Verse of the week:
"Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied:"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
This is the scripture that spoke to me most personally: "We can not love God whom we have not seen if we do not love those who we do see." 1 JN 4:20
When people say "I'm not perfect, but overall, I'm a good person and God knows that." Do they know that they must love to be forgiven? Love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Pt 4:8 What is love to them? Are they showing love in a Godly way? We must love God and love others the way God first loved us. And if they do not know God, how can they love? For God is love. (1 JN 4:8) And if they do not know God, they can not love because they do not know love, therefor they can not love in a way that would cover their sins. So who cares if you are a "good" person?? What is "good" by the standards of a hateful world? If you do not know God, then you can not love. If you do not love, then you can not forgive.
God, I know, if nothing else, people who know me and know my whole heart, they know my heart is full of love. I long for my heart to be full of your love Lord, a love that knows no bounds, a love that is never ceasing, ever forgiving, and mighty to save. Some people say, if you are a Christian, your greatest witness is your life. But the truth is, my life is, and has always been, a giant mess. I hope my greatest witness is my love. I will make mistakes in my life, everyday, every moment. I will have regrets, I will strive for change. I will work to be a better woman, mother, sister, friend. And I will fail. Everyday, I will fail. But God with everything you have given me, I will give back love. I will give your love. I will work to love like you love me.
Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire love. Make it your aim, your greatest quest. 1 Cor 14:1
Monday, February 23, 2009
Introduction
We're doing an awesome series at church called 40 Days of Love and it's about how God loves us and also how we are to love others. It includes the sermons, bible studies and "homework" as in things our church intends us to do to help the practice. It's really been impacting me in amazing ways so I would like to blog my notes here. It's already been going for two weeks so I will go back and back blog but I will try to get it up every Sunday from now on.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
excuse me sir, but you're blocking my driveway.
So I came home from the park today to find this in my front yard:
It seems our idiot neighbors thought it would be a good idea to burn something in their yard, it caught fire, and burned the entire fence down, among some other things in their yard. The property line where the fence was destroyed is not actually ours, which is good, but it's still pretty lame that now the privacy fence is offering no privacy at all so I suspect we will help Timmy, our other neighbor, rebuild it as soon as all the waterlog subsides. This is what the back of Timmy's house looked like:
um yeah, thats not a gate. That's where said firemen took out about 10 feet of fence so they could better access the fire.
This is just to the left of the previous picture. The fire went about 200 feet or so across these people's property line.
Smore's anyone?
It seems our idiot neighbors thought it would be a good idea to burn something in their yard, it caught fire, and burned the entire fence down, among some other things in their yard. The property line where the fence was destroyed is not actually ours, which is good, but it's still pretty lame that now the privacy fence is offering no privacy at all so I suspect we will help Timmy, our other neighbor, rebuild it as soon as all the waterlog subsides. This is what the back of Timmy's house looked like:
um yeah, thats not a gate. That's where said firemen took out about 10 feet of fence so they could better access the fire.
This is just to the left of the previous picture. The fire went about 200 feet or so across these people's property line.Smore's anyone?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
I seem to have lost my sanity,
if you find it, could you please be so kind as to return it to me?
Why yes, I did quit working in June to be home with my son. Yeah, I do remember why. It's funny you should ask. It seems that one woman, with only the two hands God bestowed her, can only do so much in these 24 short hours offered each day. Laundry, dinner, cleaning, mopping, and a 40 hour job, they don't seem to all fit into the same bucket. And somehow I need to find room for raising kids, sleep, and a little social life. Yeah.... riiiiiight.
So... anyway. Karen said something about one of my posts sounding happy which made me paranoid about the others sounding depressed, so let me look on the bright side of life here. The job has been awesome. I make my own hours, I work from home, and honestly it could not be any easier. I'm whole heartedly really good at it and that's nice for a change. Especially since I lost my most recent position in a giant mess of flaming suckness. So, thats great. Also the pay was unexpected so it's going straight to the cruise fund. This is great because it means we will actually have the money to spend on going on excursions and stuff which will be awesome.
On another note, Dennis's contract jobs have still been really steady so we are still totally on track to pay off the last of the second car. This has been such a God thing and I'm in utter amazement and praise that He has continued to provide. It's amazing to watch Him work and know that, despite the economy, no matter what happens, we will be provided for.
Also, Anakin is in school now and that's been great. He's having a little trouble adjusting, but we're getting there. For whatever reason, he seems to have an issue with goign potty there but the teachers are optimistic and they think he sill get over it. And they have been great about working with him, so that's good.
My spiderman quilt is coming along nicely. I've got the final design down on paper and should be getting started on the squares in the next couple of days. I've only got a few more days of work so I should be able to get it going soon and I hope to have it done before the end of the month. We'll see. This is only my second quilt and I have never dont squares like this before so I've got to figure out what I'm doing first. On paper it looks awesome so I really hope it works out like I want it to.
Okay well that's all for now. I'll try to do some more blogging with pictures when work is done.
Why yes, I did quit working in June to be home with my son. Yeah, I do remember why. It's funny you should ask. It seems that one woman, with only the two hands God bestowed her, can only do so much in these 24 short hours offered each day. Laundry, dinner, cleaning, mopping, and a 40 hour job, they don't seem to all fit into the same bucket. And somehow I need to find room for raising kids, sleep, and a little social life. Yeah.... riiiiiight.
So... anyway. Karen said something about one of my posts sounding happy which made me paranoid about the others sounding depressed, so let me look on the bright side of life here. The job has been awesome. I make my own hours, I work from home, and honestly it could not be any easier. I'm whole heartedly really good at it and that's nice for a change. Especially since I lost my most recent position in a giant mess of flaming suckness. So, thats great. Also the pay was unexpected so it's going straight to the cruise fund. This is great because it means we will actually have the money to spend on going on excursions and stuff which will be awesome.
On another note, Dennis's contract jobs have still been really steady so we are still totally on track to pay off the last of the second car. This has been such a God thing and I'm in utter amazement and praise that He has continued to provide. It's amazing to watch Him work and know that, despite the economy, no matter what happens, we will be provided for.
Also, Anakin is in school now and that's been great. He's having a little trouble adjusting, but we're getting there. For whatever reason, he seems to have an issue with goign potty there but the teachers are optimistic and they think he sill get over it. And they have been great about working with him, so that's good.
My spiderman quilt is coming along nicely. I've got the final design down on paper and should be getting started on the squares in the next couple of days. I've only got a few more days of work so I should be able to get it going soon and I hope to have it done before the end of the month. We'll see. This is only my second quilt and I have never dont squares like this before so I've got to figure out what I'm doing first. On paper it looks awesome so I really hope it works out like I want it to.
Okay well that's all for now. I'll try to do some more blogging with pictures when work is done.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
what about it?
I don't really have anything to blog about but considering I haven't really posted since I got back from Seattle and that was two weeks ago, I felt like I needed to post SOMETHING.
So let's talk about work. I really like what I am doing, but am reminded why I am not really able to work a full time job and do at home what I want to do. It's true, no wonder my house used to look like a mess!! Yeah it's looking pretty rough now too. Dennis is doing great, and helping out a lot, but he has his regular job and contract work to do on top of that. So it makes it difficult for both of us, trying to balance everything out. I make my own schedule so I have been able to work when Anakin is napping, at school, or in bed at night. This week, I cut back a little so I will have two days that I am not working while he is napping. I just need a little bit of breathing room if my family plans on having clean clothes to wear.
We are also getting the house reroofed which has been super awesome at nap time. *cue cheesey grin* They started on Monday and should be complete today, then they are going to work on the sheetrock that got damaged tomorrow. Then, $5k and four days later, crisis averted. HA!
So, I am off to work now. Hope everyone is having a good week, I will hopefully post some more soon!
So let's talk about work. I really like what I am doing, but am reminded why I am not really able to work a full time job and do at home what I want to do. It's true, no wonder my house used to look like a mess!! Yeah it's looking pretty rough now too. Dennis is doing great, and helping out a lot, but he has his regular job and contract work to do on top of that. So it makes it difficult for both of us, trying to balance everything out. I make my own schedule so I have been able to work when Anakin is napping, at school, or in bed at night. This week, I cut back a little so I will have two days that I am not working while he is napping. I just need a little bit of breathing room if my family plans on having clean clothes to wear.
We are also getting the house reroofed which has been super awesome at nap time. *cue cheesey grin* They started on Monday and should be complete today, then they are going to work on the sheetrock that got damaged tomorrow. Then, $5k and four days later, crisis averted. HA!
So, I am off to work now. Hope everyone is having a good week, I will hopefully post some more soon!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The words I'd never say
I imagine the scene in slow motion like a shot from A Christmas Story. It starts with the offense, Me telling Anakin not to touch something. He says "why?" and the the camera cuts to my face. "Because..." I begin. Close up of my mouth, the words slow and the tone deapens "I saaaaaiiiid sooooooo" with little bits of spit hitting the lens. The shot moves out again and despair is my replaced expression. Oh no. I said it. It's out there. The words are in the air, hanging like mournful reminders that I'm slowly becoming my mother.
At what point do we become those parents? I know what point it is. The point that our two year old thinks the word "why" is an accessory. He throws it out carelessly at every available opportunity and with all the excuses I can find, this is the only one that offers no rebuttle. Because I said so. It is momy law. I said so and that is all there is. It's like when God said let there be light. He said it and so it was. Why? Because he said so.
So perhaps when the camera pulls back out, my narrator, just like in the movie came on and said "oh no. I said it. I said THOSE words. I felt the shame burning in my chest. What do I do? I must recover." My eyes dart around and I search for an answer. "Because I said so, and what I say goes." "There." my narrator starts again. "That fixes it. Not only did I say so, but what I say goes. That's right. Mommy law. I win." My chest puffs out and I continue with what I was doing. The camera pans back to Anakin and he is defeated in his why quest. There.
At what point do we become those parents? I know what point it is. The point that our two year old thinks the word "why" is an accessory. He throws it out carelessly at every available opportunity and with all the excuses I can find, this is the only one that offers no rebuttle. Because I said so. It is momy law. I said so and that is all there is. It's like when God said let there be light. He said it and so it was. Why? Because he said so.
So perhaps when the camera pulls back out, my narrator, just like in the movie came on and said "oh no. I said it. I said THOSE words. I felt the shame burning in my chest. What do I do? I must recover." My eyes dart around and I search for an answer. "Because I said so, and what I say goes." "There." my narrator starts again. "That fixes it. Not only did I say so, but what I say goes. That's right. Mommy law. I win." My chest puffs out and I continue with what I was doing. The camera pans back to Anakin and he is defeated in his why quest. There.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Seattle: day 1
I don't have any pictures because our digital camera is huge and it seemed like too much work to get it on the plane as I was trying to fit everything into ONE carry-on since Delta now requires $15 to check ANY luggage. Also, this is funny to me because when you get on the plane they go on and on and on about how cabin space is limited and so you may not be able to bring your carryon. *picture my face right now. yeah.*
The 5.5 hour flight was not as bad as I think it could have been. Though we spent almost an hour on the runway waiting for our turn to take off. At least that time was filled with anticipation in Anakin's eyes so it went by quickly. My DVD player died about 10 seconds into the flight, not because I didn't charge it but because I think the battery just wasn't taking the charge like it should. Luckily, the seats all had those TVs on the back of the head rest and had free cable with limited channels. You could choose from HGTV, Bravo, Nickelodeon, HBO, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN classic, NBC, CNBC and CNN. Naturally ours stayed on Nickelodeon. Unfortunately, TV shows don't hold Anakin's attention very long. Then, it ended up that we had the very last seat in the plane right next to the lavatories. At first, I was really upset about this, but then it ended up that all the flight attendants LOVED Anakin and so they ended up mooning over him the whole time. So he honestly spent most of the flight hanging out in their stations, getting free chips and walking up and down the isles with them. It ended up being a pretty uneventful flight, and I think that's awesome considering he was riding in my lap the whole time.
Lisa met me at the baggage claim about noon Seatlle time but we had to wait about an hour for m car seat to get back to there. Then we headed to the mall for some lunch with some of her other friends who just also happened to be visiting at the same time as me. After lunch, we dropped them off at their ferry and then headed to catch ours. We swung by the grocery store and picked up the goods to make homemade eggrolls and headed back to the house. Anakin was really really excited about the ferry. I think he was really impressed that our car went on a boat and that we were actually in the water. He kept talking about it all night.
Today, Lisa had to work which is why I've even got time to blog at all. She is at the club and so Anakin and I had around 7 hours to kill until she gets back. The first thing I did was give each of us a bath. We were disgusting after that trip. Then we went for a walk. Lisa's house is right on the 13th hole of a golf course so we went up to the 16th tee and back. Anakin loved it. On the way, I found a leftover pile of snow (now ice) from the big snowstorm they had last week. Anakin was really impressed as he's never seen snow before. I used my foot and broke a few pieces of it off and let him throw them around for a while and he liked that a lot. It was really cool to let him play with "snow."
So now we are back in the warmth of the house. I have the fire going and Anakin is watching Wall-E while I make iced tea and get our lunch ready. Which will probably consist of easy mac for Anakin and a turkey sandwich for myself. I'll let you guys know how it's going if I get time. Otherwise, see you next week.
The 5.5 hour flight was not as bad as I think it could have been. Though we spent almost an hour on the runway waiting for our turn to take off. At least that time was filled with anticipation in Anakin's eyes so it went by quickly. My DVD player died about 10 seconds into the flight, not because I didn't charge it but because I think the battery just wasn't taking the charge like it should. Luckily, the seats all had those TVs on the back of the head rest and had free cable with limited channels. You could choose from HGTV, Bravo, Nickelodeon, HBO, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN classic, NBC, CNBC and CNN. Naturally ours stayed on Nickelodeon. Unfortunately, TV shows don't hold Anakin's attention very long. Then, it ended up that we had the very last seat in the plane right next to the lavatories. At first, I was really upset about this, but then it ended up that all the flight attendants LOVED Anakin and so they ended up mooning over him the whole time. So he honestly spent most of the flight hanging out in their stations, getting free chips and walking up and down the isles with them. It ended up being a pretty uneventful flight, and I think that's awesome considering he was riding in my lap the whole time.
Lisa met me at the baggage claim about noon Seatlle time but we had to wait about an hour for m car seat to get back to there. Then we headed to the mall for some lunch with some of her other friends who just also happened to be visiting at the same time as me. After lunch, we dropped them off at their ferry and then headed to catch ours. We swung by the grocery store and picked up the goods to make homemade eggrolls and headed back to the house. Anakin was really really excited about the ferry. I think he was really impressed that our car went on a boat and that we were actually in the water. He kept talking about it all night.
Today, Lisa had to work which is why I've even got time to blog at all. She is at the club and so Anakin and I had around 7 hours to kill until she gets back. The first thing I did was give each of us a bath. We were disgusting after that trip. Then we went for a walk. Lisa's house is right on the 13th hole of a golf course so we went up to the 16th tee and back. Anakin loved it. On the way, I found a leftover pile of snow (now ice) from the big snowstorm they had last week. Anakin was really impressed as he's never seen snow before. I used my foot and broke a few pieces of it off and let him throw them around for a while and he liked that a lot. It was really cool to let him play with "snow."
So now we are back in the warmth of the house. I have the fire going and Anakin is watching Wall-E while I make iced tea and get our lunch ready. Which will probably consist of easy mac for Anakin and a turkey sandwich for myself. I'll let you guys know how it's going if I get time. Otherwise, see you next week.
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