Snitch

We've been having some odd weather here the last few days. Yesterday set a record high of 85 degrees, but it was so windy, it felt much cooler. Watching the little birds trying to fly in the strong winds made me think of how I go through life. There are two kinds of birds: those that fly effortlessly. They soar and glide through the air with only a tip of the wing. Then there are birds that flap constantly to get from place to place. Their flight looks like work, especially when they are fighting the wind. I want to be the kind of bird that soars gracefully through life, but I am more like the little birds, flapping gracelessly through. Wednesday night I couldn't fall asleep and then when I did, the pain woke me up. Even after taking pain pills, I didn't fall back to sleep until after 4 am. Jess' alarm went off at 5:45, and Mia woke up too. By 6:30 when the roofers showed up, I was crying out to God for strength to get through the long day ahead of me. And He answered, giving me the grace to while not quite soar through my day, at least make it through with a minimum of flapping.

It was Mia's last day of preschool yesterday, and she says it was the most wonderful day of her life. It's a small class, so everyone brought presents. She got the diploma that she's proudly displaying in the picture above. Molly also had her last middle school choir concert last night. It was a good performance, and she looked lovely. The choir has a tradition of giving roses to the moms of eighth graders while singing Bette Midler's The Rose. Thankfully they changed the song this year, but I still had a hard time not tearing up when Molly brought one to me. Doogie's last choir concert was on Sunday. He plans to quit choir after this year, but his father and I are trying to change his mind. He really lights up on stage, and he has a good voice. He and Molly were goofing around this weekend. This is a rare picture of the two of them getting along. The house has been filled with laughter lately.

Snitch by Rene Gutteridge is the second book in the Occupational Hazards series. This one features MacKenzie (Mack) Hazard as she struggles in her first assignment as an undercover police officer. Captain Laura Gates is putting together a task force to investigate the rash of auto thefts in Las Vegas. She recruits Ron Yeager, a police sergeant just twenty months from retirement, and a mishmash group of officers for the job: Jesse, tough guy and undercover pro; Dozer, Jesse's best friend and narcoleptic; Wiz, brute force with a small bladder; Mack, Christian and newbie; and Ron brings in a wild card: his pastor Kyle. Gutteridge writes with her regular flair for humor and great dialogue. The scenes with Kyle are true farce and some of the best in the book. By the end, he's gotten a tattoo and learned how to drink and smoke. There are a multitude of subplots, which makes me hope that there will be a sequel focusing solely on these characters. The Hazard family didn't play as large a part in this book as in the last, and I missed them just a bit, although Hank makes an appearance which seems to allude to him being the next featured sibling in a book. The book is a wild ride as the task force learns to work together and the bad guys move closer to their goal. Two small complaints about the book: the storyline about Laura Gates and her father was unnecessary to the story, and Mack came across as a bit flat. Everyone accused her of proselytizing, but it was never shown in the story. Chemistry zinged between Mack and Jesse, but with Kyle making a move, I'd like to see who wins Mack's heart in the end. This was an enjoyable story setting up hopefully many more in the series.

We're taking the van in to get fixed Monday night. Three times when I needed it this week, it wouldn't start. Thank God that Doogie's car is now running (Thank you Dave!) so I could still get where I needed to go. I can see God in the little things, but I'm having a hard time seeing Him in the bigger things right now. Maybe that's the difference between birds that flap and birds that soar. Those of us that flap are so focused on the little things that we fail to see the big ones. I guess I need to find the faith to soar more often.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, and remember to thank a veteran for your freedom!

Praying God's Will For Your Life

Doogie and Mia played outside for sometime this morning, which included climbing on Grandpa's tractor and finding a mudhole that turned Mia into a "mud monster." It was a lovely morning. I woke up before everyone else, got my paper, and slipped outside onto the front porch swing where I worked on my lists for the week and read my paper while listening to the birds outside. A male cardinal perched in the neighbor's lilac bush. I wish I knew my birdcalls better. One bird sang sweetly klwaa-peep-peep-peep-peep. I have no idea which one, but it's lilting aria lifted my day.

TIME Magazine has a terrific article this week about teaching the Bible in schools. I was impressed by their objectivity and thoroughness on this article. The Bible is the foundation of much of Western literature. So much references it, that without an education in at least the basics, we miss deeper meanings in books, movies and even songs.

My nightly devotional time currently consists of two chapters in the Bible, a reading from My Utmost for His Highest, Blue Like Jazz, and writing my prayers in a journal. I'm currently reading Hebrews, which is probably my favorite book in the Bible. It's written like a sermon with high and low points, dynamics, stories relating Old Testament circumstances to modern times, the whole works, with constant admonishment to deepen our faith. I read through it slowly looking for spots where the Lord is speaking to me directly. I tend to zip through my reading of MUfHH. Oswald Chamber's faith is on such a higher plane than mine, I have a hard time relating to it. I usually end up feeling like I've failed somehow, but I read it because I promised Dad that I would. I start reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller at the same speed and have to slow down by sentence three. Miller's take on faith deepens and strengthens my own. This is my second time through the book, and each time I read it, I find myself settling back into the pillows and relaxing my muscles; I don't want to miss a word he says. The book is a little like cool jazz. I imagine Miller sitting under a dim spotlight on a three-legged stool in front of a mike. A piano sits justs outside of the light and plays a slow bassline. Someone offstage snaps their fingers in a sycopated beat while Miller speaks with quiet confidence about the road his faith has taken him to God. I love this book.

Praying God's Will For Your Life by Stormie Omartian was a bit of a disappointment to me. I have all of her other books, and I refer to them often for prayer. I can point to several times that those prayers brought about very specific circumstances in my life. This book just fell flat for me. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time in my life, so it didn't speak to me. The stories about how prayers got her through crises in her life seemed stale, and the prayers were short and uninspiring. I didn't feel uplifted or have my faith renewed nor did I find God's will for my life by reading this book. I highly recommend The Power of a Praying Parent and The Power of Praying Together, but this one, I would skip.

We're going to Mom's for burgers and brats off of the grill. Jess is going to hook up Mom's new computer while Mom and I pack up stuff to ship from eBay. I hope you have a great night like we will!