Can't we all just... stay at home?

It's so simple... so brilliant. Yet no one ever does it. OK... people rarely ever do it.

I'm talkin' 'bout stayin' home when you're sick. Or keeping your kids home when they're sick.

I remember sitting in the pediatrician's office one day, getting one of my children's ears checked for the dreaded acute otitis media, when she announced...

"Yep... we've got an infection."

"Is it contagious?" I asked.

"An ear infection? No," she replied. Then she added, "Of course that cold he has is. So try to limit his exposure to other kids and the elderly. And practice good hygiene... wash hands frequently, make sure he's sneezing into a tissue that he throws away immediately or teach him to sneeze into the bend in his elbow, and separate his toothbrush from his siblings'."

"When the fever's gone, can he get around other kids, then?"

"If his nose is runny and he's still sneezing and coughing, he's still contagious."

"But it says on the nursery sheet to keep him out if he has had a fever within 24 hours."

"I bet it mentions no runny noses and no coughing too. And, oh, by the way, rhinoviruses in children can go on for 2-3 weeks easily."

Gulp.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I had a doozy of a case of OCD a few years back. Left me in my house for weeks at a time for fear of germs. No shoes inside. Scrubbed down with Clorox every item that entered my house. Made my husband take a shower before he could touch the kids. It was ugly. So I can appreciate balance.

But I also know people for whom getting a cold isn't just getting a cold. My mom is older. She has asthma and diabetes. When she gets a cold, sometimes it goes away quickly. But sometimes it stays for a very long time... like the year she ended up with bronchitis that lasted more than 2 months.

And my husband works in the medical device industry where he sees pacemakers and ICD's implanted every day. A cold could be a life-threatening complication for someone with a heart condition or lung ailment or undergoing chemo or a transplant recipient. Add to that infants and the elderly and those with HIV.

Oh a little rhinovirus is generally not a problem at all. But the other opportunistic infections that spring up as a result of an overloaded immune system... they are highly problematic.

I get so frustrated with people who don't stay home when they're sick. I stood in line last winter at the Harris Teeter and the lady bagging my groceries looked horrible. Like she could collapse at any moment. Listening to the chit chat between her and the cashier I found out the lady bagging groceries had the flu. Not flu-like symptoms. The real flu. There she stood, coughing into her hands and then touching all my food as she put it in the bag. I felt bad for her... she didn't want to take off work because she didn't get paid if she didn't work and her family desperately needed the money. So instead, she stood there being Typhoid Mary for the whole city. (I didn't buy those groceries. I know. I felt ugly. But I asked her if she really had the flu and she said, "Yes," and I apologized and told her I just couldn't bring THAT home to my family from the grocery store.)

And of course, corporate America's only-the-strong-survive mentality makes taking a sick day round out the list of Seven Deadly Business Sins. And even in schools, where you'd think they'd be most interested in protecting children, they have exam exemption policies that reward students who come to school sick in order not to accrue more than the allotted number of absences they can have and still not take final exams. Speaking of schools, I can remember one time when I was running a fever of 102 and the Assistant Principal in Charge of Subs asked me when I called in sick if I thought I could come on in because he was having a hard time covering classes for all the sick teachers.

Seriously. Schools (and businesses) are like Infectious Disease Incubation Zones.

So here's my plea... stay home people! If you or your kids are sneezing and coughing and generally spraying mucus all over, just stay home. Get a box of Kleenex. Get a bottle of Purell. Get some chicken soup and some vitamin C and STAY HOME!

And if you HAVE TO be in the public mix, please take a good cold medicine to alleviate the symptoms so you don't shoot the virus all over town in aerosol form. And take along your tissues and your hand sanitizer!

Here's a good article on 12 Ways to Prevent a Cold.

Inaugural snow...

Knitting the time away ...

I used to do craft projects all the time. Multiple projects all going at once. It was fun, but I found myself struggling to finish SOMETHING. Having a tendency to be a little ADD, it's a good thing when I can sit down and do a project, finish it in a short amount of time, and get on with life.

For that reason, I love knitting scarves. QUICK project! I discovered it during the Valentine Virus of '07... when the tummy bug ripped through out house, leaving only Zane and me unscathed. I had lots of time that I needed to sit with Zack, Kelsey and Jimmy... in case they needed anything. And I didn't want to sit there doing nothing at all. And they certainly didn't feel like playing games or anything. So I started knitting.

This past weekend, I felt the creativity bug bite again. Since Jimmy was organizing the garage, I didn't have help to paint anything, so I decided to knit again. I like knitting. It gives me something to do with my hands, leaving my brain largely freed up to converse or watch TV. And if I knit a scarf... the only thing I actually know how to knit... I'm done in two evenings. Woo Hoo!!!

Encouragement...

I have several friends who are in a situation similar to ours. The economy is bleh. Their husbands' jobs are far from secure. If you take it to the logical conclusion of all the things that COULD happen, it all looks so bleak.

But today I was at the school where I teach journalism and I checked my email before class. Bizarrely, I had received the daily devotional our superintendent sends out in TRIPLICATE... THREE TIMES. I hadn't noticed it last night when I checked email. I almost deleted them because I just didn't feel like reading anything at that moment. Then I considered that since it was in my inbox three times, the Lord might be trying to tell me something. So I opened it.

Here's what it said:

Dear Staff,

This world is full of worry and fear. In these economic times, if we were able to gauge the worry and fear of Americans, it would be off the charts. Folks, Jesus has us in His sight. You are in God's hands. If the Lord is on our side, who should we fear? Of course, there is no"if" because God is in control. We should not worry. Not only is He in control, He daily gives us His power, love, and direction.

*BIBLE MEDITATION:*"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7<http://www.lwf.org/site/R?i=Fs_aSEBaWr6Xdw8NIV6tNg..>

*DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:*When we ought to be enjoying victorious, abundant lives...what happens?Fear creeps in and grips us cold. Many of us lose priceless opportunities because of this boa constrictor of fear. When fear dominates, there is no room for Christ Who can comfort us (John 16:33).Worry is the noxious first cousin to fear. They will do to you what grit does to machinery --- shut you down. But God gives us the victory with His power, His love, and the gift of a sound mind. The Holy Spirit is your Bodyguard. He walks with you. The man who can kneel before God can stand before any man.

*ACTION POINT:*Jesus has you in His sight. You are in God's right hand. Write that down and post it in a place where you can meditate on it throughout the day.Now, ask yourself, "Knowing this, can anything this week change those truths?"

In an LOL moment, it was in my personal email box at home three times too!

OK... and then my friend Jane sent an email with the comment that she bet I was encouraged by Streams in the Desert today:

January, 16
Faith Grows Amid Storms

"He hath acquainted himself with my beaten path. When he hath searched me out, I shall come out shining" (Job 23:10, free translation).Faith grows amid storms"--just four words, but oh, how full of import to the soul who has been in the storms!
Faith is that God-given faculty which, when exercised, brings the unseen into plain view, and by which the impossible things are made possible. It deals with supernaturals.But it "grows amid storms"; that is, where there are disturbances in the spiritual atmosphere. Storms are caused by the conflicts of elements; and the storms of the spiritual world are conflicts with hostile elements.
In such an atmosphere faith finds its most productive soil; in such an element it comes more quickly to full fruition.The staunchest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest, but out in the open where the winds from every quarter beat upon it, and bend and twist it until it becomes a giant in stature this is the tree which the mechanic wants his tools made of, and the wagon-maker seeks.

So in the spiritual world, when you see a giant, remember the road you must travel to come up to his side is not along the sunny lane where wild flowers ever bloom; but a steep, rocky, narrow pathway where the blasts of hell will almost blow you off your feet; where the sharp rocks cut the flesh, where the projecting thorns scratch the brow, and the venomous beasts hiss on every side.It is a pathway of sorrow and joy, of suffering and healing balm, of tears and smiles, of trials and victories, of conflicts and triumphs, of hardships and perils and buffetings, of persecutions and misunderstandings, of troubles and distress; through all of which we are made more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

"Amid storms." Right in the midst where it is fiercest. You may shrink back from the ordeal of a fierce storm of trial…but go in! God is there to meet you in the center of all your trials, and to whisper His secrets which will make you come forth with a shining face and an indomitable faith that all the demons of hell shall never afterwards cause to waver. --E. A. Kilbourne


And then today I was following up on the memory verse that I'm doing along with a whole passel of women who read Beth Moore's Blog, and you know what the verse I chose was?

"He will cover you with his feather and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." ~Psalm 91:4

So then I was checking out the Scripture box on my Facebook profile and here's what the Scripture of the day is:

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." ~ Luke 12:6-7

I'm starting to get the idea that the Lord wants us to know... really know... He's taking care of us. Amazing!

Mary Poppins on the weekend...

I hate chore day. And I'm blaming Mary Poppins for that. Toys don't march back into the playroom and fling themselves on the shelves for me. Nor do clothes miraculously fold and put away themselves. Yep... I think Mary Poppins set a standard for cleaning that has messed up the whole world.

Around here Saturdays are chore days. We make lists for each person and cross off what we complete. One Saturday this summer Kelsey decided to add "Dance" as the last item on the list. And then they did. Dance. It was absolutely hilarious.


Here's the list...

And here's Kelsey getting the party started with the Cupid Shuffle...

And she taught Zane and Zack (and evidently a random sword) the Cupid Shuffle...

Then Zane got the music in him and started break dancing...

And Zack perfected the art of sword dancing...

Have you ever done the Cupid Shuffle? It's kind of old now, but still pretty fun. Here's a video to get you started. You know, just in case Mary Poppins hasn't shown up at your house.

Whew...

Celebrate... celebrate... dance to the music...

It was wonderful. But it was exhausting!

I had an absolute blast with the Celebrating Christmas blog. Can't even begin to tell you what a blessing it was to see women I love and respect give sacrificially to build up other women during this holiday season. We have had emails and comments from all over the world. I stand in awe of our Lord!

One of my favorite emails came from a lady who lives in Canada. I have no idea how she found the blog, but she emailed and shared that she lives alone and this year she's doing a major home renovation so she didn't decorate her house at all. She'd never heard of a Jesse tree until she read about it on the blog, so she decided to make one. Even though her Christmas didn't look like it had in the past, she felt focused on Jesus. What a blessing!

We are taking a break and the launching a year-round version of the blog. It's called "Celebrate!" Karen D had the idea that it might just bless even more people if we kept on encouraging each other to put Jesus as the focus in the rest of the holidays and everydays. So far she and I are the authors listed, but we are looking for a few more women who'd be willing to post now and then. If you're interested, email me. The only "requirement" to be on the writing team is that you really need to love Jesus.

Thank you ALL who contributed in one way or another ... photographs, posts, comments, emails, ideas, etc... We did have a few things left over that we hope to use next year. My prayer is that the Lord will bless you in a way you didn't imagine and in a way that you know could be attributed only to Him.

Happy New Year!

Our family tradition for New Year's Eve is to stay at home. We've been doing that for as long as I can remember and to be honest, the last New Year's Eve I can remember actually going somewhere was when I was a little girl and we went to a little Baptist church that decided to have a big New Year's Eve party one year. It was formal. I do not recall dancing. But it was a lot of fun. I wore the dress that I'd worn in my cousin's wedding as a flower girl. That New Year's Eve was probably around 1973 or 74.

Even as a teenager, I remember just staying home to watch the big apple drop on "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve." Definitely after we got married. I think we may have had friend over a year or two, but for the most part, it was just Jimmy and me. So when kids came along there were no major adjustments to our New Year's Eve tradition. No scheduling sitters months in advance. No feeling like we were making sacrifices to be home with the babies. It just went on quietly like it had for many, many years.

This year, at nearly the last minute, I texted my sweet friend, Tina, and asked her if they had plans. We were grilling burgers and had plenty to share. Their traditions were changing and they were still figuring out this year's plans, so they came on over and we had a wonderfully relaxed, sweet time together.

There was food and laughter. Video gaming. Story-telling. Special talks from Mr. Steve for each of our kids. Football. Confetti. A chemistry lesson featuring sodium bicarbonate. A quick birthday celebration for Zane. A football ice cream cake. Sharing of traditions and reminders of what we're planning to do when the grandkids come along.



And there was a motorcycle jump that captivated every one's attention, possibly more for the computer-generated graphics of every way the rider could get maimed if he did one tiny thing wrong than for the actual jump itself. Although the jump was a success in that the rider survived and didn't plummet 10 stories to the ground, getting crushed between the pavement and his motorcycle at the end, there was a lovely injury to his finger that led to the comment, "Ewww! That's not right!" as one of the rider's digits pointed a different direction from the others.



We all got to bed WAAAYYY later than we should have and woke up earlier than we wanted to. But for the most part on New Year's Day we honored all the long-standing Southern Family traditions.

I did not do any laundry at any time on New Year's Day. Granny always said, "If you wash on New Year's, you'll wash someone out of the family." We're not the least bit superstitious, but I never was too certain about whether Granny was or not. She swore that the one year she cheated and washed on New Year's Day, her uncle died. It's not like no one in the family died the years she didn't wash, but it's tradition.

My mom says that whatever you do on New Year's is what you'll do the rest of the year. So we spent the day resting and relaxing, eating well and visiting. We ate collard greens and black eyed peas and a little ham too. There were other things, but beyond collard greens and black-eyed peas, on New Year's Day, what other foods really matter? And of course, there were dimes under our plates for good luck. I read about that tradition in a book of NC folklore when I was in elementary school, so we've done it ever since. There were movies and football. Always football.

I'm not making any resolutions this year. I just want to be faithful to the One who gave Himself for me. I want to fellowship with Him deeply everyday. I want to hear Him clearly when He speaks. I want to know His Word and teach it to my children. I want to respect and love my husband. I want to honor my parents. I want to cherish my friends.

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2008...