Storms and Hens Gathering Chicks

I like a good summer storm (when it's not destructive and/or devastating).  Storms have a way of clearing the air.

Sometimes in life we face personal storms---spiritual storms, emotional storms and the like.  Sometimes we face storms in the workplace or in organizations we are involved with.  As with atmospheric storms, we can sometimes sense when personal storms are brewing.  

God gave me a beautiful visual yesterday.  I was visiting with extended family, and I was asking my nephew how his chickens were doing.  He was telling me about one of his hens who is very maternal.  He said that as a storm was brewing Saturday in the big valley in which we live, this hen (sensing the storm) was running around the farm, gathering her chicks all around before the storm came, so that they would be safe.  As he was telling me this story, the Holy Spirit immediately brought to mind the Scripture passage from Matthew 23:37--" . . .  . How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. . . . ." (Amplified version of the Bible).

When we sense the signs of a personal storm brewing--when we face these personal storms that come our way, do we run to God and draw close to Him?  Seek His face?  He is wanting to gather us together under His wings.  His Word says so. Under His wings is the safest place to be.  

What Do I Know?

When good friends share crises and devastating circumstances and heartfelt worries, I am often at a loss for words.  I've learned in my many years of life that trite sayings provide little comfort and assurance, and it's better to keep silent and start praying than to spout off words just for the sake of filling the silence (for those of you who have known me before I learned this---I am sorry that I didn't know this earlier!).  My really good friends know me well enough now that I sometimes need 1-2 weeks of praying and thinking to have any type of meaningful response. 

So how do I respond after those 1-2 weeks?  Much of what some of my friends are facing are circumstances that I've never had to deal with.  But I have had different crises and devastating circumstances over the years.  And the way my mind works, I return to what I know---and this is what I can share:  

What do I know?  I know that God never promised us that life would be perfect and that everyone we love would live as long as we want them to.  He has told us in His Word that our trials help us grow.  That the process of walking through these "fires" (with Him never leaving our side) serves to refine us--like precious metals. I know that even when we can't feel the presence of God, He indeed continues to walk with us through all the paths He allows us to experience.  I know that God is our refuge and strength in trouble.  He gives strength to the weary. I know that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted.  I know that praising God "in the storm" has a healing effect.  I know that as we draw near to God, He promises to draw near to us.  I know that spending time with a community of believers who encourage and show grace and know how to love on us is necessary and invaluable.

And I've learned that God's Word can be a healing balm.  He loves us more than we can ever imagine.  His Word is a treasure.  I promised some friends today that I would share some comforting passages to read and meditate on.  Two main Scriptures to start with (for what I know these friends are experiencing and feeling) are Psalm 34 and Psalm 91.   I like the New Living Translation, and you can read these at Biblegateway.com (in any translation you prefer!). Some good verses to commit to memory are Psalm 42:5 , Psalm 9:9-10, Pslam 61:1-3, and Psalm 121.

Do we look to the mountains for our help?  No!  Our help comes from the Lord--maker of heaven and earth.  He calls us to lay down our burdens--He will carry us.  And when you come out on the other side of the path that you are currently on, you will be able to look back and see the "God moments" and know that He was with you all along.

Concerns About Some Trending Thoughts . . . .

Have you ever seen or heard someone heading in the wrong direction, and you just want to say, "Stop! That's the wrong way!  You won't get to where you want to go by continuing on that road!"  Well, I've been thinking this way for a while whenever I hear reporters interview people and people writing in blogs and facebook posts about "believing in yourself."  "The key is just believing in yourself!" they say.  As if believing in yourself can make anything happen and your dreams come true.  No, no, no!!!

But I digress----I've wanted to write about this for weeks and months, but I was thinking some may think I'm angry and yelling.  I was thinking that maybe I should approach this the way one of my favorite Bible Study teachers, Beth Moore, approaches the people she teaches:

DEAR ONE (please know I mean this---dear one---I want you to know that you are loved, and I want you to know that I'm pointing this out because I believe it's a lie, and I don't want you to believe a lie!  I want to point you to truth!)  How can "believing in yourself" solve anything or make anything happen?  If I "believe in myself," can I make all of my children's struggles disappear?  To me, that's like the "think system" toted in the "The Music Man" movie---DEAR ONES, if the "think system" really worked, we could think the Minuet in G and play it perfectly!  If the "think system" worked, I would "think" my house clean, and the clutter and dust would disappear!

Even though I've heard many athletes tell reporters, "I just believed in myself . . . ."  It's not true!  The Olympic Athletes and others (like the BMX biker I heard say this) put a whole lot of time and practice and self-discipline and effort into training for their events.

Goals are good, self-discipline and hard work are good and necessary to make things happen.  But I can also tell you from experience that we can work hard and make our plans (and they can be good and God-honoring), but it really is true, as Proverbs 16:9 says, that "the Lord determines our steps."  I can't tell you how many times in my life I have made plans and then something unexpected and unavoidable happens, and throws all of the plans to the wind.  I've learned that I should remember to pray each morning, "Lord, order my day, please---guide and direct my steps."  When I do remember to do that, the interruptions and unexpected visits and events that happen do not bother me---because I remember my prayer, and I see these as God-appointed interruptions.

DEAR ONE, our Creator loves us and wants to spend time with us.  His plans for us are good.  He made us in His image, for the purpose of showing others who He is---how much He loves us.  That is our ultimate calling.  Following Jesus.  Jesus spent a whole lot of time connecting with His Father (God), who loved Him and had a purpose for His time on earth. How much time are we spending connecting with God--reading His Word and talking to Him and listening?  Looking to Him to guide our thoughts and our path?  To remind us of the purpose He created us for "such a time as this"?

A Difficult Choice . . . .

In my constant endeavor to declutter, I came across this essay written by my son, Joel, in sixth or seventh grade.  He is now in his senior year of college.  When he wrote this, his teacher (I forget which one), thought that I would want to read this, too, and have a copy.  I'm so glad she did!  I think we can all learn something from his attitude and thoughts from long ago, when he was probably about 12 years old (I did ask for permission to share this, and he said I could.):

Joel on a visit to Bristol, TN (around 2003 or 2004)

'Tis always a hassle to begin an essay such as this.  Flowery and aloof introductions are not my type, so I thought I'd might as well begin in this manner.  So now that this essay is started, I think it's time to get to the point--a difficult choice that arose from a problem in my life.  Such occurred in my life at about age 6.  At that point it was determined that I stutter.  Stuttering, a form of speech impediment, is defined by "blocks" and repetitions of sounds  as well as other behavioral and vocal implications.  With this impediment, I was posed with a decision:  Run from it or live with it.

To run from my speech impediment would be easy for the average person in this situation.  I would not associate or communicate with other people, fearing they would not understand and/or mock and make fun of my speech.  It would mean I would crawl into a social hole and wallow in self-pity.  This would cause me to feel lonely as well as depressed.  I would be a sorry excuse for a kid, an entire social and psychological wreck at age 10.  Sound fun to you?

On the other hand, I could stand up and deal with this minor disability--which is exactly what it is; minor.  I would go into the world and dare it to accept me as I am.  Facing fears, possible dangers of getting teased and general uncertainty.  I would be much stronger on the back end.  I'd be able to face most anything else coming at me, able to seek ways to better my speech itself, able to just be a normal kid.  Does that sound a bit better?

Playing Rail Baron with cousins

putting everything he's got into a Steeplechase race!  (2013)  Photo courtesy of Paul Nesmith

The End of An Era, Really

I wish that I could share my extended family (both maternal and paternal) with everyone I know. Even though no one is perfect in my extended family, we have learned to love and accept and enjoy everyone just because they are family. (I never realized what a treasure that philosophy is until I moved away from home---I used to think that all families were this way.) My aunts, uncles, and cousins know how to laugh without belittling anyone---they find joy in living, enjoying hard work and the simple things of life.


My dad is one of four siblings, my mom is one of nine. For over four decades, I have enjoyed each and every one of my parents' siblings. All are different in their own way, with very unique personalities and areas of giftedness---but all are loved for exactly who they are.


This week marks the end of an era in my family. I can no longer say that all my parents' siblings are still living. My Uncle John Price has passed from this earth yesterday. While I would never wish him back (he doesn't need to struggle to breathe any more), his entire, huge family--both immediate and extended--will sorely miss his presence here on earth.


So tonight my thoughts and prayers go out especially to Aunt Patsy, Teresa, Kim, and Mark, their spouses and their children, and to my mom and all of Uncle John's siblings who will miss him (especially on "Brother's Day", at the Price sibling lunches which my cousins have begun to host, and at Mom's "Spring Fling"). Our tears express some of the depths of our often unspoken love.


"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." and "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted." These two simple verses are some of the few comforting thoughts (to me, at least) in these times of sorrow.

"With your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye. Then go in peace and laugh on glory's side." (Chris Rice, from his song, "Untitled Hymn" [Come to Jesus])

I Just Want to Talk to a REAL person!

Does anyone besides me greatly dislike the phone services which most companies have---where you have to press a chain of numbers and guess which category your question may fall under? Well, several weeks ago, we had a "situation" whereby my cell phone was lost (probably in the bushes or the creek at Hersheypark, is my guess, from what my son said, and with him trying to figure out the possible trajectory---he's really into physics). So I called AT&T. I have a go-phone, so this is a bit more complicated than the contract phones. None of their answering machine categories fit my problem or question, and "went around in circles" on their phone tree several times. I was getting exasperated, and finally said to the automated voice, "I JUST WANT TO TALK TO A REAL PERSON!!!!" To my surprise, the automated voice then said, "Okay! I'll connect you with a customer service representative." Wow! I think I'll have to try that more often!

Great Quote on Marriage . . . .

I've been thinking about marriage lately, mainly because our small group at church is studying a chapter in our study book about us being the "Bride of Christ" (and so we have to dig in to figure out what exactly that means) . . . partly because my kids are getting older and I want them to have a good and right perspective on marriage (and opposed to what I perceive as society's very casual and often negative attitude towards the institution) and in a very small part because of just a snippet of conversation on my brother-in-law's Facebook status and subsequent comments. And then, today, after following some links from a "Tweet" I received, I came across this quote from "Plugged In Online." (Abby will like that I read this.) Sometimes you read what people write and think, I TOTALLY agree with that. How TRUE that is. So here, from Reviewer Paul Asay (on his review of "When In Rome"--found at http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/wheninrome.aspx ):

I'll rebut Pops' perspective with this: Marriage is about so much more than passion, more than risk—more than a lottery ticket where the winners get fairy-tale endings and losers find divorce attorneys. Marriage is about commitment—commitment that holds firm through the fickle vagaries of human emotion. Yes, there's risk involved in it, but marriage should never be analogous to rolling the dice in a game of chance. Rather, it's like building a house: You check the foundation, you build the angles square, you make sure the place will last a lifetime.

:o)

A Variety of Thoughts . . .

It's been over a year since I've posted here! Our family has gone through many changes--mainly the graduation of our oldest child, Abby. The day after graduation, we left for a few days of vacation, visiting with some long-time friends. Then once we arrived home, Abby moved out! It was a week of whirlwind changes, but I think we all adjusted well. Abby moved out because her job at the local college included room and board. She loved staying there and working there for the summer, and now she loves being a college student. She has also entered a dating relationship with her long-time friend David, but if you want to read about that, you'll have to read their blogs. It's their story to tell (it's a good and interesting one!), and I'll stay out of it unless I'm asked my opinion!

Joel is in his junior year of high school, and he's very, very busy! Anna loves her first year of middle school. She's just about as tall as I am, and her feet are bigger than mine!

My latest thoughts (ones which I want to post, anyway---not all my thoughts are postable to the public in my opinion) are not necessarily deep ones:

1) I think I know why people don't use wallpaper as much as they used to. It's a PAIN to take off when you decide you want a different look for the room. I'm currently redoing my kitchen, and just taking off the wallpaper border and subsequently getting all of the glue off was tedious and time consuming. I also want to redo my living room this coming year, but I will need to take off all of the original (1939) wallpaper which has been painted over for seven decades. It seems like an overwhelming job. But if I get the kitchen finished (paint the ceiling, walls, AND cupboards), maybe my sense of accomplishment will help spur me on to the next project . . . but do I want to tackle the dining room walls, first? There is no wallpaper underneath those walls--just underneath the ceiling in that room.

2) Does it mean a person is getting "old" if when you go to your family doctor for a regular physical, he asks if you have a living will? Guess hubby and I are there, because he said he got the same question a few months ago. I told the doctor that I've already told the family I don't want to be a vegetable . . . "Pull the plug." My doctor smiled and said, "That's very good, but we need to have that documented in your file."

That's it for now . . . need to get off the computer and get some things done.

What Can I Learn? . . . . Thoughts about family, friends, personalities, and character traits

Somedays I can be very introspective, and sometimes I can spend a year or two observing people (I love to watch people and learn from them!) and pick up little bits of wisdom in my observations. As my children age and mature and continue to develop and hone their personalities and character traits, I find myself seeing bits of myself and bits of Scott in them (those personality and character traits). And I can see bits of my both of my parents (personality and character traits) in myself. I think it goes beyond that, as well. Coming from a close-knit extended family, and spending time with aunts and uncles, I even see bits of them in myself (both sides of my family).

I watch my extended family and see how extraordinarily functional they are as a family unit (not that they're perfect people, but it's difficult to find functional family units these days!). So I've been thinking these past years and observing . . . what makes them functional? What causes them to laugh at life and be mostly cheerful and hopeful? A big part of that is our faith, I know. But there are other aspects which I've observed and hope to learn from. Sometimes I wish I had learned these things earlier in life.

One bit of wisdom I perceived a few years ago and continue to remember is that in our functional, extended family, as a rule, the most hopeful and emotionally healthy people don't wallow in their misery. Sure, there are some serious issues going on, and sure, we are not in denial about those things. But when everyone is together, the majority of conversation focuses on the hopeful things of life. The serious issues are discussed, but they are not the main focus. As a rule, there's not much complaining going on. Just an acceptance of life as it comes (the good as well as the bad), yet always thinking and keeping ears and eyes open for opportunities which arise.

Our family isn't necessarily wealthy or powerful by society's standards. Yet they have passed along to the younger generations a legacy of faith, loyalty, and the importance of a strong family unit as a support system. I'm praying that I will continue to pass along those elements to my children by being an example to them of the same. I'm also hoping that they will show me some grace (as my family has during my growing and maturing decades), knowing that I'm not perfect (they already know that, they assured me once).

I also want to broaden my scope as far as learning from people. I continue to watch and analyze what makes my family work, but I'm also working in a different area at trying to accept others for who they are, even when I'm not in my comfort zone. I was thinking just yesterday that with every encounter with people, I should be asking myself, "What can I learn from this person?" Try to find the good and positive character traits of each person I come into contact with (instead of focusing on how different they may be from me). Maybe that can be a goal for the coming year (among many other goals on my mental list!).

Grandma's Optimism

I was thinking of my Grandma the other day. It could be that many would not give my Grandma a second glance in a crowd. She was quiet and unassuming, and even though she wasn't any type of "powerhouse" person in the business and corporate world, she raised nine children through tough times---and she raised them well and in such a way that they are all still very close as siblings, and many of her 33 grandchildren are still in touch with each other and supportive in good times and bad. When we need to "circle the wagons" when bad things happen (I'm thinking now of the tragic death of my teenage nephew a few years ago), the cousins and spouses are right there with us (I remember being so grateful to have them close and chatting at Ben's viewing.)

Anyway . . . got off course there . . . .remembering Grandma's optimism . . . I was outside the other day, and since some of my bushes have grown these past few years, I decided that pruning shears were just not an efficient or a sufficient tool to use, so I discovered Scott's hedge trimmers (or what do you call them--I don't know--they're not electric; just two sizeable blades controlled by two handles) in the garage, and I thought, "Perfect!" So I started hacking away at those bushes. While I don't think anyone would hire me as a landscaper, the bushes looked much better than if I had snipped away with the pruning shears. (I won't include a photo, because they're not that pretty, but they'll grow out beautifully next spring.)

That's what caused me to remember Grandma and her cheerful and optimistic attitude. I remember one Saturday (she always had Saturday dinner for anyone who showed up, and there were usually more than 30 of us . . . we had to eat in shifts in her small ranch-style home each week) she was having the uncles trim her bushes out front of our house. She had one pine tree (or maybe it was a holly bush---I don't remember) in front of her bedroom window. When my uncles trimmed that bush, they REALLY hacked away at it! I remember a group of us looking at it once they had finished, and even though I was probably 12 or younger, I looked at that bush and thought, "Oh, that looks AWFUL!" (That part I DEFINITELY remember!) It was mostly branches, and hardly any greenery left. I was rather worried about how it looked, and one of my aunts (or maybe it was me?) said something to my Grandma about how much they had trimmed and how we weren't sure it looked all that great. But my Grandma just shrugged and smiled and said, "Oh! It'll grow out!" It did, too!

Things . . . Like a Walk in the Park

Moments in my life can sometimes be appropriately described by song lyrics! "Things . . . like a walk in the park" was stuck in my head this morning, because after I walked Anna down to a neighbor's house (car-pooling to summer musical instrument lessons), I decided that if I was going to take a walk today (which I want to do more regularly), then early this morning would be the best time to do so, with the heat wave on the East Coast. So I went for a walk in the park. Early morning is a great time to take a walk. The park was quiet, with only a few runners and walkers, no signs of life at the town pool, and just a few dump trucks traveling quietly (as quietly as dump trucks can travel) and slowly towards the football field, where they are preparing the surface for artificial turf.

I should get up earlier more often. I was able to chat with some neighbors this morning (one of the aspects of small-town life I greatly enjoy). But even between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., the weather was hot and muggy, and I was dripping by the time I returned to the house! My body just has not yet adjusted to the heat and humidity.

We're looking forward to Abby's senior portraits tonight. I'm just praying about the weather, since we were hoping to get some outdoor shots, and thunderstorms (possibly severe) are expected to pass through any time between 4:00 and 9:00 p.m. We'll see.

Joel's project for this summer is to build a roller coaster in our back yard (the K'nex kind). It's pretty exciting, and the neighbor kids love to watch over the fence and ask questions. They said they can hardly wait until it's done!

Coming Back to Life . . . . .

[The photograph above was taken at "Family and Friend Day" at my uncle's place. I have one terrific family! My grandma left a legacy!)

Life in April was hectic and crazy, and then I was sidelined with a flu virus that brought exhaustion, and then once I was beginning to feel better and decided to get some exercise, I stepped in a pot-hole while I was out walking. I royally twisted my ankle. My schedule was too full to take the time to see a doctor, when I figured out myself that it was sprained but not broken, so I've been taking care of it on my own, with some great advice from my uncle, who tells me that this will take months to feel normal again (after 3-4 weeks, I'm realizing that he's certainly right about that!). I don't have any major projects at work right now, and my husband declined to run for Council President (for our church---and I work in the church office---sometimes it felt like our life revolved around the church, and that wasn't not what we wanted for our lives . . . our relationship with God is important, but we need to be intentional about being good parents have having some family time, also) for another year, so that in itself has relieved quite a bit of pressure on us!

Other aspects of life keep us busy. The school year is almost done, but Abby is already gearing up for her senior year. We recently scheduled her senior portraits to be taken. I found a great photographer, and I am eager for the photo shoot and then to see the products. She's also planning a trip with a friend to Colorado. That should be an exciting experience for her!

We haven't been all that proactive about Abby's allergies, but after eight months with no follow-up after blood tests for a chicken allergy (with the current allergist, who seems rather too laid back for life-threatening food allergies), I made a phone call yesterday, and we're changing allergists. I'll have to call periodically to see if we can get her in sooner than September.

Now that I'm in the mood and have a little bit of time and energy and resolve to write again, I'll have to once again start taking more pictures (my son needs his own camera! He's constantly borrowing mine!).

More random thoughts . . . . once I feel well rested again (I'm catching up on that now), I'll organize my thoughts a bit better. I was thinking the other day . . . . analyzing personalities of myself and my kids, and thinking about how people (including myself) easily jump to conclusions about people based on their initial meeting, when some people take more time to get to know. If I organize my thoughts on that subject, maybe I'll write about it here. We'll see.

Getting Through April . . . .

April has been an extremely busy month, and some days it seems like we're getting ready for some event only to start planning for our responsibilities for the next event as soon as the previous event is done! I've had a lot of thoughts lately (when don't I? I am constantly churning out thoughts . . . .sometimes I don't always like that, but that's the way I was made). But my main thought is that tomorrow, I really need to clean my house. I know I won't get it all done tomorrow (my house did not get dirty/messy all in one day, and I can't expect it to get clean in just one day), but at least I can make a dent.

Also, gotta LOVE winter clearance sales! I was out at the mall last week, and found that Sears was having some major sales on their Lands End line of clothing (winter clothing). I was able to purchase two pair of pants for $7.00 each (they were originally about $34-40), and a nice, thick winter sweater for $7.00 (it was originally a $60.00 sweater). We've had such beautiful weather, but yesterday I was glad a cold front moved in, because it gave me a chance to wear my new clothes!

Our weeks have been so busy that we've tried to be intentional about having some quiet weekends (at least for Scott and I . . . Abby and Joel have been gallivanting about to concerts and such). That will change in the month of May. We have several weekends where we have about five different places we COULD be each day. I'm past the point of feeling guilty when I can only choose one or two per day and have to say 'no' to all of the other events. Sometimes life is just too busy, and quiet times at home are a respite. I personally need the "down time" in order to be energized for everything else that's on the schedule.

Just some random thoughts on a rainy afternoon . . . .

Ah!!!!!!! Spring and warm weather! (and life is still crazy!)

I've noticed a trend with the few blogs which I try to regularly read . . . everyone has been busy and hasn't posted much lately (including me!). I'm still busy--just procrastinating for a few minutes before I get back to finishing the PowerPoint for tomorrow's worship services. Big decision coming up with our congregational meeting tomorrow. I've been praying fervently. I know others have been praying, because I haven't felt nervous or uneasy or stressed about the decision---just generally wondering what tomorrow will bring and how I will feel about continuing in that congregation if the vote goes against what I feel is exemplifying the love of Christ and reaching out to children and young families. We'll see. Scott's also been working a lot, with the events at the college coming up tomorrow. He'll just be glad when tomorrow is over.

I had a huge mental list of everything that I should be doing today. Typing up the six-page "questions and answers" for the congregational meeting tomorrow took longer than expected. I called the kids from the church and suggested they meet me halfway at Jo-Jo's Pizza in town. (I love working four blocks away from the house, and walking when the weather is so great!) That's where we ate lunch. That took longer than expected, too. (Abby said she likes a relaxed meal, and didn't think I should complain, but I was just thinking of everything I still had to do today). The weather was so beautiful that I took some time away from the computer and inside the house in order to clean out the narrow flowerbed between the garage and the sidewalk. It was GREAT to be outside in the warmth and soak up some Vitamin D from the sun!

I still need to get some laundry done. I should have cleaned some of the house today, but that may have to wait until Monday evening or Tuesday. Still need to get some tax forms in envelopes and mail them. I HAVE to do that before Monday! Still need to put clean sheets on our bed. That has to be done tonight.

Life goes on . . . e-mails will eventually get answered, laundry will eventually get done. The rest of the outside work will eventually get done. This craziness, too, will pass (won't it?)

Sometimes our tasks in life dictate what life will be about . . . .

Maybe that title doesn't make the most sense. What I'm trying to say is that for the past few weeks, life itself has seemingly been dictated by many of our responsibilities. I work at a church. Last week, the church had three services . . . with a bulletin for each service. Our taxes need completed. I should have completed them sooner, but they kept getting pushed to the back burner. My goal was then to get them in the mail by the end of March. I'll take them (ours and Abby's) to the post office tomorrow. Then I need to compile the yearly report for the church. That has to be done and ready for distribution by Sunday morning. That, too, has been on the back burner. It will get done. And on time, but there's much work to be done in the meantime. Scott has been busy with church stuff and work stuff. Enough to be overwhelming. By April 13th, much of the present burden will be over with (and onto the next pressure/issue)!

Abby is working hard to get her graduation project completed. She's been staying near the house as much as possible and at the computer. Joel is on the track team, which keeps him busy, but already he's improving his personal record for the 2-mile race, and he's happy about that. Anna keeps plugging away at homework. She's growing up so fast! She's hardly a little girl any more.

Because of life right now, everything else gets put on the back burner . . . blogs, laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. Just getting the bare necessities done. We did take a break over the past weekend to color some eggs and visit with extended family. We're currently having some problems with our camera "talking to" the computer (it isn't), and the Kodak software support person thinks it might be the cable. That would be an easy fix. Maybe I can go out tonight and get a new cable and try that. Then I can share some more pictures.

I need to stop procrastinating now, and finish this blog entry, and start working on that annual report. Once it's done, I can then get the house straightened up and cleaned, and feel good about life again!

"His strength is perfect when our strength is gone."

Room Renovation, continued

The room is almost done! A cozy little space, adding two more (with a possibility of a third) seating areas in our small home. The painting is done, the rug is down, the furniture is placed. Still need to hang the drape/scarf over the window, and hang the quilts on the long wall, hang the kids' school pictures on the wall, and find one or two more items to decorate the walls. Now that this room is freshly painted, the two adjacent rooms REALLY look like they need refreshed, too!

Back to the Room Renovation, . . . .

Scott has a week of vacation (take it or lose it, so he's taking it!) this week, and he's focusing on this room renovation project. A previous owner somewhere along the way decided to lower and square off an archway, and I've been wanting that taken out for the past ten years or so! the plaster had cracked all around the seam, and a metal corner/edge piece had fallen long ago. Scott has been afraid of what we might find underneath. But yesterday he decided to drill a few holes, use a flashlight, and explore. After "exploring," he thought for a little while, and finally decided to "just do it." So he got his little jigsaw out, began cutting some nails, and used his hammer and crowbar for help along the way. As he began, he said, "I just hope the house doesn't fall down once I take this out!" We still have no clue as to why someone would ever want to lower the arch and square it off. Opening up that arch has visually opened up the two rooms. I am very much looking forward to completing the renovation of this room (and then we'll need to start on the living room . . . taking down that little addition marred the adjacent living room walls in some areas).

Thanks for Your Prayers . . . .

First of all, for those who read my previous post and have been praying, THANK YOU!!! They certainly are making a difference. On Sunday morning, I met with people in my small group which is part of the larger group, and I was met with hope and enthusiasm. (They thought that Saturday's meeting was GREAT! I told them I came home in tears!) That enveloping attitude from my friends, plus a day away from the object of many of my stresses has really helped to heal a lot of the unsettledness. As in any group, I know that feelings and sentiments can change, so I know that all is not "fixed," but my soul is more at rest with everything. One friend later told me that she sensed a whole new attitude (a good and hopeful one) in the larger group on Sunday. We'll see what the annual meeting brings in April. It might help if Scott is able to step away from his current position in leadership, which he is hoping to do with the re-organization of the council. With him being in his position, and with my job being what it is, we tend to shoulder a lot, and we get many phone calls at home which means we are wearing our "hats" constantly, even in our home. Sometimes the only "rest" I feel that we get is when we head to Maryland. We actually decided that we need to schedule another Saturday Maryland trip. We all need that! As you think of us, we would appreciate your continued prayers.

Lord, I don't know where all this is goin' . . . .

or how it all works out
Lead me to peace that passes understanding
Peace beyond all doubt (Newsboys--Adoration CD)

Ever been part of a group and get to a point where every meeting leaves you unsettled and restless and you ask yourself, "why am I part of this group, anyway?" We're there because every time in the past twenty+ years we've asked God that question, He's said, "You need to stay." (And even lately, when I ask that, He allows other people to point out different things that remind me of why we stay--even as lately as two weeks ago.) There are reasons to stay now, but I keep praying, because I am not at peace. It's either going to get better (people's attitudes will need to change) or else our family will be in for a change from this group that's supposed to be our support system (although I do realize that it may get a bit worse before it gets better if God tells us once again to stay). But I also rely on Scott's judgment. I thought today's meeting would ease this unsettled feeling in my soul, but I just came away more frustrated and unsettled. I just keep praying and praying for God's direction and timing. If any of those who read this want to help in some way, please pray!

Renovating an old room . . .

Well, it was time for a new phase in life. Time to move most of the toys (the ones that are left, anyway) to the basement, since Anna is starting to get in the "in between" stage---between a kid who likes to play with toys and a young lady who is more interested in books and music and movies. So it's time to renovate the "middle room" as we call it. So after the Christmas tree was put away, we moved all of the little stuff out, and started clearing the walls of the multiple layers of paint over the original wallpaper from 1939. Praise the Lord for good and dear friends. My friend Denise came up one day with her young daughter Teressa, and we worked on spraying the walls and scraping the paint and wallpaper. These old walls are in pretty bad shape. Lots and lots of cracks, and places where previous owners have patched (with not much finesse!). Scott has also been working to strip the paint off of the beautiful woodwork around the room. It's beautiful underneath, and we are excited that it's in decent enough shape that we can stain it instead of repainting it! Someday (year) we'll get carpet put down. For now, I bought an area rug from Overstock.com. The old wood floors need help, but they'll do for now.

One of the kids or Scott took a picture of this patch of sorts up on the wall. This looks pretty bad, although it was taken before we scrubbed down the walls, so already the walls look better than this picture. I'll try to post different pictures along the way . . . maybe I'll get one of Scott working on the rest of the woodwork. Its a LONG slow process, and I am reminded of what I used to say when we moved into this house . . . every project seems to take so much longer and so much more money than we originally anticipated. It's an adventure! (Although we're thinking now that brand new homes sure have an appeal! If we ever decide to move once the kids are out of school---we love living so close to the high school and we don't want to move from here right now!--I think we'll look into a brand new house if it's in our budget!)

I have plans for this room! Anna and I already found an ottoman in Marshalls that we loved, so we bought that and are using it in the living room for now. I have two chairs in mind that I plan to purchase, but we don't have room for them at the moment, so I'm waiting until we have the walls done (it will take awhile, but patience is a virtue!). We're looking forward to a "new room."

Before Christmas, I was thinking that we would do this middle room and move right on to the living room (which is connected to the "middle room" with a big archway in between). When it took so long to get all the wallpaper off that little middle room, I began thinking that maybe the living room should wait until next year (2009) after Christmas 2008! It needs the same work (original wallpaper & multiple layers of paint stripped, cracked walls spackled and repaired, and woodwork stripped of paint and original finish so that we can restain it). And it's a bigger room than the middle room! Maybe we should only tackle that in the winter/spring of 2009 if we think we can finish it before Abby graduates from high school next June.