It's OK to be WEIRD!

Sad and Ticked. Mostly Ticked.

2012-02-26T04:52:13Z

I’m sad and kinda ticked off, right now.

Right before leaving to take BudBud to soccer this afternoon, I thought I’d check my throat because it’s SO sore… It got suddenly REALLY sore last night after I had felt pretty much normal for 2 days. Guess what I found when I flashed the flashlight in my mouth? YUP, white spots! Bunches of little white spots in my throat, a very red throat. It feels like Strep Throat – firey sore throat with sick tummy and low fever (so far) and general body aches… And it looks like Strep Throat, too.

It’s not just that I probably have strep throat that makes me sad or mad, though.

First off, the only Saturday clinic in town closed an hour early today (for some unknown reason), so we didn’t make it to the clinic after BudBud’s soccer game.

Then, I was given two other options for possible Saturday clinics, and I ran by them both. As expected, they were closed.

After talking to the pharmacist at the drug store near our house, I came home to call the clinic that our family doctor is part of to get their on-call doctor. (Incidentally, the clinic that closed early today was the ‘Southside’ office of our clinic…) Our family doctor is out of town for the WHOLE month of February, so I wouldn’t be able to talk to her at all.

Finally, the on-call doctor for our clinic could only tell me to go to Emergency or to wait until Monday, because there is NO Sunday clinic in town. There was no other option. I told him I was about 99% positive that this is strep, being very well acquainted with it, many times, and asked if he was comfortable phoning in a prescription for me. NOPE! Not a chance. No Way! “See you in the clinic on Monday,” was the essence of what he was saying. End of story.

NOW, I understand that people abuse the system, so precautions must be taken so avoid creating antibiotic-resistant superbugs, etc. I also understand that there IS a possibility that it’s just a virus, since my sore throat was tickly and made me cough. But sheesh! I’m a MOM, I know what strep looks like, and I know my own body…. My pharmacist said he thought for sure in this case (since the clinic, officially my OWN clinic was closed early) that something could be done. ERGH!

So, the on-call doc, who sounded put out by having to return my page, is comfortable with me getting more sick for a couple of days, even though last time it took 2 rounds of antibiotics (and the 2 doctor’s appointments or clinic visits to get those prescriptions) to get rid of the strep throat, and strep throat always kicks my butt. Like I have the extra time or energy to be sick right now! Either get sicker, or I should go sit for 2+ hours with people who are sick with other things and possibly share my germs with them, and theirs with me?

Is this how we expect our Emergency Rooms to be used?

I’m not pleased. And it feels like I have no alternative….

This isn’t the only issue I’ve had with my clinic, or the clinic staff there. It’s not even the only issue I had with that clinic today! Those details will be a WHOLE other post, though. No, I’m not pleased.

I will give it overnight and see if it the spots, sore throat, stomach ache, body aches and fever get any worse. If I really think it’s Strep, I may be in the Emergency Room tomorrow. I’m sad and ticked off about that. Mostly ticked off, though.

Quick, Hide the Mini-Wheats!

2012-02-25T21:13:23Z

A couple of weeks ago, I welcomed a lovely big box into the house, and was overwhelmingly excited to be able to greet old friends like Tony and Cornelius.

Yup, there's Tony the Tiger on the Frosted Flakes and Cornelius the Rooster on, well... everywhere!!

What an amazing treat to get from the great folks over at Kellogg’s. Special K, Mini-Wheats, Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes, and 2 different kinds of Nutrigrain Breakfast Bars! I was in cereal heaven! lol

The first thing I did, after unwrapping the carefully-packed totally amazing cereal bowls and sizing up the awesome vintage Cornelius t-shirt (it’s MY size!!), was HIDE the MINI-WHEATS!

You see, I was fully aware that my family would love EVERY kind of cereal in the box, but I knew for sure that the Mini-Wheats would be gone that very afternoon if my kiddos found them. It happens every time we buy Mini-Wheats, seriously! Within a few very short moments of seeing the blue and yellow box, the children have completely devoured all of the Mini-Wheats inside. What can I say – They love Mini-Wheats!

And therein lies the ‘problem’… because I LOVE Mini-Wheats, too!

I like to eat Mini-Wheats dry, as a snack, a ~~large bowlful~~ small handful at a time. I would like to have a box last for more than, oh, let’s say, ONE particularly fantastic after-school snack or ONE over-indulgent oh-so-yummy breakfast. If this box, this very special box, sent as a treat, a very special treat, was scarfed down before I got a couple of ~~bowlfuls~~ handfuls, I was going to be pretty disappointed.

So, I admit it… I hid the Mini-Wheats! Shhhhhhh…….. don’t tell the kiddos!

They were OVERJOYED to try out Special K (which none of them had eaten before), and excited to indulge on Frosted Flakes. Everyone liked the NutriGrain bars, which was surprising because we thought we’d tried some before that we didn’t like very much – these were GREAT! Even the Frosted Flakes were savoured in afternoon snack cups, used in a couple of recipes, and haggled over for the last bit in the bag at breakfast.

They never even knew they were missing out on the good stuff, the Mini-Wheats! And that’s how it’s going to stay!

I DID enjoy most of the box of Mini-Wheats myself, not all in one setting, mind you – that would be ~~possible but not wise~~ ridiculous, of course. My Sweetie ~~nearly lost his fingers as he tried to steal~~ snagged a few handfuls with my afternoon snacks, and I think he had a bowl for breakfast one day, too (he left the house before I noticed, lucky for him!).

I enjoyed the box of Mini-Wheats so much that the next time I’m buying cereal, I’m going to get another box. And when I get home, I’ll hide the Mini-Wheats again (hopefully this time where my Sweetie can’t find it either)! Bwahahahaha!!!! (evil laugh!)

What’s your favorite kind of “hide it so I can eat it all by myself ” cereal?

WW: Missing GG {linky}

2012-02-22T22:50:55Z

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday!
Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.

I almost forgot WW this week… OOPS! And it’s not too weird or wordless, today, either…

Today I’m missing my Great-Grandma, GG, as I called her.
She was called GG by most of us: my Dad called her GG because she is his Grandma Goodson; I call her GG because she is my Great-Grandma.
She is my kiddos Great-Great Grandma.
Having 5 generations of a family alive all at once is rare these days, and is something we count as a special treasure in our lives.
She would have turned 98 today.

My kiddos with me, GG (my great-grandma, in pink), my Grandma (my dad's Mom and GG's daughter in-law), and my uncle (my dad's youngest brother), in 2008.

This photo was taken during one of our visits to New Mexico in 2008, and was probably the last time that my GG really KNEW us when we visited her. We are very fortunate that my kiddos knew her, REALLY knew her, not just from photos or our stories, but from their own experiences and memories of her, and she really KNEW them up until the last year of her life. We have great memories with her, and my kiddos love her and miss her too. She passed away on August 9, 2010. I can’t begin to express what she means to me, and how much I miss her. I love you, GG, and I miss you bunches!

Please feel free to link your Weird and Wordless (or Word-full) posts below.
Check out more Weird Wednesday, Wordful Wednesday
and Wordless Wednesday here on my blog.

If you like, leave me a comment to tell me
if you knew your grandparents or great-grandparents, too!

Re-Weird: Interesting Tweets from 2012-02-20

2012-02-22T22:31:05Z

RE-WEIRD: : Why do they ONLY chatter at ME? http://t.co/cYU1sGv8 #
Chloraseptic is my friend! What’s your best tip for helping a sore throat and dry tickly cough? #
Always a pleasure to promote such FAB ladies @tubswife @hollyfurtick @mushkin4 @MelissaElswick!! #
RE-WEIRD: : Life Verse and Goal http://t.co/lrH3yN65 #
Simple Valentine’s this year – a Valentine pencil, a heart-shaped lollipop, tied together with a ribbon & a… http://t.co/O3TLVQiC #
Lots and Lots @nugglemama – I thought I could be more expressive when I started blogging, until people found my blog! lol #
RE-WEIRD: : 100 years ago http://t.co/cEFJSzbC #
#Pinterest Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due http://t.co/8v9OcUoT via @OffTheWallSM #
RE-WEIRD: : Valentine’s Day Fun at Our House – Part 1 – CARDS http://t.co/7iscoYP3 #
RE-WEIRD: : 3 kiddos at 3 schools – WW http://t.co/Y20s1En2 #
Wise Women! Social Media Moms Choose Sex Over Facebook This Valentine’s Day http://t.co/NrsY4DKl http://t.co/gPUM4GlF #
MUST. wake. up! #
RE-WEIRD: : The Realms Thereunder – Book Review http://t.co/4Ls9QG6W #
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and #weirdness “”We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when… http://t.co/kTILcher #
Hey back atcha @fireball3316 chickie! Thanks for the prayers. I could use them for sure! And YOU totally rock, too! #
Daddy and Sweetheart are headed out for a special Valentine’s Date tonight. Stay tuned for my WW post to see a photo or two! <3 #
RE-WEIRD: : Argh, me hearties! http://t.co/oUSnfpMX #
New Post: WW: A Puberty Ring? {linky} http://t.co/Up181Qta #
A special night for Sweetheart! She had a nice dinner date with Dad and received a very nice gift! A Purity Ring!… http://t.co/GEwFNRtC #
RT @froggyprincemom: @OKtobeWEIRD Geez, *I* never got a puberty ring. I feel gypped. ::giggle:: < Bwahahaha! #
RE-WEIRD: : Remember that thing called ROMANCE? http://t.co/Ybc15QvO #
RE-WEIRD: : Blocked on Facebook – getting no response http://t.co/Ja8izJcA #
It is going to be a quiet day at the house today – Mom has lost her mind…. er…. her voice, that is……. #
You’ll have to talk to your parents @froggyprincemom – I think they’d have to give you your puberty ring! LOL! #
RT @carogvs: @wrenmeyers @OKtobeWEIRD OMG! Have to see this! For real? Naw… < not exactly! It’s a purity ring, but my son heard ‘puberty’! #
I know, right @carogvs @wrenmeyers!? It is something we decided to do a long time ago with our daughter. It was very special! #
RE-WEIRD: : A True Sign of the Times – Funny Facebook Friday http://t.co/q6rt4CXe #
going back to bed. Maybe my voice will come back…. #
RE-WEIRD: : Apple Cranberry Curry Couscous – Scrumptious Saturday http://t.co/ErFXUfFw #
Road kill feels better than I do. Who else is sick? #
You Didn’t Thank Me For Punching You in the Face http://t.co/KdTeNzzh via @wordpressdotcom (a bit of language, but a GREAT post) #
RE-WEIRD: : I Expected Better… – FTF http://t.co/tzAKPRkm #
Everybody whispers when you whisper to them. Interesting effect of laryngitis. #
@evanashenhurst 2nd time it’s happened to me in about 4 years. Funniest was ordering coffee in a coffee shop- barista whispered back! #
OK, I can take a hint. When everything stops working on the computer, it’s time to stop working on the computer! #
RE-WEIRD: : Santa Lucia Day http://t.co/Oyin8JeI #
RE-WEIRD: : The Flowers of My Labors http://t.co/MeQGKVH3 #
Well, my voice is back (mostly), but I still have no idea where my mind is. Anybody seen it? #
RE-WEIRD: : And I can’t understand anything they are saying! http://t.co/zJW3GbdA #
4 days left to enter the $400 Target Gift Card Giveaway on my blog!… http://t.co/ThnLuZ1O #
New Post: We’ve Rejoined the Ranks of Homeschoolers http://t.co/dDqFuCs6 #
RT @carogvs: @OKtobeWEIRD @wrenmeyers Great! Thumbs up! There should be one for boy’s too <I think there is. We will do it with them too. #
RE-WEIRD: : #Weird Tween Question #1 “Mom, when can I shave?” http://t.co/3x4Rru4N #
@huatulcojulie rarely at a loss for words! LOL! My voice is back today, YAY! #
Early boarding for the Doze & Drool ZZZ Train. Fluff your pillows & get ready for SLEEP. Sweet dreams a must. Teddy bears optional. Night! #
RE-WEIRD: : The Shack http://t.co/t4cxtYnc #
Let Your Friends Know They Count! #friendscount http://t.co/hDWSJXkt via @shasherslife #
RE-WEIRD: : Spring Break Travel Emergency List – FTF http://t.co/ABnfGbYn #
RE-WEIRD: : Top-Floor Blessings and More http://t.co/S34RGkJU #
RT @tjterryartworx: @cmajaski @OKtobeWEIRD Good article Catering to the individual child! < Thanks! Each one is different. #
Really @ggirlggreen? Patience? I don’t know about patience. LOL! #
#FF to my Top Traffic Driving Tribesmates @Jason__Ramsey @KatrinaMoody @Tarasview @Shasherslife @deannatroupe @RedMojoMama THANKS!! #
OH @ggirlggreen I see what u mean! There will be 2 of us tag-teaming. I couldn’t do it alone with my business. Not patience, but time! #
Birthday festivities today for MrCutie. Anybody else made cakepops by hand? I’m going to give them a try. #
@freshproducenow So far so good. The easy part of rolling them is done. Now for the tricky decorating part! LOL! #
ROFLOL @ronservice – I’d think that would work the other way. Gotta do something to keep warm all winter! lol #
I posted 2 photos on Facebook in the album “Cake Pops – first try” http://t.co/e0jpq2OX #
RE-WEIRD: : Apple Bread Recipe AND Chewy Granola Bars Recipe http://t.co/C0RE3YxW #
Watching @DiscoveryCanada #KnowItAll with my kiddos! Fun show. #
RE-WEIRD: : Going on a Girl Adventure http://t.co/mE5U9qVx #
Thanks for the #FF @huatulcojulie – The goodies were very tasty! And a big hit at the birthday party! #
Well, cake pops were a hit, the party was a pleaser, and everyone seems happy! That’s what counts, right? #
Pick me! >> Should You Hire Someone To Manage Your Facebook Presence http://t.co/My3LP081 via @deannatroupe #
RE-WEIRD: : Weird Questions: Part 2 – WW http://t.co/897eqmgW #
RE-WEIRD: : Robert Pierre – Big Voice, Big Heart *Review* http://t.co/JJbwgZ8w #
RE-WEIRD: : Fortune Cookie Awesomeness – Weird Wednesday http://t.co/xY9aHhc8 #
Saturday is already half-way over. What are you up to today, fellow weirdies? #
RE-WEIRD: : New Creation Posted – Grade 3 Quilt Project http://t.co/289QcoDh #
RT @gingermommy: @OKtobeWEIRD running errands < can you run mine for me too? #
RE-WEIRD: : Wall-E Party http://t.co/vTnwAonT #
I suppose it wouldn’t be good to eat the rest of the cake pops all by myself, right? #
I am on facebook, @terrygossett, lol, in fact, that update came from my page! On that page there ARE Pix of cake pops! http://t.co/9rVwvv9v #
hehehe I just had to raise my hand, @deannatroupe! I love managing the Facebook presences entrusted to my care! #
Thanks for the RT @frostedfingers! The Wall-E party was LOTS of fun! #
hehe, I luv newbies @terrygossett! Try this link: http://t.co/feS4dUVQ (the cake pops are YUMMY! Not sure the pics do them justice) #
RE-WEIRD: : 13 isn’t an unlucky number http://t.co/NprafzUJ #
They were just right @freshproducenow. Cake Pops pics http://t.co/AlD7ErDD (they were YUMMY! Not sure the pics do them justice) #
Having to endure the Kings/Flames came to catch Replay of the @VanCanucks/Leafs Game on #HockeyNightInCanada #
Watching #HNIC replay with no commentary. #weird #
RE-WEIRD: : Red Van Reminders http://t.co/m0hrOd60 #
Waiting for my son’s soccer game to start… What are my weirdies doing today? http://t.co/SubeQIME #
RE-WEIRD: : God-given Intuition http://t.co/5GY7ovxh #
RE-WEIRD: : #Weird Wal-Mart Surveys – No Thanks! http://t.co/547wwEYO #
#GoodMom – I saved the last 3 cake pops for my 3 kiddos. awwwww. #
Sunday on a long weekend? Sounds like a good excuse to go to bed early! LOL! Who’s ready to head to bed now (other than me)? #
RE-WEIRD: : Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Xylitol Experiment – Scrumptious Saturday http://t.co/ug4jw5oh #

We’ve Rejoined the Ranks of Homeschoolers

2012-02-16T23:24:46Z

Well, it’s official. We are re-entering the homeschooling world! Just with MrCutie, the youngest, & we’re all excited.

We’ve tried to be very attentive to what our kiddos need, individually.

Our oldest (daughter) was WAY past ready for Kindergarten when she was starting. We were homeschooling her at that time, but I was also diagnosed with post-partum depression at the time, and we needed to give her the best start possible. So we opted for French Immersion because it would offer her more of a challenge.

Our middle son is very artistic and sees life in a different way than anybody else, so right away we had him in an Integrated Fine Arts school.

The youngest kiddo (son) is in French Immersion as well, because he has a real knack for picking things up and LOVED trying to learn the language from his big sister. He wasn’t ‘artsy’ so much as his brother, though sometimes now I wonder if Integrated Arts might not have been better for him.

So, for a while, we had 3 kiddos in 2 schools, and this year it was 3 kiddos in 3 different schools.

It has been a Loooooooooong decision process, and we really do feel like bringing MrCutie home is the best for him at this point. He may return to public school in Grade 5, or wait for Middle School in Grade 6, or maybe not at all. We are just focused on getting him through this year, helping with what appears to be a moderate learning disability in a remarkably brilliant child, and giving him his confidence back.

When we made the final decision with him, it’s like his whole attitude on life has changed. He is frustrated less, is overall more pleasant and happy, and just seemed like a weight lifted off his shoulders.

I talked to the big kiddos before we made the final decision, and they are quite supportive of the move, even though they aren’t coming home to school. BudBud said that he could see a change in MrCutie, and felt like things must have been getting worse. Sweetheart also knows how smart MrCutie is and she is glad he’ll be able to just learn and not have to deal with the stresses of the teacher and the other kids and not being given the space to learn the way he needs to. She also knows that she’ll need to talk to MrCutie in French so that he can keep his conversational skills going.

I’m glad the decision is made, and I’m at total peace with it. MrCutie really was relieved that he was able to come home, and starting talking right away about what kinds of things we could do at home and how to have recess and all that.

It is a HUGE decision! In the long run we’re pretty sure it’s the best course, for him and for us. Prayers are appreciated while we make the transition. He’s doing a bit of work as of today, then he’ll have a break since everyone is off next week for our February Holiday Break, and then we’ll ease into things the last part of the month.

WW: A Puberty Ring? {linky}

2012-02-15T03:45:20Z

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday!
Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.

Daddy’s gift to Sweetheart for Valentine’s Day,
given over a special dinner date, just the 2 of them!

A Purity Ring!

[When BudBud asked Sweetheart why she got the ring, she said, "It's a purity ring."
He said, "You get a ring for going through puberty?!?!"
No, Buddy, it's a PURITY ring, not a PUBERTY ring....]

Please feel free to link your Weird and Wordless (or Word-full) posts below.
Check out more Weird Wednesday, Wordful Wednesday
and Wordless Wednesday here on my blog.
For more Wordless Wednesday (and to link up) visit:
Tara’s View of the World
My Organized Chaos
My Wee View
Shasher’s Life
Mom’s Musings
and 5 minutes for Mom

If you like, leave me a comment to tell me
what weirdness you ran into this week, too!

Re-Weird: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-02-13

2012-02-15T03:11:57Z

A couple of fun tweets from the last few days:

My daughter always walks into another room when she’s on the phone no matter who she’s talking to. I wonder if she’s self-conscious about it #
You know, lots of those musicians and actors we swoon over were the nerdy, weird, choir & drama kids in high school! Think about it! #

My Kiddos are #IronKids! We’re giving away some Gummies, too!

2012-02-25T21:14:47Z

I have 3 active tweens – 1 is a soccer goalie with lots of training going on right now, 1 is just a busy growing boy, and the oldest is a beautiful young lady on the verge of being a teenager. Their bodies are growing fast, and I’m always looking for a good supplemental vitamin that is both beneficial to their bodies and enjoyable for them to take.

Enter: IronKids!

My kiddos are all getting big enough where they are kind of growing out of liquid and chewable kid’s medicines. But I thought I’d give the IronKids Gummies vitamins a try because they are GUMMY, not chalky or crunchy like other ‘kid’ stuff! Who doesn’t enjoy a yummy gummy, right?!

Amazingly enough, IronKids Gummies come in 4 combinations (5 if you count the Omega Bursts) – Multi-Vitamins, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Omega 3′s. They are all different flavors, too, so it makes for a nice variety. It’s not hard to get my kiddos to take their vitamins at all right now – they really DO love these gummies! There are no favorite flavors, though everyone LOVES that the Vitamin D are shaped like sunshines and the Omega 3′s like fishes! It’s just FUN!

So, we’ve got the enjoyable part covered. What about the ‘beneficial to their bodies’ part?

IronKids Gummies are produced by Life Science Nutritionals, Inc. All of their products are Officially Licensed Health Products, as designated by Health Canada. The gummies contain no sugar coating, no aspartame, and no artificial colors . . only real ingredients. They are also nut-free (a MUST in our house) and gluten free!

IronKids Gummies Multivitamins are a unique blend of vitamins that supports kids’ energy metabolism and helps them get the most out of their active day. All of my kiddos are busy, and I like knowing that they are taking something that really is helping them to be able to stay active.

The Vitamin D gummies are another essential supplement around here, as my youngest son has suffered with Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder (S.A.D.) and Vitamin D is very important in helping to manage that. We’re not able to get outside as much in the cold Canadian winter to soak up Vitamin D from the sunshine, so a good supplement is extremely helpful.

The IronKids Calcium Gummies include Vitamin D and Phosphorus as well, and I’ve always heard that those are important to have together for good absorption of the calcium. With growing bones, sometimes very QUICKLY growing bones right now, my kiddos need to have some good calcium support in their diet.

The Omega-3 gummies produced by IronKids are Canada’s #1 omega for kids. They are specially formulated with pure source DHA and EPA, two essential fatty acids that are needed for the optimum development of a child’s brain and nervous system, as well as supporting a healthy cardiovascular (heart and circulatory) system. IronKids Omega-3 gummies are made with only pure source triple distilled fish oil to ensure that your child gets the purest product possible. We’ve recently discovered that Omega-3′s have been important in helping with brain function for people with learning disabilities, so we’re really glad to have a trusted source as we tackle some new things with our youngest son in this regard.

Enjoyable to take and beneficial to their growing bodies – check and check! Yup, my kiddos are IronKids!

There are really only 2 drawbacks to the IronKids Gummies that I’ve discovered.

1) My daughter is allergic to fish – so she’s not able to take the Omega-3 Gummies and the Omega Bursts. That’s OK with us. She’s accustomed to having to skip some things with her allergies.

2) I’m the only one in the house that will take the Omega Bursts. LOL! This is purely a texture issue for the kiddos, and I think if they would take them longer that they really would get used to them. You see, the Bursts are a gelatin sphere filled with highly concentrated, ultra pure source fish oil. So, when you chew them, they really do BURST! Neither of the boys seem to like that sensation, and they weren’t particularly fond of the taste of the oil, though the gelatin capsule is very orangey and is a much more prominent taste than the oil. Again, it’s a matter of personal preference, and one that I’m not going to push since we have the IronKids Omega 3 Gummies that they DO like!

IronKids Gummies are family tested and approved, as winners of the PTPAMedia.com Parent Tested/Parent Approved award! IronKids Gummies were also voted Best New Product by Canadian Living Magazine in 2010. And all around the internet I hear really good things about the supplements and the people behind them!

We are enjoying the IronKids Gummies, and I am so glad to know that the children are getting quality vitamin and essential oil supplements to support their active kid lives. No fillers, no fluff, just good stuff!

I know your family will like IronKids Gummies as much as we do, and as part of the IronKids Ambassador Program, I’m excited to be able to give you a chance to try some yourself! We’re hosting a flash giveaway with IronKids Gummies!

The giveaway will be for IronKids Product Prize Pack ($100 ARV) AND a cash prize of $100 CAD (paid through PayPal). It’s a FLASH giveaway, so it will only last for 5 days. Residents of Canada and the US are eligible to participate. GOOD LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am participating in this blog tour by Influential Media on behalf ofIronKids. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions I express are my own.

Who ever heard of someone being afraid of Heaven!?

2012-02-09T21:02:34Z

Heaven.

As a Christian, I hear a lot about Heaven, and how wonderful it will be, as well as about learning to live with an eternal perspective.

“This world is not about this world.”

“There’s more to this life than what we see and feel here.”

“This is our temporary home.”

“This world is not our home.”

“Eternity with Christ begins today!”

“Store up treasures in Heaven where moth and rust can not destroy.”

Everyone says that Heaven will be infinitely better than life on Earth. It will be amazing!

I personally don’t ascribe to the fluffy clouds and harps picture of Heaven, based on what I’ve read in the Bible, because, frankly, having to sit on a cloud and play a harp for eternity doesn’t sound ‘infinitely better’ than life here on Earth.

If Heaven is something like the REAL Narnia of The Last Battle – an amplification of everything that is good and wonderful here on Earth, I think that will be wonderful.

If Heaven is something like I experience when I practice a prayer exercise called “The Garden of My Heart”, I think that would be fantastic.

If Heaven is something like the transformed shack in the book The Shack, I think that would be spectacular.

If Heaven is something like the Bible describes as the New Earth, where everything is restored, and we live at peace with each other and with God, continuing to work and live and worship in a completeness and wholeness not experienced since Eden, I think that would be … WOW!

I’ve read books about Heaven. I’ve read books about other people’s supposed visits in Heaven during a death or near-death experience. And I’ve read a lot in the Bible about Heaven. And I’m still not sure what Heaven will be ‘like’, so I’m not sure what to think…

I know in my head that we really aren’t meant to know what Heaven will be like. Heaven is supposed to be something that is indescribable to us in our current state of understanding. Our physical, broken, sinful being is unable to comprehend a healed and whole being, or the world that such a being would exist in.

Maybe it’s my engineering mind, I don’t know… maybe it’s just the fear of the unknown, or the fear of judgement … or maybe a lack of faith or knowledge, or both…? But the idea of Heaven isn’t exactly comfortable to me. Honestly, I almost feel afraid about Heaven sometimes.

Yes, I’m a pastor’s wife. How can I even admit to this? And who has ever heard of someone being afraid of Heaven? Hell, sure, but Heaven?

I am pretty sure I’m meant look forward to it, and not to fear it, especially if I believe that Christ as my saviour has provided a way for me to be there through His sacrifice. And I will (and do) confess to being a Christ follower, accepting Jesus as my Lord and my saviour, and living according to his example (as best I can). Yet I’m still unsure enough about Heaven that it’s caused me a fair bit of anxiety from time to time.

I’ve drilled down deep enough to know that I’m concerned as much about what I leave behind as I am about what I go to. When life feels like a mess, it’s hard to know that when I die, I leave that mess to someone else. I don’t like that idea.

The idea of “Eternity” is also kinda freaky to me. Everything about our earthly existence is bookended with life and death. Once we die here, we go on to eternity, and eternity is just … forever… What the HECK does that look like? I have no concept of forever, or ME being in FOREVER and around FOREVER… It boggles my mind, and freaks me out.

My heart (and spirit?) hopes that Heaven is real and true and more than I can imagine and wonderful and good. I want to hope that living (is that what we do in Heaven?) seamlessly in the Lord’s presence will be fantastic, and seeing Jesus face-to-face will be spectacular.

Honestly, I think I’m afraid to hope, though. If something looks too good to be true, it probably IS too good to be true. Yes, that’s my earthly mind talking, based on my earthly experiences, and my slightly cynical attitude these days.

I could write for ages, I think, because I’ve thought about it a lot. Suffice it to say that at this point I just hope I can come to peace with Heaven before I get there! Of course, it probably won’t matter then, right? I’m probably just weird, and paranoid, and crazy for even admitting any of this out loud.

Regardless of your religious affiliation (or non-affiliation), what do you think? [I'm really NOT opening the floor for a theological debate, or to have to defend my own belief in Christ, please... I just shared some real stuff straight from my heart. Be nice, k?]

WW: Cookie Cooking Cleanup? {linky}

2012-02-08T01:09:18Z

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday!
Sure to be weird, and this week pretty wordless, too.

drawers open, lazy susan spun out, cupboard doors ajar, every measuring cup out, canisters open, all ingredients left everywhere...

This is what the kitchen looks like when my daughter is finished making cookies. She can do it all on her own, start to finish – but it appears we need to work on the cleanup!

If you like, leave me a comment to tell me
what weirdness you ran into this week, too!

Target – Here We Come with $400 in Gift Cards (giveaway)

2012-02-08T00:35:47Z

It was so much fun last time that I have teamed up again with a group of blogs to offer all of our readers a big giveaway. By working in a group like this, we can offer a larger prize. I Like BIG Prizes!

This time we are giving away $400 in Target Gift Cards to one very lucky person!

Please note: you only need to enter ONE TIME on ANY of the participating blogs. We will all have the same form.

The giveaway runs from February 6th until February 20th and is open to residents of both the US & Canada. Yes, Canada doesn’t have Target in many places *yet*, but we didn’t want to exclude our fellow Canadians. You can always bring the gift cards with you for some cross-border shopping, or they make great gifts for friends and family down south! I heard that Medicine Hat, Alberta is getting a Target soon, though. Maybe it’s time for a little road trip to The Hat!

By the way, if you happen to be viewing It’s OK to be WEIRD! on a mobile device, the default view will be our Mobile Site, and the Rafflecopter widget below for giveaway entries may not be visible to you. Please Switch to the Desktop Site for full viewing capabilities! (Clicking the Rafflecopter link below while in Mobile Site format will not take you to the entry widget, but viewing the site in Desktop format should show you the working widget.) Thanks!

Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Emancipation of Robert Sadler review

2012-02-05T22:34:19Z

Having grown up in the Southern United States, I’m well aware of the prejudices that still grip the people in that region even to this day. I was not aware of how recently slavery was still a part of life in the deep south, though. Robert Sadler was a product of the post Emancipation Proclamation era of slavery.

About The Emancipation of Robert Sadler, updated edition: The Powerful True Story of a Twentieth-Century Plantation Slave
by Marie Chapian and Robert Sadler

A Gritty, Raw Real-Life Tale That Will Both Shock and Inspire You

So many thoughts twirl in my head…I want to think back as far as I can remember–think on things I had long ago buried and let stay buried. There were things I never told anyone. Now is the time to tell it, though. Help me remember it, Lord, so I can tell it just the way it was.

Over fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Robert Sadler was sold into slavery at the age of five–by his own father. Originally published in 1975, this is the no-holds-barred tale of those dark days, his quest for freedom, and the determination to serve others borne out of his experience. You won’t forget this poignant true story of good triumphing over evil, of God’s grace, and of an extraordinary life of ministry.

My Review

Marie Chapian has done a great job of capturing Robert’s story, in all of its raw and sweet reality. The book begins with Robert’s earliest memories – and those memories aren’t pleasant. When he is sold into slavery, not just once but TWICE, my heart ached for he and his family.

As Robert struggled through the awful world of a plantation worked by slaves, the pain and abuse he endured and saw others endure is almost unbelievable. The slave owners didn’t even view their slaves as human, so the beginning of Robert’s story demonstrates how fully and completely people can be prejudiced. It made me physically ill to read about.

Robert had people of faith around him throughout his whole life, and seeds of that faith were planted in his heart along the way. In spite of being considered a backward and dumb black boy, Robert seemed to me to be clever. Anybody who could live in the system of plantation rules, with hundreds of do’s and don’ts, would have to have some wits about them, or they would have been killed. The trauma of his early life had caused speech issues, and later abuse by other slaves left him deaf in one ear. But Robert always had a hunger for learning, ever since his mother had told him he needed to learn to read so he could read the Bible. It was one of the last things he could remember her telling him before she died.

One Sunday, Robert escapes the plantation, by the grace of God. It had to be a divine intervention of some kind because he simply walked off the plantation. His life from there on was a series of ups and downs. He quickly realized that people living off the plantations as ‘free’ men were no more free than he had been as a slave. Life was hard in the south, especially for those of colour.

Through many turns and many bad decisions, Robert finally ends up committing his whole life to God. Robert was able to get a basic education at a school specifically for young black men, and it was a huge turning point in his life. God had obviously kept him alive and brought him through many situations, and Robert felt more and more like the Lord was leading him in specific directions.

Travelling ministry was where he spent most of his time, driving to where there were needs and ministering to the broken people there. What I found so beautiful about this part of his story was that Robert was always so unassuming and humble, and never considered himself very intelligent, and yet the Lord used him in tremendous ways. Because of Robert’s innocence and sincerity, he was something of a blank slate that God took and wrote His story on. The Lord spoke, Robert listened and followed the leadings, and the Lord moved in mighty ways through Robert’s obedience.

Often one life at a time, one family at a time, and sometimes one small church or one small town at a time, Robert brought healing to people’s lives by shining the light of Christ into their hearts. He always shared the Gospel because he genuinely believed that Jesus would make all the difference. He saw many of his own family members and fellow freed slaves brought into the Kingdom.

Miracles happened around Robert often, from cars running when completely out of gas or driving for hundreds of miles without a transmission, to money showing up at the right time, from Robert being in the right place at the right time, to him being clearly protected when he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Robert shares those stories very unpretentiously, and without fanfare. They happened, they are part of his story, and he shares them as easily as he shared his early life stories. Simple as that.

A surprising part of the story was that after coming out of slave life, where every day was a scrape and no meal was ever filling, Robert spent much of his hard-earned money on food. He developed what we would today call an eating disorder. FINALLY he could eat just about whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and as much of it as he could afford. The insecurity of life as a slave led to this need for food. With the stability of the Lord in his life, and later with a loving wife, that insecurity went away, but Robert always did enjoy food, a real treasure after not having any for so long.

As I read the book, I found it very easy to transition between the well-written, grammatically correct narration of the story, and the dialogue of colourful language common to southern plantations. Because I’ve heard people talk much like the people in the story, their conversations, in their vernacular, were not difficult for me to decipher. Reading a few of the phrases to my daughter, she did find it tricky to make out some of the words, and to figure out what they were trying to say. I wonder if other readers, not familiar with the language and ‘drawl’ of southern talkers, would find the dialogue tricky, too. I thought it was a very clever and genuine way to share the story, and made Robert’s world even more real to me.

Robert’s story is first heart-breaking and tragic, and then inspiring and touching. That anyone can endure what he did, and still be soft-hearted enough for the Lord to be able to use him is simply amazing. Many men who walked similar paths turned hard and bitter, but Robert’s simplicity and the faith showered on him by key people in his life, laid the foundation for a great ministry.

The Emancipation of Robert Sadler is quite detailed, but not gory, in the depiction of the awful life of the slaves. Robert shared a part of history I was really unaware of – that history was still in effect quite a long time after the slaves had been legally freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. I’m sure very few of us have ever heard about Robert’s life as a minister, even though it was, by all accounts, a successful and vibrant ministry, touching many thousands of people over Robert’s lifetime. Reading The Emancipation of Robert Sadler has opened my eyes to a new world I never knew existed, and has inspired me to listen to God more. I do think that adult readers interested in seeing how the Lord can change such a broken life for His purposes will really enjoy this book.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group