Complaining isn't Attractive

Due to my pathetic last post, let me tell you about the good things that have been happening. On Sunday night, Ben and I went on a date basically all-paid by his generous employer. We had appetizers at a restaurant and then watched Mama Mia. It was an incredibly beautiful film...saturated colors and unbelievable landscapes. Abba was super catchy and humorous. It was an artistic movie, but sadly SO hedonistic. The end of the movie was ruined by blatant homosexuality and marriage vows being too restrictive for the young lovers. I feel sad when I glimpse the carnality that is being legitimized. I intimately know that human nature is repulsive, and I am the worst of hedonists. Of course, I have been tempted to live without sacred commitments. Who hasn't wanted something for nothing? Who hasn't wanted less responsibility and more freedom? The pursuit of pleasure hypnotizes us into thinking our life will be full and complete; it will have meaning and significance. In reality, self love leads to suicide. You end up where life can't give you anymore and you deserve better. You demand better. Disappointment becomes fatal.

Thank goodness, God is in the process of redeeming. I think the hardest thing for me is to see how subtly my flesh is entangled. It doesn't take much for me to loose focus on what life is about. It doesn't take much for me to have entitlements. Aah, if I could only stay closer to God, to have his virtues rub off on me, what a different person I would be. People would notice my contentment.

Today, it was gloriously cool and breezy at 76 degrees. God gave me a day where I could comfortably wear jeans outside to cover my legs. I'm feeling more optimistic already.

Poor me!

My legs have become a horror story. I am paying handsomely for blueberry picking. At first I thought I had chiggers as only large welts appeared. Now I know otherwise. If you have a weak stomach don't read on. Multiple somethings are tunneling under my skin and leaving puffy, itchy trails. A hot shower makes the streaks more inflamed and even itchier. When I picked up Ben's dermatology book, I read the worst news possible...in rare cases the symptoms can last a couple years. Ok. I am a pessimist. If you were living this, you would be to. If you think of something yucky that triggers you to remember me, please pray that these pest find a hasty demise and my legs won't be terribly scarred.

July Snapshots

With just a patch of visible face I can ID the child. Why?


Jane is the only child I know that ventilates her tongue.


A rare moment when her tongue is behind her teeth.


My bathing beauty and playful Fritz.


I wonder what this picture will look like in 10 years. Who will be the tallest?


Four hot blueberry pickers.


Alex scouted for the largest blueberries.


My Nehemiah of the blueberry bushes. A.K.A. the royal taste tester.

A Man without Pretension

Well, this post is for my husband. The other day Ben was relaying to me that when he walked to the hospital from the physician parking lot he noticed a piece of a motor muffler on the ground. He thought how tacky is that and then realized the muffler was from his Volkswagon Jetta. Poor fellow, his once cherry red car is now pink and it sounds like a motorcycle (but doesn't have the cool factor). If he rode a bicycle to work he would be at least considered Green, but when his car puffs black smoke clouds I think the tree huggers' eyes tear if not from the fumes but from his flagrant disregard to Mother Earth. Ben is practical and hasn't complained that he can't open his trunk and air conditioning consists of rolling down his windows. He doesn't seem to notice the keyed exterior or punched in door, the broken side mirror or the tail light patch job. He pours a gallon of oil into the car a month and has compounded it to a soft luster though the car has been ungratefully wicked. He is a man of incredible loyalty and forgiveness. His car has received the Biblical maxim of 70 times 7. I love him for that. Yes, Ben would happily drive a four door truck or a sleek Jaguar, but it won't make him more successful. He wins hands down for the man without pretension.

(Ben, when you read this- may you blush the color of your car.)

Staying up to 1am Books

As a good book is a precious commodity, I would highly recommend this series by Bill Bright and Jack Cavanaugh.


I recently read these fiction books on the Great Awakening in America. You may be thinking dullsville. Don't be fooled.



These are fast paced stories that do contain some brutality, but alive with interest and true workings of the Spirit in a time gone by. My favorite two were Fire and Fury.