God bless stay-at-home moms!! 14+ hours a day with my two boys is about to send me over the edge. My two year old is especially exhausting. He is my “Mama’s Boy”, which means that every time I attempt to do something productive, he wants to be on top of me. He’s sitting on my arm now, as I type, with his leg thrown across the bottom of the keyboard. Meanwhile, my four year old never stops talking!! In the past few minutes it has taken me to write this paragraph, he has asked me no less than twenty questions about Toy Story 2, which is on right now. And, it’s not even eight A.M.!!

Oh well, they’re blessings, right? And, we have had some wonderful moments. We’ve made homeade play-doh, gone to an awesome swim park, visited my parents and grandma, gone for bike rides, and are going today to see “Baby O” who is home from the hospital and doing well. I have not held her yet and the boys have not seen her since she was in the NICU for a few days while her blood sugars got regulated, but we’re going today and they are very excited.

I’ve been trying to get back into an exercise routine, which has had mixed results, mostly because I don’t want to get up at the crack of dawn to exercise and I have little time to do it throughout the day. Actually, I probably have lots of time to do it during the day, but every time I begin an exercise DVD the two-year old pitches a huge fit and only wants to be held. I think he’s afraid Mommy will lose her soft cushiness he’s fond of snuggling with. 🙂 I was walking in the mornings, but I took a spectacular fall on some gravel and haven’t been keen to go out again. It was classic, really. I was walking down the street and saw a “Road Closed”sign to my right where the street was being torn up and re-paved. I thought, “Is the street really closed, or was the sign there and then removed? I think I’ll keep going anyway.” WHAM–my face literally hit the pavement. I tried to stop, but couldn’t catch myself. I hope it’s not a sign of age, but just general grogginess from getting up too early!! Anyway, I scraped up my face, which is lovely. My husband jokingly refers to it as my scabies. I was going to put on some sort of Muslim headress, but given the size of the town we are in, I thought better of it.

My four-year old has been attending Bible School at the Christian Church in town. We missed it at our church, so I thought we could practice being ecumenical. It’s been really nice, actually. I’m considering sending him to the Baptist church next week for their VBS–make sure he’s well-rounded in faith! 🙂

We’ve got two Sundays under our belt at church, and they’ve been wonderful. The people of this congregation are very open and loving, and truly excited that we are here. My husband has two churches, one a small country “family chapel”. We took the boys there the first Sunday and they were terrible, I’m talking completely possessed by the spirit of mischief terrible with a capital T. Needless to say, they haven’t yet gone back! If we could find a way to slip Toy Story or Shrek into the sermon, it might be okay, but I don’t think this is that kind of crowd. 🙂

As far as jobs go, I’m resigning myself to substitute teaching for a year–blech. However, it is a means to an end and I think I could work every day if I wanted. I am standing fast to my belief that God will work it all out. He tends to be pretty proficient about that sort of thing. I’ve been reading through the Psalms between Bible studies and have found some great prayers that have been helpful. I especially love Psalm 21.

Well, that’s about it around our household. I finally have Internet access at home (yay!) so can keep up with all of my favorite Bloggers.

Melody, I’ve been thinking about all the ways you’ve reached out to your neighbors and am trying to work up to that. Thanks for the inspiration!

Angie, I’m so looking forward to the rest of the travel tales. They were wonderful! You guys need to put together a book with the blogs and pictures.

Teri, can’t wait to catch up on your encouraging words and thoughts. You are such a treasure!!

Penny, looking forward to a good “catch-up”. Will be e-mailing you soon!

FringeGirl, have so much missed your wit and perspective. You help me keep it together!!

There are so many more blogs I love to read that I want to catch-up on: Julie @ Julie’s Journal, Rachael @ Girlfriends With a Purpose, Bethany @ Beyond This Moment and so many more I’m forgetting.

Thanks for all the prayers and words!!

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Whew! It’s been too long since I’ve had the chance to catch-up in the blogosphere. Life has been crazy and we have no internet at our new home yet. Here’s the short of it: movers were terrible, new house and community are wonderful, first Sunday was awesome, still jobless, but very happy in our new appointment. So, here’s the most important part…

At 9:30 yesterday morning I got a call from my sister which went something like this:

Libby: Umm… I think my water just broke.

Me: Oh yeah, right… ha, ha! You are kidding, right? (Baby’s not due until end of July)

Libby: No, I’m completely serious. There’s stuff gushing out all over the place. What should I do? Do I call my doctor’s office?

Me: Um, no–go to the hospital!! Where’s Mikey? Get him home!

Libby: Can I take a shower or something first? This is really gross. I think I just ruined my favorite pair of jeans.

Me: Seriously, you’re about to have a baby and you’re worried about your jeans?

Libby: Well, if I think about what’s really about to happen it will freak me out! So, yes, I’m worried about my jeans!

After assuring my sister that we would take care of the house and mop the bathroom floor, we were off. When we got to my sister’s (only about 50 minutes away now!) Chris tackled the kitchen while I went to work on the living room. After my parents showed up my mom and I tackled the bathrooms simultaneously and then moved onto Baby O’s (Olivia) room while Chris and my dad took the boys to a nearby park. We spent an enjoyable afternoon in K.C. doing some shopping and letting the boys play. My sister called me around 12:30 to tell me that she and her husband were playing cribbage and watching t.v. Needless to say, they were increasing her pitosin!!

Around 6:15, as my mom and I were leaving the grocery store, I started to get a little ansty. Shouldn’t we have heard something by now? As we were unloading half the store into their house, Chris pulled me aside and showed me a series of texts he had from my sister’s husband saying that Olivia’s heartrate wasn’t corresponding to the contractions and they were getting ready for a C-section! Fortunately, we have some good friends in the area who, ironically enough, were supposed to be coming to see us this weekend. Instead, we dumped our boys with them and headed to the hospital where we sat, and sat, and sat!!

FINALLY, New Daddy came out and told us that Olivia had arrived at a whopping 4 lbs. 12 oz. After more sitting and waiting, about three hours actually, we were finally able to greet Baby O. It was five after eleven when Chris and I went into the delivery room. Let me tell you all, my new niece is one of the most beautiful creations God has ever placed on this earth!! She is PERFECT, regardless of what anyone might say about “Original Sin”. She has her daddy’s curly black hair with some of her mama’s red on top. Her skin is smooth and pink, with long little fingers and toes sticking out from her hands and feet. She has those deep blue baby eyes that seem to hold within them the secrets of the heavens, and when she opened her mouth and let forth that sweet newborn cry, my heart melted. Truly, is there anything more beautiful in this world than a brand-new baby?

So, life is good, and I’m hoping to be back online at home soon. Right now I have a two-year old climbing all over me, so I’m going to have to say adieu.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

My friend Teri over at GodsyGirl Ministries (www.godsygirl.com) showed me a new site called W2W Soul. You can find it at www.w2wsoul.com They are offering a 100 Days of Praise challenge with downloadable scripture for each day. I’m up for the challenge! I don’t know about you, but I need to be focused on some praise!! So, I’m taking the challenge. Anyone else?

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

P.S. It’s move day!! Aaaack! 🙂

Sometimes I get obsessed with the news. A headline will catch my eye and something about the story will completely captivate me so that I’m following the whole saga on numerous national and international news sites. The past two days I have been closely following the fallout from comments made by Lt. General McChrystal, commander of the U.S. Afghan forces, to a Rolling Stone reporter. Apparently, the General and his staff made several off-color remarks about prominent civilian leaders (including the Vice President). When news of the article became public the General was immediately summoned to Washington D.C. and asked to account for his behavior.

McChrystal offered a public statement of apology for the remarks, which, from other news stories I have read, really do not mirror his actions throughout his career. Yet immediately there were cries from politicians and political junkies to remove the General from his position. President Obama met with General McChrystal this morning to discuss the situation. Call me an old-fashioned idealist, but here is how I had hoped this conversation would go…

The President: General, you’ve messed up. What do you have to say for yourself?

The General: Mr. President, I have made a fool of myself and of this country. I lost my focus and said things that should not have been spoken, especially not to a reporter. I am truly sorry for letting you down and the country down. I understand the precarious position this puts you in and am ready to offer my resignation if that is what you think best. I am also committed to continuing on in our mission in Afghanistan and am committed to the cause of rooting out terrorism and helping to secure peace in the Middle East.

The President: General, I thank you for your apology. There is a lot of work ahead of us. I can’t deny that my trust in your abilities and loyalty to this cause has not been shaken. You are a General in the United States Army. I expect better of you. This country expects better of you. Your troops deserve better of you. I have given this a lot of thought and prayer and have come to a decision. While your comments were stupid and unprofessional, you were appointed to this post for a reason. It is not in the best interest of this campaign to lose you, especially due to the ramblings of some young, punk upstart reporter. I am willing to take the political heat from this decision. Goodness knows we’ve all said things we regret later. But I expect you to make amends here. You will recount every word that was spoken in that article. You go directly from this office to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and offer a sincere and humble apology. You will then fly back to Afghanistan where you will meet with the troops to apologize for putting them in more harm’s way and to reassure them of your commitment to this mission.

Unfortunately, there is little room for forgiveness in today’s political world. A misjudged sound byte can ruin even the most prestigious of careers. The President asked for and received General McChrystal’s resignation. I can’t help but feel a measure of disappointment. I know little about the General or his accomplishments, but I know a lot about grace. And I think that we, as a nation, are missing it. I think the President missed an opportunity here to show grace in a very real and public way. In that sense, I think he made the wrong decision. But he is just a man, after all. Thank goodness God isn’t!!

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Well, the big move is finally upon us. Thursday is move day, so we are in the final stages of packing. What this means in our house is that everyone grabs a box (kids too) and runs through the house throwing anything lying on a floor, table, chair, couch, bathtub, etc… pell-mell into the box. The box then gets closed, taped, and marked with a big “Misc.” to make it look organized and official. Of course, we know that the big “Misc.” really means, “Stuff scattered throughout the house we had no idea what to do with.” My oldest has gotten pretty into the whole packing thing. He packed two boxes last night, and was very excited about it. I had to go through it when he wasn’t looking and remove the sippy cup filled with yesterday’s milk. That’s a surprise I don’t want waiting for me on the other end of the move!! (Yes, I did say sippy cup with day-old milk. No one was actually drinking it, it was just there on the floor with the rest of our belongings we have yet to pack.)

As a Methodist clergy family, we always save our boxes. It is inevitable that we will use them again. So, one of my favorite parts of this move has been reading the labels on the boxes from our previous moves. I know, some of you well-organized type A’s out there are thinking, “How brilliant! You can pack everything back into the boxes that are pre-labeled and save a step!” In case you haven’t noticed, my personality falls more into type C. Organizing everything into pre-labeled boxes makes my head spin. I thoroughly enjoy reading the old labels, loading the “Kitchen Glasses” box with shoes, labeling the box “Sara’s Closet” and tossing it into the garage.
What I would really like to do is just toss everything into the garbage and take only a couple of suitcases to the new house. This is how we type C’s organize. However, my husband tells me that would be wasteful and financially stupid since we can’t afford to buy anything that costs more than a new card table.

We have been purging some things, however, which really does my heart good. Our local goodwill store has received about twenty bags of clothes and toys. My husband would like to purge the cats, but I just don’t realistically think that’s happening.

I was thinking this morning how nice it would be to go through the packing/purging process in our own lives. I would love to dig down deep into my heart and soul and purge some things out, while packing some others away for safe-keeping. I know that God has done a lot of the purging in his mind, but some things linger in mine. But really, that’s how we grow, isn’t it?

I guess those are the extent of my thoughts on packing, and in any case, my students have arrived and are eagerly awaiting the learning they will do today. (Ha!) They’re eagerly awaiting watching Mexico play Uruguay in the World Cup! You know…whatever works.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

I woke up today tired with a capital T! Teaching English to incoming Freshmen for seven hours a day, most of whom failed 8th grade English, is draining. Our boys are off at Grandma and Grandpa’s this week being spoiled rotten and loving every minute of it, and I have been enjoying their absence probably more than I should. Chris and I have been working on packing up the house and I’ve been trying to get through a couple of scrapbook pages each evening for my four year old’s baby book. I figure it will make a good high school graduation gift!! My youngest might get his before he finishes college! 🙂

Anyway, I was tired, and cranky, and dreading trying to instruct my students in citation of sources… (Mees! I don’t get it!) Aaargh!! I stopped for some coffee and spent some time perusing some of my favorite blogs and found three that were very inspiring. Check out Bethany at beyondthismoment.blogspot.com. She wrote an extremely moving post on the Native American sweat lodge ceremony of healing and drawing closer to God that helped to wake me up a bit and give me something “higher” to ponder.

Also, check out GodsyGirl at godsygirl.com. Not only does she offer inspiring blog posts, she also has an audio feature you can listen to with wonderful words of wisdom and encouragement.

Finally, if you just need a laugh to start your day head on over to The Domestic Fringe. She has a wonderful quote on friendship from Ralph Waldo Emerson that will get your brain going and you can scroll down to previous entries for some good belly laughs. I love starting my day with FringeGirl!!

Blessings and Peace–the Weekend’s Coming Soon!!
Sara

Last fall, we had the bright idea to get a new puppy. It was a moment of weakness, I must admit. The puppy was from a rescue organization and we were taking the boys on a stroll through a park where the rescue organization was set up for the day. Gibby, our puppy, was only a few months old at the time. One of the rescue workers gave him to our youngest to hold (total sucker ploy!) who immediately cuddled up with the puppy, which we were told was very “docile”. Whatever!! Several months later our Gibby has grown up big and strong. He’s part Black Lab and part Pit, so he chews everything, jumps on everyone, and causes mayhem among our other three animals when he’s in the house. Therefore, Gibby is primarily an outside dog.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a fenced in backyard, so Gibby is tied to a lead out front. The problem with this is that there are also three rosebushes, two (now one) small trees and a couple of big shrubs that also dwell in the front yard. Gibby is not what anyone would call a “smart dog”. Without fail, shortly after he goes outside he’s tangled up around a tree (note that we only have one now), a rose bush, or a shrub. And I’m not just talking wrapped around once or twice, I mean several layers of lead wrapped in different directions around two or more elements of landscaping. It’s infuriating to spend twenty minutes untangling that mess, dodging thorns, poop and brambles, only to have him wrapped up again ten minutes later!

My general response to finding Gibby tangled up in a mess of his own making is this:

“Aargh! You stupid dog!! Why did you do that? I am NOT untangling you again! Maybe now you’ll learn not to get yourself into this mess, Dumb (fill in the blank) Dog!!”

When I came home from church Sunday to find him tangled up, yet again, I wondered if this is what we look like to God. How many messes have you made for yourself in the past year chasing something you thought you needed? How many times have you been tangled up in something and called to God, “Please help! I’m stuck!!” Like my dumb dog, we never learn to stop running in circles.

Luckily, as always, God’s response is so much better than mine. I don’t think God ever calls us stupid or dumb. I don’t think he says, “I told you so!” or leaves us straining to break free from the web we’ve stuck ourselves in. No, I think God patiently and gently comes to us each time, slowly leading us back around the thorny bushes, brambles, poop and trees that have caused us to become trapped. He puts us back where we need to be, each and every time. Each and Every Time!!! There is no place we’ve gone that God can’t lead us back from. There is no knot too strong and tight for him to unloose.

Jeremiah 5:22- “I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail.”

Psalm 46:1- The Lord is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

A few weeks ago, some church members who own a small plane invited Chris and I to go flying with them after church. I had not flown on a plane this small in my entire life, so I was a bit intimidated. We have a will which designates custody of our children to my sister, but she is 8 months pregnant at the moment and I can’t imagine would relish the thought of having two toddlers in the midst of that!! Regardless, I went on the trip anyway and it was a lovely experience.

The thought occurred to me that you really don’t know a land until you’ve flown over it. For instance, I didn’t realize how close the three towns we live around and in really are–how they come together to form a triangle of sorts. I didn’t realize how the farmers’ fields flow with the land and the cattle graze up one hill and down another. I didn’t realize how beautiful the vast expanses of farmland all around us are, the contrast of the rich dark brown soil and the verdant green of the hillsides. Ireland eat your heart out! Surely, I thought, there can be no more beautiful place in the world! (Except, of course, Italy, France, Greece, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Australia, Hawaii, Japan, Kenya, Peru….I just want to make sure my husband doesn’t think we don’t need to travel in the future! 🙂 )

The point is, you can’t see the whole from where you’re standing. You only get that view from above. And, the only one who has that view of our lives is, of course, our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, Almighty, Loving, Merciful, Glorious, Above All, Who Was, Who Is, Who Is Yet To Come, God.

I’ve been wrestling with God a lot lately about the future. We move in two and a half weeks and I still have not found a teaching job. I’ve been offered an adjunct position to teach a class at a local community college, but I’m not sure the money is going to be worth it. And, I could substitute teach, but there are no insurance benefits from that. I know, I know, that God already has this worked out. But I can’t see the view from above. I guess I just have to trust that’s it’s beautiful.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

My baby boy is turning two today. Please tell me how this is possible!! Time shouldn’t go so fast! Stephen woke up this morning for an early celebration around 4:30. I got him back to bed right before my alarm went off. 🙂 I used Grandma Mikki’s brown sugar cookie recipe to make him a giant cookie cake to take to the babysitters. We’ll get to do the whole thing over again next Wednesday for my oldest who will turn four. Crazy times! It doesn’t make sense to me that I can be excited about my oldest getting older while being sad that my youngest is getting older as well. Oh well, such is motherhood!

Blessings and Peace for a Joyous Weekend!
Sara

Just could not resist!! Is this kid a goober or what?!

Blessings,
Sara