An Heir of GraceAn Heir of GraceI live in Alaska with one husband, one teenager, two dogs, a ferret, the military, and a ton of books. I love studying Reformed theology. I'm not very funny. Articles
Five For Five
2007-11-30 19:27:00 Rick, over at Mmmmm, That’s Good Coffee, asked five questions for Friday. Thought I’d have a little fun and answer them (in no particular order) before I head back to bed. If you wouldn’t mind, add some of your answers in a comment for me :) What are your five favorite Christmas songs? 1. The Little Drummer Boy 2. The First Noel 3. O Holy Night 4. Silent Night 5. Do You Hear What I Hear Five foods you look forward to at Christmastime? 1. Sugar Cookies! 2. Sugar Cookies 3. Sugar Cookies 4. Sugar Cookies 5. Sugar Cookies Five favorite presents of all time? 1. Barnes & Noble Gift card (books) 2. everything I’ve gotten from mom & dad 3. perfume 4. candles 5. Barbie Town House (I was 8) What are your five favorite holiday TV specials? 1. NFL 2. Charlie Brown Christmas 3. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 4. Frosty The Snowman 5. The Little Drummer Boy Top five holiday-themed films? 1. The Santa Clause 2. Miracle On 3...
Free Advice
2007-11-30 13:06:00 Don’t let the dogs outside at 2:30 a.m. when there’s a moose in the yard. Your neighbors will wake up. All of them. More About: Advice , Free
The Naked Files #2
2007-11-29 10:14:00 Today Bren had a difficult morning at school. I received a call from her just after 11 a.m. and she asked if I would come get her for lunch. I showered quickly, stopped to get her a Rockstar (energy drink), and made my way to the school. I watched as Bren made her way to the car in the chilly 10-degree air without her coat. She looked tired and pained. As soon as she was settled in her seat and we began to pull away, her tears began to flow. What a great stress reliever tears are! I drove around the corner to BK and left Bren sitting in the car while I went in for her lunch. When I returned she said “Okay, I’m done crying.” I pulled into a descreet parking space and ate while we talked about everything on her mind. I got her back to school with a few minutes to spare. After getting out of the car, Bren leaned in a little and said, “Thanks for coming to get me, I needed the break.” I watched as she walked back into the school. (A habit I ... More About: Files
Trapped in Fairbanks
2007-11-28 13:14:00 ...for Christmas break anyway. Emotional exhaustion resulting from a romantic break-up requires nothing less than running away to grandma’s house for a couple weeks, so Rick and I decided we would send Bren alone to my mom and dad’s over Christmas break. Ahhhhhhahahahahahahahahahahaha! Okay, I’m back. (more…)
Not Much
2007-11-27 21:01:00 Not much is going on here. I got up almost two hours ago and haven’t budged from the couch except to make coffee and let the dogs out. It’s nearly December, so the sky is staying pretty dim now for the few hours it’s up during the day. It’s cold and snow has fallen, and it’s the perfect day for—and I’m in the perfect mood for—staying bundled up all day on the couch, reading and praying. This perfect scenario will have to wait for the weekend, as I am due in at work for a staff meeting and my shift in just over an hour. Bren stayed at Faith’s house last night, and probably will stay there all this week. They have a large family and Bren feels loved and supported when she’s there, and that’s very comforting to her. She can get three times the TLC over there than she can at home :o) Okay, I’m pushing it…must get off the couch and into the Land of The Living. I hope you all are having/have had ...
Weary
2007-11-27 08:12:00 I’m not much in a posting mood tonight. Bren and Erik broke up today and it’s final. Please pray for them both.
Hm. Blog Malfunction. It is Monday.
2007-11-26 11:34:00 I logged on to my blog this morning to a bunch of gobbledygook where my posts should have been. I only panicked a little. Okay, a lot. But the awesome guys at Total Choice Hosting had me back up to snuff about five minutes after I requested help. I hope there’s a special place in heaven for techies. Gotta go to work now. Toodles. More About: Blog , Monday
I Wanted to Marry Steve
2007-11-24 22:02:00 His name was Steve Miller. He was perfect, and I was crazy about him. I was 14, he 17 when we met for the first time at church. His father was our Chaplain and our families grew to be very close. Even though Steve showed no romantic interest in me whatsoever, I would spend hours a day (usually during school hours) daydreaming, planning out my life with him. Steve was a great swimmer and a lifeguard at the base pool, so I would go there as often as I could to sit on the bleachers, hoping I would catch his eye. When his family bought a new house, my parents rented their old one. Occupying a beautiful home that Steve once lived in put all my senses on high alert. It was so romantic. (more…) More About: Wanted , Marry
Memo to Employers
2007-11-21 10:28:00 Attention all employers: It is the collective opinion of several very loyal and responsible people in your employ, that hosting an employee Thanksgiving lunch one hour before shifts begin is a very bad idea. It is ridiculous and irresponsible to expect your employees to remain conscious (yet alone effective) after encouraging them to indulge in enormous amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy; corn, buttered rolls, stuffing, salad, roast, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Also, it is not very ingenious to have a staff meeting (!!) immediately after your employees are done licking their plates. Furthermore, not providing coffee to the employees who have to endure these difficult working conditions borders on abuse. We do believe that all employees should be absolved of all responsibility for dozing off on the activity room couch in full view of every customer that walked through the door. It’s not their fault. That’s all we wanted to say. More About: Memo , Employers
Teenagers
2007-11-20 10:14:00 Have I mentioned that I really like my job? A few years ago I would have never guessed that I would be working at a youth center—especially with teenagers. For all of my adult life I have never really been good with children. One on one I would be fine as long as I was dealing with a good kid—but groups of kids, or bratty kids would just freak me out, and they knew it. It would take them no time at all to spot my weakness, and after that, there was no hope for building any kind of rapport with the rugrats. The only real interaction I had with teenagers was at church, and most of them wouldn’t even return a polite “hello” to a passing adult, so I didn’t bother trying to engage them. When Bren became a teenager we realized that if we were ever going to let her go out and spend time with other teens, we were going to have to get to know them since we wouldn’t allow her to hang out with kids we didn’t know. So Rick and I began s... More About: Teenagers , Ager
Greatness
2007-11-19 09:43:00 I can’t remember the last time—if I ever have—pondered the question What makes a person great? I found the short answer in Faithfulness and Holiness, by J.I. Packer, who writes passionately about the 19th Century Bible teacher and Puritan Bishop, John Charles Ryle. Not all men (or women) with good qualities deserve to be called great. What makes the difference? What are the further qualities that distinguish a great man from other good men? 1. Achievement. Great persons make their mark in their own sphere, whatever that is. 2. Impact. Great persons become inspirers and energizers of others, benchmark figures whose personal ideals and ways of behaving set standards for others that were not set, or at least not taken seriously, before. (Think John Wesley and Winston Churchill). 3. Universality. Great persons transcend the limits of their own age, and embody insight and wisdom for all who come after them (Think Augustine and John Calvin). By the...
Silly Dog
2007-11-18 02:11:00 Rick took Good Dog Buddy on a walk this afternoon and came back with a funny. At the end of the block Buddy went to pee on a pole but decided to lick the snow off it first. His tongue froze right to it. Rick said it was quite interesting watching him get out of that predicament. I so wish I would have been there with a camera! Silly dog.
In A Bit Of A Pickle
2007-11-16 10:09:00 Have you ever gotten a room in your house really super clean after it’s been messy for a long time, and then you just want to stand in the doorway and look at it? Just wondering. I ended up sleeping in this morning until 11:00 after going to bed at about 4:00 a.m. As I lay in bed in that almost-awake-but-not-quite stage, a thought popped into my head that yanked me into full consciousness: I’ve got cooking club today. In four hours. (Now where did that thought come from? I wasn’t even thinking in the same ballpark as Now, what do I have to do today? Weird.) I had completely forgotten about it and was not prepared at all. (more…) More About: Pickle
She Gets Me
2007-11-15 14:12:00 I left the house early yesterday so I had time to run some errands before I had to be in to work at one. With my little missions complete, a growl from my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten anything yet that morning, so I stopped by the food court and grabbed a sandwich for lunch. While I ate I read my favorite magazine, Bookmarks, and came across a passage of writing by Isabel Allende that blew me away. I read it over three times. I love it when writers write about writing. What Isabel said in this statement sums up perfectly why I blog. I may have to look more into her writing. For me life becomes real when I write it. What I don’t write is erased by the winds of oblivion. I forget a lot, my mind betrays me, I can’t recall places, names, dates, or faces, but I never forget a good story…or a significant dream. Writing is a silent introspection, a journey to the dark caverns of memory and the soul. Fiction [writing], like memory, moves from r...
I’ve Been Tagged
2007-11-14 19:43:00 Jen has tagged me. Here are the rules: “When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list eight random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people. It’s fun. Give it a shot. It’s also a great way to get to know other bloggers.” tattoos—I’ve got two rootbeer—I don’t like it cooking—I’d rather not my feet—size 11 addictions—buying books Summer—I don’t like much about it splurges—coffee & good shoes dream job—writer I don’t like to tag people, so feel free to tag yourself. Let me know if you do. More About: Tagged
The Naked Files #1
2007-11-14 09:13:00 Earlier today I was reading this book review over at Tim’s blog, and a statement by the book’s author, Edward Welch, threw me into a period of serious introspection. Mr. Welch says Fear is “a door to spiritual reality.” “There is a close connection,” Welch says, “between what we fear and what we think we need. … Whatever you need is a mere stone’s throw from what you fear.” I sat for awhile and tried to be completely honest with myself, wading in deep to reveal what I am truly afraid of. The first fear that came to mind is the same fear that almost every parent the world over has: the fear of something bad happening to their children. Since that was a given, I kept thinking, and after a few minutes the big one came floating to the surface and popped like a big bubble. I was surprised. (more…) More About: Files
A Not-So-Short Update
2007-11-12 23:29:00 One of the great things about being sick is you can lie in bed all snotty-nosed, droopy-eyed, sans make-up, and be completely lazy and useless – and it’s okay. So although I’m pretty miserable at the moment, I’ve been afforded this time to reacquaint our family with yours. So, how are you all doing? I’ll begin with Rick. He has finally finished his Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, and we are so doggone proud of him we can’t stand it. He is the epitome of perseverance and discipline, that man is. (Why hasn’t some of that rubbed off on me?) His job is going great; he’s still enjoying it and staying busy, so he’s happy. Rick has been in the Air Force for 28 ½ years now. We would like to stay here until Bren graduates, so he’s going to put in a high year of tenure extension request so we don’t end up moving during Bren’s senior year. There’s a possibility he may be fi... More About: Update , Short
Lost Post
2007-09-02 07:32:00 I just wrote up and lost a long post. Stupid WiFi. Stupid me for not copying. I’m gonna go cry now. More About: Lost , Post
Just Hanging Out
2007-09-01 08:30:00 This break-up—it’s gonna be tough. They love each other. Bren, Faith, and I are relaxing at The Mother Ship at the moment. We came here after seeing a movie, a greatly needed distraction. The girls are sitting at a table working on their homework— They figured they’d knock it out early so they can be free for the long weekend—and I’m just browsing the internet when I take a break from people watching. Bren and I have begun to research Christian colleges, and the further I get into this, the more I wonder why the heck we didn’t start her college fund the day she was born. We’re having to be very agressive in the saving now to make up for lost time, but the money is building quickly. With academic scholarships, we pray Bren will realize her goal of attending a Christian University. The more we research schools the more determined we get. We haven’t focused in on specific colleges just yet; but we’ve requested info...
Heartbreak
2007-08-30 11:05:00 After four months and ten days, Bren called it quits with her boyfriend tonight. Today in the car on the way to church Bren said to me, “I can’t be wholly God’s and be with Erik too.” It’s been so difficult (as most break-ups are) because they do love each other, Erik doesn’t understand her reasoning, and he will be angry with her. I want so much to be with Bren right now to cry with her and comfort her, but she asked if she could go to Faith’s house after church. I said okay because I can see that it has been good for her to be able to confide in Faith and Faith’s mom (Faith’s mom is Kim, our pastor’s wife, whom I have become very good friends with these past few months). When things get emotional and Bren’s hurting, sometimes I get overwhelmed seeing her like that and I can’t hold myself together like she needs me to. For that reason alone, I’m happy God has placed these two ladies in our lives ... More About: Heartbreak , Brea
Midnight Ramble
2007-08-29 11:26:00 After sitting here awhile staring at the flashing cursor on the screen, I decided to go back downstairs while I coaxed a few blog post ideas out of hiding in my mind. After stepping over two very asleep dogs at the bottom of the stairs I went to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of chips and a Diet Squirt—probably not the best idea at 1 a.m….I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I’m overweight, but that’s not the blog post I was looking for. All I can think of right now is Bren and how much I hate it when she is gone, which she is a lot these days. You see, something has happened to her recently that has not happened since she was 9 years old: she found a best friend. A best girlfriend. Her name is Faith, and she is our pastor’s daughter. The girls get along fabulously and have been spending a lot of time together. We’ll have Faith here for two or three days, then Bren will be over there for a day or two, and they’re at sc... More About: Ramble , Midnight
A (Big) New T.V.
2007-07-22 08:23:00 That’s the last time I send Rick to the grocery store. I gave him a list: toothpaste, hamburger, ice tea, Noxema…and the man comes home with the biggest honkin’ television I’ve ever seen. Okay, not really the biggest, but this thing is huge (as in it is as deep as it is tall and wide with it’s 32” screen). It has a great picture and sound and I love it. Moving the behemouth into the livingroom required some major re-arranging of furniture downstairs and upstairs, so I’m pretty knackered. After Rick left the house with the grocery list he decided to stop by the BX (a retail store on a military base, for all you non-military readers) first. There in the entryway were these $648 televisions on sale for $198. Rick scooped up the last one. I realize that buying this t.v. is like buying a cassette for fifty cents because everyone’s buying CDs, or buying a VCR for $20 because DVD players are now the way to go, but we really did ha...
Childless
2007-07-21 10:10:00 My chick has flown the coop for the weekend and I can hardly believe I have the computer all to myself! Mark invited Brenna to ride down to Anchorage with him and his sister Faith (two of our pastor’s kids) to spend the weekend with Mark’s girlfriend and another good friend. They all keep in touch almost daily via MySpace and have become great friends, so it will be wonderful for them to get together in person. I look forward to seeing all the pics they’ll take. (Where were digital cameras when I was a teenager!?) It’s gonna be great having some time to myself, but I sure do miss my girl!
The Write-Brain Day 1
2007-07-13 10:15:00 This is really lame, but here goes: Sometimes I feel like a gerbil running around and around on this wheel... I run faster and faster trying to catch those elusive moments of creativity, the one ingredient sorely lacking in my writing. Creativity seems to always be just out of my reach. “Faster! Run faster, you almost have it!”, my mind screams as the wheel squeeks in response to my effort. I thought buying a book of writing prompts would help to chisel away this huge wall commonly known as writer’s block. The Write -Brain Workbook, by Bonnie Neubauer, provides “366 exercises to liberate your writing”. Many of the prompts are quite funny which makes reading the exercises much more enjoyable than actually doing them. After flipping through the book, and five or six false starts, I decided to quit, but changed my mind. I turned to Day 1 and read the instructions. I chose three words that appealed to me out of fifteen – diesel, Jamba...
Eh.
2007-07-12 23:29:00 Hm. Well, that didn’t work. I moved my pics of Fairbanks to my Alaska blog (gonna try to begin updating there once again), and ended up deleting my whole post – grrrrrr Off to the side of the entrance to The Mother Ship there are George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton voodoo dolls. “Stick it to him for him sticking it to you!” and “Stick it to her before she sticks it to you!” Someone is being a little optimistic, eh? Where Bren volunteers there is a little used bookstore called Forget-Me-Not Books where most books sell for $2.00. Some of the newer and more valuable books sell for more but can be bought cheaper on sale days. Yesterday the books with gold stars and gold dots were 1/2 price, so I was able to pick up Andy Rooney’s book Out Of My Mind for three dollars. I love this guy, and I love his view on writing the way he does. I wish a few more writers (and bloggers for that matter!) thought like this. The relaxing thing about...
June 21st in Fairbanks
2007-07-11 07:36:00 I really should be posting this on my Alaska blog, but I’m just getting back into posting regularly on this blog, so why push it? Here are a few pics from the Summer Solstice Festival downtown Fairbanks. I got these pics early in the day (to avoid the huge crowds) while Bren was at her volunteer job. Later that evening I dropped the teens in town to walk around with their friends. While at the festival Bren visited a table of people representing Partners, a Christian organization created to provide relief and development for Burmese refugees. Talking with the reps there got her all fired up, and when she got home that night she was asking about using her money we’re saving for her Italy/Switzerland trip to head to Burma over Christmas (!). I took her very seriously, but laughed inside. Bren’s heart is bigger than her brain. She has no idea what real human suffering looks like, nor does she know that at this point in her young life she is not ... More About: June
July Tenth
2007-07-10 22:01:00 Don’t leave your laptop’s A/C adapter plugged in at B&N Cafe when you leave, because then an employee will find it, put it in a safe place, and then forget where exactly that safe place is, leaving you to wonder So, do I buy a new one or do I not buy a new one? Usually things are lost then found, not the other way around. Grrrrrrr. While Bren’s at her tutoring job this afternoon I am sitting at B&N by the fire (yes, it’s cool enough in here for a fire :o) using the last of the juice left in the laptop’s battery, trying to catch up on my blog reading and post a bit. Bren’s boyfriend, Erik, was supposed to leave for Colorado last night so we drove to the airport to bid him farewell. He flies free because his mom is in the flying business, and it turned out he had the “wrong” ticket, so he couldn’t leave, much to Bren’s delight. (It wasn’t a total waste of time for us. As I sat waiting for the ticket... More About: July , Tent
Midnight Sun in AK
2007-07-10 11:10:00 On the night of June 25th we were driving Erik home at around midnight. On our way back I stopped and took these pics. It was 12:25 a.m. More About: Midnight
New Baby
More articles from this author:2007-07-05 09:01:00 Forth of July is my least favorite holiday, probably because in general, I hate summer. I hate the heat, hate the crowds, hate it that people risk starting major forest fires here for the sake of fireworks which we can’t even fully appreciate because it NEVER gets dark. It seems to me that I whine about this in a blog post every single summer…maybe next year I’ll give it a rest. The current problem in our household (beside the fact that the dogs have lost ten pounds of hair each in the past two days) is the number three cylinder in the Kia’s engine. We won’t know what the problem is until we take it apart sounds really, really expensive. Our precious 9-year-old with hail damage, dinged doors, a peeling bumper, warped interior; the car we never had a payment on, is about to cost us a lot of money. And probably Blue Books for $10.95. I wonder if the local Burger King has uniforms in my size? We have been putting aside money every month toward... More About: Baby 1, 2, 3 |
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