows me to see Him in action. I am following the story of a young woman, Katie Bloom, who is proving that God can do so much more than we can imagine.

Last Monday, when I was at the surgery center we learned of a young woman who delivered her third baby at the beginning of July and several weeks later had a severe brain hemorrhage. They operated on her and the prognosis was unknown. Thousands of prayers have been said over Katie Bloom. She is improving daily, she is showing many people what faith is all about.

To read the entire story about Katie use this link Katie's progress. And while you're there, please lift up Katie Bloom to the Throne of Grace.

This Thankful Heart:
1. All the people of faith who believe in a God who can do All Things praying for Katie Bloom.
2. All the butterflies flitting about in my yard.
3. Cool breeze on summer nights.
4. Rachel joining us for Tiramasu Tuesday.
5. My husband who kills my weeds, paints my office and then is mostly ok with repainting it when the color isn't just right. 

What's On My Heart
1. Continued healing for Katie Bloom.
2. Healing for Tate, my dad and Carissa's foot.
3. Paint crew safety.
4. Perfect jobs for Carson, Curtis, Aaron and Mike.

Visitors

These guys came over to our house for dinner last night.




My Grateful Heart
1. Having Carson and Carissa home.
2. Geese in my front yard, deer in my backyard and the hummingbird I saw last night.
3. God's work in the healing of Katie Bloom.
4. Safety for the paint crew.
5. Getting back in touch with Nancy.
6. Tirimasu Tuesday.
7. Rachel's almost-good-as-new wrist.

My Humble Requests:
1. Healing for Tate.
2. Healing for my dad's back.
3. The perfect job for Carson, Curtis, Mike and Aaron.
3. Continued healing for Katie Bloom.
4. Barb's dad.
5. Rocky Mountain High Blessings.

Weeds, Weeds, Weeds, I Am Sick of Weeds

Three years ago, we took a family vaca to Rocky Mountain National Park. Last year, I visited Cody and Elizabeth in San Diego and saw the ocean for the first time in my life (yeah, yeah, it was overdue). We went to Sea World and I was completely enthralled by the whales. Such grace and power in one creature. On our drive home, we stopped at the Grand Canyon and my calendar for this month is a beautiful picture of the Grand Canyon.

I am enthralled with God's creation.

I have a hillside in my backyard where I would like to have my own little piece of this beautiful creation. With some work, okay, probably A LOT of work, I believe this site could be a  profusion of color throughout the spring, summer and into the fall.  

One rather major problem is that it also has an abundance of weeds. I have been working and working, but my attempts have been so feeble. I can spend hours out there pulling and pulling and pulling and, dang, if those weeds aren't back in what seems like minutes.

PLUS .......

There was some sort of bug activity out there that I did not even notice, but it certainly found me and been quite successful at biting me IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES.

I don't know much about plants or how to make a lovely yard, but I do ask questions and every greenhouse I went to, I asked questions. (with the exception of Hy-Vee because I just didn't think a high school kid that they pulled from the register would have many answers). I hit the jackpot the other week at the Woodsmith Store where the lady working there acknowledged she couldn't answer my questions but gave me the name of someone who could. That's all I ask, refer me when you don't know. So I called the Des Moines Forage and Turf and they were a wealth of information. I now know exactly what I have to do and now is the time to do it. Here's a before picture of my weed-side and I will post pictures as I progress until next year when (hopefully) I have a burst of color. I'm hoping to have enough to cut and bring the garden inside.

The Weed Garden (with disrespectful bugs)

I'll keep you posted.

Good Times

We have had a pretty fun couple of weeks. 4th of July was really interesting and fun and I will write more about that later, but last Saturday night Mark, Carson and I went to the Iowa Barnstomers game with Monica and John and their delightful offspring. If you don't know what a "barnstormer" is, here's what I found out:

Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, often in groups as a flying circus. These aerialists — or "barnstormers" as they became known — performed almost any trick or feat with an airplane that people could imagine.

Sounds like fun -- the Iowa Barnstormers in 2008, however, is an arena football team. Arena football is not ordinary football; I think everyone has more fun. I loved the player who led the "hey" cheer before the kickoff after every touchdown with his knock-em-dead dance moves in the middle of the field. At halftime, the Barnstormer mascot rode around the field on a bike-propeller-airplane while people in the crowd threw yellow balls to get them into the basket on the bike with the chance to win a prize; in the end hundreds of little yellow balls were all over the field. It was entertaining to watch college-age guys in tricycle races. There were lame fireworks during the National Anthem, but I'm sure they tried. Oh, and there was football too. Lots of points were scored, I think the Barnstormers had more than 70 points and with that many points, they did win, although they have lost more times than they have won this season. There were nearly 10,000 people there. What fun.

Oh, but I do love Des Moines.

Speaking of football, I do not know what to think about my-all-time-favorite-NFL-team, the Green Bay Packers, and my-all-time-favorite NFL player, Brett Favre. Sounds like a lot of off-the-field games but basically I don't know what to think.

Sometimes ..... I. Just. Don't. Know.

Communication, Communication

The other night, Mark, Carissa and I were watching a TV show and in one scene there were 2 teenage girls sitting at the kitchen table of one of the girls homes and their conversation went something like this:

Girl #1: Did you hear what Ashley told Jon today?
Girl #2: No, I didn't.
Girl #1: Well, I texted it to you.
Girl #2: Oh, I didn't see it; wait, here it is. (And she reads the text on her phone). Really? What did Jon say back to her?
Girl #1: Oh, I'll tell you. (at which point she gets out her phone and texts the Girl #2). Okay, it's transmitting, you should get it soon.

I looked at Carissa and I just laughed because whenever you look at a teenager/20-year-old person, they always have their phones open and texting someone somewhere. There are people who can text while their phone is in a purse. Carissa drives and texts. Although preferably not when I'm in the car. Carissa laughs at how slow I am. But getting better...... really. Honestly, I don't know how I got through so much of my life without a cell phone. Seriously.

There are a gazillion ways of keeping in touch with people without ever leaving home. Here's an obvious one -- a blog. I'm on facebook and would love it if more friends my age would get on that. I think nearly every person under 30 is on facebook and hardly anyone over 40 is. The 30-somethings are still a mixed bag although I really have no idea. We have e-mail. Although an e-mail from me can turn into a novella. I can't help it, once I get rolling, I just can't stop. We have phones. Personally, I don't like telephones. There are these awkward pauses and then you both start talking at the same time. I am just old fashioned enough, but perhaps with just a smidgeon of coolness, to believe it doesn't get much better than a one on one with a friend in a coffeeshop.

So being all about relationships, more options is just fine. In fact, it's more than fine, I think it's wonderful. So start communicating.

Recently Carissa and I went to the home show which is always fun to see the newest and latest trends in homes and decorating. It always gives me the urge to get home and do some updating. Armed with every good intention and ready to get started, here's what I have discovered so far:

1. I have waaaaay too much stuff. I am feeling overwhelmed and I've barely started.
2. I have enough graduation gowns to start a small choir.
3. We could host a charity event and give away water bottles.
4. Cody left several things that he probably no longer wanted. Unfortunately neither do I.
5. I have so many odds and ends of scrapbook supplies, I could start a small store.
6. Pictures, pictures, pictures. So many pictures, so little time although with my own little scrapbook store, there could be a plan for them.
7. Prom dress anyone? I have a small, but nice selection.

I'm sure there will be much more the further I go into this project. It may take 10 years. And then it will be past time to start over. However, tomorrow the painting starts.

So Much Goodness

This summer, so far, has been wonderful. No, I take that back. It has been fabulous. I usually don't care too much about the weather. After all, what can one do about it. But the weather we have had lately is nothing short of incredible. It's cool enough to leave the AC off and as I try to be more and more "green", I appreciate the savings in energy and a slightly smaller electrical bill each month. I'm also a hang-the-clothes-on-the-clothesline kind of gal so, wow, give me that fresh-air scent.

In addition to lovely weather, another way-too-much fun part of this summer has been our quest to find the ultimate tirimasu. For those of you less worldly and sophisticated than me, which I would imagine is probably nobody, tirimasu is a creamy Italian dessert concotion made with lady fingers dipped in coffee and mascarpone cream. I really don't know what any of that stuff is, but that's what it said on google. So it must be true. The name tirimasu means "pick me up" in Italian and "can be translated figuratively as make me less sad/happier." Again, I know this is true because it came from google. And I also know this is true because as I slide my fork through the creamy layers of my tirimasu, I know I am less sad. As I savor the flavor of the tirimasu ... Oh.My.Goodness. I am certain my BFF, Dena G., is absolutely right when she says there is food in heaven. There has to be, this can't be something only found on earth. 

My other favorite part of our quest for the best tirimasu in Des Moines is the social part. Our group is rather fluent, it changes week by week and it's fun to meet new people and be with good friends too. But I'm not going to miss an opportunity for tiramisu so I'm there every week. This was our group this week and it was rather special to have Paige H. and Katie G. there for some opinions from a younger, way cooler group. Here's our group this week.

Front Row:  Carol, Katie, Dena, Amy

Back Row:  Paige, Karrine, Someone Who Never Turns Down Dessert

Last weekend in Chattanooga, while exiting the freeway, I noticed two men walking along the road picking up trash and cleaning up along the roadway. This, in itself, isn't unsual. There are often groups of people helping keep America beautiful and I'm thankful for them. These two men had brightly colored vests on alerting motorists to their presence. The exception was that on the back of one of the men's vests were these words:

I AM A DRUNK DRIVER

That has bothered me ever since I saw it. In no way, do I want to diminish the problem of drunk driving. I am completely aware of the pain drunk driving has caused. I don't know if this man had multiple offenses, if he hurt someone, if he killed someone. But I'm also painfully aware that I don't know this man's story. I need to guard against looking down on him and quickly judging him to be a bad person. It was painful seeing a person wear those words. Do words like that make a person remorseful, defiant, or are they just humiliating? As I was telling Dena about this, she mentioned how she would hate to have all her sins listed down her back. No kidding.

I recently finished reading the book "Same Kind of Different As Me." This book gave me an understanding that sometimes life circumstances can determine some of the choices people make. Again, I completely understand that people still can choose and sometimes they choose wrong. "Same Kind of Different As Me" was about a black homeless man whose destiny was more or less chosen for him until someone entered his life who honored him and found worth in him. Then he had the opportunity to rise above his circumstances. The problems of the world are overwhelming if you let yourself think about it, but we must allow ourselves to think about them. If one person helps one person and it goes on and on, then a difference is made. I found this quote by Mother Teresa some time back and it's one of my favorites. "Help one person at a time and begin with the person next to you." Who is next to me whose life I can touch? I don't have to think very long for someone to come to mind. The question then is, will I do anything about it?

Think, Linda, Think

Last night after meeting with Dena, I could not find the keys to my car anywhere. These days I am carrying a pretty darn big purse, okay, it's gigantuous, but I really like it and actually it's not that hard to find things in it. Except for my keys. Well, that's because the keys weren't in it. I went outside, looked in the windows of my locked car and sure as shootin' there they were hanging in the ignition. Last night as I got to Wellspring, gathered up my Bible and my purse to meet with Dena all the while with the keys in the ignition, I imagine the heavenly host jumping up and down waving their hands and screaming "No, no, noooooooo **sigh**!" For pity sake, why do I do these things? Using my head now and then would be useful. But my story has a happy ending. Carissa, bless her heart, actually found the extra key, came back to Wellspring, opened up my car and I got back home without further incident. Thankfully. I would like to think other people do things like that. But maybe not. If anyone is reading this, please let me know in some form that I am not the only idiot actually walking around loose so that I don't feel so bad.

By the way, I saw a great Alan Jackson video this morning while trying to keep up with the treadmill called Good Time. Time to download and line dance .....

God in the Storm

I have a couple daily calendars on my desk, one from John Ortberg's book, "The Life You've Always Wanted" and one from Max Lucado's book "Facing Your Giants." Every day these little calendars give me a thought and a way of learning a little more about God. John Ortberg in particular struck a cord with me today:

"For a long time in my own life a very bad thing happened. I had reduced my "tools for spiritual growth" to a few activities such as prayer and Bible study for a few periods a day called a quiet time. I took an embarrassingly long time to learn that every moment in my life is an opportunity to learn from God how to live like Jesus, how to live in the kingdom of God."

In no way, do I want to diminish the importance of a quiet time of reading God's Word and spending time in prayer. It's a very important part of our walk with God, but I do believe God can teach us so much more if we open our eyes and are aware of His lessons no matter where we are or what we are doing.

Very early this morning, I had to bring Cody and Elizabeth to the airport so they could leave for their honeymoon. We left about 5:15 a.m. and it was still pitch dark, which was surprising to me since we are into June. I knew storms were forecast, but I didn't know just imminent those storms were. We got to the airport, I hugged Cody and Elizabeth, told them I loved them and to have a good trip. I was leaving the airport when huge raindrops began hitting my windshield. Heading home, the rain came harder. As I got onto the freeway, the rain kept coming harder and harder and up came the wind. The further I went the worse the conditions became until it was as if there was a gray wall in front of me and I could not see anything, not the lines in the road or where I was going. I managed to find the 22nd Street exit in West Des Moines, got off and even though it was still raining extremely hard, I could at least see and I made it safely home from there.

This was scary to me, I must have had a death grip on my steering wheel. It just reminded me how frail I am, how frail we all are. Much of Parkersburg, Iowa was completely destroyed by a tornado last week. Thousands died in China after an earthquake. We forget our own frailty and the frailty of the things we build. We forget God's power. I see so much of God in nature, I see him as I watch birds fly all around my house, I see Him in the beauty of the deer as they cross my yard in the evening and, yes, I can still appreciate the deer's beauty as I watch one stand in my garden eating my tulips. But it's also good to be reminded of his power and our frailty and our dependence on Him.

As I sit here typing this 4 hours after the storm, it's an absolutely gorgeous day. The temperature has gone down some, the humidity has left the air and there's a slight breeze with a beautiful blue sky. I see God's peace and goodness after the fury of the storm.

Praise the Lord, you angels; praise the Lord's glory and power. Praise the Lord for the glory of His name; worship the Lord because He is holy. The Lord's voice is heard over the sea. The glorious God thunders; the Lord thunders over the ocean. The Lord's voice is powerful; the Lord's voice is majestic. The Lord's voice breaks the trees; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes the land of Lebanon dance like a calf and Mount Hermon jump like a baby bull. The Lord's voice makes the lightning flash. The Lord's voice shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The Lord's voice shakes the oaks and strips the leaves off the trees. In his Temple, everyone says, "Glory to God!" The Lord controls the flood. The Lord will be King forever. The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. (Psalm 29)

A Whirlwind Month of May

What a wonderful, busy, crazy month May was. A wedding and 4 graduations - and that was just our family. Sprinkle in a few more graduation parties of students and friends in addition to regular life and sometimes it felt like we were meeting ourselves at the door as we left again.

I recently read that Real Simple did a survey on women and happiness and one of the most interesting points was that happy women tend to seek out new experiences. Well my month of May was chock full of new experiences. We experienced a child getting married, we experienced a major university graduation, we experienced medical school graduation, I ate sushi for the first time, and I found a really sweet little bookstore in the East Village of Des Moines. I am so thankful my mom and dad were able, and willing, to drive to Iowa 3 weekends in a row and Mark's mom and dad also joined us in these wonderfully blessed times.

I was also blessed with experiences that were not new in May. Celebrating Katie's graduation in Wisconsin where Dale and Shari could write a book on how to throw a party, catching up with cousins I haven't seen for years and loving the fact that I could just enjoy the party without having to participate in the planning.

But here's the recap:

First of all was The Wedding of Cody and Elizabeth. What a wonderful day. How everything went so smoothly when the most disorganized and clueless people are planning someting like this, is somewhat of a mystery. But I'm not going to try too hard to figure it out. Understanding I speak from a bit of a bias, I do believe it was the nicest, most beautiful wedding I have ever seen. I'm sure there are other moms out there who may disagree with me, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I was so honored and so humbled by all the people who traveled to help us celebrate with Cody and Elizabeth and this certainly helped make the day extra special. Watching Carson out on the dance floor doing the moon walk and talking in front of 200+ people to give a toast, has me thinking this is not the same dude I have known for 21, almost 22, years.

I have been to many graduations in my life, but new to me was one involving 1600+ graduates. It was a 3-hour ceremony for the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts, but we heard them call Carson's name and watched him receive his diploma. Some of our pictures even turned out from our spot high up in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Another different graduation ceremony was at DMU. Lots of people and a ceremony that took about 2-1/2 hours, but we could see Cody and Elizabeth get their diplomas via a big screen. With the flags and regality of DMU, I felt like we were in a King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table movie. All that was missing were prancing white horses.

We finished up May with Katie's graduation. My cousin Nancy and I were so close in high school, but distance, time and life has caused us to not stay in touch with each other like we should. So seeing her on Saturday with her daughter Kristin and meeting Kristin's little ones was such a joy. Being with cousins Sue and Bill along with Bill's wife Mary, plus Uncles Bill and Pete and aunt Nicki; Sue's daughter Tracy with her husband Chris and their little boy, Benjamin, gave me a day I will not forget.

To begin June at my mom and dad's with my brothers and their families makes me feel wonderfully blessed. These are my favorite people, the people I love to spend time with, the people who make me laugh, who share life with me, who give me advice about my car and who are there for me, there for my husband, there for my kids.

Praise Him from Whom All Blessings Flow.

Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. (Col. 3:14b)

The Lord's love never ends; His mercies never stop. They are new every morning; Lord your loyalty is great. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

For My Children

Last weekend I was with Carson and Carissa; last night Cody and Elizabeth came home from their skiing trip. I love being with them, hearing them talk, laughing with them. In one of her devotionals, Dena wrote this prayer for her children. She writes from her heart and with my own changes, this is the prayer I'm using for my children today.

Thank You, Lord, for the precious gift of my children. Because Your Word says that every good gift comes from You, I know that You have given them to me--You chose me to be their mother. Help me to love them the way they need to be loved. Help me to teach them with my words and actions. Help. Show me places where I continue to hang on to them and enable me to release them to Your protection, guidance, and counsel. Help me not to live in fear of possible dangers, but in the joy and peace of knowing that You are in control. I rely on You for everything, and this day I trust my children to You and release Cody, Elizabeth, Carson and Carissa into Your hands. I pray that Cody, Elizabeth, Carson and Carissa will be reliable, dependable, responsible, compassionate, sensitive, loving, and giving to others. Deliver them from any pride, laziness, slothfulness, selfishness, or lust of the flesh. I pray that they will have a teachable and submissive spirit that says "Yes" to the things of God and "No" to the things of the flesh. Strengthen them to stand strong in their convictions. Help and guide me and Mark, as parents, to model these attributes to them and that our children will recognize them in us as well as their family and friends. I pray for Cody and Elizabeth's upcoming marriage. Bless them, please. I pray for Carson and Carissa's future spouses. Please work in Carson and Carissa's lives, as well as the young woman and man that You have chosen for them, that they might be sold out for You and that as they draw close to You, they will draw close to the one that You will bring into their life. Please give them safety as they travel. Please guide Carson in the plans You have for him after graduation. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen

Thanksgiving At Easter

I am thankful I could spend Easter in Wisconsin. I am thankful that Mark did all the driving. I am thankful that the temperature didn't get 3 degrees higher, but we were kept safe as we drove through the snowstorm. I am thankful for the opportunity to meet Jenny and get to know her. I am thankful for a generation of young women like her. I am thankful for Johnson's Bakery and mudpies. I am thankful for my mom's servant heart and her love for making such absolutely delicious meals. I am thankful for my dad's gentle spirit. I am thankful that they welcome us so warmly into their home. I am thankful for the beauty of Lake Michigan. I am thankful for shopping at Gurnee Mills. I am thankful we could pick Carson up from O'Hare Airport and have him and Carissa with us for Easter. I am so thankful I'm their mom; I love them so very, very much. I am thankful for Potbelly, good sandwiches and free cookies. I am thankful for Easter services. I am thankful for Easter brunch in the church basement. I am thankful for my brothers, Jeff and Dale; I am thankful for my sisters-in-law, Nancy and Shari; I am thankful for my nieces and nephews, Garrett, Katie, Noah and Brianna and how much I love being around all of them. I am thankful for Nicki, Pete and Delores, aunts and uncles who grow more precious every time I see them. I am thankful for my life-time friend, Brenda. I needed more time with her, but I am grateful for the time we had. I'm thankful for Brenda's husband Dale who takes time to chat when I come over. I am thankful for Zach's incredible gift of music and the mini concert I had while visiting with Brenda. I am thankful we were all able to get up early enough to enjoy mom's carefully-prepared breakfast yet get Carson back to Iowa City on time. I am thankful to be back home with my very own bathroom. I am thankful for Spaghetti Works and our hostess/waitress, Julia's pleasantness. I am thankful for interesting games at the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. I am thankful for the very nice family from Minneapolis who sat next to me at the Tournament and how it's just fun to get to know a little bit about other people. I am thankful for the life of Dr. Bartlett and how he made a difference in the lives of so many. Finally, I am so very thankful for my salvation and the knowledge that My Redeemer Lives. He Is Risen. He Is Risen Indeed.

Words Like Honey

One of my favorite passages, albeit very convicting, in the Bible comes from James 3:9-12.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

I've been thinking lately about the words we say, the way we say them and how our words make others feel. What comes out of our mouths has incredible power. We can make someone feel good or we can have the opposite effect. So I was wondering could I, not only avoid harsh words, but use words that could lift another's spirits.

Here's an example: I was actually not really looking forward to finding a dress for Cody and Elizabeth's wedding. My mom and I stopped in a store a while back and I tried some on a couple dresses and my mom summed it up perfectly when she said "These really aren't you are they?" She spoke the truth and said it in a very pleasing way.

Then one day, while at the Surgery Center, I was flipping through a magazine and lo and behold, there it was -- exactly the dress I was looking for. We had the store where I could get this dress right here at Jordan Creek Mall so I went to get it and -- better yet -- it was on sale. On glory! I could get the dress, a darling sweater to go with it and shoes for much less than the original price of the dress. Someone hold me down.

Here's where my word lesson comes in. People ask me about my dress, they ask me what color it is and I never really knew how to describe it. It's basically beige (ugh), but then I would say it has gold threads running through it (true) to make it sound nicer. Last week, I was getting my hair cut and making sure the true color was covered up and the adorable young lady who does my hair asked me about my dress. I started to describe it as beige, again, and she said, oh you mean champagne? I was, like, yesssssss, of course it's not beige, it's champagne. Doesn't that sound so much better?

One of my favorite movies is Pollyanna and Hayley Mills who plays Pollyanna describes everything as "gorgeous." Not just nice or okay, but gorgeous. I tried to say things were gorgeous with a British accent just like Hayley Mills and Carissa told me it wasn't working, but I still like the word.

I know, sometimes we get carried away and we use words like awesome when something isn't that big of a deal, but there are times when maybe a more superlative word could just make somebody's day.

Wouldn't it be great if all of our words fit this description. "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24). I'm going to try it.

Pray This Never Happens To You

A couple weeks ago, I had a very harrowing and disturbing experience. Even thinking about it now can cause my heart rate to go up and perhaps get my systolic blood pressure over 100. As I walked into my friendly-smile-in-every-aisle West Lakes Hy-Vee grocery store, I realized the entire store had been rearranged. Items that had been on the north end were now on the south end, or maybe it's east and west. I am profoundly directionally challenged so east, west, north, south mean nothing to me. In addition to the north/south, east/west rearrangement, every single item had been moved over an aisle or two. Or three. Either way. I have been shopping in this store since it was built 10 or 12 years ago and in all that time, cheese has always been in aisle 1. What is the thought process when suddenly cheese is in the back of the store with the milk and butter? It confuses me. A shopping trip that should have taken 45 minutes took an hour and a half as I went up and down every aisle at least 6 times. With a death grip on my cart and my eyes darting back and forth at the shelves, I desperately tried to find the things on my list. Cards and magazines are now where health foods used to be. I'm not exactly sure where the health foods are now, but hey, I noticed they didn't move the donuts. Everyone, including the employees, all looked completely bewildered. I needed mapquest to do my grocery shopping. Here's what I learned through all this. The next time you visit to your friendly neighborhood grocery store and look for the Honey Nut Cheerios in aisle 5 and they are there, get down on your knees in thanksgiving. It can all change in an instant. I know. It happened to me.

It's snowing here in central Iowa. In fact, it's been snowing since before noon yesterday. It's not a blizzard, just constant snow. Quite often we have very mild winters, not much snow, not much cold. This winter has been different. We've had cold, we've had snow. I've learned that people in different parts of the country have different views on winter. A couple years ago, Carissa had a volleyball tournament in Minneapolis. We left a winter storm behind in Des Moines to come to bright sunny weather in Minneapolis. As we checked into our hotel, we told the desk clerk what we had left behind and in all sincerity he said, "Oh boy, I'm jealous." My dear friend Brenda has a picture of her and her husband standing in a snowstorm in Bayshore. Bayshore, Wisconsin? In the winter? That is waaaaaay up north where I'm sure winter is a way of life. What fun!! Many people around here like the whole "white Christmas" concept, but when Christmas is over, they are ready for spring. They must have missed that part on the calendar that says the first day of winter is December 21. Maybe it's my Wisconsin upbringing with lots of sleeding and ice skating, but I like this. I like walking around in it, I really like watching it from my window. I like the peace. Spring will come in its time and that, too, will be a joy, but for now let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Two Lives

Within about a week and 12 hours, 2 people I knew passed away.  One was 100 years old.  One was 16 years old.  One I knew quite well, the other I only knew about.  

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

(Psalm 139:16)

In July 2007, we celebrated the 100th birthday of Grandpa Tigges.  All of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were there and it was a wonderful time.  Some traveled from Arizona, some from Nebraska, and some from California.  My first memories of Grandpa were when Mark and I started dating and he was still helping on the farm.  I can still see him in my mind's eye coming up the driveway on the tractor.  He and grandma had moved "to town" but he still loved to be involved with the farm work.  I saw his devotion to his wife when she had a stroke in 1987.  For many years, he cared for her at home, but eventually it was just too hard and she was moved to the nursing home where he visited her almost daily.  We last saw Grandpa on Christmas Day when he drove out to the farm to celebrate Christmas.  How he loved scratching those lottery tickets he got as a gift.  No big winners, but he came out ahead.  He was a good man who raised good people who, in turn, raised good people.  With the exception of a stay in the nursing home for a few months, he was able to stay independent, driving himself to the farm and church every Sunday, but most of the people that were in his life had passed on and he was ready to join them.  He will be missed, but I know he is "dwelling in the house of the Lord forever."  

Jason was 16 and a junior in high school when he passed away 7 days and 12 hours before Grandpa after a 3-year battle with cancer.  I first saw evidence of the impact Jason and his family have had several years ago when I watched a video of his parents talking about his illness yet their faith remained strong.  I saw it again 2 days before Jason died when I went to a high school basketball game and about 150-200 kids stayed after the game and were down on their knees on the gym floor lifting Jason and his family up in prayer.  The funeral lasted longer than an hour and a half and while it was filled with sadness, it was also a also celebration.  Kids at Waukee High School are asking questions now.  They want to know about God, they want to know about heaven, they have a yearning to know more.  

Where O death is your victory?  

Were O death is your sting?

(I Cor. 15:55)

I read an article that says on your tombstone is the date of your birth and the date of your death and in between those dates is a dash.  It's what you do with the dash that can make a difference.  Two lives - One long, one short, but both made that dash count.  

Time for New Year's Resolutions?

Generally, I don't take much stock in New Year's Resolutions. Especially since I read that approximately 80-some percent of people who make New Year's resolutions, break them before January is up. But I do like to take a look at my life and see if there are things that can be fine tuned. And there always are. Here are some for this year.

I have always enjoyed walking, but as I look back, I walked more in 2005 than 2006, more in 2006 than 2007. So that is going in the wrong direction and I can tell. I caught a cold this year and it's unusual for me to catch any kind of sickness. I prefer to lay around than move around. I want more energy, it makes me live a fuller life. So like about 90 billion other people today, I am going to try to incorporate exercise and walking into my life.

I want to spend more time in God's Word and prayer. That I did more of in 2006 than 2005 and more in 2007 than 2006. So I'm heading in the right direction. Now I need to build on that so that next year I can say I spent more time with God in 2008 than I did in 2007.

I want my house to not feel so full. I am on the box-a-day plan. Every day or at least several times per week (I don't need to beat myself up over this resolution stuff), I'm going to find a box or a drawer and clean it up. I want to reuse more than just throw out. I actually started this in the fall, so the plan is to keep on going.

I want my finances to be different. Some expenses were unavoidable this year and financially we did better in 2007 than 2006 so to just keep working on that. I wish somehow shopping cuold be a career ......

So that's it for me -- Time will tell how it all turns out. Happy New Year!!