My Story

A lot of excitement has been going on this week on campus, as you can read about on Josh's blog. I was hoping out of the mix I would be able to have a fun story to tell.

Working where I do, I tend to see all the campus visitors, so it was exciting when Mark Dever and Thabiti Anyabwile were shopping in the store when I came back from lunch. After we rang them up, I thought it wise to grab my camera out of my purse in the back in case a photo-op should occur. Just a few moments later, C.J. Mahaney came in (rather, came bursting in -- he does all things with quite a lot of energy). I summoned up my courage, and humbly asked if I could get my picture taken with him. Of course he jovially granted me permission, and my co-worker snapped this picture here. I then told him that I was a fan of his wife, and I read Girl Talk Blog. He then whipped out his razor-sharp cell-phone and said "In fact, if Carolyn is home, I'll have you just encourage her here."

So he stepped out of the store trying to get his phone to work, and sure enough, she was home, so he handed the phone over to me and went back in to shop some more, while I talked to Carolyn Mahaney on C.J. Mahaney's cell phone! HA HA HA!

She was so gracious, of course and told me "I'm sorry he made you do that," to which I replied "I'm not sorry at all!" I thanked her for being an example of a Biblical woman to the young women who read her stuff. I pretty much was just so shocked about everything happening that I couldn't really think of anything to say!

Anyway, there is my excitement for today! Right after he left, I got a phone call from a less-than-helpful help desk person who spoke rather harshly (most likely, it was unknowingly). Anyway, it sort of punched me in the stomach, making me realize my need for humility. I'll post further thoughts on what the Lord is teaching me spiritually in the days to come.

Happy Birfday, Matthias!

Manly friend of Jerry Vines
Attention getter/wanter
Texting on his cell phone
Telling cute girls to e-mail him
Hiding from work
Exceptionally obsessed with sports
Wimpy Florida fan




Matt,

In honor of your 23rd birfday, we thought you would like nothing more than to have some pretty girls make you food and make a big deal about you! So here you go! Here are some pics of Heather and I SLAVING over a HOT oven to prepare delicious cake for you. Mmmmmmm.

We love you, Matty!

~ Gretchen and Heather
P.S. your MOTHER-IN-LAW! (from Heather)

I Wanna Be Like Mary

Last weekend I attended several seminars offered here at the Seminary for wives and other women who are interested in attending. It was a wonderful learning experience for me, and the seminar I needed the most proved to be the best opportunity for growth in my life. The seminar was on organization and it was taught by Mary Mohler, Al Mohler's wife (for those of you who are not in the loop, he is the president of Southern Seminary and runs a daily radio program called "The Albert Mohler Radio Program").

Mrs. Mohler is one of my new heroes. Of course you admire the president's wife, especially when she is tall, thin, and wears gorgeous tailored shirts with cuff-links in the shape of Southern's crest. She also has a warm heart to encourage the seminary wives, and the aptitude to motivate them! Her seminar was impeccably planned out as she presented along with Jodi Ware (Bruce Ware's wife). The main thing Mrs, Mohler stressed was keeping a planner. Initially, I was leaning away from that idea -- it seemed like just another task to do -- but as she and Mrs. Ware kept pointing out the merits of the planners, I was more and more intrigued. I figured I couldn't judge the method to be effective or not if I had not even tried it!

So I did what most of you would have done: I zipped out to Target and picked out the hottest planner I could find -- provided of course it contained all the necessary sections that Mrs. Mohler and Mrs. Ware addressed. Here it is pictured . . . don't you love it? I just know how I am; I am more likely to use a planner that I think is attractive, because I'll want to hold it and use it. If I had a boring man-ish planner, I'd be more likely to let it alone. I'm trying to go all out with the planner and see what works for me. One thing that Mrs. Ware pointed out that really clicked with me, is that when you have random thoughts fly into your head concerning tasks you need to complete, just jot them down on the notes page of the planner, so that you can refer to it later, and pencil them in to a convenient time. She emphasized that it is a great stress reliever because then you don't have to try to keep remembering everything. How smart! I realized how many things I am mentally juggling, when I could just be writing them down!

Here I am with my beloved planner, endeavoring to be an organized woman like Mary Mohler! How about you? I am interested to hear if any of you keep your life organized with the help of a planner. If so, do you have any tips for me? (By the way -- if you click on the picture to enlarge it, you not only get an amazingly up-close view of my nostril, you can actually read what I have written in my weekly pages thus far! Ha ha!)

A "Fuller" Life

Right when you least expect it, God showers you with a big surprise (seemingly, just to show you He can). I had such a surprise last week when I was at work: I walked out of the back room, and stopped short as I immediately recognized some faces I hadn't seen in quite a while. For those of you who know them, running into Paul and Audrea Fuller is one of the best "blast from the past" experiences! I couldn't believe it, and I was so excited to learn that they were visiting the Seminary for a week, hoping to find a house and move down here in the next couple of months (their 4th child is due in June!).

They are some of the best people to chat with whether you've seen them recently or not simply because they are some of the kindest and most cordial people you'll ever meet, as well as hilarious "rememberers" of old times and people.

What a blessing!

We saw them again and again throughout the week, topping it off with a late-night trip to Krispie Kreme (I know my readers will think I am totally addicted or something!) last night. I am so thrilled that the Lord is bringing them here, blessing Josh and me with such a good thing. I realize my last post was a little sad, so I wanted to rejoice here and thank the Lord for making our life a little "Fuller"!

Thinking on Target

Tonight was so blissfully warm, and I hopped in my car, rolled down the windows, and started flipping through the radio stations for some good driving tunes. Where was I going? Nowhere special, just on a short warm-evening pleasure cruise, and I ended up at Target. Now, I had nothing to get there, just lots of things to look at, but there is just something about an upbeat, warm night-time Target trip that makes me feel like I am on vacation. As I meandered through the various sections I inevitably always check out (Issac Mizrahi clothes, sale endcaps in housewares, the trail mix section, seasonal), I sifted through a mountain of Target-related memories that were as warm as the weather is now.

And those memories began to make my mood droop a bit. I felt twinges of melancholy. And even though I was delighted to discover that there was a sale on all varieties of trail mix, that was not quite enough to perk me up entirely. Here's why:

My memories of "Target runs" usually involve getting ready for something. Like the time Emily and I filled 2 shopping carts with slip and slides, pools, pillows and sunscreen for Camp OUTT, and then pulled the carts over to the Ladies' clothes to look for shorts and t-shirts for ourselves. Or the time Christen Taylor and I raided the little boy's section, trying on camo-shorts and bright t-shirts so we could be cool like Mandy at Camp OUTT. Or when Josh and I made a Target run to get what we needed for the CEF trip.

I love getting ready for things.

It is not exciting to live day to day, sharing a few laughs, smiling, greeting, greeting, greeting and shuffling a few papers, with hardly any end in sight. I do so love to be getting ready for something, even if it is nothing big, like a party for my 1st and 2nd graders. I used to constantly be getting ready for stuff, almost to the point where I didn't really know how to do normal life. Special events, clubs, classes, teen activities, etc., kept me on the go, and always picking up some stuff that I needed.

So now, with the weather warming up, I am dealing with the fact that it looks like I will be doing exactly what I am doing now, all summer. Maybe grown-ups are supposed to be okay with that. I'm not. My heart was becoming so heavy, that when I sat down to pray tonight, I just had to discuss that burden with the Lord. I wanted Him to know how much I wished I was preparing to run Camp OUTT again, or go with the teens to camp in New York. As I was sharing these feelings with Him, it seemed quite clear to me that He wished for me to simply let my days alone, to release those precious summer days to Him, and trust that He would have me spend them exactly as He wished. The summer drifted from my mind like grains of sand through open hands. I then began to think about this weekend, and the plans I had for that, but He urged me gently, to let that go, too. Unknowingly, my mind moved to tomorrow, and how I hoped it might be spent, but "take no thought for the morrow" came steadily to mind, erasing that last hope for self-fulfillment.

Are my days mine? No indeed.

The Question Game

My friend Misty and I have this ongoing (over the span of several years) game in which we try to come up with original questions that are very fun to answer for all involved. This game probably emerged from a late night talk one July 4th when we were teenagers, lying on quilts and gazing at the stars, eating potato wedges and sipping RC Drafts (the yummiest pop ever, but sadly no longer available!). We pondered deep things such as "If you could go back in time and change one event, what would it be?", "Who is the worst villain in history?", and "What are those people in that airplane thinking right now?". That night ended in the arrival of "the beast", an incident that will go down in Fairmount Lore for ages to come!

Since then, excellent questions have emerged, some of which take several days to answer, such as "If you were a Mermaid, what would your (hair, tail, weapon, jewelry, animal pet and place of residence) be?", "What is your walkout song?" and "Name 50 things you hope you do before you die." One of best questions that has recently been put on the table, I alluded to here. "What would your restaurant be?"

I had several people guess what I would have, and since you were all quite close, I thought I'd tell you my answer, and then pose that question back to you. So here is my restaurant:

It would be all veggie (but not vegan), fair-trade, and organic. Not that I always eat this way, but there are enough places that aren't those things, so why add to the abundance? The food would be VERY tasty, so that even the pickiest eaters would like the food. I would also have a menu that rotated quite a bit, so that foods could be served in season. Here is a VERY important element: the seating would be extremely comfortable! The layout of the dining room would be sort of broken up into rooms, and the tables would mostly be couches with adjustable coffee tables or really comfy cushions on the floor. My lunchtime boast would be "kid-friendly" with all kinds of cool activities for kiddos to do: food art, storytimes with food themes, make your own pizza, etc. I have a great plan for "Charlie's Chocolate Feast", and other fun fondue-based meals. I'd keep a few staples on the menu (like potatoes, mac and cheese, etc) so that people could count on their kids liking stuff. At night, the restaurant would morph into a wonderific coffee house that offers a full line of coffees and teas and also a full menu. That way, you could eat dinner, but be all comfy and stay as long as you like. The "couch-booths" are a big part of the plan. You could have your book club meeting there, meet for a Bible study, eat out with friends, or just slug coffee and write on your blog! I got the idea for the adjustable coffee table from Kevin, who has just this item of furniture at his abode (not sure if it's his or a roommate's). I'd also feature events, like art shows, book signings and musicians (I'd be very choosy!). We'd also have a book corner where I'd feature my favorite books for all ages (this would also rotate).

So, do you want to come? Does that sound like a great restaurant? I had to laugh, because after I described it to Josh, he stated "I just don't think a man would want to eat there". WHAT? (Please prove him wrong, my male readers, please!)

So what would your restaurant be? Please post your original ideas and give me some feedback on mine! I'll leave this post up a couple days so that everyone can have a chance to read each others' answers! Also, I need a good name for my restaurant.

The Long and Winding Road . . . or . . . Why I Miss Home

Guess where I went this weekend? This picture gives a clue:

After giving it a bit of thought, (refer to the title for yet another clue), scroll down to see.


















A Beatle's concert! Well, it was a tribute band, called "The Liverpool Legends", actually, but they were quite good, and looked and sounded just like the real thing. Since a real Beatle's concert is not an option, Misty, Shea, Emily and I gladly grabbed up the opportunity to don our go-go gear and get groovy with the Fab 4 (seen in Sgt Pepper regalia on the left). It was perfect that I should see this group on a day when I heard the song "Long and Winding Road", and felt quite sentimental to all things "home". (As did other people this weekend, so I read).

What is it that I miss so sorely? I like it here so much! I dearly love our new church, apartment, jobs, friends. . . and of course all the gorgeous eating establishments that Steak and Shake (the ONLY thing open after anything) just can't hold a candle to. It would be easy to say that I miss the kids, and my family (which is ever so TRUE), but I know that it is a bit more than that, in a way. And so thinking upon such things, I believe I have reached a conclusion.

I miss being known. Now, don't misunderstand me, I do not seek fame and popularity -- to be sure, that is a proud inclination of my sinful heart, but this is not what I mean by being known. I mean I miss walking up to people, addressing them simply and not needing a reason to talk with them. I mean shortly getting very real with people and openly discussing our hearts, our struggles, and our needs with one another. I mean grabbing a child who walks past me, hugging them, and knowing they want my undivided attention (which I WANT to give!).

Here is an example: I often speak of my job here (one of them), which I like a lot, chiefly because of my co-workers. However, I am not yet known to them, so it follows quite logically that I am often checked up on, not yet totally trusted. But Sunday night, I asked my former pastor if he'd gotten a phone call from my new boss about a character reference. Pastor Scott said "I gave him and earful. I told him if he didn't promote you, he was a moron!" I have never worked for Pastor Scott, either directly under him, or in a ministry with him. But he knows me, and gave a glowing review of me to my boss (which, I might add, was a terribly kind thing to do! I certainly don't deserve a glowing review!).

To my new friends that I have made here (here on the blogosphere, and here in the physical sense . . . and then there are those with whom I am friends in both senses!), I wish to be clear: in no way am I stating that I value your friendship less than you think. In fact, I prize the "knowing" that I think I have with you. There is just something special about the rest you find when you walk in and are surrounded by people you know and love. . . and they and know and love you too.

I'll leave you with a final picture of our groovy selves! Get back!

Kristy

We just got back from northern Ohio, where the Neisler family gathered to pay their respects to Grandpa Neisler, who you can read about here. I had known "Shorty" for 8 years, I believe, and it was good to reflect on his vivacious personality and hard work ethic with the rest of the fam. Going into the day, however, I had a bit of a burden on my heart to share Christ with someone who would be there that day. I have known the cousins/aunts/uncles of the Neisler family chiefly through gatherings such as these, and that makes it a bit hard for everyone to really know each other.

Nonetheless, I prayed for an "evangelistic opportunity". I didn't really know who I was hoping to be Christ to, but I thought of different people I might see, and prayed for them. I also purchased an ESV Outreach New Testament, hoping to plant it in someone's hands.

It became exceedingly clear who the Lord would have me to share with. Josh's cousin Matt's girlfriend Kristy has been around the family for about as long as I have, and they have a child together, but for whatever reason, are not committed to one another in marriage. I have always liked Kristy's easy friendliness, the way she jokes around and laughs, and gets along with everyone, even though it is not really her family. I told my sister-in-law, Kari, that I wanted to talk to Kristy and to pray for me that I wouldn't wimp out, and she was super encouraging about it.

It is refreshing to know that all timing is in God's hands, and I was able to rest, and just be determined that a little opening would come where I could snag Kristy alone. It did, of course, because this whole thing was God's plan, so a chair opened up next to her after the dinner, and the kids providentially were playing elsewhere to give us a few moments to chat. I simply shared with her that I had been thinking about her and praying for her, and that even though we didn't see each other much I wanted to be friends. I gave her the Bible, pointed out some suggested reading portions, and wrote my e-mail address in it. She received all of this quite happily, hugged me and told me she loved me, and kept pledging that she was going to read it.

Will you pray with me for Kristy? Because of the precarious nature of our relationship, I don't know for sure if I'll see her again, but I am confident that the Lord has all matters in hand. And I am so thrilled that He gave me the equipment and opportunity to be someone in her life.

Let me not seek . . . apart from Thee

Tonight I attended Pendergraph Women's Ministry which is an organization for any women involved with the life of the college: wives, students, professors and professor's wives. My readers know that I am quite interested in seeking out female fellowship, and this gathering turned out to be just the sort of thing I adore.

You wear nametags and eat chocolate dipped strawberries and cucumber dip and register for a door prize and sing praise and worship and all the women in attendance act as if they know you. Tonight the meeting was "Ask Anything Tuesday" (which is a knock-off of Dr. Mohler's radio program, for those of you who are fortunate enough to live where that program is aired). I just love that sort of thing, and I knew full well going into it that I would most certainly ask a question (come on, now, wouldn't you??). There were 6 ladies, 2 of whom I know (sort of -- I'm new, so I don't know anyone very well at all!), and a couple others I have seen in the bookstore. I just love Carol Orrick and Gretchen Wright (the latter for obvious reasons), so I just sat enthralled with the wisdom of these ladies. I was a bit preoccupied with their poise and beauty, admiring them for all the good things they are. Several of them greeted me warmly (I was so thrilled that Mrs. Orrick remembered me from when I met her last fall!), and I was basking in the golden glow of such a truly feminine evening.

And I realize the tendency that my heart has toward idolatry. . . don't you do this? My heart is inclined to the creature, not the Creator. Tonight I read in Valley of Vision: "Let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee." I added in my own journal: "Let me not seek notice apart from Thee." Any of you who think and feel like I do know that it is so dear to our hearts when someone we admire takes notice of us. But friend, do we not have the undivided Notice of the most Beautiful Being of all? My prayer is that the knowledge of the Holy One making note of me will capture my imagination, and keep me from ever quite getting over it.

Diary of a Weekend

It is my first chance to write about the great weekend I had (that's what happens when you share a laptop with your husband who is in Seminary), with visitors from "home", a passport for my palate, and a barrel of monkeys with laughs besides. Here is a little journaling:

Friday night: 2 of my sisters (Emily and Abby) arrive with 2 of my friends (Misty and Shea) from Illinois. It is well after 9pm, their projected arrival time. My friend Kevin (who lives here) has come over, and we all catch up over coffee, red pepper bruschetta and artichoke dip with pine nuts. It is very loud, and funny and fun, and I am thinking that our neighbors are probably hating on us. At about 12:30, I propose we go to Krispie Kreme, which is an idea met with great enthusiasm. The hot light is unfortunately not on, but all the better for our waistlines (for those of you who know, is it not an entirely different food when they are hot off the belt?). Kevin took a bunch of great pictures, which you can see here. Sadly, I forget to bring a camera, but it turns out it doesn't matter. We go back to campus at about 2:30, and I stay with the girls at the Legacy Center where we stay up talking until about 4.

Saturday morning: I had really wanted to go to breakfast at a cool place called Sari Sari which serves Filipino food, but specializes in Latin American breakfast on the weekends (I'm not sure the connection). My friend Grace meets up with Josh and Misty and I to try the "brecky" and WOW! So very good! Mine was corn tortillas with beans, fried eggs, cheese and chilis -- yum! I did somewhat envy Misty and Grace's eggplant/pesto burrito, but mine was just what I wanted. We stopped by the bookstore I work at, and then (sadly) I had to go to work at my other job. Fortunately, it is at a nice mall, and the girls shopped while I worked.

Saturday night: after a good nap, we are all up for a bit of dining adventure. After surfing around a bit, we find that a myriad of ethnic dining experiences are located on Bardstown road, so the 4 of us (Misty and Shea, Me and Emily) get dressed up and set off in the rain. I knew the "country folk" would enjoy seeing the coolness offered in the street that is Bardstown road, so we drove all up and down before settling on an Italian restaurant (a less adventurous choice, to be sure, but still quite wonderful). We share a salad of tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil, and then dig into our pastas (or risotto, if you are Shea). My mouth still waters at the thought of the spinach stuffed tortellini with walnut creme sauce! Everything was very very good, but we began to develop suspicions that the whole place was just a front for the mob. I'll try not to say much about it, in case it's true, but I think it just made the whole experience more authentic for us.

Later Saturday night: we want coffee and dessert, so we go to a Latin restaurant where I am rather delighted with the cucumber floating in the ice water. We each order a different dessert, and play "If I could have a restaurant, what would it be?" (try and see if you can guess mine. Here's a hint: it combines the food I like with something else I really love. Maybe that is too sketchy, but I'm interested to see if anyone guesses). I enjoy my apple-goat cheese "cigar" which comes with caramel sauce in an "ash tray" to dip it in. YUM!

Sunday: the girls join us for worship at our church. After the service, we try the buffet at Sweet Peas which is unbelievable! The best part was the salmon cakes with sweet pea sauce. Oh my soul! (I just realized how much I have been describing food in this post. . . well, it was really good, okay?).

The girls left pretty quickly after that, and Josh and I fell into our typical Sunday afternoon routine (me: laundry and reading, Josh: reading and watching tv -- I know it seems like those 2 things are mutually exclusive, but they are not for him!)

Thank you, Jesus, for such an overwhelming blessing of precious friends and delicious food!

Concerning Lent

Even though I am a Baptist, I choose to honor the 40-day season of Lent. I have done so for the past 8 years or so. I do this not to earn merit (Ephesians 2:9 says "Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.") but rather to set apart these special days as a time of sober reflection, and in faith, giving up anything in my life upon which I have become dependent.

Last year it was coffee and all coffee drinks and desserts. The year before, chips. I have also given up pop, peanut butter and sweets.

Yesterday I prayerfully considered what the Lord might ask me to give up in order to grow closer to Him. My mind ran over my diet and I was surprised that for once in my life, I couldn't think of anything I was eating too far out of balance. I mused over my beverages of choice, and once again was pleasantly surprised to realize that my intake was largely healthy (mostly water with a little coffee, tea and soda). What then, is my vice?

Television? No, I really don't watch hardly any. Besides, I widely dislike what is on, so it would be too easy to sacrifice! Shopping? Ha! It's hardly a sacrifice when you have little money to spend. Reading magazines? Again, if you don't buy them, it's pretty easy not to read them.

Hmmmm. . . what do I foolishly waste too much time doing? Bingo! Blog surfing.

I realized that I was spending a minimum of an hour a day reading and commenting of blogs. I could try to justify this by saying that I was just keeping in touch with people (which is true) or that this activity is a source of exhortation (also true, for the most part), but the bottom line is, it is time I could be investing in other more profitable ways.

So there you have it. I am limiting my internet use to 10 minutes a day. Starting Wednesday, I'll actually set a timer and put it by the computer. I figure I'll still be able to check most of my friends' blogs once a week or so. So if you suddenly get less comments from me, it is not because I am ticked off or something, I'm just being careful with my time!

Can I do this? Oh my goodness. Only in this selfish, shallow world I live in, can such a question be posed. I dearly hope that my time away from the computer screen will be time spent with my Jesus, Who gave up all for me.

I Love to Be a Lady!

I so rarely stop and reflect on my femininity. Often, I am disgusted with my gender, or irked, or embarrassed. I sort of try to slink back in the shadows and stay away from controversial gender-laced discussions. If I think about it (and one cannot be too careful not to think about oneself too much) I don't think I am a "girly-girl" or a "tomboy", but rather I try to be neither, just to be. It does no good and brings the Father no glory to contemplate "I'm the kind of person that -- ", so I try to steer clear of those discussions, knowing my own inclination to drift into pride (the Valley of Vision says "O God, it is amazing that men can talk so much about man's creaturely power and goodness, when, if Thou didst not hold us back every moment, we should be devils incarnate. This, by bitter experience, Thou hast taught me concerning myself.").

However, I think I miss out on "glorying in weakness" in the manner the Lord would have me do if I do not enjoy the fact that I am a woman! Two evenings spent this week have taught me to just to do just that! On Monday, I got off work early enough to go to the "Dedicated Divas" class in the rec center. I was a little hesitant, because I was afraid of two extremes: super fit women making me feel like a idiot or a piece of cake workout that would make me wish I had gone running. I was pleasantly wrong on both accounts. It was a splendid little class with soft music playing when I walked in (I was sort of worn out from work, so it was soothing) and some just regular girls in shorts and t-shirts like me. Our darling little instructor was such a great combination of cool/sweet/gentle that it put everyone at ease as we did some cardio and pilates. The 45 minute class flew by and I was feeling all stretched and peaceful when the instructor asked for prayer requests and led us all in prayer. WOW! I have never been in a fitness class where they pray together! It was such a blessing. I was so glad, as I left my class, chatting with the other fun girls around me, that I was not one of the sweaty guys in the weight room! :)

Then this afternoon, I had over a couple of girls just to fellowship and talk and eat and watch a movie ("Ever After" -- okay, I know SO girly!). At one point, when we all were mentioning what Elisabeth Elliot books had changed our lives, I couldn't believe my own happiness! I have had so many blissful times with precious girls in my life from the past and present, and I was reflecting on what a good gift they are to me from my heavenly Father. As C.S. Lewis says in The Four Loves "For the Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you' can truly say to every group of Christian friends, 'You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another!' The friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others." Is that not true?

So, thank you, Lord, for making me one of the fairer sex. Thank you for opening my eyes to the blessings you give me merely in letting me be woman!

"Time for Valens!"

Are you aware how MANY people say "Valentimes"? And not just children! A host of adults think this is the correct pronunciation of the holiday, perhaps misunderstanding the name to mean "It is time to give out valens". Blessed little Junie B. Jones does what she can to correct this error, but I have known children who continue to say "Valentime" even after reading the book (hee hee, Lauren).

I bring this up not to mock the poor, unsuspecting misspronouncers of the world, but because I truly think it is unbelievably hysterical. In fact, mispronunciations are some of the funniest things of all time to me, and I've been known to laugh so hard that I tumble to the ground. Hearing someone seriously say "that's a good dill" when they mean "deal" somehow makes my knees give way. I nearly bit it the other day when my co-worker Bill mentioned that people around here often drop the "L" out of things and then demonstrated this by saying "can I put you on ho'd?"

Misspellings can be nearly as funny, particularly when they make hilarious new words when read aloud. Often misspellings just make me cringe (and I'm a horrid speller), but sometimes when I read what kids wrote, oh my word! I utterly love to decipher it! For example, on my fridge right now I have a fantastic drawing of two people (well clothed) standing happily by a tree. The artwork is labeled "Adom and Ave". Precious! One night at church I sat by Stevie (age 6, learning to read) and Heidi (age 12, extremely bright). They kept passing back and forth a paper to one another with lavishly illustrated insults. I could not contain my hysterics! The best part was that Stevie was sounding out every word in his little messages. What resulted was something like this: "Hide neds the pope" (Heidi needs to poop), to which Heidi responded "Stevie needs the Pastor." (I realize now that I just burned a bridge to any children sitting with me during church in the future because I let these things continue, but you just can't quash genius like that!).

Maybe I'm the only one with this sense of humor, but somehow I doubt it. Holla back if you have a good mispronunciation/misspelling story!

Oh, and Happy Valentine's day!

A Plethora of Praises

I have so many things to blog about, I didn't know how to tie it all together (I somewhat frown upon scattered writing -- even though I am quite prone to do it myself), so I decided to write them in a series of thanksgivings to the Giver of All Good Things.

1. Topping off the list of blessings this weekend, was my short trip to Illinois. I drove up Saturday morning with my little sister Abby as my only passenger (bless her heart, she never asked to stop and use the bathroom -- now that's fortitude!). I was able to see quite a few dear friends at their day of Upward Basketball. Any of you who know me well or have read my blog for a while know how much I love the children in my life. It was so precious to see so many of them, hug them, talk to them, hold them on my lap, see their smiling faces surprised to see me. Going into the trip, I was excitedly thinking about how great it would be to see everyone and catch up with old friends. For whatever reason, it didn't dawn on me how sad it would make me. I found myself getting teary over and over. I wept a bit walking up to the McCurdy's to see Anna (who was sick). And on the way home, it all broke loose. I sobbed and sobbed like I hadn't done in weeks. In fact, I haven't cried like this since the last Sunday at Calvary when I walked through the basement at church and thanked the Lord for His tremendous blessings He'd poured out on me there. Why on earth did I think that a short visit like this would be fun and easy? Driving away was like having an organ ripped from my body. And since I was all alone, I just talked to the Lord about it. A praise song came on the radio, and I just wept and worshiped for a few minutes. My far-away friends who are reading this, please know that your children are still so dear to my heart as they ever have been. The Lord gives and takes away, blessed be His Name!

2. A LONG phone conversation with my dear Christen on the way home. I am not much of a phone-conversationalist, because I always feel like I am bothering whoever I call. But Christen is a great talker, and she didn't mind at all! It was wonderful to catch up with her, to talk about what we were reading, to hear her be so real about struggles she is going through. It was such a timely blessing from Jesus to be able to talk to her for so long.

3. A gourmet dinner hosted by Kevin, my friend from LifeWay. Josh and I joined Kevin and a cluster of his friends for a wonderful Sunday dinner. One of these days, I'm going to blog about the hospitality we've experienced here (it blows me away!!), but for now, suffice it to say that it was warm, comfortable, well-prepared, thoughtful and delicious.

4. Starting a prayer journal. I love journals. I've had this pretty little one sitting on my bookshelf empty and begging me to start writing in it for several months now. Today, I grabbed it off, and took it to church with me, meaning to take notes in it, but (and this is so silly, I hate to even write it, but I do hope you'll understand), the only pen I had with me wrote in blue, and I just didn't want to start my lovely journal with obnoxious blue ink! So I took notes in the bulletin, and brought the journal home still unmarred. While I was doing my laundry this afternoon, I brought it downstairs (with a black pen), meaning to write prayer requests in it. I was suddenly filled with inspiration, and I began to write out my prayer. I used to do this in high school, but I have so rarely done so in my adult life. I'm so excited! What better use for it than to simply to write my adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication to the Maker of the Universe?!

Homes "cool"

Today my new friend Kevin asked me if I had been homeschooled. My initial reaction was to hesitate a moment until he told me that he, too, had been homeschooled. Why is that? Why would I hesitate? I certainly wasn't going to lie, I just wasn't sure how vulnerable to be about this part of my history. Once I realized that Kevin and I shared that background, we easily fell into conversation concerning our experiences. But it leaves me to ponder: of what am I afraid? I loved being homeschooled, and I loved homeschooling my sisters, and I intend to homeschool my children someday, if I am blessed with that opportunity.

So I decided to would blog about it. The majority of my readers are either homeschool moms, former homeschoolers, both, or at least in some way interested in the topic. The title Homes"cool" is an expression invented by my sister's friend Shea to be used in situations where people express "Boy, you don't seem like a homeschooler to me!" :)

Part 1: Is homeschooling not mainstream enough yet to merit an explanation? Certainly in the Christian circle I now live in it is, but even so, the tiny percentage of adults my age (Kevin is the first I've met here so far) that graduated from homeschool, attended college and now are engaged in further study has not quite yet produced a generation that "proves it works". Can I be the lone reed, then, to encourage you, my homeschool mom friends -- you are doing an awesome job! I wouldn't trade my past for anything. I am confident that I received a quality education (and these were in the darker days when the curriculum choices were rather slim), and even more importantly a real love for learning that made me hungry to read and learn -- and continue to do so. Kevin and I agreed that freedom to read and pursue self-motivated studies was the biggest educational perk to our learning system. One thing he said was "I'm sure I wouldn't have read nearly as many books as I did if I weren't homeschooled." So let your kiddies READ! Let them pick what they want to read and give them ample time to do so. I think too many modern homeschoolers are constantly being rushed to one activity to another to ensure that they are socially fulfilled, but meanwhile they are hardly ever home! (sorry, I'll get off that soapbox now.)

Part 2: Why is there still this idea floating around that homeschoolers grow up socially deprived? I guess I thought that idea would be put out of its misery when those pioneers went off to Harvard and Yale in the 1980's. And certainly I would hope people would realize otherwise if they met me or any of my fabulous former homeschooling friends! If homeschooling impacted me socially, it was to tie my social world to my siblings, which is a blessing beyond measure! I tell you, I would not know my darling sisters as dearly and closely as I know them now, if not for sharing an roof all day long like we did. I was certainly self-centered enough as a teenager to not seek to build a relationship with them -- imagine if I had been away all day! They would have been virtual strangers to me, rather than bosom friends. Clearly, other people have close relationships with their siblings without this being their background, but I know myself and a huge part of what knit us together was mom reading out loud to us all, and doing my math at the kitchen table while Emily ate cheerios in her high chair.

In conclusion, I want to submit that education is the responsibility of the parent. They must answer to God for their choices in raising their children, this choice chief among them. I support my friends who have chosen not to homeschool, or to stop homeschooling at a point -- I know you want the best for your kids! But let mine be a voice crying in the wilderness -- "Prepare the way for the generation of socially adjusted, well-educated, sibling-loving homeschoolers!"

The Best Time to Read

When this icy-cold weather blows in, it doesn't take much to keep me in with a good book! I've been thinking about reading lately, and how people make time for it (it can easily be swept away, unless you are full-time student and your job is simply to read. . . read: Josh). I guess I'm thinking about this because even though my responsibility schedule is wiped quite a bit cleaner than it used to be, I am actually finding less time to read books.

This may be due to the excessive time I spend blogging and e-mailing (I just miss my friends, that's why!) or because our new apartment is so tiny I spend way more time making it just so. However, I have been able to find the time to read my Bible every day, as well as pour over one of my booklist books each night before bed. Josh and I are both big bedtime readers. In fact, I can probably count on one hand how many nights we've actually slept with all the lights off, because we usually fall asleep reading, and one of us just takes the other one's glasses off! :)

Click here to read when the Mahaney family reads together -- I just love it! Please tell me what you are reading, how much you like it, and when you find the best time to read!

Finally -- here is the sign hanging on the back door of the bookstore where I work. It says "Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier." Is that not the truth??

Even More Memories.

Thank you for strolling down memory lane with me. I am having such a hard time with this last batch, deciding which wonderful portions of my life I should include! Thanks to the Father above, Giver of all good gifts. . . including our beautiful memories!

35. Birthday parties for C.S. Lewis (both years), which you can read about here.

36. The musicals we did in our youth group in high school -- "Let's Go to the Rock" (in which I had one of the lead parts, and had to "rap" a song with Chad Edgington), and "Who Me?" (in which I starred as the evolutionist science teacher, and horridly sang a solo. . . and otherwise attempted to harmonize with Mandy on the other songs). Boy, do I wish I had some pictures of those events!

37. Meeting Valerie Tripp, the American Girl author. I read her first book when I was 8, the same year she wrote it. 20 years later, I had the honor of introducing her in front of the huge gathering of American Girl fans! She was delightful!

38. Planting a functional and gorgeous garden behind my little apartment in Illinois. I hope whoever lives there now appreciates my herbs!

39. A fun-packed weekend at Donette's in Normal my freshman year of college. She and her roomies (Melissa, Heather, and Mary) were helping me mend my broken heart by inviting me to all their "girl's nights out". Those memories make me want to bust out singing Alanis Morresette. Remember, Nettie?

40. A road trip to Atlanta with Josh and Anna (first year I was married). The reason we went there now seems rather shallow and wasteful in my mind, but it was one of the best times ever! And we think we saw Al Gore. :)

41. My college graduation. . . this may sound proud, but I was so happy to graduate Magna Cum Laude, because it was a goal I had set for myself in the beginning (all gifts from His Hand!). My family, friends and teachers were all so warm and encouraging to me on that day!

42. Cherry pie making with Anna and Misty from start to finish. Step #1: pick the cherries from the Hewitt's trees (r.i.p.). Step #2: pit the cherries while watching "The Happiest Millionaire". Step #3: make the world's best cherry pie for the 4th, complete with Anna's amazing pie art -- one year it was D.C. with fireworks overhead, I believe.

43. Hearing my sister Emily sing her gorgeous T.I. song "Come Home." She has such a sweet and perfect voice, and I was just so proud of her!

44. Catching the bouquet in my brother's wedding when I was 18. Janet (my sis-in-law) threw it right to me on purpose, and that was sort of the start of our really tight friendship. I love that Janet!

45. CEF trip 2006. What a lot of hot days (sounds fabulous right now) working so hard outside and swimming, and hiking and killing ugly trees (we were supposed to). And an abundance of merry-making and all-around silliness in the evenings. Pictured here are the cap-gun bandits.

46. (If you went to MBBC, don't kill me for putting) Lice Fest '99. It truly was one of the most horrible thing I'd ever gone through at that point, but it was such a tremendous time of growth for the girls in the dorms. I remember Sarah came in and "disinfected" my room one night while I was working security -- little did we know that Lysol doesn't do a thing to Lice! (but thanks for the thought, Sar).

47. Pretty much every moment of ri"donk"ulous craziness with my sis-in-law Kari. One time stands out, especially, when she came to stay with me while I was student teaching in Ft. Atkinson (little shout-out, Mark!). She is terrified of cats, and the Z's had a big one, Zumba, which I had to sort of hide from her, because she really is so petrified. Kari also likes to CLEAN, and we decided to totally organize the Z's kitchen and front room, but Kari goes a bit far (I'm sure you're shocked, if you know her) and was pitching tons of stuff! It looked GREAT in there, afterward, but I honestly don't know if the Z's were able to find everything! Oh my word, make me die laughing! That girl probably threw away their bills and things! I can't believe this psycho is going to be a mother! (I'm so happy!)

48. The relief and peace that came after I humbled myself and made things right with a girlfriend of someone very close to me. I had held a grudge against her in my heart for over a year, and I didn't really want to mend things, but the Hound of Heaven sought me out, and wouldn't let me just leave it alone! Thank goodness!

49. All the Bible studies at Kirby's house in high school. I trace my theological growth straight back to that humble abode. I am so grateful that Kirb invested in us that way, teaching us to see and savor Jesus Christ and adore His Word as our final authority. I can still quote the Bible Creed (holla back if you can, too!). Kirby was such an excellent balance of challenging friend and encouraging authority to us, which few kids ever have -- and it made a world of difference to me, and my walk in grace.

50. Okay, mush-ola, but I think I have to put my first kiss. The first person I ever kissed was my husband, Josh! If you can stand the details, read on: I had never kissed anyone before, and we had been "courting/dating" for about a year, and I decided I was ready (he had been for a while) when he told me he loved me. I was 21 years old, which seemed so old at the time! Still, I hold it as quite a precious thing that he was the only one I ever kissed! :)

Well, a million more memories flood my mind, and a million more are waiting to be made! To all of my new friends and readers (Grace, Kevin, etc.), I look forward to building memories with all of you!

More Memories

Thanks for the response to my first round of memories. I was afraid no-one would want to read them all, because there were so many! I've been praying that this round of memories would be encouraging to my friends.

18. My first and second graders learning the Baptist Catechism
Click the link to find what my friend Sandy posted about them, as well as watch the video clip of my precious little flock reciting the first 10 questions before the Berean class. I will always look back at that group of kids as so dear to my heart!

19. One summer before I went back to MBBC, Misty and I had a last minute fling together, but she had been working on her house and was wearing daisy dukes, so we went through the drive through at Fazolis (it was new then), and picked out a movie to rent. Lo and behold, for a mere 50 cents, we rented a New Kids on the Block music video (do not be confused, I am not that old. NKOTB was super over at this point). There was no grace for that sort of foolishness at our colleges, so that was our big wild fling before school began!

20. Fantastic and inexpensive trips to visit my cousin Rachel and her husband Scott in Orlando. Reading and running on the beach, shopping and eating out at the Japanese steak house -- so fun!

21. My cousin Sarah had the world's biggest wedding 2 summers ago, at which all of my aunts and uncles (there are 9) were in attendance, and we had a huge family reunion on the occasion of my Grandma and Grandpa's 65th anniversary. The beauty of that weekend was the common bond all of us shared in Christ. It warmed us to one another immediately and continues to be our tie that binds.

22. In high school my sister Anna and I were serenaded by the quartet in "The Music Man" after a local high school performance. We were walking on air that night!

23. Reading stacks of books at the pool last summer with my sisters. Every Monday we'd go to Rantoul and I'd read in the shallow end while they dived, slided and swam (and read).

24. With Emily, Misty and Shea playing "If you were a Mermaid . . . " which is a game I invented to be played only in just the right setting. I'd be happy to describe my mermaid to you, if you'd like.

25. The whole fantastic 10 days at Word of Life camp last summer. What a gorgeous vacation, and a precious blessing to be with our beloved teens and members of the church body!

26. A million quiet snowy days of homeschool in Wisconsin, listening to my mom read aloud to us in a sun-washed cozy front room -- this is what brought to life my love of read-aloud.

27. My girl party hosted by Steph, Jill and Misty right before I got married. The spread of veggie fare still holds a record in my heart as does the girly fellowship!

28. Both times I received correspondence from Elisabeth Elliot, I cried. 1st time: autographed book, personal letter and her favorite reading list. 2nd time: her husband wrote that they had read my blog!

29. One day at the Maranatha salad bar line, Dr. Corrick (of G-Knee's blog fame) told me that Mr. Licht, my favorite teacher of all time had referred to me as "his best student".

30. The day the Lord purged me of my horrid pride and showed me via a landmark sermon (at least in my life) by Pastor Joe about David's sin in numbering the people, and how our pride is "touching God's glory".

31. All the P.E. track meets with my darling homeschool P.E. classes! I miss those gooder-than-gold children and their appreciative and encouraging mothers, too! Another wonderful P.E. day that stands out was the day that only 8 kids came, and we ran and ran on the track (I was trying to see how far they could go) and those darlings just gave it their all, and Augusta (age 6) ran 2 whole miles straight!

32. Going boating with Josh's family that first summer we were dating. It was such a good trip where I bonded with his siblings and parents.

33. The last night in Illinois, Janet carried down a basket of clean laundry for us, and in the basket was Schmader-cakes!

34. Mandy's idea to trick and drench the teen workers at Camp OUTT (I just knew I couldn't get through this list without another Camp OUTT memory!). That was the best ever, all the kids helped us trip them, and then chase them down and get them good! I love those guys!

The final 16 are still to come. . . hope I can narrow it down!