[David] sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
"The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight."
Psalm 18 is a celebratory anthem, filled with David's excitement at what God has done in his life. Surrounded by psalms of five to fifteen verses, it's 50 verses of David just really not being able to shut up about how awed he is by what God has done. "I mean, have you seen my enemies??? These are impressive dudes! And I'm still alive! What's more, they're dead! Is it because of my skills of flight and fight? No chance. Luck? Definitely not. Random happenstance? I tell you, NO - God did this."
"Yahweh protected me and cared for me, because I have kept his decrees blamelessly."
Huh?
Forgive me for questioning the Lord's anointed one, but I am, after all, a 21st-century Westerner, and we don't exactly believe in the Divine Right of Kings anymore. David sounds really confident that God has caused his unexpected military success. What's more, David knows why: God has done this because David is righteous and his foes are not.
Here's where I stumble, perhaps along with many of you reading this. I don't think that way. When something good happens to me, I usually don't think it's because I've been a good boy. When I defeat my "enemies," I don't see God favoring me over them. Like the prophet Habakkuk, I've lived through too many occasions where it seems like God is silent "while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves" (Hab 1:13). No, God doesn't merely visit good on the good, visit bad on the bad, and call it a day. The world is more complex than that.
What's more, I don't take the Bible at face-value anymore. Once upon a time, I might have read this psalm & said to myself, "I need to think more like David. Lord, help me to see Your hand when things go well for me." Now that I'm a few years older, perhaps a few years more cynical, I allow myself the potentially dangerous freedom of questioning the sacred text. Even King David is fair game.
First, I think to myself, it's a pity David went in this direction with his reasoning. He had an out: he could have said that Yahweh gave him victory because of the special place he held in the divine plan for Israel. The good king David was a type, forerunner, and ancestor of the King of kings, Jesus. If David had said, "God protected me, because he has a plan to bless the world through his people Israel," we wouldn't be having this conversation - I would have accepted that reasoning. It fits my theological system. David does pay brief homage to that reality, in v. 50:
"[Yahweh] gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever."
But, this comes across as an afterthought. The heart of the psalm is an eleven-verse reflection on that darn idea mentioned earlier: God rewards good girls & boys and punishes bad girls & boys.
So what do we make of this? Was David's faith really that shallow? Was he stuck in an underdeveloped stage of moral reasoning? Did he write this as a young man & grow up into a more mature view of how God works in this world, such that we should just ignore this psalm and move on to Psalm 22?
There's at least one more option. Perhaps this was David's deep personal conviction regarding the reality of his situation in this particular case.
"I know this is why things went the way they did, and I want to tell you why, so that you can glorify God with me. I fully acknowledge that it doesn't always turn out this way, but it did this time around. No, I can't prove it; I can say that this turn of events is statistically improbable without an underlying cause, and I can affirm that the logic of my conclusion is internally consistent. I can also tell you one more thing: I know in my bones that God did this. I believe this conviction has come from the Spirit of God. I can't control whether you find that convincing or not, and I don't expect it would hold up in a court of law. But that's what I know, and that's how I know it. Nothing more, nothing less."
What do you think? Would you believe David? Have you ever experienced God in such a way that you cannot prove to another human being that it was God who showed up, but you're still certain it was him with every fiber of your being?1
I have. An experience from this April stands out in my memory. I was in Dulles Airport, on my way from Madrid to Chicago for Rick & Anne's wedding. In the midst of a moment of deep doubt and despair, I experienced an irrational level of calm when my suitcase didn't show up on the carousel at customs. I knew it was the Holy Spirit's work. God used that peace to make me a blessing to the people around me - airline employees, fellow passengers, another guy whose bags were lost, the folks working the counter at Potbelly... and it blessed me deeply on a personal level as well. I felt the presence of God in a way I hadn't in some time, perhaps years.
Could you explain the entire chain of events naturalistically? Yup; it would be a statistical outlier, but you could still explain it. Does that dent my confidence that it was truly God who was active in that whole situation? Not particularly.
So, King David, for what it's worth, I believe you.
The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
1. Obligatory evangelical caveat: Good, orthodox followers of Christ recognize the limits to this kind of reasoning. We can't use these subjective experiences of God to force others to do anything. In the absence of common reasoning, "God told me you need to..." is religious manipulation, not prophetic clarity. Human interpretation of personal experience also should not be a basis for bending one's theology out of line with orthodoxy. As the Wesleyan Quadrilateral rightly points out, Scripture is the measure by which experience is tested.)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Giving Thanks Step By Step
It's been quite a week for the Knox family. Okay, maybe just a few days.
Andy's EEG
At 10am on August 30th, Andy, Ben, and I drove to an international hospital in Madrid for Andy's first test (an EEG) to hopefully shed some light on his speech delay. We walked into our room, met the nurse who'd be taking care of us for the day, and she started marking Andy's head with a sharpie.
Andy absolutely hates having his hair touched. We've resolved to let his hair grow out since he's been terrorized the last few times we've taken him to get it cut (even and those cute kiddo places where he can sit in a little car and watch cartoons). He was a bit squirmy in my arms during the process of measuring and marking his head, and later gluing 26 electrodes, but all in all, he did great! By 12:30pm, he was all "electroded-up" and connected to the machine that would read his brain waves.
Ben clearly remembers the neurologist saying we'd be in and out of the hospital in about 5 hours, so that's what we'd planned for. We didn't bring a laptop or work to do as we thought we'd be devoted to keeping Andy in the sight-line of the 2 cameras that were video-taping him the entire time. Well, 8 hours later, we finally got to leave the hospital! Andy was an angel the entire time. He played really calmly on the bed for about an hour, then took a 3 hour nap! Ben and I ate lunch (wow, hospital food is good there), then woke Andy up at about 4pm. By 6:30pm, we were going stir crazy, so we took turns sneaking out for a little air, but again, Andy was great, which is what mattered most.
Andy's First Day of Preschool
I have been dreading today for quite a few months, though the scheduling of Andy's tests has made the first day of school for him sort of pale in comparison. We all woke up at 7:30am, and by 8:45am were walking out the house to Andy's school, named Sweden Garden (pretty cool as my mom's dad was 100% Swedish). Last night, I had terrible dreams of being in school myself, finding overdue library books, trying to find my classes, being late, etc. Nerves I guess. When do these dreams end, right?
We walked in, handed Andy over to his teacher, Vanessa, and collected his uniform and little backpack while hearing him cry. It was a tough few minutes! Ben and I left to get a coffee and a little breakfast a few blocks away. I tried pan con tomate, a typical Spanish breakfast, for the first time. A baguette is cut length-wise, toasted, and topped with olive oil, tomato puree, and salt. Pretty yummy. We bought Andy a mini sugar doughnut and headed back to his school after an hour.
The director opened the door, and we saw Andy happily playing with the other kids. Unfortunately, another kid had just thrown up (in another room) - I guess we'll have to get used to Andy catching some bugs there. But, Andy hardly wanted to leave! He was having a great time! He sat outside and licked all the sugar off the doughnut before eating it, then walked around the neighborhood a bit. It was a great morning.
Giving Thanks
Thank you for your prayers. We couldn't have gotten through the last few days without you. Please keep praying! Andy will have blood drawn on Wednesday, Sept. 5, as well as an MRI on Sept. 12. On the 12th, he has to fast from noon until 6pm, which could be tough for him to understand.
Thank you, Lord, for being faithful to us as we take steps through transitions.
Andy's EEG
At 10am on August 30th, Andy, Ben, and I drove to an international hospital in Madrid for Andy's first test (an EEG) to hopefully shed some light on his speech delay. We walked into our room, met the nurse who'd be taking care of us for the day, and she started marking Andy's head with a sharpie.
Andy absolutely hates having his hair touched. We've resolved to let his hair grow out since he's been terrorized the last few times we've taken him to get it cut (even and those cute kiddo places where he can sit in a little car and watch cartoons). He was a bit squirmy in my arms during the process of measuring and marking his head, and later gluing 26 electrodes, but all in all, he did great! By 12:30pm, he was all "electroded-up" and connected to the machine that would read his brain waves.
Ben clearly remembers the neurologist saying we'd be in and out of the hospital in about 5 hours, so that's what we'd planned for. We didn't bring a laptop or work to do as we thought we'd be devoted to keeping Andy in the sight-line of the 2 cameras that were video-taping him the entire time. Well, 8 hours later, we finally got to leave the hospital! Andy was an angel the entire time. He played really calmly on the bed for about an hour, then took a 3 hour nap! Ben and I ate lunch (wow, hospital food is good there), then woke Andy up at about 4pm. By 6:30pm, we were going stir crazy, so we took turns sneaking out for a little air, but again, Andy was great, which is what mattered most.
Andy's First Day of Preschool
I have been dreading today for quite a few months, though the scheduling of Andy's tests has made the first day of school for him sort of pale in comparison. We all woke up at 7:30am, and by 8:45am were walking out the house to Andy's school, named Sweden Garden (pretty cool as my mom's dad was 100% Swedish). Last night, I had terrible dreams of being in school myself, finding overdue library books, trying to find my classes, being late, etc. Nerves I guess. When do these dreams end, right?
We walked in, handed Andy over to his teacher, Vanessa, and collected his uniform and little backpack while hearing him cry. It was a tough few minutes! Ben and I left to get a coffee and a little breakfast a few blocks away. I tried pan con tomate, a typical Spanish breakfast, for the first time. A baguette is cut length-wise, toasted, and topped with olive oil, tomato puree, and salt. Pretty yummy. We bought Andy a mini sugar doughnut and headed back to his school after an hour.
The director opened the door, and we saw Andy happily playing with the other kids. Unfortunately, another kid had just thrown up (in another room) - I guess we'll have to get used to Andy catching some bugs there. But, Andy hardly wanted to leave! He was having a great time! He sat outside and licked all the sugar off the doughnut before eating it, then walked around the neighborhood a bit. It was a great morning.
Giving Thanks
Thank you for your prayers. We couldn't have gotten through the last few days without you. Please keep praying! Andy will have blood drawn on Wednesday, Sept. 5, as well as an MRI on Sept. 12. On the 12th, he has to fast from noon until 6pm, which could be tough for him to understand.
Thank you, Lord, for being faithful to us as we take steps through transitions.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Loving the French Life
Yup, France is awesome. We are in the Dordogne region, staying in a beautifully renovated barn, on the grounds of a lovely private, country area. I am so happy to be here.
I hadn't realized how exhausting living in a big city could be. We like Madrid, certainly. It has a lot of great things:the metro, Retiro park, amazing museums... But, living in such a busy place is very tiring for people from Wisconsin. The simple act of driving through the countryside was the beginning of what I'm calling my rural therapy. Add French cooking, cooler weather, the Olympics, crafting time, more French cooking, and time with friends ...well, the rural therapy continues.
We have had duck twice, an amazing gluten-free dessert at a bed and breakfast along the way driving to our destination, and discovered why creme-fraiche makes anything better.
The best part of our time so far, however, is how happy Andy is here. Sure, he's had some meltdowns, but he is so happy to have a few little friends to play with all the time, and more so to be in a really safe place around which he can wander freely. No metro. No cars. No stop lights. Lots of grass. a big front porch. even a pony, though we haven't taken him for a ride quite yet. All in all, we love France and are glad that we have many days left on vacation here.
I hadn't realized how exhausting living in a big city could be. We like Madrid, certainly. It has a lot of great things:the metro, Retiro park, amazing museums... But, living in such a busy place is very tiring for people from Wisconsin. The simple act of driving through the countryside was the beginning of what I'm calling my rural therapy. Add French cooking, cooler weather, the Olympics, crafting time, more French cooking, and time with friends ...well, the rural therapy continues.
We have had duck twice, an amazing gluten-free dessert at a bed and breakfast along the way driving to our destination, and discovered why creme-fraiche makes anything better.
The best part of our time so far, however, is how happy Andy is here. Sure, he's had some meltdowns, but he is so happy to have a few little friends to play with all the time, and more so to be in a really safe place around which he can wander freely. No metro. No cars. No stop lights. Lots of grass. a big front porch. even a pony, though we haven't taken him for a ride quite yet. All in all, we love France and are glad that we have many days left on vacation here.
Update on Andy
We have some news on Andy. Last time I wrote, we'd just met with the speech therapist to set up his assessment. We went again the following week for that assessment, then, with Ben away at camp, I went for the follow-up report. Long story short, she had some serious concerns about Andy's lack of receptive language, limited gesturing, and general state of development, putting aside his basically non-existent speaking.
We have followed her advice and already had an appointment with a pediatric neurologist. In late August, early September, Andy will have bloodwork, an EEG, and an MRI. Yikes, right? It's a little scary. But, we're doing what we think is best for him. We are still planning to try preschool for him in the mornings starting in September. If it doesn't go well, we can bail. We have also had a few speech therapy sessions as well, focusing on eye contact with Andy and interactive play.
Please keep Andy in your prayers, and we will keep you updated on how he is doing.
We have followed her advice and already had an appointment with a pediatric neurologist. In late August, early September, Andy will have bloodwork, an EEG, and an MRI. Yikes, right? It's a little scary. But, we're doing what we think is best for him. We are still planning to try preschool for him in the mornings starting in September. If it doesn't go well, we can bail. We have also had a few speech therapy sessions as well, focusing on eye contact with Andy and interactive play.
Please keep Andy in your prayers, and we will keep you updated on how he is doing.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Ben Away at Camp!
At about 11:30 this morning, Ben left for 9 days of camp at a place called Pinos Reales (Royal Pines). It was really tough to say goodbye, even though I know that Andy and I are going to be just fine. We have lots of supportive teammates and friends here. But, it's hard being without an extra set of hands around the house with Andy, not to mention my best friend and source of conversation.
This morning, I also noticed a stain on one of our walls...right in front of the bathroom. Yikes. We have a very slow leak from the tube that connects the toilet to the plumbing inside the wall. I have a bucket there now, catching the slow drip, but it's just another thing to take care of by myself tomorrow. Our lifeguard's dad is a plumber, so I'll ask him to come over if he can.
Well, Andy's almost done eating Cheetos and yogurt for lunch, so I'd better go. Prayers for patience for me, a sweet temperament for Andy, and safety and blessing for Ben while he serves at camp are greatly appreciated!
This morning, I also noticed a stain on one of our walls...right in front of the bathroom. Yikes. We have a very slow leak from the tube that connects the toilet to the plumbing inside the wall. I have a bucket there now, catching the slow drip, but it's just another thing to take care of by myself tomorrow. Our lifeguard's dad is a plumber, so I'll ask him to come over if he can.
Well, Andy's almost done eating Cheetos and yogurt for lunch, so I'd better go. Prayers for patience for me, a sweet temperament for Andy, and safety and blessing for Ben while he serves at camp are greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Speech Therapy
Ben and I went for an initial session with a British speech therapist today. The center was in a really lovely, upscale area of the city. We walked in to the waiting room and were pleasantly surprised to find English magazines there. After reading Time for a few minutes, we met Cathy.
We spoke for about 45 minutes, filling her in on Andy (who was at home, hanging out with a few teammates who graciously watched him so we could be at this appointment). She asked about his birth, his early speech habits, etc.
Near the end, she confirmed that she would like to assess Andy and definitely felt that he could benefit from some treatment sessions with her. It was a bittersweet moment. Bitter because hearing that your child does in fact have a need for help is tough. I didn't cry, but my heart was sad. Had we done something wrong? Did we take too long to come here? However, it was sweet as well. Here is someone that can potentially really help Andy to communicate! And she speaks English as her first language.
Next Thursday, we'll take Andy in for his evaluation with Cathy. Please join us in prayer that Andy would be calm and comfortable with her (we won't be in the room). A crying Andy would be very hard to evaluate. Step by step, we're still learning how to parent, love, and care for Andy.
We spoke for about 45 minutes, filling her in on Andy (who was at home, hanging out with a few teammates who graciously watched him so we could be at this appointment). She asked about his birth, his early speech habits, etc.
Near the end, she confirmed that she would like to assess Andy and definitely felt that he could benefit from some treatment sessions with her. It was a bittersweet moment. Bitter because hearing that your child does in fact have a need for help is tough. I didn't cry, but my heart was sad. Had we done something wrong? Did we take too long to come here? However, it was sweet as well. Here is someone that can potentially really help Andy to communicate! And she speaks English as her first language.
Next Thursday, we'll take Andy in for his evaluation with Cathy. Please join us in prayer that Andy would be calm and comfortable with her (we won't be in the room). A crying Andy would be very hard to evaluate. Step by step, we're still learning how to parent, love, and care for Andy.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Return of the Gudes - airport photos
Andrea, Miriam, and Meggan
Manuel, Julie, and Chad
The youngest of the welcoming committee! (Later we entertained ourselves at the escalators.)
Génesis and Aarón hold the sign Meggan made for Niki
Here they come!!!
These are a few of "our kids." Life in ministry has its perks.
Meggan, Julie, Niki, and Chad
Ben, Ed, and Manuel
Angel opens a gift from the youth group (a poster of photos)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Baptisms
Tomorrow is a special day for our church - Baptism Sunday Saturday! Every year, the congregation heads up to a camp called Aguas Vivas (Living Waters) to have an outdoor baptism celebration. Last year, several members of the youth group were baptized, and this year there are several as well, though they are from our sister church (with which La Elipa just merged), so we don't know them too well yet.
Aguas Vivas is a special place for Ben and me because during our vision trip to Spain in 2008, we were counselors for the annual week-long kids' camp there. It was by far the best week of that summer. It is incredible to me when I think about Ben not speaking any Spanish, and how much he still engaged with the kids that week. Baptisms are also really special to Ben and me. We usually attended the baptism services at Blackhawk (our church while in college and raising support), even if we didn't know anyone. It's a really moving experience to listen as people publicly devote their lives to Christ. I always get teary, in a good way.
Ben went up to Aguas Vivas today to help set up the portable pool for the event. I will follow tomorrow with Andy. I'm so happy that our teammates/bosses/friends the Gudemans are back from a year in the US. I get to ride to the camp with Sheryl. It will be great to get out of the city, have a picnic, enjoy the scenery, and be a witness to lives being dedicated to the Lord. The Lord is at work in Spain, completely apart from the small part that we are playing here.
Aguas Vivas is a special place for Ben and me because during our vision trip to Spain in 2008, we were counselors for the annual week-long kids' camp there. It was by far the best week of that summer. It is incredible to me when I think about Ben not speaking any Spanish, and how much he still engaged with the kids that week. Baptisms are also really special to Ben and me. We usually attended the baptism services at Blackhawk (our church while in college and raising support), even if we didn't know anyone. It's a really moving experience to listen as people publicly devote their lives to Christ. I always get teary, in a good way.
Ben went up to Aguas Vivas today to help set up the portable pool for the event. I will follow tomorrow with Andy. I'm so happy that our teammates/bosses/friends the Gudemans are back from a year in the US. I get to ride to the camp with Sheryl. It will be great to get out of the city, have a picnic, enjoy the scenery, and be a witness to lives being dedicated to the Lord. The Lord is at work in Spain, completely apart from the small part that we are playing here.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
He's Never Failed Me Yet
It's been a rough few weeks in Madrid.
About two weeks ago, I really hurt my back. Sort of a long story. Short version: I'm on a quest to be a healthier, more active person. After about 2 months of diet and exercise, I decided to kick it up a notch and went too far. I sneezed while changing the sheets on the bed and suddenly fell to my knees in pain. For the next 72 hours, I could barely walk, went to have 2 massages, and made a new best friend (the ice pack). Thankfully, I am about 95% back (ha!) to normal.
On Monday, it was Ben's day off. We decided to go to a park in the afternoon. On the way there, our car failed (again!) on an off-ramp. Praise the Lord, we were in an okay position to set out the orange triangles and wait a few minutes before starting the car again (Safety precautions in Spain are actually very...well...safe. You even have to wear a reflective vest before setting out the triangles). Called our car dealer (again!) to report the accident. On the way home, our car failed while we were accelerating in the midst of a highway transfer. Very scary, unlike any of the other times our car has done this. Again, praise the Lord we were okay, but this car thing... Yikes. Needless to say, we are having conversations of a different nature with our car dealer.
We've been taking care of a team member's car in their absence. For their return, we took the car to be washed and vacuumed. When we came back to pick it up, the person working on it had broken off the interior rearview mirror by accident. He assured us that it was fixable. Nope. Went on a wild-goose chase to buy a new one, but we did find one.
Andy's been tough lately, really testing the boundaries with us, not wanting to nap or sleep at night. He's also moved from slapping me to punching me when he's having a tantrum and can't express what he's feeling (P.S. We have our first appointment with a British speech therapist next week). I'm trying to convince Ben to get some contacts so that his glasses don't get destroyed by Andy during a tantrum. I've been wearing contacts exclusively lately because of this pattern. Last night, Andy started crying really loudly (every parent's nightmare when you live in an apartment). I jumped out of bed and flipped on the light to the bathroom in the hallway...
And KNOCKED the power out in the entire apartment. Tried the breakers. Nada. So, we called an emergency-after-hours electrician, this really nice Bulgarian guy who spoke rather broken Spanish. A few hours (and many many euros) later, we had power again (meaning all the food I'd bought for our friends returning to Spain TODAY didn't spoil). And it looks like our insurance will cover this.
So, I'm thinking of all these incidents while washing the dishes. Part of me just wanted to sit down and cry and say "Okay, Spain, you've won! What else do you want from me?" But, immediately, I felt the Lord reminding me that He was there in every circumstance, providing and protecting us.
So, glory to God, He is here with us! To Him be the glory in EVERY circumstance. Help me, Lord, to fix my eyes on You and praise you in everything.
About two weeks ago, I really hurt my back. Sort of a long story. Short version: I'm on a quest to be a healthier, more active person. After about 2 months of diet and exercise, I decided to kick it up a notch and went too far. I sneezed while changing the sheets on the bed and suddenly fell to my knees in pain. For the next 72 hours, I could barely walk, went to have 2 massages, and made a new best friend (the ice pack). Thankfully, I am about 95% back (ha!) to normal.
On Monday, it was Ben's day off. We decided to go to a park in the afternoon. On the way there, our car failed (again!) on an off-ramp. Praise the Lord, we were in an okay position to set out the orange triangles and wait a few minutes before starting the car again (Safety precautions in Spain are actually very...well...safe. You even have to wear a reflective vest before setting out the triangles). Called our car dealer (again!) to report the accident. On the way home, our car failed while we were accelerating in the midst of a highway transfer. Very scary, unlike any of the other times our car has done this. Again, praise the Lord we were okay, but this car thing... Yikes. Needless to say, we are having conversations of a different nature with our car dealer.
We've been taking care of a team member's car in their absence. For their return, we took the car to be washed and vacuumed. When we came back to pick it up, the person working on it had broken off the interior rearview mirror by accident. He assured us that it was fixable. Nope. Went on a wild-goose chase to buy a new one, but we did find one.
Andy's been tough lately, really testing the boundaries with us, not wanting to nap or sleep at night. He's also moved from slapping me to punching me when he's having a tantrum and can't express what he's feeling (P.S. We have our first appointment with a British speech therapist next week). I'm trying to convince Ben to get some contacts so that his glasses don't get destroyed by Andy during a tantrum. I've been wearing contacts exclusively lately because of this pattern. Last night, Andy started crying really loudly (every parent's nightmare when you live in an apartment). I jumped out of bed and flipped on the light to the bathroom in the hallway...
And KNOCKED the power out in the entire apartment. Tried the breakers. Nada. So, we called an emergency-after-hours electrician, this really nice Bulgarian guy who spoke rather broken Spanish. A few hours (and many many euros) later, we had power again (meaning all the food I'd bought for our friends returning to Spain TODAY didn't spoil). And it looks like our insurance will cover this.
So, I'm thinking of all these incidents while washing the dishes. Part of me just wanted to sit down and cry and say "Okay, Spain, you've won! What else do you want from me?" But, immediately, I felt the Lord reminding me that He was there in every circumstance, providing and protecting us.
So, glory to God, He is here with us! To Him be the glory in EVERY circumstance. Help me, Lord, to fix my eyes on You and praise you in everything.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Meggan's Day Off
If you've been reading our email newsletters, you saw last month that we've realized our stress levels have been too high. We have been overwhelmed by your support through emails - Thank you!
One of the practical things that we're doing to help us in our quest for lower stress is to each have a day off. Ben had started practicing a day off regularly a few months ago, but we both suddenly realized that even when he was off, I wasn't. My day was basically the same, except that Andy had a playmate when I was cooking when Ben had off. So, Meggan's Day Off began. It's typically every Thursday and means no cooking or cleaning for me. Sure, we still have Andy to take care of, but it is a big improvement.
Ben, you are awesome! Thank you for making these days possible!
Something that I really miss about life in the US is paper-crafting. While I LOVE using Shutterfly to make digital scrapbooks (thanks to my sister-in-law, Kim, for inspiring me), I still like to make cards, chip-board books, etc with real, hands-on paper and materials. Too bad that stuff is rather rare (read "ridiculously expensive and hard to get to") in Spain.
Thanks to my lovely parents, their neighbor, Holly (a Stampin' Up rep), and Kim, I now have a bunch of crafting supplies. Our church in Denver, Bethany Evangelical Free, also sent me some wonderful crafting supplies for Christmas. Thank you all!
Anyways, on the past two Thursdays, I've been putting my paper-crafting skills to the test in making cards. Here are a few that I've done. The lighting isn't great, but oh well. And as soon as I mail out Rick and Anne Groves' wedding card, I'll post that one up, too. Can't let them see it here before they open it, can I?
One of the practical things that we're doing to help us in our quest for lower stress is to each have a day off. Ben had started practicing a day off regularly a few months ago, but we both suddenly realized that even when he was off, I wasn't. My day was basically the same, except that Andy had a playmate when I was cooking when Ben had off. So, Meggan's Day Off began. It's typically every Thursday and means no cooking or cleaning for me. Sure, we still have Andy to take care of, but it is a big improvement.
Ben, you are awesome! Thank you for making these days possible!
Something that I really miss about life in the US is paper-crafting. While I LOVE using Shutterfly to make digital scrapbooks (thanks to my sister-in-law, Kim, for inspiring me), I still like to make cards, chip-board books, etc with real, hands-on paper and materials. Too bad that stuff is rather rare (read "ridiculously expensive and hard to get to") in Spain.
Thanks to my lovely parents, their neighbor, Holly (a Stampin' Up rep), and Kim, I now have a bunch of crafting supplies. Our church in Denver, Bethany Evangelical Free, also sent me some wonderful crafting supplies for Christmas. Thank you all!
Anyways, on the past two Thursdays, I've been putting my paper-crafting skills to the test in making cards. Here are a few that I've done. The lighting isn't great, but oh well. And as soon as I mail out Rick and Anne Groves' wedding card, I'll post that one up, too. Can't let them see it here before they open it, can I?
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The Omelet
I have been overcooking scrambled eggs for as long as I can remember. I am always paranoid that they're undercooked, and despite enjoying an egg over-easy every once in a great while, undercooked scrambled eggs really freak me out.
The last full day of Mima (Ben's mom's) visit, however, I woke up and had the thought Today is a good omelet day. Let me be clear. I have never made a successful omelet before, so I have no idea what prompted this sudden assurance that I would be able to on Thursday. But, it worked!
Okay - maybe I know.
A spatula that looks like a scimitar!
It's made by the brand Orca, but I couldn't find a picture of it online. My mom bought if for me from the Wire Whisk in Appleton, a kitchen-gadgety store. It's made of flexible plastic and is GREAT for flipping Swedish Pancakes and apparently really helpful when making omelets.
So, make sure there's enough butter or oil so that the eggs won't stick to the pan.
As the eggs heat, skim around the sides with the scimitar spatula. This helps the omelet get ready to flip.
When the eggs start to bubble and almost all of the liquidy part of the eggs on the top is gone, remove pan from heat and shake it around a bit. If you've greased the pan enough, the omelet should slide around.
Then...confidence, Atreyu. Flip it!
It's scary, I know! Or, you could slide the omelet onto a plate and then flip the plate over onto the skillet. Or try with the spatula. But flipping it is fun (here I am flipping a Swedish pancake on New Year's Day...yes, in pajamas).
Once flipped, add ham or cheese or whatever to one side, then fold the other side over. Ta-Da! You're an omelet chef.
The last full day of Mima (Ben's mom's) visit, however, I woke up and had the thought Today is a good omelet day. Let me be clear. I have never made a successful omelet before, so I have no idea what prompted this sudden assurance that I would be able to on Thursday. But, it worked!
Okay - maybe I know.
A spatula that looks like a scimitar!
It's made by the brand Orca, but I couldn't find a picture of it online. My mom bought if for me from the Wire Whisk in Appleton, a kitchen-gadgety store. It's made of flexible plastic and is GREAT for flipping Swedish Pancakes and apparently really helpful when making omelets.
So, make sure there's enough butter or oil so that the eggs won't stick to the pan.
As the eggs heat, skim around the sides with the scimitar spatula. This helps the omelet get ready to flip.
When the eggs start to bubble and almost all of the liquidy part of the eggs on the top is gone, remove pan from heat and shake it around a bit. If you've greased the pan enough, the omelet should slide around.
Then...confidence, Atreyu. Flip it!
Once flipped, add ham or cheese or whatever to one side, then fold the other side over. Ta-Da! You're an omelet chef.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Blessed to have a Visitor
It's Friday afternoon. The house seems rather quiet after taking Mima (the name our oldest niece, Emily gave Carol, my mother-in-law, several years ago) to the airport this morning.
Having visitors while living in Spain is so great. We get to share our lives with people: show them around the neighborhood, introduce them to Spanish food (well...the few Spanish foods that we eat), take them to some cool parts of Madrid, and introduce them to our small group of friends here. We do life together. And we usually spend a lot of time playing games together, too. (Unfortunately, we have concluded after this visit that Bohnanza (the Bean Game) requires a minimum of 4 players to be interesting.) Ben and I even got to go on a date for the first time since...oh boy...when did Harry Potter 7 part 2 come to theaters in Madrid?
The tough thing about visitors is that the visit inevitably ends. It doesn't matter how long or short the time period; at some point, it's over. Life goes back to normal within a few days, but that first day (or days) after they leave, things are in limbo. The airport always does this to me. I'm so close to home when I'm there, waiting for Mima while she checks in near a sign that says New York on it. I could get on plane and within hours could cross an entire ocean and re-enter the country that I know, the culture that I understand through and through, the language that I can articulate freely. I could hug the family members that I love and enjoy the deliciousness of Chipotle (okay, burritos are not really THAT important).
I have to be careful sometimes when I think about life in the United States. If I lived there, I would still have days when I wanted to pull my hair out because of Andy's tantrums. Well, actually he pulls my hair out, so I'll have to find a new metaphor for frustration. That's been one of the advantages of accidentally getting my hair cut really short several weeks ago - there's less for him to grab onto! I digress. If I lived in the US, I'd still have lonely moments, moments when I couldn't just go hang out with friends and family, moments when I'd be overwhelmed with cooking or laundry. Moments when I'd feel disconnected with the Lord. I'd miss taking ballet for 5 hours a week, because that's just not realistic when you have a toddler. I'd still be stressing about enrolling Andy in pre-school or not in the fall.
So, living overseas doesn't really change a lot of my day to day wear-me-out factors. But, saying goodbye to someone at the airport without really knowing when you'll see them face to face (not on Skype, but thank you, Lord, for Skype) again is tough. It's the other side of having visitors. It's great to have them, but it's always a short-term thing. Granted, in our little apartment, I might kick out even the best visitor after a certain point.
Longing for reunion, for no more goodbyes is a sign that we long for eternity with the Lord. I find comfort in knowing that one day that reunion will take place forever. No more airport goodbyes. Or a lot of other much more painful goodbyes where Skype can't reach the person you love. Those goodbyes will come one day, regardless if I live in Spain or the US. The good news...the ONLY news I have to hold onto in those sad moments is that the Lord Jesus will return. He longs to return. Do I dare say that he longs to be united with us as much as he longed to be reunited with the Father while he was on Earth? That's a very powerful thought.
So, in light of that, I'm trying to look at having visitors as a little taste of that reunion. The goodbye will come, certainly, but the blessing of a visitor will outweigh the bitterness of that goodbye...until all is overshadowed (in a good sense) by the ultimate reunion at the Lord's return.
Having visitors while living in Spain is so great. We get to share our lives with people: show them around the neighborhood, introduce them to Spanish food (well...the few Spanish foods that we eat), take them to some cool parts of Madrid, and introduce them to our small group of friends here. We do life together. And we usually spend a lot of time playing games together, too. (Unfortunately, we have concluded after this visit that Bohnanza (the Bean Game) requires a minimum of 4 players to be interesting.) Ben and I even got to go on a date for the first time since...oh boy...when did Harry Potter 7 part 2 come to theaters in Madrid?
The tough thing about visitors is that the visit inevitably ends. It doesn't matter how long or short the time period; at some point, it's over. Life goes back to normal within a few days, but that first day (or days) after they leave, things are in limbo. The airport always does this to me. I'm so close to home when I'm there, waiting for Mima while she checks in near a sign that says New York on it. I could get on plane and within hours could cross an entire ocean and re-enter the country that I know, the culture that I understand through and through, the language that I can articulate freely. I could hug the family members that I love and enjoy the deliciousness of Chipotle (okay, burritos are not really THAT important).
I have to be careful sometimes when I think about life in the United States. If I lived there, I would still have days when I wanted to pull my hair out because of Andy's tantrums. Well, actually he pulls my hair out, so I'll have to find a new metaphor for frustration. That's been one of the advantages of accidentally getting my hair cut really short several weeks ago - there's less for him to grab onto! I digress. If I lived in the US, I'd still have lonely moments, moments when I couldn't just go hang out with friends and family, moments when I'd be overwhelmed with cooking or laundry. Moments when I'd feel disconnected with the Lord. I'd miss taking ballet for 5 hours a week, because that's just not realistic when you have a toddler. I'd still be stressing about enrolling Andy in pre-school or not in the fall.
So, living overseas doesn't really change a lot of my day to day wear-me-out factors. But, saying goodbye to someone at the airport without really knowing when you'll see them face to face (not on Skype, but thank you, Lord, for Skype) again is tough. It's the other side of having visitors. It's great to have them, but it's always a short-term thing. Granted, in our little apartment, I might kick out even the best visitor after a certain point.
Longing for reunion, for no more goodbyes is a sign that we long for eternity with the Lord. I find comfort in knowing that one day that reunion will take place forever. No more airport goodbyes. Or a lot of other much more painful goodbyes where Skype can't reach the person you love. Those goodbyes will come one day, regardless if I live in Spain or the US. The good news...the ONLY news I have to hold onto in those sad moments is that the Lord Jesus will return. He longs to return. Do I dare say that he longs to be united with us as much as he longed to be reunited with the Father while he was on Earth? That's a very powerful thought.
So, in light of that, I'm trying to look at having visitors as a little taste of that reunion. The goodbye will come, certainly, but the blessing of a visitor will outweigh the bitterness of that goodbye...until all is overshadowed (in a good sense) by the ultimate reunion at the Lord's return.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Rotary Madrid
Thanks to my adventurous mother, I enjoyed a new cultural experience today here in Spain: a Rotary International club meeting. Mom is a fairly new member of Rotary, and there's an open invitation for Rotary members from all around the world to drop in on a club meeting wherever they happen to be. So, she did all the legwork & found a group that meets for lunch every Tuesday at the Palace Hotel (a rather nice establishment). She took me along as her buddy/translator.
We were mildly underdressed for the occasion (I without a tie or jacket, Mom in her nicer vacation attire), but no one made us feel the lesser for it. I was probably the youngest person in the room by about fifteen years. I would guess about half of the 30-40 club members present spoke fluent English, including two Americans who had each spent half their lives in Spain (one man half of his 86 years, another woman half of her 50). The elder American gentleman lost his wife just last week; he was present at the meeting particularly because he needed a change of scenery. We sat between a Swiss gentleman who spent a generation as the CEO of a cosmetics company and a Spaniard who works as a headhunter. There were folks from a wide variety of career fields, as is the Rotary way, and generally speaking two generations present (the "white-haired" folks and those in the 45-50 range brought in to reinvigorate the group, as our headhunter friend explained).
The food and beverage were all delicious. The main presentation of the day focused on building an elite Spanish university. Based on global university rankings, the best university in Spain only ranks as #150 worldwide. Our resident expert (a physicist-turned-educational researcher who himself has spent time at Stanford, Berkeley, and Princeton) focused on two important traits for building such a university: independence from political oversight, and a global faculty and student body (which for him would require abandoning the regional languages). He also talked about the importance of philanthropy and independence between campuses. With a number of professors in the club, a heated conversation ensued in the Q&A time, so Mom and I got to witness the Spanish passion in full swing. It was a lot of fun. We spent part of our metro ride home talking about whether the eliteness of a university was its most important trait, plus the general equality of undergraduate education from one institution to the next, even in the hallowed halls of the upper-tier schools.
On our way out of the hotel, we decided not to pay 1,400 € for a purse. We'd rather take our pocket change elsewhere, thank you.
We were mildly underdressed for the occasion (I without a tie or jacket, Mom in her nicer vacation attire), but no one made us feel the lesser for it. I was probably the youngest person in the room by about fifteen years. I would guess about half of the 30-40 club members present spoke fluent English, including two Americans who had each spent half their lives in Spain (one man half of his 86 years, another woman half of her 50). The elder American gentleman lost his wife just last week; he was present at the meeting particularly because he needed a change of scenery. We sat between a Swiss gentleman who spent a generation as the CEO of a cosmetics company and a Spaniard who works as a headhunter. There were folks from a wide variety of career fields, as is the Rotary way, and generally speaking two generations present (the "white-haired" folks and those in the 45-50 range brought in to reinvigorate the group, as our headhunter friend explained).
The food and beverage were all delicious. The main presentation of the day focused on building an elite Spanish university. Based on global university rankings, the best university in Spain only ranks as #150 worldwide. Our resident expert (a physicist-turned-educational researcher who himself has spent time at Stanford, Berkeley, and Princeton) focused on two important traits for building such a university: independence from political oversight, and a global faculty and student body (which for him would require abandoning the regional languages). He also talked about the importance of philanthropy and independence between campuses. With a number of professors in the club, a heated conversation ensued in the Q&A time, so Mom and I got to witness the Spanish passion in full swing. It was a lot of fun. We spent part of our metro ride home talking about whether the eliteness of a university was its most important trait, plus the general equality of undergraduate education from one institution to the next, even in the hallowed halls of the upper-tier schools.
On our way out of the hotel, we decided not to pay 1,400 € for a purse. We'd rather take our pocket change elsewhere, thank you.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Recovery, thankfulness, and reflection.
Last week was a doozy! I had a few moments of not feeling well last Sunday, but the real jump-start to our family illness was Andy throwing up in his highchair during lunch on Tuesday. I was really grateful that the "my baby needs me more than this grosses me out" ability kicked in as I gave Andy a bath, started laundry, and cleaned up the highchair.
The next few days involved only one more vomit incident (poor Andy...poor crib this time), lots of body aches, and lots of toilet flushing. But, here we are, trying to get back into the swing of things, trying to tell the fatigue (and other lingering effects) to hop on the next train out of town, or at least out of our apartment.
Being sick will forever remind me of that horrible time last year when Ben was really sick, and we felt completely helpless as newcomers and foreigners in Madrid. This year wasn't nearly as serious, and we were able to get ourselves to the doctor (in our own car even!) without involving an ER visit.
Life in another country is all about celebrating the little things sometimes. This is one of those times. I am trying to be a person of thankfulness and a person of prayer. Sometimes by my own power, sometimes by relying on the Holy Spirit as my true power source. But, today, Father, I pause to say thank you for taking us through a week of illness and ask for a full restoration of health for the sake of your glory.
And now I'd better get Andy some more cereal.
The next few days involved only one more vomit incident (poor Andy...poor crib this time), lots of body aches, and lots of toilet flushing. But, here we are, trying to get back into the swing of things, trying to tell the fatigue (and other lingering effects) to hop on the next train out of town, or at least out of our apartment.
Being sick will forever remind me of that horrible time last year when Ben was really sick, and we felt completely helpless as newcomers and foreigners in Madrid. This year wasn't nearly as serious, and we were able to get ourselves to the doctor (in our own car even!) without involving an ER visit.
Life in another country is all about celebrating the little things sometimes. This is one of those times. I am trying to be a person of thankfulness and a person of prayer. Sometimes by my own power, sometimes by relying on the Holy Spirit as my true power source. But, today, Father, I pause to say thank you for taking us through a week of illness and ask for a full restoration of health for the sake of your glory.
And now I'd better get Andy some more cereal.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Saving money - BOOM!
With a year under our belts, we're finally at the place where we know how to save money on general expenses. When we first arrived, we went with whatever bank, utility company, or phone provider was easiest/recommended without doing any of our own research. Then, when we bought a car in November, we did the research & saved a small fortune annually (almost 1,000 €) on the best insurance plan for our situation. Today I just moved our banking to a different bank, because the old bank was charging us exorbitant fees, whereas the new account has no fees or commissions on anything. This will probably save another 150 € per year or more. It's a good feeling to be able to navigate the culture well enough to make these decisions now. Also, since car insurance and banking fees officially came from the "work funds" portion of our budget, we've just gained about 100 € per month that we can spend on the youth rather than giving it to "the man."
Up next, our utilities and cell phone service providers... maybe. :)
Up next, our utilities and cell phone service providers... maybe. :)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
2 years of Parenthood
Two years already? I (Meggan) was showing my friend, Candela, the Shutterfly book of Andy's first year today as we were celebrating Andy's 2nd birthday. I have definitely had my moments of missing baby Andy (though I still call him that), but the joys of Andy growing and learning really are very joyful. He occasionally hugs, he frequently kisses, he spells his name out loud, has his favorite little movies... He also is obsessed with the metro and insists upon going there every time we leave the house, doesn't really like being put in his stroller when I have to go grocery shopping, and can flail like nobody's business when he's upset. Parenthood is quite the roller-coaster.
As a wise friend told me, having small children simplifies your life. I get Andy dressed, fed, cleaned up, and to bed day after day. We go the grocery store, the park...everywhere together. Sometimes it's monotony, sometimes it's wonderfully peaceful, sometimes it makes me stir-crazy. I'm trying to learn to be content every day, trying to take better care of myself, trying to be more patient, trying to enjoy each moment with Andy without being overly sentimental. I'm also trying to get Andy to stop hitting his head on things (including my face) when he's angry. There's a lot of trying going on, even in the midst of a rather simple life.
Parenthood is life-changing. There are days when I really miss being a student at UW and at Denver Seminary. Almost every day I miss ballet classes in Littleton. A lot of who I was seems very far away sometimes. I know that living in another country has a lot to do with that, too. What I know for sure, however, is that my life is much richer being a parent. I am very grateful for the gift and challenge of having Andy.
As a wise friend told me, having small children simplifies your life. I get Andy dressed, fed, cleaned up, and to bed day after day. We go the grocery store, the park...everywhere together. Sometimes it's monotony, sometimes it's wonderfully peaceful, sometimes it makes me stir-crazy. I'm trying to learn to be content every day, trying to take better care of myself, trying to be more patient, trying to enjoy each moment with Andy without being overly sentimental. I'm also trying to get Andy to stop hitting his head on things (including my face) when he's angry. There's a lot of trying going on, even in the midst of a rather simple life.
Parenthood is life-changing. There are days when I really miss being a student at UW and at Denver Seminary. Almost every day I miss ballet classes in Littleton. A lot of who I was seems very far away sometimes. I know that living in another country has a lot to do with that, too. What I know for sure, however, is that my life is much richer being a parent. I am very grateful for the gift and challenge of having Andy.
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