... gift wrap...

"Gift-mas" 


The packages were wrapped with care... tied with metallic bows. We have had many get togethers to "undo" the gift wrap.


We had our own family-of-four Christmas Day 8 days before Jesus' birthday.  The Hubs and I wanted to have a day at home with our boys, filled with the traditions we started last year for our Indiana Christmas:  monkey bread & brown sugared lil' sausages... seafood dinner: crab legs, lobster tails, salmon ... afternoon filled with Lego-ing... evening playing boardgames.  It was also way to leave some loot at the homestead.


We headed to our second family get together the day before Christmas Eve, driving the 13+ hours to Grandpa and Grandma McKenna's.  We were joined by Uncle Brett, Aunt Tracey and Aunt Amy.  More gifting ensued.... Lego-ing, Nerf sword fighting following. We enjoyed "robber gift exchanging" with the extended McKenna clan at Aunt Shelley& Uncle Pat's; and sharing a Christmas meal with the Sauvage's.


The holiday sojourn continued as we headed back east to Granny & Grandad's.  Aunt Leslie, Uncle Brandy, Liam & Lanie joined us.  More gifting with the Petersons induced Lego pirate ship building, and Kinect sporting.


The great thing about our Christmases is that they were not just abundant in "things" ... they were filled with fellowship with family.


The Hubs and I have joked, 'tis the season for Gift-mas.  We meant absolutely no disrespect to Jesus Christ, for whom Christmas is named.  We are both followers of Christ, and found ourselves caught up in the other aspects of our Christmas traditions.


This has me thinking about the first Christmas gift.  A church sign I drove past last week read, 
"Mary wrapped the first Christmas gift."


How truly prophetic.  In our culture and society we have become a target for the marketing campaign of the season without possibly reflecting on why we give gifts.


My father-in-law read to the grandkids from Luke 2 on the night of the family gift giving, asking his grands why we give presents.  Our niece replied, "To celebrate Jesus' birthday."  Grandad explained that in the following reading we will read about God's gift to us.


Luke 2:6-12

^6-7While they were there (Bethlehem, the City of David), the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

 ^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

Mary and Joseph wrapped the Messiah in a blanket & laid him in a feed trough.  The angels professed where the shepherds could find their Savior, their gift from God.

Jesus is our gift from the Lord, gift wrapped by decendents of King David.  So dear readers, have you opened the gift and accepted Jesus as your Savior?  It brings the gift of eternal life.

It is as simple as praying a sort prayer, "Lord thank you for sending Jesus Christ to earth, to wash our sins away.  I accept Jesus as my Savior."


P.S. (Post Script): Our 1st grader has decided he wants to go to work for Lego and design "Bible Times" Lego sets .... out of the imaginations of babes.

..."donkey tale..."

... a donkey tale?

My 1st grader checked a book out of the library about the first Christmas in Bethlehem. Each page was narrated by a different character in the nativity story. The cattle telling of loaning Jesus their hay trough to use as his bed. The angle who first sang of birth of the Savior. The shepherd's  who followed the star and angelic chorus to discover the new born king.  What a fun bedtime tale it was, beautiful illustrations too.

This has my mind thinking of all the creatures present at the birth of Jesus...

My thoughts are focused in on one barnyard animal, the donkey.  The one who walked the 80-some miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The one who bore the weight of Mary and the gift in her womb. The one who carried our Messiah.  Did this barnyard creature know the importance of the cargo it transported? Was it clip-clopping along, trying to reach the destination; longing for a bite to eat and a place to rest?

I think the donkey knew... he was God's creation.  Created quite possibly for such a job as this.

He carried our Savior to the city of David. This was professed in Zachariah 9:9

"Rejoice o people of Jerusalem.... Your King is coming humbly to you... riding on a donkey." (NLT paraphrased)

I picture that donkey walking with his head held high, proudly delivering it's cargo to the stable of the Inn.  This Christmas season, how will you walk? Proud of your Savior as you celebrate His birthday? Or will you just be goofing through the motions of the season, forgetting the reason for celebrating?

Ironically, that same King rode into Jerusalem on a donkey again... Some 33 years later, to celebrate Passover .... But dear readers that may be a spring time tale...

"crunch... oops ..."

This week I was taken back to 10 years ago ... pregnant with our oldest son.  It was just weeks after 9/11 had occurred, reminding me of how precious life is ... & how minor inconveniences can be a reminder of the precious-ness.

---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*

Flash back to today ... Nov. 28, 2011.

Mornings are "hairy" at our house... no one wants to get out of bed.  Then mom has to be the bad guy and turn on the lights... pull back the sheets.

Today was a "hairy" morning.  After riding herd & getting both boys fed, dressed & out to the car, my coffee pot beeped ... reminding me that I needed to grab my morning caffeine infusion.  I filled my travel mug & entered the garage, to the sight of boys climbing from front-to-back .... back-to-front ....

I was not happy OR amused.

I hollered for everyone to buckle themselves into a seat belt & began backing my land yacht out ... crunch... oops.

After 7.75 years of backing out of this garage, I had hit the mirror ...

The same accident I had orchestrated ten years ago when pregnant with our oldest... had been repeated.

10 years ago I enlisted my colleague Wiley to help me call salvage yards to find a Ford Taurus passenger side mirror. Trying to problem solve independently.

This time around I am grateful for retractable mirrors... it flipped backward and only "cracked" the mirror, popping it out of the brackets that hold it in place... dangling by the wiring. The blinker in the mirror & the motor to adjust it are unscathed.  I just had to pop it back into the brackets.  Now the tiny print at the bottom of the mirror stating that "object may not be as they appear" is accurate with the slight crack.

Luckily the land yacht has racked up nearly 140,000 miles, the mirror adding to it's character.

This had me evaluating ... in life, how often do we try to problem solve independently or patch it up?

We really ought to be taking our troubles, accidents, catastrophes and asking the Lord for his guidance... looking for his hand and purpose in our trials.

Now I have a motto, "The most important things in life, ARE NOT things." ... maybe this is Divine intervention.... the Lord intervening in my parenting... to get my boys to follow through when I say, "get in, buckle up, be quiet."  At least it has worked for a few mornings.

..."tale of the Canadian Rockies..."

The Feller's in downtown Banff.
Notice the BayMag hats & frisbees!

We just returned from an amazing adventure in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.  We were fortunate enough to be invited to Banff, Alberta, Canada by our friends, the Schmolls.  My hubs does feed ingredient business with Mr. Schmoll.  What a beautiful friendship & mentoring that has grown from their business endeavors.  We spent the week in a gorgeous mountain lodge with views of the surrounding peaks... enjoying the more European Canadian culture.

We drove through and took in four... yes 4 Canadian National Parks.

We hiked Johnson's Canyon in Banff Natl. (in the rain).... and watched as a highway patrol man tried to keep a grizzly off the Trans Canadian Expressway. We canoed across Morraine Lake & lunched next to Lake Louise... the bluest turquoise water I have seen north of the Caribbean.

In Kootney Natl' we watched a mama bear stand guard over her six-month-old frolicking twins... climbing trees, wrestling, playing leap frog & tag ... just feet from the road.

In YoHo Natl. we rafted the Kicking Horse River in a cata-raft (combo catamaran/raft) and observed a flock of big horned sheep and 'kids' grazing along the roadside.

In Jasper Natl' we hiked near glaciers ... the hubs and our oldest son collected glacier melt in a bottle for the little brother & I to feel from Angel Glacier. On the drive home that evening we spotted lots of black bear.  We spotted a male teenager out grubbing... stopping to scratch the mosquitoes off between bites.  A few miles south we encountered a mama black bear and  her set of 2 year-old-cubs looking for a snack.

The highlight of the trip began with a journey down "Settler's Road" in Kootney Natl' were we were given a private tour of a magnesium oxide mine.  The ground was a glow with the sparkling whiteness of magnesium oxide.  The feller's enjoyed the safety gear... orange vests, goggles, & hard hats.

We had a mountain top picnic & were joined by a flock of white mountain goats searching for minerals to lick. The youngest 'kid' being tiny enough to walk right under safety barricades.  The boys learned first hand about geology... collecting rocks fresh out of the mountain.

We spent the week eating like royalty thanks to our hosts and Mrs. Schmoll's knack for getting reservations at amazing places.... feasting on elk fillets and fonduing on 500 degree granite slabs to name a few favorites.  All the ladies were wishing we would have a Will & Kate sighting, as they were in Calgary for the Stampede, & had reportedly flown west in a helicopter... but no such luck. Maybe on another adventure.

Thank you Greg & Kathy for a truly amazing adventure for our entire family.

My kids learned that in Canada, Shirley Temples are made with orange juice and cherries.  That all questions end in, "A." and our new family motto.... "Don't poke the bear."

... "my Dennis-the-menace..."

my youngest has such a big heart.... and an amazing brain (wickedly intelligent)... he is  tow headed, has a gigantic gorgeous gappy smile, and BIG brown eyed that can bat their way out of most messes ...

He has always been ferociously curious, even as a six month old he drug himself (couldn't crawl yet) over to the spinner (corner spinning cabinet) and poured a bottle of maple syrup on the rug... a few months later he pulled himself up to the fridge, and plopped a dozen & a half eggs on the hard wood floor...

As a two year old he slipped off the edge of a relatives pond... wearing rubber rain boots, it was spring... he was in and under the water in a matter of seconds... our cousin jolted into 'Bay Watch' mode & rescued him .... he has taken private swim lessons many weeks of every summer since.... the stories could go on and on....

He has a scary high pain tolerance.... so, when he cries, I know he is hurt... he doesn't cry wolf like his elder brother....

Monday I was digging out hostas & lilies that had become so massive, they were blocking the sprinkler stream... hogging the hydration.

I had just gotten a wheelbarrow from the shed & navigated it to the front yard, when I heard a cry, followed by a plea,"Can somebody please help me?"

I dropped the spade and sprinted around back. My youngest was laying on the patio, at the top of a brick stairway leading to our basement... clutching his left arm... a steel lawn chair resting on it's side at the bottom ...

I sat him up & tried to get the facts about what had happened... after piecing together info from the fallen and his elder brother, the witness...

My youngest had flipped the patio chair over the edge... fell to the bottom of the stairs... chair landing atop his 45 pound body.

He climbed out from under the chairs weight & ascended the stairs on hands & knees. He held his left arm, it sported a 6 inch lesion, but he complained it hurt "inside"...

Our doctor had just had a baby, her husband (a Dr. too) also out for the week, no one lined up to cover their patients... off to the Urgent Care we went.

Urgent Care, what an oxymoron (thanks Mrs. Carter for teaching me this literary term over two decades ago).... there is absolutely nothing urgent about it, no speed, no rapidness.... a two hour wait loomed between us & my son's arm being treated... in the mean time I gave him some ibuprofen & we listened to books on mp3 ... "Magic Tree House" adolescent novels by Mary Pope Osborn.

When Dr. Todd finally took a look... manipulated my son's wrist, elbow, triceps & biceps.... applying pressure and concluded he was 'absolutely fine.'  The ibuprofen had worked it's magic... a summer spent sporting a cast averted.... and my son had used up another of his 9-lives.

I have always been worried about him.  How he would find his way in this world... As a mom, I felt so accountable for him...

Over the past 10 months I had to let the worry, the dotting, the anxiety that filled my gut every time I thought about him in the care & company of others .... I had to lay those emotions that were seriously rattling my cage, at the foot of the cross.


New Living Translation  -  Hebrews 2:13
13 He (Jesus) also said,


   “I will put my trust in him,”
      that is, “I and the children God has given me.”


The Lord reminded me that I am not in control... He is... He is the master mind behind all things... all beings... He has plans for each and every one of us... He is only using me as an instrument in my son's lives... they are on loan to me to raise, as the Lord sees fit.... as He orchestrates the kingdom life he has planned for them, since the beginning of time....

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

My husband had rushed home when I called him to report the 'accident'... I needed him to take our oldest son to his swim lesson.  Our youngest said, "I'm sorry dad."  My husband replied, "It's okay buddy, I knew the day would come that we would have a broken bone."

... and our youngest answered, "I just didn't know it would be today."

Friends ... we never really know what the future holds... so trust in Him and the grand plans he has for His children...

..."lost & found..."

I know the blogging has been infrequent... having the fellers home has me behind....

I am a self proclaimed crazy cat lady... I have loved felines ever since I can remember... as a little girl I would drag home a stray and try to domesticate them... ask my folks about the yellow tabby with mange...

As a married couple our fist pet was a house cat named Pippy (short for Pip-squeak).  We lived in a TINY apartment at I-29 and Parvin in KC, MO.... I really wanted a dog, but what I got was the runt of the litter.  My mother in law had a litter of kittens that a friend had brought to their farm, she thought the runt would be perfect for me....

After we returned from our honeymoon on St. Barth's I made the drive out west to the farm my husband was raised on & brought the kitten home.  She made a great pet, moved 5 times with us including the 12 hour drive to Indiana where we have settled for the past seven years.  She would come snuggle when she heard my head hit the pillow... she would run to play hide and seek when I would put fresh sheets on the bed... she would sing for a nibble of tuna... she was good for my soul.  Pippy passed away at the ripe old age of nearly 11 during the winter of 2010.

I think the Lord knew I would need another cat in my life to fill the hole ... the summer before Pippy's passing a stray mama cat dumped a litter of weened kittens off at my neighbors.  As I would weed my hosta beds this little calico kitten would pop through the foliage and play with me....

She adopted us, choosing to crawl through the doggie door of our garage and take refuge from the male tom cats that inhabit our woods.  The neighbor named her Snickers, for her yellow, black, brown and gray patchwork of fur.  She had a litter of kittens that spring following Pippy's passing in our garage.  What fun it was for the boys to raise kittens.  I had Snickers spayed last fall .... and she flew the coop.

Literally and figuratively... I think the spay caused a hormone imbalance.... she's a bit nutty, and leaves for several weeks at a time.... just when I think the coyotes may have gotten her, she will show back up... usually at night when I am awake on the computer, a small lamp aglow... I'll hear scratch-scratch-scratch... and Snickers will be on the deck.  Some times she will have burs matted in her fur, paws dirty, voice scratchy from 'roughin' it.... other times she appears well groomed, I am suspicious that she is having an affair with another crazy cat lady....

When we returned from Yellow Stone she came around.... and has stuck around since. Maybe it's the milk I give her (once a month laced with de-wormer)...

I know it is only a cat (as my farm boy husband would say) but she reminds me of the Bible parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2015:11ff&version=NLT

When the son returns the father is ecstatic.... over joyed.... just as I am when my silly cat decides to stagger home...

This has me thinking about the Lord.... do I stagger away from my relationship with him?  Do I put other things above the Lord in my list of priorities? ....

When we return to the heavenly Father... He is over joyed... He is ecstatic.... He welcomes us with open arms, for we were once lost... but with Him we are found....

not-so-desperate update ... June 2011

Well... I've been writing for two months, as of June 7... and you all keep reading.  So I guess this is still working out...

The latest dilemma at mi casa is my mother's day gift.... the boys gave me one of those bird houses that the back panel is Plexiglas with suction cups, so you can stick it to a window & watch the aviary species...

Our problem is that a different species decided to take up residence... a pest of sorts... a mama yellow jacket is building a nest in our bird habitat as we speak.... it is interesting, watching her build away, the nest increasing in size each day, but we don't want to co-habitate with her young-uns... so the hubs is bringing home wasp spray.... conveniently sold in the mill store (where the bird houses are conveniently sold too)...

We've had three days to settle in since the conclusion of our sojourn.... dozens of loads of laundry have been washed, folded and stored (the life of a not-so-desperate housewife is one of glamorous tasks)... all the rubber maid totes (one for shoes, another for coats, snacks, games...) have been unpacked & stowed away...

The two pups survived their time behind bars... aka-the kennel.... I've never seen a tail wag-wag-wag as fast as theirs on the drive home.....

The two stray cats that adopted us over the past two years are still in the garage & hunting voles and mice to rid our woods of pests... and rubbing my ankles as I drink my morning coffee on the deck... I've always been a cat lover, ask my Mom about Morris the 1st... & 2nd....

All my potted patio creations from Drenth Growers survived the teenager, who successfully watered... and the not-so-tornado-ish storm that rolled through .... tipping over 100 year old oak trees, but not my pots atop plant stand... go figure, God had his eye on the arbors this time....

I had the pleasure of spending this morning surrounded my grateful female believers.... enjoying the leadership of a friend and discussing Beth Moore and her take on "He Is" in the book of Hebrews....

My fellers as I have taken to calling them(after Grandpa Mike) are glad to be sleeping in their own beds... tonight they are having a sleep over... our youngest is in his brother's room on the bottom bunk, a treat usually reserved for weekends, but what the heck, it's summer right... the youngest will wake the oldest at the crack of dawn...

They have been Lego-ing up a storm as we had another literal thunder storm today... yesterday they were using sticks they whittled from the woods as swords... boys playing make believe... the oldest thought they were knights... they youngest wanted to be a samurai..... the imagination of children....

The hubs is still hauling his toosh to work Monday through Friday... bringing home the bacon, literally...so I may live the glamorous life that I am fortunate to live... he is currently like a boy in a candy shop selecting all the fun features of my soon to be, shopping cart.... see May's update if you are confused by the cart reference...

We are celebrating 13 years of wedded bliss this weekend... making an appearance at a hospital benefit & then heading to our favorite Lafayette steak house for beef 'that is to die for'... hard to come by in this neck of the woods....

I hope 13 is a lucky number... the years have passed quickly, with our own share of excitement... I heard an author say today that if our life always went the way we planned, it would make a pretty boring novel, laid down after only a few pages.... you all seem to think it's at least marginally un-boring....

My kindergarten pedi-cure wore off while hiking the Rocky Mountains in awesome Keen sandals... I don't think my 6 year-old will be doing the next pedicure...

I am officially an 'out-doors-woman', I bought myself my first pocket knife ... the fellers all have them, so I thought, "Why not me?" ... bought it at Mt. Rushmore Memorial, wooden handle with the heads of the presidents carved into it ... came in handy opening potting soil this afternoon, just pray I don't slice a digit... I need them to count, you know...

I am working on a new flowerbed... a work that has been in progress since pre-vacation, but I made some head wave today... I am using the lilac tree, yes tree not bush, given to us when my husband's 101.5 year-old granny went to be with the Lord, as my focal point.... dividing overgrown uniquely variegated hostas and lilies I inherited from Aunt Flo & her girls.

I am facilitating a math enrichment camp this summer... my first venture for www.agape2learn.com  I have 45 participants registered... we are going to spend 5 sessions throughout summer "having a blast with math"... taking me back to life 8 years ago, when I helped adolescents realize that they were 'good at math' & they could have fun doing it, you just need some crazy dice, a deck of cards & dominoes .... my favorites are from
 www.boxedcarsandoneeyedjacks.com

I always said, "I was smart enough to do 6th grade math"... In reality, I made a darn good math teacher, I could explain it in layman's terms... using silly verbiage that helped trigger their memory, better than a brain-iac mathematician... no offense, they have their own skills and gifts, and have several who are near and dear to my heart, even thought I'm sure I drive them nuts...

 ... and I thank the Lord each day for this life he has bestowed on me... the life of a not-so-desperate-housewife....

P.S.  (post script) ... a sort of desperate update, opps ... I was re-calculating our anniversary as I lay in bed trying to drift off to dream land ... this is our 12th .... a dozen years as husband and wife... one third of my three dozen years on this Earth..... even though it's passed in a blink....

day 9 & 10... Peterson Sojourn West 2011

day 9 .... we headed out to go for a hike on the Taggert Lake Trail.... 3 mile hike round trip... the rangers reported to Brock that there had been mama-grizzly sightings... the boys insisted I wear the bear bell... so every other step, I jinggled along.... warding off the bears....

We spotted a black badger... sunning it self on a gigantic granite boulder... as it saw us approaching, it retreated to it's den, under the boulder.... keeping an eye on us....we kept to the left side of the trail & avoided 'ruffling it's fur' ....

We made it as far as we could until we reached  a snow covered path, retracing our steps.... at the Yukon parked next to us were a man & woman kissing rather passionately.... saying good bye it appeared... with 2 other guys in tow, getting out video cameras....they had arrows sticking out of their pack.

Brock approached the car and asked if they were hunting... which is illegal in Natl. Parks.... they are filming a documentary "The Great American Walkabout" and walking across the nation... California to New York, eating only what they hunt.  You can find their page on facebook... pretty cool really....

Next we drove to Jenny Lake... for a boat ride across the lake and a hike up to the Hidden Falls ....

We were hipoglycemic, starved after our day of hiking.... we grabbed some wood fired pizza at the Snake River Brewing Company.... pizzas decked out with smoked bacon, scallions, dehydrated apples, truffle sauce & gorgonzola.... home-made sausage, wild mushrooms, garlic, red onions & goat cheese.... we pigged out, and rolled ourselves home ....




day 10... We were getting vacationed out... a sad statement, considering the amazing terrain we were surrounded by.... but home-sickness prevailed.  We decided to load the Yukon that morning, in case we wanted to hit the road early and head east that evening.

We drove to Teton Village, and took a gondola up to the top of Mt. Rendezous.... 6,000+ elevation.  What an amazing ride up the mountain, taking in the granite majesty.  The view was spectacualr. They have had 7,500+ feet of snow this year.... 4,000 is their average... it was still extremely snow packed, making hiking a challenge.  We were wearing shorts, having run out of clean pants, making any hiking prospects dim .... time to head home and do laundry.

We took a senic drive up past Jenny Lake and towards Colter Bay.  We thought we spotted a moose in the woods.  We stopped to take a look, and the ranger parked roadside said it was an elk, running from a brown colored black bear.... pretty big elk to me.....

I desperately wanted to take a drive over the mountain pass to Idaho to see the Targhgee Natl. Forest ... that meant at least a 3 hour round trip, on a curvy mountain pass... sure to induce motion sickness for our youngest and I.... we opted out.... we'll have to take in Idaho another time....

We stopped in the town square of Jackson Hole for a photo op at the elk antler arches that adorn the center terrace... then pointed the Yukon East & drove off away from the sunset into the Bridger-Teton Natl. Forest ... what amazing senery....

day 7 & 8 ... Peterson Sojourn West 2011

day 6 ended with a late night ice cream run into Gardiner. Took a country road that leads out of the park to our cabin... spotted a baby elk, trailing along after it's skidish mama, my Kansas cowboys predicted the calf to be a day old... the circle of life.

day 7 - We loaded the Yukon early, just after rising and drove out to the Lamar Valley, saw a cluster of cars & trucks, one being a Ranger in the 'Bear 2'.... they all had their super-duper telescopes & had spotted a grizzly and her cub... only the second cub sighting this 'spring'... I met a woman wearing a ball cap with the Emporia State 'E' on it... that's where I'm starting a distance graduate school program in August... she is a retired professor, runs their arborarium. Such a small world ... she shared the view of the grizzlies from her Swarovski telescope... we were all four amazed.... at the circle of life.

Farther up the Lamar Valley we spotted a black bear stalking close to a herd of bison bison, with more than 3 dozen calves in tow, sunning themselves in the valley ... a bald eagle soared in the heavens above.... then through our mini scope we saw it fighting off an attacking hawk at a stream.

We hiked a short trail to see a 15 million year old petrified redwood tree... we hiked a hilly trail just a mile in from the North Gate Entrance.... as we acended the hills of the Yellow Stone River, we came across several bone piles.... a former dinner for a wolf or bear.... our youngest nicknamed the spot, carcass city... more proof of the circle of life.

Headed 'home' for a much needed nap... the boys and I sacked out for nearly 3 hours... a much needed rest after several days filled with hiking.

After our midday shut eye, we put on our bathing suits and headed to Pray, Montana.... home of the historic Chico Inn & a 100+ year old hot spring.  They pump the near by spring water into a large sitting pool. We relaxed... the boys 'splished & splashed' until close to midnight... the boys made up water games... 'wack a fish,' modeled after wack-a-mole.... gave tug boat rides.... What is it about water?  It induces smiles, giggles & grins.... it relaxes the body... and soul too.... a much needed respite from out physically active days of sight seeing.  Our spirits were lifted, our tempers cooled, our bodies extremely relaxed (much needed) .... we decided we need a hot tub, soon....

day 8 .... We packed up... the Yukon filled to the brim, with laundry, left over groceries & left the Electric Cabin (named after the view of Electric Mt.) .... we made a pit stop at the Grand Canyon visitors center, for the boys to earn their Yellow Stone Jr. Ranger badges they had worked for....

We wanted to spend some more time taking in the geysers and springs surrounding Old Faithful.... we drove the 2 hours to the southern end of Yellow Stone... we walked the wooden/trex boardwalks, seeing an amazing wonder of this land...

We saw Morning Glory... Castle Geyser... Spiteful Geyser... and dozens more.... their golden & turquoise beauty.

The boys were thrilled with the 'chick-munk' sighting (as my youngest calls them) ... my boys loved the chipmunks that burrow under the Old Faithful boardwalks... even got within arms length of one....

We drove upon a buffalo traffic jam, slowing us to a crawl for 10 minutes... once there was a slow moving vehicle lane, they moved to the right, allowing us to pass.... modern day wild life, conforming to being surrounded by moving vehicles.

On the drive out of Yellow Stone & into Grand Tetons Natl. Park we took in the splendor of the middle Rockies, reflecting on Colter Bay....

We found our new casa ... headed into the Jackson Town Square for some BBQ... the boys were in heaven, devouring ribs, rootbeer & corn-on-the-cob ...

..."most important things, are not things..."

A friend and I saw this sign on a spiritual outing...

"The most important things in life... are not things."

While we were vacationing in America's West... the Rockies... a violent storm rolled through our town & surrounding country side.

You can take the girl out of Kansas, but you can't take the Kansas out of the girl.... I grew up with many tornado warnings in the spring and summer...

I cried hysterically one spring evening.... I had to have been about 10 years old... my mom, sister & I were hunkered down in our basement... my cat had just had a spring liter of kittens, they were hunkered down in their box next to me...  My dad was not hunkered down with us... he was out storm chasing with his Cannon camera, trying to get a great 'shot'.... So todays news startled me...

Our Auntie and Uncle texted to report the violent storm... & later called with a report on our yard, and that the exterior of the house was in tack.  After the text I asked our neighbor boy to take a peak inside... all was well.

A dear friend of mine called my cell... "We are in your driveway right now... to check and make sure your home is okay."

This type of loyalty and concern, shown by our family and friends... as we were 2000 miles away... is what life is all about.  Everyone had their own worries and concerns, property to check on... and these 'true & constant' people made us one of their concerns to check off the list.

IF.... the house had been gone... the yard torn up... the truck left idle for a week, smashed....

It would have been okay.... all was well, but the important thing is that those we love are unharmed...

But really things are not important ... things are replaceable.... homes, trees, flowers... all replaceable...


"A fool relies on earthly treasures ..." Jeremiah 49:4,16 - paraphrased from the Message

Our former youth pastor used to say, "Keep the main THING, the MAIN THING."

That main thing was .. and is .. and always will be.... the Lord, Jesus our Savior.

Even above our families, the Lord should be our number one....

So, are you keeping the Lord as your main 'THING'? ... was this storm a 'priority check'?

I am so thankful that all those I love and care for are safe.  Lord, thank you for the blessings you have bestowed on all of us. Amen.

day 5 & 6 ... Peterson Family Sojourn West

Day 4 concluded with us pulling up to the cabin... a herd of wild big horned sheep were on the porch, taking refuge from the hail storm.  What an amazing place we have rented.  Electric Mountain is across the road.... the view of the snow capped peaks is breath taking!

That evening we headed into Gardiner to get the lay of the land.... decided to do a quick drive into the park up to Mammoth Falls.

We spotted elk grazing right on the edge of the road... a black bear 'grubbing' for dinner... buffalo with their calves, bedding down in the hills at the north gate.

Day 5 was sunny, we decided to take advantage of the sunshine & hike the north rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellow Stone.  The trails were snow packed and lined with lodge pole pine.  What an adventure that hike was. We feared for Henry... afraid he would tumbled down the edge... we needed a tether.  We had a car-nic (Henry nicknamed our car picnic.) We says hot springs and hiked the raised walkways... we drove down to the Old Faithful in to take in the geysers.  We enjoyed an appetizer and refreshments on the upper deck of the Inn... witnessing Old Faithful erupt twice.  On the two hour drive back to the cabin we had many wildlife sightings... our youngest said his eyes were heavy & dozed into slumber.

Day 6 we headed to town ... the boys in search of a pair of binoculars.  They camp out of the rafting/camp store with a mini telescope.... and passes for a 2:30 river rafting trip.  The proprietor had grown up in Indiana.... said we had to experience the Yellow Stone River.  We suited up in wetsuits... our youngest helped demo the safety procedures.... he kept saying, "I'm a little terrified."  His big brother quoted Joshua...."Don't be terrified... be strong and courageous, for the Lord will be with you, wherever you go."

What an adventure the trip down the Yellow Stone River.... our youngest was soaked with the first rapids we hit... shrieking.... soon a massive smile spread across his face... he was enjoying our voyage.  Our oldest played riverboat roulette, standing on the mast as we paddled in a circle, trying to see how many turns he could stand for.... he beat the record of seven.

We hiked the elevated trails of Mammoth Falls, taking in a Park Ranger talk ... the boys are on their way to earning "Jr. Ranger" status...

We headed back to the cabin to grill jalapeno burgers on a grated fire pit...

As I type, I am on the front porch, a cup of coffee at my side... Electric Mountain towers above me.

Brock got the scoop on the location of grizzly sightings.  After dinner we are loading up and driving in search of a grizzly..... wait and see if our quest was successful.

Please continue to pray for our traveling mercies.... our time as a family.... we are not used to being together 26/7.... but we are making the most of it... tolerating those who the Lord has provided to be like sand paper... to smooth out our rough spots.... We have one day left in Gardiner.  Friday we head to Jackson Hole.... many more Rocky Mountain tales to follow....

day 3 & 4... Peterson Sojourn West 2011

day 3 ... family is like fish, after a few days, it starts to stink....

I have to back track a smidge to the end of day 2 in Keystone, SD.  Brock called the White House Inn & had secured a reservation for $49.95 ... new rooms, their ad had boasted.... there must have only been a few 'rooms', and our was given away... the front desk clerk (hair slicked back) offered us the 'chalet' for a 'steal'... tire and homeless, we took it. Teddy's Chalet (a tribute to Theodore Roozavelt) ended up being a 1970's house next to the hotel, that they must have purchased.... Peterson Ozark's crew, it was dumpy-er than Al Hona's guest houses.... it had a bunk bed in the dinning room, soda sleeper in the living room & a full sized bed in the master.  Now, we are not petite folks... it was a night of snuggling, vying for a sliver of mattress... & the world's smallest shower.

We had attended the 10:15 p.m. laser light show at the Crazy Horse Memorial.  It wasn't all it was cracked up to be, blaming the white men for keeping only one promise, "taking thier land." ... but the boys & I enjoyed it. On the drive home, the boys drifted into slumber, and Brock and I got to enjoy the illuminated Mt. Rushmore... magnificent.  So we hit the hay late, got a crapy nights rest, no breakfast buffet at the chalet, and no McD's in Keystone, SD.  We were tired, hungry & grumpy...

Day 3 kicked off with a rain and hail shower... accompanied by dense fog.  Not ideal conditions for viewing a nountain sculpted with the busts of our countries great leaders.  We headed to Mt. Rushmore regardless.  We gripped at each other, as I exclaimed that satan was really trying to get a grip on our hearts.  We prayed for joy, peace, love, kindness, & patience.  We bought ponchos in the gift shop & dug 3 umbrellas out of the trunk. We decided to hike the 'presidential trial,' trex decked walkways.... when we got close, the fog lifted for a few seconds & we caught a glimpse of George.another 20 feet Abe, John & Teddy made an appearance, peeking out of the curtain of fog.

The granite scape was ribboned with bubbling brooks and cascading mini waterfalls and streams, carrying the rainfall downward.  The boys exclaimed how magnificent it was, "If it wasn't raining, we would have missed these waterfalls & streams."

Child-like gratitude for the storm the Lord had graced us with.

We entered the studio of Borglum, the sculpture responsible for these mamouth busts... our Youngest got to participate in the Ranger's presentation... and we all dried out a bit.  The boys spent the morning filling our a Jr. Park Ranger scavenger hunt & were awarded Jr. Park Ranger badges.

By lunch time we were wipped ... we loaded the Yukon, made PB&J sandwiches and pointed the land yacht towards Black Hills Natl. Park.  We saw a bison, grazing a foot from the road... a herd of elk keeping a watchful eye on our vehicle.  We drove over U shaped bridges & through tunnels carved into the gigantic granite boulders.  We passed through Custer State Park and on into Wyoming.  We saw cattle ranches on the plains of Wyoming... wouldn't that be the life?  The boys and I took a much needed nap, we were all getting edgy & on one another's nerves.

We dinned in Buffalo, WY... chowing some of the golden arches finest.... no matter where you are in the world, McD's is always comfort food for Brock and I.  We have enjoyed Royals in Paris, nuggets is London, McDoubles in Costa Rica, even fries in the Virgin Islands..... McD's never screws up fast food.

When we left Buffalo, a snow plow was ahead of us.... we joked that we may run into snow... as we entered Big Horn Natl. forest, the snow began to fall.  We had entered a blizzard.  Some roadside drifts were many feet high, the fence posts staked with 18 inches of snow.  The snow plow turned around before the mountain divide.  Luckily we had 4-wheel drive. As we decended the mountain, the snow thinned.  What an amazing drive and a reminder that you are really in the Lord's hands... along for the ride.  He safely brought us down the snowy mountain.  We were blessed by His traveling mercies.

We ended us spending the night of day 3 in Cody, WY. As we drove into town we saw herds of mule deer grazing on residential lawns.  We pulled into the Cowboy Village and were able to get a king suite.... in the most adorable log cabin.... an authentic log cabin.

day 4 ... my bum hurt from three days of car sitting.... I ran 2 miles, lapping the Cowboy Village parking lot, as retired folks smoked cigarettes, drank coffee and watched me sprint.  We loaded up and went in search of boots for my youngest & I... we both had running shoes, Keen hiking sandals, and flip flops... not great footwear for the snow we are sure to encounter.

We picked up a few groceries and boots at Wal-Mart and pointed the land yacht north.  We had to drive around Yellow Stone. All of the east entrances were closed due to avalanches and mud slides.  They have experinece massive rains, abnormal for spring time.

We are currently driving on I-90... headed for our cabin in Gardiner, MT.... located just near Yellow Stone's north gate.... nicknamed the Roosevelt Arch.

I'm enjoying my Dad's favorite prairie treat, the seed of the sunflower.... listening to Taylor Swift sing me a tune from my iPod....

Brock's driving, chuckling at Adam Carolla, via headphones & iPod....

The boys are in back listening to Holes by Louis Scharr, thanks to a dual headphone splitter from Radio Shack & their iPod...

Hope we have some down time in the cabin tonight.... boil some brats in beer & onions .... teach the boys to play pitch.... if we can retrieve our patience.....

Continue to pray for our traveling mercies, and that the Lord blesses our time together as a family!

Blessings... Becca & the fellers

day 1 & 2.... Peterson Sojourn West 2011

Dear friends & fam.... sorry this is lengthy.... we've had a busy 48 hours!!!

Brock and I picked the boys up just after lunchtime Friday, the last school day of kindergarten & 3rd grade.

The boys had each written on a flower pot full of lilies, "Thanks 4 a gr-8 year!"

What amazing teachers the Lord blessed them with this past year. The have helped their minds to grow strong in head knowledge...& their hearts to grow in love of the Lord, His word & "heart knowledge."

Our youngest waved to his classmates snd said,"See ya in 1st grade!"

First grade, how did my baby grow up so fast?

We loaded up, hit the road.... & remembered we had forgot the guide book.

Once on the road we made ham sandwiches, ingredients packed in a cooler.  Did you do that on vacation as a kid.  Our cooler was a blue Coleman wit a white lid.  My dad tells stories of my Grandma Lenore's styrofoam cooler, covered in contact paper. Brock's families was a big red Colelman with a white lid. He and his brothers used to fight over who got to ride backseat 'shot gun' on the cooler.

Our cooler is a light blue Coleman, with rear wheels, a 'suitcase' type retractable handle, spit lid with cup holders.  It doubles as the macbook holder for movie viewing.

We are doing this trip the old American way... Dave Ramsey style. Our only expenses on day 1 were gas and $11 dolars worth of slurpies and tacquitos at a QT in Iowa.... $3.59 gas too, that's almost $1 cheaper than in DeMotte!

The boys watched a few movies, played DS, & grab a$$ (as Brock calls it, I call it 'nit-pic-in') .... we snacked on Twizzlers, trail mix & turkey jerky....  the fellers (as Grandpa Mike calls them) took their shirts off to ready themselves for slumber.... I caught a flash of flesh out of my peripheral vision.... our youngest was buck naked... exclaiming, "I forgot to put my briefs back on!"

The boys eventually got slap happy, giggling at the weirdest things... Our youngest wanted to have a 'cowboy campout' on the floor of the Yukon, giving his brother dibs on the bench seat.... after while, they surcombed to slumber... just in time for us to have to wake them up to go into the hotel for the night.  Our youngest was sleep walking... I hear the sound of liquid... he was taking a leak in the kitchenette garbage can.

We drove for 11 hours, covered 560-ish miles.... crossed through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa & South Dakota..... rolling into Sioux Falls at 11-ish.  We hadn't made reservations, deciding to 'fly by the seat of our pants.'  This is something we started about 3 years ago.  When we are a few hours from the destination, we look up lodging on the Garmin & start dialing the iPhone..... we have gotten some great deals on rooms doing this over the years.... $45 in Chillacothe, MO..... $80 in Ceadar Rapids, IA.... we hadn't taken into account the South Dakota State Track meet in Sioux Falls.

We ended up finding a room at the Homewood Suites, $140, not bad, very nice, excellent breakfast & pool.

This moring the boys slept in 'til 7:49 a.m.  ... gullped down some OJ, eggs & bacon.... went for a swim to burn off the pent up energy from yesterday ride.

We pointed the Yukon towards the Falls Park, a 100 foot falls, covering 123 acres... an average of 7,400 gallons of water.

www.siouxfallscvb.com

While walking the trails of the falls, the boys declared, "Isn't this majestic, God thought, I want a slab of quartz here, a boulder here to make these falls!"  Brock, told them, "Wait 'til we get to Yellowstone, it's even more majestic."

We headed west, on on I-90..... made a pit stop in Michel, Nebraska at Cabela's for a compass, bear bell & a new pair of Keens for all our peds.

The boys listened to Gary Paulson's The River, on CD.... Brock listened to podcasts: Freakenomics, Adam Corolla, Dave Ramsey.... I enjoyed the view, prairie, pastures full of bovine sunning themselves, beaver dams build in little roadside ponds, horizon as far as the eye can see, blue skies dotted with fluffs of cummulus....

I read a little Francis Chan, Crazy Love, sharing the true love of our Savior, and Jennifer Weiner told me a tale on my kindle, Fly Away Home, when my brain started to hurt. I navigated from the old State Farm map.... and was an excellent 'backseat driver.' .... & thanks to our uncle loaning us his Verizon, wireless modem, I was able to write & blog to you, upload pics, work on AGAPE 2 LEARN stuff & Marvelous Math camp I am facilitating, email-ed, facebook-ed, etc.

We arrived at the Badlands National Park by mid-day.  What an amazing piece of this earth. The boys oohh-ed & aahhed over the first little hills we approached, once again proclaiming God's majesty.  We hiked the Cliff Shelf, our youngest recognizing a choir of crickets, singing us a Badland ballad.  We spotted deer tracks in the mud along the hiking trail.

On the drive out of the park we came across a prairie dog 'town'. We stopped, the boys insisting on getting out for a closer look.  We told them that the dogs would probably retreat to their dens.  Those little rascals are used to people, they stayed on their mounds, 'chattering away' (as our youngest also observed).  On the drive we saw prong horned deer grazing, a tom turkey strutting, and antelope at play.

I wanted to stop at Wall Drug, in Wall, South Dakota. To have a soda and sundae at an old fashioned fountain.  A friend had recommended the stop, their family had done so on a South Dakota vaca a few years back.  We ended up making it there for dinner.... buffalo burgers, fries & onion rings.  After dinner, my husband exclaimed, "I'm stuffed, I don't think there's room for dessert."  Our youngest piped up with his favorite line, stolen from Todd, Grandad's ranch right-hand-man...."I'm never too full for ice cream. It just melts and fills in the extra space."  They had scoops of cookie dough.

I took a peak at their history.... cute story of the American dream.... they needed customers, put up billboards advertising 'free water,' and now serve 20,000 customers free water on a given summer day..FREE WATER. Now days we pay a couple bucks for water.  What an ingenious marketing plan, cooked up by the wife of a pharmacists, as she tried to nap with her children on a scorching summer day.

Finally we drove to Crazy Horse Memorial for a 10:15 p.m. laser light show....

Then hit the hay at the White House lodge... $79 travel steal....

Sunday, we will take in Mt. Rushmore... and head to Cody, WY....

Pray for our traveling mercies ... as we take in this great land.

Many tales & pics to follow (the wi-fi card couldn't take the upload)....

..."a spoonful of chuckles..."

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.  ~E.E. Cummings

Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.  ~Kurt Vonnegut

Now that I am 3 dozen years-old, I realized that I shouldn't take myself too seriously.  Our bodies need to laugh, chuckle, giggle and grin...

Without laughter, our bodies crave the the endorphins they are deficient in ...

This past school year, I felt myself nagging, and yelling and being the bad guy.  I didn't like it, I hated how it made me feel, I was developing a crevice in between my eyebrows from scowling.  I decided then, that life is too short to be spent is the land and persona of Oscar the Grouch.

I decided to make a few alterations in life. I began recording episodes of "The Office" on TBS. I began chuckling at and with Michael Scott and his co-workers.

I started googling and reading a knock knock joke each day.... and reading them with my boys.

I used to give my former students 'brain food" in the form of Laffy-Taffy... with a great joke on every wrapper.... their Aunt Amy has even taken to emailing them her Laffy-Taffy finds.

My boys have gotten into the joke thing.  They love telling me new ones they have heard, recently this joke came home... "What did the bacon say to the egg? You crack me up!"

On my birthday I donned a pink tutu and a pink gerbera daisy in my hair. A college friend sells them at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanies-Wonderland/267167410373

My friends took me to lunch at the golf course... and I showed up in the tutu.

It was so fun to be wacky.  My boys told me how pretty I looked.  I think they enjoyed giggling AT me.

The following day was Celebrate Reading Day at my boys school. My oldest son got to dress as his favorite book character.  He chose karate Flat Stanley, sporting his karate gi.  I was invited to be one of the many guest readers for the day.  At drop off in the morning, I was inspired by my son's teacher, dressed as Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus books.  I decided I too, HAD to dress up.  To have fun, to giggle, to be like a third grader.

I wanted to go as Fern from "Charlotte's Web."  My youngest son loves miniature things.... I went to his  baskets of mini's looking for a spider ring I was sure had been in a Halloween goodie bag from our auntie.  I found many things: an armadillo, knights, pirates, a jaguar, army guys.... but no spider.

I had to change courses.... in college I had to compile a learning portfolio, and included "Ramona, age 8" by Beverly Clearly, as a book that changed my feelings about reading.

So I took out an old t-shirt and Sharpie'd "Ramona, age 8".... dressed in the pink tutu, a pink argyle and a teal polka-dotted sock.... turquoise Mary Jane's... a purple gingham scarf as a belt, bright necklaces... a bracelet my youngest had created in preK out of a pipe cleaner & pony beads.... and two pig tails, one with the pink gerbera daisy, and one with a green dotted ribbon.

When I arrived at the school office to sign in, the secretary laughed, asking if my oldest would be embarrassed to see me?

This is what I love about my eldest.... when it was my turn to enter the classroom to read, he ran up to me, threw his arms around me, and said, "Mom, you look cute! Thanks for coming to read to us!"

I first read The Dreamer by Cynthia Rylant, and second I read one of her Henry & Mudge books, Henry & Mudge & the Tall Treehouse.

In the story The Dreamer, Rylant talks about a young artist who was bored, so He created a star.  The illustration showing hands cutting a star out of paper. Next the artist molds a blob of clay into an earth, full of ridges and boulders.... next He created blue water to cover the earth....

The story continues, the young artist creating green grass, whales to navigate the turquoise waters, and humans.  The second to the last page says that the artist has always called the humans his children... and they in turn have always called him.... God.

This story was a graduation gift from a friend I student taught with in 1997.  Such a great tale, re-penned by an award winning-outstanding-author... to look at the creation of our earth, and us... from a child-like perspective.

So.... when was the last time you enjoyed a child like tale?  When was the last time you told a knock-knock joke?  When was the last time you laughed... a deep belly laugh, from the depths of your soul?

I am glad I have stopped taking myself too seriously.... glad I am sharing laughter with my sons.... glad I will not waste my days away... for my sons and I have joy in our hearts.

.."kindergarten, all you need to know..."

Remember the book in the late 1980's  Everything I need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten. Author Robert Fulghum hit the nail on the head with a lot of the life lessons he gleaned from the kindergarten classroom.

I was a middle school teacher in my past life. My degree and license are kindergarten -9th grade.... but I never taught in the lower elementary.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to substitute in my youngest son's kindergarten class. I was a little skeptical, not sure how he would react with me as his 'teacher' for the day... He did exceptionally well, other children who know me on a social level struggled more than my own son. (insert big smile, he has come a long way these past 9 months)

I'll admit it.... I was scared to death... the 'real' kindergarten teacher is amazing... she sings a tune & they line-up in a perfect line like ants marching along.....

So I called the expert... my mother-in-law... she had taught for nearly 40 years... she is at her best when surrounded by a handful of ankle-bitters... she launched their districts full day kindergarten and now teaches the districts pre-k program......every month she sends a large manilla envelope to my youngest with all the activities she will do with her students, she copies 6 extra sets for her young grandkids.....

She emailed me 5 'new' songs.... I had them eating out of the palm of my hand..... singing about the parts of the plant to the tune of "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" ..... and to the tune of "Hush Little Baby Don’t You Cry"-'Quiet little children don’t say a word,We’re leaving our room and we shouldn’t be heard, With hands at our side we do not talk, Stay in our line as we start to walk' .....

The class had recently visited a local greenhouse.... we had to make observations in their science journals of several different pots of violets... one without soil... one without water.... one without sunlight... one with all the essential elements of survival.

We played site word BINGO, combined magnetic letters on a cookie sheet to form words, and built towers of unifix cubes when practicing addition.

We read stories by the author David Shannon, who the class was doing an author study over.  We had carpet time, and stations: including paining, which they generously used enough tempra paint to drip on the linoleum.  The morning only students left & I dinned with the full day gang on melamine trays... enjoying tater tot casserole (ask my mom, it's still a fave) a half pint of milk and an oatmeal raisin cookie.

Lots of comical things happened that day.  Kids say the darned-est things, don't they.... one pair, a boy & girl, were partners for stations... they argued the whole time like an 80 year-old married couple... her trying to boss him around... he just smiling and nodding, until he'd had enough....

We had 'resting time' for them to lay on their mats while I read them a story.

I helped little boys make it all the way across the monkey bars while on recess duty... I helped another boy hunt for a bug for the bug house he had brought for recess that day.

I have the alarm on my iPhone set to remind me to leave to pick my own boys up from school... I have it set to quack like a duck, my brain seems to ignore a buzz or ring.... at 2:35p.m. the phone went off and one little girl exclaimed, "Mrs. Peterson, you pocket is quacking!"

I decided that all people should have recess every day.  Young and old alike... if you get some fresh air in your lungs.... play and laugh some, you will be a happier, healthier being.

I was reminded of the lessons we as grown-ups sometimes forget.....

*  Say please & thank you....
*  Be respectful of others & their property...
*  Use your ears to listen, your eyes to observe and your hand in the air to politely call attention to yourself....
*  Be thankful for your blessings, as they prayed to start and end their day, and to bless their lunch to their bodies use...

In the book of Matthew, Jesus told his apostles, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them."

What I learned from the 5 & 6 year old students that day is that they are uninhibited.... they freely wear their hearts on their sleeves. They cry when they are hurt, they laugh when they are jolly. They give hugs when they think you need one. Children give freely.

At some point in our development, probably between the ages of 10 and 20, we allow our culture and it's expectations... to "culture-ize" us ...  to rule us... to govern our thoughts and feelings.... to confine, to inhibit, to allow us to feel judged...
to make our actions guarded.... a way of sealing off our souls, to prevent judgement and embarrassment....

Over the past decade I have been on a long slow journey... I learned that I too, need to freely come to the Lord... that I need to live a life that is not hindered with societies expectations of how I should act.

I ended the day with a tootsie-pop for 'brain food' (we had worked hard) & asked each of them to give me: a handshake, hug or high five.... that's what let me know they survived!

…”fill-er-up…”

 A friend just called me a few days ago and exclaimed…”I get it, I finally understand what you were telling me about being filled with the Holy Spirit.  We had a conversation where you told me about how much fuller life is with the Holy spirit… and to be honest, I thought you were nuts…. But I get it now.”

I am now a spirit filled person…. It has been a long journey to get here again….

I say ‘again’ because I really believe that as children, we are very spirit filled…. Sometime between puberty and adulthood…. Life and society warp us, if we allow them to.

I was a child who loved the Lord.  In public kindergarten I drew a picture of Jesus as my best friend in a book about me…. The next year my folks enrolled me in Catholic School, realizing and meeting my spiritual need to be surrounded with believers. 

As a teen I loved the Lord, but selfishness and the need for attention thought achievement won me over…. And I wasn’t thanking the Lord for those talents…. I was a Kansas State medalist in track, I was a cheerleader in the Macy’s Day Parade and performed on NBC tv…. I cheered for Kansas University in the 1992 Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii….. I was accepted to camps for exceptional future teachers…. I traveled as an ambassador of Kansas to a American Rural Electric Coop gathering in Steamboat Springs, Colorado…. I was elected to return the next summer, & then asked back the summer after that…. I taught  a camp at Kansas State University, Summer Adventure, mostly for professors children … and was asked back to lead the camp the following summer…. I was on the Dean of the college of Education list…. I was awarded Outstanding Student of Elementary Education at my 1997 college graduation…..

A life of achievements piled up….. then I was just an elementary teacher…. I had such a hard time when life was no longer a list of achievements to be racked up…… 6^th and 7^th graders did not care what I had done in life.  They really only cared about what I was doing for them.  I had to learn to live each day for the Lord…. Allowing the Holy Spirit to fill me, use me, be the salt and light to all around me….

Life being filled by the spirit is rich and full… everything is brighter, colors are more colorful… I see the beauty of nature around me…. I see the Lord’s hand in all things….

So how does one become filled with the Spirit?

You have to be faithful in your prayer life.

You have to have spiritual friends, who support you & keep you accountable on your spiritual journal.

You have to be in the word. I have to find ways to make it fit into my busy life…. Many days I am in scripture on my iPhone or on wwww.biblegateway.com I love to sit with my 12 year old bible, a gift from my husband when I joined my first women’s Bible study… it was on the book of Ezra, I was back in Ezra this past winter with my Living Fire small group….. so fun to read 12 year old notes….

Five years ago I read a book by the late Henri Nouwen,  In the Name of Jesus.1

Nouwen was a Catholic priest who taught at Notre Dame, Harvard and Yale. He left Yale and went to live in a community of mentally handicapped individuals.  There he was just Henri, not Herni Nouwen the Yale educator…. According to Nouwen it was life altering, humbling at it’s finest.  When Nouwen would travel and give lectures, he would always travel with one of the men form the handicapped community…. To keep him real, to keep him humble, to keep him spirit filled….

Remember the saying, "you are what you eat?"  If you eat mostly junk food, your body is junk.... if you eat healthy food, fruit & veggies, your body is health.  The same is true with your spirit. You have to feed it.... food for the soul.  

In Galatians the apostle Paul explains the fruits of the spirit....

Galatians 5:22-23 (Today's New International Version)

 "²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

To have a healthy soul... a spirit filled soul, you must fill it with these things... LOVE
JOY
PEACE
PATIENCE
KINDNESS
GOODNESS
FAITHFULNESS
GENTLENESS
SELF-CONTROL

If you fill your soul with the opposite, anger, hate, grumpiness, badness, roughness, out-of-control-ness.... you will be "what you eat"...

I had the biggest smile on my face as my friend told her story…. How she thought I was wacked out back when I first told her about my spiritual life…. How she now gets it….

What joy it brings to be used by the Lord… to be a blessing to others… to share a spirit filled life…

So dear reader....  what do you fill your soul with? Definately food for thought... pun intended....

1 Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus (New York, NY.: The Crossroads Publishing Company., 1989)