Inhale, Exhale

These past few months have been an incredibly confusing and stifling period in my life.

I have been raised in a denomination that puts a lot of stock in spiritual authority figures. And as a woman, I have also been taught to submit and defer to the leadership of men within the church.

BUT......over the course of the last year, I have had to reevaluate a lot of things. Actions have been taken by church authorities that have sounded warning bells in my head. There have been events which brought a check in my spirit and which did not seem to line up with what God Himself had taught me in His Word.

I have found myself bogged down in a mire of legalism and religious oppression, not sure who to believe anymore, and second-guessing my own ability to even hear God for myself (because I was actually told that I was incapable of doing so.)

BUT THOSE ARE LIES FROM SATAN!!!!!! The true message of the gospel brings freedom, not bondage. Grace, not legalism. Passion for the lost, not indifference toward the non-elect. Love, honor and respect--not an attempt to prove oneself better than another.

So I am taking some time to get away from the voices that have been influencing my life recently. Some of them have been positive, and I am thankful for those godly men and women who I have met along the way. But many more have been confusing, hurtful, and negative.

I am currently doing Beth Moore's "Believing God" study. In it, she talks about "spiritual breathing." We inhale the written word of God, and exhale the living Word of God.

I need to get back to the basics of spiritual breathing. I have been in an unhealthy cycle of hearing from God through His Word, but then allowing the voices of men to suffocate me. I have questioned whether God can really speak directly to me.

But the Word of God is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb. 4:12) It stands alone and lasts forever. I don't have to have a priest or minister interpret it for me. God's Word is not only for the spiritually elite. It is for ordinary people. And children. And whoever chooses to believe.

I can read it for myself. I can boldly approach the throne of Grace. And the Holy Spirit can teach me through the Word of God. I am not dependent on the wisdom of "religious" men for my spirituality. God is the only one I can fully trust and count on. He is all I really need.

He is who He says He is. His Word is TRUTH. I am who He says I am. I choose to believe that. I choose to silence the unhealthy voices around me, and simply hear the voice of GOD. I choose to breathe again.

What is Ministry?

My mentor gave me this, and I thought it was so true.

Ministry is...

Giving when you feel like keeping

Praying for others when you need prayer

Feeding others when your soul is hungry

Hurting with others when your own hurt can't be spoken

Keeping your word when it is not convenient

Being faithful when your soul wants to run away

~Author Unknown

10 Things I learned in Quebec

This is L'Eglise Baptiste Evangelique des Laurentides--our home for the past 8 days. I drove to Lachute, Quebec with 10 college students and one intern, really not sure what God was going to do, but expecting great things.

The week surpassed my expectations. We worked hard, played hard, and the team merged in a way that only God could do. Plus we fell in love with the people of Lachute, and gained a heart for the street kids of Montreal.


Fun things I learned while in Quebec:

1. Milk comes in plastic bags
2. If you take french fries, cover them in cheese curds, pour gravy on top and call them "poutine", it's considered a delicacy (see pic at left.)
3. Trees don't always fall in the direction you would expect when chainsawing them down.
4. The French expression "Thank You", if pronounced incorrectly, can also mean "nice ***".
5. It is possible to walk on water, (and DRIVE on water) when it has two feet of ice on top of it.
6. There are actually roads with potholes as big as your car.
7. Plastic trash bags, combined with steep, snowy hills, result in a wild ride and a snow wedgie.
8. Manitoba is the slurpee capital of the world.
9. It is possible to survive six hours of scraping paint in freezing rain and frigid temperatures.
10. The customary greeting in French culture is to kiss on both cheeks. One of our students innocently announced, after being welcomed in church on Sunday, "that was my first French kiss!"

We had the most amazing time in Quebec. They welcomed us into their church family, and we got a glimpse of how it will be to all worship together someday in Heaven. Can't wait.

How Deep The Father's Love for Us

I found something really cool in my reading yesterday. One of my favorite verses is Zephaniah 3:17. "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

I just wanted to remind myself of his love, and was looking that verse up in some different translations.

But I noticed something new that had not occurred to me before. The term "mighty one" in the Hebrew ("gibbor") is like the equivalent of a mighty champion or warrior. I imagined a little boy boasting to another kid, "my Dad's tougher than your Dad!!!" God is like our ultimate superhero!!!!

Yet in the same verse, it speaks of his incredibly gentle love, like a mother consoling her child. That reminded me of Ps. 131:2 "But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me." Every time I read that verse, I imagine climbing up into God's lap, leaning against His chest and snuggling up into the security of His presence.

I can see similar images in these other verses:

Isaiah 49:15-16 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me."

Isaiah 40:10-11 "Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

God has all the loving qualities of both a father and a mother. He is EVERYTHING we need. "Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite." (Ps. 147:5) All human friendships will fail us. Even our most primary and intimate relationships will fall short. But Psalms 27:10 promises, "For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up. "

When I hear that last verse, I always think of our kids from the Children's Home. The parents were supposed to love, nurture and protect them, but failed miserably. In most cases, it was their Mom or Dad who inflicted such deep pain on their young lives. Those little ones were abused, abandoned and neglected.

But in spite of these injustices, God promises that HE will never leave us or forsake us. (Deut. 31:6) He is our nurturer, protector, parent, friend and redeemer. He is our superhero!!! And He loves us more than we can ever imagine.

Invisible Children

Tomorrow night we will be helping to sponsor the movie "Invisible Children" on our campus. It is a documentary created by three UCSD college students, and tells the story of children in Northern Uganda. These children are being kidnapped from their homes, horribly abused, and forced to serve in the Rebel Army. They are being brainwashed and taught to be killing machines.

We need to do everything we can to intervene on behalf of these children. This is an international crisis. There are multiple ways that you can get involved.

1. Go to their website, www.invisiblechildren.com, and learn all you can about the plight of these kids.
2. Show the movie in your area. Get the word out to as many people as you know.
3. Buy bracelets, made by some of the kids in Uganda. All the proceeds go to help them with school fees, boarding school, and a better life.
4. Give--both your money and your time.
5. Participate in the Global Night Commute on April 29th. Every night, thousands of kids in Uganda leave their homes and walk miles into town just to sleep. We will be doing the same on April 29th, in cities all across America. There is hope that this will be the most widespread show of support for African children to have ever taken place in America.
   

Home Alone

Last night Joshua's grade had a sleepover at the Science Museum, and Doug went with them. Anna also had a slumber party, so that left me home alone.

While I do occasionally enjoy having time to myself, I don't sleep well at night when I am alone. It goes back to my childhood, and growing up in the middle of a dangerous civil war.

I have vivid memories of laying exhausted in my bed night after night, listening deep into the stillness. The darkness was terrifying to me. I expected one night to wake up to the sound of crashing glass, as terrorists came to torture and kill my family.

Thankfully, God protected us through those years, although we lost several close friends. But I still have vivid nightmares and don't really like nightime much.

Last night, as I lay listening once again for unfamiliar sounds in the dark, I tried to calm my mind with the gamet of memory verses that have sustained me through the years. "I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone make me dwell in safety."--Psalm 4:8, "I will never leave you or forsake you."--Hebrews 13:5, "From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy."--Psalm 61:2-3.

But as I recited those verses, I realized, too, that they do not guarantee us physically safety and protection. In fact, the Bible is clear in stating that if we choose to live godly lives, we WILL be persecuted in one way or another.

That got me thinking and praying for my brothers and sisters around the world, who are being physically persecuted and killed. They are facing horrific circumstances that I can hardly even imagine. I'm sure they also experience dread and fear. But their terror becomes reality. I cannot comprehend what it must be like to have to look evil in the face and endure it. My heart just began to break for them.

I know at some level, that God must give them a supernatural peace for that moment in time. That is the hope I cling to. Although my flesh desperately cringes at the thought of persecution, on a spiritual level I understand that it is something all of us must be willing to embrace if God chooses to allow that in our lives.

But I also know that it will all be over soon, and there will be no more suffering, dying, evil and terror in eternity. Looking back on it, this time on earth will seem as nothing. We will be able to live in peace and security without ever having to face the fear and dread again.

In the meantime, though, we need to be praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters. God does not take their sacrifice lightly. Psalm 116:15 tells us "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones." It breaks His heart, just as it breaks the hearts of those who love them.

"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body."--Hebrews 13:3. Let's love our persecuted siblings as we love ourselves, with the same fervor, and concern, and prayerfulness.

For the latest Persecution and Prayer alerts, you can go to www.persecution.net.

Falls Creek Memories Anyone????

Falls Creek Tabernacle, 1984 (back in Jeff and Doug's time)

Both Jason and Jeff brought up some beautiful memories of Falls Creek past. So I wanted to post them here on the main site.

Jason's Memories:

My greatest prank was pouring caster oil in the cool-aid one night at dinner. Turns out it worked on someone, my best friend. I was bragging to him about it and he told me that he spend the rest of that day on the toilet! Boy, was he mad at me.In order to get me back, he put Icy Hot on my deodorant. I took a shower that next day, put on the deoderant, and headed to the tabernacle. Just as i stepped into the tabernacle, the fire hit my pits. i thought i was going to die it hurt so much.

Jeff's Memories:

I can feel a Falls Creek memory from miles away. It called to me across cyberspace.

Doug, our other buddies, and I went to Falls Creek every year, sometimes twice. Doug was the best one about asking serious questions about the Bible when everyone else was just being silly. He asked our college counselor, Greg Sills, about Romans 5:7-8, and I remember learning alot in the discussion that followed.

For everyone's information, so you'll know the truth to which Kiki is referring: Kiki's husband Doug, now the illustrious MSC campus missionary, just a few short years ago could be seen running down the middle of the dorm all shampooed up from head to toe, with his hair foamed into two horns, and with a bar of soap in one hand running the middle leg of a shower relay.

When he passed the soap to me and I ran my lap down between the bunks and back, our counselor made as if he was going to stick the plunger on my face. I swerved, slipped on the wet floor as I entered the bathroom, and went down hard.

I found myself spinning on my back across the floor toward the fire escape (2nd floor). Doug and Chris caught my arms as I was about halfway out the open fire escape door, feet first. So there I was, all covered in shampoo (and nothing else) hanging out the fire escape, with Chris and Doug, also covered in shampoo (and nothing else) holding my arms.

We were all laughing so hard, and we were all so slippery that they almost dropped me before finally pulling me back in. So, Doug kinda saved my life, I guess, at Falls Creek.

He also almost killed me several times when he came up the middle with that huge stiff-arm, knocked me down, and stepped on my face on the way to the end zone. So I guess we're even? Doug and I had many great times growing up, and I'm very thankful for all the good memories, especially from Falls Creek.

Aren't those great? Send me some more Falls Creek memories (or memories from other camps) and I'll gladly post them.

Seeing people from the inside out

I remember Anna's first Easter Egg hunt as a toddler. She saw the bright, plastic eggs strewn all over the lawn and lit up with excitement. But she was so taken with the pretty colored eggs (which also made delightful shaking noises) that she failed to realize they had treasures inside of them.

I was thinking about that concept yesterday, as I was watching the variety of students walk past the hot chocolate table. They came in tall, short, dark, light, beautifully dressed, plainly dressed, and just a plethora of shapes and sizes.

But if we were to open up all the shells, the mortal bodies that we're all encased in, you would see a bunch of souls walking around. And that's the part that really counts, because it lasts for an eternity, while our bodies are only temporary.

So really, what is on the inside is who we really are, even though society tends to define us by our outsides.

Chris Massa was standing at the table with me, and he shared a cool story related to this idea. He was in an "Every Man's Battle" study back at Westchester University. One night they were discussing what attracts them to a girl, and most of the guys in the room were saying that the first thing is how she looks.

Then Brandon spoke up. "I look for her voice. If there is warmth in it, if she is friendly, if she listens well. Really, just if whe seems like a nice person." The other guys in the room got totally silent. You see, Brandon was blind, so the concept of how a girl looked was totally irrelevant to him. Brandon had the amazing gift of seeing people from the inside out.

1 Sam. 16:7 says "....man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Lord, I pray that you would give me eyes like yours, to see people from the inside out. Let me value what really counts in the people around me. Let me see them as eternal beings living temporarily in a physical state, and not physical beings who also have a spiritual dimension. Give us an eternal perspective, and an eternal passion, and an eternal love for those around us.

More Life Lessons from Joshua

Joshua made this picture at the retreat.

We were having a time of response/journaling, and the worship art tables were available.

He drew this and gave it to Doug.

Doug asked why he had chosen this verse, and he said, "I was just thinking about Genesis and creation, and being outside. I had been reading this verse, and was looking at everyone in the room."

"It made me think about how He made us, and said that how He made us was good. I was also thinking about how silly it is that people can believe that we came from some nuclear explosion or whatever."

So I asked him what he meant by saying how God made us was good.

"Well, it's kind of like a car," Joshua said. "If it's really fast, then it usually doesn't have good handling. If it has good handling, then it's usually not as fast. Both have their weaknesses and strengths. One is not better than the other. They are just different."

"Like I'm medium in smartness, really funny, and good at making friends. I like games and being with my family. Those are the things that make me special. God made me that way on purpose because He has a plan for my life, and He needed a Joshua just like me to fit it."

Pics from Mid-Winter Retreat

Friends from back at the Ranch!!!

All together now~ O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-klahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain......."

Ryan and Clay, thanks for the picture!!! Kinda makes me homesick!!!!! (Jason, does this bring back memories of your pre-New Orleans days??)

Boomer Sooner, everyone!!!!

4 Things tag

My friend, Marty Duren, tagged me.

4 Jobs I Have Had In My Life:

Student Recruiter--my Senior year at Ouachita I was a recruiter, going to college fairs and speaking to high school students about higher education.

Air Traffic Control Trainee--I was selected for and went through the ATC program at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Institute, but quickly discovered I was directionally challenged. Which did not bode well for the future of airline passengers in the Fort Worth area (which was my assigned region.) So I opted out of that career.

3 Year-Old Preschool Teacher--I taught in the Weekday Care Center at First Baptist Edmond. I loved my kids, and still think teaching preschoolers is fun. Except for potty training!!!!

Houseparent--Doug and I were houseparents for 8 boys at Goodland Presbyterian Boys Home. We did that until 3 weeks before Anna was born. We have stayed in touch with some of our boys, and still have a heart for children's home ministry.


4 Goals I Set For This Year

Journaling--I tend to be sporadic in my prayer/quiet time journaling. I am faithful in reading/praying, but I hate having to write things out. (I have been spoiled by technology, and would rather type.) I want to do a better job of keeping a spiritual journal.

Scrapbooking--I made it through each child's first birthday, and then just accumulated a huge box of pictures and scrapbook materials.

Run in the Pittsburgh Great Race--I have planned to do it the past two years, but got sick the first year, and too busy the second. It's only 10K, so there's really no excuse.

Nail down my beliefs--the past few months I realized that I don't know Biblically where a lot of my beliefs came from. Much of what I think is my doctrine is simply what was passed down to me. So I want to be able to defend each of my positions, based on what see in the Word, not on tradition or history.



4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over

To be honest, I really hate having to watch anything more than once.



4 Places I Have Lived

Gweru, Zimbabwe

Johannesburg, South Africa

Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania



4 TV Shows I Love to Watch

I don't watch a lot of TV, aside from a good football game or occasional NASCAR race. But if I had to choose something, it would be:

Extreme Makeover (Home Edition)-- I was a feature editor for our college paper, and still enjoy a good "human interest" story.

King of Queens--I relate so much to Doug and Carrie's relationship. Keeps me laughing.

Alias--I would love to kick butt like Sydney Bristow.

Lost--I've only been able to watch a few episodes. But it is intense, and actually has a plot and story line.


4 Places I've Been on Vacation

Lucerne, Switzerland

Fothergill Island, Kariba (Zimbabwe)

Jerusalem, Israel

Cancun, Mexico


4 Websites I Visit Daily

MSN News

www.cmu.edu

Google

My friend's blogs



4 of My Favorite Foods

General Tso's Chicken

Roast beef with rice and gravy

Chicken Alfredo

Fresh, hot, homemade rolls


4 Places I Would Rather Be Right Now

Southfork, Colorado

Curled up with a blanket while watching a good movie at my parent's house in Arkansas

Playing games and really laughing with my friends

Hiking in the mountains with the warm sun on my face, a gentle breeze blowing, and no sound except a gentle brook and the chattering of birds in the trees.


So Now I'm Going to Tag......

Corley Madden

James Touchton

Rick Thompson

Tim Sweatman

Falling Up

Thursday night at FUEL we looked at Isaiah 40:28-31. It has been a tough semester for all of us, and I knew the students were tired.

We were studying the attributes of eagles, and looking at what it means to "rise on wings like eagles."

Adam, who has only been a Christian for about 4 1/2 months, had this amazing insight. He said, "It's like falling UP." He went on to explain that an eagle does not use his own energy to soar, but finds "thermals", or hot pockets of air that carry him up so that he can glide. He simply spreads his wings and allows them to carry him along.

Interestingly enough, in a storm the thermals will carry the eagle above the clouds, where he glides effortlessly above the raging activity below.

I love that expression--falling up. When I grow tired and weary, I need to remember to fall up and allow my Heavenly Father to get me through the storm.

More Superbowl pics

Steeler girls: Kiki, Sami, Corley, Anna A., Anna C., Megan and Cristina

The guys solution to the noisy fire alarm was to stifle it with Terrible Towels

The fireman seemed a little disappointed that we didn't have any beer, but hung out with us for a little bit anyway.

LET'S PAAAAAARRRRTTTTTTYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!

This is so incredibly fun!!!!! There's nothing like a city-wide celebration to get you out of your blue funk.

We were at a friend's house tonight watching the Superbowl. The fire alarm in her apartment building went off right at the beginning of the game. Everyone poked their heads out to see what was going on, but nobody was willing to leave their TVs.

The firemen arrived, and one of them came down to see how the game was going. He hung out with us for a few minutes. I'll post a picture of him with the kids tomorrow, as soon as Corley sends it to me. (It was on her camera, and she is in the middle of Oakland at the moment, probably swinging a Terrible Towel around her head, hugging total strangers and screaming her lungs out!!!)

When the game was over, random people began coming to the door. Everyone just opened up their apartment doors. We were all dancing, jumping around, screaming, waving towels and going crazy.

It looks like rush hour in the streets right now, even though it is snowing pretty hard. The roads are kind of slick, but people are still out honking and screaming and getting reeeeeeeaaaaaalllllly drunk.

We heard on the radio that a local sporting goods store is open, and t-shirts are going like hotcakes. The lights were also on at the stadium, and people were streaming in. Looks like there is going to be an all-night party in Pittsburgh.

WAY TO GO, STEELERS!!!!!!

If you want to be able to play all the fun songs and celebrate with us, a great website to go to is http://www.steelersinhoboken.com/SuperBowlXL.htm.

Fishing Lessons

This is a great excerpt from a book Joe just sent me. It is Paul Hattaway's "Back to Jerusalem." The book is especially meaningful to me, because in December I was able to participate in a conference call with one of the leaders of the "Back to Jerusalem" movement. God is doing amazing things in China!!! Keep praying!!!

"Many pastors fill their pulpits with fishing stories, and their congregation admires the fishing nets that hand on the wall of the church for display. The nets have been thoroughly cleaned. No effort has been spared to keep al dirt and impurity out of the church. The nets have been bleached so white that nobody would ever guess they had once been used for fishing! The strings are carefully arranged so that each square has the same size and shape. After all, 'God is a God of order.' The pastors love to boast about their nets, and even invite Christians from other churches to come and admire their nets with them."

"Every few years 'over-zealous' young believers come in and suggest that they should take the nets down from the wall and take them out on the lake to catch fish. The 'mature' members of the congregation explain that God is catching many fish throughout the world, and all is well. Their job is to live holy, peaceful lives and not be presumptuous. The new believers are assured that once they have followed the Lord for a few more years, they will mature and become just like the others. For now, they had best remain quiet in the pew and stop speaking out of turn."

"Week after week, year after year, Satan lulls individual believers, churches and whole denominations to sleep with his lies. The bleach that has removed all the stains and dirt from the nets also effectively disinfects the Christians until they will never consider becoming fishermen again."

("Back to Jerusalem", by Paul Hattaway, pp. 132-3)

Go hug a tree

If you were to come on our campus right now, you would find several naked baby dolls tied to trees in the new construction area. And a student told me today that an art professor stripped down, hugging a tree butt naked, while construction workers waited patiently to continue clearing the hillside.

Ah, the joys of free speech. Gotta love it.

Don't get me wrong. I firmly believe in protecting our environment, and believe God instructed man from the beginning to care for the earth.

I also love living in a country where free speech is permitted, after spending half my life in a place where it was not.

But......when does it go too far?

There should at least be a "good taste" mandate. I mean........those poor construction guys are going to need therapy before all this is over!!!

Eye of God?

This is one of the new photos from the Hubble site. I love this image. It reminds me of 1 Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer."

Studying this picture prompted me to stop and spend some intense time with God. It was as if God was saying, "we need to talk about some things."

Wow. We had an amazing time together. I asked Him all those questions that have been burdening me. And He responded by giving me very clear answers and an overwhelming sense of peace. There was also a little bit of a rebuke, which I needed.

I realized that I have been listening too much to "learned men" rather than to God. And it has brought me so much bondage, where before I found incredible freedom in Christ.

I'll leave you with this.

Isaiah 40:26-31

Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Long gray winter

Does anyone else ever feel like they are going through a long "winter" season of their life? Not a significant period of trial or suffering. Just a general tone of gray.

Maybe this is my "mid-life crisis." But for about the past three months, I have struggled to find a real sense of identity and security in ministry.

That perplexes me. God continues to do really cool things on our campus. I see evidence of His hand almost every day.

But I can't seem to find my usual passion and excitement in what I do. I feel very lost and ineffective and ungrounded, like I'm floating through this vast universe without finding a place to land.

Perhaps it's because we haven't really found a church home. Or maybe it's the current problems in our convention, which have shaken my security to the core.

Maybe it's just that I've come through an intense period of healing after dealing with baggage from the past. I do feel emotionally exhausted.

Or perhaps it's because we work on such a dark campus, and pour so much of ourselves into the ministry. Yet we so seldom see anyone come to Christ. We empty ourselves out constantly, but have few places to refill.

Whatever it is, I know that one of these days the sun is going to break through the clouds, and Spring will have arrived.

But for the time being, I can only keep straining my eyes towards the Light, and believe that He is still there beyond the clouds. I will wait in anticipation for the day the clouds break apart and the warmth and sun shine through again.

Feelin' the Love!!!!

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for all of the birthday messages yesterday. I was feelin' the love!!!!

My daughter, Anna, even "invented" a new cake for my birthday. It involved apple cinnamon muffin mix, grated fresh apples, and was really delicious. She also bought me a sweater with her own money.

My boys ordered pizza and movies for me. Joshua's love language is quality time. So we spent a couple of hours watching "Robots" and "March of the Penguins" while being curled up on the couch as a family.

And to all of you who sent creative little gifts (thanks, Jason, for the Boomer Sooner sound wave!!!) I really appreciate you all. Joe blew me away, though, sending three books that have been on my "hopefully purchase someday" list. Thanks so much, Joe!!!! I can't wait to read them.

I got emails from as far away as Oman, and phone calls from my parents, all of our staff and a couple of students. I had been planning to not make a big deal of my birthday this year, but you guys would have none of that!!!!

Thank you for all that you did to make it a special day. : )