Politics and Parenting

 Sitting comfortably while my baby sleeps, I read a book on parenting.  The author says, and I agree, that the goal in parenting is to teach your child to be self-governing-that is, to be self-controlled and to do what's right without having to be told to.  It dawns on me that that is just what society needs--people who do what's right without having to be told to.  I am not for anarchy;  after all, there will always be extreme cases where people need to be told what to do, and they need to face the music when they fail to do what's right.  If someone breaks into someone else's home-even though their conscious tells them that's wrong- then that person needs to go to jail.  They were incapable of self-governing, and they needed the authorities to step in and make them face the consequences of their actions.  Some adults need to go back to the basics and learn to self-govern and show self-control.  No, ALL adults need to continually practice self-control.  We need to all be continually examining our hearts and doing what is right without having to be told to.  In this area of life, as in so many others, we are never done.  There is no finish line.  The need for self-examination is a constant, something that will be with us throughout life.

Scattered Thoughts of Someone Who Supports John MacArthur

 First of all, I am no seminarian or pastor.  I am simply a Christian woman who loves the

e Bible and appreciates good Bible teaching.  I have been a member of Grace Community Church for almost 30 years.  I became a Christian under the teaching of Dr. MacArthur and other staff pastors at Grace.  I met my husband at Grace.  Many sweet people at Grace prayed for us when we decided to adopt, and they rejoiced with us when we brought our son home.  I rarely miss a Sunday.  I love the church universal, and I especially love Grace Community.  Grace has been a huge part of my life, ministering to me and nourishing my soul, and Grace has also given me many, many opportunities to minister to others throughout the years.  So I cannot claim to be unbiased; after all, if I didn't respect and appreciate Dr. MacArthur and his church, I wouldn't still be there.  Obviously, then, I do respect and appreciate Dr. MacArthur.  My mom once described me as "fiercely loyal", which is true, but I truly believe Dr. MacArthur is right in what he is doing.  I think he is courageously taking a stand for the truth, as he has done so many times.  This is not just my loyalty speaking.  The situation right now, the polarization of those who stand with John and support him, and those who think he is doing the wrong thing, reminds me of Christ's suffering and the false accusations brought against Him, and Peter's simultaneous denial of Him, of ever knowing Him or being associated with Him.  I am also reminded of the ministry of Paul, and how relational his life and ministry was.  Throughout his epistles, he makes many references to both people who deserted him and people who were not ashamed of him or of his chains when he was imprisoned and beaten following preaching the Gospel.  I also recall that many times in his legal wranglings, Paul did not hesitate to assert his rights as a Roman citizen.  

My bottom line is that I stand with John MacArthur.  I appreciate his courage and leadership, and I am not ashamed to proclaim my support of Dr. MacArthur and Grace Community Church.

My Great Adventure

The first Christian cassette I ever owned was given to me in 1994.  The artist was Steven Curtis Chapman.  I believe the title of the album was For The Sake of The Call, but the song, The Great Adventure has always been in the back of my mind-obviously it was in my thoughts the day I named my blog; although I recall The Wind in The Willows being my main source of inspiration there.  Anyway, I still have that tape, and I still listen to it every now and then.  When I started this blog 20? years ago, I had NO IDEA just how adventurous my life would be.  Having said that, you may think that I am an explorer, or an astronaut, or a world traveler.  You would be wrong.  When I started the blog, I was a young wife.  I was also a daughter, sister, friend, aunt, cousin . . . nothing really extraordinary.  The most exotic thing I had ever done was going on a short term mission trip to Mexico City.  (I LOVED IT!)  Then I got married.  Soon after marriage, I was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative neurological condition.  Many years of fun times with my husband and my friends and my family followed.  Then, after 23 years of marriage, Mr. M and I decided to adopt a baby.  It was a long and emotionally taxing journey.  There were ups and downs, with a few blind curves thrown in.  That is one of the reasons I bought myself a pendant necklace that says, "Life is a beautiful journey."  You may not be able to see the road ahead of you (Who but God can??), but God promises that, for those who trust in Him, our final destination will be a good one.  We can expect hills and valleys, but the One who leads us is faithful, so SADDLE UP YOUR HORSES.https://www.google.com/search?q=lyrics+the+great+adventure+steven+curtis+chapman&oq=lyrics+for+the+great+adven&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l6.2

Great skill and proficiency in playing with rocks.

This may not look like a valuable or significant plot of land, but for those of you who don't live in CA, it is the equivalent of an acre in, say, Texas.  So I have been hard at work cutting down the overgrown bush there. (Something in the bamboo family, I'd guess.)  I think I've gone as far as I can go.  So now, the plan is to go buy some river rocks, and make a little rock garden.  Donny will like that.  So will I.  It is nice and shady in the mornings and evenings, and Donny has shown great skill and proficiency in playing with rocks.

The Littlest Cinderella Story

I guess it wasn't really too much like Cinderella, but close enough--and cuter.  We all went to church as a family this morning.  After a short while of sitting still, Donny became restless, so we put his shoes on him and let him run around the courtyard.  After running around for a bit, he got back in his stroller and fell asleep.  That's when I noticed it:  his little feet were bare!  For the second time this week (both times having to do with my little prince), I found myself carefully retracing my steps in search of a lost item (or two.)  After only 5 minutes of looking, I saw that some kind fellow congregant had found Donny's right shoe and put it up on a table.  I grabbed it up, and I asked my fellow courtyard loiterers if they had seen the matching left shoe.  They hadn't.  Then I ran into a friend, and her two daughters volunteered to help me hunt for the shoe.  I went back to check on my barefooted baby, and he was still sleeping soundly in his stroller.  Then, I turned my head to the left, and there on the ground was the missing shoe.  It had come off (been pulled off) in the parking lot.  I ran to retrieve it, and called off the hunt.  I had found both pink pineapple shoes belonging to my Little Prince.  I was glad to have found the shoes, but I was profoundly grateful for the church, for the kind stranger who had set the right shoe on a table, and for my young friends who volunteered to help find the other.

The Modern-day 1950s Family

What a day!  We started the day by taking Little Donny to a fancy swimming facility for an assessment.  He screamed the whole time.  We considered our options, and decided the fancy swimming facility isn't for us.  Then we all came home to recover, and to research new cars.  We think, especially now that we have a baby, it might be a good idea to have a safety feature or two--not to mention a working radio and A/C.  So we made an appt. for a test drive, and we compared a couple cars, and we made our choice.  It took all afternoon and evening, and we ended up eating dinner in the valley.  When we finally got home, Donny and I watched the Dick Van Dyke show while Mr.M went shopping for his mom.  It was the episode where Rob thinks that he and Laura brought the wrong baby home from the hospital.  It's one of my favorite episodes.  I've seen it more than once before.  It tickles me pink to think of Rob and Laura taking their son to swim lessons (if there isn't an episode where they did it, maybe the Ricardos did, or Ozzy and Harriet, or the Cleavers or the Father Knows Best family-or the Flintstones.)  My point is that it is fun to be a part of something that has been around for so long-parents taking their child to swim lessons, and parents buying a new car, making sure the car seat fits comfortably in the back. 

The Best Blog Post You'll Ever Read

I may have oversold that.  I just wanted to use my new computer-not new at all, but I got a cover for it, and it feels like a new computer to me-and I wanted to talk about me and my day.  Because it's all about me.  Not really.  Well, this is my blog, so I guess it is all about me.  Who is me?  I am a woman saved by God's grace.  I am a woman who loves and adores my husband, and is totally thankful for his friendship and wisdom and for the way he takes care of his family.  I am an extremely happy and thankful mother.  God has made me a joyful mother, and I am forever grateful for it, and I am proud to tell the world that the amazing God I serve has done wonderful things for me.  I am a woman who loves to read and to challenge herself mentally and physically.  Right now, I am most excited about the mental challenges I am putting my brain through.  Call it a mental obstacle course, and I'm hoping to become a mental ninja warrior.  I am currently reading a book on apologetics (Mama Bear Apologetics.)  It is a good resource, and it has whet my appetite to learn more about apologetics, and to familiarize myself with the subject.  Christian Apologetics is a logical defense of the faith.  It is using logic to prove that a Biblical Worldview is the only correct Worldview.  This is nothing new.  This is just restating the orthodox Christian beliefs of Martin Luther, John Knox, Tyndale, Bunyan, St. Augustine, and of course, the apostles and prophets, and all Christians throughout the ages.  The Protestant Reformation has a special place in my heart, since I first started studying the Bible when the Catholic high school I attended taught us about that trouble-maker who thought everyone should be able to read the Bible for themselves, as opposed to the Bible belonging only to the Catholic church.  I agreed then with the trouble maker, and I still do.  Like Martin Luther, I think people should read the Bible for themselves and find a church that teaches the Bible-not someone's opinion.  I have read and studied the Bible, and I go to a church that teaches the truths of the Bible.  God has given me a love for the truth that is found only in the Bible, and I am embarking on a study of apologetics so that I can better understand and articulate that truth to others.  I don't pretend that this will be easy, but I am convinced it will be worth it.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I hope it wasn't the worst blog post you've ever read.

Made for More

I know for a fact that God gives us all different gifts and abilities.  God gives the gift of singleness, and He must also give the gift of childlessness.  Some singles are totally content as singles, others get on every dating site and app, and visit different churches-sometimes even different states-looking for other ponds with more, and better, fish.  Some couples are completely content to be childless, to devote themselves to each other and to extended family, to throw themselves fully into their careers or schooling or ministry.  Mr. M and I were content to be just us for many, many years.  We spent a lot of time in ministry, we went on some amazing vacations, and we just enjoyed each other.  I always wanted to be a part of this "mom club", though.  I wanted to be able to struggle with other women through the harder times and uncertainties of motherhood, and I wanted to be able to laugh and rejoice about how our children were learning and growing.  I had had an amazing mother, and I wanted to see if I could be one.  I wanted the challenge of introducing a new person to the amazing creation of God, and to bring into the world a young person who would inspire others, and love them, and who would be bold in Christian values.  I had been involved in various children's ministries in the church, and many community outreaches.  It just wasn't the same, though.  I was more than ready to trade in fancy dinners downtown for bowls of yogurt with rice puffs in our little home.  I was ready for the mess and the late nights, and I was up for the challenge of introducing a little guy or girl to the outdoors, and to the wonders of sports and physical activity, and to (of course) reading and developing imagination and a sense of humor.  In short, Mr. M. and I decided to start down the long road to adoption, and now we are a happy family of 3.  God has a place and a role for everyone in His kingdom-and that role may change with time-so we must be sure to give thanks for all--for the singles, the marrieds with AND without kids, and for the single parents.

A Blog is (Re)born

This group makes me so conflicted . . . I love seeing peoples' bikes, but I find myself growing envious; which is ridiculous, given that I have my own hot pink beauty sitting on the front porch. I almost have to sit on my hands to keep from buying some pretty Townie, but that is pretty much impossible when you need to use your hands for scrolling. I find the group inspiring in a couple not-so-obvious ways: one is that I am inspired once again to write. I have been a little busy raising a one-year-old boy this past year, so my pen and paper (or my keyboard and computer) have been much neglected. Also, I saw that someone bought a lovely garden flag that says, " Life is a Beautiful Ride." That is so true, literally, as it is always fun and exhilarating to ride a bike (especially a bike that has its own Facebook fan page!), and life is also an exhilarating and unpredictable emotional ride with blind curves and crazy hills and valleys. I think this especially when looking over the past year, when my husband and I adopted a baby boy after 23 years of marriage. Indeed, life truly is a beautiful ride. I have a bike on the porch, and a baby in his crib to attest to the truth of that statement.

I posted this in a group dedicated to this particular brand of bike. I think I will give a second birth, so to speak, to my blog. I really liked the feel of writing again.

Donny's 1st Year

This is more of a celebration for me and your dad.  We have loved being your parents this year.  We have loved watching you grow and learn new things, and get your first teeth, make funny noises, start walking, crawling out of the doggie door, splash in the pool, make friends everywhere you go, and so much more!  We are committed to loving you and to raising you to know and love God.  So many people love you and are so happy you're here!  You, me and your dad are all in this together.  We are all learning.  Thankfully, we have a lot of friends and family to help us.  You are such a happy baby, and we are happy parents.  We love to show you off.  You are the center of attention everywhere we go.  I guess you won't remember your 1st year, but your dad and I had a lot of fun with you.  You flew home with us from Seattle when you were 1.5 weeks, and you flew with us to San Jose when you were 7 mos.old.  We spent Christmas at home, taking day trips almost every day.  We put up our 1st Christmas tree, and we listened to Christmas music all day.  We went to a big picnic with Dad's car club, and we went to the beach a lot to see your Aunt Suzanne and Grandpa Jim.  Your Grandpa Don and Grandma Judy love you to bits, and came out 2 or 3 times to see you.  We have plans to take you on more trips in the future, to see more of our friends who love you and prayed for you to come to us.  This year has really flown by, and we want you to know how HAPPY and BLESSED we are to have you in our hearts, our lives, and in our home.  It is your home now.  Happy Birthday, Donny!

Living in the World Winsomely

It is true that some Christians seem to live in a Christian bubble, with their Christian friends and family, and only listen to Christian music and watch Christian films.  I am not like that, and I don't pretend to be.  I like things and people that make me laugh-Christian or not.  Like all Christians, there was a time when I wasn't a Christian, and I enjoyed the popular music, books, and TV of those days; I still do.  I enjoyed writing funny stories before I was a Christian; that hasn't changed.  I still enjoy cranking up the volume and listening to Weird Al and Run DMC.  I think, as Christians, it is important to be relatable in this way.  I can easily make-and genuinely enjoy-a friendship with someone else who enjoys humorous essays as much as I do, whether or not they are a Christian; and if they're not, that gives me an opportunity to show genuine love, and maybe even share the good news of Christ.  I think that it is important for Christians to have interests outside of our Christian activity.  We are called to be winsome in the world, to let our lights shine, and to be salt of the earth.  We need to be approachable, and to be relatable to others.

A Tale of Two Necklaces

I recently (pre-pandemic panic) ordered a green depression glass necklace.  Depression glass now seems very appropriate, as a depression of sorts may well be in our future.  However, I also started wearing again the pretty gold necklace Mr. M gave me for our 3rd anniversary.  Knowing that emeralds are my favorite gems, he had the jeweler custom make the setting for this gem.  Both necklaces are special to me, the glass one because, to me, it represents this time in history, and it also reminds me of the futility of worry and the promise of God to provide for all our needs, and even to give us good gifts we ask for.  Also, I like the casual, beachy style and the bright green glass.  The other, fancy necklace reminds me of how much my husband loves me, and how much thought he put into choosing this setting, and that gem.  So, since I can't decide which to wear, I am wearing both for now.  I don't care that I might look like 80s Madonna, who wore many multiples of necklaces.  Having the two necklaces reminds me that I, and everyone else, have many sides to them:  a fancy, sweet, sentimental side, and a bohemian, beachy side.

A Blog Post About a Vlog

As much as I like to write, I've decided to try my hand at vlogging.  I'm very much of an amateur at it, but trying new things is cool . . . everybody's doing it.  So, I'm just going to try, and we'll see what happens.  Here is a link:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=coffee+with+jennifer   It is very possible that I enjoy thinking about vlogging more than I enjoy doing it.  I like the planning and I like philosophizing about it.  The reality is that it may not even happen beyond the one short video I did today-but at least I'll have one more thing to add to the list of things I've done.  I'd like my vlog to be spontaneous, no rules, no theme, no agenda, and NO LISTS.  The thing is, I love to plan things, to prepare a script (preferably with a list!), and to have an agenda.  So this will be my challenge.  After all, NOW is a big time for me, a time of big change, so it seems like a good time to take on a challenge.  Plus, I don't want to say I'll post something every Tuesday when that may be impossible.  I will ask Mr. M to help me set up a YouTube channel tonight-actually, a second channel, since I already have one, and I think this video posted onto that channel, and I don't know how to separate them.  I'm always way behind any trend, so blogging was SO YESTERDAY when I started blogging.  It seems like a good time to start a vlog.  First, I need a good name.  I hope to see you on my vlog.  Please leave me a comment on it!

Naomi Again

I am reading this book for a small group Bible study.  I am reading about Ruth now; however, I am indentifying more with Naomi.  Naomi means "pleasant", and the author surmises that that is exactly what Naomi was when she lived in Israel-pleasant and gregarious.  Due to a severe famine in Israel, she moved with her husband and sons to Moab.  In Moab, Naomi's husband and her sons died, leaving her alone with the two Moabite women her sons had married.  Naomi returned to Israel with one daughter-in-law.  Naomi was returning to her homeland, to her friends and family who had known her before she left.  Everyone welcomed her home.  She told them all that it would be more fitting for them to call her "Mara", which means "bitter" for the Lord had dealt bitterly with her.  Many of you are familiar with the story, and that God greatly blesses Naomi, and she is feels once again like the pleasant Naomi she once was.
That is a bit how I've felt the past few years.  Once careless and gregarious, the Lord dealt bitterly with me for some time, but He has now restored to me the joy that I felt formerly. 

Philosophical, psychological Ramblings

Long before Donny was on the scene, I wondered to myself, "If I had a child, is there anyone I
would not trust to be alone with that child?"  The answer was "Yes."  I do have a relative that I would not leave my child alone with.  Because of the way this relative treated me and other children, I would not trust them to spend any time alone with a child of mine.

That little story is something I was thinking about as I was thinking about the self-perpetuating nature of sin.  That untrustworthy and demeaning relative has a family, and I wonder how the family is.  I wonder if the grown children are also untrustworthy. 

The thing that got me thinking about sin and it's power, pull, generational and self-perpetuating nature was the book I am reading on friendships within the church.  I've had some doozies, let me tell you!  Looking back, though, I see that those friends who caused me the most hurt and confusion had been hurt themselves.  Even those who had handled their hurt well and Biblically, and had forgiven their offenders, still inadvertently hurt others because they just didn't know how to trust, and their children may (I pray they don't) have that same legacy of not knowing how to have meaningful, trusting friendships.  That would be so sad, to miss out on the great blessing that comes from a true, heartfelt communion of souls.

I plan to spend the day reading, and praying to be and to have the kinds of friend that demonstrates Christ's love and patience.  I want to be a blessing to my friends, and to look forward to the future and not let past sin affect present relationships.

Costco is Sabotaging my Life!

We have a baby now, so we need a lot more room.  The baby needs room for his crib, his changing table, his clothes, his food, his toys.  We have to make room in the house for his high chair, his special baby food and baby plates, cups, bowls, and silverware.  We also need room for his carrier, stroller, and diaper bag.  So, Mr. M and I are taking his Christmas break to make-or find or create-room.  Unfortunately, our house doesn't expand, so we are throwing out a lot and giving things away to buy a little space for our baby and all his stuff.  Mr. M went to Costco to buy some baby things we need, and also some household staples.  We're getting rid of unnecessary boxes and packaging materials as fast as we can.  Things were going pretty well space-wise until Mr. M went to Costco.  We needed a box of Ziplocks, but we had to buy a pack of 4.  I don't know how long it will take us to use that many, but in the meantime, we have to find room for them.  That means taking some room from the baby stuff and using it to store household stuff.  It seems like our home has turned into a Tetris game.  It is like a soccer game with 2 balls, and the goal is Goodwill; better yet, our home is like an air hockey table where an extra puck is thrown on the table as soon as one puck disappears.

New Wheels

I don't want to neglect my writing no matter what is going on in my life.  Obviously, my life has changed drastically in the last 7 mos., and that change necessitates a new set of wheels.  This was a hard decision, but a necessary one.  My beloved car, rad as it is, is not a family car.  I do need to think about practicality.  Mr. M also thinks it very desirable for me to have a safety feature or two.  The bottom line is that I'll be getting a new car this summer.  Mr. M and I have already chosen the car we will get when it comes out.  It is much more practical than my Subaru, but of course not as unique.  However, it is not as practical as a minivan (I just couldn't make that big of a leap), but it is more unique than a minivan.  To aid me in my transition to a family car, a couple of fantastic friends have gotten me Bigfoot bumper stickers.  So even if the car I drive turns out to be less unique than I think it will be, the stickers will rectify that.  My goal is to have my vehicle-like everything else that is a big part of my life-be an extension of me.

God's Providence.

This photo is from a trip to Seattle in 2007. I loved these creepy looking trees then, and I love them now. I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again, because, well, I like it. I went to Seattle in 2007 and stayed with my friend, Connie. Fast forward 12 years, and I stayed overnight at Connie's house again-this time with our son. To me, that is amazing display of God's providence. I had no thought of adopting in 2007, but God knew, not only that I would be adopting, but that the baby would be born in Seattle, and we would need friends there to stay with. (And, they have cool trees that look creepy and ghostly.)

Every Christian a Missionary

I'm reading about the role of Christian women in the early 1800s. Many missionaries were sent out at that time, and it was discovered that the greatest missionary impact-the greatest Christian witness to people in foreign countries-was to simply have a Christian family living in the neighborhood, husband and wife loving each other and raising their children Biblically. This is still true, not only for foreign missions, but for Christian witness right here in los estados unidos. Do I know my neighbors? Do they know I am a Christian? Do I love them? Am I hospitable and available? It is my firm belief that every Christian is a missionary-whether it's in another country or a suburb of L.A.

Ser As I was reading today, I remembered why it is that I so love reading about the role of women throughout church history. It is because I grew up with a neighbor who was an ex-nun. I couldn't understand then-and I still don't understand now-how someone could think they could serve and please God better by living an isolated and secluded life with very limited contact with the world. I suppose this ex-nun had had that same thought, because she left the convent, got married, and had four great kids. (Two of them were my age, and we were close friends.) This ex-nun totally served God and unquestionably pleased Him by being an excellent wife and a good mother, and by living in community with her neighbors. The thought that God is more pleased by a life lived in isolation fascinates me because of its ridiculousness. This is also the reason I absolutely love Martin Luther, who led the way in pointing out the sheer nonsense of thinking that being a wife and mother was an inferior way of life than being a nun. That was the prevailing thought in Christendom for hundreds of years. I want to serve and to please God, and I think that is best done by living life in the open-doing good works for others, sitting with the citizenry of the world, sharing the reason for our Christian faith. In my life right now, that means being a loving and submissive wife, a dutiful and compassionate daughter-in-law, a Godly mother, and a good and faithful sister, friend, aunt, niece, cousin. We all have specific ways to serve and please God, and I encourage you to think about how you can best do that in your life.ving God Where You Are

As I was reading today, I remembered why it is that I so love reading about the role of women throughout church history. It is because I grew up with a neighbor who was an ex-nun. I couldn't understand then-and I still don't understand now-how someone could think they could serve and please God better by living an isolated and secluded life with very limited contact with the world. I suppose this ex-nun had had that same thought, because she left the convent, got married, and had four great kids. (Two of them were my age, and we were close friends.) This ex-nun totally served God and unquestionably pleased Him by being an excellent wife and a good mother, and by living in community with her neighbors.
The thought that God is more pleased by a life lived in isolation fascinates me because of its ridiculousness.
This is also the reason I absolutely love Martin Luther, who led the way in pointing out the sheer nonsense of thinking that being a wife and mother was an inferior way of life than being a nun. That was the prevailing thought in Christendom for hundreds of years.
I want to serve and to please God, and I think that is best done by living life in the open-doing good works for others, sitting with the citizenry of the world, sharing the reason for our Christian faith. In my life right now, that means being a loving and submissive wife, a dutiful and compassionate daughter-in-law, a Godly mother, and a good and faithful sister, friend, aunt, niece, cousin. We all have specific ways to serve and please God, and I encourage you to think about how you can best do that in your life.