We've all said it: "I'm so tired!"

So the expression goes. We're all familiar with it; we've all used it!

I arrived at church yesterday afternoon to finish getting materials ready for Sunday morning and then attend the evening worship service. I asked a co-worker how she was doing and she responded with a variation of "I'm so tired!". I encouraged her and then moved on about my business not thinking of it again.

This morning I was back at the church getting ready for the crazy morning, and I heard another co-worker ask this same person how she was and she again responded with the same variation of, "I'm so tired!" Hmmmm.

There have been many responses I have wanted to respond with when asked, "How are you?". Here are just a few:

"I feel like crap!"
"I'm frustrated that more people don't volunteer!"
"I have severe cramps and hurt in this entire general area."
"I'm emotionally drained!"
"How can you ask me that when you're walking away?"
"Do you always wear your hair like that?"
"I'm worried about my son."
"I don't want to talk about it!"

but instead...I smile and then usually respond with a variation of: "Doing well!" Yes, it may be stretching the truth a bit at that moment, but will it make any difference if I tell them I ache, or I am sad, or I'm tired and really didn't want to get out of bed this morning??

Below are a few Bible verses that I desperately need to memorize (again) and repeat about every 20 seconds throughout the day:

"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch at the door of my lips." (Psalms 141:3)
and
"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any virtue, and if any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

Maybe the next time I'm asked, "How are you?", and I'm tempted to reply in the same way as my tired coworker, I'll instead reply like Greg's Uncle Tom:

"Thankful!"; "Forgiven!"; "Outstanding!"; "Better than I deserve!" ...ESPECIALLY when I'm so tired!

Praying for a "D"

We really aren't asking for much...just a passing "D" grade on Lewis' report card. He really cannot afford anything less than a "D" or he runs the risk of not graduating next May, the end of his senior year.

It's been a very long 12 years in school for Greg, me, and our oldest son. Classroom settings are uncomfortable and boring for many children, especially boys - so during the school year, at semester's end, report cards have caused a lot of friction, lectures, meetings with teachers, but also words of encouragement to try harder.

Grades are all these kids are measured on; and not everyone is cut out for the typical school schedule with long hours in chairs and multiple-choice test questions.

I believe Lewis will one day be a very accomplished hard-working adult, but for now we're just pray for a "D"!

I HATE SPIDERS!

I sent my husband a text message today even while I knew he was in staff meeting: "I admit it: I ABSOLUTELY HATE SPIDERS!"

Yes, I know this confession is not an emergency 911 call for many of you, causing you to stop, drop, and roll, but for those who don't know me very well, here's the news flash: I am absolutely, confidently, and certainly reliably freaked out over SPIDERS - not the tiny ones, but the big fat fast wolf spiders!

I've not always been this way. When the boys were young and watching me ever so closely, I was cool about spiders and would gulp down my hesitency just to make a good impression on the boys. I'd kill the darn ugly thing without them ever knowing my inner caution, but now that they're older and I can simply call for any of them to come to my rescue, I hardly ever kill a spider! There always seems to be someone available to rescue me!

Well...not today. Before getting showered and dressed for the day today, I ventured down to the basement to make sure the sump pump was working properly after all the rain we've had over the past two days. I bent over, touched the tip of the plunger that rises and then causes a trigger to empty the sump, but the tip of this lever suddenly moved, startling me. It was a small wolf spider trying to get out of my way, and I screamed! I decided to just let the sump pump do it's thing, turned around to exit the small unfinished part of our basement, and there was another spider, a bit larger than the first. Startled, I screamed again. Then - the monster of them all - a ginormous wolf spider right near the door where the baseboard meets the wall. It was huge! I screamed yet again, performed a little temper-tantrum, tried to think of a way to claw through the wall board to the room next door so I didn't have to get so close to the darn ugly thing near the door, then called for the dog who likes to bite and kill the spiders. Jacki-wacki didn't see the stupid arachnid despite all my pointing ("No, not my finger...Over there, dog!"), so I ran through the door. It definitely was less painless to run through the open door then to stand there watching the gross thing and yelling at the dog to turn around and sniff higher (as if she understand English!!!) AGH! I wasn't wearing shoes to stomp on any of the spiders. I was alone so there was no boy to help me kill 'em.

Once safely back upstairs, I wrote Greg the confession over a text message and reminded myself that the pest control sprayer was coming later in the week.

When Cameron, my 15-year old, got home from school, I bribed him with money to go back down to the basement to find any and all spiders and kill them ($.10 per spider). He and my nearly 13-year old son, Isaac, did just that. I think I talked my way out of paying him money by agreeing to make his favorite dessert. Haven't heard what that dessert will be but it's gonna be extra sweet for this precious boy who isn't afraid of spiders, and loves to protect his momma.

BTW - after I encouraged the boys to move all the furniture in the basement to make sure no spiders were lurking underneath, waiting to come out when we're down there watching movies, he did find a small, dead brown recluse. YIKES!

I don't use the word hate very often...but I definitely, absolutely, confidentally HATE SPIDERS!

Blast from My Past

Wow! Who would have thought!?!

Greg went to the Wichita airport last Saturday night to meet and greet Team #1 as they arrived from Uganda, Africa after a 2-week long missions trip. As he was leaving, he turned around when he heard his name called. There, calling his name, was Amy Murrey (pictured with me on the right).

Amy and her family were stationed in Stuttgart, Germany with the Air Force when Greg and I and boys were living on the Germany economy as American ex-pats from August 1997-February 1998. We met Amy and her wonderful family at the only English-speaking church in the area. She became my instant friend. She became my link to speaking English, eating poptarts and Kraft macaroni & cheese (military commissary), watching Young and the Restless, and playing as well as shopping with friends. They were and continue to be wonderful people!

Amy and her family relocated to Memphis, TN 9 years ago and have lived there ever since. Amy and her son, Joseph, were on the same flight from Memphis to Wichita, KS with our Team #1 just returning from Uganda, having had a layover in Memphis. As Greg greeted and meeted the team, Amy saw Greg and made contact.

Greg called me as he went to get the car and said, "You're NOT going to believe who I just saw!" (How do you answer that!!!!) When he said, "Amy Murrey", my mind began to turn and move through the past and quickly remembered the face with the name with true amazement. It has been 10.5 years since we embraced and hugged goodbye, yet one does not forget the face nor the person. Amy became my best friend - my sister in Christ - when we lived 5000 miles away from everything familiar. Amy was a gift from the Lord to me when I grieved for everything American.

After staying up late with Amy and her son in our home, here in Wichita, Kansas, last Saturday night, and another day together on Sunday, it truly was a blast from my past. The voices are the same. The laughter is the same. Our values and politics are the same. All that shows that has changed are more wrinkles around the eyes, gray hairs on our heads (just me...Amy looks just as young!), and the children being taller and smarter than we are!

God is just SO good to arrange such a supernatural reunion. To open our eyes and ears to see and hear the blessing he wants to give us. I thank Him so much for my friend, Amy, whom I've not seen for 10.5 years. (Read back through my posting on going to Paris...Amy and her family took care of Lewis while we were away.) Never did we think God would arrange a reunion in a small airport in the middle of the United States on a late Saturday night.