White: Looks great on teeth.

My good friend Leslie recently trained with a company called 888Spa Team to do in-home teeth whitening using a portable laser system. So if you've ever considered having your teeth whitened but grimaced at spending $300-800 (and you live in the Nashville area), she could come to your home, whiten your teeth in about an hour, and you'd only have to shell out $160 cash (she's offering a "getting started" discount through New Year's).

If you're interested, just send me an e-mail or post a comment (I won't publish it--it just goes straight to my e-mail and I choose whether or not to publish), and I'll pass on her contact information.

As Leslie said, "Makes a great gift during the holidays, especially under the mistletoe!"

All I want for Christmas is my teeth to be white. . .
I'm dreaming of a white (toothed) Christmas. . .

Real mail rocks.

My dear friend Rachel who knows me and loves me well sent an e-mail to me today that I'd like to share on here. She's right about the process being easy. I sent five cards while I was nursing Miriam.

FROM RACHEL: This is awesome. It takes like 3 clicks.

If you go to this web site: http://www.letssaythanks.com/ you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. You can choose from several different greetings or type your own. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Taco Salad a.k.a. Yesterday's Gazpacho

Judah actually requests my gazpacho: "Not Daddy's gazpacho [which really is gazpacho], the gazpacho you made yesterday." Now, for Judah, yesterday is any time before today. Could have been last week--or last month--or six months ago. Figuring out "yesterday" sometimes takes me a few minutes.

My gazpacho is simply taco salad. The kids and I had it today for lunch. Since James does most of the cooking, I thought I'd share one of the few things I make (that he has never made and that doesn't actually require a stovetop or oven).

It's basically a can of beans (with a bit of seasoning) , a handful of shredded Mexican cheese, a handful of chopped lettuce, a diced tomato, and some tortilla chips.

I'm going to write this recipe the way I wish recipes were written. (I check out children's cookbooks from the library because they're more detailed and I need all the help I can get in the kitchen.)

Mommy's Taco Salad a.k.a. Yesterday's Gazpacho

Open a can of black (or pinto) beans. Rinse them in a colander and dump them in a medium-sized bowl. Rinse the can and recycle.

Sprinkle on some cayenne pepper, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder (or whatever Mexican-type seasonings you have on hand). Mix it up with the fork or spoon you plan to use for eating.

Put in the microwave for a minute.

Get some shredded Mexican cheese and lettuce out of the fridge (our CSA share has had the most amazing organic lettuces the past couple weeks).

Wash the lettuce using the same colander you used for the beans. Pat it dry (or use a salad spinner).

Take the beans out of the microwave and sprinkle on some cheese. Put back in the microwave for another minute to melt the cheese.

Wash a tomato. Chop the lettuce and dice the tomato on the same cutting board. Sometimes I like to sprinkle a little sea salt on the tomatoes.

Take the cheesy beans out of the microwave and add the lettuce and then the tomatoes. Throw a few organic corn chips on top.

Sit on the floor and feed yourself, your toddler, and your baby. Watch out for the next two diaper changes.

If you get to the dishes fast enough, the colander, cutting board, bowl, and fork (or spoon--I prefer a spoon) are easy to clean.

Today I wanted someone else to make lunch for me. Then, I remembered that I could make taco salad. Now, the house is quiet, the children are sleeping, the windows are open, the wind is blowing, and I'm writing. Dreamy.

A nap is not on the menu for today

Both children are asleep in the middle of the afternoon, and we're at home (not in the car). I'm about to take advantage of the coveted afternoon nap.

The first wave of near sleep washes over me. Second wave. I know I'm almost there.

I hear a whisper, "Mommy."

I look up. Nothing. Judah is asleep upstairs. I love the sound of his little voice in my head.

I start to drift off again.

I hear what sounds like audiotapes being moved around.

I look up. Nothing.

The bathroom door slams shut. Upon getting up to open it (and prop it open) I discover the clinking sound--it's the shower curtain being blown back on the rod.

My mommy radar is turned up pretty high, so I get a surge of adrenaline each time I'm awakened.

Finally, the adrenaline has faded.

The sounds are different downstairs. Gusts of wind enhance the unfamiliar noises.

I finally begin to drift off for the third time. Something shatters.

I investigate. My glasses fell from the windowsill in the bathroom onto the scale. Nothing is broken--except my sleep.

A nap is not on the mommy menu for today.

Father God runs like a girl.

Tonight is one of those nights that I really need to go to bed, but I want to post something because I've been meaning to for a while, but it is so exciting to me and so full of life that I'm having trouble finding words. When I do write words, I delete them. Then I sit and stare at a blank screen trying to come up with better words. Now I've decided to just write something--anything--and maybe I'll go back later and rewrite it.

Jared Black, the new college pastor at Grace Center, has spoken during the main service a handful of times now. He believes that there is much of the Bible that we just don't get because we're not Jewish. We don't understand the historical context for what was said and done and then recorded in our Bible. He spoke today about the character of Father God and looked at a parable--actually, a series of parables--from a historical and Jewish perspective. Yes, he said that Father God runs like a girl. Suspend judgment. Listen to the message. You'll get it. Man, I love this stuff.

If you can, click on this link to hear his message (the first one listed is the one we heard today--the others are equally as thought-provoking and paradigm-shifting):

http://s7358.gridserver.com/index2.php?cat=JaredBlack#

The Pickle and The Noozle

I couldn't resist sending in a photo of my little Pickle and his best friend Tiffanoozle a.k.a. The Noozle (that would be Judah and Tiffany) to the Anti-Racist Parent website since they post a Gratuitous Cute Kid Pic every Thursday. Check it out! http://www.antiracistparent.com/

Changing it Up

I was ready for a change of scenery. Recently, two of my friends who blog changed their templates, which inspired me go ahead and do the same. I needed the change. Three of my other blogging friends had the same template I was using, so I get to see it a lot.



If you get these updates via e-mail, maybe this will inspire you to check out the site. If you only check the site, maybe you'll be inspired to get the e-mail updates (scroll all the way down and subscribe through Feedblitz).



When I changed my template, I noticed that I started out really strong, and I've progressively posted fewer and fewer times each month: 33, 21, 15, 7. If the trend continues, November doesn't look promising, and you shouldn't expect to hear a peep out of me in December. What's going on? Why am I not writing as much?



Something I've been meaning to write about and haven't is what's going on in Uganda and how you could participate if you're so led. John Michael and Evah Mugerwa oversee the orphanage/boarding school in Uganda where I spent six months teaching. They showed us a 3-minute DVD tonight of the improvements that have been made. I didn't recognize it. So much has happened in 4 years. They are excellent stewards of the funds they receive. They live humbly so that hundreds may live well.



Check them out here: http://destinyschooluganda.com/

Award-winning Book/Upcoming Movie

In the past three days, I've received e-mails from my friends Dena, Amanda, and Isa that look something like this:

***
"You may already know about the kids’ movie coming out in December starring Nicole Kidman. It's called The Golden Compass, and while it will be a watered-down version, it is based on a series of children's books about killing God (It is the anti-Narnia). Please follow this link and then pass it on. From what I understand, the hope is to get a lot of kids to see the movie--which won't seem too bad--and then get the parents to buy the books for their kids for Christmas. The quotes from the author sum it all up. I hope it totally bombs because we were all paying attention!"

http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp
***

A few months ago, I received an e-mail from my friend Kevin about a series of award-winning books he had just completed. He's an avid reader, a social activist, and a fellow Believer. This was my first introduction to the trilogy His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman and the upcoming movie The Golden Compass that's slated to make its debut December 7, 2007.

Since my friend Kevin tends to be a very liberal radical (and not one to "throw out the baby with the bathwater"), I took his mini-book review pretty seriously and plan to avoid going to see the upcoming film based on the first (and least controversial) of Pullman's three books.

When my girlfriend Becki and I were in Borders bookstore last Thursday night, it was impossible to avoid the marketing of this trilogy. Here's Kevin's review if you're interested:

***

A Book Review by my friend Kevin:


I just finished up a series of books by Phillip Pullman, an atheist in Britain, that I wish I'd never started. Didn't know he was a militant atheist. He actually wrote it as his answer to CS Lewis. He combines science with a hate for the Catholic Church, Wiccan thought, Gnostic heresies, Chinese mysticism, and Greek mythology to tell a hell of a young adult story to brainwash kids that God is dead and never really deserved their love anyway.


It was such a compelling story that I couldn't put it down even when I realized I'd been had about halfway through the final third book. The worst thing is that the first book is being made into a movie with Nicole Kidman in December. If we thought Harry Potter was bad, this is gonna be awful. I was even doubting my faith in God during the third book. Just imagine what this could do to a young 12-year-old mind.


In the books, each character from one of the key worlds has a daemon which is like a pet that can change into any animal. As the story progresses, you discover that the daemon is like an external spirit or concsience (think of having half your mind outside your body). That by itself is not bad. What is bad is that the word is pronounced like "demon." Even now, the website-- http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/ -- helps kids take a test to find their own inner daemon/demon animal.


I'm going to write a full review for parents of faith and e-mail it as a warning to everyone of faith. This isn't just a threat to Christian beliefs, but to every monotheistic faith. I'll need you to send it to your contacts to warn parents to not even let their kids see this movie, because in the first book, there is really no threat (except for vague references to the control of the church and one evil group inside the church) and it sucks you in powerfully. I was trembling and crying during one scene when the main girl was nearly separated from her daemon.


In the third book, the young boy and girl meet the "Ancient of Days" (the first angel who claimed to be God) just before he dies of old age, and his second in command, a Lucifer-like character, is thrown into the abyss by the girl's parents, who are a sociopath and borderline themselves . Then a nun-turned-scientist who we met in the second book becomes the kids mentor as they fall in love in new Eden. I counted four times on one page of her lecture to the kids where she states "Once I realized God doesn't exist..." Total brainwash material.


As a journalist and a radical, I hate book burning--but this is one of the very few I'd gladly toss on the flames. It's only point is to tell kids that God doesn't exist and that the best thing they can do with their lives is to fall in love and do good things. According to the story, having good stories to tell the Harpies that guard hell is how you escape to go on to "nothingness" after you die--except that is really a good thing because then your atoms can be part of the universe!

***

Perspective

I've had a really rough couple of days with my 3-year-old. I actually sat down on his bedroom floor yesterday and cried. And cried. And cried. Today I called my husband in utter frustration, and he came home early from work to help me navigate this new territory (and protect Judah and me from each other).

[James wants me to put a transition in this spot so the paragraphs above and below don't seem to be connected. To be perfectly honest, however. . . Did I think about throwing my kid today? Yes. Did I act on it? No. I told him to stay put, I found the phone, I called my husband, and I went back upstairs after walking outside and taking several deep breaths. Very shortly afterward (and while Judah and I were making amends as we sat and cuddled together), a friend came over with her son. Not long after that, James arrived home. S.O.S. successful. I think that's one of the keys to parenting (and not hurting your children)].

I received an e-mail a while back about a friend of a friend whose baby (less than a year old) was thrown by the baby sitter. He suffered a severe head injury and has been hospitalized for several weeks. Since her initial e-mail, I've been checking Baby Hinton Meyer's "care page" every now and then. Tonight it reads:

October 24, 2007 at 08:15 PM EDT
Hinton had another busy day. He is doing such a better job with his sleeping. Most nights he sleeps in his crib until at least 2 am and then he wants to be held, but he settles right down once we pick him up and he sleeps well in our arms. Thankfully we are able to safely hold him and nod off to with the help of pillows and things.

Hinton worked so hard again in therapy. I just can't believe how far his head control has come. He really holds it steady and it is amazing! He still gets really tired and lets it drop, but he can hold his head up for several minutes at a time. A big improvement that Hinton is making is in bringing his arms and hands together in the middle of his body. You'll remember that we are really worried about the tone (muscle tightening in Hinton's arms and hands), so bringing his hands together is a sign that the tone is improving. He is also getting better at opening his hands from the fist position and reaching for toys. He continues to improve with eating and is showing more and more interest in his food. Today Hinton took a ride on his stander and he went out of the peds rehab unit all the way down the adult rehab hall. He held his head up while doing it! He did great!

One area that Hinton needs to improve on is in ring sitting. Ring sitting is sitting on the floor with support and legs crossed. Hinton much prefers sitting in a lap or with his legs stretched out straight in front of him. We are sure that in time he will master this skill too.

I forgot to mention that Hinton's pressure wound on the back of his neck has greatly improved. He doesn't have to wear a bandage at all anymore. Yippee!

Today in conference we learned that Hinton is still on target for a Nov. 14 discharge date. We can't believe that is only 3 weeks away. The reconstruction surgery plan is still in the works. We will keep you posted on that.

We just can't thank you all enough for the prayers and support. Each prayer is felt; each message/card is read; each meal is enjoyed; each gift is appreciated; each donation is gratefully received. Each of you is supporting us in so many ways and we just can't thank you enough. We are a blessed family. Love-Melissa, Kevin and Hinton

********************
It breaks my heart to think about my baby girl not being able to hold her head up for more than a few minutes at a time--or having to live in a hospital for weeks at a time. Reading about what other people are struggling with often helps me gain perspective. It rarely makes it easier, but it does put my issues in perspective.

Interestingly enough, I received an e-mail just now from Rolland & Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries (I rarely receive updates from them). Their e-mail makes me SO thankful for the state of my life right now. You can read about their latest news and emergency call to prayer HERE.

Exciting Stuff this Weekend

This is too cool! I read my "5 minutes of caring" e-mail today from Cool People Care, and on their advertising banner I see: Jake Smith performing with Anthony Skinner, Saturday, October 27, Edgehill Studios, 9:30 p.m./"We're having a book launch party and you're invited." Crazy!!! Woo Hoo!!!

We're HUGE fans of Anthony Skinner, and we saw Jake Smith perform during a little backyard birthday shindig a few months back. If we can find a sitter, we're going. If we can't find a sitter, the kids might just have to sleep on the floor (like they did at Grace Center this past Sunday night when John and Carol Arnott were visiting).

Anthony is also going to be at The Foundry this Friday night. I went with a friend last Friday, and I'm hoping to make it a regular thing. If you're interested in joining me and want to know what it looks like, Click HERE and read "The Vision" by Scott MacLeod and "A Zadok Experience" by Victoria Hill.

James took me to Kidz Club for our first date over 8 years ago, and even though I haven't been involved there over the past 8 years, 8 is the number of New Beginnings. I now live 4.5 miles from Provision's humble warehouse home. I'm definitely sensing a draw there in this new season.

Here's their little blurb about Friday nights:

Experience "The Meltdown" this Friday @ 7PM, with Anthony Skinner and band!

Where creativity, compassion, and coffee meet together!

The Foundry has been newly renovated, updated, and upgraded...you have to see it to believe it!

Nashville's longest standing Christian coffee house/music venue/outreach center is ready to relaunch with all night worship and a new cafe'! It's been 14 years since the work in The Foundry first began. This old historic brick foundry, built in 1912, has been a spiritual and creative watering hole for literally thousands of people over the years.

Where? 1419 Clinton Street Nashville , TN 37203
Friday Night Foundry! Directions!

Get in the on the action -- Ask about opportunities to serve the poor in Nashville!

Check out the sound of the Foundry... www.foundrysongs.com

Beautiful Cape Breton

We took a trip to beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada.
Judah enjoyed rolling down the hills. . . spotting moose. . .
throwing rocks in the ocean. . .
and running along the trails through the forest at Shushan.

We stayed at a spiritual retreat center in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, called Shushan. I loved walking through the woods alone. Little else is as refreshing to me. On the final night of our trip, we spent hours in the Selah hall, which is their "Wooing Place." Those who enter are invited to pursue the Lord with the intent to romance or woo. Oh, so much freedom was found in that place. I could have spent hours there every night.

More pictures can be found here, but during our visit to the beach, I dropped my camera in the sand (twice) and it quit working midway through our trip, so I'll have to download some of my friends' pictures and add them to my collection.

More Fun with Wheels

Fun with Wheels

Judah Pets Miss Dani's Possum

Nova Scotia, here we come!

In less than 12 hours our four-member family will be on a plane heading toward Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and returning next Friday, October 12. We like to celebrate the entire month of October (our anniversary, in-laws' anniversary, my birthday, James' birthday, my sister's birthday, my nephew's birthday, then my brother-in-law's birthday is Nov. 1--and I've probably forgotten someone). This is something of an anniversary trip. I've been pretty consumed with preparing to leave, so no new posts and relatively few e-mails this week. Hopefully, I'll have plenty to write about next week and lots of beautiful pictures to share. Adios!