I have some exciting news: we have our first "progress" with our adoption to announce in a long time. Last night we finished the paperwork to submit to the Indian Government, and today I put it in the mail. Narasimha's brother and his wife leave for India from the East Coast in a few days, and we thought it would be better to send it with people versus in the mail if possible. So we buckled down and finished the packet, and right now it's on the way to New Jersey. In a few days it will be on the flight to India as part of carry-on luggage. Then my brother-in-law will hand deliver it to the orphanage for us. It's not a huge start, but with our snail pace I'll be happy with anything!
Please be in prayer: the situation in India that I've had in my prayer request list in the sidebar for several months now is not completely resolved. And, it could still very much affect our progress. Please pray for those whose lives are affected there (my in-laws) and that God would allow further adoption progress for our family as He sees fit. Of course we want a child now, but if God makes it clear that His plan is for us to wait even longer, then that is what we will do with peaceful and thankful hearts with grace God alone can give.
From here: We need to be preparing for our homestudy. We have no timeline for this as of now. I also need to be researching the immigration issue from an American standpoint. My initial thought is that it will be harder to get our child into our country (and home) than it will be to have one placed in our care.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Digital Camera Flub Update
This post is to follow the blurb I had at the bottom of my post from Christmas Day. If you don't have a digital camera, or if you have a digital camera and know your stuff, or if you're already bored reading this, this post isn't for you ;)
So...here's what happened on Christmas. Our camera is a few years old, and we have always liked its performance (it's a Canon SD800 IS, if you're interested). However, recently, some of the shots have been a little blurry, or the lighting is a little weird, or whatever. So after the Christmas Day festivities Narasimha was absent-mindedly messing with the settings to see if he could figure out why these annoying things were going on. I think he was tired after the long day, and he happened upon the option to "format card." To say the least, the meaning of this action is lost on me. However, Narasimha says even now that he knew this was bad. He scrolled from the preset function of "no" to "yes" and pushed enter. Immediately the camera screen said "no files found." Which is bad. 2 seconds earlier we had several hundred pics saved on our disk. And they were all gone in an instant. He tried to retrieve the pics, and even downloaded some free retrieval software from the internet. Nothing worked. He found the number of a company who specializes in retrieving lost stuff, but when he called first thing Friday morning found out they were closed for the holiday until Monday. However, what he found out on the website was that there was some special reading software you could buy for $75, and if that didn't work, you could send your card to them and they would try to get it off for between $75-200-ish. Ouch. And, we weren't sure we'd get our disk back if we had to send it to them, and those are pretty spendy as well. Not to mention, no guarantees of success.
So we waited over the weekend, and Narasimha called first thing this morning. He talked to a guy who said it sounded like if anything would work, this thing called a "reader" (or something like that) would do it. No use sending it in. It looked for some reason like the computer wasn't reading our files (are you lost yet, because I was a while ago...). So we went to Staples this afternoon, and bought this like $15 thing. And it worked for the most part - Yay!!! Some of the pics have like inverted colors, and we're missing some we think, and some of them only load like half way for whatever reason. But I think we have about 90-ish% of our pics in tact. We're very thankful!
A few things we walked away from this now knowing: First, memory cards have a "lock" function. I knew that, but never used it before. This is good because you have to "unlock" (with the push of a little lever thing) to be able to do anything to your card besides add to it (so take pics, etc.). It's probably a little annoying and cumbersome at times, but it safeguards against accidental slips. Also, if anything (camera, computer, etc.) has technical functions with preset answers - you tell it to do something and it brings up 2 answers, no and yes for example, and one of them is highlighted - the one that is highlighted is generally the "right" answer unless you know what you're doing, or you're actually trying to do something specific. Our whole problem would have never happened had Narasimha went with the preset answer "no" for his little disk formatting escapade. This may seem obvious to some or all of you, but I am what you would call technologically challenged, and these little reminders will likely be helpful to me in the future.
Any suggestions or things to add? I hope this never happens to any of you.
*Note (as of 12/30): Locking the card doesn't actually work. When the card is locked (at least the one we have) it won't take or delete pics or make formatting changes. So nevermind that "advice" from above.
So...here's what happened on Christmas. Our camera is a few years old, and we have always liked its performance (it's a Canon SD800 IS, if you're interested). However, recently, some of the shots have been a little blurry, or the lighting is a little weird, or whatever. So after the Christmas Day festivities Narasimha was absent-mindedly messing with the settings to see if he could figure out why these annoying things were going on. I think he was tired after the long day, and he happened upon the option to "format card." To say the least, the meaning of this action is lost on me. However, Narasimha says even now that he knew this was bad. He scrolled from the preset function of "no" to "yes" and pushed enter. Immediately the camera screen said "no files found." Which is bad. 2 seconds earlier we had several hundred pics saved on our disk. And they were all gone in an instant. He tried to retrieve the pics, and even downloaded some free retrieval software from the internet. Nothing worked. He found the number of a company who specializes in retrieving lost stuff, but when he called first thing Friday morning found out they were closed for the holiday until Monday. However, what he found out on the website was that there was some special reading software you could buy for $75, and if that didn't work, you could send your card to them and they would try to get it off for between $75-200-ish. Ouch. And, we weren't sure we'd get our disk back if we had to send it to them, and those are pretty spendy as well. Not to mention, no guarantees of success.
So we waited over the weekend, and Narasimha called first thing this morning. He talked to a guy who said it sounded like if anything would work, this thing called a "reader" (or something like that) would do it. No use sending it in. It looked for some reason like the computer wasn't reading our files (are you lost yet, because I was a while ago...). So we went to Staples this afternoon, and bought this like $15 thing. And it worked for the most part - Yay!!! Some of the pics have like inverted colors, and we're missing some we think, and some of them only load like half way for whatever reason. But I think we have about 90-ish% of our pics in tact. We're very thankful!
A few things we walked away from this now knowing: First, memory cards have a "lock" function. I knew that, but never used it before. This is good because you have to "unlock" (with the push of a little lever thing) to be able to do anything to your card besides add to it (so take pics, etc.). It's probably a little annoying and cumbersome at times, but it safeguards against accidental slips. Also, if anything (camera, computer, etc.) has technical functions with preset answers - you tell it to do something and it brings up 2 answers, no and yes for example, and one of them is highlighted - the one that is highlighted is generally the "right" answer unless you know what you're doing, or you're actually trying to do something specific. Our whole problem would have never happened had Narasimha went with the preset answer "no" for his little disk formatting escapade. This may seem obvious to some or all of you, but I am what you would call technologically challenged, and these little reminders will likely be helpful to me in the future.
Any suggestions or things to add? I hope this never happens to any of you.
*Note (as of 12/30): Locking the card doesn't actually work. When the card is locked (at least the one we have) it won't take or delete pics or make formatting changes. So nevermind that "advice" from above.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
My family, friends and I had a wonderful and blessed Christmas - I hope the same is true for you and yours.
Christmas Eve Narasimha and I celebrated at home with gifts and special time together. Our exciting joint gift this year was an espresso machine. I'm finding out that making espresso drinks is more of an art than I remembered from my days as a barista in the coffee shop of my dorm freshman year of college. We'll have to see how this goes...
Christmas Eve we drove to Dad and Mom's so we could wake up there after sleeping in a bit longer than if we came in the morning. We opened gifts as a family, and then off to the neighbors (no blood relation, but still family) for Christmas dinner - an annual tradition. Then the Christmas Day nap, and back over to the neighbors for leftovers and more time with family and friends.
I am also fortunate enough to get together with both Mom and Dad's sides for weekends around Christmas time - one down, one to go later into the New Year.
The bummer of the day: Narasimha had a slip on our digital camera and we lost all of our pics. Actually, I haven't transferred pictures to our computer from the camera since right after our marathon in October, so we lost several hundred pictures of some special times, including all of today's. I'm pretty bummed, and Narasimha is really kicking himself. So, I'd post a few pics of us and my family, but I can't... He has been frantically searching the internet since his flub a bit ago, and there is a chance we can hire someone to "retrieve" them. The free software he found on the internet isn't working... We'll have to see when everything opens back up early next week. I guess technology works best when it's on your side... :(
Christmas Eve Narasimha and I celebrated at home with gifts and special time together. Our exciting joint gift this year was an espresso machine. I'm finding out that making espresso drinks is more of an art than I remembered from my days as a barista in the coffee shop of my dorm freshman year of college. We'll have to see how this goes...
Christmas Eve we drove to Dad and Mom's so we could wake up there after sleeping in a bit longer than if we came in the morning. We opened gifts as a family, and then off to the neighbors (no blood relation, but still family) for Christmas dinner - an annual tradition. Then the Christmas Day nap, and back over to the neighbors for leftovers and more time with family and friends.
I am also fortunate enough to get together with both Mom and Dad's sides for weekends around Christmas time - one down, one to go later into the New Year.
The bummer of the day: Narasimha had a slip on our digital camera and we lost all of our pics. Actually, I haven't transferred pictures to our computer from the camera since right after our marathon in October, so we lost several hundred pictures of some special times, including all of today's. I'm pretty bummed, and Narasimha is really kicking himself. So, I'd post a few pics of us and my family, but I can't... He has been frantically searching the internet since his flub a bit ago, and there is a chance we can hire someone to "retrieve" them. The free software he found on the internet isn't working... We'll have to see when everything opens back up early next week. I guess technology works best when it's on your side... :(
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Snow
I wanted to give a review of this album on my blog - I think this is possibly my favorite Christmas CD. One I can listen to over and over and over again. I recommend it - it's lots of fun. And, technically, Go Fish is a kids' group. However, their slogan is something to the effect of "Music that kids love that won't drive their parents bonkers." And I agree - I don't even have kids and I listen to it voluntarily :) I have also put the lyrics of two of the songs on the blog just a bit ago - the words to these songs (Go Fish originals, I believe) are powerful and important. Hope you enjoy my "review." :) **Note: I am no music expert. That will likely be obvious to those of you who may be. These are just my thoughts with a little music terminology that I hope I used correctly... If you're an expert, read on at your own risk ;)
1. Joy To The World - This Christmas classic is tweaked Go Fish style. It's great to sing along with - upbeat and fun, and as far as I can tell the voices are accompanied by drums only, and only a little. 3 of the 4 verses are recorded, along with a small interlude of Go Fish original material. The unison voices in this piece I think show the musicianship of the group.
1. Joy To The World - This Christmas classic is tweaked Go Fish style. It's great to sing along with - upbeat and fun, and as far as I can tell the voices are accompanied by drums only, and only a little. 3 of the 4 verses are recorded, along with a small interlude of Go Fish original material. The unison voices in this piece I think show the musicianship of the group.2. We Three Kings - A little slower than the first, and a few more percussion instruments than drums for accompaniment. Still lots of fun. Another small Go Fish interlude. Lots of emphasis on Jesus being Christmas' "star." 2 of 5 verses, but the first verse is sung twice (before and after second verse).
3. Away In A Manger/Beautiful Savior - A capella. Beautiful. Slow and "quiet." The group's bass singer is great I think - and the whole song has real depth. 2 verses of Away In A Manger, though the second verse has slightly different words than I'm used to. Transition into Beautiful Savior, which I think is a great combo focusing on who the Baby in the manger was. 1 verse of Beautiful Savior.
4. Christmas Time - Fun with a good beat. A Go Fish original, I think. Drum accompaniment. A jab at Santa that I can appreciate ;) Focus on cultural Christmas "atmosphere" with very clear and well-done Jesus focus in the middle. For some reason I feel like it's a mix (or somewhat of a remix) of one or a few popular secular Christmas songs, but I can't place which ones for sure. I don't know...
5. Christmas With A Capital "C" - Lyrics below. A Go Fish original, and I believe it's the name of their Christmas tour. An important song for Christians in an increasingly secular world who'd like to take Jesus right out of Christmas. Fun and funny with a message. Speaking parts by comedian Brad Stine who does a good job. Encouragement for us as Christians to stand up for ourselves against Santa and a culture who embraces him (only). I don't know that I go along with all the points made - however, I appreciate the stand being made. And, overall, their point is appropriate and well-said. And, since the target audience is children, I think the message does a good job of helping to give (our) kids the courage and attitude to stand up for Jesus. These songs are the things that stick with kids as they grow and face life.
6. White Christmas - A sort-of barber shop sound, voices and light drums, complete with snapping of fingers. The bass sings the melody on this one, and he's great. Fun and easy-going. The only song on the CD that never mentions Jesus, which is fine with me due to the heavy focus on the whole rest of the CD. A well-done Christmas classic.
7. Christmas And You - Somewhat of a "love song." Go Fish original. Voices and drums. Focus on celebrating Jesus with a person (or people) who are special to you. Great focus on Jesus and the point of His life. Some cultural (even "secular") Christmas references, well-done and appropriate I think. Fun and slower.
8. It's About The Cross - Great song. Medium speed. Lyrics below. Go fish original. Powerful way to bridge Christmas and its importance to Easter. Draws focus from "details" of the holiday to the "big picture." I truly can't pick a favorite between this and number 5. I feel like every line in the whole song is worthy of meditating on. Great song of worship and focus on our wonderful and sacrificial Father and Son. The line that I highlighted in the post below brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it ("Every drop of blood...").
9. The Little Drummer Boy - You've heard it. They do it well. Starts slow and picks up a bit - great to sing along with (they all are). A great drum "line" - what would you expect? The voice/special/drum effects are very well done and a lot of fun to listen to. A good focus in the middle and at the end of giving what we can, no matter how small (details the "drumming" as service and praise), to our Savior. 3 verses. A lot of activity.
10. My Jesus I Love Thee - Not generally a Christmas song I don't think, but a great focus on praise to our Savior to round out the album. Piano, special effects and drums (I don't remember anything but percussion on any other song). This song, especially the way they do it, brings tears to my eyes. A true pledge of allegiance and love to our Savior Jesus, the Christ of Christmas. 3 verses. Medium speed, and in my opinion, wonderful musicianship and harmony line. I love it.
As you can probably tell, I love this album. I have listened to it a million times in the last month, and am sad to have to put it away for 11 months in a few days. There are a few small things I don't love about it (one that comes to mind is a few references to "kissing" and "mistletoe"). However, all things considered, I will likely be "jamming" to this album every Christmas for a long time.
Christmas With A Capital "C"
From Go Fish's Album Snow, with comedian Brad Stine (speaking parts - in italics).
Speaking:
I remember when people used to say things like "Merry Christmas" to each other.
Everybody said "Merry Christmas."
"Hey, Merry Christmas to you Mr. Lowenstein."
You know why? Cuz it wasn't about a religion.
It was something as a culture we thought was so valuable
that'd we'd all do it together even if I disagreed with the religion behind it because it was good for all of us instead of just me.
But what do people say now? "Happy holidays."
See I just say "Happy holidays" cuz I don't want to say Christmas cuz
you don't believe in Christmas and I don't want to offend you...
It's called Christmas
Well I went to the coffee shop to get myself a mocha
The lady at the counter said "Happy Holidays"
I said "Thanks lady, I am pretty happy
But there's only one holiday that makes me feel that way and..."
[Chorus]
It's called Christmas
What more can I say
It's about the birth of Christ
And you can't take that away
You can call it something else
But that's not what it'll be
It's called Christmas with a capital C
God's got a law and we've pretty much destroyed it
We're gonna get judged, there's no way to avoid it
But Jesus came down to take the punishment for me
He did it for you too, so now maybe you can see why
[Chorus]
It's called Christmas
Oh yes, we want to say "Happy holidays" because we don't want to leave anybody out. Really, how come there's a ton of holidays in February, and nobody ever says "Happy holidays" in February do they? They say what it is: "Happy Valentine's D..." Ooh, do you believe in love?
It's called Christmas
But nobody wants to say "Christmas" anymore more. Why? I know why - you do too. It's because it's got "Christ" in it, and after 2000 years, He's still intimidatin' people. You see, when a religious Person says "I am the Way" people don't want to hear it. They don't!
It's called Christmas
I say you've got to say "Merry Christmas" cuz it is. You don't believe in it? Fine. But I have a flash for you. Christianity happens to be the religious heritage of my country, whether you like it or not.
It's called Christmas
So if you're not a Christian, or you don't like it, and you don't want Christmas celebrated, God bless ya. But let me tell ya somethin', if you think you're gonna stop me from saying it because it offends you, hey I've got a flash for ya: Put a helmet on! It's my country too!
[Chorus x2]
Speaking:
I remember when people used to say things like "Merry Christmas" to each other.
Everybody said "Merry Christmas."
"Hey, Merry Christmas to you Mr. Lowenstein."
You know why? Cuz it wasn't about a religion.
It was something as a culture we thought was so valuable
that'd we'd all do it together even if I disagreed with the religion behind it because it was good for all of us instead of just me.
But what do people say now? "Happy holidays."
See I just say "Happy holidays" cuz I don't want to say Christmas cuz
you don't believe in Christmas and I don't want to offend you...
It's called Christmas
Well I went to the coffee shop to get myself a mocha
The lady at the counter said "Happy Holidays"
I said "Thanks lady, I am pretty happy
But there's only one holiday that makes me feel that way and..."
[Chorus]
It's called Christmas
What more can I say
It's about the birth of Christ
And you can't take that away
You can call it something else
But that's not what it'll be
It's called Christmas with a capital C
God's got a law and we've pretty much destroyed it
We're gonna get judged, there's no way to avoid it
But Jesus came down to take the punishment for me
He did it for you too, so now maybe you can see why
[Chorus]
It's called Christmas
Oh yes, we want to say "Happy holidays" because we don't want to leave anybody out. Really, how come there's a ton of holidays in February, and nobody ever says "Happy holidays" in February do they? They say what it is: "Happy Valentine's D..." Ooh, do you believe in love?
It's called Christmas
But nobody wants to say "Christmas" anymore more. Why? I know why - you do too. It's because it's got "Christ" in it, and after 2000 years, He's still intimidatin' people. You see, when a religious Person says "I am the Way" people don't want to hear it. They don't!
It's called Christmas
I say you've got to say "Merry Christmas" cuz it is. You don't believe in it? Fine. But I have a flash for you. Christianity happens to be the religious heritage of my country, whether you like it or not.
It's called Christmas
So if you're not a Christian, or you don't like it, and you don't want Christmas celebrated, God bless ya. But let me tell ya somethin', if you think you're gonna stop me from saying it because it offends you, hey I've got a flash for ya: Put a helmet on! It's my country too!
[Chorus x2]
It's About The Cross
From Go Fish's Album Snow.
It's not just about the manger where the Baby laid
It's not all about the angels who sang for Him that day
It's not just about the shepherds or the bright and shining star
Oh, it's not all about the wisemen who traveled from afar
[Chorus]
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again
It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
It's about the cross
It's not just about the presents underneath the tree
It's not all about the feeling that this season brings to me
It's not just about coming home to be with those you love
Oh, it's not all about the beauty and the snow I'm dreaming of
[Chorus]
The beginning of the story is wonderful and great
But it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again
It's about God's love nailed to a tree
It's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him
When it should've been me
It's about the stone that was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
It's about the cross
**Bolded emphasis mine.
It's not just about the manger where the Baby laid
It's not all about the angels who sang for Him that day
It's not just about the shepherds or the bright and shining star
Oh, it's not all about the wisemen who traveled from afar
[Chorus]
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again
It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
It's about the cross
It's not just about the presents underneath the tree
It's not all about the feeling that this season brings to me
It's not just about coming home to be with those you love
Oh, it's not all about the beauty and the snow I'm dreaming of
[Chorus]
The beginning of the story is wonderful and great
But it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again
It's about God's love nailed to a tree
It's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him
When it should've been me
It's about the stone that was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
It's about the cross
**Bolded emphasis mine.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Bible Supports Gay Marriage?!?
A few weeks ago some of you may have seen this attention-grabbing headline on the MSN homepage: The Bible Supports Gay Marriage. When I saw the title I was afraid to read on, but had to. Since then I have read on msn that there was a backlash and that the source who originally printed the article (Newsweek) received a fair amount of mail and criticism for printing such a thing. Here's the link to the article, if you haven't already seen it:
Our Mutual Joy - Cover Story: Gay Marriage
Oh there's a lot to say after reading something like that. But I am going to leave the arguements to the experts - there are many people out there much smarter and well-versed in Scripture than I am to be defending our Bible and the sanctity of marriage as the Bible would actually define it.
However, I will say this: This article did stir up a few emotions in me. First, I am angry. This is my Bible, and people are twisting and manipulating it in stark contrast to what Scripture actually indicates. This is an attack on my God and my Bible and I don't like it. My children will have to grow up in a world where this nonsense is taking over, and people are twisting the Bible to say what they want it to say so they can do what they want to do and have a "clear" conscience. And there are "Christians" out there who are going to jump on the bandwagon in the name of tolerance or ease and buy into this. They will read the article (or a million others out there just like it) and think "Yeah, ok. That makes sense. And it's certainly popular. I guess I can see it. I'll go with it." And that same Christian who thinks this will allow these negligent thought processes influence their political stance, their interpretation of the Bible in other realms, and even what is to be tolerated in the churches they attend. We are becoming lazy and complacent in our Christian standards and every time we do it becomes easier to do what feels ok rather than what Christ would desire.
I am also sad. It breaks my heart to see people turning their backs on God in this way. The person who wrote this article knows a fair amount about what is actually written in the Bible. Yet somehow she is seriously missing the point. And she's not alone. And, as I mentioned above, there are many people who call themselves Christians who go along with this twisted thought process and then somehow try to justify it with the Bible. Ouch. It makes me very sad to see how far our society has fallen, and I can't believe how fast it happens. And I am also sad for the many who blindly receive poor counsel, and buy into it, and make grave and sometimes fatal (literal and figurative) mistakes with their lives based on misinformation.
The God I know from reading the pages of the Bible does not like this. He will not approve or bless our society for embracing blasphemy to His name such as is written in the words of this article. Christian, my plea to you is this: Stand up for what you believe. And figure out what you believe from reading God's Word, not Newsweek. And be ready for a fight, because in this day and age, if you do those two things, you will be standing in the company of very few.
Our Mutual Joy - Cover Story: Gay Marriage
Oh there's a lot to say after reading something like that. But I am going to leave the arguements to the experts - there are many people out there much smarter and well-versed in Scripture than I am to be defending our Bible and the sanctity of marriage as the Bible would actually define it.
However, I will say this: This article did stir up a few emotions in me. First, I am angry. This is my Bible, and people are twisting and manipulating it in stark contrast to what Scripture actually indicates. This is an attack on my God and my Bible and I don't like it. My children will have to grow up in a world where this nonsense is taking over, and people are twisting the Bible to say what they want it to say so they can do what they want to do and have a "clear" conscience. And there are "Christians" out there who are going to jump on the bandwagon in the name of tolerance or ease and buy into this. They will read the article (or a million others out there just like it) and think "Yeah, ok. That makes sense. And it's certainly popular. I guess I can see it. I'll go with it." And that same Christian who thinks this will allow these negligent thought processes influence their political stance, their interpretation of the Bible in other realms, and even what is to be tolerated in the churches they attend. We are becoming lazy and complacent in our Christian standards and every time we do it becomes easier to do what feels ok rather than what Christ would desire.
I am also sad. It breaks my heart to see people turning their backs on God in this way. The person who wrote this article knows a fair amount about what is actually written in the Bible. Yet somehow she is seriously missing the point. And she's not alone. And, as I mentioned above, there are many people who call themselves Christians who go along with this twisted thought process and then somehow try to justify it with the Bible. Ouch. It makes me very sad to see how far our society has fallen, and I can't believe how fast it happens. And I am also sad for the many who blindly receive poor counsel, and buy into it, and make grave and sometimes fatal (literal and figurative) mistakes with their lives based on misinformation.
The God I know from reading the pages of the Bible does not like this. He will not approve or bless our society for embracing blasphemy to His name such as is written in the words of this article. Christian, my plea to you is this: Stand up for what you believe. And figure out what you believe from reading God's Word, not Newsweek. And be ready for a fight, because in this day and age, if you do those two things, you will be standing in the company of very few.
Friday, December 5, 2008
27 Things About Me In No Particular Order
Note: This idea was stolen from the blog of a friend. Betsy did this first and I'm copying it now - hope that's ok Betsy! :)
1. I play the trumpet, and I started in the 5th grade.
2. I have been to India 3 times and Mexico once.
3. I love to paint my nails but have never had a professional mani/pedi. And I don't want one - I'd rather do it myself.
4. I cried the day the last original Friends was aired. And I'll probably cry during the last ER.
5. I love my family more than I can articulate, though I don't tell them nearly enough.
6. Though sometimes we want to beat each other over the head, I love my husband more than I ever could have hoped for and I can't imagine navigating life with any other person. I am so blessed to be married to my best friend.
7. I love volleyball. I would play it all the time if I could. But I'm truly not that good at it. I am a better coach than I am a player.
8. I don't pray nearly enough.
9. I would rather have a few close friends than a million blah acquaintances. I am so thankful for the people I can truly call friends (you know who you are).
10. I like to scrapbook but am waaaaay behind.
11. I am a perfectionist - 100%. Sometimes it's annoying.
12. I have a hard time admitting fault, and an even harder time apologizing.
13. I have somewhat of a weakness for designer handbags.
14. I am a Christian. Every thing I learn about Jesus makes me realize how little I actually know.
15. I did not grow up with inside pets, but now have 3 inside doggies, and can't imagine my life without them.
16. I cannot have a baby. I have known this for over 2 years now and sometimes it still devastates me more than I can describe.
17. I love children. No matter to age, gender, personality - every single child is a special little person in their own way. They make me smile.
18. It is my plan to get a Master's in Nouthetic (Christian) Counseling someday. I have only taken one class, but truly feel it's my calling in life.
19. I enjoy formulating intelligent answers and arguments.
20. I like the taste of nearly every food on the planet except sauerkraut. If I don't like a food, it's generally because I don't like its texture. And I might even like sauerkraut - I haven't had it since I was like 6.
21. I like to read just about anything, and I'm a fairly fast reader.
22. I have names for my future children picked out. And I have bought a ton of baby/toddler clothes.
23. I wish I had a clean house. I could organize anything (including a pile of garbage), but if you saw my house, you'd never know it.
24. I like to write. And I like to blog. Maybe I'll write a book someday.
25. I believe God has the adoption of children in our family plan. We hope to adopt a child from an orphanage in India sometime next year.
26. I've always had a tough persona, and I think it surprises people who have known me for a long time to find out how sensitive and spiritual I really am. I could cry at the drop of a hat these days, but still have a hard time letting myself cry in front of others (even my husband).
27. Today is my birthday :)
Note #2: This is my 100th blog post :)
1. I play the trumpet, and I started in the 5th grade.
2. I have been to India 3 times and Mexico once.
3. I love to paint my nails but have never had a professional mani/pedi. And I don't want one - I'd rather do it myself.
4. I cried the day the last original Friends was aired. And I'll probably cry during the last ER.
5. I love my family more than I can articulate, though I don't tell them nearly enough.
6. Though sometimes we want to beat each other over the head, I love my husband more than I ever could have hoped for and I can't imagine navigating life with any other person. I am so blessed to be married to my best friend.
7. I love volleyball. I would play it all the time if I could. But I'm truly not that good at it. I am a better coach than I am a player.
8. I don't pray nearly enough.
9. I would rather have a few close friends than a million blah acquaintances. I am so thankful for the people I can truly call friends (you know who you are).
10. I like to scrapbook but am waaaaay behind.
11. I am a perfectionist - 100%. Sometimes it's annoying.
12. I have a hard time admitting fault, and an even harder time apologizing.
13. I have somewhat of a weakness for designer handbags.
14. I am a Christian. Every thing I learn about Jesus makes me realize how little I actually know.
15. I did not grow up with inside pets, but now have 3 inside doggies, and can't imagine my life without them.
16. I cannot have a baby. I have known this for over 2 years now and sometimes it still devastates me more than I can describe.
17. I love children. No matter to age, gender, personality - every single child is a special little person in their own way. They make me smile.
18. It is my plan to get a Master's in Nouthetic (Christian) Counseling someday. I have only taken one class, but truly feel it's my calling in life.
19. I enjoy formulating intelligent answers and arguments.
20. I like the taste of nearly every food on the planet except sauerkraut. If I don't like a food, it's generally because I don't like its texture. And I might even like sauerkraut - I haven't had it since I was like 6.
21. I like to read just about anything, and I'm a fairly fast reader.
22. I have names for my future children picked out. And I have bought a ton of baby/toddler clothes.
23. I wish I had a clean house. I could organize anything (including a pile of garbage), but if you saw my house, you'd never know it.
24. I like to write. And I like to blog. Maybe I'll write a book someday.
25. I believe God has the adoption of children in our family plan. We hope to adopt a child from an orphanage in India sometime next year.
26. I've always had a tough persona, and I think it surprises people who have known me for a long time to find out how sensitive and spiritual I really am. I could cry at the drop of a hat these days, but still have a hard time letting myself cry in front of others (even my husband).
27. Today is my birthday :)
Note #2: This is my 100th blog post :)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
I'm Back :)
Hello, nice to talk to you all again :) It's been a while... I'm still here, and still kickin'. We had a fairly busy November, and December doesn't seem to be coming at us any slower (yikes!). But I have had a few things I have been meaning to post about for what seems like FOREVER! So I am going to see if I can make some progress in the next few weeks here.
A bit of an update, for those who are interested, on the last 2 posts I wrote (in November): I posted them on another site as well, and received quite a bit of feedback on that site. Especially on the second one I wrote (posted here on Nov 5). Quite a bit of feedback from people who aren't Christians, and who strongly disagreed with me and were even offended by what I said. So, I took the opportunity to respond to their responses to my original note(s). I wrote a VERY LONG response, addressing a few of them individually. I didn't post that response on here - partially because you who read on here would not be able to read what I was responding to, so it might not make a whole lot of sense. Also, it was very long - very, very long. So - if any of you did not have a chance to read what I wrote, and would like to, let me know. I'd be more than happy to send you my response (or tell you how to access it yourself). I also got quite a bit of feedback on this final response. Some people even deleted what they said - as some of my "commenters" were commenting on what others had commented (sounds confusing doesn't it). Anyways, all this writing any commenting kinda burned me out for a bit - which is why I haven't written in a while.
Also, Narasimha and I went to New Jersey last week, so I will plan to post trip highlights in the next few days.
And, I am excited: There have been a few answers to prayer regarding some friends - see sidebar on right.
A bit of an update, for those who are interested, on the last 2 posts I wrote (in November): I posted them on another site as well, and received quite a bit of feedback on that site. Especially on the second one I wrote (posted here on Nov 5). Quite a bit of feedback from people who aren't Christians, and who strongly disagreed with me and were even offended by what I said. So, I took the opportunity to respond to their responses to my original note(s). I wrote a VERY LONG response, addressing a few of them individually. I didn't post that response on here - partially because you who read on here would not be able to read what I was responding to, so it might not make a whole lot of sense. Also, it was very long - very, very long. So - if any of you did not have a chance to read what I wrote, and would like to, let me know. I'd be more than happy to send you my response (or tell you how to access it yourself). I also got quite a bit of feedback on this final response. Some people even deleted what they said - as some of my "commenters" were commenting on what others had commented (sounds confusing doesn't it). Anyways, all this writing any commenting kinda burned me out for a bit - which is why I haven't written in a while.
Also, Narasimha and I went to New Jersey last week, so I will plan to post trip highlights in the next few days.
And, I am excited: There have been a few answers to prayer regarding some friends - see sidebar on right.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Well, Now What?
America has spoken, and we have elected a new President. Am I worried? When I rely on my human understanding of the situation, and what this could mean for our country's policies and rules on a moral level, the answer is definitely yes. Especially when you consider that he has so much support from congress - I think there is a historic number of liberals in Washington, starting in January. Yikes! But, God says that He knows what is going on. Isaiah 55:8-9 says "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." He has a plan, and trust me, I really don't see how He's going to pull this one off, but it's ok. I don't need to. He doesn't need my help. I did what I needed to do yesterday at the polls, and He knows my heart. For reasons only God probably understands at this time we as Christians don't seem to have much leverage in government these days (Democrats probably think they understand, but I find it very unlikely that they know God's reason for their having taken overwhelming control in Washington).
So, what now? That is definitely the question of the hour. I have a few points, but I certainly don't have all the answers:
1. Pray. America has never needed it more. Pray that our leaders' attention stays on things temporal and doesn't drift into the moral. Let them spend all our money if that's what they have to do (it hurts to say that). I am praying that their left-wing moral issues and agenda don't infiltrate our nation and take over. Abortion as a means of birth control, redefining marriage, you get the idea.
2. Get ready. We are in the end times. We all know it. The prophesies have been fulfilled. Jesus is coming back someday - and I am not kidding when I say that after last night, it looks like sooner rather than later.
3. Respect your President. Didn't vote for him/don't like him? Doesn't matter. He's your leader, whether you like it or not. And God demands that you give your respect to him. What does this mean when you disagree with what he's doing as leader? You may operate your voice in government as much as you are legally allowed, when done in respect. Call your representative. Write letters. Support good causes. You may not: talk bad or disrespectfully about President Obama. Attack him, or his family, on a personal level. The lines are blurry here. When necessary: attack the policies, not the people. Just remember: America voted, but ultimately God placed this man in the position of authority in our country. You have an amazing opportunity to be a witness to those around you when you deal God's way with (good, bad, other) authority in your life.
2 Timothy 2:13-17 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
There is a lot more here than meets the eye if you are reading the passage for the first time, but no matter what you can get the general idea that God demands respect from us for our earthly leaders.
4. Respect God more. We are to respect our human authority, but always over that is our respect for God. If our government tells us to do (or allows us to do) something that is in contrast to the Word of God, we are to obey God. There are more ways that this could be manifested than any of us can ever imagine. Be ready to take action. And know God's Word well enough that you have discernment when the time comes.
5. Be thankful. This is monumental in America's history. I personally am thrilled that he got elected for one reason: he's black. Let me explain. I didn't vote for him, and I would never let someone's skin color influence my vote. But, now that he's in office (or will be in a few months), I am thankful that America has risen above its racist roots. Even in southern states, which is a little more surprising based on history, Obama got a decent share of the vote. That is big news, and it is important. I believe God is color-blind (remember the song "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight?") and we are sending a powerful message to the rest of the world, and to those who are still racist in our own country, that we have moved past that. We are better than that. I am thankful. There is much, MUCH more to be thankful for than just the issue of race. When I try, I can think of lots of things. That's just the only one I'm going to talk about here.
What do you think? Have anything to add? This certainly isn't exhaustive, but it's a start. I value your opinion.
So, what now? That is definitely the question of the hour. I have a few points, but I certainly don't have all the answers:
1. Pray. America has never needed it more. Pray that our leaders' attention stays on things temporal and doesn't drift into the moral. Let them spend all our money if that's what they have to do (it hurts to say that). I am praying that their left-wing moral issues and agenda don't infiltrate our nation and take over. Abortion as a means of birth control, redefining marriage, you get the idea.
2. Get ready. We are in the end times. We all know it. The prophesies have been fulfilled. Jesus is coming back someday - and I am not kidding when I say that after last night, it looks like sooner rather than later.
3. Respect your President. Didn't vote for him/don't like him? Doesn't matter. He's your leader, whether you like it or not. And God demands that you give your respect to him. What does this mean when you disagree with what he's doing as leader? You may operate your voice in government as much as you are legally allowed, when done in respect. Call your representative. Write letters. Support good causes. You may not: talk bad or disrespectfully about President Obama. Attack him, or his family, on a personal level. The lines are blurry here. When necessary: attack the policies, not the people. Just remember: America voted, but ultimately God placed this man in the position of authority in our country. You have an amazing opportunity to be a witness to those around you when you deal God's way with (good, bad, other) authority in your life.
2 Timothy 2:13-17 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
There is a lot more here than meets the eye if you are reading the passage for the first time, but no matter what you can get the general idea that God demands respect from us for our earthly leaders.
4. Respect God more. We are to respect our human authority, but always over that is our respect for God. If our government tells us to do (or allows us to do) something that is in contrast to the Word of God, we are to obey God. There are more ways that this could be manifested than any of us can ever imagine. Be ready to take action. And know God's Word well enough that you have discernment when the time comes.
5. Be thankful. This is monumental in America's history. I personally am thrilled that he got elected for one reason: he's black. Let me explain. I didn't vote for him, and I would never let someone's skin color influence my vote. But, now that he's in office (or will be in a few months), I am thankful that America has risen above its racist roots. Even in southern states, which is a little more surprising based on history, Obama got a decent share of the vote. That is big news, and it is important. I believe God is color-blind (remember the song "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight?") and we are sending a powerful message to the rest of the world, and to those who are still racist in our own country, that we have moved past that. We are better than that. I am thankful. There is much, MUCH more to be thankful for than just the issue of race. When I try, I can think of lots of things. That's just the only one I'm going to talk about here.
What do you think? Have anything to add? This certainly isn't exhaustive, but it's a start. I value your opinion.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Vote!
Tomorrow is election day - if you don't know that then you've been living under a rock for a while now. And, you've heard people telling you to take advantage of your voice in this country. Here it comes from me:
Many, MANY people have sacrificed and given of their time, energy, talents and even lives that we all might live in a country that is free, and where we the people get to elect those who govern us. You owe it to all of them to use this gift they fought so hard for.
It is your responsibility - this is your country. Don't like the way it's going? I certainly don't. If you don't vote, you have no right to offer your opinion about this country's direction, ideals, etc.
We all know we should vote, but how do we choose who to vote for? I will not tell you who to vote for, but can I please ask, especially if you call yourself a Christian, to vote according to your faith, and not the reasons society and the news media would give you to try to scare you with. Yes, our economy is tanking. Yes, our country is in a mess. Yes, we're all falling on bad times. (An issue for another day, and one I probably won't ever cover here, is whether the news media is hyping all of that up for their own political agenda...).
Life in America has probably seen better days. I whole-heartedly believe, however, that the reason for that is that we as a country are turning our backs on God. We have kicked God out of nearly every aspect of our country - we are all (and by all, I certainly don't mean those of us who are fighting and praying against it, but rather, just the general trend of our country) doing all we can to make sure God is out of our country and our lives. We forget that the very premise and ideals this country was born on were those of Christian heritage and values. Our country was thriving and successful for many years - we're all still reaping the benefits of the success of our ancestors. But has God had enough of being kicked to the curb and forgotten? I should think so. He's not allowed in our schools, our government, and if some would have their way, he'd be off our money and out of our Pledge of Allegiance. Some would probably like Him to be kicked out of our churches. Welcome to China everyone.
So when you vote, consider this: How do you stand on abortion? What do you want to see happen with this country's definition of one man, one woman marriage? How would it make you feel to see illegal immigrants granted amnesty, or, how do you feel about children of illegals getting automatic citizenship just for being born here? How do you like the idea of paying more taxes so more people can sit at home on their hineys while you pay for their dinner (rent, gas, clothing, medical expenses, .....)? These are all, some much more important and grave than others, but they are all issues of how one values and respects human life. And they are all fundamentally Christian issues.
May I encourage you as a Christian: please vote your values this election. Our economy is bad, but that's just money. There are lives and families on the line here. And also, pray that this country might return to its Christian foundation and ideals. I know that one of the candidates catch phrases is "Change" - and I'm sure that's hardly the change he has in mind for our country. But I maintain that turning our country back into a Christian nation is the only change that's even worth fighting for and talking about.
And no matter what happens at the polls tomorrow, get ready to get on your knees and pray. No matter the political outcome, our country and our people need prayer more today than ever before. Pray for our Commander-in-Chief, no matter who he is or if you voted for him or not. Pray for our congress. Pray for those who write our laws. Pray for our local government. Pray for Bible-believing Christians representing us in our government. Pray for our Christian leaders. Pray for God's sovereign hand in the inner workings of every aspect of our government. We may not feel we have much of a voice in our country these days, but praise God, words directed toward Him are never wasted.
Many, MANY people have sacrificed and given of their time, energy, talents and even lives that we all might live in a country that is free, and where we the people get to elect those who govern us. You owe it to all of them to use this gift they fought so hard for.
It is your responsibility - this is your country. Don't like the way it's going? I certainly don't. If you don't vote, you have no right to offer your opinion about this country's direction, ideals, etc.
We all know we should vote, but how do we choose who to vote for? I will not tell you who to vote for, but can I please ask, especially if you call yourself a Christian, to vote according to your faith, and not the reasons society and the news media would give you to try to scare you with. Yes, our economy is tanking. Yes, our country is in a mess. Yes, we're all falling on bad times. (An issue for another day, and one I probably won't ever cover here, is whether the news media is hyping all of that up for their own political agenda...).
Life in America has probably seen better days. I whole-heartedly believe, however, that the reason for that is that we as a country are turning our backs on God. We have kicked God out of nearly every aspect of our country - we are all (and by all, I certainly don't mean those of us who are fighting and praying against it, but rather, just the general trend of our country) doing all we can to make sure God is out of our country and our lives. We forget that the very premise and ideals this country was born on were those of Christian heritage and values. Our country was thriving and successful for many years - we're all still reaping the benefits of the success of our ancestors. But has God had enough of being kicked to the curb and forgotten? I should think so. He's not allowed in our schools, our government, and if some would have their way, he'd be off our money and out of our Pledge of Allegiance. Some would probably like Him to be kicked out of our churches. Welcome to China everyone.
So when you vote, consider this: How do you stand on abortion? What do you want to see happen with this country's definition of one man, one woman marriage? How would it make you feel to see illegal immigrants granted amnesty, or, how do you feel about children of illegals getting automatic citizenship just for being born here? How do you like the idea of paying more taxes so more people can sit at home on their hineys while you pay for their dinner (rent, gas, clothing, medical expenses, .....)? These are all, some much more important and grave than others, but they are all issues of how one values and respects human life. And they are all fundamentally Christian issues.
May I encourage you as a Christian: please vote your values this election. Our economy is bad, but that's just money. There are lives and families on the line here. And also, pray that this country might return to its Christian foundation and ideals. I know that one of the candidates catch phrases is "Change" - and I'm sure that's hardly the change he has in mind for our country. But I maintain that turning our country back into a Christian nation is the only change that's even worth fighting for and talking about.
And no matter what happens at the polls tomorrow, get ready to get on your knees and pray. No matter the political outcome, our country and our people need prayer more today than ever before. Pray for our Commander-in-Chief, no matter who he is or if you voted for him or not. Pray for our congress. Pray for those who write our laws. Pray for our local government. Pray for Bible-believing Christians representing us in our government. Pray for our Christian leaders. Pray for God's sovereign hand in the inner workings of every aspect of our government. We may not feel we have much of a voice in our country these days, but praise God, words directed toward Him are never wasted.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Empty Me
I heard this song by Chris Sligh yesterday, and for some reason it keeps bouncing around in my head. I even woke up to it this morning. The lyrics are powerful and I wanted to share the words of the chorus:
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds onto
Lord, empty me of me so I can be filled with You
I pray that this is the attitude and focus of my heart as I navigate my day.
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds onto
Lord, empty me of me so I can be filled with You
I pray that this is the attitude and focus of my heart as I navigate my day.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Our First Marathon
We made it! Looking back today (we finished just a little over 24 hours ago from when I am writing this) there were many many times where I wondered if I would. It was fairly grueling. The first half was pretty comfortable for me. At about mile 13, I started to notice my legs getting tired and sore. By about mile 17 I could have stopped and been ok with it. Around mile 19 or 20 I was almost to the point of tears, but then I started almost hyperventilating, and that with running isn't a great combination (my throat got very small), so I had to chill so I could breathe. I wanted to stop so many times. Everything hurt. Probably the one thing I told myself that kept me going was: "If you stop now, it's still going to hurt, and you're going to have to walk all the way back. At least if you run, you'll get there sooner!" The last few miles felt like they were never going to end - each step seemed to hurt more and more. With about a quarter mile left Narasimha grabbed my hand and pretty much literally pulled me over the finish line. Somehow I beat him by 1 second (it was "chip" timing, so he probably technically started a little before me or something).
When we were done, all I wanted to do was sit down - after all, I had been looking forward to that for about 9 miles! But, Narasimha was pumped. Some kind of runner's high or something. He was walking around, eating everything, talking to all these people we knew and didn't. It was pretty funny. He's already talking about doing another one.
I know we could do better - we did not train as well as we could have. In the last 6 weeks of our training schedule, we missed over 100 miles of running, and that was out of only 270 miles. Which is too much to miss if you want to be consistent. So, all of that considered, I think we did pretty well. Our time was 4:02:42. That's an average of 9:16 minutes/mile. Our first 13 miles were under 9:00 pace, and then until mile 21 we were under 10:00 pace, but from mile 22 until the end our pace was over 10:00 - as you can see, we just slowly ran out of juice. But, we finished, and we never walked (we knew if we stopped to walk, even for a bit, we'd have not been able to convince our legs to run again!), and I think we did the best we could :)
Thanks to everyone who offered encouraging words during training or before the race - you are appreciated!
Just a few minutes before the start.
Almost there - Narasimha has my hand and is determined that I will finish with just about a block or so to go!
Done - just by a few minutes, and talking to my mom and sisters.
Some of our cheering squad - my mom (middle) and sisters. Some of our friends from Narasimha's work also came to cheer for us, and then some friends from around my parent's house were there as well.
When we were done, all I wanted to do was sit down - after all, I had been looking forward to that for about 9 miles! But, Narasimha was pumped. Some kind of runner's high or something. He was walking around, eating everything, talking to all these people we knew and didn't. It was pretty funny. He's already talking about doing another one.
I know we could do better - we did not train as well as we could have. In the last 6 weeks of our training schedule, we missed over 100 miles of running, and that was out of only 270 miles. Which is too much to miss if you want to be consistent. So, all of that considered, I think we did pretty well. Our time was 4:02:42. That's an average of 9:16 minutes/mile. Our first 13 miles were under 9:00 pace, and then until mile 21 we were under 10:00 pace, but from mile 22 until the end our pace was over 10:00 - as you can see, we just slowly ran out of juice. But, we finished, and we never walked (we knew if we stopped to walk, even for a bit, we'd have not been able to convince our legs to run again!), and I think we did the best we could :)
Thanks to everyone who offered encouraging words during training or before the race - you are appreciated!
Just a few minutes before the start.
This was a little before the half-way mark - mile 13 was just a little after this.
Almost there - Narasimha has my hand and is determined that I will finish with just about a block or so to go!
Done - just by a few minutes, and talking to my mom and sisters.
Some of our cheering squad - my mom (middle) and sisters. Some of our friends from Narasimha's work also came to cheer for us, and then some friends from around my parent's house were there as well.
Friday, October 17, 2008
I Failed :(
Well, I did not reach my goal to get 100 posts in the 1st year of my blog :( But, happy birthday to my blog :) It's today. And I think this is something like my 94th post. So close... I'm really not that broken up about it - just kidding ;)
Hope everyone has a good weekend - I'm planning on posting about how our marathon went early next week - it's on Sunday :)
Hope everyone has a good weekend - I'm planning on posting about how our marathon went early next week - it's on Sunday :)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A (Long) Change
I just axed off most of my hair. I have been thinking about cutting it for a while, and did, until about an hour ago, have very long hair (when straight it went to at least my lower back). Then I thought, well, if I am going to cut more off than just a trim, I should really do something with it. So I decided to do Locks of Love.
I got to the place, and I had thought that they needed 8 inches - turns out they really need 10. But before they cut it they put it in a ponytail, and then they cut straight across from that. Then when it's off, it's all jagged, so they have to even it out (the hair around your face is an inch or 2 longer than what's in the back). So I lost 10 + 1 or 2 inches - right around a foot of hair. It was pretty long before, so I think it's still about shoulder length.
After I got it done, I went to Narasimha's office to show him (he didn't know I was going to do it). I thought it would take him a minute to get used to, and then he'd like it. Turns out, he doesn't. I knew he liked my long hair, but figured, it's just hair, right? I'm sure he'll get used to it in time.
So now I will start growing my hair out again - in a few years it will be the same length it was earlier today. Now I'm going to hit the shower before Narasimha gets home so I can try to make it look good, and maybe that'll help talk him into liking it. Although next time I do this, I think I will straighten my hair before I go - I think because my hair is wavy/curly, I probably lost at least an inch, maybe 2, more than I would have if my hair had been really straight when they cut it.
I got to the place, and I had thought that they needed 8 inches - turns out they really need 10. But before they cut it they put it in a ponytail, and then they cut straight across from that. Then when it's off, it's all jagged, so they have to even it out (the hair around your face is an inch or 2 longer than what's in the back). So I lost 10 + 1 or 2 inches - right around a foot of hair. It was pretty long before, so I think it's still about shoulder length.
After I got it done, I went to Narasimha's office to show him (he didn't know I was going to do it). I thought it would take him a minute to get used to, and then he'd like it. Turns out, he doesn't. I knew he liked my long hair, but figured, it's just hair, right? I'm sure he'll get used to it in time.
So now I will start growing my hair out again - in a few years it will be the same length it was earlier today. Now I'm going to hit the shower before Narasimha gets home so I can try to make it look good, and maybe that'll help talk him into liking it. Although next time I do this, I think I will straighten my hair before I go - I think because my hair is wavy/curly, I probably lost at least an inch, maybe 2, more than I would have if my hair had been really straight when they cut it.
How long it was on July 4, 2008.
How long it is after my cut - although it is straight here and I really won't straighten it very often.
Update as of 8:30 PM: Narasimha has decided that it "isn't so bad" now that he has seen it done. I kinda like it, and it feels so light!!! And easy! And sometimes something a little different is just fun :)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Focus
Wow, do I ever feel "busy." Life seems to be sprinting along at a whirlwind pace, and I am somewhat bouncing along behind trying to catch my breath (picture one of those pop cans tied to the back of a wedding getaway car - that's how I feel). And I don't even have a job or kids. Here's some of what's going on/coming up in our lives:
- We're trying really hard to focus and get our adoption paperwork sent in. Ugh - we're so slow!
- I have (of course) procrastinated the homework for the class I am taking this fall. It's now due in 2.5 weeks, by mail, and I am working in overdrive.
- I was just asked to coach the volleyball team that I coached last year. This will likely start around the end of October, as it runs during what is usually the high school basketball season.
- We are still training for our marathon, which is a week and a half away. We are both battling injuries, and our training has not gone as planned, so I feel like we're actually starting to lose shape a little, and at this point I think I'll be happy if we finish. I would say we're probably in shape to run a race in the 18-20 mile range, so 26.2 will be pushing it.
- Taj's test for therapy dog is in Nov sometime. I never trained him, and I'm thinking about just winging the test. We'll see how he does. We did work with them as puppies quite a bit, but I don't know a lot about the specifics of this test.
- Narasimha and I were asked to be 2 of the 4 leads in our church's Christmas play (Joseph and Mary). Narasimha's part includes a vocal solo. He has a nice singing voice, but has never had any instruction ever at all whatsoever. Never. Not even like little kid music class in elementary school. So, I get to teach him how to sing. By December. And I'm certainly no master myself.
- We're planning a trip this fall to the east coast to visit family.
- I have been praying to be more involved in our church. It is happening, in many ways, all at once.
- And, once our adoption paperwork is sent in, we will be doing a homestudy, so trying to be more prepared for that.
- Our social engagements have been increasing in number and frequency (friends, family, church, N's work, etc.).
- Not to mention, we're still in the middle of some home improvement projects, so I am trying to keep up with the regular housework, continue to unpack, and do the things like painting and finishing things up.
As you can see, we've got a full plate (although it doesn't look as bad in list form as I feel when I run it all through my head!). And I'm so happy; I wouldn't have it any other way. I am excited for everything that's on our list. But it all adds up, and sometimes I feel overwhelmed and tired just thinking about it.
I have also been very convicted while working on the homework for my class. Especially today. My God is a jealous God, and even things that are good in and of themselves become bad when they are put in a higher position than God in my life. I have tried to meditate on this truth today: Anything and everything I do, no matter what it is, should be done with the primary purpose of pleasing God. Whether its laundry, going for a run, going over lines for a Christmas play, or spending some relaxing time with my hubby - there is a way to do all of these things, and all of the things in my list, and still be pleasing to my Savior. I find it's easy to get distracted, and to forget my goal. Easy to lose focus. So I will focus on not losing focus on what really matters in my everyday life - from the mundane to the extraordinary. If God comes first then it's still worth doing.
- We're trying really hard to focus and get our adoption paperwork sent in. Ugh - we're so slow!
- I have (of course) procrastinated the homework for the class I am taking this fall. It's now due in 2.5 weeks, by mail, and I am working in overdrive.
- I was just asked to coach the volleyball team that I coached last year. This will likely start around the end of October, as it runs during what is usually the high school basketball season.
- We are still training for our marathon, which is a week and a half away. We are both battling injuries, and our training has not gone as planned, so I feel like we're actually starting to lose shape a little, and at this point I think I'll be happy if we finish. I would say we're probably in shape to run a race in the 18-20 mile range, so 26.2 will be pushing it.
- Taj's test for therapy dog is in Nov sometime. I never trained him, and I'm thinking about just winging the test. We'll see how he does. We did work with them as puppies quite a bit, but I don't know a lot about the specifics of this test.
- Narasimha and I were asked to be 2 of the 4 leads in our church's Christmas play (Joseph and Mary). Narasimha's part includes a vocal solo. He has a nice singing voice, but has never had any instruction ever at all whatsoever. Never. Not even like little kid music class in elementary school. So, I get to teach him how to sing. By December. And I'm certainly no master myself.
- We're planning a trip this fall to the east coast to visit family.
- I have been praying to be more involved in our church. It is happening, in many ways, all at once.
- And, once our adoption paperwork is sent in, we will be doing a homestudy, so trying to be more prepared for that.
- Our social engagements have been increasing in number and frequency (friends, family, church, N's work, etc.).
- Not to mention, we're still in the middle of some home improvement projects, so I am trying to keep up with the regular housework, continue to unpack, and do the things like painting and finishing things up.
As you can see, we've got a full plate (although it doesn't look as bad in list form as I feel when I run it all through my head!). And I'm so happy; I wouldn't have it any other way. I am excited for everything that's on our list. But it all adds up, and sometimes I feel overwhelmed and tired just thinking about it.
I have also been very convicted while working on the homework for my class. Especially today. My God is a jealous God, and even things that are good in and of themselves become bad when they are put in a higher position than God in my life. I have tried to meditate on this truth today: Anything and everything I do, no matter what it is, should be done with the primary purpose of pleasing God. Whether its laundry, going for a run, going over lines for a Christmas play, or spending some relaxing time with my hubby - there is a way to do all of these things, and all of the things in my list, and still be pleasing to my Savior. I find it's easy to get distracted, and to forget my goal. Easy to lose focus. So I will focus on not losing focus on what really matters in my everyday life - from the mundane to the extraordinary. If God comes first then it's still worth doing.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Running Woes
I am writing today to talk about something that has become a big part of our life in recent months. And by a big part, I mean big in the consumption of our time and energy. We have always liked to run. There have been different times in our marriage where running consistently wasn't an option, for whatever reason. But, back around the beginning of 2008 we decided that we were going to take our physical fitness more seriously. So we joined the gym, and made a work-out plan. We ran a 20K (12.4 miles) back in May, and really enjoyed it. We even walked away from it talking about how we could improve our running from that point. We were doing well, so we started a training program to run a marathon. The training was going well, so back in July, we registered to run a marathon (the earlier you decide and pay, the cheaper the race fee is). We continued to do well with our training until about a month or so ago.
At this point, we are supposed to be running almost 60 miles a week. We are not. Every week for about the last month, we have missed at least 1 run, and I can feel it taking its toll on our training. I know we're in shape - last night we ran 15 miles at a good pace, and by the end I was tired and sore, but far from dying.
I did not consider what we would have to give up to run so much. First, I didn't consider the time. If each mile on average takes 10 minutes (it doesn't - we run closer to 8:30 pace, or try to - but for the sake of the simplicity of math involved) then to run 60 miles a week would take roughly 10 hours. And, there is travel time to the place we run, and time to warm up and stretch and cool down, etc. Also, by the time you finish running 15-22 miles (our long runs) you are too tired and sore to do anything else. Not to mention, the days are getting shorter and shorter, so trying to get the run done by sunset is also a challenge (and if you are running in the dark, you get to hear the critters in the bushes beside you, and you get to step on like a million frogs on the trail - EWW!).
We are also both experiencing aches and pains that sometimes feel like more than just aches and pains. Narasimha's knee (his ilio-tibial band, or ITB, to be exact) has given him problems. I have terrible hips, and they hurt almost constantly and pop like crazy. My ankles also get very sore. I must say though - my issues seem to get better as I am running longer. Narasimha's knees are pretty ok right now, but are a little flakier than my joints. I think much of our pain could be alleviated with some good cross-training, but we don't have the time or calories at the end of the day to devote to that, at this point.
I am also disappointed with myself in the way that in the grand scheme of things, running isn't that important in my life. Yet somehow through all this training, it has taken a front row seat to almost everything that I do consider more important than running.
The positives of running: I am in good shape - my resting heart rate is probably low to mid-40's. When I get to bed, I sleep like a rock. Running is our "family time" together, and in my mind, it's better than watching TV all the time (which we no longer have time for). You can eat anything and everything you want, and you're still hungry! :) And, thinking toward the future: Even though we don't plan on running another marathon anytime soon, we do plan to keep running a not insane amount, and we feel we're getting ourselves in a good habit of exercise to be a good example to our kids when we have them.
So, there's my sob story. The marathon is 2 weeks from tomorrow (Oct 19). If I live through it, I'll post pics. If you wonder why I never post (or do anything else) anymore, here's 99% of the reason. Any words of wisdom out there?
I Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that is now and of that which is to come. NKJV
At this point, we are supposed to be running almost 60 miles a week. We are not. Every week for about the last month, we have missed at least 1 run, and I can feel it taking its toll on our training. I know we're in shape - last night we ran 15 miles at a good pace, and by the end I was tired and sore, but far from dying.
I did not consider what we would have to give up to run so much. First, I didn't consider the time. If each mile on average takes 10 minutes (it doesn't - we run closer to 8:30 pace, or try to - but for the sake of the simplicity of math involved) then to run 60 miles a week would take roughly 10 hours. And, there is travel time to the place we run, and time to warm up and stretch and cool down, etc. Also, by the time you finish running 15-22 miles (our long runs) you are too tired and sore to do anything else. Not to mention, the days are getting shorter and shorter, so trying to get the run done by sunset is also a challenge (and if you are running in the dark, you get to hear the critters in the bushes beside you, and you get to step on like a million frogs on the trail - EWW!).
We are also both experiencing aches and pains that sometimes feel like more than just aches and pains. Narasimha's knee (his ilio-tibial band, or ITB, to be exact) has given him problems. I have terrible hips, and they hurt almost constantly and pop like crazy. My ankles also get very sore. I must say though - my issues seem to get better as I am running longer. Narasimha's knees are pretty ok right now, but are a little flakier than my joints. I think much of our pain could be alleviated with some good cross-training, but we don't have the time or calories at the end of the day to devote to that, at this point.
I am also disappointed with myself in the way that in the grand scheme of things, running isn't that important in my life. Yet somehow through all this training, it has taken a front row seat to almost everything that I do consider more important than running.
The positives of running: I am in good shape - my resting heart rate is probably low to mid-40's. When I get to bed, I sleep like a rock. Running is our "family time" together, and in my mind, it's better than watching TV all the time (which we no longer have time for). You can eat anything and everything you want, and you're still hungry! :) And, thinking toward the future: Even though we don't plan on running another marathon anytime soon, we do plan to keep running a not insane amount, and we feel we're getting ourselves in a good habit of exercise to be a good example to our kids when we have them.
So, there's my sob story. The marathon is 2 weeks from tomorrow (Oct 19). If I live through it, I'll post pics. If you wonder why I never post (or do anything else) anymore, here's 99% of the reason. Any words of wisdom out there?
I Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that is now and of that which is to come. NKJV
Thursday, September 18, 2008
"Broken"
It's late, and I can't sleep. Last night we had a fairly grueling workout in training for our marathon (we ran 19 miles) so when we got home neither of us felt very good and decided to call it a night early. Well, after 2 hours of sleep I woke up hungry. I made it to the kitchen for a midnight snack (I don't think I've ever done that before) and hoped to fall back asleep for the rest of the night. No such luck. I've been lying there for an hour now, wide awake. And my mind has drifted to this post I've been meaning to write, which probably woke me up more. So, here I find myself in front of the computer at 1 AM (I will likely regret this timing tomorrow).
The history: I received an anonymous comment about a month ago on one of my posts from several months back. This particular comment happened to be about something that I haven't blogged about (and there's a reason for that, which I'll go into in a little bit) but is actually from real life. As I read the comment I was initially very shocked, and a little hurt and defensive, but decided that I wanted to say some things in return for what this person said to me. I also didn't want to respond right away because I wanted to pray about my words and make sure I was responding out of love, not pride. And, I really don't have an option but to put it here, as I really have no clue who said it, and since it came to me from the blogosphere, I guess that's where I get to deal with it. That also means that the opinion that some of you may have of me, especially if you know me in real life, may suffer. I guess this is where I get to put my pride on the shelf, and pray to be an instrument of Christ to clear this all up. This is some pretty heavy stuff - hold on to your seat. Here is the comment I received (direct quote, with some grammar fixes):
"Kristina-
It has been mentioned to me that in some circles you have referred to your future child as "broken."
After hearing that, I came here VERY judgmental but reading your blog I do not see any of that in your writing.
Perhaps you did not realize that your words offended others so but I just ask that when you are referring to your future child that may have a medical condition that you state it as so instead of calling the child "broken."
I can tell that you will love and care for any child that God blesses you with so please be respectful of how you are referring to that child before they arrive. Otherwise someday they may speak to someone who heard you refer to them otherwise and be hurt by those words.
Also, anyone who has a child with physical or mental impairments may be very offended by hearing you use those words in that context. To them, their children are perfect gifts from God. If God does not make mistakes then every child is born perfect and no child is ever "broken."
Take care and just remember that any child that you are blessed with will be a gift from God and you should begin acting that way now, not later."
Wow, that's a lot of information to take in in just a few sentences. I feel like I have to start by saying that I am very, very sorry for saying something that obviously hurt someone's feelings, and now that this is out there, has the potential to hurt the feelings of or offend more who may read this. Yes, it's true. I have called our future child "broken." If that offends you or hurts your feelings in any way, I am very sorry for saying something so insensitive and hurtful. Was what I said in bad taste? Obviously. Hurtful? Probably, maybe more to some than others. Meant to hurt anyone's feelings? Not in a million years. Please accept my most sincere apologies.
Now, with my honest apology on the table, I would like to talk a little bit about why I have said this, actually on more than one occasion.
First, I want to say that there is a reason that I have never used such a word in the writing on this blog. I have only ever said it when talking to people in real life. The reason for that is because obviously such a description of a human child could be hurtful and offensive, and when I said it in real life, I thought that I only said it around people who knew me well enough to know that 1. I was joking and 2. It wasn't a value statement about the child. Apparently I said it to someone who did not take it as one of those things, and who passed along to someone else my insensitive comment (or maybe was a person who heard me say it?). Joking/sarcasm in writing are hard to pick up, so unless it's very very obvious, I try to avoid doing that. Especially in the case of a blog, where you might not always personally know the people who may be reading what you write, and things said could be quite easily misunderstood.
Second, I would like to explain "broken" and what I think about that, and why I took the liberty of saying that. I said I was sorry for hurt feelings, and I meant it, but after much thought I do not retract my statement (though I will likely not use that word much from here on out to avoid misunderstandings such as the one that lead to the need for this post). Narasimha and I have talked a lot and prayed about the decision we made to accept, and even seek out, adopting a child with medical needs. This child, in a physical sense, will be "broken." In some sense, aren't we all broken? Back in the time of Adam and Eve in the beginning of Genesis, sin entered the world. From that point forward, no child was ever conceived who did not have sin and brokenness as a part of their genetic makeup. And no child was conceived before The Fall, so every single child in the history of the world that has ever been conceived has been broken. The only exception to this rule is Jesus Christ Himself, and that was because He does not have a human father. Jesus was fully human, which he got from Mary His mother, and also fully God, as we know He came from a virgin birth (thus not having a human father). This sin manifests itself in many ways, and we are all hopelessly broken. To clarify: I am not trying to say that the child, or any child who has physical problems from birth, has physical problems due to a specific sin they may have committed (though later in life, this is certainly possible), but simply that sickness and suffering are the result of the sinfulness of humanity. Before sin there was no suffering. As sin entered the world, so did every problem that humankind has ever had. I do not believe that this is coincidental. The child we will adopt will likely have (we don't know who we're adopting yet, so we don't actually know what the problem will be) a medical problem. If a child is born perfectly healthy, with no apparent medical issues, certainly it won't take long for the "brokenness" of the child to become obvious. The child who is healthy at birth could very easily become physically sick at some point, or could have mental or emotional shortcomings, or any combination of these or other problems. As much as we like to hold small babies and adore them and talk about how "perfect" they are, most of us will readily admit that really sooner rather than later that child's imperfections are bound to become obvious. Are they cute? Most of the time :) Loveable? Of course. Perfect? Unless you're holding Jesus II, which is Biblically impossible, no. I respectfully disagree that God creates any child to be perfect. Every child is always exactly what God wants them to be, of that I am absolutely sure and for that we can always rejoice, but by definition, they are not perfect and are not created to be.
And, more important in my mind than understanding and expecting "brokenness" is being able to truly embrace it and be thankful for it. I am 100% aware that I am broken, and I have absolutely full intentions of raising my children to know that they too are broken. No matter if I physically birth them or adopt them with medical needs, or adopt a child with no medical needs, etc. Without honestly admitting personal "brokenness" there is no need for a Savior. If I am fine, and good, all on my own, what need do I have for Jesus in my life? My absolute very most important job as a mommy is to incarnate, or put flesh on, or accurately represent Jesus to my children, with the hope and prayer that someday my children will be able to totally and fully trust and love Him as I am currently working towards in my own life. There is very real danger in allowing any child to believe for any time that they are perfect. From a parental perspective, if I allow my child to believe that I think they are perfect, and that I love them, they may start to believe that I love them because they are perfect. They will inevitably one day find out that they're not perfect, and might then question my love for them. They might also become dishonest with themselves about their own value as a person - resulting in either excessive pride and arrogance or self-hatred and shame. It is essential to my success as a parent that my children know that I love them not because of what they do, but because of who they are. And that their position in our family is always and forever and no matter what. That the love that I have for them is a kind of love that doesn't run out or have impossible conditions. And by loving that way, I will be able to show my child a glimpse of just how much his/her Heavenly Father loves him/her. Just as in a parental perspective, it is even more important that my child understand unconditional love to understand God's love from a Biblical perspective. As I learn to parent my child, my love, and my skills as mommy, will have shortcomings. Probably many of them. My humanity will show and my own imperfections and brokenness will become very obvious to my child. Where my love falls short, God's love takes over, and just like the energizer bunny, keeps going, and going, and going... And, although God hates sin, it does not surprise Him that we are sinful. He created each one of us, and also allows us to have our own free will. He doesn't like our sin, but He expects it, and even better yet, sin itself is essential to our needing His Son Jesus Christ. To give my child an accurate view of him/herself and an accurate view of God, and his/her place in the family of God, I find it impossible to give my child anything other than thankfulness for everything he/she has and is - whether the world would look at those things as a blessing or a curse. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." NKJV This is one of my favorite verses.
To understand all of this, for my child, will also hopefully serve as a lesson in the sovereignty of God. I would never not tell my child that he or she was adopted. I do not believe that an adoption is something to hide, but rather, a beautiful way God makes a family out of people who do not share the same genetic material. I will also not hide from my child or anyone else the fact that Narasimha and I felt burdened to adopt a child with medical needs. Our decision was not to be able to feel better about ourselves, and look down on a poor and pitiful child. For us, it is simply coming to the realization that neither of us would be passing on perfection that we don't have to a biological child if we were able to have one, and any biological child of ours could be compromised physically, mentally, emotionally just as could be any adopted child. If we're honest, both of our bodies are so broken that we can't even make a baby. For that we're also learning to not just tolerate, but actually be thankful for. In addition to that, we have the resources to be able to correct what may be physically wrong, and allow the child to live a healthy and productive life. Not because of anything we've done, but because of all of the ways God has blessed us. This information will all be available to our child, and he/she will likely come to the point where they know that it was actually because of their brokenness, in a sense, that we knew God had chosen him/her for our family. And we hope and pray that they can be thankful for being a part of our family (even if not until their teenage years are over :).
Another reason for my use of the word, and this isn't a great reason, but since I'm being as honest as I can here, I'm going to put it out there, is because this adoption is very scary to me at times. I think the unknown always has the potential to be scary - especially with something that's such a big deal. I have never really known anyone who had a really serious medical condition, especially so early in life. To think that a child that I will bring home, and fall quickly head-over-heels in love with will have to suffer, and that I will have to helplessly stand by and watch, already makes me very sad and nervous. I used to work in and around the operating room at the hospital I worked at. I remember vividly small kids being taken to surgery - taken from the safe arms of mommy and daddy and poked and prodded and whisked off into the world of the unknown - for them and their parents. Many of them cried and were very scared. And then, as they wake up from surgery, as the anesthesia is wearing off, they will cry again because they are confused and scared and physically hurting. Many of them are inconsolable, even when reunited with their parents. Though I believe the pain on both the part of the child and of Narasimha and I will be worth it, it will still be a tough situation. I tend to "joke" when I'm nervous or uncomfortable, and saying a word like "broken" for some reason takes a little of the weight and gravity of the situation away in my own mind. There is a chance that our child will need open-heart surgery. I know just enough about medicine, and Narasimha as a physician obviously knows a lot about medicine, that even though we trust God entirely with any situation, we still feel and will continue to feel scared and nervous and as the situation comes closer, and a whole host of other emotions as well.
Once again, if I have hurt your feelings by my unkind words, I am sorry. If you left the comment (for which I can truly say "thank-you" - not only for bringing it to my attention, but for giving me the opportunity to say the things I have said here, which I think are important) I hope I have cleared up what must have been going through your head.
Christian: What "brokenness" are you refusing to embrace and be thankful for in your own life, or in the life of someone close to you? What "brokenness" are you hiding from the world? How could you use that as a testimony for someone who needs to see Jesus' always unconditional saving love and grace?
If you're not a Christian - if you don't know what I am talking about in the paragraphs above - do the things I've talked about sound enticing to you? How would your life change if you knew that there was always someone who loves you, and who wants the best for you, even at your worst, most broken condition? How would you feel if you knew you could be honest with someone about all your secrets, all your baggage, and you would be loved and welcomed with open arms anyways? What would your life be like if you could lay all of you problems at the feet of Jesus by trusting in Him, and not only have a purpose and fulfillment in your time left on this earth, but also the guarantee of a mansion in heaven and a new life after death that is better than anything you'll ever get here? Questions: contact me at nkiowa@hotmail.com. Or, find a Bible, and start reading in the New Testament (Romans is a good place to start).
I hope I have accurately and selflessly become transparent enough to let you see my heart here. The perk of a blog, in my opinion, is to put yourself out there and be known. Especially to those who personally know me and read this, I hope you get a better view of not only who I am, but who Jesus Christ is making me in light of these life experiences. And, above all, I want to be an encouragement to anyone who may read this, and of course honor Jesus in my life and writing.
And to anyone - please always feel free to comment. I like getting feedback, even if you don't agree with what I say. I try always to respect the opinions of others (though as you can see here, I don't always agree), and will gladly welcome the chance to defend my faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ. Even if sometimes it means I personally look like a fool in the process.
The history: I received an anonymous comment about a month ago on one of my posts from several months back. This particular comment happened to be about something that I haven't blogged about (and there's a reason for that, which I'll go into in a little bit) but is actually from real life. As I read the comment I was initially very shocked, and a little hurt and defensive, but decided that I wanted to say some things in return for what this person said to me. I also didn't want to respond right away because I wanted to pray about my words and make sure I was responding out of love, not pride. And, I really don't have an option but to put it here, as I really have no clue who said it, and since it came to me from the blogosphere, I guess that's where I get to deal with it. That also means that the opinion that some of you may have of me, especially if you know me in real life, may suffer. I guess this is where I get to put my pride on the shelf, and pray to be an instrument of Christ to clear this all up. This is some pretty heavy stuff - hold on to your seat. Here is the comment I received (direct quote, with some grammar fixes):
"Kristina-
It has been mentioned to me that in some circles you have referred to your future child as "broken."
After hearing that, I came here VERY judgmental but reading your blog I do not see any of that in your writing.
Perhaps you did not realize that your words offended others so but I just ask that when you are referring to your future child that may have a medical condition that you state it as so instead of calling the child "broken."
I can tell that you will love and care for any child that God blesses you with so please be respectful of how you are referring to that child before they arrive. Otherwise someday they may speak to someone who heard you refer to them otherwise and be hurt by those words.
Also, anyone who has a child with physical or mental impairments may be very offended by hearing you use those words in that context. To them, their children are perfect gifts from God. If God does not make mistakes then every child is born perfect and no child is ever "broken."
Take care and just remember that any child that you are blessed with will be a gift from God and you should begin acting that way now, not later."
Wow, that's a lot of information to take in in just a few sentences. I feel like I have to start by saying that I am very, very sorry for saying something that obviously hurt someone's feelings, and now that this is out there, has the potential to hurt the feelings of or offend more who may read this. Yes, it's true. I have called our future child "broken." If that offends you or hurts your feelings in any way, I am very sorry for saying something so insensitive and hurtful. Was what I said in bad taste? Obviously. Hurtful? Probably, maybe more to some than others. Meant to hurt anyone's feelings? Not in a million years. Please accept my most sincere apologies.
Now, with my honest apology on the table, I would like to talk a little bit about why I have said this, actually on more than one occasion.
First, I want to say that there is a reason that I have never used such a word in the writing on this blog. I have only ever said it when talking to people in real life. The reason for that is because obviously such a description of a human child could be hurtful and offensive, and when I said it in real life, I thought that I only said it around people who knew me well enough to know that 1. I was joking and 2. It wasn't a value statement about the child. Apparently I said it to someone who did not take it as one of those things, and who passed along to someone else my insensitive comment (or maybe was a person who heard me say it?). Joking/sarcasm in writing are hard to pick up, so unless it's very very obvious, I try to avoid doing that. Especially in the case of a blog, where you might not always personally know the people who may be reading what you write, and things said could be quite easily misunderstood.
Second, I would like to explain "broken" and what I think about that, and why I took the liberty of saying that. I said I was sorry for hurt feelings, and I meant it, but after much thought I do not retract my statement (though I will likely not use that word much from here on out to avoid misunderstandings such as the one that lead to the need for this post). Narasimha and I have talked a lot and prayed about the decision we made to accept, and even seek out, adopting a child with medical needs. This child, in a physical sense, will be "broken." In some sense, aren't we all broken? Back in the time of Adam and Eve in the beginning of Genesis, sin entered the world. From that point forward, no child was ever conceived who did not have sin and brokenness as a part of their genetic makeup. And no child was conceived before The Fall, so every single child in the history of the world that has ever been conceived has been broken. The only exception to this rule is Jesus Christ Himself, and that was because He does not have a human father. Jesus was fully human, which he got from Mary His mother, and also fully God, as we know He came from a virgin birth (thus not having a human father). This sin manifests itself in many ways, and we are all hopelessly broken. To clarify: I am not trying to say that the child, or any child who has physical problems from birth, has physical problems due to a specific sin they may have committed (though later in life, this is certainly possible), but simply that sickness and suffering are the result of the sinfulness of humanity. Before sin there was no suffering. As sin entered the world, so did every problem that humankind has ever had. I do not believe that this is coincidental. The child we will adopt will likely have (we don't know who we're adopting yet, so we don't actually know what the problem will be) a medical problem. If a child is born perfectly healthy, with no apparent medical issues, certainly it won't take long for the "brokenness" of the child to become obvious. The child who is healthy at birth could very easily become physically sick at some point, or could have mental or emotional shortcomings, or any combination of these or other problems. As much as we like to hold small babies and adore them and talk about how "perfect" they are, most of us will readily admit that really sooner rather than later that child's imperfections are bound to become obvious. Are they cute? Most of the time :) Loveable? Of course. Perfect? Unless you're holding Jesus II, which is Biblically impossible, no. I respectfully disagree that God creates any child to be perfect. Every child is always exactly what God wants them to be, of that I am absolutely sure and for that we can always rejoice, but by definition, they are not perfect and are not created to be.
And, more important in my mind than understanding and expecting "brokenness" is being able to truly embrace it and be thankful for it. I am 100% aware that I am broken, and I have absolutely full intentions of raising my children to know that they too are broken. No matter if I physically birth them or adopt them with medical needs, or adopt a child with no medical needs, etc. Without honestly admitting personal "brokenness" there is no need for a Savior. If I am fine, and good, all on my own, what need do I have for Jesus in my life? My absolute very most important job as a mommy is to incarnate, or put flesh on, or accurately represent Jesus to my children, with the hope and prayer that someday my children will be able to totally and fully trust and love Him as I am currently working towards in my own life. There is very real danger in allowing any child to believe for any time that they are perfect. From a parental perspective, if I allow my child to believe that I think they are perfect, and that I love them, they may start to believe that I love them because they are perfect. They will inevitably one day find out that they're not perfect, and might then question my love for them. They might also become dishonest with themselves about their own value as a person - resulting in either excessive pride and arrogance or self-hatred and shame. It is essential to my success as a parent that my children know that I love them not because of what they do, but because of who they are. And that their position in our family is always and forever and no matter what. That the love that I have for them is a kind of love that doesn't run out or have impossible conditions. And by loving that way, I will be able to show my child a glimpse of just how much his/her Heavenly Father loves him/her. Just as in a parental perspective, it is even more important that my child understand unconditional love to understand God's love from a Biblical perspective. As I learn to parent my child, my love, and my skills as mommy, will have shortcomings. Probably many of them. My humanity will show and my own imperfections and brokenness will become very obvious to my child. Where my love falls short, God's love takes over, and just like the energizer bunny, keeps going, and going, and going... And, although God hates sin, it does not surprise Him that we are sinful. He created each one of us, and also allows us to have our own free will. He doesn't like our sin, but He expects it, and even better yet, sin itself is essential to our needing His Son Jesus Christ. To give my child an accurate view of him/herself and an accurate view of God, and his/her place in the family of God, I find it impossible to give my child anything other than thankfulness for everything he/she has and is - whether the world would look at those things as a blessing or a curse. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." NKJV This is one of my favorite verses.
To understand all of this, for my child, will also hopefully serve as a lesson in the sovereignty of God. I would never not tell my child that he or she was adopted. I do not believe that an adoption is something to hide, but rather, a beautiful way God makes a family out of people who do not share the same genetic material. I will also not hide from my child or anyone else the fact that Narasimha and I felt burdened to adopt a child with medical needs. Our decision was not to be able to feel better about ourselves, and look down on a poor and pitiful child. For us, it is simply coming to the realization that neither of us would be passing on perfection that we don't have to a biological child if we were able to have one, and any biological child of ours could be compromised physically, mentally, emotionally just as could be any adopted child. If we're honest, both of our bodies are so broken that we can't even make a baby. For that we're also learning to not just tolerate, but actually be thankful for. In addition to that, we have the resources to be able to correct what may be physically wrong, and allow the child to live a healthy and productive life. Not because of anything we've done, but because of all of the ways God has blessed us. This information will all be available to our child, and he/she will likely come to the point where they know that it was actually because of their brokenness, in a sense, that we knew God had chosen him/her for our family. And we hope and pray that they can be thankful for being a part of our family (even if not until their teenage years are over :).
Another reason for my use of the word, and this isn't a great reason, but since I'm being as honest as I can here, I'm going to put it out there, is because this adoption is very scary to me at times. I think the unknown always has the potential to be scary - especially with something that's such a big deal. I have never really known anyone who had a really serious medical condition, especially so early in life. To think that a child that I will bring home, and fall quickly head-over-heels in love with will have to suffer, and that I will have to helplessly stand by and watch, already makes me very sad and nervous. I used to work in and around the operating room at the hospital I worked at. I remember vividly small kids being taken to surgery - taken from the safe arms of mommy and daddy and poked and prodded and whisked off into the world of the unknown - for them and their parents. Many of them cried and were very scared. And then, as they wake up from surgery, as the anesthesia is wearing off, they will cry again because they are confused and scared and physically hurting. Many of them are inconsolable, even when reunited with their parents. Though I believe the pain on both the part of the child and of Narasimha and I will be worth it, it will still be a tough situation. I tend to "joke" when I'm nervous or uncomfortable, and saying a word like "broken" for some reason takes a little of the weight and gravity of the situation away in my own mind. There is a chance that our child will need open-heart surgery. I know just enough about medicine, and Narasimha as a physician obviously knows a lot about medicine, that even though we trust God entirely with any situation, we still feel and will continue to feel scared and nervous and as the situation comes closer, and a whole host of other emotions as well.
Once again, if I have hurt your feelings by my unkind words, I am sorry. If you left the comment (for which I can truly say "thank-you" - not only for bringing it to my attention, but for giving me the opportunity to say the things I have said here, which I think are important) I hope I have cleared up what must have been going through your head.
Christian: What "brokenness" are you refusing to embrace and be thankful for in your own life, or in the life of someone close to you? What "brokenness" are you hiding from the world? How could you use that as a testimony for someone who needs to see Jesus' always unconditional saving love and grace?
If you're not a Christian - if you don't know what I am talking about in the paragraphs above - do the things I've talked about sound enticing to you? How would your life change if you knew that there was always someone who loves you, and who wants the best for you, even at your worst, most broken condition? How would you feel if you knew you could be honest with someone about all your secrets, all your baggage, and you would be loved and welcomed with open arms anyways? What would your life be like if you could lay all of you problems at the feet of Jesus by trusting in Him, and not only have a purpose and fulfillment in your time left on this earth, but also the guarantee of a mansion in heaven and a new life after death that is better than anything you'll ever get here? Questions: contact me at nkiowa@hotmail.com. Or, find a Bible, and start reading in the New Testament (Romans is a good place to start).
I hope I have accurately and selflessly become transparent enough to let you see my heart here. The perk of a blog, in my opinion, is to put yourself out there and be known. Especially to those who personally know me and read this, I hope you get a better view of not only who I am, but who Jesus Christ is making me in light of these life experiences. And, above all, I want to be an encouragement to anyone who may read this, and of course honor Jesus in my life and writing.
And to anyone - please always feel free to comment. I like getting feedback, even if you don't agree with what I say. I try always to respect the opinions of others (though as you can see here, I don't always agree), and will gladly welcome the chance to defend my faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ. Even if sometimes it means I personally look like a fool in the process.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
My Goal
Ok, I have been seriously slacking on tending to this site lately. I've been crazy busy. I just noticed, however, that the one year birthday of this blog is approaching in about another month here, and I am also getting close to my 100th post. So that will be my goal. 100 posts in a year. I have wanted to post about many different things over the last few months, and have been procrastinating. So I won't really have to think about things to talk about - I'll just have to find the time to put my thoughts into words (which I tend to be very slow at). So stay tuned - maybe there will actually be new stuff up here in the next few weeks (although I can't offer any promises) :) And, surprise-wrecker here, there might actually be an update about the adoption one of these days. Thanks to you who visit my site - I don't know who all of you are, but I know you're stopping by cuz my little counter down in the corner tells me there's traffic :)
What Were You Doing?
As we all have remembered at least once today by this time, today marks the 7-year anniversary of the horrific Sept. 11 attacks on America's east coast. Of course there will be news coverage, so we have some help in remembering to remember the events of that day.
The morning of the attacks I had class at 8:05 - Interpretation of Literature. Of course 8:05 Iowa time is 9:05 EST, so by the time class started some already knew about it. I didn't - the first attack would have probably taken place when I was walking to class. There was some talk of a plane crash that morning in class - that it had happened in NYC, and a plane ran into a building...but by then I don't remember there being talk of terrorist activity. My next class was Ultimate Frisbee (yeah, for real). By the time we got to that class, there was a little more information, but I don't think any of us yet knew how big that day was going to get (it was still only mid-morning). After that class I walked back to my off-campus apartment, and because of all the chatter of this plane crash, I clicked on the TV and witnessed for the first time with my own eyes the sadness and depravity unfolding in my living room. By noon-ish time in Iowa things were very chaotic on the east coast, and there were TV crews everywhere documenting what was going on. You remember the scene: people bloody and covered in white dust running down the streets confused and crying, people as small as dust particles jumping out of windows from the burning towers, make-shift hospitals set up in the streets, papers and dust everywhere in downtown NYC. I think they replayed the planes crashing into the sides of the buildings and the towers crashing down about a million times (as if once wouldn't have been enough to burn the image into anyone's brain). I stood there all alone in my apartment's living room and cried.
That afternoon we had Marching Band practice at 3:30. When I got there everyone was pretty solemn and some of the girls were crying. They sent us all home and told us to go call our parents, just to say hi.
My brother-in-law worked in NYC at the time, though I didn't know him yet. He was several blocks away from the attacks, but he did get stranded in the city for the night. I don't even know that Narasimha was able to get ahold of him for several hours to find out that he was ok.
7 years have passed, and I still feel very sad when I think about that day. With the exception of my brother-in-law, I don't even personally know anyone who was involved in the events of the day. When we visited NYC a few years ago I saw the old site of the WTC, and to me, it just looked like a big hole in the ground. I can tear up even thinking about the many that were devastatingly personally affected by all that happened that dreadful day.
This is not intended to be any sort of a political post, but here are some things to think about: How do the events of that day, and things that have transpired in our nation since then, affect our upcoming presidential election? What can you personally take responsibility for to make sure attacks like that don't happen in our country again? Do you remember to pray for those who lost and suffered as a result of the attacks? If you are a Christian, how are you showing your Jesus to the world around you?
What are your memories of the day? Do you have any questions to add to the few I put in the previous paragraph?
The morning of the attacks I had class at 8:05 - Interpretation of Literature. Of course 8:05 Iowa time is 9:05 EST, so by the time class started some already knew about it. I didn't - the first attack would have probably taken place when I was walking to class. There was some talk of a plane crash that morning in class - that it had happened in NYC, and a plane ran into a building...but by then I don't remember there being talk of terrorist activity. My next class was Ultimate Frisbee (yeah, for real). By the time we got to that class, there was a little more information, but I don't think any of us yet knew how big that day was going to get (it was still only mid-morning). After that class I walked back to my off-campus apartment, and because of all the chatter of this plane crash, I clicked on the TV and witnessed for the first time with my own eyes the sadness and depravity unfolding in my living room. By noon-ish time in Iowa things were very chaotic on the east coast, and there were TV crews everywhere documenting what was going on. You remember the scene: people bloody and covered in white dust running down the streets confused and crying, people as small as dust particles jumping out of windows from the burning towers, make-shift hospitals set up in the streets, papers and dust everywhere in downtown NYC. I think they replayed the planes crashing into the sides of the buildings and the towers crashing down about a million times (as if once wouldn't have been enough to burn the image into anyone's brain). I stood there all alone in my apartment's living room and cried.
That afternoon we had Marching Band practice at 3:30. When I got there everyone was pretty solemn and some of the girls were crying. They sent us all home and told us to go call our parents, just to say hi.
My brother-in-law worked in NYC at the time, though I didn't know him yet. He was several blocks away from the attacks, but he did get stranded in the city for the night. I don't even know that Narasimha was able to get ahold of him for several hours to find out that he was ok.
7 years have passed, and I still feel very sad when I think about that day. With the exception of my brother-in-law, I don't even personally know anyone who was involved in the events of the day. When we visited NYC a few years ago I saw the old site of the WTC, and to me, it just looked like a big hole in the ground. I can tear up even thinking about the many that were devastatingly personally affected by all that happened that dreadful day.
This is not intended to be any sort of a political post, but here are some things to think about: How do the events of that day, and things that have transpired in our nation since then, affect our upcoming presidential election? What can you personally take responsibility for to make sure attacks like that don't happen in our country again? Do you remember to pray for those who lost and suffered as a result of the attacks? If you are a Christian, how are you showing your Jesus to the world around you?
What are your memories of the day? Do you have any questions to add to the few I put in the previous paragraph?
Saturday, August 16, 2008
One Down...
One to go. I found out when I got home from class last night that Narasimha passed the first step of his Psychiatry Boards! Woohoo! This is the test he took in June. All that work finally paid off. It is a two-step process, so sometime next spring he will have to take the other step, which I believe is in an interview rather than computer-generated format. I think for that one he won't be able to just go to Des Moines - there's a chance he'll have to go all the way to Philadelphia. We still don't know when or where - as more details emerge I will try to keep this updated. So tonight, get ready to par-taaayyyy! Ok, we're really just planning on going out for Mexican food with my dad this afternoon, but who's keeping track of our crazy-exciting life :)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Back to School
For all the kiddos out there, and for ME! That's right, I went back to school this week. It is something I have been considering doing for a long time, and last week, I decided to take the plunge and go for it. I am enrolled at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, IA. I am taking 1 course this fall - Master's level - called Introduction to Biblical Counseling. It is in "Module" format, which means it only actually meets for a week in the classroom, for 5 hours a day, and then I have a few months to finish the required work. The goal is to eventually finish my Master's degree in Biblical Counseling (or Nouthetic Counseling - I think that's how it's spelled), which will take many more classes than just this one. It will actually take several years to accomplish this because the classes are offered on a very limited basis, and class times overlap, so I will have to wait until I can fit them all in. And, they don't offer all of them in Ankeny, so I will have to go to Indiana once I have 3-5 of the classes completed here in Iowa. I am staying at my parents a few nights this week so I don't have to commute so far every day.
Last night was the first night of class. And, it is pretty much what I expected. Theologically speaking, some of the material will probably test me and my current Biblical knowledge and understanding (which is a great thing - I'm excited). But the general principles are logical, and for someone like me, a Christian who has worked in secular psychology/psychiatry for so long, a breath of fresh air and so very encouraging. I have come to trust and rely on some of what I have learned in my secular studies, as I have tried to filter the information through the Word of God and find what could be applicable/useful for Christians in our society and culture. I am not sure how all of that will fall together. There is so much information between these sometimes seemingly overlapping and sometimes obviously polar-opposite schools of thought - I have a lot of work to do.
May God give me discernment as only He can as I attempt to navigate this flood of information that I feel He has called me to use to change myself, and by His grace alone, be able to one day effectively disciple His own with His Word as my guide.
Last night was the first night of class. And, it is pretty much what I expected. Theologically speaking, some of the material will probably test me and my current Biblical knowledge and understanding (which is a great thing - I'm excited). But the general principles are logical, and for someone like me, a Christian who has worked in secular psychology/psychiatry for so long, a breath of fresh air and so very encouraging. I have come to trust and rely on some of what I have learned in my secular studies, as I have tried to filter the information through the Word of God and find what could be applicable/useful for Christians in our society and culture. I am not sure how all of that will fall together. There is so much information between these sometimes seemingly overlapping and sometimes obviously polar-opposite schools of thought - I have a lot of work to do.
May God give me discernment as only He can as I attempt to navigate this flood of information that I feel He has called me to use to change myself, and by His grace alone, be able to one day effectively disciple His own with His Word as my guide.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Iowa State Fair
We got to go to the Iowa State Fair yesterday, and had a good time. We looked at some of the stuff and ate lots of good food. Narasimha and I went with my family, and also met up with a good friend from high school and her fiancé. It was a beautiful day - not too hot, which is unusual for fair time in Iowa. We only stayed for a few hours, but with the crowds of people and all that's going on, a few hours is definitely enough.
Me and my sister enjoying a corndog. She told me she knew the best stand to get a corndog, and she was right. That was the best corndog I have had in a long time!
Our group: Narasimha, Dad, my sis and her boyfriend, and my other sis and brother. We were resting in the shade and having our first round of calories.
Me and my sister enjoying a corndog. She told me she knew the best stand to get a corndog, and she was right. That was the best corndog I have had in a long time!
Our group: Narasimha, Dad, my sis and her boyfriend, and my other sis and brother. We were resting in the shade and having our first round of calories. Monday, July 28, 2008
Summer and Exercise
Narasimha was recently asked to write a few articles for our local paper. He was running out of time, so I helped him with one of them (the one he did on his own was on Alzheimer's dementia). Here is the article that we wrote that was in the local paper - it's kinda long, but we enjoyed writing it, and maybe some of you would enjoy reading it. He told me they were published on Saturday, just a few days ago. What do you think of our article?
Summer and Exercise
Summer is here! And with the warm weather here, it is the perfect time to start an exercise program if you don't already have one established. Here are some guidelines for fun and safety when exercising in the summer, whether you're a seasoned pro or first-time exerciser:
Involve the whole family! Studies have shown that children who exercise on a regular basis are less likely to be overweight over the course of their whole lives, and often have better mental and physical health than their peers who do not exercise. It is safer for children to exercise with adult supervision, and exercising with your kids is a great way to spend extra time having fun with them.
Take advantage of the heat! There some fun things to do in the summer that we as Iowans don't have the luxury of enjoying during other seasons. Many of these things involve water. Take up swimming, boating, or other water-related activities. Put a sprinkler in the yard and run through it with the kids and pets. Just remember water safety - always supervise children when they are enjoying the water, never be alone in the water, and always have enough life jackets for everyone who is along, whether or not they consider themselves to be good swimmers. Remember: Alcohol/street drugs and water activities are a dangerous combination.
Out of the water! There are also many things to do on dry ground: get the bike out of the garage (remember the helmet), dust off those roller blades (remember the pads), join a gym and begin a weight-training regimen, go for a walk, play a round of golf (walking the course is better than driving a cart), play a game of softball, shoot some hoops in the driveway or at a park, hike on a trail, join a yoga or Pilates class, or go to the playground and play with the kids. Even things like yard work get you up and moving - plant and maintain a garden or mow with a push mower.
Safety first! It is always important to be responsible and follow rules of safety when exercising. Always follow water safety (see section above for specifics). Always supervise children. Always be aware of the potential of heat-related illness (see section below for specifics). Always use proper protection equipment for your activity or sport (padding, guards, helmets, safety goggles, etc.). Also remember to apply sunscreen and bug spray, when appropriate. Beware that mosquitoes and ticks can potentially carry diseases like West Nile Disease and Lyme’s Disease, among others - wear proper repellants and check for ticks.
Be aware of heat-related illness! It is important to remember that our bodies are not meant to operate at their best under the most extreme conditions, and Iowa heat can be very extreme during the summer months. Don't over-exert yourself in the heat of the day. Drink plenty of fluids - not just water, but also drinks such as Gatorade that help replenish lost electrolytes. If you start to feel fatigued, weak, faint, have nausea and or vomiting, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, and irritability, or symptoms that resemble a flu-like illness you might be suffering from what is called Heat Exhaustion. Heat Exhaustion can be treated with rest, getting out of the hot environment, and correction of dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities. Cool the body gently with ice packs applied to the neck, groin, and underarms. For mild cases, oral rehydration with electrolytes like Gatorade usually is adequate. For more severe cases (feeling very dizzy and feeling like passing out when standing up) IV fluids may be needed.
If this progresses to a state where a person's body temperature is above 104 F and there are subtle symptoms of impaired judgment, bizarre behavior, hallucinations, altered mental status, confusion, disorientation, and possibly coma (sweating may or may not be present), this could represent a medical emergency called Heat Stroke. If these symptoms set in, seek emergency medical care immediately. Remember, children, the elderly, and animals can be more sensitive to the heat, but can't always tell you how they feel. Always have plenty of fluids available when you are caring for others, and watch carefully for signs of heat-related illnesses in those you spend time with.
Avoid exercise-related injury! Some exercises seem to cause more injury than others. Remember, there's a difference between general aches and soreness from beginning a program, and an actual injury. When you begin a program, it is completely normal to have sore muscles for a few days to a few weeks. Proper stretching of muscles, adequate hydration, and even the application of a hot/cold pack can help alleviate this soreness until your body adjusts. Sticking with your program is also important to make the soreness go away - if you start up and stop and then start up again, you will often feel sore every time you start your program. An actual injury is different than just being sore. If you walk or run, especially on uneven surfaces, be careful not to hurt your ankles/knees by "rolling" an ankle or twisting a knee. If you have just taken up a high-impact activity (running, basketball, etc) avoid injury to joints (with proper strength training and support) and shin splints (pain, minor or severe, in the lower half of your leg). If you have too much joint pain, or develop shin splints, try an activity with lower or no impact, like swimming, biking, yoga, or water aerobics. Always use the proper equipment when participating in any activity to reduce your chances of injury (guards, pads, goggles, etc.) For any swelling of a joint or a bone after a contact injury or fall, or an injury that causes intense pain, seek medical care soon as this could represent an injury that needs to be treated sooner rather than later. If you have an injury that will not get better in a few days to a couple of weeks with rest, ice/heat and the use of over-the-counter pain relief, make an appointment to see your doctor.
Talk to your doctor! If you have not exercised for a while and have medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, emphysema or bronchitis, history of seizures, talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program. With exercise, if you ever have chest pain, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, excessive shortness of breath, stop exercising and talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
Move! As with exercise in any season, some is always better than none. Get off the couch - go for a walk in the evening with a friend, go to the pool and walk laps around the shallow end (the resistance of the water will make you work harder than walking on dry ground, and you'll keep cool), or contact a professional to find a program catered specifically for you and your needs.
Be consistent and have fun! In order to see physical improvement, you have to start a program and stick with it. Try to find something or a few things you enjoy and schedule time to do them 4-5 days a week. And make sure it's something you enjoy - you'll be much more likely to stick with your program and see results if your program consists of things you really enjoy doing. Once you have a program that you can follow, gradually increase your workout. If you walked 10 minutes a night every night last week, go for 15 minutes every night this week. As you feel more and more comfortable with your routine, try to add or increase your "aerobic" exercise - this is the exercise that makes your heart beat a lot fast than it does when you're resting, and is the kind of exercise that has the best health benefits.
Enjoy your summer!
Summer and Exercise
Summer is here! And with the warm weather here, it is the perfect time to start an exercise program if you don't already have one established. Here are some guidelines for fun and safety when exercising in the summer, whether you're a seasoned pro or first-time exerciser:
Involve the whole family! Studies have shown that children who exercise on a regular basis are less likely to be overweight over the course of their whole lives, and often have better mental and physical health than their peers who do not exercise. It is safer for children to exercise with adult supervision, and exercising with your kids is a great way to spend extra time having fun with them.
Take advantage of the heat! There some fun things to do in the summer that we as Iowans don't have the luxury of enjoying during other seasons. Many of these things involve water. Take up swimming, boating, or other water-related activities. Put a sprinkler in the yard and run through it with the kids and pets. Just remember water safety - always supervise children when they are enjoying the water, never be alone in the water, and always have enough life jackets for everyone who is along, whether or not they consider themselves to be good swimmers. Remember: Alcohol/street drugs and water activities are a dangerous combination.
Out of the water! There are also many things to do on dry ground: get the bike out of the garage (remember the helmet), dust off those roller blades (remember the pads), join a gym and begin a weight-training regimen, go for a walk, play a round of golf (walking the course is better than driving a cart), play a game of softball, shoot some hoops in the driveway or at a park, hike on a trail, join a yoga or Pilates class, or go to the playground and play with the kids. Even things like yard work get you up and moving - plant and maintain a garden or mow with a push mower.
Safety first! It is always important to be responsible and follow rules of safety when exercising. Always follow water safety (see section above for specifics). Always supervise children. Always be aware of the potential of heat-related illness (see section below for specifics). Always use proper protection equipment for your activity or sport (padding, guards, helmets, safety goggles, etc.). Also remember to apply sunscreen and bug spray, when appropriate. Beware that mosquitoes and ticks can potentially carry diseases like West Nile Disease and Lyme’s Disease, among others - wear proper repellants and check for ticks.
Be aware of heat-related illness! It is important to remember that our bodies are not meant to operate at their best under the most extreme conditions, and Iowa heat can be very extreme during the summer months. Don't over-exert yourself in the heat of the day. Drink plenty of fluids - not just water, but also drinks such as Gatorade that help replenish lost electrolytes. If you start to feel fatigued, weak, faint, have nausea and or vomiting, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, and irritability, or symptoms that resemble a flu-like illness you might be suffering from what is called Heat Exhaustion. Heat Exhaustion can be treated with rest, getting out of the hot environment, and correction of dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities. Cool the body gently with ice packs applied to the neck, groin, and underarms. For mild cases, oral rehydration with electrolytes like Gatorade usually is adequate. For more severe cases (feeling very dizzy and feeling like passing out when standing up) IV fluids may be needed.
If this progresses to a state where a person's body temperature is above 104 F and there are subtle symptoms of impaired judgment, bizarre behavior, hallucinations, altered mental status, confusion, disorientation, and possibly coma (sweating may or may not be present), this could represent a medical emergency called Heat Stroke. If these symptoms set in, seek emergency medical care immediately. Remember, children, the elderly, and animals can be more sensitive to the heat, but can't always tell you how they feel. Always have plenty of fluids available when you are caring for others, and watch carefully for signs of heat-related illnesses in those you spend time with.
Avoid exercise-related injury! Some exercises seem to cause more injury than others. Remember, there's a difference between general aches and soreness from beginning a program, and an actual injury. When you begin a program, it is completely normal to have sore muscles for a few days to a few weeks. Proper stretching of muscles, adequate hydration, and even the application of a hot/cold pack can help alleviate this soreness until your body adjusts. Sticking with your program is also important to make the soreness go away - if you start up and stop and then start up again, you will often feel sore every time you start your program. An actual injury is different than just being sore. If you walk or run, especially on uneven surfaces, be careful not to hurt your ankles/knees by "rolling" an ankle or twisting a knee. If you have just taken up a high-impact activity (running, basketball, etc) avoid injury to joints (with proper strength training and support) and shin splints (pain, minor or severe, in the lower half of your leg). If you have too much joint pain, or develop shin splints, try an activity with lower or no impact, like swimming, biking, yoga, or water aerobics. Always use the proper equipment when participating in any activity to reduce your chances of injury (guards, pads, goggles, etc.) For any swelling of a joint or a bone after a contact injury or fall, or an injury that causes intense pain, seek medical care soon as this could represent an injury that needs to be treated sooner rather than later. If you have an injury that will not get better in a few days to a couple of weeks with rest, ice/heat and the use of over-the-counter pain relief, make an appointment to see your doctor.
Talk to your doctor! If you have not exercised for a while and have medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, emphysema or bronchitis, history of seizures, talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program. With exercise, if you ever have chest pain, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, excessive shortness of breath, stop exercising and talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
Move! As with exercise in any season, some is always better than none. Get off the couch - go for a walk in the evening with a friend, go to the pool and walk laps around the shallow end (the resistance of the water will make you work harder than walking on dry ground, and you'll keep cool), or contact a professional to find a program catered specifically for you and your needs.
Be consistent and have fun! In order to see physical improvement, you have to start a program and stick with it. Try to find something or a few things you enjoy and schedule time to do them 4-5 days a week. And make sure it's something you enjoy - you'll be much more likely to stick with your program and see results if your program consists of things you really enjoy doing. Once you have a program that you can follow, gradually increase your workout. If you walked 10 minutes a night every night last week, go for 15 minutes every night this week. As you feel more and more comfortable with your routine, try to add or increase your "aerobic" exercise - this is the exercise that makes your heart beat a lot fast than it does when you're resting, and is the kind of exercise that has the best health benefits.
Enjoy your summer!
Friday, July 25, 2008
ISTJ
I just took a quiz on Facebook, and it asks you a bunch of questions, and then assigns you to a personality type, using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I got the results of ISTJ. Based on the quiz, I am Introverted (vs. Extroverted), Sensing (vs. Intuition), Thinking (vs. Feeling), Judging (vs. Perceiving). I definitely agree with the Introverted and Thinking, I can kinda see the Sensing, and I don't know what I think about the Judging. I think the whole picture is probably pretty accurate, because I did a web search on my type, and some of the details they listed for people of this type describe me to a T (results I found on Wikipedia here).
I think there's a book out about these types, and if you can figure out what type you are, and the types of some of the people close to you, you can kinda interpret your interactions (say with like a spouse, child, close friend, etc.). I don't read into it too much, but I think if used/considered appropriately, it might be kinda fun and maybe even helpful in some ways.
If you're on Facebook and you want to do this, you have to add the application (you can get the link off my page), and if you don't have Facebook, I am sure there are tests on the internet you could find.
Do you know your "type"? Does it describe you well? If you know me, what do you think about my results?
I think there's a book out about these types, and if you can figure out what type you are, and the types of some of the people close to you, you can kinda interpret your interactions (say with like a spouse, child, close friend, etc.). I don't read into it too much, but I think if used/considered appropriately, it might be kinda fun and maybe even helpful in some ways.
If you're on Facebook and you want to do this, you have to add the application (you can get the link off my page), and if you don't have Facebook, I am sure there are tests on the internet you could find.
Do you know your "type"? Does it describe you well? If you know me, what do you think about my results?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wacky Wednesday
I know it's been a while again...I've been working on some things that are taking some time. Eventually I'll post those, but for now, here's something I did yesterday...
I used to like to mow. At our old house, our yard was about the size of a postage stamp, so even if I weed-eated around the whole house and the whole fence line, and mowed the whole yard with a push mower, I was done in like 30 mins. Now we have a big yard, which I love for some reasons. It's great for the dogs and potential kids, and we live in the country, so it's quiet and peaceful, and is actually one of the main reasons we decided on this house. But wow is it ever painful to mow. By the time I'm done weed-eating here I can't feel my arm (because the machine is so heavy and it takes forever) and then you have to push mow around like a million trees, a swing set, and a very long fence line (inside and outside). And then the riding part after all this takes at least a few hours. To do the whole yard well probably takes at least 5-6 hours.
So anyways, I always put it off as long as I can. I bet our neighbors don't like us because a few of them have Better Homes and Gardens yards. Yesterday it just had to be done. So I cheated, and skipped the weed-eating and push mowing, and was just going to do the rider in the front. I just wanted to be done, so I was driving the mower about as fast as it would go. Narasimha was in the back yard grooming the dogs. We have a ditch that goes along the road in the front yard, and it's curved, and then there's this (not well-kept, of course) landscaping thing in the front right at the top of the ditch, and it has these big bricks going all the way around the outside of it. Ok, now stay with me if you made it through all that... I was mowing, and I went down into the ditch, and back up, at a funny angle, headed toward the bricks from the landscaping. I was turning to go along side the bricks, and I accidentally ran into the bricks, mower full speed, with my front tires turned, and the mower leaning at an angle as it was turning out of the ditch. When I hit the bricks, the mower stopped instantly. I was tipped to the side like the mower was, and the next thing I know, the impact of the stop has put me on the ground, on a hill, beside my mower with the blade still very much moving. The mower is new, so since I fell of and my weight was off the seat, it shut off pretty quick. But still, the first thing I thought as I was landing (and I was landing about as fast as I realized I was falling) was that "I'm going to get mowed!" And then I wondered, without me on there leaning away from the ditch to keep it up, if it would just roll onto its side, right onto me. But, none of the above. As I was getting up I didn't even bother to see if any of the neighbors had seen me, I was so embarrassed (although now I wonder if they did).
I am thankful I didn't get hurt, although my elbow is a little sore because I think I landed funny on my arm. It probably could have been really really bad, but it's not, so it just makes for a random and funny (hopefully, since I put it here for you to read) story about my Wednesday.
I used to like to mow. At our old house, our yard was about the size of a postage stamp, so even if I weed-eated around the whole house and the whole fence line, and mowed the whole yard with a push mower, I was done in like 30 mins. Now we have a big yard, which I love for some reasons. It's great for the dogs and potential kids, and we live in the country, so it's quiet and peaceful, and is actually one of the main reasons we decided on this house. But wow is it ever painful to mow. By the time I'm done weed-eating here I can't feel my arm (because the machine is so heavy and it takes forever) and then you have to push mow around like a million trees, a swing set, and a very long fence line (inside and outside). And then the riding part after all this takes at least a few hours. To do the whole yard well probably takes at least 5-6 hours.
So anyways, I always put it off as long as I can. I bet our neighbors don't like us because a few of them have Better Homes and Gardens yards. Yesterday it just had to be done. So I cheated, and skipped the weed-eating and push mowing, and was just going to do the rider in the front. I just wanted to be done, so I was driving the mower about as fast as it would go. Narasimha was in the back yard grooming the dogs. We have a ditch that goes along the road in the front yard, and it's curved, and then there's this (not well-kept, of course) landscaping thing in the front right at the top of the ditch, and it has these big bricks going all the way around the outside of it. Ok, now stay with me if you made it through all that... I was mowing, and I went down into the ditch, and back up, at a funny angle, headed toward the bricks from the landscaping. I was turning to go along side the bricks, and I accidentally ran into the bricks, mower full speed, with my front tires turned, and the mower leaning at an angle as it was turning out of the ditch. When I hit the bricks, the mower stopped instantly. I was tipped to the side like the mower was, and the next thing I know, the impact of the stop has put me on the ground, on a hill, beside my mower with the blade still very much moving. The mower is new, so since I fell of and my weight was off the seat, it shut off pretty quick. But still, the first thing I thought as I was landing (and I was landing about as fast as I realized I was falling) was that "I'm going to get mowed!" And then I wondered, without me on there leaning away from the ditch to keep it up, if it would just roll onto its side, right onto me. But, none of the above. As I was getting up I didn't even bother to see if any of the neighbors had seen me, I was so embarrassed (although now I wonder if they did).
I am thankful I didn't get hurt, although my elbow is a little sore because I think I landed funny on my arm. It probably could have been really really bad, but it's not, so it just makes for a random and funny (hopefully, since I put it here for you to read) story about my Wednesday.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Proud To Be An American...
Happy Birthday to America! We had a fun at a picnic with family and friends at my parent's house today.
Hope everyone had a good time with whatever you did today - Thanks to all in our country's past and present who make celebrations like today possible...
Hope everyone had a good time with whatever you did today - Thanks to all in our country's past and present who make celebrations like today possible...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Move: One Year Later
It was one year ago today that Narasimha started his new (and current) job. It was around a year ago that we moved from our first home together as a married couple, changed towns and churches, and basically had all we were comfortable with turned upside down.
About a year and a week ago we packed up all our things and our friends and family moved us from our simple home, which we purchased a month after we were married, to a rental in our current town. This rental was in a questionable neighborhood, and was infested with bats, mice, pigeons, bugs, and probably other things I don't even want to know about. We lived there for 3 months, until the city basically kicked us out because our landlord wouldn't fix the house enough to have it up to code.
Fortunately, after living there only 2 months, we found a house to purchase, and for one month we had overlap so we could start some kind-of major home improvements in our new house and still have a place to sleep.
What we miss from our old town:
- Our church.
- Our friends.
- Having friends.
- Some aspects of the town.
- A brand new house that felt like ours and didn't have problems or need major fixes.
What we have gained in the move:
- A sense of the strength of our marriage. We have now been through a few big trials together (infertility, and a move to a new town we aren't crazy about) and I think we both feel closer through surviving these trials.
- A few good friends for which we are grateful.
- Closer to family - Kristina's family is less than an hour away.
- A job that, besides the occasional glitch, Narasimha is really happy with.
- Financial and material blessings.
- A house, that when improvements are done, will probably be comfortable for us and maybe even start to feel like home.
- A new puppy Bella :)
What we still want:
- To feel more at home and associated with our church.
- Spiritual growth - together and individually. We both feel very lacking in this since the move.
- To know of some purpose why God has decided to have us here.
- To start our family asap.
- To stay in touch with the friends we left.
I just can't believe it has been a whole year since we left. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday we were there, and comfortable, and normal. Sometimes I can hardly remember the phone numbers of some of my best friends. Some of our friends have added to their families, and some are about to. Our friends have children who are growing like weeds, who we will probably hardly recognize when we see them again. Narasimha has been practicing all by himself for a whole year. I can still mentally walk through our old house and remember how things looked, and where things were. I can almost even remember what it felt like to be very much more settled than I am starting to wonder if we'll ever be here.
Life is full of changes, whether big or small. We can either embrace them or be stuck living in the past.
About a year and a week ago we packed up all our things and our friends and family moved us from our simple home, which we purchased a month after we were married, to a rental in our current town. This rental was in a questionable neighborhood, and was infested with bats, mice, pigeons, bugs, and probably other things I don't even want to know about. We lived there for 3 months, until the city basically kicked us out because our landlord wouldn't fix the house enough to have it up to code.
Fortunately, after living there only 2 months, we found a house to purchase, and for one month we had overlap so we could start some kind-of major home improvements in our new house and still have a place to sleep.
What we miss from our old town:
- Our church.
- Our friends.
- Having friends.
- Some aspects of the town.
- A brand new house that felt like ours and didn't have problems or need major fixes.
What we have gained in the move:
- A sense of the strength of our marriage. We have now been through a few big trials together (infertility, and a move to a new town we aren't crazy about) and I think we both feel closer through surviving these trials.
- A few good friends for which we are grateful.
- Closer to family - Kristina's family is less than an hour away.
- A job that, besides the occasional glitch, Narasimha is really happy with.
- Financial and material blessings.
- A house, that when improvements are done, will probably be comfortable for us and maybe even start to feel like home.
- A new puppy Bella :)
What we still want:
- To feel more at home and associated with our church.
- Spiritual growth - together and individually. We both feel very lacking in this since the move.
- To know of some purpose why God has decided to have us here.
- To start our family asap.
- To stay in touch with the friends we left.
I just can't believe it has been a whole year since we left. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday we were there, and comfortable, and normal. Sometimes I can hardly remember the phone numbers of some of my best friends. Some of our friends have added to their families, and some are about to. Our friends have children who are growing like weeds, who we will probably hardly recognize when we see them again. Narasimha has been practicing all by himself for a whole year. I can still mentally walk through our old house and remember how things looked, and where things were. I can almost even remember what it felt like to be very much more settled than I am starting to wonder if we'll ever be here.
Life is full of changes, whether big or small. We can either embrace them or be stuck living in the past.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Farewell to Friends
A few years ago when I worked at the hospital I met a girl (woman?) and we quickly became very good friends. We don't actually have a whole lot in common, but she is from the same city Narasimha is from (in India) so we kinda had that to go on.
Over the few years I have known her we have had a lot of fun together, and I fell in love with her little boy during the time I spent with him. I got to babysit him almost every day for several months, and we learned a lot from each other :)
Anyways, she has decided to move to the East Coast so she and her husband can both pursue professional opportunities. I am so happy for them and this step, but I do wish I'd still be able to see them whenever I felt like it.
For dinner we went to this great Indian restaurant, with this booth that had a table very close to the floor (eastern). It was cool and the food was delicious.
Best wishes to Sirisha and her family - Narasimha and I will miss all of you :)
Over the few years I have known her we have had a lot of fun together, and I fell in love with her little boy during the time I spent with him. I got to babysit him almost every day for several months, and we learned a lot from each other :)
Anyways, she has decided to move to the East Coast so she and her husband can both pursue professional opportunities. I am so happy for them and this step, but I do wish I'd still be able to see them whenever I felt like it.
For dinner we went to this great Indian restaurant, with this booth that had a table very close to the floor (eastern). It was cool and the food was delicious.
Best wishes to Sirisha and her family - Narasimha and I will miss all of you :)
Narasimha and I, and Sirisha and her family.
Me and Sirisha
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Green Ride
Ok, so I guess if you want to be technical it's actually blue and silver. But I wasn't talking about the color green...I was talking about that new trend our society has of labeling environmentally-friendly things "green." And environmentally-friendly this is...
We bought a new little motor scooter today. For those who may know, it's called a 2008 Yamaha Vino 125. We thought about buying one a few years ago when gas prices started spiking, but couldn't afford it at that time. I think now it's likely we'll make up money spent in saved gas (although that could take a while). This little thing gets over 90 mpg! And, it goes at top speed about 60-65 miles per hour (though comfortably for 2 people you could probably expect 40-45 mph). Not bad.
These things are popular this year - we had to drive a few hours (which is a long ways in Iowa) to be able to find a place that had any left.
It also reminds us of India - there these things are the main source of transportation, from anywhere to single people to full families (I have seriously seen 5 people - dad, mom, and 3 kiddos - on one no bigger than this more times than I could count). The roads are so overcrowded there that having anything bigger than this is in many ways a disadvantage - these weave in and out of traffic very well.
So, this little guy easily fits both of us, and for those times that we just need to make a trip into town, and don't have much to carry going or coming, we can ride this. It will likely function as Narasimha's work car when the weather is good.
And, it's fun to ride - you know, with the wind and mosquitoes flowing through your hair :) It'll have to do for now - someday I fully intend on being a "biker babe" with a Harley :) So, now we both have to start studying for our motorcycle license.
Kinda cute, right? :)
We bought a new little motor scooter today. For those who may know, it's called a 2008 Yamaha Vino 125. We thought about buying one a few years ago when gas prices started spiking, but couldn't afford it at that time. I think now it's likely we'll make up money spent in saved gas (although that could take a while). This little thing gets over 90 mpg! And, it goes at top speed about 60-65 miles per hour (though comfortably for 2 people you could probably expect 40-45 mph). Not bad.
These things are popular this year - we had to drive a few hours (which is a long ways in Iowa) to be able to find a place that had any left.
It also reminds us of India - there these things are the main source of transportation, from anywhere to single people to full families (I have seriously seen 5 people - dad, mom, and 3 kiddos - on one no bigger than this more times than I could count). The roads are so overcrowded there that having anything bigger than this is in many ways a disadvantage - these weave in and out of traffic very well.
So, this little guy easily fits both of us, and for those times that we just need to make a trip into town, and don't have much to carry going or coming, we can ride this. It will likely function as Narasimha's work car when the weather is good.
And, it's fun to ride - you know, with the wind and mosquitoes flowing through your hair :) It'll have to do for now - someday I fully intend on being a "biker babe" with a Harley :) So, now we both have to start studying for our motorcycle license.
Kinda cute, right? :)Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The End of the Flood (for us)
Well, Narasimha did end up staying at work on Friday night. He worked for a few hours on Saturday morning, and by the time he was done, the road was open. He got home right as I was leaving for the baby shower. We made it to our wedding that night.
The water around here has been receding ever since, and moving on downstream, where I hear in southern Iowa they are now getting the brunt of our water.
I don't think anyone in our town sustained massive damage - lots of wet basements but no large-scale destruction. If you have seen the news at all, it is pretty devastating to look at pics from parts of Des Moines, lots of Cedar Rapids, and a good chunk of Iowa City. Not to mention many many other small towns that didn't make the news with the spotlight hanging on those bigger cities, some of which are completely under water.
I am so sorry for those who lost "all" in the flood. My stupid leaky basement doesn't even come close. Yes, it has been annoying, but not life-altering, and I still have a place to sleep, all my personal belongings intact, water to drink, etc. There are many in Iowa (and surrounding states too) who won't be able to say that for a while.
The water around here has been receding ever since, and moving on downstream, where I hear in southern Iowa they are now getting the brunt of our water.
I don't think anyone in our town sustained massive damage - lots of wet basements but no large-scale destruction. If you have seen the news at all, it is pretty devastating to look at pics from parts of Des Moines, lots of Cedar Rapids, and a good chunk of Iowa City. Not to mention many many other small towns that didn't make the news with the spotlight hanging on those bigger cities, some of which are completely under water.
I am so sorry for those who lost "all" in the flood. My stupid leaky basement doesn't even come close. Yes, it has been annoying, but not life-altering, and I still have a place to sleep, all my personal belongings intact, water to drink, etc. There are many in Iowa (and surrounding states too) who won't be able to say that for a while.
Monday, June 16, 2008
A Wedding, "Old" Friends, and Good Times :)
The wedding I referred to in a few earlier posts was that of a girl friend from high school. She and her new hubby live in Kansas City, so I rarely get to see her. Narasimha and I did get to go to the wedding, which was very nice, and to the reception which was held close to where I grew up. It was a lot of fun, not only to go to the wedding and see her, but also to see all my friends and some of their significant others, and catch up in what seemed to last a very short time but actually went on for at least a few hours.
At the reception most of us sat at a few tables that were next to each other, so after the meal we all morphed into one big group and sat around telling stories and laughing and chatting about what several of our friends who weren't there are up to, and of course sharing stories about what all of us are doing.
It was fun to see everyone - in the group we had a few farmers, a few teachers, a few med students, a law student, an engineer, a couple of business people, a doctor, a few coaches, and probably others I'm forgetting. And me, a "homemaker."
I really did have a good time seeing everyone. I wish it was possible to see people more often, but maybe not seeing them is the way to appreciate time when we do get together.
9 of us from our graduating class.
At the reception most of us sat at a few tables that were next to each other, so after the meal we all morphed into one big group and sat around telling stories and laughing and chatting about what several of our friends who weren't there are up to, and of course sharing stories about what all of us are doing.
It was fun to see everyone - in the group we had a few farmers, a few teachers, a few med students, a law student, an engineer, a couple of business people, a doctor, a few coaches, and probably others I'm forgetting. And me, a "homemaker."
I really did have a good time seeing everyone. I wish it was possible to see people more often, but maybe not seeing them is the way to appreciate time when we do get together.
9 of us from our graduating class.
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