Christmas is Ruined!!! - Guest Blogging Day

Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:4 NIV

We have watched the movie Good Luck, Charlie-It's Christmas! well over 30 times in the past four years.  It's no wonder that my husband and I have integrated many of the lines from the movie into our daily conversations.

One of our favorite lines comes after the melodramatic mother, Amy, has discovered that she can't find the star for the top of the Duncan's Christmas tree.  She tearfully declares, "Christmas is ruined!"

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos... 

Thank you for SHOUTING!!!

Being her fun, flashy self...

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah  the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

 and Jesse the father of King David.

Matthew 1: 1-6 NIV

I could have gone on here and inserted the genealogy of Christ, after all, God did...and quite honestly, I'm not doing the genealogy any justice by eliminating some of it. 

However, my story today isn't about the genealogy of Christ; it's about the importance of a name.

Sunday, we walked into our church in anticipation of having to locate a friend with whom our daughter could go to the Middle School worship service.  We attend a large church, a mega-church, if you will; so this was going to be difficult. 

However, the minute we walked into church I started to hear shouting coming from the loft area above the foyer:  Evie!  Evie!  Evie!!!

I said, "Evie, someone's calling your name." 

Her smile spread as wide as her face and her eyes twinkled.  She has this little happy "shiver" that runs through her body when she sees her friends...she shivered in delight upon hearing her name being shouted out from the loft.

Yes, a friend of hers had sought HER out and had called HER name.

Do you know what that means to the parent of a child with special needs?  Do you know what it means to the child?

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Thankful for the Mystery of God ~ Guest Blogging Day

Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
Job 11:7 NASB

We moved to Nevada nearly a year and a half ago now, and quickly I adopted Lake Tahoe as my favorite place in the whole wide world. At first I loved the North shore for the ease of access to the water and the picturesque view across to the opposite side. I quickly discovered the beauty of the South shore too. The vast number of restaurants kept us well-fed, and the shallow beaches made it seem like a perfect haven for my daughter to safely swim. I also fell in love with Emerald Bay and it's mysteriously brilliant green waters. We would often have to drive right on through because it was hard to find parking in such a beautiful area, but when we could stop and snap a photo, we always would.

Then, this past weekend, a year and a half later, we finally made our way to Sand Harbor. Oh my goodness. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity. For a year I'd been seeing post cards and photos of Lake Tahoe and many of the images were taken from a shore which had these flat, grayish-tan PERFECT rocks. The blue lake water would compliment the neutral and graceful appearance of the rocky shore. I wondered, "From where is this taken? How have I never found this place?"

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Don't Stop because Tuesday is Over...The Miracles of Giving Happen Everyday

Image Courtesy of pandpstock001/freedigitalphotos.net

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 

1 Chronicles 29:14 NIV

This past Tuesday was #GivingTuesday which was a day to make a donation to a nonprofit organization, or several organizations--basically, it's a collective effort to encourage end-of-the-year giving at the tail end of a weekend of buy, buy, buy.  I was responsible for a big #GivingTuesday event for a nonprofit organization for which I volunteer; and I'm well aware of the hours I spent trying to prepare our donors and members for our largest collective fundraiser of the year. 

Because I know how much time and energy I put into my own organization's fundraiser, I wanted to highlight another organization which is near and dear to my heart. 

Snappin' Ministries. 

I started connecting with Snappin' about 3 years ago when I came across the blog Comfort in the Midst of Chaos (CITMOC).  It DID indeed bring me such comfort to read scripture, prayer, and testimony of how God works in the lives of other families with special needs.  God has instructed us to encourage one another, and who better to encourage my faith than other parents of children with disabilities and health issues?

I've seen Snappin' provide support for families with gift baskets, gift cards, gas cards, weekend retreats, organized family outings, side by side Bible study groups, on-line Bible Study groups, and on-line church (which is really critical to a lot of families who find attending church difficult due to disabilities and health issues).

So, why am I writing all of this?  Well...simple...I know that Snappin' Ministries is a miracle to me...and I hope that it can be a miracle for you.

Did you know that GIVING can open you up to so many of God's miracles?

• It draws you closer to him as it's an act of worship!  (For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 NIV) 
• It helps you battle your own materialism. (Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV) I personally have found that when I'm in the "I want, I want, I want" mode, a simple donation to a worthy organization (like packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child) satisfies my "shopping" need.
• God blesses those who GIVE!  (Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NIV)
• It opens doors for a miracle.  (Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.  Malachi 3:10 NIV) Our family has seen God make money appear out of no where for us...one time it was in a oil-meter that had run high for years and we had a credit on our heating bill for a few months while our daughter was on chemotherapy.  Did we win the lottery?  NO!  But, did God show us how He is faithful and can do ANYTHING when we are faithful to HIS cause?  YES.
• It is rewarded in Heaven.  (But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20 NIV) Every time you give to the cause of Christ, you are preparing part of your treasure in Heaven.

So, today I ask you to consider making a donation, whatever feels comfortable in your heat, to help an organization that ministers to families of those with disabilities and health issues.  If you would like to read about some of the things they did in 2015, you can find their most recent newsletter here: Snap Shots Newsletter

And, if you'd like to make a secure, tax-deductible donation to Snappin', you may do so Here:

http://www.snappin.org/#!give/c1jxp

Pray:  Heavenly Father, I pray that you continue to bless your ministries around the world.  I pray that you continue to raise up leaders to volunteer their time and that you provide abundantly for their finances.  Thank you for all the ways that you bless us when we give.  Amen

What is YOUR Quest? ~ Guest Blogging Day

What is more, I consider everything a loss 

because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.   

I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, 

but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  

 Phil 3: 8-9 NIV

I'm not sure if you've ever watched the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but one of my favorite parts is when they are trying to cross a bridge and there is a man drilling them with questions before they are allowed to pass.  The man standing guard always asks the person who is attempting to cross the bridge, "What is your quest?"

As parents of children with special needs, we may find ourselves engaged in a daily battle to determine our QUEST, or our PURPOSE in life.  I know that I do!  

I look at ALL there is to do around me…all of the “causes” for which I need to fight; the IEP meetings to attend, the support groups to connect with, the doctors appointments to schedule AND keep, the family and friends who need me and I them!  

Continue Reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

The Audacity of Grace ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image Courtesy of sakhorn38/freedigitalphotos.net

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.  Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV

We are just closing in on the end of Mental Health Awareness Week, and I think this topic is very near and dear to the hearts of those who struggle with mental illness or who are the parent or relative or even close friend of someone who does.  

Can you be saved at one point...having received the Holy Spirit through accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior, but then, (perhaps while suffering from a mental illness), you commit some act which would be judged as a reason to LOSE your salvation? 

Let's face it...we all sin...repeatedly...even after being born again.

Let's face it...we CANNOT, while in these earthly bodies, do ENOUGH good to get into Heaven on our own.

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

Don't You Dare Have Fun!!! ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image Courtesy of Photostock/freedigitalphotos.net

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.

For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

Psalm 33: 1-9 NIV

Sometimes, as parents of children with disabilities and health concerns, we feel like we shouldn't have fun.  As much as we WANT to have fun, we feel as though we would look selfish or calloused if the world saw us having fun when the world knows the condition of our children.

When my daughter had cancer,  we stopped going to church and we stopped getting together with a lot of people, and we stopped traveling to visit my family who lived 4 hours away.  We did all of those things because of the risk of germs that could have dramatically impacted our daughter's health while she was on chemotherapy.

Continue Reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

Self-Diagnosed Panicky Woman with SPD ~ Guest Blogging Day

Waiting for Skillet to perform at Lifest 2015

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

 So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1: 5-11 MSG 

A few weeks back we were at Lifest in Oshkosh, WI.  Lifest is an annual four-day Christian music festival; it's what makes summer "summer," as far as our family is concerned.  We started going 5 years ago, and, despite moving to Nevada last year, we STILL return to Lifest in WI.

Ironically, I tend to have to fight off panic attacks whenever I attend loud concerts.

Weird, right? Why do I keep going if it causes me distress?

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

Stray...

Sunset on Lake Tahoe by Tammie Hefty

And though I may stray,

My faithful God, you are still

Where last I met you.

Inspired by Sunday Scribblings 2 Prompt 85: Stray

www.sundayscribblings2.blogspot.com 

Wanting to be Well ~ Guest Blogging Day

Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”  At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

John 5:3-8 NIV

Do you want to get well?

It sounds like such a harsh question with an obvious answer; but really, it isn't.  We know a lot of people who actually seem more comfortable wallowing in what they DON'T have rather than looking forward and working toward happiness.

Do you want to get well?

We moved to Nevada over a year ago and immediately I fell in love with Lake Tahoe.

But, during the course of this summer, I have decided that Lake Tahoe is not just my FAVORITE PLACE, it is my HAPPY PLACE.  Lake Tahoe is the place where I GET WELL.

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

The Look on His Face ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image courtesy of ImageryMajestic at freedigitalphotos.net

 

 

 

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account 

for every careless word they speak, 

for by your words you will be justified, 

and by your words you will be condemned.  

Matthew 12:36-37 ESV 

As parents, as friends, as humans, we will have to answer questions concerning sin and forgiveness.  Questions like:  If we are covered in the grace given to us through Jesus Christ on the cross, then what is the point of "following the law?"  Why should we even bother to avoid the "seven deadly sins?"  Why should we feel bad about doing ANYTHING that we do? 

The answer is quite simple...

One day, we WILL have to give an account for our actions, and that will be a day we never forget.  I'd like to keep my list as short as possible so that I don't have to look God in the eyes and admit to all the times I've wallowed in sin.

Once, when I was in elementary school, there was a thing called a SLAM BOOK being passed around.  For those who don't know, a SLAM BOOK was a notebook in which each page had numbered lines which corresponded to the same line on the pages that followed.  A person would put her name on the first page; whichever line was the next available, and then, on the pages that followed, she would answer the questions on that page on the same numbered line each time.  For example, I might sign my name on line number 9 and then I would put my answers on the corresponding line on each page; number 9.

The questions varied and were anything from:  "What's the worst thing you've ever done", to "What's your favorite color?".

I, unfortunately, made the poor decision to fill out a SLAM BOOK.

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

#LoveWins ~ Guest Blogging Day

Photo "Silhouette of Bride and Groom" Courtesy of /freedigitalphotos.net

Love is patient, love is kind.  

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs.  
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 
always perseveres.  

1Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV

I was on Facebook a lot this past weekend because it was my daughter's birthday and I was posting pictures and relaying messages to her from friends and family.

Much to my dismay, I was unable to completely "miss" the overwhelming amount of posts regarding the US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.  According to Reuters, "The court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution's guarantees of due process and equal protection under the law mean that states cannot ban same-sex marriages. With the landmark ruling, gay marriage becomes legal in all 50 states." *

I'm not here to debate the topic of same-sex marriage.  

I'm here to talk about the irony of the "hashtag" that accompanied rants from both Christians and non-Christians alike.  

Now, take into consideration that non-Christians will not have to recognize the "scripture" that I quoted above; but CERTAINLY Christians do.  So, I guess I'm addressing the Christians who were bashing the other Christians who weren't celebrating this "landmark decision."

Continue Reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

That is SO NOT You ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image "Footwear" courtesy of Duron123/freedigitalphotos.net

Do not conform to this pattern of this world...

Romans 12:2 NIV

OKAY, I know.  

I have been talking about Romans 12 for a while now, ever since I started to memorize the chapter as my own personal goal toward a closer relationship with God.  

But, gee wiz, does God HAVE to keep taking me deeper and deeper into it so that every week I see more of the scripture coming to life before my eyes???

Today I took my daughter shoe-shopping. 

Continue Reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

Anchors MY Way! ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image "The Old Wooden Anchor on Wood Wall Background" courtesy of cbenjasuwan /freedigitalphotos.net

He has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to him to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now they can know without doubt that he will give them the salvation he has promised them.

This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven, where Christ has gone ahead to plead for us from his position as our High Priest, with the honor and rank of Melchizedek.  Hebrews 6:18-20

What on EARTH???  We couldn't quite figure out WHY it was taking so much effort to get the green row boat moving.  I mean, sure, my cousin and I weren't the MOST athletic girls you ever met; but we could certainly row around the lake as we had it dozens of times before.  

When we made the full loop and were rowing up to the dock, we went to drop the anchor and realized we had never pulled the anchor up!  We had left it down and had dragged it along behind us as we exerted all the effort we had to row that little boat around Owl Lake.  

Don't we often do that with our own ANCHOR that Paul writes about in his letter to the Hebrews?

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

I'm Sorry, Ma'am, Your Child is Broken~Guest Blogging Day

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12: 1-2 ESV

Color inside the lines, brush your hair, don't let yourself start to smell bad, one scribble on the page is not artwork, and don't forget to smile nice for your picture! 

That's what the world wants, right?  

I shrink inside every time I hear my daughter say, "Finished" and I see the scribble of one color across the white paper.  Her artwork.   But it doesn't look like the artwork that MY CHILD should be creating...no, surely she'd be more creative and want it to look nicer, right?

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

"Me-OW," said God ~ Guest Blogging Day

Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

Proverbs 30:8-9 NASB 
 

They look so peaceful when they're sleeping, don't they?

But, my little buddy, pictured above nestled in with his football, no longer wants to sleep at night!  No, Jinxy Kitty; now 13 years old, has decided that he needs to eat at 3 am, if not earlier.  What that means for me is:

• Beginning at sometime between 1 AM and 3 AM, every morning since January, I begin to feel his "gentle" nibbling on my eyebrows, biting on my head, or pawing at my nose.  
• He has also began to pull at our window blinds, so those usually are opened at bedtime in order to ensure they are out of his reach.
• After being fed, he promptly retreats back to the master bedroom; while I, now awake, read for about an hour in the recliner until I nod off again for an hour until my alarm sounds.

I'm tired...I don't go to bed very early, so I'm only getting about two hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

But while others say, "Put him in another room," I cannot; because I KNOW with every ounce of my being that God is teaching me something through this.

He's reminding me that I can do NOTHING apart from Him. 

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

That's What He Said ~ Guest Blogging Day

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:10-11 NASB

My cat has been waking me up somewhere between 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM in the morning since January.  Since I don't get to bed until 10 or 11 at night, that leaves me only a "couple"of hours of uninterrupted sleep for a few months now.  

But, that's a story for next week.

I just needed you to be aware of my state of sleep deprivation so the following story makes more sense.  Today, I want to tell you about the surprise blessing I received this past week by committing to scripture memorization.  

I have stayed on the mailing list for our women's ministry back in WI even though we now live in NV, and a few months ago I saw a message to the women that there would be a scripture memorization challenge for the summer. I thought that would be something fun for me to do while I was off of work and home with Evie over summer break.  

I didn't realize I was supposed to start BEFORE summer, and I was dragging my feet at starting in on the memorizing.  I really had only planned on it when "I had nothing better to do."  

Something urged me to start this past week, however, and I'm glad.  

When I pulled out the program information, I found that we were to start by memorizing Psalm 1.

AN ENTIRE PSALM?  

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

Getting Plugged in to my Power Source ~ Guest Blogging Day

Evie and I praising at Joyful Noise Family Fest a few years Back...

 

Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, 

as I lift up my hands 

toward your Most Holy Place.  

Psalm 28:2 NIV

What is with the people raising their hands?

I remember asking myself this question over and over again when I would attend church with my grandma and grandpa as a young child.  

As an adult, I not only lift my hands when worshiping in church, but I do when we are at Christian music concerts, and I do even when I'm cruising in the car and the Spirit moves me.  

I realized the other night, while worshiping at the Beautiful Offerings Tour with artists like Big Daddy Weave, Jason Gray, Citizen Way and Lauren Dagle, that my hands lifted in praise are EXACTLY the PROOF of "HOW I STAY SO POSITIVE?"

People say I inspire them, and they want to know how I find the energy to do the things I do...Just as a tall tree would work as a conductor of energy from a lightening bolt to the earth, my hand raised in praise of Jesus is my power source.  It IS how I continue to persevere in a world that is so broken.

 Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

Blessed Enough to be Speechless ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image "Mother Giving Hand to Child" Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net

While he was saying this to me, 

I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless.  Daniel 10:15  NIV

A few weeks ago we were at an ophthalmologist's office.  My daughter was meeting this specialist for the first time as she has several eye conditions which include, but are not limited to; aniridia (no irises in the eyes), and glaucoma (high pressure within the eyes).

If you've never seen how doctors measure the eye pressures in children and infants, they typically use an item called a tonopen.  This pen must be placed directly on the eye ball, right where the iris and pupil are located.  The pen takes several readings which reflect how high the pressure in the eye is. 

Because my daughter doesn't have irises, she is photosensitive; meaning, she has extreme sensitivity to light.  She wears sunglasses at all times when she is outside, even if the sun is low on the horizon or behind clouds. 

Keep in mind that my family just moved from the Midwest to the far West under a year ago.  We have become acquainted with all of our new doctors, but don't know them NEARLY as well as we did our doctors in Wisconsin.  Often, I just assume that the doctor knows what he or she is doing; but that's not the best thing when it comes to rare diseases.

For example, when the doctor was trying to check my daughter's eye pressures with the tonopen, she made her tip her head back and stare straight up into an overhead fluorescent light.  It didn't dawn on me to tell the doctor to turn the light off, nor to ask her to dim the light.  My daughter kept closing her eyes while the doctor had the tonopen set on the eye ball attempting to get a reading.  

I watched, silently, as they both struggled to do their jobs:  my daughter was struggling to protect her eye from the blinding light and the doctor was struggling to get a reading as quickly and accurately as possible.

It was excruciating to watch.  

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

What Smells in Here? ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image "Potpourri used for Aromatherapy" Courtesy of Serge Bertasius/freedigitalphotos.net

 ...and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, 

an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.  

Ephesians 5:2 NASB

I've been reading a lot lately about essential oils and their healing properties.  Having suffered from migraines and anxiety myself, in addition to having a daughter with special needs; anxiety, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and sensory issues~I've been attracted to "homeopathic" or more "natural" remedies for some of our health issues.

What's interesting to me is that, just as "too much of a good thing is still too much" with aromatherapy, so it is with our witnessing to others about Christianity.  In the passage above, the Ephesians are instructed to walk in love and be a fragrant aroma of Christ's love and sacrifice. Fragrant is most often defined as "sweet-smelling".  That conjures up images of a SOFT smell, or a LIGHT scent.

With essential oil aromatherapy, one comes to learn that while lavender might be beneficial to those who suffer from migraines, TOO MUCH lavender can also TRIGGER migraines.  

We must be cautious about HOW MUCH is TOO MUCH for certain people...

But how do we know?  How do we know that we aren't going to overdose on evangelism?  How do we know when to stop so we don't push a friend, family member or acquaintance AWAY from us and God rather than toward God.

Continue reading on Comfort in the Midst of Chaos...

Homesick...

We've almost been living out West for a year now already.  Wow...that REALLY went fast. 

In that time, I have been homesick twice...not too shabby, if you ask me. 

The first time it happened was back in January, and the second was today. 


Now, I'm not writing about it to make anyone feel bad.  I'm writing about it because I have thought about WHY I'm feeling the way that am, and I'm writing about it so that others who may TOTALLY get what I'm talking about can know that they were not, are not, and will never be alone.

Here's the thing about moving 1800 miles away from home.  NO ONE KNOWS YOU. 

• No one says, "That's sooooo 'Tammie.'" 
• No one says, "This is a job for Tammie."
• No one says, "If only Tammie were here right now." 
• No one says, "We need someone to paint the sign!  Quick, call Tammie."

Here's the other thing about moving 1800 miles away from home.  NO ONE KNOWS WHO YOU ARE ASIDE FROM BEING YOUR CHILD'S MOTHER.

No one here would call me spontaneous, fun-loving, willing to help, or adventurous-even though I am.  

• Here, they ONLY know that Tammie can't stay too long because Evie isn't comfortable here.  
• Here, they only know that Tammie needs things planned ahead of time so she can prepare Evie so Evie doesn't have a meltdown.  
• Here, they only know that Tammie talks about WAGR Syndrome aaaaaaaaallll the time; but really, that's because everyone in our old hometown has been learning about WAGR for 10 years along side of us; so they don't really have anymore questions to ask in Mount Horeb, WI.  (If you have a child with WAGR and are moving to WI, high-tail it to Mount Horeb...they will have no questions left!)  :):):)  I don't MIND answering the questions...but sometimes you DO feel like it's all you talk about, AND you want people to know that it's NOT the only thing you CAN talk about.

People here don't know what my dream job would be if money and reality were no object.  Easy! Singing and dancing in a musical.  I'd be shuffling off to Buffalo and time-stepping while singing "Meet Me in St. Louis" in a heart beat.

People here don't know that I used to re-write songs using the features and benefits of our new Victoria's Secret bras to train our employees when a new bra was launched.  I'll sing Body By Victoria to "Staying Alive" by the BeeGees for you anytime!   How about English Lace to "Wanna Be" by the Spice Girls?

People here don't know that in my spare time I like to draw and paint.  Do I ever do it?  No, because I have no spare time.

• If you needed an answer to an 80s or 90s trivia question, who is your phone-a-friend?  Tammie.
• If you wanted to take a pole-dancing class, but you didn't want to take it alone, who would you call?  Tammie.
• If you had the urge for Grumpy Troll, you called Tammie.
• If you needed to go shoe shopping, you called Tammie.

I have homesickness figured out.  It's all mathematical.  

When you have lived in the same town for 13 years, you have gotten together with friends for dinner, drinks, movies, Bible studies...etc, a LOT of times.  You can easily miss a dinner or a Bible study and really not feel like you've missed anything.  Afterall, you have been present and accounted for twelve of the last times you've all gotten together.  No.Big.Deal.

But right now, I don't have the NUMBER of times on my side.  AND, I don't have the ability to be present and accounted for as often because we don't have THAT many people to fall back on for childcare.  So, when I can only really BE THERE one out of four times, suddenly I find that I'm JUST getting caught up, and then I miss something, and I'm behind again. 

It's like trying to bring up your GPA when you're failing a class.  Maintaining a higher GPA is easier than raising up from the bottom of the grading scale.  I'm working at it, but it.is.tough.

So, that's my theory.  I haven't been homesick that many times considering how long we've been out here and how far away we are.  But, when it hits, it hits hard.  Realizing that it's a matter of mathematics has actually helped because that means I CAN survive.  I WILL have enough SHARED experiences, eventually, to help me feel like I'm not a fish out of water. 

I guess today, Dory from Finding Nemo would like my analogy.  She would wink at me and say, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." 

Why the New "Full House" may NOT Work for Us~WAGR Wednesday

I'm listening to Evie upstairs... 

It's been a bad 1/2 hour.  Just 45 minutes ago, I was watching her sit in the recliner with her legs tossed carelessly over the arm in a "regular kid" kind of way.  She had her iPad in hand and was watching "Sam and Cat."

"Do you want to watch that on the Apple TV?"  I asked.  

"No, I just want to watch my iPad."  

Ok...no big deal.

        Until...

"Mommy, can we watch "Sam and Cat" on the Apple TV by mirroring?"  

Now, for any Apple households out there, that didn't sound like a foreign language.  But, for those who don't know, the Apple TV allows you to watch things from your iDevices on your TV...you can simply watch the videos and TV shows on there through your iTunes accounts.  That's what we normally do. 

However, what Evie was requesting was a feature called "mirroring" where you can transpose your iDevice screen onto your TV via the Apple TV.  So, either way, you could watch something on your TV that you would normally watch on your iPad.

Except tonight it wouldn't work. 

The iPad was giving us some message about the show being protected and couldn't be "shared" onto the Apple TV.  No problem, right?  Nope.  BIG PROBLEM.  She didn't want to just watch her show on Apple TV...she wanted it MIRRORED!!!

Seriously, watching it ON the Apple TV rather than mirroring?~It would have looked the same, sounded the same, lasted the same amount of time.  It would have been EXACTLY the same. 

But not to Evie.

      Because of anxiety.

            Because of WAGR.  

Because something happened today, or happened over the past two or three days which built up, and built up, and built up into one great big colossal meltdown. 

We went from Snow White dancing 

while the bluebirds perched on her shoulder 

to the girl in Poltergeist spewing vomit 

while her head spun around 

in a split second.

So, this takes me to why the new "Full House" on Netflix just might not work for us.  It may...don't get me wrong.  We'll give it a shot...but, I'm preparing myself for the disappointment.

First, if the entire cast is not there, we will be asked over and over again WHERE the missing characters are.  "Why isn't Joey there?"  "What happened to Rebecca Donaldson?"  "Why is there no Comet?"  As we try to answer the questions we will be missing the entire new episode which will lead to even greater confusion. 

Secondly, the actors, if the same actors return, will have aged and may be unrecognizable.  Did any of you parents out there live through the changing of the Marinas on "Fresh Beat Band?"  You know what I'm talking about!  Let's face it, we KNOW that Jesse and Rebecca's twins won't look the same, and we know that DJ will not likely have married Steve...

Thirdly, they won't all live together.  Even now, Evie watches, with great angst, the episode where Jesse and Rebecca consider moving out on their own.  "Where will they go?"  "Are they going to move, Mommy?"  "Where will Jesse live?"

Ev, you have seen this episode a number of times, 

you KNOW they don't move out.

So, as much as I'd like to believe that the new Netflix continuation of "Full House" will be a thrilling event in our home, I have my reservations.  Evie's brain gets into nervous knots, and the best way to untangle them is with things that are familiar and repetitive and predictable.  Life rarely appeases that need.  But, we try to safely introduce new and exciting things which can eventually become familiar and predictable as well. 

Well, it's now an hour later.  Things are a bit quieter upstairs.  I still hear her crying.  I still hear her trying to talk herself into a comfortable place in her brain.  In the midst of the meltdown I gave her medicine and Daddy has brushed her teeth, given her eye drops.  She's been back downstairs to apologize for hitting me and having a tantrum, because she "really misses Peppa [Pig] and really can't go to bed without watching an episode."  

She's slept in a hotel, traveled hundreds of miles to San Francisco to be examined and have bright lights shined in her eyes, been talked about regarding her vision, been to the cardiologist and had her weight, her heart surgery discussed, been up early and in bed late, and been to school where they are prepping for major testing next week.  I KNOW this kid is under stress.  I wish I could take it all away from her and tell her that she'll never have to worry about another doctor taking pictures of her heart, or her belly, or her eyes...but I can't.  

I can't help but to be there and to let her watch a "Peppa Pig" episode despite her behavior, because it's the best thing for her soul right now~that...a maybe mommy or daddy saying in that "Full House" sort of way:  

I'm there for you, Babe.