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