Miscellaneous

1. MONDAY Even though Monday was the day that the Lord had made, it went poorly for me. I woke up on the wrong side of bed, had sore muscles (Sarah!:) and felt overwhelmed and behind and inadequate for any of my responsibilities. I don't know why; it was just bad. I cried a lot. I moped a little. I still managed an Ephesians 6:18 for a certain family who asked me to. I vented to Jason (God bless him). The only point I have in sharing this in a post is that loads of blogs I read tell all about their latest super creative creation or cutest kid moments or could be published as a devotional book (Jon!:). I realize that a blog's purpose should be for edification. I'm wondering if anyone would be edified to know that a daughter of the King sometimes feels lost or buried. And how to get through it. Before the sun went down I apologized to Jason. I listened to Revelation song loudly several times in a row and wrote some lyrics on the message board. I told my kids it was because I wanted to start the next day in a better frame of mind and attitude. We prayed together. I wrote out ANOTHER general flow of the day plan to try. I went ahead and worked on my jobs and spent some time in the sun. Jason prayed "that we would be able to find a rhythm by Friday." :) Tomorrow was another day.

2. THE WEATHER It's November in Nebraska. We wore tank tops and barefeet for a bike ride up and down our sandy road. We got sweaty. The dog and cat are finally getting along and don't need babysitting. Can I just say, Hallelujah?! ( a little Hebrew lingo )

3. NPR I heard this great story the other day. They reported that a sweeping new survey had been done of religious people. Research has found that the deeply religious are overwhelmingly more satisfied with life, healthy, peaceful and secure. Here is the commentator's interpretation: she noticed that a lot of the deeply religious people are also better off financially. She concluded that the "rich" people were probably already more at peace in life because of their riches; their religion was just a side note. I think she forgot to go back and read that sweeping survey of how satisfying riches are(n't) to their owners.

4. And . . . we've moved! We are so blessed to have found a home in the country. Y'know, maybe I should blog about all the earthy, back-to-nature things we'll be doing now that we live here. But that would be too perfect.

Pictures for Lizzy

Wordless Wednesday posted on Saturday

Oh Me Oh My Oh May

What do May and December have in common? Lots of activities, concerts, plays, a full calendar, lots of presents, and this year, freezing, windy weather.

I forgot my camera on AWANA Awards Night. I want to blog it because of the milestones. Jared graduated from Cubbies into Sparks. I remember when Aiden went to Sparks I was afraid for his going in there with all those big wild kids. Ah, Jared can you be ready for this? Unlike Aiden, he does not love the 1st 2 Rs (readin' and writin'.) Jared is 5 years old and won't write his name! I continue to offer opportunity and wait until he is ready. I will not rush him. Now the twins will begin Cubbies.

Taliah and her best bud tied for top Sparkies.

Aiden was the only boy in T&T. This was his 1st year in T & T. The books are well organized, challenging and fun. Memorizing is his talent, so he excelled and took home lots of awards. He is working on a couple of other boys to come consistently.

I think AWANA's weak point has always been the external business of memory without necessarily reaching the heart. Having worked in AWANA since 2000, I do appreciate their scope and sequence and their commitment to scripture and keeping it fun. During the school year we study AWANA together before bed, going through each one's book all together, taking turns. That way it's a family discussion, not just cramming. The younger kids do not struggle with the harder books because they've been hearing them every night. About the heart business, I pray for the word to take root deeply and I bring up their verses during the day as applicable. I hope that the kids are rewarded in later years by having these verses in their hearts and that right now the mirror of scripture will develop their character.

The 2 boys played soccer with AYSO this spring. Some days we felt like we'd sold our soul to the (freezing, windy) soccer fields. There's a lot of time involved, but we were blessed with excellent coaches for both teams. We made & renewed some friendships. We froze. The boys worked on their stamina and skills. Taliah wondered how we'd feel about adding a 3rd player to the family.

Next up: Graduations! Families Getting Together! Milestones! And, please Lord? Summer?

Groceries Again

This time the cashier didn't say anything about how many groceries we bought. But when we were finished, she had to replenish all her bags on the pegs.

Hi, Denielle and EliAnna

Wow, I'm so honored that you girls look at our blog more than once! I look at yours like, once every 3 months! So I felt compelled to update.

We've spent most of 2010 discussing, praying, Farm or No Farm? Now or Later? Also, normal life business of family-raising. Cutting & burning wood, peeling old wallpaper, going to car wrecks, studying the Middle Ages & Reformation. We even started in on the Westminster catechism! The first question is "What is the Chief Indian?" Ha. During the winter we play lots of games and puzzles and read books by the fire. We really enjoy teaching kids & adults on Sundays, too.

Suddenly spring came upon us and everything started bursting out: dandelions and daffodils, the wind, bikes, the sun, snow, soccer, mud, and the bison.

These are pictures of the kids sledding, at a branding, flying kites, enjoying the outdoors and making hot cross buns. Some people give us guff because we don't dye eggs or give our kids Easter candy. I'm just the mom, but I sort of think that kites, company dinners, hot cross buns, special bedtime stories, branding and breakfast at church are all pretty special!

What Arnie Said

He said that he's taken his motorbike far & wide to locate a working cell phone tower. He'll ride to a place on a mountain, but it doesn't work. They tell him, "Climb that tree over there." But he climbs it, and it doesn't work. Someone else says, "Whenever we stand on that stump it always works." But it doesn't. He renewed his satellite phone plan, but the company is running out of money, so they disabled their satellite. World Vision brought in satellite equipment, but it doesn't reach where he lives. When he learned some friends would come to visit, he sent them a text with his grocery list. They never received the text, so all he had to serve them was pancakes and tuna. He was out to the city right after Christmas, but the internet was down. He asked that I bear this separation and inability to communicate as part of his ministry calling.

He said it is very very hot. But the rains have come, so the planting has begun. There was a big thunderstorm that knocked down one of his cashew trees. Thankfully it did not damage his house.

On Christmas Eve, he went with his neighbor way out in the bush because the neighbor wanted to find a cheap or free goat. They started out on a road with dim tire tracks which narrowed to a slight trail, and soon they were climbing the mountain with no trail at all. No vehicle had ever been to this place. Once, they came upon a beautiful waterfall with pool above and a pool below. There was a smooth rock at the top, and kids were sliding down it and running back to the top again and again. They stopped to watch for awhile, but didn't join them. He didn't have a camera. After more climbing, they arrived at the relative's house where they could butcher a goat. They also gathered some coconuts and went back home.

Christmas morning he had intended to sleep in for a change. But an early knock at the door woke him to a man needing his mother-in-law taken to the hospital. While he waited in town for her to get her medicine, Arnie went to pay his respects (literally) to the local govt. official. The official invited him to come eat breakfast--fried eggs, french fries, bread with real butter! pineapple, mango; a true feast. He said that butter is like gold. There is a substitute to be had, but it tastes and acts like plastic.

Later at home, a village leader came over and asked Arnie to come mediate a fight between himself and his wife. Arnie protested that that was the leader's brothers' job; he couldn't do that. But the man insisted, and when Arnie got to his house, the man confessed that he wasn't really in a fight; he just couldn't think of an appropriate way to invite Arnie for Christmas dinner. So on Christmas Day Arnie enjoyed goat with a special small-intestine rub, boiled of course, but seasoned nicely with onion and hot pepper.

Some guys had gotten a generator and projector to watch a movie then drink and dance the night away. Arnie went with some non-drinking friends to the festivities for awhile.

The Moz. country takes an official atheist/communist stance against Christmas and calls it "Family Day." Arnie said that most people call it Christmas anyway.

In VI Moz, there was some sadness because a very special family was going on furlough, probably not to return. They were having a going-away party.
But there has also been such an influx of new VI missionaries that Arnie said he doesn't know them all. They will be spreading out regionally, and some plan to settle fairly near him.

Arnie wrote about some of this on his blog, but I wanted to remember all the details by writing them myself.

oatmeal

I love eating oatmeal this way for a change:

Boil water and add salt. Stir in thick-cut oats and simmer uncovered until the water is mostly gone.
Scoop the oatmeal into your bowl and add a dab of butter, a spoon of jelly, and your favorite toasted nuts.

Stir them all together and enjoy a warm, comfortable breakfast.

You Know You Have a Big Family When . . .

The grocery cashier says, "You must own a restaurant!" Then after thinking, "Or do you have a big family?"

Green Missionaries

Are we tired of talking about the environment yet? I've been kicking this article around for weeks. I thought it might be redundant, since everybody's doing it. Then yesterday I kicked on the radio and there was Al Mohler, bringing it up again. It seemed like permission.

I have watched in amazement the past few years as the "Going Green" movement has gained momentum and chugged through our land. First it was just in yuppie places like Boulder and in big cities where waste disposal is a problem. Granted, there have been benefits, such as increased recycling availability. But then we had the global warming scare, and before long, school children everywhere were desperately coloring Save-The-Planet posters. Now, envrionmentalism is not a fringe worry; it's a full-blown agenda morphed into a full-blown stainless fad.

I'm old enough to remember Save the Whales campaigns and Earth Day pageantry. But I never had to color a poster at school. I didn't need to. I apprenticed under the daughters and sons of the Great Depression. (Use it up; wear it out; make do, or do without.) Then I got my degree on the mission field. My parents taught me well the Biblical stewardship we have of the earth. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ created, upholds and sustains the earth by the Word of His power. He has placed us as chief stewards to care for and use the things in it. As such, all creation awes us as it speaks of its Creator. Our job is to respectfully and joyfully use the resources He's provided, with thanks. My grandpa used to say, "I watch these trains race across the country spewing coal dust and smoke. You don't hear about that. But they try and make us old guys feel guilty about running a little lawn mower." Yes, there's some inconsistency. Thankfully, it is not up to us to save the planet. We're too small.

Nonetheless, when I was growing up, we never let the water run, we used cloth diapers, bathed in 1 inch of water, washed & reused every container, carpooled to school, gardened & canned, patched our clothes, turned off the lights when not in the room and ate leftovers. About the only "green" rule we didn't follow was the one about not having kids. But don't worry: We kept the square footage of our house down by sharing bedrooms and 1 bathroom. All that before it was stylish. My grandparents lived that way out of necessity; my parents were already in the habit; and then we moved to the mission field.

Let me tell you, missionaries are the true unsung pioneers in green living. When I hear all the chatter for solar panels and wind energy and frugality and recycling and the status symbol it's become, I laugh to myself. Do you know how long missionaries have been living off the grid, on purpose, as a way of life, without bragging, around the world? Since Christ's ascension! Part of our missions training in the 80s included learning how to take "army showers" and solar showers and setting up off-grid power and hiking instead of driving. In the real jungle, we took bucket showers and flushed with a bucket. In the African sahel, I brushed my teeth one night while a dear missionary lady watched over my shoulder to see if I used too much water. After all, her husband had to personally fill the reservoir above the house. These people could make a fortune teaching sustainability seminars.

When I went to my parents' for Thanksgiving, mom had a cheeky farm-girl magazine lying around. It was all about sewing, gardening, and doing all a girl can to save the planet chic-ly. I asked Mom if she was a subscriber. "No," she said, "I just got the free issue to see if I like it. But it's too green for me." Sez the Queen of Green.


Sadie washes ziploc bags in rural Nebraska
with her joyfully over-populated family. Though
they use grid-dependant computers and gas-guzzling
cars, they minimize their footprint by sharing
bedrooms and gardening. She recently started using
cloth pads, bumping her up to a few surplus
carbon credits she'd gladly trade for greenbacks.