A few more pics of New Orleans....

The Streetcar on St. Charles Street. Running through the Garden District.

We happened to turn down the street the wedding procession was coming down. Coincidentally, we had seen the wedding taking place in Jackson Square earlier. We should have gone to the reception and pretended we were long, lost cousins from Kansas.

Beignets and Cafe au lait.

I think this is the oldest restaurant I have ever eaten at... 151 years in business. That is a long time for a restaurant.

New Orleans

Thankfully, I have been to a lot of places throughout my life. But, I had never had the opportunity to visit New Orleans. So on our trip to the South, we made it a destination spot.

We had several reasons to see New Orleans. We studied American History this past year, and you cannot study US history without realizing the importance the city of New Orleans played in our country's history. (Above is Jackson Square named in honor of Andrew Jackson. If you don't remember, Jackson helped save the city of New Orleans during the War of 1812.)

A simple walk through the French Quarter and you can feel the history. I loved the old bricks and the gas lanterns and the old windows and doors. We ate beignets at Cafe du Monde. Yummy. We heard different musicians on the street. We heard jazz and saw people dancing with ease and abandon. We happened on a wedding procession being led by a jazz band. Classic.

After our tour of the French Quarter, we drove through the Garden District and watched the streetcar go up and down St. Charles Street. We were amazed by the beautiful homes in that area. They are quite simply beautiful. We saw Tulane and Loyola University.

Fast forward to more recent history. Katrina. We saw the Superdome. We were on the interstate where it showed a different kind of procession -- the people who had sought refuge on higher ground. And then we saw all the abandoned houses. Still boarded up. Hotels in ruins. Shopping centers that are now parking lots. A city that has not recovered...

New Orleans is a city of contrast. You have many cultural influences diverging. Religion and voo doo. French and American. The New Orleans of yesteryear with its strategic location on the Mississippi and the city of today devasted because of its location during a hurricane. A city with great wealth and affluence and a city with great poverty and need.

I am thankful we made it a destination point! It is good to see and experience the contrast and the tension of this city first hand. My daughter remarked, "this is the strangest city I have ever seen." I would agree.

Sunblock...or NOT

The Butler's were going on vacay. We were heading to the Sunshine State -- finally getting some beach time. Being the awesome, thoughtful, mom that I am... I bought the 50 SPF sunscreen. Surely, that would be the needed extra protection for my fair-skinned kiddos. Well, not exactly...

So, evidently, the spray on sunblock...Not the best sunblock. (Conveniently, I read a whole article about this in a magazine on MY WAY HOME.) For starters, applying the spray on stuff at the beach is not the best idea. Because, yeah, it is windy. And half of what you are spraying out blows away. Then, as you apply it, you can't really see it or feel where it has been applied (unlike the oily greasy feel of the white lotion.)

So, short story long... we all got burned real bad. No bueno. We spent the rest of our vacation walking funny, aching, itching, not hugging each other (not that we walk around hugging each other anyway, but you get my point) and looking blotchy. The kids think Mr. Man looks like he has a mask on...

So as you head out for summer fun, I would highly recommend you stick to the good old-fashioned lotion stuff. I put that kind on my face and it didn't burn at all!

A chapter in my life...

For the last eight years, I have attended a bible study on Monday nights. Tonight was the last night of this year's study. And, unless God leads me back to this particular bible study, tonight was also the end of this chapter in my life.

Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) has been an amazing part of my life. For those who are not familiar with it, it is an international, expository bible study. Usually you study one book of the bible each year, and of course they bring in parallel verses, books, etc... This year we studied the book of Isaiah. Next year it is Acts. The cool thing is that everyone, worldwide, is studying the same thing at the same time!

It is hard to quantify what God has taught me through this bible study program. It is hard to adequately convey what BSF has meant to me through the years. BSF came into my life during a time of spiritual transition. And the teaching, encouragement and fellowship I received through BSF, has indeed been a great blessing.

Tonight as we gathered to share what we had learned this year, I was overwhelmed by all that has happened in the last eight years. There were so many truths and principles spoken into my life each and every Monday night. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I had not been a part of this study. I am so thankful God led me to this study.

If you are searching for a bible study to join next fall, consider BSF. It may very well be just what God has planned for your life.

Hope and Joy

We have recently come face to face with death. Delane's grandmother, Anna Belle, passed away last week. She was 95. She had been married 77 years. She had given birth to 15 children. She sewed a lot. She baked a lot. She hugged a lot of babies. She made people feel special. She lived a good life. She did good things. She had a powerful influence in many, many lifes. She was a great woman.

But all this would be meaningless without her faith...

And so at the visitation you heard laughing. At the cemetery, friends and families lingered visiting and reconnecting and laughing. There was sadness because we were saying goodbye. But there was also an expectancy in the air. A little bit of joy. Yes, joy. Why? Because there was hope.

You see when you have faith that this human life is not all there is... When you believe something better is waiting.... When you believe an eternity in the presence of God is available... it gives you HOPE. And true JOY.

So, as we come to Easter, the time when we remember the resurrection of JESUS... the time when those of us who have FAITH reflect on what HIS death and resurrection mean to us, we have HOPE and JOY.

My prayer is you have this HOPE and JOY in your life...

Springtime in the Plains

We have lived in Kansas for 15 years... And I can say unequivocally, spring is my favorite season in Kansas. When we lived in Indiana, I would tell you that fall is my favorite. Fall is glorious back that way. But here? Here the spring time is glorious. Even with the wind. And even though we are put on alert for severe weather from time to time. Spring is my most favorite season in Kansas.

So what makes Kansas so special in the spring? Well, for starters, it is beautiful and lush and green. All the grass, bushes, trees, and plants seem fresh. And right now they are blooming and budding. Gorgeous.

I love seeing those first Forsythia plants start blooming. Then the Bradford Pears. Then the Red Bud trees... It seems every week there is a new plant or bush to enjoy in all its radiant glory. You most definitely see first hand the work of an amazing creator.

In addition to the sights of spring, I love the sounds of spring too. I love to hear the wind blow and feel the breeze flow through the window. I love the sound of the birds chirping and calling their mate. I love the hum of the neighborhood lawnmowers powering up for their call of duty.

It makes me feel alive and excited and thankful. There is just something magical in the air in the spring! I love it!

The Ocean

Last week, my husband and I were finally able to get away for a few days to celebrate our anniversary. We chose to go to California -- the San Diego area because neither of us had been to that part of the state. It was wonderful. We were very impressed with the variety of things to do and the beauty in that area. Everything was blooming and looked fresh! It was gorgeous.

Of course, one of the biggest excitements for this land-locked midwest girl was to see the ocean. When I see the ocean, I am always reminded of the power of God's creation. How can anyone stand beside the ocean and not be in awe of its power? It's beauty? It's sheer force? And yet, God is above all that I saw and experienced with my human eyes. Amazing.

Isaiah 51:15 says, "I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar--the Lord Almighty is his name."

I was reminded of God's power and glory several times during my trip to California. When we stood beside the ocean, when we saw all the variety of His creation. When we saw the beauty in the sunset. When we were flying over the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. His power and his beauty and splendor were all around us. (I know all of that is here in Kansas too - it is just different :-) It just doesn't look like this...

I am so grateful to have gotten away and had time to spend with my husband. But, I am also grateful for the opportunity to experience and enjoy more of God's creation. Good times indeed.