Missing!

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I received an email this morning from Susan Dillier. I read my mail at 7AM. Susan's post was time stamped four hours earlier. In the dark of the night, a mother held a vigil for her missing child. Susan asked me to post this:

6'2", 200 lb and 15 year old Christopher Luke Dillier is missing. Hegoes by Luke. Luke went along with his brother and mother, to his brother's violin lesson on Friday July 24, 2009 around 9 AM in the area of Coit and 635. He mentioned to his mother that he had forgotten something in the family's van and left the instructor's house to go out and retrieve it. He never returned.

If anyone has any information about his whereabouts, knows of any suspicious activity in the area, or has any other information, please immediately call 911 and relay the information.

Please keep Luke and his family in your prayers.

Luke is a sweet, loyal, intelligent young man - devoted to his faith, family and community. His family is desperate to have him back home with them.

Please send this link to all you can to get Luke's face out there to bring him home quickly and safely.

Luke


Please join me in praying for Luke, his family, and all the people searching so earnestly for him.

Seven Quick Takes

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Jen has teased this so well that I couldn't resist this week:-).

1
Does everybody come home from vacations in beach houses and want to purge every last little bit of clutter from their "real" houses? And all but a few days' worth of clothes? It's so much easier to maintain a clean, orderly home in a vacation house with absolutely no "stuff." Sigh.

2
Charlotte hates shoe shopping. Me too. But my feet are small and still look like they did when I was a teenager. If I look down, I'd never know my body had aged at all. Still, I hate shoe shopping. I think my feet look the way they do because I steadfastedly refuse to ever put them into anything that isn't totally comfortable and supportive. No heels. No pointy toes. Nothing too tight or too loose. So, it's pretty much impossible to find shoes:-) And it's pretty pathetic that my feet are my best feature. When I was in high school, my friend Darlene's mom told me that if someone's checking you out and they get to your feet, you're in trouble.
 Whatever.

3
Are you going to the Family Centered Learning Conference tomorrow? You should. It's a rare thing to have an opportunity to go to a conference that promotes community.This one is all about the joy that is yours for the taking. Joyful community? Sounds like a good combination.

4
My godson is going to be baptized on Sunday. He's still a really little guy--just isn't packing on the pounds. It's a curious thing: neither is this godson. Two little guys concerning their mamas and their doctors and in need of weight-gaining prayers. One of them is John and the other is Ian (which is also John) and they both need to grow, grow, grow. Sure makes praying for them a simple thing.

5
We're all about St. Anne here this week. I've pulled out the prayer book from last summer and fall and chosen my favorite St Anne petitioning novena before her feast on July 26 (John's baptism day). We have  tea planned for the following Monday, when Gracie can be with us. And we're going to pray a thanksgiving novena along with Aussie Annie after the feast. I got a sneak peek at the prayer she found and it's really beautiful.

6
I drank no coffee while at the beach. I had no internet while at the beach. I was a kinder, gentler mommy. Now, is it coffee or wi-fi or both that I need to eliminate permanently? Not sure, but I'm definitely reconsidering my plan to take the laptop to Panera early in the morning to work on the book.

7
I'm reading Morning by Morning at Kim's suggestion. It's certainly an interesting read. And Kim definitely culled some inspirational quotes.I bought the book for home education inspiration.  On the whole, I found the book to be more about racism than anything else and I found it to be very unsettling and not so inspiring. Much fodder for conversation, though. A review could easily be a long post and not a "quick take" and opening comments would generate a lively discussion for sure. But I'm faint of heart when it comes to online conversations about controversial topics, so we'll just sneak in the quick take and say that the book will make you think. And I disagreed with author often.
Speaking of inspiration, Bridget's got a must-read post for new homeschoolers.

Visit Jen for more Quick Takes.

The Challenge

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We're back from the beach.
There's unpacking to do.
There are groceries to buy.
There is the memory of a beach house--clean, uncluttered, and utterly peaceful.
I have three candles that smell just like the beach. Yes, the beach has a smell and Yankee Candle has bottled it well. According to the website,  have about 60 hours or up to 70 hours burn time with these three small candles.

The goal: To work here at home to restore order and evoke peace-of-place before the candles burn out and the memory of that beautiful place fades.

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FaithButton 

1
 
I managed to escape to the beach for a few days. I packed us all up, brought enough food for several days, and retreated into a seaside paradise. The only thing I forgot was my pants. I learned that I can wear the same pair of capris for four days with no ill effect. 

    
2
My marriage survived the inevitable vacation fight and I learned a valuable lesson.
 Finally.
 I think.

3
 I nursed a baby for three hours straight in the van without either of us being unbuckled.

4
I survived without the internet all that time.
And it was very good thing.

Whatare your successes this week? This is a great exercise in holding ourselves accountable and patting ourselves on the backs. Mothering and homemaking don't have built in performance reviews and bonuses. The  internet can be a source of support and encouragement. Let's encourage one another in our small successes.I'm very late to the party, but you can still share too at Faith and Family Live!