California fires

Thanks so much to all of you who prayed for my parents. It appears that their home in Escondido is safe, miraculously. I blogged about it today over on Boomer Babes Rock, click on over to check it out.

while the pictures of devastation and destruction filled the news even here in Chicago, my mother said one of the most amazing aspects of this tragedy was something that was not tragic at all.

The story behind the story is about the kindness of the people of San Diego. My mother said Qualcom stadium was full of evacuees, but there were almost as many folks there volunteering to help. thousands of people brought food, bottled water, blankets, air mattresses and more to the places where displaced folks were staying. The Red Cross was overwhelmed by trying to manage all the donations.

My parents' home was very close to the fires, they were certain they would lose it. So far, it has been spared, for which we're very grateful.

Even my parents, hearing on the news a request for help with some nursing home residents who had been displaced, decided to go over and volunteer. They were turned away, even tho my mom is a registered nurse, because there were too many volunteers. People brought donations of everything, including numerous boxes of Depends, mom reported to me. :)

While it's scary and sad to see the fires, it is amazing to see how people are pulling together and helping each other.

Kids and Homework

Hi everyone,
thanks so much for your prayers, my parents house in Escondido is still standing, as far as we know (see post below). Right now they are not allowing anyone in to that area, since several houses in the neighborhood were burned. Keep up the prayers.
also, wanted to let you know about a cool site, Boomer Women Speak, run by Dotsie Bregel, one of the Boomer Babes I blog with. They published an article I wrote recently on an experience I had helping my daughter with her homework.
check it out here.

prayer request

Hi friends,
Just wanted to ask anyone who visits this site to please pray for the families in the San Diego area (including my parents) whose homes are being threatened by the wildfires. My parents were evacuated from their home in Escondido very early this morning, then evacuated again from the friend's house where they'd gone.
The fires are the lead story on http://www.cnn.com/ this morning.

The photo at right is not their home, but a news photo of a fire in that area. Currently their neighborhood is evacuated because the fire is nearby. Please pray that the fierce winds calm, so that their neigbhorhood will not be damaged.
I'd appreciate prayer for them and for all the residents of that area.
Thanks!

Teaching at Willow Creek

As many of you know, I've taught a women's spiritual formation class at Willow Creek for seven years. This year, I took a break from teaching, for two reasons. I needed more writing time, and I also wanted to let the women who have been a part of my teaching team step up and do more teaching. I love helping women discover their gifts, I love mentoring. Part of mentoring involves stepping aside to provide opportunities for others. This year, my friend Pam is leading the class and doing a great job. The book they are studying is a classic: Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline.
But this week, I had the opportunity to be the guest speaker. I taught on the discipline of fasting. Definitely an interesting topic--I had a great time learning as I prepared, and really enjoyed teaching.
Tahna, who is part of the team, has set up a website for the class that includes lots of info, including audio of the class.
So if you'd like to hear me teach on the spiritual discipline of fasting (don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds!) go to the site and take a listen!

Reader mail

First, I need to apologize for neglecting this blog. I'm working on a book, and my speaking schedule always revs up a bit in the fall.
One such speaking gig was at the MOPS International Convention in Orlando. I taught a workshop there last month. MOPS, you'll recall, sent out a copy of my book Breathe to all of its 110,000 members last May. So all 4400 women at this convention had received a copy--I don't know if they read it. But a number of them had, apparently. Several of them spoke to me during the weekend, and told me, "Your book changed my life."
You know, I have never written a best seller. My income from writing is small. Really. And I am often discouraged by that. But hearing from those readers was, to me, assurance that I am doing what God has called me to do.
This week, just when I really needed some encouragement, I received this e-mail from Darcy, a reader in Connecticut:

“Keri, my husband and I read your book "Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life" early this summer while enjoying "down time" with our five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. We are changed because of it and have entered the first of our numerous school years with NOTHING on the calendar, except for MOPS 2x month.
We believe we are creating space for God to tap us on the shoulder and tell us where to spend our time and energy. We will add activities slowly and prayerfully, but have been so impressed by your words, that we have changed our lifestyle. Thank you for being so bold!”
It’s gratifying to hear that my book has had an impact, and even more gratifying that readers “get it”—that the purpose of clearing your schedule is not just so you can do nothing, but so that you're available to hear God's call and have the time and energy to respond to it. To make concrete changes that say no to a hectic life, so that you can say yes to God, who is ultimately the only one who really changes our lives.