What’s In A Name? ~ Meme

A name game to lighten up and cool off the summer heat and humidity:

My sister Lana G! over at Above the Clouds is real CURIOUS and has tagged me for this meme:

 WHAT’S IN A NAME?

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.

2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.

3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.

4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Lana is real sneaky tagging me after she used my middle name. Well it’s hers too because in our Russian culture girls and boys get their father’s name as their middle name. So Lana and I do not have a middle name on our birth certificate but when we are introduced to anyone in our Russian culture we are called for example Ellen “Moisi’s daughter” Bagdanov. So everyone knows then that I’m a Bagdanov but I’m further identified as belonging to Moisi Bagdanov, not John Bagdanov. Thank God from whom all blessings flow. (oops did I just say that?) So now I have to make up a middle name to use for this meme. I’m not going to stray too far though. I’ll use Moses which is pretty much Moisi anyway. So here we go. This is a picture of Moses (Moisi) with me and my younger brother Tim.

 

M ~ Married ~ I’m married to a non-Russian. I was the fourth one of my siblings to be married and I was the first one in my family to marry out! I’m so glad I did.

O ~ Observant ~ I see things I wish I wouldn’t see sometimes. I can see danger on the street or on a playground. I’m very visual. When I had my house cleaning business some of my clients would call me to ask if I’d seen this or that. I could usually tell them exactly where the thing was.

S ~ Shopper~ I love to shop for a bargain. I think I could have made shopping a profession. Shopping for other people is what I enjoy the most. I have to admit though, since I started blogging I haven’t been shopping as much.

E ~ Extravagant ~ I love to be extravagant. I love to treat people. I love to buy gifts for people.  I enjoy going over-the-top.

S ~ Sister ~ I’m a sister 7 times and a sister-in-law. I take my title seriously. I love being a loyal sister/sister-in-law  and I’d fight to the death for any of my siblings. Just ask my brother Steve…

So who to tag… I tag Bee, Kim at Hind’s Feet, Lucy, Southern Bell, and Sarah Anne. No pressure people. It is ok with me if you do not play….

Resentment ~ Poison ~ Quote

 The pastor at the church we attended today shared this quote that I wanted to pass along…

Resentment is the poison we swallow while hoping the other person dies…”

Something to dwell on instead,

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”  Ephesians 4: 31-32

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Oh, Wonderful Word! ~ Hymn ~ Fanny Crosby

 Oh, Wonderful Word!

~Words by Fanny Crosby, circa 1886

 Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!
True wisdom its pages unfold;
And though we may read them a thousand times o’er,
They never, no never, grow old!
Each line hath a treasure, each promise a pearl,
That all if they will may secure;
And we know that when time and the world pass away,
God’s Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!
The lamp that our Father above
So kindly has lighted to teach us the way
That leads to the arms of His love!
Its warnings, its counsels, are faithful and just;
Its judgments are perfect and pure;
And we know that when time and the world pass away,
God’s Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!
Our only salvation is there;
It carries conviction down deep in the heart,
And shows us ourselves as we are.
It tells of a Savior, and points to the cross,
Where pardon we now may secure;
For we know that when time and the world pass away,
God’s Word shall forever endure.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!
The hope of our friends in the past;
Its truth, where so firmly they anchored their trust,
Through ages eternal shall last.
Oh, wonderful, wonderful Word of the Lord!
Unchanging, abiding and sure;
For we know that when time and the world pass away,
God’s Word shall forever endure.

ht: Cyberhymnal

Happy 6th Anniversary Josh and Laura ~ August 25, 2001

Our first-born son Josh and his lovely wife Laura are celebrating their 6th anniversary. We couldn’t have asked for a lovelier daughter in law. They make such a wonderful team. How we thank God for his goodness to them and to us in bringing them together. We love you two. Blessings on many more years growing together in the Lord!

Photo Credit: Jeremy Leffel Photography

I Sing a Song of the Saints of God ~ L. Scott, 1929

 I Sing a Song of the Saints of God

                  I sing a song of the saints of God
Patient and brave and true,
Who toiled and fought and lived and died
For the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
And one was a shepherdess on the green,
They were all of them saints of God – and I mean,
God help me to be one too.

They love their Lord so dear, so dear,
And his love made them strong;
And they followed the right, for Jesus’ sake,
The whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
And one was slain by a fierce wild beast:
And there’s not any reason – no, not the least-
Why I shouldn’t be one too.

They live not only in ages past,
There are hundreds of thousands still,
The world is bright with joyous saints
Who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,
In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea,
for the saints of God are just folk like me,
and I mean to be one too.

L. Scott, 1929

ht: Jan Karon’s ~Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader

ht: Brian Jacques ~The Redwall Cookbook

Thankful Thursday ~

 

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of men!  Psalm 107:8

 

I am so thankful to God that Dear and I fly to Seattle on Friday and spend a couple weeks with our children. It will be so nice to see them face to face and give them all a big hug. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

For more Thankful Thursday participants or to participate go to Sting My Heart….

WFMW ~ Meals on Wheels

 When I’m asked to take a meal to someone who is laid up due to surgery or when someone comes home from the hospital after having a baby, I try to keep it simple. Here is a simple meal that I made last week to share with someone who had surgery. It’s got protein, veggies, and rice all in one dish. Easy to transport and I just add some extras like grapes and cookies and bread to take along.

Heat 1 T. oil in pan on medium heat. Add 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips; cook and stir until lightly browned, stirring occassionally.     (Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper)  Although the recipe didn’t call for it I would add some onion sauteed in the pan first before adding the chicken.

 ADD 3 cups cut-up fresh vegetables (carrots, broccoli and red pepper) cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until crisp-tender.

Stir in 1 can of chicken broth (14- 1/2 oz.) and bring to a boil.

 Stir in 2 cups of instant rice (I used instant brown rice) and 1/4 C. Kraft Zesty Italian dressing: cover. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 min. or until liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked through.

The finished product. (BTW: I usually double the recipe so that I can take a meal and feed my family the same meal, too)

I added some focaccia bread, red grapes, cookies, and lilies to take along with the main dish.

Now here is a tip that the recipient of your meal is sure to appreciate. Take the meal to them in totally disposable containers. It can be quite the project for someone who is ill or laid up to return dishes to their rightful owners! And this is what those bulky Costco boxes you get at the checkout can come in handy for, to transport a meal.

Now you can head over to Rocks in My Dryer to see more Works For Me Wednesday posts…

Places to Visit for the First Time or Again ~

I’m Yearning to Travel Someplace Far Away

England ~ Scotland ~ Wales ~ Ireland ~ New England ~Montreal ~ New Zealand ~ The Shire ~ Russia

I’m such a comfort traveler, not the really high adventure type. Even though I’m Russian, Russia would be my last choice because of the comfort issues of traveling there. Where would you want to go?

Ht: Bridget for the collage she made for me a while back…

Money Meme (a.k.a. Time in a Bottle )

I nabbed this meme from Connie at Practicing Theology.

Here’s how it goes, grab ten coins out of your pocket, purse, couch cushion or wherever it is you keep your loose change. You have to have ten uniquely dated coins, so if you get a duplicate, pull out another until you have ten unique dates. Next, tell your readers a little about YOU the year that the coin was minted.

1978 ~ Married for 4 years, teaching 2nd grade in the Public School system and pregnant with our first child who was born in January of 1979. Josh was 10 lbs. and I had him naturally, ouch! Living in Huntington Beach, Ca.  Dear has decided to work for someone else instead of being self-employed. He gets a job in the Rock and Sand Industry.

1983 ~ Married for 9 years. SAHM with two boys ages 4 and 2. Living in Huntington Beach, California with plans to move to Ventura to cut Dear’s commute time down from 2 hours each way to a wee 10 minutes. Dear worked the swing shift so I’m home alone with the boys from noon to midnight each weekday. Only had to go to emergency twice during this time with son #2. Thankfully my sister Vera lived around the corner so I could drop off son #1 on the way to the ER. At this time Dear is working in a quarry digging and loading trucks with sand and gravel with a front end loader.  (We moved to Ventura in 1984)

1985 ~ Still living in Ventura, California with our boys in Kindergarten and 2nd grade. We’ve met some lifetime great friends at Bible Fellowship Church in Ventura, Dr. Dave and Jody. I’m pregnant with baby #3 and Dear’s father Rex passes away in October before Katie is born. She comes early on December 27th. Katie is delivered by our friend Dr. Dave who is doing his residency at the County Hospital in Ventura. We dropped our boys off at Dr. Dave and Jody’s and picked up Dr. Dave to go to the hospital so he could deliver Katie. It really was great having a good friend deliver our little girl.

1991 ~ Living in Bothell, Washington for 3 years. Verna my widowed MIL is living with us. I was very busy with a Cleaning Business helping to put Dear through school. Verna filled in the gaps watching the kids when I wasn’t there.  We moved to Washington so Dear could complete his B.S. degree and attend Pharmacy School at the University of Washington. GO HUSKIES! Our friends Dave and Jody had moved back to Washington for Dave to start a Family practice so we had great friends already in Washington which made our transition easier moving so far from our families.

1994 ~ Dear has completed his schooling and a residency program and is finally getting a great income working full time for a Start Up Biotec Firm in Seattle. I’m looking forward to retiring from my house cleaning business. The kids and I take a trip to Los Angeles to be with family and attend as many World Cup games and activities we can. Dear joins us for part of this trip.

1996 ~  This was a year of many trials by fire for us. We had a major landslide behind our home up to the foundation of the house. We walked away from our 4600 square foot home and all of our equity because the landslide threatened the foundation and stability of the house and the price tag for sinking pilings and stabilizing the land around the home became more than we could ever afford. We had a mother in law apartment in the basement of this home where Dear’s mother lived. We had to find other arrangements for her, also. We started the life of moving yearly from one rental home to another. I began homeschooling Katie who was socially persecuted at school. She was in a gifted program and at recess the other girls in this program called her the germ and told anyone who played with her that they would get infected. Her persecution was very hurtful but the decision to homeschool her was a wonderful healing experience for all of us.

1997 ~ My MIL Verna died in May. Our oldest son graduated from high school in June and in the August headed off to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Ca. It was a very emotional year of separations for me. In the fall we had to move to our second rental home.

1998 ~ Moved to our third rental home and within a month were informed the owner would be selling it out from under us. Not wanting to face moving all our stuff again we made an offer on the house and it was accepted. Then miracle of miracles the bank gave us a loan with no hassles. We were living in a home of our own again. We thought this would be impossible so soon because of defaulting on a loan and giving a previous home back to the bank. But for some reason (God) the bank chose not to ding us with that on our record. Nothing showed up about our default. 2nd son in his senior year of high school.  Daughter in last year of junior high.

2002 ~ Oldest son is married to his High School sweetheart for one year.  Husbands company bought by Amgen. His department moved to Thousand Oaks, California. Dear decides not to move. He took some time off and then was called to work as a contractor for Amgen. During his time off Dear and I took a winter trip to London over Valentine’s day. What a wonderful time just tubing into London each day from So. Kensington. We also took a train to attend a Worship Conference at Tim Hughes’ church outside of London. Another day trip we took was out to Cambridge that was so beautiful and very cold. While staying in So. Kensington we discovered a great drink, a Kensington Dream, that Dear watched the bartender make and still makes for me once in a while here in the states. He’s threatening to post the recipe on my blog soon. Hopefully I won’t lose many readers cuz I enjoy a hearty drink here and there (in moderation if you please…) 🙂

2006 ~ Another year of big changes for us. Dear’s contracting days in Washington ended and he made the decision to finally take a full-time job with Amgen in Thousand Oaks. We decided not to sell our home in the Seattle area but to let our 2 adult children who aren’t married yet live in it and take care of it while Dear and I live in Southern California. We ended up buying a one bedroom condo in So. Cal. We had already planned a trip to Britain for a walking tour with our good friends Dave, Jody, Bob and Jan and when Greg accepted the company’s offer for employment he made sure they were ok with his leaving for 2 weeks just after starting his job. What a great tour of Britain it was and we’re so happy we stuck to the plan.

Change has really been the theme of life for us over the last couple of years. We are learning not to hang on to tight to whatever situation we are in today. We know who holds our future and we are working more and more on trusting Him with it!

Boy if you made it through all of this congratulations! If you feel like playing this meme let me know ….

Holiness ~ Quotes ~ R.C. Sproul and D.A. Carson

Here are a couple of quotes I wanted to share today….

“I am not obsessed with holiness because I am holy. I love the holiness of God because it is my only hope. Without his mercy and holiness there would be no restraint to my wickedness.” R.C. Sproul

This is a quote from my archives that my pastor used in a sermon a while back. I thought it a good one to share also…

From For the Love of God by D.A. Carson;

“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to scripture, faith and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slide toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”

I Peter 1:13-16 ~

“Preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

I Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”