Words By Wendy

2011-08-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

On August 31, Daddy will be gone 18 years...one year more of missing him,

one year closer to seeing him again

Daddy wrote this poem when I was 3 months old...

FOR THIS CHILD WE PRAYED

By William H. Rutherford

One day we prayed
Not for a little girl
Not even for a child

We had been joined short weeks ago
In holy bond

God made His presence real
Through happy days
In wondrous ways
We saw the riches of His grace
From place to place

In different ways
He led us to Himself
To closer be

One day, one week, one month we prayed
Not for a little girl
Not even for a child
But this: to better know His will for days to come

One day we saw God in a child’s face
And that day knew His will
Frail product of His matchless grace
To teach us how to pray, believe and live
Our place to fill

For days to come, this is our task – His will
To take this life from Him
And teach it, show it how to live

That she may someday choose
To give her life back to Him.

2/10/66

Not Again!

2011-08-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Oh my word. I avoided the pulpit recently because I don't want to hear political comments from the platform. It's 4 for 4 with certain messages. Political comments don't belong there. Especially when the bias is showing. I for one don't care what candidate they are talking about - it is not appropriate. The Bible reminds us to pay our taxes and pray for our leaders. And that all governments are put in place by God - and that one day, every knee will bow. Can't think of a verse or passage where Jesus was disrespectful to the leaders of His day - even as they crucified Him.

I won't even get into the whole Christianity does not = Americanism. There are plenty of places that explain it better than I could.

redletterchristians.org

(as in following Jesus' words (the ones in red lettes in some New Testaments) )

sojourners.com

So in church can we just concentrate on worshipping Jesus? Learning to become more like Him? And loving like He did? And remembering what God requires of us who call ourselves Christians?

Micah 6:8 - "Do justice. Love mercy. And walk humbly with God."

Lord help me.

Psalm 46:10 was my personal verse today.

“Be still (another version puts it "Cease Striving" - and that's a tall order for me to follow sometimes)
and KNOW (accept, meditate on)
that (what? Here is is....)
I am God" (i.e. He does not need my help!)

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS 2011

2011-08-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

Dorney Park with our friends the McCarthys

Nick's first trip with the youth group to Harvey Cedars (a town on Long Beach Island, NJ)

The Bible camp there has a week just for junior highers - about 70 from our church joined some other churches. A week of great speakers, worship bands, sports, beach time, and all the crazy fun junior highers can have by just being the awesome kids that they are

My sister Kristen's son, Matthew, age 10, flew out to see us and we had an awesome time showing him parts of PA, NYC, and the Jersey Shore.

Here are some pictures that capture our time with him (he's an awesome kid, self assured, very polite, and definitely has the gift of encouragement - I'll never forget him cheering Nick on during 2 outdoor summer league basketball games.) He also has a great laugh.

Making the "Lemonade for Sale" sign

First customer - Great Uncle Bob drove all the way from NJ in his BMW and

paid the boys $5 each - what a guy!

Ocean City, NJ

All tuckered out on the way home

A favorite stop in NYC - Dylan's Candy

(Dylan Lauren - don't each too much or you won't fit

in her father Ralph's jeans)

It Is Well

2010-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

On November 21, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic the S.S. Ville Du Havre was struck by an iron sailing vessel and two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, including all four of hymn writer Horatio Spafford's daughters.

Somehow, his wife Anna survived. She sent a telegram to Horatio with the words "Saved Alone."

Spafford then took a ship to England, going past the place where his daughters had died. The hymn "It Is Well" was written in 1873 in mid-Atlantic.

Today, October 1, we are dealing with the aftermath of a lot of flooding in PA. It makes me think of the Flood of '55 that took the lives of my dad's first wife and kids - now I really get it, why when I was a kid my dad sang with gusto in church that old hymn he loved....

"When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows rolll

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say

It is well.It is well.with my soul"

That day in '55 was not OK. But eternity was. ♥ you Daddy.

N.B. Eminem - Peddle Your Crap Somewhere Else

2010-09-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight my son and I downloaded a bunch of new songs on his ipod - nothing like sharing the headphones with him, enjoying everything from Michael Jackson to Green Day. And he kindly told me some of "my songs" that are on his ipod, he could do withoout LOL!

Our main topic of conversation was the song he'd listened to with a friend on the bus today - apparently they are obsessed with Eminem's (he thought it was spelled "M & M") "Love The Way You Lie" - so we talked about it.

And why they like him, why he sings about hitting women, huffing, and every other abomination...why Megan Fox starts in the video (which we watched together - he was horrified...), how it all comes down to economics.

Sex sells. Violence sells. Macho sells. And why we don't buy that stuff at our house.

Here is Eminem (with a little help from domestic abuse victim Rihanna - so sad):

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts

Just gonna stand there and hear me cry

Well that's all right because I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like

And right now it's a steel knife in my windpipeI can't breathe but I still fight while I can fight

As long as the wrong feels right it's like I'm in fligh

tHigh off her love, drunk from my hate, it's like I'm huffin' pain

And I love it the more I suffer, I suffocate

And right before I'm about to drown, she resuscitates me, she fckkin' hates me

And I love it, "wait, where you goin'?""I'm leavin' you," "no you ain't come back
(HE HITS MEGAN FOX AND STRANGLES HER)

"We're runnin' right back, here we go againSo insane, cause when it's goin' good it's goin' great

I'm superman with the wind at his back, she's Lois Lane

But when it's bad it's awful, I feel so ashamed I snapWhose that dude?

I don't even know his nameI laid hands on her

I'll never stoop so low againI guess I don't know my own strength
(HE FEELS SORRY FOR PUMMELING HER IN THE VIDEO)

I just want her backI know I'm a liar if she ever tries to fuckin' leave again

I'ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire

I'll spare you all and end it there.

P.S. Hey Eminem........got a message for ya. DON"T MESS WITH MY SON.

Going On Now!! BARGAINS & BLESSINGS BENEFIT

2010-09-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

Had a great idea - I am going through my decor and those of you who know me know I have lots of great stuff between my stints in retail, work at a country decorating store, and love of bargains.

I have soooo many things now that it is time to weed through it all. It is on my deck (out back) - come and take what you want anytime between 9 am and 9 pm now thru Sept. 25.

I usually take things to the Goodwill or the Care & Share in Souderton, but that means driving it over, or setting up a pick up time, and I just don't have the energy. Yes, I could use the tax receipt. But....I am thinking this is the way God wants me go about it this time. The following is just a sampling of the purses, furniture, dried flowers, seasonal decor, etc.

So it's yours and it's free - now thru on 9/25. But I'd also like it to be a blessing to those who don't have the luxury of weeding through their decor. It's my idea of a gala. Or a benefit. Let's call it the "Bargains and Blessings Benefit".

Wayne, Nick and I will be spending the night with some homeless adults and children in a few days as they are housed at a local church for the month. In transition, these families (often kids at our local elementary schools) are in desperate need of practical encouragement.

If you are so inclined, you may leave a donation for the Interfaith Hospitality Network - money, Wawa gift cards, or canned/boxed (food) goods. If you give cash/gift cards, leave it under the mat on the deck.

We will donate these items on your behalf on Sept. 26.

Thank you and happy shopping!

A Very Good Tuesday

2010-09-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

Today started out pretty well considering I went to bed a decent time, slept well (not always a possibility, even medicated), and did Yoga while Nick was finishing his homework. Did I say Yoga? As in exercise?

Wonders never cease! Yes, I took advantage of Comcast On Demand and did Yoga - for beginners. Now I know the Mountain Pose, Downward Dog (w/ my own accommodations), Child's Pose, etc. And I saluted the Son. Not the sun like the instructor said, but the One who made the Sun. I may never worship again like I did this morning, but I am full of hope!

It felt great, gave me energy, and didn't hurt my knees.

Then as Nick stood at the bus stop with his buds, I wore my Jackie-O sunglasses and hid incognito in the car with the paper and my coffee lest he be abducted by some stranger right under my nose (it happens, right?).

Then I was off to Bible Study - haven't been to a bible study at this church in several years - have had them in my house for a long time for other people. It was great, but always a lot of work, emotionally and spiritually. It was great to be refreshed this morning as I heard Priscilla Shirer (a black Beth Moore if you ask me! daughter of Tony Evans - awesome speaker) talk about the life of David. I'm excited to see how God works in my heart to help be me more like Him and as I mother my son into manhood.

Then I went shopping at my some of my favorite haunts - the thrift stores run by the Mennonites in Souderton. Scored: Coldwater Creek sweater for $8, candle holder in purple and green for $4, and a few other goodies. With what I dropped off at the back in terms of donations, I came out even thanks to the tax receipt.

Didn't hurt that I ran into 3 friends doing the exact same thing - one in particular, Judi M, reminded me how much I am loved. Sometimes you need that reminder!

After that it was time to pick up Nick so he could head home to hear President Obama speak to him. We started the tradition last year, that whomever is president, we will stop school and listen. Unfortunately, our district does not air the speech as some do - last year, they cited "technology concerns" as if it was too hard to hook up. Not that I believed that, mind you.

Many other districts around here followed suit. But this year, they wised up. Apparently, the figured out how to hook things up and work a President's live speech to school children into the curriculum. Amazing!

Not our district - they took the easy way out to avoid offending people. Whatever. (I really hate that word but to spare us all, I'll leave it at "whatever"). So I took Nick home, and the following is my new Facebook post:

thank you Mr. President for telling my son he needs to put forth "Effort" and not ride the coat tails of his natural ability. And for reminding us that his potential is "God-given". Wish you had been on my couch instead of on my TV when he said "since you took me out of school for the speech, can I just stay home for the afternoon?" HELLO! Have you not been listening to the President?? ♥

Then.......I headed to the middle school to be trained on "stream mapping" for an outdoor field trip. The highlight of the day was cooking with friends at an evening Pampered Chef party on my deck..complete w/ the firepit (tended my my hubby) and a warm cherry dessert.

All in all, a very good Tuesday.

HELD

2010-08-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

The following is one of my favorite songs by Natalie Grant.
Natalie Grant

The song was written by her friend, a mother who knows.
this says it all

HELD

Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling
Who told us we'd be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
We're asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it's unfair

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

If hope is born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our savior

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life ~ And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell ~ We'd be held

Visiting Daddy

2010-08-14T18:12:00.001-07:00

Today I visited my dad's grave. For only the second time since 1993. He died on August 31 that year. But since he doesn't inhabit the ground, I haven't felt the need to make a yearly pilgrimage, so to speak, to the grave marker. It's just a plaque. He's not there.

But as I get older, as as Nick gets older, I have felt the need to return. And I'm glad I did. Obviously, it was long overdue. As soon as Wayne found it (my directionally-impaired self could not seem to find "Section C"), I lost it. I just started sobbing. And sobbing.

I was on my knees in seconds, without thought of the pain that usually I'm so aware of when I get down that low. I tore away the grass and dirt with no thought to my manicured nails. No thought to anything except how much I love my father.

Next to his marker was another one. That one needed even more clearing and cleaning. It had been there since August 19, 1955.

I was sobbing just as much when I cleared that one. For that one was engraved with the name of his first wife and the sister I never knew.

My dad's grave had his name on it and the brother I never knew.

Let me backtrack.

My dad was born in 1908. He married Jean and they had 4 children. Jean and the 2 youngest, Jimmy and Susan, were killed in the Pennylvania Flood of '55. (My dad was at work at the time and got a call that Jean and the children were "gone".) They had been vacationing at a Christian family camp in the Poconos (and birthed Spruce Lake where Nick now goes in the summer) with lots of other moms and kids - between a hurricane and some other freak conditions, hundreds of people died on August 19th that year.

Click here for a link to the book that details the events of the flood.

My dad, a pastor, flew in from Morocco (where he'd been working) to JFK Airport;his two oldest sons shepherded him through the press who were anxious to know "how does it feel to be a pastor and have God wipe out your family?"

Daddy knew it wasn't God - it was a terrible act of nature, and a human tragedy; the kind that happens because we live in the world we do. What he also knew that it was God who gave him the ability to get through it. He described the spirit of God giving him a kind of "holy anesthesia" - holding him together so he could do what needed to be done.

One thing that needed to be done was search for bodies. He found Jean's. And Susan's. But never Jimmy's. That was a sadness he carried with him till the day he died. Never having found his son's body - after all, he was only 8. Susan had been 6.

Years later, my dad married my mom - then I came along, followed by my sister. We were fortunate and blessed to have a dad who loved us so well that all the blogs in the world could not detail. He loved Jesus and loved his girls. Loved animals (he had an octupus and a monkey at one time) - loved to laugh - loved it when my 6'6" husband called him (who stood 5'6") "Big Guy".

My husband cried today too. For the father-in-law he only knew a few years. My dad kneeled every day at 4:30 am, before he went to work, to pray for the man I would someday marry...those prayers and so many more on my behalf were answered. I had a daddy who prayed - to a God who loves me even more than he could.

Thank you Daddy - I love you.

Love Me, Never Leave Me

2010-02-19T19:38:00.001-08:00

This is a title of a great book about the fear of abandonment and issues of control that often come along with it.

Control freak anyone? I'm learning lots about myself and highly recommend this book.

Love Me, Never Leave Me - by Marilyn Meberg.

Find it used at www.half.com or at www.womenoffaith.com

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas 2009! Wayne, Nick and I remember you all fondly as your cards, letters, and pictures come in (and blog posts!)

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is celebrating Christmas with friends. Every year, I host a "Christmas Coffee" - nothing like 20 good girlfriends and fresh roasted beans.

NICK turned 11 in November and celebrated with a Wal-Mart Scavenger Hunt, pizza & cake. With his bounty of gift cards and cash, he bought an electric guitar (among other things). Yikes! He loves art and playing the oboe.

WENDY continues to substitute teach, work a few afternoons a week at our local hospital, sell AVON and above all, maintain a thriving social life!

WAYNE had his 25th HS reunion this year and had a great time reconnecting with old friends - one even gave him tickets to a Phillies playoff game. He and his Dad sat with the players' families - it was awesome. Dietrich Associates had a rough year with the economy but we're hanging in there!

TRIPS & TRAVEL are a big part of our lives. Highlights this year were trips to Ocean City MD, Cape Cod, and Colorado to see Wendy's family. We also see Wayne's folks often as they are nearby in Lancaster County.

Have a blessed Christmas and a great start to 2010!

Love, Wayne, Wendy & Nick

Learning to be a Self-Advocate

2009-12-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

Nick, on Wednesday, learned a valuable lesson. The power of self-advocating. He has become increasingly frustrated (as have we) with the Everyday Math curriculum used in his school district at the elementary level. It is one that relies too much on manipulatives (counting on fingers, counting circles, etc) and does not rely on "math facts". Consequently, students are still being groomed in the times tables in the fall of 5th grade!

He's in the gifted program and his scores on standardized/intelligence tests are almost off the charts so our concern is that he be challenged in school. It doesn't seem to be a major problem in any subject except math.

In order to effect a change, we needed to initiate a meeting with 3 teachers and 2 administrators (the homeroom teacher, math teacher, gifted teacher, the gifted supervisor, and the principal). All of them, plus us, were in a conference room with Nick whom we have made an official member of the GIEP (Gifted Individualized Education Plan) Team.

Our goal was to require his teacher to give him challenging assignments once he demonstrated that he is proficient in the math being taught. Previously, his only challenges were "extra papers" that could earn "extra tickets" - they did not interest him at all, as they were skills he was capable of at the end of first grade.

During the meeting, we tried to stick to the main point - that Nick is frustrated, needs more challenge, and he needs to be able to self-advocate. I proceeded to explain why the math curriculum is deficient and why it concerns us as parents. It wasn't about his teacher, or her teaching ability (she is a very kind and competent educator)

We got what we needed and Nick was a huge part of that. He explained in very direct and convincing terms why he deserves to be challenged and educated to the level his ability necessitates.

Great reading for all parents is William Bennett's The Educated Child.

Master Class - Skincare & Makeup

2009-11-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

Skincare & Makeup alert: here’s an excerpt from a newsletter I issued to my clients…enjoy!

SKIN CARE 101

Skin Type is classified by the amount of oil (sebum) the skin produces. Dry skin has too little, Normal skin has the right amount, and Oily skin has too much. If your T-zone and cheek area differ, you have Combination Skin. Skin type is genetically predisposed, but is also the result of environment, stress, and diet.

Key Question: What concerns you most about your skin?
How does your face feel 10 minutes after washing?

Daily Rx for Skin:
1. Cleanse
2. Scrub or Mask (if desired)
3. Tone
4. Repair Product (if desired)
5. Moisturizer
6. Eye Crème

COLOR THEORY 101

Color Theory applies to the face or complexion in terms of undertone. Undertones are the underlying color of the skin, and are either:
• Cool (blue undertone)
• Warm (yellow undertone)
• Neutral (balanced blue and yellow undertones)

You can wear whatever makeup colors you want to. However, you will look most natural wearing the colors of your undertone. Wearing the opposite undertone, you’ll look more dramatic.

All makeup (lipstick, foundation, etc.) starts out in the factory either blue or yellow

Lip Tip - Want your lipstick to last?

• First blend concealer on your lips. Just like primer before you paint your walls, it will help your lip color to "stick".
• Then, outline your lips and fill them in with the liner. Pretend you are coloring and color within the lines! Filling in is very important! Otherwise, when lipstick naturally wears off, you will be left with an unsightly "outline"!
• Then, apply lip color over lipliner.
• DO NOT press lips together and rub! Just blot gently with a tissue. Lightly dust powder over lips (thru a one ply tissue) if you wish and apply a second coat. It's insurance!
• DONE!

FUN FACTS:

• in the golden days of Hollywood, makeup artists used tape and string to pull up aging brows (sounds like fun)
• don't shower or bathe for more than 20 minutes or you'll risk drying out the skin
• you have a window of 3 minutes to apply moisturizer after bathing - applied to slightly damp skin, it will seal in moisture thereby halting evaporation
• 59% of women age 18 and over cite dry skin as their major concern
• 52% of all women say their top concern is wrinkles
• normal skin has a protective barrier, much like Saran Wrap
• sensitive skin has a low tolerance for fragrances & dyes - identifying what disrupts the barrier and protecting it with the right moisturizer = thicker skin
• excessive daily scrubbing can cause the skin to produce more sebum (pore clogging oil)
• scrub or peel only 2 - 3 times/week
• a blackhead is a clogged pore exposed to light - the light oxidizes the bacteria and turns it black
• a whitehead is a clogged pore not exposed to light
• lotions adequate in the summer months leave skin vulnerable in the winter - listen to your skin and adjust your products accordingly

ADOPTION

2009-11-18T06:06:00.000-08:00

Considering international? I would recommend International Families in South Philly....they are incredibly effective in the countries they work with at whatever time you're involved with them (that all changes due to the world political climate). When we adopted Nick on 4/20/01, international adoptions shut down in that country several days later.

They haven't opened since.

Even though the US gov't threatened to keep them out of NATO should they not rethink their policy. Then came Iraq. And conveniently for Romania, our troops needed to march through there, so the US said "OK. Keep your kids in orphanages until they wind up on the streets or in mental institutions at the age of 18. And, you can be in NATO! If you let us march on the way to Iraq..."

But I digress..........

The guy in charge, Bob, is a lawyer and anthropologist with one goal - getting you a child. He is not interested in being your best friend, or making a good impression. He's a bit of a maverick and walking into his office, I would have walked out had I not known his reputation. It looked like a disaster area! Yesterday's jeans thrown over the chair, papers everywhere - a MESS! But thankfully I didn't go with appearances. I went with his reputation and the advice of friends who had used him (and I trust their judgement immensely).

He is interested in being quick, cost effective, etc. Results are what matter to him. He was a blessing! Even met us at the aiport when we got off the plane with Nick and his staffers over in Romania who flew back with us.

www.4adoption.com

ON BEING ADOPTED

2009-11-07T10:30:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday, Wayne was driving Nick and I to the airport as we were headed to Colorado to see family. Out of the blue, and on the Blue Route, known around here are Rte. 476, Nick says "Today in Mr. Graver's class, we had to list three things we are thankful for. Then we had to pick which one we were most thankful for." I picked "being adopted by you guys."

For any of you adoptive parents out there, Wayne highly recommends this book:
Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self.

At any rate, this was something Nick had said before and he knows his entire story - every detail. And it usually makes him quite happy. However, true to what this book suggests, he is coming to an age where he is mentally able to make some sad conclusions:

"You know what I just realized? The only reason I could be adopted is because my real parents didn't want me." And he started to well up with tears. Needless to say, so did we. Poor Wayne is driving in crazy traffic and I wished I could jump out of the front seat and hug him.

I asked Nick how long he'd been mulling this over. "It just hit me, right now," he said.

Wow. Even though I knew the answer, I knew it was important to ask him how it made him feel. He is very emotinally in-touch and he likes to verbalize his emotions.

He told us how it made him feel; we listened. The first thing we said was how normal it was to feel like that and and that even though we "get it", we won't ever really understand that feeling because we weren't adopted. We don't know how it feels.

We spent the rest of the time reminding him of some very important things. He knows what abortion is, what childhood slavery is, and what being "dropped on a doorstep" is (a friend once told him he was a Nazi and that his parents left him on a doorstep - true to form, Nick told him to stop but when he didn't , he let him have it. The kid was sore the rest of the day).

So we reminded him that his mom loved him. That she left him at the hospital where he could be cared for. And that she came to visit him 4 months later when he was admitted with pneumonia. (I'm so glad I know that - what a gift to be able to give him!) And that she would be so proud of him.

What I didn't think of until talking with another adoptive mom, is that he needs permission to love both her and me. He doesn't have to choose. We adopted Nick in April of 2001, when he was 2 1/2. That November, when he turned 3, I wrote this:

To Mirela ~

What through, while the wonders of God exploring
I cannot your mind or your feelings attend
Nor can comprehend the gift I’ve received
Sweet baby Nicholas, the enthusiast’s friend

Why couldn’t you care for his brothers and sisters?
When you birthed him, why did you leave him alone?
Please don’t think I judge you, I’m just glad he’s my own

Thank you for leaving him at the hospital that day
And for the visit four months later, though you could not stay
Were you poor? Where you ill? Was your mind not quite right?
Whatever the reason, it’s really all right

I tell him about you, and your husband too
How God had other plans for me and for you
I know where you live and how I wish I could look
At you and ponder our storybook

You gave him those big, bright brown eyes
That infectious giggle - that smile so wide
I give him love, and teach him new words
He notices everything, even the birds

He’s learning to count and play “hide and seek”
He brings pennies to church that he saves every week
Maybe someday we’ll meet you but until then we’ll pray
That someone will say “Jesus loves you” today

What through, while the wonders of God exploring
I cannot your mind or your feelings attend
Nor can comprehend the gift I’ve received
Sweet baby Nicholas, the enthusiast’s friend

I will always remember the gift that you gave
You changed my life forever that day

11/22/01
Nicholas’ 3rd birthday
and Thanksgiving Day, 2001

A horse is a horse, of course!

2009-11-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing to do in all the world is ride a horse. I haven't done it in years, until today, mostly due to the cost of renting a horse for an hour's pleasure ride. Other things are dominating my financial priorities lately - but....I really need to make it more of a budgeted priority.

Today, courtesy of my sister's friend here in Colorado, I rode a beautiful horse. Ruby Tuesday is her name and she's got a smooth gait, a calm sense about her and is just all around great pleasure horse. As I rounded the end of the ring where my sister and her friend were watching, they told me "your butt's a little off center - on the right" - as I continued to ride, I tried to overcompensate by leaning left and putting most of my considerable weight on the left side of the saddle.

It didn't help. Not only did it not help, it got worse. By the time I was in mid-canter, the saddle came completely undone (if you know horses, you know they inflate their belly while you're tightening the girth because they don't want that saddle too tight! Well, by the time you ride for a while, what was "comfortable" for the horse is "undone" for the rider!)

Once I realized I was going down, come hell or high water, I purposed to slide off slowly, casually, and land on my butt (not my arm or shoulder) - which I did. Poor Nick was in tears. My sister was cracking up hysterically (and still was 2 hours later).

I've been on horses since I was 10 years old. And I've been thrown off a few. So this was quite different - just a casual "slip and slide". Even the horse just slowed to stop and stood there, looking at me like "Well...get up!"

I did eventually, and felt fine. Until later when I had to use an ice pack the size of a bath towel to swaddle myself!

Still, it was worth it. I even got back on, post-fall for a few more smooth canters. Watching Nick ride was awesome too. He was 5 last time he'd been on a horse and he loved it. Jeannie, Ruby Tuesday's owner, led the horse around on a lead while Nick enjoyed a slow walk.

Then we groomed him when we were done and fed her her favorite treats - what a perfect afternoon.

This Is It

2009-11-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

I just came back from the Michael Jackson movie, "This Is It". We 4 ladies really enjoyed it - it was a testament to his immense talent, his childlike-ness, and the gracious, humble way he interacted with those working for him.

The "Man In The Mirror" song reminded me of Romans 12:1-2 and how transformation is at the core of what needs to happen to all of us on a regular basis. Our church is currently doing a study on Transformation and it has been a great encouragement to me and I hope to many others. Part of the process of spiritual transformation involves regular practice of the disciplines like prayer and solitude.

I wonder how much solitude entertainers/athletes in the public eye are able/willing to get. I've been reading a bit lately about three of my favorite entertainers and athletes and they all seem to have been pushed into their career by stage crazy parents who manipulated them and used them to accomplish selfish goals.

Despite all three of them having achieved monumental success in terms of their craft, and despite financial rewards beyond what most of us can imagine, the pain in the lives of these three was and is so palpable.

I wonder what it would have been like to, at some point, get off the treadmill they were on and pursue a life that was calm, happy, and centered - on the things that truly were fulfilling and deeply satisfying.

It makes me think of Eric Liddell, who despite being a champion athlete, gave it all up. Not because he hated it or because he found himself managing a lifestyle beyond his control.

Eric left it behind because transformation was at the core of his being. He regularly spent time in solitude, and prayer, and having conversations with God. And he knew God had something bigger and more important in store for him.

Read his story. Show your kids the movie - Chariots of Fire you'll be glad you did. Eric Liddell is portrayed beautifully in this song:

"...there once was a boy who could run like the wind

Given to lead, he was every man's friend at the line

But the light from the cross made his dream appear small

And to their surprise he went far from it all

For the love of His Savior, for one priceless jewel

The could not understand so they called him a fool

He is no fool if he would choose

To give the thing he can not keep

To gain what he can never lose

To see the treasure in one soul

That far outshines the brightest gold

He is no fool, he is no fool.."

(from He is No Fool by Twila Paris)

"...

Family Fun

2009-10-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Wayne was at the Phillies game the night Jimmy Rollins had the great hit in the 9th inning...what a birthday present! We'd had Wayne's 25th HS reunion several days earlier and a high school pal hooked him up with 2 tickets in the players' section. After the game, Wayne high-fived Mrs. Jamie Moyer. Pretty cool.

Nick and I stayed home to bake.

Memories like that are the best.

COLORADO BOUND

2009-10-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

Nick and I are off to Colorado in a few days to see my mom, aunt & uncle, and my sister Kristen and her family - Kristen's newest addition (and the reason we're VERY excited about out trip) is her precious daughter, Karli.

ABUSE OF POWER

2009-10-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a long time - I write often but not always on here. It's my blog - if I want to update it, I will! Sooner or later LOL.

Billy Joel's song "Extremes" describes me in more ways than one - and it definitely describes my blogging style.

I've been contemplating lately how my dad handled bullies - he'd seen many by the time I was born (he was 57 by then but I'm willing to bet that memories of his physically abusive, alcoholic dad (who is rumored to have committed suicide) were still fresh in his mind).

What's really troubling to me is that he faced bullies at church. Can you imagine? Of all places. Somehow it makes me think of the "sheep & the goats" passage in Scripture. The people I'm remembering from the 70's and 80's make my blood cold.

I grew up in a great church, much like the 2 I've attended in my adult life - fantastic places where Jesus was preached, people were reached and the Bible was relevant to life.

But still, there were problems at my home church...not run-of-the-mill problems you have every time people get together. Problems that in today's understanding, we know as abuse.

Abuse of power. My dad, a pastor (not the church's pastor but an ordained minister who had had his own churches both here and abroad) was widely considered the church "prayer warrior" along with a few other saints. Just last month I was at the Women of Faith Convention in Philadelphia and met up with two old friends....both of whom my dad prayed for faithfully - Joanne was quick to remind me how much she counted on Bill's prayers.

I didn't find out till adulthood about the "bullies" my dad faced in prayer meeting. And on the elder board. Comments like "sit down old man" and the like. And the ones that bullied him, harassed other sensitive, fragile, easy-to-pick on men. Takes a lot of courage to bully men like that.

I wonder what he'd say to me today? I've found myself several times on the end of attacks from church leaders. Sometimes I knew about it. Other times, I only know because I've been told by others (who find it quite disturbing and threaten to tell church leadership). The troubling thing is, it's not just me. This is a pattern of attempted dominance and coercion with a trail of victims.

I've been a bully too. With my words. Sometimes I'm brutally honest with the emphasis on the brutal. When your words and emotions take over, you find out real quickly who your friends are. The ones I really cherish are the ones who say "Whoa, Wendy - hold on. Rein it in girl!" Or the ones who call me from out of state saying "my friends and I are reading your posts - you are cracking us up. But boy! Are you ticking people off!"

The people I tick off? They know it's me, I know it's them, and we always make up and wind up apologizing (usually me more than them b/c I have more to apologize about) to each other - and growing in the process. And learning more about each other's views, and trusting that the Christ that holds us together is what counts.

The ebb and flow of relationships is not easy, and sometimes painful, but real friendship/real families have stress. Truthfully, I hate interpersonal stress but it can't be avoided.

While the Bible is very serious about teachers and elders having tremendous responsibility both for themselves and their families, I think my dad would say "Be still. And know that HE is God." And he'd know the reference for that verse too - he spent hours soaking up God's word in that easy chair of his!

Church conflict is so especially tough - in an environment where we try to express God's grace to those who don't know Him, we often have trouble having grace with each other. And ourselves, when we blow it.

Just a few weeks ago at my church, the senior pastor and church board expressed concern over the congregation's angry responses to some proposals of theirs. But they also expressed regret for presenting things harshly...all in all, I've never seen a more poetic display of humility and grace.

It was refreshing! And a great model for me.

BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ

2009-01-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

"An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield Jamison.....

Dr. Jamison is a leader in the psychiatric field and writes most personally about bipolar disorder. She takes you into the terrifying spiraling madness as both one who suffers, and as a clinician.

Reading this book was eye-opening and terrifying, almost as though I was reading about myself. The description of what one's mind goes through during mania and depressive episodes is dead on.

CHRISTMAS 2008

2009-01-01T04:14:00.000-08:00

Officially, it is 2009 already, and our Christmas cards have gone out - most with pictures. Every year, we (I) write a letter...we'll try it on the blog this time.

NICK turned 10 in November and celebrated with 3 friends. We took them to a hotel for an overnight stay, complete with pool, pizza, and Kung Fu Panda. We spent the next day at the Franklin Institute.

He also had 17 friends over one day after school for pizza and backyard football. In retrospect, that was too many friends for a house our size! But Nick is blessed with many good friends and even at 17, they weren't all there.

Nick is a loyal and kind friend, compassionate and trustworthy. He continues to learn to stand up for himself and enjoys pleasing his teacher. Sometimes, he is too concerned with that, so Wendy encouraged him to strive for a "red ticket" one week (less than the perfect "blue ticket" in his class) and when he got it, she rewarded him with a trip to Red Robin!

He excels in the gifted program at school, loves art and playing the oboe. We are trying to figure out how to keep his piano skills up as well. Sports continues to be a fun but very informal activity for Nick. We are not on the sports treadmill in our house!

WAYNE and Nick (and Wendy) cheered the Phillies on to World Series victory - it was very exciting for Wayne who remembers the 1980s well, and still has his cherished mug from that victory. He continues to work from home financing our lives, our home renovations (new siding and a soon-to-be-completed deck) and everything else. He loves being Nick's daddy, and the older Nick gets, the more like Wayne he wants to be. Using Wayne's grooming products in the shower is particularly important to Nick now!

WENDY continues to substitute teach for our local school district. It is very varied, from Kindergarten through 12th grade and she works when the spirit moves her. Besides that, continuing to sell AVON at President's Club level, and volunteering with the PTO and hosting lots of ladies' get-togethers, she stays busy and happy.

TRIPS & TRAVEL are a big part of our lives. Highlights this year were a trip to Ocean City, MD with Wendy's sister and her boys, and Gotcha Day (annual April adoption celebrating) and Thanksgiving week in NYC.

CHURCH CHANGE was big for us this year - leaving our beloved church after 19 years was very difficult but a matter of obedience. God has blessed and honored our decision and He has grown us greatly in the process.

May you all have a blessed 2009!

SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS

2008-12-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

I received a recent email speech about the dire moral situation of our country, blah, blah, blah and how we have turned our backs on God, blah, blah, blah. The whole tone of it was very judgmental. The speech was attributed to a well known evangelist - I checked it out on snopes.com. Turned out it wasn't that man at all. I wonder if it bothers him that emails like this are going out with his name attached to it.

At any rate, whoever said the words I read didn't sound like the Jesus I read about in the New Testament. Who did Jesus rail against? Not the sinner.

He "wept for Jerusalem". He urged them to leave sin behind and follow Him, but he didn't beat them over the head with vitriolic diatribe!

No, his outrage was directed at the self-righteous hypocrites who judge everybody else.

Like a drunk leaning on a lampost, we use email sometimes for support. Not illumination.(That brilliant analogy is not mine - I have to remember who said that).

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

2008-12-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is celebrating Christmas with good girlfriends..every year, I host a "Christmas Coffee" - nothing like good girlfriends and fresh roasted beans.

This year's group.......

Below is a picture of our small group women - we had our annual Christmas party and gift exchange this weekend. A highlight of the evening was Rocky taking possession of the worst gag gift - the thighmaster!

FLAWS & ALL

2008-12-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know I love shopping. Retail therapy is not just a name!

It doesn't matter if it's high-end retail or the thrift store..I just found TWO Longaberger tie-ons at the Goodwill and knocked a gift off my list for $1.47!

I recently went to a new Goodwill store. It was an hour from home and I had a rare 90 minutes to myself while Wayne & Nick were at a birthday party.

I love discovering new haunts. I love to just traipse through the aisles treasure hunting - sometimes it's profitable. Sometimes, I just browse.

But what I LOVED about my visit to this store was the sign on the front door.

All merchandise sold as is. Flaws and all.

How refreshing! Admitting up front you're marketing damaged goods. I think we should all wear a sign around our necks like that. "Take me as I am - flaws and all!"

Wouldn't it be awesome if we felt no need to pretend we have it all together? No need to "pretty up" before we show our real selves?

We were watching a very well-known actress on TV late last night. She is young, rich, gorgeous (both men and women agree on that), talented, and seems awfully nice (based on my in-depth People Magazine & Oprah research).

But what was painfully obvious (aside from what you can't help but observe if you at all follow celebrity "romance") was that she had virtually no confidence in who see is. I could tell she didn't know she is "fearfully and wonderfully made" as the Psalmist describes. She didn't have the security of knowing she belongs to the One Who Is, and Was, and Is to Come.

I wished I could jump through the screen and tell this woman - "I love your highlights! Who's your guy? Do you think you could get me in to see him? And by the way......dump that loser you're with! You are worth SO much more than that! You need to know that you are loved.....flaws and all! I have a Guy. And you don't need to know me to get in to see Him. His name is Jesus......"

CHRISTMAS WONDER

2008-12-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Christmas has to be the cards & letters - we got one today from friends we met on the Internet.

As I was surfing one day, I found a couple who live near my in-laws' home in Cape Cod. Turned out they too, have one son.

The same age as Nick.

Adopted from Romania.

From the same orphanage at roughly the same time!

We found out that D. and Nick had grown up together! So it was with great joy that we connected with them on one of our vacations. They have a boat, and took us out for the day. What fun seeing D. and Nick reunite.

It was just us on the Atlantic....two former orphans, four grateful parents...and George Bush, Sr.

Remembering that, and the fun of cruising by and waving to one of the most powerful men on earth, reminds me....it was just luck that we happened to be the only ones beside the President boating in Kennebunkport that day. We certainly couldn't get too close (as if the Secret Service didn't have enough to do, they had to pose with me for my scrapbook.)

Yet even though God has infinitely more power than the leader of the free world, there's no need for security clearance. No need to go though anybody. And he doesn't want us at a distance - he wants us up close.

And our access is direct. It's not the lucky that get to be with Him. It's the ones who know their need. And believe He is Who He says He is.

What a great time of year to remember that.

"It is good to be a child sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when it's Mighty Founder was a child Himself."
~ Charles Dickens

SHELTERS & THE HOMELESS

2008-11-23T18:27:00.001-08:00

Before our recent trip to New York, I was reminiscing about The Lamb's - a shelter I had taken my dad to several years before he died so he could help serve Thanksgiving dinner. I'd no idea it had closed........as a kid, I'd always thought of shelters as safe places - a haven for those in need. Many times they are. And many times, they are dangerous - more dangerous than the streets. I taught an 8-year-old girl recently who lives with her mother in a shelter - please pray for her today. God knows her name.......

By MONTE WILLIAMS Published: March 31, 2001 Despite colorful streamers and balloons, and simple white vases holding red and white flowers, this was hardly a celebration. The Lamb's Manhattan Church of the Nazarene was serving the last meal from its soup kitchen yesterday.

About 70 men and women -- all of them poor, many of them homeless and most of them forlorn -- turned out for the last of what regulars called the best free meal in town.

The neighborhood around the soup kitchen at 130 West 44th Street -- once home to the disenfranchised, the sex industry and seedy bars -- is now a precinct of entertainment Goliaths, publishing titans and trendy restaurants. The homeless have been pushed elsewhere -- part of the city's effort to clean up Times Square.

The Lamb's Church is housed in a building from the 1800's, which once housed a theatrical club called the Lamb's Club. The church has entered into a partnership with the Hampshire Hotel Group, a New York chain that plans to build a $15 million, 110-room hotel, preserving the church's sanctuary and renowned theater, but forcing it to shut down or relocate its programs for the poor.

The Lamb's Table -- as the 20-year-old lunch program was known -- will move to the Beulah Church of the Nazarene in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, which can feed 200 people a day, twice the number served by the Manhattan kitchen.

''The dynamics of poor people in this city have changed,'' said John Bowen, pastor of the Lamb's Manhattan Church. ''We are going to be relevant. We are going where the need is.''

Several of those who eat regularly in the church's dining room -- a handsome facility that seats 150 and resembles a New England lodge, with dark mahogany wood and a six-foot-tall stone fireplace where church officials say Mark Twain once sat and told stories -- said they would miss the Lamb's Table.

''This creates a void,'' said Lewis Haggins, 44, of Harlem, a former audio engineer who lost his job several months ago and now sleeps on the subway or on the streets, shunning the city's shelters because he says they are too dangerous.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

2008-11-23T18:14:00.000-08:00

We are soon headed to New York City, quite possibly my favorite place to visit. I grew up in a New York suburb so I had the luxury of being able to go there often as a kid and teenager. I love driving in Manhattan, although getting around on the subway would confuse me!

We are renting a brownstone in Brooklyn (visit www.vrbo.com to find your own unique getaway), hope to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a shelter, and plan to take Nick to the parade to end all parades - Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

If you're ever in New York (Manhattan), check out these favorites of mine:

Dylan's Candy Bar (the FAO Schwartz of candy owned by Ralph Lauren's daughter, Dylan Lauren)
Macy's! On 34th Street - there's cosmetics on more than one level - enough said!
Carnegie's Deli - best corned beef and pastrami, and most likely place to see a celebrity

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

GET PAID TO SHOP

2008-11-19T23:14:00.000-08:00

Shopping is not a hot topic these days, but at some point, we all have to shop. Even for the boring necessities.....toilet paper, paper towels, etc.

Why not get paid for it? I do. My first check was $41. I shop on-line a lot to save gas and time. But now I access my favorite sites, like drugstore.com through EBATES.

You should too! Check it out.....

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?id=AofCojOKsxEocEXZ7G8Mdg%3D%3D

MADE IN THE USA

2008-11-18T02:44:00.001-08:00

Enjoy this visit to the Mitman Family's Maple Sugar Farm..........they happen to be Wayne's cousins and a fabulous family.

If you're in need of great gift ideas, here you go! They mail it for you - a truly unique and perfect winter gift!

www.mainesugarworks.com

Letter From Billy Graham's son, Franklin

2008-11-17T02:33:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Billy Graham and his ministry - it meant a great deal to my own relatives who were well acquainted with him before I was even born. What I love about Graham is his consistent emphasis on ONE thing.

He has never engaged in culture wars. Or demonized world leaders who don't follow a particular agenda. He loves people where they are.......and forges relationships with them. He knows that if people truly encounter the Living God, the rest will fall in place.

There is a book called "Rebel With A Cause" about his son, Franklin. Even though he has his own fabulous ministry "Samaritan's Purse", www.samaritanspurse.org, he's taken the helm at his dad's ministry (Billy is now 90 - can you imagine the party that awaits him in heaven?)

I received a letter from Franklin Graham a few days ago.........and I quote.......

Jesus told us that as His return nears, we will see

increasing wars
famines
earthquakes
deception
hatred
escalating wickedness in the world

and that there should be only ONE (thank you Franklin!) priority (for those of who claim Christ as our personal Savior) - the proclamation of the gospel.

I believe the stage is being gradually (thank you Franklin!) set for the return of the King.

President Bush is calling for a summit of world leaders to try and fix the current economic emergency. Never before have I seen such a cooperation in financial matters on a global scale.

Could the current crisis, so interconnected across the world, be moving us toward that end? I don't know (thank you Franklin!)

Only God in Heaven knows the hour of the Lord's return.....but the best investment you can make is in the souls of men and women.......

Franklin goes on to tell about an upcoming crusade in Brazil, the world's 5th largest country. And Taiwan, an island nation who invited him and has no restriction on preaching God's word.....yet 90% of the country follow Buddhism and Taoism.

Here in the US, he is having a special TV program celebrating Christmas (check www.billygraham.org/TV).

It won't celebrate "Winter Holiday", or "Gift Giving Time", or as Oprah calls it "Connecting With Your Loved Ones" time.

His special will be all about Jesus - if you know him, tune in! If you don't, tune in!

As people's worries about the future continue to escalate, Franklin Graham encourages you, as do I, to know that you can have a secure anchor.

Whether "The World" is at peace....or not. Whether "Your World" is at peace...or not.

Jesus offers a relationship with Him, one that can start now and last forever.......it's much like a Christmas gift under the tree.

Bought with great sacrifice, wrapped, and ready for you to open. But you have to take it. You have to open it. Otherwise, it just sits there.

God will not force Himself upon you. He's waiting. But He won't wait forever.

So while he continues to delay His return, take Him up on the offer of abundant life he promises in John 10:10 - it has nothing to do with financial security, world peace, or who's president of the United States.

Questions? Read the book of John in the Bible - it's a great place to start.

It's A Dog's Life

2008-11-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

Got a dog? If you do, you can relate to the "doggy mama" thing. Weren't they the perfect prep for having kids? Aren't they preferable to kids on the days you're tired of backtalk? Are yours spoiled rotten? And simple minded?

Maybe yours is smart. Rocky is too but his neuroses overpower his intelligence every day.

Our first dog, Trixie, was also a nut. By nut, I mean incessantly barking at every living creature whether man or animal - God help you if you decided to go on a walk and pass by our house. She'd practically jump out of her skin. And give you a heart attack. There you were, sitting quietly reading, and Bam! The bark attack came out of nowhere and the sheer volume caused her (and us) to jump.

I'm not sure what it says about us, but it seems we have a knack for raising unbalanced, emotionally unstable canines.

And though we love 'em, they are far better at loving us.

But if you live near me and need a break, or the dog needs his doggie friends, here's a super place.

THE MESSAGE & THE MESSENGERS

2008-11-08T03:34:00.000-08:00

Someone told me recently, as we discussed God & Jesus, "I have no problem with the Message. I have a problem with the messengers." Well, who exactly was he expecting to be a perfect representation of God?

I understand it is disillusioning when prominent folks fail us. All people disappoint sooner or later. But the problem for my friend is, he won't be standing before the messengers someday. He'll be standing before the Message Himself. A few things I ponder as I contemplate that face-to-face meeting someday:

Will God scold me for having too many clothes? Or ask me how many people I clothed?
Will He take me to task for being too generous and not "smart" about helping people who might "abuse the system"? Or will He tell me, "That was fine - I'm glad you didn't worry about why they were poor...you simply listened when I prompted you...... and let Me worry about all that."
Will God care who I voted for....or who I cared for?
Will God say "wasn't that exciting when you built a deck and re-sided that big house?"....or "why did you spend so much money on that?"..........Or..... will He say, "I'm so glad you welcomed them all in......especially the ones who didn't know Me."
Will God even notice the color of my skin? Or will he talk to me about the quality of my character? And how well I represented Jesus?

Matthew 25 (emphasis mine)

When he finally arrives,
blazing in beauty and all his angels with him,
the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne.

Then all the nations will be arranged before him
and he will sort the people out,
much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats,
putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right,

"Enter, you who are blessed by my Father!

Take what's coming to you in this kingdom.

It's been ready for you since the world's foundation.

And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

Then those 'sheep' are going to say,

'Master, what are you talking about?

When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?

And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?'

Then the King will say,

'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things

to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'"

THANK YOU MARY!

2008-11-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

Finally! A gracious word from a public Christian about Barack Obama. May Jesus be praised! This came to me in an mass email which is why I'm reprinting it here....enjoy. And please pray for people to be set free from judgement and fear. The Enemy is having a field day with that.

There has been so much in the news about our new President-elect. Some of what we hear might be absolutely true, some might be misspoken and some can probably be labeled as vicious attacks. I've never been more curious about him than I am at this moment. I came across a book called The Faith of Barack Obama. Its fair and balanced and I recommend it.

I challenge us all, whatever our affiliations, to get on Senator Obama's prayer team and trust that God will use him for such a time as this in our nation. Please join all of us at Women of Faith as we pray for him, his family, his health, and this transition for the country. And that, through it all, God will be glorified and His purpose accomplished.

Mary Graham, President, Women of Faith

Buy It Here

THEY NEED YOU

2008-11-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

There is a trend right now in conservative circles to legislate morality (instead of trusting God to work in hearts), wage war on the culture, and operate based on fear and insecurity ("why do we have to live in such a scary world?") When we major on the minors, and minor on the majors, when we're more concerned about agendas than Who we follow, things get messed up. And so do people.

Here's a link to a tragic story - grads from my alma mater, Taylor University, are loving and parenting their two chidren as they die slowly.

http://www.ahundredforahome.com/

The help offered this family reflects what we all are in so much need of....love & grace.......we are all very broken. When we don't know that, don't really get it, our influence is nill, and our pride and prejudice stinks all the way to high heaven.

"There's nothing new to say on the subject. Don't you still have the message of the earlier prophets.....?Well, the message hasn't changed. God... said then and says now: "'Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don't plot and scheme against one another—that's evil.'
Zechariah 7:6-8

DON'T MESS WITH KIDS

2008-11-06T01:27:00.000-08:00

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.The girl replied, 'I'm drawing God.'The teacher paused and said, 'But no one knows what God looks like.' Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. 'Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, 'And there's the teacher, she's dead.'

Barr For President?

2008-11-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

I'm wondering about Libertarian Candidate Bob Barr.....

I like Obama although I detest his view on abortion. I like his history, his original view on the war in Iraq, his commitment to communities....... he's not perfect, he's just a man, but a lot of people are pinning their hopes on him. If he wins, he'd better deliver (as much as humanly possible).

I don't like McCain - he has his good qualitites but I don't want him running my country. His lack of judgment is troubling. And the Evangelical Right, he labeled as "intolerants"...until lately.

Reuters reported in February James Dobson's statement “I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are … I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience,” he said... And now? Dobson has changed his mind......and McCain became good buddies with "intolerant" Jerry Falwell before his death.

Please. Let's not be fooled.

The trouble with Barr is, he's not campaigning to win - some would say that voting for him is a waste. I don't agree. Voting your conscience is the essence of being an American. I just may vote for someone who is campaigning to define the presidency as "To protect and defend the freedom of the American people as guaranteed by the Constitution"

Need more to be informed? Read this......

Go Phils!

2008-11-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

There was Phillies Fever in my house - my husband still has his cherished mug from the Big Event of 1980 - he's waited a long time, just like every other Philly Sports Fan, for a World Series Championship.

It was so much fun to see him enjoying the game on our new wall-mounted big screen. I had to coax him into that one once my friend Risa and I started rearranging furniture and realized the big entertainment center had to go......a wall mounted TV would save space in our small living room and surely that would make a good anniversary present?????

He had his four hats/helmets meticulously lined up for the start of each game and was sure that his birthday, Tuesday, October 28, would be a baseball memory. Instead, in snowed! But by the end of the week, Phillies Fever culminated in victory.

In case you've been living under water, here it is.....

The Poor

2008-11-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Having recently studied a bit of the book of Daniel, courtesy of Bible teacher Beth Moore, I was reminded that while Daniel lived captive in the nation of Babylon, we Americans live captive in a culture of Babylon. We live here, like it or not. How we handle it is another matter.

Babylon symbolizes a culture, a mind-set, of self-will and total indulgence. We like to say, "It's not about me," but honestly, in the world of My Space, Face(my face)book, instant messaging, constant communication, and a drive-thru mentality, we are used to getting what we want, when we want it. Because, damn it......we worked hard and we're entitled to it!

A few years ago, a very wealthy person, (while we were enjoying his spacious estate), said laughingly to my son, "I wonder what the poor people are doing right now?!!"

Nick didn't see the humor in it - perhaps because he's a child. Perhaps because he grew up without even clothes to call his own. He's seen the scrapbooks and watched the videos. He's gone through his "things" - belongings he took with him from the orphanage. One outfit (that had been his on the days he got to wear it), two stuffed animals, a hat and some slippers. That was the extent of what belonged to him.

Yet in his simple life, he still had more than millions of people on our planet. Food everyday and a roof over his head. And people who loved him.

He wasn't offended by the "poor people" comment, he just didn't get it. His response was, "They're probably working."

Yet some would tell Nick, the poor don't work. They sit around doing nothing collecting welfare paid for by those of us who do work.

How offensive. Sure, there are folks who do that. But there are countless millions who don't. Who'd give anything not to be poor. Or so mentally ill that they prefer the streets to a real home. Or so addicted - but the memories of abuse they're hiding from is just too painful.

Losing touch with the poor, and not showing mercy to the oppressed are two sure signs that we've been influenced by our Babylonian culture.

"Sharing the wealth" is not a popular slogan in some circles - especially during election time. Some go so far as to call it socialism. Folks who call "Foul! That's Socialism!" rarely have a clue what it is.

I'm having a hard time being patient with attitudes based on name-calling, ignorance, or blatant disregard for the poor and oppressed. That makes me judgmental and not quite full of grace. I need help with that.

I didn't grow up "rich", but I was comfortable. I had far more than my parents had when they were children. I never wanted for anything - and my dependence on my parents culminated with them paying for a private college education and a wedding reception at West Point. They worked hard and sacrificed more for me than I ever will for my child.

Yet for all their "lack of material goods", they gave a lot away. Because they knew they were blessed and could never "out-give" God. I remember helping my father write tithe checks because he had trouble writing when his arthritis acted up. His only comment was not "My hands hurt" but "I wish we had more to give".

Nick has far more than I ever did. For some, that's an accomplishment. Having "more than my father had at this age" is somehow seen as a goal.

What should our goals be in the midst of the Babylon we live in? What should we aspire to? How much is enough? Feeling guilty about having things is certainly not the objective.

But holding on to them with a white-knuckle grip? Being proud of what we have? Sharing because we feel we ought to? Somehow, when we loosen our grip on our "stuff" and our "preferences", we find out how to live in Babylon without being consumed by it. We find the "abundant life" promised in John 10:10.

And it's not a one-time, once and done thing. We release.....are freed.....and then may find ourselves gripping again. But each time we learn to relinquish anew, we once again find ourselves living abundantly, and giving with abandon.

Love Her Style

2008-10-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me this.......as a sub, I just love it. Grandma's got style......

A teenage girl came downstairs for her date with a see-through blouse and no bra. Her grandmother pitched a fit, telling her not to dare go out like that! The teenager told her "Loosen up Grams. These are modern times. You gotta let your rose buds show!" and out she went.

The next day the teenager came downstairs, and the grandmother was sitting there with no top on. The teenager wanted to die. She explained to her grandmother that she had friends coming over and that it was just not appropriate. The grandmother said, "Loosen up, Sweetie. If you can show off your rose buds, then I can display my hanging baskets.”

April 2001

2008-10-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

MOMMY AND DADDY'S TRIP TO ROMANIA

Thursday, April 19 - Friday, April 20, 2001

Our Air France flight departed Philadelphia at 5:20. Dave Comly drove us down in our Durango; he'll pick us up on the 27th.

We were mostly packed by Thursday morning and spent the day packing last minute items, going to the drugstore for prescriptions, and writing notes for our house sitter, Brian Yerk, cleaning lady, Kelly Mininger, and dog sitter/mail getter Carole Vogel (one of our Junior High students who lives in the neighborhood).

The flight from Philadelphia to Paris (Charles de Gaulle airport) was long - 7 hours - but uneventful. The food and service were excellent and Daddy enjoyed watching "Bagger Vance" starring Will Smith. Movies and cocktails were "free".

We arrived at 1:30 am Paris time and had to wait in the airport until 4:30 am for our flight to Bucharest. That was the hard part. We were tired and hungry; we had a bite to eat (first we had to figure out where to exchange our $ for francs) and then tried to rest on the uncomfortable lounge chairs. We were anxious to arrive in Romania and meet you!

The flight to Bucharest was much shorter, about 4 hours. We arrived at 1:30 in the afternoon, Friday, April 20 (6:30 am Philadelphia time - we'd been flying for about 13 hours). We were met at the airport by Mihalea Nicorara and Petrusca (don't know her last name), two of International Families' workers in Romania. Mihalea's husband Nick, is Bob Braun's (agency owner/lawyer) right hand man in the Philadelphia office. She lives in Bucharest; besides working with Bob, she runs a foundation called ADOPT 2000. How and why they choose to live apart we don't know - they see each other every few months when one or the other travels to/from Romania or the USA. Petrusca works for Bob and will be flying back with us, escorting a 4-year-old boy.

Right away, we liked them. They were sweet, warm women (aged 31 and 32 we discovered later) who were amused at how big Daddy was! Romanians are smaller than Americans; I don't think they'd seen a big man in quite a while! =)

They drove us to our hotel, about 20 minutes away, which was called "Hotel Batesti (ba-tish-tay)" - Batesti being the name of the street where the hotel was located.

(It was $85 for the night and included breakfast. We chose this hotel because it was much cheaper than the InterContinental ($186/night) and the Hilton ($220/night)). The InterContinental, though, proved to have the "dining room of choice" for the trip.

As it was a 10-minute walk from Hotel Batesti each time we needed a meal, there were times we wished we had stayed there instead! But the walk did us good and we enjoyed seeing the sights each time we went out for a meal. Each time we'd pass the American Embassy and look forward to Thursday - the day of our "interview" and the day you'd receive your Immigrant Visa and Romanian passport. You wouldn't have been able to leave the country without them!

At any rate, after we checked in, we collapsed! We slept soundly until about 6:30 pm whereupon we got up, showered and had a nice dinner at the InterContinental. We got back at 9:30 pm and slept well that night. We can't believe we are meeting little Nicholas tomorrow!

Saturday, April 21, 2001

When Mihalea and Petrusca told us they'd pick us up bright and early at 7:30 am this morning, Mommy was a little disappointed she wouldn't be able to get more sleep. Oh well! It was time to get used to sleeping less!

We had breakfast at 7 down in the hotel restaurant - eggs, ham, and cheese with "Tang" orange juice. As we drove to your orphanage, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery!

(Bucharest was a busy little city full of cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes - not as clean as American cities. There was also row upon row of concrete apartment buildings put up by the Communist dictator, Nicolae Caecescu, who was executed in 1989. They were dull, drab, and gray and housed masses of people.)

But the ride to Babadag (a small town in the county of Tulcea on the southeastern coast by the Black Sea), where you were, was so different! It was rural, very green, and we had to stop every so often because a cow or a horse was standing in the middle of the road! Women your grandmother's age (in their 50's and 60's) were spotted often, tilling the soil, planting crops. They all wore scarves on their heads, sweaters, and knee length, heavy skirts. It was very warm as the temperatures were in the 60's; I imagined they were very warm wearing all that clothing, but I suppose it shielded them from the sun. Also, it was probably just about all they had in terms of clothing.

We arrived at our hotel in Tulcea (where we'd be spending the night with you) around noon. We checked in, dropped off our suitcases and headed to the orphanage with a suitcase full of vitamins, medicine and gifts for ladies who'd taken such good care of you. Each one got a goody bag of Estee Lauder makeup (Mommy used to work as a makeup artist for them), a scarf, a hair clip, earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, a ring, a pin, and a Romanian Bible.

We had bought the Bibles; the rest of the goodies came from our friends in our Sunday School class at church - people were so anxious to be able to help donate nice things.

We arrived at your home around 1 pm - you and all your friends (9 of you altogether) were taking naps. So we were very quiet as we looked around and got to see the "lay of the land". The first lady we met was Gina, a beautiful young girl, between 25 and 30 years old, I'd guess. (Mihalea and Petrusca interpreted for us this whole time.)

Gina introduced us to the cook, who looked an awful lot like your great grandmother, Alice Fredricksen (Mommy's mommy's mommy). She seemed to be in her 50's and wore a white dress, white apron, white shoes, and a white scarf on her head. She didn't say much, but smiled constantly!

They let us peek in on all the babies and toddlers sleeping in their cribs and beds. You were sleeping with two other children in your bed, and were just the cutest little thing, all curled up, fast asleep. You must have sensed us there, because you opened your eyes and looked at us like, "You must be the people that are coming to take me." You didn't seem upset, just a little bewildered.

We tiptoed out and you fell back to sleep.

May 3, 2001

2008-10-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

MY LIFE WITH NICHOLAS

Thursday, 5/3/01

Today we went to see Dr. Adriana Moise, your new pediatrician. Of all things, she is from Romania and a lovely young woman. You were in good shape and had a very good visit. You are in the 5th percentile for weight (23 lbs, 12 ozs.) and "off the charts low" for height. You also don't know many words for a 2 year old but when you said "hello" to Dr. Moise, she laughed, and said "Don't worry about him, he will be just fine." She liked your physical appearance - even though you're small, you have good bulk to you. She was also impressed with the care you got at your home. All your shots were up-to-date!

She spoke to you in Romanian, which you definitely understood. Then she translated for Mommy. She told you that I was your new mommy, that I loved you, and would take good care of you. She played with you for 10 minutes while I tried to get a good photograph of the two of you. We got plenty of pictures for our "First Visit to the Doctor" layout in your scrapbook!

Then we went to visit Daddy at his office, but you were asleep in the back seat when we got there! So instead of taking you home for a nap and risk waking you up, I drove around the countryside; you slept and I enjoyed the scenery - I had a bad case of cabin fever!

I stopped at a Dairy Queen for a burger and noticed that your head had fallen very far forward in your car seat; I didn't want you to wake up w/ a sore neck, so I repositioned your head and you woke up! So much for sleeping! It was only a half-hour, but it seemed to be enough. We found a park where we shared the burger and fries and then drove to the Salvation Army thrift store. We found you some cute T-shirts and a very cool toy. You played with a truck for an hour (!) while Mommy enjoyed looking around. Everyone thought you were the cutest. Which of course you are!

Daddy worked late and then went to the Sprint store to get me a new cell phone - you broke mine today! So we had dinner together, and you played with the post-it notes in the office while I did some work.

You fell asleep at 8:15 (in about 2 minutes) and Mommy began her new ritual - praying for you and your future wife while kneeling at your bedside after you fall asleep. My dad, your Grandpa Bill did that too - he started praying for Daddy when I was born - Daddy was six weeks old at the time! I can't imagine how many times Grandpa Bill must have prayed for Daddy through the years.

Tonight I prayed:

"Lord, thank you for Nicholas. Remind me always how precious he is. I pray for his wife today that she will sleep well tonight, learn to respect authority, and to love the Lord Jesus. Thank you for the precious gift of Nicholas of which I am so undeserving. Help me to love him well. Your grateful child, Wendy"

Thank You

2008-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Encouragement goes a long way....so does condemnation. Thank you Wayne, Megan, Bekah, Amy, Monica & Steve, Susie & Rory, and others...you are the face of encouragement, in the midst of so much. Thank you for sharing this lonely journey with me.

It's been a long road to get to this place...difficult at times, but I am learning not to fear what people think.... (Thank you Ed Welch, author of "When People Are Big and God Is Small").

I cringe when I look back at my teenage selfishness and self-righteousnss. I was so blessed and made good choices when it came to the "big things". Yet even though I was a devoted follower of Christ, I knew nothing about God's grace. That's probably why He knocked me down a few pegs in 1985 and again in 1997 - to teach me! That's what His love does.

So in the words of a dear friend (and I thank you)...... "thank you for posting this" And from another.."For me, it is about the condemnation of placing oneself in such a righteous position of being what is thought of as right above extending God's love. It breaks my heart and I just can't keep quiet because I know it breaks the heart of God. If I had been on the receiving end of the messages I have been reading lately ...I know that I would not have decided to continue following God. I have heard from non-Christians how they would not want to have anything to do with Christianity because of Christian people...how sad it is to see so many Christians, who by their mouths, are sending people to hell. We need to look at the big picture, God's picture...I think that Jesus himself would agree with Republicans when it comes to morality issues and Democrats when it comes to action steps, so I believe there are strengths and weaknesses on both platforms and am looking at how best to reach others. I am encouraged by reading what you're writing; hopefully in some way, even if they don't agree, perhaps they will start to think about the effect their words and deeds have on so many people around them and the far reaching consequences."

HUMOR FOR THE DAY

2008-10-28T01:42:00.000-07:00

Attending a banquet last weekend, I heard this joke about Billy Graham's 90th birthday.

Seems Billy was recently coming home from a speaking engagement and a limo was waiting to drive him home.

He said to the driver "I'm almost 90 and I've never driven one of these. Do you mind if I take the wheel?"

The driver was happy to oblige and got in the back seat. It wasn't long before Billy was going a little too fast. The cop that pulled him over was new to "traffic duty" and upon seeing who he had "pulled over", he said "Excuse me, I'll be right back."

He called his supervisor and said "Sir, I know that we sometimes let dignitaries 'slide' and I need to know what to do here."

The supervisor replied, "Well, who do you have there? The mayor?"

"No sir, bigger than that."

"The governor?"

"No sir, much more important than him."

"The president?"

"No sir. I think it's Jesus because he's got Billy Graham for a limo driver."

SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER

2008-10-28T01:33:00.000-07:00

Click here to read more about an issue that is NOT free speech - it is commerce. And it obviously exploits women; but having a son, I am concerned about how boys can easily become ensnared in something that has devastating effects on their minds, hearts, and future families.

For When You're Older

2008-10-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

I didn’t know when you were 1 or when you learned to walk
I didn’t know when you turned 2 but God took care of you
I didn’t know when you were born that someday you’d be 3
And running up and down my halls – part of our family

But now I hold you in my arms and kiss you as you sleep
I pray your dreams are sweet and that your slumber will be deep

“Mommy, can I tell you something?” is your question all day long
I hold on to your preschool self for soon it will be gone

I know I’m far from perfect, my mistakes weigh on my heart
Flawed and frail, the only thing of which I can avail
Is God Himself who gives away
Mercy for each brand new day

When you’re older please still say, “Mom, I've got something to tell you today!”
Please visit with your little ones and show me how they’ve grown
I’ll thank the Lord for blessings I never could have known

Your daddy and me, above all else, we want you to know
That the only thing worth counting on is JESUS – He is real
We pray someday you’ll give your life to Him and with us kneel

We marvel at the gift you were and are yet still today
A baby and two parents at first were far away
Then heavenly orchestration blended three souls into one
We stand amazed, His wondrous works, are never, ever done

wrd
9/3/02

Churches & Communities

2008-10-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

Finding the right church is not easy...and it changes. What may have been right at one time, may not be right years later. But we have found that it is not about "finding the 'right' place and jumping in". It's about waiting on God. If he wants us somewhere, He'll make it perfectly plain. If he wants us out of somewhere, He'll make that plain too.

He wants us, as the Scriptures say to "be still and know that I am God." And God is eveywhere; I don't mean that in a pantheistic sense. God is certainly NOT worshipped in every church. And He is not in the tree. A tree is a tree.

But He IS everywhere (when we belong to Him) if we keep our hearts open. Scripture says the waves obey Him. You know that wonderful feeling you get when you're alone on the beach...and you feel so small? But in a good way? I love that - it reminds me so much that it's not about me - not even a little bit.

The birds singing in the morning remind me of Him; playing in my simple method, the old hymn "In the Garden" reminds me of my dad and how he loved more than anything "alone time" with God.

God is in my neighborhood - he waits outside the lonely person's house, asking me to please knock and say "hello". I listened to him on that one, and I was glad I did. It was so obvious she was just waiting for someone to show her some love...and a smile.

He's in the troubled marriages, the addicted lives, the families and joyful children that are all around us.

I'm all for church. And I believe it's important. But whether we meet together with other adults to study the Bible and pray for our kids, whether we are long-standing members of a local church, whether we find ourselves in the process of "church searching", or whether we find ourselves staring a new church, the point is, we're "doing church".

And all that means is believers together, worshiping God, not exclusively by themselves, but with open arms and willing hearts ready to share Christ with those ready to hear.

Greatest Heartache, Greatest Joy

2008-10-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

The internet is a wonderful thing...........one of the biggest heartaches of my life is not knowing Nick for his first 2 1/2 years. While I am supremely grateful for the ways God used other people to care so well for him, I wish it had been me!

But that was not His plan.

He did have a surprise in store for me though. Not having any baby pictures of Nick, I wish I could show him what he looked like when he was born. What he looked like at 4 months of age, when he was in the hospital with pneumonia.......with his birthmom at his side......what he looked like on Dec. 25, 1999, the day he was officially declared an orphan.

Well......in the year or so after his adoption, I was connecting with other "Romanian moms" like me, and lo and behold..........I got an email that said this:

Wendy, I believe I may have held your son!...I do have photos of a very cute little dark haired boy. I don't know if that would be Nicholas or not... but if your son has dark hair I'll happily send you the photo!

Where in Tulcea County was Nicholas born, where did his bparents live, etc...?

Laura

Here is her picture.......one of the greatest gifts of my life.

He was one year old......little did he know, little did I know, how God was working behind the scenes to divinely orchestrate an immaculate conception. It had nothing to do with human passion or a mother's determination.

It had everything to do with God's plan. And His desire to bring 3 specific people together to accomplish His will and show others how good He is.

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

2008-10-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Besides the foliage, the woods, watching dogs romp in a pond, watching my son romp with the dogs, watching my overworked husband relax with good conversation and cold beer, another highlight of our weekend in upstate, NY was the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cooperstown, New York is a quaint, beautiful town with one of the most impressive museums I've ever been privileged to visit.

I'm not sports nut, but even I thoroughly enjoyed it. The sculpture, artwork, memorabilia, and sheer "Americana" of it all couldn't help but make you a baseball fan.

I'll post some pictures shortly.

Take me out to the ball game........

Group Think

2008-10-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks, I've been talking to several folks who've had very negative experiences with certain people groups - people groups of a different race, religion, or value system. And their negative experiences have so indelibly marked them that there is no room in their minds or their hearts for love or grace.

The folks I've been talking to are all white, relatively affluent, and were reared in traditional Protestant or Catholic families. They're like me in many ways, but my experiences with the people groups in question have been vastly different. (I have my own issues with love and grace to be sure).

I was curious as to how the complexities of their encounters had changed them. The impact of their experiences has so colored them that they are unable it seems, or at least unwilling, to consider the possibility that the human race is more than just black and white. That you don't necessarily need to fear folks of a different religion or persuasion.

None of us are exempt from having our souls imprinted by experience....for me, having been to several countries did it. So did having a father born in 1908.......who told me tales of the Great Depression, World War II, and a flood that took the life of his first wife, and his 5 & 7 year old children.

So did living near the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan while in college. Seeing Klan members in full get-up - white sheets, hoods and all (minus the burning cross) did it. So did working side-by-side with folks whose views on marriage and family were diametrically opposed to mine.

I hope though, that my views about people emanate from my faith relationship with the living God. Because I learn in new ways each day the truth of his love for me...that it's not based on what I've done, haven't done, or the type of person I've been or become.

In light of the upcoming election, here's what a man from Michigan said... "I hate to say it and I can't believe that in 2008 people still think this way, but I've had guys tell me they won't vote for him because of his race, but then again, I've heard some people say they won't vote for McCain because he has a woman for vice president."

Does that scare anyone else but me? It worries me when I'm sent links to sites about Obama and the first pictures you see remind you of Hitler. And the next link points out that his middle name is Hussein. Is that not fear-mongering? And why is that a good thing?

It is scary that Americans can be so simple minded and won't vote (or will vote) for Palin simply because she's a woman. Or a hockey mom. Or a mother of a special needs child.

I cringe when Focus on the Family reporters "pray for rain" to ruin the Dem's convention in Denver. When Dobson says "he won't ever vote for McCain".......and then McCain picks a running mate sure to appease him and suddenly, all the evangelicals are on board. When Planned Parenthood spreads their lies about the "right to choose" and uses fear to convince people Obama is their only option.

When one person and one organization, has too much sway on "group think", and uses fear as their motivator, it has the potential to be very dangerous.

FALLING IN LOVE......WITH FALL

2008-10-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Pennsylvania.....Hello New York. Not the New York where I grew up, but beautiful Delaware County, NY - 3 hours north of NYC.

Thanks to my aunt & uncle, their cabin, their acerage, and their generosity, Wayne, Nick, Rocky and I are off.....for a LONG weekend full of fall fun...........

Power Play

2008-10-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how some arenas of life (school, church, the office, a neighborhood, etc.) seem to be Command Central for certain people?

Maybe it's just the nature of people. I for one, can be a control freak, so I know of what I speak. It's instantly recognizable when I see it in the arenas I frequent.

Certain arenas seem especially prone to the "this is my base of power" mentality.

Control (manipulating people to accomplish an agenda) smacks of dishonesty. Influence is one thing. Powerful preys on the vulnerable are something else entirely.

We've seen some of that in the headlines these days....."big shots" from lending institutions are powerful and have been preying.....and are now testifying before Congress.

But more troubling, because it's so insidious, is when we notice power plays in our everyday lives. I, for one, am sick of it.

It really bothers me when people aren't listened to. As a communications major, I learned how to write, debate and persuade. Fortunately for me, I was also a psychology major. From those professors, I learned how to listen.

I'd have to say listening trumps communicating any day. At least for me. You know the old saying "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt"? (attributed to Mark Twain, Lincoln and others - no one is really sure.)

Far too often, we spend our efforts persuading and convincing when we need to be listening.

Control lovers, those who make "power plays" a regular habit, persuade and cajole until another's convictions and instincts begin to evaporate. Their emphasis is not on listening.

At the core, control shows a total lack of trust mixed with a heavy dose of fear. Fear that you can't trust other people or trust God.

It takes a lot of security to know "I do not have to manipulate things here to accomplish my plan".

We need to be OK with stepping back and sitting tight. And listening.

It's a Funny Thing

2008-09-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Following are some of the funny things Nick's said over the years:

Nick, age 3: Stick out your toungue, Mom. Say "AAAHHH". Now let me see your ears......hmmmm...them has a lot!

Me: A lot of what?

Nick: Wax!

-----------

Nick, age 4: "Mommy, why are girls coming to my pirate party? They can't be a pirate or Peter Pan."

Me: "Well, because they could dress like Tinkerbell or the Indian Chief's daughter."

Nick: "Oh, yeah. I forgot about Tiger Wood."

Me: "You mean Tiger Lily!"

-------

Me: (coming out of salon with badly colored hair and very upset) "I look hideous!"

Nick: "Don't forget Mom.....You are fearfully and wonderfully made! (Our memory verse of the moment)"

---------

Then there's the classic "throw the Bible in your mom's face"

Nick age 5: "Mom, you know the verse, "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right?"

Me: "Yes?"

Nick: "Well you know the other one? 'Fathers do not frustrate your children?'......
WELL YOU'RE FRUSTRATING ME!!!!!"

A POWERFUL TOUCH

2008-09-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

There is a story in the Bible that resonates with me more than any other. The woman had an “issue of blood” – she bled for 12 years with no hope of healing. Because of her societal climate, she was considered to be an outcast, untouchable and unclean.

She was desperate and knew that only Jesus could help her. Cure her. She pressed her way through a crowd just to touch the “hem of his garment”.

I can relate. For at least 12 years, I had the same issue. No healing, no hope of relief. My main “issue” more than the bleeding, was the pain. Disabling, incapacitating pain.

I found out later that I actually was in labor each and every month of those 12 years. I had no idea. I did not realize I was actually dilating and contracting every month.

I thought it was normal for someone in my condition. I took it in stride even though it kept me from working. From living.

It wasn’t until I “unleashed the power” of my infertility doctor that I got healing. Permanently! He knew exactly what was wrong with me. And more importantly, he knew how to fix it.

For the woman in the story, her condition was one that only Jesus could help.

She didn’t have a doctor that specialized in women’s ailments. She didn’t have anyone for that matter.

And that, above all, is what I can relate to.

For 21 years, I’ve lived with “bipolar disorder” which is a nice way of saying “manic depression”. There was a time in my life where I was at the end of my rope. There was literally no one, and no thing that could help me in the midst of my madness.

Except Jesus. I was almost too sick to reach out for Him. So somehow, in ways I will never forget, he pressed His way into my messed-up mind and touched me.

At that moment, I stepped over the line.

From madness into sanity. From hopelessness into hope. I’d been one minute away from suicide. And then I was one minute closer to life.

It’s been 21 years since that day, and I’ve never been the same. I already belonged to Him (I’d been saved since I was 9)…….but I needed Him that day in a very powerful and significant way.

Because I was desperate but ready for help, He met me where I was. And changed me.

I can’t wait to meet the woman from the Bible in heaven someday. I want to have a long talk with her, over a good cup of coffee. I want to hear her tell the story.

Of how desperate she was. Of how sick and tired she was of being sick and tired.

And how she risked it all to reach for the only One with the power to save.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-09-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

I LOVE BEING QUEEN FOR A DAY ON MY BIRTHDAY SO.....here's to my friends who have birthdays this fall.

Happy Birthday Priscilla, Lynn, Risa, Sally, Laura, My great mother-in-law!

Blow 'em out with a pretty pout...............

PAUL NEWMAN

2008-09-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday died a hero. And an anomaly.

According to MSNBC, Paul Newman died Friday after battling cancer. He was 83 and died in Westport, Connecticut, not far from where I was born. (I've been told being born in Greenwich, CT is a good resume item - I'm quick to point out I was only born there, not raised there. Big difference!)

Westport has long been home to the rich & famous - it's a short drive away from NYC, and a haven for busy people with its bucolic land and historic farmhouses.

Paul Newman loved underdogs, giving tens of millions to charities. He considered his greatest achievement having been on President Nixon's "ENEMIES LIST" for so passionately opposing the Vietnam War.

Often starring with or directing his wife, Oscar winner Joanne Woodward, with whom he enjoyed a 50 year romance, Newman was an anomaly in his marriage too.

"I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" Newman told Playboy magazine when asked if he was tempted to stray.

Labeled "liberal" because he opposed a war he considered unrighteous, "generous" because of his philanthropy, and "one of a kind" because of his monogamy, Paul Newman was a real hero. A man of principle, devoted to his wife and one who tirelessly pursued excellence in all his pursuits.

As a wealthy man, I'm sure today he would echo the saying "You can't take it with you. Did you ever see a U-Haul following a hearse?"

I hope Paul Newman knew God. I hope he stored up treasure where it really counts.....if he did, his reward today is far greater than any he knew on earth.

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

lyrics by "Mercy Me"

Now You Can Comment

2008-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

I fixed it! You do not need a "gmail" address to publish a comment should so you desire.

However, Google rules the world! Get your free gmail account and homepage. Check out www.google.com/ig

PS 2 Saga Continues

2008-09-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Now that we've decided to toss the addict-creating gaming station, new problems arise. Not problems, per se, but situations to handle.

Nick's friends are extremely disappointed that they can't go inside and play Madden '09. One friend asked if he could have the system since we're just throwing it out. Another complained that they had to play outside.

Nick commented last night, "It's amazing the power video games have." He's right.

Could kids in Kensington imagine NOT wanting to play outside? They often have to play indoors - the only place it's safe. (For those of you not in the Philly area, google Kensington and you'll see what I mean).

Kids aren't the only techno-addicts. I count myself in that group. I love email, Facebook, my AVON "web office", etc. Computers are awesome. And because I'm such a people person, computers don't have the power to isolate me.

But they do have the power to occupy more of my time than they should. I was a Communications major in school - I love contacting, being in contact, writing, editing, you name it.

But sometimes I have to choose not to do what I like. So I can do what I should. What I am called to.

Like laundry. Dinner. Nourishing and nurturing my man and my boy.

So as Nick gets used to life without PS2, I imagine I'll learn how to slow down too - and as the old hymn goes.......I come to the garden alone - while the dew is still on the roses........and He'll talk with me and He'll walk with me, and He'll tell me I am His own...and the joy we'll share while we tarry there, none other has ever known"

The Best Rx - and No Co-Pay!

2008-09-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

To Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

(not original with me, but having spent quality time "on the couch", I can attest to the following being very good medicine)

At Lunch Time, Sit in Your Parked Car with Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer at Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It 'In.'

Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once everyone has gotten over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write 'For Smuggling Diamonds'.

As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat...use a serious face.

Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'

Put Mosquito Netting around You r Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're not in the Mood.

When The Money Comes Out of The ATM, Scream 'I Won!, I Won!'

When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling, 'Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!'

CLASSIC PARENTING

2008-09-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Humor for the day......this is pretty much how it went (I may be off by a word or two, but you get the gist!)

Little Ricky (tapping his spoon on the cereal bowl)

Lucy: Stop that, Little Ricky. Finish your oatmeal.

Ricky: Now wait a minute. Listen to that. Do it again, son!

Lucy: Ricky!

Ricky: He's got a pretty good beat.

Lucy: Oh please - he's trying to get the oatmeal off his spoon.

Ricky: He is not. He'd make a good drummer.

Lucy: Well, no son of mine is going to be a crummy, out-of-work drummer.

Ricky: Well, thanks for putting it so impartialy. What do you want him to be?

Lucy: Well, something respectable, like a doctor, or a lawyer.

Ricky: Well, being a drummer is good enough for your husband.

Lucy: He's my flesh and blood. You're just a close relative.

'Tis The Season

2008-09-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

On Thanksgiving

I wonder anew
At what God can do
Your baby, now mine
Was God’s all the time

Why couldn’t you care for his brothers and sisters?
When you birthed him, why did you leave him alone?
Please don’t think I judge you, I’m just glad he’s my own

Thank you for leaving him at the hospital that day
And for the visit four months later, though you could not stay
Were you poor? Where you ill? Was your mind not quite right?
Whatever the reason, it’s really all right

I tell him about you, and your husband too
How God had other plans for me and for you
I know where you live and how I wish I could look
At you and ponder our storybook

You gave him those big, bright brown eyes
That infectious giggle - that smile so wide
I give him love, and teach him new words
He notices everything, even the birds

He’s learning to count and play “hide and seek”
He brings pennies to church that he saves every week
Maybe someday we’ll meet you but until then we’ll pray
That someone will say “Jesus loves you” today

I wonder anew
At what God can do
Your baby, now mine
Was God’s all the time

When I wonder anew
At what God will do,
I will always remember the gift that you gave ~
You changed my life forever that day

wrd 11.11.01 (Thanksgiving Day & Nick's 3rd birthday)

STICK FREEDOM PALIN - WHAT?

2008-09-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

http://politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html

If you know me, you know I'm voting for team Obama. I'm not here to engage in political diatribe, but this is a cool website!

Just plug in your name.

Somehow, Wendy Lyne Rutherford Dietrich came up as "Stick Freedom Palin" when I took the quiz - what would your name be if Sarah Palin was your mother?

You know, somewhere along the lines of Track, Trigg, etc.

I think it's amazingly uncanny!

Stick Freedom is a good name for me! Habeas corpus anyone? Patriot Act concern anyone? No? Stick Freedom where the sun don't shine, I guess.

SINGERS AND SONGS

2008-09-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Life is a funny thing. I had lunch a few weeks ago with a Taylor friend and it brought back a flood of memories of Student Government, this person, that person, post-college careers, and non-careers.

I have what you would call a "non-career". I chart my own course, very different than most, enabled in large part by my husband, who very definitely has a career.

My resume looks like this: freelance writer, independent contractor for cosmetics giants Estee Lauder and AVON, nanny, substitute teacher, and volunteer(80% of my resume).

One of my college friends had an amazing career - I remember him leaving a Student Gov't meeting one day at Taylor. As he left my office he said, "Well I'm off to interview with Amy." My heart skipped a beat because I knew he was talking about my ultimate favorite songwriter, Amy Grant.

Dave wound up managing her for a long time and because of him, I got to meet her more than once.

One of her songs has a line that goes, "Takes a little time, sometimes, to turn the Titanic around".

Years later, an aquaintence was talking to me about Amy Grant said "isn't that line weird......'takes a little time, sometimes, to turn the Satanic around'".

What? Now this was a person of the mindset that Amy Grant must not be a Christian because she is divorced. Not knowing anything at all about Amy, Gary or Vince, this person had jumped to all sorts of conclusions.

That just bothered me. Don't we all have private pain, secret shame, and challenging circumstances?

Takes a little time, indeed.

The Curse of My Boy's Generation

2008-09-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

PS2, Wii, XBox 360. Need I say more? My usually verbose self will just point you to

Playstation Nation

by Kurt & Olivia Brunner. Don't miss the part where studies show the eerie similarities between game addiction and drug/alcohol addiction. What they do to the brain is one and the same.

Read the studies; or better yet look at the young adult men you know. What kind of students, husbands and fathers are they? How much time do they spend on-line gaming or worse?

I witnessed it this morning in my own house. The withdrawal was hell, ending in complete meltdown. And it wasn't the first time.

Now, I took into consideration how tired Nick was. How completely worn out, and emotionally unable he was to cope with anything. He'd had a very long week with lots of late nights.

But still. I will not sit idly by and let my son be consumed by something he is powerless to fight.

When he calmed down, he was able to understand what I typed in the first paragraph. Because his understanding is far beyond his years, he got it.

Even when I said the PS2 was going in the trash. Not to the consignment store where we'd profit off some other family's addiction.

This will be withdrawal for me too - I will have to become an even more involved mother than I already am.

But that's a good thing. God help me pay attention to the warning signs and give me the courage to act.

There are no words...

2008-09-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

...to describe my latest beauty extravagance. Feeling a bit in the need of some pampering, I dashed over to the spa for a quickie (a beauty treatment i squeeze in and then dash home just before the bus arrives).

Well. I needed a facial. The good old fashioned $60 kind. Just a few extractions, a mask, and an hour to myself while Mia massages my head and neck.

Apparently, Mia felt I was in need of an upgrade. Before I knew it, the facial had proceeded way beyond soothing and became a bit alarming!

I was being zapped with electrical currents! It didn't hurt but it was a rather queer feeling and I wondered why she felt it necessary to do this - without asking me! Or at least informing me!

Then, she proceeded to suction me! I mean it was like liposuction for the face. It sucked so hard, I was afraid the machine would stall. I was imagining a full-blown stall because the machine had sucked so much of my loose skin into the hose.

But wait. It gets better! After mask upon mask (I was apparently in bad shape), she covered my face with a warm towel. Aaaahhh. Soothing. Until, WHACK! She pounded the top of my head with her fist!

Not a gentle tap, tap, tap. A BANG!!! Just once, but it was enough to almost split my skull open.

At about this time, I had to use the restroom. The Diet Cokes I had downed at lunch were starting to kick in. They say caffeine is a bladder irritant. NO KIDDING!

Well, there was nothing I could do about it because Mia was MIA! Missing In Action! She had deserted me telling me "time to sleep Wendy!" - she was off doing a manicure no doubt.

15 minutes later, I got up off the table, looked in the mirror to see if I was presentable enough to sneak into the spa and go down to the lav.

NO! I looked like King Tut. Only worse. I was covered in purple goo,with a delicate piece of cheesecloth on top of my face - with two slits cut for eyes.

I don't think so. Even me, unabashedly brazen "never shy", would not go traipsing thru the spa looking like that. It would not be fair to those relaxing in the pedicure chairs.

So I lay there trying to distract myself from how badly I needed to go. Finally, I got up off the table, opened the door, and said "Mia?"

She came running, all 90 pounds of her, and I explained my predicament. She looked at me, like, "why didn't you take care of this before?"

5 minutes later I was done. And 6 minutes later I was relieved. Until I got my bill. Apparently I needed "microdermabrasion" and "lifing" to the tune of $100.

My face does feel awesome though.

NICK AT NITE

2008-09-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

My favorite time with Nick has to be bedtime. It's the time of his musings, wonderings, hopes, dreams and fears. They all come to fruition after simmering all day. Once he asked...

Tell me, Mommy, what do you think?
Is her hat and dress a shade of pink?
Do you know if he wears a tie?
I want to know them – who? And why?

Did she used to be my mother?
And do I maybe have a brother?
Is he handsome just like me?
Just how did I come to be?

Did I get presents on Christmas Day?
What did they give me? What did they say?
Was I a cute baby? How big was I?
Did anyone look into my eyes?

On the day you became mine
Did you know? Was there a sign?
Did Daddy tell you “We’ll take that one?
That baby there – he’ll be my son?”

Please help me understand these things
And more about the God who brings
Baby and mommy and daddy together
To give me a family forever and ever

wrd ~ 12.24.03

Knee Surgery

2008-09-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what two 60 lb. dogs can do whey run, full speed, into your kneecap. Finding out both knees have a torn meniscus, advanced osteoarthritis, and virtually no cartledge left me with one reasonable option. Surgery! Finding a doctor is just like finding a plumber. Some are experts in their field. Some.....not so much.

Need knee surgery? Go to Tom Meade at Lehigh Valley Hospital. www.oaaortho.com for more information.

He's the best.

MOM! I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE!

2007-08-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had an awesome beach day. I never get in the ocean unless it's really warm....you guessed it. It was really warm.

Nick and I just played and laughed and he threw caution to the wind. Or it seemed that way - really, he had no cares because he fully trusted me. His faith was solid.

My "mom radar" was on overdrive - the ocean is just not like Holiday House. There in our local pool, I can let Nick swim alone for the most part.

In the Atlantic, things are different. And this was the first time he really swam in the surf - by himself - although I was in arm's reach.

One of his favorite things is for me to lift him up and throw him as far as I can - it's not as far as Daddy can throw, but it's still good.

At one point, his faith in me got shaky. "Mom!" he said. "You scared me! I didn't know where you were!"

"But I knew where you were, Sweetie. I always know where you are. Don't worry," I said.

Wow - I thought - isn't that just how God talks to us?

When we feel scared and say "God! I don't know where you are!", He says "But I know where you are - and that's what matters."

He never leaves us and if we read his love letter to us (the Bible) we find we really can know where He is - and where He is never changes.

Whether we're in a shallow pool or fighting the waves of a powerful ocean.

Long Way Round

2007-08-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight we watched an amazing show (rent from your video store) Long Way Round. It is a documentary showing Ewan Mac Gregor (of Star Wars fame) and friend on a 20,000 mile motorcycle trip from London to New York via Russia & Kazakhstan.

Long Way Round is a 2 disc set and reminded us so much of our trip to Romania and Wayne's trip to Russia - some areas in this part of the world are like taking a trip back in time.

It got me thinking - some things in life really go the Long Way Round....................

2007-08-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

OK, so I'm not quite a real blogger yet. Christmas was what, like 9 months ago?

Right now we are in the family home on Cape Cod near Chatham. The weather is 70 and breezy. Tonight we feasted on lobster, corn and tomatoes.

We're rediscovering nature, exercise, and quiet although Wayne has to work a bit. But with the wonders of technology, computers and cell phones give him all the info he needs. I've even gotten web orders for AVON up here - isn't the modern age great!

Nicholas is months away from 9 and entering 3rd grade - he loves baseball, basketball, art and being silly! He and I head to CO in November to see his cousins and my mom & sis.

If you need a good end-of-summer read, pick up "Maggie" by Charles Martin or "Quaker Summer" by Lisa Samson.

Wishing you a great last few summer days,

Wendy

How was your Christmas?

2006-12-27T02:32:00.000-08:00

Ours was great, especially Dec. 26. There's something about the quiet morning after, watching my son play with his new toys, my husband read a new book, while I chill, drink coffee, get cozy under the blanket, and send out the last of the Christmas cards.

I always have "high expectations" that usually disappoint - this year it was my Christmas Brunch. I definitely have served better - it just didn't come out right and we had new friends over so I was quite disappointed!