Can someone please explain the Flaming Lips...they frighten me!

Still not omnipotent

It's always good to learn you're okay with eminent death. We had a not so intense thunder storm yesterday, just a little rain and wind and thunder. My daughter was taking a nap in her room and I was reading. At one point, I heard these strange rumblings that kept building on top of each other, it sounded like a series of explosions. We also live in a military town with several military bases nearby. It's not unusual to hear them testing bombs and such or having exercises and so hear moaning guns (my technical term) firing and such. Nearly every day C-130's or jets fly overhead. Sometimes, these C-130's fly low enough they sound as if they are about to crash into the house, and on occasion, we hear sonic booms from the jets. I can only remember 3 such sonic booms and every time I hear them I expect to see a mushroom cloud and a storm of fire and debris and heat rushing to consume me at any moment. You know, like those scenes from the movies where people are turned to ash in a moment. Anyway, I heard these strange rumblings and this was my thought process:
--Rumbling--:
"Is that thunder? I've never heard it sound like that before. It sounds really strange. Is it the base? It doesn't sound like the base and they don't usually explode things when it's raining. Hmmm, what is it?
--More rumbling--
Hmm, I wonder if the North Koreans have finally launched something and it actually hit us? Well, nothing I can do about it. If I die, I die.

Of all the times I worry about life, my husband and daughter...why is it that in a moment of thinking this could be the end of my life, I simply say, "oh, well, not much I can do about it." Why is it only in these extreme moments is it so easy for me to recognize my limitations and accept that something bigger than me is in control?

Don't ever let her cut your hair...

Last week while my husband was on a youth trip, I had the task of taking Lucy boy, (as she is known by our toddler) our silky terrier rescue from the pound, to her annual vet appointment, which is not typically a big deal, but just days earlier she had been groomed. I wasn't entirely satisfied with how the professional groomers had cut her, so I thought I could try to just clean things up a bit. It started out innocent, just trimming her beard and the hair above her eyes. Then, the scissors went wild, they just kept snipping and snipping until, well, as my husband puts it, our cute terrier ended up with a doggie mullet. Her muzzle and forehead were nearly shaved. My husband came home from work that afternoon and looked at me and asked what happened to her. He said he walked in the door speaking to her as always and when she looked up at him all he could do was grimace in horror. The next day, she was scheduled for her vet appointment. I wanted to cancel it, but then I decided if they commented about her hair, I would blame my husband since he wouldn't be there and couldn't defend himself. The appointment seemed to be going smoothly until the vet, who looked incredibly young, asked Lucy boy, "who cut your hair?" Ashamed at my handiwork and ashamed to blame my innocent husband, I confessed it was me. She laughed (which I was slightly offended) and said, "good, I thought maybe she was being shaved and moved or jerked and the groomer did a poor job of fixing it. I wasn't gonna reccommend that groomer to anyone." Then she glanced at my daughter laughing and said, "don't ever let mom cut your hair." Then, it got worse, the assistant came in the room and asked the same question to Lucy, to which the vet said, "it was someone in this room and it wasn't me and they are over the age of five." The assistant laughed and said, "oh, I thought your daughter might have gotten a hold of scissors." I'm glad that day is over...

Summer Camp

Tom just got back from the second of three youth camps scheduled this summer. I stayed home with our little toddler of joy. I was so encouraged and impressed by the things the adult leaders and youth were saying when they got back. The adults and youth had a chance to share with the congregation last night about the meaningful experiences they had on the trip. It was exciting to hear adults praising and encouraging the youth. They thought the youth were considerate, models of servants and just a great group all around. They were not complainers or whiners or lazy, they were willing to take on uncomfortable challenges and situations and make the best of them. The adults noticed this. How awesome is that!? It seems to me that youth typically don't get credit for who they are or who they can be, so it was awesome to hear adults really notice the best of these youth! The youth shared how they were stretched to do things that were uncomfortable for them and that they were glad they did. They shared about how much they enjoyed being able to serve others and learning what it means to truly love others and build unity. This is my paraphrase, but I'm not exaggerating! On this eight day trip, they cleared land (poison ivy and all) for a future children's home, painted, cleaned and made repairs to a shelter for mentally ill/handicap elderly homeless people (run by Ms. Vera, an elderly woman herself) as well as spent time playing Bingo and talking to the people at the shelter. It was a stretch for many of them, but they were up to the challenge! I am truly proud of them and grateful for their giving hearts...I was challenged to grow listening to their stories.

I also have to mention that I am proud and grateful for my husband's dedication. He has worked with this group for almost ten years, he has grown with them and it's neat to see how time and energy and self sacrafice and the grace of God grows others. The congregation thanked Tom, which is always a little awkward and uncomfortable, but it was also nice to know they notice not just his committment and efforts, but his committment and efforts only possible by the work of the Spirit in him, so it's a thanks to God.