Talking to Teens

You know how I just read Twilight, and loved it? Well, the movie was really, super, not-good. It was embarrassingly bad. It was painful to watch.
And that's all I have to say about that.

This book I am reading was challenging parents to consider why they are threatened to discuss some topics with their teenagers.
My teenager and I had a lovely discussion about it. Fortunately, he and I agreed that neither of us is threatened, or shy, about discussing stuff.
So, then we proceeded to talk about a variety of locker-room topics that he gets to encounter when up at the public school for wrestling. You'd be surprised at the things he's seen first-hand at the local skate park, too.
It takes a lifetime to develop that kind of conversational ability with one's kid. He needs to understand that God is not shy about these things. God tells us quite frankly what we need to avoid, and He tells us unblushingly what we can enjoy. I want my boys to have correct information, and to be comfortable having these conversations in the privacy of their own home.
It's not just sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, either. It's stealing, or cheating. or annoying authority figures. They need to have a freedom to bring their thoughts to me. They should be able to use me as a sounding-board as they figure out how they think about things. They can't always believe things, just because I tell them to. They have to process this stuff. They have to work it out on their own, and I want to hear about it.
I like what I'm seeing. M is way smarter than I sometimes give him credit for. He thinks about things. It sounds like he makes some really good decisions. He makes bad ones, too, don't get me wrong. But when he screws up, he's pretty much able to see why. He applies Scripture to his life situations. He sounds like he's learned from the mistakes of those around him, too. I think we call that "wisdom."
D is close behind his big brother. He's still very young, though. Younger than his almost-12-years. He's a good kid. I'm proud of both of them.
God has done some stuff in these boys, because there's more at work in them than just my inconsistant parenting. There're going to be fun to watch as they grow into men. I look forward to seeing who they are as adults.

Bah, Humbug

Hi
I sqeezed into my jeans today. I noticed that the meal yesterday may have done some damage. It was so good, anyway.
Now the real holiday season is underway, which means that snow should be around the corner, and I will begin stressing full-time. I can't buy you a present this year. K? I didn't get you one last year, either. This year I am committed to spend only cash. No Credit at all. I've never done Christmas that way before.
I wrote out a list of those who absolutely must have a gift for Christmas, and a list of all the December birthdays. Then, I estimated a reasonable budget. It was $700.00. So, I cut it in half, then looked at my projected income. I wonder what the kids would do if I really, really didn't give them anything? Do you think they could grow up well-balanced and normal?
I could give Tim a kiss, each of the kids a hug, I'll promise to kick the dog less, and we should be good to go. Merry Christmas.

Thanks

Many years ago, our forefathers celebrated God's Provision to them with a meal. Tonight, on the eve of that rememberance meal, I am thinking of all of God's Provision in my own life. God brought those early pilgrims through such hardship. They fought to realize a dream that they believed was set before them by Providence. I am grateful to them, and to Him.
Tomorrow, I expect to dine with people whom I love. There will be a wide assortment of family and friends at the celebration table, and they will each want a piece of Tim's Pumpkin cheesecake. There will not be enough.
I love the United States of America.
I am thankful for the men and women, who braved the sea, and the uncertainty, to found a great nation here.
I am in love with my precious children.
I am in love with my man.
I am awed by my God.
I am humbled by the love of my friends.
I have the most beautiful Big-Fat-Greek-Wedding-Sort of family in the world.
And many of them are gathering at Jenine's tomorrow. You should pray for her.
Also, pray that I get to the cheesecake first.

Blah Blah Blah

I had my first day at work today. Once I get going, I'll be working really flexible hours, so that I can continue to parent full time. However, the next couple weeks have me away from home a lot. I like it. You know how some women abandon their homes for the workplace, where they feel appreciated and they earn money for it? I used to judge those women.
There is a whole world out there. Did you know? A world where people wouldn't dream of standing outside my bathroom door to have a conversation whilst I am otherwise occupied. A world where grown-ups consult my opinion and take my advice. A world where people have recently showered.
I came home this afternoon to an astonishing pile of dirty dishes.
But there was also a full in-box of love letters from Tim.
Ah, the real world.

I gave the dog a haircut tonight. This dog looked like a wild third-world mutt. Now she looks half her size. She was pretty gross, and the hair wasn't trimming itself.
I think that this employment is going to help me to be more productive than usual. Before I even left this morning, I had done laundry and dishes and a very respectable quiet time. My Mother used to say that busy people are the ones who get things done. I think she's right.

I'm going to a funeral on Monday. It's for the father of my friend, Heidi . She is the eldest of 12 kids. She has 10 of her own. They are a good sort of people, the sort who should really be encouraged to reproduce. I haven't seen this friend in a couple of years. The trip to the funeral involves a road trip with girlfriends. I am expecting Patsy, Kara, Jenine, Jessie. These are girls who love, and girls who go way back. These are the sorts of friends a girl needs.

On a different note, entirely....
Do you know that people often ask inappropriate questions of dating people? I have taken an informal survey of the sorts of things folks will say to a dating couple, and I think you should hear about them, so you'll know what not to say. You would never say these things, I am sure.
But everyone else does.
1. How come he hasn't proposed yet? Or: When are you going to propose?
2. Are you going to use birth control?
3. Am I invited to the wedding?
And my personal favorite:
4. So, how far have you two gone?
I have been asked these questions repeatedly, and so has Tim.
The answers, in no particular order, are: Back off, Mind our own business, In your dreams, and no. In case you were wondering.

On how I spent my weekend

Wrestling tournaments are of the devil.
So, Friday afternoon, my boys were to participate in a wrestling thing that was hosting kids from all over. There were kids from several states competing. It was a Friday/ Saturday deal. I had no idea what to expect.
My thinking was that Friday would be a long evening, but we'd be out of there by noon on Saturday.
Perhaps you can imagine my distress when we weren't able to leave until 5:30 in the afternoon. It stole my entire day. And since it's all about me, you can see why I struggled to remain cheerful.
My littlest kiddo placed 6th in...what? The valley? The world? He did really great. If he had been sensible and gotten eliminated early on, we could have left. But, no. He has to go and win all day. Very inconvenient, that.
I sat on a hard bleacher seat, with throngs of teaming humanity, in a gym that was hot and stinky, for 13 hours this weekend. I am a saint.
My children are the coolest. It's the only reason I hung in there.

I learned a lot about them as I watched them interact with peers and coaches. M, the 13-year-old is impressive with people. He puts people at ease, and he was very encouraging to all of his teammates. One of his coaches, whom I had not met before, spoke to me. He said M is a remarkable kid, and that whatever I'm doing with him seems to be working. He said several things that were music to my ears, and showed me that this young man of mine is making a name among the adults he interacts with, as well as with the students.
D really stood out, also. Not only is he apparently a great wrestler, but he didn't seem at all like the other kids his age. He was noticeably obedient, attentive, and responsive. Other kids were not even making eye contact with the adults.
It's interesting to compare them to their peers. Because they're schooled at home, I just don't see that very often. It was encouraging to me.

I actually have lots of thoughts to share, but I have to go get in the shower.
Have a glorious day. Never go to a wrestling tournament. This is my advice to you.

Back on the chain gang

I'm a working girl.
I got hired today by a company I worked for some years ago. It's a part time gig, that pays slightly better than most.
The main benefit to this job is the flexibility regarding when I actually do my work. I can go in really early in the morning, or quite late at night. I can work pretty much anytime.
It's not rocket science, but it has some of the components I require for a happy working environment. Mainly, that it's not a job which requires me to sit still. I'm kind of a high energy gal. Desk jobs make me cranky.

That's about the only thing worth reporting from my little life today. I'm really not in the mood to add a humorous spin to it, either. I've been gone all day, and now I simply have to get something done around here. I haven't even made my bed yet!

On what happened next

An angel wrote me a check for 500.00, is what happened next. An angel handed me cash.
Once again, God has provided for me to pay my bills.
He is Trustworthy.
Praise Him.

It used to be that I would lie when I needed something. For ages I would tell no person, but God alone. He would still meet my needs.

It used to be that I would die a thousand deaths when someone would hand me money. I remember once, a stranger at church had walked up to me. She asked how to spell my name, because God had told her to write me a check. I went to my car and cried all the way home from the embarrassment.

I still get so embarrassed that I want to whimper. But there's really no way around it.
My friend asked me, "Are your bills paid?"
And to my negative response, she asked, "How much do you need to pay them?"
I knew the total, because I've been working those numbers frequently, trying to figure out what to pay, and what can wait.
I told her. She gave me that, plus some.
And I didn't cry.
There was a sort of sigh, though, of resignation. Another impact to my Pride.
I was also a little sad at my own sorry faith. I keep desperately seeking work, but God pays my bills another way.
He still pays them.
As my friend Cheryl said, "What's it to me, (if God wants to pay my bills in a way that humbles me?) I am His bond servant."
This is where God has me, and He has me here because I am a hard case to humble. He has me here because He loves me to much to allow me to be self-sufficient and proud.

God has placed around me people who are sensitive to His leading. People Who love me far more than I deserve. People whom I can not hope to repay. Thank you so much. I don't know how to say "Thank You" to such generosity and love.

God, teach me to be so in tune with You, that I can not fail to meet the needs around me, too.
Amen.

Moaning about the latest

You people don't seem to appreciate my complaining. Which is kind of a shame, seeing as how I am so good at it.
Perhaps you'll get used to it if I continue.....
My primary source of income is from my nanny services. I'm like a daycare, only less formal. Think of me as a mom-for-hire.
Today I was praying about increasing my income, and do you want to know what happened? I lost one of my sources of income instead. The mom called and announced that the child's father would be getting out of prison, and would therefore be free to help with her. Plus, the grandmothers would be helping as well, so, thank-you-very-much... ByeBye.
I was a little giddy on the phone. "Fine fine, that's just great!"
What else am I going to do?

Now I am offering my children for sale.

No, I'm not. Don't get excited. I could probably go to jail for joking about that.

The good news is..........
...........
..........
I can't remember what the good news is. Frankly, I am a little concerned. My usually sunny disposition is facing a bit of a challenge.
Hmmm. We'll see what happens next, shall we?

Dating mom/ working mom

We ate fish, and drank white wine. We watched the new 007. Dates are fun. I like dating Tim. You'll have to take my word for it, though, as I don't think I am up to sharing.
Mostly, the weekend has gone by way too fast, and I am not really ready to face the week ahead.

I've been applying for various jobs that would allow me an income outside of my home. It feels to me like a betayal of all that God has provided to me for all these years. I am as yet unsre whether I think I am betraying Him, or He is betraying me. That doesn't sound like a deeply faithful thing to say, but there it is.

There's more going on here than the difficult economy. God is using a celetial two-by-four to teach me a bit about vulnerability.
Vulnerability sucks.
God is teaching me that I am often self-sufficient, when I tell myself I'm depending on God.
That I am Proud as Satan, and I need to own up to my weeknesses and needs.
That I would rather appear to have my act together, when I'm really falling to pieces. I believe that's called hypocracy.

It's the Goodness of God, though. He knows what it takes to make me into what He wants me to be. He wants me to be humble and useful. He seems to really dig vulnerability. It's only as I embrace what is real about my circumstances that others can see what God is actually doing. If I pretend to be a barbie-doll Christian, then no one is going to benifit from God's work in me. Ugh.

There is no denying that my income is insufficient to pay the bills, and the usual work is not enough. So, I'm applying for jobs. And exploring all this junk that God is asking me to confront about my blasted self-sufficient pride. Don't you wish you were me?

Danger, Will Robinson

If you have no idea why I gave this post that title, I am sure you are not alone. It's kind of dumb, actually. It's from a TV show. Can anyone name it?

I have a date tonight, that I have been looking forward to for 2 weeks. When you are old and dating, it's a lot like being married most of the time; romantic evenings are spent washing dishes together, instead of drinking and dancing under the stars. We sit on the couch and sip wine while the children gallivant before us, and then the youngest will plop down in between us to snuggle. It's like romance, only less relaxing.
He invited me to go to dinner and a movie. He asked me two weeks ago, and told me the restaurant, and the movie we're going to see. I find that looking forward to it is a big part of the fun.
I have no idea what to wear.

Romance is a fascinating topic. Not just my love life, necessarily, but in general. I was reading in the Song of Solomon yesterday, and there were a few things that struck me anew.
One, is that romance must be very important to God. I know that some prudish commentators claim that the Song of Solomon is an analogy for God's love for us, and maybe there's a hint of that. But the book is about Desire and Passion and Romance. These fascinating elements were God's idea, and He showers approval on them by the things He says.
Also, the world, and the evil one, seem to have put a lot of effort into corrupting God's idea of Romance. This tells me that the whole thing is quite powerful and important.
Powerful and Important.
I think that's very profound.

My love is something to fight for, and to guard from attack. Mostly, I find that I have to protect it from myself, to be honest. I need no help from the devil, to have a corrupting influence on my relationship. I could damage it with one errant afternoon. Or a bit of gossip. There's probably lots I could do, because I can be very bad, when left to my own devices.
God calls us to something better.
His idea of romance comes with a warning label. It's more powerful than the atom bomb. Isn't that strange? How can something with so much intensity ever accomplish something good? When I look around my culture, I see a battlefield of broken hearts and shredded souls, from love gone bad, or twisted into a mockery. Many... most... of the people I know, have been desperately wounded from handling this powerful magic with no regard to the caveats.
Passion, romance, and desire were God's idea, though. He details how to work with this powerful force, in a way that creates, rather than destroys. If there is so much power to crush, imagine how this can be, when handled well!

I'm learning a lot. I'm learning about Tim, of course, but I'm also learning about myself, and about God. There is "Deep Magic" here, like in Narnia. Something that is mystical and divine.
....And Very, Very Powerful.

When you are my age....

When you get to be my age, there are things that begin to change.
You consider crow's feet to be attractive, for instance, if they rest near your eyes, and not above your door. If the crow's feet are, in fact, attached to a crow, and he is quoting "nevermore," then you have other things to worry about.
At my age, you begin to notice that music has gotten louder, and children have no manners.
You wonder why children are driving.
Your various parts begin to droop. Who am I kidding? They began the drooping last decade.
You dye your hair. Liar. You do, too.
You wonder why it's so hard to buy pants that reach your waist, or skirts that reach your knees. So you give in and pretend that you like pants that show your panties.
Your friends begin to have medical issues. They discuss the cholesterol-lowering benefits of Cheerios.
When you are my age, your parents begin to look like you remember your grandparents looking. (Except for my Mother who will always look 13. Really, Mother, you look great. Would I lie to you?) Your Grandparents become wiser, and infinitely more precious.
When you are my age, you can't really look in the mirror without seeing your Mother. Nor can you correct your children without echos of your Father.
Your skin feels thinner, somehow.
You regularly apply sunscreen.
Your time accelerates.
Your driving speeds decelerate.
And the realization begins to dawn....before this advanced age, there were whole decades wasted. There were opportunities missed. There was such a lot that was recklessly spent, with no appreciation.
This becomes the time of life to sit up and pay attention. The time to love deeper, lose the weight, Carpe that diem. Don't care so much what others think.
The evaluations begin.
Have I loved enough? Is my parenting adequate? Have I lived right before God?
It's sweet, I think, and right. Our days are few...our time is short. We can make such an impact, but only if we do it God's way.
So, the bottom line, when all has been said is: Love the Lord your God, and apply moisturizer.

Times, they are a changin'

I'm in the third book. Is the thing.
Someone should put the tome down and get a little exercise, or Some one's going to turn into a bowl full of Jello.
I read the first one in 24 hours, flat.
I couldn't really justify the expense of buying the second one, but the magnetic pull of the bookstore swept me in. I bought it, and consumed it within a day.
So, there I was yesterday, looking at the book at Target....book #3. It was discounted. What was I supposed to do?
I am going to pace myself on this one, though. I have become a text glutton.

You know how much I love my house church? It's about the most wonderful thing ever in the world of Christian fellowship. There's this group of people who really love the Lord, they really love good food, and they really love to be together. It's been a whole social circle, like the Christians in Acts. Meeting needs in one another's lives, and so forth.
Only, people keep leaving the group. Why are these folks not insanely committed to each other? I don't get that.
We are down to a very small group at this point, and it makes me wonder why such a treasure is so easy to walk away from.
However, I suspect that God will do something remarkable here. That's kind of what He does. Any time there's a big shift in circumstances, it makes me sit up and pay attention. See, the God I know gets tickled by taking a situation that looks unpleasant, and morphing it into a wonder of breathtaking beauty. I've seen Him do it over and over again. Whatever God is up too, I want a front-row seat. I want to be a part of His plan. I want to watch Him work.

So, maybe I should get my nose out of the vampire book, eh?

Book Review for Robin

I finished the book Twilight in a day.
You must realize that I am a sci-fi/fantasy junky. I was born with this tendency, and I like to tell people that it's because of my superior intellect. That way, they think twice before condemning me. If they don't appreciate such imaginative storytelling, perhaps they are not as smart as me.

I very much enjoyed this book.

It's a love story, and a vampire tale.
The main character, Bella, is a 17-year-old who has just moved in with her father, after her mother remarries. The story takes place in a little town on the Puget Sound in Washington, and since I am in love with that area, I appreciate that the story lets me live there in my imagination.

These vampires are good guys. They have become what they are thru no fault of their own, and they fight against the tendencies to be evil. There's a bit of a moral in that. They rise above their situation to become better, um, vampires.

The love story is filled with tension and passion. It's also very pure, so far. There are three other books in the series, which I have yet to read, so I am not sure if the purity continues. I am currently all in love, myself, so I enjoyed the romance here.

The characters in the book have strong family loyalty, both humans and vampires. There is a struggle in Bella as she begins to assert her Independence from her own parents, but at her age, I thought this was appropriate.

The book is an easy read, and I will definitely continue thru the series. I am planing to see the movie when it comes out, also.
Let me know what you think of it.

Democrates, and Republicans, and Vampires...Oh My!

What election?
I have been reading a book, for heaven's sake, and I'm utterly useless. It's the one vampire book that every one's talking about. It's riveting. I am currently wondering if perhaps Tim is a romantic and passionate vampire. That could add a new dynamic to our relationship, eh?
It's called Twilight; have you read it? I think the intended audience is 15 and female, so say whatever you want. Who cares if I'm immature and mellow dramatic? I needed a little distraction from real life. I can't put it down.

Don't worry about my vote, I went this morning and made my mark on this fine democratic process. My cousin went and cancelled my vote with hers, though. Meanie.
I am actually quite proud of her. This was her first foray into the American privilege of voting.
Who's going to win, do you think?

I was reading out to my children from the latest Eragon sequel. Great book, that. But now that I'm into my own book, I've abandoned that endeavor. In truth, I figure the faster I get through the one I'm reading, the sooner I can get back to my children. Of course the book I'm reading has several sequels, too.

In case you were wondering, I was a Pirate for Halloween. I like costumes a lot.

Although it's nice chatting with you, I need to go get back to my book.
Are you reading anything interesting?