Earth Friend Jen...

So I live in this town where crazy things can happen. It's a liberal, out there spiritual, theater and tourist mecca. People come from all over to experience the above mentioned topics. My story needs a bit of back tracking. Our high school has a tradition that the seniors paint a mural on a big wall/roof part of the quad for all to see for the next year. This year a handful of students painted the pic of Michealangelo's "Creation of David". This is a Harry Potter generation so they used their creative freedoms to alter the painting accordingly...see link...http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0512/stories/0512_valley_potter.php. It made huge Ashland news, and beyond...I'm getting to that... because our principal, who is a close family friend from church, felt the nudity was inappropriate and against school policy. It caused an uproar in town...you can trace that link back to previous articles and read the insanity of some of the Ashland community. Anyway, in the end the snitch on the private parts was amended and I was happier. So this news apparently reached beyond Ashland and inspired a crazy naked lady to take up residence in Ashland. She loved the controversy and thought that this sounded like a place for her to come live. She rides around town naked on her bike because, surprise, Ashland has a nudity clause that allows such things. That's her thing...not sure if she has any other purpose on earth than that. I have yet to see her but I hear it's not that great of a view. http://current.com/items/89032285_jen_moss_oregon_lady_to_go_naked_to_the_fourth_of_july_paradeI won't get started on the sanitary aspect or the sunburn issue. Anyway, our 4th of July parade is both awesome and appalling at times. Thousands of people come from near and far and pack our tiny little town and main downtown drag. Our favorite annual entry is the one where the people carry signs that say we are overpopulating the world and yell at me that I have too many children. It's a total family parade...go Ashland! So "Earth Friend Jen" as she's labeled herself turned in an entry application. I was p.o.ed and contemplating a parade alternative with other families for that day. I'm proud to say, and frankly surprised, that the fine community of Ashland finally agreed with me and denied her entry. I was considering a full on morality attack against the city but they came through for me and maintained that the parade is a family event and "Jen" is not being appropriate. She'll inevitably still ride her bike around that day, probably be arrested and HOPEFULLY, find a new community to shock and annoy. This is the beautiful town I live in!

If It's Your Will Lord...

I prayed this prayer today, a quiet whisper while I was standing at the chain link fence with my arms grasping the wires over my head, forehead pressing against the fence...asking God to be with Jett in this moment. Trying my hardest not to pray a prayer of, "Oh please God, let us win" but a prayer of "Let your will be done". I'm a baseball fan to my core but I'm an even bigger fan of my sweet boy...despite his extremely emotional tendencies on the playing field. The scene today was this: we were in a double elimination All-star tournament game, with one loss under our belt so this game was do or die. The incredible two out rally we were on brought the score to 11-13, two outs, bottom of the final inning and of course, my kid is up to bat. As I stood there without other parents right next to me, I prayed for my boy and the potential for this moment to be one of those defining character moments in life. I could imagine the best case scenario and the not so good one. Over and over I prayed that God's will would be done in that moment, that Jett would have self-control and confidence and fun and and and... I even prayed a little bit that maybe, just maybe, God could give him a little gift in that moment of a base hit which would tie the game. Most importantly, my prayer would be that God's will would be done in that moment for who He is forming Jett to be. He is our little ball of clay and our heavenly potter has my full support in molding him as He sees fit. That is a hard prayer. Again, my core is saying, "WINWINWIN...Jett, do something amazing". However, my heart wants my little man to be even more amazing than that potential base hit would be in that one tiny moment in his life. God chose character development today. With a fly ball towards second base...game over. A very sad and tearful Jett ran off the field reeling with many emotions. I'm grateful that God cares more about Jett than I do about that baseball game. I'm thankful for unanswered prayers and that His will is supreme. Ugh...I wish we would've won though and not come home so early in the tourney...there's always next year...

What's it worth to you?

Sunday gems from Ashland...

Is it worth it? What are you willing to give up for it? Have you counted the costs before you chose to commit to it? What's it??? Your relationship with Christ! In Luke 14, Jesus sternly tells his "followers" to get off the fence and give up their lives if they want to truly be one of his disciples. This passage caused me to reflect this morning on the things of this world I gravitate towards, the temptations before me and the lack of self control I have in certain situations. Is my relationship with Christ paramount to everything else? Am I willing to pick up my cross and stop expecting other people to carry it for me? My heart feels compelled to remember my commitment and what exactly that means I want to give up because it IS worth it. It IS worth it to me to represent Christ, be consistent in my words and actions and to be set apart from the world that chooses themselves before God. So the answer to my title question: It's worth my life!

Not enough time in the day...but thank goodness for baseball!

God has given me an abundance of energy over the past week or two. No house then no husband then a house minus essential things like kitchens and bathrooms then 6 new roomies and now...a finished house and a husband in 14 hours. My plethora of energy is about used up and I'm so anxious for my sweetness to be home. Jett has started All-Star practice every night of the week and we love going to the fields with our summer homework, dinner and a big blanket and enjoying the beautiful weather while watching Jett practice...nothing better than that for me. After two weeks of intense daily practices, we head to the tournament in Klamath Falls...yay!!! Here's the pic we took tonight after the scrimage...a few boys missing and Josh, the other coach.

It's Official...We're Having Sextuplets

We'll actually their not identical...they're not even the same age but there are 6 of them. We are excited to welcome my brother's family into our home while they're in between houses. The storm is settling into a nice co-habitation groove...beginning today. We are so grateful to have Heaven, our special Hawaiian bonus room, for some of them to dwell in...as well as inside our casa. This will be a fun adventure being that we are still under renovation and our house has no kitchen or bathrooms, except for the toilet we just got back yesterday...Yipee!!! Thankfully Heaven has a john and shower for them. Josh leaves for his mission trip to Mexico in the morning so we'll see what the 3 of us adults can brew up on the bbq and microwave. Please be praying for our o'hana of 11!

House update: The mold is gone, the floors are done and the tile in one bathroom remains to be finished. I think countertops, ceiling fans and trim are left to do. Tips of the Day: If your shower has a pesky leak...seriously consider calling a plumber to see if it's a bigger issue. If your hard floor starts feeling funny...seriously consider calling someone, anyone. Thankfully insurance is our friend in all of this but apparently that's not always the case.

Semi-Finals

So tonight is Jett's semi-final minor's game...the winner goes to the championship game. Jett is super excited. His team, the Padres, has had an amazing season with a record of 18-3-1. Jett told me last night at bedtime that he wants to pray with his team before the game. I asked him why and what he wanted to pray about. He rattled off lots of reasons like: safety, good attitudes, encouragement for both teams, their motto "win as a team, lose as a team" and finally...help us play really good so we can win...ugh...so I realized that this was an amazing show of mature faith for a 10 year old but also, our humanness eventually creeps out and our selfishness creeps in. Fortunately, his devotion in his summer school curriculum we're doing is about trusting God with our hopes and that he'll give us a peaceful heart about the outcome of those things...wow...I love it when God ties together things in a short period of time to drive HIS point home. I'll follow up with how the prayer pow wow goes...he's wondering who will actually accept the invitation to head out to the right field fence and pray.
Sailor's last game is tonight too...I so struggle going between fields for the games. Fortunately, her coach is also one of Josh's assistants so I think he'll hurry along that game so we can head to the big boy's game. Blessings!

HEADS...

Okay...you know when you're at a baseball game and you hear "HEADS!" it usually means a ball has been hit foul and could be coming your way...so duck and cover. I have been to at least 5 baseball games per week since March...and loving every minute of it...and never has a ball come close to hitting me or my sweet Chase, who has gone to almost all of those to support her bro and sis. By support I mean eat all the food I bring her and play with about 15 various kiddos she knows who are also hanging at the fields to "support" their older sibs. She is a champ through and through...rarely complains, unless she's freezing...which she rarely is because she wears flip flops and tank tops all year round (it's a battle I choose not to fight). I digress...so tonight we decide to go to the fields as a family to watch a Majors game which some of our pals are playing in. Chase is standing on the bleachers next to me and Josh and Say. We hear "HEADS" from the neighboring field and what do we do...Josh and I duck and cover...Duh! We forgot one minor detail...we're the parents and our first thought should've been to cover our young. So guess what happens. One in a million will that "HEADS" be intended for you, or your wee 5 year old. The ball came out of nowhere, strongly grazed Chase's forehead and nailed me in the calf/knee. She started wailing and pitifully said, "WHAT was that?" I walked her away from the action, cuddled her in the shade and 2 doctors who witnessed the lack of parenting came to advise us on what to watch for. She was good after 15 minutes of snuggles, some ice and a little "attention" from everyone...especially our friend Jake who was catching and checked in on her in mid game. Gotta love the love at the fields...and stinky parenting. Enjoy the aftermath pic!

My Sweet Tara

Oh joy this weekend! One of my oldest and bestest friends from childhood came for a visit. I talked her up hugely to my kids, especially Jett because she was our star catcher. Her family came to watch Jett and Sailor play baseball and they both caught during their games...I think they impressed Miss Tara. This was a very long overdue visit and we tried our hardest to
sell Ashland to her. She would fit in beautifully and I'd love to have my sweet Tara close by after being gone in Florida FOREVER!!!

Bad Timing...

Did ya ever wonder why we use the term "Bad Timing"? I was thinking about this today with my precious people that are currently in a storm. We had to laugh when the phrase popped out of her mouth because really...is there such thing truly as bad timing. I suppose we can create our own bad timing by being impatient. We buy something we can't really afford, we blurt out words to someone when we should've waited for the right moment, we move forward with a project without having the necessary people, funds and resources we need...the list is endless. It seems like bad timing only refers to us and our impatient nature to have things the way we want them, when we want them and how we want them.

Then I thought about this verse: "Those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

If God's hand is on all things, can there still be bad timing? I suppose there can be when I put myself before God. However, isn't it a lot easier to just wait. Wait for a second, count to 10...pray, wait, sit, think, look, listen to God. We may be in the midst of a storm and think, "Why now God? Why me? Did you realize this was going on when you let this trial happen in my life? Bad timing God, couldn't this opportunity have waited until (fill in the blank)? " These were the questions being asked tonight with my precious person...hence the giggle. Of course God knew what was going on when he allowed the storm to come. Of course he knew all the emotions we'd be feeling when it hit. Of course we should've remembered Isaiah when he encouraged us to wait on the Lord and we'll find new strength, not grow weary. We remembered...then laughed...and the peace that surpasses all understanding washed over us in the laundry room of the hotel tonight. Good night to the Perfecter of our faith.

There's a Storm a Brewin'

May the words of my mouth and the mediations of my heart,
be pleasing to you, my God.
You're my Rock and my Redeemer,
You're the reason that I sing.
I desire to be a blessing in your eyes.
Every hour and every moment, Lord I want to be a servant.
I desire to be a blessing, in your eyes.
Psalm 19

It's a beautiful Sunday. There's not a cloud in the sky, summer weather is emerging, yet there's a storm brewing. A storm in some precious lives around us. I was so distracted with a heavy heart this morning that I couldn't sit through Sunday school...so I ducked out to pray. I needed to walk around outside to soak up God's beauty and remind myself that when the storms finally reach our lives, God already has his hands all over it. He saw it coming, watched it reach us and desires to hold us through it. My encouragement today is despite the rough weather and tossing and turning life brings...May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to God.

Pom Poms and Circumstances...

It can't be...say it isn't so...as I sat and observed Ashland H.S.'s graduation tonight, I realized it has been 16 years since I sat in my purple cap and gown with my gold Cheerleader sash around my neck. I sat in my chair all those years ago feeling very nostalgic about my life thus far and awestruck about what the next few months and years had in store. It's a strange feeling to hear my high school students lament about leaving each other for colleges near and far and the epic changes that are on their horizon. Every encouragement I assemble in my brain seems so cliche: You'll stay in touch, you can visit each other, you'll make lots of new friends...the list goes on and on. There is another list in my brain, the wisdom I've gained from life experience. The truth about what really does happen when you graduate high school and move on with life. This is what I realized tonight. Some things need to be experienced for themselves. These students need to walk this road of discovery, timidness, courage and faith. The beauty of growing up is the journey. Who am I to want to warn them or be a dose of reality for them? Looking back I am satisfied with the path God had me on and the transformation of the old and new relationships in my life.
So to my girls who have graduated tonight. Enjoy this moment, minus the cliche. It is a special and unique moment in your life...as is the 4+ years of transition before you. Accept the awkward wierd moments, confusing times and thrilling firsts. Embrace the changes God is preparing you for and hold on to your hats...it'll be more fun than Invertigo at Great America...ahhh...sweet amusement park trip memories these past 3 years...

Monkey Business

I will periodically refer to my little monkey, Chase. It's no joke. She hangs from door frames, any pole she can find, luggage racks in the hotel...it never ends. She never stops. She is a solid monkey of steel. Picture to prove it...she scales this particular door frame, that joins our 2 rooms together in the hotel, 20 times a day. She usually performs the Iron Cross or Spread Eagle , however on this day, she chose this new monkey pose. There are no adults assisting...just shaking our head at the floor from afar.

Hotel Living...

Long story short: Water damage...black mold...destruction...extra destruction...restoration...still restoring 3 weeks later. I've been working so hard these past few weeks to remain positive, as is my nature, and not complain. Heck, insurance is being amazing so far and we have a hotel to stay thanks to our employment. In the beginning I struggled to push my space (2 standard rooms with 2 queens a piece and no living space or kitchen) to the limits but I think I've settled into my area now with acceptance. The kids love it, they now have cable (which is absent at home) and only a small room to get clean between the 3 of them. Josh loves it. He has no yard work, gets to eat out every meal and housekeepers to bring him things (which I try to discourage as much as possible).
What is this unsettled feeling I can’t put my finger on? Why am I not basking in my lack of chores to do? Why am I not embracing the task of picking out new countertops, floors, shower and fixtures? Here’s the best I could come up with… Women have the compelling desire to “nest”. It is both an instinctual and emotional task for us to tidy, organize, prepare sustenance, kick off our shoes and let your hair down (or tie it up). The desire to dig our roots under our “palace” is a primal act of protecting our young and nurturing the unique identity that makes our family – our family. I am compelled to create a sanctuary for my family to feel safe and loved in…which brings me to my dilemma. I struggle doing this with 53 neighboring rooms filled with strangers, beds a million people have slept in, a bathroom counter to cut up after school snacks on and having the only place for guests to sit on is the very bed I sleep on, work on, fold laundry on…don’t get me started on laundry. Josh conveniently reserved us rooms with a distance spanning from Egypt to Chatanooga, to our car, our office and the guest laundry room.

Here’s where all the blessings flow. My natural nesting instinct has been put on hold in the form of a sort of fasting. I’ve been challenged to focus on my Maker every minute of the day to appreciate where He has me and what He wants me to experience during this time. Maybe God’s plan is to do a little restoration within me…not just my home. Maybe I am to count my blessings and maybe…just maybe…this is a time for me to receive. Why is it so hard to accept that, when we strive daily to keep God at the center of our every thought and action, He won’t do His part and fulfill His promise? (See Pearls Found) Receiving can be hard…especially from God. So for now, I will hold on to these things: Receiving - Restoration – Renewal. Prayers are also welcome for a family of 5 sharing 300 square feet.

It Must Be Frozen You Know Where...

My first words should probably be to Shannon...my creative friend extraordinaire. I like pretty fun things and who wouldn't want to make a fun and pretty blog to gush about all the wonderful, crazy and insightful things that occur everyday in our world. Thanks Shan, it's been fun working on this with you and chatting so much lately. You've inspired me because I said I'd NEVER do anything like this. It should be interesting to see how I use this new found medium...hmmm...it's a little chilly, we'll see if I warm up. Love ya girl!