25 Random Things About Me

1. I was a crazy kid and ended up in the ER every other year from age 2 to 14. Included in those visits was a boiling water incident that is still vivid in my memory, a broken back from a fall from a garden hose wrapped in a tree (ahem), and a tetnus shot from a cute little field mouse that I caught but it decided to take a bite out of my finger.
2. I met my husband on a mission trip to Israel. I knew I was falling in love with him when we were standing on a stairwell leading up to the homes on top of the Old City in Jerusalem. Ohh, his eyes when he looked at me. *sigh*
3. My favorite room in our home is the study at midnight. I turn on the bookcase lights, the piano light and practice away. It's serene and peaceful.
4. I feel guilty that I have a home with a study. Most of the homes I've seen around the world have 8 people living in a space the size of my study.
5. I have never tasted beer, seen Chicago, or worked a full time job for more than 6 months.
6. I have white water rafted, been in the crown of the Statue of Liberty, stepped in the Jordan River, and had a non-paying 24/7 job for the last 11 years.
7. My greatest fear is that I will make too many mistakes with my kids. I second-guess every decision I make that involves them. My dad says there are three things you can do to help your kids: 1. Pray 2. Pray and 3. Pray again.
8. I would sell everything I have tomorrow and take my family to Honduras if God told me to. Or any other poverty-stricken country where I could hold the hands of children, encourage the people, and give relevant, tangible love that changes the course of that nation.
9. I'm self-diagnosed with Child-Induced ADD and Placental Drain. (My theory is that during pregnancy all the good brain cells go to the placenta. The placenta goes in the trash. I've done that four times.)
10. I once started a book on procrastination.
11. My brother said I should've been a stand up comedian. My mom thinks I should've been a lawyer (because I can talk my way out of anything). I disagree with both, but is there a difference?
12. My dad is the smartest person I know, the most diplomatic, and the most humble. He was a chemist with Halliburton for years, has over 400 patents and turned down an invitation into Mensa. But I asked him why the sky is blue when I was 8. After a half hour my eyes were spinning and I heard him say something about light and dust particles. He's also drawn me the molecular structure of Splenda and trans fats (which was really cool, by the way). Ironically, the only B I got in high school was in science.
13. My greatest struggle is with pride. Need to learn from my dad some more. But I've heard it said to humble yourself - before God does it for you. Continuous challenge, but I try.
14. I've collected quotes since college and have a notebook where I write them down. I have plans to make a border of all my favorite quotes in the powder room. It will be reading material for all our guests.
15. The most numb I have ever been was when I was lying in the hospital 4 months pregnant and the doctor said I had malaria. I never thought I'd have to make the choice between me or my baby and there I was facing the unknown. But at the same time knowing that somehow God was going to make it okay. Even if He took my baby. He didn't. And we named him Jacob, because I wrestled with God over that whole ordeal. Which is all about control, which is a direct descendant of #13.
16. I carried my Bible everyday of high school and wore a homemade sweatshirt that said (front) "Jam with me cuz..." (back) "I'm jammin' with Jesus." Oh, dear God, please forgive me.
17. One of the best compliments I've ever received was the first semester (okay, only semester) teaching 1st grade. Little Derek was holding my hand skipping down the hall to the bus and said, "I'm gonna remember you all the way to college!" All I could think was, "I hope you make it to college, little buddy."
18. I went to Oklahoma Baptist University and roomed with my best friend since jr. high, Jan. I was one of two females in the Intro to Ministry class, and the only non-Baptist. I asked a lot of questions. The professor didn't like me a whole lot.
19. When I was 20 and went on the mission trip to Israel, meeting the man of my dreams was the last thing on my mind. We started falling in love about a week into the trip. We were talking marriage on the plane home. We were engaged within 2 months and married 7 months after that. We've been married for 15 years. *smile*
20. I love to cook, but hate cleaning up the mess. And I sneak all sorts of veggies in our meals. My favorite is butternut squash in mac and cheese and spaghetti noodles. The kids even ask for it now.
21. I eat spoonfulls of brown sugar every time I bake with it.
22. I'd bungee jump if given the chance.
23. I love surprises - planning them and experiencing them.
24. When I was a kid, I wanted the Tooth Fairy to come but I hadn't lost any teeth. I went out to the field next to our house and found a part of a cow jaw bone. I put it under my pillow. The Tooth Fairy left a buck when the going rate was a quarter. Ingenius!
25. My brother is one of my biggest heroes, even though he fed me cat food and tickled me til I hyperventilated when I was a kid. I'm just uber proud of him and think God has gifted him in incredible ways.

Grace and Peace

Finally getting a quick blog in here. I'm really sorry. Not that I haven't had anything to say. Believe me, I have! Just haven't had time to get it all down.

Something struck me this morning during my nice, quiet, Bible-reading time. Decided to start reading the book of Galatians. Usually I skip over the intro and get to the good stuff. You know, where Paul is supposed to tell me something profound and eye-opening.

I got stopped at "Grace and peace to you...."

A quick glance at my footnotes and I find that "grace" was the word used in a common greeting in Greek. And "peace" was the common Hebrew greeting. Big wooo, right? Woe there, Nellie. What? Greeks and Hebrews. Jews and Gentiles. Paul is crossing cultures. Not they I didn't already know that, but what this means is that not only were Jews and Gentiles believers, they were worshiping together.

I have been so focused on breaking down cultural barriers (not so much physical barriers as those created by ignorance) that I couldn't help but realize that God is in the business of making us truly One Body. So, the liberal Christian, the conservative Christian, Chinese Christian and Honduran one. The Palestinian Christian and the Messianic Jew. The Christian neighbor and the Christian homeless man in the tunnel. Yep. One Body.

Grace and Peace.