Neglect

Oops... I have really neglected this blog in the last 3 months!  I really have no excuse, except that I'm lazy and lack ideas for good blogs.  I don't want to write just because people expect me to... it's a matter of enlightenment; of inspiration.  So, I apologize for neglecting writing for so long, if you check this regularly.  And, I also hope you thank me for sparing you of boring, purposeless posts, such as "my day with pink eye". :) 

So, you might ask:  what's the inspiration behind this sporadic post?  Well... two things, really.  No, three: Moving, Saying Goodbye, and Jury Duty.  

In case you haven't heard, Mac and I feel the Lord is calling us back to Oregon, so we took a step of faith, and decided to move to Corvallis at the end of the month!  This was before we found a place to live or jobs, or confirmed Mac's acceptance at OSU... and things are slowly falling into place, in God's own perfect timing.  Last weekend, we took the trek down and found a beautiful little house to rent from an amazing couple!  Now, we are just waiting on jobs and our decision about Mac's going to school.  Trusting the Lord is a hard, but rewarding thing, and I highly recommend risking it all to follow him!  It's exhilarating, really.

Somehow, I managed to get randomly selected for Spokane County's jury duty the last two weeks of work.  Luckily, I think I've been dismissed early.  Through my couple days of experience, though, I just realized how completely and utterly selfish humankind is.  As I sat in the jury lounge for hours upon hours, leisurely reading my favorite novel, I found myself complaining and griping about the fact that I had to be there rather than at home or at work.  When, in reality, all I had to do was sit there and wait... and read, or check my email, or whatever it is that I wanted to do, as long as I stayed in the building.  I think the Lord was trying to get my attention; trying to get me to slow down in life, just for a minute... to stop and thank him for the perfectly comfortable life he's given me!

And lastly, saying goodbye... today, I began training my "replacement" at work; spending 7 hours showing her how I run programs with my client, how to do his paperwork, and explaining the ups and downs of the job.  And in it all, I realized first of all, how much I'm really going to miss my little guy... well, all of them really, but especially little J-man.  I taught the kid how to walk, helped him learn how to communicate, and now I'm saying goodbye.  I hope he continues to succeed, and I know he will.  It's just hard to let go, to trust others, and believe I've done just as much as the Lord had purposed for me to do in this little boy's life.  

Then, there's my dear friends who have made my time in Spokane just completely, 100% amazing and completely, 100% difficult to leave.  One texted me today with a question making me laugh out loud, while working, and I almost cried when I realized I would get to make funny comments and ask advice from in person anymore.  The other friend happened to see my car on her drive to the store, and left a note on the windshield, praying the storm wouldn't take it out, just to say "hi" and she missed me since we haven't seen each other for a few days.  I'm not even going to go into what that did to my heart... I miss them after not talking to them for a few days, and now I'm considering going MONTHS without seeing them.  Of course, I'm going home to old and wonderful friends, but it's still going to leave a hole in my heart to leave these two in particular behind!

Okay, well, I guess the whole point in this novel is that the Lord asks us to trust Him, and when we do, he opens our ears and hearts to hear and feel his truth.  Loudly.  

My day with pink eye

This was my day, plus or minus some work/play on the computer:

1. wake up

2. discover i still have pink eye

--rub eye and wash hands

3. confirm with supervisors i will NOT be at work as pink eye is very contagious

4. make coffee

--rub eye and wash hands

5. drink coffee while reading Bible

--rub eye and wash hands

6. put herbs on balcony in sunlight to make them happy

--wash hands, rub eye, and wash hands

7. go to store

--rub eye, use hand sanitizer

8. try not to touch anything in store that i'm not going to to buy

--rub eye, use hand sanitizer

9. buy on-sale tillamook products, produce, calloidal silver, and pink-eye relief eye drops

--eye drops and wash hands

10. put groceries away

11. make fudge

11a. wash dishes

--eye drops and wash hands

12. make granola

12a. wash dishes

--eye drops and wash hands

13. play piano

14. talk to mac ... listen to him tell me i've baked enough for the day

--eye drops and wash hands

15. make biscotti

16. make scones

16a. wash dishes

--eye drops and wash hands

17. talk to mac

--eye drops and wash hands

**GET PRETTY GERBER DAISIES FROM MAC

18. play volleyball with mac before sun sets

19. watch mac watch sports on tv

--eye drops and wash hands

20. eat left over spaghetti, meatballs, and homemade bread for dinner

21. make green smoothies or eat ice cream...

--eye drops and wash hands

22. go to sleep without pink eye

the end.

Herbs!!

I bought some herbs to grow on our apartment balcony! I'm SOO excited... .fresh herbs add wonders of flavor, color, and spark to any dinner recipe, and now I don't have to buy the expensive ones from the store!

 Parsley   Sweet Basil

RosemaryCilantro

Decorating simply

I discovered a very simple way to decorate our bland apartment, thanks to the suggestion and guidance of Michelle! :) It's easy... all you have to do is set the table! We don't have a wide range of styles of plates, napkins, or anything, so I used what I had to add a little more color to the dining room.  

Oh, and I also bought a little foliage to add some color and life to the living room... filled up some empty space, and for cheap! This ti plant was on sale for $7.98, the pot was $4.00, and the potting soil (which I also used for my herbs and had some left over) was $1.50.  I like!

Dehydrating

Today marks the rise of my home-making attempts! I recently remembered that my mom dried fruit when I was growing up.  So, I called her up and asked if she still had her old dehydrator.  Lucky for me, she still had it, knew where it was, and didn't use it anymore!  So, I inherited the old thing, and today I began the adventure of dehydrating...

There are many things you can dehydrate to make into tasty snacks:  fruits, veggies, nuts, meat, etc.  I hadn't made a special grocery list for things to dehydrate, so I just used some blueberries, a banana, and then pureed some strawberries and blueberries (separately) to make fruit leather.  I'm pretty excited to see how everything turns out! The only downside to using a dehydrator is that it's like a slow-cooker... takes WAY too long! So, unfortunate for me, I didn't start the process until about 4 pm today and therefore will not be able to analyze the results until at least 10 tonight.  

Oh, and I also made crackers today! This was my second time making them, and they turned out well.. I definitely think that using a pizza stone makes a difference; I made a couple of the batches on cookie sheets, and they just were not as crisp.  I also took Michelle's suggestion to season them with rosemary, garlic salt, and parmesan cheese (all separately) and they are delicious!! 

This post has little value besides a brief insight into my attempts at being a simplistic home-maker. :)

Perfection

There is something to be said for doing things well.  I have always been somewhat of a perfectionist, a trait which I acquired from my father.  With a background in psychology, I of course spend a lot of time debating whether the acquisition of this trait was based upon the nature of my genetics or the method of nurturing I experienced.  That, however, is a discussion (not a debate), for another day.

All through school, home, and the general human society, we are taught to put forth our best effort, doing all things the best that we can.  The Bible even tell us, "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord..." (Colossians 3:23).  This, of course, is a virtue that I agree with and that I strive to achieve.  But, I can't help but think that we put too much emphasis on perfection itself.  It drives fathers to be workaholics, mothers to be plastic, children to be deceptive, youth to be anorexic and addicted, and many to be suicidal.  

I myself have experienced the feeling of utter failure, particularly this week.  Sometimes it's the little things in life that I expect to do perfectly that drive me to destruction.  For example, let's take Spike.  If you've been reading my previous posts, you know I raised a sourdough starter... we named him Spike.  Well, Spike failed.  On two different attempts this week, I tried to make some sourdough bread with Spike (two different recipes), both to no avail.  As I've been spending a lot of my time reading various homemaking and cooking blogs, as well as researching natural living and attempting to put all these methods in practice,  I figured that success should follow in-turn.  Unfortunately, that's not how it worked out.  I ended with three dense loaves of rock, a dinner which my husband disliked, and a whole bunch of dirty dishes, that ended up being washed twice.  Let's just say, I was a wreck, made myself sick, and missed a day of work.  I don't know that all this week's home failures are what led me to illness, but I wouldn't put it past God to force me to my end's wit to trust him. :)

This is just something small.  I realized this week that perfection is not everything.  David, who I have been reading about in 2 Samuel for quite some time, was far from perfect.  But do you know what?  The Lord himself called him "a man after God's own heart".  Wow.  With that, nothing else matters.  My goal in life should not be perfectionism, but should instead be complete unity with My Lord and Savior.  

I'm not saying that I get to throw perfection out the door right away, because I know that's not possible for me... Perfect is part of who I am.  But, I can leave some room for mistakes (which are the best teaching manipulative!), and know that God desires nothing more than for me to run into His presence and seek His heart.  

Something to Nurture!!

Mac and I finally found something we agree that I can nurture!  

Our new addition to the family is:

1.)  not alive... well, not really.

2.) needs to be fed every 24 hours.

3.) doesn't smell very good until later in its life.

4.) is a bit touchy on the environmental temperature.

5.) benefits us both greatly!

Any guesses?

I wish it were a puppy or a baby, but obviously those would both be most definitely alive and need to be fed more than every 24 hours... the other 3 qualifications fit just fine.  Anyway, we're adding a sourdough starter to our family, and it's going to be my pet.  Mainly, because I have to take care of it and "feed" it every 24 hours and keep it "alive" so that it will continue to make wonderfully yummy bread for us.  I'm not quite sure what recipe I'm going to use for the actual bread yet, but I do know I will use whole wheat flour, olive oil, and honey - if needed.  For the starter, I'm going with this:  http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm

Not only can we make bread, but we will be able to make pancakes, rolls, bagels, and many other things (as soon as I find recipes for them!).  Also, making my own bread is going to save on money and be better for us.  Homemade bread generally takes about 5 ingredients (flour, water, salt, and a little oil and sugar sometimes), whereas store-bought bread has approximately 15 ingredients, many of which cannot be pronounced.  Mac really like sourdough bread, and I like the idea of making bread without store-bought yeast, since flour contains yeast already, and just needs time in the fermentation process to mix with the bacteria for leavening.  

That said, I've given up on asking for a puppy, realized I can't keep a plant alive without sunlight, and settled for a pet sourdough starter.  How sad but wonderfully simple my life has become! :)

Dairy-Free

For those of you who don't know, I have an intolerance to lactose.  (I don't like to title people, and therefore try not to say "lactose intolerant").  Yes, I'm weird. I know. I'm also tired, and under the weather.  Therefore, should not be writing a post right now.  But, I can't help it because I'm excited.  I just found a website that has lots and lots and lots of dairy-free (and in turn, lactose-free) recipes, cookbooks, and links.  www.godairyfree.org 

I like cheese and ice cream too much to give it up completely, although I've been trying for a long time, because I feel much better when I don't consume dairy products.  But, I think websites like this one will help me finally omit dairy from my diet completely, as I can now count on actually good-tasting recipes that don't have any milk products.  Woohoo! 

Wish me luck as I attempt to get rid of the amazing tillamook cheese, butter, and yogurt in my fridge.  Milk is not something that gets me, as I don't like it anyway, although I do use it to bake with... And yogurt, actually, contains lactase in its live cultures (which is what my body doesn't have enough of) to break down the lactose for me, so I can eat yogurt.  And we're too frugal to buy ice cream... so really, it's just the butter and cheese (and occasional sour cream/buttermilk in recipes) that I have to cut out.  Also, wish my husband luck as he shares dairy-free dinners and baked goods with me.

This was a random post. sorry. but i'm excited.

I'm Excited For...

...Friday (yep, that's tomorrow. Best news of the week!)

...going to Oregon on March 25th!! 

...the completion of my 1000 hours on April 10th!!

...to be an "auntie" for baby Weasel #1

...Third Day being in tri-cities even if I can't go... but I plan on being there

...my kiddo  to keep up the amazing progress on his programs (sidenote: I only use the word kiddo to distinguish that the child is not actually my own, but one i take care of - otherwise, the word kiddo does NOT make me excited)

...my other kiddo to stop tearing up my hands

... for the word kiddo to die

...someday my husband to let me have a puppy to nurture

Righteousness

I went to a worship night with a friend yesterday and spent a lot of time reading Psalm 37.  The passage spoke about the rewards for the righteous.  The Lord really spoke to me through the scriptures, the worship songs, and the prayers of the people around me as I sat in His presence for a couple hours.  The following is the raw journal of my reflection... I'll try and edit it for confusion, but please just take it as it is... 

Righteousness is not based on perfectionism.  No, it instead comes from a relationship with and respect of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The righteous do not earn their salvation - it is given, a gift from the Lord God Almighty.  One is not qualified as righteous simply by his actions. 

Righteousness begins in the heart.  The righteous one delights first and foremost in the Lord, in His desires, and commits to following his way, however it may differ from the individual's thoughts and self-driven goals.  The righteous one spends time with the Lord the Savior, demonstrating patience - waiting for the Lord's plan and words to come.  Peace is granted to the righteous one who is still before the Lord.  Trust in the Lord and righteousness rains down out of the floodgates of heaven.

The righteous live for a cause - a just and holy cause to further the kingdom of the Holy Lord God Almighty.  Trust is shown in the act of doing good.  Hope of the righteous is rooted in the trust of the Lord God Almighty's perfect, holy plan.  Hope brings an inheritance, on immersed in the glory of the Lord.  Righteousness brings peace, beautiful peace.  Characterized by meekness... the righteous are humble, lowly in spirit.  Jesus Christ the Lord was righteous - meek and humble in spirit.  The righteous one is slow to anger, turning away from wrath and bitterness.

Rest for the righteous comes in the presence of the Lord God Almighty... the loving, holy presence of God's Holy Spirit.  Peace, love, and victory are in the presence of God.

The righteous show no shortage of generosity; and because of their free-giving spirit, the Lord never forsakes them.  They are well-cared for, never hungry or in need.  Their generosity comes from the free gift of Jesus Christ's salvation - his sacrifice.  The righteous one can do nothing but give to others in response to his amazing rescue.

What is the land that the righteous inherit?  It is the presence of the Lord of Glory, full of abundance and grace.  A land of peace, one where there is rest for the weary soul.  The righteous desires nothing more than to be in the inheritance - in the presence of His glory.  

One who is righteous does not speak lightly nor rashly.  Instead, the words that come from his mouth are full of wisdom, peace, and healing for those who hear.  The words bear the good news of Christ in every syllable.  They speak of the devoted love of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The righteous know the law of God, the precious words of scripture - they are written on his heart so that he will not falter.

The power of the Lord rests upon the righteous, equipping his hands to do the good work of the Father and bring healing to the nations.  One who is righteous does not rely on shortcuts or the easy way out.  He waits for the Lord to fall down upon his heart... the righteous wait for the Lord to use them to heal and bring a new vision and dream to the broken and lost. 

The Lord is the stronghold of the righteous; she relies on him alone for help in times of trouble.  The righteous take refuge in the Lord and He helps.

Fridays

Why do we all LOVE Fridays?  Because it means the week is over.  We get to go home.  There's no work responsibility or specific routine following Friday.  Friday means relaxing, seeing a change of pace, and spending time with those you love.  

But, of course, getting through Friday is always treacherous.  Something goes wrong and we always say, "hey, at least it's Friday." The day drags on... "I'm so glad it's Friday!" You get pinched or fail to complete something... "well, come 3 o'clock, it's the weekend." I feel that Friday never quite receives the full attention it deserves like every other day.  On Fridays, we slack.  We say, "oh, it's Friday, I don't feel like working." We wear jeans. Push through the day, but don't give it our full effort.  Simply because we're glad it's Friday and we're more excited about what's to follow it... going home.

What if we treated life like a Friday?  We should, you know?  Everyday should be, "Thank God it's Friday - soon I get to go home."  I hope that I'm as excited to go to heaven to be with my Loved One (Jesus Christ my Savior) as I am to go home from work to my husband.  Everyday should be filled with anticipation of the weekend, the time when God calls us to our true home and we get to spend every moment with no agenda praising Him.

I'm so glad it's Friday!!

Second Blog

I started a separate blog to put recipes on.  I did it more for the sake of Anna, my sister, who is in the Philippines and needs some good stove-top and no-bake recipes.  That said, the initial recipes posted here are not necessarily my favorite, but are definitely easy to make, use fresh ingredients, and can be made without an oven.  Enjoy!

http://morecipes.blogspot.com

and it wasn't supposed to be "more recipes" it's MO (my initials) recipes.. .just so happened it also make more recipes. ok i'm done.

The Ban, Food, Michelle, in that order.

1. The Ban

My husband (so lovingly) banned me from baking until further notice.  If you know anything about me, you know that I love, love, love baking - and - the ban is rightfully placed.  I bake a lot. A lot, a lot.  When Mac realized that we had bought 3, 1 lb. packs of butter that was gone in about 2 weeks, that was when the ban took place.  I guess that's a lot of butter.

I stretched the limits yesterday by making some low-fat banana muffins that don't have any butter.  That was about 3 days after the ban was placed. Go me.

2. Food

I love food; making it, researching it, eating it... Making it is my favorite though.  We (Americans) spend so much money on food and eating it.  So, as a newlywed who likes to cook, I decided the best budget cooking advice is to make a monthly menu.  That way, when you go to the grocery store, you buy what you need and that's it (at least that's the idea).  Also, you can make recipes that use the same ingredients but have slightly different form or taste, and space them out a bit.  This allows you to buy less ingredients and buy in bulk, which is cost-effective.

Currently, since it's just the two of us, I can make one meal that serves us two dinners, which is also really helpful. 

So, this is the February menu in the Ovenell home:

2/11-12: Chicken Tacos with fresh salsa and tortilla chips

2/13: Left over Krautranzas & steamed veggies

2/14: It's Valentine's Day, so we're splurging and making salmon w/ red potatoes and something else

2/15: Every Sunday, we make a big brunch so for dinner we watch a movie and have popcorn, apple & cheese slices

2/16-17: Chili (which I will freeze half of to have in coming months)

2/18-19: Chicken & Dumplings with roasted red potatoes

2/20-21: Tomato mozzarella casserole

2/22: Sunday meal

2/23-24: Turkey Noodle soup (that i made and froze at thanksgiving)

2/25-26: Paprika Chicken, Brown Rice, and Steamed veggies

2/27: Fried Rice (with left-over rice)

2/28: Spaghetti & Meatballs

The ingredients to make all of this, plus fruits and veggies for the next 1-2 weeks cost me only $56.00.  That's less than $14.00 a week. for all our dinners and produce.  I know I semi-cheated, because I had some of the ingredients & dinners (such as spices, the frozen krautranzas and soup, and our sunday dinners). But still.

3. Michelle  

This was for you. :)

Tired

Today was a "I'm-tired-of-life" type day.  Mondays are my long days; I work from 7:30-1:30, kill time until 4, which is when I have my staff meeting until 5... So, I'm gone from 7-5:30, which is a long day for someone is gone for only 7 hours the rest of the days of the week. This post was not meant to be a complaining vent... I just think everyone can relate to being tired.

I was able to talk to my best friend today for quite some time, which has not happened since Christmas.  It was amazing to catch up.  There is so much going on in both our lives right now and I just hate missing out on her wedding plans, her ministry opportunities and Bible school experiences.  I hate that she can't see my life here in Spokane nor be part of my new marriage.  One can only say so much on the phone.  When so much of human communication is nonverbal, it's a bit difficult to get your point across when you can't see the person's face, watch his/her body language or really hear the tone of voice.  It's just information. I'm tired of having phone conversations with people... especially when they only happen every two months or so.  Speaking of, I decided phone tag is the worst game ever.  Malori, if you're reading this, we need to just set a time when we're going to talk, because I haven't talked to you since October 18th, and that's ridiculous.

This weekend I went to tri-cities to visit my dear, beloved second family.  The boys are getting so big, and really developing into the unique personalities that God created them to be.  We were able to listen to Lane (12 years old) play the guitar and hear all his talent.  Seth poured out his soul's passion for animals as he included us in his decisions of picking out chickens and steers for 4-H this year.  There is a creative caterpillar growing inside of Chad that is just dying to bust out in glorious shapes and colors.  When it does, it will be completely unique and have his name written all over it.  Ian is just a clown, loving the attention of his older brothers (when they're nice) and of course his beloved Mac.  I'm tired of missing out on they're growing up years and talking with their Mom and Dad everyday.

The Kings have two dogs, Gem and Zoey.  Zoey is just a puppy and pretty much the cutest thing on the face of the earth.  I've been wanting a dog for quite some time now, but it's just not feasible with both of us working full-time and living in a 2nd-story apartment with no yard.  I definitely have recognized that the Lord has given me the heart of a woman - one that longs to nurture and care for things.  And since it's not currently in the budget or our plan (and we don't think it's in God's either) to have a baby right now, I've resorted to desiring a puppy.  I'm tired of wanting to always spend money and time on things that I can neither have nor really fully take care of at the moment.

At 8:15 I told Mac that I was sleepy-tired. Really sleepy-tired. I probably could have fallen asleep right then and there.  He counter-acted that desire and made me some hot chocolate accompanied by a challenge of the game of Settlers of Catan.  I love my husband, he's wonderful.  I'm tired of being tired at 8:15, and going to bed at 9:30 because I simply cannot make it any longer.

On that note, I'm going to sign off because it's 9:43 and if I don't go to sleep, I'll wake up saying I'm tired of going to work.  Which I am, but only on the days that I don't want to go. Which are usually the days after I go to bed after 9:30.  Therefore, good-bye.

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  - Matthew 11:28-30 - The words of our Comfort and Strength, Jesus Christ.

Raising Kids

I won't pretend I'm an expert on raising children, because I've never raised one of my own.  I also won't deny that I know a lot about teaching kids and have spent my fair share of time caring for little ones.  Nonetheless, I found this passage quite enlightening.  It fit right in line with a sermon we heard a couple weeks ago also regarding parenting.

Judges 13 shares the story of Samson's birth.  An angel comes to his parents to inform them that they will have a child (Samson's mother was barren just like Sarah, Rebekah, and Elizabeth). Knowing this kid is going to special, Samson's dad asks the angel "What is to be the child's manner of life and what is his mission?" (Judges 13:12).  Wow, wouldn't you like God to answer that question regarding your child's life, not to mention a calling for your life?? Believe it or not, the angel gives him an answer.  Listen closely, though, because as usual, an unexpected answer is given.  The angel replies, "Of all that I said to the woman [Samson's mother], let her be careful. She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat anything unclean.  All that I commanded her let her observe" (Judges 13:13-14).  

The angel didn't say specifically what Samson would grow up to be, or how he would live his life.  Instead, he gave a direct calling to Samson's mother (the specifics of which aren't the focus) - that she must be faithful and obedient as a path for Samson's mission.  How often to parents or role models (such as myself) attempt to push children one way or another.  We teach and teach and teach, but how often do we actually model the obedience to the Lord that we ask for from them?  How often do we fulfill our mission in life as we expect them to seek a direction?  

I know this is just one short passage in the old testament.  But how would our lives change if we followed the example this story?  How would our children's lives change if we set the example for them before we set the expectations on them?

Good intentions

I had good intentions to go work out today when I got home from work.  I guess there is still time left in the day, but chance are slim that I will follow through with that particular good intention. Instead I'm sitting here drinking peppermint tea with soy milk, listening to Jon Foreman and the like, and contemplating exactly what I should write my book about.  

Let's just say it's always been a life goal of mine to be a published writer... I know the aim is high, but we all know I'm ambitious.  I've been keeping quiet about my desire, mainly because I'm afraid of failure.  If I make it known that I'm going to write a book and it never happens, suddenly I've failed because it was more than just an internal desire.  So, thus explains my previous post... written in a sense of accountability, one might say.  

I've tossed around a couple ideas for my book's main subject, none of which seem to really stand out, which would prove to be a boring book that no one will want to read.  I want to write something that captures a stranger's attention; one that anyone can relate to, and most importantly, one that shouts the truth of God's love without actually saying it.  

So, there you go... I had good intentions to work out. I had good intentions to start my book, but instead I'm using up all my words on this post instead.  So I'll sign off and think of more intentions that are good and waste more time not completing them.

I'm going to

write a book.

For a friend

These are not my words.  But, they're worth sharing and I think someone needs to hear them.

"God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. 
   I'm an open book to you; 
      even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. 
   You know when I leave and when I get back; 
      I'm never out of your sight. 
   You know everything I'm going to say 
      before I start the first sentence. 
   I look behind me and you're there, 
      then up ahead and you're there, too— 
      your reassuring presence, coming and going. 
   This is too much, too wonderful— 
      I can't take it all in! 

 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? 
      to be out of your sight? 
   If I climb to the sky, you're there! 
      If I go underground, you're there! 
   If I flew on morning's wings 
      to the far western horizon, 
   You'd find me in a minute— 
      you're already there waiting! 
   Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! 
      At night I'm immersed in the light!" 
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; 
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you. 

 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
      you formed me in my mother's womb. 
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! 
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 
      I worship in adoration—what a creation! 
   You know me inside and out, 
      you know every bone in my body; 
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; 
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you, 
   The days of my life all prepared 
      before I'd even lived one day. 

 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! 
      God, I'll never comprehend them! 
   I couldn't even begin to count them— 
      any more than I could count the sand of the sea. 
   Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! 
  
   Investigate my life, O God, 
      find out everything about me; 
   Cross-examine and test me, 
      get a clear picture of what I'm about; 
   See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— 
      then guide me on the road to eternal life."

~Psalm 139 - The Message

Oh, I forgot...

... N's been released from the hospital and he started back up at school on Tuesday!  Still trying to see how much he recalls academically.  He's walking fine, and talking, but a lot slower.  Has short term memory loss (trouble remembering info after 5 minutes). New behavior and huge prayer request - very, very violent (especially in what he says), and not just when he's angry or in a tantrum. Needs PT, OT, and Speech. Perhaps will be enrolled in residential treatment, but that's on hold for now. I will no longer be working with him, which, while I want to see him, am not complaining about that.  

Thank you all for your prayers! He's a fighter and the Lord isn't done with him yet!!

Hi

You're walking down the hall of your workplace and there is another employee (whose name and job you don't know) walking towards you.  As you pass her, you cheerfully exclaim "Hi! How are you today?", making solid eye contact and presenting a wide smile.  She, in turn, stops walking and you two share a brief, but meaningful conversation before continuing on.  Right? Yeah, right.

When was the last time you actually made eye contact when passing someone you don't really know?  Better yet, when was the last time you actually said "hi" to someone sharing the common walkway?  A more realistic depiction of the above scenario would involve looking at the floor, or perhaps scratching your head or fixing your hair as you pass, anything to avoid an social exchange with  a person you don't know.  I know I'm culprit of this.  I hate to admit it, but sometimes at the store or on the sidewalk, I'll be rude enough to pull out my phone and pretend to make a call so I don't have to look up or talk.  How rude.

I'm reading this book right now called The Love Dare.  The book is actually a 40-day devotional encouraging you to love your spouse better, giving challenges each day regarding how you treat your spouse.  Yesterday's excerpt was all about greeting your spouse.  You can say a lot simply in the tone of your voice when someone you love walks in the door, and it most definitely affects the mood if you choose to look up.  This caused me to think about how we greet others in general.  I know that I myself have work to do when it comes to being friendly and reaching out to others.  I can't help but think how disappointed Jesus would be if he saw that those who claim to follow Him ignore their neighbor.  

Do a little experiment... attempt to make eye contact with each person you pass next time you go out of the house.  Count how many don't look up.  Regardless of the other person's actions, say "hi" and see what happens.  Count how many look surprised, how many look appreciative, and how many smile.  It's quite amazing what a simple "hi" can do.

It's the Little Things...

...in life that make it worth living! :) 

• laughing so hard that you absolutely have to let out a deep sigh when you're through, only to discover that you can't remember what you were laughing about.
• sitting by a fire with a blanket and a cup of fresh coffee (french pressed with cream and raw sugar of course).
• receiving open-mouthed kisses from toddlers who can't yet say "I love you" or "I just gave the dog a kiss and would now like to do the same for you".
• listening to the unstoppable giggle of children.
• a really good hug (defined by one person's feet leaving the ground and both people spinning)
• praying a quick, honestly mindless prayer and having it answered within seconds.
• breakfast in bed.
• doing something nice for someone else (such as cleaning the kitchen first or sending a box of peanut butter bon-bons).
• peaceful snow - the kind that just falls, (not the stuff that blows sideways and accumulates in a matter of minutes, causing a month-and-a-half of chaos in one city).
• hearing from someone who had just crossed your mind.
• puppies.
• jumping in really big puddles (although only truly satisfying when done with a friend)
• pondering how things are made (really... think about it).
• completing a puzzle.
• hearing the exact-right lyrics to describe life at the moment.
• watching kids have epiphanies.
• putting on a new pair of warm, cushy socks.

The list could go on and on, but this is what is on my mind at the moment.  Thank you, Lord, for the little luxuries in life that make me smile!

Friends

So I have a small confession... I've been watching "Friends" in ALL my free time!  Yes, I come home from work, grab a cup of coffee and a blanket, and watch "Friends".  I've made it through Season 6, although I'd already seen Season 5 and I've seen the last two seasons as well.  

Anyway, so "Friends" is full of mindless/fairly crude humor, semi/mostly shallow friendships.  And while I've enjoyed watching it, it's made me really thankful for my own friends.  One common theme I've noticed is that all their conflicts are caused by someone's selfishness.  By human nature, we usually have our own best interest in mind.  If something is not going the way we want it to, we're really good at tearing others apart to make us seem in the right.  If you don't believe me, "Friends" really is the prime example of this.  

I know that I've had my fair share of ripping up my friends, doing certain things out of my own selfish desires, and hurting people simply to deny the fact that I'm wrong about something.  And for those of you who have received the brunt of that, I apologize.  I am thankful, however, that I'm not a hopeless case... none of us are.

Jesus came to the world and he turned it upside down.  He was an outright rebel.  Nothing he did reflected human nature's greedy selfishness.  He came to serve other people, even though he is the only one worthy of service.  When others hurt him, insulted him, doubted him (including his closest friends), he simply forgave them, loved them, and served them all the more.  And then, well, he died because of all our selfishness we who want to look right in the eyes of others.  But the best part of it all is that he came to life again that we might be forgiven of all our betrayal.  So, what more can we do but follow his example and live a selfless life?  

This is why I'm thankful for my friends... those who have forgiven me, those who teach me the love of Christ, and those who challenge me to love unconditionally.  And, I'm thankful for the laughs I get from "Friends", and the wonderful reminder it is to me that I am to cherish others and build them up, rather than discourage and hurt them with my words and actions.  

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death - even death on a cross." - Philippians 3:3-8