Sitting on my Duff: The Lost Art of Being

It all started when I was awoken in the middle of the night.  Not sure what woke me, but I looked up to find a spider dangling right above my head!

Needless to say, I rolled right out of bed and switched on the light.  To my dismay, the spider had vanished. Thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me, I hopped right back into bed and went to sleep.

The next day, I went about my usual business of busyness cleaning the house, taking care of the children, and checking e-mail. When I finally sat down for the day and that's when I noticed a bruise in the middle of my knee cap. At least that's what I thought it was.

The next day, the bruise had grown and had a white puffy center.  I was beginning to wonder if it wasn't a bruise. 

When I showed Billy, he had an appalled look on his face.  "How did you manage to get that?"

"I don't know.  I don't remember hitting it on anything."

"It looks bad. You need to go to the doctor right away."

Billy seemed to think it looked pretty strange, so I went to a walk-in clinic.

"Looks like a spider bite," said Dr. D.

My eyes grew wide.  The dangling spider...I wasn't seeing things...It bit me!

Then, I shuddered. And, it was still somewhere in my room.

"Draw an outline around it with a marker, take these antibiotics, and try to rest. It could be a brown recluse or even a black widow. Both are highly poisonous. Go straight to the ER if it spreads."

That kind of freaked me out. I drove home in sort of a daze.

As soon as I got home, Billy helped check the bed, but we couldn't find the spider. I tried to put my feet up and take it easy. But, boy was that hard!

There's so many things that needed to be done around the house, but everyone else has a different definition of clean and in general, the children just add to the mess rather than helping to clean it up.

The next morning, the redness had spread across the line of demarcation and a patch of dark purplish blood vessels appeared around the white puffy center.  It didn't look good.

So, I was off to the ER.

A nurse practitioner (not even a doctor) gave me an even higher dose of antibiotics and a big fat bill. Lovely. More antibiotics. My intestines were going to hate me for it. 

After giving Bright Girl a crash course in housekeeping, I was finally able to prop my leg up and relax.

And, this time, I did. I was able to catch up on some really good reading: The Giver by Lois Lowry and Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis.

I could just be still and allow the Lord to "search me and know my heart" (Psalm 139:24).  It was a good time of refreshment for me.

Funny, it takes a spider bite to get me on my duff.

The bite was still looking bad, so Billy decided to do a little research on spider bites:

According to Google and Wikipedia, there is no real good remedy for the bite of a brown recluse. They are usually not aggressive little spiders, the size of a penny, but if you sit on one, or lay down on one, it will bite. And, they are very poisonous. Sometimes the poison can even cause necrosis, or death of the affected tissues, and if it gets infected, gangrene, which means amputation.

Eek! I needed the antibiotic to work or some other treatment. I had been praying the whole time about the bite, but now I was begging, supplicating for healing or wisdom in treating the wound. 

Then, it dawned on me, it's the poison that is causing the problem. What if there was some way to neutralize the poison or draw it out.  I checked some natural websites and double checked with WebMD and sure enough, there was one home remedy that works that I've already been using for ant and mosquito bites: good old baking soda mixed with a little water.

The baking soda absorbs moisture and so it draws out the poison.  

Pretty simple.

And, it worked! I'm still taking the first doctor's treatment of antibiotics, just in case. And, that little time of respite has been good for my soul.

Something stood out to me that C.S. Lewis wrote why he preferred walking to places rather than quickening his pace with modern inventions such as the automobile in his autobiography Surprised by Joy,

"I possessed 'infinite riches' in what would have been to motorists 'a little room.' The truest and most horrible claim made for modern transport is that it 'annihilates space.' It does.  
It annihilates one of the most glorious gifts we have been given...Why not creep into his coffin at once? There's little enough space there."

In this fast-paced, tech-addicted, information age, I think we've lost the art of just being. It's considered wasteful and frivolous to take a break from work, turn off the phone, the computer and go for a walk and enjoy nature or just rest.

In cases of the under-responsible that may be true, but I have plenty of responsibility and probably more than I can handle.

Sometimes I need to just rest. 

So, when I find myself in a cleaning flurry, it's okay to slow down and sit down.

To take a break every now and then to get my bearings. 

And, when I rise, I will be present and strengthened and able to enjoy the life that the Lord has blessed me with--instead of just rushing through it!

"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders." (Deuteronomy 33:12)

A Taste of Florida

I'm a Florida girl born and raised. 

Never lived above sea level,

Never seen the change in seasons,

Never felt comfortable with that,

until now.

This past week in homeschooling, we've been studying Florida ecology and I for one, have found a greater appreciation for our state's unique and exquisite biodiversity.

The Pulitzer Prize winning author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, writer of The Yearling, made her home here and fell in love with this land and its people.

Bright Girl and I read through The Yearling together and had a wonderful time looking up all the diverse flora, fauna, and food described in the book.

Like, what are cow peas, corn pone, and ham hock?

What is a flutter-mill (seen on the Disney film), a demi-john, and a feist?

And, what ever happened to the Florida Red Wolf?

Another good read for the younger children to tie-in with The Yearling is Lost in the Woods. Try to find the "wolf shadow" in the middle of the book.

For ecology, we studied the Indian River Lagoon Activity Book (which can be downloaded for free here), and it brought back sweet memories. 

It brought back fond memories of my sister and I wading into the Indian River, combing through the muddy bottom in search for clams. We picked them up using our toes, and then we'd have a clam bake for dinner with my dad.

A trip to the Brevard Zoo's Florida wildlife exhibit was next in order.

Now who are these silly sea turtles?

We were able to see a real live Red Wolf. These endangered species are very elusive; it kept dodging my camera.

But, finally, I got one good shot.

Then we encountered Florida Gators, the reptiles, not the men charging the 40 yard line in orange and blue!

Bright Girl got a good look at one,

I wondered if it thought she would make a tasty snack.

Gator tail is a "tailgating" appetizer now, but in The Yearling, it was smoked and made into dog food. Maybe in Old Florida, people didn't think it tasted just like chicken.

Check out the tail on this one...

This next animal is not native to Florida, but I couldn't help sharing:

Was this 'the end' of a fantastic week in homeschooling?

Not quite...

On the way back home, as we rocked out to "The Ballad of Jody Baxter" (an Andrew Peterson song inspired by The Yearling), we feasted our eyes on a brilliant Florida sunset.

After getting to know Florida a liitle better, I felt closer to my roots and thankful at last that God set me here that I might come to know Him. 

May we all come to appreciate the place where God has placed us that we may seek His face and do the unique work that He would have us do.

“...he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:24-27) 

A New Year, A New Song

Our wee one, Little Bit, has a hard time taking a nap at any place other than home. And, we were visiting family for Christmas. By the time naptime rolled around, she was not happy, to say the least.

A walk in the stroller out-of-doors was in due order and pronto!

Sunshine Girl followed along, and as I pushed the stroller, we took turns searching for dandelions to blow.

It wasn't long before Little Bit was a happy camper.

But then, Sunshine Girl had a sorrowful look on her face.  And, then I saw why. 

A little bird lie still and lifeless on the side of the road. Sunshine Girl bent down low to get a good look at it.

"Can I touch it, Mommy?"

"Better not, honey, it's dead; it's little heart isn't beating anymore.  Best leave the little bird alone."

Someone had cared enough to leave some flowers on the road right next to it.

"Poor little thing," I mused.

Being the lover of nature that I am, I think my children have followed suit. I found out later, that Bright Girl had left the flowers.

Finding the fallen bird left a little ache in my heart, reminding me of many little aches I have felt this year.

Like Billy still being jobless (it's almost been a year now),

and my side of the family are all sick (I couldn't see them for Christmas).

What do I do with all these little aches and pains of life in this broken world?

What will 2013 have in store for me?

{{Is anybody out there?}} 

{{Does anybody care?}}

Well, yes.

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

He is there. He does care. Even for the little fallen birds.

Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31, NASB)

{{Hallelujah!  What a Savior!}}

Just knowing that Christ cares has really lifted me up and given me peace in my heart and hope for the future.

Thankfully, I don't have to sit around worrying about what 2013 will be like or what little ache will come next. I know my Savior will take care of me.

"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:3)

A Christmas Tree Story

Our family has quite a story about our first pre-lit artificial Christmas tree, involving a mangy kitty, a can of Lysol, and lots of forgiveness.  

Several years ago, we took in a cat from a relative, and he was quite a mess.  

His hair had been shaved, his bottom burned because he sat on a hot stove, and he was full of fleas. I made an appointment to get all his shots and to have him neutered. But, the vet couldn't see him for a week.

Knowing that cats mark their territory if they aren't fixed, I made him a nice cozy spot in our garage, until his appointment.

After he went to the vet, we started him on flea treatment, he grew out a beautiful, healthy fur coat.

It was after Thanksgiving that we decided to put up the Christmas tree—the Christmas tree, only a year ago, my husband had braved the mad dash to get the rock bottom Black Friday price at Macy's.  

Right away, we noticed the bag that held the tree had something brownish and sticky on it. One good whiff and we knew that our kitty had done a little territorial "marking" on the bag, before we had him fixed—and, it must have happened months ago.

The puddle had been sitting on the bag all that time. I hoped that the bag kept the tree from olfactory ruin, but upon opening it and getting an eye watering sniff, we both knew the stench had definitely gotten through.

My husband rushed to the store and purchased a few cans of air freshener. Spraying it with all his might, he desperately tried to de-stink the tree, but to no avail.

The garbage truck came the next day and took away our beautiful, musty pre-lit Christmas tree.

We were disappointed to be sure but, we forgave our kitty. He couldn't help marking our Christmas tree. It was in his nature. He had to be changed before he could do any differently.

We humans are the same.

We want to be humane, caring, giving, and loving, but can't seem to pull it off. Instead, we are angry brutes and deal with people's hearts like a bull in a china shop, piercing through and wounding all in our wake.

It really stinks.

Sin that is.

There is an internal change that we must all undergo to be saved from our sins.

Unlike Lysol (which didn't work), the taint and effects of sin, by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we walk in humble obedience, is truly lifted from our hearts and our nature is changed for the better.

Our sins are such an awful stench to God that Jesus Christ received the full due punishment for them all on the cross. By His grace we are saved, by His stripes we are healed. If we hold onto the truth in obedience without wavering, our lives will be transformed.

It is my hope that by the grace of God, the people of God, one person at a time, will reflect the beauty of the Lord and the curse and stink of sin will be done away with.  

Then we will be able to breathe deeply the sweet fragrance of the love of Christ and truly embody His love to one another.

“…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2:14, NASB

If I Should Die...

We're moving, and, oh what a chore packing is...

In all the hustle and bustle, I came across a note at the bottom of our file cabinet and was caught off guard. 

It was titled, "Things to do if I Die or Become Incapacitated," written in the Billy's handwriting. He had written it long ago and placed it there for me to find. Sharing my discovery with him, we opened it together. 

The note was written years ago, listing all our life insurance policies and who to call to get social security benefits. Then, at the bottom, was a letter written to me:

Chanda,

I love you so much and hope that you never need to use this. I wish you the best life imaginable and I encourage you to love again, but be picky!

Take care of the kids—that is your priority! With God's help you can do this.

Don't lose heart and don't give up.

You're so beautiful and special. I love you so dearly. Words can't really do justice to how I feel about you or how deep and close our relationship has become. 

You know I love you and you know that we have something so very beautiful and wonderful. 

I cringe when I think of the ways that I've hurt you and failed you. But God has made me a new man and he has saved our relationship—and our very selves. He has brought us together and he (if you are reading this) has now torn us apart. 

Our love has been a gift for eternity, but our husband/wife relationship is only for a time. 

Be strong, my love—for you will need to be. 

Be patient, for God will come through. 

Be hopeful, for we will see each other again someday. 

Take care of our kids—please don't let them forget me—or our Savior. 

Watch out, especially for Little Man—I worry about how he'll do without a Dad. Tell him how I love him and how he is the son I always dreamed of having. 

Be a strong example to my girls, they'll need your example even more. Don't let them forget how beautiful and special they are to me. 

You will have to console them while nursing your own wounds. It will be a difficult road ahead, but don't give up and don't lose heart. Jesus has overcome the world and He will see you through this. 

I love you so much! You are the girl of my dreams--I never even dreamed I would love someone so much! Goodbye my sweet darling. I will see you in heaven.

Love,

Billy

P.S. Sorry for the messy writing.

I wiped away tears and wrapped my arms around the love of my life, holding him tight. Thankfully, I got to read the letter as a love note, not a final farewell.

It made me think about how the Word of God is like the last love note of our Lord, Jesus, written to show us that the way of salvation is in Him alone. 

In it, He encourages us, helps us, and reminds us of His unfailing, undying love, a love that sent Him to die on a cross, but because He was God's own Son, He was raised back to life.

What He left for us is better than any life insurance policy.  To have our sins paid for and to be given eternal life, life without end--now that is better by far. Then, every Word in the love note will be fullfilled, the Word Himself will stand before us and live with us forever.  

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1,2).   

The Harvest

We get a little bit of autumn here in Florida.

Mostly it's a state of mind.

Pumpkin candles lit, fall decor, and a little more of a breeze.

 

Still, it sets my heart in tune with the reality of harvest time. 

Soon, there will be a harvest moon casting its amber glow upon the mossy oaks that hang low and a solitary hoot owl that makes nighttime that much more enchanting.

And then, there's the food.  The glorious, turkey-ous gravy-ous, pie-ous food!

And, the soporific affects afterward that send us into a loungy, hands on the tum sleepy bliss, like Pooh Bear after a lip smacking indulgence of honey pot sweetness; we are happy and full without a care in the world.

There's something expectant about autumn.

 

Maybe because it's a time of harvest,

a time to reflect on all we have to thank the Lord for,

and a time for hope that fills us and creates a longing for the One who is, who was, and who is to come.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8, ESV)

Raising Arizona

Before my Little Man was old enough for us to have to pay for an extra airline ticket, my husband and I decided it would be fun to visit one of the world's greatest wonders: the Grand Canyon.

We flew into Las Vegas first to visit relatives who we hadn't seen in years and then drove over the Hoover Dam and across the hilly landscape down to Arizona.  

Needless to say, the hilliness of the landscape did not sit well with a Bright Girl's tummy. She proceeded to empty her stomach and of all its contents across the Nevada border and all the way to Arizona.  

Once we were in Arizona, Little Man decided to join in on the fun, and made his mark in our rented SUV. By the time we got lost trying to find our hotel, it was dark, smelly, and loud with two sick children crying. 

Thankfully, we stopped at a little motel with a neon sign blinking bright and a kind manager who offered us some paper towels and directions to the hotel we had paid for.

That night was sleepless in Arizona. Bright Girl would not stop with the emptying of her stomach, and we were getting near ready to take her to the emergency room.

After a heated discussion (okay, an argument), we made up and prayed over her. 

We came all this way to see the Grand Canyon, and we are out of money, out of time, and out of our minds.  Could we please just get a glimpse of your glory, God?  

Bright Girl started to perk up. She drank some water. It stayed down. Hope began to well up inside of me. 

We're gonna see the Grand Canyon! What grace! Thank you, Lord!

We drove past a few hotels and then a short distance away there it was. An endless, cavernous rock, cut out in vibrant hues of reds, oranges, and browns.

This ancient canyon had many stories to tell. 

One came to mind of cataclysmic proportions...  

Cracking and convulsing, the water burst over and under and through the rock. Higher and higher it rose, covering the plains, hills, the highest mountain tops. Deluging all creation, except on the far side of the world, around the area that contained the fertile crescent, the cradle of civilization.  Above it all, one boat floated, keeping the last of humankind and animals safe.

This boat is remembered by all the earliest civilizations and has been kept preserved in the record passed on to Moses in Genesis 6-10. It held one family and two of every kind of animal plus seven pairs of each livestock and plenty of food to last many, many months.

The fact they survived was nothing short of a miracle.



And, here I was, a spectator of this Grand Remembrance of the event that the Lord used to rock the world and make it new again.

It will happen again. But, because of the bow in the sky and an ancient Promise, it will happen a different way. The earth will be made new again. There will be survivors. They are the chosen ones. And, like Noah, they have found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8, 1 Peter 2:1-12).

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith (Hebrews 11:7)."