parenting quandary

so my friend posted this article on facebook tonight, and as someone who has found great success with the Babywise method for getting your kids to sleep through the night very early on, I was a little concerned as I read it. Especially when it also referred to this other article which references lots of research which seems to show that letting your child cry will inflict irreparable psychological damage on them.

It's not like I've ever left my kids for hours on end while they screamed at the top of their lungs for comfort. I think between the two of them I have let them "cry it out" less than 10 times total, only at nap/bedtime, never for more than about 15-20 minutes without checking on and comforting them, and they've never cried longer than 45 minutes total before falling asleep. Both were sleeping 7-8hrs/night by the time they were 8wks old, and we've never had a problem since. They both seem to be handling stressful situations well these days, and I'm not anticipating any negative outcomes in the future based on actions taken when they were newborns.

I'll admit, the articles freaked me out a little bit as I started reading them, I got anxious at the beginning of each of them - obviously, if science says it's bad, then what if I'm messing up my kids, even if it works? Or what happens if we end up having a baby one day who isn't so easy going about sleep? But then I calmed down, read each article slowly, thoughtfully, and came to the following conclusions:

1. Even with science to back you up - the frequency with which parenting recommendations and practices change is ridiculous; just like in dieting/nutrition or any other arena that involves a propensity towards strong opinions and fads.

2. One of the scholars that the Yahoo! article quotes from frequently seems inherently biased in the matter, considering that she herself "shows signs of undercare". I read her quotes with a pretty negative air toward the idea of letting children cry in general, even before she provided her personal background. Also, I don't know much about Dr. Sears, but by a quick look through his website, he would seem to be a big proponent of Attachment Parenting, which is often portrayed as the antithesis of Babywise or "cry it out"

3. Neither article clearly defines what is considered "too long" for a child to cry. "Excessive crying" is mentioned excessively, but there is not a single attempt at saying what is excessive. There are frequent references to "crying it out" in the Yahoo! article, but the Ask Dr. Sears article sounds like it's referring more to neglectful treatment of a child, leaving him/her alone for hours on end or ignoring any expressed needs to the point of cruelty, which is most definitely not suggested by adherents of "cry it out" or Babywise. This article did conclude "that caregivers should answer cries swiftly, consistently, and comprehensively," which sounds like crying it out would not be an option, but that doesn't actually go against Babywise philosophy; of COURSE you're supposed to check on your kids if they're crying. Make sure they don't need a diaper, or some food, or are in pain in some way, but if they're ok, then they're ok to be left to themselves for a little bit.

So I think my final analysis is this: I'll stick with what I know and what has worked, but I'm not above altering it or trying something new if what has worked stops working. I'm curious, tho, what other parents think. If you have time to read the articles and comment, I would really appreciate it.

identity

looking through some of my old drafts of posts that didn't quite get finished, this was one from last summer that I really liked, so I just decided to finish it and post it, so that's why I'm talking about being pregnant - it's not an update, it's just really old news...my new thoughts are Bolded, like this right here.

we were at housechurch last night, and there was a really good verse shared with regard to communion, Phillipians 3:4-11 -

4 Yet I could have confidence in myself if anyone could. If others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 For I was circumcised when I was eight days old, having been born into a pure-blooded Jewish family that is a branch of the tribe of Benjamin. So I am a real Jew if there ever was one! What's more, I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 And zealous? Yes, in fact, I harshly persecuted the church. And I obeyed the Jewish law so carefully that I was never accused of any fault. 7 I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!

The challenge was given to lay down whatever type of identity or reasoning we have to be proud of ourselves or assured of salvation outside of Jesus, to be identified only with Christ. It made me think of how I've been identifying myself lately.

The obvious answer is as a pregnant woman, a mother to-be. I've found that the title brings with it a certain stature, almost an innate right to certain things. I'm carrying a child, therefore I should be pampered, I shouldn't be allowed to carry heavy things, to exert myself too much. I shouldn't be expected to do the same things I used to before being pregnant. There are some who have treated me as if I were made of glass, or similarly very fragile.

While yes, there are certain aspects of pregnancy that require additional care in how one handles oneself, in a lot of ways, I'm just as capable and just as able to do most of what I could before. It used to bother me that Seth wouldn't let me shovel the snow. Then I tried it, just once. And I think there's a part of me that really needs to be careful about the sleep I'm getting or the food I'm eating, but I have also noticed that I'm sort of buying into the entitlement of pregnancy in some ways, too. I've seen in certain areas where I've used it to not try as hard get things done, or to maybe beg off of things I wasn't crazy about doing, even when I probably could have. As much as I joke with friends and my husband about using the baby as an excuse to do or not do certain things, I really didn't actually want to use pregnancy as an excuse to get out of anything, ministry or otherwise...and yet it's happened, here and there. And it doesn't make me very proud to see it or admit it.

Being a mother has a certain status and expectation that comes with it, especially at the Rock. By no means am I trying to belittle that status or the importance of the role. I really believe that to an extent mothers (especially the new ones) probably need more grace and support than many other groups of people might need. I'm finding that out pretty much daily for myself. But I don't want to go around expecting that people will do things for me, will serve me, will care for me. It's such a blessing when they do, and there's something that sours in me when I somehow think that I deserve it, or can't believe it took someone so long to notice I needed help, or some equally as silly thought.

I also currently would say I identify myself mostly with being a wife. That carries with it a burden (sometimes heavy, sometimes light) of many responsibilities and duties. It's easy to get dragged down and defeated as a wife (I'm sure it's easy as a husband, too). My shortcomings are obvious to see, and triumphs, especially the small ones that are difficult to obtain but mean the most, often go unnoticed.

This particular group of verses used to give me the chills when I first really looked at it back in college. The idea of throwing everything aside to know only Jesus and to truly experience his life and power in my own is an amazing one, awe inspiring, and not a little bit scary. I really don't have much to add to that, it's kind of as much as I can take in, in this regard. But I still want it. And I think I have opportunities every day to experience this, it's just a matter of being aware and taking advantage. Some things are easy - sharing a beloved treat with a small child or slowing down to make sure that some important information is accurately passed on to small ears. Some things are harder - trying to be compassionate and see from the point of view of someone who happens to be hurting you at the moment, for instance, but all of it brings breaths of Jesus' life into mine. Putting my rights and preferences aside to take on His burden, the one to love God and love people, and that's all.

women and the bible, pt.1

I came across a blog last night that I found interesting, one entry in particular. I didn't check the date of the entry, but not too long ago the author had posted about women and religion. He mentioned Mary Magdalene, how she was a disciple of Christ, but not good enough to be one of the 12, and how just about every religion known to man is patriarchal, unfair to women, and at least a little bit misogynistic.

I know on its face, these allegations are generally accepted to be true. I can think of women wearing burkas, men allowed to beat their wives and daughters for even minor offences, Eve was given the dubious honor of bringing sin into the world when she listened to the snake, Delilah stripped Sampson of his famed power, Jezebel is synonymous with wickedness in women, and the list goes on.

I had to stop and think about this for a minute, because I would probably agree with his argument in some ways. I know the perception of women's roles in the world, particularly in Christianity, but I also know that God loves and treasures women just as much as men. I can't speak for other religions, but I think that the Bible at least has gotten something of a bad rap when it comes to how women are portrayed.

Mind you, the sinful, "pagan" women are pretty bad, Herodias asked for the head of John the Baptist and had him killed, Mical ridiculed King David and became barren because of it, Solomon's wives and concubines drew him into idolatry and away from God, etc. But they didn't fear or follow God, you couldn't expect much from them. The men of God, however were also shown to be sinful, fallen creatures: Noah was a drunk, Moses was scared and didn't want to talk to Pharoah alone. His anger and disobedience also kept him out of the Promised Land. David was an adulterer and murderer. Peter denied Jesus 3 times, and the disciples in general had a hard time understanding and believing in Jesus, even when he lived and worked with them for 3 years.

But when you read about the godly women in the Bible, you get a whole different story. Esther singlehandedly saved all the Jews in Persia, Mary submitted to God in what was maybe the hardest thing to believe ever - the Holy Spirit is going to make you pregnant and you'll be mother to the Son of God. Deborah judged Israel and led them into a huge military victory - at the request (and to the shame) of the male leaders of her time. Ruth refused to leave her mother in-law and followed her to find a new husband and a new home and a place in the lineage of Jesus. Rahab was a prostitute who also became Jesus' ancestor because of her heroic acts. Of all these women, the only negative information you read about them is that one was a prostitute. And also maybe that Sarah laughed at the idea that God might make her pregnant at 90. But she went along with it in the end, and she also has a place of honor.

These were strong women. They did amazing things in the face of frightening circumstances. These are women to look up to, to try to emulate. I doubt they'd really count as feminists, tho, so that might be why no one really pays that much attention. These were women who submitted, and in doing so found strength, which most people think is impossible. They feared God, which led them to honor and fame. Not always in their lifetimes, but God made sure that they are remembered. No doubt they were just as human as the rest of us; I'm sure Ruth and Boaz disagreed about a few things after they got married, Deborah might have been kind of bossy as a judge, but none of those things is recorded. These women get nothing but good press, there's no way you can tell me that God did not consider them very precious, just as precious as he considers me and every other woman he has handcrafted.

sincerity

I was driving to work yesterday morning, and found myself caught behind a Nissan Murano in the far left lane (the "fast" lane, if you will) with LOTS and LOTS of wide open space in front of it. This would be the epitome of a pet peeve for me.

I've been struggling lately in general with my words, thoughts, and attitudes while driving. One of the hardest things about my new job is that because of the hours I work, I'm on the road longer in my commute, even though I'm actually a little closer to home. I don't like it, but it's not likely to change anytime soon. I also don't like the idea of saying anything rude, even mildly so, in front of my neice and nephew as we're going home on Fridays (in the middle of rush hour traffic, pretty much always in a hurry because of the time crunch to get dinner and leave for the Rock), the thought that I will one day have kids of my own in the backseat has also crossed my mind a time or two, and so I might as well work on it now, right?

So as I muttered some snarky comment at the aforementioned Murano, I immediately repented and asked God for help - why do I always find myself saying these things? Such a minor inconveniece - we were even going a little over the speed limit, but it just wasn't good enough. And I thought of something.

I've worked on my sense of humor, specifically sarcasm, for years now. It was one of the things in high school that helped me come out of my shell and actually make friends and meet new people. You might not guess it, but I was pretty painfully shy back then. Sarcasm has also been pretty well used in my family, at least around my mom, and by extension my siblings. So it's a pretty standard form of communication. I have found it helpful in breaking the ice, in livening up conversations, in making my friends laugh, or just amusing myself (not everyone thinks I'm so funny all the time).

But what if that's the problem? I've practiced it so much that a lot of times it's what pops into my head first when thinking of comments. There have been a few inappropriate times when all I could think about was something snarky or slightly mean to say. As I learn more about being a godly woman and think more about having kids one day, I find myself really wanting to be kind and sincere in what I say. There's part of me that sees that as boring and maybe a little cheesy, but how many verses are there about your words and what you should and shouldn't say, and how what's in your heart comes out your mouth? I've been working on my list of things that I intend to be intentional about this year, and I think I may have to look over it again to make sure this is on it too.

focus

As I've heard people come back with awesome stories from Faithwalkers, and have been listening to the messages themselves, I've been praying and thinking about what should be my focus this year.

I think the idea is dawning on me that out of everything that I'd like to focus on, intention is what is coming to the forefront. I've just been reminded that I will have to give an answer to God for everything that I've ever done in my life, and just been told that what I sow in my 20s I'll reap in my 40s...which is great, considering that my 20s are almost over....how am I going to answer God for the things I've done? I obviously can't change anything that's already been done, but I can change my outlook and motivation for things that I will be doing. How can I be more intentional in my marriage? With our neice and nephew and family in general? At work? As a small group member or coach? As a friend? I suppose I'll have to figure out what my intentions actually are first.

In discussing our marriage recently, I realized for all the times I said that I wasn't intending to do harm - a lot of those times I wasn't intending not to do it either, and look what happened. It takes a more active stance on everything in general - how do I want my life to look this time next year? What do I need to do to see that happen? There are some things in the works, but as this is quite the new thought process, I will need to work on it. BUT, I intend to take some time and make a list....by the end of the weekend. So maybe I'll have something new to say early next week. Or maybe you can ask me about it on Monday...

starting to process

After posting yesterday I drove home and insisted to God that I needed to figure some of these things out. Why do I feel this way? Why do I only get angry thinking of what happened, and the majority of the responses I've been hearing? And I might have an idea.

Obviously listening to MPR gives me lots of information during the day. They have had people on since Monday talking about what happened at Virginia Tech. They've had senators and congressmen, college students commenting, lots of things I haven't really paid much attention to. They've discussed why tighter gun control is needed, there have been suggestions of some sort of mental health screening as part of applying to colleges. They've asked the question of if people can be forced into treatment or some action can be taken if no crime has been committed. They've talked about how to make students safer on campus.

All the suggestions they offer just sound ridiculous. It doesn't matter how tight you make gun control if someone is bent on getting a gun. They're going to be able to, it just might take them a little longer. I don't know if it would ever get to the point that a college would actually require a mental health screening as part of the admission process, but I'm wondering how many people would choose not to apply to that school. If we're starting to treat elementary school kids for depression, how do you think that would affect their ability to get into college later on? Not all people who struggle with depression or even more serious forms of mental illness are dangerous. You can't exactly treat them all the same way for the minute possibility that you could find the one in a hundred thousand who could possibly turn out to be a homicidal psychopath. And the idea of forcing treatment on someone who shows signs of being a danger to themselves or others would seem to be a wonderful plan, but I know firsthand that people who don't want to be helped won't be helped, no matter what.

No one on the news or the radio seems to be addressing the real problem. You know, the one where people are sick inside. They're evil. It doesn't matter how many scenarios you can plan for and make sure you are secure against, given enough time someone will think up something you haven't planned for, and you're right back where you started. There's no limit to how depraved humans can be, but no one really wants to talk about it. Then we'd have to admit that we're all guilty, that we all have the same potential. Then there's really no way out, except for Jesus, and we all know that's not something that will be broadcast nationwide on the 6 o'clock news or on CNN.

I appreciated reading Jamie's blog today, and Adam's, and Christine's from earlier this week. I know eventually it all leads back to God, it all leads back to him moving to make something good come from something so ugly and gross. But I appreciate just being able to sit and think about it, not plan to avoid it next time, not turn it into an anecdote that will support someone's political platform, but to just let it sink in, and roll around in my head for a little while.

It frustrates me that on a large scale that this will just be treated like a problem meant to be solved. If we work hard enough it doesn't ever have to happen again, and we can make it happen and claim all the credit. I don't know even know if these people with their solutions even think that they'll work, or if they're just throwing out ideas and words to make themselves feel or look better. I am glad tho, that I know the truth, that I can look for God to move and see him there, that I can let him continue to change my life, and hopefully share that with the people around me.

I can't process this

I've gotten into the habit of listening to MPR at work. Most days it's fairly interesting, and if nothing else it's even toned talking with no commercials that's easy to tune out when needed. This week they have spent a lot of time talking about what happened Monday at Virginia Tech. Between that, and multiple e-mails related to sister churches and old friends, the news reports and blog postings, it just is all too much.

I know that during my lifetime I've seen a lot of awful, terrible things befall innocent people. I remember watching the Challenger explode in elementary school. There was also the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Columbine High School shooting, and of course 9/11, to hit the "high notes". Outside of 9/11 and being frozen numb in front of the tv for 2 whole days in absolute shock, this has been the hardest thing for me to comprehend. It's not like I knew anyone at the school, it's not like I just graduated myself and can imagine vividly what it might be like. It's definitely not like death is something that I fear or can't bear to think about, but it was just such a grotesquely disgusting act, how could someone actually conceive of it?

Words have failed me trying to explain what I'm thinking or feeling about all this. I don't want to think about it, it's like my mind locks up and I can't get it moving. We were praying last night at our leader's meeting and I could barely spit out 3 sentences to ask for God to move there. It just doesn't seem real, like it can't possibly be true. But how could I be in denial over something I'm not personally connected to? That's the part that I'm not getting.

I don't know. I'm not sure this makes any sense at all, sorry it's kind of scattered.

favorite? pt 2

The rest of what I told Christine at lunch is roughly as follows:

I felt very privileged to have had the opportunity to speak spanish in Perú. I've worked at it for years and it's come in handy many times, tho possibly never so much as last week. I know that some people on our team got really frustrated by not speaking the language, and I was able to at least help out a little bit with translating, to help them connect.

I also felt that I connected so much to Pastor Arturo and Miguel, Carlos in Cusco, and others because I was able to speak with them. There were times when Pastor Arturo wanted to ask people what they thought of being down there and what they would take away to further their walk with God, and he asked me to help him have these discussions, so it was like I got to eavesdrop in these cool conversations and learn so much from this man who was always so quiet and reserved.

I also got to talk to Carlos after we had given him gifts of thanks for guiding us through Cusco and Macchu Picchu; his broken english didn't make for a very coherent thank you and goodbye. He told me that he was very excited to have a large group of Americans (he had only had 1 or 2 at a time up to that point) and he loved that we were down there to help and serve. It blessed him very much to know that we served the same God and if we ever (or our friends) came back to Cusco we would have everything that we would possibly need, he and others would gladly provide it. It made a lot more sense the second time around. I hadn't realized that he was a believer (I must have just skimmed through that email), and just hearing that from him endeared to me even more.

Ever since high school I have felt that there was a reason I was learning spanish, that God was going to use it in my life. Even tho I still wonder why on earth I have a Bachelor's degree just in spanish and not something more "useful", I can see that God has been directing my steps. I pray that I can continue to be more willing to use my abilities to glorify him, and hopefully seek out more opportunities to do so, not just waiting for my next chance to get out of the country.

airport cabs

I didn't even know this was an issue, but apparently...

It seems that some Somali cab drivers that service the airport are refusing to take passengers that carry alcohol or even pets. The alcohol I can see, it's a major tenet of Muslim belief, as I understand it. The pets? I dunno. The basic idea is this - any cabbie can refuse a fare if they believe there is a threat to their safety (i.e. drunk passenger) but some are now refusing fares just because they bring alcohol with them. And apparently it's generating quite a few complaints.

How many people are walking out of the airport looking for a cab with a 5th of vodka or a 6 pack of Coors in their hand, anyway? And it's not like cab drivers are going to inspect your baggage to make sure you don't have anything they object with, right? Typically if a cabbie passes on a fare, then he has to "go to the end of the line", which could take 3 hours to get through again, so you can't be waiting all that long for the next guy to come along and take your money and give you a ride (of course if 70% of all airport cabbies are Somali muslims, you probably have a high chance for multiple rejections, depending on the devoutness of their beliefs).

On the one hand, I would have to be honest and say that I'm a little biased against Somali drivers in general due to several opportunities to observe their driving skills (to be fair, I've also been outside of the US where their driving would probably be perfectly acceptable). This doesn't mean that I don't feel bad for them. MAC is proposing an ordinance which would suspend one's airport license for 30 days for the first refusal to take a fare for any reason other than safety, and revoke it entirely for the second refusal.

I would have thought that there would be some organization jumping to their aid right away. Maybe the ACLU just doesn't like religion in general, no matter what freedoms are being encroached upon. And sadly, I'm wondering if the Rutherford Institute or other christian groups will pay much attention because they're not Christians.

Are the Somalis going too far? I know plenty of Christians that think drinking in any quantity is a sin, but would any of them refuse service of some kind to someone that has a bottle in their hand and offering them money? The man interviewed likened it to taking part in someone sinning. Are there more things that we should be careful of, thinking that we may be held accountable for silently consenting to the sins of others?

question of the day

why is it that you will inevitably find the most absolutely comfortable position in bed right after your alarm rings and you need to get up?

question of the day

is it wrong that today i find myself wishing that i were pregnant and going to have a baby - primarily because then i wouldn't have to work outside of home anymore?

I love my job.

christmastime adventures

so much happened last week, it's unbelievable! It's also likely to be fairly uninteresting to most everyone else. But it should at least provide me with enough to post about for the next couple days.

For instance, I had the opportunity to meet up with my roomate from my senior yr in college while she was in town visiting family. We went to the MOA, of course (because it's the closest thing, and where better to spend time after Christmas than with mobs of other people?)

Here's a hint - if you have to go to the Mall sometime during a weekend-like timeframe, go before noon. We met at 10, there were lots of parking spots, it wasn't too awfully crowded. By the time we left around 12:30, there were at least 2 levels of the ramp closed and lines all the way up. I was pretty happy to have missed that party. I really don't like that MOA is the closest and most convenient thing to my house in the way of shopping and movies. It doesn't much help knowing that Southdale is generally just as crowded, at least in the movie theatre, and just as expensive, so it's not worth traveling extra miles for no benefit at all.

Anyway.

I had needed a pair of jeans, and figuring that things might be going on sale, we went to get me some jeans. Now, ask just about any woman, and you will learn that shopping for jeans is near to the most evil thing on earth (tho shopping for skirts is getting up there for me lately). I was fortunate enough to stumble upon pretty much the perfect pair of jeans while on our honeymoon, and have since been able to circumvent the need to try on endless pairs of jeans while losing hope that something exists that would actually fit me. At the GAP, they sell a Long and Lean style jean that has served me very well, I've owned several pair now; they always fit, and always look good. For this reason, I am willing to pay GAP prices for this simple and blessed convenience.

I've noticed at the GAP over the last couple years that they seem to have been messing about with their womens' sizes. Somehow magically, even tho I have been staying pretty close to the same weight over the last couple of years, I am fitting into smaller sizes of GAP clothing. Not that I'm really complaining, but it does strike me as odd. Knowing this, I was set to try on a couple pairs of jeans to make sure I was in the right size before I bought them. I tried on one size smaller than the pair I had worn into the store, and they weren't quite right. I ended up 2 sizes smaller, which is definitely not a pants size that I wear from any other store.

Again, I'm not really complaining, but it does strike me as a bit odd. I guess I always figured it's some sort of ploy by the GAP to have women buy only their clothing because they'll feel better for being able to fit into the smaller sized clothes. Any other theories? Are there any other stores that do this?

soothing music

yesterday, i was crabby. Pretty dang crabby, even tho we had our office Christmas party and potluck and everything. It had more to do with the week being pretty crappy and me feeling kind of yucky, and not being able to focus and get all my work done and having to stay late twice this week, blah blah blah. I was crabby. I drove home crabby, thru traffic that wasn't helping. I prayed, I really did, and that helped the tiniest bit.

I had been listening to the same CD all day at work, not bad, but I had had enough, so I was scanning through radio stations to try and find something I liked. Seriously, 30 minutes without being very inspired or interested. Then about 2 minutes from home, the scanner stopped on 93X, and I heard the familiar strains of an old favorite - the very very beginning of November Rain by Guns 'N Roses.

Ahhhhh, there's a song you don't hear very often anymore.

It really really made me happy. I even sat in my garage for a good 3-4 minutes to listen to the whole thing, imagining the music video, remembering how Axl Rose used to be cute, and just letting the rest of the day get pushed out of my head. It totally did the trick, distracted me from everything else that had just happened throughout the day, all my frustration and anxiety, and I walked into my house with a smile, thinking of how much I love good music.

Is there a song that will instantly improve your mood?

christmas in new orleans

so what's going on in new orleans? I dunno, it's never on the news anymore.

I have started the enormous (to me) undertaking of Christmas cards this year, and wanted to send one to our friends Charles and Rose (you'll have to look thru a little bit to get the whole story, but it's there)whose house we took apart back in March. I remembered how we were going to be on their Christmas card list this year, and I finally was able to find the blue ribbon pin that Rose had sent everyone as YET ANOTHER thank you (because the Po Boys and angels just weren't enough). So I started thinking about it - what's Christmas like this year for them? For New Orleans in general?

I am sure that things are farther along than when we left in terms of rebuilding and such, I know they've had deadlines for mudding out houses and things like that, they've dedicated at least some of the houses in the Musicians' Village this summer w/ Harry Connick Jr and friends, people are moving back in. But I'm doubting that the lower 9th is any better off than it was 9 months ago when I saw it, I'm sure things are not as they were Christmas 2004.

I'd love to take another trip, to help out again - giving money just never seemed like it would be enough, tho at least it's something. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I had to go this spring, I don't think it's a city that should be forgotten until everything is set right, but it's hard to remember it without some personal connection. So I'll be praying for Charles and Rose Scott this Christmas, along with First Baptist church where we stayed and the others that we met in our short time in the Big Easy, hopefully we'll go again sometime soon.

ps. Jodi, I still need the Scotts' address!