and now for hte happy post of the day: REUNION

one of the best times in my life is the years chris and i were youth advisors at First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, MO. we had more fun with this amazing group of young people that one is allowed to have.

we met with this group for over 5 years on sunday nights. we went on retreats with them. we went on ski trips with them, we spent two weeks with them every summer at "work camp" where we spent time doing construction projects for people whose lives we couldn't imagine.

but the beauty of those two weeks was that we learned more from the homeowners we served. they told us their stories. they showed us their faith. they changed us in ways more profound than i could every find the words to share.

as a parent now, as a parent of a daughter old enough to go on "work camp" herself, i value those young people more than ever. they taught me to be a parent. they taught me how to be a friend to them without crossing the line from parental role. most of ll, they taught me how to make a safe place for a young person to be the child of God they were created to be.

in may we will be having a reunion, organized by the youth. and i can't wait. many of these wonderful adults have joined together to plan a parents only saturday night and sunday family day. did i mention i can't wait?

the last time i saw many of these people was at jane's wedding, nearly 8 years ago. did i mention i can't wait?

so ill keep you all posted about the progress of this amazing event!

so work campers, we're all in it together--always will be.
i love you all so much!

and now for hte happy post of the day.

the seizure monster

ok, i try really hard not to whine. but today the frustration is coming out.

i woke up today with focal seizures in my left arm.
i've taken three doses of my "emergency" meds.
the seizures keep coming.

i can't begin to tell yo the impact it has on our family. i spend probably one day out every 10 unable to go about my regular day. the emergency meds put me to sleep. chris has to pick up so much of the load. i don't know what i'd do without him.

this stupid condition permeates every aspect of our lives. my work, his work, the kids schools and my ability to help in their classrooms. when i'm "twitchy" i can't do much of anything that involves two hands. so while i'm halfway out of it, i can't even sit and stitch, type, concentrate. it's taken probably twice as long as usual to type this because i have to keep fixing all the typos.

sometimes--ok, all the time-- i wish my neuro could just look inside my brain and say, "oh, that's it. ok, here's what we do," and it's all better. but after 6 years it's still not all better.

i know it could be so much worse. i know others have it so much worse. i am thankful for the meds i have that do work. i'm grateful for a doctor and staff that work with me. they answer every phone call, they know who i am and make the referrals and phone calls i need.

on the 28th i see a new doc who specializes in epilepsy. maybe he can get this under control. that's my current prayer.

so i ask you all to pray for me as well. Monday can't some soon enough. i'll keep you all posted.

Epiphany

"Have you had an epiphany lately? It is January 6!...Epiphany, from the Greek, means 'to shine upon,' 'to reveal,' 'to appear, manifest.'"
~2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study

in the church Epiphany is the celebration of the Wise Men arriving at the manger. supposedly the Sages took two years to arrive at the stable. now, if i was Mary, i would have packed up Joseph and the baby and hopped back on that donkey and gotten the bleep out of there. no way i would stay in a stable for 2 years. so i think the writes of Luke's gospel took some liberties with the timeline of the story. but accuracy or no, the arrival of the Wise Men was a big deal. after following that star, the baby was made manifest to the Sages. they saw him and his majesty was revealed.

i can't say i've had an epiphany lately. it seems like i should have. isn't there always an epiphany you can call upon to make things easier? shouldn't there be an epiphany on the horizon? honestly, i don't see one in my immediate future. i guess that's why it's called an epiphany. you don't know it's coming.

today is Epiphany. the day baby Jesus is made manifest to shine upon the world.

i haven't got some big hoo-ha/theological/religious/meaningful thoughts to share.
i'm taking down the tree and putting away the ornaments.
i'm going to talk chris into making sweet bread for a king cake to kick off the season of Mardi Gras.
i'm going to fold laundry and take the kids to dance.

thinking more about it, maybe taking liberties with the timeline isn't such a bad idea--assuming an infant and a donkey aren't involved. maybe an epiphany is on my horizon. i hope so.

so happy Epiphany everyone. i hope you are able to find light shining upon you.

friday five

i follow a blog called RevGalBlogPals. every friday they pose a question. it's called the "friday five."

i'm not one for resolutions. resolutions don't work for me. they add pressure to my life and make me feel depressed when i can't meet my goal. but i do think about things i hope for and will strive for in the coming year.

last week's friday five posed the following question:

For all of us, there have been challenges and questions and there have been blessings and--maybe even an answer or two! As we say our goodbyes to 2010 and look towards 2011, share with us five blessings from 2010 along with five hopes or dreams for 2011.

so here is my friday five:

5 blessings from 2010:
1. i made it through January without incident. for those of you who have known me for a while, you know that we fear January around here.
2. my children are happy and healthy. chris is happy and healthy. my marriage is great. i have a job i love. (i think i may may be cheating putting, all of these in the same line.)
3. i started blogging, even if sporadically. i've never been able to journal. this has been an interesting experience.
4. i ran to half-marathons. getting to spend time with my sister for one of them was the best!
5. i made some really wonderful new friends, and reconnected with old ones.

now, hopes and dreams for 2011

1. make it through January without incident.
2. be a better support for chris. he does so much an i do so little. he deserves more from me.
3. try to live in balance. calm is my goal emotion for 2011. i think this will make me a better mom and wife.
4. dust. i hate dusting but it needs to be done. i know, frivolous and maybe a waste of a hope, but there it is.
5. be the best possible mom i can be for my wonderful children.

so there it is. my top 5 hopes and dreams for 2011.

5 seems like too few. so here are some more.

make a real difference with my job.
get on my bike and in my running shoes. the second of those two is more likely to happen. the bike intimidates me.

so what would your answers to the friday five be?
happy new year!