Ukraine tele-report Topic: People/Family stories
We got to talk to Charles last night! We actually called Tuesday night too, but I wouldn't say we actually got to talk. The telephone connection kept breaking off after one minute and 40something seconds, and there was a delay in hearing each other. It was like those satellite interviews you hear on news programs, where it takes a few seconds to hear and then respond to the questions. The kids did NOT understand and they just kept saying "hi....hello...hello?...do you hear me?....oh hi." LOL Then we'd get disconnected. It would have been comical if it wasn't getting so expensive to keep reconnecting! arrgg So last night they called us with purchased international minutes on their cell phones and we talked for 15 or 20 minutes with no 'satellite delay'. (I think it has something to do with going through the international or Russian operators)
He and his mission team partner, Pete (also from our church) are doing great. That was a concern! Last time Pete went on this mission trip to Ukraine, he got sick with allergies *I think* and the lady of the house he was staying at kept making him 'home remedies' which upset his whole insides! This year, no troubles....but we packed plenty of allergy and stomach meds just in case!
They love the people there. Charles commented that the connection you feel around fellow Christians is strong with these people and they feel very at home with them. His voice was full of the joy of the Lord when he talked about them. The communication is going very well. That is one thing Charles wanted people to pray about...that through the translation process, things wouldn't be too confusing or misunderstood. The weather is great...warm, but not hot. And the food is good. But they are mostly really enjoying the people there.
They thought they would be staying in a home, but are actually staying at a Christian 'reform' facility. (MUCH like the Set Free ministry that we support here in Phoenix, so there was a thread of familiarity.) It is for men who are alcoholics or drug addicts, to get clean and healthy and join a support group, but also to hear about Christ and how God really loves them and has a plan for them. So there are a lot of the men who are new Christians and a lot that are not Christians. They help anyone who needs it. But they are all in a safe place, getting the help they need and hearing about a God who loves them. Pete said the men there even asked Charles and Pete to move there and become their pastors. I think it was all in jest, but you can see how much they responded to kindness and genuine love.
When we talked to them last night, they were just about to have breakfast and then leave to go to the city, where they will spend *I think* two nights and have a day to sightsee before making the 30 hour trip back home. That includes all travel time, on the road, in the air and between flights. Charles told me they rode on a prop plane to their current location, but that he would tell me that story when he got home.....which mean he probably almost died and doesn't want to worry me while he's traveling home!
I hope he writes about all of his stories from this trip on his blog when he gets back. At least I will pester him to do it.
Simplify, surround and focus Topic: God things
Here is a quote I found today, from my friend KQ, that I thought was appropriate as a response to the last part of my last post about Miss Hilton:
"What else will do except faith in such a cynical corrupt time? When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word. What is the last word then? Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things:through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweetcorn and flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids - all the places where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through" ~ Garrison Keillor
Can you imagine how difficult it must be to find those placed in Hollywood where there is the 'gravy' of life?
Romans 1:11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
Faith is a gift...from God to us and through us, to each other. I hope Miss Hilton finds people who will gather around her and encourage her faith and point her to Christ.
1 Corinthians 16: 13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
In cynical times like those in which we live, we do not need to worry. We just need to refocus our eyes. Are we looking at the evil we can see, or are we fixing our eyes on Christ, who gives hope and strength?
The flu and back again.... Topic: People/Family stories Every wife knows that when your man is out of town, things happen. Unfortunately, not good things! He left Sunday morning. I took the girls to church. By the end of Sunday School hour, my head was aching. I passed it off as tension but by the end of the worship service, my head was starting to throb and if felt like my neck could not hold it up one second longer!
We brought home Emma and Maggie's friends, as planned, to swim and hang out for the afternoon. I laid out cold cut sandwich things for them, then went back to my room to nurse the headache. I have not had such a bad headache in a long time, although it seemed vaguely familiar. It wouldn't be long until I realized what was familiar about it. Between advil popping and coming out to pass out snacks to the kids, I was either lying on my bed or reclining in our easy chair. The computer hurt my eyes, the television hurt my head, sleep alluded me.
One of the kids ended up spending the night and I was off to bed. At 3am, I was up....I was sick. Why does the stomach flu choose 3am to begin it's horrid work?? It's evil is my answer! I struggled with it all the next day, sipping gingerale and eating crackers, head and body aches consuming my every thought......kinda pitiful, isn't it?
During the day, as I would go to get more ice or crackers, I noticed first that the trash compactor would NOT stay shut. It was not a good sign. I couldn't bend over to fiddle with it though because of the pounding head, so I went out in the backyard to check on something and noticed the pool pump was not running. Double not a good sign. So I went to bed.
This morning I woke up with NO headache, I ate breakfast and actually wanted it, and I did some chores. I watered the plants in the yard and 'fixed' the hose to the pool vacuum. All it needed was to be filled with water so that it would have suction, then it started working fine. *whew* Then I fiddled with the trash compactor to see if it was broken or if something was jamming it. I am pleased to say that it was the latter! Yay! Maggie fished the trash that had overflowed behind the trash bin and it closed perfectly!
I'm very thankful to have my health back today. What a sin to take our good health for granted so often. It is a HUGE blessing! (and why...do things like this all happen when the man of the house is away????? I mean it, I want answers!)
And now, I have turned my attention to finding out what is the latest Paris Hilton news. In the past few weeks, I would turn the channel or shake my head with all the attention her dramatic life was getting. I have to admit that I did not usually respond to the reports on her with sympathy or in prayer for her. I am taking it in with interest now (no longer rolling my eyes when the subject comes up) that she is seemingly ready for a change in her life. I'll pray that it's a true change and that the Bible under her arm before she entered jail will have a hand in that change.
God bless Rovenki Topic: People/Family stories My husband is off to Ukraine in Russia today. He is with one other man from our church and a group of people based from San Antonio, Texas. They are taking a curriculum over to Ukraine to equip pastors there to teach about church unity. Charles and his partner will be in a church in the city of Rovenki, Ukraine. The link is to a tourist's photographs of that city....very interesting!
We miss him, but I'm so glad that he got to go on this mission adventure, to another culture on the other side of the world, to help train pastors. I think mission trips like this are as much for the missionary team members as they are for the people they go to help.
When we say, "Yes, Lord. I will go." He teaches us things we would never have learned otherwise....
....like faith and trust. ....like obedience and submission. ....like hearing His voice and knowing that voice is speaking to YOU.
Please pray for their health, stamina, understanding/communication with people and for the Holy Spirit to work: ....in the hearts of the people there. ....and in the lives of the mission team members.
A Mom Anthem Topic: Humor/memes
Another busy day here. I don't know where my nice relaxing summer is going! It's becoming a monster that must be stopped!
THIS is hilarious. I dedicate this to my children. (knowing that it is best to go ahead and mock yourself before they can do it!) Warning: Go ahead and swallow your coffee so you don't blow it all over your monitor.
Just for fun: Fleurs Topic: Humor/memes
A friend of mine posted this on a forum. It's a 'what kind of flower are you' quiz. Since I don't date (my husband would not approve), I based it on friendships instead of dating relationships. I knew I'd be a daisy! "Daisies are the friendliest flower, don't you think?" (guess that quote)
I'm ignoring the hedonist part because I don't like it. I used to live with a fluffy little white hedonist named Millie, so that is a little hard to swallow.
You Are a Daisy
You see the world with an artist's eye.
Finding beauty is easy for you - even in the dullest of moments.
You notice all of the colors of the world, from fresh grass to sunsets.
You are a total optimist and hedonist. You love to drink life in.
This is Bethany (on the right). Everything is larger than life when you're with her..... ;)
She is the princess and makes any activity an 'event'. Even handing out cupcakes at a Harvest Party.
And now.....she is a missionary. At least for the summer. Get ready for a summer full of larger than life events, lots of drama and fun.....she has decreed it! And you must obey!
Recipes: Fudge pie and homemade vanilla ice cream Topic: Crickl's Recipes I got to thinking you might want the homemade ice cream recipe to go along with your Fudge Pie. This is a recipe given to me by Nancy, the pastor's wife at our first official church position (Charles was the youth minister) after seminary, in a small town in Oklahoma. And I think she got the recipe from her mother in law. I've never found a better one!
Ice cream
1 qt half and half 2 c sugar 1 can sweetened condensed milk 2 tsp vanilla pinch of salt
1 gallon of milk (I use 2 percent)
Pour all ingredients, except the gallon of milk into a large bowl and mix with a beater. Pour into ice cream churn. Pour in milk (not skim, but any other kind) to 'fill' line and churn as directed.
Makes 1 1/2 gallons
Fudge Pie
Melt together: 1 stick of margarine or butter 1 square of unsweetened baker's chocolate
Add: 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2/3 cup flour 1 tsp vanilla
Pour into greased pie pan and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. The texture is crunchy on top, then custard like in the middle. Serve hot with ice cream.
Friday's Feast #146 Topic: Humor/memes
The Friday's Feast can be found HERE. To join in, just answer these questions on your blog and leave a comment at the FF sight.
Appetizer Name something you think is “the best.” Fudge pie and ice cream. (I'm stuffed from eating at Olive Garden but garlic mouth makes me want chocolate.) Fudge Pie was one of the first things I learned how to bake from scratch as a young adult. My seminary roomate gave me the recipe. It is simple, but has extraordinary taste and texture.
And it reminds me of those seminary days, living in a teensy garage apartment, engaged to Charles and my roomate was engaged too. Fun times! You must cook it just before eating it so it will be nice and hot and crisp on top!
Fudge Pie
Melt together: 1 stick of margarine or butter 1 square of unsweetened baker's chocolate
Add: 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2/3 cup flour 1 tsp vanilla
Pour into greased pie pan and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. The texture is crunchy on top, then custard like in the middle. Serve hot with ice cream.
Soup On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 highest), how stressed are you today? 3....pretty good but let me tell you why! Today is our 23rd wedding anniversary. Charles has the day OFF and we stayed home, did some chores, swam and lazed around the pool, then went for lupper/linner (that is the word for a combo lunch/supper or dinner, according to Emma) at Olive Garden around 3pm. I feel very relaxed and destressed. We'll make homemade ice cream later....if we want to. (and perhaps some FUDGE PIE)
Salad What kind of cleanser do you use to wash your face? Neutragena Acne Wash in the pump bottle....great stuff!!
Main Course Tonight is a blue moon! What is something that you believe only happens “once in a blue moon.” A totally clean house....every room very tidy and actually CLEAN. A rare occurence indeed!!
Dessert When was the last time it rained where you live? I live in the desert. It was probably in March.
Lately.... Topic: People/Family stories
***I got a new job. *today* I'll be a teacher's aid for 2 second grade teachers at our neighborhood school. It is just around the block, so I can easily walk to work! I am so thankful for a good part time job, close to home and with the same days off as my children's schools. I start August 13.
***Blogger blogs drive me crazy nutso! I have been trying to leave comments for everyone who visited mine on Wordless Wednesday, but only got 2 of them through.
***My 17 year old left for her summer missions team work. It's strange having two of my chicks out of the nest now....even if it is just for the summer. There is a sweet post over at The Dust Will Wait called Empty Nest Syndrome that I thought was very timely for me.
***We are signing our 15 year old up for Driver's Ed this summer. She won't be old enough to actually practice in the car until August, but this is the classroom part. Let me just say here that I am NOT READY FOR THIS AGAIN!!!!!
***I had my last day of work doing after school care. I'd say get ready for more blog reading than lately has been the norm. (what a sentence)
***I had TWO very good days of shopping at our local thrift store. *Yippee* Maggie and I have some "new" (to us) clothes for our new ventures this Fall. I'll be working at our neighborhood school and she will be heading off *we hope* to the school I just quit working at. I love how discombobbulated that sounds.
***I was told by a forum friend, "Well, Crickl, that is just ..... your cheery outlook and sunny disposition! And, yes, we all hate you." Heehee....I think she was just kidding though....about the hating part.
The downward spiral of a weekend Topic: People/Family stories
Have you ever had a holiday weekend that you were really looking forward to, but it started to take on a life of it's own and you had to just stand by and watch it spiral out of your control? That was our weekend. (as evidenced by my silent blog these past 5 days)
The long weekend sounded so good to us a week ago. We were really looking forward to it. Friday we started out leisurely enough. We let the teens skip school so we could get an early start. Pastor's don't get many Sundays off, so we had to make our trip up north just an overnighter. The normal 2 hour drive took a full 3 hours, but as we hit the top of the hill, entering into the Flagstaff area, we rolled down the windows and breathed in the cool, fresh, unpolluted mountain air. I miss that.
We drove to some friends' new home. They lived in a travel trailer for a year while building it themselves and it is beautiful. Then we drove into our old town. Our teenage girls wanted to attend their old friends' graduation, so they left and we spent the evening with a couple who are great friends to us. They live on a hill, beside a highway that goes ribboning back into the mountains, a wonderful gateway into the backwoods, where there are lakes, wilderness, elk, bear, coyotes and eagles. I longed to keep going and explore the dirt roads that lead far, far back into God's creation and pristine scenery. But we had people to visit and the wilderness will be there next time. We also remembered why we used to stay at home every holiday weekend in the summer when we lived there. The place was crawling with RV's and campers and weekenders. NUTS!!! We used to sit on our front porch and just watch the RV's pulling into town.
Three hours later graduation was over. LOL Graduation is a big event and they do a slide show with music for each graduate. Small towns are kind of cool and quirky, and graduation is a thing everyone has to endure, but it sure is a long time to sit on metal bleacher seats. So we opted out this year. *sssshhhh*
The night time drive back to Flagstaff was solemn as we passed by a terrible accident on interstate 40. Someone on a motorcylce hit a huge bull elk. The elk was lying there, huge and dead, but the driver was not in sight. He must have been thrown clear of the sight. There were highway patrol there, but the ambulance was just getting there. A man was on the other side of the interstate rocking in a crumpled position, crying or praying. When we lived in northern Arizona, we always saw a dead elk on the side of the road as we drove to Flagstaff. There must be at least one hit every night there in summer and Fall. Thankfully we never hit one, but it is quite devastating when you do. We rode the rest of the way into Flag in silence, the adreneline pumping and tears welling.
We got to spend the night with our daughter Hannah and her apartment is so cute and cool and artsy. It has huge windows and a sliding glass door that looks out into a stand of pines, then a park with soccer fields. After a big breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, we left to drive back to the desert that is now our home. Oh yeah, and we had to take a bus back with us. *see my lip start to turn into a snarl here*
A bus. It's a wonderful gift from our old church to this new one we are at, but it's a monster. lol It is extra wide and low (easy to step into), and half the length of a school bus. And it is bright white. It is old, runs on diesel, and goes a mild 55 mph on the highway....35 up big hills. (For those of you who have never driven from Flagstaff to Phoenix, it is very mountainous, curvy terrain.) I followed the bus the whole way. My husband stopped once to tighten a console cover by his right leg. It had been pouring out burning air on his leg, and he thought it was having transmission trouble because there was a terrible clunk whenever it changed gears. But it was also stressful to follow him. The wide, white back end of it was hypnotic as we dragged along at 55 (or 35) mph. I kept having to shake my head to wake myself up and came home with a stress headache.
Saturday night we had a cookout to go to...very fun, very good company, but we came home and fell into our beds, exhausted! Sunday we had a good church service, comissioning 6 teens who were to be summer missionaries, one of which is our Bethany. My 15 year old wanted to hang around with some friends for the afternoon and after their parents all left, I found out they were planning to just walk to Taco Bell and hang out there all afternoon. Ummm, no.... So I rounded them up and took them to our house. My dear exhausted husband cooked them hot dogs and found the boys swim trunks, while Emma rounded up things for the girls to swim in and they all swam the afternoon away. Charles got them practicing dives and then sat in the swing, judging each dive, adding points if the landing in the water sounded like it hurt. lol
Then they left.....yes! (I love them all, but needed some down time badly!) And we had an evening alone with Maggie, relaxing. My teens came home once again with extras last night. Two girls spent the night, surprising Charles as more girls than usual emerged from the hallway this morning. (oops, forgot to tell him)
Emma has been needing new shorts for a while now, so I decided to pick up things I've been needing from Walmart this morning while she picked out some shorts. Only we got sidetracked and decided to try a local thrift shop first...just pop in to see if they had any good deals on shorts. As I drove into the parking lot, there were no parking spaces to be found and we had to park 5 stores down at an Italian restaurant. The sign in the thrift shop window said, "Memorial Day Sale, everything half price"
Oiy with the poodles already people!
The lines of people at the check out stands were curving around and down the clothing racks of the store! But I dove in and decided to try the childrens' section to find summer clothes for a quickly growing 9 year old who belongs to me. Jackpot! I spent $38 and got 12 shirts and 6 pairs of capris or shorts, as well as a cute dress. Each piece of clothing was a dollar or two. AND the children's section was deserted compared to the other parts of the store, which looked like an ant hill! Emma and her friend went to get me a place in the check out line while I looked a while longer. THEN we went to Walmart...busy busy....
I got home, put some things in the fridge and went for a swim. I got to relax for approximately 20 minutes before having to shower and get ready to go to a family gathering at my sisters for homemade ice cream. Add to this, that my daughter from Flagstaff called and said she and 2 friends were coming down to swim and go to a drive in movie. !???! Okay.... They arrived while we were having ice cream, so we went back home to see her for a while before the movie. (more on drive in movies another time)
We sent them off at 8pm, the movies begin at 8:30. I sat down here on the couch with Maggie and have not moved since.
I'm looking forward to a regular week, even if it is a little hectic. These holiday weekends are killin me!!!!!
Conquer much lately? Topic: God things
Note: click on the images to see a larger version.
We have a special service once a month for our youth and college kids at church called Momentum. It usually has a theme. This month, we had a whole weekend event for the youth. The theme was 'conquer'. So they had a lock in and played conquering games and had lessons on conquering through Christ.
It was all kicked off with the Saturday night service. The lock in was that night, so our youth pastor, Josh, had lots of cool things for the youth to do.
First, one of our very dear youth girls, Jessica, gave her testimony of how in the past 2 years, God has helped her have the strength to conquer the cancer that had invaded various parts of her body. Several people close to their family, who watched her live this out, gave their lives to Jesus as a result of Jessica's faith being lived out in front of them.
Then my husband, Charles did the preaching for the service. It was held outside in the parking lot. And instead of a podium to stand behind, he preached from a rock wall. It was brought in for the lock in, but was also a handy word picture tool for his talk that night.
He climbed as Bible verses were read to make a point:
Then he would stop and teach about how in order to conquer the difficult things in life, we must: 1. Get connected with God and with each other. (like being harnessed up for a climb) 2. Get creative. God is Creator and made us new creations. The old is gone, the new has come. The old ways just don't work anymore and we have to find new ways (new holds)...God's way. 3. Get quiet. Listen and find God's voice. He wants to lead you in the best way. He has a plan for our lives and we need to be listening for Him to show us. 4. Get instruction. God's word is our manual for this climb....to conquer. 5. Get committed. The easy way out is to quit. But following through is so worth the climb. His will is for you to conquer in this life. To press on through the hard times, that is conquering. To learn to change the direction your life is going, a lousy attitude or a sin habit that you may have. This is the stuff we must conquer. People who are conquerors keep their gaze on the goal (in this case the buzzer at the top of the wall), and don't let themselves get distracted from it. God is calling us toward a great reward through serving Him.
And if you do fall, God is there, holding on. He won't let you go and He will help you to start again, with new strength. Rising on wings like eagles we will conquer.
When the talk was over, the worship time began. It was lead by a group from Prescott, Arizona, called ARB, a Christian Indie band lead by Angie Raess. They are really good! Mostly a worship band, they really had a powerful message and presence.
Our kids were captured by the worship and testimony. The girl here with the neck brace and crutches is the one I wrote about in this post. She is doing great! She was at church the Sunday after the accident and had to be carried up the stairs by her dad to attend the youth group. She is working on conquering a few things physically and spiritually. Maybe she will let me share her testimony here on the blog soon. She got up and talked in church Sunday about this experience.....it's amazing what God uses in our lives to teach us to take deeper steps with Him!
Afterwards the kids got to climb the wall. This is my daughter Beth on the left. She is learning to conquer a few big things in her life as well and we're so proud of her as she presses on. It takes courage to keep on climbing, but anyone who has reached the top and has stopped to look back over the years of battle, will tell you every step of trembling muscles on the climb was worth it when they look back and see how far God's taken them.
Every wife knows that when your man is out of town, things happen. Unfortunately, not good things! He left Sunday morning. I took the girls to church. By the end of Sunday School hour, my head was aching. I passed it off as tension but by the end of the worship service, my head was starting to throb and if felt like my neck could not hold it up one second longer! 
I got to thinking you might want the homemade ice cream recipe to go along with your Fudge Pie. This is a recipe given to me by Nancy, the pastor's wife at our first official church position (Charles was the youth minister) after seminary, in a small town in Oklahoma. And I think she got the recipe from her mother in law. I've never found a better one!
Emma has been needing new shorts for a while now, so I decided to pick up things I've been needing from Walmart this morning while she picked out some shorts. Only we got sidetracked and decided to try a local thrift shop first...just pop in to see if they had any good deals on shorts. As I drove into the parking lot, there were no parking spaces to be found and we had to park 5 stores down at an Italian restaurant. The sign in the thrift shop window said, "Memorial Day Sale, everything half price" 
