Favorites Friday

I am 39. In fact, for three days, I have been 39. I am not overly happy about turning 39. And dear Shaggy hasn't helped, with his timely reminders on my important day that I am now only 364 days away from 40 (today, only 361). I can't (YET!) find things to love about being "almost _orty." Sheeeesh, I can hardly even say the "f" word (numeric, not nasty!) out loud.

My Favorite Things About Turning 39 (as if one can have favorite things about this event. . . . )

1. I am more sure than ever before that I am done bearing children, if the decision is totally left to me
2. I got to eat steak from the grill, salt potatoes, and chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream cake
3. I didn't have to do dishes all day long
4. I got an e-card from Keith Urban when I got home and checked my email (I know it's not really from him, but it had his cute little face on the greeting and a girl can dream a little, can't she?!)
5. I spent the whole d-day just hanging out on the deck, rotating between chairs and the hot tub while reading and talking with my mom.

Okay, I'm taking my tired, 39-year-old self off to the couch. With a book and a bowl of popcorn. Thinking up SOMETHING to like about turning 39 was exhausting. And I really stretched it. Not doing the dishes wasn't really that big a deal - the boys do them most days anyway! I got nothing else. . .

I'll blog more on our fabulous relaxing lake adventure when I recover from the shock of seeing "39" in black and white so many times in one post. ugh.

The Cry of My Heart . . .

We all need strength for the journey. We all struggle some times. We all feel weary and are tempted to whine or complain. Today, I need strength for the journey. Today, I am weary and tempted to complain or sit and dwell in anger and frustration at my circumstances and the lack of control over them. But this morning, I woke with these psalms in my heart. And I'm turning my heart toward the Lord. It's not easy and I'm already (at only 11 a.m.) having to consciously choose to keep doing so. But this is what I choose: I will rise up and lift my eyes to the Lord. Whatever you are facing, whatever you have in front of you to tackle today, JOIN me in choosing to rejoice and trust in THE LORD.

• Psalm 33:20-22 "We wait in hope for the LORD; HE is our help and our shield. In HIM our hearts rejoice, for we trust in HIS holy name. May your UNFAILING love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in YOU."
• Psalm 46:1-3 "GOD is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will NOT FEAR, though the earth give way and the mountains fall in to the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. SELAH"
• Psalm 46:10-11 "Be still and know that I AM GOD; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD ALMIGHTY is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. SELAH."
• Finally, Psalm 71:1-4 "In YOU, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. DELIVER me, O LORD, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men."
• AMEN
  

*(caps and emphases mine)

My Favorite Summer Chicken Dish

This weekend, I made a dinner for friends that has been one of my favorites since my Aunt Nancy made it for The Boss and I in college. She's an amazing gourmet cook, and the fact that this dish tasted so fabulous but was so incredibly EASY was an inspiration to me. We were "home" in NY during our senior year to allow The Boss to meet my dad's side of the family and she served this for a little family dinner that she threw together when we arrived. I hope you all try it and enjoy it as much as we do each time we make it. And it has the added bonus for me of evoking all kinds of wonderful memories of our dating and engagement years!

I call it Greek Grilled Chicken, because I can't remember what she called it . . .

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2" thickness each
• 8 oz. Greek or Caesar light salad dressing (our favorite is Gazebo Room Light)
• 8 oz. feta or blue cheese (you can even try some of those yummy flavored fetas that are available now)
• Pour Greek dressing into a sturdy plastic bag and place chicken breasts in the dressing. Work the bag over well, to mix the chicken and dressing up together. Be careful not to rip the chicken though. Marinate overnight.
• Grill chicken breasts over medium heat, flipping only once. About 3-5 minutes before chicken is cooked through, sprinkle about 2 oz. of feta or blue cheese over each chicken breast. Close grill and allow cheese to melt slightly. Do not allow cheese to scorch!
• Serve on a bed of whole grain pasta, or a bed of spinach, or with grilled veggies on the side.
• Leftovers make a great chicken sandwich, on pita bread, or a great cold salad the next day.

Let me know what you think of this one when you try it. It's a big hit with company, for very little effort or time. Enjoy!

Day of Gratitude

Today represents a very special sort of anniversary for our family. I have declared that today is a Day of Gratitude, set apart to thank God for the miraculous protection and mercy that He demonstrated to The Gang on this day, July 23, 2006. Please forgive me if this post runs longer than normal (and yes, I've noticed that some of my recent posts have been running long . . . Might be from the hours sitting by my pool with the kids and scant other adults to chat with!). But I'm sharing today parts of a letter that I wrote last year, detailing an accident in which Baby Blue Eyes was hurt badly. And I'm wrapping it up with a report of where BBE is today, for which we are also so incredibly grateful. Some of you may remember this accident, and for those of you who stood with us in prayer, we all are grateful for you and your support. We could not have made it through without the Body Of Christ loving us and praying us through. Here are excerpts from the update we sent out to family and friends when we got home from the hospital.

The three boys and The Boss were at a (church boys' ministry) campfire and cook out on Sunday (7/23/06) night. There were several activities, including paintball target practice, smores, ATV's and so on. While The Boss was prepping smores for Baby Blue Eyes and the other little boys, an ATV driven by one of the teens came up over the hill and crashed into the campsite. It was on a direct path for The Boss, so he jumped out of the way, but at the last minute, it swerved and hit BBE and another little boy head on. BBE's little body took the brunt of the hit, and loooooong story short, he & I were Medevac'd out to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - where The Boss works) with head and face trauma. The other little boy was sent home from our local hospital later that night, with minor injuries and bruising.

BBE sustained a serious concussion, a broken right arm (the top of the ulna and the radial head), lost 4 primary teeth on the upper jaw in the center, and had 2 big lacerations on his lower lip that required 6 stitches to close. The upper gums where the teeth were knocked are, from a mommy's perspective, a complete mess :( He also showed some fluid in his abdominal cavity on the CT scans - specifically around his adrenal glands - and some of his enzyme levels were elevated. We were checked into our room around 2 a.m. on Monday morning, where we all crashed and got about 2 hours of sleep before the next round of blood work and dr. visits began. Not much sleep in a hospital! After a couple blood draws, and good results, they finally gave him clearance to try clear liquids around 4 p.m. Monday when his levels came back normal again. He promptly fell asleep for almost 3 hours, so discharge was put off another day. They needed to be assured that his little body would tolerate liquids and soft solids before going home. We were finally given the clearance to head home around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. His first solid food was half a tuna sandwich on white bread! (Eaten in very tiny pieces, popped past the stitches and swallowed gingerly . . . .)

So, we are home now and the healing process includes several follow up visits to our pediatrician, the pediatric dentist, and the orthopedic specialist for his arm. He doesn't really want to see any more doctors, but at this point we have little choice. Today we meet with the pediatric dentist, for some x-rays, and an exam. Later, we'll face the physical therapists, and in the meantime we'll have to find some alternatives to swimming. That's the hardest part of being home, since our pool is staring him right in the face each time he looks out the window and he's such a little fish. I'm already sick of PBS and Nickelodeon kids' shows, but what I feel about Caillou and Blues Clues is immaterial at this point! And I don't need to tell you how differently this week could be playing out in our home. So whine on, Caillou! :)

. . . One year later, we made it through the 6 weeks of the cast, the partial cast for 6 weeks and finally the removal of the cast and were incredibly blessed to be able to do physical therapy here at home with me helping him. The doctors were amazed at the range of motion and strength that BBE retained while casted and allowed me to choose with our local pediatrician whether or not to pursue "official PT." I'm also pleased to report that BBE's adult teeth are coming in nicely and that only one shows signs of permanent damage. We still pray over that tooth and are believing the Lord for the "best case scenario" of cosmetic repair. He's mighty sick of monthly & bi-monthly x-rays, and thinks his dentist has stinky breath, but if that's the worst we have to deal with one year later, I'm okay with that! At this point (as of his June '07 appointment), he's free of any dental appointments until one of those 4 teeth start coming through the gums.

Today, we are deeply thankful to the Lord for sparing BBE's precious life and giving us many more days to hug and snuggle and run and play. When I hug him, I do so knowing that each hug is a gift. We are thankful for the tenderness and support that our new church family showed to us in the healing process - and for the healing that the Lord has done for the young man who was driving the ATV. He's a wonderful, godly young man, with much tenderness and compassion and I'm so grateful that he's hung in there and worked through the process of this with us. He's a very special young man.

So, today is The Gang's new Thanksgiving Day. We serve a mighty, loving God and we have seen His compassionate deliverance over and over in our lives, but never more expressively than over this year and over Baby Blue Eyes. Go hug your kids and thank your Daddy in Heaven for the gift of being their mommy or daddy!

And thanks for hanging in there for such a long post :) I promise to shorten it up for those to follow!

Favorites Friday

My Five Favorite Ice Cream Flavors:

• Turkey Hill's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
• Ben & Jerry's Pistachio, Pistachio
• Hershey's Moosetracks
• Bruster's Chocolate Raspberry Truffle
• Bruster's White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle

What are yours?

I'm off to spend the weekend with friends who came in today for a long weekend. Tomorrow is the ZOO and Sunday is slated for swimming and chill-axin' with the gang. Enjoy your weekend :)

Kudos To Curves

My local Curves started a motivational summer program called Camp Curves this week. I understand that many of the members of the Curves community are doing it too. In it, members are divided into teams (I'm on Spirit and Encouragement) and every time a member visits, she has the opportunity to earn points for her team by choosing various activities to do while she works out. For example, one could sing a camp song or submit an easy summer recipe. Additionally, on Thursdays and Fridays one can earn points for correctly answering trivia questions or for being there at least 3 times for that week. It is a fun summer boost and a neat way to connect the members with each other and with the reason we all drag ourselves out of bed or home from work to sweat it up for half an hour.

I'm so impressed with the way that our local Curves is run. It's very aesthetically pleasant, with nice decor and inspiring posters and pretty accessories all around. All the staff members seem to be enthusiastic and committed to their corporate mission ("Strengthening Women"). They all go out of their way to greet each woman who walks through the door, and they talk about their lives and inquire about ours. It gets us talking and relating to women we might never meet otherwise. I rarely get to know anyone's last names, but these staff members foster a great sense of community and hospitality every time I'm there. Each staff member is very different and unique, but they all carry a warm, caring spirit. It makes me glad to keep going and it CERTAINLY makes it easier to face my early morning work-outs. And believe me, THAT's no easy task!

So, I'm giving a big shout out to my Curves. I'm grateful for a place to go, that encourages me to get and stay healthy and that makes me want to connect with others when I'm there. For an extrovert like me, connection is so very important. And considering how unhealthy and unfit I have been for the past 10 years, THANK YOU Curves for getting me hooked. And for keeping me coming back!

Something New For Us

Today The Boss worked from home. That's new for us, as we've been a "commuting by train "family for the whole three years we've lived here. He loves his job and he loves the mission of his organization, but the stress and pressure of being "in another world" (aka the city) all day long and returning home (to the "real" world!) by train was beginning to wear thin. It required two completely different mindsets for him, and a mental adjustment each time he would board the train to and from the office. You could say, the novelty wore off. Honestly, the novelty of it all wore off for me loooooong ago, but he took a while longer to experience the drag of it all.

So he went to his boss and requested permission to occasionally work from home. He has the technology, both at the office and here, to do so. And he has great people (both above and below his position) in place to allow him the freedom of working remote. He just didn't have the flexibility in his departmental culture to allow for it. When he presented his case for doing so and his boss granted him permission to try it once per pay period, we were elated. We didn't expect that kind of flexibility to be granted.

And now that it's here, I've discovered that I'll have a bit more adjusting to do than I naively thought would be necessary. See, I love, love, love hanging out with The Boss. He's so laid back and easy going that I (usually!) feel relaxed just being home with him. Usually. But I found myself acting today (a Wednesday!) as it were Saturday. I (we) slept in, played on the computer, took my time getting to Curves, and made dinner really, really early (for us). That's all well and good for now, during Summer Break, but I am going to have to kick myself in the pants to remain productive when the kids are off to school. I can see it coming . . .

But the really great thing about The Boss working from home is this: today he was relaxed and "present" enough (ladies, don't you all know just what I mean?!) to sit with me and wrap up several conversations that I've been trying to finish since school got out. We made three big decisions in one 15 minute conversation:

• Baby Blue Eyes will do kindergarten here at home this year
  
• LadyBug will do one more year of public school, then we will re-evaluate both during the process of the adoption (they both want to be home with the baby :)
  
• We will not make a decision on a part-time job for me till school gets underway (we've been contemplating that for a while, to help with adoption finances)

And we didn't argue or fade out or misunderstand each other from a place of exhaustion or overload even once. It was amazing. So amazing in fact, that I feel as if I'd lost 10 pounds of thought life.

Now if I could just get the scale to move as quickly as our decision-making process!

*Side note: while I was posting this, The Boss and the boys worked in the basement on a long-unfinished project that I was mentioning at dinner tonight. Wow! I love this work at home thing :)

More Currently, In Our Adoption Journey

As promised, here is another installment of the journey we are on to adopt a daughter from China. Each segment of our story feels so intimate and at the same time, so universal. At any given time, I have found myself sharing bits and pieces of our story, only to have sometimes complete strangers say, "Oh, my sister adopted from Russia and they waited forever also," or "Wow, my boss and his wife adopted from China, and I had no idea all that they went through." I feel as if the Lord has already used our journey to encourage others. And I'm so blessed to say that He has certainly used others' stories to gird us up and give us strength for our process.

As the story becomes increasingly current in the telling here, there are changes and things working in my heart about it and about my personal journey every day. Sometimes, I wonder what I was thinking when I asked the Lord to use this experience to change and mold me. Sometimes, it feels un-ending and too hard to persevere through. But on just such a day, the Lord allows my path to cross with one of those with a great story. And I marvel. So I'm continuing to share these snippets in as chronological an order as I can, but please know that all of it is "here and now" for me and I'm often processing as I write!

In April 2006, we contracted to begin our adoption journey through Living Hope Adoption Agency. It is founded by Samuel Fang, a former Chinese citizen who is deeply committed to bringing together “forever families” through the mission of his agency. (He has an amazing testimony of his own and clearly is anointed by the Lord for the work to which he has set his hands.) We are currently in the “waiting stage” of our adoption, having been approved first by our agency, then by the U.S. federal government. Our dossier (family file of information, like a portfolio) is in the “review stage,” waiting “in queue” at the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA). It’s a long process, and often the wait really wears us down. But the Lord has given us several tangible encouragements along the journey, including a “life verse” and a name for our new daughter. She will be called Aidan Hope, and the verse that we believe we are called to pray over her & her future is Psalm 71: 5 & 6 “For you have been my HOPE, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you, you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.” Aidan means “little fiery one” in old Gaelic, and with everything that she will have to endure to get to us, we believe God for a fiery little fighter spirit to rise up in her!

Coming installments of this story will be in the form of questions that people have been asking of us quite frequently in recent months. If you have questions as you read this, please feel free to ask them. I'd love to answer as best I know, and research the answers to those I don't know! Soon, I will also post a summary of the steps of the whole dossier approval process, to make more clear some of the things you have read and will read in future posting.

Thank you again, for coming back to hear more of our story!

Favorites Friday

I just spent a wonderful day hanging out and catching up with one of my dearest friends ever. This girl, I'll call her JBug (she knows why!), has been my friend from the first day of classes our freshman year at Messiah. We connected in a Communications class and very quickly became inseparable for the next 4 years. We've walked through lots of life stages together, navigated some tricky waters of relationships and growing pains, and supported & encouraged each other in hard and happy times. Today, I'm posting about my friend, JBug!

My Five Favorite Things About JBug:

• She highly values real relationships, and works very hard to be as real as she wants her friends to also be
• She is passionate about raising her kids to know Jesus and to know how to share Jesus with others
• She is selfless and generous with her time and energy and resources when serving the Lord and His family
• She is an incredibly loyal, gracious friend - and very constant in her devotion to her family and friends
• Finally, she is incredibly fun to hang out with - a great conversationalist: wise, funny, and interested in what you have to say

So, JBug - thanks for a great day. Thanks for always reminding me that true friendship stands the test of time. And thanks for caring about me as much as I hope you know that I care about you. I had a super day, and I'm anxious to do it again soon! Love Ya, Babe :)

One More Thing Before I Go . . .

Happy Birthday Baby Brother!

I remember the first time I saw you
Scrunched up face and bald little head
You grabbed my 8 year old heart
And for these 31 years
You've been a joy to our family
Keeping us laughing
And thinking
And praying
Lots of praying :)
I'm so excited to see what God's got
For you and Mrs. Baby Brother
That coming little baby girl is blessed indeed
I'm proud of the man you are
Privileged to have been there
To see your journey
And the return of your bald head

Love You!

Blissfully Returning To Normal!

Today was the first day of our "normal" life again. It was so normal, it might seem tedious to the rest of you. But for me, it was bliss. Pure bliss. Well, not pure - bliss only slightly marred by the warnings to "stop splashing each other in the eyes," "please clean up that mess before we swim," and "keep your hands to your self in the grocery store." But even those little things were so normal I was happy to say them. Well, not happy, but only slightly annoyed at the 100th repeat of "Please don't run by the pool!" Anyway, you get my drift. Normal is good. Today was good. Here's what normal is for The Gang:

• Got up early and started working up a sweat by 7:40 at my local Curves
• Stopped at the post office to mail a Rescue Hero to a Johnson boy - you know who you are :)
• Stopped at the bank to cash a check from the insurance company
• Came home to find Shaggy and Dr. Doolittle busily attending to chores, while LadyBug played with her favorite doll
• Baby Blue Eyes had a melt down about changing garbage bags alone this week
• Talked him off the ledge (in this case, the side of the tub!), took a long hot shower and did my hair and my make-up, sorta
• The nieces and nephew came for the day (to give Sis a break after housing The Gang in various forms for almost 3 days!)
• Headed with 6 kids to the library - had to leave Shaggy behind, as our van only seats 7 and I apparently forgot that with 7 kids I'd need 8 seats! DUH.
  
• Rockin' Aunt Tracy let everyone play in the new play room at the new library for 20 minutes
• Headed to the grocery store, with my super duper list helper and various runners assigned to various tasks on the list
• Stopped for burgers and fries on the way home, again - Rockin' Aunt! Extra burgers for Shaggy - to make up for being left behind
  
• Visited with a friend pool-side while kiddies played and splashed and tried not to run
• Got cousins off for home and fed The Gang
• Did church bulletin (early, I might add!) and surfed web for adoption stuff while Gang ate
• Put on a movie for Gang, welcomed The Boss home from long day, caught up on email and blogs
  
• Now I'm off to put on my jammies and grab a book

Normal, oh sweet Normal. I love you, Normal :)

A Little More Of Our Story

In the absence of anything new to report since yesterday's post about our AC repairs, I'm sharing the second part of our adoption story with you. And still waiting for the repair service to come. Rumor has it that they will be here "within the hour," but I'm not staking my entire day on it!

The last segment of our story ended with my junior high self reading a book, The Family Nobody Wanted, and feeling inspired and connected to Helen Doss's passion for the then "un-adoptable" children in the U.S. foster/orphanage system. Here's the next step in our journey:

Many years after reading that book, The Boss and I began dating during our sophomore year at Messiah College. Once I sensed that this relationship was becoming serious, I shared with him my heart for adoption. I’ve always known that I’d like to have biological children, but I told him that I felt a strong urging of the Lord to seek out children from other nations that could benefit from the background, experience, and godly up-bringing that I and my future spouse could offer. He was surprised, but agreed to pray about it as it concerned our future together. I’ve been so privileged over the years to watch God “water” the dream of adoption as a calling in my husband’s heart also.

Since then, there’s always been an understanding that this was the path the Lord had called us to; that the real issue was not “if” but “when.” In fact, many of our friends say that they remember us talking about and being certain that adoption was part of our future as a family – even when we were newly engaged! I specifically remember watching news programs about the orphaned children in the former Czechoslovakia, weeping and begging God to let us begin our family even then. It was so hard to wait on HIS timing and HIS plan for the unfolding of our dream.

Over these 16½ years of marriage, even as the Lord was blessing us with four beautiful children, we still carried a sense, a “knowing,” that our family was not yet complete. Each of our kids is gifted, smart, and talented; but more importantly than that, they all love Jesus deeply and they believe in this “family mission” to which God has called us. I feel incredibly blessed that the Lord trusted me enough to give me this dream, even in seed form; and that He has watered it over the years. I am even more blessed that He saw fit to bring me a husband who could joyfully share this dream with me and make it his own. We believe that adoption is part of our family identity and we are excited to see the harvesting of the fruit of that little seed, planted in the heart of a junior high girl.

I am looking forward to sharing the more current parts of our story with you soon! Thanks for hanging in there to read the individual installments.

We Interrupt This Life . . .

As I mentioned in Monday's post, our AC has been on the fritz - dead, really. It broke Friday afternoon, for the third time in as many weeks and the repair service took the fan motor with them on Monday to match the part(s) and to decide amongst themselves whether this was the time to confiscate just my firstborn or go for the oldest two. We're waiting, waiting and waiting to hear from them. In the mean time, we've moved most of The Gang into my sister's place and have only been returning to the house for food to help round out the meals (feeding 12!), and clean undies all around. Last night we returned to swim, but today we're all too pooped out and lazy to get over there even for that. The heat is very de-motivating, isn't it?

I'm trying to be patient, flexible, and understanding. But I was really looking forward to a couple days at home with the kids to lay low and relax together. And to catch up on laundry, re-arrange some bedrooms and cut my 12 weeks of coupons while watching old re-runs of Judging Amy. Instead, I'm fighting frustration, feel completely exhausted, and I miss The Boss. (He's been sleeping at the house in the boys' air-conditioned room, since he gets up sooooo early for work.) I'm feeling unproductive and I don't want to do much of anything. Except keep calling the a/c service to inquire about where we are on their priority list. The Boss left two messages already, so I am restraining myself, to avoid a restraining order on me!

Okay, now I'm whining. YUK.

It has been a good time of praying for The Boss, reading quietly while the 7 cousins play in the basement, and hanging with my sis. And I've enjoyed playing with Rascal - he's their cute new golden retriever puppy. I could do without the constant licking of my legs (who knew Eucerin lotion was a puppy aphrodisiac?!), but he's cute and easily forgiven. While I was driving a friend to work this afternoon, I felt like the Lord reminded me that my attitude and my frustration were in need of an adjustment. And that they will just make me more drained and exhausted. And crabby and whiny.

So I gave myself a little kick in the pants while driving back (figuratively, I promise!) and decided to vanquish Eeyore and Piglet to the wind. Tigger hasn't made an appearance yet, but Winnie is making his way to the surface and that works for now. Nothing like a good dose of toddler parenting skills when you are feeling and acting like a 2 year old!

**I promise, for those of you checking in for the next chapter in our adoption story, I'll post as soon as I'm home on my own computer. I've got it saved in my Word files, as I've been working on it on and off for a few months now. Check back soon :)

I've been tagged . . .

Okay, so the long weekend of fun is over and I'm sitting here in my SERIOUSLY hot house, listening to the AC guy tinker with our compressor. While I'm tempted to feel deep compassion for this poor man in the heat, it's tempered by the fact that this is the THIRD repair call we've placed in less than three weeks. Thank goodness the Johnsons are so laid back and easy going. We spent about 10 hours pool-side on Saturday, ate all our meals there and let the kids swim till well after dark to cool everyone down. They left early Sunday a.m. in their nicely air-conditioned van and we hung out pool-side again till bed time. HUGE thanks to my sis and fam for letting us crash with them over night to stay cool.

So, while I'm waiting on the AC guy to decide if this call is when they take my firstborn son as payment for parts they don't have in stock and repairs they can't make till said parts arrive (I know, I'm such a skeptic! Heat has addled my brain.), I figured I'd respond to my tag. Thanks Krazy Klingers, and oH mY wORD! for including me in the fun :)

8 Random Things About Me

1. I think I want to write a children's book someday. I have a main character in my head, and some themes and ideas that I jotted down once. Somewhere.
2. I've been a Weight Watcher for 3 years now. I'm only half way to my goal - still. . .
3. I seriously hate loose teeth, newly lost teeth, and the gross socket left behind. NASTY!
4. My favorite wild animal is the polar bear. I have a pic of one on the screen saver of my phone.
5. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being a stay-at-home mommy. In case I haven't said it lately, THANK YOU, Boss Man, for working so hard to allow me to be home! LOVE YOU, BABE!
   
6. My kitty's name is Maggie, because when I got her I was unsure if I'd ever have a daughter and I just "needed" to use the name.
7. I got my first real teddy bear when I was a senior in high school. I'm still friends with the boy who gave it to me.
   
8. In addition to my coffee addiction (referenced here), I have very little self-control when faced with chocolate and peanut butter paired up. In fact, I rarely even buy my favorite ice cream, I can't handle the awesome responsibility of properly parenting my children and modeling the act of sharing it with my kids. I can't.

So, now I'm tagging my gal Jess over at The Asbury Trio! to join the fun. And Jess, get your sisters and friends in on the good times!

Happy Surprises!

I just got the most amazing phone call: our good friends, the Johnsons, just called to see if we were free for a "spur of the moment" visit. They are visiting other friends in Harrisburg, and since we've moved away, it's become much harder for them to get us all in, in one trip. It must be the Lord, because all our other plans for the holiday had fallen through in various stages. So - I can hardly contain my excitement! - we are being blessed with a spontaneous weekend visit with our dear friends.

These friends have been such constants in our lives. We met when we were all young married KIDS, with no kids of our own yet. We spent many happy years, cementing our friendships and doing all the fun things that young married couples can do without the baggage (literally!) of kids. (Not that I mind the diaper bags and bottles and diapers, just to be clear!) We went to local festivals, checked out local eateries, went to movies, did sleep overs when hanging out got too late, talked (uninterrupted!) for hours and enjoyed every minute of it.

And when the babies did come along, we held each other's kids, swapped date nights, visited at the hospitals, prayed together, cried together and laughed at all our new parent mistakes together. This friendship went through many fires and trials and tears along with the joys and the laughter of life together. And plenty of morning (all day!) sickness together too.

Then they headed off to Bible school. It was so hard to see them go, even though it was absolutely the right thing for them to do. It was hard to pray for them but not be able to DO anything for them from the distance. It was hard to remember that I couldn't just drop in to their little home on Kent Street anymore. It was especially hard to be apart during the loss of a child - we had to grieve their loss with them, away from them. It was hard to cram all our kids together in their little apartment on campus when we visited. But this friendship was WORTH all those hardships.

Harder still was leaving Mechanicsburg. For all the reasons that you already can imagine, but hard with the added pain of knowing that it was one more step removed from this couple and their "route" of visits and travel. And it got harder yet, when they left NY and headed to VA for a Master's program at Regent. Our access became mostly email and phone calls - lots of long, late night phone calls! In fact, I think it's been more than two years since we were together in person.

The level of excitement and delirium in the house right now is palpable. We love that they are comfortable just calling like that to fit us in. I LOVE that God knew how blessed we'd be, in spite of our earlier disappointment that other plans failed. So, I'm off to plan some meals (they have 5 kids now!) and to try and calm myself down. After all, they won't be here till after 11 tonite. There's no way I can sustain that level of delirium and adrenaline for the next 10 hours. Well, I can, but I better not. :)

Favorites Friday

Recently my father-in-law turned 70. So in his honor, today's Favorites Friday is about the grandparents. They are fabulous grandparents to the Gang, so they deserve the recognition and honor.

My Favorite Things About Tiny Boppa and Grandma B!

• Tiny Boppa and Grandma B built their home in the mountains with plans for lots of grandkids. This may not sound like a big deal, but when you have a safe, fun and happy place for 7 grandchildren to run and play and burn off lots of energy (no matter the weather!), it's a big deal to the adults who are trying to have normal conversations!
• They know how to play with the kids. They color, they go for nature walks, they play foosball, and they enjoy silly Disney movies alongside the grandchildren.
• They live a life of upright, principled character. They set a great example for the kids of living a righteous and holy life, focused on serving the Lord and His people.
• They know how to spoil a grandkid. Grandma B is often guilty of preparing a special meal just for one kid, cutting off the crusts, and letting certain little things slide. Tiny Boppa allows for vigorous horsing around and "boy play" that Mom and Dad stress over. It's hard for me to let some of that slide, but I tell myself that my grandparents did it for me - and I turned out mostly okay!
• Finally, Tiny Boppa and Grandma B started a new legacy for the whole Whitney Gang when they committed their lives to Christ. Because of their godly choices, our kids are being raised as second generation Christians on both sides of the family, with all the riches and blessings that come from the lineage that they grafted into. It's a rich heritage, both in the natural and the spiritual and we are reaping many benefits from their surrendered lives.

Incidentally, Tiny Boppa got his nickname when Baby Blue Eyes was learning the family connections of my parents vs. The Boss's parents. Big Boppa is my dad, because he's a very big man (especially to BBE when he was 3). "Tiny Boppa" was just the way BBE figured out the difference between the two. So it stuck. Except for his physical stature, Tiny Boppa is a big man in all the ways that count!

A little bit of our story

As many of you may know, we are in the process of adopting a little girl from China. In the next few weeks, I'm going to be sharing snippets of our story. Our process, how we got here, and where this dream started are all integral parts of who we are as a family. And as I've been praying over the message of Genesis 22 and what it started brewing in my heart, I'm realizing more and more how tied together all this is. I thought there were loose ends, that the brew had more percolating to do. And indeed, there is much to brew over. But I'm seeing that there are no loose ends to this, that it's all tied up in HIS hands and that He's making me up a cup of the good stuff! So, here's a first installment of our adoption story!

I have been nurturing and praying for many years over a particular dream that the Lord planted in my heart in my junior high years. When I was in 7^th or 8^th grade (1980 or 1981), I purchased a used book at a “Bookmobile” sale in our town. The book was The Family Nobody Wanted, by Helen Doss. It told the story of a young Methodist pastor’s wife, unable to bear her own biological children, who desired to be a mother more than anything. I connected with this young woman on many levels: I was a brand-new pastor’s kid, I loved children, and I wanted to be a mother someday. When told that biological motherhood was not in her future, Helen Doss refused to take that as the final word: she KNEW she was born to be a mother.

I became fully engaged in the story of her journey to adopt children from all over the United States, and was profoundly impacted by the trials she overcame to become the mother to these children. You see, she and her husband chose to adopt children that were considered “undesirable” by the 1940’s-era foster and adoptive systems. Many of these children were “un-adoptable” because they were of foreign, unknown, or mixed ethnicity. Looking back on it now, I believe that the Lord used that book to plant the seed of a dream in my heart to pursue international adoption. I still have my tattered, dog-eared copy of that book and have re-read it many times over the years.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in the story of our adoption!

Funny, if you are over 35!

A lady at my local Curves shared this funny story with us today. I'm sharing it with some revisions, to keep it rated G. But it's got some universal truths that cracked me up - until I looked in the mirror. Then I just shrieked! Enjoy!

My thighs were stolen from me during the night several years ago. It was just that quick. I went to sleep in my body and woke up with someone else's thighs. The new ones have the texture of cooked oatmeal. Who would do such a cruel thing to legs that had been mine for so long? Whose thighs are these and what happened to mine? I spent that entire summer looking for my real thighs. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans and Sheer Energy pantyhose. Then, just when my guard was down, the thieves struck again.

My butt was their next target. I knew it had to be the same gang, because they took such pains to match my new rear end to the thighs they'd stuck me with earlier. I couldn't believe it, but my new butt was attached at least three inches lower than my original one. What were these guys thinking? Now, my new rear complemented my legs, lump for lump. Frantically I prayed that long skirts would stay in style.

Then, last year I realized that my arms had been switched too. While fixing my hair one morning, I watched with horrified fascination as the flesh of my upper arms swung in perfect rhythm to the motion of my hair brush. This was getting scary. My body was being replaced, one section at a time. How clever and fiendish this ring of burglars was. Age? Age has nothing to do with it. Age creeps up, unnoticed; something like maturity, right? No, this wasn't age. I was being attacked, repeatedly, without warning and quite methodically. In despair, I gave up t-shirts. What could they possibly target next? I shouldn't have asked: my neck disappeared faster than the Thanksgiving turkey it now resembled. That's when I decided to tell my story. I can't take on the professionals alone.

Women of the world: WAKE UP and smell the coffee! That isn't really plastic that those surgeons are using. You know where they are getting those replacement parts, right? The next time you suspect a woman of having something lifted, look carefully. Was it lifted from YOU? I think I finally found my thighs. I sure hope Cindy Crawford paid really well for them!

This is not a hoax, it's happening all over the world, to women in every town, every night. Warn your friends!

Oh! On a hopeful note, I must tell you: I thought someone stole my breasts. I was lying in bed and suddenly they were gone. But when I jumped up to search, I was relieved to find that they had been hiding under my armpits while I slept. Now I tuck them in my waistband for safekeeping!

Do The Right Thing

I just spent a nice family weekend away, celebrating my father-in-law's 70th birthday. While we were away, I felt inspired to tell you about my sister-in-law. For the purposes of this blog, she will be known as "Baby Bird" - a nickname given to her by her daddy when she was just a little girl.

Baby Bird is a loving wife and mother to three great kids. She's been my friend since my freshman year at Messiah, when she came to visit her brother for a Little Sibs weekend. He wasn't The Boss yet, just a good friend who needed a place for his sister to sleep for the visit. Over the years that The Boss and I were forming a friendship and deepening our relationship, my friendship with her also grew. But the deeper, more intimate knowledge of each other has come in the years since we started raising these wild, crazy cousins together. Going through parenting together has given us a common ground from which to learn from each other - and I've learned a lot from her.

Over the years, I've seen Baby Bird make hard choices and learn how to make boundaries for herself in many of her relationships. And I've seen her Do The Right Thing, often at cost to herself. When a friendship was getting sticky and strained, Baby Bird chose to Do The Right Thing and confront the tension head on. When her child was struggling in the private school setting, she explored the options and chose to Do The Right Thing for that child and home school. When she meets someone in need and is confronted with a choice, she chooses to Do The Right Thing for that need. She often sacrifices her time and her money and her creative energies for her church family and her neighbors & friends. "Do The Right Thing" is a strong character trait that has cut a wide swath across her heart and consequently is embedding itself in her kids' hearts. Those who know her know that she is a woman of strong convictions and principles. But she doesn't just mouth service to those convictions - she acts on them. She lives the ideal of "Do The Right Thing."

It's been a privilege to see her grow and change and choose. She chooses to Do The Right Thing regularly with grace and compassion and conviction. And I'm proud to be her sister. And I'm proud to learn from her life.

"No Sweat Girl," No More!

When I was a kid, my Dad affectionately referred to me as his "No Sweat Girl." When I was young, I chafed at this label. I didn't like that it sounded like I was lazy. I didn't want that identity. But there was a lot of truth to the nickname: I really didn't like to sweat! REALLY didn't like it.

I didn't like being hot, or clammy, or uncomfortable. I detested yard work (still don't love it!) and I hated weeding the garden. I didn't like sports; running around a track in circles seemed futile to me. Watching my siblings on their various outdoor sports teams was fun, as long as I was with a friend and it wasn't blazing hot and sunny. When we went on vacation and the weather got hot and humid, as it invariably does in upstate NY in August, I was miserable. I preferred a quiet, shady spot with a breeze, a book and my dolls, or later my music and a book. And working out? Fah-gedd-a-bow-dit! I've never stuck to any workout routine, EVER! Give me some AC and a chilled glass of sweetened tea and I'm a happy camper. Better yet, throw in a suspense novel or a romantic comedy and I'm good to go.

But recently, I've discovered the addiction called Curves. In April, I was solicited to participate in a free three-week trial at my local Curves. And given that I've been struggling with the same 7 lbs. on and off since I moved to the Philly suburbs, and that I'd struggled all winter with the blues (in my case, they were blacks and grays!), and that I was starting to be really concerned about the encroaching 40's (AAAACK!), I thought I'd give it a shot. The gals in my Weight Watchers class all seemed to love it, but I was wary, as most of them are in their 50's+. But free for three weeks? Awwww, what the heck, I'll give it a chance.

Well, I am hooked. I can't say that I love all the music, but I have grown in the past 10 weeks to love the increased heart rates and the sweaty brow and the serious sucking of air. And I come home sweaty. Not just a mild, lady-like perspiration. I'm seriously sweaty, reeking and drippy. My work-out clothes (which I must admit, are actually kinda cute!) actually stink! And my t-shirts are getting sweat stains. Real sweat stains!

I'm so hooked that while I'm driving home, I'm mentally reviewing my calendar to see when I can get back there next. And a couple times a week, I actually do the circuits for an hour. AN HOUR! I know they recommend a half hour, three times a week. But I have so much fun, and I feel sooooo STINKIN' (pun fully intended!) good that I either do three full circuits or an hour. And I go 4 or 5 times a week. In ten weeks of working out, I've only worked out for the 2.5 circuits (which equals 1/2 hour) two times. I'm hooked, I tell ya, hooked!

So, now I'm the "Sweaty Girl!" And I'm proud of it. I'm proud of myself for stickin' with it and I'm proud of myself everytime I peel off my icky t-shirt and hang it to air out. I'm seeing good results, and I feel really good about myself. And if anyone has a great tip for removing sweat stains, I'm all over it!

Favorites Friday

I haven't been posting much, because I've been working really hard to get all my "Mommy" and other Domestic Engineering duties done by lunch time. Including my times at Curves and church-related duties. Although I've often felt terribly crunched for time from the hour I wake till the hour I crash pool-side, it's been worth it to spend time lounging and laughing with the kids. So today, I'm dedicating my Favorites Friday to summer time!

My Favorite Things About Summer Break!

• For the most part, I am able to live "ALARM CLOCK FREE!" This is huge for me, as I really feel that nothing good ever happens before 8 a.m. NOTHING!
• I get hours by the pool to read whatever I choose: light-hearted fiction, life-changing non-fiction, or comic books.
• For three months of the year, I get to be the FUN parent! You wouldn't believe the pleasure I take in yelling, "Suits on, it's time to swim!" and that rush tides me over almost all year, until about April when I'm tired of yelling, "Hurry, the bus is coming!"
• Our pool allows me to be the "hostess with the mostest." My nieces and nephew love coming to Aunt Tracy's and I love to be able to invite different friends over for a day of fun.
• Summer break gives me hours to hang with my gang - again, we love the lounging and laughing and enjoying spontaneous outings to mini-golf, the mall, ice cream shoppes and libraries. We only really look at the clock to check when The Boss gets to join the fun.

As I'm writing this, it's pouring rain outside and everyone here is glued to Handy Manny on the Disney channel. It's a peaceful, quiet morning with my coffee. Just the way I love it!

What do you love about Summer?

A Perfect Date With LadyBug

Today I took my little LadyBug to Sears for her (belated!) 8 year old birthday picture and a girlie date at the mall. She asked me to curl her hair in a cute little flip-out and wore a sweet summer dress and her new "high heels." Her pictures turned out fabulous (shout out to our very own Miss Marie!!) and we had a ball strolling through the mall, talking and looking at all kinds of stuff. She helped me find a new bathing suit, which was a fairly painless process this year. She has excellent taste and is heartbreakingly sweet while being honest in her evaluations! Then we searched high and low for the perfect stuffed animal, played a while in the Disney store, and she even let me spend some time in my favorite store, Christopher and Banks. I scored big there: bermuda shorts for $5, capris, and two tops - all for only $2 over my Christmas gift card. (Yes, that's my miser instinct of holding on to gift cards again!!)

Then we headed off to Macaroni Grille for a late lunch together. We played the favorites game, giggling back and forth about the things we both loved and the things that were different in our tastes. We're more alike than different in most of the areas that this particular game covered, so we were laughing over how often we said the same thing. Then our waitress offered us the dessert menu. I was going to say no, trying to be cautious about the bottom line and my waist line (after all, my new bathing suit doesn't have the adjustable waistbands!); but LadyBug wheedled and giggled and said, "Mommy, it is my birthday date?!" Well, off the waitress went. I thought she was letting us decide. But no siree! A minute later, she came back with their chocolate ganache-frosted cake with a pretty little candle in the middle and a co-worker at her side. Before LadyBug could blow out the candle, the co-worker sang Happy Birthday in beautiful opera style Italian! LadyBug was a hundred shades of pink, and couldn't stop smiling. I gotta admit, I got a little misty. And forgot about the $6 that cake would add to my bill.

And wouldn't you know it: after the cake was DEVOURED (by both of us, I know, I'm so weak!) the bill came and the beautiful cake was free. So I gave the waitress the $6 I'd already resigned myself to pay and thanked the Lord for the joy and the beauty of A Perfect Date With LadyBug!

Following Up. . .

Well, I'm not exactly sure that I've gotten more clarity on the "good stuff" that is brewing here. I was looking over my archives (short as they are!) and wondering at the sense of loose ends I still feel regarding this post. I can tell you that since this was written, it has felt like our life has become "A Series Of Unfortunate Events."

I've been reading and re-reading Genesis 22 since this sermon was presented, and with all that has been brewing in my mind and how close I am to it, I can't really tell if these events are truly out of the ordinary for our life. Or if I'm just hyper-aware of them as I'm processing and grabbing a hold of what the Lord's trying to teach me through this season. I will say this: at this point, I'm trying to adopt the attitude that there's no such thing as coincidences and that I must NOT let it all steal my joy. After all, like I've said about my parenting goof-ups: if you don't learn to laugh about this stuff, you'll just cry about it. Crying messes up your makeup. And in my case, leaves huge unsightly splotchiness all over my face and neck. It's just not a pretty option.

Here's a sampling of what's going on around here, since about the first week of May:

• Our basement flooded with 9" of gross, slimy, oily water.
• The furnace was fine, but the freezer perished in the flood.
• The Boss's day off was spent cleaning the basement instead of hanging out with me and Baby Blue Eyes before the Men's Retreat.
• Our insurance covered the cleaning and drying, but we had to pay for the freezer.
  
• Three days later, I ran over a spike and flattened a tire. Not covered by insurance!
  
• My cell died while trying to phone for help. Picture me just laughing hysterically in the parking lot of my local Curves.
  
• My cat developed a UTI because she couldn't get to her box in the flood.
• Then the fans and de-humidifiers scared poor Maggie so badly she couldn't pee even though she wanted to!
  
• The Boss got sick with an ear infection - that required serious pain meds and an antibiotic fit for horses.
• The Boss has now been sick for 4 + weeks. And let's just say, when Daddy's sick, the whole house feels it!
• The cat got sick again. May be chronic urinary tract disease.
  
• Our AC broke, the night before The Boss and Dr. Doolittle left for a weekend camping trip.
• In the midst of it all, we found a couple bills we forgot to pay (ooooops!) when we were consumed with cleaning the basement and drying it out.

This brings us to today. I chucked my "To Do" list, indulged myself in an hour at Curves and a long hot shower. Then I took my kids to play mini-golf (on a 1 year-old gift card! I know, I'm such a miser!) and out to eat. Not my normal Saturday, and certainly not how I've been coping with all these crazy events thus far. But "thus far" wasn't working, and laughing over Baby Blue Eyes whacking his little blue golf ball into the water at every other hole worked just fine for me.

So, I'm still brewing. And this loose end is still loose. And the way we all played on the mini-golf course, I'm sure the family behind us thinks we all have a couple screws loose.

Favorites Friday

Today is The Boss's 39th birthday, so I'm dedicating this edition of Favorites Friday to my wonderful husband!

My Favorite Things About The Boss:

• He's not really bossy. He's a servant, and leads our home by his example of service to us, to our church family, to our extended family and to his co-workers.
• He's very funny. He has a wide repertoire of silly voices, wise-cracks, and imitations of the world around him that keep us all laughing. Even when we've seen him do it a hundred times before!
• He's a great dad to our 4 kids. With the boys, he's wise and discerning, strong and loving, and rough and tumble all in one great package. And with LadyBug, he's gentle but firm, cuddly and sweet, and her Prince Charming - without the worldly facade of charm.
• He's my best friend. There is no one else I'd rather be with, through hard times or happy times. I love just hanging out with him, working on our home with him; and he's the one I love to escape with when it's time to "get away."
• He works hard at being more like Jesus. And takes his faith seriously - at home and at work. His desire to be found faithful in all things is a great example to me and the kids and to his staff at CHOP. It makes him a great husband, a great dad, and a great boss.

Colossians 1: 9-12 (from The Message)

"Be assured that from the first day we heard of you,
we haven't stopped praying for you,
asking God to give you wise minds
and spirits attuned to His will,
and so acquire a thorough understanding
of the ways in which God works.
We pray that you'll live well for the Master,
making Him proud of you as you work hard
in his orchard.
As you learn more and more how God works,
you will learn how to do your work.
We pray that you'll have the strength
to stick it out over the long haul -
not the grim strength of gritting your teeth
but the glory-strength God gives.
It is strength that endures the unendurable
and spills over into joy, thanking the Father
who makes us strong enough to take part
in everything bright and beautiful
that he has for us."

Happy Birthday, Hun!

One Phone Call

I was musing today about how much the world has changed. As I mentioned in a previous post, my brother-in-law is on a missions trip to Cambodia with his Master's program cohort. I've been thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to learn more about the world through Paul's eyes. I've also enjoyed reading the various comments posted about his experiences.

One comment in particular has had me musing a lot. My mother posted a comment about being able to share Paul's day to day experiences via the blog. She contrasted this with only hearing from my dad one time by phone in the whole 12 months he was stationed in Viet Nam. This is what I was musing about: ONE TIME to hear her beloved's voice. ONE TIME to catch each other up on the daily existence of a life lived separately just months after pledging to become one flesh. ONE TIME to say all that was in her heart. One phone call.

I had a little "a-ha!" moment over that. A little moment where my respect and admiration of my mother soared to yet a newer level. My mom has a lot about her to admire. Frankly, though, most of what I admire about her are products of years of wisdom and life experience. Products of hours spent laboring alongside my Dad, serving their local church and learning as they go. I love her people skills, her sense of humor about life, her patient ways, her creative mind in dealing with hard-to-love people. But she learned that stuff the hard way: she lived through it all, one experience at a time.

But this little "a-ha!" was the realization that she was a 22 or 23 year-old kid when Dad left for Viet Nam. A newly-wed, young and untested. Think about what YOU were like as a 22 year-old. I was immature, arrogant, and completely unaware of the great, big world around me. NOT that I knew that or would ever admit that to anyone then. But at 22, my mom married a soldier. Went off to Officer's Candidate School with her soldier and said good-bye when that handsome, strapping soldier went off to war. She wrote long love letters, sent care packages, and built a life for him to come home to. But she didn't know if he was coming home. And she didn't get to hear his voice, cheering her on or lifting her spirits or whispering his love every day. Or every week. ONE TIME. And she was just a kid.

So, as much as I'm enjoying Paul's trip and Paul's experiences, I'm eating a bit of humble pie tonight too. I'm such a wimp. I complain when The Boss misses his train. Or when he forgets to call and say hi. I needed that little kick in the pants - so much so, that it took me two days to process just how ungrateful I can be.

So, thanks Mom! For your sweet comment to Paul. And for yet another thing to admire you for - you ROCK!

*And if you want to read about Paul's experiences in Cambodia, click here! The team could use your prayers and if you care to, your comments of encouragement and support.

Favorites Friday

I am a hymns junkie. I confess, I confess!

I was privileged to grow up in an home that treasured the idea of heritage and legacy. We knew where in Ireland our ancestors hailed from. We heard stories of my great-grandfather carving out a life for his new wife and family after they left Sicily. We knew about our family's part in the history of the nation. For instance, there is a family legend (never totally proven, but it makes a great story!) that my grandfather used to play checkers with the neighborhood kids on Harriet Tubman's front porch in Auburn, NY. HARRIET TUBMAN!

So it naturally followed that when my Dad got saved and plugged in to his local church, he became very interested in church history and studying his newly discovered roots. I'm a lot like my Dad in that way. I love the old hymns of the church - I can rarely make it through one without getting totally choked up over the idea that this faith is so much bigger than me. That I am just a little piece of a huge picture that God's been painting since the beginning of time. That this love story of HIS has been running through generations and generations and I GET to be a part of it. I GET to be a part, no matter how small, in the race that has been running since My Father breathed life into this planet. These hymns remind me all at once of how small I am, how great HE is, and how much HE loves me. They tell me where I fit in this grand plan of HIS. And they make me proud to be part of a Kingdom that overcomes darkness and evil, as it has been doing for hundreds and thousands of years.

My Five Favorite Hymns

• How Great Thou Art, words & music by Carl J. Boberg & R.J. Hughes
• Great Is Thy Faithfulness, words by Thomas O. Chisholm & music by William M. Runyan
• Power In The Blood, words & music by Lewis E. Jones
• O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing, words by Charles Wesley & music by Carl G. Glaser
• O Come, O Come Emmanuel, compilation of various antiphons (hymns, chants and verses from a traditional Catholic Latin mass) translated by John M. Neale, arranged by Thomas Helmore

I could probably spend every Friday, posting my favorite hymns from various time periods of history. Or favorites from Fanny Crosby, then Charles Wesley, then Martin Luther. Or telling you the stories that prompted these rich and powerful worship songs. But today, this is my list. I may visit this topic again in the future. After all, we have a rich, long and victorious history and these hymns of ours tell a magnificent story. It's worthy of several visits!

What are your favorites? What do they speak to you?

An Epic Journey

My brother-in-law, and pastor, Paul left today for a two week trip to Cambodia as a fulfillment of the final requirements for his Masters of Divinity program. It's a missions trip, put together to help the students in his "cohort" learn about foreign missions, and how to do them. He has been a student at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA for the past three years and this trip represents the culmination of a very long, arduous journey of learning and growing for him and his family.

Won't you please join me in praying for Paul and his team members on this trip? They are specifically asking for prayer in the following areas:

• safety and protection
• physical health and endurance
• openness to the Lord's leading and teaching
• divine opportunities to share the love of Jesus in the midst of their classroom experiences
  

Additionally, I'd like to add that my sister and her kids could use some prayer for peace of mind, protection and good health, and comfort for their hearts. The kids are young and missing Daddy already!

I've posted the link to Paul's blog for the trip, if you are interested. I think you might really enjoy reading about the trip, especially if you know Paul. But if you just love stories about the faithfulness of the Lord and the cultures around the world, you will enjoy it too.

Check him out at: http://pkepicjourney.blogspot.com/

Jubilation and Exaltation!

Today was the last day of school for Shaggy, Dr. Doolittle, and LadyBug. We are all giddy with the sense of relief and the excitement of possibilities stretching before us. In fact, Dr. Doolittle was sooooo excited that the kitchen could not contain him.

So, he ran out the side door to the front yard. As Shaggy and Baby Blue Eyes sat at the island eating a celebratory grilled cheese sandwich, they spied Dr. Doolittle running back and forth across the front yard. Through the open glassed door, they watched him jump and leap and yell and sing. We all watched, laughing at his antics. He reminded me of those lambs that get set out to pasture in the early spring, to cavort and kick up their heels and bleat to their hearts' content. Until he started flashing the neighbors.

Seriously, he was so full of joy and excitement that he kept lifting up his shirt as if to take it off. But since it barely hit 70 here all day, and there was a stiff breeze kicking up, he'd drop it right back down - all while jumping about 2 feet in the air and running around. Then he'd do it again.

Do you know how hard it is to remind your 11 year-old son about basic rules of modesty vs. semi-nudity, while trying not to laugh your head off? Or trying not to cry with the pain of holding said laughter in? One little smirk from me and we were all lost. I couldn't help it. We all lost it, laughing and crying at his freedom of expression.

Truthfully, we were mostly laughing and crying because, if we were all a little less self-conscious, we wanted to be out there with him. Maybe not flashing the neighbors, but certainly running around cavorting with the sheer joy of 2 1/2 months of freedom and fun ahead. No alarm clocks. No homework. No Science Projects with creepy crawly bugs in soda bottles. No school lunches that cost an arm and a leg. And gosh, if I'd done some jubilation laps with Dr. Doolittle, I coulda skipped Curves this morning.

But I did get a great ab work-out, laughing with my kids over his crazy antics and over the fun that awaits us all! So that's something. Maybe it was enough something to erase the onion rings I ate at our "School's Out For Summer" celebration meal at Applebees. Maybe not.

Somethin's Brewing Here

The last few Sundays our church has been in a series called "What's In a Name?" We're studying the attributes of God, using His covenant names as the starting point for each week's sermon. For those of you who have known me for a while, you know I love names and their meanings and I feel strongly about using names (as in your child's name) as a prayer tool and a resource in parenting. For this reason, and many others, I've been really pumped about this series.

Two weeks ago, our regional overseeing pastor, Pastor B spoke on Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Our Provider. It was probably one of the best teachings on this topic I've heard. I'm not sure why yet, but the words he shared have been brewing in my heart for this whole two weeks now. We are certainly going through a lot of things right now as a family where we need to see Our Provider come through for us, but I've never once doubted that He will do that. That He IS doing that. So that's not necessarily why it's percolating. But it's bubbling and brewing nonetheless, so I'm working through it here and trusting HIM to reveal what He's pouring in my cup. And maybe, in my process, you'll be blessed with a new cup of the strong, hearty brew too.

Pastor B spoke from the story of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:6-14), where God commands Abraham to sacrifice his only son in obedience. And Abraham sees the amazing provision of God as a result of his obedience. He said that this story represents the pinnacle of Abraham's faith and trust in his God. But then he posed the question: "how did this relationship of faith and trust come to this point of provision?" The following are the steps that Pastor B led us through in the story, as a model of all of Abraham's life. I paid a lot of attention, because Abraham is called a "friend of God." I've always loved that name for Abraham. And I want to place myself in the shadow of men (and women) like that: friends of GOD!

• Revelation (vs. 1 &2) - God revealed to Abraham the task before him, the test or the trial that He was setting out to perfect Abraham
• Preparation (vs. 3) - Abraham had things to do to prepare for the test of obedience. To hear and obey is the complete point of the Christian walk.
• Separation (vs. 4&5) - Abraham and Isaac left the others behind to put themselves on the path of obedience.
• Dedication - (vs. 8&9) - This is where the rubber met the road: Isaac was THE promise God had fulfilled in Abraham's life, and he was wholly dedicated to seeing this task through. Even though it meant the death of the promise.
• Proclamation - (vs. 10-14) - When his obedience wrought the work of God's provision and the ram was caught in the thicket, Abraham renamed the mountain he was on. He said "God sees and attends to me. He is my Provision."
• Restoration - (vs. 15&16) - God gives back to Abraham the fulfilled promise - his son, Isaac is his again
• Confirmation - (vs. 17&18) - God reiterates the promise that Isaac represents and confirms the work of obedience in Abraham's life. It IS completed!

I'd like to say that I have enough clarity to know which step in the process I keep going back to, to mull over and think and pray over. But really, this whole story has captivated me anew. And I keep going over it and over it. It's as if there's something coming, like the smell in the air when the coffee maker goes on. The pot's not done yet and the smell is permeating the whole house. In fact, it drew me out of bed this a.m. It's steeping in the brew basket and I don't have the taste in my mouth yet. But, like any self-respecting coffee addict, I know it's coming. I can smell it and I know that this one will be brewed to perfection. It's coming and it won't be any old mini-mart brew. This one's gonna be the "good stuff."

I'll keep ya posted. In the meantime, what struck you about this view of Abraham's process?

P.S. Yes, I am now a coffee addict. Thank The Boss - I finally caved to his "come on honey, have a cup of coffee with me!" after 16 years. Now, I'm hopeless and completely embracing it! But I'll save my posts on that topic for another day. . .

The suspense is killing me!

Thank you all for the hilarious walk down memory lane - I got a really fun response from the Favorites Friday post this week. Aside from Shaggy's mockery of our really cool selves, it was fun to remember all those really rad songs, big shoulder pads, and gnarly hair styles - wasn't it? Your comments created quite the buzz around here as we laughed over crazy things we remembered about where we were and what we were doing when those bands were big deals.

One thing I NEED to know: who is "pups n' horses?"

Never mind gang - I answered my own question, about 10 minutes after I posted this. Pups n' Horses is one of my new friends, a really cool, really real gal that has been a blessing and joy to me as we've explored our new friendship. It took me all day of thinking and she's totally proud of herself for tripping me up with her little mystery. But since she loves Keith Urban and Josh Groban as much as I do, I'll let her off easy! Good one, MR, good one :)

Favorites Friday

We recently switched to new phone, internet and tv service - big savings for a combo plan. Ordinarily, I don't enjoy a gazillion channels to choose from. I hate feeling like I might be missing something good and I just can't watch it all at once, no matter how fast my fingers! But I was over the moon with excitement when The Boss showed me that we now get music channels. I've spent the past three weeks immersing my kids and myself in Smooth Jazz during homework hours. Now Light Classical or Singers & Standards set the mood during dinner. Big Band & Swing accompanied me to creating the world's yummiest fruit salad last weekend. And Contemporary Christian and Today's Country have rocked the house during job time, probably just cuz my kids can't wait to get the work done and escape Mom's tune-less sing-along! But when I'm alone, folding laundry or cooking dinner I indulge in my guilty little pleasure. Yup, I tune into the 80's.

Today's Favorites Friday features five of my favorite 80's groups. I couldn't pick five songs - my head is spinning with the choices. But you can guarantee, when one of these bands comes on the screen and the beat begins to drive, my granny-undies fold faster and my towels and socks do the Wave all through the family room. So far, nobody has caught me, but believe you me: I'm feelin' FOOTLOOSE!

My Favorite 80's Acts

• Chicago - really, who's more timeless than these guys?
• Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger" - need I say more?
• Journey - soulful pledges of eternal faithfulness - you betcha!
• The Police - I'll be watching YOU - mmmmmm, hmmmmm!
• Billy Joel - the man is a genius, pure genius - decades of greatness

I could go on and on . . . and on. But for those of you who are children of the 80's - you know what I'm talkin' about. You have your favorites, that may or may not appear on this list. But for us, these guys wrote the songs that made our whole world sing. Wait, that's a Favorites for another day.

I'm off to hit Curves to the beat of more 80's dance tunes. And Robert Palmer, Taylor Dane, Rick Astley? Let's hit the mats and sweat it out together! Happy Friday to the rest of you . . .

Great Reads

I am a voracious reader. I crave books much like The Boss craves time to work in his yard. Or my sister craves time to quilt. Or my brother-in-law craves his ice cream. (You know who you are!) I find myself sneaking away in chaotic moments to grab a couple quick pages, especially when the homework hour has begun or when the house settles down for a quiet night ahead.

So imagine my delight a couple years ago, when I hear from several friends about this great library at a local church that is open to the public once a week. Imagine my further delight when said library undergoes a move, an expansion and a transformation while the church is adding on to its building this spring. And all in warm, rich fall colors to boot! With a cute little cafe and flavored lattes for sale in the lobby. And a play area for Baby Blue Eyes to enjoy while I sip my iced vanilla chai latte. Bliss, I tell you. Pure bliss. But I digress . . .

In preparation for the coming hours of (anticipated) pool-side reading that I wish for you all, I've decided to share today a list of "great reads" that I have thoroughly enjoyed. While not all of them may be "your style," I encourage you to give them a try. Some are light-hearted, fun fiction; others are meatier life stories. I certainly don't agree with everything I've read, but I've learned a lot this past year. I thought you might like to see what's been going on in my head. Scary as that may be :)

• C. Hope Flinchbaugh - Daughter of China & Across the China Sky
• Michael English - The Prodigal Comes Home (jury is still out, I'm just starting it now but like it so far!)
• Ryan Dobson - Be Intolerant, 2 Die 4, & 2 Live 4 (excellent especially for those of us with teens or pre-teens)
• Robin McGraw - Inside My Heart
• Stephen Baldwin - The UnUsual Suspect
• Randy Alcorn - Safely Home
• Karen Kingsbury - Redemption series, FirstBorn series, Fame series (Let's just be honest here, anything that this woman writes is a favorite of mine. She's talented, compelling, convicting and has a unique way of sharing the heart of God for His people!)
  
• Helen Doss - The Family Nobody Wanted (the book that sparked the dream of adoption in my junior high heart - re-read this year for the first time in many years!)

I have many, many more "entertaining" reads that I could share with you, but this list represents the most compelling that I've worked through this year. I'd be happy to give you the gist of the individual books if you are interested. Now I'm off to grab a couple pages while the kids play football and we wait for the chicken to grill . . . Happy Reading!

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday, my parents celebrated 41 years of marriage. That amazes me. And inspires me. And overwhelms me a bit too. But it also helps me remember that marriage is like a tapestry. It's a product of patient and faithful weaving of lives and ideas and wills and hearts, all with one common purpose of expanding HIS kingdom and being more like Jesus and less like me. It's about tying off my selfish desires and joining threads with the one God has given me. It's about taking the focus off the color that my threads can bring to this life and thinking about how HIS picture can be presented in the partnership in which He has placed me. One stage of life at a time. One day at a time.

You see, I'm a big picture thinker. I love to plan for the future, think about where I want to be and who I want to be "someday." I like that about myself, and I am content that this is how God has wired me. But when I look at my parents' marriage, I realize that it can't be all about the somedays. Much of the hard work that goes into making marriage last and thrive in the lasting is about the todays.

For example, my mother was great about reminding us to be grateful for today, that today is a gift. That how we use today can and will change our tomorrows. And that we look for opportunities to change someone else's today by a kind word or act of service toward their needs.

Dad was adamant that today not be wasted: that we think carefully about the choices we make today; that we point ourselves in the direction of the Cross, today. And that the choices we make today will impact our tomorrow, . . . and our kids' tomorrows, . . . and their kids' tomorrows. That today can change history.

Together, they have beautifully woven their todays into a wonderful and bright tomorrow. They have the tomorrow because they paid attention to the todays. This tomorrow tapestry has for 41 years created a safety net and covering, not just for us four kids, but also now for our spouses and their grandkids. And through it all, they've been weaving this beautiful, safe, and warm blanket that also covers a church family whom they have served faithfully and diligently for over 25 years of todays.

I am supremely confident that what they have done in these 41 years of marriage will stand the test of time and that their faithful todays are impacting lives for eternity. They are changing todays, one day at a time. In their faithfulness to God and to each other, they have changed the course of our eternity. They have given us the gift of tomorrows.

Happy 41st Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You are an inspiration to me and I am grateful for your beautifully woven life in service to each other and to your God.

Favorites Friday

Today's list of favorites comes from my all-time favorite Disney character. **Warning! :) This post is not spiritually deep, or terribly impactful on the larger world out there. But I find him incredibly uplifting and I wish more of us were like him (myself included!). So, maybe that is a bit deep!

My Five Favorite Things

About T-I-DOUBLE G-E-R!

• He's orange. Orange is a happy, cheerful color!
• He was born the same year I was - now there's an interesting bit of Disney trivia, all hidden and wrapped up in "Favorites Friday!"
  
• He's energetic and upbeat and the happiest of all the friends at Pooh Corner
• He gets to spend his days in a beautiful forest with his best friends, playing and exploring - how cool would that be?
• He sings all the time, cheerfully and exuberantly. I love that. And he doesn't sing well, but that never stops him. I love that even more!

When my kids were much little-er, we used the Pooh's Corner friends to help them guage their attitudes. There were no Eeyores allowed to sulk or pout in the common areas of the home, and Rabbits were instructed to tone down the bossy-ness and speak more kindly. Piglets were prayed with and reminded to pray for themselves, to give over their worry to Jesus. Pooh and Tigger were okay by me. It may not have been the best model of spiritual growth, and I've never seen it in a parenting book. But it worked for us, and sometimes, we all still need the reminders. These days, when I use this "toddler tool" of years gone by, they now smile indulgently at me and move on. But they get the meaning and they adjust accordingly. And it makes us all remember fondly the early years.

So, my friends, have yourselves a Tiggerific Friday! And I wish for all of you the "spirit of Tigger" in your weekends with your families :)