Three days until departure

It's only 3 days until I leave for India. The washer and the dryer are both on, all the groceries have been purchased (snacks for me to take and food for the fam while I'm gone), Jessica and I shopped for some things she needed last night...almost everything is done or close to getting done. (no, I have not started packing yet but I do know exactly what I am taking) The most important part of the trip, the whole reason I am going, is the hardest part to prepare. That's the ministry part. Ugh! I have been sitting at my desk almost all day...wanting to prepare, trying to prepare...but my mind wanders to the tasks that have to be done. Emails that have to be answered, plans that have to be made, clothes that have to be folded...

In the infinite wisdom of God He chose me (?) to go to India. Whoa. He goes before me and behind me. "Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all." (Ps. 139:4) I want to type right here -- could You just tell me in advance so I will know, too? Just kidding....sort of...

Back to work for me.

Serving the King,

Jeanette

A Great Day for Re:Group

Today was Re:Group, a snazzy name for our high attendance day for our church Life Groups. Every class goal was "one more than before." That means, the class goal was to have one more in attendance than the class had ever had. Our class is only 2 years old (into our 3rd year together) and there were times when it was just me and one other person...or maybe just 2 or 3. We met and surpassed our goal and our room was packed. We played a fun game that revealed some things about each other that had me giggling...I have so much fun with those women (Take the Shackles Off My Feet So I Can Dance!) --truthfully, I look forward to Sunday mornings so much. I'm going to miss "my girls" (as I affectionately call them when speaking about the class to other people) for the next 2 weeks as I leave for India this coming Friday. I've still lots to do before I leave so it will be a busy week. One of the ladies in my class asked if would be blogging during my trip and, if internet if available, I will make a great attempt at chronicling my adventure.

As for today, I'm regrouping from a super busy weekend. It was homecoming at my younger 2 kids' school so we had lots of festivities. And, the college boy came over for church and lunch today so I spent part of yesterday making a delicious lasagna - even used herbs from my own backyard which is one of my favorite cooking things to do.

Tomorrow, I am seriously getting ready to go...

Serving the King,

Jeanette

Blankness

I've lost it. Not that I was ever particularly fantastic at it, but I used to have deep thoughts that flowed out of my brain through my hand and onto the page. I wondered about things and searched and researched to find the answers. I aspired to know -- now I feel like my brain is jello. It's actually more like oatmeal...mushy.

I cannot count how many times I've sat at this computer and wanted to type from the recesses of my inner thoughts, to expound on the computer screen some great biblical truth that God is teaching me. Oh, He's definitely teaching me...I just cannot find the words to express all that is going on in my heart.

I miss being in school where I was forced (though I secretly loved it) to write and to study and to know. I miss meaningful conversation and deep spiritual contemplation with my fellow students. Though most were younger than I am, their insight and enthusiasm inspired me.

I'm in a new season...lots of new things. It seems like so much is happening that I spend my time running and jumping from one thing to the next without stopping to absorb that which really drives me.

I leave in less than one week for India. I have a busy November planned. Johnny was so kind (cough, cough) to count it out and inform me that I will only be home for 11 of the 34 days starting Oct. 24th. Perhaps the many, many hours I will spend time traveling over the next few weeks will cause me to stop. Though I will be physically moving from one place to the next, trapped in my airplane or car seat, I will have to be still. And, in that stillness, I hope to find...something that I am unable to express. It's description is there, in the mush.

Serving the King and finding satisfaction in Him,

Jeanette

State Fair o' Texas

Monday we, along with every school age child and adult off work for the holiday in the metroplex, went to the State Fair of the Great State of Texas. It was a really fun day! Here are Jessica and Jacob! I can't believe how tall Jacob is!
Jessica checked out her dream car/Jeep at the car show.
We decided to try some of the "award winning" food. First we tried the fried grilled cheese. It was dis.gus.ting. Imagine the bread was like a sponge filled with grease that had not been wrung out. Soaking in grease........ugh! We also tried the chicken fried bacon. It wasn't bad. The best thing we ate was CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES!!
We rode some rides including the gigantic ferris wheel, checked out some exhibits, ate some food...aahhh, a great day! We don't go to the State Fair every year but this year I'm glad we did! The only thing sad about the day was that our Josh, the college boy, didn't get to go with us.

Today I ran errands all day trying to get ready for my trip to India, which is only 10 days away. I have insomnia because I wake up thinking about all I need to do -- everything that's going on between now and then and the things I need to take care of. Hopefully I'll sleep tonight!

Resting,

Jeanette

Fireproof

Friends, Johnny and I went to the movies today! We rarely go -- mostly because there's usually nothing I am willing to pay almost $10 to see. And, I like to watch movies at home because when I watch a movie I want to hear every single word. And, you can't rewind at the theater. And, most of what comes to the theaters is not worth my time much less my money. Today we went to the matinee and both got in for $10! And, the movie was really good.

Johnny and I went to see Fireproof today. It was really good. I was caught up in the story and, yes, I cried at the end. You must go see it but, more than that, you must take your friends who are struggling in their marriage to this movie. Offer to buy their tickets. Offer to babysit their children. Dear ones, you really should take your friends who are just struggling in life to this movie. The message of Jesus and the hope that He offers is made clear in the movie. I sat in the theater today and prayed...prayed for the people in the theater with me (which, for a Friday afternoon after the movie has already been out for a couple of weeks was pretty full -- I was amazed) and those yet to see it. The movie is about real-life situations and hurts and trials...and I don't want to give one thing away so I will stop.

Go -- go straight from this blog to your movie theater's showtimes and pick a time to see the movie.

If you need a babysitter call me.

You should already be on the showtimes website...go now

Jeanette

My daughter is so much better than me

Ugh! Parenting is way hard sometimes. (no matter what age the kids are...see my last post, too!) We are dealing with something right now that is so darn frustrating as a parent. I just want to snatch somebody's head off! Ugh, again! Jessica sees things more clearly than I do, it seems. We were talking last night and she said, "I think satan is using xxxxx to discourage me." Yeah, I can see that. That's why I want to really let xxxxx have it. That's my problem, not xxxxx's. Here's the kicker, though. After we talked some more I said to Jessica, "You really have a good attitude about it." Here's her reply, "It doesn't come without effort, that's for sure."

IT REALLY DOESN'T COME WITHOUT EFFORT, THAT'S FOR SURE!

Her effort is better than my effort, that's for sure.

Humbled,

Jeanette

Simpler Days?

I just got home from taking Jessica to school. As I was driving home I passed a day care where the kids were running around on the playground. One little girl was swinging, her hair flying in the wind as she went back and forth. When I turned the corner I saw a dad walking behind a little guy on a tricycle. I miss those days sometimes. They were less complicated even if they were more exhausting. I can remember just wanting 5 seconds to be alone -- to think without someone needing my constant attention and care. Some days I have way too much of alone.

In some ways this season is more complicated -- teenage years can be trying. However, I just read an account on facebook from a girl I know. It seems her 4 year old decided to take her earrings out after she was put to bed by her parents. To keep them safe until morning, she put them in her nose. Needless to say, the parents got to spend the day at the hospital. Reminds me of the time when Jacob decided to swallow a penny and it got stuck in his esophagus. It happened to be the day we were moving -- I was at the new place waiting for the movers and Johnny was in another city closing on our house. I didn't even know where the hospital was. When the doctor finally got the penny out, he presented to me and said, "Welcome to our town!"

I guess every season has its own joys and trials. Makes life interesting, to say the least.

Serving the King,

Jeanette

Family

Yesterday I drove down to Waco to see my grandmother and spend some time with my parents. My grandmother was born in 1917 and lives in an assisted living home. Over the summer she was sick and had to go to the skilled nursing side of the home but returned back to her apartment just last week. Her mind is sharp and her hearing good despite the weakness in her legs and her inability to get move around without her wheelchair. My mom met me there and we visited in my grandmother's room until time for her to go to lunch. My mom and I walked her down to the dining hall and over to her table. They have assigned seating where she lives so I got to meet the people she eats with everyday. It turns out that one of them is a man that was good friends with my grandparents when they used to live out at the lake. This friend and his wife, my grandparents, and another couple used to go camping together. This would have been during my grandparents' retirement years. My granddad died in 1983 when I was in college. I adored him. Anyway, the friend at my grandmother's table started talking about my granddad. He said they were almost twins because their birthdays were just a few days apart and they were born the same year. (Which I thought was a sweet and funny thing to be said by a man in his 90's!) He then told me something I've never heard before -- he spent the day with my granddad the day before he died. They were doing some volunteer work at their church. They were putting a gable (?) on a roof. He said usually when they were working when he would try to go up the ladder my granddad would push him aside and go up the ladder himself. On that day, however, my granddad let his friend go up the ladder. At 5:00 the next morning, he said, my grandmother called him to tell him my granddad was gone.

I don't really know why, but I was fascinated to listen to this friend talking about my granddad. Maybe it's because I have not talked about him or heard new stories about him in such a long time. I love to talk to my grandmother and to hear stories about the past. She's the last grandparent that Johnny and I have left.

After we left my grandmother I went out to my parents' house and they fixed lunch for me. It was delicious, of course. After we finished lunch we played Sequence for a while then I had to head home. My parents were going after I left yesterday to work at their church serving food to homeless people.

Interesting -- my grandparents spent their time in retirement working and volunteering at their church. Johnny's grandparents gave land to their church and his grandparents worked in the church as well. Johnny's grandmother died in church after she finished teaching her Sunday School class that she had taught for decades. Both my parents and Johnny's parents are spending their retirement years involved in their churches and giving of their time.

What a legacy! I am privileged to carry on that which was passed down to me.

Serving the King,

Jeanette