Of Christmas Past and Present...

We Baby Boomers escape having to declare our exact age. But, you know you're getting older when...

• Your Christmas stocking contains the latest, greatest pill carrier 
• One of your favorite gifts is a flexible pillow with a hot/cold gel-pack
• Time winding down with your brother in front of the gas fireplace often ends with you nodding off together in companionable silence

And, let's not forget how much Christmas has changed for those of us with Depression-era parents. Childhood gifts under the tree always included PJ's, socks, and undies, but few toys, something big if your folks had a very good year (think bumper crop)... regardless of how good or bad you were. Now our family tradition includes a Christmas stocking filled with treasures in addition to gifts under the tree.

This year, Smartwool socks and a cash-filled envelope for new clothes replaced the necessities of old. This "chef" was pampered with the two items I wanted... a can opener and small cutting board, PLUS a small whisk for good measure. A gorilla light that kept my great-nephew intrigued more than any toy rounds out the top gifts of 2010. Except, of course, for the 2011 calendar sporting his picture.

But, the greatest gift of all was being able to spend time with cherished family and friends. Thank you, God, for a stellar ending to 2010.  I look forward to Your blessings in the coming year.

Happy New Year!

God's Timing

My age will be on full display when I tell you that one of the first contemporary Christian songs I fell in love with was this scripture song from Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made every thing beautiful in his time:" 

In His Time
In His time, in His time.
He makes all things beautiful, in His time.
Lord, please show me every day,
As You're teaching me Your way,
That You do just what You say,
In Your time.

In Your time, in Your time,
You make all things beautiful, in Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing
Be to You a lovely thing,
In Your time. 

At this particular juncture in my life, the words to this song often come to mind and play in my heart. God's timing is not mine, but it is a thing of beauty. As I bring my life and offer my gifts, I trust Him to take what is and make it lovely... however long that takes, whatever shape it assumes.

Each day this prayer is on my lips in one form or another. The flow of the day brings a new appreciation for simple blessings and a heightened awareness of my dependency upon Him. The God who made the heavens and the earth in six days and raised Jesus from the dead in three surely can manage the time constraints of my life. For He tells me He has numbered the days of my life. And He has proven His faithfulness to me so many, many times.

Note: Click on the title of the song to hear the original Maranatha release of it.

One Pair of Shoes

For almost six months now, I've been wearing a pair of Nike sandals. They are my outside shoes and my inside shoes, my dress shoes and my casual shoes, my work shoes and my walking shoes. They are my shoes. Period.

As cold and wet weather approaches, I have adopted the classic North-western style, wearing socks with my sandals. Wool socks keep my feet warm even when they get wet, which occurs with predictable frequency now.

If you're wondering why these sandals have earned the status of exclusive footwear, it is because of an injury to my right foot on May 16th, a Sunday when I decided to be a good neighbor and clean up the yard at the abandoned house next door. As I mowed the lawn, I stepped hard on an unexpected incline and pulled up lame. At first my doctors suspected a stress fracture. In time, x-rays ruled out that diagnosis. Eventually a neuroma developed in the tender area, and the diagnosis changed to a soft tissue injury. It is supposed to heal. In time. Evidently that time hasn't yet come.

I've looked for a closed shoe to replace my sandals, thinking that surely some manufacturer makes a winter shoe with a similar sole. So far, I've had no luck. On a visit to the most exclusive specialty shoe store in town, I found nothing that coddles my foot like my $40 Nike sandals, on sale at Freddie's for $15 minus a 20% coupon on the day of purchase ($12 for those of you who are math challenged).

As I've rummaged through my amazingly extensive collection of shoes hoping to find a comfortable fit, I have been struck by how having just one pair of shoes has simplified my life. Yes, these sandals do nothing for a dressy outfit and detract noticeably from some color combinations. But, they work. I have not been denied access to any place I've gone in the past 22 weeks because of my choice of footwear. They have, in fact, almost become my fashion statement.

I'm thinking of checking the rest of my closets to see how I might simplify my life.

He Knows My Name

As we practiced music tonight, one song in particular filled my heart: He Knows My Name. The lyrics go like this:

I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

Chorus: He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He knows each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
And He hears me when I call

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

He knows my name! There are 65 women on Facebook who share my exact name, 8 on LinkedIn. That's 65 to 73 "Kristi Webers" on the world-wide web! Yet God does not confuse me with them, nor they with me. I am in awe of a God who not only knows me intimately, but cares about me more deeply than I can comprehend. He knows everything about me. Out of millions of people, some of whom share my name, he knows me. And loves me. And seeks what is best for me. The God who created heaven and earth... and me... delights in me. What could I do but delight in Him?

Time to Remember

This week marks 14 years since Mom went home to be with the Lord. A couple of months from now will mark 29 years since Dad did the same. I have now survived Mom almost as long as she survived Dad. It doesn't seem nearly as long. Funny how the passage of time can seem so different.

We're studying about family and God in our Ladies class this week, how the Jews spent time talking with their children about God and their history as his chosen people. I'm glad that God was important to my parents and that they instilled in me a desire to know Him.

God remains the constant in my life. My parents weren't perfect in their knowledge of Him, but He knows me perfectly. And that is enough. Thank you for being the sustaining Presence in my life, Father God.

Re-Entry

My brother says there are trips and there are vacations. My sister-in-law calls return to the routine after being away "re-entry." Well, our jaunt to Puerto Vallarta was a VACATION and re-entry has been difficult for me.

I'm finally "in the groove" again, getting a lot done outside yesterday and making progress on inside tasks today. But, I'm very thankful for a time of relaxation so complete that it took a week to really get back to normalcy.

I hope you have had your share of "vacations."

What Happens in Puerto Vallarta

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what happens in Puerto Vallarta can, for the most part, be shared. Don't ask us about our first full day. It will remain our private joke for life. We will tell you, though, that the zenith of our first shopping experience in Spanish was eating beanie weenies instead of chili dogs. Woohoo! It gave Karel and me much more empathy for the Friendspeak readers we have. Our shopping trip was not nearly as intense as the hour we spend with them as they struggle with English.

We're staying at Lois's timeshare, Vallarta Torres, very close to the marina, with units that overlook the bay. The sunsets have been spectacular. This really is a beautiful corner of God's world. The rain comes mostly at night, interrupting our sleep last night with several thunderbolts overhead. When it rains, it pours. This could be my idea of Camelot.

The first night, we helped release sea turtles into the surf. This resort has been raising them since 2002. However they measure the survival rate of baby turtles, they have increased the survival rate by ten fold through this program. But, when you start at 1/1000, it still seems insignificant. We have done this three times since we arrived and have one more chance to participate. The sea turtle has become the mascot/icon for our trip.

We are spending a lot of time in the pool. We have taken advantage of the water aerobics, not so happily the first day when it was postponed to high noon. We all turned a little red on the sunny side. Yesterday we had the session all to ourselves, and our instructor went easy on us. Our instructor is one muy bueno hombre, so he is very easy on the eyes. He watches to see when everyone starts lagging and does a Mexican trill to make everyone lighten up. He also makes us count with him in Spanish, which is good for us. One more chance to do this tomorrow. Exercise, hot tub, back in the pool to swim, and time on the lounge chairs in the sun. I think I've finally found my calling.

All of our friends will understand that the majority of our time was spent at our favorite past-time: marathon rounds of Maui, Naniamo Rummy, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, and more card games. We meet many people who recognize us as "those card players" and ask us if we're sisters. Well, yes, in the most important sense of the word.

The vendors are unrelenting with hawking their wares, "For you almost free today." We went downtown and found a drug store with bargain T-shirts, our souvenir of choice. Yesterday we hit the flea market down by the marina. No cruise ships were in port, so they were anxious to make a sale for the day. Karel looked the most approachable, and one guy even put a man's belt around her waist. Hard sell. The vendors stroll the beach outside the gates of the condo, too, giving mucho local flavor to the experience.

Yesterday afternoon Karel and I were walking the beach and saw a man carrying a fish. When he got closer, I asked him about it. He said he grabbed it out of the surf. It was a small dogfish shark. True or a good story for those gullible Americanos?






Now that we've gotten a handle on shopping, we are eating better! We are enjoying the fresh vegetables and fruit. Dinner is complemented with spectacular sunsets.



Tonight we have a fiesta to celebrate the liberation of Mexico. One more day in paradise!

Seasons

The weather has been foreshadowing fall's approach for weeks, and now September is less than a day away. Even with all of the clues that summer was nearing a close, it seems like only yesterday that the nice weather finally came. I have to admit that I'm not yet ready for the change of season, and I'm glad to be heading to sunny Mexico for vacation in a few days.

Life is like that. We look forward to milestones that never seem to arrive and are stunned by time that flew by so quickly as to be unnoticed. The 21st birthday that looms so far ahead that it seems it will never happen... and the 50th birthday that can't possibly be coming to someone who feels so young. Retirement has more and more appeal to me, even though it doesn't seem possible that I could be old enough to consider it.

God doesn't seem to share my problems with time and the seasons of life. Although there are times when I understand perfectly how a day could be like a thousand years to Him, I have not developed His sense of timing. Phrases like "in the fullness of time," "at just the right time," and "chosen before the foundation of the world" portray a precision and purpose that eludes me. So, I share this prayer of Moses from Psalm 90:

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

My prayer for you, as well, is that you may learn to gauge your seasons of life well.

My First Rendezvous

A few weeks ago, I walked up to a couple of friends of mine at church. One told me we were going to a party the next night. I asked, “You’re going to a party tomorrow night?” She smiled. “WE’RE going to a party. I get points for taking you.” So began my introduction to Demarle at home.

The next night, I discovered this uniquely designed silicone-spun glass product that bakeries and commercial enterprises around the world have been using for decades, but has only recently been introduced to the US consumer market. I don’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I did not expect to see anything that would tempt me. I could not have been more mistaken. I have been concerned about the harmful effects of chemicals introduced into my food by my habitually convenient meal preparation:

• Common nonstick cooking surfaces leach into food at cooking temperatures
• Leftovers apportioned in plastic containers and reheated in the microwave become contaminated with BPA’s
  
• Recent warnings about microwave popcorn packaging
  

Demarle’s completely nonstick (no oil or spray), Kosher-certified (inert) flexipans and Silpat pads solved all of my concerns in one fell swoop, with a life-time guarantee to boot. I was hooked! Everyone needs to hear about this product (whether they buy it or not)!

Last night, I hosted my first Demarle rendezvous (French company’s term for ‘party’), which was also my business launch into direct sales of Demarle at home.

Individual turkey meatloaf portions and seasoned, roasted veggies. YUM!

These Parmesan crisps are made by baking a tbs of shredded Parmesan on a SILPAT pad for just a few minutes (don’t try this at home without one). It makes a crisp salty snack or crunchy salad topping when crumbled:

Check these products out at Demarle’s website. Better yet, host a party so you can get started with some free stuff! Contact me at kristiathome@gmail.com or leave a comment for more info.

Mere Mortals?

One of the few really nice days of the year enticed many of us outside on Saturday. As I stood leaning against the post that kept cars from entering Esther Short Park, a crowd streamed past me on its way to the Recycling Fair and adjacent Farmer's Market. My perch provided a superb people watching vista: summer wear exposing too-pale skin, young adults displaying extreme body art, groups of teens with piercings, middle-aged men sporting paunches that lap over shorts and bulge under T's, overweight bodies of all ages testifying to the growing diabesity pandemic, dogs with doting masters in tow, moms pushing kids in strollers overflowing with paraphernalia, folks in mobility power chairs edging their way through foot traffic. Anonymity fostering rudeness as too many bodies compete for too little space.

It is very easy to focus on the obvious. Easy to let visual clues reinforce prejudices. But, God calls us to look beyond the external to grasp the eternal. To look past what is right in front of our eyes to see what is on God's heart. To be less concerned with where people come from than where they are going to spend eternity. To look at people with God's love instead of our interest.

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations-- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit-- immortal horrors or everlasting splendours... Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."

C.S. Lewis

My neighborhood is in transition. The houses next to me have been abandoned by owners whose mortgages were upside down. When the marriage of a neighbor who worked on motors in his garage broke up and he moved out, I was more relieved than concerned. The noise from his business carried long into the night. His grown-up toys took up all of the curb space along my lot and gave our neighborhood an unflattering industrial look. We've speculated that this house would be the next one on the market.

I've been praying that God would be active in this transition. But, when my former neighbor moved all of his toys back last weekend, it wasn't the answer I was seeking. And I'm challenged with the task of showing God's love to someone who does not respect boundaries. Note to self: this man is no mere mortal.

Catching Up With Family and Friends

This blog is terribly neglected these days. I'm not quite sure if that's been because I exhaust my creative juices writing other things or because I have had no commentary to offer. In any case, it is time to express my gratitude for family and friends.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the AMWA Spring Board of Directors Meeting, which was held in Rockville, MD. I reconnected with some of my AMWA friends and made new ones. One of the joys of being part of this group is the instant connection between people who can obsess over comma placement.

I caught up with the delegate from the Southern California chapter in Denver, and we shared a cab from Reagan International to our hotel. We will likely never forget the adventure of being sideswiped on the freeway in rush-hour traffic. Our cab driver was frantically talking about the accident on his cell phone, while ignoring the attempts of the other driver to get him to move his cab close enough for them to exchange information. The man who hit us finally gave up and drove away, leaving our driver to his electronic devices. I really enjoyed getting to know Noelle over the next few days. Our strongest connection was our shared faith in God.

From there I trucked (literally) to Altoona, PA, to visit my nephew, Ryan, and his bride, Anna. This Saturday marks their first wedding anniversary. A year ago, we were all in the Bahamas celebrating them and enjoying time with family. Since then, Ryan has successfully defended his doctoral thesis and finished his first year as an assistant professor of English. Both he and Anna (MFA) teach English courses at Penn State-Altoona. It was good to see them getting established.

I not only saw their first home, but met dog-children Eloise (Elle) and Baxter. They are quite a pair. Elle (Australian Shepherd mix) is the regal alpha dog, and Baxter (Jack Russell mix) is the pesky little brother, who competes for attention.

We did some sightseeing on campus and in nearby State College. I was treated to my first ever exploration of an underground cave-- the nation's only water cavern, no less. And I taught them a new card game, Nanaimo Rummy, which they plan to show to Anna's folks.

I also can boast of sitting at the table of Newlywed, Newly Veg. While I can claim family privilege, there are a growing number of admirers who would be quite envious of me. Anna is making a concerted effort to prepare healthy food, and her presentation has a definite artistic flair.

This week, I will get to catch up with two people I've not seen in years. My college roommate, Carol, is planning a visit to my home and the Oregon coast. We have a friendship that picks up right where it left off, as if we'd never been apart. Saturday, I will catch up with long-time friend, Ken, at a church function. I greatly admire his dedication to wife Susan, who suffered a stroke during preparation for surgery several years ago and can no longer live at home. His love for her remains strong.

It is a good time to be thankful for family and friends. And, I am.

Lambs and Lions

That gentle lamb that was beguiling everyone last week got up, stretched, roared, and stalked off like a lion. A week ago, I spent the day outside cleaning up the yard in sunny, 66-degree weather. Today it is a stormy 44 degrees, with snow levels down to 1000 feet. No wonder March is seen as a fickle month, weather wise.

This week also saw me break my almost year-long record of wellness. I'm nursing a bad cold today, which seems to have settled in my chest. But, I'm not alone. Almost half of my friends and coworkers have been visited by this bug. I got lax about hand-washing and using Purell when it seemed that spring had arrived. Now I'm paying for it.

I can't help but think of the admonition from Peter:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

It pays to keep your guard up, when it comes to your safety.

But, God

I heard a refreshing talk this morning by Jerry Rushford about how unmistakable is God's presence in the world. Whether God alters the best-laid plans we make, fixes the worst circumstances in which we find ourselves, or otherwise interrupts our routine, He impacts our lives and makes Himself known. Whether He's left out, left behind, or left in charge by us, He's present in this world. He's in control. And He knows just when to make an appearance to remind us of that. And, if our hearts are right, that experience can change our lives forever.

Got a few minutes to be impressed by God's working? Download this 46-minute talk and be surprised anew by the all-surpassing love of an omnipotent God.

Perceptions

Ever wonder how you appear to others? Prompted by a Facebook friend, I recently posted this request:

Leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me. It can only be ONE word. No more than one word.

The responses:

integrity
comforting
honest
wordsmith
passionate
capable
genuine
knowledgeable
funny

(Of course, one jesting or clueless friend merely wondered what the question was. His last post was Kristi.)

All true, but somewhat overwhelming in sum. More interesting than the words themselves was learning who chose to describe me with each of those words. And that led me to wonder how often we let people know what we see in them.

Not long ago, I sent a card to a friend telling them something I appreciated about them and why. They had no idea. And they were so gratified to know that.

I'm not much into New Year's Resolutions. They seem destined to fail. But, discounting the timing, I'm going to make an effort to be better at uplifting people in this way. To tweak a phrase, it only takes an encouraging word. Just one.