an encouraging message brought to me by a random turn of events...and a song that I think I will learn a little better in the next few days. Our redemption is a source of indescribable joy and hope.
My heart is restless in me/ my wings are all worn out/ I’m walking in the wilderness/ and I cannot get out/ I need You oh I need you/ blessed savior come/ I need you oh I need you/ you’re the every longing of my soul/
(*)Oh how I need you Lord/ I need your perfect word/ With tearful eyes to see/ the sin that I afford/ I need to weep and pray/ for O the thousand ways/ that I have failed you just today/
My bed is soaked with sadness/ my sadness has no end/ A downward spiral of despair/ and I keep falling in/ I need you oh I need You/ to You my soul shall fly/ I need You oh I need You/ YWHW how I love You more than life/
(*)
Your silence is like death to me/ so won’t you hear my desperate plea/
Today my soul is soaring/ way over mountains high/ and though I can see the valleys/ they’re all just passing by/ It’s not that I am stronger/ look at my feeble wings/ but I’ve been lifted higher/ YWHW’s lifted me in His own strength/
Oh how I love you Lord/ I love your perfect word/ with tearful eyes to see/ the God who always will endure/ Now I will celebrate/ for O the thousand ways/ that you have shown me grace/ and made my heart, in grace, to stay/ you’ve made my heart in grace to stay/
I need you~ Josh Bales
Monday, July 25, 2005
72 hours and counting
Those of you who know my family know that we don't sit around too much. Schedules, planning, and long vacations usually come in abundance this time of year. We got back from this place in Minnesota that you see here...I hope(technology isn't my thing)...tonight at about 10 and ASAP thursday morning we will leave for Florida. ...I'm starting to think maybe we should just get a private jet so we wouldn't have to spend so much time in the car...and we'd probably get complimentary peanuts to boot. While we're at it we should also probably get a jet ski and a lakeside cottage. My family discussed dreaming big this weekend, can you tell??
When we set off on Friday morning (just an hour after I got off work) we didn't really know why we were going to drive 22 hours round trip for 36 hours at a camp we'd never been to before. It ended up that we sang for 3 families who homeschool during the day in a few sessions. This was a challeng because they brought their children, a fact we only recognized about an hour before they were to arrive. This was interesting because always before we had watched mom and dad talk about how they raised us so that we could sing (scary really...we didn't know there was a system...). Now all of the sudden Casey and I were doing the teaching...and not just to the well meaning parents, Oh NO! we were teaching the guinea pigs themselves....their kids.
Needless to say we spent an amusing afternoon, especially since 5 of the kids were boys between the ages of 10 and 12. We covered the essentials of voice exploration, rounds, and partner songs, as well as jumping jacks and telephone. Thank goodness that we kids make a good team.
That night we sang for a good crowd of long time camp attenders and some staff. It was an enjoyable although long and hot concert (no AC). About half way through it though I realized that I was not up there singing just for "those people" out there. The songs and their lyrics started hitting ME in the forhead just as hard as I wanted them to hit the audience. As the family shared testimonies the obvious theme of trusting God through change, especially when we feel weak became incredibly apparent. ...and of course, just what I needed to hear. On top of the blessing this weekend was for me, we received very positive feedback and lots of greatful thanks. Also invitations to Dallas and Michigan...just in case we have extra time during the rest of the summer. :)
Now that we're home I have 72 hours to get things ready again and enjoy some time with my friends, some of whom have been over seas for the better part of this month. Guess I'd better go get some sleep. See y'all later.
When we set off on Friday morning (just an hour after I got off work) we didn't really know why we were going to drive 22 hours round trip for 36 hours at a camp we'd never been to before. It ended up that we sang for 3 families who homeschool during the day in a few sessions. This was a challeng because they brought their children, a fact we only recognized about an hour before they were to arrive. This was interesting because always before we had watched mom and dad talk about how they raised us so that we could sing (scary really...we didn't know there was a system...). Now all of the sudden Casey and I were doing the teaching...and not just to the well meaning parents, Oh NO! we were teaching the guinea pigs themselves....their kids.
Needless to say we spent an amusing afternoon, especially since 5 of the kids were boys between the ages of 10 and 12. We covered the essentials of voice exploration, rounds, and partner songs, as well as jumping jacks and telephone. Thank goodness that we kids make a good team.
That night we sang for a good crowd of long time camp attenders and some staff. It was an enjoyable although long and hot concert (no AC). About half way through it though I realized that I was not up there singing just for "those people" out there. The songs and their lyrics started hitting ME in the forhead just as hard as I wanted them to hit the audience. As the family shared testimonies the obvious theme of trusting God through change, especially when we feel weak became incredibly apparent. ...and of course, just what I needed to hear. On top of the blessing this weekend was for me, we received very positive feedback and lots of greatful thanks. Also invitations to Dallas and Michigan...just in case we have extra time during the rest of the summer. :)
Now that we're home I have 72 hours to get things ready again and enjoy some time with my friends, some of whom have been over seas for the better part of this month. Guess I'd better go get some sleep. See y'all later.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
22,998
So Dennis Dare, my adopted family member moved in with my family for the next 6 weeks or so until his job moves him to St. Louis. Along with him comes his play station 2 (I'll take any of y'all on at tetris), Bryer's chocolate ice cream, and a healthy supply of Dennis' breakfast food which he has eaten every morning for the past ten years: diet coke and a reese's cups. He wore a shirt yesterday with a hershey's bar on it and the phrase "unconditional love." That made me a happy girl. So has having him around.
Technology hasn't treated me very well lately. After bugging my eyes out on tetris a few nights ago I for some reason got on the computer to order a whole bunch of photos from Walmart online. It too me forever to get it all going, then I pushed "check out" and it put up a projected upload time of 22,998 min and 7 seconds.
I believe from now on I'll just make the drive.
Today the car broke down in Target and leaked a healthy amount of fluid to the pavement and smoked enough that Casey jumped from the car, sure that it was going to blow up. It's still in one piece and still in the shop (for the second time this week)
Tonight I work, and tomorrow morning early we head for 3 days in Minnesota where the family is going to sing. We have been practicing a lot lately since it's been a while and our voices have changed. Taking coaching from two of the most musical people I know, trying to match up with my musical genius of a sister, and surviving TJ's well placed funnies (some ants toot!) has made practice sessions interesting and so much like our family. Wow. That's all I can say. Getting to re-learn songs and lessons that I've been singing since I was 7 is really a fun thing. Our favorite of the pieces we will close with on our concert.
Lord make us instruments of your peace
where there is hatred let your love increase
Lord make us instruments of your peace
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are your instruments of peace
That's what we are praying into our own family and the lives of the families we will touch this weekend. Well, I have to go...duty calls. Blessings on you all, hold down the fort, can't wait to see you! Blessings~
Technology hasn't treated me very well lately. After bugging my eyes out on tetris a few nights ago I for some reason got on the computer to order a whole bunch of photos from Walmart online. It too me forever to get it all going, then I pushed "check out" and it put up a projected upload time of 22,998 min and 7 seconds.
I believe from now on I'll just make the drive.
Today the car broke down in Target and leaked a healthy amount of fluid to the pavement and smoked enough that Casey jumped from the car, sure that it was going to blow up. It's still in one piece and still in the shop (for the second time this week)
Tonight I work, and tomorrow morning early we head for 3 days in Minnesota where the family is going to sing. We have been practicing a lot lately since it's been a while and our voices have changed. Taking coaching from two of the most musical people I know, trying to match up with my musical genius of a sister, and surviving TJ's well placed funnies (some ants toot!) has made practice sessions interesting and so much like our family. Wow. That's all I can say. Getting to re-learn songs and lessons that I've been singing since I was 7 is really a fun thing. Our favorite of the pieces we will close with on our concert.
Lord make us instruments of your peace
where there is hatred let your love increase
Lord make us instruments of your peace
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are your instruments of peace
That's what we are praying into our own family and the lives of the families we will touch this weekend. Well, I have to go...duty calls. Blessings on you all, hold down the fort, can't wait to see you! Blessings~
Friday, July 15, 2005
Things I've learned recently
~Paul's Confectionary (across the street from Paul's putting place) has the biggest chocolate milkshakes in town (and some of the greasiest food)
~There are muscles on the underside of your chin. If you would like to feel them go skiing and crash a few times
~Every adventure starts with a change, and every adventurer must stare fear in the face and walk through it.
~Puppy dogs are cutest when they are wet and standing in the rain outside the door
~Everyone has days when things seem impossible and drama is so high that it's tough to see reality
~Sticking with people who need help doesn't get any easier, but it also doesn't fail to be increasingly rewarding
~Music is one of God's greatest gifts...good for putting you to sleep or hyping you up, for teaching you a lesson or giving you something to jam to. I love it.
~God is good and His grace is unfailing
Blessings~
~There are muscles on the underside of your chin. If you would like to feel them go skiing and crash a few times
~Every adventure starts with a change, and every adventurer must stare fear in the face and walk through it.
~Puppy dogs are cutest when they are wet and standing in the rain outside the door
~Everyone has days when things seem impossible and drama is so high that it's tough to see reality
~Sticking with people who need help doesn't get any easier, but it also doesn't fail to be increasingly rewarding
~Music is one of God's greatest gifts...good for putting you to sleep or hyping you up, for teaching you a lesson or giving you something to jam to. I love it.
~God is good and His grace is unfailing
Blessings~
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
wong pants, wong pants, I'm a wong pants man!
Ok...let's see.
Basically my life goes on as normal...I'm working some, although this week is different because I'm taking a class for all of the DMH employees. Kind of a cross between self help books, meditaions, and a motivational speaker...all with a presenter who eerily resembles Josh McDowell. Yeah...wierd. Actually, there is some good truth being said I think...unfortunately I have a hard time deliniating between that and New Age backdrops. And as we learned in bible class this year, evil isn't separate from truth, it is twisted truth. Or as my dad says, evil often comes packaged with truth. This is probably good for me to have to sort through and learn what to accept and what to leave. Very interesting...prayers welcome.
My cousin Gabe was here for two days en route to Florida where he's gonna work at Disney. He is one fun guy, obsessed with Homestarrunner and an amazing sponge for random information. He gave us a tour of washington DC through our pictures...that was fun...and we went running and he had to laugh at the amount of humidity. Albuquerque doesn't have so much of that.
Since Gabe was so much like a bunch of my other friends we had the Faith gang over last night to give him something to do and sat and talked, ate food, played tiddly winks with pistachio kernales....kernels....kernles...those one things...., watched Ryan and Matt try and shoot and catch a pingpong ball with their mouths (grosser than gross), played cards, and watched the Muppets. Oh...and found some new favorite quotes...I realized last night that this too has to do with pants, as so many of our jokes seem to. ("wewh, dat's juss simpwy not twuu!") So much fun! I've missed you guys tremendously. Frisbee next time!
I think that about raps up my week so far...oh, except for I learned the definition of rain which I must share with you....
Rain-
1. water falling to earth in drops larger than .5 mm (0.02 in) that have been condensed from the moisture in the atmosphere
....I'll leave you with only that definition...it's the funniest...please adopt the mental picture of someone in australia standing in the rain with a .02 inch stick measuring drops as they fall. "Nope, that one's not legit...must just be mist..."
Basically my life goes on as normal...I'm working some, although this week is different because I'm taking a class for all of the DMH employees. Kind of a cross between self help books, meditaions, and a motivational speaker...all with a presenter who eerily resembles Josh McDowell. Yeah...wierd. Actually, there is some good truth being said I think...unfortunately I have a hard time deliniating between that and New Age backdrops. And as we learned in bible class this year, evil isn't separate from truth, it is twisted truth. Or as my dad says, evil often comes packaged with truth. This is probably good for me to have to sort through and learn what to accept and what to leave. Very interesting...prayers welcome.
My cousin Gabe was here for two days en route to Florida where he's gonna work at Disney. He is one fun guy, obsessed with Homestarrunner and an amazing sponge for random information. He gave us a tour of washington DC through our pictures...that was fun...and we went running and he had to laugh at the amount of humidity. Albuquerque doesn't have so much of that.
Since Gabe was so much like a bunch of my other friends we had the Faith gang over last night to give him something to do and sat and talked, ate food, played tiddly winks with pistachio kernales....kernels....kernles...those one things...., watched Ryan and Matt try and shoot and catch a pingpong ball with their mouths (grosser than gross), played cards, and watched the Muppets. Oh...and found some new favorite quotes...I realized last night that this too has to do with pants, as so many of our jokes seem to. ("wewh, dat's juss simpwy not twuu!") So much fun! I've missed you guys tremendously. Frisbee next time!
I think that about raps up my week so far...oh, except for I learned the definition of rain which I must share with you....
Rain-
1. water falling to earth in drops larger than .5 mm (0.02 in) that have been condensed from the moisture in the atmosphere
....I'll leave you with only that definition...it's the funniest...please adopt the mental picture of someone in australia standing in the rain with a .02 inch stick measuring drops as they fall. "Nope, that one's not legit...must just be mist..."
Sunday, July 10, 2005
short and sweet (and not too many cool descriptions)
wow...what a week...I'll hit the highlights
did the rummage sale, and it went pretty well I think. To be honest I slept through most of it, yet another thing to prove that my sister rocks my world.
Had dinner with Joni...Ruby Tuesday's isn't open yet
Watched more fire works last night...I've decided that Mt. Zion easily tops Decatur
Heather Cos broke her wrist or arm or something close in there and has been through two surgeries...I sent Lloyd, my get well penguin, to stay for a few days...sure hope he behaves
A bunch of my friends were in London for the terrorist attacks...crazy, but none of them were hurt
Tonight we had a hymn sing at church...very high on the good times scale
Then I went to walmart...plummet on the above mentioned
Then I saw a rockin' sunset...spike to above original level
And right now I'm eating rice and soy sauce...got to love it.
All in all I'm bushed but loving the summer and packing as much in as I can. That about sums it up. Hope to see you all soon...all 2 of you. Ahh well, someday this "journal" will be for my benefit, not yours. Well, I'm off to bed...see ya later.
did the rummage sale, and it went pretty well I think. To be honest I slept through most of it, yet another thing to prove that my sister rocks my world.
Had dinner with Joni...Ruby Tuesday's isn't open yet
Watched more fire works last night...I've decided that Mt. Zion easily tops Decatur
Heather Cos broke her wrist or arm or something close in there and has been through two surgeries...I sent Lloyd, my get well penguin, to stay for a few days...sure hope he behaves
A bunch of my friends were in London for the terrorist attacks...crazy, but none of them were hurt
Tonight we had a hymn sing at church...very high on the good times scale
Then I went to walmart...plummet on the above mentioned
Then I saw a rockin' sunset...spike to above original level
And right now I'm eating rice and soy sauce...got to love it.
All in all I'm bushed but loving the summer and packing as much in as I can. That about sums it up. Hope to see you all soon...all 2 of you. Ahh well, someday this "journal" will be for my benefit, not yours. Well, I'm off to bed...see ya later.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
we rummaged that sale
Today and yesterday we spent a lot of time at the Dare's house setting up a garage sale for Saturday. It was pretty fun...Heather Cos came over and helped Casey and I out. We are ready for the huddled masses that have been yearning for the junk that's been in that garage for 20 years. Bring it on all you people...we're ready! :)
If any of you have a hankering for oddities and a little extra cash, come on over!
Well, I'm off to work...wish me luck
If any of you have a hankering for oddities and a little extra cash, come on over!
Well, I'm off to work...wish me luck
Monday, July 04, 2005
"it's a little bitty tiny one!"
For those of you who don't know, my sister is amazing. And as such, she has already documented, in much better grammarical structure than I ever could, our family vacation in all it's glory. ...and, chances are, most of you have already read it. However, I feel compelled to write something here since it was pretty cool.
hahaha....and MY enter key works...take that! :)
Umm...I got off my shift at the hospital at 6:30 and the family pulled out of the driveway around 10...just enough time to get to the deep sleep, not enough time to sleep off my exaustion. Oh well, I surrendered myself to the back seat and tried, unvictoriously, to get some shut eye. We arrived in Ohio about 5 and had an AWESOME night at the house of our good friends, the Yurchaks, who we haven't seen in 2 years. We sayed up till 4, made torches with spray deodorant and matches, raided the kitchen for icecream, made movies, laughed, cried...didn't sleep. We pulled reluctantly out of the driveway at 7, wishing we could stay to enjoy another day of the irreplaceable joy that is found in old friends. Luckily that morning I was able to sleep about an hour in the car. hehehe...fun times.
Williamsburg was tough to break into, but so cool in the end. My favorite things were the afternoon presentations of guys dressed in the period clothing, one as Patrick Henry and one as Thomas Jefferson. They were amazing, they knew so much, and had everything in their head, even the language of the day and the answers to politically slanted questions that they were asked. I learned a lot about early dreams for the country and it was amazing to see how their views on issues of their day corresponded with the same issues we have now. I wish that their logic and principles would be used a bit more in the current day. We saw DC in 6 hours...fun, but never do that. We are crazy and our feet prove it. YIKES! It was pretty neat to see all the great monuments right before the 4th of July. That's good stuff. We also spent a day on the beach and one in a water park which was great fun for all of us, but especially TJ...he had endured enough educational "adventures" for one week, poor kid. :)
along the way I learned a few things. First, digital cameras do things to people. All the sudden my fear is not taking too few pictures, it's having the time to get all the ones I want. I returned with 234 pictures of the week and 3 sets of dead batteries. Another thing I learned is that I have an obcession with barns. Not the kind you would want to put things in...the old kind that have peeling paint and a whole bunch of hay in front of them, and a sagging roof, and a cow or two out front. I have no idea where this came from but Pennsylvania has the best ones. I took many pictures. I also learned that I stink at shuffleboard, but that wasn't really a surprise.
Anyway, now we're back, and after a day of recovery and a great night of mt. zion fire works last night I am more than ready to enjoy the day and celebrate the great things our country stands for. I love fireworks...especially the weeping willow ones that boom really loud. I like the ones you can feel. I like the shimering, popping, crackling sounds. I like the celebration of victory...not in absence of trouble and conflict but in spite of it. So enjoy...light those sparklers and wave them...sing the national anthem with gusto...and praise God for preserving this nation and what it stands for.
and remember: the best fireworks are the "little bitty tiny ones!!" :)
Blessings and peace-
hahaha....and MY enter key works...take that! :)
Umm...I got off my shift at the hospital at 6:30 and the family pulled out of the driveway around 10...just enough time to get to the deep sleep, not enough time to sleep off my exaustion. Oh well, I surrendered myself to the back seat and tried, unvictoriously, to get some shut eye. We arrived in Ohio about 5 and had an AWESOME night at the house of our good friends, the Yurchaks, who we haven't seen in 2 years. We sayed up till 4, made torches with spray deodorant and matches, raided the kitchen for icecream, made movies, laughed, cried...didn't sleep. We pulled reluctantly out of the driveway at 7, wishing we could stay to enjoy another day of the irreplaceable joy that is found in old friends. Luckily that morning I was able to sleep about an hour in the car. hehehe...fun times.
Williamsburg was tough to break into, but so cool in the end. My favorite things were the afternoon presentations of guys dressed in the period clothing, one as Patrick Henry and one as Thomas Jefferson. They were amazing, they knew so much, and had everything in their head, even the language of the day and the answers to politically slanted questions that they were asked. I learned a lot about early dreams for the country and it was amazing to see how their views on issues of their day corresponded with the same issues we have now. I wish that their logic and principles would be used a bit more in the current day. We saw DC in 6 hours...fun, but never do that. We are crazy and our feet prove it. YIKES! It was pretty neat to see all the great monuments right before the 4th of July. That's good stuff. We also spent a day on the beach and one in a water park which was great fun for all of us, but especially TJ...he had endured enough educational "adventures" for one week, poor kid. :)
along the way I learned a few things. First, digital cameras do things to people. All the sudden my fear is not taking too few pictures, it's having the time to get all the ones I want. I returned with 234 pictures of the week and 3 sets of dead batteries. Another thing I learned is that I have an obcession with barns. Not the kind you would want to put things in...the old kind that have peeling paint and a whole bunch of hay in front of them, and a sagging roof, and a cow or two out front. I have no idea where this came from but Pennsylvania has the best ones. I took many pictures. I also learned that I stink at shuffleboard, but that wasn't really a surprise.
Anyway, now we're back, and after a day of recovery and a great night of mt. zion fire works last night I am more than ready to enjoy the day and celebrate the great things our country stands for. I love fireworks...especially the weeping willow ones that boom really loud. I like the ones you can feel. I like the shimering, popping, crackling sounds. I like the celebration of victory...not in absence of trouble and conflict but in spite of it. So enjoy...light those sparklers and wave them...sing the national anthem with gusto...and praise God for preserving this nation and what it stands for.
and remember: the best fireworks are the "little bitty tiny ones!!" :)
Blessings and peace-
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