Locked Out!

Welcome from inside my air-conditioned home!
 I bring this greeting only because earlier this week, I was locked out of my own home.  I was in a rush to get somewhere with my girls and grabbed everything except my very important keys.  My husband left earlier that morning for trip and would not return for several days.  I was in a lovely mess.  Thankfully I was able to get a locksmith to my home in only twenty minutes to save the girls and me from my rushed disaster!  Life Lesson: slow down.



The weekend is always the time to catch up on boring house chores like laundry.  I dread laundry.  I hate putting clothes away.  Thankfully, Model T has started putting her own clothes away.  Now I only have to do mine and Model C.  My sweetie does his own.  In fact, he even washes most of the laundry.  I think that is a fair trade for having to put up most of it.  My closet is a strange configuration.  It has a regular door, but it is wide and narrow.  It probably should have had accordion doors. However, I wasn't around 50 years ago for the builder to ask my opinion on this matter.  I've had a difficult time stuffing things into my closet in any organized fashion; so today, I cleaned my closet!  I haven't taken out seasonal clothes in several years and rediscovered what a tremendous difference it makes.  When I saw that the weather was going to reach near 100 this week, I thought it might be a good time to take out the hoodies and jackets.  I won't need them again until late October maybe.

Thank you Sweetie for taking pictures!  

The highlight of the week, maybe the month, was getting to visit with Craig and Alyse!  Alyse was my mentor in college.  She and her husband are traveling over the next month to gain support for their big move to the Manila!  There is a seminary there where they will be joining the staff to teach and prepare pastors.  If you are interested in what they are doing, you can visit either of the websites listed below.




www.CraigAndAlyse.com

www.IGSL.asia


Forty and Fabulous

I regret to say that I have not been jogging at all this week.  After the 5k, I just quit.  The only thing to do is to start again.  I really need to because I have so many clothes that I could wear if I lost a few pounds.  I wouldn't have to go shopping at all.

My hair over the past twenty years.  

My other concern lately is my hair.  The Mr. wants me to grow it out.  However, I'm looking very small-town-country with my bangs and shoulder length hair lately.  I much prefer a pixie cut.  The bottom left side has been my favorite hair cut of all time.  Does anyone else have a thought on that?  Or one of the others?




Book Talk

 Did I mention that I finished this book about two weeks ago?  I loved it!  The ending was surely a God thing.  I knew it was coming, and it was still good when I got there.

Now I'm moving on to From Achilles to Christ.  It is a recommendation from my seminary professor.  I'm looking forward to it.  Of course I will update everyone as I read!

He is Risen!

Where to begin?  This week has been amazing!

On Tuesday, I ran into a parent of a former student.  It was fun for both of us to brag on that kid and what a nice young man he is growing up to be.  She showed me pictures.  I reminisced about what a polite student he was in my fifth period class about four years ago.  Yes, I do remember some students.  After having over 100 students for 14 years in a row, I do forget some.  However, some students stand out.  Of course, it helped me to remember this young man because his mom brought me cake balls twice that year.  Alright, I would have remembered him anyway, but those cake balls were good!  On Wednesday after lunch, I found a small container of cake balls in my box in the school office.  Absolutely nothing could ruin my day after that!  Seriously, the best part is knowing that there are caring parents out there who are raising responsible kids with a Christian foundation.  Cake balls are just icing on the cake, so to speak.

Thursday night, our church had a dramatic presentation of The Lord's Supper.  At the end of the drama, the men playing disciples came down to serve communion to everyone.  In several lines, disciples washed our hands, dried them, served the bread, and the grape juice.  The cool part about this is that I teach with one of those disciples at my school.  I am blessed to be in a church where there is community involvement.  I see my high school kids participating in church service and taking on leadership roles.  I see members of our Sunday School class working in my daughter's school.  Some of the church kids are in my class at school.  It reminds me that church isn't just on Sunday.  Church is the people.  This leads to the next idea that we are to be Church to one another all week instead of just for two hours on Sunday morning.

Friday night we stayed home to rest.  My sweet husband rounded the corner of another decade in life on Friday. I enjoyed finding birthday cards in the mail from my friends and our family to acknowledge the occasion.

Saturday, Model T and I did a local 5k race.  My goal was to jog part of it and not come in last.  Mission accomplished.  It was a fun race, and I can see that I have my work cut out for me.  Model T also did a great job, but we have lots of training to do yet.  Neither of us is in the shape we should be.  I don't know about her, but I can definitely feel the effects today of the race yesterday!











After the race, we went straight to church for the Easter Egg Hunt.  My parents even met us there.














There was a lot to do on Saturday.  We dashed home to get ready for my husband's not-so-surprise party.  I invited some friends over for hot dogs and cake.  It lasted from noon until almost 8.  I love friends who come over and hang out like they own the joint.  Really!  I do!  My friends come over and help themselves.  They don't wait to be served or for me to play hostess.  I am so thankful to have a home where people feel comfortable.  I just hope that doesn't mean that I'm not a good hostess.  I don't think it does.  People keep coming back.  The Mr.  had a good time and enjoyed the not-so-surprise party.  That was the point.

Isaiah 25:8-9 tells us, "He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.  And it will be said in that day, 'Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.  This is the Lord from whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." 

Amen.  Praise God for an amazing week to celebrate my husband, community, and (most importantly) the Risen Lord!  

Life and Death

Obituaries seem to have become a regular this spring.  This past Monday, my family attended a funeral for a sweet neighbor.  She was 74, I think.  Grandma had been fighting cancer for only the past year.  We were fortunate to live next door to her for a few years when Model T was born.  Grandma had a very interesting history that she didn't talk about much.  She was a German born in Yugoslavia in WWII.  She had a rough start, but eventually made it to the United States.  Yes, I left a lot out just now.  Not long ago, another neighbor invited her to church, and Grandma became a faithful church goer until the very end.  We call her Grandma because she took us all in and treated us that way.  She nicknamed Model T as Goldilocks.  She hosted Christmas dinner at her house.  She joined us for Front Yard Fridays each week.  She quilted and baked.  She was a grandma by pure and living definition.  The week before she moved to Heaven, my girls insisted on going to see her in the nursing home.  I thought about putting it off but then realized how sweet it was that they wanted to go see her.  My husband took Model C back again the next day.  I am so relieved that we went because she was gone the very next week.  When I lost my Papa, I was on my way to see him.  I was only two hours away, and we weren't expecting him to go that night.  He didn't wait.  When I lost my Grandpa J, I told my mom, "If he is still around this weekend, I'll come and see him."  He died on a Friday.

What is the point?  Don't wait to spend time with people.  You don't know what kind of time you might have.

Forty and Fabulous

This is really tough!  I made Model T and C go jogging with me.  I thought I was going to have to carry Model T home!  She thinks she is so ready, but when I make her go out to practice, it is a fiasco!  Model C is in better shape right now.  I might let Model T ride her bike with me tonight just so I can go for myself.

This morning, my wedding ring was really tight.  That always makes me nervous.  One good reason to get rid of this extra weight is so my wedding ring will fit.  I'm just being honest.  It is very embarrassing to me to not be able to wear my engagement and wedding ring.  Lately, I can't wear both, and sometimes I can't wear either.  That will not be fabulous at all!

My sweetie will turn 40 this week.

Book Talk

I finally reached the turning point in The Scarlet Thread.  I can see things changing.  In poetry, we call it the shift.  In literature, it is the climax.  I can see the tension, the heart ache, the solution coming.

I also went to Goodwill and stocked up on several more books to replace lost ones on my shelves at school.  I should be upset about lost books, but I'm not.  Lost books means that students have books, and that is a good thing.




Scripture

This morning in Sunday School one of the verses we read was Romans 8:1 which tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  The beautiful part of this verse is the freedom it proclaims for the believer who dwells in fellowship with Christ!  Whatever sin from the past of the believer is not held against him because of the love in the relationship with Christ.  In Him, we are again clean and pure.  Amen!

Poetry 

"The Beginning of Sight"

Surrounded by blinding darkness
until the foreign light beckons.
Struggling, trudging, walking
toward the light
with a shadow
behind, our sin
behind us. Then,
we stand in full Sight
in the middle of the Light.

Psalm 112: 4 - Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.
John 1:5 - The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Road Trip

We are on the road, so I'm trying out the iPhone for blogging.  My thumbs won't tolerate typing too much; however, it will be late when we get back.  We left home this morning and made a day trip to the coast for a birthday party and to meet our new niece.  The wild flowers have been amazing!  I didn't even mind the rain.  There is just something calming about driving through small towns on country roads that lowers my blood pressure.  The kids have been well behaved all day, and I have enjoyed the conversation with my sweetie.  I hope you enjoy the scenery too!

Book Talk 

Let's just say that I've gotten to the scarlet part in the book and will have to keep my mouth shut now.  It is so good and I can't wait to see how redemption happens!  

I also visited Half-Price Books for a birthday present for my niece.  I couldn't help myself and bought several books for my classroom.  

Forty and Fabulous

Now I'm the one pushing my trainer, Model T.  She wants to ride her bike and push me instead of run with me.  Well, we'll just keep going.  I bet the day of the race she will change her mind.  Model C also wants to go with us.  I don't know how much she can handle, but we do the blocks just around our house.  The point is to start somewhere.  

Finally . . . 

I thought I had lost my grandfather's guitar.  I don't remember if he gave it to me before he died or I got it after he died.  He started to teach me a few chords when he could still move his hands.  I also inherited my great uncle's guitar.  That is the one I'm using now.  No, I don't play well enough to lead any music, but I enjoy a few tunes in private.  A few days ago, my mom texted a picture of Papa's guitar.  She found it in a closet in her house.  I nearly cried because I was no happy that it was not lost!