Holocaust Briefing

Each year the base hosts a group of Holocaust Survivors from Tucson, AZ. I've never seen any other base do this; but I think they should. The guests have been speaking at various groups on base. Yesterday, they held a memorial service at the chapel that I hear was very touching.

This a.m. they had a "briefing."  Jamin, Jared, and I attended. I'm finding it hard to sort out my thoughts. It was amazing. I do wish that I could find a way to get these folks to speak to our homeschool group next year, or into the local schools....seems sad to keep them to ourselves. Maybe the best bet would be to sponsor homeschoolers onto base, to be sure that it is mentioned in the group's newsletter......hmmm....

Did you know that the word genocide was invented AFTER ww2? It was interesting to me to realize that civilization had no words to describe the Holocaust. Holocaust itself is a new word from two words meaning "burn" "completely".

We heard from Dr. Gail Wallen, the director of a big place in Tucson (I can't remember the title).....she spoke about the things that lined up to allow the Holocaust. She spoke of religion, literature, pan-German, economic measures, and more all lining up. It was very interseting and tied a lot of what we've studied this year in TOG together.

Then we heard from Mrs. Rosa Freund - a survivor of Auschwitz. I've been reading the books by Isabella Leitner. She's pretty blunt. Still, I can't explain sitting there and hearing this sweet, graying lady talk about things that were done and realizing she was not sharing stories but MEMORIES. As she talked she shared memories of Dr. Mengele and could "feel his touch now right on my arm".

Another lady there was a survivor from the Warsaw Ghetto. She was 5 years old when the war began. We got to talk with her after the event was over. She said how rare it is that she survived. Most young children were either killed right away or victims of experiments.

One of our troops shared at the memorial service how he remembered his grandfather (or great grandfather) making family trees. All the branches but theirs simply stopped. As a young child he asked, "why do all the branches stop?" and was told "they all died in the Holocaust". It's simply mind boggling.

Rosa encouraged the active duty folks to defend democracy and to personally speak up. Silence is acceptance.

It's been 62 years since WW2 ended. It's sad to me that the survivors and liberators are all aging. Soon we won't people to lecture us who have first hand memories of these events. I believe it is important to keep the memory alive....especially as we begin to hear some of the same lies repeated. While listening to Dr. Wallen speak I couldn't help but think of the various historical factors she mentioned lining up to allow the Holocaust....I see many of the same ones lining up again in our time.

Here is a Holocaust Survivor quilt....I took a lot of photos of various squares but here are a few....

Loved the details at the edges of the quilt

Each square was made by a survivor...The red one to the bottom right is a Kindertransport and was signed by the child....really hit me

I simply couldn't pull out the camera and snap a photo of the boys talking with the survivors - seemed to trivial in the midst of the discussion.

So, What was I Doing?

My "to do " list was basically hijacked by my family's schedules and needs today. That's o.k. My turn will come. ::snort:: Rather than go on and on about the unexpected twists I thought I'd simply say....."we're busy".

After dinner I took the four younger ones to the pool. They loved it. Mike and Jared are at the base. Jared has Civil Air Patrol and Mike uses those few extra quiet hours to try to keep ahead of the steam roller. Josiah and Jamin are working.

We got home from the pool and the youngers collapsed. All of them. I set up tables, checked SHS mail....tried to upload photos and they won't work...

I think I'll write a couple of entries in draft and try to add photos later. LOL

It's Official I'm a Fruit!

In fact, when Trish thinks of fruit she thinks of me FIRST!!!

I visited Trish's blog and read this which left me snorting, sniffing, blushing, and tearing up all at the same time. Trish considers me a fruit and has graced me with this graphic (hopefully displayed to the right).

Background: Trish emailed me last week with an "award" she had been praying about and wanting to start. She asked me to be the first recipient. I replied honestly. It made me uncomfortable. I didn't like the idea of an "award", I didn't want folks to think that I was boastful or that *I* have anything really good in me. I don't. I strenuously avoid pedestals. Mike, laughed at me and said that maybe a "humble button" would make me feel better. He told me to share my feelings with Trish. I did.

Trish asked what would help me feel better, because she really had prayed about the idea and knew if I had this reactions others might as well. I shared taking award off the graphic and just letting me use her gorgeous graphic would be great. ::snort:: She shared her heart (click to read). She told me to read my profile. I did. Hmmm...if I want to lead others to an extravagant love relationship with my Lord, I guess I'd best hope they see something worth imitating. We talked about encouraging one another to love and good deeds, about recognizing the work of God in each other, she told me not to rebuff a blessing (I've heard that before).

This morning, I clicked on Trish's blog and read some very sweet comments about myself. I'm now allowed to post the graphic in my sidebar with a link.

I'm also asked to blog about what it means to me that Trish thinks I'm a fruit among fruits! ::snort::

Seriously, I'm touched. Trish knows me. Trish met me in Alaska during a season in my life when I was seriously OUT OF BALANCE. Trish does not have me on a pedestal. Trish helped me make a zillion tea pots when I had a zany idea about giving each mother/daughter a handmade tea pot at our chapel tea. Trish didn't even attend the chapel or the tea. Trish heard me gripe far to often.

It does sort of stagger me that she sees Christ in me. Honestly, it's not ME - its the reflection of grace that would ever cause anyone to see anything of worth in my life. It ENCOURAGES me to know that others are beginning to see, in some small way, the life of Christ manifested in my life...because it's been a heart cry for years....and I'm simply not the personality that you would think of when you think of those ladies Trish mentions in her blog. When someone says something like this to me, when some of you comment on my blog, when Mike makes comments about me....I'm shocked to think that others consider me to be nearing the league of say that Titus 2 chick or the Proverbs 31 gal.... I have spent many years wrestling with the flesh (sometimes it doesn't like to stay crucified) and will spend many more wrestling with it....and it does mean a lot to me that someone who not only reads my blog, but knows me warts and all, would think that they can see the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I've also come to think in recent weeks that maybe God brings trials into our lives because He is answering our heart's cry and is forming something in us that we simply don't see. Ok - I'm stopping.

Trish really has a heart to recognize blogs that reflect grace, Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit. I may not have explained it all well here...click that graphic in the sidebar and read for yourself. She is asking that you feel free to email her with blogs that you think also reflect the Fruit of the Spirit.

And um....Trish...what should I put for a title above that graphic? That was one of my less silly captions.

SAD, SADDER, SADDEST!!!

I clicked publish.

I put in our produce co-op order.

I did my crunches (gotta get this life organized!).

I headed for the showers and stopped dead in my TRACKS!!!

I know I've been eating a handful of M/M's several times a day. I figure one M/M = 10 calories and YES, I've been tracking them. I KNOW there was a handful left for today but there are none!

IF you really want to OD on Chocolate check out this cake that Liz told me about. ::Snort::

My *ATTEMPT* at a photo essay - Yesterday's Recap

I said I was getting my LIFE organized - not my home - just to clarify. This is much bigger than my home. ::snort::

I began by going to

I went a bit later than normal and didn't have to deal with the ladies asking a lot of questions. I went again this a.m. and saw the trainer who knew me. She asked questions. She was sorry. I figure if I go later one more day, the regulars will know by next week. I don't REALLY mind going at 7:30. Later, during the chit chat that goes on when you are at a new time and no one knows you, one of the ladies said, "9 kids - any twins?" and I said no and teared up. I guess I got my crying in for today early. ::sniff::

OK - yesterday I determined to do what so many of you do. I would capture the day with photos since I have a handy dandy small camera in my purse. I'll save my comments for later....Here's my a.m.

I loaded up tons of boxes, newspapers, and 4 younger children.....

(Note cars behind me were not appreciative of me taking this photo).

I had a list of things to buy. I didn't want to venture to the Gates of Hell with the younger set...so I thought I could find the laundry baskets, hamper, and ant traps somewhere else that I could go to Sam's for the grocery items. This would save me time because Walmart always takes me forever. Seriously, I'm a bit ADD and the busyness and crowds in Walmart really distract me.....as well as Zander doesn't do so well with tons of fluorescent lights and lots of strangers bumping into him.

We went to Tuesday Morning....

no baskets, hampers, or ant traps but we bought this duck.

We went to the Dollar Tree...

no baskets, hampers or ant traps but I let everyone buy one item (I bought a hat that matches Stacia's, focus is funky on this little camera).

Finally - I gave up and went to

We were run into 3 times by folks rushing out of an aisle and not looking where they were going. OK - this doesn't usually matter but I had Stacia IN the cart and Zander rides on the end of the cart - so he got squashed three times (slow learner? - very determined! ::snort::). Arielle and Nolan wrestled with a second cart behind me.

Zander - a bit JAZZED after the Walmart experience! ::snort::We got all we needed but the ant traps.

Came home for lunch and decided not to take any more photos of the day..... OK - having a camera handy is nice - but I will NOT be taking all those lovely photos of our outings.....why???? Because I realized as I left Walmart that um.....those of you who have the lovely minute by minute photos....don't have a 5 and 2 year old in tow. I held up traffic in stores all over town as I snapped shots, I wasn't thrilled with the workings of the handy camera, it made our trip take much longer and now blogger won't load the photos. ::snort:: Too much stress. I'll keep the camera in my purse for those times when I've forgotten to bring the Nikon or for the pool....LOL BUT I'm not going to ever be as great as some of you at recording every minute. I failed...maybe in a few years when I don't have a toddler????

As for the Walmart dilema? They LOVE me in there. They LOVE the kids. It just frazzles me...but it certainly would have saved me time in the end to simply go their first. Hmmm....on the other hand their milk is so much more than Sam's that I do have to run to Sam's today...there is no way out of these silly grocery trips - as much as I co-op and shop by mail. ugh.

Back at home we spent the afternoon working on my "to do" list and some "home organizing things". I'll share those later. Maybe I'll take a few pictures. Basically, I found MY CHORE CHART in the SHS files....revamped it and started that system again. ::snort:: AND the little chore flip chart I'd ordered for the younger set arrived - which is why I needed 4 laundry baskets - more on that later.

I had a MOUNTAIN of laundry to do. Seems that one son during the hail storm covered his car with blankets. Another son the next day was told to clean the back yard. First son had spread out blankets to dry. Younger son put wet, really wet, blankets in the linen closet. Fast Forward to yesterday afternoon. I opened the linen closet and thought our water heater had sprung a leak as Shanna's did because the blankets were all wet...but no....younger son admitted to putting away a really wet blanket...so we washed blankets (was one of those seasonal jobs anyway ::snort::).

Mike got to use the Celebrate plate last night. Yippee!!! A contract was signed in Dallas (finally) and we are going to have a new chapel on our base. It is slated to be done in 500 days - we shall see. Note: I did cook dinner last night, he hadn't filled his plate.

I spent the rest of the evening working on the To Do list and folding a LOT of laundry. Stacia was a bear to get down and I had no time to blog. The To Do list goes on....but I'm getting my life organized.....

**Hmmm....not sure about the spacing or the centering - but every time I try to fix it - it deletes photos. My time is UP.

Menu for Week of June 3

Monday - Scholotsky's

Tuesday - Burger Burn, oven fries

Wednesday - Meatloaf - softball @ 7:00

Thursday - Oven Fried Chicken, pilaf - Cival Air Patrol

Friday - Chaplain & Spouse Dinner/ Homemade Pizza

Saturday - Parish Appreciation Dinner

Sunday - Eat Out - Probably not - we'll be sick of it by then! LOL

My Marinating Hour

I was frustrated I couldn't find my colored pencils this a.m. I simply can go no further in Esther or I Peter until I find those things. ::snort::

I read Psalm 23. Here are a few thoughts.

Verses 1- 3
I have a GOOD Shepherd.

Shepherds lead - really good shepherds - really lead.

I am not in my current situation because of rebellion. If I were, I would label it as sin and repent. I'm not in my current situation because of a freak of nature. My Shepherd leads. He goes AHEAD.

I can be so secure, so content, so satisfied with my Shepherd's presence that I rest in the middle of lush feeding grounds. I don't have to worry about provision - the Shepherd has always been there.

He restores me soul.

He guides me in righteousness.

Many would like to camp out right here. Many would like to skip verses 4 and 5 and go directly to verse 6.....many attempt to do this in their personal theology.....

Verse 4 - 5

Sometimes we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death. It is not death. Thank God that death is conquered. We do not grieve as those without hope. It is only the SHADOW of death; the shadow can be painful.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the presence of enemies.

Where IS my Shepherd? Did he lead me HERE or did I just stumble into this valley?

My Shepherd is IN the valley. His rod and staff are still guiding, protecting, and comforting me. His presence is still my great joy. I can be secure, content, and satisfied in the middle of the valley. He leads. He isn't running behind my circumstances. He has PREPARED food, comfort, nourishment, and fellowship for me in the valley - in the presence of my enemies.

He anoints my head with oil (oil often symbolizes the presence of the Holy Spirit - many believe). My cup is overflowing. I'm content, but I'm not content with scraps. My Shepherd is taking good care of me....right in the middle of verses 4 and 5....in the valley with shadows and enemies.

And eventually I will reach verse 6. Goodness and mercy (loving kindness) will follow me as I follow the Shepherd wherever He leads. Honestly, they follow me now. Ultimately, I will dwell in His house, in His intimate presence forever.

I can trust Him - in all things - in all situations - in all pain. I can find rest. I can choose contentment as I surrender to His care. So can you. It's all about surrender. If you need to have a spiritual temper tantrum - get alone with Him, voice your fears and disappointments. He can handle it. But remember - it will come down to your heart. Is He Lord? Is He God all by Himself? It will come down to surrender. I find rest, peace, joy, contentment, and a host of other really good things....as I surrender right there in the midst of the yuck!

PS - promise not to preach any more on my blog today.