Needs vs. Wants

I'm reading a great book right now: Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I'm not even done with it, and I'm going to already come out and say it's great--that's how great it is. A friend of mine gave me Walls' first book, The Glass Castle, and I really enjoyed it. It is a memoir of a girl growing up with a very unconventional family, moving all over the country, living in shacks, learning how to make do with nothing, and dealing with two parents who cared about themselves more than their children. It was kind of sad and frustrating, but Walls is a wonderful writer. So when I saw she had another book, I grabbed it off the library shelf.

In Horses, Walls tells the life story of her grandmother, Lily, from Lily's perspective. She grew up during the turn of the century on a farm in New Mexico. I won't tell you any more about the book, but I will just say that I love the voice Walls has created for her grandmother. She has so many great lines in this book--very poignant.

One part that has really stuck with me is a scene in which Lily and her husband have to move out of their house (it's been foreclosed) and to a cattle farm. This is about her first visit to the outhouse.

"A distinctly malodorous aroma arose from the hole, and for a moment I missed my snazzy mail-order toilet with the shiny white porcelain bowl, the mahogany lid, and the nifty pull-chain flush. As I sat down, though, I realized that you can get so used to certain luxuries that you start to think they're necessities,but when you hve to forgo them, you come to see that you don't need them after all. There was a big difference between needing things and wanting things--though a lot of people had trouble telling the two apart--and at the ranch, I could see we'd have pretty much everythingwe'd need but precious little else.

Next to the seat was a stack of Sears, Roebuck catalogs, and I picked one up and leafed through it. I came to a page advertising silk bodices and lacy chemises. I won't be ordering from this page, I thought, and when I was done with my business, that was the one I tore out and used."

Truer words were never spoken.
Enjoy the day, and be thankful that we have everything we need and much more!

What to pray. . .

I am not a good pray-er. Never have been.

I can sit and read the Bible and study and write lessons and sing praise songs and on and on. . . but it is such a struggle for me to quiet myself and pray. I've tried all different kinds of strategies, and I will never give up, but I wish I had the passion for prayer that others have. I know how important it is, and when some kind of emergency occurs, of course it's easy for me to pray. But the every day, kneeling before God and listening to Him, is hard for me.

As I was sitting here this morning thinking of how to pray for our upcoming trip to Haiti, God really put it upon my heart to pray just what it says in the scriptures. I just started reading Philippians a few days ago, and as I start reading chapter 2 this morning, the first 2 verses read this way:

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."

So, this is my prayer for the upcoming trip:

That we will encourage each other and be an encouragement to those we minister with in Haiti.
That we will be united.
That we will be a source of comfort to the people of Haiti. Show them God's grace and love.
That our times of fellowship will be God-focused and memory-making.
That we will show tenderness and compassion when it might be easy instead to be judgmental and critical.
That we will choose joy instead of reasons to complain.
That we will work together, being like-minded, even when plans don't go our way.

Thank you, God, for hearing our prayers. May we not take it for granted.

Summer, Summer, Summertime. . .(think Will Smith here. . .)

Alright, everyone, I know it's not officially the season of summer, but schools all over are letting out, open houses are upon us, the weather has been in the 80's all week, and my air conditioning is on. I'm calling it:

Summer is here!!!!!

Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, and my kids don't go to school yet, summer doesn't have quite the excitement that it used to. But I'm still pretty psyched this year. Here are some reasons:

*Haiti. Of course, Haiti is at the front of my mind all of the time. In a little over 3 weeks I'll be heading there. I'm really trying to not have any preconceived notions about what the trip will be like. I'm a planner, and a trip like this, where I have no control over what happens is difficult for me. But I am so excited. I believe this will be a life-changing trip for many. I'm ecstatic about being a part of something bigger than me and getting out of my comfort zone.

*Swimming. I love to swim. David doesn't share this love with me, so in our 7 years together we have gone to one beach, and that was in Michigan. But now I have a 3 1/2 year-old who has shown me already in this first week of hot weather that the pool is where he wants to be. So I've signed him up for a few swim lessons, and we're hoping to hit Kokomo Beach (not really a beach, mind you, but a public pool) at least a few times this summer.

*Urban Outreach. Over the last 2 summers we have been taking the youth group kids to help the Kokomo Urban Outreach on Sunday nights. We take food to a low-income housing addition, and while some people serve the adults dinner, we get to play with the kids. It has been such a neat experience to hang out with these children and get to know them. I'm looking forward to being a part of it again this summer.

*Camping. In August we are taking my brother-in-law's camper and going to Ludington, Michigan to camp. We'll be one mile from beautiful lake Michigan (more swimming!), and there are loads of trails, playgrounds, etc. to explore. Definitely looking forward to that.

Along the way I hope we can hit every park in town, go on lots of bike rides, eat lots of popsicles, read some really good books (any suggestions?), spend some time with friends and family, and show God's love all while we're doing this. I want to be an example everywhere we go of what it means to be a Christ-loving family.

All Things TV

While I've never seen an episode of "Lost" or "24", I've still had some good (and bad) tv moments recently.

*TOP CHEF IS COMING! While I've been loving Top Chef Masters, (and am rooting for Jonathan Waxman) I am always excited to see Tom and a new crew of chefs. I get to see the first episode before I go to Haiti. They're going to be in D.C., so I'm sure there will be lots of fun challenges.

*I couldn't watch American Idol. I wanted to see the tribute to Simon, but when I turned to it and Paula came out, and I couldn't handle it---SO UNCOMFORTABLE!! Is she that weird, or on drugs? And then the old Idols singers came out--the song was terrible!! Yikes! I think Simon is making the right choice by getting out before the boat sinks.

*I loved Glee this past fall. These spring episodes have not been as great to me. I don't like storylines that are just developed to get to a specific song (aka the Madonna episode). I did like the episode where the girl sang Christina Aguilara's "Beautiful"--made me cry. And they had to go and sing "Beth" this week, which of course will keep me tuned in to see if Gwen will really name her baby Beth.

*I still have the season finale of "Parenthood" on the DVR and am excited to watch it--just haven't had the time.

*I've said it before and I'll say it again, Jimmy Fallon and his crew are hilarious! Last week they did a spoof of Lost that was so funny--and Arsenio Hall was in it. You need to see it.

*If you have kids, and haven't seen "WordWorld", you need to. It's on PBS and it's really cute. Everything is made up of the letters that spell the item. And the duck with the speech impediment is so endearing. I love him.

*I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I've actually watched some NBA and it hasn't been too bad. We're rooting for the Suns--who doesn't love Steve Nash? Black eye? No problem. Broken nose? Bring it on!

*Lastly, David and I have really enjoyed the new show on TLC called "Best Food Ever". There are probably similar shows on the Food Network, but we don't have that channel. John Goodman narrates as they count down the top 10 of a certain food or type of restaurant. I feel like writing down all of the places so we can take a food vacation and eat our way across the country. This week was best diners, and the winner was in Worcestor, Mass. Almost made me want to go back to Worcestor. Almost.

In other news. . .
I'm on my way to Noblesville today to wish a former co-worker happy retirement and catch up with a few old friends. So excited the summer is here. This week we have gone on bike rides and long walks, been to the park, got out the sprinkler, the kiddie pool, and eaten our weight in popsicles already. I'm so thankful that I get to watch my children experience all of this, too.

Have a great day!

Catch of a Lifetime

When I married David in 2004, it was a package deal. Along with my new, sweet husband was a dog. Half Springer Spaniel half Brittany Spaniel, this brown and white ball of fur, otherwise known as Tee Off, has been a part of David's life since before he even knew me.

Over the years, Tee has gone from being a crazy-hyper dog who jumped on everyone who came in the door, to a mellow, older dog who mainly just lays around. She's almost 12, and, to be honest, she acts a little like an old biddy some days. She barks at nothing. She never wants to be outside anymore (unless you're outside). She has to take several different medicines to keep her healthy (and our carpets dry). But we love her.

The other thing you need to know about Tee is that the only thing that really excites her is chasing animals in our back yard. If you say the word "squirrel" her ears perk up and she runs to the door. Having a fence that squirrels can run on has been great entertainment for us. As they run, Tee chases them all over the back yard. She will also chase rabbits, which are in abundance this time of year, especially with our huge garden (which should be a topic of another post). However, with all of this chasing, in 12 years Tee has caught only one rabbit--and it was someone's pet (another great story for a different post).

Well, all that changed last night. I was gone to a meeting, and David was eating dinner with the kids, when he heard Tee scratching at the door. He opened the back door to let her out, and she dashed to the garden. Somehow a rabbit had gotten inside the garden fence, and when he came out, Tee was there to catch him. Within seconds Tee had that rabbit in her mouth and killed it. Way to go, Tee! After 12 years of trying, she finally caught a rabbit. She should be proud of herself.

And in fact, she was.

She was so proud that she tried to bring it into our house CARRYING IT IN HER MOUTH! So while the kids are eating dinner in the dining room, Tee is scratching at the back door (clearly visible from the dining room) to come in and show off her conquest. David kept shooing her away, and Noel kept asking what was going on. Luckily, she left eventually left it in the yard and came in without it.

So, hats off to you, Tee Dog. You may make me crazy every day with your barking, shedding, and bodily fluids, but I'm proud of you. You've still got a little bird dog in you after all.

In Case You're Wondering. . .

I do a lot of dumb stuff. I wanted to share some lessons from my amazing ideas that didn't go over very well, so you can learn from my mistakes:

*I was trying to be frugal this morning. After finishing up my bowl of Corn Pops, I thought the milk (sweetened by said Corn Pops) could substitute for creamer in my coffee. Terrible idea. It was bad.

*Speaking of bad, Corn Pops are not good. I thought I liked them, so I bought a big box when they were on sale. Now I know why they were on sale. I'm forcing myself to finish them so they don't go to waste. Ugh.

*Don't take a 1 year-old (who is a screamer) and a 3 year-old (who's been hopped up on snacks) to a program. I tried to sit with them and watch my brother's play last night. Big mistake. We were THOSE people who had to carry our kids out. Bad idea.

*Speaking of the 1 year-old. I let her play with my cell phone once in the car to keep her entertained. Now every time I get it out she screams! And it's that ear-piercing scream that only a little girl can do. So if you get a call from me, be prepared for some screaming in the background.

*Don't buy hair dye that costs $3.99 and says it will make your hair 'dark blonde'. No matter how long you leave it on, your brown hair will just turn more orange. Trust me.

*Don't assume that kids know not to pick up dog poop in the back yard. Enough said.

I could share more, but I think you get the point. I'm not a 'think before you act' kind of girl, and these things are proof!! But it does make for a fun ride!

Have a blessed day! Pray for someone today, and then do something nice without them knowing it!

What's for Dinner?

I love to cook. I really do. I love finding new recipes and trying them out. And I usually don't mind putting menus together for each week. However, sometimes it is hard to come up with new ideas for every week, and I'm always thinking that I wish I could see a list of what other people are making for their meals so I can have some ideas.



So, just in case anyone else has been in those shoes, here are some meals that I've been making this week or are planning to make next week:



I made Extra Spicy Linguine with Sausage, Chili Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, and Arugula last night. It's a Rachael Ray Recipe, and I really liked it. Didn't use the Chili Pepper--not sure how spicy it makes the meal, and I have 2 small kids.



Another new recipe I'm going to try next week is Freeze-Ahead Broccoli and Sausage Calzones. I plan on making half of them for now and freezing the other half for when I'm in Haiti. They sound good.



Last week we tried these fish tacos. I thought they were pretty tasty, except I am not a fan of corn tortillas. I tried one the next day with a flour tortilla, and liked it much better. I also used tilapia instead of red snapper, and they worked fine.



I love pancakes, and I make them for the kids on a weekly basis. I usually make a double batch and them keep them in the fridge and reheat them for breakfast all week. A friend showed me this recipe for fluffy pancakes, and they are great!!! Definitely not lying about the fluffy! I added blueberries to some and they were good, too.



Another freezer-friendly meal that is a go-to for us is Hot Chicken Sandwiches. I got this recipe from Caryn Collins, and we are ever so greatful!



Hot Chicken Sandwiches



3 c. cooked cubed chicken

8 oz. cubed Velveeta

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

3/4 c. mayo



Combine all ingredients. Put on hamburger buns and wrap sandwiches individually in foil. Can be frozen or refrigerated.



Bake (in foil) for 25 minutes @ 325 if thawed or 35-40 minutes if frozen.



Happy eating!!

In the Tunnel

Seems like recently I find myself discontented more and more often.

I'm upset with the way the kids are acting, and it frustrates me. Every day Noel and I clash over something insignificant that turns into an outright war. Yesterday it was over a Capri Sun. I kid you not, a Capri Sun. I'll spare you the details.

I wish I had more one-on-one time with my husband. Our days are filled with half-completed conversations because they've been interrupted by a 3 year-old's questions or a 1 year-old's screams.

I miss teaching. I'm supposed to go to a retirement party tomorrow for a fellow teacher, and part of me doesn't want to go because it makes me so sad that I'm not still working there. It's been four years, and I still miss it all the time. I know that sounds awful, especially to people to would kill to be in my shoes, staying home with their kids. And believe me, I am incredibly thankful that we have the means and opportunity to keep Noel and Elise home. But I still miss it.

I wish I could be a better friend and have closer friends. I struggle with loneliness.

It's kind of like I'm in a tunnel in life--not a valley or a mountaintop, just a dark spot where I'm not quite sure of where I'm headed. Corrie ten Boom, one of my favorite authors, describes our journey with God as a train trip. And she says (I'm paraphrasing here) that when you're on a real train and it goes into a tunnel, you don't jump out because you're scared. You hang on tightly and trust the engineer to get you through.

To be honest, none of the scenarios I was complaining about is life-shattering. We are healthy, David has a job, we have food, shelter, and safety. But when I focus on myself and the areas I am unhappy with, it's tempting to start feeling more and more sorry for myself instead of hanging on and trusting that God has a plan for me. Instead of whining and moping and being discontent, I need to look around and see where I can be a servant right now, what I can be doing to make life better for those around me. Maybe I need to turn on a flashlight in my tunnel and look around to see if anyone else needs to know that the Engineer is in charge, and He will get us through.

More Links

Here are a two more links that I really like:

www.etsy.com
If you haven't been on etsy, take some time out of your schedule for it, because you can easily get sucked in for an hour. The best way I can describe etsy is that it is similar to ebay or amazon, but is handmade/vintage items that people are selling, and there is no bidding--just a fixed price. There are millions of items on etsy--I usually look at the jewelry. I've gotten Christmas gifts, Mother's Day gifts, and graduation gifts on etsy, and have been pleased with all of them.

www.backgroundfairy.com
This is a blog aimed at helping those of us who are blogging, but are clueless about how to make our blogs look nice. She gives step-by-step instructions for changing different settings on your blog, adding images, changing fonts, etc. She also posts free backgrounds and picutres. Pretty cool.

If any of you out there have sites that I need to look at, let me know!

Odd Things

I'm odd. I do some strange things. But I think we all do.

So, in order to make you feel better about your oddities, I'll share some of mine

1. I brush my teeth in the shower.

2. I have to pick up the house in a certain order. Even if company is coming in 10 minutes, I have to start at the back of the house (our bathroom) and work my way to the kitchen (always the messiest room).

3. I love Spider Solitaire on the computer.

4. The first thing I read in the newspaper is the obituaries. Last thing I read is the comics.

5. I have an old-lady bicycle with the big butt seat and high handlebars. It's called 'MoonDog'.

6. I don't own an I-Pod, and I still have a record player in our bedroom.

7. I still get excited about getting the mail every afternoon, in hopes of some sort of letter or card from someone, even though it's nowhere close to a holiday or my birthday.

8. Anything on tv that is about a great teacher makes me cry.

9. Speaking of tv, I still come up with different ideas for songs I would use to try out for American Idol. And yes, I'm well over the age limit.

10. I still don't understand the game of soccer or the game of chess.

Anyone else out there have some odd traits?

5 Weeks to Go

As my trip to Haiti is getting closer, I've been having a lot of different thoughts about it. A lot of my time has been spent thinking about how my kids and husband are going to do. I'm not worried that my husband can't take care of them, I just know that a long time alone with two small kiddos can be draining. I've been working on making freezer meals, getting things organized, and raising money.

But how much have I been preparing myself mentally and spiritually for this trip? We are headed to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with a dozen high school students to work at a church camp. Am I ready to see the devastation brought on not only by the earthquake in January, but by the years of poverty, voodoo, and corrupt government? Have I been praying for the people of Haiti? For the other members of my group?

When I think about why I signed up to go on this trip, my answers are muddled. Do I want to help with work on a clinic? Yes. Do I want to meet and encourage other Christians? Yes. Do I want to lead by example in our group? Yes. But I know there will be so much more that will challenge me, stretch my faith, disappoint my expectations, teach my narrow mind, and humble my American heart.

I have so much to give and so much to receive. May I be open to both of those on this journey.

Week in Review

Well, it's been kind of a strange week. Both kids, at one point or another, puked, and I am not good at dealing with sickness. I have a hard time seeing my children in pain, and knowing there's nothing I can do about it. I also have about 30 items on my mental to-do list that I know won't get done, and my selfish side struggles with that. But thankfully they are both on the mend. And neither of them had anything terribly bad.



Here are some other lessons I want to share with you from the week:



*If you ever decide to hang clothes out on the line, maybe you should watch the radar first. I've had the same load of laundry hanging out for 3 days because it keeps raining right before they get dry!



*If you haven't read the comic strip 'Pickles' you're missing out. It's funny. Truly funny.



*I've fallen off the wagon. After years of staying away from the hair dye aisle in the grocery store, I gave in about a month ago. The color turned out a little something like this--










a little on the orange side. Now I have about 1/2 inch of dark root popping up. Thus begins the vicious cycle of hair color. Do I try the same color again? Go darker? lighter? Oy.


*My husband is right. a lot. Case in point: "The Amazing Race". This whole season we have been rooting for the cowboys, Jet and Cord. They were hilarious, smart, level-headed, and kind. Right before the finale, David decides he doesn't want them to win. What?! How can you say that? We love the cowboys!
And then he gives me this nugget of wisdom--if the cowboys win the million dollars, it might change them. Turn them into greedy or materialistic people, and he wouldn't want that to happen to such nice guys. I think he's right. Money changes people, and usually not in positive ways. So we were glad to see them place 2nd and maintain their status as country boys, or "Okey's" as they called themselves. If you never watched "The Amazing Race", it's worth watching online to see Jet and Cord. Good stuff.


Have a spendid weekend! Find the joy and beauty in your everyday lives.

What I've been reading

Here's what I've been thumbing through in my spare time. . .

Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Finished it last week. It was pretty sad (not a shocker) and pretty cliche (not a shocker, either), but for some reason once I start a Nicholas Sparks book I have to finish it. I thought the storyline was okay. I just wish that I hadn't watched the trailers for the movie. I kept picturing Miley Cyrus and Greg Kinnear in the roles instead of using my own imagination to come up with the characters. I kept thinking, "Greg Kinnear wouldn't do that. . ." so it kind of threw me for a loop. All that being said, I liked the theme, and I thought he did a good job of presenting faith in God without sounding preachy or stereotypical.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

I'm currently about halfway through this book, but really like it. It's a true story, actually two true stories (try and say that three times fast) from two different men's perspectives about their lives and how they become friends. Denver is a poor, homeless man from Louisiana who never had one day of school. Ron is an educated art seller who is married to an amazing lady. Because of her drive and passion, the two become friends, and God works in really cool ways through this friendship. I can't give it a 100% seal of approval until I'm finished, but so far it is really good. Very convicting about how we view others and what we do in light of that.

Any other ideas of books I should read? Please let me know.

Courage

As I continue to study through the book of Daniel, I am overwhelmed by these young men's courage. I'm guessing that when Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to stand up to Kind Neb over and over again they were about half my age. Would I have that courage? Do I have any courage in the God that I claim to put my faith in?

Where's the proof?

I'd like to say that we live by faith on a day-to-day basis, but to be honest, with our cushy, comfortable lives, we want for nothing, and we get by pretty well (for the most part) on our own. It's sad to say, but most days go by without my even considering faith. I will spend time with God, pray, study, even serve in His name, but am I taking any steps in faith, not knowing where they will lead? Not always.

My study of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego led me to this website: http://persecution.com which I've also added to the links on the right. If I don't have to live in fear of my life because of my beliefs, surely I can spend some time on a regular basis praying for those who do. I encourage anyone who reads this to pray for believers all over the world who are abused, arrested, cast out, and even killed because they've chosen to step out in faith.

I also need to make some deliberate steps in faith that I know are all around me. Going out and making friends with my neighbors, telling people I know about God's love, showing those I don't know His grace and mercy. There are opportunities out there to grow in my faith. May I take a hold of those and let God lead.

Incomplete

Okay, so I finished the first part of my homework assignment, but failed to complete the last question our minister gave us: What is one thing you would like to change about yourself?

This is kind of a toughie, and not because there isn't anything to change about me. Quite the opposite. When I start thinking about areas of my life that I need to work on, I tend to get on the pity-party wagon and beat myself up. "I'm not ________, I'm too _________, I don't _________ enough. . ." I could do it all day. However, because I know I'm prone to do that, sometimes I don't take the effort to truly evaluate where my real weaknesses are that need to be addressed.

So, I said all of this to say: I need to work on not being so critical -- of others and myself.

I need to spend time encouraging and uplifting those around me, with words and with actions. I need to think about what I say before I say it, and keep my comments about people to a minimum. I've struggled with this for as long as I can remember. It's the same old motivation we all have: if I think about what's wrong with someone/something else, it makes me feel better about myself.

ie. "I might be ______________, but at least I didn't ____________, like _________."

It's a mean, critical attitude, and I need to ask God to help me with it.

Okay, I've completed my assignment.

Sigh.

Now, I feel better. Or worse. Or both.

Homework

Our minister talked about marriage yesterday, and he gave us homework. He asked us to come up with four things that we love about our spouse and one thing we'd like to change about ourselves. So, being the good student that I've always been (ha!), I will share a little of what I came up with.

Four things I love about David:

1. He has amazing patience. I guess anyone who could put up with me (and my family) must have patience, but he is so good about not getting frustrated with me or the kids. At night, David says prayers with Noel (Noel says he's better at it), and they lay in bed and just talk about the day. Instead of trying to hurry up the conversation so he can get on with his evening, David patiently asks Noel all kinds of questions and answers any of Noel's. I love him for this.

2. He is wise. I know that sounds kind of weird, but I don't just mean smart (which he is as well). Unlike me, David has the ability to calmly think through situations before making decisions. He weighs the options, considers the possibilities, and then acts. And guess which one of us a)makes better decisions and b)does less apologizing for things that shouldn't have been said?? Not him.

3. He's a great husband and father. From the time he steps in the door after work until both kids are in bed, David is a hands-on, active dad. He doesn't just go do whatever he wants, he invests in the kids, and it shows. They are excited to see him when he leaves, and sad to see him go. He knows just as much about their schedule, their likes/dislikes, their personalities, etc. as I do. It's so comforting to have a partner in this thing called parenthood.

4. He makes me laugh. I don't know how couples survive without the gift of humor and laughter. I can't tell you the number of times that I've been about to cry about something and David knows just how to lighten the mood and help me realize that whatever "catastrophe" we are in the middle of will pass, and that God is still in control, not me. He keeps perpective of what's important, and what we can laugh about. I won't give away all of his secrets, but he's got a few tricks up his sleeve.

So, there you have it--four of the many things I love about my husband. I want to pass this challenge along to you--share with your spouse what you love about them! Who doesn't want to hear that?

The picture on the left is Noel's first day of pre-school. The picture on the right was taken a few weeks ago at the zoo. Can't believe how quickly the years fly by. I heard someone say once that the days sometimes seem long and the years seem short. I agree.

In honor of Mother's Day, these are some things I've learned by being a mom:

*There will always be a part of your house that is a mess. Learn to accept it.

*You don't have to do it alone. There are people out there who want to help, but you have to ask!

*Kids are really funny. Sometimes they are frustrating, confusing, exasperating, and just plain naughty, but they do a lot of funny stuff.

*The advertisements on Nickelodeon are brainwashing my child. He wants a claw-scratcher for cats--we don't even own a cat!!

*A little bit of planning and forethought goes a long way. So does a bag of wipes.

*Kids can ask really hard questions, especially about God.

*Sometimes you just have to laugh or you'll cry.

*Being a mother is hard, but it's such a joy. My heart hurts for children who don't have moms. We need to be there for those children.

Happy Mother's Day!

You Make Me Smile

Links I Love

www.rhettandlink.com These two guys are hilarious! They do a lot of parody songs and such. Funny stuff.

http://boomama.net My friend Jill turned me onto this blog. She's just a regular lady who writes about her life, but she does it with such humor and wit that you will immediately fall in love with her.

http://donmilleris.com Donald Miller is one of my favorite writers, and although I don't always agree with him, he has some real insight about life, God, and writing.

www.marshill.org This is a church in Grand Rapids, Michigan where Rob Bell is the minister. You can download his latest sermon for free each week.

http://primetime.tv.yahoo.com this is a short video recap of the tv shows from the night before. It's about 3-4 minutes each day, and is really funny. I believe there is a daytime tv version of it, but I don't watch daytime tv.

http://tabtuner.com If you play guitar and need to transpose a song, this is the place for help.

http://marthastewart.com.everyday-food Now, before you get all nervous because it's Martha Stewart, check it out. She has a separate section of her "empire" dedicated to those of us who aren't growing our own lavendar or have three hours to make dinner. Everyday Food is full of ideas, recipes, pictures, and tips.

Well, there you go! Happy clicking!

Control

How many times does God have to remind me that He is in control and I am not?

I guess until I get the picture.

I like to be in control. Really like it. I guess that's part of being a teacher and a mother, but I like to make the plans and organize things. I like it when the plans get followed. I like it when my kids act like they should, when my car runs, when everyone is healthy, and people do what they say they are going to do.

But God is in control not me.

This weekend hundreds, if not thousands of people lost their homes to flooding. Do you think they planned that? Do you think my mom woke up this morning and thought, "I think I'll have my appendix out today"? What about the student I tutor whose dad cuts himself when he's stressed--was that in her plan of growing up? Of course not.

But God is in control not me. He has a plan much bigger than anything we can ask or imagine.

Today I am reminded of Psalm 46--Be still and know that I am God. God didn't put me on this earth to run and control everything. He put me on this earth to bring Him praise and to show others His love HOWEVER HE SEES FIT.

God, may I never hold so tightly to my plans, my control, that I miss out on the opportunities you have in front of me to show Your love.

Week in Review

Alright, here are some highlights from this week:
*Planned a date night for next Friday. Very excited to get away for the evening with David
*Made some really good chicken noodle soup from scratch
*Got to spend Friday night with my small group making lunch for Habitat for Humanity workers. I'm so blessed to have good Christian friends.
*I actually ran twice this week.
*Got to see RoRo and Gerard on the news. Thank you, Pierre Garcon, for using the trip to highlight HCO and Northwest Haitian Christian Mission.
*The cowboys didn't get kicked off Amazing Race
*Funny episodes of The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Community
*Going to plant flowers with Noel today
*Noel and David got to help Dick Blazer plant corn last night. More of a highlight for Noel than me, but it makes my heart happy when I see him talk for hours about his trip on "Big Blue", as he calls Dick's tractor (don't tell Grandpa and Uncle Mike that he was on a Ford).
*My little girl is getting the hang of saying "MaMa". Love love love it.
*Next week starts my month teaching Sunday School for high schoolers. Excited (and a little nervous) about attacking the book of Daniel.

Have a great weekend!

Stuff, stuff, and more stuff

A few weeks ago, I stumbled onto this website:

http://wearethatfamily.com

Anyway, the author has a bunch of different types of posts, sometimes funny, sometimes advice about keeping organized, ways to help in our world, etc. But today's post really struck me. It was all about how we have too much stuff. She recently went on a trip to Africa and realized how much the material items in our lives clutter not only our houses but who we are.

This topic has been a struggle with me for a long time. I look at our world, especially the United States, and see so many of us who are trying to fill our lives with things. We each have our vices: clothes, toys for the kids, decorating the house, scrapbooking, music, going out to eat, make-up, etc. The list could go on and on. And none of those things are bad on their own, except that we tend to turn those into happiness-makers. If I'm feeling bad about something, a new pair of shoes perks me right up. But is that really what God wants from me? Expects from me? Desires from me?

I want to look back at my life and instead of having a house full of stuff that someone will have to sort through, having lives around me with hearts full of memories of us together. Things I did with them or said to them that made an impression (hopefully a good one).

I want my children to realize as early on as they can that happiness doesn't come in what you get, but what you give.

And it starts today.

Don't Miss It!

Tonight on the 11:00 news on WISH tv (channel 8) there will be a segment about Pierre Garcon going to Haiti. Garcon plays for the Indianapolis Colts, and is originally from Haiti (Port-au-Prince, I believe). Anyway, part of his trip was spent with people from Haitian Christian Outreach, and they will be a part of the segment today. So don't miss it tonight! And please continue to pray for the people of Haiti. Just because it's not in the news all the time anymore doesn't mean they aren't still struggling.

My not-so-little man

These are some things that Noel has been up to as of recently:
*Riding his bike. He's really getting the hang of it, and loves to go around the block. It's so much fun to see him learn and develop a skill
*Playing with Elise. First he loved her, then he wasn't so sure. Then he was just plain annoyed with her. But in the last month or so Noel has really fallen in love with Elise, and it melts my heart. He wants to get her in the morning, and they literally spend a half-hour in her crib together giggling and playing before I come in. I have no idea what they do, but I love the bond they are creating with each other.
*Reading. Noel is very interested in letters, sounds, meanings, etc. and it is so much fun teaching him to read. He already knows quite a few words and lots of letter sounds. You can bet his mom, the old English teacher, is jumping on this wagon!
*Pushing boundaries. As most three year-olds, Noel is learning that he can stall before bedtime, negotiate, throw temper tantrums, and bend the rules. Some days are wonderful, and some are frustrating beyond belief. But I just keep praying for Noel and asking God to help me mold him into the man God wants him to be.
I'm blessed to have Noel in my life, and I hope when he remembers his childhood he recalls a mom who raised him with love, laughter, discipline, and wisdom. It's weird to think that Noel is almost to the age where he will remember some things we do now for a lifetime. I still remember things from when I was four, and I hope the memories we create with Noel will be great ones.

The Best and The Worst

Here are my picks for the best and the worst of television:

(Disclaimer: I do not have a lot of cable channels--ie. Lifetime, Food Network, Comedy Channel, etc. so some of my choices are limited!)

Morning Shows:

Best--I don't mind a little Good Morning Amerca to get my day started, but to be honest, there is nothing on in the morning that I care too much about. Not even the talk shows like Ellen, Bonnie, etc. They are okay, but nothing spectacular

Worst--Live with Regis and Kelly. Who in the world watches this show? I think the demographic must be 75 year-old ladies. Seriously, it's awful.

Comedies:

Best--I used to love love love The Office, and I still do like it, but it's just not as funny as it used to be. Don't get me wrong, it still has its moments, but they are not as side-splitting as in the early days. I've watched Modern Family a few times, and it is hilarious, but pretty inappropriate at times. I also really like Parks and Recreation and The Big Bang Theory. But I'm not sold on anything 100%. I'll go with Psych, even though each season of Psych is about 4 episodes. I lov every one of them.

Worst-- Oh, my, there are so many terrible shows out there. Rules of Engagement?? Three and a Half Men? What's that show where Dharma is pregnant? Gary Unmarried? I can't even bring myself to try these shows after I watch the previews. Maybe I'm missing out on the funniest show of the year. But I don't think so.

Reality Shows:

Best--Of course, if you know me at all you know that Top Chef is my all-time favorite reality show. I love it. I could watch it every day. I love watching the creativity, the different kinds of chefs there are, and the drama that ensues. Another show that David and I really like watching together is The Amazing Race. I think what I love about it is that we learn stuff about different countries and get to see all kinds of different cultures. Plus we always end up deciding how we would do in certain challenges and how the two of us should never actually be on The Amazing Race.

Worst--Oh, there are so many. Anything where people vote people off bothers me, even American Idol to a point, because it ends up not being the best contestant who wins. (And as a sidenote, Dear American Idol contestants: if you think I need you to hold up the number I'm supposed to call to pick you, you've lost my vote already). But I think most TLC shows would qualify as the worst reality shows--anything with Kate Gosselin or a brood of kids or people who have some sort of weird quality like tree stumps for legs or an extra eye or something. I can do without any of those. I will say that the Hoarders show on TLC is better than the original on A&E, although I still think they totally stole that idea. Do we really need 2 shows about hoarders? And what do people from other countries think when they see shows like Hoarders. Is this an issue in any other country than America, where excess is praised?

But I digress. . .

Dramas:

Best--The Mentalist is awesome. Love it. And Castle is good. Those are really the only dramas I watch. Nothing compares to Homicide: Life on the Streets. But I can't even get the reruns of that.

Worst--CSI: Miami. Are there really people out there who watch this? Also, although I've never seen it, I can't imagine The Ghost Whisperer is high quality, but I could be dead wrong (HA!)

Late Night Shows:

Best--Jimmy Fallon is the best. The bomb. He makes me laugh all of the time.

Worst--Jay Leno is not funny. I don't get his appeal, but apparently others do, so I must be missing out.

So there you have it. Now that you think I'm a tv junkie and have no life, I've shared my faves and least faves in the bunch.

Happy watching!

The Daniel Diet

Okay, before you get the wrong idea, I'm not on the newest weight loss plan. I'm preparing to teach the book of Daniel to high school students. I just finished going through chapter one, and find that it is such a relevant book. Here's some thoughts I had about Daniel 1 that I wanted to share.

*This book took place around 600 BC. So 2600 years later we are still struggling with the same issues. In chapter one we find that Judah had continued to disregard God's warnings that if they didn't follow Him there would be trouble.

Enter the Babylonians, who capture everyone and trash the temple.

How many times have I known in my head that something, some action, some attitude of mine was going to lead to trouble, and I choose to ignore it? How many times do I end up in trouble and then ask, "Why, God?"

Solomon was right. There is nothing new under the sun.

*Babylon was known for its indulgence, excess, and focus on money, youth, and appearance. Hmmmm. . .that sounds just a tad familiar with our culture today. And when Daniel was told to eat from the king's table (basically eating from his table would signify agreement with his land and their beliefs), he found himself at a crossroads.

Would it have been a sin for Daniel to eat the king's food? I don't know, but I don't think that was Daniel's question. I think Daniel's question was: What is the best choice I can make in this situation?

*And that is what I find most convicting about Daniel chapter one. Most days I am not being "attacked" with choices between terrible acts and angelic behavior. Instead, most of my choices are between 'okay' things and 'better' things. It is really tempting to just do what I want and rationalize with the thought, "I'm not 'sinning' or hurting anyone. I could be doing much worse." But what if each of my daily decisions was motivated by the question "What is the best choice in this situation?" How different would my day be?

May I look at each decision and realize that little choices for better instead of good are just as important as big choices between good and evil.

Thanks, Daniel.

Soup on a Rainy Day

In the past week I have come across two DELICIOUS soup recipes, and although soup is more of a winter meal, these were great on rainy, spring days. I wanted to share the love. Enjoy!







Hearty Potato Soup

6 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 med. onion, chopped
1 1/2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 1/2 c. water
6 chicken bouillon cubes
6 T. butter
6 T. flour
4 c. whole/2% milk
1/4 t. cilantro
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. shredded cheese(any you desire)

In a large pot, add water & bouillon cubes. Over medium/high heat, heat water and dissolve cubes. Once bouillon cubes are dissolved add potatoes, onion, carrot, and celery. Bring to a boil, boil for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, over med/high heat, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir into potato mix. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cilantro, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Yields 7-8 servings.

Pasta Fagioli

1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 lb. ditalini pasta
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 lb. Capicola (spicy Italian ham)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in saucepan over med. heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, 2 cups water, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and carrots; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in beans, Capicola, salt, and pepper. Heat through. Serve warm with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Week in Review, April 23

Things I am thankful for from this week:

*of course my sweet little girl's 1st birthday

*getting to be outside so much this week

*watching my kids play together

*the blessing (and curse) of a sandbox in the back yard

*getting to lead worship on Sunday

*new potato soup recipe that was UH-MAZING!

*words of encouragement from an old friend

*a new Office last night--hilarious

*that the NCAA is not turning the basketball tournament into a 96-team bracket

*the comic strip "Pickles". It rarely disappoints.

Funny quotes from the week:

*I tutor a couple of students at a local school, and I was helping one girl write a paragraph about how she was going to 'save the earth', when I asked her about using too much water when washing the dishes. Her response: "Oh, we just use paper plates instead of real plates--should I write that down?" Ummm. . .I don't think that counts

*I'm helping Noel get his underwear on. . .

Me: "Noel, you need to figure out how to do this on your own."

Noel: "Why?"

Me: "Because do you want to be 10 and still needing my help to pull your pants up?"

Noel: "Mom, I'm three, remember?"

*"C is for Suspension" Kevin Malone, The Office

Have a blessed weekend, everyone! Hopefully the rain holds off so we can raise some money at the garage sale tomorrow for the Haiti mission trip!

In My Dreams

Okay, so most Wednesday nights at 10:00 you can find me on my couch watching either Top Chef or Top Chef Masters. Right now it's Top Chef Masters, and although David doesn't care for it as much as the original Top Chef, I'm starting to dig it. I really like the host and the judges (but I do miss me some Tom). I thought it was a little unfair last night that Rick Moonen, an acclaimed seafood chef, got to make fish and chips, while poor Ludo, a French chef who speaks with such a strong accent they add subtitles, had to make Irish stew. Irish stew?? Come on! But I loved the challenge, and I would love to visit the pub where they served the food. Looks like a fun place.

Here's the funny thing: every time I watch an episode of Top Chef I go to bed that night trying to figure out how I would complete the challenge if I were a contestant. Believe me, I have come up with some wierd ideas! It helps me unwind and keep my mind off other pressing things that might actually keep me awake.

Anyway, it might be rubbing off, because in the middle of the night we hear, "NO! MOMMY!" I go into Noel's room, and he tells me that Elise stole his cracker. He was dreaming about food, too! Ha!!! I told him I'd get him a cracker in the morning, and he promptly went back to sleep.

Maybe he is more like me than I think.

Elise

One year ago, I hadn't even met you.
Didn't know your smile
your mischievous ways
your sweet eyes
your voice

One year ago, I didn't know what life would be like with 2 kids.
the chaos
the volume
the love between two siblings that has started to grow

One year ago, I prayed for your safe arrival.
Now I pray that you will be challenged and guided by God all of your days
that you will show His beauty through your life

I can't imagine this year without you, my Elise, and I look forward to the many adventures we will have together.

Thank you for the honor of being your mom.

Happy Birthday.

Start the Countdown

Okay, so two months from tomorrow I am going with about 18 other people (high school students and adults) to Peredo, Haiti to work with Haitian Christian Outreach for a week. When I signed up for this, I was really excited. I haven't been on a missions trip in about six years, and I really love them, especially getting to take students who have never been. It is such a life-changing experience in so many ways. You can't explain it unless you've been on one. To see how God works in all different cultures, languages, countries, etc. is mind-blowing.

But now that the time is getting closer, I am starting to get anxious.

How will my kids handle being without me for 10 days?
Can I manage the heat?
How will I deal with seeing the devastation of Haiti and knowing about my excess of material items at home?
Is my trip going to make a difference?

I believe these are all valid questions, HOWEVER, I also think that Satan is trying to tempt me to be consumed with these thoughts instead of focusing on praying for our group and the encounters we are going to have with the people in Peredo, Haiti.

Faith without works is dead.

It's time to step out in faith and prepare for this trip in complete faith that God knows what He is doing. It's time to live these next few months with excitement and anticipation for this adventure. It's time to stop thinking I'm the only person who can take care of my children.

It's time.

Let My Words Be Few

Yesterday I woke up, and I had no voice. No pain or anything, just no voice. I had a cold, and it must have settled in my throat. I didn't think it was a big deal, but through the course of the day, I realized how much I rely on my voice. It was really hard taking care of my kids without talking to them, and being at church was difficult because I couldn't really talk to anyone and I couldn't even sing.

I take so many things, like a voice, for granted every day. It's like anything else, you don't appreciate it until it's gone.

May I live today thankful for all of the gifts in my life that I don't normally notice:
*health
*shelter
*income
*family
*safety
*freedom
*forgiveness
*peace

I hope that I don't have to lose any of these to appreciate them.

What I learn from being a parent

Tonight was one of those nights when Noel was being so irrational that we couldn't even talk to him. He was mad about something silly that we had no control over, and he would not get over it. After a half an hour of crying and screaming, he calmed down and we put him to bed. I just kept thinking over in my head, "He's not listening. If he would just listen and obey, it would be so much easier."

I think about how much God has taught me through the experience of being a parent about seeing life from His point of view. How many times in my life is God looking at me and thinking, "If you'd just listen and obey it could be so much better!" But I insist on doing things my way and then insist on being upset when the outcome isn't good. I bet it looks about as silly as a three-year-old throwing a tantrum over a balloon that floated away.

God, forgive my selfish ways. Speak, for I am listening. Help me to obey.

Week In Review

Okay, this is a totally stolen idea, but I love it.

Highlights of this week include: (in no particular order)

*homemade fried rice tonight
*David bringing me home a fountain soda
*the BEAUTIFUL weather--lots of time being outside
*I lead songs with my guitar at a nursing home on Tuesdays. This week during "The Old Rugged Cross" one resident was talking on the phone and I heard him say, "I'm just sitting here listening to some beautiful music." Made me smile
*Celebrating Elise's birthday with family tomorrow--I can't believe we've made it through her first year
*Finished 2 books this week. "Have a Little Faith" (Mitch Albom) and "Irristible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne.
*Favorite show of the week: a dvr'd episode of 30 Rock. That show makes me laugh
*Night out with my favorite girl, Elise, for some groceries and whatnot. She melts my heart.
*Being reminded this spring that God is in the process of renewing, changing, and growing us in ways that we don't even understand. We just jump on and enjoy the ride.

Blessings,
Beth

Blank

I haven't written a great deal since our last project at church. Gave myself a break from it. But I think now I really need to get my brain back into writing gear. So get ready. More to come (I hope) . . .

Psalm 21

O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories You give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, for ever and ever.

Through the victories You gave, his glory is great; You have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. Surely You have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence.

For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

Your hand will lay hold on all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize Your foes. At the time of Your appearing You will make them like a fiery furnace. In His wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and His fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. Though they plot evil against You and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for You will make them turn their backs when You aim at them with drawn bow.

Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might.

This is a psalm of praise to God, with the first and last verses reminding us of God’s strength, and the verse in the middle being the theme: trust in God and His unfailing love.

Psalm 21 is all about how King David was victorious over his enemies because he trusted in the Most High. It goes on and describes how God will take care of destroying David’s enemies.

To be honest, these images don’t relate to me very much. I am definitely up against different struggles on a daily basis, and I do need God’s help every moment of the day, but do I have people here on earth who are plotting my demise like David did? No.
The battle imagery is lost on me.

However. . .

Whether I acknowledge it or not, whether I plainly see it, I am in the midst of a spiritual battle. Satan is on the hunt to keep as many people from a true, intimate relationship with God as possible. But we need not fear, because we don’t have to fight Satan. We have the one, true, almighty God fighting the battle for us. And if our lives are in line with Him, He will take care of us.

So I am incredibly thankful for this psalm, and others like it, that remind me of God’s ultimate victory over Satan. May I be reminded of that today and show it with my life.

Tina's Journal

The following is an eye-witness account to the devastation the people of Haiti have experienced due to the recent earthquake. Tina Isenhower is a nurse for Haitian Christian Outreach. To learn more about what you can do, visit www.haitianchristian.org

Jacmel, Haiti 6:00 p.m. January 16, 2010

Dear Friends and family:

I want to thank you for all your prayers and e-mails. Here is an account of the past few days here in Haiti since the earthquake hit. All these miracles and events happened because of prayer, God watching over us, and trusting in Him. Throughout all our ordeal my parents and I were praying and putting our trust in God.

January 12, 2010

Tuesday the 12th of January was a normal day for me. I got up and left early and did a few things before heading off to Port-au-Prince about 11:00 a.m. to pick up my parents who were scheduled to arrive on AA at 4:15 p.m. I left Rachel with Linda Roller (a friend who is spending a few months with us) in Jacmel and set off for Port-au-Prince . A good friend a co worker Pastor Gerard Eustache had come to drive me to Port-au-Prince . We arrived about 2:00 p.m. I have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome and it was acting up so he dropped me off at LeKaribe Hotel and was going to send a driver with my vbehicle to pick up my parents. He was going to go get ready and go to Bible Study at his Church. Mom & Dad’s plane arrive at 3:53 and they were out of the airport by 4:20. I talked to them via cell phone and they were on their way to the hotel. At 4:40 p.m. I talked to them again and they were less than 10 minutes from the hotel @ 4;44 an earthquake hit Haiti . I had just hung up from talking to another friend on my cell phone. It threw me off of the bed and onto the floor. I hit my shoulder hard on the bedside table. Immediately a huge portrait fell off the wall on to the bed where I had been sitting. The television landed by my right foot and a mirror landed by my left foot shattering glass all over me. Praise God I was not cut. I did not know what to do. To try and jump from my balcony ro try and get out the door. I finally decided on the door because there was 2 floors below me (lobby and 1st floor). It took me about 10 minutes to get my door open I was the first door on the floor on our wing of the hotel. I looked to my right and you could not see any other rooms for all the debris and plaster falling. I crawled over debris and made it to the landing on our floor by the elevators and crawled down the emergency stairs. I made it to the 1st floor but could not make it to the lobby because it was caved in and you could not see it. I remembered a back stairway on 1st floor and crawled and walked over debris to get there. Once I got to the back stairway leading outside I was able to safely escape the hotel. Many people were injured and hurt from broken glass and fallen debris. Once outside it was terrible. I could hear people screaming and could still see houses falling off the mountainsides. People began rescuing people still stuck in the hotel. One of the rescue people climbed in my hotel window and retrieved a small overnight bag which had my purse in it.

I had my cell phone in my pocket. I tried calling Mom & Dad and Gerard and I could not get thru to anyone because all the cell phone towers in our area had fallen down. Everyone was in the street waiting on rescue teams. No one came. About 9:00 they finally made us all go to the tennis court because the after shocks were so strong that they were afraid that the hotel was going to finish collapsing the rest of the way.

We were given a glass of water and appetizers that was suppose to have been for a conference that night. Everyone was given 4 small cracker size appetizers with smoked salmon and caviar. Boy did it taste good. I felt sorry for the children crying. They had let people whose had lost their houses in the neighborhood sleep on the tennis court also I used my overnight bag as a pillow. I am so amazed how God takes care of us. I was cold. A man named Antoine brought me his coat. He had just flown in from Washington D.C. that morning. He had a suit on plus a coat. He gave me his coat to cover up with. I kept praying for Mom, Dad, and Gerard’s safety. I dozed on and off all night until 5:00 a.m.

January 13, 2010

I dozed on and off all night until 5:00 a.m. Security tried to make me stay on the tennis court or by the pool but I went and sat on the curb in front of the hotel. I had decided to wait until 8 a.m. and If I could not get a hold of Mom and Dad then I was going to try and get a motorcycle taxi to take me to Gerard’s and down the street where I knew they were traveling down when the earthquake hit. At 7:46 my Nissan Patrol pulled up with Mom, Dad, and Gerard’s driver. They had been trying to get to me all night. They finally gave up at midnight. They had been able to connect up with Gerard. They all slept in the car on the street in front of Gerard’s house. Gerard lost everything except his Bible, clothes on his back and his vehicle. If it has not been a church night he would have most likely have been in the house when it collapsed. He was only 1 block from his house when the earthquake hit on his way to Bible Study.

I was never so glad to see anyone in my life. I ran towards the car and Dad jumped out and ran towards me. Mom was so overwhelmed she laid her head on the window and cried. We decided to go back to Gerard’s and try a small 15-20 bed hotel near Gerard’s. Because all the big hotels in out area had collapsed. The El Rancho , Montana , Hotel Christopher just to name a few. It should have taken us 10 minutes to get to where Gerard’s house use to be it took us 3 hours. I have never saw so much destruction. I felt like I was in a war zone. People walking everywhere in the Streets. Children sitting beside the roads with no adults in sight. We went by one of the hospitals and they had tied sheets on poles in the yard to handle the injured. Dad and I saw a lady die right in front of our eyes. You could not look at a building without seeing a foot, arm, leg, or head sticking out from under the collapsed buildings. Dead bodies stacked 2 and 3 high in some places. I saw 4 little children laying dead beside the road. Someone had covered them with a sheet. Mothers were stopping by the bodies and lifting up the sheet to see if it was their missing child. This broke my heart. There were dead bodies lined up along the streets.

We finally made it to the Coconut Villa Hotel. The walls surrounding the hotel had fallen down but the hotel itself was still in tact. Most foreigners do not stay there so we were able to get a room. They wre dipping water out of the pool to clean the rooms and for people to bathe in. Lots of people were sleeping in the yard of the hotel by the pool. We collapsed on our beds and fell asleep we were awaken a few times by tremors (after shock). We got up around 5:00 and was offered some goulash. I didn’t ask what was in it, nor did my parents we were just thankful to have food. Gerard walked to the hotel to check on us around 6:00 p.m. He had been at his Church. He was going to sleep in his car again and watch his house because people were starting to loot houses. He was going to wait until the after shocks were over to see if they couldn’t dig their way in and retrieve some things. I was so thankful he was safe. He did not want to stay with us. Him and some of his Church people were going to help with the night vigil in his neighborhood to keep people from looting.

I still had not been able to make contact with Rachel and Linda in Jacmel. Finally, my phone rang and it was a neighbor stating Rachel wanted to talk to me. She wanted to know when I was coming because the road to Jacmel was broken. She said Linda and her were sleeping outside in a field behind our house and then the line went dead.

We were finally able to get out to the States for 2 minutes until we were cut off and let my brother-in-law and sister know we were okay. Chuck was able to e-mail Rachel and let me know she was okay.

January 14, 2010

We were offered bread for breakfast. Again, we were thankful for what we could find. We were told we would have chicken and rice around 1:00 or 2:00. We were excited to hear this.

We were advised not to try and travel to Jacmel. Dad and I walked around the neighborhood of the hotel we were at. It was horrible. People were literally sleeping in the streets.

I was finally able to make contact with Rachel and Linda again and the States.

Gerard stopped by around 2:00 p.m. and said he would send a driver to drive us to Jacmel the next day. We were eleated.

January 15, 2010

O Cap, Gerard’s driver came about 5:46 a.m. and we headed for Jacmel. I was overwhelmed by what I saw. They were starting to burn bodies in the streets. I saw dead bodies tied to pieces of tin and being pulled behind vehicles to burn sites. I saw 5 heads that were still burning the rest of the bodies had all ready burned. I cannot clear my sinuses of the smell of burning flesh. I passed by the ruins of the Palace National of Haiti, the downtown prison, the Palace of Justice and many other government buildings in ruins. There was not an open space that people had not made make shift housing on. This was done by driving poles in the ground and covering them with a shirt, towel, sheet, or any other type of cloth they could find.

There was a mass exodus from the city. People were exiting Port-au-Prince on foot, carrying what little belongings they had salvaged along with their children and other family members. Some had not been able to salvage anything they just carried their children. One man carried a child on his shoulders and another in his arms. They were heading for the country. As we traveled outside of Port-au-Prince towards the mountains I was still overwhelmed by the devastation.

We finally made it 1/3 of the way over the mountain to Jacmel and encountered a rock slide, or so we thought. Actually the road had caved in. At the bottom of the cave in was 3 busses that had been full of people and no survivors. We would not even get across the deep ravine by motorcycle. We had to turn around and go back to Port-au-Prince . We tried to go to the small airport to see if we could get a charter to Jacmel but was told that the small airport was closed and we were turned back at the gate. We finally arrived back at the Hotel again around noon and the room we had vacated that morning was the only room they had left. We were thankful and once again thanked our heavenly Father for providing for us.

I was really down because we could not communicate with Rachel or Jacmel. Finally, some of my staff got thru for a minute or two. I learned Rachel and Linda were still sleeping outside. The island was still getting after shocks. My friends Carol and Glyn Price were able to get thru from the States. They were such an encouragement.

Gerard came by and said we couldn’t try again until Monday. We were thankful to have chicken and rice again for supper. Only meal of the day. But he would be by the next morning.

January 16, 2010

By 11:00 a.m. we still had not seen Gerard. We continue to feel the after shocks of the earthquake. Buildings that were standing but unstable are continuing to fall from the tremors. I decided to drive the 8 blocks to Gerard’s house. I knew they were going to try and see if they couldn’t get some stuff out. I saw that he was busy with some of his Church people trying to see if they could get anything out of the ruins of his house.

I told him I was going to the small airport again to see if I could get a charter to Jacmel. He said he head I would not be able too. Once again when I got to the small airport I was told no planes were flying. I told them I would check for myself (I said it with a smile) and went on thru the gate. I told Mom & Dad to wait in the SUV. I went inside and the airport was deserted except for a few people. The few people who were there told me that the airport was closed. No flights. I saw a mechanics who works with Missionary Aviation Flights (MAF) outside messing with one of the planes. I asked a security guard to go get him for me. He said he was not cleared to go out to the planes. I asked him to find someone who was authorized. He found someone. Todd came inside to talk to me. I explained my situation and he said I would have to talk to one of the pilots by the name of Will, but it didn’t look promising. Will one of the pilots came in and I explained by situation to him. He looked at his watch and it was 12:40. He said if you can be back here by 2:00 p.m. I will try but I heard the runway in Jacmel is damaged but we will try it. Going to the airport we experienced a bad traffic jam. Took us over an hour to get there. We made it back to Gerard’s house within 10 minutes and picked up a driver to return my SUV to Gerard, swung by the hotel and picked up Mom and Dad’s luggage and was back at the airport by 1:20. We did not encounter any traffic jam. We were in the air by 2:15 p.m. I prayed all the way to Jacmel. By 2:45 we were on the ground in Jacmel. They had just fixed the runway and 3 planes from the Dominican Republic had landed with supplies for Jacmel. If we had left that morning or the day before we would not have been able to land. All these miracles happened because of prayer and trusting in God.

Boss Telefant picked us up and took us to Cyvadier. We were stopped by so many people in our village running towards the truck and stopping us. So many people were glad to see us. We all got lots of hugs and kisses and many others were dancing in the street.

Rachel was extremely excited to see us. She ran outside to meet us and jumped in the truck and starting hugging and kissing everyone. LeeLein and Esther (Rachel’s friends) grabbed me as soon as I got out of the truck.

We dropped the luggage off and then Boss Telefant, Met Tony, Dad, Linda, Rachel, and I went to Jacmel to survey the damage. It was bad but not as bad as Port-au-Prince . They recovered 2,000 bodies in one day and mahy more are still missing and presumed dead. The hospital collapsed. We went by and there were people every where in the yard. Children with no parents. I told them I would be back tomorrow to help as much as I could.

I talked with the Mayor of Jacmel and told him we would take up to 12 children under the age of 6 who had lost their parents. He was relieved and very thankful. I was exhausted and told him I would see him tomorrow.

It is now 8:30 p.m.I just felt a huge tremor from the earthquake. I am going to close. I am so overwhelmed I do not know what to do or where to start. Tomorrow I am going back to the hospital and the mayor’s office and see what I can do to help. Linda, Mom, Dad, and Rachel will also go to help.



Here are short term plans:

We are going to feed additional children besides our school children.

There is a possibility we will start a small orphanage if the need is there.

Here are some specific prayer requests:

1. Pray for the children who lost parents.

2. Pray God will guide us in helping the neediest children.

3. Pray for wisdom for us in choosing children who need help.

4. Pray God will provide the needed funds to help





God Bless

Tina Isenhower

Missionary to Haiti

Psalm 20

May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah
May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. O LORD, save the king! Answer us when we call!

I’m sure I’ve read this psalm before, but I’ve never noticed how beautiful it is. What an encouraging prayer for each of us!

I put my trust in a lot of things, especially myself, and in the end I am always disappointed. But my one true hope is in the LORD. With Him we can rise up and stand firm. All we need do is call on Him.

This is exactly what the sermon was about yesterday—calling on God at all times. This is definitely an area where I am weak. My relationship with God is a two-way street, and it is up to me to keep the communication going. I wouldn’t call someone a friend if I hardly ever communicated with them, and when I did all I did was list things I needed or complaints. The same is true with God. He is always here to listen to me. But the calling is up to me.

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19 is a continuation of praise from Psalm 18. In Psalm 18 David praises God for the thing He has done. In this psalm he praises God for two other reasons:
#1—His creation
#2—His law

vs. 1-6=His creation. Nature is an amazing thing. Not only does everything work in perfect harmony, but the seasons change so beautifully. How can someone not see the beauty of nature outside and not think there is a God who created all of this?

Vs. 7-14=His law. God’s law is perfect. It’s so simple to understand, yet so hard to live out, but if we just do what God asks of us these are the outcomes:
Reviving of the soul
Joy to the heart
Light to our eyes
Warnings
Great reward

Who doesn’t want all of those things? And yet we take the Bible for granted. I wish I had the passion David does for God’s word, calling it more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. I want to crave the Bible in the morning like I crave my morning coffee. I want to read His words with the intensity with which I would read a love letter from my sweetheart. I want to follow His guidance like I follow the directions on important medicine. It is easy to forget how blessed we are to have God’s word at our fingertips, there for the taking at any time! May I find a passion for studying God’s word, and may I live those words out with my life.

David puts it best as he ends this verse:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

May God be pleased as I study His Word, and may my life be changed because of it.

Psalm 18:30-50

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless, He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; You made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flights, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.

You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to Your name. He gives His king great victories; He shows unfailing kindness to His anointed, to David and His descendants forever.

God’s way is perfect. It does not fail.

In 2 Samuel 7:8-11, God vows to David that if David follows God’s ways, he will succeed. This part of Psalm 18 is a testament that God made good on His promise. Verses 31-45 recount all of the cool ways God helped David succeed, and it’s pretty amazing.

How often do I pray for something—strength to make it through a tough situation, patience during a trial, wisdom to make a choice—and God completely works it out, and I forget to thank Him or acknowledge Him? Worse yet, how often do I end up taking the credit for it myself? How sad!

I need to always give God thanks. And beyond that, I need to retell over and over the amazing ways He works in my life.

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

May I be a voice that praises God today: for who He is, for all He does, and for what He is making of me!

Pausing on the Psalms

FYI, I will be continuing to write my thoughts on the Psalms, but right now I am working my way through Acts for a project with our church.

On another note, here are some photos of the kids. Noel turned 3 this weekend, and is doing great. He loves to play with legos and cars/tractors. We are headed up to Belding to see the Wittenbachs tomorrow, and Noel is so excited! He can't wait to get in the "barn shed" as he calls it and play with everything there!

Elise is 5 1/2 months old and growing more every day. She has a funny personality already. She smiles a lot and loves to hear the sound of her voice. She rolls all over, so she can pretty much get to anywhere she wants on the floor. Watch out!!

Psalm 18:20-29

The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

At first glance, David sounds pretty full of himself in this passage, which is in stark contrast to other psalms where he cannot believe God would even love him. But after looking a little closer, I think the point David is trying to make is that God does notice when our hearts are devoted to Him. Yes, we all are sinful. Yes, God loves and blesses each of us. But we also are rewarded for our faithfulness, whether it is on earth or in heaven.

God loves every one of us no matter who we are or what we’ve done. However, God doesn’t want us to stay the way we are. If we commit our lives to Him, He is going to mold us into His likeness, which might be painful at times because we have to deal with sin in our lives (You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.).

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is that God can take our sin-filled, selfish lives and turn them into something beautiful. That is the greatest testimony of the power of God. From Paul in the Bible to a former drug dealer who is now a pastor, the power of God changes lives!

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. All things are possible if we let God lead. I might be able to “get by” on my own, but with God I can make a difference every day for Him!