Christopher just finished a promo video of the Wissmann family with some of the footage we shot last month…it’s so nice to see (and hear) some results of everyone’s hard work! Watch it on the front page here:

www.WissmannFamilyBranson.com

So here’s the story. It started snowing this weekend. A lot. The weather people were calling it the blizzard of ’08. I was skeptical, really. My idea of a blizzard is Little House on the Prairie proportions, the kind that gives you frostbite in 5 seconds and you can’t see two feet in front of you and the snow drifts cover houses.

Well, this is Ohio. Friday afternoon it came down to the inevitable – shoveling the driveway. Now, I’m perfectly capable of shoveling, it’s just that I never have to do it. I have a big brother. He does all the manly things like mowing the lawn, hacking the bushes, shoveling the snow, killing the spiders, etc.

But this time there was a problem. He was gone.

Well, this was only a few inches and like I said, I’m perfectly capable of shoveling. It was hard work, but I felt rather pleased with accomplishing the job. I snapped a few pictures of my handiwork and shut the door.

Yeah, guess what. It kept snowing. By the time I stuck my head out the door late Saturday morning, everything was covered – deep. I guess they were right about the blizzard after all. At first glance it looked like maybe 6 inches. Until I started scooping and realized the awful truth; the entire driveway was covered in over 10 inches of snow. TEN INCHES. (Find a ruler and count them.) I can’t even remember the last time I saw that much snow.

Did I mention that my brother was gone?

I groaned inwardly. Or maybe out loud. The measly 4 inches the day before were suddenly very measly indeed. So I shoveled. And shoveled. And shoveled. The piles of snow got higher and higher, the shovel got heavier and heavier, my arms ached worse and worse, and the snow kept…snowing.

Scoop, lift, carry, heave, toss, repeat. I miss my brother. Scoop, lift, carry, heave, toss, repeat. A little finch in a nearby tree chortled loudly with Spring abandon. Either he’d forgotten to check the forecast or this was God’s way of cheering me on. I smiled and took it as the latter. Still, I started to wish things like the boy walking down the street would offer to finish the job – for a price even. Then I realized he wasn’t any bigger than me. I kept scooping. I saw a neighbor forging a path through the sidewalk with a snowblower and hoped he was coming to my rescue. He turned around and went the other direction. I kept scooping.

Over 2 hours later, I heaved the last shovelful with great relief and equally great exhaustion. My heart was pumping like I’d run a few too many miles and my arms were dead, but I had done what I had never done before. And never want to do again, if I can help it. The total snow count for the Blizzard of ’08 came to 20.4 inches. More than Ohio has seen in 98 years.

And did I tell you that my brother was GONE?!

It stopped snowing Saturday night. My brother came home yesterday. He marveled at the big white walls of snow along our driveway. “Yeah, I built those with my own two hands.” I told him, relating the story in all its (now) hilarious torture. He laughed. And that’s just fine.

Because the weekend my brother deserted me, I discovered something else – bragging rights. 10 inches deep. Oh yeah.

- friday night -

- saturday morning -

On my way back from the track one day last week (much less impressive than it sounds), I cut through behind the elementary school where the playgrounds are. I’ve done this many times, but for some reason the set of empty swings caught my eye, hanging there all forlorn. (If you don’t think swings can look forlorn you weren’t there.) I remembered how much I loved swinging as a little girl. How I would often just swing and swing to my heart’s content.

I felt a nostalgic itch coming on. It’s been forever since I’ve been on a swing.

A thought about seizing the moments and enjoying life popped into my head.

Hey, why not.

Checking first to make sure no human being was within viewing distance, I ran over and plopped myself into the smooth black belt. My running shoes grated in the oval chasm worn in the mulch beneath. Grasping the chains (they felt familiar already) I pushed off and stuck my feet into the air, soaring up into the breeze.

Wow, I thought, pumping my legs, this is great! Now I really did remember why I had loved swinging so much. It felt so carefree. So happy. So alive.

The sky was blue and clear and the trees waved at me with their cool green leaves. The world was mine. And the troubles….well, what troubles?

I tried to think something lofty and spiritual to blog about the experience as I swung a little higher (laugh at me, would you), but all I could come up with was the silly grin on my face. I sheepishly tried to smother it and hoped earnestly that no one came around the corner just then. Imagine the mortification of a nearly twenty-one-year-old swinging on the playground? Savoring a few more to and fros, the very thought had me hopping back off the swing much sooner than I wanted, ridiculously invigorated all the same.

One of these days I’m going to find an empty swing all alone somewhere (alone – in the city) and just swing away into the blue sky and laugh to my heart’s content. Simple, but magical.

Life weighing you down? Find yourself a swing. Hop on. Soar away. Refresh.

You probably won’t have any profound revelations. You might even feel silly. But oh-so-delightful.

Read it here: http://www.regenerateourculture.com/articles/285/

:: Read the latest issue of Regenerated Magazine!

 "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."

Proverbs 15:13 

The thought of this was the only motivation for dragging myself out of bed this morning….

All it takes is 1 egg, 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, 3- 4 slices of bread, some nutmeg or cinnamon, and you're set. And to really chase away the morning blues, I recommend going deluxe with strawberries and whipped cream. Add a prayer and that's MY kind of way to start the day off right!

This summer I had the privilege of being asked to write an article on the topic of homeschooling for Regenerate Our Culture, an online web magazine geared towards Christian young people in the 15-25 range. I had a great time writing the article, pulling thoughts from my own experiences, and I'm quite excited to have been published in the August back-to-school issue. Thanks to the staff and especially Kristin for her help and encouragement!

Read the article: Five Steps to a Better Homeschool Experience

Check out the website: www.regenerateourculture.com

Go here, read this:

The Character of Homeschooling’s Early Days

It’s brief and inspiring. We have such a legacy not only to cherish, but to uphold and further. What a blessing!

Being home for two weeks

Old friends…and new friends

Being spontaneous

Changing your ideas about the way things ought to be

Waving sparklers in the rain

Unexpected e-cards

Flip-flops

Ever so many hugs

Hampton Inns

Unsolicited phone calls

Famous people who don't act famous

Hearing your name

Feeling God right there

Laughing and laughing…and laughing

Pictures and video

Late nights at Steak 'n Shake

Plans on the calendar

Sitting in your own beautiful backyard

Crunchy green salads

And finally, guys who are gentlemen in every sense of the word from the inside out. Who are simply friends and always brothers. Guys who make you feel safe and protected; who care about everyone, who make you want to be more by their example. They may be young, they may be past young, they may wear suits or jeans. They are rare and they are few. But you'll know when you meet one. And you'll never be the same. They do exist. Hallelujah.

I'm sure many of you have family members who served in a war, either past or present. Some came home, some didn't, and today we as Americans remember their sacrifice. Our own poppa, Ed (Eddie in his younger years), who passed away when I was six, fought in World War ll and received a purple heart after being injured.

My talented brother Christopher has created a video tribute in honor of those who have served and defended our country in the armed forces. This tribute is for those we know, and for those we will never know. You may view it at:

 www.jesusredeemed.us/tribute

Here's a collection of some excellent posts that have come to my attention over the past several weeks. Happy reading! :)

:: On making God top priority…

The Bible or the Bullet

Alex & Brett over at The Rebelution (which remains one of the top blogs ever, in my opinion) recently reposted this compelling piece. It hits hard, but it hits good. Don't miss this one!

Her sacrifice was worth it because it symbolized something much greater than simply a leather-bound Bible and a quarter-teaspoon of spit. It was a choice between her earthly home and her Heavenly Home, between her persecutor’s threats and her Savior’s promises. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain by choosing God’s Word over earthly comfort. Are we ready to make the same choice?

:: On friendship and relationships….

Just Friends in a Just Do It World

Not a blog post, but this article by Josh Harris covers the ever-present issue we face as singles seeking to wait for God's best…

What are you supposed to do if you don't date? The simple answer is friendship. Just be friends. Easy, huh?

Yeah, right. Maybe it would be if God created us without hearts, devoid of emotions, and immune to attraction. But most of us have to deal with all three as we stumble through the confusing process of finding balance between the extreme options of jumping headlong into romance with everyone who catches our eye or running in fear from all members of the opposite sex. Finding that balance is anything but easy. The "middle ground" is more like a tight rope stretched over a gaping chasm.

A Question of Courtship

Ok, I LOVE this post. It's almost like someone reached inside my mind and pulled out my thoughts, because if I were to write a post about what I believe on the subject of getting to the marriage alter, this would come really close.

I'm not one that's big on "rules" for defining a courtship. It isn't about whether you decide to save your first kiss for marriage or that you can't hold hands or no talking on the phone over 20 minutes or whatever. I think there certainly need to be guidelines and parameters to keep within for the sake of purity and discipline, but those in themselves should not define the courtship.

:: On being a girl…

Just a GIRL, through and through

From one girl's heart to the rest of us desiring to be women of God…you will find joy, encouragement, and comfort for the journey.

Inside the heart of every GIRL, I believe, is the deep and passionate desire to one day, the day of her dreams, be the most perfect and beautiful wife and mother possible. To love, and to be loved. To cherish, and to be cherished. To enjoy life to it’s fullest, and to do so with the one prince, whom her heavenly King has picked out for her, since before the foundation of the world. As time goes on, my heart’s desires for those things only get stronger and more definite.