Quick story unrelated to Seek Week: After lunch I put Solomon to bed & then went to take a nap myself. Well, instead of sleeping he decided to try & change his own poopy diaper. Since I was asleep I didn't hear him calling for us to change his diaper, if he did at all. He opened all the packs of wipes that were in the diaper cabinet (needless to say, we no longer keep ANYTHING in there) & poop was smeared all over the carpet, his clothes & his bed. I did laugh for a few seconds, because it was funny that he tried to change himself, but once I had to start scrubbing crap off of everything, I was kinda pissed. Thank God for OxiClean & Febreeze.
The end.
READ
Mark 15:42-47
REFLECT
Within this story of death & resurrection, there is an invitation for all of humanity to experience both death of the egocentric self & the resurrection of a new life that is found in Christ. It is here that we are no longer able to see our lives as fragmented & isolated occurrences that are to be experienced in an independent manner.
This new way of being in Christ moves us from the haunting idea that we are in this alone to an awakening to the beautiful picture that we are all in this together. It is this shared experience of the death we are called to step into where we can together embrace our nothingness apart from God. Then this new resurrected life can become a reality we participate in together. In this new shared experience we are no longer competing, comparing, or attempting to get ahead of each other; rather we are together basking in the shared light of God's love that shines upon us for no other reason than the fact that we are.
PRAY
As we look toward resurrection Sunday, ask God if you need to surrender a need to compete, compare, & attempt to get ahead. What areas are you measuring yourself against others, wanting leverage over them? Ask God that you would be able to simply receive the gift of His love that is available to all.
Coincidentally (or is it?), I just talked to my friend Kelli about something that sort of relates to this. I was telling her about how I wanted to buy a shirt but after a while decided against it because I asked myself, & surprisingly answered honestly, "Do I really need this?" And of course, I did not. When I was working I would buy stuff all the time, unnecessarily, for the simple reason I could afford it. I LOVE spending money, especially on clothes. Probably too much. So this is definitely a heart issue for me. Some people may not have considered my shirt dilemma a big deal, but for me & my heart, it is. I never really considered my "need" to have new clothes all the time as a way of competing with others, but that's exactly what I was doing. This is just one example. I compare myself to others in countless ways: my physical appearance, being jobless/a SAHM, the kind of mother I am, my education, the kind of housekeeper I am, the kind of Christ follower I am, our financial situation, my kids, my husband.... the list goes on & on.
I should be thanking the LORD for putting us in a tight financial position. Although it isn't fun, it's forced me to really think about the difference between needs & wants. I hope & pray to God that even when do we have a roomier budget again that this lesson learned will keep my spending habits in check. (It doesn't hurt that I'm married to Fred Mertz either. God knew what He was doing when He paired me up with this tightwad.)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Seek Week, Friday
Today's Good Friday service was amazing (as always) & very powerful. Every year they give out slips of paper & pens so you can write down things you want to be free from, then you nail them to a cross. For those of you who have never done this, or have never even heard of this, it symbolizes your sin & your old self dying on the cross with Christ. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." -- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (emphasis added). We are now new people because of this most loving act & are no longer slaves to sin. Sometimes, though, we still live as though we are in bondage.
On my little piece of paper I wrote a note to the LORD about, of course, my anger. I wept as I wrote & couldn't control the rush of emotion that came over me. I pretty much wrote on the piece of paper what I wrote in my blog last night. I kept trying to not cry, but the harder I fought, the more I cried. I hate myself because of my anger & I am ashamed of how I treat people -- especially my own family. First John 4:7-12 says:
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
That's a painful passage for me to read. "Whoever does not love does not know God." My heart is broken tonight.
READ
Mark 15:1-41
REFLECT
When the story of our lives is shaped by an egocentricity that seeks to establish & prove itself to the world, our decisions are made based on what is going to make us look best to those who happen to be around. In this story we have no real center, so we continuously have to protect the circumference of our lives.... leaving us exhausted, unfulfilled, & restless.
In Jesus, we find the greatest expression of what life looks like when it allows itself to be shaped by the story as opposed to our own selfish desires. When Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, falsely accused & beaten, Pilate was shocked that He did not defend Himself. Jesus knew what was happening was unjust, but from a vantage point that was able to see the panoramic view of God's story unfolding, He was able to absorb the moment of injustice & death because He saw & trusted in the life & resurrection that were to come.
PRAY
Ask God how you have made your life the point of the story. Ask God for a new perspective, one that views each moment of your life as part of God's larger redemptive story. Ask Him that this perspective would transform the way you live.
I'm a pretty self-centered person, so how have I NOT made my life the point of the Story? I need to be taken down a couple notches. Humbled. I really should get involved in serving again. I need to be reminded regularly that it's not all about me. I need to give myself away.
On my little piece of paper I wrote a note to the LORD about, of course, my anger. I wept as I wrote & couldn't control the rush of emotion that came over me. I pretty much wrote on the piece of paper what I wrote in my blog last night. I kept trying to not cry, but the harder I fought, the more I cried. I hate myself because of my anger & I am ashamed of how I treat people -- especially my own family. First John 4:7-12 says:
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
That's a painful passage for me to read. "Whoever does not love does not know God." My heart is broken tonight.
READ
Mark 15:1-41
REFLECT
When the story of our lives is shaped by an egocentricity that seeks to establish & prove itself to the world, our decisions are made based on what is going to make us look best to those who happen to be around. In this story we have no real center, so we continuously have to protect the circumference of our lives.... leaving us exhausted, unfulfilled, & restless.
In Jesus, we find the greatest expression of what life looks like when it allows itself to be shaped by the story as opposed to our own selfish desires. When Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, falsely accused & beaten, Pilate was shocked that He did not defend Himself. Jesus knew what was happening was unjust, but from a vantage point that was able to see the panoramic view of God's story unfolding, He was able to absorb the moment of injustice & death because He saw & trusted in the life & resurrection that were to come.
PRAY
Ask God how you have made your life the point of the story. Ask God for a new perspective, one that views each moment of your life as part of God's larger redemptive story. Ask Him that this perspective would transform the way you live.
I'm a pretty self-centered person, so how have I NOT made my life the point of the Story? I need to be taken down a couple notches. Humbled. I really should get involved in serving again. I need to be reminded regularly that it's not all about me. I need to give myself away.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Seek Week, Thursday
I expected my week to get better as the days passed, but unfortunately it has just gotten crappier. I've had a really shitty day & I do not feel like doing this tonight. Spent some time venting to God about everything, & even blaming Him for some of it. Right now I don't feel my heart is any closer to being prepared for this weekend than it was a week ago.
Pressin' on.
READ
Mark 14:12-72
REFLECT
On the night that has come to be known as the Last Supper, Jesus extends an invitation to those present to participate in a story. What is this story? It's the story of death & resurrection. Jesus breaks the bread & shares the wine with his disciples symbolizing the breaking of His body & the pouring out of His blood for the healing of the world. With this act, Jesus' words, "Come follow me" just took on an entirely new & profound meaning.
The invitation to participate in this story begins with us dying. This is a concrete ego-death where we let go of our old self, & trust in this new resurrected life in Christ. All of us want to experience the freedom that comes in this new life but we are not first trusting in the death of the old life. But it is only when we first trust in the death that we are able to experience this radical re-orientation of our entire being in Christ.
PRAY
Consider what ways your old self is still present in your life. As these ways are revealed, acknowledge them. Ask God for peace to know these things don't define you. And ask Him for strength to move past them.
Hmm. My old self is still present in my life in almost every way. At least it affects me in almost every way. I cannot rid myself of this horrible anger. I've BEEN acknowledging my anger issue for so very long & have begged the LORD to heal me in this area, yet it continues to debilitate me & ruin my life. Unfortunately, my anger DOES define me & I since I've been struggling with it nonstop, I in turn struggle to trust that the LORD will heal me.
Pressin' on.
READ
Mark 14:12-72
REFLECT
On the night that has come to be known as the Last Supper, Jesus extends an invitation to those present to participate in a story. What is this story? It's the story of death & resurrection. Jesus breaks the bread & shares the wine with his disciples symbolizing the breaking of His body & the pouring out of His blood for the healing of the world. With this act, Jesus' words, "Come follow me" just took on an entirely new & profound meaning.
The invitation to participate in this story begins with us dying. This is a concrete ego-death where we let go of our old self, & trust in this new resurrected life in Christ. All of us want to experience the freedom that comes in this new life but we are not first trusting in the death of the old life. But it is only when we first trust in the death that we are able to experience this radical re-orientation of our entire being in Christ.
PRAY
Consider what ways your old self is still present in your life. As these ways are revealed, acknowledge them. Ask God for peace to know these things don't define you. And ask Him for strength to move past them.
Hmm. My old self is still present in my life in almost every way. At least it affects me in almost every way. I cannot rid myself of this horrible anger. I've BEEN acknowledging my anger issue for so very long & have begged the LORD to heal me in this area, yet it continues to debilitate me & ruin my life. Unfortunately, my anger DOES define me & I since I've been struggling with it nonstop, I in turn struggle to trust that the LORD will heal me.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Seek Week, Wednesday
Today was not a good day for me. While I did steer clear of Twitter & FB, I let the t.v. run alllll daaaaay loooong. I have also been incredibly cranky & thus, incredibly impatient with Solomon. Poor kid. It's sad he got stuck with me as his mom. (I have a good reason to be cranky today -- in addition to Charlotte's nightly feedings, Solomon woke up around 2am & didn't go back to sleep until after 4. So, yeah. I'm tired.) I suck.
Seek Week....
READ
Mark 14:1-11
REFLECT
Jesus overhears some of those at Simon the Lepers' house rebuking the woman harshly for anointing Jesus' feet with an expensive perfume. Jesus tells them to "leave her alone. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial." Burial? Can you imagine what some of Jesus' disciples & those in attendance are thinking? "You're going to die soon? We thought you were going to help us overthrow Rome & now you're talking about your coming burial?"
This moment was the tipping point for one of the disciples.... Judas.
Verse 10 says, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them." When Judas sees the way Jesus interacts with this woman, he realizes his expectations of the Kingdom of God are far off from reality. He feels betrayed. He feels frustrated. And he's had enough. It's at this moment that Judas glimpses where this week is going to take Jesus & what this will mean for Christ's disciples. It will not be a life of luxury, but of death. So Judas opts out by heading to the chief priests & creating an alliance that in his mind will, unlike the Kingdom of God, protect & provide for him.
PRAY
Do you believe the way of Jesus is really the best way to live? Ask God if there are ways you have taken measures into your own hands to ensure you are protected & provided for. Ask God for a trust that will allow Him to show up on His terms.
After contemplating & praying on this for a bit, no instances are coming to mind in which I tried to protect myself rather than trusting God to do that for me. I'm sure there have been plenty of times but I can't really remember anything specific. Even after losing my incredibly well paying job, knowing it would be near impossible to find a new one in my condition (pregnant), I never stopped trusting that God would provide for us. And He has been, unceasingly, in various ways. For instance, we didn't have to buy diapers for Charlotte out of pocket until she was more than 6 months old.
But on the other hand....
The American lifestyle is exactly that: self-reliance. "Look out for #1!" And I am not immune to it. We are self-made people & proud of it. I don't worry about where my next meal is going to come from, or if I'm going to die from a preventable &/or treatable disease, or if my kids will be stolen from me & forced to join a rebel army. Maybe I can't think of specific instances where I tried to be my own provider/protector, but I probably do this in little ways everyday unknowingly. Because that's what middle-class Americans do.
After writing out these thoughts, I am reminded of a video I recently watched. Francis Chan is a pastor in Simi Valley, CA & has spoken at our church once or twice before (& he is amazing!).
To be honest, I am afraid to pray this prayer. It's scary to depend solely on someone else, even when that someone else is God. There are areas in my life where I certainly trust Him, but complete control over everything.... not so much. Well, I guess God has now given me the answers to the above questions.
Seek Week....
READ
Mark 14:1-11
REFLECT
Jesus overhears some of those at Simon the Lepers' house rebuking the woman harshly for anointing Jesus' feet with an expensive perfume. Jesus tells them to "leave her alone. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial." Burial? Can you imagine what some of Jesus' disciples & those in attendance are thinking? "You're going to die soon? We thought you were going to help us overthrow Rome & now you're talking about your coming burial?"
This moment was the tipping point for one of the disciples.... Judas.
Verse 10 says, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them." When Judas sees the way Jesus interacts with this woman, he realizes his expectations of the Kingdom of God are far off from reality. He feels betrayed. He feels frustrated. And he's had enough. It's at this moment that Judas glimpses where this week is going to take Jesus & what this will mean for Christ's disciples. It will not be a life of luxury, but of death. So Judas opts out by heading to the chief priests & creating an alliance that in his mind will, unlike the Kingdom of God, protect & provide for him.
PRAY
Do you believe the way of Jesus is really the best way to live? Ask God if there are ways you have taken measures into your own hands to ensure you are protected & provided for. Ask God for a trust that will allow Him to show up on His terms.
After contemplating & praying on this for a bit, no instances are coming to mind in which I tried to protect myself rather than trusting God to do that for me. I'm sure there have been plenty of times but I can't really remember anything specific. Even after losing my incredibly well paying job, knowing it would be near impossible to find a new one in my condition (pregnant), I never stopped trusting that God would provide for us. And He has been, unceasingly, in various ways. For instance, we didn't have to buy diapers for Charlotte out of pocket until she was more than 6 months old.
But on the other hand....
The American lifestyle is exactly that: self-reliance. "Look out for #1!" And I am not immune to it. We are self-made people & proud of it. I don't worry about where my next meal is going to come from, or if I'm going to die from a preventable &/or treatable disease, or if my kids will be stolen from me & forced to join a rebel army. Maybe I can't think of specific instances where I tried to be my own provider/protector, but I probably do this in little ways everyday unknowingly. Because that's what middle-class Americans do.
After writing out these thoughts, I am reminded of a video I recently watched. Francis Chan is a pastor in Simi Valley, CA & has spoken at our church once or twice before (& he is amazing!).
To be honest, I am afraid to pray this prayer. It's scary to depend solely on someone else, even when that someone else is God. There are areas in my life where I certainly trust Him, but complete control over everything.... not so much. Well, I guess God has now given me the answers to the above questions.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Seek Week, Tuesday
The LORD gave me the strength & I stuck to my commitment & did not Tweet or goof off on Facebook at all today (I will admit I went on to FB briefly to get someone's email address, but that is it, I swear!). I only let Solomon watch t.v. during breakfast & lunch & then we watched FOX during dinner. The entire morning I played with the kids: Play-doh, Mr. Potato Head, blocks & just general silliness. We let iTunes play all morning so Solomon would sporadically break into song & dance throughout the morning. I was so tired this morning though.... & bored to tears (which I think exacerbated my tiredness). The afternoon was a little rough, but tomorrow is a new day.
Okay, on to Tuesday of Seek Week!
READ
Mark 11:20 - 13:37
REFLECT
As Jesus enters the temple area on Tuesday, He is immediately questioned about His authority by the chief priests & teachers of the law. Authority was a big thing to the Hebrew people because, in their minds, only a few teachers possessed it. If one had the authority, they would be free to make new interpretations of the Torah -- the first five books of the Bible. When you read through the gospels, you see many times that Jesus does this by saying, "you have heard it said; but I tell you..." When Jesus would do this, people often wondered where He received this authority.
It was customary during that day for a rabbi to receive this kind of authority by being blessed by two other teachers who already had it. In Matthew 3:13-17, you see John the Baptist baptizing Jesus & heaven immediately opening up as the Spirit of God descends down onto Jesus like a dove & a voice declares, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." At this moment, Jesus receives the authority to make new interpretations, to invite people to repent becuase the Kingdom of God is at hand, & to usher in a new way to view reality.
PRAY
Does Jesus have the authority to speak into every aspect of your life? Ask God if there are areas where you have not given Him authority. Ask for courage to release these areas to Him. Ask for faith to believe that God wants to bless you in new ways in these areas.
I am not in a praying mood tonight, but I half-heartedly offered up these questions/requests to the LORD anyway. Thank goodness His faithfulness is unwaivering, no matter how much I waiver.
Areas of my life I have not given the LORD authority over:
Okay, on to Tuesday of Seek Week!
READ
Mark 11:20 - 13:37
REFLECT
As Jesus enters the temple area on Tuesday, He is immediately questioned about His authority by the chief priests & teachers of the law. Authority was a big thing to the Hebrew people because, in their minds, only a few teachers possessed it. If one had the authority, they would be free to make new interpretations of the Torah -- the first five books of the Bible. When you read through the gospels, you see many times that Jesus does this by saying, "you have heard it said; but I tell you..." When Jesus would do this, people often wondered where He received this authority.
It was customary during that day for a rabbi to receive this kind of authority by being blessed by two other teachers who already had it. In Matthew 3:13-17, you see John the Baptist baptizing Jesus & heaven immediately opening up as the Spirit of God descends down onto Jesus like a dove & a voice declares, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." At this moment, Jesus receives the authority to make new interpretations, to invite people to repent becuase the Kingdom of God is at hand, & to usher in a new way to view reality.
PRAY
Does Jesus have the authority to speak into every aspect of your life? Ask God if there are areas where you have not given Him authority. Ask for courage to release these areas to Him. Ask for faith to believe that God wants to bless you in new ways in these areas.
I am not in a praying mood tonight, but I half-heartedly offered up these questions/requests to the LORD anyway. Thank goodness His faithfulness is unwaivering, no matter how much I waiver.
Areas of my life I have not given the LORD authority over:
- Child rearing -- I depend on my own strengths way too much & rarely ask the LORD for help in this area. I just scream & spank.
- Time -- My time is MY time & I don't like to share it. I don't give God much of my time, devoted solely to Him (i.e devotionals/quiet times); I don't give my kids enough of my time (mostly because playing bores me to death); I don't volunteer my time for service. I don't allow God to dictate my schedule, which is kinda weird when you think about it, since, you know, HE is the one who gave me my time to begin with.
- Child rearing -- Rather than just scream & spank, I can spend time explaining to Solomon why God does/doesn't want us to do certain things. How will Solomon reflect God's character if he doesn't know of God's attributes & His desires for His children?
- Time -- I've heard before, & I believe this to be true, that the cure for selfishness is service. Before having children I loved being involved in service activities, both in & outside of church. God has really put the homeless, specifically, on my heart. But I allow the fact that I have small children to excuse me from not participating in such activities any more. I believe this lack of action contributes greatly to my "stuck in a rut" feeling. I usually think of what a hassle it is to take the kids anywhere, & really, how much can I get done with them around? I also convince myself that's it's okay I'm so lazy about it right now since we're moving in 2 months. I need to give myself away in some serious ways....
Monday, April 06, 2009
Seek Week, Monday
So the week before Easter is "Seek Week" at ROCKHARBOR, during which we spend time preparing our hearts for Easter celebration. This year they distributed these handy-dandy packets with inserts for each day, Monday through Saturday. I have decided to blog my reflections each day this week, to share with you what God is doing with me, in me. (If you're only interested in reading my reflections, rather than the whole thing, skip on down to the bottom. I just thought it would be nice if people knew what I was reflecting upon.)
READ
Mark 11:12-19:
Jesus Clears the Temple
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
"'My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.
REFLECT
There were four courts in the temple; one for the priests, one for the Jewish men, one for the Jewish women, & one for the Gentiles. People came from all over the ancient near east to offer up their sacrifices & prayers at the temple. Imagine taking your yearly pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem & not being able to get in because the Jewish men have turned it into a bizarre where you can purchase animals for sacrifice & exchange money.
When Jesus sees the leaders of His day creating barriers for those who truly want to worship, it breaks His heart & He responds by driving out those who are selling & buying in the temple. He reminds people of Isaiah 56:7, "for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations." By driving out those who had neglected this verse, Jesus removes the barriers in the temple so that all are free to come & worship God uninterrupted.
PRAY
We each have spoken or unspoken barriers that will attempt to hold us back from worshiping God this week. Ask God to reveal what these barriers are in your life. Ask God to meet you in the midst of them. And ask Him to be free to come & worship Him this week.
As I prayed to the LORD & asked Him to show the barriers in my life, two specific things were brought to my attention:
READ
Mark 11:12-19:
Jesus Clears the Temple
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
"'My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.
REFLECT
There were four courts in the temple; one for the priests, one for the Jewish men, one for the Jewish women, & one for the Gentiles. People came from all over the ancient near east to offer up their sacrifices & prayers at the temple. Imagine taking your yearly pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem & not being able to get in because the Jewish men have turned it into a bizarre where you can purchase animals for sacrifice & exchange money.
When Jesus sees the leaders of His day creating barriers for those who truly want to worship, it breaks His heart & He responds by driving out those who are selling & buying in the temple. He reminds people of Isaiah 56:7, "for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations." By driving out those who had neglected this verse, Jesus removes the barriers in the temple so that all are free to come & worship God uninterrupted.
PRAY
We each have spoken or unspoken barriers that will attempt to hold us back from worshiping God this week. Ask God to reveal what these barriers are in your life. Ask God to meet you in the midst of them. And ask Him to be free to come & worship Him this week.
As I prayed to the LORD & asked Him to show the barriers in my life, two specific things were brought to my attention:
- Anger (the obvious one).
- Media/entertainment distractions (computer primarily); selfishness with my time.
- Anger: I have no idea how to break down this barrier. This has been heavy on my heart for so long & "I'll just try harder next time" simply does not work. I didn't hear from the LORD so much on this issue during my prayer time, so I just asked, "LORD, how do I surrender this to You? You have already freed me from anger, so help me to act like it! BUT HOW??? So frustrating.
- Time-sucking media: God made it perfectly clear what He expected from me on this one. Fast. Fast from the computer & t.v. shows & videos. God, I just want You to know, I am not okay with this. But, I'll do it. (Please note I am only fasting from Twitter & Facebook. Email is not really a problem area for me & I want to blog, another not-so-problematic area, through Seek Week.) In place of the time I would normally spend on the computer, I will devote to my kids, showing them what it means to live a worshipful life. (I'm gonna do my best anyway.) I will only check email & blog during naps & after bedtime.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Update on the Car Situation
So it looks like Jason didn't have to raise hell to get a little compensation for the crap we went through -- thank the LORD! They explained that their mechanics/technicians are limited as far as what stuff they can do so they had to bring in a specialist of some sort to come on site & check it out. Tuns out a bearing came off & was rolling around, causing the clicking sound we were hearing. (I dunno what they're talking about, so if you don't know either, don't ask me. Also, if you DO know what they're talking about, don't explain it to me.) They had to order a part, which would take 3-5 business days to come in & then a day or two to fix it. So we were going to live without a car for a week & a half. But Hyundai was able to give a loaner, which they don't typically do, for 3 days. Better than nothing, but still not that convenient. At least they are trying to help us. I'm just happy I can do my grocery shopping without having to walk to the store with 2 babies & that we can go to church tomorrow. Yay church!! Hopefully we'll have it back in time for our Spiritual Parenting class on Tuesday.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Aim Lower
A friend of mine sent me this video & I thought it was interesting. I've never really considered the Great Commission this way. Maybe we make things way more complicated than they should be.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Fiasco (AKA Saturday Night)
The beginning of this nightmare actually happened the Saturday before when, on our way to Jon & Molly's house, our clutch started making this clicking sound as though a rock or something was stuck in there. You could feel it through the clutch as your foot rests on it. The next day Jason had a friend take him to drop it off at the dealership & thus we were car-less for 2 1/2 days.
It [allegedly] took the technician the first entire day, open to close, to get the car to do for him what it had been doing to us for the previous two days. We were told that it was because we needed new brakes & rotors. We were also due for some regular maintenance so after everything was said & done, we dropped nearly $1000 on repairs. Yikes! But we assumed we wouldn't need anymore major work done for a while, & we hadn't really up until this point, so we just sucked it up & rolled with the punches. It was finally done late Tuesday evening but we weren't able to pick it up until the next day.
Wednesday night, the first time I took the car out, I had gone to the grocery store & halfway home the clutch started doing the clicking thing again! Jason calls the dealership back Thursday morning & was told we could bring it back in "if we wanted to" but it past safety inspection & is "safe to drive." Alright. They're the experts, they should know. We had decided to wait out the weekend & take it back in on Monday. Except, the car didn't last until Monday....
Saturday we drove to Glendora, nearly an hour away, to a friend's "welcome back!" party as he had just returned from a 6 month missions trip with YWAM. The clutch noticibly worsened about 45 minutes into our trip. We were coming off the 60 onto the 57 where we came to a light. Immediately upon stopping at the light the car silently died. Awesome. A line of cars were stuck behind us, trying to get off the freeway. Horns were honked (though the person directly behind us didn't -- she understood what the flashing hazard lights meant). People were mad. Jason called Hyundai's roadside assistance & I called our friend to let him know what had happened. All the while Solomon was screaming this awful, high-pitched scream that he does & Charlotte was crying. More awesomeness. Finally, after we had been sitting there for about 10-15 minutes, this man & his son offered to push us around onto the road, off of the exit, & we happily accepted. At least we weren't blocking the exit anymore!
Two friends were able to leave the party & come to our rescue; Ramses took the kids & me to the party & Chris & Jason stayed with the car to wait for AAA to send a tow truck. Thank God for Chris, who had AAA, as Hyundai was going to charge us $100 to tow! Ramses, the kids & I safely made it to the party around 6 (it started at 5). After about an hour & a half I called Jason as they still hadn't shown up. Jason explains to me that they were still waiting for the tow truck as AAA apparently dispatched a tow truck in TEXAS! That poor truck driver in TX was driving around on a road by the same name, looking for our car. So then AAA had to cancel that tow truck & dispatch a new one. Chris & Jason finally got to the party at about 8:30, we stayed for another half hour & Ramses took us home. (What a sweetie! That's a 2 hour round trip for him!)
Unfortunately, the madness didn't quite end there. Since the kids didn't get to bed until about 10:30, & they both have colds, they were both tired & cranky all day long. It's been a terribly long weekend.
Well, Jason has a few choice words for the dealership tomorrow & wrote a letter for them today. He said he's going to wait to see how they handle the situation & if they're cooperative, we will put this all behind us. If not.... well, I'll keep you posted. It ain't gonna be pretty, I promise you that.
It [allegedly] took the technician the first entire day, open to close, to get the car to do for him what it had been doing to us for the previous two days. We were told that it was because we needed new brakes & rotors. We were also due for some regular maintenance so after everything was said & done, we dropped nearly $1000 on repairs. Yikes! But we assumed we wouldn't need anymore major work done for a while, & we hadn't really up until this point, so we just sucked it up & rolled with the punches. It was finally done late Tuesday evening but we weren't able to pick it up until the next day.
Wednesday night, the first time I took the car out, I had gone to the grocery store & halfway home the clutch started doing the clicking thing again! Jason calls the dealership back Thursday morning & was told we could bring it back in "if we wanted to" but it past safety inspection & is "safe to drive." Alright. They're the experts, they should know. We had decided to wait out the weekend & take it back in on Monday. Except, the car didn't last until Monday....
Saturday we drove to Glendora, nearly an hour away, to a friend's "welcome back!" party as he had just returned from a 6 month missions trip with YWAM. The clutch noticibly worsened about 45 minutes into our trip. We were coming off the 60 onto the 57 where we came to a light. Immediately upon stopping at the light the car silently died. Awesome. A line of cars were stuck behind us, trying to get off the freeway. Horns were honked (though the person directly behind us didn't -- she understood what the flashing hazard lights meant). People were mad. Jason called Hyundai's roadside assistance & I called our friend to let him know what had happened. All the while Solomon was screaming this awful, high-pitched scream that he does & Charlotte was crying. More awesomeness. Finally, after we had been sitting there for about 10-15 minutes, this man & his son offered to push us around onto the road, off of the exit, & we happily accepted. At least we weren't blocking the exit anymore!
Two friends were able to leave the party & come to our rescue; Ramses took the kids & me to the party & Chris & Jason stayed with the car to wait for AAA to send a tow truck. Thank God for Chris, who had AAA, as Hyundai was going to charge us $100 to tow! Ramses, the kids & I safely made it to the party around 6 (it started at 5). After about an hour & a half I called Jason as they still hadn't shown up. Jason explains to me that they were still waiting for the tow truck as AAA apparently dispatched a tow truck in TEXAS! That poor truck driver in TX was driving around on a road by the same name, looking for our car. So then AAA had to cancel that tow truck & dispatch a new one. Chris & Jason finally got to the party at about 8:30, we stayed for another half hour & Ramses took us home. (What a sweetie! That's a 2 hour round trip for him!)
Unfortunately, the madness didn't quite end there. Since the kids didn't get to bed until about 10:30, & they both have colds, they were both tired & cranky all day long. It's been a terribly long weekend.
Well, Jason has a few choice words for the dealership tomorrow & wrote a letter for them today. He said he's going to wait to see how they handle the situation & if they're cooperative, we will put this all behind us. If not.... well, I'll keep you posted. It ain't gonna be pretty, I promise you that.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Graduating to Solids
We've been giving Charlotte rice cereal for a couple of months now. Inconsistently, though, because I'm too lazy to make a bowl. It's much easier to nurse her on the spot. At her 6 month check up I confessed I wasn't feeding her solids as often as I was supposed to be & the pediatrician said it's mostly to help babies gain weight & Charlotte certainly wasn't having any trouble in that department, so not to worry. He said we should go ahead & start giving her stage one foods though.
Well, transitioning to solids has proven to be both challenging & annoying. Charlotte simply has no interest in eating solids! She refuses to open her mouth & either purses her lips or sticks her tongue out, making it difficult to shove the spoon in there. All she wants to do is play with the spoon & chew on the rubber covering. While it is adorable to watch her do this, I don't want to spend a half hour trying to feed her a little bit of food. Especially when my two year old is running amok or throwing his own food.
I'm sure it'll get better with time. Just gotta keep on keepin' on.
Rice Cereal attempt #8. This pic cracks me up.
She stole the spoon from me.
Charlotte, before trying carrots for the first time.
(She has more bibs. It's just a coincident that she's wearing the same one.)
Other than the whole not opening her mouth part, it went alright.
She's a spoon thief.
Well, transitioning to solids has proven to be both challenging & annoying. Charlotte simply has no interest in eating solids! She refuses to open her mouth & either purses her lips or sticks her tongue out, making it difficult to shove the spoon in there. All she wants to do is play with the spoon & chew on the rubber covering. While it is adorable to watch her do this, I don't want to spend a half hour trying to feed her a little bit of food. Especially when my two year old is running amok or throwing his own food.
I'm sure it'll get better with time. Just gotta keep on keepin' on.
Rice Cereal attempt #8. This pic cracks me up.
She stole the spoon from me.
Charlotte, before trying carrots for the first time.(She has more bibs. It's just a coincident that she's wearing the same one.)
Other than the whole not opening her mouth part, it went alright.
She's a spoon thief.Friday, March 13, 2009
Naptime Shenanigans
Solomon had been in his room for nearly an hour & still hadn't gone to sleep. As I was passing his room I saw him jumping up & down at his door, shouting at me, "I'm a bug! I'm a bug!" When I stopped to get a good look at what he was doing, I found he had Charlotte's ladybug swimsuit dangling from his neck & he was running around, in squatted position, arms sticking straight out behind him, going, "Bzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzz!" It's hard to be aggravated with him when he's so darn cute.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Holiest Birthday Gift Ever
One of the many reasons I heart Dave Khalif: he's the funniest, most creative person I know. Hmm. Maybe that was 2 reasons. Anyway, for my birthday he gave me the following:
The awesome Sponge Bob tin lunch pail contained: a Sweet Jesus Air Freshener, Virtuous Vanilla scent (doubles as an anti-theft device); Jesus Saves Your Breath mints, 12 wintergreen mints, one for each apostle; Pocket Jesus Saves (it's a little Pepto-pink, plastic Jesus figurine. And, yes, I do carry it in my purse. I like the pink Jesus better than the Suburban white Jesus with shiny, flowing hair & blue eyes. It also came with a bonus bumper sticker.); & finally, a tiny book entitled "The Monster That Ate Stars." Weird, weird little book. Doesn't make much sense really, but that's sorta the point.
Dave, if you read this, this is my official request for next year's birthday gift. I would like to see a comeback of "Gauche."
(P.S. Maria, do you think these things with Jesus' name slapped on them make Him cry? Or laugh hysterically?)
The awesome Sponge Bob tin lunch pail contained: a Sweet Jesus Air Freshener, Virtuous Vanilla scent (doubles as an anti-theft device); Jesus Saves Your Breath mints, 12 wintergreen mints, one for each apostle; Pocket Jesus Saves (it's a little Pepto-pink, plastic Jesus figurine. And, yes, I do carry it in my purse. I like the pink Jesus better than the Suburban white Jesus with shiny, flowing hair & blue eyes. It also came with a bonus bumper sticker.); & finally, a tiny book entitled "The Monster That Ate Stars." Weird, weird little book. Doesn't make much sense really, but that's sorta the point.
Dave, if you read this, this is my official request for next year's birthday gift. I would like to see a comeback of "Gauche."
(P.S. Maria, do you think these things with Jesus' name slapped on them make Him cry? Or laugh hysterically?)
Friday, March 06, 2009
Charlotte's Baby Dedication, 1/25/09
I finally got the dedication pictures back this week! Yay!! We got to church a bit early so we could get the pics done & save our seats. Jon & Molly, Charlotte's Godparents/Jason's bro & his wife, were with us, along with Trevin, the Petersons & the Morenos! Some our closest family & friends :) We were able to have Trevin come up to pray with & over our family, which meant so much to us.
There's something so powerful about standing before your church family, committing your child to the LORD & promising to raise them up in His ways. And hearing your church family also committ to supporting you & RockHarbor's family ministry. It's a heavy burden & a huge responsibility to "Train a child in the way he should go" [Proverbs 22:6a], but it's also such a privilage that God entrusted us to help guide them in His ways. If my kids do only one thing right in choosing to be in relationship with Christ, then I have done my job & can die a happy woman. I don't want their faith to be something they "do" because that's how they were raised; I want it to be authentic. I want them to grow up & own their faith. Investigate & figure out on their own that the LORD is good, not just because Daddy & I said so. Their decision to follow Him is more important than anything. More important than education, financial success, even their personal happiness. Eternal freedom is better than a mesley 80 years of self-indulgence.
We had to choose a life verse for Charlotte, one we were to pray as a blessing upon her. We chose the same passage we selected for Solomon for his dedication 2 1/2 years ago & we will use it for any other children we may have:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. -- Ephesians 3:14-19
Here are a few pics from the dedication. For some reason, Solomon was abnormally cooperative that morning, thank God! :)
There's something so powerful about standing before your church family, committing your child to the LORD & promising to raise them up in His ways. And hearing your church family also committ to supporting you & RockHarbor's family ministry. It's a heavy burden & a huge responsibility to "Train a child in the way he should go" [Proverbs 22:6a], but it's also such a privilage that God entrusted us to help guide them in His ways. If my kids do only one thing right in choosing to be in relationship with Christ, then I have done my job & can die a happy woman. I don't want their faith to be something they "do" because that's how they were raised; I want it to be authentic. I want them to grow up & own their faith. Investigate & figure out on their own that the LORD is good, not just because Daddy & I said so. Their decision to follow Him is more important than anything. More important than education, financial success, even their personal happiness. Eternal freedom is better than a mesley 80 years of self-indulgence.
We had to choose a life verse for Charlotte, one we were to pray as a blessing upon her. We chose the same passage we selected for Solomon for his dedication 2 1/2 years ago & we will use it for any other children we may have:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. -- Ephesians 3:14-19
Here are a few pics from the dedication. For some reason, Solomon was abnormally cooperative that morning, thank God! :)
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Lucy
My sweet, sweet Lucy. You were the reason we adopted you & Gabe almost 5 years ago. We had looked at cats online & decided on one before we got to the shelter, only to learn he wasn't that friendly & hated other cats. So we walked around to find some kitties to complete our new family.
You kept pacing your cage, following us back & forth, back & forth, calling to us, "Pick me! Pick me!" After interacting with a few other cats, I said, "Well, let's check out these guys here. This one keeps calling to us, so maybe this is it." They took you, Gabe, Jason & me into a little room so that we could meet you formally. Gabe just kinda sat there, keeping his distance, disinterested in the whole ordeal. But you.... you were so affectionate! How could we say no to you? So we brought you home.
You were my baby for the first 2 years. You slept on my head every night & I loved it. Until we had a baby & sleep was scarce. I'm really sorry to have kicked you out of our room like that but I needed what little sleep I was getting & you sleeping on my head interfered with that. I didn't love you any less though. I hope you knew that.
As the family attention whore, your affection was annoying at times. Honestly, a lot of the time. As much as I loved you I wished you were content just being nearby, like Gabe, rather than on me 24/7. Seriously, if you could've lived inside me somehow, you would've. You always acted like a kitten, so spry & playful. No one would've ever guessed you were 14.
You were such a wonderful pet & I'm sorry I wasn't a better pet owner. I could've loved you better. I'm glad you didn't know the difference & loved me unconditionally, regardless of how I treated you (which wasn't bad.... it just could've been better). No pet could ever replace you & you will always hold a very special place in my heart. Hmm. Maybe you did get inside me afterall, hehe :) Goodbye kitty. I love you so very much & will miss your persistent, annoying cuddling.
You kept pacing your cage, following us back & forth, back & forth, calling to us, "Pick me! Pick me!" After interacting with a few other cats, I said, "Well, let's check out these guys here. This one keeps calling to us, so maybe this is it." They took you, Gabe, Jason & me into a little room so that we could meet you formally. Gabe just kinda sat there, keeping his distance, disinterested in the whole ordeal. But you.... you were so affectionate! How could we say no to you? So we brought you home.
You were my baby for the first 2 years. You slept on my head every night & I loved it. Until we had a baby & sleep was scarce. I'm really sorry to have kicked you out of our room like that but I needed what little sleep I was getting & you sleeping on my head interfered with that. I didn't love you any less though. I hope you knew that.
As the family attention whore, your affection was annoying at times. Honestly, a lot of the time. As much as I loved you I wished you were content just being nearby, like Gabe, rather than on me 24/7. Seriously, if you could've lived inside me somehow, you would've. You always acted like a kitten, so spry & playful. No one would've ever guessed you were 14.
You were such a wonderful pet & I'm sorry I wasn't a better pet owner. I could've loved you better. I'm glad you didn't know the difference & loved me unconditionally, regardless of how I treated you (which wasn't bad.... it just could've been better). No pet could ever replace you & you will always hold a very special place in my heart. Hmm. Maybe you did get inside me afterall, hehe :) Goodbye kitty. I love you so very much & will miss your persistent, annoying cuddling.
Our Sweet Lucy
1995 - 3/4/09
1995 - 3/4/09
Friday, February 13, 2009
I Need a Solid Night's Sleep
I think the reason I have so many crazy dreams is because I'm constantly woken up during my REM sleep. Well, maybe that's not why they're crazy; but maybe it feels like I have more dreams than usual because I'm more likely to remember them, being interrupted & all multiple times each night.
This morning Jason let me sleep in a little (I get 2 days a week) & he came to wake me up around 8:30 so he could get ready for work. I was in the middle of this insane dream that Jason, the kids & I were at the Brickmans' house (why? I have no idea.), but it looks nothing like their house. It was late at night & dark outside; there were a lot of pipes & water & some construction going on (makes sense.... Davey is a contractor). Jason was downstairs on his laptop, working because he had synchrotron time. This was funny to me because he really DOES have synchrotron time this weekend. The kids were there, but sort of fuzzy. Like they were just running around playing or something & no one was really paying them any mind.
Anyway, so I kept getting these kicking sensations in my belly & I was pretty sure I was pregnant. I knew Jason would be really upset so I had Christine sneak out to get me a pregnancy test so I could confirm before I dropped a bomb on my husband.
I woke up before I found out whether or not I was preggers, so I guess we'll never know!
This morning Jason let me sleep in a little (I get 2 days a week) & he came to wake me up around 8:30 so he could get ready for work. I was in the middle of this insane dream that Jason, the kids & I were at the Brickmans' house (why? I have no idea.), but it looks nothing like their house. It was late at night & dark outside; there were a lot of pipes & water & some construction going on (makes sense.... Davey is a contractor). Jason was downstairs on his laptop, working because he had synchrotron time. This was funny to me because he really DOES have synchrotron time this weekend. The kids were there, but sort of fuzzy. Like they were just running around playing or something & no one was really paying them any mind.
Anyway, so I kept getting these kicking sensations in my belly & I was pretty sure I was pregnant. I knew Jason would be really upset so I had Christine sneak out to get me a pregnancy test so I could confirm before I dropped a bomb on my husband.
I woke up before I found out whether or not I was preggers, so I guess we'll never know!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Blogging out of Boredom
I don't really have much to blog about but I'm bored so I'm going to write some random pieces of information. Really I should be doing some chores around the house, but, meh.
- God has been good to us & has continued to bless us even though this past year has been difficult. He has proven His faithfulness unwavering & I cannot help but give Him praise & adoration. Thank You LORD... it's impossible to thank You enough.
- My left contact is blurry and it's extremely annoying. Maybe I accidentally got lotion in it when I rubbed my eye?
- I had to run an errand this morning & while I was driving down MacArthur Blvd I had a clear view of the snow covered mountains beyond the palm tree-lined road. God of creation took my breath away.
- This thought crosses my mind AT LEAST once a day: I wish everyone was as compelled by Christ as I am.
- Some people obsess over politics, some people obsess over stocks & the economy. I obsess over God. I blog & talk about the LORD a lot. I don't care if it bothers people either. If you don't like it, you aren't being forced to read it, but I hope you do anyway so that you can get a glimpse of His good works in my life. I live for Him so it's only natural that my conversations center around Him as well. Sometimes (okay, a lot of times) I am a poor reflection of Him but I hope that my faults only shine light on the fact that God loves us anyway & takes us as we are. We don't have to "clean ourselves up" for Him. Everyone's messed up. I'm definitely no exception. In the famous words of DC Talk: "I am the chief of sinners."
- Sometimes I think some of my Christian friends even think I talk about God too much, but again I don't care. My intention behind my God-obsessed convos is not that of a "holier-than-thou" stance, but to remind myself of who the LORD is & who I am in Him. Also, as mentioned in the previous bullet, so that others can see Him working in my life. I <3 Jesus!
- I've always struggled with prayer. No matter how in love I am with Jesus it's always been difficult. I'm talking to an unseen God. My mind wanders. I get distracted easily. However, this past week God has been drawing me into prayer & I can't resist. I have been enjoying praying & have been doing it pretty consistently throughout the days this week.
- I'm really excited about some stuff, but I can't talk about it right now so you'll just have to be curious I guess. If you feel you have to know what I'm talking about, you will have to email me directly or call me. That's the only way I'm telling.
- As the end of our CA stint draws nigh, I am sad. How am I gonna function without the only church I've ever loved? Maria said once that she's been a Christian since she was 12 but has never loved a church she attended. If it wasn't for RockHarbor, I'd be right there with her. I don't have high hopes of finding another church that I'll feel the same for. I'm also really gonna miss all of our friends out here. Only about another 16 weeks left in Cali.
- I really want to go to Waco. I haven't been there in a year now & it's about time I scheduled another trip. Maybe David Crowder will actually be home when I'm there next. He's usually on tour so I've never been able to see him at his church. I'd like to see my family again & I miss Jackie :(
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The Foolishness of God
We're doing a series at church right now on I Corinthians & it has been amazing! It has been very encouraging & is feeding both my mind & soul well.
This past weekend, before the sermon we were shown a video taken earlier in the week. A few staff members from our church went to UCI & quietly set up a big wooden cross in the middle of campus. Then they proceeded to interview passerby-ers, asking what their thoughts & reactions were to seeing the cross. Nothing too forceful or intimidating, simply surveying. Not too far away there was another guy with a big sign that, sadly, displayed a message of condemnation. The old "turn-or-burn" tactic. Aaaand he was shouting at people as they walked by. Our camera guy caught some footage of passionate arguments between him & college students. At one point, our camera guy had heard enough & ran over to the other guy & started yelling over him, "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD!" preaching a message of hope & love.
As Christ followers, we should definitely NOT try to apologize for Jesus & the reality of where a life without Him leads; Jesus wasn't apologetic about the Truth. But we should be cautious of how we go about sharing Jesus with others. It's the Good News for a reason. It's supposed to bring hope & peace. Screaming at people, telling them they're headed for hell is not going to make people hopeful or feel peace.
Anyway, if you want to listen to the latest sermon I encourage you to do so! It's long (almost 45 minutes), but Mike Erre will make it well worth your time. I promise! (Man, I'm gonna be so sad to leave RockHarbor.... I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it right now.... & knots in my stomach.)
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." -- I Corinthians 1:18
This past weekend, before the sermon we were shown a video taken earlier in the week. A few staff members from our church went to UCI & quietly set up a big wooden cross in the middle of campus. Then they proceeded to interview passerby-ers, asking what their thoughts & reactions were to seeing the cross. Nothing too forceful or intimidating, simply surveying. Not too far away there was another guy with a big sign that, sadly, displayed a message of condemnation. The old "turn-or-burn" tactic. Aaaand he was shouting at people as they walked by. Our camera guy caught some footage of passionate arguments between him & college students. At one point, our camera guy had heard enough & ran over to the other guy & started yelling over him, "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD!" preaching a message of hope & love.
As Christ followers, we should definitely NOT try to apologize for Jesus & the reality of where a life without Him leads; Jesus wasn't apologetic about the Truth. But we should be cautious of how we go about sharing Jesus with others. It's the Good News for a reason. It's supposed to bring hope & peace. Screaming at people, telling them they're headed for hell is not going to make people hopeful or feel peace.
Anyway, if you want to listen to the latest sermon I encourage you to do so! It's long (almost 45 minutes), but Mike Erre will make it well worth your time. I promise! (Man, I'm gonna be so sad to leave RockHarbor.... I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it right now.... & knots in my stomach.)
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." -- I Corinthians 1:18
Monday, February 02, 2009
Just When I Started Thinking I Actually Looked My Age...
I was at the snack bar in Target today & had this conversation with an older lady as we were filling our drinks:
Lady: I thought that maybe you were just babysitting. [Smiles sweetly.]
Me: Oh, no [chuckling]. They're both mine.
Lady: Yes, I can tell by the way you look at them. You are so young.
Me: Well, I'm gonna be 27 in two weeks.
Lady: No you're not. Someone lied.
It's been a while since someone has said something like this to me, so I really appreciated it. I don't think 26 is old by a long shot -- heck, I don't even think my parents are old yet! -- but I always liked that people thought I was a teenager, fresh out of HS or possibly STILL in HS. The last time I was with my dad he indicated that I looked my age, so this exchange made me happy :)
Lady: I thought that maybe you were just babysitting. [Smiles sweetly.]
Me: Oh, no [chuckling]. They're both mine.
Lady: Yes, I can tell by the way you look at them. You are so young.
Me: Well, I'm gonna be 27 in two weeks.
Lady: No you're not. Someone lied.
It's been a while since someone has said something like this to me, so I really appreciated it. I don't think 26 is old by a long shot -- heck, I don't even think my parents are old yet! -- but I always liked that people thought I was a teenager, fresh out of HS or possibly STILL in HS. The last time I was with my dad he indicated that I looked my age, so this exchange made me happy :)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Grandma
Today marks the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death. I always thought she was a batty old lady but I still loved her very much. Of all my grandparents, she was the most present in my life so her death affected me more than others would or will. That isn't to say she meant more to me or that I loved her more than my other grandparents, her death just cut me a little deeper.
When I was 8, after my parents divorced, my mom moved me & my two brothers from Pensacola, FL to Waco, TX & we lived with my grandma for a couple of years. This is odd because she was my dad's mom. So we were living with my mom's ex-MIL. If I remember correctly, we lived with her until I started middle school, when we moved not too far away to some apartments on Hawthorne Dr. At some point, shortly after I started middle school & my dad & other mom returned to the states (they were stationed in Japan up until then), my grandma moved to MD to live with my parents & I only saw her a couple times a year when I went to visit.
Unfortunately I was living with her just as I started going through puberty & she thought it was okay to pinch my newly developing boobs. This memory still makes me cringe & feel a little queasy.
At 16 I moved to MD to live with my dad & other mom & thus, shared a home with my grandmother again. My boobs were completely developed at this time, but she still thought it was funny to pinch them. She mostly stayed in her room but would come out to either go to the bathroom or to complain about something. No one could hardly ever do anything right; her way was always better. Hmm. Sounds like a couple other people I know....
When Maria moved in with us a couple years later, just after high school, we girls had to use the downstairs bathroom since my grandmother used that one. In case she had to rush in to use the bathroom. Which almost always happened as one of us were in the shower. "I need to use the pot!" she would shout as she barged in there. Then she would get all spiritual "on the pot" & start saying things like, "Oh dear Jesus! Lordy, Lordy, Lordy! Help me LORD!" What tha?????? -- It was horrid at the time, but now that it's nearly a decade later, I laugh about it.
One time my mom had just steam cleaned the carpets & asked my grandma to stay in her room until they dried. My grandma couldn't wait so she tied plastic grocery bags around her feet so she could walk on the floor. The picture in my head is hilarious!
The woman was a living, walking, breathing comedy. The last time I saw her was January 5th, I believe it was, when she was in the hospital due to her pneumonia & stuff. This was a few months after I had miscarried & a couple of weeks after I learned I was pregnant again. Since it was a pretty gloomy moment, I thought I'd try to make it cheerful by announcing my pregnancy to her. Aunt Roseanne, Toni & I were all sitting there with her & I said, "Grandma, I just want to let you know that I'm pregnant again." She smiles, closes her eyes & whispers, "Don't have another miscarriage." Aunt Roseanne & Toni gasped & were in wide-eyed shock. Me, I just laughed. "Okay Grandma, I'll see what I can do." She smiles at me again & nods her head. hahahaha -- that'll never cease to be funny.
About a month later, during the wake of her funeral, I saw 2 of my cousins, Jaime & Wendy, who I hadn't seen in a very long time. I started telling them about the miscarriage & the new pregnancy when they stopped me & said, "Oh yeah, we heard. Grandma wrote about it in her Christmas cards." What????? I mean, how do you bring something like that up in a Christmas card?
Front of card: "Unto us a child is born..."
Inside of card, Grandma writes: "Hey, speaking of children being born, your cousin Amanda had a miscarriage. Merry Christmas! Love, Grandma"
Like I said, a batty old lady. A batty old lady who will always hold a special place in my heart. Miss you Grandma.
When I was 8, after my parents divorced, my mom moved me & my two brothers from Pensacola, FL to Waco, TX & we lived with my grandma for a couple of years. This is odd because she was my dad's mom. So we were living with my mom's ex-MIL. If I remember correctly, we lived with her until I started middle school, when we moved not too far away to some apartments on Hawthorne Dr. At some point, shortly after I started middle school & my dad & other mom returned to the states (they were stationed in Japan up until then), my grandma moved to MD to live with my parents & I only saw her a couple times a year when I went to visit.
Unfortunately I was living with her just as I started going through puberty & she thought it was okay to pinch my newly developing boobs. This memory still makes me cringe & feel a little queasy.
At 16 I moved to MD to live with my dad & other mom & thus, shared a home with my grandmother again. My boobs were completely developed at this time, but she still thought it was funny to pinch them. She mostly stayed in her room but would come out to either go to the bathroom or to complain about something. No one could hardly ever do anything right; her way was always better. Hmm. Sounds like a couple other people I know....
When Maria moved in with us a couple years later, just after high school, we girls had to use the downstairs bathroom since my grandmother used that one. In case she had to rush in to use the bathroom. Which almost always happened as one of us were in the shower. "I need to use the pot!" she would shout as she barged in there. Then she would get all spiritual "on the pot" & start saying things like, "Oh dear Jesus! Lordy, Lordy, Lordy! Help me LORD!" What tha?????? -- It was horrid at the time, but now that it's nearly a decade later, I laugh about it.
One time my mom had just steam cleaned the carpets & asked my grandma to stay in her room until they dried. My grandma couldn't wait so she tied plastic grocery bags around her feet so she could walk on the floor. The picture in my head is hilarious!
The woman was a living, walking, breathing comedy. The last time I saw her was January 5th, I believe it was, when she was in the hospital due to her pneumonia & stuff. This was a few months after I had miscarried & a couple of weeks after I learned I was pregnant again. Since it was a pretty gloomy moment, I thought I'd try to make it cheerful by announcing my pregnancy to her. Aunt Roseanne, Toni & I were all sitting there with her & I said, "Grandma, I just want to let you know that I'm pregnant again." She smiles, closes her eyes & whispers, "Don't have another miscarriage." Aunt Roseanne & Toni gasped & were in wide-eyed shock. Me, I just laughed. "Okay Grandma, I'll see what I can do." She smiles at me again & nods her head. hahahaha -- that'll never cease to be funny.
About a month later, during the wake of her funeral, I saw 2 of my cousins, Jaime & Wendy, who I hadn't seen in a very long time. I started telling them about the miscarriage & the new pregnancy when they stopped me & said, "Oh yeah, we heard. Grandma wrote about it in her Christmas cards." What????? I mean, how do you bring something like that up in a Christmas card?
Front of card: "Unto us a child is born..."
Inside of card, Grandma writes: "Hey, speaking of children being born, your cousin Amanda had a miscarriage. Merry Christmas! Love, Grandma"
Like I said, a batty old lady. A batty old lady who will always hold a special place in my heart. Miss you Grandma.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Best Complaint Letter Ever
I know I already Twittered this but it's too freaking funny! Jason & I couldn't stop laughing throughout the entire thing. My sides started hurting! I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. Whooo-wheee!
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