Maybe a Little Like Lance

We woke up early this morning and headed for the San Sebastian trail head of the Wekiva Trail on 436 in Altamonte Springs. Robert was determined to see how far we could get. Granted, it was HOT even early this morning (8 am). We managed to make it 14 miles round trip. We rode from the trailhead to the Heathrow Panera at Lake Mary Blvd. (a little over 7 miles) and had brunch at 10:30. It wasn't without a generous portion of whining (no, not from me) and sore legs, but everyone was proud of their accomplishment. We were home by 12:30 and recharged with cold showers and the promise of half a day still left!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Robert decided that he wanted a little taste of home this afternoon which led to an impromptu Cajun Shrimp Boil. A trip to Publix and several pounds of seafood later and we had a party on our hands. Cajun boiled shrimp, crab legs, corn, potatoes, onions, garlic, and more cayenne pepper than most people north of Mississippi can handle gave way to one fun evening! Add a view of the Space Shuttle launch and the summer has started with a bang!

Kobe End of School Celebration

Everyone in Altamonte Springs must have had a birthday tonight. If I had to hear that gong one more time . . . Nevertheless, dinner was yummy and the company was divine. Jane managed to keep her phone out of the toilet and Kristen didn't spill anything. Only thing missing was Whitney. Summer has officially begun when the girls come home. Hurry up, Whitney!

Nature or Nurture?

I've been predispositioned to live in warmer climates. My father was Navy and we were always stationed near the water. Born in San Diego, my brother and I spent many summer days on the beach. We would stay until the sun had drained the last bit of energy from us and tinged us a slight red. I still vividly remember standing in the surf on Coronado Beach experiencing the ocean's pull as sand was sucked from beneath my feet back into the great blue. I loved that feeling well before I could understand the dynamics of the surf. I thought it was the ocean's way of tempting me to come in a little deeper.

One summer afternoon Troy, my brother, decided to educate me about Sand Sharks. I spent much of that afternoon sitting on top of the picnic benches; he failed to tell me they only lived in the water. Big brothers have that power over little sisters.

From San Diego we moved to Oahu in Hawaii and then to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. I can't imagine living up north. I understand there is a beauty to the seasons and I can appreciate that . . . from afar. Perhaps one day we will live where snow covers the lawn in late fall and gray skies tempt more than the cat to nap, until then I'll revel in the intoxicating characteristics of long summers:

• The feel and smell of skin warmed in the sun


• The brilliant pink color the sunlight makes on your closed eyelids


• Bright blue skies and whispering breezes


• Floating in an inner tube with my toes dipped in cool water


• The sounds of my laughing children


• Forgetting I'm an adult


• Waterslides that make you catch your breathe


• The glow that comes from playing outside all day


• Water fights


• More summer days ahead . . .

Fierce on the Field

I'm behind on writing. There's been so much going on and not enough time to cover it all; so I'm backtracking. For the last few months, we've been shuttling back and forth between soccer practices and soccer games. Josh (Bear as we call him) loves the game. The season started off typically, a groups of kids who had never played together just trying to hold things together. As the season progressed, they beat a team that hadn't lost a game in three years. And by last weekend, they found themselves in the playoffs.


How is that possible? We can thank two men for this experience. Coach Long and Coach Schaffer taught these kids about more than moving a ball down field. They taught them to work together, to encourage one another, and to enjoy the game.

On a typical Saturday at Trotter's Park, the shrill voices of frustrated coaches and defeated crying players can be heard across the fields. If you heard Coach Long or Coach Schaffer's raised voices from the side of the field, it was to shout encouragement. If you saw them run out onto the practice field, it was to join in an impromptu free for all. Their attitudes were reflected in the kids understanding of who they were as a team: individuals of integrity joined to strengthen one another. A powerful lesson that they will carry into more competitive arenas.

They fought their way through the playoff game and came out in second place. They were disappointed, but the core of what their coaches had taught them throughout the season stuck. Instead of the typical melodramatic meltdown of collapsing to the ground, they rushed to Mrs Long who offered Powerades and Pixie Sticks. Now that's the ending to a good season!

Lance Armstrong I am Not

We've been biking more lately. The weather has been beautiful and Robert decided it would be "fun" to ride rather than drive to places we frequent. Yesterday we rode 6 miles and today we covered just over 9 miles. Who knew cycling was a team sport??? It has been a good exercise in working together and not getting run over in traffic. Seriously. We're going to try our hand (or feet) at the Seminole Wekiva Trail that stretches from Westmonte Park in Altamonte Springs to Sanford. Its roughly 14 miles one way. I think we'll need a few more practice runs before we can make it 28 miles there and back!

Riddle Me This

What do my second son and my refrigerator have in common? They're both broken. The refrigerator yielded up the ghost the other night. It fought the good fight and endured much these last few years. Timing is great though. Its a holiday weekend and sales abound.

So on to the next non-functioning family member. Nathanael hurt his hand at recess yesterday and when he showed it to us after school, it was clear that he had broken it. An x-ray this morning confirmed that and now he has a shiny new splint for his thumb. Let's hope there are no lightning storms this weekend!

Lucky?

Does anyone else find this just wrong?

Whatever Happened to the Movies?

Anybody remember drive-ins? Wait, let me rephrase that. Anybody remember drive-ins when you were a little kid? My brother and I lived for the weekend evenings when mom and dad would load up the station wagon with our sleeping bags, pillows, and snacks and head to our favorite California drive in. Cool nights with a speaker hanging from the driver's side window, Troy and I staking out our spots with the best view in the back, and fighting to stay awake through the entire movie were the stuff of childhood memories.

I remember seeing E.T. when I was a little kid. A cold dark theatre with the smell of stale popcorn and the promise of a new Spielberg film: a magical combination. Even though the theatre had sold out, people were sitting in the aisles to watch the show. Where has that anticipation gone? Apart from last summer's Pirates 2, nothing has made us spend full price to attend a movie premier in quite some time.

I have looked forward to the (hopeful) summer blockbusters like F4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Evan Almighty. So when Spiderman 3 opened to poor reviews from friends, I was a little nervous. Could the impending third Pirates film usher in a good summer movie season?

Perhaps I'm over thinking the good movie chemistry. Maybe what makes those moments is part atmosphere, a cold theatre on a hot summer day, and a movie with a great story line, one that you can take the kids to without worrying about what has to be censored. Let's hope this summer offers a handful of these moments.

It's Not Me, Its You

I was one of those girls that always had a steady, long term boyfriend in school. Those relationships were usually at the cost of something else in my life: family, friends, school, etc. Something always suffered because I tend to put everything into my main focus. But I remembered the phenomenon that occurred after breaking up with a boyfriend, suddenly things became clearer.

For the last couple of years I have been involved in a relationship that has magnified this shortcoming of mine. No, I'm not talking about my relationship with Robert. In fact, its his ability to see this shortcoming of mine that makes our relationship work. He reminds me of where I am unbalanced in my efforts. He encourages relationships with my friends and is unselfish in sharing me with family.

However, I'm in the process of exiting a bad relationship, and as I am refocusing my life I am amazed at what makes sense. Its been a great week; I have felt reconnected and revitalized in a way I haven't in quite some time. God has been gracious to show me who I can trust as I transition and what I need to do to prioritize my life once again. I realize now that for several months I have been grieving what could have been and not what actually is. That single revelation has brought me very far.

Things are looking up

Warm clear skies with a cool breeze and good friends . . .doesn't get
any better than this!
Leslie

Sasha's Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

No pun intended, but Jane's day started off in the crapper. Yes, that's
a picture of her bag after it fell in the toliet. Ha ha ha!
Leslie

Altar Boyz and Time Square

Now officially one of my favorite musicals! As if Christian boy bands
aren't funny enough!
Leslie

Stop and Smell the Couture

A quick stop for omelets and then we scooted over to the famous Century
21 Department Store. I resisted using the Carry Bradshaw "Hello, Lover"
when I found the shoe FLOOR. This place is amazing. Designer and
couture shoes, clothing, and bags at more than 50% off. Before we split
up we synchronized our phones and agreed to meet back at the grand
staircase. Cindy and I are still waiting on Kim. We might have to send a
search team down for her . . .
Leslie

Ground Zero

The place has a somber feeling that neither words nor photos can
capture. Its just a presence. While there are a few photos and a
timeline on the fencing surrounding the new construction area, it feels
as if there is still something here. But at the same time there's an
overwhelming feeling of something lost.
Leslie

Delicious City

I HATE hotdogs, absolutely hate them. But somehow eating them in Battery
Park along the Hudson River with the blooming tulips and trees filled
with lush green, they taste much better.
Leslie

Sex and the City - Minus the Sex

What are you doing today? My best girlfriends and I are in the City.
Don't hate . . .
Leslie

Bubblegum Ice Cream

Here I am trying to post something of substance, so I hop over to U's blog for inspiration. We must be telepathic because all I could come up with is ice cream that rocks my world too!

Unanswered Questions

A dear friend posed this question in response to my previous post:

"Does this mean that we are going to end up with our decapitated head on some unholy king's platter?"

What a real and valid question. The truth of the matter is, as humans (as Christians), even when we know that all things work together for good and we are assured of the glorification of God through our suffering, it is still in our nature to focus on loss.

I know that we're not alone in our persecution. I know we're not alone in our pain. God knows about this and He will be our Defender - even at the point of our execution. If I can remember that, everything else rolls off of me.

Questioning God

"Now when John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples, and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" - Matthew 11:2-3

This verse came to mind last week when I received an e-mail from the missionary working in Kristina's orphanage. Apparently two families had come to adopt children from her class and this had caused her to feel conflicted and confused. She asked if we had forgotten about her and whether we would ever come for her. Hearing this information broke my heart. Why would she question us? Had she not spent the summer with us, bonding and identifying with us as her family? Have we not been faithful to write to her and constantly remind her of our love and commitment? I remembered these verses from Matthew 11 and began to wonder why John the Baptist would send this message to Jesus.

John was questioning what God was doing.
When we are looking for God to do ONE thing, we often miss what else He is doing. John had certain expectations for the Messiah. He expected Christ to be the one who brought fierce judgement. Instead Christ preached forgiveness. John expected Jesus to strike down the wicked. Instead Christ raised the dead. John expected Christ to cripple the infidel. Instead he taught the lame to walk. Christ was carrying on a ministry of healing, not judgement. Is it possible for us to misunderstand God's agenda? Absolutely.

John was questioning where he had been.
What would make John question what he himself had experienced? Was he not the one who had boldly declared in the first chapter of John:

• "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (1:29)
• "After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me."(1:30)
• "I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him." (1:32)
• "This is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ (1:33)
• "And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." (1:34)

Many would say that John's questioning of Jesus wasn't a sign of wavering faith, but stop and consider where he was when he asked these things of the Lord. John had been languishing on death row for nearly two years. He would be less than human not to wonder in his heart if he had been mistaken.

John was questioning who he was in Christ.
The man who was once the herald of the Light of the World now sat in darkness. The once great dynamo of preaching now sat in solitude without an audience. When we have been one thing in Christ, its very difficult for us to conceive of being something different in Him. A change in circumstance doesn't necessarily denote a change in status. God often allows us to be brought low, even at the hands of the enemy or those who would unjustly wrong us. This isn't a reflection of error in our own lives as much as it is an opportunity for God to be glorified. Christ goes on in chapter 11 of the book of Matthew to remind the crowd that there has not been one born of woman greater than John the Baptist (v 11). Christ equates John with Elijah and announces that John was more than a prophet. Never let us forget our place in the body of Christ. Understanding those small details gives us a clearer understanding of the big picture.

Why does Kristina wait in an orphanage thousands of miles away from the family who longs for her? So that Christ might be glorified.

Why have injustices and trials come into our lives this year? So that Christ might be glorified.


Spurgeon said, "Blessed is he who can be left in prison, can be silenced in his testimony, can seem to be deserted of his Lord, and yet can shut out every doubt."

"Blessed is he who is not offended because of me." - Matthew 11:6