Phil’s Graduation Trip, Day 3…

… And Caleb’s 7^th Birthday, Too!

I just can’t believe how amazing this trip has been and continues to be. This morning, we dropped Caleb and Miah off at College Church, while Phil and I attended the graduate brunch. To our great surprise, Phil’s first youth pastor, Pete, was there! We knew that he would be there for graduation, but we did not expect to see him until tomorrow. It was a wonderful twist in our morning. I have been hearing stories about Pete since I met Phil, almost 17 years ago, but this was the first time I actually met him. I was not disappointed, and his heart for God and love for the “kids” he ministered to, even 20 years ago, was abundantly apparent. I know this all meant more to Phil than I will ever really be able to grasp, but it meant an awful lot to me, too, and my life is richer for having had the opportunity to meet Pete, face to face, this morning. I am now the humble owner of a prayer marble, which sort of blew me away. God is good.

Here’s a picture of Phil and Pete. Unfortunately, Pete was attacked by an Eagle shortly before we took this… long story…

The brunch, itself, was great. It has been amazing, throughout this week, to see how much the staff at NNU really cares about each of the students/graduates. I am tempted to find a way to become a student there, myself, just because I was so impressed… but not until I finish my degree through Indy Wes, because I am way too close to finally having it to make a transfer now!

We picked the kids up after the brunch. Miah met us, screaming, at the door. Caleb says she screamed except when he was holding her. I believe it. The child care staff said that Caleb had been very helpful. I believe that, too…

After a quick change, we headed out to take some birthday pics. Of Caleb. I do not have time to edit them all, tonight, but here are a couple of my favorites:

It is unbelievable to me that Caleb has come so far in 7 years. If any of you recall, he was a tornado of a toddler/preschooler (for everyone but me), and I do not think anyone would have guessed he would be so easy, compliant, and fun to be around at age seven. But he is, and I am extremely grateful for my special little guy.

We celebrated at Chuck-E-Cheese in Boise and racked up 588 tickets, which they rounded to 600, since it was Caleb’s birthday and all. Caleb choose a rubber snake, a little (small stuffed animal sized) inflatable chair, a couple of tops, a multi-colored crayon, and a boatload of candy. He is sort of hopping around the room as I type…

To end our evening (almost), we went to a dessert reception, at Dr. Maddix’s house, where there was actually cake, so this worked well for Caleb’s birthday. Miah fed Dr. Maddix’s dog, Wesley, her cookie. This was really kind of funny, since she has been sporting the grumpy face most of the day but loved and smiled at the dog… We really enjoyed our conversations there, as we have everywhere this week, but it was obvious the kids were getting tired, so after about an hour we decided to call it a night. We drove for awhile, until Miah fell asleep, and now Phil is out looking for some dinner for us… yes, after dessert!

Looking forward to tomorrow and the actual graduation!

I just want to add that although this may not make a ton of sense to anyone but me, I have an old song running through my head tonight. I think it is appropriate for this occasion:

Remember You Chains

By: Steven Curtiss Chapman

I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking
As he stared out the window through the sky
It seemed he was taking his last look at freedom
From the hopeless, longing look in his eyes
There were chains on his hands and chains on his feet
And as I passed him by the thought came to me

Remember your chains
Remember the prison that once held you
Before the love of God broke through
Remember the place you were without grace
When you see where you are now
Remember your chains
And remember your chains are gone

There's no one more thankful to sit at the table
Than the one who best remembers hunger's pain
And no heart loves greater than the one that is able
To recall the time when all it knew was shame
The wings of forgiveness can take us to heights never seen
But the wisest ones, they will never lose sight of where they were set free
Love set them free

So remember your chains
Remember the prison that once held you
Before the love of God broke through
Remember the place you were without grace
When you see where you are now
Remember your chains
And remember your chains are gone

And in the light of all that we've been forgiven of
We will find our hearts fuller and freer
To give and receive God's love

So remember your chains
Remember the prison that once held you
Before the love of God broke through
Remember the place you were without grace
When you see where you are now
Remember your chains
Oh, remember your chains
When you remember your chains
Remember your chains are gone

Imagine what your life would be
If Jesus had not set you free
Remember your chains are gone
Remember the prison that once held you
Before the love of God broke through
Remember your chains

And remember your chains are gone

Lisa

Phil’s Graduation Trip, Day 2…

This has just been an amazing day, start to finish.

You can’t turn back time. There are so many memories in this place, it’s incredible. As we left the hotel, this morning, and began to drive through Boise, I just felt almost overwhelmed at the familiarity. We drove by the child care center where I worked, and it felt as if very little time had passed. I know, from having done some research before our trip, that there is no one left there on the teaching staff from 11 years ago. However, just as we rounded the building, I saw the janitor, whom I recognized by face, but whose name I cannot recall, cross the street. Much of Nampa has changed, particularly due to the huge population growth (there are almost twice as many people here as there were when we lived here), but much is the same, as well. It is just incredible how life moves on…

We went to campus today for a drop in reception at which Phil picked up his cap and gown and also got to meet many of his professors from the program, face to face. I am sure this was especially meaningful to him, although I also enjoyed it. Caleb liked the chocolate chunk cookies and the drinking fountain… Miah gave everybody the grumpy look…

We had lunch at our old favorite Pizza Hut, stopped by the “new” (11 year old) Wal-Mart, and then checked into the hotel which Caleb deemed, “Luxury… pure luxury…”

Undoubtedly, my favorite part of this day was having dinner at Fiesta Guadalajara with my friend, Holly, who I had not seen in almost 12 years, and whom I had completely lost contact with for over a decade of that time! The story of our friendship is actually kind of complex, but I am just astonished at God’s grace, His faithfulness in answering prayer, and His redemption. It really meant the world to me to be able to get together with my friend and to catch up on what has happened in our lives since we last saw one another. I hope to share more of this story at some point in book form, but for now let’s just say it made my whole day, and I am thankful for enduring friendship. Even though I took my camera with me, I cannot believe this, but I forgot to snap a picture of us. I am super bummed out about that.

When I got back to the hotel; Phil, Caleb, Miah, and I took a swim and a dip in the hot tub. At present, we finally have the kids asleep, and I am hoping to join them shortly.

Lisa

Phil’s Graduation Trip, Day 1...

Well… we left the house a little early, around 3:30, and it’s a good thing we did, because after a quick stop at the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru, we hit some serious traffic. If I was driving, we never would have made it, but thankfully, Phil was able to navigate a series of “side streets” (and crowded side streets at that), so we arrived at the airport just ½ an hour later than we had planned. Phil dropped me and the kids off at the curb with most of our luggage and proceeded to park the van and catch an airport shuttle, which was easier said than done. After waiting for what seemed like forever, we were relieved to see Phil/”Daddy” coming from the opposite direction we expected! Checking our bags was easy, and we even found out that the flight was open and we would be able to take Miah’s carseat on, even though she wasn’t a ticketed passenger! Bonus!

Although I felt kind of stupid going through security, particularly when I forgot to take Miah’s sandals off her feet; the security people were very helpful. I especially appreciated the guy at the metal detector who instructed Caleb to, “Come though and give me five!” In the end, we didn’t set off any alarms or anything, and it was an easy process.

We got to the gate with enough time to check the stroller, use the restroom, and change Miah’s diaper. Caleb was super excited when the plane pulled in, because he thought it looked like a shark! Here’s a picture I snapped of Phil and the kids and our plane:

Caleb also thought the engines were guns, but that’s really another story in itself . Thank goodness we were already through security as he was shouting, “Hey… That plane has guns on it!” I am pretty sure Caleb thought we were flying on a fighter jet! At any rate, we boarded the plane last (couldn’t quite get the family pre-boarding thing down) and managed to secure two consecutive rows of seats!

We didn’t take a ton of pictures on the flight, but here’s a good one of Caleb in the air:

And a couple of Miah:

I loved how she put her little hand up on the window

and was just amazed when she finally realized what was going on!

Phil, Caleb, and I chewed gum like our lives depended on it at take-off, and I nursed Miah (and no one threatened to ground the plane or anything: you may see previous stories of my nursing adventures while on vacations and trips if you think it couldn’t happen to me). There were quite a few babies and children on the flight, and no one seemed to mind an occasional tear or scream. Honestly, though, Miah did great and only got grumpy when we got close to landing time. I nursed her again, and she went right to sleep. She used the carseat for a grand total of about 3 ½ minutes of the nearly 3 hour flight. Caleb also had a good first flight experience. He was a little nervous at first, but he enjoyed looking out the window for awhile and then playing his DS for the remainder of the trip. He kept talking about how we were almost “in space”. My favorite quote was, “I can’t see the whole world, but I can see a lot!”

We arrived in Denver a few minutes early, and although our layover was supposed to be ridiculously short, it was no problem, as we were to depart from a gate just down the hallway, and our flight was a little late. Another bathroom break (Caleb was the only one brave enough to use the plane’s facilities), a quick check of facebook, and we were boarding again (this time we figured out the family pre-boarding thing). We managed two rows together again, but I sat between the kids this time, because Caleb wanted to watch a movie on my laptop and Miah was completely asleep in her seat for the entire flight! Phil was behind us and had the great… uh… joy of listening to someone who talked… loudly… for the entire 1 hour and 46 minutes… I enjoyed some reading and managed to drink my Sprite in peace. Caleb had apple juice and ate all of the snacks (mine and his). That was OK… It beat the mess Miah and I made on the first flight… (smashed baked pita snacks and spilled water everywhere… thank goodness the flight attendant was nice)! The second flight was also smoother and had had a much better landing than the first!

Miah woke up as we arrived in Boise, although now Caleb was asleep! We woke him up and disembarked without any trouble. Caleb took another quick bathroom break while I chatted with a World War II Veteran as we waited. In addition, we saw several service people reunite with their families as we got off. That just did my heart good!

Miah was screaming by the time we made it to baggage claim (too much travel for her for one day), and our bags were being unloaded by an airport employee, because I guess it took us a long time to get there! We collected our things, called for our shuttle, and made our way to the hotel (Miah screaming all the way).

It was a pleasant surprise to be greeted by cinnamon rolls and bottled water when we arrived (usually reserved for breakfast), and by 1:00am or so (3:00am our time), Miah was finally back to sleep and so was everyone else!

It was a good day! Thanks for following our trip!

Lisa

I Feel Conflicted…

The news of Osama Bin Laden’s death is good news regarding the war on terror. It is a testament to the bravery of our troops and the willingness of our people to fight to preserve our freedom and that of our brothers and sisters around the world. There is no doubt that when we make evil choices, there are consequences; and after a lifetime of choosing evil, Bin Laden has paid with his life. There is justice for the thousands upon thousands of lives lost at the hands of Osama Bin Laden, not only in the attacks of 9/11, but throughout his lifelong history of terror.

But I can’t help but feel just a little bit sick to my stomach about this, either, for a variety of reasons. The first is very simple. Across the country and across the world, this morning, there are thousands… hundreds of thousands… maybe millions who believe the war on terror is now over. It is not. It would be unwise to throw caution to the wind now, embracing the thought process that Bin Laden was the only threat to our peace and freedom. Organizations like al qaeda are not run by one man. Even if Bin Laden had been captured or killed within moments of the 9/11 attacks, terrorist organizations would still exist. The fact that he had almost a decade to continue to strengthen al queda… to continue to train others to fight like he fought… this does not bode well, and we must not now let down our guard.

The second reason I feel conflicted, today, will meet with more controversy than the first, I’m sure. As I was pondering this news last night, the thought that crossed my mind was, “Jesus died for Osama Bin Laden, too”. Nobody wants to hear that. The truth is; I didn’t really want to think it. But it is so. If it is true that Jesus took all of our sin upon himself at his death, then Jesus also took Bin Laden’s sin. He also felt the great darkness of what would befall the American people on 9/11. And Jesus’ hope was that Bin Laden would turn from this. Jesus always wants people to turn from their sin and to follow Him. Osama Bin Laden wasn’t the exception.

And so I think that God must be sad. I think that God must be sad, because Osama Bin Laden wasted the life he was given. And I think that God must be sad that Osama Bin Laden died in his sins. With that in mind, I think that we must be sad, as well.

Now, I am not a pacifist by any stretch of the imagination. I believe there is a time for war, and I believe that the armed forces of our nation have acted courageously and heroically. There are clear instances in Scripture when God actually delivers the enemy into the hands of people who seek Him, and I am thankful that Bin Laden is no longer a threat. I support our troops 100%, and I am proud to be an American.

Still… as we reflect today, let us remember that each of us has a decision to make. God has a plan for our lives, so instead of rejoicing in the death of another human being, let us look toward what we can do to refrain from wasting the days we have been given and to be transformed into the people we were created to be.

Lisa

Memories Are A Funny Thing…

I set out to do some freezer meal cooking today. It’s always an adventure to embark on such a task around here, because I never really know what my family is going to like. For example… I made meatloaf for the first time ever a couple of months ago. I kind of hate meatloaf… a lot. Phil won’t touch meatloaf. But the kids loved it. So, of course, I made and froze a couple of meatloaves today… anything to get protein in them…

Then there’s quiche. I love quiche. No one else in this house shares the sentiment. In fact, it’s come to the point that if the kids are being particularly disobedient, all I have to say is, “You do (insert whatever it is I want them to do here), or I will make quiche for dinner!” The job is accomplished quickly and painlessly. I didn’t make quiche today. I really don’t need to eat a whole quiche by myself.

Other preferences really baffle me. My kids eat pasties like ravaging wolves (Before I go on; if you don’t know what a pasty is, please do not google it without the word “recipe” as well. I am totally not responsible for what you come up with if you don’t follow these directions)… but pot pies (which I make using virtually the same ingredients)… forget it. I didn’t make either today but plan to make a batch of pasties tomorrow.

But enough about my family’s food inclinations… Although this post (and this day) started with food, that’s not exactly where I ended up… rarely is…

I had the bread machine out for homemade pizza and breadsticks when it occurred to me that I hadn’t baked loaves of bread in a really long time (at least not the ones that don’t come in the freezer section at Kroger). So I dragged my long forgotten bread machine recipe book out and started mixing ingredients… for peanut butter bread… and cherry yogurt bread… and pizza bread… And I didn’t think about it too much, but once the smells started emanating from the oven, it took me back to another time and place…

A time where I had a little family of four who could never have devoured two loaves of bread in one meal… and a place where I baked about a zillion loaves in different flavors on more than one occasion as a fundraising effort…

And I kinda missed those days when the kids (all two of them) would run around the neverending circle of the downstairs of our house… when they would play at my feet in the kitchen… And I kinda missed the house… and I kinda missed my kitchen…

And I was thankful for the memories…

And thankful for a sense of smell, because I actually tie a lot of memories to the way things smell (that’s probably weird, I know)…

But really…

Who doesn’t love the smell of a newborn baby… or a bon fire… or homemade bread baking in the oven…

As an added bonus, I actually got to travel back to that time… just briefly… through a video that posted on facebook tonight. It was a nice, fitting ending to my day of memories…

Lisa

Laughing Out Loud…

As if there was any question about my serious “dorkdom”, I think I took it to a new level this afternoon…

I have this thing about losing my cell phone. Actually, I just have this thing about my cell phone in general. If you know me at all or have ever read anything about the beat up piece of light pink metal I carry around (sometimes… when I can find it), you know that it has taken multiple swims in the toilet and only has certain buttons that function, making it quite the show when most other people would just press “send”. And I literally can’t text, even if I knew how to, because with only so many working buttons, there are only so many letters, so when I do attempt to text, the person on the receiving end has to be pretty good at playing Wheel of Fortune… minus the prize money…

At any rate, I lost my phone this morning. I was searching for it as it continued to beep, signaling it’s certain battery death (it only holds a charge for about 15 minutes these days), when my amazing 10 year old son was kind enough to ask, “Mom, did you misplace your phone again?” He sounded polite enough, so I’m going to pretend he wasn’t laughing at me.

Usually, when we reach this point, my kids are pretty good about finding the phone… especially when it’s beeping (which is most of the time). In addition to my smirking pre-teen, the reasoning skills of my almost 7 year old kicked in, and as he began to search he informed me that if the beeping was getting louder, I was getting closer! But today we were just stumped. Couldn’t find it anywhere!

The funny thing was, it sounded like the beeping was coming from the kitchen counter. Now… my kids went to an Easter egg hunt at church on Sunday, and the counter happens to have quite a few gift bags filled with Easter eggs in the particular location where the beeping was originating. In a somewhat embarrassed attempt at locating the phone, I looked through the bags. My phone was not there… not that I really expected to find it in an Easter egg, but stranger things have happened!

After quite a bit of searching, I gave up. At some point I turned off the baby monitor and went and got Miah from her nap… made lunch… checked my mail… and realized that the phone had stopped beeping, so it was undeniably dead, and I would probably never find it!

And then it hit me (well, I mean… not literally, that would have been too easy). I jumped up from where I was and said, “I know where it is! It’s in my bedroom!” And my kids all looked at me now, as if I’d totally lost it, because the kitchen is a long way from the bedroom, and we all had clearly heard it beeping… for a couple of hours… from the kitchen counter…

Where the baby monitor sits…

Well… at least the beeping didn’t bother Miah during her nap!

Lisa

PS This was almost as funny as the day when I nearly called the police because I couldn't find Caleb (he was maybe 3 months old). I looked all over the house that day... in a panic... when Seth and Grace (ages 2 and 3 at the time) finally brought it to my attention that I was holding the baby...

I Used To Love...

Blogging… and Social Networking…

I have always been a little streaky with the blogging, but there were many periods of time in which I logged on at least a couple of times every week to share reviews, funny life stories, theological insights, song lyrics, and quotes from my kids. I’ve never had a lot of readers, but I’ve had a few, and the interaction has been fun.

The advent of social networking added a new dimension to my virtual life, and since becoming fully obsessed with facebook, in particular, I have often had a chance to reconnect with long lost friends, send up a prayer for needs I would not have otherwise known existed, offer a birthday wish, and share some pictures.

Lately, though, both blogging and social networking have lost their luster for me…

And the reasoning is kind of sad…

Let me start with a shocking revelation I had today…

If one more person so much as hints at the idea that I’m going to Hell in a handbasket because I don’t fall into the Calvinist/Reformed branch of Western Industrialized Christianity, let me tell ya… I might just give them a very good reason to believe it!

For a long time now, I’ve been planning to write a book (OK… another book). This one was to have its premise in the relationships I’ve had over the years. It was to be a narrative on why I believe what I believe. It was going to be a really fun project. I hope… I really hope… that it still is. But I cannot begin this work without willing participants. I want to interact with other people in this book. I want to challenge those with opposing viewpoints, and I want them to challenge me. And at the end of the day, I want to share a few laughs over coffee… or ice cream… reminisce about the years of friendship we’ve shared… embrace… and walk away still friends rather than hardened enemies who cannot see eye to eye on anything at all. I am afraid to start the project, because I fear that I don’t actually have a relationship with many people who can engage in heated debate and thoughtful discussion without spitting in my face and cursing the ground I walk on. And these are my friends…

But what do I really have to lose, right?

And so it begins…

I am looking for about 12-15 friends to share in a literary journey with me. I want to discuss hot topics. I think I kind of want to fight a little bit. But I want it all to happen very respectfully. I want to interact with people who have actually formed and shaped my life and beliefs as well as with people whose lives and beliefs I have played a part in forming and shaping (if any of these such people exist). I need to interact with people from differing worldviews and belief systems in order to make this an authentic work. And everybody has to be completely respectful, both to me and to the others involved in the project, no matter how much we disagree.

I am going to send “invitations” to this project to some specific people, but I also want to just put it out there for those who read my ramblings and might wish to join in this adventure. I am going to limit this to 12-15 people, as I said, because I want to share a somewhat in depth look into my relationship with each person and how it has affected my worldview. Please don’t feel offended or anything if you’re not “selected”. It may be that I already have somebody on board who fits your particular profile pretty well, and I am definitely striving for diversity here. Still… if you’re interested… let me know.

Here we go…

Again…

Lisa

I Corinthians 3 (NIV, 2011)…

"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." (NIV)

My thoughts:

One of the great plights of my life is my fiery temper. But I will not react today. By the grace of God, I will hold my tongue and I will pray for those who persecute me. I am not wise by the standards of this age. I am not better than anyone else. I do not have a corner on the truth.

I do love Jesus, and I pray that every day His light would shine through me. I pray that He would use my hands and my feet to bless “the least of these”. And one day I pray that as I fall on my face before Him, He will have mercy on this broken piece of clay.

Lisa