Sensitivity

I have a love/hate relationship with my sensitivity. On one hand, I'm extremely compassionate. I love deeply. I feel things at a deep level. A simple news story will send me to my knees in prayer for days. I feel so badly for people going through pain, hardships, or turmoil. I HATE when people hurt. I want to FIX IT ALL right now. I lose sleep often, pondering how I can fix someones troubles or help them. I try to be intentional with showing my love to people and I try to find tangible ways to make a difference.

On the other hand I am completely sensitive and my feelings can get hurt so quickly. Today I'm struggling with such a dumb thing, I can't even post about it, because you would laugh. But someone hurt my feelings and it bummed me out. It was something said in passing and I'm not even sure how it was meant, probably not in a malicious way. I still take things so darn personal that I'll spend the next five hours trying to figure it all out. I hate that I'm such a people pleaser sometimes. I hate that I don't have thick skin and can't brush things off so quickly and easily.

Another friend said something to me a few weeks ago, that I'm still thinking about. It hurt my feelings then and it still does. I'm sure she wouldn't even remember she said it. Why do I waste my time on this stuff? I'll move on, in time. I try to not hold a grudge. I try to not repay hurtful words with hurtful words. I don't ever bother to tell the people they have hurt me.....I wonder why that is? I hate confrontation and I hate to cause a stir...so I drop it with them, but the wounds stay with me for awhile.

I'm glad Jesus understands that words hurt. I'm glad He knows my heart and can help me move forward and forgive and forget. In my own power I can't....so I rely on His perspective and what He thinks of me more that what others think. But is it too much to ask that people THINK BEFORE THEY SPEAK and speak life and encouraging words to people? I want to be that kind of a person. Build up rather than tear down!

Peace and Quiet

Some days (most days) it is hard for a mom to get peace and quiet. Since we homeschool, I'm with my kids nearly 24/7. It is a blessing and I love it, however,some days, I just want to finish my thoughts. I try to do my Bible study and I get interrupted 10 times. I go to the Y to workout for just an hour and I get 3 cell calls. I dedicate my life to my family, and my kids are very important to me. I know in a few short years, the house will be so quiet, I won't know what to do with myself. I'll have too much time to think. I'll miss the days when there was constant wrestling, requests for things, questions, and stories to tell.

I'm keeping that in mind, when I get frustrated. When the weather is so cold, that we can't venture out much, I am trying to cherish my time with my precious kids. I'm thinking of my new blog friend, Krysta who wants a baby so badly and would LOVE to hear "Mom" a million times a day. It is all about perspective. I'm choosing to have a happy heart and enjoy the interruptions. I'm choosing to respond in a kind way, and to smile and enjoy the ride.

I have a heavy heart today. I've gotten many prayer requests via email today and many of the situations are down right depressing. I'm going to sneak down into our guest room later and spend time with God. I'll take the burdens of these prayer requests to Him and leave them there. Knowing He is in control and will answer them, according to His perfect time and perfect will.

I wonder how many times little hands will knock on the door to ask me a question. How many times to I interrupt what God is doing to ask Him a question and tell Him something. He never grows weary of me or my questions or requests.

The Secret Service

As I watch the Inauguration, I enjoy keeping my eyes on the Secret Service. For a few brief hours this past summer, our family had a great opportunity to meet VP Dick Cheney and his Secret Service. Mr. Cheney is from my hometown of Casper, Wyoming. He has many friends there and he went to Casper over the summer to have a small fundraiser for the Republican Party. My kids and I (my husband had to stay behind in Michigan to work) got to attend along with my sister and her husband and family. This is a picture from that visit. There was only about 50 people at the fundraiser so we got an up close and personal visit with the VP and had an hour prior to his visit, to meet with his Secret Service and ask questions.

This is my daughter and VP Cheney. He was very nice and really enjoyed the kids. He shook their hand and they could get a picture with him. Mr. Cheney's wife Lynn was there, along with their granddaughter. It was really exciting to meet them all.

The best part for me, was the Secret Service. I love all that CIA/FBI/secret agent stuff. We had to get security clearance a few weeks prior to the event. They did background checks on everyone. A few days prior to VP Cheney coming in, the Secret Service arrived in their black Suburbans and scoped out the place. My sister and her family live on a large piece of land along with their in laws (good friends of the Cheney's since high school) and other family members. They have a huge, very nice barn and meeting room right on their land, and that is where the event was held-so we got to see all the action.)
Huge bails of hay were set up at the entrance to the barn, so when the limo carrying the VP arrived, they could back it right up to the hay maze and he would get out and be protected. They set up many phone lines in the barn area. One that had a direct line to the White House. They cleared out many rooms in the barn, for safety reasons. They set up a sitting area, that was safe and protected, should the VP need a private area to rest. They sent Secret Service along the route the VP would take from the airport, to check for areas that they may need extra security. All bridges would be blocked off and police would be stationed under the bridge in the water for protection. Secret Service planned out a direct course to the hospital and closed off a wing there, should he need to be rushed there in case of any emergency. Some of his staff arrived a few days early and began to set up all the communications and the stage area where he would speak.


We learned that when the new VP and President come into office, they are weighed and measured and at least three custom podiums are made for each one. The one above is for smaller events, you can see the skinny base. It is made of solid lead and is bullet proof. If they speak at a large event, they have a full body podium, where they can hide behind it, in the event of an emergency. I thought that was really interesting.





The seal of the VP is not placed on the front of the podium UNTIL the VP is ready to use the podium. You can see in the picture above, it is not there yet.

The day of the event all of the Secret Service arrived early with dogs and combed the place for explosives and other things. We sat on my sister's front porch and watched the sniper gear up and climb the hill behind my sister's house and get into position. He looked EXACTLY like sagebrush. You would have never known he was there. We had to all go through security screening before going into the barn area. Everyone had to go inside when the motorcade arrived.

The Secret Service men and women were very nice. They smiled and gave special Secret Service pins to the kids. But, when the VP arrived they were ALL BUSINESS. They were very alert and watched every move you made. It was very exciting and an honor to be there. I'm thankful for the once in a lifetime opportunity.

I can't imagine all of the security details going on for President Obama. I'd love to know the inside scoop!

My Sister

I spent a wonderful and peaceful 8 days in Mexico (Cancun) with my best friend in all the world (my sister) and 4 other friends. My sweet husband stayed home and took the time off of work to be with our kids. My sister's husband did the same. God bless him, because they have NINE CHILDREN. :) (9 great children...but still NINE children.) Our husbands rock, because they totally support our sister relationship.

My sister and I laugh at things that would bore the average person. We find humor in almost every situation. We have the same minds. We would be talking, and I would say a sentence and she would marvel that she was JUST THINKING THE SAME THING. That happened a lot while we were there. I love that.

I'm 42 years old, my sister is 41. So we are very close in age. We have always been close (except turmoil years in high school, when we used to chase each other around the house with sharp objects and when I would sneak clothes out of her closet and wear them to school and she would bust me and chase me down the halls of our high school yelling at me to, "Get it off NOW!") We laugh about those years. I have scars to prove our love. :)

She lives in Wyoming, I live in Michigan. So you know when we get together, it is a TALK FEST. I apologize to the nice couple who we sat next to almost daily (just by accident) on the beach. They probably were hoping for a nice, quiet rest in beach chairs, listening to the sound of the waves splashing...however, what they got was two sisters gabbing NON STOP. I'm sorry!

We had a 80's party in our hotel room (just me and my sister) one night...we had fake microphones and sang to silly songs on our Ipod. MATURE I know...but that is how we do things.

We got up daily at 6 a.m. to exercise. We exercised 6 days while we were there. Is that normal?

We had great quiet time, pondering what God was doing in each of our lives. Thinking through how we wanted our new year to look. Talking through how we could be better mothers and wives. We shared Scripture and things God was showing us.

I'm so blessed to have a sister that knows my heart and loves me for who I am. I adore her, and she is one of God's greatest blessings to me!