While yesterday was a bit gloomy all day, today is bright and full of sunshine. I’m glad I was able to get quite a bit of weeding and trimming done outside last night before darkness fell, although I need to figure out what to do with the huge pile of debris that I built. I’ve been watching Wimbledon on TNT and enjoying some of the matches, even though I’m disappointed that one or two of my favorite players have already been knocked out of the tournament.
“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’” Matthew 15:7-8. Today is a rather gloomy day but there is lots to be done around the house in view of my mother and my niece, Britta, coming on Sunday. I’m just getting over a chest cold of some sort, and so is Tristan. Speaking of Tristan, some sort of switch has been flipped and he has been a little monster these past few days. No kidding! Where is the sweet-tempered, happy child he used to be?! Surely the terrible twos hasn’t struck early? I sure hope not.
After another lengthy hiatus, I’m back to recording some daily thoughts…Now that summertime is really here and I have the luxury of no work for the next few months, I’m starting to relax and enjoy this time of year. One of the perks of being a professor is having a 10-month appointment! While the pay isn’t great, the time off is really worth it. I am hoping to get more done in the yard, especially with planting and maintaining the gardens we’ve made. Since we’ve been gone for most of the past few weeks, there is lots to do in terms of weeding! Maybe we’ll even get some more unpacking and decorating done in the house. I was reading in Psalm 78 just now, verses 13-16: “He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.” This is of course reference to the children of Israel in the wilderness, but it makes me think about times in the past that God has brought me through. There are many examples where I didn’t think I could possibly get throught yet He provided what was needed. Praise be to Him! I think each of us needs to remember the signposts of God’s provision in our lives, especially when we face ongoing hurdles or struggles at the present time. Recall what He has done in the past and be strengthened by that recollection.
I’m currently away from home so getting access to the Internet is spotty at best. I’ve been attending the annual conference of the Association of Christian Librarians (www.acl.org) at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN. Last night I was able to go to the Bluebird Cafe to hear up and coming songwriters perform in the round. The place is just a dive but it was a truly unique experience to sit just a few feet away from the four performers for two hours of live, acoustic music. Really neat! While some of the performers’ voices weren’t great (I guess that’s true of a lot of songwriters), the lyrics and the music were top-notch. Today I’m hoping to do some touristy things since the conference finished yesterday.
We survived the hectic day yesterday — got the perennials planted, the lawn mowed, etc. and then drove up to the western Chicago suburbs to stay with my in-laws in Warrenville, IL. It was a beautiful day and today promises to be the same. On our way there, we passed by lots of garage sales throughout small towns in Indiana. Michele was upset that we couldn’t stop and browse, but we didn’t have time (thank goodness!). I was greatly saddened to hear the news that Martin Burnham, a missionary in the Phillipines who, with his wife, had been held captive for almost a year by a rebel group there, was killed in a rescue attempt, along with two other people. Gracia Burnham, his wife, was also shot but survived. What a tragedy. While we must accept God’s plan and purpose in this, I still mourn for that family, especially the children who have been waiting and hoping for so long to see both parents again some day. Please join me in praying for them and for the families of others in the same group who were killed. I opened my Bible this a.m. to John 16:20-22 and read Jesus’ words to His disciples: “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy…Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”
What a day today is going to be. A real doozy. Too much to do, too little time 
Finished digging out the 25′ bed for the new perennial garden in the front of our house last night in the rain, but then overslept and got to work late this a.m. I won’t be at work all next week so will need to get tons of things squared away before the day is done. I read this a.m. that Agassi lost his quarterfinal match at the French Open — argh. I was rooting for him to win the whole shebang. In view of the day before me and my general mood, I found Psalm 46:10 to be quite meaningful: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Last night we had a severe thunderstorm that knocked out electricity ’til about 8:40 a.m. today. I was standing at the patio door watching the lightning, when a bolt hit very close to the house, so close that the flash blinded me for a moment. I leapt back with a loud whoop and holler, and collapsed on the couch next to Michele, laughing nervously and hoping I hadn’t woken up Tristan. Keegan came downstairs, scared. Shortly afterward, the power went out. We need to be better prepared for outages here! This is the first time the power has been out for an extended period of time since we moved here. In Wheaton (IL) someone could sneeze 10 miles away and that would be enough to knock out the power. But here, thankfully, power is more stable. I read some really comforting verses this a.m. in Psalm 61:2-4: “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.”
Today is the day we go to the doctor for Michele to have a sonogram. We may be able to learn whether our baby is a boy or a girl, but it’s doubtful, since our doctor will not state the sex of the child. That’s his policy. We’ll videotape the sonogram and see what we shall see…I need to plant the perennial garden (about 60 plants) that was my Father’s Day gift from Michele and the children. That’ll be a big undertaking. I read an appropriate verse in Psalm 65 this a.m.: “You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly” (Psalm 65:9 NIV). P.S. Just got back from the doctor, and…[drum roll, please]…it is fairly certain that we will have a baby girl!!! Whoopee! And it looks completely healthy at this point (5 months). I really just want a healthy baby and would have been happy whichever sex it was, but am really happy about the fact that it is likely to be a girl.
It has been a long time since I’ve “blogged”…The delay was for a variety of reasons which I won’t go into here. Today’s scripture in Psalm 71, ver. 19-20 (NIV), reads: “Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.” What a great reminder! These days at home are filled with thoughts, ideas, and action regarding outdoors stuff like the garden. This weekend we bought some tools to help create and maintain our garden beds around the yard. It’s great to have the right tools so that the work that you want to do can be done more easily! Can’t wait to actually plant now, even though it is at least two weeks later than normal. It has been very wet and rainy here, with a late frost that has killed a lot of new growth, so maybe now is not a bad time after all to get tomatoes and other plants in the ground. I discovered Saturday that a large groundhog has made its home under our garden shed.