Little Miss

She meets me out in the garden and giggles, and I know why. She's wearing my shoes. Last week she told me she's been wanting to try on my hoop earrings, and did I mind if she tried? She wore them all afternoon of course waiting til the man of the house was home to see her with the large silver loops on either side of a pair of smiling cheeks.

She still holds my hand, but I can see her reaching for the future . . .

For now she is lovely young. She loves beauty and that is wonderful.

A pan?

Church camp. That's where I heard it. For real - an audible voice. In the midst of a beautiful thing that is a worship service at youth camp, I heard God's voice. I don't remember the song we were singing or the band or who the preacher was, but I remember that the voice said, " April, I have a plan for you." Really not earth shattering news. I mean, doesn't God have a plan for everyone? In my heart I believed that I was called as much as anyone who is a follower of Christ, that I was also a minister of the gospel purely by the fact that I've been grafted into the holy priesthood and all that good stuff. So I figured the best in store for me was to be Christ to others as I went and as for an official calling . . . well we'd see.

Years later, I'm wondering if my calling is just to be a mom and a wife - which i really do well - if you don't count that laundry over there. Or is there more? I really want to live a life that makes a difference, to have given all I can. Otherwise, what's the point? Is it enough to make an impact in the life of my family and maybe a few friends or is my reach even farther than that?

Not sure. But Jeff, God love him, had an answer for me. Maybe I misheard. Maybe he didn't say plan, maybe it was pan.

reverse card

Okay, I recant requesting a folding machine.  I am grateful that I'm not using a washboard or even better - washing my clothes in the river.  Had a dream about Morocco the other night . . . I saw women carrying their laundry to wash in the river, the river that kinda looked muddy. That was in real life, not the dream.  The dream just reminded me of that.   And even in Europe they hardly have dryers.  So I'm done with that wish, and thankful I can fold the clothes.  

Bah! I still think it would be a cool invention.  After the man to the moon and all that.  

another improvement for my day

Washing machines and dryers are fantastic. Best thing since sliced bread.  They wash and dry our clothes for us in record time.  I love and appreciate the work they do for me.  This year we needed to replace our dryer . . . 12 years of work and all, it was ready to retire.  There were beautiful new models of the dryer and washers, too, but basically the improvements to the older models is very little more than aesthetics, and I'm thinking, instead of wasting time on designing new washing machines and dryers that already do a great job . . . how about a whole nother machine.  That's right, something that takes it to a whole nother level.  What I'd like to see the next time I'm shopping for home appliances is a folding machine.  That would be truly miraculous.  Can I get an Amen?

What would make my day better

Desperately wanting a decent pencil sharpener.  I can't even describe the lame attempts made by my electric pencil sharpener to sharpen pencils.  Please, someone give me a good reccomendation.  This could solve my [children's] academic crisis.  If I can't equip them with excellent tools in usable condition, then all hope is lost . . .

what in the world!

This weekend we were driving through the Texas Hill Country and we came upon a small homemade museum that featured dinosaur tracks. We had to stop and check them out. CRAZY! What in the world! It seems like a fairy tale. It really doesn't seem real. And all I want to know is, "God, why did you make dinosaurs?"

how

Sharing Christ with others is a weight on my heart. Here are my two interesting opportunities, and I'm praying for others.
1. Neighbors:
So we've recently moved to a very rural area outside of San Antonio. It's an actual neighborhood with an HOA and eveything, but you get the feeling that these people are out here to get away from people. The lots are 2 to 5 acres with horses, heavily wooded and . . . gates. So going over to someones house to say borrow an egg, although a believable excuse to get to your neighbors front door as the grocery store is over 20 miutes away, doesn't seem exactly inviting- nevermind the barking dogs. So despite the unwelcoming gates and the closed curtains, I've decided that this week I'll make cookies and use the cute kids as a way of getting in to my neighbors' homes. Should be interesting, and I'm praying for people to be home and me not to chicken out.
2. Opportunities to socialize
so Jeff had a great scooter that allowed him to socialize with scooter people. That also allowed me to socialize with scooter people. Subcultures are so fun. So I've been on one outing with the scooter people (all males, and none with off spring) accompanied by Jeff and the kids. And here's the thing I've been thinking about . . . One of the guys told a great story about how he'd been riding and his cargo flew off the back of his bike. The camera and phone that were inside his cargo bag flew out of their bags and onto the asphalt. He didn't realize this until he was a few miles away, and when he went back to find them they were all still there and virtually unharmed in the middle of a busy road! His comment was "That's karma!" in retrospect I feel that this was my in. That was the opportunity that I could have begun a conversation that included the possibility that karma was not in control of his life, but perhaps there was something more and Divine in nature. I'm not saying it was the moment to reveal all mysteries of salvation, but it could have been more, and I completely missed it . . and maybe for eternity because now Jeff has gotten rid of the scooter so we may no longer qualify to hang with those nice folks. Anywho, I'm currious if anyone is reading this, what would be your response, how would you use the opportunity?