Milk Carton

Went to the dentist yesterday cause of a sensitive tooth. They xrayed it, checked it over and then put ice on it to identify the "sensitive" part. YIKES. Doc said he couldn't see anything visually wrong with the tooth, then asked, "Have you been under a lot of stress lately?"

I laughed and told him about the milk carton in cupboard.

Last night, I drank a second glass of red wine and this morning, I slept in. Maybe this will help my "stress level" that I'm not aware of!

Five years ago today

Five years ago today, "a black-skinned baby girl was found in box, with a blanket and a cartoon of dry milk." She was found outside a warehouse, in the city of Tongling, in the providence of Anhui, China. The people at the local orphanage ran an advertisement in the paper, announcing this child was found, but no one stepped forward to claim her. Not at all a surprise, since it is illegal to abandon children.

The caring women at the Tongling Welfare Institute gave this child her identify. They gave her the birthday of September 20 - perhaps they thought the little baby was 9 days old or perhaps 9/20 was a lucky day. They gave her the last name Tong, for the city and orphanage she came from, and they named her Min-Min, which meant "agile."

September seems to be a reflective time for me. Lots of natural changes as we move into fall, but mostly because I think so much about Allie’s China mom and family.

I find the story of baby Moses found in the basket, watched from a distance by his older sister so familiar and real. I wonder if this is not Allie’s story. Was there an older sibling, an aunt or perhaps her mom or dad that hid at a distance, watching over the cardboard box to ensure nothing happened to this child? What time was she left, what time did someone happen to find the box? What must it be like to feel like you have no options but to abandon your daughter?

I am thankful for this China woman who had the courage to give life to our daughter. I hope that somehow through God's grace, Allie's "China Momma" knows that her precious daughter is safe and loved.

I can’t imagine my life without Allie. She is so incredible and becoming quite a fisherman.

I got the kids their morning cereal and was ready to pour some milk into my bowl, but I couldn’t find the milk? Where’s the milk? I knew that I still had some in the container otherwise I would have rinsed it out and put it in the recycle bin. I looked in the on the counters, in the frig, on the kitchen table, asked the kids if they had taken it.

Then I got a little worried. I knew the milk wasn’t gone, but where was it? Was I losing my mind? I found my milk carton in the cupboard next to the coffee. . . . .I know that I’m getting older (mature) but I’ve NEVER done anything like that before.

I don’t feel consciously stressed.

I try to eat healthy and exercise at least 3x a week. I have good sleep habits – kinda – I usually sleep from 10:30p -4:30a. I don’t feel stressed out or overwhelmed at work. I’m in a good place with lots of opportunity for personal and ministry growth. If my stress is not at work, is it at home?

Well. . . . let’s see. In the last 3 years, we have adopted a little girl from China. We’ve lived in 4 different houses in less than 24 months. We lost our Ohio house to foreclosure. My daughter has been in 3 different early childhood education centers; my son has been in 2 different schools systems. I took a pay cut and started a new job in a church; I’ve been taking classes for the last 3 years; my husband commutes to Toledo 3 days a week and is gone for 14 hours a day; my elderly parents are getting more elderly and they are my nearest family support. I think I’m pre-menopausal and my daughter hasn’t even started elementary school yet. . . . . . . soooooo if all I do is misplace a carton of milk, I say I’m doing good!

Ohha, I was just kidding! That’s not my life at all!

Seriously, life is challenging. You probably don’t have the exact same life circumstances as me, but I’m sure you have some tough challenges of your own.

Amazingly I am learning to be more gentle with other people, perhaps they found an old stinky milk carton in their cupboard this morning! Most likely, there are things in their life that struggle with. Amazingly, I am learning to be “content” and even kind of comfortable in the somewhat chaotic thing I call “my life.” Content in that every little thing does not pull me off center. . . . I do believe that “everything has the potential to draw me closer to God.” So to the best of my ability at any given moment, I try to embrace “my life” and let God do his work of transforming my heart, mind and soul.

All is gift. . . even a misplaced carton of milk.

Thank God I found it before it went bad and stunk up the whole house!

Invitation to be fully present

A sense of all is well
God is at work – all over the place –
He doesn’t need me to fix things or to worry
He simply invites me to be present and
witness the Spirit’s movement around me and in others.

Mother Teresa was fully present with Jesus and therefore was fully present to those she cared for. Caring for their physical needs was secondary to being fully present with them. So often I am distracted by stupid, silly things that have little significance. Spirit, help me be fully present.