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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Calling all Employers

Job Hunting in Chicago area (western and southwestern 'burbs): 26-year-old male, soon-to-be father, excellent with teens, extreme sports, art; biblical worldview, tender heart; pushes himself to the next level physically, emotionally, spiritually

Check it out!

Friday, November 03, 2006

Teeny tiny baby E



Oh, I love it! A womb with a view! See those teeny tiny hands that were moving so fast they blurred? See the little mouth poised to kiss his mommy and daddy? See the eyes still shut from outside light? See the little nose? Oh, we can hardly wait to hold you, little one!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Go ahead and ask!

I'm so excited! Go ahead and ask me why. Go ahead! Okay, I'll tell you anyway. Because, in just about 4 months there will be another little Elfstrand, that's why! Time for me to get out my Nana goodies for another little sweetheart. It's so wonderful to see the generations continue. But I really want an ultrasound picture to post. I'll let you know.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Blads, anyone?

Okay, so I was looking at a new children's book by a competitive publisher, and came across their marketing strategy in the back of the book. BLADS, they said. I'm usually not this far out of the loop, but even Wikipedia doesn't have a definition of a blad. I'm assuming (you know the danger there) this is a combo blog and ad. Right? But how?

Capturing the market of blog readers has its challenges. I mean, are the readers of blogs really the prime target for a children's book? Anyone know the demographics?

And just how many people are notified when I post something, huh? Or is that the luck of the draw, too?

Somebody drag me into this century, please ... :-)

Sunday, September 10, 2006

What's "new"?

It's a new year ... well, to the school kids it is. But the real new year is in January. And it's a new year for Bible study, Sunday School, fall sports, etc. So, I ask you ... what's "new"?

Do you know how many new hours you have in a week? One hundred sixty-eight, that's how many. So I put that many M&Ms in a jar just to see how quickly they go... Yes, really. I counted out 168 M&Ms, minus two, which I replaced with two Hershey kisses. This will be an object lesson for my new Bible study on Wednesday night. Two hours out of the 168 will be "special." Set aside.

And probably gobbled up! Ah, chocolate. Almost as sweet as time.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

HB 2 Me

I just took my loving hubby to the airport for a trip to a reformation and revival conference. Frankly, I'd like to be the one going there for some "reforming" and "reviving." Don't get me wrong, I jumped out of bed this morning with lots of energy, and am enjoying my Nutrisystem scrambled eggs, but I'd rather be spending my birthday with family, friends, and doing some extreme relaxing. A reasonable second-place is what I'm doing - spending it with co-workers who love the Lord and me, too!

Grandma, at the age of 96, just had a leg artery replaced, and although she is in pain, she's in pretty good shape! Age doesn't scare me. And it doesn't hinder me. I'm planning to "hop til I drop." None of this retirement mumbo jumbo. None of this "at your age" stuff. Some of it is indeed in your body, but most of aging is in your mind. So, I intend to read, read, read; keeping my mind sharp with words, puzzles, conversation, marketing, relationships, and several cups of green tea!

And I want to see those grandbabies grow up into believers in Jesus - changing the world for generations to come! So, let's get growing!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

I like the mountains

Remember that old campfire song? "I like the mountains, I like the rolling hills, I like the firelight, I like the daffodils, I like the fireflies when all the lights are low ... boom de ahdah boom de ahdah boom de ahdah boom boom"

Oh, yes, it's a classic, and I probably misquoted it. But I digress.

We just came back from the mountaintop. Literally. Rocky Mountain National Park. I can sometimes forget how much I miss the mountains until I see them again. I think Chicago is 500 feet above sea level. Not quite a contender for the 12,005 foot peak we stood on this past weekend.

So, until I can do that again, I'll just look at my pictures. If you want the link, you can email me.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Squeaker

You know, mice don't really scare me. I'm not one of those women who dashes for the nearest chair and prances about waiting for someone to shoo away the critter. No, I'm really a bit fascinated by their twitchy little noses, and wonder what in the world they are thinking when digging through our combination seed and fertilizer bag in the garage. Perhaps they are eating the seed and building a nest with the rest. I don't know ... but they are a menace ... so ...

We went to Target to get a "trap" of sorts. We decided on the sticky kind. Now I wonder what were WE thinking? Anyway...

Within one hour of setting the glue out, placing a few crumbs of doggy bone on top, I heard squeaking. Fairly loud squeaking, I might add. Was he calling his family members? Mad? Frustrated?

Okay, so we caught the thing, and now what? The instructions on the back of the package don't ever really show a mouse, they show a person throwing away the glue trap. Do you wait until it is dead to throw it away? Do you throw it away squeaking?

EEeek. Perhaps the old fashioned trip-trap is the way to go. At least it takes away the dilemma of what to do when the mouse is caught. eeewww

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Shameless indeed!

I've been accused of being shameless in bringing "work" to the blog. Ah, come on! Is that not the prerogative of the blogger? Are blogs not to vent the public as well as the private?

As for nouthetic versus psychotropic. When you land somewhere, let me know. Do the book and film mentioned in the previous comment give any solutions, or merely mock the question?

The very foundation of Freudian psychology is flawed. So until that is culled, and we can discern what we are labeling as "psychology," it would be hard to discuss the difference between the good, the bad, and the ugly of it. To "plunder the Egyptians" one must first value what the Egyptians have to offer.

Referencing my comment in the first paragraph: this issue doesn't feel like work. It hits a deep chord. Evidence? Skofinopolis... :-)

Thursday, March 23, 2006

women, women everywhere...

Hello again! After a loooong hiatus (again!) I'm back. Busy, yes, but feeling good about it. Oh, hey, wanna get some people really talking? There's a new book coming up in a month or so called Will Medicine Stop the Pain? It's about the plethora of women diagnosed with depression, and how easily we fall for medicating the symptoms without getting to the bottom of the problem. So what do you think? If you want to find out more, check it out.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Clear Head

I must say I was smiling more, breathing more deeply, and ready to take on the challenge. The ecstatic reaction for the future, versus the mixed reaction in the present, did quite a bit for my morale.

February 3, there I go. February 6, here I come!

Friday, January 13, 2006

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Help! I'm caught between two possibilities and don't know which way to turn. Each holds its share of anxiety, benefits, and unknowns. One allows me to stay put in a tenuous future, while the other will surely bring stress. Why can't this be easy?

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Verrrrry Interesting!

Thanks to Amanda (Skofstad) Williams who posted the results of her theological survey. Okay, Amanda, here are mine:


You scored as Reformed Evangelical.

You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God's Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die.

Reformed Evangelical......................82%
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan.............79%
Fundamentalist............................75%
Neo orthodox..............................57%
Charismatic/Pentecostal...................54%
Emergent/Postmodern.......................50%
Classical Liberal.........................36%
Roman Catholic............................25%
Modern Liberal............................14%

Hmm, seems we scored upside down from one another in many ways. I respect that in you! wink, wink

"TULIP"s are nice, but frankly since I didn't grow up in a reformed household, nor was I schooled in it, I can't recite what that stands for. I think the "T" stands for Total depravity -- pretty sure I qualify for that!

I'm also pretty sure that the "L" stands for "limited atonement" and I disagree with that assumption.

What do YOU think?

Hatfield and McCloy

The plug was pulled on the overflowing river of clear water ... drained ... and replaced with bitter gall.

Instead of 12 survivors and one dead at the Tallmansville mine, 12 died, and one survived. Pray for his complete recovery so that the entire story can be told.

Ironic that the mine owner is represented by Hatfield. And that the miner who has survived thus far is McCloy (close enough to "McCoy"). Why? The age-old battle in the Appalachians of the "Hatfields and McCoys."

People had prayed. Where was God? People rejoiced at God's salvation. They sang "How Great Thou Art" when they heard that 12 had been found "alive." What happened to their rejoicing? Is God any less great? Is He less good? Their rejoicing turned to anger and talk of suing the mining company.

We want to mourn with the mourners. But it's hard to mourn with those whose grief has become a bitter scream for revenge. One was found alive. It may be hard for the relatives of that one to show their faces -- why him? Survivor guilt. But rejoice!!! One lost sheep has been found. Perhaps his life will change those around him for generations to come.

God can and will turn the bitter grief into clear streams of healing again.