Monday, June 30, 2008

Amazing Charm and Grace...



Brian and I experienced something so amazing yesterday. Tears were actually rolling down my husband's face. And mine.

We went to church, and both of us just had this feeling like it was going to be an amazing service. It was. One of the best worship services we have been to in a while. Anyhow...on to my charm and grace...

We sat in a seat near our normal area. It was directly behind the row that the deaf visitors sit in. There were 2 visitors in the row. A father and his teenage son. I have seen them before, but know that they are fairly new to the church. The son seemed kind of "simple minded". The interpreter had not shown up yet, about 10 minutes into the worship service. I noticed the son kept looking towards the back of the sanctuary, like he was waiting on someone. Finally, he stepped in front of his father, and tried to sign the words that were on the "Big Screen". With my limited sign language knowledge, I knew that he was not doing that well with the reading/interpretation. The father pulled him back to his seat. It was as if the son was LONGING to worship. As was the father.

A few minutes later, I saw the boy turn around again to check on the back. Then, Brian and I witnessed one of the greatest sights. We saw this teenage boy take off running. Literally RUNNING. He ran about 1/2 way down the isle. And landed a hug on a lady. Almost knocking her off of her feet. She was crying. He was smiling about the biggest smile I have ever seen a teenager smile. All this happening while we are singing! She walks up to the front with her arm around the boy, and both of the boy's arms around her. He takes his seat with his father, making the sign for happy and I love you, to the lady. The lady, with tears streaming down her face, started signing the words to the song..."I'm trading my sickness, I'm trading my pain...I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord." The father began signing with the song...the son began dancing as he tried to sign. There was so much joy radiating off of the two of them...as they worshiped. As they sang...I am laying down my sickness.

Brian and I both had to stop singing. We stood there in awe of the site that we were beholding. We were witnessing PURE, Sweet, Beautiful worship. Those two men had not one care in the world. They wanted to worship. And the adorable lady that was serving them, saw it too. Brian and I both felt extremely humbled. Later on...we sang an old hymn, and again, Brian had tears. The sweet boy, turned around and watched him. The boy then signed "Crying" to the interpreter. The lady signed back, "He..Love...Jesus". The boy smiled big again, and signed, " I...Love...Jesus." Amazing. I still am so moved by this. I wonder what all inhibits us from desiring worship so much. I wonder why we have so much pride in our lives that we can not run to the one who is going to "bring the gospel" to us. Instead, we bicker about things. Instead we say, oh, well my feelings have been hurt or they are not as smart as I am...blah blah blah. I want to have my eyes out for the bearer of the truth, I want to long to worship in a way that I care nothing about those around me...but only for my God, I want to lay everything down for the joy of the Lord. Inspiring.

Speaking of running boys---Running boy is now walking to church. With his family. It is a very sweet site too.
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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Baby Bella's in the House


Bella's in the house---oh yeah. My lousy attempt at rap. hehehehe. For those that do not know, I am now watching my friend's little girl. She is so fun to have around. Now, if I could just keep my two panda monkeys away from her, I will be good.

We had a fun weekend in Indy. Brian took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda. Too funny. Thus the new title of Panda Monkeys for my munchkins. We did a little thrift store shopping too, which yielded me an awesome new bag!!! It is a Ralph Lauren "Picnic Basket" bag. In great shape, with the exception of this small area where the straw appears to be dyed blue, and a spot on the inside lining that looks almost bleached...otherwise great! It has a tag that says Ralph on the front. You know how I like to name everything...It was suggested to name the bag Ralph, since it so clearly says so on the bag. I just can not bring myself to do it. Makes me think of barfing. Anyone have a better idea??? Oh---And don't you think I need a pair of Hot pink Barbie shoes to go with this??? I think so!

Nothing else really new to post. I have a major cold...and kinda just wanting to chill for awhile. Trying to sleep lots and drink lots of OJ. This too shall pass! So here is the bag:


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Friday, June 20, 2008

American Girls Part 1


A craze in our house at times. Abbie loves the books. She has a couple of the movies. She has her Samantha doll. It is a passion that I really love sharing with her. History and Biblical virtues abound.

Abbie has started going to The American Girl Club at our Barnes and Nobles. The whole family really does enjoy this. Brian gets to read. Abbie goes to club. And Isaac and I roam the store looking for Dinosaur and Shark books. Not to mention the splurge of Starbucks while we are there. Recently, Abs entered her name in a drawing for the new Kit and Ruthie dolls. I am sure that hundreds of other little girls are hoping and praying the same, but Abbie really wants it. She prays every night that she will get it. Isaac prays that she will win too. She is currently looking for someone who doesn't have a doll. If she wins, she will give one of the new dolls to a desiring little girl. Isaac says that he doesn't have one...she can give it to him. Silly boy.

The new Kit movie is coming out soon. Abs has been waiting a whole year for this. She watches the previews online. Watched the casting call. She knows the name of the little actress (partly b/c her name is Abigail too). She is just plumb excited. We will be going to this fun event on July 2nd, and get to go with all our girl cousins! The girls are all wearing sweet dresses, and matching hats. Trying to find gloves too, but don't know if they will appear.

Here is a picture of the hats...Ours will be white on white. With white bows on the side.


It is said that anticipation is 50% of the fun. So, we are having fun! Update later with more American Girl stuff...more for my memory than your enjoyment I am sure.
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Monday, June 16, 2008

Well Done Lord...


Who am I, to tell the Lord well done. He spoke the World and it's glory into existence, and then proclaimed Himself that it was good. But, I truly want to praise Him, and to do so, I must say..."Well Done LORD!"

We had a wonderful weekend. Nothing really spectacular, just normal. Normal is becoming so sweet lately. So, ummmm, normal. I feel like our life is starting to turn into one of those little suburb fantasies. I am trying to not get too overly attached to it, as I have a feeling that God will shake this little suburb life within the next 5-10 years. BUT, for now, normal is AWESOME!

So...here are some pictures of this past week. I will share some stories to them. Just to give you a taste of our sweet and awesome normal life.


Isaac at Dairy Queen. We had a last minute get together for ice cream with some t-ball friends! So much fun and messy too...
Abs on Saturday. She got to be pitched to on this day. She hit the first time, and struck out the second (technically got to hit it off the T...this is t-ball folks, land of no strike outs or loosing!)




I made a great dinner Saturday night. Grilled honey glazed Salmon, corn on the cob, cheddar biscuits, steamed broccoli...and real lemonade. As we were sitting out in the yard, eating this yummy dinner, we noticed something funky with our tree. Lightening had struck it at some time, and was corroding it! It looked like it would fall at any time. It is the branch that is in the center of the picture. White on top of it. Dead. You can not see the actual place where it is severed from the tree...but trust me, it is cool.
Brian decided to put a weight on the end of cable and try to "ring" the dead branch. He rung the wrong branch, but this proved to be a very COOL thing. Only the two men in my house would create something so unique from a cable and a tree.


Shebang. A bungee swing! Isaac ended up higher than the fence. Abs did not get as high, but still was game for a swing. Brian hooked a handle to one end and then pulled tightly on the other. It was tied around the weight and the branch... Off Isaac went in the air. Kinda scary.

And he did get hurt. Just in case you were wondering. He actually got a grass burn on his forehead. Not seen in the picture. I shot this picture of him as he was watching Abbie. Anyone who knows Isaac, knows he is a monkey man. He sat there for a few minutes, and then took off to try it again, except this time he was going to be stronger like Superman, he said. He did not fall off again.

Sunday, after church, we went to West Lafayette for a picnic for Brian. It was so great. Cool, breezy, and just perfect. Afterwards, we took Bri to Borders for the afternoon. He read for 2 hours and the kids and I just kinda floated around West Lafayette. Finding things to do that did not cost money.

After arriving home, a storm hit quickly. All of a sudden, we heard a crash. Look what was on our car! Nope, not the original branch that we were trying to dislodge...but a smaller one. And, of course, Big Bertha is a tank. Not any damage at all. lol

Thanks for sharing our weekend with us. Hope yours was just as blessed.
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Sunday, June 15, 2008

Brian---



My baby is joining the fun of blogging. At least for today. He wanted to do a mosaic, so we sat down and did it together...Here is his. Same Questions as before:
1. What is my first name?
2. What is my favorite food?
3. What highschool did I go to?
4. What is my favorite color?
5. Who is my celebrity crush?
6. What is my favorite drink?
7. What is my dream vacation?
8. What is my favorite dessert?
9. What do I want to be when I grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe me?
12. What is My favorite animal?

Love you babe, and welcome to blog world.
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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Loosing it ---- Again


I always have had this feeling that I am not a finisher. I start things, and do not see them through till the end. There have been some issues in my life that I have been so convicted over this. One is my body. I know that my hubby desires me to be trim and in decent shape...I just always excused it off. Since Feb, I really had stopped pushing for change. I was relatively happy and content with my size...It was better than average according to statistics, and back in a healthy range.

But, then I realized that it was not finished. Not where it would please my husband or really PLEASE me. So, I took up a challenge. It is a weight loss challenge on Hannahs Prayer. I have until Aug 23rd. And for the past few weeks, I have been booking it. Here are the stats:

Starting weight (from the actual start in Oct.)
142
Current weight
127

Starting waist
33 inches
Current waist
29.5 ( I am back in the 20s!!!!!)

Starting hips
39 inches
Current hips
36 inches

Starting Bust
39 cup/36 under
Current Bust
36.5 cup/33 under

Starting biceps
12.5
Current biceps
10

Starting thighs
22.5
Current thighs
18.5
25
GRAND TOTAL OF INCHES LOST: 25 inches!

It doesn't really even feel like that much...but a little everywhere, really adds up. Fourth of July is my next goal weight date...123 is the magic number I am looking for there. And another 5 inches total. I am really excited how God has used little things in my life to convict me about this. I love seeing the scriptures that show me to be more diligent with my health. And knowing that I am completing a biblical principle, helps me know that God will provide all the strength I need to finish this race. Yipppeee!
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Monday, June 9, 2008

update---


Cleaned the kitchen. It too was boring! lol. Also made a Fabulous dinner. Already ate it. Now watching Superman with Bri and the kids. Know what??? It is kind of boring too. hehehehehehehe
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Bored...


Gotta do something. I am so bored! lol. So, thinking of eating a whole tub of chocolate frosting. Wait, that would violate the scriptural principle of gluttony and not treating my body as a temple. What about calling someone on the phone for a long chat??? Oh---that would violate the principle of idle chatter. Good Gracious...what can I do?? Clean??? Did you just say clean??? LOL---yes, that is what I should do. But, you know what? Cleaning is BORING too! Guess I need to find some rollercoaster joy in cleaning, and hop to it. I will let you know what happens...
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Saturday, June 7, 2008

And they are together...



For those in my life who have been praying for Danny and Kim---(HP friend)

Danny made it home this week. Wanted to share a picture for you! I love how this one portrays Kim's face. Doesn't that look like the happiest face in the world???
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My mosaic...




This is a game I got from Sunnys blog...I will go ahead and put the questions out there, although they are not in order by picture. Guess my inept ability to work with Flickr will make an interesting twist to the game???

1. What is my first name?
2. What is my favorite food?
3. What highschool did I go to?
4. What is my favorite color?
5. Who is my celebrity crush?
6. What is my favorite drink?
7. What is my dream vacation?
8. What is my favorite dessert?
9. What do I want to be when I grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe me?
12. What is My favorite animal?
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Friday, June 6, 2008

Rollercoaster---




Life is such a unique rollercoaster---Anyone who claims that their life is an easy going lazy river, needs to get a reality check or a relationship with God- you choose.

I have learned one thing. You are on the rollercoaster and can't get off even if you choose. There are idiots that take the rollercoaster into their own hands and do stupid things like try to speed it up faster than it is supposed to go. Or, stick their heads out of the cart in ways that were just not intended for, and then they wonder why their ride stinks. ( I will never forget a friend of my sister's sticking her head off of the BEAST and it sliced her EAR!!!!!!! YUCK!!!) Anyhow. If you obey the rules of the roller coaster (aka the B.I.B.L.E.) and take joy in it, it is awesome. It seems like the times that I hated my rollercoaster, were times that I was not obeying the posted rules. I was trying to make my coaster travel like I thought it should ride. Not how the tracks were laid out.

Yes, there will be times that the ride might seem scary. REALLY scary...but you can trust it to hold you in your place. And isn't that the best part of a ride??? The scary part...the part that you have to brace your feet, hold your breathe, and let your hands fly high into the air??? ( Only put your hands up on the hills...otherwise they may be chopped off. ;) ) There is something about having that fear and anxious feeling in your heart, and then you get to the end of the situation and look back, realizing that God was holding you so tenderly the entire time. And, if you don't have joy in your ride, then it is no one's fault but your own. If you choose to be one of those crazy people who scream, cry, whine, beg to go on a different one, flat out REFUSE to get on, or dare I say...(in a hushed voice) throw up, you will not get what God intended for you from your ride.

So, new resolution...as bumpy as the ride of my life is...I am going to love it for all my might. God wants that. He wants me to have mega joy out of it. After all---no one can see Him in me, if I am crying, whining, refusing, begging, screaming, and yes (hush) throwing up. I just look like a spoiled kid. I want the designer of my roller coaster to receive the glory. I don't want people to look at the crazy loon on the ride, but instead, look at the magnificent event that has been laid out. Let's throw our hands in the air and LIVE!
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

It's Raining...


I LOVE the rain. Anyone who knows me well, knows this about me.

Last night, I was having a hard time. Not really sure why, just emotionally drained I think. From good things and bad. I wrote out several posts, and deleted them all. I knew that my emotions were raw, and more than likely not even proper to share, as they were based on emotions not truth. I was really struggling with our losses last night. And the thought of not having any more children. I can not explain the feelings. I don't expect everyone of you to understand, as we are all in different stages of our journeys. But, I miss all those babies in Heaven. And I want fuller arms here on Earth. I desire this for EVERYONE woman. I don't want to close this chapter of my journey...with a devastating loss. I want to close the chapter on a happy note. (I hate stories that end un-happily, I am a happily ever after kinda gal~)

So, on to the rain...I closed out each one of the posts last night with, "Joy cometh in the morning." That is one of my favorite scripture verses, partly because it is so true for me. I am more emotional at night---and in the morning, everything looks great. So, this morning when I awoke to rain, I knew that my joy was coming. God has used rain in a wonderful way to teach me and comfort me. Some may think it is cookey, but the most poetic men of the Bible used rain to describe God's power and presense also. Awaking to the rain and the thunder, helped me imagine my Almighty God speaking to the world. Reminding me Who is on His throne. It really is amazing. Rain freshens, renews, and grows our earth and us too. Here is one of my new favorite rain verses:

Psalm 72:6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

Mmmmmmm....rain on fresh mown grass. Fresh mown grass is my other favorite thing. But that will be another post! lol. What could be more sweeter than the two together? Great picture of my Lord's handiwork.


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