14.5.06

Why I'm lucky to be a mom





'Nuff said.

Where the Spirt works....





Last week in Bible study we were asked to share how we thought the Spirit was working in our lives to bring about love, peace, joy...you know the list. These questions always unnerve me because I always feel inadequate. I normally don't have many victories to share, and I am pretty critical of finding the aforementioned 'fruit' in my life. Lately, I've struggled with trying to have the emotional fortitude to deal with the density of brokeness that I see every day at Timken, and then be the mom, wife, and friend that I want to be.

At that Bible study, my husband and dear friend were very encouraging, and their words have made me view my job in a slightly different light. These students matter, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to view their lives from the inside. The Spirit can teach me through them.

When I was (fleetingly, yet earnestly) proud of America


Lately, I don't ever feel proud to be American. I feel privileged, but usually sad at the greed, materialism, violence, and fear that seems to motivate our way of life. What country is better off with those exports we attempt to send around the world?

While I was in Chicago at a conference, I was swept up into the immigrant march on the 'Day without Immigrants'. It was FANTASTIC! (Ok, I wasn't exactly swept up. I was supposed to be going to another conference session, when a group of immigrants walked by on their way to the march, and I decided to bag the conference and go observe the march instead...) There were about 300,000 people marching that day. There was no violence, and I didn't see anyone getting arrested for showing his/her viewpoint. That made me proud....until I thought of our government's response to the immigration problem in our country. Every moment is fleeting and the next set of emotions is for another time...

4.5.06

Sugoyn Boyng



Addison is the last person in the family to understand the ways that letters work togeher to form actual words. He understands the concept -- the process is still a mystery, though.

These day's he's using spelling very liberally to explain what he wants.

"Daddy! I want S-U-G-O-Y-N!"

"You want sugoyn?"

"B-O-G-Y-N!"

"You want Sugoyn Boyng?"

"I want waffles!!!"