Wake up Sleepy Head

(Pictures of pets. Mostly sleeping during the day. What a life!)

Saturday morning. 6am. Cat crying. Dog wiggling. Why can’t they wait until the alarm goes off at 6:30?? I let them out for their morning jaunt. Sit. And pray. 

Today the boys take their first college entrance exam. In my hometown. Oddly surreal. Oh how they have grown in stature and maturity in the 9 years since their dad died. So I pray - that they have total recall on the things they know and total peace about the things they don’t. And- that they will wake up in a decent mood. Haha! Unless we are leaving for a great adventure, a 7am Saturday morning wake up call is not a welcome activity. One early morning last week, I was on the phone and caught a glimpse of a creature crawling across the pool deck. Wasn’t sure what it was. Too slow for a squirrel or mouse. Nope. It was a little turtle. Or tortoise? (Which is which?) It was just before 8am but I went to wake up the boys to share my treasure. Fortunately, they were as excited as I was and gave me some grace for the early wake up call.

Waking them up today was also easy. (Thanks be to God!) Maybe they’ll go to college. Maybe they won’t. But as I drive them to the testing site (on the campus of an amazing Christian college right here in our town!) I think to myself…this is why I was compelled to move back here. Opportunities for them. Oh, and I’m also thinking about our running family joke, “it only takes 10 minutes to get anywhere around here.” I’m telling you, I’ve saved so much on gas!!

So as they navigate a new neighborhood and a new church and learn to make new friends, I am asking the Lord for His blessings this day. 

Now I sit here in the car, grading Spanish and literature homework, in the silence, waiting for them to finish their test. My in-laws have asked for a status update. Other friends have too. I am sorry my posts are so infrequent. It’s been hectic. Probably more so than I like- getting them started on school, which is still going well, progressing nicely. Yessss! My work has ticked up in volume. And I got my first call last week (two calls, actually) for jobs here in Texas to cleanup QuickBooks so clients can file their tax returns by the 9/15 extended deadline for corporations. But today I finally feel still enough to contemplate. 

I want to share this song. I don’t know why it came to mind right at this moment, but thankfulness is a such a good practice.

Charity Gayle. Thank you Jesus for the Blood.

“Thank you Jesus for the Blood applied. Thank you Jesus, it has washed me white. Thank you Jesus, you have saved my life. Brought me from the darkness into glorious light.”

Philippians 4:20 “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Have I Abandoned My Post?

In a world where I can't easily hang out with my church, my friends, my family, you'd think I would find lots of things to ponder and write about in this space. But setting aside time for that has been tough. So what is going on with my family? Naturally, we are heavy into school and work and lamenting our travel schedule has been literally stalled in these last 6-8 months. I am outside walking with friends several times each week, and we are meeting with some friends in their home for worship each Sunday. Truth be told, up until last weekend we had 2 dogs and 6 cats. So taking care of all the animals, well, it's a lot. Now, we have one kitten left (out of 5) and he is a sweet little guy. Very friendly. So much so, the boys think we should keep him. I call him Mr. T (the boys call him Totoro.) PLEASE tell me you need a kitten....

If you're feeling any of the angst of navigating the COVID crisis in your home and city, I guess my one piece of advice is: remember, you are not alone! There's a newer song on Christian radio by Matthew West called "Truth Be Told".  The first lines:

"Lie #1: you're supposed to have it all together. And when they ask how you're doing just smile and tell them, 'Never better'. Lie #2: everybody's life is perfect except yours. So keep your messes and your wounds and your secrets safe with you behind closed doors." Right?

The chorus is even better: 

"Truth be told, the truth is rarely told, oh

I say I'm fine, yeah I'm fine, oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine - but I'm not. I'm broken. 

And when it's out of control I say it's under control but it's not. And you know it...."

This time of year it gets dark at around 4:30pm where we live. So yesterday my friend and I decided to try walking earlier in the day. At about 10am, we ran into someone we hadn't seen for months. He supported our family a lot during our cancer crisis, bringing nutritious food, recipes and encouragement. He and his wife attend our church and I could tell he was feeling a bit of guilt for not being in the church community in recent weeks. He said, "We just haven't been back very often." Well, my friend and I have not been back to our home church at all since large gatherings were shut down back in March. So we explained that we are all in a similar boat. His reasons are similar to our reasons. But we all still love Jesus very much! And I hope he walked away knowing that even in our isolation, we are not alone.

So when (or if) you get that sense that things will never get better, they probably won't. Not the political landscape. Not the culture. Not the issues in your local church. Not the pressures in your marriage. Seriously. I know that sounds dismal. BUT as Christians, this is not our home. And THANK GOD we have hope in something much more substantial, eternity with Jesus. So give yourself a little grace and feel what you feel. Just KNOW that God is not absent. He can see and sympathize with everything we feel. (I'm speaking to myself here....)

I have another friend that is into photography and just about every week he sends me a photo with a scripture inscribed over it. He reminds me that God is still near. And He loves us. Embrace the beauty of what or who you have around you. Love God and Love People. And be faithful in the waiting.

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Where's the Fire?

Where ISN'T there fire? All around us in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California. Last several days we have lived in a smokey haze. My mother-in-law in California texted to ask how we were faring (she is near the Sierra Nevadas and she mentioned they do see the sun sometimes even though there is a constant haze along the horizon.) Sadly, we can hardly see the water around the island it is so thick. Now is the time rain would be good....

But, since most of us around here are meeting outside to dine with friends, outside to worship and fellowship, or outside for school meetings, maybe rain would not be a welcome sight just yet. 

This week the boys started back to their school. Just Tuesdays in person this year; we will do the rest at home. There were some masks and face shields, but I was glad to see a fairly large group of families gathered for orientation. We sang a song I had not heard before at our opening ceremonies. It's a collaborative effort on the writing, but was released several years ago by Vertical Worship. What a great way to start the school year--a hymn of old morphed into modern praise music.

1000 Tongues ~ Vertical Worship

"O for a thousand tongues to sing the glories of our Lord God Almighty. O to sing the Savior's praise, the triumph of His grace. You are worthy, you are worthy God."

Just because I can - here are more kitten photos. Yes, we are still in kitten bliss at our house. Lots of cuteness.

I believe it is a great experience to have puppies or kittens at least once in a kids' life. Lots of fun, but also a chance to learn responsibility. The boys have been very mature taking care of all the animals. 

Speaking of mature, Keaton is now taking driver's ed. The classroom work has been via Zoom. Yes, I suppose you can teach anything via Zoom. :/ He's been out driving with me a fair bit. Very cautious and alert driver. This week he had to prove he knows how to change a tire. Well, thanks to having many capable, mechanically-inclined men in my life, I have not actually had to do this myself EVER, so it seemed somewhat disingenuous that I should teach Keaton how. And, the Lord provided! Our friends were visiting from Eastern WA on Thursday and Mr. Mark was eager to show us BOTH what needed to be done and how. He said next time Keaton is over at their house, he would show him how to change the oil too. It takes a village....

Along those same lines, remember back in June when a group of friends came while I was out of town and started laying vinyl plank at my house? With their jump-start, we were able to complete the living/dining room. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I gathered some courage and tackled the entryway and my office. It was a learning process, for sure, and I had to reach out for better tools and some help with some tricky spots (like going around a door and a floor vent). But it feels good to get one more room done!

What I've learned is that steady progress will get things done, eventually. Sometimes you just need a kick in the pants to get started. Also, that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness. That teenage boys like to pretend they're strong, and that one can use that to one's advantage. And that even an accountant can lay down vinyl plank with a razor blade and a hammer. Plus, vinyl plank is a lot simpler to keep clean when you have an elderly pet - - or newborn kittens.

Psalm 5:11 "But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you."

Puppy Love 2.0

So we've had our puppy for almost 2 months.  She's gained at least 10 pounds. Her last weigh-in at vet's office? 35lbs.  ANYway, here's an update on her cuteness.  Seriously.... and she has a sweet personality to go with her cuteness.  Despite losing a few socks, pencils, Legos, etc., (haha!) we do feel truly blessed to have this Perdy dog.

Ah, but don't be fooled, while cat and dog are not necessarily "friends", they can sleep near each other without fighting.  I personally think the kitty is a bit of a tease, as she frequently leads the dog on chases throughout the house. 

Even with the potty training and the up-in-the-middle-of-the night stuff, the only really hard part I've noticed about puppies and kittens is that the more pets you have, the less easy it is to pick up and travel.  Our friends also adopted a puppy recently, and we used to trade off pet duties with them.  It's not impossible to get away now, it's just more complicated.  I think we both have someone lined up for our next big trip....  we are heading back to Mexico in November for another mission trip with Strong Tower Ministries.  Please pray for us to have a fruitful trip there and for our team of 12 to gel.  We are looking forward to it!

NOT pet worship

Queen Brie

I just read an interesting article by Warren Cole Smith on pet worship... and just so you know, I am aware there is a huge difference in how we love people and how we love our pets.  Still, couldn't resist posting the pet pictures today.  

Our normal dog sitters finally got their chance to head out of town on vacation.  While we normally trade off doggie duties, since we got Brie (our kitten), we have not been able to keep Kaya (their dog) at our house.  She eats kitties.  Or at least she tries.  Nevertheless, we have had a great week spending time with Kaya on her turf.  And we have taken some long walks....

 

Here are the boys out on a log in the lake.  We have never (that I can recall) walked all the way around this lake.  My phone says we walked about 3 miles total.  It was beautiful, peaceful, adventurous, all the things.  Can't wait for hiking season this summer!

 Happy Trails!

September

I've probably said this before - September is just a hard month.  School starts up again.  Summer freedom is basically gone.  Getting everyone into a routine of going to bed and getting up earlier is challenging. The rains start. Plus, there's just a nagging reminder of what happened in September 5 years ago.  I really am beyond a day-to-day grief.  That is huge a blessing.  But September brings up so many harsh memories of those last 3 weeks with Eric.

Last week I opened up his computer.  Honest mistake.  We started school and I just need another working computer so the boys can do schoolwork and I can do my work at the same time.  Opening up the home page - there is a picture of his barber shop logo which is actually a picture of the top of his head, hair spiked up like he always had it styled when I knew him. (He definitely had great hair!)  Then thumbing through his files, determining if I should delete anything.  Favorite songs.  Pictures of kids.  Custody and legal stuff.  It was a hard week.



But God.  He is so gracious.  

sweet sleeping kitty...

The kitten has been a game-changer.  She wakes the boys up early. She mixes up our day-to-day routine.  She sweetly sleeps.

First thing in the morning, my devotional time right now is in the book of Psalms (First 5 App).  What comfort!

And because I'm just stuck on His Word, I see so many reminders to run the race before me, leave what's behind in the past.  In my Bible study time I'm going through 2 Timothy with Beth Moore.  She is talking about taking hold of the Gospel and the gifts we are all given to share it.  All of this has been entrusted to us.  What are we going to do with that?  We HAVE to move forward.  I heard yesterday on a podcast that God can best steer something that is actually moving.  Hmm.

Sunday some ladies prayed for/with me and I didn't tell them anything specific.  Their words spoken on my behalf were definitely Spirit-led.  This time in life has been refining.  This time in life I am being anointed.  This time in life is helping me to move forward to a wonderful future that God already has planned.  There is much to anticipate on earth AND definitely when we see Jesus face-to-face.

 

So while I'm still struggling a little to get into a routine with the boys and figure out how to maximize our time each day (juggling life, work & school is not a new challenge for any parent...), I can rest in the assurance that the Lord is faithful....See? Even the roses are still blooming in the backyard.

Psalm 31:1-2 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

Psalm 31:14  But I trust in you, Lord; I say, "You are my God."

Psalm 31: 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.