Explaining the News

"Who's that?" asked Emma, pointing to a picture of Farrah Fawcett. "Was she famous?" I tried to explain Charlie's Angels: "Well, she was this detective, police, crime fighter kind of woman..." I drifted for lack of any more descriptors. Besides, it was obvious my explanation was not engendering any further interest.

Zeke, not one to be left behind, pointed to a picture of Michael Jackson. "What that thing is?"

I didn't answer. Lack of descriptors? Maybe. Actually, it was just easier to put the rest of my groceries on the belt and tell Zeke it was time to go.

Wise Weather Words

We're currently watching large, purple rotating radar spots go over our house. We're sitting 1 1/2 hours away in St. Cloud.

I found the following statements very helpful:

1. "I hope you can see this blinding rain."

2. "Even though it's dark, the weather is still happening."

We'll just hope the lowest level of our home does not also have a view of the sky unobstructed by our roof.

A Song to Have Stuck in Your Head. By my really fun kids.

Yesterday

My husband can run an incredible number of miles: 50 miles in under 12 hours in Duluth; 86 miles around Lake Nokomis in 24 hours. Those are just the latest races he's done. But I have held firm: a half marathon. No more.

It is almost time for me to start training for the half marathon I do every fall. I make a very reasonable schedule, train for 8 weeks, practically ruin my family with my crabbiness, run my race and come home with my new autumn colored tshirt and a Lutheran Jar of Jam.

Joel had another suggestion: train like an ultra runner. "The body can do incredible things, Marth," he told me.

I thought about bodies doing incredible things. I thought about giving birth and I thought about going to war. The one has the advantage of an epidural; the other has the advantage of adrenaline surges when facing the Taliban.

"Ok," I thought. Without the advantage of epidurals nor the Taliban I went to Target, randomly bought a running skort and took off for a training run ala ultra runner: 12 miles without any training whatsoever.

I had a long time to think. I had a long time to pray. I had a long time to wonder if I had enough salt pills and little energy blocks. I had a long time to hope that the person riding a horse down the road was not a hallucination.

I made it. I took every salt tablet I had (8). I came home and ate corn chips. I dragged myself into the shower and then laid in bed to watch a PBS special: mountain climbers freezing to death on Everest. My legs felt like someone had set a slow burning fire to my ankles and stoked it all the way up my thighs.

I got up the next morning and decided... I think I liked it.

A Voice

As I type, there is a loud voice coming from my kitchen. I love that voice. It's John Piper on youtube. It's worth 2 minutes and 47 seconds if you have the time.

2:46

John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel

A Bit Confused

I didn't do National Night Out even though I have prayed that I would be more intentional in reaching out to my neighbors.

The reason I didn't do it is because my mind had translated the entire concept incorrectly. I thought it was National Coming Out Night. And it just didn't seem, from 4 years of casual observation, like many of my neighbors would have qualified.

I'll remember next year.

Itty Bitty Updates

Agitu, the director of our adoption agency, is leaving for Ethiopia on August 5th. She gets a lot done.

There are 18 people waiting for an infant girl; I don't know where we are in the line. The good news is that we are in line.