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!