living in men world

so for the first time in my life - i find myself the only female in a household of men - one husband, one son, and two insane dogs - dave, micah, stanley, and roger - respectively.

today, this was driven home (no pun intended) when i received a lesson on how real men carry in grocery bags - they don't use the handles. . . .

i know, this makes no sense to me either.

handles are so much easier - i can now set the bag down, and open the a) car door, b) car trunk, c) screen door and front door, and then pick it up with ease - by the handles. (this is especially useful if you are carrying more than one bag.)

gone are the days when i had to clutch the lumpy, heavy groceries bags to my chest- losing view of the area directly in front of my feet (dangerous when walking with small children - all of my kids learned the hard way to walk behind me so as not to get a "canned-goods" bruise up side the head).

hopefully, i remembered to get out my house KEY out before the clutching of the bags, because, God forbid i had to set those groceries down gracefully and without them pouring themselves out as some unsharp but protruding can caused a breach in the sturdy paper material, only to go digging around for my keys in the diaper bag i used as a purse for most of my married life. (ok, yes, i carried a diaper bag years past having any child in diapers - they were so much more practical. 1)they had so many useful pockets and compartments for all sorts of purse crappola (hence the digging - i never elected one pocket as the key pocket) and 2) i could throw the dang thing in the wash and have it come out looking like new - and you can't do that when your 6 old gets car sick and heaves directly into your fake leather-looking handbag.)

i can honestly say i have chased more than than my fair share of cambell's chicken noodle soup down my sloping driveway or lurched myself into the evergreens on either side of the front porch trying to locate the missing pie filling that went awol. (did eventually find it during the hard long winter when the grass under the evergreens died.)

so i for one happily said "PLASTIC" when asked and the choice was either a "handled" chemically created bag or a handle-less paper sack. and then - when paper grocery bag manufacturers figured they needed to add handles to keep up with their plastic competition, i saluted American ingenuity and proudly went back to "paper."

so this morning my son went to pick up a few things for me at two different grocery stores. he came back with both "handled" paper and plastic bags. and when i commented that he hadn't used the handles on the paper bag he shook his head. and when i started to say something about the plastic bags. . . he grabbed the top of the bag in his large man hand (like grabbing a chicken around the neck) and said "real men don't use them." and dave added "it's man law."

hmmmmmm, maybe it is time for a woman president. . .

Pray for You - Jaron and The Long Road to Love :: Official Video

i can't help it. . . this song makes me laugh every time i hear it. . . i know we are not supposed to pray like this. . . but. . .

Piano stairs - TheFunTheory.com - Rolighetsteorin.se

Bed Intruder Christmas - Liberty University - Surprising

Being Authentic

dave has recently been blogging on our church's environmental values. this last week he posted about the importance of being authentic. i liked what he wrote and thought it was worth sharing.

"People in our society have become increasingly skeptical of religion in general and of churches in particular. They have their “baloney radar” up and running. Credibility is an issue for us. To try posturing ourselves as better than what we really are – is a huge mistake. We must own up to our inconsistencies, our dysfunction, and our hypocrisy. We are not perfect, we have not arrived. (Yet we must be diligent to be making progress in our Christ-likeness.)

I also think that it’s true that when a person walks into a church that values authenticity it gives them the freedom to own up to their own brokenness and face their own demons. They are infused with hope that change is possible, that they are not alone, that maybe they have indeed stumbled upon a community where they will be accepted rather than judged and criticized.

We must not wear masks. And we must not punish others when they refuse to wear a mask. To be our genuine self does not necessarily mean that we are happy or content with who we are – just that we are being honest – no pretense – no games.

It’s been said that if we share only strengths we create competition. When we share our weaknesses we create community. Creating such an atmosphere perpetuates further vulnerability and honesty – that’s where healing and deep relationships can begin."

so here's to we - the body of Christ - actually behaving like the body of Christ. . .

"came for the fun, stayed for the grace"

one of the members of our congregation summed up his family's experience with our UPWARD basketball program with "we came for the fun - and stayed for the grace."

i can't think of a better endorsement of Arlington Countryside Church's commitment to reaching out to our community through the ministry of UPWARD sports. . . check out how you can be a part of this year's exciting season. (this was posted earlier this month on ACC-Leadership Online blog.)

October is Upward Promotion Month

October 1st, 2010

ACC’s Upward Basketball and Cheerleading practices begin in January, but plans have been underway since the summer. This will our seventh year hosting the Upward league, and it is exciting to anticipate its growth. Upward is a self-esteem building, Christ-centered sports program for children in grades 1-6.

On Sunday, October 17, you will hear more about how you can get involved. The challenge is for every person at ACC to be part of Upward in some way- whether coaching, serving as a referee, attending games, advertising, working at the concession stand, or praying. To have a successful season, there are many roles that the church body needs to fill. Will you consider how you can be part of Upward? We welcome your help with small and large jobs!

- In order to recruit players, we need to get the word out. Will you hang a yard sign, invite neighborhood children to play, and distribute brochures?

- If you love basketball, please consider coaching a team or serving as a referee. Games are on Saturdays beginning in late January. God can use your sports knowledge to impact children for eternity!

- If you have an Upward T-shirt, please wear it on Sunday, October 17. Children who have played are encouraged to wear uniforms or jerseys on this date too.
We look forward to your involvement. Please pray for a fun, successful, and God-honoring season!

Guest blogger: Allison Bies

the benefit of having adult children

dave and i have been in pastoral ministry for over 29 years this year. we have shared with others in the celebration of marriages, babies, graduations, new homes, new jobs, new and renewed faith. we have also shared with others in the loss of marriages, loved ones, promising futures, homes, careers, and faith. and in those times, we have sought to be an encouragement, to be God-with-skin-on for those who are sharing life's journey with us.

with dad corlew passing away this week, we were reminded that there is a time to minister to others and then there is a time to allow others to minister. the hospital chaplin who came to dad's room to share scripture and pray with us pointed out to me that dave's role was that as "son" - not "pastor" to our family. the chaplain was right.

over the last couple of days, friends and family have been right along side of us, encouraging us bringing food and flowers, hugging and listening, sending us cards and messages, and driving down to Joliet to be physically with us for the service. i am more than grateful - i am overwhelmed by their kind words and actions but also by their generosity of time.

yesterday was not only dad's life celebration, but also the 19th anniversary of my mother's death and i couldn't help but think about losing her.

i was 30 and our children were little - between 3 and 7 years old. i cannot tell you what a comfort those kids were to me and to my father. watching them play and fight and make up and ask for another snack was healing. the kids were generous with hugs and kisses and home-made drawings when they realized we were still sad. and having to jump back into the routine of running the house and nurturing them was just what i needed to move on in the grieving process.

i realized today that the benefit of having adult children is that they are adults now and know you almost as well as your spouse. they allowed us to be there for them, to listen, to encourage, to wipe away tears, to hold and to remind them of how God answered papa's prayers. and then, they did the same for us and more. we heard dad corlew's words of wisdom and humor come out of their mouths. . . wow!!!

i am thankful for the heritage dad corlew handed down to all of us. but i am more thankful to see that heritage reflected in the lives of our adult children.

thanks, kids!