September 2009 Lower Family Newsletter

[Chad T. Lower]

So usually I try to write my newsletter the first Sunday of the month.  Since I have it written on my calendar, I consider it an "appointment" and try to stick to it as much as possible.

 

I didn't make it this month.

 

But for good reasons...  As most of you are aware, the first Monday in September is Labor Day, a federal holiday.  As such, I had they day off of work.  My family and I were invited to a weekend at a cabin in south-central PA by my aunt and uncle Kay and Britt.  We accepted and on Saturday morning, we started the trip south.  The weekend was full of fun for the kids as well as Suzy and I.  We awoke every morning to a herd of deer in the backyard.  The first morning, there were 9; the second, there were 12.  If the kiddos weren't awake, we woke them and told them to be in "stealth mode:" no talking, no lights, and don't get too close to the window.  They stayed in the backyard for at least an hour.

 

The days themselves were filled with just as much excitement.  My kids got to find and hold slate snakes and a box turtle.  They went on nature hikes looking for footprints--and found footprints for buck and doe (male and female deer) as well as raccoon.  My kids were hoping to find bear tracks; my wife was hoping they wouldn't.  They went on multiple three-wheeler rides up and down the lane.  They built towers with the blocks from Jenga.

 

I will add that Kay and Britt have 4 children.  Their oldest, Kadi, was at college at Penn State (main campus) and was unable to join us.  Her birthday is the same as Isabella's (but a different year).  Jamie is their next oldest.  She was the driver of the three-wheeler for all those rides and the main guide on the nature hikes.  Coby comes next in line; for part of the weekend, he was working on his Eagle Scout project.  The other part, he was helping his dad cut firewood and looking for places to put a tree stand for archery season.  Their youngest, Karlee, is one year older than our oldest child (Isabella).  As such, they have been good friends their entire life.  With Kay and Britt and their three children at the cabin, my kids never stopped having fun.

 

The Friday before we left, Suzy found out about a writing contest (http://www.3daynovel.com) in which you write an entire novel (about 45,000 words) in the 3 days over Labor Day weekend.  She didn't enter, but brought her laptop along to the cabin so she could write.  Of course, knowing that the weekend would be full of visiting and relaxing, she had no serious intentions of completing a novel, but she did write 15,000 words while we were there.  If she would have entered the contest and submitted her manuscript, the first prize would be publication.  Of course, the contest promoters know that in three days, you can come up with a first draft--which then needs revised and edited--so they aren't looking for a finished piece.  She said that she might enter next year, so we will see.

 

Speaking of Suzy writing, she has almost finished editing her manuscript to send off to the publisher (from the last newsletter).  She is still writing on both of her blogs (http://susanlower.com and http://passiton.today.com) and she is still writing articles for eHow as well.  Unfortunately eHow is having some technical difficulties and there have been several articles that she wrote, attempted to save, and it wouldn't save.  Or if it does save, it won't save the pictures with it.  Very frustrating.  As always, all of her articles can be found at http://www.ehow.com/members/mrschadt-articles.html.  Her newest articles include:

How to Install Laminate Hardwood Flooring Yourself

How to Make a Felt Flower Hair Piece

How to Prepare a Holiday Casserole

How to Prepare a Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Dinner

How to Avoid Mold on Cheese

How to Write a Letter to Your State Representative

How to Prepare Your Child to go Back to School

How to Plan A Romantic Dinner for Two

 

The first article was a first hand experience.  After getting a major splinter in her foot (actually 4 splinters that took a week and two doctor visits to get them all out), Suzy decided we were going to put the wood laminate flooring in our dining room.  It already had hardwood floors, but they weren't kept up.  If we wanted to keep them, we would have to rent a sander and sand off the top, then clear coat the rest -- too much work, especially with little kids who don't understand, "don't walk on the floor while it is drying."  She wanted the wood look, though, and it is easier to clean kid messes better than carpet.  We went to Sam's Club one weekend to get the materials.  Once you buy the flooring, it has to sit in the room that you intend to install it to acclimate to the temperature and humidity before installation.  On another weekend, her mom and sisters (Stephanie and Jeanie) came and helped to install the dining room floor.  Both of her sisters have installed this kind of flooring in their houses so they had some experience.  The next day, Suzy and I floored the living room using the lessons we got the day before.  Overall, the project turned out nice.  We still have a little bit to do in the dining room closet and we need to put the strips down (for between the rooms), but I think Suzy is going to tile the front room and kitchen before we do that.  Once that is completed, we will have changed the flooring in the basement and first floor.  I'm sure Suzy's next project will be the dark green shag carpeting on the stairs and upstairs hallway.

 

Although we had a lot of fun at the cabin over Labor Day, we were actually in the same area 2 weekends prior for some not so fun activities.  My Uncle John passed away, so we travelled down for the funeral.  When my grandmother Baldassari passed away a few years ago, I was asked to perform the service at the funeral home as well as the graveside.  For John's funeral, his siblings and children decided to lead the service at the funeral home.  However, they did ask me if I would say the prayer at the graveside.  Before the prayer, I said a few words pointing out his level of service to his country and other people.  Rather than retype my words, Suzy paraphrased part of it in her blog http://passiton.today.com/2009/08/27/a-few-good-men/.

 

Isabella has officially started her second grade year at school, and Malachi is in the 5-year-old room at PreSchool (although he won't be 5 until March).  Bella started September 1 and Malachi started the day after Labor Day.  So far, they both love their schools and their teachers.  With that said, Isabella came home from school last Friday saying that she was going to try to get fired from school, because school is her job and, if she gets fired, she doesn't have to go anymore.  I'm not sure I appreciate the humor in her remark, but I did think it was quite creative.

 

Although the kids just started school, I have just finished my fourth week of classes.  Considering the semester is only 16 weeks long, we are a quarter of the way through already.  In addition to the 5 math classes I am teaching, I picked up a sixth class called Transitions.  The premise behind the class is that some students fail out of college then, at some point in the future, decide they want to try again.  Knowing their past history, Penn College wants to help them succeed.  So as they "transition" back into being students again, we help them by providing resources and teaching them how to make wise choices.  The book we use is called On Course by Skip Downing.  The book was written to be used in a classroom OR just for a good read.  It is a good book and I would recommend it to anyone.

 

In addition to picking up a new class, I also auditioned (and was chosen) for the musical I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.  The author of the play describes it as being about "People trying to connect."  Although it is one musical, it presents itself as 19 skits about relationships -- starting with blind dates, through newlyweds, married with children, and ending with widows.  The original on and off Broadway shows had 4 actors (two male and two female) perform all the parts (which meant each actor played 14-15 different people).  Our production has 6 actors (three male and three female) and I have been assigned 9 different roles.  We just started rehearsals Sept 12.

 

Looking back into August, I chaperoned a bicycle ride (on my motorcycle) which was a fundraiser for the local Christian Radio Station, WGRC (in the top picture, I am in the middle wearing Hi-Viz http://www.wgrc.com/wgrc-photo-gallery-bikeride-2009.htm).  The bicyclists traveled from the WGRC studio in Lewisburg, PA to State College, PA -- a trip of about 60 miles one way.  Some riders went to State College on day 1, stayed the night, then returned the next day.  Most of the riders did a round trip (120 miles!) and some even stayed a second day to do the round trip again.  As stated above, I was riding my motorcycle to offer protection for the riders.  Overall, we covered 120 miles in about 6 hours and 45 minutes.

 

The day after my last day of summer school, the family went to Knoebels, a local amusement park, to celebrate Ali's second birthday.  We went earlier in the summer for the Penn College employee picnic.  This second day was "WGRC Day," same radio station that I had just helped with the fundraiser, so we went up to visit and have a good time.  The first time we went to Knoebels, both Bella and Chi were selected as volunteers for the magic show (I sent a picture of Chi earlier this summer).  The second time to Knoebels, I was selected as a volunteer.  Suzy recorded it and posted it to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j9ZVgvF82o) if you want to check it out.  Since WGRC was at the park, there were Christian musicians playing all day and they had free face painting at their tents, you can see by this months picture the "bug" Ali got painted on her face.

 

Speaking of Ali, in addition to her birthday last month, she also had to get some stitches.  My grandfather Lower (Pappy) made two lamps out of timpani drums--of which I have one.  Suzy and I use it as a nightstand by our bed.  Well, one night, both girls were jumping on our bed.  Suzy was getting ready to go to one of her writer's groups and, as she was passing by our door, called to the girls to stop jumping on the bed before someone got hurt.  In less than 60 seconds, we heard a loud crack followed by a scream.  Apparently Ali fell out of bed and hit her head on the Timpani drum on the way down (we assume as we cannot find any blood on the drum or floor).  She cut her head open above her right eye and, being a head injury, it bled a lot.  We packed all the kids into the minivan and drove to the ER where she got 11 stitches total--3 inside and 8 outside.  The stitches are out now, but it is still healing.  Chances are she will have a scar there her entire life.  Fortunately, it was not higher which could have resulted in a skull injury nor a little lower which could have resulted in some eye damage.  She had actually stopped crying (and stopped bleeding) by the time we got to the ER.  She sat on my lap and we read books until the doctor was ready to see us.

 

Two days after Ali got her stitches out, Suzy loaded up the kids in the minivan and headed off to State College for Ag Progress Days, where she met up with her mom, brother, and his family.  The kids had a blast running through the corn maze, milking a wooden cow, and seeing all the animals.  I, unfortunately, missed all the fun I had to teach that day, but the kids came back with coloring pages, and lots to share about the day.

 

Last month, I tried to encourage you to find out what motivates you.  It started with some Russian editors wondering, "We don't know how to motivate people to show compassion."  Phillip Yancey answered, "Goodness cannot be imposed externally, from the top down; it must grow internally from the bottom up."  I wanted you to find what motivates you so that you can be good to others.

 

There are many things that motivate me.  Learning new things.  Accomplishing something well.  Completing a task.  (Sometimes different things require different motivators.)

 

A big thing that motivates me is my wife, Susan.  More specifically, my love for my wife.  (Of course, if you ask Suzy, she probably has a different opinion on that issue.)  The word love is used here as a verb (an action) as opposed to a noun (person, place or object), but defining love is a difficult task.  Probably the most widely used definition for love can be found in I Corinthians 13.  I have seen many a wedding program with this verse imprinted on it.  Rather than quote that passage for the definition of love, I actually want to look at the definition of the definition.  (Bear with me here.)

 

The I Corinthian definition starts of saying Love is Patient.  So let's stop there and look at what it means when it says patient.

 

Often times when I hear people pray or if they ask for prayer requests, one of the most common prayers I hear is for patience.  Personally, I think patience is a silly thing to pray for, only in the fact that you can never have enough.  If I am thirsty and I have a cup, I can fill it with water and eventually the cup will be full.  If there is a hole that needs filled, I can fill it with dirt and eventually the hole will be filled.  But if I need patience, no matter how much more patience I receive than what I already have, I can ALWAYS use more.  But is having an infinite amount of patience always a good thing?  If we look at God himself (and I'm just going to touch on one of many instances), in Numbers 17, God says, "Will they never believe [in] me....  I will disown them and destroy them..."

 

He had patience for his people, and eventually his patience "ran out."  Now be careful to not read what I am not saying, because God's patience can never truly "run out," but there comes a time when enough is enough.  Even though my "patience cup" is not full, what I have is enough.  So sometimes, praying for patience is not really what we should be praying for, but rather discernment as to that "enough" point.  But that is a different topic for a different day...

 

Today I want to focus on the definition of the word patience or, alternately, how do we show patience.  In Isaiah 40:31, we read, "but they who wait [have patience] for the Lord shall renew their strength."  First and foremost, we need to have patience for the Lord.  We live in a fast world.  Fast food.  Fast cars.  Fast Internet.  Instant messaging.  Instant replay.  Instant rice.  As a result, we often try to put God into our box.  Thinking when we pray or ask for something, His response should be instant.  It certainly can be if that is His desire, but often, He is trying to take us deeper, which requires more time than we are willing to give--especially when we aren't listening for an answer.  Keep in mind that God created the universe.  He is omnipotent (can do anything), omnipresent (is everywhere), and omniscient (knows everything).  Have patience since He knows what is best for you.

 

Romans 15:1 reads, "We who are strong have an obligation to bear with [have patience] the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves."  The chapter continues encouraging us to lift up our neighbor for his sake (our neighbor's) and not ours.  Christ did not come to this world to be served, but to serve others.  We are likewise called to serve others--and part of that includes having patience with others.  Specifically people who are "weaker" than you.  Consider yourself driving down a road and you get stuck behind some blue-haired driver going 10 mph below the speed limit.  Have patience while you are behind them.  If you are a customer at a service location (think retail or restaurant), be patient with the sales employee or the waiter/waitress/hostess.  (And likewise, retail and restaurant employees, have patience with your customers.)

 

And finally James wrote in chapter 1 verse 4, "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  James is specifically talking about ourselves here--we are to have patience with our self.  Especially when we are put through trials of our faith.  For it is through this patience and working through our trials that we are made more and more Christ-like.  Since Jesus was perfect, this should be our goal and desire:  to be perfect just like Jesus is perfect.  I don't know about you, but I still have a long way to go.  But rather than think of the long journey, focus on each individual step along the way.  It is with patience that we grow more Christ-life.  I saw a shirt the other day that read, "If things get better with age, I'm approaching perfect!"  As long as we are having patience and growing and learning through our trials, we are all approaching perfect (albeit slowly).

 

Like the Scout Oath from Suzy's blog, Love is patient to God, patient to others, and patient to self.

 

Chad T. Lower
a.k.a. Chopper
http://chadtlower.tripod.com/

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Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.
Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
                              Philippians 2:3-4