Study on a Verse

"Oh, that I Had a Thousand Voices"
Lutheran Worship
Verse 2
O all you pow'rs that he implanted,
Arise, keep silence now no more;
Put forth the strength that God has granted!
Your noblest work is to adore.
O soul and body, join to raise
With heartfelt joy our maker's praise.

Last Sunday we were singing that song in church (theme was "Songs of Praise") and I almost didn't make it through that verse.  I've sung that song innumerable times.  For the first time it struck me that this verse was talking about me.  It was describing my every Sunday and how I ought to be every day.

All You Pow'rs
We often think of worship as requiring just the use of our voice - especially when you are a church vocalist.  The day before and of a service, one of the foremost thoughts in my mind is for the well-being of my voice.  I have to be able to speak and sing to do my "job" in worship - to pray, to respond, to sing.  But this verse says all powers.  What are all those powers implanted by God?  My eyes, my ears, even my feet and hands are included.  Worship isn't just done with our voices.  We are meant to worship God with our whole selves - every member - all of our bodies.

Arise
I am not a morning person.  Asking me to rise is asking a fair bit...and yet, in the scope of things, not so much.  "Get up!" the song says.  "Use those powers of yours to worship God in all you do - no more keeping quiet."  That's no easy thing.  My instinctual desire is to stay home in bed asleep (not just Sunday mornings, but every morning).  I don't want to get up every day and go out into the yucky world making an example of myself or using my gifts for God.  That requires work.  Staying in bed or otherwise isolating myself from the world would be much easier.  But God says, "get up and go."

The Strength God Granted
Some of you know I spend every moment of every day with some level of tired, aches and pains thanks to fibromyalgia.  Strength seems to be in short supply - but there is still some sort of a supply.  I'm not without strength, just maybe not the same quality or quantity others might have.  And, maybe more than some other folks, I have a better appreciation for where I get the strength I have.  It is not something I create myself, that much is certain.  My body is weaker than other bodies, than the body of my youth.  My spirit gets tired and my energy low more or faster than it once did.  I can do all in my power with diet, activity, and et cetera, but this is something I will be living with in some way likely the rest of my life.  I have to trust every morning that God will give me the strength I need physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually to get through the day.  And he does provide it.  Sometimes I'm coming to the end of the day with nary an ounce left in me, but it was still enough even if just.  It was just enough to get up, go to work to make the money to buy the organic food and pay for the medicine and medical professionals, and eek out the foster parenting, god-mothering, choir, and music coordinating.  Sometimes there's even a bit to spare for other things.  I'm grateful for every ounce of strength God does grant me because I know it actually could be much less.

Noblest Work
I have a job and I'm pretty good at what I do, but I wouldn't call it my "noblest work."  I'm also a soprano - fun, but not noble.  I pick music for a church service every week.  I guess that's a little more "noble," but still, couldn't just about anyone pick some songs?  I think a little higher on the nobility scale would be my roles as foster-parent, auntie, and especially godmother.  But, my noblest work is to adore God.  How can that be?  Spending an hour at church (or more) isn't the only way to adore God.  I can show my adoration in more than just participation at worship.  I can adore God in the way I do all those other things I do - right down to my day job.  First love God, then show it.

Soul and Body
There are some things we do that are so old hat that we don't think twice (or even at all) when we do them.  Have you ever driven to or from work and reached your destination only to realize you don't remember hardly a moment of the journey?  Your body goes through the motions but you weren't really fully engaged in whatever you were doing.  It happens even when we worship - especially if you've grown up with it I think.  There are liturgies and prayers and hymns that I've been singing or saying my whole life.  It is incredibly easy to just "check out" and go through the motions of worship without really being cognizant of the words and the meaning behind them.  How many things in our lives become this way?  We go through the motions of loving our neighbor, our family, our friends, but maybe we aren't really thinking about what we're doing or why.  God doesn't want just our mindless motions.  We should be thoroughly engaged in what we're doing - body and soul.

Heartfelt Joy
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul advises the readers to be joyful or rejoice always, in all things.  Being joyful is easy when things are easy and going well.  But always?  And heartfelt no less?  Seriously?!  Well, yes, actually.  Ever shared your joy with someone only to have that person merely feign interest or only halfheartedly rejoice with you?  Or ever loved someone only to not have that love returned?  Now imagine (if possible) that you are God, worthy most certainly of all love and trying desperately to share your joy and love for your creation with that creation.  Much of that love is unrequited, taken for granted, or only halfheartedly or with circumstantial bias returned.  If we would say we wouldn't deserve that kind of treatment, can we really expect the very God of the universe to deserve such behavior?

All these things were striking me at once as we sang that verse and I was feeling myself moved to tears as I sang so I did my "job" in that moment by detaching and focusing on technique instead of what was yanking at my heart and whispering in my ear.  But I did go back later and reread that verse again while I waited for the next service to start...and I cried.  I admit it.  I was emotional as I saw in that verse what God has done to make it possible for me to go every Sunday and be refreshed in worship.  He gives me the physical tools and abilities, surely, but also the strength and energy I cannot do without.  I was emotional as I saw, too, that I also often keep quiet when I should speak.  I often do not make good use of the granted powers and strength.  I too frequently just go through the motions being disengaged and halfhearted where I should make the effort to be engaged and give God my heartfelt joy.

I suspect there was a reason my attention was caught by these thoughts and I felt an overwhelming need to share them (even if almost a week later).  I hope that personally I might embrace some of these things more fully or make corrections to my behavior as able.  It was also nice to be reminded that the words we sing in worship do have meaning.  Maybe, if nothing else, I've shown that to you here, too.

WTH, Corrine?!

I've been meaning to write this post for a while and have just been so busy I kept putting it off because I wanted to take my time and make every word count...so I'm writing it late in the evening while totally exhausted, having so many other things that need to be done, and I really should be in bed...so we'll see how this goes.

There are some who have wondered (out loud and otherwise) what the hell I think I'm doing.  Here I am a single woman with something like a career, church work, choir obligations, family nearby, health "stuff" and et cetera, and I go and become a foster parent.  (My sanity especially seems to come into question for doing this without a spouse.)  So I want to take a moment here to maybe clear up a few things.

1. I am not insane...or no more than usual.  So let's just make that clear from the outset.

2. The Bible says to care for the widow and the fatherless.  My own faith encourages me consciously or subconsciously to do something to help people less fortunate than myself; therefore, in a way, I cannot help but do this.  If I can positively impact even one life, I have fulfilled a God-driven purpose for my life.

3. In that vein, I have a home large for my own personal needs.  Samson and I don't need all this space for ourselves.  Why not share it?

4. I'd have the same health issues regardless of what I was up to here, there, or whatever.  No matter what, some of these things will be with me for the rest of my life.  I'm not going to sit around a big empty house letting my health degrade my quality of life when I can be finding ways to ensure I've had a quality life despite my health.  I will not let it define or hinder me if I can help it.  (And, in case there was any doubt, I can.)

5. Whom I take into my home is my choice.  When the agency calls and says "can you take such and such a kid," I can say "no."  Or I can say "yes."  It's up to me.

6. Being single has not been my choice.  Of course I'd prefer to do this with a spouse!  But being single does not mean I can't be a parent.  Obviously I can do better even alone than some people can do with a partner or some kids wouldn't be in foster care, so that argument does not hold water with me.

7.  I have so much love to give.  This is probably the biggest motivation behind my choice.  I was born and raised to be a wife and mom and life has not seen fit to allow me either of those roles.  I can pour myself as much as possible into being Auntie and godmother, but still I need an outlet for all that love (above and beyond the dog - sorry, Samson).  These kids need someone to show them love.  As I have a surplus, why not share it with those who are in need?

I don't know if the dissenters out there will ever read this post (in whole or in part) or if they do that it would make any sense or difference.  I felt I would be remiss if I didn't at least try to explain why I chose to be a foster parent and maybe dispel some of the false assumptions some might make.  I still would consider adoption from foster care if something like that were to work out, but presently, I am a temporary mother and provider for kiddos in need.  I have a hard time believing that there is anything wrong with that, and I am open to other suggestions God might have should he decide I should do something different.  I just ask that he allow me the wisdom to recognize the path He has in mind.

Movie Review: I'm in Love with a Church Girl

This morning has been all about watching movies...or was.  Now it's afternoon.  Anyway...

Just finished watching "I'm in Love with a Church Girl."  Rated PG, so family friendly.  Nice message about how God loves everyone and is in control of our lives, with a plan, etc.  After that it was relatively unrealistic, fairly cliche, and included some genuinely horrible acting (lots of genuinely horrible acting).  Don't get me wrong, I agree with the message and there were some good moments.  I even related a little bit with some of the characters.  However, I wish they could have done it a little better.  Maybe the message would have reached more people if they had.  Not an awful film if you're looking for something safe for kiddos.  Just don't expect any Oscar-winning performances.

Movie Review - Lost Horizon

Just watched Frank Capra's "Lost Horizon."  (Yea for Netflix's collection of old movies only film buffs have ever seen.)  It's about Shangri La.

It was interesting at least and really impressive for the time in which it was made.  There was a moment toward the beginning where my brain screamed "Hollywood liberals!"  But I got over it.  It really was good.  There were some fun characters, good lines.  I think if the film had been made today it would have had a very different ending.

If you get the chance to watch it, it's worth it just for the historical value.

Day 30

Today got a little rough.  I'm definitely not someone's favorite person.  This is not any real surprise considering the circumstances.  Tonight was a little different though.  Having adults for whom you have no love lost all putting their collective foot down on some ill behavior you think is justified doesn't make one a happy camper.

It makes me sad to think of how many kiddos are in difficult situations - some far worse than this one's.  Children suffer because adults can't make right choices.  That makes me angry.  She can rail and say she doesn't want to be here and that she doesn't trust me and doesn't believe that any of us care about her and that bothers me some but makes me sad for her.  But knowing she feels this way because the adults in her life failed her, that makes me angry.

A couple days' time will calm things down here.  Prayers will have to be the tool of choice for everything else, I think.  And I do pray for this little girl every day.

Book Review: "Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses"

I was planning to read this last weekend when the anniversary actually happened, but there was too much going on I guess.  Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses introduced and edited by Stephen J. Nichols is short, easy to read, and at the same time, packs in a lot of background information.

If you're simply curious what that document was, what was in it and what spurned Luther into writing it, this is definitely the little book for you.  I like that there are explanations or background information for some of the theses.  However, the physical format leaves a little to be desired.  The "notes" (or whatever you want to call them) are on the left hand page and the theses on the right.  When you're used to just flipping to the next page and reading on, it gets a little confusing.  I'm thinking they could have done that a little differently.

Otherwise, I liked the simplicity of the language in the introduction and the easy-to-understand translation of the original Latin or subsequent German.  It gives just enough of the details without being overwhelming and explains things in a way I found easy to comprehend.  It would be a good introduction to the material for someone otherwise unfamiliar with it.

Book Review: "Counter Culture"

Just finished reading Counter Culture by David Platt.  Not real sure where to begin...but I'll try.

It covers topics from poverty and diversity to abortion and homosexuality to the sex slave industry and religious freedom, and much more.  It was interesting.  I guess if I was to summarize I would say the basic point was that those people with a moral compass need to not be afraid to speak the truth but do so respectfully and do something to affect change.

Here's where it gets tricky...and convicting.  It was a real reminder of how often we give up or give in to the political correctness, the pushy bullies peddling lies via the media.  We're taught by the current culture to fear doing something unselfish and saying something true if politically incorrect.

In reading this book, I've become somewhat irritated with myself for allowing myself to fall victim to that fear.  That's the convicting part.  But it also left me a little bit upset or confused.  I'm left with the question "What do I do now?"  It's been a little overwhelming to think about all this.

That said, would I recommend others read this book?  Yes, definitely.  More people need to be exposed to the information and food for thought.  So, yes, check it out.  But be warned, it's not a light read.

Day 21

It is now day 21 with foster kiddo.  There were a couple moments a little over a week ago that were...frustrating.  The last few days have been good though.  Every once in a while I'm even spoken to as if I'm human.  I expect this will not remain the case indefinitely and it's only a matter of time before I'm worth arguing with again.  If "adults" at work can do it, why not a pre-teen living in my house?

Good Times

Saturday Samson and I donned our Halloween gear and headed to Omaha to trick-or-treat with Justin, Sandra, Nikki and Ivy.  We went farther and into more of the neighborhood than Samson or I had gone with them before.  Some houses were really decked out.  Quite a few people were out in their driveways around a fire pit handing out candy from there.  It reminded me of Samson's first Halloween and my last in Arizona.  We hung out in the driveway with the neighbors handing out candy and letting kids pet the dog.  It had been fun.  Spending time with family was good, too.

In our costumes and ready for business!

This Day in History

Today television is full of spooky movies and shows about the history of Halloween.  But I'm pretty sure there wasn't a single one about something else that happened on this day.

On this day, 498 years ago Martin Luther carried a world-changing document to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg where he posted it to be read by those who would come the next morning to worship on All Saints Day.  Thus began the Reformation of the church, prompting widespread social changes not the least of which was use of the printing press to publish Luther's writings including a translation of the Bible for the first time in the common language of the people.

Changes in education.  Changes in religion.  Changes in politics and government.  The world would never be the same.  And it started on this day, October 31, 1517.

2017 will be the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  I have decided I want to go to Germany that year.  I'm going to start looking for a group with which to tag along.  The very idea of celebrating Reformation in Wittenberg on the 500th anniversary gives me goosebumps.

Happy Friday

Today is Friday.  I've had to remind myself several times.  I worked from home yesterday and today (kiddo home sick from school) and it totally has me thrown.  I keep thinking today is Saturday and I need to go to church tomorrow.  Then I remember tomorrow is Saturday (usually after a particularly large yawn) and I'm relieved I can sleep until I wake up which will be all too early as it is.  I think I will need every minute I can get.

Game Day

It's game day again - Husker football game day.  In past years, I've hosted football watching parties.  They're fun - food, friends, family, football.  I'm not sure what happened, but last year I did very few and this year I haven't done even one yet.  Don't know if I'll get around to doing any this year.  This makes me sad.  I don't know if I'm too busy or too tired...maybe it's both.

So I'm sitting in the big, comfy recliner barely keeping my eyes open thinking how I really need to find the time and energy to have a football party some weekend...but next week is Halloween.  The week after that is a late game which is always harder for everyone.  The next two after that don't appear to have times yet...and I have choir concerts in November and there's Thanksgiving...

Always finding some excuse.  Shame on me.  Well, folks (all, like, two of you who read these), should I even bother?  Would anyone even come?  Hard to plan when it seems like I'm just surviving from weekend to weekend.  Life appears to be getting too busy for pretty much all of us.

That just might be the rub.  We probably all need to just stop and do something different on one day.

One More Thing Done

Today I can check another sign of adulthood off the list.  (Did you know there's a list?)  Today I closed on refinancing my house.  Yea!  Lower monthly payments!  Yea even more for what I expect will be better customer service with the new lender.  In the short term, I get to take a month off and my next payment won't be due until December.  Thanks, new bank!

As I was leaving the appointment, my arms full of paper, the rain coming down on the heavy and cold side, I was thinking, did I really just refinance my house?  I can't say that I ever sat down and planned to do it.  In a way, it happened almost by accident - and mainly because I was so fed up with the old mortgage company I would have paid to leave them.  It took me quite a while to stop calling the mortgage payment a rent payment.  Now I've refinanced that not-a-rent-payment.  I feel so grown up!

Day 8

I have now had a foster child in my home for eight nights (seven days).  Samson came home Sunday and wakes me during the night with barking if she happens to be up and moving around in the hallway.  Thanks, pup.  We are still adjusting to having a long-term guest.

Reformation Celebration Sunday!

Please join us at Redeemer Lutheran Church on this Sunday (October 25th) for a Reformation Celebration.  Service starts at 5:00 with an awesome authentic German meal at 6:00.  Local musicians will be participating including the Lincoln Lutheran Choir of which I am a member.  I am really looking forward to it.  Hope you can make it!

It's been a crazy couple days.

So I've had my foster care license for over two years now, but no placements and only a handful of visits a couple years ago...until yesterday.  I officially became a foster parent last night after only a couple hours notice - which is not how anyone wanted it to go, but that's what went down.  Today we did a little shopping, met a friend and spent time watching TV after school and work.  Tomorrow and Friday I will be working from home as it is Fall Break time.  It's been years since I spent real time with a real pre-teen.  Two words: learning curve.  But I think we'll be okay.  Meanwhile, I pray she gets to be reunited with her family.  It's sad so many kiddos go through such scary things as this.

But the craziness doesn't end there.  The same day I got the placement call, I heard from the bank that my refinancing and loan for doing work in the basement is finally closing...on Friday...this week.  Wait.  What?  We went from silence to closing in how fast?!  Uh...okay.  But the banker I've been working with will be traveling, so I have to meet with someone else to go over the paperwork.  Great.

Add a work get-together-thing tomorrow night, baby shower in Omaha this coming Sunday, and last week I was in CO for work (which went well) getting back late Friday and then had my nieces over the weekend (which was cool).  And those are only the highlights.  But I miss my Samson boy and don't feel like I've had more than five minutes to breathe for the last two weeks or so.

I need to stop on the computer now because I did something to my elbow today that has made it hurt more than it has a long time.  What did I do?  I sat down.  How, you might say, do you manage to hurt your elbow while sitting down?  I'm not real sure.  I think I was just slowing my descent and maybe I twisted my arm funny?  No idea.  Really, really hoping the chiropractor can lend some valuable assistance tomorrow or the massage therapist the day after that.

It's supposed to freeze tomorrow night.  I'll have to cover the part of the garden that's still producing.

Have I mentioned it's been a crazy couple of days?

Another Tool

Here's another tool for learning about the candidates (and a few who aren't candidates so I'm not sure why they are listed).  http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm  I found out about this website from a newsletter type email I get at work.  In other words, fair warning that this is a website recommended by our friends in DC, so I take what's on it with a grain of salt.  Don't know how biased or unbiased they may be.

Carly

For some reason I've become quite interested in the candidates this go around.  I've been (rather avidly) watching the news shows, watching the debates, and now I've really doubled down on the nerdiness and am poking around online watching videos and reading the websites, etc.

So far I find myself most impressed by Carly Fiorina and more and more less impressed with others.  I wish Nebraska played a more important role in the primaries.  If our primary was held this week, I'm pretty sure I'd vote for Carly.  And it's not because she's a female.  I have been watching videos on her website and the more I watch the ones about education and foreign policy, the more I like her.  I think she could spell bad news for my job security, but in a strange way I think I'm okay with that.

Curious like me?  Go to https://carlyforpresident.com/answers/ and check out the videos.

The To Do List

I like lists.  They help me pack for trips, remember what to pick up at the store, and not forget to do things that are important.  But I have a list of things I want to do that seldom gets anything crossed off.  It is the list of things to do that are at the bottom of every list priority wise.  These are the projects that have no immediate impact on my home's functionality.  The accomplishment or not of these things likely will not have a significant affect on my daily life.  However, the long term affect on ones sanity of accumulating projects that don't get done...I didn't go into it with plans to be a case study, but probably could be now.

So what's stopping me from crossing those things off that list?  Good question.  Part of me says logically there's no excuse.  Then I spend a week like this one forcing myself to keep going when every fiber of my being said "go lay down," feeling like crap, working long hours, and spending the whole morning so tired it took me all morning to wake up enough to function.  (Seriously, like after noon before I could see straight.  It was really pathetic.)  Some would say "take a day to relax...it's fine...you deserve/need to rest."  I tend to not allow myself that.  And that's really very likely the reason I was so tired this morning.

But now the day is mostly gone and I'm kinda' sad I've chosen to miss another chance to cross off anything from that list.  The FM has been kicking my fanny a bit the last couple weeks and so I took today to cave to the tired and lack of motivation.  But I did pick the carrots and onions from my garden, take a nice long walk with the dog and now the football game is starting.  Tomorrow I will do my thing at church, go to Bible study, go to the office and have choir rehearsal, so nothing if not a busy day tomorrow.  Maybe tomorrow momentum will keep me going through more than just what is already planned.

I sometimes think that if I were not busy at work or with work plus church I might get more done from that list.  Since church keeps me grounded and work keeps me fed, I can't really walk away from either.  Choir meets a need too.  So what's a girl to do?  Manage?  Certainly, it would be easier to look at those random projects if I wasn't trying to do everything myself.  (Silly doggie just isn't much help with things like yard work and house chores.)  But as assistance physically or financially is not exactly a plan on which to fall back, I guess I'll just be putting off the random stuff and plugging away at the usual "have to" stuff.

Some day I will get to mat my choir posters, complete my sewing projects, sort and file the ridiculous amount of music stacking up on and around my keyboard, so on, so forth, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.  It might be a while before I get to do the random things like those and many others.  I doubt I will get to not be tired very often if ever again, but I do need to do a better job of mitigating that.

Oh well.  Maybe next weekend.

Book Review: "7: How Many Days of the Week Can Be Extraordinary?"

Just finished a book titled 7: How many days of the week can be extraordinary?.  It's basically about living in the moment, making every day count - that sort of thing.

It's a pretty fast, easy read.  If you are motivated by quotes from famous and/or somehow important people, this book is full of them - plenty of contenders for copying, printing, and posting somewhere to remind you of your goals, ambitions, and positive choices, et cetera and so on.

Some folks may find this one inspirational or at least reinforcing of some very positive personal philosophies.  The more cerebral types, I think, will find it a bit simplistic or boring and the truly cynical or "realists" will likely either find it depressing or just too peppy and subsequently a waste of energy.

Overall, full of good ideas, good quotes, and good philosophy.  It's easy to read and you may like it...unless you are a cranky old curmudgeon like me.  Then it will only feed the crankiness...Maybe I would read it again when I'm feeling a little less cranky and a little more interested in inspirational quotes.

Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

Went and did my thing at church and then came home.  There is a whole list in my head of things to do (have tos, shoulds, so on and so forth).  It kind of looks or sounds like this.

I should do laundry...A nap sounds great...It's nice out.  I should take the dog for a walk...A nap sounds good...It's almost lunch time...I could read...Maybe I'll watch a movie...I should log into work and see if I have access yet to what I need...I need to change the bedding...Maybe I should bake something...There are dishes to put away...I should write on my blog...I'll let Samson check his Facebook...Maybe I should vacuum...I could work on my sewing projects...I would really like to take a nap...I should change the sheets in the butterfly room...I really need to sort and put away that music...Maybe I should be doing yard work since it's so nice out...It's probably too wet to mow...These bug bites are so annoying and I don't even know where they came from...There are so many little projects I don't know where to start...I really want to take a nap...Samson wants a tummy rub.  That's so cute...I should eat something...Or I could clean something...

And it keeps going and going and going inside my head.  And nothing really gets done.  Usually after church I feel refreshed, have some more energy, am a little more motivated.  Today not so much.  Part of it is lack of sleep.  Part of it was the theme not really hitting the right chords with or for me.

Samson is very vocally telling me what he thinks we should do...I maybe should change clothes first.  So he got to check his Facebook and now he'll get to go for a walk.  Maybe when we get back I will feel a little more motivated or awake or focused or something.

At the Fair

A couple weekends ago Justin, Nikki and Ivy, and I went to the Lancaster County Fair.  It was hot, but we had fun seeing all the animals, watching a few shows, and checking out some other activities.  Here's a bit of a taste of all the excitement.

First stop: pony rides!

Probably one of the most fun things we did - the "Krazy Maze."

You check this way and I'll check that way.

A blurry picture by Nikki, but it proves I was there.

Acrobats!

The "Wacky Worm" roller coaster for the pint-sized...and some parents.

Waiting to ride the carousel.

Aww!

Checking out a tiny model train.

Pausing for a moment on a playground set shaped like a tractor.

Arts and Crafts

Last Stop: dock diving doggie - anything for a frisbee!

Book Review: "And the Good News Is..."

If you don't watch Fox News Channel, you might not know who Dana Perino is.  She's on Fox News now, but before that, she was George W. Bush's press secretary and the first Republican female press secretary at that.  I just finished reading her book And the Good News Is...Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side.

I would recommend this book to any young lady who's just getting ready to go into college or finish college and join the "adult" world.  It's full of simple advice for success.  And, Dana's personal stories of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are inspirational.

And that's where I'd recommend the book to really anyone.  Her story is fascinating - even unbelievable at times - and it does offer a bit of hope (that "good news" the title talks about I suppose).  It's kind of nice to see someone with a moral center and healthy values actually succeeding - proof that good sometimes does win after all in a world full of cynicism and selfishness.

It's an easy read, not too long, not too short, with very conversational language.  Not sure it's a book the guys will really get excited about (stories of her love life maybe a bit too sugary for the particularly macho), but ladies, I bet you would enjoy it.

Guatemala - Part XXI

Saturday, July 4th - travel home day 1

The trip home would take me from Guatemala to Panama to LA, CA before reaching Nebraska on Sunday, July 5th.  But, before I could leave, we Americans had to celebrate our Independence Day.

I'm not a fan of firecrackers, but boys will be boys.

Nothing bonds a father with his sons like blowing things up in the street next to someone else's house early in the morning...
especially in a foreign country over a different country's independence.

Once the neighborhood was good and awake, a driver, navigator, and a couple of my friends climbed into the van to take me to the airport...after taking a moment to take a group picture of those of us who happened to be present at the time.

And this isn't even all of us!

I left Guatemala City with an invitation to come back any time.  My first flight dropped me in Panama City with approximately a four-hour layover.  I wandered back and forth through the airport, stopped long enough to eat some awesome ribs and french fries (con una cerveza), and then it was time for the long flight back into the U.S.

Taking pictures of the interesting cloud bank and caught some of a river.
I might have still been above Panama.

Lightning as seen from inside the plane.
I took video too.  You should see it sometime!
It's far more impressive than the still photo.

You know you've been in the airport too long with too little sleep when you start taking selfies with the outlet by which you've camped.

Suffice it to say I made it back home safe and more or less sound.  I would go again given the time and money (and nowhere else unexplored) to be.  I still have some pretty impressive ruins to see and a sponsored child with whom to stay in touch.  But I am very glad to be back in my home with my doggie, going to my church, speaking English, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

But I am already thinking of where to go next!  Now that I have a passport, I might as well use it, right?

Guatemala - Part XX

Friday, July 3rd (part two)

My last night in Guatemala we ran to one more area full of beautiful architecture so I would have seen in person as many as possible of the places pictured on the postcards I got in Panajachel.

Catedral Metropolitana (a.k.a. National Cathedral)

Palacio Nacional (a.k.a. National Palace)

The next morning would be time to head home alone (nothing scary there).

Guatemala - Part XIX

Friday, July 3rd (part one...or, the moment we've all been waiting for...except maybe the ruins)

It's still difficult to wrap my mind around the fact I was in Guatemala at all.  Thank goodness for all the pictures!  But this day is especially difficult to fathom.  On this day something I never expected to be able to do actually happened!  On this day, I met my sponsored child!

I started sponsoring Carlos when he was just 4 or 5 years old.  He's 19 now (which blows my mind).  I never once imagined I would ever meet him let alone half his family.  Suddenly the possibility became a reality as the trip neared and then the day.  Finally the day came.  I was nervous.  I think everyone was.  There was a great unknown (even though we have "known" each other for so many years).  There was a language barrier.  The experience was surreal.  We were to ask each other questions, get to know each other.  In the moment, the mind went blank and suddenly I had no idea what to say or ask.  When the experience was over I could think of so many things I could have asked or told them about, but I suppose the most important questions were answered...and some less important ones.

We met in front of the La Aurora Zoo in Guatemala City.  As we walked through the zoo we talked about his job, my job, his schooling, my schooling, how I don't like snakes, whether I've ever seen a tornado, how raccoons, skunks and red-tailed hawks are seen in their natural habitats where I live, how the weather had been uncommonly nice that week.  We began the adventure, though, by doing something you wouldn't get to do in most zoos.

Each of us took a turn feeding the giraffe.

Yes, yes, I did feed a giraffe.
It wasn't slimy like a cow's tongue...but the banana was pretty gross.

All the proud giraffe feeders.

 The zoo really was nice.  Nothing beats the Henry Doorly, but for a small zoo, the habitats for the animals were really pretty good.  I'd go again...if it was a little closer.

One of the two big brown bears.  The other was lounging in a pool.

I don't remember ever seeing one of these before - Northern tamandua.  Now I've seen two.

Yes, I did go through the snake house...and those snakes were very active.
I had goosebumps the whole time and felt paler than I naturally am!

Sleepy kitties!

The lemurs were a big deal in their new fancy habitat.

Cactus?!  I guess these are desert-dwelling penguins?

Selfie at Pollo Campero!

So this is me between Carlos and his mom and two of his three brothers.

It was nice to find out that they look forward to receiving my cards at Christmas with the picture(s) I always include.  I shared that I have kept all the letters and cards he has ever sent me.  His mom said meeting me was an answer to prayer and that my support has given her son opportunities he'd never have had otherwise.  She cried which made me cry.  The agency folks took pictures of us crying.  Carlos worried I wouldn't write anymore now that I've met him.  I assured him that quite the contrary, I would write more.  I said it was basically a miracle that I was able to come and meet them.  It really was.  And it was amazing.  They were all so nice.  I hope I could go see them again.  Don't know how that would ever happen, but if it happened once...who knows.  I need to get these pictures printed off and sent to him.  I'll save the best one for Christmas.

Guatemala - Part XVIII

Thursday, July 2nd (part two)

Thursday afternoon we visited a place called Iximche (pronounced Ih-shihm-chay).  We needed a lot more time to visit all the amazing Mayan ruins in Guatemala.  These were the only ones close enough for me to get to visit.  They are impressive even if they aren't the most famous ones.

Welcome to Iximche!

The lay of the land

A replica of one they found here.

Our guide was awesome!  He did the whole thing in Spanish and English.
Here he's telling us about the ball court's function and history.

The Moon Temple

The Sun Temple

A very attentive audience.

This site is huge!  This is such a small part of it.

"part of a ritual deposit"

One of the interesting things about Iximche is that it's still an active Mayan sacred site.  Indigenous people are still doing rituals here.

Places of prayer and ritual sacrifice.

When I took that picture, on the other side of the mound there was a small group burning sacrifices of flowers and other things and praying.

Never thought I'd ever be found hanging out at the corner of a sun temple!

From Iximche we went into town and had dinner at a little family restaurant where some local students were giving a marimba concert.  Then we drove into the evening back through the mountains and back to Guatemala City.  The next day was very important.  I was going to meet my sponsored child!

Guatemala - Part XVII

Thursday, July 2 (part one)

Thursday morning we woke very early and to the cacophony of stray dogs howling, roosters crowing and birds chirping that made me wonder why we weren't also hearing people yelling and guns firing.  People would be getting dragged into court or sued if that much noise was happening in a town in the U.S.!  But in general it was a beautiful morning for a drive farther north into the mountains.

The pretty courtyard in our hotel.

This brings a whole new perspective to carpooling.

Our first destination on this day was the largest outdoor market in all of Central America found in Chichicastenango.  We got there as the artisans and vendors were setting up their booths.  The market was an intense maze of color, sound and smell!  I really have no idea how we got in and out of there without help.  We made so many twists and turns.  I'd have been totally lost if I hadn't managed to stay with the group.
But trust me to find churches even when in an absolutely massive outdoor shopping experience!  At these two considered sacred locations, Mayan tradition meets Catholic tradition.  People were praying at the chapel outside the door on the stairs (not pictured, but witnessed).  People buy flowers to offer as sacrifices on the church steps.  The smoke from candles and incense over the centuries has covered the insides with soot so that the ornate paintings and sculptures are almost completely obscured.

Capilla del Calvario (Calvary Chapel)

Iglesia de Santo Tomas (circa 1540) with attached convent.

I wish I had more pictures of inside the market, but there was so much happening I pretty much didn't have time.  But I got one just for Samson.  Not all of the market was for the tourists.  A large portion of it was for the general needs of the populous.  No Walmarts up in the Guatemalan Highlands!

A rainbow of dog food!

Somehow we found our way out of the maze and hit the road again.

The countryside is a patchwork quilt!

Looking back at where we've been.

Another view of Lago de Atitlan and the volcanoes

Our next destination: Mayan ruins at Iximche.  Stay tuned!