Teaching.

The lull on this blog has been for lack of time lately. The last two weeks have been pretty busy. But, they’re busy in the best way possible! We’ve entered summer camp time and I’m having a blast!

I was asked to direct the skits and choreographies for both children’s camps (January) and teen camps (February). I had three days to teach 6 kids the three skits for children’s camps. I had those same three days to also teach two separate groups the one skit and two choreographies for teen camps. I had one hour one morning to teach the skits that we’re using for two of the Bible lesson introductions. Do I really have to say we didn’t get it all done?

The group doing the skits for children's camps

During one practice, I halted the whole thing and ended up rewriting the entire monologue and having a friend translate it and cut/paste the music and tomorrow we’ll record the guy who’s going to read the monologue. And then, we’ll practice it for the first time this Thursday. And two groups have to learn it.

During another practice, we ended up changing the technical aspects to it and making it much more simple than the original idea.

Last week camps officially started. We had 84 children from ages 6-12.

I had the privilege of teaching about 45 of them every morning. The lessons this year are on the life of Gideon, who is one of my personal heroes. Tuesday, they learn that God has sent us a Permanent Savior, unlike the Israelites who never had just one final judge to save them. Wednesday, they learn that God has chosen them for a very specific purpose, no matter where they have come from or what kind of background they have, like He chose Gideon. Thursday, they learn that we must have faith and trust that God will be with us, like He was with Gideon even though Gideon lacked faith. Friday, they learn that God has the ultimate victory in whatever battles we have in our lives, like He won Gideon’s battle without them even needing to fight.

Monday morning, I had three children accept the Lord as Savior and Friday morning, I had two more. Praise God!

Friday was a blast teaching. We acted out Gideon’s battle and the kids did a great job, blowing trumpets and yelling at the top of their lungs. The kids did a great job paying attention on Friday (probably because they were all dead tired!).

Friday evening, I was the one who gave the application at the bonfire. I’ve never done anything like that before (much less in Spanish), so I was a little nervous. But, God just calmed my heart and I was able to challenge the kids to make decisions. So humbling seeing these children come to the bonfire and throw their sticks in, symbolizing the promises they’re making between them and God.

Today, our second week began. My husband has been working on the playground here doing some repairs and he said he had to yell at the kids more today than he did all last week! Some showed up hours early and we caught them in the sewer behind our house (uck). We also caught them stealing watermelons from our neighbor’s field. OH my. It’s gonna be a long week. We have over 100 tonight and more arrive tomorrow. I’m nervous. It’s like teaching kids from Brooklyn, the Bronx, and inner city Philly all in one week.

So, if you think of it – pray for me! I had to say three words up front tonight and I messed up one of them and I had over 100 children laughing at my Spanish. Humbling, yes. Intimidating? Oh you have no idea. I can just see them losing it on me if I mess up on my Spanish this week.

At one point this week, I was frustrated with some outside elements and I was nervous about teaching. I stood in our bedroom window praying and I actually prayed, “God, where is my help?” My eyes were drawn upward and there were the mighty mountains outside my window and I knew – “I lift my eyes unto the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord – the Maker of heaven and earth!” My goal this month is just to be an empty vessel. I know I can’t teach well in Spanish. I need the Holy Spirit to just use me and speak through me.

And that – that right there – is the entire lesson of Gideon. “Go in the strength you have” and let God win the battle for you.

Before you go read the story of Gideon (Judges 6-7), which I know you’re about to, feel free to read the monologue I wrote for teen camps. I’ve put it under the tab “My Writings.” But, please do not use it as a monologue without my written consent.

 

Training the Little One.

Elena is now 15 1/2 months old and we’ve been working on potty training for the past couple of months, believe it or not. We are by now means experts and I don’t want to remotely come across that way. But, I wanted to share what we’re doing just to throw the ideas out there for what it’s worth. The longer I’m a parent the more firmly I believe that there is no cookie cutter method for anything you do with your family. I had originally planned on following the method where you take like a solid weekend and ALL YOU DO is potty train and then you’re done. But, my husband had other ideas and, well, he won.

My husband is absolutely awesome with our daughter. He grew up as the 2nd oldest of 5 boys and he basically raised his youngest brother (who’s still only 14). One of the things he did with his youngest brother is help potty train. I, on the other hand, have never potty trained anybody! I gladly defer to him!

I’m gonna get a little graphic here, so if you don’t have kids or don’t really wanna talk about the bathroom…   stop reading now. Fair warning. 

Most methods have you begin with teaching your child to go pee on the potty first. However, if you’re a parent, you know that it’s much easier to know when you’re child is going #2 than when they’re going #1! There’s faces, noises, and, of course, smells that go along with it. It’s so simple to know when your child needs to go #2 AND there’s time in there to rush them to the potty, whereas with #1, about the time you think they need to go, they’re done.

So, just one day my husband decided he’d make Elena just sit on the potty when it looked like she was getting ready to do #2 and he’d see what happened. Well, she went! She wanted to get off immediately and see what had happened! She flushed the toilet and was just thrilled with herself. From there on out, my husband got into a routine with our (very regular) daughter. They would sit on the potty in the morning before he went to work and again at lunch, then again sometime before bed. She began using the potty at least once a day and if we were lucky, two or three times a day.

Another thing that’s popular is to reward your child with M&Ms or cookies or something when they go potty. Elena has gotten treats twice for going potty. The rest of the time, she’s perfectly happy with getting to flush and waving “bye-bye” to everything in the bowl.

Now that I’m not in school and I’m home with her consistently, I make her sit on the potty fairly often throughout the day – after naps, after meals, before bed, before baths, etc. She’s peeing on the potty much more often, although by far not every time. However, thanks to consistency, we haven’t changed a poopy diaper in a solid three weeks, if not closer to a month.

The hardest part is keeping her entertained while sitting on the potty. She takes a long time sometimes and it’s just sitting there on the toilet. She gets bored pretty much instantly. Now that we’ve bought her one of those kiddy seats that sits on top of the toilet, it’s a lot easier to keep her entertained since we don’t have to hold her up so she doesn’t slip into the toilet! So, we keep a supply of easy to play with toys in the bathroom – bath toys, simple books. We also let her play with the toothpaste, a cup, a comb – random items in the bathroom. It keeps her totally happy and about the time she gets bored, she’s done!

Brian has also taught her how to push. Now, this is honestly hilarious! We tell her to push and she leans forward and goes, “Ehhhhhhh” and her face gets all red and she pushes as hard as she can, but she makes the noise like that! Then she laughs and laughs when it actually works! Oh, it’s a riot!

I am not a believer in having the potty seat and carrying it with you from room to room. I have no desire to have to  clean the seat, for one. But, I also think it’s good for the child to get used to sitting on the toilet itself. We’ve taken Elena to people’s houses and she’s fine with sitting on toilets not in her own house because she’s used to it. She doesn’t need the kiddy potty seat to use the bathroom. I also think it shows that you can take your time with your child to sit in the bathroom with them and set apart time to be with them and help them – not just merely plop them down on a portable seat so you can keep working.

Consistency is so key, though. At the beginning, if we were lazy with it for a day or two, it took us three or four more days to get her back on track. But, now that we’re in a routine and we keep an eye on her, she’s doing just fine and we’re well on our way to

I am 100% positive that this method won’t work for everyone. But, to sum up, the things we’ve learned that I thought I’d pass along are:

• Starting with teaching the child to go poop on the potty first is a heck of a lot easier. You can tell when they’re going so you can stop them and make them run to the bathroom (which stops them from finishing so they can go on the potty). The sensation of a bowel movement is a lot easier for the child to recognize (and hold off) than a urinary movement. Plus, they (at least Elena) think it’s fun to hear the “sploosh” and they really do know that something came out of them and something is going bye-bye in the water.
• Be consistent. Especially if you start with them going #2 on the potty and your child is fairly regular, it’s pretty easy to know when to sit them on the potty. Start with times like shortly after waking up, after meals, and before bedtime. Then branch out to before and after naptimes, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and early evening well before bedtime.
• Keep toys and gadgets on hand to play with in the bathroom to keep them distracted and to make sitting on the potty fun, not a chore.
• Make the “reward” for going simple things – flushing the toilet, washing their hands, clapping and cheering, hugs from parents. The bigger deal you make of it, the more they’ll want to do it because they enjoy the attention.

Our big accomplishment today: Elena went with her daddy on a trip to the store and drank a bunch of juice and had a snack while they were gone. Brian checked her diaper before the trip home and she was dry. She got home and I made her come to the bathroom just in case and wouldn’t ya know it, she went pee on the potty. I got to put back on the same unused diaper. It felt like such an accomplishment.

So there ya go. For what it’s worth – our humble theories on potty training!

 

Always interesting.

Elena moved into a “big girl bed” early December. Brian built the frame then took the boards out of her crib for the bottom and used her crib mattress. Voila. Adorable and versatile. He’ll take out the end piece when she needs a longer bed and just extend it. [My husband's a genius. But, we all knew that a long time ago, right?] She has not fallen out of her bed and it’s really low to the ground, so I’m not horribly concerned about her getting hurt. I do have a blanket next to her just in case since our upstairs floor is still plywood.

Around 1:30 this morning, though, something happened. To be honest, we’re not sure exactly what.

My perspective: I heard a thunk, then Elena screaming. Then more thunks, Brian is out of bed, Elena is wailing… So, naturally, I started to scream. I screamed like somebody had come to kill us in our sleep, ran around the bed, and finally managed words – “What happened?! What’s wrong with Elena?! Is she okay?! What’s going on?!” And I turned the light on.

Brian’s perspective: Something roused him, he jumped out of bed without thinking, and realized something was at his feet. Then, he started coming to and realized the “thing” at his feet was actually his daughter! He didn’t want to step on her, lost his balance, and fell into the closet wall – the whole time with Elena and myself screaming and crying.

What we’ve pieced together: Either Elena fell out of bed and her crying woke Brian up, which in turn woke me up (the initial thunk I heard being her falling out of bed). Or, she was sleepwalking and when she finally came to, she fell (the thunk) and began crying. Or, she had crawled out of bed and was sleeping on the floor, then woke up and realized where she was and the thunk I heard was Brian jumping out of bed. We’re leaning towards #2 because tonight, she actually did sleepwalk! It was a little creepy. We’re watching her sleep and we notice she’s just tossing and turning constantly, but she’s sound asleep. Then, all of a sudden, she gets out of bed, very carefully, and goes over to her books that are stacked near her bed. Brian’s standing right near her, but we decided not to say anything to her. She looked at her books, then turned around and began to walk away and then it was like a switch went on and BAM she fell and began screaming. Eery. So, Brian’s theory is that she got out of bed and poked him in the face like she always does, then fell when she finally woke up.

We’ll never know.

But, Brian did fall into the corner of the closet wall. He sliced open his hand pretty deep (it’s been bleeding all day) and he sliced open his head. So, not only did we have crying, scared baby and shaking Mommy, we had a bleeding Daddy who wasn’t completely sure why he was bleeding! Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep last night. I managed to fall asleep closer to 4; Brian said he and Elena didn’t fall asleep until more like 4:30.

Yup, always interesting here! 

 

Perspective, Plans, y Prospero Año Nuevo.

A word on Perspective:

Yesterday, we were in a poorer area outside of Lima doing some shopping for Brian’s maintenance projects. We needed to pick up some groceries, so we stopped in at a new one of these:

We were almost done shopping when Brian leaned over and said, “I don’t want to shop here anymore.” I couldn’t figure out why until he explained: we were the only ones in the entire store with a shopping cart full of items. Everyone else had one or two essentials. We had… a cartful. And we’re white. Ah shoot. We were almost done, so we thought we’d just hurry up and get out of there and never return when, naturally, we saw someone we know. Not just someone we know. Someone we work with. And all of a sudden, our full cart stood out like a sore thumb next to their shopping cart that had maybe four items in it. I wanted to crawl into a corner and hide. We knew the items in our cart would cost more than they probably earn in a month. We hadn’t shopped for anything unusual or unneeded, either. And then I looked at their cart… and I looked at mine… and I thought… “What is really needed?” We checked out and were given little gifts from the store because we’d purchased so much stuff. The sad part? We hadn’t even spent our grocery budget. Oy vey. Humbling. And you know what? Our monthly salary is not something we could even live on in the States it’s so low. And yet… we’re RICH here. You want perspective? Go overseas to a third world country just once. It’ll change how you view every single thing you do – down to your weekly grocery shopping. 

A word on Plans…

I’m not on Pinterest (nor do I desire to be!), but I saw this posted on someone’s blog and I love it. Love it! Love this idea. [have I mentioned I love this?]

Postcard Calendar Journal

I’m going to invest in 3×5 cards and other cute little papers and have Brian help me make a box and I’m going to do this starting in January (or…thereabouts). The idea: write down one thing that happened each day of the year, but keep the cards for the following years, so you can have a fun, little, simple family journal at your fingertips. I found this the day after I found myself thinking, “I need to journal more!” Cha-ching. I can so do this.

Thoughts on el Prospero Año Nuevo:

Christmas has come and gone… far too quickly, as usual. We had a lovely Christmas – we dragged it out all day long and ended really celebrating Monday evening. I found myself thinking, “Oh, Christmas in the future with a house full of children is going to be a blast!”

This weekend, we’re going to celebrate the New Year Biegert style. This is the one tradition that has remained steadfast for 7 full years and we’re not about to break it this year. We love (love, love, love) spending New Year’s Eve at home. I know, it’s a party night, but in the States (where this tradition originated – in Brian’s family), there are lots of drunk drivers out and it’s freezing (note: *freeeeezing*) cold. So, Brian’s family came up with the idea of each member of the family picking out a movie they’d like to see and getting junk food they don’t normally eat and staying up as late as possible. I think it’s a great tradition so we have kept it in our family, too. This year, Brian has found 5 new movies. I am making homemade salsa (my version) and eggplant pizzas. We bought chips and I’m going to make a pumpkin roll (Brian’s new favorite dessert). Should be fun! What are your plans for the new year?

¡Feliz Navidad (atrasado) y Prospero Año Nuevo!

For those interested, here’s my version of quick salsa:

5 small tomatoes (chopped – keep the juice). 1 aji (hot) pepper (ribbed and diced very small). 1/4 red onion (diced very small). Mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Either grate in a fresh clove of garlic or use a splash of garlic powder. Dash of oregano. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour, covered. The longer it sits, the more juice you get and the more the flavors blend together. Enjoy!

 

Forever a New Insight.

I make it no secret that my favorite authors are Brock and Bodie Thoene. I love their World War 2 series (what’s the plural of “series” anyway? Serai? Serieses?), but I almost love more their A.D. Chronicles. I’ve mentioned them here before – they’re so worth your time to read. They put a whole new spin on the time surrounding Jesus’ life here on earth. They are Jewish history savants – I have learned so much about the Jews and have such a deep, deep respect for them from reading these “simple” (I use that word ever so lightly) novels.

To celebrate Christmas, I dug out the 4th, 5th, and 6th books in this series.

They are all focused on the births of John and Jesus, from the angel coming to Zachariah in the temple to Joseph and Mary’s flight to Egypt and the murder of all the baby boys in Bethlehem. I tell you, you will never read the verses about “Rachel mourning for her children” the same again after you read these books. The description of a shepherd’s wife named Rachel hiding in a well with her baby boy while listening to babies being slammed into concrete above her head will forever be with you when you read those simple, quick verses in Scripture.

I know I used to never really think much about the political climate surrounding Jesus’ birth until I read these books. It was not a sweet, pretty time in the history of the nation of Israel. King Herod was evil and insane and paranoid – not a good mix. The Romans didn’t really care about the Jews and crucifixions were rampant. You dared not speak your mind about King Herod or talk about the future coming of Messiah for fear of those being the last words you say.

The book has some interesting thoughts. Some of them are most definitely true. Some could be – I, personally, haven’t done the research to know if they’re true or not. However, they very well could be, so I think it gives us a bigger imagination of what the surrounding events could’ve been like. Here’s a few examples [stuff in blue are things I'm not sure are true or not]:

• Herod had the genealogical records of the Jews burned by his henchman, then decided he needed the records again, so that’s why he ordered the census. 
• All the stars (constellations) and planets have Jewish names. [This I do know: Jewish astronomers used to read the stars to get signs from God.] In the book, the Magi are astronomers from Persia who are reading the stars and the turning of the planets and in doing so, they read a sign from God that the Messiah has been born. It’s not just a single star, but a whole meshing of planetary objects that have come together to showcase the birth of the Son of God. [It goes along with the verses in Psalms about the heavens themselves declaring the glory of God.]
• The father of Joseph the father of Jesus was a man named Jacob. Joseph the father of Jesus was told in a dream to take Mary as his wife. He is compared frequently in the books to Joseph, the Dreamer of the book of Genesis, whose father was also Jacob (Israel).
• Joseph and Mary had to go through 9 months of Jewish festivals, knowing all the while that these celebrations that point to a coming Messiah were in the process of being fulfilled – yet they really couldn’t say a word about it!
• A few months before Jesus’ birth, during a festival, some of the Jewish rebels tore down a statue Herod had put on top of the Temple. This caused a riot and massacre of hundreds of Jews. Herod crucified even more who were involved in the destruction of his statue.
• Basically every word in Scripture in Hebrew has a meaning. And the meanings all point to the coming of Jesus as Messiah. For those Jews that were truly seeking Christ, they could’ve easily pointed Him out when He arrived – prophecies were crystal clear for those who were looking.

The book uses a lot of Hebrew words and it explains a lot of Hebrew Scripture, which I find just fascinating. God used Hebrew for the Old Testament for a very specific purpose. You can say so much in Hebrew with just one word. A cool example is this:

The first word of Torah [the Hebrew Scriptures - our Genesis] is? BeRESHiYT which is 6 Hebrews letters: bet, resh, alef, sheen, yod, and tav. The whole word means: “in the Beginning.” But, if you take the letters apart, you get: Bet Resh – Son. Alef Sheen – foundation. Yod Tav – who. Bet Resh Alef – created. “… son… heir of the Father…from foundation…who…created…So, you see, within the Hebrew word In the Beginning is also the identity of the Creator. He is The Son. He is The Heir. He has existed From the Foundation. He is The Word. The Creator. The Son and Heir is one in being with Elohim…” 

The first word of the Bible and look what treasure it holds! Isn’t our God amazing?

And to think – this God came to our earth as a tiny baby. What wondrous love is this?? What an amazing God we have.

Merry Christmas.

 

Favorite Tradition.

So, my favorite family tradition that we do at Christmas is our ornament tradition. I heard an idea on the radio once during our first year of marriage that we have followed since – and I love it! The concept is simple:

Fill your tree with memories – not just ornaments. Every year, find an ornament that commemorates something that happened during the year – more specifically, something that God did for you as a family over the year. This way, each year when you unload your ornaments and decorate your tree, you can remember the things God has done for you as a family over the years.

This will be our 7th year Christmas together and hopefully tomorrow we will find our “ornament of the year.”

Here’s what we have for the last 6:

2005: 1st Christmas Together!

2006: Our 1st Home (we purchased a house that year)

“]

2007: Fred the Snowman. [We thought this was our last year in the States, so got Fred to replace our light-up, lawn snowman, Fred, that we gave away.

“]

2008: Homemade Umbrella [Our last Christmas in the States and we had NO money. Good friends make ornaments every year and this was the one they gave out that year - a remnant of our last Christmas in the States.

“]

2009: Jorge, el hombre de nieve [Our 1st Christmas in Peru, so what better way than to celebrate with a Peruvian snowman bought at the local market?

“]

2010: Elena's 1st Christmas [Again, we were poor. So, we found 10cent ornaments at Michael's while home on our 1st furlough, and I painted 3 of them, one for each of us, with our initials.

See the trend? I love snowmen. I’d be perfectly content to decorate my tree with red and silver balls, snowflakes, and snowmen, with all these fun ornaments. Oh wait, that’s more or less what I do!

My goal this year is to start getting Elena her own ornaments. I think this is another great idea – each child gets their own ornament each year and then when they get married or move out on their own, they have their own little start-up to decorate their own trees. I think that’s really a special thing to do and I’m excited to start that with Elena this year, on top of our family ornament.

I am definitely a believer that Christmas should be full of memories, not just rote traditions. I can’t wait to do Advent with Elena. Brian didn’t grow up in a Christian home, so that concept is completely foreign to him. But, I remember my mom had an advent wreath and each night during December when I was little, we’d do something for Advent around the dinner table and we’d all take turns rearranging the nativity set (complete with wooden camels my dad brought home from Israel). Unfortunately, my nativity is still boxed up in the States (how come there is never room for it?!).

the nativity that's packed safely away in PA

I would love to get one like this:

Just a simple, plush set that Elena could play with and rearrange without fear of breaking and then have the nice one set up somewhere as more of a decoration.

I have so many ideas for Christmases future! I have to keep reminding myself to live the Christmas now and enjoy this time with Elena. She doesn’t quite understand (naturally), but she does know she loves the Christmas tree and makes sure everyone who comes into the house looks at it. She goes over to them and points at the tree and goes, “OOO!!!” until they acknowledge the pretty tree in the corner. She’s doing really well and not playing with it. I can’t wait to see her expression Christmas morning when we put all the packages underneath!

And for your viewing pleasure… Fred the Snowman we gave to friends when we left SD. This was the only light-up thing outside our house – it wasn’t tacky or large or obnoxious – it was just right. Ah, Fred. I still miss you. You’re even covered in beautiful Christmas snow. sigh.

 

Termine.

Done! Over! My 3rd year of teaching in Peru is finished! Phew.

Yup, that’s my little peanut right in the middle of my students. She thinks she can say the verses, too.

The year ended… okay. It didn’t end great, but it ended well. Now, I look to next year! Seriously, is a teacher’s work ever done? Someone came to me this week and said, “Well, I suppose now that you’re done with school you have absolutely nothing to do right?” Heh. Wrong. I actually found that comment offensive… but I think it was meant to be slightly rude anyway. My school materials for next year get here on December 17 (courtesy of the team coming – the one I vented about in the last post) and I’m so excited about seeing all the new stuff.

This summer, I need to:

• Organize all the new school materials.
• Put the school back together.
• Repaint two walls and paint a mural on a third wall.
• Do lesson plans for my 5th grader.
• Come up with devotional plans for the year for my older kids.

I was able to go to a brunch yesterday with a bunch of other American missionary women – most of whom I’ve never met. It was so refreshing! Just perfect timing. One of them offered to meet with me and go over some game plan strategies for teaching my dyslexic student. A couple others told me about a girl visiting from South Africa who is here for a year and looking for a teaching position and opportunities to do ministry. I will meet her on Sunday and hopefully offer her the opportunity to come help teach in my school! I’m praying this works out. Regardless, it makes me think that maybe, out there somewhere, is someone who’s willing to come help!

 For now, though, I have determined to make myself take a breather and enjoy some time with my little girl. I’m loving – absolutely soaking up – spending my days with her. She’s such a stubborn little goober, but I love her to pieces and I’m enjoying being her mommy 24/7 instead of feeling like she only gets me half the time. Just for this month, I’m going to take a break and just focus on my home and my family. December seems like a good month to do so, don’t you think?

 

Blurb. blurb. blurb. blurb.

Just a lot of blurbs in my brain tonight. I know I won’t be able to sleep unless I put them somewhere…

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Can I just vent for a minute here? A team is coming to “help” on the 19th of December… through Christmas Day. They fly out… from our airport two hours away… on Christmas Day. They are around for the last four days of a solid two week outreach campaign – one that’s being rehearsed for now and will be like a machine by then. I have no clue what their motive is for coming at such a random time. I have no clue how they’ll fit in or even who will be chauffeuring them around and making sure they’re all okay. There’s already talk of how all of us who live here will be “required” (I say that loosely.. stuff like this is never really “required”, but “greatly frowned upon” if not done) to celebrate Christmas with them on the 24th. Sometimes, I just don’t get teams. I think they forget that Americans aren’t the only ones who celebrate holidays, have families, and make plans. I think they forget that even though the time frame is convenient for them (although, when is a bunch of teenagers/college kids coming over Christmas break convenient?), it still means all of us here have to drive them around, feed them, make sure they have a good time, and include them in things that are set up back in November. If I sound bitter, I’m really not. I appreciate teams coming down, I’m just confused as to the timing of this one and wish beyond BELIEF that there was better planning for stuff like this. I could go on and on, but I won’t. I’ve probably said too much as it is. 

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I finished today teaching my little girls their science class for the year. We talked more about traveling to the moon and all the different planets. I feel like I’m just now getting a taste of how huge our universe is. There was a picture in our book that was taken by the Hubble Telescope. It was just a panoramic view, all black, with these little, blurry white dots. The book said that every single one of those dots – more than we could count – were galaxies – the same size as ours and bigger. What in the world. I just can’t even wrap my mind around that! I keep reminding the girls that no matter how huge the universe is, God still holds it all in the palm of His hand – and He knows our names! I’ve said it enough now that when I ask them, “And Who made all this?”, they both hold their hands out, palm up, and say, “God! And He holds it all right here!” That conversation always ends with one of them saying, “I wanna see God!!” so sweet. 

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I got a new book from Sonlight in the package my mom sent down with our friends. I SO HIGHLY recommend these books – go — go right now and get them! Genius books. They’re called “Zero” and “One” by Kathryn Otoshi. “Zero” is the story of the number zero. He thinks because he’s empty inside that he’s worthless, so he tries to be like the other numbers. Then, one of them says he’s not empty – he’s whole. Right in the middle. And with him, the numbers can count more. Together. The other book, “One“, is a metaphor on bullying. All the colors stand up to red and end up realizing that they all can make a difference – but it all starts with “one.“These books are so cool. The graphics are unique – even how the pages are written is fun and interesting. The stories are simple – no long, wordy books. And the messages are extremely clear. They open up a lot of opportunities to discuss the lessons and the books look interesting enough that kids will want to keep flipping through them and re-reading them. Genius. Only downfall? I wish I’d thought of them myself! I love metaphorical stuff like this. 

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I have to speak in Spanish Friday afternoon during my kids’ program for their parents and friends. I feel like I’m doing fine in Spanish… until I speak in front of my students. I’m 100% positive they just like the fact that they’re on the other side of the correcting and can correct my Spanish for me. But, a few of them laugh at my mistakes and one of them just makes me feel stupid. I know, I know, they’re kids. But, kids are the most honest critics, right? 

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I started working out a few weeks ago. I’m trying to work out almost every night, at least as often as possible. I’m using my Wii Fit (probably the best investment we’ve made in a long time) and loving it. I have been horribly depressed about how I look lately, though. Just rock-bottom, pit-of-despair depressed and I know that’s wrong, but that’s how I feel. I’m sick of how I look and I just feel like everyone else notices how awful I look and judge me for it. What really gets to me, though, is that no matter how much I work out or how well I eat, nothing ever changes. My stupid dead thyroid took with it my metabolism. I know I will never look how I did when I was 17 – especially not with a dead thyroid and a post-baby body. But, I just wish I looked… nice. 

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I love receiving newsletters from our missionary friends around the world. One of my favorites comes from Brasil. We have friends from Bible school who are married, have three kids, and are working in Brasil (where she grew up). They are making videos (in multiple languages) that walk you through the entire Bible. But, they are also teaching Bible clubs and working with slum kids. Their stories are so cool. Cool enough that some days I want to drop what I’m doing here – teaching Christian kids – and go work in the slums of Brasil! It’s just so cool to hear them say, “And this little girl, whose dad died by being shot 9 times two weeks ago, is excited about receiving her first Bible.” Oh the stories they have. It’s really neat. Ever want to be truly encouraged and challenged, read newsletters from missionaries actively serving the Lord. 

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I’m sucked into the X Factor. We’re at least a few weeks behind the States (but I’m not sure how long it’s been airing up there) since they talked tonight about “next week is Thanksgiving.” So, don’t spoil it for me! However, I must say, as much as I enjoy watching these people sing for 5 million dollars – that lifestyle doesn’t interest or tempt me at all. I am perfectly fine being poor, living in South America, and not even famous enough to have a big blog following. “In all these things, I have learned to be content.” So, more power to them. Glad I’m not one of them.

Blurb Over.

 

Christmas Thoughts.

About five years ago, someone back in South Dakota had a personal soapbox. She told every Christian she knew, and even some she didn’t, exactly how she felt. She would even go to the extent of telling people she didn’t like their Christmas cards. Her soapbox?

You must leave Christ in Christmas. You cannot, under any circumstances if you’re a Christian, say “Happy Holidays.”

Hmm.

Part of me, at the time, agreed. I mean, it really felt like so many places were going to extremes to take Christ out of Christmas and turn everything into holiday celebrations. Holiday parties. Holiday songs. Holiday food. Holiday cards. Yes, there is definitely a trend to take Christ out of Christmas. I won’t deny that!

However, I almost always write the infamous “Happy Holidays” on my Christmas cards and think nothing of it. I’m including in there Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, and never thought twice about it being sacrilegious or morally unethical, like our friend back in SD. I wonder how many of my cards she’s thrown out over the years? 

Then, I saw this on Facebook yesterday:

…and I felt it wrapped it all up quite nicely.

I think Christians tend to get on soapboxes about things that, well, don’t need so much attention. Of course the world is going to do their utmost to take Christ out of His own birthday celebration. Of course the world wants to change why we celebrate Christmas and turn it into something dirty and selfish. We really can’t change that.

What we can change is

ourselves.

We can change how we act. We can change how we react. Do something different to show the world that Christ is still in your Christmas! They can take Christ out of the schools, the stores, and the songs. But, they can’t take Him out of your home, your families, and your heart. Invite people to Christmas activities at your chuches. I know our home church does something special each Sunday during December – and I’m sure they’re not the only one who does that! Invite people into your home Christmas morning or Christmas Eve. Host a Christ-filled Christmas party at your house. Help your kids to see the importance of giving at Christmas, not just getting.

There are so many ways to keep Christ in Christmas – who cares if commercials, stores, and even schools are taking Him out? Remember God wants us to love Him because we want to, not because we’re forced to. 

Be Christ this Christmas. And don’t worry about everyone else.

Happy Holidays – all of them – everyone.

 

Thanksgiving Food!

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and food! Of course. What do you serve for Thanksgiving? I love hearing how people across the country do Thanksgiving differently. Here’s we did it – on the east coast with my family and then in the midwest with Brian’s: 

• Turkey – duh. East Coast: My mom rarely put the stuffing inside the bird and she never bought a fancy bird or did anything fancy to it. Just a plain ol’ bird, roasted in the oven since early morning Thursday. Midwest: My mother-in-law is the queen of cooking cheats. She would go to the deli and ask for thick slices of turkey breast. Then, she would heat the turkey in her giant slow cooker, either with a little bit of water, or with gravy in the bottom.
• Stuffing – hands down, the best part of the Thanksgiving meal! East Coast: My mom was very traditional with her stuffing – no nuts, nothing fancy, all homemade, and later as we got older, she even stopped putting gizzards in it (phew). Midwest: Stove Top. All the way. I have to admit, that doesn’t bother me in the least. Just talking about Stove Top makes my mouth water.
• Potatoes - the one part my sister could eat all day long. East Coast: Homemade mashed potatoes with homemade turkey gravy. Midwest: Same thing, but with canned gravy.
• Sweet Potatoes – YUM. East Coast: Little bit of orange juice, cinnamon, sugar, salt, with melted marshmallows on top, baked until hot with gooey marshmallows on top. Midwest: I’m not sure Brian’s family knows what to do with a sweet potato.
• Green Bean Casserole – classic. East Coast: Traditional – no change to the classic, old recipe here! Why change a classic?? Midwest: I always made it for my in-laws. I don’t think they’d had it before I came along! But to me, how can it be Thanksgiving without green bean casserole?
• Salad – so many options, so little time. East Coast: Normally, we had a green salad and a jell-o salad of some sort. I don’t think we ever had the same jell-o salad twice growing up. Midwest: Salad? Must be somewhere with the sweet potatoes…
• Rolls - OH. MY. WORD. Fresh bread will be in heaven. I promise. East Coast: My mom makes these heavenly rolls every year for at least Thanksgiving and sometimes for Christmas, too. It’s a recipe from my great grandma and it makes the whole house smell absolutely amazing. They are the perfect thing for leftover turkey sandwiches. They’re golden and crispy on top and flaky and buttery inside. A ton of work – I think my mom spends an entire making them – but they’re so worth the effort. Midwest: Like I said, my mother-in-law is the queen of cooking cheats. At Brian’s home, it’s brown and serve rolls or crescents from a can. But, for all the non-homemade-ness, they’re still fresh bread and you won’t find complaints here!
• Cranberry Sauce - so good when smeared all over the turkey! East Coast: Normally, just from a can. Why mess with it? [Growing up, I always thought my mom stood in the kitchen and made the lines herself before serving... I didn't know it came from a can until I was like in high school - no joke.] My mom has made it from scratch a few times, but we all so greatly prefer the canned stuff, she decided she didn’t need to waste time! Midwest: Canned. Of course.
• Pies – what is Thanksgiving without pie?? East Coast: All homemade. Mom starts baking at least on Monday and always has a big variety depending on the crowd. If all of us are home, she tries to make everyone’s favorite. We have been known to have pumpkin, pecan, apple, and blueberry at the same Thanksgiving dinner. Midwest: Lots of pies. None homemade. Until I showed up. hehe. I always made the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. The rest – apple, blueberry, chocolate – were all store bought.
• Drinks – gotta have something to wash it all down! East Coast: Cranberry juice mixed with Gingerale was the special drink we always have. [I tried to get that this year, but it was just too much money since we were buying expensive pecans as well. Bummer.] Midwest: The best drink ever – sherbert with 7Up. You take whatever flavor sherbert you’d like, put a few scoops into the pitcher, then cover with 7Up (or is it Gingerale?? Shoot. I could be wrong. I am almost certain it’s 7UP, though). So good.

So, what will you be feasting on this year?