BOOKS I FINISHED - NOVEMBER 2012

Unwind, written by Neal Shusterman
I was told about this book by a woman I met a swim lessons. The fictional story is based on the outcome of the Heartland War, a battle between pro-choice and pro-life that resulted in abortion being banned, but parents having the option to unwind their 13-18 year old kids.  I loved this book and immediately picked up the second book in the trilogy.  I've heard the story is being made into a movie and I can't wait to see it. 

Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History, written by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio
I plan on seeing the movie when it's on DVD, but wanted to read the book first.  Incidentally, it was upon finishing the book that I found out the screenplay was written before the book.  Interesting story and I'm glad I read the book.

UnWholly, written by Neal Shusterman
This is the second book in the Unwind trilogy and I enjoyed it.  Actually, I've been told there's a book # 1.5 called UnStrung, a short book that was written once the decision was made to turn Unwind into a trilogy.  I think it may only be available for e-readers and I skipped it, but UnWholly still made sense without it.  The third book hasn't been published yet, so I'll wait impatiently for it to arrive at the library.

The Hundred Dresses, written by Eleanor Estes and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
Read aloud for Naomi.  This is the third time I've read this book and I always enjoy it.  It's the story of a poor Polish girl who is teased because of her unusual name and for wearing the same shabby dress every day.  Good lessons about not judging others by their appearance and sticking up for those who are treated poorly.

Sherlock Files #01 - The 100-Year old Secret, written by Tracy Barrett
Pre-read for Silas and Devon.  The boys enjoy mysteries and this seemed like a book they'd like.  Maybe they'll end up reading the rest of the series for fun.

In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart: Hope for the Hurting, written by Ruth Graham
I randomly pulled this off the library shelf, but ended up skimming most of it. She had some good things to say, but the book just didn't hold my interest.

The Wounded Spirit, written by Frank Peretti
This was another random pick of the library shelf, a book about those who are teased and bullied, those who do the teasing and bullying, and how we should all use our strengths to benefit and protect others.  It's a quick read and good for everyone, but I'd definitely recommend it to every parent and person who works with kids. 

Breaking Stalin's Nose, written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
Pre-read (actually, I listened to it on CD) for Silas and Devon.  Though the author was born and raised in Russia, the story is fiction.  It's about a six year old boy who is devoted to Communism and is eagerly anticipating joining the Young Pioneers.  They day before and of his joining, however, do not go the way he anticipated and he begins to question everything he's always believed.

Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir, written by Neely Tucker
And yet another random pick from the library.  The author, who is a journalist, and his wife lived in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s.  With the AIDS epidemic in full swing, they started volunteering at a local orphanage, ended up as foster parents to a girl from the orphanage, and ultimately tried to adopt her.  The book is filled with horrifying stories of things the author experienced in various countries at war, mind-boggling statistics about AIDS, orphans, and orphanages during that time, and the determination of a couple committed to adopting a girl they loved from a country with an astounding numbers of orphans and an unwillingness to allow foreigners to adopt.

One of the things I found interesting was that when the author and his wife were trying to adopt, they could hardly find anything online when searching "Africa adoption".  With the exception of a little bit of activity in Ethiopia, they said there was virtually nothing happening in that part of the world.  I don't know what current statistics and information are for Zimbabwe concerning orphans and adoption, but I have many friends who have adopted from Africa and a quick online search brings up over 33 million hits.  I call that progress!

Twice Told: Original Stores Inspired by Original Art, written by 18 different authors and illustrated by Scott Hunt
I discovered this book online while searching for UnWholly, as Neal Shusterman wrote in it, and it intrigued me.  I liked some of the stories, didn't like others, but really liked the idea of having different authors write stories for the same picture.

11/29/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Tim has the ability and willingness to sleep with little Ws who are snotty and need to keep their heads elevated during the night.

What's something that you're thankful for?

MENU - SECOND HALF OF NOVEMBER 2012

I'll tell you what we've been eating lately, but first I'll link a new recipe.

cider roasted carrots & parsnips - I'll probably skip the parsnips and double the carrots next time, but these tasted good.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit,huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* Amish egg casserole
* blueberry sour cream pancakes
* cranberry granola
* egg & potato scramble

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2 
* Thanksgiving - We're responsible for cranberry sauce, green beans with feta & dill, and sweet & spicy roasted pecans
* quinoa salad with apples & almonds
* glazed ham/roasted broccoli/rice
* Lebanese red lentil soup/green salad
* ham & lentil soup (crockpot)
* Cajun chicken pasta/green salad
* winter squash & pine nut pasta/roasted broccoli
* London broil (bbq)/garlic green beans/rice
* brown rice & lentil salad over spinach
* cheesy green beans/rice

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* popcorn
* sweet & spicy roasted pecans
* oat & almond bars
* pumpkin muffins (for giving away)

CUPCAKES

Sonja recently sent us a package of goodies, including cupcake fixings for Naomi.  Life has been busy since the package came, but we marked Friday as "cupcake day" on the calendar and Naomi baked dessert for all of us. We didn't document every step of the process, but here are some basic instructions.

Step one - Pour pink mix into bowl.

 

Step two - Crack eggs into bowl.

 

 

Step three - Put fancy pink liners into pan, then pretend to eat them.

Step four - Begin pouring batter into holders while making a mischievous face.

 

 

Step five - Do funky thing with your eyes just because you can.

 

 

Step six - Look at the camera with a silly face instead of at the pan you're pouring batter into.

 

Step seven - Begin frosting cupcakes.

 

 

Step eight - Decide that everyone can frost their own and strike a pose next to the cupcakes you baked before everyone inhales them.

1 COUSIN + 1 AUNT = 24 HOURS OF FUN

Tracy, my nephew's mom, wrote to me earlier in the week to see if they could come visit this weekend.  Our schedule was clear, so they headed our way yesterday.  Our time was spent playing foosball, mastering the pogo stick, playing card games, eating pizza and cupcakes, beating personal records on the Bop-It and Bop-It XT, chatting about life, snuggling and playing with the littlest W, giving armpit massages, and reading books on the Kindle. 

Hunter rocked Teebs for a while.

Hunter and Devon spent quite a bit of time with the Bop-Its.  I was impressed with their ability to play them right next to each other without getting confused by the noise of the one they weren't playing.

Naomi got some quality snuggles with Aunt Tracy.

Hunter became a master pogo-sticker.  We took a few videos over the course of their visit so that we could post one, but I'm just going to share all three.  He was clearly a rookie on the first video.  By the second video he was bouncing more than 50 times before needing a break.  On the third video he was doing tricks. 

No family photo op would be complete without a pose with silly faces, so we set up the tripod and did a W-style picture before the visit was over. 

A quick, fun visit!







11/22/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Tim was asked to help officiate the Turkey Bowl today.  He needs to be able to officiate basketball this time of year and can't risk the injuries that come with playing in the Turkey Bowl, but officiating gives him a less dangerous way to join in the fun.

What's something that you're thankful for?

A FUN TRIP TO SALEM

The kids and I have had a date with our friend Carol on the calendar for a few weeks and today was the big day.  Carol came to our house, then we all loaded into the van to drive to Salem in torrential rain.  Our destination was the Riverfront Carousel, which none of  us had ever visited before.  Tim had actually headed to Salem a little bit earlier for a meeting and we ended up calling to ask him to join us when he was done.

We watched the woodcarvers work on future horses, were given carousel horse DNA (wood shavings), rode the carousel multiple times, recognized a girl from church and met the grandfather who had brought her there, and the kids were given coins to make souvenir pennies and the opportunity to pick out one postcard.  Fun times!  Despite the fact that three adults took pictures, most of them were too blurry to share.  Here is a good one of the group, though.

 

 

Next up was lunch.  The original plan was to get hot dogs at Costco, but that was before we'd taken into consideration that this is the day before Thanksgiving and half the planet would be there.  So we went to Muchas Gracias in Keizer instead, another first for our family, and filled our stomachs with tasty food.

 

Then we drove home under blue skies and with the sun beating down on us.  This is Oregon, after all, and we try our best to have as many types of weather as possible over the course of two hours.  We pulled into our driveway and Carol gave us a parting gift, a surprise she'd purchased when none of us were looking.

 

 

 

Isn't that beautiful?   I love ornaments with a story behind them and this one will always remind me of a fun afternoon with a good friend.  It may even help me to look past the sin in Carol's life that she's unrepentant of ... the fact that she listens to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.  I'm pretty sure there's an eleventh commandment forbidding that behavior.  Right? 

 

I'm thankful for sweet friends, new places, and good food!

 





EATING, MOTHERING, EARNING, AND WATCHING

Tasty Food - We had Cajun Chicken Pasta for dinner last night for the first time in ages and I'd forgotten how much I love it.  Delicious!  If you're not a pasta eater, then you could serve the chicken sauce over rice or eat it on it's own. 

Bad Mom - Teebs is almost one and I'm embarrassed to admit a pattern that's developed - first birthday parties have clearly become less of a priority over time.  Silas turned one and we invited a lot of people to a big party.  Devon turned one at the same time that Silas turned three and Tim graduated with his Master's, so we had an all-encompassing party.  Naomi turned one and we served cake and creamsicles at one of the "just because" potlucks we were having that summer.  Tyler, the fourth little W, is almost one and I've made no plans.

There is a part of me that thinks we should have a party, but there's another part that realizes he won't care either way (until he looks at photo albums years from now, anyway) and one year olds don't even have friends to invite (just family members and their parents' friends).  I promise we'll do something, even if it's just the 6 Ws, but I need to hurry up and figure out when.  This non-summer birthday action is not normal for our family and December is just a wee bit crazy.  I just can't believe I've become a mom would even consider skipping a first birthday celebration of any kind.  It's not bad, it's just not me.  At least, I didn't think it was.  

Easy Money - If you haven't taken the Swagbucks plunge for your search engine of choice, then I'd encourage you to do so and to make sure you install the toolbar.  I've been using it for years and have always redeemed the bucks I earn for Amazon gift cards.  I've earned hundreds of dollars to spend at Amazon over the years and it's paid for all sorts of needs (like Graco carseats and school books), wants (like Thou Shalt Laugh movies and Cuisinart food processors), and gifts for others (Christmas, birthdays, and baby showers, both tangible items and gift card codes).  Of course, if Amazon gift cards don't appeal to you, then there are a lot of other things to spend your Swagbucks on.  

Good Movies - I've watched a handful of movies over the last couple months that I enjoyed.  Feel free to click the links in the titles to see if they interest you.  IMDb has a handy "Parents Guide" for each movie after the cast and storyline, so you can get more info on whether or not a particular movie meets your personal viewing criteria, regardless of whether or not you have kids who will be watching with you. 

Bringing up Baby, a movie from the 1930s with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, was recommended on a "give me some movie ideas" Facebook conversation a few months ago.  Lots of laughter from the kids!

Mirror Mirror - A spin on Snow White that Tim and I watched, starring Julia Roberts.  

October Baby - A Redbox freebie that I watched while Tim was in class one night.  It was inspired by true events and is the story of a young woman who discovers not only that she's adopted, but that she's the survivor of a failed abortion.  I thought the interview with Shari Rigby, the actress who played the woman who had the failed abortion, at the end of the movie was really neat.

Man on a Ledge - This was another Redbox freebie that I watched when Tim was gone one night.  

The Magic of Belle Isle - A sweet story starring Morgan Freeman. 

11/15/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the blanket my sister crocheted for Tim and I years ago, maybe for our first married Christmas.  It's super heavy and keeps us warm at night this time of year.

What's something that you're thankful for?

MENU - FIRST HALF OF NOVEMBER 2012

The month is half over and I never posted our menu.  Oops! 

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x10
* store-bought granola
* pumpkin pancakes
* blueberry oat muffins
* egg & potato scramble

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2
* quinoa patties/roasted broccoli
* Mediterranean black bean salad over spinach/rice
* new soup recipe/toast
* grilled salmon (bbq)/rice/green salad
* steak salad (bbq)/whole wheat drop biscuits
* zesty chicken (crockpot, from freezer)/couscous/cider roasted carrots & parsnips
* chicken tortilla soup (crockpot, from freezer)/cornbread (will double and freeze one)
* six layer casserole/green salad
* Italian sausage & rice/grilled Sicilian zukes
* death by garlic
* spinach lentil soup
* creamy butternut soup/green salad

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* popcorn
* pumpkin chocolate chip cookies 

PARENTING SUCCESS

We've had a really long week here and our schedule dictated that no one napped today, so this evening had the potential to be horrid.  However, it was going well.  The bigs and I had tag teamed some cleaning while the littlest hung out in the jumperoo, then I went to make dinner while the bigs finished cleaning and the littlest giggled.

Then it happened.  A potted plant went flying and dirt was everywhere!

Success #1 - I remained calm.  This is pretty impressive, as my fuse for things getting broken because of reckless or thoughtless behavior is pretty much non-existent and it generally causes my lid to flip in a huge way.  My flaw, I realize, but I'm just telling it like it is.  This time I just quietly said it needed to be cleaned up and went about my business.  No snark, no yelling, no monologue about how everyone is always ruining my stuff. 

Success #2 - The little W responsible for the flying plant came to me immediately to tell me what had happened, apologized, and asked for forgiveness.  No need to ask what happened or to prompt anyone to make it right. 

Success #3 - A different little W immediately started to repot the plant, then went to get the vacuum and cleaned up the gigantic mess.  The mess they hadn't made.  No need to make sure the job got done or to talk about helping each other out.

Those three things were enough to make my day, but there's more.  The mess-maker and the mess-cleaner have a relationship of extremes.  Sometimes they are best buds laughing hysterically together or a cooperative team working on a project together.  Sometimes they are each other's worst enemies and bicker over every. single. thing. they could possibly find to fight about.  This week it's been 99% bickering between them and the remaining 1% has been when they're sleeping.  It's been really bad.  Which made tonight even sweeter. 

I obviously wouldn't have chosen to have the plant go flying, but now I'm (sorta) glad it did because it gave me one of the "parenting is worth the work" moments we all need from time to time. 

SACRED MARRIAGE #3

I'll wrap up my list of favorite quotes from Sacred Marriage today with chapters ten through thirteen. 

p. 188, God is always worthy of being obeyed, and God calls me to serve my spouse - so regardless of how she treats me at any particular moment, I am called to respond as a servant.

p. 222, Our passions are what make us come alive.  The apathetic person is a pathetic person.  While we often fear our passions because they can carry us into an affair, a fight, or some other destructive behavior, the solution is not living a less passionate life but finding the right things to be passionate about.

p. 231, They are not coming together in order to escape loneliness, more favorably pool their financial resources, or merely gain an outlet for sexual desire.  Above all these other reasons, they have joined themselves to each other as a way to live out and deepen their faith in God.  Even if you didn't enter marriage for this reason, you can make a decision to maintain your marriage on this basis.

p. 235, Love is an intentional movement toward another.

p. 235, The truth of the matter is this: By our words, we either draw forth God's presence or we push him away.

p. 236, Christianity does not direct us to focus on finding the right person; it calls us to become the right person.

p. 250, It is spiritual fraud to enter marriage and then to live like a single man or woman.

p. 252, Here's the kicker: Patience can be formed only in the crucible of frustration - making marriage, with its multitude of tasks, one of the best schools for patience there is.


I hope these three days of quotes have encouraged and challenged you in regards to your role in your own marriage.  They are not things I've mastered, but areas I need to work on in my own life - some much more than others. 

Here are the other Sacred Marriage posts. One. Two. 

SACRED MARRIAGE #2

My last Sacred Marriage post highlighted some quotes I liked from chapters one through five.  Today I'll share some from chapters six through nine.  Ready?

p, 89 (quoting Gary and Betsy Ricucci) One of the best wedding gifts God gave you was a full-length mirror called your spouse.  Had there been a card attached, it would have said, "Here's to helping you discover what you're really like!"

p. 92, The important things is to view the challenges of our particular life situation as a platform for growth.

p. 96, We must embrace the reality of having our flaws exposed to our partner, and thereby having them exposed to us as well.  Sin never seems quite as shocking when it is known only to us; when we see how it looks or sounds to another, it is magnified ten times over.  The celibate can "hide" frustration by removing herself from the situation, but the married man or woman has no true refuge.  It is hard to hide when you share the same bed.

p. 97, Use the revelation of your sin as a means to grow in the foundational Christian virtue of humility, leading you to confession and renouncement.  Then go to the next step and adopt the positive virtue that corresponds to the sin  you are renouncing.

p. 106, So often it isn't that our marriages are either good or bad - they just are.  We get tired of the routine and the sameness, and our souls occasionally grow numb toward each other.

p. 108, The righteousness God seeks is a persistent righteousness, a commitment to continue making the right decision even when, perhaps hourly, you feel pulled in the opposite direction.  Holiness is far more than an inclination toward occasional acts of kindness and charity.  It is a commitment to persistent surrender before God.

p. 115, Before a divorce is final, I'm usually going to encourage someone to hang in there, to push on through the pain, and to try to grow in it and through it.  Happiness may well be beyond them, but spiritual maturity isn't - and I value character far above any emotional disposition.

p. 129, Struggle makes us stronger; it builds us up and deepens our faith.  But this result is achieved only when we face the struggle head-on, not when we run from it.

p. 131, We have it so easy (speaking of Western Christianity) that we can begin to be lulled to sleep, thinking that life should be easy or that it will always be easy.  Once it gets a little difficult, we tend to be consumed with trying to make our lives comfortable again.  But by doing so we miss a great spiritual opportunity.

p. 132, It is unrealistic to assume that the initial pledge of marital fidelity will be an "easy" one to keep. / The reason we promise to love each other "till death do us part" is precisely because our society knows that such a promise will be sorely tried - otherwise, the promise wouldn't be necessary!  We don't make public promises that we will regularly nourish our bodies with food or buy ourselves adequate clothing.

p.. 133, Christians who dodge all serious struggle and consciously seek to put themselves in whatever situations and relationships are easiest are doing the same things - they are coasting, and eventually that coasting will define them and - even worse - shape them.

p. 141, (quoting Charles Lindbergh)  Never say anything you wouldn't want shouted from the housetops, and never write anything you would mind seeing on the front page of a newspaper.

p. 147, Marriage can never remove the trials - in fact it almost always creates new ones.  But even difficult marriages to difficult men can give women the strength to become the people God created them to be.  (So it is for men married to difficult women as well.)

p. 155, Falls are inevitable.  We can't control that, but we can control the direction in which we fall - toward or away from our spouse.

p. 155, Intimate relationships, as opposed to intimate experiences, are the result of planning.  They are built. 

p. 164 (speaking of compromise) It's proof that we're willing to give ground for no other reason than that we value the ongoing relationship more than we do asserting our rights, preferences, or wishes.

p. 166, When you entered this relationship of marriage, you committed to keep moving toward your spouse.  Any step back, any pause, any retreat, is an act of fraud.  Learn to move toward the person God has given to you for the purpose of teaching you how to love.

Here are the other Sacred Marriage posts. One.  Three.

11/5/12 FORMING FAMILIES - FOSTER KIDS

I read a post a few months ago about an opportunity to make Welcome Boxes for kids entering foster care in the Portland metro area, but at that time I hadn't made a commitment to blogging about helping parent-less kids to find families and didn't pass the info along.  Today, however, there was another post and I'm spreading the word.   Foster kids are just as important to me as kids waiting to be adopted.  Both are in need of a family, one temporarily and the other permanently. 

So, here's the deal.  Many times a child is removed from their home, then ends up sitting in the DHS office for an hour or two while their caseworker finds a placement for them.  They have little or nothing of their own with them.  They've just lost everything familiar in their lives.  They know nothing about the people whose homes they're about to be taken to.  They have had their whole life disrupted.  They have nothing to do while they wait.  They just sit.

That's where Welcome Boxes come in! Each box must contain something to write on, something to write with, non-perishable snacks, toothpaste & toothbrush, flashlight with batteries, and a nightlight.  Additionally, each box will contain seven extra items that fall more on the fun side of things than the practical.

This Friday there is going to be a private box packing party and they are asking for some last minute filler items to be donated.  Does that sound like something you, your family, office, or group of friends would like to help with?   There is also a need for public locations for people to drop off donations through Thursday, businesses with easily accessible parking and regular business hours.  If either of those things interest you then please go to today's post on Frugal Living NW to find out more about what is needed and how you can help. 

If you would like to be involved in making Welcome Boxes, but won't be able to help with this week's project, then please read the post from August.  It has detailed directions on how to assemble the boxes, labels to use, and contact information for the woman in charge.  Please follow the directions exactly, as these boxes need to be a blessing to all foster kids and comply with DHS rules. 

At the time of the first Welcome Box post there were boxes being delivered in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties, and now Clark county is in the mix.   If you live outside of those counties, but are interested in coordinating something similar in your area, then please read the August post for some info or contact your local DHS office directly.

SACRED MARRIAGE #1

I read Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?, written by Gary Thomas, back in September.  I read through the whole book quickly on my own, then have been slowly working through one chapter at a time with some friends, a group of ladies whose marriages range from solid to rocky and who all want their marriages to become stronger over time. 

No author is perfect and everyone is bound to disagree with something in a book they read, but this book is filled with excellent things to consider.  It challenges me as a wife to do the right things and to have the right attitudes.  I'm a work in progress, no doubt about it, but we all are.  Right?  

I thought that writing out several of the things I'd underlined in the book would help them to stick in my brain a little easier and, perhaps, help me see improvement a little sooner in some of the areas I'm not doing so well with.  If I'm going to take the time to write them out, I may as well share them with all of you. 

Though the book is written from a Christian perspective, I think my non-Christian friends will themselves encouraged and challenged by many of the ideas presented.  And though it's written about marriage, I think many of the concepts in the book can also be applied to our relationships with other people.

Without further ado, here are several of the quotes that stood out to me in the first five chapters.  Here we go!

p.17,  If we find that the same kinds of challenges face every marriage, we might assume that God designed a purpose in this challenge that transcends something as illusory as happiness.

p. 31,  As long as a couple is married, they continue to display - however imperfectly - the ongoing commitment between Christ and his church.  Thus, simply "sticking it out" becomes vitally important.

p. 32,  If I believe the primary purpose of marriage is to model God's love for his church, I will enter this relationship and maintain it with an entirely new motivation, one hinted at by Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians: "So we make it our goal to please him" (2 Corinthians 5:9). 

p. 34,  Everything I am to say and do in my life is to be supportive of this gospel of ministry of reconciliation in my personal relationships, especially in my marriage.  If my marriage contradicts my message, I have sabotaged the goal of my life: to be pleasing to Christ and to faithfully fulfill the ministry of reconciliation, proclaiming to the world the good news that we can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. 

p. 35  He lists the following divorce rate statistics, which I find disturbing: non-believers = 23%, self-described "born again" Christians = 27%, and those who consider themselves "fundamentalist Christian" = 30%

p. 36, And how can I proclaim reconciliation (with God through Jesus) when I seek dissolution (in marriage)?

p. 40, Marriage can be the gym in which our capacity to experience and express God's love is strengthened and further developed.

p. 42, In the marriage context, we have absolutely no excuse.  God lets us choose whom we're going to love.  Because we get the choice and then find it difficult to carry out the love in practice, what grounds do have to ever stop loving?  God doesn't command us to get married; he offers it to us as an opportunity.  Once we enter the marriage relationship, we cannot love God without loving our spouse as well.

p. 42, Yes, this spouse might be difficult to love at times, but that's what marriage is for - to teach us how to love.

p. 43, While our society has become expert in self-care, we seemingly have lost the art of caring for others.  Sacrifice has taken on such negative connotations that people fear being a "codependent" more than they fear being perceived as selfish.

p. 45, (quoting Brady Bobbink on the topic of Christian service) To fail to love my wife and kids rightly in the name of loving other people rightly is a sham.

p. 57, Giving respect is an obligation, not a favor; it is an act of maturity, birthed in a profound understanding of God's good grace.

p. 67, Contempt is conceived with expectations.  Respect is conceived with expressions of gratitude.  We can choose which one will will obsess over - expectations, or thanksgivings.  That choice will result in a birth - and the child will be named either contempt, or respect.

p. 76, In fact, much Christian teaching has gotten it exactly backwards.  We're told that if we want to have a stronger marriage, we should improve our prayer lives.  But Peter tells us that we should improve our marriages so that we can improve our prayer lives.

p. 77, Godliness is selflessness, and when a man and woman marry, they are pledging to stop viewing themselves as individuals and start viewing themselves as a unit, as a couple.

p. 82, Dissension is a major prayer-killer.  Looked at from this perspective, the institution of marriage is designed to force us to become reconcilers. 

Here are the other Sacred Marriage posts.   Two.  Three. 

11/3/12 FORMING FAMILIES - SPECIAL NEEDS & REECE'S RAINBOW

I have friends who have adopted and I have friends whose children have Down Syndrome. 

I also have friends who have combined those two things and adopt children with Down Syndrome. 

I have other friends who have chosen to do all they can to support orphans with Down Syndrome and the families who would like to adopt them.

Enter Reece's Rainbow, an organization that helps raise funds for those who have a desire to add a child with Down Syndrome to their family through adoption.  Please keep in mind that the future of an orphan with Down Syndrome is bleak and short-lived in some countries.  For those children, adoption isn't just an opportunity to be part of a family, but also a chance to simply live. 

I want to introduce you to two friends who are currently involved with Reece's Rainbow.

RUBY - Ruby is an Angel Tree Warrior for Simon, a little boy whose third birthday is just a few months away.  Her goal is to raise $1000 toward Simon's adoption fees by the end of 2012, money that will help a family cover the cost of bringing him home.  She just started fundraising a couple days ago and has $25 in the account so far.  You can check out some of the items she's selling in her Etsy shop, True Ruby.  She's also made some cute felt ornaments, which I'm hoping will be in her Etsy shop soon. 

Maybe you'd like to make a cash donation toward her goal.  Perhaps you'd like to buy something from her shop for yourself or as a Christmas present, knowing that some of the proceeds will benefit Simon.   Maybe Simon has tugged at your heart and you'd like to have your caseworker help you bring him home ... to your house.  No matter what you're wanting to do, I'd encourage you to read more about Ruby's project on her blog, families for the fatherless.

TANA - Tana and her husband have adopted multiple times, brought home various numbers of children at a time, and have three countries (well, four, if you count America) represented in their family.  I love the story of how their family has been created!  Right now they are all anxiously waiting to bring Thalia, their newest daughter and sister, home, something they're hoping will happen in the next few months.  You can read about where they are in that process and see some cute pictures of Thalia right here. 

Thalia has a family now, but the financial cost of uniting them is high.  If you would like to make a contribution to help defray the cost of Thalia joining her family, then please click the Reece's Rainbow "Donate" button on the sidebar of Tana's blog, Harmony and Havoc.  Thalia is the name Tana and her husband have chosen for their newest daughter, but Song Guo is the name on all the paperwork.  I mention that so that you won't be confused to see "Song" or "Song Guo" on the donation links.  Song Guo is Thalia.

HALLOWEEN 2012

I took off after church last Sunday afternoon and was gone until about midnight.  Sometime during my absence Tim carved pumpkins with the little Ws.  I really don't give a rip about carving pumpkins and it's not important to the kids for it to be a family affair, so it was nice of Tim to do it while I was off enjoying time with some friends.

L-R, Devon's football helmet, which is upside down here but was worn around the house a few times, Silas' house, and Naomi's bat.

Wednesday night we headed off to our church's Harvest Festival, which I think is the first time they've ever canceled Bible study.  They've done the Harvest Festival at various places over the years and it's always a blast.  So much work goes into making it look amazing and be so much fun!  Our kids don't always dress up, but they busted a few things out of our dress up bins for the occasion this year.  Although all non-creepy/scary/evil costumes are welcome, people are encouraged to do biblical ones.  Here's what the little Ws came up with. 



Naomi chose to put on the dog costume, even though it's too small ... but she was happy and that's what mattered.  Silas donned some solider gear and said he was part of Gideon's army.  Devon snagged a snorkel and mask to wear while he waited for the flood, circa the days of Noah.  Then off we went!

We always hit the photo booth first so that we can avoid the long lines that come later in the evening.  Here's this year's picture, the first time with 6 Ws.

The kids, as per usual, had a ton of fun.  They played games, ate hot dogs and popcorn, drank cider and hot chocolate, watched a skit, threw balls at the dunk tank, bounced in and slid down inflatables, tried (unsuccessfully) to land on the right number during the cake walks, and Silas got to help in one of the booths for a bit.  I don't think any of them made it to the jewelry making, face painting, or pumpkin decorating areas.   Tim and I supervised Naomi and Tyler, while visiting with friends.

Both of the big boys succeeded in dunking different members of the pastoral staff.  I happened to catch Devon as his turn came up.  He knew he had three throws and was thrilled when he dunked someone on the first toss.  He turned to walk away, assuming he had three tries and had already succeeded, but was then pulled back to take two more shots.  He was giddy!   Getting three throws, regardless of how many times he hit the bulls eye, was the highlight of his evening. 

Naomi played a variety of games and was hysterical to watch as she pumped air into a balloon until it popped.  



Yes, she had de-dogged herself by that point.  It's a little toasty to hang out with an extra furry layer on your body. 

As per usual, lunch on November 1st was candy they collected at the Harvest Festival.  Here's the spread - each kid's pile of candy and glass of water, the wrapper bowl, and the "don't like it & no one wants to trade for it" donation bowl.

The bigs got ready to dig in.

And the little enjoyed a bottle before eating a delicious blend of roasted carrots and broccoli in applesauce.

Fun times! 

11/1/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for Pandora.

What's something that you're thankful for?