Category Archives: Stuff I Actually Think

7-Minute Showers

6 Looking Back // Memories!, Stuff I Actually Think, ,

I attended my denominational Bible College in the late 70’s in Minot, North Dakota, of all places.  Let me just say, anything you have ever heard about how cold it is in North Dakota did not really tell you how cold it is in North Dakota!

 google image

The education you get at Bible College isn’t always about the Bible.

While there, the school’s Buisiness Administrator, dear Brother “H”, we’ll call him, issued a call to limit showers to 7 minutes in the dormitories to save on resources by lowering water usage.  There was a lot of grumbling about this.

But I?  Law keeper that I am?  I followed the rule and had it down to a science.

In fact, I never quite got over it and and have actually nagged my own family and shaken my head when I have heard some one running more than a 7-minute shower, tsk, tsk.  Because despite everything a woman my age has to go through to be presentable, that’s right –  I can still do it.

I can shampoo and condition, suds-up, lather, loofah, pumice, slough, wash, scrub, shave my legs, and rinse all within the 7-minute time limit, doggone it!

But I don’t have to, right?

I am 50, for crying out loud.  I have been around the block a few times and if I want to take a longer shower, I am going to do it.  I have saved resources!  I have re-used, re-cycled, and re-purposed things carefully over the years. I am prone to frugality and finding a deal on the most mundane things.  I ebay and craigslist and utilize coupons (sometimes) and am rather gifted at seeing the beauty in things and people that others might not and am not afraid to invest myself and a lot of elbow grease in restoring and refurbishing and giving new life. I’m no waster!

Surely by now I deserve time exploring the fancy massage shower head Dave installed a couple of months ago.  With all due respect to Brother “H,” I plan to take it up to 10 or 12 minutes this winter. And by spring?  Who knows?

NI HAO! That is “hello” in Chinese

1 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, Stuff I Actually Think, ,

Stormie sent that greeting and a report that they are in Taiwan and loving it like crazy!

They are 11 hours ahead of us so when they sit in their 3rd floor common area/sitting room breathing in the moist, heavy air and send little messages at night after they’ve led worship for a gathering, I am happy to find their greetings in the inbox come morning!

   TAIWAN, google image until Stormie starts sending!

Stormie writes:

“…We have the window open and are listening to a street musician play something I think might be called a two-hu but I’m not sure…it’s some two stringed instrument and there is a wonderful breeze coming in.  It is really overcast here but I love it!”

She thanks all of you for your prayers!

The Kids are Off to Taiwan and Japan

1 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, Stuff I Actually Think

They are in the air.

Dave, Tara, Hunter-Magoo and Stormie left DIA last night headed for Taiwan.  Due to the time change and length of the flight, they are pretty much losing the entire last day of the year, but will experience New Years multiple times as they cross varios time zones.  I am not sure how that works.  I just know they are currently flying far, far away.

  

This is Hunter’s first international trip and he has been preparing for some time, getting that passport ready and deciding what he will say to “the nations.”  He was born for this!

Dave, Tara and Stormie will be leading worship (and some speaking/teaching) at missionary and young adult training conferences for people from all over Asia with the Christian Missionary Alliance group.  They start in Taiwan and will spend the last several days in Japan before getting back in mid-January.

Agreement.

The kids travel the world.  I stay home and pray.  That is our agreement.  And this particular trip, I feel led to pray that the love of God will be increased in their hearts, that they will be motivated by that kind of love – that John 3.16 love for the world and that their ministry will pour from hearts filled with love for the people they will come in contact with.  You can pray these things over my kids, too, if you’d like, in agreement, because where two or more agree…

Isaiah 12.5 Sing to the LORD for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

Psalm 96 …Say among the nations…

Matthew 5 You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world

And may that same love that has made the truth of John 3.16 the great hope and central truth of everything be in you.

Amen.

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Happy Anniversary, Tristan and Stephanie!

2 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, Stuff I Actually Think

December 27, 2001

  

Two days after Christmas, eight years ago, Stephanie married Tristan.  The scene was Boulder Valley, with thousands and thousands of sparkling white lights, both inside the church and looking out over the Valley.  An upside-down white Christmas tree (you kinda had to be there) with a sunburst of draped lighting marked the central floor for lovers dancing.  Burgandy and winter white, food-laden tables and glittery woodland  centerpieces.  Lots of shimmery candles and traveling guests.  It was beautiful and rich, it was Old World and modern.  Stacks of cheesecakes instead of the usual bridal cake was the perfect compliment.  Steph was dazzling, Tristan handsome.  We could not have dreamed a better son-in-law for our little girl.  He was the first to “join” us, but who can remember life before him?

 

8 Years and 3 kids later…

 

What I loved most about the day they were married?  Tristan singing to Stephanie and watching her melt with adoration of him.  What I love the most since?  How they grow as a family and I still see Stephanie looking at Tristan the same way.  They are cute, creative, interdependent, sufficient, lovely and unique.  They are our kids and they’ve given us 3 of the 5 grandbebes.  We are blessed!

 

Happy Anniversary, Tristan and Stephanie.  Happy Anniversary and Love to the Kelley Family!

SONG FOR A SUNDAY: How Deep is Your Love ~

5 Songs I am Singing, 6 Looking Back // Memories!, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think, ,

The BeeGees!  Unplugged.

This is a an audio-only recording of the BeeGees in the studio as they are actually putting one of the most incredibly beautiful and timeless songs together for posterity.  You hear them toy with lyrics and experiment with different chord progressions.  For almost 10 minutes, you are caught up in the creative process hearing those amazing voices, the magic 3 becoming one polyganol, complex arianic harmony reverberating through your very soul and blending effortlessly as they explore various  possibilities for the final rendition. 

Originally recorded in 1977, this song hung out in the top ten on the charts for 17 weeks.  LISTEN TO THIS (really!) and see how a classic love song is composed, discovered, birthed, created.  I am in love with the process, the era, the melody, the creativity and the breath and poetry of it! 

There is no question they were pulling song from the very heavenlies, where embrocated music flows thick for healing, crescendo and diminuendo, the rise and fall of sweet sound swelling like the ocean and leaving its imprint as it recedes.  What’s captured on this recording is so soft and gentle,  yet full-heavy with fervent emotion.  And though I have always mourned my inability to be poetic and lyrical and fear to even attempt it, there is also no question that listening to these voices pulls on

my strong desire

to be able to say in words

what I simply cannot,

yet feel.

so.

deeply. 

How deeply?  Mmmm, mm…  So very. 

you have to disagree with everything except the piano, black

and white keys marking the path you must climb step…

-Anthony Walton on Jazz

If the remaining two brothers Gibb could just be at a piano in my house doing this forever ~ then aaaahhhh…heaven, almost too much {veiled reference, wink wink}.  And if music, and all art, really, is meant to invoke emotion from those who experience it…this is art – the art on the walls of my heart.

The flawless recording as we have all come to know and love it, How Deep is Your Love

From Saturday Night Fever.

Beegees Home

BeeGees on YouTube A great live performance of this same song.

www.beegees.com

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S !

2 Mi Familia, 5 Songs I am Singing, 7 Keep Christmas, Stuff I Actually Think, ,

“How wise the wise men must have been

To find the child in Bethlehem.

He lives again and draws us near,

Christmastime is here.

 

A tale of love that never dies

The laughter in the children’s eyes.

The child in me is always there.

Christmas is my favorite time of year.

 

The mist of wonder lies under my tree

The gift of memories is waiting for me.

 

The day will come and soon depart

The spirit stays to heal my heart

With love for people everywhere

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.”

rhoades2009-cmas-card

Merry Christmas, everybody.  I have you in my heart…Love,  Jeanie (thanks for reading!)

*One of my favorite Christmas songs from a Kenny Rogers album in the early 1980’s: Christmas is My Favorite Time of the Year.