I went waterskiing on Lake Pleasant yesterday with some friends from church. What a rush! So much fun, but so much work too. A full body workout! :)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Merry Birthday Week
This past week has been full of birthday-related activities. On the 14th, I got my birthday card from David, Cindi, Joe & Levi. It was so perfect! I had just experienced an exceptionally difficult day at work and it was so special to read the card and the loving words it contained. Thank you. Keturah and I are planning a Girls Night Out to include dinner (sorry, SUPPER, ha ha) at Applebees where we'll use the giftcard I received from David & Cindi.
Wednesday, my boss took me out to PF Chang for lunch. So delicious!
While at work, I received a note from Keturah informing me that my birthday present was being held hostage. I was given a location and time to arrive in order to "ransom" my gift. (They gave me Harkins tickets and a coupon for 1lb of Sees Chocolates!) I showed up that evening and discovered a surprise party Keturah organized with friends from church. Such fun! On Thursday, the celebration continued when part 1 (of 2) of my gift from Debbie arrived. Such beautiful earrings! I also received my new AAA membership card from Mom for the next year.
Friday evening resulted in more celebration when I went to babysit for Ben & Claire. The had made cupcakes and bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. 
The kids sang Happy Birthday (so precious) and we played the game of MY choice (a rarity, to be sure!) before bedtime. 
On Saturday, our household enjoyed a fabulous dinner (sorry again, supper!) at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. This was my gift from Dad & Grandma. It was such a lovely experience. Aaron & Keturah spent several years in Brazil, so they had lots of interesting cultural information to share while we ate. On Sunday, I watched My Fair Lady (an annual tradition since my 13th birthday) and just relaxed at home.
Monday continued with birthday wishes from the residents of the Goldensun program. We have supper together every week as a community. We rotate which household hosts and which brings the dessert. It's really wonderful. 
Tuesday marked the arrival of part 2 (of 2) of my gift from Debbie. She bought me a gorgeous little black dress for a night out. It fits perfectly! I can't wait to wear it.
Yesterday I received my gift from Travis, a giftcard to Williams-Sonoma. I can't wait to spend it. I'm buying a double-boiler so I can make Hot Chocolate Fondant. I'll be stopping by the store tonight. Whee!!
Monday, June 08, 2009
New job
Well, I'm into Week 2 at my new job as staff accountant at Lindal North America. Lindal
It's going really well. I'm learning a lot about the company and I have great hopes for a long partnership at this company. I anticipate advancing professionally within the company structure. I also intend to resume my languages training from my college days. We have facilities in many different countries and I am intrigued by the possibilities.
It's going really well. I'm learning a lot about the company and I have great hopes for a long partnership at this company. I anticipate advancing professionally within the company structure. I also intend to resume my languages training from my college days. We have facilities in many different countries and I am intrigued by the possibilities.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
The best vacation a girl could want!
April 29, 2009
I didn't sleep all night. No big surprise. I'm always too wired and my brain spinning too fast to get any rest the night before a big trip/move.
April 30, 2009
I finally gave up the fight (after waking at 30-minute intervals from midnight to 5am) and took a shower. I then made breakfast for the road while Levi got ready. Aunt Cindi stopped by at 5:45am to wish us well and give us a batch of cookies for the trip. We pulled out of the drive at 5:52am and so began our trans-continental journey! Our first day of travel was rather uneventful and mostly familiar as we retraced our previously traveled route. NY, PA, OH, IN, IL all went by without a hitch. I had downloaded some audiobooks to my iPod so we were entertained by Dean Koontz when conversation topics were scarce. We arrived in Moline, IL after 14 hours of driving and checked into our hotel. I had been craving Outback for several weeks previous, so I Googled the nearest restaurant and we headed out. Our room was on the 2nd floor and the staircase was straight. It had a very nice wide banister that I wanted to slide down. Levi ended up going down first and boy was it a quick ride! Here, it gets fuzzy. Levi recalls saying "You shouldn't do it." because it was difficult to stop at the bottom, but I either didn't hear him, or my subconscious chose to ignore him. :-/ I enjoyed the ride down, but I botched the landing. I rolled my right ankle a bit, but caught myself from falling too far forward... or so I thought. It tingled a bit, but then didn't hurt at all, so we went ahead and had supper at Outback. As the meal was ending, my foot suddenly "exploded" and swelled up quite a bit! OUCH! We returned to the hotel and Levi quickly got me some ice and pillows. He fashioned an icepack out of a washcloth and I propped it up on several pillows. Then we went to sleep. It had been a LONG day!
May 1, 2009
By the next morning, the swelling had reduced significantly and it only felt a little sore. It didn't hurt at all to hold my foot in the position to drive, so off we went! Cruise control is a beautiful thing! Whenever we switched places, I propped my foot up on the dash to help relieve the swelling. We crossed IA, NE and into CO that day. I don't remember much of significance in IA or NE... it all started to blur together. Lots and lots of flatness with nothing to keep my interest. CO should have been gorgeous, but it was raining and overcast so visibility was awful. It was a real bummer after another long day of driving. After we checked in to our hotel, we started looking for someplace local for supper. We both were in the mood for pasta, so we picked Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano and savored a delicious meal and excellent conversation. Levi had Ziti al Forno and I had Tilapia Florentine on a bed of angel hair. We shared Bruschetta Classico for an appetizer and Tiramisu for dessert. YUM, YUM, YUMMY! We returned to the hotel, iced my ankle again and went to bed praying that the rain and clouds would go away so we could see Pikes Peak.
May 2, 2009
"Weather conditions: Fog advisory. Visibility less than 1/4 mile." BOOO! I was not happy to open the drapes and be greeted by gray. We went to breakfast (which was a fabulous hot buffet!) and debated whether to wait out the fog so we could drive up Pikes Peak or hit the road and improvise our travels to incorporate a scenic trip through CO. After being assured by the concierge that it would be a waste of time to attempt Pikes Peak, we got out the atlas and planned a new route. My Rand McNally had red ribbon routes that the editors deemed the best, most scenic routes in the state and we decided to take SR50 to SR550 to SR160 through the Four Corners Monument and on into Arizona ending in Flagstaff. What a trip! I'm so glad we chose to leave the interstate for a more interesting drive! We really enjoyed seeing so much diversity in the CO countryside and soon found ourselves in Ouray. At this time, Levi was driving, but it was time to switch. I didn't speak up in time to stop in town, but we pulled onto a scenic overlook on one of the several switchbacks leading south out of town and took the opportunity for photos. I got behind the wheel, pulled onto the highway, rounded a curve and found the biggest surprise! The road was rather narrow, had NO shoulder, had fallen rocks and snow littering the road, and it dropped off quite steeply on the passenger's side. I was SO GLAD we had switched places because I would have been freaking out in Levi's place. He assured me it was quite all right to hug the center line and drive slowly and carefully! :) What a trooper! It had been raining lightly all morning, so the road was also quite wet. WHEE!!!! It took us 3 hours to ascend and descend 5 summits. We ran into some snow on 2 of the summits (one was elevation 10,990 ft) but I managed to keep the car on the road and avoided any road hazards or accidents. Several times I pulled off to let the crazy locals go barreling by us. I was a bit strung out at the end, but what an adrenaline rush! We would have never seen so much of the mountains had we simply ascended Pikes Peak and taken the interstate to Flagstaff. We got a lot of amazing photos, whenever Levi was brave enough to take his eyes off the road! :) Levi took over in Durango and we headed onward to Four Corners. We almost didn't stop. The published closing time on the website was 5pm and we arrived at 6:12pm, so Levi just drove on past. I happened to glance at the sign as we went by and promptly yelled "STOP!" The hours listed there were 8am-7pm, so we turned around and went in. We took a few minutes for a photo op, decided to forgo the multitude of vendors selling souveniers, and got back on the road to Flagstaff. We arrived later than planned (9:30pm PST) so decided to adjust our plans for the next day to allow for more sleeping time.
May 3, 2009
Grand Canyon Day!! Whoo Hoo!!! I was quite excited to begin our day. Having already been to the Canyon twice, I was more excited for Levi to experience it than to see it myself. I was still blown away, though. Each time at the Canyon is like seeing it for the first time. It always takes my breath away. So powerful and majestic! It was invigorating to worship in God's sanctuary this Sunday morning. We went west on I-40 to 64 and arrived in the park just before 9am. We stopped at Mather first and Levi got his first look. The Bugger wouldn't close his eyes and let me lead him to the railing to maximize the impact of his first look, but was duly impressed nonetheless. :-p We spent some time taking photos before moving on to the next overlook. We continued on to the Village and then headed back to South Kaibab trailhead for a hike down into the Canyon. My ankle had recovered quite nicely although I didn't yet have full mobility. Armed with water, snacks, and Advil (for me) we started the descent into the Canyon. It was AWESOME! Levi was in the lead and I followed at a careful pace so as not to aggravate my injury. I felt guilty for slowing him down and eventually cutting the hike short, but he was very gracious. We went in for approximately a mile to a place where the trail rounded a point and exposed so much more of the Canyon to our line of sight. We took lots of pictures and rested a bit before beginning to climb back up the trail to the rim. We met quite a few people on the trail and had fun guessing where they came from and what languages they were speaking. We walked back to the car and left the park. As we headed south, we decided to save Sedona and 89 for another time and headed down I-17 to Surprise. We arrived at Heather & Kristen's in time for supper and enjoyed great fun and fellowship. After supper, we went for a walk around the Stadium and then wound down the evening with conversation before heading to bed.
May 4, 2009
We were greeting in the morning to a breakfast of Heather’s famous baked oatmeal. YUM! After seeing Heather and Kristen off to work, Levi & I packed up the car again and headed out for San Diego via Joshua Tree National Park. The unrelenting miles of desert west of Phoenix were a bit much for Levi, so he caught a nap while I drove. J We switched places in Blythe, CA and pushed on toward JTNP. We chose the route that bisected the park and started driving. There wasn’t much to see in the first half of the park, but we finally came upon something of interest in the form of a Cholla cactus garden. There was a walking path through the garden and a brochure with points of interest, so we got out of the car and started exploring. I was rather preoccupied checking the shadows for snakes while also avoiding close proximity to the cacti, but I still enjoyed the venture. We got back in the car and continued our search for Joshua trees. At another spot, we pulled over again to take a look around. As I was driving toward the pull off, Levi spotted something that looked like a snake, but we went by too quickly to confirm. On our way back out, there was a long “stick” across the road. As I drove by, it moved and I couldn’t avoid running over it. Immediately I heard a familiar sound. It was a rattlesnake!!! I put the car in reverse so we could get a better look. He was under a shrub on the side of the road by that time, so Levi had a hard time getting a good photo. We didn’t have any trouble hearing him, though. He was rattling quite vigorously! At this point, Levi decided to keep his arm inside the car instead of out the window and we continued on through the park. We made several more stops for photos of the Joshua trees and then exited the park and resumed our journey to San Diego. Once again we decided to skip the more scenic (and therefore LONGER) routes and took the interstate down to SD. After checking into the hotel, we went in search of a beach and the Pacific Ocean! We headed toward Imperial Beach, but found Silver Strand State Beach first, so we stopped and walked down to the water. Levi went in first so I could get a photo of his first time in the Pacific, then we both went in to play in the surf. It was cold, but not unbearably. After 10 minutes or so, we were both chilled and decided to get out, dry off, and take a walk while watching the sunset. After the sun went down, we got even colder, so we went back to the hotel to clean up and thaw out before supper. It was a very fun and satisfying day and before bed we had a discussion about the next day’s activities. We decided to wait until morning to make a final decision and hit the sack.
May 5, 2009
We decided to head to Coronado Beach for a few hours before heading to the airport. It was a very relaxing morning under the sunshine. We built a sand castle (more like a Tudor Mansion) and then went for a walk on the beach. By the time we returned to the car, it was time to leave for the airport so Levi could catch his plane home. I dropped him off at arrivals, said goodbye, and headed back to Phoenix by myself. Levi’s flight took off as scheduled and he arrived safely home after midnight. I drove on I-8 to Phoenix and arrived home at 5:30pm, thus concluding the move. Thanks for the memories, Levi!
I didn't sleep all night. No big surprise. I'm always too wired and my brain spinning too fast to get any rest the night before a big trip/move.
April 30, 2009
I finally gave up the fight (after waking at 30-minute intervals from midnight to 5am) and took a shower. I then made breakfast for the road while Levi got ready. Aunt Cindi stopped by at 5:45am to wish us well and give us a batch of cookies for the trip. We pulled out of the drive at 5:52am and so began our trans-continental journey! Our first day of travel was rather uneventful and mostly familiar as we retraced our previously traveled route. NY, PA, OH, IN, IL all went by without a hitch. I had downloaded some audiobooks to my iPod so we were entertained by Dean Koontz when conversation topics were scarce. We arrived in Moline, IL after 14 hours of driving and checked into our hotel. I had been craving Outback for several weeks previous, so I Googled the nearest restaurant and we headed out. Our room was on the 2nd floor and the staircase was straight. It had a very nice wide banister that I wanted to slide down. Levi ended up going down first and boy was it a quick ride! Here, it gets fuzzy. Levi recalls saying "You shouldn't do it." because it was difficult to stop at the bottom, but I either didn't hear him, or my subconscious chose to ignore him. :-/ I enjoyed the ride down, but I botched the landing. I rolled my right ankle a bit, but caught myself from falling too far forward... or so I thought. It tingled a bit, but then didn't hurt at all, so we went ahead and had supper at Outback. As the meal was ending, my foot suddenly "exploded" and swelled up quite a bit! OUCH! We returned to the hotel and Levi quickly got me some ice and pillows. He fashioned an icepack out of a washcloth and I propped it up on several pillows. Then we went to sleep. It had been a LONG day!
May 1, 2009
By the next morning, the swelling had reduced significantly and it only felt a little sore. It didn't hurt at all to hold my foot in the position to drive, so off we went! Cruise control is a beautiful thing! Whenever we switched places, I propped my foot up on the dash to help relieve the swelling. We crossed IA, NE and into CO that day. I don't remember much of significance in IA or NE... it all started to blur together. Lots and lots of flatness with nothing to keep my interest. CO should have been gorgeous, but it was raining and overcast so visibility was awful. It was a real bummer after another long day of driving. After we checked in to our hotel, we started looking for someplace local for supper. We both were in the mood for pasta, so we picked Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano and savored a delicious meal and excellent conversation. Levi had Ziti al Forno and I had Tilapia Florentine on a bed of angel hair. We shared Bruschetta Classico for an appetizer and Tiramisu for dessert. YUM, YUM, YUMMY! We returned to the hotel, iced my ankle again and went to bed praying that the rain and clouds would go away so we could see Pikes Peak.
May 2, 2009
"Weather conditions: Fog advisory. Visibility less than 1/4 mile." BOOO! I was not happy to open the drapes and be greeted by gray. We went to breakfast (which was a fabulous hot buffet!) and debated whether to wait out the fog so we could drive up Pikes Peak or hit the road and improvise our travels to incorporate a scenic trip through CO. After being assured by the concierge that it would be a waste of time to attempt Pikes Peak, we got out the atlas and planned a new route. My Rand McNally had red ribbon routes that the editors deemed the best, most scenic routes in the state and we decided to take SR50 to SR550 to SR160 through the Four Corners Monument and on into Arizona ending in Flagstaff. What a trip! I'm so glad we chose to leave the interstate for a more interesting drive! We really enjoyed seeing so much diversity in the CO countryside and soon found ourselves in Ouray. At this time, Levi was driving, but it was time to switch. I didn't speak up in time to stop in town, but we pulled onto a scenic overlook on one of the several switchbacks leading south out of town and took the opportunity for photos. I got behind the wheel, pulled onto the highway, rounded a curve and found the biggest surprise! The road was rather narrow, had NO shoulder, had fallen rocks and snow littering the road, and it dropped off quite steeply on the passenger's side. I was SO GLAD we had switched places because I would have been freaking out in Levi's place. He assured me it was quite all right to hug the center line and drive slowly and carefully! :) What a trooper! It had been raining lightly all morning, so the road was also quite wet. WHEE!!!! It took us 3 hours to ascend and descend 5 summits. We ran into some snow on 2 of the summits (one was elevation 10,990 ft) but I managed to keep the car on the road and avoided any road hazards or accidents. Several times I pulled off to let the crazy locals go barreling by us. I was a bit strung out at the end, but what an adrenaline rush! We would have never seen so much of the mountains had we simply ascended Pikes Peak and taken the interstate to Flagstaff. We got a lot of amazing photos, whenever Levi was brave enough to take his eyes off the road! :) Levi took over in Durango and we headed onward to Four Corners. We almost didn't stop. The published closing time on the website was 5pm and we arrived at 6:12pm, so Levi just drove on past. I happened to glance at the sign as we went by and promptly yelled "STOP!" The hours listed there were 8am-7pm, so we turned around and went in. We took a few minutes for a photo op, decided to forgo the multitude of vendors selling souveniers, and got back on the road to Flagstaff. We arrived later than planned (9:30pm PST) so decided to adjust our plans for the next day to allow for more sleeping time.
May 3, 2009
Grand Canyon Day!! Whoo Hoo!!! I was quite excited to begin our day. Having already been to the Canyon twice, I was more excited for Levi to experience it than to see it myself. I was still blown away, though. Each time at the Canyon is like seeing it for the first time. It always takes my breath away. So powerful and majestic! It was invigorating to worship in God's sanctuary this Sunday morning. We went west on I-40 to 64 and arrived in the park just before 9am. We stopped at Mather first and Levi got his first look. The Bugger wouldn't close his eyes and let me lead him to the railing to maximize the impact of his first look, but was duly impressed nonetheless. :-p We spent some time taking photos before moving on to the next overlook. We continued on to the Village and then headed back to South Kaibab trailhead for a hike down into the Canyon. My ankle had recovered quite nicely although I didn't yet have full mobility. Armed with water, snacks, and Advil (for me) we started the descent into the Canyon. It was AWESOME! Levi was in the lead and I followed at a careful pace so as not to aggravate my injury. I felt guilty for slowing him down and eventually cutting the hike short, but he was very gracious. We went in for approximately a mile to a place where the trail rounded a point and exposed so much more of the Canyon to our line of sight. We took lots of pictures and rested a bit before beginning to climb back up the trail to the rim. We met quite a few people on the trail and had fun guessing where they came from and what languages they were speaking. We walked back to the car and left the park. As we headed south, we decided to save Sedona and 89 for another time and headed down I-17 to Surprise. We arrived at Heather & Kristen's in time for supper and enjoyed great fun and fellowship. After supper, we went for a walk around the Stadium and then wound down the evening with conversation before heading to bed.
May 4, 2009
We were greeting in the morning to a breakfast of Heather’s famous baked oatmeal. YUM! After seeing Heather and Kristen off to work, Levi & I packed up the car again and headed out for San Diego via Joshua Tree National Park. The unrelenting miles of desert west of Phoenix were a bit much for Levi, so he caught a nap while I drove. J We switched places in Blythe, CA and pushed on toward JTNP. We chose the route that bisected the park and started driving. There wasn’t much to see in the first half of the park, but we finally came upon something of interest in the form of a Cholla cactus garden. There was a walking path through the garden and a brochure with points of interest, so we got out of the car and started exploring. I was rather preoccupied checking the shadows for snakes while also avoiding close proximity to the cacti, but I still enjoyed the venture. We got back in the car and continued our search for Joshua trees. At another spot, we pulled over again to take a look around. As I was driving toward the pull off, Levi spotted something that looked like a snake, but we went by too quickly to confirm. On our way back out, there was a long “stick” across the road. As I drove by, it moved and I couldn’t avoid running over it. Immediately I heard a familiar sound. It was a rattlesnake!!! I put the car in reverse so we could get a better look. He was under a shrub on the side of the road by that time, so Levi had a hard time getting a good photo. We didn’t have any trouble hearing him, though. He was rattling quite vigorously! At this point, Levi decided to keep his arm inside the car instead of out the window and we continued on through the park. We made several more stops for photos of the Joshua trees and then exited the park and resumed our journey to San Diego. Once again we decided to skip the more scenic (and therefore LONGER) routes and took the interstate down to SD. After checking into the hotel, we went in search of a beach and the Pacific Ocean! We headed toward Imperial Beach, but found Silver Strand State Beach first, so we stopped and walked down to the water. Levi went in first so I could get a photo of his first time in the Pacific, then we both went in to play in the surf. It was cold, but not unbearably. After 10 minutes or so, we were both chilled and decided to get out, dry off, and take a walk while watching the sunset. After the sun went down, we got even colder, so we went back to the hotel to clean up and thaw out before supper. It was a very fun and satisfying day and before bed we had a discussion about the next day’s activities. We decided to wait until morning to make a final decision and hit the sack.
May 5, 2009
We decided to head to Coronado Beach for a few hours before heading to the airport. It was a very relaxing morning under the sunshine. We built a sand castle (more like a Tudor Mansion) and then went for a walk on the beach. By the time we returned to the car, it was time to leave for the airport so Levi could catch his plane home. I dropped him off at arrivals, said goodbye, and headed back to Phoenix by myself. Levi’s flight took off as scheduled and he arrived safely home after midnight. I drove on I-8 to Phoenix and arrived home at 5:30pm, thus concluding the move. Thanks for the memories, Levi!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Forgiveness
Last Thursday, as I was shoveling wet, heavy snow because Grandpa didn't plow the driveway, I found myself getting so angry and frustrated! In my head, I started running through his whole list of offenses over the past year. God spoke His truth to me in the middle of my internal rant and told me I need to forgive AND forget. It's not for me to hold Grandpa accountable for his actions (or lack thereof) and this anger I was feeling was a barrier in my relationship with God. Matthew 6:15 says "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." I had been telling myself all this time that God wanted me to develop patience and show kindness, but I was withholding forgiveness. I was keeping SCORE! I justified my attitude and behavior based on my scorekeeping and let that bitterness and resentment build up inside until it overflowed and poisoned all my other relationships. I had become a person that no one wanted to be around! By God's grace and mercy, I let go of it all and was liberated by His forgiveness. I feel happy, positive, optimistic, refreshed, cleansed, relieved! The burden has been lifted and I'm FREE!!!
It isn't always easy, and I sometimes fall back into the old thought pattern, but with His help, I'm learning to embrace the freedom that comes with receiving God's forgiveness and passing that forgiveness along to those who hurt me. I'm trying to live out Matthew 6:14 and 7:1-2 on a daily basis, all for the Glory of God.
It isn't always easy, and I sometimes fall back into the old thought pattern, but with His help, I'm learning to embrace the freedom that comes with receiving God's forgiveness and passing that forgiveness along to those who hurt me. I'm trying to live out Matthew 6:14 and 7:1-2 on a daily basis, all for the Glory of God.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Ladies Tea Party
Michelle hosted the loveliest Ladies Valentines Tea Party today. We had a slumber party last night: ate Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry, watched a chick flick, and prepped food stuffs for the party. This morning we continued prep work and had so much fun bonding in the kitchen. It reminded me a lot of the parties Heather and I hosted. The finished products were amazing (Michelle is such a fabulous master planner/cook) and we had a great time chatting and eating the delicious food!
Raspberry-filled scones with a rose-water glaze
Ham, asparagus, & Gruyère quiche
Smoked Salmon tea sandwiches
(I had fun with the cookie cutters!)
See the photo album for the full menu and presentation. It was quite fabulously wonderful.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
25 Random Things About Moi
This is something that is going around on Facebook and I thought I'd share it with my non-Facebook friends. I don't want you to feel neglected! (P.S. JOIN FACEBOOK Y'ALL!!)
1. Every time I hear the song "Higher" by Creed, I am taken back to Sunday afternoons spent in the closet in my dorm at BJU, where I talked on the phone with Levi, getting the encouragement I needed to survive the following week. Yeah, the room was that small. Yeah, I had 3 roommates. Yeah, privacy was THAT hard to find. They probably heard more than I wanted or hoped.
2. My favorite place to take a nap is on the trampoline in the front yard.
3. I vividly remember every moment of my first solo horseback ride.
4. I love to grill… even in the winter!
5. I can recite every single line from Disney’s Aladdin.
6. While we were in the Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire airport, a man tried to convince my mission’s team leader to accept nine goats in exchange for me and two other girls on our team.
7. I want to interrupt the regular programming of my life so I can go live in a villa in Tuscany for a year…or 10.
8. I think the barn smells sweet, not stinky.
9. I believe there are many Christian, honorable men my age.
10. I believe I am related to all the aforementioned men.
11. I ran away from home when I was 14. I came back…obviously.
12. My guardian angel gets hazard pay. :-)
13. I had to overcome an unhealthy addiction to Facebook.
14. I love to experiment with recipes.
15. I cheated on a test even though I knew the material, just to see if I could get away with it. Then I felt so guilty, I confessed, but the teacher let me retake a new set of questions instead of getting a 0.
16. I am an eternal optimist who still believes in happily ever after, despite evidence to the contrary.
17. I can literally be lost inside a book for 5-6 hours at a time, completely oblivious to the world.
18. I remember all of my dreams. Some of them are re-runs.
19. I can replay past conversations in my head, even years after they occurred.
20. My favorite actor is also my least favorite: Jim Carrey
21. My iPod has 2,457 songs on it.
22. I like to send text messages, even when people don’t reply.
23. I left my heart in Arizona.
24. I sleep in a queen-size bed so I don’t fall out.
25. I LOVE riding roller coasters even though they terrify me.
1. Every time I hear the song "Higher" by Creed, I am taken back to Sunday afternoons spent in the closet in my dorm at BJU, where I talked on the phone with Levi, getting the encouragement I needed to survive the following week. Yeah, the room was that small. Yeah, I had 3 roommates. Yeah, privacy was THAT hard to find. They probably heard more than I wanted or hoped.
2. My favorite place to take a nap is on the trampoline in the front yard.
3. I vividly remember every moment of my first solo horseback ride.
4. I love to grill… even in the winter!
5. I can recite every single line from Disney’s Aladdin.
6. While we were in the Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire airport, a man tried to convince my mission’s team leader to accept nine goats in exchange for me and two other girls on our team.
7. I want to interrupt the regular programming of my life so I can go live in a villa in Tuscany for a year…or 10.
8. I think the barn smells sweet, not stinky.
9. I believe there are many Christian, honorable men my age.
10. I believe I am related to all the aforementioned men.
11. I ran away from home when I was 14. I came back…obviously.
12. My guardian angel gets hazard pay. :-)
13. I had to overcome an unhealthy addiction to Facebook.
14. I love to experiment with recipes.
15. I cheated on a test even though I knew the material, just to see if I could get away with it. Then I felt so guilty, I confessed, but the teacher let me retake a new set of questions instead of getting a 0.
16. I am an eternal optimist who still believes in happily ever after, despite evidence to the contrary.
17. I can literally be lost inside a book for 5-6 hours at a time, completely oblivious to the world.
18. I remember all of my dreams. Some of them are re-runs.
19. I can replay past conversations in my head, even years after they occurred.
20. My favorite actor is also my least favorite: Jim Carrey
21. My iPod has 2,457 songs on it.
22. I like to send text messages, even when people don’t reply.
23. I left my heart in Arizona.
24. I sleep in a queen-size bed so I don’t fall out.
25. I LOVE riding roller coasters even though they terrify me.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
White Christmas
If our current weather pattern is any indication, we will definitely be having a white Christmas in Boylston. We have had a lot of snow fall in the past few weeks!
We have 42"accumulated in our front yard.
Here is a tree God decorated for us.
So pretty!
Here is a tree I decorated in our living room. :)
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Adventures in Pumpkin Pie Making
So... I had the brilliant inspiration (from Uncle David) to make a pumpkin pie... completely from scratch. The crust? Piece of cake... ummm, pie? No problems there. I've got that one down pat. The pumpkin... hmm, not so easy. It was a "small" pumpkin (2-3 lbs) but I didn't have a cutting utensil big enough to go through it. What resulted was a comedy routine worthy of the Apollo. I was tempted to borrow Grandpa's chain saw, but eventually prevailed with a butcher's knife.
All you need for a single pie is 2 cups of cooked pumpkin, but as I was cutting it up, I discovered my "little" pumpkin yielded WAY more than I needed. Dilemma: What to do with all the extra? 1) Cut up the whole thing and make more pies, 2) Cut it up and freeze it raw, 3) Cut it up and freeze it cooked, or 4) Leave it uncut and freeze the whole pieces. After a few unsuccessful phone calls to my mom & siser for advice, I decided to go ahead and make more pies. Whoops. Didn't really think that one through. AFTER making the filling, I discovered I had enough for 4 pies... BUT only 3 pie plates! Oh dear. What to do? What to do? Being a firm believer in Improvisation, I dug out my creme brulee rammekins and made a bunch of mini-pies. They're really cute!
Start to finish, this pie-making adventure lasted 3.75 hours! I had a lot of fun but now have a new dilemma: What am I to do with all these pies???? I can probably count on Levi to eat 1 by himself (one of his favorites) but what about the rest?? Anyone want a pie... or two? :-)
All you need for a single pie is 2 cups of cooked pumpkin, but as I was cutting it up, I discovered my "little" pumpkin yielded WAY more than I needed. Dilemma: What to do with all the extra? 1) Cut up the whole thing and make more pies, 2) Cut it up and freeze it raw, 3) Cut it up and freeze it cooked, or 4) Leave it uncut and freeze the whole pieces. After a few unsuccessful phone calls to my mom & siser for advice, I decided to go ahead and make more pies. Whoops. Didn't really think that one through. AFTER making the filling, I discovered I had enough for 4 pies... BUT only 3 pie plates! Oh dear. What to do? What to do? Being a firm believer in Improvisation, I dug out my creme brulee rammekins and made a bunch of mini-pies. They're really cute!
Start to finish, this pie-making adventure lasted 3.75 hours! I had a lot of fun but now have a new dilemma: What am I to do with all these pies???? I can probably count on Levi to eat 1 by himself (one of his favorites) but what about the rest?? Anyone want a pie... or two? :-)
Monday, October 06, 2008
Talcott Falls
Ok, wow, I have no idea how I got from mid-July to the beginning of October without a single post. Time sure flies.
Today I had the opportunity to enjoy a local waterfall on my drive home. Talcott Falls is on Route 11, just north of Adams Center. It was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining (even though the ambient temperature was NOT in the least bit warm) and the water flow was substantial due to recent rains. It was a wonderful chance to take a deep cleansing breath and let go of the worry and anxiety of life.
Click here to see the rest of the photos in the album.
Today I had the opportunity to enjoy a local waterfall on my drive home. Talcott Falls is on Route 11, just north of Adams Center. It was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining (even though the ambient temperature was NOT in the least bit warm) and the water flow was substantial due to recent rains. It was a wonderful chance to take a deep cleansing breath and let go of the worry and anxiety of life.
Click here to see the rest of the photos in the album.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Happy Birthday to me! :)
I had a phenomenal start to this next year of my life. It was a busy, busy day and I wouldn't have changed a single thing.
Here's a timeline of my day yesterday:
~5:30am - Got ready for work and sat down to THE BEST breakfast ever: Mom's biscuits and sausage gravy. YUM!
~6:45am - Was continually entertained on the drive to work. (It amazes me sometimes how well we get along.) Received the perfect birthday card and a fantastic present: Six Collector's Edition Thimbles, each one representing the History of the John Deere Trademarks.
~12:00pm - Treated myself to a birthday lunch at Panera. I love the strawberry poppyseed salad with a half chicken caesar sandwich. I then crossed the parking lot to Target and used my birthday money from Grandma Wilson to buy a lime-green jersey dress and matching earrings.
~2:30pm - Was serenaded by a slightly off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday" by my coworkers and enjoyed a piece of marble cake. I was a little surprised when the customers at the counter joined in the singing, but I rolled with it. Spent the rest of the day at work in a sugar-induced coma. That was SOME CAKE!
~4:45pm - Dragged Levi away from his office and enjoyed being chauffered home via the scenic route instead of boring old I-81.
~6:30pm - Played softball on the Union Church team, but had to cut out during the 6th inning because I didn't want to be late for SUPPER!
~8:00pm - Savored every last bite of the birthday supper that Aunt Cindi prepared for me which I was privileged to share with my fabulous family. The menu: Pork chops cooked in the crockpot in a creamy onion/mushroom marinade, white rice with gravy from the pork chop marinade, and mixed veggies with Catalina dressing. Dessert was a decadent strawberry shortcake and Chrissy's famous fruit pizza. YUM, YUM, and YUMMY!
~9:30pm - Opened presents! Debbie bought me a bobblehead turtle statue for my garden... SO CUTE! Aunt Cindi & Uncle David gave me matching earrings, a necklace, and bracelets to go with my favorite LBD. Chrissy & Joe gave me a specatular pair of earrings purchased from Ten Thousand Villages. Joel gave me a collection of items from Grand Turks: a conch, a basket of mixed shells, and a bobble dolphin (the tail and flippers are on springs). Mom gave me another year's membership to AAA which is greatly appreciated. I have had to use it at least once every year and it's such a comfort whenever I'm on the road to know I have that resource.
~10:45pm - Fell into bed, pleasantly exhausted from the day's activities, and dreamed about the year to come. See Photos.
I'm looking forward to what God has in store for my life. I'm so blessed! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who helped make my day so special. I LOVE YOU!!
Here's a timeline of my day yesterday:
~5:30am - Got ready for work and sat down to THE BEST breakfast ever: Mom's biscuits and sausage gravy. YUM!
~6:45am - Was continually entertained on the drive to work. (It amazes me sometimes how well we get along.) Received the perfect birthday card and a fantastic present: Six Collector's Edition Thimbles, each one representing the History of the John Deere Trademarks.
~12:00pm - Treated myself to a birthday lunch at Panera. I love the strawberry poppyseed salad with a half chicken caesar sandwich. I then crossed the parking lot to Target and used my birthday money from Grandma Wilson to buy a lime-green jersey dress and matching earrings.
~2:30pm - Was serenaded by a slightly off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday" by my coworkers and enjoyed a piece of marble cake. I was a little surprised when the customers at the counter joined in the singing, but I rolled with it. Spent the rest of the day at work in a sugar-induced coma. That was SOME CAKE!
~4:45pm - Dragged Levi away from his office and enjoyed being chauffered home via the scenic route instead of boring old I-81.
~6:30pm - Played softball on the Union Church team, but had to cut out during the 6th inning because I didn't want to be late for SUPPER!
~8:00pm - Savored every last bite of the birthday supper that Aunt Cindi prepared for me which I was privileged to share with my fabulous family. The menu: Pork chops cooked in the crockpot in a creamy onion/mushroom marinade, white rice with gravy from the pork chop marinade, and mixed veggies with Catalina dressing. Dessert was a decadent strawberry shortcake and Chrissy's famous fruit pizza. YUM, YUM, and YUMMY!
~9:30pm - Opened presents! Debbie bought me a bobblehead turtle statue for my garden... SO CUTE! Aunt Cindi & Uncle David gave me matching earrings, a necklace, and bracelets to go with my favorite LBD. Chrissy & Joe gave me a specatular pair of earrings purchased from Ten Thousand Villages. Joel gave me a collection of items from Grand Turks: a conch, a basket of mixed shells, and a bobble dolphin (the tail and flippers are on springs). Mom gave me another year's membership to AAA which is greatly appreciated. I have had to use it at least once every year and it's such a comfort whenever I'm on the road to know I have that resource.
~10:45pm - Fell into bed, pleasantly exhausted from the day's activities, and dreamed about the year to come. See Photos.
I'm looking forward to what God has in store for my life. I'm so blessed! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who helped make my day so special. I LOVE YOU!!
Friday, June 06, 2008
Politics
Hmm...how on earth are we to truly know how a politician will serve once elected? Does history repeat itself so that by knowing their past decisions we can predict their future decisions? Makes you wonder.
http://www.votesmart.org/ - Good research source
Below is an article about Obama. Interesting.
Ken Blackwell - Columnist for the New York Sun
It's an amazing time to be alive in America. We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first frontrunning freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.
We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender.
Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.
The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him.
Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts.Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton.
Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant.Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial 'beauty.'
Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.
Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on 'the rich.' How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.
Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, 'All praise and glory to God!' but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have 'hijacked' - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and pr omises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban - ban - on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.
The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of 'bringing America together' means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandon ing any conflicting beliefs.
But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.
http://www.votesmart.org/ - Good research source
Below is an article about Obama. Interesting.
Ken Blackwell - Columnist for the New York Sun
It's an amazing time to be alive in America. We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first frontrunning freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.
We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender.
Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.
The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him.
Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts.Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton.
Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant.Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial 'beauty.'
Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.
Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on 'the rich.' How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.
Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, 'All praise and glory to God!' but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have 'hijacked' - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and pr omises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban - ban - on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.
The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of 'bringing America together' means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandon ing any conflicting beliefs.
But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Different opinion
This was striking enough to catch my attention and I wonder at the validity. Anyone have an opinion?
http://www.slate.com/id/2191491/?GT1=38001
http://www.slate.com/id/2191491/?GT1=38001
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Experiment
So, I decided to conduct an experiment to see if redheads have more fun. So far, it's been a positive experience, but I'm only 4 days into to project. Much more research will have to be conducted before a conclusion can be drawn. ;)
Whee!!!
Whee!!!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Well, it has been some time since I last posted. I wish I could say that in the resulting 7 weeks, we have made significant progress in the cleanup and recovery process. Alas, I cannot. Instead, God has been teaching me what He meant in 1 Thess 5:18 when He (through Paul) said "In everything, give thanks." Four simple words with so much power and authority. In the midst of my frustration and pain of dealing with the fire, I find myself challenged. I have never struggled to give God thanks for all the good things in my life. Something wonderful happens and I say "Thank you, Lord, for this blessing. Thank you for loving me and giving me these good things." God has been showing me that this is only half of the effort required. I focus on the word "EVERYTHING" and am convicted to give thanks for all the bad things as well. "Thank you, God, for allowing these bad, unpleasant things to happen so that I can become more and more dependent on You and Your strength. Thank you for pushing me to grow in love and patience and understanding, both for You and for others in my life."
I have not yet mastered this great command. I may never "arrive" in this lifetime. That's ok. The important thing is that I TRY and God has richly blessed me in the process. I have been given opportunities to do so many things for His glory and to find joy in places that I wouldn't have even looked if I hadn't been seeking the strength to give praise and listening to God's gentle guidance. He truly knows what is best for me and I CELEBRATE in that knowledge. It is SO freeing to accept that I don't have to have it all under control or figured out. I am learning (over and over again) to LET GO AND LET GOD. There are times when I get impatient and wrench control back from God, as if I could somehow do better. :/ How marvelous that He doesn't give up and leave me to my own devices!
I have not yet mastered this great command. I may never "arrive" in this lifetime. That's ok. The important thing is that I TRY and God has richly blessed me in the process. I have been given opportunities to do so many things for His glory and to find joy in places that I wouldn't have even looked if I hadn't been seeking the strength to give praise and listening to God's gentle guidance. He truly knows what is best for me and I CELEBRATE in that knowledge. It is SO freeing to accept that I don't have to have it all under control or figured out. I am learning (over and over again) to LET GO AND LET GOD. There are times when I get impatient and wrench control back from God, as if I could somehow do better. :/ How marvelous that He doesn't give up and leave me to my own devices!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Ooops!
So, I've had an interesting weekend. First, some background info. Grandpa left on Wednesday to visit John & Tonya in KY which meant I had to remember to keep the fire going in the boiler so the house would stay heated. I did that just fine until Friday night when I forgot to add more wood before going to bed. I woke up around 2am Saturday absolutely FREEZING because the fire had gone out and the house temp had dropped to 58F. I went out and couldn't find any embers whatsoever so I laid down kindling to start the fire from scratch. I tried lighting it with matches but it wouldn't stay lit so I thought it would help to put in a little kerosene. I went back into the garage from the woodshed to get the can labeled "kerosene" and poured a little bit on the wood. It proceded to explode into flames which knocked me off balance and caused me to drop the fuel can. The can also caught on fire and the wall of the woodshed and subsequently the gloves I was wearing. I was able to throw off the gloves but the fire was spreading FAST and I couldn't get past it to the door leading back into the garage. The flames and smoke forced me to use the the 10' sliding door as my exit point. I struggled a bit with the latch, but I knew I had to get it open or I would die in the woodshed. I finally managed to get the latch loose and simply pushed it out from the wall so I could slip out. I ran around to the front door and called 911. The dispatcher told me to get a cordless phone and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!! I scooped up my purse so I would have my cell phone and since the cat, Charlie, was at my feet, I grabbed him too. I ran out to the yard and stood by the old truck while I spoke to the dispatcher. I threw Charlie in the cab of the truck and promptly forgot all about him for several hours. I left the cockatiel and fish to fend for themselves. I didn't try to save anything at all. After the trouble I had getting out of the woodshed, I wasn't taking any chances of getting trapped again. I called Mom on my cell while I had the dispatcher on the cordless and told her what was happening. The fire trucks arrived pretty quickly (it only FELT like it took them 200 years) and they immediately started working to keep the fire from spreading to the house. I called Phil Rombach and Mom called George & Trina and all 3 came to stay with me while the firefighters did their thing. My car was in the garage and Grandpa's tractor was in the woodshed, so they were completely destroyed. The garage is no more but the firefighters did a phenomenal job saving the house. The fire did get under the eaves of the house on the SE corner which meant they had to rip out the ceiling in the loft in order to put out the fire in the rafters. The east half of the loft was soaked, but it could have been a lot worse. I gave my statement to the county fire investigator around 4:45am and then went down to Lottie's house to get some sleep. Mom left IN around 4am and arrived here Saturday afternoon. She's been a tremendous help to me with the recovery process. It's going to be a long road to restore things back to normal but I am thankful to be alive and well. It's a miracle I escaped from the woodshed (Jamie Martin borrowed the tractor on Thursday night which meant we had to get the sliding door unstuck after the freezing rain from Thursday morning) and yet another that I wasn't burned. God is good. He must still have plans for my life! :)
P.S. I apologize if anyone is offended by my warped sense of humor. It has been an extremely traumatic 48 hours and I'm tired of crying, so I'm looking to laughter as a release for the emotional backlash.
P.S. I apologize if anyone is offended by my warped sense of humor. It has been an extremely traumatic 48 hours and I'm tired of crying, so I'm looking to laughter as a release for the emotional backlash.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
SNOWMOBILING
I have found an outdoor winter activity that I actually enjoy! SNOWMOBILING!! What a rush! Levi took me out for a ride last night and I had a blast. I didn't even care that I had lost all feeling in my nose. I had on boots, Carhart overalls, scarf, gloves, and helmet, but the visor on the helmet is stuck so I had the wind in my face. And the snow spray. And tree branches. Good thing Levi was driving. He proved to be an excellent human shield. :) It was really cool (no pun intended) to ride under the bright moonlight. What a thrilling way to experience God's creation.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
"Love is...
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Cor. 13:4-8a)
There are days when I struggle with my humanity and forget the WHY of what I am doing here. Today is one of those days. Today was depressing, disappointing, and disillusioning. Today felt like "Pick on Becky Day" and I failed at every endeavor undertaken throughout the course of the day (according to my critics). By 8pm, I threw in the towel, gave up on the day, and retreated to my room. My mother always taught me that if I couldn't say something nice, I shouldn't say anything at all. My self-control had been taxed to the limit and I decided isolation was my only recourse.
I spent a nice quiet few hours reading and then emerged to check out the lunar eclipse. (Way cool, BTW) God impressed His love on me through His creation and I started to pull myself out of my negatively focused thoughts. I rest on His promises and unfailing love. I need to focus on what is important. These earthly things are insignificant when compared to eternity. "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, My Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be."
There are days when I struggle with my humanity and forget the WHY of what I am doing here. Today is one of those days. Today was depressing, disappointing, and disillusioning. Today felt like "Pick on Becky Day" and I failed at every endeavor undertaken throughout the course of the day (according to my critics). By 8pm, I threw in the towel, gave up on the day, and retreated to my room. My mother always taught me that if I couldn't say something nice, I shouldn't say anything at all. My self-control had been taxed to the limit and I decided isolation was my only recourse.
I spent a nice quiet few hours reading and then emerged to check out the lunar eclipse. (Way cool, BTW) God impressed His love on me through His creation and I started to pull myself out of my negatively focused thoughts. I rest on His promises and unfailing love. I need to focus on what is important. These earthly things are insignificant when compared to eternity. "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, My Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be."
Sunday, February 17, 2008
6 weeks ago...
...I waved goodbye to Phoenix and began the journey east. So much and yet so little has happened since that day. Grandpa and I have settled into a routine of sorts. I cook and clean, he pays the bills, and we both put wood in the boiler. :) I am still actively seeking employment but without much luck. The economy/job market here in North Central NY is not necessarily "hostile" but not so "friendly" either. I am trusting God to show me His path. I look to Philippians 4:19 for encouragement when I start to worry about car payments and student loans. I know He will provide all my needs.
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