12 Days of Christmas

We've been watching the calendar this year in expectation for returning to Missouri for the holidays. When I checked the calendar today, I noticed that today is Dec 14-- 12 Days from Christmas (counting today through the 25th)!

Well, I never have been sure whether the 12 Days of Christmas was before or after Christmas. After a quick Wikipedia search, I found that traditionally it goes from Christmas or Boxing Day to Jan 6 (Epiphany). But since I was already thinking of the songs, I thought I'd post about it anyway. My all-time favorite version of this song is the one with Mickey, Donald and the whole crew... ah good memories from my childhood! I also loved the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas album (a real record!) that we used to put on the record player as we wrapped presents in the warmth of the fireplace in the basement. Good times.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
12 drummers drumming
11 pipers piping
10 lords-a-leaping
9 ladies dancing
8 maids-a-milking
7 swans-a-swimming
6 geese-a-laying
5 golden rings!
4 calling birds
3 french hens
2 turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree!

-JLR

Neck Pain part 2

The pain described in my last post has not gone away. Today is day 18 of my pain and despite my desperate prayers for relief this morning (I was thinking, "wouldn't it be great if God gave me HEALING for my birthday this year??"), I'm still in pain. The pain has definitely diminished. I've been doing physiotherapy and every day I do most of those exercises at home (the ones that don't require equipment). My back is getting stronger, for sure, but I'm still not out of the woods.

The biggest problem for me is the persistent, nagging pain. I can handle pain for a while, but long-term pain has been a real challenge. I wish I could say that I've stood firm(ly?), but the truth is that some days I'm hardly standing at all. Or I'm standing without the victory of a positive, hope-filled attitude. I've been almost afraid to blog about it because I'm never sure if my real feelings-- the raw truth-- will come out and everyone will know what a bad Christian/Missionary I really am. But maybe that's not an entirely bad thing.

A friend sent me a sermon a couple weeks back and I've listened to it several times now. It combines prayer (particularly the "give us this day our daily bread" concept) and the verses I've been meditating on from Isaiah (see below). Which of these three do you think is most impressive?

1. soar on wings like eagles
2. run and not grow weary
3. walk and not be faint (not fall over)

The point this pastor made was that the real miracle in these verses and the climax of the passage in the Hebrew poetry is #3. Taking one step at a time without falling over is the real goal of trusting and hoping in the Lord. I'm there. Well, I hope I'm there anyway. I don't feel like I'm getting very far-- and I'm definitely not soaring or running!-- but each day I get up and don't completely curse God for this pain and these trials, I guess I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. It still doesn't feel like a miracle.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40: 28-31

-JLR

What a Pain in the Neck

This week I've been dealing with a whole host of issues in my neck and upper back.

1. Pinched nerve. Man oh man, do these hurt!
2. Two vertebrae (C7 and L3) that weren't "moving," which led to..
3. Muscle spasms and knots
4. My 2nd rib out of place
5. Not being able to sleep for more than 1.5-2 hours at a time and using Aleve as a crutch 24 hours a day (I'm not a big fan of painkillers, so this is big).

I like to think that I have a high threshold of pain, but I don't know that I can boast of that any longer. I was comparing it to childbirth pain only worse, because I didn't know when/if it would ever end!

I am so thankful for my friend and her husband. They have been real agents of healing and change in my life anyway, and now Dave (who's a physiotherapist) has given me two treatments to help deal with all of the above.

I know that my love for God should never be conditional upon my circumstances, but sometimes when God moves, I can't help but say thanks. God has provided healing (we'll see how I'm doing in the morning!). God has provided people who care. God has provided a couple who are helping me get the physical and emotional healing I need so that we can return to doing what He's called us to do in Tanzania. God has been so present and almost tangible as He pours out His love... so I think what started out being the biggest pain in my neck this week (literally and figuratively) is now my biggest cause for praise.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40: 28-31

-JLR

Diarrhea of the Mouth

Have you ever felt this way? Like any and all attempts to hold in your words were absolutely futile? I've been feeling like that a lot the past few weeks. Typically it is in relation to culture. I can't for some reason talk about the differences between cultures without imposing judgment and negativity on one side or the other... take Halloween candy, for example. Last year we were completely thrown off-guard that Halloween candy was so different here in BC. It turns out that there is more influence from the UK, so there are more Cadbury products (and other companies, maybe??) and "weird" things like CoffeeCrisp, CrispyCrunch, Wonderbar, Aero, Caramilk and Smarties (the chocolate M&M-esque kind). They're not our favorites, but not because they are inherently BAD... they're just DIFFERENT from what we grew up with. Our tastes are more accustomed to Reeses, KitKat (even the KitKats here taste different bc they are from a different chocolate company), Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, M&Ms, Hershey's, etc, etc, etc.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make (and maybe not succeeding at...) is that I don't know how to process those and other differences without imposing judgment. Most of the time I just keep it in or talk about them with a few select people who know about my lack of a filter when I'm processing externally. But is that really better? James 3 talks about the tongue as a rudder and how it directs us to where we will go. It also says that it is impossible to tame the tongue. That's probably because the tongue only exposes what is already in our hearts. Matthew 12:34-36 is pretty clear about how it is because of what is in our hearts that we say what we say. But doesn't the Sermon on the Mount take all of those things to a heart level? If we hold them in our hearts but never speak on them, is it any better? Won't they come out in some way or another? The truth is, I think part of me resents the fact that I'm always the one caught between cultures. It's hard being a cross-cultural worker and always having to fit in with the host culture. Especially when every time I give up a bit of my own culture, I fit in less in the US when we're back! Why is it always me that has to change? If I keep changing, how will I ever know who the real ME is?? It's pretty draining. But if we're going to keep living the nomadic lifestyle we're living (Canada, Tanzania, wherever), I'm going to have to get at the roots of what is causing me to have diarrhea of the mouth... and for some reason stopping it up (think verbal Immodium) is not really going to fix the real problem. :)

-JLR

GEMS Crazy Hair Day

Tonight was crazy hair day at GEMS (the Thursday night girls club at church). I spent way too much time this afternoon braiding pipe cleaners into Micaiah's hair... oh but it was so fun looking!
This is the "before bed" shot-- I'm hoping the loose ponytail will keep the pipe cleaners from poking her little head. :)

-JLR

Apple Bundt Cake

Last year for Christmas I received a silicone bundt cake pan as a gift. When we return to Tanzania, I'm hoping to have a full set of silicone cake and cupcake pans because they are so light-weight compared to metal pans! I also love the way you can bend them to loosen the cake, and need little to no oil/shortening to keep cake from sticking. I've even been using a silicone baking mat that helps cookies cook evenly without getting stuck! But enough with my fascination with silicone bakeware... :)

I quickly realized that I didn't have many recipes to use in my new bundt cake pan since the idea of making bundt cakes has always been more of a nice idea than a practicality. I've tried a few and just the other day ran across this one from Martha Stewart.com and made it for our small group last night. It was so yummy! Sorry, I have no pics-- it was mostly gone before I even thought of it! I did make one change-- I added a small amount of cinnamon to the glaze. I had been planning to just do a dusting of powdered sugar, but then realized that I had done this too soon (the cake was still warm) and so the appearance was not what I wanted. Hence the cinnamon glaze.

Anyone have other bundt cake recipes that I could try?? Here are a few ideas I'm currently searching for... lemon poppyseed bundt cake, traditional coffee cake, sour cream coffee cake, chocolate cake, and pound cake. Let me know if you have any ideas!

-JLR

Tim's New Blog

Tim's going to be writing about his thesis-writing on his new blog. Check out the video he just made (there's also a link on his latest post) ... it's hilarious and I can verify that these conversations happen all the time! In fact, I've even been guilty of it myself at points. :)

-JLR

Watercolor Card

I've been meeting with an amazing, godly woman every week while we've been in Canada. She's awesome and this past week celebrated a birthday. I got her a fairly simple, generic gift, which always feels so impersonal. So as I was brainstorming how to make it more personal, I caught a glimpse of my watercolors and decided to play around... and came up with the idea of a watercolor birthday card! I got the idea/design from a website that I no longer have the link for. But the idea was good (and helpful since I hadn't painted in a while). In fact, I think I might do some more cards with teacup/flower themes. We shall see. Either way, I loved the creative time and will definitely be doing more painting in the future!

-JLR

Back Home

I struggle with the idea of home. There are very familiar places that feel familiar, but is that the same thing as "home"? A couple weeks ago I set out for a Member Care course that was being offered in Pennsylvania. Thanks to a busy schedule and the start of classes for Tim at TWU/CanIL, my family (Tim and Micaiah) wasn't able to come with me. So I set out by myself. The course was amazing and I learned a ton, but I missed my family. When we were finally reunited two days ago at SeaTac Airport, I couldn't have been happier! Home for me is definitely wherever those two are!

Since arriving back at our house here in Canada (we are fortunate enough to be renting the same house two years in a row!), I also feel more "at home". It is difficult to live in transition all the time, so maybe one aspect of "home" is stability and feeling like it is a place to settle and put down some roots.

The past few days have been a whirlwind for us as a family! I arrived at Seattle on Sunday and we spent the afternoon driving back to Langley and doing some shopping. My family did a good job of eating decent food while I was away, but I could tell Tim was anxious to give back the burden of meal planning and food prep. :) I'm happy to have it back, honestly, and I'm looking forward to trying some of the new recipes I've collected... not to mention the three new cookbooks I will be working through this year! Yay for More With Less, Simply in Season, and Extending the Table!!! I can't WAIT to try all the recipes!!!

In other news, we also officially started our Homeschool Kindergarten year on Monday. We're two days in and loving it! It is going so well, and I think being able to create a "desk space" for Micaiah is helping her get into it as well. She has a calendar and a schedule on the wall by her desk and I made a name sheet for the top of her desk... you know, the kind with your name printed neatly on the lined sheet with decor on the edges?? She lit up when she saw it. She was still very sad that she wouldn't get to ride a bus to school. But even if she went to a school here she wouldn't ride a bus since the elementary school is within walking distance.

Micaiah is getting so big! I know I keep saying this, but it is really hitting me hard. To make things even more real, she lost her very first tooth this afternoon. My how time flies. I remember when she got that tooth (at four months, mind you!) and I couldn't believe how fast my BABY was growing up... so much to be nostalgic about. :)

Anyway, that's about it for now. I have a few more things to blog about in the near future, so hopefully it won't be so long between posts. :)

-JLR

Five People Who Annoy Me on Planes

I just finished seven different flights in about a month. Four of them were around 9 hours in length. With these experiences freshly in mind, I’m honored to present:

Five People Who Annoy Me on Planes

1. The Rush-an. These people will knock over little old ladies to get on/off the plane first.

2. Cologne guy. They need to have a separate section for these people in the back of the plane.

3. B.O. guy. Put on some cologne. Seriously.

4. The Natural Lighter. The whole plane is dark. Except for one window. WHY won’t you use the overhead light to read? Do you not see people trying to sleep?

5. The Cell-Phone Addict. WHAT is so important? Turn off and put away the phone when they ask you to. And quit hiding it under the chair like you’re in 4^th grade. And you are not the exception.

What annoys you about certain people on flights you've been on?

-TR

Quote

Micaiah saw me crying this morning and came over to talk to me.

M: "What's wrong, Mama?"
J: "I'm really missing your daddy right now."
M: "I know, me too. But sometimes you just have to cry it out."

I have an amazing five year old and an amazingly wise God for giving her to me!

-JLR

Prayer Parallel

I had a revelation this morning. This week I have been struggling with being so far away from Tim. We're more than halfway through his trip, but it must be an emotional slump of some sort-- the excitement of him leaving on this great adventure has passed, but the excitement of his impending return has not yet arrived!

As I sat here in tears this morning missing the man who knows me better than anyone else in the world, I was struck with the realization that this parallels (or should parallel!) my relationship with Christ. I can get busy and distracted with various things and go a few days without talking to God, but I start to fall apart if I go too long. I'm not talking about Bible study or praying through a list of prayer requests (though those things are also important), I'm talking about meeting with God in a personal way-- hearing His voice, knowing Him and being known by Him. Tim was able to talk with me for a few minutes this morning on the phone, and just hearing his voice secured me in my relationship with him! I was comforted in an amazing way knowing that he loved me and cared for me and would be praying for me even from so far away. This was a huge encouragement to take all of my emotions to God-- that He cared even more about me and what I was going through than my husband ever could!

Sometimes I feel like God is so far away. But other times I wonder if it's only my perception or the expectations that I put on God to be something He isn't. I am more encouraged now than ever to pray and to spend that personal intimate time with Him. It's like hearing my husband's voice.

-JLR

Goodbye

We said goodbye to Tim today-- he's on his way to Tanzania for almost a month. While he's there he'll be joining a language survey and also doing some research for his MA thesis.

I'm not sure if it's fully sunk in yet that he'll be gone for so long. In our 7.5 years of marriage we've only been apart for a maximum of 5 days at a time. I could probably count those separations of 3-5 days apart on one hand! I'm sure some of you think we're wimps or codependent or something, but our family philosophy has always been to do our work together-- that we're BOTH missionaries working on the same team. And Micaiah, too, for that matter. She's a part of our family and we want her to understand why we do what we do.

Yet, there was no way we could justify the expense of us going with Tim, especially considering we'd just spend most of our time in a guesthouse somewhere in Tanzania. We would be in the way on the survey and only distract him from his research. Still, a part of me was so sad seeing Tim get into the queue at the airport knowing I wouldn't be going with him!

Safari njema, Timo. Tutaonana mwezi ujao, Mungu akipenda!

-JLR
ps... I told Tim he could post on here from Tanzania if he wanted and/or was able... just a heads-up to watch for who is writing each post so you're not confused!

Camping Trip

I've been really bad about posting pictures in the past few months. Here are a few from our camping trip to Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park in SE Missouri. Micaiah was an awesome helper as we set up our tent. We went with my sister/brother-in-law and a bunch of friends, so there were plenty of friends for Micaiah to play with! The park had been flooded a few years ago and just opened up this spring. We could still see where the flash flood had gone through and destroyed so much of the beautiful landscape. If you're not sure what Shut-Ins are, it's basically a part of the river where the water gets trapped. There are lots of huge rocks with water flowing over them and pouring into small waterfalls and pools... it's basically a naturally formed waterpark! On the way home we stopped by Elephant Rocks State Park. It's very close to Johnson's Shut-Ins and is basically the large rocks without water. So much fun to climb and explore! I think this is the famous "fatman's squeeze"... fortunately we all made it though just fine. :)
Thankfully Micaiah has a little superwoman in her blood... she held up these boulders, no problem!

-JLR

House-sitting

We had a great opportunity to house-sit for my sister and brother-in-law while they were out of town for their family vacation. I can't tell you how amazing it is to have breathing room for a few days and be able to cook for the 3 of us! It's hard to live with people constantly no matter how much you love them, so it's definitely not a slam against those who generously offer us their spare rooms or feed us meals. :)

Tim is counting down the days until his trip to Tanzania, so it was a good chance for him to work on his word lists without distractions. We were also able to get a few trip-related errands-- like getting his international driver's license-- done. Only a few more things to check off the list before he leaves in 11 days!

Anyone looking for a house-sitter? :)

-JLR

Patriotism

I went to a very disturbing 4th of July church service this year. There was almost a cult-ish feel for a good portion of the service as we (well, those around us anyway) sang songs that had nothing at all to do with God. In fact until about 3/4 of the way through the service I don't even know that I heard God mentioned specifically. Thankfully the final 1/4 of the service was more God-centered and we (all of us this time) sung songs of thanksgiving to God. Before you start to think I am being unfair or unnecessarily harsh, you should know that my in-laws felt similarly uncomfortable about much of the service, and it's their church.

One of the good things about such a disturbing service is that it has had me searching Scripture, praying and thinking about what true patriotism is. How can I thank God in a way that isn't idol worship or country worship? I spend a good portion of my year(s) outside of US borders, which makes it difficult to hold the same sort of national pride as my friends and family here. But I am thankful for my country. I'm thankful for those who have served and who continue to serve today in all levels of government and military.

Have you thought of these things? How do you maintain a healthy national pride without it crossing the line into unhealthy territory? (and that does NOT only apply to Americans!!!) Tim also found this LINK from Relevant Magazine that is very insightful.

-JLR

ps... I can't wait to see the rest of the World Cup games even though the US is out... go Netherlands!!!

Unpacking my suitcase...

... seems like a waste of time. I mean seriously, we're hardly in any one place for more than a week. The task usually consists of putting my clothes in a drawer only to pack them up a few days later. But there's something about feeling "moved in" that can only happen once your suitcase is unpacked and sitting in the corner. So I'm putting it to my readers... to unpack or not to unpack??

Also, does anyone have any tips on how to keep the toiletries bag functional? Travel-size shampoo bottles aren't really helpful when traveling for more than a couple days, but the full-size ones take up so much room. Plus the rest of the toiletries, the first aid kit, the general meds... it fills up fast.

Too much packing on my mind as we leave for KC tomorrow. :)

-JLR

Immune system

Why do we get sick every time we come back to Missouri? Maybe it's more about being in a new place with germs our immune systems are not used to. I don't know how to handle this. I'm all for the philosophy that uses purell and anti-bacterial sparingly because I think they create supergerms. Plain old soap and water usually seem to do the trick. Micaiah ate a lot of dirt in her first 5 months in Tanzania (not under my supervision!), and we often point to this time as the reason she doesn't often get sick-- her immune system is generally very strong! But at the same time, it doesn't seem to help against bacteria and viruses in the US... why is that?

Have any of you done research on this sort of thing? Is there a way we can guard ourselves against getting sick all the time here without living in a clean-freak bubble? Is it a matter of eating some Missouri dirt, too? Or because of our many travels, are we just doomed to a life of getting sick in every new place until we build up immunity only to start over every time we move?? Ugh.

--JLR

TCK book

We have been looking for this book for a while and recently just added to our Amazon order. It came in the mail this week and I am just kicking myself for not getting it sooner! It is truly an amazing resource for us as we help Micaiah transition between cultures. Having not been MKs or TCKs ourselves, we don't know the issues she's dealing with, so I'm eager to read up on it so I can understand her and the many things to watch out for in the coming years. It also includes the R.A.F.T. model for transitions, so I am enjoying reading more about that.

If you've never heard of the book or the term TCK, you can read more about it and/or order it here.

-JLR

Gullible

Yesterday as we were driving, we saw some amazing trees. They were tall evergreens that had no branches on the bottom 2/3 of the trunk. As I was marveling about these interesting looking trees, Tim said something to the effect of, "oh aren't those cool? They're called Mini-Skirt Evergreens." Really? Typically I'd rush into the other room and google or wikipedia it (are those really verbs now??) before I could be labeled Gullible, but we were stuck in the Interstate in Washington and I had no internet access. I tried to immediately call his bluff-- and I ALMOST had him when I caved. I don't know. He does read a lot of National Geographic...

I was pretty convinced that I was right about the whole Mini-Skirt Evergreen thing being a bluff, but then this evening I checked it on Wikipedia. I hate that I had to check to be sure. While I'm not the most gullible in my family (my little sister takes the cake for that one!), I must admit I have a gullible streak. Shameful. :)

-JLR

Road Trip

Tomorrow morning we begin a road trip from Langley, BC, Canada to Missouri for the summer. We have scheduled several stops along the way and we're looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces along the way, as well! One of the things I'm most looking forward to is seeing our friends in Loveland, Colorado again. While we don't have a lot planned in terms of sight-seeing along the way, I imagine we'll try to make a few short stops along the way. I've also heard that the route we're planning to take is absolutely breath-taking.

Road trips... yeah, I don't think I'm a fan. It's a long time in the car and my neck and back usually start hurting after just a few hours. If it weren't significantly cheaper to drive, I'd definitely be happy to hop on a flight! One of the things I guess I AM looking forward to is to do a lot of old-school road trip games with Micaiah this year. MadLibs... license plate games... I spy... Alphabet/sign games...etc, etc. Tim's working on some good mix CDs, so that could be fun. I guess (like usual) it comes down to deciding to have a good attitude about it all.

Anyone have any good old-school road trip game ideas?? Family favorites?? Let me know and I'll add it to my list!! (I think we'll stop for email at least once along the way, so feel free to send the ideas even after tomorrow!!)

-JLR

North Cascades

In Early May we enjoyed a 3 night getaway to the North Cascades in Northern Washington. The break was exactly what we were hoping for-- just a few days to reconnect with each other after Tim's busy semester and to spend some time exploring God's creation. We may not have the benefit of a stable home and all that provides emotionally, but God HAS given us the gift of travel. It is our prayer that we would never take for granted the fact that we get to see such amazing, diverse parts of His creation!

Here are a few pics of the mountains and our hikes. We took a long walk along the Skagit River, a long drive into Mount Baker/Snoqualmie National forest (with a few stops at overlooks), and a super-long hike up a mountain trail to the start of a beautiful waterfall. We also did a fun nature-trail to learn about some of the trees in this region. The rest of the time we played games in our little cabin and enjoyed cooking/cleaning/reading together as a family!

The River Walk
Mount Baker/Snoqualmie National forest
Waterfall Hike (with amazing views!)

-JLR

Packing

We are packing... again. I wish that I had counted the number of days since being married that Tim and I have spent packing. It has to be an outrageous number! We've lived in 10 different homes (staying in a private or semi-private space for more than 4 weeks) plus countless guesthouses and spare rooms in only 7 1/2 years of marriage. And those homes are in 4 different countries (guesthouses in 5!). Wow.

It's not all bad, though. It is quite freeing to have the opportunity to throw away junk and consolidate our earthly belongings every so often. In fact, we consider it a blessing to have so little in terms of material possessions, and to be reminded that this time on earth is so temporary.

That being said, I would love a 'real' home of my own someday, and I pray that God would meet that heart-desire in some way if that's not possible.

--JLR

Doing the Dance

An amazing friend/mentor gave me a word picture today that has been so impacting that I just can't keep it to myself. We were talking about the challenges of interacting with family and how as Christians we can be godly in our interactions with them. She had been talking with her sister-in-law about how each family has a dance. Keep in mind that this is not a judgment on whether that dance is right or wrong (although we could go there at a later point...), but this is more like comparing swing to the polka to the waltz to break-dancing, etc., etc.

So anyway, one of the reasons so many of us have difficulty understanding our in-laws is that they are doing a different dance than we're used to. For example, my husband understands the dance his family does, whether or not he agrees with it-- and to be honest sometimes it is easier to dance along than to raise a fuss! But if that type of dancing does not come naturally to me, what do I do? Do I become someone I am not and learn to do the dance because it makes them happy? Or do I do my own dance? Or do I respectfully decline not to dance at all, denying both their style of dancing and my own (so I'm not disruptive for their dance)? Or do I pass judgment, complain and make fun of their dance because it is so clearly "wrong"?

Sometimes in my idealistic zeal I get caught up in discussions about what dance is right. Or the MOST right. But the truth is that I need to figure out how to pay respect to my in-laws and appreciate the beauty of their dance. I also need to feel heard and understood about my own dance and I want to be appreciated for who I am and what I can bring to the family. But where is the balance and where does holiness/righteousness fit into it all?

Oh how I love word pictures, and this one is going to stick with me for a long time, I think!

--JLR

Health Insurance

Can I just say that I hate health insurance? I mean, I know it's better to have health insurance than to not, but it sure does seem like a scam. I don't know what the right answers are. I've heard stories of weaknesses in the Canadian system, but to be honest it works well for what we need right now. I hate that we have to again enter into the US system where you have to pay copays in addition to over-inflated premium costs and a substantial deductible... there has to be a better way. I wish I knew what it was and could help implement it, but I'm at a loss.

Back to the stack of medical history forms that are just one small part of our massive short-term international health insurance application...

-JLR

maybe this is my problem...

So in the course of my normal web-browsing this morning, I came across an ad for the new Mayo Clinic Diet book. MayoClinic.com has been my number one resource for researching illnesses and checking symptoms for years now, so I was curious what they'd say are the keys to weight loss and being able to maintain healthy body weight. As I scanned the preview, I noticed the following line as one of the 5 key habits to break:

No TV when eating-- and only as much TV time as exercise time.

Dang. Seriously, if I were able to incorporate that into my life I would not only be in much better shape, but I would probably lose weight to boot! I love my TV time, so a goal like that would really encourage me to get out and move so I could reward myself with TV time! (or actually, the equivalent of TV rerun time on the web, since I can't stand commercials.)

Definitely something to think about...

-JLR

Mixed Feelings

Today I found out that Jennifer Knapp has returned to the music scene. As one of her most faithful supporters in the late 90s and early 2000s, I always dreamed this day would come... but there is a hangup. There always is, isn't there? She has come back to the music scene, but is now a self-proclaimed lesbian. I struggled all afternoon (since reading a few articles online confirming both her return and her sexual status) to figure out how we should respond as Christians. I am a sinner in need of grace and I believe that grace should overflow onto others as well-- and I believe it does. The problem is that in reading Scripture I can't ignore that homosexuality is called sin. I get that we all deal with sin and that none of us is completely free of it this side of heaven. But I want to be free of it. I call it sin and I struggle against it and all that I do not want to do, as Paul wrote. I pray for God's abundant grace to cover it. So the issue is quite clearly that I disagree with Jennifer (and others) about whether or not homosexuality is actually sin. That's the heart of the issue.

So now I have to figure out how to reconcile my respect for Jennifer Knapp as an artist, a musician, and as one who was more than instrumental in my life-- both musically and in faith-- with disagreeing with her over some important parts of Scripture. Anyone have any wisdom to share?

btw, I read this blog post today and felt this guy had such a good perspective and balance between grace and truth. If you haven't been following this story, I'd recommend reading his blog and also checking out the Larry King interview on youtube.

-JLR

M's Bday Cakes #2 and #3

These pictures have been such a long time in coming! I finally downloaded the pics to my computer, so a blog post seemed appropriate. Pics from Micaiah's first cake this year can be found here.

Her second cake was for Micaiah's actual birthday. Tim's parents were visiting at the time and his mom has some dietary restrictions. This cake worked perfectly! The batter was simply 2 boxes cake mix, 2 cans of sprite zero and food coloring. The icing was cool whip (the fat-free, non-dairy kind) plus 2 packages of pudding mix. Super easy! Well, at least until the part where you divide it up and put it all together!

The process...
The birthday girl...

The inside rainbow swirl effect...
And for being a diet cake, it was really quite yummy!

Micaiah's third cake of this birthday season (gah!) was the fanciest. The cakes themselves were simple white and simple chocolate, but the decorating was what made it a beast of a cake. In keeping with the princess party theme, I had great ambitions for a castle cake. It wouldn't have been possible without the Wilton Castle Cake set, which included plastic towers, windows, doors, and directions for how to do this. I was also able to do some ahead of time, which helped a ton. Here's what we ended up with:

Adding the towers I had decorated the night before. (I hadn't thought to get the camera out before this!)
The final product and details...



Micaiah blowing out the candles at her party...
The cake tasted great and was so pretty. The only problem is that I wish I'd have had a way to anchor the turrets better. Throughout the party I kept hearing small crashes only to find that one or more of the turrets had fallen and needed some rigging.

After last year I was excited to 'raise the bar' since I knew I'd have more access to cake decorating resources (pans, consistent electricity, ingredients, etc.). After surviving this year I've made a commitment to 'lower the bar' for next year for my own sanity. :)

-JLR