Stop that Dripping!
I've been bragging to everyone that I haven't had a cold in OVER A YEAR. You know what that means...yep, I got clobbered with a nasty one. Sneezing, watery eyes, sore throat and a constant drippy nose, yuck! The worst part of it is I'm going with Penny, Mollie and my mom on a girls outlet shopping trip to St. Augustine this weekend. I can't believe it! Of all the weekends!!!
Labels: ponderings
Humbled by His Grace
Matthew 7:11 11--
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"Have you ever experienced a blessing from God that's so outrageous you don't know what to do with it?? You thank Him over and over, but it just doesn't seem to be sufficient? His grace (giving you what you don't deserve) makes you want to tell everyone you know what an awesome, and loving God He is. But then you realize, no one else will be able to grasp or comprehend it's effect on you. It's a special gift from Him, just for you. That's where I find myself right now.
For the first time in my life I've trusted him without a backup plan. You know what I mean, a plan B....most times I'll ask him for such and such but if he doesn't pull through we can always do this or that. Not this time. I just plain stepped out and waited to see what happened. Well, he blew my mind this time, in a VERY BIG WAY!
When Chris and Penny asked us to make the trek with them to Russia to bring their little boys home, I wasn't convinced we should do it. The expense was beyond anything we could manage. However, after a lot of prayer, we decided that God could make it happen. He gave us such peace in moving forward with the decision to travel half way around the world to assist in bringing our little nephews home.
Yesterday, we were given a gift beyond our expectations. The entire cost of the trip has been graciously covered for us! Words cannot describe our gratitude. I've never been in a position to receive so abundantly and the emotions are overwhelming. So I publicly say "thank you, Lord" for these precious ones who so generously and lovingly bestowed on us the gift of a lifetime.
Labels: adoption, family, ponderings
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!
I hope all of our friends and family had a joyful & gluttonous four-day Thanksgiving weekend with all the trimmings!
The Kush's & the Goeppner's enjoyed a fabulous affair with tremendous amounts of eating and laughing with our Wiggins & Genrich family friends as well as the better half of the Batista family.
Of course shopping was involved on several fronts beginning with online bargains and ending with strip mall sales, excluding todays trip to Walmart for more Christmas lights. We also squeezed in a mexican dinner and a movie (
August Rush--excellent family movie!) with the Duvall's, a series of football games (sorry about the 'canes, Chris!), some marshmallow roasting over a bonfire, and a Christmas Vacation & Santa Claus III viewing on the new "big boy"! I dare not say I can imagine cramming one more activity into our four day recess from every day life.
I thought my far-away readers might appreciate a few photos of our holiday...
Wiggins & Kush Kids Pyramid
Trampoline Fun
Grampy & Dave on "flame control" duty
Labels: family, food, friends
Big Boy Has Arrived!
After you've been married for so many years you notice that the things you've accumulated over time either out of necessity or as a splurge start to go. For example, the washing machine begins crawling across your laundry room floor on its own, your dryer ceases to deliver dry clothes, refridgerator shleves begin to disappear and of course one day your television spouts fireworks.
Monday afternoon I experienced the fireworks! I thought I'd take a few minutes to myself and see who Dr. Phil happened to be counseling for his 3 p.m. episode that day, when all of a sudden strange popping noises and then a high pitched squeal started coming from our decade old 32" RCA of which is the only tv which broadcasts anything at all in this house (besides me!). That was that!
Our only backup was the small, unused 14" set stored in our bedroom armoir. Since Ohio State is about to go to the Rose Bowl I knew that resorting to this type of strained viewing would not due for Supa Dave. Sure enough, as soon as dinner was settled in his stomach and we finished our Thanksgiving prayer for the night, he was out the door to the local electronics mega store only to return home with the big boy. Yep, you got it, a 47" LCD flat panel television! Merry Christmas everyone!
Labels: gadgets
Newest Book
Okay, so I just finished two books this week. It's taken me longer than the normal book-a-week to finish them due to......LIFE!!! Anyway, I finished
Becoming a Person of Influence and have decided it could be one of those books I refer to often as a servant-leader in church ministry. It's got great practical and strategic wisdom for pouring into the lives of the ones you're leading. A terrific book for anyone in a leadership role, whether at work, church or in the home. Great, easy read!
The other book I finished this week is the Ortberg book
When the Game is Over it All Goes Back in the Box. Being one of my very favorite authors, Mr. Ortberg didn't let me down! I don't want to give away the good stuff, so suffice it to say, it's a MUST READ for EVERYONE!! End of sentence. I LOVE this guy and would have to say that he's on the list of people I want to meet some day, right along with Harry Connick, Jr., both for VERY different reasons!!
So I'm on to the next book
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I've heard this is very meaty but I think I'm up for the challenge and will keep you up to date on my findings!
Labels: books
Fake Nails....How Fun!
When I was a kid I remember Lee Press On Nails and thinking they were the coolest thing. Well, last night during family night Penny and I had a good laugh putting on the 21st Century version of
Kiss Nails'every day french white manicure. They actually look really good on my hands--like the expensive acrylic kind you spend an arm and a leg for at the salons. Not so much on Penny's hands! Her nail beds are so small that the smallest ones in the kit made her fingers look like toes! We were just about on the floor laughing! Chris got a great picture of her showing off her left hand "toes"! I'm hoping it shows up on one of their blogs as you all would find her expression HILARIOUS!!
Labels: family
My Avatar!
Check out my Avatar! Does it really look like me??? I'm not sure if I'm feeling it!
Labels: fun facts
What I've Been Up To....
Last Friday we had a staff family from church over for dinner. I had never met any of them, but Dave knew them and thought we'd enjoy getting to know this precious family who have recently relocated here from southern California. They have three children very close to the same ages as ours. The kids had a great time playing manhunt, roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores while the parents enjoyed the cool crisp air outside with a hot cup of coffee and a blanket to keep us warm while we chatted. The evening went by quickly and I'm sure we'll be getting together again soon!
Saturday was my turn to bring a breakfast food to our monthly Staff Wives small group get together. This time it was more man-food than usual and included my sausage gravy and patties, Heather's hashbrown casserole, and Lisa had hot baked biscuits to slosh the gravy over. It was delicious! We have a couple of new ladies in the group and decided to take the opportunity to get to know one another by sharing a fifteen minute version of our life stories. It was a wonderful time of connecting! We are all now anxiously awaiting our scheduled Christmas shopping trip to Sawgrass Mills with a couple of new girlfriends!
Sunday morning I decided to sit in on a New Beginnings class our church offers to anyone interested in attending. It's one of several discipleship classes the church offers. It was a packed roomful of baby christians just craving the "pure milk of the word". I was humbled and touched by their innocence and naiveity and actually moved to tears by a handful of their questions and comments. I can't wait for next week to witness more of their excitement!
Sunday night was our annual small group Thanksgiving feast hosted by the Kaiser family. Have I ever mentioned that our ladies rock when it comes to cooking? It was amazing! After a mouth-watering & gluttonous affair over the smorgasbord we headed into the living room for week four's lesson on the Beatitudes. It's been a wonderful experience studying Jesus' message in Matthew and I'll be sad when this six week study is over.
So that's what I've been up to and the reason for my lack of posting over the past few days. This week being Thanksgiving, my writings may be sparse as well, but I'll do my best to stay on top of Things Pondered.
Labels: ponderings
Anyone for a trip to Stuff Mart??
I think I'd have to say that my favorite christian band is, and has been for a couple of years,
Sanctus Real. Their songs are so pertinent to today's issues, especially those which believers in particular struggle with. Some of my best-loved songs would be Deeds, I'm Not Alright, The Face of Love and Everything About You. Today though, as I was working out & singing along with my nano, the words to the particular song below hit me deeply once again.
Like Paul in
Romans 7:15, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." My vice? Loving things I shouldn't. You know, like
'Madame Blueberry' at times, I want more stuff. A new pair of shoes, new carpet, new furnishings and decor for my house. It could go on and on until we're bursting at the seams with stuff! Then what? Have a yard sale to make money so I can replace those old things with new things. It's sick really!
My point is, I guess, that we all battle with loving things that don't matter in light of eternity. It could be tangible like me and Madame Blueberry or something intangible like fame and notoriety. Whatever it is, doesn't really matter. Jesus told us to
"not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."The most touching line in the list of lyrics below, to me, is at the end. God takes care of all of nature. How much more important are we to him? He'll certainly take care of the essentials for us. We just need to stop filling our "God-shaped hole" with stuff and start filling it with Him! How much more satisfying would that be?
Things Like YouLoving things like you has wrecked my life, made me cry
Loving things like you has made me lose my mind
And I can't figure out why I've been hanging on
To all these things I've tried to leave behind me for so long
And I think it's time to find a better way to live my life
Than loving all those thingsthat keep me wrapped so tight
Everyone wants everyone else's eveything
Some time's the more we have the less we really gain
I'm tired of life and all that money has to buy
Get out of my heart, out of my mind, leaving you behind
Loving things like you has left me bruised, black and blue
Loving things like you has made me so confused
And I can't figure out what I've been waiting on
God I can't be living for things I know are wrong
Now I think it's time to write a better chapter in my life
Leaving all those things that keep me wrapped so tight
Why are we obsessed with possessions here on earth?
Go and take a look at the flowers and the birds
God is always taking care of nature's every need
And how much more important in The Father's eyes are we?
I said, how much more important in The Father's eyes are we?
He sees everything
Labels: ponderings
Fact or Farse?
Okay, I'm not a marathon runner, so my expertise is admittedly zilch in this area. However, I do consider myself a consistent runner of shorter distances and know what it feels like at the end of a hard run. Maybe I'm a total whimp, but I'm pretty sure that after running the NY Marathon with 39,000 other sprinters I probably wouldn't be sporting heels at a film screening just three and a half hours after the finish. After 5 hours, 29 minutes and 58 seconds of racing through Manhattan, I think I'd find myself in a nice hot bath nursing blisters and bloody toes! But then again, I'm not a millionaire movie star with an action hero husband!
Labels: ponderings
Sweet Surprise!
At the end of the day, mentally consumed & physically weary, I headed to our master bathroom to shower the grime from my body and slip into something cozy & warm. Seriously, I felt ready for the bone yard!
As I passed through the doorway a package sitting on the vanity counter caught my eye. It was hard to miss! A small note card addressed to none other than me was standing next to the beautiful rose-covered gift bag . Initially I assumed it was from my husband. As I opened the card and began to read the hand-written words inside, it became apparent it was not from Dave.
As I read the note from my sweet Penny, tears filled my eyes and my heart welled with great affection. She lavished me with loving words of appreciation. As I opened the gift bag I noticed it was filled with all the items she persuaded me in the note to do...."take a nice, relaxing bubble bath, read some smutt, put on some sexy smelling lotion & comfy pj's, and pucker-up!" And that I did!
Thank you, my dear "sister-in-love" for indulging me and especially for adding comedy and joy to my life. I love you my sister:)
Labels: family
Adoption Fundraiser
I can't believe it's been so many days since I"ve posted! Yes, it's been another busy week.
My days this week were spent preparing for another giant yard sale to raise money for Chris and Penny's adoptions expenses. We did one last year, never dreaming we be doing another one, but that's where we found ourselves! The donations were trickling in over the past 2-3 weeks, but we were still excited to see what God was going to do. He amazed us! Wednesday through Friday we received about 5 car and truckloads of donations!! It was outrageous!
Several dear friends from our church small group helped us out by sorting, organizing, selling & haggling. It was so humbling to see them gladly serving on behalf of our family. Thanks to so many who have contributed in various ways--the Goeppner's & Kush's feel incredibly loved!
So in the end, we were utterly exhausted, and categorically elated! The total tally for the day (drumroll, please!).......over $1,100!
Labels: adoption, family
Stand Down
Our church has started a new E-series called
Life at CF. It's basically a collection of stories of the lives being changed by Christ through the various ministries of Christ Fellowship.
Recently I was asked to do some shots for one of these up-coming accounts they will be publishing.
This particular story is about a small group member, psychologist Dr. Casmiro Hampton-Crockett. She is a coordinator for a local non-profit organization called
Stand Down which assists local veterans who have become homeless due to addictions such as drugs and alcohol.
Dr. Crockett has a passion for the physical well-being of these men, but also realizes that it goes much deeper than that, into the soul. She knows that the only way to true healing, physically and spiritually, is through Christ. Her desire is to introduce these men who have given so much to the One who can give them more than they could ask or hope for--a new life. Because of her love for God and these men, many of these veterans are now regularly attending weekend services and making giant steps in their new life in Christ.
What an honor and blessing it was to meet this loving woman of God and the precious men she's poured so much in to. Her obedience has made an eternal difference in the lives of these veterans and the joy they are now experiencing in their walk with the Lord is evident in thier smiles.
Labels: church
4-H Earthweaving
Yesterday was another 4-H day in our home. One of the mom's taught about Florida native plant life and then lead them in an "earthweaving" project. You can see in the photo Benjamin eagerly concentrating on his assignment. The idea is to wrap twine in vertically one direction around a cardboard template and then weave it through horizontally the other direction. After a few rows of twine you switch the material to pieces of native plant material such as palm fronds, strips of cotton, grasses and such. After the board is full you slip the ends off onto a twig on either end and you end up with a wall hanging full of plant material. It's a fun little project and the kids participated well. I think the fact that they were able to work on it outside and it was a gentle 82º rather than the blistering 95º we've grown accustomed to was a plus!
Labels: family, home schooling
My Very First Mammogram...
Cartoon Courtesy of:
superlaugh.comYes, today was a big day for me marking my very first mammogram! As I was sitting in the waiting room I began to feel a bit anxious because I wasn't more anxious! I'd heard many terrible stories of what I was about to experience. Including the one that best decribes the sensation as lying on the cold concrete floor of your garage and placing your breast under your car tire while your husband drives over it a couple of times!
So as I walked into the dressing room to disrobe my upper body & acquire my new purple gown I began to feel a small quiver in my knees. Once in the equipment room, the technician went to work explaining and manipulating (I won't go into further detail---figure it out for yourself!). A few of changes in postion and before I knew it I was back in the dressing room, fully clothed and awaiting instruction. As I waited I realized that I was seriously surprised that I didn't end up passed out on the floor from the should-be pain described to me so many times before! Sweet victory! Another right of passage under my belt of womanhood!
So my transparency should come as a great relief to those ladies under 35 awaiting their first trip for their dreaded mammogram! Unless I'm crazy and maybe I am, believe me, it's a piece of cake! No worries!
Labels: fun facts
HAPPY FALL!
Yesterday being Halloween made for more busyness in the Kush Family. Our church has an annual Fall Festival at the Gardens Campus facility and this year was the first annual Festival at our new Royal Palm facility. Of course, being on the hospitality team I was recruited to help with the food. In addition I was asked to do some photographs of the event from a variety of angles. I started out "double-dipping" and was soon dismissed from my hospitality responsibilities as there was plenty of help on that end. The main sanctuary was emptied out and filled with four different "bounce-houses", God's Town (elementary) was turned into a Laser Tag set up and Student Ministries was band central with a live "Battle of the Bands". It was great fun and a tremendous success with a huge turn-out of at least 2600 people! Our kids had a blast!
As far as the kids costumes went here's the rundown: Mollie - couldn't decide and ended up going as herself; Benjamin - Jenga-Fett --Boba-Fett's son from Star Wars, you know, the bounty hunter??!! Of the three kids, Andrew had the best "get-up" this year. Since he shave's his head about once a month for Sea Cadets, we agreed to let him get a mohawk! I took him to Great Clips, dropped him off, went to fill the car with gas and when I returned the barber was just finishing up. I don't know what I was excpecting, but it took me completely off guard!!! I starting having a little freak-out moment, laughing and making proclamations all while feeling weak-kneed! I can't believe I let him do it! Another hairdresser actually offered me a glass of wine to calm my nerves (nice as it was of her, I declined)!
So I ended up in Target with a 6'4" man with a mohawk--you can say I felt pretty safe with him at my side, as he was a scarey sight! We picked up Benjamin's power blaster to go with his costume and headed home. I then found myself blasting red hair paint onto my son's mohawk. Yes, he truely looked like a punk rocker from the 80's. What kind of a mother am I???
He certainly received a lot of attention and had great fun 'posing'. And yes, it's coming off before Sunday!
Labels: family, fun pict's
