The One That Didn't Get Away!

We went fishing the other day, for the first time this season. I finally got to break in my new pole! 'Course I didn't catch anything but seaweed, although I did feel a nibble once. Kent didn't catch anything either (except more seaweed). Shae, on the other hand, put the net down and pulled up a crab! He was very excited...till we measured it and discovered it was half an inch too small. Back he went.

Now desperate to catch a keeper, he lowered the net and let it soak longer. When we pulled it up, there was another crab - bigger! This one was about 6 inches - well within keeping range. Oh the joy!

We talked about how it was not going to be a pet. It was going to be dinner (at least for Shae - not much meat on it). It would be his first taste of crab meat (and he caught it himself!). So excited!

I felt so bad tho, when it came time to do the deed. He understood the crab would die to become his dinner and he was okay with that, but still a little sad. He said his goodbyes and told the crab "I'll see you in Heaven. Maybe you can live in my room."

If that doesn't just bring tears to your eyes!

We're keeping the shell as a token of his first catch.

Hi Everybody!

We're back!

It's been a busy month! We spent a day in San Diego before joining other ClubRust organizers for shopping and heading down to Mexico. We were in Tecate for about a week - the building went very well. There were lots of new people this year (again!) When we returned to the states, we traded the cargo van for a Kia and headed up to Anaheim (sp?). You guessed it! Disneyland! We spent three days hopping between Disney and California Adventure. We had lots of fun - just ask Shae (most of you know him as Zak - he has decided to go by his middle name. After all, Daddy does!) One of those days, we were joined by NW/ClubRust friends, the Owens. That was very fun!

Now we're back home and still recovering from vacation and possibly mild salmonella poisoning. Kent was sick while we were in CA. So was I, but not as bad. Poor guy did Disneyland anyway. What a trooper! Anyway, when we got back we looked up the symptoms of Salmonella just for kicks and he had nearly every one of them! I had a few. I am still feeling run-down, but okay. Shae never was sick.

Oh, BTW, it's my birthday! Another year gone by. Wow. They really do go fast anymore!

I'm hoping to get some photos of the trip up soon. They're all on the computer, I just have to get them onto the page.

Hope y'all are having a great day! What gorgeous weather we're having (especially after 95+ down south)! Enjoy it!

Good Morning!

How is everyone out there in cyberland? Things here are going pretty well, I think.

Change is in the air- be it the weather, the end of the school year, or the happenings with the congregation- things are changing. I can "feel it in my bones". My own "bones" have some changing to do as well.

I realized the other day that I keep telling my son that if he doesn't like the times he's getting on his math work, to do something about it. "Make yourself focus", I say. "Concentrate. No one can do that for you." It was sort of an "ah ha" for me because there are things in my life I have struggled with for years ("I want to do this, but I just can't seem to...."). I suddenly realized I need to take my own advice. If I want to develop a habit of getting up earlier, then I need to get up earlier...Just Do It! Nobody's going to drag me out of bed (most mornings!).

I guess it's a matter of deciding it's something I really want and going for it. Now, I know I can't do things on my own strength, but God has not left me powerless. I have just failed to tap into that power which is available for the asking.

So this summer, for me, is about tapping into that power. It's about allowing God to do in me what He has wanted to for so long - what I have wanted for Him to do - just not bad enough to do anything about it.

Change is scary, and habits are hard to break - Help me, God. I'm gonna need it!

Later!

Hello!

Boy, who's supposed to be maintaining this blog site? Whoever it is, is sure doing a crummy job! Maybe I should take over.

Hmmm.....well....

A lot has been going on over the last few months. I'm not going to tell you everything. Sorry I've been so scarce.

I will tell you that Kent and I went to a great Phil Keaggy concert last night. It was further south than we anticipated, and, what with traffic, it took us about an hour & half to get there. We were running late - also due to traffic, mostly- so we opted to skip dinner and go straight to the music. We were dog-tired too. The music was fabulous, but mello which did not help with the sleepies. And then there was the drive back.

We picked up Zak (who has decided he now likes his middle name better and requests that we call him Shae) from the babysitter, came home and went to bed. Well, I went to bed. Kent had to finish up a couple things for church this morning.

Services went well this morning. I helped with vocals both services. That was fun. Got a Mother's Day card from my guys who also took me out for lunch (McGrath's Fish House - Yum!)

Now, I'm seriously considering going to bed. All in all it was a good day.

On a sadder note, I received word a couple days ago that my nephew, Lenn, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Conneticut. He and a friend were on the same bike at around 1am, and I guess they failed to negotiate a turn. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Bikers out there pay heed! Neither one was wearing a helmet. Lenn was 33 and has a 9 yr old (approx) daughter. She was with her mother (divorced) in Oregon when the accident happened.

Mom said a sort of wake was held for him and they were able to hook things up so that Ivy (his daughter) could participate in it. Hopefully, that will help her gain some closure, or something. Please pray for healing for this family. And guidance for me to know what I should do.

Well, that's all for now. I'll try not to be too long before the next post! Till then...

I am still alive!

Been doing much lurking lately, but not much writing. I've decided to begin writing by reading various books (other than children's literature, that is). Some are on such topics as Faith and Art, others not. I've just recently obtained a copy of Blue Like Jazz from the library and look forward to beginning it. I am finding it hard to just sit and read, although it's something I enjoy. Mounds of laundry and rooms that need attention often protrude upon my thoughts, distracting me from the words and their meaning.

This coming Saturday, I've been invited to share with a new mom's group. I was at one time a preschool teacher, and also spent time in daycare working with the 12-14 mos set. Parental boot-camp, I call it. They are looking for ideas of games & activities to do with their young ones. Boy, it's been awhile for me, but hopefully I'll come up with something useful. It'll be fun anyway! I'll let you know how it goes.

ACU spring break campaigners also arrive this weekend. They come up every year to work around town and experience Seattle for a week. It always proves to be an enlightening time for everyone involved.

We are also prepping for Easter and all that comes with it. It's one of my favorite times of year because of the hope and newness of life that Easter and Spring usher in. My mother will be here for Easter week this year as well. I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving so it will be good to visit. Zak is happy to relinquish his bed for her (plus, he "gets to" sleep in the living room)!

Well, that's it for now. I'll try and update you again soon. Till then....

Remember Good Friday as you celebrate this Easter. It's not all about the chocolate bunny.

Tangible Trust

For all my son's life, I've tried to teach him that God can be trusted-that no matter what happens, we can rely upon God to do the right thing. I do believe that, but often it seems an abstract concept removed from the vigors of daily life....not so today.

You've read my previous posts regarding my husband's accident. What you may not know is that just a couple weeks prior to that dreadful/blessed event, the alternator in my van gave out...while I was driving it. That incident also showed me God's hand in that the van did not quit while driving 40 mph down Aurora. It quit about a block after I turned off and just as I was turning into the driveway of NW Hospital-right in front of a gate attendant with a phone book. He helped me push the van out of the way, too.

When the Geo was totaled, I looked back on this and saw God at work. The van quit then because God knew we would need it later and it needed to be fixed.

So what does this have to do with today? After taking Kent to work, Zak and I headed out for a couple of stores. As we were pulling into the second store, I noticed steam rising from the front end. "Uh oh," I thought. "Radiator's dry." It sure enough was (I've had a slow leak for a while.) We lingered in the store so the engine had time to cool down enough for me to put water in it. A full gallon later I figured we were ready to go. I started the engine and could actually hear liquid flowing over the noise of the van. I shut the engine off and got out to look. All the water I had just put in was pouring out from underneath the vehicle. "Great!" I bought another gallon-just in case-and headed up to the church building to talk to Kent. I ended up taking it in to the mechanic hoping it was a hose and not the radiator.

So which was it? Neither. The leak is coming from the intake manifold (a $900 repair job!). The van's not worth that much. Our wonderful mechanic did a "stop leak" temporary fix on it to try to buy us some time. I left nearly in tears and none too happy with God ("Haven't we been thru enough this year already?") But still I trust-frustrated, tempted toward despair-but still hoping and believing that somewhere, somehow God has a plan for all this. We've been too blessed for it to be anything else.

This afternoon we received a call from friends who said that God has "laid it on [their] hearts" to offer us their extra van.

I am truly humbled. God never fails me-us. When things get hard, and I'm at the end of my rope, God is always there to say, "Don't worry. I've got you." I fuss and pitch a fit and God doesn't yell, He says, "I'm glad you came to me."

I don't get it. But I'm sure glad He's that way.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I think I'll continue trusting that God will cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Hello Everyone!

Thought I'd pop in and say hi. Not much "newsie" going on. We are still a one-vehicle family. School is going pretty well, as is band practice. It has been quite a year thus far and, I believe, will continue to be "quite a year". NW is deep in the transition process. It's a bit like the Israelites following the the cloud/pillar of fire thru the desert. No one really knows where we're going, but we'll know when we get there 'cuz God will say, "OK, this is it!" Waiting for that day.

Our challenge from the pulpit a couple weeks ago was to single out a command of Jesus and resolve to keep it this year...consistently. My "verse" comes from Matthew 25 (no, not the sheep & the goats - before that). From the parable of the talents, I have derived that I need to be "faithful in the small things". That is my challenge this year. Now what that looks like I'm still discovering, but it has to do with daily life - keeping up with the dishes, laundry & lesson plans. Keeping ice tea in the fridge and ice cubes in the freezer...and to develop the disciplines of exercising regularly and writing daily. These have always been tough things for me. I'm one of those "creative thinkers" that has great ideas, but is lousy at implementing them. Pray for me. I'm gonna need it! Especially when it comes to carving out specific times for these last two. Reason says to go to bed earlier and get up earlier. My night-owl nature is saying, "yeah, right". I suppose I could stay up later to write (and have been known to do so), but then I want to sleep in which gives us (me & Zak) a late start on school. Somewhere there's an ideal plan, but I haven't come up with it yet.

Hope ya'll are doing well. Talk atcha later!