Like Mother, Like Daughter

Today, I have a guest post, written by the little chica, Eve-Marie. I guess I'm just super proud of her cause she's an amazing writer, and I want to show off her article writing skillz.

I swear on the Holy Word of God that she wrote this, and literally all I did was type out what she said. (I did walk her through the process of choosing what details were most important and taught her about the structure of an article, but all the decisions were made by her. Also, some of the quotes came from a book that put drawings to journal entries of men on the trip, so they are actual quotes.)

Here it is:

Lewis and Clark See Ocean, Trade with Indians

circa early 1800's

Today, Lewis and Clark returned from the Pacific Ocean gone for almost three years. It appears that they are successful in making friends with the Indians, seeing the Pacific and discovering new animals in our territory.

They met different Indian tribes and out of the many they met, only one was mean: Teton Sioux. They traded several things with the Indians, which included beads, medals, and alcohol. What they got in return was watermelon, meat, and horses. They learned how the natives lived and learned how to burn out canoes. With these canoes, they passed through many dangerous rapids safely.

“We built dugout canoes and set out past many bad rapids between rugged rocks and cliffs up to 200 feet high,” said John Daley, spokesman for the expedition. “Determined to pass all these rapids, we kept on going and did not turn back. After all, we had a mission.”

On November 18, 1805, they reached the great Pacific. They were all overjoyed. The journey had been long and hard. They had traveled along the Missouri River, into the Bitterroot Mountains. After they crossed the Bitterroot Mountains, they were out of the Louisiana Purchase. They went into the Snake River and they followed that river until they got to the Pacific. They had been hoping to find a complete water way from Camp Wood, in Illinois, to the Pacific Ocean on the west side of the United States. They found that there was no complete water way.

When they finally reached the Pacific, they were completely overjoyed.

“As we approached, this great Pacific Ocean which we had been so long anxious to see, and the roaring noise made by the waves breaking on the rocky shores could be heard distinctly,” Daley said. “We beheld with astonishment the waves dashing against the rocks and this immense ocean. Our goal was reached at last!”

Along the way, Lewis and Clark discovered different animals and plants that hadn’t been seen before. Among them were snow goose, passenger pigeon, and bitterroot flowers. They drew pictures of some animals, and they captured others. They picked plants, and did all of these to report back to President Thomas Jefferson, who sent them out.

Music Monday Review: Christmas with Weezer

There's something in me that recoils when I hear updated Christmas music. I'm one of those people that likes to hear Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra at Christmas time. I hate it when people ruin good ole stand-bys with their updates. And that's pretty much what everyone does.

Except Weezer.

When I saw this on iTunes, I nearly went into a convulsive shock. Not only is it a cheesy thing to make Christmas albums (something I thought would be below the geek rock gods), but it's not real Weezer-y to put all Christian songs on a CD. I guess if I ever thought Weezer would make a Christmas CD, it would include things like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," or worse, "I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus."

But this CD not only rocks in true Weezer fashion, but it is full of Christian-based songs. Only 1 out of 6 songs isn't Christian, but even that one doesn't mention Satan Claus at all.

Here's the playlist for Christmas with Weezer:

We Wish You a Merry Christmas
O, Come All Ye Faithful
O, Holy Night
The First Noel
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Silent Night

This one's a winner.

And this post is part of Music Mondays at Bloggable Music Network.

Building Church

Well... today we went to a new church, the first of a few on our list to check out in the next month or so. You know how it goes... you gotta make a lap before you commit to a location. (Bonus points if you know what movie that comes from.)

This is the first time that Billy and I have looked for a church together as people who will sit in the crowd. Two churches we've been in have been ones where he's worked. Another was one that I'd gone to on my own for years before he and I met.

So, we hung out at Building Church today, which meets at the Rave Theatre in south Huntsville. I gotta say, I loved the atmosphere. I mean... it was a pretty hip place. Biggest church bathrooms I've ever seen. Very un-churchy in general. So, that's a bonus.

But bathrooms are not what make or break a church, so let's move on.

We got there about 15 minutes early, and I'm pretty sure we were the first ones there besides set-up volunteers. It was a little awkward for me, cause I'd probably rather be in the shadows and sit back and watch... ya know, just observe how they really are, instead of having to wonder if they're actually as nice as they were to me, or was it just a show they give the newcomers? (Yes... I'm a cynic. Sorry, but I am. And honestly, I'm not even sorry for it, at all.)

Anyway, the service was starting at 10, and I felt like we were still the only ones. Apparently, everyone comes about 15 minutes late, because by then the place was filled a bit more, and I felt more comfortable... I had people around me, so I no longer felt like I had lights shining on me with big arrows saying, "Attention!!! First Time Visitor. HERE!!!"

And honestly, as uncomfortable as I was at first, I ended up really liking the service a lot. I thought the band rocked pretty good. The sermon was really, really good, too. And encouraging. I liked how the pastor focused on the truth that we are fulfilled in Christ. The sermon had a good balance of scriptural encouragement and practical applications.

We were also happy to hear about the missional projects that the church was taking on for the season, including making and delivering build-a-bears (they called them "Building Bears," which I thought they pulled off pretty well... didn't come across as cheesy at all, honestly) to kids in Huntsville Hospital over Christmas.

Honestly, I wanted to sign up to take some of the bears. I know very clearly that they are going at 1:00 on Wednesday. But, I want to take time to see where we fit in, and I'm not really sure how much we should do at a church before we commit to it, ya know.

So, I took my free shirt and my candle - they were giving these to everyone, not just visitors - and we headed out. I feel pretty certain that when I burn the candles, or when I wear the shirt, I'll have fond thoughts of the church, even if we don't end up there. And I certainly feel like it's a place I'd tell others to check out to see if God has a place for them there.

You can read Billy's take on the experience here.

An Uncomfortable Gospel

A friend of mine recently sent me a facebook message thanking me for being her friend. She said that there weren't many people in the context in we met in that had taken an interest in her. So, she appreciated that I did.

I loved that she wrote this because it helped to encourage me to do it again for someone else. Still, I was a little sad that others hadn't shown her love because we met at a church. And a church ought to be a place where interest is shown in people.

Of course, interest should also be shown other places, too. After all, we're not just Christians in one location for 1 hour a week, right?

But for a lot of people, this is an uncomfortable thing - inviting others over, or out, or just asking about their lives. For a long time, it was an uncomfortable thing for me. A lot of days, it still is.

When I was in college, my roomie and I both struggled with some pretty severe shyness. Now, around each other, we could talk for hours. But with people we'd never met, it was very difficult to strike up a conversation, or even introduce ourselves, for that matter.

She once told me something that I've never forgotten. Something that I remind myself of often.

"The heart of shyness is selfishness."

She went on to explain that when we are shy, we're mostly shy because we wonder what the other person will think of us. Will they accept me? Do I have anything to offer? Will they think I'm strange?

Now, I know that some people are predisposed to shyness, so that statement can be offensive. I'm predisposed to it, myself. But I see this as a convicting statement, personally.

The Gospel of Christ calls us out of our comfort zones. It doesn't call us out of our personalities, so I may never be the loud mouth that Billy is. (Which I absolutely adore about him!) But the gospel calls us to love. And more than that, to show that love.

I recently took some Christmas cookies to my neighbors. I'll admit... the first neighbor was tough. She barely opened the door and looked at me strange. I thought for a second that she wasn't going to even take them. But she did, and then I left. The next neighbor invited me in and we chatted for about 30 minutes. The next neighbor was also nice, and I found out she has a daughter just a few months younger than Ashlyn. We agreed to talk after the holidays and get together in my home for some playtime.

So, the response was varied, but in each one, it was up to me to start relationships with these women. I can't control how others will respond to me. But I can take God's call seriously and love my neighbors regardless of how they respond to me.

And if the Gospel of God is important, then I need to be willing to get over myself and my shyness and let God save some souls through me.

My Man and the Money

I've developed a habit of listening to Dave Ramsey online lately. Ever since our small group started going through his book Total Money Makeover, I've really wanted to saturate myself in the concept of gazelle intensity.

Today, I heard a woman calling (~16 min. mark) who was very scared about their finances, and Ramsey walked her through a budget form, but in the end told her she needed to sit down with her husband and get him to join in on the budgeting. He told her to take his hands, look him in the eye and say, "I need to see a new level of your manhood right now. I need you to sit down with me and figure this out. I can't do it alone anymore. I need you to care about me this way."

It broke my heart to hear her reply that she's tried that several times, and her husband just isn't stepping up. There wasn't much that Ramsey could say to that because you can't make a man be a man.

So, it made me really grateful for my man and how much he's been stepping up lately to lead our family financially, spiritually, emotionally. God really blessed me when He brought us together.

Not Much to Say

So.... here's the big news that none of you actually knew that I had anyway.

Billy has resigned as the Worship Arts Pastor of Chase Valley. There's a lot of prayer, thinking, discussing, seeking counsel that went into that decision.

He wrote about it here.

It's probably a bit close to the situation for me to say much about it (plus I'm super tired right now), but we are both at peace with it, and we're looking forward to see where God places us next.

Sarah is a Centerfold (and a Debt-Free advocate, too)

Errr.... okay. More like a centerpiece. Maybe cover story is an even better description. But anyway, my latest article for Evansville Parent is available online. I'm super proud because Billy and I have been working hard at paying down debt and living within our means. This month, I got a chance to share that with the city of Evansville - and surrounding areas. ;)

Check it out and let me know what to think. (pg. 12 of this electronic version)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Wow..... it's been forever.

This has been a crazy season for us. Kids have been sick; homeschooling (without pre-made curriculum) has been consuming; church has been precarious.

But now, we're in the holidays, and I'm all about relaxing during them. I'm all about enjoying the celebration of both Jesus' birth (Christmas, duh) and God's provision (Hanukkah). If you don't celebrate Hanukkah, btw, you're totally missing out. C'mon... the whole holiday is about eating food fried in oil. Jelly donuts, fried apple rings. Steak fondue. Oh, yeah... I'm totally excited.

So, yeah.... this is definitely the most wonderful time of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm a Mechanic

The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generally prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

HT: Misty

What does your blog say about you?

Go here, then tell us here.

Comfortable Faith

So, I've been thinking about struggles lately. And I've been rolling my eyes a bit at the struggles we American Christians go through.

I guess this was prompted mainly by a book I read recently called The Heavenly Man. It was very inspiring. This book was written by a Chinese brother who was really persecuted for his faith from the 1970's until 2001, when he finally escaped China and moved to Germany for refuge.

Today, I started studying Galatians because I need some reminders about freedom in Christ, but I actually began by reading Acts 13-14. This is the story of Paul's missionary journey to Galatia. Talk about struggles. Paul consistently faced opposition from those he was trying to reach. But it was never enough for them to just refuse to listen to him. They also wanted to poison others' views of his teaching, too.

So, he was driven out, stoned, persecuted. And Acts 13:52 tells us that he was "continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."

This is nothing short of amazing.

I guess it never ceases to amaze me how caught up we can get in trivial things. We whine about having to cancel cable services because of hard financial times. We get in fights with friends because of politics. And we live in a peaceful place, where no one is hunting us down for preaching Christ. And if they, there are laws in place to punish them.

I don't know... what's my point? We all just need to grow up.

Sunday Funnies

So, this is too funny. I mean, you could argue that there are more important things to discuss, but really church signs are pretty outdated anyway, so they may as well be a medium for healthy theological debate.

BTW, I used to go to a Cumberland Presbyterian Church when I was in high school. I have no idea what their theology actually is, but I guess it's evident from this where they stand on dogs and rocks.


HT: Crummy Church Signs

Women Love a Handy Man

So... this week, I've been a pretty big brat around my house. There are lots of things contributing to this, not the least of which was the recent vote that announced our country will join the ranks of the screwed up socialists. But I'm not mad, really.

Anyway, despite me taking my disappointment and frustration out on Billy, he still did a really nice thing for me last night. Cause that's the kind of guy he is.

Since his new job deals with laying cable and attaching said cable to wall outlets, I thought he might be able to re-wire our light switches so that they actually made sense. We have a few double switches that just don't seem to jive with common sense. For example, the switches in the bathrooms... the first one is the fan, and the second one (farther from the door) is the light. For 6 months, I've walked into the bathroom and turned the wrong one on first. We have a similar deal with our kitchen and dining room lights. It's annoying.

So, last night, Billy spent a lot of his time looking online and talking to someone at Home Depot, and fixing the apartment complexes shoddy job. So, when I woke up this morning... my kitchen light switch made sense! I love it.

To top it off, the old switch plate broke, and Billy got a new creme colored one that blends in so much nicer than the tan one did.

I'm a happy woman today. I love my handy man.

The Inconvenience of Voting

Yesterday, I - like many of you - sacrificed my time to take part it an historical election. You all know that my choice didn't win, but the 3 hours it took for me to vote was still worth it.

While we were in line, the question crossed my mind - "What is worth a sacrifice of time?"

Most people there were dressed for work. One woman even got a call from a client who was asking about their 10:00 appointment. I don't know what his attitude was, but hers was very simple: "You gotta vote. We'll have to reschedule." She made no apology for missing her appointment. I liked that.

And I wondered how often we're willing to do that for the Kingdom of God. Our citizenship in America is important. It's important enough to stand for 3 hours with a crying kid. It's important enough to give the shaft to a client. But our citizenship in God's Kingdom is even more important. How often am I willing to be inconvenienced for His sake? And for the sake of my fellow citizens, or the sake of the lost who still need to know what citizenship is?

Treasures in Heaven

Here's a message from our pastor in Evansville, David Neidnagel. He was incredibly instrumental in the shaping of my faith and how it transmits to my daily life. If you listen to his sermon here on the economic crisis, then you'll understand why. This man is an amazing servant of God.

Dear Mr. Obama

Why McCain's My Man - Part 3

This is where it gets tricky. Economics. The time when everyone wants to believe that they are the poor of America so that they can get the hand-outs. I'll be honest that I can't look at the plans of both men and tell how the economy will fare under either of them, but when it comes to economics, I'm more concerned about human dignity than I am about money in my pocket.

"Sharing the Wealth" should be a choice - Funny how the party that claims to be all about freedom of choice is trying to force charity on me. Now, I'm the kind of person that is going to share my "wealth" anyway. There's no problem there. I have a friend on facebook that posted a rant about how appalled he is that conservatives don't want to help their fellow man. Huh? I want to help my fellow man. I'm compelled to through Christ. I just don't want an immoral government telling me (or anyone) where, when, and how I need to fulfill my moral obligation to care for others.

But when sharing the wealth is a choice, it still happens. Sure there are some people who would take their tax money and buy themselves another plasma TV. But there are others who would take that money and donate it to the local soup kitchen.

Men like McCain give 27% of their income to charity. O'bama gives 5.7%. Palin and Biden are both well below that at 2% and >.5% respectively. source

Hand-outs stifle human dignity - But honestly, we don't even make enough to get a tax increase. If anything, Billy and I can be rolling in the government handouts if Obama is elected. But I'm more concerned about how people feel about themselves and their efforts than getting a few extra thousand from the government a year. It's better for people to have a motivation to work hard and earn something for themselves than it is for them to wonder if they should do that overtime because it might thrust them into the next bracket, causing a loss of all their benefits. We ought to want people to be free to succeed by their own merit through hard work and dedication, not to be slaves to the government funding that they get.

More to come...

Why McCain's My Man - Part 2

This week, I'm briefly outlining the reasons that I'll be voting for McCain next Tuesday.

I've already written about the abortion issue.

Today, I'm writing about the war.

Someone who understands, first hand - As a career soldier, McCain is indescribably more qualified to be a commander in chief than Obama. Now, I know that Obama's camp paints him as a war hawk who will keep us in war just for the fun of it. But, c'mon. No one likes war. As Ben Franklin said, "There has never been a good war, and there has never been a bad peace." But we shouldn't assume that lack of war is the same as peace. After all, Franklin was strongly in favor of the war for independence.

As someone who was captured, tortured, and forever injured by war, McCain is not going to keep our forces in a situation simply because he wants to fight a war. He knows the dangers of being in battle, but he also understands when those sacrifices are worth it. He's going to push to stay and get the job done.

An experienced leader who raises morale - McCain has a positive attitude throughout discussions on the war. Don't we all know by now that positive feedback is so much more encouraging than negative motivation? When McCain says, "We are winning, and we can continue to win," our forces are that much more likely to keep working hard to secure peace and freedom in Iraq. Obama, on the other hand, makes statements that devastate the will of our forces fighting. He insists that we've already lost, despite the progress that continues to rise.

A believer in freedom for humans, not just Americans - Think of this: if we had someone like Saddam Hussien ruling in a section of America - say he took over Nevada - would you stand for it? No. You wouldn't. You would never think that mass killings and mass graves were an acceptable form of government. But somehow, many Americans believe it's just not our business to step in and stop that kind of brutality if it happens outside our borders. Really? Are we that calloused and that self-centered that we shouldn't help an oppressed people, simply because they are Americans? Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are inalienable rights for all mankind, last time I read our Declaration of Independence. McCain is willing to stand up for humans, not just Americans.

(By the way, while I'm talking about the war, let's remember that we didn't enter Iraq because of any connection to 9/11. We entered because of all the time they continued to ignore U.N. orders to open their borders to inspectors. A lot of this happened during Clinton's terms, but he was too busy getting satisfied in the Oval Office to do anything about it.)

Why McCain's My Man

I've not said too much about the political scene up till now, but with the election less than a week away, I thought I'd weigh in on some of the issues and explain why I'm voting for McCain. I think the best way is to post a reason a day so it doesn't become overwhelming.

The first reason, as anyone could guess, is the abortion issue.

• He categorizes abortion as a "human dignity and sanctity of life" issue. I like this because that's exactly what it is. It is not a woman's issue. It's not a choice issue. It's a life issue. Men like Obama don't want to take a stand on when life begins. He takes the cowards way out. McCain is firm that conception is the time for rights to begin.

• His respect for all human life (a.k.a. seeing all kids as a blessing) is evident in his own adoption experiences. With a passion for adoption, I believe that McCain is more likely to push for education and assistance for adoptions. We need more information out about how it works because too many women think that they could never see their child again. Unfortunately, some women feel like it is better to abort than to abandon. This idea needs to be debunked, and McCain is a man to do it.

Obama, on the other hand, has been heard calling a baby a "punishment." ("If my daughter made some bad choices, I would not want her to be punished with a baby," he said.) A baby is a consequence, certainly, but when we start to look at human life as a punishment, we are headed toward more abortion, not less.

• He would use legislation and relationships to help lower the rate of abortions. It's all hip and cool to say that we need to walk beside the women and girls and to take the abortion issue out of the legislation. This is completely and utterly retarded. Of course we need to walk beside the women. But that isn't the only way to fight the abortion epidemic.
  

First of all, if you've never been into a pro-life pregnancy center, then you may not know that pro-lifers are very caring people. When I was pregnant in college, the pregnancy center workers showered me with things for Eve. They taught me about her development. They showed me what my options were and talked through them with me. When I volunteered at a center, it was the same. I've never felt so much love and compassion for scared, pregnant women as I have inside the walls of a pro-life counseling facility.

Secondly, our laws can help regulate the abortions that do occur. In several states of our union, out-patient abortion facilities do not have to pass health standard regulation checks the way a normal doctor's office does. Legislation would help this. Also, a legislative act that can help eliminate abortions is the requirement to show an ultrasound to the pregnant woman before she aborts. An ultrasound is already taken to be sure the pregnancy is viable. All the nurse would have to do is turn the screen toward the woman. But Planned Parenthood, and other abortion agencies, has fought this type of regulation over and over. When a woman sees the fetus, she is less likely to have the abortion. Why, then, should we not legislate this kind of education?

We need legislation and relationship in order to stop abortions.

Meet O'wayne

A few months ago, I wrote about Brian Seay's rice and water initiative. His own family was taking a night a week to eat just rice and drink only water for dinner. They used this as a way to raise their children's awareness of other, poorer cultures. The money they saved was donated to Compassion International.

Being inspired by Seay's commitment, my own family began to eat just rice and water as well. (I do give Ashlyn some veggies also, as she's still under two.) An average dinner for us costs $5, and the rice meal costs a bit less than $1, so over the course of the month, we save around $16.

We began to give the money to St. Bosco's Children's Home in Mandeville Jamaica. (In the interest of keeping this post short, I'll write another time about why we chose to support this particular ministry) With the checks, we've sent our family photo and notes to our little boy. Yesterday, we received our first letter from him and a picture.

Let me introduce to you the newest member of our family:






O'wayne Atkinson


He is 12 years old and loves to play soccer. His favorite food is rice, peas, and chicken.

Review: Sunbeam Breadmachine

So.... I highly recommend NOT getting the Sunbeam Programmable Breadmaker, 5891, even if it does have a 4-star rating from Walmart.com.

This morning I woke up at 3:00 to a crash, and came into my kitchen to find that my bread machine had jiggled itself off my countertop and landed upside down on the floor.

So much for waking up to freshly baked bread as the manufacturer suggests. This one will definitely be going back to the store!

Homeschooling and Zoot Suits

So, here's just another reason I love homeschooling. This session we've been talking a bit about sound. Louds, softs. Soundwaves and pitch.

One of the books we read yesterday had a character talk about the highs and lows of music by singing....

Hi dee Hi dee Hi. Low dee Low dee Low.

So, what better continuation of education, but to play her Cab Calloway's classic song "Minnie the Moocher"? Kids in the public schools don't get this kind of culture!

Random Photo

My sister tagged me in this fun little post.

The rules:

Open up your "My Photos" folder.

Open up the 4th folder.

Open up the 4th picture.

Tell about it.


This is a pic of Eve playing out in the rain in Newburgh. Not sure what else to say about it.

Losing My Cool

Recently, our church had pictorial directory photos taken. We received our free 8x10 in the mail the other day, and I put it in a frame on the piano.

I looked at it a bit yesterday and a disturbing thought came to mind. We looked like your typical everyday, nice, normal family. And I realized... I'm not cool anymore.

Today, I got out the Boink t-shirt, fixed my hair, and put on some black eyeliner. I felt pretty darn good about myself after that.

Seriously, who says you can't be cool when you're getting old? I hope I'm still a cool punk rocker even when I'm 80.

Lucid Dreaming

I've been dragging lately. Just plain worn out from nothing much. It's pretty crappy.

One of the things that seems to contribute to this problem is my dreaming. For several weeks now, I've had the kind of dreams where I'm very well aware that I'm dreaming, and I'm just kinda following along knowing it's a story going on. On the one hand, it's great, cause if the dream takes a bad turn, I can change its course, but on the other hand, I'm not resting very well.

It reminds me of this athiest podcast that Billy and I listened to once. This girl was talking about how marvelous lucid dreaming was. Her logic went like this: I spend all this wasted time sleeping. I'm not doing anything, so I may as well lucid dream. What else am I going to do during that time?

Huh, lady... I don't know...

Sleep, maybe!

I would love to wake up in the morning and wonder what the heck just happened the last 8 hours. As it is, I've been going to bed around 9, waking up at 6, and feeling exhausted.

Lucid dreaming gets a big thumbs down from me.

You are Not Forgotten

A couple of years ago, I wrote about how God provided for us for Ashlyn's birth. I think it's incredibly important to take notice of how God fulfills his promise that He will give us what we need (Phil. 4:19).

Lately, God's been doing some great things in providing for us. With Billy's job change, we saw God work amazingly quick. With lightning speed, Billy had a new job, which he's been working for almost 2 weeks now. This came 3 weeks before the timeline that had been set out by the church, so the church is able to save those 3 weeks' of salary. We're excited to see the church's finances get a small boost here.

But God's done other things, too. He's provided for us outfit by outfit through some friends and we have all the girls' clothes for the winter. I think socks are the only thing we're still needing.

This last Sunday, a friend provided a feast for us after church.

Today, we got an anonymous card in the mail that made me want to cry. It had a Publix gift card in it. I'm not sure how much is on the card, but everything helps. So, here is yet another way God's providing.

So, let me just use this opportunity also to put a plug in for anonymous gifts in the mail. This is the 4th one I've gotten in my adult life. Twice I've gotten $100 bills in the mail with no signature. And twice, I've received anonymous grocery store cards. These have been some of the most meaningful letters I've ever received. Not only did they meet a present need, but they also show an amazing amount of humility of spirit.

I love that these people have been used by God to provide our needs, and they've asked for no glory of their own. But they don't want the thanks. They want the glory to go to God. Otherwise, they would have signed the card.

So, thanks be to God, the provider of all we need, according to His riches.

The Bailout

So, I'm pretty disappointed in this whole bailout thing. I'm sure you are, too.

My mom sent me a link to an article about this that I thought was really compelling. It's from the New York Times, and it was written in 1999.

The standards of mortgage qualification were lowered so more low-income and minority families could get home loans. This is wrong on so many levels, not the least of which is changing the rules because of someone's skin color.

What ever happened to wanting to be seen for the content of character?

If someone has bad credit, they have bad credit. Whether they're black, white, or poor.

This whole disaster could have been avoided if we'd just kept some high standards. Lowering standards in this situation only served to hurt the people they said they were trying to help.

And now, it looks like we'll all pay for it.

BTW, from what I can tell, the House still has to vote. An article I read from this morning said that more and more "converts" were coming out in favor of the new bill. Still, it's not too late to write to your representative encouraging a free market solution such as Dave Ramsey's Common Sense Fix. He has a link to the House's site where you can send a message to your rep.

My Little Composer

Here's Eve play on the piano in D minor. She wrote this song this morning... and kinda improv-ed in there, too.

So Long...

So, it's been forever, I guess, huh?

Man. Things have been, uh, I don't even know what they've been honestly. Busy, I guess, is a good place to start.

Overwhelming, maybe.

I'm up at 12:30am on Wednesday. Not so fun when I think about having to get up tomorrow to take care of kids ALL day. Billy has work from 8-5, and then he'll be at church for band practice from 6:30 till 10 or so. I'm thinking coffee will be my best friend tomorrow.

I hate that. I really don't want to be addicted to coffee. But, alas. It's too strong for me to resist!

Anyway... what have I been doing all this time? Man...

Billy's gotten a new job. You can read about that more on his blog. He's still the worship arts pastor at church, but he's taken another job to free up some money at the church to pay for some bills that have been building up.

Our small group is doing Dave Ramsey, and I'm the nerd of the family. If you listen to Ramsey, then you know that that means I'm the one who plays with the spreadsheets. That's been oodles of fun for me. ;) No really, it has. I worked on October's budget tonight. Billy and I already started it a while ago, but I went ahead and put it all in the computer while he sleeps away.

Let's see. Oh, yes. I had another article published. You can see that on page 8 of this online version. Mine is the one called, "Speaking Up." It's pretty decent, I think.

Well, I think I'm gonna try that whole sleeping thing again... just to see if I have any luck with it this time.

Review: Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner

Recently, I was sent a free bottle of Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner to use and talk about. I got this benefit from BzzAgent.com.

Pledge is a brand of duster that I use religiously. I have tried other brands that are cheaper... store brands, or other cheap knock-offs, but I always come back to Pledge. I think they have a good product and it's worth the dollar more that I pay for it every 6 months. So, I had high hopes for this new product.

The Set Up

Pledge Multi-Surface Spray Cleaner comes in a 16oz bottle for a retail price of $4.59. It can be used on wood, countertops (both kitchen and bath), glass, stainless steel, tile, electronics, and more. Pledge also has a handy wipe variation that comes in a 25-count package for the same price.

The Good

The spray has a beautiful scent. It's not an overpowering cleaning product kind of scent. It's not even an overpowering "trying to cover up cleaning product smell" kind of scent. It's a very mild, slightly fruity, somewhat tropical scent. I dug it.

It's an all-in-one spray (or wipe) that is a handy tool for quick clean-up. If you're having company over and want to wipe up the bathroom sink and dust the living room, you can do this fast with one bottle.

On a similar note, it would be good to use for teaching kids to clean. I like to get my 8-year-old to wipe down the bathroom once a week, in between my thorough cleanings. With this product, I can add in the mirror with little instruction. It won't last for the long-term, but it'll help get her used to more chores before I add in extra cleaners.

The Bad

Unfortunately, the strength of Pledge leaves much to be desired. It is definitely a weak cleaner, which means it isn't really a candidate for replacing any of the cleaners you're currently using.

In addition to the weakness, it also leaves streaks on glass. I have a glass tabletop, and I found that Pledge Spray won't work for me on cleaning that. It is advertised as "streak free," but I didn't find that to be the case. So, even though it's safe for electronics, I'm not likely to use it on the screens of my computer or TV.

Lastly, the cost is incredibly high. I can get a 28-oz bottle of Method All-Surface spray cleaner for only $4. Method is natural and full of ethics. I like that in a cleaner, and Pledge doesn't have that included in its price tag.

The Verdict

I'm not impressed. I'll use the bottle I have, cause hey! it's free. But after that, when I need more cleaner, I'll stick with my Method.

Have you tried Pledge Multi-Surface? What did you think?

Changing our Family Tree

We just got back from small group a few moments ago. Dinner is in the oven, and I have some spare minutes to jot some thoughts down while Billy and the girls play together.

Our church is feeling some tension recently from financial issues, some of which go back as far as 8 years ago. Others which are more recent. You can read more about the current situation on Billy's blog.

In the midst of all the discussion at the church that's been going on about these issues, Billy and I have decided that it's time to get serious about our own finances, too. If you've been reading long, you know that I do all sorts of stuff to save money. So, we haven't been bad stewards, exactly, but we have started to get convicted on the van loan that we have.

The Bible says, “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:7-8).

So, we talked to our small group about it (I love those people!), and today the whole group got together to start working the financial Baby Steps of Dave Ramsey. We shared stories of where we are and where we've been. Then, we watched a powerful video about stewardship and focusing our hearts to know that everything is God's, and we just manage a portion of it.

Next week, we'll start talking about his book Total Money Makeover. I can't wait to see what God does in our group over the next 10 weeks!

So Excited!

I picked up my Angel Food for this month, and I'm totally geeked.

They have a great menu for next month. The regular box is pretty, uh, regular. Normal stuff, although it seems like maybe they have more meat than this past month had.

But their specials this month are great. I'm particularly excited about the fresh fruit and veggies. They always have really good quality here. This month, I got a cabbage, and it was NOT your run-of-the-mill white head of chemicals. This was a nice farm-grown green leafy thing that I can't wait to use. I may break down and get some ground turkey from the store so that I can make stuffed cabbages. Mmmmmm. Or I may make cole slaw as that's a little more seasonal.

But next month also has a great special of 5 fully-cooked meals for 4 for only $20. In case you're slow on that math, that's only $4 a meal. That's 1 dollar per person. And it's zero effort. You just heat and serve. I'm looking forward to that. :)

Well, I got to get to decorating for Eve's party. But I had to share. If you haven't found an Angel Food location near you, be sure to check it out.

Busy Little Bee

Whew! It's 9:10 on Friday night, and this is about the only chance I've had to stop going for a while now. August has been a busy month for us here. I normally have a very laid back schedule... a lesurely breakfast, swimming in the pool, relaxing during the baby's naptime. Seriously, this stay-at-home mom stuff is awesome.

But this month... wow! I've had a few things keeping me insanely busy:

Eve's Birthday Party - Our little girl is turning 8. I can't believe it. Tomorrow, we're having a party for her. This is the first party she's had since she was 5, so I went all out. (Which is exactly the reason she hasn't had one since she was 5! Have I mentioned that I'm lazy?)

We're doing all Webkinz, all the time for the afternoon, so I have been designing games, drawing backgrounds and cutting out figures for said games, as well as baking a cake and decorating it all on my own.

This is kinda tradition for us. The only time Eve's had a store bought birthday cake was when she turned one. I actually made her one and decorated it with Barney, but I wasn't into animal products, so I left out the eggs and substituted apple sauce instead. That does not work. It was pretty gross. So, we went and got her another one from the store.

Visit from my MIL - On Sunday (which is Eve's actual birthday), my mother- in-law is coming. Preparing for her visit hasn't been that stressful. She's an awesome lady who thinks I'm the most organized person in the world. So, I really have to do little to impress her with my housekeeping skills.

But we did have to get some details squared away with where she'd stay, and this included putting a bed in Ashlyn's room for Eve to sleep on so Wilma can have Eve's room to herself. After the bed was in place, I went to work getting some odds and ends on the wall, including a cool piece of art that my friend Kristin made for Ashlyn's 1st Birthday.

School - AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! This year Billy and I decided to save some money by using the library as our curriculum. After all, the curriculum runs around $500-600, and that's some nice cash to pay down our van loan. Not to mention, I minored in history in college, taking several U.S. history classes, so how hard could it be to teach my 8 year old the basics?

OMGoodness! That was some stress and a half. In the end, it was just me trying to do too much to make the year amazing. Resources out there are endless and trying to process them all and pick the best was overwhelming me to say the least. But once I talked to my good friend Kara about it all, things have been cool. She directed me to a neat website that is kinda a 1-stop shop for free downloads and info.

I figured out a basic schedule, and things fell into place pretty nicely for the first 12-weeks of the year. I'll tackle the rest of the year over Christmas break.

Storytelling Problem

I love this quote from the book I'm currently reading - Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

"We have, as human beings, a storytelling problem.  We're a bit too quick to come up with explanations for things we don't really have an explanation for."

Perhaps the most ironic thing about this is that I think Gladwell himself does this quite expertly in his book The Tipping Point, which Billy recently read and discussed at length.  Oh, well.

Declutter Challenge Week 2

This post is part of the August Decluttering Challenge.

August 8 - Spent lots of time in Ashlyn's room decluttering.  Instead of spreading it out and doing just 1 item a day, I decluttered several things at once -

A lone shoe that I haven't found the match to in several months.

A Dots T-shirt that is too small to wear and too stained to give away.  It's now in the rag basket.

A bagful of clothes for Ashlyn to grow into now have a nice home on a closet shelf instead of on her bed.

Hung up her curtains.

Put her bumper pad back in her crib.  It had been sitting out a few weeks after being washed.

Hung up pictures, decluttering them from the closet storage.

August 12 - Put some phone numbers into Gmail contacts and threw away the papers they were written on.

August 13 - Decluttered my e-mail inbox.
 

Personal Policies

1. I always clean the kitchen and the bathroom first.

2. I like to save the dishes from dinner for the next morning.

3. Corn on tacos is tasty.

4. I use a blue pen as a book mark in most books. This really ruins the spine, but it makes note-writing in the margins much more convenient and blue shows up against the black print well.

5. I like to read more than one book at a time. This way, if I want to read, I have options of what book to read based on what I'm in the mood for.

6. I like slightly large coffee cups. This way I can have room for cream and sugar without sacrificing any room for caffeine.

7. Except that I really prefer skim milk and Stevia, instead of cream and sugar.

What are some things that make you you?

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What is the Simple Life?

As a homeschooler, I run into a lot of people who glamorize the "simple" life of Laura Ingalls. These women like the idea of stringing cranberries and popcorn for Christmas decorations. They blog statements like, "Oh, to return to the simpler days!"

Excuse me???

Have you watched Little House on the Prairie? Sure the Christmas decorating seemed fun and quaint, but what about the episode where Charles (and the rest of the men) had to go find work in Mankato for 3 months, leaving the women behind to farm and take care of the kids? (episode 3, season 1) That doesn't sound so simple to me.

Another movement toward "simple" can be found on Shaun Groves' blog. Now you all know I think his blog is the best on the web, after Billy's. So, when you go there to read about his idea of simplicity, make sure you also subscribe to his feed.

But Shaun's idea of simple seems to completing twist the word around. Can you please tell me what's simple about un-plugging and re-plugging and un-plugging cords into outlets? Or how about washing all dishes by hand and hanging up laundry to dry? Sounds very simple, huh?

But I'm passionate about simplicity. Seriously. So passionate that 4 years ago when the e-harmony profile asked me what the one thing that I was most passionate about was, I answered, "simplicity."

So, what's simple to me? Simple is scaling back on the abundance of consumerism, yet appreciating the convenience of the 21st century. Simple is finding value in nature and giving priority to beauty and friendship around us.

For a great look at my kind of simplicity, check out this week's simplicity tips from Beth of My Simpler Life. (And while you're there subscribe to her feed to!)

Declutter Challenge!

August is the month for the Declutter Challenge over at My Simpler Life.  The goal is simple: declutter 1 item a day throughout the month of August.  Post about it every week, and be entered to win organizing tools.

So, here we go....

This week I decluttered:

August 1: Baby bath seat
August 2: an area rug we no longer need
August 3: CD cases/liner notes (I kept interesting photos from them  for craft projects, then I threw the rest of them away)
August 4: box of items that I'd already designated for donating, but never took
August 5: threw away papers that had clutter up the kitchen table
August 6: computer table got a quick once over
August 7: took some dashboard wipes from the house to the car

I don't have pictures this week, but I hope it still counts.  Things have been hectic... hence the lack of posting.  We had an injury that required some emergency room care, but don't worry.  She'll be fine!

Music Monday > Breaking Up Just Breaks My Heart

I commented over on Kat's Music Monday post just now, and mentioned what a good show it was to see Monk and Neagle live. (Opening for Bebo Norman, no less. I swear that's what heaven will be like.)

So, I thought I'd take a look at their site to see what they're up to currently.

What I found is that there's yet another band that I'll have to add to my list of "Sad to See You Go."

Other bands are -

Five Iron Frenzy

No Doubt









Sixpence None the Richer

New Kids on the Block (Although I hear they're making a comeback... again.)











Anyway, back to Monk and Neagle. Neagle, it seems, has decided to leave the open road in favor of the family. I commend him for that.

But it's still sad to me because Monk and Neagle were seriously a breath of fresh air in the Christian music community. They had a great sound more like Jack Johnson than anything you'll hear on the local Christian station. And their harmonies! Man... those are amazing.

So, bands break up. And it breaks your heart when you realize that the music you love will be all you can heart from them again.

What band did you hate to see breaking up?

*this post is part of Music Mondays

Surprisingly Painless

So, today, I had to get my car title and driver's license transferred to Alabama. I was fearing this day like no other.

Since moving to Alabama, I've run into a few hang-ups with the government. The child support rigamarole I've had to go through was beyond obnoxious. And I already wrote about the Farmer's Market confusion.

So, I was planning on hours at the courthouse for the tags followed by hours at the police department for my license. But it was actually a piece of cake.

In and out within 15 minutes at each place. Quite uneventful. Not at all like other visits to other BMVs.

Music Monday > Songs We Wish We Wrote

Ever hear a song and get so jealous that you didn't write that amazing sentiment or tremendous melody?

Happens to me all the time, but recently "I Saw What I Saw" by Sara Groves has been at the top of the list of songs I wish I wrote.

It's awe-inspiring and yanks the tears from my eyes. I hope you enjoy it, in the kind of way that makes you want to serve God in new ways.



What song do you wish you wrote?
*This post is part of Music Monday

Sites to See > July 25

Check out these links to some helpful sites:

SmileBooks: If you're looking for a way to make a super classy photobook, this is it. While the prices are a bit higher than other printers such as YorkPhoto.com, SmileBooks has way more options and classier designs than most of what I've seen before. When ordering use the Coupon Code BZZFRIEND to receive 25% off all Classic or Deluxe SmileBooks (Offer expires 10/31/2008).

We Are What We Do: Based on the idea that little actions go a long way toward changing the world, this site encourages people to track ways they've helped. Some of the actions include reading to a child, replacing one light bulb, or taking a bath with your honey. You can browse through a list of actions that others have suggested or input your own. One super fun function is the "dare" function, where you can dare other members to accomplish an action toward bettering our world.

The Point: This is a site that makes it easy to organize people towards a common goal. They have 3 types of campaigns: ultimatum ("do x, or we'll boycott"), fundraisers ("let's pay for a new playground in the community"), and carrot campaigns ("do x, and we promise to buy more"). I know several readers are into grass roots, and this is a great way to get that going.

Check out these sites and let me know which was your favorite in the comments section below.

*these sites were discovered at thefrogpond.

To Help a Friend > Enter and Win!

So, I just got done with a fun little graphics/coding project that I'm pretty proud of.

Misty at Rainy Day in May mentioned wanting a giveaway button that readers could put on their pages to let others know about her awesome generosity.

I think you all know that Misty is my most loyal blogging pal, so I thought I'd use all my vast amounts of graphics and html knowledge to help a sister out.

Here's the result:

Enter Monthly to Win

<!--START RAINY DAY GIVEAWAY--><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(166, 77, 121);"><a target="_blank" href="http://mistywagner.blogspot.com/search/label/giveaway"><br/><br/><img border="0" alt="Rainy Day GiveAway" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/rainydayinmay/rainydaygiveaway.jpg"/></a><br><br /> <font size="2">Enter Monthly to Win</font></br></div><!--END RAINY DAY GIVEAWAY--><br /> </div></div><!--END RAINY DAY GIVEAWAY--><br /> <br />

Be sure to visit today and mention that I sent you when you enter her contest.

Broken Hearts and Open Doors

Just got back from a monthly dinner at my church. The incidental part was that we had yummy ice cream and I sang with Billy to lead God's people in worship.

The amazing part was the missionaries that spoke to us about a recent trip to Rwanda.

A young woman from our church named Tammy went with e3 Ministries in June. So, tonight, she got a chance to show a DVD with pictures and video clips, as well as to talk about the trip and the ministry that they did and that they experienced.

Her recurring theme was, "that just made my heart melt." Whether it was the passionate nationals who were praying for her to have a son (they were shocked that she was married without kids, and didn't really understand that it was by choice) or the young African boy who took such joy in daily carrying her backpack down the mountain, Tammy was overwhelmed with gratitude to the people who showed her God's love so deeply.

And then, the full-time mission workers spoke.  Parts of their talk were statistics.  Heart-breaking, gut wrenching statistics - the number of households run by 11-year-olds, the number of orphans, the number of deaths.  And also amazing, God glorifying statistics - the number of converts and church plants.

One thing that I thought was a riot was what this missionary told us the purpose of American trips was.  It was not so we could waltz in there and tell news that no African knew; it was so that we could provide opportunities and avenues for nationals to share the gospel in places they can't get into on their own.

Apparently, white skin is welcome anywhere.  So, often, the Americans act just as a way to open the door for the Africans to have a platform to speak from.  Africans are ready and raring to get the gospel to their countrymen.  And we can help them just by being white.

Of course, after hearing from these missionaries, my heart is re-broken for the little boys that I met in Jamaica 3 years ago.  I'm praying tonight for Glenton Smith, Lynval Campbell and Jerome Davis.

Music Monday: Free Music from OurStage.com

Last week, I wrote about Derek Webb's initiative to get free music out there for the public.

Another website I've come across recently is called OurStage.com

It's an avenue to find some new music by independent artists. More developed than Noise Trade, it recommends music for you based on your ratings.

I found some great accoustic/folk type stuff, but there's also countless other genres.

Check it out to see the sample downloads before you commit to a free account.

Here's to good music, for a good price. ;)

This post is part of Music Mondays.

How We Decide

Let me say that I'm no expert here, but I know enough to know that we're all different, and those differences have much more to do with our personalities than it has to do with our culture.

Billy's reader recently turned up this graphic. It was part of a post that tried to glorify the Chinese decision-making process and undermine that of the Americans.

I take issue with the labels, of course. But even more, I take issue with the idea that one of these ways is preferable to the other.

For example, what process do you think I used here?

Today, I went to the Farmer's Market. I had some coupons for $20 of free produce. Now, I'm used to a Farmer's Market that is just a bunch of tents of individuals. You pay cash to each individual person. I've never heard of coupons being used at these.

So, I supposed (hesitantly) that it must be an actual store, and perhaps I could use my credit card if I spent more than $20.

On my way, I almost turned around because I wondered if there would be anything left since the market was closing in 30 minutes. I thought things would be picked over, so I turned on a side street to head back home. But as I turned around, I thought that this farmers market might take their leftovers to another affiliated market in town that was open 7 days a week. So, maybe there'd be plenty of food left. And I would need produce this week, so maybe all the produce would be pretty fresh, since it's local, and it would be worth my time. I continued on my original course.

I arrived to find that it was a very normal Farmer's Market. This was completely outside my paradigm. I didn't understand how this would work. How do I use coupons when I pay individuals? Will they take my debit card? How likely are they to have a way to process that in their tents? Would they even take my check? What if I spent $5, could I get change back from my $4.00 increment coupons? What if multiple people were selling the same thing? Now, I'd have to travel back and forth from tent to tent comparing and evaluating.

But I didn't have a stroller. I expected a shopping cart, and now I weighed whether it would be too inconvenient to carry my daughter while balancing my re-usable shopping bags, my wallet, and my coupons. Or I could just make her walk, which would immensely hinder my progress as 18-months-olds are well known as "slow moving vehicles."

So, was this all worth it? After all, I'd already spent the gas that I was so concerned about wasting. Still, I just didn't know. What if I couldn't use my coupons? What if I spent the time to find what I wanted, filled my bags, juggled my daughter, and then found out my stuff wasn't accepted. I saw no tent that seemed "in charge" to check with ahead of time. I was concerned that the vendors would be annoyed to answer my questions when there were plenty of "paying" customers they were already helping.

So, I headed home without getting out of my car.

You can see that this decision-making process is not "A" to "B" (i.e. I must not be a very good American).

And can you also see that this "Chinese" decision-making process is not necessarily better than the "American" one? It can actually be pretty painful.

See, investigating all the options around a decision takes a long freakin' time. It brings up concerns that then have to be squelched. It often actually makes one scared to make the wrong decision. (Or even a less than perfect decision.)

So, I headed home, empty-handed, deciding that I just wasn't ready for this.

I came home feeling pretty lame, but better prepared for the next time I venture there. (And in the meantime, I'm going to call a contact number I found online and ask!)

Billy makes decisions more like an "American" (which is funny, cause his eyes are way more slanty than mine!).

If he had come along with me, he would have said, "We're here. We're gonna check it out. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But it might, and you can't win if you don't compete at all."

He decides solidly, without a lot of mental gymnastics, and he knows that it's okay for his decisions to be less than perfect.

While there are times to be cautious, 90% of the time, if the decision is in Billy's court, I feel pretty darn proud to be American.

How do you tend to make daily decisions? What about monumental ones?

Farmer's Market photo courtesy: empracht

Have You No Shame? a.k.a. You're Lucky I Don't Have a Photo

So, I've written before about how much time we spend at the pool, chilling in the coolness while the rest of the city is steaming in the 95 degree weather.  Not to rub it in, or anything.

But something I just can't get over every time we've gone is the fat girls in the bikinis. 

It brings to mind a comedian I saw years and years ago.  (I wish I could remember who it was, I'd insert a YouTube vid here.)  He talks about these woman with rolls all around their backs, stomach hanging over their waistline, and he wonders,

At what point does she look in the mirror and say, "Man! I look good!"

Billy says he thinks it's just the style these days to wear a bikini no matter how big you are, but I just don't see how that ever made it past the fashion police.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm still interested in a bathing suit that hides the flaws and flatters my figure. 

I'll go for the solid black tankini, thank you very much!

Feeling Curious? Ask to Pray

A couple of years ago, my family had a pretty huge thing going on. There was trauma and lots of tears. There was traveling involved. There was embarrassment and grieving. There was a lot of requesting for prayer.

I remember very distinctly a phone call that I got at that time from a woman at my church. She was calling to find out the situation so they could "know how to pray."

Now, maybe I'm too sensitive (ok....I know I am), but I was instantly disgusted. While I appreciated any prayer we got from our friends, I felt like this woman was really just feeding her curiosity.

I bring this up because my mom asked me to pray for a friend of hers last night. All I know is that she is going through what is the hardest time of her life (one that's lasted 60+ years, so this must be big). Whatever it is brings a lot of embarrassment to this woman, and she asked my mom not to share any details.

So, what did I do? I prayed.

See we don't need to know about the situation, because honestly, our understanding is pretty darn insufficient anyway. That's why the Spirit and Jesus pray with and for us (Rom. 8:26, Hb. 7:25).

It's our hearts that matter in prayer, and pretending that we'll know how to pray because we know the details is a pretty shallow habit. Pretending that God acts based on our understanding of someone's needs is even worse.

But the positive side is this: our prayers are still effective (Js. 5:16). They are aromatic offerings to God (Ps. 141:2, Rev. 5:8).

So, when we don't know what to pray, we pray anyway. Because God looks at whether we intend goodness and not whether we understand his will.

2 Great Causes

Today's fasters are Pete and Brent. These are guys that are normally in Billy's circle, and I try to let him have his own sphere that I stay out of. But today, I had to comment on their sites and link 'em up.

Pete's writing about legal action taken in the name of justice for the poor and oppressed. He highlights an organization that puts ethics back in the often corrupted field of the law. He interviews a friend who's involved with the International Justice Mission.

Brent is writing about something dear to my heart -- a local crisis pregnancy center. He has some heartwrenching stats and some uplifting info on the hope-filled mission of these dedicated people.

Please visit them today, and offer your prayers for their sustenance.

Ear Candy

I just downloaded some music for free from NoiseTrade.com. It's apparently a project of Derek Webb's. So, of course, I had to get his music.

I also got some new tunes from Sixpence. I mean, the tunes aren't new, at least I don't think so. But they are new to me. So, that's cool.

HT: Shaun

Wordless Wednesday > My Eyes Are Not Normally So Big

Go check out Amanda for a contest on photo booths.

HT: Misty

Only in America...

I seem to be hearing this phrase a lot lately, normally in a derogatory way. It's used primarily to dig on some kind of shortcoming that a person wants to attribute to our country.

In case you're tempted to do so yourself, consider this quote:

"The national budget must be balanced, the public debt reduced, and the arrogance of authorities moderated." Cicero (106-43 BC)

I'm not the kind of person who buys into the idea that we're all so different. I don't believe that problems arise because of where you are. See, sometimes, problems have nothing to do with the country, and everything to do with humanity.

Human nature is one thing that isn't bound by culture or time.

Please Don't Call Me a Mommy Blogger

Sure, I'm a homeschooling SAHM of dd7 and dd1.5, wife to dh=hotness. Sure, I wake up to leaky diapers and spend my days picking up toys and feeding kids. Sure, I write about my kid's development and quick make-up fixes, but I'm so much more than that, too.

It's kinda like that age-old debate between working moms and stay-at-home moms (okay... not age-old, but at least since the 60's... and isn't that forever ago?). There's the issue of whether or not a daycare should raise your kids and whether it's too mind numbing to be engaged with 2 year olds all day. But in the end, the SAHM is honestly frustrated because the working mom tells her that she's "just" a mom.

So, I read recently that to blog well, you need to have an identity, to pick your niche so to speak. It's talked about all over that people need to know what to expect from you, that you need to target an audience that wants what you're going to consistently give them.

So be it.

But this one's not gonna do it. Cause I while I may have some child-rearing experiences I want to share, I'm just as likely to tell about struggling to love hateful people, or considering my own pleasure to be a means of pain for others. I'm just as likely to write about my awesome apartment, as I am to review a book for church leaders.

But either way, I'm not just a stay at home mom, and I'm not a mommy blogger. So, sorry if you were looking for something predictable. But I just don't do niches.

Up to Our Eyeballs

I got a voicemail today from a very nice sounding young man named William Page. He was calling with concern because his records showed that our loan payments were overdue, and he hoped that we could work together to come up with a loan restructuring plan based on our current financial situation. He urged me to call soon so we could begin avoiding foreclosure immediately.

I didn't call. In fact, I deleted the voicemail.

Billy and I have an ethic of living within our means. So, that means that we don't take debt lightly. We are careful to enter into any kind of arrangements where we owe anyone anything. We don't commit our money where it can't be fulfilled. Rather, we work to pay extra on the one loan we owe on our van.

After all, the Bible tells us to, "let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another..." Romans 13:8.

But I realize that not everyone lives this way. And my heart broke today listening to the call.

We got that call, I'm sure, as a cold call from a telemarketing agency trying to build up business for a consolidation company. It didn't apply to us, but odds are that it applies to more people than not these days.

Our country is so overwhelmed with debt. In Indiana creditors were calling us to get to our neighbors. The resident who lived in our apartment before us is defaulting on her loans (I know this cause I get her mail all the time and the envelopes proclaim it).

The other day, I fasted for those in captivity abroad. Today, I mourn for those who are shackled here in America.

Mark Driscoll Done Me Proud

If you've been hanging around here long, you probably realize that I have a love/hate relationship with Mark Driscoll (what Christian doesn't?)

I love his determination. I love that he has strong opinions. I love that he's reaching out to our post-mod culture without buying into its wish-washy nature.

But I hate his jerkiness. I hate his forceful and derogatory comment. And sometimes, I just hate his opinions.

But today, Billy showed me a video that I absolutely love.

It's Mark Driscoll being strong and determined, but also loving and compassionate.



A few things to note:

• The statistic he mentions of 1/3 of the congregation having been raped or molested is not limited to Mars Hill. This is a national statistic. It's sick, and it needs to change.
• Believe it or not, many Christians are still not willing to believe that abortion is wrong. There are many pastors who won't take a stand on this, and many more congregants that still want to be PC and pretend it's a "choice" issue. As someone who went through a crisis pregnancy 8 years ago and someone who's counseled others through them, I know that there are other, better choices. It's not about a choice or a preference. It's about life. And as Driscoll says, "A life is a life."
• At other times, I've heard Driscoll encourage people to attend small groups or get hooked into other community at the church in order to get encouragement or discipleship. Here, he offers to meet with this woman himself. I think that's a great balance between guarding your time and being available when people most need you.
  

40-Day Fast

Last week, I wrote about the beginning of the 40-day-fast, and since that time, you've seen links to other bloggers who were participating. I hope you've clicked through to a few to offer your support and to learn about some great causes.

Well, today, it's my turn, and I'm about as geeked as you can be to not have food for a day. I have a fasting partner, Steven Russell. We're not necessarily fasting for the same cause, just on the same day. Please go visit him after you finish here.

Fasting for the Persecuted Church

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10

Tomorrow, we Americans will celebrate our independence. Ours, like any other, came through a hard journey and a great fight, starting long before colonization. Regardless of the bad rap that the Puritans and Pilgrims get in our history books, the truth is that they came here for religious freedom. Some came because they held a different conviction from the ruling powers. Others came because they wanted to reform the current church by setting a good example of purity. Either way, they moved here to be free.

Then when our founding fathers drafted the Bill of Rights, the right to this freedom was placed #1 alongside the freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and the press.

No matter where our country's religious fervor stands now, we are still blessed with freedom to practice as we like. But we have millions of brothers and sisters around the world that don't have this freedom. These Christians are facing imprisonment, torture, and death.

In fact, the most recent statistics estimate 175,000 yearly murders and assassinations.

Of course, this is happening in the obvious countries - China, Iraq, Ethiopia. But persecution and torture also takes place in parts of Mexico and other democratic countries like Belarus.

This is where my student Vadim came from. His family had immigrated to America in 2000, as religious refugees. His parents owned a tailor shop, and he was enrolled in my writing class, but confused about where he was headed in his life.

Over the next year, I got to watch him find direction, to grow in his faith, to burn with passion, and to take the oath to become an American citizen. It was awesome to witness all this. I was proud of him and proud to know him. I am forever grateful that God chose to bless his family with passage to America.

But people in his home country - and around the world - still suffer.

It's easy to sit over here on the opposite side of the world and take our freedom for granted. It's easy to ridicule our churches and complain about all the ways they're "doing church" wrong. It's easy to forget that the reason we have posers in our congregations is that we have freedom and our lives are not in jeopardy just because we showed up to a gathering.

It's easy to feel secluded, far away from the pain. It's easy to go all day, all week, all month without thinking about the torture, bondage, and death that our family across the ocean goes through.

So, today, I am breaking away from what's easy. I'm praying today for spiritual perseverance, for faithfulness, for joy for our persecuted and tortured. I'm praying specifically that these Christians living in captivity will find peace in knowing they are free in Christ.

And I'm praying for Americans, too, that as we celebrate our earthly freedom, that we would be burdened to unify with our global family.

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:3

For more information and ways you can help encourage a persecuted Christian, visit http://www.persecution.com or http://www.prisoneralert.com.