Clueless

The older I get, the more clueless I realize that I really am. When I was younger, I thought I new so much more!! I realize I probably do know more now than I did then, but I also realize more fully all the things that I don't get!!

I was reading through emails the other day and one mentioned "Sferra". I had no clue! This could have been a tropical illness, a kind of automobile, a new pop sensation. All lost on me!! Turns out it's a fine linen line. Beautiful stuff... Anyway, small example of my cluelessness. Ask my girls and I'm sure that they could give you oodles more!! :)

OF COURSE I'M A CHRISTIAN... I THINK

When I was in college, I got on a dorm elevator one Saturday night to go up to my room on the 19th floor. Two people were on the elevator. They were both wearing medium-sized cross necklaces. I looked at their necklaces and asked them if they were Christians. They looked at me with an incredulous expression and answered, "Of course!" I thought their response was a little strange. It was almost as if they were saying, "What else would we be? We are Americans, aren't we? We go to church, don't we? Of course we are Christians." What does it really mean to be a Christian? Does it mean you have joined a church? Does it mean you have been baptized? Does it mean you have intellectually believed some facts about the life and person of Jesus? Does it mean you do some religious things? No, No, No, and No! WHAT IT REALLY MEANS Sad but true, many people claim to be Christians and truly think they are Christians but do not understand what it means to be one. What does the Bible say regarding this all- important subject? The Bible tells us that a Christian is one who has received the very life and nature of God - "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). In 1 John 1:3, The Apostle John talks about the fact that he has fellowship (koinonia - "sharing") with the Father and with His Son Jesus. What is fellowship? One preacher defined it as two fellows sharing the same ship. While that is certainly catchy, it does not go far enough. I think Adrian Rogers hit the nail on the head when he defined fellowship as two fellows sharing the same life. A Christian is someone whose life is now connected to God. He/she is someone was has a personal relationship with the Lord. someone who really knows the Lord, not in his/her head, but in his/her heart. MY STORY I grew up going to church and learning about God and His Son Jesus. I believed what the Bible said. I believed Jesus was God in the flesh who performed great miracles. I believed He died on the cross and rose again from the dead. In my head, I believed all that stuff. and yet I was lost, unconnected to God, with no hope of going to heaven. Then one day, I heard the full truth: I was a sinner (I knew that) and I was lost (I did not know that). And if I died, I would not go to heaven (I really did not know that). And that Jesus died and rose again FOR ME (I never really realized that). And if I would turn from my sins and give my life to Jesus, He would give His life to me and save me. On a Monday night in January, 1980, all alone in my bedroom, Jeff Schreve, a 17 year-old hell raising, skirt chasing, party animal got down on his knees and asked Jesus to save him. I gave my life, MY WHOLE LIFE, to Jesus Christ that night. and He gave His life to me. I was born again that night and became a "partaker (sharer) of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). And I knew it was real because my life began to change. You see, when the Lord moves into a life, He ALWAYS makes changes. I was under new management. and it quickly began to show. HOW ABOUT YOU? My friend, has there been a time in your life when you genuinely, humbly, and sincerely gave your heart to Jesus? Does He really and truly live inside of you? That what it means to be a Christian; it is Christ in you! If you are not sure, pray right now and ask Jesus to forgive all your sins and take your life. Ask Him to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and Savior. He wants to save you, He died to save you. He will answer your prayer IF AND ONLY IF you mean it. You cannot snow job God. He does business with those who mean business. If you do take that step today, email back and let me know. I would love to send you some free materials to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. Love, Jeff Schreve Pastor

My pants are shrinking!

My pants are shrinking!! I'm sure that must be it. I've gone through most all of my closet, and all that I can figure is that our dryer must be running WAY to hot. That's the only reason that I can think of that my zippers are straining and my buttons are popping. It couldn't be all of the Christmas cookies, my Mountain Dew relapse, and my lack of exercise, could it? Ay yay yay!!! I guess it's time to start reevaluating the worth of weight loss pills again. Try to tackle these pounds with or without? For now, however, I am sticking with the shrunken pants story! :)

Moving along

Well, it looks like things may be moving along in our foster to adopt journey. I won't say too much, because nothing is for sure in this system, but I'm hopeful....
I'm a little surprised, because I kind of figure that we might end up adopting a child with special needs, well, we all have needs, but you know what I mean. I thought maybe a child with Down Syndrome or cerebral palsy, and we put that out there, but it didn't happen. And we are so just tired, that I don't imagine that it will. Unless God really begins working in one or both of our hearts, I think our "quiver" is full of kiddos.
Anyway, just a quick update on our journey... :)

Organizing Day

Someone recently asked me if I'd be willing to watch her kids for a few hours so she could get a few projects done, and it got me thinking... I really need to plan, set aside, and stick to, an organizing day.

I can manage to keep our house clean enough to be passable.... Sure, if you look closely, what appears to be lace doilies on the tv stands might turn out to be a layer of dust with fingerprints in it, but for the most part it's passable. :)

My major area of needing improvement, however, are my piles. I've got "to file" piles, "to do" piles, "to mend" piles, "to fold" piles. Argggh!!! I can't think about it too much more, until I have that magical day planned.... I'll let you know how it goes!

Eyes on the father

Another good one by Max Lucado...

When the restaurant waiter brings you a cold hamburger and a hot soda, you want to know who is in charge. When a young fellow wants to impress his girlfriend, he takes her down to the convenience store where he works and boasts, “Every night from five to ten o’clock, I’m in charge.” We know what it means to be in charge of a restaurant or a store, but to be in charge of the universe? This is the claim of Jesus.

There are many examples of Jesus’ authority, but I’ll just mention one of my favorites. Jesus and the disciples are in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. A storm arises suddenly, and what was placid becomes violent—monstrous waves rise out of the sea and slap the boat. Mark describes it clearly: “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped” (Mark 4:37 NIV).

It’s very important that you get an accurate picture, so I’m going to ask you to imagine yourself in the boat. It’s a sturdy vessel but no match for these ten-foot waves. It plunges nose first into the wall of water. The force of the waves dangerously tips the boat until the bow seems to be pointing straight at the sky, and just when you fear flipping over backward, the vessel pitches forward into the valley of another wave. A dozen sets of hands join yours in clutching the mast. All your shipmates have wet heads and wide eyes. You tune your ear for a calming voice, but all you hear are screams and prayers. All of a sudden it hits you—someone is missing. Where is Jesus? He’s not at the mast. He’s not grabbing the edge. Where is he? Then you hear something—a noise … a displaced sound … as if someone is snoring. You turn and look, and there curled in the stern of the boat is Jesus, sleeping!

You don’t know whether to be amazed or angry, so you’re both. How can he sleep at a time like this? Or as the disciples asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38 NIV).

The very storm that made the disciples panic made him drowsy. What put fear in their eyes put him to sleep. The boat was a tomb to the followers and a cradle to Christ. How could he sleep through the storm? Simple—he was in charge of it.

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:39–40 NIV)

Incredible…Is it any wonder the disciples were willing to die for Jesus? Never had they seen such power; never had they seen such glory. It was like, well, like the whole universe was his kingdom.

It’s only right that they declare his authority. It’s only right that we do the same. And when we do, we state without question: The ruler of the universe rules our hearts.

The Eternal One

The Eternal One

"But who made God?" I must have been not more than six-years-old when I asked my mother.

"Nobody made God," she said, "He always was and always will be."

"But before that?" I persisted. "I mean before all the things God did, who made God?"

She shook her head and gave me a long explanation, which didn't make any more sense to me than her first answer. After she walked away, I thought, She doesn't know either.

At age six it seemed impossible for something not to have a beginning. "There had to be a place to start," I mumbled to myself, "even if it was a long, long, long time ago."

In college, one of my scientifically minded friends tried to explain it to me. He threw in a lot of scientific verbiage about the relativity of time, that it was circular and not linear, but I was as confused at age twenty as I had been at six.

Now, decades later, my theology and my Bible tell me God is, was, and always will be. I accept this as the final word.

I've never found a satisfactory solution to understanding the eternity of God and I assume I never will. My friend, Jay Zinn, said, "You know, we're created beings. Everything in our world is created from something else. I had a dad who had a dad who had a dad. I can't understand anything about humans or animals or plants except to look for what they came from. But God is above and beyond creation. And we can't understand something that's beyond the created world we live in."

I agreed with Jay, but it didn't stop me from asking and trying to understand. I still believe in trying to make sense of the mysteries of the universe. Yet I also realize how this works for me in daily, practical living. I want explanations. I want to understand. "God, make it clear" is something I've often prayed. The phrase "I just don't understand" is such a habitual part of my prayer life, it wouldn't seem natural to pray about difficulties without using it.

For instance, as a writer, I pray for God to help me write a book. I write it, and then I pray for God to help me sell it to a publisher. I get turned down. I try a second time and get another rejection. I pray, "God, I just don't understand. You want me to be happy, or fulfilled, or at peace, so why do I go through all this?"

I pray for my friend who is in danger of losing her job and she gets fired. Larry goes on a diet; I pray for God to help him lose forty pounds. After three weeks, he has lost nothing and abandons his weight-loss program. "I don't understand," is my answer.

In hundreds of ways I don't understand what God is doing in my life or in anyone else's. But one day I realized that was precisely the problem: I put the emphasis on understanding.

The day that light crept in, I had just read the words of Brother Lawrence, who contrasted our understanding with the act of our will. Understanding, he said, is of little benefit, but the commitment of our will is of immense value.

Then I got it. I would say it like this. I kept wanting to obey the Eternal One when I understood the divine plan. Instead, God wants me to commit my will even if I don't understand.

I found help in this matter recently when I came across a typed sheet of paper that someone gave me many years ago. I know only that it's called "Others May, You Cannot" by George Watson. Here is part of one paragraph:

...make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as he pleases with his own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in his dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be his love slave, he will wrap you up in a jealous love and bestow upon you many blessings....

God has no obligation to explain anything to me. It's the matter of the creature tying to usurp the role of Creator to demand such explanations or understandings. I'm willing to let the Eternal One work out all the solutions to the problems of this time and the period beyond human time.

I'm also learning to be grateful that God is here with us now, reminding us who is the Eternal One. I don't have to understand the Eternal One, I need only commit myself.

For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.... I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right." ISAIAH 45:18, 19B, NKJV

Eternal and Everlasting God,

I don't understand such terms as eternal and everlasting.

How can I? My world is limited and temporal.

Whether I understand isn't the issue, is it?

Help me commit my will totally to you,

especially when I don't understand

what you're doing with my life

or the lives of others around me. Amen.

Birthday hit!

We just celebrated our foster son's third birthday over the weekend, and it was fun :). It's so very cool to see a smile on his little face and know that we brought it there.

Here are some highlights (keep in mind that I aim not to impress, just wanted to share :).)

He took a snack into our homeschool co-op and shared with his friends - Diego fruit snacks - good stuff! He loved that they sang happy birthday to him.

We had pizza, with some family and a few friends, and we sang happy birthday to him again. He blew the candles on the cake that he had helped to frost. He was very proud of that! Bright blue frosting, marshmallows, sprinkles - what three year old wouldn't love it?

Then came present time - one of my favorites was one of the personalized books that I'm sure you've seen around.

This is one that I want to set aside, so it doesn't get all ripped up by a little boy who doesn't quite get good book handling yet. The story is very cute, and the quality of the book is quite good. They even had a spot where we could insert a personalized message in the front cover. I think this will be a special sit on the lap and read book....

The company that made this book has all kinds of fun stuff, even personalized coloring books! How cute is that? :) Especially for more unusually spelled names, that you can't find on the rack in stores, this is super cool!

Anyway, enough of my rambles - I just get excited when I find something good, and like to share :).

Full circle

I've been having deep thoughts lately, which can be frightening with me :)....

I've been thinking about the full circle that we ride through on our lives. Thinking about how we start out so dependent on others, trusting them for everything, then we get stubbornly independent, and for many of us that lasts a LONG time, maybe start mistrusting others more, questioning their motives... Then eventually, if we've lived out our lives well, we start to trust a little more again, loosen our grip on things having to be done the way we want them to be done. Eventually, we end up back in a state of dependence once again, don't we? Back to trusting someone else to care for us, to provide for us, maybe even back to disposable diapers and being fed. A humbling journey, but an amazing one nonetheless.

I'm glad that I'm through some of the hard stuff, though I know the road ahead doesn't promise ease. I hope that when I'm finishing up, I'll be able to look back it all and smile. I hope I'll hear the words " well done" from the One that really matters. If I could keep that in front of me each day of this journey, I'd be in good shape!

Time!

How does time get away so quickly?!? I intend to get on here more, read more, write more, visit more... Best intentions. I also intend to do better at planning school, helping with my husband's business, cleaning our house, folding our laundry, and just being a better mom and wife. I guess that answers the how time gets away so quickly piece....

A new chair

I was watching an old episode of "The Office" last week in which some of the office-mates were lobbying Michael (their boss) for new chairs. I can relate! I am currently sitting in a nice big fake leather chair, however, its seat is held together with black electrical tape, and its cushioning has been somewhat diminished by years of kids jumping in it to spin around and have all sorts of fun. Time to check out the office furniture store! I know it's a good time to find deals, but I'll be needing to find a super good one. If not, electrical tape chair and I will remain friends here..... (It was easier on the t.v. show - they had a budget surplus!!) :)

Parent visits

We have been doing foster care for just about a year now, as far as actively having a munchkin living with us, and I have to say that one of my least favorite things is still parent visit days. The wondering if parents will show each time... It's like pulling off a scab that's just starting to heal. It's painful to watch, and to be part of. I know it's part of the process, and necessary to a certain extent, but it's so stinking hard....

Ready for another holiday?

The holidays are done, and most are back to work and school, but my mind is already wandering to the next holiday, the next vacation.

I love traveling. I think it's in my blood. When I was a child my family was constantly heading somewhere for the weekend or even longer. We never went overseas or anything like that, but did lots of fun things that were driving destinations. One spot that we spent a lot of time in was Wildwood, New Jersey. A Jersey Shore beach vacation offered us lots of fun stuff, from camping to great Wildwood attractions and roller coasters, and it really was very reasonable. It doesn't appear that that has changed. I found some information about Morey's Piers, a staple among New Jersey attractions, and it looks like they are having their anual holiday sale right now. The sale runs December 1 through January 9, and customers can saved nearly 40% on a Season Pass to both of their waterparks. Right now, when I'm shivering in the snow in upstate New York, this sounds fabulous!

Hmmm... I need to finish working on balancing that Christmas checkbook and then we'll see if another holiday is a possibility anytime soon. Let me know if it works out for you!

Reading the Bible

I got this from my previous pastor's blog, and, well, he makes a great point much more eloquently than I would, so I wanted to share... :)

How long does it take to read the Bible? The answer is 77 hours and 22 minutes. That is the length of the NIV Bible being read out loud by Max McLean. You can purchase it for your I-Pod.

So if Max reads the Bible in 77 hours and 22 minutes - that is a total of 4642 minutes. If you read at Max's pace (which is not fast since it is dramatic and out loud) - it would take 12 minutes and 43 seconds per day for you to read the Bible through this year.

So often I've made this a goal, and then dropped the ball, but this makes it sound much more manageable, doesn't it? Bite size pieces.... I'm going to try again!

Undone

Ooohh, I found another quote that I like:

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone."
-- Lin Yutang

This really speaks to me. It tells me that it is actually noble for me to not dust my furniture, to leave that undone. I am doing a noble thing today :).

New Year Window Updates?

I am so domestically challenged!!
We got a new comforter for our bed for Christmas and I am "with it" enough to know that our curtains really don't match it, but not domestically smart enough to figure out what would. Should we just do another valance, or some of those swag kind of drapey things, or maybe something like bamboo blinds? I am clueless... Fortunately I have a ten year old daughter who is the self proclaimed expert in, well, just about everything... Time to call in the professionals! :)

Cholesterol and heart attack notes

I just received this email from TriVita. It does have some advertising links in it, but it also has some good information about things we can do to help with the problems associated with high cholesterol and heart attacks. Having a hubbie with high cholesterol, I especially appreciate all the good input I can get!

High Cholesterol and Heart Attacks

"Cholesterol screening is currently the gold standard for predicting heart attack risk, but nearly half of all heart attacks occur among men and women with normal cholesterol levels," notes Paul Ridker, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Does this surprise you? Most people are shocked to learn how little correlation there is between elevated cholesterol and heart attacks. Let’s look at the benefits of cholesterol, why some may experience elevated cholesterol, and heart attack markers that are more accurate in predicting heart attacks than cholesterol levels.

“Good” cholesterol?
We typically talk about blood lipids in terms of total cholesterol: LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol. We use the relative values of each of these fats in our blood to determine where we stand in terms of disease risk. Unfortunately, these numbers are misleading in half of the cases, leading to a false sense of alarm or security.

Cholesterol serves as the raw material from which your body makes many hormones. Vitamin D is made from cholesterol and many life-ending diseases are associated with a deficiency of Vitamin D.

In truth, all cholesterol is good in the proper balance – even LDL! Cholesterol-rich tissues such as brain cells rely on the fats delivered by LDL in order to function at their best. LDL brings the cholesterol from the liver to the place where it is needed; HDL carries unused cholesterol back to the liver for storage, recycling or excretion.

Why cholesterol levels rise

• Increased demand
  The most common reason why cholesterol levels rise is to supply an increased demand. For example, when your body needs to nourish brain cells or build hormones or Vitamin D, special messengers will be sent to request cholesterol release from the liver to meet the demand for this important raw material. Once your needs have been met, your body should reduce cholesterol production. However, with unrelenting stress and unyielding demands on our limited resources, the message to stop producing cholesterol may never get through.
  
  
• Stress
  Stress is one common reason why cholesterol levels rise.
  
  
• Low-fiber diet
  Another reason is that we eat a low-fiber diet. Cholesterol is recycled from the liver through the bile into the intestines and back to the liver. In a diet with minimum fiber levels (under age 50: 25 grams for women, 38 grams for men; over age 50: 21 grams for women, 30 grams for men) the excess levels of cholesterol will be absorbed and eliminated. In low-fiber diets the cholesterol is reabsorbed and recycled. The system becomes “closed” and levels rise.
  
  
• Hypercholesterolemia
  A third, less common reason for elevated cholesterol levels is fatal familial hypercholesterolemia – a rare genetic condition that causes cholesterol levels to rise uncontrollably. Statin medications were designed to combat this condition.

Reducing cholesterol and heart attacks
As mentioned at the outset, cholesterol levels alone do not serve us very well as determinants of heart attack risk. Homocysteine (HCY) levels are much more accurate in predicting who is at risk, and C-Reactive protein (CRP) is the best predictor for heart attack (as well as many other really bad conditions!).

Elevated cholesterol levels may be reduced with fiber such as TriVita’s Peaches and Cream; elevated homocysteine levels may be reduced with products such as TriVita’s HCY Guard. C-Reactive protein has been reduced quite consistently with essential fatty acid supplements such as OmegaPrime (1–6 grams daily). In medical literature, Omega-3 fats are consistently associated with reduced inflammation and reduced heart attack risk. Interestingly, some people respond well to fish oil while others respond better to flaxseed oil – a key reason why both ingredients are in OmegaPrime.

Learning to listen
High cholesterol levels on a blood test should be viewed as warning signals from our bodies. Elevated homocysteine sounds a louder alarm and high C-Reactive protein levels sound the loudest siren of all. We can translate these alarms into valid communication by learning what each lab value means and learn how to address them in terms of nutrients and nurturing.

Free Cell Phone!

I dropped my cell phone for what is probably the two hundredth time yesterday. I am constantly dropping that thing... I know that if I had to replace it with our service provider before our two year contract was up that I'd have to pay full price for a phone from them. I've been down that road before! Last year, just before I was eligible for a free phone, I, get this, dropped and flushed my phone down the toilet!! It went down!! I was only two weeks from getting a free one, and they wanted to charge me full price, which is about $100 for the cheapest basic phone!!! Anyway, I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to have a backup one, just in case I totally destroy the one I have before my free verizon phone opportunity again. I'm looking for the best cell phone deals out there, and I think I've come across a good site. It's called bestincellphones.com. They offer all sorts of different kinds of phones. They carry Sprint phones and Tmobile phones. They also carry at&t cell phones, which I know my husband would try to trade for, considering some of their new models. Lots of choices!! Anyway, once I have a few minutes with no little "helpers" here, I think I'll be checking this out a little more thoroughly. It will be nice to have a back up plan in place :).

Keep those new Christmas jeans blue

A quick one, but may prove helpful :)

A tip to keep those new jeans looking new. Turn jeans inside out before washing to help keep their color. Also, wash new ones with old jeans to help bring back some of the old ones' color. Very smart!! Love those tips!!!!

New Year Updates

I don't know about you, but I am already starting out the New Year trying to organize and streamline things in my life a little bit better. I've cleaned the pile(s) off of the kitchen counter, and actually tossed a few things out, gone through the bills pile, and checked my bank balances. I'm even contemplating folding a few baskets of laundry!! Am I getting good or what?!? :)

Something I want to do soon is really go through our ongoing expenses a little more carefully, seeing if there are places to cut costs a bit. I did find a new place for cheap web hosting that I want to put on my "check this one out" list. If I can cut my costs and still keep good service, I'm game! I found a web hosting review website that looks promising to help me make sure that my choice is a good one. They compare pricing, plan features, and review the top hosting companies. They also have articles to learn about web hosting. Sooo, I could save money and get a little bit smarter to boot :).

Any New Year's plans for you? (I know, they all can't be as exciting as mine :)).

4 things to do with table salt

I love these little tips that you can grab from magazines - these ones from Woman's Day:

4 things to do with table salt:

1. Remove odors from your hands (dip fingers in salt moisted with vinegar and rub together)
2. De-ice your doorway
3. Set tie-dye (mix 2 c. warm water with 1/3 c. salt and soak for 20 minutes)
4. Scrub away kitchen grease stains (salt on a wet sponge)

Happy New Year!!!

May your year be a wonderful one, full of blessings that last beyond the year!