I have nothing to say!

And the title says it all, folks. I have tried three times to do a blog today, but what's in my head is not easily translating itself to the written word. I can only assume that there's not enough in my head to make up a blog entry. That's a little depressing. Anyway, since I can't come up with enough of anything to say, I give up. Have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday!

And yes, I guess this is the electronic equivalent of being speechless. Mark the date because this does not happen to me often.

25 Things About Me

I was tagged by a fellow blogger and now I'm supposed to list 25 things about me that you don't know. I hate this kind of stuff. Oh, wait! Can that be the first thing? I should probably at least explain myself. I don't know that I have 25 things that people don't know about me. And I'm not real comfortable sharing personal things about myself--especially on the world wide web. Oh, I guess that could be the second thing, couldn't it! Maybe this will be easier than I thought. Okay, here goes.

3. I am very sarcastic. (But you all knew that, didn't you?)
4. When I'm stressed, my sarcasm goes into warp drive.
5. I hate most sci-fi stuff. I watched the first three Star Wars movies because I hated not knowing what everyone else was talking about. I've never seen the last three.
6. In spite of my #5, I am becoming hooked on Stargate SG-1. My kids are fans and we have several seasons on DVD. I can't seem to stop watching!
7. I have a problem with self-control. (#6 gave that away, didn't it?)
8. I am the third of six children. I have two older sisters and three younger brothers.
9. I believe very strongly that one of my greatest purposes in life is to raise my children to be all they can be for Jesus.
10. I believe my husband is a great man, and sometimes I'm amazed that he actually chose me to be his wife.
11. I do not like getting emotional in public. Mostly because I'm afraid I won't be able to control my tears and I will dissolve into a blithering idiot.
12. I actually did dissolve into a blithering idiot at my high school graduation. Which is why #11 is on this list!
13. I'm very afraid of not living up to my potential.
14. I'm not sure what my potential is.
15. I did not get the domestic gene, but sometimes I do a good job of pretending I have one.
16. I own a gun (more than one, actually) and I know how to use it.
17. I'm one of those weird people that actually likes speaking in public.
18. I have about five or six good offertories that I can play on the piano.
19. Our church pianist has been gone for two weeks. If she doesn't come back soon, I'm going to have to start repeating some of those offertories!
20. I am a suspense writer. Because of that I have contemplated many different ways to kill people.
21. I am a very poor judge of time. I never think something's going to take as long as it does.
22. I love almond joys, peanut M&M's and Snickers bars.
23. I absolutely love a cute pair of shoes. I put fashion over comfort when it comes to footwear.
24. I love being a pastor's wife.
25. I like bright colors.

Okay, there you have it. Now you know more about me than you ever wanted to. I guess I'll be as brave as Pilar was. If you've got some insights about me that you want to share (good or bad), feel free to leave a comment. but don't be surprised if I plot how to kill you off in my next book!

Matthew and Stephanie Update

I've had several people ask about Matt and Steph lately, so I thought I'd give ya'll an update as to where they're at and what they're doing. Matthew finished up his freshman year at Shawnee Baptist College last spring. He's been here at home ever since, trying to save money to go back to school. The job market has been very sluggish, and he's been working whatever part time jobs he can get his hands on. He's working about 30 hours per week right now, and he still has some to pay on last year's bill. He's getting there slowly, but surely. He is looking at taking some correspondence this semester, and then in the fall he'd like to start his sophomore year at Landmark Baptist College in Haines City, Florida. This college is a little over an hour south of us, and he would be able to come home on weekends. I really like that idea.
Along with his security job (working nights) Matt took some NRA courses to qualify him as an NRA instructor. He can now teach classes in basic firearm safety, as well as classes for those that want to apply for a concealed carry permit.
In the meantime, Matt has been singing in the choir, and working with the teens in our church, especially with their outings and teen soul-winning on Saturdays. He also started a junior church program at our church, and he preaches there on Sundays.
Stephanie finished high school a semester early, and so she started her freshman year this January at Shawnee Baptist College. Her major is Christian Education, and she is doing well as she adjusts to college life. She is taking eighteen credit hours this semester and is also working thirty hours a week for the telemarketing company on campus. She's been there about three weeks now, and she sounds really tired when we talk to her on the phone.
On the personal side of things, neither one of them are in a serious dating relationship at the moment. Although they both enjoy time with the opposite sex, they have a long way to go with finishing their education before they get serious.
I'm proud of both Matt and Steph (as well as the rest of our kids)and I'm eager to see what God does in their lives in the future. Please continue to pray for them. At that late teen/early adult stage there are so many decisions to make that will affect the rest of their lives. Pray for God's wisdom and discernment and that they will both continue to follow His will in their lives.
Thanks for asking about them. I never tire of talking about my kids!

The Wisdom of the Ages

I've always been one to listen to advice. When I was a teenager, I actually believed that my parents did know more than me. Just the fact that they had lived twice as long as I had seemed to argue in favor of them having more wisdom and experience than I did.
I still assume most people know more than I do. I guess I kind of figure that, if I've heard about it, then everyone else on the planet must already know it. Except in one area: I still think I know more than my kids do. Too bad they don't always agree with me! Yesterday I didn't know noodles. Seriously. My son and I had a discussion involving Ramen noodles. And no matter what I said, he had an answer. It wasn't always the right answer, but it was delivered with such conviction and just a hint of superiority.
It all started because a couple in the church wanted to take me and my husband out for dinner. I went to the store and bought frozen pizzas for the boys, so I could fix them a quick supper before we left. I knew Matt was working that night, so I bought three pizzas, which I thought would feed four boys. (Just barely, but that's another post!) After I got home, I realized that Matt would still be there for supper because he didn't go into work until later. He was disappointed because I only bought three pizzas, and insisted that wouldn't be enough for all of them. I suggested that he go to the store and pick up another one (or two), but he said he would eat ramen noodles instead. I stopped him as he headed down the stairs.
"The box of ramen noodles I bought today is for your sister at college."
"You should just send her a Walmart gift card and save the postage." The wisdom of one year at college and nineteen years of life.
"I have other things I need to send her as well, so I'm sending the noodles to her."
"It's silly to waste the postage when there's a Walmart just down the street from the school." Did I mention the other things I needed to send? Oh. He just wasn't listening.
"Stephanie doesn't have a car, Matt. And the girls have to be in at least groups of three if they're going off campus. And they have to get off-campus passes signed too."
Matt had a car at school. Actually, he had my car at school. And he worked off-campus. Stopping to pick something up or running errands was no big deal to him.
"Stephanie doesn't need a car, Mom." Now his tone was patronizing. Someday he will learn that doesn't help his argument. "The Walmart is in walking distance."
The part about the off-campus passes and having to go in groups of three apparently had no merit. Not to mention it's still winter up in Indiana. Or the fact that, whatever she buys, she has to carry back with her while she walks back to the dorm. There was no sense in arguing with someone that knows so much anyway.
"Look, if you want ramen noodles, open the box and take a packet. I was going to take the packets out of the box anyway, to save space in shipping."
"That's okay," he said as he walked away. "There's a whole other box of noodles in the pantry."
Wait. He wasn't even arguing for something to eat? That whole conversation was simply to impart his vast wisdom to my stupid little head?
I know that someday he will realize how much more his parents know than he does. But by that time, he'll be trying to convince his teenager of his own wisdom.
I'll be tempted to side with the teenager!

How Do I Count My Pennies?

The economy is in rough shape. And experts tell us it's going to get worse instead of better. Right now everyone is looking for ways to save money. Everyone is tightening their belts. Everyone is pinching their pennies. (Got a cliche you want to add?)
What kind of things do you do to save money? Are you feeling the pinch? Or has it not really hit you yet?
In our house, we've been feeling a pinch for the last year and a half. That's when my husband closed his painting business and we moved to Florida, where he began pastoring a small church. We watched our savings dwindle down month by month as we sorted through the bills, choosing between the must-haves, the would-really-like-its and the can't-afford-its.
Some of the cuts didn't hurt so much. I dropped a couple of magazine subscriptions. I don't go shopping as much. we cut off our cable. We went to only cell phones. (I hate not having a house phone.)
Our grocery bill got readjusted. More of our meals contain ground beef (how do I love thee, let me count the ways) and chicken. We don't eat out as much. We stopped ordering pizza once a week and now save it for special occasions. I buy some more generic stuff.
But that is a fine line for me. There are some brands that I will not compromise on. There are some areas where I won't sacrifice quality to save thirty cents on the generic brand. Laundry soap is one of those items. Tide works for us. It cleans well. No one is allergic to it. It's not overly-perfumy. I won't go generic. I also use Dawn dishwashing soap. I will not settle for anything else.
I am more flexible on some other household cleaners. I have my favorite brands of bathroom cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners, but I will compromise for a cheaper price. I also buy generic flour and sugar, but my husband will not compromise on his coffee. That's fine with me. I buy big bags of individually frozen chicken breasts. I could save a couple of dollars by buying the store brand, but I stick with Tysons because they have no added hormones.
We haven't set timers on the kids' showers yet, but we do watch how long they're in there. And I've become a fanatic about turning off lights. I like our home well-lit, but I've even been willing to keep it a little darker than I like for the purpose of saving a little. I also keep our home a degree or two warmer than I want in order to save on air conditioning bills. (Heating bills are no big deal. We might use the furnace one week out of the year!)
Here's where saving really hurt: I carried the same purse for an entire year. I know, hard to believe. I like to change with the seasons. I get bored with the same old thing. But I bought a purse in December of '07 and carried it for an entire year. It was starting to fall apart, so I did finally get a new one this week. Talk about saving!!
So what's important to you? Where have you cut back and where will you spend the money because it's worth it to you? If you have a few suggestions for saving, I'm all ears.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

The opening line of Snoopy's Great American Novel is a classic. He then goes on to list every cliched trouble that could ever happen: a door slammed. A shot rang out. The maid screamed. A pirate ship appeared on the horizon. His opening line foreshadows all the terrible things that are about to take place.

Tuesday it was a dark and stormy night.

It didn't matter that it was daylight. It didn't matter that the sky was blue, or the air cold. It was a dark and stormy night. As the 44th President of the United States was sworn into office, the world watched with fascination and approval that bordered on mass hysteria. It was a dark and stormy night, and I shivered as I watched a ceremony that must have made Satan dance with glee. I am very much afraid we are getting a small glimpse of what it will be like after the rapture. When those who trusted in Christ as their Saviour are taken home, and the rest of the world falls at the feet of the antichrist.
No one seems to care that this man's stated beliefs are the most radical and liberal of any who have ever held this office.
No one even seems to care that the man has less experience than any other world leader on the face of the planet.
Supposedly Fidel Castro himself has broken the silence of near death to praise Barack Obama. That in itself should give warning!

And yet on Tuesday I heard reporters and newsmakers--even conservative ones--declare that they would "put aside their differences" and celebrate the day when history was being made. That would be when our country elected the first black man as a leader. Yes, I realize it's not politically correct to call him that; although I'm not sure why since we are often referred to as "white". But it doesn't matter. Just because history is being made doesn't mean it's good history. I did not vote against this man because of his color, and I wouldn't vote for anyone else because of their skin color. That has absolutely nothing to do with a person's qualifications for leading the country. And quite frankly, I resent the fact that people make so much of his skin color. We cannot truly ever become colorblind; we cannot completely become a society where skin color does not matter as long as we take such pains to point out how far someone has come either because of or in spite of the color of their skin. The very people who insist that skin color shouldn't matter are the ones trumpeting the man's skin color and linking it to his success. Some people demand freedom from chains, while draping themselves in those same chains in order to show how disadvantaged they are. I think this is a case of not being able to have your cake and eat it too.
But that little rant was beside the point. The point was, people all praised Tuesday as a day history was made. In the first place, every Presidential inauguration makes history. Name one that hasn't. In the second place, making history isn't always such a good thing. The Titanic made history, but no one praised it's sinking for that reason. Hitler made history, but I don't think anyone praises his decisions because of that.
Let's get a little focus here, people. The man who is now our country's President is not a god. He is a human. He cannot save us from the harsh realities of terrorism and recession. He cannot usher in a utopian existence for all of us. He is, however, capable of plunging our nation deeper into war. He is capable of extending and even worsening the recession that is not, at this point, the worst since the Great Depression. (Anyone remember the 70's and Jimmy Carter's presidency? You might want to study up on it. That was also history. And we look like we may be doomed to repeat it.) Our current President has offered solutions that have failed before. He has no new programs for easing our struggles through life.
Tuesday it was a dark and stormy night. And I don't think this storm is going away anytime soon.
BUT WAIT! Let's not end on doom and gloom. In spite of what's ahead--and it's going to get rough, people--we need to remember Who is on the throne. God is still in control. He still loves and cares for us. We may be getting a taste of what we deserve, we may be getting everything we asked for, but Romans 8:28 is still true in the lives of those who love God and who are called according to His purpose.
So what am I going to do? I'm going to tighten my belt. I'm going to keep in touch with my representatives in Congress and the Senators from my state. And I'm going to pray. I'm going to pray for our nation. I'm going to pray for our President. And I'm going to pray for Christians in our land to grow a backbone once again and start standing up for what is right. I'm going to pray that in January of 2012, we have an end to our dark and stormy night.

Growing Up Is Hard To Do

I was not very good at the whole growing up thing. The teenage years in particular were painful to me. I had no self-confidence (I only developed a personality after I turned thirty-five) and I agonized all the time. What if people don't like me? What if everyone thinks I'm weird and no one tells me? What if I do something stupid? Actually, that last one was a valid concern--I did something stupid frequently.
I've been thinking about this recently as I watch my children grow up. At times it's very hard to watch them go through things that, while they'll seem small later, are looming very large in their life at the time.
Not too long ago Nicky, my nine-year-old, came to me after church one Sunday night.
"Mom, can we talk privately?" His face was mournfully long.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Have you ever lost a friend?" There was so much pain in his expression I wanted to cry.
"What happened?"
The story was long and convuluted, but it boiled down to simple things. Nicky and Josh were playing together after church. There was a little girl visiting the services that night and she was playing too. Whatever they were playing, Nicky was in charge and Josh and the little girl were vying for the position of second in command. The little girl insisted ladies first. Josh insisted friendship should triumph. Harsh words were exchanged by all and Nicky ended up punching Josh for the honor of the girl.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. I gave Nicky a hug and explained that, whatever else was said, Nicky was wrong to hit Josh and he would need to apologize.
"I tried to," Nicky protested. "I said, 'look, we were both wrong.'"
After explaining that he could only apologize for his own actions and not Josh's, I told him if Josh was still mad when he saw him on Wednesday night he could apologize again--the right way.
Years of experience taught me that it was likely both boys would even forget they had a fight before they saw each other Wednesday. Childhood friendships ebb and flow like the tide. But that didn't help his hurting little heart right then.
Sure enough, after Wednesday night prayer meeting I asked Nicky how things went with Josh. I had to jog Nicky's memory a little before he even remembered their disagreement.
"Oh, that. He's not mad anymore."
Why is it that, when we're children, we can forgive and forget so easily, but once we've reached the "maturity" of adulthood, we hold onto things. We nutured our anger and bitterness. We actually mean it when we say, "I'll never speak to her again!" This is growing up? Come to think of it, maybe we'd feel better and get over things more quickly if we just punched each other and then mutually apologized.