To Pray or Not To Pray

I dont' t know why, but I am so amazed at God's willingness to answer prayer.

Since I was a young child, I have believed that He does actually want us to ask Him for things. My whole life long, I have been learning what that means, searching for His desires, reconciling the words that He spoke with the reality of seemingly unanswered prayers. I mean, He said that He will give us the desires of our heart. And that whatever we ask for in His name He would gladly give. "Ask and it will be given to you ... For everyone who ask receives..." (Matthew 7:7-8)

So I have prayed for lots and lots and lots of different things. When I was about six or seven years old, I remember praying that our firefighter friend, Jimmy, would get to go and help fight the forest fires in California, because that's what he really wanted (though his wife was not so thankful for my prayers, I think). And praying that I wouldn't have any bad dreams or spiders crawling on me while I slept. When we lived in Paris, I remember realizing that prayer was just about the only effective thing I could do to help the homeless man and the beggar woman that I saw frequently, since I wasn't fluent enough to explain anything to them.

And so, when I grew closer to my grandma last summer after moving close enough to see her more frequently, I started praying for her joy. And, as I spent more time with her and realized that she was really struggling with all the changes she had experienced in moving across the country, I started praying that God would show her why He still has her here and that He would give her a true sense of purpose.

Well, yesterday, she almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning. And as we waited for news of her condition, expecting the worse but seriously hoping for the better, I didn't even know if I should ask for the best. I didn't have a clue what to pray. I wondered if He had heard my prayers for her over the last months. I tried to figure out how her dying would be an answer to that prayer for her renewed sense of purpose. I asked friends to pray for her. I begged God for what He knew to be best. And I seriously did not expect her healing.

BUT GOD HEALED HER!!! I expected the worst. But He performed a miracle. He even made her brain scan clear. NO negative effects after 17 hours of carbon monoxide poisoning! I am still in wonder! I didn't know what to ask yesterday. But He answered my prayers from months ago. He saved her life. Clearly. Unabashedly. He absolutely wants her here still. No doubt.

This week, we have seen God work in amazing ways. Two clear answers to prayer. Two more reasons to keep praying and trusting that in fact God's got it taken care of. I'll tell you about the second one next time . . .

THANK YOU, LORD GOD!!!

so much to do, so much to say ...

So I know it's been a while. And in the midst of that long while, I've come up with some great blogging topics, which I will now list and hope to return to someday . . . and here they are in no particular order . . .
-people are really entertaining to watch at concerts (Eric Clapton, May 31, Blossom Music Center)
-grass and weeds are really difficult to dig up with a shovel, but it's a great workout
-I very much dislike being busy, but am learning a new definition of discipline in a rather new stage of life
-The eldest is now taking swimming lessons
-is it wrong to bribe your children with McDonald's Happy Meals in order to reward them for getting her face wet during swimming lessons?
-getting up at 6am is really not as bad as I once thought
-homemade strawberry anything (i.e. pie, jam) tastes unbelievably good if you've just picked the strawberries
-tricks for keeping an almost 1st grader busy during the summer (any ideas?)

I'll be back soon with some more.

The Prog

So last night we took the girls to their first ever Cleveland Indians baseball game at Progressive Field. And what an appropriate name for the field it turned out to be.

This was my husband's and my first trip to Progressive Field. It used to be called "Jacob's Field" or, even better, "The Jake". We made many memories at the Jake (now called Progressive Field), so you can imagine our sense of dismay (ok not really DISMAY, but you know what I mean) when they changed the name. We spent many a date at The Jake before we were married. We got to see the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners there in '95, in the frigid October air. We got to sit in a loge (spelling?) once with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. We even got to see the home opener of 1996 at the Jake, when they received their World Series rings (even thought they didn't win, they got something for just being in it the year before). We went there on a whim on our 1st wedding anniversary as we were driving by after having a nice brunch aboard the Good Time Two. We were listening to Tom Hamilton on WTAM 1100 when someone hit a homerun, the crowd went wild, we heard it and decided we wanted to be there too. So we parked the car, found a scalper and the rest is history. :)

So when The Jake changed its name, we struggled a bit. What would we call it now "The Prog"? (That was actually my husband's idea.) But last night, it proved an appropriate name for this new stage of life we've recently hit. Namely, the stage where we can go to a large public gathering, such as a professional baseball game, with our children and actually find more enjoyment in the process than stress. (Notice I did not say it was entirely stress-free.)

So we are progressing. And we had so much fun (despite what I may look like in the above picture taken with the cell phone)!

And Cleveland even won!

GO TRIBE!

Fishsticks and Lilacs

Since I started my blog, I've been trying to be more aware of and actively searching for those mini revelations I often get while just doing the mundane. That worked for a while, and kept my blog going for a few weeks, but now I'm back to the mundane with not much depth of thought to share. I'm sure there's lots going on somewhere in that brain of mine, but it just ain't revealing itself quite yet. So for now, we'll have to settle with just plain updates.
I have found that as the weather gets increasingly beautfiul, the family meals become decreasingly so. Last summer, I thought maybe I had lost my love for cooking. This time around, though, I've discovered that it's not so much a love lost, but a love put on the backburner (no pun intended, though it turned out nicely, huh?) for a season or two (namely spring and summer). The nicer it is outside, the less likely I am to be inside cooking or even planning a meal. Sadly, in fact, during this season I often find myself in the late afternoon/early evening having forgotten entirely that I have a family that will be needing dinner in an hour (or 5 minutes, depending on how lost in the moment I am). So I'm scrambling (in my brain while I remain outside) to come up with something that can be thrown together quickly. And usually I come up with something like ... fishsticks. Well, at least for the girls. I can often throw together something like a salad or something for my husband and myself expecting that we'll scrounge later when we get hungry again. :) And there actually are some great things about the fishstick meal at our house. First off, I'm almost guaranteed that the youngest (seriously the very definition of PICKY when it comes to food) will eat (provided ketchup is also involved in the meal). Secondly, they are absolutely the easiest entree to complement with side dishes -- anything pretty much goes with fishsticks!! Finally, the aforementioned benefit is that it's a quick and easy meal. (Albeit not very healthy.) I guess we can't have everything.
Well, at least we get to enjoy the lilacs we cut while being outside all day as we eat our (not so) gourmet meal! :)

Blogger In Training

This morning I got to help the oldest write a story. I know I'm a little biased, but I'm telling you she's a really good author! :) So today, in honor of her hard work, I've chosen to publish her story, kindergarten spelling and all, on the bria blog ...

the big bug

Once upona time there was a bug named Lola. She was a very small butterfly. She sall (i.e. saw) a very big bug. When she sall the big bug she flyd (i.e. flied) away. When she was back home she wishd to be big too. When she went to sleep her wish came troo and she was Lola the big bug just like the big bug.

the end

Ah, if only it were trooly that simple. :) Good stuff, huh?

The Familiarity of the New

Did I mention I love springtime?

Today as I continued the "rolling my lawn" process, I got to bask in the sunshine and in the loud silence that my earplugs provide (so I don't go deaf from the loud engine). And I was reminded of the joys of last summer. I got excited to be approaching a new season in this beautiful rural land from a more experienced circumstance. I mean that this will be our second spring here, so I know the fun stuff I have to look forward to. As I drive past the sprouting daffodils and budding lilacs, I know what they will be. And I can anticipate all of the overgrowth in the woods which will bring with it lots and lots of blackberries (I hope) along with much poison ivy and thorny things. So I'll be more prepared this time -- to soak it all in as it comes, and to kill the dreadful poison as it makes itself known.

Usually I am one who loves and thrives on newness. But this year I am really enjoying the comfort and security of knowing what to expect from the spring and the summer -- long days playing and working outside with my kids. Playing bocce ball with my husbnad. Pulling lots and lots of weeds. Watching the bunnies eat my strawberries and then trying to figure out how to beat them to the perfectly ripe one.

I can't wait! And I'm loving the wait. All at the same time. :)

Look at how much fun we had last summer!

I Love This Yard

This week marks the one-year anniversary of our official move to Moreland. Not quite a town, no zipcode of its own, but a way-out-in-the-country little community which our family has grown to love.

There is so much to love about this place. Franklin Township Elementary School and all 150 or so students and teachers. The beautiful rolling hills that constantly scream out God's creative majesty. Listening to the clippety-cloppety Amish buggies rolling by as we eat dinner with the windows open. Mowing the lawn. And, as of today, I can add to this list the joy of rolling my lawn (see picture above). You see, a short twelve months ago, I had no idea that there was even such a thing as rolling a lawn. And now, not only do I know about it, but I know first-hand HOW it is done! I also know, as of this evening, how to get a riding lawn mower unstuck from a muddy lawn (Calmly turn the mower off before walking inside your home, and lovingly tell your husband you got stuck in the mud. Then, when he tells you the ground is still too soft to be rolling the lawn if you're getting stuck in the mud, smile innocently and grab the camera before following him outside to "help him".) And I love my new knowledge. Mostly because I love to mow my lawn. There's just something about driving on the grass that is so fun!! And it's so beautiful! This is what I get to look at while I mow . . .
I'm so glad we live here!!

Ok, just so you don't think I'm a total nerd, I still love Starbucks and Target.

But here's one more look at our backyard . . .

Ain't it purty?!?