Reduce Noise

WITH NOISE
WITHOUT NOISE

Welcome to iLife '08! My sweet husband got me a red iPod nano for Christmas. I was so happy. I was also expecting it. I had been coaching Colin for months. "Colin, what does Mommy want for Christmas?" "A red iPod." I asked this question in front of everyone we knew, in front of JD, JD's parents, JD's assistant. There was no way he could've missed it. Good job Husband!

So, I get so excited to load my new iPod and become part of the iPod bubble community. People respect the bubble. Have you noticed that? And, as one of my friends has taught me, to let people know they can enter your bubble, you take one ear pod out. Good to know the etiquette. Anyway, the current Mac OS wouldn't let me do anything with my iPod. So, oh darn, we had to upgrade to the Leopard version of Mac OS and while we were at it, let's go ahead and get iLife '08.

So, my new favorite thing other than having my iPod is learning all the cool stuff you can do with iPhoto. Calendars, cards, books and more. Organization tools and more efficiency techniques of which I'm all about. But my favorite part is the editing tools. There's a button you can use to adjust the "noise" of the picture. Did you know pictures made noise? Me either but oh, they do! And by the way, the older you get, the more noise you make in a photograph. So, while I've been organizing my pictures I've been reducing the noise I make. All of sudden, like magic, I feel better about myself. See example. I took ten years off of JD and I and made us a lot quieter than we actually are. Amazing. By the way, if the picture is still screaming at you, be nice. I don't want to hear any of your noise about my noise.

So this, "reduce noise" idea got me thinking a little about myself, my words, my life. I started to wonder how much noise I make. I'm not talking about sounds or conversation or constructive words of advice, or love, but just unnecessary, loud, worthless, "old" noise. I wonder if God wishes for a "reduce noise" button on my life. I wonder if the older I get the more noise I make. I wonder if he just would like me to listen. Sort of like getting in the iPod bubble. A place you listen. A place you tune out the outside noise so you can focus on what you really want to hear. I wonder if there's such a thing as a GodPod bubble. A place you listen. A place you reduce noise. A place others can enter if you keep one ear open to the world and one tuned into your GodPod.

Start Your Day with a Sprinkle of Love ....OR ELSE!

The LOVE Tin
LOVE Tin Back
LOVE Tin Ingredients
One day at MOPS...I know, don't even start with me, that's another entry....This speaker was selling her stuff and in that stuff was an Ostrich feather duster ("Only use ostrich. The rest are a rip off. Must be ostrich or it won't work right"), a "You Are Special" plate and an empty tin full of LOVE. Intrigued by all three ideas, she got me on the feather duster, which I use a lot, and the tin of LOVE. I thought that was a great idea. Sprinkle it on your food, your guitars, your shoes, yourselves. I made my own "You Are Special" plate. Again, another story.

So, I introduced the LOVE tin into my family and more so to my son. We sprinkled all kinds of things at first and I displayed in prominently on top of the fridge so I would see it and remember to sprinkle love. Well it's as corny as it sounds and the-down-to-earth-tell-it-like-it-is-no-crap-here-Celeste forgot all about the LOVE. Then just a few days ago, Tuesday, Colin was on his way out the door back to school for the first time after Christmas break. He stops mid-threshold and says, "Mom, we need some LOVE today." pause from Mommy....OH! finally it hit me what he was talking about. I said, "Buddy, that's a great idea. I think you're right. We need some LOVE today." So we went back to the kitchen he sprinkled me, I sprinkled him, he sprinkled me again (it's okay, you can laugh. I need all the LOVE I can get and my son knows this, apparently) and we went about our day. It was a great day. So great, I thought to myself, we should move the can to the front door table so we could do this everyday. Needless to say, as you will soon read, I did not move the LOVE but instead forgot to sprinkle for the next two days. As a result, Thursday bit me in the ass.

All of you know I've been slowly getting through the junk in my garage. We finally admitted to ourselves that if we're ever going to use the space we're going to have to have more space - rented, expensive, storage space. We moved all the baby stuff over, and a few other items, leaving just enough room for the Christmas stuff when it was all organized, gone through and packed. Thursday Colin was at school and the garage was on the agenda. So, here I am, by myself, in my own little world getting the garage done. Got ALL the Christmas organized and labeled in clear or red containers. It's perfect. Just need to move it to storage. Also went through a lot of other junk, sorting and throwing out etc. I think one more day out there and it will be done.

Side story pertinent to this in a minute: One day....many many many days ago, Colin knocked over JD's FULL glass of milk on the table. It spilled all over the floor, the food and two of the maroon chair cushions. I threw the wet cushions out in the garage along with everything else no longer loved at the moment. But, while I'm moving stuff around on Thursday, I decided to put the cushions in the washer so they wouldn't get stepped on any longer and I'd get to them later.

Back to story. Worked all day out in the garage. Was dirty but satisfied with my progress. It was time to get Colin. But before I was going to get him, I was going to drop by the UPS store and mail my sister a big box of clothes that Colin had outgrown. BIG box. Knew this would probably cost more that the clothes were worth but oh well, in the name of love and hand-me-downs I'd received I was going to pay it forward. Plus, it got the stuff out of my garage. So, this is the chain of events that happened:

Time to get Colin. Anytime I pick up Colin I have to have a snack because he refuses to eat his hot lunch at school and he's starving. So, make a snack for Colin of apple juice and animal cookies. Throw snack and juice in my purse so I can put my purse on the box and carry it out to the car parked across the street because I'd been cleaning the garage. Don't lock the door because JD broke my key off in the door the night before. If we're robbed, oh well, less stuff. Get to the car, put the box in the back, put my purse in the passenger seat, begin toward the UPS store to mail the box. Realize my mother now lives in a new house, don't know the address, call mom to get exact address. Haven't talked to my mother in several days, begin conversation that takes me from my house to the UPS store and I sit in the parking lot and finish a conversation. Say bye to Mom, realize that I'm just going to be needing my wallet instead of the whole purse because it takes both hands to carry the box plus I have another box from Christmas that I'm sending back. Reach into purse, pull out cookies, pull out the juice cup....EMPTY juice cup....What the crap? Oh NO!!!! Juice is in my purse, my new purse, my Chicago purse, 10 oz of juice is flowing freely in my purse and I ran out of Kleenex three days ago and haven't restocked....what now?! What....what....no used kleenex, no In and Out napkins, nothing to soak up liquid except Colin's clean sweat jacket. I pull the stuff out of my purse, dripping with juice, I put them in the floorboard, grab the CLEAN jacket and shove it into my purse and start soaking up the juice. Now this fancy purse has not one compartment but three and all three are inches deep in juice. Did I mention that the purse is suede? Yeah, so is my wallet. It was a very cool purse with matching wallet. Anyway, slowly the jacket becomes soaked. Now that the juice fiasco is under control I go into UPS. I'm supposed to get Colin at 3:30...it's not going to happen unless this little trip into UPS is quick. NOPE....NOT TODAY! Today we are training a new employee that just started oh, I'd say, five minutes ago. Took a long time, but I was so deflated over the purse as I stood there holding my wet wallet I didn't care. Finish UPS, get to the church to pick up Colin. First thing he says to me after, "Hi, Mom." is "Hey, did you bring me some juice?" Seriously? Yeah. I tell him I did, but it spilled and it spilled in my purse, and I'm sorry and I've got water and cookies. He didn't care. He just wanted juice. Luckily, Pat, said, "I've got juice. Want some?" Yes please.

So we get home, Colin has had juice and cookies and is feeling all right with the world, had a good day at school, etc. I decide that when we get home, I'm going to have to clean up the mess I've made. That momentum along with what I had done already that day bleeds over and I decide to de-crap the car front to back. It has stuff in there from summer, fall, and Christmas. I think I'll get it all cleaned out so I can get it washed and we can haul the Christmas stuff to storage. So, I'm in the middle of this, making trips into the house, on the last little leg of cleaning the juice off the seat (the juice soaked through the suede onto the leather seat) and I hear Colin.

"Mom, can you come here?"
"Just a minute son, trying to clean out the car."
1/2 a minute passes
"Mom!"
"Colin!"
"But Mom, can you come here please....NOW?"
"What's going on Colin?"
"I pooped."
"Coliiiiinnnn! Why didn't you call me?"
"I did."
pause
"I guess you did. Sorry buddy."
"I peed too."
"Great. Let's get a bath okay."
"Okay, but I don't want to wash my hair."
"Okay. Whatever."

So, I get my kid in the bath, then I gather the dark laundry along with the pants that he just peed in and the underwear he just pooped and peed in, the apple juice jacket and throw it all in the washer and start it.

About 40 minutes later I go out to the washer to move the clothes to the dryer. Remember the side story? Oh NO!!!! Anything that was white (inside of the jacket, lining to a couple of pants, pocket linings on jeans, the one pair of underwear) is PINK! I separate those that are scarred for life and put them back into the washer hoping the color hasn't set in. Do you need to ask? Yes, the color set in. I told JD about it. He was calm. Extremely calm considering one pair of his Luckey Jeans were now reduced to "around the house" pants.

That night, after a big glass of wine, I decide to go to bed. The day had been undone. And as I turned on the kitchen night-light that sits on the refrigerator, there sat the tin of LOVE with a "remember me?" look on it's face.

Moral of the story: Sprinkle your day with LOVE. NEVER mix maroon with white in the laundry. And, when you kid calls, run!

And to answer your question. No, I didn't sprinkle today with LOVE and yes the tin is still on top of the refrigerator. Some people never learn.

What I Learned in 2007

Happy New Year everyone! Oh that we take what we've learned, remember it, and apply it to the new year. Pastor Mike preached this past weekend on how you can't move forward until you've taken time to look back. Reccommend listening to the sermon if you get a chance. It's free: http://www.rockypeak.org/podcast.asp. So, using what I learned in the sermon, here's a little of what I've been thinking of.

First of all, I don't do New Year's resolutions. It's like knowing you have to do a term paper at the beginning of the semester but it isn't due until the end of the semester. It hangs over your head like a heavy rain cloud while the rest of the world is having a sunny day. Not gonna do it. Not gonna torture myself willingly. So, for those of you who are making resolutions....good luck and don't forget your umbrella.

Second, this year was a big one for us as we completely changed everything.
Let me recap:
I've moved from one state to another while downsizing my living space by 2000 sq ft.
My husband has changed jobs and consequently we changed churches.
I've left very dear friends and made new ones but kept the old (la la la).
I've watched my child change from a baby to a boy.
I still have girth on my hips that I wish was not there.
I wrote, acted and directed and it still brings me great joy.
I went on my first missions trip to Ensenada Mexico.
I've had sex with hopes of becoming pregnant and just for fun but to no avail...well we had fun.
I've rediscovered an urge to teach that wakes me at night.
I've learned to drive in LA traffic without fear.
I've become a kid again at Disneyland.
The beach has become a place of great fun and peace.

So, what has God taught me this year?
Smaller is better....louder but better. Also, moving requires purging. Purging is good.
Growth in a church is something we desire to be part of no matter the cost.
Friends are one's anchor. New friends build a fence around the hole in your heart left by leaving old friends. They can't fill the space but they keep you from falling in.
Childhood is fleeting and one must cherish it.
One's hips will not diminish without moving...significantly moving.
Joy comes from using your gifts.
Ensenada...that's the big one, I'll save it for last.
Perhaps we are not to "have" more children and sex is great. (I already knew that but just in case you were wondering.)
God's stirs you at night not to pee but to listen.
LA is just geography.
Dreams come true at Disneyland.
All God's children should have access to a beach.

Okay, here's the big lesson I learned this year. This was a HARD lesson by the way. This one didn't sit well with me for many many weeks. When I finally came to accept this lesson, I grew and learned something I didn't really get before. God broke my heart and began to mend it. Ensenada caused great fear in me. I did not want to go. Not under any circumstances did I want to go but God had it so I had no choice. I went. I went not kicking and screaming but more huddled in the corner in the fetal position sucking my thumb. I just wanted to get it done and come home and never think about it again. Oh, child of such limited thinking and ignorance to God's power and sovereignty and love. Poverty and dirt and illness do not cause God to tremble on his throne. My biggest hang up about the mission trip and what broke my heart was not getting an answer to WHY? I couldn't understand why just over an imaginary line there was such a colossal gap between have and have not. And honestly I still don't get it. I don't know if what we did helped for more than just a day, an hour, a minute...at all. I don't know. I may never know if painting pictures on the hands of little, dirty, kids will ever make any difference in their lives. I finally came to accept that it is not my place to know. My place was to be obedient. To take advantage of an opportunity to serve. To do it with a willing and glad heart. To walk away wishing to do more. To make a tiny stitch and help close the gap between the have and have nots. But that was not the lesson dear friends. That is not what I learned. That was what I was reminded of. I realized I already knew that.

Finally, here's the lesson. It is a lesson in altered thinking. It is a question of perspective and big picture. I came to realize by example, that my definintion was backwards. The definition of Have and Have-not is not quantified by measuring wealth, cleanliness, health or education. I know that sounds like it should be easy to grasp. I thought I knew that. Easy to say, however, most difficult to learn; espcially if you have much. The have and have-not is instead distinguished by a higher quotient of JOY. It is in Ensenada that I recognized and saw with my own eyes that joy comes in quantities. This is it...are you paying attention? "When you do unto the least of these you have done unto me." I, dear friends, went to Ensenada, crossed the great gap, ready to sevrve the "least of these" and discovered that it was I that was the least of these....I observed and watched these people who have nothing and yet have everything. A higher quotient of joy dwells within the lives of those who live on the side of the gap we consider the have nots. It is I, who walked away having been served. What broke my heart then was how unbelievably blessed I am and yet how small my joy was comparitively speaking. I'm still trying to wrap my heart and brain around how one goes about raising one's joy quotient. It is something I'm going to keep learning in the year 2008. I don't have it all figured out in my head yet. The lesson of learning that one can quantify joy surprised me. I always thought you either have joy or you don't. 'Tis not true! So I put it out to you. What is it that makes one's joy cup overflow? Must we suffer in order to experience a higher quotient of joy? Can we not learn and have this said joy without doing without? What is it that lets you rejoice in all circumstances? Friends...I have so much to learn. So very much to learn. It is here, I ponder and wonder and seek to understand so I can move forward. Move forward with greater joy.

The Red Drums....

Wendel and Colin
Little Drummer Boy, age 2
New Drums, age 3
More Cymbals for Christmas

Most of you are familiar with how we aquired the first drum set. If not, here's a short version of the story: Colin had been playing on a set of bowls and pots and pans and a little thing I got at Target. He had dowel rods for sticks and was showing signs of obvious interest. He was not yet 2. Around 3 weeks before his 2nd birthday, we were at the church, Firewheel, for band rehearsal. Colin was on stage oooing and aweing over all the intruments but showed keen interest in the drums. Wendel, the bass player, told me after that he noticed how much Colin likes the drums. I agreed and confirmed his accuteness and said we would have to no doubt get him something for his birthday because the pots and pans weren't going to cut it anymore.

About a week went by. We got a call from Wendel. He left a message that said, "Hey guys, I've something to show you and it has to be in person and it has to be today!" I thought he either had a new girl friend or a new motorcycle. We said, "Come on over." He dropped in around 8:15pm, right before Colin's bed time. He knocked on the door. Colin went to the door, JD followed and as Wendel came in I heard Colin yell, "Dwums....Dwums!!!" I looked and there in Wendel's hands was a set of small drums. (see pic). I thought to myself, "Wendel, you shouldn't have." As Wendel was putting them together he told us, "They're a gift from God." What? Wendel explained. That afternoon as he was dropping off kids (he drives a school bus) there was a set of drums out on the street. He finished his route, then before going back to the bus barn he went back to the drums. He asked about them. This family, with 4 boys, was moving and they had all out grown the drums and were going to throw them out. Wendel asked if he could take them. They said sure. Wendel cleaned them up and brought them to our house. Colin has never benefited so much from such a gift. How wonderful that Wendel was aware enough of a little boy's dream to stop, to ask, to receive, to give. God has blessed that moment. Colin is a better drummer because of it.

As I mentioned in the Christmas letter, Colin received a new set of drums for his third birthday. We put the old ones in the garage, of course, until we could figure out what to do with them. They've been there for 4 months sitting....waiting.

Today, we began the task of cleaning out the garage. In the stuff, "not to throw out but not sure what to do with either" there sat the drums. As we continued to filter through the stuff, a man and his young son, on their way to work, stopped and asked if we were selling the drums. We, of course, said if they wanted them, they could have them. They were going to need new heads but otherwise could still be used again. The man asked if we would keep them until the end of the day when he could come back and pick them up. Absolutely. Then I asked if there were more children, little children. They had a baby and a toddler. Oh joy! We loaded them down with all kinds of things that Colin had out grown and there was no place to keep. They were so happy. We were so happy. It was a great day! Once again, the little set of drums was carried away by a boy full of great possibilities and potential.

The drums....the dream....the beat goes on and on.

Now Colin has a bucket of sticks, a new kit, and since Christmas, two more cymbals. Life is grand...Life is loud...Life is a one-man band!

Christmas In California

Merry Christmas everyone. Most of you should've gotten our first Christmas letter but if you didn't, let me know and I'll send it. So as not to repeat myself, I thought I would add a few comments here for you regulars and any of you that might start dropping by as a result of the letter.

Another one of our new traditions will be visiting "Back to Bethlehem". Rocky Peak builds a small Bethlehem complete with actors, venders, the stable w/ Mary, Joseph and a baby Jesus, Roman soldiers, Angels, sheep, a donkey and camel. It is quite something. A beautiful contrast of how Jesus was born with Los Angeles in the background. We had such a great time. And the actor who played Joseph did so well, I left in tears.

The other obvious tradition will be going to Disneyland for their Christmas Display. See the picture? See the Santa in the background? We used this picture to remind Colin that "Santa is always watching." It worked. Disneyland is absolutely beautiful. Always such a good time!

Love to all of you.

Uncle Homa

We went to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving and stayed in a little cabin with Granny and Pop. Colin kept saying, "our cabin is in Uncle Homa." We had a great time. It got cold, we built fires, we soaked in a hot tub, we ate too much and just had a blast. Colin especially loved his trip. I think this is the first airplane ride he remembers details of. He pulled his own little suitcase through the airport. Too cute. Getting so big! We are so Thankful for our many blessings. We are in awe of God's creation all around to remind us how big he is and yet how small he can be when you consider the color of each leaf, the sound of water running down a stream, the breeze that makes you zip your coat and wish for gloves, the smell of rain, the taste of pumpkin. So good. He is so good to us. Hope your Thanksgiving was reflective of His goodness. Hope you can retain that as you dive into the Christmas season.

Raise Up Holy Hands

It's really great when your kid can say their abc's or count to 20 or even 100, or learn songs from the Veggie Tracks and Sesame Street, Little Einsteins, or Mickey Mouse Club House. You feel proud and you know they can learn and you think their cute when they repeat them on command for an audience of family and friends. But there is no pride in your child like that of when from the back seat he sings words to songs like Raise Up Holy Hands, At the Cross, Majesty, and others. Colin is a born Worshiper. He gets it. He gets it better than most adults. He is an example to the adults at Peak Praise as we learn to humbly approach the Throne of God and raise our hands. It could also be that he just loves to see his Daddy sing and play. And he doesn't always get the words exactly right. For example he thought a chorus went like this: at the cross you beckon me, draw me gently to my knees, and I am lost for words, so lost in love, my wrist is broken, I need some mustard. ...Yeah, definite born worship leader because now when I hear that worship song I sing about mustard on my broken wrist. Who knew?

Super Colin

Spiderman? Who's he? I guess my son is over his Spiderman craze. He had a perfectly good, new, Spiderman outfit for Halloween all ready to go. Even tried it on, and on Halloween wore his Spiderman gloves around town. However, when the rubber met the road my son acted like he had never heard of Spiderman, wanted nothing to do with the guy, wasn't about to pretend to be him but instead was and became "Super Colin"! Where he got the idea, I'm not sure but be it from me to talk him out of such a concept. Wish I'd thought of it. The problem was, I didn't have a Super Colin costume. At the last minute remembered some Superman PJs that were given to him by a friend complete with cape. I pulled those out of the drawer, made a comment of how cool this was going to be and dressed him in his Super Colin costume. Poor Spidey. Oh well. Super Colin reigns.

Providence

The winds, The Santa Ana Winds, blew four days straight. During that time the wind spread record fires in the Southern California areas. Thousands and thousands of acres burned. Over 1500 hundred houses gone. A few injuries. Not sure of any deaths. Ridiculous smoke in the air. Made an interesting effect and turned the sun red. The winds also broke trees and limbs of trees everywhere like toothpicks. Huge trees brought to the ground. God's way of letting the trees prune themselves and separating the weak from the strong.

On Saturday night I heard the winds howling outside the window and I heard the tree moaning from the strain against the relentless wind. I wondered at that moment, "If the tree breaks and lands on the car, does the car insurance pay for the damage or does the home owners insurance pay for the damage?" The thought passed and then I thought, "I guess we'll jump off that bridge if we come to it." and made a mental note that maybe we should park on the street but it wasn't a very serious mental note, more like a pencil doodle.

The next morning, Sunday, JD and I were singing a duet at church. The pastor is doing a marriage series, there was a song that was perfect for the message and it was going to require a husband and wife to sing it. As you know, JD is "Mr. Pull-it-out-of-his-butt." Therefore, we, JD and I, became the couple to sing the song. It was a nice song and fun to do. Anyway, on this rare Sunday morning the whole family and both cars were at the church all morning. When we left at 8:00 am, the tree was just fine.

When we came home at 1:00 pm, we found the tree in two. As I sat across the street and looked at what the wind had done, what God had done, I repeated the phrase, "Rarely conspicuous but always involved in the details of your life." Only God could've orchestrated such timing and perfection of a tree breaking in half. It broke on a Sunday morning that no one was home when normally we would've been. It broke when no cars were in the driveway, when normally one would've been. It broke when no person was standing in the way, when we very well could've been. It broke away from the house when it could've very well broke the other way and caused great damage. It broke away from the neighbor's cars when it could've landed on top of two cars always in the driveway next door on a Sunday morning. It landed perfectly in the driveway and not in the street. It couldn't have happened any better than if someone were to plan it's pruning. And because of the damage everywhere in the city, a tree surgeon was not available until Tuesay. Therefore, we were forced to park in the street. Not in the picture is the pruning that continued and another very large limb broke the next night. Our cars, of course, were parked across the street. Remarkable. Truly.

This That and The Other

September has turned into a bit of a travel month for Cunninghams. Colin and I went to New Mexico for our annual salsa making trip. Mom's garden was extremely productive and she had tomatoes and chilis to give away. She had already made 22 cases (12 jars/case) before I got there. I made 6 more cases and also canned tomatoes, green chili, jalepinos, and peach butter. We had quite the pantry in the back of the car. I was a little worried going back across the border. The patrolman asked me if I had any fruit, plants w/ seeds or pets and I just smiled and lied through my teeth. I think he would've had to shoot me to get me to leave my goods there so I weighed the opions: die or lie....I lied. Colin reaccainted w/ my side of the family and had a good time. The weather was perfect. The trip to and from was long but uneventful. Colin was a real trooper and lasted as long as any normal 3 year old would trapped in a seat looking at not much pass by for 900 miles at a time. At either end we were glad to get there. Very glad to finally get home. We missed Daddy.

Then, a few days later I went to Chigago to meet up with some friends for a girl's weekend. That was a nice break from my reality and good to see friends from Dallas. Chigago also had perfect weather. See Jen Smith's blog for all the details.

This week JD's parents are in town and this weekend JD and I are going on a short missions trip to Ensenada, Mexico. I'll take pictures and write an entry for that when we get back.

This week also turned cool here. We've had the doors and windows open letting in the fresh air. It rained here for two days, gave everything a good drink and a good bath. It needed both desperately. It actually felt like fall in the air, which is good because fall is here, I know it is because football is playing on the TV again. I'll have to have any serious conversations with my husband in Feburary....just kidding. TiVo is a beautiful beautiful thing.

Things going well. The weather is perfect....come visit.