The set-up: I adventured out on foot today with the two girls. Hubby had the car so we walked the 1/4 mile to go visit a friend in the neighborhood. Mommy, having used the car as a four-wheeled diaper bag for so long, forgot that kid #2 might need an extra diaper.
The event: About 52 steps into our walk home, kid #2 looks up at me with a pained expression and...er...liquid...runs down her leg. The friend we just visited doesn't have diapers in a size 4 (and newborn won't cut it) and has just left anyway. We are still 1/4 mile minus 52 steps from home. I tried to...readjust...the diaper. You never know, maybe it just slipped out of place. Nope. That thing had turned all the moisture-soaking crystals into Jello. One. Full. Diaper.
Solution: So, I did what I had to do and, in the middle of a major crossroads, stripped her down, put the diaper in the stroller (which, of course, no one was using because if big sister walks, little sister either gets to walk or screams), reapplied slightly damp trousers and had an eyeball to eyeball conversation with the little one. "If you poop, it will get all over your legs and shoes so don't poop until we get home. OK?" It worked.
How to avoid this situation in the future: Carry plastic pants to go over diaper and/or shorts to allow greater collection volume.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Thimbleful of Blessing
Luke 6:38a"Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap..."
I have always loved the verse above. I love the imagery of sitting cross-legged with a container of something (dry) that just keeps coming and coming and has filled the container, then my lap then starts to fall on the floor. It reminds me (in a visual, not direct sort of way) of the slot machines that pour out money when you hit the jackpot and the quarters go everywhere.
I had an "aha!" moment the other day that went with this verse. I was in the car with the kids and they were listening to a tape of Bible stories. One of those was the widow who was in debt and came to Elisha for help (2 Kings 4). Her husband had died and they couldn't pay the debts so the creditor was going to take her two sons. Elisha asks her what she has at home. She responds that she has a little oil. So he tells her to go borrow jars from her neighbors and "not a few". The oil in her jar fills all the other jars and she sells it to pay her debt and lives on the rest.
The question that ran across my mind as I was listening to this was: If I were in that situation, how many jars would I have borrowed? Because, really, there was a risk. I could look silly or nothing could happen. Would I be willing to knock on doors all over town to get a lot or would I just borrow the neighbor's measuring cup? The amount of blessing the widow received was directly related to her faith in the situation. The oil ran until every jar was filled then it stopped. In my life, do I miss the big-ness of some of God's blessings because my faith limits the outcome? Do I come to God with a prayer and a thimble asking him to fill it to overflowing?
And, there is a risk. What if I ask for big things or to see God move in big ways and don't get it? I trust that God is good and that he can give overflowing into my lap--but that doesn't mean he always will. There's a risk to ask and be told "no", "not now" or "yes, but not how you envision it". The risk really is in the trust that God is who he says he is and will do things in his time and for my good.
That's hard. But I'm practicing. Practicing my posture of opening my arms wide and saying, "Gimme! Gimme more of you, God. Gimme more evidence of your Spirit working in me. Gimme more wisdom and power as I interact with the non-believers around me. Show me your blessings and your work!" Then, I wait. Wait knowing that God is good, that relationship with him is worth the risk, that he has bigger things planned for me than I could ever imagine.
1Co 2:9 But as Scripture says: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him."
I have always loved the verse above. I love the imagery of sitting cross-legged with a container of something (dry) that just keeps coming and coming and has filled the container, then my lap then starts to fall on the floor. It reminds me (in a visual, not direct sort of way) of the slot machines that pour out money when you hit the jackpot and the quarters go everywhere.
I had an "aha!" moment the other day that went with this verse. I was in the car with the kids and they were listening to a tape of Bible stories. One of those was the widow who was in debt and came to Elisha for help (2 Kings 4). Her husband had died and they couldn't pay the debts so the creditor was going to take her two sons. Elisha asks her what she has at home. She responds that she has a little oil. So he tells her to go borrow jars from her neighbors and "not a few". The oil in her jar fills all the other jars and she sells it to pay her debt and lives on the rest.
The question that ran across my mind as I was listening to this was: If I were in that situation, how many jars would I have borrowed? Because, really, there was a risk. I could look silly or nothing could happen. Would I be willing to knock on doors all over town to get a lot or would I just borrow the neighbor's measuring cup? The amount of blessing the widow received was directly related to her faith in the situation. The oil ran until every jar was filled then it stopped. In my life, do I miss the big-ness of some of God's blessings because my faith limits the outcome? Do I come to God with a prayer and a thimble asking him to fill it to overflowing?
And, there is a risk. What if I ask for big things or to see God move in big ways and don't get it? I trust that God is good and that he can give overflowing into my lap--but that doesn't mean he always will. There's a risk to ask and be told "no", "not now" or "yes, but not how you envision it". The risk really is in the trust that God is who he says he is and will do things in his time and for my good.
That's hard. But I'm practicing. Practicing my posture of opening my arms wide and saying, "Gimme! Gimme more of you, God. Gimme more evidence of your Spirit working in me. Gimme more wisdom and power as I interact with the non-believers around me. Show me your blessings and your work!" Then, I wait. Wait knowing that God is good, that relationship with him is worth the risk, that he has bigger things planned for me than I could ever imagine.
1Co 2:9 But as Scripture says: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him."
Shameless Plug
My dear husband is working on the website for his business. Apparently the more the website gets mentioned in other places, the higher the ranking on Google when someone looks for a product like they offer. So, I am mentioning the website: http://www.cv-vision.com/cvv/
I know, it is selling out to the man to use my blog for the promotion of commercial enterprises...but the eventual profit comes to my bank account. Yes, I can be bought.
I know, it is selling out to the man to use my blog for the promotion of commercial enterprises...but the eventual profit comes to my bank account. Yes, I can be bought.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Green
Why is living green so expensive? If it is more natural, simple, and basic shouldn't it be cheaper too?
Example one: Organic food without preservatives
Normal bananas cost $.33 per pound, sometimes even as low as a quarter a pound. The organic kind cost $.79 EACH. Natural peanut butter (ingredients: peanuts, salt) costs around $1 more than the one with palm oil and chemicals I can't pronounce or spell. Shouldn't I get a discount if I'm not paying for pesticides or lab-created ingredients?
Example two: Electricity
In Phoenix, our electric power comes from hydro-electric and nuclear. Hoover Dam and Palo Verde Nuclear Power plant are pretty big deals. Maybe not as big a footprint as a coal burning plant or maybe burning up nearly-extinct animals but still, not so green. Well, my power company has a solution. I have can opt for electricity provided from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind...if I pay EXTRA every month for it.
Example three: Hybrid cars
Really? You want me to pay an extra $5000 to get a car that also runs on electricity but the gas mileage is about the same? What's my motivation to buy the Prius that 1. Costs more than most basic cars and 2. Still gets 15 mpg LESS than the Volkswagen diesel Jetta?
I'd like to think that I speak for the general population when I say that I am all for picking up after myself. I think God gives me instructions about being a good caretaker of His creation. But, seriously, for me to do it it has to be advantageous for both creation and me. One of the reasons I recycle is because it is easy and cheap: I put my stuff in the blue bin and the city picks it up for me. Selfish? Perhaps. But I'm betting that if hybrid cars cost 1/2 of a gas powered car, everyone would buy one eventually, even me.
So here is my advise to those promoting the "green" agenda: make it cheap and easy and you will get more converts than the "save the world" campaign ever got.
Example one: Organic food without preservatives
Normal bananas cost $.33 per pound, sometimes even as low as a quarter a pound. The organic kind cost $.79 EACH. Natural peanut butter (ingredients: peanuts, salt) costs around $1 more than the one with palm oil and chemicals I can't pronounce or spell. Shouldn't I get a discount if I'm not paying for pesticides or lab-created ingredients?
Example two: Electricity
In Phoenix, our electric power comes from hydro-electric and nuclear. Hoover Dam and Palo Verde Nuclear Power plant are pretty big deals. Maybe not as big a footprint as a coal burning plant or maybe burning up nearly-extinct animals but still, not so green. Well, my power company has a solution. I have can opt for electricity provided from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind...if I pay EXTRA every month for it.
Example three: Hybrid cars
Really? You want me to pay an extra $5000 to get a car that also runs on electricity but the gas mileage is about the same? What's my motivation to buy the Prius that 1. Costs more than most basic cars and 2. Still gets 15 mpg LESS than the Volkswagen diesel Jetta?
I'd like to think that I speak for the general population when I say that I am all for picking up after myself. I think God gives me instructions about being a good caretaker of His creation. But, seriously, for me to do it it has to be advantageous for both creation and me. One of the reasons I recycle is because it is easy and cheap: I put my stuff in the blue bin and the city picks it up for me. Selfish? Perhaps. But I'm betting that if hybrid cars cost 1/2 of a gas powered car, everyone would buy one eventually, even me.
So here is my advise to those promoting the "green" agenda: make it cheap and easy and you will get more converts than the "save the world" campaign ever got.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
What was I saying?
Here's the problem with me and blogging:
I am a creative genius....in the middle of the night when I'm awake after helping a kid to the bathroom.
I am poignant and thoughtful...in the car on the way to the grocery store, work, or library story time.
I am hilarious...when both girls and cats need breakfast, there is a dirty diaper to be changed and the phone is ringing.
When I sit down at the computer, what comes out? NOTHING!! It's like my body is programmed to take any sort of down time as a cue to set my brain to "standby". You know, just in case I need it for something important like telling someone not to eat her boogers.
I've thought about carrying a pen and paper pad with me to jot down the inspired thoughts I have. But then there would be the situation of first finding the pen and paper and then realizing that someone has drawn on every page of my pad then starting and being interrupted seven times in the first sentence.
Ask me how I know this.
Let's just say doing my Bible study while the girls are awake is an act of willpower (and reading with my finger under the line so I know where I was when I was...visited).
So, I have some thoughts swirling. I even have something half written in my head. Now if I can just get out of the "power save" option....
I am a creative genius....in the middle of the night when I'm awake after helping a kid to the bathroom.
I am poignant and thoughtful...in the car on the way to the grocery store, work, or library story time.
I am hilarious...when both girls and cats need breakfast, there is a dirty diaper to be changed and the phone is ringing.
When I sit down at the computer, what comes out? NOTHING!! It's like my body is programmed to take any sort of down time as a cue to set my brain to "standby". You know, just in case I need it for something important like telling someone not to eat her boogers.
I've thought about carrying a pen and paper pad with me to jot down the inspired thoughts I have. But then there would be the situation of first finding the pen and paper and then realizing that someone has drawn on every page of my pad then starting and being interrupted seven times in the first sentence.
Ask me how I know this.
Let's just say doing my Bible study while the girls are awake is an act of willpower (and reading with my finger under the line so I know where I was when I was...visited).
So, I have some thoughts swirling. I even have something half written in my head. Now if I can just get out of the "power save" option....
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