7 Quick Takes (Volume 164)

1) There's been so much activity in the Boesiger home this week, I've completely neglected this blog. And it felt good, I tell you, to have a little break from the norm, to hang out with our families and lay around and watch movies and do sudoku puzzles and have all the chicks in the nest. It provided a much needed attitude adjustment for this girly.

2) And speaking of girlies, Kevin got so tired of Miss Innocent One's "You need to calm down, buddy" (see #3), that he found his own retort and gesture. Now he's harassing her with, "You need to calm down, girly," complete with a little flip of the hair motion. Miss Innocent One finds it so hysterical she nearly wets her pants every time.

3) Last month I posted pictures of my family at a birthday celebration for my mom, so I suppose it's only fitting to give you some family pics from Kevin's side of the family. Here's Kevin, his sisters and parents.


They decided the spouses could join in too.


You can't see my brother-in-law too good in this picture and Dad doesn't look his charming self, so here's another shot taken from what we called the "tower cam."


4) And here's the source of the "tower cam" aka Ladies Man.


5) Drama Queen has been dog/house sitting for a family this past week. She's been responsible for two dachshunds and a great dane who probably weighs as much as she does. She had a great time walking them in the unusually mild weather we've been having and showing them off to her friends. Each evening she and Ladies Man would go over and spend the night cuddled up with the dogs watching Office videos. And I was the happy mama who didn't have to buy her kids a puppy to give them a dog fix. A win-win situation. I almost feel like I should be the one shelling out the dough for that.

6) Remember this guy?


We were thrilled to have Drummer Boy home for an entire week. A WHOLE WEEK! It was so great having him around that I got teary eyed when we parted ways again, which is crazy because he lives at my MOTHER'S HOUSE, only 40 minutes away from us. Yes. I am pathetic.

But so proud of and happy for Drummer Boy who leaves at 4:15 AM! Friday morning with the Cornhusker band to attend the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. Lucky dog. If you're watching the game next Monday, look for him among the snare drummers.

7) And that's our week in a nutshell. It seems like I don't have much to show for it, but that was the point of the week. I hope your week was equally as low key and you don't do yourself in celebrating New Years.

Have a great weekend, friends, and take in more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

7 Quick Takes (Volume 163)

1) The Boesiger house is alive with the sound of laughter and walrus roars (Ladies Man is enjoying his better audience in Drummer Boy and Drama Queen) and video games (they call it "bonding"--mmm hmmmm, whatever makes you feel at all productive). I've had all my kids home since Monday night and we're enjoying it immensely. Things stayed pretty tame since Ladies Man still had finals, but look out now, folks. Let the games begin. (Who am I kidding? The games began the moment Drummer Boy brought out his xbox.)

2) It's that time of year when concerts abound. Last Thursday brought one for Ladies Man. I'm sorry to say with him in the back row, I didn't get any good shots. Miss Innocent One had hers on Tuesday and this is the best of what I got. If you haven't figured it out already, I'm not much of a photographer. You think this girl is ready for Christmas vacation?


3) Something strange happens to Miss Innocent One when she is around her peers. She gets sassy, not in a mean way, but in a playful way, uttering things you wouldn't normally hear from her. For instance, lately she's taken to using the following phrase with her dad quite often.

Miss Innocent One: You need to calm down, buddy.

She says this with some sort of moustache gesture I don't understand and finds herself quite hysterical. Apparently her friends understand this as I saw a note she attached to a Christmas gift with a picture of a little guy trying to do the gesture and the caption, "You need to calm down, buddy."

And the funny thing is, her saying that has quite the opposite effect on her father. She seems to like pushing his buttons a little. I think it's because she always gets a reaction. You know how I always tell Drama Queen she makes it too easy? (See #4.) Yeah. Like father, like daughter.

4) During the Christmas season, it's our habit as a family to eat dinner by candlelight. I keep waiting for the kids to outgrow playing with the candles, but alas we're no where close. Drummer Boy and Ladies Man, now 21 and 16, still look for creative ways to blow out the candles. Ladies Man did his walrus roar, extinguishing three at a time. They both tried "bro-snapping" (don't ask me--it just looks weird) with little success. Ladies Man did some hand actions that reminded me of the The Force from Star Wars. It got so out of hand last night, that Ladies Man ended up spraying wax all over Drummer Boy's face and shirt.

So I guess if you see flames shooting from our dining room you may want to call the fire department. Our pyromaniacs were probably playing too hard.

5) Drama Queen was given a television, but it's a 33-inch screen we think is a bit much for her tiny dorm room. We offered to swap our smaller television with hers.

Kevin: Our TV would be more reasonable.

Drama Queen: Dad, when have I ever been reasonable?

No truer words were ever spoken!

6) We're looking forward to time with family over the weekend. We celebrate Christmas with Kevin's family tonight and mine on Sunday. Saturday we'll hang by ourselves. I am so ready to be to this point. I find the whole Christmas season quite stressful. The best part for me comes when everything is done and you can finally sit and enjoy those you love. Of course this will come after much cooking in the next few days, but hey, it's in my sights!

7) And with that I bid you adieu. May you have time to reflect on the significance of Jesus and His coming to earth. May you find a personal connection to Him in a new way. May you gain fresh understanding into what great love was shown in His coming.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Find more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

The Gift of Emmanuel

The Jews looked for a Savior, a Messiah, someone to free them from their bondage.


O come, o come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lowly exile here
Until the Son of God appears
Are we that different? Often I feel trapped here on earth, exiled from Paradise until the Son of God appears. I mourn for something better. Yet the old song reminds me I have nothing to fear, nothing to grieve.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Jesus came. And with Him brought new life for all who believe.

Oh come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Thy people with Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight
Even death cannot separate me from the love of God.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
For those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

O Come Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Because He came, I have hope. I know this is not all there is. I know my future is secure. I may be banished for a time on earth, but one day I'll live with Him in Paradise.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

For more Thankful Thursday posts or to link up your own, visit Iris at Grace Alone.

A Mother's Special Grace

I worry about my kids.

I want the best for them and this world can be a tough place to live. These years of transitioning kids to adulthood have proven to be the most difficult for me yet. I stew and I think too far ahead and I pray like crazy.

Lately I think of Mary, then feel guilty for my minor anxieties. Oh, how that woman must have suffered. When she was pondering in the stable, was Mary thinking about the future for her child? Did she have any clue what was ahead? Did she know she'd watch her Son, God's Son, be brutally beaten? Did she know people would say awful things and accuse Him unjustly? Did she know she'd watch him die?


I think of my kids and my petty concerns compared to hers. How did she survive those three days after His death? I would have been done in. I would have crawled in a ball and died myself. How did she do it? Did God give Mary special grace? What did He tell her those three days her heart broke? Did she remember what He said about rebuilding the temple? Did she understand? Or did she just endure?

I wish I knew, but I still take hope from her. If God gave Mary special grace to raise His child, won't He do the same for me? Aren't my children really His? Won't He provide what I need to be the mother my children need? Won't He help me trust Him and relieve my worries? He'll be there every step of the way, just as He was with Mary. His Word promises it.

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11

Like Mary, I'll believe His Word. When I feel afraid, I'll cry out to Him. I'll do my best to be still and to listen and to ponder.

How will you be like Mary?



Photo Credit: :nick

Can We Reclaim Christmas?

The child sat on Santa's lap, unsure if the jolly old man would grant her wish.

"You see, I'm Jewish," she said.

"Oh, that's all right," Santa said, "Santa doesn't care if you're Jewish or Buddhist or Muslim. He doesn't care if you're black or white or red or green or blue. Santa loves all children the same."

It was supposed to be a sweet moment, but it turned my stomach the way Santa (a fictional character we elevate to superstar status) took credit for the kind of love only Jesus can give. And it irked me that people who don't give any homage to Jesus still want to claim His holiday.

Yet I know I am just as guilty. Satan has done a masterful job of distracting us from the real meaning of Christmas, infusing it with all sorts of rituals and traditions that have nothing to do with the Christ child. I've got a Christmas tree in my living room, presents resting underneath. I've fallen victim to the pressure of creating the perfect holiday for my kids, spending more than I probably should. Twinkling lights hang throughout my house. We'll bake and decorate cookies, eat far too much. Stockings line the banister. We'll drink our traditional egg nog and 7 Up and eat soup at Christmas Eve. And none of it, NONE of it has anything to do with Jesus' birth.

My spirit feels the dichotomy. Tension mounts in my frenzy to get all the Christmas preparations done while something within longs only for stillness, quiet. I sense it isn't right, this strange way of celebrating the birth of Jesus. It feels pagan, too much about us and those we love, without enough solitude to hear Him beckon. And yet I don't know how to reclaim it, to satisfy this yearning in me to make it more, to make it special beyond the thoughtfulness of gifts and good will.

“Christmas belongs to us, the believers of Christ, it doesn’t belong to the world. Christ needs to be elevated in our hearts year around. He didn’t come to be marketed as a seasonal gift on sale for half price. We were the ones that were bought at price.”

David Jeremiah

Shouldn't I try to reclaim it for Him? But how? I like to sit in my living room lit only by Christmas lights, all by myself, and quietly reflect on Jesus, what He's done in my life, who I am because of Him. I like to sit there and ponder, trying in some small way to remember the night my Lord was born. I admit it doesn't happen every year, but when it does, my soul rests and knows gratitude and wonders at the Blessed Baby.

Sigh.

Is reclaiming Christmas a matter of focusing on Him? How can we do that better?

How do you try to reclaim Christmas?


To visit more In Other Words participants, visit Karen at In Love W.I.T.H. Jesus.



Photo Credit: ecastro

The Yearning

(Click here to listen.)

There is a yearning
in hearts weighed down by ancient grief and centuries of sorrow.
There is a yearning
in hearts that in the darkness hide
and in the shades of death abide,
a yearning for tomorrow.

There is a yearning,
a yearning for the promised One, the Firstborn of creation.
There is a yearning for
the Lord who visited His own,
and by His death for sin atoned,
to bring to us salvation.

Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.

There is a yearning
that fills the hearts of those who wait the day of His appearing.
There is a yearning
when all our sorrows are erased
and we shall see the One who placed
within our hearts the yearning.

Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.

Emmanuel, Emmanuel,
within our hearts,
the yearning.

I feel it too, that yearning for something better, something purer, the desire to see the One who placed the longing in our hearts.

Come, Lord Jesus, come.



Song Credit: The Yearning, copyright 2011 Lorenz Publishing Company.
Music by Craig Courtney
Words by Susan Bentall Boersma

Photo Credit: RejiK

7 Quick Takes (Volume 162)

1) How's this for a wonderful teaching moment?

Ladies Man: Mom, is Christmas your favorite holiday?

Me: No.

Ladies Man: What?!

Me: I don't like how Christmas stirs up desire for stuff we didn't think we needed two weeks ago. Suddenly everyone's focused on what they want. It doesn't seem right.

Ladies Man: I hear ya, Dawg.

Dawg?! Should I be happy he got my point or offended he called me Dawg?!

2) We had a great time at Drummer Boy's concert last Friday night.


Each year they start the concert the same way, lining the trumpets at the front of the stage, putting the lights out and playing the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. (It's hard to see Drummer Boy in this picture, but he's the dark headed guy standing in front of the middle bass drum, with his head turned slightly. Don't worry if you can't find him. There's no quiz at the end.)


Apparently Ladies Man has never attended this concert with us before. He spent the entire 90 minutes turning to Kevin and I saying, "This is awesome!"

Yes, it was. We enjoyed watching you, Drummer Boy! And great news, the band gets to fly down to Florida for the Huskers appearance in the Capital One bowl. They should have a great time.

3) Miss Innocent One is becoming a regular songbird. No matter what she's doing--cleaning her room, taking a shower, looking at Facebook, you name it--she's singing. She's part of her middle school's show choir and apparently takes it very seriously practicing her songs. She's quite unashamed about it until she sees me in her vicinity.

Miss Innocent One: Are you enjoying my probably terrible voice?

Is this girl a model of teen insecurity or what? And why is it a mother can't say anything to make it better? If you disagree and say, "I think you have a lovely voice," they come back with, "You have to say that. You're my mother." If you say, "Yeah, your voice is a little off," they say, "Rude!" and stomp off. What is a mother to do?

4) I went shopping with Drama Queen and Drummer Boy on Tuesday. It struck me how different shopping is with my older kids than my younger ones. The younger ones have big eyes. They see things they want as opposed to my older kids who understand the cost of things and walk through the mall on a mission to get their shopping done, not for ideas on what they want.

It was quite entertaining to watch Drummer Boy tease Drama Queen. It takes so very little. I can't tell you how many times I told her she makes it too easy.

Drama Queen (taking off her coat right before we exit the mall): Ugh. I'm hot.

Drummer Boy: Oh, so you're like a 5th grader who thinks they're too cool for a coat.

Drama Queen: It's not that cold out.

Drummer Boy: Look at me I'm tough. I don't need a coat.

Drama Queen growls.

Drummer Boy (just stepping outside): Shot gun.

Drama Queen: Nuh uh. You had it last time.

Drummer Boy: You gotta call it.

Growls.

Me: What are we? Five?

Drama Queen (as we're leaving the next place, but before we're out the door): Shotgun!

Drummer Boy: No. Shotgun rules clearly state you can't call it until you're outside.

Drama Queen: What?! No way.

Drummer Boy: It's the rules.

Growls. And guess who remembered to call it upon seeing daylight, producing more growls? Later when she put her coat back on . . .

Drummer Boy: Why are you wearing a coat? It's not that cold out.

And you can imagine, right? When will she learn she asks for it?

5) Ladies Man had a Christmas party with his beloved trombone section and had to wrap a gift for his Secret Santa person. Give the boy some tape and boxes and it's a very dangerous thing, I tell you. He decided to make unwrapping his present an event. He did the classic box in a box in a box move and then added his own flair, sticking the empty paper roll on top, adding a sign, a candy cane, some crepe paper. Isn't this slightly ridiculous?


Do you see why we should have bought stock in Scotch tape when this child was born?

6) There's this children's clothing store in our town which sets a baby doll in a high chair on the corner of a main drag down the block from them. Every single time I drive by that it catches my eye, but probably not in the way intended. It absolutely unnerves me. Immediately my mind goes to someone holding a baby captive or trying to sell it to the highest bidder. At the very least it looks like a kid's been abandoned. And it's a stinkin' doll! Every time I drive by, I'm momentarily alarmed, and then go, "Ooh. I don't like that."

Now I've never been in the actual store. I'm sure it's a perfectly safe place, but that advertising gives me the willies. I'm not sure I could enter without packing heat. (Don't I sound all street smart? No worries. I'm so boring, any lingo I know I picked up from t.v. and it's probably outdated.)

7) This mama is looking forward to having all her kiddos home for over a week. It will be a lively time at the Boesiger house soon. I was a little worried I'm not used to it anymore and the noise level will disintegrate the nerves of this introvert, but then I remembered I live in a house of late sleepers. The morning will always be mine. And the way my hormones are waking me up this week, I'll have lots of morning time.

I hope your weekend is grand and you too, look forward to time with your loved ones soon. Catch more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

An Antidote for the Blues

I've been feeling a little world weary this week, tired of being human, tired of witnessing pain and struggle, tired.

God tells me the best way to handle world weariness is to do the next thing, to keep moving, so I do. Yesterday I followed my normal routine of going to the gym. I ran a couple of miles on the treadmill (sweating is supposed to boost the endorphins, right?), but while doing it watched a depressing movie illustrating the plight of mankind. It didn't help.

Looking outside, I noticed the weather matched my mood--dark, cloudy, misty. I've always liked rain (is it the melancholy in me that identifies?). The smell, the sound, the feel, all bring a sigh, a sense of comfort. A cloudy day makes me feel the same as hunkering down under a pile of blankets. And since God's been telling me to quit doing and just be with Him, I decided what better place to do so, than in nature.


The cool, moist air refreshed. The sights mesmerized.


I walked slow, breathed deeply, soaked it in. A short, solitary trek, surrounded by God's beauty soothed my spirit, reminded me how big He is. It was like God hit the pause button on the frenetic pace of life and whispered, "Shhh . . ."


Why do I put so much pressure on myself to do? Why can't I just be?


And don't you love the sidewalk covered in leaves? It matches this blog title perfectly. "I don't need to know where I'm going as long as God gives the next step."

Make it so, Lord. Thank You for a peaceful stroll with You, for the reminder that You are here. Thank You.


For more Thankful Thursday posts or to link up your own, visit Iris at Grace Alone.

Hush

Many days I don't feel cut out for life here on earth, haunted with questions I can't find answers to.

Do I measure up?
Is God pleased with me?
Have I done enough?
What is God doing?
Where are we going?
What is my next step?
How can I live a life pleasing to God and man?
What does God expect of me?

I follow the dictates of my world in perfect Martha fashion, staying busy, productive, pushing forward. But no matter how much I give, I'm left disappointed, understanding my part in God's grand scheme is so small. If not me, He could have used someone else.

I yearn for tranquility, for peace in my own mind, for no expectations from myself or others. I long for the quiet of a dark night, a sacred stable, the wonder of a baby full of promise and hope, a physical, touchable, present form of God's love. I want to rest there, like a little sheep no one notices or needs anything from. I want to ponder with Mary, to feel tiny fingers wrap around mine, the only distraction being the low braying of the donkey outside.

Isn't this the spirit of Christmas, the awe, the stillness, the promise wrapped in flesh? Isn't this what I'm missing every day? Isn't this where my spirit wants to reside?

But my abode screams, "Buy! Do! Go! Achieve! Succeed! Impress!" What I crave--the quiet, the peace--is so far from where I live. Should I be surprised to feel weary, weak, worn? I do my best to press on, to rely on God's strength, but often I bring my beaten self, peppering Him with questions, begging to know it matters, to do it right, to discover His heart.

He says, Hush, Tami.

No more questions. Stop thinking, stop trying so hard.

Hush, My child.

Just be with Me.

No questions. No thoughts. Nothing, but . . .

Rest.

Hush . . .

Be still and know that I am God . . .

Psalm 46:12

Photo Credit: Truthout.org

Like A Shepherd

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

The shepherds were minding their own business, doing their job.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

God gave them an unmistakable message.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

They believed and sought out Jesus.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

They saw him and spread the news, being part of God's amazing work.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

They praised God.

I've often envied the shepherds. A host of angels would be pretty convincing, don't you think? God doesn't spell it out so clearly for us, does He? And yet, I, like the shepherds, was minding my own business when God gave me a message about His Son. It wasn't through angels, but in confirmation class, from the lips of my pastor. His words about Jesus having a special plan for my life compelled me, causing me to hope Jesus was real, so I believed and sought the Son of God through prayer and His Word. And one day, after much searching and my own spiritual journey, I knew I needed Jesus--I "saw" Him and have spent the rest of my life trying to point Him out to others. Every day brings new opportunities to praise Him for all the wonders He's shown.

“Can we see that we are the shepherds? Can we with open eyes, see who we are and who He is and what He has done? Are we amazed?”

Rev. Mark Shaw

The shepherds were minding their own business, doing their job.
God gave them an unmistakable message.
They believed and sought out Jesus.
They saw him and spread the news, being part of God's amazing work.
They praised God.

Are you like a shepherd? Has your life changed after "seeing?" the Christ child?


Want to know what others think of this quote? Visit Loni at Writing Canvas.


Scripture passage: Luke 2:8-20

Photo Credit: Reza Vazari

What Do You Do With the Grrrr?

Sometimes things eat at me. I'll think I've put them behind me and then out of no where I find myself talking about them again. With passion and anger, guilt and tears. We have many ways to describe our letting it all out.

Venting
Seeking counsel
Whining
Gaining perspective
Complaining
Confiding in a trusted adviser
Releasing the tension

We use pretty terms to rationalize (and excuse?) our behavior, but what is the right way to handle pent up feelings? Is it necessary to let them out? What happens when we don't? What is the Biblical way to deal with them?

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Proverbs 10:19

Do everything without complaining or arguing
Philippians 2:14

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29

I know these verses and have recited them to myself for years, but there's something about getting it out that feels better. Once I've spoken it I can let it go easier. Often as I'm spewing my junk, I hear how ridiculous it sounds out loud and am shamed into silence. If I only vent to my husband, isn't that okay? I mean, we are as one, so technically I'm talking to myself, right?

Hmmm. I have noticed though, that just like potato chips (you can't eat just one), once I open my mouth I'm more tempted to do it again and the problem with that is, not only can it border on gossip, but I'm tainting the opinion of the person I'm venting to. Will they get a bad taste in their mouth over something I've said?

But often someone gives me a different perspective, helps me make better sense of a situation, shows me the error in my thinking, sets me straight. In that case, saying something is worth it. How long would I have carried the grrr with me otherwise?

Once I'd been upset with my husband and held it in for six months when it exploded all over him. I never want to repeat that. Oooh. So ugly. And definitely not healthy for our marriage. How was our union affected that six months?

But here's my biggest struggle. I can't find scripture to support venting. Can I use verses like these? Talking things over with a trusted friend can help.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

Ugh. Do you see my dilemma? I want to handle this correctly. Can you do it with a trusted few you know will not repeat your angst? Should you never utter negativity? If I have a problem with someone, should I only talk to that person? But what if you can't? What do you do with the grrr then? I don't know the answer. At times I've been encouraged by sharing my pent up feelings, but others times I've carried guilt afterward. I've worked on this post for at least six weeks, waiting for God to bring the answer and so far have heard nothing. I figure I need help. Has He spoken to you on the issue?

What is your opinion on venting?



Photo Credit: Artworks Creative Communities

7 Quick Takes (Volume 161)

1) We survived our church musical last weekend. As always, I'm astounded at how God brings so many people together for one cause. With cast, crew and orchestra, we're pushing fifty people, all on one page for the same goal. It's a beautiful picture of the body of Christ functioning as one.

This year's set was one of my favorites. Our director and set designer, Paul Whaley, outdid himself. Kevin was particularly proud of the working lamp post he built from scratch (see the left side of the set). That baby was 20 feet tall!


Our story took place in a market so we needed lots of food to fill our shelves. Our wonderful church family donated supplies (so much we couldn't set it all out without weighing down our wall too much!) we donated to our local food pantry.

Ladies Man played in our orchestra for the first time. See him warming up his trombone?


And here is our fantastic cast. We have an amazing bunch of actors who just keep getting better and better. People often tell me I should get on stage some year, but after watching these guys I decided I am WAY too far behind the curve to be any good there. See Miss Innocent One in the striped sweater in the front row?


What a privilege to be mixed up with these people. You guys are awesome! At the risk of sounding like an old person, I have one thing to say. I am so proud of you!

2) Ladies Man has taken to drinking out of a quart jar lately. Is he trying to perpetuate the notion that he's the giant his siblings tease him of being?

And this may be why they tease him.


His new shoes were as big as Miss Innocent One's thigh! Good news, though. These shoes were actually too big for him and had to be returned for a tinier size 14.

3) We went out to eat with Kevin's parents on Sunday evening and a little tiff ensued with Kevin and his mother about who was paying. Both shoved their debits cards at the poor woman working the cash register, saying the other's money wasn't good. Finally, the worker took Kevin's mom's card and said to Kevin, "She looks meaner than you."

She may be small, but she's mighty! This gives me hope as a mother. For their entire lives I've reminded my kids I could still take them down, and if in the right frame of mind, I still think I could do it. Little G-ma gives me hope I can do it forever.

4) We have a little friend in our pantry.




Each day we're finding new evidence of his existence. How do I know it's a he? C'mon! Apart from the cranberries, this thing's eating junk food!




We set a trap for it, but apparently it's smarter than the trap.


I just don't understand how we can have a mouse. Our neighborhood has an army of cats wandering around at all times. We find them sitting on our porches often. How could a mouse get by them?

We're curious about our little friend because our good friends who live nearby are missing their hamster. Our kids are back and forth often to each other's houses and we carpool to school with them. Is it possible the hamster caught a ride in someone's jacket and ended up in our house? Far fetched? Maybe. But it makes me feel better about my housekeeping skills! I may have to tear the pantry apart this weekend to flush the critter out.

5) Drama Queen was home over the weekend and Ladies Man started getting on her nerves.

Drama Queen: Stop it or I'll punch you in the head.

Ladies Man: You couldn't REACH my head.

Ooh, gotcha babe. Sorry.

6) My college kids are stressing about finals coming up next week. I'm wondering if the stress is hampering their ability to think clearly as Drama Queen and Drummer Boy had a long drawn out deal on Facebook about research on grapes and writing papers about them. Drummer Boy posted a survey for people to vote on their favorite grape, titling it, "I'm being a good brother and helping Drama Queen with her paper about grapes. What grapes are best?" Apparently this was to aggravate his sister which he succeeded in doing. The last thing she wrote on his wall was, "If you get me a bag of grapes for Christmas, I will shove them down your throat."

Prayers for their sanity would be appreciated!

7) We're headed to Lincoln tonight to catch Drummer Boy in action at the Cornhusker Marching Band Highlights concert. It's always a fun night. Imagine 300 bodies on one stage playing all the show music from the season and school fight songs. At last year's concert the band found out they'd be attending the bowl game with the football team. Wonder if they'll get such happy news this year.

And that's all I got this Friday, my friends. Enjoy the weekend and catch more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Enduring Days

It was an enduring day, where my spirit drooped and mood continually sunk. I was tired and crabby and anything that could go wrong did. I tried to press on, to do the next thing, but little annoyances kept poking, irritating, defeating. Exhausted and overwhelmed, I wondered what good could possibly come from a day like this. All I could think was, "It's too much, God."

On an enduring day, I feel like God's abandoned me, like He doesn't care. My head knows what's true, but my feelings can't catch up. I pray through tears and ask God where He is and He answers gently.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

Enduring days certainly aren't pleasant, but are they God's discipline? Are they teaching us where we stand in the world? Are they training us to trust in what we can't see? Are they making us stronger, more durable? Do they help us learn to press on?

It's hard to see how broken down cars and weary bodies and confrontations and busy schedules and dinners that don't get done and weepy hormones reap righteousness. How can enduring possibly make me peaceful?

If I can ride the wave of a bad day or week or month or season, aren't I learning a deeper trust in God? If I trust more, do I worry less? Isn't that peace? If I press on though I don't feel it, aren't I displaying faith in action? If I can do it in a little thing like a bad day, can I do it in harder things? Isn't He teaching me to act rightly, no matter what the circumstance?

Enduring days aren't pleasant and frankly sap the energy right out of me, but the promise of great reward--a harvest of righteousness and peace--may help me get through them.

One moment at a time.

How do you make it through your enduring days?



Photo Credit: jawshouamoua