7 Quick Takes (Volume 152)

How can it be Friday again?! Does anyone else feel dizzy from the pace of life? OY! You'd think I would have been ready for this week since we had a TERRIFIC weekend prior, but I guess one can't ride the glow of a good weekend forever.

1) We started the fun times with a family dinner to celebrate Kevin's birthday. OH. MY. GOODNESS. We laughed so hard! Drummer Boy and Drama Queen came down to join us and we had a blast. Our favorite part of the evening was when Drama Queen said, "Yeah, Dad, I remember when you had your hysterectomy . . ."

As soon as they got their laughter under control, Drummer Boy and Ladies Man whipped out their phones and tweeted. Poor Kevin. Now everyone knows about his miracle surgery!

2) Once we finished eating, it was time to cut the cake I brought. Thinking myself efficient, I planned ahead, but when I started pulling the knife and spatula and plates out of my purse, my family had a cow!


Drummer Boy: Oh my gosh, Mom!

Drama Queen: What are you doing?!

Me: What? I brought a knife for the cake.

Miss Innocent One: In your purse?!

Me: Why not? It's big enough.

Kevin: You're so calm about it.

Me: Yeah?

Ladies Man: Mom's packing! Good thing the waiter didn't see you come in with that.

They laughed themselves silly! Out came the phones again and Drummer Boy tweeted this: "Aaaaaaand my mom just pulled out a long kitchen knife out of her purse..."

And you gotta love this comment on his tweet: "Did that knife have anything to do with your dad's hysterectomy?!"

3) I bought a new kind of toothpaste, mostly because it was on clearance. I'm a creature of habit, sticking with the same brands, unless a bargain emerges. I throw all caution to the wind to save a buck, I tell you. Anyway, this new toothpaste is "iso-active." I guess it's supposed to automatically fill in the gaps of your teeth and give you a better, fresher mouth.


The first time I used it, I used the same amount I would normally use and to my surprise, the stuff started growing. It foamed on contact, so much I actually gagged! I'm innocently brushing my teeth and the next thing I know my mouth is full of enough goop to suffocate me! Think shaving gel, in your mouth, that explodes upon contact with saliva. Ew. I've gotten used to it since I started using microscopic amounts, but wow, is that stuff weird. Any of you tried it?

And for the record, I'm not sure my teeth are any happier. On the contrary, the rest of my mouth is scared!

4) We had parent teacher conferences at school this week. I found it quite interesting that both Ladies Man and Miss Innocent One became full of information before we left.

"Just so you know, I got a bad grade on my math test today."

"Miss So-and-so probably won't say good stuff, 'cause I don't think she likes me."

I'm not sure why they were sweating it. It's not like we're so tough on them. Plus, they both had good conferences. Makes me wonder how their grades would be if conferences happened every Friday. Would they be more attuned to their studies and listen better to their teachers?

5) I've been sooooo TIRED this week. I almost wished I was sick so I had a good excuse to stay in bed all day. If it weren't for my husband's hysterectomy, I would think I was pregnant.

6) Ladies Man continues to grow. A couple weeks ago I ordered some socks online. They say they fit shoe sizes 12-18. I was floored when I opened the package.


His sock is as big as my arm! Don't you love the brand name? oddball socks!

I keep thinking this kid should be done growing soon, but I'm afraid he's not. He sleeps constantly! If he's home and sitting for more than a few minutes, he zonks! He goes to bed early on his own because he's tired. Is this a sign we ain't seen nothing yet?

7) We're attending our first marching band competition of the season tomorrow and looking forward to it. We've seen the band march at football games, but honestly, you can't hear them at all in the stands at halftime. Too many people talking! Plus the weather's been so awesome here in Nebraska this week, I'll take any reason to be outside.

And that's all I got today, friends. Enjoy your weekend and take in more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

When You Don't Know What to Pray

The same old problem jolts me awake.

Again.

What is the matter with me? During the day I consciously decide to trust God, to give it to Him. It takes practice and I'm working hard at it, truly I am, but at night . . . how can I control that response? How do I stop myself from waking up worried?

I know the only answer is to pray and I do, but so many prayers have been offered about this, I'm at a loss. What more can I ask? What more can be said? Haven't I brought it all before Him many times? Doesn't He know? How is a person to pray then?

. . . the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Romans 8:26-27

I call upon the Holy Spirit to speak for me. Can his groans, the ones words cannot express, explain my panic, my fear, my anxiety? Can He get through to God for me? At 3:AM I am grateful I don't have to be eloquent or coherent or conjure up a right attitude. I am thankful for my Helper, my Counselor who prays for God's will when I cannot.

And as I lay quietly, waiting for the Holy Spirit to plead on my behalf, my heartbeat calms, my body relaxes.

I know God hears and a new prayer eeks out of me.

Thank You, Lord, for the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit, God inside me, my Advocate, my Prayer Partner, my Strength. Thank You for never leaving me alone.


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Photo Credit: boxercab

How Do You Measure Salvation?

We attended a funeral yesterday. The deceased did not live his life as I would. He was, shall we say, a little rougher around the edges than I am. Looking in on his life one might doubt the presence of God. One might assume his eternal destiny did not include streets of gold. He was taught Christian principles as a young person, but did not live by them as an adult. He was a good guy, a good dad, a good friend, but a faithful servant of Christ?

How can you tell?

He didn't attend church. He didn't read his Bible. He drank and smoked and cussed. He made choices I wouldn't as a follower of Jesus Christ. But he was a generous neighbor, a gracious host, a loving man. Aren't these fruits of the spirit? Does that reveal the Spirit of God within him, sealing him for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)?

Do we Christians place our own ideas of what a follower of Jesus should look like? If we don't see certain "characteristics," do we write people off as unsaved? I know I'm guilty. I did it with my own father, questioning his salvation because his actions did not fit my ideas of a committed believer. How and why do we elevate ourselves to this position of judgment?

Who do we think we are?

There's no way for us to know the heart of another person. We have a responsibility to display God, to draw others to Him, but only God turns on the light bulb. How do we reconcile the eternal resting place of those whose lives we question? Can we determine where they are? Is there any comfort in the passing of those whose lives we wonder about?

As I struggled through my questions concerning my dad, God gave me an unexpected epiphany. The only thing we can do is trust God and His Word. The Bible says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31), "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9), and "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). I had conversations with my dad where he agreed with every one of those statements. Who am I to say he didn't live them out correctly? Who am I to say it wasn't enough to enter heaven?

How do you measure salvation?

We can't. We do our best to make our God visible in a hurting, dying world. We speak His Word. We share the hope within us and when people we love die, people whose lives have not fit our mold, we leave their salvation up to Him.

Do you agree? Do you differ? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this tough subject. What do you think?

How Our Kids Built Our Marriage

My family sat around the table, teasing and joking and laughing, lingering, happy to be with each other. As I watched on in wonder I thought, "This is US, our family, our team." I turned to look at my husband, guffawing along, his pride in them visible in the twinkle of his eyes, and I recognized the real miracle our union has been. Our relationship has been wonderful and satisfying and beautiful, but our children have made it good and right and perfect. In that moment, it occurred to me our kids deserve some credit for our longevity as a couple, for their presence in our lives honed essential skills in a healthy marriage.

Our children forced us to be less selfish.
A man may be able to ignore a naggy wife, but a screaming baby at 3:AM will get their attention. Though it taxed us greatly, learning to put ourselves aside for the sake of the kids ended up being an invaluable lesson for our marriage. Raising kids brings infinite opportunities for ignoring your own wants. Once you do it as a parent, you know it's possible and necessary as a spouse too.

Our children taught us teamwork.
Meeting the needs of four kids by yourself is impossible. Working together bound us as a team, a unit, a group united in one purpose. We shifted from you and me to US. The more people we added to our team, the greater the stakes, motivating us to work harder to stay together. Having kids taught us what it means to "take one for the team."

Our children develop perseverance in us.
Chicken pox and separation anxiety and potty training may make you crazy, but eventually they go away. There are days as a parent, you just have to breathe and do the right thing, knowing the current problem will pass. The same is true of marriage. My husband expects a few "blue" days from his wife each month and knows it doesn't mean he's failed me. I understand when he's stressed he needs a quiet listener, even when I'd rather not. We both suck it up and do what's right because having kids has trained us to do so.

Our children are proof of the goodness of our union.
As I watch our family at the dinner table, I am in awe. Our kids aren't perfect, but their hearts lean toward God. They love us and each other and as they get older, I see they truly like each other too. They possess humor and creativity and vision. We have distinct individual personalities, but our family as a whole has a personality too. We are one. There is belonging and camaraderie. God created something very good when he brought Kevin and I together twenty-five years ago. Our kids prove it.

Our children bring us to our knees.
Nothing has brought us as much joy or pierced our hearts like our kids. When issues come up we feel inept to handle (far more than I'd like to admit), we turn to God. Bringing up children gives ample opportunities to fall before Him. We would have encountered this without kids, but for me, being responsible for little lives was a crash course in seeking God. Though it can be painful, is there anything better than finding God's presence? Is that not gold?!

Undoubtedly our children trained us as much as we trained them. They forced us to use characteristics we never knew we had. So let me take this moment to officially thank my children. Drummer Boy, Drama Queen, Ladies Man, Miss Innocent One, you've played a major role in the making of our marriage. Without being aware of it, you brought your dad and I closer by partnering us in this venture called parenting. You taught us to look beyond ourselves, to work for the good of others. You forced us to reach out to God for help. You solidified our family unit and gave us a reason to work harder as husband and wife. I thank God you were gracious and didn't take it personally when we snuck off for time by ourselves. I pray God gives each of you a mate and children who show you grace as mine have. Thank you. You have enhanced our lives in so many ways. We love you, so much, and will always be on your side.

Our relationship has been wonderful and satisfying and beautiful, but our children have made it good and right and perfect.

How have your children built your marriage?

See more Marriage Monday posts at Chrysalis.

7 Quick Takes (Volume 151)

1) On the way to school, Ladies Man farted loud, without shame.

Ladies Man: I'm a dude. I can do that.

Me: Why can dudes do that?

Ladies Man: We're expected to do that kind of stuff. You should know that, Mom. You're married to one of our species.

Me: I must be married to one of the BETTER of the species.

Ladies Man: Well, I wouldn't do that to someone I LIKED liked, you know, someone I want to date.

Me (always seizing the opportunity to gather pertinent information): Is there someone you'd like to date?

Ladies Man: No. It's great! My life is really easy right now.

Hmm. So here's my dilemma. Should I pray he finds someone he LIKE likes or just live with the stench?

2) For most of his life, poor Drummer Boy has been told he looks exactly like his mother. When he was about 15 and learning to drive, his friends would tease him when he got out of the van at the high school, saying they didn't know which one of us was driving. Poor kid! The older he gets, though, the less he looks like me. Well, mostly because he's a man. And I am not. Although there are a few days I pluck enough hairs out of my chin . . .


3) There is a new development in Miss Innocent One's shower concerts. Last night she set a boom box on the bathroom counter to have accompaniment. I may hear her downstairs now!

4) College is having a pleasing effect on Drama Queen. She's become super NICE to us! She posts sweet things on Facebook, texts often and seems so happy to see us when she's home, talking a mile a minute. She must be getting all her aggression out on her poor roommate who's fallen victim to her scare tactics for weeks now. For the record, I feel sorry for you, Haylee! By the looks of this picture, though, things must be okay between them.


5) Calling all fashionistas! What is the rule on wearing white after Labor Day? Is that still a faux pas or have times changed making it acceptable? I ask because I have a white Calvin Klein number that would look super cute with a navy sweater and pumps, maybe a colorful scarf. What say you? Is this a go or a no?

6) Drummer Boy was pretty excited to see this advertisement for Yamaha percussion that will appear all over the country.


He's the second snare player from the right. Compare it to this picture and you'll be able to pick him out easily.


7) Kevin celebrated his birthday this week. Unfortunately it fell on a Wednesday which meant that our younger kids had youth group, our older kids were in Lincoln and I had Bible study. Poor Kevin spent the evening of his birthday home alone.

We're making up for it this weekend when Drama Queen and Drummer Boy come home for a family dinner out tonight. I'm taking Kevin out myself on Saturday night. Should all be fun. Looking VERY forward to it.

And that's a wrap. Have a fantastic weekend, my friends, and check out more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Singing in the Shower

I'm dragging my feet as I venture up to my office when I hear it. Miss Innocent One preceded me upstairs to take a shower and as I ascend the back steps, a strong melody greets me.

"Oh no, you never let go, through the calm and through the storm. Oh no, you never let go . . ."

I can't help but smile and pause to listen. The songs change, but the passion doesn't. She's singing in the shower, unashamedly, without pretense, clear and confident and genuine. And the purity of that worship, yes, WORSHIP, even in the shower, fills my heart with gratitude. As I quietly soak it in, I understand what God meant when He said, "He inhabits the praise of His people," for the moment feels holy and sacred.

She finishes, dresses, then walks by my office door, surprised to see me.

"Oh," she said, "did you hear . . . ?

"Your little concert?" I tease, "Yep."

"I didn't sing very well. My voice kept cracking cause I was trying to sing too high."

"I thought it sounded good," I said, "I rather enjoyed it."

More than you know, my dear daughter. More than you know. And if I was so touched, what did God think?



Join other Thankful Thursday participants at Grace Alone . . .

The Birthday Boy

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . .

Okay, actually it was in our very town, but that's beside the point. Let's try that again for dramatic effect.

A long time ago, in a a galaxy far, far away (or at least a few blocks), a child was born. He was named Ross Kevin Boesiger. He grew into a good-natured lad, a devoted Christian, a man blessed with humor, brains and filled with vision. He followed God's call on his life and became a faithful servant, a loving father, a fantastic husband, an all around super guy.

And he was loved greatly by many and wished a very happy birthday.

Love you so much, babe. Happy birthday!

Back to the Grind

I really don't want to write this post. I'd rather be stretched out on the couch watching t.v. with my cute husband.

Sigh.

Life has been a whirlwind since we returned from our lovely trip. We're back to activities every other night, me in my office, him in the living room on the nights we're actually home, making dinner and doing laundry and hoping I find the time to clean the house and taking kids to appointments and all our fall activities in full swing and short nights and early mornings and the necessity for caffeine.

You think I got too used to taking it easy?

The announcer on K-LOVE yesterday said her pastor made a good point in church Sunday. There's no use waiting for life slow down. It won't.

Boo. I thought that station was supposed to be positive and encouraging.

And yet, there's something exhilarating about a full life. I get to do a lot of cool things. Though I pine away for less to do, I enjoy relationships and contact with some amazing people. I see God at work.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10 :10

A full life is God's gift, His blessing, a chance for an intimate glimpse of God. If I begrudge it, do I allow Satan to worm his way into my head and convince me God isn't good?

I won't take that chance. I'll be happy for my lively life. I'll be thankful and press on. I won't complain, but do the next thing, trusting He'll help me get it all done. There's no need to worry over my schedule. This chicky's got God on her side.

Visit Melissa at Ingrafted Thoughts for more impressions of this quote.

Looking Back to Move Forward

I've always found being a mother a difficult gig, but having two kids out of the house has proven to be the most challenging stage yet. I worry about them. I worry about their futures. I worry about the mistakes they'll make and the consequences they'll suffer and the pain they will undoubtedly face, as we all do. Frankly, I stress about how they'll get along financially. How will they be able to support themselves?

I worry because we've been there. For the first fifteen years of our marriage, money was extremely tight. We lived off of one income and paid off student loan debt. We had no savings account, no extra money whatsoever. I know what it is to struggle financially. I understand their lives won't be perfect and experience taught me it's a blessing. For when things are rough, we seek God in ways we wouldn't otherwise. We learn to rely on Him, not our money. It's good, and if part of His plan for their lives, will work toward their best, but yowsa, it's hard on a mama's heart.

This week God answered my prayers through some old pictures. As I look at these, money doesn't even enter my mind. Though these years were tough financially, look how incredibly rich we were.

Old t-shirts for pajamas don't take away from these precious smiles and beautiful eyes.

Who cares about the decrepit garage in the background with those rosy little cheeks staring your way?

It takes so little to make 'em happy.

Goofy antics of kids have always kept our home furnished with laughs.

I have no idea what they're doing, but it sure makes me smile.

The ugly backsplash on the tub pales in comparison to these little heads.

A happy little family at Christmas, one of dozens of family pictures taken at their favorite time of year.

These pictures remind me who He is. He has always taken care of us and surely won't abandon our children now. Why should I worry? I need only look back to stacks of photographs like these to remember. He has always been there. He has met our needs in remarkable ways our children experienced first hand. If they seek Him as we have, won't He do the same for them?

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 116:7

Oh yes, be at rest my soul. The Lord has been VERY good to us. The pictures prove it.



Thank You, Lord.

7 Quick Takes (Volume 150)--The Glorious 25th Anniversary Extravaganza Edition

As I'm sure you've gathered by now, Kevin and I had a WONDERFUL time on our anniversary cruise. SO AWESOME! We'll be "feeling the love" from this trip for a long time.

1) Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before and weren't sure what to expect. We were pleased with our room.










The best suggestion anyone gave us was to spring for the balcony room (Perfect call, Mark and Rachelle--THANKS!) and we loved it.










2) Our first port was Key West, where we enjoyed a bicycle tour of the island.



We saw Ernest Hemingway's house, Truman's Little White House and got a picture at the southernmost point of the United States.



We ended our time there with a slice of key lime pie, of course, and a little shopping.

3) Tuesday was our first full day at sea and we took advantage of having nothing to do by laying out on the deck, snoozing in the sun. We were only out there maybe an hour and a half tops, but as the day wore on, Kevin got redder and redder and redder. The poor guy got fried, as evidenced by this picture taken that night, our first formal dinner evening.



Come Saturday he started to peel and we're talking MAJOR peel. It started on his back, moved to his shoulders, his arms, his chest, his stomach. Think lizard shedding his skin and you've got a better idea. He's STILL at it and it's been over a week! Needless to say, he smothered himself in sunscreen and wore a shirt whenever we were out in the sun for the rest of the week!

4) Grand Cayman on Wednesday brought our parasailing adventure.



Grand Cayman is also known for its clear blue water and white sand at Seven Mile Beach.



The weather was picture perfect while we were there. Doesn't it make you want to sigh?



5) In Jamaica we climbed Dunn's River Falls which was a complete blast. Here's a clip of what it looks like. I don't know what happened to the sound on this clip, but this gives you an idea. If you look closely through the trees at the bottom of the falls, you'll see where people are entering.




We would stop along the way for photo opps. This was my favorite.




I couldn't end the clip where I wanted to. I love this shot. Too bad it's blurry.



After conquering the Falls, we boarded the Sky Explorer for a trek above and through the rain forest.






Talk about spectacular views!



Here's our ship--Carnival Freedom.



6) Friday was another at sea day. We slept in, watched movies, ordered room service and ate lunch on our balcony. After lunch we tried a disco dance class. Think John Travolta and Saturday night fever. I'm pretty sure Kevin did this just to humor me which made it so funny when the instructor called him to the front of the stage to help the rest of us when she decided we were ready to do the dance on our own. People were filing into the theater for the next event and there he was leading the pack. The next day when we got to the airport, a guy in front of us turned around and said, "Hey, it's Mr. Disco!"

It was amazing to us that on a ship of 3000 passengers and another thousand workers, we were still able to find private areas outside of our room. On our last night at sea we found a peaceful spot on the front deck of the ship and watched the sun go down.



7) It was a SUPERB getaway. One we will always treasure. But the best part? I come home and LIVE with this guy.



Love you babe! So much. Thanks for a fantastic time.



And there you have it, the Glorious 25th Anniversary Extravaganza in a nutshell. Hope you enjoyed it. See what happened in other people's lives by checking out more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.