Speak

Long time no speak. Sorry for the hiatus. My mom always taught me “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’s not that I have been a bitter shrew for the past month and a half; my thoughts have been unclear and relatively negative. However, it’s a bit of a lie to actually say my thoughts have been unclear, when all along they have been clear. I truthfully have just chosen to ignore the blinding clarity. So what’s the blinding clarity? I need and quench for the word of God.

I can’t explain the immediate rush of peace and clarity that came when I spent time in the word today. When I am thirsty it affects my joy, peace, patience, and the way I love people among other things. Because of sin this world is destined for death. Just like a plant with no water. So I know, as long as I continue to drink from the water of truth I will continually produce fruit; the evidence of life. What a supernatural gift the Lord has given us to be able to produce fruit in a dying world.

"How will they know if we don't even walk, even talk, even speak?"

The Fog

Some mornings here in beautiful College Station, TX are filled with the densest fog you have ever seen…or at least I have ever seen. Well yesterday was one of those days and as I was driving to work the lights were visible at about 50 feet and all other structures, cars, buildings at about 25 feet. AND it got me to thinking…


After checking my speedometer, I realized I wasn’t slowing down and I wasn’t even the slightest bit timid, like I am when I am driving in the rain. Why not? Because even though I couldn’t see 100 feet in front of me, I knew that the lights would be visible in time. I knew I would see taillights, headlights or traffic lights that would indicate the need to stop or slow down. I knew what traffic light came next, and I knew I would have enough time to stop if it was red. So while I am in a complete fog in life, I have to remember that every other foggy period I have walked through has been made clear in time. I am a true believer in reflecting and learning from trials so I know that in trials past, God has always opened the doors and revealed His next step in His time. I also remember that there were days or weeks when all I saw was fog with no lights. So right now, all I see is fog, but I have been in the fog before and I know that in God’s time there will be lights, and things will be made clear. Is 26:3: You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in You.

************************************************************************************

Comfort Food

It’s that time of year. The cozy cool air pushes in, department stores mark up the “pumpkin, cinnamon, cider, latte, hazelnut, pine needle, harvest” candles, and we as human beings enjoy being inside cuddled up on our couches. With cozy cuddling comes comfort food. My most recent comfort food craze is Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but some classics include…Ramon Noodles, pizza, and Macaroni and Cheese.

SO

I want to know, what are your comfort foods???

* I must say this blog comes at a most inopportune time being that I am running in a race this Sunday. Maybe I should start comfort food eating on Monday. CRUNCH. Oh I’m sorry I just couldn’t resist…race shmace.

First facial...and last facial.

INTRO:

So if any of you guys know my most recent hobby, it is my soccer team. (Enter shameless plug: BCSSL and our team is the Macropods). Anyway, this new hobby isn’t really all that new, I have been playing soccer since I could walk. I never joined a club league because my parents wanted me to have a more balanced life. But I play in a league with some random people now, and I love it!


ACTUAL STORY:

In two separate soccer games my poor big toes were trampled. Both big toes, in separate games, turned purple. I am a huge pedicure girl, so you know this is a shot to the heart…or the toe. Both of them were damaged enough that they started to grow out…yes this is getting nasty. I have been walking around just wondering when they would totally fall off.

WELL, today I went to get a facial, which a friend gave me as a gift, so it was my first time to go to this place. My facialist begins to lean me back in the facial chair (Those of you that haven’t had a facial, they tuck your arms in real tight under a blanket) and as she is leaning me back, my left foot just barely taps my right toe and two seconds later I hear what you can imagine, my toe nail falling onto the floor. THERE I WAS, tucked into the facial bed completely immobilized and my big toe nail was lying on the floor. I immediately gasp and my facialist (whom I just met) asked what was wrong. In utter embarrassment I told her what had happened. So the poor lady had to retrieve the toenail!!! It was a little hard to relax after that. The facialist probably thought that the facial creams were burning my face, but really it was just the embarrassment.

My dad can beat up your dad!

To: Big Bear

I've been reading in Matthew lately, it is my favorite gospel. I came across a passage that reminded me of my dad. It’s Matthew 7:7-11. The basic idea of the passage is, “Ask. And it will be given”. As I was reading I immediately thought of the way that my dad has always loved me.

It was about 6 years ago, I had just finished my freshmen year of college and I worked that summer at a camp (Insert my shout out to Texoma Lutheran Camp, RIP). At camp I played around with some of my friend’s guitars and I wanted to learn how to play. So that semester, being that my parents wouldn’t let me work, I asked my dad if I, they, could buy me a guitar. I didn’t really know how to play yet, so my dad said no. I was so upset because my thought was, if I don’t have a guitar, I will never learn how to play to prove myself, therefore I would never be able to get a guitar…oh the tragedy. A little upset about it, I went along my way. However, I think that my dad knows me better than I do. Bound and determined that spring, I suckered somebody into loaning me her guitar for 2 months. It was one of those old Ovation guitars, with a round back and strings as hard as diamonds and as rough as sandpaper. My fingers did not love that thing.

Anyway, to the sacrifice of my roommates at the time, I learned to play the guitar in that two-month period. I practiced all summer and for my birthday, my dad bought me a guitar. It took me almost a year to get that guitar, but I wonder, if my dad had just bought me the guitar when I first asked, would I have actually learned how to play?

My dad always encourages me when I play, even though I’m not that great. But I truly don’t think he sees/hears any fault in my playing. This is the very way that the Lord looks at all of us that are covered by our Savior’s blood. Faultless. What a true reflection of our relationship with God, and the way that He loves us. Thanks Dad!

From: Running Deer

Losing Face

Do you ever feel like you do all of the stupid things that you do in front of the same people. Like at school, when I trip it always seems to be in front of the same colleague. Or how about this…the other day I went to open a door and walk in and I PULLED. Who does that? And of course it was in front of that same colleague. Maybe subconsciously I have decided that it is better to really “lose face” in front of one person and get all of my stupidity out, and then for everybody else, they can just continue to think that I am a completely normal, high functioning member of society.

The Day We Chanted

For some reason I come up with a great deal of my blog topics in church, The Work Laugh, came straight from Sunday morning. I know it’s bad but I always write the topic down and go straight back to paying attention.

Anyway, this whole thought came out of something that we don’t normally do at my church, but last Sunday was a different story. It could be referred to as chanting, repeating, or reading as a whole. Whatever you call it, it involves speaking out loud as a group. This makes my skin crawl. One of the reasons I go to my church is because we don’t chant or repeat as a congregation. (Not really, I chose my church because God called me there and if they want me to chant I will chant).

So why does this bother me so much? I mean I am the annoying girl sitting by herself, singing at the top of her lungs, because I love to sing. But when it comes to repeating as a whole I just can’t do it. BUT STOP! I make my students chant!!! I am a chanting hypocrite!!! I make them say things like. “Of means MULTIPLY” and we don’t line up decimals when we multiply because, and they say, “Math teachers are lazy!”

In conclusion, I promise to stop making my kids chant and if you see me at church during a chant I am probably putting on lip gloss or pretending like I am looking for a friend…and by the way, thanks to the family a couple of weeks ago that asked me if I wanted to sit with them, maybe they are non chanters, and we can start a whole non chanting row, and let it spread. Then one day when they want us to chant nobody will chant!! It’s the overthrow of the chant!!!