Mis-labeling

I was at WalMart today loading my groceries in my van when a young Asian woman approached me. She asked for a donation to her organization, GPA, which was doing a missions trip to  Trinidad. At first I thought “Cool! Sure!”, but for whatever reason, asked about the organization and then about her church specifically. She said she was part of a non-denominational Christian church. I asked which one, because that’s pretty much what I belong to.

Her answer? Universalist.

I then asked “As in Sun Myung Moon?” (or some approximation of that name)

She nodded.

Um…NO.

“I’m sorry. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and IS God. I cannot support your organization.”, which I said very nicely and she very nicely thanked me and went on her way.

What I want to know is: HOW THE HECK does one call oneself a part of a “non-denominational Christian church” when one’s church denies the very deity of Christ???

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It’s Tuesday and It’s Anti-Climatic

Well, that was a big nothing for us in Southeastern PA. It was a lot of wind and a lot of rain. That’s it. There’s one tree down in the neighborhood that I know of. We never lost power, we never needed the generator, we hung out all day watching the news and doing a whole lot of nothing else. The kids are off school again today.

Now, I will conceded that our house is on high ground. There is a creek/stream/flowing body of water right next to our neighborhood that floods very easily and makes travel into and out of our neighborhood nigh on impossible. And I’m sure that we aren’t the only one with that problem. I don’t know what tomorrow will look like for schools–I might guess, though, that Philadelphia will be closed (Ethan home), but that the local kids will go back. We’ll see.

Either way, we’re breathing a sigh of relief and going to get on with life.

It’s Monday and It’s Sandy

Hurricane Sandy, that is. We’re in southeast Pennsylvania, which is pretty much directly in the path of the storm. The schools are closed for two days (got the call last night before bed, for which I was tres, tres thankful!) We slept in until 7:00, an unheard of luxury on a weekday morning (normal rising time for me is 5:24!). Right now, at 11:18am, it’s just raining. We haven’t hit the wind or torrential, horizontal downpour yet. But we’re expecting both.

This year, for the first time, we have a generator. We bought it off friends who wanted a bigger one. If all it is able to do is give us our fridge and our water pump I’ll be happy. We have a well, so if we don’t have power we don’t have water. Which, with 6 people, is rather difficult. Thankfully we have a gas stove, so cooking will not be a problem regardless.

For all my readers in the storm’s path (and I know there is at least one!), please be careful. Stay safe and dry, spend time with your family, and let me know how you’re doing when we are on the other side of this!

Hyphen

Today I attended a funeral for an old friend–old both ways. Betty was 90 when she passed away last week, and my friendship with her started in 1989. We worked together for a little over three years and in those years she was the closest thing to a grandmother that I had (my one grandmother died when I was five and I have few memories of her).

The priest gave a very short message  before her son spoke. You may have heard it before, but it bears repeating. He spoke about the fact that when you look at a gravestone, you see two dates separated by a hyphen. While the dates are somewhat important, the truly big stuff lies in that hyphen. Our whole lives lie in that little hyphen. Her son Curt spoke about that hyphen; he filled in the details. Hers was a life well and fully lived. Although a Catholic by birth, later in life she attended a bible-teaching church and came to love the Lord. I believe I’ll see her someday, which is why there were no tears today. I hadn’t seen her in many years–she had moved to a different state to live first with her daughter and then in a nursing home when the Alzheimer’s became too advanced. My memories of her are from about 8 years ago, before the downhill trek happened. I’m glad. I know she’s been made perfect and whole and is worshiping the Lord in Spirit and in truth and, best of all, in person.

Sunday Quiet

It’s the lull between church and lunch–they had a little snack there so their tummies aren’t screaming yet–and I thought I’d drop by and say Hi. After the snow on Friday, we’re supposed to be up in the mid 50’s today, with full sunshine. Which, believe me, is extremely welcome. Spring is my all-time favorite time of year. And after this past winter, well, it’s even more welcome than normal!

Easter is three weeks from today. I’m counting five weeks of sobriety right now, so that’s good. It was great to take communion with a clean heart. Jim’s even home in PA this week instead of leaving this afternoon for NH. Now, next week he leaves for SC, but I’m not thinking about that yet (la, la, la, I can’t hear you!).

I think, unexpectedly, I’m feeling content. So often I’m not, to my dismay. I wish I could say my moods don’t hinge so much on my children and their behavior, but it seems it is often the case. Right now all is very peaceful. Church was good, worship was good, and it’s shaping up to be a good week, and everyone (at this moment) is getting along.

Thanks, God.

So It’s December

Please accept my humble apologies. Apparently I posted three times in November. Not only is that not the norm for me in a month, that’s not even the norm for me in a week! I will endeavor to be better in December.

Then again, December is one of my busiest months, so I’m not going to make any promises!

I haven’t been up to anything spectacular–mostly regular home stuff. Jim’s home during the day, though, which definitely changes things. I am out a few times more with being involved in the food bank and the local churches community outreach.

We hosted Thanksgiving for both sides of the family. I wrote down an hour-by-hour schedule of food prep and the day went very smoothly. I’m glad, however, that my sister will have Christmas! Black Friday I spent comfortably ensconced in my office chair and I basically finished everyone in my family except my husband and his father (whom Jim buys for anyway!). Trying to figure out what my husband wants in a Christmas present is SO DIFFICULT. You’d think, after all these years, I’d know him and what would be a good present for him. Nope!

He’s actually away tonight visiting his sister in Philadelphia. Hopefully the children will go down quietly (hah, she says) and I’ll be able to catch up on Glee and the Good Wife (neither of which Jim watches).

We applied for private insurance yesterday. It was, to say the least, interesting. Trying to remember my medical history for the past five years! Jim was incredibly easy–he broke his arm and has allergies. That’s it.  Me? PCOS. Allergies. Hypothyroidism. Insulin resistance. Fun Fun Fun! The nurse I spoke to from Aetna was very nice. They’ll let us know within 7-10 business days. Jim has already been approved, the fink.

Well, this has been a nice catching up kind of chat. Hopefully I’ll see you soon!

Windy Wednesday

We’ve got gusts up to 45 mph over here, so I’m just going to blow in and out again.

Hah. Yeah, I know. I’m not the funny one in my marriage, either.

Monday was an annual trip to duPont Hospital for Bennett’s checkup. Tuesday I ended up working 2 hours longer than I expected. Today I help out with the Parkesburg Food Bank and then have the deacon meeting tonight as well as prayer meeting right after it. Good things, all of them. But keeping me busy and out of the house when I desperately need to stay home and clean and get laundry done.

I’m “just saying no” to going out either Thursday or Friday. My house is getting cluttered and messy again and that’s just not ok with me. Or Jim.

He has  a phone interview in 18 minutes. I’m slightly on pins and needles right now. If you by chance should feel the desire to pray, it would be very much welcome.