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Thursday, September 24, 2009
Headed to Louisiana and Mississippi
We returned home last Thursday, and we were met by some pretty excited children at the door. Then we only stayed at my parent’s for two nights before heading off again to Brownwood, TX.
We are/were back in Yoakum for a very short time. Doug left town again yesterday to go to Waco and speak to the youth group at the church he grew up in. After he returns Thursday (today) at lunch, we will do a quick turn-around and leave again for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We will be at Barry & Aimee Staples’ house Friday night from 6 to whenever and Saturday morning from 10 to noon if anyone wants to stop by and see us.
Saturday evening, we will leave for the Reservoir in Mississippi. We are looking forward to worshiping at Pinelake on Sunday. There will be a reception for us Monday night from 6-8 at the gym if you are around and can make it. And we will also be at the Wednesday night service at the main campus.
I hope that when we get settled in Virginia, I will be able to be more consistent with writing. But right now we are still busy everyday finalizing so many things before we can go and packing and re-packing for all of our trips. I'm also trying to get an early "Christmas-type" card out before we leave for Virginia, so those people who don't know where we are living or where we are going can get an update and a prayer card.
With a heavy heart, I look forward to seeing everyone in LA and MS, only to say goodbye again for a little bit longer this time. Thank goodness we have email and internet as we go.
Friday, September 11, 2009
First Day of School
Last post today. Sorry for the onslaught, but I have high speed internet for the first time in a month, and I couldn't resist.
A couple of you asked to see pictures of the girls on the first day of school, so here is the token picture with the over-sized backpacks and the unsure grins.
Caleb had no idea he was about to lose his two favorite playmates for 6 weeks.
A couple of you asked to see pictures of the girls on the first day of school, so here is the token picture with the over-sized backpacks and the unsure grins.
Caleb had no idea he was about to lose his two favorite playmates for 6 weeks.
Snakes (but not on a plane)
Karis was climbing a tree in August, and she ran inside breathless to tell me there was a snake in the tree. I said, "Is it green?" We have lots of grass snakes that climb my parents' trees, and I knew I didn't have to be worried if it was green. She said, "No, it's grey with diamonds on its back."
Well...maybe we should get your grandfather.
It was indeed a grey, speckled snake, about a foot long, with small white diamonds on its back, but no rattles. My dad caught it, checked for fangs, which were non-existent, and then after all the kids touched it (mine and Kelly's kids), my dad let it go down by the creek.
In about five minutes, Jonathan (Kelly's oldest) yelled, "SNAKE."
Everyone ran outside again, but everyone lost sight of it. My dad saw movement, stepped on it, saw that it was an 18-inch coral snake, and then cut it's head off. Even though I had already told my children the rhyme, it was a good reminder that "Red and Yella kill a fella."
Everyone got to examine its head to verify that there were no real fangs. It was then that I learned that their mouths aren't big enough to bite more than your toe. Then the kids took turns touching and handling the body of the snake. My mom said something curious to my dad, "Keith, don't they usually travel in pairs?"
"What?"
My dad said that since 1987 when he saw the first coral, he has only seen a total of 6 coral snakes in the yard. That's enough for me!! Of course, that is not counting the rattlesnakes and copperheads we've seen. Yikes! Dad mowed the grass later that day.
Well, it would be great if the story ended there, but it doesn't.
My kids and I went back to Katy to finish up our move, and my dad caught another snake on the carport. The cats had cornered it. My dad thinks it was an indigo snake. He took it to the creek so that it could continue to hunt rats or mice. It was FOUR feet long.
The story is still not over.
We moved from Katy to Yoakum , and our first Thursday there, our neighbor who came to pick up mom for Bible study, walked up and saw that the cats had cornered another coral snake under the 4-wheeler. My dad, in the middle of brushing his teeth, was ordered by my mom to come in a hurry! My wonderful dad swept it out, stepped on it, and cut off its head.
It was Karis, this time, who wanted her picture with it.
Maybe God is taking extra measures to make sure we are ready for Africa...
Well...maybe we should get your grandfather.
It was indeed a grey, speckled snake, about a foot long, with small white diamonds on its back, but no rattles. My dad caught it, checked for fangs, which were non-existent, and then after all the kids touched it (mine and Kelly's kids), my dad let it go down by the creek.
In about five minutes, Jonathan (Kelly's oldest) yelled, "SNAKE."
Everyone ran outside again, but everyone lost sight of it. My dad saw movement, stepped on it, saw that it was an 18-inch coral snake, and then cut it's head off. Even though I had already told my children the rhyme, it was a good reminder that "Red and Yella kill a fella."
Everyone got to examine its head to verify that there were no real fangs. It was then that I learned that their mouths aren't big enough to bite more than your toe. Then the kids took turns touching and handling the body of the snake. My mom said something curious to my dad, "Keith, don't they usually travel in pairs?"
"What?"
My dad said that since 1987 when he saw the first coral, he has only seen a total of 6 coral snakes in the yard. That's enough for me!! Of course, that is not counting the rattlesnakes and copperheads we've seen. Yikes! Dad mowed the grass later that day.
Well, it would be great if the story ended there, but it doesn't.
My kids and I went back to Katy to finish up our move, and my dad caught another snake on the carport. The cats had cornered it. My dad thinks it was an indigo snake. He took it to the creek so that it could continue to hunt rats or mice. It was FOUR feet long.
The story is still not over.
We moved from Katy to Yoakum , and our first Thursday there, our neighbor who came to pick up mom for Bible study, walked up and saw that the cats had cornered another coral snake under the 4-wheeler. My dad, in the middle of brushing his teeth, was ordered by my mom to come in a hurry! My wonderful dad swept it out, stepped on it, and cut off its head.
It was Karis, this time, who wanted her picture with it.
Maybe God is taking extra measures to make sure we are ready for Africa...
Kylie is 7!! (On August 21st)
Kylie had a fever on her birthday, and she hadn't been feeling well for days, so we didn't do a whole lot. We let her chose where we ate for lunch (Double Dave's), and we gave here a journal to record her journey to Africa and a bulletin board that she asked for. She wants to be able to hang pictures of her friends and familiar places in her room in Africa, so now we are trying to get some pictures together for her.
Listening to Kylie's singing card...
Why is it that the packing peanuts are always a more popular hit than the actual gift?
Pictures as promised
I'm just going to upload a few, but you'll get the idea.
This is the compost toilet with everything pulled up so you can see the bucket sitting in a Rubbermaid tub (in case of accidental leaks). The sawdust container is on the right with a mug for each-"time" use.
This is what it looks like when the seat is down. Pretty normal, right?
This is the compost pile outside. The one on the left is "cooking," and the one on the right has just been added to. After he dumped his bucket, he added cow manure and then some coals from his wood stove. It's all about mixing the nitrogens, hydrogens, and carbons.
This is the compost toilet with everything pulled up so you can see the bucket sitting in a Rubbermaid tub (in case of accidental leaks). The sawdust container is on the right with a mug for each-"time" use.
This is what it looks like when the seat is down. Pretty normal, right?
This is the compost pile outside. The one on the left is "cooking," and the one on the right has just been added to. After he dumped his bucket, he added cow manure and then some coals from his wood stove. It's all about mixing the nitrogens, hydrogens, and carbons.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Noah Project, Part 2
Well, our training went a lot quicker than normal because...we don't know a lot. Basically, it came down to us learning everything and finding out how to set up our solar system and finding out what we needed to buy, but since we are not very "electrical" savvy, our teacher said, "You're going to need to get an electrician for your needs."
We aren't really THAT dumb, but the problem is that we will not be building a solar system from scratch. We will have to tie in a solar system to an existing grid. He kindly told us that it's really easy to blow yourself up doing stuff like that.
BIG NEWS! I used the compost toilet. I held it all the first day, but I decided I should really give #1 a try, so on day 2 (yesterday), I geared up, and gave it a try. Not bad. A little different. A little more odor than usual (although Doug told me I was smelling the sawdust). But all in all, not bad. Of course, I'm not picking up the 5 gallon bucket to haul it out to the compost pile and then cleaning out the bucket.
I also forgot to mention that Jack really loves to teach people unique ways to insulate their houses. He trains missionaries for a living, and his job is to help them do projects with what is available in their country. The walls in his house are FIVE feet thick. His kitchen window has a window over the sink and then a 5 foot shelf before the other, outer window. Guess what is in betweeen the walls? Hay bales. Yep!
He trains people to do insulation with polyestor, tires, Wal-mart bags, and SO much more. Doug and I learned LOTS of stuff we will never use, but Jack is training us to train others. What better way to get the attention of a Ugandan woman to listen to the Gospel than telling her how she can make her house cooler at night? Or how she can use a solar cooker to cook her food all day in the sun while she is out working? Or how she can have a more productive garden that will provide food for her family?
LOTS of information! Today was our last day and we learned about gray water (dirty water like washing machine water and bath water) and black water (toilet water and water with chemical cleaners in it) usage. We learned how to catch rain water and how to make tanks to drain off gray and black water.
One example: We need to wash our cleaner clothes first and then re-use that dirty soap water for the second wash. Also, after I rinse my clothes, I need to save that water for the second wash. Basically, washing is a big deal, but it's also a big water user, so we have to be careful.
Enough of that, I know you aren't all into this.
We are leaving tomorrow. I think we are going to get to see the Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in the morning and then get the opportunity to visit with friends there we haven't seen in five years. We have a late flight out of Denver tomorrow night, and then we get to see our kids. YEAH!!
We aren't really THAT dumb, but the problem is that we will not be building a solar system from scratch. We will have to tie in a solar system to an existing grid. He kindly told us that it's really easy to blow yourself up doing stuff like that.
BIG NEWS! I used the compost toilet. I held it all the first day, but I decided I should really give #1 a try, so on day 2 (yesterday), I geared up, and gave it a try. Not bad. A little different. A little more odor than usual (although Doug told me I was smelling the sawdust). But all in all, not bad. Of course, I'm not picking up the 5 gallon bucket to haul it out to the compost pile and then cleaning out the bucket.
I also forgot to mention that Jack really loves to teach people unique ways to insulate their houses. He trains missionaries for a living, and his job is to help them do projects with what is available in their country. The walls in his house are FIVE feet thick. His kitchen window has a window over the sink and then a 5 foot shelf before the other, outer window. Guess what is in betweeen the walls? Hay bales. Yep!
He trains people to do insulation with polyestor, tires, Wal-mart bags, and SO much more. Doug and I learned LOTS of stuff we will never use, but Jack is training us to train others. What better way to get the attention of a Ugandan woman to listen to the Gospel than telling her how she can make her house cooler at night? Or how she can use a solar cooker to cook her food all day in the sun while she is out working? Or how she can have a more productive garden that will provide food for her family?
LOTS of information! Today was our last day and we learned about gray water (dirty water like washing machine water and bath water) and black water (toilet water and water with chemical cleaners in it) usage. We learned how to catch rain water and how to make tanks to drain off gray and black water.
One example: We need to wash our cleaner clothes first and then re-use that dirty soap water for the second wash. Also, after I rinse my clothes, I need to save that water for the second wash. Basically, washing is a big deal, but it's also a big water user, so we have to be careful.
Enough of that, I know you aren't all into this.
We are leaving tomorrow. I think we are going to get to see the Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in the morning and then get the opportunity to visit with friends there we haven't seen in five years. We have a late flight out of Denver tomorrow night, and then we get to see our kids. YEAH!!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Noah Project
We arrived in Denver yesterday and drove three hours to Rush, only getting lost a couple of times. We were taken immediately to the home of Don and Nancy who are providing us great food and a comfortable place to sleep.
Today, we met with Jack Dody for about 7 hours of training. We are going through a textbook he wrote called The Noah Project, which you can download at www.christianhomesteaders.org. We took a tour of his home and property, took a tour of another house he is building down the road, and we spent the majority of time learning how to "hook up" a solar system. We climbed on his roof and checked out his system, and then moved inside to see how it all fit together.
My brain is swirling with words like amps, watts, inverters, chargers, volts, and batteries. I'm pretty sure I didn't understand most of what I heard today, but repetition is helping. Doug and I also got to practice soldering with a hand held unit and also a blow torch (yes, even me).
Jack and his wife, Marilou, are not hooked up to electricity or a water system. The Sun produces energy for them, and they catch rainwater on their roof for all their water needs. The rain gathers and flows to a 4000-gallon tank that sits under their bedroom floor. They filter their drinking water and all water from sinks and shower flow to an indoor flower bed. After it is used there, it is pumped out to water the garden and trees thay have planted. Nothing is wasted.
We also saw his "sawdust toilet" and all the steps their waste takes after it leaves the house. After you go to the bathroom (while sitting on a toilet seat placed over a 5-gallon bucket), you cover your waste with a couple of cups of sawdust.
When the bucket is full, you dump it in a compost pile outside, which is mixed with other waste food from inside and different things from outside (like leaves, charcoal, and animal manure). When the pile gets full enough, Jack will cover it and let God "cook" it for a year while he starts another pile. After a year, it is perfect for gardening and other uses. It's really made a difference for Jack out here on the high plains of Colorado. The ground here is a fine sand. How fortunate my mom is in Texas to have good soil and not have to go through this process to grow her garden!
Nevertheless, it was good to see nothing going to waste (no pun intended). This process would be very helpful for the sanitation problems in some countries. How blessed we are! I won't take flushing a toilet for granted again. I can't wait until I have my pictures to show you! I'm sure you can't wait to see them either!
I'm told the reason I'm tired at 6:45pm is because of the altitude. I don't know if that is the reason, but I'm going to take advantage of not having kids to put to bed and put myself to bed.
Today, we met with Jack Dody for about 7 hours of training. We are going through a textbook he wrote called The Noah Project, which you can download at www.christianhomesteaders.org. We took a tour of his home and property, took a tour of another house he is building down the road, and we spent the majority of time learning how to "hook up" a solar system. We climbed on his roof and checked out his system, and then moved inside to see how it all fit together.
My brain is swirling with words like amps, watts, inverters, chargers, volts, and batteries. I'm pretty sure I didn't understand most of what I heard today, but repetition is helping. Doug and I also got to practice soldering with a hand held unit and also a blow torch (yes, even me).
Jack and his wife, Marilou, are not hooked up to electricity or a water system. The Sun produces energy for them, and they catch rainwater on their roof for all their water needs. The rain gathers and flows to a 4000-gallon tank that sits under their bedroom floor. They filter their drinking water and all water from sinks and shower flow to an indoor flower bed. After it is used there, it is pumped out to water the garden and trees thay have planted. Nothing is wasted.
We also saw his "sawdust toilet" and all the steps their waste takes after it leaves the house. After you go to the bathroom (while sitting on a toilet seat placed over a 5-gallon bucket), you cover your waste with a couple of cups of sawdust.
When the bucket is full, you dump it in a compost pile outside, which is mixed with other waste food from inside and different things from outside (like leaves, charcoal, and animal manure). When the pile gets full enough, Jack will cover it and let God "cook" it for a year while he starts another pile. After a year, it is perfect for gardening and other uses. It's really made a difference for Jack out here on the high plains of Colorado. The ground here is a fine sand. How fortunate my mom is in Texas to have good soil and not have to go through this process to grow her garden!
Nevertheless, it was good to see nothing going to waste (no pun intended). This process would be very helpful for the sanitation problems in some countries. How blessed we are! I won't take flushing a toilet for granted again. I can't wait until I have my pictures to show you! I'm sure you can't wait to see them either!
I'm told the reason I'm tired at 6:45pm is because of the altitude. I don't know if that is the reason, but I'm going to take advantage of not having kids to put to bed and put myself to bed.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
A Quick Weekend and We're Off...
This weekend we drove to Waco Friday night for Doug's 20th high school reunion. We could only make the football game festivities because we had to leave for McKinney (north of Dallas) on Saturday morning.
In McKinney, we stayed with Doug's brother, Doak, his wife, Pam, and their 5 children. We had a great visit and it was very relaxing. Doak is the pastor of Lifepoint Fellowship Church in McKinney, and this morning, Doug had the opportunity to share a little about our journey in missions. Doak also delivered a word from God this morning reminding us how we are to embrace the sovereign plan of God. Taken out of II Samuel 10:12, the author says, "Let the Lord do what pleases Him (or what is good in His sight)."
I may make this journey to Africa sound semi-easy on my blog, but it has really been a process, and I still struggle some days with all the changes going on. I'm not NOT wanting challenges; I'm just taking each one as it comes and praying through it. It's definitely growing me, but it's good to hear that by embracing God's sovereign plan, it makes it that much easier. And who wouldn't want to not only embrace His plan but live in His embrace as He takes me through it?
Doug and I are headed to Rush, Colorado, tomorrow for 5 days to learn how to "live off the land." I don't know what all that means, but I'll let you know when we return. We were told to bring gloves and work clothes. A man who lives there is going to show us the "ins and outs" of solar power and I'm guessing, a whole lot more.
If you happen to look up Rush, Colorado, on a map, you will see that it may not be possible for me to use my computer all week, so I will post again when I can.
Thanks again for the prayers you are already offering up. They rise like sweet-smelling incense to the Lord, and He hears every one!
In McKinney, we stayed with Doug's brother, Doak, his wife, Pam, and their 5 children. We had a great visit and it was very relaxing. Doak is the pastor of Lifepoint Fellowship Church in McKinney, and this morning, Doug had the opportunity to share a little about our journey in missions. Doak also delivered a word from God this morning reminding us how we are to embrace the sovereign plan of God. Taken out of II Samuel 10:12, the author says, "Let the Lord do what pleases Him (or what is good in His sight)."
I may make this journey to Africa sound semi-easy on my blog, but it has really been a process, and I still struggle some days with all the changes going on. I'm not NOT wanting challenges; I'm just taking each one as it comes and praying through it. It's definitely growing me, but it's good to hear that by embracing God's sovereign plan, it makes it that much easier. And who wouldn't want to not only embrace His plan but live in His embrace as He takes me through it?
Doug and I are headed to Rush, Colorado, tomorrow for 5 days to learn how to "live off the land." I don't know what all that means, but I'll let you know when we return. We were told to bring gloves and work clothes. A man who lives there is going to show us the "ins and outs" of solar power and I'm guessing, a whole lot more.
If you happen to look up Rush, Colorado, on a map, you will see that it may not be possible for me to use my computer all week, so I will post again when I can.
Thanks again for the prayers you are already offering up. They rise like sweet-smelling incense to the Lord, and He hears every one!
Monday, August 10, 2009
One down, everyone else to go
Well, I had my first official "Goodbye" yesterday. My sister and her three boys have been visiting here from Costa Rica for a couple of months, and we have been spending a lot of time in Yoakum together so the cousins could play together and the sisters could visit.
It was a lot of fun.
We went to NASA.
We did the splash pad "thing."
We even did the grandchildren picture for my parents. It was sad for my mom and for me that this is the last picture with all nine grandchildren for three more years.
Of course, they don't always go as planned.
Besides the fact that God blessed us tremendously at the garage sale, the only other thing I'm thankful for was that it made me so tired and ready to be home, that I didn't cry when leaving my sister...until I was 7 miles away. Kylie didn't see me tear up, but she started crying a few miles later over her cousins. This is hard. I'm not going to pretend it's not, but I feel confident knowing we are right where we are supposed to be with the Lord.
Even though I am in God's fold of sheep, there are yet others out in the pasture still in danger of being attacked by wolves or getting tangled in thorns and vines. I'm thankful that followers of Jesus get to be a part of gathering the lost sheep into His fold, where they can find love, security, and hope.
Both sets of sheep endure the elements and harsh conditions, but only one group can call on the Shepherd and know He is right beside them. Believe me. I'm calling on Him daily! We've got a few sheep of our own to shepherd.
It was a lot of fun.
We went to NASA.
We did the splash pad "thing."
We even did the grandchildren picture for my parents. It was sad for my mom and for me that this is the last picture with all nine grandchildren for three more years.
Of course, they don't always go as planned.
Besides the fact that God blessed us tremendously at the garage sale, the only other thing I'm thankful for was that it made me so tired and ready to be home, that I didn't cry when leaving my sister...until I was 7 miles away. Kylie didn't see me tear up, but she started crying a few miles later over her cousins. This is hard. I'm not going to pretend it's not, but I feel confident knowing we are right where we are supposed to be with the Lord.
Even though I am in God's fold of sheep, there are yet others out in the pasture still in danger of being attacked by wolves or getting tangled in thorns and vines. I'm thankful that followers of Jesus get to be a part of gathering the lost sheep into His fold, where they can find love, security, and hope.
Both sets of sheep endure the elements and harsh conditions, but only one group can call on the Shepherd and know He is right beside them. Believe me. I'm calling on Him daily! We've got a few sheep of our own to shepherd.
Our junk on display
Well, I followed Doug back from Yoakum with some more of our stuff. I'm amazed at how closely this photo resembles the stock photo from my last post.
We had a late start and ended up working in our friend's garage until 1:30 in the morning (pretty normal for crazy people who embark on such adventures).
Our friends Cole and Erin(who hosted our African dinner) offered to let us use their garage because there is better traffic in their neighborhood and half of my garage is filled with empty boxes that have to be filled in the next couple of weeks to head back to Yoakum.
At 5am, our sweet, sacrificing friends, went to put out signs, while we pulled everything out of the garage and made sense of the madness we had created the night before. Erin made coffee and had purchased cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and various snacks for the day. I LOVE friendship! Friendship in Christ is even twice as nice!
God blessed our sale, and we only had one small truckload to bring home. I guess I should have done like our other missionary friends and had a multiple-day sale, but I'm not sure my body could have handled it. At the end of the day, I wanted to scream, "Back your truck up and take it all, please."
Even from the beginning, I knew I wasn't the person to be pricing all our stuff, because I would just give it away. I'm the person who never takes a receipt even when I donate to Goodwill. I just don't care. I want it GONE. "5 cents? Sure. No problem. That's probably a good price for my golf clubs." "25 cents? That ought to be fine. James Avery is really good stuff."
We were left with a twin mattress, box springs, and my golf clubs that I might can sell on craigslist. One of my friends says she wants our shelves. My brother wants the office chair. I'm hoping a church library would love a generous contribution of Doug's ministry books, and maybe my hometown library would like some more VHS tapes for their "checkout" section. The rest of the kids' toys and lagniappe can just go to Goodwill. THEN, I can check "Sell Stuff" officially off our list.
We had a late start and ended up working in our friend's garage until 1:30 in the morning (pretty normal for crazy people who embark on such adventures).
Our friends Cole and Erin(who hosted our African dinner) offered to let us use their garage because there is better traffic in their neighborhood and half of my garage is filled with empty boxes that have to be filled in the next couple of weeks to head back to Yoakum.
At 5am, our sweet, sacrificing friends, went to put out signs, while we pulled everything out of the garage and made sense of the madness we had created the night before. Erin made coffee and had purchased cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and various snacks for the day. I LOVE friendship! Friendship in Christ is even twice as nice!
God blessed our sale, and we only had one small truckload to bring home. I guess I should have done like our other missionary friends and had a multiple-day sale, but I'm not sure my body could have handled it. At the end of the day, I wanted to scream, "Back your truck up and take it all, please."
Even from the beginning, I knew I wasn't the person to be pricing all our stuff, because I would just give it away. I'm the person who never takes a receipt even when I donate to Goodwill. I just don't care. I want it GONE. "5 cents? Sure. No problem. That's probably a good price for my golf clubs." "25 cents? That ought to be fine. James Avery is really good stuff."
We were left with a twin mattress, box springs, and my golf clubs that I might can sell on craigslist. One of my friends says she wants our shelves. My brother wants the office chair. I'm hoping a church library would love a generous contribution of Doug's ministry books, and maybe my hometown library would like some more VHS tapes for their "checkout" section. The rest of the kids' toys and lagniappe can just go to Goodwill. THEN, I can check "Sell Stuff" officially off our list.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Purge and Simplify
Purge and simplify.
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
Not for someone like me.
I'm a collector. A sentimental collector. I keep it all.
I might need it someday. I might want to look at it someday. Someday...
Some of you are crawling in your skin right now. I am jealous of people like you, because your house is always neat, tidy, and simple. I always want to move in when I see a house like that. Oh well.
I got a new perspective on my "stuff" this weekend. Doug and I went through our storage shed where the half of our stuff we are not living with resides. We worked a total of 9 hours in some rather hot weather, and managed to throw away a lot and pull out to semi-decent stuff to sell.
This purging is one of the steps in the process of going overseas that I've been looking forward to...sort of.
I've been reading through Isaiah, and I'm astounded how much God repeats himself over and over in different ways to say, "You shall have no other gods before me." It took a lot of repetition to get the attention of the Israelites, and I'm not sure they ever understood.
God is adamant about it! Many of us, including myself, have heard about not worshiping idols ever since we learned about the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. I should know this stuff. But in all reality, I hardly ever live it. Israel never "got it." Will I?
In my mind, I think, "I've never bowed down to a little statue or prayed to a bobble head about my problems."
But, if I love ANYTHING more than God, then it's an idol for me. Yikes!
Isaiah was talking about my storage shed...
I'm holding tight to "stuff" that cannot satisfy any need I have.
I threw away my eighth grade basketball shoes. They still fit me, but really...what do I need those Nikes for? It sounds silly doesn't it? Keep laughing. Enjoy yourself. But it was hard for me.
I threw away most of my teaching materials. Worksheets, tests, binders full of work that represent hours of hard work. I only kept one subject that I know I will need help on when I teach my own children.
I threw away Bible study lessons I have taught and notes from conferences I have attended in the past 17 years since I became a Christian. Still hard for me.
I threw away clothes that no one but me would want, but that I loved at one time.
We got rid of decorations, picture frames, knick knacks, doo dads, Christmas decorations, cookbooks, books, TVs, rocking chair, shelves, etc, and it felt pretty good.
What I realized I'm not ready to let go of (and I won't ever be), not because they are idols, but because they are irreplaceable, are letters from family members and loved ones and photographs.
I've only tackled half the battle because I'm living with the other half of my junk back in Katy.
To Africa, we are taking bunk beds (no mattresses), dishes, cooking supplies, clothes, books, and three and a half years supply of some day-to-day things like vitamins, bug spray, and sun screen, but all in all, I've got some more purging to do.
In August, we will be having a garage sale, but I think my mom will have to keep the kids that weekend, because, you see, I have to purge their stuff, too...
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
Not for someone like me.
I'm a collector. A sentimental collector. I keep it all.
I might need it someday. I might want to look at it someday. Someday...
Some of you are crawling in your skin right now. I am jealous of people like you, because your house is always neat, tidy, and simple. I always want to move in when I see a house like that. Oh well.
I got a new perspective on my "stuff" this weekend. Doug and I went through our storage shed where the half of our stuff we are not living with resides. We worked a total of 9 hours in some rather hot weather, and managed to throw away a lot and pull out to semi-decent stuff to sell.
This purging is one of the steps in the process of going overseas that I've been looking forward to...sort of.
I've been reading through Isaiah, and I'm astounded how much God repeats himself over and over in different ways to say, "You shall have no other gods before me." It took a lot of repetition to get the attention of the Israelites, and I'm not sure they ever understood.
God is adamant about it! Many of us, including myself, have heard about not worshiping idols ever since we learned about the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. I should know this stuff. But in all reality, I hardly ever live it. Israel never "got it." Will I?
In my mind, I think, "I've never bowed down to a little statue or prayed to a bobble head about my problems."
But, if I love ANYTHING more than God, then it's an idol for me. Yikes!
Isaiah was talking about my storage shed...
I'm holding tight to "stuff" that cannot satisfy any need I have.
I threw away my eighth grade basketball shoes. They still fit me, but really...what do I need those Nikes for? It sounds silly doesn't it? Keep laughing. Enjoy yourself. But it was hard for me.
I threw away most of my teaching materials. Worksheets, tests, binders full of work that represent hours of hard work. I only kept one subject that I know I will need help on when I teach my own children.
I threw away Bible study lessons I have taught and notes from conferences I have attended in the past 17 years since I became a Christian. Still hard for me.
I threw away clothes that no one but me would want, but that I loved at one time.
We got rid of decorations, picture frames, knick knacks, doo dads, Christmas decorations, cookbooks, books, TVs, rocking chair, shelves, etc, and it felt pretty good.
What I realized I'm not ready to let go of (and I won't ever be), not because they are idols, but because they are irreplaceable, are letters from family members and loved ones and photographs.
I've only tackled half the battle because I'm living with the other half of my junk back in Katy.
To Africa, we are taking bunk beds (no mattresses), dishes, cooking supplies, clothes, books, and three and a half years supply of some day-to-day things like vitamins, bug spray, and sun screen, but all in all, I've got some more purging to do.
In August, we will be having a garage sale, but I think my mom will have to keep the kids that weekend, because, you see, I have to purge their stuff, too...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
An Amazing Goodbye
Well, I guess it wasn't really, "Goodbye," but more like, "See ya later."
Our awesome friends in Katy, Cole and Erin Wilkins, honored our family with a dinner to tell us how much they loved us and would miss us. It was quite an affair, and I felt very honored.
When we walked up to the door, there was a sign saying, "Welcome Taylor Family to your African Dinner." Tears started welling. My heart is not quite ready for all the "goodbyes" that are to come. Thankfully, Doug read the sign to the non-readers. I needed to catch my breath.
We walked in to a beautiful table setting with pictures of Uganda posted on the walls and on the credenza.
At each place setting, there was a printed menu listing the evening's fare and which country it originated from.
We could have stopped at the African Peanut Soup and had it for appetizer, main dish, and dessert. It was incredible! (I was so excited when she later offered us leftovers to take home).
Next, came the main course, Boerewors Treat, which is one of Cole and Erin's favorite dishes. As a side note, Boerewors Treat is the only dish they had had before. The rest were discoveries off the internet. She even printed out all the recipes for me. I will add them to my collection. I'm going through my hand-made cookbook slowly, taking only the recipes that I know I can find the ingredients to in Africa (no Cream of Mushroom Soup, I'm sure). I'm guessing I can find Erin's recipe ingredients over there, but I'm still not sure about the availability of cottage cheese...
On to dessert. These people know how to serve a meal. There were TWO desserts on the menu!
Thankfully, we got to take some fried bananas home, too. Doug pan-fried them and blackened them the next day, and it was joy all over again!
The Wilkins' have such great toys for kids at their house (albeit, my children were fascinated with Douggie's toys - the dog's - not my husband's), that Doug and I were able to sit and enjoy good conversation while drinking refreshing Blueberry Tea. Here's proof.
But it's also proof that one of my children was playing with the camera.
Thank you Erin and Cole for all your hard work and planning, but most of all, for honoring us in such a sweet, unique way.
Our awesome friends in Katy, Cole and Erin Wilkins, honored our family with a dinner to tell us how much they loved us and would miss us. It was quite an affair, and I felt very honored.
When we walked up to the door, there was a sign saying, "Welcome Taylor Family to your African Dinner." Tears started welling. My heart is not quite ready for all the "goodbyes" that are to come. Thankfully, Doug read the sign to the non-readers. I needed to catch my breath.
We walked in to a beautiful table setting with pictures of Uganda posted on the walls and on the credenza.
At each place setting, there was a printed menu listing the evening's fare and which country it originated from.
We could have stopped at the African Peanut Soup and had it for appetizer, main dish, and dessert. It was incredible! (I was so excited when she later offered us leftovers to take home).
Next, came the main course, Boerewors Treat, which is one of Cole and Erin's favorite dishes. As a side note, Boerewors Treat is the only dish they had had before. The rest were discoveries off the internet. She even printed out all the recipes for me. I will add them to my collection. I'm going through my hand-made cookbook slowly, taking only the recipes that I know I can find the ingredients to in Africa (no Cream of Mushroom Soup, I'm sure). I'm guessing I can find Erin's recipe ingredients over there, but I'm still not sure about the availability of cottage cheese...
On to dessert. These people know how to serve a meal. There were TWO desserts on the menu!
Thankfully, we got to take some fried bananas home, too. Doug pan-fried them and blackened them the next day, and it was joy all over again!
The Wilkins' have such great toys for kids at their house (albeit, my children were fascinated with Douggie's toys - the dog's - not my husband's), that Doug and I were able to sit and enjoy good conversation while drinking refreshing Blueberry Tea. Here's proof.
But it's also proof that one of my children was playing with the camera.
Thank you Erin and Cole for all your hard work and planning, but most of all, for honoring us in such a sweet, unique way.
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