Thoughts from the Teahouse

It's easier than I thought...

2009-12-04T09:38:00.007-05:00

I didn't realize how easy it would be to log in to blogger again after such a long absence. I thought I'd have to give a retinal scan or something...

Anywhooo...Here are some pics of the last few weeks...

Thanksgving visit to Princeton...

Shawn's birthday - kiddos with the cousins in NJ

Ezra in PapPap's backyard... Roosters!

Here are some stats of the last few weeks.
The bad news first...
Our foster german shepherd, Otto, is no longer part of the family. Sadly, he died in an accident. That leaves our elderly lab, Keely and our death-cheating beagle pup, Echo.

My father has had some serious health problems and remains in the ICU following his craniotimy last week. His recovery (if he is even considered in recovery yet) is slow and we hope he will regain his previous mental status, though that remains to be seen.

Our entire nuclear family experienced some sort of flu that could've been swine-flu or maybe not. It was a long drawn-out couple of weeks. Glad we're all better.

Now the non-bad news...
We had a nice time in NJ for thanksgiving. The kiddos enjoyed the time they spent with cousins, aunts/uncles and of course 'grammie and pap-pap'. On Thanksgiving day, Al and I wandered the Princeton campus and the very historic cemetery there.

We're almost done with Christmas shopping!

Ezra seems to be progressing with his speech and behavior - although he really is still the terror of the church nursery.

Uncle Chris came for a visit.

Ruth and Daniel are doing well with school. Tests today - so I really shouldn't take forever on this post. :)

So, there it is. My silence shattering post. As you can see, there hasn't been much to blog about, but I hope you will enjoy the pictures, Uncle Charlie.

Another hero...

2009-10-15T20:36:00.004-04:00

There have been times in my life when I have the opportunity to meet people who, for varying reasons, I have held in high esteem. And then there are times when the meeting of a stranger makes me realize that my esteem system is flawed and there are heroes waiting to be met.

One such time was just this past Sunday when we met and got to hang out with Getaneh Getaneh. Wow! Please read about his amazing testimony here! Getaneh has encouraged us to call him and build a relationship with he and his wife. I look forward to sharing with the kiddos the high value of meeting and getting to know such a servant in the kingdom.

Getaneh's ministry

One of my all time real life heroes - click here to read...

All things...

2009-09-30T08:54:00.002-04:00

"So let no one boast in men.

For all things are yours,

whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas

or the world or life or death or the present or the future

—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s."

I Corinthians 3:21-23

"Being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Jesus Christ is the essence of faith in future grace." - John Piper

Adoption, Birthday, Brigade!!!!

2009-09-18T11:54:00.004-04:00

I've been having camera problems but I've been able to capture a couple of moments from yesterday and today...

Daniel went to Boys Brigade for the first time last night. He was so excited!!!

Ezra's readoption was finalized in county court today! Our small county doesn't have much experience with international adoption so the process took longer than usual. However, it is now complete. Our attorney and the judge were very kind!

Ruth turns 8 today!!!!

John Owen: The Grave That is Never Satisfied

2009-09-13T21:40:00.004-04:00

"Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, if it has its own way it will go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could, every thought of unbelief would be atheism if allowed to develop. Every rise of lust, if it has its way reaches the height of villainy; it is like the grave that is never satisfied. The deceitfulness of sin is seen in that it is modest in its first proposals but when it prevails it hardens mens’ hearts, and brings them to ruin."

HT: Whitewashed Tombs

Does God heal dogs?

2009-09-11T09:25:00.004-04:00

On Labor Day, it was apparent that our puppy drank antifreeze. She had all of the classic symptoms of antifreeze intoxication and there was antifreeze in a place she had access to (sadly unbeknownst to us at the time). Unfortunately, by the time we put the pieces together, she was past the point where treatment would've saved her. So we decided to keep her with us and closely watch her until the symptoms seemed to show that she was in pain, etc, and then she would need to be put down. (I know, sad). There is a stage in antifreeze poisoning where the dog seems to recover and is the point where the real damage is taking place in her body. The liver processes the poison and crystals are formed where they stay in the kidneys and shortly after cause kidney failure. So we played with her while she was good and kept a close eye on her condition. Five days later, she is as peppy and healthy as she was before she got sick. Normally, from what I've read and discussed with the vet, the animal would be dead by now. But Echo is acting great. So we've had this extra time with her and for all we know, she didn't ingest enough to do the damage. It's a mystery to me. There was no doubt to us that she got into the antifreeze, but here she is, happy and loud.

Our kiddos were upset, but they were coming to terms with the situation. Some people told them they were praying for us and even for Echo. At the time, I was kind of wary of the prayers for the dog's healing. I guess I need to know that God does what He wants always for His glory and the good of his children. God hears the prayers, knows the hearts and hurts of his children and is gracious and good in all things including the life and death of our pets.

PS - I LOVE teaching Daniel!

Summer break is over...

2009-09-03T09:06:00.003-04:00

Summer break is over. Not that I really had a 'summer break', it just seemed like a good excuse for blog silence.

Some highlights of the last two months...

1. My mom bought a new house and moved in last week. It's a great place and I think she will love it! (right, Mom?)
2. Ruth and Daniel went on a camping trip with their father and another dad/kid combo and one other guy. Sounds confusing. It was rainy but they had a great time and Al caught a 38" pike.
3. Ruth was stung three times by some nasty bald-faced hornets. She had previously never been stung and it was worse than she imagined and she has a vivid imagination. What's up with the bees this summer? They seem to be everywhere. So now, Ruth stays inside even though the weather has been gorgeous lately.
4. Daniel turned 6! He got a new bike and has officially changed his favorite color from yellow to blue. Blue & yellow is his favorite color combo. He's very loyal to his colors. Just ask him.
5. Ezra is the terror of the nursery and 'very active' to put it nicely. I constantly get asked, "Is he like this all the time?" by worried moms. The answer is YES, he is ALWAYS moving and talking. He is the busiest of my children. It's usually a very happy busy, so that's good. We finally finalize his adoption on Sept. 18th.
6. I turned a year older.
7. Al made a sign for our driveway. Seems like a minor detail, but we've lived here for 13 years and it took 911 laws to get him to label us. He's very private. He doesn't even know I have a blog - he'd die! (Just kidding, he knows I have a blog)
8. My friend Kim stayed over one night. It was a highlight. She's awesome.
9. I babysat for two sweet girls.
10. I took the kiddos to Great Escape with my sister and her kiddos. Crazy day.
11. Keely, our 13 yr. old lab, got a lure stuck in her tongue. It was 20 minutes of pure chaos, but the lure is out and she is fine, I think.

We start school on Tuesday. Ruth is in 3rd grade, Daniel is in 1st and Ezra will be in the pack-n-play.

My house does not sparkle as I hoped it would by the end of the summer. It's worse for the wear. Argh.

We are going to Minneapolis for the National Desiring God Conferenc in three weeks! YEAHHHH...

That should bring you up to speed.

kid pics - feel free to scroll past :)

2009-07-21T21:40:00.002-04:00

At the playground...

On the lake...
On the trail...

Let's go for a walk...

Miss Grump

Echo!...

Playing together...

Take a fresh look at your To-Do list. (and I will mine!)

2009-07-06T21:12:00.006-04:00

Do you feel so busy that you can barely catch your breath before the next round of activities begins? I have been following the journey of a young woman who has bravely shared her experiences as she is 'waiting to die', in her words. Our friend Tim shared this video on Facebook a while back (thanks Tim!). I encourage you to watch it after you read this post by Rachel... To- Do List - and to remember her in prayer as you rush around trying to get your to-do lists checked off.

Edit: As I was looking at Rachel's site today 7/7 - a box popped up informing us that Rachel's wait ended on July 2nd. Her testimony endures.

The Summer of the Sparkling House...HELP!!!

2009-07-03T10:26:00.005-04:00

We have been living in our cozy little Teahouse for 13 years now. The 10 months before we moved in was a process of complete gutting and remodel of the original house and putting on an addition. We don't have a huge house or even a large house by many standards. It's a modest 3-bed/2-bath house which seemeed much bigger before we had kiddos!

I am not much of a housekeeper - there, I said it! I would like to be but I fall woefully short. I always have a load or two or eight of laundry to do, dishes in the sink or drainer to take care of, floors to sweep clean of all the dog hair, carpets to vacuum... you get the idea.

I've begun the process of cleaning the basement and am about 3/4 finished. The part that is not done is Al's tool bench, fishing gear storage, etc. I can't really do anything with that. So, now I must maintain and move upward to the rest of the house.

The challenge for me this summer is to make my house sparkling clean - from the floors, cabinets (inside & out), closets, baseboards, walls, underbeds, corners and ceilings! This is something I hope to accomplish while I take care of my kiddos along with two other sweet girls. On top of that, we have 3 dogs (1 is a puppy!), 2 cats, and me! We have limited storage and literally piles of books everywhere. I'm going to have to look past the things I can't control and cheerfully take care of the rest. I've got a handle on the clutter - for the most part.

Why should you care? Well, you don't have to, but I want some advice and tips! When I was at the church making the copies of the bulletin last week, I saw that Barb had her youngest sweet girl cleaning the scuffs of the floor with a magic eraser. Well let me just say that I tried it on my floor and the scuffs that I assumed were just part of the design were gone!!! Thanks, Barb! I'll return your little girl soon! (haha) So you all have favorite cleaning tips & products. Help a sister out!

First - any ideas for cleaning my white laminate kitchen cabinets? I've tried soap/water, scrubbers, goo-gone, and even the magic eraser. It's not too bad, but it could be cleaner...

I'll come up with more questions later.

PS - for any Seinfeld fans, the title is an homage to ...'The summer of George!'

Morning Coffee...

2009-06-29T07:14:00.004-04:00

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

Psalm 96:1-4

Dr. Livingstone, I presume? A glass half-full kind of man!

2009-06-23T21:57:00.005-04:00

Dr. Livingstone, as you know, was a missionary/explorer into Africa in the 1800's. I knew a few stories about him, but sadly not much. I am now reading a biography called, The Life and Explorations of Dr. Livingstone, by John S. Roberts. It is an interesting read. For example, did you (solitary reader of my blog) know that David Livingstone spent his early life working in a factory. By early life, I mean at 10 years old he became a 'piecer' in a mill and worked from 6am-8pm. He then studied on his own from 8-10pm and did personal reading from 10-midnight. Six days a week! 10 years old!! He would put his book on the spinner at the mill so he could read while working. At nineteen, he was promoted to cotton-spinner which was much harder work, but paid better. He used his wages to attend University and medical school (a daily walk of nine miles!) and became a medical doctor. His hopes were to become a missionary to China and he knew that being a doctor would be a practical and helpful profession in mission work.

Circumstances (opium war in China) caused him to redirect his work and he was led to South Africa.

While on an early journey into the interior of Africa, Dr. Livingstone describes the following 'adventure' with a lion...

"Starting, and looking half round, I saw the lion just in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height. He caught my shoulder as he sprang; and we both came to the ground below together. Growling horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain, nor feeling of terror, though quite conscious of all that was happening. This singular condition was not the result of any mental process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in all animals killed by the carnivora; and, if so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death. Turning round to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebalwe (a native schoolmaster), who was trying to shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels: the lion immediately left me, and, attacking Mebalwe, bit his thigh. Another man, whose hip I had cured before, after he had been tossed by a buffalo, attempted to spear the lion while he was biting Mebalwe: he left Mebalwe, and caught this man by the shoulder; but at that moment the bullets he had received took effect, and he fell down dead... Besides crunching the bone into splinters, he left eleven teeth-wounds in my arm."

More kid pics with animals...

2009-06-22T08:30:00.003-04:00

Daniel caught this monster pickerel - ALL BY HIMSELF! His father had to help with the net to get it in the boat. Pickerel are gross and have sharp teeth. Daniel has trouble coming up with a good smile when the camera is turned to him. I wasn't there, but I'm sure his father said - "smile normal, Daniel" - to no avail. He's still a cutie!

Ruth is more into birds. She caught this one last week. Actually, the poor bird crashed into Ruth's bedroom window and was lying dazed on the ground. Ruth saw the opportunity to grab the birdie and ran like the wind! So, what is this bird? I know most people know, but I don't. Maybe a warbler of some kind?

Lame, but fun.

2009-06-18T20:01:00.009-04:00

I'm not sure what got into me, but I decided to take a picture of the inside of my refrigerator. It's not that I am proud of it, in fact I'm not. I'm just feeling random. So here's the picture...

Then I started playing with it on Paint.net (a very basic and free photo editing program).

Here is 'my fridge' with witty captions ...

Here it is with x-ray vision! Nice...

I think I will have notecards made up on pink linen paper in this lovely embossed style. It says "CLASSY", I think...

Here's grandma's fridge. It looks remarkably like mine! (Ha - did the sepia feature fool you?)

Ruth wanted to paint a picture of 'my fridge'. Not a bad rendition for an amateur.

But my favorite option was the 'quick-fix' feature. See how it made 'my fridge' better...

*I don't remember buying that many eggs, but whatever - maybe it's an upgrade!

I'm off now to take pictures of my closet and the basement for a 'quick-fix'.

What's up, buttercup?

2009-06-13T21:09:00.002-04:00

Actually, not much is going on. Ruth worked on her CAT tests. Daniel is on the verge of losing his first tooth (even though the replacement is already fully grown in and waiting for the spot!) and Ezra turned 2!

We've gained some feathered friends. An all white homing pigeon is one new 'pet'. She is currently living in a cage on the side of the shed in the backyard. I'm not really sure why we have her. I want to purge the pets, not add to them - except for the beagle. I love the beagle. We also adopted a baby blue jay. Al's hoping that she'll be able to fly away soon. AND...we had a large bear in the backyard. But we are definitely NOT keeping him!

Here are some recent pictures...

Daniel is fishing with his 'ugly stick'

He caught a perch - but check out the size of the perch compared to the lure! Hungry perch!

Daddy's perch...

Daddy's girl catching perch (or trying)

Ruth's snake-charming skills didn't work on the snake, but Daniel sure looks woozy!

Ruth with a small blue jay...

My sweet Ezra... Happy Birthday!

PS - after we got home from King of the Frosties where I took the Ezra pics, I showed Al what I thought was a skin tag under Ezra's arm. Turns out deer ticks look just like skin tags! My poor boy has been feasted upon by a tick for more than 24 hours! I'm calling the Dr. on Monday. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Baby Boy and Pup

2009-05-30T18:24:00.001-04:00

Ezra and Echo

Helloooo!! hellooo. Is there an echo in here?

2009-05-18T17:07:00.003-04:00

Well - we went and did it. We did what I was sure we wouldn't be doing for a long time. We got a new...

puppy. Isn't she beautiful???!!! She is a sweet little beagle. We've named her Echo because of her bark. I wanted to go with the name, 'fingernails on chalkboard' but it's not an easy name to holler out the back door when I'm calling her in. One of her many sisters might be living nearby!

Here are some more pics...

BEWARE!

2009-05-13T08:47:00.001-04:00

This child WILL steal your heart!

Morning Coffee...

2009-05-08T07:18:00.003-04:00

"Continue steadfastly in prayer,

being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
Colossians 4:2

NDD?

2009-05-04T17:10:00.002-04:00

I saw a story about Nature Deficit Disorder on the news. No worries that our kiddos will suffer with that particular disorder. We practically live in a cave! No Wii, Playstation, Nintendo, Atari or even TMX Elmo for us. The outdoors is their favorite place to be and play. We have forts, fields, streams, fire rings, treehouses and lots of creepies and crawlies. Fun abounds!

In the Cross of Christ I Glory

2009-05-03T06:48:00.001-04:00

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

by John Bowring, 1825

Morning Coffee...

2009-05-02T11:29:00.002-04:00

“For we ourselves were once

foolish,

disobedient,

led astray,

slaves to various passions and pleasures,

passing our days in malice and envy,

hated by others and hating one another.

But when the goodness and loving kindness

of God our Savior appeared,

he saved us,

not because of works done by us in righteousness,

but according to his own mercy,

by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

so that being justified by his grace

we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Titus 3:3-7

Gotcha!

2009-05-01T08:34:00.004-04:00

Early this morning I was tossing and turning because of an earache. It seemed like I just woke up and I heard the snap of the mousetrap that I set out last night. We catch the critters every few nights or so. When the trap snapped, I said "yessss!" and Al (who I didn't realize was awake) said, "Aren't you glad there aren't any people traps?" He thought there could be one at the library for all the books I shouldn't be reading (no - not the romance novels - ick!), or on the computer for all of the sites we shouldn't go to (not that we do - maybe a FB trap!), or next to me when I get angry with the kiddos... anywhere I could be tempted to sin!

I got thinking about it after he got up and realized how glad I am that God does not set 'people-traps' and that He is not out to snap down on His children. The bible says in James 1:13, "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." That's not to say that we aren't tempted and even trapped. First, by our own evil desires in James 1:14, "but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed," And we are also tempted by the devil, I Thess. 3:5 "I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless." Satan, the evil hunter, intends destruction - I Peter 5:8 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

But God, and the people of God, intend escape and restoration for the ensnared children of God. I Cor. 10:13"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. "And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." and Galations 6:1, "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."

Along the way of my Christian walk, I believed that God was a performance-oriented God. That when I was 'good' God liked me and when I sinned, God was mad at me and didn't like me as much and I needed to scramble and earn my way back into his good graces. I misunderstood the grace and love of God and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers.

I hope these selections from Romans 8 will minister to your heart about the love and intentions of God toward his children...

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:1-4

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:15-17

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:28-39

Morning Coffee...

2009-04-30T06:36:00.004-04:00

"Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
to him who rides the ancient skies above,
who thunders with mighty voice. "
Psalm 68:32, 33

Randomness & Links

2009-04-28T15:00:00.006-04:00

I'm dipping my toe once again into the waters of blogland with a random selection of updates and thoughts. I would try to explain them all, but that would kind of defeat the whole random idea.

thoughts on Facebook (or fb for the masses)...

I like fb because
1. I like to follow my non-local friends and family. Also, acquaintances and famous people I will never meet are pretty interesting too.
I don't like fb because
1. I can spend too much time on the stupid quizzes.
2. I have a strange fascination with the habits of my local friends because they post status updates about anything and everything. Not that the updates are bad, they're great. But why do I care? - what is it about me that eats all that stuff up? Did you ever have a phone on a party line? Same thing.
3. I don't have alot of real friends and/or acquaintances. Somehow, this social interfacing website makes me feel like a dork all over again.
4. I see pictures and read updates about all the events I don't get invited to. (dork, again!)
5. Why does Josh Harris accept my friend request? Why does he get like 50 likes and 70 comments on all of his status updates? He could fb belch and he'd get 4 thumbs up, 20 amens, and lots of virtual shoulder punches from dudes.

Anyway - I'm not cool enough for most of the fb applications. Twitter is even worse. Really. It would be so sad for me to twitter. all alone. tears.

PS - if you fb friend request me - I WILL accept. FYI.

Moving on...

swine flu? Amazing. Getting bigger each time I log on to the internet.

I'm reading "Knowing God" by Packer now. I read it in 1998 and I am amazed that all of the things that resonated with me then, resonate with me now. One thing in particular is that my quest to 'know God' is a quest to really have God - not more knowledge about God!

I should really be cooking bacon right now.

Some recipes I've gluttoned on lately...
ONION STRINGS

GARLIC CHEESE BREAD

CHOCOLATE COOKIES

I love this site - it is a feast for the eyes and imagination...

A Sparrow's Home

Tim Keller said (at The Gospel Coalition) that "you can't really, you really can't, minister the gospel in a life-changing way unless, like Paul always did, you discern and expose and challenge the idols of your place." So true! I wan't to discern, expose and challenge the idols of my heart (fb?, status?, kids?, housecleaning?) and help others to do the same!

Well - for now this randomness is good for my soul. Thanks for playing along. Now I need to go cook dinner and you can bet I'm making some garlic cheese bread!