A new heartbeat

My sister Nikki has announced over on her blog that she is 6+ weeks pregnant. I'll let her words tell the story and explain why prayer is appreciated!

Name that quote!

Found this in a book this week. They are words that I had read before - more than once, I believe - but as I read them again I found them rather wonderful. Who said this?

"Now this objection is in one sense very right, very charitable, very spiritual, very sensitive. It has every amiable quality except that of being useful."

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

I heard this tune playing the other day and stopped to think about the words. Sometimes we lose the meaning of the songs in their festivity as much as we lose sight of what Christmas truly means in the business of the season. Charles Wesley wrote these words in praise of our Lord for what He has done and is doing in us. Christmas really is about God reconciling sinners to Himself through His sacrificial work.

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain

When geeks bake

Today a group of us at work are having a "Thanksgiving dinner" for lunch, potluck style. My contribution:

And I haven't posted any of these in the past month or so (what a bad Mommy!):

What's cooking

1. In the crock pot right now: Pork roast, assorted fingerling potatoes, apples, seasoned with a touch of cinnamon and a pinch of cloves. An experiment, so we'll see how it turns out. I do like those potatoes because they are small and cost the same at the local grocery store as Russets. Also, there are usually 3-4 varieties in one bag, so they each have slightly different flavor (which, of course, makes the flavor of the whole meal more interesting). They work really well in stews, too.

2. I think I found a place to take Lucy over Christmas. It's in a home and won't cost an arm and a leg, and it's on the way to the airport so I can drop her the morning I leave instead of the night before. The person is also a groomer, so she'll be in good hands.

3. Bible Study is going well. We are looking at the apostles, using Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur as a guide. So far we've gotten through Peter, Andrew, James and John.

4. Yesterday I spent a couple of hours helping out in the church office. This is going to be a regular Monday afternoon activity for me now.

5. This past Sunday I observed the elementary program at church and will observe the 6th grade program this coming Sunday, after which time I will pick one to serve with.

6. I am thankful for people who are smarter than I am when it comes to certain things in the Bible. For instance, when Jesus is coming into Jerusalem and is feeling a bit hungry then curses the fruitless fig tree (which happens to be out of season), I had to read some commentary notes to figure out what He was doing. It looks superficially like an irrational act, but Jesus didn't do things without a reason. He had a reason, and it was to teach a spiritual lesson.

You know you're a geek when...

This morning I spoke with a technician who was at a customer's home. The house number was 404. I really wanted to ask the tech if he was actually at the house, and if he was, how he ever found it. I almost wish that I made this up, but it is the truth.

If you don't get it, you're not a geek ;).

Reformation Study Bible

Ligonier Ministries (R. C. Sproul) is giving away genuine leather Reformation Study Bibles to people who make donations of any amount. Details here:

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/2008/10/get-a-reformation-study-bible.html

Open your mouth

First of all, Happy Birthday to my dear sister, Erin! May God bring many blessings to you as you reflect on the good years He has given you thus far, and may He grant you many, many more!

As part of a 30 day e-mail devotional, I have been listening to some messages by Nancy Leigh DeMoss on Proverbs 31. As part of those messages, she challenged her listeners to read Proverbs 31 every day for 31 days. I have not been listening to her every day and have not read Proverbs 31 every day, so I'm not quite meeting the challenge, but I have been trying to include Proverbs 31 with my regular reading and have found it to be very edifying.

I know that I'm supposed to really focus on the part about the "worthy woman" (as the heading says in one Bible), but there are other verses that come before it, discussing how a king should behave. I find myself filtering a lot of politics as I read my Bible these days, and I know it is because there is an election coming up. Issues are thrown in our faces and we often can't avoid them, even if we wished to (and I confess I wish I could ignore most of them). I have done a bit of pondering about how King Lemuel's mother's words should have an impact on how I vote, as I do have a voice, albeit small, in politics.

Proverbs 31:8-9
Open your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

I'm not going to say much, as I am still thinking about what this means. Mute, unfortunate, afflicted and needy - these are the ones we should be defending. The only cause I'm going to apply to this now is abortion. The unborn are mute, yet they also have the right to live. Those in power should be protecting them because they are vulnerable.

Last week Tim Challies wrote a very interesting response to someone's question about Christians imposing their values and morals on society, and abortion was the central issue. It's a worthwhile read: Moral High Ground. Take a look at the comments, as well!

The verse from Proverbs 31 that I am focusing on most in my life right now is verse 26: "She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Interestingly, the king should open his mouth to defend and the godly woman should open her mouth in wisdom and kind instruction. The verse stands out because it is one area that I know I need to work on. James 3:2 says, "For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." Jesus says in Matthew 15:18, "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man." Taming the tongue is critical, because it requires taming our hearts. If our heart is pure, our words and actions will be as well.

What are you opening your mouth to say?

Child of the King

Galatians 3:26
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

I am child of God, and if God is the King, I must be a princess. I know that word tends to conjure images like this in our minds:
That really is not the kind of princess I am, however. I will wear a crown and will live in a mansion belonging to my Father, but not yet. For now I am called to be a different kind of princess, something more like this:

While I don't intend to start toting around a large gun, Princess Leia is an interesting little analogy for the kind of princess that I am called to be.

Leia is a princess by adoption.
Romans 8:15
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Her adoption saved her from the Dark Side.
Colossians 1:13
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

She carries information that can save lives.
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

She is imprisoned and tortured as a result of her life-saving mission.
2 Timothy 1:8
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

She sees her entire planet blown up because she stands firm.
Mark 10:29-30
Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."

She risks her life to bring the information that can save so many lives.
Mark 8:35
"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

She serves as a soldier.
2 Timothy 2:3
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

She is on the winning side.
Revelation 17:14
"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."

And on a lighter note, she kissed her brother.
1 Thessalonians 5:26
Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

During all of the battles and torture and adventures in her life, Leia always remained feminine. She has her share of traits that may not be what godly women should display in their own lives, but let us not forget that she was accepted and welcomed by the Ewoks because she was kind and gentle, while the men almost became dinner because of their rough manner.

I will admit that this post is very light-hearted. The heart of the topic is not, however. Am I living like a princess who expects to be pampered or like a princess who will risk her life to bring the words of life to others?

Lucy's long weekend

This weekend Lucy met her Grandma and Grandpa.

They took Lucy and Lucy's Mommy with them to Gettysburg. Here is Lucy in the car.

Lucy got to see battlefields...

She also saw cannons...

Lucy and General Longstreet...

Grandpa helped Lucy get a closer sniff

Lucy appearing as a mere speck from the top of Devil's Den, with Little Round Top in the background

She was tuckered out and slept most of the way home!

It was a very nice trip. More pictures can be found here.

After

Mom did a before and after with Beau's grooming on Saturday, and I really intended to do the same with Lucy today, but I forgot to take a before picture. I decided that the best thing to do in this case would be to do an after video.

This is classic Lucy - can't stand still, in your face, adorable. Enjoy!

Laughing at God

Genesis 17:17, 18:12-14, 21:1-2
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?'
"Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised.
So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.

Mark 5: 38-42
They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing.
And entering in, He said to them, "Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep."
They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child's father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was.
Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!").
Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.

Laughing at God is a sure sign that they didn't believe that He would do miraculous things. He said that something great was about to happen and they treated it like a joke. "Ha ha, God, that's a good one!" I think we fall into the same trap sometimes. We allow God to do good things, so long as they are within the bounds of what we consider possible. Old people don't have kids, and dead people stay dead. Is anything too difficult for the LORD? "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27). With small faith, we ask for small things. With faith in a God that finds nothing too difficult, we ask for great things. God hears our prayers, so what are we praying for? Are they little things or are they great things? Do we believe His promises or do we pick and choose from them depending on what seems more plausible?

May I have faith in my God such that I will never laugh at Him, no matter how impossible the miracle may seem.

All Things

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
~ Philippians 2:14-15

I hate to hear coworkers griping all day long about stuff. It really gets to me. Yet I know that I also complain and sometimes show a really rotten attitude. There is more than my reputation as an employee or coworker at stake. My reputation as a child of God is questionable when I indulge in a vocally negative attitude toward work, other people, etc. This passage is now up at my desk to serve as a much needed reminder. Attitude matters.

How to of the Day

The Google home page can be personalized to include several "Gadgets". One of them that I find amusing is the How to of the Day. Here is one of the two that is showing for me now.

How to of the Day

8 Clues That You're Dating a Gold Digger
Have you ever been suspicious that the person you're dating is more interested in your money than in you? If you are concerned about this and want to find out, here are some ideas to accomplish this and protect yourself before it is too late.

How about simply protecting yourself from this kind of situation in the first place like I do by not having any money? Guaranteed to keep gold diggers at bay! I'm really just amused by the fact that this showed up as a how to. Usually the how to articles tell you how to make something like a yarn octopus or do something like open a geode. Identifying a gold digger? Shouldn't that go in a dating section?

Gianna Jessen

Sarah posted an absolutely heartwrenching video about Obama's voting record on Infant Right to Life bills a couple of weeks ago. This is a clip of Gianna Jessen, a saline abortion survivor, talking about those bills. It's actually pretty disgusting that some people are willing to ignore facts in the name of politics. Is this what we are coming to?

Gianna gets my support. She has courage! Visit YouTube and search for Gianna Jessen and you can see other videos of her. There are a few of her speaking in Australia that are quite good.

Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:13-15
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
"For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."

I think it is no mistake that Jesus goes from talking about the wide and narrow gates to false prophets. There are many who preach a false, wide gate gospel, appearing to do the work of God but succeeding in leading many astray.

In order to recognize the false, we must first know what is true. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. THE truth, not just something that is true for you. THE truth is absolute, and few will believe it. While the love and grace of God are expansive, His criteria for redemption are exclusive. There is no place for relativism in the church, and if there is no place for relativism in the church, there is no place for relativism in our lives. Do not be ashamed of the truth, for it is that which is is able to save your soul.

~~~~~~~~

This wasn't what I was originally going to share this week, but I saw something in the news yesterday that reminded me of how much influence false teachers have. It's news that is more than two weeks old, so I didn't see it right away, but it is so very sad. There is a push for the Anglican and Catholic church leaders to apologize to Charles Darwin for not receiving his work well in his day. Wide is the gate and broad is the way when those who should be leading the people in truth place the theory of a man above the Word of God. These churches have had their problems for a long time now, and this comes in following so many other worldly compromises, particularly by the church started so a king could get a divorce. I suppose the Vatican has traded some of its unbiblical practices for others over the years, but while I think they have major issues, they don't manage to disgust me quite as much as the Anglican church does.

This is the way far too many individual churches and whole denominations are going. The narrow path that the Church should be walking on has been widened to include more and more lanes that will lead instead to the wide gate. Society doesn't agree with what God says, so we conveniently sweep those controversial issues under a rug. Come to Jesus, but feel free to maintain your lifestyle. Sin doesn't matter if you believe. Look to the cross, and ignore the rest of the Bible. False prophets have come and they are tickling ears every chance they get. We can see it so clearly in some instances, but there is a lot of danger in the more subtle teachings that gradually feed more and more lies. Denominations, churches and individuals don't fall away from the truth all at once. It's a little bit here and a little bit there. What little bits are we buying into? I know I've seen things in my own life that are definitely the influence of the world. I'm not exempt, and I don't think you are, either.

Know the truth. It's the only way we will ever recognize a lie. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Boldly go!

This week I boldly went where many, many people have gone before! I entered the world of RSS feeds, choosing Google Reader to do my hunting and gathering for me. I broke down and customized google.com to include the reader so I just go to the Google webpage and can see if there are any new blog posts. I have several blogs and two devotionals (both of the daily devotionals from www.gty.org, so never straying too far from my college roots) all delivered to a single webpage. Google Reader allows you to share with your friends who also use it, so I get to read the weird, interesting, funny and sometimes worthwhile things that Tim shares, for example, and he might see the devotional that I share ;). There is only one downside to this...people don't update their blogs often enough.

Oh, look, Erin updated her blog! Better go check that out...

Armchair Economist

Everyone knows that their ideas for how the government should do things are the best ideas, so with that in mind and knowing full well that the bailout bill has already been passed, I think it's time that I shared my opinions! I'm going to take a slightly different approach, however, and share with you my bailout plan and why it is not a particularly good idea.

I think the government should give money to lenders, not by purchasing bad loans, but by paying off parts of loans in repayment. That's right, put a little bit toward your mortgage and a little bit toward my student loans. The financial institutions of America still get the money and you and I get a little bit of debt relief.

Why is this my plan? I'm in debt. Plain and simple. My debt isn't going to be considered a "bad asset" because I make payments on what I owe. I'm in deep enough that it's going to take a long time for me to get out, but not so deep that I'm a major default risk. If the government is giving away money, I'd like a little bit, thank you.

Why is this not a good idea? It isn't practical. It's idealistic. Above all, there's no way to make it fair. There is no way to pull this off without rewarding debtors. The government bailing anybody out is inherently unfair, I understand, but it is really easier to provide relief from the top and establish stability again in America's financial sector. Consider the logistics of debt relief. Would it be a set dollar amount? A percentage? What kind of debt is eligible?

A set dollar amount would benefit most those with the least debt. It would, in a sense, be a reward for having less debt, but it would not help keep the highest risk loans out of danger, and bad assets are what the bailout is focused on to begin with. Besides, how much relief would an individual get in this scenario? The amount of money set aside for immediate relief is less than half of the total bill budget, so I think it would turn out to be a rather short term cushion for the consumer and satisfy no more than this year's tax rebates (and how quickly did we all spent that?).

A percentage-type debt relief would benefit those with larger amounts of debt. It would reward bigger spenders and give more relief to people with more collateral. Yeah, this would look like helping the rich more than the poor. In one sense it might be the most fair, however, because the relief on an individual budget would be much more "equal" than the relief from an equal dollar amount for everyone.

What kind of debt might be paid down? Mortgages? Credit card debt? Student loans? Business loans? Car loans? Americans are so good at getting things that we can't afford to buy outright that we have loans for everything. Mortgages are the biggest reason that financial institutions are in trouble now. But I don't have one of those. I don't have a car loan, either, nor do I own a business. I have three creditors - Citi, Sallie Mae and Uncle Sam. They aren't the ones that seem to be in trouble (well, maybe the last one). Would my debt even be considered because of who I am lending from?

Honestly, to make a scheme like mine work, I think they'd have to write a code akin to the tax code. That would take far too long and be far too messy. Emergency relief requires something faster than that. No, it probably won't seem fair, and it may not be fair. I'm glad it's not my decision to make. I don't know if I would do any better than the next armchair economist.

Discernment

When I was a kid, I remember listening to my mom pray every day that my oldest sister would have discernment. It was a concept I really didn't understand at the time, but I have come to appreciate that prayer. I understand what a Christian student in a public school is up against. There are so many influences that can slowly and subtly fill their minds with worldliness and flat out lies.

Discernment isn't just something that students need, however. We all need it. We need it whenever we watch television or movies, listen to the radio and even when we go to church. John MacArthur wrote an article entitled "Discernment: Spiritual Survival for a Church in Crisis". It's not necessarily a quick read and I don't think that it's something that we don't know, but it's something that we probably can't be reminded about enough. I encourage you to take a look at it, then pray for discernment and seek to know the truth of God's Word!

Open Bible

Here's a very cool Bible study tool that I discovered today (on the Grace to You website)

http://www.openbible.info/

It uses Google maps to show where all identifiable Bible locations are, organized by book and chapter. Pretty spiffy if you ask me!

Small Paws in Second Place!

If you haven't voted in the Care2 Animal Shelter Contest yet, take a moment and vote!

The grand prize is a $10,000 grant to an animal shelter. Small Paws is in second place, only 122 votes out of first place, so they have a shot at winning!

Vote to give much needed money to the rescue that saved Lucy's life!

http://www.care2.com/animalsheltercontest/74167/?refer=32668.10.1222450291.3399

Meat and cobbler!

I am staring at a large container of food. Hamburger patty, BBQ pulled pork, bratwurst with sauerkraut, macaroni salad, french fries, a roll and some peach cobbler. This may take me all day to finish, but I'm going to do it!

Today is the annual "Bro Breakfast" at work, named for one of the chief chefs. It began with a grand breakfast (that I didn't have time or stomach for this morning) and morphed into lunch. I passed by the cornbread, chili, Italian sausage, peppers and onions and clams, so my plate is only a sampling of what was available.

Hurray for lunch!

Perspective

"It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me." - Fanny Crosby

Be grateful for the things you do not have, for they may distract you from your Heavenly Father. How's that for contentment?

I have been spending some time between calls reading up on Fanny Crosby. She really is inspiring.

Heartache

I have a broken heart. I love someone who is dating someone else. I've never experienced this kind of hurt before. I've been dealing with it for a month, since they started dating. It's a roller coaster and at times I do better than at others, but it's hard. I don't know what to do. I want to run, I want to hide, I want to scream, I want to find some way to take out my frustration, but I know that no matter what I do the pain will still be there.

I go to pray and I can't get words out, so I'm trusting that the Holy Spirit will translate for me. I know what I feel is not uncommon to mankind, but it's so new to me. It's so overwhelming. God can heal my heart and can give me peace. I can accept this with time. I want my love to wane, to move on. Yes, I want to find a godly man but my heart is not free. What a place to be.

When my dog died the only thing that made me feel better was looking for and getting a new dog. It's too bad people aren't like dogs in cases like this. I can't just go find a new one to love.

I need to get involved at church. I made a request to find someone to disciple me and for more information on getting involved in a group. I need godly people around me. This man that I love was my best friend, one of the only real friends I have here, and I can't go there for comfort. I feel so alone. I need God so much.

We talked about peace in church yesterday, and it was one of the most timely messages for me that I ever remember hearing. Responding to life with peace - "This doesn't change who God is." It's hard to see that God will work things for my good when my world has been turned upside down and twisted every which way. It is hard to desire that other people will be blessed through something that causes me so much pain.

I did not guard my heart, and it got broken. I know that in many ways I brought this on myself. That doesn't bring much comfort.

Pray for me. There's a lot of potential for God to work in my life through this, and I want to come away with as much of Him as I can.

Obedience is the very best way

I mentioned before that I wanted to start to do an "outline" type of Bible study discipline. I have decided that each Sunday I will share something from my weekly reading. Hopefully it will serve as both a blessing to my readers and an accountability tool for me! I can't post anything if I haven't read and thought about anything, can I? Today's post is relatively short, but things don't have to be long and wordy to be meaningful!

This morning's passage puts me in mind of a song we used to sing at church when we were kids. It said, "Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe." It's a simple statement with a powerful message. Obey because you believe.

John 5:10-11
Therefore the Jews were saying to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”
But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, 'Take up your pallet and walk.'”

The words of the healed man really struck me this morning. He obeyed the word of Him who made him well. It was that simple to him. The passage reveals that he didn't even know who Jesus was. All he knew was the healing he received. Whether his obedience was out of reverence and respect for the Healer or out of gratitude or simply because he did what he was told isn't revealed. We really don't know much more than the fact that he obeyed.

God has done great things for me. His blessings are innumerable and His mercy never fails. He has rescued me from His own wrath and called me His child. He has healed me and made me whole. Like the lame man Jesus healed, I must obey. He has done so much for me, it is the least I can do for Him.

Father, it is easy to just do what I want to do, and disregard both what You have done for me and what You have told me to do. Give me a heart of gratitude. Teach me the joyful discipline of obedience to my Lord. Let me decrease that You may increase in my life, that the image of Your Son will be unmistakable in my life, serving as a witness to a world in darkness and an encouragement to the believers around me. Help me hide Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.

Clogged Toilet?

I've been dealing with a clogged toilet for the past few days. It's the kind of clog where the toilet bowl fills up but doesn't overflow, then slowly empties. Clogged, but not completely. Plunging wasn't doing any good. In the past, the toilet has done this for a few flushes and then would start working normally again. It finally became clear to me that it was time to find another solution.

The internet is a marvelous thing. I found a site where people suggested using dish soap, hot water and mouthwash in various combinations. I stopped by Target on my way home today and found the cheapest bottle of dish soap (didn't want to risk running out of the stuff I use for my dishes) and the cheapest bottle of mouthwash (I figure I can use whatever doesn't get flushed). I put a liberal amount of dish soap in the toilet and flushed. It behaved much the same, so I added a liberal amount of mouthwash. I flushed, then plunged. I flushed again and my toilet was back to its old self again. No hot water, just dish soap, mouthwash and a plunger. Cheap, easy, and it worked surprisingly well!

Animal Shelter Contest

Hi - I just voted in Care2.com's "America's Favorite Animal Shelter" contest to help my favorite local group, Small Paws® Rescue, win a grand prize of $10,000. Think of the homeless pets we could save with $10,000! But I need your help to get enough votes to help Small Paws® Rescue win. Please vote here: http://www.care2.com/animalsheltercontest/74167/?refer=32668.10.1222450291.3399

Small Paws is the group that rescued my Lucy, so vote for them and increase their chance of winning much-needed funds. Right now there are 26 Bichons that they want to rescue but funds are limited and as of the last report they can only afford the cost of rescuing one! Help save lives and vote!

Greener grass

I find myself lately, for the past few months, really, looking at my friends from church and college who have gotten married in the past several years. They are families. They have life partners. They seek to serve God together. I find myself looking at that and realizing that I want what they have. Do I envy or covet?

That led me to think about why "Thou shalt not covet" is one of the Ten Commandments. I think at the heart of it, coveting is a failure to be content with the things that God has given us. Inherently it is a lack of gratitude for what our loving God has deemed best to provide for us. It is also a greedy attitude. Overall, it's not something that is becoming to a child of God. Be content with such things and you have.

Is wanting something you do not have always a matter of covet or envy or greed? I don't think so. I think it depends on what and why. If I look at someone's luxury car and I wish financial ruin on them so they are forced to sell it and I can buy it from them, I have a problem. If I want to have more money so I can give it to the work of God, I don't think that's sinful. I don't think that wanting to find a godly man to marry and settle down with and maybe have a family is envy just because I see the kinds of things I want in someone else's life. I think that is more an issue of perceived desire.

Most of us really desire the same things. We seek purpose, fulfillment, love and a sense of belonging. Many people have this desires fulfilled though having a family, but that does not mean that there is only one way God gives those who serve Him the desires of their hearts. He is friend and father to us, and serving Him gives our life meaning. There is nothing more fulfilling in the world than hearing Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I know these things, yet I still want the greener grass on the other side of the fence. I think I may not be content, but I don't think that I have crossed the line to envy yet, and certainly I don't covet. Trust me, ladies, I don't want your husband or your children! I want my own special blessings from God.

I choose to use the term "greener grass" because I know that I see life from my side of the fence. I do not know what it looks like from the other side, but as God designed woman for man, is it not good for woman to be married? In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the freedom of being single as best I can.

Waiting

Right now I am waiting.

I am waiting for news, good or bad, just to know. I wait on behalf of those I love, to know how their lives may be changing. I wait for the right job to open for me in North Carolina or for news that may make me look in a completely different direction.

I am waiting for my parents to come see me, hoping that the fall colors come at the right time for them. I don't look forward to cleaning the apartment in the meantime, however. (Mom, trust me when I say it needs it!) I guess I might be waiting until the last minute on that one ;).

I am waiting for someone to come take my fish, still. In the meantime, the babies have all been eaten and one more fish has died. The water conditions are anything but ideal and I only hope I can keep the rest healthy until they find new homes.

I am waiting for a call from WalMart tomorrow regarding being charged twice for the groceries I purchased on Monday. The first attempt came back with an error, so we tried again and it went right through the second time. Unfortunately the money was taken from my checking account twice, so now we have to figure out if they actually got the money twice or if it's an issue with the debit card issuer. Either way, I am waiting for almost $132 to be credited back to me one way or the other.

I feel like with life in general I'm treading water, waiting for some sign to tell me which direction I should go. The light's still red right now. Stay where you are, but pay attention because it may be time to move on soon.

Life isn't all about waiting, however. Sometimes life is about ideas and imagination, playing unlikely what-if games with ourselves. I'd call it dreaming except that I place no hopes on any of it coming true - I won't wait for this to happen! I was thinking today about what I'd do if I won the lottery. I do not play the lottery, so that definitely makes this far fetched. It's an interesting exercise, however. Honestly my first thought was how much I'd give and how much I'd keep. I'd give a good chunk of change to God's work, for sure, but I don't know whether it would be to a church or missions or what. I would give a generous but not outrageous amount to animal rescue. Depending on the exact amount, I would pay off debt. I'd start with my own and then pay off the debt of my parents and sisters so that we would all at least have a new start on finances. Then depending on how much was remaining, I might set up some kind of enterprise, maybe a bed and breakfast, and offer to any family members to be involved in the venture as might care to. It's the kind of thing I could see Dad enjoying! It's a thought, and I doubt it will ever come to pass.

One thing that I don't have to wait for are kisses from Lucy. She showers me with them. Tonight especially, she just kept kissing and kissing and kissing. She's my little lover dog, for sure! She is definitely a joy to her mommy, and I am so glad I adopted her!

Everyday Meals

I joined a blog today called Everyday Meals. It's a place to post recipes for meals to give the blog's readers ideas. Here's the link:

http://everydaymealstoshare.blogspot.com/

Lucy the Beautiful

She got groomed. :)

Thoughts on a Monday morning

This morning we will start with some B.C.

While I find this particular comic very amusing, I also sometimes feel like that on my weekends. Unfortunately, however, doing nothing just doesn't happen sometimes. There's a Lucy around who seems to think that Mommy needs to take her outside a LOT. She had her obedience class yesterday (she was terrible - really wound up and wouldn't calm down) and gets groomed today.

Lucy's time at the groomer is Mommy's time to run errands. I really need groceries, as I don't think I've been to a grocery store in about 3 weeks. My selection of canned and frozen foods is waning, and I hate looking in the refrigerator and literally seeing nothing but drinks and condiments that are actually edible. What's in there needs to be thrown out, so I think today I'll break down and clean out the refrigerator. It is frustrating to be single sometimes because it seems like I can never use food up before it goes bad unless I eat the same thing every day.

On today's agenda is also cleaning out the larger aquarium, as someone is supposed to be coming to get it tomorrow night and that's not something I want to put off until then. Then there's laundry. Laundry seems to be the one chore that always needs to be done. Always. Someday I will have a washer and dryer in my living space and will be able to do it anytime I'm home. I won't have to deal with laundry room hours or driving to a public laundry facility. I won't have to keep mountains of quarters on hand, either!

I may put a little bit of work in on my resume if I remember to do that. It is a much less critical task, but I should get it done and out of the way. I also should vacuum and shampoo the carpets, but that is also something I keep putting off...

Then there's what I want to do: nothing. Sit and cross stitch, maybe, with a movie on. Weekends are too short and there's too much that I should be doing.

Pictures

Readers may wish to look at the full size image on this one since the babies are still small and somewhat hard to see in the smaller image. Mom is ever keeping watch over her young. I guess some inexperienced Jack Dempsey parents eat their young at around 14 days. These guys are past that point and I count 25 or so babies in the picture and there may be a few that I didn't catch. Looks to me like inexperience has not been a factor for them thus far!


This is sauerkraut stew, my lunch at the tavern in Old Salem. It was very, very good!


There was a blacksmith at work in Old Salem when Nikki and I visited. He was working on a door latch. It is a very interesting place to visit, and I would not mind going again to see additional crafts.


Lucy not long before bed. She is asleep on the bed now as I type. That sounds like a good idea. I shall join her now!

The rising cost of travel

Travel is getting more expensive. I think everyone knows this. The price of gas makes travel by car much more costly and is certainly having an impact on air travel as well. I think airlines are really trying hard not to raise ticket prices if they don't have to, but they are making a couple of changes that will have varying effects on their passengers.

Change #1 - Most airlines now charge for a second checked item for general passengers. Elite club members may not have to pay for as many as four checked items, but for the rest of us, pack lightly or pay up. This has very little impact on me right now as I generally take as little with me as possible and went the all-carry-on route this time. My bag ended up getting checked anyway, but that's a story I'll get to in a minute.

Change #2 - Most airlines now charge for all in-flight beverages. This does have an impact on most people. Now that FAA regulations won't allow beverages to be taken through security, air passengers are at the mercy of airport terminal prices or airline prices if they want to sooth a parched throat between security and baggage claim. The truth is it is probably cheaper to buy in-flight than in the terminal still, but this was an effective way for airlines to save a buck. The first leg of my flight was a rather short one. Gate to gate time was under an hour. Traditionally there would still have been complimentary beverage service for the cabin. This flight they served one cup of tea. I bought it. It cost me a dollar and probably cost the airline a few cents. Think of all of the beverages they didn't serve, though. Over time, that's going to save them a lot of money. In reality, charging $2 for a soda or bottle of water and $1 for tea or coffee isn't outrageous. (They raised the cost of booze from $5 to $7 for anyone interested.) It's expensive compared to a grocery store but shouldn't make hydration cost prohibitive. We've become accustomed already to no free food in the past few years, and this was the next logical step. Carry cash on the airplane, and, as always, exact change is appreciated.

This trip almost became lucrative for me. They were one passenger overbooked on the flight from Philadelphia to Greensboro. They needed a volunteer with flexible travel plans and could rebook that person on a flight in 3 hours. As Nikki and Daniel are only a few minutes away from the airport, I volunteered. If they needed me to give up my seat, they would give me complimentary round trip airfare within the continental United States and would buy me lunch. Three hours for something that could cost me in the neighborhood of $400? This is better than listening to a timeshare sales pitch just to get a new toaster oven. I've had three hour layovers before. They're long and a bit dull, but with lunch time coming up and free wireless internet service in the airport, I'd survive. I might even go hunt down a book store and peruse their selection. What could I do with a free ticket? Most likely it would be used for either coming down to Greensboro again if I needed to interview for a job or, more preferably, to go to California. I sat at the gate and watched everyone leave. A few stragglers came running up at the last minute. They told me they'd need me after all. Free travel, here I come! As the rebooking was in process, a call came up the ramp to "Send the girl down!" (I'm 27, how much longer will I be referred to as a girl?) There was one open seat, but no room for my bag. This is how my bag came to be checked. No free travel, but I arrived at the appointed time which meant a few more hours with my sister, and that made her happy.

Yesterday was hot and we were all tired, so the day consisted of lunch, a little bit of shopping, dinner, a movie at home, and a trip to the grocery store. The grocery store probably had the most interesting little feast for the visiting eye of all of the activities. There was the shelf of numerous jarred mushroom products and canned vegetable varieties than I don't recall ever seeing on a grocery store shelf before. Even something like canned okra. Fresh okra I've seen any number of times, but I honestly do not ever recall seeing it canned. There were other things on the same shelf that were strange to me, but I really don't remember what all was there. Seeing cases of Yeungling in cans was a bit odd, as I think I've only observed it for sale in NY in bottles. The best was probably a person, however. A man with long, unkempt, unwashed hair that I could smell from 5 feet away buying naught but boxed wine. Boxed wine? He really looked like he could be an alcoholic, and a late night run on a Sunday for a box of wine probably meant that he had intentions to drink it. It just seemed an odd choice, although it is possible that it is the cheapest way to get the alcohol. Beer would require more quantity and better quality wine would be more expensive. Boxed wine it is, then. To each his own.

Today we will go to Old Salem and perhaps visit the local used book store that Nikki and Daniel have grown to love so well. I suppose that means that I should get myself moving!

Sisters

I was perusing some stuff on Facebook tonight and saw a comment that one of my friends made on a picture of her sister telling her how beautiful she is. I was struck by that and it warmed my heart. Sisters are great. It's a relationship like no other, and no matter where life takes us, our hearts remain with them.

Nikki is the sister I can talk to about anything. We are enough alike that we understand each other pretty well. I think she knows more about me than anyone else in the family does. We aren't afraid of the "darker" aspects of each other's lives, and as an imperfect person, I find that I need that comfort zone with someone. With Nikki life is real and it's not painted in rosy colors. It is the good and the bad and most of all it's honest. Even in the reality of life, however, Nikki finds the beautiful and the poetic and expresses them marvelously. She's also my big sister and wants to take care of me. We're both strong and stubborn, so things aren't always smooth sailing, but I am so glad that I have her as a friend now that we're adults.

Erin and I share so much history. We were playmates and home school classmates. We went to the same schools for all but two years from the time we started home school to the time she graduated from college. We know so many of the same people and did so many overlapping activities that there is a bond that is unparalleled. Our understanding of each other comes more from environment and experience than from similarities. Life has taken us very far from each other and down very different paths since college, but that doesn't diminish the many things we shared. Erin is the cheerful, positive one and talking to her makes life seem a little bit brighter. Plus she's Talia's mom, which I think says quite a lot! ;)

I really love my sisters and am blessed to have them both. Mom, we became friends!

Harmony and Cacophony

I find myself in a world filled with unfulfilling things. Nothing seems to be interesting enough to hold my attention, and I am not sure if it is because I find myself surrounded by trivial things and activities or if it is the result of my internal unrest. I think perhaps it is a combination of both. I think that I have let life run away with me to the point that I almost forgot who I am. I define myself by my job, but that is not who I am, that is merely what I spend 40 hours every week doing. I define myself by my circumstances and relationship status, but who I am transcends who my friends are or my singleness or how many pets I have or whether this month will be tight or comfortable financially. Right now as I consider relocating again, I want a fresh start for a lot of things, but I want to return to others. I may want a new location for my life, but what I want most is myself. In times like this, "Know thyself" is profound philosophy. If I lose my understanding of myself - the good, the bad and the ugly - I cannot have a fulfilling life. Who am I really?

Where I am is hard. This is where life seems to have crumbled around me and I find myself staring at the rubble. This is also a good place to be, because I can burn the straw and the hay. I can watch the chaff float away. What remains is what is lasting, and right now that's what I want.

If there is one thing that never fails, it is the eternal word of God. No matter how much dust gathers on its cover, it shines brightly among the books, magazines and DVDs around it. There may be times when we choose the darkness of the worldly over the Light of the world, but that never diminishes the Light. I confess that I have a short attention span, so when it comes to reading the Bible, I sometimes seek a different approach to keep things fresh. I can get caught in the familiarity of words and stop thinking about what they are saying if I read things the same way every time. Sometimes keeping it fresh means that I try reading a different translation, and sometimes it means reading a chronological format. Right now I am just beginning reading A Harmony of the Gospels (methinks Erin had this for a college class and gave it to me so I could in turn use it for that class when I took it, but I never actually had to use it, probably because I took my NT Survey I during the winter term). The historian in me appreciates the chronological approach and the repetition that comes with such a format is good for striking the point home when inattention threatens to sabotage my comprehension.

While reading this morning, I was struck by the cacophony of thoughts that tumbled through my brain as I read. Each passage takes my thoughts to a new place, while strains of the old thoughts remain, mingling together. If I really want to get the most out of my interaction with God's word, I might do well to do outlines. I am not talking about creating an outline, per se, but rather outlines as I did them in college for Dr. Halstead and Dr. Smith. That's right, go passage by passage and record summary, interpretation and application. It is really a great way to study the Bible, and I really benefit from putting my thoughts down on paper (or on pixels, as the case may be). It helps me to process things fully.

I jest not when I say that I have a cacophony of thoughts. I'm going to record some of what was going through my mind as I read this morning...

When I was first putting together the substance of this post in my mind, when I came to the mention of the late Dr. C. W. Smith, my brain added, "God rest his soul." God rest his soul. What kind of theology does that phrase spring from? Is that from a tradition of praying for the deceased? Do we pray for God to rest the soul of someone because their soul is somehow in peril? I chose to omit it because I am convinced that "C. Dub" is in heaven, enjoying eternal fellowship with his Creator and Savior. He needs no such epitaph, nor do any who have died in Christ.

I sometimes read footnotes but often ignore them. I did read something this morning that indicated that the first few chapters of Luke may be written in a different tone and style than the rest of the book because one of the major sources that Luke used was Mary's personal account. This is attributed to strong oral tradition, but it makes sense. While it is the story of the beginning of Jesus' life on earth, there is a lot of dialogue that Mary herself would have heard that others may not have and also inclusion of internal responses. She treasured things in her heart and was amazed by the words of Simeon and did not understand what the 12 year old Jesus meant about being in His Father's house.

Speaking of 12 year old boys, the brief glimpse we see of how Jesus interacted with the teachers in the temple is astounding. I've been around kids that age - spent all summer with them a few years ago, in fact. This is not normal 12 year old behavior.

Another footnote was talking about the focus of John the Baptist's early ministry, dual focus on the soteriological and eschatological functions of the Messiah. Those terms were not defined and only brief examples were given. Clearly this is a book designed for use by those who are already familiar with such terminology. Once again I am grateful for my minor in Biblical Studies from TMC.

Speaking of John the Baptist, he was able to recognize Jesus while the two of them were yet unborn. He then recognizes Jesus because the Spirit of God descends upon Him. Toward the end of his life, didn't John send some of his disciples to ask Jesus who He really was? He knew yet he did not understand. Then when Jesus clears the temple the first time, the disciples only realize after the death of Christ what He meant when He said to tear down the temple and He will built it again in three days. John died before Jesus was crucified. He was the last of the prophets who proclaimed the Messiah without fully understanding how God was going to fulfill His promises to Israel. The disciples saw the death and resurrection and the pieces began to fall into place for them. It always amazes me that those so near to Jesus didn't understand what has been taught to me from a very early age until Christ's work on earth was completed.

When Jesus turned water into wine, it was good wine. This should come as no surprise, however, as God doesn't make mediocre things. God makes good things. Every good thing given and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. People are good at doing mediocre things, God is not. God does all things well.

Anna was in the temple at age 84. She didn't retire at 65. She was doing God's work, and that is work that knows no age.

Andrew heard John say that Jesus was the Lamb of God, and he left John, called his brother, and followed Jesus. That is impressive faith. Nathanael took more convincing. I think often I am more like Nathanael than Andrew. God has proven Himself faithful, and I will put my faith in Him.

I am a redeemed child of God. This is what remains.

Babies!

Well, last weekend the Jack Dempsey pair tried the egg laying thing again. I had suspicions that this time they actually hatched but only once saw something that looked like it might be a fry. Mom especially was acting like she had babies. Then yesterday I saw them. They are swimming around now. I think that maybe there are 50 or so. Considering that this is their second try and first time that any made it this far, that's not bad. We'll see how long they last, however.

In this video, look for little blurs toward the bottom. I apologize for the lack of clarity! Mom is caught doing what both parents will do with the fry at this age - she catches one that wandered away from the group in her mouth then spits it out again into the school. It's hard to see, but it happens. Again, Mom's the darker, smaller one, and Dad is the bigger, more colorful one.

I officially listed all of my fish and my aquariums for sale online this morning. I decided that it would be too much work and too hard on the fish to move them out of state, and I'm hoping I'll get at least some money for them. It may take some time to find a buyer, so I wanted to give myself time!

Gospel Hour

Having a dog means that I don't sleep in unless I stayed up really late. Lucy wants to be up at 3:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:15 AM...and finally 6:30 when Mommy is finally willing to get up. So even though church starts at 11:30 for Mommy, we were up by 7:00 this morning. After taking the dog out, feeding the fish, making and eating breakfast, starting the dishwasher, getting one of my FFXI characters to the next level, ironing my clothes, showering, getting dressed, taking the dog out again (she went in her crate immediately upon coming back inside, so in order to avoid confusing her I closed the crate and went outside for a minute, then came back in and let her out - I want her to keep going in that crate when it's ordinarily time for Mommy to leave), I still had more than an hour before it was time for church. I am not usually a big fan of Sunday morning television, but I thought I'd see if anything worthwhile was on.

It turns out that one of the country music channels has the Gaither Gospel Hour on. It ends 30 minutes before church starts, so why not put it on? Basically they just show songs from their various Homecoming recordings. I am sure that some of the overdone hair (both men and women...I mean, is that really Jake Hess' hair? Looks like a rug to me...) and make-up is due to the era in which they were actually made (they're several years old, and I know that several of the people who appear have gone home by now). Underneath all that is false, however, there is a genuine love for singing praise to God. Everyone there, young, old, thin, not so thin, attractive, goofy looking...as long as they were alive they were singing. That is beautiful. It is encouraging to join in and sing, even if it's not my favorite kind of music. The substance matters. I'm going in a few minutes to sing songs of a very different style, but the spirit is the same. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Am I missing drivers?

Sometimes when I take a look at my life I feel like something's not working. It's as though I am looking at a Windows computer and see huge yellow question marks in the device manager. I'm missing drivers!

It feels like the relationships I have with all of my friends here are gone, and it's my fault for drawing back or pushing them away. Friendship driver needs to be updated.

Uncomfortable relationships make it hard to go to either of the churches I have been attending, so I find myself in a place between sucking it up and going anyway or finding a new church. It also seems to be hard to find a good fit for a single 27 year old who doesn't really want to be in a college group that they let poor, single people stay in after they graduate. I don't want to be an in the door just before service starts and out again as soon as it ends kind of attender. I'm not plugged in, and that makes it hard to get motivated to go at all. Church driver needs to be updated.

Going hand in hand with disconnection from church is a strained relationship with God. There's a reason we are encouraged to not give up meeting together. While faith is personal, keeping it too personal is never a good idea. This is very frustrating because I have known times when my relationship with God is dynamic and amazingly wonderful. Faith driver needs to be updated.

The only things that are going well are work and Lucy (the fish are fine, no babies hatched from what I can tell, by the way). I talked to someone on Friday because I had questions about some errors I saw happening on phone calls and the impact of a pending order that had completed in one system but wouldn't complete in another for a few hours. He send an instant message to his counterpart in my office (I had been asking her those questions and she wasn't sure, so she placed the call to the other individual) saying that his day was complete because he talked to me. While I am absolutely convinced that the comment was in jest, I apparently have made a good name for myself with the people in the other office who do the same stuff I do. That feels nice. I still need to learn to watch myself because I am, as always, too bold for my own good.

So other than work, I feel like I'm at that point in life where it's time to start over. Do I stay here and find a new church and get plugged in and make new friends or do I explore other avenues? The North Carolina avenue looks pretty in the late summer sunshine. I could maintain a similar financial situation down there, possibly even a slightly better one. And I would be near family again for once. I think three years of being so far from my family is starting to take its toll. I've also had a really rough year in general thus far. My grandmother died, I got two really nasty cold/flu icky illnesses rather close together, Snow White died and more than one friendship became strained.

But would moving just be trying to run from my problems? If I keep running from my problems, I will never have a moment's rest. As long as I am here on this earth, where I am my problems will be also. When I left California I had wonderful friendships and a church I loved and with which I was extremely involved. Moving didn't make sense to me then, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I am still convinced that I did the right thing, but I am not sure whether staying or moving on would be better for me now. I will not make any immediate decisions, but I will keep my ear to the ground, and in the meantime, try to get back on track with the things that matter most in life.

Hi, can I kiss you?

Lucy had a day out today. She first went to see her stylist. We arrived at the same time as a HUGE yellow lab and a slightly larger boy bichon. The other bichon really needed a bath and a haircut - he looked almost yellow and his feet were brown. We saw him again when I picked Lucy up and he had been shaved (this is what his owner requested). I didn't recognize him at first, but his tail and belly freckles made his breed rather obvious, so I knew who I was looking at from that.

The groomer said that Lucy was a sweetheart and behaved herself perfectly. She was actually done more than an hour early, but as they had offered to send her over to the vet (right next to the groomer in the Petsmart), I didn't pick her up right away. The vet instead did her treatment (tests and a shot) before I got there for the appointment time, so it shortened her day anyway.

She behaved very well for the vet and got praise for how much better she looks now than she did two weeks ago. She has put on just under half a pound, but that has made a big difference. Her spine is less pronounced and her body looks fuller. The vet says another half pound and she'll be at her ideal weight. She was friendly with everyone at the pet store - men, women and dogs, so that was good. I also enrolled her in a training class that will start on Sunday afternoon and run for 8 weeks. Yes, that means that she will finish the class just a few days before Grandma and Grandpa come to see her, so she should be a perfect angel by then :).

We then stopped by work, as a few people wanted to meet her, and she was very friendly to everyone with the exception of one man who seemed to make her a bit nervous. She kisses strangers and is comfortable and confident in strange places, so overall she seems to be rather well adjusted to life.

See how pretty she is?



And now for something completely different...

Yeah, I really did see this on my way to picking up Lucy. I don't think it's legal... (Picture was taken with the cell phone, so it's not the greatest, but it captures the moment as I saw it!)

Fish update

So far no babies (unless they hatched in the past two hours), but these are my observations on what's going on.

There are a few eggs that have turned white. These are bad eggs, could indicate that they were unfertilized or weak. Most look a similar color to when I first checked them. Because the eggs turn white within a day or two, it looks like the vast majority of them are promising.

The non-parent Jack Dempsey, which I have now named Nemo (he's missing a ventral fin, so not quite the same issue as the cartoon clownfish, but close enough!), was hanging out in a corner, looking like life wasn't so great. He would come out and eat, but other than morning feeding time, he just wouldn't come out of his corner.

I was advised by a friend who had fish breed that it might be a good idea to get more fish unless I wanted a lot of surviving babies (which I don't - what would I do with them?) and also get a chance to observe the parenting behaviors of the Jack Dempseys when there were potential threats around. They are good parents and defend their babies, even if it means risking their own lives. (I understand that they do eat their babies if it looks like they cannot protect them, however, so I'll have to watch for that.) I had to choose carefully, however, given the situation. The parents had already killed one of my fish, so I had to get fish both big enough and aggressive enough to survive. I was thinking of getting some Convict cichids, but the store didn't have any big enough to serve as more than a sacrifice. I got two Green Terror cichilds. They are a similar size to the Jack Dempseys when full grown and also very aggressive. They are slightly smaller than the parent fish, but close enough that they aren't easy prey. At first it looked like they weren't going to make it, but this morning they were moving around more and looked better. Nemo actually had better color this morning than I had seen him have in a few weeks, so I think that his situation is better because of his new friends. They are bigger than he is but I think their numbers change how Dad in particular is behaving.

Mom stays by the eggs. She is very attentive to them. I have seen her go after fish that move into the nursery area, but in general she leaves the task of bullying the threats to the babies to Dad. Dad patrols the whole aquarium. He tends to hang out much of the time down with the other fish in the corner they are allowed to be in, and if they make a move he doesn't like, he'll give chase. So far it is fascinating to watch. I guess they get even more aggressive after the babies hatch, so I'll watch for that. I guess eggs typically hatch 48-72 hours after they are laid, depending on the water temperature. If these eggs are really good and fertilized, they should be hatching sometime today or tomorrow. If they don't work out, the fish may be ready to try again as soon as two or three weeks from now.

Fish fry or caviar

The other day I had a friend ask me if I had checked my tank for eggs. My fish are too young for that. Or so I thought. The reason I was asked is that my fish had paired off and hung out in different parts of the aquarium.

I got to thinking and did some observation. The two larger fish really were hanging out with each other a lot. Then they became rather aggressive. They stressed one of my other fish (the smallest one) by chasing it around a lot, and they killed it this week. My other small cichlid only comes out of a small corner to eat, also showing signs of stress.

I was watching the belly on one of my fish. It was a bit wide, but not bloated. Could it be that it was a she, and she was getting ready to lay eggs?

Today I came home and said hi to my other tank, but didn't go in and see this tank until I had been home for a while. I noticed something immediately about it - there was a big pit dug in the gravel. That was not there this morning. I was looking at the large aquarium ornament primarily to make sure that it wasn't in danger of tipping, as the pit is actually in front of and under one of the ends. I thought something was different about the color and texture of it. I grabbed a flashlight. I'll let you see what I saw...

This is the fish that had the belly that was getting larger. See what's on the surface of the ornament behind her?

Here's what it looks like without her in the picture...
Notice the number of eggs, and the pit they dug. The pit is where the baby fish (the fry) are raised after they hatch, or so I read. This is all rather new ;).


Dad and Mom. Dad looks lighter in the picture. He's a bit washed out by the flash. The flash does reveal the colors that are on his scales. This is one of the ways you can tell this is Dad. Compare the number of colorful reflections on his body in these pictures to Mom's picture above.


Dad again.

My new quilt

I received a quilt in the mail today. It was made for me by one of the Small Paws Blanketeers. They send one to every newly adopted Small Paws Bichon! I'm a blessed little girl to be one of the Bichons they rescued!

Pet videos

First we'll start off with the Jack Dempseys. The video doesn't do the larger two justice, as they are far more colorful than they appear. The light reflects off of their scales in blues and greens. I am really glad I got these fish! The smaller two are very light in color. This is mostly likely caused by stress. The cause of the stress is most likely their tankmates. The larger are a bit aggressive toward the smaller. They will chase them around the tank. It is interesting to note that these fish were all the same size when I got them. I imagine growth is related to health and also pecking order. He who eats most grows most.

There's also a rather large algae eating fish in the tank that I did not capture on the video. It's a master of hiding, even though it's probably 4 inches long!

Then we have the other fish. You probably have seen most of them before. The largest fish does like to chase the others (notice a trend?) and the two smallest tend to hide in corners. The smaller of my two striped fish is starting to turn yellow like the big one, so it looks like I may have two males. I tried to get a good shot of the Jewel, but it's the one that seems most camera shy and darts away. It is very pretty when the light hits it right and shows some nice red tones. I did get my algae eaters in this shot, down on the bottom of the tank. The darker, larger one is the same kind of algae eater that is in my other tank, just much smaller. Again in this tank there are a lot of fish that started out similar sizes. Some fish just grow much more quickly than others, and then they pick on the little ones. The Jewel is similar size to my large Kenyi, but is a less aggressive species and finds itself lower on the pecking order, although it certainly doesn't get chased as much as the others.

And now for the grand finale!

Lucy's one week report

Lucy has survived her first week here! This is what Mommy has figured out about her so far:

She is very interested in the food preparation process but does not beg when Mommy eats. Mommy appreciates this greatly!
She seems to know two commands: sit and kisses. Yes, she kisses on command, and she aims for the mouth.
She LOVES going outside. Loves it. She even wanted to go out during a hail storm today. Mommy didn't let her.
She can't hold it all day while Mommy is at work if she is left out, but she can if she is put in her crate. She doesn't like the crate. That's a shame.
She seems to exist to go outside, get and give loving, and sleep.
Contrary to reports from her foster mom, she will play with toys, although not a lot. She seems to like an Eeyore that Mommy keeps in the living room. She won't play long and doesn't seem interested in any other toys, but this is a little bit of play that was a pleasant surprise.
She comes willingly when beckoned for a brushing. It doesn't seem like it's her favorite thing in the world, but she was very good and gave Mommy no trouble. The fur on her body doesn't seem prone to tangling, so her head and tail seem like they'll be the only parts of her that need regular grooming when her fur does grow out. She seems to shed a very little bit, but not much, so her coat may turn out to be really easy to deal with as long as she is groomed regularly.
She is a "boot scoot" expert.
Overall, she's actually a very good dog with some rough edges, and Mommy is very happy to have her!

Patellar Luxation?

The doctor says that I have something called patellar luxation. I am not in any pain, but Mommy has to watch me to make sure that she notices any problems right away. Because my kneecaps both move freely from side to side, the doctor said that it is pretty severe and will most likely require surgery, especially since they move so much when I am still as young as I am. It doesn't hinder my enthusiasm for going on walks, although Mommy says that I hold one of my legs up sometimes when I squat and I don't really like going up and down the stairs. Mommy usually carries me up and down, which is okay with me! Ultimately when I do have surgery, it will be at a hospital in Ithaca. Mommy says that it has a very good reputation, and my doctor is going to be there today and will let Mommy know about how much surgery will cost.

The doctor did a lot of mean things to me and then said I needed to put on a few pounds. Mommy hopes that I gain weight but is slightly concerned because the new food she got me to help my joints stay healthy has ingredients that are supposed to help maintain a trim form. The worst thing the doctor did was put a huge needle in me! Mommy said it was so she could find me more easily if I ever got lost, but I think Mommy should just not lose me! I was so upset that I bit the nurse who was helping me. Mommy wasn't happy to hear that and told me to apologize. I didn't.

I did get a new harness last night, which is nice because the one that I was wearing before was a bit snug. My new one is a very pretty dark purple and Mommy told me that it suits a beautiful young lady like me.

I got to meet more dogs yesterday and more people. I was really nice to the kids at the pet store and met two dogs that really stood out. I got to meet a Bichon. He was nice and definitely bigger than I am, more in girth than in height, though. I met a pretty Pomeranian who had just been groomed and smelled really nice. There was also a Great Pyrenees there. He was still a puppy, only 9 months old, and with his long, thick coat he looked absolutely huge, but I was still very pleased to meet him. He was really calm and a gentle giant.

One of Mommy's friends came to my home last night to meet me. I really surprised Mommy when I barked like crazy at him and didn't want to come near him for a few minutes. Mommy asked me who he reminded me of. She suspects that maybe someone mistreated me in the past. It turns out he was okay, but I wasn't really confident even after I let him pet me for a while. Since I am generally so friendly and outgoing, Mommy was a bit puzzled. So much about my past is a mystery to her, and I don't like to talk about it much.

Mommy might not come home to see me during her lunch break today. She said something about wanting to know how well I would do alone all day. She wanted to hire someone to come let me out a few days of the week, but she said that she should save the money she would have spent on that and put it aside to pay for my knee surgeries. I held it for 9 hours overnight, so I will do my best to not make a mess in the house today. If I am a good girl, she might leave me alone all day every day and not stop home often. Maybe I should have an "accident" so she'll come see me more often...

~Little Lapdog Lucy Lu