Surviving 9 Days of "Stormageddon"

We had a fun-filled family Christmas this year (2021) except for a couple of disappointments. We lost our precious Mom/Abuelita on Dec. 17th. A snow storm over Donner Summit prohibited our daughter Michelle, and husband Riley, from spending the holiday with us in Colfax. We did a ZOOM call while everyone opened their gifts. On Christmas Day we welcomed Ryan, Janai and their 4 little ones to the house, as well as our youngest son, Matt. We had a delicious traditional turkey dinner after opening gifts and watching the grandchildren have a blast playing with all their gifts. The day after Christmas was a Sunday, and a huge storm was predicted to come into the Foothills by afternoon. Ryan and Janai returned to the Bay Area because they pastor a church and needed to be there for Sunday. I kept the 3 older grandkids here with us. Ryan came back in the afternoon to our home just as the snowflakes were starting to fall and stick to the ground.The children were very excited about seeing snow! We all retired for the night that Sunday evening and awoke to 13" of snow and NO ELECTRICITY. We live in a beautiful forested area of Northern California, and haven't had a substantial snowfall in many years (we've been in a drought in California). The snowfall was very wet and heavy, so there were many limbs and branches that had broken from the heavy snow. Debris covered our driveway and the road that leads to our house. We live atop a steep, paved driveway, but there was over 13 inches of snow covering the driveway. Even with a 4-wheel drive, the drive to the bottom of the hill was treacherous. My husband, Mark, son Ryan, and a neighbor, Don, ended up shoveling the 1/3 of a mile driveway so that a vehicle could follow a path down to our main road. Ultimately, no one was able to get down our hill until Thursday (4 days later). In the meantime, our old neighborhood, Alta Sierra, in Grass Valley, was described as looking like a "war zone." Trees had snapped in half, utility poles had fallen, trees had toppled onto homes and vehicles, and most of the city had no power. Grass Valley/Nevada City is where our church is located-in Nevada County-and they get even more snow than we do in Colfax. Thank God that we only had a few branches snap-off during the storm--no damage to any of our property. PG&E had a monumental task ahead of them and they deployed linemen and tree-trimmers to replace utility poles and fallen lines. These linemen came from Southern California, as well as from other states. We were elated when we got our electricity back at 3:15PM on January 4th! Without electricity, many people were unable to keep warm in their homes. There was also a problem with propane deliveries, so some residents ran out of propane and had to stay with friends or seek lodging in a hotel or shelter. Our church regained power relatively early in the game, so we served as a Red Cross Warming Center for several days. We took in our 86-year old neighbor for 3 days because her house got down to 46 degrees and because our road was inaccessible, her son couldn't get up to her home to take her to his property which is closer to Sacramento. She ended-up enjoying our family chaos with 4 little ones running around (well, 3 running around--one is still a nursing infant). She became an adopted Grandma to Josiah, Stella and Sophia. They fell in love with "Grandma Reba". I am happy to report that NONE of OUR FOOD spoiled during the outage! We had a large freezer in our garage (a 43 year-old Montgomery Ward brand) that kept the food preserved. I only opened it once a day to take a peek and we plugged in our small Honda generator for 3 hours at night to keep it cold. I removed all the food from the kitchen refrigerator and put in ice chests that I kept in a sunporch that doubled as a "walk-in" fridge. I made homemade ice chests by placing the food in plastic storage bins and filled with snow. Items such as eggs, fruit, and salad fixings didn't even need to be put in ice chests because the porch was cool enough to keep such items fresh. I felt very good that no food had to be tossed because I had more food than usual on-hand because of guests for the holidays. I always pre-prepare meals and freeze, so I had several meals that could be pulled out and heated to serve the family. We were so grateful for our old-fashioned woodstove! That kept us warm and toasty and I was able to cook atop the stove. We had plenty of wood, so that was not an issue. We were able to heat water for washing dishes and for taking sponge baths or "hillbilly showers" as I called them. We were able to prepare some yummy meals using woodstove, although it is a bit tricky because of uncontrollable heat regulation. You really need to stay close to the pot as you cook! The other challenge that we faced was not having any WATER! Our water comes from a well, which has an ELECTRIC pump to get water to our home. So, when our power goes out, there won't be any water coming from the faucet! When my parents moved into this house 36 years ago, they were always prepared for heavy snow and the possibility of outages. They would collect water in milk jugs and empty bleach bottles. It seems very "ghetto", but when you are out of water, aesthetics are irrelevant! I have approximately 50 gallons of water in the garage. When we ran out, we would go to our neighbor's home to refill the jugs because she has city water-not a well. We also would melt snow to use for flushing toilets. We have two Brita water pitchers to filter water for drinking or cooking just to be sure it was safe. We recently purchased a water purifier that campers and backpackers use to filter water from streams, and in the event that our neighbor's water supply was unavailable, we would resort to going down to the pond on our property and retrieving water from there for drinking. Fortunateley, the huge amount of snow provided a water source as well. A few years back we purchased a small Honda generator. Mark set it up just outside our front door and then, using extension cords, we could plug in a lamp, get a coffeemaker going in the morning, and charge our electronic devices (usually cell phones). We would run the gas-operated generator for about 1 1/2 hours in the morning and 3 hours at night. At the end of 9 days, my husband said the generator had used less than 3 gallons of fuel! That means it only cost us about $13 for our energy needs during this LONG outage! We know that many people have larger generators and that can get very costly, but we were willing to "rough-it" for a few days. One thing that we bought a few years ago was some headlamps--these are amazing! We did set up a kerosene lamp and some candles while we had a houseful of people. We had a good supply of batteries for a portable radio/CD player, our flashlights/headlamps, etc. Our grandkids absolutely loved sledding down on the hills on our property! Here in California, people will say, "Let's go to the snow." That means you go from the Bay Area or the Valley and "head up the hill" toward Tahoe and the ski areas. We had planned to do that with family after Christmas, but the snow came to US! We were quite tired at the end of the 9 days--it takes all day to just survive. We get up, we start a fire, gather wood, clean ashes from woodstove, prepare meals, fetch water, wash dishes, shovel snow, keep an eye on the food supply and keep it iced, etc. The day before our power was restored, I drove 30 miles down to Roseville to our son's home to do two loads of laundry and to shower. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I felt that wonderful hot shower! It was great to have clean clothes and dishcloths, too. Everyday I thank God for water, for electricity, food, lights---all those things we take for granted! I would encourage those who live up here in the Foothills to be prepared for these type of emergencies and plan ahead! We didn't think that this storm was going to be such a big deal because oftentimes the forecast will call for a huge storm and then it never materializes. All in all, we are grateful for God's care over all of our family during this challenging time :)

Welcome to Grandma-Land!

Three and a half weeks ago, I entered a new world: the world of grandparenting!  I didn't understand why all my friends talked about how wonderful it was to be a grandma---you know, "spoil 'em, feed 'em sugar, and send 'em home!"  I didn't expect to fall head-over-heels in love with a baby...but that all changed when I set my eyes on precious Josiah Scott--all 9 lbs. 1 oz of him!  He looks just like his Daddy when he was born almost 30 years ago---except that he has navy-blue eyes just like his Mommy!  Mark & I were able to be at the hospital while my daughter-in-law was laboring.  When it looked like it was going to be a long, long night before she delivered, we went to our accommodations at the campus where Ryan & Janai live.  By 7 am we got news that our big boy had been born, via c-section.  We couldn't get to Santa Rosa fast enough! When we saw this beautiful gift that God had given us, we cried tears of joy!

After a few days of staying at the hospital with the kids, we had to return to Grass Valley to get back to work and to our other commitments.  I couldn't wait until I could return to see the grandbaby.  My daughter-in-law's Mom was staying for a few more days, and the rest of Janai's family would join everyone to celebrate the birth of the new baby. So, after all of the relatives returned to their home in Arkansas, I drove to the Bay Area to enjoy the grandbaby.  My goal was to spend some special time with the baby, and to help with housekeeping, grocery shopping, and cooking.  I left for the kids' home after I church was over on Sunday.  I came bearing groceries and 4 entrees that I had prepared in advance.  I also brought an assortment of cleaning supplies.  I loved the 5 days I got to spend with the kids and newborn Josiah!  We enjoyed going to his 3-week check-up and getting the good news that he was healthy and thriving---he had gained one pound and two ounces and a 1/2 inch in length.

  We enjoyed walks around the Seminary which has a view of the Bay and the hills of Marin County.  The weather was perfect--unseasonably warm and in the 70's.  It was such a joy to see the baby enjoy his bath and to see him actually interact with me and SMILE!  No, not one of those baby smiles that mean he just passed gas---I am talking about the baby actually engaging--connecting with the people in his life and studying their faces.  I spent those 5 days just being mesmerized and entertained by all the little noises Josiah would make and we were saying "Ah, oh..." whenever he would stretch his little arms and legs out.

 It was difficult to leave on Friday morning after I had loaded-up my van.  I can't wait until Ryan, Janai & Josiah come up to visit us in a few weeks.  I am sure that even in that short time, I will notice big changes in Baby Josiah.  I am grateful for "FaceTime" so that I can keep up with the day-by-day growth and changes that will occur in my grandson.  I cannot even imagine how much lies ahead for me in this new world of grandparenting...I am sure it only gets better....toddling, talking, walking, trips to the park, trips to the lake, traveling to family gatherings...I had better keep up my exercise regiment so that I can keep up with an active little boy.  Yes, this is better than I could have ever imagined.  I am so very blessed to have this new addition to our family.

GOD-Sized Miracles!

Five years ago, our church began a major remodel & renovation program of our Worship Center. Phase 1 began with a repair of a leaky roof above the Foyer and the lobby was updated.  Phase 2 involved removing the wooden pews with orange velour cushions from the room and replacing the pews with upholstered "pew-chairs" that could be moved and configured for multi-purpose use. The entire sanctuary was "gutted", stage was expanded, new flooring and lighting installed, etc.  Before Phase 2 could proceed, however, we ran into a bump in the road.  My husband, the Lead Pastor, pledged that we would NOT borrow money to complete this project.  We would pray, and God would work on people's hearts to raise the funds needed.  We had reached a "crisis of belief" because permits were in place for starting the construction, but we were still short $25,000.  Then came Miracle #1---a family in our church came to Mark and said that they had received an inheritance and they wanted to make a gift to the building project, and "how much do you still need?" they asked.

When my husband told them 25K...they replied, "We'll bring a check to the church in the morning."

God used these people, who were sensitive to what God was telling them, to be a part of God's bigger plan!  The Sanctuary was completed ahead of schedule, and we had an amazing Easter Celebration in the spacious and modern Worship Center! Glory to God!

Fast forward to a few months ago.  The last phase of the remodel project involved renovation and expansion of the Foyer Restrooms.  As is often the case with construction projects, the early bids are much lower than actual costs when the date arrives for beginning the work.  So, a project that was initially projected to cost $90,000 was now estimated to cost about $38K more!  Here was another test of our faith.  My husband and I spent many mornings in prayer over this matter....did God want us to scale back to a bare-bones remodel? Were we to ask the congregation to extended their financial pledges for one more year?  Were we to get a loan to cover the shortfall?  After much prayer, the Remodel Committee stepped-out in faith.  They committed to trust God to bring in the needed resources---they didn't want to borrow money, nor did they want to ask the people for more gifts.  It was not even feasible to scale-back on the bathrooms---even a bare-bones remodel was going to be "over-budget." As we have been studying "Experiencing God" we have learned that we arrive at a "crisis of belief" where we have to step forward in faith and action.  "What you do reveals what you believe about God.  Your faith shows that you are believing God to do a God-sized miracle!"

Ok, so we did just that---prayed diligently for God to "show-up", but no one knew of this need except for the Committee and Staff---the greater church body was not aware of this need for funds to complete the project.  Mark & I live a frugal lifestyle (as our kids can attest to!), but Mark had felt that the Lord had challenged him to plant a seed and we took money from our savings to donate ten percent of the needed money toward this project.  I totally agreed with him---God has blessed us so much, it was a way to show our love to Him to give this money.

The very same Sunday morning that we decided to give, a man in the church came to tell Mark that he had received an inheritance recently and that God had spoken to he & his wife and that they needed to give it to the Remodeling Campaign.  They were unaware of the dire need, but they were sensitive to God's Spirit!  This very generous gift now put us at a deficit of $8400.  Now we were just watching to see what God was up to in the next few weeks :)

Last week a couple in our church family came to talk to Mark.  The wife had felt that God was telling her to give $10,000 to the Renovation project.  She shared this with her husband and they prayed together as a couple that God would clearly affirm that this was the right decision.  Now, I am told that this couple didn't just have piles of cash lying around.  This was going to be a sacrifice. But after much prayer, they were in agreement.  They brought in a check and now we even had a little bit of money left for some extra repairs that needed to be done on the roof!

This whole experience showed us that if God is calling you to do something, HE WILL PROVIDE! This could be funds for a mission trip, a need in the church, or any number of things.  This journey through our NEW THING REMODEL Campaign has been a true faith-builder!  We know that God is using this beautiful new Worship Center to draw people to Christ.  We have, in the last few months, seen God working as He has brought new families into the church & people are making commitments to Christ and following Him in baptism.  Also, God has been raising up new leaders in our church in the areas of Children's KidZone Ministry, Women's Ministry, and many other areas of service.  We rejoice in God's miraculous provision and wait expectantly for this next chapter in the history of 1st Baptist.  Praise be to God -- Jehovah Jireh, OUR PROVIDER!

"Tough Guy vs. Pain Baby"

My husband, Mark, has had a really bad cold for the past 9 days. Whenever I've talked to women about the "sick husband syndrome", about 95% complain that their big, tough husband becomes the world's biggest wimp when he's sick. He takes over the couch, the remote, and expects to be nursed back to health with lots of homemade chicken soup, Sprite, and cold medication. He also seeks out the sympathy of the entire family. There is alot of moaning and groaning from the couch...along with the coughing, hacking, and sniffling.

My husband, however, is NOTHING like the man I have described in the above paragraph.
I would totally play into that whole scene if he WERE a "pain baby"...I love nurturing and waiting on my man "hand-and-foot." Chalk it up to my Mexican heritage, but I love spoiling my husband. The problem with my man is that he was raised in a home where toughness and perserverance were supreme. In other words, you don't wimp out when you're sick. You "suck-it-up" and continue on with your work and other responsibilities. Sick days? What the heck is a "sick day"? Oh, and did I mention that my husband HATES to take any type of medication or even vitamins/herbal supplements. In the past, when he has taken any type of medication, he will SWEAR that it causes him to get blurred vision,light-headed, or any number of side effects. So, here I am watching him suffer and I can't even offer him a Sudaphed or Nyquil. The big breakthrough was him taking 1,000 mg. of Vitamin C. I cannot get him to slow down his work schedule, either. He went ahead and led his Deacons & Staff in a weekend leadership retreat in the mountains this past weekend. Then he left at 7:45 AM to start his Sunday....by the time we had 2 Worship Services, Drama Rehearsal and then Community Prayer Rally in the evening, it was 8:45 by the time we got home. "Do you want me to cancel Small Group tonight, Honey?" I asked. "No, I'm not wimping out." I don't feel that bad!


Mark comes by this toughness quite naturally. His parents are well into their 80's and lead very active lives. His mom gave birth to 7 children naturally, and she is proud of the fact that in her entire lifetime she's never taken more than a couple of aspirin. His Dad is a survivor of WWII AND cancer. Mark's early years were spent in a farmhouse on the South Dakota prairie where the snowdrifts would literally block the front door. These people are strong and resilient. No one was coddled...even if you were sick. Get over it...move on...don't complain about anything.

When I was growing up I saw my parents, especially my Dad, pop alot of pills. He had alot of health issues and dealt with chronic pain. I am not sure if that contributed to my low pain tolerance, but I will do everything in my power to PREVENT getting sick because I HATE being ill. Therefore, I will take vitamins and if I even get the slightest sense that I might be coming down with a cold, I will pop megadoses of Vitamin C and echinachea, get to bed early, etc. I am also germaphobic, so I will wash my hands frequently and when out in public will use antibacterial hand cleanser regularly. The first year I taught elementary school I caught every imaginable ailment that a 6 year old child could carry into the classroom. However, after that first year, I built up a resistance and have been extremely healthy every since.

So, my greatest struggle is to sit back and watch my husband suffer and not be proactive in FIGHTING off this cold. I just pray for a quick healing and pray that no one else in the family catches it. I will sign-off now-- I need to go and sanitize some more surfaces...

When Do You Stop Being A Mom?

There is a baby-boom going on at our church....several of the young women have recently announced their pregnancies, much to the joy of the congregation. It is interesting that as soon as they discover they are pregnant, they limit their caffeine intake, eat less junk, and are careful not to do heavy lifting. They begin the process of caring for their child while he is yet in the womb. Motherhood, and the accompanying "worry-wart" mentality, has BEGUN!

A friend of mine was sharing with me how she was concerned about her elementary-aged son because he was going to travel by bus to San Francisco on a museum field trip with his school. I remember those days well! I imagined the worst-case scenario:
another 7.9 magnitude earthquake would crumble the Bay Bridge just as my kid's school bus was crossing the shark-infested waters! Perhaps my son would get separated from his class and his teacher would not discover that he was missing until 3 hours later...after nightfall! I worried about him misplacing his sack lunch, about him losing his camera, etc, etc. When he did, in fact, return home safe and sound, about the only drama I heard about was a game the 7th grade boys played while in San Francisco: it was called "count the homeless people." Okay, not exactly the most socially-conscious group on the planet, but remember, they're junior high boys. My heart went out to my friend and I could truly empathize.

Fast forward to high school. Both my boys played sports and the first time I attended a football game and saw ambulances at each end of the field, my heart sank. I didn't have brothers, so this football thing was new territory for me.
At the first game, I couldn't even sit still in the bleachers....I paced around the stadium like a nervous cat. Well, with the good Lord's hand on my boys, we got through Pop Warner Football, Little League, Babe Ruth, 4 years of high school baseball, football, and track with NO serious injuries or ER visits. Thank you, Jesus! Oh, I forgot to mention that Ryan also played two years of junior college football, track, and at CalBaptist he played Intramural football, basketball, and soccer. No visits to Kaiser Hospital in the process :) I guess it is true that God only gives you what you can handle!

When our kids went to Southern California for their college studies, my new stressor became: "how on earth are they going to navigate those SoCal freeways?" And, for your information, people in L.A. drive about 20 miles OVER the speed limit. My children learned to drive in Manteca, California with one freeway running through it and relatively light traffic. Letting my little birds fly out of the nest and onto the 91 was a test of faith. Worst thing that happened was that Michelle's car broke down in central L.A.on a rainy night on the freeway while she was alone. I never knew why she was driving around at 10 PM at night near East L.A (the barrio I'm originally from :) Thankfully, Mark took the phone call, and with all the calmness and fortitude of a 911 Operator, he talked her through the problem and a few hours later the car was towed to a garage and she was safely back in her dorm. Never mind it cost $900 to replace a fuel pump...the important thing was my child's safety.

Then came the day when each of my children decided that living in the greatest country in the world was not enough---they needed to venture out into the Third World. My daughter traveled to Cote d Ivoire (Ivory Coast Africa) with a mission team when she was barely 15 years old. She would later become quite the world traveler, visiting South America and Asia as well. My oldest son became a Journeyman missionary for two years in the jungles of Suriname. Lastly, my "baby" served on a mission team in Brazil, and later would travel to China. At some point, you realize that, as a mom, you cannot stay awake all night worrying about your kids, nor can you forego nutrition for two weeks just because your stomach is "in knots." What you have to realize is that you are no longer in control. This is where the God factor comes into play. He is the only one who is powerful enough to orchestrate the circumstances to make sure your child is safe. Prayer is our most powerful tool to combat those feelings of anxiety and worry. There is nothing that will make you fall on your knees more than being a mom. Especially when they are old enough to make their own decisions and to book their own airline flights. When they are infants, there are another whole set of worries, but at least you know where your child is 24-7.

Motherhood at every stage is fertile ground for concern, worry, and anxiety. I once remarked to my husband, "I'll be glad when the kids get married....then they will be someone else's responsibility." But a quick look around at our society will tell you that when your child marries, you just added a new member to YOUR family!

So,when I ask women who are older and wiser than me: "So when do you stop worrying about your kids?" I get a reply from my 73 year old friend, "Oh, you never stop being a mom...in fact, I am going down to my daughter's home to stay with her while she recuperates from back surgery. I'll be gone about a month."

Since it doesn't look like I will stop worrying about my kids until they are safe in the arms of Jesus, I will, in the meantime, add a big stack of notebook paper to my prayer journal....because I haven't even had grandkids yet!

Pack Rats vs. Purgers

When I went to do my once-a-month shopping down the hill in Roseville last Friday, I noticed that people were hanging out in two sections of the store: Health & Diet OR Home Organizing. Everyone was either picking up cans of SlimFast, protein powder, and Special K Bars, or they were stocking up on storage tubs, plastic organizers, and closet shelves. It seems that the month of January makes us want to clean up our messes in our homes and shed some unwanted holiday pounds.

Those who know me very well, know that I am on a perpetual diet. It's not that I am trying to necessarily LOSE weight, it's just that I cannot stand the thought of buying a larger size of jeans. I also am trying to steer clear of diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, diverticulitis, and other maladies that are a part of my family health history.
So, I picked up a big can of Whey Protein (Cookies 'n' Cream Flavor) so I can have a protein shake for my afternoon snack. I also got a box of FiberPlus Bars...they really fill you up when accompanied by a couple of glasses of water.

I did not pick up any organizational tools at the SuperWalmart. However, that didn't stop me from doing some closet purging and cupboard-cleaning this past week. We have a substantial "basement" below our home. It has a dirt floor, but there are shelves for storage. It is a nice place to stash things like Christmas decorations and my daughter's prom dresses. However, everytime I go down there I get the urge to get the pickup truck and fill it with various junk items that my husband insists he "needs" or "I'm gonna fix that...don't throw it out." There are broken computer printers down there, along with cassette tapes from the 80's. My husband is a packrat. However, he is a "neatnik-packrat." He makes tidy piles of all his junk and his closet looks like a Nordstrom store....everything perfectly ordered. However, he also saves things such as junk mail, magazines, newspapers, church bulletins, etc. It makes him very nervous when I start going through his things to clean-up...his greatest fear is that I will throw out something important. A few years ago I went through our attic and closets and tossed out many of the items that were just taking up space. I gave away old computers, monitors, record players, vcr's, and other outdated electronics. He never noticed til we moved. He was not too happy with me, but there wasn't too much he could do at this point. I think he realizes how it is probably a good thing I "purged" our attic...otherwise he would have had to rent TWO Ryder moving trucks to move to Grass Valley. We downsized from a 5 bedroom 3 bath home to a bedroom, 2 bath single-level home. I love my house to be uncluttered and with an "open" feel. I keep my kitchen counters free from most items except for a coffee maker, and a few decorations. I also steer clear of too many knicknacks in our living area....just too much trouble when I dust. It is also a rebellion against my upbringing. My mom would purchase little souvenirs whenever they traveled and our tiny house would be wall-to-wall trinkets. There would be little silver spoons from different states, miniature cedar outhouses from Appalachia, and pottery from Mexico.

Some people shop when they are angry or depressed. If I get angry I start cleaning out drawers and throwing stuff away. It literally makes me feel so good to get rid of stuff. But please don't tell my husband. He's gonna kill me when he finds out I threw out his 7th grade algebra notebook.

Miracles: Alive and Well

Sunday afternoon my husband and I were enjoying some down-time watching some Tim Tebow football, when we got an urgent phone call from one of our church members. She was very upset and distraught because her husband, a deacon in our church, was in danger of dying. John, who is in his 80's, was not expected to live through the weekend. In fact, he must have sensed that the end was near because he called on all his children to come to the hospital. As they were gathered around him, sobbing, he, in essence, gave them a patriarchal blessing and told them each how much he loved them. Jay, his wife, really needed a minister to pray with her and the family. So I joined Mark as we jumped in the car and drove into Grass Valley and went to the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital ICU Waiting Area. When we arrived, Jay was crying and two of her daughters were consoling her and trying to calm her. Apparently John was experiencing some serious internal bleeding, and the doctors couldn't find it's source. So, they did an exploratory surgery with a camera on a probe so that they might find the source of the bleeding and stop it. We were there for several hours and had received no news. John has several medical conditions that make any invasive procedure a high risk. We were all preparing for the worst possible outcome. However, we all have great faith, and were reminded by Mark's sermon that very morning, that we need to go to God FIRST when we have health issues. So, we prayed for John and the family....for God's will to be done, for healing (if God willed), and for comfort for the loved ones. We prayed once, then later prayed again, and ultimately a third time because we had to leave. As we said the final "amen", the doctor poked his head into the room and said: "Whatever you're doing, it works---we found no more bleeding inside of John's body, and he is going to be fine." Needless to say, Jay was jubilant and praising God for his goodness. We were all amazed and had chills running up and down our spines! We had anticipated losing John, but God had other plans! We were all grateful that the Lord has given Jay her husband back, and hope that this miracle will be a testimony to others who have lost hope. It definitely renewed my faith. Recently I was reading an account in the gospel of Matthew (chapter 20, v.29-34) of two blind men who were shouting at Jesus as he walking by. The crowd told them to be quiet, but Jesus and stopped and asked them point-blank: "What do you want me to do for you?" They replied, "Lord, we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them, touched their eyes and immediately they received their sight and followed him. The thing that stood out to me was the simple question Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus still asks us that question today. He cares about what is causing us anxiety and worry TODAY---in our lives. He WANTS to heal us, to meet our needs. We need to just tell Him what we want for Him to do. That is encouraging for me to know when all of life's stresses and problems seem overwhelming and there isn't anyone to turn to, except God.

Relax, It's Only Valentines Day!

Mark and I met 32 years ago this month, just a few days after Valentines Day. We were aboard a bus enroute to a student Mission Conference in San Francisco. He had just had his heart broken after a girl he thought was "the one" had broken-off the relationship. I had broken-up at New Year's with a boy I met at a Student Conference in New Mexico. I was "done" with men, so I was looking forward to a fun trip to Golden Gate Seminary for the conference. Somehow he ended up sitting next to me and we had a 17-hour bus ride to California from Utah to get acquainted. As they say, "the rest is history." We were engaged a few months later, and after a year-long engagement, were married in my home church in Idaho in 1980.

Through the years, Mark and I have celebrated various holidays with an exchange of cards, gifts, and perhaps a dinner out. We treasure the cards, especially, as we express our love and appreciation to one another through the words we write to each other. We are both very practical people--I would be totally excited about receiving a set of microwave dishes as a gift. I do not crave jewelry or expensive floral arrangements. However, Mark has purchased me some lovely pieces of jewelry for our anniversary and I treasure them dearly. He understands, however, that I am a simple and practical woman. This year, as Valentine's Day approached, I made my trip down to Roseville to shop and made my purchase of a gift for hubby. No expensive cologne or designer clothing...instead I marched into WalMart and purchased an insulated lunch box for my man. He was giddy with excitement when he opened it...his old lunch bag was ready to be "retired." Last weekend Mark asked if there was anything special that I wanted for Valentine's Day. I thought about it a moment and then told him that I really didn't need anything...let's just exchange cards. He made reservations at a lovely Italian restaurant in downtown Nevada City and we enjoyed a delicious meal together and a romantic stroll through the quaint streets of this foothill town. We had our card-and-gift exchange on Sunday afternoon. I was thrilled to receive a lovely card (a deluxe $ 4.99 one!) with a very sweet handwritten message to me that he had penned. He asked me, "Honey, I hope you don't mind that I didn't get you a gift...I hope the dinner out was enough." It was enough, and I realized that when your relationship has matured you can relax and not feel that you have to meet certain expectations. One doesn't have to try to outdo what your friend did for his wife (sent her a dozen red roses to her workplace). When you have celebrated thirty-something years of holidays and special occasions, you realize that "stuff" doesn't matter---what matters is that you get to spend some couple-time together enjoying each other and showing one another how much they mean to you. After all, it's only Valentine's Day....there are 364 other days a year to express to your mate how much you love them---without worrying about how much roses cost or how many calories are in that box of See's chocolates!

Dejavu...I've Been Here Before

This weekend we will move our baby girl (age 23) to a new state, a new home, and a new job. She will be sharing a house with another lady and working for the Associated Press as a Legislative Reporter, which means she will cover all the news related to the Nevada State Capital...which is in Carson City, not Reno or Las Vegas :) This will be a full-time job, but will only last 6 months--the duration of the Legislative session. She is very excited to get into the AP as a full-timer, even though she had a fabulous internship with the AP in LA and got to be in probably one of the busiest and most exciting news bureaus in the business...covering some high-profile stories (ie., Michael Jackson death, Jaycee Duggard kidnapping, etc.) This position will be a challenge but Michelle is very excited about it and she has been covering local government so she is no stranger to this venue.

I feel like I am dropping my little girl off at college once again! I will never forget loading-up the family minivan and attending Orientation at Biola University when she was a freshman. Mark cried all the way home after he waved his final goodbye to Missy as she scurried up the steps to her dorm. I worried about what she might have forgotten to pack...as if she were going to some Third World Country that didn't have Walmart or Target 2 blocks away!

This time as I get ready to help my daughter "launch" I struggle with the dilemma of: "Do I make all the preparations for her move myself, or do I let HER grow up and take care of the details? While I am still sorting through this, I have gone ahead and acted like a typical "Mexi-Mama"...I already discovered there are two Super Walmarts in Carson City, no Chase bank branches, but one sole Chase ATM in the community, and I have the name of a towing service that accepts State Farm Insurance. I have also collected two sets of bed sheets, pillows, a coffee maker, and a storage unit that she can take with her. I am also debating whether or not to send her a large jar of homemade salsa and a large bag of her favorite "On the Border" tortilla chips. Am I making it too easy for her to grow up? Will she really appreciate all that I do for her if she never has to struggle a little bit? I want to pack enough toiletries for her so that she never has to venture inside one of those WalMarts!

Yesterday afternoon, upon returning from my daily walk, I discovered that one of the tires on Michelle's car had a huge nail in it and was getting flatter by the minute. She was working a split-shift and would need the car for an evening meeting she was covering for the newspaper. So, I did what any super-mom would do. I had my fit, young 25 year-old son pump enough air into the tire so we could drive into town to get the flat fixed. All the while my little princess was working at home and letting her "personal assistants" take care of life's little annoyances. I am not saying she doesn't appreciate it...all three of my twentysomething kids verbally express to their parents how much they appreciate all that we do for them. I think that because I have been a stay-at-home mom for most of my parenting years, I have been more ready to "rescue" the kids and do alot of chores FOR them. In contrast, friends of mine who worked full-time jobs had to ask their teenagers and young adults to carry more of a load of responsibility. Of course, all three of my kids have lived away from home and at that point I truly "let go." I don't hover, stalk, fly to SoCal for the weekend....none of that. Once those birdies fly out of the nest, they are "out of sight, out of mind." I only smother when they are under my roof. They have proved that they CAN be responsible when they are "solo." They managed their finances responsibly, graduated with highest honors, excelled in their extracurricular activities, and stayed faithful to the Lord and to church while they were away. Maybe they are appeasing me and making me feel "needed". Not that I am sitting around with nothing to do. I have many meaningful activities that I am involved in, not to mention that I care for my elderly mom. I am blessed to be able to stay at home so that I can support my husband's pastoral ministry and be involved in so many church activities. I enjoy serving my family, so it is not that it is a "burden" to me, I just wonder if I am over the top?

I will bring this to a close so that I can go clean my daughter's bathroom. She left for work and now it is time for the "maid"to come in and clean. Does anyone know where I can get one of those paper strips for the toilet that say: "SANITIZED FOR YOUR PROTECTION?"

Back in the Day

One of the funnest conversations that Mark and I have with our kids is about what life was like when we were teenagers. Last night Ryan remarked how he couldn't even imagine life without cell phones. Watch out---now we are going to talk about how rough we had it "back in the day!" I lived in Idaho for 14 years growing up and things were quite primitive there. Especially after having lived in suburban Los Angeles up to that point. In Idaho, when we got telephone service we had a "party-line"...which meant you shared your phone line with some other people. 16 families to be exact! Our phone would ring, but it wouldn't necessarily be for "us"...each person has a unique ring, and then you would answer it. You could also listen to other people's conversations if you very stealthily lifted up the receiver while your neighbors were having a conversation. This is like gossip on STEROIDS! When I was in junior high, a favorite pasttime would be to eavesdrop on the older teenagers conversations. Sometimes they would suspect someone was listening in and they would yell "Get off the phone!" along with some spicy profanity thrown-in for good measure.

Another downside of archaic telephones of the 60's and 70's was the short cords the phones had. This meant your feet had to stay firmly planted no farther than 6 inches from where the phone was. What a joyous day it was when someone invented those 20-foot cords that allowed you to talk on the phone AND load the dishwasher!
Now your Dad couldn't yell at you for being a lazy slob who yakked on the phone all day! You were multi-tasking!

Mark described to my son what a rotary-dial phone was, and how you would put your fingers in the dial and you would have to patiently wait several seconds for the dial to circle around so you can poke your finger in the hole and dial the next number. It seems prehistoric to even talk about it!

Fast forward to 1988 and we rejoiced with the invention of the cordless telephone. Never mind that the thing was the size of Texas with an antenna that stretched for about 5 miles! This was amazingly free-ing! We could actually lay by the pool (if we HAD a pool) and talk to our friends! We could go out in the front yard and supervise our children riding their Big Wheels while still blabbing with our best friend from high school. We still chuckle when we watch old episodes of Seinfeld and Jerry pulls out his cordless phone that just seems ENORMOUS!

In 1996 our life would change forever. We purchased our first cell phone so that we would have a phone to take on our road trip through the Southwest. In case of car trouble, we were covered. I believe it was a Motorola that weighed about 16 lbs. and the company was Air Touch Cellular. I think the plan included 100 Peak-time minutes. We were one of "the first kids on our block" to get a cell phone, so imagine how popular we were in public places when someone didn't want to find a pay phone to make a call. Of course, we had to be very careful not to go over our "minutes". Because "back in the day" they charged you 45 cents if you went over your normal allotment. Hey, they still charge 45 cents per minute for overages! Some things never change.

I Have a New Teenager!

Mark and I survived raising 3 teenagers...and I think with each one we had to call our State Farm Agent for a claim regarding: 1) car vs. parked car, 2) car vs. garage door, 3) car vs. Ryan on a bicycle thereby resulting in damage to another person's vehicle when Ryan's body dented the gentleman's Honda as he rolled over the hood (and was totally unscathed.) But, as they have matured, and become better motorists, we haven't had any issues recently. This morning, however, I realized I am the mother of yet another "teenage driver." She is 83, and she is my Mom. She drives a 1985 Mercury Gran Marquis--which is the size of an oil tanker---and she has to use a little cushion so she can see over the steering wheel. Therefore, parking lots become a special challenge for my 4 foot 10 inch tall Mama. She called me to tell me that as she was parking in the Community Center where her church meets in Colfax, she scraped the side of the vehicle on a retaining wall. I would be in tears if this was MY Focus that had been scraped, because so far, it's in pretty good shape for a 2005 model. Mama's "Tuna Boat", however, has it's share of dings, dents, and broken body parts---and all of the little mishaps occurred when Mom had to try to park her monstrosity into a parking lot at the Care Home where Dad resided.
She didn't learn to drive until she was 30, and has always been a nervous wreck (excuse the pun) when driving. She has also had some encounters with the side of the garage. So, when she returns from her Mexico trip I will have to take the car in for body work. My Dad was always neurotic about his vehicle....kept it spotless and waxed...he was an excellent driver and didn't have any scratches on the car...all I can say is that I am glad there are "no tears in Heaven"...and I am interpreting that to mean that Daddy will be spared from seeing the cracked taillight and dented side panel on his precious blue sedan :)

Home from Paradise

We returned Monday from a 30th Wedding Anniversary trip to Hawaii! For our 25th, Mark took me to Maui for the 2nd time (first time was in 1986, when I was pregnant with Michelle...it was our "second honeymoon.) This time we weren't sure if we could afford a Hawaiian vacation...they can be very pricey, as many of you know. However, Mark got a great deal on Expedia (airfare, car rental and hotel) and we could do it within our budget. Maui and Kaui, on the other hand, were significantly more expensive. Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is a short 4 1/2 hour flight from SFO....we barely finished watching the inflight movie ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid") and we were getting ready to touch down! I was a bit apprehensive about our accommodations, however, at 'Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Resort." The name conjurs up images of an island redneck sipping Blue Hawaiians underneath a palm tree located near a broken-down pickup on blocks. It didn't help when I got on the hotels website and realized it was a two-and-a-half star rating. Then I made the mistake of reading the comments: "This place was run-down, dilapidated and the "continental breakfast" consisted of weak coffee and stale muffins." "The pool was dirty, the A/C was loud, and the "free parking" was actually $5 per day." And then to make matters worse, a friend of mine said she really didn't like Kona at all...."just alot of lava rock and no beaches." Now I was having "travelers remorse." Perhaps I should have postponed the trip for another 5 years while I saved up more cash so we could have a really nice vacation for our 35th.... Mark, the perpetual optimist, kept reassuring me that everything was going to be fine. And, if it wasn't, he agreed we'd upgrade the rental car and sleep in it.

Well, I am happy to say that everything about the trip was awesome! The flight was smooth, the weather was perfect, and even Uncle Billy's wasn't half-bad. Yes, it probably had it's "heyday" back during the Nixon Administration, and it was an older hotel. However, it was spotless and the staff was very, very hospitable. The freebie breakfast was very good...fresh papaya, blueberry muffins, pineapple juice, good Kona coffee....we couldn't complain! Our accommodations were located very near the beach and shopping area and restaurants. Everything was within walking distance. In the evenings we would walk to the "downtown" area for a nice dinner and walk around the shops. Unlike the NorCal beaches, the tropical tradewinds were pleasant, even after the sun went down. And speaking of sunsets, Kona is famous for spectacular ones. We were not disappointed.

A good friend (who lived on the island for several years) gave us an itinerary of some suggested sites, activities, and restaurants to visit. We were grateful for her wonderful advice, and she also gave us gift certificates for a fun snorkeling cruise! She told us about a little Hawaiian Shave Ice stand that she knew of....it was fantastic! Not at all like a snowcone! She recommended a fabulous restaurant called the Canoe House, located at the Mauna Lani Resort. Five-stars doesn't even begin to describe it....white linen table cloths with a view of the beach at sunset...attentive waiters and delicous cuisine that was remarkably "presented." It was truly a memory-maker :)

We had such a relaxing vacation that we dreaded getting back on the plane Sunday evening to head back to"reality." We slept 4 hours on the plane, but even with only that amount of sleep, we came back refreshed and rejuvenated. Mark has even begun to wear flip-flops around the house now...something he NEVER used to do. I am thinking of wearing a floral lei around my neck along with some puka shells so I can stay in the "Aloha" mood. Now I am counting down the days until our next "milestone" anniversary so we can return to Hawaii :)

My "Unfavorite" Thing

In a few weeks from now, Mark and I will fly off to Hawaii to celebrate our 30th Anniversary! We didn't know if the family budget could withstand a 6-day island getaway, but, not running the A/C even when it's 92 degrees does have a payoff! Anyway, as I was looking at some pictures from our 25th anniversary trip, I realized I still have the same swimsuit. Much to my dismay, I decided I probably should "update" swimwear. With much fear and trepidation, I made my trek to Roseville....the shopping Mecca of Northern California. With some Kohl's 15 percent Off Coupons in hand, I made my way to the swimwear section. A lady who must have been 85 years old commented: "Don't you hate swimsuit shopping? And when you finally find one you like, you jump in the pool and couple of times and the chlorine fades it!" That wasn't my biggest problem...my hangup was trying to find a suit that made a 54 year-old mother of three look 35 again! The first thing that's depressing about this whole ordeal is that a woman must get a swimsuit at least two sizes bigger than her dress size. So, normally I wear a 4...now I had to jump into the double-digit size arena....that pretty much ruined my day. Then, you have to look for a suit that makes your tummy flat but doesn't make your boobs flat. You also have to make sure you don't look like an old lady. One suit was really cute, but it had horizontal stripes...definitely a "no-no". Black is always a good choice because it is slimming....but I have had a black swimsuit since beginning swimming lessons in 1963. I finally ended up with a halter -top cut tankini in a hot pink and black print. Oh, well, if it makes me look fat I'll just wrap my Brazilian sarong around my lower body and no one will ever know:)

When Bad Things Happen to Christians

Late Sunday night as Mark and I were winding down and watching the 10 o'clock news, our phone rang. It was a fellow church member whose daughter went on a mission trip to Haiti with a team of students from her college. They were in a horrible bus accident where one Haitian was killed. Rosie, our friend from church, sustained minor injuries, but several of the volunteers were seriously injured. The bus apparently lost its brakes and nearly went over a cliff. Thank God, the driver was able to crash into the hillside instead and the bus came to a stop.

We have a photo and prayer card of Rosie on our fridge. We have been praying for her and team of students all week long. They were supposed to come home on Monday. We know God was watching out for them because every single person on that bus could have lost their life. But it made me wonder....were we not praying hard enough? In my humanness I ask: "Why did God allow something bad to happen to these wonderful students while they were on a trip to help the people of the quake-ravaged country? They had to raise their own financial support and sacrifice a week of their own time to endure hardship and see an immense amount of human suffering. My daughter, Michelle, believes that when you go on a mission trip you really have to "count the cost." You should prepare for hardship, and be willing to endure it for the greater cause of Christ. Suffering always has been a part of the "deal" when we sign on to become a follower of Christ. However, as comfortable Americans, we feel entitled to a life of pain-free ease and abundance.

I have thought about this as well. When my husband and I were newlyweds, we had a horrible car crash in a Toyota. We were on our way to the beach when some projectile came into the vehicle and hit Mark on the temple. He thought he had been shot and was distracted and took his eyes off the road for a millisecond and he crashed the vehicle into a huge oak tree. Mark walked away with a couple of bruises and torn jeans. I suffered a broken back and severly fractured forearm. I was in bed for 3 months recuperating. The personnel at the hospital said it was a miracle I didn't become a paraplegic...the injury came very close to my spinal cord. My Dad believed that God spared my life because he had a special plan for my life, and "He wasn't through with you yet." My husband had been "running from the call." He knew God had called him into the ministry, but he was afraid of the loss of income that would mean if he left his job in sales in the Silicon Valley. He wasn't ready to be "poor"....especially since he was just getting a taste of "the good life." But this was God's way of getting his attention. This new car that he polished and adored was a mangled piece of metal destined for the junkyard. God was saying, "Don't worship your stuff....because I can take it away in an instant. Worship me and I will take care of the material things. Put me first." I was also running from God by being in a sort of rebellion. We were youth leaders, but had alot of growing-up to do. But God was disciplining us, just like a good parent disciplines their child when they are headed down a dangerous path. So, I believe sometimes tragedies are God's way of correcting us.

Another reason that I think God allows us to suffer trials and tribulations is because he wants us to have a testimony to the world of His greatness. He wants to demonstrate in us a miracle. It might be that we came through this particular hardship stronger than ever. We might be able to empathize better because we know exactly how it feels to be in a body cast, lose a loved one, go through chemotherapy, etc. When God brings us through a trial, we can give Him the glory for getting us through the problems. We don't get angry at God, but rather we praise Him for His goodness. This shows the world that we have faith in someone bigger than us. Someone who has the power to do whatever He wills...someone who promises to "never leave or forsake us."

And, finally, I think God allows difficulties into our lives to "keep us on our knees." Have you ever noticed that when you are going through a particularly difficult problem in your life you tend to pray at every opportunity? The t.v. and radio are stilled so you can carry your burdens to the Lord. You can't wait to get up and see what encouraging word awaits for you in the Bible. I think that when everything is going along relatively well in our lives, we tend to not cry out to God. Everything's just fine, thank you. My goal is to cry out to Jesus even during the good times....to worship Him and praise Him just because He is an awesome, amazing God in so many ways...and He is worthy of all of the praise and prayers....not just when I need help, but ALL the time.

I Got a New Kid!

My youngest child, Matt, came home from college this past week to spend the summer at home. Right when he pulled up in his car (which was loaded "to the gills") I was on my way to Sacramento to get Michelle on a plane to LA. So, I gave him a quick hug and I was off. While enroute to SAC, Matt calls me on my cell. He was DOING LAUNDRY! He wanted to know which setting to use on my washer since he was used to the machines at his apartment complex.
Could this possibly be "my baby"? I was so pleased with his initiative.

I have always been the enabling "Super Mom", who, if at all possible, will try to do everything I can for my kids. Realizing that once they left the nest and went to college, they would need to know how to do some basic life skills. So, approximately a week before each of my kids moved down to SoCal to attend college, I would give them a "crash course" on life skills: how to sew on a button, ironing 101, checking oil in their vehicle, paying their Visa bill, balancing their checkbook, and how to make burritoes. Of course, I think that is way too much information for them to assimilate in just a few days. It went in one ear and out the other. So, they would have to sink or swim once they set up their own little households. Along the way, I think all three of the kids called me from the laundry room as they were trying to decide "Hot or Cold Wash"?
They did very well on their own, however, and I was proud of them. I coddled them while they were at home, but once they "launched" I pretty much "took my hands off." At first I would send a card & email frequently, but as the semester wore on, the communication became less frequent. They would call if they had a question or concern, but for the most part they did a phenomenal job of making it on their own and making good choices. And, along the way, I think they all had a near-perfect GPA....and I didn't even have to help:)

Anarchy in the Preschool

I got called in to substitute teach at our school district's preschool. It is held in a beautiful facility on the campus of our local community college. There is a Head teacher, and about 4-5 asssistants. The staff is wonderful and caring, and the classroom is a spacious room filled with books, paints, games, blocks, gym mats, tunnels, a piano---you name it. Approximately 24 children attend the preschool every day from 9 am until about 3:45 pm. The children range in age from 3 to 5. They were all absolutely adorable. And yes, I believe 98% of them were also demon-possessed! But then I have always believed that the reason God made 3 year olds so cute is because if they were ugly, we would probably be more tempted to kill them.

I realized about 5 minutes into the day that my philosophy of teaching children is definitely considered "old school." The philosopy of this particular school is: "if a child misbehaves, there are no negative consequences." The child is re-directed to another activity or area, or is "talked-to". This talk goes something like this: "I know you're angry, but you need to use words to tell Katie how you feel and what you want. We don't use our fists to show how we feel." This might work when one is counselling a married couple, but have you ever tried to "reason" with a 4-year old? My belief is that they need to feel some pain in order to be trained not to repeat a particular undesirable behavior. When dealing with my OWN preschool-aged children, this meant a swat on the bottom or a flick on their hands. It is Pavlovian conditioning that we learned about in college Psych 101. It's how you train a dog or a dolphin, and it works pretty good with humans if you stay consistent. However, at this particular preschool there were no negative consequences for bad behavior....not even a "time-out" rug or chair, and no removal of privileges. If you were being a brat you simply got escorted to another activity in the room and given a nice little talk. These children were aggressive and defiant. There were countless incidences of one girl smacking another in the face and then the "victim" would immediately retaliate. They particularly enjoyed running from the teachers. They also enjoyed not cleaning up after themselves. (I think I burned off 3,000 calories yesterday.) Naptime was optional, so the 6 wild children who didn't want to take a nap simply reaked havoc while the others tried to rest in a dark room. I do not take sass from a child who comes up to my knees. I had to work within their framework, their philosopy, even though I think these children are going to be headed to prison if they don't understand about consequences. However, if one of the children told me "NO!" or tried to fight me physically, I had to get in their face and put a little fear into them....I'm sorry, they won't be getting a "how does that make you feel" therapy session from me. I also MADE a child pick up the food he threw on the floor....and I wasn't goin' anywhere until he did it. Am I bad? Yeah. And how does that make me feel? Really GOOD!

Rules of Engagement

My kids are all in their early twenties....and that can only mean one thing....suddenly, all of their friends are getting engaged! My daughter's best friend got engaged today. It was the culmination of a series of carefully- orchestrated plans that seemed incredibly complex to me. It involved siblings whisking the bride-to-be away to Santa Barbara under the pretense that she was the subject of a photo shoot for one of the sister's photography class....then parents and aunts flew in for the day and awaited in a decorated hotel room to celebrate with the happy couple. Along the way there were bouquets of roses, dressing up for a fancy dinner out, and purchasing a one-carat diamond! And this was one of the simpler engagements! Another friend of my daughter's was going to receive her proposal after the prospective groom chartered a helicopter, paved a walkway with rose petals, and hired a string quartet to serenade his future bride!

Let's talk about how people got engaged in the 70's. First of all, none of the twenty-somethings had any money back then, and youngsters couldn't get credit cards until they had a "real job" for a couple of years or so. A couple that had been dating awhile usually started talking marriage, then you'd toss around a few possible dates, then you'd go together to shop for rings. Usually they were priced under $500, and the diamonds were about 1/16 carat because in the late 70's inflation was crazy and the price of gold was outrageous (but only half as outrageous as it is today!) Anyway, you put the ring on "lay-away" while the groom-to-be scrounged up some more money from his summer job. Then, a special dinner or other type of date was planned and the boy "popped the question" officially, and the girl would say "Yes!" Then you'd drive out to see the girl's parents and the boy would, out of a sense of respect, ask the father for his daughter's hand in marriage. Then the girl and mom would get giddy with excitement and begin talking about dress shopping, color schemes, and bridesmaids. Of course, we were working within a budget....in my case, Daddy gave me $1400 and told me to "go to town" and plan a big wedding! (My younger sister got married 8 weeks after I did...so she also got a $1400 budget to work with.) Back in the day, there were no limos, dj's, or sit-down dinners at fancy hotel ballrooms. There was a cake from Safeway, punch, coffee, nuts and mints---enjoyed in the basement fellowship hall that was decked-out with crepe paper streamers. The bridesmaid dresses were homemade (polyester and chiffon), and there was no videographer. In fact, camcorders had not even been invented. No one got their hair or nails done, and the bride served as the wedding planner/coordinator, thus saving even more money! The bridal gown was purchased on sale, and the most expensive item in the whole wedding budget was the professional photographer who charged about $400 for his services. Friends were asked to sing special music, accompanying themselves on guitar (because CD's hadn't been invented either)
and it was the 70's for cryin' out loud...you needed some good acoustic guitar "folk-music" or early Christian contemporary ballads to add some emotion and sentimentality to the event!

Many people commented that our wedding was "one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever attended"....there wasn't a dry eye in the house, especially after Mark serenaded me on his 12-string guitar. Our wedding was simple, but it was beautiful, memorable and full of emotion. And best of all, it was completely paid for by the time we drove off to our honeymoon that evening in our burnt-orange 1976 Ford Granada :)

Oh, If I Could Only Be 2 Again!

Today during our Upper Grounds Cafe' at church, I had the joy of chatting with our Youth Pastor's children. Hannah just turned 4 years old, and I was asking her if she had a fun birthday.
I already knew that both sets of grandparents were at her party, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and friends. Hannah is a very serious young lady, and very intense. She is a little lady with blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. She was quite discreet about describing her birthday party to me, and simply said: "I got millions and millions of presents." Her little brother, two-year old Elijah, who is a "rough-and-tumble-100 percent boy" kind of guy was contendedly sipping on a drink from a white styrofoam cup. "Apple juice!" he exclaimed as he held the cup high for me to see. Then, when he had over heard my conversation with big sister Hannah, chimed in: "On my birthday I'm two and I blow out all the candles!" I love the preschool- aged child because they find wonder in the simplest of pleasures....candles, juice, a spider in a corner, a balloon centerpiece, a fresh strawberry---the things us adults gloss over because we're too busy moving on to the next item on our "To Do List."

When Ryan was in kindergarten, I would load up Missy and Matthew in a little red wagon and pull them to the elementary school that was two blocks from our home. They would always point out various interesting sights on the way to the school----a cat sitting in a sunny window, cherry blossoms on a tree, and sometimes Missy would ask me to stop the wagon so she could get out to pick something off the ground...usually a "rolly polly bug" or an injured butterfly. It took us a bit longer to get to school when we had to stop for all the "points of interest", but it forced me to slow down and savor the little things in life that I often take for granted. I was able to enjoy all of God's many creations as I looked through a child's eyes instead of a harried adult.
What a blessing it was to see all of the uniqueness of Creation as if it were a new discovery. I remember taking the kids to a public bathroom and of course there were a million questions: "What are those? (toilet seat covers) What's that box for (receptacle for personal hygiene items)? "Can I have a quarter so I can buy some of those? (personal hygiene items!) And of course there were always those noisy hand dryers that you just loved to hate! Who ever thought that a trip to the restroom at Target could be such an educational experience!

Since we moved up the the mountains (technically, "foothills") I feel like a two-year-old child again, seeing nature in a whole new light. I go for walks in the morning and take a deep breath and I feel like I am at youth camp in the mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho. The air is clean and crisp and the scent of the pines is everywhere. It isn't uncommon to spot a group of deer in the neighbor's yard (or OUR yard as a matter-of-fact) and there are always grey squirrels scurrying across the road and up and down the trees. It is as if I have discovered a whole new world up here. After living in the suburbs of the Bay Area for 10 years, and the Central Valley for 17, it is truly a new experience to live in the "country". There are no streeet lights up here and at night it is pitch black....but look upward and you will see the most fabulous star-filled night sky---it takes your breath away!

So, yes, I am 53-going-on 2. I am hoping I can slow down enough to enjoy this beautiful place I am living in because each year comes and goes faster than the next. I want to be 2 years old again so I can savor all of the intricacies of nature and be excited about each new discovery. But at the same time I will thank God that I am 53 because who would ever want to go through potty training again? Or trying to stop sucking your thumb....or getting rid of your "blankie" or your "ba-ba"....or getting a mean kindergarten teacher.....or going through junior high again....
not me! Being an adult DOES have it's advantages! :)

Tell Me Somethin' I Don't Know!

Since the country's economic meltdown started a couple of years ago, we have been bombarded with hundreds of articles on "How To Save Money" on everything from food to credit cards. Every time I pick up one of these interesting articles to read, I walk away thinking: "Why didn't I write this article? I've been practicing frugality since I got married 30 years ago....no, actually, I was BORN into frugality.

Like many Baby Boomers, I had "Depression Era Parents". This means that they save every plastic bread bag, twist tie, piece of string, fabric, Cool-Whip container, jar, tartar sauce cup, plastic straws from Burger King, etc. etc. As a teenager, this seemed so quirky. As an adult putting three kids through private college, these habits became ingenious ways to run a household! And now that EVERYBODY is "poor", I feel like a trendsetter! Yes, I wash, dry, and re-use ZipLock bags...and in the summer I have begun to dry clothes on a line in my garage. My husband refuses to let me have a clothesline outside...he thinks we'd look like a bunch of hillbillies. I told him it is not "hillbilly" it is simply a "solar-powered clothes dryer." The people here in Nevada County would applaud me for being "green" and "environmentally responsible."

I read an article in the doctor's office while waiting for my mom the other day, and it was about saving hundreds of dollars from the family budget. Brilliant idea # 4 "Save $5 a day per family member by brown-bagging your lunch instead of eating out." We have been doing this all of my life. We even pack a lunch when we attend a sporting event. And yes, I smuggle my own candy and bottled water in my oversized handbag into the theater....sue me! :) I think it is a bigger crime to charge those outrageous prices for concessions! The brown-bag idea is really so much healthier, too. So you save on doctor bills and medications by eating a healthy lunch prepared at home. :)

One magazine article gave some hints for spending less on wardrobe items, one being that you should "buy classic pieces" and "go with neutral color schemes to build a mix-and-match wardrobe." I wasn't sure what the definition is of "classic", but in my closet "classic" means a black blazer and slacks, black skirt, basic black dress, and various colored blouses and tops to mix-and-match. About 50% of my clothing items are black. There are several reasons for this:
1) I will forever have this nugget of truth etched into my psyche: "Wearing black takes 10 lbs off instantly." 2) Black doesn't show when you slop spaghetti sauce, coffee, or other foods on yourself, and 3) Black instantly takes off 10 lbs! When you get my age, you wear stuff that is totally out-of-style, but it doesn't matter because ignorance is bliss. I am still wearing flared leg jeans (bell-bottoms) and my daughter has moved into the year 2010 by wearing "skinny jeans".
I will wear "skinny jeans" when I win the lottery and have my tummy-tuck. In the meantime, I am saving big bucks by wearing out-of-style clothing that in my mind is "classic". Because after all, isn't "classic" just a cool way of saying "really old?"

Keep It Simple

Today I went to the church to my KidZone classroom to decorate for Easter and the new month. As I was making bulletin board labels and posting teaching pictures I realized why I love teaching kids about God---you just keep it simple! Adults make it more complicated than it really is. For example, last month we studied Creation. The truth we teach the kids: God created everything. No arguments about evolution, big-bang theory...God just spoke it and it WAS! The amazing paradox is that our Intelligent Creator who made everything in nature, with all of its complexities and intricacies, still cares about how we are going to pay for our car to get repaired! Children have that childlike faith that Jesus praised while he was on earth...they accept the fact that even though our God is mighty and powerful, He is not too busy to listen to our worries and concerns.

Some of the most profound theological truths that I have learned were gleaned not from a religion professor, but from my own children when they were preschool age. One evening we were on an overnight visit at my parents house and I was settling 3 year-old Ryan down for bed. I asked him to say his nighttime prayers and he began: "Thank you, Jesus, for Mommy and Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa, and Sandy (their dog), and the cats, and for McDonalds, and for hamburgers, and fries and the ketchup, and the straws...." I had to eventually cut this prayer short...I was getting drowsy! Perhaps it was Ryan's way of postponing his actual bedtime a few more minutes, or maybe it was the way a four year old really expresses thanks to God...not forgetting any little provision that God gave us...but thanking the Lord for EVERYTHING! It was a good lesson to me, especially when I get negative.

Another time my two younger children, Michelle and Matthew were leaving big brother's T-ball game and we were having a conversation about a friend, Lisa, who was very ill. We were just talking and the children were holding my hands as we walked across the Little League field. Matthew stopped, looked up at me and said, "We need to pray for Lisa." I said, "Yes, we need to remember her in our prayers so God will touch her." Matthew came to a dead stop in the middle of the grassy field and bowed his head and prayed, "Dear Jesus, please heal Miss Lisa.she is very sick but I know you can make her all better. In Jesus Name, AMEN!" Matt couldn't care less that there were people all around us, probably witnessing this craziness...he just knew someone had a need and we needed to "lift it up" now...not later. How many of us adults promise to pray for someone and then get so busy with our life that we forget. I loved the lesson this taught me....when you are aware of a need in someone's life, don't procrastinate---intercede for them right then and there.

As I think about Jesus' resurrection this Easter I realize that that one event makes Christianity real...and gives us hope that we, too, will rise one day to be with Him in Heaven if we put our faith in Him. The people who were witnesses to this event had nothing to gain (and everything to lose) by making up the whole story of Jesus rising from the dead, and yet people today still doubt it. There were many, many eyewitnesses who saw the resurrected Christ after he arose and left the tomb. But even those devoted followers couldn't believe it...the women visited the tomb on that first Easter Sunday to take embalming spices...they totally expected to find the dead body of Christ in the sepulchre. The apostle Thomas (dubbed "Doubting Thomas" for time immemorial!) wouldn't believe until Jesus showed him the wounds in his hands and feet. Jesus said, "You have believed because you have seen. Blessed are those who have NOT seen and yet believe." May we recapture the childlike faith that we lose as we become jaded, cynical adults---because following Christ isn't complicated....it's so easy even a child can do it :)