Linus or Facebook? You decide.

Linus, you've got competition. Make it good.

Feel free to send these wonderful Christmas adaptations to others. 

Click the envelope icon below.

Once again,

Merry Christmas.

Wrapping up a photo shoot...

...Oh yes, We'll be the envy of all our siblings this year.  I recently picked up a dozen one-hour black and white photos I had planned to put in Christmas cards... However, since I am a much better at planning to send cards, than actually following through with it, I had some nice pictures (and cards) I wasn't sure what to do with... when suddenly, SHA-BAM, (some people imagine a lightbulb going on over their heads, I usually just hear the word "SHA-BAM")  I had a most wonderful stroke of Martha.  The results: a very special (and cheap!) packaging, Grandma's sure to flip for.  Already finished wrapping?  I was too! (Ok, "finished" may be a generous exaggeration, but I was getting closer.) It's never too late to add some extra "thinking of you" personalization.  Now, what to do with these lovely cards? Any ideas?

Merrry CHRISTmas!

A Christmas Treat

Not sure why this turned out like a sub-titled Japanese flick, but please enjoy anyway.

Merry Christmas

The Lusks

'Twas the week before Christmas...

... and all through the house, not a creature was stirring... except for a bright eyed, bushy tailed, mother of three.  (up at 3:11am and feeling strangely well rested... Cue song "I believe in miracles.")  The stockings are laid on the floor with (some) care, until I figure out where to hang them, they shall remain there.  The children are sleeping all snug in my bed,  one with his feet placed against the other's head.

     And so on and so forth...

     What a gloriously beautiful morning!  As I type this blog with steaming coffee nearby, and only the magical glow from the Christmas trees (yeah, I said trees... big new house... lovin' it.) illuminating the night, I am able to think clearly without interruption for what seems like the first time in weeks...  Precious.
        This moment right here, is what I asked Santa for :)  Well, maybe it wasn't Santa... I chose a Higher Source... and it was more like begging and pleading than a simple request.  Friday night after I tucked in the bambinos, I dropped to my knees and admitted that I could use a little help.  Finances, homeschooling, presents, ministry, photography, parties, housework, unpacking, snow shoveling, and keeping two kids alive by myself... Well, 'nuff said, right?  I should've talked to God about it before, but I had a rather distorted view of prayer for a while.  Don't get me wrong.  I always pray. It's just that I  was praying about "noble" things... like our ministry partners, and starving people with aids in Africa, and the stray three legged dog that I maybe shoulda' put in my car, taken home and named, "Stooge".  That sort of thing.    Anyway, I put my pride aside and asked The Big Man to help a sista' out. I also asked Him to return my five long-lost packages that, according to the USPS were "left on the porch."  If only they had been left on my porch... Sigh.
     The next morning my Mom called me and jokingly said, "Christina, did you pray for help with the kids and your house or something last night?  Because I guiltily tossed and turned all night thinking about how I should be over there helping you out today."  Ha!  My God is a riot I tell you.  (If you don't know Jesus well, you need to get better acquainted with Him... He's totally pro-endorphins.)  There was more work to be done than just us two could accomplish though... It's a good thing my dad, aunt, and grandma volunteered too!
      Sometime between Dad fixing the vacuum and television and Mom unboxing Lucy's room, there was a knock on the door...
      "Hi, you must be Christina Lusk.  I wanted to get these to you sooner, sorry.  They've been sitting in my front room for over a week."  Yeppers!  My packages.  Thank you kind and honest new neighbor Melissa.  I like you.

     First Peter 5:7 is one of my ALL-TIME favorite promises from the Bible... It worked for me.  I bet it'll work for you too!

           "Cast ALL your cares upon The Lord.  Because he cares for you."

       See you at church this morning?

                   Me.

P.S.  Ever wish you could share an Extraordinary Ordinary Me blog entry with someone, who, just doesn't do the blog scene?  Click on the envelope below to send it to their email inbox.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

P.P.S.  - My apologies for all the wacky layout changes lately... I think I have found one that "suits me". For a while anyway. :)

I am not a bimbo. I am not a bimbo. I am not...

"Well, nothing was the same when you were away..." - Captain Von Trapp (Sound of Music)


     Perhaps I've never been the pinnacle of organization, but really, am I as utterly dippy as my actions as of late could lead me to believe?
     Leaving the keys in the outside door overnight?  Ok, I can retrace my steps on that one pretty well.  Arms loaded with groceries and a toddler, I approach the front door, drop a couple of bags near the entrance, take keys out of my mouth, unlock door, herd children into the living room, unzip their coats and go back to car for the rest of the bags...  enter door again to discover two-year-old is missing.  Frantically search upstairs, basement and storage ottoman (his favorite hideout) only to realize he escaped out the side door into the dark and vast snow covered yard.  Barefoot target located and held hostage, I head back into house and close and lock both exits... Grandma knocks on front door next morn, holding my keys, going on about how me being in my twenties makes her feel better about her forgetfulness at seventy something...
        Alright, so that one is somewhat understandable.  But, leaving the keys in the ignition, WITH THE CAR RUNNING AND UNLOCKED as I merrily drool my way through the aisles at  Hobby Lobby, in FLINT for TWO HOURS!? Ashamedly, I was alone with no toddler to blame... That one made me question my sanity (not to mention stand in awe of God's miraculous protection).  Searching for answers as to how such a thing could happen, I pondered  the sleepless night spent battling the possessed smoke detector (Note  - Buy the cheapo alarm.  You do NOT want the talking CO/smoke test-once-a-week-at-random-it's-better-because-it's-ridiculously-expensive detector - It's pure evil.), and the stress that comes with moving into a new house, homeschooling, running a business, and single-handedly preparing for Christmas.  But, let's face it, I've fried bigger fish before, with a respectively clear head even...
     What makes this time different? It's the grace factor.  I don't know how to explain it.  Previously, every time my husband and I have had to separate in order for the Gospel to be announced in the uttermost parts, there has been this strange sort of peace and easiness about his absence.  Sure we all missed him, but there was an excitement of "roughing it" by ourselves.  I call that peace, "the grace factor"
         Well folks, the exhilaration is gone, and I want my husband back.  Is the sacrifice worth it?  Without a glimmer of a doubt, YES.  I'd do this for five years if I knew people were getting to hear about Jesus because of it.  But, what I really feel, is that, God is moving us in a new and wonderful direction, to a place where we can travel together, as a family, making an even greater impact on the world. There's a stirring in my heart, distracting me at all times, causing me to... leave keys in the ignition, and place dirty socks in the refrigerator and the milk on the washing machine, and all the unmentioned absent minded things that I'll discover later.  It's there.  It's constant.  It's unmistakable, unshakable.  He wants us to go as a family. No financial burden will stand in the way, no excuses.  It's big, to have your family travel like that for the purpose of evangelism.  I only know one other living human who has done it (besides us, on occasion).  I say, "What the hey!" Pioneers make the way easier for others to follow in their footsteps, and I'm not only willing, I'm happy to do it. Future generation of evangelists, You're welcome!  Christina and Michael Lusk love you!

Dream big,

Christina Not Nearly As Arrogant As I Probably Sound Lusk

P.S.  This is the one other human I was referring to.  Thank you Dr. T.L. for your inspiration. We love you dearly.

Yes, I'm alive... Thanks for asking.

  "Christina, are you for real blogging today?  Because, we totally thought you were in a foreign country or something,... in a coma."   No, no, fair readers, I have been deliciously ambitious, that's all.  In the last month, I have moved to a different city, begun homeschooling my daughter, and vice-versa when it comes to arithmetic.  (Do any of you remember how to do long division?) And, for the moment, my husband is trekking the globe, bringing Joy to the masses. (That's not sarcasm folks. It's fo real, notice the capital J.)  I love that man.  (Check out his blog at http://michaellusk.blogspot.com)
    So anywho, I may not be able to post as often as days of yore, but you're in my thoughts... especially those of you who are retired and have houses that you can place anything you want where you want and it will be there until YOU move it... I think of you often...

Oh my goodness, I wish I could write what I had purposed to write!  Just looked at the clock and I need to go to bed... so here's the gist of it until it can be better edited (you know my track record so don't hold your breath).

Holiday helpers....

Keep the Christ in Christmas this year.  Kids especially, are trained (by parents, GASP and EGAD) to focus on toys and the 300 pound crisco consumer in the red suit this time of year.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take this beautiful opportunity to help them learn about God's Perfect Gift He gave to mankind 2000 years ago.  Here's a few healthy ways to help them keep the true Spirit of Christmas in the forefront of their hearts and minds.

1.  Volunteer with your children at a local soup kitchen. (They'll be a lot more appreciative at the end of the day - believe me.)

2. Attend with your family every Sunday service at a church this month.  The things they hear will give them a better understanding of Christ's birth and purpose for it.  You'll hear the same things too and will have some great discussions!

3.  I hesitate because I don't like negative feedback, but here goes...
BE REAL about REAL, and BE REAL about NOT REAL...  This engenders trust.

I never want to hear my kid say, "Yeah, my parents taught me the myth about the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.  They told me the myth about Santa.  And, they taught me the myth about Jesus Christ too."

Whew!  For those of you who haven't just removed yourselves from my followers' list... (and even to those of you who did),

I love you.  Have a very Merry Christmas!  Until next time,

Christina Blacklisted Lusk

You couldn't hide it... even under a bushel.

Ok, first things first, men, I apologize.  This blog has momentarily taken a rather sharp turn into a DYI episode of "Martha".  So, if you want to ditch me during football/hunting season, and check back when our new home excitement has died down a bit, feel free to do so, I bear no ill will towards you.

Everybody who's still on board, check out what my little rock star and I worked on this evening.  Remember those lamps?  (I know, I know, "Again with the lamps?")






These are the ones that we liked.










These are the ones we bought at a thrift store. We were psyched and ready to refurbish....

But then, we discovered some "Mad Tea Party" furniture, which we also adored.







So, we decided to combine the two styles.

      This is what we came up with.  We don't have a lamp shade yet, but we are very happily hunting.

                




What do your kids love to do?  Dive deeply into it with them.

            






You'll be their greatest hero... I promise.





The Extroardinary Ordinary,

Me

Attencion! : Quarte Tres Chique Pour Moins que 9 Euros!

I'm thinking fancy thoughts today - hence the title "en francais".  I'm also thinking, "I hope no French speakers read that, 'cause, I'm pretty much just fakin' it."   

Today, I just couldn't hold out any longer.  I satisfied my "treasure-hunting" itch.  My daily "bedroom decor" discussions with Lulu have pushed us both into a state of ravenous obsession.  (I'm finally discovering a side of her that ISN"T Michael.) We are going to rock out her new room like no room has ever been rocked (well, at least cheaper than any room has ever been rocked).  As per her request, we are going with a black and white room, with teal ("Mom, you know that color that is in the yellow crayon box? It's called blue-green, I think, yeah, blue green.") accents.  Here are some things I collected at a local thrift store.

I LOVE decorating with clothes. It sounds crazy, but a nail, a cute hanger, and the right outfit, can become a really cool statement piece.

Remember that photo of the lamps that inspired us so much? I found two that pleaded with me in the store.  "Choose us! Choose us!", they cried.  I exuberantly answered them - out loud.  I wish I could stop talking to inanimate objects in public.  I know I look like a lunatic. (Do lamps beckon to other people too?  Maybe I am slightly mad ...)

 Pair the new treasures with these nifty things we already had,

and we have the beginnings of a totally "Lucy" living space.

And, dun dun dun! (that was suspense music) to stay true to the purpose of this blog, I must tell you why things like this inspire my daughter and I.  You see, we have been given the "mind of Christ".  We see beauty and possibility in things that some might consider junk.  Christ sees immeasurable beauty in you, regardless how you may be treated by others, or how you view yourself even.  If you give yourself completely over to Him, he'll shine you right up.  And when all the dust and gook is removed, you'll recognize yourself as the treasure He saw all along. 

A tout a l' heure!

Christina Lusk

My seven year old teenager...

She begged for this topiary everytime we visited Bed Bath & Beyond.
Eventually, we bought it.  But we went 50/50 for it.

Oi vey... My fairy princess reads words like, symbolic, and phenomenon.  But that's not all, I have been recently been informed that my second grader would like a complete bedroom remodel upon moving into our new house.  Request number one:  No more pink.   Boy, talk about being blindsided.  Where did this come from?  Only two years ago I took her to the store to pick out her bedding and paint colors.  Results: Ballerina sheets and cotton candy wall color.   Petition #2: Black and white please... with smidges of teal.   #3:  An office space?  Really?  Are you certain you're seven? Um, sure, Ok.

Found this bear at Goodwill, repainted it, and gave it to her for Christmas.

She made the painting in the frame in the background..

It took some some hidden tears to come to grips with the fact that my little girl is evolving into a bonafide young woman, and sooo quickly, but once I leveled with myself... She and I dove into home improvement mode.  Here are some things that are inspiring us this time around...

LOVE THIS - Lu's getting one awesome ceiling -minus the $4,000 chandelier.  Sorry, babe, maybe next time.

For "the office".  Crazy.  

This is going to be a fun art project for sure!

Hmm, maybe teal bedding?  Or her desk chair?  

I love you, Lucy.  I am looking forward to our upcoming adventures.  You are a priceless treasure.  Thanks for being so thoughtful, generous, and fearless.  Sometimes, I think I need to be more like you.

Notes like this, help me feel like we're doing a decent job.  Thankfully, we find them quite frequently.  Real ego boosters in times of need.

Proverbs 22:6 

              Train ^[a] a child in the way he should go,
       and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Wordless Wednesday - Story Time.

"When reading to friends, you mustn't forget to show them the pictures."

Matthew 7:12 (Amplified Bible)

¹²So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them, for this is (sums up) the Law and the Prophets.

Have a nice day!
   

Daydream believer and a homecoming scene...

To save you the immense effort of clicking a tab, I am going to summarize yesterday's entry.  We found a house.  We LOVED it.  We placed a bid, so did many other people.  We gave God liberty to intervene on our behalf.  That pretty much brings us up to the present.

We got "the call".  It was a call of congratulations.  We (the right reverend and myself) leaped onto the ottoman at the same time and jumped up and down on it like a couple of screamy school girls. (I changed my password on this account, Michael, so don't waste your time trying to delete that.) And just because you're all (as in the five or so of you who will probably read this sometime before next year) so interested in what it looks like,  I bummed some photos of my new dwelling offline just before the listing post was removed from the internet.

This is my staircase.  (giggle, giggle... I have a staircase!)

Living room - (Notice the French entry doors!)

Two car garage, full basement, master suite, green shutters... 

Add caption

To the left of the upstairs window is a Hall of closets leading to a huge master bath.

Of course, there are some things yet to do to make it 100% us.  But, I think that's half the fun of getting a new house.  Don't you?

PS.  Thank you, God.  Your guidance, goodness, mercy, faithfulness, and peace are responsible for everything good in our lives, but right now, ESPECIALLY OUR HOUSE! 

Also, please enjoy this llama.

House... louse, mouse, spouse...

    What to write, what to write?   Hmm.... I have a terribly daunting task before me.  I must weave my day and my thoughts into a journal entry that both amuses the reader, and communicates the heart of God, without sounding like just a buncha' hoo-hah.  Can I do it?  It's too late in the day to contract one of those "Boy, I need a day off", handy-dandy guest bloggers.  So, without further ado, here is my greatest attempt:

       Monday evening, we ventured out once again, in search for "our" house.  We have been looking at homes for what seems like an eternity.  Up 'til now, none of the homes had fit the bill.  It's not that they weren't lovely (Ok, a few of them were the opposite of lovely),  but, Michael and I have very specific tastes, unfortunately they are not collectively specific.  I, being the realistic one in this marriage, lean more towards the practical amenities, like, charm, French doors, green shutters, and a willow tree.  He, however, also had a list of things he REALLY wanted in a home, mostly non-essentials, like non-leaky plumbing, and a newer roof...
     After blabing on and on to the Lord, about our wants and desires, sounding very much like children who are allowed to watch TV commercials in December,  we were confident that God had a relatively complete idea of what were looking for in a house.
     And, back to Monday evening... We FOUND the house - spacious, lovely, green shutters and all!  We had the pre-approval letter.  We made an offer above what they were asking.  Oh yeah, we sealed the deal. Except for the million phone calls the next day about how everybody and their mother had also placed a bid.  My first reaction was like, "Step off, people.  That's my crib." or, jack our offer up to something that may have jeopardized us financially.  But, I was prompted by a voice inside me to instead, "Be still and know that He is God".  
       We are supposed to have an answer about winning the bid by tomorrow evening.  I am anxious for nothing... I am anxious for nothing... I am...   Really, I am not freaking out about it.  Am I madly in love with this place?  Yes. Am a certain beyond a doubt that this is our house?  No.  But, I won't be disheartened if it doesn't work out, because I know if we don't get it, It is because my Dad has something even better up His sleeve.  You see, He's never let me down.  And it's just better to not freak out about stuff.  See my posts titled, Don't get mad....

Be still,

Me

PS.  This wasn't my most humorous or coherent post, so I thought I'd make up for it with this picture of a duck.
  

I say tomato...

When it comes to painting, my arsenal of excuses of why I am too busy to do it right now, is rather infinite.  I've needed to finish this spot in my living room for months now.  And, although my kiddie-free moments are scarce, it seems like anytime I stumble upon them, I always think of something more important that needs to be done, like, applying Pledge to the underside of the table.

Anyway, I needed to complete today's blog entry, so, that's a pretty decent reason to (once again) momentarily put off the painting, right?

Fear not, this entry isn't actually about my bemoaning application of liquid latex.  It's about something completely different, my bemoaning Michigan climate change. No, just kidding.  I actually enjoyed the cooler weather today.  It gave me a wonderful occasion to dress my kid like this.

This little heart-melter really needed to have his picture taken at the apple orchard.  But, Grandma G. was en route to take him away for the weekend (so I could paint).  (Grandma L. escorted the other blondie that resides here, to Mackinac Island.  Lucky Lu.)  So, I did the next best thing, I took him (kinda-sorta without permission, while she was at work) to the neighbor's tomato patch.  I was sure she wouldn't mind if the 'lil guy helped himself a couple of "maters".

And, picking tomatoes must've looked like fun, because some kids on our block (upon receiving permission from Yours Truly, who, was already stealing and trespassing) swarmed the plants like seagulls on an open package of Doritos.   I promise I never meant for them to pluck EVERY SINGLE TOMATO.  It just sorta' happened.  It happened fast.  

      So, the owner of the naked vines sometimes reads this blog when she gets home from work (just about now), and I'd just like to say... Um, Hi, Sandy.

Also, before true confession hour is over, Noah, may have picked a flower from your garden...

or two.

But, we saved you a good amount of the tomatoes.  You're gonna want to wash them though.  

Some of them got licked.  

I told Noah if he gave you a wink, you would probably forgive us.

'Cause you're a lot like Jesus.  

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
                                                             1 John 1:9

And now, I must paint.

But, there are so many lovely new photos to edit...

Happy Fall Everyone.

Christina

Baby got Bach...

I also considered, "My man's a playa' " as a title.  And, of course I was tempted to incorporate "Air on the G string"... but in the end, even I'm not that uncouth. 

Yes, these photos are of my amazingly talented husband,

and his firstborn baby, who just turned 112 years old.  And just for fun, here is a list of things you probably don't know about him.

1.  He drinks in classical music the way I savor devil's food cake after a thirty day sugar fast.

2.  He had a cat named Beethoven.

3.  He's played in London, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, Mexico, India,...the list goes on.

4.  He shines that fiddle with nut oils.

5.  He hates it when I call it a fiddle.

6. His two-year-old son can correctly identify portraits of Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, & Bach.

7.  His wife cannot touch the instrument (nut allergy - She did once without thinking... puffed up like a marshmallow in the microwave).

8.  He is disgusted (but secretly loves her simplicity) when after a moving performance of "Schindlers List", his wife requests "Turkey in the Straw".

9.  His social security and bank account numbers are... Wait, I hear something... Oh, it's just Bette Erjudgement again.  (I wish she'd stop calling after nine, It's rude.)

10.  The author of The Exraordinary Ordinary Me is eagerly awaiting his arrival this evening.

11.  He is playing at the SYNERGY meeting Tues. Sept. 28, 2010

12.  He has a rockin' blog (which is where you'll have to find your spiritual lesson today.)

and lucky number thirteen...

HE'S MY FAVORITE PERSON EVER.

“

Had to write about what was on my mind, I guess.

The difference between a violin and a viola is that a viola burns longer."

                                     - Victor Borge

Have a wonderful day!

Mrs.  Totallygiftedmusician

P.S.  He's been practicing something called, "Overture zur Oper ,,Die Zauberflote"... I know, right?

Don't get Mad... The Finale...

       Greetings!  I noticed I've gained a few new followers this week.  Welcome!  Please (No really, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!) feel free to leave a comment below... I graciously accept all feedback, encouraging statements, funny stuff, and good ol' kicks in the pants.  And, thank you for stopping by.  I appreciate it!
          Now, before we get started, I must warn you that this third installment promises to be a doosie of a long one... Because, I have promised myself, come Hades or high CO2, I'm wrapping  it up tonight.


Recap:
   The story of two rookie missionaries on their first journey back to the United States... How one of them stopped the other from succombing to madness... And why the GRACE of God is much more than a mindless cliche.  


If you'd like to catch up, I've provided links to PART ONE  and   PART TWO


       Let's see, where was I? Broke? Covered that.  Infant in tow?  Check.  Ah yes,... Completely refreshed we boarded the plane...  Ten-ish hours later we landed in Miami, and we immediately boarded another airplane, were picked up in Detroit, and lived happily ever after...  Or, maybe all the stinkin' flights headed to Michigan were full that night...  Did I mention we were broke?  Not broke as in "not a lot of spare cash", but rather,  broke as in, "We can't ride the pony at Meijer" broke.   Sigh, time to consult that "God" guy again.  We prayed, as we made ourselves comfortable on some familiar airport benches.  Michael put in a phone call to the person who was to pick us up the day before (until that didn't work out), to tell them not to get us now (because, that didn't work out).  Now, I'm a goin' rabbit trailling a bit here, but every time I had traveled through Miami, I thought, "It would be so nice to stay in the Miami Airport Hotel, maybe someday... "  Hmm, guess what the voice on the other end of Michael's phone conversation offered?  
     I really enjoyed the free night and room-service breakfast at the airport hotel.  But, what to do about the fee for missing our connection flight on the previous day?  Yeah, we prayed, on the benches.  We still had no money, but we got in line for the next flight anyway.  We handed the woman at the counter our tickets for yesterday's fights and asked how much it would be to change itinerary.  Her reply - "IF I look that these and see that you missed your flight yesterday, I'll have to charge you $200 each.  But (she flipped them over and handed them back), I'm not going to look, please board the aircraft and enjoy your flight."  YES.  That REALLY happened.
      Upon arrival at our final destination, I began unpacking our urgently needed items, like Desitin and baby wipes.  As I searched through the contents of the diaper bag, my fingers found themselves grasping an unfamiliar object... the wrapped gift from our God-sent hosts in Buenos Aires!  Curiosity at peak level, I unwrapped it... Are you ready for it?  It was a ceramic christmas ornament displaying  an all-true bible verse (you know, as opposed to all the rest of those nutty Bible verses).  It said, "DIOS ES AMOR", which is Spanish for "GOD IS LOVE."  Two weeks after our arrival, I drank in the smell of eggnog and cinnamon as I admired the Christmas tree, my eyes and heart being drawn to one very special ornament in particular.  
    Who knows what ugly chaos might have ensued, if I had gone with my initial reaction at the airport in Argentina (to throw a tantrum and worry myself into a mild stroke)?  Jesus, Thanks for what you showed me on that journey... and thanks for that ornament, it's still my favorite.  And Michael, thanks for your wisdom.  Also, I like your goatee.


There you have it.  I love you guys.  Thanks for reading.

1st John 4:8  "...God is love"....  Romans 8:28 "...All things work together for good to those who love God"


Christina




PS. - I realize the type on this entry is ridiculously tiny... I'm working on it.

Don't get Mad... the continuation...

Perusing some of the archives of this place (I stole that from FRESH MOMMY's blog), I happened upon a promise to finish a story... I am making good on that today...

Dont Get Mad...the continuation...      Click HERE for Part 1

     Seven years ago, a young couple phoned the airlines to confirm that the flight that was to return them to their homeland was indeed leaving at Eleven o' clock.  Upon verification of departure status, they (infant in tow) had one H -E - half circle - K, of a taxi ride, but, by the grace of God, arrived safely at the airport.

      9:59pm - To my husband,  "Michael, this is our gate... why does the sign say "PARIS"?

     To the man at the desk, - "Sir, We are here for an 11:00 flight to Miami..."

     His reply - "Let's see... hmm...It looks like that flight was changed... yes, it left at 11:00 this morning."

     To God, Satan, the angels, and the frightened man behind the desk, "WHAT!!!!???"

And, before I could sputter another word, my husband said something very, very wise.  He told me, "Stop." I obeyed, curious as to why he wasn't a bit more flustered by the situation.  Then, very calmly, he said, "I think we just need to allow God to do something ... Let's pray."  (That guy sure is a good influence on me.) We had no money for food, or a hotel... and the next flight to the United States didn't leave until the next morning...  We were five hours away from anyone we knew.  But, we had a faith in an all powerful God, who, we asked to take care of us in this difficult moment.

The airport had a couple of metal benches. We asked the lady at the information counter if we could camp out on them for the night... She hesitated, then looked at our precious baby, and replied... "Yes."  (Michael noticed she was reading a bible as we approached.  Fascinating.)

Two adults, one hungry infant, 240 lbs. of luggage, and a couple of 4 and a half foot benches... We made ourselves as comfy as possible.

Not long after, the same woman asked to speak with us... We thought we were getting kicked out for the night.  Instead.... "I spoke to my parents, they have a luxury apartment nearby that they aren't using right now, if you feel comfortable staying there, they will take you there, and bring you back in the morning."

Now, we don't usually encourage leaving with strangers in a foreign country, but we felt peace about this incidence...

We were picked up by a lovely couple (WHO SPOKE ENGLISH), and taken to a magnificent apartment (Which also happened to have A CRIB) We were given food... we chillaxed a bit while we watched cable,  hot baths....etc..and in the morning, they brought breakfast and a wrapped gift.

Completely refreshed, we boarded the plane, and guess what!? There's like an hour more to the story.
I guess you will have to come back again for part 3.  Do you want to hear the rest?

Tune in tomorrow:  Same bat-time, Same bat-channel...


"BAM!", "SOCK!", "POW!"

Christina

PS.  (What would my posts be without a "P. S."? ... Shorter, I guess.)

Here's a song, with...., forgive me Dan Moen, painfully outdated music. The words are appropriate though.  Do try and make it through it for me, will you.  Click on the photo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o&feature=related

When you're smilin'...

    Not going to spend much time blogging today.  My man is back in town and I'd rather be looking in to his starry cornflower eyes that twinkle when he laughs...  (He's asleep actually, in the other room.  I was just attempting some of that poetic expression stuff, - not a big strong point for me - obviously.)

Moving right along...

I've been trying to whittle down some of the photos on my hard drive.  I came across are a few of my little guy that I thought might brighten your day.  They sure are making me smile.

Proverbs 15:15 ...  But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. 

Bon Appetite!

Love you, and, thanks for stopping by!

The Extraordinary Ordinary Me