Nadine Update

Several months ago, maybe even a year, I started writing about Nadine.  Nadine is a young lady I met on my trip to Peredo, Haiti.  She had a huge growth, which made her look nine months pregnant.  Because of this, she was basically an outcast in her village.  Her mother didn't want her to go to school.  She had minimal contact with the other children.  

But over the course of this past year, my friend Ginny, along with countless others, have worked to get her the medical help she needs.  Now she is living in Columbus, Ohio with an amazing family, the Tatas.  Her medical procedures have been long and tedious (lots of draining and dealing with blood pressure issues), but Sheree (her host mother) says Nadine has been incredibly brave and positive.  Sheree says she is a member of their family.

Last week, David went with a group of students and adults from our church to Nadine's village.  As I was sticking pictures of the kids in his backpack, I had the quick thought to throw in some pictures of Nadine here in the states, happy and healthy.  

I'm so thankful I did.

The top picture of the post is David with Nadine's mom and brother.  David was able to share with them the pictures and explain that she is doing very well.  He said Nadine's mom kept putting her hand on her heart and saying "Mesi, mesi" (thank you).  She even blew him a kiss when he left.

A trip to Haiti can be overwhelming.  There is so much chaos and heartache.  It's hard to even wrap your mind around where to begin. 

But God is bigger.

And we do what we can.  One soul at a time.

There are sometimes questions about why people go on short term missions trips.  And I do believe that some trips are not always handled correctly (ie. they are more work than help for the long-term missionaries).  But as I look at Nadine and know that if we had not gone to Haiti, we would probably not be a part of this plan  God had for her, I cannot help but be overwhelmed again, but this time with thankfulness and joy.

What can I do today that will make a difference in someone' life for God?  That should be our question every day.  Everywhere.  Every. Time.

Thursday Thank Yous. . .on Friday

This week I am thankful for. . .

581. air conditioning.

582. the city pool.

583. friends and family who check in on us while David is away.

584. closing the house we are buying and our own house ON THE SAME DAY NEXT WEEK!  And to think I had fretted!

585. hearts that are broken by the things that break God's heart

586. the first zucchini out of the garden.

587. WiFi, even in Haiti, so I can get an email or 2 from him while he's gone.

588. Redbox.

589. slushies.

590. old friends whom you can completely be yourself around.

What are you thankful for?

Slowing Down/Speeding Up

It's Thursday.

(Sigh)

David's been gone since last Friday night.

We've had a lot of fun, but we are ready for him to come home.

Every time I've ever gone on a missions trip, the first few days seem to go really slowly, and then the last 2 days fly by.

Every time I've stayed home while my husband has been gone, the first part seems to fly by, and the last few days before he gets home come to a screeching halt.

So that's where we are.

We have some fun things planned, and hope that the weather will cooperate.  And we had a really good time celebrating Independence Day with friends last night.  I even broke down and let the kids stay up to watch fireworks, which is something I haven't done ever with my kids.  I kept trying to convince them, "See?  Sometimes Mom can be fun!!"  (After 2 days of yelling at them and being completely grumpy and impatient.  I'm sure it worked beautifully.)

I used to make comments when David was gone about how I was being a "single" parent, or that now I know what it feels like to be a single parent.  But I read an article once from a real single parent, and I realize that my husband being away for a week is so far removed from being a single parent that I will never say that again.  There is such a huge difference between missing my husband because he's out of the country for a short time and missing my husband because a)he left for good b)he was never around to begin with c) he is gone for months at a time.  Perspective is a hard pill to swallow sometimes.

So, while these last 3 days creep along, we will try to enjoy every moment of the days we are given (even if they are face-melting hot), and try to focus on the good stuff.

Halfway there

Tonight (Tuesday) is the halfway point of David's trip to Haiti.  Sunday after church we loaded up the old Honda Van and headed to my old alma mater:  Lincoln Christian College University (I'm not sure I'll ever be able to call it that.). My dear friend Jenni was there with her kids, and we hung out with them until Tuesday morning.

Some highlights:

*Watching the four kids play together.  They ran, rode bikes, walked trails, played with Legos, and became masters at hide and seek.

*Catching up with Matt and Jenni.  I miss them terribly, and it was so nice to have 2 full days to spend together.

*Not having to be alone with the kids for a few days.

But I'm not gonna sugar coat it:  some of it was been bad.  It is incredibly tiring to travel with two little ones alone.  There were some tears (mostly mine) and some screaming (mostly the kids).  But we headed home today, and are getting ready to go to bed (I'm hoping I won't fall asleep while reading bedtime stories, I'm so tired.  Could it be the combo of staying up past 1AM with Matt and Jenni and waking up at 6:45 AM to 2 children right in my face?  Probably.).

I am praying that tomorrow is a better day.  A day where I see my kids as the true blessings they are.

Here we go

Today is the first of 8 days with just me and the kids.  We (I) decided early on that the best way to keep everyone (me) from missing David, we would try and stay busy.

Today's adventures included a trip to the Haynes Apperson Parade, in downtown Kokomo.  I was a little concerned how I was going to manuever 3 chairs, 2 kids, and a cooler of drinks to a shady spot.  I was also a little concerned about a)where the parade actually was and b)where I was allowed to park.

Luckily, we got there in plenty of time.  After we parked and figured out a good place to sit, we walked to the downtown library to kill some time.  (Too bad I was carrying all of that through the library.  I may or may not have gotten a few looks.  Whatever.)

The kids had a great time at the parade.  It was kicked off by the veterans, who were led by my nephew Jonathan, on drums.  We got to see several people we know in the parade, so now Noel thinks I know everyone in Kokomo.  The kids had more than their fill of candy, and even got some free ice cream tokens from Culvers.  About 5 or 6 floats from the end, it started raining, so we packed it up and headed home.  The kids were sweaty and sticky, but happy.

And before you read this and think I am a mom who has it all together, right now they are chasing each other in and out of the house, screaming.

Oh, and Elise has no pants on.

You pick your battles.

Here's to a good day, and hopefully 7 more before we all are together again!

Thursday Thank You's, one day late

Today I am thankful for. . .

571.  air conditioning!!

572. funny moments between David and me (like last night when he was talking in his sleep, telling me about how I needed to be careful because there were grapes everywhere.  When I tried to wake him up, he said, "I am WIDE awake."  Really, grape man?  Really?)

573. strong, healthy bodies for my kids and me

574. Nadine's continued improvement, for her courage and patience

575. getting to see old friends last night and catch up

576. one hand-me-down Dora bike that has made my daughter's week!

577. reminders of what our true blessings are.

578. our upcoming trip to Lincoln to see dear, dear friends

579. the first zucchini from the garden. . .picked this morning!

580. getting to drive the mission trip crew down to Indy tonight.  It makes me think of Tanya Davis, who passed away a little over a year ago.  She wanted so badly to go on the trip in 2010, but couldn't.  She said driving us there was as close as she could come to going on the trip.  I can't wait to be there when they get off the plane on the trip home, either!

What are you thankful for?

Summer Adventures

In two days, I will be sending David off, with about 25 other people, to work in Haiti for a little over a week.   They are going to Peredo, where I went two years ago.

To say that I am jealous is an understatement.

I feel a connection to the people of Peredo.  My heart aches for them in their pains and rejoices with them in their successes.  Choosing not to go so that David can go is really hard.

BUT

I am so excited for David, and that helps.

Sometimes we are asked to serve in a tangible way that is very rewarding.  Those are the fun times, the times you write blog posts about and take pictures of.

But sometimes God asks you to do something else so it frees others up to serve.  I am a very hands-on person.  I like to get in there and do stuff.  So it has been a struggle at times, having 2 small children, to turn down opportunities that I used to love to do, like going to church camp or CIY.  But God has really changed my heart to understand a couple of things.  One is that my service is staying here and being with my children so David can go to Haiti.  Another is to serve by praying, which I'm not so good at.

I have learned that service isn't always what you think it's going to be, but that's just the point about life:  it's not about ME.  In fact, it's not about the group going to Haiti.  It's about sharing God's love everywhere we go, every day, in big ways, yes, but also in small ways.

And so, my summer adventure may look different than it did a few years ago, but it is still that.  As any mom can tell you, taking kids to a city pool, a parade, or even down the street can be an adventure!

Thank you for the rain

Because of the craziness of this summer (I need a routine!) I have forgotten to post my "Thankful Thursday" thank yous.  It's been kind of an disappointing week.  Last week, we thought we had found the house of our dreams.  This week we found out that the house has some septic issues that may or may not be a deal breaker.

I was really disappointed about it last night.

I had already pictured our family in the house, I was already planning out where the kids would play, and how we would have dinners on the deck out back, and all of that is now in limbo.

As I started to unpack my feelings this morning, I realized that what I am more upset sad about is that we have been in a state of uncertainty for months, and I am not comfortable with uncertainty.  I like to have a plan.  I like to know what we are doing, where we are going, etc. I had just breathed that big sigh of relief, thinking, "NOW we can relax." And realizing that we are back on roller coaster was discouraging.

In reality, life is never certain.  We never know what each day, hour, or minute will hold.  I know there is a reason for everything.  I also know that what our house looks like is small potatoes compared with so many more things in life.  This is a chance for me to have faith and trust that God is working for the good of those who believe.

Last night, we had planned to take the kids to the park for a running program they go to every Thursday.  About 30 minutes before we were going to leave, the sky got dark.  The wind started blowing.  It started sprinkling.  And then we had ourselves a nice little rainstorm.  The kids could have chosen to be upset about missing the races and going to the park.  But instead, we all sat on the front porch swing and watched the storm.  We laughed as the wind blew the rain onto our legs.  And we REALLY laughed when David went out to unclog a gutter and got drenched.

Why can't I be more like my kids?  Why can't I see every day as an adventure to be had instead of a plan that needs to be followed through?

We may end up in that house.  We may not.  But until then, it is my goal to be thankful in all circumstances.  To see the blessings of the rain.

Today I am thankful for. . .

561. family bike rides.

562. Pandora.

563. the summer reading program at the library.

564. friends with a pool who are generous enough to let us come over and swim.

565. David's upcoming trip to Haiti.

566. a washing machine.

567. fun moments with the kids.

568. good books.

569. reminders that I need to forgive and let things go.

570. rain for our thirsty plants, and rain for our thirsty souls.

What are you thankful for?

Garden Update

Last summer I was pretty diligent about sharing pictures and stories about our garden.  Just in case you are wondering about this summer, I will give you a little rundown of what's shakin' on our tiny farm in the back yard.

Here's the deal:  we are moving.  We are not 100% sure WHERE we are moving, but we are sure that we have to get out of this house by the end of the summer, probably about the beginning of August.  And so the garden is in limbo.  We still planted it (frankly, anything in there looked better than just a big square of dirt for potential buyers to look at), but not near as much.  We have corn, beans, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini.

Now, here comes the fun part:  we have no idea if we will still be here when it's time to actually pick/eat the food!  The corn should be ready during the same week that we are supposed to be out of here, but who really knows?

So, we have taken garden things a little less seriously this summer, which is a little sad, because I'm going to miss being able to have so much food on hand in the winter, but for right now that is about all we can do.

Instead, we are spending more of our gardening time working out on a community garden.  In addition to Bridges, I am going to start volunteering at The Crossing, which is an alternative school for students who have been kicked out of school or dropped out.  They can earn a real diploma, (not a GED), while also learning life skills and being surrounded by Christian influences.  I'm really excited about getting started when the next quarter starts up.

One of the projects they have taken on at The Crossing is teaching students about gardening.  All spring, students grew dozens of different plants--from seed--in the classroom, which they then planted in garden boxes by our local library.  But now the students are on break, so David and I are helping out with watering and weeding to keep it going.  There are 25 boxes (4 ' x 8 '), and they are planning on selling the harvest at our local farmers' market.  What a great experience for these students to have!

So, in a nutshell, while there won't be any pictures of me weeding on my blog, if you drive past the Kokomo South Branch library anytime, you can probably catch me in action right there.  (No autographs, please!)

What kinds of things are in your garden this summer?  Has the rain (or lack thereof) affected it?

Cooking Update

Okay, so here's my confession:

Like most people, I have not completely fulfilled my New Year's Resolution, which was to cook a new food every week.  I have been trying, but some weeks just get away from me.  Oh, and there's that whole house-selling/house-buying thing we have going on.

But I did want to share that we made friend okra for the first time, and it was very good.

Now, a good cook (and a good blogger) would have pictures right here, but you can just Google images of fried okra, if you please.

All you do is slice the okra, let it soak in some egg, roll it in cornmeal, and pan fry it for a few minutes.  I preferred mine with a little ranch dressing (doesn't almost everything go better with ranch?), but David opted for plain.  It was delicious.  I'm definitely getting it again.

What have you been cooking up this summer?

just a tree

If you know me, you have probably heard me talk about Donald Miller.  Waaaaaaay back in the day (maybe 1999??  2000?) I was strolling around Barnes and Noble, and I found this book:

I had never heard of Donald Miller before, but I bought it.

It was amazing.

The book chronicled Miller's journey from Texas to the Northeast in search of who God is and what His direction for Don's life was.  (fyi, he later re-published the book under a different title, if you're looking for it.)
The book spoke to me, probably because I was going through some of the same experiences Don was (not the Volkswagen, though).  I ended up emailing him, and he was such a nobody at the time that we actually wrote back and forth several times.  Thus began my Donald Miller following.


You may know Donald from this little ditty he wrote:

Anyway. . .


I have this money-saving policy that I will not buy books if I can borrow them from the library or someone I know.  I have been trying to get Don's book "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" ever since it came out (something like 2 years ago).  When David won a Kindle Fire from work, I finally broke down and bought the book.

And I must say that it was worth all four dollars and ninety-nine cents that I spent on it.


The premise of the book, in a nutshell, is that each of us is living a story.  What kind of story are you living?  What is the purpose of your story?  How are you fulfilling God's plan in your life?


Donald writes with such transparency and candidness that you can't help but love him.  He shares his faults, but not in a self-depricating way, and his successes, but not in a braggy voice.  As I read this, I am inspired to live every day more fully.  Each day I have been given is a gift, not to be wasted.


Two of the biggest lessons in the book for me, personally were:

#1--When you read a story/watch a movie, the times where the character grows the most is through conflict.  We seem to understand that, but we don't seem to apply that to our own lives

#2--I am a tree, and the story is about the forest, not one tree.  How can I live so that the story isn't about me, but about my maker?

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.  And if you've read it, please let me know what you thought.

Just roll with it!

Well, it looks like we are unofficially buying a house.  And it's the house I wanted.  It has all worked out pretty well, and for that we are thankful.  I think I've spend so much time trying to find houses and keep ours clean that I have missed thinking about just how much I will miss this house.  It's been the only home I've ever had with David.  David asked me out on our first date in this very living room.  He proposed to me here, too.  We brought both of our children to this home.  So many memories. . .

It can almost be paralyzing.

But I believe in a God who is bigger than a building, and I know that God has a plan much greater than one house can hold.  I believe that home is wherever you make it, and that the important parts of the house are coming with me :)

Change is frightening, yet exhilarating.  When I think about the times I have grown closest to God, they are in times of extreme change.  And if I rely on God and focus on His plan (not my own), every life change can be a growing closer to Him.

This afternoon, we went for a walk/bike ride to Hobby Lobby (It's about 2 blocks away).  Now that Noel can ride a bike, he is light years faster than Elise, so I stayed back with Elise and told Noel to stop at each stop sign and wait for us.  And as he headed off further and further away, part of me was so excited for his new found freedom, and part of me was sad that time is moving so quickly.  I want my children to be present in every moment, not to wish their lives away, and to make memories.  That doesn't happen if I'm just focusing on how fast my kids are growing up or how I wish they could stay little forever.  It happens when I celebrate each milestone with them, as hard as that might be for a mom to see.

I read a book once that said our job as parents from day one is to help a child grow from being completely dependent upon you to being completely dependent upon God.  In order for the latter to happen, I must release my children, in faith, knowing that the One who made the stars can watch over my children much better than I can.

And so. . .

we roll on. . .

So much going on!

This past week has been a "crazy train" of events, as Noel would call it.  I would love to sit and write about all of it, but I'm not sure my brain has figured everything out.

Last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we showed the house, which meant keeping it as clean as possible and then getting the heck out of dodge--with the kids and the dog!  One day we ate lunch at Wendy's while the showing was going on, and I felt bad for poor Tee Dog sitting in the back of the van, so I poured my bottle of water into our little kid toilet in the back in case she needed a drink.  Then Noel proceeded to tell anyone who would listen at Wendy's about how we have a toilet in the van and our dog is drinking out of it.  Classy is the name of the game, folks!

The chaos continued as we packed up everything we needed (and about 100 things we didn't) to go tent camping for 4 days.  Yes, you read that right:  tent camping.  4 days.  A 5 year-old and a 3 year-old.  I'm not sure what I was thinking.

Yes, I do.

I was thinking that camping is so much fun for kids, and that we need to make memories like I did growing up.  But, let me tell you, I am exhausted.  The kids had a great time, though, so it was all worth it. They rode their bikes, played in dirt, made friends, walked trails, and swam.  They also proceeded to get yelled at a few (or 20) times by me for not getting along.  (And yes, the irony was not lost on me that I was screaming, "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE KIND TO EACH OTHER?!!!) It was not my finest moment(s).  I came home feeling pretty defeated in the mom area.

But the good news is that we have accepted an offer on our house.  We still have some hoops to jump through, but it looks very promising!

And now, we just have to find a house to live in next!  Ha!

We had picked out a house, but it wasn't meant to be, and so we are back at square one with about 6 weeks to get everything figured out.

Oh, and have I mentioned that David is going to Haiti in a few weeks?  Yeah, go ahead and throw that in the mix as well, just to keep things interesting!

But God is good, and we are blessed beyond measure, just along for the ride!

The day I reconsidered all of my career choices

Why didn't I decide to turn my vehicle into one that shoots bubbles out and make a career out of it?

Seriously.  Tonight, we met the Bubble Man.  He has an old truck painted all kinds of crazy colors with all kinds of crazy stuff glued to the side of it.  People hire him out to park his truck at parks and places (we were at the library reading program kick-off party).  He brings buckets of bubble solution and sticks with rope that make huge bubbles.  And all the while there are bubbles just shooting out of the top of his truck.

My son was fascinated.

So much so that at the end of the night, Noel just decided to sit on the ground and wait.  "I want to stay right here until I see the Bubble Man drive his truck away," he says.

And so that's what we did.  All four of us.  We sat on the curb at the library and watched the Bubble Truck drive away.

Noel loved it.  And I fell in love with him for that all over again.

Is there a better way to end a summer night?

Let's be completely unique with this post (insert sarcasm font)

Fun things to do with kids in the summer!!

I feel like every blog I have read in the past 2 weeks has been all about what to do to keep your kids entertained during the summer.  At first I thought this was overkill.  I thought, "They are kids!  Just let them play!"  But now that it's been 2 weeks home with no schedule, I am starting to see that, left to their own devices, my kids will spend every day a)fighting or b)begging to play with something electronic.

There has to be a happy medium between planning out every day of the entire summer and letting them lie around every day.

And so, in the hopes of trying to keep a balance, I have made it a goal to do something "fun" or "interesting" with the kids every day.  Now, some days that something might be very small (yesterday it was go through a car wash) and some days it might be big (last week we hit the Children's Museum), but the idea is to keep the fun in summer without making it a chore/burden for everyone involved.

So far, here are the "fun" and "interesting" things we have done:
*visited the Children's Museum
*went to visit our friend Rita's new horse
*went to Grandma and Grandpa's on the farm
*attended a fiesta (on the farm)
*had a bonfire
*planted the garden
*rode bikes (Noel is officially a 2-wheel rider now. . .SO PROUD!)
*play date at a friend's house
*rode through a car wash
*swam
*built a fort inside
*played with baking soda, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide

What is everyone out there doing to stay sane and have fun this summer?

Moments that changed my life, Part 5

2001.

It was one of the most life-changing years of my life.  I don't have time to write about every event and how it affected me, but I will list just some of the things that occurred.

*I finished my first year of teaching
*My sister-in-law was diagnosed with MS
*I got my heart broken
* I was in a pretty serious car accident
*My sister had to have a major surgery
*My grandfather's health continued to falter
*I quit my first teaching job
*I got another job teaching, but this time in Indiana
*I moved back to Indiana
*I lived on my own for the very first time
*I began to help with the youth at Chapel Hill
*I met  David
*9/11 occurred


Needless to say, it was a pretty traumatic year.  Through all of the ups and downs, I learned that the only constant in my life is God.  As soon as I start to rely on anything or anyone more than Him, I lose focus and direction. 2001 was a hard year for me.  But as I look back on it now with some perspective, I am so thankful for the hard years, because those are the times when God really molded me and shaped me.

I am, by nature, a very social person.  I love to be around people.  I can't imagine having a job or career where I wouldn't get to interact with people on a daily basis.  But sometimes my social tendencies made me uncomfortable being alone.  2001 was a year where I learned that my God is enough.  And so many positive things have come out of those events, that I can't help but to be thankful for it all.  The good and the bad.  The highs and the lows.

If you are reading this, you might be having a year like the one I just listed.  You might be feeling like you are getting slammed with one crazy thing after another.  Let me encourage you that God is still in control and He has a plan, even if you have no idea what it is.  Even if we never find out what it is, He has a plan.

Moments that changed my life, Part 4

Besides going to a Christian college, I also attended Illinois State University for 2 years.  (Don't stop to do the math, because it will be very clear that it took me much longer than 4 years to finish school).  And while I was so thankful for my time at a Christian college, I do not think I would have been as prepared to teach in the public school setting if it had not been for my time at ISU.

Going to ISU was my wake up call.  I found out very quickly that what I believed was not what everyone else believed.  While I was on my own at Lincoln, I was REALLY on my own at ISU.  There was no curfew, no rules about where I lived, no RA's to look out for me.  And while I did not always make the best decisions, I learned how to be a light in the darkness for God.  Two events stand out in my mind vividly. The first was when I chose not to attend a play that my drama class was supposed to go to.  I did not feel like the subject matter was appropriate, and I really felt like it was an opportunity for me to share with my professor about my faith.  The second event was when I casually mentioned that I was a virgin to another classmate on the way to class.  She was dumbfounded, saying she did not have any friends who were still virgins.  Ha!

Beyond the actual university experience, going to ISU was the first place where I lived in an apartment.  I cannot begin to recount the stories of the fun we had at 2412 Clearwater.  In total, 9 girls rotated through there, and it was such a crazy time!  I made lifelong friends, created memories, had some of the best conversations of my life, and learned a lot about heartache as well.  I won't go into detail, but I did get my heart broken during this time.  It was one of the hardest times of my life, but I will always remember the support of my friends as well as learning about leaning on God above all others.

Every experience is for a reason, and I am so thankful that I got to attend both a Christian college and a university!  Go Redbirds!

Full Circle

Noel on his very first day of preschool, September 2009

Noel on his very last day of preschool, May 2012

It has truly been a wonderful experience for Noel to go to Chapel Hill Preschool.  Fortunately, we get to keep him there one more year, as he is headed to kindergarten there in the fall. I am very thankful for the guidance, love, lessons, fun, and example the teachers, aids, and director have given Noel.  I'm not gonna lie that it is a little bittersweet, but I want to enjoy and embrace every season of Noel's life.  Onward and upward!  Ha!

Thursday Thank yous

This week I am thankful for. . .

551. the fact that my kids love hip-hop/dance music.

552. seeing my Bridges kids one last time at their awards program tonight.  So proud of them.

553. my Mothers Day gift:  JUST DANCE!!  We have been getting our groove on around here.  (And yes, I know Just Dance came out like 10 years ago, but I catch on slowly, okay?)

554. going to the zoo with the kiddos and some friends.  Great time.

555. the impending arrival of my husband from a business trip.  It's 8:33 pm as I write this, and he is supposed to be home at 9:00. It's the last few hours that go by the slowest.

556. leftovers.

557. a wonderful school year for Noel.  He has had such wonderful teachers at Chapel Hill, and we are so thankful that he sees school in a positive light and that he has gotten to learn in a Christian environment.

558. God working out a new place for me to serve that I'm super excited about.

559. getting a sweet, romantic text from David on the anniversary of the day he proposed.

560. the knowledge that we have hope, even when we are in the midst of discouragement.  A couple of my friends are really going through some trials, and yet they are relying on God to carry them through.  What an inspiration to all of us!

What are you thankful for?

Moments that changed my life, part 3

Because Mothers' Day is coming up, I am incredibly tempted to write about how becoming a mom has changed my life.  But I'm trying to write these "moments" in chronological order, so just bear with me until I get there.

Moments that changed my life, part 3:  Going to a Christian College

As long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to go to college.  I didn't know what I wanted to do (still don't, some days), but I knew that college would be in my future.  Between my sophomore and junior years in high school, my youth minister's wife told me about Lincoln Christian College.  At the time they held a summer music camp for high school students.  On a whim, I went.  All by myself.

I knew nobody.

I had no idea what I was doing.

And I had the time of my life.

We sang and learned a musical, but more importantly I got to know some of the students from Lincoln and see a little glimpse of what college life was like in at a small Christian school.  By the end of  summer camp, I knew that a Christian college was the right fit for me.

I went to Lincoln for 3 1/2 years.  I was a business major for two years, and after spending a summer at church camps with junior and senior high school students, I knew that I had to change my major to education.  I took a lot of flak for that, and I had to stay in school a lot longer than planned, but if was all worth it.

I ended up with a Bachelor's Degree in Bible from Lincoln (so if you need a licensed Sunday School teacher, I'm your man!), and I finished up my Bachelor's Degree in English from Illinois State University. (Don't worry, my next "moment" post will be about going to a state school as well. . .)

Here are just some of the ways going to a Christian school affected me:

*amazing opportunities to serve, locally and globally
*taught by some of the most amazing people I have ever me
*made some of the best friends I ever had
*saw how I fit into God's plan

More than anything, going to Lincoln gave me a foundation that I did not have before I left for school.  Before that, I went to church because it was the right thing to do.  I read the Bible because I knew I was supposed to. But I didn't really connect how God was working in my life to change others.

I am forever thankful that I went to Lincoln.  It helped prepare me for my lifelong journey with God, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to go to a Christian college.

Moments that changed my life, part 2

My parents have been married for 49 years.  Not once have I ever questioned their love for each other or their love for me.

The older I get, the more I realize that this is a significant part to who I am as a person.  I work with students who range from 6th grade to college age.  I have seen so many kids who deal with stuff they shouldn't have to, and one of those is parents who either fight all of the time or who are divorced/separated and put the child in the middle.  Instead of home being a place for fond memories, home is sometimes where a child least wants to be.

I understand that sometimes divorce is inevitable.  I know from experience that you can't control what the other person in the marriage does.  I understand that step-parents can be a blessing.  I truly believe that God gives us second chances in every area of our lives.

But I also understand that there are a lot of hurting children because their parents choose to make selfish decisions.  When a girl I know doesn't want to go home because mom is drunk and dad doesn't want to come get her, my heart breaks. I have had numerous conversations with students whose dads promised to be there for something special, only to bail at the last minute.

Being a parent is easy.  Being a GOOD parent is not.

By no means am I an awesome parent every day.  And I am the first one sometimes to point out my parents' flaws (too much, actually), but the more I spend time with students who don't have the home life they need, I am more and more thankful that I never had to experience that in my family.  And the more and more determined I am to show students the love and encouragement they need that they might not be getting from home.

new food hits and misses

I don't have a lot of time to write tonight, but I wanted to share two new developments in my "new food" adventure of 2012.

#1 Mustard Greens.  I tried braising them with some bacon, sugar, chicken broth, and vinegar.  They were okay, but not near as good as kale.  Not sure mustard greens will ever make another appearance at our house.

#2 Okay, promise you won't laugh. . .

Well, you can go ahead and laugh, but I must say that it was rather tasty.

Here's the story:

My mom has decided that she is going gluten-free.  I love that she is taking steps to make her life more healthy, and I really love that she deiced to get rid of everything in her entire pantry that has gluten in it.  Thanks to her we have 5 or 6 boxes of pasta and this little gem called Shake 'n Bake.

For the record, I have never used Shake 'n Bake, but I figured it's worth a try.  Instead of coating entire chicken breasts, I cut the chicken into small, nugget-esque pieces and coated them.  Wouldn't you know it?  My kids thought they were honest-to-goodness chicken nuggets.  Ate the whole plate of them.  Now, I know Shake 'n Bake is my no means an all natural product, but it has to be better than the pink slime they put in McDonald's Chicken Nuggets.  Baby steps.  Baby steps.

And if you have stuck with me for this entire post (which is much longer than I originally intended), you receive a handsome reward:

Does anyone out there love this as much as I do?  How come the Brady Bunch isn't on TV anywhere?  My kids need to see it!

So, what have you all been eating?

Moments that changed my life, part 1

I have been filled with nostalgia lately.  I think it's a combo of putting the house up for sale, getting ready for Noel to go to kindergarten, and finishing up the school year with my students.  I've been thinking a lot about the way my life has been shaped and changed.  So, I have decided to start blogging about my past and see what happens.  I have creatively and uniquely names this:  "Moments that changed my life".  I know, I know, how am I not a published author yet?

Anyway. . .part 1:  Growing up in my neighborhood

Until I left for college I had the same address:  3200 Revere Street.  (Don't worry, stalkers, my parents don't live there anymore!).  I lived in a little neighborhood of about 60 houses or so called Holiday Park.  When I was in grade school I could have told you who lived in every house.  It was so much fun to grow up in that neighborhood.  Riding bikes was a daily ritual from March until October.  We knew which house had the good candy on Halloween.  And you never did anything without Mrs. Bell finding out about it.

Here are some moments that will always stand out in my mind from living in that neighborhood:

*playing in my best friends' back yards (none of our parents would let us come in and wreck their house--although I do remember sneaking in to Chiandra's house while her mom was gone & of course we got busted.)

*daring each other to walk up to the abandoned house on the corner.  So many great, scary stories passed down about that house that I'm sure were never true.  ("I heard there's a ghost who haunts the upstairs. . .")

*making up dance/ballet routines and performing them for our moms.

*riding the school bus with my friends

*camp outs that always ended up with us all inside.

*adventures to the neighborhood across the street, because it had a creek, making it exponentially cooler.

*getting picked on my the older neighborhood kids.

*wrecking my bike the day before the start of middle school.  Nothing makes a girl feel more confident than a big scab on her forehead!

*trying to drive my first car up the hill in the yard instead of the driveway.  Not a smart choice.  Not. At. All.

Mostly, I just remember that in the midst of the chaos my family was going through, I found shelter in the safety of my neighborhood.  Having siblings who were much older than me, I would have been all by myself most of the time, but thanks to living where I did, I didn't have to be.  It was simple, but so much fun.

What memories of growing up do you have that you cherish?

Thursday Thank Yous

This week I am thankful for. . .

541. homemade waffles.

542. forgiveness.

543. hard-but-necessary conversations.

544. healthy bodies.

545. my guitar.

546.  my brother and sister.

547. answered prayers for a friend.

548. people who read and respond to my writing.

549. all of the beauty of spring:  flowers blooming, grass growing, birds crashing into my window every morning!

550. God's provisions every day.  It might not always be what I want, but it is always what I need.

What are you thankful for?

I wish Rob Bell was right. . .but he's not.

I just finished reading the book Erasing Hell by Francis Chan. It is such a well-written book, and I cannot recommend it enough to any believer out there.  A while back, Rob Bell wrote a book called Love Wins, in which he basically says that "hell" is all of the terrible things people have to face here on earth.  According to Bell, each of us will get as many tries as it takes until we finally come to accept Jesus as Lord.  What all of this means specifically, I cannot tell you.  

But I wish he was right.

I wish that I could sleep at night knowing that every person will eventually end up in heaven.

The only problem is: this isn't what the Bible says.

Most of Chan's new book is looking specifically at what the Bible says about hell and (most importantly) what that means for us.  For some reason, when Rob Bell wrote his book, it struck a nerve with many Christians.  People were all up in arms, calling him a Universalist and writing him off.

And while I think Rob Bell was wrong in his book Love Wins, aren't we just as bad?

I believe hell is real.  I believe that those who don't have the forgiveness of Jesus will be there after they die.  And yet most days I do nothing to change that.

Isn't that worse??

I can't stand for someone to say they don't believe in hell, but I will stand by and watch thousand of lost souls continue on the path towards hell without doing anything about it.

The truth is that yes, hell is real, AND yes, I need to do everything I can, not to scare people out of hell, but to share the amazing gift of forgiveness, healing, hope, and eternity we have been offered in Jesus.  If I can't do that, then what do my actions really say about my beliefs?

I am a pretty open person.  If something is bothering me, I'm going to talk to someone about it.  If I am excited about something, I will probably talk about it with everyone I see.  How come I don't have that same attitude about heaven and hell?  It should bother me--rock me to the core--that so many people don't know the love of God.  There are still whole people groups with no Bible, for crying out loud.  And I should be so excited about my salvation that I share it with everyone I see.  Not in an annoying, in your face way, but the same way I share anything else I am passionate about.

I hope that if you are reading this that you know about God's love and forgiveness.  If you don't, please ask me about Him.  And if you do, please tell someone else about it.

Thursday Thank Yous

This week I am thankful for. . .

531. upcoming plans to celebrate David's parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  Can you say Party on the Farm??!!

532. free books on the Kindle.

533.  hearing other people share their stories of how God has worked in their lives.  Inspiring.

534. Phineas and Ferb.  Hands down much better than Dora, Diego, Handy Manny, or Mickey Mouse.

535. intentional conversations that mean something instead of surface level ones.

536. the high school girls in my life group.

537. the rain holding out yesterday until I got the mulching done.

538. workout DVDs from the library.  Because you can only do so much Bob Harper before enough is enough, right?

539. secret jokes between David and me.

540.  hearing my children's prayers at bedtime.  Is there anything more precious?

What are you thankful for?

Where has the time gone?

Okay, I have almost no excuse for not blogging for several days in a row.  I guess the cleaning got to me.  You see, we had our very first (and only so far) showing of our house.  It's not even on the market yet, but our realtor asked if she could show it to one family.  I think it went okay.  If anything, it taught us what we need to do when someone wants to look at our house (aka:  where to hide the junk).  The whole time we were cleaning, I had that music in my head that they play on makeover shows where the clock is ticking down to "reveal" time, and they just don't think everything is going to get done, but then it does.  I think that's what motivated me.  I kind of pretended I was on some sort of "clean up" reality show.  I just hope in this pretend reality show that I am cast as the funny/sweet/smart girl and not the terrible/stubborn/hard to work with contestant.  Oh, if you all only knew what goes on in my mind. . .

We have been looking at more houses lately, and we are starting to figure out what we would like in a house.  It's really tricky, though, because it can easily get away from you.  As soon as you see a house with granite counter tops, then you think, "Wow, maybe I NEED granite counter tops."  Or a reading room.  Or a beautiful front porch.  The list goes on.

None of these are bad things.  I'm just starting to realize how material items in a house begin to snowball, and before I know it, my idea of what we "need" has changed.  And I'm also starting to realize how tempting it is going to be to want to spend lots of time and money fixing up whatever house we do eventually buy.  And while making a house our own is totally fine, I have to really keep myself in check as to not spend money that could go to something much more important.  Know what I mean?

"This world has nothing for me, and this world has everything.  All that I could want, and nothing that I need."  Words from an old Caedmon's Call song still ring in my heart.

Whatever this world is offering us, it's not what we "need".  It never will be.  Even if it is covered in new brick and hardwood flooring.

Thursday Thank You's

This week I am thankful for. . .

521. getting to celebrate my sweet ball of fire's third birthday, complete with bouncy mat and Barbie cake.

522. opportunities to meet new people.

523. other people who love on my kids.

524. an easygoing family that doesn't get mad when a new meal experiment is a total failure.  Live and learn!

525. sunshine and beautiful weather.

526. watching David play with the kids at night.

527. little reminders from God that I am making decisions that are in the right direction. (most of the time!)

528. a new Parks and Recreation tonight.  I know, I know, it's a TV show, but the little things make life fun, right?

529. free books on the Kindle.  Currently reading "Erasing Hell" by Francis Chan, and it is really good.

530. my hammock.  Have I ever written on here about how my only dream when I was growing up was to have a house with a hammock in my yard.  Mission accomplished, and it is as wonderful as I thought it would be.  We love it!

What little and big things are you thankful for?

All you need is love. . .and something bouncy

My sweet, spunky ball of fire is turning 3 this weekend. Can you believe it?  Is there anyone who doesn't say that the time goes by so quickly?   Anyway, we were trying to figure out what to do for her birthday, and couldn't really come up with anything.  I'm one of those people who is a little torn about birthday parties.  While I love having people over to eat and hang out, I am a little hesitant to have a "birthday" party for a three-year old.  Everything ends up being so over-the-top.  Does everyone really need a theme?  Matching hats, decorations, party invitations, favors, etc?  And then there are the gifts.  Elise has so many things already, and I hate making people feel like they need to buy something for her.  But if we don't do something we look like stick-in-the-muds.  Or worse.

So I asked Elise what she wanted to do.  A few weeks back, our church had a "bounce night" for any kids who wanted to come.   They filled the gym with blow up stuff and just let the kids have at it.  When I asked Elise what she wanted, she said she wanted to bounce and have a Barbie cake.

I found out that our church lets people borrow the smallest of the bouncy mats for no cost.  And this week we have been putting together one of those Barbie cakes made from a batter bowl.  We invited our play group over for tomorrow afternoon (about 6 kids) to eat Barbie cake and bounce.

It's a win-win-win (anyone remember that episode of The Office?  Conflict Resolution?  That was when the show was so funny!)


I love looking at cool websites and Pinterest, but sometimes (at least for me) reading all of that can make me have these expectations that I need to be super mom in order for my kids to have a good time.  I need to check myself sometimes and just realize that I am doing what I can for my kids.  They don't know that they "need" a portrait of every first day of school on an amazing homemade canvas.  They just want to be loved and known.

So, if anyone is looking for us for the next few days, we'll be bouncing.

homemade hummus

I think about a year ago I was introduced to hummus.  I found it on clearance at Meijer one day and tried it.  Of course, they hooked me, and now I want it every time I go there, even when it's not on sale.  David swears it's because we eat the hummus with these:

Oh, sweet mercy, they are good.  I think that in my mind I justify eating so many of them because they kind of look healthy.  But a whole bag of anything isn't really healthy.  But I digress. . .

Last week when I was trying to find a new food, I bought some garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, which is the main ingredient in hummus.  Does anyone know why the same food has 2 different names?  Enlighten me, please.  Anyway, I decided I would make my own hummus.  And it was pretty easy.  The only other thing I really needed was Tahini sauce, which is made from sesame seeds (I think).

So, you just put a can of chickpeas in your food processor with some garlic, some Tahini sauce, lemon juice, salt, and then whatever you want to add flavoring (pine nuts, red pepper, basil, etc.).

Unless you are like me and don't own a food processor.  In that case, use your blender.

In the end, it turned out to be delicious, and we didn't even have the amazing pretzels!  We ate it all the way to Chicago to pick my brother up from his trip to Haiti.

So, anybody have some new food ideas for me to try next week?

The weight of the world

Some days I leave Bridges laughing at the crazy fun we had.  (Oh my, if I only had a video camera with me. . .)  Some days I leave Bridges completely frustrated because of a situation. (How many times can a student "forget" their homework?)  But today I left Bridges, sat in my car, and cried.

I cried for my students.

They are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, and many have nobody to help them.

This week at Bridges the theme was "your story".  They've been giving students a chance to tell their story to everyone.  Today one brave girl started.  She told her story, which is filled with the heartaches of drug abuse, foster care, and poverty.  But through it all she has continued to press on.  She spoke about the hope that God gives her that she can keep pressing on no matter what.

I was so proud of her courage to speak and share.  Whew.  That was tough.  Now, onto free time, right?

Nope.

Another student shared.  And then another.  One by one students came up and vocalized their struggles.  These students who are between 12 and 15 spoke of things that nobody should experience, let alone as a child.

Abuse from parents
Abandonment
Drug Addiction
Incarceration of family members
Divorce
Dad running off
Being molested
Being bullied

One boy spoke of how he had never met his dad.  "I don't know what is so wrong with me that he doesn't even want to know me."

The stories started to overwhelm me.  Honestly, I just wanted to walk out of the room and cry.  But for some reason, I kept thinking of my friend Ginny, who is a missionary in Haiti.  When she took me to a Tent City in Jacmel, she said, "Don't cry in front of them.  They don't want your pity.  They want your help."

And that's what Bridges is all about.  It's not about pity.  It's about help.

Most of the students who shared their stories were missing a true family. Someone who misses them when they are not around, who cheers them on, laughs with them, pushes them to do their best.  And they have found some of that in Bridges.

So, while it's nice I get to help them with homework, and it's fun to play games with them,  the reason I'm there is to show them that they are not alone.  Someone cares.

Thursday Thank You's

I am thankful for. . .

511. spring, and everything it brings.

512. celebrating Easter with my family.

513. antibiotics.  I had a small infection that made my face swell up last week (not a pretty sight).  Anyway, once I got some antibiotics I was fine.  But the whole time, I kept thinking about places where people don't have access to antibiotics.  Wow.

514. a husband who prays with me and for me.

515. listening to my kids sing David Crowder in the car.

516. Goodwill bargains.

517. good books that really speak to me and help me to feel like I'm not the only one feeling the way I do.

518. last Friday:  took the fastest trip to Chicago and back ever.  Stopped for gas on the way, picked my brother up at the airport, and stopped for a drink on the way back. 7 hours later we were back home.

519. getting to be a part of things much bigger than myself.

520. lessons learned every day. It's never too old to stop learning.

What are you thankful for?

What works for me: Grocery Shopping

I've been writing about my new food items this year, and I wanted to throw a little something out there about how I shop at the grocery store.  Now, I need to make a disclaimer that by no means am I a total expert at this. This post is not about how to leave the store with $500 of groceries and pay $6.  I don't really use coupons.  What I will share is how we grocery shop so that we don't eat out very much and try to eat healthy.  (Try is the operative word there).

#1: Make a menu.  I usually do my grocery shopping on Friday.  So, Thursday night I sit down and make a menu.  I have a notebook where I keep the menus.  If I get stuck with what to plan, I look back at what we have eaten over the last few weeks.  I also have my cookbooks and recipes handy, too.  If I know ahead of time that we are going to be doing something on a given night, I can plan accordingly.  Now, this menu doesn't always get followed, but by doing this, I know that we will have everything we need for the meals listed.  I usually plan for one night of leftovers, but that doesn't always happen, as we eat leftovers a lot for lunch.

Notice the arrows.  As you can see, plans change a lot around here.

#2:  Make a categorized grocery list.  I go to the same grocery store almost every week.  I know where I start (dairy) and where I finish (fruit). So, I write my list in this order. I also check the pantry, freezer, and fridge to see what I already have before I buy it again.  When I don't, I end up with 3 containers of sour cream in my fridge (like I do right now).

#3:  Buy your meat first.  I try to get my meat from a local business.  If I find that a specific meat is on sale that week, I might change the menu plan before I hit the big grocery store.  Plus, you can always freeze meat. For example, I really like salmon, but if it's not on sale, I won't buy it, so the menu might have to change.

#4:  Stick to the list, for the most part.  I usually walk away with a few items that weren't on the list, but in general, if it's not on the list, we aren't going to get it.  The only exceptions I make are sale items that I KNOW we we use, or a good deal on fruit/veggies.

#5:  Shop the outside.  Most of us know this by now, but the outer edge of the grocery store is where most of the shopping should take place. The aisles are filled with processed foods.  We are not all-organic or non-processed food only  shoppers by any means, but if I don't have anything on the list for a specific aisle, I just don't walk down it.  I know that if I walk down the chip aisle, inevitably some snack is going to catch my eye, and then I will eat it.  I will confess that I have zero will power.  I love snack foods, so if they are in the house, I eat them.  If they aren't in the house, I don't have a choice.

So, there are my tips.  What are yours?  Please share!  

When it rains (pictures of my kids), it pours

Are you tired of seeing these adorable faces?

Me neither.

Just wanted to share some photos from Easter.  On the weekend of Palm Sunday we went to the Deans.  We had a great time with family, despite the Buckeyes losing and me having some weird face infection that involved going to the urgent care clinic for antibiotics.

Candy + Family = Best. Weekend. Ever.

And of course there was the annual egg hunt.  Even though my kids were the only ones who took part (some couldn't make it, some were too old), it was still a race to the finish.

The smiles are a little easier to come by with a bag full of candy in your arms.

This is a picture on Easter Sunday at our house.  Noel and Elise are wearing their Easter gifts:  a dress and a Mario shirt.  They also got new toothbrushes (Wow.  When I type it, I sound like the most un-fun mom ever, but that is really what they wanted--light up toothbrushes).  

We had a nice, lazy afternoon, in which there was plenty of Mario time.  

Two peas in a pod.  Which one is having more fun???

My favorite part of the whole Easter season was reading through the stories of the Passion Week with the kids.  The night we read about Jesus' death, the kids were sad.  And I tried to leave it like that for the night, so that the next day they could kind of experience the joy of the resurrection.  It is such an amazing experience to see life through the eyes of a child.  The wonder. The newness.  The excitement.  I don't want them to ever lose it.

Okay, back to my normal no-pictured blog posts.

Some proof that I actually DO take pictures

I'd like to share a few pictures from our vacation to Columbus.  We stayed in a hotel that had an indoor waterpark.  It was a really fun place, and Noel had the time of his life.  Elise kind of likes the water, but Noel could go all day and never stop.  It was just fun being together and making memories.

Noel hates being sprayed in the face.  But he soon realized that almost every slide involved getting sprayed at one point or another, and that he needed to just suck it up and enjoy the ride.  Once he did, he was good to go!

Elise having a good time drowning Ariel.

Playing in the fountains

Basketball

More slides

Ready to take on the bigger slides! (Noel is, at least)

Climbing the rope ladder

In keeping with my terrible photography skills, this is a picture of the biggest slide Noel went down, but it is, in fact, not Noel coming down.  I tried a bunch of times, but couldn't snap him at the right time.  So just pretend he is coming out.  I was really proud of him for trying the slide, and he ended up loving it.  If you know Noel, he is not always gung ho about doing new stuff. But he pushed himself, and was very proud of it.

More pictures to come from the Dean's house and Easter Sunday!

On Sunday a King

In the midst of spring break, easter egg dying, mowing lawns, taking walks, and enjoying life, may I never forget who gave me this life and why I live.

Kale, yeah!

Again, I apologize for the terrible pun.  This is what happens when you live with my husband for 7 years.  He is the king of puns, but he never promises they will be good.

I just wanted to share that while I haven't been very diligent about posting all of my cooking adventures with new foods this year, we are still trying a new food every week.  In order to spare you the pointless details, I will run through some of the most recent very quickly:

*Eggplant.  Now, technically, I have eaten eggplant many times before, and I think I cooked one.  Once.  Like 12 years ago.  So I still counted it as new.  I made eggplant parmesan (of course).  It was really good.  Really.

*Cous Cous.  Okay, for the record, I have not made cous cous yet.  I have merely purchased it, and it is sitting on my pantry shelf.  I can't figure out what it goes with.  Anyone?  Anyone?

*Kale.  Today we made kale chips.  If you want the recipe, you can google "kale chips" and you'll get about 50 different recipes.  I was pleasantly surprised with how good they were.  Next time I will definitely dry them  a little more before I put them in the oven.  And I put way too much salt on them (and I'm kind of a salt monkey).

*Tomatillos.  I found a recipe for salsa verde that I really wanted to try, and it called for tomatillos,so I went for it.  The secret is to buy canned tomatillos.  They are already peeled and cored, so all you have to do is chop them up.  This was delicious salsa.  I even took a picture of the ingredients:

Of course, I completely forgot to take a picture of the finished product.  Baby steps, right?  I think what else made this salsa so good was the fact that the onion and jalapeno pepper were grilled before they went into the salsa.  It added a smoky taste.  Mmmmm

Sidenote:  David and I were just talking about how hardly anybody ate salsa when we were growing up.  Now we are making all different kinds.  Has there been some sort of sociological study about the effect of the Food Network on our culture?

So, that's what I've been up to on the cooking front.  Now you can all breathe a big sigh of relief and go back to your usual routine.  Any suggestions for more new foods for me?

"I'm not trying to ignore you. . ."

Okay, I really should be writing all kinds of important things on this blog, because I feel like there are important things to be said.  There are lots of ideas in my mind that I would like to hash out in words.  I want to share and make people realize they are not the only ones who are going through something.

But not today.

Today I just want to share a funny story.  A few months back I wrote a blog post about how there isn't any discretion any more in retail shopping.  The cashier at Walmart will full on tell me she is having a rotten day, or that she has a contagious virus, or that my kids need a nap.

This idea took on a whole new meaning a few weeks ago.

If you didn't know, we are in the process of getting our house ready to put on the market.  Yes, I think we've been talking about this for approximately 30 years (slight exaggeration), but this time WE MEAN IT!  (maybe).  Anyway, we were trying to find a small storage unit for a few pieces of furniture and our elliptical machine.

Enter Mrs. Pack Rat.

I call her that because the name of the storage facility is Pack Rat Storage.  There is even a big cartoon picture of a rat on the side of the building, I kid you not.

We are all class in these parts.

So, David goes in to see if they have any of the smallest units available.  First of all, he is greeted by a tiny dog  who is jumping all over the place and barking up a storm.  The secretary/owner/attendant/entertainment is at her desk, "working" on the computer.  She continues to stare at the screen, but asks David if he needs help.  As he is asking her questions about the storage units they offer, she never takes her eyes off the screen.  Naturally, David leans over to see what she is working so hard on.

And this, my friends, is when the wheels fall off.

She says to David, "Oh, I'm not trying to ignore you or anything, but I've got this online game of Euchre I'm playing. . ."

She is ignoring a customer to play online card games.  And full-well admits to it.  And never even considers stopping.

Needless to say, we are looking elsewhere.

So, here is your lesson for today:  When you work at Pack Rat Storage, maybe, just maybe, you should think about the word "work" before you log on to your card club.

A Smile that Lights up the World

Last week we packed up our stuff and went on a mini-vacation.  We went to an indoor water park and visited David's sister in Ohio.  And I have lots of pictures of that I'm going to share.  But not today.  Today I want you to see Nadine.  Her smile can light up the world.

I met  Nadine almost 2 years ago in Peredo, Haiti.  She is a young girl (14 now) who has multiple cysts in her abdomen.  Because of this, she has been very  excluded in her tiny village.  She doesn't go to school.  Her social contact is very limited.  People didn't know what was wrong with her.  But my friend Ginny knew God had a plan for her.  With a lot of paperwork, footwork, and Godwork, Nadine is here in Columbus getting ready for the medical treatments she needs to have her cysts removed.

I'll be very honest and say I was nervous to see Nadine again.  I don't know very much Creole, so I didn't know how we would communicate.  But more pressing on my mind were my kids.  We have been praying for Nadine every night for over 6 months.  They've seen pictures of her, but how would they react to a girl with a huge belly?

In the end, I had nothing to worry about.  My kids acted just like my kids.  Noel, played with Joe (the host family's son) on his Ipad, and Elise make fast friends with Nadine.  They both love Dora and stickers, and that was enough.  

It was so wonderful to see Nadine in such a warm, loving environment, especially after all of the heartache and hurt she has faced.  The people of Haiti are more resilient than you can imagine; that is one of the qualities about them that I love.  Her host parents, Sheree and Dave, are wonderful people.  I am hoping we can go and visit again, as Nadine will be there for several months.

As we were leaving, David asked me what I thought Nadine's future looked like.  I could easily travel down the road of what-if's:  What if her cysts come back?  What if she can't function on her own?  What if she is still excluded?  And then I looked at all of the ways God has worked in this young woman's life already, and I have to believe that she is exactly where she is for a reason.  We all are.  We can sit and worry about tomorrow (which is very tempting), or we can be thankful for each day we are given and honor God with our lives.

Please continue to pray for Nadine, as well as the Tata family whom she is living with.  It is hard work taking care of her, and she has a long road ahead.  If you are interested in sending her a card or picture, please let me know, and I'll get the address for you.

Trying to get a "foto".  Nadine loves swinging!

I think she would have let me push her all day.  

Oh, and she was singing the Dora theme song while I was pushing her!

Another  David for Nadine to love!  

She proceeded to tackle him right after this picture.

Mama Sheree

Do you think she's tired of getting her picture taken yet?!

Yes, Noel was there.  He was in Angry Bird heaven with Joe.

Pretty sure this is the best picture of the day.  I love the look on Elise's face, as Nadine is looking at the coloring book she picked out for her.

What girl doesn't love stickers?