Directions

I began this blog nearly three years ago to connect my passion for writing with my passion for my Savior. I have posted over 700 essays examining Christian issues, ideas and my own passions.

God is directing me in a new way and I'm still exploring how that will look. I have clearly heard his call to write stories. I am currently working on a novel based loosely on the book of Ruth.

How that impacts this blog, I still have to explore. But expect to see more posts about fiction, writing, and God's great stories.

And we'll see where the journey takes me.

New life

Just like the ancient Hebrews did, we celebrate babies in our culture. They are the reminder that life is worth living and that new opportunities arise to train the next generation.

I had the chance in the last week to rejoice in more personal ways. My husband and I had two grandsons born in the last week. I've been a bit slow posting here because of those commitments - but what a joy it is to be so preoccupied!

Here are photos:

Isaac with his daddy (our son), Nathan.

Ian with his mother (our daughter), Melissa.

God has blessed us!

Seven weird things....

I was tagged by Angela to share seven weird things about myself. See the rules:


I have a problem with this. Those who know me well think I’d have trouble finding seven non-weird things about myself. See what I mean? I do lots of weird things.

But here goes:

1. My son and I breed and show Holland Lop rabbits, traveling to about a dozen shows a year.
2. I do not like the smell – or taste – of coffee.
3. I once taught my baby sister the names of the planets in order by repeating them to her at night after she’d fallen asleep. She still knows them – and so do I.
4. I own a humongous two-volume Oxford English Dictionary that requires a magnifying glass to read the entries.
5. My first car was a Rambler American. I think there were only two of those made and mine was the light-turquoise boxy model. Snappy stuff for a college freshman.
6. I invented my own system of charting football plays during a game.
7. I can use my thumbnail to cut open tape on packages because my fingernails are very hard.

I’m not going to tag anybody to follow me. (That’s another weird thing about me is that I don’t always follow the rules) But spend some time thinking about your weird (OK, you can use the word “unique”) traits and post them. It’ll either humble you or cause a little thanksgiving for how God makes each of us special. Or is that weird?

Colorado cool

When the temperatures dipped to sub-zero in late December, I grabbed the chance to freeze my fingers but capture some of the beauty of the frost and ice here in Colorado. Here are a few photos for you:

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Psalms 8:3-4

God blesses us

Oh, oh, oh! I haven't told you about our Thanksgiving adventure yet.

The family came to our house this year. This includes children, nephews, siblings. Those who have gathered at my parents' house forever came here instead. This is pressure.

I have avoided hosting the Thanksgiving feast for years because my mother is a master pie baker and my mother-in-law glories in her perfectly-browned turkey.

So I did the natural thing: I got on the food network and watched those chefs at work. Their menu was my menu.

Well, I don't have a kitchen torch so I nixed the stuffing idea. I wasn't going to put dressing into the already-baked turkey, then toast the dressing before spooning it into a bowl. Our crew wasn't terribly interested in the presentation of the turkey. They care about volume.

So, for my first big Thanksgiving, I printed out pages and pages of new recipes to cook. That old adage about never trying a new recipe for company doesn't apply to me. I consider that the best time to try out new recipes.

We toasted chestnuts (never done that before) and didn't start the turkey until 9 am for a noon meal. (That made me nervous but it worked)

I remembered the year when my mother awoke to her alarm and put in the turkey while it was still dark, so the bird was ready by noon. The only problem was, she didn't check her alarm clock. She got up at midnight, unbeknownst to herself, put the turkey in the oven and got up at 6 am to a fully-cooked bird. We survived that. We'd survive my experiments.

One of the nephews came an hour early so we put him to work squishing the sweet potatoes. My mom arrived in time to slice the chestnuts. She kept getting confused over the sheets and sheets of recipes lying on the counter so we nearly had dressing with mashed potatoes in it.

The rest of the family - heavily weighed with testosterone - showed up in time to eat. And eat. The afternoon was stuffed with football games, paintball tournaments, cribbage and Rummicube. A Wii game showed up so everyone had a turn at phantom golf and bowling.

My 13-year-old son managed to get a sliver of a plastic straw into his tongue, which made for an interesting search for a tweezers and a flashlight.

But I realized in the end that the day was success because of how God has graced our family. We love to get together. There was a warm house to gather in and finances to buy the food. We laughed at the stories and teased each other all afternoon.

And the best part: Mom brought her famous pies. Even if the turkey was burned and the potatoes cold and lumpy, the day would have been fine as long as the family could snack on pie all afternoon. (And they did!) We are rich in God's blessings!

A big ape birthday greeting

I was a oh-so-mature 16-year-old sparring with my 8-year-old sister when it came up. "You are a silly goof," I told her.

She leaned back with all the gusto she could muster. "Don't call me names, you big ape!"

Several years later, she was living with me. "We're having leftovers," I told her one evening. "What do you want?"

"Liver!" she said brightly. Weird, I thought. We were on a very tight budget and we had leftover liver in the fridge but I didn't think she liked it all that much. Well, whatever. I served up a plate of liver. Did you know that re-heating liver in the microwave puts all sorts of little volcanoes on the surface? Even though it didn't look so appetizing to me, I hadn't been the one to order it. I laid the plate in front of her.

In return, I got one of those withering looks that take paint off of cars. She glared at me. "I said anything BUT liver."

Yeah, I had to toss it.

We've weathered a lot together over the years and sparred with great vigor.

My point? Today's her birthday. Happy birthday, Ann!!

Woohoo: 500 posts!

As you can see, I have spared no expense in celebrating my 500th post.

(Insert commercial break: you, too, can hire this balloon-bearing bear for your next 500th celebration.)

My sister made to 500 today as well (here's her blog site) but she didn't spring for the bear so her site is more cheesy than my celebration. Not everyone has elegant tastes, I guess. But since she was the one who urged me to start blogging, I have to dedicate this post to her. I know she'll be honored.

I started Sumballo in March of 2007, nervously placing my writing out for the world to see. Now, if you believe the hit map over on the sidebar, the world has strolled through. I've had hits from Australia, China, India, Africa, South America, and on. Nothing from Antartica yet but a blogger always needs new goals.

Based on the fact that my first posts (no, don't go look) now strike me as rather stilted and amateurish, I think my writing has improved - which was a main goal (well, after having the world stroll through....). But the best part is the new friends I've made in the process. I feel like I went to Malta with Angela, am praying over the elections along with Maxine and studying Solomon with Dana. There are many, many others as well who have touched my life. I've been changed by this blogging experiment.

These 500 posts have included book reviews, Bible studies, financial talks, and a few jokes. Since my sister's number-one post based on hits is her brilliant report on whether we swallow spiders while we sleep (we don't, they think), maybe I need to branch out in my posts.

And one more observation: my sister wrote 2 sentences on her 500th post while I have written a short book. Give a writer a keyboard and look what happens. Sometimes we get to 500 posts in a hurry!

I'll be marching on, with some new direction and changes. Thank you for your support!

I'll post the winner of the book basket later today (when I have time to get all those names logged into a random generator), and report back. You can now go forth in the glow of this elegant celebration.

Celebrating!

The Lord willing, Sumballo will celebrate its 500th post next week. For those of you who have been with me since the start, that may seem as amazing to you as to me.

Well, we're going to celebrate. (And check out my sister's blog as well. We're going to hit 500 on the same day - and that's been an interesting exercise in working together!)

I have a basket of books that I am going to give away. If you've commented during September - or if you comment before the 500th post is up - your name is in the hat for the books. One name per comment so if you comment a lot, you have a better chance. Feel free to pass the word.

Here are the books in the basket:

• New Birth or Rebirth by Ravi Zacharias
• Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck
• RX for Worry: A Thankful Heart by James P. Gill, M.D.
• Out of the Ruins by Sally S.Wright
• Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins

I may be adding more books. We'll see what I find on my shelves. These are all new/nearly new books. Most have been read once for a book review and deserve another reading.

If you have ideas for the celebration, throw them in the pot! And stay tuned next week for more celebration stuff.

August forgetting

Dust hung in the air, held motionless by the August heat but broken by the gang of four tumbling into the dining room. It’d been a busy morning of adventure behind the garage and we were hungry.

As I slammed into my chair, I saw a birthday cake in the middle of the table. Were we having company?

“Whose cake is that?” my brother piped up.

My mother was still bringing dishes of hot food to the table but she stopped for a moment. “Well, it’s mine. I thought I ought to get a birthday cake this year.”

Uh-oh.

I was 9 at the time, the oldest of the four who were enjoying summer freedom. We were too young to worry about insurance and phone bills. And calendars.

We all spent the afternoon working on birthday gifts. I don’t know how she felt about pictures drawn on brown grocery bags with crayons. Maybe the stack of chicken feathers warmed her heart.

I’m a mother now and I remember those days of zealous children, selfish in their quest for exploration. I suspect Mom wasn’t devastated by our forgetfulness. But I was.

That day I made myself a promise that I would not forget her birthday again.

I’m a little older than 9 now, but so far, so good.

So, today I’m taking my mother out to lunch. Happy birthday, Mom!

Finally, a report

My daughter, the moviemaker (I've mentioned her before, right?), put together a short review of our trip to Yucatan and Cuba. It's finally online so here's the link. It'll give you a taste of what we did and saw.

Who prays?

Our family is home safely from Yucatan peninsula and Cuba. We had very few problems and God gave us grace for those challenges that did wander across our path. We felt as though we floated in a bubble of protection and were very away of the many prayers said for us while we were gone.

God is good and we are humbled. Thank you for your prayers.

We conducted over 13 interviews and logged 16 hours of video that will need to be edited and formed into some documentaries. I asked each interview how American Christians could help them.

"Pray for us." That was their first answer every time. They know that their ministry work continues through God's grace and they need prayer. They appreciate ministry teams who come from America to help them. They appreciate the financial help. But most of all they need our prayers.

This is some of the hard work of being a follower of Christ, to commit to daily prayer for people who labor in Jesus' name in other places. but consider committing. If you'd like to pray for a Christian ministering in Yucatan or in Cuba, please email me. I can supply you with names, short thumbnail of their needs, and often a photo.

I know, from the last two weeks, how valuable prayer is. It was a precious gift to our family from those who prayed and I know it will be a precious gift to those we met and left behind. Thank you for praying.

Home again

God willing, we are returning home today from the Yucatan peninsula. Thank you for your prayers. I will be posting reports and photos in the next few days. We know God is good and we know his love endures forever.

Today's the day

We leave today for Mexico. I have scheduled a number of posts while I'm gone and I hope to be able to post some updates (if we have internet access part of the time.) Please pray for our family! I'll give you a report when we get home.

Indulge me

I had to look up "paparazzi" to see exactly what it meant before I described my son-in-law.


Really, it isn't that bad. Here's what Dictionary.com says: "a freelance photographer, esp. one who takes candid pictures of celebrities for publication."

I'm thinking that a new firstborn daughter is a celebrity, right?



OK, maybe my son-in-law is NOT paparazzi. I know that I am glad he's taking lots of photos. Keep them coming! Here are a couple to replace the ultrasound.

I know, she's beautiful, isn't she?

New life

We're celebrating the birth of our second grandchild, born yesterday to our daughter and son-in-law in South Carolina.

Little Emily is beautiful, of course. See her first photo at right.

I haven't gotten the newest ones yet.

We're praising God for a successful delivery and glad to welcome her to our family. I'll be able to fly from Colorado to South Carolina in mid-July to spoil the new little one help with household chores so my daughter can rest.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Luke 18:16-17

Suffering in Estes

Thanks to the magic of Blogger new posting options, my appearance here is only a Fig Newton of your imagination (as a good friend of mine likes to say.)

I’m really not here. I am at a writer’s conference in the beautiful Rockies near Estes Park. Here’s a look at the YMCA camp.

And here’s information about the conference. I am nervous and excited to be attending so I appreciate your prayers for what God wants to do there. You’ll get more of a report when I return.

I'm wearing what?

I recently joined an online group, Fellowship of Christian Writers, and was featured in a blog roundup by one of their members. Take a look. There are some interesting blogs listed there.

On a personal note, I’d ask for your prayers. God has given me some writing opportunities that are exciting – and the next deadline for three of them is in May. I’d appreciate your prayers that I can stay on schedule and get those completed.

And my 17-year-old daughter is busy telling the world that Prince Caspian arrives on the big screen in – count ‘em – seven days. She’s planning costumes for our movie-going entourage and expects me to show up looking like Susan. I guess it’s better than the White Witch. Pray for me!

On the road again

I am leaving shortly for a Bible quizzing tournament in St. Joseph, Missouri. Imagine a teenage-filled weekend of almost-limitless questions on the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, and 1 and 2 Timothy. Fortunately, I'm only the coach and not one of the competitors. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back on Sunday.

On the road

I am going to Nashville, Tennessee tomorrow for a couple of days of meetings. I hope to be able to post on Thursday. The plan for now: Mondays, Bible study on Galatians; Tuesday, writing reflections; Thursday, God's plan for finances. Please keep me in prayer as I travel.

Quirky me

I’ve been tagged by Tina (who is a scrapbooker, by the way, another one of my hobbies) and so I’ll give this a whirl.

Here are the rules: (1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Here’s the quirky list:

1. My husband and I do not remember the first time we met. (You’ll have to ask if you want more details!)
2. I once devised a code for tracking every play in a football game. (You’ll just have to ask if you want to know why.)
3. My son and I show Holland Lop rabbits and are members of the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
4. My very first camera used 127 film (anybody remember that kind of film?) and my very first typewriter was a black manual with thin spidery fingers that carried the letters up to a black ribbon, impressing the ink onto the paper.
5. My favorite food is the dish I haven’t tried yet.
6. My least favorite part of an eBay transaction is wrapping the packages for mail. (Remember, this is about unimportant quirky details. I KNOW you don’t care about my angst over eBay transactions! You probably don’t care that I’m trying to raise some money to buy a new Palm either!)

Now, who to tag... Here’s the deal. If you’re reading this, you’re tagged. Go have fun with this and leave me a comment so I know what you’ve done.