Shorts Season

The crisp springtime air is about to give way to 85-degree summer weather this weekend. And thus ushers in Shorts Season! There is that awkward, yet short-lived period of time when we women shed our comfortable, flaw-hiding jeans and slip into those revealing, baring shorts for the very first time that year. Our legs are awful white, and we've perhaps slacked all winter in the shaving-department. There may be some added girth in the thighs that we don't remember from last year. And it only takes a moment before we rip the dreadful shorts off and put our trusty, comfy jeans back on...at least for another few days.

But, inevitably, the weather becomes unbearably hot, and we cannot hold out any longer. We must force ourselves into those mocking little shorts and timidly make our way outside where the sun cannot seem to tan our legs fast enough! Give it a few weeks, though, and those shorts will feel like second skin. We'll hopefully have the skin color we are craving. And with a pedicure and perhaps even a good waxing...we're good to go..........that is, until we have to put on that Swimsuit. Then the torturous cycle begins afresh.

Walking Pneumonia...

Ah...Yes!
That would be the reason I was in bed fighting a 103degree fever for 4 days...hoping I could finally sleep it off. But come Sunday, the temp hadn't budged, and I was sick of fighting. So I begged Ryan to take me in to an Urgent Care facility. Although, I didn't need to beg. He was so worried about me, and about out of his mind trying to play both Dad and Mom. Bless his heart.
So, yeah, we went to the Urgent Care @ Copley hospital, and after chest xrays, it was determined that I have Walking Pneumonia. I've never had this before, and I hope I never have it again! It's miserable! It hurts to breathe, to cough, to talk, to stand. Humidity makes me feel like suffocating. And although I hated missing all the fun plans we had for Memorial day weekend (dinner in Chicago with friends, BBQ with family, etc), I am so grateful for things like antibiotics, tylenol and motrin that can be alternated every 3 hrs (I learned that as a new mom...lol), and especially air conditioning!
Even in my misery and discomfort, I cannot imagine people all around the world that suffer from ailments like this, yet have none of the commodities that give me relief. The other night, when it was too humid to sleep in my bedroom, and I had to move down to the couch where the air conditioning helped my breathing tremendously, I thought to myself, "How would I feel if I were in Ethiopia, in a medical tent, trying to recover in the desert heat?? Or if I were in El Salvador, or Africa where poverty is so rampant, and was told that there were no meds?? It really made me realize how blessed I am. Thank you Jesus.

A Profound Statement

This afternoon I was cleaning the kitchen when 9yr old Mark came up from watching tv in the basement. He said, "Mom, I was watching a cool science show on the Discovery channel..." and he went on to explain that it was a show about outer space. He then told me that the show ended with the narrator saying that our universe is far too big or complex for it to have a 'creator' and its mysteries are so deep that we'll never know how the universe came to be. Hmm...

Immediately, Mark stated, "I was so mad. I wanted to call them up or something, and tell them the truth!" Wow! What a profound statement! For a 9yr old to not only be angered by the spread of falsehood, but to immediately desire to respond with action. That was really cool. I was pretty impressed with my boy, I must say.

Of course, that led into a deep discussion about the need for us to tell the truth to the people we encounter...otherwise they may be easily deceived by messages like this one. Mark told me that he used to wonder if God was really real, because we can't really see Him. But now he's convinced because he has seen Him "do so much stuff lately." Then he ran off to go play. Hmm...that kinda made me think. What has he seen God do lately?? I'll have to ask him later. But whatever he meant by that...obviously he is thinking deeply and is thoroughly convinced at the moment. LORD, please take the mustard seed of faith in this child and grow it in abundance, to affect every aspect of his life! Amen!

The Gasoline Crisis...

I often receive chain emails regarding rising gas prices. They encourage consumers to collectively refrain from purchasing gas on a designated day. Or they suggest boycotting specific major oil companies, as if that will force those companies to lower their prices.

I have a better, and much more educated, idea. How about we force the environmentalist kooks in congress to sit down and zip it so that we can approve drilling for oil on our own soil. There is so much natural resource available within our borders and in the Gulf of Mexico. And we have the technology to drill underground without disrupting the environment. But we hear the argument that it will take too long for new drilling to make a difference in our current gas prices. Well, guess what...if Bill Clinton hadn't used that argument 10 yrs ago...we wouldn't be having this conversation.

And if I hear one more ignorant person spew that Global Warming garbage, I think I'll hurl. More and more scientific evidence is becoming available to refute this ridiculous idea. The 'Global Warming crisis' is a hoax to further political agenda. Period.

...A little bit more of nothing...

***My biggest pet peeve=bicyclists on the road. I seriously wanna run 'em over.

***My biggest question for God=why is it cold when I get into water, and then cold when I get out???

***My biggest fear=losing the safety and well-being of my kids.

***My biggest desire=to have wisdom and profound impact on my kids and their generation.

***My biggest insecurity=my lips. I used to be called 'chicken lips.' That, and my resurging muffin top.

***My biggest goal=to become more faithful...at reading the Word, and at exercising everyday. So far...so good!

A little bit of nothing...

Ryan is away, last night and today, to help chaperone the 5th grade trip to Grand Bear Lodge and indoor waterpark. Sounds like a blast! I'm just here, checking my emails and blogs and other websites that typically fill my cravings for gossip and drama. lol. We ate McD's today for lunch...which we never do, because the boys are wheat-sensitive, and greasy french fries give us tummy aches...but, who feels like cooking a healthy meal when the hubby is away?? Now, I think I'll lay the 2 little kids down for a nap. Yeah. Sounds good. Nothing else to do. Other than laundry. And dishes. Yuck. A nap sounds much better. I'll leave the housework till later. Cuz I know it will keep bugging me till I get it done. That's all. I'm sure I'll have more to report tomorrow. Mother's Day. ;)

Dancing Princesses

Here are Alia, Ava & Marina...aka: Snow White, Cinderella & Lil' Ballerina...May 2, 2008

Yo Soy Dominicana

This week is 'Missions Week' at church. We hold this event twice a year. I think about a hundred missionaries from all over the world come to our church and spend time throughout the week at luncheons, in the various classes and small group homes to share with our church family what it is that they do on the mission field and what their needs are. These times are so inspiring. Not only do they remind us to look beyond our Starbux and salons...to a world in need beyond our borders...it also opens our eyes to see the powerful, very REAL ways that God is at work beyond our 'godless' culture.

Last night, Ryan and I helped in the Kids' Connection room (as usual), which serves 2nd thru 5th graders. The missionaries that were assigned to our service was the de Freitas family. They are from the Dominican Republic. It was amazing to see them captivate their very young audience, and impress on them the burden for missions. They also shared with the kids ways that we can make a difference here in our hometown. Praying. Giving. Going. It was neat. I looked over at my Mark throughout the service to see what his reactions were to all this info. And he looked at me with eyes big as saucers. As if he were fighting back tears. I think it was an awesome eye-opener to him, to see slides and video of kids in that country who live in poverty and desperately need the Lord. He gladly received their card and tucked it into his pocket to bring home, and it is now on our fridge so we can remember to pray for that family and that ministry each week. We plan to spend time at dinner tonight talking about what he learned from the missionary and how it makes him feel about our call as Christians to GO and SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS TO ALL NATIONS. I'm excited for our conversation.

This missionary was especially intriguing to me, because I am half Dominican. My grandmother (abuela) was born and raised under a dictatorship in Santo Domingo, and she worked her way up to a government position in her twenties. She was placed in charge of all Social Services for the entire country. She owned land and multiple homes and had maids and personal landscapers...everything. When she married, she left her position to marry a poor hispanic minister who brought her to the states and started a church in California. But today, even in her old age, she carries those same ties to the Dominican Republic. She visits several times a year and stays in the governor's mansions and is known among the Christian community as an evangelist. She speaks at churches and prayer conferences and has had an impact in many communities that I'm only now realizing in my own adulthood.

As a child, she was just my grandma that my sisters and I found humor in, because she would speak in broken English. She would say cabbage instead of garbage. And she would say kitchen instead of chicken. And she would cook us the strangest food. Rice and beans (arroz y frijoles), chicken stew (sopa de pollo), fried bananas (platanos fritos). And while our friends would receive the popular toys from their grandmas, like Cabbage Patch Kids and Barbie Dolls...we would receive ethnic dolls from Dominican markets, handmade dresses from local seamstresses, and of course, we each were given a copy of the bible in Spanish. With a long note hand-written inside by my abuela, which my mom would have to translate to us. It always spoke of faith and conquering the Enemy with the Word of God. As a child, I always thought she was so strange.

But now, as an adult, I have come to learn these amazing traits about my grandmother. I realize that her notes to us were laced with words about conquering the Enemy, because she comes from a country that shares an island with Haiti, where VooDoo is prevalent, and unlike the US, the spiritual realm is very evident. And spiritual attacks are a reality in those parts. So, she wanted to teach us to guard our hearts and minds with the Word of God, even in this culture where spiritual warfare is less evident, but still very much at work. I am amazed at the legacy she is leaving for her kids and her grandkids and now her great-grandkids. My children call her Bisa (short for bisabuela, which means great-grandmother). And my daughter is named after her first name (Marina). My hope is that my kids will carry on the same legacy she has dedicated her life to...spreading the good news of Jesus to a needing world, and living by incredible faith. Faith that I have been honored to experience as she has prayed with authority (in spanish, of course) over myself and my family. En el nombre de Jesus...AMEN.