Falders circa 1974

These were two outfits of Alex's brother, Mike. 30 years later.

Tip #42

I don't wear makeup--mascara and lipstick on Sundays.

I don't wear jewelry--just my diamonds.

I don't do manis or pedis or massages--unless I have a gift certificate.

But, I do do hair. I'm not afraid to spend some cash on a good haircut and I'm not afraid to lay it down for a good shampoo.

When it comes to shampoo, my top priority is the health of my hair. My hair is curly, thus textured and coarse. I'm not blessed with a natural sheen. My hair is also fine, so the ends damage easily. I have, after a 37 year search, found a fabulous shampoo. It is the first time I am certain a product is making my hair look and feel better. It's not for every hair type, but if you are looking for an intense moisture product, look no further. Aveda's Dry Remedy Shampoo! The 16 oz bottle is a whopping $42, but it lasts 6 months (disclaimer: I wash my hair once every two or three days). Consider adding this to your Christmas list.

What shampoo do you use?

Books

I dreamt about this.

Princess all day, every day

Davy has taken her princess obsession to new levels by randomly quoting sections of the stories. Here's one we caught on tape.

Happy Halloween

Some simple Falder happenings this month

Jacob's face before the next photo was taken

Alex introducing his sword to Jacob

Making our Jack-o-lantern

Our 3rd annual trip to the pumpkin patch

Hard to believe we've lived here long enough to have this be our third trip.

God's will

I took a year off of college after my freshman year to attend the Discipleship Training School with Youth With a Mission in Arkansas. The guy who led my DTS was named John Ray. I liked him and his family immediately. His wife, Jane, had attended Kendall School of Art and Design in Grand Rapids. She had given birth to her daughter at home without much more than a moan. I saw some video footage and even as a naive 20 year old, this was impressive. They were a highly creative family, which I admired. They were missionaries with YWAM, raising financial support and traveling the world. They loved people without reservation, seeming to care little about what they received in return. They are not your stereotypical missionary family. They were fun and cool and they laughed a lot. I have met few people like them.

They visited me at Hope College, with their only daughter Hope, a year after I left Arkansas. They were in Alpena the weekend my dad died three years later. Since then, I have only kept in contact through their Christmas letter. This year we connected on FB. Even over the world wide web, I was able to see the heart of their family (4 daughters) and their clearly radical dedication to the gospel.

This month their 10 year old daughter, Olivia, was hit by a car and killed while crossing the street. John sent me an email days after in which his final words were "help us". I have thought of little else some days, waking in the night hoping for a different reality for them. Praying...with few words. The memorial service for Olivia was streamed online. I watched every minute of the two hours, hoping for a glimpse of who she was and how her family was coping. Jane spoke during the service. She talked about being at the hospital after the accident, before Olivia died. She was saying to God, "I love your will, Lord. Your will is good."

It was so profound. The idea of loving God's will had never struck me. The idea of loving his will when it is not ours. I am wondering what it would look like for me to love God's will. If I loved his will, then clearly I would seek it and when it is not what I would chose, I would trust it. This is a new concept to me. Have you thought about this? Do you love God's will?