Good friends...good times

I had a friend drop in on me today and it meant more to me than she can ever know. People don't do this anymore...just come to your house. I miss that. I love having a good friend come to my house and us just sitting and talking. It's a sweet release from the stresses of the day, or another thing that makes your day better. I wish more people would visit me at any time. I remember the days when people would just come to your house and you would sit and talk for hours on the porch or in the living room. When did it become rude? Why did it become rude? I have no idea. But I am here now telling all who read this blog that you are welcome in my home at any time for any reason. If you are having a bad day...come by and we will share a laugh or a tear. If you are having a great day...come by and we will share the joy. If you don't know what you are feeling, but you know you need someone to be there for you...come by and we can work it out together.

Kari, thanks again for your friendship. You mean the world to me. I'm so glad God brought us together. That God of ours...He really knows what He is doing. :)

I love kids...

Have I told you lately how great my kids are? I mean...honestly, they are the best on earth as far as I'm concerned. There are other good kids out there, but mine are great!! I love spending time with them and they are just so sweet and funny and smart and nice, and...wait a minute...I'm starting to sound like one of those mothers who have children that can do no wrong. HA! Please. With all due respect I cannot say that my children are perfect. Far from it. The thought of someone thinking that I have perfect children makes me laugh really hard. In fact...there's a tear. :)

Seriously though, my children are making me a very proud momma. A perfect example is Joseph. He is the type of kid that really surprises you with things that he has learned and picked up. Sometimes it is not the best things that he remembers, but then there are things that are just straight from God. This past week, when I was feeling especially down in the dumps Joe came in to see me in my bedroom. He climbed up on the bed, laid down beside me, started rubbing my back, and sang "Shout to the Lord" softly to me. He sang it over and over again. It was the sweetest thing I have ever heard in my life! We sing that song at church sometimes, and I know they sing it in chapel at school, but the cool thing is God is using that song to write His love on Joe's heart. Now, that's just cool.

Nele is doing very well in school back in Germany. Her classes are much harder than her classes were here and she is definitely rising to the challenge. She misses her family and friends that are here in the states, but she is drawing closer to God through it. I am so proud of the young woman that God is molding her into. It's awesome to see His handiwork in her life.

Krissi is also doing well in school at Franklin County. I have been amazed by her willingness to try new and sometimes scary things. This past week was homecoming for FCHS so, of course, the school has different types of dress-up days. I always did this kind of thing when I was in high school because everyone did it. Now things have changed and it seems like the kids who are more confident in who they are end up being the only ones who will step out of the box. I learned this week that Krissi is one of those kids. It's great. I'm glad she is having fun here in Kentucky.

Thank you, God, for my great kids. I pray that I can be the kind of mother they need me to be by being the kind of mother You want me to be.

Excellent Day, September 19th!

Just in case some of you don't know, today is "Talk Like a Pirate" day. How awesome is that? So, to all you buccaneers out there, "YARR!" P-}

No excuse...

I have no excuse for why I haven't posted in more than a week. I have been busy, but I'm really getting tired of everyone using that excuse for everything. "I'm too busy to write, I'm too busy to contact you, I'm too busy to pay attention, I'm too busy study my bible, I'm too busy to care, I'm too busy to be a good friend, I'm too busy...I'm too busy...I'm too busy." Yeah, yeah...we get it! Guess what! We are all busy in one way or another. So, you have two options...you can either get with the program and do what you are called to do and what is right by friends and family, or you can be the biggest loser in the world by losing the people that are supposed to matter most to you. Your choice.

So, my life, while busy has also been really boring. I realize that most of you out there do not find it possible, but it's really true. We are currently in a huge rut! It didn't take long. All of our weeknights are taken up with stuff. There are some things that shouldn't be considered stuff, but they are. Honestly, nothing is important except my relationship with Christ, and...you guessed it!...I am not doing well in that department. Why? Please see paragraph one of this post. It's not something I am proud of...in fact...I'm really ashamed. However, now that I have recognized this problem with the most important relationship in my life I can start over again. That's the coolest thing about knowing Jesus...and I mean REALLY knowing Jesus...my past is just that--my past. Nothing more. I don't have to get down in the muck and wallow around in it, and I don't have to worry about His response to my sins. "You are forgiven!" The three sweetest and most amazing words I can ever hear. Thank you, Lord, for loving me more than anyone ever could. You are truly incredible!!

Perspective...

Well, I have learned something tonight about perspective. I could use one word to describe it, but the most polite way to define perspective is this...it's a swift kick in the emotional pants.

This has been a very difficult weekend for a very important person in my life and I have taken this very hard. But tonight I watched a documentary on CBS called 9/11. I can't say that I am feeling better about the situation, but it has shown me where I need to focus my prayer. I was feeling sorry for this loved one, sorry for myself, and just generally down in the dumps. The documentary brought back a lot of feelings that I had buried deep down in 2001 and I was hoping they would not rear their ugly head ever again. However, tonight I am faced with a range of emotions that I cannot possibly express in words.

Tonight I watched the TV just as I did 5 years ago and I saw people dying...people who lost loved ones...people who were lost in more ways than one. The guilt I felt back then came crawling back and is now sitting heavy on my chest. I have problems, but right now they seem insignificant. I don't want to belittle the problems, but at this point in time I am just in need of peace. The only one who can bring peace to my life is God and I am so grateful to Him and his unfailing love. It is the only thing I can count on from day to day. Now how's that for perspective?

Obligations

I don't feel like posting today, but I feel like I am obligated to. So...there you go. Have a nice day.

Dr. Pepper Debate

Yes, the headline is true. This is what we girls do on a Saturday night. Kari and I performed some not-so-blind taste tests of "off brand" Dr. Pepper drinks and then proceeded to have a debate regarding said beverages. You heard me right. We get together with some other folks from our church on Saturday night for dinner and bible study and there is usually time after where we sit and talk and just have good, clean, relaxing fun. Tonight we, and by that I mean just Kari and myself, stood in Kari's kitchen, testing out a new off-brand Dr. Pepper drink called (drum roll please)...Dr. Topper. I had never heard of Dr. Topper and Kari hadn't either before today, but it was cheaper than the real thing (we both enjoy a good discounted item) and so she picked it up.

Well, for those of you who are not Dr. Pepper conniseurs let me fill you in on the skill it takes to discern a good knock-off beverage. First, the smell test. If it doesn't smell even remotely close to the real thing...don't drink it...you have been dupped. Second, the fizz test. Kari is much better at this test than I am, but I am learning. The rate at which the fizz disappears in the glass when poured over ice is key to the carbonation of the beverage. And last, but by far the most important of all...the taste test. It is crucial that you know exactly how the real thing plays out to your taste buds. As far as Dr. Pepper is concerned it leaves a very subtile taste in the mouth that is not overpowering, nor does it last so long as to be annoying. Therefore, it only stands to reason that this is what you should look for in your knock-off Dr. Pepper beverage.

I know...this big question that is simply driving you mad at this point is how did Dr. Topper fair against not only the real thing, but also against other off-brands? Here are the final results as composed by the taste testing firm of Chase and McGrath (please note all grades are based on a 1-10 basis)...

Smell - upon the initial whiff of Dr. Topper the beverage held up quite well. Nice sent...not too strong, but not so faint as to not register with the nose. Grade=8

Fizz - Dr. Topper did not fair as well in this test. The rate at which the fizz appeared and disappeared was not proportional to the real thing. Grade=2

Taste - being the most important test there are several factors that helped us make our decision. Lack of carbonation was very key...there was very little. The syrup ratio was too high. This normally has something to do with carbonation so already Dr. Topper was not doing well. Also, the after taste was not what one looks for in a good carbonated beverage. Finally, the facial expression upon taste was not desirable. All this leads to a negative experience. Grade=2

Thus, it is our very strong opinion that Dr. Topper is a very poor substitute for Dr. Pepper. Dr. Thunder, the Wal-mart brand of Dr. Pepper, is our prefered knock-off choice. A distant second is Dr. K, the Kroger knock-off. And, not even in the race, is Dr. Topper. God bless all Dr. Pepper drinkers and may your beverage bring much joy to your tastebuds!

If anyone wishes to contest these finding please email either Kari or myself at www.like_I_care.com. Thank you and have a great day.