More Photos

Still no time for blogging today, but since Cheryle like my recent nature photos, I'll add a few more from another couple of short hikes.

Flower and Bee

 
Not really much time for blogging today, but I did want to show off this cool photo I took this morning while hiking. 

Paranoia

There are four things that are never satisfied: the world of the dead; a woman without children; dry ground that needs rain; and a fire burning out of control. 30:16

Today I was asked, again, to amend a comment I put in someone's blog. I was asked ever so kindly and politely, and I simply gave the asker the directive to delete my comment. (And if this person is reading this post, please know that while your request got me thinking about paranoia, this post is not really aimed at you because I understand the reason for your request.)

This got me thinking about the nature of on-line communication. It made me think of why people use screen names instead of their own names, it made me think about why people have numerous screen names, or numerous blogs (I myself have two). It made me think about administrators tracking IP address so they know who is posting. It made me think about the online persona that I've seen put forth by people I know IRL, and wonder about the disconnect. It made me think about lurkers. It made me wonder about people who admit to paranoia and others who should.

In some ways online communication oozes with loneliness, people seeking social or emotional intimacy with someone--anyone, really. Or to quote the words of an anonymous friend of mine, "The blogosphere is largely composed of people seeking more human contact. We write to say something, or anything, that matters to someone, somewhere." Yet there persists a strong unwillingness to reveal truth about oneself. So often it seems we want to know, but not be known.

Overheard:

Just because you're not paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

Everybody's Getting Married

It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.

Late each spring I would hear this lament from my kids when they attended Christian colleges. It is late spring again and my kids have all graduated, but I'm still hearing it. And somehow it actually seemed true today when I was told by one of David's old girlfriends, whom I bumped into at the store while she was picking up stuff for her own wedding, that one of Rachel's old boyfriends was getting married next Saturday.

Overheard:

I'm ambidorkstrous--I fell off both sides of my motorbike.

Hidden Baby

Give to the poor and you will never be in need. 28:27a

I scarcely know who Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are, but, having myself given birth in a third world country, I ask why would someone rich and famous choose to go to Namibia to have their baby? Did they bring their own doctor, clean water, and blood supply along with them? Contrary to trying to "avoid photographers," I'd say this sounds like a publicity stunt.

Overheard:

4th grade was the hardest three years of my life.

Work and Play

The lazy man turns over in bed. He gets no farther than a door swinging on its hinges. 26:14

The Dallas Mavericks have won one and lost one in the NBA Western Conference finals. The games have not been on TV (well, they've been on cable, but we don't have cable) so we've listened on the radio. That radio station doesn't come in very well either, but we do have a couple digital radios that bring in the station pretty well. Rachel has become quite a fan.

While the game was on I kept working on things around the house. It is less than a week before we close the door between Rachel's end of the house and ours, so we're working hard to get everything ready for her to live on her own and do some things at our end of the house too. Today I installed a towel rack, a spice rack, a wax paper rack, hung two sets of cups and saucers for display, hung a medicine cabinet, and attached a folding ironing board to the wall. Tomorrow I need to put up valences in the newly painted guest room.

Overheard:

I'd be interested in cricket, but I don't have five free days.

Change Is Not Easy

An honest answer is a sign of true friendship. 24:26

From an email from my boss to our entire group:

4) One of our clever AA team members snooped out the Martin Van Buren reference letter. She discovered this link on urban legends. Apparently it has been used for purposes such as ours more than once! Seems that it doesn't float!
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/vanburen.htm

*takes bow*

Overheard:

I have to write it on the list so I can cross it off.

You Look Good In Red

Don't be envious of sinful people; let reverence for the Lord be the concern of your life. 23:17

If was nice of Jessica to come by with her bf today. I warned him that he was here so I could see if he passed inspection. Jessica reminded me of the post I made last Valentine's Day, so I explained to John that he must be a great guy to meet with Jessie's "list." And I believe I agree with her assessment. John, if you're reading this: you passed. :-)

Overheard:

Don't try to upload your photos in the early evening. That's when everbody and his blog is using the internet.

The Key to Everything

Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it. 22:9

Our boss came to work the other day, reached in his pocket and took out his keys, and unlocked the office door. The only thing strange about that was the key he used was to the back door of his house.

On a different note, I remembered something else the pastor said yesterday during his sermon: "Adam was made out of dirt, but Eve wasn't." Hmm...

I used to be on a forum where I used to have a signature where I used to put funny things that I used to hear. I may try that here:
Overheard:

Did you know the street price of the benzodiazepines is directly proportional to the rate at which they hyperpolarize neurons, thereby activating the dopaminergic system?

Proverbs

Do what is right and fair; that pleases the Lord more than bringing him sacrifices. 21:3

I've always liked the book of Proverbs, for several reasons, not the least of which is that it doesn't take a lot of brains to understand the proverbs. They work for people who have short attention spans. I can appreciate the direct and to-the-point style in which they are delivered, and I find them easy to apply to life in spite of the fact they were written millennia ago. It is convenient that the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters; I often read one each day of the month. I go there when I feel too stupid or cranky to understand other parts of Scripture. I've added a little template to my blog to give me a place to type in a proverb each time I post.

Church today was interesting. Our pastor is a good speaker, he's not hard to listen to, even for those of us whose minds easily wander. Today he wrapped up a series on stewardship in family life based on the familiar passage of Ephesians 5.

He had three funny little acronyms to help us remember how to treat family members.


HAT OFF -- Men should treat their wives:

• H - Honesty. Always tell the truth to your wife.
• A - Affection. Treat your wife with affection.
• T - Talk. Talk to your wife
• O - Opinion. Ask your wife her opinion about matters.
• F - Financial security. Consider it your responsibility to provide most of the funds for your family.
• F - Family commitment. Your wife needs you to love your kids.

HARP -- Wives should treat their husbands:

• H - Homemaking. Wives should take the lead.
• A - Admiration. Wives should express admiration however they can.
• R - Recreational companionship. Wives should find some fun things to do with their husbands.
• P - Physical affection. Well, we all know what this one means, so I won't elaborate. :-)

EAT OUT -- Kids should treat parents:

• E - Encourage your parents. They need it.
• A - Assist your parents when you can.
• T - Thank your parents for what they do for you.
• O - Obey your parents.
• U - Unconditionally love your parents.
• T - Trust. Behave in such a way as to deserve your parents' trust.
  

A Sport or Not A Sport?

Not. My proof: you have to get up at 6am on a Saturday to go watch it, and while you are there you have to whisper.

Shhh! Don't tell my in-laws who just took Gary there for the day that I said that.

Speaking of sports, the Mavs are really trying to drag this out, aren't they?

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

 
Scary, huh?

It is probably quite harmless, in spite of its looks. I know people like that too. 

Hibiscus

Sometimes things work like they are supposed to, and the result is beautiful.

Spiderwort

My still photo turned out to be an action photo.

In other news, Rachel found herself in an interesting situation today. She wants to apply for an open 2nd grade position at another Christian school, but to sign their Statement of Faith means stretching her interpretation of the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. I think she signed it, but added a note stating her slightly different position. We'll see if that will cause them to not even consider her application.

Your prayers are appreciated for her to find a job.

I've Joined the 21st Century

Free minutes starting at 6pm Central and weekends. Call me.

(But you'll have to email me first to get my number :-)

Back To Square One

Sometimes it just feels like my faith is being tested. Of course, that is predicted and shouldn't surprise me, huh? The current test is another disappointment that Rachel is having to endure. She did nothing wrong to end up in this situation, but that is small comfort when her hopes are dashed to the ground. Please be in prayer for God to give her peace, faith, and courage. And while you're praying for her, ask God to give me peace, faith, and wisdom to know how much or how little I should be involved. Sigh.

Mother's Day

This probably wasn't the very best Mother's Day I've ever had in my life, but I did find joy in hearing the sweet voice of my child singing in church.

Another child handed me a check for car insurance--I guess that made me happy too!

And I did get an very nice unexpected card in the mail that warmed my heart. Thanks, Chris and Mandie! You made me smile.

Why Don't You Tell Me What You Really Feel?

I try to be an honest person. But sometimes I find myself in a quandary. Which is better?

1. being honest and saying and doing all the bad things that you feel, or
2. being dishonest and saying and doing all the good things you don't feel?

In other words, is it being hypocritical or is it just old fashioned self-control to do or say the right thing when you feel like doing or saying the wrong thing?

The Bible says, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Or to put it in a more modern translation, "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." If that is true, maybe my attempts to "do right even if I don't feel like it" aren't even possible. The evil in my heart will come out even if I try to stop it.

Obviously, the ideal situation is to have a perfect, sinless heart. Then one would always be assured that their words and their actions were good, right, and sinless.

Is that ever going to happen?

Is dot ex ex ex a Good Idea or Not?

If I were still posting over at Zeal For Truth, I'd start a topic in the Current Events section to discuss whether or not it is a good idea for the ICANN's (Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers) to set up a domain name especially for pornography. In some ways it sounds like setting aside a park in Amsterdam just for heroin addicts. In other ways, it might make it easier for people to avoid porn if they want to (or want their children to). The technically saavy--though not necessarily strictly conservative--believers there might have some insight into this topic.

Apologies

I've had to apologize to so many people for so many reasons lately, I'm getting really good at it. :-/

Whether or not my apologies are accepted is something I can't control.

I had thought about typing out the Four A's of an Apology. Then I remembered I had already blogged about that topic a while back. Here's the list, now with a fifth A:

Acknowledge the facts of the sin.
Admit it was wrong.
Apologize.
Ask forgiveness.
Accept responsibility for the consequences.

Sigh. None of that is easy. But this is one area where scripture has a lot to say that is relevant, no passage more so than I John 1:9:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Happy Mommy's Recipe Collection

It has been pointed out to me that sometimes my Empty Nest blog is too informative, too open, too public, too offensive, too revealing, or just plain "not appropriate." I'm guessing it would be OK if I typed out cookie recipes.

Therefore, I am repenting and will try to be nicer. I will try to follow the words of my late father, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." I suppose that could mean a lot fewer posts, huh? :-/

In case I never post again (just kidding), here is a recipe. Good if you need desert for a crowd.

Chocolate Peanut Bars

Combine in large saucepan:
1 ½ cups light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Bring to boil over medium heat, boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add
1 cup peanut butter
and mix well. Then stir in and mix well:
7 cups cornflakes
2 cups salted peanuts
Press into heavily greased jelly roll pan (oversized 12in.x17in. works well) with slightly wet hands. For topping, melt together in microwave:
2 cups chocolate chips
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons shortening
Spread over bars with back of spoon.
Refrigerate until topping is set then cut into bars. Makes 4 dozen or more.

Prayer Request

Although this photo looks relaxed, at the moment Andrew and Laura are moving into stress mode trying to sort out visas, sell belongings, and pack to leave Ethiopia next Thursday night. Please pray for them. I remember preparing for a couple intercontinental moves during my first year of marriage and I wasn't sure there was still going to be a marriage at certain times during that process! May God grant them grace and mercy.

Nesting

Rachel continues to collect things for having her own place to live. She's buying some, begging some, and making do with stuff from the missionary barrel some. She seems to be having way too much fun doing this and when I tease her about "playing house," she replies that she's not playing.

I know one day she hopes to have a real house complete with husband and kids, but for now, this will do.

Value Added Miracles

The first miracle God did was making something out of nothing--ex nihilo--voila! his beautiful creation.

Since then, He seems to specialize in taking something small, and turning it into something better:

dust -----> Adam
Adam's rib -----> Eve
small flask of oil -----> many jars of oil sold for food
20 loaves -----> enough for 100 prophets
5 loaves, 2 fish -----> feeding the 5000
water -----> wine
mud -----> healing the blind
mustard-seed faith -----> mountain-moving ability

Multicultural Dinner

While the company was decidedly multicultural--Indian, Korean, Swiss, British, American who grew up in the Philippines--the dinner was decidedly American--grilled burgers and chicken, homemade potato salad and slaw, followed by peanutbutter cookies. It was just a tad too cold to eat outside, but it tasted like a picnic.

Gary will be helping to lead a workshop next for the next two weeks for these and other folks using software for managing vernacular dictionaries and cultural data.

50 Years

(I stole this photo from the website below.)

This week SIL has been celebrating 50 years of service in Papua New Guinea. It has been many years since I've been to PNG, but I'm happy to see the celebrations anyway.

In 1976 Gary and I did "Jungle Camp" (boot camp) near Madang before we moved to the Solomon Islands. We had only been married a few months by then. When I think back on it, we had a pretty stressful first year of marriage. I always tell newlyweds the first year is the worst!

We went back to PNG in 1987 with three kids in tow--that turned out to be a miserable trip for me because all three kids had the chicken pox during that trip--one after the other. I may as well have stayed home since the kids and I were banished to our house nearly the entire time we were there.

In the photo above the musicians are playing lengths of bamboo pipes with a rubber flipflop. It makes a cool "Pacific sound."

Humans Use Tools

"The guy who invented the socket wrench was a genius."

Shopping

(That silly titmouse has quit banging its head into the glass door, but is still outside mournfully crying for something or someone.)

We spent the day shopping for stuff for Rachel's apartment, which turned out to be mostly window shopping because we couldn't make our minds up. We are trying to find a table, a toaster oven, and a refrigerator, and not spend too much money doing so. She's not going to be happy to hear that I just discovered that I have to buy a new washer, giving me reason to spend less on the stuff for her place. (Unfortunately, she doesn't get her first paycheck until September.) In the words of my late grandmother, "She has champagne taste on a beer budget." We'll keep looking in the missionary barrel too, to see what we can get for free.

Speaking of free, Rachel is going to the Maverick's playoff game tonight for free, so I hope the Mavs win!

Crazy Titmouse

Were You There When I Made the World?

If you get fed up with the doldrums of your life, as I recently have, the Lord's poetry of rhetorical questions in Job 38-39 can furnish a bit of perspective. (copied from Crosswalk.com, TEV)

1 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job. 2 Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? 3 Now stand up straight and answer the questions I ask you.

4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea when it burst from the womb of the earth? 9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds and wrapped it in darkness. 10 I marked a boundary for the sea and kept it behind bolted gates. 11 I told it, "So far and no farther! Here your powerful waves must stop."

12 Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn? 13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth and shake the wicked from their hiding places? 14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out like the folds of a garment, clear as the imprint of a seal on clay. 15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence. 16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea? Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? 17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates that guard the dark world of the dead? 18 Have you any idea how big the world is? Answer me if you know. 19 Do you know where the light comes from or what the source of darkness is? 20 Can you show them how far to go, or send them back again? 21 I am sure you can, because you're so old and were there when the world was made! 22 Have you ever visited the storerooms, where I keep the snow and the hail? 23 I keep them ready for times of trouble, for days of battle and war. 24 Have you been to the place where the sun comes up, or the place from which the east wind blows?

25 Who dug a channel for the pouring rain and cleared the way for the thunderstorm? 26 Who makes rain fall where no one lives? 27 Who waters the dry and thirsty land, so that grass springs up? 28 Does either the rain or the dew have a father? 29 Who is the mother of the ice and the frost, 30 which turn the waters to stone and freeze the face of the sea? 31 Can you tie the Pleiades together or loosen the bonds that hold Orion? 32 Can you guide the stars season by season and direct the Big and the Little Dipper? 33 Do you know the laws that govern the skies, and can you make them apply to the earth? 34 Can you shout orders to the clouds and make them drench you with rain? 35 And if you command the lightning to flash, will it come to you and say, "At your service"? 36 Who tells the ibis when the Nile will flood, or who tells the rooster that rain will fall? 37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds and tilt them over to pour out the rain, 38 rain that hardens the dust into lumps? 39 Do you find food for lions to eat, and satisfy hungry young lions 40 when they hide in their caves, or lie in wait in their dens? 41 Who is it that feeds the ravens when they wander about hungry, when their young cry to me for food?

1 Do you know when mountain goats are born? Have you watched wild deer give birth? 2 Do you know how long they carry their young? Do you know the time for their birth? 3 Do you know when they will crouch down and bring their young into the world? 4 In the wilds their young grow strong; they go away and don't come back. 5 Who gave the wild donkeys their freedom? Who turned them loose and let them roam? 6 I gave them the desert to be their home, and let them live on the salt plains. 7 They keep far away from the noisy cities, and no one can tame them and make them work. 8 The mountains are the pastures where they feed, where they search for anything green to eat. 9 Will a wild ox work for you? Is he willing to spend the night in your stable? 10 Can you hold one with a rope and make him plow? Or make him pull a harrow in your fields? 11 Can you rely on his great strength and expect him to do your heavy work? 12 Do you expect him to bring in your harvest and gather the grain from your threshing place?

13 How fast the wings of an ostrich beat! But no ostrich can fly like a stork. 14 The ostrich leaves her eggs on the ground for the heat in the soil to warm them. 15 She is unaware that a foot may crush them or a wild animal break them. 16 She acts as if the eggs were not hers, and is unconcerned that her efforts were wasted. 17 It was I who made her foolish and did not give her wisdom. 18 But when she begins to run, she can laugh at any horse and rider.

19 Was it you, Job, who made horses so strong and gave them their flowing manes? 20 Did you make them leap like locusts and frighten people with their snorting? 21 They eagerly paw the ground in the valley; they rush into battle with all their strength. 22 They do not know the meaning of fear, and no sword can turn them back. 23 The weapons which their riders carry rattle and flash in the sun. 24 Trembling with excitement, the horses race ahead; when the trumpet blows, they can't stand still. 25 At each blast of the trumpet they snort; they can smell a battle before they get near, and they hear the officers shouting commands.

26 Does a hawk learn from you how to fly when it spreads its wings toward the south? 27 Does an eagle wait for your command to build its nest high in the mountains? 28 It makes its home on the highest rocks and makes the sharp peaks its fortress. 29 From there it watches near and far for something to kill and eat. 30 Around dead bodies the eagles gather, and the young eagles drink the blood.

Home Alone in the Empty Nest

I started this blog a couple years ago as a way to deal with (dare I say it?) the heartache that I felt from all my kids growing up and leaving home. I think I could fairly be described as a "hands-on" mother. In fact, that would be a kind way to say it, if you know what I mean.

This past year my nest really hasn't been very empty. Last May, after being away for 5 years, Rachel graduated from an out-of-state university and moved back home. (The two boys were already mostly on their own, although with all the chores they give me to do, you might be tempted to think otherwise from time to time.) In general it has been a good thing for me to have Rachel home these past several months. I've enjoyed having her here, talking about the things going on in her life, having someone additional to cook for.

But there are problems with her living with us too, I readily admit. She herself vacillates from enjoying the easy life here, to screaming for a place of her own. Some of the remarks from her friends about my (over)involvement in her life have been hurtful to me (and I'm sure I haven't heard the half of them). The reason they hurt is because they are at least partly true. When I ponder this, I get very sad and think about if I were just not here, there would be no question of whether or not I should be part of a given adult child's life--that question would already be settled. Said child would just have to figure out a way to solve X problem without wondering if he or she should ask mom for help or advice.

Gosh, I'm sounding morose, aren't I? I think part of the problem is that I am feeling a great deal of loss at leaving a forum I used to be a part of. I talked with people there for two years, mostly young people, and I guess I kind of substituted them for kids of my own, and now I've lost them too. I am grieving the loss of those relationships, and feel a little bit angry and bitter because that loss was not caused by any real choice of my own.

Another reason I'm feeling loss is that Rachel is getting more and more independent (that's the good part) and that means she is leaving me too (that's the sad part). She has slowly been gaining independence for some years, but that process has recently gone into high gear. She has recently found a job in her field, bought a car and started driving again, and is making arrangements to have an independent household starting June 1. All of this is what we've wanted for Rachel, and indeed prayed much for, but now that it is really happening, I feel the loss at her leaving me--that empty nest feeling is coming back again.

So, what should I do about it? If I were just a little younger and a little richer, I would seriously consider adopting kids. At this stage, I'm probably too old and can't afford it anyway. Whenever I talk to my husband about these feelings, he hands me a list of projects to do for him. Yes, he's right, I could fill the emptiness by just working more. I mean, that would be good for him, if not necessarily that fulfilling for me.

On personality tests I score right in the middle between extrovert and introvert. I like my time alone, but when I fill up all my time alone with just paperwork and technology, I lose interest and become sad. I need relationships with people too, and that is the best way I can describe the loss I'm feeling.

Tuesdays

Occasional bloggers--that is, those who aren't in the habit of blogging daily--most often post on Tuesdays. Has anyone besides me noticed that??

If you want to see a couple more photos from Crossroads, check out Rachel's xanga site. (Crossroads was a blessing to her, but it is turning out to be a bit of a curse too--she had to go to the doctor today for a systemic allergic reaction that won't go away--an allergy to the stage makeup, we think.)

Hot

Today's date is April 17. The temperature got up to 102 in the Dallas metroplex today. There is such a demand for energy at the moment, there are rolling brownouts across the city. This means many street lights are not working, making for a mess for the evening commuters. The newscasters are telling people to turn off appliances in their homes.

We haven't had any rain lately either, and the poor bluebonnets look miserable this year due to the lack of rain.

If it is this bad in April, what will July be like??

New Life

Thanks be to God who gives us new life in Christ.

My blogging software doesn't do that cute thing like Xanga does--showing the music I'm currently listening to. But if it did, I'd mention that I'm listening to Easter Song by 2nd Chapter of Acts (I kind of give away my age with that, don't I?).

He is risen indeed!

Jew

Someone said she'd make a good Jew, and indeed she did. We attended the Crossroads performance tonight. It was a blessing for us to watch, and it was a blessing for Rachel to participate.

School Shopping

"Well, I'd like to buy these, but really I should first find out if they prefer Zaner-Bloser or D'Nelian. ... Wow, Mom, don't I sound like a professional??"

Foot Washing

"May your heart be clean, may your mind be clean, and may your feet be clean," she told me as she dried my feet.

The Joys of Missionary Life

... or not.

I saw a friend today who is leaving tomorrow for a month on a company business trip. "I'll be living like a monk in a tiny hotel room," he told me. What I wanted to say to him, but didn't, was "Well, you could have used your frequent flyer miles to take your wife with you. She'd like to go, you know." The reason I didn't speak is because I knew he had, of his own free will, used his frequent flyer miles to book this trip, saving the company a chunk of money. Nice for the company, but not so nice for his wife.

Go Mavs, part II

Yay! Someone actually read this blog and sent me a few more photos to go with the one from yesterday. I do remember David saying, after coming home from this game, "He's the nicest billionaire I've ever shaken hands with."

Go Mavs!

I have had a lousy day. I've been both irritated and irritable, both annoyed and annoying. But we all hate those blogs when people just air out their gripes, don't we? So instead, I'm going to "fake it til I make it" and show you this funny photo. Actually, the funny part is the pink "Go Mavs!" note that was stuck to the back of this photo, placed there nearly two years ago by Doro, our German exchange daughter. Before she left us she hid dozens of these little notes around our house, and as you can see, we're still finding them. This one surfaced tonight when we were cleaning off a bulletin board.

Palm Sunday

The one day Christ got the praise he deserved--nevermind the fact that those who praised him had no idea what they were saying and would kill him later in the week.

"If You're Going to Put It In Your Body,

...then don't buy it at the Dollar Store."

These were Gary's words of wisdom for today after tasting the black olives I bought there.

Yes, he got home from Australia safely yesterday, nice to have him back. He's just been told by his boss he has to go to DC for a short trip in the middle of the month, then to Denver late in the month. He's missing the only month we have beautiful weather in Dallas.

A lot of the past week was spent with the details of getting Rachel set up to get on with her life: car, job, apartment. If you're interested in knowing more, check here and here.

Up On the Hoist, Daddy!

I'm over 50 years old, but today I remembered something I did when I was less than 10. The man who is fixing up Rachel's car needed help with bleeding the brakes and since Rachel was babysitting, I went to the auto shop to help him out. Halfway through the procedure he said, "I'm sending you up on the lift."

My mind flooded with happy memories of running around my dad's garage, watching bubbles in the tank of water to check inner tube repairs, counting plow shares, and getting rides up on the hoist.

Your Fat Mama

David called today with questions about our family medical history.

"...So now you understand why I ate everything in sight when I was pregnant with you."

"And I thank you."

Don't Buy Junk Food

...at the health food store. The results are always disappointing.

Number 10

David called the other night to tell me he now attends one of the top 10 medical schools.

That reminds me. When we lived in Honiara (capital of the Solomon Islands), the hospital was nicknamed Namba Naen (Number 9) from some WWII designation. To make jokes, the Solomon Islanders would call the cemetary Namba Ten.

(OK, not one of my readers knows anything about the Solomon Islands, so you can just ignore the previous paragraph.)

Farewell to Zach

One of my favorite Indiana boys has finished his schooling here and will be on his way to Nigeria as soon as he can raise the funds he needs. He plans to spend three years surveying languages in Nigeria, determining where Bible translation projects are needed.

After cheesecake and Zach's speech, they played spoons. If you want to see this game in action, click here.

2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad

Praise the Lord with us! Today Rachel signed a contract for a job and got a car!

She will be teaching 2nd grade at Christway Academy, a Christian school only a few miles from our house. Her job doesn't really start until August, but she is already making plans for bulletin boards, telling me she "needs" to go shopping to buy classroom supplies, and wondering out loud about all the things teachers have to deal with. And in spite of currently being certified as a teacher in both Oklahoma and Texas, she now has to secure yet another certification, this one for Christian schools.

The car is an older model Subaru, and for being as old as it is, it only has 80,000 miles. We haven't actually bought it yet; we're test driving it over the weekend and will decide by Monday. But Rachel drove it home and seems to like it pretty well.

Thank God with us for his blessings to Rachel.

I'm Dyeing

As a good missionary, I cannot in good conscience, throw a perfectly good pair of Gary's pants away, just because he doesn't like the color. So I'm trying my hand at changing them from almost white to dark brown. I'll just hang them up in his closet and when he gets home from down under, he won't even notice that they aren't white anymore.

On My Knees

Last Thursday at my Bible study we sang this song, and we sang it again yesterday at church. It is a simple, quiet song, but has a powerful message. I was especially caught by the words of verse 3--sometimes we do find ourselves in a sadness that is not of our own choice, and there really is nothing to do about it except turn to our Lord.

When I don't know what I need
I need to get on my knees
When waves of doubt crash over me
I need to get on my knees

On my knees I find refuge
On my knees I find grace
On my knees I can feel You
Like we're meeting face to face
When I don't know what I need
I need to get on my knees

When I don't have strength to stand
I need to reach for Your hand
When life feels like sinking sand
I need to reach for Your hand

In Your hand I find refuge
In Your hand I find grace
In Your hand I can feel You
Like we're meeting face to face
When I don't have strength to stand
I need to reach for Your hand

When life leaves me with no choice
I must listen for Your voice
When lies confuse me with their noise
I must listen for Your voice

In Your voice I find refuge
In Your voice I find grace
In Your voice I can feel You
Like we're meeting face to face
When life leaves me with no choice
I will listen for Your voice

On my knees I find refuge
On my knees I find grace
On my knees I can feel You
Like we're meeting face to face
When I don't know what I need
I need to get on my knees

And just to prove how much I like this song, and spurred on by my efforts of yesterday, I purchased this song for download for $.88. Only after doing so did I learn that I'm not able to import it into iTunes. It can only be played by Windows Media Player.

Free Music Downloads

I suppose all my young readers will roll their eyes and say, "duh," but I'm just now learning about all the nice free music one can find on the internet. A while ago, my daughter showed me iTunes software and how to "rip" my small collection of CDs. Recently I found that if you find a place that says "free download" and click on it, the song goes straight to iTunes. Cool.

Today I found a bunch of songs by a group called PBC & Onora. I couldn't find any biographical info about them, but I like their Celtic sound, pure and simple, strong female voices.

And if you want to hear some less-beautiful, yet still entertaining, music--then click over to Linda's Family News and see the video from today's church hoedown. Yee-Ha!

Another Online Friend IRL

It was fun today to meet another person from an online forum I used to be a part of. He joined us for lunch at my very favorite place to eat, Ton's Mongolian BBQ. We talked him into entertaining us with a mini concert before he hit the road for DC.

Prayer Request

Rachel was awakened this morning by a phone call from a principal of a local Christian school asking her to fill out an application for a position that had just opened up. Just yesterday Rachel had called this school and was told it would be a month before they knew if there would be any openings. So at the moment Rachel is busy filling out a lengthy application which includes an essay on "What is your philosophy of Christian Education?" Lucky for her, she had this very same essay as a question in one of her Ed classes at college, and she was easily able to find it on her computer. So that will give her a good start.

Please pray for her and this application--she really needs a job, and this particular school is within easy driving distance.

Other Rachel news: Today she paid yet another fee to the State of Texas to apply for her Standard Teaching Certificate since she passed the two required exams. Also, we've about given up on the hope that she would find a used Toyota Echo within our price range, so now we're back to looking at other small cars. A car-dealer friend is looking for us, and said he has a small Subaru for her to try out early next week.

Last night Rachel attended the singles' Bible study from church and came home overwhelmed with stories of difficulties various ones were undergoing. With a laugh she summed up her own troubles: no car, no job, no boyfriend. Wouldn't it be a blessing for Rachel to get a car and a job soon so she could be happy about at least two out of three??

Thirsty White Kitty

Warning: if you have dial-up, it might take forever to download this video even though it is only 45 seconds long.

I got bored the other day and decided to look on my new computer and see if it included any video editing software. I found something called Movie Maker so I tried it out. (No, I don't think I'll quit my day job :-)

Click on the triangle.

Ouch!

Yesterday I cut my finger pretty deep. I was trying to split some speaker wire and I was using a paring knife in a stupid way. I stopped the bleeding with a dish cloth, then made a butterfly closure with duct tape, added a bandaid, then wrapped the whole finger in a piece of tee shirt. For punishment for my folly, I've had to endure three things:

1. Pain.
2. Having to explain the story to my coworkers.
3. Having my medical student son ask me, "Mom, have you been reading Where There Is No Doctor again?

Rainy Sunday

I had my camera with me at church today, so the folks in the back seat took these photos while I was trying to drive. We've had such a drought for such a long time, but it looks like the rains this weekend will start to make a dent in that lack. As Rachel said, this is a good day to stay inside and cuddle up with a book in bed. (Except how can I do that when there are so many basketball games on TV in my bedroom?)

It Is Not Good For Man To Be Alone

...even at this age.

Today we attended a wedding of two 70+ year olds, a first marriage for her. I was going to make jokes about how he tried to keep it "just friends," or about how they have a website just like all the young couples these days, or about the special wheelchair section at their large wedding venue. Or I was even thinking to mention how someone asked me, "At that age can they, um,...well,...um, enjoy themselves?" :-)

But I won't. I'll just say that all weddings make me cry.

March Madness -- Overheard

Those guys just can't pass, can they?

Why isn't my school playing in this tournament?


*******************************************

I've had two blogs for quite a while, this one and one called Linda's Family News. Often the second one has been a subset of this one, but I'm thinking to change that. I'm going to try putting less personal news in this blog and put it instead in Linda's Family News. If any readers of The Empty Nest want to keep up with our family news, just click on the link I've put in the right column.

And how do you like the new counter I installed with the cool world map? I stole the idea from someone else's blog. It is fun to see dots where all my friends and family live.

Red-winged Blackbird, female

I stole this image from the internet, but there were nine of these on my feeder last weekend. I searched the bird book and decided it must be a female red-winged blackbird, but why so many of them with no males? After further research I learned that juvenile birds look like females and also that the birds segregate such that the juveniles and females forage together and the males forage together, explaining why they all looked like females on the feeder.

Dead Roses

A hope for new growth via replanting.

Goodbye, ZFT

Due to reasons I won't go into here, I'm leaving an online community that I've participated in for over two years, Zeal For Truth. I've enjoyed my time there, and I think I've made a few friends, most of whom are young enough to be my kids. I think of them as my nieces and nephews, and they call me Aunt Linda. In fact, the screen name I used there actually means "your mother/maternal aunt."

Many times over the two years I've felt led to pray for ZFT members. Maybe they've prayed for me from time to time too, and I appreciate that. The highlight of my time at ZFT wasn't an online event at all. It was attending IRL the wedding of a couple who met each other there. It was cool to meet in person the people I had only formed online ideas about.

If any ZFTers read this blog, please know that I'm not mad at anyone there. It is just time for me to move on.

I'm blocking public comments to this blog, but as usual, if anyone has anything to say to me about this post, I can be reached at thainamu at gmail.com

Happy Birthday, David!

David came home for the weekend so we could celebrate with him. We took him to Ton's and we took him to Beauty and the Beast and made cheesecake and Italian Cream Cake.

Rachel's Week

..ended better than it began. On Tuesday she had a job interview that she felt went well, but she hasn't heard anything yet. Wednesday through Friday she had full days of teaching these four kids whose parents were attending a conference. I was truely amazed at how well she organized all the activities, and how much the kids seemed to enjoy it.



14-year old Jeremy was a big help too.


Today she took them on a nature walk.

Then made puzzles from a group photo.


Then made empanadas.


Then after she dragged herself home she looked up on the internet and found out that she had passed the last Texas teacher test--yay! I had been saving this gift for her till she passed--a set of stamps about children's books and the books to go with the stamps.

Dr. Simons

All the academics at SIL are trying to get their professional websites updated. The webmistress was complaining that Gary's didn't have a photo, and Gary was complaining that all the photos we did have looked bad. So at lunch I told him to stop complaining and go put a shirt and tie on and we'd make our own "professional" photo. It isn't all that great, but it is the best out of the 20 we took. Ain't monopoly film great??

I'm thinking it might be time to shave the top of his head. What do you think?

A Thousand Pieces

Rachel's boyfriend broke up with her last night. No fight, just a quiet, "this isn't working and I don't think it ever will." He was kind enough to talk with me about it too, which I know wasn't easy for him, and which I appreciate.

I had suspected this might happen, so I wasn't exactly surprised. I'm not angry, but I am sad. I will continue to pray that God will bring the right woman to him at the right time--the same thing I've been praying for three and a half years.

Needless to say, Rachel's heart is broken. She had been convinced for some time that he was the one she would marry. Besides her emotions, she will have two other things to deal with. First, it will be hard for her to face the fact that she thought she heard God's voice in wanting to marry him, but apparently she didn't. Something like that could shake one's faith.

Second, in some ways the worst part of this for Rachel will be losing her best friend, because he was that as well as her boyfriend. But they have tried the "let's just be friends" route in the past without much success, so I have asked them not to do that again. I fear they will just find themselves back in the same situation if they spend time together as friends: attracted to each other, but he unwilling to marry her. I don't want her to go on that emotional roller coaster again, so I've asked him not to see her again unless he wants to marry her.

Even so, they will need to come to some kind of understanding about their lost relationship, and they will need God's grace and wisdom as they move on with their lives.

If I were allowed to arrange marriages, I would have arranged for him to marry Rachel. I always thought the two of them fit together pretty well (though not perfectly). And--no offense to either one of them--they are both somewhat odd ducks who seemed to be able to accept the other's eccentricies.

The only negative thing I have to say about his treatment of Rachel comes from the fact that, indeed, he never loved her: he was generous with her in all ways except with his time. It was sad to me to see him doling out his time to her in measured drops, when I felt she deserved to be flooded. I guess that is how he will one day know he has found the right girl--he will want to always be with her.

Let me end by saying that I appreciate the kind and gentle way he always treated Rachel, even if he never loved her.

I'm blocking public comments, but you can email me at thainamu at gmail.com if you have anything to say.

www.pinkunderwear.com

We're not quite sure why Gary got these for his birthday. We'll have to ask his mom. :-)

I spent some time this past weekend adding two new sets of photos to my website--one of Gary's recent trip to Bremen, Germany and the other of David's trip to Ethiopia last Christmas. Unfortunately, the space I am allotted for my website on Comcast is full, so every time I want to add new photos, I have to take off some of the older ones, which is a bummer. I also updated a few things on David's page. I need to update several other things.

Rachel has a 3-day job this week taking care of 4 kids whose parents are at the Center for a conference. She is busy, busy preparing lesson plans, craft projects, and a fun nature hike. The pay is pretty good, but it is taking her hours of preparation ahead of time, so that makes up for it. Tomorrow she will volunteer at the Center childcare too, then lead the lesson on James at her singles' group, so she has lots to do this week. We are still praying for her to find a real job.

How and What to Pray

I didn't go to church today, because I'm sick. Well, I am probably not so sick that I had to stay home, but I didn't think I should work my shift in the nursery, and I didn't want to listen to people say, "Oh, you sound so bad, you should be home in bed." I am feeling better than a couple days ago.

I've been wondering how to pray for the people I love. It seems like I'm not smart enough to know how to pray specifically. I mean, I could be tempted to pray for a certain specific thing or another, but what if that thing isn't what God wants? After all, I'm not omniscient, I don't really know what specific things God wants for a given person.

Instead, I'm looking at God's Word, and finding things from scripture, things I can pray for myself and for others that I know can't possibly be the wrong thing to ask for. I'm using the 1st person singular pronoun here, but it could also be 3rd person.

Lord,

• make me hunger and thirst for righteousness
• make me find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord
• make me meditate on your word day and night
• help me to draw near to you, oh God
• let the Spirit direct my life
• give me your Spirit to make me wise
• reveal yourself to me
• open my mind to see your light
• help me to know the hope you've called me to
• help me to know how great is the power working in me
• help me to live a life that measures up to God's standards
• give me power in the spirit to be strong in my inner self
• make your home in my heart
• make my roots and foundation go deep in your love
• make me come to know your love
• make me be filled with the very nature of God
• make my heart and mind new
• help me be like you
• control me with your love

...to be continued.

Sick

I've not been feeling all that great this week with a sore throat, achy muscles, and a stuffy head (I hate when I can't breathe through my nose). I wondered if it were allergies, which I've never had, but which people who live in Dallas seem to get overnight, even at an advanced age such as mine. But then I had a fever yesterday, so I guess it must be a cold or the flu. But wait, didn't I get a flu shot??

If I'm not feeling better by tomorrow, Gary will have to take my turn in the nursery, which he kind of enjoys doing, even though he never volunteers.

10 Commandments in Court

Remember all that fuss a while ago about having the 10 Commandments displayed in a courtroom? Well, if they want to get rid of them in Bremen, Germany, they will have to tear the whole building down. At the bottom of the wall there is a carving of Moses with the tablets.

Not too much going on here. I'm done making breakfasts. Gary is trying to catch up on his work from being gone a week.

Rachel has applied for two more positions. One is at a childcare in town that advertised an opening in the local paper. The other was a completely unexpected phone call from the elementary principal at a Christian school asking her to send in her resume. She has no idea how he got her name. That, IMHO, would be an ideal job for Rachel. Please continue to pray that something will open up.

In the mean time, she continues to pick up a few small childcare jobs and she has agreed to volunteer two days a week at the Center childcare until she finds a paying job. This gives her a chance to play with the babies, and gives her a reason to get up in the morning. She will work there Tues and Friday, 7:45am-12:45pm. She's also helping Andrew send out tickets that he resells, and is still helping the folks with organizing their book of poetry. And she is teaching children's church once a month and working in the church nursery once a month, and singing in an upcoming Easter production. So she has a few things to keep her busy, but not all of them generate income.

Speaking of income, we've been happy with the way Rachel has saved nearly every penny she has made at these odd jobs in order to save for a car. So we will try to give her some funds to add with what she has so she can buy a car soon. We really feel like she needs to be practicing her driving again, so we are hoping to find a car sooner rather than later. That is a prayer request too.

More Cake

Turns out Gary had an early birthday cake too, this one at Doro's house during the first part of the week he was in Germany. He really enjoyed his time with her too, and we hear a rumor that she is thinking about coming to visit us again, maybe next summer.

One more day of making breakfast for visitors. Not as many have been coming the last few days, so my job has not been hard. Rachel has been getting up to help me, so that has been nice too. Gary seems to think it is nice to have coffee and cooked breakfast waiting for him--I hope he doesn't think this will continue...

Rachel still looks for a job. She applied at another day care in Duncanville today. We sure wish she would get hired soon.

A little bit of good news for the Impact Children's Library in Ethiopia. Andrew's boss was willing to carry 50 pounds of these books with him as he goes there to visit, so I shipped two boxes to him today. Pray they get there by the weekend so he can have them on time for his flight.

An Extra Long Birthday on Two Continents

Gary's birthday started out with a bang--or at least a sparkle--with a cake served to him at one minute after midnight in Heilbronn, Germany. Our first German exchange daughter, Sandra, made Gary stay awake watching X-Files DVDs until midnight, when her mom woke up her dad, and Sandra produced a birthday cake with sparklers. They also gave him a nice leather toiletries bag for a gift.

Five hours later they drove him to Frankfurt where he got the flight home, and was on the curb waiting for me when I got there right on time this afternoon. (The flight arrived early, but I didn't know that because our stupid internet connection has been down all weekend due to rain.)

So when he got here we had another little party for him--cheesecake, books, and Starburst jelly beans for him, and the rest of the presents for us: German chocolate, German gummy bears, and a specialty call "Snowballs" that are some kind of pastry that is kind of hard to explain.

Privy to Certain Information

It is mostly kids the age of my kids who have blogs, and mostly the parents of those kids don't even know what blogs are. And mostly kids who have blogs know, or at least think they know, that their parents do not read their blogs.

For instance, there are a group of kids I know who all have blogs, and they just happen to be the offspring of adults I also know. So what happens is this: I hear the parents say things about their kids when the kids are not there, and I read about the lives of these same kids on their blogs. Sometimes I realize that I know more about a young person's life (at least a given situation in their life) than their parents do. Sometimes I realize that I know more about an adult's life than their child does.

This situation makes me feel a tad awkward from time to time.

Breakfast with the Missionaries

My job for the next 8 days is to have breakfast ready for 0-16 people who will walk in at 7:15am (the dining hall doesn't do breakfast). Coffee is the hardest part--since I don't drink it, I hardly know how to make it. The overheard conversation (I pretend to be busy in the kitchen) is the best part--today it ranged from worms growing in the dirt floor of one's village house, to federalism, to happy herbs pizza,

Answers to Prayers

Last Sunday our Sunday School class was very low in numbers due to the bad weather. The four of us who were there sat in a circle and shared "prayer and praise." A woman told how her teenaged daughter had recently turned away from a bad crowd she had started to get involved with and was showing real signs of seeking the Lord. That was a joy to hear in and of itself, but then it slowly dawned on me that several months ago I had felt a real burden to pray for this girl, which I did, for several days. Then I forgot all about her and the fact that I prayed for her, until her mom mentioned this change in her life.

What does that mean?

Downy Woodpecker

This isn't that great of a photo, but you get the idea. I've been enjoying all the feathered friends who come for lunch, including this small male Downy Woodpecker.

I talked to a young single friend today who asked me who I was refering to in my first Valentine's post. I laughed and said, "No, I'm not naming any names." "You don't have to, I know you were talking about me!" she laughed. One reason she was so forgiving is because she has recently started dating someone. Now she needs to bring him by so I can see if I approve!