Just Feeling Blessed Today

I'm thankful today for the friends God has put in my life. Looking back over this past month on the calendar, I've enjoyed time with people I used to work with, people I used to go to church with, people I've met in class, and this week I get to hang out with one of my new Business Card Friends. I'm really excited. We still don't really know where "home" is as far as churches, but while we are missing that kind of community God has been faithful to provide playmates for me and the girls! These pictures are from a playdate at a great aquatic center nearby. Little Sissy actually enjoyed the water by the end!

Summer Fun

Here are some cute pictures of what we've been doing lately. You'll notice there are no pictures of Little Sissy in the pool. That's because she hates the sun in her eyes, the other kids splashing, the feel of the cold water--pretty much everything about the pool. Both of the girls love their ride toys, though, and we've been loving having a driveway of our own. I rarely post pictures of myself. That's mostly because I haven't had a haircut since October and it's getting embarrassing, but here's one of me and one of Daddy man too. If I get a haircut, I'll post better pictures of all of us. Enjoy!

Authenticity

We moved to our community in January, and I've been trying to get to know some other moms in the neighborhood. The girls and I do lots of outings, like trips to the library, the park, the mall, etc. Twice now I have met another mom whom I enjoyed talking to. They both seemed like they wanted to be friends, and then when it was time to exchange phone numbers so we could have a play date, they handed me a business card for their home business. Now, maybe they would have been friendly anyway, but the business card made me doubt their intentions. It said to me, "I want to be friends so I can build my business."

I know I'm a cynic, but I don't think I'm the only one. It's made me think about they way we do evangelism. Let's face it. We all have something to sell: our convictions, our passions, our moral values. I had one friend who was all about the environment. She gave us a tree and actually planted it in our yard for a wedding gift. There was no doubt what she was "selling," but that's not why she befriended me. It's just who she was. People value authenticity. If you befriend someone only so you can hand them a tract or give your spiel, the cynics out there are going to be turned off like I was with the business cards. I think we need to share Jesus with our friends because they are our friends and we care. I DON'T think we should be "friends" only to evangelize. Evangelism will flow naturally out of our love for Jesus and passion to see souls saved. I'm not saying you should never share the gospel with a total stranger. The Holy Spirit may lead that way, but we need to be authentic and ditch the hidden agenda.

So, I'm going to meet with my two new friends and give them the benefit of the doubt as I hope others would do with me. They are real people with cute children who need friends. And who knows? Maybe I'll eventually buy their product and maybe eventually they will see Jesus in me and be interested too.

The Mind of a 2-year-old

It's been tricky teaching Big Sissy how to take care of "our baby," like keeping little things away from her that she could choke on. After a scary choking incident in the car, after which I pulled an entire Curious George sticker out of Little Sissy's throat, I tried again to explain the importance. "We can't put little things around Little Sissy," I started. "Like stickers," Big Sissy interrupted. "Right," I agreed. "We don't want her to choke on them." Big Sissy nodded, and I thought we were in agreement until she said, "Yeah, 'cause then they might not be sticky any more." Right...

Day at the zoo

We went to the zoo with some friends recently. Little Sissy is still thrilled to see a dog or a bird, but Big Sissy is beginning to enjoy some of the finer animals such as the hairless moles and capybaras. It's a good thing they have the animals labeled, because Big Sissy is already starting to correct me about their names!

Apologies

I spend a lot of time apologizing, and though I'm certainly no expert I have learned some things over the years. This is what I'm thinking about today. Feel free to send other tips to add to the list. Feel free to forward it to your friends (unless they recently apologized badly--this might offend them. Then you'll have to apologize.)

• Just do it. You know when you need to apologize. Don't ignore it.
• Don't negate the apology with extra words (like "but you deserved it" or "but I had a lot on my mind"). Just apologize and stop talking.
• Don't say something like, "I'm sorry about last night." Last night is neutral. Last night doesn't need to apologize. You do. Take ownership for what you did.
• Don't say, "I'm sorry IF I hurt you." If I ran out of the room crying or stopped talking for the rest of the night, you can be fairly sure you did hurt me. Just say, "I'm sorry I hurt you."
• Don't apologize for saying I looked fat in those pants by bringing me a candy bar. Also don't apologize by bringing me a SlimFast. That's worse.
• Don't apologize for always being on the computer by sending me an email. Oh, and don't apologize by email unless absolutely necessary. There's something about e-forgiveness that just doesn't feel natural. And what if no one responds? Yeah, that's awkward.
• If you need to apologize, don't just follow me around asking me questions like, "What are you doing?" What I'm doing is trying to get away from you, but you keep following me around!
• Last but not least, always follow an apology with a hug. This seals the deal and might even make the person laugh if they're not expecting a hug. If you're not a good hugger, well...keep practicing. You'll get it. Happy relationship mending!

Sweet Big Girl

Why is this so small? I'm clearly not a techie--not sure if I can even spell it--but this is Big Sissy looking awfully cute the same day. I'll figure out how to get a bigger one soon. In the meantime, here's our little Shirley Temple.