Conundrums Topic: People/Family stories Life is a conundrum.
Remember our creek? Well every year about this time, the banks of the creek grow full, green, lush, tall grass called Timothy grass. It looks like wheat?it waves in the wind, which is pleasing to the eye as well as to my ears. My husband and I LOVE to sit on our front porch and gaze out at the sky or the creek or the birds and animals. It is such a great place to rebuild your mental and emotional energies after a long day. It is also a wonderful place to visit and talk the day through?.you can think and communicate more clearly without all the household noises and distractions. But every year also about this time, my poor husband gets itchy nose and eyes?..his face and eyes turn red from irritation, and his nose becomes a fount of gunk. The creek that we hold so dear all year long becomes a scourge of irritation in May and June. He is so allergic to that Timothy grass, that the doctor gives him a steroid shot (sometimes 2), prescription nasal spray, prescription oral medication and an oral steroid to use?..just because of the grass. And the worst thing is, it drives him in to hiding in the house for 6-8 weeks of the year. He started running an air purifier that someone gave us, put in our window unit air conditioner and shut the house up today because it?s started. The beautiful green creek bank has driven him to be a prisoner in his own house.
Just to make it interesting, when I came home today, there was a foul odor in our house. I went down the hall to see who was using this terrible smelling cleaner or glue or whatever it was. No one knew what I was talking about. Finally I noticed this noise in the living room as I walked by and thought it was my husband?s computer, went to investigate?..and found the source of the icky smell. It?s the air purifier! Ew, it smells! It?s hard to describe?.kind of a metallic/cheap bleachish smell. (my spell check doesn?t want me to say ew or bleachish, but I have to, so I?m ignoring it) Here?s the conundrum?.the thing that he is hoping will give him the best year yet allergy wise is going to drive me out with it?s weird smell! The person who gave it to us said her husband wouldn?t let her run it due to a smell he didn?t like, but I didn?t realize how irritating it would be til it?s been running in our home for a day. I?ve had this sour look on my face all afternoon smelling it.
Now this is a temporary, silly conundrum, but life is sometimes a more serious unsolvable puzzle that looks like it?s going to absolutely choke us out of existence. I have a friend whose life has been like that for over 3 years now?..life altering situations that just seem to be going from bad to worse to unbearable. What do you do when life is such a series of unfortunate (or ridiculously insane) events? I don?t know if I could handle it. Yet my friend is holding on?.she is smiling and holding her family together by threads. She says that at times she just knows she will fall apart, but she doesn?t. There is something unseen there. Something supernatural and strong is undergirding her, holding up her head and helping her keep it together. She has learned how to let God work and to trust Him with all these tragic events in her life that seem like they will not let up. Everyone who mentions her though says the same thing?.she is at peace?has a deep joy and hope that is confounding to us who are looking on with horror as things unfold in that family. It is a hideous, seemingly unsolvable puzzle that bad decisions and poor choices have caused. The Sunday School answer of course, is that God knows their situation?.He is going to bring good out of the bad and we can trust Him. I am not sure I could say that if I were in her shoes. She doesn?t know what will happen and if any good will ever come of any of it. But she is holding tightly to God and His Word. And I am seeing, all of us are seeing, how that is affecting her ability to handle and survive this time in her life. If Satan was ever shaking someone?s tree, he is there shaking hers and she is holding on tight and is not being shaken. I don?t understand it?but God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Cor. 1:27)
So you go, girl! We are in awe of how God solves the unsolvable?.His wisdom and ways are beyond any Sunday School answer we?ve ever heard.
Comfort Topic: God things Sunday nights are one of my favorite times of the week. We have had small group meeting at our home on Sunday nights for the past two years or longer. I love our small group! It could be any group of people, but we have settled in at the maximum capacity for small groups…..twelve people (just the size of Jesus’ small group)…..there have been a few changes in our make up, but it is a very good variety right now. We have a sampling of older and younger couples, a representative of almost every stage of child rearing, as well as one woman who is married and has never had children. We laugh a lot together, eat together and have become very honest and vulnerable with each other over the past two years. I don’t think this particular group of people would have ever come together in any other venue or would have stuck together as friends if it were not for the small group setting and how it brings people into a wonderful bond with each other. We started out by doing the 40 days of purpose campaign, reading and discussing the book, The Purpose Driven Life. We have since studied books on prayer, Jesus’ life and ministry, a book on Christian apologetics and most recently the Holy Spirit.
The last two chapters in the book on the Holy Spirit were on the fruit of the Spirit and the Spirit as the Comforter. So, being the creative and fun people we are, we decided to have the food themes for these weeks to be fruit night and this past week, comfort foods. I found it interesting when discussing what our favorite comfort foods are *as our ice breaker* what a variety of foods were represented as comforting. Most of the foods brought to the meal were sweets! While I am a sweets eater and I do love desserts, that is not what brings me comfort. When I think of comfort foods, I think of homemade, labor of love types of meals that families would sit down and eat together as an occasion. We’re talking pot roast with homemade rolls, fried chicken and mashed potatoes. And while my husband’s favorites went back to his childhood favorites of southern foods like chicken fried steak, fried okra or pan fried pork chops, you could tell where I grew up by my choices also, like my mom’s homemade chimichangas with homemade guacamole and taco salad or tamale pie. Several people in the generation just above mine in our group recalled loving one of the staples in a modest home life, pinto beans with ham hocks and cornbread. These were usually made with drippings from the ‘fat pot’, a jar or pot kept by the stove, where grease and fat drippings were saved (as well as ‘aged’) and used to add to dishes to give them that special touch. Now, I didn’t grow up in a well to do family or anything, but we didn’t have a fat pot. Thankfully my mother was kind of paranoid about food spoilage and didn’t keep things that weren’t refrigerated and preserved well. We also didn’t have pinto beans much because they reminded my mom of hard times during the depression, eating nothing but beans and cornbread.
Why are those homemade meals were so comforting and remembered with such fondness? I think it was the love that goes into preparing a meal from scratch, of spending time, investing in a project that was soon devoured and gone….yet brought such wonderful feelings to a family. In this generation of fast and convenient packaged and restaurant foods, a good homemade, lovingly prepared meal is a rarity! Since becoming the one who is responsible for my family’s cooking, I really appreciate, more than ever, the effort and care it takes to make a meal from scratch. It takes precious time to prepare a meal like that, just to have it disappear in a matter of minutes, all cut up, pulled apart, spooned out. But what a blessing it is to watch the joy and simple pleasure it gives to a family to sit down to a good meal together, enjoying and talking and knowing someone took time to prepare for you, to nourish you and comfort you.
As I smelled my own crockpot of beans cooking all day Sunday to please our small group, I remembered all the times I walked in on a Sunday afternoon to smell a pot roast cooking or fresh bread baking, or chimichangas frying, knowing someone had been preparing something special for us, thinking of us and going just a bit above and beyond making a regular meal to please us and love us.
Jesus said He is the Bread of Life, He’s the Comforter who sustains us when we’re hanging by a thread to sanity and just keeping it together. The comfort we receive from Him is much more lasting and real than any food every prepared. He is the real deal. And He wants us to enjoy the meat that He has to nourish us instead of the baby milk that just sustains us as Christians. There is a difference between eating to survive and eating to nourish and strengthen us for health. A lot of us Christians are like the starving millions in third world countries, bellies hanging out, full of worms and disease, when the nourishment that can help us become healthy is sitting there on our shelf, untouched or ignored. And we don’t need healthy foods and vitamins once a week or month or year, we need it each day to grow and have health.
We need to ingest for the feast He has for our spiritual life. It’s much more satisfying and comforting, but we settle for the fast and convenient food that we can ‘catch’ by the wayside as we travel through our life as a shallow Christian with our own agenda. And what happens when you eat fast food in a hurry, not taking time to properly digest and chew it well….it doesn’t usually sit right, does it? I personally have seen lots of Christians who take in a Sunday sermon quickly, without chewing on it, digesting it and processing it…and it makes them say, “Bleh, that doesn’t sit right.” God has given us a labor of love, a preparation of treasures and richness for the spirit beyond what the world or our own agenda could ever give us. I think I may be at the point in my spiritual life too where I can more fully appreciate and enjoy the labor of love God’s given us in His Word, like a woman who becomes a mother and can more fully appreciate the labor her mother went through to provide for her family. I can always use some nourishment, comfort and assurance of love, can’t you? =) Take, eat, enjoy and grow. It’s free for the taking….and will set you free as well.
Wild rice recipe Topic: Crickl's Recipes The casserole was a hit. My kids looked at the conglomeration that I pulled from the oven and you could almost feel the look of disgust on their faces…..the ‘it looks horrid because it’s all mixed together with unrecognizable particles in it’ look. They are not big on casseroles. All were surprised though, when they tasted it and apologized for their judgmental attitudes toward mixed foods! Here is the recipe, with a hearty recommendation. I didn’t have onion, celery, almonds or mushrooms and it was just as good, I imagine.
Wild Rice Casserole
1 pound ground pork sausage 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, chopped 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup chopped celery 3 cups chicken broth 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained 1 (6 ounce) package long grain and wild rice mixture 1 (3 ounce) package sliced almonds
Directions 1 In a large skillet combine the sausage, chicken, onion, garlic and celery. Saute over medium heat until sausage and chicken are browned and vegetables are tender. Crumble sausage, drain fat from skillet and return sausage to skillet. 2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 3 Stir in the chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, mushrooms and rice. Mix well and spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds. 4 Cover dish and bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until cooked through.
Another chilly day…..I hope to put out flowers..... but not today. =)
A g'day! Topic: People/Family stories Well after 2 torrentially bad days in a row, today was a keeper! I won’t bore you with yesterday’s pain, but it had to do with ordinary things like badly a clogged toilet, a hardware store trip, husband being out of town, pms, tears upon tears, lots of bleach spray and finally a plumber and great rejoicing! I feel so bad whining about miniscule problems while the world, our country, my town and my friends suffer from troubles on a much more magnified scale….life-altering types of stuff. When you have pms though, it’s the small stuff that drives you crazy (well maybe not you, but me) and makes me overreact.
Today was my day off. I tried to sleep in but couldn’t so it gave me a chance to have a long talk with my husband, who’s been out of town for 3 days. We had a good, good talk….about important things….and I felt like I had helped him sort some things out, which is rare for me, but it’s what I want to do. So it was a great start….then I had a long morning: prayed and got some insight into some things, watched a Judging Amy rerun, then had a long shower and even shaved my legs….which always makes me feel better. =) Then I decided I was going to finally cook this interesting wild rice mix I had bought in bulk from our farmer’s market. It came with no instructions, so it was a gamble. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and got it going before running to get our passport applications done at the post office. We are so goofy. On a passport application you cannot make a mistake…no scribbling over a 1 with a 3, no white out or erasers. We each ended up filling out 3 apps! First it was putting 2005 for my birth date *DUH* and Chas put his mother’s birth date in his father’s birth date spot….this could have been frustrating, but the rediculousness of it cracked us up, as well as the postal employees helping us. Being a small town, I know that this will get around and we’ll have people teasing us about it. Well it took an hour, but we finally got done. My rice casserole with sausage and chicken is almost done, but I took a test taste from it a while ago and it tastes wonderful! The rice was still a bit too crunchy, but an extra half hour should have done the trick. I will post the recipe tomorrow if it’s a keeper.
Oh, and the weather today was very cozy. Rain alternating with sleet, gusty wind and distant thunder rumbling… not loud enough to make the poodle animal who lives in our house tremble, but just enough to make you look out the windows more often and smile because the weather gave me a good reason not to have to go anywhere. The laundry is about done, all my kids are home tonight, and we’re going to eat yummy rice casserole and watch National Treasure together. It’s all insignificant in perspective of our lives here on earth, but I thank God for small treasures like a day like today.
Today was quite a day. The kids at school got their work done with the usual whining and questioning every little thing. ~aarg~ I had to leave for an hour to take our church secretary and our financial secretary out to lunch, in place of my husband, for secretary’s day. (He is out of town til tomorrow night.) We went to a very touristy restaurant at a train depot in town….good lunch! When I got back it was time to take the kids out for PE to play tennis at a nearby tennis court. So the other adult helper and I decided to play each other instead of playing with the kids. We hit those little neon green balls back and forth for a good 30 minutes, then for another 15 minutes after a break. It was fun! Then back to the school, to a Mexican dance performance by our local children’s dance club. Really beautiful. After school, I stopped by the grocery store while waiting for my high school daughters to get out of band. Went home, only to hear a message from my friend Edith on the answering machine that our friends, the Holleys were going to be late, so I was to call Edith before taking their dinner over so she could let me in to leave the dinner. …..uh….THE DINNER! If I were more unorganized, I’d be a basket case. I went into high gear and got grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes and green beans ready by 5pm and took it over. A miracle by anyone’s estimation I think! Then I went to Dr B's, my chiropractor, on the way home cuz my whole back and legs ache and are stiff from all the tennis. Then home, ate dinner (had the same menu as the Holleys), got the girls off to youth group and am now crashed, totally, on the couch. I want to whimper, but I'm too tired! My gimpy knee is fussing at me and every time I try to get up, it crackles….I don’t think that is a good thing. I’ve also had 7-8 calls on the phone since crashing on the couch and I’m thinking of throwing it out the window except that it is a new phone and I like it.
I have to take Hannah to work in the morning. =( This is all my husband’s doing. He is out of town with the other car. Hannah goes to work at 5:30am at an espresso shop. Then a full day of work again. After school we go to piano lessons 10 miles out of town for my two younger daughters, then in the evening we go to the Spring high school band concert my two oldest daughters are in. I just wanted to let someone know in case I disappear tomorrow. I’m entertaining thoughts of running away…..but where would I go….hmmmm
Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night. ~unknown~
Parents are often so busy with the physical rearing of children that they miss the glory of parenthood, just as the grandeur of the trees is lost when raking leaves. ~Marcelene Cox~
The best medicine... Topic: Humor/memes
My sister sent me these....so smile...chuckle, chortle and snort...
~*~Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.~*~
THIRTY LINES TO MAKE YOU SMILE
1. My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't. *tsk tsk* 2. I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it. Wheeeeee! 3. I work hard because millions on welfare depend on me! 4. Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them. *chortle* 5. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke. Having kids wrecks it. 6. Don't take life too seriously; No one gets out alive. Pessimistic, aren’t we? 7. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me. You too? 8. Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. I never held a beer, so I dunno. 9. Earth is the insane asylum for the universe. Not arguing. 10. I'm not a complete idiot -- Some parts are missing. Eh…hehehehee 11. Out of my mind. Back in five minutes. Does this come on a t-shirt? 12. NyQuil, the stuffy, sneezy, why-the-heck-is-the-room-spinning medicine. Cozy. 13. God must love stupid people; He made so many. 14. The gene pool could use a little chlorine. *Snort!* 15. Consciousness: That annoying time between naps. 16. Ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Yes. 17. Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it! Shut up. 18. Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up. =( 19. Procrastinate Now! 20. I Have a degree in Liberal Arts; do you want fries with that? 21. A hangover is the wrath of grapes. 22. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance. Heh… 23. Stupidity is not a handicap. Park elsewhere! 24. They call it PMS because MadCow Disease was already taken. OK, who put this one in the list! 25. He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead. 26. A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory. 27. Ham and eggs. A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig. 28. The trouble with life is there's no background music. Wouldn’t it be nice though? 29. The original point and click interface was a Smith and Wesson. Scary… 30. I smile because I have no idea what’s going on. =)
A lesson in Ernest.... Topic: Humor/memes A very cool thing happen today. I was teaching children?s? church?.this is my month to do so. The curriculum was a bit contrived?.a story about Jesus as a boy. He was talking to his mother and she was giving him some chores to do. I don?t like telling children stories about Jesus that aren?t really in the Bible for various reasons. So what we did was to think of some things Jesus probably did as a child?.. played with friends, had some chores he may have done, and how he worked hard at school to learn his synagogue lessons. There is very little said about his childhood except the story of him staying behind at the Temple to talk to the teachers when he was about 12. Then it says that he grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:5) In the middle of our discussion about what Jesus might have done for fun, this little black dog bursts through the door and runs to the children, sitting around the table. It was so funny and cute, the kids just burst into squeals and laughter. Don?t you know that God loves fun?.loves seeing us enjoy his creations. Well, the little intruder, whose name is Ernest we found out, was scooped up and given back to his elderly owner who was scurrying in after him, after letting all the children pet and ogle over him for a few minutes. So after they calmed down a bit, we were reminded that Jesus probably had animals to take care of and how fun it is to watch animals play, to pet them and talk to them. He must have enjoyed that and maybe even squealed in laughter at his own little dog or goat or sheep. I was thankful for the wonderful object lesson.
Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. ~Henry David Thoreau
A friend of mine is trying to get me to come to the dark side. Yes, it's true....a recruiter for the dark side of chocolate. I've been kind of intrigued by, yet noncommittal to actually buying any. I can?t imagine M&M?s with dark chocolate but I will eventually break down and buy some, because there is a buzz going ?round about them and I am getting curiouser and curiouser.
The dark side of life is intriguing too, though not in a trivial way like m&m?s. We watch movies and television shows that showcase murder investigations, casual romantic relationships and handsome criminals who make us laugh. There is a whole television show that deals with sex crimes and the lawyers that defend the victims. What is this fascination, and why are we so drawn to the side of life that, alarmingly, does not make people cringe and look the other way but to gaze, stare and gawk? What is that? It?s disturbing and fascinating. twisted, scary, shocking?.entertaining. I think that is why the Bible has so much instruction on thinking about the good?.doing good?.training ourselves in goodness. It?s not natural for us?.we and our buddy, the sin nature. We have to struggle against it because we are drawn to it, fascinated by it and then realize we are enslaved and ruined by it.
I recently saw this happen to a close friend of ours. He was drawn in like a moth to a flame and was burned?his reputation, his future plans, as well as his own opinion of himself. It broke my heart to watch it. People warned him, wise people?.his family, friends, co-workers and other men who have been in his shoes, yet he disregarded it all and threw himself to the flame. Now, less than a month later, he is suffering greatly from the havoc that one reckless choice has caused to not only himself but to his friends, family and to some young people who really looked up to him.
Oh how I wish we could just hide the darkness. I know we can?t hide it?..but in my human mind and as a mother, that is my first instinct. God doesn?t hide the darkness from us. The Bible is full of stories of imperfect people, people who made baaaaaaaaaaaaad choices?ever wonder why they are all in there? I always think, well if God can use those people, He can use me?change me, make me into what He really wants me to be?all is not lost?there?s hope. He turned around their mistakes and used their imperfection, bringing them closer to Him. He created us with free will and allows us to make mistakes? When we blow it, it makes it harder on us, as well as on those we love, but all is not lost?there is hope?and restoration. He can still use us?.He still loves us.
We also have the ability to choose goodness. He freely gives wisdom to all who ask. Like a loving parent, He is encouraging us to do what is right, but is there to help us when we fall down and go boom.
Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable?if anything is excellent or praiseworthy?think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me?put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
The dark side isn?t worth the longing looks we give it?the price is far too high. Please pray for my friend as he is reeling from his walk there?.
Bad timing Topic: People/Family stories I skipped church this morning *bad pastor's wife!* and here I sit watching home design shows while our church honors my husband for 8 years of being their pastor. *I think I deserve a good pout* I was up til 3:30am with 2 barfing children, one of whom did not reach a proper recepticle in time! So at 2am I was cleaning a bedspread, a sleeping bag and my couch, while Bethany cleaned the wood floor. She was using BLEACH water on my new wood floor until I came out and saw it and was jumping up and down yelling "NOOOOOO!" The sleeping bag was out by the couch because Bethany was having a slumber party. *oiy* Pizza, ice cream, cookies, brownies, chips, soda, barf! This morning I have 2 daughters, each with old margarine tub buckets attached under their chins, sipping water, munching toast and watching Disney channel with doopy eyes. My head is pounding and dizzy, but hopefully it's just from the stress and lack of sleep and not from getting sick.....?
Tonight we have small group Bible study at our house. I am afraid to make the clam dip I have planned...wonder if the small group people would like chicken and stars with dry toast and gingerale? =)
To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment. ~Jane Austen~
Today, after a long day helping at school and plodding about after school, I took a half hour to sit on our lawn swing with our dog, Winnie and look upon verdure. The grass is green now, growing in tufts and all disheveled looking. Spring bulbs are out and lovely..tulips mostly....next will come hyacinths I think. This picture is from last Fall but it has the feeling that today brought. I love how a half hour in nature, in quiet, with a nice dog beside you does wonders for your weariness.
Books 'R Us Topic: Humor/memes I posted this questionnaire in a chat room/message board I go to. Here is the question, and some responses beginning with mine.
1. Grab the nearest book. 2. Open the book to page 123. 3. Find the fifth sentence. 4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions. 5. Don't search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you.
?Hang on- the computer is still trying to restore holographic reality.? From Adventure Bible Handbook (a wild and spectacular high-tech trip through the Bible) on the story of Elijah?.my 7 year old?s book.
"It's your child's bedtime and all you want is for him to go to sleep so you can lie down and stare at the TV -- and it starts up." from Plan B, Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
"Then one Pole spoke up" from What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
"He offered her eggs and bacon and kielbasa with what he called "Jewish Rye Bread" -- the star of David bakery was under the twentieth street viaduct. From "The World's Last Night" By William Jovanovich
"There's no reason for this to be a shock." FLUKE by Christopher Moore
"Moreover there is no position so high but that it is subject to a spiritual superior in what concerns the conscience and the soul."~ A PERRENIAL PHILOSOPHY by Aldous Huxley, in which the next line is a quote from St. Paul: "Though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all."
And if YOU have any to add, just click the comments button?it?s kinda fun to see what people have lying around.
Divine humor Topic: Humor/memes
A friend of mine recently showed me an internet video clip. We were talking about that creepy Burger King commercial with the guy in a king mask who looks into someone?s window, just staring at him, then the man he?s staring at starts getting this goofy smile on his face?.weird! So he said there was a commercial that was taken off the air in Germany because people complained that they saw ghosts in it and heard backward talking. He said to listen carefully to hear it and lean close to see what he couldn?t make out but might be the ?ghosts?. (this should have been my first clue?lean close, turn up the sound) lol Here is the clip: http://jordanslair.com/video/kfee.mpeg. Well not to spoil the surprise for you, but at the end of the car commercial, a goblin jumps in front of the screen and does this crazy, scary scream and scares the bajeebers out of you! So naturally, I played the trick on my kids. I told them the story and showed them the clip, telling them I thought the supposed ghosts were just sun rays or fog or something, but to look closely at the trees. Well, they about hit the roof, my daughter Emma actually screamed and jumped off the couch. Ha! Gotcha! This was a few days ago.
Last night I was loading the video clip just to bother Emma again, who was sitting beside me on the couch. It takes about 5-10 minutes to fully load and get ready to play on my computer, so I turned the laptop toward Emma and got up to go to my room?while I was in my room, my husband was talking to me about some things, then I went to the kitchen, then came back to sit on the couch. Do you think God has a sense of humor? I know He does. At the precise time that I was in mid-sit, that goblin jumped out and screamed. My head was at the same level as the speakers, I had totally forgotten that I had left it loading. I screamed and my feet slipped out from under me and I fell the rest of the way to the couch, half laughing, half choking on my Oreo, part peeing my pants! Then, after that lovely display, I couldn?t stop laughing and choking?.the girls were laughing and telling me how it served me right. And I guess it did. I am a practical joker at heart, but I don?t like it when I am the subject of a joke. And how did that happen just perfectly unless God set it up? Hmmmmmm?
Other proofs of God?s sense of humor: giraffes, monkeys, weird bugs and fish, pictures composed of precisely set stars in the sky, sneezes, and west Texas. Besides, we are made in His image and even little toddlers have a sense of humor. Doesn?t it just make you smile to think of a baby laughing, of clouds in goofy shapes, of how dogs are so goofy and seem to understand you and communicate back with you? And what does smiling and laughter do for us? It lowers blood-pressure, relaxes us, puts us at ease with each other and makes the emotional and social ground level between people. It?s a good thing that God gave us humor?.and I enjoy it to the fullest. I love to find it every day in the world or in other people, even when they don?t realize they are cracking me up! Human nature, mixing up words while talking, being a clutz, facial expressions?.these can all be FUNNY. I love it?.and I?m starting to appreciate the little practical joke played on me last night. That was a good one?.heh heh heh. My only problem is this: When someone plays a trick on you, you want to get them back! That is not an option in this case. *Drat*
Reading into things Topic: Humor/memes I really admire people who read?people who read whole books and know how to discuss great literary ideas and interpretations. Two of my daughters are like that. (they take after their dad) They love to read, they can remember details from what they?ve read and they can see the themes and interpretations of the book. I read a book (sometimes the whole thing) and think, ?Ah, well that was a nice story.? I don?t have a clue?until someone brings out the interpretations for me. Then I think it?s wonderful and start to see all the nuances of it?.but as far as being very intuitive?I?m not. I found this survey on books and by my answers you can tell how pragmatic and sensible I am?intuition and great thought I can only admire from a distance.
1. What book do you want to be? I imagine I would like to be an old favorite kind of book?.the kind that is like a fond friendship, that you read often, quote from with bookish friends and read to escape from it all. This would have to be a Jane Austen book??intricate relationships and plot, witty sarcasm, and vivid written scope for the imagination.
2. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? I did?.strangely, when I was in middle school I had a ?crush? on Oliver Twist and Huckleberry Finn?.they were so pitiful and needed love. What this says about my personality and tendencies is a little too scary to think of?so I won?t. =)
3. The last book you bought is: I bought three old hardcover copies of Louisa May Alcott books?Little Men, Jo?s Boys and Eight Cousins?..from a used bookstore. They look really cool on my shelf. I also bought a bunch of classics for my oldest daughter for Christmas this past December. That?s what she wanted for Christmas?books. (makes me go hmmmm)
4. The last book you read is: I have read others since, but the last one I read and actually finished was the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We had just seen the first movie and I had to know how the story turned out, so I got the books and tore through them all in about 3 weeks. The weird and funny thing about this was that I had a major case of the flu at the time and a high fever?..so it made the story come alive in my brain like no other. It became a sort of out of body experience?..and was very emotional. The flu makes you hyper-emotional I have found. I laid on the couch during the day, wrapped like a cocoon in a blanket reading it?I stayed up late, way into the wee hours reading it until my eyes wouldn?t stay open?and I obsessed about the parts I couldn?t figure out until I found resolution.
5. What are you currently reading? The Giver. This is the book that my seventh grade daughter is reading for Language Arts and it sounded really interesting and disturbing, so I?m reading it. Again, makes me nervous to think about this for long.
6. Five books you would take to a deserted island: (trying to imagine someone actually packing for a trip to a deserted island)
~The Bible ?my favorite book, written by my favorite Author. (excitement, wisdom, direction and comfort?.and a great, personal love story)
~Surviving Deserted Islands for Dummies (this is a joke?it?s pretty funny if you think about it)
~Sense and Sensibility --because sense is a rare thing on a deserted island?so I?ve heard?.just look at Tom Hanks?started a relationship with a volley ball! If only he had remembered to pack his top 5 books! And besides, I?ll be feeling very sarcastic and in need of humor and biting wit if stranded for more than a day or so?..I wonder what the average stranding time is? It would also help me polish up on my British accents by reading aloud to the monkeys and tropical birds that would visit me regularly.
~Our family photo album --my family might think this is silly?to bring a blank photo album--since all our pictures are online or stuck in a basket on a shelf in the dining room?.but I am imagining it all filled in?this is just a make believe quiz.
~Home Remedies for all Occasions --I am hoping it includes all kinds of poisonous insect bite remedies as well as some ideas for keeping up hygiene and skin-care-while-stranded-on-a-deserted-island-without-cosmetics section?and a section on what to do if you have a severe allergic reaction to coconuts or raw fish. *Thinking* I may have to throw in some monkey and tropical bird recipes.
What I?m really thinking as I make fun of this survey: Why do people ask these types of questions? How many people actually get stranded on deserted islands? I think it just causes undo stress and anxiety to make people think of such dreadful possibilities.
Please understand, I harbor no hard bitterness toward hardcore readers?..many of my close friends and family are readers. =) I just have issues with following through (finishing the dreadfully long ones) and understanding the unstated. In high school I knew where the Cliff Notes section was in several bookstores?.in college I learned to skim. These days I usually stick to magazine and internet reports and articles. I love knowledge?it?s just the time and dreadful concentration it takes to find it. And I appreciate the quietness and commitment it takes to sit down just to read?.I like the idea and find it compelling?..maybe I will have more time for that as my kids leave the nest, but for now I find my life is an endless string of multi-tasking. I will try to remember to answer these questions again in 10 years, when my last fledgling has been shoved out of the nest.
Ancient words....ever true.... Topic: God things "The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts." --John Jay, the man whom George Washington appointed as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Ancient Words
Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world, They resound with God's own heart Oh, let the Ancient words impart.
Words of Life, words of Hope Give us strength, help us cope In this world, where e'er we roam Ancient words will guide us Home.
CHORUS: Ancient words ever true Changing me, and changing you. We have come with open hearts Oh let the ancient words impart.
Holy words of our Faith Handed down to this age. Came to us through sacrifice Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.
Holy words long preserved For our walk in this world. They resound with God's own heart Oh let the ancient words impart
Life is a conundrum. 
The casserole was a hit. My kids looked at the conglomeration that I pulled from the oven and you could almost feel the look of disgust on their faces…..the ‘it looks horrid because it’s all mixed together with unrecognizable particles in it’ look. They are not big on casseroles. All were surprised though, when they tasted it and apologized for their judgmental attitudes toward mixed foods! Here is the recipe, with a hearty recommendation. I didn’t have onion, celery, almonds or mushrooms and it was just as good, I imagine.
Well after 2 torrentially bad days in a row, today was a keeper! I won’t bore you with yesterday’s pain, but it had to do with ordinary things like badly a clogged toilet, a hardware store trip, husband being out of town, pms, tears upon tears, lots of bleach spray and finally a plumber and great rejoicing! I feel so bad whining about miniscule problems while the world, our country, my town and my friends suffer from troubles on a much more magnified scale….life-altering types of stuff. When you have pms though, it’s the small stuff that drives you crazy (well maybe not you, but me) and makes me overreact. 
not loud enough to make the poodle animal who lives in our house tremble, but just enough to make you look out the windows more often and smile because the weather gave me a good reason not to have to go anywhere. The laundry is about done, all my kids are home tonight, and we’re going to eat yummy rice casserole and watch National Treasure together. It’s all insignificant in perspective of our lives here on earth, but I thank God for small treasures like a day like today.
I skipped church this morning *bad pastor's wife!* and here I sit watching home design shows while our church honors my husband for 8 years of being their pastor. *I think I deserve a good pout* I was up til 3:30am with 2 barfing children, one of whom did not reach a proper recepticle in time! So at 2am I was cleaning a bedspread, a sleeping bag and my couch, while Bethany cleaned the wood floor. She was using BLEACH water on my new wood floor until I came out and saw it and was jumping up and down yelling "NOOOOOO!" The sleeping bag was out by the couch because Bethany was having a slumber party. *oiy* Pizza, ice cream, cookies, brownies, chips, soda, barf! This morning I have 2 daughters, each with old margarine tub buckets attached under their chins, sipping water, munching toast and watching Disney channel with doopy eyes. My head is pounding and dizzy, but hopefully it's just from the stress and lack of sleep and not from getting sick.....? 
I posted this questionnaire in a chat room/message board I go to. Here is the question, and some responses beginning with mine.
Then, after that lovely display, I couldn?t stop laughing and choking?.the girls were laughing and telling me how it served me right. And I guess it did. I am a practical joker at heart, but I don?t like it when I am the subject of a joke. And how did that happen just perfectly unless God set it up? Hmmmmmm? 
*Drat*
I really admire people who read?people who read whole books and know how to discuss great literary ideas and interpretations. Two of my daughters are like that. (they take after their dad) They love to read, they can remember details from what they?ve read and they can see the themes and interpretations of the book. I read a book (sometimes the whole thing) and think, ?Ah, well that was a nice story.? I don?t have a clue?until someone brings out the interpretations for me. Then I think it?s wonderful and start to see all the nuances of it?.but as far as being very intuitive?I?m not. I found this survey on books and by my answers you can tell how pragmatic and sensible I am?intuition and great thought I can only admire from a distance.
"The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts." --John Jay, the man whom George Washington appointed as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. 
