Politics

I'm kind of an oxymoron when it comes to politics.  I used to teach American history from the build up to the Revolutionary War to the aftermath of the Civil War.  I absolutely loved it!  I love the history, the wars, the politics, the shaping of our country, the development of our government.  Oh so interesting!!

Politics now...yuck!

Don't get me wrong, I am still very interested in government and how our country works.  I just can't stand the advertising, the bashing of the other candidate, the doorbell ringing during naptime, the signs in yards, the junk mail, the pressure to vote a certain way because of such and such affiliation, the commercials, the fake make everyone happy answers, the taking things out of context, and did I mention the advertising?!?!!

I am so happy to be an American where I have the right to vote, especially as a woman, and I want to fulfill my civic duty.  But quite honestly, I don't really want to vote for either presidential candidate.  And there are a lot of other races where neither one really trips my trigger.  I've been trying to educate myself so I can choose the candidates that are similar to my beliefs, values, faith, etc, but a lot of what I read just confuses me more.  It's not because of the advertising or the snippets taken out of context.  My pastor recommended a couple websites that are pretty good at just giving information about where the candidates stand.  The problem is, the candidates answer the hot topic questions so carefully they don't really pick a side.  Take the sanctity of marriage, for example, I've read several opinions from opposing candidates that are so similar.  Basically, they don't want to pick a side because they don't want to lose any voters.  So who am I supposed to pick?

I think my biggest conflict is I'm mostly a stereotypical Republican when it comes to faith and values and the "more conservative" point of view, but the next passion in my heart is teaching and education and most of the time the Democrats are the way to go for education.  I'm having a hard time picking one issue and voting just on that issue. 

I think it is easy this election season to say the last four years haven't been stellar and change is needed.  But is it all really President Obama's fault?  And is Mr. Romney really the solution?  I also struggle with knowing as a Christ follower, the recommended choice is Romney, but he is NOT a Christ follower.  President Obama's religion is listed as Christian, but I guess I don't really know if he's a Christ follower, either.  Believe me, there is a difference.

I know there is a lot that goes into being President of the United States of America, but I really wish I could vote for a candidate that would promise to follow Jesus with all of his/her heart.  That loving others, serving others, giving up yourself, and proclaiming the great news of the Gospel would be this candidate's primary mission.  Wouldn't that take care of a lot of things?  When I think about the problems in our country, a lot of times I think it boils down to people needing Jesus.  If I could vote for a president who would lead our country the way Jesus led while he was here on earth, it would make my life so much easier.

Until that option is available, I just want all the campaigners out there to know, none of you will persuade my vote with any of your advertisements, naptime visits, or gentle nudgings.  My vote will be decided through prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit who has way more wisdom than me.

2nd Annual Pegump Pumpkin Carve/Paint

Last year we started a pumpkin carving tradition.  Or Justin and I carved pumpkins for the first time in our adult lives.

Not bad for pumpkin carving rookies!

This year we decided to make it a tradition to devote a family time to pumpkin decorating.  We aren't quite ready to let Aria use the knife, so she got to paint instead!

Daddy carved a nice face into his pumpkin

Mommy was given the task of producing Mickey Mouse

And while Mommy slaved away for hours...

Daddy and Aria played games!

We had a lot of fun carving and decorating together this year!  Aria actually touched the "guts" of the pumpkin, which she wouldn't do last year.  We also roasted the pumpkin seeds and ate those.  It was a fun Saturday morning!

Fun With Shave Cream

I bought some cheap shave cream a while ago intending to give Aria a fun experience with a different texture.  I know shave cream is a popular activity in preschool and early elementary.  You can practice letter writing with your finger, clean desktops, make shapes...

...or make a mess all over the bathtub!

She had so much fun and my bathtub is a lot cleaner!! 

While Daddy's Away...

It might seem strange to do something special when Daddy's gone for the weekend.  After all, every day is when Daddy is away, but not on the weekend.  Aria loves Saturdays and Sundays when Daddy doesn't have to go to work.  She always tells me on those mornings, "You know what?  Daddy doesn't have to go to work today!!  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!"  So when Daddy went on a retreat with the middle schoolers last weekend, I thought I should arrange some special fun for Aria. 

We started our day by sleeping in!  I was quite pleased with that!  Then we headed to the Iowa Children's Museum to play.  We ate lunch, rode the carousel, and went shopping in Target before heading back home.  For supper we had a fun picnic in the basement, complete with popcorn, M&Ms, and Winnie the Pooh.  Even though we missed Daddy, we survived quite nicely!

God Can Still See Us

It happens every fall.  The darkness creeps up on us.  The complaints of early darkness and the upcoming winter begin.  'Tis the season.  But this year, Aria is noticing the change and is actually pretty excited about it.  You just don't get to see the moon much in the summer when 8:00 pm is your bedtime. 

Last week, we made an evening trip to the grocery store.  It was still fairly light on our way there, but dark on our way home.  Riding in the car Aria says to me, "Mommy, it's dark out!  But it's okay.  God can still see us." 

Where does she come up with this stuff?  Such insight from someone who has lived on this earth 28 less years than me.  We read the Bible.  We talk about God and Jesus and the things He did and still does for us.  But I've never made a statement quite like that. 

I think I responded with something like, "Yes He can always see us!"  That was it for her or at least as much as I can read her mind, but I kept right on thinking about it.  God can still see us.  He can always see us.  And hear us.  And love us.  It got me thinking...

God can see me when I'm scared of the unknown and He will give me strength.
God can see me when I'm lost and He will help me find the right path.
God can see me when I'm hurting and He will comfort me.
God can see me when I hold a grudge and He will bring it to my knowledge and help me repent.
God can see me when I'm impatient and he will give me perseverance.
God can see me when I try to take control and He will show me He is always in control.
God can see me when I feel inadequate as a parent and He provides me lessons from the little girl He put in my care.

I could go on and on with examples I've thought of where it's dark out, but God can still see me.  Such a simple statement; such a powerful thought.

God can also see me when it's light.

God can see me when I worship Him and He delights in it.
God can see me when I love others and He will help me give Him the glory.
God can see me when I read the Bible and He answers my questions through His word.
God can hear me when I pray and He responds with exactly what I need.

God is always there.  He can always see, always hear.  It's something I've known for a long time, but the reminder has never been better.  Thank you, dear daughter, for teaching me how much God truly loves us.

Leaves

Somebody is very excited about making big leaf piles...

...and jumping in them!

Hall of Fame

Back in July, I wrote this post announcing Justin's selection for the Mount Mercy Athletics Hall of Fame.  Well, this past weekend, was the actual induction ceremony.  We had a celebration at our house on Friday evening and went to Mt. Mercy on Saturday for the dinner and ceremony.  It was a fun weekend, bringing back some great memories!

The best part of the whole weekend happened Friday morning.  For almost three whole months I had to keep a secret from Justin.  It was insanely difficult, but well worth it in the end.  Justin's catcher his senior year and best friend, Troy, came out from Seattle for the weekend.  Aria and I picked him up from the airport Friday morning and brought him to our house to ring the doorbell and surprise Justin.  Justin had absolutely no idea Troy was coming and seeing the look on his face was priceless.  Sorry, but I also have to mention the tears in his eyes.  It was worth keeping the secret and being so excited I hardly slept the two nights before he came.  Let me just take a moment to describe Justin and Troy.  When it comes to sports, these two are made from the same mold.  They talked about random sporting events from all different times and could remember exact details from games; games they played in, college games they watched, pro games that occurred that everyone else in the world has forgotten about but them.  I'm not kidding when I say these two are walking, breathing sports encyclopedias.  It was nice for them to interact since I'm convinced no one else in the world is quite like them.  Troy, if you didn't pick up on how much it meant to Justin to have you here, let me just say it again.  Thanks so much for coming!  It meant more than I can begin to describe!

Friday evening we had a celebration in our garage/house.  It was supposed to be a lovely weekend where we could play outside, roast smores, and have a wonderful time.  It wasn't lovely outside, but we still had a wonderful time.  We were bummed we weren't able to see more of our Mt. Mercy friends, but are so blessed to have awesome friends in our lives now who came to celebrate with us, along with family.  Justin's parents put together this great frame with Justin's uniform, pictures, and a list of his accomplishments.  It will be a nice reminder of his stellar career and this great honor!

On Saturday, there was a dinner and speeches by the four inductees and their coaches.  It was fun for Justin to be inducted at the same time as one of his former teammates.  It was also great to have his former coach introduce him and give a wonderful speech about the type of player and person Justin was (and still is).  Justin was nervous about his speech, but he did awesome!  I thought he did a great job showing how much he grew as an athlete and person because of his coach and his experiences.  He also recapped the favorite moment I mentioned in my post in July where his coach made that one last trip to the mound.  I think there were several with tears in their eyes again on Saturday. 

This is Justin, his head coach, his assistant coach (they're brothers), and his former teammate who was also inducted. 

 This is the group of inductees.  They had an impressive list of accomplishments as a group and it was fun to hear them all talk about their careers at Mount Mercy. 

Look at this lovely family picture with everyone smiling AND looking at the camera!  Never mind Aria's elbow in my face.

Here is Justin's family with parents, sister, and grandma! 

 
I included this one to show the plaque he got that will also hang on the wall at Mt. Mercy to forever show his place in the Hall of Fame. 

I have a range of thoughts and emotions about all of this.  I am extremely proud of Justin for becoming a member of the Hall of Fame.  The moment his career was over, I always thought he deserved it.  I might be a tad biased.  He holds several records and ranks very highly in most of the statistical pitching categories.  But the thing his coach said that shows he belongs the most is, "He never cheated the program one day during his career."  Justin showed up every day for practice and games and worked his tail off.  He followed the rules.  He kept his mouth shut.  He listened to his coaches.  He was dedicated to being the best he could be.  And eventually he believed in himself enough that he was darn near the best period. 

Justin's parents instilled excellent values in him from a young age and supported his passion so that he could be successful.  They didn't miss many games and often supported his teammates when their parents couldn't be there.  I think it was through all of that where Justin learned how to be the great father he is. 

Something I really appreciate is his ability to let it go.  College baseball was more than eight years ago for Justin.  He played a few summers after he graduated, but doesn't anymore.  He only knew how to train and play one way, so it became difficult for him to scale it back.  While he does miss it, he understands that he has moved on to a new phase in his life and works just as hard every day to be an amazing husband and father.  This weekend was full of wonderful memories.  It was great to relive moments and see great friends.  The cool thing about Justin is that it didn't do much to change who he is.  Tuesday was back to "normal" life for us and other than the awesome jersey to hang on the wall, Justin won't offer up any reminders of his honor.  I think that is part of the reason he was honored in the first place.

An Unexpected Lesson

This past weekend I participated in the alumni women's basketball game at my alma mater.  Let's just say, I'm 31.  And I was the oldest participant.  The basketball skills have been on the decline and haven't been practiced other than in the basement with Aria.  I went in hopes of seeing former teammates and to get a little exercise out of the deal.

I remember going to the alumni game when I was in college and right after I graduated and noticing a difference between those of us who had just graduated and those "older" women who had kids.  Well, now I'm an older woman with a kid and those young whipper-snappers could eat me alive.  In all honesty, if you could use some sort of time transport machine and put me in college at the same time as those younger women, they probably would have eaten me alive then, too.

To get to my story, personally, I don't think an alumni game should be taken very seriously.  Sure, you should run up and down the floor, play defense, and go hard to try and score.  I don't think you should be trapping and hitting people in the face to try and get the ball.  It is all for fun. 

I think a couple things lead to problems in this game.  First, there is a lack of participation.  There were only 10 women there.  Let's be honest.  Who is in shape to play a full game without any subs?  Second, there are huge generation gaps.  I didn't know half of the 10 people there because they were so much younger than me. 

Back to my story.  After being trapped and hit in the face, I let my temper and competitive nature get the best of me and I threw a little elbow to get one of the girls off of me.  About two minutes later I realized how stupid that was and that I violated my own complaint that it was "just an alumni game."  At the next dead ball I apologized to the woman I elbowed and she very graciously accepted. 

After the game, I talked with my dear friend, Gina, about the incident.  Gina actually had a similar experience last year in the alumni game where another player took things a little more seriously than Gina preferred.  But Gina's comment to me was,

"This is not where I get my self-worth anymore."

Holy cow has that comment stuck with me!  Such terrific insight, my dear friend.  Specifically relating to college and basketball, I sure wanted to be good and noticed for it during those four years.  I did determine my own self-worth based on things like basketball success when I was in my early 20s.  After college, I searched for my self-worth in my teaching and coaching jobs.  I wanted everyone to like me and think I was doing a great job. 

But now, I don't have any of that.  And you know what, my self-worth never came from any of it, either.  I just never saw it.  My self-worth comes from God.  I was made in His image to honor Him.  The price I'm worth was paid when Jesus came to earth to die on the cross for my sins.  I am beautifully and wonderfully made because I am a child of God.  There is no other reason.  It doesn't matter if I was a good basketball player or if I still am.  It doesn't matter who my friends are or the possessions I have.  What matters is I have a Savior who gave me life and I am supposed to live it for Him. 

Wow!  Such an excellent lesson came from an event where I was slightly annoyed I chose to participate.  However, the person it came from doesn't surprise me in the least.  Thanks for the great perspective, Gina!  It is something I will continue to think about in many areas of my life!

Photographing My Child

Can anyone with a young child relate?

It sounds simple, really. 

"Aria, do you see that pretty red bush outside the window?" 

"Yeah!  It's so pretty!"

"Should we go outside and take your picture by it?"

"Yeah!"

Enthusiasm.  Excitement.  Agreement.

Then this...

Apparently her idea of taking a picture and mine are quite different.  I would prefer she stand in my designated spot, hold still, and smile a nice pretty smile.  We even had Daddy make funny faces.  Her idea was to wiggle around where she wanted and say cheese, which rarely results in a real smile.  We were out there for at least half an hour. 

And then by some random, lucky chance we got this.  The lighting could be better.  The hair could be tamed.  The smile could be bigger. 

But the cuteness could never be greater!

Clothed by God

This morning, as we were driving to MOPS, I was once again blown away by the beauty of the trees with their fall colors.  Everything is just absolutely gorgeous here right now.  I don't remember a fall as colorful as this one.  Aria and I were pointing out trees that were our favorites and guessing which ones would be Daddy's favorites.  Aria likes the deep reds/almost purple.  I like the bright red.  Justin likes the yellows and oranges.  It makes for a nice combination in our family.  Anyway, as I glanced out into a forest of multi-colored trees, I actually got a little choked up.  God makes the trees so beautiful for such a short time each year, right before they die for the winter.  If God makes the trees that beautiful for just a few weeks, how much more beautiful does He make me all year long?  I am His creation who He claimed as very good!  It reminds me of Matthew 6:28-30

"And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

I know it doesn't match perfectly with my beautiful fall trees, but how often do I worry about how I look, if I have the right clothes or hair cut.  Look at these beautiful trees, who in a few weeks will drop all those leaves.  In my opinion, nothing tops their beauty.  But in God's opinion, I do.  And all of His children do.  He made me more beautiful than those trees and He wants me to share His beauty with others to bring Him glory.  Wow!  No wonder I got tears in my eyes. 

Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful trees and for the beautiful lesson you provided today through the Holy Spirit guiding my thoughts and heart!

Why

We've entered the "why" phase of childhood.  I'm sure any parent who has a child over the age of 2 knows what I'm talking about.  The repetitive "why" after every statement you make.  I'm not sure if there is an age where it is supposed to begin, but for Aria it began just in the last month or so.  It comes in all forms, "Mommy, why do you have to go potty again?"  "Why are you putting that there?"  "Why is that called a joey?"  Why Why Why Why?????

A lot of times my final answer ends up being, "because God made it that way" or "I don't know, Aria" which is usually followed with, "Why don't you know Mommy?"  Sometimes it is hard to not be annoyed by the constant "whys," especially when she insists on an answer I just don't have.  However, "why" is how she's learning about the world around her.  It is no longer acceptable that a joey exists as a baby kangaroo.  Why does it exist?  Why is it called a joey?  It truly is the best form of learning, when you really think about it.  Examine the world around you.  Find something you don't understand and ask why.  Find someone who knows the answer.  It is a simple process, but one we all do. 

The most convicting part of it all are the "whys" that make me think about why I like something or why I do something a certain way.  Is it really necessary to get dressed before breakfast or can we eat in our pajamas?  Will my life change drastically if I allow pajamas at the breakfast table?  "Why do we have to change my diaper (first thing when I get up in the morning)?"  That one I do have an answer for.  Why do I like green anyway?  Why don't I like pink?  Why do we go to the library or MOPS or Hy Vee or the book store or Goodwill?  Why do we clean our house?  Why can't Aria come to my weekly Bible study/mom time?  Why does Daddy go to work every day?

Her questions really make me think about why I am doing what I am doing.  And more importantly, is this an activity or behavior I want to model to my child?  Is this something I want her to watch/do/say/eat?  Recently I sat in a group of adults and listened to a speaker proclaim the best way to help your child become a reader is not to read to them, but to read yourself.  I thought the preschool teacher in the room was going to go through the roof.  No, the speaker was not saying to stop reading to your child, he was simply stating the value of modeling the behaviors you want your children to do.  It is cliche, but it is so true, "Actions speak louder than words." 

While I will never be able to have all the answers, I want to encourage Aria to keep asking why.  I want to help her learn how to find the answers I don't have and foster the love of learning that she already exhibits.  And personally, I want to keep the conviction coming.  It might give me some insight on why God made me who I am.