Brotherly Hodgepodge

1. May 24th is National Brother's Day. Do you have a brother? Older or younger? Did you raise brothers? Tell us something about your brother or tell us something about your own children who are brothers.

I have one sibling, a brother who is almost 11 years younger than me.  In many ways we are more like only children.  I have oldest child traits and he has youngest child traits and we both have only child traits.  I adored him when he was a baby.  It was like having a live doll to play with every day.  I helped teach him animal sounds and read to him a lot but when he learned to say, "You're not my Mom" those days ended...haha.  I was gone to college around the time he was 7-8.  He was about 13 when I got married and I think we started building a stronger bond when he'd come visit me on his own in the summers.  Now we both are married with kids.  He lives pretty far from me but I'm hoping to see him at Christmas.

I also have a girl and boy, in that order, but they are barely 23 months apart.  They've always been buddies.  That's changed a bit since they hit puberty but they are still friends.  This makes me really happy.  Recently, I've seen my son step into his brother role.  My daughter is quiet and sweet and sometimes misses sarcasm and her brother has kindly explained some comments and protected her.  He has also encouraged her in getting her license.  This is probably because she's his ride for the summer but I have noticed a very brotherly kindness in offering to travel with her to certain destinations since she's still slightly nervous solo.

2. A great book you've read or movie you enjoy that features brothers? 

BOOK:  Grief is a Thing With Feathers by Max Porter

MOVIE:  Onward

3. Something you think is overrated? Something you think is underrated? 

Air Fryers are over-rated.  I have a convection oven.  I'm not giving up any more counter space.  

The complexity of things like the internet, google maps and even my phone camera are underrated...things I use almost every day now
and yet I remember before they existed.  My kids will never know.

4. How much does your past shape you? What parts have shaped you the most? 

I just read a good book called, "Putting Your Past in Its Place: Moving Forward in Freedom and Forgiveness" by Stephen Viars.  It really speaks to this question.  

Lives grind to a halt when people don’t know how to relate to their past. Some believe “the past is nothing” and attempt to suppress the brokenness again and again. Others miss out on renewal and change by making the past more important than their present and future. Neither approach moves people toward healing or hope.

Pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to view one’s personal history—by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Using Scripture to lead readers forward, Viars provides practical measures to

• understand the important place “the past” is given in Scripture
• replace guilt and despair with forgiveness and hope
• turn failures into stepping stones for growth

This motivating, compassionate resource is for anyone ready to review and release the past so that God can transform their behaviors, relationships, and their ability to hope in a future.

5. What's your favorite simple pleasure? 

I really enjoy iced coffee in the summertime.  It's even sweeter now that my son has joined me in this simple pleasure.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It's finals week for my kids.  Lots of studying...and a few tears already.  Sigh.  I'm ready for this school year to be over.  The kids are both taking summer classes to open space in their schedules for other things Junior/Senior years, etc.  So, there will be a week of ease before they jump into that...It's a busy season.  One of their classes is PE
2...and my random thought is that I better up my exercise game because in July we're going out West on a great adventure and I don't want to be left in the dust.