today, tomorrow and yesterday (not necessarily in that order)

Lately I have really been enjoying my life. Oh sure there are little dramas here and there, but as a whole, I have made the decision to enjoy my life. Since then, I've been doing just that. Why get all bummed out about silly menial things when the really important stuff is all here. My kids are happy, healthy and whole. My husband is such a good man. I enjoy having friends and I am loving the summer. I'm thankful I have a job I can do once a week or so that helps out, is fulfilling, and doesn't consume my life. Its not like I think I have it all together. Its not that my world doesn't have its share of challenges. I have just decided that I am going to enjoy what days God has given me and live them to the fullest. I hope that you are doing the same. Anything else would be a horrible waste of such a precious gift that He has given.
That said, I will tell you tell you the tales of yesterday and tomorrow. I will start with the future : Soon I will be hiring myself, my friends and my children out as "slave laborers" in a fruit orchard. A co-worker at the hospital could use some help harvesting her cherries and we are working to trade for a winter supply. We will soon be caravaning down there together with high spirits, a whole pack of kids and hopeful bellies.
Tomorrow is my babies 1st birthday - waahhh! (Enough said)
Today we had our women's fitness/bible study type group. We were supposed to meet at the lake and it was raining. I figured we could just have it at my house, but the phones were down. I was almost beside myself trying to figure out how to coordinate changing the location. After some vehicular acrobatics, everyone piled into the back of my truck and we made the trek up to my house for hot coffee, prayer and fajitas.
Yesterday was our church service outdoors at the new church property. It was sweltering hot and after the service the plan was to cook hot dogs over an open fire. The heat was so overwhelming that I thought I might begin to pop and sizzle like my hot dog and so I cunningly propped my hot dog stick up with rocks over the coals. I was feeling quite smug until a in descriptive boy came by and knocked it into the dirt. Even after wiping it off, it just didn't seem that appetizing. Pork germs began to haunt my mind and I became sure that everyone was probably watching me to see what I would do. "Will she waste the dog?" I could just tell everybody was watching. On one side of my brain uncooked pork germs and dirt laughed fiendishly. On the other people were pointing and whispering "wastrel". Finally in my desperation, I finished cooking it and cut in half to share with my unsuspecting husband. Then I remembered a story about some missionaries who were given the head of a swine as an esteem of honor. After the long hot day had progressed, it occurred to them that they were supposed to eat the pork's brain!!!! After they could no longer put it off, they all gathered together and ate it by faith, not wanting to offend the tribe. They managed to survive the ordeal with a story to tell. And so, in good faith of the missionaries who have gone before me, by faith, I ate my hot dog. Otherwise it was a fun day. The kids sang "Our Country Tis of Thee" (despite their threats of mutiny) for the special music. We played volley ball, visited and later a bunch of us jumped into the lake.
The day before that I took the kids to see the fire works. I was quite stretched because I had planned to take them to the city. As I was driving there, I saw a bunch of church people by the local bar. They told me that the bar was lighting off fire works for the community. I'm not sure why, but I always panic when I go into social gatherings like that. By faith we pulled over and walked down onto the lawn where I'd never been before. Normal people were there. Lots of my friends were there too. A band played in the background. The bar owner called out a friendly welcome to me. I'm not exactly sure what I was afraid of, but whatever it was, It didn't show up. There weren't any wild drunken carousers. We set up folding chairs and the kids played in the grass. It occurred to me that I quite possibly ride the fence of being a little bit self righteous. Though in my imagination, "Lord of the Rings" type beasts haunted the property, in reality there were many friendly people there. Though I don't advise to anyone that we should frequent drinking establishments, I also see that I have avoided them possibly a little too excessively. How do we be a light if we hide from the very people that need to see? The story about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners came to my mind and I was humbled. God help us who call ourselves "Christians" but only "shine" where its comfortable.

Matthew 9:10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."