What once was lost has now been found!

When Ron and I were courting, he gave me a very special pair of earrings that he had bought when he was serving in Saudi Arabia. This was long before he met me. He bought the earrings with the intention of giving them to the woman he intended to marry. So when he gave them to me, I was touched beyond belief.

But joy turned to sorrow when I lost them somewhere at my parents' house. I was devastated! Mortified! How could I lose something that had so much meaning?

After Ron and I got married, and I moved into the apartment he had been renting, I found them again! Oh! what a happy, joyous day that was! I wore them to a Mary Kay unit meeting, and when I put them away, I promised myself that I would put them somewhere that I would remember them and not lose them again. But I forgot where I had put them that day.

Now, more than a year after losing them for the second time, I have found them again! It is once again time to rejoice! When I found them, I screamed it out to Ron. I was so happy! It was as if I had been given some kind of beautiful, magnificent gift, as if it were Christmas!

It's like the parable of the lost coin. Come! Rejoice with me! For I have found my lost... earrings! "¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15)

Peter Jennings: 1938-2005

Today, we in the media industry mourn the loss of one of our own. Peter Jennings, a well-known news anchor for more than the last 20 years, died today from lung cancer. May he rest in peace, and let us all pray for his family and friends.

A New Lutheran Blog!

All you confessional Lutherans out there need to check out this awesome new Lutheran blog called Lutheran Carnival. Check it out!

New color, new cut (front view)

New color, new cut (front view)
Originally uploaded by Edited Copy.

This is the way the hairstylist did my hair. I'm not as crazy about this style as I am the way I do it, but this gives you a true-light view of my new color.

New color, new cut, my style (front view)

New color, new cut, my style (front view)
Originally uploaded by Edited Copy.

This is the new color I had put in my hair. It's a "cinnamon" weave. What do you think? (I know the lighting is a little different in this photo than in the other one.)

Previous haircut and style

E's haircut my style
Originally uploaded by Edited Copy.

This is the way I had my hair cut before. It's similar to the new style, but is my original hair color, the color I was born with. It seems to be the most-viewed picture in my photo stream!

It Pays to Wear a Collar

I went with a pastor friend of mine (one with whom I rode to the Deaf conference in Olathe in June) to the home of a deaf couple yesterday so he could do a home visit. Both people are deaf and nearing 90 years old. I went along so I could help interpret because the pastor doesn't know much sign language. (Thankfully, he's planning on taking my beginning ASL class that I'm teaching at my church starting in September.)

When we got ready to leave, he realized he had left his headlights on, and the battery wouldn't allow the car to start! We went back inside the house, back to the air conditioning (it got up to 100 degrees yesterday), and the pastor called AAA to come out to help.

The AAA guy who came said at first that the posts on the battery were corroded, and that's why it wouldn't start. But on further inspection, he discovered that the battery was about to die and might not make it much farther. He said that he had a battery on his truck that he could install for $109, and then he stopped and told the pastor that he could get the same battery at Wal-Mart for about $58.

We headed back to my apartment so he could drop me off before going to Wal-Mart, and we started talking about that battery sale that got turned around. I asked, "Why do you suppose he suggested going to Wal-Mart instead of buying the battery from him?"

He said, "I don't know. I think they make most of their money by selling things like that. Maybe he saw my collar" and decided to be honest.

I said, "I guess recognizing a minister with his collar can make people reconsider doing something they shouldn't do."

He laughed and agreed.

I really suggest that all the ministers reading this seriously consider wearing their collars more. Not only could it keep you from being swindled, but it really helps when people who need to speak to a minister in place of their own can recognize you for the divine position you have! Isn't it better, in situations like those, to stick out rather than to blend in?

Deaf Ministry Getting Started!

A few days ago, I e-mailed the secretary about putting a message in our church bulletin and newsletter about the American Sign Language (ASL) class I'm going to be teaching starting this September. Fortunately, I contacted her in time to make it in the newsletter for August, which was in mailboxes at church today.

Again, if any of you are anywhere near Wichita on Wednesday evenings and are interested in learning ASL, you're welcome to join my class! If there's enough interest, I'll see about offering a second class on a different day of the week.

This is what I had in today's church bulletin:

DID YOU KNOW that more than 90 percent of the deaf population in the U.S. remains unchurched? In an effort to try to reach out to these and the hard-of-hearing community, Erica will be offering a beginning American Sign Language (ASL) class during Midweek starting this September. Included in the lessons will be religious sign laugage, which is not taught in public schools or universities. Those interested are asked to list their names on a sign-up sheet outside the office so Erica will know how many books to request...

In the message for the newsletter, most of the same information was given. I only added that those interested in the class don't necessarily have to be interested in serving in Deaf Ministry to join, and that I'm especially encouraging those who are hard-of-hearing, losing their hearing or know someone who is to join.

If you're not near enough to join my class, I would encourage you to find a class and learn sign language so you can communicate with the Deaf, as well. This is a very worthy ministry, and so very important. So many churches teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to those of the Spanish-speaking community, and forget that there are countless people out there who already know the English language but can't and never have heard the Word of God.

We need to spread the Word to the Deaf just as much as we do those in countries where the Word is kept from people. These people are here in our own country! In our own towns! We don't have to travel to find them! Help them to become part of God's family by sharing God's Word with them!

I know I'm getting a little preachy here, but can you blame me? This ministry means a lot to me. I can't exactly explain why, but maybe this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life.

Yesterday was my Foot-aversary!

Left Foot Recon Surgery 23JUL2004
Originally uploaded by Edited Copy.

Can you believe it's been one year since this photo was taken? One year since the last of my two reconstructive foot surgeries? Well, it has.

Believe it or not, that splint on my foot weighed about 10 pounds. I told the nurse that's what it felt like, and she said that usually, splints like that weigh between 7 and 10 pounds, and mine was probably 10.

That was the last in a life-long series of surgeries to try to correct my feet. The last of 17 surgeries, but the second in 12 years.

Now, I can walk and stand just about as well as anyone else. In fact, I'm back to the point now that unless people knew about my surgeries, they don't know there was ever anything wrong with my feet.

I can stand for about 20 minutes or more, walk for even longer, but I still have to pace myself because my feet still tire more easily than other people's. Before the surgeries, I couldn't stand for three minutes without being in excruciating pain.

I had an appointment with my orthopaedic doctor Tuesday, and he said that I have really good movement in my ankles, and that I've gained back all of the bone mass I lost during and after the surgeries! He also said that unless I start having problems again, I don't need to go back to see him!

I've waited my whole life to hear those words.

If you click on the picture, you can see other photos I've posted on Flickr from the surgeries and the recovery. Warning: if you can't handle seeing stiches, staples and pins imbedded in skin with a little dried blood around them, you might not want to peek.

The good news is also the bad news

I guess July in the Celebrations department at work is the busiest time of the year. So many people celebrating anniversaries, engagements and weddings, along with those wishing people happy birthdays, that I've been bombarded with announcements, a.k.a. paperwork.

On the plus side, I'm getting lots of overtime. On the negative, I have no choice but to work the overtime. I'm responsible for getting the pages out, so I have to do whatever it takes to get the job done. For this two-week pay period, I'm submitting 15 1/2 hours of overtime, and there may be more, but I'll have to wait to report it until the next pay period because I have to turn in my time sheet before I actually work the hours.

I'm trying to appeal to my boss (about every other day) that I need someone to help me out with the paperwork a couple of times a week. So far, though, no response. In the meantime, I'm doing everything I can to not have to stay at work for 13 hours on Fridays, like I have two times before, last Friday included.

On the days I can get home at a decent time, I'm able to spend time with my wonderful hubby, and maybe Dan and his Elle, who is quite tolerable, by the way! We've already gone shopping together, and yesterday, Ron and I went out on a double-date with Dan and Elle at our favorite Lebanese restaurant, Byblos. The last time Ron and I were there, I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of gluten-free, dairy-free items on their menu, so I asked the owner to help me differentiate amongst all the yummy yummies. Grape leaves, kibbeh, kafta, some salads and others are foods that Elle, in all her intolerancies, can still eat! And she did, and loved it!

Next, Elle and I are planning to get together so I can give her a free facial. That's going to be fun!

In other news, Ron and I have our third anniversary coming up, and we're having pictures taken Sunday afternoon. My idea. We're supposed to get a CD free with our photos, so I'm going to try to post one on my blog for everyone to see! Anyone want a hard copy?

I'm also coming up on one year since the last of my two reconstructive foot surgeries. Can you believe it? My feet have never been better. That will be proven when I visit my orthopaedic doctor on the 19th of this month. I'll try to remember to bring my camera so I can take pics of the x-rays. You'll love it, and you know it.

There is yet another anniversary coming up: my 5th anniversary as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant!

Three anniversaries! First, the foot anniversary, and next my Mary Kay and wedding anniversary on the same day: August 31! How awesome is that!

American Sign Language Class Gets Church Council Approval

I was invited to present my position on beginning a Deaf Ministry program at our church during a council meeting this evening. Good news: everyone, and I mean everyone on the council, is in favor of it! They said that whatever materials I need to teach a class, and whatever books I need to help myself learn to interpret at church, including training that's offered by Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, they're willing to help with!

It seems I will be able to start teaching a beginning American Sign Language class during midweek this fall! I need to get in touch with the church secretary after it's decided when the classes will meet, so that she can put out a notice to the other LCMS churches in town about the class, and people at those churches who want to attend will have the opportunity to!

Once the interest in ASL has grown enough, hopefully by this time next year, at least one or two other people might be willing to go with me to the CITI training (Church Interpreter Training Institute) at Concordia Ft. Wayne to learn how to interpret church services. That way, I won't be the only one, and if I happen to be absent from church when an interpreter is needed, there will be someone there who can do it for me.

I know it's going to take a while. Ministries like this don't just spring up out of thin air and become instant successes. Please pray for me and for this beginning ministry here in Wichita. God will bless us, I know.

Murderers in Heaven???

Recently, I've come across an interesting question: If Dennis Rader (and other notorious murderers, for that matter) were to be truly repentant for all he's done before he dies, it is possible that he could end up in Heaven after he dies.

This is difficult to wrap my mind around, but if we as Lutherans believe that we are saved by God's grace, through faith, and not by our own works (as it's stated in Ephesians), then it really is possible that even the most grevious sins can be forgiven if the transgressor is truly and utterly repentant of all he or she has done. And remember, even though Rader was (or is) part of the Evangelical L*ther*n Church in America, and not the Missouri Synod, he was confirmed in the LCMS, apparently, and therefore must have learned that wonderful gem like the rest of us.

The question remains because we can never and will never know if he truly is repentant. It sure didn't look like it when he was confessing everything in front of the judge: it looked more like he was telling a tale about an insignificant event. But if he can repent of it before he dies, it is possible he'll go to Heaven.

I'm glad that God has the ability to truly know if someone is repentant and forgive them, no matter what, because I really don't think the families of his victims will ever be able to.

The Wichita Eagle issues special edition

WE BTK X-tra Edition front
Originally uploaded by Edited Copy.

This issue of the Wichita Eagle was published shortly after Dennis Rader confessed to all of the 10 BTK killings. It was sold out in about five or six hours. The only reason I was able to get a copy is because I work across from the customer service desk in the Wichita Eagle Celebrations office. (I help people place anniversary, birth, engagement and wedding announcments, among others.)

Rader surprised everyone today, including his defense team, which was convinced that the confession was going to be a "bare bones" confession. Instead, Rader gave the eerie details of every killing, including how he chose each one, even comforting some of them before he strangled them to death.

This man is seriously disturbed, although it appears there was not enough evidence to support an insanity defense.

See my post below for links to more information.

Dennis Rader Confesses to Being BTK

In a dramatic turn of events, the man held in connection with the BTK murders (serial murders that happened over a course of almost three decades by someone who eluded capture for 31 years), confessed to being the notorious killer. BTK, a nickname given by the killer, himself, stands for "bind them, torture them, kill them".

Dennis L. Rader was expected to change his plea of "not guilty" to "guilty," partially at the request of his family to make it easy on them. To tell you the truth, though, I don't know how any of this could be easy for anyone who knows or loves him. He did change his plea, and then he non-chalantly described every aspect of the killings: how he gained entry into the homes, how he went about the killings, step by step, and how he got away with each one. All this, he told without emotion. It was sickening and very, very disturbing.

I only watched about the first five minutes of his description of the Otero family murders (this was a family full of Judo experts; the youngest of the victims was only 9 years old). After that, I couldn't listen to any more, and I had work to do. I was getting ready to bundle newspapers for delivery for customers of mine who had placed announcements that ran in last Sunday's paper.

While I was bundling papers, The Wichita Eagle was printing (or, at that time, preparing to print) an "Extra Edition" featuring the guilty plea, abbreviated descriptions of the murders, and the victims. Needless to say, it sold out before the day was over, but not before I was able to get a copy for myself. A photo or two of that edition is forthcoming.

In an effort to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information, I'm providing the following links:

The Wichita Eagle, the newspaper I work for, and also one of the media outlets that received communications with BTK prior to his arrest
Eagle links that go directly to BTK coverage
KAKE-TV, the ABC television affiliate that had dealt directly with communications with BTK before his arrest
KAKE-TV links that go directly to BTK coverage: here, here, here, and here.

I may add more as the coverage continues.

Keep in mind that most of this information will only be available for a limited amount of time, so eat up what you can while you have the opportunity. Remember that the "Extra Edition" of today's paper sold out in a matter of about five or six hours. Chances are, there will be more information released over the next few days, weeks, or more, as it is released from sealed status in the court system.

I'll do my best to give my own updates with links, as well. But keep in mind that I have a full-time job now that keeps me very busy, plus a Mary Kay business that fluctuates with consistency.

If you have any questions that you aren't finding answered in the links I provided, let me know and I'll see what I can do to find the information for you.

I've been book-tagged...

Okay, Devona, I'll take up your challenge. But I must say this is going to be a rather embarrassing post. I'm going to be referring back and forth to your post to answer to the different sections of this tag. Ready? (No!) Oh, sorry. I guess I posted that out loud.

Number of books I own: This is a tricky one, because most of the books I have are text books that I decided to keep after my classes at Wichita State University were over. Other than that, I probably own between 15 and 20 books. (I told you this would be embarrassing.)

Next book to buy: Wow. I haven't really thought about that much, but I guess the next books I'm looking to buy are related to my desire to teach beginning American Sign Language. One is called Religious Sign Language, and that's one that I want to get for myself so I can improve my ability to sign at church. The others are for those who sign up for my class. It's a book called Signing Made Simple.

Currently reading: Well, I can tell you what I read when I want to read and what I'm supposed to be reading. What I read when I want to read is Killed: Great Journalism Too Hot to Print. What I'm supposed to be reading is The Hammer of God for our pastor's summer book club. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Last book I read: I very seldom read a whole book from cover to cover, and if I do, it takes a while. I'm just not much into reading. I'd rather be up and doing something or watching a good TV show or movie. The last book I read all the way through was The Gutenburg Galaxy by Marshall McLuhan. It figures, right? A communication-related book.

I've also been working my way through the articles in Killed. Very intriguing. Even Ron has liked some of them, including a story about an interview that writer Erik Hedegaard had with singer John Mellencamp. It was called "The Lay-Z-Boy Position," and it was killed by Details in 1996. I guess because the story focused a lot on Mellencamp's cigarette addiction, the magazine was afraid that its cigarette advertisers would pull their ads, so they chose not to run the story. I think Ron liked it because every other word Mellancamp used was the f-bomb.

Books that have meant the most to me: The Bible, Luther's Small Catechism, and an assortment of communication-related texts, mostly. That includes the sign language books I have. Afterall, sign language is a form of communication. A very effective one. I find it fascinating. I like Sprituality of the Cross by Gene Edward Veith, although Ron just mostly read it to me while I was putting my makeup on or something.

A book that changed my view of the world: I remember reading A Brave New World in high school. That was truly a scary futuristic view of the world, but slowly, I keep seeing evidence that some of the stuff described in the book is coming true. For instance the test-tube babies and the necessity to carry around protection in case people got frisky... I could go on, but some of the stuff I found just very disturbing.

I also read Sister Carrie, Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, Huckleberry Finn and others that I can't think of at this moment. I really liked most of the books I read in high school. And I read all of them completely. I would have read more books had I not had an advanced English teacher who didn't like me. I had to transfer out of her class because she wouldn't stop giving me Ds on papers and tests I should have gotten As or Bs on. Because of that, I missed out on Death of a Salesman, the Grapes of Wrath and a few others that I really kind of wanted to read. I guess high school was the time to do my reading because I seemed to enjoy it more then.

Embarrassing: I never really read any books I'd be embarrassed to admit to having read. The embarrassing part for me is the fact that I really don't do much reading unless it's required of me or unless I know I'm going to be stuck in a doctor's office waiting room for a while and the magazines suck. So, I bring a book with me, usually something that has something to do with the media.

My favorite book as a child: Honestly, I don't think I had one. I know that I was excited to learn how to read, but I don't think I ever really had a favorite. Unfortunately, reading wasn't really encouraged when I was growing up. I mean, not that it was banned or looked down upon or anything like that, but I never saw my parents sitting down to read anything, and I guess that's why it never really mattered to me very much.

I'm not getting too specific here, because I really don't do a lot of pleasure reading. In fact, I think it would shock Ron quite a bit if he ever saw me reading a book just for the hell of it. Usually, there has to be a pretty good reason for my book-reading. I do a lot of reading and typing at work. Ron tries to encourage me to read more, but it doesn't seem to have much of an effect on me. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I didn't learn to appreciate it when I was growing up.

But the question is this: How did I end up liking English and journalism so much if I never liked reading as a kid? And further: How am I going to impress upon the kids Ron and I have that reading is important if I can't seem to get into it, myself? That kind of concerns me. I know that whatever kids Ron and I have are going to be smart because they'll inherit our genes and more than likely improve upon what knowledge we impart to them. But we, as their parents, will need to set examples for them to follow. That won't be a problem for Ron: he loves reading. But if they see that I'm not very interested in reading, chances are good they won't be either. I hope that fear doesn't make it to reality.