May 10, 2011 · 5:13 am

A Day in the North Woods


Last Saturday, our son had a track meet two hours north of our home.

Our daughter was busy, so Doug and I decided to take a road trip to the high school to cheer Josh and his teammates on. We had never been that far north, and it was a beautiful spring day, so  loaded up the cooler, set the radio to 80s tunes, and took off.

Even though it is May, the leaves are only just beginning to appear on the trees.  Even with the lack of green, it was still beautiful.

There is still snow on the mountain tops.

We sure are a long way from south Florida where we lived for five years. 🙂

We made a quick stop at McDonald’s halfway there. The McGriddle… a wonderful blend of salty and sweet…the breakfast of champions:

We arrived just as the meet was beginning.

Josh and his team did very well.  I was able to capture him running back to his team after one of his events:

Getting ready to pass the baton in the relay…

I took one last shot of the track before Doug and I left to head home after the meet…

The clouds were beginning to move in as we headed south…

I asked Doug to stop the car so I could capture this covered bridge…quintessential New England…

Another one…

We decided to stop at a local restaurant in the White Mountains for an early dinner…

We loved this place! The food was delicious and the staff was so friendly…

We have lived in New Hampshire for nearly 4 years now and I would desperately love to see a real live moose.

Unfortunately, this is as close as I have ever been to one:

However, I continue to live in hope. We have had turkeys, deer, and black bears wander through our yard. Surely a moose will make an appearance one day!

By the time Doug and I got home, I was tired but it was a good tired.

After 21 years together, there is no one I would rather spend the day with than my husband. He is my very best friend and I love doing life with him. We never run out of things to talk about and we laugh often.

The pastor who married us counseled us to never stop dating.

We have taken his advice to heart and after 19 years of marriage, we have a date once a month.  He still makes my heart race.

After Josh returned home from the track meet, I took him and Julia to the high school for the Saturday evening performance of Anything Goes, courtesy of the drama club.

This was the scene that greeted us when we pulled into the parking lot:

So beautiful!

The play was very funny and I so enjoyed sharing the experience with my kids.

When I went to bed that night, my heart was so full.

Nothing monumental or extraordinary had happened that day…but it was a day that I got to spend with the ones I love the most in this world. That is the greatest gift of all.

Life is so precious and I try not to take even one minute for granted. Little did I know that in just a couple of hours, I would be reminded how fragile our time on this earth really is.

When you go through an extended trial, such as we have been enduring, all the superfluous things melt away…and life is stripped down to its essence…God and family.

It is a beautiful  brokenness.

As Ann Voskamp writes, “Is this what brokenness really is? A state of wonder? When we are broken, we take nothing for granted  and we are astonished by breath and being and the most simple extraordinary grace. When we are broken, being at all is the wonder, everyday grace is a miracle and we see that this is what is real: everything is a staggering gift.”   

Amen.

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May 9, 2011 · 5:09 am

Midnight Phone Call


The phone rang just after midnight, jarring us awake.

Adrenaline shot through me as I immediately sat up.

Phone calls after midnight are never good news.

Doug handed me the phone as soon as he saw who was calling.

One of my very dearest friends was on the line to tell me that her son-in-law had stepped on a land mine in a faraway war zone and was even at that moment in surgery.

I felt as if all of the breath left my body and I struggled not only to breathe but to comprehend this awful turn of events.

She quietly asked me to pray and I promised I would before we disconnected so she could enlist the same help from others.

I lay back stunned, my mind running in a million different directions.

I have known this young man since he was a teenager when he and my friend’s daughter shared a  powerful first love. Even when they parted ways for a time, I just knew that they would find their way back to each other again.

A  lovely photo from their wedding day sits on my mantle…a happy testimony to my intuition.

I turned over, heart pounding, tears spilling, as I poured out my heartfelt prayers in the dark.

I thought of his wife, a young lady I have known and loved since she was eleven years old. I could not imagine being so far away from my husband as he hovered between life and death, feeling helpless and terrified.

The night passed by slowly and at 7:00, my friend called to tell me that one of her son-in-law’s feet had to be amputated, but he would survive.

Today, he will be awarded the Purple Heart.

This young man is a true American hero and warrior.

This marked his third tour in a war zone. I am so grateful to him and the other brave men and women who serve in our military.

I am also grateful for an all-powerful God who I can turn to in prayer, especially when things look so scary. From a darkened bedroom in the Northeast in the middle of the night, I can enter into His throne room in prayer and intercede for a young man and his surgeons halfway around the world.

Today, my heart will pour out thanks for answered prayer…for a young man who will be safely returning to his beautiful wife and three wonderful children.

I will  pray for those still serving this great country of ours…and for those family members who did not get good news about their loved ones from the war zone and who live with that pain daily.

Most of all, I will lift my voice in praise to our great and gracious God who promises that a glorious Day is coming when all wars and pain and strife and tears will end once and for all. (Revelation 21:1-5)

And I will treasure the gift of  life in all of its beauty.

God bless our troops.

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May 7, 2011 · 6:58 am

Weekend Moment: Mother’s Day


I am a blessed woman.

I have a most wonderful mother.

She has always been there for me with a listening ear, open arms, excellent wisdom, and most importantly, her fervent prayers.

Because of her incredible gift of hospitality, the doors of our home were always open. More often than not, our house was filled with family, friends, and neighbors.  Everyone knew that Mom would greet them with a warm smile and a big hug. (She is famous for her bear hugs…the woman is much stronger than she looks!) 🙂

She sets a beautiful table, is an excellent cook, and if you are invited over for a meal, she will serve you coffee or tea in a Lenox cup with your birthday month on it. She knows how to make everyone feel special.

Once you are my mom’s friend, she will always remember your birthday. Out of the blue, she will say to me, “Today is so-and-so’s birthday.” I will ask who that is and she will say, “Oh, I went to kindergarten with her.”

Given that it has been seven decades since she has been in kindergarten, that is quite a feat. 🙂

She was the beloved wife of my dad for nearly 40 years until his death parted them in 2002. My dad adored her and could not believe that someone so beautiful had agreed to marry him.

Without a doubt, the most important thing she ever did for me was introduce me to Jesus. For that, I will be eternally grateful:

I have always said that if I am half the woman my mom is when I grow up, I will consider myself a success.

One of her greatest joys is being a grandmother.

Josh and Mom in 2009

Julia and Mom in 2004

This brings me to another reason I am blessed. Fifteen years ago, I became a mother to a little boy named Joshua.

Thirteen years ago, Julia entered our lives.

Having the chance to be a mom is one of the absolute greatest joys of my life.

So…Happy Mother’s Day Mom! I love you!!! As Proverbs 31:28 declares: “Her children will rise up and call her blessed.” 

That is what we do to you this day.

And Josh and Julia…I am so honored to be your mom!  I love you with all my heart and I am so proud of both of you!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! 🙂 Treasure the gift of your children.

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May 6, 2011 · 5:40 am

Popping The Bubble


I was talking to a fellow homeschooler about her new church and I asked if her children attend the youth group.

She wrinkled her nose and said, “Oh no. There are way too many public school kids there.”

(Please note that this response is not indicative of most homeschoolers I know).

She then moved on to talking about another subject, but her response remained with me.

It made me incredibly uncomfortable.

Didn’t Jesus tell us to go? (Matthew 28:19)

Those kids in public school need Jesus. They need to know that He loves them.

We began homeschooling because God directed us to do so. It was never part of my plan, that’s for sure. I went into it kicking and screaming and scared to death. But I obeyed…and it has been a tremendous blessing.

However, we didn’t keep our kids in a bubble. That was not God’s intention, nor was it ours. They played with kids in the neighborhood, went to church with kids from both public and private schools, volunteered in the community.

We had zero interest in creating a little Christian community where all our friends were Christians and all our activities centered on church.

It’s real easy to become a Pharisee that way.

In just a few weeks, our homeschooling journey will come to an end. Our son is already in the local high school and our daughter will attend there in the fall. They were ready and it is a good thing.

It is God’s path for our family, but it certainly is not the right path for everyone.

However, one path that is always right for Christians to take is the path that leads us to relationship with the people in our lives: our friends, our neighbors, teachers and students in the local schools, the needy in our community. They have been sovereignly placed there by God and we are commanded to reach out to them with the love of Christ.

Why would you not rejoice that there are public school kids participating in a church youth group?! They are in a place where they can hear the Good News!

Are they perfect? Of course not.

Neither is your child. Or mine.

Nobody is perfect.

We are all in need of grace.

We all need to hear about a God who loves us with an everlasting love, a God who is always reaching out to us, a God who has made a way for us to be made right with Him (John 3:16).

The greatest privilege we have as Christ followers is to be able to tell others about His extravagant, breathtaking love and His radical salvation! We can hardly do that if we spend our lives only associating with other Christians.

Don’t be afraid to pop the bubble…the world desperately needs the message that we have been given the privilege to share.

“Cultural withdrawal isn’t an option. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world…but consider this: salt and light have no effect without first making contact with something. Salt prevents decay only when it comes into contact with the meat it’s meant to preserve. A dark room  cannot be lighted until a lamp is brought in and placed where it will shine…Jesus didn’t invite the world to come to church; He directed the church to go into the world (Matthew 28). This means every Christian is a missionary.”–Tullian Tchividjian, Unfashionable pp. 82-83

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May 5, 2011 · 5:41 am

Pizza and Arnold Palmer


I love the way that Jesus answers prayers.

Yesterday, I had a tremendous amount on my mind so despite  the rain, I grabbed my car keys and an umbrella and headed to the high school track to walk.

On the short drive there, I prayed about my situation and I thought about my brother who lives in the same town. He is one of my best friends and has an uncanny ability to make me laugh, no matter what is going on in my life. I really would have liked his company but I thought he was working, so I didn’t bother to call him.

As soon as I pulled into the high school parking lot, my cell phone rang.

It was Jeff.

He actually didn’t have to be at work until 5:00 that afternoon, so he was calling to say hi.

He knew immediately by the tone of my voice that I had a lot on my mind,  so he told me he would join me at the track. Ten minutes later, he was right there.

We walked for 2 miles, umbrellas in hand. He gave me a listening ear,  shared his ideas on the matter, and of  course, he made me laugh.

My spirits were lifted and my burden seemed lighter.

We said goodbye at the track and I went about my day. Then, before he went to work, he arrived at the front door with a mushroom pizza and a can of my favorite drink, Arnold Palmer Half and Half. (half tea, half lemonade…Arnold’s own invention. It’s delicious. Try it).

I felt so loved…not only by my brother but by Jesus.

As wonderful as prayer is, Jesus knows that sometimes we need someone to come alongside us on the rough days.

Yesterday, He sent my brother to me in answer to my prayer.

The pizza and the Arnold Palmer were added bonuses. 🙂

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May 4, 2011 · 5:48 am

Pressure


“Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of a great opportunity.”–Michael Johnson

I needed to read this quote today.

I received some news this morning that unsettled me and caused fear to crash into my day like a car shoots through a storefront window when the driver confuses the gas with the brake.

On such a beautiful sunny day, these storm clouds within were most unwelcome.

Then, in God’s providence, I saw the above quote and it spoke to my heart in a powerful way.

So…the fear has come, the situation is scary…what is my opportunity here?

It is simply this: to make my feelings submit to the timeless truths of God’s Word.

There are 365 days in our calender year…and I have heard that there are 365 “fear nots” in the Bible…one for every single day of the year.

Fear only has a chance to be a part of my day if I allow it to.

I am choosing to deny it access.

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated)…Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give you…do not let your hearts be troubled; neither let them be afraid (Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled). —John 14:1, 27, Amplified version

Every time fear tries to worm its way back into my heart, I will meditate on this verse and allow His peace to eclipse and decimate the fear.

Not only will I deny fear access, I will choose to focus ONLY on today. There is nothing I can do to change the past and I am commanded by Jesus not to worry about the future (Matthew 6:34)

My opportunity is to fully live this day, to be completely present, to focus on the blessings that my gracious God has given to me within this 24 hour time frame.

My opportunity is not to allow shadows and ‘what ifs?’ to intimidate me.

My opportunity is to rest in the certain knowledge that my God will fight for me.

My opportunity this day is a huge one: to believe my faithful and good God.

My opportunity is to accept God’s invitation to  fully rejoice in Him.

This is an opportunity to live what I believe.

I will accept the challenge and by His grace, I will live this day in victory.

“My feelings should be an indicator of my situation but never a dictator of my reaction.”–Lysa Terkeurst

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May 3, 2011 · 5:29 am

Gone In 30 Seconds


Over the weekend, I saw an interview with a former coal miner who survived the monster tornadoes that raged throughout the south last week.

He shared that everything he had worked 50 years to accumulate was “gone in 30 seconds.”

30 seconds…and everything he owned was obliterated.

There was a time when hearing something like that would have sent a cold shiver of fear up my spine, but not so much anymore.

Over the past several months, I have gone from clutching my possessions and happily adding more… to holding them with an open hand…perfectly willing to let them go.

Clearly, that didn’t happen overnight.

Shortly after my husband’s job was cut, everywhere I turned, I heard the parable of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-26). This mystified me, because Jesus often speaks to me in themes. So, I know I needed to pay attention,  but for the life of me, I couldn’t imagine why in the world He continued to highlight that particular portion of Scripture.

First of all, I certainly wasn’t rich. And I would have no trouble selling everything I owned and following Jesus if that is what He asked me to do.

Or would I?

Through a long process, Jesus opened my eyes to that fact that I was just like the rich young ruler in that I loved my possessions.

I wasn’t even fully aware of the fact that I had the “Jesus AND….” syndrome.

As long as I had Jesus AND my stuff, I was happy.

I had a consumer mindset. God had blessed us financially as Doug’s salary continued to increase. So, our lifestyle matched our salary. When we heard of a need that someone had, we did all we could to meet it…but  in all honesty, our primary concern was our comfort. If we wanted something, we bought it. Our houses  got bigger with each consecutive move and we continued to buy whatever we wanted.

Until the fat weekly paychecks stopped and the economy tanked.

Sometimes God will do whatever it takes to get our attention.

Two months later, a dear family friend died and I flew to Pennsylvania to attend her funeral. While I was there, I went to church with my mom. That morning, a missionary  from Cambodia was speaking. He related the harrowing truth that several Vietnamese girls in that country are sold into the sex trade by their desperate families for $300. They then led a horrific life and were often dead of disease or suicide by the age of 25.

In response to this great evil, his organization started a school in that area for all children. Time has proven that when these girls are educated and taught a trade, their families no longer need to sell them in order to survive. The vicious cycle is stopped.

However, this work is almost entirely dependent on the giving of others.

With tears forming in his eyes, the missionary asked, “People of God, what are you doing with the resources He has given you? Do you spend it all on yourself…or do you give to a world that is in desperate need?”

I was rooted to my chair and my heart began to pound. I knew without a doubt that God was speaking to me. The light was beginning to go on.

On the plane ride home, I began to read Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan and by the time I finished that book, the light bulb had turned into a spotlight that God used to shine directly into my heart.

Truly, for the first time, I realized that none of what I had was mine. 

It’s ALL His! All of it! (Ps. 24:1)

I am an owner of nothing.

I am simply a steward.

When I stand before Jesus at the end of my life, what will I have to show for how I handled the money that had been entrusted to me…a bunch of stuff that I left behind…or eternal souls that were helped through what I gave them?

It was as if a veil had been lifted and my eyes were opened to a world in desperate need. I discovered Compassion International and we began to sponsor a child. I read David Platt’s book, Radical which completely turned my world view upside down. I was filled with a strong desire to give all I could.

It was so ironic that I came to that realization when I hardly had anything to give; when I did have money to give, I spent most of it on myself.

Still, Jesus taught me that it is not the amount I have  that matters…it is the desire and condition of my heart.

I looked around at all the stuff that I just had to have in my previous life…and it didn’t mean anything to me anymore. So, I began to give it away…a process I am still continuing to this day. Those things no longer have any hold on me

My eyes had fully been opened to my true treasures: a God who loves me and my precious family.

I need so much less than I thought I did.

There is so much freedom in that!

My heart is no longer wrapped up in the stuff of this world.

My heart is consumed with Jesus…who fills and overflows every empty place.

I desire to be His hands and feet in my corner of the world…giving as He directs me to give  with HIS resources. My first thought is no longer, “What can I buy?” but “What can I give?”

So, if all my stuff was gone in 30 seconds, I would ultimately be okay…because my focus is much more on the eternal than the temporal.

And the joy is immense.

“There is nothing better than giving up everything and stepping into a passionate love relationship with God, the God of the universe who made galaxies, leaves, laughter, and me and you.”–Francis Chan


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May 2, 2011 · 5:33 am

Pittsburghese


I was very blessed to grow up in Pittsburgh, PA.

It is a wonderful place and in this post, I alluded to the fact that it has a language all its own. It is called Pittsburghese.

I never thought I had any kind of accent until the day my friend Heather called me when we were living in Rhode Island and said, “Susan! I just heard a caller on Regis and Kathie Lee and she sounded EXACTLY like you!” It turns out that the caller was from my hometown and she did sound just like me!

If you ever visit, it’s important that you know the language of  the natives…so here goes:

Steelers = “Stillers”

Downtown = “Dahntahn”

If you want your kids to clean up their rooms, you say, “It’s time to ‘redd up’ your room!” (My kids still make fun of me every time I say, “Okay, it’s time to redd up the house!”) 🙂

Speaking of house, it is pronounced “hause.”

Did you eat yet? No, did you? = “JeetJet? Nodju?”

Pittsburgh = “Pixburg”

Soda = “pop”

Giant Eagle (a local grocery store) = “Jynt Igle”

Out = “aht”

Northside = “Norseside”

(This one is for you, Ida Mae) : Iron = “arn”

She makes me say “iron” then collapses into a fit of giggles every time. 🙂

And…my all-time favorite:

You all = “Yinz”

I love my hometown.

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April 30, 2011 · 8:19 am

Weekend Moment:Field Trip to the Fire Station


Back in 2001, we took Josh and Julia to visit a local fire station.

These heroes were opening up their station to the community for the day and the kids were thrilled to have the chance to actually see the inside of a real fire truck and the station.

Josh was happy to pose after his tour of the truck:

He spent most of the next month pretending the house was on fire and he was single-handedly able to save us all. 🙂

When I look at these photos, I cannot believe how small the kids were…particularly when I look at them today:

Josh in blue and white at his first track meet

Doug and Julia when she performed with the choir at a Peter Mayer concert

Time marches on…the kids’ dreams change…and I treasure every moment.

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April 29, 2011 · 3:09 am

The Grass Isn’t Greener


My daughter Julia and I will be one of the billions who will be awakening at 4:00 a.m. to watch the royal wedding on Friday.

I did the same thing thirty years ago when Lady Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles.

I was sixteen years old and I took in every single second, totally captivated by the beautiful princess who was only three years older than I was.

I remember trudging off to my part time job at Meisner’s Pharmacy later that day, lamenting my boring, middle class life compared to Diana’s exciting, glittering existence.

Little did I know what later years would reveal: that Diana was married to a man who was in love with another woman. Despite her beauty, wealth, and glamour, her life was one of sadness, despair, and emptiness.

The grass is never greener, no matter what we think.

This is what I plan to discuss with Julia as we watch:

*Don’t waste your life wishing you had someone else’s.

*Ask God to open your eyes to see all the beauty in your own life.  You are a unique, one-of-a-kind person, the likes of which the world has never before seen…and will never see again. (Ps. 139:1-6)

*Earthly royal blood may not run through your veins…but you are cherished, loved, and adored by the King of Kings (Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 8:38-39).

*The world may not breathlessly watch your every move…but your God sees you and is constantly thinking of you (Genesis 15:13 ; Ps. 139:17-18).

*He celebrates you every single day (Zephaniah 3:17).

*And what is coming one heavenly day for the Christ follower will make all the pageantry of the royal wedding look like an impromptu party in a church basement with paper plates and plastic cups (I Corinthians 2:9).

That being said, we will enjoy the pomp, the glamour, the beauty, the dazzling jewels, the clothes, the tradition. Julia is looking forward to being able to tell her kids that she saw the wedding live, just as I got to see Diana’s.

Here is hoping that William and Kate will have a much happier marriage than Charles and Diana did.

I think they will.

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