Life Interrupted, Part 1

Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe how I've felt for the last almost two weeks.

The events of March 11 shook up our world in ways we could not have anticipated at the time. Shortly after 2:30 that afternoon, the ground started shaking beneath our feet. Having spent several years in Southern California, this was not a new experience for me. The earthquake didn't seem particularly big to me at the time it was happening - but what did stand out was how.incredibly.long it seemed to go on. I kept thinking it must certainly be done and I was just feeling dizzy, but then I'd notice the door was still swinging, or things rattling on the shelves. However, once it was finally done, we thought "No big deal. We are in Japan - there's earthquakes here all the time." We were even surprised it took us nine full months to get our first one. Back to business as usual. Boy, were we wrong!!!

That evening, however, things were still going on as usual. I even attended the dinner to kick off the women's Bible conference our chapel was sponsoring that weekend. We followed our scheduled program but took the time to pray for the people of Japan, since we were already starting to hear reports of damage from the tsunami that had hit Sendai following the earthquake. We had no clear concept, however, of how extensive that had really been.

It wasn't until the next morning that the reality of what had happened in the aftermath of the earthquake started taking place. The women's conference went on with Day 2, which was in a nearby town about a 45 minute bus ride away. I opted to pass on that day, feeling a little too nervous to be so far from my crew. Initially, we focused on how merciful God had been that in such a BIG quake (it was measured as a 9.0 at the epicenter), there had been so little damage from the shaking itself. We heard virtually no reports of major damage due to the earthquake. That, however, turn to a deep concern as the realization of the massive damage from the tsunami became a reality. And a true and very real concern for a nation of people who for the most part do not know the Lord.

The next few days were spent in prayer for those experiencing loss due to this tragedy, and pleading that this would be used for God's glory and that those in need would turn to the true source of all comfort.

I can't even remember when we started to hear about the concerns relating to the nuclear plant. The days all kind of blur into one another now. We did not want to panic, and patiently waited out the first few days hoping the situation would be reversed and it would turn into a non-issue. We tried to reassure family members stateside, telling them we would be sent home when deemed necessary. We just didn't know how fast that would be.......

Part 2 to follow........

God is our refuge and strength
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

(Psalm 46:1 - 2)

All By Myself

Josiah is learning to dress himself.

I like it - but I don't at the same time!! youknowwhatImean

He's also VERY particular about what he wears.

His absolute preference is jeans.

As a matter of fact, if it's not jeans I'm trying to get him to wear, I literally have to wrestle him into his clothes.

And then he walks around for half the day holding his pants up as though they're burning into his legs!

Sensory issues, or strong-willed child?

I'm honestly not sure.

He even says he wants a "jean" shirt!!!!!!

And if anyone else is wearing jeans, he goes up and rubs them and says "I love your jeans!!"

Be Still

Again, we are thankful that we are all OK at our home, and all our immediately surrounding communities. However, there is devastation all across the country, and that leaves one feeling helpful, fearful, and frankly, somewhat depressed. It reminds me of the feeling we had being overseas on 9-11, or the awe and devastation felt following Katrina.

It is exactly at times like this, when we are at the end of our ropes, when we are brought face to face with our helplesness and our total LACK OF CONTROL - that we must turn to Him!!!! A time of crisis serves to remind us that we are in fact NOT in control, that each day is a gift - not a guarantee, that at any moment it can all be gone - all in the blink of an eye.

Please continue praying along with me for the families of Japan, and also that all of those affected will not give in to fear, but instead use this opportunity to draw closer to our Father.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love...." (2 Tim. 1:7)

Shaking Things Up

Thank you to all who have contacted me to check on our family. We are well, thank God, and the quake was not huge where we are at. We are also far inland enough that the *tsunami did not affect us either. It still certainly is scary even when you grew up with things like this - especially when there is such devastation around you (not in my immediate surroundings, but feels a bit "close" to home). Please lift the Japanese people up in prayer today - and that somehow God's name be lifted up through this in this nation that needs Him so much. Maybe through outreach in the days to come some of us can help that happen!!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!!

In honor of Dr. Seuss, we had this for lunch:




I just make them, but I can't actually eat them. I can barely even cook them - they look too pukey to me. So I make them for my kids, who enchantedly eat them, and then I make myself good-ol' yellow scrambled eggs. Thank you.

No Milk, Thank You

Well, we spent a whole week waiting for a doctor's appointment. Lanie had been having a lot of tummy issues lately (she's really kind of had tummy issues her whole life, but they were getting significantly worse), so I wanted to check out what was going on. But of course I couldn't sit for a week and do NOTHING, so I started researching. Between that and the little tiny bit of nursing knowledge that remains in my brain after all these years being not so formally used, I came to the conclusion that the problem might be lactose.

So, I took her off all dairy (all "visible" milk, anyways) and she started feeling MUCH better.

Today was the much awaited doctor's appt.

And what did the doctor say???

Well, if she was having belly issues, and you took her off dairy, and she's feeling better, then, yeah, she probably IS lactose intorelant.

Wow!!!! We pay her for that?? And to think I interrupted a perfectly good homeschooling day to hear her say that!!!