Just a January Update

Life updates, in no particular order, just to get them out of my head:

1. We got a dog.  A cute little terrier (from a shelter) who we named Ziggy.  We think he's a border terrier mix, but must've been mixed with a small breed because he maybe stands a foot off the ground.  He's probably the best Christmas gift we've ever given the kids... they're all smitten, and happily taking him for walks, letting him lick their cheeks, playing on the floor with him, etc.
2. I just got back from Istanbul on Thursday.  I flew there (alone) to sort out boxes, sell appliances & extra furniture, and prepare our items for shipment by barge.  It was a busy week there, but productive.  It will be nice to have everything we own in one place again.
3. In the days leading up to my trip, I realized that it would be the first time I'd be alone for longer than 8 hours, since nearly 10 year ago.  I tried to use my time wisely, kind of like a personal spiritual retreat.  It was wonderful to see friends, speak Turkish again, eat baklava, and have so much uninterrupted time to think, pray, and plan for this next season of life.
4. One of the things I was able to do there was to stay with a seasoned mom who has four kids about a decade ahead of ours.  Watching her stay "busy at home" was very challenging to me... I've always known that her house is super-clean, but now I know why-- she works at it nearly all day every day!  It was instructive to me to see the thorough job she did, constantly tidying, wiping down, and preparing for the next thing.  I've continually grown as a homemaker, but I still have a long way to go!
5. This election cycle has been very interesting... the "anyone but Romney" rise, then fall, has happened to a variety of people (Bachman, Perry, Cain, Gingrich, and now Santorum seems to be on the downward swing) over the course of the election, except for Ron Paul, whose numbers continue to rise but not in a sudden way.  It is interesting that the others have all risen without sticking...  and yet, still, Republicans remain uncommitted to Romney.  The establishment clearly wants him as their candidate, but no one else does.  The party clearly needs an overhaul.  The George H.W., Bob Dole, Cheney, Rumsfield, McCain crowd all want Romney, but they're all over 70.  The person they all want least (Paul) is the person who can bring the most principle and the most youth to the party (despite the fact that he is closest of all the Republicans to their age).  I am definitely in the Ron Paul camp, and am currently frustrated with the party.  We need to once again be the "small government, low taxes, humble foreign policy" party... how far we have drifted!  All the things Bush said but did not do are the things that Paul has lived, and has consistently promoted for 30 years... and yet, these are things that now, the party elites are balking at.
   
   They do not like him because they can not control him.  They do not like him because he is unwilling to say what he does not believe.  They do not like him because he dares to hold opinions that vary from their own, because he dares to even question the mistakes of recent Republicans.  We need to be an intelligent, thinking party, and instead, we are being controlled by the rich elite within our party.  It is very discouraging.  I will never vote for Romney.  I could not ever bring myself to vote for someone who I believe will say anything to get elected.  Even Obama at least seems to believe what he says, but that is not true with Romney, nor Gingrich.  Both are political opportunists, and will never have my vote.  Ron Paul is a man of principle and vision, and he has my support, both financially and politically.  I encourage you to take a fresh look at Congressman Ron Paul and consider the direction of our party.  Fellow Republicans, do not let our party be co-opted by smooth talkers and profit-focused opportunists; let our party once again be the party of ideas.  Consider Ron Paul.
6. This is the longest I've gone being neither nursing nor pregnant... and I don't know how all you ladies deal with these hormones.  Good grief; it's basically as if I've had none of it for 10 years, and reentering the world of cramps and headaches and PMS has not been a delightful experience for me.
7. Doug & I are doing a Bible-reading plan together this year, where we read the same book 20 times before moving on to the next-- we've started with Philippians, and I am most shaken and challenged by this verse: (3:3) "glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."  This seems to be the central verse for me as I've read through Philippians-- again and again- to live is Christ,  have the mind of Christ, our citizenship is in Heaven, rejoice in the Lord, I can do all things through Christ, My God will supply every need.  Essentially, the boiled-down nugget of truth at the center of all of this is "glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."  I want so desperately for that to be true in my life.
8. My husband is amazing.  He blesses me in more ways than I can enumerate.  I am so thankful for him.  He's currently enrolled in an evening MBA program, so my computer time has been severely curbed, which is good for all of us.  :)  Thus, my blogging has slowed down significantly.

What else?  Oh I'm sure there are more updates I am forgetting, but at least this gets them out and stops the endless blog-avoidance I've been doing as I felt like there was too much to say.  Here's a life update, anyway.  I've got more Bible study thoughts to share, when I have time to write.  

Blessings to you & yours...