The 21 Rules Of This House
by Gregg Harris

1. We obey God.
2. We love, honor and pray for one another.
3. We tell the truth.
4. We consider one another's interests ahead of our own.
5. We speak quietly and respectfully with one another.
6. We do not hurt one another with unkind words or deeds.
7. When someone needs correction, we correct him in love.
8. When someone is sorry, we forgive him.
9. When someone is sad, we comfort him.
10. When someone is happy, we rejoice with him.
11. When we have something nice to share, we share it.
12. When we have work to do, we do it without complaining.
13. We take good care of everything that God has given us.
14. We do not create unnecessary work for others.
15. When we open something, we close it.
16. When we take something out, we put it away.
17. When we turn something on, we turn it off.
18. When we make a mess, we clean it up.
19. When we do not know what to do, we ask.
20. When we go out, we act just as if we were in this house.
21. When we disobey or forget any of the 21 Rules of This House, we accept
the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Five things
Five movies I like (for various reasons)
1. The Mummy (I’m a …LIBRARIAN)
2. The Prestige (I Never guessed this ending)
3. Ghostbusters (Hey, where do these stairs go? They go up.)
4. Sixth Sense (I never guessed this ending)
5. Ransom (Love for a child revealed)
6. Matrix (Spiritual parallels abound)
7. Schindler’s list (may we never forget)
Oops! That was seven.

October Events
1. Ryan and I see the bridge and hang out in Mackinaw for our anniversary.
2. We travel to Wisconsin to see my cousins and Aunt. I get to go to a baby shower for Baby Girl Wheeler. 
3. We go trick or treating from Great Grandma Doris’ house. The bee and the bear only last one street. Raggedy Ann made it farther, but the Soccer Player and his Dad went the farthest. Weather was perfect.
4. Ryan turns 40 and hangs out with friends and family at a small surprise party.

On Adventure

Westphals love to go on adventure. Into the van, pick South and East and go, go, go. Sarah and I spy a yellow plane out the window against a blue fall sky. It was fun to see. A little later, we see a sign for a campground and decide to check it out. We find a playground with a beach and everyone piles out to check it out. There's an elaborate sand castle on the beach that had been there awhile. Then, on the water, we see our yellow plane again. We say hello and learn that there are wheels on the bottom of the floats for when they land on the ground. Take off is loud and windy but definately something you don't experience every day.

This was the view out our window Monday morning. I could hardly contain the little ones and eventually they ended up outside, with snow pants, boots, hats and mitts. I stayed in the kitchen helping with boots, zippers, etc. Then someone had to go potty, someone lost a mitten, someone needed a coat zipped up better, the one who went potty needed new pants, someone couldn't find a sock stuck in the boot, someone got hit with snow in the face, someone slipped on the steps, etc..Welcome to winter. It was nice to have them inside again.

Five things to love about Sundays

1. Worship with other believers (yes, I am not alone in my walk with Jesus0.

2. A Sunday School class that is a blessing. (we did the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, by Joann Weaver. I highly recommend this book if you want to discover balance between work and worship in your life.)

3. Children's Sunday School --where Godly people patiently pour God's word into my children.

4. Sunday afternoons at my Grandma's house.

5. Watching my husband interact with the children. There's something incredible about seeing the man you love LOVE the children you love.

On Adventure

Have you ever gone “On Adventure”? Our family loves to do this. We clamor aboard the Westphal van on an early Saturday morning and pick two compass directions, one is either E or W, and the other is either N or S, and then we drive. When we reach an intersection, we turn whatever way keeps us on our directions. It’s like getting lost on purpose, but we have seen some interesting things. We try to bring the camera so we have photographic evidence.

Here is one such adventure.
We found these cars racing around a big parking lot at Grand Valley State University. They are students, careening around these cones to achieve the fastest time. And you thought college students studied? Note that the cars have taped-on numbers, and thankfully, drivers have helmets, but I couldn’t help wonder if mom and dad knew what junior was up to with that car they gave him for trips home. Note that one of the wheels is actually OFF the ground.

Summer Slideshow

Make a Smilebox photobook

Who's your Wilson?

We were recently playing cards with friends and someone mentioned you can’t be a Christian in a vacuum. I chimed in, “Everybody needs a Wilson.”
Incredibly, three of us were thinking of different Wilsons! (Of course, the women were of one mind.)

Wilson one –from the movie Castaway. When Tom Hanks was alone on the island, he actually made a friend and almost drowned trying to save a volleyball with a handprint on it.

Wilson two-from the show Home Improvement. When Tim Taylor had a problem he couldn’t solve, he often went to the backyard to talk it over with his neighbor Wilson, whose face always remained hidden.

Wilson three-from the Fox series House. Dr. Gregory House, rude and self-centered, yet a genius at solving illnesses, has an oncologist friend named, you guesses it, Wilson. Wilson often inadvertently gives House the answer to his medical mysteries during conversations in his office.

So, my question remains: Who is your Wilson?
I’d like to say a special thank-you to my Wilson (you know who you are.)

My grandma broke her toe. But this story is not about Grandma. It’s about me, again. (Deep down, we are all such selfish creatures. Hopefully, we are battling to put others first, if we are striving to be true Christ followers).

My grandma broke her toe. So I stopped by to help her out. (The kids all watched T.V. They LOVE to visit Grandma Doris). Grandma took a shower. She didn’t want to do this when she was home alone. I started laundry and swept and mopped the floor. I continued to watch the sky as the afternoon wore on. I began to lament the time change, the darkness, and of course, my impending curfew. (Please note, my deteriorating vision makes night driving far too dangerous for me, my family, other motorists, and pedestrians).

I had to hurriedly pack up the kids and leave with stubborn, damp towels still in the dryer. Arghh…I gave Grandma strict instructions not to attempt the stairs in her condition. Then I prevailed upon the gem of a man I married to stop by after work and finish my grandmother’s laundry. He lovingly complied. (I love this man). But as I drove home in the gloom, I sighed at my doom. (Hey, did you catch that rhyme? Too much Dr. Seuss in my life at this time).

As I grew sad about my vision loss, I tried to cheer myself up by playing the comparison game. You know the game…it could be worse, I could already be blind…my kids could have cancer….my husband could be dead…etc..etc.. This never works as a source of encouragement. It’s just too self-centered. Today I was cheered up by a true source of encouragement, the WORD OF GOD (I say this in my best BIBLEMAN voice).

If you are familiar with pro-life literature, you’ve probably read this verse countless times, “For you formed my inward parts, you wove me in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13. Well, it wasn’t that one. It’s the two verses before it that provided me with peace this morning and reassurance about who is really in charge of our lives. I will close with these verses and pray that they encourage you in your “darkness.”

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night.’ Even the darkness is not dark to YOU, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to you.” Psalm 139:11, 12.

Things kids say

Who do you think it is? Is it Marc or Luc? How did you know?

I Mom and Luc have a conversation.
“I love my daddy,” Luc says.
“oh, how much?” Mamma inquires.
“Too much.” Luc answers.
“Really?” Mama answers, trying to keep a straight face.
“Yes,” Luc replies seriously, and then he smiles, “But I love my Mama THREE much.” Mama laughs out loud at that one.

Marc had learned “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see…” and now is making up his own verses. Here’s the latest, “Oh, be careful little nose what you blow..”