Amazed

My mom was in town this past week, while Martin was out of town on business. We had so much fun, cleaning the house, playing with the baby, shopping and getting pedicures!

I was very excited to have her come to church with me today, because I love our church (E3 Scottsdale). ScottsdaleChurches.com calls it "one of the best kept secrets in the city of Scottsdale", which is the truth. Of course, a church isn't supposed to be a secret at all, but so many times we're afraid of what "normal" people will think of our "church friends" that we don't want our secret to get out. That's is NOT how I feel about E3. I'm proud of my church friends (who also happen to be my real friends), I'm proud of where we meet, our worship team (I have yet to go to a church where I don't compare the style and quality of worship and our church wins... Wes' talent and heart for truly worshiping God rocks!), our people (some of the coolest people I know), our pastor, the messages he preaches, and of course, the awesome video and graphics (that my talented husband and I create). I couldn't be MORE proud to invite people to come to our church!

Today was no exception. (Of course, my mom wanted to keep the baby in service, and she got chatty midway through the message so Mom took her out to the hallway, so she missed half of it!) I was struck by how much I admire, respect and LIKE Brad. I know anyone who has been in church for more than a few years has had many opportunities to be let down, disappointed or in some way hurt by a pastor. They're just human like the rest of us, but it seems like pastors have more than their share of personality issues, manipulation, spiritual extortion, and moral failures. Brad is the first pastor I've had who has been real - really passionate about God, really interested in people, really compassionate and full of grace, really authentic and transparent about his own issues, really willing to be a man of integrity, really worthy of admiration, really who he is, on stage, off stage, in front of church members, at home or on the mission field.

The message today was about walking in the light - being honest with who you really are, what you're really going through. Brad was inspired by this video. I think everyone should listen to today's message: What's God's Will? Walking In The Light. And then you'll see why I was reminded again of how blessed we are to be a part of E3 Scottsdale, doing life together.

So it's no longer a secret! Get the word out!!!

This Is Unbelievable!

I can't believe that I'm reading this.


ABC News: Girl Rejects Gardasil, Loses Path to Citizenship



Is this the land of the free? I cannot believe this controversial vaccine is mandatory for immigrants. Unbelievable!


On a personal note, Martin passed his civics test and will be sworn in as a US citizen, if he can find a date in October when he's available!

Where In the World...?

It's been a busy summer... I've been meaning to catch up the blog with photos, videos, etc., but it's not happening. My hard drive died a couple weeks ago, and now I'm playing catch up to catch up to catch up...

So, for now, enjoy this video of our baby girl refusing to perform for the camera. More at the Baby Blog...

Somehow I think Michael Scofield is involved...

My favorite part is "an exhausted pigeon wearing a small backpack".

Lunar Landing

An interesting article about landing on the moon: Man on the Moon

30 Years Ago...

...far, far away in Africa, a darling little boy was born. Today, he turns 30 years old.

Here are the top 30 reasons, in no particular order, that I love him:

1. He loves to watch TV almost as much as I do and is the perfect companion for watching all of our favorite shows, and even the ones he hates, like America's Next Top Model.
2. He is so enthusiastic about what he loves, like a kid.
3. He's a tender, adoring father, and has been since the first moment.
4. He is a hot bald man.
   
5. He is still slightly foreign in the expressions that he uses, which often strike me as funny.
6. He is very loyal and loving towards his parents.
7. He's a hard worker, but more than that, he takes pride in doing a great job.
8. He's got great genes, which is evident in our exceptionally beautiful daughter.
9. He buys me beautiful jewelry, but gives me gift cards for shoes.
10. He's exceptionally silly, which is great in hard times. He can always make me laugh.
11. He is a loyal friend.
12. He loves me fiercely, and tells me often.
13. He's a good cook, and an awesome griller.
14. He is very skilled at what he does. And he's never been to school for it!
15. While I was pregnant and feeling poorly, and now when I have a little girl monopolizing my time, he willingly cooks dinner almost every night.
16. He changes poopie diapers.
17. He cares about our home and makes an effort to make sure we are comfortable.
18. It doesn't bother him when I go on and on about typos on signs or stupid things on TV.
19. He lets me have the window seat.
20. I can trust him, completely.
21. He likes my friends.
22. He's good at any sport he tries, the first time.
23. He does his own laundry without complaint when I fall behind and he runs out of underwear.
24. He tells me I'm beautiful, when I'm a mess!
25. He has a lousy sense of direction.
26. He's in love with our daughter.
27. I never have to worry if we're going to be able to pay the bills, because he takes any and every job and pursues any work lead to make sure we're taken care of.
28. He enjoys spending time with my family.
    
29. He plays with our dogs like a kid.
30. He chose to spend the rest of his life with me! And as his youth slips away, I am grateful for that. :)

I Found This Funny...

Door to Door as Missionaries, Then as Salesmen

And the baby's crying... that's all the blogging we'll have for today. Hopefully I'll update before the end of the month. :)

If you don't visit the baby blog...

...then you're missing this:

For Obvious Reasons...

... I will probably not be updating this blog very frequently for a while. Not that it's been really active recently!

If you're not on Facebook, get on it. If you are, be my friend and Martin's! That's where we usually update, and Martin's posting all sorts of photos of us and the baby.

Encouragement for these times...

My friend Amy posted this article on her blog. It was so good I had to steal it.

What is Happening in Our World?

by Barbara Rainey
March 5, 2009

I’ve written a couple of posts on the economy since it started its slide south back in the fall. The emotions in watching this downturn have moved from interesting to perplexing, and if it keeps falling the prevailing emotions could inch nearer to frightening.

For now, the word perplexing accurately describes my vantage point. It’s not as if we are unaffected. My husband is working harder than he ever has, putting in fifty-hour weeks trying to find ways to cut expenses and increase revenue. I just talked to one of our sons who said they are living hand to mouth, barely making ends meet. And I know it’s true. Their pantry was literally bare when we visited last month. Another son and our son-in-law are both doing the same, working harder than ever trying to keep their families fed and their payments made. These are not business-as-usual days. What our country is experiencing clearly isn’t a brief downturn where things will return to “normal” in a few months.

Added to our national situation is the complicating factor of this being a global issue which leads to the question, “What is God up to in these international complexities?” While I do NOT have the answers, I think it’s good and healthy that we ask this. We who claim to belong to God must be measuring our experience against the truth. We know that God is not passive. He is not sitting idly by just watching. That is not His character. Instead, God is intricately and intimately involved in the rise and fall of nations and in the comings and goings of all people.

Yesterday in my Bible study class I heard a verse that I do not think I’ve ever heard before. It was as if it had flashing lights around it dramatically grabbing my attention. This one short phrase fits this season of our American life perfectly.

“And He shall be the stability of your times” (Isaiah 33:6).

That’s the bottom line. No matter what God is up to in the world today, no matter what course the current economic crisis takes, no matter what the political leaders in Washington do, God is the stability of our times.

It reminds me of an old hymn whose first line reads, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” ¹ Our hope cannot be in money, a job, our house, our friends or family, and certainly our hope cannot be in Washington. All of those will disappoint. Our hope must be in Christ alone, for only there will we find true stability.

I remain perplexed at our current state. And at the same time I am cautiously optimistic and even hesitantly excited at what God might be doing. Could this be part of the end times? It’s possible. Will our businesses and families be better for this pruning and winnowing God is working? If we cooperate with Him in this, there is no question we will be better having been pruned. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that he was “perplexed but not despairing.” I have found great comfort in recent seasons of suffering in that short phrase, knowing it is okay to be perplexed, confused, baffled, and even mystified at the circumstances of my life. I can be perplexed and still be found having faith. It’s when I move to despair which means hopelessness that I am not living in faith. We cannot know what tomorrow will bring, but we know the One who will bring it, and that alone can keep us from despair as He brings the stability to our times.

¹The Solid Rock by Edward Mote (1797-1874)