Pictures of Weird

I thought that you might enjoy looking at a couple of pics of the bizarre snow shower we enjoyed (or endured, depending on which member of the Attaway family you ask) on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Obviously, DeLaynie was quite pleased by the situation.

Do you remember the lawn furniture to which I wrote a tribute in this post? It looked like this when we set it up:

After a few hours of snow, however, it looked like this:

The good news is that warmth has returned. Some meteorologists are predicting the possibility of another Saturday like the one on Easter weekend.

Oh, and I start my Saturday Zumba® classes tomorrow at 10 a.m.! I'm so giddy. Just thought I'd share. Have a happy weekend!

Used to Weird

It’s snowing outside. Yes. You read me right. It’s snowing. It was 65 degrees outside yesterday, and today… white fluffs of iciness. It isn’t accumulating yet, but IT’S SNOWING!

I could complain, but this is normal. The problem is that we got used to weird weather. It’s been unseasonably warm here (Easter weekend saw temperatures in the 80’s!), and we fell for the tease. Now we’re in shock because things are normal.

I debated whether it was just too cheesy to make the comparison, but it simply has to be done.

I think that this may be the state of the American church. We’ve gotten used to weird. We define sacrifice as sitting in an airconditioned or heated room, on a padded pew (or chair, as the case may be), and listening to someone praise God in song without fear, and enjoying learning the Word of God from a pastor who has usually been the beneficiary of Biblical education. When we hear about someone making a real sacrifice, we act as if it’s shocking.

I’m not insulting the church. It’s not that I want to hear about churches burning their pews and standing through services in order to show their dedication. I just want to make sure that I stay aware of the fact that this is not normal. Suffering is normal. Sacrifice is normal. What we have is unfair. I hope and pray that we appreciate it, and that we seek ways to use our dollars, time, and effort to glorify the One from whom we have received it all.

For now I say, “Let it snow!” Maybe then I’ll appreciate the warmth of Easter.

Feeling Old

My mom and dad saved a dress that I remember wearing when I was DeLaynie’s age. It was my favorite Sunday outfit, and now DeLaynie loves it, too. Yep. I feel old.

In other news, Edwin and I were very excited to bring home a new addition to our family...

lawn furniture.

We got it all set up yesterday, and now we’re basking in the glorious comfort of outdoor lounging.

For a little while, at least. The girls enjoyed the box that it came in more than the actual furniture.

I, however, grabbed a blanket and enjoyed my chair. Boy! I do feel old!

But it was a Pooh blanket that I swiped from DeLaynie. Maybe I have a few more fogey-free days left...

What Have You (or I) Given Up?

Many of you know that we thought that we would be in Nicaragua right now. God had a plan the whole time, which intended for us to be right where we are after attending training to work as missionaries. As an added bonus, we had the great privilege of getting to know lots of families who are now laboring in fields (literally and metaphorically) all over the world. We may not have the honor to be counted among them, but knowing them is infinitely more than we deserve.

Every once in a while I get hit in the head with how incredibly spoiled we are. Here we are, in the U.S., enjoying all of the amenities of American life, enjoying the shower of God’s blessings without the struggles that many of our friends are facing. We are called to be right where we are.

We have some friends who have been called to the jungle. They have made a video tour of their home. I gently request that you take the time to download it and watch it, keeping in mind that the wife is pregnant (bless her heart!). What a joy to know such people!

A Great Day at Church

Sunday was "Bring Your Own Friend Day" at church. This was Edwin's idea. The goal was to encourage current Sunday School attenders to invite friends. Edwin ordered T-shirts to give away, and we had an abundance of breakfast food available before study began.

It's been a long time since I've seen a church buy into an idea so completely. For the entire week prior, the common question was, "Who are you bringing?" It was more than a suggestion. It was an expectation. We had 110 people in Sunday School, which more than doubled the previous week. That's 110 people in Bible Study. 110 people listening to the Word of God. 110 souls being fed, encouraged, and loved.

As if that weren't enough, the students presented a human video that they had been preparing for weeks. It was the "Everything" skit (to the song by Lifehouse; you can look it up on YouTube), which presents the Gospel in a dramatic way. They did better than great. It was phenomenal. I've seen it dozens of times, performed by students in churches with exponentially more attenders, but no one has done it better.

That's what we call a good day at the office. Okay, so Edwin calls it a good day at the office. I call it a great day at church, but I think that may be splitting hairs.

I Gotta Business!

I am now a business woman, sort of. I haven't made a dime, but I have a website and business cards. That's pretty close, right? I have the privilege of filling in for Cindy (my favorite Zumba® instructor) on Monday.I absolutely love Cindy for bringing Zumba® to town. She's been wonderfully supportive. I appreciate her tremendously! I am so excited to see if I can survive my first class. And nervous. But that's obvious.

I'll start my own classes on May 1st. I'll be getting a business license and everything! The name of my company is Too Fun To Be Fitness. Say it out loud. Sweet, huh? Click here to visit the site and check out the information regarding the classes I'm starting. Let's pray that I can earn back the cost of training!

Spring is Here! (at least for a little while)

So you want pictures, huh? Well, we got 'em! It was extraordinarily warm this weekend, hitting the high 80's! Many years, it's still snowing at this time of year, so this was absolutely remarkable. We all enjoyed it. Even I didn't mind the heat, and we don't have an air conditioner!(This may not mean much to you if you don't know me, but I tend to stay in the nice, cool, air conditioned indoors all summer.) It's amazing how good it feels to be warm after months of cold. DeLaynie was all dressed up and ready for Easter when she received this hat and purse set. She would stand in front of the full-length mirror and say things like, "So stylish," "I need some blue eyeshadow," and turn around and say, "What a beautiful back I have!" Apparently, that stick is her walking stick. We're not sure where that concept came from.

See that pink? That's how the girls of the Carpenter (my mom's side) family prove that it's warm. Who needs a thermometer?

The girls received gift cards to WalMart for their birthday, which I parlayed into sand toys.

Saturday afternoon, we had our family Easter egg hunt. The girls had a great time. Ella, once she got the concept, ran around the yard yelling, "So happy!"

Easter morning came, and thanks to Edwin's dad and stepmom, the girls were completely outfitted, right down to purses, which they swapped randomly throughout the day.

I just love the sweaters!

After church we enjoyed the hospitality of not one but two wonderful families! We are so grateful for all of the love we receive here.

Ella absolutely loves chocolate labs. This family has two of them, and she squeals for them once we pull into their driveway.

This family included several kids, so we were able to hunt for more eggs, though my kids weren't as motivated as some of the others.

But Daddy made up for it.

All-in-all, it was a lovely holiday weekend! The cold may return (we've been warned about this possibility), but we're enjoying the break. Thank You, Lord for the sun, and for the True Light of the World!