An Inquiry

Everyone knows what Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream is, right?

My question is:

Is it vanilla ice cream, with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough (cookie dough that would make chocolate chip cookies, if baked) in it?

OR

Is it chocolate chip ice cream, with chunks of plain cookie dough in it?

OR

both. . . ?

Let me know if you figure this out. I've been dying of curiousity ever since 12:17 this morning.

Hungry, Broken

Hungry, I come to You

For I know You satisfy

I am empty but I know

Your love does not run dry

So I wait for You

So I wait for You

I'm falling on my knees

Offering all of me

Jesus, You're all this heart

Is living for

Broken, I run to You

For Your arms are open wide

I am weary but I know

Your touch restores my life

So I wait for You
So I wait for You
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart
Is living for

“I am not merry, but I do beguile the thing I am by seeming otherwise.”

-Desdemona, in

"Othello: the Moor of Venice" (II, i, 124-125)

Ummm - Gross

You know you're part of a home school family when. . .

So I searching for a disc in the office just now, and when I opened one of the file drawers, I smelled a strange smell. Lo and behold, it was a fetal pig - the one that I never got around to dissecting when I took Anatomy. Last year. Anyone want to come over and help me do it this week?

Still haven't found that disc. . .

Completed as Promised

Road Construction. Those simple two words can invoke so many memories, good and bad, among nearly everyone - but who can appreciate them more than families who attempt to go on long summer vacations? My first experience with road construction was when I had my driver's permit. I had never driven on the interstate (freeway, for you Californians) before, and Dad decided that Kansas would be a good/easy place to start. Well, is was on our weekend trip to Denver (and that in and of itself is another story - a weekend trip that includes 28 hrs. of driving. . . crazy idea, don't try it) and we drove through the night to maximize our daylight hours there. I had the 1-3 am shift. Now, logically, this would mean that my first time on the interstate would be easier - less traffic in the middle of the night, right? Not so - about 5 minutes down the road, we start seeing signs for road construction. Soon, the our lane crossed the median and I had to drive for over 2 hours with head-on traffic, mostly semi-trucks, and at interstate-speeds. This was also my first night driving experience. . . headlights just complicate things. Oh, and did I mention that I was driving our 12 passenger van? With the entire family in it?

That was stressful. I'm sure you yourself have many trying and/or funny situations of when you have had to deal with road construction. It slows everything down. You often feel like you're waiting hours and hours, and it seems especially pointless if it's for a road that you hardly ever drive on, and don't really care if they repave. Or, maybe it seems to you as though the pavement is just fine - why redo something that already works?

On a trip to Jefferson City last month, I saw a sign for road construction along Highway 63. The sign said something about Adding Lanes during the summer of 2008. In a long, diagonal slant across the sign was an orange strip with black writing. It blodly read "Completed as Promised." What an encouraging thing, to know that the work had been finished, and in the timing that had been originally planned! Although we didn't appreciate the construction period of things, we definitely noticed how nice the extra passing lanes were, and how much faster *cough* I mean safer, we were able to drive on the new, smooth pavement.

Today is the one month anniversary of the passing of a dear friend, Lisa Pettijohn. She fought cancer valiantly for 4 years, and left behind a loving husband, and 5 children. So many would view this as a tragedy, and in some ways, it is. It hardly seems right, or fair, that one so young would have to leave her family, who needed and adored her so much. That she, who had such a powerful testimony for Christ, should be taken to Him, and be no longer able to share His love in this world.

And yet, as we were reminded over and over again at the service that celebrated her life, we can mostly find overwhelming peace and joy through her passing away. Mrs. Pettijohn was like Highway 63 - and from the moment she accepted the Father's free gift of grace, He began His construction. He didn't post any signs for her, or her family and friends, giving a time-table for what He planned to do. But as the Holy Spirit dwelt in her heart and she began to live that new life He called her too, the bumps in the pavement began to be smoothed. Yes, there were undoubtedly days when those on the road grew cranky, when the storms of life threatened to slow down the work, and when, for undetermined reasons, progress wasn't made as intended.

However, this February 7th, 2009, God stamped the sign of Lisa's life with a huge, orange "Completed as Promised" sticker. No more bumpy roads - no more narrow lanes - no more potholes - no more delays. The transformation He had begun in her here on earth was fully realized as she entered the throne room of our Savior, and he said to her, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." We too can take hope in this promise. We do not know the day, nor the hour that He shall take us home - but we have confidence that He will one day finish His work with us here on earth, and we shall join Lisa and the other saints in dancing joyously before our Father, our Bridegroom, our Friend. As He put it in Revelation 21 and 22:

. . . I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new! To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Psalm 103

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits -

who forgives all your sins

and heals your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies you desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

not will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve,

or repay us according to our iniquites.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. . .

Praise the LORD, O my soul!

vs. 1-5, 8-13

The Packing List

*Update - I've decided to call this my "Packing List" . . . it's all the things I want to pack into my life before moving. :)

Okay, show of hands: who has heard of a "bucket list?" You know - all those things you want to do before you "kick the bucket." It's a lovely idea (eww, no it isn't! Who likes thinking about death?), but since I have no intention of kicking the bucket anytime soon, I thought I would modify it to fit where I am in life. This is my "What I want to/need to/really ought to do Before I Move Out in August" list. (Yup, still working on the name. . . suggestions are welcome)

I started thinking about this last week, when it came to mind that I have never gone on a backpacking trip with Dad. When we went camping as a family (back in the "pre-6 kids" days), Dad would always talk about how, when we were old enough, he would take us backpacking. Generally, he addressed himself to Andy, but I always envisioned myself tagging along as well. After all, with both Dad and Andy along, I'd hardly have to carry anything! ;) So, now that I am "old enough," it's something I'd really like to do. But I know it won't happen if I don't do it before I leave! So this is at the top of my list. Well actually, second on the list.

But yes, this got me thinking and wondering whether there were any other things I need to try or do before moving! I don't want to have regrets, and always wish I'd done this or that while I was still under my parents' roof. I also imagine there are things every kid should do or learn before they move out . . .

So your job is to give me suggestions!
they can be general, "every kid should do this", kind of things. . .
they can be things that you've always wanted to do with me, that might be hard to manage after I move away . . .
they can be goofy, "oh, I've always wanted to see Becky try to do this! " type of things . . .
they can be fun things that are unique to Rolla, Missouri, or my friends here in Rolla. . .
they can be specific to me (Becky, I really think this is an area of life you need to work on, or a skill you need to learn as a young lady, from your parents, before you move out on your own.).

If it's something terribly personal (such as, "Becky - you need to learn to learn to brush your teeth before you move out, because you have terrible breath!"), or something that should stay a secret (such as, "You definitely need to smash a pie in Colin's face before you move!), then you can e-mail me - beckyboo27@embarqmail.com Otherwise, go ahead and comment on this list, anytime you think of something new!

Here is what I have so far. . .

2. Backpacking trip with Dad (and Andy if he's available)
3. Take on the Shed as a project - make it a great hang out spot for teens, that Abby and Zeke can use for entertaining through out their high school years. Decorate, and fix it up. . . still working on brainstorming exact ideas.
4. Take an day hike/picnic to Bray's Lake, in the woods behind our house, with a group of teens and/or kids - spend some time exploring and getting lost
5. Visit Elephant Rocks and Johnson's Shut-Ins, possibly with several other home school families (can't you just see the caravan of 15 passenger vans?)
6. Make it to North Dakota (we'll see. . .)
7. Figure out Finances for the coming years, with Mum's help
8. Learn how to do a cartwheel
9. Complete the Growing Kids God's Way parenting video series with Mum and Dad
10. Write a devotion book - Alida
11. Figure out lesson plans for Libeth's schooling next year
12. (These two aren't "musts" - just trips I'd like to take this summer!) Visit Colorado with Andy, to see our good friend Hannah - Go with Andy, Abby, Zeke, and a van-full of teens to St. Paul for a week (road trip!!)
13. Make memorizing Scripture a habit
14. Have a Girls' Shopping Day with Abby
15. Have many, many Gym Nights, Bonfires, Movie Nights (co-ed in the shed!), Volleyball at the Park Nights, etc.
16. Go on a Float trip with family and/or friends
17. Go to the Zoo in St. Louis with friends
18. Finish an Ecuador Scrapbook
19. Go to a concert with Andy, Zephan, Colin, or any other of my musical inspirations
20. Fly a kite successfully (yeah, I've never done this) - Alida and Sonja
21. Read "So Much More" - Candi
22. Complete a game of Monopoly with Zeke - Zeke (go figure)
23. Make and freeze tubs of cookie dough, for my family to use, and to bless others with (Zeke said, "We'll have to ration them. . .")
24. Learn how to drive a stick-shift
25. Shoot a gun (maybe - I haven't decided if I'll actually go through with this one or not)
26. Dissect the fetal pig that I still have left from senior year Anatomy
27. Scientifically determine whether cookie dough ice cream has chunks of plain, or chocolate chip cookie dough in it, preferably with friends
28. Touch a cow - the ante has been upped. I now have to kiss a cow!
29. Have my picture taken with Alida
30. Collect eggs on my own
31. Take a tour of the MS&T campus
32. Watch Napolean Dynamite with Ashley and "the guys"
33. Run out of Gas
34. Get a flat tire

I'll look forward to your ideas, and keep you posted when I accomplish any of this things! (Or maybe I should say if I accomplish any of these things. . . )


Becky Boo

Photo, compliments of Mark