I really should save this for Dr. Seuss Day (March 2nd).
BIG D
little d
David Donald Doo
dreamed a dozen doughnuts
and a duck-dog, too!
(Dr. Seuss’ ABC)
I have no idea what Heddie was doing or why that stuffed ducked ended up where it did! Copyright, SnipeWife
I do also have to say, our adoption group slapped our hands because Crook and Heddie have been photographed “naked” (without tag collars) on more than one occasion. Don’t worry, tag collars have been successfully employed.
DH has his moments. We’ve had a few speed bumps over the years, some worse than others but we are strong and solid. DH and I have been on quite a roller coaster with my myriad of problems, both emotional and physical (one causing the other often), this past year. Throw on top of that the ordeal of caring for Cassie in her final months last summer while I was still undiagnosed. DH has taken care of me and put up with so much.
I think one of things I was supposed to learn from the psoriatic arthritis as well as the panic attacks, etc., was to slow down. Tell people No. Prioritize.
While I was in the midst of it all I did tell people No. And then some–my filter was totally off. (See both Why Is It? and Why Is It Part 2.) I took care of me and mine and kept my obligations to a minimum.
There was a time when I could be guilted into thinking “If I don’t do it, no one will.” That’s bunk. Someone will. Nature abhors a vacuum. But sometimes, yes, for a time no one steps up until the right person comes along. And in the grand scheme of things, often these things that “have to get done” are trivial.
But now I’m feeling better. I’m watching my short temper and not being snarky. This is a busy time for scouts and we have much to get done. We have roughly 25 scouts in three levels, with 8 leaders plus two floaters, one of whom is our service unit director (SUD). She has a ton on her plate and I do not want to see any more piled on her. I think it is mutual but at the same time she also knows if SnipeWife doesn’t do it, no one will step up.
I certainly do not think I am the only one who can lead and do these things and organize them (although I do often think I can do them better!) but I think the other 7 leaders think I am the only one who can do these things and lead. Or they think SnipeWife will do it, why should we extend ourselves?
We had a long day yesterday with Thinking Day in the morning and what is called Cookie Jam in the evening. A very long day. In the morning, each level took care of their own projects and their own girls. But in the evening by default I was in charge. Keep in mind I never actually said I would be. At one point I do remember being told by the SUD “Someone has to be because it can’t be me.” (She was working the event in an official capacity.)
Six of the 8 leaders were present. And I just let the 5 leaders get by. I should have just handed the official bag over and said, “Take a head count, sign in, keep track of them, sign them out. Not too hard. See you later–I’m going home to spend some quality time with my husband who has selflessly taken care of me for the past seven months with little reward.”
If this was the lesson I was supposed to be learning, I failed miserably. Just because I’m feeling better does not mean I need to get back into old habits; habits that took their toll on my physically and emotionally. I may be Wonder Woman but I am Wonder Woman of my own domain, not of anyone else’s!
I felt so bad for DH. What a lousy way to spend our last day/night. I should have put him first–the girls were taken care of. I guess he couldn’t sleep so he got up well before the alarm and I guess figured rather than toss and turn he should get up and get going. I could not go back to sleep. I sobbed in his arms–I usually am very careful to make decisions I can live with and try to have very little regrets over my actions but I really regret this choice.
Keep in mind, I am very moody and hormonal. Saturday had been my first prednisone free day. Grant it, I was on a very low dose but seven months of steroids or NSAIDs starts to add up, no matter how low the dose. And it was apparently making PMS a bit worse.
I can’t always set aside my obligations–for example, this summer before I knew DH’s schedule I volunteered to teach at summer camp again. But I will plan accordingly and make sure I have quality time with him before he ships out again. I should have, however, set this obligation aside and others could have and should have done the job for me.
I’m not going to let this backslide continue–my health and my family are too important to me.
I won’t feel better until I can put my arms around him again and tell him how much I appreciate all he has done for me. Don’t worry, I will do my best not to let it eat at me either. DH understood my choice and holds nothing against me–but I still feel guilty. It is in my genes. 
Okay, so I may be missing the point of taking a picture each day, but I am still taking more pictures than I usually do.
Feb. 12 The church sign still hasn’t changed so on Wednesday night I went into the auditorium after classes and took a few pictures. I got some great ones of the mural in the baptistery but I’ll save those for later. This is the communion table.
In Remembrance of Me, copyright SnipeWife
Feb. 13 Crook and Heddie were sleeping Ying & Yang style and I took plenty of pictures of that but I loved how Crook’s legs were posed. I had no idea she could write Celtic runes! This is the shape of the Rune of Joy. Guess this means she is happy and knows how much joy she has brought us? (Thanks Brian Froud and Ari Berk, The Runes of Elfland)
Crook writes in Celtic runes! Copyright SnipeWife
Feb. 14-17 As usual, I took no pictures on Valentine’s. It was an unusual day… we were getting ready to have a house full of scouts so DH and I met at an Indian restaurant for a quiet lunch. I didn’t take any more pictures until later in the week on Friday when DH and I took one last walk together with the pups.
May the Lord Watch, Copyright SnipeWife
This first picture is of the back of a headstone on the battlefield cemetery we live next to… in fact our backyard was a battlefield and encampment for union troops. (Oops, another big hint on where we might live!) DH has left so I thought the Mizpah sentiment was appropriate.
North, South, East, West damage from all sides, Copyright SnipeWife
I’m not really sure how old this structure is but it survived the Civil War. DH was noticing that the building had markers for cannon and gunfire damage on all sides but the battle was fought in an East-West direction. Guess he felt there were an awful lot of poorly aimed North-South fire as well.
Composition experiment, Copyright SnipeWife
Just experimenting with composition with this shot. The sign with the historic building in the background, round and straight.
Union monument and guest, Copyright SnipeWife
This is a rather tall monument erected to the union soldiers. It overlooks a major road in our area. The little black bird on top was overlooking it all. I can digital zoom on my little PowerShotbut you lose quality. Again, makes me want to have a little better camera, but I really don’t need one.
Crook & Heddie as Cerberus, Copyright SnipeWife
Tired of getting great hind shots of Crook and Heddie or of them comatose on their beds, I wanted to get some front shots. DH was in the background of many. I like this one and they could almost pass for Cerberus but they are too sweet to be the guardians of Hades.
Feb. 18What a long day! In the middle I had to take DH to pick up his rental car. We passed this on our way in and DH said I had to stop and get a picture of it on our way home. I really wasn’t going to stop but DH pulled into the parking lot. I like it when he gets involved in my projects.
Rhinos on the Road, Copyright Snipewife
I had taken a funny picture of Heddie on DH’s camera that I wanted to include so I asked him to upload his camera before leaving. Unfortunately, I cannot find it on our shared network so I have to wait until I can talk to him to figure out where the picture is. Boo.
My thoughts here are for my edification. I have definite opinions that are, for lack of better terms, of a conservative bent and will most likely offend on some level readers of this blog. My intent is not to offend. Nor is it to open up to debate my personal beliefs. If my beliefs cannot be respected, please do not continue reading this post and come back on another day.
So the new Wednesday class is studying Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt. We haven’t gotten to THE radical experiment part but we were challenged this week to be a Trader.
What is a Trader? While the idea comes from another source, the gist of it is this in relation to the lesson: trade the “me centered focus” for a “God centered focus.”
The challenge to the participants is this: find something, anything that you would normally do for yourself, and trade it for something that you normally wouldn’t do that puts God first.
One of things that came to mind right away for me was the Writing Workshop post I usually do on Thursday (Day 1 of the challenge). I write this blog for me first off, if anyone else reads it that is gravy. So with fond regard to Mama Kat, I’m a Trading in my post for one that I hope gives God the glory and touches the heart of anyone who might stumble upon it.
In our ladies class, which I have only just started going back to (a struggle I’ve had to overcome), we are studying Keeping Your Balanceby Nancy Eichman. (Are you noticing a theme in our Bible studies lately?) One of the first points of the study is that unless we try to live a life like Jesus, balance will elude us.
Why Jesus? Why a life like Jesus’?
New International Version (NIV)
7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Emphasis mine.
We started off by talking about Job and how we learn from and take comfort from the story of a man like Job–God never left him and Job never turned from him. Yes, Job did, as we all do, cry out “Why?”
And you know what? We are allowed to do that. God allows for us to ask “Why?” He allows us to say, “You know what, this stinks.” Job did. Job asked why.
There is a fine line, though, between asking for answers and asking in an accusation of blame. And God gave Job an answer: “When you speak without knowledge, you question me. Unless you were with me at Creation, with the same power and glory, who are you to question me?”
Job answered humbly, “I did speak without knowledge. And you answered me saying ‘listen and hear and then I have a question for you.’ I had heard of you but now I see you. I know I was wrong.”
The key is Job never turned from God, even though he dangerously asked in accusation. He did not listen to the counsel of his friends or his wife. God had harsh words for them in the end.
The passage in Hebrews says again that even Christ offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears. Even Christ was able to say “This stinks and if there is any other possible way for this to be done, please, PLEASE do it.” But he didn’t end his prayer there. “Nevertheless, not my will but thine.” Job acknowledged the power and glory of God and asked for forgiveness. Christ submitted himself wholly to the will of God.
That is what God asks of us in our time of sorrow and trial. God ALWAYS hears the prayers of the righteous. Just because His answer may not be the one we want or think we need, He always answers. It wasn’t easy for Job to listen to his wife and three friends and still remain faithful to God. It is not easy for us in the face of hardship to not turn away but it is oh so easy to be faithful when life is good.
It was always within Christ’s power to call down angels, to prevent such a cruel and horrible death. But he didn’t. Instead, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12: 2b)” Knowing what his sacrifice would mean for the creation he loved, he endured.
We can take comfort that Jesus had a truly human reaction to what lay before him. And he showed us by not using the power at his command to submit to the will of the Father, we can and should do the same, even in the face of adversity. And God will hear us.
By following that example we can be closer to finding balance.
Jesus was also more God centered rather than me centered. I will be more of a Trader if I follow Jesus’ example. In addition to this post, I will Trade this week by when I reach for pleasure reading I will reach instead for one of the books we are studying so that I’m not just winging it in class. It may not directly serve others but it is worshiping God and if I really learn from it and apply it, then others will benefit eventually.
The congregation that I worshiped with during college was small and growing. I loved to hear about their mission trips undertaken almost as an entire congregation when the children I used to babysit were teens. They worked with various groups but I do know once it was involved with medical missions and the doctor of the congregation was providing his time and talents.
Image via Wikipedia
I’ve often said I want T1 and T2 to go on mission trips when older. I want to go with them. I want them to experience first hand how blessed they are and how God can work wonders. I know many young adult Christians get involved in mission work when attending Christian colleges but 1., I would like to go as well, and 2., our children may not necessarily go to a Christian college. Neither DH nor I went to one.
(Note: T1 has already had the experience with our Teens of delivering donated goods and Christmas gifts to a residential school and orphanage in a more rural and economically challenged part of our state.)
I’m really not sure when I first heard about Mercy Ships. I knew about the U.S. Navy’s Comfort and Mercy but I did not know about this civilian program. I’ve asked DH to look into it and tell me more about the program. I thought it would be an amazing way to serve God and others as an entire family. In addition to the important lessons of serving others, we would be so blessed by the experience.
gCaptain writes:
Imagine a ship that sails into the poorest nations on earth to deliver world-class health care. Now imagine that the health care is absolutely free. This may seem impossible, but this is precisely what the international non-profit, Mercy Ships, does.
Since 1978, Mercy Ships has used hospital ships to deliver state-of-the-art medical care to developing countries. To date, Mercy Ships has performed services valued at more than $1 billion, impacting about 2.35 million people.
It is definitely something we’d need to pray about. DH’s professional license would be on the line. As someone accustomed to the lifestyle we lead this is a scary proposition. It is funny that gCaptain has published a great article about the Mercy Ship Program at this time. We have been studying Francis Chan’s Crazy Love and have moved on to Radical by David Platt, and DH is making me take the No Debt No Sweat 13 week course by Steve Diggs.
I think there would be some of our fellow classmates who would look at us and ask: where is your faith placed? where is your crazy and radical love for God? would it not take an amazing leap of faith in a situation of uncertainty to totally rely on God and let Him lead you?
I pointed out to DH maybe it is something we do as a family close to the end (or right after company retirement). T1 and T2 would be early college age. Maybe we do something totally unorganized and visit our missionary friends and say “just put us to work” for a month.
The possibilities are endless because God is limitless.
I guess the first step would be to pray and God will do the rest.
Okay, I cheated. I was sick and did not get out until Thursday for a gorgeous walk with DH and the greys at a national park. But I did take enough pictures of enough different things that I did not have to use my extras from our trip Downtown. 
And WordPress is not allowing me to spell check, so please excuse the errors. Okay, spell check now done and I’m embarrassed I published this with that many errors!
So for the week of Feb. 5-11 here are my photos.
We had our family portraits in 2010 taken on this same battlefield. My cannon shot has none of the beauty the professional photographer had.
Cannon at national battlefield, copyright SnipeWife
Although this one is now known for a Union general, these monuments to Confederate dead were erected along railroad lines at historically significant sites. We did not realize this was at the battlefield until after our photo shoot. DH offered input on the cropping of this picture.
Confederate Pyramid, copyright SnipeWife
Hedwig alerted us to a mean old squirrel in a tree. I couldn’t see it from where I stood. The sun was initially completely hidden by the tree but I wanted to capture it peeking out. One thing about this project is that I am trying to find new ways to see things rather than just straight on boring shots all the time.
Sun Spot, copyright SnipeWife
Most of my pictures of Crookshanks and Hedwig on this beautiful afternoon are of their rumps. Thought you’d enjoy this nice shot of the two of them looking toward the woods. I liked the straight shadow lines and the endless feel of the trees in the composition.
Crook & Heddie enjoy the walk too!, copyright SnipeWife
Back at the truck, otherwise affectionately known as Big Red, just before hoping in I spotted the decal. This is for Maritime Billy but this particular link no longer works. Instead, visit him here at: http://www.maritimebilly.com/.
Defunct decal, copyright SnipeWife
Feb. 10 Finally feeling better I made it in to training. E.o.t.T. baby! After the lovely chuckle my trainer’s son gave me about my hair, I asked him what I should take a picture of for this project. He suggested “a basketball.” I said, “hmm, how about a picture of the logo?”
Old school! E.o.t.T. baby!, copyright SnipeWife
Feb. 11 Saturday morning before the freak white out winter squall later in the day, DH alerted us that our doves are back and hanging out on the back deck. Last year we saw their nest and learned all about doves. I hope they have better success and the eggs survive this year. I also hope the freaky weather changes do not have an effect on them.
Doves Return before freak winter storm, copyright SnipeWife
1.) Who was at your front door? (inspired by fam mum slim)
You know, I seriously must have been in the mood to rant the other day. I was expecting to provoke a few responses too. I can’t possibly be alone in some of my assessments about Social Media…
But I’m missing the opportunity again…
I have several funny stories about DH coming home unannounced.
I believe the first was either pre-children or when T1 was an infant. I usually get a little notice, not a lot but enough to be able to plan accordingly and tidy up. Whether DH was calling me on a cell phone and pulling my leg or whether he just showed up I cannot remember. The doorbell rang and there he was. I screamed! “I’m not ready!” And I slammed the door shut. Yup. I’m that one. That crazy one.
Another time was in this house. It was around my anniversary. I had four customers in the house and I had lunch in the oven. Everyone kind of remembers hearing the front door open. I remember looking up into the kitchen and there he stood. I screamed! My customers laughed. I kissed him, sent him downstairs to surprise the girls. My customers offered to leave. I shrugged. “It’s not like the girls would let us have any privacy. Let him play with them now and then tonight after he naps, I’ll have my time with him too.”
Just recently we decided to surprise the girls. I knew DH was coming home, but they didn’t. The morning was going well. DH had checked in from the airport and had picked up his rental car. The girls were downstairs and I was tidying up the kitchen. DH quietly unlocked the door and let himself in. So I yelled downstairs, “T1! T2! You better get up here and clean up the mess I told you two hours ago to pick up!” They came charging up the stairs, “Yes, Ma’am, sorry ma’am!” Then stopped and screamed as DH stood there ready to give them a big bear hug.
Good memories. <3
Don’t forget to check out Mama Kat’s by clicking on that trophy over there….
snipewife
MODU
Terry Beigie
