now what?

as i approach yet another birthday i have been thinking a lot. it is the one before the BIG one so technically i am entering into my 40th year of life. in many ways i am saddened by being this far along and in others i am grateful. life certainly doesn't look like i pictured it would...but thank goodness...i continue to hear that the best is yet to come. you feel reasonably good in your own skin (way more bulging out of that skin than i thought!), you know where you stand, family is pretty stable (clearly have a full quiver!), you are generally set professionally by now, probably have a pretty clear picture of how life will function-short of a catastrophe-for the foreseeable future. so now what? i think that is the title of a new book in my mind (i have written numerous ones to date--in my mind).

celebrating

the invention of gift cards. that is what i love getting for my birthday so as the need for retail therapy arises you are not limited by your current financial state.

funny man

my brennan is just hilarious. the facial expressions, the matter of a fact replies to things and even his imaginative play alone keeps me laughing. he comes into my room at some ungodly hour this am and crawls into bed curled up so close to me it was like he was a giant fetus in my belly again. when i asked him later this morning why he came in he explained in painful detail that "i had a dream. the guy was big with a sword, not a pirate sword, but a weawwy sarp one with pointy fings on it, and he shot my hair and it WEAWWY hurt but then he melted away but it WEALLY hurt." the facial expressions made the story. who knew that those tears when i found out i was pregnant (not the good kind) would today be replaced by tears of laughter at this little funny man.

i am getting old

i have now been to two major metropolitan cities in the last few months (san fran and phili this week) and i have to say for such a city girl they make me tired. the pace, trash, noise just make me tired. maybe i am just tired in general but i don't get that same rush i used to. i do still love a great meal and some shopping but they can keep the rest.

oh those college years

i have hired two college girls that can help me during the week and when i travel. it has come flooding back to me--maximum freedom and little responsibility. one of them in particular reminds me so much of my old idealistic self. ready to see the world, try anything and everything. it is such a blessing that you have no idea in your early 20s what lies ahead. i have really enjoyed talking with and getting to know sarah. the other is a reminder of what happens to a sweet young girl with little exposure. so sheltered from reality that it scares me a little. they both love kids and i think will have unique things to share with our children.

it has also reminded me how lucky we have been over the years with ida in texas and nicky in north carolina...i have learned that they took as much care of me as they did our kids. that i don't know if i will find in college girls but the help us much appreciated.

wyatt park christian church

we are really getting lots of opportunity for ministry. i am really enjoying seeing and hearing people's reaction to michael's passions for the kingdom of god being lived out here and now. he is teaching two classes in addition to preaching every 6-8 weeks and they are being challenged and i think really enjoying the new perspective.

i started a ladies breakfast group with the youth pastor and we got great feedback that people walked away with lots to think on. that is the awesome thing about god...just when you think you know something you get challenged with something new to wrestle with and apply to life.

several of you have asked about the church website: www.wyattparkcc.org. michael's blog is in the adult ministries section and he is preaching next sunday, october 28th.

bummed about busyness

i am stuck in a rut with our own and everyone elses busyness. it makes things so difficult. you never feel caught up, you can't connect with others and your kids get sucked in to running ragged or left behind with a sitter.

i have been reading sydney portier's book, The Measure of a Man, and he talks about the foundation that was built in him as a kid, poor on a remote island in the Bahamas. no electricity, organized activities and really little supervision but such a solid foundation in survival, family sense of self and values. i know we can't go back but can't we just slow down. i am really praying on how we can either eliminate so much stress or infuse our activities with those foundational principals. i don't know....

another good read

i am also finishing up a character profile on the apostles (the first 12 and the replacement). it is called the thirteen apostles by j. elsworth kalas. a little gem from one of the blue hairs at our church.

i have to say i coudn't even name the 12 when i started the book much less tell you anything about most of them. the book has been facinating. they were a random bunch of characters with most having little mentioned about them in the bible. it appears on the surface they have little to offer BUT man did they change the world. it has provided great comfort that jesus used a group of doubter, loud mouth, outcast, suck up, dense, rich, poor, modern, ancient men and a couple of zealots and even one known as "the less". it gives us hope!