Apparently lots of people needed to find their snow legs.

This little clip from the local paper shows that I wasn't the only one having a little trouble with the weather on Tuesday. There must be some happy medium between the hype and needless closings we frequently saw in Atlanta and this:

A little snow causes 650-plus traffic accidents in Wichita area
Source: Kansas.com: Local12-11-2008 6:32 PM
The first winter storm to hit Wichita this season delivered less than 2 inches of snow to the area -- but more than 650 accidents.
Authorities didn't hide their frustration Wednesday.
"It was a tougher storm than we thought it was going to be," Kansas Department of Transportation spokesman Tom Hein admitted. "Twelve inches of snow is probably easier to deal with than that was."
While Tuesday's snowfall total was meager, north winds gusting above 40 miles an hour reduced visibility and kept reglazing streets and highways that had just been treated.
Many motorists seemed to pay no attention to the weather at all, Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Roger Baughman said.

Trying to Find my Snow legs!

Yesterday was kind of exciting. Monday the high here was around 60, but the forcast for Monday night was a cold front moving in and the arrival of some snow. Sure enough, shortly before I left for work on Tuesday morning, the temperature had dropped to about 28 degrees and the snow was beginning. I was a little nervous because it's been a while since I've really driven in this stuff. Once the snow started, it came pretty steadily and accompanied by a strong and steady wind, with gusts up to about 30mph - that part I'm definitely not used to! Anyway, I usually only work 1/2 day on Tuesday, so when I got to work I asked if it would be ok to email the files I was going to work on to myself and work at home - permission granted with a little snicker at how concerned I was about the weather. I left work at about 10:30, thinking to myself "I used to drive in this stuff all the time, I should be fine". Well, 12 years of living in a city that shuts down at the thought of snow had made me a little rusty. Trying unsuccessfully to stop for a traffic light that was turning yellow and literally sliding through the intersection and the turn as the light turned red got my attention, quickly. I gripped the wheel and SLOWED DOWN. I drove about 25 mph the rest of the way home, paying close attention to the traffic lights ahead and making sure I had little or no momentum when it was time to stop or turn. Thankfully I made it home without anything else to raise my blood pressure again! Later, I had to take Kim to her class. The roads were quite icy, and the news was reporting about 300 accidents (mostly very minor fender benders) around town - but only a little cancellation of events or activities. Driving Kim to class felt like living in a world moving in slow motion - the roads weren't too crowded (but not empty either) and EVERYONE was driving about 20-25 mph and leaving PLENTY of space between travelers. I guess with a city this size, no hills, no blind curves, life can go on in this weather - just in slow motion! Atlanta most definitely would have been completely shut down! We only ended up with about 2 inches of snow. I'm not sure I completely understand how the roads got so bad (in my opinion, anyway) so quickly - must have something to do with that wind. Anyway, with temperatures getting down to about 14 degress over night, the roads are still pretty icy this morning and since schools are not cancelled, neither is my bible study - so I guess I'll leave plenty early and crawl along with everybody else to my morning destination. Fortunately it's only about 2 1/2 miles away, and it's supposed to be sunny and warmer today, so the roads should be better by the time I come home. I used to laugh at the way Atlanta shut down so easily, but I'm scratching my head a little wondering how a city that supposedly gets a lot of this kind of weather this time a year doesn't do more to take care of the roads and yet seems to carry on with life despite conditions that allow 300 accidents! I guess I need to carefully work on getting my Snow legs back!

My 30 Favorite Things About Kansas

OK, so it took me almost 5 months instead of 30 days, but I have finally compiled my 30 favorite things about my new Kansas home. It has been a great exercise at a needed time – this time of being past the newness and busyness of moving, but not really feeling a part of this community yet can be a difficult and lonely time. So, focusing on the positive – here is my list!

1. My double rainbow – seen out of the apartment the day the moving truck was scheduled to arrive, it’s memory is my constant reminder that we are where God desires us to be and that He has a purpose for us here. You can check out this post to see the whole story: http://gettingtotheheartland.blogspot.com/2008/07/kindling.html.
2. The flowers in my new yard. When we arrived in July, my backyard was in full bloom, it was fun!
3. Sitting on my patio on summer mornings and not getting eaten by mosquitos.
4.Crisp, clear air – less pollution and less smog along with less humidity make for noticeably clearer air.
5. Evenings on my patio with almost no mosquito bites – I had a couple by the end of the season, but I could still sit with my family and enjoy a meal and a relaxing conversation without being driven inside by mosquitos – something I have NEVER really experienced before.
6. Traffic – or the lack thereof. A Wichita traffic jam is at most not getting through a traffic light in 2 cycles – I have never sat through more that 2 cycles of a traffic light here, and even that is very rare.
7. My herb garden. Frost has destroyed it now, but I had a nice little square in my inherited garden where chives, oregano, rosemary, and a large basil plant grew – right outside my back door!
8. The Summer wind – I thought I would really hate it, but it was a welcome thing in the heat of the summer. Now Winter wind – that’s a different story!
9. Cultural opportunities that we actually take advantage of because they are fairly inexpensive and easy to get to. We have been to a musical, a symphony concert with and Irish ladies band, the art museum, the science museum, the botanical gardens, and even a chili cook off in downtown Wichita!
10. Chocolate pie – one of my new neighbors brought a chocolate pie to our door to welcome us to the neighborhood – YUM!
11. Getting around Wichita – the flat landscape allows for straight roads – set up in a very logical grid system makes navigation very easy!
12. Being able to see a long way. I have really come to enjoy the vista that a flat, relatively sparsely treed landscape provides.
13. The Flint Hills – these rolling hills are the closest thing Kansas has to mountains, and they have their own, special kind of beauty. Because of the geography they are pretty much treeless, but from the top of one of the higher areas you can see rolling green (in summer) beauty layed out before you – I have never seen anything quite like it, and I really find it quite beautiful.
14. Wind Farms. These fields of rows upon rows of windmills set on the rolling hills are really quite fascinating.
15. The stars at night. The clear air mentioned in #4 along with a little less light pollution (in some areas anyway) than Atlanta, makes for some pretty good stargazing. And I love gazing at a starry sky.
16. Being 2 ½ - 3 hours from IHOP (International House of Prayer) in Kansas City. I’ve only taken advantage of it once, but I like knowing it’s there, and I will be back!
17. Taking walks on the golf course – we have to do this during non-golfing hours in the early morning or in the evening – and those are really quite pleasant times!
18. The Great Plains Nature Center – literally about 3-4 miles from my door, a great place to enjoy the great outdoors in the unique nature of this area, and to take some great photos.
19. Average folk. It seems that there is less focus on “keeping up with the Joneses” here than in some places I have lived. I like that.
20. Meeting some of my neighbors while standing in line to vote at 5:45a.m.
21. The bike trails around town. Again, our flat terrain makes for easy bike riding, and there are several paved trails around town. I have always enjoyed bike-riding.
22. Watching the seasons change out of my own kitchen window. I “inherited” a pretty well planted/gardened yard, and I am grateful to the previous owner for doing such a great job of picking plants and trees with such great seasonal interest!
23. My Maiden Grass. One of my favorite plants I have been watching out my window is my Maiden Grass. It started out in July as a relatively non descript but not un-attractive clump of green grass, then in late August it developed these beautiful purplish plumes which now have become beautiful silvery feathery crests that dance gracefully in the wind – beautiful!
24. My 10-15 minute drive to work. I know I have already listed the traffic and the ease of traveling in Wichita – but my 10-15 minute drive time to work means extra time for quiet time (or for sleep). My commute time for the 7 ½ miles to work in Marietta was at least 30 minutes, usually more!
25. Knowing that if I needed to, I could walk to the drugstore, the tea shop, the grocery store, a wine shop, the dry cleaners, church – they are all a mile to a mile and a half away from my door. Haven’t taken advantage of this yet, but I like knowing I can.
26. The opportunity to serve the less fortunate. Yes, I know the opportunity to volunteer and to serve were available to me in Marietta, but for some reason I have taken advantage of the opportunity here and I didn’t in Marietta.
27. Christmas Lights. Haven’t seen this in full bloom yet, but apparently one of the things Wichita is known for at this time of year are it’s light displays. I’m excited and interested to see what that means – in fact our office Christmas celebration this year includes riding a party bus around town to see the displays. I’ll keep you posted.
28. My Veterinarian. Nick has had some special needs since we have been here, including losing a toe to a cancerous tumor. But he is healthy now, and I really like his Vet. (I’ve also found a loving, caring groomer – Yay! – But I still miss Holly).
29. My Patio. Well into the fall we were able to take advantage of our outdoor living area, which is nice and large, partially covered with the ability to block most of the direct sunlight, and graced by the sounds of our fountain. It’s really one of the main things that sold us on the house, and we have enjoyed it.
30. And last, but certainly not least – and maybe actually my most favorite – We are in driving (yes, it is an 8 hour drive – but still a drive) distance to the Colorado Rocky Mountains – we have done it twice already!

So that’s my list!!!! Like I said, sitting down and doing this has been good for me. What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving! So, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you – we miss you but we are grateful that we have so much to be thankful for!

My Favorite Thing about living in Kansas .....

Back in July when we first moved to Kansas, I started a list of favorite things about my new home. I never really finished it, and no, that's not what this post is about. However, i have decided what my number one favorite thing about my new home is: being in driving distance of the beautiful Colorado Rockies. I think I aluded to that fact last month when Kim and I went to check out Colorado Christian for the first time. Well, we went back for a long weekend this week so she could spend the night on campus and so Steve could see the school. And now it is official, my favorite thing about living in Kansas is Colorado!

Maybe I will finally finish that list and post it soon. There really are things I like about Kansas, too.

Shut Up, Get Over Yourselves, and Start Talking

As I have pondered the political process these past few weeks, and as I have struggled to make some sense of my own views and frustrations, one thing has been consistent: our nation's polarization is it's biggest problem. As a committed Christ following citizen, and as a parent trying to hear the heart of a child, it has been frustrating to watch and experience as I myself have gotten caught up in this wave. It has been the struggles closest to me that have made me realize (with the help of a couple of co-authors of a book - "Common Ground" by Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel) that the majority of Christ following voters on both sides of the political divide really have common beliefs and goals: the sanctity of human life, reasonable access to healthcare, equal access to a good education, relief of poverty. But as long as we get swept up in the tide and behave like the polarized politicians representing us, all we accomplish is making a lot of noise, and we do a great deal to tarnish our witness. As long as the unbelievers among us see us going right along with the loudest voices - accusing each other of sympathizing with baby killers or of being greedy, uncompassionate powermongers, they won't be seeing Christ in us. I believe what we really need to do is to be still and know that God is God, to seek and listen to His voice and His Word, and then - as I heard on Grey's Anatomy last night, we and our politicians really need to Shut up, get over ourselves, and start talking to find solutions.

Conquering Generational Curses!

My lovely daughter, with the patient prodding and help of her wonderful husband, is learning to conquer the chaos. Yes, she has inherited the curse of clutter from both of her parents. I tend to like to hide my clutter in drawers and closets, but it is still there! Anyway, she and her hubby conquered the piles of her clothes in their bedroom and got them ALL folded or hung and put away! I am so proud of her! I was also inspired by the video on her blog on how to fold a t-shirt - I tried it, it worked, and it was really easy!! So, I thought to myself - I wonder if I can find a video to teach me how to fold my fitted sheets - I am frustrated by that task every time I try it and usually just end up kind of wadding the thing up and flattening it out - doesn't make for a very neat looking closet. I was so excited when I found several videos on YouTube- so I watched a couple of them and now I am the proud owner of a neatly folded fitted sheet in my closet - after 49 years I have a neatly folded fitted sheet - and it was really pretty easy!! YAY!

The Mountains Make My Heart Sing!!!!!

Kim and I went to Colorado to check out Colorado Christian University this past weekend. We had a great time, and yes, Kim loved the school! I just can't describe the feeling I have when I am in the mountains - the most I can say is that they truly make my heart sing! We drove on Thursday (yes, Kansas is in driving distance of the beautiful Colorado mountains - definitely one of my favorite things about living in Kansas), visited the college and played a little on Friday, played all day Saturday, and drove back home on Sunday. The drive takes about 7 1/2 hours - 8 when you add meal and potty breaks. Broken into 2 1/2 hour segments it is kind of like this: the 2 1/2 hours between Wichita and Hays, Kansas is kind of pretty with the farmland and some rolling hills and a really cool and extremely large windmill farm;



the 2 1/2 hours from the Colorado border to Denver or Colorado Springs is pretty as you see the plains begin to roll and then the mountains to pop out; but the 2 1/2 hours in the middle is some of the most boring driving and landscape you can imagine! - FLAT and nearly Treeless and not particularly colorfull. Right after lunch on Thursday that middle segment seemed nearly impossible - lunch in my belly and a perfectly straight, flat, boring road made my eyelids kind of heavy! Thanks to my IPOD and some great music and podcasts, we made it!

I think Kim has posted about the school, so check her blog out for that. http://kimjoythoughts.blogspot.com/

I will just add that it really did seem like a place where a diverse group of young adults are seeking to learn and live the christian life in an incredible Christ-following community. I like it for Kim.

After visiting the school, we drove down to Colorado Springs to play on Friday afternoon and Saturday. We hiked in a park called North Cheyenne Canyon Park, drove to the top of Pike's peak, walked around in amazement at the Garden of the Gods -a park which was given to the city by a family fulfilling their father's wish that the area be "forever free to the public" (It was really incredible) and basically just enjoyed being in the mountains! We also got to shop at Whole Foods Market (one of the places we really miss here in Wichita) and even ate our dinner there Saturday night with a spectacular view of the sun setting over the mountains. Did I mention that I love the mountains? Colorado Springs was really a neat place, and yes, we did drive into the parking lot of Focus on the Family - just to see it, but we didn't make time to go to the visitors center (it was already closed when we drove through the parking lot).

So, that was our weekend adventure. And by the way, I really love the mountains : )

Just a quick update

Since it's been a little while, just thought I'd put a few words on here. We just spent an awesome weekend with our sweet eldest daughter and her wonderful hubby- they flew out here Friday night and back home this afternoon. It was SOOOO good to see them and spend some great time together. It had been a little strange for Elaine to never have seen the place her parent's now call home - so now she has a point of reference when I tell her about sitting on my patio, feeling the Kansas breeze on my skin and listening to the sound of my fountain - and Keith figured out the grid system that makes Wichita so easy to get around really quickly!!! We had a pretty busy weekend - walked the nature center early Saturday morning, then on to Old Town to check on the farmer's market (pretty slim pickins - getting toward the end of their season), then on to Wichita's Chili cook off for lunch. We tasted lots of chili, and only had to dump one sample in the trash can! Then back home for a little rest and some dinner before heading on to the Wichita Symphony for a performance with Cherish the Ladies for a really fun evening. Elaine, Kim and I headed back to the nature center to take pictures this morning before church, and squeezed in a quick shopping excursion after lunch ( Mom likes the chance to spoil her kids - and they don't usually turn it down!). All to quickly the weekend was over and we were on our way to take them back to the airport to head home - but it sure was great to have them here!

Quirks

My sweet daughter tagged me on her blog to list 6 quirky things about myself. While I think it would have been far easier for her to come up with 6 quirky things about me, I did manage to come up with a list:

1. I am a nurse Certified (that means I have taken special training and passed specific testing) in Wound (self explanatory), Ostomy (those surgical bypasses to our human plumbing system that create the necessity to wear a pouch to contain bodily wastes), and Continence (those issues that make it difficult for some to control their plumbing system) nursing – and I love my job!
2. I am a nerd at heart. I love studying and learning. Just the other day I got really excited when I figured out one of Kim’s algebra problems (its been a REALLY long time since I took algebra), and I can remember my uncontainable excitement when I learned the amazing series of events that takes place in the human body when it is wounded and begins what we call the wound healing cascade. See, I told you I was nerdy.
3. I have a horrible sense of direction, but somehow I think I can always find a better or shorter route – makes for a lot of time lost (that is why even though it drives the rest of my family crazy – I love my GPS).
4. I can’t stand to be tapped on the shoulder – don’t know why, just know it drives me crazy!
5. I have a place in the middle of my back that if someone runs their finger up my back it makes me just about wiggle out of my skin – Steve knows exactly where it is ; ) .
6. I get really nervous when the rules aren’t being followed. And perhaps my biggest pet peeve is when the “unwritten” rules aren’t followed – you know, like the unwritten rule that when deplaning an airplane you always let the people seated in front of you out first without rushing past them, things like that make me nuts!

So, I guess I’m fairly quirky – I even thought of a few more I didn’t put on here.

So now, I tag:
Youngerdaughter
Brandie
Debbie
Chip
(Oh dear, do I even know 6 other bloggers who know I read their blogs??)
KayeC
My Niece and her hubby (their blog is private, so you won't be able to link to it here)


And the rules:
Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment for each tagged blogger to let them know they've been tagged.

Out of Egypt - for GOOD!!

OK, so I have been thinking about posting this all week, so here goes. As some of you know, I spent the week last week at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. It was an awesome time. I went with my agenda of things I wanted to study, things I wanted to spend lots of time in prayer for. Well, God totally blew my agenda out of the water (well, not totally, i did spend lots of time praying for people who are dear to me) and He totally blessed me with His agenda. He showed me wounds I had forgotten I had but that have totally shaped who I am, and began the healing process. Early on in the week, as we were participating in the Global Bridegroom Fast, I was overwhelmed at the spiritual smorgasboard that lay ahead of me - I didn't know where to begin. But God focused me, and by the end of the week I was able to see things more clearly.

One of the things I love is when God shows you something in scripture that has been there all along, but somehow you have glossed over it. That happened several times last week, but the one that blessed me the most was what He showed me from Exodus 13. We were singing about freedom and God parting the seas and our own Exodus - so I decided to meditate on Exodus 13 where God leads the Israelites out of Egypt. There it was in verses 17 and 18:

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle."

God really does not want us to be tempted to go back to Egypt ( into bondage). In fact, He will lead us into the desert, into the wilderness, take us the long way if it will keep us from being tempted by something we are not up to resisting. God knows us and loves us, He knows what our temptations are, He knows our ability to resist some temptations and not others. And He will allow us to take the long, lonely, wilderness road if it will keep us from facing one of those temptations we are unable to resist. God knew that war would send the Israelites high tailing it back to Egypt, so He sent them to wander the wilderness for 40 years instead!! All along, doing things for them like parting the sea, just when they thought they were doomed. He taught them to trust Him the hard way rather than letting them run back to Egypt. He does the same for me and you! 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that no temptation has overtaken me but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, He will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able to deal with, and with temptation He will provide the way of escape, and I will be able to endure it.

I am so thankful that God loves me enough to gently show me my Egypts and to not want me to go back, and that He will allow me to endure the wilderness if that's what it takes to keep me from going back into bondage, and that He ALWAYS provides a way for me. God is so good, and He is so faithful.

Through the ages

1958
1966
1968
1980
1996


Well, Elaine has been having some fun with this, so I thought I'd give it a try too! Ever wonder what you would look like in a different era - these are supposed to be 1958-1996
Hmm, I think I remember having some of these hairdoos!

Lord I'm Amazed by You - or - Simple Pleasures

Psalm 8

1O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
3When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
5Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

6You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,

7all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

8the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

At about 4:54 this morning, I awoke to the sound of my dog, Nick, running into our bedroom door (for those of you who don’t know, Nick is blind). He has been sleeping in our bedroom since we moved – for some reason the crate in the laundry room is no longer acceptable to him, haven’t quite figured out why, but so it is. Anyway, I knew he was either in need of the backyard, or of water. So, I got up and first took him to the backyard (seemed like the right priority). As I set him down in the grass, I looked up to see the most amazing sky full of stars – right here in my own backyard, when I wasn’t even looking for it. The absence of moonlight made the stars more visible than the times I had gone looking for them (earlier this month I had purposefully gotten up at about 4 am to see the meteor shower – although I was excited about the 8-10 “shooting stars” I saw in about 30 minutes that morning, I had been a little disappointed at the lack of a canopy of stars in the sky). I stood amazed and excited, then I went in and got my binoculars for a closer look. Again, I stood amazed and excited, and in complete awe of the majesty of our God that surrounds us all the time, even when we are not aware of it. I was humbled, and I confessed my lack of pure satisfaction in God alone – too caught up in the rhythm of day to day life, and lately burdened by the difficulty of life – to continually be amazed by my God. But my God is amazing, all the time, even when I’m not expecting it, especially when life is hard.

You dance over me

While I am unaware

You sing all around

But I never hear the sound

Lord I'm amazed by You

Lord I'm amazed by You

Lord I'm amazed by You

How You love me

How wide

How deep

How great

Is Your love for me

How wide, O how wide Lord

How deep, O how deep Lord

How great, O how great

Is Your love for me

Lord I'm amazed, amazed by You

Lord I'm amazed, amazed by You

Lord I'm amazed, amazed by You

How You love me

Exploring Kansas

Have you ever seen a Prairie Chicken?

We were amazed how far we could see - keep in mind, Kansas is pretty flat, we are not way up high here!

Well, obviously the courthouse is not operating right now, but aside from the current temporary closure for renovations, this is the oldest operating courthouse in Kansas. It is in a pretty little town called Cottonwood Falls.

Here we are at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Somtime when we have more time we will go back and explore the land around this farm area. It is in a beautiful part of Kansas called the Flint Hills, and it is part of the only Tallgrass Prairie left in the world!

We also spent some time in a town called Council Grove. The Santa Fe trail came through this area, and crossed a small river here. The town got it's name because of a council that took place in a grove of trees in 1825 in which the United States Government signed a treaty with the Osage indians obtaining the rights for a public highway, the Santa Fe Trail, to pass through this area crossing the river.

So that was our trip through the southern part of the Flint Hills, next on our list is the Gypsum Hills - how did this flat state get so many areas named for the hills?

Anonymity

OK, so I think I may have found a definite advantage to no one knowing me. Yesterday, I went to the Y for my workout after I dropped Kim off at the airport. Now, usually I get dressed in my workout clothes at home, go and workout, then come home and shower (I could shower at the Y, I just like my shower better!) Anyway, yesterday I quickly threw some exercise clothes in a bag before leaving for the airport. When I got to the Y I opened my bag and quickly realized that the problems we were having with our washing machine definitely affected how well that load had been cleaned - either that or it had sat in the washer too long, anyway, it did not smell nice at all! I'm pretty sure the folks on either side of me on the elipticals noticed it, I'm not sure how they could have missed it. But all they knew was that the lady next to them didn't smell good, they didn't know who the lady was, just some stranger. Of course, next week when I go to a class and run into some of them again, maybe they won't be strangers anymore. Oh well, hopefully it won't be memorable enough for them to say "oh, your the lady that stunk so bad last week!"

Church Hunting

Well, I don’t know if this is the something interesting I have been trying to urge my brain to spew forth, but it is what my brain is spending a lot of time grappling with these days.

Church Hunting. Seeking to find the community of believers with which to associate. It sure seems like it would be a whole lot simpler to just have “The Church”, to just have one common gathering of believers. But in the two thousand plus years since Jesus walked this planet in the flesh, people have decided for various reasons, perhaps some more justified than others, that they must separate themselves or define themselves beyond whether or not they are believers Jesus Christ, the son of God, the way of salvation. We disagree on worship styles, when and how to be baptized, the sufficiency of scripture, the role of women in the church, which sins are “big” enough to keep someone from being a teacher or preacher, the activity and manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives, what the words “infallible” or “inerrant” really mean, how and when to take communion, and on and on and on! It all becomes very confusing after a while.

So, here we are, looking for a church home – church hunting. We are finding that we have to focus on the “essentials” (I have always cherished the saying – “in essentials - unity, in non-essentials – liberty, in all things – charity”). So for me, for my family, what are the essentials? What we hope to find is a community of believers (we assume believers to mean believers in Christ, the fully human, fully divine Son of God – who died and rose again, who conquered death, and who is the only acceptable sacrifice, the only acceptable atonement for our sin, the only way to the Father) who look to the Word of God as given to us in the Holy Scriptures as the only true and infallible authority in our lives and seek to apply it day by day and moment by moment – challenging each other to be in the world but not of the world, and who gather together to worship our Holy God in Spirit and in Truth and to encourage each other in walking each day as followers of Christ and servants of His church. In the end will it really matter if that group of people happen to be part of a denominational church or not, if they happen to worship in traditional or contemporary style or some mixture of the two, if they raise their hands and jump and shout or if they quietly but completely immerse themselves in worship, if they recite the Lord’s prayer and apostle’s creed or not, if I hear or see people around me speaking in tongues or being slain in the spirit or not, if, if, if……

All we can really do is ask God to lead us wherever He will lead us, to do whatever He will have us to do, and to always, always glorify His Name. After all, His church is about Him, not about us. I hope you will keep us in your prayers as we seek after the congregation God would have us be a part of.

My brain is frozen!

Maybe i'll think of something half way interesting some time soon! Seriously, I think we're in the boring stage of this thing. We are basically unpacked and moved in, we are still finding things to enjoy - like our bike ride down on the river bike path on saturday morning, walking for ice cream one evening last week, getting to the Y several times a week to exercise, Kim getting behind the wheel again, shopping at the farmers market, visiting churches, and so on. But it all seems a little mundane right now. I am grateful that Kim made the move with us - not only because I like having her around and i think ultimately this will be a good thing for her, but I would REALLY be bored and lonely without her right now! She is in the process of trying to get signed up for a couple of classes at Wichita State - but has to go through the application process and getting transcripts sent and such before she can complete that task. We have met a couple of neighbors and folks were really friendly at church on Sunday. I am trying to decide wether or not to attend a Beth Moore event this Friday night and Saturday, I probably will. So, there you have it. Maybe my brain will unfreeze and I'll think of something worth sharing sometime soon!

Chocolate Pie

It's been a few days, sorry. I have actually been "chewing on" this post for a couple of days. Some of our new neighbors stopped by on Sunday evening with a delectable chocolate pie and a "welcome to the neighborhood". The chocolate pie has been delicious, most assuredly one of my favorite things about Kansas so far, but what is even better is the sentiment that it represents. This sweet couple's stated purpose was to welcome us to the neighborhood and to apologize for the glimpse of the neighborhood we had seen Thursday night at the annual homeowner's association meeting. While the meeting was a little less an opportunity for meeting my neighbors than I had hoped for, I hadn't thought much more about it. But here were some of my neighbors standing in my home, offering the work of their hands - her specialty, a homemade pie, to welcome us to this community. Community. We are now part of the Greenleaf community just by living at this address. We may or may not have any more than that in common with our neighbors. But it was important to these precious people to let us know that we are welcome here, and that because we are neighbors, we are part of the same community. They wanted us to know that this community is really not as cold and unfriendly as it may have appeared at that homeowner's meeting. It was important enough to them to not only take the time to ring our doorbell and introduce themselves, but to also put the time and the personal touch and energy into bringing a homemade chocolate pie with them. It was still warm! We enjoyed the short time we spent together, and we look forward to getting to know them better.

Just an Update

Just an to update my list of things I like so far about Kansas:

Day 8: The Wind. I can hardly believe I'm including this, since I thought it would be one of the things I didn't like about Kansas. However, in the summer it can be a blessing! Air movement on a hot day can most assuredly be a good thing!
Day 9: Day 9 in Kansas just happened to also be my birthday! What started as kind of a dreary day perked up quite rapidly with the traditional telephone rendition of "Happy Birthday" from my Dad and Mom, followed by another phone call from my precious daughter, a nice phone chat with my mother-in-law and then the surprise lunch time arrival of my husband home from work! Steve and Kim had the afternoon and evening all planned out and it was fabulous!! We spent a couple of hours at the Wichita Museum of Art in the afternoon, followed by a yummy dinner at the Mediterranean Grill, on to a stroll in Old Towne, and then the highlight - being treated to a performance of "All Shook Up" by the Music Theatre of Wichita. It was a great day!
So, my list item for day 9 will have to be the Music Theatre of Wichita- we look forward to enjoying it again, soon!
Day 10: Getting around in Wichita. Since the terrain here is flat, the roads are straight. This allows for the city to be set up on a grid. The main north/south roads and the main east/west roads all run in grid fashion 1 mile apart from each other. The east/west roads are Kellogg, Central, 13th, 21st, 29th, 37th, 45th. The north/south roads on my side of town (the east side) are Oliver, Woodlawn, Rock, Webb, Greenwich, 127th, 143rd, etc. This means that as long as I know my neighborhood lies near the intersection of 21st and Webb, I can always find my way home. 21st is an east/west road so even if I am way on the west side of town (we live on the east side), if I get to 21st street (which will ALWAYS be 1 mile north of 13th and 1 mile south of 29th), I can follow it home. Or if I get way to the south or north, I can always find Webb ( which will ALWAYS be 1 mile east of Rock and 1 mile west of Greenwich) and get home. So, I have never gotten lost in Wichita- even when my GPS is turned off! I have made wrong turns and gotten a little turned around ( I know many of you are not at all surprised!), but I am always able to figure out where I am within a mile!

I am excited that so far it has been easy to come up with 10 things I like about my new home! We'll see how it goes from here!

Favorite Things

So, my optomistic, always look on the bright side, find the good (if not the great) in everything daughter has decided that for the first 30 days we live in Kansas we should find 1 thing that we like about this new place. (you can read about her things on her blog: http://www.kimjoyinkansas.blogspot.com/ ) So here's my list so far:

Day 1: a double rainbow (I believe just for me).
Day 2: there are flowers, lots of them, in my new yard! I want to learn what they all are and how to help them grow and thrive.
Day 3: sitting on my patio in the morning with my bible and my cup of coffee, hearing the birds sing and not getting eaten up by mosquitos!
Day 4: seeing how crisp and clear everything looks when you aren't looking through smog. Seriously, I was amazed at how used to seeing the world through less than clear air I had become.
Day 5: sitting out on my patio in the evening, having dinner with my family, enjoying the cool evening breeze (dinner for us occurs between 7:30 and 8 pm ), perhaps taking a dip in the pool, and not getting eaten by mosquitos!!
Day 6: Being able to do my errands without getting stuck in traffic!
Day 7: I discovered an herb garden in my back yard - right by the back door from the laundry room - I don't know how I missed it before! I have basil, rosemary, chives, and oregano (I think). I am really excited!

So, there's my first week in Kansas! I look forward to what discovery today will bring!

P.S. I do now have 1 bug bite of some sort on my back. 1 bite in 1 week - I can live with that for sure!

Kindling

kin•dling ˈkɪnd lɪŋ - [kind-ling]
–noun
1. material that can be readily ignited, used in starting a fire.
2. the act of one who kindles.


“For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:6,7

Last Thursday morning God gave me the gift of a double rainbow. The first time God kissed me in this special way was when Steve and I were in Italy celebrating our 25th anniversary. We were staying in a great hotel overlooking Lake Garda and the mountains beyond. The only problem was that by Tuesday afternoon my 4 days in Italy had been cloudy, sometimes drizzly, and kind of grey. I knew the mountains were there across the lake because I could see their silhouettes behind the clouds and haze, but I had yet to really see them. I was feeling a little guilty for being disappointed – after all, here I was in Italy, celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary – it was the trip of a lifetime. So Tuesday evening before going to bed, I confessed my disappointment to God and asked if he might show me just a glimpse of the view I knew was there. Wednesday morning my heart sank a little as we awoke to another cloudy day, but on Wednesday evening a glorious thunderstorm rolled through. It poured. Then as the clouds were clearing away, I looked across the lake and saw this:







Somehow I knew God was telling me, “Wait until you see what I have in store for you!!”

The next day we were to travel up into those mountains I had yet to see from my window. Waking up expectantly for what the day would bring, I opened my curtains and saw the most breathtaking view! The storm that had poured on us the evening before had left a fresh coat of snow on the distant mountain peaks! Just in time! Lord, You are so generous and Your timing is always perfect!So, back to Kansas. Last Thursday morning when we were getting ready to come over to our new house to meet the moving truck, Steve opened the curtains to look out the window and said “Look, a rainbow!” I thought “that’s nice”, but I didn’t run to look. Then I heard Steve say, “No, there are two of them!”. That’s when I knew it was for me, and I ran to look and to say “Thank You, God”. The most amazing thing was that it hadn’t rained, nor did it that morning!
I believe God was confirming to me, to us, that we are in His plan, that He has a purpose for us here. So for the past week, whenever I have been tempted to get discouraged, when the hard parts of this move feel like a heavy load, I remember my double rainbow, my gift from God. And my hope and confidence in my new home is kindled afresh.

BOXES!

Overwhelming: All my worldly goods packed into boxes and trying to decide where their place will be in my new home. Frustrating: Trying to find a cup for my coffee. Tedious: Trying to type a blog entry on my phone. More tomorrow when we get our internet service hooked up!

Arriving

ar·rive
Pronunciation:
\ə-ˈrīv\
Function:
intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s):
ar·rived; ar·riv·ing
Etymology:
Middle English ariven, from Anglo-French ariver, from Vulgar Latin *arripare to come to shore, from Latin ad- + ripa shore — more at rive
Date:
13th century
1 a: to reach a destination b: to make an appearance


So today, after traveling across the vast openness that is Northeastern Oklahoma and Southeastern Kansas, we arrived in Wichita. Two days ago I watched as the last of our worldly possessions were loaded onto a truck and my home in Marietta was left empty. Today, we bought an empty house in Wichita. Tomorrow, the stuff we loaded onto the truck in Marietta will be unloaded into the empty house in Wichita. Will this transfer of our stuff turn this empty house into a home? It may help a little, but stuff does not make a house a home. Yes, the wicker furniture from my front porch and the brown recliner from my family room and the pool table from the basement will all be there. But it’s the falling in love that took place on that porch furniture and the cell group conversation (and fighting for the best seat) that took place in that recliner and the laughter that happened around that pool table that made 455 Chatfield Pointe in Marietta our home – not the stuff. It's the living out of life, the relationships built, the people inside that make a house a home. So, we have yet to experience the things that will make 2440 N. Greenleaf Ct. in Wichita our home. I am looking forward to that.

My New Attempt at Blogging

Change. Little changes happen in our life every day, so subtly that we barely notice them until we turn around one day and say “When did that happen?”

But when Big Changes happen we are forced to look them in the eye and respond. Such has been the story of my life for the last several months. Starting with the death of my dear Father-in-law in November, to the marriage of my firstborn in april, to now – a relocation due to a great opportunity for Steve, to the heartland of our country – Kansas. Wichita to be exact.

I have been through this process before. We have relocated other times. But somehow this time it is vastly different, more poignant due to the stage of life we are in. In the past, we have found a “good” house in a “good” neighborhood in the “good” school district. And the pattern of our lives has been determined in great measure by the activities and interests of our children. This time we have no children in school. Our children either already have lives of their own, or are transitioning into that, so our lives are no longer patterned by our children. This is good. Not because it was bad having our children at home, but because our job is being completed, and we are satisfied. The Lord has been gracious to us as parents – He has been the guiding hand in our children’s lives. Now we are continuing to trust Him to be the guiding hand in our lives as we begin our new life in Wichita.

I am struck by these weeks of relative anonymity. My responsibilities and commitments in Marietta have come to an end. No one in Wichita knows me. No one (outside of my family) in Wichita cares about me. I will be forced to step outside of my comfort zone and “make myself known” or live in relative loneliness and isolation. This too, is good. For the time being I am content to know and be known by my God and by my sweet husband and daughter. I look forward to this time of being utterly dependant on God to guide my steps – to lead us to a church home, to lead me in the decisions about how I will spend my time, to lead me to my new friends, to shape my new life in Wichita. In the past when we have moved, I have looked forward to the “mulligans” that a move can bring – the opportunities to “do over” the things you have messed up on in the past. I’m not really feeling that this time. I was content in Marietta – perhaps too content.

So now I am looking forward (although I must admit – begrudgingly) to what God has for us in the heartland of the country. Although I don’t really want to be making this move, I am trusting God to show us how He desires us to live this new life. I’ll keep you posted.