Many Prayers Later

Two days ago my first born son turned 15-years-old.  He is taller than me.  I’m not sure if I could take him anymore.  He has more muscles than Jack LaLanne. ……..Ok, no he doesn’t.  I just looked up Jack on google.  But my son has the potential of turning into the juicing giant.  Wasn’t it just a few months ago when my chubby, blonde little boy was yelling every word and stuttering because he was so excited about life???  Wasn’t he telling me, just weeks ago, that “Daddy take good care for you, Mom.”  Where have the years gone? 

Sadly, said son’s birthday happened to be on the busiest day of our week…. really, the ONLY day we all leave the house together.  I did make cupcakes and take them to co-op… like all good homeschooling moms.  He asked for vanilla cupcakes with vanilla icing.  WOW!  Go crazy!  I called him from Walmart to make sure I got the right kind.  Then I asked what kind of cupcake papers he wanted…. Dora… Mickey Mouse… Cars… Cinderella.  He said he didn’t care as long as the cake and icing were vanilla.  I bought purple.

And what gift did my 15-year-old ask for on his birthday?  Money to go on a missions trip to build houses in Mexico in October.  What kind of kid asks for missions trip money for his birthday?  Maybe the kind of kid who asks every Friday night if he can go downtown and feed homeless people.  Or the kind of kid who spent his summer vacation feeding men on skid row in Los Angeles.  He recently told his Dad that he didn’t think he was doing enough for others.  To which my wise husband replied, “You are doing WAY more than the average kid your age.”  My brilliant son retorted, “I’m not an average kid.”  SO TRUE!  I couldn’t be more proud of my 15-year-old son. 

However, (that always means the next words are important and contradictory in nature) this is my one in four children whom I have probably mentioned in more prayers than all the others.  Okay, that’s not true because my 17-year-old daughter went to Africa for three weeks this summer…. they might be tied.  His leadership ability has been obvious to me for many years…. I hoped and prayed it wouldn’t be for the dark side.  And his drive is unbelievable.  Even when he was nine, he would get up early and do all his chores and as much school work as he could…. before I stumbled out of my room to whip us some breakfast.  (For those who know me well, they are thinking “That’s nothing… she sleeps in.”  It’s true.  But still!)

We had a family gift opening for Aus… with little girls invited.  :o)  But he simply wanted $$ for missions, so no grand party was had.  Weird, I know.

A First for this Mother

I believe I mentioned before on MSJ that my 17-year-old daughter is going to Tanzania, East Africa for three weeks in June…. WITHOUT ME!  She has gone on missions trips before but not to Africa.  This is huge for her…. for her outlook on life… and for me….sending my firstborn to the other side of the planet.  What was I thinking, agreeing to this?  Rick and I have always said that our children will go on missions trips and be aware of the living conditions in other parts of the world.  We think it is highly important for kids from one of the most prosperous nations on the globe to see how MOST of the world actually lives.  It’s not quite like Scottsdale, baby!  Trips like this make you thankful, and sad, and mad, and changed for life!

Larisa is going with a group of 12 people from our church… an amazing group of people who the Lord brought together… who didn’t even know each other six months ago.  Amazing!  They will be working with a home for boys in Moshi called the Emmanuel Center.  The leaders of the trip have been there before (which does this mother’s heart good.) The team will also head out and CAMP with the Masai tribe for three days (which made this mother laugh because Larisa doesn’t prefer camping!)  They will be doing workshops with people with handicaps, holding dental clinics, doing hospital visitation, some light construction, painting and a few church services.  ALL stretching and growing opportunities for my girl!  I’m thrilled that she gets this juncture in her life… it will change her path forever.

Am I nervous? Not really.  Am I scared to send her off?  Not really.  I know the Lord has plans for her…. WAY bigger than I could think of, and He loves her more than I do (hard to imagine!) so He will take care of her.

Everyone on the team needed to raise $3,400 for the trip.  Larisa is getting close… more than 2/3 raised at this point.  How can you help? Bid on an item or two at their auction site: www.MoshiMission.wordpress.com  Or you can make a tax-deductible donation on our church’s site:  https://www.ccvonline.com/Arena/default.aspx?page=12698&requestUrl=%2FArena%2Fdefault.aspx%3Fpage%3D14886

Simply Create a Log-In (so you get a tax receipt).
Select: Moshi, Tanzania Trip
And put: CROSBY in the Blank space.

A sincere Thank You, from deep in this Mother’s heart.

My Bucket List

Tonight I pulled out a journaling book that I started in 2007… it has in it, among other gatherings of words… my Bucket List.  One hundred things I want to do in my lifetime.  It’s been at least a year since I went through the list… that only goes up to 72 at the moment.  When I accomplish a listed item I highlight it.  There were eight lines highlighted already.  Surprisingly, tonight I highlighted three items from 2009 that were accomplished. 

I read somewhere long ago that if you write down your goals your brain grasps onto them subconsciously and even if you’re not remembering them… you are drawn to accomplish them.  I’m not sure if I believed that until I was married about 14 years and came across my scrapbook from my senior year of high school.  There was a page for 1 year, 5 year and 10 year goals.  What 18-year-old has any clue what they will be doing when they are 28???  Please.  Unbelievably, all the goals that I wrote down had been successfully completed… without me remembering that I jotted them in my scrapbook in 1984. 

Back to tonight and my Bucket List.  In case you live in a cave, a movie came out a few years back called the Bucket List and the premise was about two old guys determined to live out life’s wishes before they kicked the bucket.  I never saw it.  Anywho…. I highlighted three lines on my list tonight.

#10.  Take the kids on a missions trip.  Larisa, Austin and I went to La Mision, Mexico last summer… and it was Austin’s first time seeing an impoverished city.  It changed him, as I knew it would.  My 11-year-old son still is on the list to go, but I highlighted it anyway.  I firmly believe every American kid needs to see poverty, desperate need, and the happiness that is still available in spite of living conditions.  We are so spoiled blessed.

#51. Live close to the church.  For more than 10 years we have driven 30 minutes to church.  When your kids want to get more involved… an hour round-trip is a long way.  When gas is over $3 a gallon, every little trip counts.  Little did I know that we would be changing churches in 2009 and the new one is 8 minutes away.  Glory!

#61.  Publish a book for married women.  Last September my book Learning to Laugh in the Midst of Marriage came out.  Sweet! The book was not even started when I made the list!  See…. subconsciously!

Some of my other entries include traveling to far away spots on God’s green earth that I have studied and long to see.  Others involve helping others, teaching the kids new tricks, taking an emergency truck ramp…. quit laughing… they are so tempting,  learning a few tricks myself and reaching many for God’s kingdom.  I believe 2010 will bring at least three more highlighted lines… maybe more!

Do you have a Bucket List?

I Got Plastered in Mexico

I wish the picture showed it better, but on the front of my shirt covering most of the southwest is a huge blob of plaster.  Yes, I walked into a house in La Mision, Mexico that was being mudded and taped and knocked the spatula tool right out of the guy’s hand.  It hit me on the way down and also coated my shirt, sunglasses, jeans, flip-flops and feet.  NICE!  It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to say that I was plastered in Mexico.  Literally.

We had a GREAT time this week.  I was asked sort of last minute to go with the youth on the missions trip.  Sooooo last minute that I neglected blogging for three days before we left…. and now we’re home.  Thankfully, my husband was left with the secret blogging MSJ password so he could let you know what was going on.

It was quick 5 day trip but was filled with ministry in many locations in the lush coastal valley of La Mision.  The “city” lies an hour south on the border on the Pacific Ocean between Rosarito and Ensenada.  And can I just say that it was a blessed relief to be in cooler temperatures in July and away from Phoenix.  We left our windows open.  We wore t-shirts and capris day and night.  We sucked in the ocean air.  We loved on the people of La Mision.

Here is the Reader’s Digest version of what we did in our three full days there:  purchased basics for 15 food boxes, distributed the boxes to needy homes and prayed for the families, put up dry-wall on the ceiling in a 1,500 sq. ft. room of the daycare, helped with the children at the daycare, went door-to-door handing out fliers for two events, visited an orphanage, performed street ministry with drama, had a “gratis comida” Night (free food!) where we BBQ-ed 160 hot dogs, put in a wooden floor in a mud-floored home, distributed clothing, bedding, shoes and toys to many families, played soccer every night (and were severely beaten by the locals), cleaned a yard of debris (that filled the back of a wide work truck), laid a stone path and spoke at the local church.  It was awesome and I’m exhausted.

Besides the plastered story there are several other entertaining bits including a horse lying in the road, the Sandlot dog experience relived, a bucking-bronco van ride, boiling water rituals, the burro video, eternally cooked beans and mucho more!  Please stay tuned.