memory lane

I swiped this idea from Monday through Sunday's
Thursday Thirteen. I'm pretty sure she won't mind.

I was born in the sixties, a child of the seventies and am a proud member of the H.S. class of '84.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane through the 70's and 80's…

We had a black and white TV for years. 8 track tapes – I loved those things. Taping ourselves on the cassette recorder for fun. Transistor radios – I liked opening them up and looking at the cool little doodads inside. FM – cool! Boom boxes.

Big combs in the back pocket. Feathered hair. Bonnie Bell lip gloss – the big ones. Wooden soled shoes. Earth shoes. Waffle stompers. Big lace collars. Lace stockings. Bows in the hair. Mall hair. Oversized shirts and sweaters. Leggings and stirrup pants. Harem pants. Perms. Big hair. The invention of mousse. Super sized shoulder pads. Flowered dresses – oh those were gorgeous, especially with a big lace collar, (don't forget the bow in the hair and the lace stockings!) Pegged pants. Acid wash jeans. Zipper cuff jeans. Dockers. Penny Loafers. Oxfords. IZOD. OP. Punk.

Madonna. Michael Jackson. Flash Dance. Pop rocks. Hanging out at the arcade playing Pac Man, Galaga, and Tron. Styx. Journey. Air Supply. AC/DC. Van Halen. Queen. The Cars. Cindy Lauper. Huey Louis and the News. MTV. Banana seat bikes. Rubik's Cube. VCR's! The first reality shows – That's Incredible and Real People. Six Million Dollar Man. Bionic Woman. Wonder Woman. Shazaam. Ha, which leads me to think of Gomer Pyle. Great American Hero. The Man from Atlantis. The Incredible Hulk

We Are the World.

Bicentennial celebrations. The cold war. Nukes everywhere. The first space shuttle launch. Ronald Reagan. The curtain and the wall fall down!

First dates. First kiss. Graduation! College. Driving. Working at McD's. Hanging out at Pizza Hut or Godfather's Pizza. Laughing our head's off at McDonalds. Bowling. Skating. Snowball skate - I sat that one out.

Indiana Jones. Back to the Future. Alien. Star Wars. ET. Jaws. Twilight Zone movie. CHiPs. Emergency. Sonny and Cher. Flip Wilson. Carol Burnett. MASH. HR Puff N Stuff. Love Boat. Land of the Lost. Speed Buggy. The original Scooby Doo. Sesame Street before Elmo, with Mr. Looper, uh, Hooper. Looney Tunes. Hanna Barbara Hour. The Jetsons – cool video TV!

Clackers – you know, those elbow busters on a string. Bubble Yum. Candy Cigarettes. The invention of the Blizzard – why did it take so long to think of mixing candy with ice cream? Skate boards – they were popular in the 80's first. Baby Tenderlove. Fisher Price Farm house and school. Weebles.

Great makeup!

Totally tubular. Rad. Righteous, dude. Like, Awesome. Bag your head. Gag me with a spoon.

Ok. I could go on. But I won't. What are some of your favorite memories? And even if you are a Gen-xer or a Baby Boomer, feel free to participate. Your memories may be different, but I want to hear.

another one

I am so influential! Now there are four family members blogging and I don't believe one of them would be if it weren't for me. Oh, the power!!

I mustn't let it go to my head.

My cousin - actual first cousin, never removed - is now blogging, too. If you read Jen's blog, then you already know. This cousin is that cousin's mother. And her mother was my mother's sister.

This cousin has also been my teacher and her husband was my principle. Her sister was my teacher, too, for even a longer time.

I don't know if I said so, but I went to a very small Christian school. There were four people in my graduating class. I graduated in the top half!

Even though this cousin is older than I am and we didn't really grow up together or anything, I seem to have inherited her... something. My mom frequently tells me that I acted like her, said something like her, or looked like her. My grandma always called me by this cousin's name when I answered the phone. And I even seem to have inherited a Royalty Complex from her.

Stop by, say hi!

thursday thirteen

Thirteen favorite movies that make me cry:

1. Camelot
   


2. Westside Story
   


3. My Girl
   


4. Beaches
   


5. Steel Magnolias
   


6. Simon Birch
   


7. We are Marshall
   


8. Life is Beautiful
   


9. Reign Over Me
   


10. Schindler's List
    


11. Beyond the Gates
    


12. Cast Away
    


13. Old Yeller
    

goofy old lady

Once upon a time my mom and I were at a salad bar. I was perusing the dressings and noticed they had two kinds of ranch. I asked the salad boy who happened to be there, "What is the difference between the Ranch and the Local Ranch." He looked at me a second and said, "Well the lo-cal ranch has fewer calories."

For cryin out loud. Haven't they ever heard of w's?

things change

When my girl was born, she hated being restrained in any way. She screamed if we swaddled her. She hated the Snuggli carrier. She didn't even particularly like being held. She wanted to just lie on the floor in glorious freedom and look around. She didn't like warm sleepers and would cry until we changed her into something cooler.

My boy, on the other hand, loved to be swaddled, held, carried in the Snuggli, coddled, and loved the warm sleepers.

Now... my he sleeps with barely one blanket on. My girl sleeps with about six.

I used to dream of living in the country. I wanted a house out in the middle of nowhere with plenty of land and a dirt road. I honestly longed to live on a dirt road. I wanted my nearest neighbor to be at least a block away.

Now, when we drive by those type of places, I still feel some longing. But mostly I think of what a pain it would be to drive that far to the store/doctor/church/school/everything. And how lonely it would be to not have any neighbors or easy access to lunch with friends!

I can think of so many examples of things I used to like, but don't now. Or ideas I used to have that have changed.

I used to think that if someone cracked their head open baby chicks would come out. But I don't think that anymore.

What about you? What is something that has changed in your life?

trying of my faith

Almost eight years ago I got a phone call that my dad's sister and her husband had been in a terrible accident. Their van had burst into flames and exploded. They were able to get out before the explosion, but both were severly burned over large percentage of their bodies and both went to heaven within six months.

They were Christians. They were on their way to help out at a church camp in the mountains.

I knew all the answers. I had heard them all my life. But suddenly, none of the answers made any sense.

God, I'd been told, is all powerful. Able to do anything. I'd also been told that He is Love. He is good.

So, now, those things just didn't fit. I took it to the Lord in my frustration. I poured it out to Him. He can take it. "If you are all powerful, you could have prevented that. Because you are good and would never allow something like this to happen."

"Or else you are all powerful and could have stopped it, but chose not to because You are not Love; You are not good. But I see no way that You can be both in control and good."

There are some who would say that it was the devil, or just the consequences of living on this earth that caused that accident to happen. But is God not more powerful than the devil and the consequences of this earth? Because if He's not, then He's not really God and not worthy of my worship. All powerful means all powerful. So while this line of thinking factored into my struggle, it went along with the line that God wasn't really as powerful as I had believed.

He was so good to me during this time. So patient as He helped me through this. I remember one of those occasions where I was at the bookstore and a book just seemed to be glowing -- standing out from the rest. It was called When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes. It was so beneficial in helping me begin to understand.

Other little pieces here and there gave me answers and understanding. And the end result of what God taught me is that we can't understand here on earth. If we are looking for things to make sense, then we will be frustrated always. What I have come to rely on is that it all makes sense in the spiritual realm, where God is. And just so that it makes sense to Him. That's good enough for me.

Real faith is believing that God is good and that He is in control of every single event in a believer's life. And He can somehow be both even though we can't grasp it at all. Because He is God. He is so much bigger than us that we can't understand.

Another part of faith is believeing that God has a good purpose for everything He does, whether we are able to see that purpose or not. We have to believe Him.

I have come to not define bad and good the way I used to. Just because something looks bad to me doesn't mean it is in God's realm. He defines things differently, I think. Perhaps when I take my child to have a painful procedure done they think it's bad. But in my greater wisdom, I know that it's good. Whether they ever see that or not.

I now choose to say God allows difficult things in our lives, rather than using the word "bad". Because if He allows it, it cannot be bad. And He has to allow it. If you've read the book of Job, you know that satan wanted to harm Job, but he had to have permission from God first. And he had to keep within the boundaries God established. The enemy cannot touch us without God's permission. And God will not allow it without a reason.
Was it "bad" when God allowed Daniel into the lions den?
Was it "bad" when God flooded the earth?
Was it "bad" when God allowed Lazarus to die?

Was it "bad" when God allowed Jesus to be crucified?

new to blogland

My sister has created a blog. I'm not sure if I want you to visit it or not. She is already telling tales.

But if you feel like reading trash talk, go on over and have a look.

Just kidding. Kinda.

But really do go over and say hi and leave her a bunch of nice comments. Make her feel welcome to our world!

what do you have to say for yourself?

At a writers' conference, Alton Gansky made the following point. Say you get your book published and it sells poorly -- say 2,000 copies. Most books that sell are read an average of two times. Then 4,000 people have read your book.
So, here's my question. What are you going to say to them?
I have heard a lot of writers, Christian or not, say that their purpose in writing is to entertain. Ok. Nothing wrong with that, really. But one thing our society is not lacking is entertainment.
I mean, a book should be entertaining. No one will read it if it isn't. But is that all you want to accomplish in the lives of these 4,000 people?
What other opportunity are you going to have to influence this many people? You going to rent out an auditorium and get them to come hear you speak?
This is an opportunity. An incredible opportunity. I want the people who read my book to be just a little bit better, stronger, happier, freer, more at peace, know God better... something! I want to make a difference. I want them to be changed because of what I wrote. Even if it is so subtle that they don't even realize it.
What do you want to do? If you are a writer, what's your purpose in writing?

reading meme

My friend Megan, who has a book coming out in April, tagged me the other day over at A Prisoner of Hope. I ran into her today, too, at Panera. There I was with my husband writing away and she showed up with her laptop to write, too!

Here is the tag as it is supposed to be played:

The Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages), or whatever book you are currently reading.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people.

But, I'm a rebel, so I'm doing it my own way. I opened my book to my bookmark and will pick up where I left off. If I tag you, you can do it the right way or the wrong way, I don't care. But let us know if you do it.

I am reading The Messenger of Magnolia Street by River Jordan.

"He has crossed over into a world where the unbelievable can happen, where spring is still indescribably beautiful in the middle of what he now knows to be an encroaching darkness. Trice's eclipse. He is no longer banking on the plausible."

I'm also not going to tag anyone. If you want to play, just let us know so we can see what you are reading!

thursday thirteen

Thirteen things that I like, but can't find in Colorado.

(The Wisteria is a bonus. I'm not sure how I ended up with more than 13.)

1. Magnolia trees

2. Dogwood Trees

3. Rhododendrons

4. Oceans

5. Lighthouses

6. Jack Stack BBQ

7. Tulip Trees

8. Fireflies

9. Fog

10. Cardinals

11. Fresh Mangos

12. Medieval Cities, (I've never seen one, but I would love to.)

13. Colonial History

words

I can't take full credit for my previous post. The idea, including the orange analogy, came from a sermon I heard in college.
But it has stuck with me. And I think about it frequently.

Now, why is it that some words are "bad" but they don't really mean anything bad. The word I used simply means poo-poo. Why is it ok to say one, but not the other? Why is it ok to say bottom, but not a##, (which is my favorite "bad" word, by the way, but more in reference to a person's behavior)?
Why is it bad to say hell? Hell isn't sacred. I don't feel the need to show any respect for it. In fact it ought to be more acceptable to say that than to say "Oh heavens." If you think about it. Right?

Damning a person isn't nice. I can see why we shouldn't do that. But to just say the word because you hit your thumb? Why is that bad?

I'm not advocating that we all go out and start talking like sailors, because, for whatever reason, these words are considered inappropriate and I think we need to guard our mouths for the sake of others. I'm just sayin...

(Although, it seems to be more and more acceptable to say these things as time goes by. And I guess we can look at words we say now that at one time were taboo. As words lose their power to shock, people just come up with new "bad" words, anyway.)

So, the point of my last post wasn't even so much about the word as it was the attitude underlying it. I could act like I was all together, but when the pressure was on, my true attitude sprang forth. And I think that was even more apparant in the statement I made about God watching over us than It was in that one "bad" word.

what are you full of?

Once, several years ago, we got in a car accident. We did kinda like Bo and Luke Duke and took a flying leap into some grumpy guy's front yard. As we came to the end of the road, literally, and I saw a four foot embankment looming in front of our car, I said a not so nice word. Not the worst word. But not really the word that I want to utter in the moment of my death.

I was in a rough place in those days. In a new city where I wasn't feeling at home. Didn't have any friends yet. Not really engrafted into our church. Just lots of stuff going on. I'm not making excuses, just giving the facts.

I was praying, I do remember that, but I don't remember if I was in the Word or not.

Anyway, in general, I had a bad attitude.

Before we crashed into and jumped the embankment, we crossed a highway. Hubby said that the angels must have been watching over us because we could have easily been killed by an oncoming car. I said, "If the angels were watching over us this wouldn't have happened at all!" Grrr

If you squeeze an orange, what do you expect to get out of it?
If I've filled that orange with ink and you squeeze it, what do you think you'll get out of it? It still looks and smells like an orange. It still is an orange. But you get out whatever is in there. duh, I know.
So, my question is, what are you full of? What comes out of you when the sqeeze is on?

steel magnolias

I had some hard times in school when I was a girl. Other girls were mean. And so whether because of that, or some other reason, I used to have a hard time being friends with females. In college you would usually find me at dinner with five or six guys and not because they "liked" me, they were just my friends and I felt comfortable with them.
I had some very good college friends who were girls, but I was very guarded and didn't make many.
It wasn't until I was pregnant with my second child that I began to love women. I have since been involved in Women's Ministry in various forms. I have many friends of a variety of ages, personalities, and backgrounds. I have been hurt by women, even still, as an adult. But the risk is worth it.
Women are impossible to describe, even as one of them. No wonder men are confounded by us...we are deep, strange, beautiful, wonderful beings. I love women.
I watched Steel Magnolias years ago and thought it was ok. But I watched it yesterday and I loved it! It is a wonderful demonstration of what is wonderful about women's relationships with women. Deep inside, I think every one of us longs for that kind of acceptance and love.
And it also shows the deep resilient strength of women. Steel. There is steel in there. I've seen it in women I know. I've found it in myself.
If you haven't seen it in a while, watch it again. It is funny and it will break your heart. But I love me a good cry, so that just makes it all the better.

the text book

I didn't say this in my post on learning from God because it is so obvious to me, I guess. It may be obvious to you, too, but I think I should say it for the sake of clarity.

As you ask God to teach you things, be sure to be reading the Bible. The ultimate answer book. Even as He guides you to books, sermons, etc, they should in turn guide you to Scripture that supports what they are saying.

That's why the process should be very prayerful. So that you know what is from God and what isn't.

And any new information that you hear or read must be validated by the Word of God. If a pastor or teacher gives some Scriptural references, then as soon as you can, you look those up for yourself.

And if none are given, then you need to do a bit of research. You can go to a site like Gospelcom and use their scripture search tool. Type in a word that has to do with the subject you are researching and it will bring up all the scriptures that refer to that word. Search and be sure that whatever it is you heard is Bible Truth and not just some person's idea or philosophy.

This requires some work. And I know my other post made it sound like we could just sit around and be spoon fed. That is true to some extent; God will be surprising in how He brings the answers to us. But we always must be alert and attentive to the Holy Spirit and be in the Bible in order to discern truth from lies.

The devil, who hates us, loves to pretend to be a good guy. He is tricky, sneaky and wants nothing more than to confuse us and deceive us.

The Lord is on our side and will reveal truth to us. But we must be wise. The Bible warns us in many places to be alert and on the lookout for false teachers. They teach just enough of the truth to make us trust them, but they are full of false doctrine.

The Word of God is our only reliable reference.

And even then, we must use the full scope of Scripture. I can very easily make any point and back it with a verse or a phrase of Scripture. This doesn't count. This is not what I mean by making sure something is backed in Scripture. Something that is Scripturally true will be a common theme throughout the entire Bible. I will be a scripture that can be validated by more scripture.

Yes, this requires effort. The Lord wants us to be diligent and to be knowledgeable of what he says.

There. I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't coming across as promoting some kind of mystical learning experience that nullified the need for God's Word. God will teach us. But His primary text book is always His written Word.

another award!

Thank you, Jan at Bold and Free for this award!

Awarded by
Jan Parrish
to Kay

some silly

If you know me, you know I have a strong aversion to silliness.
Ok, ok.
Well, this is silly. But fun.

teacher, master, rabbi

I was planning to blog sometime about what I think about the Sovereignty of God. But I decided not to. It is too controversial of a topic and even can be divisive. I don't want that.

I definitely have some thoughts on the topic. The subject has been coming up alot lately in various places in real life and the blog world. I know of a lot of suffering goint on out there right now.

So many questions arise.

Here is what I want to share with you:

Take those questions to God. It's ok to say to Him, "I don't get this. I don't understand how this can happen. How can you be good and loving and let these things happen? Lord, show me how you fit into all of this. Teach me."

In Matthew 11 we are familiar with Jesus saying, "Come unto me all who are weary, and I will give you rest." But you know what else He says? Just a line further down..."Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME."

Part of the Holy Spirit's job description is to teach us. Jesus was called Master, or Teacher.

So you take those questions to Him. Pour them all out and then wait and keep your eyes open.

Maybe like me, you will be in a bookstore and a spotlight will seem to illuminate a certain book. Ask God about it and then read it if you get that impression. You will find answers there.

You may be listening to the radio when suddenly you hear something that clarifies it for you. Maybe a sermon at church, a song, a devotional in your inbox. You might be talking to someone and God nudges you..."Ask this person about it. She has some insight I want you to have."

And just like we don't cram a 16 oz Prime Rib down a two-year-old, God is only going to give us what we can handle, when we can handle it. He will feed you this knowedge. And you will be amazed.

I can think of at least four topics off the top of my head where God has very clearly done this for me.

And as the years go by, you will continue to have your eyes opened to understand what seemed at one time completely incomprehensible. And maybe it won't even be as much an understanding as it will be an acceptance.

I don't suggest you go out asking everyone what they think, or turning over rocks for the information. Let God bring it to you. Learn from Him.

friday variety

First, what does my name mean? Well, Kathrine means Pure. But my name isn't Kathrine, although it is a derivative. This little quiz is actually scary. It is all true except for the type A part! I am definitely not type A. And I wouldn't say I'm having too much fun to settle down. I'm fairly settled. Oh, and I'm not agressive. Not at all. But the rest...well, like I said. Scary.
Tell me about what your name means.

What Kay Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Also, go take a peak at Lauri's Blog and see if you can come up with blogging words to match the definitions she has. It's fun! I haven't come up with any ideas yet, but I bet my clever friends can.

it's all in how you look at things

Yesterday I pointed out the diamonds to my kids. They looked and one thought it was pretty neat, but the other one said, "It's just ice, mom."

Today, I see squirrels! I haven't seen them for months. They are out there hopping through the snow, chasing each other around the diamond bedecked trees and I think they have intentions of starting a little family.

Spring! Those squirrels mean spring is around the corner!

I love squirrels.

So, do you see diamonds or ice? Spring or rodents? How do you look at things? It makes all the difference.

a girl's best friend

My Love gave me diamonds for Valentine's Day!
I like jewelry well enough. I like sparkly things. What I LOVE are beautiful pieces of nature. Scenery, clouds, phenomana, whatever.
As I write the sun has come out of cover and is hitting my ice coated trees. They look exactly like they have been sprinkled with diamonds!
He knows what I love, He knows what touches me, and He's wooing me!
I can't take my eyes away.

I want to clarify that it was God who gave me the diamonds.
Hubby is a sweety, but he knows me well enough to know that some gorgeous flowers are all I want. And he got me some.

valentine's day

Most of my life I have intensly disliked Valentine's Day. When I was a kid my Valentine's Days were a lot like Charlie Brown's. I love that boy. I can so relate to poor old Charlie.

Anyway, and then as I got old enough to like boys and my friends were like BY boys, but I wasn't, that was no fun.

And then when I actually was dating, it was great when I had a boyfriend. But the years when I wasn't dating anyone I had to watch everyone else getting flowers and cards and there I sat, alone. Yuck.

After I got married, we tried so hard to make Valentine's Day special and we would be sick every year. We gave up. Got each other a card and that was about it.

A few years ago, I decided to decorate the table, get some balloons, sparking cider and candles and I made the family's favorite soup, (I call it Chicken Noodle Love, for this one day only) and we had a fun candlit dinner. All four of us. The kids loved it! They love it almost as much as Christmas! So for us, Valentine's Day is about love and family. Not just romance. And I like it just fine.

I am a romantic at heart, but sometimes you just have to go with what works!

I hope that however you spend the day, whether with a romantic love or a friend you love or your family that you have a wonderful Happy Valentine's Day. And if you happen to be alone today, let Jesus love you. Let Him woo you. He wants to.

the things people say

I have been thinking about this post for a while and then yesterday I unintentionally added to it.
You know how there are things you have heard that you will never forget? Usually something somebody said to you or about you. Or maybe something shocking.
Yesterday while at a friend's house, I said a bad word. It wasn't bad in context, it was a derrogatory term and I was simply referring to it, not using it to refer to someone, if you know what I'm trying to say. But, still, I said it. And I was just oblivious to her two daughters sitting there. My friend gasped a little and her seven year old gasped a little and also, she got that little smile that kids get when someone else is in trouble, LOL. Then I just felt so bad! Oh my.
This was the same child whom my dog bit, by the way...
Anyway, later as I was thinking about it, I thought, "just let it go." Because I tend to beat myself up for dumb stuff like that. But then I thought about how it may not be that big of a deal, but there is a possibility that T will remember that her whole life! When I was about six or so, my aunt was walking through the house and she said s---. It was so shocking to my little self that I still remember it.
Oh, well.
My point is that we all have things in our heads that were said by someone else. Whether good or bad.
Here are some of mine:
"Grandma used to think that maybe you were an actual angel because you were so good."
"Do you ever wonder if maybe you really are mental?" This person was brave enough to room with me for four years.
"Kay seems to be able to find beauty in almost anything."
"You could be really pretty if you let me give you a makeover." umm, there isn't a nice word to describe how this girl dressed.
"She's so self-confident." Ha. She's a good faker, that's what.
"Do you ever thank God for making you so beautiful?" How do you answer that?
"Your smile lights up the whole room."
"Move over, hefty."
"My husband thinks you are pretty." ummm, ok....
"You have a lot of insight and wisdom."
"You look like the kind of person who would smoke." What's that mean?
"You're lazy."
"My dad said you look like your face caught fire and someone put it out with a pitchfork."

Well, I think it's a big mistake for us to try to form our opinion of ourselves based on what other people say. No wonder people are so confused about who they are and their value!
What we need to cling to is what God says. And take the good that people say with grace and humility. Take the bad stuff the same way. Look for seeds of truth and change what we need to and move on. (Well, we can make that our goal, anyway)
Also, in light of LOVE, being nearly Valentine's Day, let's try to be conscious of our own words. We may say some little thing that doesn't mean much to us, but we never know which words are going to stick. Let's be intentional about leaving kind messages behind us. And if something hard must be said, make sure it's the truth and that it's well coated in love.

What about you? Will you share a little snippet or two that you store in your head?

drum roll please...

Out of eight people, the one who won the copy of Justice in the Burbs, the one whose name was drawn randomly by my son is...
Sonya!! at Mo Mhile Gra! Hooray and congratulations!
E-mail me at keep1hope at comcast dot net to give me your address, please.

love

Jen blogged today about love. You should go read her post first. It's ok, I'll wait.

Like she said, I could tell you the things that I love deeply, but you know what they are. That list would probably look a lot like yours. God, spouse, family, friends, chocolate...

So, in the spirit of Jen's post, I am going for some of the more obscure things that I love. Love as in "like a whole lot."

~I love the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. I think it's funny, and also, I am just a bit sadistic and love the way other people react.
~I love fireplaces
~I love a warm car on a sub-freezing day. Expecially if it has seatwarmers.
~I love old movies
~I love sheep
~I love slapstick
~I love my kids' ears
~I love a tea party with friends
~I love going somewhere fancy
~I love the smell of horses
~I love office supplies
~I love having my toe and fingernails painted
~I love foot freedom in the summer
~I love cool weather
~I love crows
~I love the smell and feel of a brand new book

Ok, that's enough. So, list some of the things you love. Or post them on your blog and let me know. We can start a new meme and give Jen all the credit!

six things

My friend Mel at Monday through Sunday did a meme today and said anyone can use it who needs something to blog about. So I'm going to.
I actually have a lot of things on my mind to blog about. But I'm feeling rather cranky and so, I think I will just do this. It's safer this way. Trust me.

So, off the top of my head, (it's best if I don't give this too much thought) here are Six non-important things/quirks/habits about myself:

~If the sheet has a wrinkle or the blankets are imbalanced, I can't sleep
~I like Cher
~I would rather ride than drive
~I'm a Tom Jones fan
~I have to balance the food I eat in my mouth. One bite gets chewed on the left, the next bite gets chewed on the right.
~ I eat potato chips, etc, according to size. Smallest to largest.

So, if you need a subject to blog about...feel free to do this meme, too! I won't tag you, though. I get the impression some bloggers don't like getting tagged.

without him

I have known Jesus my whole life. Known who He is and what He did. I don't remember a time we didn't go to church or Good News Club or something.
When I was nine years old, I knew that I was a sinner and that Jesus had died for me to save me. I knew that I needed to believe in Him and so I "accepted Him as my Saviour" or "got saved."
I lived nine years without Him. I have lived more than thirty years with Him.
Today in church we sang a song called "Without You." It said something like, "What kind of person would I be without You?" And I wonder...
Some people who give their lives to Christ when they are adults have a clear idea of what kind of person they are without Him. I don't really know for myself.
But I can imagine. And it isn't pretty. I frequently acknowledge "Apart from You there is no good thing in me."
I'm so glad I don't have to know. I'm so glad I don't have to live life without Him. Even as I sang the song, I felt bereft. What a cold and empty thought.

rain

I love rain. I always have. It is profoundly symbolic to me. It is often used to symbolize sadness. How many movie funeral scenes take place in the rain? Or better, how many don't?
Rain evokes sorrow, pain, loneliness, hopelessness, isolation, grief and other such emotions. It is that for me, but also, much more. It also gives me feelings of joy -- I picture an old pop commercial, I think it was Sprite, where these people were sitting around an old fashioned general store sweating and droopy. But then came the rain! They jumped out there and danced in the refreshing shower!
It speakes to me of cleansing, refreshing, hope, newness, peace, comfort, and blessings.
It occurred to me that at least five of the songs on my player talk about rain.
This one, though, is the most meaningful to me right now.
Remember When it Rained. Click on it to listen, if you haven't heard it. It is near the bottom of the list. It is powerful, in part due to Josh Groban's amazing voice, but the real power lies in the words. I find it deeply spiritual. I don't know whether his intent in writing it had anything to do with God, but I can't NOT think about God when I hear it. And it brings tears every time.
There have been times when the rain came. Suddenly, shockingly, cold. But cleansing in it's harshness. It fell on me and knocked me down and I felt the ground, shaky and uncertain beneath my knees. I called on God. All I could do was call His name.
But then...the rains came. Refreshing, healing, comforting. I felt the ground, solid and secure beneath my knees. And I called His name in praise and gratitude.
Have you been there?

Remember When it Rained - Josh Groban
Wash away the thoughts inside
That keep my mind away from you
No more love and no more pride
And thoughts are all I have to do

Oooooo, remember when it rained
I felt the ground and looked up high and called your name
Oooooo, remember when it rained
In the darkness I remain

Tears of hope run down my skin
Tears for you that will not dry
They magnify the one within
And let the outside slowly die
Oooooo, remember when it rained
I felt the ground and looked up high and called your name

Oooooo, remember when it rained
In the water I remain
Running down... (x7)
Ahhhhh ah ah ahhhhh ah na na
Na na na na na na na na na
Ohhhhh oh ah ohhhhh ah na na
Running dowwwwwn...

you like me, you really like me!

Jan at Bold and Free gave me the Totally Fabulous Award! This is why, in her words: " for sharing your unique views on life"

I would like to present this award to:

Mel at Monday thru Sunday because she is a fabulous friend and blogger! The world is a better place because of her and those who visit their blog have been able to see this is true.

Susan at Accidental Poet because she is fabulously funny and deep at the same time. Her blog is fabulous and worth checking regularly even though she doesn't exactly post regularly.

Mom at Moms the Word because she's my mom and she's fabulous for jumping into the blogging world and impacting people's lives.

All of these links are in my blogroll to the right.

And Kathy at Kathy's Klavier gave me the Bloggers of the World award.

I want to thank my husband for being so supportive of me in my blogging endeavors. My children, my parents, and sister. I want to thank you, my fans. And above all, of course, I thank God for all of it. Thank you Jan. Thank you Kathy.

check it out

My cousin...actually my first cousin once removed... has recently joined the blogging world. So go peek at her blog at Inner Voices of a Spinster in the Making.
Ahhh, I remember when she was born, and now * sniff* she's out in the world, blogging, all by herself. *sniff* They grow up so quickly.
Please, don't hold her relatives against her.

thursday thirteen

Lent. For those of you Baptist-ish type people like me, I don't mean the stuff that collects in your husband's (or your own) belly button.
Lent is the time between Ash Wednesday, which was yesterday, and Easter.
I did not grow up in a Liturgical type church at all. I knew of lent. Heard about people giving stuff up, but didn't really know much more about it.
We recently spent several months attending an Anglican church, though, and they are Liturgical. They follow the church calendar and we happend to attend during the Easter Season last year.
I went to Ash Wednesday where the pastor explained lent. He put ashes on my forehead in the shape of a cross, looked me in the eye and said, "From dust you came; to dust you shall return." Whoa. That was sobering. I mean, we all know we are going to die, but to have it spoken to you like that was a very different experience.
And that brings us to Lent. Lent, at least in the church I went to, (Catholics may see it differently, I don't know), is about spending time being aware of our imortality. Being aware of our sinful nature. Not in a condemning way of feeling shame -- for if we have accepted Christ, we are forgiven fully. But in the sense that we dwell on how great our need for Him is. How completely we rely on Him for life and salvation.
Also, we die to ourselves just a little bit. That's what the giving up of something is about. It isn't an act to earn favor with God or get Brownie points. It's simply to learn how to say no to our flesh. Put it in it's place a bit.
I've only been to one Ash Wednesday service, and I'm remembering the best I can what the pastor said. If I neglected anything, my friend Will can correct me because he just went again yesterday to the same church. And if your church does it differently, or finds different meaning in it, I'd like to know. I like to discuss these things.
Anyway, here is a list of thirteen things that a person could give up for Lent. You only need chose one, not thirteen. If you have other ideas, let me know!

1. Chocolate
2. Coffee
3. Dessert
4. Sugar -- notice how I started out with food? We are a food oriented culture and we all struggle with it.
5. One thing on your calendar that keeps you too busy
6. TV - or even just your favorite program
7. The computer
8. Makeup
9. A luxury like pedicures or massages, if you have any luxuries
10. An hours sleep -- get up and spend the time in prayer
11. Laziness - I am going to not go to bed any night without the dishes done
12. Movies
13. Eating out

Click here to read more Thursday Thirteens or to join in the fun!

the rainbow connection

I love finding spiritual truths in unexpected places. I don't know anything about Paul William's spiritual condition; what he believes about Jesus. He is a great, generous humanitarian. He seems to be a good man. He is an excellent songwriter. We have all heard dozens of his songs, whether we realize it or not...

He wrote The Rainbow Connection -- not Kermit. Kermit just sings it.
I don't know what Mr. Williams had in mind when he wrote the song. But what I like about it is that it demonstrates the longing we all have for something beyond ourselves. We want to know that something out there means something.

"What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing and what do we think we might see?"

Someone is out there. Someone made all those stars and that rainbow and every human has inbedded deep inside a desire to find and know that Someone.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that
and someone believed it,
and look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing?
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell,
we know that it's probably magic....

Have you been half asleep
and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the lovers, the dreamers and me.
La, la la, La, la la la, La Laa, la la, La, La la laaaaaaa

can't judge a person by how they look

I just watched this program and was so touched by how God works. And by how it is ok for us to be different. This man is going to be able to reach people who would only roll their eyes at goody-two-shoes me.
I have never even heard a KORN song, as far as I know. That kind of music isn't my thing. But I love this guy.
I don't know if this clip is the entire 30 minute program or not. The interview portion of the program usually takes about 20 minutes or so. Click on the link and watch it when you have a chance.

justice in the burbs

I am giving away a new copy of Justice in the Burbs by Will and Lisa Samson. This is a book about living out our Christianity in the world around us. Something God has been speaking to me about for several months now.
Watch the video below and leave a comment. Next Tuesday I will draw a name from those who comment for the winner!

four things

Yay! Michelle tagged me. I needed something easy to post today. I have two sick kids home today. Why have we been so sick this year? We hardly ever get sick -- usually. Could it be the stress of transition? Or are there more germs in this town?

Here's the meme.
4 Jobs I've Had:
Computer parts maker -- this lasted a whole month
McDonalds cook, counter, drive-thru, birthday party person
Waitress in a restaurant in an old west gunfighting town.
Public Health Nurse

4 Movies Watched Over and Over:
Casablanca
O Brother Where Art Thou
Princess Bride
Toy Story

4 Places I've Lived:
Colorado Springs
Kansas City
Pueblo, CO
Westcliffe, CO

4 TV Shows I Watch:
Monk
Psych
Good Eats
Suite Life of Zack and Cody

4 Places I've Been:
Haiti
Mexico City
Boston
Washington DC

4 People Who Email Me Regularly:
Bob Viagra
U 2 can earn a degree
Ok, really. I don't have anyone who e-mails me regularly. boo hoo

4 Favorite Things to Eat:
Indian Food
Greek Food
Potatoes
Moroccan Food

4 Places I'd Rather Be:
At lunch with a friend
In a cabin in the mountains
In a hot tub
at a movie

4 Things I Look Forward to This Year:
Writers' Conference at Glen Eyrie
Finishing my book?
Thanksgiving
Temps above 40

If you want to do the meme, consider yourself tagged! And let me know - - I would love to read it.

how we feel about sports

There's a what?
A game?
A football game?
On today?
Oh, the Superbowl.
I see.
I thought that was over.
I thought the Rockies played in it.
Oh wait, that was the Grand Series.
The what?
Oh, the World Series.
Ok, then.

prayers of my life

I want to share a few of the things that I consistently pray for. Most of these are things I've talked to God about for at least 20 years.

~ You're will be done. Whatever that means. However it may look to me. I want what You want. And I want to want what you want.

~Give me an eternal perspective. I want to see everything in light of eternity instead of only seeing how it affects me in the here and now. I don't want to be limited by this physical, time-bound realm.

~I surrender all. I give up this. I give up that. Show me what I've not given up and help me to let it go, too. This one is a constant one, because I tend to re-grab hold of things I've already let go of.

~Teach me the truth. If this thing that I believe is wrong, show me. I don't want to believe lies. If that thing that I think is wrong is actually right, then show me. I want to believe the truth.

~Show me your heart. I want to love what you love. Hate what you hate. I want to weep over the things that break your heart and rejoice over the things that make you sing.


These are only a few, of course. But I think these prayers have made a huge difference in who I am as a person. How I intrepret things. How I see life and God. And He has taught me so much.


*What is wrong with my spell check?! I can't spell! And it won't let me insert photos either!*

trust everyone

As a follow up to my earlier post on trust:
Because I know that all people are imperfect and likely to disappoint me, I can trust them.
If I expected them to be perfect and never fail and then trusted them, I would surely be terribly hurt, maybe even devastated, and at that point I would most likely choose to never trust anyone again.
But since I don't place that kind of expectation on them, I can trust them.
Make sense? No?
Well, in trying to think of an allegory, I came up with a very poor one, but it will have to do. It doesn't make sense, but ignore that part.
Say I'm hanging from a cliff and all I have to hold on to is a thin, frail vine. So, I clutch it and rely on it, but the thing is that I happen to know that right under my toes, (they are firmly planted on it) is a huge, immoble boulder.
So, I know that if the vine breaks, I'm not going to be destroyed. I might be jarred a little. Get a little shock. But that's about it. While I was hoping the vine would hold me up, (that's the part that doesn't make sense -- ignore it) I knew that it may not, and I wasn't terribly concerned because my ultimate trust is in the solid, unchanging rock beneath my feet.
Therefore, because I can ultimate trust only One, I can trust everyone.