The Coffee Chronicles: Good to the last drop

I like coffee. I don't drink a ton of it, but I do like it. Especially with a little flavored creamer. And double especially if that flavor is chocolate.

But I digress.

So, as a money saving measure over the last year, I have cut out my Starbucks habit (Oh I LOVE me a tall mocha. Just LOVE.) and I have started drinking regular grocery store coffee either that I make at home or at the office.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been getting to work and putting a pot of coffee on to brew there as time is short at home when getting two kiddos ready for school. I always want for there to be plenty for others so I make a full pot of coffee; even though I pour myself only one cup and actually only drink about half of that.

But I've noticed lately that when I go to make a fresh pot in the mornings, most of yesterday's pot of coffee is still sitting there. Untouched. Cold. Wasted.

So I had a bright idea this morning. I would only make half a pot of coffee. That would be enough for me to grab a cup and wake my sorry self up and leave a little bit for maybe the one other person who might want some.

And guess what happened.

Murphy. That's what. Murphy and his STINKIN' law.

The coffee maker beeped its wondrous beep signifying that the brewing process was over and my fresh hot coffee was ready for consumption. However, I was in the middle of something of utmost importance at the time (like updating FaceBook or Twitter or something) and couldn't get immediately across the hall to the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, I get up to go in to the kitchen and what did I find? Two people, Loud Lady and ADHD Guy, drinking all of MY coffee.

I hate to admit it, but I actually said out loud, "It would figure that the day I only make six cups of coffee everyone wants some..." and left the room.

I have to point out also that I almost never see either of these people in there getting a cup of coffee. So why today? Why? On the day when there wasn't enough to go around? On the day I was trying to be mindful of resources and not be wasteful? WHY?

What is a girl to do? Do I contribute to and allow coffee wastefulness? Or do I get stuck just getting the last little bitty bit in the bottom of the pot?

Expectations - Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

***

Another thing (besides passing the one year mark at my job) that got me thinking on the subject of my expectations with respect to my home life now that I'm working was a post at Rocks in my Dryer from a few weeks ago. She is doing a series on Thursdays called “What I’d Like for You to Know.” She brings in guest bloggers who share their own stories on specific topics. One was about working outside the home moms. Shalee’s post really was very spot-on. Only she gets up at some crazy ridiculous hour earlier than I do each morning.

So, my expectations? I have realized that they were completely unrealistic.

I guess I expected that it would be as easy as it was when Sarah was little – even though I now have two children and one is in grade school. I had no idea what a difference this made.

I expected that I would be able to clean my house on a day off or a Saturday morning – even though my day off is well-spent in Bible Study and my house is quite a bit larger than the one we used to live in. There are days that I miss staying in my pj's on my day off... but then I get to BSF and I don't miss it a bit.

I expected that I would eventually be able to justify having a housekeeper come and clean at least once a month – even though we are desperately trying to pay off some debt and it won’t ever be in the budget.

I expected that I would be more organized about keeping up with the household chores – even though I have never been organized about it… ever.

I expected that I would be able to scrapbook a little every night like I did when Sarah was little – even though almost every creative cell in my body is worn out by the time the kids are in bed. Sometimes I'm able to write/blog and sometimes not. Sometimes I go days without being able to read all of your blogs. And I miss you when it's like that.

I expected that my husband would help me out a little – and he helps me out a LOT. He takes on so much and I would never be able to do everything that I do if it were not for my man.

The bottom line that I go back to any time I feel discouraged that I am not living up to the expectations I have of myself is that they are just that… self imposed. I believe God has called me to work where I am. I do not know why. But I believe that there is a reason.

So, if that is true, then I MUST also believe that things around my house will be fine… or that the Lord will give my kids some divine amnesia where the house is concerned.

And I believe that my time outside of work is much better spent in Bible study and just being with my kids than making sure that there is no dust on the piano and no dog hair bunnies around the edges of the floor. It’s okay if the bare minimum only gets done most of the time. I will have times when the state of the house overwhelms me… and at that point, I do need to act… and fast.

But generally, just know that if you come to my house at any given time, there WILL be dust, there WILL be dog hair, and there WILL be laundry. But there will also be an open Bible and a well fed and well cared for family.

Even if they do have to live in a messy, if not dusty house.

And those, I believe, are some realistic expectations.

Expectations - Part 2

(Read Part 1)

What’s different?

The work schedule may look the same, but the life schedule is not.

I always thought it would be easier to work once the kids were older and in school. It just seems logical that you could work while they are at school. However, the landscape changes once you have a grade-schooler.

Pill, one of my girlfriends from college, and I decided that it is much easier to work when your kids are little, baby and pre-school age, than when they are older. When you are done at work you pick them up, eat some dinner and then pretty much, you’re done for the night. They go to bed early and you can even have a little bit of an evening to yourself.

Once they are in school age all the homework and extra-curricular stuff begins. There’s piano to practice, piano lessons, piano recitals, soccer practice, soccer games, and meetings at school… along with everything else we were already doing at church and any other special events such as a school musical with rehearsals and performances. They are not going to bed as early and have more to do in a day. And it only gets more involved the older they get.

So, that's where I am. The grade school stage with so many responsibilities outside of just going to and from work.

Here’s a glimpse into my weekly schedule:

Each day (M/T/Th/F):

5:15 am – up for quiet time and exercise before getting in the shower.

6:45 am - get Sarah up to get ready (including practicing piano) for her dad to take her to school at 7:45 am. At some point during this time, Nathan has usually emerged and is usually thrilled to be awake.

8:30-9:00 – get to work after getting Nathan ready and to daycare. The big question of my day at this point: “Oh coffee pot at the office, are you full or empty?”

Mondays:
Leave work at 5 pm & pick up Sarah from after school care (homework should already be done - but almost invariably there's a little to do still) and Nathan from daycare and head home. For now, this is our one night of calm. Figure out something for dinner and eat around 6:30-6:45 pm.

Tuesdays:
Leave work at 3 pm & pick up Sarah from school and Nathan from daycare. Maybe we have time to swing by home… maybe not.
Piano lessons at 4 pm until 5 pm.
Head home . Sarah does homework and I change and go to exercise class at 6 pm. The kids usually go with their dad to the gym so that he can exercise.
Meet back home at about 7:15 usually with Sonic in hand… it is, after all, family night – ½ price burgers.

Wednesdays (supposed to be my day off):
Leave home by 8:45 for BSF at 9:10 am… we’re NEVER on time any more.
Be at Sarah’s school by 11:50 (usually with lunch in-hand) to hang-out with her class during lunch to give her teacher a break.
Home by 1:20 to get Nathan down for a nap. Just in time to get him up again to go pick Sarah up from school at 3. (Some days he goes to day care for lunch and nap if I have a BSF Fellowship or an extra busy afternoon of errands and appointments planned.)
After school we run errands, go to the store… again… and sometimes have a little extra time to play before dinner. Or maybe we hang out at home and bake cookies.
Off to choir practice 7 - 8:30 then back home.

Thursdays:
Leave work at 5 pm & pick up Sarah from after school care (homework should already be done) and Nathan from daycare.
Drive straight to Sarah’s soccer practice at 5:30 and meet Mike there for passing of the “kid baton.”
I head to exercise class at 6 pm.
Mike gets the kids started on dinner and I join them when I get home at 7:15 or so.

Fridays:
Leave work at 3 pm & pick up Sarah from school and Nathan from daycare.
Usually we have the afternoon free to just hang out. Maybe run some errands. Maybe we just go to the park if it’s nice out.

Each night:

Get the kiddos headed toward baths and bed at around 8 pm (they should be in bed by 8:30-9 pm).
Check email. Blog a little. Tweet a little. Check Facebook. Clean up from dinner. Maybe watch a show with my man. Get sucked into an old movie on TBS or TNT. I totally intend to do something productive like clean... but instead I fall asleep on the couch by 11 pm and head to bed when my man wakes me up at midnight.



Know what you don’t see? Any time for house cleaning.

If it happens, it's got to be on the weekend. But I find that in my time off from work during the week and on the weekends and when I’m not shuttling kids from one place to another, I just want to hang out with them and be their mom. I am finding myself more concerned about relationship with them than about the state of my house.

Which is a good thing, I believe.

And then, I come to weeks like last week when it totally hits me that I've been basically out of town or out of pocket for 3 weekends in a row and my house is a wreck and has been for weeks. I realize that to get to the cleanliness point that I’d ideally like to be, it would take days. Days of not going to the office while the kids still go to school and daycare. Days of concentrated effort.

Days that I simply don’t have.

And feel like I never will have.

Then I get completely overwhelmed, discouraged and beat down.

****

Just one more installment... come back for part 3 tomorrow.

Expectations - Part 1

I work outside of my home. Did you know that?

I had certain expectations when I took this job and started working outside of my home once again last fall. Expectations of the job, of myself and for my family and my home.

As I have watched the one year anniversary of taking this job come and go within the last month (get a glimpse of my first day here), I am in a reflective mood and thinking about those expectations.

It’s hard to nail down what they were because, certainly, I never uttered what they were in speech or in writing. But clearly as I look back, they were there.

I have been thinking back to my last job. I worked when Sarah was little. From the time she was 1 year old until she was 3 ½ and we moved to Virginia. I worked 4 days a week – 2 longer and 2 shorter so that I could pick her up from preschool. I had Fridays off completely. It was a demanding job and I worked my share of extra hours. But I was paid hourly and rarely felt guilty for staying at home if Sarah was sick. If I wasn’t there, I didn’t get paid… and I was okay with that.

Fast forward to today. I work 4 days a week – 2 longer and 2 shorter so that I can pick the kids up from school. I have Wednesdays off completely. It’s not a terribly demanding job, but I work hard and put in extra hours when necessary. I am on salary and do feel guilty for staying home if one of the kids is sick.

These work situations sound fairly similar, do they not? That’s what I thought.

But here’s the deal. Back then, my house stayed relatively clean, we entertained company fairly regularly, and still worked on my scrapbooks on a very regular basis.

Now, I feel like it’s a major accomplishment to just get the laundry done so that we can all have clean clothes for the week a few days. I feel like my house never gets clean. I don’t scrapbook anymore. I only blog to help me get my thoughts out of my head and on to paper so that I stay sane.

What’s different?

****

I don't know how many parts there will be. I'm not done writing yet. But stay tuned (if you're interested, of course).

Foodie Friday - Banana Bread

Did you ever watch Seinfeld back when it was on? WAS? What am I thinking? Hello... syndication!

Do you have a favorite episode? I do. I actually have a couple of favorite Seinfeld episodes. They are my favorites because they relate to my life in a real way.

The first is the one about the wedding invitations. Remember that? George was getting married and to save money (while also trying to get out of the wedding at every turn), he ordered the cheapest wedding invitations he could get his hands on. Then, while sealing the envelopes, his fiance, Susan, passes out and later dies because of toxic glue.

It really is hillarious.

In a Seinfeld sort of way.

And this relates to me how?

I send out a lot of client correspondence in my real "9-5" job. There was one day recently, in particular, that after about the 15th letter I was sealing that day, I was afraid that was going to be me. I could picture nothing else in my mind other than this poor woman barely licking that last envelope and then keeling over.




Favorite episode # 2... drum roll please... The Muffin Tops.




So who here agrees about the muffin tops? Aren't they delicious? With that crunchy crumb topping on them?

Well, it was with the muffin top inspiration that I developed my own version of banana bread... with a crumb topping.



I must say... it is quite deeeelicious.

I started with the recipe out of my old standby, Better Homes & Gardens "New Cookbook" (copyright 1989 - oh yeah, the pictures, they are snazzy). After a while, I began to monkey around with it a little.

(Get it? Monkey around... we're talking about banana bread here people.)

(Yes, I hear the collective *groan* out there.)

I decided to standardize the amount of mashed banana to 3 bananas, regardless of size, rather than the listed 1 cup of mashed banana. A) this was easier to remember, and 2) like you're really going to mash up a bunch of banana and then only measure out one cup and ditch the rest. I also find that this amount gives a powerful banana flavor to the bread and keeps it from drying out.

Oh, and the bananas... they have to be really ripe. I mean so soft the skin tears them apart ripe.

I also added a "muffin top" to it with just a simple crumb topping. It really gives it a little something extra, don't you think?

To see the recipe head over to my recipe blog here.

I also want to open up the floor. Are there any food related topics that you would like for me to talk about or cover? A particular recipe you're looking for? Maybe a question about kitchen tools and gadgets? Ask away. I'm certainly no expert, but I'd love to hear if you have a question. And I can do my best to find an answer.

Email me at waymorehomemade (at) yahoo (dot) com

And let me know when you make some banana bread and I'll sit down and share a virtual slice and glass of milk with you.

The Politics of Motherhood

When I heard the news that was coming from John McCain's campaign early Friday morning that he had selected Sarah Palin as his running mate I couldn't have been more excited. My husband actually said a few months ago, "If McCain's smart, he'll pick Palin." He's a politics nerd, if you ask me. But I guess he should have headed to Vegas and put money on this one. Because he was right.

Yes, I just said that... out loud. My husband was RIGHT.

As soon as I heard, I read up a little on her to remind myself of who she was so that when I picked up the phone to call him I would sound a little knowledgable about her.

But, once on the phone with him, you know what my first question was? "Do you really think it's a good idea? I mean, a mom of 5 with a 4 month old.... as Vice President? Really?"

We figure they've got some kind of system worked out. Maybe he has taken over with the kids for the most part. Maybe they have a great live-in nanny. Maybe she just works from home a lot. Who knows.

But, apparently, I'm not the only one asking this question. I found myself a little comforted to read this article in the New York Times showing other women with the same thoughts.

Here are some things I've been thinking...

Can you imagine every mothering move you make being under the national political spotlight?

No thanks. Not me. I'm way too moody. I'd end up yelling, "WHAT?!?" to the President after a crying baby all night long and yelling over and over at the rest of the kids to PLEASE get their homework done.


I mean, it's already begun. People questioning her going back to work 3 days after giving birth. People are questioning her accepting this job knowingly putting her oldest daughter under media scrutiny.

Listen, I'm a working mother. I know how hard it is. I want to be the best at everything. There is something in me, in how God hardwired me, that drives me to seek employment outside of my home. But, on the flipside of that coin, I am driven to be the best wife and mom I can be. For me, that means a part-time job and my house is rarely, if ever, clean.

What does it mean for the Vice President of the United States of America?

I dont' know.

But one thing I've learned in my 7 1/2 years of mothering and 35 years of living... yes, 35... is that I can't judge what is right for someone else.

Let me put it this way: The answer that God has given me for my family is not necessarily the same answer for anyone else. There isn't just one way to do this mothering thing. While it might be right for me to work 30 hours a week, it might be right for my friend Cristel to recognize that she can't do that, and it might be right for my friend Keal and my sister to work for themselves so they can set their own hours...

See where I'm going with this?

I've recognized that I can't make a judgement call about what is right for Sarah Palin's family. I know what I think and what would be right for me and that would not include taking on such a job. However, I also think of Esther and how greatness was thrust upon her... she didn't ask for it, didn't seek it, it just happened because she was open to what God had called her to do.

I pray that Sarah Palin is right where God wants her. I pray for her family.

I believe that there is a reason that Mr. McCain and his campaign were drawn to her.

I believe that she is the woman for such a time as this.

Spoon

I went to get a cup of coffee this morning and got to thinking about something that I have seen at almost every coffee maker just about anywhere.


A spoon.



Resting on the counter-top.



With a small drop of coffee on it.



Why is it there?



My hope beyond hope is that it is as simple and innocent as someone stirring their hazelnut creamer into their coffee and then forgetting to either throw the spoon away (if it's plastic) or put it in the dishwasher.



However my fear is that it is something much more sinister entirely.



I think it's actually possible that someone thinks that I am going to take this spoon, that's been sitting on this germ-infested counter-top, that's been in the questionable contents of someone else's coffee cup - someone else, mind you, that I may not even know well enough to remember their name - and put this spoon into the contents of my coffee cup and then drink those contents along with all the germs I've just introduced to it.



Yeah.



Right.

Not Worth the Calories

I lost a bunch of weight last year and slowly, over the last 4 or 5 months, I’ve gained a little back. I've been trying to re-lose it. I've been going to an aerobics class 2-3 times a week now on top of getting on my elliptical trainer each... well most mornings. I also have a favorite phrase right now when it comes to food that I'm trying to talk myself out of eating.

For certain foods, I just have to keep telling myself, “It’s not worth the calories.”

The bad part is that, unfortunately, there are some things that definitely ARE worth the calories.
For instance, a co-worker celebrated his 40th birthday last week. We took him out to lunch and we surprised him with a cake, which the whole office shared. While my lunch was definitely not worth the calories (IMO Olive Garden rarely is), the cake... oh the cake...

As I was sending out the email to everyone about joining us for cake, I recognized that almost everyone I know in the office was on a diet of one kind or another. So, I made sure that they realized that this cake was totally going to be worth the calories since this was not just your ordinary grocery store cake. I had ordered it from a local bakery called Hot Chocolates.

It wasn’t as pretty as something from Charm City Cakes (Ace of Cakes), but boy howdy… it was goooo-oood.

It was this same day that I read Psalm 29 in my quiet time earlier that morning. In verses 1 -2 the idea of God’s holiness and worthiness of our worship just hit me upside the head.

“Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”

I began to think back to what the Lord had revealed to me about His holiness just a month or so ago and began to link that to how completely and perfectly worthy He is of my worship.

And then it hit me as I was typing my email to our office-mates about the cake that our false gods and idols are SO not worth the calories, so to speak.

Not worth it at all.

Ever.

Not even those good things that God gives us that we have managed to distort and turn into objects of our worship… they’re not worth it.

Including the church.

Some of our Christian brothers and sisters in the Episcopal church here in the U.S. are going through a difficult time right now. However, the Bishop of Springfield was quoted last week as saying, “We are all idolaters. I discovered in 2003 that I had been putting TEC [The Episcopal Church] in front of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I committed myself not to do that any more. In 2006 I realized I was still working on that process. I am doing a lot better.” He then ended the interview with this statement, “The challenge is this. I am to give up everything for Christ.”

Are you willing to give up those most precious things to you for Christ? Am I?

That’s a hard one isn’t it? Especially when we feel that it is something that God himself has given us. But it is easy to take a gift from God and let it become the object of our worship rather than worshipping the Giver of the gift.

Abraham may have let Isaac, a gift from the Almighty God, become a false god. But, he was willing to give Isaac up, and had faith that God was perfectly in control and that He keeps His promises.

Can the same be said for us?

Will we realize that all those other false gods are just not worth it? Not worth the calories and extra weight and baggage they bring with them?


I'm starting to get it. But just like with food, I've got to keep reminding myself.

How's your week?

I can't remember if I've mentioned it lately, but we're getting ready to go to Destin for a few days.

Here's how my week at work is going:







Update:
OK - sorry the whole strip didn't fit like I thought it would. I guess click on them and you can see the whole thing at Dilbert.com
I love me some technology.

It's all a little too real

I have never been able to fully watch an episode of “The Office.” For some reason, the style of the show just isn’t my thing.

I’m finding lots of things that aren’t “my thing” lately. I wonder why that is.

But I digress.

Maybe it’s just that I’ve lived the office life for too long and seeing it portrayed on television is just too awkward and painful for me.

Here’s a classic example.

We got a new copier in my office this week. It is a thing of beauty. If I wouldn’t feel completely WEIRD, I’d take a picture to show you.

New office equipment is very exciting in the life of an admin assistant. I actually got a spring in my step on Friday afternoon when I got here and realized we were getting a new copier. It’s like the 3 year old that gets remote controlled motorcycles for his birthday and must play with them immediately… it’s a new toy. And it’s all very exciting.

However, I’m a little nervous as well.

I have a history with copiers. And not a pleasant one.

Just ask any administrative staff at my church (where I also used to be admin staff). Copiers and I tend to not get along very well.

But I have high hopes for this relationship. Because not only is it functional, but it’s attractive. It’s black and grey and very sleek looking. And we all know how important looks are. Something about skin deep is ringing a bell, but I’m not sure.

It looks so fancy that we are expecting it to be voice activated. Or that it will bring our copies to us. Or even a Blizzard (because you all know how I love my DQ). As one of the guys described it, “It’s like R2D2 on steroids.” Well, R2D2 served drinks in Return of the Jedi. Couldn’t he bring me a Blizzard?

So, one of the guys was in there trying to make a copy this morning. He's using the fancy-shmancy touch pad and the rest of us were standing around, watching in great anticipation. We cheered when the copy finally came out.

The moment was a little Dilbert-esque. And it was a little too real.

Tragedy to Triumph

It's been a bit of an emotional week for me as I have internally been dealing with a lot of thoughts and information about loss this week. Specifically, the loss of children.

I heard about this about Steven Curtis Chapman's family from a coworker just this morning not long after I walked in the door. Oh, it's just awful.

On Monday, we spent a good deal of time in our weekly staff meeting praying for a client's daughter who is pregnant and the baby has complications such that he likely would be stillborn or will not live long after birth.

On Wednesday during BSF Share Day, a mother got up and spoke only a week after her 11 year old son's funeral. He died on Mother's Day.

Another mother got up and spoke as she approaches the 1 year anniversary of her teen-age son's death.

One of the first ladies that spoke that day told of her son's death when he was young many years ago.

Let me tell you, there was not a dry eye out of the 200 or so ladies that filled that sanctuary yesterday morning.

But I will also say that I have been so encouraged by the faith these people have shown. And I have counted it an absolute privelege to pray for each and every one of them.

You see, God allowed me to go through 2 miscarriages not long after Sarah was born. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with. Emotionally and spiritually. And finally, getting through the early months of my pregnancy with Nathan, once we decided we were ready to try again, was incredibly difficult as well.

I believe that I am in such an incredible position to pray for these people, especially our client's daughter, as a mother having been through such an experience.

Let me be clear: I don't believe He allows us to go through the pain of suffering and loss just so that we can help someone else. I don't believe that's consistent with His character. But friends, if we suffer without letting God use the suffering to change us, then it really is a waste.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

But catch verse 29 as well... "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

I firmly believe that the "good" that is talked about in verse 28 is the being "conformed to the likeness of his Son" that is spoken of in verse 29.

Yes, we can look for circumstantial good things in the life that is around and about us. But the true good work of the Father comes when we are not only conformed, but transformed into the likeness of his Son, Jesus Christ.

I have been made accutely aware this week of how specifically I can pray for these people experiencing the loss of a child after having dealt with a similar situation myself. Even still, He is using my experience from almost 7 years ago to transform me, specifically my prayer life. Christ was able pray for us specifically as believers (John 17) and is able to help us in temptation because He's been there. He's walked a few days in our shoe leather. I can apply those same principles to my own life and pray specifically for those in similar situations. I can count it a honor to do so.

I very well may be "preaching to the choir" here and I don't mean to preach at all. It's just that I have felt bombarded by this kind of news this week and it's really got me to thinking about it.

I'm prone to vain imaginations and this kind of news just makes me wonder how I would react in such a situation.

Let me tell you, the mother that got up and spoke yesterday morning, in the midst of mourning and grief, shared verse after verse of how the Lord has been speaking to her. Oh, it was so rich. And it was pointed out to me later that it had to be because she had been hiding God's word in her heart over time.

Our client's daugter and son-in-law were the same way in the emails that my boss read from them.

Yes, God can give us a Divine Word in the midst of grief, but what's more likely is that in both of these situations these people were able to pull from thier storehouse of truth that they have been gathering and applying in their lives over time.

That's how I pray I would react. That's how I pray I will react the next time that suffering comes. Because you know what they say... there are 3 types of people in the world: those in the midst of a storm, those just coming out of a storm, and those that are headed into a storm.

Tragedy and suffering is going to come. Can I look past the tragedy to see the triumph? I pray it is so.

Legalism?

So, Sarah is going to camp this summer. Real-live, stay over night, all week camp. This is huge.

She went to this same place for day-camp last summer, but spent the nights with my parents (Mimi & Papa) as they lived real close by. We hadn't planned on her doing anything like that, but my mom invited her when she realized that 3 of Sarah's cousins that are a year older than her would be going during the day and spending the nights with them.

However, this year, with them being gone, my sister and I had to decide what to do. We both finally decided that they could go and spend the nights there.

I also got the idea from her to have Sarah work to earn some of the money to help pay for camp. Diane's boys can go to a blueberry farm and pick blueberries and sell them. We don't have anything like that around here. So, Sarah is doing some extra things around the house to earn some money. For instance she pulled some weeds in one of my flower beds recently.

Yesterday, Mike told her that it would cost him $5 to take the car and run it through the carwash. So he proposed that he would pay her $5 to wash the car, while being very careful that this was not the version of washing the car that she usually partakes in which consists mostly of squirting him or Nathan with the water hose. This was going to be work.

She did a really good job and earned not only $5 from dad for washing his car, but also some money from Nanny for washing her car. Now, of COURSE, Nanny didn't have just a $5 bill. All she had was a $10 bill. Hmmm. How conveeeenient.

So, today, as Mike and I are waking up from a nice Sunday afternoon nap (Oh, yeah... it was nice. I slept for like 2 hours!), Sarah comes and asks to watch a movie. In response, Mike suggested that she instead could earn another $5 for camp by washing my car.

Do you know what she said in response????

In an oh-so-matter-of-fact tone, she says, "Dad, I thought we were'nt supposed to work on Sunday."

We couldn't help ourselves from busting up laughing.

So then, Mike comes back with, "Okay - then we can go out and just wash the car like we normally do and you'll get to play in the water & stuff."

Oh, she was okay with that... and Mike still gets my car cleaned and doesn't have to pay for it. A win-win I suppose.

So, are we raising a child that is just keenly aware of God's desires? Or are we raising a child that is becoming legalistic? Or are we just raising a child that's looking for a way out of working?

It's all a fine line, isn't it?

Soapbox Saturday

Yes, I’m pulling it out. It’s a little dusty, and I need to repair a few loose screws (or is that me?) but it’ll do for now.

I read an article this week in a magazine that was sitting on the table in our kitchen at work. As I was making copies of it, I found myself flooded with memories of being in the stacks at Sterling Library on the A&M campus doing research for projects and papers. In fact, this may have been a topic I would have done a project about. But I think my views would have been a little different back then… or as we Aggies say, “Back in ol’ army days.”

The article was entitled “Sexism” in the April 2008 issue of Conde Nast Portfolio and obviously was about sexism in the workplace. The main point seemed to be that while women in the workplace made great strides through the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, there has been a stagnation or even regression in the most recent years thus proving that sexism and sexist behaviors and hiring practices are still alive and well. Here’s a link I just found to the article…
http://www.portfolio.com/executives/features/2008/03/17/Sexism-in-the-Workplace

I’m not here to say that there may not be some truth to what the author of the article says. There very well may still be some sexist behaviors in hiring. In fact, I pretty well know there are as I’ve encountered them; since I am, in fact, a woman (shocking, I know).

In my latest round of interviewing before I got my current position, I encountered a lot of questions based purely on the fact that I am a woman, and more specifically a mother of two young children. Questions like, “What do you do with your kids while you’re working,” and, “What do you do if your kids are sick?” At first, I was bothered by these questions and wondered if I should respond in a polite way that they can’t ask me that. But then after discussing it with M, we decided that it was better for us if they knew up front how we worked and that way there were no incorrect expectations. I remember we also said that we didn't want me working for someone who would have had a problem with me needing to be at home with sick kids, so if my answer kept me from getting the job, we were okay with that.

But back to the article…

My main problem with the author’s whole premise is that there is no mention on the availability rates of women for the jobs she is speaking of being so deficient of female representation - high level corporate officer type positions.

For instance, the writer comments that, “… at this rate, it will take 73 years for women to achieve parity with men at the board level.”

Parity. Meaning, what? 50/50? Well, what if there are not enough women seeking those positions to make it 50/50?

My thought is this: Is it possible that in the last 5-10 years, women have finally begun to see that there is more to life than chasing a career? Is it possible that some biological clocks started ticking and once children were in the picture, some of these women decided that they would not pursue the big positions in order to raise their families?

She also mentions the decline of pay rates of women versus men. The figures she quotes seem to be sweeping, across the board general type numbers and not taking a man and a woman doing the exact same job.

Is it possible that women may purposefully take less stressful, and thus lower paying jobs in order to remain more available for their families?

I ask these questions I guess because they are true of me. Not that I would have ever necessarily achieved the status of a corporate officer. But, in my former Corporate America life, I had been on a bit of a management fast track and tended on the work-a-holic side until I became pregnant with our first child and asked for a demotion. We made the choice that if I was going to work while we had young children, that it would be only on a part time basis to keep the stress level down and keep my focus more on the family.

And, may I add, that the Lord has blessed that decision and kept us to it.

So, why the soapbox, you ask?

Because I am sick and tired of the lack of acknowledgement that women may be choosing things other than their careers. I hate that blame is being pinned on corporations when there may be not as much blame to assign. I can’t stand the feeling that if I don’t make the choice to work full time in a life consuming career, then I’m making the wrong choice. It infuriates me that the feminists would have us believe that the only “choice” is their choice.


Is it possible that the choices that I and the majority of my closest friends have made with regard to our careers are indicative of what is going on among women our age across the nation and that there will never be as many women as men seeking high level corporate officer positions?

And, while I could go on and on and pick this entire article apart (which I have already done mentally), I’ll spare you the brain damage of it all and just close with this…

I love the fact that I have the choice to work outside of my home. But it is just that… a choice. And for a movement that is so big on choice in other matters, it just kills me that they don’t seem to acknowledge it here.


Stepping down, now.

Would anyone else like to share their soapbox?

Opportunity Knocks

When opportunity knocks, do you always answer the door? I wouldn’t say that I always do. I can think of many times I have lived in disobedience when I have sensed God asking me to do something and I now live knowing that I missed a great opportunity. My goal, however, is to never miss another opportunity to serve Him.

So, when a job at the school opened up last week, I had to explore it. We have always said that the one full-time job that both of us would be willing for me to take would be one at the school because we’ve just always had a vision that I would eventually work there. And, this is probably the main job in the school that I think I could do and do well.

The announcement was made on Thursday (Feb. 14th) that this position was open. Mike forwarded the email to me at work… I have to admit, my work suffered that day. I couldn’t think about anything else it seemed. I inquired about the position via email on Thursday evening and received a response with a job description on Friday morning. I spent Friday afternoon polishing my resume and sent it via email that day. I got a call from the person conducting the interviews on Tuesday and we finally spoke on the phone Wednesday morning. I have an interview on Friday afternoon.

In the midst of all this hubbub, I’ve been doing some self examination and discovery. It was like Mike forwarding me the email about the job opening was the trigger that got my mind to open up as I began to consider whether or not to throw my hat in the ring for this job. As I tried to figure out why this job was now coming open when I’ve just been at my current job for 5 months, I became dreadfully aware of some areas of my life where I have been struggling with temptation that I have been denying for a couple of months now. And it became apparent to me that taking a different job may be a way out of some of this temptation. It weighed so heavy on me until I made the decision to go ahead with pursuing this job opportunity.

However, I became very keenly aware just within the last day or so that the deeper temptation that I have definitely given into deals with my thought life and vain imaginations. Even if taking a different job takes some of the temptation away, my thoughts are still with me and need to be taken captive.

As I have come to this realization, that it’s not just something outside that is tempting me, but something within my flesh, I have desperately calling on God to take the thoughts away. I looked back on our BSF lesson earlier in the year about Christ’s temptation. I remembered how He overcame temptation using the same tools we have today: the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. This week’s lesson also spoke to me as we discussed briefly the passage in Matthew 17:14-21 where Jesus talks of mustard seed faith. That even with that little bit of faith, we can tell a mountain to move by His power and it will. I am challenged to have that faith and to boldly, in the power of the Holy Spirit, tell this mountain of thoughts and temptation to move out of my way!

Something else that spoke to me as I considered the possibility of interviewing for a different job was a passage that we studied last week. Matthew 16:24 is where Jesus tells his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Like so many other verses and passages we have studied, I have heard this many times, but it really came to life this week.

Think of the cross. It was an act of Jesus putting aside his own will for that of the Father’s. Taking up my own cross is the same thing. It’s not that the mere inconveniences of life are “my cross to bear.” My cross is where my will for my life differs from God’s. It is where I allow my own plan for my life to die to willingly let God’s plan be fulfilled.

And it’s not negotiable. The way I see it from this passage, this is part of following Christ. Either we are allowing our own will to die and follow Him or we don’t allow our own will to die and therefore cannot be following Him.

Our teaching leader asked at the end of last weeks lecture, “What are you willing to deny yourself in order to accomplish God’s purpose for your life?” I had to answer that question that I was willing to deny myself the comfort I have in my existing job if need be.

Opportunity is knocking. And as uncomfortable as it can conceivably be, I’m answering the door. We just wait and see at this point if it is a door that I will walk through, or if it will close again.

Meeting Preparation

Today at work I began learning one of the things that will be my responsibility. On Thursdays and Fridays I will go through the process of preparing our clients’ files for meetings that Tyler and John will be having the following week. It’s certainly not rocket science – none of this job is (which is good considering my aptitude with math). However, there are a lot of steps to what I need to prepare and several different places that I have to go to get the needed information. It took up pretty much our whole day today, however I can see that it will go quicker with time as I familiarize myself with the process from week to week. But with as much time as it took, it kind of made me sigh in frustration when one of the guys told me that one client or another had called to say that they wouldn’t be able to make it for their meeting.

As I began to understand what all the reports and pages were that I was printing out, I was impressed by the detail and scope of information that we included in each meeting folder. The prep packet includes client profiles and detailed account information. I also printed a detailed history of meeting notes that included in many cases, personal notes about what is going on in each family’s life. I put myself in the client’s position for a moment and considered how it would make me feel that my financial planner remembered that, for example, my son and his wife had a baby recently. I don’t know about you, but it would make me feel pretty good and give me a sense of security that this person that is handling my finances takes the time to remember the details of my life.

On my way home, I began thinking about the idea of meeting preparation and I found myself thinking about my meeting time with God. Isn’t it amazing that the God of the universe does not need someone behind the scenes preparing our files for Him to look at prior to us meeting with Him? He doesn’t need a list of meeting notes to remind himself of what’s going on in our lives. He has perfect memory. He is always prepared. And waiting.

And then I got to thinking about some of the passages that my BSF lesson took me to today. I realized that he did do some “meeting preparation” of sorts.

• Hebrews 2:16-18 says, “For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
• Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

In sending His Son, Jesus, to earth to be fully man as He was also fully God, He enabled Jesus to fully experience the human existence. He prepared our Great High Priest to be able to sympathize and help us with all the things we experience as humans and may bring to Him in prayer: hurt, disappointment, suffering, temptation, even sin as He experienced the weight of all our sin as He hung on the cross.

And, yes, He’s always waiting. I may have been a little frustrated that all my work was wasted when those clients called to say that they couldn’t make their appointments. Can you imagine how disappointing it is to the God of the universe when we miss our time with Him? And he doesn’t even have to prepare anything.

Lord, help me to be faithful to keep my daily appointments with you. Help me to have concentrated times of worship each and every day.

First Days

First days are always interesting. I remember hating the first day of school because it always seemed to fall on my birthday (like it would have this year). I always thought that really stunk. I felt like it should have been a holiday and that I shouldn’t have to go to school on my birthday. I, of course, loved my first day as a wife. I was catered to and doted on. My first day as a mom was interesting, for sure. The emotion of it all was really overwhelming. And today was like many other first days… interesting.

I started my new job today. I’m working part-time (25-30 hrs a week) doing operational and administrative support for a financial advisor with Ameriprise.

Here’s how the day went…

5:40 am Alarm clock sounds and I’m up and getting dressed and grabbing a drink of water, putting a load of laundry in the wash, then spending time reading passages from my BSF lesson in Matthew and in prayer

6:00 am Exercising on elliptical trainer (Mike is actually up and in the shower. I'm stunned.)

6:20 am In the shower & getting dressed and ready. I realize that I need to still wait a while to put on make-up because my face is still beet red from exercising.

6:30 am Take clothes out of washer, start dryer, put another load in the washer.

6:40 am Mike wakes Sarah up to get going.

6:50 am I feel like I can finally put on some make-up and then eat breakfast with Sarah.

7:20 am Help Sarah practice piano.

7:30 am Mike coaxes Nathan out of bed and is trying to convince him to eat some breakfast which is meeting some stiff opposition.

7:50 am Time-Out #1 for the day for Nathan for I can’t remember what now.

7:55 am Mike and Sarah start to leave.

7:59 am I yell and Mike to get going and that I’ll finish the laundry later.

8:00 am Mike and Sarah leave. I should be leaving. Nathan is wigging out because Daddy’s leaving and wants to give him a big hug, so we go outside to wave bye-bye… he won’t say good-bye… wigs out again as they drive away because he wants a big hug.

8:05 am Time-Out #2 for Nathan for I can’t remember what. Should have left 5 minutes ago.

8:10 am An impromptu song session as we attempt to get Nathan dressed.

8:24 am Nathan is in the car, finally, and now I’m wigging out trying to get the rest of everything else in the car. I think I already stink from the sweat. Did I take a shower?

8:29 am Should already be at the office and yet I am just now driving up to day-care. Nathan wigs out, yet again, as I leave him. No time for pictures (we did that on our practice day on Friday) or breaking hearts. Gotta go!

8:45 am Finally arrive at office. I’m exhausted, I’ve been up and going for 3 hours and it’s not even 9 o’clock. Ugh. Thank the Lord for an extra measure of energy (even if it is partially fueled by my thermos of coffee).

9:00 am I begin learning that I’ve got a lot to learn about my new job.

10:30 am Staff meeting with Tyler (main financial advisor and owner of the practice/business), John (the other f.a.), Mike (operations guy). This consisted of them going through their normal Monday staff meeting routine including prayer over the business and a set of clients. Did I mention that I love that?

11:30 am John leaves the meeting and Tyler, Mike and I meet. Normally a few operational things are discussed, but Tyler also wanted to just give me the run-down of how some things work around there. His favorite words... flow and details.

12:15 pm Lunch… I head home, stop at the tailor on the way to pick up some pants. I get home, eat some lunch while I’m putting away the clean dishes, work on my BSF lesson, then head back out calling the day care on the way back to check on my little man. He’s doing fine.

1:15 pm I begin to see that I’ve REAAALLY got a lot to learn about my new job.

5:15 pm Head home. Pick up Sarah from her after school care (who looks hot and exhausted as she’s been playing outside) and drive around the corner to pick up Nathan (who wouldn’t hardly let me put him down once I got there) They’ve both had good days. Nathan napped (albeit for only an hour) and Sarah has already finished her homework.

6:00 pm Arrive home and start on dinner.

6:25 pm Mike arrives home.

6:45 pm Dinner. Time-Out # 3 (at least) for Nathan and I do remember why (he spit a piece of zucchini out of his mouth that he didn't want to eat).

7:15 pm Send Sarah to the shower and continue to encourage Nathan to finish his dinner.

7:45 pm Nathan is in the bath and I hear Mike say to Sarah, "What are you doing? You have to point the hair dryer at your hair for it to work. Just stop and go make your lunch."

8:00 pm They should both be in bed, and yet, well, Sarah is still making her lunch for tomorrow and Nathan is wigging out because he told me he didn’t want to do something so I did it and lo and behold, he actually wanted to do it. And I was supposed to read his mind…

8:15 pm Sarah is in bed reading and Nathan has convinced Mike that he needs to go potty. This from my son that usually says… “No, need diaper.” He’s stalling.

8:20 pm Nathan has completely lost it. I go in to see if I can help and I find out that he did, in fact, tee-tee in the potty but dad didn’t know where the treats were and yet again, he said he didn’t want to do something so dad did it and lo and behold, he actually wanted to do it. Can someone tell me how to explain this concept to a 2 year old?

8:30 pm Everyone is in bed… kind of.

9:15 pm Our 3rd or 4th trip into his room with the spanking spoon (for getting out of bed).

10:00 pm I’m done…