This is where I've been spending all my time for the last 3 weeks: VBS central. This is the workroom for the lobby and auditorium decoration committee. That's my friend Kelly working on the information booth.
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These are some of the flags I've been working on for VBS. Notice the beautiful paper towel holder flag poles?
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At our VBS, we have had a puppet lion named Elvis make appearances for the last 5 years. He is a strange dude, and the children love him. Last night we saw a video of Elvis participating in the Olympics with some hilarious results. The following is a conversation Colin and I had on the way home from VBS last night:

Colin: "Mommy! I saw Elvis there! He's real isn't he? He's not a puppet!"
Me: "I don't know. Sometimes he seems like a puppet, and sometimes he seems real."
Colin: "Well, he's real because I can see his legs and when he does sports there's nobody beside him, so he's not a puppet."
Me: "You may be right."
Colin: "I would like him to come to our house. Okay? So, we better call him up. Or we could send him a message on the computer."
Me: "Sure. We'll have to ask him for his number.
Colin: "But he's going home in 2 days to the country where he lives. Is that far away?"
Me: "I don't know where is country is. Do you remember the name of it?"
Colin: "Maybe the Sea of Gallery."

I love U so, my Valentine. So egg me on, chicken! (1945)
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Setting the Record Straight
For those of you who have been checking out the manufacturer of the gondola in Telluride, Colorado, I would like you to note one small correction. They have listed the wrong company!!!! hmmmph! My father was the president of the North American operations of Doppelmayr when they installed the gondolas in the 80's. I was checking out the Telluride site because my dad, who has travelled the world, said Telluride was his favorite place on earth!

There's Power in the Blog
Well, I just returned home from - - - brace yourself- - - Wal Mart.

Yes, I did it. I left the house for Walgreen's to get some laundry detergent because I must do laundry tonight. Alas, it was closed. So, I bit the bullet and headed on over to the monster retailer down the street.

I have the idea that some corporate types in the Arkansas home office must be reading my blog, because they have made improvements since my last visit. Some of the staff was friendly, and even a few customers were congenial. The best part? I didn't have to wait in line more than 3 minutes to check out!! Wowsa!

I did have to maneuver around several pallets of cases of mega products, and its still an awful long way from dairy to cosmetics...and I DID hear them calling for that CM over and over...but I can get over all of that for the short check out.

King Ranch Casserole

1 small chicken, cooked and deboned
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick margarine or butter
1 large can evaporated milk
1 can mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
Chopped jalapenos (about 5)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Corn tortillas, torn up

Sauté onion in butter. Mix in milk and soups and heat. Butter a casserole dish. Layer tortillas, chicken, soup, jalapenos, cheese. Cover and bake until bubbly and brown (350 F for approx 45-60 minutes).

"Died" in the Wool
I've been thinking of this phrase, "dyed in the wool" for some time now. I have a friend who often describes people with this term. For instance, she might say, "Mark is a dyed-in-the-wool Lakers fan."

So, I got to thinking about the phrase and how it applies to Christianity. We should be dyed-in-the-wool Christians. We should be Christian through and through, not blown like chaff in the wind, but ingrained in the body.

But we can also be died-in-the-wool Christians. It has a different meaning to me, although the end result is the same. The "wool" in this instance would be Jesus, or the Lamb of God. The dying would be to self. So, if we die to self, we are "in the wool." Either way, we merge into the body of Christ and we are His through and through.

I was hoping to use this thought in some clever way, but I'm tired of waiting for a story in which it would fit, so there it is.

Girlfriends
I've often heard the sage advice of experienced women to young newly-married women: "Get yourself some good girlfriends." This is excellent advice for so many reasons. For one thing, having close male friends is not a good idea once you are married. And for another thing, girls "get" girls. For instance, after church a few weeks ago, I was talking to a young couple and the woman was wiping her eyes. She told me she cried all the way through worship and I said, "Yeah, me too." Her husband looked on in amazement and said, "That is one thing that is so cool about girls. They announce they've been crying and the other girls just say, 'Oh, yeah, I know.' Its no big deal, its just how things are." He's right. We can usually tell which tears are serious and which are sentimental. We understand the inablity to control the outpouring of emotion.

Today was a rough day for me. It was nobody's doing, I was just a 5-star grump. I needed to go home and have a good cry. Maybe some mashed potatoes or macaroni or chocolate or something. Maybe a tear-jerk movie. But I had work to do, so I was stewing in my grumpiness just trying to make it through the day. That's when my unsuspecting friend happened by. She sat down to make idle chit chat and I emptied out my soul to her. I told her I was grumpy. I told her why. And I felt better. The best part is, I could pour out my soul because I trust her completely. Don't you love -just love- having trust in someone? This poor friend of mine is a loyal reader of this blog, and I want to be sure she knows how dear she is to me. Thank you, S.

I still came home and had a small pity party for myself. I got the good cry out of me. I ate a little macaroni. I'm all fixed up. Thanks be to God for girlfriends (and macaroni).

Sure! I'll be your Valentine! In the shake of a lamb's tail! 1948 (Made in U.S.A.)
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Marshmallow Head Feds
You've got to be kidding me.

Glass Menagerie
I'd like to direct your attention to the Chihuly glass that is now on display at the Oklahoma City Art Museum in downtown Oklahoma City. His works are amazingly beautiful and entrancing. You don't want to miss it.

And, if you want to take your children, may I suggest you make a day of it. Start at the Myriad Gardens and take a stroll through the gardens. Your children can have fun looking at the fish in the fish pond, running through the maze of sidewalks, rolling down the hills and feeding the ducks. Then you can catch a trolley (25 cents for adults, free for children) for a ride through Bricktown, past the ballpark and around to the museum. The trolley also passes by Chick Fil A, so you could stop for lunch there (if you didn't already stop in Bricktown!).

By the way, we'd love to join you!

Will the Real Esther Please Stand Up

This song has become one of my favorites. It was written by an Oklahoma City woman who performs it with a beautiful, clear voice. If you read the book of Esther (it is not too long), you'll see that this song is about her. Indeed, "Esther" means "shining star." The words are even more beautiful set to music. I hope you can hear it some day.

Shining Star

Shining Star, don't let your heart think you'll escape the wrath,
Deliverance comes when you accept the task.
Arise, Shining Star.

Shining Star, who knew you'd come for such a time as this,
Now faith and courage will embrace and kiss.
Arise, Shining Star

Stand up for the right.
Shine bright and see
When you are brave
Then you'll be free!

Shining Star, if you hold silent on this crucial day,
Relief will come yet from another way.
Arise, Shining Star.

Shining Star, our prayers go with you as you drink this cup.
Strength will find favor as you lift it up.
Arise, Shining Star.

Stand up for the right.
Shine bright and see
When you are brave
Then you'll be free!

Shining Star, don't let your heart think you'll escape the wrath.
Deliverance comes when you accept the task.
Shining Star.
---by Promise

No Thanks
Madonna, bless her heart, has asked the public to begin calling her "Esther."
No thanks. If she is seeking to align herself with Queen Esther, I just can't buy it. Queen Esther saved the Jewish people from King Xerxes with wisdom, grace and pure bravery. She is a hero. A model for generations of women to come. A shining star.

Madonna is merely a star. I've yet to witness wisdom, grace, or bravery.

By the way, Madonna has come to this decision after some study of Kabbalah, which you can read about here.

Another aside: if Madonna had made this choice because of a decision to change her life and start anew, I might support her. However, her decision was made in an attempt to disassociate from her mother, because her mother died when Madonna was 5 years old.

Love Is...
I have often pondered the reason God required sacrifice from His people. I have accepted it as truth that He has required it, but I've never been able to wrap my head around the reason. I suppose I always considered it a sort of "paying the price" for sin transaction. Maybe that is because we talk about Christ being the ultimate sacrifice who died to redeem our sins. But, I've come to think sacrifice is more than payment. There is something very big about sacrifice if it if so central to God's plan that He would send Jesus to be sacrifice. And, I think it is because of Jesus that we can see what the significance is. The key is in understanding that Jesus willingly died for us. A willing sacrifice. Why? Because He loved us.

But why not just wave a wand and remove sin? God could do that, couldn't He? Instead, God chose to sacrifice for us. Can you see that? GOD MADE A SACRIFICE. Why? Because LOVE IS SACRIFICE. If we can get that message pumping through our blood, it will change us. Love IS sacrifice. Love is SACRIFICE.

You may be thinking love shouldn't be sacrifice. Or maybe you haven't had to make any sacrifice for your love. But are you willing to sacrifice? Are you ready? Are you preparing? Would you want someone to love you enough to make a sacrifice for you?

And what do you love? Are you making sacrifice for something or someone you don't love?

Sacrifice can come in many forms. It can mean giving up time or money. It can mean letting the one you love have his way instead of fighting for your own way. It can mean letting go of control.

A great sacrifice you can make to God is to give Him control of your heart, words, actions, body, mind and soul. You can line your life up to His will. Christ was sacrifice for our sins, but we can show love by following His example. By remembering that love is sacrifice.

MADD is Really MAD now!!

See this.

Note to "Annie Oakley": see this.

What's Up
I've spent the last two weeks painting flags for our church's VBS program, which begins in 10 days. I'm making 33 full-size, two-sided flags representing 33 different countries. I've really enjoyed the work and have learned many new flags! I love working on VBS decorations because I always meet new friends and strengthen existing relationships through the time we spend together working side by side. I work at the church most mornings and other people are there, too. The children have fun playing together and we chat and create, chat and create. Our VBS is a big production. It takes a lot of work, but it is fun, so it doesn't seem like work. And the children love it! I'm making flag poles out of wrapping paper rolls painted silver and strung on to thin poles used for last year's VBS. They truly look like real flagpoles when finished. But so far, I only have enough rolls to make 9 poles, and I need to make 33 poles. So, if you have any rolls (paper towel or wrapping paper) I can use, PLEASE let me know!!! I'm desperate!
And if your children aren't enrolled, you can enroll them here. Thanks!

I suppose its better than PAYING for it, but...
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What A Boy Keeps
Colin found a golden box in which I was keeping my stationary. He decided it would make a good treasure box, so he took it and filled it with treasure. Here's the inventory:

Colorful foam shapes from a Discovery Toy
A cat collar
Smarties
Marbles
Dimes
Nickles
Pennies
Quarters
Pirate money
A crayon
Sea shells
Ladybug (pretend)
Alphabet beads
Small basket with string
Plastic egg
Safety scissors
String of beads
Jingle bell
Button
Evergreen leaves
Chocolate
Twippo (from Veggie Tales)
Toy car
Rocks
Pencil

Wayne Bost
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Wayne's World
Today marks one year since James' father, Wayne, died. It actually begins the anniversary, in that he died on fathers' day, June 15. So both days are anniversaries.

I didn't know James' father very well. I don't think many people knew him well. He was very quiet. Shy, really. When I talked to him, he always looked down to his right, like a little boy who was about to get in trouble. Not that he was weak. He was anything but weak. Just terribly shy.

He loved watching automobile racing and was the source of James' passion for the sport. Before every race there was always a series of phone calls about the race. They would discuss who was on the pole, who would win and a variety of other race-related topics that were beyond my knowledge. As soon as each race ended, the phone would ring and they would discuss the results of the race.

Wayne was an airplane mechanic for the Air Force. He could fix anything and fix it well. James said he used to take his bicycle apart (all the way!) and lay each piece out for cleaning, then put the whole thing back together again. I don't know about you, but my dad just sprayed mine down with a water hose...if I was lucky!!

Wayne's other passion was his dogs. He walked them for miles every day and even cooked them steaks! I'm sure all the dogs in town were jealous of Wayne's dogs!

My favorite thing about Wayne was that he chose to marry Yoshimi (and here). He could not have done better.

I know this is a particularly hard week for James. I hope you all will keep him in your prayers. Thanks.

Planning Ahead
Colin's birthday is in November, but he is already planning it. Here is a dialog from this morning:

"Mommy, I want to have a Veggie Tales cake for my birthday. Let's ask Melanie to make it on November Twunth. That's the day before November fird...or, did YOU want to make the cake?"

"Sure, if you want me to."

"Okay. Well, I'll draw what I want on my cake and you can put it on the cake with lots of frosting. Okay? And make sure to get lots of black frosting, okay? Do you know why? Because there's going to be lots of black eyes, okay?"

I'm beginning to wonder if this will be anything like the tea party where Colin planned to put all the guests in jail.

PHRASES AVOIDED IN GOOD SOCIETY
by Emily Post (1922)

IT is difficult to explain why well-bred people avoid certain words and expressions that are admitted by etymology and grammar. So it must be merely stated that they have and undoubtedly always will avoid them. Moreover, this choice of expression is not set forth in any printed guide or book on English, though it is followed in all literature....

To liken Best Society to a fraternity, with the avoidance of certain seemingly unimportant words as the sign of recognition, is not a fantastic simile. People of the fashionable world invariably use certain expressions and instinctively avoid others; therefore when a stranger uses an “avoided” one he proclaims that he “does not belong,” exactly as a pretended Freemason proclaims himself an “outsider” by giving the wrong “grip”—or whatever it is by which Brother Masons recognize one another.

To be able to separate best English from merely good English needs a long process of special education, but to recognize bad English one need merely skim through a page of a book, and if a single expression in the left-hand column following can be found (unless purposely quoted in illustration of vulgarity) it is quite certain that the author neither writes best English nor belongs to Best Society.

NEVER SAY/CORRECT FORM:
In our residence we retire early (or arise)/At our house we go to bed early (or get up)
I desire to purchase/I should like to buy
Lovely food/Good food
Elegant home/Beautiful house—or place
A stylish dresser/She dresses well, or she wears lovely clothes
Charmed! or Pleased to meet you!/How do you do!
Attended/Went to
I trust I am not trespassing/I hope I am not in the way
Request (meaning ask)/Ask
Will you accord me permission?/Will you let me? or May I?
Permit me to assist you/Let me help you
Brainy/Brilliant or clever
I presume/I suppose
Tendered him a banquet/Gave him a dinner
Converse/Talk
Partook of liquid refreshment/Had something to drink
Perform ablutions/Wash
A song entitled/Called (proper if used in legal sense)
I will ascertain /I will find out
Residence or mansion/House, or big house
In the home/In some one's house or At home
Phone, photo, auto/Telephone, photograph, automobile

Spencerisms

"Mommy, let's go to Barnes & Nubble to play trains!"

As he bounces his nose off mine: "Beek, Beek, Beek."

"Mommy, if you take me to Barnes & Nubble, I'll buy you a new train!"

"Nobody touch my cat!!"

"Can we go anywhere? I want to go anywhere."

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At Half-Staff

The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff. The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day.

How can I show mourning if my flag is on a fixed pole or staff and can't be half-masted? The flag rules make no provisions for this. However, army regulations state, "A streamer of black crepe 7 feet long and 1 foot wide will be attached to the staff immediately below the spearhead of the U.S. flag."

Church and State
"The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality's foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they're sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive." Ronald Reagan, 1984

Build Your Own Snowflake!
If you go here you can build your own snowflake and then make it turn around so you can see what it looks like in 3-D. Ultra-cool! Thanks Dan!

Operation Iraqi Children
My friend Britt sent me this link to a group that helps Iraqi children with school supplies. It was founded by Gary Sinise and Laura Hillenbrand and is endorsed by Laura Bush.
"Inspired by their conversations with Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers as well as Sinise's recent tour of the region, Sinise and Hillenbrand founded Operation Iraqi Children, a grass roots program to provide concerned Americans with a means to reach out to Iraqi kids and help support our soldiers' efforts to assist the Iraqi people.

Through the School Supply Kit Program, American children, church groups, and other organizations can help Iraqis by gathering school supplies in local drives, assembling them in kits according to our instructions, then sending them to Heart to Heart International for transport to Iraq, where our soldiers will take them to Iraqi villages."

Labels for Education
Our school has added another collectible to our fundraising efforts: Campbell's Labels for Education. We are trying to keep to fundraisers that do not require having our children sell stuff! So, we collect Box Tops for Education and now Labels for Education. You can find these labels on products like General Mills, Green Giant, Pillsbury, Prego, Campbell's, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Old El Paso, Progresso, Totino's, Pop Secret, Bugles, Chex, Bisquick, Pepperidge Farm, Swanson, Prego, V8, Franco-American and Pace. We will be saving these labels for the next 14 years, so if you can contribute, I'll be ever so grateful!

Saved from Saved!
A woman I highly respect alerted me to a new movie, soon to be released, entitled Saved! Apparently the director plans to target the same audience that flocked to The Passion earlier this year. The film mocks Christianity through and through. You can find some reviews here, here and here.

Donations, Anybody?
Well, I'm working on our VBS decorations right now. There are a few things I could use to make it all the more special! If you have anything I can use, let me know!
Wrapping paper and paper towel tubes
Craft Paint: black, white, kelly green, red, navy, royal blue, red, yellow, turquoise, orange, silver
Spray Paint: silver, black, bronze
Indoor/Outdoor paint: white, black, red, blue, yellow, green, orange
A large disk (to make an Olympic flame holder)
Hoola Hoops
Flags (countries from around the world, any size)

Poppy/Doc
I took my dad (aka "Poppy") to the doctor today. It is noteworthy only because it takes so much out of me! Today was relatively easy. It just takes an amazing amount of planning and patience. For instance, the car must be empty so as to accommodate the wheelchair and walker (although today we got to leave the walker home!! YAY!). He has to get dressed and get his medications (in case we don't get back before the next dose). We have to get him in the car. (Some days that is nearly impossible because of his balance problems). Then we have to get to the doctor's office in time to make a bathroom break. We may have to wait for the bathroom to clear out so I can go in with him. Today I was wheeling him down an incline and we hit a bump that stopped the chair. Dad almost flew out!!

Then there is the waiting room. Usually, we need one more bathroom break about 30 seconds before they call him back! Dad grills the nurses about whether insurance pays for 100% of his visit and he gives me a hard time if I sign anything, because we might be signing away our lives. When we're finished, we go on back to the car. Once we get settled in, its usually time for another bathroom break...followed by, "Oh, I'll just try to make it until we get back." No pressure.

On the way home dad always wants to talk about how much money we have. That's easy now: $0.00. Next subject!

Superimpose two young boys who have their own troubles and needs for attention and amusement, and you imagine why I just want to sit in a chair and stare into space right now! LOL!

Of course, once I got in that chair, dad called to thank me for a fun day.

That's what its all about.

Prophecy Fulfilled
Word out to SS, who requested more prophecy posts!

Genesis 49:8-10 (Old Testament)
"Judah, your brothers will praise you...The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."

Micah 5:2 (Old Testament)
"But you, Bethlehem Eprathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Matthew 1:1-3 (Old Testament)
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham...Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah..."

Hebrews 7:14 (New Testament)
For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah..."

Revelation 5:5 (New Testament)
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." (By the way, this is one of my favorite verses!)

I'm Weedin' Out All But You
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This is my all time favorite comic strip. I keep it in my favorite cookbook. It makes me smile everytime I see it! (click on image to enlarge)
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Soyled Again!!
I love the Japanese, but sometimes they can be very strange!!

No Thanks. Not Today.
"Spencer, its time for a haircut."
"No thanks. Not today."
"Not today?"
"Nope."
"Saturday?"
"Nope?"
"Sunday?"
"Nope."
"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday?"
"Nope."
"When?"
"None-day!"

Best Society
by Emily Post

"Best Society is not at all like a court with an especial queen or king, nor is it confined to any one place or group, but might better be described as an unlimited brotherhood which spreads over the entire surface of the globe, the members of which are invariably people of cultivation and worldly knowledge, who have not only perfect manners but a perfect manner. Manners are made up of trivialities of deportment which can be easily learned if one does not happen to know them; manner is personality—the outward manifestation of one’s innate character and attitude toward life. A gentleman, for instance, will never be ostentatious or overbearing any more than he will ever be servile, because these attributes never animate the impulses of a well-bred person. A man whose manners suggest the grotesque is invariably a person of imitation rather than of real position.
"Etiquette must, if it is to be of more than trifling use, include ethics as well as manners. Certainly what one is, is of far greater importance than what one appears to be. A knowledge of etiquette is of course essential to one’s decent behavior, just as clothing is essential to one’s decent appearance; and precisely as one wears the latter without being self-conscious of having on shoes and perhaps gloves, one who has good manners is equally unself-conscious in the observance of etiquette, the precepts of which must be so thoroughly absorbed as to make their observance a matter of instinct rather than of conscious obedience.
"Thus Best Society is not a fellowship of the wealthy, nor does it seek to exclude those who are not of exalted birth; but it is an association of gentle-folk, of which good form in speech, charm of manner, knowledge of the social amenities, and instinctive consideration for the feelings of others, are the credentials by which society the world over recognizes its chosen members."

Maybe the Soup's Better in Jail?
What a great idea! Whack a mouse on the head and slip it in your soup at a "deep pockets" restaurant, then sit back and collect your just rewards for a few hard hours of work! What jury wouldn't hand over a cool mil? Yeah, that's the ticket! I guess this ingenious criminal never heard of INVESTIGATIONS! Heh, heh, heh. Foiled again!

I'll deliver my heart to only you, dear Valentine.
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Roseate Spoonbill
I have a lot of photos saved in my favorites file (internet) so I can return again and again when I need eye candy. This is one of my favorites.

Little Freebies Here and There
I take some delight in getting stuff for free. Doesn't everybody? This week I got $15 to spend at Sticker Planet. $10 of that was for posting their logo on my blog. Easy money. I also got $100 to spend at Eddie Bauer this week because I earned points on my credit card. By the end of the week I will have a $5.00 gift card to Starbucks because I've been clicking on email messages from mypoints.com. If I spend the Eddie Bauer credit through My Points, I'll get even more points...maybe enough for a Barnes and Noble gift card! All this to tell you that if you sign up for My Points (its free), AND you give my name (fourbosts) as a reference, I'll get 100 points! I only need 650 for the Barnes and Noble card! The deal is, they send you email messages about products and services. If you read the message, you get 5 points. It takes about 2 minutes a day. If you purchase anything they offer, you get lots of points. I have never purchased anything (although I was tempted by the Children's Book of the Month Club).

This is a snow crystal. Snow crystals have become my passion in the past 4 years. The porpita porpita reminded me of this photo taken by Ms. Patricia Rasmussen. Other photos can be found at www.snowcrystals.com.
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This is an image of a porpita porpita in its natural state (in water). We found these on the beach during our vacation. I found this photo on the web. Isn't it beautiful?
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This is the actual porpita porpita we found in Navarre. They have drifted in upside down and right side up. I don't know which is which!
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