Musings of a Jolly Beggar

He Came

2010-12-05T13:15:00.004-05:00

The taste of grape juice and communion bread lingers on my tongue. I savor it, remembering that only through His blood and broken body do I have any hope of redemption. My own brokenness and imperfections cry out that I am not worthy of His gift, but then I recall that He gave it anyway because of my neediness. The craziness of the whole thing startles me again this Christmas season. Omnipotence made helpless. Omniscience learning to fasten a sandal.

Our God heav'n cannot hold him,
Nor earth sustain,
Heav'n and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty
Jesus, Jesus Christ

- Christina Rossetti

I don't understand it, but I'm grateful...so grateful.

You Know It's a Good Day...

2009-05-05T00:23:00.007-04:00

So many reasons to be happy in that one pic.

One final thought...

"God says, 'No, I want that soul to prove its power to live an unprotected life. I want it to be a thing of wonder like this little wintergreen in its pocket of poor soil among the rocks. I often plant My flowers,' He says, 'among rough rocks.'" - Amy Charmichael

(I am aware that this is not wintergreen!)

Let's Bloom! (In whatever soil we find ourselves.)

Thank you...

2009-04-10T19:47:00.003-04:00

Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you for drinking the cup.
Even though You didn't want to.
Even though You asked three times if there was another option.
And three times You surrendered Your will to the Father's.
You drank deeply.
And suffered horribly.
For me.

Thank you.

I Rise...

2009-04-04T16:42:00.031-04:00

Spring has officially sprung, and with the plethora of "new life" vibes floating about comes the realization that I must shake off the chains of my winter stupor and Blog! (That...and some friendly and not so subtle reminders from unnamed individuals. *Mom*) And so, from the murky sludge of winter's thaw...I Rise...I RISE... (Sorry, had a Maya Angelou moment there. Thanks to both of you who got it.)

Great Christmas. Wonderful family. Happy presents. Special times.

Magic Kingdom.

Tired bro.

Wide awake.

Ooooo...pretty.

Big snow.

Days off!

Underground Railroad.

Special friends.

College Banquet.

Late curfews.

Band tour.

Spring days.

And there you have it. The picture book version. Greatly edited but adequate for today's reading skills. =)

Final thought for the day:

God is good, and as Solomon said, "not one word has failed of all His good promise." (I Kings 8:56b) Our job: know His promises. Know Him.

Blessings!

Just Guess...

2009-01-05T20:09:00.006-05:00

...what my New Year's resolution might be.

Thanksgiving...

Soup and Carols night...

Christmas Eve fondue...

etc...

More news of the holidays to come...once I push back from the table.

Toodles.

A Cautionary Tale

2008-11-24T22:04:00.009-05:00

This is Sonja.

She is nice. Some people really like her. But Sonja has a flaw. Sometimes she forgets to listen to her mother.

When Sonja was little her mother said, "Sonja, don't ever leave the water running in the sink. You might forget about it, and you could have a flood!!" Sonja listened. She knew her mother was right because her mother was Wise.

But Sonja thought, "I can do more than one thing at once." And so she did. For many years Sonja let the water run in the sink while she did other chores, and nothing ever happened until...

Saturday morning Sonja was getting ready to meet her friends. She combed her hair and brushed her teeth. Then Sonja walked into the kitchen. Sonja wondered, "Why is that puddle on the floor?" "Why is that lake on the floor?" Then Sonja saw the water pouring out of her sink and onto the floor. The bubbles were piled high!

Oh, no! What was she going to do? First, she turned off the water because she is a smart girl. Then she pulled the plug in the sink. Then she began to clean up the water. (Later she remembered to get her camera - after she had already cleaned up a lot.) The cabinet under her sink was flooded.

The floor was flooded.

Sonja cleaned 2 and 1/2 basins of water off her floor. Sonja was sad.

But her floor and cabinet were clean! *Woo Hoo!*

Sonja should have listed to her mother. She also should have read this poem BEFORE the disaster. Because it is a good poem and says Wise things.

TURNING OFF THE FAUCET

If you don't turn the faucet off tight

When you're done in the bathroom,

You'll be wasting water.

Also, the sink might fill up

And overflow and flood the bathroom,

And then the bathroom would fill up

And overflow and flood the bedroom,

And all your clothes would get soaking wet,

And when you wore them, you'd catch a horrible cold

And have to stay home from school

And you couldn't learn anything

Or see your friends.

And after you'd missed school long enough,

All your friends would forget you

And you would be so sad and wet

You'd probably just stay in bed

Wearing your sad, wet clothes

With your sad, wet head

On your sad, wet pillow

Until you just shrivelled up and wasted away.

And nobody would care.

Except your parents

And they'd be all sad and wet

And shrivelling and wasting away, too,

Because you didn't turn the faucet off.

- Jeff Moss

Sonja should have read that poem. But she didn't. She should have listened to her mother. But she didn't.

And she flooded her kitchen.

Fortunately, my dears, the story doesn't end there. Later that night, after the coldness and wetness were done, Sonja went to see her BROTHER! Whom she LOVES! He sang in a concert. It was pretty. Sonja loved it. She smiled...and so did he.

They both smiled. Because they were happy. But it almost didn't happen. Because Sonja didn't listen.

So, my dears, always listen to your mothers. They are Wise. And never, never leave the water running.

Fallish

2008-11-08T01:48:00.012-05:00

Fall came back today. I think it took a bit of vacation and got summer to cover for it for about a week, but today it was back and working hard. (Does that seem like a lot of "its" in one sentence? It does to me. Wait, there it is again...and again. *sigh*) Anyway, I kind of missed fall, and I'm glad it's back...overcast skies, rain, cold, the whole shebang.

You know what else I love that's back? A full day without hearing any sort election coverage. I missed those days, and now they're back. (Excuse me while I wipe a tear of gratitude.) I pray that, no matter how we feel about who won or lost, we will behave like true followers of Jesus and students of the Word. May we honor, obey, and pray for those in authority over us. May our spirits stay sweet and our words gracious. (Enough said.)

Many things have happened in my life since last I blogged. I shall quickly enumerate a few of them for you.

I made a trip to PA to see my aunt and uncle. They always make me feel loved and a bit spoiled. (Lovely.) Of course, I didn't pull the camera out to get any shots of them...just their yard. But it was early fall, and I was overwhelmed by changing color. It must have gone to my head.

I love these trees. You just gotta love trees with faces.

Like I said, I think it went to my head.

I also made a little fall display for my office. My uncle picked out the appropriate pumpkin and gourds for me (following orders from his wife). I think he did a pretty good job!

I also went to a hayride and pretty much did everything but that. There is something lovely about a big fire, cold night, hot dogs, marshmallows, s'mores (in which the chocolate never melts properly), lukewarm "hot" chocolate, hats with pompoms, and crazy kids. It's a pretty great combination! Here are some of my flock.

This is the one where I'm a disembodied head. (That's actually convenient at times.)

So...it has been busy. Right now I'm teaching Biology for almost 2 weeks while the regular teacher is away. I'm really enjoying myself...except for the prep work. However, I find that it's actually the grunt work that makes the experience of teaching a truly enjoyable one. Without it I'm ill prepared, nervous and basically a mess. However, when I put in the time beforehand, I have a blast explaining how stuff works and examining the handiwork of our Creator. Hmmmm. Think there might be a lesson in here somewhere?

This weekend I'm in the office. I just came back from late night in the gym, and sometimes it takes a while for me to settle in for the night. Thus, the blog. Speaking of the office, there's grunt work to be done in there as well if I want to have the kind of rapport I need to have with my girls. Starting to see a pattern here?

I believe that in our spiritual lives there's grunt work as well. Sometimes we complete our spiritual disciplines simply because they are just that - disciplines. Sometimes we do right just because it's right. Am I saying that there is no joy in the spiritual disciplines? OF COURSE NOT! However, if I did only what I felt like doing, there are days I wouldn't take the time to forge through that difficult scripture passage or scribble my scattered thoughts down on paper. But, as with Biology, prep work yields rewards. I may not see them right away, but as I daily do right I form a pattern of living. I begin to watch the Word transform my life, and I enjoy the abundant life God promises.

"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." Gal. 6:8-9 NASB

Keep up the good work!!

Awake...

2008-10-12T00:10:00.007-04:00

I should be asleep. I should. I was. But not anymore. Oh, well. Now I sit...awake in my green chair.

"I could blog," I thought. So here I am, blogging. Unfortunately, I realize that, while many things have happened in the last few weeks, there really isn't much I can blog about. Not that I have a wildly exciting secret life of which I can share no details. No, nothing quite that spectacular. (I don't even have The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.) It's just that much of my life centers around the girls God has given me, and I choose not to share their struggles, joys, heartaches, blunders, etc. with the outside world. I care about them too much for that. Suffice it to say that the last couple of weeks have made me realize my moment by moment need for Jesus. They have made me thankful for those in my life who work alongside me and help me bear burdens; for those who remind me that there is only one Savior...and it is not I. (Unfortunately, I seem to need that reminder more often than I would like to admit!) I have also truly enjoyed my girls recently. Some of them can make me laugh so hard that...well, let's just say they make me laugh hard! I am truly blessed to do what I do. I am consistently amazed and thankful for a Father who so beautifully matches our gifts with ministries that will make a difference in His Kingdom while giving us a sense of complete fulfillment. What an amazing God!

Speaking of my girls, one of them make this for my birthday in August.

It's a fruit bouquet. Cool huh?

This weekend was Homecoming. It went well. I did the traditional dorm-wide room check to make sure everything was squeaky clean for our guests. Unfortunately, the upperclassmen told horror stories to the Freshmen about the thoroughness of my checking. I had some pretty paranoid girls. God love their hearts. =) However, I think some of them are anxiously waiting for next year when they can do the same thing to the newbies!

I just finished working my way through Psalm 119 in my devotions. If you want to be deeply convicted about your love for God's law, read this Psalm! It has been an incredible blessing to me. Allow me to share two verses that have been especially meaningful. I put them up in my office as a reminder. (NASB version)

133. Establish my footsteps in Your word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.
165. Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.

V. 133 is my prayer. Truly, I do not want any iniquity to have dominion over me. To take it a step further, I want to be ruled by NOTHING save God Himself. I love the concept of establishing. What beautiful connotations! What security - to be founded in and by God's Word. Obviously, if God's Word is to establish my footsteps, I've got to know it! It is my responsibility to love His Word, to feed on it, to let it cleanse me. As I do this, there are many byproducts, and one of the most beautiful is peace. In a crazy, changing, panicked world I am promised "great peace." I am promised a cure for stumbling. What a promise! Do I really believe it? Do I live like I do?

Good night, my friends. I wish you peace. If you don't have it...see above. =)

Normalcy?

2008-09-27T11:46:00.014-04:00

Thanks so much to all of you for your kind comments and commiserations. I must say that the "Blackout" week was a truly lovely time. The timing couldn't have been better for me personally (and I do realize that it's all about me). =) Seriously, I had been carrying a bit of stress that was a bit heavier than usual, and it was taking a bit of a toll (not to be confused with a "troll" - although...stress can be a bit trollish at times). Being able to completely disconnect for a while did worlds for my outlook, my emotional state, and my spiritual well-being. Cool, huh? Anyway, it was a wonderful week.

After getting power back on Friday afternoon (at the same time I returned from my trip to the laundromat...grrr...if I had just waited...), I was treated by a visit from my extra special friend, Kimberly. Kimberly was my college roommate for 3 1/2 years (bless her), so we know each other pretty well. What a blessing to be with someone with whom you can truly be yourself! It was so great to spend time with her family as well. Her parents took me in on MANY occasions when I couldn't go home on school breaks because of the distance. They offered me a real "home away from home". (Sounds a bit corny, but it's true.) I have so many incredible memories that involve their family. Anyway, we had a great time together.

I love this pic because Mr. Paul was trying to take our picture with a camera in each hand. I was highly amused at him and Kimberly, well she was being tolerant.

What a special family!

Kimberly's cousin, Janet and her husband, Chuck, also spent part of the day with us. Lots of great stories and many laughs.

A trip to Graeters always brings out the best in people.

And these are pictures from our "non-visit" to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. (We ran out of time, but we did see the gift shop!)

And dinner was at Pompilios (famous for appearing in Rain Man) - great Italian food. Yum. (Kimberly did wonder for just a bit how old the place was...)

The next week we got back to the serious task of educating our students. However, the Fall Picnic was already scheduled for Tuesday, so we took another break to eat outdoors and play softball. (Well some played. I just ate.) I actually work pretty hard setting the up the food for these picnics, so I didn't take many pictures, just a few of the loading process. What is it about guys that makes them want to throw things? Lots of this went on.

I don't really understand...but it makes them happy!

This week has been a week of lessons; a week of reminders that I must lean heavily on my Heavenly Father. I have been reminded of my own frailties and my neediness, but I have also seen my Father's sufficiency and endless wisdom. I am more and more aware that I must let Him live in and through me moment by moment; that I must ABIDE in Him. (No stepping out for a few errands every now and again.) These lessons can pinch a bit, but I am grateful for them. I'm also grateful for reminders of simple love and simple joy. Like this...

Have a happy day!

Dark...

2008-09-17T17:07:00.003-04:00

To Whom It May Concern:

This blog is to inform you of the continued but somewhat dim existence of the author of this blog. Her power has been partially off since Sunday evening, and her children have been sent away (a result of the Strong Winds of Ike that visited the Queen City on Sunday). She lives a life of semi-darkness and tepid water, huddling around the few working electrical outlets in her domain. The world is quiet and peaceful. She is happy. She is catching up on her sleep and finding that the sun shines brighter and the birds sing more beautifully. She shall return with her acerbic wit and astute observations when she again is able to connect to the internet from her domicile.

Until then she remains,

Your Humble Servant

Bonsaiiiiiii!!!

2008-08-11T19:59:00.028-04:00

Here I sit in the embrace of my favorite green chair. I drink in the stillness of the hallway outside my apartment. I relish these last few moments of solitude before another year unfolds here on the Hilltop. Am I ready? Yes, I think so. (And thanks for asking.) There were moments earlier this summer when I could not have replied quite so readily, but our Heavenly Father has been reminding me lately of why I am here at all; has been reconfirming my calling, my purpose. So, yes, if He has more for me to do...I'm ready; ready to welcome these young women so full of promise, fears, hurts, and endless potential into my heart. I pray that they will truly find a home there.

*Please pardon me while I make a wild shift in both subject matter and tone. There...it's done.*

I realize that I left you, my faithful readers, smack dab in the middle of my summer and have since recklessly abandoned you with shockingly little remorse. I'll try to give you a brief rundown of the rest of my summer activities as quickly and painlessly as possible. (Of course, that's also what they tell you right before they jab a 2 inch needle into your hip, so it may not be of much comfort.)

My summer was truly blessed with some time to disconnect and recharge a bit. It was also blessed by incredible moments with friends. I did not record every single one of these moments due to the fact that people begin to look at you funny if you pull out the camera every time you pass within 10 feet of each other. So, I expect you all to take me at my word when I say that I had many wonderful times with my friends. :)

I did have to record our evening of Balderdash at Harold and Kayla's. My dad pulled out a very strange wig/hat arrangement in honor of our time. It demanded a photo.

My mom also had a few pretty funny moments with Dylan, who was absolutely determined to feed her chips.

Great times!

The last week I was actually at home, our church had its yearly VBS. The theme this year was "Go for the Gold".

Different people from our church participated, and it turned out really good. We had over 200 kids every night. I had a lot of fun being involved with my buddy Willie. He had a way of keeping things hopping. He and Pastor Loper were a big hit with the kids.

Right after VBS was over my family left for our vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Brent met us there, and we had a really fantastic time. My mom, who is wildly organized, brought lots of great food items to make our experience even better. She even brought my unbirthday cake. (Remember last year's? So beautiful.) Unfortunately, the trip was not kind to this cake.

Oh well, it still tasted lovely!

I'm trying hard to force the trip into a nutshell, but it's a bit difficult. There was the trip to Dollywood...

...with my parents;

the tubing accident that wreaked havoc on my elbow (I flipped my inner tube in the rapids...dumb...but excessively funny.);

browsing at The Christmas Place (or whatever it's called...my dad loved it.);

eating good food at places like the Apple Barn, Huck Finn's Catfish, Bullfish Grill, and The Old Mill (Hey...he's awake!);

visiting with our neighbors;

and just enjoying time together with our family.

There was this time when Brent annoyed my dad by "wasting film" in the digital camera (Not really, but the concept applies. He was annoyed.),

and this time when he nearly sent my mother to her eternal reward out of sheer terror for his safety,

and this time which defies explanation,

and these two people who are responsible for it all. I rise up and call them blessed! *rising* "You are blessed!" *settling back to a reclining pose*

If you are interested in any further tidbits from our vacation, you can view some excerpts on Brent's latest video blog.

After our vacation, I came back to the Hilltop to start the process of getting ready for the year. It wasn't all work, however. I did manage to fit in trips to the park, the flower conservatory, the art museum, the museum center, etc. Really lovely times. It was on my foray through the conservatory that I had a moment of inspiration. I shall share it with you now...ready or not. I was walking through the Bonsai display enjoying the miniature plants; so detailed and intricate in design. I came across this one.

Not all that extraordinary really as bonsai plants go. Pretty, detailed, but that's what one expects in this sort of display. However, the thing that caught my eye was the card below it.

This little plant is 40 years old, and 31 of those years it has spent "in training". It is constantly being pruned, shaped, and bent into the image that its owner desires for it. Without this constant "training" the branches would grown unruly and this delicate plant would lose the thing that makes it unique. It would become just one more bit of greenery.

How often do I chafe under the constant "training" of my Heavenly Father. "How long is this going to go on?" "Surely I should be good at this by now!" And then I remember that the One who owns me, both by creation and by purchase, is conforming me to a very specific image; that of His Son. He knows that without constant "pruning" and "training", I would grow unruly and the image would grow more and more indistinct as I became just like everyone else around me. It may not be the most powerful example, but I was blessed as I realized that if human gardeners will spend hours and years to perfect a tiny tree, how much more will our Heavenly Father patiently tend us until the image of Jesus can be clearly seen.

Bless you, my friends. I wish you all very lovely last weeks of summer. Make them count!

A Suspension of Summer

2008-06-30T16:11:00.035-04:00

For those of you wondering about the word "suspension" in my title, I use it in its scientific sense. A suspension (unlike a solution) is a mixture like pepper and water in which one ingredient will not dissolve the other (small rocks and water, small children and water...things like that). This blog promises to be just so. If you, dear reader, are expecting smoothness of flow and startling continuity, you are about to be sadly disappointed. Due to my utter lack of initiative (call it summer slothfulness), I have been amassing a great host of experiences which have yet to be recorded. That, my friends, is the purpose of this blog, an absolute juggernaut of information that I hope will not overwhelm you too intensely. So here goes...

A Day With Mom
by Sonja

It was 5:15am on Saturday. Sonja was sleeping in her bed.

All at once, her alarm clock sounded. "Beep! Beep! Beep!"

"What is going on?", Sonja wondered. "Why is my alarm clock beeping?"

And then Sonja remembered. It was her Day With Mom! They were going to Yard Sales! Oh, joy!

Soon she and Mom were in the car. Mom was Happy! She loved to yard sale.

The first yard sale was pretty good, but Sonja didn't get much. She also went back to the car before Mom did.

Then it started to rain, but Mom and Sonja braved the rain. They would not be deterred. They were very proud of their bravery.

The rain came down harder...

...and harder.

But they still got a few cool things.

After they were finished, Mom and Sonja met Dad at their favorite breakfast place, The Royal Cafe. Mom and Dad love to eat breakfast. They also love each other.

Eating at Royal Cafe is finger lickin' good. Right Dad?

After their yummy breakfast, Mom and Sonja went to the dented can store to get Bargains...

...and to the flea market to get a watermelon.

Their last stop was at Staples to buy Stapley stuff.

After their big outing, Mom and Sonja were tired. It was time to relax in the Pool!

So they did. It was fun. What a great day to be with Mom.

The End.

Heidi's Wedding

Weekend before last, I flew up to Cinci to enjoy the joyous occasion of my buddy Heidi's nuptials. Heidi married a wonderful man, Nathan Easley. They make a terrific couple. The wedding was beautiful in its simplicity and sacredness. It made my heart go, "Ahhhhhhh". I also was able to spend a little bit of time with Julia, who braved the trip from Illinois. It was lovely to see her as well. Here are just a few shots of the blessed event.

Nathan with the girls.

Heidi.

Hope. (The group, not the emotion.)

The musicians...amazingly talented, all. :)

The cake (by Marianne), both beautiful and exceedingly tasty.

A really beautiful day. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it!

Cake Decorating Lessons

Speaking of cakes... On Thursday, my mom invited some young ladies over to our house who were wanting to learn how to decorate cakes. It basically turned into a "Fun With Icing" party, but a good time was had by all nonetheless. I even decorated a little cake myself with results that weren't too terrible.

Our "class".

My cake and I. I will be taking orders shortly.

Finally...Our Backyard Zoo

Some people have to go to zoos to see critters, but here in South Florida, one never knows what one will see in the back yard. Friday morning I saw this.

An armadillo just making himself at home. He actually made it all the way up to the back porch.

Fortunately, he opted not to come in.

Well, that's about it. At least that's all I have pictures of. For those of you who have successfully made it through this entire post, I salute you! *salute* You are either extremely kind or extremely bored. (There may be a few other options in there as well.) Blessings to you all!

Subber is a Cubbid' Id...

2008-06-06T15:10:00.019-04:00

For those of you who are completely flummoxed at the title...I've been having to talk while holding my breath today since I am now ensconced in Diaper Change Central for the summer (my mom runs a home day care). Sometimes those diapers can be gruesome. *gag*

But...I'm home! Yay! I drove down the beginning of this week, eating copious amounts of sunflower seeds along the way to stay awake. Hopefully they won't have any adverse effects. (However, I do find myself adjusting toward the sun from time to time.)

The end of the year was full of activities, so I think I'll just bombard you with some photos and spare you the brilliant discourse.

May found me at...a bridal shower for my buddy, Heidi. You go girl!! She's getting married in two weeks, and I am excessively happy for her.

A last photo shoot with my Discipleship Group. Most of them are growing up and leaving the nest. :(

A "Dean Staff" photo shoot. I actually could use your help praying about this one. I have to replace some of my RA's due to the reality of graduation. Three of these in the picture are moving on. *sob* I have been so blessed with my office staff. They are top notch young ladies. One is going to nursing school, one is getting married, and one is going to the mission field. I'm so proud of all of them!! Anyway, I need God's wisdom about replacements. (Pray...hard. Yes, you...lurker.)

Moving on...Memorial Day! What an incredible day I had with my favorite brother. He is so good for my heart. What a blessing to be with someone who speaks the same language and who loves you...period. Ahhhhhhh.

We decided to have a picnic. I was so self-impressed (you may all feign surprise) that I had remembered everything. However, when we arrived, I realized that the box of matches that I brought did not have a flint strip on the side. We tried striking the matches on the grill, the picnic table, our heads, but all to no avail. We then devised a "Brilliant Plan" that involved the cigarette lighter in my car and a slow and tedious walk from the car to the grill bearing the slowly burning bag of charcoal. Anyway, it worked!! We ate the steaks to prove it.

We also had happy watermelon.

A great day!

I also had time for a day at the zoo with my buddy and his special family.

And then, my buddy had a birthday, so his family got together to worship and pay homage to the beloved Child.

There was a cool cake made by Mommy.

Although, the birthday boy had a bit of difficulty with the taste...

But he seemed to manage quite nicely...

...and enjoy all his happy presents.

All in all, it was a good month...May. Lots of good things. Lots of friends. Lots of love. Indeed, who could ask for more?

I had planned to leave you with some thoughts from my devotions this morning, but I've already had to retype part of this once for some reason (the computer gods hate me), so I think I'll leave that for another time.

Until next time, a blessed summer to you all!

Mom's Day

2008-05-11T00:32:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! This post is for you...especially - thus the fact that the whole thing is addressed to you personally. Does it feel weird to have a blog written directly to you? I guess it's kind of like an open letter. (Feel free to read on, those of you not my mom - which will be most of you...since I only seem to have one of them...mothers, I mean.) Anyway, since I actually remembered to send you a card and filled it with amazingly personal, sweet, and sincere sentiments, I shall only say a few things here. I was thinking earlier tonight about some of the traits I admire in you. One especially stood out. I love the way that you make every single person you come in contact with feel like he or she is the very best thing that happened to you all day. You know just how to make everyone feel special, needed, and loved. Your well timed words and simple gestures have snatched me often from an emotional downward spiral. Showing love is as natural to you as taking a breath. Thank you for giving me a home oozing with love, saturated with grace, and brimming over with joy. You made loving Jesus look as wonderful as it is.

I love you, Mom!

National Day of Prayer, etc.

2008-05-03T22:31:00.008-04:00

For the last few years, GBS has been privileged to be involved with the National Day of Prayer here in the Queen City. We lug all our gear downtown, and the choir and orchestra set up on the front steps of the court house. It's pretty cool. This year I was asked to pray one of the prayers in the program (The Prayer for Those Who Educate). Anyway, it was a good experience. I always enjoy partnering with various churches in the community. Although I know that there are extremely valid reasons for the existence of different denominations, etc., I think that it is a beautiful thing when different churches can come together around a common vision. Anyway, I thought I would just post a few pics of the event to give you an idea.

The gang's all here!

Praying the prayer while being distracted by the dreadful echo from the buildings across the street.

Dr. Ted Kalsbeek, former pastor of Covenant First Presbyterian. What a stately man of God!

Pastor Russell Smith, current pastor of Covenant Presbyterian and fellow Lewis fan. One can find kindred spirits in unexpected places! (Sorry the spirit of Anne came over me for a moment!)

Anyway, it was a really nice day. The only fly in the ointment was an occasional great gust of wind that took stands and music along with it. However, there was no great harm done. :)

Now to the "etc." part of the title. Just thought I'd throw in a short clip of my buddy walking. He just turned 11 months old this week. He's been walking for over a month now, but it just makes me laugh to watch him. Hopefully it will brighten your day as well.

So that's that. Just a bit of info from this past week. (Happy, Mom?)

One more thought for the day from Isaiah 35 (portions of vv. 5-10, emphasis mine), and if this doesn't encourage you, I'm not sure what will!

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened
And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy...
The scorched land will become a pool
And the thirsty ground springs of water;
...A highway will be there, a roadway,
And it will be called the Highway of Holiness
The unclean will not travel on it,
But it will be for him who walks that way,
And fools will not wander on it.
...But the redeemed will walk there,
And the ransomed of the LORD will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
With everlasting joy upon their heads
They will find gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

I was blessed this morning as I read this that, even in Isaiah's day, the concept of redemption was present. There had to be a sacrifice. They looked forward to the perfect Lamb as they continued offering theirs on the altar in the temple. Praise God that the price of redemption has been paid! It is freely offered to all of us, though we will never deserve it. We can walk on the Highway of Holiness, not because of what we bring to the table, but because we have had grace showered upon us. We join the saints of all the ages - the community of the redeemed. We have been ransomed, bought back, redeemed! No wonder they experience everlasting joy. No wonder they come to Zion with joyful shouting. I'm feeling pretty joyful myself right now!!

Blessings!

Spring Fever

2008-04-27T20:18:00.014-04:00

From my absence, one might infer that I have been on an extended vacation; sitting ocean-front with a cold drink in my well manicured hand. One would be wrong. (My cuticles are a mess.) I will simply say that the last three weeks or so have been some of the busiest I remember in some time (for a variety of reasons). In a phrase...it's spring, and spring fever is alive and well. It clouds the mind and the judgement. It makes simple rules and tasks, done with relative ease up to this point, seem impossible or, at best, unreasonable. I am surrounded by a sea of blank stares as I reiterate the precepts set forth in our Handbook (most hallowed tome of wisdom). It is as if the words are new and strange; as if they are written in some long forgotten language; ancient runes impossible to comprehend. "What? That's a rule? I'm sorry. I didn't know..." *sigh* It's spring, and summer is almost here.

The last few weeks have also been filled with a quick succession of a variety of activities. If I elaborated on each one, this post would be of such a length that it might become discouraging. Therefore, I shall simply hit the highlights.

The beginning of April found me on tour with the Symphonic Wind and String Ensemble. I'm not sure when I have been more blessed to be with a group of young people. These individuals took tour seriously. When it was time to pray, they prayed, and God heard them. Our services, as well as our devotional times on the bus, were blessed with a powerful sense of God's presence. Our tour was characterized by a oneness of purpose and heart. It was incredible. But we also had a tremendous amount of fun as well. What a great combination! Below are a few random shots from the tour. I have many more, but they would take a long time to post!

Staying with some good friends in Roanoke, VA.

One of those really funny moments.

Even the child didn't escape unscathed.

It didn't seem to take away his taste for ice cream, however.

He even got to run the sound a bit. He was fascinated!

I also happened to be on the best crew. I appreciated their serious approach to the whole "recruiting" thing.

Anyway, a good time was had by all.

Last week ushered in IHC - a whirlwind of activity in Dayton. I really enjoyed myself this year, and, as always, it was good to have even those "drive by" conversations. I really loved reconnecting even briefly with many special friends.

On the heels of IHC comes VIP Day. This signals lots of work (white glove room checks, etc.) as we put our best foot forward for visitors. It really went well this year. I appreciated the mix of good information, good clean fun, and a stirring challenge to trust God fully with our lives. I think any young person that attended VIP Day is better for it - whether they end up at GBS or not. One especially big highlight was a bloopers video played at the banquet. It was a knock-off from the video showcasing the different divisions and programs GBS offers. I believe that it showed that, along with our quest for excellence, we can also laugh at ourselves (an important attribute). If you know any of the GBS faculty, you might enjoy it. Just search for "GBS" and "bloopers" on You Tube or God Tube.

This week we had our Spring picnic, Academy music program and all night lock-in (probably too much within a 48 hour time period). However, all went well. There were no major injuries. (One wouldn't expect to have major injuries at an academy program, but you can't be too careful. Tripping over a bass drum can cause head trauma.) I also judged science fair projects for the first time in my life. I have discovered that I'm a bit of a hard grader. Who knew?

In closing (she said in a pastoral sort of way) let me share with you something I came across in my devotions this week.

Isaiah 28:23-29

Give ear and hear my voice,
Listen and hear my words.
Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed?
Does he continually turn and harrow the ground?
Does he not level its surface
And sow dill and scatter cummin
And plant wheat in rows,
Barley in its place and rye within its area?
For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin;
But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club.
Grain for bread is crushed,
Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever.
Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it,
He does not thresh it longer.
This also comes from the LORD of hosts,
Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

At first blush, this may seem like just a little aside on farming. However, I was struck by something a bit deeper. I am humbled and grateful that the God who knows exactly how to harvest grain, dill, and cummin in a way that will produce the best crop without damage knows me. He knows just how much threshing I require before I am damaged by the cart wheel. He knows that, left inside the husk, I would be of no use to anyone. But when the rough exterior is smoothed away by a creative variety of methods, I can bring flavor and nourishment to those around me. I love that! Truly "His counsel [is] wonderful and His wisdom great"!

Tagged, shmagged

2008-04-07T18:06:00.008-04:00

Well, Jo, you've done it. You have reduced me to another one of these taggy, what don't we know about you things. I actually have quite a bit to blog about band tour and lots of other stuff, but I think I'll do this taggy thing first. It seems fairly painless. (By the way, I hope no one cares, but I'm not going to tag anyone else. I hope that doesn't make me a complete and utter party pooper. I don't mind being a complete party pooper...just not an utter party pooper. That seems indecent.) Seriously, dear Jo, no hard feelings. I'm just having a good time ranting. :-)

What I was doing 10 years ago:
Washing my hair. Actually, I was working nights on a telemetry floor at a hospital near my parents home in Florida. I was also a team leader in our church's youth group. I was completely oblivious to the turn my life would take in a few short years - joining the Catholic church. Seriously, who knew that I would be a DEAN OF WOMEN? Perish the thought.

Five things on my to do list today:
1. Spend time with Jesus. (check)
2. Exercise. (check)
3. Get loose ends tied up from the weekend in the office. (check)
4. Go to Walmart for goodies for my dorm meeting tonight and food for my D-group meeting on Wednesday.
5. Have a dorm meeting tonight. (oh, goody)
6. Meet the man of my dreams in the aisle at Walmart. (Hmmmm, not sure about that one. The last man I saw at Walmart kind of creeped me out.)

Snacks that I enjoy:
Way too many to name them all. Sometimes I'm afraid that it's anything edible not nailed down. OK, I'll be serious:

Boston Baked Beans
Tortilla chips and spinach dip.
Veggies and Ranch Dip
Goldfish crackers
Graham crackers and milk
Crackers with Laughing Cow spreadable Swiss cheese.
Microwave popcorn (kettle corn flavor)
(are you starting to see my problem?)

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Invest enough so that I could live off the interest.
2. Give my parents enough so they wouldn't have to work if they didn't want to.
3. Help my brother pay off his new album.
4. Invest in our Bible colleges heavily.
5. Invest in mission organizations. I think that it is criminal that they must struggle as they do.

Three of my bad habits:
My goodness, I'm not sure if I can come up with that many. ;-)

1. Snacking (see above)
2. I can be pretty one track and can occasionally make people feel that I'm not interested in them. (I'm working hard on this one.)
3. I need to be more self-disciplined in several areas. (I'm also working hard here!!)

Five places I have lived:
1. Cincinnati, OH - as a tiny child.
2. Hobe Sound, FL
3. Indiana, PA
4. Hobe Sound, FL again.
5. Cincinnati, OH again - as a bigger child.
(Isn't that a nice symmetrical list? I love symmetry!)

Five jobs I have had:
1. House cleaner for a nice and very patient neighbor.
2. Switchboard operator for HSBC.
3. Student assistant to 2 nursing professors at IUP. (lots of library work, etc.)
4. Telemetry staff nurse and relief night charge nurse.
5. Resident Director for Women (my fancy title now).

Five people I want to know more about:
I shall forgo the last one. I would love to know all about all of my dear readers - especially since I found out about a few more of you on tour. :-) HI!! If any of you would like to randomly take this quiz on your own, I will enjoy it immensely on your blogs.

Another blog soon to come... (This one with pictures. Ooooooooooo.)

Loose Ends

2008-03-23T20:53:00.006-04:00

It's the evening of Easter, a beautiful celebration of Christ's ultimate victory. I've spent this Easter weekend on duty here on the Hilltop. Fortunately, most of the denizens of my dorm chose to spend their weekend elsewhere, so it was actually a nice weekend to be on call. My buddy Cindy came over Friday and stayed until Saturday which was a special treat. So, all in all a glorious time was had by all.

It seems like I have a lot to say since it has been a while, but now that I actually sit down to blog I'm not sure I'll remember everything. (Please quit weeping and gnashing your teeth. I'll do my best.) Week before last we had our combination Winter and Jr./Sr. banquet - dubbed "College Banquet" on the calendar. I thought that was an original title. It was actually a really nice evening. I enjoyed it immensely. The food was good, and the fellowship was second to none. And the students looked really nice too. Sometimes I think it's good to have an excuse to dress up! I put a new picture of my little buddy, looking quite dapper in a tiny tux, on the top of my blog, but I know that you are dying for another peek at him in all his glory. I will oblige you. Here he is with his mom.

I also had an opportunity to get a photo with my staff. As you can see from the pic, you have to be a bit crazy to work for me.

And this post would not be complete without a nod to a few of my exercise buddies in one of our Turbo Jam poses.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun.

This past week, my girls surprised me with a late Christmas present/party. Their excuse for the timing was that they were celebrating "You're in Control Day" which, if I remember correctly is March 30. (One of my girls couldn't figure out why people would celebrate urine control day when the idea was pitched to her. I guess it helps if you can see the title written down.) Anyway, they made crowns for Dixie (my Assistant Dean) and me. With things like "I'm in control" written on them. They also had great food, sang a song in my honor, and gave me an mp3 player. I was deeply moved, to say the least. It was a very special evening. Moments like that really help to make the job worthwhile!

This past week was also an important anniversary for me. Any of you who have been on this journey with me for a while know that when I started my blog I had just had open heart surgery. Last week marked the 1 year anniversary of the big event. I have successfully stayed out of the hospital for one year! That may not seem like a big deal to some, but I haven't been able to say that since Sept. 2003. Needless to say, it's a pretty big deal to me, and I feel LOTS of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for helping things to even out a bit. Thanks also to all of my faithful friends who walked the journey with me and stood by me through some rather dark times. I pray that you will be rewarded in great measure for your kindness!

One more note. I've been in the book of Mark in my devotions of late, and I have been smacked in the face with how many times Jesus told people that it was their faith that saved them, healed them, etc. I've been asking myself how many times I limit God in my life because of my faithlessness. There was the women that held the hem of Jesus cloak and received healing. I've wondered how many times I brush up against the cloak of Jesus and never take hold in faith. I know that there is a difference between presumption and bold faith, and I pray that I can know the difference. I was challenged by Jesus admonition to the man whose son was demon possessed. The man said, "...if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" Jesus said, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." And I love the man's response, "I do believe; help my unbelief." How refreshingly honest. I want this to be my prayer. I want to believe, and I pray that God will help my unbelief!

Mush.

2008-03-03T22:10:00.002-05:00

It is 10:11pm. I sit in the Chair of Power. I've been in here most of the day except for a brief foray to the grocery store for provisions. (One must eat, I am told.) Oh yes, and there was that quick morning trip to the library and Starbucks; after which I promptly dumped my tall decaf nonfat latte on the floor outside my office. Sigh. I'm weary. My brain feels like the aforementioned "mush". I shouldn't feel like this. We just had a week and a half of break. I should be energized, ready to lick the world. But I'm not. Maybe I should go to bed. Hmmmm. Nah, it's more fun to write dark, pitiful things for the consumption of those who find themselves at my blogging mercy. *evil laughter*

Actually, I am not (despite the evidence to the contrary) depressed. It has really been a great day. The break was just that - a break. Although I stayed here since my highschoolers didn't really get a break, the pace was slower, and the relaxation was real. As always, my green chair blessed my life on a daily basis. :) I left the blog world for a while as well. I find this helpful from time to time. I can become overwhelmed with the need to constantly check up on everyone, so sometimes it's good for me to take a sabbatical - if only for a short while. Anyway, I started trying to catch up tonight, and my Google reader said that I have 140 or so new posts to read. Aaaaaaaaauuuuuugh! Needless to say, I barely scratched the surface this evening. (Some of the blogs on my reader have very prolific authors!)

Anyway, there's no special news. It may take me a while to come up with something as exciting as my last post. One can only blog on sex so often without being thought of as some sort of social deviant. (I am not a social deviant.) I must say that the dialogue that post (and my talk here) raised has certainly been interesting and eye-opening. Anyway, enough on that.

I continue to read Jeremiah and be consistently amazed at how stubborn we humans can be. But I also continue to be amazed at the grace of our Father who warns and pleads and warns and pleads over and over again; a God who does not delight in punishment; a God who promises deliverance even in the midst of destruction; a God whose ultimate plan is redemptive - even when it means the need to discipline; a God who always keeps His word. I am humbled and grateful that this God lets me call Him, "Abba".

Yes, Well...

2008-02-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

God bless you, gentle friends and lurkers. God bless any of you who endure chronic disappointment and loss every time you check my quiet blog. Behold, I live, yea I thrive! That's the problem. Thriving seems to bring with it few hours to spend on the information superhighway, or if an opportunity arises it is only long enough for a brief lurk on the sites of others. Anyway, enough with the excuses! Enough, I say! Sorry, it seems to be a night for exclamatory sentences. Yipe!

I sit here this fine Friday evening in my Chair of Power in the Dean of Women's office. The lounge has quieted since most of the student body rushed off campus to enjoy the hours of freedom that the weekend affords. Close to 11pm it will once again ring with the sounds of their merry voices. Then we shall make our way to the gym for some late night volleyball and basketball as is the Friday night custom. *oh, goody* Somehow, late night volleyball just doesn't do for me what it once did. I would much rather be in my jammies. *I love my jammies* However, due to our dress code, jammies and the gym don't mix. So, I shall have to wait until after the evening frolic is over. I am loathe to recall that it sometimes lasts until 1am. *loathe, loathe* Anyway, all loathing aside, it is a good evening in the office and has provided me this wonderful opportunity to reconnect with you, my faithful and forebearing friends.

The big news of the week was my privilege to speak at our annual Student Development Day. My "sermon" was on sexual purity. I have been so incredibly burdened lately at the skewed view our society and even our churches have regarding sex. Society thrives on the twisted, marred image of sex that it accepts as reality. Every day we are pounded with these lies by the culture around us. As a result, the church reacts by categorizing sex as "dirty". If they mention sex at all it is with negative connotations. If there is any dialogue with their youth, it is simply, "Don't have sex until you're married!" They often neglect to mention the fact that God thought the whole thing up, that He created it to feel good, that His rules about timing bring incredible blessing, that sexual desire is God given but must be saved for the proper time, that sex God's way is the absolute best. It is as if the church believes that Satan created sex, and God somehow redeemed it enough for children to be born - certainly not enough for it to be enjoyed. Now, I realize that I'm making HORRID generalizations. I know there are ministries out there that are doing a fabulous job, that good books have been written, and that some parents are instilling incredible values into their kids. But I also see lots of kids here on the Hilltop that simply don't have a clue. They know they shouldn't have sex, but a simple "shouldn't" doesn't carry much weight when your hormones are raging and you are completely, blissfully "in love". I've seen too many young people with major regrets and too many lives sidetracked to believe that we are doing an adequate job of educating our youth. As you may well imagine, I was pretty blunt (as is my wont). We went everywhere from male/female differences to STD's to the "stupidest forms of birth control" to the beauty of doing it God's way. It was incredible to sense the blessing and help of God as I delivered my heart, and I don't know when I've received more positive feedback. Maybe it seems weird that a single female is lecturing on sex, but one does what one must when it is needed. :) And when God gives a task, He is incredibly adept at preparing us for it.

Anyway, life is good. The evening is quickly waning, and volleyball fun awaits. *whee* My prayer for all who read this blog is that we may truly learn to listen to our heavenly Father. I've been reading Jeremiah lately, and I have been struck as over and over the Almighty God foretells the destruction of His people because they "did not listen". Over and over He tried to wake them, offered them opportunities to repent but they "did not listen". I have been asking God to help me to listen with a willing heart; a heart that is ready to obey the moment it hears. May that be true for all of us!

Stuff.

2008-01-16T23:19:00.000-05:00

Well, it's late, and here I sit recovering from my first dorm meeting of the New Year. You know, one full of little "motherly reminders" (do wear this, don't wear that, stop putting your trash in the hall, don't be smooching the boys off campus - or on campus for that matter, etc.). But the really cool thing is that I could also tell my girls how incredibly proud I am of them, how I wouldn't trade this job for anything in the world, how I wouldn't trade them for any other girls, how I love them so much that it hurts sometimes, and that I could absolutely mean every word of it. I know that I've ratcheted on in the past about how wonderful it is to love what you do, how great God is to put us in jobs that will fulfill us, and on and on and on. But every once in a while, it hits me again, and I just have to repeat myself. (Thanks for your longsuffering.)

School is back in full swing. We are now in our opening revival, and God is blessing us with solid truth that is easily applied right where our students are living. What a blessing! I count myself utterly blessed every time we make it through a revival and I don't feel like I need to do damage control with my girls because of what was preached. Fortunately, that doesn't happen often, but when it does...oh my. Anyway, I won't get stuck there. I'm sure we all have our own horror stories we could tell. :)

I shall now do a wild change of subject. There, it's done. I was reading Luke 12 the other day, and for the first time in my life I saw the beautiful flow of the chapter. It's a familiar chapter, the concepts of which I have heard all my life. I could quote the verses to you, but somehow I never put them all together. I'm speaking particularly of verses 13-34. I'll give them to you in a nutshell. (My quotes are from the NASB. You can read them for yourself later.) It starts off with the story of the rich man who says to himself "I will tear down my barns and build larger." You know the story. Later God says to him, "You fool! This very night your soul is required of you..." Vs. 21 says, "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Then in v. 22 Jesus says, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life..." And He goes on to talk about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field and how we shouldn't worry about eating and drinking and other important stuff. Vv. 30-31, "...but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you." In vv. 33-34 he tells them to sell their possessions and give them to charity, "...make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The rich man missed it because his heart was with his treasure, and his treasure was all here. In light of that cautionary tale, Jesus tells us not to get hung up with the things of this world. I know that a lot of our stuff is important, but I pray that I will never forget that it's just that..."stuff". I know that I don't make a huge salary (yes, I have noticed that from time to time), and compared to some people I may not have that much. But I also know that compared to the vast majority of the world I live like a queen. And I ask myself, where is my treasure? Where is my heart? Do I have too much stuff? How tightly do I grasp the things I own right now? How would I react if they were all taken away? I don't know that I have it all figured out yet, but I do know that I want my treasure to be in the right place. I don't want to wake up one day and realize that I'm living for "stuff", things that can be taken as quickly as they were given. Things that, in the end, really don't mean that much.

Well, that's what I've been thinking in my little thinker lately. Oh, by the way, I thought that maybe someone out there needed a smile. So, I decided to post this little clip to remind you of the days when simply eating cereal was an adventure.

Watch out for that last bite. It's a doozy!

Yes, Mother. ;-)

2007-12-26T18:49:00.000-05:00

"Sonja," she said. "You should write another blog," she said. So, here I sit. Even at thirty ____ years of age, one should still listen to one's mother. (To all of you mother's out there, you're welcome. Feel free to point your children to this site. You know, if it's on the internet, it has to be true.)

Well, they came, and they left. The Christmas festivities, that is. Can't say as much for those Christmas cookies, candies, pieces of fudge, handfulls of snack mix, cheeseball and crackers, etc. Those seem to still be around. They've simply shifted forms. Oh well, let the disciplined life resume. I must say, it is lovely from time to time to just stop worrying about what one puts in one's mouth. But, like everything else in life, it has its consequences. And I've also found out that I really wouldn't want to live that way. Seems that God knew what He was doing when He called us to bring our physical appetites into subjection. Hmmmm. Go figure.

Our family really did have a very nice Christmas. We kicked off the festivities on Friday evening with our annual Soup and Carols night. I believe there were nine different kinds of soup. (I sampled at least 4 or 5. Small bowls, of course.) After feasting, we all gathered in the living room to sing our favorite Christmas songs. It's always a really special time with friends.

Like I said, a good time was had by all.

Our own Christmas seemed especially nice this year. So many happy things: being together, the joy of giving, the blessing of receiving, the awareness of the Greatest Gift, taking nothing for granted. Aaaaahhhhh.

Brent received a cello. Long story, and not quite as random as it may seem. Anyway, he believes that he will have it mastered shortly.

I'm not so sure.

Anyway, I pray that your holidays were special times marked by the presence of our Savior. I would like to go on here, but I feel quite sure that it has all been said already a thousand times by people much more qualified. I will simply say this. As I read Luke 1 this morning, the thing that struck me forcibly was the fact that several key people were READY for God to use them. I saw no kicking and screaming, no running about to tie up loose ends, no sweeping things under the rug. I saw people that were living lives that pleased God every day, so that when God needed them they were ready. Simple as that. I pray that I will live a life marked not by holiday experiences - in which I remember God at all the high points and celebrations - but by daily service, pleasing Him in the mundane. One day He may need me for something (though often I find He has used me quietly, almost without my knowledge), and I want to be ready.

After the Feasting.

2007-11-29T11:21:00.000-05:00

Well, the eating and the talking and the eating and the laughing and the eating and the game playing and the eating and the dish washing and the eating...are finally completed. I bask in the warm glow of the memories and the few extra pounds tenaciously clinging to my thighs. I was so blessed to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my dad's family in Alabama. We had close to 40 people there on the main feast day, but of course the celebration spread over 3 days. You can't get everything said in just one day. :) I was reminded of the blessing of a family steeped in love and dedication to our Heavenly Father. Sure we have our faults. Who doesn't?! But knowing each other as well as we do, we choose to drive or fly hundreds of miles to celebrate connections and laugh at each other's idiosyncrasies. So, before I get more sentimental, I'll give you a pictorial journey through my Thanksgiving.

The table was laid.

The stockings hung on the ladder with care.

And the fun began. It seems like at least a few guys are looking at a map at one point or another. I'm sure Phil is giving Brent good advice. :)

A classic pose of some uncles (James & Philip).

My sweet mother and dear Aunt Carole.

The newly married among us (Phil & Dana).

The soon to be married (Josh & Faith).

A classic shot where the background shots are even better than the foreground.

And a few other random shots of the hilarity on the night we opened presents.

And then, finally, we got a few cousins and spouses together for a group picture. Due to poor planning, not everyone was still there. Oh, well. We do the best we can. Oddly enough, we seem to be standing on an incline. In actuality, the house was on a level surface.

Central to our celebration is my precious grandmother. I want to be like her when I grow up!!

Saturday was the big ol' catfish fry. In case you don't know... Greensboro, AL is the catfish capitol of...hmmm...something. Anyway, they raise catfish there, and it is amazing. Some friends with big fryers came to do the honors.

Like manna from heaven.

Well, there are many more pictures I could inflict upon you. Like the guys watching the sky for the return of our Lord. (Actually, David was flying his remote control helicopter. Really cool!)

Or my dear brother wowing the young ones.

Or pics of my wonderful parents.

I could do that. But I think I'll stop now.

Let the basking continue!

In the Quiet.

2007-11-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

I sit here in my "chair of power" in the Dean of Women's office, and for one brief, shining moment everything is still. No talking, laughing, running in the halls (grrr). It is quiet all around me. This is a bit unusual for a Thursday morning, but all is calm and (oddly enough) all is fairly bright as well. (Hmmmm, where have I heard that before?) Needless to say, I'm enjoying it immensely. I think the thing that makes this moment so special is its rarity. Something that is uncommon often becomes precious to us, and these minutes are no exception. My life has been full lately - full of kids in crisis (sickness, family problems, major spiritual issues) but also full of joy as I am reminded over and over again just why I'm here; why I have a job where my phone can ring at any hour because someone "needs" me.

I am also reminded that in the fullness of our lives, we can always have a "quiet place" where our ears are tuned to hear the still small voice of our Father. A song comes to mind that has become a favorite of mine in the last few years.

Mid all the traffic of the ways,

Turmoils without, within,

Make in my heart a quiet place,

And come and dwell therein.

A little shrine of quietness,

All sacred to Thyself,

Where Thou shalt all my soul possess,

And I may find myself.

A little shelter from life's stress,

Where I may lay me prone,

And bare my soul in loneliness,

And know as I am known.

A little place of mystic grace,

Of self and sin swept bare,

Where I may look upon Thy face,

And talk with Thee in prayer.

- John Oxenham, 1917

Well, in the process of writing this post, the quiet has been shattered. My little charge who was sleeping next door has awakened, and the room is now filled with his baby gibberish (another wonderful sound). People have come and gone from my window, but the stillness of soul, the quiet place, remains.

May all of us take time this day to "be still (even for a moment) and know that [He] is God".

Aaaaaaand We're Rolling...

2007-11-02T20:14:00.000-04:00

Well, lest any of you dear folks out there begin to think that I leave posts up for an inordinate amount of time just to see how many comments I can get and if anyone will notice I'm missing, I decided to actually give you another offering. To be honest, the last month is a bit of a blur due to the amount of activity and lack of prolonged time to actually stop, rest, and reflect. I've worked three of the last five weekends and the weekends in between when I didn't work had major activities associated with them (Homecoming & Youth Challenge/my cousin's wedding). So, as you can imagine, I feel a bit blurry around the edges myself. But time off is coming if I can just hold on a bit longer. (Hallelujah.)

It was really great to meet up with old friends for at least a few brief moments at Youth Challenge. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of all of you, but the fellowship was sweet (though abbreviated). You know who you are! What a beautiful thing to be blessed with people who know you well and "knew you when" and love you anyway! Wow! What a precious gift. I know some YC pics have already made their way onto other blogs, but I'll post a few anyway.

Like I said, what a blessing!

This picture pretty much sums it up with these young ladies! (I'm actually under strict orders not to post this - which made me want to do it all the more. Sorry, Lauren, it's just too good!)

And what great kids! I won't name them all, but they are pretty cool! (And they know who they are anyway.)

After being Challenged along with the Youth, Brent and I left for Missouri and my cousin Phil's wedding around midnight Friday night. We made it to El Dorado Springs just before 9am, did a quick clean up and change of clothing and were at the church by just after 10:30am. We set up, took pictures, did some last minute practicing, and were in place looking our best when the prelude began at 12:30pm. The Lord was merciful upon our tired voices, and the music seemed to go pretty well. The couple was married without difficulty, and another single cousin bit the dust. As my Aunt so kindly reminded my cousin, Paul, "Well, it's just you, Sonja, and Brent now." Thank you, dear Aunt.

Here is the happy couple (Phil & Dana) with the wedding party - the whole kit & caboodle.

And then there's the Vernon family - not nearly the whole kit & caboodle.

And then you have Brent & I (looking slightly fuzzy around the edges) with the happy couple.

Anyway, there you have it. By 3:30pm I was back in the car headed toward Cincinnati with my Uncle Mike & Aunt Ruthie. Fortunately, we decided to stop for the night, so I actually got some good sleep. (Yay!)

This week has been full of the Leadership Conference & the Inner City Summit held here on the Hilltop. Dr. H.B. London, from Focus on the Family, was here as the special speaker for the Leadership Conference, and he was incredible. What a great man - and really fun to listen to as well! I was truly blessed by his ministry.

Oh, yes, Halloween was this week as well, and my best buddy had a costume. Please indulge me a few moments of unadulterated gushing.

Cool, huh?

Well, that about wraps it up. "Well, it's about time," you say. "Maybe you should post more often," you say. "Perhaps then you wouldn't have to do these monster blogs that we must wade through in the vain hope that you will amuse us," you say. Sigh. You are right. *hangs head in shame* I'll try to do better. ...But I probably won't, so Jesus is just going to have to help you endure...or you could always just quit reading. But you know you don't want to do that. What if, maybe...just maybe, I actually entertain you at some point? Are you sure you want to risk it?

Something to think about this week.

Blessings!

Lament...Or Not

2007-10-17T20:10:00.000-04:00

"It's that time of year..." unfortunately not when the world falls in love. It's mid-October, and striding jauntily along with an evil glint in his eye is Mr. Stress. He has successfully weaseled his way into the lives of most of my girls during this season of mid-terms, school activities, boyfriend problems (or the lack thereof), etc. In the last few days, my office has been full of the sounds of weeping and woe. Fortunately, at this point at least, I am not the one supplying this excess of lamentation. I am simply the one who is there, the one who listens, the one who comes alongside. Along with the normal, run of the mill college stress, I have also encountered some heartbreaking sagas as well; broken hearts, crushed spirits, deep sadness, true woe. In the face of this grief, it is a blessing to know that I don't have to know all the answers, fix all the problems, offer the sagest advice. I just have to be there, and together my girls and I can go to Jesus. What a privilege! What a comfort! Not quick solutions and pasted together remedies but the person of Jesus. He offers us Himself, and it is enough.

So, I'm sitting at the computer waxing eloquent about grief when my world shifts on its axis ever so slightly. THERE'S A GAS LEAK IN THE DORM! CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT! EVACUATE THE BUILDING! THE GAS COMPANY SAYS THE NUMBERS SAY WE'RE IN DANGER OF AN EXPLOSION! QUICK! MOVE! NO, YOU CAN'T GO BACK INTO THE DORM TO GET YOUR HOMEWORK TO DO WHILE YOU'RE WAITING! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! OK, slight overkill, but it was fun to read, wasn't it? We did have a gas leak, and the fire department did come - as evidenced by these grainy cell phone pictures. It's actually kind of cool to post grainy cell phone pictures. Those are usually the ones posted in the tabloids. You can't really tell what's happening, but you're sure it has to be bad. Anyway, here are two for the tabloids.

This is the truck from the gas company with various firemen being helpful by setting up a large fan to blow out the fumes and generally just being there in case the aforementioned explosion decided to become a reality.

Here we have the fearless firemen ACTUALLY ENTERING THE BUILDING. *shudder* Oh, wait, some of them are leaving. THAT MEANS THEY WERE IN THE BUILDING! *second appreciative shudder*

I do praise God for keeping us safe. The gas was leaking into the building for several hours, and we could have had a major catastrophe.

I guess I will skip my lamenting for now. I had a good lament planned. I was going to pronounce woes on a great many things, but now I just don't want to anymore. So...I won't.

Have a stupendous day, and if you smell natural gas CALL THE GAS COMPANY AND GET OUT OF THE BUILDING!

All I Ask...

2007-10-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

I do not ask that I may steer
My peaceful bark by peaceful shores alone,
Nor that I linger, harbor-bound,
And sail no stormy seas unknown;
I only ask this boon of Thee:
Be ever in the ship with me.

I do not ask that I may dwell
From din of battle far removed,
Nor ever feel temptation's force,
Nor ever know mine armor proved;
I only ask, through Life's long fight,
Grant me the power of Thy might.

I do not ask, that I may walk
Only on smoothly trodden grass,
Nor ever climb the mountain's height
And trembling, through its dangers pass;
I only ask, on rocks or sand,
The sure upholding of Thy hand.

I dare not pray for any gift
Upon my pilgrim path to Heaven;
I only ask one thing of Thee:
Give Thou Thyself and all is given.
I am not strong not brave nor wise;
Be Thou with me - it shall suffice.

-Annie Johnson Flint

Borrowed from the blog Holy Experience which has been blessing my life lately. Would especially recommend her Sept. 28th entry entitled "Cup" - a worthy read! (Thanks, Linda, for the recommendation.)

Thoughts and Thanks

2007-10-03T12:36:00.000-04:00

This weekend I had some extra musing time, as it were. A trip I had planned came to a screeching halt when I had some symptoms that were very suspiciously cardiac in nature. For those of you who lie awake at night worrying about my cardiac health, everything seems to be fine now, but this weekend I wasn't so sure. (Thanks for your concern, but you really should get some sleep.) But I digress. As I was saying, I had some extra time to think. Shaping my thoughts was a passage that I came to in my devotional reading - I Peter 1. What an amazing chapter! What incredible timing! (You should go read it. Right now. Well...OK, I'll give you a bit of it here.)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." (vv. 3-9, NASB)

I was blessed this weekend by the reminder that my "comfort", so to speak, is not God's primary concern for me. Obviously, I knew that, but it was good to be reminded that He is so much more interested in the genuineness of my faith. He wants it to be robust; able to stand the twists and turns that life will inevitably send my way. I, a great fan of comfort, need desperately to be reminded of this from time to time. I need to remember that all of this is temporary. It's only a shadow of the reality to come. *Shameless borrowing from C.S. Lewis* Anyway, those were a few of the many thoughts that raced through my pointy little head this weekend. Thanks for bearing with me.

Abrupt change of subject. This last week I made a fruit pizza for my D-group, who set upon it like ravening wolves. That, however, is not what I wanted to tell you. It turned out kind of pretty, and it made my eyes happy. So, since I have no offspring about which to post, I shall post a picture of my fruit pizza in all its glory.

Well, there you have it - the fruit of my labor. Literally.

Blessings on your week!!

Seven Levels of Torment

2007-09-24T20:10:00.000-04:00

Why is it that when we're tired everything seems bigger, more ominous and menacing? (Don't answer that. I know the reason. It was rhetorical. Good grief...you're so eager to show off your knowledge.) Today was one of those days. Short, restless night = stressful day trying to stifle that perpetually annoyed feeling. OK, to be completely honest, the whole day wasn't like that. (It just seems like it because I'm tired.) There were some wonderful interactions with old friends, great conversations with kindred spirits, but there were also some crazy people and some stressful moments. Thus, when I received notice that I had been TAGGED, I felt like I had entered into some bad reenactment of Dante's Inferno. Seven random facts? What? You've got to be kidding me! I don't even know seven things about myself right now! (See, I told you I was tired.) However, one thing I've learned about being weary, one should usually never go with one's first response. It most often is, in my case anyway, over the top, emotional, and possibly not the best option. Thus, the weary email to my dear friend asking to be "excused" from the game. (Sorry, Tara.) Well, I've gotten a second wind and have decided to wring out seven random facts from somewhere. (I can even make them up if worse comes to worse.)

1. My middle name is Joy because the first thing my dad said when he saw me was, "Joy, joy, joy." *feel free to say "awwwww" or become annoyed with the sentimentality - as you so desire*

2. I don't know how to skate (roller or ice).

3. I once spent the night alone in the Cincinnati airport due to snowy conditions. (Thanks, Kimberly, for the memory.)

4. I enjoy the original versions of stories much better than their Disney counterparts.

5. I really love Boston Baked Beans. (I used to buy them for 10 cents a box when I was a little kid.)

6. I listen to a lot of NPR on the weekends (Car Talk; PHC; This American Life; The Splendid Table; Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me; Sound Money; Weekend America; Rick Steves; etc.). Yes, some of them are wildly liberal and make me absolutely furious, but they also make me think. And I think that's important!

7. Just about every time I've had heart problems, I've told my friends I thought it was just a fluke. (14 heart caths, 7 stents, 3 bypasses, & 1 cracked sternum later, I think maybe it was for real.) Thanks to another good friend for this insight.

Yay!! I did it!! And I'm glad I did. So there, you nasty, tired, decrepit, old bad mood.

You know, there's one other thing that can cure a bad mood pretty quickly. Allow me to share it with you.

See what I mean? Have a great one!!

The Days are Just Packed

2007-09-17T09:20:00.000-04:00

For any of you dyed-in-the-wool Calvin and Hobbes fans, you will recognize the title of my blog as the title of one of their comic book collections. I personally am a dyed-in-the-wool fan (whatever that means), so I knew that useless bit of trivia. Anyhoo, that title probably best describes my life as of late. My weeks are jam packed, and by the time I get a moment to breathe, the last thing I feel like doing is attempting to write compelling and amusing phrases with the intent of bringing mirth mingled with thought provoking profundity to the masses. *sits back in awe of the last sentence* So, there you are. I finally decided to steal this moment before chapel to at least let you know of my harried existence. ("We are here! We are here!" - Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Suess) If you can't tell by now, I am suffering from what psychologists term "flight of ideas", in which the subject's mind can quickly flit through a variety of thoughts without any seeming connection between them. That's how I feel this morning. So...how about that Bengals and Brown's game yesterday? Cincinnati fans are ranting and raving this morning. ...See what I mean?

So, as you can see, meaningful words elude me, and I'm afraid I am about to begin spouting meaningless cliches. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" Oops! Sorry, I warned you. I'd better close now before anything else happens. I'm signing off now from GBS, "where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." (Garrison Keillor)

Labor Day

2007-09-01T15:33:00.000-04:00

Happy September! It's Labor Day weekend, and that's just what I am doing - laboring. (Well, not actually at the moment. Right now I'm writing this post...but I am doing it in the office.) It has fallen my lot to work this weekend. I've actually gotten LOTS accomplished last night and today, and true to form, I am wildly self-impressed by it. :) *knowing smile by all family members reading this*

(I was just interrupted by some students at the window. We had a great discussion on adopting personal standards and boundaries for our lives. One never knows what a moment will bring!)

Anyway, school is officially under way. We had a wonderful revival last week with Rev. John Manley. God really helped him to preach close, penetrating messages with a lot of love, humor, and transparency. What a blessing! Since I have a personal interest in how our revivals go, I was so blessed and thankful to watch God working on our students. It is so incredible to watch tender hearts respond quickly. I hope and pray that this signals a semester blessed with hearts that are open to the voice of our Heavenly Father.

I have been reading this week about our great High Priest who made the ultimate sacrifice for us - once for all. The High Priest who is able to perfectly identify with our humanity, our pain, our temptations. The High Priest who loved us long before we loved Him. The High Priest who even now intercedes for us. On this Labor Day weekend, I remember that the great labor it took to reconcile God and fallen man is complete. The work is done, and we all may reap its benefits. No more striving and struggling on our own. We may rest in His ability, His strength, and His love. What great news! Maybe we should tell someone! :)

Hot, Hot, Hot.

2007-08-23T18:58:00.000-04:00

"Hey look, it's that Vernon girl."

"Wow, she's been gone for a really long time. She's even lost her tan."

"I know. Sad. I wonder what great excuse she'll give this time about being gone so long."

"Who knows, probably something lame, like she's been so busy."

"Ha! Lame."

"Yeah, lame." *snicker*

Greetings from the smoldering city of Cincinnati. Today my car thermometer registered 105 degrees. I know it really wasn't that hot, but it sounds impressive doesn't it? They say the heat index has been 100 degrees or more the last couple of days. (Whoever "they" are. "They" say a lot of things. Not sure if all of them are true.)

The last couple of weeks have been truly wild with the preparations for and arrival of the incoming freshmen at the old Hilltop. My days have been spent moving furniture, cleaning rooms, sweating uncontrollably, assigning rooms, matching up roommates, praying for grace, entering data into the school computer system for billing, giving pep talks, praying for grace, checking out forlorn faces, answering a myriad of questions, praying for grace, and...last but not least...watching God answer my prayers in a quiet and beautiful way.

It is an amazing thing to tap into the strength of our Heavenly Father; to go through impossible days and find out that it truly is possible to operate in His Spirit and maintain a rest of soul amidst the madness. And the learning continues. I hope this lesson lasts. Sometimes I seem to have to learn and relearn over and over again. *sigh*

One other really neat thing I've been doing is spending time with my buddy, Carson. Those of you who have been on this journey with me for a while have already been introduced. He is a pretty cool guy. I am hopelessly, helplessly smitten. I think he is amazing.

And one more for good measure. Here is complete relaxation - with a really proud grandpa!

OK, I'm done. Life is good. It's hot, but God and technology provide air conditioning. (I really like my air to be conditioned.) So, dear friends, stay cool, drink lots of water, and may your air always be conditioned...or fresh, as the case may be. Fresh is good too.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

2007-08-08T12:25:00.000-04:00

Well, at last the pall of reality has settled, the fairy dust of summer vacation has cleared, and behold I am back on the Hilltop again. Not that being back on the Hilltop is a BAD thing. Oh no, dear friends, it is a hallowed place, beloved by many. (Former haven of our exalted founder, Martin Wells Knapp, blessed be he.) However, my return signals the resumption of my responsible life as an adult, ready to mete out justice and wisdom and tackle the pressing issues of our day (things like curfew, skirt lengths, and chapel attendance). Ah yes, summer is over. *sniff*

However (she says again, as if she has no other transitional word), the summer was wonderful while it lasted - actually a direct answer to prayer. After a bit of a rocky spring, I did ask our Heavenly Father if He would like to give me a healthy summer, free of those nasty little hospital visits, and He did! I know He is never obligated to do things like that, but it is so nice to have those blessings when He chooses! Yay for healthy summers!

The end of the summer was blessed by a flurry of activities with friends. To name a few, there was a shower for my cousin Phil's future bride, Dana. It was a really nice occasion with old and new friends alike. (Side note: my mom made the cake. It was beautiful!)

Seeing my mom's cake for Dana brought up the painful realization that I hadn't had one of my mom's birthday cakes in many years. *smile* I'm never home on my birthday. So, I whined until my mom made me a birthday cake. No, my birthday's not for a few weeks yet. But I WAS SO HAPPY! I loved my cake so much. Not only was it beautiful (note the little blue flowers around the edges). IT TASTED GREAT! Every heart patient's dream. :)

We had some special friends over to celebrate my Unbirthday. I have known Marie & Carmelo for many years. They are pretty much in the "family" category by now. It was a great evening, complete with homemade ice cream. *gazing off into the distance in fond remembrance*

It was also very special to be able to spend an evening with several of my high school classmates. Reminiscing brings lots of laughter, and catching up with current news is always nice. We always seem to bring up some of the same stories, but they are just as funny or funnier every time they are told. We had a really nice evening together.

Yes, it has been a fantastic summer, a time to rest, recharge, and renew. I return to "real life" with a bit of anticipation and an excitement to see what God will do for my girls and me in this new school year. If you have any extra prayers that you're not using right now, send them my way. I long for some of my girls to truly meet Jesus this year and have their lives transformed forever. I want to see God do things that ONLY He can get credit for. I know He can.

You know, I think it's going to be a good year. :)

Summer...Gotta Love It!

2007-07-23T13:20:00.000-04:00

Ahem...Hello. Can everyone hear me OK? *tapping mic...shrill electronic sound* Good. I guess it's time to spread a few more morsels of Deep Thought and Quiet Contemplation around to all of my faithful readers. *many thanks to both of you* Oh wait, I seem to be just out of Deep Thoughts and Quiet Contemplations. Hmmmm. So...anyone just want to hear a few little blurbs and see some pictures of my summer?

GREAT!

One of my favorite things about summer is getting to catch up with friends. A few weeks ago, I met up with one of the friends I shared a house with during my illustrious college career. I also went to school with her husband. Shaun & Jon have a beautiful family, and we had a fantastic day together at the Magic Kingdom.

Here are a couple of reason's why the Magic Kingdom is a very fun place to go with little kids.

They are so fun to watch! And sometimes, just one hand isn't enough.

All in all, it was a very happy day.

Another happy friend visit was with my good buddy, Cindy, who came and spent a week with me in the scorching hot lands of the south.

We did a bunch of cool things like a proper afternoon tea,

a trip to Seaworld,

some beach photography,

and we also spent some time doing nothing in particular (a favorite pastime of mine when possible). It was a great time with a special friend.

So, that's the last couple of weeks in a nutshell. One other life changing thing I did in the last two weeks was to watch the film Facing the Giants. I HIGHLY recommend it. I was challenged and encouraged in my faith. Maybe I'll get into this a bit more in another post (and maybe not...one never knows), but I realized that I enjoy having a bit of a safety net in my life. I don't often believe big things from God because of fear. No, I'm not espousing some sort of "name it and claim it" mentality. Those of you who know me should understand that! I think that sometimes God gets more glory from how His children handle suffering than by Him just "rescuing" us all the time. However, I do believe that at times I have limited God's ability to work in my own life by asking too tentatively. Anyway, I am praying that my vision will begin to match up to the ability of my God. I think I've made Him too small in my life at times. There are some things that I would love to see happen in my life and ministry. I want to act on the fact that He can do ANYTHING He wants to do, and there are times He wants to show His power in our lives just because He can. May all of our lives be testaments to the power and ability of our God. May we rejoice in His greatness today!

Happy Summer everyone!

Honest Sweat

2007-07-10T10:10:00.001-04:00

I just got back from working out at the Wellness Center, (Yes, I do that. I am an amazingly toned machine. *snicker*) and I was thinking. (I must have gotten some blood flow to the brain.) Sometimes it feels really good to sweat; to push the body to its limits of endurance; to make it work, really work; to feel the heart pounding and the muscles doing what they were designed to do. Of course, at the beginning it doesn't feel good. One has to push past the initial bodily whining that occurs. Maybe it's just my body, but it is a great one for initial whining...kicking and screaming actually (which is why for so many years I didn't exercise). Anyway, once the body realizes that it's not going to get its way, it settles down and gets to work. After a while, it realizes that, wow this really does feel good! This is what I was made to do! And its endurance increases. It actually releases some endorphins, and one feels that natural "high" that our bodies are capable of producing.

"So," you say, "thanks so much for the lesson on endorphins. May I go now?" Not quite. I was thinking that maybe our physical bodies are analogous to our spiritual bodies. How often I kick and scream when I am pushed to the limits of my comfort zone spiritually. When I bring my body under subjection, as the Apostle Paul talks about, it has physical benefits (and spiritual ones as well). But how much more my spiritual body, when it is daily subjected to the leadership and disciplining of the Holy Spirit? How often those edges of my comfort zone become doorways of exciting ministry opportunities; venues for me to discover what my spiritual body was designed to do. How will I know what I am capable of, through Christ, if I coddle my spiritual body and allow it to become spiritually fat and lazy? How much more effective can I become if I allow the Holy Spirit to push me to the edges; to tone and discipline my spirit; to keep me sweating honest, spiritual sweat?

Ode to the Mundane

2007-07-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

Today I feel grateful...not for anything huge or earth shattering but for little things, things I take for granted. I'm thankful for the love of children who accept us without judgement and hold out unbiased hands; for friends that care enough to tell us the truth even when it hurts; for the unconditional love of family; for the fact that puberty comes only once. I'm grateful that I no longer feel compelled to have to figure out who I am...but instead can just BE who I am. I give praise for days without pain, for restful sleep, for unexpected kindnesses, for old radio shows, for C.S. Lewis. I feel gratitude for laughter that comes quickly and unbidden; for joy that colors every circumstance; for the fact that, although adversity affects all of us, it need not define us; for chocolate. Today I rejoice in the warm sun and cool water, in the Love that gave first, in the Mercy that surrounds me, and in the Peace that sustains me. Maybe, just maybe, the mundane isn't so commonplace after all.

Balderdash!

2007-06-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are unfamiliar, "balderdash" is much more than a term that embodies disbelief and incredulity. (As in, "What a lot of balderdash and poppycock! I never heard a more unbelievable tale! What?" *more effective if said in a thick British accent*) Balderdash is, in fact, an incredibly fun game of bluff. In essence, the most credulous liars come out on top. This is not, dear friends, the time to pass moral judgement on being said "credulous liar." (I, incidentally, am very good at Balderdash. Take that however you will.) This is simply a nod to a very fun game that can make one laugh until...well, let's just say it can make one laugh very hard. On Monday night, I was privileged to play this game with my family and some very dear friends.

The thing that has made this game so incredibly special to me growing up is playing it with my father. Now, many of my friends gave beautiful tributes to their respective father's on Father's Day last. I know, the holiday is past, but humor me here. My father does not play Balderdash to win. Oh no, he plays for the sheer joy of it. Beyond Balderdash (as we played the other night) involves making up definitions for words, plots for film titles, the meanings of abbreviations, the importance of given dates, and the significance of famous names. The sheer stupidity of my father's answers always yields a crop of howls, snickers, chuckles, snorts, gasps, and tears streaming down one's face. No, my dad never wins, but he brings a lot of joy to the other players. He helps everyone to enjoy the game.

I want to thank my dad for teaching me that there is a lot more to life than "winning." In a day when success is measured in dollars and position, I am blessed to have a dad that thinks it much more important to bring joy along the way and to find good in every situation. I have seen that one can be totally in love with and committed to Jesus Christ and still know when it's OK to be silly; that there truly is a time for everything, as Ecclesiastes says. No, my dad never wins at Balderdash, but I happen to think that in the things that are really important, he's the biggest winner I know.

VACATION!

2007-06-22T11:48:00.000-04:00

Well, praise the Lord for a wireless connection. Dial-up makes me ...oooo don't get me started! :) Anyway, it's time. *drum roll* My blog about vacation. Written by "that girl [that] can write." (If you can't lick 'em, join 'em. See the God's Revivalist.) Actually, it is going to be more of a pictorial journey. My creative juices seem to be a bit clogged at the moment. I just don't feel "funny". I mean, I feel funny but not "funny" if you know what I mean.

After my mouse incident (by the way, I never saw him again), I left Cincinnati with my brother and headed to KY to spend some time with friends. Yay! It was so great to be with Derek and Tara and their wonderful family. We also got to see the rest of the Hollingsworth's on Sunday and partake of a LOVELY meal with them. (Go, Mrs. Hollingsworth!) Old friends are so special. (Not that they, themselves are old. Oh dear. I will stop while I'm ahead.)

Tara and I wanted to take a special picture for some mutual friends. You know who you are! This is for you.

OK, enough of that. Brent and I had lots of fun with the kids. I think Tara already posted some of these pics, but I'll repeat a few.

I feel a common bond with this young lady. We both enjoy a flair for the dramatic. :)

Some really fun kids!

Yay for friends!

And so, a great time was had by all, and we left KY with much weeping and rending of garments. We arrived in Tennessee to greet our parents (rent garments and all) and there was much rejoicing. We spent a week in a cabin in the smokies.
It was truly lovely. We enjoyed the sounds of birds singing, donkeys braying, and cows sneezing and blowing loudly from their noses. Weird. Besides our time in the country, we did manage to make time for:

Dollywood, Dixie Stampede, great restaurants in Pigeon Forge,

Cade's Cove,

Ripley's Aquarium

the sky lift in Gatlinburg (wooo),
and watching my brother and a friend (who was visiting with his family) get shot skyward in a bungee swingy thingy.

The heroes of the vacation were my parents (see photo below) who planned and saved and made a very special week for their kids. And, I'm assuming, themselves as well. They seemed to enjoy it. :)

I am now back in the hot, steamy south where the sun beats down and the humidity rises. *snicker* OK, I can't do it anymore. I was trying not to rub it in. But I love it here, and I'm having a wonderful time! *dance of joy* I am a blessed person indeed to have friends in many places, and a family that understands unconditional love. I also understand how unlovable we humans can be at times (especially me), and when I think about that, I feel even more blessed to be loved by some wonderful people. *warm fuzzies all around* Feel free to share in the warm fuzzies. There are plenty. I will continue to update as my adventures continue!

Trailer

2007-06-16T09:24:00.000-04:00

*eerie music* *deep voice* You've read "Excuses". You discussed "Motives?". You pondered "Communion". You lauged until you cried over "Rodentia". And now, from the acclaimed writer of "Woooooo Hoooooo!" comes a New Blog. A blog so thrilling you won't want to miss it. A blog that the whole family will enjoy. A blog about...*music swells*...VACATION. Appearing next week on a computer near you. Read it! *music fades*

Rodentia

2007-06-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

For the first time in my short but exciting life I can truly say…“there’s a mouse in my house” and not be quoting a Dr. Suess book. Actually, I don’t think it’s here now. It’s somewhere in the dorm. *sigh* Hopefully my girls don’t find out or they’ll probably all try to sleep with me tonight. (No, that will never do.) *shudder* A few nights ago I was sitting in my Chair (green recliner - a gift from heaven and my parents after heart surgery), looking at something on my laptop. There were no lights on except for a string of lights on my fake tree in the corner of my living room. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large blur go across the kitchen floor. I did a guilty leap, a sharp intake of breathe, muttered a few choice words, and slowly and rather tensely got up to investigate. After finding nothing, I finally decided that it was my imagination. Thought maybe it was a roach or something. I know, much better. But, no, gentle readers, such was not the case. Tonight, once again in The Chair, I saw a little brown mouse come out from under the stove, run back, come back out, and run back under again. Now, I love all of God’s creatures, but I love them in their proper habitats. My kitchen is not one. I am dead set against a house full of mouse droppings and chewed up items. So, I borrowed a Cunning Trap and trickily set it with peanut butter.

Within two minutes, the fearless mouse was out (with Brent and I in the room) sniffing at the trap. It sprung, and he leapt back unscathed and much smarter. Several minutes later, the trap reset and Brent and I with our popcorn for the show, Mr. Mouse poked his head out, looked at us for a while and then (after cutting a wide swath around the trap) commenced to playing under my front door. Yes, he can crawl under it. He ran around in circles for awhile and then scurried out down the first floor hall. So, he is now loose in the dorm somewhere. I now have a towel stuffed under the door, so hopefully, he won’t be able to come back and visit -- at least tonight. The trap is still set. If I hear it go off in the middle of the night, I will probably soil myself.

Earlier this week we had a little brown bat hanging from a light in the 4th floor hallway, so I’m not sure what this place is coming to. It is becoming the rodent capital of the world. Maybe I should invest in a cat. (On second thought, I’m not quite to that point.) *In case any health inspectors read this, THE DORM IS VERY CLEAN. THESE ARE FREAK INCIDENTS.*

Other than the above, it has been a nice day. Brent & I spent a lot of time together. We spent part of the day at Winton Woods -- saw some animals, walked a trail, laughed a lot. And it was good.

I leave you with this thought for the day.

Be kind out there.

Communion

2007-06-03T19:49:00.000-04:00

Today was communion Sunday at church. I love communion. I am one of those individuals who relishes the sacraments. This morning I was overwhelmed with a sense of being a part of something so much bigger than myself. For hundreds of years the same words have been said, the same elements have been passed, and millions of my brothers and sisters of many different stripes and labels have remembered...together. Together we partake of the symbols of His body and blood. Together we receive the grace that comes to us through our obedience to "do this in remembrance of Me". Together we cling to Him as our only hope of salvation. Together. His Body. His Bride. We are one. Truly this is "communion".

Wooooo Hoooooo!

2007-05-31T18:28:00.000-04:00

He's here! The child is here! *victory dance around the room* After long months of waiting, Carson Benjamin (better known to friends and family as "Beanie") finally made his entrance into this cruel, sinful world. He looks a little squished and cone-headed, but I think he's wonderful. I know, I'm gushing, but I can't seem to help myself. I'm becoming someone I've always made fun of. *sigh* But I THINK HE'S SO COOL! *sorry* Mom and baby are both doing well. I bow at the feet of any woman who can do this. Dixie has risen almost to the status of divinity in my eyes after watching what she did. Bravo to all of my other friends who have been there, done that! I mean, I've seen several births but haven't been through the laboring process with anyone I loved or had a deep connection to. It's pretty different when that gets figured in. Also, a pitch for the husband - Andy did a marvelous job "supporting". He was really great. Anyway, I'll stop the verbal diarrhea and just post a few pics of the blessed event.

Here is the happy family with Gina, Dixie's nurse. She was incredible.

Here is the happy me with the new little person. (I seem to be able to cheese it at a moment's notice. They tell me that I was even smiling and waving right after heart surgery while still on the vent. Go figure. One must always be ready.)

Here is the dude himself. (Remember, he's very new, has had his head squeezed for hours, and has just been yanked from his warm water world. He can't be expected to look his absolute best, but isn't he cool? I mean, really. I think I would look much worse under the circumstances. Especially my hair would be worse.)

Here he is looking a bit more put together with his pround Nanna. (Love the pompom. Also love that word..."pompom". Say it, it's fun.)

Anyway, I'm done. Just wanted to share my joy (and also fulfill promises to friends far away who are waiting to see him *hi guys*). I'm sure I'll have more to say later. You know me. :) Toodles!

*Thanks to any of you who actually said "pompom"...outloud.*

End of the Year

2007-05-25T22:44:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update about my life -- since all of you wait with baited breath to hear about my daring exploits. I will tell you that this week is campmeeting here on the Hilltop. Busyness abounds, and tired young minds try to absorb a few last uplifting thoughts before they turn their minds to simply a vegetative state for the summer. I make my rounds attempting to challenge, counsel, encourage, and spur them on to greater things. :) Actually, I really enjoy my role during campmeeting. I get to reap some of the benefits of being in this position. All at once, in times of spiritual crisis, girls want to talk, and I love that! I love the privilege of listening and giving a few wise pointers here and there. :) It's lovely. Don't misunderstand me, I will be the first to admit that I am NOT a fount of wisdom. It's just nice to be that point person - one that gets to be in the right place at the right time. It is an amazing thing to sense God using you in the place where He has placed you. It is as if everything dovetails, and you feel that energy, that rush, that complete enjoyment in doing something you really, really love. Serving God is the most amazing thing. Living in His will is the highest form of enjoyment. I'm loving it!

So there you have it. The end of the year. Summer is a comin' in. Hallelujah.

Motives?

2007-05-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

I am struck today by the thought that, as scripture says, "the heart is deceitful above all things...". I know that the verse goes on to say that it is desperately wicked. I know this passage is referring to an unregenerate heart; however, I also believe that even after we have been purified by faith, the human heart (actually the mind) can trick us. It happened to me recently -- today actually. I allowed my selfish desires to be cloaked in what appeared to me as genuine altruism -- really wanting to help someone else. Happily for me, what I wanted to do to help was actually extremely beneficial to myself. In hindsight, it probably wasn't that helpful to the other person and actually probably hurt them a bit. However, at the time I convinced myself that my motives were unselfish ones. I know that one can over analyze one's motives. I tend to be gifted in that area. However, sometimes I think it's good to stop and think about how my actions affect others. Am I being truly kind, or am I just getting what's good for me? *Alert* Don't over think this. I don't believe God intends for us to be paranoid -- just careful. Any thoughts?

Excuses

2007-05-18T23:25:00.000-04:00

By now, I'm sure all of you experienced bloggers out there have heard every single excuse in the book for a long delay in posting a new blog entry. "I've been busy. The kids have been sick. My husband has been sick. The dog has been sick. My dog's husband has been sick. I just realized I don't have a husband." And the list goes on. Well, I won't use any of those tried and true excuses -- although one or two of them might be true. (You can pick which ones.) The reason I have not blogged in a while is that...I've had a monkey on my head. (See below.)

Having a monkey on one's head can really complicate one's ability to operate normally and makes seemingly effortless tasks -- like cleverly writing about one's mundane life in ways that make it seem exciting and glamorous -- very difficult indeed. Just try it sometime.

Anyway, now that the monkey's gone, I'll fill you in. Actually, now that I think about it, there's only one day that's really worth talking about. Last Thursday. I will make it brief. Last Thursday the following things happened.

1. Woke up and remembered that I had a lot of stuff two days overdue at the library -- $32 fine. Paraphrase of the first words out of my mouth..."oh no, I've got a huge fine."

2. Took one of my girls to Children's Hospital for a supposedly broken ankle -- only to be told hours later that it wasn't broken after all. The last hospital was wrong. Go figure.

3. Was racing against the clock to run errands for Dixie's baby shower which was that night. Started at the library to pay fine. Was told that I had to bring everything with me -- couldn't just renew. Thought bad thoughts.

4. Went to various stores buying last minute gifts, party supplies, food, etc. Ended at cake store. Evidently it was the first cake the decorator had ever done. Notice the backwards baby footprints. More bad thoughts.

5. Was standing outside a friend's house waiting to pick up crockpots so we could start the food (3 hours until shower time) fuming about the cake when a bird flew over and relieved himself (to put it delicately) on my arm! Didn't help my mood a bit. Well, I did laugh.

6. Taking the crockpots up to my apartment on the elevator. Talking on the phone. Watched the elevator door close on the crockpot cord. Dropped the phone. Hit the elevator button and pried the cord loose. Thankful thoughts -- especially since it wasn't my crockpot.

7. Things improved. Had a nice shower for Dixie where she got many cool gifts including this really cool one from Marianne Brown -- a cake made from baby diapers. She definitely got the creative award.

So, that was Thursday. Things have definitely improved since. This was exam week, and we start campmeeting on Tuesday. And then (joy of all joys) home again, home again, jiggety jig.

I am now in cardiac rehab approx. 3 days a week. It's going well. I think the ticker is improving. My stamina is definitely coming back. Life is good...even when one has a monkey on one's head.

All Over the Page

2007-05-09T22:19:00.000-04:00

*The following will be much more enjoyable if anytime one sees a "ha ha" one reads it in a monotone. One can even do this in one's head if one is especially good at imagining things. (I'm not really sure who "one" is, he just kind of slipped in there.)*

Well, hello there, faithful friends and lurkers. After much busyness, I have returned (even if briefly) to the cyberworld. So as not to stress those of you who struggle with long and verbose ramblings, I will condense the last couple of days into more of a pictorial journey.

To start things off, for those of you who don't know, the graft site from my leg became very infected, and they had to take the whole leg. (See photo at right.) I am hoping with therapy and a good prosthetic device to be as good as new in no time. I may even be able to join some special athletic teams, etc. I'm really looking forward to this new chapter in my life.

OK, JUST KIDDING. Stop before you call the prayer chain. This picture was from a belated Christmas party that my girls gave for Dixie (my assistant & right arm -- or left leg as the case may be) and me. Last night they set up a Christmas tree and gave us stockings full of gifts and signed posters with well wishes. It was so beautiful! *sniff* I would post pictures of us with the girls, but they were in pj's, and this is a holiness site. They also gave a sheriff badge to me and a deputy one to Dixie. They are so funny -- ha ha.

Sheriff -- ha ha.

Dixie & I with all the trimmings -- woo ha. The bulge in Dixie's front is her son, whom we hope will be making an appearance very soon. He is already a funny child. He loves band music. (The fact that he likes band music is not what makes him funny!)

Anyway, on to tonight. Tonight was the final meeting of my discipleship group. I love these girls. They make me laugh hard! I have really enjoyed studying the Bible with them and growing closer as a group. *Shameless plug* If you ever have a chance to disciple a group of young people in a small group setting -- take it! It will bless and change your life. *Shameless plug is over* Anyway, we ate good food (cooked by yours truly) and had a really fun last meeting.

Finally, how are you doing, you ask. (Thank you for asking.) The good days are getting better and more frequent. The bad days are still unexpected and unsettling. Overall, I am most pleased. I am using very few pain meds. (For anyone who was worried about an addiction problem, worry no longer. Another joke. Ha ha.)

In all seriousness, I am very blessed to have an amazing Heavenly Father whose grace consistently astounds me. I am humbled at His nearness and the fact that He IS -- whether we sense Him ...or not.

Ramblings and Reports

2007-05-01T22:35:00.000-04:00

Howdy, friends and prayer partners! It has been a while since I reported in. I feel I've been dreadfully out of the loop. I haven't even had time to read after most of you the last few days, so I hope you're still out there. :) You wanted updates, so here goes. After my "Sunny Day" and "The Hat" blogs, I was (as you may well imagine) feelin' mighty fine. My stamina up, back in the saddle, life good. However, as most of you know, sometimes, after a sunny Tuesday, there lies a mean and nasty Friday lurking in the shadows. Anyway, the weekend was a bit rough. I sat still in my chair for lots of hours. :) But this week has been better! I don't think I really understood how nonlinear the recovery process would be. One doesn't just get better. One gets better, and then worse. Then much better...oh, then worse again. But all in all, I think the better side outweighs the worse! So that's GOOD NEWS! Last night I was at the Academy Spring Program, and my chest was really hurting. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself, when along came a gentleman who has been struggling for about a year with cancer and doesn't have long to live. He was asking how I was, smiling broadly, and saying how we had to stick together. Needless to say, I felt like a total whiny jerk. Praise God for reality checks every once in awhile. I am SO BLESSED!

GBS is in its wild slide to the end of the year, and all of my girls are feeling it. I called them all together last night for a little "You Can Make It There's Only Four Weeks Left So Don't Lose Your Focus And Get Careless With The Rules" pep talk. I think it went over OK. I really think I've got the best group of kids in the world. They're just tired and overwhelmed, so we talked about keeping their priorities straight and not losing perspective -- something that's good for me to hear as well. I really do love them. They can make me crazy at times, but they also bring me lots of joy. (One of them was battling pink eye recently and complained to me that her eyes were really "itchified". I hate it when that happens.)

Well, that's it in a nutshell -- a rather large nutshell as I look back over it. Oh well, you got the walnut version. Have a happy day!

Picnic...and The Hat

2007-04-25T22:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was lovely. The weather was just right for a picnic -- sunny with enough breeze to keep one from succumbing to heat stroke. Everyone is walking around today with rosy cheeks and good old fashioned holiness sunburns. I got one as well -- even with the hat. And yes, I did promise hat pictures. So here they are. Here is my phenomenal staff who have kept my office from falling apart while I've been out of the saddle.

And here...(drum roll)... is a closeup of me in "the hat." If you look closely you can indeed see the word "marathon."

I wish someone would have combed my hair. I'm not sure whose job it was that day. Anyway, I wish all of you, gentle readers, a wonderful day -- or night depending on when you read this. May you rest in the goodness and love of an all-wise Heavenly Father who loves us whether we look good in hats...or not.

A Sunny Day

2007-04-24T09:19:00.000-04:00

After my last foray into madness, I must tell you that the sun is out, the day is warm, the pain meds are working, and life is good. :) Today is our Spring picnic, and hopefully it will be a lovely day. I'm wearing a ball cap -- not something I do well. I'll try to post a picture for everyone's amusement. To make it even more amusing, it has the word "marathon" on it. I participated in a mini-marathon to support heart health during my hospitalization. My fellow participants were mostly in their 70's and up. It was one of those experiences I will remember for a lifetime -- walking along with others in wheelchairs or pushing their oxygen tanks. I actually enjoyed it immensely. Humor is everywhere if only we look hard enough. (By the way, I won.)

Have a sunny day!

Week 5

2007-04-23T13:25:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm at a bit of a weird spot in the recovery process. (I promise I'll try not to bore you, my rapt audience, with too much about my "illness"; however, it's kind of where I'm living right now.) I'm at that strange place where I think I should be doing better than I am. Last week I was able to spend hours at IHC hugging necks and giving updates, but the prospect of just doing normal work this week overwhelms me. I think adrenaline is a beautiful thing, and I'm sure that had much to do with my stamina. I'm dying to get back to a regular schedule, but the thought of that terrifies me right now. The fact that I ran out of pain meds isn't helping my outlook at the moment. Don't worry, I have a call in to get more. :) Anyway, I need help finding the balance between being a pathetic "sickly" individual who should just buck up and get to work and a workaholic who will drive myself into a physical setback by not paying attention to my body. So, if you could spare a prayer, send it this way. I really am doing well. I have nothing to complain about. I just need help with balance right now. I find myself to be quite human with a great need to avail myself of the rest of the Body. Thanks for being part of it! Your presence is a comfort.

IHC (Part 1)

2007-04-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

Went to IHC this week for Tuesday evening and part of Wednesday. I was so thankful that I felt as well as I did. (I had good friends watching me carefully and making sure I took pain meds as needed.) I actually really enjoyed myself. However, by the end of the day, I felt a bit like this...

More about IHC later...thus the "Part 1" in the title.

And So It Begins

2007-04-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

Well, reading about the daily lives of my friends and prayer partners on their various blogs has inspired (or guilted) me to share a bit of my own life online as well. I really have enjoyed getting into your brains, so to speak. I will give a bit of a disclaimer -- there will be no cute stories about children or husbands. :) Simply my journey as I live it. So, here goes...