Okay, looks like I need to write a little bit on here. Mostly I’m putting off something I’m supposed to be doing 
Anyhow, not a huge lot to report from the weekend except that we’re investigating a very promising church – so that’s exciting! Hopefully I’ll start making friends once we’re settled for sure. Though we did get some good friends from a church we visited just one time. My advice? Take time for the fellowships, that’s when you really get to know people!
Brian finished his school course on Organizational Behavior and scored an A+ on the class! He’s 1/4 of the way done now which is really encouraging! He’s now waiting on his next textbook to arrive in the mail.
I’m working on a radio drama of the Nutcracker story – which goes quite a bit beyond the ballet. I read the story to Brian and he had a really good idea for part of it.
I’m also memorizing portions of Luke 1&2 – the part concerning Mary. I figured I’ll be ‘with child’ over the Christmas holidays, so that would be a fun portion of scripture to think about as I memorize.
Oh, and last night we went to Brahm’s for ice cream. Someone had given Brian some money to something for me and we both thought that ice-cream would be a good idea. 
5-Nov-2007
1-Nov-2007
“Some people feel that life begins at conception;
others, when a baby draws its first breath.
However, there are an increasing number that feel that
life doesn’t truly begin until the last child has left the house.”
– A Catholic Priest
I know that my baby is alive – alive and kicking! 
Just last night a typical event unfolded….
Just last night a typical event unfolded….
– Amy busy on her computer, Brian writing a college paper on his –
Amy: Wow, tadpole is really moving around a lot!
– Brian takes less than a minute to finish the paragraph he’s typing then comes to put his hand on Amy’s belly –
……nothing…..
– Amy pushes tummy – “wake up tadpole!”
“I don’t feel anything”
“Come on tadpole, don’t make mommy a liar – kick your daddy!”
“….I still don’t feel anything”
“I guess tadpole went to sleep”
– Brian goes back to his writing and Amy to hers, the evening continues without further interruption. –
This morning however, Tadpole was a little more agreeable and daddy got to feel several good kicks – I think it will be a morning person.
Happy Halloween?
Walking the the city neighborhoods has provoked some thought on the essence of Halloween; just what are people celebrating and what stance should believers take on the issue:
From a purely non-religious view, I can see that Halloween is like any of the other holidays; you decorate, do related crafts in school and ultimately receive candy on the actual day. (isn’t that where all holidays have gone?)
The decorations have intrigued me as to what the owners expected from the day:
There are some who put up a banner as they probably do for any other holiday, or hang cute little spiders or ghosts from a tree – just enough to show that they enjoy celebrating…anything.
Others go a little farther, trying to send the message that they want the kids to come and get the treats at their house – who wouldn’t want to see a cute little kid dressed up and on a sugar rush?
Still other seem to have a quite different taste – from a family graveyard…
To a fantastic and gruesome display with over 20 figures that must have cost a thousand dollars!
Do people ever think about what they are putting up? Do they think it’s funny and a little naughty to have beheadings, ghouls and Jack-the-Ripper in their yards? Or do they delight in the occult and revel in the chance to display nastiness and evil?
The other thought line was spurred by our church search and seeing how many of them offered some sort of Halloween alternative -candy, booths, costumes, everything. They call them “Fall Festivals” or something like that.
There are several reasons given for these:
– Safe alternative to roaming the streets
– A chance to witness to non-Christian friends
– A “Christian” way to celebrate so our kids won’t feel left out
– Family fun time
So I was thinking, should we as Christians join in what is recognized as a holiday honoring evil? Is this a great opportunity to witness through secular adaptation or is this really joining forces with the world? I was thinking that maybe this would be a good opportunity to teach our kids to stand alone and face “missing out” on what the world has to offer, rather than placate with a substitute that mars the line between good and evil. Let kids dress up, give them candy sometimes, and have a fall festival – but why not do it at other times than Halloween?
You know, way back in the garden of Eden we acquired the ability to discern between good and evil, later we are told to hate the evil and seek the good that we may live (Amos 5:14). Romans calls us to be wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil; by abstaining we may be doing our kids a favor, because those that are of age to “have ‘strong meat’ are those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Finally, consider this warning from Isaiah: Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter…..therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people (and who are his people?)… (5:20,25)
30-Oct-2007
This post is in honor of my nephew Connor – the cutest nephew in the world!
I got to see him this weekend and enjoy playing with him. This is the my favorite picture, but a few more will bring out a bit more of his personality:
He enjoys being front and center….
And he’s an expert with goofy faces….(don’t know where he learned those)
He’s a regular bundle of energy, though sometimes he does settle down.
And not to leave anyone out, here is one of his cute little sister, Abbie!
I must be the luckiest aunt in the world!
29-Oct-2007
This weekend – yesterday in fact – was our 1st anniversary!
To celebrate, we made a little trip down towards my hometown for the weekend.
Our first stop was at a little Bed and Breakfast owned by a friend of mine, who had given us a free night there as a wedding present.
After arriving, we went for a little walk in the pastures around the house which brought back many wonderful childhood memories for me.
I then proceeded to cook dinner while Brian found wireless internet access (forever a computer geek 
)
Tell me, do I look fat in that picture?
We ate a scrumptious dinner of fried potatoes!
After dinner Brian got a special moment as we were talking together on the couch – tadpole started moving around and Brian got to feel his baby kick for the first time!
We finished off our stay the next morning with a grand slam breakfast and a good game of cribbage.
We packed up and headed out to my parents house where we spent the rest of the weekend – pictures of that to come later.
