Time

I am always amazed how quickly six to eight hours can pass when they are the only hours I have off a week while my kids are in school and my husband is working.

Today they passed in the proverbial blink of an eye. But, I did manage to; exercise, spend time in God's Word, pray, cook and eat breakfast, buy a gift for a friend's new baby, visit the new mother and gorgeous infant son, have lunch with a dear friend, stop by the resale shop and pick up a few items, grocery shop, wash dishes and do two loads of laundry between 8:30 and 4:00.

I also checked email for 30 minutes in there somewhere and talked to my sister in Colorado while on the road (mostly in parking lots as I try never to drive while on my cell phone).

I used to work at the store where I bought the baby gift and a woman I used to work with rang me up at the register. We talked a bit about how our kids were and both of us marveled at how old they had become.. Evidently we forgot when we age five or six years, so do they. Talk of homecoming dances and college. I'm sooooo not ready.

A couple of days ago, this was the conversation I overheard between my twins Maggie and Ryan:

Maggie: "Ry, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Ry: "A football player."
Maggie: "Really?" Pause. "Because I think you'd make a really good clown."

Maybe they aren't ready either.

Tree of Life

Well another Christmas break has come and gone and tomorrow the kids return to school after two weeks off. Dan and I both have one more day off of work and we might sneak in a breakfast or lunch date before taking down all the decorations we didn't manage to put away over the weekend. Including the Christmas tree.

Our pastor used a great analogy in church this morning about getting rid of the real tree. Dan and I have always had a real tree for Christmas. I've always enjoyed picking it out, first just the two of us and then as a family with the kids. Though some years it was done hastily in frigid temperatures (spy first tree in line - YES -THAT ONE! Can we GO now?) We've never had a tree I didn't think was "perfect" when we put it in the stand and decorated it at home. I love the smell of pine in the house. I even love the smell in the vacuum cleaner in mid February.

Our pastor was talking about the limited life span of the tree once it's been cut down. How when it's in a stand in your home in January it's anything but "Evergreen." Pine needles fall by the dozens with a mere brush near the outer branches and many ornaments dangle far lower to the ground than where they were first hung.

All because the roots are gone.

Once the roots are cut off the tree stops drawing life from its source and begins to die. Its the same way with the Christian. If our roots are not firmly planted in the Word of God we stop drawing life from our source. We stop growing.

It was a short but meaningful point. In fact, I'm making it my new year's resolution. To be firmly planted with deep roots in God's Word.

And I hope to produce an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 2 Cor. 2:15.

December Birthdays

At the beginning of this month we celebrated Dan's 46th birthday. Its an age I've only ever attributed to his older brothers so it seems really odd that it applies to him this year. He's closer to 50 than 40 now and for whatever reason that makes me feel like we lost a decade somewhere when we weren't paying attention.

This past weekend we celebrated Caitlin's 14th birthday, along with Jaden Tabak's 9th birthday. I remember as if it were yesterday when my friend Beth told me she was pregnant again with him.

I still haven't gotten used to the fact that Caitlin is a teenager and now she's hit a whole new teenage number. She still doesn't act like one though, so no complaints here.

I've been reminiscing about birthdays past with Cait - how she could never come up with enough ideas for presents for both her birthday and Christmas for all those who wanted to buy for her. She still can't. And how since she was two years old if someone gave her a book she would stop opening any other presents to read it. She still does that.

We went downtown on her actual birthday to the Art Institute (her choice, but I was elated by it) and then to Marshall Fields (I refuse to call it anything else) to see the Walnut Room and then on to Christkindlemarket in Daley Plaza where we ordered real Bavarian pretzels. It was cold and crowded and we did a lot of walking, but the kids were great and we had a lot of fun. When we got home Cait told me she felt badly about all that she had gotten when there were so many other people with so little. There were quite a few homeless people out in the city that night and I'm sure their images stuck with her.

It got me thinking about the next birthday we're celebrating. We've had an advent calendar on the wall of the nativity and each day we read a little about the character we're about to hang up in the manger scene and talk about shepherds, wisemen and angels. I've explained how many of them had been long anticipating the coming of the promised Messiah while others just saw a star in the sky and somehow knew they had to follow it.

The young woman Mary, who had just given birth to the Son of God in a stable was probably no older than Caitlin is now.

I understand how Caitlin felt the night of her birthday. I have often wondered why God has saved me and given me so much when so many other people still don't know Him. When I consider that Jesus left heaven and all its glory to come to earth and take on human flesh knowing that He would ultimately die on a cross to pay the debt for my sins and reconcile me to His Father, I am stunned. The manger is just the beginning of the story.

It's good to remember on His birthday that He's both the Gift and the Gift Giver. It's better to remember it all year.

D.A.R.E. to be Different

It's time to put my daughter Maggie in the spotlight.

We have three kids. Ironically, it's not the twins that are very much alike, or even the two girls, but Caitlin and Ryan who seem to be cut, if not of the same mold, at least near the same kiln. I often remember writing down little notes in their early years of how Caitlin and Ryan did one thing, and Maggie did quite another. I was going to write a book titled "...And Then There's Maggie."

I'm still considering it. She gave me quite a lot of documented material.

See, Maggie is this interesting dichotomy of enormous talent and complete indifference. She has more natural athletic ability than the other four of us put together.

And absolutely no ambition.

Her "love language" is Quality Time. She has little interest in electronic gadgets, much preferring board games played with other living, breathing human beings. She's social, but not in the way of joining everything, pursuing popular programs or even having a wide group of friends.

Maggie likes one-on-one. And she doesn't easily tire of it. So when she finds something she's interested in, we get a little excited around here. Because as much as she likes the social interaction, she usually won't join anything that requires too much of her.

We haven't pushed her into sports or academics or park district courses. We're happy to save the money - and truth be told - the time and gas required to shlep another child to another destination on any given weekday/end. We've been content to have her participate in Girl Scouts which only meets about once a month after school. But something peaked Maggie's interest at school recently and the result was kind of amazing.

Maggie got totally into the D.A.R.E. program. You know the program...Officer Friendly on steroids. DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION. DARE to say NO to drugs.

Maggie was all in.

She not only participated actively at school, she attended CSI-like presentations at the library and applied herself like superglue.

For her efforts she was recognized as one of two kids in the entire 6th grade (about 100 kids) as "DARE Student of the Year." There was a ceremony, a customized plaque, photos with the Chief of Police and more. We were so proud we totally let her blow off her small group at church to attend the award celebration.

At a time when kids are exposed to more dangerous vices at earlier ages in a culture that is increasingly tolerant of it, I am thrilled that the activity that finally warranted my daughters efforts and commitment was one that teaches her to go against the grain.

That's pretty much what the Christian life consists of in 21st century America. Going. Against. The. Grain.

It used to be when I came home as a kid and asked my mom to do something (or got caught doing something I shouldn't have been doing) and pleaded that "everyone else was doing it" that possibly two or three kids I knew were doing it. Now when my kids come home and talk about non-stop texting, or whatever the new must-have/must-see/must-do thing is and tell me "everyone else is doing it," literally, everyone else is doing it.

Makes me really grateful Maggie was honored for not doing something too many other kids are.

Whirlwind Weekend

This weekend wasn't non-stop activity but the activity was chock-full.

Friday night I went to a "Fall Fellowship" of over 30 women who will all be attending our church's newest campus in Itasca. We spent some time getting to know each other, eating (lots of eating), learning about women's ministry and praying for the campus. It was emotional for me because I was involved in the process of this location becoming another site of our church from the beginning. It was a very eclectic group of women ranging in age from 22 to 96! I stopped complaining about being tired after working all day and going out again past 9:00 pm when the 96 year old was making her way from room to room in her immaculate skirt and holding hands in circles of prayer to lift up the ministries of the church. I am ridiculously out of shape.

Saturday morning Ryan's football team played for the Championship in their division. I thought I might not make it there because my back was half out and I could barely drive to the field.

Best youth football game I've ever seen in my life.

Both teams played their hearts out and it could have gone either way. I actually experienced some of the devastation the other team must have felt coming so close while at the same time, being elated for my son, his dad (Dan is an assistant coach) and all these kids I've gotten to watch play all season. I think it was Ryan's first real taste of competition on a higher level. He made a great catch on 4th down with a defender all over him and I couldn't help but be proud. The celebration was immediate - it rivaled an NFL division win in enthusiasm. They drank heartily from bottles of sparkling grape juice (when they weren't dumping them over each other's heads). I asked Ryan to pass me his trophy so I could get a better look at it while we were in the car on the way home but he couldn't do it.

It was strapped into the seat with him.

One of the families on the team hosted a celebration party afterward that I am still hearing about. Cait and I stayed home for homework/backache reasons respectively, but the family was well represented by Maggie from what I hear.

Sunday morning was the "internal launch" of the Itasca Campus for church. The former congregation had dwindled down to about 30 people prior to joining The Orchard. There were well over 200 people there Sunday morning. It was such a gift to be part of a community of believers who had worked hard, prayed hard and put aside personal preferences for the greater good of reaching more people for Christ in this really special place.

Everything went fairly smoothly and I doubt most people were aware of what didn't go according to plan. Although most things went completely awry for the ministry I head up it ended up being okay. In fact, it was better than okay and I was blessed by the people who showed up and participated in it.

I was so thankful to have the extra hour of sleep - and the rest of Sunday afternoon to lay on the couch and watch the Bears win - added bonus! But I still feel like life is moving at a pace I will never adjust to.

So I'm working on not adjusting to it.

There's a verse from the Bible that keeps popping up in all my reading. Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

It's my slow-down-even-if-no-one-else-is free card. Way better than getting out of jail in Monopoly.

A Blow to the Head

The cover story of the Chicago Tribune today was titled "Friday Night Lights' Risk: 1800 hits to the head."

Mom Eder, if you're reading this - stop now. You don't want to know.

Recent studies have found hidden brain injuries in young football players who have been sacked/tackled repeatedly with hits to the head.

Kind of like Jay Cutler last Sunday night. The Giants set a new NFL record by sacking our Bears QB NINE TIMES in the first HALF. Cutler left the game after the last sack at the end of the half. That was the hit that we all thought caused his concussion. Turns out the concussion came much earlier in the game and that's what impaired his play to the extent that he was sacked an additional six or so times. Not that the offensive line provided any assistance.

Somehow this information was both comforting and disturbing. Comforting in that Cutler isn't a hack who can't throw the ball to save his life. Disturbing in that he was impaired to a degree that he couldn't find receivers visually let alone with the ball.

Disturbing because these injuries can have long-term repercussions - no win is worth sacrificing a player's future congnitive abilities.

Disturbing because it went undetected, the guy was put back out on the field, and we allowed him to get reinjured exponentially with greater enthusiasm from the opposing teams defense (since their offense was doing as little as ours to put points on the board).

Disturbing because I have a son who plays football.

I'm grateful that Dan is an assistant coach who is making sure they are learning proper safety procedures for tackling. But I'll tell you this stuff makes me run to God with prayers for protection.

I can handle the bruises all up and down his arms and the way he walks up the stairs like an 80 year old man after a game, but head injuries are deal breakers for continued play.

So if you have a kid in football (and you should know I consider college age "kids") - watch them carefully and be an advocate for conservative measures with those hard hits, would ya?

And pray.

But Wait! There's more....

So you read about my AT&T Uverse woes with the phone a couple of days ago. Turns out the Bears win on cable isn't a wash with the lack of phone reception after all.

I am now in my eleventh day of "new, improved digital phone service" except my phone continues to buzz loudly anywhere between 2 and 14 minutes into a call depending on it's mood. I finally got through on the automated system on Monday to schedule a service call to fix it (took three tries and LOTS of waiting) but on the bright side they all had real time evidence of my problem while they were recording the converation for "quality assurance."

The first time they could dispatch someone when I was home was allegedly last night between 4-8. I left work early to be home by 4. Of course, they never showed, but did call Dan's cell around 8 to say they were "running late." At nine pm they were still trying to dispatch someone. I told them not to send a technician to my home after 9 pm on a school night and we rescheduled for the next day. I insisted they come between 5-7 and they absolutely refused to commit to anything but a 4 hour window because they said it was what they needed. I reminded them they really needed a six hour window since it was now 9:30 pm and they hadn't shown up yet for that day's 4 hour window.

So their four hour blocks required a 4-8 pm for today. We told them I couldn't be home until 5 so to change it to 5-8. Again, the four hour window speech. So they made a note not to show up before 5 on the ticket and gave us 5-9.

So it was kind of funny when Dan got a call at 9 am from a technician in front of our house wanting to be let in to fix the phone. Dan let him know no one would be home before 5 pm. He got another call two hours later.

Same deal. Same response.

Another hour later...he got another call. He asked them why they kept showing up when the order clearly read 4-8 (but apparently didn't include the promised note of "don't show up before 5"). They said when they miss appointments the day before we go to the top of the order. Dan told them that's great, except as we've stated five times, we won't be home before five.

An hour later another technician calls.

So when I pull up at 4 pm in front of my house and see a service truck parked there I am overjoyed. Except the guy tells me he just spoke with my husband who told him I wouldn't be home before 5 and so now he's been dispatched to another home and has to leave. I tell him "no way" I'm home now and the whole saga.

He is not moved with compassion.

I make him stay for 10 minutes listening to our sob story, but he still leaves assuring me someone will be here between 5-8. Right. Because that's what the ticket says and it worked so well last night.

I ask him for a phone number for a manager/supervisor. "Sorry ma'am I don't have any phone numbers." There aren't any emails on their website either. Nor is there any contact information at all except for the automated system that has an average wait time of 10 minutes for a live human being. Remember...this is a phone company.

But there's lots of stuff that says "Dear valued customer."

It's 6 pm and no one else has showed up yet even though four of them were here today because I was at the top of the pecking order even though my ticket said 4-8 pm.

I just opened my mail and there was a letter from AT&T Uverse trying to sell me the bundled package I just bought for $12 less a month than I just bought it for.

I prayed so I wouldn't strangle someone.

I also had a glass of wine.

Then Caitlin reminded me that it was a U2 Friday Feature on WXRT. So I just listened to five consecutive U2 songs while sipping some wonderful Left Foot Charley Murmur and I'm not as livid as I was an hour ago.

But I will post on my web for all to see that AT&T appears to be competing for worst customer service satisfaction in the 21st century.