The silver lining - (Joe)

Events that have occured in past couple of days have been quite unexpected, emotional, edgy and enlightening. I believe that everything that happens in a Christians life is part of a plan of sanctification that God has put in place for us - and sometimes He hands us a duesy!

I have felt very unworthy of the trust that several very close friends have put in me lately. I had no idea that some people would let me in to the most intimate parts of their lives to provide counsel - (I have always had a hard time accepting praise in any of its forms from anyone). It is a great responsibility that God has put on my life.

The greatest thing about all of it is that I have been given the privilege from both God and close friends to be at the very beginning of a Great Work of healing.

The first glimpse of the silver lining - and God allowed me to see it.

And Now for Something Completely Different (From Christie)

Guess I should start specifying who is writing now, since Joe has taken an interest in chipping in!

Anywho, we have had a HEAVY but exciting week of the privilege of shepherding our little Sunday School flock at church. (Not belittling you guys, just sayin'!) Lots of stuff going on in all our lives. I told the class this morning that I believed this was because Satan knew we were effective tools (ha, I called us tools) for the Lord, and he couldn't STAND it. He's trying to take us all out with some CRAZY mess. Not going to share details because, duh, we're the teachers and that wouldn't be cool. We prayed that our class and our church would be protected, Satan would be bound and cast away from us and that God would direct us step by step in how to handle things, whether they were of our own making or just crazy attacks.

The lesson was about God restoring your joy after true repentance. How appropriate.

When I could have been really down or at least nervous after church today, I was actually quite jacked. It's cool when you know God is using you, even if you don't exactly know how or why.

In other news, I had an update on why I've been feeling so yucky lately. I have just figured for a while it was a relapse of my fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue, and I guess by the book it was. But turns out it was triggered by a major blip in my thyroid, which I have had before. I decided to go in last week and have it checked because my hair was falling out in huge amounts. Most folks -- even the doctor -- were saying it was probably just a flux in hormones after having a baby. Then the bloodwork came in, and they called me right away..."uhhh...you're gonna need some Synthroid, honey!" Been there, done that...it's good stuff. So maybe I'll be more of a morning person for a while. (Then, usually, a couple months later it swings the opposite direction and they take me off of it. Grrr...)

A pleasant side effect of the Synthroid -- other than the fact that I'll be more emotionally stable and able to be human before noon -- is that it kicks up your metabolism. I hear that it's used "underground" as a weight loss agent, although I can't see that being safe if you don't really need it. Anywho, I'll probably also lose the extra 15 lbs I've put on in the last month or so, apparently due to the sluggish thyroid.

I'm sure you really care about all that. Why don't you go read something useful? I'm sure there's a blog about how to make underwater baskets without all the annoying water and stuff. (Hmm...can you tell I'm getting tired?) Still have to wash clothes for those in the household going to work/school tomorrow, so guess I'd better go. Of all the 10 loads of laundry I did this weekend, somehow I still missed Joe's work jeans and Morgan's long sleeve school shirts.

OK, OK, CUTE PHOTO ADDENDUM by popular demand:

Ben has learned to roll to his belly, and he likes to hang there for a while now, especially to look at his own cute mug in the mirror. Can you blame him?

Second, Ben's last day in the bassinet at 5 months old. (Took us a while to get it together with the crib...was kind of waiting on moving, but...well, that can be another post.) Will post photos of the super cute airplane crib set later. (Thanks Mom & Dad!)

Echoes (From Joe)

From "Gladiator" - "What we do in life - echos in eternity"

I sit here this evening, actually 9 minutes until I sit here this morning, wondering how in life we get to certain intersections - and knowing the right way to turn - knowingly turn the wrong direction........

Wine, women and song - unfortunately I have known them all in my - thank you Jesus - becoming more distant everyday past.  I still wonder every day why the path(s) I have taken have brought me to where I am now.  Teacher, friend, confidant, mentor, husband, father, forgiven.... I sometimes feel as though I deserve none of them.  

Thick clouds of uncertainty loom over my thoughts at this time - advice to give, sooner, later, never?  I really wish Christianity came with a roadmap and instruction manual - when X happens, respond with Y and life's wrong turns would easily be righted.  

As I sit here & think about the past 6 months events - I have been on the highest of highs & the lowest of lows.  Basking in God's great gifts with the birth of my son & such a short time later shaking my fists at God and screaming WHY HIM?!  The happenings of late 07' and thus far in 08' have made me search for the answers - none have I found - sometimes there just isn't an answer - sometimes God wants us to just trust Him.

Some of you may be wondering why this blog has the lofty name 'High Flight'.  As I discovered this very evening, most of the folks I currently spend my time with weren't born when this poem (or at least a portion of it) was made famous.  President Reagan used it in a memorial after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff in 1986.  In my opinion that was one, if not the, most moving speech I have ever heard - and I was only 15 at the time.  I went looking for the poem shortly thereafter & here it is for your enjoyment;

High Flight

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in sunlit silence.  Hov'ring there.

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the wind swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew.

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God

John Gillespie Magee