Where I Was…

August 30, 2005

I’ve seen the following on several blogs and I thought I’d try it myself. That’s right. I’m copying and not giving credit because I don’t know to whom credit is due and I can’t remember at this moment where I saw it anyway. If this is your brainchild, please say “I” lest I be accused of bad blog etiquette.

Here’s what I was doing…

Yesterday. That would be Monday, August 29, 2005. Mondays are Brian’s day off (and much needed after all the hoopla on Sundays). I was feeling a little under the weather so I avoided as much activity as possible. My big accomplishment of the day was starting and finishing the book Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper. If you’re not going to read that book, don’t talk to me.

A week ago. That was Tuesday, August 23, 2005. Last Tuesday’s highlight was receiving some rather bittersweet news. Sorry to be cryptic. I’m sure I’ll expound in a later post.

A month ago. That would be July 2005. The highlight from last month was the visit we received from my parents and my stud-muffin brother. Let me take this opportunity to say a word about my brother. He’s cute. He’s buff. He rows (crew) and he’ll be at the Naval Academy this time next year if all goes according to plan. After that he’ll become the President of the United States or something. I know there are many young women out there (you know who you are) that have the hots for Mike. And heck, if I was 17 (and unrelated, of course), I would too. But I’m sorry to say you’ll have to look elsewhere. Mike won’t be dating until he’s 43.

OK, so as I said, my parents visited. The main reason we like them to visit is because they babysit the kids as much as we want. FOR FREE. Second, my dad is very handy and does all kinds of whatnot around the house. This time we got a hole knocked in the wall between the kitchen and living room. BIG improvement. Thanks dad. Oh yeah, my parents are very cool so we like spending time with them too.

A year ago. A year ago was August of 2004. If I look back at my calendar I can’t say there was too much excitement. I suppose the biggest thing was attending the Women of Faith conference in Buffalo, NY. The highlight from the conference was hearing Natalie Grant sing It is Well With My Soul, a cappella. It is Well With My Soul is my second most favorite song of all time (How Great Thou Art is the first—I’m a sucker for a good hymn) and girlfriend can SING!

Oh yeah, another highlight on August 19, 2004—I read my gas and electric meters by myself.

5 years ago. 5 years ago was August of 2000. Hmmmm. I think by that time I had finally gotten out of my pajamas after having given birth to my first child in June of that year. Let’s just say it was a difficult adjustment. Well, that’s a bit of an understatement because saying it was a “difficult adjustment” is like saying it would be only “slightly uncomfortable” to watch as 50 million leeches sucked the life out of you until there was nothing left but your big toe and your left eye.

10 years ago. August of 1995. In August of 1995, I had just arrived in Jerusalem to study for a year at the Hebrew University. I was in the throes of the “Ulpan” which was an 8-week Hebrew intensive course before our normal classes began in September. I’m afraid I didn’t do well in the course and I didn’t learn a whole lot of Hebrew. Loved Israel though.

On August 21 1995, I was on a city bus which was taking me from my dorm room to my Hebrew class. I distinctly remember sitting on the bus, frantically trying to finish the Hebrew homework that had been assigned the day before. At one point during our bus ride I just remember hearing a multitude of sirens. They seemed to be coming from every direction and the sound was deafening. I looked up from my homework, out the window, and there was massive chaos everywhere. My fellow passengers began yelling and screaming until the bus driver turned on the radio at which point an eerie silence settled on the bus. I couldn’t understand anything because it was all in Hebrew. Finally, some kind soul who spoke English filled me in…approximately two stops ahead on our route—a stop we would have been at in less than two or three minutes—a man got on a city bus exactly like the one I was on and promptly blew himself up, killing several people (including another American also on her way to the Hebrew University) and injuring dozens more. Welcome to Israel.

Category: Life

Comments

4 Responses to “Where I Was…”

  1. loriann
    August 31st, 2005 @ 9:28 am

    I love this idea, Ithink I will try it. What a great way to reflect on our past.

  2. Sarah
    August 31st, 2005 @ 9:37 pm

    That’s a crazy story if I ever heard one. (The bus)

    And thanks for tempting me with a book! :) It looks great. I read a whole autobiography on Gladys Aylward when I was younger. Pretty cool lady.

  3. Pamela
    August 31st, 2005 @ 11:48 pm

    Give yourself more credit for August 5 years ago. You not only got out of bed and your pajamams, but you played the all important role of being the Matron of Honor at my wedding. :)

  4. julie
    September 4th, 2005 @ 5:41 pm

    That book is incredible! I’m almost finished with it myself. Want some more great books? Here are some of my favorites!
    The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
    A Chance to Die (about Amy Carmichael) by Elliot (if you like that Noel Piper book, you’ll LOVE this book!)
    Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper
    A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
    Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free by DeMoss
    Disciplines of a Godly Family by Kent and Barbara Hughes
    Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman

    Thanks for such a cool blog.

Leave a Reply