World Peace and 15% off at Kohl's

I love my mom. I love to talk to my mom. We haven't had a good mommy/daughter discussion in a while. Due to her "retirement" and my chaotic life. (She's busier now in her retirement than she ever was before.) Anyway, we got a little bit of face time in the car the other day on the way up to VA. She was looking forward to riding with my sis and her grandson to CT to deliver him to school. She was especially excited to have my sis all to herself on the way home. 10-12 hours in the car is alot of time to solve all sorts of things. That's what we do. That's what happens when best girlfriends get together and chat, and sometimes those best girlfriends are actually mothers and daughters in their "real lives".

Mom was talking about a lecture she recently attended where the speaker was a Palestinian man who has recently written a best seller and was giving a talk about peace. He talked about how we, as Americans, are so wealthy and sometimes have no knowledge of our wealth. He called for Americans to be "friends" to those nations who are portrayed in the media as not-so-nice, doesn't-play-well-with-others countries. I think about his country and the country they are in conflict with at the moment and how hard that must be to be amongst so much anger and begging for peace, and peace from other countries. This man spends his off time away from his homeland, where he has helped found many Christian schools for children, to come here and interrupt our tv schedules to talk about peace. I can't get it off of my mind.

I had a sweet lady at church say to me during our small group sign ups, "You and David are sooo busy, I don't know how you do it." Granted we have 5 kids and are very involved in our church, but I constantly think I still have too much idle time on my hands that can be used for something meaningful. I get that reaction a lot from so many people. It's funny though, the dynamic and different extremes I get. Because I am a SAHM I get things like, "well, we can't all be on the computer all the time like you can" or "you're off today, so you have time to.....(fill in the blank)." To the ever popular, "How do you find time to do anything?" Thanks to the government and my unwillingness to support filth on tv, my family doesn't watch tv anymore. It's been that way since June. Our reputations were already scarred before then when we got rid of our satelite and went to strictly those stations we could get by attenae, 4 major networks and PBS. So, it was inevitable that we would take the plunge to no tv. We watch movies every once in a while, but not a whole lot. I politely told the lady from church, "David and I don't have television and it's amazing the time we can now devote to other things, like what needs to be done at church." She didn't say much. It is true. Don't get me wrong here, I still fall off the wagon, like when I'm at my sister's where there is directv in several rooms and I can catch an entire marathon of ANTM. (Yea, really, I'm not kidding.)

I wonder if the gentleman from Palestine also wonders why "Desperate(ly wish we were actually) Housewives" and "Beverly Hills 9021-old Revisited" are more important that our quest for world peace and the global awareness of Christ. I can still see where I have moments during my day that I can use for His glory. I am trying to re-train my brain to let go of my plans and pray that God order my steps each day and that I am not filling my life with inconsequentials, so as to see and embrace those "God" distractions in my day. I want to be more Christ-like in wrapping my arms around those important bumps in the road.

As for those girlfriend talks with my mom, my sis, my peeps, they will still go on in our quest for peace and the perfect recipe for Homemade Chicken and Dumplins! I love my girly conversations. I love my mom. I love my sis. I love my Liz, Beth, and Tori and all my other girlfriends, cyber and uncybered. Here's to world peace! (Now is when you raise your margarita glass.)

Hey Father, I love ya and I want to be a better person. I want to be more peaceful and want to embrace what you have for me in my day in a way that exudes your glory to those around me. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the quest for peace. Thank you for allowing us to experience both sides of peace to know that the Hope of Christ is the peace of the world. Peace in our hearts, not the easy way out, but the peace of you residing in my heart daily. Thank you God!