Some of the dust settles

(in the order previously referenced)

I have an appointment for Thursday afternoon with the new doc. We'll see how that goes.

Julie is going to Guatemala! I'm so glad! After all, it is a college trip, and that was a few years ago for me. It turns out, it will be two adult men and three college gals. I hope they have a wonderful time and are a big help and encouragement to Brandon & Jenny. Thanks to everyone who supported her and/or let her use the money she had raised for Russia in order to go on this trip. (Yes, we are still going to Russia -- in May 2008.)

I've been doing a bit better on work/time management. Just taking it one moment at a time!

In order to facilitate Mark with the reading for our course, this weekend I recorded the readings for Lesson 1 on my computer. After I get closer to filling a disk, I will write it for Mark to listen to in the car. Not only does he commute about an hour one way every day, but he also often goes out to schools for computer installations that could also be an hour or more from the office. (Thankfully, he gets paid for mileage!) I really enjoy reading aloud, for some strange reason. I have read a couple of other books in the car to Mark, but right now we don't have much joint car time -- thus the CD idea. And I get my reading done in the process!

One of my blogging friends wrote about unbelief being the root of our struggles as believers. It really got me thinking. Resting in God, in the midst of whatever life brings, is probably one of the purest forms of worship I can offer. What difference does it make if I sing & shout & fall down before Him if I don't really trust Him. All of my unsettledness is just not trusting God. He is in control and knows much better than we do what is best for us. Thankfully, I have had a few favorite verses popping into mind (one from my blogging friend) as I am feeling anxious:

"Cease striving and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10
"Do not be anxious about anything..." Philippians 4:6
"...the battle is not yours but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15

Please read the full verse in context. I just pulled out key phrases for me.

What do you have to do to make the dust settle? Stop moving! Have a restful day!

Unsettled

I'm feeling kind of unsettled lately.

First, one of my friends asked for a followup about the doctor visits of late. The thyroid scan was negative, my blood tests were normal, so no change in medication was needed there. My doc didn't volunteer to check anything else, and I'm still really tired all the time! Sometimes I think he thinks it's in my head! (As if there's anything in there!) A friend referred me to a different, less traditional doctor, both in testing and treatment. I think I'll give her a try -- when I know what I'm doing next month. (See below.)

Second, as I mentioned before, Julie & I want to go on the Guatemala trip. I have sent e-mails out asking for support, but I haven't gotten any response back (only 24 hours ago). I'm wondering if I'm not trying to force something to happen that shouldn't. But, now it is in God's hands. If the money comes in, we will go. If not, either one of us will go or neither will, and the money we have raised so far will go back to the Russia team. But I hate the waiting.

Third, I'm trying to get better on my schedule (work/sleep/life), which is hard when all you want to do is sleep. I want to put in my hours, both to be a good worker and to get paid more. And the new car payments start next month! (No pressure!)

Fourth, we're trying to squeeze in a course about missions into our busy schedule. It's an online course called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. I requires a lot of reading and listening to some lectures. We have a year to finish it. As we do this, we're also looking into missions agencies where we might be a good fit. We haven't made any contact yet, but a few look promising. It would be nice to figure out what we're going to do when we grow up!

I have to remind myself that God knows the end from the beginning. Even though I sometimes feel that life is spinning out of control, it is always in God's hands. At times like this, I have to remind myself frequently of Psalm 46:10, which in the New American Standard Bible says:

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

More Linguistic Hamburger, New Doc & Mission Trip Changes

Chief complaint: Tripping and falling with scalp laceration.

(Is that like "running with scissors?")

The patient denies any back pain when lying.

(So when he's telling the truth, he has back pain?)

I found a doc I'm going to try out. I actually discovered her online and through a friend's blog link. We'll see how it goes. I haven't made an appointment because of vehicle issues. My daughter's is in for some minor (I hope) repair.

We found out Saturday that our trip to Russia has been postponed until May 2008. I will wait to see how things shape up before I commit to continue. My daughter, on the other hand, wouldn't miss it! She'll continue on, so expect to hear more from her. Since I'm in charge of the Haiti trips, I have to make sure all those bases are covered first.

My daughter and I are going to attempt to jump onto the trip to Guatemala at the last minute. This means we'll have to raise $2000 in two weeks! They leave July 2. We are going to visit some missionaries who are former members of our church moved to Guatemala last October. They will be taking North American teams to visit their sister churches. Right now, they are getting settled and working on learning the languages - Spanish and Mam (the Mayan language).

The team going from our church in two weeks is a small group of college students going to build bunk beds for the guest house the teams will be staying in. Hey, we know our way around drills & screwdrivers! Please pray for us as we prepare to join this team.

Linguistic Hamburger

What is hamburger? Meat that has not only been butchered but ground up into an unrecognizable mass.

As a general rule, we Americans are lousy at learning languages -- even our own! I am not that surprised when I see spelling and grammatical errors in online chatting and forums. We never know what level of education folks have obtained. Nor does spelling and grammar come easily to everyone, regardless of their position or educational background.

I occasionally come across something that is very obviously wrong, redundant or just funny. And I have to share! Here are my contributions for the day:

-- from dictated medical notes (rephrased):

"PAST MEDICAL HISTORY:
The patient has a history of (a disease or condition) in the past."

"We will keep her overnight for 23-hour observation so we can watch her."

(They must work for the Department of Redundancy Department.)

-- from an author's biographical information in the back of a novel:

"She... later became the mother of three sons and an elementary school teacher."

Ouch! As my daughter said, "I hope she didn't have a ruler in her hand!"

The Key?

I have a kid who is wonderful at avoiding activities. Every time he is pressed to do an undesired activity, he is hungry, he needs a break, he needs to go to the bathroom, etc. He works harder at avoiding the activity than he would actually doing it! I can't figure out the key to motivating him!

We have tried positive and negative reinforcement -- anything from wonderfully desired rewards to withholding favorite privileges to (dare I say it?) spanking. Nothing seems to work consistently. Spanking definitely doesn't! (I wish it did!)

The thing that works best is sitting right with him and insisting he stay on task. However, this takes constant attentiveness and excessive use of time, which is not always available for this use. Any lapse in attention and he is off!

Oh, and he also has to tell you about EVERYTHING he does and discovers and makes, whether you want to hear or not.

I don't know if this is an extreme need for attention, a bad case of ADD, or just a very clever kid. But it's getting old!

Any ideas on what the key might be?

The Daily News continues

I had dinner last night with good friends, some of whom are "professional" missionaries!

My thyroid was scanned -- results pending. I found out several other friends have thyroid problems. I was also reminded that "Aging is not for sissies!"

My friend's wrist only needed a cast, not surgery, and the doctor thinks it will heal well. And I got to spend more than half the day with her!

My son went to the memorial service for his friends' mom. (I didn't find out the time until I had missed it.) He also spent time hanging out with his other friend, Juan, who had hung out with me last week.

Thought for the day -- Friends are precious! Handle them with care and spend time with them often. And don't forget to save time for your best friend, Jesus!

The Daily News

The crew got home safely from Mexico and had a great trip! My son got sick on the first work day, which really frustrated him. He doesn't know why, and he knows all the rules about drinking (what and how much). This is his fifth trip (plus two to Haiti), and he hasn't gotten sick since the first one. He missed the second day of work completely and felt the effects for the rest of the trip. I suggested to him that since we've had such a cool May, he may not have been as acclimated to the heat as previous years. But really, God only knows! He survived, and the trip was good.

He was bummed to hear about his friends' mother's death. I also told him about an adult friend's broken wrist. He replied, "Yeah, I leave and everything falls apart!"

I'm taking the broken wrist victim to a specialist on Monday. It's nice to have a vehicle to be able to do those things! I was going the same direction for a sonogram on my thyroid gland (in my neck). One side felt enlarged and was tender, so the doc wanted to check it out. He also wants me to have a sleep study since a sleep disorder can cause fatigue. I think I'll wait to see how the thyroid checks out first (and spread out the expense!).

My hubby painted the entire shed by himself today! Other than the trim work, it's done. I stayed inside and did some more sedentary work -- mostly preparing some course material for him to complete. We're taking a class called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement as an online course. Some of the online stuff is just a bit of reading, so I printed it out for him, deleting some irrelevant parts. We are taking this course as a preparation for missions work, should God continue to lead us that direction.

Well, that's probably more info than you wanted on my life. Maybe tomorrow I'll get deep and spiritual!

Doctor, it hurts when I do this...

I'm heading for the doc today to see if I'm crazy, old, or treatable. Sometimes I just think I'm crazy! (OK, I KNOW I am!) And I do know I'm getting older. But I'm hoping he will take me seriously and investigate why I'm always tired. I don't want "Hee Haw" medicine:

Patient: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this."
(Doctor hits patient.)
Doctor: "Then don't do that!"

If this doc won't investigate, I'll find someone who will. It's been going on too long to be "just me". And it would be nice to figure out what the mystery aches and pains are. I'll keep you posted...

Front door update
Juan came over again this morning. I'm glad he feels at home here! Half the time when John is here, he just knocks and comes in.

It seems that the mother may have overdosed on painkillers she was taking for her ankles (intentional or unintentional?). She was due for surgery on them soon. The dad has serious back problems (Juan said "a broken back") and cannot work. The sons are moving in with relatives, and the dad will probably find someplace else to live. He probably cannot afford payments/rent without her income.

My heart hurts for them! It makes my aches & pains seem so trivial.

Front door

Have you ever had an opportunity for ministry show up at your front door?

This morning, a friend of my son's came by, very disappointed that my son was still on his mission trip. I could tell he was concerned about something. He went on to tell me that he had just found out that his friends' mother had died in her sleep.

Wow! What do you say to that?

He told me that none of his friends were home, so I invited him in to hang out, use our computer to check his Tribal Wars (online, ongoing game), e-mail his friends and check their My Space pages. His mom was just leaving for work, so otherwise he would be home alone.

Now, mind you, I'm not really interacting with him. I'm not even in the same room. (Before you get worried, none of my rooms are very far apart!) And my younger son has a friend over, so he's occupied. But I can let him be here, instead of be alone, and let him do something to occupy his hands and mind a bit as he deals with his grief. He was close to the family, especially the mom, so this hurts a lot!

Pray for this young man, Juan. He's been "in church", but I don't know that he's a believer.

Pray for the family of James & Kyle, who lost their mom. I learned that she was the only one in the household who was working, and she took care of all the meals, laundry and other household chores. And I know nothing of the spiritual condition of their family.

Pray for my son. He'll have shocking news to come home to. He has spent quite a bit of time with this family, too. And he'll have opportunities for ministry to his friends.

Pray for me. For wisdom in knowing how I can reach out to this family and these young men. That my door would always be open to those who are hurting.

Infusion

I got a fix today! I spent a little time IMing with the missionary about a mission trip planned for next summer. As I imagined how the trip might play out, I was enthused and encouraged -- and reminded again why I want to pursue this as a lifestyle.

I think I would enjoy other countries beside Haiti. But it's so much fun to introduce folks to the joy and wonder of communing with brothers and sisters in Christ in another culture.

Maybe God wants me to stay here and go with teams. Maybe He'll lead us to a full-time position. Although it is hard to wait, it is encouraging to get excited just by the thought of being there!

Cheep?!

Lately I feel like the newly hatched chick in the picture below! It seems like I just don't have the energy to get up and figure out the world around me!

It turned out I didn't qualify for the diabetic study due to other medications I am taking. (I wish they'd asked that in the questionnaire!) The doc was a jerk anyway.

My daughter finished dog-sitting, so only one kid is absent now. It sure was quiet for a couple of days!

I'm still trying to get my work schedule more regulated. Kinda goes with the feeling cruddy! Maybe it's time to visit my doc again and see if he's willing to investigate. Or maybe I'm just getting old.

Don't worry. I'll keep plodding through. But sometimes that's the best you can do!

Growing pains!

I can't be getting older, but my kids are!

My baby is 10 today! It seems like yesterday he showed up as a "surprise blessing" to our family. We had a party for him yesterday with 7 other boys, mostly from the neighborhood. Hubby took them to the pool while I prepared the deck, putting up umbrellas and chairs, and cooked pizza for them. They had a blast, and I got to visit with an old friend, as her "later in life" baby was one of the birthday guests. We also had a blessing in the way of weather, having had a storm the night before. It was clear all Saturday, and then it came a pretty good rain on Sunday morning. Clear is nice for a pool party!

My older son is in Juarez, Mexico, for a week of service with Amor Ministries and our youth group. This time, he's one of the adults! They are building married student housing for a seminary. This will be a change from previous trips. Usually they build individual houses. He is on the advance team for the first time. They go a day early and set up the huge sleeping and dining tents at the camping area.

Yesterday evening my daughter and her boyfriend came over for burgers, which we ate on the deck. Other than flies, it was a nice meal. Wow, entertaining twice in one day! It was fun!

Today I had the privilege of singing with my daughter on the worship team. We were just the backup singers, but it was fun to harmonize with her. It's always fun to work with the other musicians, too. We are so blessed with talent at our church. It's a privilege to be included now and then!

We are enjoying the new wheels! We got a green 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander -- the newest car we've had since shortly before my 2nd child was born -- the one that just graduated high school. It's a great "mom mobile". Hubby says its a sports car in SUV clothing as it is quite peppy, has a nice, tight suspension, and holds the curves well.

For those following the dental saga, I called the original pedi dentist back. I gave him info he didn't have, and he explained that seeing an endodontist would still be helpful. I had thought originally that the endo would only want to do crowns. But the pedi wants his opinion about the need for root canals, as well as crowns vs. fillings or onlays. I haven't called for an appointment yet, but I will soon.

Tomorrow I'm going for an exam that is preliminary to my inclusion in a study on type 2 diabetes. It will be interesting to see what they'll have me do. I know I'll have to track my blood sugars more closely than I do now, but that will be a good thing -- especially if they cover the cost of the test strips! They will cover the meds and will probably offer some travel reimbursement as well. It's a bit of a drive away, at St. Paul Medical Center. (Of course, my having this condition has NOTHING to do with aging!)

Isn't it fascinating how God takes us through various stages in life. And just when we think we have life figured out, it changes! That forces us to grow and to depend on God for wisdom and guidance. Our family is going through changes, and so is our church. But along with changes come new opportunities that wouldn't have been possible before! We may have to go through "growing pains", but they are necessary for our maturity.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

-- Ephesians 4:14-16