Merry Christmas

I hope you've enjoyed hearing the story of God's plan as much as I've enjoyed retelling it. The story, of course, doesn't end at Jesus' birth, but continues through his life, his death, his resurrection, and his continuing life in his people. The story goes on...

Now turn off your computer and go enjoy a day of love and sharing with the people you care about. And if you don't have someone like that around, go find someone you can care for.

Photo credit: fruity monkey via Visual hunt / CC BY

In the Fullness of Time

December 25

The time had come. The stars were aligned. God came to earth.

He didn’t come to thrash and punish, but to love and save. He came as a baby and grew through all the stages we’ve all been through. His life wouldn’t be easy, but it began with great fanfare, with visitors bearing gifts from the east, a flock of shepherds, and the beautiful welcome of the heavenly host.

What a blessed moment, the moment when God put on skin and started his life among us.

Today’s Ornament – The Manger

Today’s Bible Verse – Luke 2:14

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

A Hard Truth

December 24

If you think it was hard for Mary to believe she was having God’s baby, imagine how her fiancé Joseph, a humble carpenter, must have felt. Pregnant? By the Holy Spirit?

Sure.

But when an angel of God appeared to him and told him the drill, Joseph didn’t get rid of Mary quietly. He married her. He loved her. And he raised the child with her for God.

Today’s Ornament – The Hammer

Today’s Bible Verse – Matthew 1:21-22,24

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Write It Down

December 23

A baby was born to Elizabeth and Zechariah, their promised son. Everyone expected them to name the unlikely baby after his father – Zech Jr. But God’s instructions were clear. The boy would bear the name John and he would prepare the people to receive Jesus. Zechariah, unable to speak unless he obeyed God’s instructions, wrote the name JOHN on a tablet. Zechariah regained his voice, but John’s voice would one day be much louder.

Today’s Ornament – The Tablet

Today’s Bible Verse – Luke 1:63

“John is his name.”

Mother and Child

December 22

Don’t you think Mary and her cousin Elizabeth shared a special bond from then on? The young unwed mother and the woman too old to be pregnant…but who was indeed pregnant? Mary, after she found out she was pregnant, rushed off to visit Elizabeth. From within his mother’s womb, John the Baptist recognized his Lord. Jesus had that effect on a lot of people.

Today’s Ornament – The Mother and Baby

Today’s Bible Verse – Luke 1:41-42

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”

Favor Found

December 21

If we had to design the family God would choose to be born into, we might pick a royal family, or perhaps a nice middle class couple. But God, as you might have noticed by now, likes to use unexpected people to fulfill his promises. And so he chose Mary, a young unmarried woman, probably only a teenager. It wasn’t about her pedigree or her accomplishments. It was about her heart.

When God told her, through the angel Gabriel, that she would conceive a baby by the Holy Spirit, she didn’t scream or laugh or pinch herself. She asked a couple of questions and then she agreed to be obedient. Just like God knew she would.

Today’s Ornament – The White Lily

Today’s Bible Verse – Luke 1:30-38

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

He's Coming Soon!

December 20

The time drew near. God’s people had returned to their homeland (yay!) but their land was occupied by the Roman empire (boo!). Everything was in place for God to come to earth. But how would the people recognize him? He needed a messenger to let people know he would arrive soon. He chose to bless an old barren couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah, with a son who would announce the coming of the Lord.

John the Baptist he’d be called, and he’d be a bit of a weirdo, hanging out in the desert, living on bugs and wild honey. But the people would flock to him, for he would promise them the answers they had been looking for.

Today’s Ornament – The Grasshopper

Today’s Bible Verse – Luke 3:4-6

As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "

Rebuilding the Walls

December 19

God’s people, as they have a way of doing, rose to the top. Esther, a beautiful Jewish orphan, was chosen by the king of Babylon to be his queen. She saved all the Jews from being wiped out by an evil plot by Haman, one of the king’s highest officials.

Nehemiah rose to the position of cupbearer for the king, a job of great importance, but he longed to return home to check on the remnant of Jews who remained in Jerusalem. The king allowed him to go back and even to rebuild the walls of the city. God was preparing his people to return home to worship him.

Today’s Ornament – The Wall

Today’s Bible Verse – Nehemiah 9:30-31

For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Watching and Waiting

December 18

As the exile in Babylon stretched on, God’s people despaired. Would they ever be allowed to return to their homeland? Would God’s promise still be fulfilled? Would the Messiah ever come? Another of God’s prophets believed all of these would happen. If only the people would be faithful to God, he would give them all he promised and more. Habakkuk kept watch, waiting for God to end the violence and the suffering of his people.

Lord, come quickly!

Today’s Ornament – The Watchtower

Today’s Bible Verse – Habakkuk 2:1-3

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

God Cries

December 17

Exile, as you can imagine, was miserable for the Israelites, so miserable that they could not even muster a song. Jeremiah, God’s prophet to Israel during their exile, cried rivers of tears for them. But God said that he wept even more over his people, who turned away from him and worshiped idols of clay and wood. How God mourned for his people. How he missed them when they left him.

Today’s Ornament – The Teardrop

Today’s Bible Verse – Jeremiah 9:1-2

Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people. Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people.

Isaiah Speaks

December 16

Israel turned away from God again and again. He punished them for their disloyalty by allowing them to be taken into exile. During the time of these invasions, he spoke through his prophet Isaiah. Isaiah, though, didn’t feel worthy to be a spokesman for God. In a vision, he saw angels gathered around the throne of God. One of the angels took a hot ember and touched it to Isaiah’s lips, purifying him for the task of telling Israel about the coming Messiah.

Today’s Ornament – The Tongs and Coal

Today’s Bible Verse – Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God Hears

December 15

Once again, the people of Israel turned away from God. The kingdom of Israel fought over who should rule it and where the throne should be. God's messenger, Elijah, grew discouraged by the lack of faith in the land, and especially by the king and queen’s wickedness. They worshiped the gods of neighboring countries. Elijah issued a challenge to this other god, Baal, and 450 of his prophets.

On Mount Carmel, the prophets of Baal spent all day trying to get their god to send down fire and got nothing. When Elijah stepped forward to ask for fire, the God of Israel sent down a fire so fierce it burned up the sacrifice, the stone altar, soil, and the water around it. In front of all the people of Israel, God proved once again that he had the power.

Today’s Ornament – The Stone Altar

Today’s Bible Verse – I Kings 18:36-39

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord--he is God! The Lord--he is God!"

After God's Own Heart

December 14

King Saul sought after his own glory, directly disobeyed God, and God withdrew from him. For the second king of Israel, God chose the family of Jesse. Jesse had many regal-looking sons, but these were not who God would choose. He chose the youngest, a shepherd boy named David, not because of his height or his handsome face, but because his heart was modeled after God’s.

David was not a perfect king by any means, but every time he failed, he turned back to God for forgiveness and another chance. Through David, God would continue the promise he made to Abraham to bring a true king, not only to Israel but to the whole world.

Today’s Ornament – The Shepherd’s Staff

Today’s Bible Verse – I Samuel 16:6-7

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Long Live the King

December 13

Now that Israel had a homeland, they wanted a king… just like all the other countries. God wasn’t too happy about his chosen people wanting to be like everyone else, but they whined and asked and whined some more, so God chose a king for them. He picked a man named Saul, a strong tall man who looked every bit the king. But Saul turned out to be an arrogant disaster of a leader, more concerned with his own power than with God's.

Only one king could ever satisfy the longings of God’s people. He'd wear a crown of thorns. And he wouldn’t be born for hundreds of years.

Today’s Ornament – The Crown

Today’s Bible Verse – Revelation 19:16

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In the Lord's Mighty Power

December 12

The Israelites gave God plenty of chances to use weak people to show God’s strength. When the Israelites were being trounced by the Midianites, God chose Gideon (who he found hiding in a wine press) to lead the charge against the enemy. With an army of only 300, Gideon must have hoped for some secret weapon, but the only weapons were a trumpet, a pitcher and a torch.

Imagine the Israelites’ surprise when these simple objects, powered by Almighty God, proved more than enough to beat the Midianites.

Today’s Ornament – The Torch

Today’s Bible Verse – Judges 6:14-16

The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?""But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."

Be Strong and Courageous

December 11

It took the Israelites a lot longer to get to the promised land than they expected. In fact, it took them a whole 40 years! When they’d finally learned the lessons they needed to learn in the wilderness, God gave them a new leader – Joshua. To the Israelites, it seemed like they could never beat the Canaanites who were living in their homeland. They were too strong, their armies too powerful, their walls too tall.

But God does his best work through weak people and he had something to prove. With only trumpets and faith, the Israelites watched the walls of Jericho fall down and they (and everyone else) could see that Jehovah God was the one true god.

Today’s Ornament – The Trumpet

Today’s Bible Verse – Joshua 1:6-9

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

The Top Ten

December 10

Across the Red Sea and into Sinai, Moses led God’s people. You’d think they would be happy to be freed from slavery, but they sure did complain a lot. They were thirsty, they were hungry, but when God gave them water and food, they complained about that, too. They camped around Mount Sinai while God spoke to Moses, telling him all the laws the people should follow.

God gave a lot of laws, all of them to help the people live happy, holy lives, but there were 10 main ones that we call the 10 commandments. The Israelites proved pretty quickly that they couldn’t even keep the 10 laws. In fact, they broke the 1^st commandment while God was speaking!

Even as they melted their jewelry down to build an idol to worship, God was already planning to give a better solution for his people to come back to him.

Today’s Ornament – The 10 Commandments

Today’s Bible Verse – James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Saved By the Blood of the Lamb

December 9

Joseph and his brothers stayed in Egypt and raised their families there. Soon, their family (called the Israelites) outnumbered the Egyptians. The Egyptians made them slaves and the Israelites lived as slaves in Egypt for about 400 years. God chose Moses to lead his people out of slavery back to the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, did not want to let the Israelites go, so God sent a series of plagues to change his mind. The last plague was the worst one. Every firstborn son in every household in Egypt died one night. But the firstborn of the Israelites did not die. God passed over every household who had followed his instructions by sacrificing a lamb.

The pharaoh let the Israelites go and Moses led them out of Egypt toward the promised land.

Today’s Ornament – The Lamb

Today’s Bible Verse –Exodus 12:26-27

And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.' " Then the people bowed down and worshiped.

Bad Plans Turned Good

December 8

Jacob had 12 sons. One of them, the one he loved the best, was called Joseph. Jacob gave his son Joseph a beautiful coat, but he gave nothing to his other sons. They were jealous. They sold Joseph into slavery and thought they’d seen the end of him, but God had bigger plans. He used Joseph to help save Egypt from a terrible famine. In fact, Egypt had so much food that Joseph’s brothers all came there looking for relief.

They found food, they found their brother, and they found that God can take wicked plans and use them for good.

Today’s Ornament – Many-colored Coat

Today’s Bible Verse – Genesis 50:19-20

But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

Angels Up and Down

December 7

Isaac had a son named Jacob who was a bit of a scoundrel. After he tricked his brother out of his birthright and tricked his father out of his blessing, he had to run away. While he was on the run, he had a dream. In his dream, a ladder reached from earth to heaven and angels were going up and down the ladder. God promised Jacob he would give him the land he slept on, for himself and the nation that would come from his family.

Many years later, Jesus would say that he was the ladder, the connection between heaven and earth. (John 1:51)

Today’s Ornament – The Ladder

Today’s Bible Verse – Genesis 28:12-14

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring."

God Provides

December 6

Abram, now called Abraham, had the son he’d always wanted. And this son, Isaac, was promised to be the son through whom God’s promise would be fulfilled. Only God put Abraham to the test again by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. Can you imagine being asked to give up the one thing you love the most? Yet God never asks his people to do anything he wouldn’t do for them.

Abraham trusted that God would provide a way for his precious son to live.

And God did. He provided a ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. And the promise lived on.

Today’s Ornament – The Knife

Today’s Bible Verse – Genesis 22:7-8

Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."

Can You Count the Stars?

December 5

God likes to do great things through unlikely people. To start a great nation, he chose an old man with no children. He showed the whole night sky to Abram and promised that his descendants would be more than all the stars in the sky. Abram believed God and God called him righteous.

Today’s Ornament – Field of Stars

Today’s Bible Verse – Genesis 15:5-6

He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

A Sign of the Promise

December 4

Just as predicted, man turned to wickedness. Only Noah stood righteous before God. God could have destroyed all of mankind, but he decided to give them another chance. On God’s instructions, Noah and his sons built an ark to hold all kinds of animals during a world-wide flood. The destruction of the world and all the people in it made God sad. He made a promise to Noah that he would never destroy the world with a flood again. He set a rainbow in the sky as a reminder of his promise.

Today’s Symbol – The Rainbow

Today’s Bible Verse – Genesis 9:14-15

Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil

December 3

When God made the first two people, Adam and Eve, he loved them very much. He walked in the garden with them in the cool of the evening. He only gave them one rule – do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But Adam and Eve, being human, could not resist the fruit, especially after Satan the serpent told them how tasty it must be. They ate it and, by doing so, incurred the punishment of death. In his mercy, God allowed them to live, but he put in motion the plan that would save Adam and Eve and their children and their children’s children from the death they all deserved.

He promised that through Eve's offspring, Satan would be crushed.

Today’s Ornament – The Apple

Today’s Bible Verse – Gen. 3 :13-15

Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

In the Beginning, God.

December 2

Before creation, God is. And with him, and part of him, is Jesus, God who would be flesh already prepared to take on the burden of the people he has not yet made.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. And he looked at all he made and declared that it was good.

Today’s Ornament – The Earth

Today’s Bible Verse – John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God.

From the Root of Jesse

Coupon Flyers, Christmas lights, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's easy to lose the truth of Christmas in the frantic pace of December. The truth is that God came to earth.

Did you get that? God, who opens his mouth and breathes out galaxies, became a helpless embryo, the child of an unwed teenage mother. But don't worry. It was all part of his plan.

In our family, we find it helpful to take some time each day to remember the enormity and purpose of God's plan. We do this by putting up a Jesse Tree. In our house, it's a small pine tree, but you could use a branch or a paper tree. Each day, we tell a story of God's plan, leading up to his incarnation, his taking on human flesh. Most Jesse Tree sites start 28 before Christmas in order to celebrate for 4 full weeks before the big celebration. I find it works better for our family to start on December 1, so that's what we're going to do.

Walk with me through the Bible this month. I'll post a blog every day with the following day's thoughts.

December 1 - The Jesse Tree

God made a promise to his people that they would not always have to live in fear and bondage. He promised a deliverer, someone who would bring peace to the earth, who would save through the power of the Spirit of God. He would come from the line of Jesse, the father of David. The people didn't know when this Savior would come, but they looked forward to him delivering them from generations of suffering. They watched the signs, they prayed for the Messiah to come quickly, and they kept their eyes on the family line of Jesse.

Today's symbol - the tree

Today's verse - Isaiah 11:1-7

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord--and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

Another Fight Lost

My husband's uncle died last night at the way too young age of 54 after a short, intense battle with cancer. He was a voice of sanity in a loud, crazy family, a steady man who loved his girls and loved his football. Say a prayer for his family tonight, would you?

Cancer Stinks

Cancer claimed the life of my husband's aunt this month. It's ravaging the body of his uncle right now. And it has returned to the body of a dear family friend.

A sign of the fall?

A sign of the times?

A reminder of the fragility of life?

Maybe. I don't know. But I know cancer stinks. An unseen enemy fighting the body from within.

It seems the invisible foe is the hardest to fight. It's true with cancer, but it's true with other things too - dissention, discontent, discord - When the body is attacked and weakened by its own members, it cannot thrive.

The first big lawsuit over rights for Christian music included the song "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love." Ironic, huh? Like cancer in the body of Christ, bent on destroying itself from within. Only in this case, we already know the cure.

Reports of My Birth Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

I got a bill today. It seems I had a c-section in September. Funny, I don't remember anything about it and I haven't seen any extra babies laying around anywhere.

When I told my youngest I'd been billed for having a baby, she said, "Mom, that was so 7 years ago."

Resolutions

When we moved back to America, we made two resolutions as a family.

1) We promised ourselves we wouldn't get involved in too many activities, especially at night.

2) We determined not to let discussions of how the church should or should not be, or how Christians should or should not act, overshadow talking about Jesus.

Time to assess our success or failure...

1) It's hard to live in America with kids and not get involved in some evening activities. All in all, though, we're home about as many nights as we're out. Now I need to re-resolve to make sure our time at home is used wisely, but I can't make that resolution until this round of the Amazing Race and Survivor are over.

2) This is a toughie. I spend a lot of my energy fretting about how to change situations and people I have no control over. I let myself fall into less challenging conversations with people I know will mostly agree with me. It's time to refocus my words on important topics. It's time to hand over the stuff I can't change and let God work his wonders without my help.

8:37

I have a thing about time warps, like the one we have to walk through to get from house to car that makes us exactly 3 minutes behind schedule everywhere we go.

Today's time warp comes from my computer's internal clock. It's the warp that occurs between 8:36 and 8:37. In the nano second it takes for the clock to switch over, my whole body goes through a sort of time travel of its own.

8:36 is my time, early morning quiet time after the husband is gone to work and before the kids are my responsibility.

8:36 is the same as 8:00 and 8:30.

8:37, though, is almost 9 o'clock. Time to kick things into gear. Time to make sure everyone's dressed and ready to start read aloud time in a few minutes.

Like the jarring feeling you get from a car with bad transmission when it shifts from 1st to 2nd, that's what 8:37 feels like to me.

Mug Shots

I'm off to the Post Office this morning to mail off our passport applications. Don't you know we'd plan our Africa trip to coincide not only with the month our passports expire, but with the expiration of our yellow fever shots, too.

Ten years since our last passport photos. It's scary how much we've changed in the last ten years. The hubby, of course, looks better than ever. He's more chiseled, less awkward. He's lost the mustache and the monstrous glasses and has trimmed his hair back to a manageable length.

I, on the other hand, am not improving. I've got the baggy eye thing going on, I've added glasses, and I've got the worse hairstyle of my life. And let's not even talk about the weight difference.

I hate getting my picture taken. Hate. It. But I've reached a point where I realize I'm not going to look any better in next year's picture or the year's after that. This is probably the best I'm ever going to look. Might as well record it now.

Close Your Eyes

I didn't bring my card adapter, so you'll have to spend a moment with me with your eyes closed (though I supposed that will put a cramp in your ability to read this post).

The weather is perfect, about 60 with a slight breeze blowing the scents of salt and fish off the ocean. A steady drone of low waves washes up against the sand and seagulls call out announcements about the latest morsel they've spotted.

A group of ladies gathers on the balcony, laughing over one funny memory or another. From the kitchen, friendly conversation spills out over flour tortillas and pulled pork, infusing our lunch with the kind of comradery that makes food taste its best.

You can open your eyes now. Wish you were here.

Africa Plans Update

So far, we've had about $1250 sent to us to help toward our trip to Africa in February. That's about enough for one person to go and stay. I hope it's me.

Fund raising is such a humbling/humiliating process. Truth be told, it's one of the things that keeps us in the states. It's hard to ask people to give money so you can do what you love to do. There's a piece of me that thinks it would be easier to make requests if we promised to be miserable when we got there.

It's a funny thing, this wanderlust that is part of my every cell. I yearn for far-off places. I love to talk to people who are not like me, to listen to what makes them tick, to puzzle out why God placed them in this time and place like he said in Acts 17. I have a lot of friends who are perfectly content living in the same town they grew up in, going to the same grocery stores, visiting the same attractions. I think they're lucky.

I'm the one (I'm blaming my dad for this) who wants to hike every trail in the book at least once before we hike the same trail twice. I'm the one who's willing to taste anything once, the one who loves that moment when the chaos of a foreign tongue resolves itself into meaningful words in my ears.

I'm kidding about wanting to stay in Africa, at least for now. I know our family is where it needs to be for the next few years, but my heart aches for a continent that is both the darkest and brightest place I've ever been.

Oh, Garbage!

I'm amazed at the attention garbage gets in this country. And I'm amazed at how much of it we produce each week.

In Africa, we ended up with perhaps a barrel full of garbage a year, less in a year than what we now produce in a week. There, food scraps went to the neighbors, the dog, or the compost heap (in that order). Tin cans, cardboard boxes and plastic containers were coveted items. I'd collect a stack of them on my porch knowing that sooner or later someone would come and carry them away. For a while, we buried our chicken bones. That was until we realized that our African friends could get a whole 'nother meal off the bones and skins and scraps we left behind.

Here, no one wants my chicken bones. Or my yogurt cups. Or my cereal boxes. I've tried reducing how much we use, but the system here is designed to produce waste. I take my own bags to the grocery store, but I still come home with all kinds of foods wrapped in plastic or mesh or cardboard. Even fresh produce has to go in a plastic bag to keep it safe from the other produce. You never know where that avocado has been, you know.

I wonder if we produce more garbage in America because a big truck comes to haul it away each week. After all, if we had to pile our trash in the street for everyone to see or bury it in our yard, I bet we'd be a lot more careful about how we shopped.

The Opposite Effect

Can you explain to me how I spend hours cleaning my room and now I can barely get in the door much less find the bed?

Kiss of Death

On Amazing Race tonight, early on in the show one of the couples did an interview that went something like:

"We love each other so much. Nothing could every shake our love and trust in each other."

"That's right, Smookums."

"Our communication is perfect. We never, ever argue."

"Never."

Kiss of Death. When a reality show shows a clip of such a positive statement, it's a sure sign that team will not only be the next to go, but that they'll go down in a blaze of ugly, argumentative fire.

Sometimes that happens in real life, but thank goodness we don't have editors recording our every stupid, over confident claim.

From Pumpkin Seed to Potluck

3 little seeds went in the ground some time back in April. We were so excited to see them sprout into 2 little plants, then less excited when they started taking over the garden. From those little seeds came a pumpkin patch big enough to require the space I'd allotted to squash and peppers, basil and cilantro.

And from those seeds came a summer's worth of leaves for my new friends from Kenya who were craving pumpkin leaves and other greens. We ate fried pumpkin blossoms in July and during August, we watched the first little nubs of fruit grow into real pumpkins.

It's October now. Fall is upon us and the first frost will harden the grass any day. Time for harvest.

The kids each picked a pumpkin and one of them insisted that hers be converted to food. (Think pie, cake, muffins, and (of course) roasted pumpkin seeds.) As I write, the smell of 4 loaves of chocolate chip pumpkin bread is creeping out of the oven, begging me to check on the bread one more time.

Remind me to set 3 seeds aside for next year.

The Farthest I've Been...

North: Barrow, Alaska

South: Soweto, South Africa

East: Mombasa, Kenya

West: Barrow, Alaska

You?

Phone a Friend Lifeline

The other day, I heard about a man who died in his apartment. His family wondered about him, then worried about him, then checked on him and found his body a month after he died. A whole month. I hope someone would miss me before then. I know they would. (I could insert a sarcastic comment here about how they'd miss me when they ran out of underwear or clean spoons or when they got hungry, but in truth, I know I'm loved by a lot of people who look out for me.)

I feel so sad for him, someone who lived his life in a way that he wasn't connected with anyone who missed him right away. I can't imagine living that way.

I feel sad for his family who must bear not only the burden of his death but whatever guilt they will carry for not checking on him sooner. It's not like their checking in on him would have kept him alive, but it might have made his death easier on them.

I know there are a lot of people in this situation, men and women who have either been forgotten by society or who have built themselves a life in which they don't depend on anyone.

I am reminded again of how we are our best selves when we live in community with others. Hard as it may seem sometimes, people make me a better person. If you know someone who needs to get connected, please call that person and commit to do so regularly. And if you're the kind of person who tends to hole up and avoid regular contact with people who care about you, find someone you can talk to or - better yet - someone you can serve.

I'll try to do the same.

Feeling the Call

It’s true what they say, that time flows more quickly the older you get. It surprises me when I realize that we’ve now lived in the states for 8 years, the same amount of time we were overseas.

When we came back from Togo, we intended to keep the possibility of returning to the mission field alive. While we don’t have any immediate plans to return full-time to overseas mission work, we have recently felt God’s call to return to Africa for a visit. In the future, we would like to plan a trip for at least Edwin and Patty to do some follow up work in Togo. Right now, though, we are drawn to visit the other side of the continent where our former teammates are establishing a new work in Rwanda and where our church sponsors a missionary family.

The Koonces and Crowsons recently moved from Togo to Rwanda where they will be starting a new church planting work. Their whole team should join them in the next year or so. We would love the chance to see if and how we could ever fit into that work. While there, we would like to take the opportunity to check in with Andrew and Aimee Jo Martin in Fort Portal, Uganda, a couple our home church sponsors for whom we play the roll of laisons.

For the past few months, as we’ve considered this trip, we’ve been reluctant to ask anyone to help send us. We know it’s a terrible time to ask for funds, but we also know that money is like water in God’s hands. If we don’t ask anything of him, is it because we have no faith that he will provide?

And so we ask, in faith, knowing that if God intends for us to make this trip, he will provide. We would love to take the whole family, which would cost nearly $15,000. But if less than that is collected, we would still like for some of us to go, adults first and then kids. We’re aiming for a January trip, about 3 weeks long. I’ll keep you updated as plans develop.

If you are willing and able to give towards this trip, you can make checks out to Vancouver Church of Christ, earmarked for Slacks Mission Trip. Our overworked church accountant would prefer that you send the checks directly to us so that we can keep track of acknowledgments and thank you notes. Let me know if you need that address,

Thank you for your prayerful consideration and may God bless you in whatever good works you are involved in.

Answers in Genesis

For the record, there is a 5 minute time warp between my front door and my car. Which explains why we were late for the evening session of the Answers in Genesis conference. Which explains why we couldn't find six seats together in this 2500 seat auditorium.

Ken Ham and his colleagues have put together some impressive materials detailing the truth and importance of Genesis 1-11. All their arguments, reasoning and logic boil down to this major take-away:

The Bible is True.

Mom's Prayer

The awards ceremony for the Genesis contest was last week. I went to Denver feeling like I had a 1 in 5 shot at winning my category. I bought new shoes. I borrowed a dress.

My mom prayed for me. She prayed that whether I won or lost, I would be able to enjoy my time, that I wouldn't be too disappointed if I lost.

By the time the awards night rolled around, I already knew I wasn't going to win. No one came out and told me, but I had a dozen little hints that Jennifer Griffith was the best new writer in Contemporary Fiction (the first being that she'd already won the category a previous year).

So, thanks to Mom's prayer, I was able to go to the banquet not even nervous about whether I would win or lose. I enjoyed the night and was truly happy for those who won.

Thanks, Mom.

Writer's (self-imposed) Block

After a couple of months of pushing really hard to finish a project, I promised myself and my kids that I would take a couple of weeks off from writing.

It. Is. Going. To. Kill. Me.

My Week

I started the week by sending off a manuscript and proposal to some agents. I pressed "send" with a prayer that these words will not go to waste.

Home School schedule meant reading some Sherlock Holmes, making sure two kids were on track for Algebra II and one kiddo was practicing addition facts. I drew a map of the US on the road outside and divided out the different types of American Indians on the map. Picked and prepared and got about 20 quarts of corn put in the freezer. Picked tomatoes, ignored the green beans that need picking, and actually felt a little thankful that I won't have any walnuts to deal with. They're long gone.

Writers group met last night. Only 5 people brought a piece for critique, but we managed to use the whole time.

Printed off sample chapters, book proposal, one sheet, business cards, and Work In Progress for my upcoming conference.

Got my hair cut and my nails painted. Tried on my banquet dress and my new heels and felt okay about how I'll look on Saturday.

Grocery shopping, laundry, all the usual stuff. Printed airline ticket and dragged suitcase out so I can pack tonight.

It's only Tuesday. I'm exhausted.

(I'll be at the ACFW conference in Denver for the rest of the week. Check back next Monday to see if I have any news.)

Remembering

We're not very good rememberers. Pomp and ceremony have all but left our culture as we chase after the here and now, the comfortable, the informal. But there are a few moments in life that leave a mark on our hearts - the birth of a child, the words "I do," a sudden death.

For those who were alive, there are moments we share as a nation that define us. The bombing of Pearl Harbor, the assassination of President Kennedy, the space shuttle Columbia disaster. And of course, the attacks on September 11, 2001.

For some reason, I spent those first few days huddled over a scrap booking project. The TV was on, but I couldn't watch the pictures. I kept the children out of the room, let them play and be innocent for a few more days. I didn't want images of that day making them afraid to sleep, to dream, to live.

Like in the days following Hurricane Katrina, people were desperate to help and many did. Others of us held our breath and prayed and waited for everything to return to normal. Only normal is not the same.

A friend, an airplane pilot from the south, was grounded indefinitely. He jumped on his motorcycle and rode two thousand miles to the northwestern corner of Washington. He arrived in the dark, in the rain, with a spirit that said "You can't stop me." That's what I needed to hear.

Approaching a Milestone

We're approaching another milestone on this blog: 25,000.

It's a slow, steady climb. I think I've averaged 21 hits a day for the last year, it could still take a couple of weeks before we see the 25,000th visitor.

If you are visitor #25,000, drop me a line to collect your prize.

Prayers, Please

One of our dear friends, Hammer Afakule, suffered a stroke this week. He was in the hospital, but is now home and seems to be on the mend. He was able to teach Bible class on Sunday.

Many of you have met Hammer, or at least know him by reputation. He's one of the hardest workers in God's kingdom on the ground in Togo. We pray that he'll have many, many more years of productive service.

Pray for his wife Dela and his children Dovene, Nancy and Joycie. Pray for the church in Vogan where Hammer lives to find the maturity to take some responisbilities off his shoulders and for Hammer to have the grace to let some of his projects go.

Get A Clue!

I'm off to Faith Quest, a big youth function that will kick off the school year. I am now *gasp* the mother of two high school students. How did that happen?

I'm sorry I can't tell you anything about the retreat other than that the theme is "Get a Clue!" I'll post pictures from camp or after we get home.

Have a happy Labor Day weekend!

Come and Visit

I wanted to start a new website, but I find the thought of it overwhelming. Instead, I've started a new blog that is dedicated to my writing life which, honestly, is a huge portion of my life right now.

I plan to post meditative thoughts related to writing, books reviews, good websites for writers to visit, industry news, triumphs and frustrations in my own writing journey...

I'd also like to highlight people's stories. I believe God's story, begun in the beginning, continues even today thorugh the lives of people around the world. So if I hear a good story that points to God, I'll post it there.

I plan to keep blogging here, too. We'll see how I do at keeping up with both.

It's an experiment. Nothing fancy yet... no wdigets or gadgets. Just words.

Be my guinea pigs?

http://pattyslack.wordpress.com/

My Hero (insert batting eyelashes here)

I appreciate my husband. I do. But every once in a while he does extra good, you know?

Well, starting the week off with buying me a laptop, that was pretty good. But he might have even bested that.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed the floor around the dishwasher was buckling, so I mentioned it to him (and to the kids who got a bit of a lecture about why you shouldn't let water stand on a laminate floor).

Night before last, the hubby crawled under the house to look for leaks. None. (Whew!)

Then he tore up the floor to look for leaks and here's what he found. (Yikes!)

Here's where the hero part comes in. Yesterday, he ran a dehumidifier to suck up all that moisture (a gallon or more) and this morning he installed a new floor. Just like that!

And to top things off, he took me out to a French movie this afternoon. (Ahh!)

AND, we get to use it as a teachable moment. The kids are learning to wash dishes by hand!

Random Facts

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE Middle name after my mother's college friend 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? When Vicki died 3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? yes 4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Pepper turkey 5. What should you be doing right now instead of answering these questions? editing a manuscript 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so. 7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Unfortunately. I'm trying to be funny but I have such innocent friends, I think I hurt their feelings. 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS Yes. 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? This is the number one thing that keeps me from applying to the Amazing Race (that and the idea of having every ugly thing I say broadcast to the world.) 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Lately, steel cut oats with maple sugar and fresh berries 11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, but I have to untie them before I put them back on. 13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? This is not a fair question. 14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Probably height (and weight) though I'm in denial about both for myself. 15. RED OR PINK? blue, please. 16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF ? My inability to keep a clean house and a good attitude at the same time. 17. who do you miss the most My team and the person I am when I'm with them. 18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? If you want :-) 19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? barefoot! 20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Broccoli and cheese soup. 21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The dog's toenails on the kitchen floor. The shower running. 22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle Blue 23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chai Tea (with the smoke from a wood fire), pot roast, gardenias 24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My mom 25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Love her! 26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? gymnastics 27. Hair Color? Plain old brown 8. EYE COLOR? Grey-ish blue 29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? not any more 30. FAVORITE FOOD? anything from my garden 31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings 32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Julie and Julia... brilliant! Let's do a girls' night out and see this one together. 33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? blue. duh. 34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Please can't I choose eternal spring? 35. Hugs or kisses? comfortable hugs 36. FAVORITE DESSERT? a bite off of whatever is on my friend's plate. 37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Sandi 38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND You know who you are. 39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW The Help 40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad 41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Season 4 of the West Wing 42. FAVORITE SOUND? the ocean 43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? neither 44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME??? Mombasa, Kenya 45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? What, like being able to tie a cherry stem with my tongue? Nothing like that. 46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Alaska 47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING TO GETTING BACK? my friends