WFMW: keeping cut flowers

I love flowers. I get them fairly regularly, either from my boyfriend or buying them for myself. One day my boyfriend mentioned that my cut flowers always seem to last a really long time. And they usually do, on average I would say my flowers last between a week and a half to two weeks.

My trick? Warm water in the vase. Yep, that's it. I use the warmest tap water I can get and still put my hand in comfortably. I had heard somewhere a while ago that if you use warm water it is easier on the flower to suck it up. I have no idea if it's true but it seems to work for me! I cut the flowers to fit my vase as I want (could be an inch, could be five). If I have a really big packet of flower food (which seems to be the norm now) I put my warm water in the vase and dissolve half of the packet then plunk my flowers in. If I have extra flower food I empty the water put fresh warm water and the rest of the flower food mixture in about a week later. Sometimes I trim the flowers again, sometimes I don't. It just all depends on how lazy I am. If there's no flower food I just put warm water in the vase and put my flowers in.

Check out Kristen for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

WILMM: welcome home surprises

Why I love my man reason #16

While I was away in Ireland I talked to my boyfriend a lot online. One night I was telling him that I regretted not making my bed before leaving. The day I left I woke up at four in the morning and we picked up my girlfriend before heading off to the airport around five. Making my bed was not top on the lists of things to do. As I contemplated the fact that my bed would not be made when I got home I regretted more and more for not making it before I left. There is just something so nice about coming home to a clean and tidy room.

So imagine my surprise when I opened up my bedroom door and welcomed with this sight.

A made bed

AND fresh flowers!

How did I ever get so blessed?

1000 Gifts List 295-305

295) old men playing traditional music

296) sky mirrored on lake

297) lambs in spring

298) Dingle Peninsula

299) rows of different colored buildings

300) web cams

301) blue skies

302) big towels

303) Irish wit and humor

304) yellow wildflowers on country roads

305) laughing with best friend

"The unthankful heart...discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day, as the magnet finds the irons, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" Henry Ward Beecher

How can anyone...

...see,

hear,

smell,

experience,

these things

and not believe?

Day two: Rope Bridge, Giant's Causeway, Derry

Today was jam packed with places to go and see. We got an early start (most because jet lag caused us to fall asleep at 5 last night and then wake up around 2 WIDE AWAKE). We got on our PaddyWagon Tour bus around 6:40am and departed for the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge.

Our drive was very nice, it was great to get out of Dublin (dirty little city, it is) and into the green rolling hills of Ireland. We left Dublin with blue skies and then drove into fog, then out of it, then into it, then out of it, all the way to Carrick-a-rede rope bridge. I was nervouse that it would be foggy when we got there and it was a tad overcast at first but then it burned off. Oh, it was beautiful! The sun shinning on the blue ocean and green hills, lovely.

The bridge itself was not all that thrilling. I didn't go on it becuase a) you had to pay and b) I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to heights. Shannon went on it though and she made it across and back in one piece. I did watch the man who took the tickets help escort some lady across and I smiled because that would have been me had I decided to go on.

From there we departed to the Giant's Causeway an amazing assortment of basalt columns. The legend that we were told was that Fionn McCool was a young child who lived in Ireland. His parents knew that there was something special about him so they sent him to live with a druid. The druid took him fishing and the goal was to catch a special kind of salmon. If you caught it and ate it you would have all the knowledge you needed for the rest of your life. So the druid took Fionn fishing, and lo and behold, Fionn caught a salmon. Now his teacher took him back to his house and put the fish on a pan to fry and instructed Fionn to fry it but not to eat it. So, being a good lad, Fionn did. As Fionn was watching the fish fry he noticed a buble coming up from underneath the gill of the salmon. Unsure of what to do he touched the bubble to pop it and burnt his finger. He stuck his finger in his mouth to cool it down and inadvertently sucked in the knowledge juice that had been meant for his master. When his master got back he realized what had happened and ordered Fionn McCool out of his house never to return. Now Fionn was still a young lad, but because he had all the knowledge he needed he was able to make money by teaching the women how to cook and clean and the men how to hunt and protect.

Then Fionn got lonely. And he looked across the sea and he could see the country of Scotland. He decided to go over and find a lass to marry and he decided that the best way to go about doing so would be to build stepping stones all the way across Ireland to Scotland. The town watched him as he worked and worked and finally it was completed. He went across to Scotland and found a scottish princess, married her, and brought her back to Ireland.

Now there was a giant that lived in Scotland by the name of Benandonner. Somehow word got to the princess that Benandonner was upset that she had been taken out of Scotland and that he was on his way to Ireland to kill Fionn McCool. The princess told her husband and he immedatly told the men in his town to build a cradle, large enough for him to fit in. The he commissioned his wife and the other women to sew him baby clothes. The towns people were confused but knowing that he had special knowledge they did as he commanded. He got dressed in his baby clothes, had the men hoist him into the cradle and then commanded everyone else to go hide in the woods.

That night Benandonner got to his village and was ready for business. When he stumbled upon Fionn in the cradle he thought to himself, "If this how big the baby is, how big is the father!?" And Benandonner ran all the way home, tripping and falling on some of the stepping stones near Scotland breaking them.

Then we drove to Derry. It was a quaint little town full of history. It is the home of Bloody Sunday, a day where 27 peacful civil rights activitsts were shot by the british army. We went to a very intersting museum, where we did not have nearly enough time to look and see everything.

All in all it was a very nice day. Long, but nice.

Day 1 and a half: Dublin

Well, I'm here! After one flight change and two long flights we arrived safely in Dublin yesterday morning.

My first impressions of Dublin: I'm not really all that impressed. I've been to Europe before so seeing the signs and the roads and all of that wasn't novel to me. Dublin is a dirty little town that has graffiti all over.

We took a walking tour of Dublin with a VERY knowledable man that took us all over the city and explained history to us. It was really interesting but I was lost half the time because I didn't have a firm basic knowledge of the 1916 Rebellion. I knew some of the history and that helped, but not a lot. The guy was really neat though, you could tell he had a passion for what he was talking about and was very knowledgable.

After our tour we came back to our hotel and ate a late lunch/early dinner. Then I made myself stay awake until a little after 5 pm (at this point I'd been awake for over 28 hours).

And now I'm awake at 1:30 in the morning (hence my half day) listening to the sound of drunken girls singing outside my hotel window.

We're leaving this morning at around 6:15 in the morning for Derry and the Giant's Causeway, which I am very excited about. It's not supposed to rain tomorrow so that's nice. It didn't rain yesterday either but it was very overcast so maybe we'll see a bit of sun tomorrow. :)

to my sweet as I leave for Ireland

My Sweet Love,

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to drive me to the airport today. I know that do not like when I leave for long trips and that you worry for my safety. Thank you for putting on a brave face and kind smile as you lovingly said goodbye to me for the next ten days. Oh, how I will miss you!

I am so thankful each day for you.  I am going to miss our conversations and teasing. I know that a constant thought on my mind for the next ten days will be, "I wish I could show Jason this!" I hope you have a great week at school and that you will be able to spend time with some of your friends. Use your time to stock up on xbox!!! Just don't forget about me to much. :) Oh, and make sure my brother doesn't move into my room while I'm gone, okay?

I promise I will let you know that I am there safely when I land. I'll be careful! :) I am anxiously counting down the days until the 24th when I get to see you again. I love you!

                                                                                                    love,
                                                                                   me

WILMM:sacrifice

Why I love my man reason #14

The other day I had to take my dog to get his tri annual rabies vaccination. And I did not want to. At all. So I asked my boyfriend if he would come with me.

He works as a life guard during the summer and has to re-test his swimming and treading skills each year. He had planned to go swim after he got out of class. Instead he drove an hour to my house to drive twenty minutes to get my dog vaccinated just so he could turn around and drive for a half of an hour the exact same way he had just come so that he could go swim.

I am constantly humbled at how much my boyfriend is willing to sacrifice to help me and support me and show me how much he loves me. He didn't have to sacrifice his time driving to come to the vet with me. But he did. He didn't have to sacrifice his gas and money for me. But he did. And he does. Often.

I wish I could say that I do the same. That when he asks me to do a small favor I jump at the chance to show my love for him. Just tonight he wanted to replace the wipers on his windshields and he asked me to go hold a flashlight. The way I acted you would have thought he had just asked me swim across the ocean to retrieve a rock. I don't know why I do those things. I don't know why I act so bothered when he asks me to help me. I'm ashamed.

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (emphasis my own)

1 Corinthians 13 talks about what love is, and oh, I have SO far to go.

cold

Cold- Marie Miller


Selfish heart, when did you become
The center of the universe?
A billion stars and you think you're the brightest one
It's so vain to put your world first
You used to give so freely of yourself
Now you don't seem the least bit concerned



Chorus:

This heart of mine can be so jaded
Frozen inside no sign of life
My conscience sleeps and it amazes me
That I can be so cold



Shallow heart you're an island to yourself
Drowning out all the lost at sea
You speak of love and you preach about your faith
But you ignore another soul in need
You know the truth so what it's gonna take
To wake you from your apathetic dream



This heart of mine can be so jaded
Frozen inside no sign of life
My conscience sleeps and it amazes me
That I can be so cold


Heaven help me
Burn within me
Melt me with your holy fire
Re-light my spirit
Ignite the mercy your desire
Oh help me Lord

WFMW: how to prevent your mouth from drying out in your sleep when you have a cold

Today's Work for Me Wednesday tip is a tip that I got from my best friend Shannon. I have a cold and the last time she had a cold she we talked about how much we hated when your mouth gets all dried out in your sleep.

So, here was her tip, and it's super simple.

Lather on chapstick like there's no tomorrow immediatly before you go to sleep. Yep. That's it.

I tried it last night and it worked. I think because you are breathing in the mouisture of your chapstick all night it helps prevent your mouth from drying out. There's my tip! Check out Kristen for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

Dayenu!

I went to a Messianic Passover Seder last night and it was beautiful. This part, especially, struck me. Dayenu means "it would have been sufficient"

"Leader: Had He only saved us from the Egyptians,
It would have been sufficient.
Had he only given us the Shabbat,
It would have been sufficient.
Had He only given us the Torah,
It would have been sufficient.

Had He taken us out of Egypt, but not brought judgment upon our adversaries

All: Dayenu!

Had he brought judgment upon our adversaries, but not allowed us to pass through the sea on dry land-

 Dayenu!

Had he allowed us to pass through the sea on dry land, but not destroyed our foes in it-

Dayenu!

Had he destroyed our foes, but not satisfied our needs in the wilderness for 40 years

Dayenu!

Had he satisfied our needs in the wilderness for 40 years, and not given us the Torah-

Dayenu!

BUT: He took us out of Egypt
He brought judgment upon our adversaries
He allowed us to pass through the sea on dry land
He destroyed our foes
He satisfied our needs in the wilderness
He gave us the Torah
He gave us the Messiah Yeshua as our atonement
He has preserved us to this day
He has given us Eretz Yisrael
Let us thank Him and Praise His name!

All: For all God's blessings we are grateful and thank Him unceasingly. Baruch HaShem!"

Dayenu! It is sufficient! Lord, on this Easter I thank you that your death is dayenu for my sins. Thank you that I can know and spend eterinity with You because of Your sacrifice!

Good Friday

When you really, truely, think about what happened on that Friday there is nothing good about it, unless you know the ending.

Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Which he then regrets and then hangs himself. The disciples are asked to stay awake while Jesus prays and they don't. Peter denies Jesus not once, not twice, but THREE times. Jesus is falsly accused of things he didn't do. A murderer is set free while the only truley innocent Man is sent to the cross. Even before the cross though, as if that is not aweful enough, he was beaten over and over and over again until His back became like hamburger meat. And, if that is not pain enough the Man who had instant access with God was forsaken because of the sins of others, of myself. If this was the end of the story there would be no good.

But it's not. :) And that is why this Friday is good. Because there is more to the story. The Man who was innocently put to death was raised again on the third day. Those sins that He bore...He did it for me, and you. Peter, the same person who denied Jesus three times, was affirmed three times after Jesus' ressurection.

It is so important though, for the full joy of Easter to be experienced, to remember the pain and sorrow and suffering that occured on Good Friday.

WILMM: choosing to love

Why I love my man reason #13

At the end of May this year my boyfriend and I will have been dating for 3 years now. 36 months.  156 weeks. 1,095 days. And he still pursues me. Every. Single. Day.

Rarely does a day pass where I do not get a text half way through work that says, "I love you, have a great day!" He has probably told me I am beautiful five times for every day we've dated. He takes me out on dates. We spend quality time together. Occasionally I get a "just because" e-mail.

Tonight I got flowers. Just because. He went to home depot to buy flowers for his mom and aunt for Easter and didn't find what he wanted. No Easter Lillies but there were sunflowers. So he baught them for me and brought them home just becuase he knows I like them. He didn't have to. I didn't expect him to. But he did. Because he is that awesome.

I cried when he gave them to me. So often I take his love for granted. It is routine. I'm used to it. And then I spend time with other couples and I watch their interactions and I think about how my boyfriend and I would act in similiar situation. More often than not I am struck with the realization of how good I have it.

I cried when my boyfriend gave me the flowers because he knows me. He sees the bad with the good. He's seen me angry and upset and happy and sad. He knows the attitude, the sharp tongue, the selfishness that I am capable of. And he still chooses to love me. And that is what brought me to tears. Indeed, love is a choice. A conscious decision. And of all the people in the world that he can love, he chooses me.

I only pray that I can express my love for him half as well as he does for me.