I got to spend some time with a lifelong friend of mine the other day. We were in kindergarten together...graduated high school together...and then went our separate ways to college and beyond. But we've always managed to stay in touch and have always said that no matter how much time passes between our meetings, we can always pick back up right where we left off! Both of our sets of parents are planning to move in the near future. It got us talking about how the family changes through time. Our grandparents used to be the "centers" of our families, and now we see that role being taken on by our parents now that THEY are the grandparents. We talked about how Plymouth, Indiana, the town we spent our entire childhood no longer seems like "home."
And yet...It still does feel like home in some ways. I went to Plymouth last weekend...probably the last time I will spend with my family in the house I grew up in.
We moved in when I was 6. My biggest memory of moving was that I was very afraid that I would get lost walking to school from my new house. The old one was directly across from the playground. This house was two blocks away and I couldn't see the school from my house! But somehow I found my way. Whew! :)
Close to half of my life happened in that house. Lots of games of baseball and soccer in the backyard. Lots of plays performed on the screen porch. Lots of pioneer families took residence under the TV antennae. Lots of books read. Lots of chores done. Lots of piano lessons half practiced. Disney Afternoons were watched. Dates came to pick me up. I crashed the van in the garage. Graduation parties. Staying up too late on the computer during my college summers. You know...I could go on. It was life and a pretty fantastic place to grow up. To say I'm thankful for my parents and my childhood and the house that went with it doesn't quite run deep enough to express my true gratitude.
I went out to run on Memorial Day morning and ran to the cemetery near my parents' home. Fitting on Memorial Day, I thought, as I watched an older gentleman in a pointed military hat set up a platform for a ceremony to be held later in the day... And I concluded it seemed to be a day of memorial for me as well beyond those who fought for freedom. Mom took us on walks at that cemetery as children and we would love looking at the dates and names of the people and try to imagine what their lives were like. (Yeah, we'll just pretend that's a normal thing to do...but to this day I like cemeteries.)
Anyway...there was a certain spot in a certain corner where the little road curved to meet an old farm fence. Inside the fence was a field of flowers, and outside the fence was shaded by a row of giant evergreen trees that had branches that reached toward the sky in giant U's. I always imagined that the trees were reaching their arms to heaven, praising God in quiet reverence of those who had passed away and whose bodies lay beneath their roots, but whose spirits were with Him. It was peaceful and quiet and the grass was extra soft and dark and long...like grass tends to get in extra old and shady spots. Being a slightly morbid child, I always thought that it would be wonderful to be buried there where the trees praised God. On my Memorial Day run, that was the exact place I wanted to go by myself and remember. Except...the trees were gone. At first I thought it had been so long that I had just forgotten where my special spot was. But the fence was there. The field was there. And the trees were not. For some reason, this was the one thing that made me really angry and sad in all the goodbyes. "They" just had to go and take my trees from me, too!? Not fair! But I also kind of felt like God was was using this to say..."Time moves on, Beth! It's okay to be sad, but I have a different place for you now. I have a different place for your parents now, too. And it's a good thing. Your home is not found in houses or church buildings or even in spots where the trees praise God. Your home is in ME."
So my parents will move. My church is getting ready to move (Although that's more exciting, but it also comes with some serious work and changes!). And although in general I'm pretty horrible about moving...I'm starting to "get" that the places that we call home aren't our true home at all. Paul says it well in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. I cannot and will not ever be completely comfortable here on earth; I need to long for my true home in Heaven.
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Shawn McDonald says it well, too.
Home
I've seen enough to say that I know
That this old world is not my home
From lustful eyes and tainted lies, pride to hide the way that I
The way that I feel inside
I am ready to go home
I'm packing my bags and I'm hitting the road
I am ready to go home
I'm packing my bags and I'm hitting the road
I'm packing my bags and I'm hitting the road
Yes, I'm gonna run, I'm gonna run for my home
To stand in the sight of the Living God
That's where I'm longing to be
(Why stick to the lyrics on the original recording? Here's some extra lyrics he adds in the bridge of this version that I like:
I am going to head for my home
My home is not found here oh no no no
But up with the Lord, oh yeah)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Trust in the Lord, Trust in the Lord, Trust in the Lord...
Last week I attended WVLUN. No, not the Wacky Vampire League of Underwear Nightswimming. (That's next week. All you vampires out there, don't forget to bring your own undies!) I'm talking about Wabash Valley Ladies Unity Night. It's an annual event here in the "Valley" where the chicas from area churches get together for an evening of worship, inspiration, and encouragement. And simply to say..."Hey! We're Christians and it's good for us to get together and see how many of us there really are around here!" Because it is.
The last WVLUN I went to was three years ago. I had a good time. I went with some fun gals. The speaker was a very funny, cool lady(You know, the one with the Mom Song, Anita Renfroe?)...although I felt a little young for the event...and I can't say that I walked away with something that hit me hard enough spiritually to stick with me three years later.
This time, though...WOW! I got so much out of it. And I didn't seem young at all for it. So did I just age incredibly in three years? Or was it just aimed more at me? Have I just grown a bit spiritually? Did more young-ish women come this time? I have no idea. Probably some combination of all of the above. But I left with a lot to think about. Here's a taste:
1. I got to have a nice dinner with some of the gals from our church. Always good to get to know everyone better and not have to cook. :)
2. They had a worship band comprised completely of local women. Even a drummer. They rocked! It was exciting to worship in that environment.
3. I love seeing how all sorts of people are in the Body of Christ! Different denominations, ages, styles, races, traditions...out of just in the women who live in my area. This was such a tiny and limited sample of the people that have Jesus in common. Heaven will be a beautiful place indeed.
4. Our speaker was Lysa TerKeurst from Proverbs 31 Ministries. I really didn't know what to expect, so I went with perhaps lower expectations than I should of. I always fear that events like this will end up barely scratching the surface of the Bible's truths and end up kind of watered down, weepy, fluffy, and cheesy motivational speaker-y. Pretty cynical of me, huh? But she totally destroyed my cynicism. She was hilarious, real, and challenged the heck out of me. Hands down, she was the best women's event speaker I have ever heard. She used her own life stories to relate how she went from a Christianity of just following "the rules" to a true relationship with God. She told us how she obeyed God's call to adopt two teenage boys from Liberia when it did not make any sense to anyone else and was too big for her to handle. Her underlying message, I suppose, was that women can change the world and do way beyond what they think they are capable of by learning to listen and obey God's plan for your life. And it's not always a comfortable plan. God will expect us to do things that ARE beyond our ability so that we learn to depend on Him. That just sounds trite and obvious when I write it out. She did a much better job of expressing it!
It resonated a lot with ME simply because I see this played out in our stepping out to plant a church in the last 3 years and all that journey has taught us. I see it in the decision to quit my full time job about a year ago and trusting that God would help us through the "what ifs?" of our finances and all the changes that went along with it. I see it in our pastor's family that left their whole life in Louisiana to come to unknown Terre Haute to plant a church. I see it in my parents who are about to embark on their own new adventures that requires faith. And on and on. So I will keep trying to live out faith and trust in God no matter what that looks like. And I desperately hope that many other women grabbed on to that message and that they say "YES!" to God when he asks them to do something that's too hard or too big or too scary or too overwhelming.
Here's a verse she used that night and has been following me for the past month...it was the theme to my Emmaus Walk...I heard it at church this past Sunday...isn't it great when God makes it really obvious that you are supposed to "get" something? He knows that some things are easy to read or hear but can take a lifetime to do.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
The last WVLUN I went to was three years ago. I had a good time. I went with some fun gals. The speaker was a very funny, cool lady(You know, the one with the Mom Song, Anita Renfroe?)...although I felt a little young for the event...and I can't say that I walked away with something that hit me hard enough spiritually to stick with me three years later.
This time, though...WOW! I got so much out of it. And I didn't seem young at all for it. So did I just age incredibly in three years? Or was it just aimed more at me? Have I just grown a bit spiritually? Did more young-ish women come this time? I have no idea. Probably some combination of all of the above. But I left with a lot to think about. Here's a taste:
1. I got to have a nice dinner with some of the gals from our church. Always good to get to know everyone better and not have to cook. :)
2. They had a worship band comprised completely of local women. Even a drummer. They rocked! It was exciting to worship in that environment.
3. I love seeing how all sorts of people are in the Body of Christ! Different denominations, ages, styles, races, traditions...out of just in the women who live in my area. This was such a tiny and limited sample of the people that have Jesus in common. Heaven will be a beautiful place indeed.
4. Our speaker was Lysa TerKeurst from Proverbs 31 Ministries. I really didn't know what to expect, so I went with perhaps lower expectations than I should of. I always fear that events like this will end up barely scratching the surface of the Bible's truths and end up kind of watered down, weepy, fluffy, and cheesy motivational speaker-y. Pretty cynical of me, huh? But she totally destroyed my cynicism. She was hilarious, real, and challenged the heck out of me. Hands down, she was the best women's event speaker I have ever heard. She used her own life stories to relate how she went from a Christianity of just following "the rules" to a true relationship with God. She told us how she obeyed God's call to adopt two teenage boys from Liberia when it did not make any sense to anyone else and was too big for her to handle. Her underlying message, I suppose, was that women can change the world and do way beyond what they think they are capable of by learning to listen and obey God's plan for your life. And it's not always a comfortable plan. God will expect us to do things that ARE beyond our ability so that we learn to depend on Him. That just sounds trite and obvious when I write it out. She did a much better job of expressing it!
It resonated a lot with ME simply because I see this played out in our stepping out to plant a church in the last 3 years and all that journey has taught us. I see it in the decision to quit my full time job about a year ago and trusting that God would help us through the "what ifs?" of our finances and all the changes that went along with it. I see it in our pastor's family that left their whole life in Louisiana to come to unknown Terre Haute to plant a church. I see it in my parents who are about to embark on their own new adventures that requires faith. And on and on. So I will keep trying to live out faith and trust in God no matter what that looks like. And I desperately hope that many other women grabbed on to that message and that they say "YES!" to God when he asks them to do something that's too hard or too big or too scary or too overwhelming.
Here's a verse she used that night and has been following me for the past month...it was the theme to my Emmaus Walk...I heard it at church this past Sunday...isn't it great when God makes it really obvious that you are supposed to "get" something? He knows that some things are easy to read or hear but can take a lifetime to do.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
This Might Be Worse Than the Ducks
I am really, really sore. And it's all because animals are out to get me.
First the duck incident in high school.
Then there's the two dogs I've owned that have had serious co-dependency issues. Not to mention trash eating and floor pooping issues. They have worn me down slowly. Patiently.
Now...two dogs I don't even know took it upon themselves to try to take me out quickly and with the efficiency of hit men in international spy movies. It must be an international dog spy ring...and the two dogs next door tipped these mongrels off that my husband tried to shoot them with a pellet gun for a tiny, trivial little thing like getting into our trash 3 times a week.
Or maybe it's a generational curse. My own father was taken down by a very large dog once while on a bike. It wasn't pretty.
*****
Tuesday was a beautiful Spring day. After dinner I needed to take some cookies to a friend of mine and I wanted to get out and run. Then...lightbulb! Why not get the bike out of the shed, dust it off, and bike the cookies out to her house, thus killing two birds with one stone? Fantastic idea! In theory. Here is what happened:
I loaded the cookies into a backpack. I took a bottle of water just in case I needed a little refreshment. I figured the trip was about 4-5 miles. Just about perfect for some excercise without over-doing it.
Off I went. I was enjoying the neighborhoods of my small town. The flowers. The sunshine. And then....the train. The road that led to my friend's house was blocked by a train. That wasn't moving. That had no intention of moving any time in the next hour or twelve. This happens a lot around here. Hmmm. I guess I'll just go to the next crossing, I thought. Even though that makes the ride quite a bit longer and I'm not sure quite how to get back to this road... But it's a beautiful evening! I might as well enjoy it and get a little extra exercise.
So ride, ride, ride I did until the next crossing. I was already getting a little tired, but SURELY there was a road that I could take back to my destination. My alternate route was a busier road. I was trying hard to look like I biked all the time and wasn't struggling up hills and that I always carry backpacks full of cookies... And then. THE DOGS.
There were two. They were large. The were mean. They started to run in my direction. I tried to pretend I didn't care. But I pedaled a little faster. I saw a road up ahead that could be my turn to get back on track. But the dogs. They nipped at my feet. They KEPT chasing me way past their own yard. I was a afraid to turn on to the road because that was the side the dogs were on! So I ended up just going straight. Hoping there would be another road. And finally the dogs got tired of chasing me and went back to torture the next victim who happened to decide it was a nice evening for biking.
So on I went. Of course, there was no next road. I realized the lake now stood between me and the area I needed to be. I was going to have to bike around the entire lake, and THEN I would be closer to home than my friend's house. Sigh. For the most part I still enjoyed the ride. The lake was gorgeous. The roads were peaceful...except for 3 or 4 more dogs that chased me. Fortunately they weren't so intimidating as the first dogs. The straw to my water bottle was dysfunctional. Thanks, kids, for chewing a hole in it! The hills were getting harder to climb. But I was getting closer to home...
I only had the railroad track to cross and a few blocks after that. As I approached the tracks, the lights and the bell started to ring. NOOOOOOOOOOO! I would not, could NOT be stopped by another train. I summoned all my energy and raced to the crossing and looked to find the train still a good distance away. I usually have a HUGE fear of train tracks and will not cross if the lights are on, no matter how far away the train is, but this time, I sped over them disregarding lights and bells. Take THAT, train! I laugh at your warning! Ha. Puff. Ha ha. Wheeze. Puff.
So my little brilliant idea turned into a 9-10 mile ride and I had to call my friend and tell her the cookies would be delivered the next day because I am a weirdo. I also had to replace a few broken cookies with cookies from the family stash. I guess cookies aren't meant to be in a backpack bumping along for 10 miles? Who knew??
I am so sore. I have been proud of myself for running this spring and I thought I had built up SOME sort of endurance, but my legs, back and arms are not happy campers. But the worst is...my booty. My aching, Frank-lovin' booty.
But if nothing else, I now know that I will NEVER run my route around the lake. Oh...I may work up to being quite the little distance runner by fall, but I am NOT facing those dogs on foot. Nah...the next time I'm on that road, I'm going to be in my van packing a pellet gun. Bring. It. On. Doggies. I triple dog dare you.
First the duck incident in high school.
Then there's the two dogs I've owned that have had serious co-dependency issues. Not to mention trash eating and floor pooping issues. They have worn me down slowly. Patiently.
Now...two dogs I don't even know took it upon themselves to try to take me out quickly and with the efficiency of hit men in international spy movies. It must be an international dog spy ring...and the two dogs next door tipped these mongrels off that my husband tried to shoot them with a pellet gun for a tiny, trivial little thing like getting into our trash 3 times a week.
Or maybe it's a generational curse. My own father was taken down by a very large dog once while on a bike. It wasn't pretty.
*****
Tuesday was a beautiful Spring day. After dinner I needed to take some cookies to a friend of mine and I wanted to get out and run. Then...lightbulb! Why not get the bike out of the shed, dust it off, and bike the cookies out to her house, thus killing two birds with one stone? Fantastic idea! In theory. Here is what happened:
I loaded the cookies into a backpack. I took a bottle of water just in case I needed a little refreshment. I figured the trip was about 4-5 miles. Just about perfect for some excercise without over-doing it.
Off I went. I was enjoying the neighborhoods of my small town. The flowers. The sunshine. And then....the train. The road that led to my friend's house was blocked by a train. That wasn't moving. That had no intention of moving any time in the next hour or twelve. This happens a lot around here. Hmmm. I guess I'll just go to the next crossing, I thought. Even though that makes the ride quite a bit longer and I'm not sure quite how to get back to this road... But it's a beautiful evening! I might as well enjoy it and get a little extra exercise.
So ride, ride, ride I did until the next crossing. I was already getting a little tired, but SURELY there was a road that I could take back to my destination. My alternate route was a busier road. I was trying hard to look like I biked all the time and wasn't struggling up hills and that I always carry backpacks full of cookies... And then. THE DOGS.
There were two. They were large. The were mean. They started to run in my direction. I tried to pretend I didn't care. But I pedaled a little faster. I saw a road up ahead that could be my turn to get back on track. But the dogs. They nipped at my feet. They KEPT chasing me way past their own yard. I was a afraid to turn on to the road because that was the side the dogs were on! So I ended up just going straight. Hoping there would be another road. And finally the dogs got tired of chasing me and went back to torture the next victim who happened to decide it was a nice evening for biking.
So on I went. Of course, there was no next road. I realized the lake now stood between me and the area I needed to be. I was going to have to bike around the entire lake, and THEN I would be closer to home than my friend's house. Sigh. For the most part I still enjoyed the ride. The lake was gorgeous. The roads were peaceful...except for 3 or 4 more dogs that chased me. Fortunately they weren't so intimidating as the first dogs. The straw to my water bottle was dysfunctional. Thanks, kids, for chewing a hole in it! The hills were getting harder to climb. But I was getting closer to home...
I only had the railroad track to cross and a few blocks after that. As I approached the tracks, the lights and the bell started to ring. NOOOOOOOOOOO! I would not, could NOT be stopped by another train. I summoned all my energy and raced to the crossing and looked to find the train still a good distance away. I usually have a HUGE fear of train tracks and will not cross if the lights are on, no matter how far away the train is, but this time, I sped over them disregarding lights and bells. Take THAT, train! I laugh at your warning! Ha. Puff. Ha ha. Wheeze. Puff.
So my little brilliant idea turned into a 9-10 mile ride and I had to call my friend and tell her the cookies would be delivered the next day because I am a weirdo. I also had to replace a few broken cookies with cookies from the family stash. I guess cookies aren't meant to be in a backpack bumping along for 10 miles? Who knew??
I am so sore. I have been proud of myself for running this spring and I thought I had built up SOME sort of endurance, but my legs, back and arms are not happy campers. But the worst is...my booty. My aching, Frank-lovin' booty.
But if nothing else, I now know that I will NEVER run my route around the lake. Oh...I may work up to being quite the little distance runner by fall, but I am NOT facing those dogs on foot. Nah...the next time I'm on that road, I'm going to be in my van packing a pellet gun. Bring. It. On. Doggies. I triple dog dare you.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Interview with a Frankster
So I worked up some courage to ask my husband some questions posed as a challenge from Sherri, my friend at Matter of Fact. The questions are designed to reveal a little bit about what I treasure most as seen by a person closest to me...and they are sometimes those loaded questions that are hard to ask. And the rules are that I had to post what Frank REALLY said. He was a little dubious at first...but the man loves me and humored me. Enjoy!
1. WHAT IS MY FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD?
Dove chocolate.
(Too true. I could eat bags and bags of it.)
2. IF MONEY WERE NO OBJECT, WHERE WOULD I LIKE TO GO ON VACATION?
Barcelona, Spain
(Hard to pick just one. I hate making choices like this. But I did adore Barcelona when I was there with my mom and dad and would love to go back there someday with Frank and I have told him that a few times. That is a city with some magic...)
3. HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT HOUSEWORK?
Laundry is of the devil. Dishes are worse.
(Haha. I don't mind laundry so much...just the fact it never ends! And yes, dishes ARE worse.)
4. WHAT IS MY LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE?
Probably dishes.
(Yup. The dishwasher has helped a lot, though. I've stopped cussing out the silverware.)
5. WHAT BRINGS ME THE MOST JOY?
When I answer stupid questions on blog surveys for you.
(Um...he might have been a little reluctant to do this. Can you tell? But he said it with a touch of humor. And it DID make me happy.)
6. I HAVE A SATURDAY WITH NO COMMITMENTS. HOW WOULD I SPEND IT?
In your pjs.
(True. 'Nuff said.)
7. WHAT IS MY GREATEST GIFT?
There's so many, how do I pick just one...(Dead pan and sarcastic. Gotta love Frank. It takes spending some time with the man before you can tell if he's joking or not. 99% of the time, he is. Hard to convey that in writing.) Is that it? (Meaning, are the questions done yet? I said "No.")
You harmonize well.
(I would say that IS the thing I really love to do and am happy to do well. And a huge compliment from a multi-talented musician such as my hubby.)
8. WHAT IS MY GREATEST TALENT?
(Here we got into a discussion about what a gift was versus a talent. We settled on a gift being something God given that you just can "do" while a talent is something you can improve with practice??) Music, I guess.
(Well, if you go by that definition, that's an area where I've practiced and improved a lot over the years! And it's a talent that I'd be lost without. I might have answered something people related, though, like the ability to get along with pretty much anyone...)
9. WHAT IS MY GREATEST FEAR?
Nuclear holocaust. (Again. Deadpan.) No...one of the kids getting hurt.
(True. Or Frank getting hurt/dying.)
10. WHAT IS MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE?
When you can't communicate with them.
(Interesting answer. And probably true. I hate it when I feel like I'm not getting a clear message across to someone or I don't get what they are trying to convey to me. Or if I simply can't get a hold of them when I NEED to tell them something. Maybe that's more of what he meant... Anyway, it bothers me a lot if I feel like there isn't peace between myself and someone else.)
11. WHAT IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE BIBLE?
Isaiah. (What?! Seems like a strange book to name. Then he reminded me of a song I wrote around Isaiah 40:28-31, some of my favorite verses.) How many songs have you written about Ruth? (Uh, zero, even though I like that book, too.)
(I really didn't know what to answer on this, different books for different times, so I think it was a good answer.)
12. WHAT DO I HATE MOST ABOUT MY BODY?
Scalp.
(True. Sometimes it's just flaky and gross and nothing has worked yet to make it go away.)
13. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MY BEST FEATURE?
(He smiled. Said nothing. Then...) Your booty. (What!!) Well, do you want me to be honest? (Yeah. I laughed.) Your legs are a close second.
(I'm glad those are good features, really, but um...something above my rear should have honorable mentions! My lips, my eyebrows..something!)
14. WHAT IS MY MOST ANNOYING HABIT?
You tell me about your dreams that don't make sense and it's obvious I don't care, but you keep telling me anyway.
(Whew. I was kind of afraid of this one. That's not so bad. I'm not telling you what I thought he would say. And I HAVE woken him up many, many times to tell him about some crazy dream I just had...or told him all about it first thing in the morning when he hasn't had a chance to wake up yet.)
So there you have it, folks! Frank said he'd be monitoring this post to make sure I told the truth...I'm sure all comments will be monitored as well.
I did learn quite a bit from this. Later we talked a little about what really does bring me joy. It surprised me how hard of a question that was to answer for me AND him. We both kind of avoided it! I guess it reflects that sometimes life as a stay at home mom is harder on me than I think, and that is seen in my actions- especially at home. I trust Frank and the kids to love me even at my worst; they get the true me whether they want it or not! But on the flip side, it might be time to intentionally SHOW a little more joy to those closest to me, because they DO bring me great joy. If joy is a Fruit of the Spirit I'm lacking, it might not hurt to ask God to develop that in me, too. ;)
Soooo...are you up for the challenge?? All you have to lose is a little pride...
1. WHAT IS MY FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD?
Dove chocolate.
(Too true. I could eat bags and bags of it.)
2. IF MONEY WERE NO OBJECT, WHERE WOULD I LIKE TO GO ON VACATION?
Barcelona, Spain
(Hard to pick just one. I hate making choices like this. But I did adore Barcelona when I was there with my mom and dad and would love to go back there someday with Frank and I have told him that a few times. That is a city with some magic...)
3. HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT HOUSEWORK?
Laundry is of the devil. Dishes are worse.
(Haha. I don't mind laundry so much...just the fact it never ends! And yes, dishes ARE worse.)
4. WHAT IS MY LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE?
Probably dishes.
(Yup. The dishwasher has helped a lot, though. I've stopped cussing out the silverware.)
5. WHAT BRINGS ME THE MOST JOY?
When I answer stupid questions on blog surveys for you.
(Um...he might have been a little reluctant to do this. Can you tell? But he said it with a touch of humor. And it DID make me happy.)
6. I HAVE A SATURDAY WITH NO COMMITMENTS. HOW WOULD I SPEND IT?
In your pjs.
(True. 'Nuff said.)
7. WHAT IS MY GREATEST GIFT?
There's so many, how do I pick just one...(Dead pan and sarcastic. Gotta love Frank. It takes spending some time with the man before you can tell if he's joking or not. 99% of the time, he is. Hard to convey that in writing.) Is that it? (Meaning, are the questions done yet? I said "No.")
You harmonize well.
(I would say that IS the thing I really love to do and am happy to do well. And a huge compliment from a multi-talented musician such as my hubby.)
8. WHAT IS MY GREATEST TALENT?
(Here we got into a discussion about what a gift was versus a talent. We settled on a gift being something God given that you just can "do" while a talent is something you can improve with practice??) Music, I guess.
(Well, if you go by that definition, that's an area where I've practiced and improved a lot over the years! And it's a talent that I'd be lost without. I might have answered something people related, though, like the ability to get along with pretty much anyone...)
9. WHAT IS MY GREATEST FEAR?
Nuclear holocaust. (Again. Deadpan.) No...one of the kids getting hurt.
(True. Or Frank getting hurt/dying.)
10. WHAT IS MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE?
When you can't communicate with them.
(Interesting answer. And probably true. I hate it when I feel like I'm not getting a clear message across to someone or I don't get what they are trying to convey to me. Or if I simply can't get a hold of them when I NEED to tell them something. Maybe that's more of what he meant... Anyway, it bothers me a lot if I feel like there isn't peace between myself and someone else.)
11. WHAT IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE BIBLE?
Isaiah. (What?! Seems like a strange book to name. Then he reminded me of a song I wrote around Isaiah 40:28-31, some of my favorite verses.) How many songs have you written about Ruth? (Uh, zero, even though I like that book, too.)
(I really didn't know what to answer on this, different books for different times, so I think it was a good answer.)
12. WHAT DO I HATE MOST ABOUT MY BODY?
Scalp.
(True. Sometimes it's just flaky and gross and nothing has worked yet to make it go away.)
13. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MY BEST FEATURE?
(He smiled. Said nothing. Then...) Your booty. (What!!) Well, do you want me to be honest? (Yeah. I laughed.) Your legs are a close second.
(I'm glad those are good features, really, but um...something above my rear should have honorable mentions! My lips, my eyebrows..something!)
14. WHAT IS MY MOST ANNOYING HABIT?
You tell me about your dreams that don't make sense and it's obvious I don't care, but you keep telling me anyway.
(Whew. I was kind of afraid of this one. That's not so bad. I'm not telling you what I thought he would say. And I HAVE woken him up many, many times to tell him about some crazy dream I just had...or told him all about it first thing in the morning when he hasn't had a chance to wake up yet.)
So there you have it, folks! Frank said he'd be monitoring this post to make sure I told the truth...I'm sure all comments will be monitored as well.
I did learn quite a bit from this. Later we talked a little about what really does bring me joy. It surprised me how hard of a question that was to answer for me AND him. We both kind of avoided it! I guess it reflects that sometimes life as a stay at home mom is harder on me than I think, and that is seen in my actions- especially at home. I trust Frank and the kids to love me even at my worst; they get the true me whether they want it or not! But on the flip side, it might be time to intentionally SHOW a little more joy to those closest to me, because they DO bring me great joy. If joy is a Fruit of the Spirit I'm lacking, it might not hurt to ask God to develop that in me, too. ;)
Soooo...are you up for the challenge?? All you have to lose is a little pride...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Reasons I am Not on Twitter
Yeah. I know. Someday I'll probably cave and eat each delicious word found here in this post. But, for now, this is why I'm staying clear of Twitter:
1. I have the temptation of being on the computer too much each day. God and I talk about this. Right now we've found a pretty good balance. That oh so delicate balance could be in jeopardy with Twitter. (Ya hear that, Frank? I'm admitting that SOMETIMES I'm on the computer too much. Gook luck getting me to say it out loud.)
2. Twitter seems to be much more useful for those on the go who can update their statuses and read those of others from their super cool computer/phone/pda/cuisinart devices. I have no such device. I don't need one. I don't want one. And if I had one, I'd just be at home by the real computer anyway....see reason number one.
3. People (*cough* KATDISH!) have told me I need to be on Twitter. Therefore, I will not be. You are not the boss of me.
4. It seems to be full of advertising. I get too much of that from the computers that call me each day to tell me my warranty on my car is expired. Silly computers. Don't they know that I've never owned a car new enough to HAVE a warranty on it?
5. You have to keep your words under a certain word count. Have you READ my posts? Have you read my COMMENTS? I'm not a person of few words in cyberspace. Trying to whittle down what I'm thinking to 140 characters or whatnot will just cause me to spend MORE time on the computer. (Back to reason one again...)
6. Half of my tweets would be about changing diapers or feats like installing toilet seats. You get enough of that if you're my facebook friend. I know, I know, you can feed your twittery tweeties to facebook, but I like things the way they are. See reason three.
So, if you love Twitter...awesome. Tell me about it. I'll listen and be excited for you. I can see how it can be good to network with people and communicate stuff and have a little fun and brighten your day. But if you tell me to join, be prepared to be kicked in the cyber shins. Because I am stubborn and I don't want any more computer temptation. Now if you tell me Twitter will pay me crazy amounts of money or do the dishes for me, THEN we will talk. You'll have to excuse me...the baby is trying to eat VHS tapes. That's right. They go in a VCR. Did I mention I'm stubborn...and perhaps slightly technology resistant?
P.S. You are not the boss of me.
1. I have the temptation of being on the computer too much each day. God and I talk about this. Right now we've found a pretty good balance. That oh so delicate balance could be in jeopardy with Twitter. (Ya hear that, Frank? I'm admitting that SOMETIMES I'm on the computer too much. Gook luck getting me to say it out loud.)
2. Twitter seems to be much more useful for those on the go who can update their statuses and read those of others from their super cool computer/phone/pda/cuisinart devices. I have no such device. I don't need one. I don't want one. And if I had one, I'd just be at home by the real computer anyway....see reason number one.
3. People (*cough* KATDISH!) have told me I need to be on Twitter. Therefore, I will not be. You are not the boss of me.
4. It seems to be full of advertising. I get too much of that from the computers that call me each day to tell me my warranty on my car is expired. Silly computers. Don't they know that I've never owned a car new enough to HAVE a warranty on it?
5. You have to keep your words under a certain word count. Have you READ my posts? Have you read my COMMENTS? I'm not a person of few words in cyberspace. Trying to whittle down what I'm thinking to 140 characters or whatnot will just cause me to spend MORE time on the computer. (Back to reason one again...)
6. Half of my tweets would be about changing diapers or feats like installing toilet seats. You get enough of that if you're my facebook friend. I know, I know, you can feed your twittery tweeties to facebook, but I like things the way they are. See reason three.
So, if you love Twitter...awesome. Tell me about it. I'll listen and be excited for you. I can see how it can be good to network with people and communicate stuff and have a little fun and brighten your day. But if you tell me to join, be prepared to be kicked in the cyber shins. Because I am stubborn and I don't want any more computer temptation. Now if you tell me Twitter will pay me crazy amounts of money or do the dishes for me, THEN we will talk. You'll have to excuse me...the baby is trying to eat VHS tapes. That's right. They go in a VCR. Did I mention I'm stubborn...and perhaps slightly technology resistant?
P.S. You are not the boss of me.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Post That's Been Hard to Write
Last Thursday evening through Sunday evening, I had the opportunity to attend a Walk to Emmaus. This is a retreat for Christians...there's separate ones for guys and gals...where you go to get closer to God...and they don't tell you much more than that. You have a sponsor, someone who has been on the walk before, that turns your initial paperwork and then you start receiving letters in the mail saying things like "leave your watch and cell phone at home" and "bring extra shoes because the camp is extra muddy." You kind of have to wonder what you're getting into...but your pastor, whom you TRUST(hear that, Eric?), really encouraged you to go...so...you go.
Let me say that it is very worth the time if you get the chance to go! And if you knew all that happens, it would take away from some of the wonderful surprises in store.... :) Tee hee hee.
Anyway, at the end of the walk, they ask you two questions:
1. What did you learn?
2. What are you going to do about it?
And they put you up in front of a bunch of people right before you go home and want you to answer! I don't know about you, but it takes me awhile to sort through all the thoughts I have after being bombarded with GOD for three days straight. So I said that when it was my turn. Kind of unfulfilling for the listeners I'm sure, but I really didn't want to say something that wasn't in my heart. Far too easy to spout a pat answer without thinking about it, and it's rather personal stuff not easy to summarize in a minute or two.
So...enough stalling.
1. What did I learn?
I learned that I still have a lot of pride to get rid of. Sometimes I judge and think I'm better than other Christians or more mature than other Christians or cooler than other Christians and that is sin and it needs to go. I am in need of Jesus as much today as I was when I was a little 6 year old kid asking Jesus to come into my heart. It was good for me to go to this thing with half a face that worked. I couldn't be Super Girl that way. I had to struggle to worship. I had to struggle to concentrate. I had a lot less self-confidence than I normally do. So I think I was more myself and less what I thought others wanted to see. I know it's cheesy, but one of the speakers said that "I" is in the middle of the word "sin". "I" is also in the middle of the word "pride". Hmmmm... So during a time of prayer when I do the "What do you want to show me today, God?" thing, the word PRIDE just kept surfacing in my mind. Here ya go, God. Take my ugly pride everyday. It's hard to give up, but I want to do it with your help. One of the ladies who gave a talk, an AMAZING woman with an AMAZING story, ended to a standing ovation by all of us. I expected her to bow her head humbly and say a quiet thank you as she left the stage...that's what I try to do when I get a compliment and try not to bring attention to myself. That's one of my best fake humility tricks. Nope. She lifted her head pointed her finger up to God and said "All glory to God!" with the biggest smile. THAT'S what I want to be like. I know God has blessed me with gifts from Him. Instead of wishing praise away so I won't have to deal with pride, I want to do a better job of openly directing glory where it's supposed to go. Okay, I might be rambling now, but that was a big lesson for me.
Another lesson was about fear. I heard many powerful testimonies this weekend. Some were among the women in my table group. Some were from speakers. But the most powerful one was a women outside my table that I only said a couple words to. She has cancer and has been through every treatment you can go through in the last 4 years. She's not much older than me. She's a teacher. She loved to run. She has a 10 year old son. She will die in the next month or two unless God heals her, and she is at peace with dying. She was extremely tired and was in pain the entire weekend. But she participated in everything, even if she had to lie down and just listen or take a golf cart to the next event. And I saw her laughing several times. Smiling. Wow. I have never gone through what I would classify a "tragedy." No unexpected deaths of those close to me. No big illnesses. No abuse, divorce, addictions that so many triumph over with Jesus. I have been blessed beyond measure with a wonderful Christian family, husband, friends, and churches throughout my life and I am so thankful. There have been some hard times, definitely, but sometimes I wonder how I would stand up to something "big" and tragic. I realized this weekend that I have a lot of fear about that. But through this woman, other testimonies over time, and seeing the sacrificial love of many, I saw that I could let go of that fear. God takes care of those he loves. It's one of those truths I knew but I didn't KNOW. I've seen it in my own life to a degree, and I've seen it in the lives of others to a much more powerful degree. It may sound a little morbid, but for the first time I told God, "I'm truly looking forward to heaven, and I think I can trust you even if the most horrible circumstances came into my life." Kind of a scary prayer, huh? But true.
My final lesson was about the power of love in the Body of Christ. I saw that on a whole new level this weekend. It's easy to get discouraged sometimes and believe the lie that you're all alone as a Christian. Or that your group of friends...or that your church are the only ones. Even though I have a FANTASTIC support system through family, friends, bloggy pals, my Sullivan women's group, my church...I still get in a funk and think I'm all alone some days. Not true. I was shown love by those closest to me and those who don't even know me this weekend. The love of God reaches a lot farther than I think. I was really encouraged by that. Heaven's gonna rock.
2. Now...what am I going to do about it?
Pride: I'm going to pray about that every day. I don't want to put on a show of humility and then be secretly smug when I receive praise about the stuff I did. I don't want to keep the praise for myself. Instead, I want to present it to God as a thank you. I'm also going to be asking God for help to quit rolling my eyes and being critical of Christians who don't do things the way I do, or those who are facing things that I think I've already dealt with. I say I'm a "team player" in the Body of Christ a lot, but many times my thoughts don't reflect that.
Fear: It's time to lose the "What ifs." There's not a whole lot of application other than that. But hopefully my time will be more focused on the TODAY that I'm given instead of worrying about the possible problems of the future.
Loving the Body of Christ: Sometimes I think I don't make the effort to tangibly show love to other Christians because I figure they already KNOW love and don't really need it. Good excuse to be lazy! So in the past I've focused my love on non-Christians. While that's a very very good thing, I realized that Christians are still in need of love, too. I certainly am. So I'm going to try to practice that in more tangible ways that are less comfortable for me. It is easiest for me to encourage others with words or with my time(prayers), but I'm much less likely to encourage with say...a hug, a hand squeeze....a tangible gift...a card... I probably need to read that 5 Love Languages book I've been avoiding for about 10 years. Who wants to send me a copy? I know it's at your house collecting dust somewhere...
I think that's about it. See? If I would have said all of this at the closing, they would have taken all their love back! And it only took me 4 days to put it together. I predicted 3 weeks, so I'm way ahead of schedule. I'll conclude with our theme verse for the walk, which pretty much says all that I just said in one simple sentence.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Let me say that it is very worth the time if you get the chance to go! And if you knew all that happens, it would take away from some of the wonderful surprises in store.... :) Tee hee hee.
Anyway, at the end of the walk, they ask you two questions:
1. What did you learn?
2. What are you going to do about it?
And they put you up in front of a bunch of people right before you go home and want you to answer! I don't know about you, but it takes me awhile to sort through all the thoughts I have after being bombarded with GOD for three days straight. So I said that when it was my turn. Kind of unfulfilling for the listeners I'm sure, but I really didn't want to say something that wasn't in my heart. Far too easy to spout a pat answer without thinking about it, and it's rather personal stuff not easy to summarize in a minute or two.
So...enough stalling.
1. What did I learn?
I learned that I still have a lot of pride to get rid of. Sometimes I judge and think I'm better than other Christians or more mature than other Christians or cooler than other Christians and that is sin and it needs to go. I am in need of Jesus as much today as I was when I was a little 6 year old kid asking Jesus to come into my heart. It was good for me to go to this thing with half a face that worked. I couldn't be Super Girl that way. I had to struggle to worship. I had to struggle to concentrate. I had a lot less self-confidence than I normally do. So I think I was more myself and less what I thought others wanted to see. I know it's cheesy, but one of the speakers said that "I" is in the middle of the word "sin". "I" is also in the middle of the word "pride". Hmmmm... So during a time of prayer when I do the "What do you want to show me today, God?" thing, the word PRIDE just kept surfacing in my mind. Here ya go, God. Take my ugly pride everyday. It's hard to give up, but I want to do it with your help. One of the ladies who gave a talk, an AMAZING woman with an AMAZING story, ended to a standing ovation by all of us. I expected her to bow her head humbly and say a quiet thank you as she left the stage...that's what I try to do when I get a compliment and try not to bring attention to myself. That's one of my best fake humility tricks. Nope. She lifted her head pointed her finger up to God and said "All glory to God!" with the biggest smile. THAT'S what I want to be like. I know God has blessed me with gifts from Him. Instead of wishing praise away so I won't have to deal with pride, I want to do a better job of openly directing glory where it's supposed to go. Okay, I might be rambling now, but that was a big lesson for me.
Another lesson was about fear. I heard many powerful testimonies this weekend. Some were among the women in my table group. Some were from speakers. But the most powerful one was a women outside my table that I only said a couple words to. She has cancer and has been through every treatment you can go through in the last 4 years. She's not much older than me. She's a teacher. She loved to run. She has a 10 year old son. She will die in the next month or two unless God heals her, and she is at peace with dying. She was extremely tired and was in pain the entire weekend. But she participated in everything, even if she had to lie down and just listen or take a golf cart to the next event. And I saw her laughing several times. Smiling. Wow. I have never gone through what I would classify a "tragedy." No unexpected deaths of those close to me. No big illnesses. No abuse, divorce, addictions that so many triumph over with Jesus. I have been blessed beyond measure with a wonderful Christian family, husband, friends, and churches throughout my life and I am so thankful. There have been some hard times, definitely, but sometimes I wonder how I would stand up to something "big" and tragic. I realized this weekend that I have a lot of fear about that. But through this woman, other testimonies over time, and seeing the sacrificial love of many, I saw that I could let go of that fear. God takes care of those he loves. It's one of those truths I knew but I didn't KNOW. I've seen it in my own life to a degree, and I've seen it in the lives of others to a much more powerful degree. It may sound a little morbid, but for the first time I told God, "I'm truly looking forward to heaven, and I think I can trust you even if the most horrible circumstances came into my life." Kind of a scary prayer, huh? But true.
My final lesson was about the power of love in the Body of Christ. I saw that on a whole new level this weekend. It's easy to get discouraged sometimes and believe the lie that you're all alone as a Christian. Or that your group of friends...or that your church are the only ones. Even though I have a FANTASTIC support system through family, friends, bloggy pals, my Sullivan women's group, my church...I still get in a funk and think I'm all alone some days. Not true. I was shown love by those closest to me and those who don't even know me this weekend. The love of God reaches a lot farther than I think. I was really encouraged by that. Heaven's gonna rock.
2. Now...what am I going to do about it?
Pride: I'm going to pray about that every day. I don't want to put on a show of humility and then be secretly smug when I receive praise about the stuff I did. I don't want to keep the praise for myself. Instead, I want to present it to God as a thank you. I'm also going to be asking God for help to quit rolling my eyes and being critical of Christians who don't do things the way I do, or those who are facing things that I think I've already dealt with. I say I'm a "team player" in the Body of Christ a lot, but many times my thoughts don't reflect that.
Fear: It's time to lose the "What ifs." There's not a whole lot of application other than that. But hopefully my time will be more focused on the TODAY that I'm given instead of worrying about the possible problems of the future.
Loving the Body of Christ: Sometimes I think I don't make the effort to tangibly show love to other Christians because I figure they already KNOW love and don't really need it. Good excuse to be lazy! So in the past I've focused my love on non-Christians. While that's a very very good thing, I realized that Christians are still in need of love, too. I certainly am. So I'm going to try to practice that in more tangible ways that are less comfortable for me. It is easiest for me to encourage others with words or with my time(prayers), but I'm much less likely to encourage with say...a hug, a hand squeeze....a tangible gift...a card... I probably need to read that 5 Love Languages book I've been avoiding for about 10 years. Who wants to send me a copy? I know it's at your house collecting dust somewhere...
I think that's about it. See? If I would have said all of this at the closing, they would have taken all their love back! And it only took me 4 days to put it together. I predicted 3 weeks, so I'm way ahead of schedule. I'll conclude with our theme verse for the walk, which pretty much says all that I just said in one simple sentence.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Feliz Cumpleanos
I'll get back to my regular blogging soon, but for this morning, a special HAPPY BIRTHDAY is in order for my friend, Annie K! She's a strong, funny, adventurous women who loves Jesus and lives in the beautiful state of Oregon with her husband, teenagers, and pretty much the cutest dog in the whole wide world. Check out her blog if you get a chance today and leave her some comment love! And since she speaks Spanish, here is my song just for her today...
Feliz cumpleanos a ti,
Feliz cumpleanos a ti,
Feliz cumpleanos mi querida amiga,
Feliz cumpleanos a ti!
Te quiero mucho! I think taking a vacation in Mexico with you would be about the most fun thing EVER. So someday we'll have to do that...
Feliz cumpleanos a ti,
Feliz cumpleanos a ti,
Feliz cumpleanos mi querida amiga,
Feliz cumpleanos a ti!
Te quiero mucho! I think taking a vacation in Mexico with you would be about the most fun thing EVER. So someday we'll have to do that...
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