Holiday Past

It's Saturday, and the holiday week is almost over. The kids are back, and I'm facing the typical, penny-pinching January. It's been a great week off. I removed my kitchen cabinets (again), rewired and rocked three walls, installed the cabinets with new counter tops and new light fixtures, and new paint and extras (thanks to Sandie Runyon) in the kitchen and bathroom.

It really looks good. I can say this not because of the craftsmanship, but because anything was an improvement. You see, for the past six months or so, we've been without all our counter tops, operating with one bare bulb hanging form the ceiling, exposed plumbing and electrical in the walls, etc. It does save on groceries when the kids don't want to go in the kitchen, but I don't recommend the strategy.

The week was good inspite the messy house, the kids being gone, failing to supply constant power to the fridge, and battling my first case of pink-eye (There's a story in and of itself).

I noticed my eye was real red, so I asked my medical-sauve friend, Oleta, "What's up with my eye?" She immediately diagnosed it as Pink-eye. So I got online to see what kind of home remedies I could find. The results were encouraging and yet...equally disturbing: sleeping with wet tea bags on your eyes, rinse eyes with peroxide, rubbing alcohol, breast milk, or even seminal fluid. Most reported substantial progress overnight. It seemed like this would be a simple challenge. Granted, the only one I tried was the tea bags, but there was no real benefit. After a day or two, I found myself at the pharmacy purchasing antibiotics.

Anyway, My eyes are much better and the house looks good...to us, and if I may add a spiritual insight to all this, I have this chronological Bible I like to read. It gives suggested readings for each day of the year, and while the rest of Christendom is looking to the Gospels for the Christmas story, this week, the chronological Bible simply sees it as the end of the year, and therefore, the suggested reading is in Revelation, about the end times. Today, I read about the woman who gives birth and how the elders around the throne tell God that the time has come to begin His reign on earth (Rev. 12&13). What a cool parallel to the Christmas season!

eace on earth

So Heidi and Kendra were having it out the other night (half playing; half venting). Heidi came to the kitchen at one point to complain about Kendra not doing her share of the work. I pointed out that if she was in there with me she wasn't working either. Heidi, in a weak defence and a half smile, declared, "I am working...my... finger."

Due to age and personality, Heidi tends to be quicker to the draw in a word exchange, or else she can at least smother the competition in word volume. Kendra happened to be unusually vocal this particular night (yes, it happens, believe me). She tried for a bit to put Heidi in her place, but the only line that I really caught was how she articulated her final point in a ...Christian context...she tried to make it understandable.

She yelled, "NIV version -'SHUT UP!'"

Well, I guess I've taught them one important thing; the translation you use affects the understanding and the impact.

Get'n emo about Christmas

We're "having Christmas" in the morning...Oh, wait, it is morning. We're having Christmas in a few hours, and I just put the presents around the tree. It's beautiful.

I need to take a moment and give God and His servants some props. You see, those gifts really are gifts. I didn't buy them. They were given to us. Money is tight this year, with me in school, and I had to leave Christmas in God's hands (boy that sounds shallow; as if it wasn't before).

Anyway, around Thanksgiving, someone gave me a check to shop for the kids. I'm not a shopper, so I passed it on to some friends, who bought presents for each of the kids. They even wrapped them for me.

Then, I got a call the other day from another friend. He had a bunch of gifts for the Menefees from an anonymous donor. My pride wanted to say no, but they were already purchased, wrapped, and labeled for each of the kids.

It's all just so beautiful, the big bows and gift bags...and the love of family and friends that they represent.

We are so blessed...God is so good. I just went outside, and it's snowing! Can it get any better.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

We all have to manage our resources

Heidi was invited to the mall. I explained that it was going to have to be a spectator sport because I was not going to give her any money. Her face dropped; she took it well. Then, see lit up again, "I found a tooth in my back pack!"

The phases of life are clear; it's the transitions that get blurred.

Found it and looking for more

So I sent out this email to family and friends asking them to pray for the summer trip. I've been collecting the responses, so that I can keep those people informed. I also intend to pray for those supporters in return. It's so encouraging to get emails from people saying that they are prayer for you (even if it is per your request).

One response has really been echoing in my head. It was from a wise and articulate friend from high school. She said, "I hope and pray you find what you're looking for in life." (!?) What I'm looking for!? My thoughts went, "I'm studying missions because I already found something, and I want to share it." Then, I had to check myself. I am still looking; I haven�t arrived, yet. Yes, I have purpose and direction, but the more I travel down the road, the farther, I realize, there is to travel. The more I learn, the more I find I don't know. This is not a depressing fact, but it's a truth that inspires me and drives me. The adventure of learning (about myself, God, others, the world, faith, history, etc.) brings so much color and sound to the adventure of life that, once you taste it, you start looking for more. I'm a truth addict. Give me another hit.

I, too, hope I find what I'm looking for, but I won't settle for anything until I'm with Christ.

Skipping Church

Kendra got sick last night, so I'm home on a Sunday morning. It's weird.

Keen and I put up the tree this week. It's the same 7 foot tree we've always had. As we were working on it, we realized that he's 9 and it's older than him. It still looks pretty good though.

But we haven�t put the ordainments on yet. We've been waiting until for an evening when all four of us are here at the same time. That�s been rare lately. They've opened and rummaged through all the tubs of stuff, so the living room looks like Christmas exploded. Things like this used to stress me out, but I'm cool. In fact, a lot of things pertaining to order and control used to stress me out, but even though many would think my life is crazy and a mess, the thought that keeps coming to mind this week is, "life is perfect."

I'm still not comfortable saying that out loud, because I don't want my contentment to be based on emotion or circumstances, but rather from faith and proper perspective. As I gain an eternal perspective and study other cultures, I realize that so many of the things that used to bother me are petty and isolated.