So I was listening to the radio tonight and the lady was like: "Free downloads for music? Be caller #9!" And I was! I've never called in and so I've obviously never won. It was pretty cool. I was on the radio. And I won. Just thought I'd share. Hope your life is good too.
I'm sitting on my balcony in the Berkshire mountains in Massachussetts and I thought I'd share some fun conversations I overheard. (That's the view off my balcony).
A little boy was walking with his parents. His mom says to him (in a stern but loving way), "Honey, always look both ways before you cross the road." The boy asks, "Why?" Mom responds, "Because a car could give you a really big boo-boo." Dear readers, do look out for cars, I don't want you to get a big boo-boo.
The second little boy was throwing rocks. His mother said, "We're going to stop throwing rocks now. Did you hear me?" Boy responds, "Hold on." Thwang. Rock hits metal sign. "Okay, I heard you."
I just didn't have a snazzy title. Today we went to the Sunken Gardens and walked around. I took a picture of this lilly with my phone. You can see me taking a picture here.
As you saw, we had fun. We continued having fun all day with games, song, and laptops. Now, we're going to play Hoopla.
I was almost proud to be American yesterday. Maybe at least North American. We went and saw some fantastic fireworks to a live performance of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. It's just really great to be out with what feels like the whole city--and here in Lincoln you see the multiculturalism that America can be proud of.
In any case, I was near giddy with excitement. I like fireworks. I liked the live music. I like the friends I was with. Happy fourth.
At the Bohbarlenberder wedding this weekend I learned that sometimes you don't get what you want, no matter how much you want it. I don't know if I smelled funny or if maybe I was holding a poisonous berry but this chipmunk hopped on everybody else but me.
But I've also learned over the past month+ that sometimes you do get what you want--if you're patient and trust God. The chipmunk pales in comparison.
I've never been in Lincoln in the summer. I've never seen the abundance of fireflies on Union's campus. The other night I stopped to take in the wonder that is the firefly, the lightning bug. I don't know much about them (I hear they don't live very long) but I know that God made them--maybe just for our enjoyment. I imagine their glowing butts have some other purpose, but a little part of me believe he did it just to fill our summers with wonder and magic. It worked for me.
Oswald Chambers says, "A human being is capable of depression, otherwise there would be no capacity for exaltation. . . . When the Spirit of God comes He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable. Depression is apt to turn us away from the ordinary commonplace things of God's creation, but whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural simple things--the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there."
I'm glad God made fireflies as an ordinary part of summer so that I could catch another glimpse of him in the midst of my humanity.
In case you've been reading and were planning on praying for my Grandma on Monday (which I appreciate), her surgery has been postponed until April 19. Of course, if you've already scheduled time to pray for her on Monday, it will not hurt. And, if you could remember her on the 19th as well, it'd be great.
This is my grandma. She's over 80. She still lives on her own, walks regularly, goes to the pool for aerobics, knits and crochets for ADRA, volunteers at the tuck shop at the nursing home (she lives in seniors' apartment building), is a greeter at church, and cooks the most fantastic food ever.
Grandma is having open heart surgery. Again. You see, she had surgery....maybe 10 years ago? (Long enough that I can't remember. And it was before I left for academy in 1998.) She had a heart murmur and so they replaced one of her valves with a pig heart valve. And they figured it would last as long as she did. But she won (she's quite competitive--we have to keep an eye on her
when we play games). And now her pig valve needs replacing.
But obviously there's a difference between open heart surgery when you're 70-something and when you're 80-something.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not one to worry. Worry can't change anything. And so I put my faith and trust in the all-powerful God that has held Grandma in his hands for over 80 years.
And I also believe in prayer. So if you have a moment today and especially on Monday, April 10, if you'd send up a thought about my grandma, I'd appreciate it.
In case you've been missing the fun over on MySpace (www.myspace.com/okimisan) here's a few pictures of my good friend Michael Shofner. It is not his birthday or anything but it is almost a holiday that is very special to us both. Michael, if you're reading this, we'll be thinking of you tomorrow.
