Heroes Review

I just love the show Heroes. I posted about it last year. Click here to read a review about it if you have never seen the show. This year started off slow. I wasn't caring for it much (too many new characters) until midway it started to pick up speed.

Last night's show was very exciting. Two of the characters Maya and Peter were placing their trust in two evil characters. The problem was they didn't know these characters were evil. Could it be that they are stupid? No, I don't think that's accurate, naive maybe.

They were being deceived. The reason they were easily deceived is that they wanted something. Maya wanted to be accepted and loved. Peter wanted to save the girl he loved and the world. Noble causes, yes. Here's the thing about deception. First when are you being deceived about a situation, you don't know that until it all over. Second, you can only be deceived if there is something you want.

I've learned this lesson in my personal life. It's a mistake I try not to repeat because it's expensive. The casualties are high. In the case of Heroes Maya has lost her brother (she is unaware of this fact because he was killed by the bad guy she placed her trust in) and Peter is trusting someone who wants to kill as many people as he can (storyline dictates 93% of the population will die from this virus he wants to release and not destroy).

How often do we fall prey to deception? Listening to lies veiled in "truth" often produces this outcome. Lord, help me to not to be deceived. Help me to keep my eyes on You. Let nothing take root in my heart that is not part of Your will for my life.

© Nadine Z. 2007

Next up “The Truth of the Matter – Part V”

Happy Birthday Son

Today is my son’s 22nd birthday. He is a joy and delight to our lives. Tom and I couldn’t be more proud of the man that he has become. He is pursuing his dreams in CA. He is currently working on the show American Gladiators as a casting assistant. He’s gotten to meet the show’s host Hulk Hogan. The show will run for eight episodes in January. The best part is he’s having a blast.

I remember when I became pregnant with him. Our daughter was a little over a year old. We just wanted a healthy baby and didn’t matter if it was a girl or boy. We had names picked out for either. My father on the other hand kept saying this was going to be his grandson. He was very sure about that fact.

I loved being pregnant and feeling the baby kick and move. My son moved a lot. Tom was amazed at how fast the kicks would come. It is funny that 22 years later I can remember the day so vividly. I was scheduled to have a C-section. This made my dad nuts. He said the doctor wasn’t God and couldn’t tell his grandson when to be born. He was right. I went into labor the day before I was to have the C-section. I was already checked in to the hospital and just relaxing. When suddenly that feeling comes back and you remember what labor feels like. We called the nurse who called the doctor. Four hours later he came. He was at a fancy dinner (he was wearing a tuxedo) about two hours away. I remember seeing him for the first time and how grateful to God I was that he was fine. He had all his fingers and his toes.

I love my son and it was hard not having him here for Thanksgiving or his birthday. I missed making him his favorite dinner and baking him a cake. I missed giving him a hug. I called him, but it wasn’t the same. I so wanted to be there with him. This is how life is, we raise up our children and they sometimes move away. He’s working hard doing something he loves. He’s happy and because of that I’m happy. I wouldn’t want him to be anyplace else. I love him enough to let go.

He’s coming home for Christmas and I’m so excited about seeing him. Happy Birthday Son! Your dad and I love you.

© Nadine Z. 2007

Giving Thanks

Tom and I hosted a family of eight, my daughter and her friend from school for Thanksgiving. There were eleven of us at the table (Pictured above is us digging in). It was a very pleasant time. We also had other friends stop by after dinner to spend time with us.

I was so grateful that our friends loaned us their two teenage daughters the night before to help me with the cooking. We made two turkeys (I couldn’t find one big enough so we made two smaller ones), baked ziti, stuffing and gravy. Below are some pictures of the girls cooking and having fun.

Making ziti. Lots of pasta and three different cheeses.

Chopping onions makes her cry, but not for long. Smiles all around.













The next day we finished off the menu with baked ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and green bean casserole. All the girls (I had four helpers and did I ever appreciate all of them) helped get the house together. They cleaned, set the table and helped finish off the meal. Many hands make for light work.

Our wonderful guest bought over wine, shrimp, chocolate cake and homemade cranberry sauce. Costco makes such good pies, that I decided I would let them contribute the pumpkin and apple pies we had.

I am very grateful for God, my family (near and far), good friends (and their wonderful kids who help cook) and for so many blessings God has given me. I hope that all of you had a great Thanksgiving.

© Nadine Z. 2007

Interns

The word intern means an assistant or trainee working to gain practical experience in an occupation. I’ve come to the realization it means much more. Streams Canada has an internship program. Part of our trip was to minister to the interns (group pictured above). It was the best part of the trip. These are extraordinary young people that I fell in love with. They are passionate for God, willing to serve and open to whatever God would impart to them. They made us feel special and in the end, I was blessed more than they could know. Each of them have unique gifts and talents. By the end of the trip I wanted to see how many interns I could sneak back to Washington with me. In the short time that some of them have been there, you can plainly see the work that God has done in them. Looking at them I see them at the end of their journey. The world will be blessed when they move forward towards their destinies.

There are two houses (one for the guys and one for the girls). They were meeting in the girl’s house for prayer and worship when Tom and I arrived. We went straight there when we finally landed. Their welcome was warm. They were excited, but little did they know that I was elated to meet them as well. They come from different parts of the world. We got to share the story of how we met and impart some life’s lessons we’ve learned along the way. The time spent with them was priceless and joy for us. We left a bit of our heart there and took a bit of theirs home.

The class went well. The subject matter (strongholds, submission, forgiveness, lawlessness) is not always easy but the concepts help us to better ourselves. I enjoyed working with Tom. It amazed me that after all these years I can still learn so much from him. The couple (Eric & Joni) in charge of the intern program was both gracious and generous to us. Joni and I became fast friends. She has a great sense of humor and we laughed so much. The class ended early on Saturday night and we had an opportunity to see a bit of Vancouver. We went to a very nice restaurant for dinner called The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant. The food was great and the company even better.

We had no trouble coming home on the plane. No delays and our luggage arrived with us. Yeah! Miracles do happen with air travel.

So thank you, Lane, Ronny, Rachel, Jennifer, Cameron, Joshua, Justin, Erin, Christine, David S., Jesse, Hannah, Danielle, Ashley Tyler, Bethany, Kulbir, Anthony, Jamie, Claire, Rebecca, Noah, Sharayah, David C., Eric and Joni for a great time. Thank you for allowing us to come and spend time with all of you. Our lives are richer for the experience.

© Nadine Z. 2007

Right Attitude

We're home and we had a great trip. I look forward to telling you all about it. But first, let’s talk about travel. Tom and I got to the airport Wednesday to find out that our first flight was delayed. The problem became that we would cut it really close for our flight out of Seattle to Vancouver. The airline automatically booked us on the next flight out which unfortunately was four hours later. We found our way to customer service to get new tickets. There comes a time when you have to just say to yourself; “There is nothing I can do about this situation. I will get there eventually. It’s going to be okay.”

At the customer service counter it was apparent that the gal behind the desk was worn-out. She was very helpful, probably hoping we weren’t going to be irate over having to wait four hours before our next flight. She apologized that we would have to wait so long before our next flight. Here is how the conversation progressed:

Me: “So how long have you been here?”
Counter Lady: “Since 7:00 am and my shift ends at 10:00 pm.”
Me: “Dang, that’s a long day. You poor thing. You see honey we don’t have it that bad, at least we’ll get out here in four hours.” This brings a smile to her face.
Counter Lady: “I’m sick too. I’ve had a cold.”
Me: “I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better.”
Counter Lady: “Here are your new tickets and a meal ticket for $12 for any place in the airport. I wish it could be more.”
Me: “Wow, thanks.”

When we walked away Tom mentioned that she didn’t have to give us a meal ticket. She did it because I was nice to her. We went to Anthony’s and had a nice meal and talked. Then Tom read a book to me. We had such a pleasant time with each other. The four hours just melted away.

Our attitudes were right and God blessed us in return. It proved to me how important kindness is in these types of situations. When we are faced with the option of being kind or angry…kindness gets us further every time. I wasn’t kind to the lady because I thought I would get something from her. I was kind because I sensed she was already having a tough day. I didn’t want to add to it.

Just so you know we had no trouble on our trip back. It went very well.

I’ll be catching up with you all soon. Next up, “Interns.”

© Nadine Z. 2007

The Truth of the Matter Part IV

Tom and I will be in Vancouver, BC teaching a class this week. I’m bringing my laptop in case I get inspired. We will be busy, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to visit blogland. Until then here are answers to some of your burning questions. If you haven’t gotten your questions answered yet, hang in there. It will take a few more installments before it’s all done.

Debz asked, “If you felt that God was calling you to adopt, would you go for it now that all your children are grown up.”

Tom and I are looking forward to some day being grandparents, but if God called us to adopt at this phase of our lives, we would. It’s really not on the radar screen for us, but with anything I give God room to be God and edit my plans.

Dameselfly asked, “How did you end up on the West Coast?”

Tom and I grew up in New York. When we lived there, we felt a call to plant a church in West Virginia (a long story). This was about fifteen years ago. We were in West Virginia for six years, when we felt what God brought us there for was over. We prayed and closed down our church plant (a longer story). Our church was totally behind the decision and everything ended very well. We began the process of looking for the place God would send us next. Tom applied to many churches. We went to several of the churches for interviews, but knew those were not the place for us. Then Tom got the call to come here to Washington (an even longer story). When we came here for the interview, we knew this was the place for us. They hired Tom and we’ve been here for the past seven years.

Shaunda asked, “How do you view drinking alcohol as a Christian?”

I don’t have a problem with drinking alcohol as a Christian, but I do have a problem with drunkenness. If someone I knew was an alcoholic, I would not have a drink in their presence. I would not want to temp or cause them to stumble. Jesus’ first miracle recorded in the Bible was turning water into wine. It was very good wine to boot. In those days when there was a festive occasion, they served the good wine first. When people had too much to drink then they bought out the cheap stuff.

Shadraq asked, “What color of cotton candy most describes you and why?”

To know you Shadraq is to love you. I would be rainbow colored. I’m complex and so I don’t think that one color would describe me. I like to do many things and I have many facets to my personality. To choose one color would limit me.

© Nadine Z. 2007

Yellow Roses

I received an email with this story about a woman who lost her husband. It inspired me. I decided to add my spin to it. I hope you enjoy my version.

Harriett pushed her empty grocery cart down the aisle. She had gone through half the store trying to make a decision as to what to buy. There was a time she enjoyed food shopping, but now it was just a chore. She stopped in front of the cereal shelf. “I guess there’s no reason for me not to get my favorite cereal with nuts and raisins.” For fifty years she purchased rice puffs because Harvey liked it. In the year since he’s been gone, it’s been the little things that she missed most. A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek at the thought of him. Her daughter wanted her to move in with her. She didn’t want to leave her home or sacrifice her independence. To be honest, she was afraid of giving up on living. One day she will see Harvey again and she has one question for him, “What was your rush? Couldn’t you just wait a little longer for me to go with you?”

She’s not certain how she got there, but she found herself standing in front of the meat section. Harvey was such a meat and potatoes kind of guy. It was so easy to please him in the kitchen. Harriett got lost in the memory of the first time she cooked him a meal. She bought a nice piece of steak. She wasn’t sure how to cook it, but was on the phone with her mother every step of the way. She baked a potato and boiled some carrots. Time stood still from the moment he picked up the fork and placed a piece of steak in his mouth. He savored the flavors and chewed slowly. He looked up at his young wife and said, “That is one of the finest steaks I’ve ever had. You can stay another week.” He winked and it made her smile. Throughout their married life whenever he enjoyed a meal he told her the same thing. For 53 years he’d say that to her, and every time it made her smile. What she wouldn’t give to hear him say it just once more.

She picked up a package of steak. It seemed like it was so much for just one person. She noticed a young mother with two small children by her side and a third one sitting in the cart. She held in her hands a package of steak. She started to put it down and then picked it up again. Harriett couldn’t help but notice her dilemma.

“What seems to be the trouble dear?”

Startled the woman looked sheepishly at Harriett not knowing what to think. “Well you see, my husband loved steak, but it seems like such a luxury. He’s had a rough week and I wanted to do something nice for him.”

Harriet asked, “I would love to purchase that package of steak for your family.”

The woman answered, “What a generous offer, but it’s really not necessary.”

“My husband died a year ago. He loved steaks. It would be my way of knowing that someone was enjoying steak for him.”

“Well that settles it. I will get them after all, but I can afford it. Thank you though for your kind offer.” When the young woman walked away, she took a second look at the older woman. The young woman got inspired by a still small voice. She knew it must be God talking to her.

Harriett asked the Lord how she would be able to live life alone. She missed Harvey so much that she thought her heart would explode. How will she carry on without him? With tears in her eyes she noticed the young mother coming towards her smiling. She tried to compose herself.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I was so moved by your kindness to me that when I went to pay for my items, I had extra money hidden in my pocket. It was the right price for these yellow roses. I would like you to have them.”

Harriett couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer. “Young lady you have no idea what you have done for me. My husband would buy me yellow roses all the time whenever he saw them. He told me that no matter how beautiful I thought they were, they paled in comparison to me. He was a big mush.”

The woman smiled. “My name is Lauren and I would be honored if you would join us for dinner.”

Harriett was beside herself. “Why that would be lovely. But only if I can bring over the dessert.”

Lauren handed her a card with the address. “See you at six.”

Harriett thanked the Lord in heart. She knew He had His hand in this. She looked at the flowers in her hands and peace started to fill her. She heard the Father say, “You are never alone.”

© Nadine Z. 2007

Up next: More questions answered.

The Truth of the Matter - Part III

I’m really enjoying answering your questions.

Art asked, “What makes you most happy?”

What makes me the happiest is when my family, Tom and our children are happy. I’m really a simple kind of gal. I’m most content when I know my children are doing well and they are happy with their lives. When Tom is happy with life then I feel content, maybe it has to do with the two becoming one flesh thing. No matter what good comes my way, if my family isn’t there to share it and happy themselves then it’s not worth much to me.

EM asked, “What advice would you give a young woman who is searching for direction in her life as well as purpose?”

I would ask her what she is passionate about. What fuels her fire? Where there is passion there is life. If it means going to school to pursue that dream, then do that. I would also tell her not to settle, but to aim high. Everyone has something they are passionate about. Don’t walk, run towards that goal. You don’t have to search further than what is already in your heart.

Ann(ie) asked, “Do you have a fear of death?”

My faith helps me not to fear death. I’m confident about where I’ll end up after I die. To be honest, I’m not too hot about the process of dying. My preference would be to go in my sleep at the same time that Tom goes in his sleep when we are about 100. I don’t know when I’ll go home to the Lord, but until then I want to live life to the fullest.

A Woman Who is asked, “What life experiences move you the most?”

What life experiences move me the most would have to be when I married Tom, when my children were born and whenever I see complete joy in the eyes of my loved ones. For me weddings and births are the best of life experiences.

“Would you rather cry over something sweet or laugh over something funny?”

I would rather laugh over something funny, because I love to laugh. Sometimes I laugh so hard, I cry.

Jen(n) asked, “If you and Tom could have a vacation home anywhere in the world, with money being no object, where would you buy?”

No question or thought about this one, a villa in Tuscany on the top of a hill overlooking a vineyard that we don’t have to tend to.
More answers to come.

© Nadine Z. 2007

The Truth of the Matter – Part II

Shionge asked, “Do you like chocolate?”

Do birds fly? Do pigs love to roll around in the mud? Will a bull kick you in the head if you try to milk it? These are the truths of life. I don’t just like chocolate, but I ADORE chocolate. I love it in any form; cookie, cake, truffles, milk, etc. In fact, my home in heaven looks like this: avocado trees on one side and mango trees on the other. A river of chocolate runs through it with a pool of caramel its midst.

Here’s a funny story about my love of chocolate. Tom sometimes surprises me with flowers or chocolates. He’s very romantic. I come home after a tough day and what do I find? In the corner of the counter of my kitchen were displayed eighteen beautiful roses (they were an unusual color of red, almost purple in hue) and a small bowl of my favorite chocolates. I walked in and said, “Oh you got me chocolates.” After a bit of a pause my eyes rose up, “. . . and flowers.”

Keshi asked, “Do you have an Indian friend in your real life?”

Yes. I’ve known my friend Aminie since I was ten years old and she was nine. We called each others parents mom and dad. We did everything together. I loved learning about her culture and she mine. I took her to church with me on Sundays when she wasn’t busy with her family. Her mom was a great cook and I can’t remember any of the names of the dishes I had, but her curry chicken was amazing.

Through the years I have kept in contact with her. She was the one I spoke about encouraged to become a lawyer. She lives in another part of the country, but miles and time can’t distance a friendship like ours. When we talk, it’s like time stood still.

Debz asked, “What color was your husband’s hair?”

When I first met Tom his hair was light brown and as the years went on it became darker. Below is a picture of us at my junior prom, when we first started dating.

More answers to come. Stayed tuned.

© Nadine Z. 2007

The Truth of the Matter

I couldn’t believe all the great questions you all had. I will do my best to answer them. Some of them had similar themes and so I’ll answer them together.

Karolee asked, “What do you like most about being a pastor’s wife and what do you dislike most about the role?” “What denomination (if any) is the church your husband is the pastor of?” We are non-denominational. You can learn more about our church by clicking here.

Diane asked, “Will you answer more than one question, please?” She also said, “I would love to hear more about your role as a pastor’s wife.” Yes, I will answer more than one question and I’ll try to answer to the best of my ability about being a pastor’s wife.

I found early on that people had definite ideas of what it meant for me to be a pastor’s wife. They thought I should head children’s or women’s ministry. I knew my husband was called to be a pastor. The gifts of God were obvious and evident by their fruit. I wasn’t sure if I was created to be a pastor’s wife. What were modeled for me were superwomen, able to sing and play piano in a single bound. I thought in the beginning of my husband’s ministry if I didn’t fit into this mold, then I was a failure. I was tormented by what I saw as my shortcomings. I thought I wasn’t “spiritual” enough. At times, I listened to the enemy’s voice tell me that God was going to kill me and replace me with a “real” pastor’s wife.

The truth that set me free was the Lord spoke to my heart one day. He let me realize I was created to be the wife of my husband and mother to his children. No one else was created to fit this role for him. That’s what a pastor’s wife is all about…being the wife of the pastor. I realized that I didn’t fit in a box and that was okay. I am unique and the Lord created me to be me.

I can’t begin to tell you how freeing that was for me. I already knew how to be a good wife. My role has been from the beginning, especially when my children were little to love Tom with all my heart and take care of our kids. I wanted to make his home a place where it was safe and comfortable to be. I wanted to take care of the little things that could have distracted him from God’s calling. It wasn’t until we came here to Washington that Tom became a full time pastor. He use to work a full time job and pastor our church plant in West Virginia.

What I like most about being a pastor’s wife is . . . being Tom’s wife. I love being married to him and standing by his side. I love when we get to minister together. What I dislike most is . . . that I have to share Tom. He teases me all the time and tells me I don’t like to share. I tell him I share great until I don’t want to anymore. There are times I need to just be alone with him and sometimes that gets interrupted. This is all part of it and I totally understand that. Our people are great. They know this about me and love me anyway. I love them. We are blessed to have a church full of wonderful people, who love God and love us. I’m proud to serve them in anyway that God asks me to.

When Tom was diagnosed with cancer two years ago was when I realized how wonderful God’s people can really be. They not only gave us financially to help with the massive medical bills, but also of themselves. When Tom was going through chemotherapy they took turns cooking meals for us for nearly 20 weeks. One of the men in church came and picked him up and stayed with him during these treatments, because I only had so many sick days. It broke my heart not to be with him during those times. It helped knowing he wasn’t alone. It was the hardest thing we went through in our married life together, but we weren’t alone and I was grateful.

Now that my children are grown my role and calling has changed. I do other things; I dance, I write, I teach and I still love and support my husband. This is not to say the box is bad, just maybe my box is bigger and decorated differently.

God has been gracious to me. I’ve had the opportunity to share this truth of just being the wife of the pastor with other young women who wondered how they are going to measure up to the task. It sets me free to be just me.

This year I’ve taught more than I have ever. I’ve loved it. It shocked me to come to this realization. I look forward to going with Tom to Vancouver, BC to teach a class and minister to the interns at Streams Canada. I love that I get to do this with him. God has been very gracious to me as my role as a pastor’s wife. Tom is a good man who loves me and I love him. The people in our church are good people who love us and I love them. I serve a good God and I love Him.

Stay tuned for more questions answered.

© Nadine Z. 2007