Licensed to drive!

Rebekah got her driver's license today! It was quite an ordeal, as we went to the wrong test center at first. But when we finally go to the right one - late - all of Becka's lessons and practice pain off and she was awarded with the slip to get her photo done. Yay!!!








Becka with her license at the test center















Telling Bubbe she passed

















In her Jeep - finally!

Aunt Helen

David's Aunt Helen died on Saturday. Her service was yesterday. Aunt Helen was friendly and hospitable. I always enjoyed her company. Many at the funeral remarked that she was quite the hostess, keenly aware of proper ettiquete; she knew how to make guests comfortable. She wasn't stuffy though. Rather, she was approachable and fun to be with. In fact, she was especially fond of - and good at -card-playing. She was the hostess with the mostess. Up until the end of her life, she was hospitable, making her visitors feel welcome, showing more interest in their lives than dwelling on her illness. I am so used to seeing her at every family gathering. How strange her absense will be at the next one.

Time with the Lord

I try to spend 15-20 minutes in devotions every morning. Sometimes I get out of the habit, and soon find myself spiritually weak. I am ashamed that I can spend 2 hours watching a movie, 30 minutes on the phone, or an hour surfing the net, but cannot spend 20 minutes with the Lord.

Here are a couple tips to help keep devotions going:

• Have a quiet, pleasant place set aside, just for devotions. Distract your kids. (Noah's morning cartoons work!)


• Have some coffee or tea to drink as you study. This seems to settle me in for a special time, as it would for an intimate visit with a friend.


• Have a notebook handy, for any epiphanies that may occur to you as your read the Word.


• Follow a line of study. You know right where to start, making it easy to just get going; no wasting time paging through to see what you might study that day. For example, I recently started reading through the gospels. I haven't done this for years. I am well-acquainted with many parts, but there are other parts that are new to me.

Here are two places I have my devotions. I prefer the outdoor location if weather is nice. The breezes and singing birds are a nice atmosphere to study by. Indoors, I have a place in my sunroom that I like. I can even close of the french doors to cloister myself more completely.

Missing: two front teeth

Noah lost his other top front tooth today. It was soooo loose, I just plucked it out, w/o much warning. Noah let me know he was not happy about that. He ran to the bathroom to spit out the blood in the sink, and woefully exclaimed, "Now I look like a vampire!" Soon enough, he was back to his silly self.

Later on, Sarah was teasing Becka about something, and got that naughty look on her face when she's been especially bratty... I don't want to forget that look. A year from now, she could be living in another state. :(

Birthday party & the solar system

We threw Noah a 7-1/2 year old birthday party last night. He really turned 7 in March, but that's no season for a kids party. Our house isn't big enough for 10 noisy 7 years olds to tear around in. So I made the decision to have the party at a local park. We reserved the pavillion and waited. The wait was due to all the other dates taken. What I wanted to take place in early May took til late July. Knowing a date was set, Noah bugged and bugged, and eventually forgot about his party. And then it happened. Kids everywhere - 12 showed. Running, scootering, giggling, chasing. It was much fun. They only stopped long enough to down hot dogs and then cake. I did get them to play two games: eggs on spoons and cotton ball transfer, a favorite. The cotton ball game brought much laughter, as it always does.

Today, Noah and I assembled some of his goodies: a race track, a radio-controlled car, and solar system mobile from Cousin Elizabeth. Noah and I especially enjoyed painting the glow-in-the-dark paint on the planets. Now we just have to hang it.

Parable of the Sower

I am studying Matthew 13:18-23, the parable of the sower, who sowed seed in different kinds of soil. I've always wondered if the people mentioned in verses 20 (stony places) and 22 (among thorns) were truly converted, but not very fruitful, just weak Christians, who'll make it into heaven, but not have done anything for the Lord. Then I read Matthew 7:19-23, where Jesus points out the "acid test" of whether someone's a Christian or not: "by their fruits ye shall know them." Then He goes on to illustrate how some will point out the things they did as Christians, but He says to them, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." So apparently they were false Christians, sometimes acting like Christians, but still living in sin, "working
iniquity. What is iniquity? The dictionary says -

–noun, plural -ties.
1. gross injustice or wickedness.
2. a violation of right or duty; wicked act; sin.

So, they people are not just living in sin, they are actively promoting it! But also, calling themselves Christians. Basically, they are extremely two-faced.

Well, that cleared it up for me. The people in Matthew 13:18-23 are not truly converted. They are phonies. Very sobering.

Practice makes pretty good

Noah and I are practicing on our cellos a lot lately. There have been some 30 minute moments in each day lately that I can tuck these practices neatly into. He was complaining tonight, but he really only worked at it for 15 minutes, then a break, then 5 more minutes. It really does make a difference.

I am learning the following songs (that Noah has down already):

French Folk Song
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
Allegro
May Song
O Come, Little Children

In other news, Noah had his swimming test today. He did well, but didn't pass. This is common, I hear. Most kids don't pass the first time through. But he gave it his best shot. He even swam without his float "pack," only a noodle. I video-taped him for the fam. They all get a kick out of his various endeavors. It's really neat to see the bigger kids take such an interest in him.

The other night I changed Noah's sheets (from bear-print to plain white). Soon after, as I tucked him in, he made a strange remark: "There's something not right with this bed." I probed what that might be. "Well, it's these white sheets - I feel like an old man and dying." I assured him that we all used white sheets from time to time, as that's what's clean in the closet. He was somewhat satisfied with this answer, and settled in for prayers, hearts*, and kisses.

Rebekah and I are getting into Sudoku. She is very good at it, but tells me she's gotten rusty. I, however, slowly poke through the "easy" ones, bugging Becka or Ben to help me out a little. I am getting it, though, and it's rather addictive.

Sarah worked 12-hour shifts yesterday and today. She's off tomorrow. This is the first week she's on the floor, and I think its a lot to take in. Three months from now she'll laugh at how hard it seemed at first.

I applied for part-time jobs today. I hit three jewelry stores, two Hallmark stores, and a children's clothing store (which I love to but Noah's clothes from). If I get the clothing store, I think I'll get a discount. I have an interview tomorrow. I'll see what comes of the other places, and then decide what to do.

*Hearts - a little saying Noah and I came up with after he once told me (at age 4) that his heart loved my heart. He eventually added, "even my beating heart loves your beating heart." So we say this to each other thusly, every night:

Noah: "My heart loves your heart."

Me: "Even my heart loves your heart."

Noah: "My beating heart loves your beating heart."

Me: Even my beating heart loves your beating heart."

He made this whole pattern up. I hope we continue to say it for a long time. Afterwards, he gives me a kiss on my left cheek, nose, and right cheek. And that ends our bedtime ritual. (Which started with a prayer.)

Sarah is engaged!

This past Sunday, on our lower porch, with birds singing in the background, Praveen took our daughter's hand, knelt before her, and asked her to be his wife. She said yes, and a new chapter in her life began...

We are all very excited to welcome this exceptional young man into our family! He is trying to get a job in this area, so that he and Sarah can build a family nearby a good support system. I know that they'll be fine where ever they live. David and I enjoyed living out of state for five years of our marriage - three in VA, and two in CT. It was good for us to be on our own.

We have prayed for a good husband for Sarah since she was a baby. Isn't God good?

Day at the Smithsonian

David, Sarah, Praveen, Noah, and I went to the Smithsonian yesterday. We walked our feet off, but got our fill of museums. We hit the Air & Space, American History, and Natural History museums, as well as the WWII Memorial fountain, and the Lincoln Memorial. Noah was especially looking forward to the Air & Space Museum and the Lincoln Memorial. Some pics:

Injected with relief!

My little girl passed her NCLEX today! That's the really, really, really difficult nursing exam that one must pass to practice nursing. She is so relieved - she's been studying hard for 2 months, even while in Europe. Now, she's ready to give injections, anywhere, anytime! Hurray! I'm so proud of you, Sarah Jane!

Spared by 3 seconds

Sarah came home for lunch today, and on her way back to the hospital, drove by a nearby park. Right before her eyes, a foot-thick, 20-foot-long tree branch fell - right in front of her car. She missed being hit by three seconds! She told me that if she hadn't paused in the driveway to put some lipgloss on, it probably would have dropped on her car, injuring or even killing her. Thank You, Lord, for your protection!

Binding and loosing

I read something in my Bible time yesterday that left me puzzling:

" Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20:22, 23

What could this mean? That the apostles or even any Christian can forgive or withhold forgiveness from people? That they could act in God's place? There was a reference to Matthew 18:18:

"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (This verse follows verses specifically talking about the steps of church discipline.)

I began to read various commentaries, and found what I thought to be the best explaination: these verses have to do with church discipline. For example, the church leaders (starting with the apostles whom Jesus breathed on) are given the responsiblity of dealing with backslidden Christians. If there's a woman in the church who is living with a man she's not married to, and won't respond to the steps laid out in Matt 18:15,16 (one person speaks to her about it, then 2-3 more if she doesn't respond), the next step is to bring the matter to the elders of the church. They will then decide if she should be put out of the church. Their decision is binding her, making a boundary concerning her. If she repents, they'll loose her from it, and let her join back into fellowship. This is serious business, even to the point of being recognized in heaven.

Here's the site I learned the most from: http://www.geocities.com/dcheddie/john20_1.html

I thought this a very interesting study, especially as all I ever heard about binding and loosing had to do with binding demons and loosing Christians from their grasps.

various thoughts

Boys. I always wanted a baby boy, and more that one if possible. They were my favorite playmates as a girl, and I often wanted to be one. I love my boys.

Noah has gotten out of shape. In the cello department, that is. What with entertaining and just plain busy-ness, I haven't made him practice for (I hope his teacher doesn't read this!) a week. And so he is rusty. He literally sounded rusty 20 minutes ago as I put him through his paces. Today will be a 2-practice day, to catch up for his next lesson.

Sarah takes her NCLEX in one week. She has studied so hard, and taken 3 practice tests, each with a higher score. I look forward to her passing it almost as much as she does!

Rebekah cam home on June 28th, and went right to work at a local grocery store. She is learning to drive this summer via a driving school. It's been difficult to organize a sitter for Noah every time I want to take Becka out, so this way it gets done. I took driving lessons the same way, and it worked well for me. Her teacher's name is Buster. He's in his 50s and has a beard. Oh, and he's very calm.

Here's Sarah. Time to talk about her day...