Guess what!

I hate keeping secrets! So now I can finally share the good news from our family.... Guess who will make an appearance around the Fourth of July....

Merry Christmas!

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Hmmmm.... How am I spending my $$ this Christmas?

I've never been a fan of all the "stuff" that goes along with Christmas. You can call me Scrooge or stingy or whatever; it's just not that important to me. Don't get me wrong.... I enjoy the sights, smells and sounds that go along with the holiday season. But I often am tempted by the sights/smells/sounds to forget what we are truly celebrating. The Advent Conspiracy is helping me this year to celebrate in a new, more meaningful and enjoyable way. ("The Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption.")

It's not about money; it's not about what I buy/get. With the current state of the economy and with most of my family in relatively small living quarters (with plenty of stuff already), we had decided to cut way back on Christmas presents. But really, this season is NOT about presents; it is about His Presence! This season is NOT about all we get; it is about giving! Please watch this two minute video....

Re:Hope Next Generation Bible Church - Glasgow, Scotland

Dave and I support a young couple, Brian and Kellie Ingraham, who have started a church near the campus of the University of Glasgow. Although once having a rich spiritual tradition and history, today Scotland has relatively few vibrant, Bible-believing churches. However, we have been thrilled to watch God develop re:Hope into such a church.

Would you please take five minutes to watch a short video about this church and then pray for the people of Scotland.

Re:Hope Next Generation Bible Church from Stephen Irwin on Vimeo.

Fight FOCA

Now that the presidential election is over and President-elect Obama is working on his transition, I don't want us all to forget the very important issue of protecting life in the womb. You know how I felt about this issue as it related to voting on November 4th. I don't feel any less strongly today.

Presidential candidate Obama made a clear promise that the first thing he would do as President Obama would be to sign into law "The Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA). This terrible piece of legislation would establish the right to abortion as a fundamental right--like the right to free speech--and would eliminate every state/federal restriction on abortion nationwide (and would also prevent enactment of similar protective measures in the future).

If this piece of legislation concerns you as it does me, I urge you to go to the Fight FOCA website and sign the Fight FOCA petition to be sent to key members of Congress and to President Obama upon the re-introduction of The Freedom of Choice Act.

**Updated** Go Dawgs!

What a disappointment!! Well, there's always next year.

Dave is still crying even though he refused to watch the overtime periods.

Today... a call for unity

The presidential election is over; the candidate I voted for graciously acknowledged defeat. Does this mean I'm discouraged? Does this mean I'm sad? Absolutely not! Although I'm a proud citizen of the United States of America, I know that my true eternal citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20-21) and that God is sovereign over all earthly leaders (Proverbs 21:1). I am praying that President Obama will look to God for wisdom as he governs our amazing nation. I am praying that God will change his heart and mind regarding abortion--life in the womb deserves protection. As Solomon prayed, so I hope President-elect Obama will pray: "Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?" (2 Chronicles 1:10)

I also am praying for unity among American believers as we move forward. Every four years, many churches feel the tension as believers see political arguments from different perspectives. While disagreement is often a healthy thing, disunity among believers is not. Our unity must be based upon God's Word, not political affiliations. As the apostle Paul wrote to the very diverse believers in Ephesus, "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:1-6)

This morning Erik's and Krista's pastor posted a wise call for unity and love among believers (Yes we must....). I hope you will take the time to read it. I especially appreciated his final paragraph: "We must realize that our calling is to live, right now in the present, in accordance with the priorities and ethics of our eternal King, and His coming kingdom. This will mean offering bold critique and resistance at some moments, and enthusiastic support at others, for various positions and reforms offered by both the left and the right. As we seek to embody this Kingdom, the walls that have divided us will fall down, because

we will care about life in the womb, and life on the streets;

we'll care about justice and mercy;

we'll care about loving our enemies and standing up for those who are unprotected.

We'll become artisans of genuine hope, spilling the colors of beauty, reconciliation, celebration, service, justice, peace, and compassion on the canvass of our communities. This, I'm convinced, is not only our calling in Christ, it's what our world desperately needs in these immensely challenging days. We must lay our weapons down and commit to being the presence of Jesus in the world. Yes. We must. "

Congrats to Jamie Moyer!

Congratulations to Jamie Moyer and the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies! Jamie was my favorite Mariner while he was with the team and still remains the definition of "class act" in baseball.

In writing about the wild, late-into-the-night third game of the World Series, the Wall Street Journal states, "For all this, the hero of the game may have been Mr. Moyer, the 45-year old pitcher who this year had the best campaign ever by a starter so old. Tampa Bay's young hitters, having been provided with sternly worded scouting reports instructing them not to let the old man expand the strike zone, simply could not resist the temptation to swing at an endless array of puff balls, benders and lobs. The fastest arrived much slower than most pitchers' change-ups. Mr. Moyer allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings and left with a lead that would have, had it held, made him the oldest man to ever win a World Series game."

Don't you just love how they call him "Mr. Moyer"!! Congratulations, Jamie.... and you're not really THAT old....

Happy Birthday Erik!

Okay, so I'm a few days late in posting birthday wishes to our son, Erik.

Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time celebrating with Erik & Krista on Sunday evening.

Weekend at Kara & Dusty's

Boise was gorgeous this past weekend! As I flew into town, I could see the the landscape dotted with the most beautiful red, gold and yellow-leafed trees.... And the view from the ground was even better. The weather was perfect--sunny and 70+ degrees all weekend.

This was my first visit to Dusty and Kara's place since they moved. I can't believe all of the work they have done on the house. And when I say "they," I mean Dusty, Kara, Dusty's parents, Chris C. and more. Truly a team effort! You can see Before and After pictures on Kara's blog. I would have posted my own photos at this point, but forgot to bring my camera. :(

Dusty and Kara made sure that I had a great time in Boise. (Although I've driven through Boise a number of times, this was my first real visit.) We attended the Boise State University football game, visited the Eagle Saturday market, walked through several local parks (including a walk with Gunner, my granddog), visited a church having their "grand opening" service, and satisfied appetites at several local restaurants.

But the best part of the weekend? Helping Kara clean the gutters! Being entertained is one thing... helping out is another. Hope they'll really put me to work on my next visit!

Life Chain 2008... and Election 2008

Last Sunday afternoon, my family and I had the privilege of standing on a busy street corner in the rain with about 25 other people for a little over an hour... probably the most important hour of this past week. We quietly, prayerfully held signs asking people driving by to consider an unborn baby's right to life. People all over the United States joined us on similar street corners as we participated in Life Chain 2008.

Unborn babies were created, given life, by God.

Roe v. Wade made it legal across our country for that life to be taken away.

There are many issues facing Americans as we vote for a new President this year... Iraq, the economy, healthcare, leadership, experience and vision. I am excited by Barack Obama's candidacy as it deals with many of those issues. HOWEVER, in my opinion, the one issue that trumps them all is abortion. When my son and I were discussing the presidential candidates and I expressed a leaning toward voting for Obama, he indicated that he too thought Obama would make a good President and would want to support him EXCEPT for the fact that the President appoints Supreme Court Justices. With those words, I knew that I would have no other choice than to vote for the presidential candidate who would seek to protect the life of all unborn children.

My son-in-law's cousin wrote a moving letter that I would like you to read:

Dear family and friends,

I woke up the other morning with this on my mind, so Rusty watched the girls and I went to the library for an hour to get it out of my head and onto paper. I'm passing on my thoughts to you.

I have been doing a study on the life of Moses and am struck by how God had a plan for him from birth. When the ruler of the land commanded all baby boys to be cast into the Nile , the midwives and Moses’ parents feared God, saw that he was an exceptional child, and spared his life. Years later he would go on to deliver a nation.

We have before us a most important election. One in which there are many issues and causes that push people onto one side or the other. Emotions run high. Many “firsts” are at stake. Yet, on the other hand, to hear them talk, it is at times hard to distinguish where they differ—both wanting to appeal to the other side.

There is one issue in my mind that rises above all others. And that is the issue of the sanctity of life. The two tickets could not be further apart on this particular issue. Senator Obama, while a state senator here in Illinois, was an outspoken opponent to legislation that would protect newborn babies from being killed or left to die if they were born after a failed abortion. NARAL even opposed such legislation as infanticide. He has voted against the ban on partial birth abortions in the US Senate as recently as Oct. 2007. To hear his campaign speak to this issue today they will skirt, hem and haw. But his record is clear.

So what? you may ask. Abortion and pro-life issues may not be your “cause”. Perhaps you are excited to be able to cast your vote to put the first African-American in the White House. I agree it would be very cool and a huge step to further racial reconciliation. Or perhaps you are most concerned about the stewardship of the earth. Or maybe it’s the violence and bloodshed involved in the War on Terror. Or maybe the economy makes you nervous (believe me, I’m nervous—my husband works for himself in the real-estate market). These are issues near and dear to my heart as well. But I can’t help but put them behind the cry of nearly 4000 (say that out loud) babies being killed in our country every day. 4000! That is nearly the same number of American deaths in the war since we began in March of 2003.* The total number of Iraqi civilian deaths since March 2003 is estimated to be between 89,000-96,000—that’s the number of babies killed in less than a month here, year after year.** We have allowed more than 40,000,000 babies to be killed by abortion. Today’s hot issues pale in comparison to the thought of the damage that will be done by putting activist justices on the Supreme Court (as Biden made it quite clear his ticket will do). It will be decades before there is another opportunity to get a fair hearing with the Supreme Court.

With McCain, there are no guarantees, but there is a chance he could appoint one or two new justices that would re-visit the poor conclusion of Roe v. Wade. It would not immediately stop abortion in America as the far left would have us think. Rather it would send the decisions back to the states. More importantly, it would raise the question in the minds of Americans, “Is it right or wrong to end the life of a baby in the womb?” When our law says it is ok, people stop questioning it for themselves, because, yes, all laws legislate morality, by definition, good or bad.

So what is at stake in this election? If your issue is racial reconciliation—what about the thousands of minority babies killed daily who will never vote, much less be fine presidents? If it is non-violence—what about the horrid bloody violence done to the most innocent and defenseless? If it is the economy—think of all the contributions all of those who have been aborted or will be aborted would bring to this nation: industry, jobs, new services needed, housing, etc.? What ever your issue is this election, does it compare to the atrocity of the massive number of killing happening under our noses?

Well, back to Moses. There is a common thought in our land that some lives would be better off unlived. I’ve had two babies in recent years, and thankfully, they are healthy. But I know what they test for, the questions they ask, and I know their recommendations should tests come back abnormal. Trig Palin, by our country’s set of morals, should not be here. Yet his parents feared God and welcomed him. Could it be that he was born “for such a time as this”? That he might grow up in the spotlight of our country, and therefore the world, to deliver us from such selfish and wrong thinking. Might we see, the once unthinkable, overturning of Roe v. Wade in our lifetime? Oh, for the day, that the womb would no longer be the most dangerous place in America .

*The statistics I am drawing from were found on antiwar.com stating there have been 4177 American deaths since March 2003-October 3, 2008.

**On iraqbodycount.org I found that they estimate between 89,000-96,000 Iraqi civilian deaths from Mar ’03-Oct’08. This is horrible, but again, the same number of babies die every 24 days here.

This morning our daughter Kara and her husband Dusty packed up the moving truck and drove off to their new home in Idaho. While it was fun to see how excited they were for this to finally happen, it was also bittersweet to say goodbye. We'll miss you guys!!

I'm a Disney Princess.... What About You?

You Are Belle!

Intelligent and kind. Your beauty goes much further than your apperance. Also, you make judgements of people based on their personality and not their looks. Attaining all the knowledge that you can is one of your major goals in life, but you are also a person who can make things happen.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Breast Cancer 3-Day

Over 19 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time, I was a young mom with kids who were in kindergarten and second grade. Scary times.... To make a long story short, through the grace of God and through the marvels of modern medicine, I am still here and asking you to support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. Over the years Dave and I have chosen to donate to the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, two excellent charities with long-term excellent track records.

Next weekend, Seattle has the privilege of hosting the annual Breast Cancer 3-Day benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Each walker is asked to raise $2,200 and then walk the 60-mile course during the designated three days. My daughter's friend Anne is taking these three days out of her very busy public school teacher's schedule to walk 60 miles for breast cancer. Would you please consider supporting Anne and making a donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation?

Political Conventions... do we really need them?

Anybody else tired of the VERY EXPENSIVE political conventions that are been held this summer? When I think of all the money that has been spent for these made-for-TV displays, it just makes me angry. Why not use that money to do just one of the things the candidates are promising?

Your thoughts?

What I Did On My Summer Vacation....

Remember the "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" writing assignment that was given during the first few days of school each year? This is my attempt to catch you up with my summer and to provide my lame excuses for not blogging in the past three and a half months.

Let's start with my lame excuses for not blogging:

1. Summer is a great time to spend more time outdoors and less time at the computer.

2. It's always more fun to read other people's posts than to try to compose one myself.

3. My life is boring, so therefore I have nothing to write about.

4. Major life changes are staring me in the face and I'm trying really hard to ignore them. If I'm blogging, I might feel the need to write about the changes and then they will seem more real.

5. Blogger "ate" my last attempt, so I just gave up.

6. I have been too lazy to keep up with my blog. (This is probably closest to the truth about why I took a long break from my blog.)

Here's what I have been doing during the past four months:

1. Finished my volunteer work at Mirror Lake Elementary School and Silver Lake Elementary School.

2. Celebrated my step-grandmother's 90th birthday and my in-laws' 60th anniversary.

3. Enjoyed getting to know my new community... on bike and on foot.

4. Took full advantage of the Saturday farmers market which is just across the street from our condo.

5. Celebrated 4th of July watching Tacoma, Vashon and Des Moines Fireworks from our deck.

6. Vacationed at Eagle Crest with Kara, Dusty, Krista and Erik.

7. Participated in a Women's Bible Study.

8. Said goodbye to Dusty and Gunner; faced the fact that Kara will follow them to Boise in just a few weeks.

9. Enjoyed visits from my parents during May, June and August.

10. Hiked in the Cascades and Mt. Rainier.

11. Adjusted to using a knee brace for less pain and swelling during walking, biking and hiking.

12. Helped in-laws pack and move from their home of 45+ years to a very nice retirement community within walking distance from our condo.

13. Mourned sad news with good friends.

14. Celebrated good news with good friends.

15. Read several books, some good, none great.

16. Contemplated ending retirement and going back to work.

17. Learned to be content with trusting God and not understanding circumstances.

Happy Mothers' Day to Two Terrific Moms!

I have been blessed to have two terrific moms..... My mother-in-law, June, raised four kids including my wonderful husband, Dave. She brings joy and laughter to every conversation; she bakes the best dinner rolls in the world; she spreads God's love through her gift of hospitality. My mother, Helen, is such a kind woman; she taught me everything I know about hard work; she displays God's grace to the young, old, healthy, and infirm alike.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Random thoughts....

Today is just one of those days where I have much to accomplish, but the tasks are TOTALLY unrelated. As I do laundry, clean house, sort mail, pay bills, respond to email, plan projects, search craigslist for bar stools, read blogs, etc., etc., etc., my mind has a tendency to jump from thought to thought quite randomly and quite quickly. So here is what I've been thinking about this morning:

• The WASL is a waste of time, energy and money.
• My son-in-law would have been a terrific 80's rocker; too bad he wasn't born a couple of decades earlier.
• Dave and I are fortunate to attend a church where our pastor believes the Bible, preaches the Bible and, most importantly, lives the Bible.
• I'm sure glad that we aren't selling a house right now.
• Why does my furniture get so dusty?
• The human brain is amazing, but when it doesn't work right it is truly perplexing.
• Maybe if I go back to work then I can justify hiring someone to clean my house again.
• This weekend is going to be really busy. My parents will be here; we will be visiting their old church in Seattle and going to Erik & Krista's on Sunday. We will also be going to see "Generations," a musical theater production at Cedar Park Church in Bothell. Dave and Kara will be doing a family video project in Mount Vernon all day Saturday.
• When is the weather going to improve?
• Why can't Google make Blogger easier to use?

Enough for the random thoughts.... It's time to fold laundry again.

Greece and Israel Trip... A Few Photos

I still haven't finished going through all of my photos from our recent trip to Greece and Israel, but I thought I would post a few from my favorite places we visited:

Top Left - The Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Top Center - Masada, Israel

Top Right - Western (Wailing) Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

Mid Left - Beit She'an, Israel

Mid Center - Sea of Galilee, Israel

Mid Right - Jordan River, Israel

Bottom Left - Sea of Galilee, Israel

Bottom Center - Mt. Carmel, Israel

Bottom Right - Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, Israel

This truly was a trip of a lifetime that I would highly recommend to others who have studied the Bible, but who desire to actually see many of the places listed over and over in the Scriptures.

Our New Condo

We love our new condo at the marina!! I literally have to pinch myself every morning because it is just too beautiful. We have three bedrooms and two baths... plenty of room for you all to stop by and visit. And the view? All we can say is WOW!

Thanks to Kim, Dave, Dani, Bob, Krista, Erik, Kara, Dusty, Heather, Jeff and Kellen for helping us move. These friends and family actually made Moving Day FUN!

Do we miss our little one bedroom apartment? Only when it takes me longer than 15 minutes to clean! (But we do miss living close to Dusty, Kara and Gunner.)

Happy 25th Birthday Kara!

Kara has always added joy to our lives with her contagious smile, that mischievous twinkle in her eyes and her zest for living. Tomorrow, March 31st, we celebrate Kara's birthday and continue to marvel at her still contagious smile, mischievous twinkle and constant zest for life!


Happy Birthday, Kara!!

The Fast Life....

Life has been moving so swiftly for us these past few months that I truly have not had time to blog on a regular basis.


What have we been doing?

• September: got house ready to sell
• October: put house on market
• November: had knee surgery
• December: vacationed in Central Oregon
• December: sold house
• January: packed & moved to one-bedroom apartment
• January - March: 2-3 times/week physical therapy for knee & shoulder
• February: Co-directed annual Women's Conference at church
• February: purchased condo
• March: two week trip to Israel & Greece
• March: moved to condo
• Today? Unpacking MORE boxes!

This weekend I'll try to put together a few photos from our trip to Israel/Greece and of our new condo for all of my readers to view. (Yes, I do think I have readers plural. There are still two of you out there, I hope....)

Torseth Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

Another Torseth Look-Alike Meter

Now if only we knew who she acts like....

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Six looooong weeks....

Anybody notice that I haven't blogged in six weeks? So, why not? (Not "Why haven't you noticed?", but the questions is "Why haven't I posted?")

In the past six weeks, I have...
... completed physical therapy following my knee surgery
... celebrated Christmas in Central Oregon
... sold our house in Cambridge East
... started physical therapy on my sore shoulder
... gave away or sold one third of all of our belongings
... moved half of the remaining belongings into a storage unit
... moved the other half of our remaining belongings (including Dave and me) into a one-bedroom, 730 square foot apartment in Fife
... decided against purchasing the gorgeous new penthouse condo in Tacoma
... co-directed a women's conference at church
... began to search for another condo to purchase
and... caught a nasty cold!

Sorry about the lack of photos or witty writing to go with any of the above subjects. I'm still spinning from all of the changes/activity. But it is comforting to know that even though life seems a bit out-of-control these days, God is in complete control AND that He is working everything for my good and for His glory.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28