Wedding Weekend

Now that it’s Wednesday, I’m finally getting around to posting this picture. Sigh …

Despite the drive (it’s going to be a very long time before I agree to go on another road trip, especially with a baby in the backseat), we had a wonderful time at Ken and Courtney’s wedding in Virginia. It was great to be there to commemorate the occasion – and also to see so many old friends!

Congrats to the happy couple!

Now I know why ...

Now I know why a Hoosier’s best friend is weather.com. In California, all you have to do is glance out the window and you know approximately how cold it is by the clouds and the color of the sky. If it's raining, it's cold, for instance.

In Indiana, these rules do not apply.

Today I looked out the window and it “looked cold” to me. But, when I went outside it was warm. How is one supposed to know how to dress unless they’re either willing to risk it or go to weather.com?

Oh, and get this, the other day we looked out the kitchen window and it was sunny. Then, we looked out a window on the other side of the house and it was pouring rain. It was raining on one side of the house and sunny on the other. I’ve never seen such a thing in all my life.

Craziness.

What Was Right for Her

One woman’s story on becoming a single mom. I thought this was interesting, especially after reading the comments. Several of them indicated that this woman “did what was exactly right for her.” This is telling of our modern culture and how truth is not deemed absolute but relative. Each person must find their own truth.

Little Tunes

Meredith has learned to sing the first part of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (the “Row, Row, Row” part) and she sings it constantly. It’s become quite the entertainment around the house. We start singing it and then she’ll start singing it. Or, out of the blue, she’ll start singing it and, when we join-in, she’ll break into smiles. Last night Kevin played it on the piano, and she started singing it. Then he played the Alphabet Song and she started singing that. Only, the letters don’t sound exactly right.

When your child enters the world, you wonder what she’ll be like and what she’ll love. It’s been fun to watch Meredith express herself musically and be interested in songs and the piano.
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Meredith has also recently learned that all of the dolls, teddy bears and human beings around the house have eyes. She seems amazed with this fact. She'll randomly say "eye" and point to a doll's eye. Or, she'll randomly say "eye," reach for you, and nearly gouge your eye out.

Impressions

Since moving here to Indianapolis, Kevin and I have been attending a church plant on the west side. Two things we’ve really appreciated are the love of the congregation and the humility of the pastor.

Thursday night the pastor came over to talk with Kevin’s parents about how things are going and ask about their thoughts on his last series of sermons. (We haven’t been here long enough to really discuss the past series of sermons with him.)

I’ve never heard of a pastor specifically seeking out his congregation’s opinions of his sermons. Yes, many pastors regularly visit their congregation as a part of keeping the flock accountable. But, in my observation, rarely do pastors open themselves up to this type of critique.

In scripture, the Bereans were commended for searching scriptures to see if what the preacher said was true (Acts 17:11) – and all Christians should do that to make sure they are not being led astray by false doctrine. But, how rare is it for a pastor to specifically ask about your thoughts on his sermons?

I can imagine that, as a pastor, when you prepare your sermons, you feel strongly that you are speaking God’s word as He is leading you. You fear God – and not man – so, therefore, it doesn’t really matter what men think of your sermons. I can also imagine that many pastors don’t want to expose themselves and be vulnerable to criticism from laypeople. They probably get it often enough without openly seeking it out!

Anyway, I sat in on part of the visit and was really impressed with the humility and sincerity displayed by our pastor. I was impressed by the open dialogue and his willingness to engage in ideas and be teachable – even though he’s the teacher.

Confessions of a Coerced Early Bird

I was up later than usual last night. Did I want to get up at 5:42 this morning? No. But, a little girl whose name starts with an “M” decided that was a very good time to start her day.

I’ve discovered that I really can’t think very coherently after about 8 o’clock at night. (Whether or not I can think coherently at any other given time is also debatable.)

Last night I had a conversation with someone about euthanasia, in the context of Million Dollar Baby. There were some things that I couldn’t articulate last night – but I happened to have some spare time to mull them over again at 5:42 this morning.

What happened in Million Dollar Baby, no matter how sorry people felt for Maggie or how much they could rationalize the actions of Frankie, is murder. (There was an active participation in death as opposed to a mere refusal of treatment.)

It should also be noted that people who experience a sudden disability often go through a prolonged period of depression.

According to the National Council on Disability:

“When a person is not born with a disability, the onset of a substantially impairing condition and the awareness of one's new physical or mental limitations usually come as a blow to a person's self-image and psychological balance. Disabilities that are the result of violence, accident, or illness usually are accompanied by additional emotional repercussions. The inception of disabilities is often associated with a period of hospitalization or other intense medical intervention that adds additional disorientation. Pain and medication may take an additional toll on emotional equilibrium. Family members and friends may be devastated by what has happened and find it hard to relate to the individual in ways they normally did in the past. Neither the individual with the new disability nor friends and family members may have any idea how people adapt to such a condition, any concept of rehabilitation possibilities, nor a clue that many people are living fulfilling and joyful lives with the same or even more severe conditions. To a person newly confronted with the realization that he or she has a disability, it may appear that the ‘whole world has been turned upside down.’ Strong feelings of fear, helplessness, anger, sadness, shame, and confusion are common.

“It is typical, therefore, for people who have recently been confronted with a disability to experience a period of disorientation and depression. … Most people with disabilities gradually come to accept and live constructively with their disabilities.”

On a policy level, I don’t think it’s ever appropriate for society to permit people to kill other people. Depressed people need help – not friends and doctors who will kill them when they are experiencing an emotional low.

On a personal level, I would hope that, should someone I know and love become disabled, they would allow me (and others in their life) to show them how much I love them and how valuable I think their life is, despite the disability. I would hope that person in my life would, over time, find reasons to live and learn to adapt and love life again despite the hardships.

God has numbered our days. He is in control of all things. He gives grace to endure all things. He is the one who gives life and takes it.

Burger Queen

Little Birdwatcher

Meredith has a new passion since arriving in Indiana. She is now an avid birdwatcher. Grandma has some birdseed and a birdbath outside the kitchen window and Meredith squeals, and furiously kicks her arms and legs, every time she spots a bird fluttering across the deck to eat or bathe.

And, I must admit, I’ve enjoyed a little bird watching myself. I’m amazed at all the different kinds of birds that fly through the backyard – all different shapes, colors and sizes. Who knew there could be so many different kinds of birds all in one backyard? Now, if I could only learn their names!

In other news …

The buyers of our house (escrow should hopefully close later this week) are being total jerks. I’m glad we’ll never have to meet them face-to-face. We’ve also been a little disappointed at how our realtor has handled things. He’s been a little, shall we say, “WEAK” in dealing with them. This has resulted in us (well, okay, Kevin) being more involved in decision making and figuring things out. I’m very proud of my husband for his handling of all of this. He’s been very wise, very direct, and very articulate in dealing with this matter. I’m especially glad that he reads the fine print in everything before he signs it! (I probably would not do this, even though I went to law school and should know better.) I needed a man like him in my life!

Kevin seems to be enjoying his new job. So, that’s good.

As for me, I feel like I’ve been in a fog for the last couple weeks. I’m really hoping I snap out of this soon! Frankly, I haven’t felt like writing, engaging, or doing much of anything lately. I’m freaking myself out. That’s definitely not the normal-Amy.

Thought Police in Boulder

This coming Tuesday, the Boulder City Council will consider allocating public funding for a “hate hotline,” which would give residents an opportunity to report incidents in which other residents use offensive language.

So, if you live in Boulder and feel someone has said something “hateful” – or perhaps you are simply offended by what someone has said – you might soon be able to report them to the authorities.

I’m shocked and appalled that the "Thought Police" concept seems to be coming true in America. If people are not allowed to speak their own minds, according to the dictates of their own conscience, even when what’s on their mind is not very "nice," how can we be assured that the Bill of Rights applies to us anymore?

If a “hate hotline” is established in Boulder, it will inevitably be used to stifle the speech of persons with sincerely-held religious convictions.

Mom's Day

Since arriving in Indiana, it’s been hard to find spare time for blogging. There’s always something going on or someone to talk with. This makes the days fly by! I’m sure once we get settled in our own place things will slow down a bit …

Yesterday was my first Mother’s Day as a mom. It was weird – a day for me but it wasn't my birthday.

We spent most of the day driving home from SC but Kevin tried to make it special. When I first woke up, I had forgotten that it was Mother’s Day. Then Kevin brought Meredith to the bed – she was holding a card for me. It was sweet.

I am a very blessed woman. I love my little family very much. Mother's Day is a time to honor moms. But I feel so honored just to be a mom!

'Cuz we needed more bugs on our windshield ...

If you can believe it, yesterday we were crazy enough to get in the car AGAIN, this time heading to South Carolina.

At the end of my life, when I look back on the year 2006, it will probably be one big hazy memory of never-ending roadways. [Kevin told me that by the end of the month, when we expect to take another long road trip, we will have driven more than 6,000 miles within a six-week period.]

Right now I’m typing this blog post from a hotel in Greenville, the Bob Jones mecca. One of Kevin’s boyhood friends is getting married tomorrow – in the chapel at the University – and Kevin is a groomsman.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to The South – I don’t think Northern Virginia counts as “The South.” All day long, as we’ve toured the city, thick southern accents have been vibrating in my ear.

I kinda like southern accents. Accents are cool – except for some, which are annoying.

Greenville is an impressive town, I think. We really enjoyed the downtown area and Falls Park is a rather relaxing place to kill an afternoon.

When will my life begin to settle down? When will things be “normal” again? I’m thinking it’s going to be a while yet.

“Normal” is boring until, suddenly, nothing is normal. Then, normal is a lot more appealing.

Another answer to prayer ...

While we were eating dinner last night, Kev’s cell phone rang. It was a partner of a law firm here in town calling to offer him a job starting Monday!

Kevin is really excited about working with this particular firm. There are really good people at this firm and he will be able to do the type of work he was hoping to do.

We’re very grateful for God’s provisions – He does abundantly above all we can ask or think. We’re also very grateful for the friends God has placed in our lives to encourage us and help in this job-seeking process (thanks especially to Andrew)!

When we first arrived here in town, we were down about our house not selling and anxious about Kevin finding a good job. God provided both of those things for us in less than one week! He is good.

How "Tolerance" is Defined

Webster’s defines tolerance as “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own.”

Legislation recently introduced in California (AB 1056) to push tolerance education in public schools defines tolerance as “attitudes and behaviors that convey respect toward individuals and groups, especially those individuals and groups that have been, and continue to be, systematically and historically marginalized. Tolerance does not mean a passive allowance or indulgence of the beliefs or practices of another individual.” [Emphasis supplied.]

In other words, all children must show an active respect for controversial sexual lifestyles, regardless of what their parents or religious beliefs dictate.

The modern definition of tolerance is not merely allowing for others’ beliefs. Rather, your own beliefs must be reconstructed to fully embrace, accept, and respect others’ beliefs.

We have a contract!

Within seconds of returning our moving truck to the Penske rental company, our realtor called us to tell us that we had an offer on our house. We submitted a counter-offer, with some slight modifications, and that was accepted last night. So, now we have a contract for sale. Escrow opened today. And, the buyers want to move into the house in eight days and close escrow three days later! (This is the fastest escrow I’ve ever heard of.) As you can imagine, this is a big relief to us.

As we crossed the country, heading toward our new home, I wondered if leaving our house before it sold was a stupid thing or a step of faith. Even though a lot of people would think that type of a risk is really dumb, I always had a peace about it.

It’s funny because my typical attitude toward life these last few years has been a calm one. And that hasn’t always been my nature. I think it’s because I’ve consistently seen God be faithful to me throughout my whole life – even when things look bleak, He always takes care of us.

This doesn’t mean I don’t get anxious about things (or that there won’t be times of hardship) … but generally speaking I’ve come to worry a lot less about circumstances in my life. I’ve come to realize, more and more, that God controls all human events and works everything out for our ultimate good.

I hope all my life I can say, along with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

Home Safe ... But

We arrived safely in Indianapolis last night ... except for this little incident.

Lakes and Dells

First, lakes.

Today we drove through the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. We only counted 31, so apparently there are 9,969 more lakes that aren’t right off of Interstate 94. (There was some dispute over whether some of the 31 lakes qualified as a “lake.” I thought they were all “lakes,” but Kevin said he thought some of them were just flooded fields and marshes.)

Seriously, I think Minnesota is a beautiful state. Lots of trees and green rolling hills.

Second, dells.

We are currently staying overnight in Wisconsin Dells, WI. To be honest, we weren’t even sure what a “dell” was exactly – except we know that some farmer lives in one.

When we drove into “downtown” Wisconsin Dells to get dinner, it looked like a mini-Las Vegas strip with a Ripley’s and lots of “horror houses.”

So, we surmised that the dells must be the major tourist attraction, if not the only one, in central Wisconsin.

Fortunately the restaurant we ate in had lots and lots of pictures of the “dells.” So, now we are enlightened.

Tomorrow we arrive at our destination – Indianapolis. Hooray! Our vacation has been fun but living out of suitcases and staying in hotels is getting very old.