The Internet---and Blogging--are Wonderful Things

My dear friend, Roben, found me on the internet!
The last time I saw her was when they visited us in Elizabethtown, PA. That was before Stephen was born!
Now Roben and Joe are living in Virginia, and Jeremy is attending Bible college in Maryland. I hope to see her soon.

If not for the internet we would likely never have reconnected and renewed our friendship.
I know I don't post often, and often don't think I have much to say, but today I'm thankful for the internet. I read several blogs regularly--Kim's, Anne', the Bayly brothers', and the Colorado Taylors', and of course, the Crum Familys'--so, if there are other friends who find me--from high school, college, and beyond I'd love to hear from you, too.

I've Been Tagged

Remember playing Hide and Seek in the house in Elizabethtown, PA? There were lots of great places to hide in that old farmhouse--including in the drawers turned upside down--but I always got found because Caleb would come sit beside my hiding place.

Now Mrs. Johnson has tagged me to participate in a blog game! I'm to post personal character traits that begin with each letter of my middle name. Mrs. Johnson didn't like her middle name growing up. I disliked my first name for a while, but felt my middle name fit with Jill. In fact, as you know, I often call myself Jill Anne when I've done something foolish. But, when I married I gave up that middle name to keep my maiden name as a more direct honor to the family in which I was raised. So, my present middle name is Moir (pronounced Moyer).

M--Mom! the best job in the world, especially when you have such wonderful children (and
even a couple who drive me crazy).
O--organized? People tell me I must be to manage the family God gave me. I used to be super- organized to the point of rigidity. Now (at least I hope this is true) I'm more mellow, but
I still can write a to-do-list with the best of them--and get it done, too.
I--interested. I really do like to learn about new things. Some things are more interesting to
me than others, but I find I'm a lot more interested in a lot more things than when I
was younger. I used to avoid anything to do with physical science, but I'm actually
looking forward to the hands-on projects about electricity and machines this year.
R--redeemed. Ben, I've been listening to the Good Shepherd Band album in the car recently.
First of all, it's wonderful to be able to sing my favorite hymn (O, the Deep, Deep Love
of Jesus) with you any time I like! But, what a wonderful collection of music to remind
me of my Savior's love and what He has done for me. I am deeply grateful that He
would extend His reconciliatory grace and mercy to me.

Mrs. J says I have to tag someone else, so although I think Jonathan's middle name would offer the greatest creative challenge I'm not sure he's still alive in the blogging world, so I'll tag Ben.

Miss Ruth

Some of you may remember a kitten, named Miss Ruth, we had for a short time at the Kirby Road house. She was named for a dear friend from St. Louis who had been my midwife when David was born. Since then Miss Ruth (the midwife, not the kitten) has gone to live in China. Now she is in the States and has come to visit friends in Baltimore. Ruth is no stranger to the area; she lived in Baltimore while studying at Johns Hopkins before moving to St. Louis, and loves this area. We hope that when she retires frome her work in China she will move back to Baltimore.

p.s.--The kitten went the way of the Ninja.

A Humbling Experience

I was recently reading the blog of a dear friend who credited me with pointing her in the right direction in her thinking about God. Oh, Kim, you don't know the mix of emotions that welled up in my heart all at once. Some, of the more prideful kind that I try so hard not to cherish and stroke, but others, like fear, that give me (proper) pause to consider the value of my speech.

"O, LORD, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. Let my hearers remember only the things that are True and point them to You. Keep a guard over my mouth and give me a humble heart. Forgive me for the times I speak in haste, or only to hear myself talk. Let my words be Your instrument to build others up in the faith. For Christ's sake."