the old people were right

I remember when I was a kid listening to 'old' people, which of course to my little kid brain, was anybody as old as my parents were then. Ha ha. But I remember them talking about different things like cars or appliances or anything else and they would always say Well, they don't make 'em like they used to. I remember thinking that was a strange thing to say. After all... we had all sorts of new technology like 8 track players and a TI calculator that probably cost 25 dollars. We were livin' large, lemme tell ya.

I never understood their sayings. Until now.

I guess I'm old enough and have had to replace enough things that I've begun to see that they really don't make things like they used to. We've replaced our dishwasher and our new one doesn't work as well as the old one. Drives me batty. I wanted to buy a new toaster oven when we redid our kitchen because my old one looks pretty sad... even though it works like a champ. I searched high and low for one that was even similar to the one I have now...with it's easy to use dials that actually make sense. No deal. So I'm still using my old toaster oven in my new kitchen. Our refrigerator died about a year ago. I shopped and compared and fiiiiiiinally settled on one. It doesn't cool the food as well as the old one and if you dispense crushed ice, it freezes up in the door and I about have to break the ice maker on the inside to get it unjammed. We don't use the crushed ice feature anymore, which is sad, because it's one of the things my daughter was looking forward to with the new frig. Crushed ice. No deal.

And this brings me to today. We've rented a water cooler unit... the kind that you put a 5 gallon bottle of water on.. for almost ten years. The thing was amazing. The water was ice cold coming out and didn't taste like a single thing...but ice water. (we also bought reverse osmosis filtered water from the same place) No funky flavors whatsoever! A major miracle in my book. Anyway... it stopped cooling. I had to get a new unit. So I bought one this time from the place we buy water. Well.... the thing doesn't cool very well at all. I checked the temperature and the water hovers right at 50. My old machine put out water in the high 30's...just like ice water. But without the nasty flavors.

So! I called the manufacturer and he thinks my unit is defective. Grrrr. So I'm going to return the water cooler and then I don't know what I want to do next. I don't really want another one like this. Ya know...track record and all that stuff.

I think an alternate title for this post could have been Listen to Me and seek My kingdom first... and all these things will be added to you. -God. I guess that's sort of a long title though, huh?! Well it's true. In the midst of trying to 'figure out' what to do about this water mess... I've gotten busy and used the brain God gave me for a way He didn't intend. To try and figure it out myself. I "love" it when He uses my own words to bring me to see I'm not seeking Him the way He wants me to. Not really.. I don't love it. Well, my flesh nature doesn't anyway. But I am so thankful. I know that what God wants to live out in me is bigger than a water cooler. And I got so bogged down in trying to fulfill my own wants and desires that I wasn't listening to Him and letting Him do what He wanted to do.

All of this to say.. I have a water machine sitting here that I'm still not sure what needs to happen to yet. I'm putting water in a pitcher into the frig (which I hate doing because it takes up space.. the other thing about my old frig is that it's functionally smaller than my last one even though 'technically' it's the same size)... and I'm thankful. Thankful for the weird water cooler. Thankful for being frustrated and being at my wits end. Thankful that I don't know what to do.

Because He does. And He wants me to listen... so that's what I'm doing.

get out of the boat

I recently came across a book called If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat (yeah.. that's a looong title lol) by John Ortberg. I will start this little post by saying that sometimes the 'gimmick' of a book will drive me so nuts that I can't see past it. Hoping this isn't one of those times.

But having said that... here's the premise of the book.. (and I'm not very far into this and I may see things differently later on... but I'm not there yet!) Anyway.. this is a twist on the story of when Peter walked on the water towards Jesus. Remember he lost his focus on Jesus and fell into the water and Jesus reached down and lifted him up. What a beautiful story. But the focus of the book (seeeeems to be) on the other ones in the boat because they never tried. And this makes Peter better just because he tried when none of the others volunteered.

And I can see how one could see that in the story.. and especially see it in light of something like writing a book etc that has a 'certain' message (remember sometimes I can't get past these things.. so forgive me.. this is what blogging is all about, isn't it?! Yes, there are reasons why I don't read many 'popular' Christian books LOL)

But....I struggled with this whole thing. I struggled when this was first presented to me and will probably continue to struggle with it.. unless God reveals something else to me during the course of going through this book.

The reason I struggled with this is because it misses the whole point of the story. (and I hate to call things in the Bible 'stories' since they're far more than that... anyhoo...) To me, the main point of the story is not about the other disciples in the boat. It is a personal interaction between Peter and Jesus. A very intimate one. Peter is always seen as the bold and impulsive. And I think people can relate to that and so they like to see him that way.

But it saddens me when we look at people in the Bible and want to compare ourselves to them or wish we had what they had (face to face relationship with Jesus in this case). Especially when they are comparing themselves to someone of whom the Holy Spirit had not yet come to dwell. To me that is a very important key.

To me this whole 'story' is a picture of what Jesus wants to be to us now. He doesn't want us stepping out on our own, for one thing. But then when life swirls all around us, He wants us to keep our focus on Him. To abide in Him. To keep intently focused on Him at all times. Because when we don't, we fall. We might not fall into the sea... but we can feel as though we are drowning, none the less.

To me this story is a beautiful, living picture of what the Holy Spirit is for us today. I know if people began to see that, they would understand more of who He is and what He wants to do for us and live in us in the first place. It's not just a story that happened a long time ago. He wants it be a living reality for you and for me.



Yes, I *heart* me some Cynthia Clawson! I remember going to several of her concerts as a young adult. She is amazing!

yes to my little project

Sometimes I procrastinate about little projects. Little things that.. IF I would just do it and be done with it.. I'd have something to show for it in a matter of minutes. So I finally worked on the silhouettes that I wanted to hang over Miss Boo's bed. Weeks ago I took photos and Daddyman messed with them on the computer so I could trace out the shapes. The shapes have been sitting there waiting for a while now! I traced the shapes onto black scrapbooking paper, cut them out and taped them to hot pink scrapbooking paper that I already had on hand. And I hung them in super cheap 8.5 by 11 document frames from Walleyworld. This project probably cost me about $5... or less! : )

Turned out cute, don't you think????
Say yes...say yes! : )

ps.. I can't take the credit for this idea.. I think We Are THAT Family did a DIYP on this a while back. Not sure if I did mine the same way or not.. but the end result is similar. Thanks for the cool idea! : )

5 things

I saw this fun little meme at Greg's General Store and thought I'd try it. Anyhoo.. it's 5 things...about this or that. So here goes...

5 things:

5 things found in my bag..

1. Chapstick...although it's Avon Care Deeply Lip Balm. We go waaay back!
   
2. my cell phone (and ear bud)
3. a tiny calculator
4. wintergreen Altoids
5. a Chick-fil-a coupon for a chicken biscuit

5 things found in my wallet...

1. an old family picture of all four of us
2. a used up Chick-fil-a gift card
3. lots of receipts
4. a bandaid
5. a little bit of change

5 things found in my room...

1. books/Bibles
2. photo album of our Colorado vacation
3. homemade artwork
4. a stuffed squirrel and chihuahua (Beanie Babies) No I'm not 'a collector'..but the dog was a gift to Bub after he had radiation. And the squirrel was one I did buy for myself when our little Beanie store was about to close. Even though the kids really enjoyed going to 'the pet shop' and picking out a new beanie and we had plenty that belonged to them, it was sort of emotional for me when that mall closed and the store and that little piece of our 'history' was wiped out. I bought the squirrel on our last visit before it closed.
   
5. an old box. I have a small wooden box that was my grandmother's that sits on my dresser. It has little odds and ends that belonged to her in it. From old cloth hankies of hers to other little trinkets that I remember fingering when I was a child.
   

5 things I've always wanted to do...

1. go to the NYC/DC area
2. go to Hawaii
3. learn to swim. I've always been afraid of water and never taken the plunge and learned to get over it.
4. own a 5th wheel or a motor home or some other kind of vacation house on wheels.. can you say my own sheets and towels???
   
5. build and live in a 'green' home... and live completely off the grid. This thought it fascinating to me for some odd reason. lol

5 things I'm currently into...

1. scrapbooking.. a little
2. crafty stuff.. a little
3. reading blogs (and writing one).
   
4. the Wii Fit
5. the book of Genesis

So there ya go... my odd little list of 5 things. If this sounds fun, then make a list! : )

musical thoughts

My hubby told me about a conversation he had with Miss Boo the other day on the way to school.

Yes, HE takes her. I know. I love it! Not since the dawn of time have I been able to get my peeps ready and send them on while still in my furry housecoat and slippers. Pass the bon bons. It's about time for Rachael Ray.

Anyhoo..back to the story...

She was picking what she wanted to listen to on the cd that was playing. When we went to Disney and saw Cirque du Soleil, he bought the sound track. The music is very cool and eclectic and sort of opera'y. Not really my thing. At all. But he has a very wide range of musical tastes. And so does she. So there she was contemplating one of the unspoken perplexities of life while she chose a song to listen to from La Nouba and this is the thought that came out of her mouth....

..."you know, when I sing with the music while my iPod is playing, I can sing real good. But then when I try to sing without it, I don't sing so good.".

By this time I am already laughing. But then I had to ask him what he said back to her. Of course I can't remember his exact words but they were something to the effect of 'yep'.

A man of few words, my hubby.

not much goin' on

Sometimes it feels like every time I turn my head, I think wow, there's a blog post. And then there are the other times. Like now. There are things going on, but not things I can really write about. So it's a pretty quiet week for me.

I was just walking by our bedroom window.. a huge 'picture window' and noticed a squirrel playing in the flower bed right outside. So cute. Our weather is good for a bit, then it gets chilly again. The sun is out now and it looks beautiful out, although I haven't been out much this week. When I dressed this morning, I put on jeans and a pajama top. I guess that says something about my ambitions today, huh?

I'm looking forward to having more ideas to write about. The daughter and I did a cute little video the other day and I can't decide if I want to run it here or not. It made us laugh. It was a fun thing to share doing with her. She sat behind the camera and I was in front.. sort of.. just parts of me and my voice. But anyway.. we did it and now I'm too chicken to post it! : )

As a blogger, do you ever think you've run dry of ideas...or is it just me?

So that's about it folks. Not much goin' on.

Abraham and the unexpected meltdown

I sat in Adult Bible Fellowship or Sunday School if you're old school like me this morning and one of the passages to be read was Genesis 22:1-13. I quickly found the passage and realized what it was about... when God instructed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. They were fishing around for someone to read the passage aloud in our small group. I sat motionless, holding my breath, lest someone call on me to read.

I knew I would not be able to get through it. Thankfully someone else read the passage.

Then it was time to discuss it. We were gleaning from this encounter.. not studying it per se. We were talking about having a relationship with God to where we can hear Him. I think. I got lost in my own thoughts.

Sometimes grief sneaks up on me. I hate it when that happens. And I hate it when I want to contribute to the conversation during these times. I thought I could say what I knew God was saying, but I got terribly choked up and couldn't say all that was on my heart. I got very teary and then there was the awkward silence while I quietly lost it for a moment. And then class went on.

As I sat there, I began to wonder. Do they know? I know some of the folks in our little circle know about Bub, but others don't know me at all. It must have seemed odd to them for me to fall apart. But I wondered.. did they know? Did they know that I had prayed and given my children to Him on the altar so to speak.. only to find that there was no ram caught in the thicket for one of them??? While I sat choking back tears for a moment, that was the question on my heart.