Random Weirdness for Monday

I'm sitting here partaking of a favorite snack -- pistachios. I almost always buy them in a big bag, in their shells but one time I decided it would be easier to just buy them already shelled. Big mistake. They aren't nearly as good that way, at least I don't think so. Plus, you eat more because it's easier.

One thing that makes me strangely excited is when I find a pistachio out of its shell, just sitting there among the others. It's like I've found a rare, hidden gem! Weird, right? That also means there is a shell in there with no nut and when I find those, I feel ripped off. I told a friend just last week that it's crossed my mind when I get a new bag to sort through them and make sure I have no more empty shells than random nuts. And she looked at me as if I am nuts. Of course I don't have time but I just wonder if I have more empty shells because it sure seems that way.

Anyway, the point of this is that life is like that sometimes. There are those seasons when the hard things are all around you, closing in and just when you can't take anymore, there is an gem waiting in the midst for you. I know I've experienced that a lot lately. It might seem like the empty shells are all there is, but then, out of the blue, there it is. It could be a card, a random phone call, a lunch date, whatever. It's just a fantastic discovery. Likewise, there are those we come across who are empty -- nothing to offer and begging to be filled. You can no more fill them than you can reinsert a whole pistachio that somehow fell out. Only God can fill their cavernous hole but you can encourage them along their way.

Just as with my bag of pistachios where I know there are hidden free-range-nuts, life has those hidden free-range-nuts. And when we find them? Let's praise God for putting a gem in our path!

A Waste of Time

No particular depth today but something happened yesterday that was such an utter waste of time I found myself shaking my head in wonderment.

Our dishwasher broke -- again. We didn't actually get it fixed last time. The repair guy came out but didn't really know anything about our brand. So he made a call to the manufacturer and discovered it was the latch. But while he was there it started working again. Of course it did because he's the repair guy. So, he told us it wouldn't hurt anything to just keep using it until it died; however, there was one small glitch. It beeps annoyingly while it is sensing how dirty the dishes are. Okay, it bugs me, but I can live with it and when I can't, I start it when I leave the house and come home to clean, shiny dishes. The best part of this whole thing? He didn't charge us for the service call. Woo hoo!

This week it started doing the same thing (working sometimes, not others, stopping in the middle) so we decided to just have it fixed. Steve called the guy and set up an appointment for Thursday at 3:30. Keep in mind that he already knows what is wrong. Very important. Steve left work early to meet him at the house. I get home, fully expecting him to still be there but to my surprise, he wasn't. "Ah, he's late", I thought as I drove up. Last time he was 2 hours late. No, he had been there and no, it was not fixed.

"Why?" I asked.

Steve replied, "Because he didn't have the part. He has to order it."

I protested. "But he already knew what was wrong. Why did he come out if he didn't have the part? What did he do?"

Steve said, "He took the door off and pushed some buttons. He'll be back early next week to fix it. In the meantime, we can use it if it'll start."

Oh. Okay. No, that's not weird at all. He wasted his time, his gas, and Steve's time all the while knowing what was wrong. Maybe he thought it repaired its own latch and there was something else wrong. Yeah, that must be it. At least he didn't charge us for the house call.

Final Vacation Update

This will be the last official post about our vacation to NYC. But I realized as I perused the others that it appears Erica is always wearing the same clothes. Believe me, that is not the case! It just happened to be chilly and so we needed our coats on every day.

So as not to bore you with every single detail of every day, a recap of other things is as follows: we went to Grand Central Station, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square (tons of times), Rockefeller Plaza, FAO Schwarz, Madame Tussaud's, the Empire State Building, NYPD Museum, Ground Zero, Wall Street, The Body Museum and of course Central Park & Zoo.

My favorites of those were Grand Central Station, Central Park and the NYPD Museum. I loved Grand Central Station because it was so contradictory. The street level portions were amazing with the marble, grand halls and wide spaces all while the underworld of subway life was beneath our feet. It was truly 2 completely opposite worlds co-existing. Very bizarre. I found myself standing in the middle of the grand hall envisioning the day it opened in all its splendor. I could see the ladies in the big, bustling skirts and the gentlemen being gentlemen. And around me was anything BUT that! It was marvelous.

I also loved our carriage ride through Central Park. I realize it's ultimately tourist-y but obviously that doesn't mean much to me. It was so weird to be in the middle of a quiet oasis and see the big tall buildings looming overhead. Because it was late winter or super early spring, the trees had no leaves. I kind of wish we could have seen that as I'm sure it would have made the experience completely different. For a few brief hours we did not hear the hustle and bustle of the city. I also learned you can drive through the park - who knew?

Finally, I was profoundly impacted by the "Remembering 9/11" exhibit at the NYPD Museum. Tears stung my eyes as I watched videos I had see before but after having gone to Ground Zero, it was just different than seeing them from thousands of miles away. I fear many have already forgotten what happened that day. For a brief time afterward we stuck together as a nation but those sacrifices were forgotten too soon.

Amazing how easily and readily everyone prayed and talked about God but it is once again taboo. Why does God put up with us?

How fitting - Reeks on Wall Street:

Carriage Ride pics:

Erica on the giant piano:

The Sweetest Thing

I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Friday. I wanted to photograph them for this post but I couldn't find my digital camera and I needed to get on with my morning. They came from someone I affectionately call "Becca Buddy". We had talked about how Friday was my dad's birthday and Easter weekend is when we buried him.

And she sent me flowers. The card said my family and I were in her thoughts and prayers this weekend. It was the sweetest thing and all I could do is cry. She is adorable and a bright spot to my workday.

God sent me many reasons to praise him this weekend, despite my sorrow. He put people in my path who loved on me, encouraged me, and just understood.

What a great God we have the privilege of serving.

Tomorrow -- one final vacation post!

Easter Reflections

In just a few short hours Easter 2008 will be another day in history. We had a great Easter Sunday but it wasn't so out of the ordinary compared to most Sundays. This is a good thing because it means we're consistent in how we approach church, ministry, and God's place in our lives. If it were something completely different for us, that would mean we aren't doing something right...at least I think so.

As most churches probably experienced today, our attendance was up - both at Calvary and Emmanuel. Steve had decided to preach today and once again I was mesmerized. I am in complete awe at the growth I've seen in him and how much God has clearly blessed his obedience. He talked today about what the death and resurrection of Jesus accomplished and why we should celebrate this day. I realized yesterday his sermon had 10 points. Whoa! 10 points? Doesn't that violate all preaching regulations? So yesterday I told him they better go fast or I wasn't sticking around for all of them. Of course I was kidding. How he narrowed it down to just 10 was amazing in itself and for the record they did go fairly fast. I think his entire sermon was 35 minutes so pretty normal stuff after all.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at my mom's doing the standard family holiday thing. Pretty low key but sometimes that is best. One of my favorite parts of the day was the after lunch walk with my mom, just the two of us. We used to walk together every day but once my work at home job ended, it became impossible for me to continue to schedule that at 9 a.m. every day and I've really missed it. Not only was the exercise great but it was during those times I've learned the most about her -- what she likes, stories of growing up, and some of her hopes and dreams. What a great thing to be able to have done.

I'll end today with a verse we used in an announcement slide this morning. It sums up what this day of celebration is all about. But before I do that, I will list a verse that Steve used in his sermon this morning and it is particularly fitting for me today as I've mourned my dad so much this, his birthday weekend. And this, the holiday 2 years ago that found us preparing for his funeral. Oh, what a sunrise service he must have been a part of today!

"Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, o death, is your victory? Where, o death, is your sting?.....Thanks be to God, he gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57 (NIV)

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

Dad's Day

Well, today would be dad's 65th birthday. I can't exactly say "Happy Birthday Dad" as that no longer matters to him. As I type this I'm sitting in my dining area looking outside while a spring snow falls gently from the sky. It was a day just like this almost 2 years ago when we said our final goodbyes to dad amidst many tears, much laughter, and scores of memories. It wasn't his birthday weekend but rather an Easter weekend and since Easter is early this year, it has stacked up to be a fairly emotional time for me.

Isn't my dad one of the cutest babies you've ever seen? I can see how my grandpa had a hard time disciplining this little guy -- not only was he unbelievably adorable, he was also the solitary son and the apple of his dad's eye. I never tired of hearing dad's stories of his childhood. He was all boy, that's certain. Take, for example, the time he shot his sister in the rear with a bb gun. She threatened to tell on him, he warned her not to and as she reached the door, BAM! That's right - he actually shot her. As he told it, he figured if she was going to tell on him, he'd give her something to tell about. His dad's reaction? He took my dad to the barn where he promptly laughed. You read that right....he laughed...gave a stern warning not to do it again but still, he found humor in the situation. She wasn't seriously hurt although I can imagine it stung to sit for a few days. And she held no hard feelings about it either. From what I saw, she thought the world of her big brother.

I have many plans for today but chief among them is taking flowers to dad's grave. Throughout this week I've had bouts of sorrow. Last night I didn't even want to go to Bible study but I knew sitting at home was not the answer - not to mention the minor detail that I am the leader. And God did great things despite my sadness. A woman who is taking the Bible study told me during week 2 or 3 she was not a believer. That can no longer be said. She gave her life to Christ yesterday and while it doesn't make me miss dad less, it gave me great reason to celebrate. As long as we're on this earth, God has a purpose for us and we need to be about His business.

In light of that, I can hear my dad saying "don't mourn me - celebrate new life!" The thing is I'll see dad again and I can't do a single thing for him personally since he's in glory already. But when it's my turn to go, I can be found faithful and take people with me. My prayer today is that God would find me faithful to do the work He has assigned me. May people say about me:

"Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit of God?" ~ Genesis 41:38

Let it be, Dear God, let it be!

A Day of Firsts

So, it was the first full day we were there and we had some amazing firsts. Erica had her first subway ride and we all went to our first Broadway musical - The Lion King.

It took us another 3 or 4 days to see our first subway rat. Strangely exciting, mostly because it was expected and we were surprised we didn't see more. In the end, though, we found the subway to be one of the best ways to get around and fairly affordable. I say fairly because by the time we bought tickets for all of us at $2 a ride, we spent close to $100 in that planet under the streets. Once again we noticed that everyone was in their own little world with ear buds in and nobody made eye contact -- if you try, they quickly divert. It was kind of sad that in a crowd, they were truly all alone and worse yet, they seem to like it that way. In a few of our travels though we found a handful of super nice people, maybe 4 or 5. It's a sad commentary that the nice ones were so rare they stood out from the mobs of people we encountered.

The other first for all of us was the musical. Erica and I were giddy with excitement and this was another childhood dream come true for me. I had debated paying extra for premium seats when I bought the tickets but am glad I did not. Our seats were absolutely fabulous - both Erica and I had 100% unobstructed views and I was on the aisle. There were 2 times during the show that the performers came down the aisles. The costumes were amazing, the stage was amazing, and the talent was spectacular. I was completely mesmerized.

Oh, in case you're wondering, YES, we did take a picture of our subway rat. Nothing says tourists like a bunch of nerds photographing a rat in NYC. It's kind of like when someone comes to Montana and gets all excited to see antelope, deer, or even a cow in the pasture. We're like, "yep, that was fun."

Another Brother Birthday

While I have a couple more vacation reflections, I just had to take today to wish my brother a Happy Birthday! So, there it is -- Happy Birthday Edward or as I like to call him Ed-weird-o! This time around it's my older brother, actually my oldest sibling. He is 8 years old than I and today my mind swarms with memories that involve him.

The first is when I was in grade school and for some reason he walked home with me and Shiela. He went to junior high downtown at Lincoln and he walked over to our grade school and then home with us. Not sure why but I do remember feeling like I was queen of the world. I had a big brother escorting me home and none of my friends did. And we laughed all the way home because we thought he was hilarious.

The second is the time he and Carolyn came to North Carolina for Thanksgiving. He said it was because he lost in drawing straws but I know better. He liked me. What a fun, fun 5 days we had! Too long to post here but the highlights were the beach on Thanksgiving Day where we watched dolphins swimming several hundred yards out and the deep sea fishing trip he and Steve took. Actually, deep sea hurling is a more accurate description.

Finally, when dad died almost 2 years ago, Edward swung into protective mode. Both of mom and of us. Don't get me wrong, I felt the need to go there too but it was different for him. The day we were to meet at the funeral home he called every single one of us to make sure we were okay. No, we weren't "okay" and he knew that but he wanted to make sure we were surviving. No doubt he was hurting tremendously too but he felt the need and responsibility to pick up the patriarchal role. And the next few days he was the ring leader as we formed a circle of protection around our momma.

So, today I say not only Happy Birthday but also thanks to my big brother. I love you man!

Picture note: I don't really remember sharing birthday celebrations but obviously that year we did. Craig must have been a baby as he is missing from the photo.

Fun Street Vendor Food

One of our goals (mostly me and Erica) was to have a street vendor hot dog, a pretzel, and other things that may have interested us -- we found the roasted nuts to be a fabulous snack. We had great success and lots of fun at it too! We found these to be the cheapest food in the city and as a general rule, the less expensive the food we had, the better it was. The obvious exception would be Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Expensive but so worth it!

Two odd food moments we had were as follows....the second day we went to a cafe for breakfast which turned out to be expensive and not so great. The eggs were really bland so I asked the waitress for some salsa. She said "what?" while furrowing her brow. I said, "may I have some salsa please?" She asked, "Do you mean marinara sauce?" Eeeeewwww.....um, no, nevermind, I'll pass. She walked away.

When we bought our pretzel (a whopping dollar) I asked the guy if he had cheese sauce to dip it in. He stared at me like I was crazy or as if I spoke in tongues or something. Okay, I'll take that as a no. Moving on.....

We tried authentic New York Cheesecake which we've had in other places but you have to partake while in the namesake, right? In Little Italy we found a local place that had really good pizza and again, not so expensive comparitively. While it was delicious, Steve and I decided we like Chicago pizza better. The last couple days we found a small cafe to have breakfast and it was unbelievably good and less expensive than others - holding true to our theory of less is best.

So, on that note, here are few pics of our street vendor food. In case you're thinking we're unbelievably odd for photographing these occasions, we probably are. But, we had fun doing so.

Erica was Nuts4Nuts...okay, we all were...

The pretzel gets the seal of approval from both Steve and Erica:

Erica & Steve waiting in line for the hot dogs...

Erica and I were quite pleased with our purchase!

Lady Liberty

The greatest day of vacation for me was Tuesday, the day we went to the Statue of Liberty / Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It was a childhood dream come true for me. Factor in my fiercely patriotic being and love for history and you'll see it's a no-brainer why.

As the boat approached Liberty Island I was overcome with gratitude that I get to live in America. I easily imagined what the thousands of immigrants who approached the statue must have felt. After weeks or months on the high seas, she represented countless opportunitites and freedoms they had never experienced before. Many of these people were reunited with family members who had come previously. There was hope. And I felt every emotion.

After taking our jaunt inside to the base of the feet, we made our way down and walked the perimeter. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I stood there staring, singing patriotic songs. Not only am I free as an American but I am free in Christ. I stilled myself while worshipping my Savior who has given me much. I called this my "freedom moment". Erica said I looked weird but I don't mind so much -- I'll never see those people again but will encounter God tons. So, she and Steve used their freedom moment to walk away from me. It's all good!

I don't know that I have the ability to truly express what was going on inside my heart and mind. But I can tell you this -- it was phenomenal and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to go.

Erica and Steve on the boat as we were on our way to Liberty Island:

Old Glory taken from the base of the pedestal:

Ellis Island from the boat as we approached:

Birthday

So, today is my birthday. I love birthdays because I love presents! But this birthday is weird. I had to work today although I've decided my birthday should be a holiday. Not a national holiday, just for me. As strange as it sounds, I worked at a place where your birthday was one of the paid holidays for the year. What a grand idea! Not only did I have to work but tonight is small group. Don't get me wrong - I love our small group. But I want today to be about me. Yep, I realize that sounds selfish but it's my birthday so it is about me! I like big celebrations where everyone dances around me for a few hours.

Perhaps you laugh at that, or maybe furrow your brow in disgust but if you were honest with yourself, you'd like the same thing on your birthday.

Four ladies in the office decorated my cubicle, or should I say they made a huge mess of it? Balloons all over the floor (what there is of it), confetti on the desk, shelves, and even on the floor. Streamers running across the doorway, and a huge vase of purple, red, and white flowers. The smell in my cubicle is fantastic as a result. I don't mind the big mess, though, because it made me feel special.

Isn't that what we all want? To feel special? Wanted? Loved? Appreciated? Sure it is. But as I was looking around today at all the confetti that says "celebrate", I decided that every day is a day to celebrate. Every day is a gift from God. Every day we have a purpose. Every day we are special to God and that is worthy of celebration.

And when my final birthday comes and goes, I will enter eternity where I will celebrate Christ...forever. So, for now, I've decided to keep up a few of those "celebrate" confetti words as a reminder.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24

I know my mom rejoiced on this, my birthday. And I never cease to remind her of that.

PICTURE: The picture above is my Uncle Bill and I. He was 17 and lived with us when I was born.

Blog Entry Follow Up

Of course I will be posting the next few days about our vacation but I want to use pictures and they are on Steve's computer so until I can grab that, I will fill in with something else.

A couple weeks ago I posted a blog about my big mouth. Well, the following small group Phil managed to zing me...and a good one it was.

As I mentioned, it was their turn to bring dinner (which, by the way, was delicious) and because I don't have an enormous electric grill, Sara brought hers. Of course it goes without saying we don't need a gi-normous one because there are only two of us! Anyway, everyone else had left and the 4 of us stood in the kitchen.

Sara asked Phil, "Can you get me the box from their bedroom so I can carry this stuff?"

Phil replied, "Sure, where is it?"

Now, we've all done that a million times--asked a question we already had the answer to--but it's funny to me every time, particularly if I'm an observer. So, Sara and I laughed hysterically while Steve and Phil looked at us as if we're crazy. We are, but that's not the point.

I explained how we viewed the conversation because it was obvious they had missed it. As Phil turned to go to the bedroom, he said "I guess it was too difficult for a 7-year-old to understand".

Ouch! Got me!

But I Don't Want a Bagel!

I have many vacation reflections, some worthy of sharing publicly and some just to keep to ourselves but I wanted to change the post that has been up forever and this was hilarious.

On our first morning, we went to Dunkin' Donuts for a breakfast sandwich and as we waited for them to be cooked a gentleman came in and ordered "just the sausage, egg, and cheese please". Apparently a low carb dieter. The guy who was helping him, let's call him guy #1 had a pretty thick accent. He said "bagel or croissant?" The orderer said "Neither, just the sausage, egg, and cheese."

Guy #2, an obvious New Yorker, butted in and said "he's asking whether you want the croissant or the bagel - you have to take one." He evidently thought the guy was just having problems understanding Guy #1. Already clearly amused, we listened in on the rest of the conversation...LCD will be the guy ordering (you know, low carb dieter) in the dialogue below:

LCD: But I don't want it.

Guy #2: You have to choose one.

LCD: I don't want either but okay, a bagel. (He looked over at us clearly confused).

Guy #1: What kind of bagel you want?

LCD: It doesn't matter.

Guy #1: Plain or whole wheat?

LCD: I don't care. Plain. His voice trailed off with....I'm not going to eat it anyway.

At this we busted out laughing and the LCD stared at us in disbelief that he couldn't get it without a bagel. Steve said "I guess it's not allowed. This isn't Burger King - you can't have it your way!" LCD then commented something about trying to save them a bagel while he shook his dismayed head.

Um, who's on third? Welcome to breakfast in New York.