There is much rejoicing at our house today. It was the last day of school. After early morning dismissal for the 3 older kids, we headed to a local county park for Charis’s pre-school end-of-the-year picnic. It was a lot of fun. Charis made one very good little friend at pre-school this year, and they played together the whole time we were there. When we were walking around the park to see the various sites, the girls held hands the whole time. We do a lot for the older kids, so it is especially nice when we get to do an activity that is just for Charis.

We’re heading to a family Bible camp for the long weekend to kick off the summer! The big kids are signed up for a week-long camp there this summer, so we wanted to get a chance to check the place out. We’re looking forward to it.

Have a good Memorial Day weekend!

Ok. Time for a little parental pride. Today I was going through 3rd grade Nevin’s school papers, and I came across an index card with a poem written on it. I asked him what it was, and he said it was an assignment for school from around Easter. I was pretty impressed by it, but then again, I am his mom. Here it is:

Never has such a miracle happened.
Each Sunday feels like Easter.
Visiting Church is like visiting Heaven.
In the tomb Jesus has risen.
News! Jesus has risen.

When we told Nevin that we liked his poem, he said, “I’m not going to be a poet.” We’re ok with that.

On May 8, 2003, a small tornado touched down in Oklahoma City, OK. The residents of OKC and the surrounding areas all battened down the hatches and took cover. The patients at Lakeside Women’s Hospital continued laboring as if nothing was wrong. The path of the tornado that day* was far enough away that no precautions were necessary.

There in Lakeside Women’s Hospital, our own little tornado was born that day. She was #4 after a 4-year hiatus from having babies. At last, a baby was born when the other children in the house weren’t babies any more. Mom was feeling pretty old; Dad was feeling a little stressed. The three older siblings were just excited to have a new sister.

Today is 4 years since our little blonde girl was added to the family. We have enjoyed her smile and her laughs and the way she runs the show around here. She was a welcome change of pace to what was becoming our comfortable life. We are blessed by all our children, but today we say a special prayer of thanksgiving for our little tornado. She came in spinning, and she hasn’t stopped yet. Happy Birthday Charis!

*There was a tornado on May 9, 2003, that touched down close enough to the hospital that all of the new moms and babies had to be herded into the center hallway of the building. That was probably my strangest hospital experience in my 4 stays for childbirth.

Paul talks about his thorn in his flesh in 2 Corinthians 12:7 – 9:

So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I hadn’t really paid much attention to this passage until lately when I got the idea that my thorn in my flesh is the feeling of eternal neediness. I want so much to not feel needy, that I ache. I pray and ask God to help me trust Him more so I won’t feel so needy.

Then when I read this passage, I get the feeling that the issue is a never-ending circle for me. Paul said he had this thorn to keep him from being too elated and to demonstrate God’s grace in his life. So if I feel that neediness is my “thorn in the flesh,” and I ask God to help me trust Him more, He keeps the thorn there so I don’t get “too elated,” and “so His power can be made perfect in weakness.” How can I ask God to take away this “feeling?” I am providing Him with plenty of weakness with which to perfect His power. It almost seems wrong to ask for Him to remove it.

So, I say to myself after working through this thought process, “Maybe you just need to deal with the neediness a little more maturely. You need to learn to trust God a little more silently, a little more humbly.” Ultimately, this “feeling” is just that. It is all my anxieties about life and what’s to come (or not) mixed with my horribly self-centered concern for what other people think of me. Then, after this little mental exercise, I ask myself, “Where’s the balance between soldiering on through trials and allowing God to perfect His power in us and seeking help and consolation from others?” In the midst of that conundrum, how do I handle just my normal emotional personality coupled with any variety of hormonal abnormalities?

I don’t have any real answers; I am just thinking out loud.

I guess in a sense I am being needy and self-centered on my blog, which has its own irony.

April tagged me to tell 7 things about myself that no one knows. Since my life is pretty much an open book, I doubt there are 7 things about me that are completely unknown to others. But, I’ll give it a go:

1. Both my parents were 5’2″, making me the amazon woman of my family!

2. I was a setter for my high school varsity volleyball team. That sounds more impressive than it was, and that is exactly why I am putting it on this list!

3. Mark and I went to Niagara Falls for our honeymoon. (Is that still a cliche? Does anyone else understand why I included this on my list?)

4. When I was 9, I rode to Niagara Falls from DuBois, PA, in the back of a pick-up truck with about 10 other 4th graders. Do you see a Niagara Falls theme emerging?

5. With the help of my mother, I replaced the broken back window in my 1960-something Ford Opal when I was 20. (I bet you never even heard of a Ford Opal!)

6. I met my husband in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where I lived for 4 years.

7. I was thin for 18 months from 1991 to mid-1993. It was fleeting experience, but I will always cherish it.

Now I need to tag 7 others. Since April tagged most of the people I know with blogs, it will be a challenge. Here it goes:

Jandy (Be sure to check out her American Idol play-by-play each week. I don’t have to watch the show, I just read what Jandy has to say.)

Becky Becky doesn’t always post a lot, but she did just post this week. I am sure she can come up with something good.

Denise Frame Denise might be too serious of a writer to actually do this, but I thought I would give it a try. If she doesn’t do it, you should check out her site anyway. She is really an excellent writer.

Angie D. Angie is a funny mom whose friends with my brother-in-law’s family.

Angie B. Angie B. is a virtual friend with a great sense of humor. Her humor blog is well done and a lot of fun.

Ann B. Ann B. tells some great stories about her life with 5 males. God has a special place in His heart for women like her who exist in a swirling pool of testosterone!

Mark Well, I don’t have enough bloggers to choose from, so I have to tag my husband!