Saturday, June 30, 2007

40 Day Fast...Day 9

Today Jeanine writes for Day 9 on her blog, The Positive Space. She writes about her work with Youth With a Mission and highlights several organizations fighting for victims of injustice. Her primary focus is children affected by war, slavery and oppression. Please read her post and check out the links she gives.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Sister for a Season

About a month ago I made my mom laugh. I told her that although my (older) brother is very very nice, what I really need at this point in my life is a sister. She found that humorous.

I think I told her that because I knew tonight was coming - the night before Maggie, my "sister" for the last 7 years, moves away. Pretty far away. Maggie and her husband are moving to Chicago.

I met Maggie right after my youngest was born and she became a part of our family in no time at all. She befriended my children, cared for them at times and brought strength and laughter into my home when I could feel or do neither.

She was our dinner guest on a Christmas Eve bringing
joy and excitement to our table that I so badly feared was missing. Afterwards, she stayed long enough to help me get my kids in bed so that Santa could, hopefully, get to work before holiday exhaustion took over.

She altered Halloween Costumes, hemmed Uniform Skorts and made monogrammed pillows. She gave the best hugs. She has the best laugh. We're pretty sure there's no one else like her...and that Chicago is really far from Florida.

But the Maggie Years have come to an end. Even though we'll go visit and she'll come back here, we have to move on and get used to life without her. And I have to try to show my kids that despite the sadness that naturally comes from losing the day to day closeness of our good friend, a part of her will always be with us. Because not only do we love her like crazy, she loved us well.

And she still does...just all the way from Chicago.

:-)

40 Day Fast...Day 8

Today Stephen writes about Blood:Water Mission which is the organization I will be focusing on as well. Please read his post and click on the link to BWM's website to find out even more.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

40 Day Fast...Day 7

Today Stephanie writes about sexual abuse, shares heartbreaking statistics and encourages us to
support our local organizations devoted to this cause. Please take time to read her post and maybe find out more about how your community cares for victims of abuse.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

40 Day Fast...Day 6

Chaotic Hammer highlights Compassion International on Day 6 of the 40 Day Fast. Please click here to read his post.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Before

Here we are just 5 days into the 40 Day Fast (About something other than us) only this post is going to be about me.

Before the 40 Day Fast, I
  • Didn't think twice about burning two pieces of toast, tossing them into the garbage and then trying one more time (but today I did)
  • Never thought to start my day with a glass of cold water instead of downing a can of Diet Coke before I was even awake enough to taste it or to decide if I really wanted it (but yesterday I did)
  • Blew through the grocery store grabbing our typical items without much thought, and ended up with way more junk food than real food much to my kids' happiness (but next time I'll slow down and shop smarter maybe)
And that's not all.

Each day I read another post and a string of comments that are totally changing me. Not just moving my heart, because that was already in a pretty good starting place. But it's all slowly invading my thoughts, my habits, my lifestyle, my lazy ways. Whatever amount of compassion I felt, no matter how strong, it didn't stand a chance when everything else about me was shouting, "No, not you. Not yet."

It is finally sinking in. Each one of us can make a difference. Each little bit counts. Each small thing helps. In fact, each small thing seems crucial. I didn't get that before...or didn't believe it. But now I do.

Which, now, makes this post totally about something other than me. And that's what it's all about.




40 Day Fast...Day 5

Kristin blogs today on raising compassionate children. Please check it out here.

Monday, June 25, 2007

40 Day Fast...Day 4

Shaun Groves is the blogger for Day 4 of the 40 Day Fast.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

40 Day Fast...Day 3

SAM is the blogger for Day 3 of the 40 Day Fast.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

40 Day Fast...Day 2

Brant Hansen is the blogger for Day 2 of the 40 Day Fast.

Friday, June 22, 2007

40 Day Fast...Day 1

Today is the first day of the 40 Day Fast. Each day I'll post a short sentence or two reminding you to click on the link of the blogger fasting for the day. The links are listed in the sidebar of my blog directly under the 40 Day Fast logo. Just find the date with the blogger's name next to it and click on the link. You'll be taken to their blog to read about a need or cause and the organization they are highlighting.

Today, Kat will tell you about Compassion International.

:-)

Thursday, June 21, 2007

40 Day Fast...It's Almost Here

Tomorrow is the first day of the 40 Day Fast. Scoot over to Kat's blog and find out how you can follow along and even get involved yourself. And beginning tomorrow, each day I'll be posting a link to the blogger who is fasting.

Come on...check it out. It's going to be very inspiring.

:-)


Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Lazy Hazy Summer

Been dying to post something new the last day or two and even thought of about five random subjects, but summer already has become a little lazy for me.

Or maybe I've just adjusted to being a "be at home mom" again...and enjoying it because it's so temporary.

Lots of movies seen already (we've seen 5 of the top 10.) Way early mornings driving my oldest daughter to summer school, just up the hill and around the corner - then crawling back into bed afterwards. And my most recent obsession with finishing the book I blogged about previously (which couldn't have arrived in the mail soon enough.)

I've even discovered some fascinating blogs - one of which I spent maybe an hour reading and then watching a series of video clips entitled "I Can't Open It" from the blog of 81 year old Millie Garfield, one of the Internet's Oldest Bloggers. It's awesome. So warm and inspiring. I can't wait to go back and read more.

Aside from those things and now getting my son (the middle kid who can't wait to leave for camp again and whom I worry may miss the bus home on purpose...sisters...) ready for another week of camp, crud wars and whitewater rafting, I'm still here. And floating between what my summer was supposed to look like (major household organizing and goal setting and goal implementation beginning) and what my summer is falling into place as being (movies, random cleaning, trampoline games and remembering what it was like to spend snippets of time alone with each of my kids.)

I'm really lovin' this summer...but will try to cut down on trampoline play every now and then to post something new and, ummm, exciting.

:-)

Friday, June 15, 2007

More Than One Meaning

Trampoline - Where my youngest and I play our newest backyard game called, ummm...well, we really haven't named it yet. But here is how you play. Climb onto a trampoline (in our case, it's our neighbors') and warm up by slowly running around the perimeter of the bouncy part. Then, (oh...make sure to throw a ball onto the trampoline before climbing up) lie on your back on opposite sides with your feet pointing toward the center. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the surface. The youngest goes first, as always. Using only your feet play "volleyball" as best you can. That's it. Very fun. Very funny. Very prone to starting loud laughter and occasional snorts.

Trampoline - Another excuse insurance companies in Florida now use to cancel your homeowners insurance policy it seems. Guess my "neighbors" need to make sure their trampoline isn't visible from the street.

Trampoline - My 6 year old's code word. We use it sparingly but with great effect. We use it whenever little chatterbox begins divulging deep dark family secrets, concocting her own deep dark family secrets out of boredom or when she begins to repeat lines from a movie we are embarrassed to let be known that she has seen
somehow. "Trampoline" said with a tone of urgency and raised eyebrows has been found to stop her motormouth mid-word and with wide eyes, a slight gasp and a tiny smile of pleasure she replies, "Oh, yeah...trampoline."

:-)

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Great Idea

Once I re-entered the blogosphere (again), it didn't take too long for me to check out Kat's blog. And just in time for an amazing idea she is presenting of a 40 day fast for her friends and readers in an effort to "take a long term stand against poverty."

For 40 days beginning on June 22nd, 40 bloggers will fast one day each and on that day will blog about a need, nation or cause and an organization addressing that need, nation or cause somewhere around the world. On each of the 40 days, all bloggers will post a link on their blog to the "fasting blogger" of that day. Kat then encourages everyone (including you!) to participate in fasting on the 40th day.

At first I only intended to follow along and then fast with everyone on July 31st, the 40th day. However, a song and a subsequent post by Kat inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and fully join in (I think I’m on her list!)

In her song, You Are the Sun, Sara Groves sings,

And I am the moon with no light of my own
Still you have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to you

I listened to this song a few days ago and, although it wasn’t the first time I’d heard it, it was the first time it stuck with me in a way that felt something like, “So Marianne, when are you going to let God’s light shine through you…when are you just going to look Him face to face and let it happen?”

Then Kat mentioned using our blogs for something outside of ourselves and I knew what I wanted to do. How I wanted to start looking God face to face. How I wanted to start to shine.

Maybe these connections make no sense to you. That’s okay. But I’m going with it and I’m pretty certain in my own scattered way that it’s the beginning of something pretty exciting.

:-)

Very Cool...

Check this out, Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus. I believe you get five searches for free but then that's it without paying. I happened upon it quite by accident but never knew a Thesaurus could be so much fun.

:-)

Try it out.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

EuRekA...

Tonight - once again a little down in the dumps about my lack of skill at parenting my soon to be 14 year old amazing daughter - I remember that there is Google.


Google. Of course.

I go and type in “when your teenage daughter hates you,” thinking that may be a bit exaggerated, but...WaLa.

Nearly perfect article. Points me in the direction of what looks to be a nearly perfect answer to my so many many questions, concerns and general mass confusion. I mean, this was soooo not going to happen to me. To us.

But it did. And I absolutely am shopping for this book tomorrow. I miss my daughter and while I know that typically this too shall pass, I want to make triple-sure that it does.

Here it is. My chance to display all the patience, understanding, wisdom, humor, insight, strength and, above all else, unconditional love that I spent my teenage years (and possibly longer) insisting that I deserved even more of at times. Here’s my chance.

We so need this book. And your prayers.

:-)

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Getting Going...

Decluttering...oh, yeah...one room down. Only like 5 more to go. But hey, it's only June. Got all summer.

Got all summer to finish those three books I started as well. Bad habit I have - reading lots of books at once. It's kind of hard to finish one that way. Sigh.

What am I reading?


This Beautiful Mess: Practicing the Presence of the Kingdom of God by Rick McKinley. I read Jesus in the Margins about a year ago and felt I couldn't go wrong with another of his books. I was right. Have many page corners turned down...some pages at both the top and bottom if the front and back of the page have parts I want to remember to come back to...one day.


Oh, then at bedtime I started reading Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards to my 6 year old. I read Mandy myself when I was probably in 4th grade (yep, a hundred years ago) and have been waiting for just the right night to sneak it into her bedtime routine. See, typically, she prefers to do the reading herself. And while she has many many gifts, listening isn't her specialty. But somehow I caught her by surprise and - BAM - now she's hooked. It's awesome.

So, the third book I have started but not have finished is Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth with Imani Perry. Read about it on Chris Rice's blog and, being a History Major and all, thought I'd check it out. So far I've only read the timeline in the front of the book. It's been so long since I've studied History or even read much about History - fiction or not - and I was amazed to remember all that took place during her lifetime. Truthfully, the facts and exact dates of historical happenings never seem to stick for long in my mind, but the stories of people who have lived before us fascinate me. And so, I look forward to reading more about another remarkable woman in history.

So there you go...my summer and how it is all starting. How is your summer "getting going"?


:-)

Monday, June 04, 2007

Time Flies

Exactly one year ago today I went back to work. And wasn't all together thrilled about it either. Seems like just yesterday we had a dog. Seems like just yesterday he made me late for the first day at my new "real job" and like just yesterday that I paid a babysitter every penny I brought home for 2 1/2 months. Seems like just yesterday I thought that was a really great idea.

:-)

Wow...so glad it's not yesterday anymore. So glad that this summer instead of copying and laminating and data-entrying (I made that up) that I will be driving my taxi cab all over town again. Yes, I really said that...despite the absurd cost of filling up my taxi's gas tank.

My job...it was great. My co-workers...they were the best. My kids...they adjusted somewhat. Me...I needed to catch my breath. So, I figured out - actually, I just told them - that I couldn't work this summer. I should be typing something like I studied and tweaked my budget but...I didn't. I just quit. Even found my replacement. It just all worked out.

So this summer I'm back to having a Spongebob Theme Song brainstain and back to washing beach towels every night. No, we don't have a pool - just lots of hoses, sprinklers and water guns. And when I'm not taxi-ing children I plan to spend my summer blogging, decluttering and, yeah, catching my breath (which mostly involves reconnecting with my kids I think.)

And, ummmm, because I failed to do that budget tweaking (would've been wise...oops) you may have to endure a few blogs on coupon clipping (do they still print those?) and reaquainting my kids with the library (instead of our cherished Barnes and Noble)...not sure I can let go of that one!

Anyway, how has "everyone" been?

:-)