A Few Good Things...

This is by Joshilyn -- not only an amazing author (like, of the actual published variety, not just fancied in her head like me) but she is also my friend. Okay, it's a facebook friendship and she would never know it if I walked by her and smacked her in the head, but we are TIGHT, I tell ya. And you will NOT be sorry if you spend a few minutes to read THIS. Even if you only get as far as the digression -- yet another reason I love her so -- you really won't be sorry. Oh, but you may want to clear any liquids from your mouth so as to save spewing them on the computer screen.

This is REALLY deep -- I keep coming back to it and thinking on it again and again. Check it out. Bookmark it. Think it through...

Since I'm almost starting to walk without limping, I had to live vicariously through other's accomplishments this week. This one was fun.

And, I just obviously love this guy. I need to hang out with him for a little while...

Communication is very, very fragile

This reminds me of many conversations I have in my house. I hate to tell them, but communication between the genders is not likely to get any better any time soon.

Injured... Injured Bad

Well, I am indeed injured, but it's not THAT bad -- and it certainly isn't in THAT way. Yes, that video is making a repeat appearance on my blog. It still makes me laugh out loud, and it closes with a key phrase: "injured bad". I'm injured!

You may recall that I was injured a few years ago (if you were reading then AND now, you deserve a medal) and really had no great story to go with it. Same thing. Out running, rolled my ankle (because I stepped on something -- I think a pecan), hit the deck, scraped my hands, knee, and elbow. I lay in the middle of the street rolling and crying and asking God how in heaven's name I was going to get home (I was less than a mile from home, but too far to crawl!!) Sweet Melinda (now I know) cruised by in her Escalade and drawled out the window, "Are you all right?" That precious Angel in the Escalade gave me a ride home where I cried some more and iced and propped and missed my daughter being high scorer in her Monday night basketball game.

Yesterday I got 'worked in' at the orthopedist's (which actually took less time than when I went last week and had an appointment set up for 5 weeks) and learned that I have a 'garden variety sprain'. So here's your lovely ginormous boot to wear until you can see me again right before Christmas.

So I'm literally limping along, cruising H-E-B in my scooter and bossing my family around. I'm thankful for the boot, I'm thankful my doctor knows I want this thing HEALED CORRECTLY 'cause I've got training to do (I'm training to turn 40). I'm thankful for my sweet family who is doing what they can to help out.

I do have quite a bit of hobbling to do this morning to get us off, but then I will go and prop my foot and do more bossing! May you have a glorious Thanksgiving and find many reasons to be thankful.

Checking In...

Well, I am slowly sliding -- actually waddling due to recent caloric consumption -- into real life and I am not very pleased with it. I really enjoyed my not-real life so very much.

And, of course, my precious husband was most excited about our weekend away. He was more worried about whether or not any students were going to be expecting him Friday afternoon. Once he figured out he was in the clear there, all was good. I asked him SOOO many times about missing hunting, "Are you SURE you don't mind??" he finally said, "Babe! It's one weekend out of 9. No worries!" How cute is he?

You know how you get in your head how things will be and start to get mad about it before it actually happens? I was SO worked up and just positive that Troy would be really disappointed in not hunting that by Thursday I thought (not for long, but the thought did cross my mind) about calling him and screeching: "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THIS WEEKEND THAT IS JUST! FINE!! I WILL HAVE A GLORIOUS WEEKEND ALL! BY! MYSELF!!" Now it's funny -- actually, I think the comic effect of it is what kept me from doing it. When I told Troy about that today, he said, "What made you think that?" "Oh, just my crazy, crazy head...!"

And, of course, went to breakfast the first morning and the only other couple there was a couple from Temple whose son was in Ashley's pre-school class for 3 years in a row. We don't know them well, but that was funny. The B&B owner, a salty, say-anything kind of guy, drawled, "Well, at least you were with your own spouses; we've had that happen..."

It was GLORIOUS to just 'be' with my hubby. It was wonderful to go and do whatever, whenever, and however we wanted. For the record, it wasn't much, and might be boring to most people, but it was great. These things did make me laugh about being in Small Town, Texas:

• Chicken-fried BACON (yes, bacon) was served for breakfast yesterday. Yes, I ate it, yes, it was as gloriously wonderful as it sounds.
• We pumped gas at a place that didn't require you to prepay.
• I stood behind a gentleman named 'Conrad'. I know, because his name was stamped into his leather belt.
• We ordered the pecan pie with Jack Daniels ice cream for dessert last night. Y'all the PECAN PIE was fried!! I have consumed more fried food in the last 48 hours than in the last 12 months combined. P.S. Jack Daniels ice cream? Oh, yeah...!

All in all, it was so great. Every time Troy and I do that -- take just a little time for the two of us -- we agree it is well worth the financial and time investment. But we just let life keep rolling by for a year or two and forget to make it a priority. I think we've been better about it in the last few years. Probably because we have seen what a mess we become when we don't...

One last thing: I know I asked you to pray, pray about God being in the details. I need to sit and write all of the little tiny things that God took care of so beautifully and perfectly for us. I hope it will teach me to breathe that prayer far more often: "God, be in the details..." He really is, and as our loving parent longs to take care of us and delight us. It's only when we snatch back trying to take care of the details ourselves that the biggest mess is made.

God, be in the details...

The Big Surprise!

Y'all, I am a nervous wreck! I'm trying to pull off the biggest surprise thus far in our marriage that, at the time, sounded like a good idea.

With Troy changing jobs and me quitting my job this year, we didn't quite work in a summer vacation -- family or otherwise. And if ever anyone could USE a vacation, it's when trying to figure out a new job. So, I had such a grand idea -- I would KIDNAP my husband for our anniversary, forcing him to break away from work and church duties and perhaps relax a little.

I even took into account that it would be deer season, but AT THE TIME, he didn't have a place to go hunt unless someone else invited him. One buddy left open a 'standing invitation' to go anytime, but I got in touch with said buddy and told him, "you can't go this weekend!" All was cool...

I think it was 3 days before the season opened Troy settled on a great opportunity for a lease not too far away. He didn't hunt the first weekend, just getting things ready. This weekend is supposed to be perfect weather for hunting. Troy's planning on being out there all day. Only, he won't be in this county. I am REALLY nervous about how this will go over. And if you're thinking, "Well, he'll just have to get over that..." then you are not married to a hunter. If you're thinking, "Oh, bless her soul. I'll say a prayer..." then you totally get it.

This week has made me question the wisdom of getting married during deer season anyway. Believe me, if it were this big of a deal to him 16 years ago, we wouldn't have. Troy knew a guy that moved his wedding up so that he wouldn't get married on opening day of deer season. Later, they divorced because she was fed up with him hunting all the time (is the story I got -- I'm sure it's far more complicated than that). But, she kind of knew what she was getting into, right?

For Troy, deer hunting has become his "thing" over the course of our marriage, and even more so in the last 5-8 years. And, as much as I don't care to join him, I'm thankful he has it. My exercise is where I go to get my head put back on the right way -- it unknots my tangled brain. Deer hunting does that for Troy -- and I get that. I just hope that a weekend away with his wife comes in a close second.

Last night, to try to calm my nerves about how this would go over, I asked him, "Do you love me more than hunting?" The pause told me he knew the right answer, but he also thought it was unfair of me to ask... :-)

Every time I have been tempted to worry about the one million six ways this weekend could go wrong, I lift a prayer, "Lord, be in the details!" And He is. Feel free to join me in prayer!

Oh, and happy anniversary to my sweetie!

Randomness for Tuesday

• The last week has taught me a LOT: about community, grieving, grieving with hope, and grieving with community. What a blessing. I have MUCH more to say about that, as you might imagine. Stay tuned...
• Speaking of grieving (kind of joking) my iPhone quit working Saturday. It was right before the funeral, so all was in perspective. It is currently in a box in a FedEx warehouse waiting to be replaced by my nearest Apple store (200 miles away). Under warranty, all free (so far).
• 11 years ago today was also a Tuesday and by this time of night, I was cuddling a GINORMOUS newborn little boy who screamed his way into the world about 5:30 a.m. He was pretty grouchy, and basically displeased with this planet for the first 3 years of life, and still has to set the rest of us straight on occasion. He is now one of my greatest joys and I'm so thankful for him. Happy birthday, little man. It's going too fast.
• Since my baby is 11 years old, that means in 3 days I've been married 16 years. Yay!
• Can't believe Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is 5 weeks away. Wow. Who's ready? Not me!

That is all. For now.

Fitness Friday: Stress

For today's Fitness Friday, I am filled with thoughts of this difficult week. It calls to mind how hard stress of any kind can be on a body. Most of us live our lives at full throttle for so long our bodies start to crumble. We toss in some meds, patch up what's crumbling, and go back to full throttle. Your car, your computer, your children, and you are not created to go full throttle 100% of the time. I've already talked about this to some degree when I mentioned how valuable sleep is for fitness. Sleep is a body's way of healing and restoring itself.

Stress, be it from major life upheavals or just life in general, wears a body down. When you are stressed here are just a few things that happen in your body:

your stomach dumps excessive acid. This can cause heartburn and, over time, erode your esophageal lining (speaking from experience on this one).

you clench your teeth/ jaws. This wears out your teeth as well as puts undue pressure on your joints/ skull.

your breathing becomes shallow. Most of us go through life only filling our lungs about half-way. Which only fills your body half-way with oxygen. Oxygen is a good and glorious thing, and all of your organs are much happier when fully oxygenated.

you jut your chin forward (do an evaluation of how you are currently sitting right now at your computer). If your head isn't aligned over your torso/ shoulders, you could be adding up to 25 pounds of extra pressure to your neck and shoulders.

To de-stress: it takes practice, but you can train yourself to not take on the physical signs of stress. Straighten up your spine to put your head in place. Take DEEP breaths -- I told my 2nd graders to breathe so deeply that their tummy poked out! Relax your jaw. We carry stress in our face and hands. Stretch out your fingers while you relax your jaw. And if you have time, do something that is a stress reliever for you: curl in a chair with a book, go for a walk, call a friend. I have gotten to the point in my fitness that a HARD workout is one of the best things I can do for a grouchy/ cluttered/ stressed brain. I love it -- but that may not be for you. Laughter is another one of those healing things -- watch a movie sure to make you laugh out loud.

In short: be good to yourself. Whatever is causing you stress shouldn't be allowed to take your health, also. Deep breath in, deep breath out, one foot in front of the other, moving on.

Calvin for Today

Most of us don't understand it any better than Calvin...

Grief from the Sidelines Cont.

It's odd -- I have wanted to write/ blog about how we, as Christian brothers and sisters, don't usually handle grief well. And I truly started thinking about this subject thinking of people who have had enormous pain in their lives due to sin: their own or another's. It doesn't matter -- we don't know what to do with too much pain and grief. We either say nothing, or we have some awful theology as if we know why this had to happen.

And I don't mean I'm pointing fingers. I've SEEN it when I've gone through a particularly difficult time -- it was as if I had an invisible boundary about 10 feet around me that precious few people would penetrate, frequently even to say 'hello'. People don't know what to say or do, and so do nothing. Of course I vowed to not be that way, and learn from my own experience. Until this summer... One man was living a horrific nightmare due to some crazy choices his wife made. And when I saw him I couldn't even say anything. I didn't know what TO say. I DID say, "hello' -- but that was IT. I totally failed.

I was confessing this to another lady who has been there because of some crazy choices HER husband made (PEOPLE!! You cause your spouses grief when you make crazy choices!! Cut it out!!). She had an awesome response:

My favorite TV show is Law and Order for many reasons: the detectives, the
plots, the lawyers, the struggles as the justice system plays out in often very
unjust ways. Kind of like life. After informing the family of a loved one's
murder and the grieving begins, the detectives often say, "I'm sorry for your
loss." I've seen and heard of a lot of terrible things coming into people's
lives, but I haven't seen anything yet that wouldn't be eased a bit by an "I'm
sorry about your pain" or "I'm sorry you're hurting." It's short, sweet, doesn't
try to solve the person's problem--which is pretty arrogant anyway!--and is
generally socially appropriate. If a TV show can get it right, surely God's
people can give it a shot? I believe it's worth the risk.

And, when we look at it, there's very little risk involved. The only risk is feeling awkward -- and I have to tell myself that others' pain isn't about me; it's not about me feeling awkward, or me not knowing what to say, or knowing what to DO. Others' pain is about them needing comfort and needing to get to the foot of the Throne to pour out their pain. May I carry them there...

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Grief From the Sidelines

Here is a picture of me (left) with my friend Judy (right). Notice I am LAUGHING! Because Judy brings amazing joy to so many people. She is a visionary, dreamer -- but in the completely practical sense -- REALLY! She softly speaks words of great wisdom. And we all nod and say, "Another one of Judy's jewels..."

This is Judy's family. Aren't they beautiful? Judy's claim to fame is having babies in 3 different decades, then adopting a son when he was in his teens! Her precious Tom is back left with his hand on Cade (90's baby!) Johnny, the adopted son is next to Tom and then there is Johnny's gorgeous wife (y'all, she has the most amazing skin I have ever seen on a real person). Tom's mom, Billie, is next to Cade. Lori (70's baby!) is holding Macy (I guess that's Macy? That would make this pic a few years old). I guess that Lori's husband, Paul, took this picture, because he isn't in there! Then there's Judy with Ben (80's baby!)

Ben has been in medical school in Houston. Monday he went to the hospital with chest pains and a friend that he grew up with went with him. Tom, Judy, and Lori chartered a plane to go see to him. Before their plane landed in Houston, Ben had passed away.

Today, many of us went to the airport to meet Tom, Judy, and Lori when they flew back here. Thankfully, they have much family here in town and most of them were at the airport, as well. I'll be honest: it was awful. It was SO much pain in one place, so much raw grief. Just horrible. At the same time, it was beautiful. The plane was delayed about an hour because of bad weather, so for an hour, I watched the faces of church family love, cry, and laugh as we gathered around. And they were so amazingly beautiful. And then we wept and cried and held and hugged as we helped all of the family gather together and share their pain.

Women are funny: we must DO when something happens. We must bake, clean, organize, and tend to. We know in our hearts it won't take away anyones pain, but we simply must DO. Probably for selfish reasons -- we want to feel of use, to help, I don't know. So many of us DID and shopped and got ice and cleaned (Judy's house didn't need it, but we pretended) and fed the dogs. And then we cried. A lot. And we aren't finished. Actually, I don't think we've gotten warmed up well.

Grief from the sidelines is tough. May the Lord guide my mouth away from those ridiculous words searching for reason or goodness from awfulness, and may I simply proclaim my love and desire to do what I can. And may I be there.

Ben was a precious gentle spirit, who was planning to fly-fish across Texas. I think he's got a much bigger pond to fish in now.

Tag Game

Ruth tagged me. My directions are to post the 6th picture in my 6th album on my computer and then explain it.
The only way I can explain this picture is: a) I don't delete (enough) pics before I download them to my computer and b)this is what happens when you allow your children to hold your camera. I know this was at Chelsea's wedding. It was beautiful -- at a winery in the Dallas area. After the wedding, the guests were asked to step onto the porch/ west-facing furnace. (Sorry, Chels, it was HOT!!) However, it allowed me to see some folks that I hadn't seen earlier (and I evidently let my kids play with the camera just to occupy them). I thought we were waiting for the couple to join us out in the furnace, but turns out, we were waiting for the folks to transform the wedding area into the reception area. It was really cool (meant in both ways). At this point, I am out on the porch visiting with someone -- I don't know, but I seem to be VERY focused, don't I? :-) We knew Chelsea from our "growing up years" (Chelsea was actually growing up, Troy and I were newlyweds/ new parents STILL growing up) in Temple. It was great to see her precious family, as well as many of the people that love them that came in for the wedding. In 4 short weeks, her older sister is getting married and I will be able to see some of the same wonderful people!! Yes, that's two weddings in 7 months. Pray for the parents!

Here is picture 5, at a little more respectable distance. Aren't we simply glowing?

PG-13 Vocabulary Lesson

This morning on the way to church (me with the kids -- Troy already there for singing practice) we passed a billboard about a local hospital and it said something about 'mammography' -- 'excellence in mammography'? I don't know.

That word cracked Riley up (10 year old boy). "WHAT is mammography??? The study of mammoths??" (No, that is NOT where I'm going with this...)

Never passing up a linguistics lesson, I said, "Well, let's go back to the root ... mammary. (Oh, indeed, there is MUCH rolling of the eyes from Ashley -- 12 year old girl) Mammary glands are what cause women to be able to produce milk. And women need a mammogram to be sure they (I did explain what 'they' are but won't elaborate here -- I get weird enough googles on my blog...) are healthy."

At this point, I start thinking about explaining the word 'mammogram'. And all I can think of is 'telegram' -- sending a message over telephone wires -- or 'candy-gram' -- sending a message with candy. So, it would seem reasonable to me that a 'mammogram' would be sending a message using the mammary glands (or the anatomy that houses them). AND I got so tickled I couldn't continue my academic discussion of the word mammary.

I would like to make a motion that we change the name to 'mammoscan'!

The Lingo, it is A-Changin'!

Recently, while volunteering at the elementary school, I heard a mom,
roughly my age, cheering on a kindergartener by saying, "All right!
Way to represent!"

I guess "good job!" is SO 2007...

Sent from my iPhone

Fitness Friday: Push it to the Limit...

First an announcement: my precious doodlebug gal made the 'A' basketball team out of about 55 girls trying out. Woo-hoo! Remember the scene in Forrest Gump (man, I'm tearing up just thinking about it) when Forrest meets little Forrest and asks Jenny, "Is he smart... or... is he like me?" And he weeps when Jenny tells him, "Oh, he's very smart Forrest..." That's how I feel about having a child who can dribble a basketball and move in a forward motion at the same time. I weep. She is not like me, bless her sweet soul.

So, Fitness Friday. If you live anywhere close to me and are enjoying this AMAZING weather, I do hope you are being active and enjoying it. Walk, bike, roller blade, hopscotch, you name it, GET OUT IN IT!! If, of course, you live north of here where they got a few feet of snow yesterday -- find a treadmill! :-) I wouldn't survive snowy runs too well!

If you are already a regular exerciser, go you! However, don't fall into a rut. It's VERY easy to let your walks turn into strolls, your bike ride turn into a cruise, and your swim can become a sweet little float. Your body quickly adapts to an exercise routine making your muscles more efficient. This means that you are getting stronger, but it also means you will burn fewer calories per workout.

There are several ways to challenge yourself. I think I've said it before, but I think a heart rate monitor is the best tool you can use to be aware of the intensity you are maintaining. Do you know of anyone who has been walking the same route, the same distance for years, and can't figure out why they are gaining weight? It's because the body has adjusted. That is no longer a workout, just a thing your body does.

To make it a challenge, try to improve your time. Even varying your route can keep you from falling into the same speed routine. I had a doctor encourage me to get my mile (WALKING) to 12 minutes. That's why I started running -- I would rather run a mile than try to walk one as fast as I possibly can. Improve your time. Challenge your heart rate. Change your route.

To keep from hitting a wall, one technique I've learned about is the 3/1 method: spend 3 weeks REALLY pushing your intensity in your workouts. Challenge how much weight you're lifting, how fast you can walk or run or bike a mile, push yourself with each workout. On the fourth week, take a break. Don't stop exercising, but lower your intensity. Leave the watch and/ or heart-rate monitor at home. Walk the dog, play with the kids, whatever. Make it an 'active recovery' week.

Besides constantly challenging your workout intensity, vary your 'exercise of choice' every once in a while. Maybe on your 'easy week' switch your runs to swims or your bike rides to walks. Change things around. Find a fun way to move. Just keep moving!

A People Belonging to God

Well, hello there internets. Several kind folks have sent others my way to hear some real preachin'! Welcome, one and all -- red and blue states, R's and D's (and if that means "Researchers and Developers" to you -- welcome, also), and all in between. Happy to have you here for a while and you are always welcome to chat!

Now, to the vocabulary: yes, mugwumping is now an acceptable word for you to use. (Actually, when I saw Donna's comment that she remembers it from her youth, I was afraid she was going to tell me it has some awful meaning -- PLEASE tell me if I need to take it off of there!) Now, about form: you shouldn't allow your children to mugwump. Mugwump can be a noun or a verb: one who is in a chronic state of mugwumpiness (see, when you use made-up words anyway, you can make them however you want...) can become a mugwump. I think 'curmudgeon' would be a good synonym for someone who is a mugwump.

We have been enjoying even more gorgeous weather around here. Of course, it's deer season, so the deer-hunter-in-shining-camo is getting the land ready and preparing to go sit out on some miserably cold morning watching the sun come up waiting for some gorgeous creature to come across the rise. And our family will have meat for the winter ('lest you feel the need to lecture me about his hunting).

Basketball tryouts are this week for 7th grade girls, so it has been a 7 a.m. start to the school day all week. Basketball is Ashley's love, and I can't wait to see how this week all shakes out. There are 'a', 'b', and 'c' teams. Of course, we all in this house think she's an 'a'-teamer! No matter which team she lands on, if they will just let her PLAY she'll be thrilled.

Riley has a soccer tournament on Saturday. It's like the death throes of soccer -- last weekend, and we have 3 games on one day! Does it make me an awful mother to say, "Blech"?

We are just going full speed ahead around here, as you can tell. See? No matter who won the presidency, life still goes! And we are blessed to live one more day and testify to His goodness. May you live up to your calling:

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2: 9-12

A Call to Action

All right, listen up. Yes, I'm talking to you. From McCain supporters, I'm hearing one of two things: nervous 'mugwumping' (that's one of my dad's words and I shall use it often -- I do love it) about the direction of our country and how quickly we will be traveling to eternal damnation in the proverbial handbasket, OR a stoic martyrdom that 'we shall tolerate the next 4 years in a godly manner'. Seriously, is that the best we can do? And, while I'm preaching, let me tell you, I am only speaking to Christians. If you are not a believer, you are welcome to read, but I don't hold you to the same standard that I do my brothers and sisters in Christ -- and some of them need a little bit of a talkin' to...

But for those of us that are believers, let me clue you in on a little something: have you read the book of Revelation? Well, I taught it -- to 4th graders this summer. Allow me to summarize the book for you: WE WIN!!! People, our victory is won, our hope is secure. Why the mugwumping?

The election may not have gone your way. Okay. So will you look like the rest of America who the election did not 'go their way' or will you show that your citizenship is in heaven? And I don't mean to be aloof -- that all of this worldly stuff is 'beneath us'. No, this is the stuff we live in. I just think that we have an opportunity to stand together and do AMAZING things right now -- "reach across the aisle" to use a political term, but meaning something a little different.

For instance, are you afraid of... 'x' happening with this administration (I have an 'x', no doubt). What would happen if, every time you were tempted to worry or gripe about 'x' -- you instead prayed for President-elect (or, at the time, President) Obama? Really, think about it. What if we ALL -- all of us who have fears and anxieties and frustrations about things currently -- made a commitment to pray for Barack Obama BY NAME every day for the next four years. Can you even imagine?

I think this has the opportunity to be our (us believers') finest hour -- a time when believers show that their citizenship in heaven dictates their action and humility rather than their citizenship in a political party in this amazing country we are blessed to live in. What are we doing as believers to show that we are different from the rest? I don't think standing stoically, idly by chanting about God being in control is enough. It's a start, but it isn't enough. Are you praying, fervently praying for those leaders by name? Are you voicing your trust in God or your fear of the future? Does your kindness and love (and prayers) extend beyond party lines?

It's EASY to be kind/ Christian when things go our way. Now that things haven't gone your way, will others be able to see Christ in you? I pray so. As I said, I think this can be our finest hour. I leave you with the following blessing:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

Oh, precious child of God -- HIS power is at work within us!! The same power that had my Savior rise from the depths of the grave. It's yours for the using and the asking. "With great power comes great responsibility."

May you ditch the mugwumping and shine like the stars in the universe you have been called to be as a child of our King.

Allow Me to Be the First to Say...

I was wrong...

Congratulations, President-elect Obama.

Special Election Day Good Things Out There

Yes, I am weary of it, but it is everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, and pretty much every blog I read. Election, election, election. One thing I am VERY thankful for is that my children are at the ages that they are genuinely interested in this election and how it works. Riley (5th grade) brought home a paper that will allow him to keep track of the states as results are announced. I don't know how late he will be allowed to stay up to fill it in, but I definitely think it's worth a missed hour or two of sleep for the lesson. (Here is a printable page that includes number of electors in each state if you would like your children to color them in -- or, you know, you always can...)

So, since I can barely speak of anything else, I will share with you some of the excellent writing about it in the blog-o-sphere.

Lysa had some good thoughts (after a scary moment).

Beth, as always, keeps us focused.

Rachel has some great things you can do -- next election. Of course, if this drags on like 2000 (heaven forbid!!) you will still have time to work on those crochet candidate finger puppets. And, if you don't have time to crochet, you can always print out these little babies, cut them out, fold them, and have your own debate while you wait for the results. Of course, you may be locked away by the time the results come in...

And while you're crocheting or coloring your map, you can also whip up some Senate Bean Soup: served every day in Senate (I wonder how many senators eat it every day, and if bean soup every day could explain a lot coming from capital hill...?)

Obviously, I should have started looking at this before 3 p.m. There is a whole world of festivity that could be taking place instead of the hand-wringing and bravado that I'm hearing so much. So, have a party!

And listen to this guy:



And, don't forget, as the ever-clever Matt Elliot pointed out: an election is always better than a bloody coup. He does have a point. What a blessing and privilege it is, no matter how it goes!

Little by Little...

Since the closest thing I have to a laptop is my phone, I'm having to
resort to emailing in a post from my phone again. Not only is my home
computer occupado, but I haven't been off the couch much today. For
the record? The sick thing? I'm over it! Ready to move on and maybe
live an actual life instead of this wallow on the couch and moan sort
of pseudo-life. I got over the generic creeping crud of two weeks ago,
felt great all last week, had a killer workout(s) on Saturday. Sunday
during church I started feeling bad- headachy, stomach rolling a
little... I thought I had just overdone my workout and would feel
better after I rested.

To make this too-long, pointless story a little longer still with no
point: evidently had a bit of a stomach bug that finally turned a
corner today after my 4th nap of the day. Really hoping this will end
soon. Maybe I'm building immunity?

Newsflash: election day is tomorrow. My main prayer is that it will
END!!! This is like being pregnant: the Lord allows you to get SO
pregnant and SO miserable that you will go through ANYTHING to not be
pregnant anymore. I'm willing to call one of the Doodlebops "Mr.
President" if it will just END this eternal campaign!

Right now the SNL Presidential Bash is starting. I can't wait! At
least I can laugh at these guys!

Have a wonderful day- and do go vote to help this come to an end!!

Sent from my iPhone

Good Things Out There

I thought this tip about clutter was very insightful -- and definitely stepped on my toes!

That Antique Mommy is at it again -- a must read for any golfers, parents, and it is especially for any golfer/ parents.

I mentioned getting back into running. I have heard about this organization that started when one young lady (she's 27, y'all!!!) noticed that her morning runs were taking her by people who weren't going anywhere -- in life or on the road. You can also see a brief video of her, Anne Mahlum here, and vote for her for hero of 2008 for CNN.

I haven't rounded up all the good things out there, but this weekend full of nothingness somehow threw me for a loop!

The BEST thing out there was two precious souls baptized this morning -- one had a very special meaning to me to see her daddy baptize her. Thank you, Lord, for my new sister and brother!

Observation

I always get tickled when I go someplace (most recently Starbuck's) that asks for a name so that they may call my name when my order is complete. When I tell them 'Sarah', they invariably ask, "With, or without, an 'h'?"

Either way, will it change how you pronounce it when my order is ready?