Today is Thursday, but it feels more like FRYday. We rented a pontoon boat for the day and man, we are toast.
Funny story from today - Gregory (it's always him, isn't it?) was climbing some sand dunes and Poppy had told him to stay where he could be seen...but, of course, lost track of him and found him down on the other side, be-boppin' around. Poppy scolded him for wandering and Greg answered, "I'm sorry, Poppy, I guess I got a little careless." Then he paused and asked, "What does careless mean?"
We were visited by 4 dolphins swimming beside our boat today - that was a beautiful surprise.
Aaron and I were able to go on a much-needed date this week. We had dinner, then saw King Kong. Or rather, endured King Kong. That is one long dog of a movie. Peter Jackson, what can I say? He just can't make a movie shorter than 3 hours.
Speaking of entertainment, anyone catch LOST this week? I kept flipping between IDOL and LOST, just enough to make sure Lisa got kicked off. I thought it was interesting when Katherine said, "I just want God's plan..." but you can see her face is like, "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" That show is getting on my nerves. Holly G., I agree with you - why in the wide world of sports is Bucky still sitting up there?? And hey, good old ALIAS comes back in 3 weeks! Can I please close the chapter on that show now?!
Forgive me for my lack of pictures tonight -- it's a slow connection this evening and I don't have the patience. We are packing up the computer tomorrow, so you won't hear from me until after we have arrived in Minnesota. Please pray for the next two days of driving!! (And my mental health...)
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Scenes from Vacation
We've been enjoying our vacation, even though the weather conditions haven't been perfect. Yesterday was sunny and mid-70s, so we stayed outside. The boys are having a blast playing in the sand and being outdoors from dawn (at least it feels that way) to dusk.
Jonathan's first beach experience!
What do you do when it's too cold to go swimming? Head to the caves! North of here are the Florida Caverns and we thought the boys would get a bang out of that. Daniel was scared at first, but at the end said, "That's my favorite, Mommy!" Below is my niece, Kaela, with Jonathan. Hard to believe this was the little girl who was the miniature bride in my wedding! I'm old...
Speaking of weddings, here is the "wedding cake" column in one part of the caves.
After all the moving stress, it's nice to be here and just relax. And blog! :)
Jonathan's first beach experience!
What do you do when it's too cold to go swimming? Head to the caves! North of here are the Florida Caverns and we thought the boys would get a bang out of that. Daniel was scared at first, but at the end said, "That's my favorite, Mommy!" Below is my niece, Kaela, with Jonathan. Hard to believe this was the little girl who was the miniature bride in my wedding! I'm old...
Speaking of weddings, here is the "wedding cake" column in one part of the caves.
After all the moving stress, it's nice to be here and just relax. And blog! :)
Sunday, March 26, 2006
My Little Graffiti Artist
This is our van-top carrier - very handy on long trips. It's been sitting in our garage for awhile, so when we filled it up for the big drive to Florida/Minnesota, it took us a minute to notice a small difference on the side. Do you see the markings there to the right? Here's a close-up...
Friday, March 17, 2006
The Final Week
We celebrated Daniel's 3rd birthday last weekend - can you see his little fingers making "3"? He had a rockin' good time at his Batman party. We've made such fun memories here.It's hard to imagine that next week at this time, I will not be living in this house. Next Thursday, the 23rd, will be our final day here as movers load up the semi-trailer and we pack our vehicles.
We're actually heading to Florida first for a vacation (we knew we better take one now before the new job starts) where Aaron's parents will be meeting us. Then they'll follow us on up to Minnesota.
Our stuff will arrive before we will. It's weird to think of arriving and seeing all of our belongings already there.
Somehow, during our last move, our computer died and we were without email or internet service for months. It was so hard not to be able to connect with friends and family in that way, so I'm really hoping this time will be different. I will be keeping the same email address and blog as far as I know.
Stay tuned - I'll post some more before we leave. Thanks for your prayers!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Channel Surfing
...Has anyone caught this new reality show on ESPN 2 called "Knight School"? It's Bobby Knight taking 16 guys from Texas Tech who want to be a walk-on for his basketball team. The night I saw the show, it was down to 4 wanna-be's. Can I just say it's about the most hilarious thing on TV?? I thought Bobby would be all crude and vulgar, but he's just very entertaining. A little psycho, but entertaining. Does that man ever smile, by the way?
...These new commercials for energy drinks are also cracking me up. First there was Full Throttle - made by Coca-Cola, thank you very much, with their "Let Your Man Out" mantra. And now Vault - with the Dad plowing down his neighborhood to give his son 50 yards to throw a football...oh, man. They're so hilarious, but it's interesting to me how they target men. Are they saying a lot of men don't feel manly, so drink this stuff? Or are they just trying to be funny?
...Okay, so American Idol. Didn't watch one snip of it last year, but this year Aaron and I have been keeping up a little. I don't know if watching this show is good for me...I get seriously nervous for these people. Aaron looked over at me and said, "Why are you cracking your knuckles?" Let's hope I don't bite all my fingernails off before the finale. Right now I'm not really pulling for anybody in particular. Aaron is highly amused by Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell.
I think I'll go read a book.
...These new commercials for energy drinks are also cracking me up. First there was Full Throttle - made by Coca-Cola, thank you very much, with their "Let Your Man Out" mantra. And now Vault - with the Dad plowing down his neighborhood to give his son 50 yards to throw a football...oh, man. They're so hilarious, but it's interesting to me how they target men. Are they saying a lot of men don't feel manly, so drink this stuff? Or are they just trying to be funny?
...Okay, so American Idol. Didn't watch one snip of it last year, but this year Aaron and I have been keeping up a little. I don't know if watching this show is good for me...I get seriously nervous for these people. Aaron looked over at me and said, "Why are you cracking your knuckles?" Let's hope I don't bite all my fingernails off before the finale. Right now I'm not really pulling for anybody in particular. Aaron is highly amused by Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell.
I think I'll go read a book.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Friendship is Still Hard
One of my first posts back when I started this blog was called, "Friendship is Hard." I wrote about how difficult it is to truly find a friendship that is real and meaningful. It is a rare delight to be yourself with someone and be accepted.
I've been reminded of an important part of growing friendships. The conflicts that arise, that tension is the very place where a friendship is tested and found stronger... or weaker. For example, when Christ commends Peter for his testimony, "You are the Christ!" and then in the next few lines condemns Peter for his refusal to accept that Christ would suffer and die -- that is a milestone in their relationship. Peter could have run away, defended himself with hostile words, or he could have learned from his Master, his friend. And even though he denies Christ later on, he remains one of Jesus' closest and most loyal disciples when all is said and done.
When a friendship has a test of some kind, the heart of the relationship is laid bare. Just as in a marriage, how we deal with disagreements or confrontations will determine if the marriage goes forward and stronger, or begins to deteriorate.
I have never been one to run head-long into a confrontation. I'm the one running full speed in the opposite direction. But I'm learning that in all the relationships that are deep and rich to me, there has been a moment of truth - a place where we say, "This needs to be dealt with," and "Where do we go from here?"
So, yes, friendship is still hard. But it's hard because everything that means something takes work and effort. It's hard because I'm so very human and so unlike the Christ I want to be.
I've been reminded of an important part of growing friendships. The conflicts that arise, that tension is the very place where a friendship is tested and found stronger... or weaker. For example, when Christ commends Peter for his testimony, "You are the Christ!" and then in the next few lines condemns Peter for his refusal to accept that Christ would suffer and die -- that is a milestone in their relationship. Peter could have run away, defended himself with hostile words, or he could have learned from his Master, his friend. And even though he denies Christ later on, he remains one of Jesus' closest and most loyal disciples when all is said and done.
When a friendship has a test of some kind, the heart of the relationship is laid bare. Just as in a marriage, how we deal with disagreements or confrontations will determine if the marriage goes forward and stronger, or begins to deteriorate.
I have never been one to run head-long into a confrontation. I'm the one running full speed in the opposite direction. But I'm learning that in all the relationships that are deep and rich to me, there has been a moment of truth - a place where we say, "This needs to be dealt with," and "Where do we go from here?"
So, yes, friendship is still hard. But it's hard because everything that means something takes work and effort. It's hard because I'm so very human and so unlike the Christ I want to be.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Winding Down...
This photo was taken yesterday (3/09/06) at a park where some awesome friends from church came out to wish me well and have one last play time with kids and brown bag lunches. Look at all those munchkins! If you're looking for my kids, Greg is sitting by his best buddy, Elizabeth to the right, I have my hands on Daniel's shoulders, left, and Ashley is holding Jon Michael (last girl on the left). These ladies are all so special to me - such unique and God-lovin' women. I will sure miss them.
This week also marked Gregory's last day at Sugar Creek Baptist Preschool. Here is his class -- there are usually 3 girls, but one wouldn't sit at the table (ah, girls and moods) and the other was absent. But there is sweet Elizabeth who requested, "Gregory, sit by me!!"
On his last day of school, it was also his turn to be "Special Person of the Day." Here he is talking about the poster with pictures of him from birth to now. I also brought in a treat for the class and had fun watching Greg interact with his classmates. (Oh man, he sure is my son.) I'm so thankful he had this opportunity!If you already read the "FAQ's" post, you know we have about a week and a half left here in Texas. March 23rd gets closer to me everyday and I don't know if I'm quite ready yet. Thanks for prayers leading up to and during our move!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
El Bethel
The Crossbridge Ladies Bible Study has been going through The Patriarchs by Beth Moore, and it's been a life-changing experience. I've never had a study of the Old Testament become so alive and relevant. And it's amazing how the women during this time have so much to teach me as well.
One of the lessons last week really convicted me. It covered the section in Genesis 35 where Jacob comes back to the spiritual marker where he had his first encounter with God through a dream (Gen. 28). He says, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." He names the spot "Bethel" meaning, "house of God."
But when Jacob returns to this place years later, he decides it needs a new name. Jacob has known the power of a name. All his life he's been Jacob, meaning "deceiver, cheater". And when God says, "You will no longer be Jacob. Your name will be Israel, because you have struggled with God," he breathes freely for perhaps the first time. His shameful title has been replaced.
Jacob has now wrestled with God himself. He's watched God protect his family in the encounter with his brother, Esau. Over a two-decade span of time, (I'm quoting my bible study here) the abiding presence of God "who has been with me wherever I have gone" gradually shifted Jacob's focus from the things of God - blessings, protection, land - to God Himself. The original name, Bethel, meaning "house of God" is now El Bethel, meaning "God of the house of God."
And this is the part in the lesson that had me squirming -
"...how easily our focus on all the involvements and activities of church can exceed our focus on God Himself. If we're not careful, we can come to love great worship music, small group Bible study, and the whole community of church more than we love God. One of the most obscure traps the Devil sets for the deeply spiritual is to tempt us to love loving God more than we actually love God. Certainly nothing is wrong with enjoying the life surrounding our pursuit of God, but our growth is gravely stunted until our focus shifts decisively from our Bethel to our El Bethel. Without the El, Bethel is just an empty house. "
I remember one night last year, I was driving home from Selah - a Crossbridge worship event . God's presence had been so real and I felt like my heart was flooding over with joy and contentment. But my thoughts were more "Bethel" directed -- I was praising God for giving us the gift of a church where this could happen, where we felt He had brought us. And clearly He spoke to my spirit the words,
"Don't love Crossbridge more than you love Me."
I immediately realized my sin. My praise was going to God, but it wasn't praise about Him. He was delighted to give us the gift of a church body to become a part of, but He was not delighted with my worship of it. I pray I've learned my lesson.
O Lord, you are all I want to worship. May I never love anything or anyone more than I love you, no matter what. May I never forget your holy jealousy and how worthy you are of ALL my praise.
One of the lessons last week really convicted me. It covered the section in Genesis 35 where Jacob comes back to the spiritual marker where he had his first encounter with God through a dream (Gen. 28). He says, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." He names the spot "Bethel" meaning, "house of God."
But when Jacob returns to this place years later, he decides it needs a new name. Jacob has known the power of a name. All his life he's been Jacob, meaning "deceiver, cheater". And when God says, "You will no longer be Jacob. Your name will be Israel, because you have struggled with God," he breathes freely for perhaps the first time. His shameful title has been replaced.
Jacob has now wrestled with God himself. He's watched God protect his family in the encounter with his brother, Esau. Over a two-decade span of time, (I'm quoting my bible study here) the abiding presence of God "who has been with me wherever I have gone" gradually shifted Jacob's focus from the things of God - blessings, protection, land - to God Himself. The original name, Bethel, meaning "house of God" is now El Bethel, meaning "God of the house of God."
And this is the part in the lesson that had me squirming -
"...how easily our focus on all the involvements and activities of church can exceed our focus on God Himself. If we're not careful, we can come to love great worship music, small group Bible study, and the whole community of church more than we love God. One of the most obscure traps the Devil sets for the deeply spiritual is to tempt us to love loving God more than we actually love God. Certainly nothing is wrong with enjoying the life surrounding our pursuit of God, but our growth is gravely stunted until our focus shifts decisively from our Bethel to our El Bethel. Without the El, Bethel is just an empty house. "
I remember one night last year, I was driving home from Selah - a Crossbridge worship event . God's presence had been so real and I felt like my heart was flooding over with joy and contentment. But my thoughts were more "Bethel" directed -- I was praising God for giving us the gift of a church where this could happen, where we felt He had brought us. And clearly He spoke to my spirit the words,
"Don't love Crossbridge more than you love Me."
I immediately realized my sin. My praise was going to God, but it wasn't praise about Him. He was delighted to give us the gift of a church body to become a part of, but He was not delighted with my worship of it. I pray I've learned my lesson.
O Lord, you are all I want to worship. May I never love anything or anyone more than I love you, no matter what. May I never forget your holy jealousy and how worthy you are of ALL my praise.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
More Useless Facts, Continued
Here's one of those emails going around that might drive you crazy, but I thought I'd post it here, just for kicks. You were to put an X by the things you had done in your life...
Smoked a cigarette
Drank so much you threw up...no,but once pretended to be drinking to look cool…what an idiot
Crashed a friend's car ….no, but I did get a speeding ticket in a friend’s car
Stolen a car
X Been in love…still am
X Been dumped…ah, the junior high memories are flooding back
Shoplifted candy
Been laid off/fired
X Quit your job…more like I was promoted to motherhood
Been in a fist fight..haven’t used my fists, but given some good shoves…
Snuck out of your parent's house…it would've taken all night just to get down the driveway!
X Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back…like I said, junior high years…
Been arrested
Gone on a blind date
X Skipped school …just a few college classes sometimes
Seen someone die
X Been to Canada
Been to Mexico
X Been on a plane
X Been lost..and I’ve also been lost in LOST…
X Been on the opposite side of the country…north, south, east, and west, baby
X Gone to Washington, DC…and watched a bunch of my friends get in trouble for trying to sing the national anthem, for crying out loud. No demonstrations in the Lincoln Memorial! Heaven forbid!
X Swam in the ocean… but I preferred the pool
X Felt like dying …again, junior high…
X Cried yourself to sleep….ditto
X Played cops and robbers...except we call it good guys and bad guys in the Reid house
Recently colored with crayons..we’re into markers around here
Sang karaoke …not officially
X Paid for a meal with only coins
X Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
X Made prank phone calls ..holly k. made me do it
X Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose... I made holly k. do this once
X Caught a snowflake on your tongue
X Danced in the rain..more like ran and skipped and laughed with my boys
Written a letter to Santa Claus….naaah, I knew who buttered my bread
X Been kissed under the mistletoe
X Watched the sun rise with someone you care about …baby Daniel on the island of Anguilla
X Blown bubbles
Made a bonfire on the beach
Crashed a party
X Gone roller-skating …but it was during junior high, so it wasn’t fun…
X Ice-skating …with holly k. at King’s Island in Ohio – holly k. and I had some good times
X Any nicknames? J.R., Myrna, Jean Bean
Smoked a cigarette
Drank so much you threw up...no,but once pretended to be drinking to look cool…what an idiot
Crashed a friend's car ….no, but I did get a speeding ticket in a friend’s car
Stolen a car
X Been in love…still am
X Been dumped…ah, the junior high memories are flooding back
Shoplifted candy
Been laid off/fired
X Quit your job…more like I was promoted to motherhood
Been in a fist fight..haven’t used my fists, but given some good shoves…
Snuck out of your parent's house…it would've taken all night just to get down the driveway!
X Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back…like I said, junior high years…
Been arrested
Gone on a blind date
X Skipped school …just a few college classes sometimes
Seen someone die
X Been to Canada
Been to Mexico
X Been on a plane
X Been lost..and I’ve also been lost in LOST…
X Been on the opposite side of the country…north, south, east, and west, baby
X Gone to Washington, DC…and watched a bunch of my friends get in trouble for trying to sing the national anthem, for crying out loud. No demonstrations in the Lincoln Memorial! Heaven forbid!
X Swam in the ocean… but I preferred the pool
X Felt like dying …again, junior high…
X Cried yourself to sleep….ditto
X Played cops and robbers...except we call it good guys and bad guys in the Reid house
Recently colored with crayons..we’re into markers around here
Sang karaoke …not officially
X Paid for a meal with only coins
X Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
X Made prank phone calls ..holly k. made me do it
X Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose... I made holly k. do this once
X Caught a snowflake on your tongue
X Danced in the rain..more like ran and skipped and laughed with my boys
Written a letter to Santa Claus….naaah, I knew who buttered my bread
X Been kissed under the mistletoe
X Watched the sun rise with someone you care about …baby Daniel on the island of Anguilla
X Blown bubbles
Made a bonfire on the beach
Crashed a party
X Gone roller-skating …but it was during junior high, so it wasn’t fun…
X Ice-skating …with holly k. at King’s Island in Ohio – holly k. and I had some good times
X Any nicknames? J.R., Myrna, Jean Bean
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