Yay!! We're home! What a week.
Halfway home, it hit us that this is a holiday weekend. And since we live at the beach, traffic was heading toward home. It was a little crazy at times.
Since Ladybug already had her nap before we left, she was a bit more cranky than the trip up. She did eventually take a 45 minute nap. But the last 45 minutes of the trip, she had had enough. She wanted out and kept signing "milk."
So I sang every kid song I could remember. Silly songs, Bible school songs. Anything to entertain her and keep her from fussing while Hubby concentrated on the road and the traffic.
It was a great week away, but I'm so glad we're home!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Vacation - Day 4
Gee, I have the most riveting titles, don't I?
Thankfully, Ladybug slept until 6:00 this morning. She konked out so early last night, I didn't know what to expect. Another tooth finally broke through, so she had a fitful night.
We were able to go to the Amazement Square in downtown Lynchburg today. It was fabulous. They had an area especially for preschool children, and we spent about an hour in that section alone.
It has a lot of different hands-on exhibits that are great for older children especially. There was a music area where kids can try out different instruments. There was a historical section with information about the settlers and the Native Americans of the area as well.
Since the day started out rainy, Amazement Square was a great way to start the day. After a nap and lunch, we spent the rest of the day chilling in the hotel. We watched some movies and even Classical Baby, which held Ladybug's attention for a long time! The TV has been on way too much. But I figure that this is vacation, so we're allowed to do things on vacation that we wouldn't do at home, right?
I had a couple of projects that I had wanted to work on, and while I got a few things started, nothing is finished. Hopefully I'll find some time over the weekend when we're home.
I had some cute pictures of our day, but the camera is on the fritz so that will be something that I'll have to work on when we get home too.
When Hubby got back from class, we got pizza for dinner and went for a swim. No homework tonight - yay! And he'll be finished with class tomorrow at noon, so Ladybug and I will pick him up from class and get on the road toward home.
It's been a good week, but I'm definitely looking forward to being home again. Even though Hubby was in class for 8 hours a day, I'm glad that LB and I tagged along. We at least were able to spend the evenings together.
Thanks for letting me share our vacation with y'all. One of the reasons I enjoy blogging is that it is a record of what we do. And in years to come, we'll have this record of what we did on our first "vacation" with Ladybug.
In addition to the new tooth this week, she has learned to not be afraid of elevators. And she has learned that she has to hold Mommy's or Daddy's hand when we walk places. Tonight as we were walking done the hall to go to the pool, she reached up to grab Hubby's hand automatically. It was the cutest thing!
I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful family! And I love the time that we spend together.
Thankfully, Ladybug slept until 6:00 this morning. She konked out so early last night, I didn't know what to expect. Another tooth finally broke through, so she had a fitful night.
We were able to go to the Amazement Square in downtown Lynchburg today. It was fabulous. They had an area especially for preschool children, and we spent about an hour in that section alone.
It has a lot of different hands-on exhibits that are great for older children especially. There was a music area where kids can try out different instruments. There was a historical section with information about the settlers and the Native Americans of the area as well.
Since the day started out rainy, Amazement Square was a great way to start the day. After a nap and lunch, we spent the rest of the day chilling in the hotel. We watched some movies and even Classical Baby, which held Ladybug's attention for a long time! The TV has been on way too much. But I figure that this is vacation, so we're allowed to do things on vacation that we wouldn't do at home, right?
I had a couple of projects that I had wanted to work on, and while I got a few things started, nothing is finished. Hopefully I'll find some time over the weekend when we're home.
I had some cute pictures of our day, but the camera is on the fritz so that will be something that I'll have to work on when we get home too.
When Hubby got back from class, we got pizza for dinner and went for a swim. No homework tonight - yay! And he'll be finished with class tomorrow at noon, so Ladybug and I will pick him up from class and get on the road toward home.
It's been a good week, but I'm definitely looking forward to being home again. Even though Hubby was in class for 8 hours a day, I'm glad that LB and I tagged along. We at least were able to spend the evenings together.
Thanks for letting me share our vacation with y'all. One of the reasons I enjoy blogging is that it is a record of what we do. And in years to come, we'll have this record of what we did on our first "vacation" with Ladybug.
In addition to the new tooth this week, she has learned to not be afraid of elevators. And she has learned that she has to hold Mommy's or Daddy's hand when we walk places. Tonight as we were walking done the hall to go to the pool, she reached up to grab Hubby's hand automatically. It was the cutest thing!
I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful family! And I love the time that we spend together.
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Rainy Vacation Day - Day 3
So, what do you do with a toddler when you're on vacation and it's rainy and a bit chilly? I guess whatever we did wore Ladybug out because she zonked out at 6 pm tonight. Yikes! I might be having an early morning tomorrow!
We watched lots of Nick Jr. Then videos on my laptop. 
When we ventured out, I found a way cool hands-on children's museum. But Ladybug had fallen asleep in the car by the time we got there.
When we ventured out, I found a way cool hands-on children's museum. But Ladybug had fallen asleep in the car by the time we got there.So while she slept, I drove around some of the Civil War cemeteries and a few of the historic districts in Lynchburg. When she woke up, we went to the mall. I found some more good deals on clothes - 2 sets of pjs, a shirt, and a dress for less than $30.
We ate lunch at the mall, then braved the rain to return to the hotel. After more videos, we went swimming. I forgot how nice indoor pools can be. Where we live, most of the pools are outdoors. Although a lot of the nice resort-type places do have indoor pools as well. But we don't usually stay in resorts in our hometown.
After the pool, Ladybug rearranged her clothes drawer and her diaper drawer. We stacked books to make towers. We had a tickle fight and wrestled on the bed. I even let her jump on the bed (with me on the bed with her).
We ate dinner in the room tonight. Hubby's working on an assignment that is due tomorrow, and LB is sacked out. She's also cutting a tooth right now. And my wonderful Hubby bought me some Reese's cups. Is there anything more perfect than peanut butter and chocolate?
Now that I know there is a children's museum, we'll probably try to get there tomorrow morning before naptime. We'll see what the weather is like tomorrow.
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WFMW - Travel Tips
We are out of town for the week as my Hubby attends a week-long intensive class for his masters program. So Ladybug (15 mo) and I tagged along for a vacation of sorts. This is our first long trip since Ladybug was born, both in length of time away and distance.
Here are a few things that have worked for me on this trip:
~ Stay in a hotel with free wi-fi. I am blogging this week as a journal of our time away.
~ Bring diaper rash cream. Because your toddler who never gets diaper rash will get diaper rash while you are away from home.
~ White noise maker of some sort. We all sleep better with white noise, and most hotels have a "fan" switch on the heat/ac, but this hotel doesn't. I am SOOOO glad that I brought a baby toy that plays white noise!
~ Bathroom spray. I don't think I have to explain this one.
~ Tip your bellman and housekeeper well. They will take care of you if you take care of them!
~ Extra sippy cups. Because you inevitably will leave one in the car and not want to walk back down to get your one and only sippy cup.
I'm sure that I learn a few more things on this trip. Thanks for stopping by today!!
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Vacation - Day 2
Free wi-fi at the hotel is great, when it works! I wasn't planning on having a internet-less vacation!
The main highlight of Tuesday was driving to Roanoke to meet Heather from Desperately Seeking Sanity. About a month ago, I e-mailed her to let her know that I would be in the area and asked if she's like to have lunch. I was so excited when she agreed - and she was excited too!
Ladybug and I arrived at the restaurant first, so I started feeding her. I guess I was more nervous than I realized, because when Heather first got there, I felt like Porky Pig, stammering all over the place. But we quickly settled into conversation like we were old friends.
Heather in person is exactly like she is on her blog, and I loved that. She's open, warm, genuine, out-going. We have a lot in common, and we even ordered the same lunch!
We talked about blogging, what bloggers Heather has met in person, church, ministry, family, stuff that don't blog about, etc. The hour and a half passed very quickly! Ladybug was charming, of course.
We stood in the parking lot for a while (to let LB work of some energy) and chatted some more. Heather said that she just wanted to take Ladybug home with her. Then realizing how that sounded, we both laughed when she said, "I'd better watch that. You meet some random stranger from the internet and she talks about taking your daughter."
I know that meeting someone IRL (in real life) who you only know from the internet may seem strange. But I met my wonderful Hubby online, so I guess I'm not as weirded out by it as some might be.
And as good bloggers, we both had our cameras with us to snap a quick picture to post on our blogs. Heather does a great job with the self-portrait shot!
So Ladybug and I came back to Lynchburg to wait for Hubby to return from class. We grabbed some Taco Bell for dinner, and Hubby had a paper to write.
It's now 12:30 am, and I should be sleeping. But I had this blog post in my head and wanted to get it written. And, yay! The wi-fi is working! So I'll check back in with more tomorrow (or later today, whatever). (And here is Heather's post about our meet-up. She cracks me up!)
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Monday, August 25, 2008
What I Did on Vacation - Day 1
As much as possible, I am going to journal our week away here on the blog. This is a vacation for Ladybug and me. So even though Hubby has to be in class then work on assignments, this is our first vacation since Ladybug arrived.
The morning started with this:
Those are Cheerios all over the floor. Ladybug got a bag of them and the bag broke open. I thought, "No biggie. That's why there is housekeeping." But then I realized that I didn't have any cash with which to tip housekeeping. So I felt bad and decided to clean up as much as I could.
Ladybug and I had time to explore Lynchburg today. Even though I grew up in Pennsylvania, I realized how much I've been away from the hills. Every little hill looks H-U-G-E to me!
After Hubby caught the shuttle from the hotel to his class, Ladybug and I started our day by going to the historic downtown area. After stopping at the visitor center, I decided to walk one of the historic areas downtown.
Um. Did I mention that this place is really hilly? And I that I live at the beach? Where it's flat? Oh yeah. My calves got a great workout pushing the stroller up hill.
We saw some beautiful old houses. Some in great repair.
Some in not so great repair, and for sale. This one is actually a duplex, if they called it that back then.
I see places like this that are for sale, and I start dreaming dreams of historic restoration and how much fun that would be. Then I snap back to reality and remember that I don't like to sweat. And I don't like getting dirty. This fixer-upper would involve lots of both. No thanks.
Here's a cute shot of Ladybug enjoying the ride and her animal crackers.
After a nap and lunch, we did a little shopping. I scored a pair of shoes at Goodwill for $3. Then 2 shirts and a pair of pants for Ladybug for $5 at Sears.
I think we're going to go for a quick swim in the pool before we call it a day.
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What's in a Name? - More of Him Monday
Welcome to More of Him Monday! This is a weekly carnival in which we can share encouragement with fellow Christian bloggers. Please read here for participation guidelines.
NOTE: If you have a More of Him post, please link up in the comments. Thanks!
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One thing that Hubby and I like to do in our travels is point out the names of places to each other. Especially if the names are odd. And especially the names of churches.
Did you ever notice that a church's name can tell you a lot about the people there (at least the founders)? Open Bible New Life Fellowship. Mount Pisgah First Baptist Church. Christ Community Church.
All of these names tell you about what is most important to the people there. (These are my musings, not necessarily fact.)
Open Bible = God's Word is very important to these people, and they want you to bring your Bible with you every week.
Mount Pisgah = The history of the Old Testament is very important here, especially remembering what God has done in the past.
Christ Community = Jesus Christ is the central figure (hopefully true in all churches!), and these folks want to share him with everyone without the barrier of denomination.
Those are just a few examples of what we saw yesterday as we travelled, and our musings attached with each name. Some of the names were odd to us.
Names are very important in our culture. We need to label things, people, and places. It helps us get a handle on the world around us.
What names do you go by? What titles are most important to you? We all wear many different labels. Parent. Teacher. Minister. Maybe even the label of our race.
But the most important label that we wear should be Christian. Child of God. That label should tell the world around us what is most important to us.
Sometimes it's difficult to shed off the other labels that we give ourselves or that are given to us by others. Our challenge is to have the label "Christian" be the most prominent, most noticeable one.
I know that is a challenge for all of us. But a challenge that is worth the effort.
NOTE: If you have a More of Him post, please link up in the comments. Thanks!
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One thing that Hubby and I like to do in our travels is point out the names of places to each other. Especially if the names are odd. And especially the names of churches.
Did you ever notice that a church's name can tell you a lot about the people there (at least the founders)? Open Bible New Life Fellowship. Mount Pisgah First Baptist Church. Christ Community Church.
All of these names tell you about what is most important to the people there. (These are my musings, not necessarily fact.)
Open Bible = God's Word is very important to these people, and they want you to bring your Bible with you every week.
Mount Pisgah = The history of the Old Testament is very important here, especially remembering what God has done in the past.
Christ Community = Jesus Christ is the central figure (hopefully true in all churches!), and these folks want to share him with everyone without the barrier of denomination.
Those are just a few examples of what we saw yesterday as we travelled, and our musings attached with each name. Some of the names were odd to us.
Names are very important in our culture. We need to label things, people, and places. It helps us get a handle on the world around us.
What names do you go by? What titles are most important to you? We all wear many different labels. Parent. Teacher. Minister. Maybe even the label of our race.
But the most important label that we wear should be Christian. Child of God. That label should tell the world around us what is most important to us.
Sometimes it's difficult to shed off the other labels that we give ourselves or that are given to us by others. Our challenge is to have the label "Christian" be the most prominent, most noticeable one.
I know that is a challenge for all of us. But a challenge that is worth the effort.
"They will know we are Christians by our love."
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Sunday, August 24, 2008
Travel Day
Hey y'all! We had a good trip to Virginia today. We left around 5:30, hoping that an early departure would convince Ladybug to sleep for the first part of the trip. No dice. She woke up while we were getting dressed, so she got some mommy milk before we left.
We made our first stop around 7:30 to let Ladybug run off some energy and for a diaper change. Made another stop around 9:45. Ladybug slept for about 45 minutes of the entire drive, which took around 5 hours. Much less than we expected.
We got into town around 11:30 and located our hotel. Hubby went in to ask when we could check in, and found that our room was ready. So we got into our room, then set out to find some lunch.
Unfortunately, we were driving around in this very Baptist town just as the churches were letting out. So traffic was HORRIBLE! Hubby and I were both feeling a "might pekish" and Ladybug was not happy to be back in the car seat. We opted for fast food, and by the time we found someplace to eat, Ladybug had fallen asleep again.
So we went to through the drive-thru and ate in the car while she continued to sleep. That whole ordeal took about an hour. Bad traffic+not knowing where we're going=AAAAAAHHHHH!!
Now we're back in the hotel. I'm loving the free wi-fi. We might take a dip in the pool later today.
While Hubby is in class this week, Ladybug and I will be checking out the town and surrounding area. I love the history of Virginia, and the mountains/rolling hills are just beautiful.
We made our first stop around 7:30 to let Ladybug run off some energy and for a diaper change. Made another stop around 9:45. Ladybug slept for about 45 minutes of the entire drive, which took around 5 hours. Much less than we expected.
We got into town around 11:30 and located our hotel. Hubby went in to ask when we could check in, and found that our room was ready. So we got into our room, then set out to find some lunch.
Unfortunately, we were driving around in this very Baptist town just as the churches were letting out. So traffic was HORRIBLE! Hubby and I were both feeling a "might pekish" and Ladybug was not happy to be back in the car seat. We opted for fast food, and by the time we found someplace to eat, Ladybug had fallen asleep again.
So we went to through the drive-thru and ate in the car while she continued to sleep. That whole ordeal took about an hour. Bad traffic+not knowing where we're going=AAAAAAHHHHH!!
Now we're back in the hotel. I'm loving the free wi-fi. We might take a dip in the pool later today.
While Hubby is in class this week, Ladybug and I will be checking out the town and surrounding area. I love the history of Virginia, and the mountains/rolling hills are just beautiful.
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Saturday, August 23, 2008
We Interrupt Our Trip Preparations
I have to take a moment from preparing for our trip to share this. I know Grammy (my mom) will love to hear this story!
I was finishing one last load of laundry this afternoon. Ladybug was helping me by pulling clothes from the dryer and leaving them on the floor. She took out a washcloth, and I said, "Yes, that's a washcloth." (the ones we use to wash up after meals)
She wiped her face with it, then walked over to the sink. That's where we put the washcloth when we're done! She acted out the whole thing! It was SOOOO cute - I just had to share!!!
Back to packing and cleaning now....
I was finishing one last load of laundry this afternoon. Ladybug was helping me by pulling clothes from the dryer and leaving them on the floor. She took out a washcloth, and I said, "Yes, that's a washcloth." (the ones we use to wash up after meals)
She wiped her face with it, then walked over to the sink. That's where we put the washcloth when we're done! She acted out the whole thing! It was SOOOO cute - I just had to share!!!
Back to packing and cleaning now....
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Friday, August 22, 2008
Random Ramblings
Lots of stuff in my head. Just trying to organize my thoughts.
~ We're heading out of town on Sunday. Hubby has a week-long intensive class for his masters program. Ladybug and I are going along for fun.
~ I'll have wi-fi at the hotel, so hopefully I'll still be able to blog and tweet. Woohoo!
~ Stalkers, don't even think of trying to find my house while we're out of town. Ruthie the Attack Cat will still be on duty.
~ Ladybug has been pounding on my laptop keyboard. So now the left shift key doesn't work all the time, and the 1 key also is sticky. Which is bad because I love to use exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!
~ I have a gazillion things on my to-do list before we leave. Ah!! My mind is about to explode!!
~ This will be Ladybug's longest car trip and longest trip away from home. I am packing lots of snacks, books, toys, and other diversions.
~ On top of trying to get ready for this trip, I have loose ends for my business that I need to tie up. Or at least make sure people have my cell number so they can call me if they need me!
~ Lists, lists, and more lists! And future blog posts swimming in my head!
Time to get some work done. It's raining here today. The outer band of Tropical Storm Fay is over us this morning. Luckily, it's just normal rain, not tropical storm wind and rain. When you live at sea level, rain that comes down hard and fast has no place to go! (a good reason not to have basements here, although I miss having the extra storage space!)
Oh, almost forgot! Today is my Aunt J's birthday. And tomorrow is my friend Kaylea's birthday. Happy Birthday!
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thankful Thursday
It's been quite a crazy week around here. With no end to the craziness in sight as we prepare for a trip next week. (I'm so excited! I get to meet Heather from Desperately Seeking Sanity!!)
This week, my thankfulness focuses on the "peace that passes all human understanding."
Have you ever seen a poster that has a duck swimming and you can see both the above water view and the under water view? The duck looks all calm and serene in the above water view. But he's paddling like crazy under water.
That's how I feel. I feel like there are so many things going on right now, but yet God gives me His peace each day so that I don't feel like I'm going nuts. I'm not a good juggler, and God knows that. But He gives me reassurance that I can keep going and that He will help me get things done.
I'm also thankful for the peaceful place that is our home. I have a wonderful Hubby, and fabulous daughter, and the privilege of having my "full-time job" as being wife and mommy. What a blessing!
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:4-13
For more thankful hearts and warm fuzzies, please visit Iris at Sting My Heart and the Fabulous Mrs. Fussypants.
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
New Mei Tai for Babywearing
I am so excited to share (finally!) pictures of my new baby carrier, called a mei tai (pronounced may tie). 
I have been able to use the mei tai at church, during Vacation Bible School, and at a going away party that we attended last week.
My friend Farrah at Baby Love Slings makes slings and carriers, and I got this gorgeous mei tai from her. And Farrah just had a new baby boy last week! Please stop by her blog and wish her congratulations!
Ladybug and I are still getting used to the new carrier, but I am loving the versatility of the mei tai. I can do a front carry and a back carry easily. I want to learn how to do a hip carry as well.
Steph at Adventures in Babywearing has some great posts this week about babywearing. If you have any questions about baby carriers and the benefits of keeping your baby close, just ask!
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Our Love Story - The Move
After the camping trip to Ichthus 2002, Hubby and I knew (at least I knew!) that our relationship could withstand some tough circumstances.
I mentioned previously that God began to change things in my ministry position so that I would feel released from full-time ministry. I did feel that ministry was my calling. But I was also torn. The greatest desire of my heart was to be a wife and a mother, and I couldn't see in my mind how that would work with the demands of ministry.
God made a way for me to leave. It was painful, but we totally recognize that it was God's doing. And as I look back now, I know that pain had a purpose. The greatest desires of my heart have been fulfilled, and I wouldn't have the blessings of my family if I hadn't walked through that storm.
So, when I felt released from full-time ministry, I began to make plans and God began to open doors. On faith, I made plans to move to West Virginia, where Hubby would be in graduate school. I didn't have a job or a place to live, but God provided.
In preparation, Hubby took the Greyhound bus out to Indiana to help me pack. We packed all of my belongings in a 24 ft. moving truck and moved most of my things into storage in Pennsylvania (near my mom). I stayed with Mom for a few weeks, and Hubby took the Greyhound back to West Virginia because he had to be in class.
On July 3, 2002, I drove from my mom's in PA to WVa, where I would be staying with Hubby's parents until I got on my feet. Did you read The Meeting, where I invited myself to Hubby's parents' house so that we could meet for the first time? And now, I would be staying in their guest room. I was either very confident in our relationship or very stupid.
After I had moved my things into the guest room, Hubby and I were relaxing in front of the TV in the living room. Everyone else had gone to bed. I realized that I needed to roll the windows up in my truck, so I went upstairs to grab my keys.
The stairs were split, with seven steps, a landing, and seven more steps. On my way back down, I totally missed the last step. I crashed into the wall in the hallway, and lay there in a crumpled heap. I was sure that I had broken my ankle. The only thought in my head was "Oh great! I don't have health insurance!"
It took what seemed like 10 minutes for Hubby to respond to the crash and my subsequent whimpering. He said it was more like 10 seconds. I was in a lot of pain. A lot.
Hubby helped me hobble into the kitchen, where we determined that it wasn't broken. It hurt a lot, so we iced it before calling it a night. (Oh yeah. Hubby was living at his mom and dad's too. Except he was sleeping in the basement. Seriously. He was.)
What a way to get to know my future in-laws. First, I invite myself to their house. Then I move in. Then I become an invalid.
The ankle took about 11 months to completely heal. It was a severe sprain. Whenever it hurt enough for me to wince, we started calling it a "twinge." In fact, the "twinge" started acting up again this week. It's been 6 years. Now I think it's arthritis.
Anyway, stay tuned for more of our love story!
I mentioned previously that God began to change things in my ministry position so that I would feel released from full-time ministry. I did feel that ministry was my calling. But I was also torn. The greatest desire of my heart was to be a wife and a mother, and I couldn't see in my mind how that would work with the demands of ministry.
God made a way for me to leave. It was painful, but we totally recognize that it was God's doing. And as I look back now, I know that pain had a purpose. The greatest desires of my heart have been fulfilled, and I wouldn't have the blessings of my family if I hadn't walked through that storm.
So, when I felt released from full-time ministry, I began to make plans and God began to open doors. On faith, I made plans to move to West Virginia, where Hubby would be in graduate school. I didn't have a job or a place to live, but God provided.
In preparation, Hubby took the Greyhound bus out to Indiana to help me pack. We packed all of my belongings in a 24 ft. moving truck and moved most of my things into storage in Pennsylvania (near my mom). I stayed with Mom for a few weeks, and Hubby took the Greyhound back to West Virginia because he had to be in class.
On July 3, 2002, I drove from my mom's in PA to WVa, where I would be staying with Hubby's parents until I got on my feet. Did you read The Meeting, where I invited myself to Hubby's parents' house so that we could meet for the first time? And now, I would be staying in their guest room. I was either very confident in our relationship or very stupid.
After I had moved my things into the guest room, Hubby and I were relaxing in front of the TV in the living room. Everyone else had gone to bed. I realized that I needed to roll the windows up in my truck, so I went upstairs to grab my keys.
The stairs were split, with seven steps, a landing, and seven more steps. On my way back down, I totally missed the last step. I crashed into the wall in the hallway, and lay there in a crumpled heap. I was sure that I had broken my ankle. The only thought in my head was "Oh great! I don't have health insurance!"
It took what seemed like 10 minutes for Hubby to respond to the crash and my subsequent whimpering. He said it was more like 10 seconds. I was in a lot of pain. A lot.
Hubby helped me hobble into the kitchen, where we determined that it wasn't broken. It hurt a lot, so we iced it before calling it a night. (Oh yeah. Hubby was living at his mom and dad's too. Except he was sleeping in the basement. Seriously. He was.)
What a way to get to know my future in-laws. First, I invite myself to their house. Then I move in. Then I become an invalid.
The ankle took about 11 months to completely heal. It was a severe sprain. Whenever it hurt enough for me to wince, we started calling it a "twinge." In fact, the "twinge" started acting up again this week. It's been 6 years. Now I think it's arthritis.
Anyway, stay tuned for more of our love story!
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Meme Madness
I was tagged by THREE people for this first meme. THREE! Yikes! I guess y'all really want to know more random stuff about me. Marsha at Marsha's Musings and Michele at Michele's Morsels BEElieve tagged me for this first meme. Tara at Feels like Home tagged me for the second meme as well. It's been a while since I did a meme here on the blog, so I thought "why not?"
Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on in your post
3. Share 6 unspectacular quirks
4. Tag 6 more blogs by listing their links
5. Leave a comment for each of the 6 victims blogs that you tagged
6 of my unspectacular quirks (or random things about me)
1. I am a new Twitter-addict. Yes, I am! Do you Twitter? Oh, c'mon! Give it a try! (I am @notdiyheather)
2. I purse my lips when I'm thinking. (I did it just now, thinking of unspectacular quirks I have.)
3. I didn't have any formal musical training until I was 18. I always loved music class, and I took saxophone lessons from my elementary music teacher. But other than that, everything that I did was with band and choir.
4. I love to teach Bible studies, but I am a procrastinator when it comes to preparation. I usually wing it (shhh! don't tell anyone in my Bible study that I do that!).
5. I love to cook and bake, but I hate to clean up afterward. The only way I can deal with the mess is to clean up as I go.
6. I also hate to put laundry away. There are always baskets and/or piles of clean laundry somewhere in our house.
Did this next meme have any rules? I guess they're the same as the above, except this meme is about your child/children.
7 fun, interesting facts about my daughter
1. Ladybug has the best, most infectious laugh of any child....ever. It delights my mommy heart to hear her laugh.
2. She knows about 20 signs now. I am constantly amazed at how quickly she'll pick up a new sign.
3. She purses her lips (like I do - see above). We call it the "shnooo face."
4. She loves her veggies. She has even tried broccoli and liked it!
5. She also loves the whole wheat bread that I make.
6. She loves to "read." Whether it's me reading to her, or her reading to herself, she loves books!
7. She gets tremendous delight in chasing and tormenting the Siamese cat, Ruthie. I think she "understands" the concept of being gentle but would rather pound on the cat. (And the stupid cat just sits there!)
I'm not going to tab anyone specific for these memes. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged! (I know, I'm such a cheater!) If you decide to do one or both of these, please let me know so I can come read!
Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on in your post
3. Share 6 unspectacular quirks
4. Tag 6 more blogs by listing their links
5. Leave a comment for each of the 6 victims blogs that you tagged
6 of my unspectacular quirks (or random things about me)
1. I am a new Twitter-addict. Yes, I am! Do you Twitter? Oh, c'mon! Give it a try! (I am @notdiyheather)
2. I purse my lips when I'm thinking. (I did it just now, thinking of unspectacular quirks I have.)
3. I didn't have any formal musical training until I was 18. I always loved music class, and I took saxophone lessons from my elementary music teacher. But other than that, everything that I did was with band and choir.
4. I love to teach Bible studies, but I am a procrastinator when it comes to preparation. I usually wing it (shhh! don't tell anyone in my Bible study that I do that!).
5. I love to cook and bake, but I hate to clean up afterward. The only way I can deal with the mess is to clean up as I go.
6. I also hate to put laundry away. There are always baskets and/or piles of clean laundry somewhere in our house.
Did this next meme have any rules? I guess they're the same as the above, except this meme is about your child/children.
7 fun, interesting facts about my daughter
1. Ladybug has the best, most infectious laugh of any child....ever. It delights my mommy heart to hear her laugh.
2. She knows about 20 signs now. I am constantly amazed at how quickly she'll pick up a new sign.
3. She purses her lips (like I do - see above). We call it the "shnooo face."
4. She loves her veggies. She has even tried broccoli and liked it!
5. She also loves the whole wheat bread that I make.
6. She loves to "read." Whether it's me reading to her, or her reading to herself, she loves books!
7. She gets tremendous delight in chasing and tormenting the Siamese cat, Ruthie. I think she "understands" the concept of being gentle but would rather pound on the cat. (And the stupid cat just sits there!)
I'm not going to tab anyone specific for these memes. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged! (I know, I'm such a cheater!) If you decide to do one or both of these, please let me know so I can come read!
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Monday, August 18, 2008
Priorities - More of Him Monday
Welcome to More of Him Monday! This is a weekly carnival in which we can share encouragement with fellow Christian bloggers. Please read here for participation guidelines.
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE: I will not be including a Mr. Linky on my MOH posts for now. If you have a post that is along the More of Him themes, please feel free to leave your link in the comments. It is discouraging to me when no one signs Mr. Linky. I will continue to post More of Him Mondays, and I want to encourage anyone to participate, whether it's a scripture that touched your heart this week, or a moment when you knew that God was speaking to you. Thanks!
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Priorities. How do you determine what your priorities are and will be?
My basic guidelines for my personal priorities are: 1. God and my personal relationship with Him; 2. my family, especially Hubby and Ladybug; 3. everything else.
I realize "everything else" is a big category, but I never want anything to get in the way of my first two priorities. And I even don't want to allow my family to impede my relationship with God.
So, how does a busy mommy keep priorities in order? Lots of prayer. Seriously. Like I said, that "everything else" category is pretty big. Establishing priorities within that category start with "things that help my family" and "things that help the kingdom of God."
And blogging? Where does blogging fall in my list priorities? Honestly, blogging is my hobby. The little income from blogging does help my family. And I pray that something I write might impact someone and improve their relationship with God. But frankly, blogging is low on the list.
For example, I started this post on Sunday afternoon. I'm finishing it on Monday morning, after breakfast. Family and sleeping were greater priorities. And getting Ladybug to sleep is definitely a greater priority than blogging. I know that a well-rested toddler is a happy toddler (most of the time), so if her sleeping well means that I need to rock or sing her to sleep, I do it. If that means that I lay down with her, I do it.
I guess this is also an apology for not being able to visit every one's blogs as often as I would like. I have to keep my priorities in order. My bloggy friends are on that list. Some days, I don't make it all the way through the list.
I'd love to hear how you keep your priorities in order. Please share!
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE: I will not be including a Mr. Linky on my MOH posts for now. If you have a post that is along the More of Him themes, please feel free to leave your link in the comments. It is discouraging to me when no one signs Mr. Linky. I will continue to post More of Him Mondays, and I want to encourage anyone to participate, whether it's a scripture that touched your heart this week, or a moment when you knew that God was speaking to you. Thanks!
******************************************
Priorities. How do you determine what your priorities are and will be?
That's a tough question. I know that when I start to feel overwhelmed with too many things to do and not enough time to do them, I always try to re-prioritize.
My basic guidelines for my personal priorities are: 1. God and my personal relationship with Him; 2. my family, especially Hubby and Ladybug; 3. everything else.
I realize "everything else" is a big category, but I never want anything to get in the way of my first two priorities. And I even don't want to allow my family to impede my relationship with God.
So, how does a busy mommy keep priorities in order? Lots of prayer. Seriously. Like I said, that "everything else" category is pretty big. Establishing priorities within that category start with "things that help my family" and "things that help the kingdom of God."
And blogging? Where does blogging fall in my list priorities? Honestly, blogging is my hobby. The little income from blogging does help my family. And I pray that something I write might impact someone and improve their relationship with God. But frankly, blogging is low on the list.
For example, I started this post on Sunday afternoon. I'm finishing it on Monday morning, after breakfast. Family and sleeping were greater priorities. And getting Ladybug to sleep is definitely a greater priority than blogging. I know that a well-rested toddler is a happy toddler (most of the time), so if her sleeping well means that I need to rock or sing her to sleep, I do it. If that means that I lay down with her, I do it.
I guess this is also an apology for not being able to visit every one's blogs as often as I would like. I have to keep my priorities in order. My bloggy friends are on that list. Some days, I don't make it all the way through the list.
I'd love to hear how you keep your priorities in order. Please share!
When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is happy.
Proverbs 29:18
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Sunday, August 17, 2008
Lipstick Giveaway!
Ooops! I forgot to draw for the winner of a free lipstick for the participants of the Lipstick Challenge.
There were 6 ladies who signed up for the challenge through me, so I just drew names out of a hat.
The winner is..... Casey!!!
Casey, send me an e-mail with the color of lipstick that you want. Congratulations!
There were 6 ladies who signed up for the challenge through me, so I just drew names out of a hat.
The winner is..... Casey!!!
Casey, send me an e-mail with the color of lipstick that you want. Congratulations!
Save And Share :
Friday, August 15, 2008
Friday Funny
So, Hubby snores a bit, usually when he's laying on his back. All I have to do is tell him to roll over, which he does, and the snoring stops.
With a co-sleeping toddler, it's hard to just say "roll over." I don't want to say it too loud for fear of waking Ladybug.
Last night, Hubby was snoring, and I kept nudging him with my foot. The snoring continued. Soon Ladybug is tossing and turning, and I can tell that she's awake and trying to fall back asleep.
Tossing and turning. Snoring continues. All of a sudden, Ladybug says, "Da-da!" Hubby rolls over, the snoring stops, and we are all soon fast asleep.
With a co-sleeping toddler, it's hard to just say "roll over." I don't want to say it too loud for fear of waking Ladybug.
Last night, Hubby was snoring, and I kept nudging him with my foot. The snoring continued. Soon Ladybug is tossing and turning, and I can tell that she's awake and trying to fall back asleep.
Tossing and turning. Snoring continues. All of a sudden, Ladybug says, "Da-da!" Hubby rolls over, the snoring stops, and we are all soon fast asleep.
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thankful Thursday
Ladybug is a very active, 14 1/2 month old toddler. Always moving, always curious, always into something.
And that makes for a tired Momma!
Thankfully, she is sleeping well most nights (still co-sleeping). And she is taking one nap a day, usually for at least an hour, sometimes more, sometimes less. But that nap is in bed without me.
I have been trying to use that quiet naptime for restful, relaxing activity for myself. Like blogging, reading, maybe even a nap for myself. Whatever I need that particular day.
But I am so very thankful for that hour of quiet.
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
For more thankfulness, please visit Iris and Mrs. Fussypants.
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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Our Love Story - Camping at a Music Festival
Continuing with Our Love Story...
After my trip to Hubby's parents' house to meet him AND his family in one fell swoop, we continued to talk every day. Unbeknownst to us, God began to put things in place so that I could leave full-time ministry. He began to make it clear that I was not to continue on that path.
We made plans for our next rendezvous. Ichthus 2002. Ichthus is a Christian music festival in Kentucky where I went to seminary. I had been hoping to take my youth group, but I had given them the choice of Ichthus (which involves camping) or Acquire the Fire (which involves a hotel). They chose ATF, so Ichthus became my own vacation. A girlfriend of mine was to attend with me, but she wasn't able to.
So Hubby and I made plans to meet up there, camp out together (with 22,000 other people), and enjoy the Christian music and worship together. If you have ever gone camping with your beloved, you'll understand when I say that three days together, without modern conveniences, brings out your true personality. You can't hide and put on a facade and pretend you are something you're not.
And the fact that there are no showers for three days, well, you get to know a lot more about a person that way!
We had a great time together, with the exception of the last night. A lot of groups leave after the last concert on Saturday night. We chose to stay and leave on Sunday instead. But at about 1 am, we heard noise and saw lots of flashlights outside the tent. The festival officials were warning everyone to leave because there was a very bad storm on its way, including possible tornadoes!
It was raining and we hurriedly collapsed the tent and threw the rest of our gear in the back of my truck. We couldn't leave, because Hubby's jeep had a flat tire and we weren't about to try to change that in a rainstorm.
Now, as we are tearing down the tent, it is really starting to rain. Hubby, being a golfer, had some cool rain gear that kept him dry. I had none. I was getting soaked. He was having fun and taking his sweet time with the tent. I was not amused. My temper flared, and yet it did not scare him away.
We spent the night sleeping in the cab of my pickup, watching the amazing lightning display. It was quite a storm!
When we woke, we saw that there were a few others who braved the storm. The previously neat lines of port-a-potties had been knocked over by the wind. Can anyone say "ewwww?"
We went to where Hubby had parked his jeep, which was next to a larger festival tent. That tent was no longer standing, and one of the poles and done some damage to his jeep. Now, we not only needed to get the tire fixed, but he had a broken window and some good size dents! Also, the mud was pretty deep and his jeep had to be pushed out before we could even change the tire.
It was a great "bonding" time, and we learned a lot about each other's character that weekend. We got to spend extra time together at the "awful waffle" while we waited for his tire to be fixed.
When we were newlyweds, we went to Ichthus 2003, with less drama, but still visited that waffle house to reminisce.
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Monday, August 11, 2008
Storms of Life - More of Him Monday
Welcome to More of Him Monday! This is a weekly carnival in which we can share encouragement with fellow Christian bloggers. Please read here for participation guidelines.
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I had the privilege of the preaching the sermon this Sunday at church. I thought I would share it here for MOH today. (I apologize that this is such a long post. The sermon was only 12 minutes long.) The Scripture was Matthew 14:22-33.
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I had the privilege of the preaching the sermon this Sunday at church. I thought I would share it here for MOH today. (I apologize that this is such a long post. The sermon was only 12 minutes long.) The Scripture was Matthew 14:22-33.
What is FAITH?
Dictionary.com says faith is:
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing; 2. belief that is not based on proof.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Notice that the writer of Hebrews puts three words together – FAITH, CONFIDENCE, and HOPE. These words can be used interchangeably in today’s story.
We are so familiar with the story of Peter walking on water that we don’t realize the message that is hidden in this story. The message is FAITH. Not the lack of faith that Jesus asks about at the end of the story. But the FAITH in the middle of the storm.
There are two types of storms that we face in our journey of faith. Storms of correction and storms of perfection. Jonah faced a storm of correction, because he was running from God, refusing to follow God’s command. The disciples were facing a storm of perfection, because they were right were the Lord told them to be. Out on the sea. They were in God’s will.
They might have been confused because He had sent them on ahead. They might have been frustrated, as experienced fishermen, that they weren’t making headway through the storm. They might have been disillusioned that Jesus wasn’t there to calm the storm like he had before. But they were in the center of God’s will.
In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus had called a storm. The disciples had witnessed this and knew that He had that power. Now they were facing a storm without His physical presence, and it was to prepare them for the lives that they would lead after his death and resurrection.
The whole purpose of the storm in Matthew 14 was to help the disciples grow in their faith. Although we often jump to the end of the story when Jesus questions Peter’s faith, Peter demonstrates tremendous faith.
Remember that Peter is a life-long fisherman. He is very familiar with the ways of the sea. He knows the danger of being at sea during a storm.
But when Peter saw Jesus, he was so overwhelmed, so overjoyed, that he set aside all that he knew, for the joy of being with His Lord. He did the one thing that any sane fisherman would not do, he got out of the boat.
But he waited for the Lord’s command. He did not just jump out and start swimming, straining against the storm, the wind, and the waves. He asked the Lord to give him a command. And when that command came, Peter had faith to step out of the boat. He dared to follow where Jesus commanded him to go. Peter did not walk on water so that he could be sensational. He walked on water so that he could be closer to his Lord.
Peter saw that it was safer to be with Jesus out on the water than to be in the boat. And Jesus confirmed Peter’s right motive when He gave him the go-ahead.
Peter’s faith was enough to get him out of the boat. Remember that this storm was a storm of perfection, to grow faith. And Peter’s faith was about to grow! James 1:12 reads, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.” This was a time of testing for Peter. He dared to follow Jesus onto the water. Now would his faith be enough to keep him focused on Jesus too?
What storms of perfection have you faced? Times in life, when you knew you were exactly where God wanted you to be, yet were the hardest times you have ever faced?
For Hubby and me, it was experiencing the death of our first daughter, Susie. She was due to be born just after Christmas 2004. In the beginning of December, we went in for a routine check up, and the nurse practitioner could not find her heartbeat. After delivering her, we realized the cause was what they call a cord accident.
We were devastated. But as we sat in the hospital room, we also knew that we were exactly where God wanted us to be. And we called out to Him. Susie’s death did not happened to punish us, or correct us, but to perfect us. In the days following her loss, we clung to each other and to the promises we knew from Scripture. Promises of hope, and love, and an eternity in heaven.
And God continues to use our experience to reach out to others who are facing the loss of a child. Just like Peter, we did not ask for a guarantee that we wouldn’t hurt, or grieve. We only asked for an opportunity to serve God and to follow Him more closely.
For Peter, staying in the boat was the equivalent of saying “I don’t want to grow.” Peter chose to know the joy and freedom of experiencing God’s power after taking an enormous risk.
When we say “yes” to the storms of perfection, we set in motion an adventure that will leave us forever changed. All we need is enough faith to take that first step. Sometimes God will ask us to step out of the boat at the point of our fears, just so that we can overcome them.
Your heart is revealed and your character is forged when life doesn’t turn out the way you planned. In the act of facing the storm, we discover what lives inside us, and we decide what lies before us. Faith believes that with God, we are never helpless victims of circumstance.
Storms have a way of teaching us what nothing else can. We grow spiritually, emotionally, and mentally when we experience storms. So we would be wise to learn not to dread problems, but to welcome them and the pain they bring. Those are growing pains!
The most common command in the Bible is “Fear not!” 366 times! Fear is the number one reason people are tempted to avoid doing what God asks of them. When fear struck Peter, he lost confidence that Jesus was the Master of the storm. Fear caused him to take his focus off Jesus, and look at the circumstances around him.
Have you ever watched a baby grow into a toddler? We have that privilege right now. Babies don’t fear failure the way adults do. When they are learning to walk, they fall many times before getting it right. If a baby tried to walk, fell once, and gave up, would that baby ever learn to walk? As we grow older, we learn to fear failure.
But failure is not permanent. We need to learn to dust ourselves off and get back up when we experience bumpy roads. If we are walking closely with God, problems lose their ability to damage us. Instead we learn and grow.
When we give in to fear and failure, we are saying that we have no hope. No faith. No confidence in the Lord.
Picture this. Peter has his eyes locked on the Lord. He throws his leg over the boat rail. He puts his foot down. Eyes still locked on Jesus. He brings his other leg over the rail and puts that foot down and stands. Eyes still locked on Jesus. He begins to walk. Step, after step, after step. Eyes firmly focused on Jesus.
Was it a puff of wind? A splash from a wave on his face? What made Peter lose that firm focus? We don’t know. But his focus shifted. Then he became frightened. Then he began to sink.
Then he did something that we need to learn from. He didn’t wait and assess the situation. He didn’t call for a committee. He saw that he was sinking and, void of all pride and shame, he cried out! “Save me, Lord!”
Jesus immediately reaches out to him, and they were together back at the boat. Jesus, being the ever good teacher, wanted Peter to learn from this situation too. He asks, “Why did you doubt?” He wants Peter’s faith to grow and not be dampened by the “failure.”
He wanted Peter to have hope for the future. A future that would hold many more storms. He wanted Peter to live up to his nickname – The Rock.
In his book, If You Want to Walk On Water, You Have to Get Out of The Boat, John Ortberg writes,
“Faith, hope and confidence are interchangeable. Hope is what human hearts run on. Hope is why human beings keep bringing children into a fallen world.”
Ortberg tells the story of French painter Henri Matisse. Near the end of his life, Matisse had severe arthritis in his hands. But he continued to paint, to the point of pain so severe it would bring tears to his eyes. When asked why he continued to paint, Matisse replied, “The pain goes away; the beauty endures.”
We can survive the loss of an extraordinary number of things, but we cannot outlive hope. When hope is gone, we are done.
Having hope means that we will not give in to overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression in the face of difficult challenges or setbacks.
Hope is greater than optimism. When we hope, we believe that God will redeem all things, including the storms of life. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5)
The lesson that we can learn from Peter today is to keep our eyes focused on Christ when the storms of life attack. When we focus on Christ, we can have the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
I will close with one of my favorite prayers that I cling to in the storms of life. It is The Breastplate of St. Patrick.
I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise.
Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity.
Dictionary.com says faith is:
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing; 2. belief that is not based on proof.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Notice that the writer of Hebrews puts three words together – FAITH, CONFIDENCE, and HOPE. These words can be used interchangeably in today’s story.
We are so familiar with the story of Peter walking on water that we don’t realize the message that is hidden in this story. The message is FAITH. Not the lack of faith that Jesus asks about at the end of the story. But the FAITH in the middle of the storm.
There are two types of storms that we face in our journey of faith. Storms of correction and storms of perfection. Jonah faced a storm of correction, because he was running from God, refusing to follow God’s command. The disciples were facing a storm of perfection, because they were right were the Lord told them to be. Out on the sea. They were in God’s will.
They might have been confused because He had sent them on ahead. They might have been frustrated, as experienced fishermen, that they weren’t making headway through the storm. They might have been disillusioned that Jesus wasn’t there to calm the storm like he had before. But they were in the center of God’s will.
In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus had called a storm. The disciples had witnessed this and knew that He had that power. Now they were facing a storm without His physical presence, and it was to prepare them for the lives that they would lead after his death and resurrection.
The whole purpose of the storm in Matthew 14 was to help the disciples grow in their faith. Although we often jump to the end of the story when Jesus questions Peter’s faith, Peter demonstrates tremendous faith.
Remember that Peter is a life-long fisherman. He is very familiar with the ways of the sea. He knows the danger of being at sea during a storm.
But when Peter saw Jesus, he was so overwhelmed, so overjoyed, that he set aside all that he knew, for the joy of being with His Lord. He did the one thing that any sane fisherman would not do, he got out of the boat.
But he waited for the Lord’s command. He did not just jump out and start swimming, straining against the storm, the wind, and the waves. He asked the Lord to give him a command. And when that command came, Peter had faith to step out of the boat. He dared to follow where Jesus commanded him to go. Peter did not walk on water so that he could be sensational. He walked on water so that he could be closer to his Lord.
Peter saw that it was safer to be with Jesus out on the water than to be in the boat. And Jesus confirmed Peter’s right motive when He gave him the go-ahead.
Peter’s faith was enough to get him out of the boat. Remember that this storm was a storm of perfection, to grow faith. And Peter’s faith was about to grow! James 1:12 reads, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.” This was a time of testing for Peter. He dared to follow Jesus onto the water. Now would his faith be enough to keep him focused on Jesus too?
What storms of perfection have you faced? Times in life, when you knew you were exactly where God wanted you to be, yet were the hardest times you have ever faced?
For Hubby and me, it was experiencing the death of our first daughter, Susie. She was due to be born just after Christmas 2004. In the beginning of December, we went in for a routine check up, and the nurse practitioner could not find her heartbeat. After delivering her, we realized the cause was what they call a cord accident.
We were devastated. But as we sat in the hospital room, we also knew that we were exactly where God wanted us to be. And we called out to Him. Susie’s death did not happened to punish us, or correct us, but to perfect us. In the days following her loss, we clung to each other and to the promises we knew from Scripture. Promises of hope, and love, and an eternity in heaven.
And God continues to use our experience to reach out to others who are facing the loss of a child. Just like Peter, we did not ask for a guarantee that we wouldn’t hurt, or grieve. We only asked for an opportunity to serve God and to follow Him more closely.
For Peter, staying in the boat was the equivalent of saying “I don’t want to grow.” Peter chose to know the joy and freedom of experiencing God’s power after taking an enormous risk.
When we say “yes” to the storms of perfection, we set in motion an adventure that will leave us forever changed. All we need is enough faith to take that first step. Sometimes God will ask us to step out of the boat at the point of our fears, just so that we can overcome them.
Your heart is revealed and your character is forged when life doesn’t turn out the way you planned. In the act of facing the storm, we discover what lives inside us, and we decide what lies before us. Faith believes that with God, we are never helpless victims of circumstance.
Storms have a way of teaching us what nothing else can. We grow spiritually, emotionally, and mentally when we experience storms. So we would be wise to learn not to dread problems, but to welcome them and the pain they bring. Those are growing pains!
The most common command in the Bible is “Fear not!” 366 times! Fear is the number one reason people are tempted to avoid doing what God asks of them. When fear struck Peter, he lost confidence that Jesus was the Master of the storm. Fear caused him to take his focus off Jesus, and look at the circumstances around him.
Have you ever watched a baby grow into a toddler? We have that privilege right now. Babies don’t fear failure the way adults do. When they are learning to walk, they fall many times before getting it right. If a baby tried to walk, fell once, and gave up, would that baby ever learn to walk? As we grow older, we learn to fear failure.
But failure is not permanent. We need to learn to dust ourselves off and get back up when we experience bumpy roads. If we are walking closely with God, problems lose their ability to damage us. Instead we learn and grow.
When we give in to fear and failure, we are saying that we have no hope. No faith. No confidence in the Lord.
Picture this. Peter has his eyes locked on the Lord. He throws his leg over the boat rail. He puts his foot down. Eyes still locked on Jesus. He brings his other leg over the rail and puts that foot down and stands. Eyes still locked on Jesus. He begins to walk. Step, after step, after step. Eyes firmly focused on Jesus.
Was it a puff of wind? A splash from a wave on his face? What made Peter lose that firm focus? We don’t know. But his focus shifted. Then he became frightened. Then he began to sink.
Then he did something that we need to learn from. He didn’t wait and assess the situation. He didn’t call for a committee. He saw that he was sinking and, void of all pride and shame, he cried out! “Save me, Lord!”
Jesus immediately reaches out to him, and they were together back at the boat. Jesus, being the ever good teacher, wanted Peter to learn from this situation too. He asks, “Why did you doubt?” He wants Peter’s faith to grow and not be dampened by the “failure.”
He wanted Peter to have hope for the future. A future that would hold many more storms. He wanted Peter to live up to his nickname – The Rock.
In his book, If You Want to Walk On Water, You Have to Get Out of The Boat, John Ortberg writes,
“Faith, hope and confidence are interchangeable. Hope is what human hearts run on. Hope is why human beings keep bringing children into a fallen world.”
Ortberg tells the story of French painter Henri Matisse. Near the end of his life, Matisse had severe arthritis in his hands. But he continued to paint, to the point of pain so severe it would bring tears to his eyes. When asked why he continued to paint, Matisse replied, “The pain goes away; the beauty endures.”
We can survive the loss of an extraordinary number of things, but we cannot outlive hope. When hope is gone, we are done.
Having hope means that we will not give in to overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression in the face of difficult challenges or setbacks.
Hope is greater than optimism. When we hope, we believe that God will redeem all things, including the storms of life. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5)
The lesson that we can learn from Peter today is to keep our eyes focused on Christ when the storms of life attack. When we focus on Christ, we can have the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
I will close with one of my favorite prayers that I cling to in the storms of life. It is The Breastplate of St. Patrick.
I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise.
Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity.
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Your turn. Where have you seen More of Him in your life? (Please, only leave a link if you have a post on the MOH theme. Thanks!)
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Friday, August 8, 2008
Memories of My Aunt
On my recipe blog, I posted a new cookie recipe today. It reminded me of my Aunt Mary Jo, who passed away when I was twelve. All of us cousins adored her! She got married when I was 6, but didn't have any kiddos for a while, so she lavished extra attention on us.
This picture was taken in August 1979 (thanks to my cousin A for scanning and e-mailing this!).
Aunt Mary Jo is the one with her back to the camera, turned around with the big smile. That's how I remember her, always with that big smile. My mom is just above her head, and their oldest sister (my Aunt J) is to the left of mom. (We have another aunt, but she had moved out of state already.)
I am to the right of Aunt Mary Jo, with the red halter top. I think that was the last time I wore a halter top! My cousin M is on the other side of Aunt Mary Jo, and my sister is next to her.
We had lots of great fun together, the aunts and the girl cousins. We got together to bake cookies at Christmas time. We went to Lake Erie at least once in the summer. Plus lots of get togethers at each aunt's house.
I think one reason I have such fond memories of this time is the innocence that I had. Also, I think if we realized that Aunt Mary Jo would die so young (age 30), we would have been more uptight about spending time together. I just remember the fun we had. And the closeness I felt with my aunts, uncles, and cousins.
The women in this picture are part of the reason I keep a recipe blog. They are daughters of my maternal grandmother, to whom my recipe blog is dedicated. Grandma passed away when I was six, but I remember what an amazing cook she was. And she passed that on to her daughters, our moms.
I was feeling a bit nostalgic today. Thanks for letting me stroll down memory lane! I'll get back to sharing my love story with Hubby next week.
This picture was taken in August 1979 (thanks to my cousin A for scanning and e-mailing this!).
Aunt Mary Jo is the one with her back to the camera, turned around with the big smile. That's how I remember her, always with that big smile. My mom is just above her head, and their oldest sister (my Aunt J) is to the left of mom. (We have another aunt, but she had moved out of state already.)
I am to the right of Aunt Mary Jo, with the red halter top. I think that was the last time I wore a halter top! My cousin M is on the other side of Aunt Mary Jo, and my sister is next to her.
We had lots of great fun together, the aunts and the girl cousins. We got together to bake cookies at Christmas time. We went to Lake Erie at least once in the summer. Plus lots of get togethers at each aunt's house.
I think one reason I have such fond memories of this time is the innocence that I had. Also, I think if we realized that Aunt Mary Jo would die so young (age 30), we would have been more uptight about spending time together. I just remember the fun we had. And the closeness I felt with my aunts, uncles, and cousins.
The women in this picture are part of the reason I keep a recipe blog. They are daughters of my maternal grandmother, to whom my recipe blog is dedicated. Grandma passed away when I was six, but I remember what an amazing cook she was. And she passed that on to her daughters, our moms.
I was feeling a bit nostalgic today. Thanks for letting me stroll down memory lane! I'll get back to sharing my love story with Hubby next week.
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Thursday, August 7, 2008
Lipstick Challenge - Day 7
Whew!! Finally Day 7!!
First, a little lip 411.
Melanie asked about how well the lipstick stays on when I am with my lovable, huggable, kissable toddler. To be honest, I don't wear lipstick around the house. I use either my Satin Lips moisturizer or my Lip Protector with SPF 15. When we go out, then I usually wear lipstick with lip liner. Sometimes, if I'm in a hurry, it's only lipgloss (I keep an extra stashed in the car, just in case I leave home without anything on my lips at all, which happens.)
I don't wear a long-lasting lip stain. They're bad for your lips! My lipstick usually lasts 4-6 hrs, depending on what I'm doing. And that's plenty long for me. Plus Mary Kay's lipstick is moisturizing so it doesn't dry your lips out. (Who wants to kiss dried out lips??)
Also, I always wear a lip liner. I don't like the look of my lips without one. That's just me. You can layer lip liner, lipstick, and lip gloss. But the gloss makes the lipstick rub off on to clothes and/or people (lovable, huggable, kissable ones!). So I usually stick with just the liner and lipstick or just gloss.
This has been a fun challenge. I have found a few new colors that I like. My favorite is the Apple Berry. Then the Amber Suede. And also today's color, which is Garnetfrost.
The best advice I can give is experiment. Don't be afraid to try. If you can get free samples, that's the best. (Mary Kay consultants give out free samples!)
And don't forget to check out other participants at Jenny's blog. Thanks, Jenny, for this great challenge!!
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Thank Thursday
Yesterday was a horrible, no good, very bad day. Today, I am thankful for forgiveness.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
Psalm 103:8-13
I am thankful that when we ask for God's forgiveness, He wipes us cleans and does not remember our sins. The only thing I want to remember about yesterday is how to avoid the frustrations, so that I don't have a day like that again. Because yesterday was not a good day for me.
I am ready to start a new day. Fresh, minus frustrations. Thank you, Lord, that you allow me to start over again.
EDITED TO ADD: I'm also thankful that Hubby cleaned up all the toys after I went to bed last night!
For more thankful posts, please visit Iris or Mrs. Fussypants.
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Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Lipstick Challenge - Days 3, 4, and 5
Oops, I got a little slack in post my Lipstick Challenge pictures. But I'm guessing you needed a break from my lips anyway, huh? (EDITED: I just realized this is Days 4, 5, and 6. I think I need a nap!)
This first one is Amber Suede. I was a little bored with only posting pics of myself, so I had to get Ladybug in on a shot. I love this. The picture and the lipstick. It'll be a great shade for just running errands, not flashy, but enough color.
This next one is Sunburt. Ick. Didn't like it.
Next one is Sunset. I like this one. But I don't like my hair. Ew.
Ladybug is climbing all over me, so I guess I need to finish this post up. Don't forget to check out other challenge participants over at Runningamok!
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Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Blog the Recession!
I read over at Adventures in Babywearing that Kristin at Motherhood Uncensored (please note: her site is uncensored!) has started Blog the Recession to encourage readers to help increase bloggers’ page views this month. I knew this was a great idea! Cause hey - we can all use some help these days!
Kristin explains:
“The premise is simple. If you read blogs, then for the month of August, make the “pledge” to click through from your feed reader. No obligation to leave a hilarious comment or send a long stalkerish email (although both, within reason, are always lovely). Just click through to the blog (not on ads unless you are so led) and if you’re feeling generous, click around to their older posts.
Just those extra page views can make a big difference for bloggers who could really use the help…”
So please click through! I'd love to have an extra comment or two, but the extra clicks will help!
Kristin explains:
“The premise is simple. If you read blogs, then for the month of August, make the “pledge” to click through from your feed reader. No obligation to leave a hilarious comment or send a long stalkerish email (although both, within reason, are always lovely). Just click through to the blog (not on ads unless you are so led) and if you’re feeling generous, click around to their older posts.
Just those extra page views can make a big difference for bloggers who could really use the help…”
So please click through! I'd love to have an extra comment or two, but the extra clicks will help!
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Monday, August 4, 2008
Sharing Faith with Our Children - More of Him Monday
Welcome to More of Him Monday! This is a weekly carnival in which we can share encouragement with fellow Christian bloggers. Please read here for participation guidelines.
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Last week was a successful week of Vacation Bible School. It was exhausting, yet very rewarding. Today the kids shared two of the songs from VBS during worship.
There were moms and dads in church today that I had not seen there before, and I'm sure it was because of their child's involvement in VBS. So all of this has me thinking about how we share our faith with our children.
I wonder if we are doing enough. I know we do a lot to share our faith with Ladybug, but are we talking about God enough? We pray every night at bedtime. We sing praise songs at home as well as at church. We read Bible stories. We remind her that God loves her even more that Momma and Dadddy do.
On Sunday mornings, Ladybug spends the first half of the worship service in the nursery (this is a recent development). Then I go get her and bring her back to worship for communion and the rest of the singing. It's important to us that she be a part of weekly worship. But we understand that she's an active toddler and cannot sit still for that long, especially when we are busy in the worship service.
So I'd like to ask you, wonderful readers, what are some ways that you share your faith with your children? I'd love to hear your ideas, big or small. Ideas for kids of all ages.
If you want to, post your ideas on your blog, then link back here and sign up with Mr. Linky. Make it a spontaneous themed More of Him Monday. Don't worry, if your post isn't on this theme, sign Mr. Linky anyway.
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Last week was a successful week of Vacation Bible School. It was exhausting, yet very rewarding. Today the kids shared two of the songs from VBS during worship.
There were moms and dads in church today that I had not seen there before, and I'm sure it was because of their child's involvement in VBS. So all of this has me thinking about how we share our faith with our children.
I wonder if we are doing enough. I know we do a lot to share our faith with Ladybug, but are we talking about God enough? We pray every night at bedtime. We sing praise songs at home as well as at church. We read Bible stories. We remind her that God loves her even more that Momma and Dadddy do.
On Sunday mornings, Ladybug spends the first half of the worship service in the nursery (this is a recent development). Then I go get her and bring her back to worship for communion and the rest of the singing. It's important to us that she be a part of weekly worship. But we understand that she's an active toddler and cannot sit still for that long, especially when we are busy in the worship service.
So I'd like to ask you, wonderful readers, what are some ways that you share your faith with your children? I'd love to hear your ideas, big or small. Ideas for kids of all ages.
If you want to, post your ideas on your blog, then link back here and sign up with Mr. Linky. Make it a spontaneous themed More of Him Monday. Don't worry, if your post isn't on this theme, sign Mr. Linky anyway.
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Sunday, August 3, 2008
Lipstick Challenge - Day 3
Another Lipstick Challenge post. I promise I'll have some real content coming soon!
This is Apple Berry and I LOVE IT!
New favorite! Ding ding ding! We have a winnah! And through the end of the year, 100% of the profits from sales of Apple Berry lipstick is going to help fight against domestic violence!
Don't ask me what I'm doing with my tongue. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who is struggling with taking self portraits. And yes, I did get my hair cut. Thanks for noticing! I didn't realize how bad it was looking until I compared the previous lipstick pics.
I try to be frugal and only get my hair cut once every 3-4 months, but I am discovering with a shorter style, it gets out of whack very quickly!
Don't forget to check out Jenny's blog for Mr. Linky with all the other Lipstick Challenge participants.
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Saturday, August 2, 2008
Lipstick Challenge - Day 2
Continuing the Lipstick Challenge....
This is the new Mary Kay Red lip color. I have to admit, reds always turn orangey on me. Tell me what ya think!
Don't forget to check out Mr. Linky at Jenny's blog to see who else is participating in the challenge.
Also, I finally caved and joined Twitter. Friend me! @notdiyheather
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Friday, August 1, 2008
Lipstick Challenge - Day 1
Hey y'all! Time for the Lipstick Challenge to officially get underway!
For those of you who are participating, it's time to start sharing our pictures, no matter how bad we think they look. Jenny has a Mr. Linky set up at her place, so go ahead and post your first lipstick pic. She'll have a Mr. Linky every day, so you can post seven days worth of pics.
If you don't have a blog, just e-mail me (pinkcadillac04 at yahoo dot com) your pics and I'll post them here. Can't wait to see your gorgeous lips!
(I have learned that I cannot take a decent self-portrait. Please excuse the funny expressions that you might see!)
This is me in Mocha Freeze:
(Notice the bread machine in the background - it's been getting a work-out lately. I've been making all of our bread since the beginning of summer! Here are my recipes if anyone is interested.)
Come back tomorrow to see the next lipstick color!
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