Category Archives: Ministry

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 14, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY July 14, 2014

Outside my window… muggy and humid and hot. It feels like the Midwest instead of southern California. It rained on us a bit when I was at Trader Joe’s earlier.

I am thinking… about the issues we’re having in finding an ABA program down here for Daniel. The school is required to provide one but it might not be in this school district so they’re having to make a referral. And no, homeschooling is not an option. We’re already dealing with a home teacher and I’m having to figure out how to structure her time so that it’s actually useful. I have the patience and temperament of a drill sergeant which is why I didn’t become a teacher in the first place. Additionally, I’d prefer not to have to get a Master’s in Education focusing on ABA in order to educate my kid correctly so I’d really rather find people who already have the training.

I am thankful… for my mother-in-law who made me vegan chocolate-peppermint cupcakes yesterday and who is doing everything in her power to support what I’m doing with Daniel. I am seriously blessed to have her and my father-in-law.

In the kitchen… I finished up my scampi from Saturday night for lunch today. Dinner has yet to be decided.

I am wearing… my Run for Courage t-shirt and jeans short.

I am praying for… a special intention, grace to forgive certain people, wisdom to know how to structure Daniel’s days at the moment, for friends who are dealing with a lot right now, and for Hevel’s safety.

I am going… to hopefully go visit my boys this week with tuna so that their new mommy can get them acclimated to her. (Tuna will bribe them to come out.)

I am wondering… how to teach certain things.

I am reading… A New Song by Jan Karon.

I am hoping… the house cools down. My mother-in-law just turned on the A/C so that should help.

I am looking forward to… finding out where God is calling us to go next.

I am hearing Daniel and his teacher working on counting. I’m having to intervene and make him actually say the names of the numbers because otherwise he’s not getting any speech connection or practice.

Around the house… laundry going and my mother-in-law is probably cleaning something.

I am pondering… too many things to list.

A favorite quote for today… “The Christian idea of marriage is based on Christ’s words that a man and wife are to be regarded as a single organism—for that is what the words ‘one flesh’ would be in modern English. And the Christians believe that when He said this He was not expressing a sentiment but stating a fact—just as one is stating a fact when one says that a lock and its key are one mechanism, or that a violin and a bow are one musical instrument. The inventor of the human machine was telling us that its two halves, the male and the female, were made to be combined together in pairs, not simply on the sexual level, but totally combined. The monstrosity of sexual intercourse outside marriage is that those who indulge in it are trying to isolate one kind of union (the sexual) from all the other kinds of union which were intended to go along with it and make up the total union. The Christian attitude does not mean that there is anything wrong about sexual pleasure, any more than about the pleasure of eating. It means that you must not isolate that pleasure and try to get it by itself, any more than you ought to try to get the pleasures of taste without swallowing and digesting, by chewing things and spitting them out again.” — C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

One of my favorite things… Trader Joe’s Iced Tea-Lemonade

A few plans for the rest of the week: speech therapy for Daniel on Tuesday morning, lessons with his home teacher Tuesday – Friday, and various errands.

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What I Wore on Sunday: July 13, 2014

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What I Wore on Sunday

I decided to be a good wife this morning and dragged myself out of bed to go to the early service at Christ Lutheran Church where Jon was supplying this morning. (He preached well.) It was good worship and I got to see some people that I don’t normally see unless I’m down here visiting family and head there for Sunday. (I’ve been sticking close to home the last few weeks and going to church in La Verne.) We used to be members at Christ so I do know a number of people there.

My usual photographer is currently celebrating the 10:30 service so my mother-in-law took the pictures this week. I chose to go with my standby church outfit — my Easter dress from 2 years ago (which also works for weddings, funerals, and Broadway shows) with a black camisole to make it church appropriate. I wish I had other versions of the same dress in different fabrics because it flatters me and makes me feel good about myself. (And yes, that’s my “palm-jousting” picture from Palm Sunday. My mother-in-law loved it so she had it printed as a “family picture”.)

Me with the Edda Puss.

Dress: Kohl’s
Camisole: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer
Cat: Edda the Puss

Here’s a mirror shot.

Me in the mirror.

Now go see Elizabeth and the other pretties at Fine Linen and Purple.

7 Quick Takes: Sunburns, the State of Affairs in Israel, and Getting Brett Funded

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Everything is fine. To those who emailed me about the strange comments on my last Quick Takes, everything is fine. Yes, fine. You might want to re-read my comment policy. (Hint.)

Also, thank you to everyone who emailed me and offered to go defend me on the other site. It would not have been appropriate (or needed) but I appreciate it nonetheless.

— 2 —

Get this kid fully funded! You know the precious boy on my sidebar? Yes, Brett.

Brett

He has a prospective mama and papa going to Eastern Europe to meet him. The problem: they need to be fully funded before they go. As I’m sitting here and typing this at 10:56 p.m. PDT on July 10th, they need $590 until his FSP reads $14,000 and they are fully funded. Can you help? Even $5 or $10 will do the trick. Click here to do so.

— 3 —

The O.C. Today, I headed down to Orange County to visit my sister-in-law and my incredibly cute nephew Patrick who is 13.5 months old. We met at the Beach Club and Lagoon by the lake in her town and it was pretty cool — the outer part was sandy like a beach but within a swimming pool. (Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures.) While she and my father-in-law talked, I took Patrick for a “walk”. He’s at the stage where he’s pulling himself up on furniture and coasting along so I had him standing up with his feet on the ground and my hands holding onto his. He was able to confidently take some steps and when his mom wasn’t praising him, she got to (hopefully) have a decent conversation with her dad. It was fitting, given that I was sorting papers from the last three years into treatment/therapy/IEP binders yesterday and I came across all the PT notes from three years ago when Daniel was learning how to walk.

Daniel and Jon had an incredible time in the lagoon. I think the cutest part was when Daniel started splashing Jon and Jon started splashing him back.

— 4 —

Oooooooh burn! Anyone who has seen pictures of me (or knows me in real life) will attest to the fact that I’m incredibly fair-skinned with freckles. Since I moved back down to the land of endless heat, the place where I part my hair has been getting fried if I spend any measurable amount of time (say, 20 minutes) outside. I was amazed that it didn’t turn red and blister today. It might be because a.) I finally have enough of a tan there that it isn’t burning or b.) I sprayed it well with sunscreen. I’m leaning toward B myself.

— 5 —

Prayer request. Things have been moving along with the special intention y’all have been praying about since the end of January. I can’t talk about it but all I’ll say is that it’s an unexpected place and I’d appreciate it if you’d keep praying.

— 6 —

The sitch in Israel. My friend Hevel of Kosher Kola has been blogging about the situation in Israel… in person. He’s posted a few pictures showing the alert for rocket attacks against Tel Aviv. Say a prayer for his safety and the safety of those on BOTH sides of the conflict who are in danger of being civilian casualties.

— 7 —

Quiet weekend. I have no plans for the weekend other than hearing Jon supply-preach on Sunday. I’m kind of liking not having any plans – it makes things easier down here.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: June 24, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY June 24, 2014

Outside my window… sunflowers. It’s nice right now but should get to 88F today.

I am thinking… about the errands my mother-in-law and I will be doing with Daniel this afternoon.

I am thankful… that the move is over and we’re settling into things here.

In the kitchen… my mother-in-law is making salmon packets for my father-in-law.

I am wearing… black polo shirt, jeans, and flip-flops from Old Navy.

I am praying for… Daniel’s school situation to resolve, for some special intentions, for grace and guidance as I process the last month or so.

I am going… to drop off my little black dress to be mended on my way to pick Daniel up from summer school.

I am wondering… what our status will be at the end of the summer.

I am reading… These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon. I also read A Common Life last week.

I am hoping… Daniel goes down peacefully tonight and that we can get a new routine in place here for bedtime.

I am hearing my mother-in-law’s Roombas.

Around the house… Roombas are running, laundry is cycling, and I’m sitting in my room with my needy black cat.

I am pondering… too much mentally. Will have to journal some things out tonight.

A favorite quote for today… “What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… a place and time where my mind can be quiet.

A few plans for the rest of the week: errands on various days, sorting through boxes, shredding old papers and bills, and living where my feet are at the moment.

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The Simple Woman’s Daybook: May 26, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY May 26, 2014

Outside my window… hot. The high was 94F today. It’s hopefully supposed to cool off a bit this week though it will still be summer temperatures. *sighs* Definitely not helpful that we have a drought happening in California at the moment.

I am thinking… about everything coming up in the next few weeks.

I am thankful… for my in-laws and the way they’re helping us make some decisions right now.

In the kitchen… dishes!

I am wearing… my Run for Courage shirt and black yoga pants.

I am praying for… the ability to make good decisions, the strength to confront everything happening over the next few weeks, and for a number of special intentions.

I am going… to Trader Joe’s tomorrow. We need sourdough bread and I need some ginger mints.

I am wondering… why I seem to get stuck with the women who take Titus 2:3-5 literally and wax poetically about how they wish they had an older woman like that in their lives when they were young. They don’t care about making me into a Biblical woman — they just want to be able to boss younger women around because they think they *gasp* “know what it’s like to be a young mother in [my] situation”. Ummm… no.

I am reading… A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans.

I am hoping… that my hands eventually stop hurting.

I am looking forward to… having some of these decisions behind us.

I am hearing Jon typing on his laptop. Daniel is still asleep. *crosses fingers that he stays asleep*

Around the house… decluttering and organizing.

A favorite quote for today… “A towel, [The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy] says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.” — Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

One of my favorite things… quiet evenings after my precious sweetling has been knocked off his schedule and is being bratty.

A few plans for the rest of the week: ABA therapy every afternoon, a counseling appointment on Friday, and that’s pretty much it.

A peek into my day… My grandfather (an aviator with the U.S. Navy in WWII) and me probably 30 years ago.

My grandfather and me in 1984.

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