16 Things

I was tagged for this "16 Things" meme on Facebook, and thought I would re-post my 16 things here. Consider yourself tagged!

Here are the Rules I received when tagged: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 or more people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. And if you've haven't been tagged, do it anyway!

Preface to my 16 things... I have recently been blessed to reconnect with some dear friends from my early years staffing at Kansas Bible Camp. Dear friends with whom I have been out of contact for many many years. In light of that, my 16 things are going to be focused on a recap of the last 16 or so years of my life. If you already know all this stuff, feel free to skip this note, but I'm guessing there will be some new info for everyone.

1. I am a believer in God the Creator as He reveals Himself in the Bible - saved by grace, through faith in the precious blood of Jesus. I'm not very concerned with what I call "boxes" - the constructs that we create so that God seems comfortable and tame to us. I am learning to seek Him in His word, and finding that He is faithful to reveal Himself.

2. I graduated from Blue Ridge Christian School in 1991. Shortly thereafter, my friend Mike and I went on a double date with my brother Eric and one of my best friends, Rebekah. It was such a blessing to gain her as my sister in 1994.

3. I played hopscotch through four years of college: 1st year - Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, IA; 2nd year - Longview Community College in KC; 3rd year - Hutchinson Community College in Hutch, KS (see #3); 4th year - back to Emmaus. Due to the hopscotch, four years did not equal a degree, but I learned a great deal!

4. Since the early 1980's Kansas Bible Camp has been a tremendous part of my life. We started going there for Papa to speak (not sure when that first happened) at kids camps; I staffed there every summer from 1986 to 1995; Jonathan and I lived there for most of 1998 (our daughter Elanor was born in the upstairs apartment); and most importantly, God has used KBC in many ways in my personal growth and relationship with Him.

5. Jonathan and I were married on September 23, 1995. When we were younger, we both had a list of people we *knew* we would never marry. Jonathan's was two people long, and I was one of them. My list was only one person - Jonathan! God has such a sense of humor, as well as wisdom far beyond ours. I'm so very thankful for the man that He has given me.

6. Jonathan and I have been blessed with 7 beautiful children. Davey (12), Barak (11), Elanor (10), Josiah (9), Kate (7), Grace (5), and Stephen (19 months). They are a joy, a challenge, a delight, a daily opportunity for learning.

7. I have one brother, Eric. He is a doctor (Internal Medicine), and has a practice in Hendersonville, NC. He is married to my beautiful friend Beka, and they have four children whom I adore - Ethan, Isaiah, Abigail, and Chloe.

8. Papa and Mama are living in Franklin, NC, about and hour and a half from Eric and Beka. They moved down to NC several years ago to care for G'pa and G'ma. G'pa and G'ma both passed away last fall, and Papa and Mama are waiting on the Lord as they seek to figure out what He has for them next. They are the youngest folks their age I know, and two of our dearest friends!

9. Jonathan and I have lived in 9 houses in our 13 years of marriage. We lived in/around Hutchinson, KS for the first five years (5 houses). We have lived in the St. Louis area since 2000, and just moved to our fourth house in Missouri. We currently are renting from some friends - a lovely house on 10 gorgeous acres (with a creek, pond, chicken coop, and lots of room to roam).

10. 6 of our 7 children were born with a Certified Professional Midwife in a home environment. Katie (baby #5) was born in a hospital here in Missouri. That experience (while miraculous and full of blessings) impacted us so deeply that we returned to Kansas for the birth of our last two babies to in order to welcome them in a home setting with a legal midwife (see #11).

11. We moved to Missouri knowing that the practice of midwifery was included in the statutory definition of the practice of medicine, and was therefore a felony offense In Missouri (hence, the birth in the hospital). We have been very involved in Friends of Missouri Midwives since shortly after we moved, working to increase healthy birth options for families in Missouri. I have served as vice-president and president of FoMM. This past June, families across Missouri were thrilled when the Missouri Supreme Court ruled to uphold a new statute legalizing Certified Professional Midwives in Missouri. Jonathan and I love knowing that if the Lord blesses us with any more children, we will have the option of working with a legal midwife right here in Missouri!

12. As you might guess from #'s 10 and 11, birth is a big deal to me. I am amazed and fascinated by the wonder of God's creation in this area. I truly believe that the process of carrying and birthing a baby is one of the most sacred and precious gifts God has given women.

13. God has been teaching me a great deal about grace lately. His grace to me, His grace through me to others, etc. More on this will likely be coming out in my blog over the next year or so. Speaking of which...

14. I'm a blogger. I find blogging to be a blessing for several reasons - it helps me record what is going on with my family; it is a processing tool; it is a way to encourage and bless others; it is fun! I also love to read the blogs of others, but have come to depend on my Google Reader to keep from from spending hours and hours browsing blogs. If you're interested in reading me, my blog is at grace-and-glory.blogspot.com

15. Perfectionism is a character issue that I am actively working on overcoming. I tend toward that crippling kind of perfectionism that doesn't do something at all because it might not be perfect. I'm learning to cut myself and those around me some slack.

16. I'm extremely eclectic. I appreciate many kinds of music; I enjoy a wide variety of genres and authors; I have friends from a large spectrum of beliefs, cultures, politics; I like a blend of architecture and design styles; etc. There are things about me which most folks would find contradictory - like the fact that I wear a covering on my head most of the time... and I plan to get a tattoo soon. I believe that it is vital to live a life of obedience to God. And He's showing me that obedience to Him is not about conforming to a set of rules/boxes/man-made traditions. It's all about Him, and He's much bigger than we tend to acknowledge. What He has to say about Himself is very clear and easily accessible in His Word, the Bible.