Chase ended, new decisions

After further research, I decided we would be best not to get the model of phantom vehicle we drove 100 miles round trip to see. I found another model that got much better customer reviews, and we drove over to Plano to check it out. I loved it, hubby approved, and we signed the initial papers. Although our financing isn't finalized (they are trying to beat the prearranged offer we brought in), after a $500 deposit, they let us take the vehicle home for the night.

Of course, I'm going through the usual doubting you get whenever you make a major deal like that. At least it's a big deal for MY family! Is it the right vehicle? Is the ride TOO stiff and bumpy? And most importantly, we will be able to make the payments?! It does give me incentive to manage my work time better! And we HAD to have another functioning vehicle.

Also, I got a call this morning from my son's dentist. My son's 6-year molars are in bad shape. The dentist thought it might be best to just pull them, hopefully to be replaced by the 12-year molars in position, which would in turn be replaced by the wisdom teeth. I went to see the orthodontist, as recommended, who said he thought the teeth roots were healthy, but said if the dentist said they needed to come out, they could come out without too much trouble. He did say it was a long-term gamble as the wisdom teeth aren't too predictable. However, my dentist didn't act like he had any information from the ortho when he called me. Which is strange, considering the ortho shares office space one day a week and they said they were writing up notes to leave for him.

Now the dilemma -- to take him to an endo, who will probably say to save the teeth at all cost? Now, I don't want to mess around with my child's mouth, but we don't have the money (especially with a new car) for four crowns now, which will need replacement later as they wear out. The alternative is to ask the dentist if he will just pull them anyway, or to seek a second opinion. Ahhhhhhhhhh! I hate tough decisions!

Wild Geese

Today we went on a wild goose chase. We drove 50 miles across town to look at a used vehicle at a dealership. I made sure to call first to see if the car was still available and if they would accept our financing. Things were looking good as we headed through patchy rain, everything from a downpour to a drizzle to spots were the roads were completely dry. About 5-10 away from the dealership, the salesman calls me to make sure we're not lost. He must be ready and waiting, right?

We drove around the parking lot, which was TIGHTLY crammed with cars for sale, searching for a place to park. We ended up out back on one side. Toting our umbrellas, we marched in and searched for the Pre-Owned department, asking for our salesman. His desk wasn't even in that part of the building, so another salesman walked us across the building to the new car area and sat us down at our salesman's desk.

We waited about 20 minutes for him to finally show up. He walked in briefly, introduced himself, fussed about the previous salesman having disappeared and his inability to do three things at once, and disappeared for another 20 minutes.

When he came back, he looked at our financing paperwork and disappeared in search of the keys for the vehicle in question.

About 20 minutes later, he came back with the news that the car in question, although present, had a deposit on it through another salesman. Then he proceeded to persuade us to take another "acceptable" vehicle, even though we had driven 50 miles to see this specific vehicle which we had searched out on the internet. He grabbed his umbrella and headed out to find what he thought would be acceptable vehicle for us.

We waited another 10 minutes and then just left, driving another 50 miles towards home.

I don't mind waiting patiently when necessary, but I hate it when people waste my time and then try to talk me into buying something I don't want!

The good news of the day was that, although an hour late, we made it in time for dinner at a minichurch gathering. We were able to meet the mom and sister of our friend whose oldest sister had died Saturday evening from lung cancer.

God worked out all the details of the oldest sister's passing. Difficulties of getting the family there were smoothed out. The oldest sister was able to recognize her mother and sisters. She also had the opportunity speak with her deaf daughter who couldn't come. And she died out of the hospital at her son's home, as she had wished.

I praise God that she was a believer, and I pray earnestly that those family members who are not yet believers or are not strong in their faith will be drawn to God through this event.

It was a joy to visit with the visiting mom and sister, to laugh and joke, and to just be there in support of the family. The sister we visited with expressed her understanding of why our friend loved it here in Texas, being surrounded by a family of supportive friends.

That's how I want to be spending my time -- being a supportive friend. Sorta puts those wild geese in perspective.

Sharing Life

Last night our family had the awesome experience of sharing life with our Crossroads Bible Church Family as we celebrated the graduation of our teens. It really brought back memories to see the pictures of children we watched grow up. And it was good to get to know some new friends who are at similar places in their life journey. What made it even more awesome were the parents of juniors and sophomores who came to serve so that we parents could enjoy our time with friends and family.

We had the privilege of spending about 24 hours with my sweet mother-in-law! She'll be 90 in July, but she's going strong, although slowly! She drove about 3-1/2 hours from Oklahoma to come to John's graduation reception last night. Being a home body, she's heading back this afternoon.

My father and his wife also came from across town (about an hour's drive) for the reception. I only had a short visit with them as those kind of events are so busy! But they didn't really expect to be able to visit with me much.

We also had an adult friend of John's make a rare appearance. He was a previous Awana leader who had a special bond with John. He is no longer attending Crossroads, but he came back after a 4-1/2-year absence just to bring John a gift and his best wishes. He didn't stay for the party but used the opportunity to see John.

I also had a chance to meet one of the men who has served as a Bible study leader for John for three years, and to thank him for his influence in John's life just by being real.

We are so blessed to have adults in our kids' lives who love God and demonstrate how to follow him, who love our kids and encourage them, who inspire them in ways that we would never be able to.

We are blessed to have a body of believers to go through life with -- the ups and the downs, sharing burdens and sorrows as well as joy and excitement. How beautiful is the body of Christ!

Life is fragile

It is easy for us to take life for granted. We assume there will always be a next year, a next week, a tomorrow, a next breath. But there are no guarantees.

A friend's sister is in the hospital dying of cancer. The doctors have guessed that she has hours left. She was diagnosed in the fall and has steadily gone downhill since.

Fifteen years ago, I watched my mother slowly decline in health. However, I had small children, so I couldn't spend as much time with her as I would have liked. And we didn't know how close she was to death, so she at the hospital without any family present when she passed from this life to the next.


Watching a loved one suffer makes us feel so helpless and powerless. We would give anything to take away the pain or anxiety or suffering. But all we can do is watch and pray and encourage the best we can. And remember that life is fragile and today is a gift.

When a close friend lost her 3-year-old to a sudden illness, God gave me a song. I'll share the chorus with you:

Give them your best today, together at work or play.
Sing to them of the Lord, tell them stories from His Word.
Give them your best today. Don't let the time slip away!
We know not what tomorrow holds, so give them your best today.

Today is a gift, not a promise. What are you doing with your day? How are you investing your time in those you love? In those who need to hear of God's love and Christ's provision? In communing with your God and Creator?

Carpe diem.

Lone Spartan

Who is that lone Spartan?

OK, I'll add a few details. The high school guys have an Ultimate Frisbee game every spring with the Juniors and Seniors playing the Freshmen and Sophomores. The Seniors have a tradition of dressing in costume. John went as a Spartan from the movie 300. (Yes, he was seen in public looking like that!)

John and I made the costume, I took a picture, and Dad did some creative editing!

John gave me a compliment (I think!). He told Brent that I had made the costume. Brent asked, "Did she know it was for this (Ultimate Frisbee)?" John replied, "Yes. She's not your typical mom!" To which Brent agreed. Well, I'm pretty sure JOHN meant it as a compliment!

His will, His time, His way

That's become my motto of late. God has been echoing this message through the people around me.

Pastor Mike taught on the raising of Lazarus on Sunday and how Jesus delayed his coming until after Lazarus died that God might be glorified through the resurrection. Of course, on Jesus's arrival, Mary and Martha didn't quite see it that way.

My friend Lori shared how that same story and that same point had jumped out and grabbed her (so to speak) just a couple of weeks back.

My missionary friend Robyn shared with a group of friends how God has put her in a role Germany that is so different from what she thought she would be doing when she first signed on with Greater European Missions. She also had to wait three years to get to the mission field, facing obstacle after obstacle. During this time her position with GEM changed and her children were prepared for her departure.

It is hard to trust God and not lean on our own understanding. To wait on him for the perfect timing. To see his hand in the midst of tragedies.

As my wise friend, Lori, observed, he walks with us through the tragedies and weeps with us. I must remember that his timing and methods are for His greater glory and for our greater maturity -- even if we never understand the whys of His will, His time, His way. The best way!

Congratulations, Graduate!

My older son is graduating from high school! If you're at CBC, take a look at his pics in the lobby. I had a few walks down Memory Lane putting those together! It seems like just yesterday I was struggling to get him to read! Math, however, has always been intuitive to him.

It's thrilling (in both senses of the word) to watch your children mature into adults. It's like teaching them to ride a bike -- they will never get the hang of it until you let go and send them sailing out on their own! And sometimes the only thing we can do is be available to help with the "skinned knees" of life.

I'm proud of my son for making some very wise choices in life.

• He has thoroughly enjoyed four mission trips to Mexico to build houses with the high school group and two trips to Haiti to visit our sister church in the village of Chambellan. As a matter of fact, he is going back with the highschoolers to Mexico in two weeks to serve as an adult on the team!
  
• He has served four years on the Midschool Servant Team -- our highschoolers lead the midschool discipleship program on Tuesday nights. His favorite jobs are manning the kitchen (set-up and clean-up) and guarding the halls & stairs.
  
• He has voluntarily served our Worship Pastor as "roadie", helping him carry his guitars and music out after the services.
  
• Whenever he finds himself at church on Sundays with nothing to do, he seeks out our Children's Ministry Director to request a job.
  
• He has served several years running in the VBS and Music Camp programs at our church. The last few years he has helped with the sound system, and he would like to be trained to be a regular member of the Sound Team.

He is planning to enlist in the Air Force in order to serve his country and to fund his education. However, he is going to delay his enlistment in order to take advantages of some opportunities here while he can, such as taking a discipleship course offered by our church and working for a bit. He can also use the time to meet with a recruiter to prepare for enlistment.

I want to thank all the people at our church (past and present) who have loved my son in spite of his antics, giving him a chance to serve and learn and grow -- Miss Nesha, Miss Edna, Miss Anne, Pastor Dave, Mr. Davis, Mr. Bogie, Mr. Ramsey, Bryce, Brent, Melissa, Bob, and many more!

Congratulations, son!

Happy Anniversary!

My daughter and her boyfriend celebrated three years of dating yesterday! Wow! That's a long time! I never had any long dating relationships and even had a relatively short engagement, so I don't even know what that feels like. I can't imagine the pressures of dating that young adults face these days.

I applaud my daughter and her boyfriend for remaining faithful to one another through a lot of growing-up times and changes, and for maintaining well a long-distance relationship. They have a good relationship -- encouraging one another to be better at what they are good at and complementing one another's strengths and weaknesses. That's what counts. But most importantly, they are both strong in their commitment to the Lord.

I got to thinking -- our relationship with Jesus is kind of like a long courtship. We are promised to one another, but the time isn't right for us to be together forever. And we feel the tension that comes with that relationship -- longing for our new life with Him, but somewhat anxious about leaving the old and familiar. But one day we will come to Him as His bride, clothed in His righteousness and purity, beautiful and beloved! We only think we know what love is now!

Minor successes!

In spite of starting work too late (again), I had the highest line count (typing) that I've had in a month and a half! If you don't already know, I work from home as a medical transcriptionist. They pay me based on the number of lines I type (1 line=65 characters). I have been working hard this week to be more diligent in getting my typing done, starting earlier and staying at it. Each day this week I have done a little more.

In case you think I'm just a lazy slug (which I probably am!), one of the reasons I haven't been typing as much has been health issues -- just what, I don't know. I won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say I've been working through fatigue and intermittent tummy aches.

I've also been trying to watch my eating better, both to lose weight and to minimize complications of my diabetes. That's been going a bit better as well.

Isn't it discouraging how EVERYTHING seems to come down to self-discipline. It would be so much easier to coast through life doing as little as possible. That might work pretty well in some cultures. But then cultures like that have the economy that goes with that mentality.

What does God say? In Proverbs 6:6-11 (NIV), we read:

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-

and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.

Hmmm.... I need to remember that in the morning when I reach for the snooze alarm!

Ebay fever

Last night my daughter discovered the adrenaline rush called Ebay. She had looked at phones on-line and in the store, finding the one she wanted. Only it wasn't available in the store! So mom turned her on to Ebay. She's trying to get a red Motorola SLVR L7. I'd never heard of it before. The RAZR, yes, but not the SLVR. We've been watching items and bidding, deciding on BuyItNow versus bidding, etc. Last night, as bidding on one phone ended, she felt the tension build as the last few seconds brought in a new winning bidder. Definitely feeling the rush!

We Americans tend to be poor at bargaining, not having many opportunities to do so here. But I think auctions are a good way to learn discipline -- setting your max and not letting the excitement of the moment take you beyond your preset limits. Hmmm, reminds me of life.

I battle with that issue every day, mainly with time management concerning my work, but also in eating, time with God, you name it! Let's face it! I can't do it! But I need to remember God can, and to rely on his strength to see me through each moment.

I pray your day is filled with God's strength as you strive to keep to your limits in the midst of life's excitement!

Moms

Happy Mother's Day! Today I find myself thinking back over the women who have helped shape my life, who have been moms to me:

Ann -- My mother. She has been with the Lord for 15 years now. She passed away when my "big kids" were 5 and 3. They don't have many memories of her. I remember how we would shop together, look at model homes together, study maps and floor plans from the paper just because it was fun, work crossword puzzles and logic problems together... and argue pretty frequently! I think we were too much alike! There are times I still miss her -- when I see women my age enjoying time with their moms and watching grandmas interacting with their grandkids. She taught me so much! I still have so much to learn.

Julia -- My wonderful mother-in-law. She turned 88 years young last summer. I remember when she was about 65 hearing her complain because of having to buy bran for her horse. She could handle the sweet feed bags O.K. (50 pounds), but the bran was a little hard to deal with (only came in 100-pound bags)! She was hauling hay for the horse in her mini-pickup for several more years. I hope my daughter inherits her youthfulness as she inherited her first name, Julie, which means "youthful". Julia embraced me with love from our first meeting because I was the choice of her son. Although we have had our clashes, her love for me has never waned. We've spent many a nights talking until the wee hours just because we could! May I strive to be as accepting and loving as she is, serving so selflessly those she loves.

Mary -- My aunt. She and my mother were close. They married brothers. I teasingly told them they weren't really related, since they were "the brother-in-law's wife" to one another. I was almost two years older than Mary's oldest son and she seemed to dote on me. We would visit their house once every few months, spending an afternoon and evening with them. I remember cranking ice cream and eating pies. As a young bride, I would visit her house and spend time with her. I sat with her in the hospital as she recovered from kidney surgery, me making baby blankets for my first, both of us missing the funeral of mother-in-law and grandmother. We've been together through lots of life events -- having kids, losing parents, having another kid later in life (both of us), losing a husband (my uncle), watching kids grow up and go their own way (whether you like it or not). Oh, the memories!

There's also lots of church friends, teachers, and mentors of various types who have helped to shape me. Women, never underestimate your potential influence on the young women around you. Like it or not, you'll be a mom influence on their life. May we all strive to be a good ones!

Friends

It's good to have a group of friends you can depend on.

Right now, my close group of friends is going through difficult issues -- a sibling who is dying to cancer, a son being deployed to Iraq, a child's upcoming job loss due to company relocation.

If you don't have a close group of friends to support you at such times, how can you handle the pain and stress and frustration that life seems to bring.

This seems to be a season of change. I know of lots of resignations, position changes, and general life changes. I guess that is just life!

But with change and loss comes new opportunity! People who can bring in new enthusiasm and ideas, people who step up to a new task and stretch their conceptions of their limitations, people who can use their gifts and talents in new opportunities that arise.

With God's help, I will seek to embrace the change and seek to involve myself and encourage others in opportunities for ministry!

Beginnings

As I read the blogs of others, I see such depth and wisdom. I don't know if I can come up with such nuggets of wisdom and insight. But I can offer you the crumbs of insight with which God has blessed me!

My husband and I are on a journey of pursuing a career in missions. This desire began 12 years ago, and we are just now able to begin actively pursing it. We are meeting with some of our home church leaders for development and training, and we'll be beginning an online course in global missions this summer. Please pray that God would guide us, opening and closing doors according to His will. That's where we truly want to be -- in His will, wherever that may be!

We have three children -- well, two adults and one child. My daughter is working on her associates at a community college, after which she wants to pursue a degree in German. My older son is graduating high school this year and is planning to enlist in the Air Force at some point. My younger son is doing his best to avoid anything that looks like work!

I'm working from home doing medical transcription and homeschooling the boys, and my husband is heading up computer installations in public schools. Kind of ironic, huh? My main struggle right now is discipline and time management. I'm sure you all have that one down pat!

As we continue on our journey following Christ wherever He leads, each day is a new beginning. I pray that your new beginnings today will be blessed with the strength of the Christ's Spirit!