This is Pearl

**Disclaimer**  This is a long post.  I wanted to remember the details the best I could, so there are many...but no one has ever accused me of being brief and to the point :)  This is a story of God's provision, so skip on down to the paragraph that starts after the next pictures if you want the "shorter" version.

This is Pearl.

Pearl~

Yes, she's a car...our 2003 Honda Accord.  We didn't really name her...but the owner we bought her from took really good care of her and called her Pearl.

Why am I blogging about our car?

Because this car is an amazing gift...a humbling gift.  And now that we've had her for a year, I thought I'd reflect on how she came to be ours.

In November, 2009 the girls and I were merrily on our way to Bella's ballet class when, WHAM, we were hit by a car that turned right in front of us...I guess I hit him, actually.  I don't even remember if I had a chance to hit the brakes, but I suspect I did b/c Bella remembers hearing a sound that must have been the anti-lock brakes engaging.  I vaguely have a memory of realizing that we were going to slam right into the car turning in front of us and then realizing that my face hurt.  The airbags deployed...I remember the car filling up with "smoke" from the airbags.  It took me a couple of seconds to realize they had deployed and what had just happened.  I quickly turned my attention to the girls.  Both were still strapped into their carseats and did not appear injured.  Bella was very calm while Sophia was freaking out.  I got her calmed down enough to make sure no one needed medical attention.  What a sigh of blessed relief when I realized they were safe with no serious injuries...thank you, Lord.  

I hit the other driver hard enough to cause him to ram the guardrail and his airbags deployed too, but he was also, thankfully, unhurt.  He was quickly out of his car and checking on us to see if we were all okay.  All of us walked away from the accident that night.  Lord, again, thank you that there were no serious injuries.

I have no idea who called the police, but they were there pretty quickly.  I called Steve to let him know what had happened.  I only had time to tell him that we had been in an accident, that we were all okay, but the car (our 2000 Honda Accord) was probably totaled...then there was a police officer at my window, so I got off the phone with Steve.  Steve didn't know any other details...not even where we were.  I got the girls out of the car and onto the median...the officer asked me to put them back in b/c it was actually safer for them to be in the car than to be on the side of the road.  I am amazed with Bella; she continued to be calm through the entire thing.  Sophia, however, was really shaken up and really wanted me to hold her the entire time.  She did eventually calm down...one of the officers stayed near them while I talked with the police.  He gave them little badges...they really liked that.

The gentleman who caused the accident was so nice and took responsibility.  He was from out of town and didn't even realize that he needed to cross two lanes of traffic to get to the on-ramp for the highway.  The lane closest to him was backed up and at a standstill and someone had left enough room for him to go ahead and turn.  My lane was pretty much empty and we were just cruising through...he never even saw us until it was too late.  

The police took my statement.  I remember trying to point as I was explaining what had happened and watching my entire arm shake...it was like I couldn't control my own body.  My voice was shaky too...I remember the officer just calmly telling me that everyone was okay and that I could relax.  For some reason I couldn't get hold of Steve anymore.  I called our friend and she came to the scene...what a Godsend she was (and is).  She brought her kids with her...what a blessing to my girls to have their friends also arrive.  The tow truck came and my friend took us home.  

My back and neck hurt...I knew I was going to be sore the next day.  I also hit my knees hard on the dash, especially my right one.  (My knee has healed, but it is not the same.  The hit it took caused a deep bone bruise and tissue damage.  Neither of the girls had any pain or soreness, just seatbelt bruises for a few days...so thankful.)  My friend and her kids stayed with us until Steve got home.  The poor guy's phone would not work once we hung up with each other.  It wasn't out of power...really, no explanation.  He didn't know where else to go, so he just came home hoping we would be there.  He said it was the longest train ride from the city he had ever been on.  His emotions when he realized we were all okay were intense.  His phone took the brunt of his frustration at not being able to connect with us...I just remember it smashing against the wall and pieces of it flying in all different directions.  In 11 years of marriage, I had never (never, ever) seen Steve react in such a way to anything...it was scary for him not being able to know where we were and how we were doing.  

That night, we all gathered on my bed and cuddled and talked about all that had happened.  We also prayed together and simply thanked Jesus for his protection in that situation.  As we were talking and reflecting and praying, Bella called our attention to her lesson from church that week.  It was about one of Paul's trials and how it looked "bad" from a human perspective, but God used it for His glory...this kid just amazes me with her understanding and insight.  Sophia's big praise was for airbags...thank you, Jesus, for airbags :)

Our 2000 Honda...a great car.

That accident caused me to do a lot of reflecting and God used it to really speak to me...but that is for another post.  What I want to share now, is about His provision.  

The Honda had been a great car for us...ran great, never needed work, very reliable.  Our 1997 Ford Explorer is a different story, though.  This is the car that Steve uses simply to commute across our little town to the train station each day.  It doesn't go anywhere far and is not used for much more than that...it is showing its age and has proven that it can't be trusted for much more.  Now it was our only car.  And in its defense, I have to say that it mostly did a good job.  There were a few mornings when it wouldn't start and other times it acted up...thankfully Steve was able to diagnose the problem and fix it himself.  Sometimes Steve got a ride with our neighbor to the train station and on nice mornings (when spring began showing itself), he walked...but usually we all got up early and piled into the truck (the girls still in their jammies) and took him to the train station and picked him up in the evening.    Coordinating our schedules got tricky and interesting at times.  It wasn't very convenient, but it became our routine.

We were a one car family for 5 months while we figured out what to do and waited for God to lead us.  Since we are a grad-school family, we have no money for a big purchase like a car, so we proceeded cautiously and carefully with replacing the Honda.  Our insurance company had been fair in the amount we received from them for settlement, but it became pretty clear that getting a like replacement was going to be hard.  

In the meantime, unbeknownst to us, our friends from church were working.  We belong to an amazing church and a wonderful Community Group (CG) in our church.  Our CG...it's hard to put into words what they mean to us...they are our life here in PA.  They are the people who have taken us in and loved us.  They are our friends and family.  They celebrate with us and pray for us...they hold us accountable and show us Jesus.  They, and our church, have made our move to PA a wonderful thing!  

And in February of 2010 they gave us money to help us replace our car.  Our church has a fund that will match the amount a CG raises to meet the need of a member.  Our group of dear and amazing friends gathered $1500 and our church matched it...we were given a check for $3000!  We were amazed...shock and awe...we could hardly believe it!  What can you say to a gift like that?  I couldn't even write thank you notes because it was simply from our CG.  This is the email I sent out to our friends...

Today I deposited a check for $3,000 dollars into our bank account.  It is the amount of the check we received from the church in response to your giving to help us purchase another car.

Usually, my emotions are pretty evident.  Usually, I love to talk and share (sometimes too much, probably).  Usually, I am excited to share how God is working.  Rarely am I at a loss for words when God is moving in such visible ways.

But today, I am in shock and awe.  Today, I don't know what to say.  Today, I am overwhelmed at the generosity of you, our friends and church.  Today, the tears flowed as I pondered this gift.  Today, each of you has been lifted up to our Lord as a blessing in our life.  Today, "Thank You" barely begins to describe how I feel.

I guess we are humbled...in a way that we didn't realized we needed to be.

Friends, we are blessed by you.  Thank you for caring for us, for loving us.  We are truly having a hard time putting words to the thanks we feel, so we leave you with a simple prayer.

Dear Father, we simply come to you with praise and thanksgiving.  What can we say?  You are our provider and protector.  Thank you, Lord, for this provision and blessing.  Lord, we ask for your continued care and provision for the beautiful friends who you have moved to help us.  Lord, thank you for bringing us to PA, for bringing us to Media, for bringing us to Covenant Fellowship Church, for bringing us to this community group--we are in awe of you and how you work.  Thank you, Lord, for this need and the amazing way you met it--and thank you for the lessons you are teaching in the process.

We love you, Lord.   Amen. 

Pearl...so thankful~

A year ago, 5 months after the accident, we bought a "new" car...our 2003 Honda Accord.  We were able to pay cash and cover all the expenses of transferring the title, inspections, tags, etc because of the kindness and generosity of God and our friends. 


That gift did way more than help us replace our car.  It wasn't just money...it wasn't simply provision...it was extravagant...it was love.  


It was also humbling...very, very humbling.  To accept a gift like that meant that we realized we couldn't provide by ourselves.  To accept a gift like that meant that we were on the receiving end of a lot of care.  To accept a gift like that showed us (me, at least) how much pride we really have...because it was overwhelming...and also kinda hard.  To accept a gift like that meant that we saw God working in practical ways through real people who we have grown to love.  To accept a gift like that meant that God was providing for our physical needs...which impacted us tremendously in spiritual ways.  To accept a gift like that was a relief as we realized that we could now afford another family car.  To accept a gift like that gave us an even greater desire to go beyond being good stewards of our money and look forward to when we can give in return.  To accept a gift like that challenged us to consider where God might be calling us to "give big" when Steve's done with school.  God had already been working on us through our grad-school-finances-are-beyond-tight experience to teach us about how we use and view money and He had already been giving us a vision for when Steve's done with school...but this gift solidified so much in what we are beginning to see as a way that God is calling our family.  


We can hardly wait to be on the other end...the giving end.  But so much of our joy and excitement about looking forward to being there is simply because God knew it would be best for us to desperately be on the other end...the needing and receiving end.  Have the financial lessons been fun?  Not really.  Have they been stressful at times?  Definitely.  Have they changed us forever?  Yes!  Living a frugal life has been very, very good for us...and we are thankful.  


Lord, thank you for the path you have us on.  Thank you for knowing and providing exactly what we need to grow in You.  Thank you for your provision and the vision you are growing in our family.  Lord, thank you that we can look at our lives and clearly see your hand guiding and working.  And Lord, thank you for the incredible men and women and families you have brought into our lives...we are overwhelmed by them...we are overwhelmed by your care through them.  Thank you just doesn't seem like enough...


"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father be glory, forever and ever.  Amen."    Philippians 4: 19-20

Thanks for reading...may you know God's blessing and provision~
Rach

Stings Like a Bee

Actually, if any had been alive, they may have stung worse than a bee!

A few weeks ago, when the girls and I were driving through the neighborhood, we found a hive of some sort just sitting in the road.  We had "enjoyed" a couple days of rain and howling wind and so I figured it had been blown out of a tree.  Not to miss an opportunity like this, I quickly pulled over.  I found a long stick and poked at the hive...then I got brave enough to roll it with my foot...and since no angry swarms of flying insects came out to attack, I picked it up and put it in our trunk.

I told Steve about it and we slowly opened the trunk...still no swarming insects.  So it sat outside for a couple of weeks while we waited for a nice day to dissect it.  

Yesterday was dissection day!

First, we closely examined the outside "paper".  It is mostly gray, but has stripes of other colors from where the insects used different types of materials to make their home.  We also found a few leaves woven into the nest/hive.  

Then, Steve cut it open with scissors and began revealing the structure inside.  It was fascinating!  Inside were four layers of what looked like wasp nests...the top one was pretty big and each one got slightly smaller.  Each layer hung from the one above it by a paper "stem".  We marveled at how they had built their structure.  A few full grown, but very DEAD, insects were found inside.  Then Steve cut apart the layers so we could take a closer look.  

 

Most of the cells were empty, but we found some that had not opened.  So Steve used an exacto knife to dissect further.  The cells that were completely closed had immature insects in them...they were not as large as the others we had found and it appeared that their wings were not fully developed.  We found some insects that were obviously ready to come out when they met their death...one had died while emerging...just his head was poking out of his cell...the girls thought he was funny :)  After much dissecting and discussing, we put our hive/nest away and researched our observations.

I am so thankful for the internet...it made our search for "what exactly are these insects" very easy!  By comparing our nest and insect samples to pictures on the internet, we quickly learned that we had found a hornet's nest...a bald-faced hornet's nest to be exact.  We learned that these hornets can be very aggressive...glad they were all dead!  We also learned that each hornet lives for only one season...they entire nest dies out after the first freeze.  The next batch of hornets will build their own nest...they will not reuse an abandoned nest.  Only a few young, pregnant queens will survive the winter.  These young queens hibernate underground or in logs and trees and will come out in the spring to start the next life cycle.  Sometimes it's good to be queen :) 

And that, my friends, is your nature lesson for the day!


God bless~
Rach

Current Events

So far, I have not done any blogging about current events.  But I decided that since this is my "electronic diary" for my family, I would include some b/c I also want to remember what was happening here and around the world too.  Sometimes, these events may simply be interesting, but this one is devastating.

A 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan on Friday, March 11th.  It is the 5th largest earthquake in recorded history (since 1900 when record keeping began) and the largest ever in Japan.  It caused a tsunami that devastated parts of Japan.  The tsunami was 30 feet tall and ravaged the eastern coast of Japan near the town of Sendai.  That tsunami weakened as it traveled across the Pacific Ocean, but it still managed to do minor damage to parts of the U.S. West Coast and caused one US death when a man was pulled out to sea while trying to photograph it.  

Now, a week after the disaster, the death toll in Japan has reached over 6,500 and over 10,000 are missing.  One town, a fishing village right on the coast, was completely wiped out and more than half of its residents are dead or missing.  Rescue efforts are beyond difficult, but some survivors are being found.  One survivor was found floating on his roof nine miles out to sea.  However, the hope of finding survivors dwindles as time passes.  

The devastation is hard to comprehend.  I have watched so many videos and seen so many pictures, yet I know that I still cannot take in what the devastation is really like.

A nuclear power plant (the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant) near the coast was very hard hit during the earthquake and following tsunami.  It is currently the biggest fear (and in the forefront of the media coverage) because a partial meltdown has probably occurred and it is leaking radiation.  Its power supply and back-up power supply were both destroyed in the disaster and for days now, the Japanese have been trying all sorts of ways to keep the rods and core cool.  There have been explosions and fires at the sight.  They have been pumping in sea water to try to keep the reactors cool.  The latest report is that they are using helicopters to dump water on it...this is seen as almost a last ditch effort.  The power company is hoping to be able to restore power soon by running a very long power cable to the plant.  They are hoping to have power restored over the weekend, but still don't know if the pumps can/will even work once they have power b/c they may have been so damaged by the quake and tsunami.  The areas around the stricken plant are showing higher and higher levels of radiation and the evacuation radius continues to get larger.  There are workers at the sight who are trying to restore power and keep the reactors cool...they are seen as "Samurai Warriors" and are likely being exposed to very high levels of radiation...they are literally sacrificing themselves.  


This earthquake moved the island of Japan 8 (some reports say the shift may be as much as 13) feet.  It also shifted the Earth on its axis by about 6.5 inches...which has caused the Earth to rotate faster and shortened the day by 1.8 millionths of a second.  It is amazing and slightly unnerving to me.


I do not pretend to understand what all this may or may not mean according to scripture...but we as a human population are experiencing more natural disasters...tsunamis and earthquakes...at least it seems to me.  Maybe I'll do some research to see if the Earth's natural activity is really increasing.  What I do know and believe is that God is still in control and sovereign over all things...I do not understand the "why" of it all.  I do believe that these natural disasters, however, provide an opportunity for Christ to be seen by the world...through prayer and aid.  I pray that the Lord who controls the heavens and the earth will be clearly seen and will no longer be denied by this world that He loves so dearly.  Every day is a day closer to His return.


God bless~
Rach


Here's some quick info I found...interesting~

The tsunami in Indonesia in 2006 claimed over 200,000 lives.  Here are just some of the big natural disasters just since 2010...Haiti 7.0 quake (Jan), Chile 8.8 M (Feb), Turkey 6.1 M (March), China 6.9 (April), Indonesia 7.0 (June), Indonesia 7.7 (Oct)...there were 22 earthquakes 7.0M or higher recorded around the world in 2010 and 2010 ended with over 2,100 earthquakes 5.0M or higher.  By comparison, there were 1,505 quakes 5.0M or higher in 2000 and 1,844 in 2005.  In the past decade, 2007 ranks the highest in recorded quakes with 2,270 5.0M or higher earthquakes.  

There are have already been at least 6 quakes measuring 7.0M or higher around the world this year.  There was a 7.2 M quake about 100 miles of the coast of Sendai, Japan just 2 days before the devastating 9.0M quake.  The one in February in New Zealand measured 6.3M.  


Well, got off on a tangent there...I love researching statistics...I know I'm weird.  I am praying for Japan...my heart just feels heavy as I watch the situation unfold.

30 Weeks~

30 weeks.  That's how far along I am now with this pregnancy.  

On one hand, it feels like I've been pregnant for a long time...and on the other, time has flown by.  

On one hand, I can barely wait to meet you, our newest daughter...and on the other, I feel like there is still so much to do to get ready.

I have so many things I want to know about you.  One thing I do know is that you are very wiggly.  You are very active...much like your sister Sophia was when she was growing in me.  Your oldest sister, Bella, was much calmer than you are.  Your Daddy seems to think that you'll have my eyes (blue) and dark hair, but that you'll favor Bella more in your looks.  Hmmm...I wonder.  

Bella likes to talk to you because she wants you to know her voice.  She also likes to kiss my tummy...so sweet, I just melt at the affection she shows for you!  Sophia is very excited for you also.  At first, she really wanted a little brother, but don't be worried...she has come around and is now happy that you're her sister :)  And she likes to tell people, "It's going to be Daddy and the ladies!"  Really, it's beyond cute and she loves you so much! 


See you in about two months~
Mommy

Oh, the Drama!

Today, was hard...and it was still just morning when I began writing this post.  

Bella was struggling...she didn't want to do school today and it was quite apparent in her attitude.  The spelling test almost put her over the edge.  As she stared at me with a blank expression, completely unable to remember how to spell a word we had been reviewing for a week, I felt the frustration begin to rise in me too.  


How many times do we need to go over this?  Why is she having such a hard time focusing today?  Why is spelling so hard for her?  Today was so supposed to be a very productive day...


She was whiny, frustrated, and, from my point of view, wouldn't put forth the effort needed to focus on the task before her.

And then I realized...she is just like me.

How often do I get frazzled and frustrated over things that are hard for me or when things don't go my way?  How often am I tempted to quit?  How often do I try all sorts of tactics to avoid the task at hand?  How often do I blame circumstances for my bad attitude?


I heard a gentle voice..."Love is patient and kind...it is not rude...it is not irritable or resentful.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  1Cor. 13: 4-7

I know in my heart that the Lord is speaking to me...He is calming me.


Lean into Me...trust Me...listen to Me...I am here.

Had I even considered seeking the Lord in this situation?  No, but He was seeking me...for the sake of my daughter.  


I encouraged Bella to finish correcting the words she had missed and then we took a break.  The Lord kept my voice calm and gentle and stopped me from lecturing any further.  And He gave me eyes to see my sweet girl who is simply struggling with something that is hard for her.   

Today definitely did not go as I had planned.  I had a lot on my agenda...a lot I needed to accomplish.  

My Lord saw my day differently.  He had a lot He needed to accomplish...in my heart.  

He caused me to stop and consider how to better help Bella instead of continuing down the road of frustration that we were both on.  He changed my focus...instead of looking at the misspelled words, I saw my daughter more clearly.  He called me to encouragement.  He worked in me and He worked in her.  The patience He gave me made a difference in her attitude as well.  


I was reminded of this verse in Deuteronomy and found myself praying through it.

"May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb.  For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God!"      Deuteronomy 32:2

Thank you, Lord, for intervening and making it a productive day. 


God bless~
Rach

A New Computer~

A couple of weeks ago, Steve went down to UPenn's business office to check on some things with his NIH grant.  He received this grant in 2008 and it is supposed to be a 3 year grant.  Steve won't be quite done in May and we weren't sure what that meant for funding through the summer...so down to the business office he went.

Steve came away from that little meeting with two HUGE praises:)

One, his funding through the summer should not be an issue.  Technically, his tuition has gone down now that he is a 5th year graduate student, so there is money available to fund him for a bit longer than May.

Two, he has a Education allowance of $1200 that expires in May that he was not aware of.  The business office said it was part of his original grant, but somehow we missed even knowing about it.  The money needed to go toward an education expense...they encouraged him to get a new computer at Penn's bookstore.  His laptop was just recently upgraded, so he didn't need another one.  What to do...what to do?

So, a few days ago, he came home with a new Mac.  It is amazing!  We got our old e-machine in 2005 and it's been a good computer, but it is definitely showing it's age.  It has crashed twice since Steve's been in school and we have been just crossing our fingers hoping it would make it until he's done...because affording a new computer right now is not in the budget...not even close.

In all honesty, this computer feels extravagant.  We have pinched pennies for so long while Steve has been in school...this computer just feels like such a huge gift.  Our budget situation has actually been very good for us...even though ends often don't meet.  We've had to cut some pretty important things from our lives, but God has grown us through it.  

Thank you, Lord, for Steve's funding...and thank you for this very practical gift.

God bless~
Rach

Lapbooks in Our Home School

We LOVE using lapbooks in our home school!

Well, that's neato...what exactly is a lapbook?

I'm so glad you asked ;)

A lapbook is an interactive book with flaps, pockets, and foldouts used for recording information.   They are often made using manila folders or cardstock for the main "body" of the book.  They are usually subject specific and the child creating the book gets to use all sorts of fun and creative ways to learn and record information; writing, coloring, drawing, cutting, pasting.

Lapbooks have been a great tool for Bella.  She enjoys working on all the parts (usually) and putting them together.  The best thing is that she enjoys sharing them and they really help her remember and retain information about what we have studied.  

We have used lapbooks from Tapestry of Grace and from Home School in the Woods.  Tapestry is our main curriculum and I LOVE IT!  Home School in the Woods is a company that offers homeschooling supplements...all sorts of wonderful kits and activities...I really, really, really get excited about their stuff!   


This is Bella's most recent lapbook.  It covers the Early 19th Century and was our first lapbook from Home School in the Woods.  It was a great study and we will be ordering more from them!  Bella, you did a great job!  Obviously, there are some parts that I helped with...some of the pieces required cutting with an exacto knife, so I handled that.  

Bella's Early 19th Century Lapbook

The front opens to reveal lots of info.

The wagon has lots of flaps full of info about wagon trains.

Close-up of info about the Barbary Pirates and the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

The first opening of the Barbary Pirate booklet contains words from The Marines' Hymn and a picture of The Philadelphia.

The next fold-out has info about the conflict with pirates and why The Philadelphia was burned.  If you look closely, you can see that you pull up the tab and see the ship on fire.  A fascinating bit of history!

The Erie Canal info with a pop-up of the "joining of the waters" from Lake Erie and the Hudson River.

The wagon folds out to reveal another layer...a map and more info.

Lots more info on this page.

The Indian Story Bag opens to reveal pages about some famous Native Americans and the Trail of Tears.

Just a couple of the Presidents found in this pocket...there's info about each President on the back.

This is a cool map...it has four layers!  This is the first map.  Each additional layer is on a transparency, so the student can see how America was growing and changing.

The map with all of it's layers.  The final layer shows the trails and routes used to travel across the country.

And there you have it!  The lapbook...overflowing with infomation, fun to make, fun for review :) 

Have a blessed day~

Rach