Wordless Wednesday -- Caution Flag

Just so you know: a stick, broom, bucket or lawn chair sitting in the middle of the road here means

"Caution: Street Repair in Progress"

If it wasn't already painfully obvious!

This n That

I got up this morning with great plans to cross everything off my list by noon and be ready for the steady stream of well-wishers which should begin arriving after lunch sometime. It's the culture here: if someone's going on a trip, you stop in to say goodbye the day before they leave. It used to bug me, since I always have a ton of stuff to do the day before a big trip. I like it now. I feel like "part of the family". ;^)

I'm not doing very well on my list, though. Ugh, it's hot. I think the humidity rose about 5% overnight. Can't do laundry, because it won't dry before we have to leave. Oh, well. I'll deal with it and move on! Did I mention that it's hot?

Anyway, we're tying up loose ends and packing (and sweating) furiously to leave early in the a.m.

I am just amazed at how quickly the past 6 months has passed! With all the youth events, conferences, music classes, parenting classes, teaching at various churches, writing a book and going on a mission trip, the time has just flown.

To be honest, we're all looking forward to this trip. Foremost in everyone's mind is the visit to Oregon to see Sarah (YEAH!!!!!). A close second, though, is a month in a dry climate. Have you ever experienced your laundry souring from being left in the washer too long? How long is too long where you live? Over night? Two days? Here, I get about 3 hours and then I have to re-rinse. Ugh.

I hate that moist, sour smell.

So, we're packing and cleaning, cleaning and packing. And I...I need to get back to work! This "No checking Facebook till I post on my blog" thing is working well. I just hope no one gets tired of reading my pointless ramblings here and decides to abandon me! ;^) Facebook is so much better-suited for mindless chatter!

Have a blessed day! If you think about us today or tomorrow, pray for safe travels!!!

I Sometimes Wonder...

I've opened the fridge a couple of times today just to admire the whiteness of the interior. Yes, I'm certifiable.

Anyway, I'm working my way through the leftovers and UFOs (Unidentified Frozen Objects) in my freezer. Yesterday's lunch was a rather yummy use for leftover rice which I call "Rice Loaf". We even had a couple of slices left -- which is amazing, considering that I'm feeding 6 growing boys.

When we got home from music classes in Alamito this evening, I opened the fridge to grab supper makings. This is what I saw:

So my question is this: Was the young person who did this just too lazy to wash the plate, or did they actually think someone would want to eat what was left?

Note: I did find the culprit. Everyone agrees that it was Notme. As soon as I catch him, he's grounded, 'cause he's been causing all kinds of trouble around here lately!!!

Yucky Jobs

Why is cleaning out the fridge such a yucky job?

I mean, really. I store my family's food there. We eat that food. I throw stuff away (usually) before it becomes a science project. (Except for the the stuff that actually IS a science project, such as the snake skins I found on the bottom shelf in a little baggie.) When I spill stuff, I wipe it up.

A HA!!!

Found the problem. I am not the only person moving stuff around in my fridge, and while I am careful to not spill stuff (usually) and wipe up my messes (most of the time) others are not.

So, cleaning out my fridge is a rather yucky job.

But, I did it!!! In a couple of hours, the ice in the drainage hose should be melted and I'll be able to plug it back in and start making ice again. Woot! Woot! (My fridge is quirky. I won't elaborate.)

I'm crossing items off my list right and left. With only 5 days left before we leave for a month-long trip to the US, everyone in the house is scampering around, getting ready to leave. Well, maybe "scampering" is a bit of a strong word. In this heat, the only one doing any scampering is the cat when I catch him trying to grab stuff off my counter. He'd better scamper.

What I have left to do:
Defrost the deep freeze
Clean out the pantry cupboard
Sort through two big boxes of books (of course, I have to clean out the closet so I can get to them first)
Make a multi-media presentation for the churches we'll be visiting
Send out an update letter
And about 5 other things I probably won't have time to do

It's OK, though. I got the yuckiest job done.

I was tempted to do the other jobs first. I would honestly rather sit up in my air-conditioned bedroom and type on my 'puter than mop sludge up off the kitchen floor. Go figure.

But this had to be done -- more for the sake of my friend, Luz, who'll be staying in my house while we're gone than for me. It's not that I'm worried that she'd be offended at my gross fridge which drips constantly. I just want to bless her. I don't want her to have to deal with a big puddle of water in front of the fridge every morning.

And so, in the midst of mucking out the fridge, I began to consider the things that I'd really rather not do, but I do them anyway -- for my husband, for my kids, for my neighbors, for my friends. Then God brought a passage of scripture to mind...

Philippians 2:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I added the italics to emphasize the part that really stuck in my brain. My prayer today: God, help me to consider others more significant than myself. Even when it's hot and I'm cranky and I've a ton to do and people just won't stop interrupting me. Help me, God, to humble myself and look out for the interests of others!

Divided Attentions

Yesterday, I had a bit of an epiphany: Facebook is not helping be become a better blogger. In fact, I think that since I began my "Facebook Journey", my blogging has become next to non-existent. I have become...

The Lousy Blogger.

Therefore, I have decided that for the next week or two, I'm not going to post anything on Facebook except links to posts I have written on my blogs. That should help.

Hey, it couldn't hurt!!! How can I post less than nothing???

So, today's "Status" is: HOT.

Doug shared this morning at the Guasave church, and I took this shot. It really doesn't capture all that is summer in Sinaloa, but you can see a glimpse.

Note the slightly lighter-colored part of his shirt near the waistband of his slacks. That's the dry part.

No, I did NOT throw a water balloon at him during worship and no, we did not do a baptism. It's sweat. Thankfully, his sweat don't stink. Seriously, it doesn't. But it's still...um...sweaty.

Church in Guasave is held in open air, partly because the building hasn't been built yet, but partly because holding service inside a brick building is similar to holding it inside a brick oven. We sometime have cows or goats wander through, and if it rains there's a mad scramble to pack up equipment, but the breeze...ah...que bonito!