Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Superhero!


I went with my family last week to see the movie “The Avengers”; then the girls made me watch a follow-up superhero movie, “Thor”.  I have to admit that I have had enough of those movies to last for quite a while.  A strong and hidden memory popped up from my childhood, and I wanted to put it down for me to remember, and laugh.  It should come as no surprise that it involves my dad.


When I was just starting school, I was obsessed with what my dad did for a living.  I’m sure it was a school project, but whenever I asked my dad what he did at work, he said, “I go to meetings and sign my name.”  I don’t think he knew how to explain the Arkansas Power and Light Company to me. Everyone else’s dad had a real job, with a name the kids could understand.  Why was my dad different?


A little background information is needed at this point.  I am of the age that when we were children, the only programs geared to us were “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company.”  “The Electric Company” had one person as a mascot, in costume, called “Spiderman.”  He was by far the coolest character on the show.  This will be very important in a moment.


I kept hounding my dad to explain to me what he did at work.  Realizing that “signing his name” wasn’t going to satisfy me, he said, “I work for the electric company.”  Bells went off in my head and everything finally clicked.  Dad hadn’t wanted to tell me he worked for “The Electric Company” because his secret identity of Spiderman would be revealed.  After all, Spiderman was the only person that didn’t show his face.  I resolved never to betray his secret identity.  I never told a soul (except my sisters) that I knew our dad was a superhero. 

Hi, Dad!!!

 

Saturday, June 23, 2012

We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

We have been here in sunny Colorado for one week.  In some ways we already feel at home – that’s the grace of God for sure – but in other ways it is a completely foreign country to us.  Driving home from church last night we saw a doe walking across the parking lot like she owned the place.  We’ve also seen antelope and a porcupine on the side of the road.

The strangest sight so far has got to be the dog.  We were driving home from Lowe’s (probably the fifth or sixth trip), when we pulled up to a stop light.  This is what we saw on our left! 


We have had half of our property shipped to us.  The other half should be here in the next ten days.  In the meantime, we get to look at our kitchen chairs, our kitchen table leaves, but no kitchen table.  We have several chairs with no cushions, clothes with no hangers and several bookcases with no shelves.  It’s hard to make it feel homey at this point.

Have you met my husband?  It is amazing what he can accomplish in a short amount of time.  He has already changed the door handles on every door in the house, and updated all the lights in the main living level.  This was no easy task with 16 foot ceilings!  We have painted one room and the trim in two other rooms.  It is not easy to paint here.  I don’t know if it’s the altitude or dryness, but the walls suck in the paint, and it takes a lot more work and time than we expected.

Moving certainly teaches patience.  In the last week, we have been working with limited supplies, but the funniest one is the spoon.  We have only one.  Why on earth we didn’t buy more at Walmart I’ll never know, but this is what we’ve been working with.  We take turns eating cereal in the morning and I have learned that you can eat yogurt with a fork.  While scrambling eggs tonight, the poor spoon went to the beautiful utensil drawer in the sky.  Now I guess we’ll have to buy some silverware!










Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Here a Chick, There a Chick!



I made this adorable craft last spring and decided to move it to my new blog to keep things together.  My sister and I made this precious baby chick out of toilet paper rolls.  If you can't get excited about toilet paper rolls, then this post is probably not for you.

I started by painting a toilet paper roll yellow.  Then, I cut it into two pieces, one smaller than the other by about half.  I added google eyes (which I am obsessed with), and a construction paper beak.  I attached yellow feathers to its back.

For the nest, I cut most of the top off a small brown paper sack.  I added a jagged edge across the top.  After filling the sack with green Easter grass, I taped the chick into its nest.  Adorable!

Voila!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Now I Know My ABCs!


This picture is of two brothers I had the priviledge of working with at the Arkansas School for the Deaf.  They are also part of a military family which is near and dear to my heart.

My sister, Kathy, and I are both passionate about working with children from birth through high school.  We have both been classroom teachers and homeschooled our own children as well.  There are a lot of ideas we have put together, and I thought I would throw some in every now and then to hopefully help parents and classroom teachers alike.

Enjoy!

What Is Missing?


Count To Five Mini Book

Monday, January 2, 2012

Kermit the Frog



About 8 years ago, my elderly grandparents wanted to attend a Benny Hinn conference in Little Rock.  My dad agreed to take them, but because of their age and mobility, I knew he was going to need some extra help.  I was not a Benny Hinn fan, but it’s amazing what you will do for your family.
As we walked into the arena, I was struck by how many people were there.  It was packed!  I immediately felt a strong spiritual presence and I knew that the Lord was in the place.  We settled my grandparents in their seats, and then I stood next to them.  The service started with Praise and Worship, and I still felt an almost tangible presence of the Lord.  When the song “Jesus Breaks Every Fetter” started, I felt no different from the other songs.  Without warning, a super strong Godly presence stood behind me.  I will never doubt it was anything but an angel.  I felt fists rest gently on top of my head, then open.  The sensation of warm oil spilled over my head.  This was special enough, but it gets even more specific.  The oil dripped down my head, and some went into my right ear.
I need to move this story to earlier in the year.  I had a terrible ear infection in my right ear.  This was during a visit with my sister, so I was trying to tough it out and wait until I got home to see my doctor.  Bad idea, because the infection worsened to the point it invaded my blood.  It developed into a dangerous infection and I ended up spending the evening at a hospital in Tennessee.  When we left, the doctors told my sister that I had cancer in the ear and needed to seek medical attention at home.  The ENT told me it was the worst infection he had ever seen and I was having a torturous procedure done to me over and over.  They would put me in what was like a dentist chair and move it back to where I was hanging at an angle upside down.  Then they would scrape out the tissue, put medicine in it and tell me to come back the following week.  The pain was so excruciating I often left with a deep sweat. 
That is why when the oil went into my right ear specifically I knew something very special was taking place.  I had a feeling of fullness in my right ear constantly and could not hear much out of it.  That full sensation left immediately and I could hear clearly for the first time in months!  The next time I was evaluated by my ENT specialist, he noted the ear was completely healed!  I have had no trouble with it since, eight years and counting!
I was thinking about the experience a few weeks later, and it dawned on me that it was the group of people there truly faithful and expecting things from God that allowed my healing to take place.  I thought I had it all figured out, and I told God “It didn’t matter who was on the stage for that healing to take place.  Kermit the Frog could have been on stage and I would have still been healed.”  (Remember, I’m not the biggest Benny Hinn fan.)  I got a quick reply: “That is not true.  I have called many people, but he is one of a few that said “Yes”.”  Gulp.  I learned a very strong lesson that day.
I am currently in a different health struggle (thyroid cancer) that has been tougher to overcome than most people think.  This battle has been ongoing for 4 years.  I am ready to recover fully and live a normal life.  I have drawn a line in the sand and determined that this year will be the one I get stronger and healthier and am able to put this cancer issue to bed once and for all.  I have needed a lot more faith, and I thought I should make public this other dramatic healing to build my faith on.  I hope this also builds your faith as you read it.  It is real.  It is amazing.  It is for everyone who calls on Jesus.