sad

I confess that I have not taken a lot of time to catch up on local, national or global current events lately. Since today, May 31st, is the global day of prayer, I decided to take a few minutes to peruse some headlines before praying this evening.

I can't believe the things I'm reading! Its appalling, sad, and a little scary. Go check your favorite news site for yourself - but the things that jumped out at me included some gut-wretching stories... An abortion doctor is shot, while at church. A man and his wife are cited for holding a bible study in their home without a "religious assembly" permit. A hospital employee's American flag was taken down from display in her office because a coworker found it offensive. ...and those stories only begin to scratch the surface.

I will turn to my Abba with a heavy heart while the headlines occupy my mind.

Today is the global day of prayer. Let us pray!

What if the church?

One of the biggest beefs I had with our previous regular place of worship was that finding service opportunities outside the church was rather hard to do. We could sign up to feed the homeless, but only on the fifth Saturday of the months that have five Saturdays in them, and even then - you had to sign up months in advance, or you missed your chance and had to get on the waiting list. There were always opportunities to bring things and/or money inside the church - they were very good about donating food and diapers and such to the pantry. And, there were even opportunities to serve by donating food and necessary items (such as a sewing kit) to people who live on the other side of the planet. Which is great. I believe God's people are everywhere, and I believe it is partly my responsibility to minister to even those who are on the other side of the planet (as well as those who live down the street from us) when I can.

But, I had - for a very long time - been craving the opportunity to dive into local mission-like service. Something that I could sign up for a few weeks in advance, plan on, and go do. Something that not only gives me the chance to help show other people about the love of Christ, but also that helps people just survive. I feel like inner city missions are extremely important to my life as an active, faithful Christian.

So, I was COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY excited to learn about the What if the Church campaign through the church we're now attending. This idea that volunteers like myself are invited into local organizations to serve on a Saturday, and that we'd be among "friends" in the city who are serving alongside us, is awesome. And today? Was the "serve day." And what's even cooler, is that our church and the entire "What if the Church" campaign has made it abundantly clear that today is not just a day to go, do, and leave... but a day to go, do, explore, and learn more about when and where we can go and DO again in the future.

Today is finally May 30th - a day that husby and I have anticipated and planned for. We've planned on serving today for a few weeks, and I prepared for this day through prayer. We took the girls to grandmas house last night, knowing that they would not fair well with a full day of chores in KCK. We wanted to be able to focus and give a full effort. We wanted to serve and be a blessing.

And?

It was amazing to be in the inner city of Kansas City, KS serving at a location known as the Urban Scholastic Center today. We helped rake/fluff/spread mulch on their playground, we helped paint some rooms, we met people from all different areas of the Kansas City metro area, we heard the pastor there talk about the different ministries they provide for the city, we ate lunch together, we sweat together, we laughed together, and we grew tired and weary together. And it was a fabulous day. It was just what I needed, everything I craved. And I can't wait to do it again!

How embarrassing

I have two blogs - mostly because I want to pretend that I have a normal life outside the business. I try and keep all my kids-are-so-cutsie-look-at-me-and-what-we're-learning stuff to a minimum around here, because ...well, let's face it, this blog here is for my sanity. I love my computer because all of my great friends live in it.

Anyway, I went to a fabulous childcare-related class about science and preschool and while we were there, we were encouraged to share a lot. We talked about the stuff we were learning about, and we talked about stuff we've experienced on the job, and we talked about random stuff - like my blog. And while I was boasting about my high-tech way to share daycare-related things with the families that I provide care for, I inadvertently gave the whole class this blog address. Like, this one here - instead of the one where I actually talk about the business, over here.

Ahh - oh well. Just because my blog address was written on the dry-erase board for the whole class (15 or so?) to see, doesn't mean anybody actually wrote it down and is going to visit, right?

At any rate, if you are here visiting and wondering, UHM what the heck - where's the daycare crap? Well, it's over here. Sorry about that!

Fun with the camera

Summer Begins

Today was the last day of school until August. Julia was going to Part-Time preschool at Sunflower Elementary as a peer model for a couple of hours in the mornings, Monday thru Thursday. The program is awesome and enriching - an experience I could never have given Julia on my own. Because of preschool, Julia was able to escape the confines of this house and dwell among her peers - playing and exploring, learning, crafting and just being a preschooler. Now, school is out and summer begins. Julia will be stuck at home again! I'm currently looking for another kiddo her age that I can care for so that she doesn't get bored out of her mind. But, until then - it's my sole responsibility to keep her active imagination entertained every. single. day. The stickler is, Julia has grown out of naps. She still naps occassionally, but only on the days when she has school and has had a late night before. Looks like I need to get creative with quiet activities for her to enjoy during nap time this summer! Today, we played with the camera.... which resulted in quite a few giggles and lots of quality fun time between us girls.

All better

You should know something funny. This year at Easter, we had way too many easter eggs for all the kids. Between the kids' Great Aunt Shirley and their too-generous Grandma/Grandpa, there were four wal-mart sacks filled to the brim with stuffed eggs for us to hide at grandma's house on Easter Sunday.

Easter was rainy. Wet. Too cold to go out.

So the egg hut was inside.

Do I really need to mention that we did not have enough places to HIDE all those eggs? Even after lining the hallways and the couch cushions and filling in all the nooks and crannies we could think of, us adults ran out of places to put a filled plastic easter egg.

So, we decided to save half the eggs for another time.

And that 'nother time was last Sunday! Yep, last Sunday, we had an easter egg hunt in our backyard, thanks to the plethora of leftover easter eggs. It was fun. It was sunny. The kids were surprised and happy and joyous. The adults enjoyed finding impossible hiding places. And the best part?

The best part is that my candy drawer is well stocked again.

Whew, chocolate + Maggie = happy!

Yesterday, I enjoyed nap time with my laptop, a root beer, and a few Reeses eggs. Life was good again.

Grouchy

Like every other human being on this great planet, I get cranky from time to time.
Today is one of those times.

And being cranky while providing childcare? Not easy.

Three toddlers 2 and under and one preschooler challenge me on my good days. But today, I'm feeling grouchy for no particular reason and the kids think it's cool to imitate.

That means we're all grouchy.



And it's only noon.

Hopefully a root beer and some chocolate will cheer my butt up. Otherwise? It's going to be a looong afternoon. Happy Tuesday, y'all.

Give your Money! Relay 2009

What a beautiful night! It's after 9pm and I'm blogging from the deck. Yay for Summer!!

Summer also brings another kind of celebration to mind. This year will be my 3rd Relay for Life event. I'd never heard of Relay before moving out here from Colorado. I wonder why that is? Anyway, three years ago, I was touched by someone's story about cancer and was moved to form a Relay team with the church I was attending. We had a pretty big team, I think there were about 12 of us on it. We raised a considerable amount of money and made "Gold team" status - which is just a fun way to stay motivated and raise more money before and during the Relay event. For being a brand new team and never having even heard of Relay before, I'd say that leading a team to Gold Team status the first year is a pretty awesome accomplishment.

But then I remember that I really had nothing to do with that. I had nothing to do with the amount of money our team raised, because each individual team member had their own story. And their family and friends had stories too. And their neighbors and local businesses all had a cancer story. And so, the people on "my team" happened to do a kick-ass job at raising money to benefit Relay.

The following year, I committed to helping our church team do even better. So, early on - we formed two teams and called it the "men's team" and the "women's team" which was really a bad idea since there were so many more women than men and we had to move some women over to the men's team. But, it was still fun and we still made a ton of money. We got even more creative last year than we did the year before and raised even more money through different fundraising events (like the bake sale at church on a Sunday and the raffle baskets that were up for auction during the Relay event). I loved the experience of doing relay, and I mostly loved that I was able to actively participate in an event that raises money for an organization that I really believe in - The American Cancer Society.

Right after Relay last year, or rather, during the Relay event, I remember feeling the pull to do more. I wanted to give up my "Team Captain" title and turn it in for something that meant I was a little more committed, a little more invested in the event. I thought that by giving up being team captain, I was then freeing myself to be more available to help out on the committee.... and I'm happy to say that it worked. I'm on the committee this year, which means that I will help out with the Relay event coordinators on the night of Relay instead of doing all the fund-raising work and then just participating in Relay during the event. Oh yes, I'm fund raising, but I'm also working "behind the scenes" as an ACS CAN Relay Chair. ....which is just a big acronym'ic way of saying I'm going to be promoting ACS CAN during Relay.

What is ACS CAN? It's a grassroots effort to promote political and legislative support for cancer patients. I'm sure their website can explain it much better than I can. Anyway, I'm going to hold a voter registration drive at Relay this year and try to spread the word about advocacy during the event.

I have some inhibitions about this. I'll probably blog about those at a later time because, after all, blogging really is cheaper than therapy. BUT

But anyway... I am soliciting friends, family, church members, blog readers, people in my community, and anybody else I can find for donations.

Yes, I want you to donate money towards my efforts in raising funds for the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life.

Here's the way I see it: the ACS has a great mission statement. And I believe in it. I've been to a few ACS CAN meetings and have heard about and seen what the ACS can do for cancer patients, cancer survivors and even those left behind by individuals who have lost a battle with cancer.

My own best friend, Abbey, told me about a positive, uplifting experience she had in March of this year, thanks to the ACS. And if the ACS is doing something to help my bestest friend in the whole wide world feel better, then I want to support the ACS with some of the money God has given me to use.

I have personally been deeply affected by the ceremonies and intent of Relay for Life, and so now I want to contribute and give back to the organization. They have enriched my life, so I'd like to help them in return. And, I know that my small donation will matter. I'll be honest right here, right now and let you know that I've only donated $15 personally so far this year. I gave what I could, when I could give it. And this summer, I plan to donate more - because I will sacrifice a luxury so that I can give... even if it's only another $20. It will still matter to the American Cancer Society. It will help somebody somewhere. Maybe it will buy a wig. Or maybe it will pay for a speaker that will reach out to a community somewhere. Or maybe it will help somebody afford a certain medication... because my $15 plus someone else's $5 plus someone else's $35 plus someone else's $xx will equal enough to do what God intended for that money to do through the ACS.

And I truly, whole heartedly believe this.

So - there's my solicitation. Will you please donate through my personal fund raising page? Help out my local Relay for Life this year. Thank you in advance. Godspeed.

Friendship

I have tried to avoid blogger like the swine flu because it's calling me to post about something that has recently happened in my life, and I just don't think it's appropriate. It's not appropriate for me to blog about it, and it's 100% appropriate for me to just let it go and move on about my business.

But, I can't help it! I can't help blogging about it. It won't go away until I do. So, here you will find an unnecessary, likely nonsensical blog post just because I really just want these thoughts to pass on by so we can discuss more interesting, life-changing topics.... like potty training 3 toddlers at once, like trying new recipes, and about how having a new fence around the backyard has saved my sanity.

Ok so, you know how My Space, Facebook, Twitter, and the like have hijacked the meaning of "friendship"? That's what this stupid post is about.

I like wikipedia's definition of friendship:

Friendship is co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis. Friends will welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism. Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in mutually helping behavior, such as exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who may often demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviors. Yet for many, friendship is nothing more than the trust that someone or something will not harm them.

That's how it should be. People who think they are my friends just because they read my blog, or just because they know my (now obsolete and abandoned) MySpace page or just because they are called my "friend" on facebook, should remember that friendship is so much more than that!

Now, I'm a pretty loving person. I'm forgiving and patient and I look beyond differences to find commonalities in people. I'm all about having a large social circle. I like to pray for everybody I know, whether or not we keep each other updated on a daily basis. I like to see people I know in the grocery store - maybe even stand and chat for a minute or two as we gawk at each other's kiddos. I like to recognize people when I'm at a High School football game or something, and I love to see other people's kids perform in dance competitions or in a school play or something. But, all that is different from having a friendship.

A friendship is all that and a bag of chips. A mutual relationship. A loving understanding.

I've always said that I don't keep a lot of close friends - mostly because the ones that I do keep are valued and treasured and respected so much. It's not that I don't want more friends, I'm always open to a budding friendship - it's just that the friendships that I maintain and grow need to be able to withstand the good and the bad parts of me - because I expect nothing less than the quality of love and care that I give freely.

This is the part where I sound arrogant and proud. That is not my intent at all. In fact, I'm quite humbled and taken-aback when I consider the friendships that I have. I often do not feel worthy of the kind of respect and love that my friends show me. Quite often, I question my worth in this very way. But, I'm reminded that what goes around, comes around... and respect, love, esteem, loyalty, affection and kindness is the kinda stuff I want coming around.

So recently, I did a "weed and feed" on my facebook friends list. I accepted that facebook has a different definition of "friend" than I do. And I love facebook for that very reason - because it gives me a chance to connect with and catch up on some of my other favorite people that I don't get to connect with and catch up on regularly. Hence, the conundrum. I have a facebook account so that I can foster relationships with people that I may not otherwise connect with, but they call those people "friends" and it's my "friends" who I already connect with in a personal way as it is! So, anyway, where was I...

Ah yes, so I did a little "weed and feed," meaning that I sought out some people I don't know real well on facebook and dug into their pages to get to know something interesting about them, then decided to leave comments or shoot them an email or somehow let them know that I care. And then I weeded out the people that were my facebook "friends" only because we knew each other. With these weeds, a line was crossed somewhere, somehow, by someone (sometimes it was by me, sometimes by them or sometimes by something else uncontrollable), and yet I felt like I had to be their facebook friends only because I know them. The people I deleted from my "friends" list were just random people that I used to know but don't know anymore and I felt like it was the right time to let go of the facebook tie. It was never anything personal, I never meant to be hurtful or rude or too proud or arrogant. I simply wanted to weed out some people that are not healthy relationships nor do they have the potential to become healthy relationships. No harm done, no foul play, no ugly words or accusations. Just a quiet delete from the invisible living room that can be facebook.

Unfortunately, I was confronted and questioned and that is why all this explaining had to be done. It has nothing to do with any persons who may have confronted me about "deleting them" - it has everything to do with me just getting this nonsense out of my system so that we can move onto more interesting things... like planning a summer BBQ party, like an upcoming dance recital for a certain 4 1/2 year old, like the next 5K which is finally only a month away, like the business plans I've been thinking long and hard about.

“In your life, you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some, you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do.”

So, let's move on now. Horray!

On Sharing God

I heard something on the radio last week that has resonated with me, and I can't seem to let it go. It was a Christian music station, and the deejay told of a public entertainer that was an atheist. She said that the entertainer was talking to an audience about how a Christian had come up to him that day and was sharing his witness and letting the entertainer (I don't know who it was) know about God's love for everybody. One would think that this self-proclaimed atheist would ask the Christian evangelist to walk away and almost become offended at the audacity it takes to witness in that way. Instead, the entertainer was publicly proclaiming the Christian evangelist to be a caring, loving individual. The entertainer was quoted as saying something about how it is an act of HATE to not share God's love with everybody around you, if you truly feel that knowing God is the only way to salvation. The atheist entertainer said that the Christian evangelist did not change his mind or make him a sudden believer, but that he was thankful for the Christian's witness and felt very loved.

The point is that if a person is strong enough in her faith, if a person truly believes John 14:6 in the Holy Bible and believes that the Bible is the holy Word of God, then it is that person's commandment to share God's love everywhere and with everybody she meets.

I confess, this is my weakest weakness. I do not go around proclaiming God's word to even people that I love deeply, let alone to complete strangers. I have some very close friends who know that I am a "Jesus freak" but they may not know why or what that means. I have one close friend that has even initiated conversation with me about it once or twice, and I shied away from the topic - mentally running as fast as I could in the opposite direction. Why? Because talking about politics and religion, I was always taught, are two sure ways to start a fight.

But, after hearing that account on the radio recently and attending a series of sermons at a new/different church, I can no longer let myself hide my faith. I can no longer assume that who I am is obvious to the people around me - I am finding God telling me very clearly that I need to be a better disciple. God wants all people to know about his love for them.

I plan to continue to show and share God's love by trying to be a solid example, but I'm also making a commitment - a public one at that - to be more evangelistic, more open to sharing my testimony and witness.

You probably won't see me on a soapbox at the airport. I can't even see myself striking up intentional conversation at the park with other parents. But, I do hope that I will find a way to clearly, lovingly, and successfully share my faith with the people who are a part of my personal social circle. I pray that I can articulate my beliefs respectfully and with class - in a way that will not provoke the very kind of reaction that I fear the most - the kind of reaction that has shied me away from making such a commitment in the past.

How a person reacts to my testimony is irrelevant. My motives are selfish. While the purpose of having such a conversation is entirely selfless, the result of our dialogue is irrelevant. I need to share my source of Joy and Peace with other people, or I feel as though I'm a hypocrite - just going through the motions and acting only with faith, instead of faith and conviction.

I will still love and treat the people around me the way I always have. It's just that for now, I'll have an extra prayer for them, a prayer dedicated to the salvation, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love of that other person. Because I think that the entertainer was right - it almost is like an act of hate to avoid opportunities for sharing with others about God's unconditional, undying love.

My goal is not to "convert." I am incapable of that - only my God can do that kind of work. My purpose is not to have non-believers bow down to their knees and declare Jesus Christ to be their personal Lord and Savior. The only thing I need to do is plant a seed of love and grace.

Let's practice, shall we?

God loves you. You - YOU reading this right now, God loves you. A ton. And if you want to know more about why I believe that, just ask me.

There, that wasn't so bad. I think I can do that more in my personal circles with people that I love. I mean, I told the whole entire world (essentially) by way of my blog. Surely, I can bring that piece of information up in casual conversation with my closest friends and relatives, right?

People have told me that I'm just the kind of person that has good luck. Things come easy for me because I'm lucky. Someone once told me that things work out well for me all the time because they don't work out well for someone else and that's how the balance of the world just is. They're wrong. If you think I'm a joyful person, truly content and fulfilled most days of my life, because I'm lucky or because that's just the way it is - you're wrong. I am extremely blessed by the one who has created me. And you are too - maybe you just need an open mind to see it.

I need to update my blog

• Daisy's gonna be okay! The (new) vet (in Spring Hill) gave her a new medicine and new dog food that seems to be staying down and Daisy is doing well!!
• Rebecca is in a big girl bed. As in - not a crib mattress on the floor anymore, but a big twin bed off the floor now. Awwww.
• It's day 19 of the 30 Day Shred. I'm still shredding (but I admit, not every single day) and it feels great!
• We're leaving on Thursday night/Friday morning to visit some of my family in Colorado - road trip!
• Rich has the whole week off work. His goal is to get the new swingset installed and the fence put up around the backyard. That's a lot of work!
• We had a date last night. A real, bonafide date. It rocked. The girls spent the night at grandmas.
• I woke up at 6am today: i cleaned the house, mopped the floors, finished a few chores and got the week's groceries all before 9:15am.
• Today, I felt like superwoman. Tomorrow will probably be different, but I love days like today.
• I'm extremely happy at Indian Creek Community Church. I'm making friends and already challenging myself as a disciple. This is good.
• Facebook is funny. They call people "friends" - I need to work out some issues that I have with that. *thinking*
• I gotta go. It's past my bedtime and I still need to shower since I ran and shredded. Why can there not be just a few more hours in a day!?!