Sunday, January 27, 2008

I'b Hobe Wid A Code

Translation: I'm home with a cold. Mostly I just feel exhausted with it and my throat hurts A LOT but I'm not all that stuffed up.

But that's not why I'm writing.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. - Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

We made a quick trip to visit my parents this week and as we were sitting at the dinner table Thursday evening, my husband giving thanks, I was overwhelmed with a profound thankfulness for all that I've been blessed with. In that moment I experienced a clarity that I haven't had for awhile. I knew in that moment that I have nothing on this earth to complain about, be depressed about or worry about. I have everything to be thankful for.

Here is my thankful list:

1. Parents who love Jesus Christ and showed me His love from an early age.

2. A husband who loves Jesus Christ, longs to tell others about Him every chance he gets, loves and provides abundantly for me and our children and desires to know Him more and better each day.

3. Two beautiful children. They have their quirks, but over all they are loving and obedient.

4. A roof over my head. A very nice roof with lovely insulated walls and a pleasant interior. Not to mention all the creature comforts stored under the roof.

5. A newer car that is dependable and mostly dent free and money enough to put gas in it. (It also has a six CD/MP3 player in it.)

6. The ability to stay home and teach my children. (Again, thankful for Husband.)

7. And most of all, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who loves me enough that He sacrificed Himself so that I can be with Him for all eternity, God my Father who sent His Only Son for that purpose and the Holy Spirit who daily walks with me and gives my those moments of clarity.

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list. But this is the basic list and probably the core list. Being thankful is important, I have soooo much in this world to be thankful for. When I start looking at my life from that perspective it's really hard to worry and complain.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Pruning

You know, when the Lord decides you need some pruning so that you can do some growing He really doesn't mess around. I've been getting pruned lately. It's been painful, humbling and freeing all at the same time. It has also made me assess my preconceived notions of what valid service to the Lord is.

I think that a lot of us see valid service as being anything that is done in, around or for the benefit of the church. Many times it has a title or lable attached, such as, pastor, Sunday school teacher, elder, deacon, deaconess, Bible study leader, etc, etc, etc. Certainly it is an honor from God if you are in any of those positions...however they are not the only areas of valid service. What about the person who cleans the church every week, or folds and stuffs bulletins, or makes coffee and cookies, or wipes a runny nose, or helps an older person across the parking lot? "Yes, you say. "that's valid service!"

Alright, we agree that those small areas of service are just as much ministry as the more prominent areas. Now, does ministry only take place at the church building? "Well no," you say. "there are those who visit the sick at the hospital, or the person on the prayer chain, or taking a meal to a family in need." Yes, I agree, those are valid service too.

Okay, what about the Mom at home, trying to raise her children to be Godly in a world that is doing everything it can to contridict the Bible and what it teaches? Is that ministry? Is that service? What if that Mom decides not to do church service but simply concentrate on what she has before her at home? Is she still doing ministry? If she chooses not to be at church every time the doors are open is she any less spiritual than the person who is at church every time the doors are open? If what she does is not as obvious to everyone around her is it still ministry? Is it still service?

These are questions that I have been wrestling with lately and here is the conclusion I have come to. (Actually, I have not come to these conclusions on my own...the Lord led me to them, to reinforce His call on my life, for this season of my life.)

Yes.

Yes, it is still ministry and service if I choose to do it in my home and for my husband and children.

And no.

No, I'm not any less spiritual if I don't do it at church. I'm not any less spiritual if I'm not at church every time the doors are open.

So the Lord has been pruning church activities out of my life. It's kinda weird but I like how it is challenging my preconceived notions of what ministry and service are. I'm doing exactly what the Lord has called me to do. To raise my children in the grace and admonition of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6: 4 - 7 tells me, "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."
I'm clinging to these words as I walk this path the Lord has layed before me.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

My First Meme

My friend Shawna sent me this via e-mail. It was a fun Meme and I thought I would share it here and tag a couple of people...hope you don't mind girls. Okay so I tag Gina and Jody... :)

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? My middle name is after my Grandma…Doris.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I think I teared up yesterday…lately it happens frequently.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yep

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? pastrami.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Two here, two with the Lord

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yeah, I think so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? not as much as I used to…my kids don’t always get it

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yep

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? absolutely not

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Honey Bunches of Oats and Corn Pops

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? When they are brand new, then after awhile I get lazy.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not as strong as I once thought I was.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate Chip and Orange Sherbert ( I know, technically sherbert is not ice cream but it is in the same case at the store.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their clothing style…for some reason that tells me a lot about a person…I think….

15. RED OR PINK? Definitely Pink

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? My tendency to seek approval of people more than God. I’m dittoing Shawna here…it is an area I’m not too thrilled with in myself.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My Grandma

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? My microfleece jammies and my new Acorn slippers.

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Pizza from Brickhouse(local pizzeria). Oy, I’m full.

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Nothing…well except for the drier running.

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle blue

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coffee in the morning, my husband’s cologne, my Dad’s cologne, freshly cut grass, peaches warmed in the sun.

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My husband

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Nascar…hee, hee.

25. HAIR COLOR? Technically, dishwater blonde…out of the bottle, a lovely weave of Ash Blonde and Light Brown.

26. EYE COLOR? Depends on what I’m wearing, could be blue, could be green, could be grey.

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope. Do I need to? Yep.

28. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate…chocolate with peanut butter...or just plain chocolate.

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, most definitely…I hate being scared for no good reason.

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Cars…heh, heh…remember my Nascar answer…heh, heh.

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Lavender

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

33. HUGS OR KISSES? Both!!

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? New York Style Cheesecake

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Visual Quickstart Guide: HTML, XHTML & CSS Sixth Edition and The Cat Who Talked Turkey

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? A Mary Engelbreit picture that says “Snap out of it!”

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Okay, I admit it, American Idol...oh I get soooo embarrased for those people.

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Coffee brewing, crickets on a Summer Evening, the sound of a creek running, and piano concertos.

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? This one was tough, but I’m an old rock-n-roll girl so I’m going to go with the Stones…once saw them in concert at Candlestick.

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? New York City.

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I don’t know that you would call it a talent but I have a good eye for colour.

Let It Snow

This is this week. Lots of sun. Very cold. Snow is hard and no fun. Nothing is melting.

This was last week. It just kept coming and coming. Daughter loves it. I love how cozy everything feels. When you are inside of course. Husband isn't too wild about the shoveling, but we all like being able to play in the stuff.
Personally, if it's not going to warm up to be Spring, then I wish it would just snow.
Brrrrr.


Sunday, January 13, 2008

Sunday Psalm (sort of)

A friend of mine recently emailed me this little story. It was encouraging to me and I hope it will be to you as well.

Woman and a Fork

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply.

"This is very important," the young woman continued . "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

That surprises you, doesn't it? " the young woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them : "Keep your fork, the best is yet to come."

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to "Keep your fork."

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Go Packers!!!


I admit it...I'm a cheesehead!

And...we won...we won...we won!!!!!!

See ya at the NFC Championship!

Resolutions

So, did you ever have anything that you knew you really needed to do for your health but totally and completely didn't want to? I mean, you know that you will feel better, sleep better, be happier if you just did this thing?

Well that's where I am at right now. I need to go on a diet. Not just because I need to lose weight (which I do) but because I would be healthier. The thing about the diet I need to go on is that it means taking certain things out of my eating line up...sugar, cheese, mushrooms, anything with vinegar, bread, pasta, white rice and potatoes, anything else with wheat, rye or barley, anything with yeast in it, certain fruits high in molds and funguses AND.....coffee.

You see I have this little problem with candida in my system. Occasionally I have to get REALLY disciplined and limit my foods so that my system can get back in balance. Unfortunately, for me, it's not just a matter of eating some yogurt and taking some probiotics...it's a matter of cleaning up my system. I've gotta stay away from certain foods and take a bunch of different supplements.

I hate it.

I love the results. I usually lose weight and get into clothes I haven't worn in awhile...and right now I have 15 pounds to lose and I am definately pushing the limits of my clothing selection. As in if I don't lose some weight I've got to buy some clothes in the next size...AND I REFUSE TO DO THAT!

So I've almost reconciled myself to this thing. But I've decided to approach it slowly. I'm taking the month of January to get my portion sizes down (I've been eating like a farmhand lately), reduce my sugar intake and start taking a few breads and pastas out. I'm also getting back in the habit of exercising regularly. I also need to start weaning myself off caffeine...grrr. That's the one I am really not looking forward to.

(Whine) I like my coffee....and my creamer. (Pouting)

This is definately going to take some discipline and a lot of prayer.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. -Philippians 4:13

Sunday, January 6, 2008

I'm Back...Sort of

Well, all my decorations are safely put away for the year. I managed to maintain my weight and not gain anything in spite of eating bzillions of calories nearly every day and drinking waaaaay to much coffee. Now I have to lose the five plus pounds I gained between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the ten pounds before that....see so I really am doing quite well in the weight department....heh, heh.

I'm getting slow start on this year. I'm still working on my resolution list but I have managed to get a weeks worth of lesson plans done for the kiddos so we will be starting school bright, if not early, tomorrow morning.

One of my resolutions this year is to practice more structure and good stewardship of my time. This last Fall I found myself spending A LOT of time on the computer to the detriment of other duties and activities. By Christmas time I was feeling very convicted about this and during my break from blogging decided that instead of trying to write a post everyday, I would pick two or three days out of the week to write a post. Hopefully this will also improve the quality of my posts. I will also continue to do my Sunday Psalm posts and I am praying about whether to include a devotional thought with them or not.

So there you have it.

My plan so far for 2008.

Inspiring, isn't it?

I'll be posting some more of my resolutions in the weeks to come. They are really things that I feel the Lord is calling to my attention and asking me to address in my life. And if I learned anything in 2007 it was to obey the Lord and to do it promptly. It is, after all, my desire to glorify Him in all that I do, including in blogging.