Okay, so it's HOT! And I'm not just being some whiney Washingtonian complaining because it is 75 degrees and I don't have an air conditioner.
The heat wave started rolling in at the beginning of the weekend. And from what all of our doppler-informed weather people are telling us, that was just the beginning. By Wednesday, they say we'll be flirting with 100! Frankly, I don't want to flirt with anything or anyone in the sticky-sweaty-all-my clothes-stuck-to-me state that I'm in. But 100 could be a record breaker for that date.
Now, here's the really great part. I'm going to work tomorrow, to my air conditioned office where I will need to bring a heavy sweater to put on over my light weight sleeveless blouse in order to not end up with freezer burn on my arms. Yup, there just doesn't seem to be a happy medium. Oh, well. Before I know it, the day will be over and I'll be home again trying to sleep in my second story bedroom that has done a great imitation of an Easy-Bake oven for the last three days.
Lest you think I'm complaining, I'm really not. I admit that I'm not really a HOT weather fan, but I do so prefer HOT over COLD and ICE which was what seemed to hold us captive all of last winter. So, this evening, as I reclined in my lovely new lawn chair on the deck, just hoping to catch a little breeze, I imagined what my deck looked like last winter, covered with that nasty white stuff. And suddenly, I didn't mind a little sweat and stickiness!
Of course, if you ask me how I feel about it by Wednesday, my story might have changed. After all, I have a limited supply of shorts and tank tops. Which probably means that I'll need to go shopping!!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Walking, Abiding, Resting
Well, Elizabeth has begun her "Russia Experience" even if it is taking place in Pasadena, California at the moment. On Sunday, she arrived at the school where she will have her month of training before coming home for a brief two weeks and then heading out to that land, far, far away!
Over the past several months, I have struggled to release my little girl into God's most capable and loving hands, trusting that He loves her even more than I do. Some days I am quite successful at it (little pat on the back). Other days, not so much.
But I have noticed that as time goes on, the overwhelming flood of anxiety comes less often and in smaller waves. And at those times when the swirling waves of fear nearly knock the shifting sand out from under my feet, I have learned to simply state, "God is in control," and to leave it at that whether I feel any comfort or not. I have to, because this is a fact and it doesn't matter how what my feelings are screaming at me.
During the past few months, as I well-meaning (I think that they are!) coworkers and friends have related horrific stories of people they know who have experienced first hand, the crime and corruption overseas, I've had to swallow the knot of fear in my throat and say, "God is in control." Or as I've watched the teetering world economy and wondered what the conditions will be like in a year, I've had to say, "God is in control." And even tonight, when I read Elizabeth's blog where she shared what she has been learning about the violence, police corruption and crime overseas, I have to say, "God is in control."
A few days ago, I found great comfort as I read my devotions from wonderful little book called "Joy & Strength." The book is actually a compilation of "writers of many countries and centuries." And while many of the entries are very old fashioned in their writing style, they often speak to my heart.
July 15th's reading started with Exodus 33:14. "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." And then the author, John Pulsford, began his writing with these words, "Heaven consists in nothing else than walking, abiding, resting in the Divine Presence."
Walking, abiding, resting. That's what I needed to hear. Because, regardless of where I go, (or Elizabeth goes,) God's presence goes with me. And He has simply called me to walk, abide and rest in Him. If I do that, I will find peace in accepting that He truly is in contol and whatever happens, happens within His good and perfect will. And that knowledge is enough for me tonight.
Over the past several months, I have struggled to release my little girl into God's most capable and loving hands, trusting that He loves her even more than I do. Some days I am quite successful at it (little pat on the back). Other days, not so much.
But I have noticed that as time goes on, the overwhelming flood of anxiety comes less often and in smaller waves. And at those times when the swirling waves of fear nearly knock the shifting sand out from under my feet, I have learned to simply state, "God is in control," and to leave it at that whether I feel any comfort or not. I have to, because this is a fact and it doesn't matter how what my feelings are screaming at me.
During the past few months, as I well-meaning (I think that they are!) coworkers and friends have related horrific stories of people they know who have experienced first hand, the crime and corruption overseas, I've had to swallow the knot of fear in my throat and say, "God is in control." Or as I've watched the teetering world economy and wondered what the conditions will be like in a year, I've had to say, "God is in control." And even tonight, when I read Elizabeth's blog where she shared what she has been learning about the violence, police corruption and crime overseas, I have to say, "God is in control."
A few days ago, I found great comfort as I read my devotions from wonderful little book called "Joy & Strength." The book is actually a compilation of "writers of many countries and centuries." And while many of the entries are very old fashioned in their writing style, they often speak to my heart.
July 15th's reading started with Exodus 33:14. "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." And then the author, John Pulsford, began his writing with these words, "Heaven consists in nothing else than walking, abiding, resting in the Divine Presence."
Walking, abiding, resting. That's what I needed to hear. Because, regardless of where I go, (or Elizabeth goes,) God's presence goes with me. And He has simply called me to walk, abide and rest in Him. If I do that, I will find peace in accepting that He truly is in contol and whatever happens, happens within His good and perfect will. And that knowledge is enough for me tonight.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
That's My Boy!
Okay, so sometime when I wasn't looking, my little boy became the "Special Guest Speaker, Pastor David Miles." I know he's all grown up. For crying out loud, he's coming up on 26 years old.
But it's just not everyday that you see your kid's name on a church's reader board sign! There's no doubt about it, it's pretty cool! Way to go, Pastor David. I'm sure you blessed their socks off!
P.S. to Pastor David: Notice the part where it says, "Bring your family?" I would have been there for you. AND, I would have said "Amen!" at all the right times! (Smile)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Walking by the River
Today has been absolutely beautiful! Beautiful and hot!! My husband, daughter and I went for a walk along the river on the Orting trail this morning. It was wonderful to spend some time together as a family before Elizabeth heads for training in California on Thursday. She will be learning everything she needs to know for her year in Russia, at least I'm pretending that she'll learn EVERYTHING she'll need to know.
But, back to this morning. It was scorching hot out there on the trail (don't I sound like the real outdoorswoman!). Finally the path wound around so it was following the course of the river. The milky, mountain water at least looked cooling even if we couldn't get out to it. And it was much nicer to be there than to be cleaning house or doing the yard work that I should of been doing.
At one point, we found a shady spot along the trail and stopped to eat some Rainier cherries I had brought along. They were so sweet and delicious. A real summer treat!
So, I've gotta say, I'm a fan of summer. And no doubt about it, today was summer at its best!
But, back to this morning. It was scorching hot out there on the trail (don't I sound like the real outdoorswoman!). Finally the path wound around so it was following the course of the river. The milky, mountain water at least looked cooling even if we couldn't get out to it. And it was much nicer to be there than to be cleaning house or doing the yard work that I should of been doing.
At one point, we found a shady spot along the trail and stopped to eat some Rainier cherries I had brought along. They were so sweet and delicious. A real summer treat!
So, I've gotta say, I'm a fan of summer. And no doubt about it, today was summer at its best!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Yard Sale
This weekend was all about the yard sale at our house. Our daughter, Elizabeth, moved home last weekend and spent the past week sorting through the accumlation of her 23 years of living in order to get ready to move to St. Petersburg, Russia for a year. Whatever she earned from this sale would go towards her ministry support as she heads over there to teach conversational English to university students. But most importantly, she is going to share God's love with them.
Her bedroom, and our living room and dining rooms were the staging area for sorting through memories, represented by all the "stuff" she has accumlated. And like most of us, she was amazed (and at times, distressed) at just how much "stuff" there was!
After countless hours of sorting through what was going to stay and get boxed up for a year, what was hitting the trash can, and what would be worthy of the yard sale, Elizabeth finally set up shop bright and early on Friday morning. For two days she greeted neighbors as well as strangers who came to see what "treasures" they could find. And with each item that sold, there was a sense of lightening the load and loosening the ties.
As I sat with her on Saturday, I thought about how much "stuff" is still in the house. That nearly gave me a panic attack! But the truly wonderful part of the weekend was not just the clearing out of unneeded items, but seeing the wonderful people who were willing to come along side of her in her ministry. Neighbors contributed items to be sold. Others paid extra because they knew how the money would be used and they wanted to support the ministry. Still others offered wonderful stories of friends and family members who were already ministering in Russia and Ukraine. My heart just swelled as I recognized God's hand through each of these people that he brought to our yard.
One of the most exciting encounters happened when a mother and her college-age daughter came to look at some golf clubs. When they started speaking to each other, it was in Russian! I had been in the house when they arrived and when I came back out in the yard, Elizabeth was beaming! It turned out that they were actually from Ukraine, the country that broke Elizabeth's heart in the first place and set her out on this current journey! When the daughter saw the sign we had posted about Elizabeth going to Russia, she came over and offered her email and phone number so they can stay in contact. God, you are so cool!!
So, it was a successful weekend. Money was raised for the many items still needed to take overseas. Lots of "stuff" has moved on to new homes. And now it's the final sorting and packing before the big move! It's coming...really, really fast!
Her bedroom, and our living room and dining rooms were the staging area for sorting through memories, represented by all the "stuff" she has accumlated. And like most of us, she was amazed (and at times, distressed) at just how much "stuff" there was!
After countless hours of sorting through what was going to stay and get boxed up for a year, what was hitting the trash can, and what would be worthy of the yard sale, Elizabeth finally set up shop bright and early on Friday morning. For two days she greeted neighbors as well as strangers who came to see what "treasures" they could find. And with each item that sold, there was a sense of lightening the load and loosening the ties.
As I sat with her on Saturday, I thought about how much "stuff" is still in the house. That nearly gave me a panic attack! But the truly wonderful part of the weekend was not just the clearing out of unneeded items, but seeing the wonderful people who were willing to come along side of her in her ministry. Neighbors contributed items to be sold. Others paid extra because they knew how the money would be used and they wanted to support the ministry. Still others offered wonderful stories of friends and family members who were already ministering in Russia and Ukraine. My heart just swelled as I recognized God's hand through each of these people that he brought to our yard.
One of the most exciting encounters happened when a mother and her college-age daughter came to look at some golf clubs. When they started speaking to each other, it was in Russian! I had been in the house when they arrived and when I came back out in the yard, Elizabeth was beaming! It turned out that they were actually from Ukraine, the country that broke Elizabeth's heart in the first place and set her out on this current journey! When the daughter saw the sign we had posted about Elizabeth going to Russia, she came over and offered her email and phone number so they can stay in contact. God, you are so cool!!
So, it was a successful weekend. Money was raised for the many items still needed to take overseas. Lots of "stuff" has moved on to new homes. And now it's the final sorting and packing before the big move! It's coming...really, really fast!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Bought a Camera
I just went on line and bought a camera! It took me a while to pull the trigger, but after spending a long time reading and re-reading the specs, thinking and re-thinking whether or not I should do it, I did it! You're probably wondering what fancy-shmancy camera I decided on. Okay, I confess, it was just a $99 digital Kodak from Walmart. But the fact that it took me so long to do it says a couple of things about me.
First, I still stop and think twice before spending $100 bucks ($109.27 to be precise). Spending more than a few dollars at a time for non-essential items is difficult for me. Over the years, money has been tight. And in these economic times, it really makes sense to be cautious. So it was hard and I nearly talked myself out of buying the camera more than once.
And then there was the fact that I was buying it online. I hate to admit it, but I still don't feel quite confident in this whole internet shopping thing. I like to see the person's face who is taking my hard earned cash from me. And I REALLY like to be able to hold my purchase right away instead of waiting days for it to arrive. But I realize that this is the way business is done these days, even if it makes me crazy!
So, now that I've done it, I can hardly wait for it to come. Almost eight years ago, our house was burglarized and my camera was stolen. I haven't had one since then, and for the most part, I haven't missed it. My husband has a nice camera, so we have taken pictures over the years. However, most of those pictures have either resided on that camera or on his computer, so I haven't seen them.
Then last fall, my sisters and I went to Hawaii for a week and they were all snapping pictures right and left. Didn't really bother me too much since I figured I could get pictures from them. (Let me tell you, cell phone pictures don't really do Hawaii justice!) But just like with my husband's camera, their Hawaii pictures haven't made their way to me either.
So a few weeks back, I decided that I really DID want my own camera...just something cheap and simple so I could snap a few photos when I felt like it and actually get to see them. Now, I've taken the plunge and I'm excited! I can hardly wait to snap some of those "close-ups" that you take holding the camera at arms length. Lucky for me, I've got "ape arms"and can probably include five or six people in one shot!
So, consider yourself forewarned because once I get hold of this baby, I'll be snapping pictures of anyone and anything that crosses my path. After all, I've got to make up for lost time!
First, I still stop and think twice before spending $100 bucks ($109.27 to be precise). Spending more than a few dollars at a time for non-essential items is difficult for me. Over the years, money has been tight. And in these economic times, it really makes sense to be cautious. So it was hard and I nearly talked myself out of buying the camera more than once.
And then there was the fact that I was buying it online. I hate to admit it, but I still don't feel quite confident in this whole internet shopping thing. I like to see the person's face who is taking my hard earned cash from me. And I REALLY like to be able to hold my purchase right away instead of waiting days for it to arrive. But I realize that this is the way business is done these days, even if it makes me crazy!
So, now that I've done it, I can hardly wait for it to come. Almost eight years ago, our house was burglarized and my camera was stolen. I haven't had one since then, and for the most part, I haven't missed it. My husband has a nice camera, so we have taken pictures over the years. However, most of those pictures have either resided on that camera or on his computer, so I haven't seen them.
Then last fall, my sisters and I went to Hawaii for a week and they were all snapping pictures right and left. Didn't really bother me too much since I figured I could get pictures from them. (Let me tell you, cell phone pictures don't really do Hawaii justice!) But just like with my husband's camera, their Hawaii pictures haven't made their way to me either.
So a few weeks back, I decided that I really DID want my own camera...just something cheap and simple so I could snap a few photos when I felt like it and actually get to see them. Now, I've taken the plunge and I'm excited! I can hardly wait to snap some of those "close-ups" that you take holding the camera at arms length. Lucky for me, I've got "ape arms"and can probably include five or six people in one shot!
So, consider yourself forewarned because once I get hold of this baby, I'll be snapping pictures of anyone and anything that crosses my path. After all, I've got to make up for lost time!
Monday, June 15, 2009
It's Gonna Hurt
Have you ever had a bruise, that for some reason you can't resist poking? You know that if you press on the purplely-blue spot, it's gonna hurt. But you do it anyway, because you think that just maybe it won't hurt as much as it looks like it will. And of course, you're wrong...it hurts like crazy!
Sometimes, when people hurt me, I do the same thing. I know the wound is there, and rather than just leaving it alone and letting time do its healing thing, I keep revisiting it, poking at it...just to make sure that it still hurts. And sure enough, it still does!
I know it doesn't make much sense. I know I need to just let my hurts heal without inflicting more pain. Maybe someday I'll learn how to do that.
Sometimes, when people hurt me, I do the same thing. I know the wound is there, and rather than just leaving it alone and letting time do its healing thing, I keep revisiting it, poking at it...just to make sure that it still hurts. And sure enough, it still does!
I know it doesn't make much sense. I know I need to just let my hurts heal without inflicting more pain. Maybe someday I'll learn how to do that.
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