Window to Wildlife

Almost every summer since we moved into this house there has been a mama deer with at least one fawn. Last summer she had twins. I know it is the same mama deer every year because she has a very distinctive ankle injury that never healed quite right - and yet she continues to produce young and survive - which is a whole other post about perseverance. She's an amazing mama. I've only caught glimpses of that mama deer this summer.

The reason she hasn't been through our yard much is because this summer our backyard has become home to a family (or families) of foxes. Baby foxes, y'all! They are the cutest. 

Mama A with Kit 1

Mama A

I can't tell you exactly how many foxes have made our backyard their home because I've seen different numbers and sizes of foxes on multiple occasions. I know there is at least one mama fox, and I believe, based off of the photos that there are two mama foxes. I think the first mama (Mama A) has a single kit, and the second mama (Mama B) has two. 

Mama B with Kit 2 and 3

The first time I saw any sign of the foxes was when one of the mama foxes was in the backyard rooting around in a wood pile. She heard something and quickly slunk under the fence and into the trees. The next time I saw the foxes was in the backyard, near the tree line. I watched as the fox, I refer to as Mama A, was pounced on by her young pup. The kit would climb on a fallen log and as the mama fox approached for some grooming the kit would leap. The mama fox was calm and patient, but also persistent. She just kept up the cleaning and the grooming attack after attack. Every few attempts the cub would reluctantly sit and allow the grooming until it could no longer stand it and then take off again for another round. 

On another occasion, in our side yard, we watched as a pair of young foxes chased, played, and tumbled around with one another while a mama fox (Mama B) looked on. They ran and rolled all over the small basketball area, they chased one another under our trampoline. One of them even perched on top of the lid to our sandbox rather triumphantly as if to say, I'm the king of the yard!"

The other night after a long day the husband and I were on the front porch as the sun sank below the hills. It was dusk and getting more and more difficult to see, but out of the corner of my eye I saw movement - and there it was a fox darting across our side yard into the safety of the treeline. As I glanced around to see if there were more I noticed a raccoon standing at attention and taking it all in. He was only there for a moment, but that raccoon stared us down. Then he also disappeared into the trees.  

These foxes (and other wildlife) have been a source of joy this summer. Watching them has been palliative. I can forget the job loss, the pandemic, the stress of keeping the girls happy and healthy while simultaneously having to say no to a lot of things. I can stop thinking about school this coming fall and the hard choices we have to make. It all melts into the background while we watch the foxes play and interact. 

Mama B

Thank you Jesus for the distraction of these foxes this summer. And the reminder that our family playing together, watching together, just being together, can be enough. The wildlife that we get to view through our windows is one of the greatest blessings of this home - the bunnies, the birds, the deer, the foxes, and now even a raccoon! Not the squirrels though, I'm mad at the squirrels, but that is a story for another day. 

Determined Roadrunner

All of the photos in this post were taken by me - from inside my house - through dirty windows, sorry. 

I used my Canon EOS Rebel xsi camera equipped with a 55-250mm lens.

When it Rains it Pours - Keep the Faith Anyway

This is our first time to walk through a job loss. It's the worst. This is also our first time to live through a pandemic. It is also the worst. In case you were wondering, I do not recommend experiencing your first job loss and first pandemic simultaneously. 

There are many, many people who have dealt with losing a job. Sometimes it really is no big deal to lose a job. I got let go from a job with a doctors office during my post college years, but I was planning to quit anyway, so it was really easy to cope with. I had a new job before the week was out.

Other times it's a monumentally stressful and terrible thing to lose a job. My husband's job supports our family. It's what we lived on for the eight years I stayed home and took care of our young children. Even now his salary keeps all of our bills paid, keeps us in our home, and allows us to buy gas and groceries. We live off of it. My earnings are what we use to pay for soccer and gymnastics for the girls - the extras. 

In March of this year the company my husband worked for decided to outsource a large portion of it's IT department; more specifically the area that he worked in. He lost his job. He had worked for that company for nearly fifteen years. And in one day it was gone. It was devastating. We decided to make lemonade with our lemons and use this as an opportunity for him to find something better - something with more growth opportunities and a company that places a higher value on their employees. Then coronavirus happened. The world turned upside down. Businesses closed and people stayed home for months. 

You can guess how well a job search goes when companies close down factories and offices and send employees to work from home. Not great. There was nothing. Not a single email or phone call from anyone that the husband had reached out to for two months. There were jobs posted on websites, but sending in a resume doesn't do a lot of good when the company has a hiring freeze. At the end of May the husband finally started getting a few emails and phone calls about potential jobs, but nothing ever panned out. He either didn't have the right skill set, or experience, or the company wasn't looking for anyone at the moment. 

This is a discouraging situation. It is so hard to hold on to hope and positivity when nothing seems to be going right. Fortunately, as Christians, our hope and joy doesn't rely on our circumstances. It relies on a loving, omnipotent, sovereign creator who wants what is good for us. That doesn't mean this season hasn't been hard, or won't continue to be hard, or that we haven't had really dark days full of despair, but it does mean that we don't stay there. We know that our God will provide for us. We don't know what He will provide, or how He will provide it, but we know He will. He reminds us again and again in the bible that He will provide for us and he is working all things out for His glory and our good. This is just one set of verses that I have been resting in during the past four months:

Matthew 6:26-34(ESV)

"26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

I don't know if the husband will get a great, well paying job that provides for all of our needs, or if this will be a long wearying season of dissatisfaction with his work life, but I do know that if we trust in the Lord and wait upon Him that this season will not be wasted. 

Fortunately, we have seen the Lord's hand on us from the moment the husband lost his job and before. We had some summer plans that we had to cancel even before Covid-19 and the job loss, but that would have most definitely had to of been cancelled afterwards, so the Lord was protecting our hearts from bitterness in that. The company the husband worked for offered him a three month extension before his last day, so he had time when he was still employed and earning money to look for a job - however fruitless that search proved to be. That is three months that he could have been without work, or any leads to work, that we didn't have to worry about how we would pay the bills. 

Also, the new company that is taking over IT support for the old company offered the husband a one year contract to continue his old role of support (and to help get the new company up to speed). So, even though the future is uncertain, and even though there are some serious downsides to the new company, the Lord is still providing the husband with work that will continue to pay the bills for the next 12 months. 

Some days I do a really great job of focusing on what God has done and thanking Him for His goodness. Other days I am bogged down in anger and frustration over our circumstances. You know what - it is okay - it's okay to feel all of those things. It is okay to have an abundance of trust, and faith, and joy on Monday and be sad, angry, and grieving on Wednesday. God made all of our emotions and He has made room for all of our feelings. The reason it's okay is because the work is not mine to complete - it was completed in and through Christ. I don't have to be steadfast because He is steadfast. Not that I should give up and not continue to try to trust Him in and through all things, but the work is complete - I just need to finish well. 

John 19:28-30 (ESV)

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

So on the days when I am full of joy; that is a work of the Lord. And on the days when I am hurt and angry; He is still there holding me fast. And hopefully, if I continue to allow the Lord to work in my life, the next time we face a crisis like this (or worse than this) I will be even better equipped and ready to maintain my joy in the Lord. Sanctification. Perseverance. These are the things that produce a steadfast faith. These are the things that allow us to run the race and to not grow weary. Not that there won't be hard days, or days where I feel exhausted and at the end of myself, but there will always be a hope and a light even on those darkest of days. And that hope is Jesus. 

Romans 5:1-5(ESV)

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

If you don't know this peace - the assurance that even when all seems dark and horrible that there is still hope - I encourage you to read through Romans in a bible, check out a local gospel preaching church, or a friend that has a gospel centered faith and talk to them about how they continue to find joy and hope - even on the hard days and when everything and everyone feels lost. 

Heat

Heat is a funny thing. It can warm you. It can burn you. It can be literal or figurative. 

It's almost officially summer and the daily temperature highs are increasing. The mornings and evenings no longer hold any lingering coolness. When I began running last fall it was still hot, but it was not middle of the summer hot. The evenings and mornings were starting to cool off and bring some relief. So that's when I ran. When you've not been consistently active for a while getting started is hard, but the coolness of the early morning air made it more bearable. Easier. 

At this point, I've been running consistently for almost ten months. It had become routine and natural to get up and run before starting the rest of my day. Then it started to get hot. I don't do well in the heat. It makes me wilt - both physically and mentally. I get heat migraines, my attitude deteriorates, I become extra cranky, and a little snappy. It isn't pretty. The heat is making it hard to run. I don't want to get up and go out into the hot. I don't want to run as fast. I don't want to run as far. I want to give up and quit. 

In addition to the climbing temps outside, it's also begun to feel very hot figuratively -  between politics, race relations, the Coronavirus, the economy, and the regular demands of everyday life - there is a lot of stress and pressure on all of us. I could list out all of the individual hard things I am dealing with - but couldn't we all? Each one of us is facing grief, hurt, uncertainty, disappointment, hardship, etc. So many fears, concerns, questions: How can we protect ourselves from a virus that we know so little about? Am I being safe? Is there more I could do? What will the new normal look like this fall? How can I advocate for my Black brothers and sisters? When will life feel less chaotic? Will life ever feel less chaotic? 

It's so easy to become overwhelmed with thoughts, emotions, feelings, and worry. It's so easy to quit. It takes zero thought or energy to stop doing something that is hard, but I am resolving to not give up. I am going to keep running. I am going to persevere. 

I may run a little slower, or I may not run as far, but I will not stop. I will not quit. I will keep fighting for my health and happiness. The same goes for the rest of it - Justice for all is important. Taking care of our planet is important. Loving our neighbor is important. Raising our children to be kind humans is important. These things are not easy, but they are worthwhile, so:

I am not giving up. 

I will continue to educate myself. I will continue to try and use my vote and my voice wisely and well. I will continue to learn about and understand the effects of systemic racism in our country and how I can help to create change. I will teach my children and lead by example. I will encourage those within my sphere of influence to be better and to do better. I will continue to pursue knowledge. I will continue to grow, to do my part, and to trust Jesus with the rest. 

The rising temperatures may slow my progress and I am sure I will have set backs. I know I'll be discouraged and it will affect my pace and my distance, but I am going to continue to run the race - despite the heat - both literally and figuratively. 

Racial Reconciliation: A Beginning

This is long. I won't apologize. You don't have to read it if you don't want to. (Unless you're my husband - you have to read it.) 

I don't like controversy. I don't like being made uncomfortable and I don't like to make others uncomfortable; however, much of life is about growth and change and those two things don't usually happen if you are feeling comfortable. I don't want to be the same as I was ten years ago. I don't want to be the same as I was yesterday. I want to grow and metamorphose into who God created me to be. 

Racism is prevalent in our society. It is systemic in our institutions. It is buried in our thoughts, culture, and ideals. It is pervasive. It causes bias and prejudice and I personally know it to be true. This is one personal example from my own history:

I was called for jury duty almost a year ago. There was a jury pool of 75 to 100 people from the area I live in. The trial was for two black men accused of a laundry list of felonies. They were looking at life in prison. In our legal system those two men have a right to a jury of their peers. The jury pool that I was a part of looked NOTHING like their peers. It was a jury pool of (almost) entirely white people. There was not a single African American - other than the defendants and their friends and families - in that courtroom. Not one. And this is not the only area of the country that deals with this issue (Jury Diversity). 

There is a lot of racial tension in our country right now. And there are a lot of people who would say that the media has manufactured this tension, or that divisive two-party politics have generated the tension, but I personally believe this tension has been simmering under the surface for a very, very long time. Don't get me wrong I do believe that the media and an extremely divided political system have played their roles in the racial developments over the past month, but they are not entirely to blame. 

I've not been able to convince myself to watch the entire video of George Floyd's murder. I said murder, not death, because it was a cold-hearted and evil murder of a human being that happened that day in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

"Justice for George" by Shirien Damra

I don't think you need to hear George Floyd cry out for his mama for your heart to break, or to hear him beg for breath. The simple fact that a person who was sworn to serve and protect his community put his knee on the neck of another human being and left it there until that person had expired is enough to wrench your soul - and if it doesn't you should probably ask yourself why not. 

The problem is that George Floyd was not an isolated incident. It is the latest in a very long history of oppression of people of color in this country. Oppression by police, by strangers, by neighbors, by government, by a system that is rigged against them. 

There was a social media post going around that really struck me:

"I have privilege as a white person (in America) because I can do all of these things without thinking twice about it:

I can go birding (ChristianCooper).
I can go jogging (AmhaudArbery).
I can relax in the comfort of my own home (BothemSean and AtatianaJefferson).
I can ask for help after being in a car crash (JonathanFerrell and RenishaMcBride).
I can have a cellphone (StephonClark).
I can leave a party to get to safety (JordanEdwards).
I can play loud music (JordanDavis).
I can sell CD's (AltonSterling).
I can sleep (AiyanaJones and BreonnaTaylor)
I can walk from the corner store (MikeBrown).
I can play cops and robbers (TamirRice).
I can go to church (Charleston9).
I can walk home with Skittles (TrayvonMartin).
I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (SeanBell).
I can party on New Years (OscarGrant).
I can get a normal traffic ticket (SandraBland).
I can lawfully carry a weapon (PhilandoCastile).
I can break down on a public road with car problems (CoreyJones).
I can shop at Walmart (JohnCrawford) .
I can have a disabled vehicle (TerrenceCrutcher).
I can read a book in my own car (KeithScott).
I can be a 10 year old walking with my grandfather (CliffordGlover).
I can decorate for a party (ClaudeReese).
I can ask a cop a question (RandyEvans).
I can cash a check in peace (YvonneSmallwood).
I can take out my wallet (AmadouDiallo).
I can run (WalterScott).
I can breathe (EricGarner).
I can live (#FreddieGray).
I CAN BE ARRESTED WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING MURDERED (#GeorgeFloyd).

White privilege is real. Take a minute to consider a black person's experience today. #BlackLivesMatter #acknowledgeyourprivilege"***

The reason this post resonated with me was because I was thinking about something similar a few weeks back. I get nervous when I'm driving and a police cruiser is behind me. I'm almost always going the speed limit and following the rules of the road, but I'm nervous about getting pulled over and getting a ticket nonetheless. I have never - not once - been nervous or afraid that the officer would shoot and/or kill me.

There are people of color that fear for their lives every time they have an encounter with law enforcement - and it isn't because they've committed a crime - but because of the color of their skin.

"Justice for Breonna" by Shirien Damra 

Persons of color don't need my sympathy. They don't need my opinions. They don't need my perspective or point of view. They need my solidarity and my commitment to stand with them. They need my privilege.

In our home we have always tried to have toys and books that represent the diversity of our world. I want my children to see the beauty God created with different languages, skin colors, and heritages. If children grow up seeing a variety of skin colors, races, ethnicities, cultures - it normalizes that diversity. It removes any taboo or stigma attached to a specific skin color.

I have also recently been trying to broaden my own horizons by reading books by diverse authors - women, people of color, different ethnic backgrounds, etc. I've started following teachers, authors, religious persons, and artists from a diverse array of backgrounds and races on social media. And I am adding to my goals as it is reasonable.

I want to listen to the voices and stories of persons of color and to believe them. To give them the benefit of the doubt. To not question their experience, but to try and understand it and how I can help make this country better for them. I am talking to my children about the racism that still exists in our country. I am teaching them to see the unique diverse color spectrum of humanity and to love each and every shade of skin color.

Does this mean white people are the worst? Or all police are terrible? I don't think so and I'm also fairly certain that I didn't say either of those things in this post. It just means that this is a serious problem in our country and I want my voice to be added among those who are trying to move forward and fix it.

I also realize that this problem is not going to be solved entirely on this side of heaven because it is due in large part to sin and the fallen world we live in, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't work to make life better for all of us while I'm here. Does it?!?!

"Justice for Ahmaud" by Shirien Damra

***I edited the FB post in some places and removed all of the links. I'm not sure what content the individual hashtags might lead to, but you could easily perform a Google search on any and all of these names to read more about what happened to these individuals.

(Art prints created by Shirien Damra)

Funny Dinner Conversations

The girls are getting older and it has become a really fun activity to ask them questions that show some of the maturity they are gaining, but also still elicits child-like responses from each of them. 

The best part is that each daughter answers the questions in very surprising, and yet entirely characteristic, ways. Their answers fit perfectly with their birth order and show off their unique personalities.

Here are some of the recent convos we've had:

June 8, 2020

At lunch today I asked each daughter who they would call if they were in trouble or needed to talk when they're older and living out of the house.

Eldest and Middlest daughter both responded with, “Well, it would depend on what I needed help with or what the problem was.”

Youngest daughter said, “Like if there was a high chandelier and our clothes got stuck on it then we would call daddy for help!”

(For some background, we have a landing that overlooks a downstairs hallway and we keep the girls laundry basket on the first floor. They toss their laundry over the banister to get it into the laundry hamper. There is also a chandelier hanging in that space that frequently catches shirts, socks, and underwear - daddy is always sought for his help rescuing those items.)

June 9, 2020

At lunch today I asked each daughter whether they thought daddy and I had a favorite child. And then asked who they thought would be our favorite if we did have one. Here are their responses:

Eldest daughter: Well, you SHOULDN'T have a favorite! I don't know who would be your favorite.

Middlest daughter: No. But if you did it would be “Eldest daughter” because she doesn't lie.

Youngest daughter: Yes. (Nodding her head enthusiastically and pointing at herself) It's MEEEEEEE!!!

If you know my children at all then none of these responses surprises you in the least. 

The Rona (2020)

It all started in China last November, but didn't really start affecting the American day to day life until March of 2020. What is it -- those of you reading this from the future might ask?

CORONAVIRUS. Or Covid-19. Or the "Rona" as I like to affectionately call it. The Covid-19 virus has become a world-wide pandemic that is affecting everything.

First the stores started running out of toilet paper. Then they told everyone that could to work from home, school from home, just stay home unless you were an essential employee (i.e. Doctor, nurse, delivery person, grocery store clerk, etc.) Dentist offices, beauty salons, and gyms were mandated by our state's governor to close. Churches closed their doors. Parents who rely on public school (so they can go to work) were told to teach their kids at home. The State and Schools provided curriculum, but it was up to the parents to get (bribe, manipulate, induce) their children to comply. 

For at least eight weeks I was schooling two elementary aged students, attempting to keep one preschooler from breaking any of her bones, and working four days a week - all while my husband was trying to work a 50-hour work week from home - with conference calls and digital meetings. (Have you heard about Zoom?) 

It was chaos, but we managed to survive it. And I know without a doubt that we probably had it easier than most. 

For others the nation-wide shut down was a much needed slow-down. Time for the family to really enjoy one another, or to get out and enjoy the outdoors and some nature. For others the shut-down meant loss of jobs or trying to figure out how to work, school, and stay sane simultaneously. Restaurants were closed which affected the food supply chain and you can feel the consequences of that at the grocery store - from the bare shelves to the sky-high meat prices. 

I have no doubt that the two month total shut down will have very far reaching consequences. Many, many businesses have closed their doors for good and may not even know it yet. 

My emotions can really get the better of me when I think about people trapped in abusive homes, or homes where there are food insecurities, or students who struggle with school and don't have support at home, but mostly I am just stressed out by the never-ending unknown of it all. Will they find a vaccine, effective treatment? Will they get testing to a level that allows all of us to get back to some sort of normalcy? Will there be school this fall? How will I keep working if there is no school and husband has to go back to work in an office?!?!

There are so many unknowns in this situation and no real end in sight. Will it get worse? Will hospitals be overrun? 

Some parts of the country have peaked and are recovering at this point, but our state is really just beginning to see a sharp rise in cases, so it feels like another beginning of sorts, but not the good kind. 

I'm trying to remain calm and level headed. The best way I've found to accomplish this has been by reminding myself that my God is a holy, righteous, and sovereign God. He knows. 

He knows how long it will last and who will be affected. He knows when and how it will stop. He is in control and can use any and all circumstances for His good and His glory. He is not a fickle ever-changing God. He is unvarying and steadfast. He is grieved when we are grieved and He will right every wrong. These two verses have been the truths that I have been clinging to:

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

My sister-in-law shared a song with me one day and it has been my "remain calm" anthem during all of the ups and downs and what ifs of this pandemic:

"You Already Know" By JJ Heller

So, if you are panicking about the pandemic (like I have a tendency to do on occasion) then get in the word and speak God's truth to your heart.

Also, you can pick up a hobby like making your own home-made kombucha, sewing face masks, or crocheting. I chose making my own sourdough starter from scratch and baking fresh bread every week. This is great for my nerves and helping me to adequately gain the requisite "Covid-19." I've also kept up my running, so I am pretty much breaking even between the two just in case you were starting to really worry about me.