Internet Blues

I've been without internet for a few days. Ugh. If you know me at all, that's like cutting off my left leg. Not...FUN!! Hopefully, my new router comes today!!! Crossing fingers...

Blessed with some AWESOME Parents

I've been wrestling with a tough issue lately...choices, choices, choices...and I'm realizing what a blessing it is to have the parents I do. I've been able to throw out all my thinkings, hear their thoughts and even pray about it with them. I definitely wasn't so appreciative of this when I was younger. Today?...a great blessing!

NO FREAKING STARCHY CARBS

As you can tell, I'm SUPER excited about this challenge. ;) One of my friends has been doing this, so I thought I'd join up. My thought was that it might be easier to do this with others as opposed to flying solo. Being supportive and all that. Ummm...I'm in total misery. Hell actually. Haha!! I'm committed though...Ugh.

Funny Clip

A friend posted this today. Funny!!!
British Animal Voiceovers

From the Inside Out

Good song for the day. My fav is 2:00 and on. ;)

Words to Remember

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (New International Version, ©2010)


We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us...

Feminists for Life Update

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Refuse-to-Choose-Between-Abortions---Starving-Children.html?soid=1103027404175&aid=cL-Ue2jXdTU

Priorities

Ugh. I think I need to make some decisions...of the eliminating sort. I'm SO aware that my life is just consumed by commitments and the prospects of more. I work a "1.4" to make more money (the "1.0" alone would be enough to cause insanity). I'm involved with church a great deal (i.e. sermons, Sunday school, worship team). I am involved in two Bible studies (one weekly, one bi-monthly). Then there's the political stuff. *sigh* Some of that is drawing to a close, but there's a new group starting up that I might be a part of. There are the occasional retreats and speaking opportunities too. THEN...there's a ginormous professional thing that I'm beginning soon. It just goes on and on and on... And I haven't even mentioned the people in my life!!!! Or time for myself! AHHH!

Basically...I'm looking at my life and seeing a ton of "doings". And I'm wondering...is this WHO I am?...and who I want to be? Is my "doing" an expression of "Sarah" or just a list of good things to do? Pair those wonderings up with some of the other dreams I have...relationally, professionally, spiritually...am I giving myself enough space to explore and develop? Do I want to...?

Ugh. Thinkings...

Machine Gun Preacher

One of my students reminded me of this guy today. He's a former biker who now runs an orphanage in Sudan/Uganda...the area where the stories of children forced kill their families come from. He carries a machine gun and a Bible... (Now, there's a controversial subject!!) Turns out Hollywood is releasing a movie about him in the Fall. Gerard Butler is playing him!
Machine Gun Preacher

Amazing People

My kiddos said I HAD to watch this today. ;) Actually, it's pretty awesome!

PEOPLE ARE AWESOME. @ Yahoo! Video

RE: The Past

I've had the wonderful and rare opportunity to have a day of nothingness. Well, I had to shovel my driveway, but that's a good workout! (AND...a huge thanks to Debbie for helping me with her snowblower!!!) Anyway, I had a movie going on hulu.com while I was putzing and heard a great interchange. One man asked the other why he had to bring up the past. The other replied, "I find the best way to let go of the past is to address it."

Agreed.

King Tut

...is coming to the Science Museum. Ok, well, his stuff is. I will definitely be checking that out!

Volleyball Hilarity

Oh my gosh...my brother-in-law Rommel is hilarious! He gave me a volleyball tonight that was signed by people on the team from this summer. Some of his messages, of course, had stories behind them...usually ones at my expense. It was too funny. One referred to the fact that he and I are always colliding to get the ball. Mostly, I ricochet. ;) Another referred to a spike I had that hit a guy in the face. That was an accident, people! Maybe. The last one brought back memories of my unfortunate "charley horse in my butt" experience. Perhaps I'll just leave that one alone...

Thanks, Rommel! Haha!

Invitacion Fountain

A new one at church today! Loved it!

When We're Going Through...

I really have no idea why things go the way they do in life. Sometimes the struggle is removed....even miraculously on occasion. Other times...well...we are going through...

I was trying to find a card today for a friend that just found out her dad has cancer. It was SOOOO frustrating. The sentiments were well-intentioned, but the words...sucked. From the experience of my mom's cancer, the last things I wanted were the statements of positive thoughts and "it'll be ok" that were based more on hopes than reality. Mostly, I wanted to know that I wasn't alone...and in the end that God was never, ever, ever going to let me go...even in the many moments when I raged against Him.

What is interesting is that I actually never got the answers to my questions about why my mom had to suffer or even why God was allowing it. Boy, did those linger even after her recovery. I was able to realize, though, that all of the sense in the world would have never made an ounce of sense to my broken heart. What He gave me instead was music...the kind my soul could climb inside and find peace for just a moment.

So...instead of a card, this is what I give...the freedom to step inside a soul-song to experience His embrace, find a morsel of peace and receive the strength to take one more step through...

AND...I give the promise that I'm walking with you. Love ya!

Ugh...

One of my very good friends just got some sad news. Praying for all involved! :(

Moving On from "Elementary"...

Hmm...I've been thinking about these verses a lot lately. Of course, if you've read my spiritually-oriented ramblings, you know that I believe faith is so much more than sin/hell and all that. It's been a major frustration of mine that the church tends to linger there. Safer? Easier to control?? Hmm. Well, a friend pointed out these verses to me the other day, and I was so excited! Turns out, the Bible asserts not staying with "elementary teachings". Go figure. ;) So...on to what the "maturity" is all about...should keep my brain busy for a while...haha!

"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so." Hebrews 6:1-3

Happy Birthday!

Today would have been Susan B. Anthony's 191st birthday.

Susan B. Anthony

Here We Go Again!

I get to take another crack at a teaching at church! The topic is the first part of the Lord's Prayer..."Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." It's a good thing I have some time to prepare! 3/20, it is! :)

No More "Stuck in a Moment"

I can guarantee that every person has something that he or she could get "stuck" in. You know, those things that happen that make it so hard to move on or to be open to new and better things. Mine would have to be a series of what my friend Jody calls "schmucks". ;) It's amazing how some negative experiences can cloud a person's vision of what tomorrow could be, but it's a reality. One that can make things so scary sometimes. The key is to fight the "stuck". Fight it with everything you have. Because...if your experience has been like mine...it is true that there are two-way people out there who are good and interesting and funny...and if you aren't careful and give in to all the junk that's happened, you could miss seeing it.

So for whatever your "stuck" could possibly be, here's to overcoming...I like to think we are worth that. :)

Little Gifts

Tomorrow, I get to do one of my favorite things when it comes to my nieces and nephews. I get to give them their Valentine's. I like to put together little gift packs of all kinds of sugar...umm, for them to eat at home with their parents. ;) I usually put them in their desks/lockers so they find them when they first arrive to school. Being an Auntie is SO MUCH FUN! I wish I had more time to do it better. :)

Judging Who?

Sometimes I just have to shake my head. Grr! When I look at how some of the typical American Christians function in our culture...embarrassingly so...I want to send out this verse.

1 Corinthians 5:12  "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

[Thanks to Toni for finding it!]

Saturday...

...was so much fun!! :)

Jeans for Legs that Don't Quit

Seriously...we have to discuss such things sometimes. ;) I'm tall...and as it turns out, my height is caused by legs that just don't quit! I'm pretty sure I grew out of "regulars" (average length jeans) when I was...three. But...TADA!...they make "longs". My favorite jeans of ALL TIME are Silvers. Yes, you are hearing angels sing upon reading that brand name...Love is in the air. *sigh*

Anna Julia Cooper

February is Black History Month. One of the organizations that I support released this article about an African-American feminist...quite a pioneer! What a great lady!

Feminists for Life Spotlight

Not-so-Evangelical

I had one of the best conversations the other day during a meeting. It was of the not-so-evangelical sort. ;) Unfortunately, I can't really write about it...potential to rock the boat a little too much. SO refreshing though!!!

Sing...before you hit someone. ;)

Do you ever have one of those days (in my case...weeks) where you deal with the "arses" more than your typical??? Gosh, it seems like it's a "coming out" party for the elitists, narcissists and overall "Me-Me" types. You know, the ones who need everything to revolve around them. They're EVERYWHERE! Usually I can just roll the eyes and deal...mostly because I know my own faults too...but I think the "crap cup runneth over" this week. I actually almost snapped yesterday. Thankfully...and hilariously...my junior highers and I happen to be studying "Feel...THINK...Act" in health class. So when I felt the foaming words on the move, I removed myself. Haha! Yowza. And for some reason, music also helps...and shows up at just the right time. I was on my way home late last night, and this song came on. Normally, I wouldn't really enjoy this type of music, but for some reason I cranked it up. Maybe it's the borderline screaming... ;) It is a good reminder, though, to keep on "singing" (i.e. living from our places of passion and continuing to pursue those dreams). We can't ever let frustration define us and/or stop us from becoming...  AHHHH!

Compensating

Helping out is one thing. The other???...it gets old. So, so, so oooooold. 'Nuf said.

Conference?

Wow! Well, this will be fun...and scary!! Haha!...but such is life in my head. ;) Some will remember the women's retreat that I was so fortunate to be able to attend last year. I had the opportunity to be one of the speakers. Man, was that a great challenge! It was such a good time...surviving a surprise winter storm with no power but making such wonderful friends. :) Well, my friend Rebecca (who put that weekend together) is organizing a conference in Minneapolis for a weekend in the Fall, and she asked me to speak again!! Woohoo! Anyone who knows me well, of course, knows that now commences FREAKING OUT... ;) Oh well...we have to courageously step into the opportunities that come our way. God loves making something beautiful out of our jumbled up messes of "AHHH!". He's just that good!

Pop the Bag

One of the absolute highlights of my work day is when my 6-yr-old niece comes in after the final bell rings. She waits with me until her ride comes. I love that time so much because she's still at the age where she likes to sit on my lap and snuggle. Lately, we've also added playing "Angry Birds" on my iPhone to the routine. ;)

Well today, she did her usual, but this time she decided to inform me that sometime soon she is going to pop a plastic bag so it can make a really loud "BANG!". "It's my new goal." (She probably gets that from her dad...hehe.) I told her that I thought that was an excellent idea. ;) Well, as she was packing up her stuff, she found a freezer-style ziplock bag in her backpack which she promptly grabbed to blow up.

Then commenced the most hilarious episode I've seen in a LONG time...

We are walking out to the car, and she's beating on that thing. Wham! Wham! Wham! "Grr, it won't pop!" She finally gets so frustrated that she throws it on the ground and stomps on it repeatedly with her cute little Disney Princess boots. Stomp!...nothing. Stomp!...NOTHING!

Umm...and I'm hyperventilating...

She finally gives up...walks away, leaving the puffy bag on the ground.

"Aren't you taking the bag?"

"No, that's not coming with me!"

So...being the Auntie that I should be, I took her to Culvers for a sundae. Hehe! Phew! We talked about trying other bags and our plan for the next time. The naughty ziplock???...it's stuck in a parking lot with no one to love it. Too bad!

Grenade?

Hmmm. I'm not sure about this one. Some of my kiddos think this is "the best song EVER". I have to admit that I kind of get the giggles on the chorus. Shh! I'm just trying to picture a woman hearing from a man that he loves her so much by explicitely describing all the ways he'd be killed for her. ??? I think it's better to just leave it at "I'd die for you.".

Middle of the Night Blogging

Ugh...being sick SUCKS! This round of the cold involves waking up in the middle of the night all gross and nasty so I can re-dose the good stuff. What to do while waiting for my sweet drugs to kick in?? Blog. (Ya, I have problems! Haha!) What's a little frustrating is that I have to actually be awake in 4 hours to charge into a busy day. Where I'd rather be???...curled up in my bed with movies/hulu on my laptop and an ice cream and/or hot chocolate IV drip. Hmm..maybe both. Ok...and maybe a nurse named Julio or Fabrizio or Achilles... Hey...a girl can dream... ;)

Clearly, the meds are kicking in...G'night!

Rock What You Got

Some of my kiddos like this one. :)

Another Good Devo

Thursday, February 03, 2011 [from Ransomed Heart Ministries]


Restoration

Look at the life of Jesus. Notice what he did. When Jesus touched the blind, they could see; all the beauty of the world opened before them. When he touched the deaf, they were able to hear; for the first time in their lives they heard laughter and music and their children's voices. He touched the lame, and they jumped to their feet and began to dance. And he called the dead back to life and gave them to their families.

Do you see? Wherever humanity was broken, Jesus restored it. He is giving us an illustration here, and there, and there again. The coming of the kingdom of God restores the world he made.

God has been whispering this secret to us through creation itself, every year, at springtime, ever since we left the Garden. Sure, winter has its certain set of joys. The wonder of snowfall at midnight, the rush of a sled down a hill, the magic of the holidays. But if winter ever came for good and never left, we would be desolate. Every tree leafless, every flower gone, the grasses on the hillsides dry and brittle. The world forever cold, silent, bleak.

After months and months of winter, I long for the return of summer. Sunshine, warmth, color, and the long days of adventure together. The garden blossoms in all its beauty. The meadows soft and green. Vacation. Holiday. Isn't this what we most deeply long for? To leave the winter of the world behind, what Shakespeare called "the winter of our discontent," and find ourselves suddenly in the open meadows of summer?

If we listen, we will discover something of tremendous joy and wonder. The restoration of the world played out before us each spring and summer is precisely what God is promising us about our lives. Every miracle Jesus ever did was pointing to this Restoration, the day he makes all things new.

(Epic, 82-83)

Inspiring

I told my kids that this is what "bringing the kingdom" can look like and that their homework for the rest of their lives is to live this BIG. :)

I Know A Secret!!!

And it almost killed me!! Oh my gosh...I love surprises, but I can barely keep them to myself in the waiting! I about burst with excitement. *sigh*

Today, I had the great fortune of helping with a grand scheme that ended in an engagement. AHHH! I can't say who because that's their deal, but the step that I saw was so cute. Smart, smart guy. It messed with her royally!!! Hehe.

FYI...I now know how to light a tiki torch. However, I must also add that I also now know that it is a good idea to wipe excess kerosene off one's hand. Just sayin'... ;)

I love you more than...

I stopped at my sister's last night to visit one of my nieces. The youngest one has been infecting all of us with her preschool germs, so I wanted to stop by to thank her...again. ;) Just kidding. Anyway, one of the games she and I play is an "I love you more than..." banter. Hers are so funny and cute. Once, as a response to my "I love you more than...my big toe.", she said, "Well, I love you more than...my little toe." Well, last night was funny too. I told her that I loved her all the way to the moon and back to which her sister added that it would take more than "ten hundred hours" to do that. ;) Little A replied, "Welllll....I love you for 12 minutes on a space ship!" Ya, we are going to have to work on the size comparison part. Haha!

The Tree

I wonder if I should take my Christmas tree down yet. It's just that I love the twinkle lights. What to do...What to do...

Heaven Scent

When the bell rings between classes, many of my high school girls go to their lockers and apply some sort of spray or lotion. Some days are a little more oxygen-depleting than others. ;) One of my students has started using a blackberry scent from Bath and Body Works. It smells so good that I want to eat it!!!! Of course, I know that leads to nowhere good...memories of tasting my absolute favorite Victoria's scent (Love Spell) come flooding back. HAHA!

Tear-Jerker

Oh my word...wanna bawl???

Home Makeover

Tattoo Question

I like when my kids start thinking for themselves concerning their faith (and faith-related questions). For the longest time they are satisfied with believing whatever they've heard (which is developmentally consistent), but when they get old enough, they start the process of owning their own faith. I'll tell you...this journey makes some parents, teachers, pastors, etc. VERY nervous. It's hard to watch them question and perhaps not land on the same truth. I personally LOVE it! Why?...because God is good and "prayer availeth much" in the long-run...and in the issues that really matter.

I enjoy when they start wrestling with the non-salvation issues. Those are the topics that are more wisdom-issues as opposed to sin. Maybe even sin issues too...but that's another convo. Hehe. Anyway, some of my high schoolers are tossing around the notion of whether or not a tattoo is a sin. (Oh yes...life in a Christian school...hehe.) Apparently, they have people in their lives who believe so. Their "thinkings" are fun to watch. What's cool is that they are not just going with what they feel like. They are asking if that's something God really cares about. Here are some verses I heard them talking about. I never knew about them. Kind of interesting actually. :)

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Ezekiel 9:4

and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

Sheesh...I wonder if this means we all need to run out and get tattoos RIGHT AWAY! Right in the middle of the forehead...Hmm. Mine's on my back, but perhaps another one, front and center??... ;)

Desktop Calendar

Oooo, I love this idea! A calendar right on my desktop that's...pretty! :)

February Computer Desktop Calendar