Odds & Ends

I thought for sure I'd get my groove back and be back to normal blogging this week. Obviously I was delusional. But I did want to share a few random thoughts.

1) We finally made it through The Season. My husband's birthday last night closed out our annual August/September marathon of all of our birthdays plus our anniversary plus the start of school. I had no idea, when I posted on August 1 about the start of those crazy weeks that were about to descend, what would be added to the midst of that.

2) My sister and I have finally managed to play a little Scrabble - 3 games, I think. It's been a time to relax and also just talk a little about our mom as things come to mind. And yes, I won all 3 games. She heads back to South America Thursday morning.

3) Getting the official death certificate makes it really official and final. Very sobering. How thankful I am for the hope we have in Christ.

4) It is very annoying when the funeral home gives you a sales spiel presentation on prearranging your own funeral at the time that you are picking up the death certificates. And when they act like they are generous in giving you a discount if you do it within 30 days. Of course those 30 days started when you signed the contract for your mother's services, which has already been 2 weeks ago. Here's a hint for them: Don't try to pressure me into doing something at an emotionally charged time in my life. I respond the exact opposite from what they want - it makes me want to never step foot on their premises again.

5) Video posts of blog friends talking are hilarious and a great stress relief at the end of the day when #3 & 4 have happened. I've got to figure out how to do it next time.

6) I have been utterly blessed by the loving and prayerful support of friends, both local and in blogland, over these last weeks. And two sweet gals from church sent me a gift certificate to a local spa for a massage. I. Can't. Wait.

6) I still need to get my van fixed!

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. I Corinthians 15:19

. . .we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. I Thessalonians 4:13-14

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A Winner! Plus, Some Odds & Ends

I was so touched by your comments about being in the Sandwich Generation as well as the emails some of you sent. This is definitely an issue that strikes a chord with many of us. I would love to give each of you a hug and a copy of the book!

But I only have one copy to give. So congratulations to Kelli, whose name was picked in the drawing! Kelli, please email me your address and I'll get it in the mail to you right away.

And just in case there are any CPA/Auditor types reading this: please note that I folded all names into the same size, placed them in the bowl, closed my eyes, prayed while I stirred them, and pulled one out! Whew! I'm just glad I wasn't an Old Testament priest in charge of the Urim and Thummim!

I'll be having some more book giveaways in the days to come, so hopefully it will get easier. This is an area where I need to toughen up and ignore my empathetic nature!


I would like to say hello and welcome to any of you who have stopped by my blog thanks to CWO's recognition in their April issue. I'm still getting my jaw off the floor. For a brief moment, I thought it might have been an April Fool's joke! Seriously, if you do not visit that site regularly, especially their Internet Cafe for a daily devotional, you are missing a blessing.


The Ladies Bible Study at my church has just a couple more weeks left on our whirlwind overview of the entire Bible. We've called it The Big Picture, and while there are some chapters here and there in some of the prophets, I & II Chronicles, and the gospels to read during the summer, by mid-April we will have pretty much covered the entire Bible in chronological order this school year.

Today's lecture was on James, I & II Peter, I, II, III John, and Jude. Shoulda worn the steel-toed shoes for this one, as quite a few convicting messages are found in those books regarding holy living. However, not to be prideful or anything, I did discover that I recently have been applying the major theme of III John. In spades!

That would be offering hospitality and a place to stay to traveling missionaries. And it didn't say a word about Scrabble. Or letting the missionary win.

Just so you know.

If you need me, I'll be reviewing the verses in I Peter 5 on humility now. . . .

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My Mission

Let the Games begin.

My sister, an IMB missionary in South America, is on an airplane heading this way for 30 days of vacation. We will spend much of our time trying to annihilate each other in Scrabble.

This is serious business. Once when she was here years ago, we actually quit playing 2 days before she left. We were tied in the number of games we had each won, and neither wanted to risk losing bragging rights for the next several years.

She will be staying with us. And since this is just a vacation, she will have no transportation except for me, myself, and I.

As glad as I am to see her come, I'm generally just as glad to see her go! You know how sisters can be: we alternately adore each other and drive each other nuts.

I hope I didn't just burst any bubbles you had about perfect missionaries.

If so, it's not the first time:

Years ago, she was on furlough (now it's called stateside assignment) and was based in Houston since we hadn't moved my mom up here by me. I think my dad may have still been living. Anyway, a fairly new friend of hers from the church in whose missionary residence she was staying came to dinner at my folks' house. She was pretty impressed with this "real live missionary" (as opposed to a real dead one, I guess! That term always cracks me up) and had her a bit on a pedestal.

During the evening she asked me, "So Linda, what's it like to have a sister who's a missionary?" I laughed and said, "Well, I used to think missionaries were these really special perfect people, but now I know anyone can be a missionary." The friend looked shocked and a bit horrified! She hadn't lived with my sister! LOL

In all fairness, I will say that yes, missionaries ARE special, and my sister has followed God's calling on her life unswervingly. She is 7 years older than I and has been with the Board 25 years; she works tirelessly (actually, she's exhausted!) with juvenile delinquents, prostitutes, and house churches; and she has been accosted by armed men several times.

But perfect she is not. And though I love her dearly, she still makes me crazy.

And I'm gonna beat her boooo-tox off in Scrabble.

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