Bathroom on board

One of my sisters has 3 little girls, all the same age...triplets is what most people call them. But I kinda feel like that lumps them together too much, or that it names them according to how many they are. You don't hear people saying, "Well, look at that single over there, just smiling at his momma..." Anyway, I have these beautiful nieces that are just beginning to learn how to use the potty. And I'm learning that making the most of the moment is key in potty training. Cuz I already knew that when you gotta go, you gotta go.

So we're leaving Bob Evans today after lunch (somewhat in a hurry, cuz their baby brother is really tired) and Kate had to go. We had already loaded up all kids and adults in the Suburban, which is no small task, and there was no looking back. Good thing their mom had packed a potty-to-go seat! 1 minute later, we were pulling out of the restaurant, Kate was feeling good, and everybody knew not to kick over the potty seat.

Who knew that Suburbans come equipped with a bathroom?

Away for a bit

It seems like the past month has passed rather quickly. And now I am home for the holidays...away from West Virginia, relaxing with my family, playing with my nieces and nephews (a new nephew just born on Sunday too!), and enjoying the strange feeling of not having any work to do today...or tomorrow.

Hopefully, I'll blog a bit more throughout this Christmas break. There is always much to feel and say and experience during time away from routine and normal living. But, then again, I like living in the moment and I may not blog any time soon, so I can fully enjoy this season of rest.

I have been anticipating this Christmas break for the past 12 months. Not just because it's a good long time with my family, but because it will be even more than that. On January 3rd, I'm heading overseas for a month to visit Mel. The good times will roll, my friends...I can't wait!

More about the trip to come...

The thing of fire

brrrr....it's a chilly 12 degrees outside. As I try to get my coal stove burning hot this morning, I've learned a few things about myself:

1) I enjoy a challenge. This morning, the challenge involved adding coal to my stove without smothering the fire, so my house would warm up quickly. Other challenges in life aren't always so straightforward or simple. (What about when I'm not connecting well relationally with someone and the challenge is to keep loving them? Do I enjoy it then? hmmmm...)

2) I have a tendency to get anxious. I want things and answers and solutions and progress and results and movement (and a warm house) without the waiting and hoping and working and struggling and trying and failing and hoping again. Working to get my fire going strong has finally produced results - my house is warming. (How easy has it become to focus on the struggles or the problems that seem to be unsolvable...in my Appalachian community or in my own life...)

3) I don't mind asking for help. I called my friend Lacy for his advice on making the fire burn hotter, and he gave me some great tips. He's the kind of friend who would help me out any time I needed it, no matter what. And he has, countless times. I can't imagine living in McDowell County without him. I think my self-sufficient tendencies are slowly changing. And this is a good thing.

4) I love celebrating. My house is warm - I think that's cause for a party (maybe a 'drink coffee and read a good book' party, but a party nonetheless). I need to celebrate the good, small things in life more. A warm house, a faithful friend, a good cup of coffee, a phone call to my sister, a day to relax...

A fresh look

A while back, I started painting my house. A big project indeed. It's finally finished. Enjoy what I get to see everyday... (and if you notice white paint on the black trim, it's because I simply decided to forget about painting the trim. You gotta have priorities when you paint your house by yourself...)

How's that for a red door?

I just realized that my friend Calli 'tagged' me on her blog...sorry it took so long for me to respond, Calli.

(by the way, I just learned that 'tagging' involves sharing 6 facts and then 'tagging' someone else in blog world. so here goes:)

1) My sister has triplets (Kate, Khloe, and Kelsea). This really isn't news - most of you know this. But what you may not know is that even though they're 2 years old, they change each other's diapers! My sister said that one day Kate walked into the living room after her nap with a clean diaper on. My sister asked her, "Who changed your diaper?" Kate said, "Kelsea." Then my sister watched as Kelsea changed Khloe's diaper too. Way to go, girls!

2) I really like re-runs. And not just of t.v. shows (although I will watch the same Office episode twice in the same week) but also movies or stories or sermons. Pretty much any auditory experience. If it's good, I like hearing it two or three times. I forget things easily, so I rely on repitition to remember. I really enjoy hearing a good story told twice (for real!)

3) I wanted to be a dentist when I was in grade school. My grandpa was a dentist and he was really excited about my plans, so he gave me his full set of fake teeth. Leslie, sorry that my dentist career never blossomed. I know those teeth could have come in handy for you.

4) I've never broken a bone in my body (well, I did crack my finger trying to catch a baseball when I was 9) but I don't really count that. Lots of years playing sports, and a sprained ankle is my worst injury. I'm very thankful.

5) I live in a community where I know adults who go by Boo, a woman called ButterBean, and a guy named Buckshot. For real.

6) I don't usually remember my dreams. But from what I do remember, I often fly. Almost always, actually. The other day I dreamt that I was stuck with a group of people that was taking a tour to India. Everybody else took a plane, but I didn't want to be with the group. I wanted to get there faster so I could do my own tour. So I flew myself (I also remember flying West instead of East to beat the plane.) I woke up before I got there.

There you go...

Amanda and Christian, I tag you. (And I finished painting my house too. Pics are coming.)

Relevant theology from the man outside the Family Dollar

Here's how the conversation went:

Older Man walking by my car in the parking lot: "Hey girl, why did you make it snow today?"

Me: (somewhat surprised) "Oh, you can't blame me for that. Plus, it's not a bad thing. There's always a winter before every spring."

Man: "Yeah, I was teasing you. I love the weather, I love the snow, I love rain, I love tornadoes, I love hurricanes. Why? I'll tell you why -cuz God makes snow, and hurricanes, and tornadoes. If He sent a wild tornado through here, I'd love it. Do you know that God causes hurricanes?

Me: (wondering if this conversation is heading towards a theological standpoint of God causing hurricanes to topple houses and destroy lives...so i decide to play it safe) "Well, I know God is in control."

Man: "Yes, that's right He is. (At this point, he walks towards me and stands about 8 inches from me for the rest of the conversation.) "Now, I don't know where you stand with the Lord, but I'm gonna tell you that He saved my wretched soul. Now, I was just a wretch. A plain wretch. Why people say, 'how could you be a wretch, a good man like you?' But they don't know that I sin every day. That's what I tell people, I sin every day. You know what will get you sent to Hell?

Me: (I'm feeling like I'm in for a sermon, so I decide to beat him to the punch) "Yourself, your own decisions."

Man: "Nope."

Me: "Sin."

Man: "Nope."

Me: "Yourself" (trying again to prove my point...and I'm also mentally guessing where he goes to church. I think it's the fundamental church at the top of the hill.)

Man: "It's the devil. He'll do everything He can to tempt you with something small....and you know how he tempts us - by whispering in our ear. And then we do it. And God says we've got to be forgiven. Even if we haven't done anything wrong that day. Now how can we be forgiven if we haven't done anything wrong?

Me: "Our sin nature."

Man: "Why do we need to be forgiven if we haven't done anything wrong?"

Me: "Sin"

Man: "Why do we need to be forgiven?"

Me: "Our hearts"

Man: "Nope. Your head. That's where the devil works...(and 15 minutes later, he's finishing up his conversation. I'm warming my hands in my pocket and eating a piece of candy I bought earlier...) and you know what I told that preacher? He ain't a preacher. Boy, he looked at me and started in on me, but I said 'the Word of God says Jesus lives in us and that Jesus is the preacher. He might preach for a living, but he's not the Preacher."

Me: "Yes."

Man: (as he's walking away) "You know you better believe everything I said, cuz it's the Word of God. That's how you know it's the truth."

Me: (smile)

AT adventures

I love the Appalachian Trail. I don't know if I'll through-hike it, but I love every mile that I've been on so far. This weekend, I trekked 20 miles near Pearisburg, Virginia. Here's my weekend in pictures...


I awoke on the second day to this amazing view...

The previous night, I ended up hiking late into the day. I was rewarded with this awe-inspiring sunset...

There are no words...

painting

Today was beautiful outside. 70 degrees. Sunny. Slightly breezy. Perfect, really.

I decided to paint the outside of my house today. I've been wanting to for a long time. A while back I tried to powerwash it clean and I ended up powerwashing some of the paint off. So...it needed a new paint job.

I think I'm in over my head.

I didn't even get a whole side finished. With the first coat.

At least now I know what I'll be doing every day after work in September...and October. (Today was extra slow cuz I had to wash the house off and try out sprayers and then I decided to paint with the ole brush and roller).

But, I do have to say - I love projects. Especially the ones involving hard work and manual labor. I love the satisfaction that awaits me when I ultimately finish this insanely big task. :)

Chocolate Slavery

So I realized yesterday that I can be quite the Christian consumer. And by that, I mean that I hear lots of songs and sermons that tell me truth, but then i often still go and do whatever it is I really want to do...in spite of the truth that I just listened to. I want to stop doing that. I want to hear and follow through with action.

There's this song 'Kingdom of Noise' from singer/songwriters juddandmaggie (check out http://www.noisetrade.com/ for a free download of their entire album - it's really good) that talks about how we are constantly bombarded with messages and talk and noise in our culture. We hear, but we don't really hear. And people speak, but they don't really say anything.

And then I heard this sermon by Steve Chalk (my friend melissa blogged about it too, check out her blog http://www.mhayward.blogspot.com/ for a much better description) that talked about the slave trade going on right now. More people have been sold into the flesh trade currently than the total people captured during the transatlantic slave trade. Wow.

And he also said that right now in the Ivory Coast, people of all ages are being bought, captured, and forced into slavery. They work in the fields, harvesting cocoa beans. For my chocolate bars. For my favorite cookies. For my sweet treat at the end of a long day. 43% of the world's chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast. And while we don't know exactly how much of that comes from slave-based farms, you can bet that most of the chocoate on our grocery shelves has at least a bit of slave labor in them.

And then I went into Walmart (after just hearing that sermon) and I bought a chocolate bar and didn't even think twice about it. Man, you talk about hearing, but hearing not - that's me. I got home and realized what I did. So I taped the chocolate bar to my fridge and wrote the word 'flesh' on it. One website I looked at interviewed a young person in slavery in the Ivory Coast. He said, "When you eat chocolate, you eat my flesh." I want to see that bar and be painfully reminded of my responsibility to end modern-day slavery. I want it to remind me that my actions matter. Life is at stake. And I can do something.

Google chocolate and slavery to find out for yourself. And take action.

my other family

I feel like I have lots of family, when it comes right down to it. Both my sisters and my brother married wonderful people, and along with those fantastic brother and sister-in-laws comes some amazing families. This weekend, I spent the holiday visiting my brother-in-law's family. They have a reunion in Kentucky every Labor Day weekend, and I love joining his family for the celebration. His family makes me feel at home here in the mountains.

This year was the 100 year celebration of his family reunion, and lots of stories were shared about God's faithfulness throughout the years. It wasn't even my family, and my eyes got watery. There's just something to be said for generations of lives being changed because of the faith of one or two people.

I held my 2-month old nephew in my arms throughout one of the services (they have church services all weekend long too - it's half reunion, half revival, really) and was reminded of just how good God is. He's been so good to my family. When I look at my own heritage, I can see the examples of faith in action in my grandparents, my parents, my sisters and brother. They live out his love.

I remember when my sister gave me a journal for my birthday when I was a young teenager. In it she wrote, "Merilee, if I could give you one gift, it would be time spent with God. -Kari" I have always felt that my family's deepest desire for me was that I would know and serve God. And for that I am thankful. So thankful.

The rest of the story

So earlier I told you about the black dog who came to visit me and oso.

Something happened to him.

It wasn't my fault, I promise.

But there has been this horrible smell coming from the railroad tracks the past few days.

The short story is that little black dog left my yard at the end of last week when my friend Ryan scared him away with a bb gun. I promise that the bb gun did not hurt the dog. It just chased him out of my yard (earlier I tried to scare him away with pepper spray. i did not succeed. he stayed and I had to leave my yard because of the pepper i kept breathing in).

Anyway, i thought little black dog found a new home somewhere else. Apparently, he was crossing the train tracks one day when a train got him.

I couldn't leave him there. So last night (when the smell wasn't so bad and we couldn't see the carnage as clearly), Ryan and I buried him under the pine tree. Next to the cat i buried (again, not my fault. my friend's little black cat died when a truck hit him).

I take back all of my frustration about little black dog. he was a nice dog. kind. affable. forgiving even. i am sad.

black dog

Oso, enjoying the dirt

i already have one dog. but lately there's this new dog in town...who has taken up residence in my yard. i really dislike him. he's not really too bad, but i just don't want another dog (sometimes i don't want the dog i already have.) and he won't leave either. oso loves him. except when he tries to eat oso's food. and then there's an all-out brawl for the food bucket, which oso always wins. the bigger dog always wins, you know.

the other day i was running after him in the street, trying to scare him away. yelling, stomping my feet, and all of that. where did he run to? back under my fence and into my yard. where he's safe, apparently. it's like he knows i can't really get rid of him. i think he even laughed at me when i slipped on the wet pavement and fell down in my attempt to run him off.

i'm calling the dog pound on monday if things don't change. a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

a deep drink

july 31st...i love the end of months. i like knowing that tomorrow i'll wake up and it will be a completely new month...it signals new things, new schedules perhaps, new friends maybe, and possible new beginnings.

my good friend emily, who has been on staff with me the past three years, moved away this week. she lived across the street. close enough for me to come to her trailer everyday after work, just to catch up on the day. we ate meals together, discussed life together, picked berries together. i was/am sad.

a new good friend, calli, who I had really only met one time previously, came to visit this week. we went running up the mountain trails, played with kids, and ate well together. she encouraged my heart. my heart is full. i feel loved.

i feel like i'm drinking deeply from the faucet of life right now. experiencing what it's like to really be rooted to one place, one ministry, one hometown area. to feel loss when someone moves. to share joy when someone visits. to trust God's heart. to not look too far ahead, but rather look forward to another day.

another new beginning.

fruit seasons

The end of May signals the beginning of berry season in W.V. Wild strawberries are the first to come. They hide under their jagged leaves in small patches on the mountain side. Then comes the cherries in mid-June. These are the most fun to pick. Tall trees with their delicious offerings almost out of reach...it's a challenge my friends and I relish! Rasberry season follows in early July. They're easier to reach, and always a bit anti-climatic after the cherries. Soon, we'll hit the Blackberry patches, with their tangy sweetness. I love the summertime in West Virginia.

We like to play and pick cherries at the same time...

The West Virginia state motto is 'Wild and Wonderful' (you can be sure that most people here live up to it, in more ways than one.)

NoiseTrade Widget

Psalm 139

I was reading Psalm 139 with students in my Young Entrepreneur Project summer program yesterday, and was encouraged by God's heart for us struggling humans here on earth. So I thought I'd share a few verses. It's from the New Living Translation (read it out loud with a friend so you can listen to the words too. The NLT was translated specifically for hearing the Word.)

(and by the way, the students loved these verses. I've never seen them take God's word to heart more powerfully than these verses.)


O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my every thought when far away.

You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am.

You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.

You both precede and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to know!

I can never escape from your spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night-

but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are both alike to you.

Swim, Run, Bike

This past weekend was a special one. I accomplished a goal that I'd been thinking about, worrying about, planning for, and anticipating this past year. The XTerra triathlon in the New River Gorge. 1.5 mile swim. 8 mile run. 12 mile bike.

I'm glad I finished it. It was an incredible experience.

I'm not exactly sure where I am in this photo, but I'm definitely not in front. This is the start of the race. We were heading towards a class I rapid. My goal was to stay alive, keep breathing, and get to the end of the swim. The current kept me moving quickly. I finished the swim in 35 minutes or so.

Glad to be back on land! (A note to anyone who wants to do a triathlon: wear a wetsuit. It provides extra flotation, abrasion resistance from rocks, and...you just feel cool in one.

Starting the long run.

Ryan is the guy next to me. He works for the same ministry as me, and wanted to do the triathlon too. It was fun to see him at various points in the race.

Also, this picture doesn't do the run justice. We ran on a single track trail that meandered through the woods, up rocks, over creeks, and up to the top of a mountain that was 1000 feet above the river we swam in. It was by far my favorite part of the race.

Heading into the last leg of the race - the bike

It took me over 2 hours to complete the bike portion, but I was just glad to get through it. I felt very unsteady and tired, and took a tumble that landed me over my handlebars and on the ground once. But there was no way I was going to stop. Finish Line, here I come.

My parents, my brother and his wife and son, and my friend Emily all came to watch me compete. I feel like I lived out this dream of mine that at various points in my training, I wasn't even sure I could attain.

A couple years back, my friend Leslie sent me a postcard after she hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. On it she wrote, "Live Your Dreams." I did it. I lived out one of my dreams. And I can't wait for what dream gets planted in my heart next.

Fear

Nobody likes to admit fear. It feels weak, and sometimes just downright silly. I have a friend who's a bit fearful of rollercoasters (okay, it's me). Once during college, I got on a rollercoaster at King's Island and didn't think I was gonna make it. You know that first part of the ride that takes unsuspecting passengers up a slow, creeping ascent into the clouds right before it plunges back down toward earth? I was panicking on the inside during that part. I wanted to get out. But that seemed even more dangerous. So I stayed in. And I made it through. I think I rode on more rollercoasters that day, having worked through that silly fear. It's amazing how strong fear is.

I swam in the New River Gorge today. I was very afraid, very apprehensive. (I'll have you know, it is the same river that people go white water rafting down...and they have to wear helmets!) I think it was the unknown that I was most afraid of. Can I make it? Will I get really tired? Am I going to accidently swim into rocks? How cold is 60 degrees really? And I tried not to listen to those questions. They would only be answered by doing it. By swimming.

A friend came with me to swim, and I think that was what helped me the most. As we stood chest deep in the water, he said, "Ready?" In my head, I thought "never." But my mouth said "okay." I listened to my mouth and arrived on shore 30 minutes and 1.5 miles of water later. No longer afraid. No more unknowns. Yeah for having a friend along to battle your fears!

why you should wear sunscreen

You always hear that it's important to wear sunscreen because of damage from the sun's rays that can cause wrinkles, sun burns, and potentially skin cancer. But you never hear that it's also important to put on sun screen when you get numbers written on your arm for a triathlon. Otherwise...

Mountain Do Triathlon

This past weekend marked an important first in my athletic career. I competed in my very first triathlon! And finished! (always a bonus) Here's how it went down: I ran a hard 5-6 mile loop around a lake with lots of hills. Then it was into the kayak (I hadn't kayaked before, but hard how could kayaking be, right?) for a mile loop in the lake. Then off on the bike for 2 laps around the lake ~ 11 miles or so. I finished in just over 3 hours, and even managed to beat several other women in my division.

It was great!

Sign Language

Just wanted everyone to know what 'slow down' is in west virginia hand motions...

1. Put one hand out, palm down, but keep your hand close to shoulder with your elbow down.
2. Wave your hand up and down like it's a fan, or a flopping fish.
3. Go stand in the road and do that motion, and cars will slow down for you. Some might even stop to talk to you.

I probably wouldn't slow down for you, though. I might think you were trying to hitch hike but couldn't quite figure out the thumb thing. I don't speak west virginian very well yet.

Kale, anyone?

Usually my diet consists of whatever I already know how to cook. New dishes are a challenge, mentally, for me. And my objections are always the same.

1. I don't have time to learn something new.
2. What if I don't like it? Then my use of my time in the evening will be inefficient to some degree.
3. My body needs vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, carbs, etc. What my taste buds need are another matter entirely, and they don't rule my life. Except when it comes to sweets. Then they do have the final say.

I've recently mastered this good dish - black beans with brown rice, and some sauteed green peppers, onions, and cheese on top. Basic. Simple. Cheap. Filling. With good protein too.

But...I am seeking to live better. So, in an effort to expand my horizons, sharpen my skills, and prepare for the possibility of ever having a family or husband who doesn't only want to eat beans and rice every meal, I am seeking out new veggies and foods in general to make.

I'm open to recipes and suggestions, any and all. I'm especially looking for great vegetable side dishes, or ways to make funky foods more enjoyable, or great ideas for cooking meat. My only requirement is that it be low in sugar (No desserts, I'm a Newsham, I know how to deal in chocolates pretty well already), high in vitamins and overall nutritional value.

I'm also wondering if anyone knows how to cook or steam kale or asparagus in a way that makes them really tasty without adding a slab of butter?

Swimming Lessons

I don't often get discouraged at small stuff...like whether or not I can swim, for example. I think that swimming is one of those life skills that seems mostly unimportant except in the rare occasion where you might find yourself drowning in a lake or a river or the ocean...or a KOA kampgroung pool. And then it's important to be able to keep yourself afloat. All other times in life - not a big deal.

My parents had me take swimming lessons several times when I was a young child after the KOA near-drowning incident (short story version - when I was itty bitty, I crept along the side of the pool hand over hand until I unknowingly reached the deep end of the pool. My hands slipped and I began flailing helplessly in the water until my oldest sister spotted me underwater - yeah for goggles! - and came to my rescue. At that point, my parents noticed the commotion, looked up from their newspapers, and heard my saddened cry of 'You let me drown!').

I think I am well over that childhood experience, but I've never quite felt comfortable in the water. I just feel like I can't breath - that's all. No big deal, right? :) Lately, I joined a gym and am trying my hardest to become aquatic Merilee. What's the slowest animal on earth? Put it in water, and that's me. Old women, little child, men who doggie paddle - they all swim faster and easier than me.

But I'm learning to appreciate the challenge. Every day I swim, I tell myself "Never quit, even if you stink at this" and "the reward is who you become, not in what you achieve." I don't believe in the second phrase as much, but it helps me still. Sometimes, I think the lifeguard smiles at me out of pity..."that poor girl, she looks athletic, but she can't swim a lick. I'll have to keep an eye on her in case she starts drowning." Not to worry, Lifeguard. I can't swim, but I've learned how to keep one hand close to the side of the pool...

Appalachian Economics

I think I take it for granted most days how cheap I can live in West Virginia. Most people might find the economic situation of my community distressed and in poverty, (and it is for most practical purposes, of course. Many people here live well below the U.S. poverty line. But it is relative too. In the global picture, West Virginians are rich compared to the people of Bangladesh...) Perhaps what I am saying is that sometimes having more isn't better. It's just more.

Tomorrow, I'm hiring 2 local guys to help shovel some more coal for me to last the rest of Spring. The total cost of their 1 1/2 hours labor for my 2 months worth of heat? $40 (a fair local wage).

I know people here that bought their house for $6000. That's it. And they bought the house recently, not 50 years ago. $6000 for a house. Wow.

I know families that have gotten by on $400-$500 monthly income. Just enough for the necessities, but nothing left over.

My auto mechanic helped me change my oil filter yesterday (it was screwed on so tight) and wouldn't even take my money. One time, he changed my brake pads, brake shoes, and rotors all for under $200 (which I thought was a good deal.)

I know that my community is still an under-resourced, job scarce, disadvantaged place to live. But it is a place where having the latest television would never compare to having good friendships. Around here, that's priceless.

Round 3!

It may seem absurd, but I entered a local boxing competition this weekend and fought in my first boxing fight ever. The cash prize for winning the lightweight female division was $500, so I decided to give it a whirl and see what happened.



I'm not fully convinced that I ever want to box again. It was tough. My body was sore afterwards. And I didn't win the $500. Am I glad I fought? Absolutely. It was an adventure that I never imagined I would ever take.



Scroll down to the first video under the blog title "Incarnational Living" to watch a round of my first fight. And then follow the videos up for the next 3 rounds of fight 2. It isn't pretty, but really, when is boxing ever pretty?



And don't tell my mom.

Fight 2 Round 2

I'm starting to get a little tired at this point, but I keep going...And by the way, the girl I'm fighting is a real boxer. She has a trainer, and is an A-1 rating (whatever that is) and fights people all the time. I tried to keep that in my mind as I dodged her punches. Sometimes winning is all about not getting creamed.

The battle continues

Then I lost my contact and had to decide to keep fighting or quit...either way I probably didn't have a chance of finding my contact. So I kept fighting. They even found my contact and held it for me the rest of the fight.

Fight #2

My second fight didn't go so well...

Here's the first part of round 1

Incarnational Living

I guess I never would have imagined myself fighting in a boxing match. Here's my first fight ever:

Thankfulness - Part Duto (2 in Bengali...I think)

"...every real Christian, however practical, is in some degree a mystic, his mysticism lying on the upper side of his life. He prays, meditates on spiritual things and communes with God and the invisible world. Also, every Christian, however he may be dedicated to the holy art of prayer and worship, must of necessity descend to work and eat and sleep and pay his taxes and get on somehow with the hard world around him. And if he follows on to know the Lord he must serve in every useful way outlined for him in the Scriptures of truth. To be a Christian it is necessary that he serve his generation as well as his God." A.W. Tozer

I love Tozer's words. I love how for him, effectively living for Jesus means loving and serving the world. And I am grateful that as I live with God, I am a part of His work here on earth. It is a gift to be included in His plan of redeeming the whole world. A gift to be part of God's redemption of McDowell County, W.V. For that I am thankful.

A few other thanks...

• The faithful love of my family. There have been countless times where my family met a need in my life this past year, where they've spoken truth into me, and where they've just shown that they're with me in the journey.
• Authentic friendship. I cherish the path on I am with friends from across the states, and across the globe. Soccer buddies from IWU days have been faithful and good to me, as well as people I didn't even know until recently that have become close to my heart. New life has been breathed into me recently through their love, words, letters, stories, and faces.
• Visible (and invisible) Hope. Can we ever know the fullness of God's loving hope for the world? I have seen it in the expressions of children I work with, in the determination of my young entrepreneur students, and in the small changes of people living in McDowell County. What is unseen is powerful, and it is changing the world...This is My Father's World!

Thankful - part 1

I was sitting in church today when I realized just how ungrateful I can be sometimes. Ungrateful to God, and for what He provides for me. Just like the Israelites. Instead of remembering God's rescue from slavery, they saw the uncertainty of their desert life and complained bitterly. 'If only we could go back,' they said. Feeling like you're wandering can be discouraging.

Sometimes I feel like that. I don't know exactly the when and the where of life's next stopping point. I forget God's goodness in the past, and I embrace the uncertainty I feel in the moment. It can lead to forgetfulness, and thanklessness. So, here's a summary, for my own sake, of God's recent activity in my life - for which I am overwhelmingly thankful...

• My church in W.V. - After several years of searching for a church, I finally found a church that is home. Small, primarily African-American, loud, Appalachian, and with dancing...it doesn't get much different than my white, large, midwestern, conservative church upbringing. But their theology is Christ-centered, and the people love one another. That's pretty much what church is, isn't it? They care about their neighborhood, and they make me feel at home. I've come to love the frantic enthusiasm of the pastor, the faithfulness of the elderly deacon who sits in the front left corner and testifies every Sunday, and the musicians who sometimes jam during the offering to John Mayer's song 'Waiting on the World to Change'...it's good to worship the Creator with them!
• A warm home - This winter I put in a coal stove in my living room, and stopped using propane to heat my house. Most people would say it's a step down in terms of luxury, since it takes more effort to use, and makes dusting a daily necessity. However, I still love it. It's cheap and warm. The cost of heating my home in 2008 - $0 (I've been shoveling buckets of unwanted coal from the basement of my ministry's office for free!)
• Health - I injured my lower back somehow this past summer, and was slow to get back into shape. But God has been healing me, and I'm now strong and healthy again, and even training for a triathlon I hope to do in June. It's a major goal, and I'm just so thankful that my body is healthy enough now to aim for it.

More thankfulness to follow...

a little ambition goes a long way

My brother recently got a 1-year subscription of Handyman magazine for me. He knows that I like working with wood, and doing projects around my house, so this was a great gift! (Thanks, Joel!) One of the articles explained how to clean hard water build-up in your shower and get rid of rust stains in your bathroom. They said to use a strong cleaning product like the Works, or any product containing hydrochloric acid and just hold a cup of it under the shower head. Presto - the hard water and rust build up is gone!

It does work, but I didn't fully appreciate the results. I really should have read the directions. It is an acid. So getting it on your skin, even just a little tiny bit, is bad. When it was dripping off of my shower head, I think some of it got on my hands. The fiery red-hot burning sensation went away eventually though. and i didn't even have to call the poison control center like the directions said i should. bonus.

Next time, I'll be more careful.

new music

It's been a while since I've last posted...sorry about that, faithful readers.

I received some new music over the holidays that I'm really loving. Sandra McCracken put out a new album called The Builder and the Architect which is a collection of old hymns put to new music. Simple, pure, folksy sounding - it's beautiful, really.

And I also am listening to Derek Webb's latest CD The Ringing Bell, that's ever so provocative, edgy, and true. One of the lyrics to his songs states, "there's a time for peace, there is a time for war, there's a time to forgive and a time to settle the score, a time for babies to lose their lives, a time for hunger and genocide...and this too shall be made right."

It's rare that you listen to a entire album and like/appreciate every song. I'd have to say that for both of these cds, that is the case indeed. And I'm loving it.