Before we were married I warned my husband that sometimes when I am woken from my sleep...I'm not a very friendly person. If I am tired before actually being asleep I'm just really goofy, but if I've actually been asleep...watch out! Overall, through our first year we've rarely confronted many of these instances. However, Wednesday morning at breakfast Tommy informed me that I was quite crabby the night before. Initially I did not remember anything from the night before, but once Tommy started to recap it came back to me. Sometime during the night Tommy's toe touched the bottom of my foot. This caused me to wake up and strongly reprimand him for scratching me when I was trying to sleep. Later that night I apparently screamed in my sleep waking Tommy again. Being a concerned and startled husband, Tommy asked if I was okay. Wanting to go back to sleep, I just told him to leave me alone. But Tommy persisted to make sure I was okay. I angrily replied, "never mind." However this did not suffice him. Seeing that I wasn't easily going to get rid of him I mumbled something about him not catching the frogy worm thing for me in my dream. Although technically I had been the one to wake him up twice , I finished by informing him to stop being so rude and waking me up.
We both laughed at my crankiness the next morning. Fortunate for me, I have a very understanding husband. But in my defense I told Tommy, "You know, I did warn you!"
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Four Things
I was tagged by Angela-
Four Things...
Four jobs I've had:
1. Currently a Client Service Assistant in Retirement Services- Don't ask, its not that interesting
2. Substitute teacher (definitely the most stressful)
3. An Elementary and History Tutor (definitely the most fun!)
4. A Janitor, believe it or not!?
Four movies I've seen more than once:
*I really have to like a movie to watch it more than once*
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. What about Bob?
4. Pride and Prejudice (the new version)
Four TV shows I watch:
* I don't currently watch four TV shows, but these are some that I really enjoyed watching at various times in the past and present*
1. The Amazing Race
2. Gilmore Girls
3. The Cosby Show
4. And I have to agree with Angela- I love HGTV, but we don't have it either
Four places I've been:
1. Turkey (Including Ephesus)
2. Jamaica
3. Mexico
4. New York City
Four people who email me regularly:
1. Patti
2. People at work- how lame is that (but in my defense not all of it is business)!
3. Kim
4. Family
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cheeze-its (definitely love these- I can eat a whole box by myself in a day!)
2. Feta Cheese on almost anything
3. Guacamole
4. Dark Chocolate
Four things I'm looking forward to in the next year:
1. Next summer (I really dislike winter and its already getting a little chilly for me)
2. Getting back into serving at my church
3. Getting into road biking more and hopefully even entering a race
4. Cooking, I've found I really enjoy it! I love to try new things! I don't really repeat recipes. And I would love to take a cooking class just for fun!
Now I'm tagging Emily!
Four Things...
Four jobs I've had:
1. Currently a Client Service Assistant in Retirement Services- Don't ask, its not that interesting
2. Substitute teacher (definitely the most stressful)
3. An Elementary and History Tutor (definitely the most fun!)
4. A Janitor, believe it or not!?
Four movies I've seen more than once:
*I really have to like a movie to watch it more than once*
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. What about Bob?
4. Pride and Prejudice (the new version)
Four TV shows I watch:
* I don't currently watch four TV shows, but these are some that I really enjoyed watching at various times in the past and present*
1. The Amazing Race
2. Gilmore Girls
3. The Cosby Show
4. And I have to agree with Angela- I love HGTV, but we don't have it either
Four places I've been:
1. Turkey (Including Ephesus)
2. Jamaica
3. Mexico
4. New York City
Four people who email me regularly:
1. Patti
2. People at work- how lame is that (but in my defense not all of it is business)!
3. Kim
4. Family
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cheeze-its (definitely love these- I can eat a whole box by myself in a day!)
2. Feta Cheese on almost anything
3. Guacamole
4. Dark Chocolate
Four things I'm looking forward to in the next year:
1. Next summer (I really dislike winter and its already getting a little chilly for me)
2. Getting back into serving at my church
3. Getting into road biking more and hopefully even entering a race
4. Cooking, I've found I really enjoy it! I love to try new things! I don't really repeat recipes. And I would love to take a cooking class just for fun!
Now I'm tagging Emily!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
I have to admit...sometimes I'm a Pharisees
A. W. Tozer writes in his book The Root of Righteousness-
"The test by which all conduct must finally be judged is motive.
As water cannot rise higher than its source, so the moral quality in an act can never be higher than the motive that inspires it. For this reason, no act that arises from an evil motive can be good, even though some good may appear to come out of it. For this reason no act that arises from an evil motive can be good, even though some good may appear to come out of it. Every deed done out of anger or spite, for instance, will be found at last to have been done for the enemy and against the Kingdom of God!
Unfortunately, the nature of religious activity is such that much of it can be carried on for reasons that are not goo, such as anger, jealousy, ambition, vanity and avarice. All such activity is essentially evil, and will be counted as such at the judgement.
In this matter of motive, as in so many other things, the Pharisees afford us clear examples.
They remain the world's most dismal religious failures, not because of doctrinal error nor because they were careless or lukewarm, nor because they were outwardly persons of dissolute life.
Their whole trouble lay in the quality of their religious motives. They prayed, but they prayed to be heard of men, and thus their motives ruined their prayers and rendered them not only useless, but actually evil. They gave generously to the service of the temple, but they sometimes did it to escape their duty toward their parents, and this was an evil. They judged sin and stood against it when found in others, but this they did from self-righteousness and hardness of heart.
So with almost everything they did. Their activities had about them an outward appearance of holiness, and those same activities, if carried on out of pure motives, would have been good and praiseworthy. The whole weakness of the pharisees lay in the quality of their motives.
That this is not a small matter may be gathered from the fact that those orthodox and proper religionists went on in their blindness, until at last they crucified the Lord of glory, with no inkling of the gravity of their crime!"
Sometimes the blackness of my own heart propels me far from any pure motive and into only self-glorification and pride. Thus, my nature as a Pharisee comes to life again. Of course God know what we are made of and how the flesh desperately fights against the spiritual. But today if you read this post, please examine your motives. God knows your heart do you?
"The test by which all conduct must finally be judged is motive.
As water cannot rise higher than its source, so the moral quality in an act can never be higher than the motive that inspires it. For this reason, no act that arises from an evil motive can be good, even though some good may appear to come out of it. For this reason no act that arises from an evil motive can be good, even though some good may appear to come out of it. Every deed done out of anger or spite, for instance, will be found at last to have been done for the enemy and against the Kingdom of God!
Unfortunately, the nature of religious activity is such that much of it can be carried on for reasons that are not goo, such as anger, jealousy, ambition, vanity and avarice. All such activity is essentially evil, and will be counted as such at the judgement.
In this matter of motive, as in so many other things, the Pharisees afford us clear examples.
They remain the world's most dismal religious failures, not because of doctrinal error nor because they were careless or lukewarm, nor because they were outwardly persons of dissolute life.
Their whole trouble lay in the quality of their religious motives. They prayed, but they prayed to be heard of men, and thus their motives ruined their prayers and rendered them not only useless, but actually evil. They gave generously to the service of the temple, but they sometimes did it to escape their duty toward their parents, and this was an evil. They judged sin and stood against it when found in others, but this they did from self-righteousness and hardness of heart.
So with almost everything they did. Their activities had about them an outward appearance of holiness, and those same activities, if carried on out of pure motives, would have been good and praiseworthy. The whole weakness of the pharisees lay in the quality of their motives.
That this is not a small matter may be gathered from the fact that those orthodox and proper religionists went on in their blindness, until at last they crucified the Lord of glory, with no inkling of the gravity of their crime!"
Sometimes the blackness of my own heart propels me far from any pure motive and into only self-glorification and pride. Thus, my nature as a Pharisee comes to life again. Of course God know what we are made of and how the flesh desperately fights against the spiritual. But today if you read this post, please examine your motives. God knows your heart do you?
Friday, August 8, 2008
Is it possible??
I know this is going to sound a little ridiculous and crazy, but I think that I pulled a muscle in my big toe. I'm not sure how in the world it happened. All I know is the top of my big toe hurts every time I move my foot to walk. Weird.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Oh for the love of gardening!
I've found my new favorite hobby...Gardening! I love it! Naively, I always thought that gardening was just some thing old people did in order to pass the time, similar to making dollies, crossword puzzles, and the like. However, like most things in life I was once again proven wrong. But please shhhhh! Don't tell all the hip kids I like to spend my weekends talking to my plants!
(Disclaimer: If you've never gardened before you will probably think I am a little crazy for the rest of this blog)
Gardening has quickly become one of my favorite things to do once home from work. I'm very attached to my garden. I even have names for some of my plants! My largest tomato plant is affectionately known as Horatio. I'm so protective of my garden that I rarely even let Tommy water it. I told him it's because nobody can take care of "my babies" like I can. Plus, I don't want to blame him if something horrible happens to the plants. With good reason, Tommy is now afraid of how I will act when we have children!
I love many things about gardening. I love eating my own organically grown produce. The produce is fresh and chemical free! Also, I find gardening to be a very relaxing hobby. In addition, I get to be outside in the sun, which if you know me at all is one of my favorite things ever! There are many more elements about gardening that I enjoy, but perhaps the most enjoyable aspects is how it enlightens me spiritually. Now don't worry, I'm not getting all New Age! Seriously! By cultivating and managing my own plants, I have come to more fully appreciate the many parallels and allegories about gardening that are in the Bible. I somehow feel that I understand God's role more as a gardener. How intensely He cares for each plant(person) and longs to see it grow. He waters each one precisely. He even grieves when their growth is stunted or damaged. And He nurses them back to health. It is such a beautiful picture of how our lives can spring from the tiniest particle into a fruitful plant with God. And God desires to help us continue to grow by tenderly caring for us and supplying us with the right nutrients. Sometimes it is even in our best interest if we are pruned.
I could go on and on about the beauty of gardening, but please try it for yourself and let God remind you of how he makes all things grow. Even the smallest speck can become a fruitful plant, whom He personally cares for and nurtures.
(Disclaimer: If you've never gardened before you will probably think I am a little crazy for the rest of this blog)
Gardening has quickly become one of my favorite things to do once home from work. I'm very attached to my garden. I even have names for some of my plants! My largest tomato plant is affectionately known as Horatio. I'm so protective of my garden that I rarely even let Tommy water it. I told him it's because nobody can take care of "my babies" like I can. Plus, I don't want to blame him if something horrible happens to the plants. With good reason, Tommy is now afraid of how I will act when we have children!
I love many things about gardening. I love eating my own organically grown produce. The produce is fresh and chemical free! Also, I find gardening to be a very relaxing hobby. In addition, I get to be outside in the sun, which if you know me at all is one of my favorite things ever! There are many more elements about gardening that I enjoy, but perhaps the most enjoyable aspects is how it enlightens me spiritually. Now don't worry, I'm not getting all New Age! Seriously! By cultivating and managing my own plants, I have come to more fully appreciate the many parallels and allegories about gardening that are in the Bible. I somehow feel that I understand God's role more as a gardener. How intensely He cares for each plant(person) and longs to see it grow. He waters each one precisely. He even grieves when their growth is stunted or damaged. And He nurses them back to health. It is such a beautiful picture of how our lives can spring from the tiniest particle into a fruitful plant with God. And God desires to help us continue to grow by tenderly caring for us and supplying us with the right nutrients. Sometimes it is even in our best interest if we are pruned.
I could go on and on about the beauty of gardening, but please try it for yourself and let God remind you of how he makes all things grow. Even the smallest speck can become a fruitful plant, whom He personally cares for and nurtures.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Internet as God
Since January, when Tommy and I moved into our new home, we have been without Internet. How do we survive living such an uncivilized lifestyle you ask? Well, Panera has become our new best friend! I love Internet shopping! Unlike most girls I really don't enjoy shopping. Malls have this strange effect on me. I tend to get sleepy, hungry, or cranky, and sometimes all three at once. All that to say, I am not the best of company for a shopping excursion. But I love to browse the Internet for deals. I always seem to find way better deals on books, clothing, music, etc. And all from the comfort of home! In addition, I love to use the Internet to answer questions that pop into my head through out the day. Like, "What can I do about my tomato plant that suddenly started wilting?" or "How can I remove a stubborn grease stain from my comfy summer shorts?" Furthermore, I love using the Internet as a study resource for my personal devotions. Tommy and I also use the Internet to do our banking. All this to say, I really miss having the Internet.
Our new neighbors somehow all have Internet and from the provider we used to have at our old house. We'll call the provider Owest. We've spent numerous hours on the phone trying to get service at our new address. However, we've been told the service is not available in our area at this time. We've even had some tips from people who have been given the same line by this company, however, its all been to no avail. This past month I really started to miss Internet. It's hard because our small group, church, etc send out updates via email, so I always feel out of the loop. And every time I want to research some question, I think about looking it up quick through the Internet and then remember, "Oh yeah, we don't have it."
Before I know it modern conveniences, can become my God. I really dislike not having the Internet. But can I live without it? Of course, but I don't want to! It's probably been good for me actually: not spending hours surfing for random information, checking my email, or keeping up with my hundreds of best friends on Facebook. I guess its humbling thinking about how easy it is for me to spend time on the Internet and sometimes I barely squeeze out my time with God. It makes me also consider other areas of my life. For instance, I feel so unprepared if I leave the house without my cell phone. How many times do I leave equipped with everything God desires of me?
Will we ever get the Internet again? I hope so, but I definitely don't want it to be something I can't live with out!
Our new neighbors somehow all have Internet and from the provider we used to have at our old house. We'll call the provider Owest. We've spent numerous hours on the phone trying to get service at our new address. However, we've been told the service is not available in our area at this time. We've even had some tips from people who have been given the same line by this company, however, its all been to no avail. This past month I really started to miss Internet. It's hard because our small group, church, etc send out updates via email, so I always feel out of the loop. And every time I want to research some question, I think about looking it up quick through the Internet and then remember, "Oh yeah, we don't have it."
Before I know it modern conveniences, can become my God. I really dislike not having the Internet. But can I live without it? Of course, but I don't want to! It's probably been good for me actually: not spending hours surfing for random information, checking my email, or keeping up with my hundreds of best friends on Facebook. I guess its humbling thinking about how easy it is for me to spend time on the Internet and sometimes I barely squeeze out my time with God. It makes me also consider other areas of my life. For instance, I feel so unprepared if I leave the house without my cell phone. How many times do I leave equipped with everything God desires of me?
Will we ever get the Internet again? I hope so, but I definitely don't want it to be something I can't live with out!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Gospel for Asia
Tommy and I had the privilege of being in Texas for a week earlier this month. We attended a missions conference put on by Gospel for Asia (GFA). This organization focuses on sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with some of the most unreached people groups in Asia, especially India.
I love this organization for several reasons. First, 100% of all funds that are donated to GFA go directly to the field, nothing is taken out for administration purposes. In addition, GFA seems to really live out the word of God. The organization is not flashy; they don't have the edgiest promotional films, the leaders dress modestly, and the selection of GFA merchandise they do offer is available to anyone (they only suggest reasonable donations- a very different approach than Christian bookstores, who seem to horde the good news by their pricey purchases). Through these and many other practices, you can tell that everything they do is about pursuing the Lord and making his name known as opposed to making their name known. Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed the humble simplicity demonstrated at the conference. Tommy and I didn't come away from the conference with any huge new spiritual revelations or knowing more Greek words. Instead, we came away refreshed by an organization and its people that humbly serve the Lord. The messages were simple, yet refreshingly authentic. The call to action was humble and not guilt-laden. The work was God focused not us-centered (what we can do), for God works more in spite of us than through us.
GFA has two main programs you can help sponsor. First you can sponsor a native missionary in Asia. These men and women already know the language and are willing to live and work in the poor conditions of most of Asia. They travel and live in some very harsh environments both spiritually and physically. Second, you can sponsor a Dalit child. The Dalits are the untouchables of India. They are not even part of the caste system as they are considered sub-human. They perform the most menial jobs and live in extreme poverty. They are also subject to all sorts of abuse including rape and murder simply because of their status (or lack thereof) in society. When you sponsor a child you will provide them with clothing, food, an education, medical care and most importantly the message of Christ. With an estimated 300 million Dalits currently, there are 160 million child laborers (starting at age 4) and 90 million hungry children every day. Somewhere around 95% or more (I apologize I couldn't find the study that was done on this) of all Christian money marked for missions is going to people groups who are already reached (Asia contains many of the unreached people groups in the world). This fact really challenged me to think how I give of money that the Lord has blessed me with. We are our brother's keeper even if they are half way around the world!
I have added some links on my page so that you can explore GFA's site for yourself. Enjoy!
I love this organization for several reasons. First, 100% of all funds that are donated to GFA go directly to the field, nothing is taken out for administration purposes. In addition, GFA seems to really live out the word of God. The organization is not flashy; they don't have the edgiest promotional films, the leaders dress modestly, and the selection of GFA merchandise they do offer is available to anyone (they only suggest reasonable donations- a very different approach than Christian bookstores, who seem to horde the good news by their pricey purchases). Through these and many other practices, you can tell that everything they do is about pursuing the Lord and making his name known as opposed to making their name known. Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed the humble simplicity demonstrated at the conference. Tommy and I didn't come away from the conference with any huge new spiritual revelations or knowing more Greek words. Instead, we came away refreshed by an organization and its people that humbly serve the Lord. The messages were simple, yet refreshingly authentic. The call to action was humble and not guilt-laden. The work was God focused not us-centered (what we can do), for God works more in spite of us than through us.
GFA has two main programs you can help sponsor. First you can sponsor a native missionary in Asia. These men and women already know the language and are willing to live and work in the poor conditions of most of Asia. They travel and live in some very harsh environments both spiritually and physically. Second, you can sponsor a Dalit child. The Dalits are the untouchables of India. They are not even part of the caste system as they are considered sub-human. They perform the most menial jobs and live in extreme poverty. They are also subject to all sorts of abuse including rape and murder simply because of their status (or lack thereof) in society. When you sponsor a child you will provide them with clothing, food, an education, medical care and most importantly the message of Christ. With an estimated 300 million Dalits currently, there are 160 million child laborers (starting at age 4) and 90 million hungry children every day. Somewhere around 95% or more (I apologize I couldn't find the study that was done on this) of all Christian money marked for missions is going to people groups who are already reached (Asia contains many of the unreached people groups in the world). This fact really challenged me to think how I give of money that the Lord has blessed me with. We are our brother's keeper even if they are half way around the world!
I have added some links on my page so that you can explore GFA's site for yourself. Enjoy!
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