The Oscars Are Coming

Please Pray

Please check out this blog and pray for Cyd Myzell. She has been working in Afghanistan as a relief worker. She has been kidnapped by the Taliban. Pray for this sister who is suffering for following our Lord. My heart aches for her and all who love her.

Father,I thank you that You have counted Cyd Mizell worthy to be persecuted for Your name. In my human fear, I pray for her physical protection. Even more, I pray that she may have opportunities to share Your love with her kidnappers. I pray that You will use her testimony to bring many to know You. I pray that you will bless her ministry in her prison as You did for Joseph, Paul, Peter and all those we admire in the Scriptures who were imprisoned for You. I thank you for the work that she does and her trusting heart. Hold her close–let her feel Your presence and fill her with Your peace, strength and wisdom. Thank you for allowing her the privilege of being able to identify with our many brothers and sisters around the world who suffer for You daily. Thank you that she has counted the cost and chose to follow You. Thank You for her book of Acts kind of faith. Comfort those who love her and are anxious for her safe return. Draw their hearts close to Yours. Fill them with Your strength and peace as well. Glorify Yourself and restore this woman after Your heart to her ministry. We desire You to be glorified in all of this.

Jane Austen

I must admit, I am a bit of a geek. A book geek, but still a geek. Right now, on PBS's Masterpiece they are showcasing "The Complete Jane Austen". I love it! I just finished watching Mansfield Park. It was a good version of the book—not complete, but it made sense to streamline it the way they did (that's my husband's influence coming out.) Anyway, I love being introduced to different versions of my favorite books. These are books that I could read and re-read without ever tiring of them. I have an adorable pocket version of Persuasion. Someday I would love to get them all in nice hardback versions. I don't have any bright brilliant statements—just check out this series.

 

 

P.S. It's very hard to post with my 80 lb lapdog fighting for lap space with my laptop!

For My Medical Friends . . .

Those of you not in the medical field will probably not get this video. For those of us who are, it's hysterical!! I live this every day!

A Picure is Worth a Thousand Words . . .

. . .or so they say! Tonight I am too tired to be verbose, so here are some pics of what I've been up to.

Cuddling with Kenya.











Coffee with Penny . . .


. . .at Night Sky Coffee House.













You have to try the hats on when antique shopping!









Aren't we cute?
















Like it? Love it? Hate it? Penny and I loved it. Ralph hates it. I want it for my dining room.
What do you think?

Date Night

I hate to admit it, but it's true. We often get so busy we don't take time out for just the two of us. Some days this worries me as we don't have kids yet. This seems to be a problem those with kids always talk about but it seems to be just as hard if not harder for us to make time that time. We both work more than full time most weeks and strive to stay connected to friends and reach out to others often at the expense of time together. This week I was really convicted to make sure we had time together—no TV, laptops, distractions.

 

Thanks to Pioneer Woman, I made this delicious roast. I also made mashed potatoes, Bob Evans rolls (you can get them in the freezer section of your local grocer), and lemonade. We ate at the table *gasp* not in front of the TV or our laptops, facing each other over a tablecloth, candlelight and I even pulled out the chargers for under the plates. It's sad to me that this isn't our norm. We don't have kids, we've been eating at home more, and it didn't take that much effort. The whole effect was so relaxing and conducive to conversation. I think I spend so much time making sure others feel comfortable in our home that I forget to do it for us.

 

My husband is truly my favorite person to be with. I enjoy his company more than anyone else's. We just need to not take each other for granted and make that one-on-one time a priority. That is a new goal for me for this coming year—more time set aside for us without distractions.

The Church Being the Church

Our HC is going through Acts right now. We are being reminded that everywhere Paul went they gathered the Church together for encouragement. "Church" isn't a place, a building, a particular body or denomination. The "Church" is all people who believe Jesus is the only name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Today I have "met" one person who needs the Church to be the Church to her and one local body who was the Church to one of their members. Please go meet Kelli and Tony and Britt. BooMama sent me and I am so glad I went. I hope you spend some time praying for these people and if led, helping.

A Preview of Coming Attractions

Tomorrow is a big day. The nominations for The 80^th Academy Awards are coming out. As many of you know, Ralph and I host an Oscar party every year. This will be our 5^th Annual Oscar Party. We many have to do things a little different this year as it looks like it's just going to be a press conference due to the writer's strike. It would be a travesty to not have any dresses to "Oooh" and "Awww" over, so I am planning a post soon to present some dresses I feel would have made an impact on the red carpet. We may even have to have a poll and have some reader input while I'm at it. Stay tuned for more details!

Chaos Controlled

I feel like chaos has ruled our home since we got back from MN. Almost a month after the fact Christmas is finally packed up in our home. I still have a few little matters of organization to work out but our home has been returned to normal. My poor husband, who has not had a day off at all this week—worked 6 days straight, spent the whole day with me cleaning and organizing. Bless him! We both feel so much more rested in our home as a result.

 

Tonight was another wonderful HC. Jeff and Sarah's "goal" for the month of January was to have us as a collective read through the entire book of Acts. We made it to chapter 20 this week. It was a night of great discussion and insight. I think one of the main points we all took away was how committed the early Church was. They were beaten, stoned, thrown in prison but that was life and they were going to tell people about Jesus anyway. End of discussion. Are we that committed? Are we willing to suffer just to make sure people know who Jesus is? Would we be followers of Christ if that was the way it was for us? What is God asking us to do that may be "hard" that we are avoiding? Are we taking care of each other's needs and encouraging each other without hesitating? I pray that we can all spend time evaluating ourselves with the Lord this week and let Him work in us so that we can answer these questions in a way that honors Him.

 

I was reading Genesis 16 tonight and struck by what God asked Hagar to do. He asked her to go back to her bad situation where she was being mistreated and submit to the person who was mistreating her. Basically, He told her He would help her and be with her but she needed to face her problem head on and change her attitude. I am really bad about this. I really like the whole run-away-from-bad-things routine. I don't submit to mean people well. Now, I don't think that this is what God calls us to every time and in every circumstance but I do need to work on my attitude more and "run" less. I thank God for being so patient with me and willing to help me be more like Him. We serve a good God.

My tears are falling . . .

I just read the most amazing post! This woman, surrounded by her friends, honored the one year anniversary of her son's death by donating to Locks of Love. Seriously, check out the photo slide show. I don't know any of these women but I was in tears! The photographer is amazing!

 

While we're being blown away by amazing women, check out my sister. She amazes and humbles me. What a gorgeous woman of God to be able to share so openly about her own pain! Both of these women teach me so much! I hope they touch your hearts the same way they touch mine.

The Visitor

We have had a visitor at our house this week. His name is Dooce. He is an adorable Australian Shepherd/Lab mix. I am now convinced I want a second dog! Kenya has been so good the last three days. I have not even had to walk her. I thought I was going to have to figure out how to walk two dogs at once when Kenya is often more than I can handle alone! They played so hard together that they wore each other out every day. I loved it! Now I just have to convince Ralph!

Blogging missionaries

You all need to check out what Compassion is doing! They are sending 10 bloggers to Uganda on a mission's trip to blog about it! How cool is that! I would love to go on something like that some day. Its two-fold amazing-to see firsthand what Compassion is doing there and to get to write about it. What a blessing and an opportunity. I would love to go back to Africa like that. Bookmark this page and check back in February to keep up on their trip. I can't wait.

Yummy food

Ralph and I have decided we need to eat at home more this year. We are trying to both save money and eat healthier. So last Wednesday, I planned a menu and shopped. The menu was supposed to have been for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We made our dinners on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday I made some spaghetti sauce with a ton of veggies and simmered it all with the rind of parmesan cheese. We had garlic salad and garlic bread with it. (Can you tell we like garlic just a little bit?) Thursday we made Knife and Fork Burgers with Provolone Dipping Sauce and Roasted Tomato Salad. They were really good!

 

Then we took a little break. Ralph got a call/text from a good friend asking us to go to dinner with him and his girlfriend on Friday night. We had wanted to get together with them for a while, our house was a disaster and we were too tired to host so we went out. Then Saturday after work we raced down to Kettering from Fairborn to make it to church and were much too tired to cook after that so we went out.

 

Sunday we used one of the recipes/menu items for HC. We made Sopa de Pedra (Rock Soup). It was so good. To look at it, it looks like just another tomatoey soup recipe, but the hot sauce gives it this great kick! We used ham for the meat. It was really good! I had it for lunch today and it was even better the second day. Tonight we made Jon's Grilled Tuna Salad. I loved it! We served it on toasted English Muffin Bread. I really like it! It was salty and tasted fresh and light at the same time. Ralph only thought it was "ok". It just wasn't what he was expecting when he thought "tuna salad." This is especially sad due to the fact he made it. Come to think of it because I have been working so much, he not we made most of these recipes. If you are looking for something new, I would recommend all three and Ralph would recommend the first two. Are we walking advertisements for Rachael Ray or what?

Sabbath

Praise the Lord for Sabbath! It's not too often that Ralph and I get a Sabbath on the same day and on a Sunday to boot! We both dove straight back in to work on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It's been an adjustment to get used to getting up at 4:30 a.m. again. But this morning, we slept in! I mean slept in. It was after 10:30 I think for both of us. When we got up, Ralph ran to the store to get Challah bread and bacon (we found out on which day our favorite grocer/bakery bakes their Challah bread). I fed Kenya and brought her inside with me. I got caught on blogs, e-mail and facebook. I got to use my new skillet to make brunch (a gift from my wonderful parents). We made a terrific brunch of French toast and bacon. Yum-O! We stayed in our pajamas until 2 or 3. It was great!

We went to the 7 p.m. service at our church last night. It was so great to be back! We were gone for several weekends and worked so many weekends before we left that it felt like we hadn't been there in forever! It was so sweet to be back in our home church for worship and to be fed and challenged.

Our friends Jeff and Sarah asked to teach HC this month and agreed to host tonight! This is why were able to take a Sabbath today. It was such a blessing! We are still living out of suit cases and the (once) live Christmas tree is still up and the whole place is in utter chaos. This was our one day off and we have/had no energy for the herculean effort that is needed to have this place company ready in one day. Honestly, by them hosting and teaching tonight, they truly were the Body of Christ to us. It allowed us to really enjoy HC. I was able to open up and share and be loved on and prayed for in Quads (our break out time of sharing and prayer). It was just so appropriate as Jeff and Sarah are taking us through Acts. We are looking at what the Church should look like and be and I felt like I was able to watch Her in action tonight. I love our house church and love that God has provided this family for us here. Pray for us this year. We really would love to see our neighborhood come to know Jesus. We want to have the boldness of Peter and John with our neighbors and see them come to know Christ. I pray that you all have an opportunity to have a restful Sabbath day one day this week.

Too tired!

Too tired to think. Enjoy the pics!

The Real World

I'm back to the real world. The alarm-goes-off-at-0430-in-the-MORNING-work-12.5-hours-in-a-row world, with a stomach ache, I might add. I honestly think nurses are tougher than construction workers. We don't get to stay home over a belly ache or the flu. We just self-diagnose and self-medicate and keep on keeping on. Now, do as I say and not as I do. If you're sick, stay home, drink fluids and go to the doctor if it persists for more than a few days. ;-p

I'm just going to take a few seconds to brag on my husband. He gets up with me at 0430 in the MORNING, makes me a latte, makes me a breakfast smoothie and then drives me to work (the drive me to work part is because we only have one car and don't want a car loan at this time). He then picks me up after work--today he called to say he was at a different door. Do you know why? Because it was raining and this door was covered so I wouldn't get wet! Now he is currently cooking me this dinner. On my days off I cook, but the days I work (and he does too, I might add), he cooks. I have the best husband ever!

Have a great night all!

You’ve Been Warned

I just thought that I should warn you, blogworld, January is my month to be homesick. I reserve this right each and every year. Now in this space I will try to focus on the fun times I just had with my family and spare you all the tears and whining (that's what my husband is for). However good my intentions, though, it may leak through here and there and I just thought you should know.

It's tough to live 1000 miles away from your family. You miss things like your oldest niece changing from a baby to a "helpful" big sis and a diva. You miss your elfish nephew changing into a devilish 2 year old who knows how to use his dimples to avoid a scolding. I will miss my nephew finally figuring out that he really doesn't need anyone to help him walk. I will miss being there when my new niece/nephew arrives. I will not be able to go shopping with my mom or throw dinner parties with my SIL. I will miss my other nephew finally deciding to become mobile and crawling (or maybe he'll surprise us all and go straight to walking). I am amazed each year at what an amazing man my brother is, what a sweetheart my SIL is, what great brothers my BIL are, and what good moms my sisters are. Not that I don't think these things any other time of the year, it's different seeing it in person. By being this far away, one just misses out on all the intimate details you know by living life together. Each year I realize how much gets left out of the e-mails, blogs, facebook and phone calls. Most times of the year, I am focused on what God has me doing here in OH and am just grateful for how many varied ways we have for staying in touch. It helps as each sibling has such a different personality. There is a method for each sibling.

It is fitting to me that it has rained the whole way back. I hate it when it's sunny out on the drive back—the sun just mocks my tears. It's nice that the weather is sympathetic today (and that I'm not the one driving). Anyway, if I seem a little petulant or somber this month, I thought you should know the reason. February is my month for new beginnings and optimism and January is my month to pout—just have to be different like that. You have been warned.

Job (the book, not an occupation)

Suffering. What does that word mean to you? Are you suffering right now? Have you suffered over the course of your life? I am reading through Job in my Bible study right now. The thoughts that are flying through my head right now! They must be expressed. I am hoping to make sense of them through this post. Please be patient if the thoughts are a little jumbled.

One of the most recent times of suffering my family has endured was the loss of a nephew. He was 4 months old and Ralph and I were on our honeymoon when it happened. That was suffering. My sis and BIL will forever be marked by this. In fact, in a positive way, I believe, it has changed/helped direct the path of their life.

Another suffering my family has gone through, was to walk with my dad's sister and family as her son slowly died of a "birth defect" from the age of 4 til about 9 (I think he was almost 10). That was a long hard road—as a teenager and college student I learned how to PRAY in ways I never would have. We then rejoiced with the family as they rescued two sibling groups from the foster system and brought them into our family. What amazing and beautiful people all of these "new" cousins are! Then we walked with them as my aunt's then husband walked away from the whole family and the Lord. This family has suffered. The loss of a son and brother was tough. The other kids have their individual burdens from the broken family units they came from. They were then brought into a "whole" family and introduced to the Lord and then it all fell apart. My aunt lost her husband of 19 years and was left with 7 kids. All the kids lost a father (he is not active in their lives currently). I would say in many ways they continue to suffer as they also strive to heal and live.

My husband's sister died suddenly in a car accident 4 months before I met him. She left behind a daughter who got caught in a terrible custody battle (that went on for several years) and lost a large part of her childhood in the process. She is a beautiful girl who is now settled and happy with Ralph's bro and SIL, but she has endured much and will be marked by her experiences forever. The family has suffered much through all of this and in some ways always will.

These are just a few of the ways that I and those I love have suffered. Every time I read Job it changes for me. I see and hear new things. I understand Job's wife SO much better than when I was younger. I can just imagine if we lost everything and then you added a serious illness that Ralph was suffering with. I might be tempted to say "Let's just end it—curse God so that He can strike us down and end all of this!" I pray that I have learned from her and from my sister and aunt and Ralph's parents and mine through all of these (plus those I didn't mention) situations and that I would be more like David. I do, however, understand where her statement comes from. I understand Job and his friends in ways I never did before. I feel more able to evaluate Job's statements than I did BEFORE. BEFORE I felt as if, "Who am I? He was a very godly man who went through unspeakable things. He gets to say whatever he wants in my opinion!" NOW, I see the whining. I see him glorify God and then say "but I'm going to whine anyway." I see his friends (as least in the beginning) as less judgmental than I remembered but more pushy and blunt than I think they should have been. Grief and suffering addles one's brain and makes a person very sensitive. I think they should have used more tact and silence. Don't talk so much to someone who is hurting so much!

I am only through chapter 10. I will read 11-14 today. If I have more to add, I'll let you know. ;-)

My sister's farm

My sister has this great farm in ND--it is the only house on her road, surrounded by pine trees. We had such a nice time visiting with them. We took a tour the first morning that we were there. Here are our the "landmarks" from our tour:
The outhouse (not in use)
The fire pit-during the summer it's a cozy little hollow surrounded by trees and leaves.
The tire swing she was so excited to have for the boys.
The pond--perfect for ice skating
I missed a big one, though. They have this neat spot they call "Sunset Road." Kim has gotten some of the most precious pics of Todd and the boys.
We had a good time of fellowship, played Loaded Questions and Apples To Apples, ate and laughed. Family is so precious.

I apologize

I apologize for my blogging absence. While in ND visiting my sister I got the worst stomach virus of my life! Well, this has set me back a bit. I am feeling much recovered. I am also very grateful for my sister and her husband's gracious hospitality and understanding. My sister had a similar bug over Christmas so was very sympathetic. The tough part was that my other sister and her family were also visiting there with us. It wasn't the fun hang out time I had been envisioning. We head back to OH tomorrow so I will have plenty of time to work on future blogs for you and catch up on my Bible study. Thank you for your patience.

Dinner for 6

As many of you know, there is nothing more dear to my heart than throwing a dinner party. So, when my cousin announced her engagement on Christmas Eve I began thinking, "THIS calls for a dinner party." The best part is that my bro and sis-in-law have this great apartment that just screams "Throw dinner parties here!" So we did. I planned the meal, Tif and I went shopping and then we cooked the meal together (while Bobby and Ralph played Xbox 360-with occasional pauses to help us out). We invited Holly and Adam (the cousin and fiancé) and tried to get Heidi (other cousin) to come but all those serious couples are very intimidating to an unattached college student apparently. We had a fine menu planned it consisted of :

• Tomato, Basil and Bacon Crostini's and Pomegranate Mocktinis
  
• Caesar Salad with Pizzetta's with Olive Tamponade and Provolone Cheese
  
• Carbonara
  
• Cheesy Garlic Bread
  
• Smores Pizza with homemade vanilla ice cream and hot fudge
  

 

The crostini recipe comes from this wonderful cookbook I found my first year living in Dayton. We love the cookbook and the crostini's! The Caesar dressing in that particular recipe was disappointing, no one liked the flavor. The presentation was a lot of fun, though! Carbonara, specifically Racheal Ray's is an old stand-by for Ralph and I, it's our go-to meal. The garlic bread recipe came from my mom and is a family favorite (as well as super easy). My bro and Tiff make really good homemade ice cream so obviously we had to have some of that!

It was a great night of food, conversation and fun! Bobby and Tiffany have such a great place for hosting and are great hosts themselves. Thanks for a wonderful night all!

Wild West

While driving out to my sister's farm in ND I was confronted with the often schizophrenic dichotomy that is my heart/desires. I love the wide open spaces in northern MN. I love the terrible isolation. I love the quaint, dated hotels and diners, the odd museums and historical sites (e.g. the "Wayside Chapel in Fosston, MN that is roughly the size of an outhouse, the Wild Game Museum near Bagely, MN, etc.). There are these great little towns with populations like 81. It makes me long to live out here (I'd love to be pop 82 and 83). I love the small quaint churches that still use hymnals, organs and pianos. All this from the girl that loves the fact Target, Trader Joes and Meijer are minutes from my house. I love hosting frequent parties and walking to my friends' houses. I love my large vibrant church with our band, young pastoral staff, and all the diverse personalities that come with a large population of people. I love that restaurants stay open past 10 p.m. and that I can get delivery until midnight on the weekends. If it weren't for my husband and the Lord I think my life would look a little bit like my parent's house when they bought it. The previous owner had started and stopped and changed multiple projects in the house. It's like he would see something and completely change the plan for the remodel and never finish anything. So I am now looking to live somewhere West and North with some of the conveniences of the East, not too rural but not too city, near family, near the mountains and a lake, in an old farmhouse with lots of original woodwork but with an open floor plan and it should resemble a log cabin, with lots of privacy and acreage but within walking distance of good friends. There should be good coffee shops and fun, eclectic shopping near-by. The grocery stores need to be stocked with local produce and whatever exotic food the new recipe I'm experimenting with calls for. There should be lots of snow in the winter but excellent snow removal people working 24 hours a day and warm balmy summers with no humidity. My husband is convinced I need therapy. I see nothing extreme in my desires. ;-p

It may be that what I truly desire is heaven and the all-consuming, ever present presence of the Lord satisfying my soul completely with Himself. Sometimes I think my inability to be completely satisfied has more to do with my looking for my heavenly home. This world is a nice place to visit but it's not home. Nothing solidifies that sentiment more deeply in my heart than thinking of all those that I love who have gone on before me. When I read these blogs and think of all they have lost and are going through and will continue to go through, my heart aches for a place with no more tears and no more sorrow. True contentment, I have come to believe, has more to do with longing for the Lord more than we long for anything else. My heart is more satisfied when I long for Him than when I focus on the strange inconsistent desires outlined above. My desire for 2008 is that I will be filled with longing for my Savior and that I will keep my eyes fixed on Him, the Author and Perfector of my faith.

Happy New Year!

So as I sit here with my dad watching the Rose Parade and drinking coffee, I can't help but praise the Lord for His goodness. I am right where I want to be at this time every year. My 29th birthday was yesterday and, as my husband is well aware, it is very important for me to be at home in MN for my birthday. It is truly a blessing that I can count on one hand (it's really only been 1 maybe 2) how many times I've had to stay in OH over the last 10 years on my birthday.
We had such a fun time last night celebrating my birthday. Unfortunately, my brother's girls were both sick so they stayed home. However my sister-in-law made this terrific cake. It was her first bundt cake and she did great! In our family, the birthday person gets to pick their meal, cake, ice cream, etc. We don't really do gifts, the meal is the gift. We've had some meals in our time too! Well this year I planned my meal around this cake. I knew I wanted cinnamon ice cream with it and then thought long and hard about what meal would go well with the cake and ice cream. I finally decided on roast. It was so good! We did it a little Italian style with Italian seasoned stewed tomatoes and some garlic, basil and thyme along with the potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. We also had this terrific garlic salad our family has been addicted to this week, blueberry cream muffins, and rhubarb muffins. My aunt made this wonderful raspberry salad as well. We had my aunt and her 7 kids, my cousin's fiance, and my great uncle all over to my parents house. We played XBOX games, Monopoly and Dance Praise 2. We love Dance Praise! Ralph and I picked it up for my aunt and cousins for Christmas and now my mom insists our family needs one. There is video to come--we just don't have the cords we need for our camera, but trust me we will load some! I don't really see birthdays as something to avoid. I think it has something to do with being a New Year's baby. It always seems to be a fresh start--a chance to evaluate the past year and look forward to the new. When I think back to the things God has brought me through, I don't really want to relive any of those things--I'm grateful for them in retrospect, but I want to move forward. Age is part of moving forward. It's also a challenge for me to retain my youthful enthusiasm and idealism and faith while balancing it with the wisdom, knowledge and experience the Lord has provided. As I head in to this new year both literally (2008) and next year of life, I have a few desires/goals. I want to become a mother, Lord willing, as I watch my siblings I definitely see that God's timing is best. I will wait on Him. I want to grow closer to Him this year and memorize more Scripture. I am committing to read the Bible chronologically this year with a group of women (and men) on-line. I want to honor the Lord with my body and take better care of His temple, my body. As I sign off for today, I pray "that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be ale to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11)