Steph's Reality Blend

Have you ever been excited about something in the future, whether for certain or just a possibility, and all you could do with your excitement is .... WAIT? I mean, as I wait for my brother and his family to come for a week, I can prepare. Cook, clean, organize, rearrange, grocery shop, mow the lawn, whatever. As we wait for the right time to get things moving on our land (build a shop, sell the house? build a house!?), there is little more that we can do in preparation besides save money and simplify our current lives. I mean, if money were no object, we would be building and moving, but God has called us to live debt-free, and we're not going to jump back into the debt pool anytime soon. Or ever, ideally. And he hasn't dropped a million bucks in our laps to say, "Go, do!" There are a couple directions my mind keeps going when I think about our potential changes and our waiting : First, not even my next breath is a certainty, let alone tomorrow, let alone nex...

I've never heard of a virus that induces ear infections, yet the health reports from friends and acquaintances are full of them. Andrew had (has?) one (or both, not sure), I have one. Bridget was complaining of ear pain a couple nights ago. Last week I drove the 3 munchkins to my Uncle and Aunt's place in Rochester, where we met my Mom, so that I could attend a 3-day tutor training practicum for my "job" this upcoming school year. Every person was a trooper, though my mom's and my nights were short and interrupted a lot. By the time I had driven the 4 hours home at the end of the week, I felt like I hadn't slept in days. And the next day I was pretty (sick) miserable. The week before the Rochester trip, I had been really sick (severe body and head aches, chills, 102+ fever, weak, dizzy, etc) and was recovering over the weekend. I think the short nights and high mothering demand in Rochester gave the virus another foothold, and now I'm coughing and ears...

Randy and I watched a sermon about a month ago by Francis Chan (Crazy Love, Forgotten God, etc) and I can't remember the title but one picture he painted has stuck with me and I've shared it with others since. It's about who you're living to please. And maybe not even to please  but to... impress? convince you're a Christian? be accepted by? Chan basically put it this way: To spend your energies "checking off" the Christian- y things to do (attend church, refrain from drugs/etc, "serve faithfully" in children's ministry, greeting at the door, leading a Bible study, playing/singing with the worship team, going on short-term mission trips, looking nice for church on Sunday, tithing 10%, saying the right things to people, sounding like you know your verses well enough to advise others...) will get you... nothing. Worse than nothing, if you really examine your heart and find that what you do and say around other people is different tha...

I FEEL as though I've been dragging my feet getting OFF of Facebook, but the people-pleaser in me (she's fairly small, but she's there) wants to make sure that those who are going to miss "seeing" the kids' pictures and videos will still be able to via this blog. So this is just a fun post with pictures; the next one will have a short video or two. Feedback is always welcome, but not expected of course. :)  Every spring here in Minnesota, the Porch Dog (Charlie) gets sheared.  This is what she looks like when she's grown her hair from about September to May.  And THIS is most of her hair cut done. All except for one leg,  because it was such a nice visual of the difference! I've finished that leg since.  Adorable girl, my Bridgie. She insists on wearing more clothes than necessary on hot days. And insists she's not too warm when I suggest  taking something off, as her cheeks are flushed and she's sweating.  THIS KID is...