Mullings & Musings...

• "Unfinished Projects" (I'm so glad I'm still an "unfinished project... and studying my way through Randy Alcorn's Heaven helps me imagine and even dream of who God just might be renewing, reclaiming me to be... some day, and I can't wait!)

"...Do ya' feel my pain? Seriously? Am I the only one who has something like 27 different projects up in the air at any given time?

There are days, when I just wanna give up and never get outta bed. Then there are days when I launch myself into fifty different things, like Superwoman-Elastagirl on steroids, and work myself into a frustrated frenzy. Neither extreme is workin' for me, y'know.

So my artist friend Adina says to me -

'Well, Teri, isn't that what our life in Christ is all about?
Aren't we all just unfinished projects?' "

• "Police Nab Runaway Elephants at Bus Stop" (Seriously! Can you just imagine? My kids would've gone cuckoo!)

"Two runaway circus elephants in Germany surprised passersby and police by showing up at a bus stop during a brief bid for freedom..."

• "Afghanistan: The Worst Place to be a Mother" (I just read a book, The Breadwinner, about some of the struggles that Afghanistani women face... my heart breaks... Another difficult, but worthwhile read that deals with some of these same issues is A Thousand Splendid Suns.)

"...50 women die in childbirth each day in Afghanistan. One in three is physically or sexually abused and the average life expectancy of women is 44.

It said that more than 85 percent of Afghan women are illiterate, while 70 percent of school-age girls do not attend school for various reasons - conservative parents, lack of security, or fear for their lives.

Taking all indicators into consideration, 'Afghanistan is the worst country' to be a mother, concluded the report, which assessed 164 countries."

• "How to Plan Home Activities for Your Summer Guests" (Good reminder, from a surprising source - at least I thought so - about another aspect of practicing hospitality.)

"Tailor house activities to your guests: Consider what type of guests you are entertaining while choosing activities. For parents with children, consider what activities will be fun for parents and kids... Your home can be a more exciting destination spot than you ever realized. Take the time before your guests arrive to determine their interests, as well as the amenities of your home. Summer guests want to enjoy their home, but also spend quality time with you and your family. Make this a summer to remember and to form vacation memories to last for a lifetime..."

• "Losing Hope: Women in Afghanistan" (A sobering video...)

"...for every 100 000 babies born alive here, 6500 of their mothers will die in the process. It is the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world... [As one interviewee says] 'A child without a mother is a big problem.' His loss reveals the impact that the death of a mother has, not just on the family, but on a small community governed by the strong belief in family unity. [He says,] 'When my wife died, everyone was sad. But now that's gone and no one cares. No one cares about other people in this world.' "