My Perceptions

Ribs R' Us

2010-04-16T11:01:00.004-04:00

Restaurant: Ribs R’ Us
Date: April 15, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm
Guests: Mike, Tina and Brooklyn
Rate 1-5 with 1 being worse than 5
Entrée Value Taste Appearance Temperature Overall
Fried Tomato BLT 2 3 1 3 3
Brunswick Stew 2 3 2 2 2
Ribs 3 5 5 5 5
Coleslaw 4 4 4 4 4
Fries 5 1 0 0 0
Hushpuppies 5 2 5 2 4
Apples 5 0 3 0 2
Pulled Pork 0 0 3 3 0

Category Rating
Hostess 2
Bathroom Cleanliness 0
Restaurant Cleanliness 5
Server 3

Comments:
Our server was so quite you could hardly hear her speak.

The ribs were wonder. When the food was brought out my pulled pork was not there. The waitress went to the back and told me she would bring some out. She came out and said it would be out in a minute. She brought me a little cup with maybe 3 oz of meat in it and said she would bring more out. The meat was inedible. I told her not to bother. I asked that they take it off the bill and they did. They reduced my meal price to that of ½ rack of ribs (9.95). I thought that was very fair. I do not like Jo-Jo potatoes. I had a ½ plate of those. I loved their cole slaw. Brooklyn’s apples were probably cooked last week and warmed.

Mike's Fried Green Tomato BLT was $5.95 and was two pieces of toasted white bread with one piece of lettuce, two slices of green tomato fried and one piece of broken into bacon. The brunswick stew was some sort of stew with pulled pork on top.

Mike would not use their restroom. Brooklyn went over to go and said no way. So I take it the restrooms were horrible.

We will not go back to this restaurant.

Blind Spots

2009-06-09T09:03:00.000-04:00

The other day I was driving home from work thinking about my day and just driving. You know in that zone. I’ve been driving for 23 years so driving is automatic. I wasn’t texting (I don’t text and drive), I wasn’t on my phone, I probably was singing, but I was driving.
All of the sudden I heard someone frantically blowing their horn. I could not for the life of me figure out where it was coming from. Then I figured it out – it was someone blowing their horn at me. I was about to run them off the road. I went to pass an 18-wheeler and could not for the life of me figure out where this car came from. Of course, I got past the 18-wheeler and immediately pulled over. The driver shot me a bird (I expected that) even though I tried to apologize but then he pulled over in front of me and slammed on his brakes. I almost rear ended him. That was even less expected than the bird.

Yesterday on my way home from work I realized that I have a huge blind spot in my van. I adjusted my mirrors to no avail. I will really have to be careful merging left because if I look in my mirror and the car is beside me I cannot see it.

I was thinking about that whole situation this morning on the way to work as I was merging into traffic on the Smokey Park Bridge. How do we prepare for blind spots? You know, the times in our lives when the tragic or unexpected comes along and we are completely blindsided. Like when someone close to us is diagnosed with cancer, or we are diagnosed with cancer or another potentially terminal illness or when someone close to us dies or is in a serious accident or maybe our husband is diagnosed with cirrhosis. I know we immediately ask for prayer, but are we thinking ahead? We know that Eve ate the apple releasing chaos into a perfect world. How do we prepare for that chaos in our lives?

I think that is what 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is referring to. I don’t think we are meant to always be spouting scripture or sounding religious like the Pharisee. We can pray without anyone even knowing we are praying. In the old days it was called being prayed up. I don’t think we can always be prepared for everything that is going to happen; however, our relationship with our Father can be so full of trust that we can rely on Him in the midst of any storm and know that we are washed by the water.

Pray without ceasing.

Biltmore Baptist

2009-05-17T14:46:00.002-04:00

Well, we've been so undecided about what to do about church. We like the Underground; however, it's just not exactly what we are looking for. Brooklyn has no one her own age there to connect with. Therefore, we keep checking out other churches to see if we can finally find the right church.

This morning we visited Biltmore Baptist. It's huge. I love the Children's Area. We parked on the side of the church and had to stroll through the elementary side of the building. It was exactly what I wanted to do at Covenant. I'm so glad they have the resources to provide that in our area.

The greeters spoke to us, but other than that no one else said hi except when they were told to during worship time. The orchestra did a great job and the worship was nice. The issue was it wasn't interactive. The worship was on stage, but it was as stiff as could be on the floor. That was disappointing. Some people would talk about how orchestrated it seemed (I'm sure they have a producer); however, most larger churches are using that format and to be honest, the people on stage seemed more into worship than the congregation did.

They baptised a guy that had intended on killing himself the weekend before Easter, and had gone to a restaurant to have his last meal. He was invited by someone he knew (his waitress) to attend their Easter program. He decided to wait and attend the service. He got saved and was baptized this morning. I cried. That's life changing. Everyone clapped. All I could think of was that man could have been dead, but instead someone invited him to church and he's alive. Not just alive physically, but also spiritually. God Rocks!

The pastor spoke on Baptism. It's was pretty much textbook. It was funny. It was straight forward.

They sang Blessed Assurance again and we left.

We would go back. I would like for Brooklyn to check out the middle school service at 9:45 and see what she thinks. That's the whole point.

Why Women are drawn to certain things in Culture

2009-05-07T22:03:00.004-04:00

I think I know why women are drawn to the television show Grey's Anatomy. It's the men. Not because they are hot, but because they are manly.

A month or so ago, I heard a couple of guys talking on a radio show about how most comedies these days portrait men as weak. They were talking about how they had almost quit watching most situation comedies because of this continual attack on the family. It shows the women as smart, marrying obviously below themselves and enduring a marriage with a man who cannot lead and/or carry on an intelligent conversation.

I've thought about that show that I heard on the radio as I've watched television lately and found it to be quite true. The men on many shows are only after one thing, can't hold on to a job and cannot carry on a conversation. The shows I am drawn to: Bones, Fringe, and Grey's Anatomy have men that are strong, intelligent and care for their families.

I also think this is why the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer is so popular. The Cullen men are strong, they play ball, they fight for their families and they are extremely in touch with their emotions while also having a great desire to learn. Of course, they also have a desire to drink blood but that isn't the topic here.

As a woman I do want a man that is sensitive, can carry on a conversation and allows me to use my skill set to enhance our marriage.

Ecclesiastes 10 I think the bible is clear about roles. I think our society has tried to twist those roles. I don't really enjoy watching TV where the man is weak. Take "Life According to Jim," Cheryl is beautiful, intelligent and a stay at home PTA mom while Jim is off doing his best to get out of working. Same with King of Queens, Two and a half Men, etc.

Think about what you are allowing your children to watch. Do you want them to have a world viewpoint of men as weaker than women? I prefer a viewpoint where both genders are equal in the relationship with the man at the lead. The way God set it up in the garden.

THANKFUL

2009-04-25T20:50:00.002-04:00

I am so thankful for all the friends and family that have been praying for us as we have been on this journey.

When we went to Florida we had an experience that showed us what being ungrateful looked like. I never want anyone to think I am ungrateful.

May our family always show gratitude.

Psalm 139:14

Insurance, MELD Scores, etc

2009-04-25T20:44:00.003-04:00

While we were in Florida we got the call that Mike had been accepted by the insurance company to receive the transplant. When he told them we were in Florida they were a little shocked; however, they understood and told him to get his bloodwork done when he got back into town.

So, on April 21st he was officially added to the UNOS list to receive a donor transplant.

The other good news was that his bloodwork had improved and his MELD score had dropped. He is no longer in the top 10 so now we are just waiting.

I think the sunshine does alot for one's attitude and mental health. All the sun tanned him up and made him feel better (he drove the whole way back by himself).

The past few days Mike hasn't felt well again. If he starts feeling real bad, he has to go have more bloodwork and get a new MELD score. In the meantime, we wait.

Transplant List

2009-04-09T09:56:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Mike was presented to the transplant conference and they accepted him for listing. He will do fresh bloodwork when we return from vacation and then he will be listed (as long as his insurance company approves it.)

We are heading in the right direction.

$10 Tip

2009-03-20T12:50:00.002-04:00

Wednesday night’s Mike and I usually grab an inexpensive meal out because Brooklyn is with her dad. So this past Wednesday night we decided to head over to Cracker Barrel so we could have some veggies.

It wasn’t very crowded so we got right in and sat down. Our waitress didn’t show for about 8 or 9 minutes, but no worries. We ordered our drinks and food at the same time. She brought our drinks and I noticed on her apron it said rising star which I thought meant she was probably new. She asked if we needed anything else and Mike made a sarcastic comment about our salads under his breath, but she didn’t hear it.

I played the triangle country game until I finally got it down to one peg. We talked. We laughed. And then here comes our food. Salad & food at the same time. I asked her salads & food at the same time and she said, “yeap.” She obviously didn’t know what to do. She’s about 16, maybe. Very young. So she leaves. She came back a few minutes later and asked if we needed anything else. Well, I had been choking my salad down so I could eat my food hot and decided enough was enough. I asked for the manager.

He came to our tables and didn’t even give me time to politely ask him to help us out. He said he heard there was a timing issue, could he put our food back under the warmer. I said, that will be fine. Mike asked him just to cook him a couple of more pieces of fish because they would be horrible after being under the warmer (which was probably true). So he whisked our food away.
The girl promptly comes behind the manager and asks if we need anything else. I said no, she lays down the check and walks off.

Now, usually this would have made me mad. But I thought about Brooklyn in about six years and realized this girl had no idea how to handle conflict, no idea how to deal with this situation, we are probably about her parent’s age and she probably thought we were being mean.
Two young guys sit down at the table behind us. She obviously knew them. They start giving her a hard time about not knowing the menu. They said something about her tip going down and she whispered (but I could hear it) that her tip was going down because of our table.

She brought me another diet coke, she filled Mike’s water, and she did a great job of taking care of us the rest of the meal. I ordered a piece of caramel apple pie to go and she asked me if I wanted the ice cream in a separate container so it wouldn’t ruin the pie.

I was thinking about something Perry Noble preached on during Christmas about tipping your servers more during the season and especially on Sunday. I started digging in my purse. I had $10 in cash (I never carry cash) and I decided I would tip her that $10 and write her a note to hang in there.

Mike was worried that I would lecture her. I figure they hadn’t trained her; she was just learning and obviously needed some encouragement. Leaving her an atta girl without a tip would not have accomplished anything.

I don’t know if I did the right thing or not. I have no idea. I wrote "hang in there" on the coaster, put the $10 under it and we left. I hope she learned from the situation. I hope I learned from the situation.

Stats

2009-02-13T13:54:00.002-05:00

The average liver transplant wait time at Chapel Hill is around 11 months. However, it depends on how sick you are because they don't transplant you until your MELD score is around 24.

The average liver transcipient has a survival rate of 85% at one year status post transplant.

The average transplant costs $250,000 and meds are $5000 after the transplant.

2 Samuel 22:31

Psalm 18:2

Transplant Bound

2009-02-13T13:49:00.002-05:00

This past week was the good, the bad and the ugly all rolled into one.

We drove up to Chapel Hill so we could go to the transplant class. It is a very good thing that they don't just give away livers to the first person that can pay for one. They are a priceless comodity for the sick person that needs one.

Mike needs a liver. So we attended the class and found out the transplant will cost about $250,000 and his meds will cost $5,000 per month after the transplant. If his insurance stays the same the cost to us will be around $1500 for the surgery and about $300 per month for his anti-rejection meds. The cost of the meds will actually reduce after time as he goes on fewer meds; however, for the first couple of months he will be taking 30 pills per day at least.

I read on the internet somewhere today of a group called: Alcohol is cheaper than therapy. I would beg to differ. It has huge physical and spiritual ramifications.

Today's scripture is found in 2 Timothy: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.

Christian Witches

2009-01-15T22:34:00.002-05:00

So I was reading a blog the other day and linked from a comment someone else made to another blog. I was very intrigued. I found something I had never heard of: Christian Witches. Sounds like an oxymoron to me.

How does one proclaim to be a Christian: living in the light worshiping God and also a witch: a worshipper of nature is basically what those who are Christian witches seem to profess to doing.

Jesus covers this in Luke 4; however, most who chose to worship other "idols" look at the bible as not being the inspired word of God, but look on it as a book written by fallible men doing the best they could. My thoughts on this are God is God and if He chose to publish His story He made history work out to have in the story what He wanted told.

The River Church

2009-01-04T20:22:00.004-05:00

Today we visited the River Church. It was my BFF Jan's birthday and we spent the morning together and then went to lunch. There are so many church plants popping up all over Asheville and I am such a church geek. I used to read about all different kinds of churches when I was on staff at Covenant. But because I was on staff and had to be there every Sunday, I couldn't go check them out, but now I do have that opportunity.

We enjoy the Underground. I love to hear Kevin speak. He is a very talented teacher and you can tell he is anointed; however, we haven't really connected there. Most of the women (not all, but most) are at a totally different life stage than I am and most of the guys are at a different life stage than Mike. We have some really good friends that we met at Covenant and we were all at the same stage in life. It's hard to socialize with people that have little kids because Brooklyn always ends up entertaining them (and she resents that). She likes us having friends that have kids her age.

Likes about the River:

They are reaching outside to others. They are doing bedrolls for the homeless. They are sending money to Nicaragua to buy a wheelchair for a woman that has cerebral palsy.

They communicate well. They send a newsletter out via email. Their website is informative. They have a new visitor packet.

They are friendly. We were welcomed by several different people and not just the pastor.

For what they are doing I liked the way they did music. They didn't have people bring in instruments and try to put together a band.

Dislikes:

They don't start on time. Sunday is the biggest day we get to spend as a family and with friends. I work. My time is valuable. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I do think that my time should be valued and if you are going to start at 10:30 then you should start then.

The preaching style was more Baptist. This is just a personal preference for me - I like a more conversational style of message.

The way they do music. Wow, a like and dislike. I just like a band to worship with; however, I do think it works for what they are doing.

Just my perception.

Christmas

2008-12-26T14:40:00.002-05:00

Mike was sick all night on Christmas Eve. He woke up yesterday morning way too early. He did last for us to open presents. My mom came down for breakfast & presents and then I took Brooklyn to her dads. When I got back, Mike was asleep.

He has lost about 12 pounds this week and his eyes are dark. Emotionally it is getting harder for him. I think too he is having a hard time with friends that aren't calling. Their lives move forward while his is on hold. He tries to sound cheerful when Kristin calls but she is starting to read through his fake courage.

He got me a beautiful black diamond cocktail ring (Kristin helped him pick it out - thanks!). And chocolate truffles. But he slept all day. I would love for us to have one weekend back in the apartment (that is where it all began and it was wonderful).

He also got me a stand mixer and a food processor. I guess that means I will have to cook more!

Brooklyn got some video games, but was most excited over her ring, necklace and her keyboard. The ring is too small and will have to be sized. The keyboard is being returned for an upgrade that doesn't take batteries, but she was so excited to get it. She is beautiful. She's turning into a great young woman. She's learning to sew and loves to cook. One day some guy is going to be very lucky...but not for a very long time.

She read us the Christmas story on Christmas Eve out of Luke. I wonder if an angel came to me if I too would be terrified?

Christmas in the Tahoe

2008-12-26T14:37:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful time with Kristin (Mike's daughter) & Curtis last Sunday (12/21). We meet them in Winston Salem for brunch at the Village Tavern (yum). I had the crab cake benedict and it was wonderfully prepared. The crab meat was lump and the filling was just enough to hold it together. The egg was perfectly poached. Our server Karen was very attentive. It was a wonderful meal.

Then we went to HH Gregg. In the Tahoe, we put some seats down and we exchanged Christmas presents. Talk about Redneck! It was just nice to all be together.

Then we went in HH Gregg and watched Mike & Curtis drool over the BOSE surround sound systems.

MELDS, update

2008-12-13T10:40:00.003-05:00

It's been a while, I know. I have no excuse really. I guess I just check my facebook daily so I get behind on blogging.

Mike's MELD score has dropped to 16 which is great. He still is sick and a normal MELD is 9. He has good days and bad days. We appreciate your prayers.

One thing I've learned through this is that life goes on even when it is on HOLD.

Fine Line

2008-11-16T17:13:00.002-05:00

Brooklyn's school requires parents come for a three way conference (Parent, child, teacher) in order for the child to receive their report card. They get graded not only on Math, Reading, etc., but Math quizzes, Math notebook, Math Homework, Problem Solving, Science Notebook, Science Quizzes, etc.

My quandary is when you have a child doing eighth grade problem solving do you get wigged out because they aren't doing their math homework. Or they have an A in Math Quizzes do you get upset that they made a 17 and a 64 on math homework - because of hurrying. They obviously get how to do the work.

What about when in Math they set a goal to eat all their lunch. I had a hard time making that connection.

Being in a non-traditional environment she gets to do many more hands on projects. She spent a few days at the Outer Banks doing experiments and they have done other field trips that are off the hook. My fear is when she gets back to a traditional setting for high school she will have a hard time adjusting. Homework isn't counted as a separate grade.

Parenting, I thought would get easier; however, it isn't. I guess to prepare her for the future it is important that she learns if you can make a 100 in a class you should do everything to make that 100 (like go to Study Hall at 7:30 on Thursday mornings.)

But I guess I have to walk that fine line of positive reinforcement for working on 8th grade problems while encouraging doing her best work in all of it.

If you had told me

2008-11-15T08:33:00.002-05:00

that in less than a year:

I would lose my job, get a new job, get a promotion, my air & heat would go out in my car, Mike would need a liver transplant, we would rent out our downstairs apartment and that my mom would have macular pucker and need surgery...I wouldn't have believed you.

If you had told me that this verse and John 10:10 would relate to my life so heavily this year. I wouldn't have believed you.

My prayer for my friends is that you will have abundant life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Frankie Bones

2008-11-02T19:05:00.003-05:00

Mike & I went to Frankie Bones for lunch today.

I had the Seafood Benedict and he had an omelet with four cheeses, ham, mushroom & broccoli. Our meal was about $25, it was prepared well and was nicely presented. The flavors all went well together and nothing was overpowering. I was pleased.

The restaurant is very tastefully decorated in a speakeasy theme. It reminded me of an old New York restaurant (Sardi's). Mike said it reminded him of Chicago.

We will definitely go back.

Highlands Community Church

2008-11-02T18:49:00.002-05:00

This morning we went with Jeff & Jan to check out Highlands Christian Church. Honestly, my preconceived notion was that it would be annoying with the kids allowed to be in service. I have a hard time concentrating.

We did not have a hard time finding parking and found across the street there is parking that probably not too many people are aware of. We were greeted at the door by two greeters, but really those were the only people that even spoke to us.

It's really dark in the worship area. The heat (it's an older building) was hot, so we moved to a cooler location. Yes, the kids after they started working on their packets were moving about, but they weren't really loud. Well a couple were talking, but it wasn't as bad as I suspected.

It's always hard for me to worship the first time in a new place. I enjoyed the music, but it was more to listen to for me than worship with. Their videos are freakin' funny. They did a great job explaining gel (with one L) groups...but made me think they were saying jail groups, serving, foster parenting and volunteering. It was a great infomercial which I guess helped you understand the church. He didn't really preach this morning.

They did children's time which was very traditional and I felt the woman doing it really probably talked above the children's heads. They aren't going to understand going to the chocolate lounge with a friend and how that relates to God if you pray first (there was more to the story, but I don't think I can do it justice).

They explained why children worship with their parents (intergenerational) and why their gel groups aren't segregated. Why they don't have a single's ministry, etc. I understand you don't have a building, it's hard to correlate all of those things when your space is limited, etc. So how do you talk about the hard topics if children are always there? How do you have a PG or PG-13 service when you have 5-year-olds in the room. Frankly, I don't want my child exposed to certain topics (although now she is at age 11 being exposed) but I feel they are necessary to talk about at church.

The statistic of emotional affairs via the internet, porn via the internet, loveless marriage, and singles marrying for the wrong reason is staggering. How do you ever go deeper and touch on any of these topics if children are always present?

I'm sure parents who love being surrounded by their children 24/7 will love this type of ministry. I love my child, but think she learns much better on a level of her own with her peers (or maybe she should just go to work with me every day and learn the way I do..sarcasm).

That's just my 2c. My perception!

NC State Fair

2008-11-02T18:15:00.004-05:00

The Kwiatkowskis and Harkeys went on a tour of Chapel Hill, NC State, downtown Raleigh and to the State Fair.

Basically we ate our way through the fair. The deep fried pecan pie was awesome. Of 112 rides, I think the kids enjoyed a few of them. We toured the agricultural parts, watched the tractor pull, ate some more, rode some rides, looked at some crafts, ate fish sandwiches, ate hot dogs, ate turkey legs, ate corn, looked at the rabbits, checked out the baby pigs, bought some honey, ate some sweet potato fries, ate a philly cheese steak, drank lemonade and laughed.

It was a great weekend! (The best comment of the weekend was Ben saying Chapel Hill was a better campus than NC State...now if we could just get rid of his Duke shirt!

Good news

2008-10-21T19:04:00.003-04:00

This weekend we went to the NC State Fair (more in a later post), Bali Hai, to Raleigh, to Chapel Hill and then back to Chapel Hill on Monday for a doctor appointment.

The doctor thought Mike looked better than last time he saw him and told us he doesn't think Mike's MELD score is indicative of Mike's level of illness. He thinks Mike is much better than his MELD score would lead us to believe. He asked to do blood work and guess what - the MELD score has dropped to 18. Still not great, but much better than 22.

They did prescribe some medication for one of the things driving his MELD and he will do more blood work in a few weeks.

All the glory goes to our God and the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thinking on this today!

Today at 9:16am
1 Peter 1:3-9Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth and a hope that is alive. It is alive because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. 4 He has given us new birth so that we might share in what belongs to him. It is a gift that can never be destroyed. It can never spoil or even fade away. It is kept in heaven for you. 5 Through faith you are kept safe by God's power. Your salvation is going to be completed. It is ready to be shown to you in the last days. 6 Because you know this, you have great joy. You have joy even though you may have had to suffer for a little while. You may have had to suffer sadness in all kinds of trouble. 7 Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. It is worth more than gold. Gold can pass away even though fire has made it pure. Your faith is meant to bring praise, honor and glory to God. That will happen when Jesus Christ returns. 8 Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can't be put into words. 9 You are receiving the salvation of your souls. It is the result of your faith. New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society

Insecure Leadership

2008-10-14T19:47:00.002-04:00

Perry Noble posted a link on his blog to a writer that wrote about Insecure Leadership. Anna (the writer) talked about the affects an insecure leader has on the organization.

I've worked with several people whom I would define as insecure. The characteristics I find when people are insecure are:

They like to find fault with others (to hide their own weakness)
They talk loudly and seem to laugh at inopportune times
They try to spend time showing what they have done versus letting it be discovered
They never give the others credit
Many times they lie - to make themselves look good or to lay fault on someone else besides themself.

What I have found is their inability to find security in their position causes those under them to eventually give up and move on or causes great turmoil within the company. Sometimes it is only in that department; however, many times there is a trickle down effect realized in other areas of the company.

Does insecurity come from undue promotion, from being in the wrong position or from a need to shine?

I think it depends on the person. Someone promoted before they are ready could shine if mentored to lead and succeed in the position. A person in the wrong position must at some point realize they are in the wrong place and find a place (calling or vocation) that fits their gifts and talents. The person that just always has to shine must surround himself with capable people that can make them shine and keep them by not keeping the credit themselves, but by giving it away.

I think Daniel in Daniel 2 faced this. He had to not only interpret the Kings dream but also tell the King what the dream was. He asked other's to pray, gave the credit to God and was spared. He could have been insecure as the other prophets and lost his life. Because of his security in God his life was spared, he was promoted, given gifts and was able to promote his friends.

December 9 & 10

2008-10-11T17:09:00.001-04:00

Looks like we will be in Chapel Hill on December 9 & 10 for class and workup. Pray as we continue to learn how to cook low sodium and as we prepare to get on the list!

What in the Heck is a MELD

2008-10-10T08:32:00.004-04:00

Your meld score is a combination of certain blood tests. It determines the likelihood of your needing a liver transplant in the next 3 months. The higher the score the more likely you need one. The score starts at 6 (a normal liver) and goes to 40 (you are in intensive care on a ventilator fighting for your life).

Right now, Mike's score is 22. He should be scheduled to have another set of bloodwork around the 19th to get a new score.

According to the doctor he shouldn't be able to work every day and he shouldn't be able to drive to Chapel Hill; however, Mike has so many people praying for him that even though he feels bad and even though his blood work is increasingly getting worse, he is still able to remain active.

GOD ROCKS! and we know that He is in control, no matter what the outcome.

December 9h

2008-10-09T09:17:00.001-04:00

Mike received a letter in the mail yesterday. His appointment for class to get on the transplant list will be December 9th. Nine weeks away.

What is it?

2008-10-06T14:21:00.003-04:00

Last week I ran into someone that served with me at Covenant. They were very faithful and I asked where they are now worshipping. They told me and frankly I was shocked. It is a very traditional church.

But their mindset impressed upon me a few questions. First they said sometimes you are there to serve and sometimes you are there to get. Do I believe that and why not both? Can we not serve and still receive? Do we not receive while serving?

Also, they picked a small church that needs help. People flock to the large church that can give them a children's ministry or a youth ministry. What about the small churches and do people far away from God always head to the large church when they want to start a relationship?

And then I thought about people far away from God. How many of them start out by going to church? Or do they start with a conversation with someone they think is a Christ follower or do we initiate the conversation?

Wow, I guess that is why we have options. But do those options lead others into a growing relationship with Jesus?

Carolina Wins!

2008-10-05T17:00:00.003-04:00

We really enjoyed our trip this weekend to Carolina. Mike woke up feeling really bad, but after waking up he was like a little boy on Christmas trying to get me to hurry so we could get to the game.

We stopped in Old Fort and got a biscuit, but ate on the way to save time.

He couldn't decide whether we should check into the hotel before or after the game, but I decided before so when we got back that night we could crash. Turns out the team stays in that hotel during home games. They were in the lobby and about when we arrived at the Marriott. One of the coaches was on the elevator with us. We tried to get a ride on the team bus, but he just laughed at us.

Knowing that parking would be elusive as Chapel Hill isn't made to hold 60,000 extra people, we headed to Franklin street to find parking. We parked in a deck behind Sparky's. I saw a Sutton's Drug Store sign on the way up Franklin street so we headed their for an orangeade. We decided to have lunch there. The Reuben was wonderful and Mike enjoyed his chicken salad.

We walked into the campus toward the Old Well. We sat in a shaded area and Mike told me about some of the classes he took and where they were. Then we walked down toward the Old Well and found that Tarheel town wasn't open yet. There was talk in the air of $5 shirts somewhere so we headed toward the student store and found them in there.

When we finished our purchase the band was practicing so we sat in the shade and listened to them rehearse for the game. They are a talented group of young people.

TarHeel Town was open when they finished and we headed there to get our free cozies, etc. And then we walked toward the stadium after enjoying the Football Museum.

We sat in the shaded part of the end zone until closer to game time as the sun was setting and our seats became shaded (Sec 107, Row T, Seats 12, 13).

The atmosphere of the game lends to such camaraderie. The students had painted bodies and were so into cheering on their team.

The lights went out during the game and I think that led to a 5 minute wave around the stadium followed by a 20 minute delay of game for the lights to come back on. Carolina won the game.

It took us an 1.5 hours to get from the stadium, out of the deck and back to our hotel. But it was a nice evening. The lightly cool breeze was the perfect fall night.

I crashed. Mike said it was 2 am before he finally was able to relax to go to sleep.

The Waiting

2008-10-02T09:53:00.002-04:00

Several people have asked, "What do you do while you await answers?"

Well, we've prayed, we've cried, we've prepared for the worst & prepared for the best. We have sent emails, called friends & family, we've been silent, we've talked and we've know that God is in control.

This weekend we are planning to go to Chapel Hill to watch a football game (his other option was to take me to see Nights in Rodanthe), we might have a surprise next weekend and then the following weekend we are planning to go to Raleigh to the state fair.

Staying busy, prayer, and trying to keep everything normal. We still break down and cry.

Continue to pray that he will get on the list and they will quickly get him a good liver.

Increasing MELD

2008-09-30T23:18:00.002-04:00

Stephanie called Mike back this morning (she said she returned calls within 24 hours and she was very prompt). It wasn't great news.

Mike's MELD score was running 10-12 the first of June. On August 18 it was 18, then on September 11 it was 19 and then on September 29 it was 22.

Stephanie told Mike they would be expediting things and we should hear something by the end of the week.

Looks like the transplant will be sooner rather than later.

One of my favorite verses.

Spanky's on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill

2008-09-30T23:13:00.002-04:00

We had a delicious lunch on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill although I kept hearing Silent Sam shoot his gun.

Spanky's specials of the day were pretty fru-fru, but Mike thought it was a place I would enjoy so we decided to dine there. Honestly, the fried pickle appetizer was disappointing and I was nervous about our food.

Mike & I ordered burgers since the meat is delivered fresh daily from a local farm and is hormone free & grass fed. Brooklyn had a penne pasta with chicken in a rosemary Marsala cream sauce. We all ate most of our food although Mike & I could not finish our med rare & medium burgers.

They had peach cobbler for dessert, but we couldn't even think about it as we were stuffed.

A great meal!

16 Vials?

2008-09-30T23:07:00.003-04:00

We got the call last week that there was a cancellation at Chapel Hill on Monday if we could be there at 8:45. We took them up on it and spent Sunday with Kristin and Sunday night in a hotel in Chapel Hill. We got up and left the hotel by 8:00 and we were at the hospital, parked and going into the building by 8:20.

Everyone in the transplant clinic was very nice. They were helpful and understanding. First they did what all nurses do (BP, weight, ht.) then she said the Dr. would be right with us and he was. He spent a good 45 minutes to an hour with us going over history and asking questions. He was shocked that Mike's MELD score was 19. He said at 19 he shouldn't be able to work all day or drive to Raleigh (the answer of prayers).

Then we met with Stephanie our pre-transplant coordinator. She explained the process. First there is a list of things we have to do here (including a dental appointment), then they have a list and they will schedule a class we have to attend as a family. Once we have met all the criteria (including a cardiac workup and being presented at transplant conference) then he will be on the list.

She then told us he would need to go to the lab so they could draw 16 vials of blood (yes, that is not a typo, 16!). And that by that afternoon she would have his new MELD score.

We left and headed to lunch (will post in a separate post) on Franklin Street and then towards home. We called to get the MELD score but she had left for the day.

I bought shoes at The Avenue in Hickory and we were home by 5:00 pm.

Slivers & Cuts

2008-09-26T09:37:00.002-04:00

Last night I was watching Grey's Anatomy (Mike didn't watch with me). One of the characters who had been married 40 years said: You sliver and cut pieces of yourself away over the years to fit with the person you are with. You don't know who you are in the end. (paraphrased).

Is that bad? We all change. Is it bad that we are a different person based on who we are with through life? I guess it depends on who we choose. If we chose to hang out with Charles Manson and we cut and slivered away our conscience and were able to commit murder without having any remorse then who we are in the end isn't who we were meant to be.

However, if we chose someone that will help us run the race then we should be better at the end of the journey of life - not worse. Galatians 5:7 Hebrews 12:1-3

Chapel Hill or Bust

2008-09-26T09:35:00.002-04:00

UNC-CH called yesterday to say they had a cancellation and would we be available Monday morning at 8:45 to be screened. We are going up on Sunday to spend some time with Kristin, Mike's daughter and then we will spend the night in Chapel Hill.

Another step in the journey.

Ex Sister In Laws

2008-09-26T09:29:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday Mike called Chapel Hill to see what the status was of his appointment. They told him it would probably be November before he could be screened.

I called my ex-sister-in-law. She is the transplant coordinator for this area for Carolinas Medical Center. We hadn't talked in awhile but we used to be really close. In fact, a few times we laid out of work together and went to see a newly released movie. We had girls night out while our husbands were hunting. And while we didn't see eye to eye everything we did have a good time together.

I told her that I didn't just want to call and say "Hey Mis, I need a liver. Got one handy?" She, of course, can't guarantee he will get one, but she did help us with the process of getting the paperwork to the right hands.

She had surgery yesterday and is out on leave. We promised to have lunch when she is mobile. We definitely need to do that. Her kids are growing up so fast (a senior and one is out of school) and with Brooklyn in Middle School - man we are getting old.

I'm glad for one nugget of treasure in this journey. The re-acquainting with my ex-sister-in-law.

Advice

2008-09-21T16:57:00.002-04:00

Today Pastor Kevin preached out of Revelations. I heard the sermon, but it didn't sink in. Why? Because today they laid hands on Mike during Praise & Worship. The elders of the church came forward and they laid hands on him for healing. Not just physical healing but also emotional. They based laying hands on him from James 5.

What was interesting was after service men went to him to give him all their potions. Fasts, cleanses, Milk Thistle, etc. were offered as advice. And the women came to me with some of the same advice. Our doctor has advised us against this because in the US, Milk Thistle isn't regulated and you can get pills with too much and it can kill you. She advised against extreme measures and to work towards the transplant.

Having worked in cancer for many years I saw people with stage 1 disease go out of the country to Mexico, etc. for "healing not as evasive as surgery" and come back with stage 4 cancer. They could have had surgery, had the tumor removed and they would have been done with their treatment.

I think it goes to two mentalities. One is that God doesn't heal anymore. The other is that quick fix American mentality.

We serve a big God. He created us and he can heal us.

The Tornados Swirl

2008-09-18T09:51:00.003-04:00

For the past week my life has been swirling. I feel like I felt in my dream, totally out of control. Not that I am out of control, but I feel that I cannot control circumstances.

Last week we found out that Mike will have to have a liver transplant. Back in May I mentioned that he has liver disease and last week we found that he has progressed.

The good news is his insurance will pay for him to have it at Chapel Hill and Kristin lives in Raleigh so she can be close by.

The best news is we serve a big God. My good friend Kim, who is very wise, told me to take God's hand and walk around the tornados.

Right now as I peer out my window and see the fog covering the mountains I wonder what my future holds. What purpose and plans does my God have for me? What is in store for me? Life is so short. This year has been a year of turmoil from losing my dream job to going through a breast cancer scare to facing a health adventure with my husband, whom I love dearly.

I don't know what is up, but it must be big or the valley wouldn't be so broad.

Brooklyn is 11 today

2008-09-15T10:45:00.002-04:00

Wow, it doesn't seem like 11 years ago, but it was. At 8 lbs & 5 ounces with thick hair and red skin my Brooklyn girl was brought into the world at 12:58 via c-section. I'll never forget (after 30 hours of labor) them rolling me down the hall and the sudden attack of fear I felt. Not of the surgery but the angst of the responsibility that being a parent brings. All of the sudden I wasn't just responsible for myself but a child and would be for many years.

She's a joy. I love her dearly and am so blessed to have her in my life.

Brooklyn, may your journey on earth be sweet, filled with the love of Christ and blessings. May you marry someone who adores you and may you know the joy of being a mother also.

Tornados

2008-08-26T10:23:00.002-04:00

Every since I was a little child God has spoken to me through my dreams. Some might say that is weird, but actually it is comforting to me. I have reoccurring dreams that usually mean something.

When I dream of tornadoes something is about to happen that I look upon as hurtful, sad, traumatic, life changing, etc. Before the announcement was made for the "reduction in force" at Covenant I dreamed of tornadoes. When I worked for the American Cancer Society I dreamed of tornadoes and found out there was turmoil brewing.

Last night, again I dreamed of tornadoes. I was in this big house and I was ministering to children. I saw the tornadoes coming from a distance and I told everyone to go downstairs that there was a basement, but no one would go down there except me. I was the only one that survived the tornadoes (there were four of them).

Then a little later I dreamed the house had been rebuilt and it was story upon story. The pastors lived in the middle of the house and the house was on the seashore. There were many people in the house and the tornadoes (waterspouts) were brewing again. I was making my way lower in the house, but not to sea level. The house turned and I could see all of the waterspouts. There were so many merging together, they were dark, and then the house above me flew apart and I was going toward the ocean. I was being pulled out in this torn apart house and I was crying to the people on the shore (where it was ironically sunny) to pull me out of the house headed out to the ocean. I was really close to shore, but moving so fast. No one would stop to help me.

And then I woke up.

What does it mean? I have no idea right now. But I do know something big is brewing. I'll start praying and I hope you do also.

Next Step

2008-08-25T21:29:00.001-04:00

I went to the doctor today. The affected area is still 8 cm so she decided it's time for an MRI.

So off I go. As soon as I hear something I'll post it.

39

2008-08-20T14:37:00.002-04:00

While we were on vacation I turned 39. Next year I'll be the big 4-0. I didn't look forward to turning 29. I went on a trip to Minneapolis with a bunch of girls to the Mall of America. We had a blast, but the new mom thing, turning 29, mini van stage had just begun.

Now 10 years later. I have a child in middle school, I've divorced, remarried, I've had six jobs (yikes), I've built a house, I no longer have a land line phone, I've lost and regained 50 lbs., I've completed my bachelor's degree, I've made many new friends, I've lost a few friends, I had a couple of friends that have died. We no longer listen to cassettes, but now have passed CD's and are listening to MP3's and watching MP4's. I've grown in my relationship with Christ, I've lead several children into a relationship with Christ and I've learned that church isn't everything but God is. Wow, a lot of growing and revelations.

I'm looking forward to the next 10 years (wow, Brooklyn will have finished high school and will be in college). How will technology have changed? What will our energy resources be? Will Christ have returned?

Brooklyn's first day of Middle School

2008-08-13T17:05:00.002-04:00

Today was Brooklyn's first day of Middle School. Imagine taking your child to a school that has max 18 kids in their class for Middle School where they have the same teacher they had last year. Our family is so blessed to have this opportunity.

She still has an opportunity to do sports, arts, extra curricular activities but in a smaller environment. The teacher asked me this morning how Brooklyn would be getting home. What sixth grade teacher cares? That is usually up to the child to know.

Her teachers cheered when she entered the room this morning and we all shared about what we did over the summer. They cared about us and we cared about what they did. I'm envious that her teachers went to Alaska, New York and San Fransisco over the summer and can't wait for them to teach Brooklyn from their experiences.

I was dreading Middle School, but honestly... I'm excited. My little girl is growing up!

Delta Riverboat Cruise

2008-08-11T19:46:00.003-04:00

(mike's knee so close to Popeye's mouth)

On Sunday of our vacation we got up and went for a Delta Riverboat Cruise on an air boat. We saw coot (river chickens), bulrush (Moses), alligators, baby alligators, and learned a lot about the Delta. It was very educational and fun.

20% of the water in the US passes though the Delta for filtration. The grasses harbor all kinds of creatures and are imperative for our food, water and life cycle.

I asked our guide if we would see a Swamp Ape. Now Swamp Apes are the southern version of Big Foot. I had never heard about it until a few weeks ago the Learning Channel did a special on Bigfoot and featured the Swamp Ape. Our guide thought I was crazy. It was so funny. He asked me if it was close to what a henweighs? I didn't get that so Mike explained to me (what a hen weighs).

Anyways, fun times in the Delta.

The Results

2008-08-11T19:43:00.002-04:00

On vacation the Dr. called to tell me that the biopsy was benign. YIPPEE. But Dr. Leblanc wanted to take the case to Breast Cancer Conference and confered with the pathologist. The pathology was vague. Inflammation.

Their thoughts are try a steroid cream for two weeks. If it has cleared up then yeah. If not, a breast MRI and then more biopsies (yuck).

So, the journey continues.

The Biopsy

2008-07-31T09:54:00.001-04:00

Dr. Leblanc said that Dr. Weist's report said my mammogram was negative (which is what the report they sent me said); however, I could see skin thickening on the mammogram. I wonder why they don't report that. She showed it to me. Obviously that is where they think the issue is.

Anyways, the redness had changed and was more prevalent since I initially went to see Dr. Leblanc on the 11th and I could see she was concerned. She also said she could feel more thickening and would feel more comfortable doing a nipple biopsy and a skin biopsy.

I told her to do whatever she felt needed to be done; however, about 2 minutes after I got started down the road from her office I wish I had asked to skip the biopsy. It felt like I was in a clamp and was being twisted. I wouldn't have wished the pain on anyone. I ran to Rite Aid and got Tylenol (I meant to take some with me) and then ran to McDonald's and got a cheeseburger so I could take the Tylenol. I went back to work and worked until 6:00 pm.

It's amazing when I tell someone they say if it is cancer have you considered just cutting them both off? When I was younger I couldn't wait to get boobs. It meant I was growing up. Now, to hear just cut them off?

Well, I'm still waiting. I don't know what the pathology revealed.

I read on a t-shirt the other day that pain is just weakness leaving the body. I don't know if I agree with that or not. Pain is a reminder of how human we are and how much we need a Savior who suffered for us and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Healing. That will be a post for later.

The Mammogram

2008-07-31T09:44:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday I had my first mammogram. I had hoped to put that off for another year. Actually I didn't think it was bad at all. It really wasn't that uncomfortable and it didn't take that long either.

I went in there and the technician told me she would do the mammogram and I would wait while the doctor read it and then I would have an ultrasound if it was needed. Well, I waited longer to get it done so the ultrasound could be done at the same time and by golly I wasn't going to leave without the ultrasound.

So she did the mammogram and took me out to a waiting area. About 10 minutes later she told me the Radiologist would like to see me. So, I went back and there was Dr. Weist. Dr. Weist is a great Radiologist so I was thrilled she had read my mammogram. She told me she thought I might have Paget's Disease and that I should have a punch biopsy and bilateral breast MRI. I didn't get the ultrasound.

I'll post about the biopsy tomorrow.

The Finding

2008-07-27T09:01:00.002-04:00

I'm on a journey. A big journey. As some of you know I am a Certified Tumor Registrar. I have accessioned hundreds of cancer cases (maybe thousands) and have read about numerous types of cancer. I know about disease progression, symptoms and courses of therapy. I know about death.

So on July 4th when I looked in the mirror and saw that my breast had a huge red area I knew how to attack. I gave it two days to go away on its own (maybe something bit me) and then I called the doctor. The nurse knew my worry and got me right in to see the doctor.

We discussed what it might be (because I already knew) and she gave me antibiotics to cover any skin ailment it might be. She also ordered my first mammogram (I'm 38 so I haven't had one yet) with an ultrasound. I couldn't get in until July 28th.

My first thoughts were it could be inflammatory breast carcinoma and my breast resembled what some of the pictures on the Internet looked like. The other thing I could find in googling was an infected milk gland (thus the antibiotics) but nothing else (since I'm not breast feeding this would be rare).

I told a few friends and they started praying for me. One of the friends had a connection at Asheville Radiology and they got my mammogram moved up to the 24th.

I took the full course of anti-biotics and the redness got a little worse, not better.

My friend Melissa sent me a great email. She said: "I refuse to accept this diagnosis. I know that we don't get to choose these things..." Then she reminded me of Paget's disease. Paget's disease has a much better outcome than inflammatory breast cancer and since they are both rare (Yeah, me and the rare diseases) there isn't a ton of information out there on either of them.

So I was more optimistic.

The wonderful mammogram will be the next post.

Fight Like a Girl

2008-07-26T17:54:00.002-04:00

My friend Stephanie emailed me the other day and in it she said "Fight like a girl." I've been thinking about that statement.

How do girls fight? We are emotional beings. We cry, we laugh, we stand up for one another. So what makes us fight differently than boys/men?

I think one thing is we use the Internet to research our health issues. My mom didn't have the Internet when I was growing up so she bought a book on diseases (basically so you can see what herb/supplement/vitamin to take for varying things, but also so she could know what the doctor was telling her. She also bought "me" a set of encyclopedias. At the time that was research at my fingertips. The Internet of the 70's - encyclopedias. My dad almost died once before he went to the doctor. Men do that kind of thing - some women do, but it is mostly men.

I think men use their brawn to fight and women use their brains (that is why if we had women leaders there might be less war.)

I think another thing is most women (there are exceptions to everything) don't just point blank accept that the doctor is always right. We know our bodies. That is why many times doctors get frustrated when we know something is wrong and keep going back trying to get them to diagnose us because we "just don't feel quite right".

And we use our network. Men don't discuss health issues. They don't want anyone else to know what their disease is, what they are facing, or what they are going through. Many times their wives are the only ones they depend on to help them fight. Women can make two phone calls or send out an email and have 20 people praying for them in minutes, casserole's in the oven and someone being sent over to get the mail, vacuum the house, clean the bathroom, whatever is needed. That is how women "fight". They use each other (and know that the favor will be returned when it is needed).

I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud that I fight like a girl.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2008-07-18T20:52:00.002-04:00

Last Friday I truly took the day off and Brooklyn & I took her friend Taylor and went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth. We thought it might be in 3D at Regal Cinemas, but alas it wasn't. The cinematography was off the hook. I'll definitely be seeing that movie again in 3D.

I laughed, I cried, was scared, was tense, and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I think I might get the original book and read it at the beach.

If you get a chance go see it and watch out for the carnivorous plants!

Bare Naked Ladies

2008-07-17T10:56:00.003-04:00

Tonight, the Bare Naked Ladies meet. It's a group of women from the Underground that meet in a small group and talk about what is going on. This month our assignment is to bring 3 words that describe ourselves positively and one that is negative.

Now, I have some self-esteem. That has never been an issue for me, so I have my three positive words. Ambitious, organized, and hospitable. I think those are my positive words.

The negative word; however, is a little overwhelming. I've been facing a health issue. After I find out what it is I'll share about it on here, but until then I'm keeping it under wraps. Do I bare my soul and share that with this group of women that I am just getting to know? Do I keep it to myself and share something else that is negative? Where is that line where you make the decision to share or not to share? Do you trust this new circle to keep your secret? For that matter should you call all your friends and share? Do you just lay low and be still and know that He is God?

I'm not sure. Maybe my negative should just be unhealthy and leave it at that. You can look at me and tell that word is correct.

I guess when I get there tonight I will decide. For now, I'm thinking I'll keep it to myself.

Did you cry?

2008-06-20T16:28:00.002-04:00

Brooklyn was on her way to Art Camp for the last day this morning. She got her first burn on the glue gun. I asked her if she cried. She said no, but it hurt. I said, I know, I've burnt myself on one before. She said, did you cry? I said, no, but I've been burnt where I did cry before.

One day our talks won't be about a burn on the skin (iron, stove, etc.) but of the heart. She's still young and hasn't really experienced being burnt by a friend, boyfriend, boss, co-worker, etc. She's got some tears ahead to cry. I hope she will be strong, but sometimes I hope she will cry.

Camp

2008-06-17T14:57:00.003-04:00

Brooklyn is at Art Day Camp this week. I dropped her off yesterday morning and she just went right in. Didn't hug me bye or anything. She went with strangers. Now she did know that I had checked the place out, but she found the college student in charge and went over and was ready to get started. I was sad. She's growing up.

As much as I hated the camps with the tears and the "oh, I don't want to go" when she was younger, it was sad to see the flippant "go away mom, I'm fine." for the first time. There are less and less times of her grabbing my hand as she goes into those "butterfly stomach moments". She's becoming more and more sure of herself. I want her to be a strong young woman and I guess that does mean she can't always rely on me.

I just pray that she is always still going to hold onto the hand of God and trust him and not rely just on her own understanding as she grows up.

I think God allowed me to have that job at Covenant and to love on those sixth graders to prepare me for this stage in parenting. What a challenge.

Guess we can't have our cake and eat it too. At some point they do have to grow up.

Brothers

2008-06-10T22:19:00.004-04:00

For the past five summers Brooklyn has attended camp at Covenant. With my job being cut to 1/2 time and me basically being laid off from Covenant it would have been too awkward for her to attend camp there. I just didn't feel it was best for our family. So Brooklyn has some wonderful opportunities to branch out this summer. She's attending Art Camp, Pottery Camp, Day Camp at her school and she's having some Friends & Family weeks.

One of the things I really wanted for her this summer was for Jan to teach her some basic sewing skills (something I wish I knew more about) and for her to spend time with the Kwiatkowski boys. I want her to know she can have relationships with boys that aren't romantic. I want her to have guy friends. What better way to learn about that than in a friendly environment with another mom I trust.

Brooklyn doesn't have brothers. I never had brothers. I always thought all my relationships with guys had to be romantic. I don't want Brooklyn to grow up with that mindset.

So Jan, thanks for teaching Brooklyn how to sew and thanks for letting her have some "brothers" for the summer.

Sisters

2008-06-08T21:45:00.004-04:00

So many of you know that Mike has been very sick, and was in the hospital for four days. Thanks for all your prayers. He is back at work and doing much better.

During this time I was trying to help Brooklyn start a new camp, take care of my husband, work, etc. I called on my girlfriends to help me. To pray for me. To give me advice. To be there if I needed them. One of them wrote to me via email and said, "Your sisters have your back." I only have half-sisters as biological sisters. I have never met Reca. Cindy lives in Tennessee with Reca. I didn't even know about them until I was in my early 20's. Needless to say we aren't very close.

Having sisters that have my back means so much to me. I didn't have sisters growing up (or brothers either). It was just me.

Thank you Jan, Stephanie, Denise, LaRue, Annette, Angela, Melissa, Kim, Mary, Glenda, Sharon, Robin, Dawn, Stephanie, Carol, Danelle, Doris, Kate, Tracy, Netty, Donna & Bettina. You "guys" are awesome. Thanks for the meal, the emails, the phone calls, the time, and the advice. I pray that you receive the same when you have a need.

Proverbs 11:14 - Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

This verse really stuck out to me this week. I saw it on Mark Beeson's blog and I thought wow, what a week. Thankfully I had much wise counsel surrounding me.

Pray for your Pastor

2008-06-05T22:04:00.003-04:00

So tonight, Brooklyn and I were saying prayers and I prayed for Pastor Kevin & Angela. For their marriage, for their ministry, for their children.

After we were finished Brooklyn asked me what was going on with Pastor Kevin. I said nothing honey, after reading another Pastor's blog I just promised to pray for Kevin & Angela for 30 days. Then it hit me. Does she think something has to be wrong for us to pray for someone? Or do they have to do something for us (we also thanked God for our friends that brought us dinner tonight) for us to remember to pray for them?

So when you pray with your children, remember to randomly pray for people. And yes, pray for your Pastor. I'm sure he will appreciate it.

Customer Service Part 2

2008-06-02T22:10:00.003-04:00

Hillary was great in the ER (she was an excellent nurse)
Blanket warmers in the ER are awesome.
The guy guarding the backdoor of the ER (security) has a great personality.
Offering pj bottoms to a guy to protect his dignity is a great way to lend a hand of genuine customer service.
Offering the patient's wife something to drink while the patient is in the bathroom is a great gesture (especially when patient is NPO)
The new paint and artwork and flooring in the hospital looks so much warmer than the white sterile walls. Thanks for making the hospital seem more inviting.
When Transport is backed up it does so much for the soul when someone from ultrasound takes the patient back to the floor. In fact Ultrasound was a very pleasant experience.
Having security at the front door at night checking people in with name tags is a great idea.

Customer Service DOES matter in the Hospital

2008-06-02T21:57:00.002-04:00

Many of you know that my husband, Mike is in the hospital. He went in on Saturday afternoon to the ER. There are some things that I would love to tell the local hospital administration. They have some things right and some things wrong. One thing I wish leaders could get across to business is that the problem isn't with people it's with systems. Our local hospital (Mission) has some systems problems.

You have to go to the front desk to get your bracelet and register and then four stations before you are seen in the ER.
Four stations is ridiculous (weights & measures, triage, insurance, specials (if you need an EEG or something).
I can understand 2 (triage & insurance)
You should educate the public on conditions that don't necessitate an ER visit. Many people will wait until they are dying because they don't want to sit in the ER in line behind people that should have gone to the urgent care. (Sounds like a great publicity campaign to me)
Your staff should support their doctors.
Your doctors should support your staff.
Your nurse should not tell you she can't move you to a room because the doctor is at Wild Wings (how much beer has he had and he is ordering what for me?)
Your nurse should communicate the delay, apologize and repage said physician.
Your nurse should not have to tell you what is wrong with you because their has been no communication and then not be able to tell you what it means. (i.e. you have ________, but I'm not sure how they plan to treat it. You're fine the doctor will be in later.)
Your nurse should tell you that the doctor did try to see you while you were in Ultrasound having a procedure.
Your doctor should tell the nurse that he did try to see you while you were away and will be back, but it might take hours.
When a patient is obviously worried about his situation the nurse should not tell the patient what is wrong and leave it for the doctor to explain four - five hours later.
A patient should not be left without food for hours and not be told why he can't have food (or water for that matter).
A doctor should not call the patient's wife hun. And if he does he should be prepared for her to go off on him.

Middle School

2008-05-29T22:59:00.002-04:00

This morning I stopped by Brooklyn's school (she was with her daddy last night) to get her books, notebooks, etc. so she wouldn't have so much to carry this afternoon. Today was her last day of school. I hugged her goodbye. Then I realized it was the last hug I would receive from my Elementary child. When I saw her again tonight she would be a middle schooler.

Today in school they made a circle and each person took a turn in the middle while receiving "shout outs" meaning they were bragged on for something they had done during the year. They also had a moving up ceremony with just her class. She really enjoyed it.

They also have been working on final words also. Basically this is each person writing a sentence or two (or more) about each person. This is something we will treasure in our house and it will go in a special place.

I'm so glad they don't do Awards Day at her school. There were always 2-3 children that received the bulk of the awards. Yes, it is nice to be honored, but I loved the way they did it at her school today. All participated, all were accepted and all were revered.

Queen of Asheville (or at least the Mall)

2008-05-10T19:32:00.003-04:00

About a month ago I wrote an essay for a Mother's Day Contest on WOXL. I thought it would be cool if mom won.

Tuesday night, Tammy called to tell me that my mom won. She sent me the details. She won lunch with Tammy & her mom (and with the other winners), a $200 gift certificate to the Mall, a hair & makeup makeover and a gift bag. And, she needed to get a cheering section there to root for her as the most extreme makeover and she could win an even bigger prize.

So, she called her friends and many of them showed up. It was great. Thank you to her friends that came.

Guess what, she beat the other five moms and won the Grand Prize. You would have thought she was queen of Asheville!

In her mind she probably was. I could have never spent that much money on her and she wouldn't have allowed the hair cut, etc. (She even took her wig off!) My dad used to buy her frying pans for presents. As I got older I would try to get him to buy better things and occasionally he did (a locket from Kmart).

I'm glad we got to spend that time together and I'm glad she won. She had her 15 minutes of fame and she enjoyed every minute of it. And she looked cool in that outfit!

Bistro 1896 for Brunch

2008-05-04T16:11:00.001-04:00

This morning we thought about trying Carmel's again since we had such a great experience; however, there are so many restaurants downtown so we decided to try something new or something we haven't frequented recently. So we thought Bistro 1896.
We had such a great experience there about 8 years ago when we were dating that we were sure it would again be a pleasant experience.

Our waitress Chrissy was wonderful. I asked her what she recommended and she bubbled with exuberance over several dishes that we were considering. So my husband got the Southern Comfort (baked cheese grits with scrambled eggs, cajun shrimp, and fried green tomatoes.) I got the Salmon Benedict with a side of fruit.

About 25 minutes into our wait my husband noticed that only two tables in the whole restaurant had food. Food started arriving at about the 30 minute mark. The couple beside us had ordered the same thing. The lady immediately told the waitress that her food was cold and it was returned for warming.

Tables outside were being served and several of them received the Southern Comfort dish while this lady continued to eat and her husband finished his "warm" breakfast. She finally got up and went to the kitchen and asked for her meal. Which was returned with rubbery shrimp.
So when my husband got his he discovered that his food was also cold. I took a bite and he was right. Stone cold. Mine, however, was delicious. The sad thing was the waitress took his plate and returned it from the microwave just a minute or two later. The shrimp shells still on his plate.
She took the price of the meal off our bill, but it ruined the whole experience. With so many good brunch restaurants in Asheville you must have an up to par breakfast or people will not return. I guess they count on tourists.

I hope they were just having an off morning, but slow service and cold food make my decision for a brunch restaurant in the future much easier.

Forgiveness

2008-05-04T16:00:00.004-04:00

Wow, I think this morning I attended the best service I ever have. I started with funny announcements (Kevin got beat by a girl in a poker game!) then was ushered in with a great worship set. Jenny does a great job of changing up the songs.

One of the babies was dedicated. I think I know the parents names, but I'm not sure so I won't post on it, but these are the sweetest dedications. I cried and I don't really even know the family.

But the topic this morning and the sermon were thought provoking. Forgiveness. How many times do we forgive? How do we forgive that deep wound? He used the Nooma video by Rob Bell "Luggage" to bring home the point at the end. I think there were many people dealing with this subject and there were many tears. I hope that some people did experience breakthroughs this morning.

I always wonder what about the person that hurts you and hurts you and hurts you. That was even part of the video. Does the abused woman (I'm not referring to myself here) continue to suffer the abuse? Does the child whose parent beats them just continue to forgive without reaching out for help? It was addressed by setting boundaries and those boundaries sometimes mean you won't be around that person. You can forgive them, not dwell on what happened, but that doesn't mean you have to spend time with them or set yourself up for more abuse.

I have some forgiveness to deal with. I'm looking forward to forgiving and moving on.

The Sound

2008-05-01T13:00:00.003-04:00

I was sitting at my desk working on deleting old files when I heard a sound coming from one of the rooms close by. I knew the sound. It was very familiar. I don't like to hear that sound because I know what it means.

Grief. It was sobbing. Uncontrollable sobbing.

One of the women I work with lost her mom and Hospice had just called to let her know. She wasn't alone and I knew that. She was quickly surrounded by those who care about her deeply. I had asked about her mom earlier and had told her they serve a great meal on Saturdays at Hospice. Little did I know that 10 minutes later she would find out her mom was no longer here.

I remember hearing that sound and knowing it was me. My dad died on August 8, 2001 (yes, my birthday). He was my hero and when they called me from the hospital to try to get there before my mom I knew what had happened, but they wouldn't tell me over the phone. As soon as I got to the room I heard that noise, that deep sobbing noise. But this time it was coming from a place of familiarity. It was the sound of my cry. Sure, I had cried over the loss of a pet, or family friend. But I had never lost anyone close to me. I was lucky to have my dad with me for 33 years.

It reminds me of the story in the bible where people were paid to weep. I wonder what that sounded like? I can't imagine it was authentic. Do you think paid mourners can authentically grieve? People who weren't touched by the life of the person that has passed away? Jesus asked them to leave the room and then he raised the child from the dead.

Mark 5:37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

I think the mourners were upset. Their job was to mourn and Jesus took away their opportunity. Are you mourning (a lost child, a marriage, a death, etc.) Let Jesus take away the opportunity or heal the hurt. For everything their is a season and there is a season of grief and then there is also a season of JOY!

The Underground 4th Sunday of the Month

2008-04-27T14:20:00.002-04:00

So the fourth Sunday of the month is a little different at the Underground Church. I really didn't know that going in and was caught off guard.

Announcements are always funny. It shows some of the humor of the church and it's really nice.

Jenny did a great job with the music this morning. They need a keyboard player to help out. I don't know who out there reading this blog that might know one who might be interested, but just a bug in (coughcoughTim'scoughcough) the ear of anyone who might have some talent.

Then Pastor Kevin got up in front and started with questions that people have posed and answered them using scripture. One of them is a discussion that has been going on in virtual church (Facebook) about Does God Change His Mind. The other question was about prophecy. I was amazed at how many in the congregation had experience prophecy and were willing to share the experience. I was also challenged by this way of doing church.

To not have an agenda, to take responses from the crowd, to allow the church to think was really like being in a living room with close friends discussing politics, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It seems more real and genuine than any place I have ever worshipped. I really enjoy going there.

I think I will look forward to 4th Sundays.

Que Sera

2008-04-20T18:52:00.002-04:00

Today after church (more about that in another post) we tried to go to Okie Dokie's in Swannanoa for some BBQ. I had read about it on Chowhound and Mike went by there this week and said it was really good. However, they aren't open on Sunday.

We drove down to Black Mountain and really couldn't find anything we knew about to be open and you must have reservations at the Red Rocker Inn to eat there. We were going to turn around when we found Que Sera. After perusing their menu we decided to give it a chance.

The atmosphere is quaint. It isn't a large restaurant. They do have a wine menu and they have a $4.95 mimosa special for lunch. I had the lightly blackened red fish with a Creole meuniere sauce over asiago cheese grits with black eyed peas. It was scrumptious. Mike had the eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon. It was also yummo. I did have dessert (chocolate peanut butter surprise) and it was homemade.

A great meal including tip for $36.

100th post

2008-04-20T18:51:00.000-04:00

That's it. No insight. This is just my 100th post!

10,000's

2008-04-15T14:25:00.005-04:00

In the early 90's I learned how to play this simple game with dice called 10,000's. It's a fun game and several people can play at once. It moves fairly quickly also.

Sunday night we went over to some friends (The Kwiatkowski's) for a meal and to play the game. Brooklyn loves to play with Ben and Andy (they have some pretty cool electronic toys!) so we went over about 3:15 and hung out for a while. Jan cooked a scrumptious dinner and then we played 10,000's.

After Jan won an all-adult game we brought the kiddos in and taught them how to play. Brooklyn did something I've never seen done before. She rolled 3000 points in 2 rolls. It was utterly amazing (and you would have thought that she had found gold). Yes, she won that game because none of us could catch her. I guess it was beginner's luck!

Now that I've read the rules on Wikipedia I find that I've been playing differently than the rules say as far as scoring. The last time we played I rolled 6 ones and I should have automatically won. Oh well, we can add the point system changes now that we know about them.

Sunday School Last Post My Perceptions

2008-04-15T14:21:00.001-04:00

After reading through the past couple of posts I just want to say this: How ever you decide to do "Christian Education" whether through small groups or Sunday School or parental partnering, please be intentional about it. Have a plan for each step and make that step clear.

The steps might change and evolve as technology changes and as culture changes but the worst way to tackle it is haphazardly and without a plan.

Sunday School part 2 - My Perceptions

2008-04-12T16:44:00.003-04:00

Okay, so Sunday School for kids is the predominate way that children are exposed to the gospels, Old Testament and New Testament stories, crafts, and Jesus. In most denominational churches they use their denominations lessons to teach these lessons. There is a flow to the teaching as each denomination has a "Scope & Sequence" they follow so that the stories can be revisited every so many years.

My question is why? One church has their children over 4 with them in service and they have activities they do when the service gets to a certain point that reinforces the message for the children. Another has classes that the kids go to each week with papers that the parents usually end up throwing away. Another does Children's Church with high energy music and a large group bible story and then they break into small groups and do many activities that reinforce the lesson for the child.

And of course all the parents are spending time every day to teach their child the Bible and do studies with them and teach them how to pray and talk to their best friend, Jesus. Oh, they don't? Why not? Soccer games until 6:30 and then a meal on the run and the child is doing homework in the car and then a rushed shower. They can't get up early because they have to sleep.

As a church, we have told parents for the past 20-30 years: give us your children and we will teach them the Bible. Never mind that Deuteronomy says it is your job as a parent. We will handle it. We will take them to camp, have VBS, a class every Sunday morning and maybe, just maybe you will attend our Christian School where we will teach you every day bible classes.

I was meeting with a group of Christian Educators that said it took us 20-30 years for this cycle to build it isn't going to stop over night. Parents are responsible.

So where do the lines cross? What is the appropriate amount of "Christian Education" offered by the church and where do the parents fit in?

More later...

Sunday School

2008-04-07T17:38:00.002-04:00

Why do only about 1/4 of church attendees attend Sunday School? According to Barna...

27% of women compared to 21% of men attend Sunday school in a typical week. (2006)
38% of born again Christians and 65% of evangelicals attend Sunday school in a typical week. (2006)
Sunday school remains a draw primarily in the South, where three out of ten adults (29%) attend in a typical week. In contrast, 15% in the northeast, 26% in the Midwest and 24% in the west have attended Sunday school in a typical week. This may be related to the comparatively high incidence of Southern Baptists in the South, for whom Sunday school remains a central focus of the church. (2006)

According to the Assemblies of God website study: Sunday School teaches every person at his level of understanding. The small group, graded structure of Sunday School allows teachers to tailor Bible study for the age-level needs and interests for children, youth, and adults.

Personally, I don't want to attend Sunday School. You have 45 minutes to skim the surface of a lesson found in a quarterly, brochure, or something the class teacher (hopefully they are a gifted teacher) chooses to lecture on. You don't build relationships with the others in your class unless once a month, once a quarter, once every six months or once a year your class gets together. You usually (some churches do have options) are in class with other couples your own age (what about a 38 year old that is married to a 52 year old with a 10 year old in the house and 28 year old living on her own?) or it is a singles class (single again, etc.)

Personally, I would rather serve one hour and attend one hour if given the chance. Let me change diapers, play games with a child, rock a crying baby, take up the offering, greet, sweep the floor, make coffee, etc. How do you chose who is serving and who gets to go to class? My friends that are moms are usually teaching and never get to build relationships with others.

Personally, I like big group/small group for kids and home groups for adults.

Why? For adults you have the opportunity to build relationships. Most small groups eat together (they are people of the table - I love that title) Then they get to know each other. They help each other move, they give each other small baby showers, they mow yards for each other when their is sickness or death or they hold your hand through a failed marriage or hopefully they hold your hands together as you work to salvage your marriage.

The best Bible study I ever attended was a small group on parenting. We stayed on that topic for months and I'm a better parent for it. We prayed together, laughed together, cried together and they helped us move twice during that study!

Tomorrow I'll post why my preference is not Sunday School for kids either.

Carmel's for Brunch

2008-04-06T19:00:00.002-04:00

We had brunch at Carmel's this morning. It was the best brunch I have had since we were in New Orleans six years ago and had brunch at Brennan's. I had tried out a new church downtown (The Underground Church that meets at the Y) and since I was done at 11:15 Mike thought brunch downtown was our best meal option and met me there. After looking at a few menus we chose Carmel's.

Mike ordered the Salmon Benny and I had Shrimp & Grits. The total was $30 with coffee and diet coke.

Honestly his meal was better than mine, but I did enjoy mine. His eggs were perfectly poached and the salmon was perfectly cooked. He also ordered a side of gravy to dip his potatoes in. I was disappointed that they don't give you a small bread basket, but they had several options reasonably priced on the menu.

I thought it was the best shrimp & grits I've eaten in Asheville. The last thing that surprised me is I don't like coffee, but theirs was very good. Mike ordered it and I tried a sip. I will order it when we go back in a few weeks after church.

Underground Church

2008-04-06T18:07:00.003-04:00

We are on a journey. To not only find a church where we enjoy the music, message and the environment, but where we would feel comfortable serving and growing relationships. I saw an ad in Mountain Xpress that had piqued my interest. It was for the Underground Church. It sounded interesting. I emailed the pastor (Kevin), he emailed back and we had a e-versation.

When I picked up Mountain Xpress upon leaving Wild Wings this week I found that they had a full page ad with an apology to people from the church. It was very emergent and I thought this really has some potential.

Last night Carolina lost in the final four. Mike was upset. We went to bed late. It was rough getting up early this morning. But I felt that I needed to.

So I (Mike was still in mourning) arrived at the Underground Church a little before 10 (they start at 10ish - which is about 10:15). The car that pulled into the parking space beside me had a person that was smiling. She waved. As I went in (they didn't have outdoor greeters) I was met by a smiling face (I think she was doing something for the nursery) and a greeting. She asked if I had been there before. When I told her no, she gave me directions to worship and then told me about the information on the back table.

They have great smelling coffee and some snacks available.

I started to walk into where the main service is going on (there are more visitors behind me being greeted) and see the pastor. He introduced himself and then I said, I'm Tina. He acted like he remembered from the email. I went in and took a seat near the back (I wasn't sure how loud the music would be with the set up).

Instead of using florescence's they use lamps. It was really cozy. I did see people swapping out chairs (I guess some aren't level). Several people said hi as they walked by and then the pastors wife, Angela, came and sat down in front of me and started a conversation. She was very personable. I asked her a few questions and then someone needed her with a question.

The woman leading worship had an acoustical guitar. She was quite good. They had drums, electric and bass guitar also. They also had a guy that was doing backup to the leader. It was really worshipful and I felt at easy worshipping.

During the 3rd song they did a baby dedication. It was the Pastor's niece. It was probably the most sincere, sweetest dedication I have ever seen. I don't know if because it was his family and he knows them so intimately or if it is always that way, but I had tears in my eyes and I don't even know this family.

We finished worship and then the pastor spoke. It was strange how people in the audience interacted with him during the message (not that it was bad, just different to me and when the church grows I do wonder how this will go). You could see there was genuine relationship, creativity and much preparation into Sunday morning.

He spoke on Authentic God. It was really a great message. He reminded me of Donald Miller (whom I got to hear at Orange last year) His style is emergent. It was very intelligent and very deep, while being very simplistic. He told the story of the sons of Korah from Numbers 16 (I don't remember every hearing this story). Korah, Dothan and Abiram rose up against Moses. Moses went down, spoke against their uprising (to save the community) and the ground swallowed them up. Then fire from Heaven devoured 250 people and melted everything around them. So in Psalms 46 the sons of Korah question who God is, how is He good and bad at the same time or is He. He said they do tape the messages. I didn't ask how to get a copy, but I'm going to. I want to listen to it again. He used the Rob Bell Nooma video Rain (it's on the Nooma website and you can watch it for free) at the end to reinforce the message. I can't do justice here on this blog to what he said. Take my word for it that it spoke to me.

When he finished he told everyone to say hi to someone they don't know. Several people spoke to me, including Dee who I found used to go to Covenant. I asked her about the Children's Ministry. They only have about 7 kids that attend sporadically that are over 5 (they have a ton of babies...which is the sign of a growing church according to Gary Lamb). They are working on growing their children's ministry. They really don't have a youth group because they don't have many youth. But they do have family things (which is most important to me).

Upcoming...April 12th is game night. The last Saturday of the Month is Dudes no Limit. They get together and have some fun. They also do something called the Savory Plate where there is a theme and people bring food and they share a meal (sounds like fun). Anyways, we will continue to check it out for the next few weeks. I'll share Brooklyn's perception (if she lets me) next week.

Overall I really liked it. It was extremely friendly and I felt comfortable there.

Have a great week!

This Sunday

2008-04-02T22:26:00.002-04:00

I was perusing Mountain Express last week and ran across a blurb for a new church in Asheville. I was interested and emailed the pastor. We've had a pleasant conversation this week with him explaining their congregation and how their church works.

Then tonight I picked up a Mountain Express on my way out of Wild Wings. (Normally I wouldn't admit this but Mike kicked my butt at trivia tonight. In fact he got over 13,000 points and is #1 on the board at Wild Wings. I won't even say what my score was...it was horrible.)

In the Mountain Express there was a full page ad from the church we have been looking at and let me say I think I'm going Sunday to check it out. I think they are honestly interested in reaching people that aren't being reached. I think they are doing it in a very positive and open way - with an apology.

I'll post my review of the church on Monday.

Catalyst Greenville - My perception

2008-03-30T22:22:00.003-04:00

So this weekend we checked out Catalyst Church in Greenville, SC. Jake Miller, their Financial Pastor - I think that is his title...anyways he does the budgets and stuff), had invited me via facebook and this blog so we went down (and we ate at P.F. Chang's). I emailed Casey (the Lead Pastor) and found that Louie Giglio would be bringing the message for the day (via video).

It was cold, very cold. It got colder as we got further down there. Brooklyn had on shorts and flip flops (I felt like a bad mother, but she begged to wear them).

It's about an hour drive. Not too bad. They meet at Greenville's Little Theatre. They have a greater as you drive in and they have banners at the road (the Garmin had us doing a dance around the place, but the banners took us right in). Their signage is great. We knew exactly where to take Brooklyn.

I didn't think about this Sunday being the weekend after spring break and I would think their crowd was probably off due to that. They are doing a great job in a portable space and I think the move to the school will probably be even better for them.

I enjoyed the music. The leader was very charismatic. I enjoyed the message; although I prefer a live speaker. I wish Brooklyn could have been with us to hear the message as it is so relevant for kids in school to know that God created our world versus what they hear in science. He is ginormous and we make Him big versions of us (put Him in our box) when that's not what He is at all.

After the music the host team came forward and they gave the head of each row a basket. I had to get up and walk mine over to the people on the other end of our isle. That was a little awkward as they didn't reach out and take the basket, but put money in it while I held it. I really wasn't sure what to do with it. Other than that it went smoothly.

Brooklyn said if we lived in Greenville that wouldn't be her pick for a church. (She loves New Spring and she would want to drive there - she asks to go there all the time).

We had a wonderful lunch expect P.F. Changs has taken their dessert Lucky eights off the menu (boo).

Then we drove home after stopping for some Duncan Donuts. I wanted to do a little shopping, but Brooklyn was freezing. We'll go back down sometime this summer and do a little shopping.

So Mike has informed me that we need to be more realistic in our church hunting and look locally. I have found a few options (maybe this one, and possibly this one) for us to try the next couple of weeks and I will be posting reviews. I'm not doing this to be critical, but for others in Asheville (and Greenville) that might be looking to get some insight before they visit.

2008-03-29T23:36:00.000-04:00

Next game...interested? click here

Spring Break

2008-03-29T23:12:00.004-04:00

Brooklyn has been on spring break this week. Normally she would spend most of her days at church with me when I had to work, but this week with my new job I've had to work so she spent Monday with her dad, Tuesday & Thursday with Granny (my mom) and Wednesday & Friday with her Nana (Jeff's mom).

She saw Horton Hears a Who and yesterday I took her to see National Treasure 2 (half way through the movie she told me she didn't think she would like the movie, but she did)

She's had a manicure this week, been shopping, eaten out and spent time with family. She really isn't excited about going back to school next week.

I took her shopping today. She bought some cute clothes and we ate in the food court at the mall. After 5 hours of shopping we were beat. She saw webkinz were 2/1 at Limited Too! so we had to go in there and get her a Webkinz. And bonus, I found shoes that fit me.

What I can't figure out is why a 10 year old needs so many shoes and hoodies? She's addicted.

Heels going to Final Four

2008-03-29T23:00:00.002-04:00

Thursday night we had a small gathering to watch the Carolina Game. They won and we had some great food. Tracy Moneyhun-Lowther made this delicious Carolina blue cake (it was checkerboard inside). Stephanie Harris made sugar cookies (I forgot to get a picture before they were all devoured - my husband thinks she is the bomb at making dessert)

Tonight Carolina beat Louisville and next weekend they will play in the final four in San Antonio...

GO HEELS!

Skyland United Methodist Church - my thoughts

2008-03-23T14:41:00.003-04:00

So this morning we ventured out early (for us) to Skyland United Methodist Church. My friend, Glenda had told me that Keith Turman is the new pastor there. If you are familiar with Covenant Community Church then you will remember that Keith was the interim after Buzz left. They have an 8:30 am "Contemporary Service" that we wanted to check out.

Keith has been there for about six months filling in for the pastor that got sick. The pastor had to go on disability and Keith's district job was going to end this July, so he was appointed to Skyland full time.

I felt a little under dressed as most women did have on dresses (maybe because of Easter). I did shy away from jeans and wore my dress pants and a jacket. Mike wore his usual polo with khaki's. Most men did have on ties and jackets. It was more formal than I thought it would be for a contemporary service. The worship leader did have on jeans.

The greeters were very friendly and welcomed everyone with a "Happy Easter". We were made to feel very welcome. It was awkward during the greet your neighbor time as no one had sat in the row in front of us or directly behind us. Since Jeff, Ben, Andy & Ed joined us for the service we took up a whole row. They passed out bulletins, Honorarium & Memorial booklet, a newsletter and a song sheet.

The worship leader started with the song "Thief" by Third Day. He did an awesome job. A few people (including me) clapped during Lord, I Life Your Name on High. The other two songs were out of the Methodist Hymnal and were not quite as contemporary.

Keith's Sermon, "When Hope Appears" was really good. He did a great job of making an old story relevant. He used history, quotes, stories, scripture, humor and humanity to make his point. I only looked at my watch right at the very end which means he didn't lose my attention (that is rare for me as I have a short attention span - which is probably why I like Children's Ministry since nothing lasts more than about 5 minutes)

The last song was my favorite song. I love "It is Well with My Soul" I did not know the history behind this song, but Keith shared it during the sermon. I like the song now even more than before.

We had an opportunity to chat with Keith a little after the service. He seems genuinely passionate about the way the church is headed and about adding some traditional and some very contemporary aspects. He mentioned the possibility for a 5:00 pm Contemporary Service (versus the basically blended service that we attended).

I see the church growing under his leadership. Having worked for Keith for a few weeks before Claude came to Covenant I know that he is a dynamic leader. That church is blessed to have Keith and I hope they will be open to using his knowledge to grow.

We probably will visit some more. It's a little too traditional for me, but could be a good place for us to grow for a while and heal. We don't have any other places that have been recommended for us to check out. We've been invited to Biltmore Baptist and we might visit there (Brooklyn was also invited by one of her girlfriends that she takes swimming with - isn't that awesome that they were discussing God in the locker room at the Y?)

We will keep praying as a family and God will lead us!

Anyone Game

2008-03-21T22:42:00.002-04:00

Mike & I were discussing the possibility of starting a small group. This group would meet one night a week for 6-8 weeks. We would have a meal together, do a small group study and pray for one another.

I'd like to do this study and do it with a group of friends.

Is anyone game?

Color Test

2008-03-21T17:11:00.005-04:00

Jake Miller posted this test on his blog. So how well did you do? ( click here to take the test)

Today's Find

2008-03-09T17:00:00.002-04:00

A few years ago we built a house. We needed to be quick about it and had a budget, so we built a modular home on a full basement and put a 1200 sq ft. apartment in the basement. I promise the apartment is build much better than the upstairs.

Today I was changing the bed and noticed there was like wood debris on my pillow and then it spread towards Mike's side of the bed. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from until Mike walked in there and said take the cover off the vent. The inside of the air vent was full of wood debris from our floor. I had never thought of vacuuming it out.

We've both had issues with stuffy noses all winter. No wonder as they are probably full of wood!

So, if you have never looked inside your vents, it might be time.

And Mike is vacuuming them out right now...bonus!

Review Christian City Church AVL

2008-03-08T09:14:00.004-05:00

This week Christian City Church or C3 AVL moved to the YMI Cultural Center. What a intimate place for a church to meet. The building has hard wood floors and the architectural features are divine. You could do so much in a building like that for ambiance. I think one service with just lots of candle light (if the building owners allowed) could be quite the worship experience.

The experience starts as you are walking down the street. Men are posted at the crosswalks with neon vests on to assist with crossing the street. (Note: We arrived early and parked on College Street near Diana Wortham Theatre and walked down to find the location and then walked up Eagle Street and ate at Barley's before going to worship)

There are signs that direct you to the building. The building is multi-levels and in a beautiful location. The pastor introduced himself as Dean (but didn't reference that he was the pastor) as we were walking into the building. There were many levels of people introducing themselves and making everyone feel welcome. There were treats in the back (the teens were going for the m & m cookies) including cheese, apple slices, etc. We didn't grab a bite since we had just eaten, but what a nice thought especially for those arriving from work.

They didn't start on time but the music started about 7:05 and worship began about 7:08 (sorry, having been on a church staff and this being one of the things we worked on that is a pet peeve of mine to value peoples time and start when you say you will start). The worship was edgy. It was very well done. They use all original music (or they did last night). And it's free to download.

I knew it was a spirit filled church because the person that told us about it told me. I was raised Pentecostal so I did go in with some preconceived notions that I tried to not think about. That is a post for another day.

The worship was great. People felt free to express themselves; however, no one was running up and down the aisles or drawing attention to themselves. Personally, I think it would have been more intimate if the lights were dimmed; however, I'm not sure that building would allow for light dimming. Worship lasted 30 or 40 minutes (I didn't time it) and you stand the whole time. Someone behind us was praying in the spirit rather loudly for the whole worship time and it was distracting.

Then they went into a time of communion. The pastor said he wanted their first time in their new gathering place to have communion and share the meal together. It was a nice experience. Again, lighting would have carried the mood much more. Now I realize why John Adair, Youth Director at Covenant Community Church is such a stickler for lighting. It matters.

At 8:00 the pastor started his sermon. For me, the service could have ended after communion and been done right. Since the worship leader spoke for a few minutes about Moses and the men going up to see God on a mountain and related it to worship. And the pastor had told of his recent trip to Spain, Rome and London and explained about the experience he had in the Sistine Chapel the word had been given already.

However, the sermon was for us. His sermon was about what they want C3 to be. What kind of church they want. He spoke from Acts. He said the church can be a great place of healing or a great place of hurt. That many people walking through their doors will have been hurt by a past experience with a church. And he cannot promise that they won't have an experience at C3 that will be hurtful. But he talked about taking a season to get over the hurt and then finding another group of believers to journey with. It was a message I needed.

I won't restate his whole sermon (and did I mention he's Australian) but the other thing that was refreshing was him talking about being People of the Table. He referenced the times of Christ and how Jesus was always up for a party. Jesus went to the Wedding in Cana, he told Zaccheus he was going to his house, etc. He said we will gather on Friday nights and then people will have each other over on Saturday night. Yes, each others homes. That is why you have a home is to share it with others.

The sermon lasted about 40 minutes then they replayed a song from the worship time. He prayed for needs from people raising their hands while all eyes were closed and heads bowed. Then he dismissed.

People again were friendly.

Mike said it isn't fair to blog about a church from your first experience. But I think the first experience makes an impression and it is important to work through the question is this the church for our family.

Will we go back? Yes. We decided to check it out again. Next time we'll take Brooklyn.

Addendum: sermon and look for the file asheville 5.mp3

Pete Update

2008-03-05T23:11:00.002-05:00

Pete is at home with the Heavenly Father. I've stayed abreast of this story. I'm thankful that Chris had the intestinal fortitude to make the alter call and thankful that Pete accepted the invitation to accept Christ as his Savior.

Important

2008-03-02T21:11:00.002-05:00

Each night Brooklyn and I read together and pray together. A couple of years ago we read Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O'Dell. We are now reading his book, My Name is not Angelica.

Island of the Blue Dolphin was one of my favorite books growing up (along with the Box Car Children books). I couldn't wait to share it with her. Alas, she doesn't like to read as much as I do, but she tolerates me reading to her. She does share a passion of historical fiction with me. Hopefully as she grows we can share more books.

Last night when we prayed she said, "Thank you God that there is no more slavery." I haven't told her that there is still slavery, just not legalized in America. We will have that discussion, but I would like to protect her innocence as long as possible.

But it gave me a window into her heart. My Name is not Angelica is about slavery on St. John. It is very detailed about slave punishment, runaways, and slave feelings. It leaves nothing to the imagination. I asked her if she would like to discontinue the book and move on. She said that while it wasn't a great book, she was interested in seeing how it ends. We should be able to finish it by next week by reading a few chapters each night.

Do you have any suggestions of books we could read together after we finish this one?

Movie Review

2008-03-02T19:45:00.002-05:00

Last night while perusing the channel listings I found that Secondhand Lion was going to come on Network TV. We have some movie channels, but there wasn't anything on. I thought it would be a great movie to watch with Brooklyn and I was so right.

It's hard to believe that this was a 2003 movie. I really thought it was from last year. With the language I probably wouldn't have watched it with Brooklyn in 2003 when she was five or six. And some of the content probably would have scared her then. But last night was magical as we watched the movie. She figured out some of what was going on before me and said, "Look he's _______." (I don't want to give it away if you haven't seen it.)

The story within a story was brilliant. Great foreshadowing, great suspense, a great look at the fact that boys do need men in their lives - but not just any men - men of character. The plot was well developed as were the characters. I wish I had read this book before watching the movie as I can imagine the book to be even better.

Haley Joel Osment did a great job as Walter a main character. At 13-14 year old, he looked more like 10-12 in this movie. He is a phenomenal actor for his age.

Robert Duvall and Michael Caine also brought such depth to the movie. Their grumpy old men facades melting as the movie progressed. I longed to see more after the great return.

If you don't mind a little fighting and some raw 4-letter-word language then check out this movie. It's a great way to spend 109 minutes watching a PG movie.

New Church to Check Out

2008-03-01T16:05:00.002-05:00

One of the guys that Mike works with is helping plant this church in Asheville. According to him they will meet next week at the YMI downtown. Going to church on Friday night versus Sunday morning has appeal to me. Their website and what is says about people appeals to me. I'm going to go check it out Friday night and see if it still appeals to me. I'll blog about it next weekend.

The "TV"

2008-02-28T06:43:00.002-05:00

It's official. We have a TV too sophisticated for me to use. I left it on all night and was just chastised. I thought I turned it off before I went to bed; however, I only turned off the cable box.

When Mike & I met he had a receiver hooked to a turn-table, CD player, DVD player, cassette tape deck, a television and radio. I never could remember all the intricacies of the set up and would just not use them. That old system is now downstairs since we purchased a 42" plasma this weekend (well he did all the research, buying, setting up, calling Sears to get the real remote, etc.) I thought great we will only have a TV. Boy was I wrong.

Why does everything have to be so difficult? Why do we have to make everything - a purchase of a new TV set - so hard?

Well, you don't only need the actual TV, but then you have to have a new piece of furniture for it to set it on or you have to purchase a wall mount unit. Then you have to upgrade your cable so you can watch the HD channels. Then there is the desire for Blu-Ray and surround sound, but not the necessity.

Do we make church this difficult for new believers? Do we require too much time from them? Do we require more of them then they should be required to give? After leaving a conference when I first started my job at Covenant I was given a magnet with this verse on it. I kept it on my desk at Covenant and now it will go on my fridge.

I guess tonight I will get a lesson in new TV 101.

Snow Day

2008-02-27T09:16:00.002-05:00

So today is a "snow day". We got less than 1/2 an inch of snow. Why a snow day? Brooklyn attends Francine Delany New School for Children so they normally have school when public schools cancel. What I forgot was today was a half day teacher workday anyway so a delay would mean an hour of school. So it made sense and it means I get to spend time with my girl.

Pete

2008-02-25T12:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the family, Pete.

Seacoast this Week - My perception

2008-02-25T10:33:00.004-05:00

So we are checking out churches trying to find a new home church. I really miss our small group and hope that we can find a church that will have a small group environment for us and for Brooklyn.

This Sunday Mike & I attended Seacoast. The campus pastor, Craig Snook, reminds me of Ed Young the pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas.

I found Seacoast to be an extremely friendly church. We saw many friendly faces from our days at Covenant. I also saw faces I knew from the Rock (I personally have never attended the Rock but knew people that did and they are at Seacoast now). Even those that we didn't know were very friendly. I wonder how many people they have reached that were unchurched?

The parking lot attendants were great. They were funny, friendly and efficient.

The music was okay. None of the music was new. The newest song was 3 years old - most were much older. I just couldn't get into the worship. Maybe I would have felt more comfortable in the back? I understand they don't really have a place to get together and practice being portable. Hopefully that will change in the future. I'm sure it is hard to get there an hour early to practice before church and when they add the new service at Easter that will make it more difficult.

We sat in front with our friend that invited us so I'm not sure how many people were there, but the theatre was not full. The preacher of the day was their Teaching Pastor, Sean Wood. I'm just not sure if I can get used to a church that uses video to do their main communications. I like a variety of speakers so the main speaker (lead Pastor) can rest; however, I'm just not sure about the video thing all the time. I'll give it another shot to see.

The end was confusing to me. They have a cross that you can go up and write a sin on a piece of paper and stick it to the cross. They have people stationed to pray with you. The band is playing. You can light a candle as a symbol of prayer for something and they have communion. When communion was over people started standing to sing the last song.

As a Christian I would feel comfortable going up front to do something; however, if this were my first or second time in church period, then I don't know that I would connect with this. Also, I wonder if doing communion every week loses some of it's impact. I know that Christ said to do this often in remembrance, but as a society things we do regularly have to become more and more intense or they aren't effective (TV, movies, radio, music - think of the changes in the past 50 years).

So where would you suggest we try? We obviously can't drive 80 miles every week to Newspring (believe me we have discussed options for this), so where locally is a seeker friendly church with a small group philosophy this is reaching out to the community and has a great youth program and a place where we can serve? Or where is a church that has a potential and is growing toward this?

God at the Grocery Store

2008-02-24T14:19:00.002-05:00

We are having friends over to cook wings and watch some Carolina Basketball (for those who live in SC that read this blog that is the only Carolina - UNC). I had to stop at Ingles on the way home from church

this morning and get the chicken.

There was a wait so while I was in line to be cashed out I looked at some magazines and what did I find? I found the Idiot's Guide to Prayer. As a country we are so caught up in how to manuals that we need one on how to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Now I realize that everyone doesn't have an easy time with this, but why would you buy a book at Ingles that tells you how to pray? Could it be because the church isn't trusted to help us with spiritual matters anymore? Could it be because our country is so consumer driven that we feel Ingles is more qualified to teach us how to pray than we can learn at church? Is it because we go to small groups versus Sunday School and we don't learn "christian skills" anymore because we are too busy socializing to learn how to live?

I'm not answering the question. I'm asking it. Why do we need a manual besides the Bible to show us how to pray? Can we build a relationship with Father God by reading a book and will that make us smart about how to pray?

New Job

2008-02-20T08:15:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited. I will be going work on March 3 for Jeff & Robin Brooks. They own October Road. I'll be an administrative assistant for the ACT team. It's a 3/4 job with benefits. This is a new company providing the highest level of outpatient care to clients with mental illness and substance abuse. I feel I can professionally grow with this company and knowing that Jeff & Robin had a former employee move from Charleston to come work with them tells me that they are great to work with. I think they exemplify team and this new challenge will strengthen my current skills and stretch my abilities.

I want to keep my CTR (certified tumor registrar) certification, so I will also be doing some part time work for the state and for a hospital in Western North Carolina. God continues to provide financially for our family.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 (New Living Translation) 8 We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

Where are you?

2008-02-18T13:08:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we went down to Newspring Church in Anderson, SC. Brooklyn had received some pants from her sister for Christmas that were too small from Macy's so we thought we could kill a couple of birds with one stone. We attended Newspring and went to Macy's.

I had been reading about their new series Stuck and thought it resonated with where I feel I am. Stuck looking for a job when I loved the one I had, stuck in a house with a house payment that is too big that we no longer need, stuck working two - three jobs to make enough money, stuck working when I would love to be at home being a mommy, etc.

According to Perry, there are three zones. The Dream Zone, the Drain Zone and the Danger Zone. 70% of people, according to his hypothesis land in the Drain Zone. Only 5-10% are in the Danger Zone & Dream Zone.

The things he said that stuck out were:

Life fully begins when we abandon our dream & live His dream.
Great days but a great life?
Dream Zone isn't based on circumstances.
Christianity is a series of next steps
Praise versus complaint

These are the notes that were shared:

Am I In...

The Dream Zone
John 10:10

ID: Passion for Jesus and Life
Goal: Asking God, "What Else?"
Lie: I could never live here (in the dream zone).
Need: Keeping my eyes on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2

The Drain Zone

ID: Always feel frustred, stressed or tired
Goal: To keep plates spinning
Psalm 45:10
Lie: Things will eventually get better
Need: Vision (let my dreams die)

Proverbs 29:18 KJV
Proverbs 3:5-6

The Danger Zone

ID: Unconfessed Sin
Goal: Not to get caught
Jeremiah 16:17
Lie: I'm trapped and alone
Need: Confession and repentence

I John 1:9

Another thing that really stuck out was He believes that we usually move from the Drain Zone to the Danger Zone not up to the Dream Zone. He had us raise our hands if we felt we were in the Drain Zone and hundreds of hands were raised; thus proving Perry's hypothesis. Next week he will finish this sermon by preaching on the Drain Zone and telling you how to move out of it to the Dream Zone (and he promised it doesn't involve writing a check to his ministry!)

You can listen to the message online. The link is in the bottom right hand page of their website. I guarantee you it is life changing.

Biltmore Estate

2008-02-13T17:14:00.003-05:00

Today I had the pleasure of thrilling my mom with a trip to the Biltmore Estate. She's (shhhhh...don't tell her I put this on the internet) 68 years old and she had never been. She had a therapy appointment this morning and then I picked her up and we went.

We talked about having lunch somewhere in Biltmore Village, but my favorite restaurant in Asheville is the Bistro at the Winery at Biltmore. So she said she would treat since someone gave us the tickets and we could eat at the Winery.

I dropped her off in front of the house. As we were rounding the corner I asked her if she was ready. She said yes, and then she beemed. She was crying over how grand the house is. Then I dropped her off and went and parked the car. She, of course, found some old friends to talk to and I walked back to the house (my workout for the day).

It was really neat to be with her as she took all of this in. I've been many times and once had the grand opportunity of having a tour with one of the sales managers so they gave me so insider info that I passed along to mom (yes, she thinks her daughter is smart!). When she saw the statues of the apostles she cried. She was just overwhelmed. She loved Ms. Vanderbilt's gold & purple bedroom (mom has a yellow & lavender kitchen). She was in awe of the grand dining hall and all the books and that the library had secret passages. It was really like watching a kid open a present, but to mom is was like opening a while new world. She hasn't traveled that much. She's never been to the other side of the Mississippi River. She's only been to the beach once after a hurricane. So to her this was a way to see things beyond her grasp.

At the Bistro I had Salmon with pistacheos, citrus peel, olive oil & cous cous while mom had a chicken ceasar salad (she isn't very adverterous) and then we had Chocolate Decadence for dessert. Some friends from her church were there and we talked to them for a bit.

Then we went to the winery. My mom doesn't drink so it was funny to watch her tasting wine. I've never in my 38 years had a drink in front of or with my mom...that was weird. She said,
"I'm going to prove to you that I'm not an old fogey." She's so funny.

It was a great day. David & Carol, thanks for the tickets. You made my mom so happy!

The meanest mother ever

2008-02-07T14:24:00.001-05:00

So Brooklyn and I were on the way to school this morning and I asked her if she made up her bed. She said, no. Well, the deal was she had to leave her room clean before she left for her dad's for the weekend or she lost her TV. I'm going to take it out of her room. Wow, she's had a TV for six years (since Mike moved in with us) and now, no TV.

I haven't decided how long this punishment will last. I'm thinking at least a month and then with the consequence that if her room isn't clean before she leaves to go to her dad's that weekend she won't get it back for longer.

Maybe it will be a good thing, maybe it will be hard, maybe it will teach her about consequences, maybe she will secretly wish she had a mother that cleaned her room for her. All those things are possible. But I know that I want her to be a responsible adult and she had two weeks to leave her room clean and she didn't.

So pop goes the TV.

Parody - Watch out could produce laughter

2008-02-06T17:06:00.001-05:00

Link to this URL

If you want a laugh, check out the video.

Small Group Rocks!

2008-02-02T14:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I had a friend call. We were in small group together but we haven't really talked to each other in a while. She was having an issue with one of her children. We had a great talk about motherhood.

She really wasn't looking for advice. She really wasn't looking for sympathy. She just wanted to process through her feelings and make sure she was okay with the decision she had made. She made a tough decision that I don't know I could have made. But I know her child will be better off because she made the decision.

What's great about it is that we were in small group together, even though a while back, and she called me. She knew me well enough to know that I would listen. It's important that we are in small groups together. For accountability, for encouragement, for help when you are feeling low.

Mike & I haven't been in small group for a little over a year, but the people we were in small group with have really reached out to us during times of need. One of the things on my short term to do list is get back into a small group. Whether with a group of women or a couple's group. We need that accountability for spiritual growth and for friendship.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

I've written about that scripture before, but it is so true. We need to spiritually and physically walk among others. Small group is the bomb.

Glenda & Mike thanks for opening your home and small group to me & Mike in the past. I never knew what bonds it would hold for me. Some of them I hope will last for a lifetime.

Prayer

2008-02-01T15:01:00.001-05:00

I had a wonderful call today from Heather Potts. Heather is the Children's Minister at New Life Community Church in Asheville. http://www.newlifeofasheville.com/

Heather prayed for my family and for me. It was a sweet prayer right out of the book of Colossians. Thanks Heather - you'll never know how much that call meant to my life!

Last week

2008-01-28T22:19:00.000-05:00

Well, as a Children's Minister in transit this is a very weird week for me. I already miss the kids. I tried Sunday to distance myself somewhat from the older ones. It's hard because I was preparing the nursery for new babies and preparing the sixth graders to go to youth group and I won't be there to see either come to fruition.

If you don't know, my position was changed to part-time at Covenant. That means I lost pay and benefits. I really can't afford that change as I took a pay cut to take the job at Covenant a little over 18 months ago. So, I'm looking for a job. This Sunday will be my last day.

I have a Business Administration Degree from Montreat College and I'm a Certified Tumor Registrar (meaning I can do major database work with accuracy and can conquor most statistical reporting). So if you hear of anything, send it my way.

I won't quit blogging. In fact, I might actually have time to post more often.

I'm on a journey...similar to Father Abraham, Noah, Ruth, Benaniah, David, etc.. I wonder what God has in store for me next?

New Years Update

2008-01-22T21:55:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't kept up with the reading the whole Bible. I got lost one weekend and haven't caught up, but I'm enjoying reading about Abraham. His journey intrigues me. I used that as the basis for the summer camp lesson with the kids at Tekoa and every since I have thought about Abraham and the journey he went on. He pushed the envelope and tried to make things happen for him. Sarah pushed the envelope and Ishmael was born. But Abraham had God's blessing. And as a child of God, so do I. It's exciting to know that I am also on a journey. I might not have as many descendants as stars in the sky (Abraham does) or as the grains of sand (Abraham does) but as a child of God I can claim the same blessing received by my father, Abraham.

So, I joined the gym, bought tennis shoes, workout clothes and yes, I have been going. I've lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks. I'm excited.

Thanks for your prayers.

Do Sharks Close Their Eyes to Sleep?

2008-01-13T19:18:00.001-05:00

To the right is the group picture of the 5th & 6th graders trip to Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg, TN on Friday night. We had a blast. They did a great job and kept us busy from 8:15 pm until about 12:15 am. I didn't care for the creature feature (petting a jelly fish ... don't worry no jelly fish or children were harmed) in the am, but all in all it was a great experience. Most of the kids loved dissecting the squid!

Waking up several times during the night to saw sharks right above your head staring down at you could have made the squeamish have nightmares. I, however, had a great time and have heard from many parents that their children enjoyed the experience. And some of the fish would rest on the coral; however, for the most part the sharks swam all night. One of the girl teams reported seeing a saw shark and a great white having a gentle argument during the night.

In February, we will go back to our Sunday afternoon events. It won't be as adventurous as Sleeping with Sharks but it will still be a fun time!

FRIDAY AFTERNOON MIND DUMP

2008-01-11T13:56:00.000-05:00

Wow, tonight I get to find out how sharks (and fish for that matter) sleep or do they? I'm excited that the 5th & 6th graders are going over to Gatlinburg to have a good time bonding and hanging out.

Pray for us (me) as we embark on this adventure.

That I don't snore too loud.
That the kids behave.
That they have a good time.
That in some way they are drawn into a closer relationship with Jesus.

I could have gone scrapbooking today. I should have gone. But the house is cleaner and Mike will be happier. Next month is a two day crop. I'm excited. It will be a blast!

I love the smell of oranges in the house. In my house it means I've been cleaning. Don't you love to get into bed with fresh, clean sheets. That is one of my little things I have to do before we leave on a trip. I must change the sheets so that when we get back home we come home to clean sheets. I change them at other times too, but that is a given that we have to change the sheets even if the flight is at 6:00 am.

Did you know that even after Saul died and David was made King he still didn't reign in peace? He had to fight the Philistines (1 Chronicles 14) and then he had to deal with a wife that was ashamed of his worship of God, and in 1 Chronicles 18 it lists all the others he had to fight. Peace. Are we ever truly guarnteed peace? I know that David, who had a heart after God's own heart, had a hard time obtaining peace. I think sometimes we have to find peace even during the termoil. When it feels the whole world is churning. That still small voice. He says, "Be still and know that I am God." How can we know that or even believe that without the termoil? What a mighty God we serve.