Halloween 2014

In my usual, on the ball, fashion.  I am just now getting around to posting our Halloween pictures!

This year we were missing Rainman because he had to work.  But our wonderful friends still invited us over to a quick pizza dinner and Trick or Treating.  But, first our pumpkins!

Apparently, D-man escaped the individual pumpkin shot this year. You get distracted when you have 6 kids, you know..... Grrrr....

 He is in this one though.....along with my psuedo-kids....the neighbor boys (J-boy and Spider-man/C-boy - isn't his face paint awesome?)

Now, for our costumes....

Yes, I am wearing padding...that is NOT all me!

This one is a total  inside joke because D-man is dressed as his cousin.....this guy.....

Who also occasionally looks like this....

Anyway.....back to my offspring!

Rapunzel from Tangled.

Anna from Frozen.  I will just take a moment to brag on L-girl for a minute.  She made her costume.  She sewed the dress, AND, she hand painted the Scandinavian flower design on the front!  So proud.

I know.  It is not politically correct at all, but I comforted myself with the fact that my sister and I went as "hobos", back in the day, complete with bandana knapsacks tied to a stick....with coffee ground beards....and decided it would be okay.

Elsa from Frozen.  L-girl made this dress, complete with swirling cape for S-girl.

And to complete our Frozen-centric costume theme this year.  V-girl as Olaf!

Here is she being created by Elsa....

 

And a better shot of her cute little carrot nose with Rapunzel.

 

 As usual, the weather for Halloween here in the South, was spectacular.  Not too hot, not too cold.  Just right.  I will share a little bit of our fun town fall celebrations in another post.  But, thought I would get these out there for you before Thanksgiving!  Ha!

If He Had Not Come - Review

Every now and then, we get a chance to review something seemingly simple and easy, that ends up being much, much more.

This was one of those times.

We got a chance to review the children's book called If He Had Not Come This is actually a story by Nan F. Weeks that is being reintroduced to this new generation through David Nicholson. (Fun little side note - I always love when I get stuff that is connected to Minnesota.  David Nicholson lives in St. Paul, Minnesota and Pastor Josh Mulvihill - who wrote some of the discussion questions in the back of the book, is from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.)

On the surface, it is just what is says it is, a sweet, Christmas, children's book.









 The story depicts what the world would be like if Jesus had never come to earth.  You know, a little like how the movie It's A Wonderful Life, shows what the world would be like without George Bailey.

Sounds simple, right?

Sounds sweet, right?

It was.  It was a simple, quick read to the kids.  I just read this one to my three youngest as part of our quiet time (Circle Time) after lunch.

I read it the old-fashioned way....like the library lady used to do at my school.  I sat on a chair.  The kids sat in a semi-circle at my feet.  I read upside down while I showed them the pictures.  (By the way, the longer you read upside down, the freakier it is....your brain keeps trying to tell you that you are doing it wrong, the words sort of morph into hieroglyphics, but somehow, your mouth keeps on reading the words the right way....like it is taunting your brain or something!)

The book starts out colorful, with a traditional Christmas scene.

As it moves on into the....If He Had Not Come part.....and the boy, Bobby, realizes that his world has changed, it looks more stark...

(All blank pages in the Bible after the Old Testament)

  

At the end, the book returns to the colorful, idyllic Christmas scene, look....

Subtle, subliminal message...but effective.

The book has discussion questions included in the back of the book.

The simplest questions are ones like:

When you get up Christmas morning, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?

or,

Put yourself in Bobby's shoes, would you be frightened?

There are also "deeper" questions that delve into what the Bible says about why Jesus came to earth and how things would be different if Jesus had not come to earth as a baby.

All it took to get the kids rolling on the discussion was one I asked.

What would look different in our lives look different if Jesus hadn't come?

The list they came up with went on and on and on.

It started with the fact that we would have no place to go on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings.  That spiraled into the fact that we would never have met many, many, many of the people that are our friends (both from our Minnesota church and our Georgia church).

Then we started listing off the churches we drive by that wouldn't be there anymore.  Truly, down here in the South, there is just about a church on every corner.  Really.  They are all over the place.

The discussion  moved onto the decorations in our house.  "That cross wouldn't be there"  "That picture of Jesus and the children wouldn't be there."

Of course, they also focused on the fact that we wouldn't have a Christmas tree, sing Christmas carols, or have a reason to hang stockings from the mantle....and then, onto Easter, where there would be no sunrise service, or Easter baskets.

I sort of let them just have the conversation without me, just popping in every now and then with my own observations, because........

I was having an internal discussion of my own.

I was remembering that the first time I sang in public was at church, when I was around 5 years old.  That wouldn't have happened.  West Bethel United Methodist Church and Red Rock Bible camp were huge parts of my childhood.  Those would be gone.  Coming down to breakfast every morning and seeing my Dad sitting there with his bowl of Cheerios, reading his devotions/Bible....then silently pushing the Bible  across the table to me so I could read it, would no longer be one of my memories.  Singing in the church choir, going Christmas caroling, Vacation Bible School as a kid and later as a director, being Mary in the Christmas play (the most coveted role for any little girl!).  Those things wouldn't have happened.

I wouldn't have gone to Vennard Bible College, which means my parents wouldn't have given me the Bible that they wrote the personal message in.  I wouldn't have met Stuart (who broke my heart and stomped on it), but, I also wouldn't have met Alicia (one of my very best friends who I met my first night on campus).  I would have never been to Honduras on mission trips. 

I would have never sang the Hallelujah chorus.  I wouldn't have visited so many churches singing at my friends weddings.  My sisters and I wouldn't have sang The King Is Coming at my Dad's funeral.  My mom wouldn't cry every time she hears the song Amazing Grace.  I wouldn't have attended church in all the countries we have visited.  I never would have felt a connection with those people....even though I didn't speak their language.  Those countries would also be missing out on a lot of beautiful architecture!

When we moved to Georgia, I wouldn't have had a safe place to fall apart/cry and, ultimately, make friends.  

Rainman and I wouldn't have the common bond of being believers in Jesus/Christianity, even though we worship at different denominations.  What would that do to our relationship?   When we lost our babies, we wouldn't have had the comfort of knowing that we will see them all again someday in heaven.  They would have just died..and been.....gone.

Simple children's Christmas book.....but, not really.

Our lives and the world around us would be totally and completely different.

Reading this will become a family tradition in our house, right alongside The Night Before Christmas.....because really.....If He Had Not Come....there would be no Night Before Christmas.


You can get a copy of this book, just in time to usher in the Christmas season, for $18.95, or an ebook for $3.95.  I recommend the physical version though...to me, it just felt....right.

See what other TOS Reviewers thought of If He Had Not Come.

Kayla 101

Today's post is a mini course on getting to know me.

Getting to know me via on-line personality tests. Strange little things, but crazily accurate, in my opinion.

They have been a fun time waster between my real life activities, but, honestly, they have also taught me a few things about myself.

This might have been part of their whole plan, but, I always ended up feeling pretty good about myself when I saw the results....even the weaknesses, didn't seem that "weak". And, I always recognized myself in the results.

I realize this may sound a bit too deep, but, these personality tests also helped me to realize that I was fearfully and wonderfully made by God....just this way....and that is totally, 100% okay.

Okay.......Want to know my results?

This first one was about my name....but it was really more than that.

The Hidden Meaning of my Name:  The Peculiar One (Now that doesn't sound super flattering at first, does it?)

Here is what it said about me....

You are misunderstood by the feeble-minded and mysterious to the faint of heart. To those who can see below the surface however, you are highly fascinating and truly lovable. It might take a second for you to warm up, but once you do, you're leagues ahead of everyone else. You are authentic and extremely versatile!

The part that I think was strangely accurate.....I am often misunderstood.  For awhile, I thought it was just because I was a northerner living in Georgia, but when I really thought about it,  I wasn't easily understood in Minnesota either (except by my sisters)!  The people that have dug a little deeper and gotten to know me, find me....if not "lovable", then certainly pleasant!  

Oh, and one more thing that was right on the money?  I will admit that it totally takes me awhile to warm up to people.  I do not encourage friendship right away with anyone.  I am very cautious about who I decide to let in.  I used to feel sort of bad about that, like there was something wrong with me.....but, I don't anymore.

My next test was a mini-Myer's Briggs type assessment through this site.

I ended up as an INFJ....which is the most rare personality type (only 1.5% of the general population, apparently) 

Here is the description (It is a little long, so if you are bored already, no worries.....go check the other blogs you follow and check back another time  ):


INFJs are kind, mindful, complex and highly intuitive people. This is the most rare personality type of all, only 1 percent of the population has it.

They like to organize their outer world in categories and priorities they never stop redefining. However, they have a great intuition and deal with their inner life very spontaneously. They perceive and understand things very intuitively and are very rarely wrong about their intuitions. This dichotomy between their inner and outer life may result in INFJs being less organized than other Judging types.

Because of their great instincts, INFJs understand people and situations very easily. They often feel when something has happened to some of their friends of family members even if they cannot really explain to themselves how they perceived it. Those strong intuitive capabilities may lead them sometimes to stubbornness and ignoring other people's opinions since they trust their instincts above everything else. This attitude should not be perceived as arrogance as INFJs are perfectionists and think they should always improve themselves and the world around.

INFJs set up a strong value system for themselves and always care about living in accordance with their values and ideals. They are warm and easy going as long as they do not have to compromise their values.

Warm and caring, they hate conflicts and will avoid hurting people. They will generally internalize their anger which can be a source of stress and health problems for them.

In the work place, most INFJs show up in creative and independent positions. They are good at art and sciences where they can use their intuition at best. They are generally bad at dealing with details and prefer working on the big picture.

INFJs are natural nurturers, protective and devoted. They make loving parents and build strong bonds with their children.

I feel like I could comment on each paragraph with how I agree/how accurate they are and give examples from my life to prove it is true.  For instance......

I do feel like I understand people and situations very easily.  I can't explain it.  I get a "feel" for a person or a situation and I am almost always right.  Seriously, ask Rainman.  I cannot tell you how many times we have been at a party or something and I have told him that a couple were fighting, or that someone was lying, and have been right.  He always wants me to explain in great detail why I think I am right about people or situations.....and I can't.  I just know.

Here is another one where my result was the same, INFJ, but this one lists strengths and weaknesses:

INFJ Strengths

• Creative - Combining a vivid imagination with a strong sense of compassion, INFJs use their creativity to resolve not technical challenges, but human ones. People with the INFJ personality type enjoy finding the perfect solution for someone they care about, and this strength makes them excellent counselors and advisors.
• Insightful - Seeing through dishonesty and disingenuous motives, INFJs step past manipulation and sales tactics and into a more honest discussion. INFJs see how people and events are connected, and are able to use that insight to get to the heart of the matter.
• Inspiring and Convincing - Speaking in human terms, not technical, INFJs have a fluid, inspirational writing style that appeals to the inner idealist in their audience. INFJs can even be astonishingly good orators, speaking with warmth and passion, if they are proud of what they are speaking for.
• Decisive - Their creativity, insight and inspiration are able to have a real impact on the world, as INFJs are able to follow through on their ideas with conviction, willpower, and the planning necessary to see complex projects through to the end. INFJs don’t just see the way things ought to be, they act on those insights.
• Determined and Passionate - When INFJs come to believe that something is important, they pursue that goal with a conviction and energy that can catch even their friends and loved ones off guard. INFJs will rock the boat if they have to, something not everyone likes to see, but their passion for their chosen cause is an inseparable part of their personality.
• Altruistic - These strengths are used for good. INFJs have strong beliefs and take the actions that they do not because they are trying to advance themselves, but because they are trying to advance an idea that they truly believe will make the world a better place.

INFJ Weaknesses

• Sensitive - When someone challenges or criticizes INFJs’ principles or values, they are likely to receive an alarmingly strong response. People with the INFJ personality type are highly vulnerable to criticism and conflict, and questioning their motives is the quickest way to their bad side.
• Extremely Private - INFJs tend to present themselves as the culmination of an idea. This is partly because they believe in this idea, but also because INFJs are extremely private when it comes to their personal lives, using this image to keep themselves from having to truly open up, even to close friends. Trusting a new friend can be even more challenging for INFJs.
• Perfectionistic - INFJs are all but defined by their pursuit of ideals. While this is a wonderful quality in many ways, an ideal situation is not always possible – in politics, in business, in romance – and INFJs too often drop or ignore healthy and productive situations and relationships, always believing there might be a better option down the road.
• Always Need to Have a Cause - INFJs get so caught up in the passion of their pursuits that any of the cumbersome administrative or maintenance work that comes between them and the ideal they see on the horizon is deeply unwelcome. INFJs like to know that they are taking concrete steps towards their goals, and if routine tasks feel like they are getting in the way, or worse yet, there is no goal at all, they will feel restless and disappointed.
• Can Burn Out Easily - Their passion, poor patience for routine maintenance, tendency to present themselves as an ideal, and extreme privacy tend to leave INFJs with few options for letting off steam. People with this personality type are likely to exhaust themselves in short order if they don’t find a way to balance their ideals with the realities of day-to-day living.

 Like I said, most of the weaknesses didn't really seem quite like actual weaknesses, but just another facet of what makes me....me.

Ask Rainman if the "Sensitive" part is true.  Hahahahahaha......  I am extremely sensitive and I don't like to be questioned about whether I am right or not.  Because, of course, I am!  Ha!  Questioning my motives will definitely earn you the cold shoulder from me. Once again, just ask Rainman. 

The whole "extremely private" part is totally true.....which is also why moving to Georgia 5 years ago and having to actually make friends was a sort of horrific episode in my life. I assume it is also why I don't feel like I need a lot of friends, just a select few.....and my sisters, who understand me.

Like I said, these have been really fun to do, but I sort of feel like now, in my mid-40's, I am finally really figuring out who I am.  And, that who I am is okay and doesn't need to really change all that much.  I feel a bit empowered....like I am an INFJ, hear me roar. 

Or, as Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam."

Now you sort of know who I "yam" too.

Take some of these tests for yourself and see what you are.  Let me know what you are, especially if you are another rare INFJ like me!