So what is silent mode, really?

I am not easily distracted as a rule. I have a houseful of over active children and can tune in to my favorite blog or show with relative ease, or tune out alot of random ticking-talking-tapping as the need arises. But sometimes, there are some things that are just so annoying that they cannot be ignored.

Am I the only one who can hear a vibrating phone?

Like in church, when the owner so carefully made sure it was in "silent" mode (thank you!), but has it in a belt holster towards the back of their waist and it ever so regularly goes off and the little shivers travel the entire length of the row of chairs. I am not so sure if I can hear it or feel it, so that is my wonder if I may be the only one bothered. I know others must be aware of it, but perhaps they are able to tune it out and my ability to avert distraction does not cross over into this realm of annoyances. I know it doesn't bother me any where else. Only in church. Perhaps it is a device of the wicked one. I don't know.

I do know that I will be driven mad by the sound of a rattling tie down strap on the car. The outside of the car, that is. This is especially fun because it is not noticed until the car reaches max speed, which is usually on the highway. Not always the easiest-not to mention safest- place for me to insist that my hubby stop the car and FIND.IT.NOW and take care of it. I usually manage to guise my need in the cloak of "I think that strap end has a metal tab on it and it really should be secured down because it might whack incessantly in a really bad spot which might do quite a number on the paint job", which is true, but absolutely not my motive. That falls under the category of recognizing the differences in myself and my husband. While we both want the same thing done, it is usually prompted and driven from very different things.

By the way we are going camping next week, so I am sure the previous paragraph was a result of some inner knowledge that this will likely happen very soon!

And I am safe to say that I should not post late in the night. These ramblings are best for my own little mind! Perhaps you would like to add my hubby to your prayer list?!

Get the "L" out...

I am a Rochestarian, and as all people born and bred here with a penchant for all the nonsensical jingles we so love, I wanted to write the lyrics to one...

"No L,
No L,

No L. P. G. A. ! "

It is corny and meant to get people motivated for some ladies golf thing... you can so tell I am not a golfer!

But it makes me think about another L. The L that makes WORD into WORLD. Because if we could get it out, and make there be "No L", and we would be so much better to just have The Word!

So what are some L's we need out?

How about Lies... like the ones we believe from the wicked one.

How about Laziness... enough said.

How about Lust? or Lasciviousness? or Larceny?

Yeah, we would all do well to get out some L's and just have the Word.

Random thoughts... I know.

And They're Off!

Josiah and Levi are off to camp for the week and I am so curious as to what my home will be like for the next six days! I am sure I will be very ready for them to come home by Saturday, but I think they will wish they could stay there for another couple of weeks!

Mt. Lou San is a Christ centered, God preaching, fun-time-having camp in PA. I cannot think of, in my memories, any place the Lord got a hold of my heart at a young age more than at camp. So many things bombard kids. And especially in the early teen years (my boys are 13 and 14) it seems that is when they will make decisions for Christ or for the world. While at NYC (... I know... I will post on NY! I am still recovering from it all and need to have a clear head for it...! ) I met a young man who was 22 and his testimony was... at 14... he was exposed to drugs and the partying lifestyle and it looked so much better than his current goody-two-shoes, hypocritical family. Now I am not saying that describes our family, but kids see things the way they want to, and our family may not stack up favorably in their eyes compared to whatever the lure of the world! The wicked one has one goal... to destroy my children! We pray and do whatever we can to prevent that.

This is possibly the last summer we will spend in our quiet Suburban setting and that thought has rattled in my head more than once these past few weeks! Though Deputation is at least 12 months away, we are living in preparation all the time. In our heads we think of all the things we should be and slowly are doing, and in our prayers we ask God to be ever leading in our actions and also prepare the trail for us! We also think of how it will physically flesh out. Will we travel North first? Or maybe go south in the fall and then head back here? Where will the Lord have us to go? So many questions! And...the fact that I am a little glad to have the house quieter for the week goes in direct conflict with my previous comments on how I will be so happy to have the whole family spending time... a lot of it .... together on Deputation.

I would like to say I am obeying the verse in whatsoever state I am in and being content...!

This cracked me up!!

First let me tell the bad news.

I rented a DVD at RedBox, and in my unhurried and ever-in-the-present fashion... left it in the cart, in the parking lot, at Wegmans, Latta rd.

If you are reading this and happened to be the one person in the hundreds of possibilities that found it... please watch it... enjoy it a few times... and then return it ! PLEASE!

Can I also ask that you don't don't preach and say this is God's way of punishing sinners who watch movies?

Back to my story... leaving/losing/forgetting it caused me to have a Google moment and check out redbox.com to learn their policies. You have to know that even though I checked the little "I agree" circle, I really never read a single word of what I was agreeing to and had absolutely NO IDEA of what kind of punishment and/or penalties I was facing for having been so careless and losing the afore mentioned DVD.

Now the "good" news...

I've got to tell you, it was all almost worth the the trauma- if not the $25.00 I will have to pay- just to read their comically and yet still professionally written FAQ and other policies.

Go ahead! Click here and here and read a little for yourself! I think they do this intentionally to lighten the burden of their patrons, myself included, because amids my tears of sorrow over parting with my money, I really have a good feeling through it all.

Well, almost good.

Certainly not terrible!

I'm just dreaming...

I have so much to say... and not even a minute to type it all down!

If I had an i-pod touch my life would be so much easier...

Lessons from Wallpaper

Though I have never papered an entire room, I recently watched one being done. No, really, it was a sight to behold! I was so amazed at the painstaking detail and time it took to slap a few pieces of vinyl stripety apply paper onto the wall. Let me tell you, a person must really LOVE the job, or as was this case, the walls would have to be so much more than terrible that no amount of paint could ever help, because it took HOURS! Let me also tell you- a gallon of paint and one... maybe two hours, and the job could have been done! And I am even talking a faux-looks-like-wallpaper-any-how finish! More on techniques another day...

Well this paper girl did love the job, and was drawing down to the final stretch... less than one wall to go. Now mind you, she had done her best calculations what with being just a home school mom and never professing a degree in engineering, and was getting a little panicked after wall #2 1/2 wondering if there was enough to complete the job. But she persevered, and got down to the last full sheet of paper. There was a little more than a doorway with a thin, long edge on both sides to finish. As she began to roll up the final sheet, she casually said..."this was the first piece I cut!" I just looked at her and thought about that.

Now I am not a real avid wall paper rights activist or anything, but what if that little, left and forgotten sheet of non-repeating patterned paper sitting on the bottom of the whole pile had feelings, and began to feel a little more than disgruntled at the fact that he had been cut first, and every other piece had been waiting a LOT less time to be used than he did. And you know what else, the razor that cut his edge was new and very sharp, and his edge was THE. MOST. STRAIGHT. and not the least bit shredded! How dare Miss Paper Girl ignore him until the very last possible moment!

What if to make matters worse, he had the ability to act on his disgruntled state, and leave the job site. Forget that one little piece of paper was not enough to do a whole room! Forget that at best he might be used to paper a particle board room in some ungrateful child's doll house, or at worst, just discarded as completely unuseful and never used at all.

Well, you know what? If it were not for that last piece, the job would not be completed the way Miss Paper Girl had originally envisioned. And you know what else, there were about four other sheets that would have to be pulled OFF the WALL because they could not be used and have only part of the wall not done. Paint would have to be applied to the (much less than perfect!) wall, and the job would -though done- always look a little less than hoped, like there was just not enough to finish it right.

So... why the title?

Aren't we sometimes like that last piece of paper?

How dare all our skill and talent not be used when we see fit, in the exact manner we imagine, and at the most visible and publicly applauded arena! And in that mind set we take our measly self out of "the plan", only to be used in some second, third, or no rate way. Sometimes, not used at all and it was all because we thought we knew better than the master planner, God himself. And how many others might we affect in our lack of patience that may have to be "pulled down", because we were to be the final piece to the picture, and without our obedience, others suffer.

While I still don't love wall papering, I may never look at it the same way again. Oh the little things that God uses to make a big impact in my life!

I am still here...

I know I have been suspiciously absent from the blogosphere. All is still well here, if not a little busy some days, and well, just plain lazy on others! (All of my laundry is done... does that count?)

Plans are full speed for the trip to The Big Apple. We have 30 teens vs. 7 adult chaperons. I use the vs. because it seems a little stacked on the side of the students. We are being optimistic here, though... and begging for prayer! The week should be, to say the least, very interesting! I am the representing "Mom" of the group. This should prove very educational for all, what with my natural giftedness in nurturing and mothering skills. (The fact that we have older children who put on a front of being fairly well and adjusted is certainly a testament to my amazing husband!!)

Speaking of Dan...he is also full speed ahead experimenting with bio-diesel. We now have a large metal can, an industrial blending attachment for a very powerful motor, and a small and unsuspecting remote airplane engine in which to test the concoction of used Olive Garden frying oil, lye, and some wood alcohol.

I really think we need to step up the replacement value on the renters insurance.

"So would this policy cover accidents? Any minor explosions or chemical mishaps would not otherwise negate the policy, would it?!" ... " OH why, you ask? We are a home schooling family. Yes, that's it!"

Dan also met with Dr. Bob... so NSBI is looking like completion will be May '09. Do you all think we should have a combined graduation party for Olivia and Dan? Not so sure I would have liked to share my party with my dad... oh yeah, I didn't have a graduation party. Never mind my thoughts on it... (Wow! I thought I was all good with that by now! ) HA!

I will end for now. I am sure you are thinking "Jan do us the favor and if the week proves to be like the past one please just don't blog... we will all be better off." Maybe I will just post with the title "warning" or something for future reference. Maybe I should just change the whole blog to "warning"!

Have a great day!