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

      

Mama said there'd be days...

        Those of you who know me personally, or follow this blog, know well that I am not a bad mood kind of a gal.   But once in a blue moon...

  Last Friday, the moon was a particularly lovely shade of cobalt.

       The night before had been a "popcorn" night.  (Look for an earlier blog entry about "noogies" to locate the definition of "popcorn nights".)  I finally got to bed around four.  I missed the alarm... which means Lucy missed the bus.  I quick grabbed (sorry for wording things like a six-year-old sometimes, we read a lot of "Junie B. Jones" in this house.  It rubs off on you.) my husband's ball cap and jacket and flew out the door with both critters.  Fortunately, I got her to school on time.  As I pulled up to the school, the gym teacher, Mr. K, chivalrously opened the door for her.  He greeted me as well, just before he said, "Say goodbye to your dad, Lucy."  Nice. (Ok, the good news is that even on bad days I don't offend easily.  After a few moments, I saw the humor in that incidence.)
  
     Did I mention I had severe cold?

     I watched a little CNN.  Seven people were shot at an airport in Honduras - names to be released..., 18 people were killed in a Honduran factory, a hurricane was flooding Honduras, Mudslides were sending cars down mountains in Honduras...

   Did I mention my husband was in Honduras?

Deep breaths... "why are you downcast o my soul... He puts His angels 'round about... The Lord is my Shepherd..."

     I turned the TV off.

I'd been hired to face paint (dressed as a cartoon character) at a birthday party which was to take place the following morning.  I had been needing some very specific supplies, and hadn't been able to find them.  So, I ventured out to search for them one last time...

   Six stores later, and still no luck... (Come on Holy Spirit!  I've begged you to show me where I can find this stuff! )

Deep breaths... "If God is for me... Ask and you shall receive... Seek and you shall..."

   Did I mention I was menstruating?

I decided it was probably time for some retail therapy.  Aha! At last I could see some light at the end of the tunnel... My favorite shoe store had posted a ginormous sign in the window. "ENTIRE STORE BUY ONE GET TWO FREE!!!"  Except... they only had one pair my size...

At this point I had to actually go outside the store for my deep breaths, because I knew if I didn't, I was going attack the salesman, who, had called me, "Sunshine" a few too many times.


And since this is getting too long, and I've an inkling I've already lost half of you, I'm going to try and wrap it up.

I found my way to a friends's house that evening, who, upon seeing me in an unnatural state, sat me down on her couch, put on a delightful movie, served me a cup of tea, and fed me a dinner so delicious it made my knees wobble.

I apologized for my unChrist-like demeanor, and explained to her how I was just a bit tired and frustrated because I couldn't find such-and-such items at any store, and... the love of my life was MIA several thousand miles away.

Do you know what that crazy woman did?  She left me (and who could blame her?).  Actually, she went to the store.  She brought back supplies to create the very things I lacked.  She also brought chocolate, and more importantly, her mother.

These two master craftswomen, worked late into the night, CHEERFULLY EVEN, making the very things I had hunted for.  Halfway through the project, they called me into the room.  They embraced me and prayed that Michael would be able to contact me, to inform me he was safe, and they prayed that the party would go smoothly.  Astounded by the love I was surrounded by, I cried a little... maybe I cried a lot.

I left that night, absorbed in a simple truth... Jesus cares about me, He wants to give me the very best, even when I feel so unworthy of it...

Happy deep breaths...

"For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God."

                                                                                       Ephesians 2:8 

Know what?  He wants that for you too.

Love,

Me

PS.  The party was FANTASTIC.  Thank you  - Gloria, Michele, Sandy, & Judy.  I love you dearly. 


PPS. - I happened upon four pairs of shoes that weekend... $10 for the lot - less than I would have paid at the "buy one, get two" sale.  

PPPS.  I checked my email when I got home that night.  Michael had sent me a message at the very same time those heaven-sent women prayed for me :) 


PPPPS.  I'm picking him up from the airport in an hour.

   

Church, it's not just for prudes anymore.

    Hi there!

     We're approaching Autumn quickly now, and I can happily report that my plans to get a book into print by the end of Fall are coming along just swimmingly.  Fall of which year, I will disclose in a future entry.  Just kidding.  I hope to have you all buying it up as a Christmas gift for someone who might actually enjoy my so-so grammar and corny jokes.... Ok, think of who you could give it to.... Oh, come now, there must be someone...

    And other matters...

   My brain is all frizzly wizzly today.... I could write about the neighbors enthusiastically chanting my name this morning, as I did a fifty meter dash in stilettos. (I thought my two-year-old was right behind me as  I opened the car door to buckle him in.  I was sadly mistaken.  Stealthy little guy.)

   Or, the incredibly cheesy joke my pastor opened with. "Guy is checking out at the grocery store.  Bagger asks, "Paper or Plastic, Sir?"  Guy replies, "Either one,  I'm bisacksual."  -  I know, we didn't laugh either.

     But, I've got this gnawing feeling that I should be telling you all something very insightful, something that will lift your spirits, challenge you,  and set you on the right path... the one leading you into greatness.

      So, I will tell you what did that for me today.   Today, I went to a great church.  The people were friendly and the Pastor taught from the Bible.  There was nothing religious or ceremonious about it.  Everyone there was dressed rather comfortably, except pour moi.  (Note: - You may think you look stylish in high heels and chandelier earings...but chasing a toddler through the mud, and having your piercings widened by a millimeter by chubby tugging fingers, in public, really just makes you look silly.)  The scriptures in the bible were explained in a loving manner by someone who genuinely wanted to help folks.  The music was good, and the words were on a screen so I could sing along.  The kids were having a blast in their classes, while they learned valuable life lessons as well.  We were given a sheet of notes that we could review and learn even more when left church.... I had a great time...

     Do I go to church every Sunday?... Pretty much, yeah.  Sometimes, I'm the one behind the pulpit (the thing the preacher stands behind and reads his/her notes.  Except for my pastor can't stay still, so it's just there for looks.)

   "Christina, what are you trying to say?"

If you don't have a church, you should consider finding one.  Reading the Bible is awesome.  Praying is fantastic.  But, the Bible says we should also meet together with other Christians.   I highly, highly, HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to a church that is lively, FUN, and does things to help others. You can use this one as a model.  (Ok, I'm bias because you might find a picture of me on the site.)

                                                              FAITHCITY.TV


 Hebrews 10:25

       Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another...
  


I sure hope this helps somebody today....    I really care.  Love you's


    The Incredible Edible - Wait.  I mean,  The Exraordinary Ordinary Me. 
           

another half-baked post...

Thought of the day #1

Heaven is highly populated with children... so, does it get messy there too?   'Cause, when I'm dead I think I'd enjoy an eternal break from dishes and picking up Leggos.  I'll be happy to wash Jesus's feet, but the buck stops there.

                           Warning: completely unrelated material to follow

Today, I helped my grandma pull up the last of the carrots in her garden.  And I thought it would be nice (since she's making me, YET ANOTHER COSTUME), to make her some carrot cupcakes.

I ended up having more batter than cupcake liners, which led me to:

Thought of the day #2

What happens when you make a pancake out of regular cake batter?

So far so good...

Hmm... We'll never do that again, probably.

Well, at least the cupcakes turned out nicely.

I aint, double, got no, negative, cream cheese so I guess I'll be frosting these babies tomorrow.

Perhaps my "helpers" will be assisting me then as well.

I leave their stools out, just in case.

Live well, my Bloggies.

'night.