Love Day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I was told that I wasn't allowed to get all gushy so I will just say :

I love you so much, Vincent,

I cherish you.

You have made me the happiest woman in the world

and given me a life beyond what I could dream of.

God has given me a great treasure in your love.

I will always prize it and honor it.

You are an amazing man and I fall deeper in love with you every day.

You do so many things-big and small- that show me, every day

how much you care about me, about us.

For that I am thankful.

You are amazing, and I adore you with all my heart.

Um, was that too gushy?

Believe me, it's nothing compared to what I feel.

I'll just keep that for his card.

*******

If you want to read some more "gushy" stuff

head on over to our other blog,

All My Love, All My Life

where you will find love quotes and such.

It also features a playlist

of some of our favorite love songs.

A Divine Valentine

A Valentine may play a love song for you-
but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe.
The LORD your God ...
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

A Valentine may give you flowers-

but God sent you the most beautiful Rose of all, Jesus.
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. Song of Solomon 2:1

A Valentine may take you to dinner-
but God has invited you to the most amazing feast ever given.
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Rev. 19:9

A Valenting may bring you chocolate-
but God provided you with something ever sweeter, His word.
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Ps. 119:103

A Valentine may be far away-
but God is always with you.
I am with you always. Matthew 28:20

A Valentine may give you something-
but God has given you everything.
God...gives us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Tim. 6:17

A Valenting may love you for a lifetime-
but God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity.
Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
Jeremiah 31:3

(I found this on a daysprings Valentine e-card. Don't you just love it?)

This Valentine's Day and always-
May you rejoice in His perfect love.

Oh and one more verse that I want to share with you about God's love.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
John 15:9
I read that recently and it just popped out at me. I actually gasped. That's an amazing love!
Why wouldn't I want to abide in a love like that? I hope you do too!

Bad Blogger!

I'm sorry, my dear readers,
I have been very bad to not post anything recently. Bad me!
My reasons are-
1) I've been struck with a horrible case of writers block, inspiration is nowhere.
2) The mundane has sucked me in and left me with little to report.

There have been a few highlights but because my mind is unable to connect words into legible sentences at the moment, they go unreported.

I will try my hardest to get back into the blogging mood soon. I've wanted to, honestly I have, and I haven't forgotten all my fans (all 5 of you) but my mind is an empty hole at the moment. And no comments on that one!

Don't give up on me, writer's block doesn't last forever, does it?

For The Book Lover

If you love books, I have great news!
I found this cool website that lets you trade books with people around the country. You can keep the books you get or trade them for another book. They have a great selection, not only of fiction but also of Bible resources.

I've been trying it out and it works great.
Click the picture above to check out their website and read more about how it works. If you have questions, you can also ask me.
If you like to read, I suggest you try it.

*If you are going to try this, let me know and I'll send you an email that will explain how you can tell them I referred you. With referrals comes free books. And I'm ALL about free books.

I See Grass!

Isn't it beautiful?

I never thought I'd be so excited to see little tuffs of dead grass but it just makes me so happy and I had to share it with you.

Do a little happy dance with me that the snow is melting. Dirt, grass and sidewalk are beautiful things.

Sport Challenge

I am what one might call “athletically challenged”. Okay. I stink.
When it comes to sports I have always been depressingly lacking in skill.
But I do try.
Two of my favorite sports are baseball and tennis.
Here are my versions of the two sports.
We’ll start with tennis.

When I was in my late teens and lived in Kansas there were a few tennis courts around and I was determined to learn because it was supposedly good for me. So, late at night (so not as many people would witness this) one of my friends and I would play.
We would, of course, have the courts to ourselves that late at night so here’s how we played. We’d start out fine, most of the time hitting the ball on the serve but it was rare that a volley happened. We were so excited to just hit the ball that we didn’t care where it went. We ended up just running after it. We’d play in whatever court the ball happened to be in at the moment. In 5 minutes or so we usually would end up playing all three courts. Yeah, we were that good. How many people do you know can play three courts of tennis at once? Huh?
Let’s just say we got more exercise running after the ball than actually playing tennis. But I tried.
In my defense, Vince and I have a tennis court near us and we do play now. I can manage to volley and under his tutelage, (“Watch out for the ball!”) I am doing okay. But I still get excited when I hit the ball, no matter where it flies. I won’t mention the time I practically struck a poor innocent pedestrian on the head who just happened to be walking by the courts.
So that’s tennis, now baseball.

When Vince and I were first married and lived in Memphis, we went to a park near our apartment and played fairly frequently. Vince loves baseball and once again, I was determined to learn for his sake. It was rather pathetic to see him moping around the apartment with a bat in his hand. When he started swinging it in the small living room I knew I better do something and fast before he broke the TV, the lamps and whatever else might fall victim to his bat swings. As you read on, you will learn that one thing that never fell victim to his bat were the balls I threw at him.
So here’s the scenario-
Vince is pitching, I’m up to bat.
He throws one (really softly) and I start swinging like a mad woman and ducking, all at the same time. Needless to say I didn’t hit very many-but occasionally I would and there would be that excitement again. I would be so thrilled with myself that I didn’t care how far it went or in what direction.
Lets switch now- I’m pitching and Vince is up to bat.
I throw the ball, he stands there waiting for the ball that never quite makes it to him. Repeat.
So instead of using a bat, we started just playing catch. I was actually decent at that until one time a cat (or that’s my excuse) caught my attention and I forgot to watch the ball. I ended up getting smacked right in the chest with the ball that I know was thrown much harder than it should have been!
After that, I became a huge chicken and ducked any time the ball came near me.
So there you have it. My sports experience in a not-so-small nutshell.
For me, sports are good for two reasons only-
1. To entertain those around me
2. A really good bruise somewhere on my person

You may be thinking, come on, NO one is that bad at sports.
Oh yes, they are. And that person just happens to be, ME! But I try.
However I have become a fan of WATCHING baseball and I really enjoy going to live games. I’m not even scared of getting hit with the ball….too much.
*Read the next post for the moral of this story*

Pt. 2

After that long post you may be wondering what the point was…well, I do have one!
In 1 Corinthians, chapter 9, Paul talks about a different type of athlete. A runner.
That is one thing I will never be, At least not in the athletic sense. But Paul tells us that all Christians are to be runners. In verses 24-27 he lays out how we are to run the race we are in and tells us that if we run well there is an eternal prize waiting for us at the end. One that will never get tarnished or destroyed.
He urges us to run in such a way that we will obtain it. How do we do that? It takes training. It takes temperance (v.25), discipline (v. 27), sacrifice.
The definition of temperance is restraint, controlled. That is one thing that a true athlete has to be. He can’t give in to every whim, every desire, every pleasure. He must have self-control. He has to discipline himself to do what is right for him, what will get him to the finish line, ignoring those things that would hinder him from accomplishing that goal. Along the way, it takes a lot of sacrifice, a lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of pain, a lot of preparation. But a real athlete doesn’t see all that. He’s willing to do what it takes because his eyes are focused on what’s ahead and he knows that the prize is worth it.
What would happen if a runner didn’t spend time in training, or even spent just a few minutes a day doing a little bit of exercise? What if he sat around all day eating whatever he wanted & spent all his time on silly diversions. On race day, he would show up completely unprepared and not even clothed for a race.
He would probably be disqualified (v. 27) or lose miserably and still miss out on the prize.
No athlete ever acted like that and had a chance to win. And in truth, no Christian ever acted like that and won.
Just as the athlete is required to lay his self down for the prize, so we are to lay our selves down for the prize. They for perishable, but ours for imperishable. (v. 25)
Why is it then, that most athlete’s put more into getting their perishable crown than we put into receiving our imperishable one?
In verse 26, Paul reminds us to run with certainty. It’s the same as saying, run with conviction, faith, confidence, sureness. Keeping our eyes on the prize and knowing it’s ours, seeing the finish line in sight and knowing we’re gonna cross it.
In that same verse he talks about fighting, not as one who beats the air. When I play tennis or baseball, that’s basically what I’m doing. Aimlessly swinging around just hoping I hit something. Can I just say, that’s not how we are supposed to handle things when we are working toward our eternal prize. We can’t just read the Bible when we feel like it or pray when we need Him. It takes more than just going to church once or twice a month. That’s like aimlessly swinging a few times and hoping it’s enough to get you that homerun. Most people don’t get that homerun with aimless swinging and no trained skill or focus.
We are to fight with purpose, every step, every swing with the determination and focus that comes from the right training and discipline. And the pure belief that we are going to win.
We need to keep on keeping on, stay in training, keep running and press toward the goal. (Philippians 3:12-14)
We are all in this thing and this is one race I’m winning!
(2 Timothy 4: 7)

The Past Week In Review

Snow snow snow, snow snow snow.
Got my car stuck in snow.
Snow snow snow, snow snow snow.

Are you noticing a pattern here?

Because of all the (see above paragraph) I didn’t get out this week unless it was absolutely necessary. And when I did, yep, I got the car stuck.
So Vince had to go out in the nasty cold (-??) and spend about 20 minutes digging me out. I’m glad it didn’t take longer or I would have had frosty the snowman for a husband. But bless his heart, he didn’t complain once. Once again, he’s my hero.
Mid-week I met a friend at Panera Bread to have lunch. I just love that place and it is always a great place to people watch.
This visit I made some interesting observations while waiting for Faith to arrive.
There was this older gentlemen in a booth by himself. He had coffee and was reading a classic novel. He was all sprawled out like he planned on staying there for awhile, all the while grinning from ear to ear. I know the book itself wasn’t funny (at least judging from the cover) so I can only guess that he was just enjoying the peace and quiet of a book and coffee. My kind of fellow!
Across the restaurant was a couple of middle age men playing chess on a board that was nothing more than a computer print-out of a board. I guess sometimes you gotta be creative.
Then there was a group of ladies, all ages, that looked like they were having a ladies day out. Can you guess who the loud ones in the place were?
The last interesting group I observed/spied on was a couple who looked like they were so busy flirting they could hardly eat their food. It was nauseatingly cute
I tell you all of this because while I was people watching I had a thought.
In that building there was a lot of life, a snapshot of humanity. Each person, each life, had a story. Some good, some bad.
As I sat watching, I was struck with the thought that each one of these people were going somewhere. They had a choice to make about their eternal destiny. Sadly, chances are that most of them either had made the wrong choice or was unaware of the choice.
I sat wondering about the details of their life and wondering what they were going through. Wondering if they were happy, sad, excited, scared or any number of the other emotions that humans feel. And I thought, most importantly, do they know God?
Every day we place ourselves in the midst of humanity. No matter where we go, we are surrounded by it, not just bodies but people with lives and souls that need a Savior. As Christians, it’s our job not to just sit and people watch, not caring if they know what we know. We should care, we must care.
We need to start interacting with these people in such a way as to proclaim through words and actions the love and saving grace of Christ. Humanity is dying. Sometimes, it’s hard to see that, all we see is everyday life, but really…
“All flesh is as grass,

And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.

The grass withers, And its flower falls away…

1 Peter 1:24
You never know what will happen next and what if we were their last opportunity?
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?

And how will they hear without a preacher?

Rom 10:14

Sobering thought.

My New Address Is Sesame Street

Remember the post about my "big bird" robe? The robe I love so much?
Well, I've added to my Sesame Street costume collection. This time with my mother-in-laws help.
She gave me the most wonderful pair of cute little red slippers. They are now a normal part of my daily attire, I wear them from the moment I get out of bed to the time I get back in. I'd wear them in public if I could. I even leave them in the living room so when I come home from wherever I've been I can get in them as fast as possible. My feet miss them when they can't be together. Seriously, I love them so much that I wish I could buy every woman I know a pair because everyone should share in the wonder that is them.
However, apparently they look, to some people, a little like elmo feet.
So picture this, on winter evenings when the sun begins its decent I brew myself some mint tea, pull on my Big Bird robe, slip into my Elmo socks (if they aren't already on) and curl up in my favorite chair to reflect on the day.
In the background I hear the whispered tune of "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?"
I always was a fan of that show. :)

Mt. Rainer In Our Parking Lot

(The picture is the view from our living room.)

The middle of December was our first snowfall of any significance. The pile of snow in this picture was a result of that snow and the plows that came through to clear the driveways. It had the apparence of Mt. Rainer so that is what we called it.
Long after the snow had melted from that snow fall, Mt. Rainer was still standing tall. Little by little it started shrinking, but nevertheless, it was still very much a part of our view.
Tonight the snow plows are at it again and have piled more snow on our mountain. What had over the last few weeks become more of a large hill than a mountain has now become a mountain once more. Although it doesn't really look like Mt. Rainer anymore.
So the guess is on about how long that particular pile of snow will stubbornly stand,braving warm fronts and the sun.
We are guessing June.
Since we know there will be more snow, more snow plows and many more cold days and since it will take quiet a bit of warmth to melt the thing completely, we might get closer to June than we would really like.
See Washington people, we do have mountains in Michigan!

White As Snow

Tonight is a quiet night. The world outside is once again covered in white. The snow is still falling and the night has taken on a peaceful glow as the flakes dance quietly to the earth in a silent waltz.
I love to watch them swirl under the light with the backdrop of the night sky. It happens so silently, so tenderly, as one by one each flake piles on top of the ones before it until the ugly deadness of winter is hidden under it’s pure, white brilliance.
In the same way, the Bible talks about our sin and the way we too can be changed into something pure, clean, sparkling white, like snow.
On a snowy evening, I look out my window to the freshly fallen snow stretching out over the ground, seeing only the unmarred, shining covering and not the dead ground that lies beneath and I always think about that verse.
It always reminds of the way Christ has taken my sin and cleansed it, hiding forever all the ugly deadness that sin had made in me. Leaving behind only the pure, clean covering of His love and righteousness.

Party On!

New Year's Eve in our house was celebrated by a party hosted at our church. This years party was a Wii Extravaganza. The church was divided into four Wii centers and each wii team took turns playing a game against each other. Our team lost. Bad. But it was so much fun.
Our church has a party every year and it is always so nice. I always eat well and play well.
The party didn't last until midnight so I was home by a little after 10:30.
Although I was awake for the new year it certainly was not to see the ball drop in NY or even to ring the new year in. I'm not much for staying awake for that. It's always there in the morning to welcome when I get up.
Here are some random pics I took of last nights fun.

Our music minister, Tim, and his lovely wife, Faith (above)

Trevor & Anna (above)

Tammy (above)

Jenny & one of her beautiful daughters, Anna (above)

Pastor Steve, playing Wii Baseball (above)