resonating ideas

Do you ever have times when God's word keeps being repeated to you from various sources in a short timeframe? That has happened to me before, and it happened twice this week. Gave me a funny feeling too. I need to write it down and ponder in case I need to act on the message.

1. So, Pastor Noah links to Mark Batterson' s blog where I first heard of him and his new book, "Wild Goose Chase." The other day while on Crosswalk.com I clicked on a regular commenter's blog link. She had a review of the book and the one thing I took away from it was Batterson's point: Don't let what's wrong in life stop you from praising God for what' good. (that's my paraphrase)

I really like that thought and considered adding the quote under my signature somewhere, but I didn't. That was yesterday.

Now today, on Pastor Noah's blog were some thoughts shared by a woman, Lisa. One thing she said is "When you hit an obstacle, don't focus on it because there is too much beauty around to look upon." paraphrasing again)

Both statements remind me of a more familiar message that I try to adhere to: When you face trials, look beyond your current circumstance and look up to our Lord. (like Peter in the midst of the storm, out on the boat)

A second message has repeated itself too. Sometimes I wonder if it is because believers tend to read and reflect on the same material, and other times I wonder if it is because it is what God is relaying through us all. OK, the second message is simple and apparently well known, but I'd never heard of it until this week, and now I've seen it three times:

2. An article in the September issue of In Touch mentioned a small plaque that said, "One life, will soon be past, only what's done for God will last." Never heard that little poem in my life, though of course the message is familiar. Well, on Pastor Noah's Twitter update today I see "only what's done for God will last" and then a short time later on Mark Batterson's blog I see the little poem repeated.

I wonder what our Lord has for me to do this week.

What is Sweet and Simple

Today I actually did have a decaf latte (from Starbucks) as in the blog title. I'd given them up for the summer. More often I brew a cup at home on my downtime, and I guess it is cafe con leche. I add evaporated milk for just the right level of creaminess--not too much, I don’t want milk with a touch of coffee--and I've taken to using brown sugar instead of refined white sugar for whatever that’s worth.

This afternoon I wanted to reflect on what especially impressed me this week:

What I’ve appreciated the most are basics—like, I’m thankful that it is possible to find a quiet moment of solitude. It amazes me sometimes that with our relatively dense population, it is still possible to be alone. I relish it.

Similarly, I sometimes marvel when I’m outdoors and, for a few seconds, there’s no detectable sound of traffic or people. I try to stop and take in the silence. I live just outside DC, so we have a lot of bustle.

I appreciate my husband. The other day after work he wanted to run me a bubble bath. That was the first time since my childhood that my bath was prepared for me. Although I really had planned to take a shower and rush into our home office to get on the computer, I took time to sit in the tub and reflect on his thoughtfulness and to realize that I’m special to him and that my husband is a gift. Awww!

I am proud of my 3 ½ year old son who only recently is beginning to sleep in his own bed through the entire night. I’ve been used to having little feet pressing into my back for the past few years, and now I get to stretch out some. Truth be told, I'll miss the nightly routine that was a sweet time of bonding. He would drift off to sleep beside me after we had our chat as I rested on a pillow beside him while reading a book. It is a little sad for me to know the toddler stage is over, but I encourage my son to stay in his own bed through the night. (and not be fearful) We still have our time, but now I go to his room and kneel at his bedside to talk, listen and pray with him before he goes to sleep. He tells God what he enjoyed and what he’s looking forward to. “Spiderman and moonbounce”

They're All the Rage

My inner circle must be a little smallish, because I somehow missed out on the new trend toward the use of bpa-free, nonplastic beverage containers. In fact, I was informed yesterday that plastic, which America knows and loves, is now hazardous to our health because, for example, it can leak harmful chemicals into bottled water or other beverages that are stored for long periods of time, and perhaps even more potentially harmful--it can break down and contaminate food that's microwaved in plastic dishes.

So, I'm advised to do a Google search on "bpa free" to find out more about this. In the meantime, I've learned that Sigg company of Switzerland is in high demand to produce their cool and attractive (really artsy) aluminum/ceramic bottles. The demand is so high that when I visited their online store yesterday, I read that Internet sales have been discontinued for the indefinite future because they simply don't have enough product. Check out www.mysigg.com.

You don't have to order from Switzerland though--at least, if you act quickly you may be able to purchase from a selection at certain Whole Foods stores and REI outdoors stores. There are some others too that I'm less familiar with.

The bottles I saw were $19.00. They cannot go into a dishwasher, and large ice cubes won't fit into them. Because they are narrow, an assortment of bottle brushes have been offered to help with cleaning. But these bottles are so cool and personalized! I recall the joy we had as kids in the 1970s drinking from the thermoses that came with our lunchboxes. ("You have Scooby Doo, I have Micky Mouse")

However, Sigg isn't the only company with an alternative to plastic bottles. Also very cool, from what I saw yesterday, is the cheaper selection (less artsy) by Klean Kanteen (www.kleankanteen.com). These canteens are made from food-grade stainless steel, and they can go into the dishwasher. They have small sizes for kids to sip from and several larger sizes and an assortment of caps to purchase.

Honestly, I don't use much bottled water and when I do, I recycle the bottles so that they won't overflow the landfills. But that's an environmental issue. If we're talking health, then what about my beloved Tupperware pitcher that has served me so well for the past 15 years? What about my plastic sandwich bags?

For now, I'll continue heating my food on stoneware plates and worry about the rest later. But I may get some of those cool new bottles.

Farewell Dad

Daddy departed this life at 7:15 this morning, August 1, in peace. With great fortitude he endured the long journey, and we know the Lord has allowed him to enter His rest. I am grateful that, as a very proud father, Daddy got the chance to see his children mature into competent and compassionate adults and to know and delight in his grandchildren -- 16 and counting! I thank God for our opportunity to love and care for Daddy through his trial and to say our goodbyes, and especially, for Mom's faith and peace in Christ.

May God bless all the family, friends, medical caregivers and others, known and unknown, who have helped our family. In love, Alexine

..."The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

from Matthew 25: 34-40
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:34-40;&version=31;

Midsummer's To-Do List

OK, just consider me spontaneous. I am not one to plan much in advance. Well, I have my must-dos and I do play it safe, but as far as mapping out my weekend or my summer or my yearly vacations...never happens. Even my wedding was planned and held within three months of my husband's proposal. It was a lovely wedding too. I just can't get caught up in too much complexity or discussion. Simple, straightforward, and pleasant is what I like.

This is not always good, because I find that entire summers can pass without my doing or experiencing what I had in mind. This summer my to-do list is simple again:

• order book for girlfriends' bookclub in time for August meeting (couple weeks left)(canceled)
• order something from Carol's Daughter store (going on two years now)
• visit Capital Christian Fellowship in Lanham, MD (done)
• return to Capital Christian Fellowship in Lanham, MD (done)
  
• visit 49 West restaurant in Annapolis w/Mom in Sept to see Crabgrass--my favorite prof's bluegrass group
• visit St. Michael's, Maryland w/Mom and Charlita--check out Crabclaw Restaurant
• visit Ebenezer's Cafe on 2nd and F Sts. N.E. , DC near Union Station(did a drive by)
  
• order Corinne Bailey Rae's CD
• order Tye Tribbet's CD and new releases from Emtro Gospel (you guys check out Emtrogospel.com) (done)
  
• have a girlfriend's get-together

Highlights and Insights on a Welcome Friday

Today was good. Busy workday, but a productive end of the work week. Looking back, it was a stressful week: stalled car, scarce dollars, empty cabinets, headaches, twice forgetting to take my son's cup to daycare, two wet-bed accidents from my 3-year old (middle of night and early morning), last-minute laundry and grocery errands on the way to work, and low gas...argghh! But I made it through with sanity intact and some laughs and love mixed in. Oh, and a good performance review at work. Thank God.

Small pleasures today:

Oh my goodness, the Oscar Meyer deli creations "flatbread chicken w/ bacon ranch sauce" Delicious! Every one of the deli creations that I've tried has been excellent. Two for $5.00 is decent too!

Ahh! Had to stop at Safeway on the way to taking Monte to daycare. They had that new coffee that we got as a sample in Silver Spring--Seattle's Best. I had no idea about all the varieties, but I was pleased to see a mark-down bin full of ground and whole beans for $3.99 each. On the aisle shelf I'd passed them over because I couldn't afford them at nearly $9.00 for a smallish bag.

Another treat, I got four Kit Kat bars for $1.80, less than .50 cents each. Don't see that nowadays. I'll give three to my family.


Grace and Light:
I'm thankful for my family and friends for so many reasons. I'm so appreciating the peace that comes when praying to God. Our family so needs God's comfort and strength as my dad enters hospice. Thankful that he didn't have to stay at the first dismal, inadequate long-term care facility and a that a quality hospice has arranged to care for him. God bless my father and his care team. Bless Mom as well as we all trust you to carry us through and address our immediate needs. May we also be useful in service to you in a demonstration of your love to others. Amen.

In Defense of the 'Hood

In response to comments on a Washington Post article concerning crime in the N.E. Washington, D.C. Trinidad neighborhood, I had to add my two cents' worth today. I wish I had more answers and help, but what I know is this:

My parents moved there 7 yrs ago after raising us in S.S. & Tak. Pk., MD. I was taken aback because I remember hearing of that exact street in the late 1980s and it wasn't the place to be. I've learned, however, that it isn't the residents who commit these crimes. My parents' neighbors (friends) are old fashioned, southern, (many retired), friendly, everyone-knows-everyone and their mama, brother, cousin...They will look out for your car, bring you a Sunday newspaper or a plate of food, even medical supplies for your sick spouse. They repair each other's cars, do DIY projects and fundraisers for each other and support good causes. They give rides to church and to hospital.

The male babies grow up and perhaps to some they are suddenly viewed as a threat, but we know that they are the same kids that have been there the whole time and who have loving families who are proud of them.

Whoever has commited these murders needs to be taken off the street. They too are someone's neighbor, of course, but I seriously doubt they live in the Trinidad neighborhood and shoot at people who would ID them. It isn't an all-black neighborhood anymore. It is fast-changing--on the block is a mixture of families: Afr. Am. (young/old), Latino, Asian, and white singles. Also, Gallaudet students pass through and live in the vicinity.

See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/20/AR2008072002025.html