Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Best of 2014


In no particular order, here is my year end list!

Best book


There were so many great books ‘on my nightstand’ this year but this was my favorite.


Best new product find



No more rubbing and rubbing to get my toes de-polished.  Why did I never know about this?


best celebration

We celebrated 30 years… several times this year!  First on a trip to North Carolina and then, on our actual anniversary, with a weekend near where we honeymooned.  I am a BLESSED woman to be married to this man of mine. 


best news



We are expecting grandchild #2 in May!



best family outing

We had a wonderful long weekend at the beach in September – beautiful weather but best company ever!


best app

If you haven’t downloaded and used this app, give it a try!  There are lots of free devotionals with scripture and commentary, plus a place to leave your own thoughts.  Love it.


best milestone

I celebrated 40 years of friendship with my two sisters! 


best ‘have a cup’ post


Of course there were some very difficult things this year that won’t make it onto a blog list.  That’s why I’m heading into a new year with a big desire to know my God better.  I’m asking Him to help me do that.  I want to read the Word looking to learn about Him (not necessarily to find how it applies to ME - a revolutionary step).  I also want to pray with that goal in mind – getting closer to Him.  I gave my life to Him over 40 years ago but this need to know Him more grows greater the older I get.

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received!
1 Peter 1:3 (The Message)






Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Things I Love About Christmas


It’s weird that The Pioneer Woman had the same blog post idea as I did - to write about her favorite things at Christmas – and that she posted hers right before I did.  Our blogs are so similar that sometimes you’ll find this kind of thing happening.   So here goes my list…



Remembering how it feels to assemble toys



Candlelight service at church



Baking cookies with my nieces




        



Playing games.  LOTS of games!



Family.  Home where they belong.
(Actual people pics coming when they all get here!)



Anticipating.  I love the anticipating.
And this year we are also anticipating another grandbaby… in May!

We had a great message at church on Sunday, reminding us that Christmas is really all about receiving.  Don’t you always hear that it should be about giving, not receiving?  But we are desperate for what God has to give us, whether we know it or not.  And we can miss receiving during all the busy-ness.  Join me in taking time throughout these wonderful days to receive God’s gifts to you… His unmatched love, His forgiveness and grace, His strength, His peace.  He is a good giver. 

Merry Christmas!









Sunday, December 21, 2014

On my nightstand


This post should probably be titled ‘Dusty on my nightstand’ as there just doesn’t seem to be too much extra time for reading during the holidays.  It is a true luxury to find time to sit by the lighted Christmas tree with a book and a cup of coffee but it’s something I love to do.

So here are two books I’ve read this month.  Very different but I loved them both!




The Handsome Man’s Deluxe Café
by Alexander McCall Smith
If you haven’t read this series, do start at the beginning with the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.  This is #15 in that great series which takes place in Botswana.  I love so many things about it but especially the understated humor and the slow pace of the narrative, which perfectly matches the slower pace of life in Africa.  Because I’m a sucker for accents and regional lingo, I find myself wanting to say things like “Ko Ko!” (which you say in Botswana when you enter a house).  Love this series!


Something Other Than God
by Jennifer Fulwiler
The subtitle of the book is ‘How I passionately sought happiness and accidentally found it.’  It’s the autobiography of I blogger I follow (ConversionDiary.com) who describes her path to faith in Christ from her atheist roots.  I liked her honestly and humor which are part of her ongoing ministry now.  LIfe is messy and Jennifer’s story includes all of her mess, making her relatable and engaging. 

I hope you find some quiet time to read in these days before and after Christmas too!

Monday, December 15, 2014

In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas


It’s been a wonderful, busy, going-by-too-fast Christmas season so far in the Burns’ home.  As soon as Thanksgiving was over, we cut down our noble fir and decorated it before our youngest headed out on the highway back to Montana (this time with new studded snow tires – thank you Lord). 


How we missed having Amy, Ray, Lisa and Hadley home for Thanksgiving but it has made looking forward to a full house at Christmas even more sweet!  The photo above is Haddykins at a local Santa event in Enumclaw where her daddy is a firefighter and got to play Santa Claus in the town parade.  Doesn’t she look excited to be with Blitzen?  I wouldn’t be surprised if she buried her face in his neck (as she often does with her own reindeer-sized doggie).

The first weekend of December was a Jubilee weekend when Karen and Liane came down from Tacoma to stay with us.  We went to the Women of Faith event in Portland.  This was taken on the first night from our seats in outer space.


You can see that there were lots of empty seats so we got to move down a little closer on Saturday morning…



MUCH better. Except now we were seated next to three women wearing homemade tutus and carrying light-up wands who had to pass in front of us multiple times that day to use the bathroom, get snacks or just stretch their legs.  This is understandable but the fact that they had covered themselves with glitter made their passing unforgettable.  (They explained to Liane that the reason they wore tutus was to remain in a child-like, teachable state for the conference.)

We also celebrated Liane’s 29th birthday at an old favorite Italian restaurant- Giovanni’s.


I am a selfie-taking failure.

This last week I was up in Puyallup for our staff Christmas lunch at Joy’s cozy house – so fun for me to get to be with my co-workers face-to-face since I work out of my old bedroom home office.  Unfortunately I took no pictures of this!

Thursday I got to spend the day with Amy in Seattle – something I’ve been looking forward to so much!  We went Christmas shopping, then out to dinner with her boyfriend and then the two of us got to go to the Pacific NW Ballet’s Nutcracker performance. 





 


We especially loved the costumes and sets designed by Maurice Sendak (of ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ fame).  This is the last year the PNB will perform this ballet so it was fun to get to be there.  I love my firstborn girl so much and LOVED spending this day together!

Friday our good friends Frank and Janet had us for dinner and took us to the Oregon Symphony’s Gospel Christmas. 

 
Wow.  This was a night of worship.  Absolutely great voices singing very few familiar carols but incredibly God-exalting, hand-clapping worship songs.  Us white folks tried to clap on the off-beat as best we could.  It was awesome.

Saturday we got to serve at our church’s annual Christmas dinner at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Portland.  It is humbling.  Difficult to face what is real life for so many in our cities.  I don’t want to forget them as I come home to my warm house with soft throws and scented candles. 

This is Christmas, isn’t it?  God came to us in our greatest need and biggest mess.  And He gives us opportunities every day to show ‘God With Us’ to those near us who are in great need and big messes.  Lord, keep me always ready to meet needs.  Deliver me from my self-absorbed state to give what I have received. 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thankful


Adding to my general health and well-being, our #3 daughter is safely here after driving through the night from Montana. 

She and her dog Tala arrived at 2:00 this morning, a little shaken by the ice in the mountain passes.  Today we will start looking for studded snow tires (which she decided she didn’t have time to get before she left).

I love this girl.  I am SO glad she’s here, safe and sound.  Our other two won’t be with us this year on Thanksgiving… this is reality but I don’t have to like it.  Some things are just sad…

We’re looking forward to having EVERYONE here at Christmas. 

I am thankful… for a God who gives me lots of grace, patience and blessing.  For my family and friends.  For new mercies every single morning!

I hope you have a wonderful, THANKFUL weekend!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Thirty





Thirty years ago today on a rainy Saturday, a wonderful and improbable covenant was made. The story began many years before that (11 to be exact) ~ it's not one anyone is going to make a movie about but it's a story I love.  On that day in November God sealed up something He had been planning long ago - which just goes to show that you can't out-plan God.  His ways are always SO much better than ours!

Today I give thanks for a loving husband, a wonderful father and grandpa, one of the kindest men I know, full of integrity.  We aren't two peas in a pod - more like salty and sweet.  I love that we are better together.


Happy Anniversary my love!  Here's to the next 30!  (Let's ask our kids to roll us down to the beach and prop us up on a piece of driftwood for our 60th, ok?)

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

On my nightstand









The Insanity of God
by Nik Ripken
This was an excellent book – one I didn’t want to put down.  The author (not his real name) and his wife spent six years doing relief work in Somalia, living there as Christians working for a secular organization.  The sheer magnitude of suffering and tragedy they faced left them wondering how (and even IF) God could work in such circumstances.  Out of their ‘crisis of faith’ they determined to find out how other Christians maintained hope in the midst of persecution and darkness.  The stories of their encounters with Christ-followers in countries closed to the Gospel were both eye-opening and encouraging.  So good and challenging.      




He Loves Me
by Wayne Jacobsen
This one came highly recommended to me by a friend and I love the subtitle: Learning to Live in the Father’s Love.  It addresses how so many of us can think, though often subconsciously – I got a raise: He loves me.  I lost my job: He loves me not.  I shared my faith: He loves me.  I let my anger take over: He loves me not.

 


The Color of Water
by James McBride
This is the true story by the son of a black minister and a woman who would not admit she was white.  He saw his mother as an embarrassment until he learned her story.







Saturday, November 1, 2014

Family beach time

Way back in September our family got away together for a long weekend at the Oregon coast.  Manzanita is the place Jeff and I spent part of our honeymoon and we’ve gone there as a family most every summer while the kids were growing up. So it really is our favorite beach town and holds LOTS of memories for us.

Lindsey couldn’t be with us (because she got a great job and moved to Montana – can you imagine that excuse?). Ray also had to work and we missed both of them terribly.  Why is it so hard to get everyone together at the same time???

Jeff’s mom came with us which made for a four-generation family time – so fun!

The view from our front deck, looking over Nehalem Bay State Park toward the ocean. 
Check that sky!






It was Hadley’s first time in the ocean!





Aunt Mimi holding a tired little girl.



Lisa and Miss H



It was naptime when we headed down to the beach that day – what were we thinking? 
She did great for about 15 minutes, then it was just all too much.




Grammy time





Lots of peek-a-boo

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Celebrating 40 years of friendship


I have many wonderful friends and more than a few friendships that have spanned decades.  But I have two sister-friends that are priceless to me.



The backstory:  We met when we were all starting college at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.  It was 1974 – when Nixon resigned his presidency, Earth Wind & Fire was on the radio and The Waltons were hollering good-night to each other on tv.  There we were in our REI 60/40 coats, embroidered tunic tops and flaired jeans, eager to make new friends.  I think we met via mutual friends in our dorms (Liane and Karen lived in the cool old dorm that looked like a mansion) and later were all involved in Young Life.

Liane, always the initiator (she’s from southern California), called me one night during Interim (January term when lots of students are home for an extended Christmas break) and asked if I wanted to come over for popcorn and hot chocolate.  This was awesome because I knew she was someone who everyone loved – and she wanted to hang out with me!  While I was getting my coat on, the phone rang again.  “I just realized I don’t have any cocoa… do you have some?”  Of course I did and I grabbed the can.  Before I locked the door behind me, the phone rang again.  “I don’t actually have any popcorn… can you bring that too?”  I smiled and asked if she had a popper.  “Well, no but I hoped you did.”  She ended up coming over to my room and the rest is history.

Karen came all the way from Colorado Springs, had thick blond hair down to her bum and her own car – an Audi Fox.  I was in awe of her for all those silly reasons but as we got to know each other, I found someone who was always up for an adventure and who loved to laugh as much as I did.  She genuinely cared for her friends and we had lots of great talks about the Lord. 

We went to Malibu (a Young Life camp in British Columbia) together, took vacations to California, back-packed through Europe (we used backpacks instead of suitcases – but ‘back-packing through Europe’ sounds very cool), cried on each other’s shoulders and laughed for more hours than would ever be possible to record.  We have always found the same things to be incredibly funny.



At some point after graduating from college, we all bought a little plastic groom (the cheap kind people put on wedding cakes in another era) and began to pray for our husbands and for each other’s husbands.  We talked about what kind of men we’d like to marry and offered each other lots of free advice on what kind of guy we thought the others needed.  We continued spending a great deal of time together, though they lived in Washington and I was in Oregon.  We had many weekend get-togethers in either Seattle or Tacoma or Portland or at the beach.  We all went back to school for graduate degrees and we supported each other through those stretching years.  Karen got married first and her ‘little man’ (as we affectionately called them) had a rug fuzz beard glued onto his chin as he perched on top of their wedding cake.  Brian is a one-in-a-million and we welcomed him into our family.  Then Liane started dating Mark, who is a also a genuine gem and a great compliment to Liane.  At 28, I became certain that I would be spending my golden years having quality time with my little plastic man, when God absolutely astonished me by giving me the man I had loved for the last 11 years.  We actually got married before Liane and Mark but only because Mark didn’t want to steal any of our thunder.  He’s nice like that.

Along came babies – three for each of us – and despite the fact that we moved to California, we continued to find ways to get together at least once a year.  We began calling these weekends our ‘jubilees’ and they have been a highlight for all of us.  

   

Sometimes the guys have been a part but mostly they have been girl-times, filled with talking, shopping, talking, eating out, talking, laughter and talking.  We’ve been to exotic places like San Francisco, San Diego, Victoria BC and to familiar places like Sunriver, Whidbey Island, Manzanita and Bay Lake.  It doesn’t really matter where we go, we always settle right into a place of comfort.  Our photos record our bad hair periods, our weight fluctuations and our crow’s feet but what hasn’t changed one bit is how known and supported and loved we feel with each other.  These women pray for me, laugh with (and sometimes at) me, compliment me, challenge me and love me unconditionally.

The three of us couldn’t be more different… which is a very good thing.  And is also something we laugh about often.

Last month we celebrated 40 years of friendship (which is clearly impossible because we aren’t that old) with a long weekend at Young Life’s Malibu Club in Canada.  It was a women’s weekend so we stayed in a cabin with 11 other women we didn’t know.  We had gorgeous weather and lots of great shared memories.



Our view each morning




The women who unknowingly got to share our jubilee!


The Malibu Princess – the only way (other than sea plane) to get to Malibu




I loved this quote, which sums up how I feel about this gift of Liane and Karen in my life:

“When I am feeling as exposed and vulnerable as I have ever felt, you are gentle… You put me on a stretcher and cut a hole in the roof where Jesus is and lower me down.  Herky jerky with sawdust in my hair, singing show tunes and complimenting me on my outfit, feeding me and praying for me.  Laughing and crying with me.  Thank you for getting me to Jesus.”
                                  ~Leeana Tankersley, Breathing Room

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Links I Liked

Please forgive me for posting yet another set of links to other people's good stuff.  I am in a blog slump.  A creative funk.  Everytime I think about writing I just cannot bring myself to do it.  I think about all seven of you and I decide I just can't subject you to another silly or meaningless post of mine.  Maybe I'll rebound and hit my stride once again (whatever that was).  Until then, here you go...


Fall Foliage Map
@smokeymountains.com
Find out when the peak leaf color is in your neck of the woods!  I'm so happy that we aren't yet to our peak in Oregon.  Here’s a link for things to do in Oregon to enjoy Fall’s glory, including the Oregon Fall Foliage blog, but I’m sure there are similar resources for every state.  This is awesome.



LEGO Minifigures as Cable Holders
@modernisticdesign.blogspot.com
Do you know that LEGO minifigures hands are also a perfect holder for your Apple Lightning cable and other types of cables?



Oddest Things You’ll Find on Amazon
@howdoesshe.com
… including Unicorn meat and a nickel that costs 25¢ + $4.49 shipping


A few age and perspective posts:


Boomer’s Bodies – And Yours
@desiringgod.org
All of the 10,000 people in America who turn 65 each day have wrinkles. Our skin is more flaccid. Our complexion is more mottled. Our equilibrium is more tenuous. And our hair is more scarce. The effect of aging on our appearance and our bearing is universal. No one escapes. Except by death… He intended to make clear that, even if we ignore the dreadfulness of a sinful heart, we will not be able to ignore its witness in the debility of the body.


Parenting as a GenXer
@washingtonpost.com
We’re the first generation of parents in the age of iEverything… My generation, it seems, had the last of the truly low-tech childhoods, and now we are among the first of the truly high-tech parents.


What Millennials Really Want From Church
@scissortailsilk.com
Don’t be put off by the title of this post (as I was at first).  I really appreciated this perspective.


That’s Offensive
@motherhoodandmuffintops
I was watching the news as I got ready this morning and, during the span of about 30 minutes, there were FOUR stories that talked about people or groups that had recently been offended by one thing or another.  Now I'm not talking about serious things that go against our spiritual beliefs......we won't go there.  I'm just talking about petty issues that keep people's undergarments all up in a wad.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Helping me to worship


What helps keep you aware of God’s presence right in the middle of trouble and difficulty and even in life’s daily-ness?  One of the best for me is worship music. 

It redirects my thoughts onto what is TRUE instead of on how I FEEL.  It lifts my focus from my circumstances onto Jesus.  It reminds me of who God is and what He can do.

These songs – a few new but mostly not-so-new – have been on my playlist lately.  These words help bring me right into God’s presence.  I’d love to hear worship music you’re listening to in the comments – please share!



Overwhelmed
Big Daddy Weave
I delight myself in You, captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
God I run into Your arms Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You




Who, oh Lord, could save themselves
Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still…
For when our hearts were far away
Your love went further still
Yes, your love goes further still



Lord I Need You
Matt Maher
Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You




Speechless
Phillips Craig & Dean
There are no words to describe
Who You are, Jesus Christ
No one compares
You leave us speechless, breathless
Jesus, worthy, worthy
There is no one like You, God
No one like You, God




What can we say to describe just a glimpse of Your Glory
How can our words portray but a thread of Your Majesty
But still we praise our Savior in Spirit and in Truth
For we cannot say enough about You




Great and greatly to be praised
Name above all other names
Powerful and strong to save
Hallelujah, our God reigns!
Glory in the highest place
King of mercy, God of grace
Together let the earth proclaim
Hallelujah, our God reigns


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Links I Liked… while I wait


There’s been a lot of ‘white space’ in my blogging over the last few months.  I’m wrestling with my purpose on here, with my lack of creative inspiration and insecurities about my motives.  As I get my thoughts together and decide if this blogging thing is something I should even be doing, here are a whole bunch of things I’ve enjoyed that other people have written!


The Ministry of Funfetti
@dlmayfield
I used to read a couple of blogs, just for the fun of getting filled with rage. I can’t be alone in this addiction–the viscious cycles of self-rightousness, anger, and cynicism. All of the blogs that made me feel both superior and strangely sad were ones by women with beautiful houses, chevron typography, gorgeous home-cooked meals, and a belief that most troubles in your life would be solved by trying harder.





I’ve worn the same outfit as my husband for 35 years
@theguardian.com
'If we need a new outfit, we go to the fabric shop together
and pick out something we both like'

This says so much about this couple... I’m just not sure what.


21 Actual Analogies Used By High School Students in English Essays
@m.tickled.com
Her eyes were like stars, not because they twinkle but because they were so far apart.


Keep Reading: It’s Not the End of the Book
@jenniferdukeslee
The story isn’t over. Not your story. Not the story of your wandering child. Or your cancer-weary mama. Or this busted-up world. Or the story of God. That story? His story? Stretches out into forever. And there are things we cannot yet see.


Jen Hatmaker Ruined My Marriage
@dfranks.com
Mrs. Hatmaker authors a blog that is followed by roughly 9 billion of the 3.5 billion women on the planet. She’s a gifted speaker. She’s into adoption. She’s a pastor’s wife. And according to my wife, SHE’S SO FUNNY. Many a night I will be sitting in my chair in the living room, minding my own business, when I hear a snort of laughter explode from behind my bride’s laptop. 
“You…” she wheezes, “You just have to read Jen Hatmaker’s blog today. SHE IS SO FUNNY.”



Why We Humblebrag About Being Busy
@harvardbusinessreview
We have a problem—and the odd thing is we not only know about it, we’re celebrating it. Just today, someone boasted to me that she was so busy she’s averaged four hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks. She wasn’t complaining; she was proud of the fact. She is not alone.





Saturday, September 13, 2014

On my nightstand


Oh, I sure do love a pile of good books!





The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown
I bought this book instead of checking it out at the library (as I normally do) because I want to pass it on to my oldest.  I really enjoyed it… perhaps because it’s a true story. Perhaps because it’s set in Seattle.  Perhaps because I enjoy stories from the early 20th century.  Perhaps because I have a daughter who rowed in college.  But mostly it’s because of excellent writing.  You’ll like it even if you have no interest in crew or rowing because the author writes a story that draws you into the character’s lives. I loved his descriptions of life in pre-WW2 America.  Loved it!



Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good by Jan Karon
Jan’s much-awaited Mitford book, the latest in the series, came out this month and I snapped up my copy the day it did.  (What’s happening to me, anyway?  I’m on a regular book-buying binge!)  I just started it last night and I’m already concerned about how Father Tim is handling his retirement – he seems a bit grumpy.  That might sound critical but it’s only because I love him so much.



Soul Keeping by John Ortberg
This latest by Ortberg is still unread on my nightstand but I’m looking forward to it so much.  Since I can't give you a review yet, here’s the publisher’s blurb: 
When is the last time you thought about the state of your soul? The health of your soul isn't just a matter of saved or unsaved. It's the hinge on which the rest of your life hangs. It's the difference between deep, satisfied spirituality and a restless, dispassionate faith. In an age of materialism and consumerism that tries to buy its way to happiness, many souls are starved and unhealthy, unsatisfied by false promises of status and wealth. We've neglected this eternal part of ourselves, focusing instead on the temporal concerns of the world—and not without consequence.


I am in the midst of two bible studies – not something I recommend at all but one started before the other was finished and it couldn't be helped. 


Restless by Jennie Allen
I’m doing this one with my group of 20-something girls.  After our first lesson this week, we all agreed Jennie did a great job talking about how our gifts, our circumstances, our relationships and even our struggles aren’t random.  They can be used by God to bring incredible meaning and significance to our lives.  What leaves us feeling restless, bored and unfulfilled is living in our own comfort zone and trying to stay in control of everything.  I’m looking forward to some great discussion time (excellent questions for discussion are included in the leader kit) this fall with young women who are seeking and who share honestly about their lives.



Daniel by Beth Moore
(I’m laughing because I just noticed the pic I grabbed from Google images is one of a workbook in Spanish)
This has been my third time doing this study. Don’t be impressed by that fact.  As I’m doing my homework, it’s as if I’ve never read any of it before!  In case you aren’t bilingual, the first half (vidas de integridad) of the study covers how to live with integrity in a self-absorbed culture (as you can imagine, the applications are endless) and the second half (palabras de profecía) delves into prophecy and the end times.  This is GOOD stuff.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Welcome Fall!





It really is the MOST wonderful time of the year!  Pumpkin candles and fall décor coming out today.  Ahhh….

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Links I Liked




How Your Biggest Questions Can Save Your Faith
@jenniferdukeslee.com
“Mom?” she asks. “Why would God think it’s OK to kill Goliath? Isn’t all murder wrong?”




Going Back to School: The 1970s vs Today
@scarymommy
If you could have been one of the kids in that picture, you might laugh with me at this one.  (There is some language in this post.)



23 Things You Need to Know About Oregon Before You Move There
@movoto.com
#4 It rains but not as much as you think.



Sexuality and Christian Hope
@redeemer.com
Maybe the best message I’ve heard on this topic.  Listen online or download to listen later!
Christianity presents a revolutionary view of sex, singleness, and marriage that rejects both traditional and modern conceptions of the purpose of sex.




Soap Under the Sheets for Restless Legs
@thepeople'spharmacy.com
Have you heard of this?  I know people who swear it works for them.  I am a skeptic.




Long lost photos show what hasn't changed about motherhood in 50 years
@huffingtonpost.com
The 83-year-old photographer found a box titled "Mothers," filled with beautiful images of women and their children.


More and better words for difficult kids
@theartofsimple.net
The biggest impression on children isn’t made by income, nutrition, or quality of education – as researchers had predicted. The most profound effect on a child’s development is made by words. The words of parents.Could this be applied to difficult people?




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