Ouchies.

We had an ouchie casualty today in our family. Thankfully, it did not end up being serious, but it was quite painful for my little guy and he looks like he has been through it. You see, Hayden was at work with me. I work at a University, and my office is in the athletic center which also houses a large bronze sculpture of a flying eagle, our team mascot. This sculpture is big and is just one of those things that seems to scream to passing kids "Climb Me!" As we were readying to leave the building, Hayden started to climb on the sculpture. I said, "Hayden, please do not climb on the eagle or you will get....." Too late. He tried to climb up and fell against one of the protruding branches of the bronze tree limb on which the eagle rests. Immediate blood. Now, this really was more a puncture wound than a gash, and upon inspecting it, my first impression was "He needs stitches." So, of course, as a mother at one of these types of moments, you go around and around in your head regarding whether you are overreacting or whether he really needs medical attention. Of course, I had an appointment and really did not welcome the inconvenience of sitting in the doctors' office for who knows how long. But, because there was a gaping nature to the injury, I decided to risk the "overconcerned mother" syndrome and took him to our doctor. As it turns out, he didn't need stitches, and with a good cleansing and some butterfly bandage for the next 5 days, he was out the door. And, as you can see, a good blue sucker seemed to take away a lot of the ouchie's sting.....doesn't blue candy just do that? (See previous post wherein I philosophize about blue-colored treats). Of course, after I knew he was fine, I was frustrated and tempted to get angry that he didn't listen and obey my warnings.

But, then I stopped. After all, isn't that how I am myself? God warns us about things that will hurt us and, when we threaten to do things that will cause destruction, He pursues us and gently reminds us that He knows best. The Holy Spirit prods and pricks....."Come back, I know what's best, my child." I am just like a little 3-year-old boy a lot of times, really, when it comes to listening and obeying. So many times, though I know what I need to do and know what to avoid, I go ahead and do it anyway. Insist on doing it my way. In my time. Without thought of the consequences and pain. And then I fall and there is a gaping wound which needs attention and takes more time to heal. And God, the Great Physician, sees and feels our pain and reminds us that His blood, His sacrifice, has already cleaned the wound as if it were never there in the first place. White as snow. We may bear the scars of our decisions in this life, but He sees us as white as snow. He forgives and pursues us. Stop and think about that. He pursues us, regardless of whether we as His children heed his leading or not. He pursues ME. Though I fail to listen and often disobey, He is there and continues to guide and shape and mold and grow me. Just like a parent whose job it is to mold and shape and grow their children into people of character who are sold out for Jesus.

Wow. Funny what you can learn about yourself and your spiritual journey through being the Mommy of an energetic, mischievious and sometimes disobedient little 3-year-old boy. I love you with all of me, My Little Guy.

Daddy's Train.

For me, this bright-colored vintage Fisher-Price train brings back fond memories of my childhood. My siblings and I had a train like this growing up. We spent countless hours upon hours playing with Little People--setting up worlds and enacting scenarios. In the house, outside in the sandbox, in leaf piles, those Little People were very special companions to us and entertained us for hours as we developed and explored our imaginative powers. This train is actually the same train that my husband and his eight siblings played with. It is definitely my son's toy of choice when he goes to Grandma's house. As I watch him play with it, I often envision my husband as a little boy, rolling it along the floor, making train sounds, and filling the cars with people and animals. This is a connection to a piece of my husband's past that bridges the past to our kids in the present. The power of play to connect people and generations never ceases to amaze me. Maybe one day my kids' kids--my grandkids--will also play with this little train. I would love to obtain a full collection of the vintage Little People sets--the house, school, zoo train, and school bus--to share with my grandchildren some day. While I love the new Little People, too, and have several sets for our children, there is just nothing like the classics. So, which toys bring back fond childhood memories for you? Maybe it's the Easy-Bake oven? Or the banana-set bicycle? Or the sit-n-spin? Or the Lincoln Logs? Or Tinker Toys? Whatever your special memories, I urge you to try to share some of the joys of these classic toys with your own kids. This past Christmas, we bought our kids Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs. I vividly recall evenings spent upstairs in my Grandpa and Grandma's attic building houses with the Lincoln Logs. And, sure enough, I still love building with Lincoln Logs and even moreso now that I can share this simple joy with my own children.

What Your Medicine Cabinet Says About You.

Here is a creative challenge for you. Take a photo of your medicine cabinet. NO, you may not clean and straighten first. Just open the door and snap a few photos. For those of you who don't have a camera or don't get into picture taking, just open the door and take a mental snapshot. Then answer the question: What does your medicine cabinet say about you and your family?























My husband thought I had really fallen off the deep end of the scrapbooker's land when he caught me taking these photos, but I really thought that the medicine cabinet could say a lot about a family. So, as I looked at this photo of our very packed medicine cabinet, these are just a few of my observations:

1) We obviously have young children.....how else can you explain the fact that we have four different types of Band-Aids including Superman (these are actually for my husband), Backyardigans, Barbie, and Scooby Doo.
2) Excedrine Migraine--a great fix-it for those head-pounding-by-the-end of the day kind of days.
3) Multiple Bottles of Tums--As my husband has aged, his tummy has become less tolerant of tomato-based and spicy foods, so we go through the Tums. This also explains the large bottles of Mylanta and Pepto. Hey, I remember that my grandma used to give us Tums as candy when we visited her house. Strange, very strange. So, in a somewhat morbid way, these add some sentimentality to our medicine cabinet.
4) A large box of rubber gloves--OK, these have come in handy in many different ways. We filled them with beans for a fun game at Sunday school. When Hayden went through his "anal retentive" phase during potty training (very "backed up"), these also were put to use in, shall we say, "aided pooping." OK, enough said. The things that mothers do for their children.
5) A random bottle of glove oil--used to oil our kids' first ballgloves last summer. OK, so I guess we are anxious to share our love of ball with our kids.
6) Suncreen--we have bottles in almost every closet/cabinet on all floors of our house. Makes for easy access for summer swimming and other outings.
7) An assortment of colored drinking straws--I'm not sure why these are in the medicine cabinet, but they make every drink--even ice water--taste better!
8) Children's vitamins--I wish I was better about remembering to give one to each of my kids EVERY day. But, I figure on the days that I do remember, it is better than never remembering!
9) My multi-vitamin--See above.
10) Dimatap--I have vivid memories of this grape-flavored medicine from my childhood. While I have a pretty sensitive gag-reflex and tended to resist most medicines, I never really minded this one. Both of my kids are OK with this one, too.

So, what does YOUR medicine cabinet say about YOU?

New Profile Photo.

Hmmmm....I wanted to update a new profile photo but couldn't find a lot of photos of myself to choose from. Funny how we sometimes leave ourselves out of our own story. So, until I experiment with some self-photos or maybe even get my husband to shoot some, here is one from right around Christmas. That "blondish" curl on my cheek is actually my daughter's hair....but I guess that makes the photo that much more interesting. Until Monday.

Ever Had One of Those Days?

OK, the first thing you can see from this photo is that I haven't quite gotten around to taking my Christmas garland down from the porch. March is just around the corner, and it will be a lot easier to take it down without all the snow and ice and wind. But, the other obvious part of this photo is that large white appliance--yes, appliance--that is currently residing on our front porch. Yes, we have joined the ranks of the Klampetts or the outback Michigan red-neck families who keep broken-down appliances on their porches. This was just one of those days. First, the refrigerator--which has been acting up a bit over the past weeks--decided to die a final, noisy death, leaking water all over our wooden floor and causing some warp damage to several of the wood planks. These will eventually need to be replaced. So, rather than risk further damage, we relocated the refrigerator to the only place it would fit--the front porch. After church, my husband promptly made a trip to Sears and came home with a new refrigerator, stove, and microwave. The good news is: He only came home with a QUOTE for a new large-screen HDTV and not the actual thing! To make matters worse, our toilet exploded and our kitchen faucet is spewing water, making replacement of these two things also inevitable in the next week. You know that expression "When it rains, it pours"? That was the name of our weekend. Those things, coupled with my son deciding to make nice streaks on the off-white carpet with an aqua Sharpie marker, and that is just how the weekend went. Surprisingly, I have been able to maintain a pretty positive attitude despite all the challenges. It's all in the perspective, right? I'm going to be sure to do a scrapbook page about the refrigerator sitting on our front porch and what all the neighbors must be thinking! Ya' just gotta' laugh! Happy Sunday Night.

On Being An Alien.

As of late, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about aliens. No, not the supposed little green men who some claim leave crazy marks on cornfields and abduct some unknowing human captors. Not aliens of the Star Trek or ET or Gremlin nature. No, I mean that I have been pondering the fact that I AM AN ALIEN. Several blogs that I read daily seem to have addressed this topic lately, and it has really sent my mind and heart a-spinnin'. So many times, as people who love Jesus, we talk about the fact that the world is not our home and that we are just passing through this life on our way to eternity with Jesus. But, I'm not sure that I have taken a prolonged look at what this REALLY means. We were not created for this world. We were created for perfection--for the perfect lush Garden--for close and intimate and perfect communion with God. But, due to the Fall and the resulting sin nature that has influenced every human being, we find ourselves living in this sinful world for a time. But, the fact remains: We are aliens. We were created for something much different, much better, and beyond our wildest human imaginations. But, how much time and energy do we spend trying to fit into this world. Trying to be successful by this world's standards. Trying to be cozy and comfortable and without pain. The truth is: As Christians who love Jesus and live with the promise of eternal life, we will always be uncomfortable and in pain and rejected in this world. Even Jesus, who was Perfect Love in the flesh, was clearly despised and rejected by men. Yet, we can live with great joy despite the pain and rejection. We can keep our eyes and hearts on Jesus. So, the next time I am tempted to succumb to this world's lies and allurements, I am going to remember on key truth: I AM AN ALIEN HERE. I want to do all that I can--with God's strength--to reach others for Jesus, but I will never fully fit in here. I will always be different than the world, Praise God. I will never truly fit it, PRAISE GOD! It puts a lot of things into perspective. This will influence how I raise and nurture my children; I know that they, too, will be rejected and despised and hurt for their faith. That is part of the deal. But I also know that the ultimate truth of eternal life, joy, peace, and Jesus' presence awaits them who love Him. It helps me to embrace my trials and pain and hurts and rejection as further evidence of the Perfect Life to come in the world--and with the King--for which I was created.

Small Things Done with Great Love.

My college roommate and good friend, Suzie, sent me this precious silver frame for Christmas. As you can see, the bottom of the frame is engraved with the phrase: "Small things done with great love." Since Christmas, I have had the frame sitting on my dresser, just waiting for the perfect photo to house in it. Well, last week, my daughter left me these two precious notes on the table. The first says "I love you, Mom, more than anything. I love Dad, too. Love, Kennedy" So precious. She wrote this note completely on her own and did such a great job with sounding out the words...sometimes I have to remind myself that she is only in kindergarten. The second note is also so precious; she wrote "I love you, you love me, we're family" complete with musical notes (you know, the Barney song!). To me, these little handwritten notes--written straight from our little girl's heart and left for us to find--epitomize the idea of small things done with great love. And so, this frame has become the permanent home for these two precious pieces of my daughter's heart. There is nothing small about that! Don't forget to seek and find the small things in your life, wherever you are and whatever stage of life you find yourself. They are there, Praise God, if only we open the eyes of our hearts and souls to see.

First Roast.

Yes, it has taken me 34 years, but I have done it. Tonight, I made my very first roast. Complete with potatoes and carrots and onions. And, I must say, it was scrumptious. My husband raved about it, that it "melted in his mouth" and even my daughter exclaimed that "This is the best meal ever!" And, I must say that Rachael Ray was right. It was very easy to do, and there was a great sense of satisfaction in preparing this type of meal for my family. Usually, I rely on easy favorites like chicken breasts and soft tacos and soups/sandwiches for our dinners, but it was nice to splurge for once. Last week, our family bought a cow. No, to my daughter's great disappointment, not the kind that needs a pasture and hay and a cowbell on its neck. Our friends are farmers and had an extra part of a cow, so we purchased 1/4 beef to fill our freezer. So, who knows what other wholesome and creative meals I might come up with. And, Tonya, I can't wait to try those DelMonico steaks with your special marinade recipe...Thanks, Sister!

The meal tasted awesome and brought rave reviews from my family, but what was even more enjoyable were the stories shared as we partook in the meal. My husband recalled that his family ate beef roast a lot growing up. Roast with potatoes and carrots always remind me of after-church Sunday dinners growing up, whether at home or at grandma's house. Isn't it funny how certain meals conjure up special memories and images of our formative years? Like the bowls of cereal that were my traditional before-game dinners in high school, or the SPAM (yes, SPAM) and potatoes, or the hamsteak, and tator-tot casseroles. Or my favorite shepherd's pie. Or dad bringing Pizza Hut pizza home on Friday nights. Or mom's special breakfast casseroles. Or dad making waffles on Saturday mornings. Or those special once-in-a-blue-moon trips to Burger King for chicken sandwiches. Or shrimp on New Years' Eve. Or corn-on-the-cob and watermelon for summer suppers. Or hot dogs, cinnamon-n-sugar wraps, campfire pizzas, and s'mores around the campfire on our camping trips. Or mom's chili and cinnamon rolls during the cold winter months. Or bowls of hot, fresh popcorn on movie nights at home. Or the traditional pizza and ice-cream-topped-with-Cap'n Crunch at the college dining hall on Sunday nights. So, as you are reading this, what meals remind you of your childhood? What meals are associated with special memories and relationships and experiences? Tastes of fresh strawberry freezer jam or rhubarb picked fresh from the garden. Or the distinct flavor of fresh-churned homemade ice cream at Grandma's house? While we certainly don't want to over-focus on food, it is clear that food is a central part of many of our life memories, celebrations, and interactions with those we love the most. I wonder, 20 years down the road, what meals my kids will point to as those that were the most meaningful to them? This provides me motivation to try to infuse more creativity into meal preparation in our home. Look out Rachael Ray!

Takes My Breath Away.

I was flipping through my photo files today and just stopped when I got to this one. It literally made me inhale. Just thought I'd share a photo, from a Mommy's heart, that takes my breath away. To see part of my heart outside my body, in human flesh. To look into deep chocolate eyes that are so much like my own. That sweet little dimple. The smooth soft skin. The pink knit hat that you wear so adorably. The faint curve of your sweet little smile. You look so not a preschooler here and so much the budding little girl that you are. Thanking God for you today, my Sweet Girl Kennedy.

How do you say "tattoo" in Spanish?

I went to teach my courses today with this lovely tattoo of a rainbow heart on my arm. No, I didn't make a trip to "Suck Ink" or another local tattoo parlor for a "recapture my youth" moment. Rather, my kids were putting tattoos on last night and decided that I really needed one, too. Initially, I resisted, but then I went along. They had so much fun choosing one for me and applying it to my arm. Then, this morning as I was getting ready for work, my first inclination was to scrub it off. But, I smiled, thought again, and decided that I needed to leave it on for work. Isn't it funny how easy it can be to let play and fun and spontaneity and creativity infuse our lives, if only we let it. It's that little voice inside that says "I'm too old or sophisticated for this" or "What will people think" or "I want to be taken seriously" or "It looks silly." Do all that you can to squelch that little voice! So Dr. McDonald taught her courses today with a play tattoo on her arm. Several students commented on it and, once hearing the story, thought it was very cool.

Buenos Noches! I thought that when I finished my final university course, defended my dissertation, and was hooded as "Dr. McDonald" that I would never take a college class again. Well, thanks to continuing education credits, I am now officially both a university professor and a university student! I even received an official acceptance letter! Yes, I am taking a course, and Spanish no less. In the past year, in my professional work, I have interacted with several clients wherein I felt a command of Spanish would have greatly enhanced my ability to communicate with them. So, here I am, learning elementary Spanish. In high school and college, I studied French, so this is all new to me. Right now, I am at the point where I am learning greetings, counting, the alphabet, and telling time. Now, it doesn't take a psychologist like I am to figure out that second language acquisition is MUCH easier for children than for adults, so we will just see how this goes! I am looking forward to the practical uses of the language. So, as I progress, you may see some Spanish words and phrases sprinkled into my posts for good measure. I'm hoping that my kids will learn some Spanish along the way (in addition to what they have already acquired from Dora and Diego) and that they will see that learning something new is another way to live a creative and inspired life. We will see how optimistic I still am a month from now!

So for all you scrapbookers out there, here I am again, 2 weeks before the CK Hall of Fame content deadline, asking myself how bad I really want to enter. I always set out to do it but then end up saying "Maybe next year." I have about half of the assignments finished and need to decide how badly I want to kick it into gear in the next two weeks to make it happen. I am leaning toward "YES" but haven't gotten much scrap time as of late. After all, I am learning a second language, you know! Anway, I will talk to you again "manana". Gracias for reading!

Storage Solutions....Crafty Husband!

When my husband and I purchased our current home, the home was white, white, WHITE! Which, for any of you who know me and my creative style, does not reflect me at all. So, the past year has been spent adding color to our home's walls and, thus, to our lives. Splashes of barn red greet you in the entry, the kitchen/dining areas are garbed in artichoke green, and a nice mustard with a glaze overlay warms up the family room. Another downfall of the house was the lack of storage space....just a few small closets and no built-ins. So, from the very start, I had visions of our front living room as taking on more of a library feel. Well, another important step in that room's transformation took place over the weekend with the installation of a wall full of library shelving. My handsome and handy hubby built the shelves, painted them in an aged black, and installed them on Saturday. The transformation to the room is amazing! A few months back, we painted the then-white room a shade of pumpkin orange, which really added warmth. Now, the shelves coupled with our brown leather den chairs really shout "library room"! I am going to look for an antique ladder to stand against the shelves, to complete the look, and we would eventually like to get an oversized leather sofa for the room. I absolutely love how it looks....Thanks, Honey, for putting your creative skills to work to make my vision for this room come to vivid life! Now, I am looking forward to unpacking boxes of books and pottery to arrange on the shelves. I also plan to have a shelf for each child, to show some key photos, favorite objects/toys/books, and art projects. I also have a shelf for their art portfolios and, of course, several shelves to house our family scrapbooks. Right now, I have more shelf space than I know what to do with, but I know they will fill up fast once I get creating!

And speaking of creating, I read another chapter of Sandra's book "Living Artfully" as the kids were playing this afternoon. So far, I highly recommend it as an inspirational and very accessible read. It's basic premise is that we are all creative beings and we need to seek and grasp everday ways to live a creative existence. Hmmmm....sounds like what I've been trying to achieve in my own life over the past year or two. Several of her ideas relate to my previous post on RACCKos, though this was totally coincidental. While she does not write from an overtly Christian perspective, her ideas are very spiritual and I have not found anything offensive (though her grandfather did apparently invent the OUIJA board, which is a whole other story in itself). Sandra inspire me with her kindness, creativity, obvious zest for mothering her daughter in a creative way, and living out creativity spontaneously and to the core. Maybe I'll get to chapter 3 tonight after tuck-ins!

Hey, my wonderful brother-in-law, Dan, just started his own blog and has included some gorgeous photos that he has taken. If you are curious and want a little glimpse of durgsworld, stop by and be sure to encourage him in the journey! Great job so far, Brother!

Three Random Friday Things.

First of all, I would be all over my students if they ever used the word "things" in their writing as I did to entitle this post.....but that's OK, I'm the professor. And this is not a formal academic paper. So, I'm breaking the grammar rule and I'm fine with it!

Here are three random things from today. First, I spent my morning with my daughter in kindergarten, helping out with a science lesson about the Earth. While I am typically there to assist with literacy activities, today was actually fun as we learned about the Earth's water-land composition. The kids had a lot of fun with the globe activity, and it was fun to teach 5-and-6-year olds as opposed to college students for a day. I love being there to directly observe my little girl and her classmates engage actively in the learning process and to be excited about their world.

Second, YAY! My copy of "Living Artfully" arrived today, and I can't wait to get into it. As soon as I finished this post, I plan to begin savoring the first chapter. Two years ago, I actually met Sandra M. in person in Grand Rapids and had a wonderful conversation with her about play and art and therapy. I stood at her booth at the Great American Scrapbook Convention for a good 20 minutes just chatting....she was so warm and gracious. She signed a copy of her book, "When I Grow Up I Want to Be Me" for Kennedy and is just a delightful creative spirit. I have a vintage glass jar in my studio filled with her little clay-and-bead plaques with words such as "play" and "dream" and "joy" on them--so colorful and happy and inspiring. I am looking forward to how her insights will inspire and enhance my creative life, and my life overall for that matter. I will give a review later as I get further into the book.

And, third, who else can remember the FunDip from their childhood? Those hard white candy sticks to lick and dip into the colored sugar. I remember my best friend and I getting these from the little candy store--"Harolds"--in my hometown, and we enjoyed every last grain of sugar. My kids saw these at Michael's today, and it struck a nostalgic chord for me, so I splurged and let them have a little "Happy Friday" treat. Pure sugary fun at our house this afternoon.

I'm exhausted and still have some reading to do. So sleep in a bit tomorrow if you can...I know I plan to!

RACCK-os.

This past holiday season, my family re-discovered the fun of the game RACKO. Does anyone else remember it from their childhood? The game where you have a rack of cards that you basically have to reorder in numerical order and be the first to shout "RACKO!". Come on....remember those funny, retro-looking plastic red racks? Well, the game has been reintroduced with some fun twists, and we had a lot of late night fun with the game.

Anyway, enough with the plug for RACKO (though I do highly recommend it!). This post is not about RACKO, as in the game. Think about this question: Did you know that you can be part of a miracle with RACCKos? Did you know that you can change lives with RACCKos? OK, so now that you are completed and utterly confused by what I mean, here is my point: God has been tugging at my heart in relation to the topic of giving. Now, I am not just talking about the "throw the check in the collection plate" type of giving (though that type is important, too). But the "live out real life" type of giving. The "spontaneous and fun" type of giving. The "leave them with their mouths open wide" type of giving. The "God made me do it" type of giving. I made up this little acronym for a new part of my life that I have adopted as of December. The RANDOM ACTS OF CHRIST-CENTER KINDNESS type of giving. I'm sure you've all heard of random acts of kindness...finding little ways in everyday life to show love and kindness to others. But this is quite different because the MOTIVATION for the acts is all about Christ. I don't want to do random kind acts because it is nice or because it makes me feel all warm-and-fuzzy good, but because of what Christ has done for me. Because of the fact that Christ has sprinkled random acts of love and kindness and mercy and fun and compassion and grace and forgiveness through each and every moment of my existence. And I want to show others that they, too, can find full and eternal life through the God who made them fearfully and wonderfully and knows them intimately and by name.

So, in December, I committed to finding ways to intregrate RACCKos as a normal part of my life, at least once a month, but hopefully more. And so far, the journey has been awesome. To think that we can allow God to work through us to make a miracle happen in somebody else's life. That is amazing to me! And we never know how our actions impact people, who then go on to impact others......the ultimate pay-it-forward. And to do this all in the name of Christ.......can you imagine the potential impact if more people adopted RACCKos as a lifestyle?

So, you may be asking, what kinds of things have I done. In December, I anonymously sent a sweet angel tree ornament to a friend with whom I have recently had a pretty serious parting of ways. I knew that she liked the art work of a particular local artist, so I went to the studio and purchased the ornament. To provide some context, I had asked for this friend's forgiveness for an angry interchange that was had last summer, and she said that she forgave me, but her actions suggest otherwise. I do not think that this friend is a Christian, so I really wanted to impact her for Christ. So I sent her the angel ornament with a verse written on the back, with a note (camoflauged handwriting, of course) saying that this angel would hopefully remind her every year that Christ loves her, died for her, and cherishes her as His child). I don't know her reaction. I don't know how this will impact her and her family. But God nudged me to do it, and I wanted to be obedient, hopefully for His ultimate glory. Last week, I left a $10.00 tip on a $10.00 lunch that I had. I just sensed that the waitress was struggling, and God nudged me to do something to encourage her. This morning, following the lead of a local Christian radio station, I paid for the breakfast of the person behind me at the drive-through (I had to get me early-morning Diet Coke!). Again, I don't know who it was or how she responded or what she was going through, but I know that the cashier was somewhat shocked and confused. I believe that God can use any situation to impact others for Him, if only we submit to his calling and his moving within us. And the funny thing is, this giving has impacted me in a powerful way, too. Tears are streaming down my face as I am writing this. I am tempted to think that the RACCKos are all about changing other people. But, honestly, they are also about changing me....about softening my heart to others......about making me more like Christ......about teaching me what it is to be willing to give anything and everything for God's glory. I have been humbled and challenged. And I want more!

If you're like me, I sometimes ignore God's gentle nudging. It is easy to stay in our comfort zones and close our eyes to the immense needs in the world around us. But, praise the Lord!, we serve a God who is in the business of making miracles, and He loves to work in awesome and unexpected and unexplainable ways. And, maybe the most amazing thing is, He wants to use you and me to do it!

So, my challenge for you today is to let God work through you as you find ways to do RACCKos in your own life. It is fun, VERY FUN! and something that you can let your kids help with, so that they see the joy of obedience and giving and letting yourself be used of God. I firmly believe that someday, when we are all in heaven standing before God, I will learn of the impact of those simple RACCKos in the lives of people. And that will be awesome to see how God uses seemingly insignificant acts to change the world person by person.

My challenge: Commit a RACCKo in the next week and leave a comment letting us know what you did and how you responded. Yes, it may be a stretch on your budget. Yes, it may take some creative planning. Yes, it might mean you can make one less trip to the scrapbooking store (OK, that one's hard for me, too, I can relate.). Let's all get in on the making of miracles! I promise. You will not regret this investment. RACCKO!

I Want to Know Who You Are!

OK, so I am still getting used to this whole blog-language, but I have been made aware that this is "De-Lurking" week. That means that basically it is time for all those readers of this blog to leave a comment letting me know who you are! It is really fun to look at the few (very few!) comments that people have left, and it provides additional motivation for me to keep sharing my thoughts and opinions. Wouldn't it be cool if there was someone from another state who made daily trips to this blog? Or from another country who needed their daily dose of Half-Baked and Firefly Free? If you are so moved, leave a comment to just say hello, suggest a posting topic, or just let me know that myself and my extended family aren't alone in this journey! Sleep tight.

Play Ball!

I was a ball player. Basketball. Volleyball. Especially softball. At one point in my life, before I was married and had kids, a large part of my life was spent playing ball. I loved it. Loved the challenge. Loved working on my shot. Loved that I could shoot a 3-point shot with the best of them. Loved pitching hard enough to strike out my opponent. Loved spiking the ball home and sending the ball over the fence and driving the lane for an easy lay-up and stealing the ball away from an unsuspecting point guard. And I found a fair amount of success through my hard work. Earned lots of awards and honors. Played college basketball and softball on scholarship. Was honored on the college level for three-point shooting and pitching. The thrill of playing ball is in my blood. But, I haven't played ball for a long time. The last time I tried to play--about 2 years ago--I was so out of shape that I could barely make it up and down the court, let alone get off a good shot. It was embarrassing and disgusting, so I stayed away for awhile. I miss it. But I'm not sure I realized how much I missed it until tonight. After work, Matt, myself and the kids headed over to the gym for a night of ball playing. We practiced batting and catching and dribbling (both basketball and soccer). We had fun. Lots of fun. Yes, I felt very out of shape. Yes, I was breathing hard. Yes, it was harder than I remember to bend down to field the ball. But it was good. A good type of tired. And I think that I reconnected with part of myself that I want back. I want to feel that competitive athletic streak again. I want to be able to make my body work for me. I want to feel strong, like I could drive past anybody for the score. Like I could strike out any batter. I want to drop at the end of a game, tired and sore and spent. Yes, I really miss playing ball and realized tonight that just because I'm nearing 35, just because I am a Mom now, and just because I'm no longer on a competivie team, this can still be a fulfilling part of my life. And I want to instill the joy of playing ball into my own kids. I love that my daughter can slam a line drive at the age of five and that she can already dribble pretty well with both hands. I love that my son loves batting and can dribble a soccer ball better than I can! Our family is rediscovering together the joys of playing ball, and it is sure to help us along in this quest to be more intentional about exercising together. It's not just that I WAS a ball player. I AM a ball player, just waiting to come out and play. Life is short. Play ball. And play hard.

Monday, Monday.

Monday started off for us very icy and snowy, as in....my car door was iced shut so I was late for a 9:15 meeting because I had to crawl over the seat, pry the door open, and then figure out how to get it to stay shut as I drove to my meeting. I thought that we wouldn't have school, as most schools around us were closed, but we did, making a very icy and cold morning. After getting my little girl off to kindergarten and having a very enjoyable meeting with a dear friend, I set about the chores of this Monday. I have two words....laundry stinks. Literally and figuratively. I really wouldn't mind it if it was a task that could actually be completed, but it just can't in our house. Can anyone relate? The minute I think I'm done, the hamper is already half-full again. It NEVER ENDS. And, can I just say that I especially hate SOCKS. I think that I buy socks for my kids every other week, and it is still a challenge to find matching socks! And.....look at this bin of socks with lost mates......really, WHERE DO THEY GO? Truly a mystery. But, I did get several loads of laundry washed, dried and folded. I also completed some computer work in preparation for my new semester's courses, which begin tomorrow. New starts are always nice, though I already feel behind! The spring semester just seems to speed by every year.

But my day wasn't all routine and chores. There is actually some snow in our backyard, so we blew up the kids' new Christmas snow tubes and went sledding! So fun! I started out just pushing them but they soon convinced me that I needed to go down the hill with them. OK, so maybe I need to purchase a pair of snowpants! It was cold but so, so fun. And their smiles were priceless. Again, Mommy! Again, Mommy! My son is at that age where he doesn't want mittens on, but he freaks out when he sticks his bare hand into the snow. Seriously, somebody needs to invent mittens that work for little kids. Maybe a silicone dip of some sort that creates a waterproof, insulated glove to fit your child's hand and can be washed or peeled off afterward. I would buy stock in a product like that. Just a fortune waiting to be made. Maybe in my free time, I will do some experimenting. Just kidding. Happy Monday.

Winter Saturday at the Zoo.

Yes, at the zoo! The kids and I spent the morning getting our housework done and then were trying to figure out something fun and active to do for the rest of the day. The sun was shining, though it was cold, and it just popped into my mind......let's go walk around the zoo! I jumped on line and learned that the zoo was, in fact, open, and--even better--that they don't charge admission during December, January and February. So, we bundled up, packed a backpack with the camera and some snacks, and headed off to the zoo. It was such a fun day. There were only a handful of other people there--maybe 10 other families--and many of the animals that are typically very inactive in the hot times of the summer, were active and engaging. We saw some great activity by the bears, mountain goats, snow leopards, and tiger.....we even got to see a rattle snake yawn with its mouth fully open---which happened when my son was a nose-length away from the snake. Although there was the glass separating him from the snake, it still made my heart jump as it looked as if it was striking. Yikes. The kids loved being able to roam and see the animals without the usual crowds. The chimps--typically our favorite display--seemed to be in the middle of a nap, so that was disappointing, but we'll catch them again in the spring. I did see this cool sign about chimps' play behaviors that rang true--Play is NOT JUST childhood recreation. Hmmmm....so true of humans, too. We highly recommend a winter trip to the zoo--I had never been to the zoo in the winter time before, but we will surely do this again (assuming the weather cooperates!).

Living Out Church, Out of Church.

This photo might just look like a cute photo of a man and two children (my man and my kids) holiding colorful umbrellas and walking in the rain. Maybe some artistic value in itself, right? Well, besides being a kind of cool photo, this one means so much more to me. You see, this photo was taken on a Sunday morning when we would typically be at church. No, we weren't skipping that day, though it was a rainy cold day and it would have felt very good to stay snuggled under the down comforter. No, you see, we ARE doing church. In the real sense. No, we weren't in the church building. No, we weren't dressed up or sitting in pews or holding a hynmal, things that people commonly associate with church. But, we are doing church in a very real way. We are living out God's message to reach others for Him. And that, truly, is the church. The church is people loving other people because they love Christ. So, on this day, our church decided to leave the building. Go into our community. And reach out. Several groups decided to different things--serve a meal at a shelter, bring baskets to the hospitalized, serve at an inner-city church--just a lot of really cool and meaningful things. Our group met and made little packets of home-made hot cocoa to leave on people's porches--complete with a little card about our church and a "Hope This Warms Your Heart and Soul" message. Very neat. And we prayed for the people that we brough the packets to, that they would see Jesus through us. Obviously, with the rain and cold, the delivery could have been dampened, but you should have seen how excited my daughter was to bring these packets to our neighbors' homes....she was on fire for God! And, my son, well anytime that he gets to carry a "be-bella" and be out in the rain is a good day for him! I love this concept of leaving the building. After all, church is not about four walls. It is not about nice clothes or pomp and circumstance or Sunday mornings, for that matter. It is about living out Christ for others to see, so that they might know Him better. It is about how we live our everday. And that is a great reminder that I really needed on this rainy, gloomy, chilly Sunday morning.

Counting Today's Blessings.

I am thankful for so many things today. Like the gorgeous pink-purple-and-various-shades-of-orange sunset out my back window this morning. And games of Candy Land with my kids. And games of Pretty-Pretty Princess with my play therapy students. And getting to teach a whole college course all about play. And bowls of hot soup, slices of fresh-baked bread with peanut butter, and kids loving this wholesome food. And new colorful stoneware bowls from my mother-in-law, who knew that they would be perfect in my kitchen. And a special after-Christmas package from my college roommate.....I just knew it would be good when I spied the tell-tale red wrapping with the simple Pottery Barn label with off-white twill ribbon. And more melting snow. And plenty of cuddling with my kids. And a special reading time with my daughter before she drifted off to sleep. And a productive church leadership meeting. And some sit-down and talk time with my husband. And my computer. And creative blogs that inspire me. And Caffeine Free Diet Coke. And tomorrow is Friday and pay day and my son's second day of preschool. And a birth announcement--welcome little Jaden William Lee. And no bills in the mail!! And just thanking God for all these little blessings which are really, really big stuff after all.

Heaven's splendor.

Kennedy: Mommy, will there be lots of diamonds and gold in heaven?

Me: Yes, Kennedy, the Bible tells us that even the streets will be made of gold. Doesn't that sound so awesome and beautiful?

Kennedy: I think there'll be big, huge piles of gold all around, Mommy.

Me: Maybe. We'll have to wait and see when we get there.

Kennedy: Mommy, do you think I'll have jewels and a crown.

Me: Yes, Baby Girl. You will have a beautiful crown with jewels. That's what God promised. How cool, huh?

Kennedy: Mommy?

Me: Yes, Sweet Girl?

Kennedy: Does that mean that the boys will wear tiaras??

Ah, I love my sweet girl's 5-year-old perspective on heaven. So, so sweet and innocent. I love that she is curious and has lots of questions. And, especially, that she has Jesus in her heart and will see with her own eyes and experience with her whole being the beyond-our-imagination beauty and splendor of heaven.

Big First for my "Wittle" Boy.

I am a proud and somewhat melancholic Mommy tonight. My little boy had his very first day of preschool today, and I experienced quite a range of emotions. Proud but anxious. Excited but saddened. You see, he is my youngest right now. I'm not sure at this point if we will have another baby (though I would really love to, but that's for another posting!), so there is a chance that he will be my last one to send off for a first day of preschool. So, while I am confident in him and sure that this will be a growing experience for him, I am also sad that this marks, in some ways, the beginning of the process whereby he will gradually spend less time with me and more with other influential adults. This is good, very good. But it also means that he is growing up, and quickly. And that is always bitter sweet. Hayden was so excited to put on his backpack. And, yes, we went with the camo shirt, which looked so precious with his matching T-rex hat and big-boy Gap jeans and Gap school bus back-pack. And he still stated that he wanted to ride the big yellow school bus with his sister. But, he seemed OK this morning with the fact that that won't happen until he's in kindergarten. However, I think he also sensed that this was big and might be a little bit scary at first. Last night, as we were talking about the big day, he looked at me and said, in words so sweet and so beyond his years, "Mommy, but I am a wittle boy." Part of me screamed to myself "What am I doing sending him to school? He is just a wittle boy!" But, then again, I think that's a natural part of those first steps of letting go for moms. Hayden especially loved that the preschool room is well-stocked with trains and cars, and he gravitated toward those toys immediately upon entering the room. The third photo is, of all the many photos I took today, the one that really speaks to me. It was almost as if that little car was a security for him, if only for a fleeting second, as he sat there taking in this new place, this new experience. And then he was off to the trains and never looking back. The coloring and projects? Well, they are not necessarily his activities of choice at this point, but that will come. He is a go-er, a do-er, a hands-on little guy. Thankfully, the class is only six kids, so he will get plenty of personal attention and hugs and reassurance and structure when necessary. It was so, so precious and heart-warming to see my daughter, who had this same preschool teacher, take her little brother's hand, show him where to hang his coat, and show him some of the fun things to do in preschool. What a good teacher and Mommy she will be someday. Yes, a big day for both wittle boy and Mommy.

And today was the official start to my effort to revamp my family's eating and exercise habits. We did great on the eating front--lots of veggies including fresh homemade veggie soup that both kids helped me make, along with fresh bread. Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, along with a salad and soup for lunch. Peanut butter and bananas for a snack. Tomorrow, I am planning on our first family activity night--either playing softball at the gym or some family time on the trampoline. Come spring, I am praying that we have more energy, more motivation, and more commitment to choosing active outings for our family time. So far, no major chocolate cravings, though I am well-armed with lowfat hot cocoa and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches for when the inevitable happens!!

Back to School.

School is a big theme in our house this week. My daughter headed back to kindergarten today and decided that she is not quite ready to go back yet, and that she would like a few more days of vacation. I'm sure there were several more students and teachers feeling that way today, including my husband, who also went back to his job as a high school administrator. Tomorrow, my son starts his first preschool experience. YIKES! We went and picked out a new outfit today--he chose a camoflauge GAP shirt with a t-rex on it--am I really going to send me son to school in camo?? I guess this is where I need to set my maternal preferences aside and let him wear what he likes. His school bus backpack is ready to go and he is very excited to wear his backpack to school. He would also like to be riding the big yellow bus to school with Kennedy, but he will have to wait a couple of years for that. I am having lots of mixed emotions--I'm not sure that he is entirely ready but I think the experience will be very good for him. Today, as I was talking about preschool and preparing him for tomorrow, he looked at me and said, "But, Mommy, I am still a wittle boy." Oh, my. But in the next breath, he said "I want to go to school and play with the trains with Mrs. P" He knows they have trains because this is the same room his big sister attended. So, we will see how it goes. It is only a few hours a week and I am looking forward to see this awesome world of learning open up to him in a new way. I know that I will continue to be--as I will always be--his main teacher. The camera and batteries are ready for the big day. Now, where is that extra Kleenex box?

One word for '07.

I have been doing some soul-searching in response to an Ali Edwards challenge to choose a word to guide your life and creative work in 2007. After some thinking and pondering, I have decided to choose a fairly simply word: BE.

BE.

I really don’t see that tiny two-letter word all by itself much. It seems that it is almost always used as a relatively insignificant word that leads up to a more powerful action verb or adjective. Be creative. Be playful. Be aware. Be open. Be still. Be inspired. Be energetic. Be patient…and, surely, these are very powerful and inspirational phrases.

But what about all by itself. Just BE. Where is “be” without another verb or adjective paired with it? This is the sole word and the question I am challenging myself to explore and live out in 2007. What does it mean to just BE. Period. BE.

For me, to just BE seems so basic, foundational and simple, yet very, very far from easy. To just BE means full awareness and presence in one’s existence. For me, the word BE is the essence of the Bible verse that I have chosen for my life. The verse from Isaiah speaks of the promise that God has known each one of us intimately since before we were born and that He has created us uniquely. “And while I was yet in my mother’s womb, you knew me. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” That is awesome. I, in the essence of me, am fearfully and wonderfully made. I don’t have to do something to deserve it. I don’t have to earn it or achieve it or buy it or prove that I am worthy of it. God’s promise is that when I just BE in Him, I am at my best, my fullest, what I was made to be.

My definition of BE involves living authentically in God’s promises. It is involves intentionality. Awareness. Contentment. Surrender. Stillness. In essence, to BE involves being who I was created by God to be—nothing more and nothing less. It does not mean stagnation and laziness and deadness and resignation; on the contrary, I think some amazing growth and life and insight can be gained when we just BE. But it is hard. So hard. Without always having to strive and achieve and attain. Content. Settled. Living life. BEing.

In our world today, so much goes against a person’s natural God-given drive to just BE. We are pushed to do more and more, fill our calendars, fill and empty and fill and empty our wallets, and to go, go, go. And when we really stop, and are honest, we sometimes realize that we are living somehow disconnected from ourselves. Numb. Empty. Mindless. No intention. No passion or conviction or burn. Going through each day, yes, but with no time to just BE. I have found myself there as of late. This sad place of living without truly BEing. Not really even knowing or remembering who--truly who is this me?--it is that I need to BE. And I know that many are there with me. So this is the year that I explore what it means to BE and to discover ways to just BE in my own life in 2007 and beyond. And maybe, just maybe, I can inspire others to do the same.

Wow, for a lifelong over-achiever, go-getter, and someone who is always very busy, involved, and scheduled personally and professionally, it will be a difficult challenge to infuse this word into my everday life and existence. Just to BE who our awesome God made me to be. To reduce the distractions and fluff and accolades and empty busy-ness and stuff and things, and to just authentically BE. I am anxious to get started, up for the challenge and looking forward to growing and stretching and reflecting and creating by just, simply, BEing.

Loving my Normal.

My life has been a little unusual the past few days. My husband and kids, who are still on their school break, headed off to my in-laws' house, while I stayed back to teach my university course. They left on Wednesday and did not return until late Saturday afternoon, meaning that I had more than 2 full days of time at home by myself. I can't remember the last time that happened. At first, I was savoring the idea and all the possibilities that laid ahead of me. Lots of time to organize. To scrap. To clean. To lounge. To think and write. To just do my own thing. Yes, my life was very different for those few hours. When I cleaned the kitchen, IT STAYED CLEAN! If I picked something up off the floor, IT STAYED PICKED UP! No little bodies climbing into bed with me at 3:30 am. No tripping over Thomas the Train or Little Pets or balls or crayons or......No constant cries for my attention. No laundry piling up. No shoes piled in front of the front door. No dirty socks to pick up. No needs to attend to except for my own. But, soon, very soon, I realized that while the house looked more picked-up than it has in a long time and while the house was very quiet and peaceful, a lot--SO MUCH--was missing. No spontaneous laughter. No hugs or kisses or little voices saying "I wub you, Mommy." No hand-written love notes from my little girl. No remnants of imaginary play set-ups littering every room of the house. No tuck-ins or bed time stories or freshly-bathed bodies or cups of hot cocoa together. No rosy-red cheeks from the outside cold and no begging to play a game or read that book just one more time or play with me. It was quiet. It was boring. It was lonely at times. It was not home. So, tonight, my family is back where they belong--BACK AT HOME--all tucked into bed snug....except for my husband, who is in his favorite spot watching the game on the couch. My living room is scattered with Little Pets and Nerf foam darts, laundry hampers are overflowing once again, shoes are piled in front of my front door, the kitchen is in disarray, and I tripped over a pile of trains coming up the stairway. My daughter has pouted and my son has thrown a fit because "It's not fair." I spy a dirty pair of my husband's socks on the floor. And my son just crawled sleepy-eyed into bed with me and fell back asleep laying on my arm, his favorite place in the whole world. And all is well. All is right. All is normal. I am thanking the Lord in an extra-special way tonight for the everyday blessings that I so often overlook and undervalue. How often, sadly, do we totally and completely miss the richness of the everyday details of our lives because we are looking beyond, taking for granted, wanting something more, something different, and just not taking the time to really SEE and EXPERIENCE and APPRECIATE. Yes, I love, love, LOVE my normal life.

New Year Organizing.

The past few evenings have been all about organizing for me. First, I got all of the Christmas decorations--with the exception of the few stranglers that I will still be finding in March!--organized, packed into their respective containers, and packed back into the Christmas closet. It is pretty packed to the brim, meaning that we must have acquired a few new things this year! While I truly love to have my house decorated for the holidays, it is also refreshing to have things "back to normal"--seems clean and fresh and symbolic of the start of the new year. I can already feel January slipping away--YIKES! I am responsible for my daughter's kindergarten Valentine's party, so I had better get planning! Most of my other organizational projects this weekend have involved my scrap room. I finally have all of my stamps in place--much-used wooden ones organized on open shelves with others in the closet, while acrylic stamps are ordered in baskets under my work table--and it is so wonderful to know right where things are. I also tagged all of my vertical paper organizers with metal-rimmed circle tags and colorful ribbon--isn't it darling? It just makes me want to keep tagging! Actually--and my sisters will laugh at this one--it reminds me of the time that my mom went crazy with the labeler and actually labeled each and every shelf in the pantry cupboard.....each and every canned good had its place, and you had better not get it confused. We all thought that she had seriously gone off the deep end! Barring this crazy extreme, organization feels good. My husband also built me some shelves for our front library room--soon to become a type of family library/music room--so I am in for some more organizing after he gets those shelves in place. They cover a full wall in the room, and I am so ready to get my books and pottery collection out of the packing boxes. Happy organizing!