Keep cool

Isn't it hot?


We have central air in this house, so we are able to escape the heat if we need to, but I remember the days when we didn't have air conditioning. If we had a heat wave it could get unbearable. We had to come up with some novel ways to keep cool...


Like most people, we kept the curtains drawn and the lights off as much as possible. We kept the windows closed during the heat of the day and only opened them when it was cooler outside than inside. I'd usually open up the front and back doors in the early morning hours and get a nice cross breeze going. If you could get the house a few degrees cooler in the morning then it would stay bearable until about dinner time.


I tried to prepare meals that didn't require using the stove, and never the oven! I had a little hotplate that I used outside to cook whatever couldn't be done on the barbeque. Actually, I still use that hotplate and cook outside when it's hot as well as a little toaster oven. The back porch is right off the kitchen so it's handy.


After dinner we'd head down to the basement where it was coolest, but even down there it would get uncomfortable after a few hours. We had a couple of standing fans that we moved from room to room with us and we'd put them on oscillate so we'd have a breeze. If it got really bad, we kept little spray bottles of ice water handy and misted ourselves down. I can remember lying on the couch with a fan in front, trying not to move too much and misting myself nearly constantly!


Our ace-in-the-hole was our kiddy pool. We had a little one in the back yard that you could get about 8 inches of water in and after it got dark (so nobody could see us!) we'd go out and get in. We'd lie there in the water for half an hour or so until we were almost chilly and then head off to bed. Being in the pool seemed to bring our skin temperature down quite a bit and it made it easier to get to sleep.


Even though we have a/c now, we still do a lot of those things we used to do in order to keep the hydro bill down. We use one of those timer thingies to turn the thermostat up at night and when we're out of the house and down again when we are home. This summer has been a bit cooler than usual so we haven't had to run it too much of the time anyways. I'm thankful for that because our hydro went up in March to almost double what we were paying before. And I somehow doubt that the price is ever going to come back down, *grin*.

Been a while since I meme'd

Thursday's Child tagged me for this probably a week ago. I'm really awful for remembering when I've been tagged and sure enough I forgot about this one until I saw another blogger who remembered and it reminded me.


What was I doing ten years ago?
Oh my. Why do they have to ask the hard question first? Hmm. Ten years ago was 1998, so I was at home with the kids. It would have just been Alli at home with me for half days because she would have been in kindergarten. The boys would have been in school all day. I remember I listened to a lot of talk radio during that time, Dr. Laura in particular. I didn't know about Issues back then. *grin*


5 Things on my to-do list:
#1 Call the repairman to fix the washing machine
#2 Take Alli to get her Social Insurance Number
#3 Menu planning and grocery shopping
#4 Take a few loads of laundry to the laundromat
#5 Clean the pool, then swim


What would I do if I were a billionaire?
Well, honestly, the first thing I would probably do is move. Or at least, I'd buy a second home somewhere warm and live there for the winter. I'm leaning towards North Carolina. I have really fallen in love with it! It's really a beautiful state. (Plus they have the coolest accent there. And, of course, Debbie and her family are there! )


Places I have lived:
I have only ever lived in Kitchener-Waterloo. First with my parents, then with my husband. I've never lived on my own though.


Jobs I've Had:
I've worked as a restaurant manager at Burger King, Pizza Hut, my in-law's restaurant and finally I bought my own place, called "Betty...Pick Up!" My best friend and I bought it together and we named it after an episode of Laverne and Shirley where the girls go work in a diner. Shirley is waitressing and Laverne is short-ordering and every time Laverne puts an order up, she calls out "Betty, pick up!" to Shirley, which of course drives Shirley nuts. I'll let you guess whether I was Laverne or Shirley.)

I've done temp work as a secretary/receptionist etc.

I've worked in the QA department at NCR, testing the software and hardware in bank machines. Not ATMs but the big, long cheque readers/sorters that they use in the bank clearing houses.

Later I worked for a company that wrote the software for those bank machines, but it was utterly coincidental. I didn't even know that's what they did until after I got the job. I was hired as an administrative assistant, but because I had experience in QA, they let me help with that sometimes too.

Now I work for an IT services company. I was hired to do admin, but because I've been around the tech industry for a while I've been able to help out in a (limited) tech support capacity too. Now I administer our antispam/mail hosting service and I handle all the software licensing issues. It's been interesting to learn how to do all that stuff. When you work for a small company you tend to wear a lot of hats, which I like. Most of all though, I consider my primary function to be making my boss's life easier.


6 people I'm tagging:
Oh, I don't know...would you be mad if I copped out and made it an open tag? I hate putting people on the spot...

It's here!!

My new Bible, compliments of A Soldier's Wife. Once again, thank you SO much!!

Show Your Cow Spirit

If you are a cow lover (and let's be honest, who isn't?) then tomorrow your big day.

It just so happens that tomorrow, Friday July 11th, is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. And no one is more excited about it than Family Murphy.

The Murphy clan will be enthusiastic partipants tomorrow: dressing like cows; getting free chicken. Free chicken, people!

Alas, there are no Chick-Fil-A's in Canada so no free chicken for me. However, I will be with you in spirit, embracing my inner cow.

If you should have a hankering for chicken tomorrow (or just a hankering to dress up like a cow), then be a sport and get some pics, ok? And if you were inclined to share those pics on your blog, well then be sure to stop by the Family Murphy blog and and add your post to the Mr. Linky you'll find there. I'm hoping for lots of pictures, personally.

Now, I don't know if you guys have this in the US, but in Canada, tomorrow is Free Slurpee Day at 7-11. (On July 11, get it?) They're giving away 1000 Slurpees at each store. Plus, you don't have to dress up like a cow to get one. Free Slurpees, people!

Since we DO have 7-11 around here, tomorrow free sweet Slurpee goodness shall be mine! If we had a Chick-Fil-A around here, I could hit them both on the way home from work and I wouldn't have to do anything for dinner. That would be really sweet.

Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

Go CPH!

Finally got around to getting one of these and it is FAB-u-lous!

I have an older Tappert edition of the Book of Concord, but the language in it is much more difficult. The editors of this one have done a wonderful job making the language accessible. It's packed full of historical and background info that help the reader understand the context of the various documents. I can't say enough good about it. I you've ever wanted to learn more about what Lutherans believe and why they believe it, this is the book.

Bit of trivia: this edition was edited by Pastor Paul McCain of Concordia Publishing House, whose blog Cyberbrethren I frequently lurk at. You won't find me commenting there though...people who hang out there are waaay smarter than me. I'd be in over my head *grin*. However, I may just leave him a comment to express my appreciation for the tremendous job he and the other editors have done in putting this book together.

Anita and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I had a bad day today. Not at home - at work. It was so rotten I really don't even want to blog about it. I feel all weepy and mopey and I just wish I had my mommy right now. You ever have one of those days?

Sometimes, when I read about other women who have quiet time (or devotions, or whatever you want to call it) and how close they feel to the Lord during those times, I feel a bit jealous...and a bit like maybe there's something wrong with me. That closeness, that sense that Jesus is present - that doesn't happen for me. Times like this, when I'm feeling down and really discouraged, I wish I could go to my Bible, or into prayer, and really feel like Jesus is right there with me.

When I spend time in the Word, it's more of an intellectual thing for me. It's almost...well, work. That is not to say that there are not times when the Word speaks comfort to me, or that I can't find beauty in the Scriptures. But when I read God's Word, I'm looking, working, digging for something. I must concentrate and it takes effort. I might find meaning, deeper understanding, or relevance, but I've never had an experience where it felt like I was spending time alone with Jesus.

I am not a great pray-er. I must say - thankfully, joyfully - that this is an area where I have seen God's grace at work over the years. Praying comes easier than it used to and I do feel something approaching closeness when I am in prayer...but in truth, there is still a part of me that feels disconnected. As if my prayers must cross a great distance. I have never had a feeling like Jesus is right next to me and we're just talking.

I don't want to make it sound like I'm putting my trust in a feeling. I know, whether it feels like it or not, that Jesus is present. And I don't mean to imply that because I don't have a strong emotional response to being in prayer or in the Word that somehow my faith is not authentic.

It's just that I long for contact. Sometimes I wish that Jesus was right here and that he'd give me a hug. (And how dumb is that? I mean, the Creator of the universe - for the sake of a miserable sinner like me - came down from his throne in heaven, suffered the indignity of becoming a helpless child, lived a blameless life in my place and suffered a horrible and unrighteous death so that I might be reconciled to God...and I'm complaining that I want a hug??)

But isn't that what we all want? Some contact? A friendly voice to comfort us? (Beth, is it any wonder that I picked tonight to call??) Something tangible to hang onto in the midst of pain and confusion? And you know what? I think God knows this about us and understands. More, He provided for this very real need that we have - the need to touch and hold onto something solid - by becoming a man and walking with us.

And I think it's also why (or at least part of the reason why) he comes to us bodily in the Eucharist. Because he knows how fragile we are, and how much we need to be able to hold onto Him, not just in a spiritual sense, but in a real, physical way.

I wish I could describe to you exactly what it is like for me when I receive the Body and Blood of the Lord - the very Presence of God - in the Sacrament. I'm not sure that you can understand what that Presence is like any more than I can understand the closeness that some have in prayer and Bible study. I can only tell you that it is real. And not in a subjective way, not a "feeling" that I have (although I do experience it as a feeling too, if you get what I mean).

I believe that the True Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist is an objective thing. I believe it because Christ himself - in his last will and testament before his disciples - says so. I believe He really meant it. When He comes to me in, with and under the bread and the wine, He strengthens me. He comes to me because He knows how much I need what only He has to offer. Forgiveness of sins. Comfort for my hurting soul. Strengthened and renewed faith in His promises. So He comes in a way that I can grab hold of tangibly, so that I may have no doubt whatsoever of His presence.

This went in a way different direction than I thought it would when I first started this post. The Holy Spirit is like that sometimes - the words just come tumbling out of my fingers. I think I've said enough for now.

Shepherd

Therefore, and overseer (pastor) must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fal into the condemnation of the devil. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (1Timothy 3:2-4; Titus 1:9)
~ The Small Catechism, Table of Duties: For Bishops, Pastors and Preachers

On June 22 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Depew, NY, Galen Michael Purpura Jr. was ordained into the Holy Ministry. "Vicar Galen" is now Pastor Purpura.

Have you ever been to an ordination? It is a powerful, wonderful thing to witness: the Lord of the Church placing his called servant into the office of the ministry. Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth. It was by this authority that he called and ordained the first apostles, and it is by this authority that he continues, through the means of his church, to call and ordain pastors who are to preach the word and administer the sacraments. When Jesus ordained his apostles, he breathed on them and they received from him the Holy Spirit and the authority to act by his command and in his stead. Today Jesus confers his authority to his called servants through the church. The laying on of hands by ordained ministers during the ordination signifies this. Jesus' authority does not, as some suppose, pass on "from" or "through" one minister to another. The authority that Jesus confers comes from Jesus. It's his authority - only he can confer it. Therefore, Galen's call to St. John's Lutheran Church as Associate Pastor is no human thing; it is a divine call.

Galen didn't just wake up one morning and decide to become a pastor. In fact, he'll tell you that, like Jonah, he resisted God's call for a while *smile*. I don't even think it's accurate to say that he - or any called servant for that matter - "decides" to be a pastor. Pastors are called and a call to the holy ministry is from the Lord of the Church, Jesus himself. He extends that call to his chosen servant (who may recognize it as an "inner call") and then he confirms it through the Church.

I look at that table of duties and the obligations that are laid upon a pastor and I really can't blame him for wanting to resist. Being a pastor is serious business. Peoples souls are at stake. Gulp. Who wouldn't be intimidated by such a prospect?

But Galen doesn't go into this alone.

First and foremost, he is accompanied by the Holy Spirit:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6

[You] through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation. 1Peter 1:5
...the word of God which is at work in you who believe. 1 Thess. 2:13

Second, he is being held up in prayer by his congregation (and by his friends and family):

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests .... Always keep on praying for all the saints Eph 6:18

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel Eph. 6:19

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 Thess 3:1

I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30

I pray that now at last by God's will, the way may be opened for me to come to you. Romans 1:10

Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. Hebrews 13:18

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ... Col 4:3

Third, God has given him a helpmeet:

And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Gen. 2:18

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

When Galen was our vicar last year I witnessed first hand the qualities that God gifted him with that will serve him well as a pastor. He has an engaging, affable way about him - you can tell he genuinely LIKES working with God's people. He demonstrated real care and concern for our parish members, the youth and the elderly in particular. He's solidly confessional and he can preach. Boy can he preach!

Galen, if you’re reading this, I'm not trying to suck up. *grin* We love you and we're proud of you...and humbled too, to have been a part of the process that God used to confirm your call. Thank you Galen and Jenny for being obedient to the Lord and serving his church as his called servant.

I won, I won!

Oh my goodness! I am so excited! Also, a little bit guilt-ridden.

A Soldier's Wife was having a giveaway contest for one of two brand-spanking new Bibles...and I won!! I won a new Bible, and not just any Bible, but this Bible.

That's a nice Bible, folks.

I feel a bit bad though too, because I meant to put up a link to her contest, partly to give her some linky-love and partly so that my friends could go and enter the contest too. No, really. I meant to. But, I never got around to it. (Actually, I haven't blogged much at all this month...)

Anyway, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Yippee!!

Backyard oasis

Ah, the first day of summer.

Which, in Southwestern Ontario, is here and gone again before you know it.

So, we like to make the most of it.

Guess what I will be doing this weekend?

Kids. Can't live with 'em, pass the beer nuts

ARG.

Moms with young'uns, heed my words: the teenage years are one big emotional roller coaster. For YOU.

Those kids of mine! I never know from day to day any more whether I love them or hate them. Well, not hate them, really. Just, you know, really, really not like being around them. Because, for one, they're SO MOODY!!! I never know for sure what I'm going to get anymore - smiles and laughs...or tears and recriminations. When they're cranky, I don't want to be anywhere near them. No sir. I'll just be up in my room, hiding until the full moon is past thank you very much.

And something that nobody told me before, that teenagers are actually very, very dumb. It's like their brains turn off for a decade or so between 13 and 23. That must be the cause, for why else would they make such stupid, stupid choices?? They KNOW how dumb they are being, but they do it anyway. I repeat, ARG!

They don't seem to have the ability to look ahead and anticipate the consequences of their actions. I know, I know, I didn't either at that age. But I know now, so why won't they believe me when I tell them that they are making choices now that are determining the course of the rest of their life?? Do they think I'm making it up? Sometimes I think I will explode with a combination of frustration and worry for them. Again I say, ARG!

Their are a lot of tears around here these days. For these kids all have hormones raging through them, and to them everything is A MAJOR CRISIS. The emotions run so high these days, and you see how confusing and frustrating and frightening it all is for them. And you know, nothing really extraordinary his happening...it's just ordinary life. And its so hard on them. So I don't always say ARG. Sometimes I have to put a comforting arm around a confused kid and reassure them with the words my mom always reassured me with: "Never mind, bunny. Never mind." And for a while, they don't. They give it over to mom (or dad) and allow themselves to be children again, just for a little while. Deep down, they know it's a comforting lie - they're not children anymore, and soon they will have to resume navigating the netherworld between childhood and adulthood. Hopefully they will not forget that they don't have to do it alone, that God has given them parents to guide them through.

There are also days of great joy. When the sun and the moon align and everybody is happy at the same time. Those are the days that get me through, because for as much as they can make me crazy, they can also be great fun to be with.

This past week my husband had to go to Iowa for business and it was just me and the kids. They have been SO good all week. I don't know if they made an extra effort or what, but they were happy and agreeable and obedient this week. On Wednesday night, I took them to the theatre to see a play called The Drawer Boy. I wasn't sure if they would enjoy it or not, but all loved it. They talked about it all the way home. It was late when we got back into town - almost 11 pm - but it was a hot night and we stopped for a Dairy Queen. Brought it back home and sat on the back porch, licking our cones and talking and laughing. I went to bed way past my bed time, but it was so worth it.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? I never do any more. I'll just keep praying and doing my best to guide these young men and women into adulthood.