empty handed but alive in His hands

WILMM: self control

2012-01-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

Why I love my man reason #21

I recently got home from a trip where I was visiting my sweet friend. While I was there she gave me this book to read by Shaunti Feldhahn.

The book describes the way men think and process. It describes how men are visual and are able to keep a "mental Rolodex" in their minds of what they have seen. And, because men are visual, it is a conscious effort and choice that they make to not let their eyes linger too long where they shouldn't.

As I was reading this book I realized something about my wonderful boyfriend. I have never seen him look at another woman. Really. Never. Not even in an appreciative and very innocent, "she's very pretty" kind of way. Knowing what I know from reading that book it also made me realize that the fact that I have never seen my boyfriend look at another woman isn't an accident. It's a testament to him honoring and respecting me.

In the past I have never understood when girls talked about their boyfriend's commenting or looking at other women. My boyfriend has never uttered a word about any girl he has ever seen. I have never seen him linger, or take a double loo.

The safety and security that I have because of how he handles himself is irreplaceable. The longer I date this man and the more I learn about him the more I love him.

when the most wonderful time of the year...isn't

2011-12-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night I sat in a normal living room on a normal Friday night during Bible study. We went around the room for prayer requests. Pray for this family who just experienced the death of the mother after their daughter was burned over 40% of her body just a few weeks ago. Pray for our friends, cancer has returned. Pray for my co-worker, her son might have autism. Pray for a friend who continues to battle addictions. Peace for the family, it's their first Christmas with their son in jail. Pray for their marriage. For his job. For her illness.

In a season of joy, Christmas, this season where we are supposed to be reminding ourselves that our Lord has come to save and rescue and heal us we focus on wrapping paper, pretty lights, music. I sat there and it hit me like a ton of bricks; during the happiest season of the year, a time that I have fully been partaking in, people are hurting and suffering and feeling so alone.

We prayed. I wept.

I drove and saw Christmas lights with my boyfriend last night. I could have been sitting next to his hospital bed. I wrote Christmas cards and passed them out at to co-workers. I could have been writing a bereavement card for a family member. I baked cookies and took them to work. I could have been wondering if I will be able to get a job to support myself.

This is where I struggle. In a time where we, I, should be celebrating Christ and His love for us I do the exact opposite of what Christ would do in my place. I overlook those who are hurting and grieving and are lost. I sit in my happy little world and never stop to think about those whose pain is being magnified because of the season that it is. As I sat in my Bible study listening to the burdens of so many people being spilled before the Throne of Grace I prayed that God would heal my heart, not from a broken marriage or the loss of a loved one or a serious illness, but from indifference.

My prayer this Christmas is that I will have His heart. That I will see people as He sees them and that I will be able to offer just a little bit of His joy and peace to others, not just during Christmas, but all year 'round.

pintrest

2011-08-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, have ya'll heard of the pinterest? I'm late jumping onto this bandwagon but let me tell you, I have jumped with reckless abandon. It all started when Kristin posted what she did with her kids on their last day of summer.She got her inspiration for this awesome piece of art from pinterest!

I've spent the past two hours searching the DIY section alone. There is still a whole 'nother world of pinterest that I have left untouched!

Seriously, I am AMAZED at how creative people are. Blown away. I love, love, love making my gifts and I think that this website will come in super handy around Christmas time!

Just LOOK at some of these CUTE ideas!

How about making a memory jar of your vacations?

Can you believe that this wreath is made from TISSUE PAPER!?

I LOVE this frame that depicts what the best things in life are! Even better- make your own with their tutorial!

Wanna see what's on my pinterest boards? Have you found any awesome crafts from pinterest? Do share! :)

1,000 gifts list #1027-1043

2011-08-22T00:19:00.001-07:00

I just got home from a week long stay at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. John Muir writes, "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike." That is what this trip was. A time to get away from the business of every day life, to breathe in clean fresh air, to laugh and fellowship with friends, to marvel at the beauty God has created.

The gifts continue, at home or away on vacation. In the jungle of a city that I live in or the rawness of wild land hundreds of miles away. It is beautiful, the way my Father coordinates things. :) One of the most memorable moments of my trip was a night in which I had just finished doing dishes and felt such a longing to worship. All of a sudden I heard music from a couple of campsites away and it was worship music! I gathered up my courage to go ask complete strangers if I could join them and they kindly said yes. It was a beautiful night singing praises to my Jesus under a blanket of stars and in the shadows of magnificent Redwoods. J

1027) mist on tree tops

1028) warm camping breakfast

1029) his little "I love you" touches

1030) shafts of light through giant Redwoods

1031) late night campfire chats

1032) study Bibles

1033) boys and their walking sticks/staffs

1034) feathery ferns

1035) banana slugs in jars

1038) bundling up close to him during campfire chat

1039) mug of hot tea

1040) spider webs across trails

1041) worship songs around campfires

1042) universal believers, the binding tie of Jesus

1043) trees that take your breath away and the blood that was shed on the Tree that took my sins away

WILMM: lead me

2011-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Why I love my man reason #20
My boyfriend is pretty introverted and shy. He has a servant's heart and I am so grateful for that. The following statments sum him up pretty well, "Still waters run deep" and "actions speak louder than words." Because he is so quiet there are times when he will say or do something that just blows me away. A couple of weeks ago my sweet boyfriend posted this song on his facebook with the following comment, "I love this song cause it reminds us men that we need to remember that we are suppose to be there to help lead our families spiritually. This is a good thing to think about for all of us without families yet so that we can use this time to help prepare ourselves to help led them. Summation: Learn it now so we can pass it on and not regret not being able to share more with our families." (I especially love the summation :D)<p$1><p$1><p$1><p$1></p></p></p></p>
I was touched at the depth of this song because it is so true. I am not married yet but I desire a godly husband who will lead me. I was even more touched that this is my boyfriend's prayer.

On Easter we went to a sunrise service that our beautiful Bible study did together. We went to a local canyon and climbed to the top of this little hill and watched the sun rise, it was beautiful. For our little service one of the families made crosses out of popsicles and each person took a cross. On our crosses we wrote what was on our mind. Some wrote about the beauty of God in nature, others about Easter, some their favorite Bible verse or a popular song lyric.

We went around and talked about what we had written and why. It was beautiful and moving. My sweet boyfriend wrote on his cross, "Lead me". Words cannot express the love that I have for this man. It is humbling and beautiful to know that the man I will commit my life to is committing his life to Jesus so that he will be a better future husband and father.

If I know that my husband is being lead by God I can follow him anywhere.

1,000 gifts list #895-905

2011-04-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my birthday and Easter this past week. It was beautiful. I recognize more and more how very blessed I am, how undeserving I am of His love, how merciful and gracious He is. Fighting to keep my eyes open to His love and continuing to scratch out my list of gifts one at a time...
895) wonderful boyfriend of four years, still walks me to my car :)
896) cloudy birthday skies
897) a room full of kids perfectly imperfectly singing happy birthday
898) dinner with Jason and Daddy
899) Marlene and her sweet family creatively singing me happy birthday from 1800 miles away
900) black starling finding grubs in the grass
901) flowers underneath back porch window, all in bloom!
902) renewed arboretum pass
903) amazing grace! The fact that it pleased God to have His fullness dwell in Him...even to the point of the cross!
904) sunrise Easter service- He is risen!
905) a boyfriend who desires to be led by Christ and then subsequently be a godly leader himself

why thankfulness really matters (1,000 gifts list #s 876-885)

2011-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

It was April fool's day that the heartbreaking news reached our ears. My parents and I had just gotten home from Bible study, a study about giving thanks in every season of our life, no matter what the circumstance. The message machine was beeping and my mom pressed the play button and our world changed. The voice of my Grandpa filled the room and his straight forward words, "I have some pretty bad news. I have stomach cancer." felt like a punch in the gut. The mind races to four years ago when a similar call from my Grandma, his wife, came and we learned she had brain cancer. She went to be with Jesus not six months later.As my mom and I held each other and cried she whispered these words to me, "give thanks, give thanks."

In that moment giving thanks was the last thing I wanted to do. Giving thanks was no where on my radar. I felt bitterness and anger welling up inside of me, my own cancer, eating away at my soul. We cried. We talked a bit. My parents went to bed.

I know the cure to bitterness and anger. I know it because I've been practicing it for over a year. But you see, the cure is not a magic pill you take once and the cure lasts forever. No, it's a practice. A daily practice. Much like physical exercise once you stop the muscles lose their strength. It's a cure that only works if it is practiced daily.

My mom and I had both just finished reading Ann Voskamp's book 1,000 Gifts. We each have a gratitude journal but I knew that this practice would help everyone in our family, not just my mom and I. I also knew that there was no way that my brothers would just start writing in a journal if I gave them one. I needed somewhere where our family could practice eucharisteo together. Iron sharpens iron and this practice of giving thanks with each other can only help to heal the broken pieces inside of us and isn't life just easier when we do things together?

So I choose a spot in our house where everyone frequents and I take a long roll of butcher paper. I choose a verse that fits where my family is in the here and now and write it on top, along with some quotes from Ann and these simple instructions, "giving thanks, all of us, together, one by one."

I scratch out a couple of gifts on the list, mostly just to demonstrate what I mean, and as I write, as I am forced to think of the ways He loves my heart is lightened. I think I am beginning to see that all IS grace. With that recognition I am able to understand more fully the words of that famous song, "amazing grace, how sweet the sound..."

I am overjoyed as I watch the list grow. I love that it is on our fridge and I also love that those who are not in our family feel free to add to the list.

I replaced the paper last night. Collectively we had recorded 49 gifts and it was time for a fresh start. I put up a new piece of paper, a new verse and a new quote. And the journey continues because we can never out thank God for the many gifts He's given us!

My list continued, looking forward to breaking 1,000!

876) the face that the size of the tumor does not determine the presence of the Savior!
877) Jared's music filling the house
878) clean microwaves
879) blustery days!
880) roses in bloom, everywhere!
881) rain and sun together!
882) Daddy home :)
883) modern day technology
884) grace, grace, always grace
885) so many different people's handwriting on the list :)

How to Make Banket

2011-04-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend is 50 percent Dutch. His mom was the dissenter and ruined their pure dutch bloodlines by marrying his dad (and I'm so glad she did!) :D My boyfriend's great grandparents came over from Holland and his Grandma is very proud of the fact she's 100% Dutch. One of the tasty treats that I have come to enjoy is a traditional Dutch pastry called banket (bahn-KET). Banket is an almond paste filled pastry.

So, here's a how-to-make-banket-tutorial :)

Ingredients for pastry crust

-4 cups of flour
-2 cups of cold butter, cut into small pieces
-about one cup of ice water
-1/2 teaspoon of sal
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Ingredients for filling
- 2 eggs
- 1 lb or 2 cups almond paste
- 1 tsp. lemon juice

Bake Temp: 425 degrees F.
Bake Time: 15 minutes

Step number one: cut cold butter up into small pieces. Put flour, butter, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

Step number two: mix together flour, cold butter, salt and baking powder. The point is not to cream the butter into the flour mixture but to make it a crumbly mixture. My boyfriend's family actually uses frozen butter and has gotten the best results from that. You do not want to over mix your crust. You can use either a mixer or a pastry cutter.

Step number three: Mix in your ice water SLOWLY and only enough so that it starts to form a doughy ball. I would start with 3/4 cup, adding just a little bit at a time. The dough should not be sticky so make sure not to add to much water.


(this isn't actually one cup, it's two. I put ice and water in here then poured one cup into a one cup measurement)

Once your dough is starting to look like this it is usually easier to mix the rest by hand. You can then add water a little bit as a time as needed.

Step number four: One you have your dough take it and break it into 8 equal balls. The easiest way for me to do this is to take the dough, break it in half and then continue to break those halves in half until I have eight balls.

If you added to much water and your dough is super sticky you can add a little bit more flour. It also helps to put it in the fridge. You can refrigerate dough for a couple of days or so and it is actually easier to work with when it is colder.

Step number five: For the filling mix together the eggs, almond paste, and lemon juice. We buy our almond paste in 7 gallon cans from Blue Diamond because it is MUCH cheaper then buying the tiny little tubes of almond paste at the grocery store.

Step number six: Time to roll out the dough! I usually sandwich the dough between lightly floured waxed paper. Roll each ball out so that it measures twelve inches long and four inches wide. If you have not over mixed your dough you should be able to see butter striations in your rolled out dough. I have yet to achieve making perfect dough. My boyfriend's family said they only get the striations when they start with frozen butter so that may be the key. In any case, it doesn't really matter, but, if you get butter striations then bravo! You've done it correctly. :)

Step number seven: Starting from about an inch from the top of the rectangle spoon filling onto the middle of the dough. Leave about an inch or so from the top and bottom of the rectangle.

Step number eight: Starting with the short sides fold dough up and over filling. Then fold over long sides. Make sure to press seams together and seal tightly. Water can also help to seal seams. If the seams are not sealed tightly you will end up with a bubbly, hot, sticky, almond paste filling mess on your cookie sheet after baking.

Step number nine: Flip banket over so that the seam side is touching the cookie sheet.

Step number ten: Use a knife and cut evenly spaced diagonal slits along the top of the banket. The slits are used to help release the heat while baking and they also serve as an easy way to break the banket into pieces to share and eat. :)

Step number eleven: Brush the top of the banket with either egg whites or milk (I usually use milk that way I don't have to figure out what to do with the extra yolk). Sprinkle with sugar.

Step number twelve: Bake at 425 degrees farenheit for 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Wait a little bit for the boiling hot melty insides to cool down a tad and then enjoy!!! :)

*word of advice- while making banket the traditional way is well worth it, I usually buy pre-made pie crust (shhhh...don't tell my boyfriend's family!) and make it that way and it is still quite tasty*

**if making this for the first time I recommend cutting the recipe in half...it makes a lot!**

fighting for your marriage...before you're married

2011-03-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Divorce rates in America are ridiculously high. Especially when you consider that the divorce rates among christians is comparable to those who are not christians. I don't know about you, but that scares me.

I am learning how to fight for my future marriage. I am reading books and blogs and listening to sermons by godly people about how marriage works. I am watching godly couples who have withstood the test of time and trials and are stronger for it. I am storing away bits and pieces of wisdom and I am trying to implement all that I can into my relationship now.

I think that all too often people don't work on their marriages until things get bad. So why should I wait to work on things until I'm married?

Kristen wrote a recent post about fighting for her marriage. In her post she wrote something that I think is so true, yet often overlooked. Kristen writes, "The very fall of man, put husbands and wives at odds with each other. Marriage is not easy. At it’s best, it’s difficult.

But don’t be fooled: Satan wants your marriage to fail. He is a vicious opponent without mercy. If you won’t fight for your marriage, he will." (emphasis mine)

I've been blessed to have grown up in a christian home. I have been blessed with being surrounded by godly couples. I have been blessed to have awesome pastors who preach amazing sermons about marriage and the roles of husbands and wives.

So, what are some of the things that I am doing now in my pre-nuptial days to protect my future marriage?

I am attempting to practice the art of esteeming my boyfriend. I have read over and over again about how much men really do desire respect from their wives. I think there is a reason why the Bible admonishes men to "love their wives and wives to respect their husbands." (Ephesians 5:33, emphasis my own). It is so, so easy for me to disrespect my boyfriend. It can be as simple as teasing him when I know he doesn't like to be teased or as obvious as criticizing and nagging him. I fail a lot. But I am trying.

Thankfulness- I try to thank him when he does something that I appreciate, because "kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." (Prov 16:24) Thank him for making me breakfast, opening that car door, playing the game he doesn't really like to, thank him for spending time with me, for being considerate of my feelings, for all the hugs and I love you's.

Along those same lines I am trying to learn how to hold my tongue. I try not to say anything negative about my boyfriend to other people because I don't want to be one of those wives who bashes on their husbands behind his back. Did you know that for every negative comment it takes five positive comment to cancel it out? Yikes. Words are powerful.

Pray. Pray, pray, pray. All the time. I pray for and with my boyfriend. I pray for guidance and protection and purity over our relationship. I thank God for positive relationships modeled in my life.

Learning how to manage conflicts. Now. My sweet boyfriend is a wonderful example of patience and understanding. I lose my temper far more often than he does...but I also apologize far less often than he does. Unfortunately the art of apologizing, and it is an art, is not something I learned from my home. It's not something that was shown in my boyfriend's home either...he just has an strong sense of justice and is man enough to apologize when he knows he's wrong. I am learning, slowly, to follow my boyfriend's lead. To swallow this big ego that I have and to admit when I am wrong. It is humbling and I don't always do a good job but I think my boyfriend would tell you I've come a long way in the last four years.

I know that marriage is not a magic wand to be waved and that all my (and his) flaws and imperfections will not vanish once that ring is slipped on my finger. So I'm trying, really hard, to do what I can right now to fireproof my marriage.

I am thankful for all you godly women that write so honestly about your marriages. You may not realize it but you are giving my generation a chance to learn from you and that is a beautiful gift.

What is your best piece of advice? What do you wish someone had told you before you got married?

WFMW: things to do with kids for St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

When I was little my mom made us green foods for Saint Patrick's Day. Here are some fun (not at all educational) things my mom did for us when we were little.

-Green eggs for breakfast (really you could do green any kind of food)

-use a shamrock cookie cutter and pour green pancake batter onto the griddle- make shamrock pancakes!

- "magic pudding", this is actually my clearest memory of being little and celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. My mom bought pistachio pudding, put it in a little tuperware container and then added the milk. The pudding itself is a very, very light green- almost white. My mom poured the milk on top, put a lid on the tuperware and let us shake it. MAGIC! It turned green!

-hide gold coins around the house, find the leprechaun's treasure!

What do you do for your kids on Saint Patrick's Day??

crazy!

2011-02-17T22:42:00.000-08:00

I have lived in southern CA my whole time. We don't get to see very many stars. I have come to appreciate beautiful, full, harvest moons and the stars when I get to see them.

But tonight. Well, tonight I saw something I have NEVER seen.

It's a 22° halo ! No...I'm not being sarcastic, lol. And yes, I do believe everything I read on wikipedia. :)

I want to hear your stories, have you ever seen this? What went through your mind? Did you take a picture?

WFMW: 10 Fine Motor activities

2011-02-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

I work in an autism class. We work on fine motor skills. A lot. Here are some of the things that we do to help our kiddos with fine motor activities.

1. Clothespins- we give each child one clothes pin and have them use only one hand to pick something up and put it on a plate. We have really thin rectangular blocks at my school so we use those a lot but it could be anything- just as you can get the clothes pin around it.

2) Cutting Sandwiches- so....that's actually my name for it. I really have no idea what it's called. All you need for this is two pieces of cardboard, a piece of paper, and a brass paper fastener. Cut your two pieces of cardboard into identical shapes- these will be the "bread" of your sandwich...they should be as alike as possible. Cut a hole through the middle of each, making sure that the holes line up. Stick a piece of paper in between each cardboard shape- making it a sandwich. Use the brass paper fastener, insert it through the hole on one side of the cardboard, through the paper, and then open the two sides away from one another on the back of the second piece of cardboard. The goal is for the child to be able to cut around the piece of paper and end up with the piece of paper being the same shape and size as the cardboard. For circles this is fairly easy. However, for a shape like a triangle the child has to be able to hold the "sandwich" together as they turn and cut. I hope this makes sense?

3. Tracing: We use a lot of shape templates. I have found that for kids with poor fine motor it is much easier for them to use templates where they are tracing on the inside- such as a shape cut out of a square piece of cardboard, then for them to trace the outside of a shape. Being able to press their pencil against the inside walls of the cardboard to form the shape seems to help them a lot. For those of you who are visual--- here's my word picture for you. It would be easier for a child to trace the inside of a cookie cutter rather than the outside. We don't use cookie cutters mind you, it's just to give you a visual picture. I really wish I had pictures from school to show you but I don't. Perhaps I will take some and update this post.

4. Play-doh. Oh, how we love play-doh. But we don't just let them squish it around. Nope, we give them tasks. We will often mix things into the play-doh, beads or beans for instance, and then have them search through the play-doh and pick them all out.

5. Paint! Finger paint or with paintbrushes. Usually trying to trace (large) shapes or letters that area already on paper.

6. When I worked at the pre-school we had parmesan shakers like you find at pizza parlors and the kids would put those red, hollow, stir stars through the holes.

7. Tongs- This is harder than using clothes pins because once you grasp an item with the clothes pin it automatically stays shut and you have to pinch it to open the clothespin and release the item. Using tongs is harder because it forces them to a) open the tongs to grasp the item, b) hold the tongs closed to keep the item, c) open the tongs to release the item.

8) Legos- or blocks that stick together. We usually use the very small square legos and they get to play around and stick them together.

9) Tracing- plain old boring paper and pencil tracing. This is my least favorite (and probably theirs, too!) but we do it. *sigh* Some of our kids have a very had time tracing but if we highlight everything that they need to trace it seems to help them.

10. Grab Bag Game- this is actually a lot of fun. It's also something you could easily re-create without having to buy the actual product. You fill a bag- ours is fabric- with small distinctly shaped items. We have a lot of weird little shapes with different textures. You need two of each shape. One goes into the bag and the other the teacher keeps. Then the teacher will show a shape to the child and let them feel it with their hands. The teacher then takes the shape back and the child sticks their hand into the bag. Without looking the child tries to grab the same shaped piece from the bag.

What have you used for fine motor that seems to work well? Anything that the kids really love? I'd love to know!

1,000 Gifts list #801-810

2011-02-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am big sister to two younger brothers. I've been blessed to see them learn, grow, and mature, both physically but spiritually as well. My youngest brother, Jared, is turning into an awesome young man for the Lord. I'm so proud to be his sister. He is extremly funny, talented, and kind. He is such a big part of my family's life and he is a hoot. He's always doing or saying something that can make us laugh. He's easy going and fun to be around. I blogged about how he tried to tame while squirrels a while ago. He made a sock puppet Thursday night...and thought it was the best thing ever. And, just last week, he gave a picture of a wizard that he drew to an In'n'Out employee while going through drive thru. He's something else... :)

801) Jared going to Haiti on his first mission trip!
802) playing his songs for me on the piano and asking my opinion
803) buttons and socks and thread
804) crazy laughter
805) his wizard pictures taped up everywhere
806) his music constantly filling the house
807) him and his trend setting ways
808) always making me laugh
809) finding his Bible all around the house, pages highlighted
810) his fascination of all things Indian

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder

barefoot shoes?

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Have ya'll seen these shoes before? I hadn't up until last week when I was at the doctors. There was a man there wearing these shoes...interesting huh?

valentine's "stockings"

2011-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Do you know what I love most about Christmas? Celebrating the birth of Christ with my loved ones. But you know what I love second most?

Stockings! I think stockings are SO much fun. I have more fun unwrapping my stocking than I do my "real" gifts. My mom, sweet boyfriend, and I went to Arkansas this past Christmas and I made stockings for us, my grandparents, and my girlfriend's family. I LOVED buying the little dollar items to stick in the stockings. I also like to wrap the little things that go in the stockings, it's just so much more FUN to unwrap something!

The dollar bin at Targets had these cute little mailboxes. We're doing secret valentines at work. I considered buying one to put in my valentines mail box but not all my gifts would have fit inside. Then on last weeks Work for Me Wednesday Jamielyn from I <3 Naptime PIMPED out one of those dollar mailboxes.

That did it. I had to buy some. I decided to buy some for my family. *Note: Mine are NO where near as cute as hers is, but...I was making 5 out of 7 of them for boys and I know the cuteness factor would have been completly lost on them...* There are 7 mailboxes, I made one for my sweet boyfriend and another for the neighbor boy who pretty much lives at our house. I stuck some names on the front (told ya...not real fancy, lol). It's like STOCKINGS but for Valentine's Day! I put them out late Sunday night and will put little things in all week until Valentine's Day. Nothing fancy, candy, a little note, a Bible verse, ect.

Tell me you wouldn't get excited to see the little flag on your mail box up!?

(my camera's flash seems to have recorded every dust particle on our piano. *ahem*..)

1,000 Gifts List #779-789

2011-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's been nearly five years ago that I sat on stage in a gold robe and graduated from highschool. It's been five long years or studying, papers, and test taking and I recently just transfered to a four year college.

I sat across from my advisor last week and listened to her list off all the classes that I was told to take that now don't count for anything once I actually reached my end goal. And I felt myself crumbling inside. The voices start popping up inside my head, "What a loser. Look at all your friends who are already done. You're never going to finish. What a let down you are."

I count the classes I have to take, four in total, before I can actually start the core of my major. Four more classes. I am frusterated, but I can do this.

I look online for the classes I need, determined to get them done and out of the way, and my heart sinks even further. All general education classes. All offered during the time that I work. I can't graduate without these classes, but I can't quit my job for a ten week course either. I come up with a plan that involves switching work shifts with a co-worker on certain days for ten weeks and just hope that my co-worker will be willing to do so.

I approach my co-woker and explain my situation and her response is a brief, "I'm sorry, I don't want to." She walks away and I feel the panic rising and I begin to panic more because it is such a struggle to keep myself calm.

In an act of desperation I ask my last resort, another co-worker, who I know it will be a sacrifice for her to switch. She looks at me and with such grace says these simple words, "Yes. I'll switch with you. I don't mind." And I find myself bursting into tears in the middle of an elementary school lunch room as all that pent up worry is relieved. I am humbled by the sacrifice and the tears just keep streaming and I feel ridiculous for crying over a biology class and in the middle of work, none the less.

And Ann's words pop into my head and I remember. "Life is not an emergency." And I know that if I am full of grattitude I am not full of stress or worry...and I count...continue to count, to hang onto these God graces, my life line...

779) Brenda and her grace
780) the gentle reminder that "life is not an emergency!" and the truth behind those words!
781) each class taken means one less to do
782) long chats with Dragica and her encouraging words
783) understanding teacher at work
784) tears of relief
785) innocent and sincere thank you's from a sweet thrid grade girl
786) hands holded completed cross stitch- months of hard work coming to fruition!
787) dreams of a beautiful friend's beginning to take shape
788) baby blankets to make!
789) items crossed off of a check list- just focusing on one thing at a time!

WFMW: applesauce

2011-02-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a handy tip I learned a while ago, it's probably fairly common knowledge, but it's still a good tip. As a way to cut down on fat in baked goods substitute the oil you are supposed to put in with applesauce.

I'm making some lemon poppy seed muffins as I write. The recipe called for 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Instead I put 1/4 cup of applesauce. It works great for cake, keeps it nice and moist and doesn't affect the way it tastes or looks. :) I've also substituted applesauce for vegetable oil in waffles. Haven't tried pancakes but I'm assuming it would work fine.

That's my trick of the week? What tricks do you use for healthier baking/cooking without losing flavor??

1,000 gifts 760-770

2011-01-31T20:38:00.000-08:00

It is the simpliest things in life that bring the most pleasure. Counting them as they happen, one after the other...

760) sweet boyfriend offering to take out the trash for me on a day that I'm exhausted
761) delicious chai tea latte
762) streamers waving in the air as child runs with homemade kite
763) braclets that jingle
764) raindrops on window pane
765) community
766) health
767) coupons
768) shoes with bows
769) life, full, and abudant!
770) new board games

"Come, thou Fount of every blessing,

tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise." Robert Robinson

:)

2011-01-30T00:30:00.000-08:00

There are but a few things better than dinner with good friends and my sweet boyfriend, playing fun games, yummy food, and good conversation!

So blessed to be surrounded with people I love!

WFMW: How I'm memorizing the book of Colossians in a Year

2011-01-25T21:48:00.000-08:00

(most of this blog entry is background about what I'm memorizing, but if you keep reading I promise you my tip for HOW I'm memorizing it will be there!)

If you're a reader of Ann's blog you're probably aware of her free printable download for a commitment booklet, memorzing the book of Colossians in a year, two verses a week.

Here's a commitment booklet I made.

It's a black moleskin journal in which I pasted the pages from Ann's free download.

I knew that I didn't want to carry around the whole book with me everywhere to study from for two two reasons. One, it's pretty bulky after pasting 52 pages into it, and secondly I wanted the book to remain nice. I knew I needed something tough and sturdy to carry around, something I could easily replace if lost, and something I could easily throw into my purse or backpack.

Ding! I had an idea! So... I printed out a second set of all the pages that are posted in the book. I cut them all out and then proceeded to paste them back to back so that I could laminate them, hole punch them, and throw them on a ring.

(like the candle that I'm using to prop it up?)

Two things... the pages are actually wider than the cover page...so I took my cover page and placed it on the BOTTOM of each rectangle on the page and trimmed all the excess at the top. If you're printing it out and looking at it it will make sense. Secondly, I couldn't put the next day on the reverse side of the card because I wanted to be able to flip it and have the second card right side up. The way the cards are printed some of the words would have gotten hole punched, so instead I pasted the 52nd weeks card onto the back of the first weeks card and so on and so forth so that when it's time to flip them at least it will be in order going the same way. I hope that makes sense?

SO. Now. A tip (I hate those WFMW posts that don't actually have a tip, don't you??)

See the little boxes that say "review" and "learn"? Here's what has been working for me, I baught some dry erase expo markers and every day my goal is to cross off those seven little boxes. Seven times a day I consciouly read, repeat, and practice those verses. I try to do it when I'm walking and stuff too, so it ends up being more than seven, but if you practice the verses seven times a day, every day, for a week that makes 49 times that you said the verse. At the end of the day I get a wet paper towel, erase my checked boxes and start over the next morning. I make it a point to stagger my seven times throghout the day and practice in between my "official" verse saying. I've found that I do it when I wake up, before I get out of my car when I get to work, and before bed every day for sure. The other four times I just fit into my day when I have a spare moment.

That's what's been working for me!

it's [not] all about you

2011-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

It was a normal day and I was walking across my college campus to my class when it caught my eye. A large black banner with yellow words. The banner read, "IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU!" As I passed it and walked on towards class mulling the words over in my head..."all about you, all about you, all about you..."

And really, that is the world's mantra, isn't it? The world that encourages abortions because after all, "it's all about you." It's your body. Your life. Your choice. So you got pregnant, made a mistake. No problem. It's all about you, and because it's all about you, that baby, that "mass of tissue", can be disposed of the way you scrape gum off the bottom of your shoe.

Isn't that the world is screaming at us day after day? You spill your coffee in the car and get to sue the restaurant you bought it from because, hey, it's all about you. Credit card companies send out cards every day because you're entitled to have whatever you want. Never mind if you don't have the money to pay for it. It's all about you. You deserve those shoes, that car, this book, that house. You cheat on your boyfriend because he's just not cutting it for you. Never mind that he'll be heartbroken when he finds out, it doesn't matter, because it's all about you.

And isn't the world creeping into our christian circles? You don't tithe because there's just not enough money. Don't serve because there is no time. You don't love your neighbor because you haven't taken the time to meet your neighbor and you have no idea what their needs might be. And in essence, when we, the Body of Christ, do these things aren't we telling Him, "it's all about me, God."

I'd love to hang a sign on campus that says, "IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU."

Because it's not.

1,000 gifts list 743-753

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Ann's book, One Thousand Gifts, and she writes about combating emotions in like stress and anger with the emotion of grattitude. Up until now I've never done that. I've simply gone through my day looking for His graces during the good times. I laugh in wonder now, have I been missing the point the whole time? Of course I can see his gifts when I am happy, laid back, relaxed, ready to look. But when I'm angry, upset, anxious, or stressed? Does that mean that God's gifts are now gone? Of course not!
So as I've gone through these past couple of days and I'm starting to feel any of those emotions I stop, wrack my brain, and say...

Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Thank you for...
743) memory work laminated and on a metal ring
744) wet erase markers that don't stain lamination
745) hide-and-go-seek in the house and sqeals of laughter
746) socked feet slipping and sliding on hard wood flors
747) sitting close to him to keep warm while eating outside on a January night
748) Mario's eyes wide with adoration for sweet boyfriend
749) secret valentines at work
750) prayers whispered in the dark
751) automatic candles that are programmed to come on every night and flicker in the dark
752) shoes piled high in entry way of Cindy's house for Friday night Bible study
753) words gobbled down and then available to re-read and savor

"Eucharist [thanksgiving] is the state of the perfect man. Eucharist is the life of paradise. Eucharist is the only full and real response of man to God's creation, redemption, and gift of heaven." Alexander Schmemann

because sometimes the world is most beautiful in black and white

2011-01-22T01:06:00.000-08:00

My Review

2011-01-20T23:17:00.001-08:00

Originally submitted at DaySpring

Beautiful!

By Daughter of the King from Arcadia, CA on 1/20/2011

I have been a long time reader of Ann's blog and knew this book would be amazing. I had read a lot of reviews on amazon and was almost wishing that I hadn't, not because the reviews weren't good but because they were all WONDERFUL. I was so afraid that I would get my hopes up, read the book, and then be disapointed. I am halfway through and I have been sucked in. Ann's writing is poignant and touching.

I have ordered two additional copies of the book to give away as gifts. I will continue to order this beautiful hard cover book to bless those I love.

This book will suck you in, make you feel as though you are listening to an old friend talking to you over a cup of tea, and challenge you to seek God in everything from grated cheese to soap bubbles.

Buy this book, but make sure to order two because you aren't going to want to lend out or give away your copy!

(legalese)

WFMW: American Science and Surplus

2011-01-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

Do you like bottles and boxes and weird little items? I do!

I recently came across this website that sells a surplus of items such as these glass bottles.

Or how about some corks?

Add caption

Everyone needs a pencil nose sharpner!

I think those glass bottles would be great for gifting home made bath salts, ect. Corks, who doesn't like corks? And I'm sure kids would get a kick out of those pencil sharpners. This website really does have a surplus of EVERYTHING and even if you don't buy anything the writers are QUITE witty. I spent one day just reading the descriptions of everything.

So, head on over to American Science and Surplus and check it out!

1,000 gifts list 716-726

2011-01-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Seven hundred and thirty seven gifts. That is what I have recorded so far. And seven hundred and thirty seven gifts later, I am still blown away. This practice of soaking in, looking, waiting, eagerly anticipating, what is to come has made me more aware and alive then I ever thought possible. It is those quiet, unexpected moments, that captivate you, make you stop and stand still and I regret not starting this practice sooner, regret all those gifts that I wasted, un noticed, flown by, never able to fully appreciate. But that was then and this now and I am trying to force my eyes open, to take a deep breath and look around and truly see what is before and around me, His love continously pouring over me. And the graces continue...

716) acorns and acron hats
717) co worker you really, truley, enjoy
718) first four verses of Colossians- almost memorized!
719) tech savy boyfriends
720) thick interfacing
721) fabric sales
722) flint and steel and tinder and a brother who loves those things
723) Jared on the piano and Jason on the guitar
724) bonfires in the back yard
725) very imperfect trial run of a sewing project- lessons learned
726) sparking apple cider in single serving sized bottles

"People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea,

at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular
motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering... Now, let us
acknowledge the wonder of our physical incarnation— that we are here, in these
particular bodies, at this particular time, in these particular circumstances.
May we never take for granted the gift of our individuality."
— Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

modern day slavery

2011-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

I posted last week about Peter and slavery and how, through teaching my little class of 2nd and 3rd graders, I wanted to plant a seed in them that abhorred injustice. My prayer is that that seed will grow and that once they are older will learn to fight for those without a voice. Because slavery still happens.

Yesterday, after class, one of the mom's approached me. She said that her daughter was horrified by slavery and kept telling her mom, "I would never want to be a slave mom, never." So the mom, being the true teacher that she is, used that as an opportunity to explain to her child that slavery still exists. That people are still bought and sold and mistreated.

I came home and found a list of resources for the mom that she and her family might like to know about. And perhaps you would, too?

Invisible Children is dedicated to helping end the longest running war in Africa. Joseph Kony is a rebel army leader who abducts children and forces the boys to become child soldiers and uses the young girls for their bodies. This is an incredible organization, founded by 4 college age guys who went to Uganda, saw a need, and is doing something to fix it.

Love146 is an amazing organization dedicated to stop child trafficking. They have a heart breakingingly informative website about the evils of child sex slaves, how these little girls are displayed, sold, bought, used.

World Vision is tackling each of these issues, child soldiers, child sex tourism, child trafficking, and child labor.

Free the Slaves is an organization that partners with countless people across the globe to end slavery everywhere.

We are responsible for our knowledge. We are called to love mercy and to act justly. We are called to defend the orphans and widows, relieve the oppressed. If christians around the world took this call seriously and cared for widows, single mothers, and orphans abroad how many children would be saved from the trap of traffickers who promise them good jobs and education but then steal them away into slavery? If christians around the world took the call seriously to relieve the oppressed, how quickly would we be able to break into brothels and markets that list children on menus as though they are a meal to be bought and free them?

Slavery is still happening. It is real. And it is around us everywhere.

WFMW: OneNote

2011-01-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

Do ya'll know about Microsoft OneNote? My guess is that if you have a newer computer you have it. I didn't know I had it until my friend told me about it.

So...what is it? It's like word in the sense that you can type notes onto it but you can click anywhere on the screen and just start typing. You can also click and drag and arrange things and create tables. It's very, very user friendly.

It's also an organizer of sorts. My version is the 2007 version and the tabs are divided into two sections "work notebook" and "personal notebook". For instance, under the personal notebook there are tabs that say things like, "travel" and when you click on that it has pre-set tabs named "lodging", "transportation", "sightseeing", "Destination B", ect. You can also add tabs, delete them, whatever you want. Other main tabs included are "recipes", "books, movies, and music", "shopping" ect.

Here is the link from microsoft with details about OneNote .

How about you? Do you use OneNote? What do you use it for? Any good tips to share?

WILMM: He is good

2011-01-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Why I love my man reason #19

Upon our return from Arkansas my mom told me that she thought my boyfriend was "a keeper."

I'm inclined to agree. :)

1,000 gifts list 705-715

2011-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Only in January, in California, can my list contain images of snow covered mountains and fall leaves... I suppose there are some simple joys of living here after all :)

705) pink snow covered mountains from setting sun
706) heart shaped crimson leaf
707) cute dollar notecards
708) new faces at smallgroup
709) nachos
710) thick, creamy, lotion
711) good home made carmel recipe
712) trip planning
713) cute, free, tutorials
714) three day weekend and fun things planned
715) sweet boyfring taking care of me when I'm sick

"I thank God for this day,

For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad,
For my piece of apple pie!

For our home on the ground
For His love that's all around
That's why I say thanks everyday!
Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have,
That's an easy way to start!

For the love that He shares,
'Cuz He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks everyday!" - Annie from the Veggie Tales movie "Madame Blueberry"

Peter

2011-01-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

I have the honor and pleasure of teaching a home-school co-op class every Thursday. We are studying history and literature through the use of the American Girls Books (an excellent historical fiction series!). We are currently focused on "Addy Learns a Lesson", the story of a runaway slave and her new life in Philadelphia.

I like to show a lot of pictures of when I am teaching. I think it makes things more real for those of us who have not lived through certain time periods. We focus on similarities we can find and compare and contrast the differences. As I was preparing for the upcoming classes I will be teaching on this very ugly period of American history I stumbled upon an image.

As I was looking at this picture I was thinking about how this would be a good way show them what being whipped was like. The scars that were left, give them an idea of the very real pain that was inflicted upon one human being from another.

Then my eye caught this description, "Slave named Peter, revealing horrendous scars on his back from whippings. "Overseer Artayou Carrier whipped me. I was 2 mos. in bed sore from the whipping. My master come after I was whipped; he discharged the overseer," spoken by Peter as he sat for pi.pi. c" (source)

And it hit me. Peter. This man had a name. His name was Peter. Here I was preparing a lesson to teach my girls that slaves were people and to open their eyes to some of the atrocities that took place towards other human beings on American soil. And yet I was the one looking at a picture of a man and not seeing the man. Not seeing the very real person that he was.

I teach a mixture of third and fourth graders. I showed this picture to them because I think it's important that they know that slavery was real. It made them uncomfortable. I'm glad. Slavery was rea. It was hard. It affected people. It tore families apart, caused an insurmountable of pain and devestation, changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Human beings created in the image of God. Treated like animals. Insufficient ammounts of food, clothing, shelter, respect, rest, medicine.

Slavery is not dead. I want those girls in my class to be shaken up, I want them to take these lessons and as they grow I want them to learn about the humans that are today being taken as slaves and I want them to care. I want them to learn about organizations like Love146 that battles against the child sex trafficking. I want them to learn about the hundreds of children that are being stolen from thier homes in Africa and forced to become child slave soldiers. I want them to partner with Invisible Children. I want to capture that childhood innocence of knowing when things just aren't right before they grow up and become calloused. And while I don't think explaining child sex trafficking is appropriate for third and fourth graders I do hope that by instilling in them a strong sense of injustice for those who are oppressed now, even if just over the course of a couple of weeks, a seed will be planted that will continue to grow as they grow.

I can't do anything to help Peter. But my knowledge of him can help me to take action for those living in the here and now. Peter should have never of had to have endured what he did. Neither should anyone else who is enslaved. I am glad that that picture was taken. I'm glad that someone understood the importance of documenting what happened. I am also glad that whoever took the picture had the forsight to have Peter turn towards the camera. There is a face to go with the wounds. One that I will not be forgetting anytime soon.

full of earth

2011-01-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

Because sometimes a song is the only way to express how you feel.

WFMW: books on tape

2011-01-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

Today's edition of Works for me Wednesday is a "doesn't work for me Wednesday!" So, here you go. Books on tape do NOT work for me. I know people who ADORE them but I can't stand them. Something about the pace of having to listen to someone else read outloud when I know I could be reading it faster drives me insane.

HOWEVER, audio dramatiazations of books, such as the audio dramatazation of the The Chronicles of Narnia done by Focus on the Family, I immensly enjoy. I also highly recommend that series. While I was in Arkansas this past month visiting my family we went to a Christian discount store and I was able to pick up the dramatization of Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, A Horse and His Boy, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle for a whopping four bucks apiece. SCORE! :) It looks like Amazon has the radio theatre productions for pretty cheap as well, although as I was finding all of the ones I just listened the prices vary between 5 and 10 dollars. I need to get The Magican's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to complete my set.

We listened to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on our four hour journey from my Grandpa's house to my friend Marlene's, it was the perfect ammount of time and the book was wonderfully executed. They do not say that they are unabridged however my boyfriend, my mom, nor I could find anything that they had left out. The voices for the characters, the sounds, everything was really nice.

What doesn't work for you? How do you feel about books on tape? How do you feel about radio dramatazations? Let me know!

1,000 gifts list 684-694

2011-01-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

A new year, a new day, new graces. It's a beautiful thing to know that His mercies are new every morning. I am looking forward this year to continuing on this journey, eyes open and aware of the love he lavishes on me daily. Just some of the few gifts that were poured out upon me during this holiday season...

684) cami's with lace
685) possible snow on Christmas!
686) mom coming to Arkansas with us
687) crackling of a good fire
688)Grandpa and his wheel of fortune comments
689) seeing something I know I can re-create cheaply
690) Jason and "second dinners"
691) lots of iced tea
692) blue wintery Arkansas sky
693) drip drip drip of rain
694) blankets piled high on my bed

Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness

is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.
Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.
John Henry Jowett (1864-1923)

2011

2010-12-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

The dawning of a New Year is just hours away. 2010 has been a blur for me. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

As I reflect upon the last year a few things stand out to me. My passion for Africa was sparked, I sponsored my first Compassion child. I'll never forget the day I was looking at her family's information and I read that her family lives on roughly 25 dollars a month. A month. I am so rich and I forget that so easily.

I went to Ireland in April...it seems such a very long time ago now. A very neat exerience, even if the volcano tried to keep us there longer than we were supposed to! A wonderful time spent with Shannon, one that I will not quickly forget.

I participated in two weddings, Thom and Marlene's in March and Elizabeth and Ian's in June. The joining of two people into a beautiful partnership. I am so glad to have been able to share in their joy. A christian wedding is the best event...it really embodies the verse that says, "taste and see that the Lord is good."

My sweet boyfriend and I shared our third year anniversary of dating in May. I went camping with my church over Memorial Day as I always do. My boyfriend and I always take a night to go out to eat alone at a particular resteraunt and I remember the drive back to our campsite...how the hills were bathed in pale golden sunlight on my left and how the ocean sparkled with the setting sun on my right.

I continued my list of 1,000 gifts, being more faithful in writing them down in my little journal than posting here online. I love the way it has opened my eyes, made me aware of beauty, aware of HIM and how very much He loves me. I'm just shy of 700 and it amazes me that even though I have written down almost 700 gifts I know exactly what it was that I had written about when I re-read them. I am eagerly anticipating Ann's book, One Thousand Gifts, which will be released in January.

Completed my first quarter at a four year school. I ended my quarter with good grades and just a little more confidence than when I first went in. Just the push I needed to know that I can do it. One step closer to being done with school, one step closer to being able to become a wife.

Through all the highs there were the lows. The biggest being the loss of my sweet boyfriend's wonderful Great Grandma. A beautiful and kind woman who was gentle and caring. She had the best stories of growing up in the early 1900s and had a mind as sharp as a tack. When you're in your 90's and you fall and break your hip time is not usually on your side. Her presence is dearly missed. I am thankful that my boyfriend and I were able to spend the time with her that we could. We will see her again in heaven, she is with her Jesus and the love of her life. It is still hard though.

My second loss this year was the moving of my sweet friend Marlene to Arkansas. I was able to spend some much needed time with her at Christmas and after and it was a great blessing. I miss our time together, being able to just drop by and talk to her. Her kids are growing up and I miss not being able to share in their milestones. Our visit was beautiful and I know that we will continue to stay close, no matter what the distance.

Only God knows what 2011 will hold for my life. Highs, I am sure, but lows as well. It is during those highs and lows where I will make the conscious decision of how I choose to respond to God in each situation. I am striving to be pleasing to Him and each new day, hour, minute, is the chance to seek Him, draw closer, love more, live more fully. And that is my prayer for 2011, that I will be an active participant in my own life, not an observer from the side lines.

Arkansas!

2010-12-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

My trip here to the Ozarks is coming to a close and at one o'clock tomorrow I'll be boarding a plane headed for home.

It's been a nice, but difficult, trip. I'm so glad my sweet boyfriend got to meet my Great Grandma, but again, I struggled with the changes occuring in what I will always view my Grandma's house. My mom ended up coming with me as a surprise to everyone here, she too wanted to see my Great Grandma before it was to late, and she was a great source of comfort. I'm really glad she came.

Despite the changes inside the house the yard was full of cardinals, nut hatchers, chickadees, and wood peckers as always. We went walking several days and saw an armadillo more than once! A first in all the years I have come to Arkansas. Not exceptionally bright animals from what I have gathered but they have the cutest little faces!

There is something about this state, all the trees and wide expanse that has remained untouched that does my soul good. It is so refreshing to drive for hours on a long country highway with only trees and a couple of houses and cattle scattered about. My sweet boyfriend can't stand the cold...but I could very easily see myself settled in a rural state like this.

I am currently at my girlfriend's house enjoying her and her sweet babies. It's so nice to just sit and visit. She moved in April of last year and her presence has been sorely missed in my life. We've got lots of plans for today, sugar cookies with the kids, library visit, going to a hobby lobby (cause we don't have those in California!) and then preparing a delicious meal of beef pot roast, potatoes, veggies, salad, cornbread, and shortbread for dessert. Lots of laughing, picture taking, and catching up going on. :) It will end to soon but I know that I'll be back and she'll be coming to California to visit.

My girlfriend and her family came up to my Grandpa's on Christmas Eve and stayed and then left until the 26th. It was fun to see the excitment of a little one on Christmas morning break up the monotony of all the older folks. We got some flurries of snow but nothing that stuck.

I'm going to go enjoy the time I have left with my girlfiend and her sweet babies. One o'clock tomorrow will be here before I know it...back to home and work and school and life begins to pick up again.

One Solitary Life

2010-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

"Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of those things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself….

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed on a cross between two thieves. While he was dying his executors gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth - His coat. When he was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever were built, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life."
- Excerted from the book "One Solitary Life"

shag!

2010-11-22T00:49:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around on blogger and noticed that there is a "stats" tab. It allows you to see how many people have visited your blog in the last day/week/month/year. It also shows you what search words people have put into search engines that directed them to your blog.

I just have to say that the fact that someone searched "shag the were squirrel" and was directed to my blog made my day. :)

And if you haven't heard that book on tape, it is a MUST. My family used to listen to it when I was little whenever we went on a camping trip. Classic!!

*UPDATE* I have now scoured the internet for the wonderful book on tape about Farmer Johnson's lead hunting dog that got bit by SHAG the weresquirrel and then became a weressquirrel himself and started to hoard cabbages, because they were the perfect shape, round, like nuts and to NO availe! It's as though the book never existed before! So depressing!!!

**UPDATE** My mom still has our book on tape! The name of the books is "The Curse of the Squirrel" a stepping stones book by Laurence Yep

out of the mouth of babes

2010-11-21T18:34:00.001-08:00

This is so worth the watch...this little girl knows her stuff!

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

WILMM: salt

2010-11-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

Why I love my man reason #18

A week ago today my sweet boyfriend stopped off at the grocery store to buy me some salt. Actually he stopped off at SIX grocery stores to buy me salt. I had a presentation at school on the salinity of ocean water (the reason why it's salty) and I wanted to do an experiement that involved dissolving salt in water. Normal salt makes the water cloudy, so I needed pickling salt. My sweet boyfriend offered to stop at the store and look for me on his way home. I had no idea he would go to six different stores to look for me!

He couldn't find it. Apparently pickling salt isn't a bigger seller in southern California. Who would have thought?

He bought me sea salt, with no added iodine and it worked perfectly. His willingness to take initiative and ask me if I would like him to stop at the store, and his perserverance that went above and beyond touched my heart.

And my presentation?

I got the first perfect score of the class. :)

changes

2010-11-13T02:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I signed in to write a little bit because I felt like writing and found out that my layout had been destroyed. I am bit out of sorts having my background changed...I suppose someone who's home has been robbed would have a similar (but much stronger) feeling.

I'm not completly happy with this new look but I am hoping that the wonderful blog I got my last template from is just under maintence and will be back soon.

Well...it is now 2:30 in the morning. So I suppose instead of actually writing I'll head off to bed. :( Here's to hoping my blog doesn't do anything crazy while I'm away!

fall is here!

2010-10-05T06:09:00.001-07:00

I'm a southern California girl. And, a city girl at that. I love fall, but often times it seems as though my sunshiny state just skips right over it. Few of our trees flame with brillance and our weather can be fickle. But this fall, it's actually fall.

Apples growing on a neighborhood tree. :) A silent harvest unseen by most. I was simply fortunate enough to notice it as I walked by.

Rows of corn stalks growing high at a farm a couple of hours from my house. This city girl's heart loves to wander in fields of corn and marvels at the straight rows and laden stalks.

Pumpkin on the vine! I'm used to seeing pumpkins stacked up at the grocery store, but to see it still laying in it's bed of dirt, still attatched to the mama plant, so neat!

1000 gifts list 589-599

2010-10-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

589) house full of family visiting

590) picture coming out better than expected

591) pumpkins on the vine

592) corn stalks high

593) weather finally cooling off

594) him in his sweatshirt

595) getting to share an exciting new time with Shan

596) almost time to add a new blanket to my bed

597) Christmas present ideas

598) sitting close to him and feeling his body shake with laughter

599) talking to Lizbeth on the phone for over an hour

From David learn to give thanks for everything. Every furrow in the book of Psalms is sown with the seeds of thanksgiving. -Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667)

1,000 gifts list 547-556

2010-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

547) history alive and real and fun

548) nivea chapstick

549) sharp, new razor

550) hot water for showers

551) playing skip bo with sweet boyfriend

552) Buddy sleeping with me through the night

553) smell of the tent trailor

554) Grandpa calling to say he'll be here tomorrow!

555) everything dusted, vaccumed, swept, and mopped

556) mom's appreciative and kind words

"People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea,

at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular

motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering... Now, let us

acknowledge the wonder of our physical incarnation— that we are here, in these

particular bodies, at this particular time, in these particular circumstances.

May we never take for granted the gift of our individuality."

— Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

Africa

2010-09-18T01:39:00.000-07:00

If you had come up to me and told me a couple of years ago that I would have a desire to go to Africa I would have laughed at you.

I have a desire to go to Africa.

My interest in Africa started when I learned about Invisible Children and the fact that thousands of African children are abducted from their homes and forced to become child soldiers by the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). This army that uses these young boys as cannon fodder is lead by Joseph Kony, an evil man who claims that God wants him to do this.

Then I watched Hotel Rwanda. A movie based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina who takes action during the Rwandad Genocide, a civil war that breaks out because of labels that Dutch had assigned to the people of Rwanda when they used to rule their country. They categorized the people into two groups, tutsi and hutu. When they left they left the power to the tutsi and and this continued for several generations. Many of the hutu wanted power and one day, when over the radio, they were instructed to take up their machetes and murder thier neighbors, their friends, their co-workers who were of tutsi blood, they did. This happened in 1994.

My interest for Africa was further pushed when I became aware of Katie, a young woman exactly my age, who left home and family to move to Uganda to feed, love, and educate children in slums, or just completly in poverty. She is an adopted mommy to fourteen Ugandan girls. Fourteen girls that she feeds, clothes, and bathes. Fourteen girls that she prays over, puts band aids on, and disciplines. It is not a joke, it is her life. Along with helping children her ministry, Amazima Ministries helps Ugandad women to make necklace and sell them to an American company. That company, 147 Million Orphans, then sells the necklaces and sends half of the proceeds back to the women that made them. They're awesome necklaces, and I encourage anyone to buy one and support those women.

Then Kristen went to Africa with Compassion International abd blogged about sponsoring a child. God has spoken to Kristen and her husband and they are now in the process of opening up a home for pregnant girls in Africa. Won't you consider joining them as The Mercy House is launched and lives are transformed? Visit The Mercy Shop, each purchase makes a difference. My heart was touched by her stories and her photos, and doesn't the Bible say to much is given, much is required?

So my next step in the Africa journey was taken. I sponsered a little girl, her name is Dorcas. Her birthday is coming up on October 15th. She lives in Kenya with her parents and siblings. I have never met her, but I love her, and it is our God that can knit the souls of two people together who are worlds apart and our God that can take a couple of hours of baby-sitting money a month to change a life.

Now I wait. I wait to see what God will place in my life, where I go from here. I desire to go to Africa. I don't know if this is a God driven desire or an Elizabeth desire. Maybe it's both. My church goes to Kenya each summer. We will see what happens them. For now, I'm going to sit tight and enjoy the ride.

who I am today

2010-09-09T00:28:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, Shannon, is taking a class and for an assignment she had to write about ten exeperiences that have made her into the person that she is today.

So I started thinking. If I had to list ten experiences or reasons for who I am today, what would they be? This is my list in the best chronological order I can get it in.

1) My grandparents moving

My mom's parents moved to Arkansas when I was quite young. Befor they moved they had lived five minutes away from us and I had spent a lot of time at their house. The move was very sudden and it was hard for me to lose my grandparents to a place so far away.

2) becoming a christian

My chrsitianity makes me who I am. It is the reason I have the worldview that I have and I have no doubt that I would be a much different person without Christ in my life. I remember very vividly the night I was in bed reading a book and it described hell. It talked about how horrible and aweful it was and it was then that it hit me, "That's where I would go right now if I died." I had been raised in a christian home my whole life, had attended vacation Bible school, learned about God with my parents. But I hadn't made it real. I hadn't accepted Him as MY personal Lord and Savior. I was just trying to piggyback onto my parent's salvation. If I recall correctly I was eleven years old at the time. I remember kneeling at my bed and telling Jesus that I didn't want to go to hell. I didn't want to be seperated from Him and that I knew that I was a sinner. It was as though a burden had been lifted off my shoulders and I cried. I know that it is not an emotional thing for everyone and I truly believe that God knew that I am an emotional being and that I would doubt my salvation. I think I was given that experience so that it would be imprinted into my mind and that when doubts would come I would have such a strong memory of that experience that I would be able to overcome my doubt.

3) Wales

The summer before ninth grade my youth pastor approached me and told me that our church would be going on a mission trip to Wales. He said that our head pastor had come to him and asked him to pray about inviting some of the youth to come along. He prayed and invited five highschoolers, and I was one of them. I remember telling my dad excitidely that Justin wanted me to go to Wales and my dad told me that it was a lot of money. I think he just didn't want to see me get hurt. I told my dad if God wanted me to go He'd provide. And He did. And he continued to provide for the next 3 years. Even with a church change God provided a way for me to go and the money to go. I really have no other word to describe it than miraculous. I was able to see God move in amazing ways in Wales, my eyes were opened to the darkness that so many people are enshrouded in. I have a Welsh flag hanging on my wall still, and Wales holds a special place in my heart. I long to see a revival in a very spritually dead country.

4) Kathleen

Kathleen was the mother of a good friend I had in highschool. She was a beautiful woman inside and out and her passion for God was amazing. I learned so much about being a woman of God from just the couple of times I spent with her then I had in all my years of attending church. She lived out the verse, "pray without ceasing" and had such a joy and peace about her that I was instantly drawn to. She was compassionate but could be firm and had a deep love for God and her family.

5) My Grandma's death

In 2005 my Grandma Helen, the same one who had moved to Arkansas, was diagnosed with having stage five brain cancer. She died less than a year later on January 7th, 2006. Her death has been the hardest thing I have ever had to experience. I miss her more than words can say and am deeply saddened that she will never see me get married or have kids. I miss her hugs and her laugh and being able to spend time and talk with her.

6) SET 122

While I was at the junior college I attended I took a class, SET 122 (Special Education Technique). This class required 90 hours of volunteer time in a special education class. I went into it not knowing what to expect and came out of it with a heart for kids with special needs.

7) Jason

Jason is my sweet boyfriend who is the polar opposite of me. He is shy, I'm more outgoing. He's brillant with math, I can't understand any of it. When I'm upset he encourages me. When my temper flares he lovingly puts me in my place. While I was not dating him when my Grandma passed he has been there with me through the grieving process, holding me when I'm upset, telling me it's ok to cry, consoling me when my Grandpa re-married and gently telling me it wasn't ok for me to hate his new wife. He loves me and my family and he's generous and thoughtful. He has a strong sense of justice (even though he cheats while playing games and makes up rules...) and makes me laugh. He loves the Lord in a quiet, solid, way and will wake up at 4 in the morning on Thursday mornings to go to Men's Bible study. He is my better half.

8) J

After falling in love with special education after my 90 plus hours of volunteer work I applied to become a special education aide and got the job. There was a little boy in my class, who I will simply refer to as J, that stole my heart. He was difficult to manage but smart and I was assigned to be his one on one. Working with him has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It's also been one of the most rewarding.

9) Travis' birth

My sweet friend Marlene was pregnant with her second child and asked me if I would like to be persent during his birth. I stayed at the hospital through her labor and was blessed to experience the absolute miracle of birth. I don't think that anything else in the world can compare to seeing a new life for the first time or the look on mom and dad's face the first time they see their baby. It is somethign I will never, ever, forget and I am truley honored to have been able to be a part of it.

10) Lizbeth's wedding

One of my best friends since 6th grade was recently married to her college sweetheart. She and her husband are a wonderful example of a christian couple and I strive to be like them. I was honored when she asked me to be her maid of honor and I strive to a friend worthy of that title. She is the very first of my group of friend's to have gotten married and I cried when she told me she was engaged. I was so worried about losing her but my fears were completly unfounded. I will never forget the intense highs and lows I felt during her wedding planning and actual wedding.

So, what about you? What ten things have shaped you to make you who you are?

WILMM: my biggest supporter

2010-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Why I love my man reason #17

My sweet boyfriend is my biggest supporter.

No matter what I'm going through he is there, backing me up, encouring me and loving me. It could be taking a class, fights with my parents, worrying about how we're going to split time between our families, anything.

One of my best friend's got married this past June and the pastor was talking about how once you are married it is you and your spouse against the world. Not that you are looking for confrontation or confliction but simply that once you're married it's about the two of you. We have been dating for a little over three years now and when I heard that I thought to myself, "Can we be like that? Us against the world?" Yes. I think we can. And I think already we have had to start becoming like that.

Being in a relationship is tricky. Especially for things like holidays. Having to share between two immediate families (I don't even want to count the extended family) can be difficult. So I'm glad that he's my biggest supporter. That he's willing to take my hand and insinuate, "hey babe, it's me and you against the world." That feeling of always having someone on your side...it's invaluable.

when your heart is grieving

2010-08-23T01:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life hits you like a ten pound bag of bricks. And sometimes it is the simplest of things that brings up the strongest of emotions.

I mentioned to my sweet boyfriend that I wanted us to go visit my Grandpa in Arkansas this Christmas. My great Grandma lives with him and he has yet to meet her and as each day passes I am reminded that time slips through fingers like sand and each day is a new grace and you just never know what a day will hold. And I long for the man I love to meet this wonderful woman I love.

We don't even have real dates yet, just tossed around talked about dates, not a sure trip. And I'm sitting on my bed with the comforter she made me and it hits me. The one I love will never meet the Grandma I was closest to. And suddenly a trip for my sweet boyfriend to meet the mother of my favorite Grandma hits home and tears fall hot and heavy and I grieve the time that was lost and the time to be that will never be shared with her.

I think of giving my sweet boyfriend a tour of the house, her house, that is no longer hers but now my Grandpa's new wife's. And my Grandpa's new wife is nice and kind but she is not my Grandma and each change of the house is a vicious stab at my heart that reminds me that she is no longer here, that this is no longer her house. And my mind wanders through the rooms of the house that she loved and I remember painfully each detail of each room that is no longer as it used to be and tears fall faster and I wonder what else has changed in the time since I have last gone. I wonder if I will ever be able to manage a trip to that house alone.

And I suppose that when your heart is grieving afresh a loss that is old that that is when Abba Father is wrapping His arms around you tightest and there is no need to explain because He understands and sometimes a good cry is all you need. And grieving is a messy process, not clear and laid out like I would like, but something that can hit you after nothing has phased you for months. And it can be as simple as seeing a cookie jar shaped like a rooster or making your first quilt and realizing your Grandma would have been so proud of you.

And I am thankful. Thankful for tears that wash relief and thankful for memories that, while painful at times, bring more joy than pain and thankful that I was able to make those memories. Thankful that my Grandma is with Jesus and thankful that one day I will be there too. Thankful that my Great Grandma is still here and praying that my sweet boyfriend will be able to meet her. Thankful that each day is new, that He is good, that His grace endures. Thankful for love and for family and for ties that bind, for a cross and three nails, for blood spilled, for bodies healed from cancer and the hope of the future. Thankful for a boyfriend who will wrap his arms around me and let me cry, thankful that he does not try to rationalize it, doesn't tell me it will get better but just lets me cry. Thankful that my Heavenly Father is wrapping His arms around my Grandma and that His plans are always greater than our own and that those plans are of peace and hope and that the same God who is holding my Grandma is holding me.

1,000 gifts list 494-502

2010-08-16T01:32:00.000-07:00

494) all my quilt stuff baught!

495) raspberries blown on legs and laughter that follows

496) wisdom of 4 year olds

497) songs sung in Italian

498) advil working on headaches

499) baby talking in his sleep

500) halfway to 1,000!

501) buzz of cicadas on a hot August day

502) Wal Mart ice cream

Gratitude is a living reality. A seeker has to know that his most powerful capacity is gratitude. What God has is infinite Compassion and what we have is gratitude. God's gift to man is infinite Compassion and our gift to God is an iota of gratitude to be placed at His Feet. Gratitude-power can never be surpassed. It is the only satisfaction we can offer God. This is not because God needs our gratitude but because He needs ample opportunity to enter into us in a more effective way, and gratitude increases our heart's receptivity.

(From A God-Lover's Earth-Heaven Life )

blissful summer nights

2010-07-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I've written. And not because I haven't wanted to, but because I've been exhausted. The month of July for me is a crazy one, between house-sitting and working at a day camp that lasts ALL day, and baby-sitting the only thing I want to do at the end of the day is fall into bed.

July is coming to an end and I have only one more week of camp. Sad but nice all at the same time. I've finally gotten into the groove enough so that I can go do things on the weekend and yesterday night was a beautiful night.

My sweet boyfriend, good friend, and I went to a local out door concert. It's held at our local arboretum (that I am in love with) and is a full orchestra. Being the ~~frugal~~ tightwad that I am we bought the cheapest tickets available which means "bring your own blanket and fight the hoards of other tight wads who are coming". So we did. :) And it was FANTASTIC.

This may sound funny, but my favorite part is the fact that we were on the ground and could lay down. There is nothing so lovely as laying next to the one you love under a canopy of trees and stars and listening and FEELING music from an orchestra. I do believe that angels will play cellos in heaven. I love the relaxed atmosphere and the ability to soak up the music without having to wear uncomfortable clothes or sittting rim-rod straight in an uncomfortable chair for two and a half hours.

And, as for the cello...don't you think angels will play them in heaven!?

Blog Biography number 2- preschool and kinder years

2010-06-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Preschool/Kindergarden years

Preschool seems to be defined as "3 and 4 year olds." When I was almost three my litle brother was born. He was born on Easter. I have no recollection of visiting them in the hospital but my mom says that I ate her mint chocolate chip ice cream.

When I was four I went to a "Special 4's class". The only thing I remember doing there was making an alphabet book and that when the teacher asked what "O" stood for I proudly said, "Oprah!" and she laughed.

I made an, "About Me" book in that class and it's pretty fun to look at still. We all laughed when we looked at the picture I had drawn of my family because first of all everyone was an "x" body with a floating head. Everyone was smiling except my mom, who was without a doubt frowning.Being a teacher's aide now I would definatly wonder why any of my kids would draw their mom that way. My dog, cocoa, also looked like a flying tooth. I sucked at drawing, still do. According to my book my favorite color was red, yet the cover of my book was purple and it was tied together with pink yarn, colors I remember being absoulte favorites. My favorite food was ice cream, I was 3 feet 8 inches tall, and weighed thirty nine pounds.

I spent lots of time with my grandparents, who lived a mere 5 minutes away. They were a big part of my life growing up and I had/have a very special relationship with them.

My mom and dad decided to homschool us so I never went to a traditional pre-school. However, my kept me busy and by the end of preschool I was learning to read. I don't remember much else but I do have vague memories of learning what each letter said and how many different sounds they had.

I know that our family wen to church every week but again, I don't have any specific memories. My real memories start when I am around 6 and after my youngest brother was born.

I have some silly memories of things like my parents declaring that it was time to, "put us away" and having my dad hang me in the coat closed by the back of my shirt. I'm not quite sure how he did it without it choking me but I do remember being terrified as the door closed and it got very dark and I also remember my parents laughing.

I also remember my dad tossing me into bed and then "tucking me in." He would lift the entire mattress and tuck the sheets in real tight and I remember not being able to move and loving it.

I remember my mom letting us make "magic pudding" on Saint Patrick's Day. She got pistachio pudding and put the powder in a tuperware bowl. Without the milk the powder looks white. She then added the milk and had us shake the bowl and it "magically" turned green. That is a very vivid memory.

I know I was a chatter bug, my parents said I never shut up. My mom says that every though that passed through my head came out of my mouth and that I drove them nuts often times. Other than that I don't have very many memories of being that age.

Next week: Age six/first grade

WFMW: microwaveable bakers chocolate

2010-06-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

I love chocolate. I also love things dipped in chocolate. With strawberries in season chocolate covered strawberries are a must.

For those people that are real cooks, or have the time to do it, you buy baking chocolate and use a double boiler to melt your chocolate.

For the rest of us who want fast, no-burn, easy clean up you can use Baker's Dipping chocolate.

This stuff is awesome. I buy mine at Albertson's in the baking aisle. You heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, usually another 15 seconds and the chocolate is ready to go. I put my dipped stuff on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, throw it in the fridge for a couple of minutes and it's ready. SO easy. And TASTY. I've used other microwaveable dipping chocolate but none of them taste as good as this. This works for me!

Check out Works for Me Wednesday for more tips!

Blog biography number 1

2010-06-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Janna published a post on Works For Me Wednesday a while ago stating that she wanted to do an autobiography of sorts for the next 15 weeks starting today. I love this idea because I am big into history and recording and fun little facts and stuff.

Today's first topic is: Details about my birth/how I got my name.

SO...

I was born on a rainy Wednesday evening in April. The firstborn of my parents three kids. My mom is a tough cookie and didn't want any unnecassray medicine used while I was being born. The nurse on duty wanted to put an internal fetal moniter on me (a little device they screw into baby's head to moniter the heart rate). My mom asked the nurse if I was in distress and when she responded that no, I wasn't, my mom told her she wasn't going to stick anything into my head. The nurse then wrote "Uncooperative" in large letters across the top of my mom's chart. :)

As my mom was being defiant my dad was fighting the flu. He didn't want to tell the doctors he was sick because he was afraid they wouldn't let him be in the room for my birth. So, in between the doctors and nurses comings and goings my dad took swigs of pepto bismol out of the bottle he had in the pocket of his shirt.

My mom gave birth to me after over 24 hours of labor (sorry mom!). I was born not breathing so they rushed me out of the room and didn't allow my mom or dad to hold me. The staff must not have been very good because they didn't tell my parents where they had taken me and no one ever came back to reassure them that I was ok. So I guess about an hour later my mom informed my dad the he needed to go find her baby.

I turned out to be ok (obviously!) and I was named Elizabeth. My mom said that she knew I would be a girl, although the doctors never told them what I was. My parents really liked the name Sarah but my last name has s's in it and it just didn't flow very smoothly. Elizabeth is my maternal great grandmother's middle name. My mom really wanted me to be called Beth but that never ended up happening.

June 17th: pre-school/kindergarden years

WFMW: sun tea

2010-06-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

It's just not summer for me unless we've made some sun tea. This is something that I remember my Grandpa doing ALL the time when I was little. There's just something about putting out water and tea bags and bringing in a hot glass jar full of lots of tea!

How to do it:

Step 1: Get a clear, glass, drink dispenser (or jar)

step 2: fill it with water

step 3: place 4-5 tea bags in the jar, screw on the lid

step 4: leave it in the hot sun for a couple of hours to steep (usually 2 hours is the min.)

step 5: bring it in, remove the teabags and dispense in a glass full of ice. For those of you who like to ruin your tea, you can always add sugar!

step 6: ENJOY!

What about you? What drink screams "SUMMER!" for you and your family?

Storytime by Nathan Greene

2010-06-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

I work in a school. I love it. So when I saw this picture it touched my heart.
Nathan Greene is the fantastic artist.

You hold me

2010-06-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

This is the song I want played at my memorial service.

WILMM: constant reassurance

2010-06-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

Why I love my man reason number #17

He joined my dad and left me for our annual Memorial Day weekend camping trip. I joined them on Friday once I g0t out of work.

When I got home from work on Wednesday I found a note on top of my laptop.

"I love you so much. I couldn't forget about you my love. I cannot wait to see you!"

I smile when I read his note, he knows me so well. "I couldn't forget about you my love." It is this phrase above all others, this simple seven word sentence, that causes me to smile.

I constantly wonder why he loves me. Why, out of all the people there are to choose from, he chose me. I have this ridicules fear that someday he is going to be walking about his normal daily routine and it's going to hit him. I'm not that great. I look at the other girls who are smarter, wittier, more charming, prettier, more carefree and I worry. Worry that one of them will steal his heart away and I will be forgotten.

While this is my first "official" boyfriend my heart has been hurt and wounded and it has taken time, lots of it, to begin to seal the cracks that were formed. This fear of the unknown, of being left without warning, is a repercussion of that. And sweet boyfriend, who knows my story of hurt and sorrow, is gently teaching me to trust again. Sweet, innocent, pure, trust. Without it a relationship is nothing.

Most days my head and my heart communicate brilliantly and I know that what I have found is true love, the kind that is a conscious decision. But sometimes, on those rare days, my heart betrays what my head knows and what three years of dating has been proven and I become anxious and worry about all of the horrible possibilities that are out there. Somehow he always seems to know when I am experiencing those days.

And so, on a day where I come home to an empty house and shed a tear because I miss his company and I know that it will be another two days before I truly get to spend quality time with him, that simple note stuck to my laptop makes me smile and gives me that extra reassurance I need.

I wonder if he will ever know how great of an impact that simple note had on me. I put the note in my drawer and smile. My head and my heart are again in agreement.

1,000 Gifts list 377-387

2010-06-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day is gone, and with that my vacation. Each year my family and a large number of people from our church go camping. It's a tradition that is more than 20 years old and that my family has been graciously allowed to join in on.

Carpinteria is a quaint little beach town near Santa Barbara. It has a main street with small shops on either side. Without fail there is a Farmer's Market on Thursday and a Flea Market on Saturday. It's the type of place that hardly changes, save maybe a store or two differing. It's a soul soothing place. We may only go once a year but things don't differ much from one year to the next. Carpinteria is something that we all count down to and eagerly await. Days of bike riding, beach lounging, game playing, and fellowship are what we look forward to.

On Sunday we are led from our campsite's to the little campground amphitheatre by Johannah playing Amazing Grace on the bag pipes. She plays and we file out of our campsites, the pied piper leading the rats, although unlike the rats we are led to the truth of everlasting life, not death. We all meet in the amphitheatre where we have Sunday Morning worship, the best kind, where it is simply a guitar and voices praising together. Then different families get up and do a short skit that either acts out a Bible story or conveys a Biblical truth. They read the verse or verses that pertain to their skit, (which are often hilarious) and then sit down. We end in a song of praise and more often than not we walk down to the beach where someone gets baptized. Indeed, my own little brother got baptized a couple of years ago. This year we did a baby dedication (the first one!) and prayed over members of our mission teams going to Zimbabwe and Peru (also a first!).

It was not a matter of finding the gifts tucked into the days, but having the time to jot them down one by one as they flowed in a continuous, endless, stream.

377) hills bathed in golden sunlight
378) listening to sweet boyfriend chatter away
379) warm bowls of pea soup
380) full moon rising over water
381) falling asleep to boyfriend's voice drifting from his tent
382) the way Carpinteria never changes drastically one year to the next
383) waiting for the grunion to run
384) Sunday morning church skits
385) Foster's Freeze tradition with old friends
386) church family gathered around campfire
387) listening to the waves in the dark

"Gratitude is a living reality. A seeker has to know that his most powerful capacity is gratitude. What God has is infinite Compassion and what we have is gratitude. God's gift to man is infinite Compassion and our gift to God is an iota of gratitude to be placed at His Feet. Gratitude-power can never be surpassed. It is the only satisfaction we can offer God. This is not because God needs our gratitude but because He needs ample opportunity to enter into us in a more effective way, and gratitude increases our heart's receptivity." -A God-Lover's Earth-Heaven Life

WFMW: aboratum and public garden locator

2010-05-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

I live in a city surrounded by cities. I'm a country girl at heart and love pretty scenery. However, to get that I have to go to a specific place. We have an aroboretum near my house that I love. You have to pay to go in but a year pass is $40.00. It's one of the best $40.00 I've ever spent.

I love going, especially during the spring because everything is in bloom.

Recently I discovered that Better Homes and Gardens has a local Garden and Arboretum locator. You can search for each state and even some parts of Canada. I found out that I have SEVEN gardens/arboretums within reasonable driving distance from me. 7! So, if I ever get bored with the arboretum I do go to I have plenty of options!

The arboretum and garden locator works for me! Check out Works for Me Wednesday for more tips!

1,000 gifts list 350-360

2010-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

350) Palmer style cursive

351) old typewriters

352) history

353) pajama days

354) planted flowers, still alive!

355) birthday pies

356) unread books

357) swollen, pregnant bellies

358) misty May mornings

359) mama and papa goose with little gooslings

360) boyfriend in jeans

"You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you." Sarah Ban Breathnach

WFMW: page protectors

2010-05-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

I like page protectors. I use them quite often.

When I'm in school I use a page protector to hold my class syllabus and any other imprtant pieces of paper for my class.

I've put pictures in page protectors so that I can put them on my bulliten board without punching holes on them.

We use them at work all the time as a make-shift white erase board. It works exceptionally well. We use it a lot for tracing, placing the sheet on the inside of the page protector and having the kids trace over the top. It works much better than laminating because for some reason the ink seems to stay in the lamination. It doesn't seem to stain the page protector.

I know people who print out their recipes and place them in sheet protectors in a binder. That way when they cook they don't have to worry about keeping the book open and they don't have to worry about their recipes being ruined.

So, tell me, what do you use page protectors for?

Check out more helpful tips at Works for Me Wednesday!

WFMW: watercolor pencils

2010-05-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

Our kids do art at school about once or twice a month. This month the teacher had them coloring a picture of poppies with colored pencils. The twist is that they are actually watercolor colored pencils. You use them just like you would a normal colored pencil, then you take a paintbrush, dip it in water and paint over the area. The water turns the colored pencil into paint! It's really quite neat.

We used the crayola version at school. I looked EVERYWHERE here and couldn't find them.

However, Michael's, or Hobby Lobby has their own version. I got 24 watercolor pencils for about five bucks. And, since they give out 40% and 50% off coupons that makes it pretty darn affordable.

I wouldn't suggest trying to do a background with them but for something detailed, like flowers, getting really nice detail is great. The pictures that our kids colored/painted were off Iclandic Poppies printed out in grayscale. She had them trace the lines with a regular black colored pencil and then color and shade with the water color pencils. It turned out looking REALLY nice.

Watercolor pencils work for me! Check out We Are THAT Family for more tips!

Seperate, assimilate, or infiltrate?

2010-05-11T00:40:00.000-07:00

This past Mother's Day our sermon at church was excellent. Not very motherly, however they did give a gift card to the mom with the most kids in each service, the winner at my service had eleven kids.

Our pastor talked about a christian's purpose in the world. He summed it up with three words.

1) separate

Christians are not to separate themselves from those who are not christians. We're not supposed to stand back and watch people live their life with our hands in front of us making an "x" and saying, "bad people! BAD!"

2) assimilate

Christians aren't supposed to assimilate to the worldly culture. He used the example of Daniel being taken to Babylon. Daniel was taken because he was smart and handsome. He had it all. He was told to eat food that he wasn't willing to, so he didn't. And God blessed him for it.

When he taken captive he was trained in magic, soothsaying, and astronomy (Daniel, Chapter 2). However, he didn't change his beliefs. He was steadfast. He KNEW that his God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the only true God. So when the king sent out to the decree to kill all the wise men Daniel asked him to wait. He got together with his buddies, they prayed about it, and God revealed to Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar's dream was, as well as the meaning. When Daniel went to the King he told him plain and simple,

"The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.

28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:

29 As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.

30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart."

Daniel was taken away from his home. His family, his community and support groups. He could have gone through his training and not stuck to what he knew what was true. But he didn't. He could have assimilated. He could have decided, "You know, I was taken captive, I'm never going to return home, I might as well just do what I have to do to make life easy on myself." But he didn't. He refused to assimilate.

So, if you don't separate and you don't assimilate what do you do? Exactly what Daniel did.

3) infiltrate

I realize that that sounds sort of sneaky and awful, infiltrate, as though we are sneaking in the enemy camp and learning all their secrets. That's not the mental picture that should be coming across. However, the idea of Christians being in the world not just in churches or Bible study is true. I’m not suggesting that we should live our life incognito, living as though we don’t know the Truth. I mean we should be a part of life. An awesome example that I can think of is Triple X church, a ministry that sets up a booth inside the porn conventions and passes out Bibles. They don’t stand outside screaming that the people involved in that lifestyle are going to hell. They get in there. They meet people. They are open and honest and upfront and gentle. A light shining on a hill. The salt of the earth. You can't be a light if there's no darkness. Community is vital to keeping your relationship with Christ healthy, but if all you ever do is hang out with christian people you're missing the point. Jesus came and hung out with the tax collectors, prostitutes, and *shudder* sinful people. He also called us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our goal is not to find people who aren't christians and wow them with our holy lifestyle. lifestyle according to God's standards, not the worlds, and hopefully, hopefully by doing that we will be a light. We're not going to win anyone to Christ by standing on a pedestal but if we are real people, with real love and care and concern (and yes, you can be loving without watering down the Truth) with real problems and difficulties, we can hope that instead of seeing us, people will see He who is within us.

It's a beautiful balance, to be able to infiltrate without being so stand-offish that we scare people off but strong enough to not assimilate. I know I'm not always there, but I'm working on it.

So what about you? How do you live your life? Do you separate, assimilate, or infiltrate?

What every teacher should have to do

2010-05-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

I work with kids with special needs. They have a special place in my heart. I may not be a teacher but I am an educator. It breaks my heart to see teachers, those who have invested their life in helping children, be unwilling to help kids with special needs.

Our class participates with the rest of the general ed classes during p.e. This week one of the p.e. activities was a game similar to hot potato. We were supposed to break the kids up into groups of four or five and we had that. The teacher that was in charge of the activity came over and wanted to add more kids to our group when we already had the largest group. We told her that we already had six kids and she pointed at one of our more severe students and said, "Yeah, but I'm not counting him. He has issues." Then she walked away!

I was flabbergasted. I could not believe that an adult, one in a prominent position, would point a child out in such a demeaning matter and in front of ALL the other kids. Yes, that little boy does have issues. But guess what, he's still a child. He is still a student. He MATTERS. He may not be able to do everything that the other kids do but that's why we as aides are there.

Another thing that I have noticed is that regular ed teachers like to separate our kids from the rest. Whenever we break into groups they like to keep our kids together instead of putting one child in with a group of regular ed kids. Doing this would serve two purposes, it would allow our kids to socialize and it allows regular education kids to interact with those with disabilities, making it less scary and foreign for both parties involved.

I really, truly, believe that before you can be certified to teach you should be required to spend time working in a classroom with kids who have special needs. I don't mean just a couple of hours. I mean a couple of weeks. Children with special needs are just like those that aren't; They are all different. You can have a class that has a child who has very slight learning disabilities working alongside a child that is non verbal.

I understand that working with children with special needs is a calling, however, just because you become a general education teacher does not mean that you will not be in contact with children who have special needs. You may be asked to have a child mainstream in your class. You may have a child in your class who has not been diagnosed.

No child, no matter how big their "issues" should be pointed out and told that they don't count, especially when it is a teacher doing the pointing. I truly believe that if more was taught about special education to all teachers that a) some people might find a new calling in life and b) our schools would improve because our teachers would have been educated about a population they might not always be in contact with.

Every child counts. And for those of us that work with those with disabilities, it is up to us to educate others so that children the world over will be accepted and values, disability or no disability.

WFMW: keeping cut flowers

2010-04-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-04-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

...see,

hear,

smell,

experience,

these things

and not believe?

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

2010-04-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-06T20:58:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-04-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-01T23:53:00.000-07:00

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.

WFMW: Edible Easter Tomb

2010-03-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

I love Easter. Indeed, it is the greatest day in all of Christian history. The day that death was overturned, sins were permantantly removed, the viel torn down joining the holy of holies with the rest of the temple. Jesus didn't just die- He ROSE again!!

One Sunday when I taught the preschoolers at church we had this AWESOME activity. We gave the kids little balls of dough, such as pillsbury biscuits in a can. We had them roll their dough into a "tomb". We then gave each child a small marshmellow and told them that we were going to pretend that the marshmellow was Jesus. We had the kids put "Jesus" in the "tomb" and then baked the tombs for a couple of minutes. When the biscuits were done cooking we gave each kid their "tomb" back and had them crack it open to find Jesus. The heat melts the marshmellows so when the kids broke open the dough it was empty. We then used that time to explain how even though Jesus was put in the tomb He didn't stay there. It was such an awesome and simple visual for the most complex and important event in history.

This tips work for me! Join Kristen at We Are THAT family for more Works for me Wednesday tips!

Knock Off Wood

2010-03-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

I love to create things. LOVE. Whether it be gluing, sewing, sawing, planting, decorating, or hammering. I love it.

I have only worked with wood once, when I ~~built~~ kind of sort of helped my dad build a book case for the corner of my room. Which, turned out very well, might I add. I loved working with wood though. There is something empowering about taking a saw, hammer, drill, and raw wood and turning it into something functional.

Ana at Knock Off Wood makes amazing creations. The best part is she FREELY posts the plans on her blog for everyone else to make them too! Anyone who has a craftroom label of stuff you can make just for your CRAFTROOM is evidence enough of how awesome they are.

Seriously, when I move into my own place I'm not buying any furniture. I'm making it ALL. Like this awesome entry bench and shelf. And this would make a great little wrapping station, don't you think? I can just imagine putting rolls of wrapping paper in one of the bottom drawers, maybe keeping one of the top shelves full of sale items in case you need a last minute gift. Get a dowel or a bar that you could put in the back of the open space and hang spools of ribbon. Then you would have all that surface area to wrap. Oh, the possibilties are endless! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this kitchen island. Doesn't it make you want to make dinner for your best friend and have them pull up a bar stool and chat with you?
What about this adorable bench and table for kids?

Go check her out! What would you make?

WILMM: talent

2010-03-26T15:33:00.001-07:00

Why I love my man reason #12

My boyfriend is crazy talented. Not only in math and all that logical crap but with photography. He's taken several photo classes and done very well. He enjoys it as well. I've told him multiple times that he should be a photo major but he keeps telling me that you can't support a family with a photo major.

My girlfriend, Marlene, got married yesterday morning. It was a very short and intimate ceremony, but nice. She and her (now) husband(!!!) will be moving to Arkansas at the beginning of April and wanted to get married before they left. We went to the courthouse and in the presence of 4 witnesses declared before God and man that they would be faithful and true to one another for the rest of their life. It was beautiful.

Because their wedding was so small, they were on a budget, and Marlene is shy, there was no reception, cake, or photographer.

I recently purchased a Nikon d5000 and while I am no photographer, my boyfriend is. My boyfriend and I went with Marlene and Thom to a beautiful little setting. I told them how to stand and he took the pictures. And some of them are absolutly gorgeous. I'm so glad he was willing to take the pictures because he is precise and detailed and doesn't get frusterated if the picture doesn't turn out the right way the first time.

I am so thankful that he was so willing to come take pictures for over an hour and a half and never once complained. He really is the best. :)

WFMW: how to keep a good sitter

2010-03-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

I don't need a baby sitter. I am one. Baby sitting is something that parents tend to worry about (and with good reason!). Here are some tips on how to KEEP a good sitter once you've found them.

1. Pay your sitter a fair price. Remember that while you may want to be as frugal as possible this is still someone else's form of income. A good sitter interacts with your child and cares for them. A worker is worth his pay. I charge a flat rate of ten dollars an hour. I feel that that is a sufficicent ammount of money to compensate for the time I could be doing something else. What is minimum wage? Anything less than that is just demeaning.

2. Whenever possible, tell your sitter what time you will come back, and then stick to it. Sitters have a life outside of watching your children. Nothing is more frusterating for me than to have a family tell me they will be home at one time and then get home hours later. Just because they got home later doesn't mean that I don't have to be at work any later the next day.

3. If you have your baby-sitter driving your kids all around town, give them some extra money for gas. Even if it's only five bucks.

4. Along those lines, never ask your sitter to buy anything for your kids (dinner, school supplies, dog food, etc) without giving them the money first. You never know how much money your sitter may have and if they are in college they're probably on a pretty tight budget.

5. Be ready to pay your sitter. You would be amazed at how many times parents have asked me if I have change for their cash. Pay them when you get home. I baby-sit for a family weekly and sometimes she will just keep track of my hours and pay me at the end of the month. It works for that family. Then I baby-sat for another family that never paid me. And didn't up until two months later. Only after I called twice and then had to go pick up my check. Neeldess to say I won't be going back there.

6. Leave your baby-sitter options. If you don't want your kids to watch tv or play outside while you're gone, that's fine. But leave them options and ideas so that they know what to do when you are gone.

7. Be approachable. Ask how the night went. If your kid has had a rough day, ask if anything happened during the night. It's very hard for a baby-sitter to tell a parent when their child was disrespectful or disobediant. Open up the lines of communication so that the baby-sitter feels comfortable sharing that information with you.

The families that I love to baby-sit for do these things. And because I know what to expect and they are so helpful I am more willing to keep my schedule open for them.
These tips are what have worked to keep me with the families I am with! :)
Check out Kristin for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

WFMW: packing/travel tips

2010-03-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a weekend away, am going away again this weekend, and am leaving for Ireland in about three weeks. I have done my fair share of packing and traveling in the past.

Here are a few of the packing trips that work best for me. :)

1. Roll your clothes, especially pants or jeans. It really does make a big difference.

2. In the past I have used freezer sized ziplocks to pack my shirts. I fold them up like you would normally and put as many in a bag as I can. I seal the bag almost all the way across but leave a little bit unsealed. I sit on it then and squish out all the air and make it as flat as possible. Then I seal it all the way. It's sort of like vacuum sealing a bag shut- but a heck of a lot cheaper and with only using ziplocks.

3. Layer dryer sheets throughout your bag so that your clothes smell nice and clean, not musty, when you unpack.

4. If flying, pack a change of clothes and important hygeine type things like deoderant and a toothbrush in your carry on...just in case. I also pack pajama pants, or yoga type pants, that I change into on the flight if it's a long one so that I'm more comfortable.

5. Stick unmentionables and socks into shoes to save space (and embarrasment if they decide to search your bag!).

6. Downey Wrinkle Releaser spray is a must pack item. It's easy to use and works quite effectivley on wrinkled clothes.

7. Pack jewlery into sandwich sized ziplocks to avaid tangling and misplacing. (Can you tell I like ziplocks?)

8. Again, if flying, tie colorful ribbon onto your bag so that when they come off the belt you can spot it easily. I've also seen people use brightly colored duct tape to "decorate" their bag.

9. I always pack two trash bags when going away for long periods of time, especially when I know I won't have washing facilities. I put my dirty clothes in one bag and then when it is time to pack up to leave I put any extra clean clothes in the other. This makes for less laundry when I get home.

10. Pack a good book! What vacation or getaway is complete without a good book in hand?

I'm taking my laptop with me to Irleand. This will be the first time I have flown with my computer. Any good travel tips??

Join Kristen at We Are That Family for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

1,000 gifts list 250-260

2010-03-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

250) orange poppies sprouting up through a crack in the concrete

251) black and white photos

252) flourishing flowers

253) new carpet squishing under bare feet

254) sight of boyfriend changing his oil

255) packing and planning for trips

256) birdfeeder full of seeds

257) pretty toes

258) lots of people at funeral celebrating Kay's life

259) building a family tree

260) amazing architecture

"There is no event so commonplace but that God is present whithin it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize Him...see [your life] for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredome and pain of it no less than in the exciemtnet and gladness: touch, taste, and smell your way to teh holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace." Don Stephens

WFMW:easy format for a family tree

2010-03-16T22:14:00.001-07:00

I really enjoy learning about my family. I've been blessed in that my mom's side has a LOT of information regarding her side of the family tree.

Trying to format a family tree is not very easy though, and since I am very much a visual learner I wanted to see it all laid out.

I googled around and stumbled upon My Heritage. I really like it because you can set up your family tree, you have the option to add notes about birth, death, military, kids, random comments, ect. There is also a search option, so, say you've traced your family back a whole bunch of generations and you want to look at a particular person. Instead of having to remember which side of the family they're on or how far back you can simply start typing in the name in the search box and any names that match will pop up.

Also, if you enter in someone's information and another person who has used the website has a match or similiar entry a little green circle will pop up by their name. You can click on it and compare to other people's family trees if they're not blocked.

This website has worked for me and I love it!

Join Kristen and check out more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

school

2010-03-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of transfering right now. A very long process of transfering. It seems as though every body else in the process of transfering too. On top of budget cuts and the impactedness of colleges I just checked online to make sure that everything that I had done was all in the clear. And I found out that even though I ordered my transcripts from a certain school they never got to one of the schools I applied to. And wouldn't you know it, the deadline was today. I thought I was going to throw up. I cried instead.

I need to go back to that school and make sure that the transcripts were sent to another school I applied to, of which, the deadline is July so I am thankful. And then I applied to one other school previously so I know all of my transcripts are there.

I have a very bad sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I'm not going to be attending school in the fall. And there's absolutly nothing I can do about it.

I feel lost. My friend's around me have graduated, some are getting married. And I'm here. In limbo. Alone. Constantly being reminded of the possibility of not getting accepted anywhere for this fall becuase people are constantly asking if I've heard anything.

And in my head I know that this is just a season. That it will pass. That if I don't get accepted anywhere this semester there will be another semester after that. And I know that I've done everything on my part to make it happen. But deep down, I feel like a failure. I feel like I'm stuck in this rut of life watching everyone run by me as I claw the air trying to climb out of the pit and join them. It's not a pleasant feeling.

So Lord, now would be a great time for you to reveal some big life plan. Now would be a wonderful time to show me what the heck You want me to do. I'm listening. You have my undivided attention. Where are You taking me?

23rd birthday

2010-03-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

Happy 23rd Birthday Shannon!

May you always be blessed;

with walls for the wind,

a roof for the rain,

a warm cup of tea by the fire,

laughter to cheer you,

those you love near you

and all that your heart might desire.

WFMW: Paying with cash

2010-03-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

In a world where debit cards and credit cards are so easily availabe and regularly used it's easy to spend your hard earned money on junk.

The past two months I have been taking my paycheck (I only get paid once a month, so that takes some budgeting as it is) and I sort of pigeon hole my money. I have money for tithe, car insurance, phone bill, ect. I deduct those monies off the top and pay off my credit card (which I use for monthly reaccuring bills- good way to earn credit without going overboard.) I then get a certain ammount of money in cold, hard, cash. This money is to be used for groceries, gas, entertainment, gifts, ect. Anything that isn't a monthly reaccuring payment is paid for with cash. If I do buy something online I take the cash equivilant and put it in the bank to be deducted from my debit card. No freebies here. I have to make that ammount last the entire month. If I use it up before my next paycheck, it's gone. Of course, if I really need to put gas in my car I will use my debit card, but as far as fun things go my money is out.

I use the remainder of my money and put it into savings for emergency, car insurance, or, as has been the case for a while now, my upcomiong Ireland trip.

I've found that by actually being able to see and feel the money I am less prone to buy junk I don't need/won't use/poor quality/whim buys becuase I have to physically handle the money. It's not just a magical transaction that happens with the swipe of a card.

Paying with cash has been working for me!

36 Days

2010-03-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

Guess where I'm going in 36 days!?

Do these pictures help?

Ireland! My passport is here, my flights are booked and all that's left to book is hotels. I am getting very excited!!!

How He loves us

2010-03-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

This song pretty much sums it all up, dontcha think?

WFMW: wallpaper remover

2010-03-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

My dad is on furlough this week from work. While he is taking his forced unpaid vacation he is working on our (very outdated) living room. This includes stripping the wall paper from our adjacent dining room.

Here is my work for me wednesday: for easy wall paper remover mix equal parts downey fabric softener with equal parts water. spray on and let sit for a couple of minutes, then use a putty knife and scrap it off. If there is still residue from the wallpaper spray again and use the putty knife. Not only does it remove wall paper, it makes your house smell good!

Dear Grandpa

2010-03-02T00:51:00.001-08:00

Dear Grandpa,

Dad's on furlough this week and I guess he decided it was time to re-do the living room. I just got done helping strip the wall paper in the dining room. As we sprayed it with fabric softener and water and then scrapped it off I couldn't help but think about how much of your hard work went into creating this space so many years ago, just for your granddaughter to destroy it. It seems sort of ironic, doesn't it?

I saw the pencil lines your hand drew on those wall, long before mom ever married dad, long before I was ever a thought. Perhaps even before mom was ever a thought. I can see you with a pencil in hand, another tucked behind your ear, a measuring stick, a level, carefully measuring, marking, with skill and precision. You always pay attention to detail. Meticulous and sure, your work always comes out top notch. High quality. Because your work reflects your character.

I'm thinking about how happy mom and dad are to be changing that wallpaper and those curtains...oh...those curtains. I can imagine Grandma giddy with excitement as she picked out the wallpaper- and curtains to match. My guess is that her excitement is what caused you to glue the wall paper to the wall and to hang those hideous curtains. I can just imagine her as a young house wife decorating your home. Transforming it into a space uniquely hers. I must say that she did a much better job when you guys moved. I miss her so much, Grandpa. I would hang those ugly curtains on every window in the house if it meant we could keep her for just a little while longer.

I miss you Grandpa. I wish I didn't have to wait until September to see you. In a couple of years here hopefully it will be my wedding that you'll be coming out for. :)

I love you so much. Tell Grandma Verla and Elsie hi for us. Sorry again for destroying all your hard work. Hopefully our work will make you proud when you come see us. :)

love you lots,
Elizabeth

birthday blessings

2010-02-25T23:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday my Sweet Love,

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

I love you. :)

WFMW: no more potato peelers

2010-02-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

I don't know why my little picture isn't working but oh well.

Todays work for me wednesday will be one that I think many might appreciate.

My boyfriend HATES to make mashed potatoes because he cannot stand peeling them. Here is the solution, and it is super easy! Take all of your potatoes and with a knife score the potato peel all the way around the potato. Boil your potatoes for 15 minute then remove from boiling water and dunk in ice water for 10-15 seconds. Then pick up the potato and the peel will literally SLIDE right off.

You have to remember to put the potatoes back into the water for another 15 mintues or so so that they finish cooking though.

You know who taught me this? Mary Ann from Giligan's Island! Here is the link to the youtube video in case my directions didn't make sense.

Check out Kristen's blog We Are THAT Family for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

1,000 gifts list 157-161

2010-02-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

On this sunny February morning I turn to my once a month post of my 1,000 gifts list. My heart is overwhelmed as I look at the pages of gifts, listed one by one. And I am even more overwhelmed as I contemplate all the missed gifts, the glossed over gifts, gifts that were lovingly placed in my life in which I was just to busy, to jaded, to lazy to notice. But here are some I did notice and I will continue to look and see the abounding gifts from the Father.

157) the hum of a sewing machine

158) raw material turning into something beautiful

159) soft glow of a candle

160) cute fabric

161) Nikki howling when jared plays the piano

beautiful

2010-02-20T23:06:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures from my trip to South Dakota this past summer. Can you tell why I love it so much?

Prayer Bench

2010-02-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

I love the wisdom that I can glean from other bloggers. What a beautiful blessing to be able to click on a link and be inspired.

Ann Voskamp writes with words sent from heaven, I'm convinced. Her family has a prayer bench and I find it a beautiful and simple idea.

My Grandpa made me a hope chest and I have decided that once I have my own house it will be my own prayer bench. I love the way that Ann changes her bench to reflect the season. She did this and now this for lent.

Because I will be using my hope chest (the name is befitting is it not? a spot that will lead me and my future family to THE Hope)I will be able to store things inside of it. I'm thinking that it will be the perfect spot for my Jesse tree at Christmas, a resting spot for a Seder plate, the holding place for a menorah, and place for a box where sins can be quietly written then slipped into during lent.

I am excited to be able to create a space that will be a visual reminder to search out God and a beautiful way to train my children in the Truth.