"Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes." The metaphor is scarily accurate. Everyone tells you that the older you get, the faster time flies. And 2013 has flown by. Way. Too. Fast. I hope that doesn't mean I'm nearing the end of my roll. Haha. Thank you for taking the time to read some of my ramblings this past year. Having decided in 2012 to make a more concentrated effort toward my blog, I have spit out some things this year a number of people have read. Thank you for that. Its humbling to say the least that people are even taking the time to click on my links, much less read my stuff.
Holidays are good things. I love reasons to celebrate, reminders to appreciate blessings in our lives, opportunities to commemorate special events. Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Thanksgiving are definitely my top three holidays for those reasons.
Remember in elementary school when we made Native American head-dresses and pilgrim collars out of construction paper? We were taught about that Thanksgiving commemorate a time when two opposing cultures came together to celebrate survival, community and blessings. We were told to take the opportunity to remember everything we have.
After the turkey and the pumpkin pie, we're told to count our blessings, make lists of what we're thankful for, and to celebrate family.
You know what the solution is for world peace? Have everyone work for at least 6 months at a retail or customer service position.
Because there is something powerful that happens when you're paid to serve people.
Oh, the stories I have...
I worked at Mervyn's shoe department for about a year and a half while in college. I enjoyed my job, but boy, did I encounter some annoying people! And now I have a bunch of funny stories to tell.
Marriage has its moments. Moments of pure, unadulterated contentment. Moments of deep and continual longing. Moments of unthinkable hurt, anger and frustration. Moments of just being sad.
There is so much to lose because is so much to gain. You place everything, practically, in the hands of someone else and tell them, “Take care of these things please.” The challenge is you give them your heart without much of an instruction manual.
There are times in my life when I've had things click, those ah-ha!
moments that you feel so stupid for not figuring it out earlier (it was
so simple!) but at the same time, so proud that you have attained this
new-found perspective. I like to share those things with you. I hope
that by sharing some of my blood, sweat and tears, you can avoid the
same.
Here is one of the moments that someone did that
for me. I heard this on the Air1 radio station and its been gnawing at
me ever since. The host, Brant, was telling about a recent argument
with his wife in which she doubted him. Then he said this:
I recently celebrated a birthday, and I have to say that my birthday isn't really something I look forward to. I don't have that same unbridled excitement I had when I was a kid, just ready to soak in everyone singing to me.
Now, I sit for those 15 seconds while everyone sings Happy Birthday, and in all honesty, it feels a little awkward. I mean, who do I look at? I usually end up staring at the cake, sneaking a timid glance up every once in awhile just to see everyone staring at me.
I also don't like the attention while I'm opening gifts either. I open them and hope I don't react horribly. I want to show them how much you love the gift, but I'm not that good of an actor. Not that I get bad gifts, but its just hard to show enthusiasm for the gift card when you just opened a super thoughtful Princess Bride board game from your sister (I'm a Princess Bride fan and the gift was very thoughtful).
I feel a little presumptuous starting my own Facebook page. I'm not a celebrity. I'm no one "special." But like all good marketing strategies, you have to be excited about your product and you have to want to tell people about it.
I took some photos this weekend to flesh out my blog, my Twitter, my Facebook page, my Google+ page, etc. So, I'm going to be tweaking those bit by bit to make it all uniform.
Anyway, I would be most honored if you would "like" me on Facebook. It doesn't mean the world to me, but it does mean something to know people support an overly self confident person like me who just likes to write whatever is on her mind and publish it on the Internet.
I'm working on my novel, still, which as you all know about my life, is slow in coming. But its coming! It will get here someday. It will. And then you guys can all read it and let me know what you think.
If I ever go to the movies with you, I'm going because I want to spend time with you.
Granted, going to the movies is arguably one of THE worst ways to spend time with someone. You are sitting in a dark room with a whole bunch of other strangers, eating high calorie foods, and staring at a screen together. There is little interaction. In fact, most wise people warn against the whole classic dinner and a movie date as a way to get to know anyone.
My husband and I embarked on shopping for our first home purchase together earlier this year. I have often been forewarned about how stressful the process is. And being first-time home buyers, it was even more daunting.
In the beginning, there was a lot of learning taking place. The market is pretty aggressive, we didn't know that much about escrows, mortgages, or offers. We also didn't really know what we were looking for in a house, what we liked and dislike about the structure itself. Not to mention it was hard to look past the current occupant's decorating and really see the house for its true potential.
Something I discovered was how strong of a word home is to me. You know how the word love is indefinable to poets? The word home is very similar for me. It has such a profound connotation, so much wealth of history. I grew up in a home that I adored, loved and found security in. To search for another structure to provide that same thing for my future family is both exciting and nerve-wracking. I feel like I'm choosing my college all over again.
Late 2012, my husband began
praying, asking God to really bless our efforts to reach out to others.
He started taking some of the guys in our college group out to dinner.
The first one he hung out with was Michael.
At the time, Michael was living at
a friend’s house and was faced with the possibility that he might not be able
to stay there much longer.Jon told me,
in the future, Michael might need a place to live and approached me about
offering our extra room for him if the opportunity arose. It seemed God
was being very clear.
I have to admit that I had a lot of
reservations. Being newlyweds, I had become attached to our easy privacy
at home. Selfishly, that was my first worry.How would the presence of a third person in
the house affect our marriage?
For the first part of my childhood, I grew up in a single-story home on a cul-de-sac. I have many fond memories of going from house to house on the street, asking various parents if Katie or Emily could come out and play. Our house was the headquarters for fun. We would bring the neighborhood kids over all the time to play in the backyard, play cave in our garage, ride bikes and roller skate, or even just to eat Otter Pops.
The second part of my childhood, we moved to a two-story home on a semi-busy residential street in a more well-to-do neighborhood. Because we lived on a hill, kids didn't come out of their houses to play, but parents would drive their kids over. For the first time in my life, I had my own room, and I always though it was so cool to live in a two-story house. Again, our house was the location for activity. A request to have people over was rarely declined. We would do crafts, play dolls, bake, or as we got older, just sit and talk. There would always be snacks: freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, homemade strawberry smoothies, cartons and cartons of ice cream.
I cherish all of these fond memories with a more mature appreciation than I have before. Now, when I recall those times, I see my mother's hand prints all over it. She was the one baking the cookies. She was the one cleaning up after us. She was the one always giving us activities to do. She was the one creating a welcoming home for our friends to enjoy. And always behind the scenes.
My mom has specifically told me that they wanted to get to know our friends. My dad and she made conscious decisions to make our house the popular place to hang out.
It's these types decisions that I've grown to appreciate more and more as I get older. Just one more reason to appreciate my mothers. (I've got two now!)
So, thank you, Mom, for always thinking of us. Happy Mother's Day. I love you. :)
On Good Friday, the day we commemorate Jesus' death and honor His sacrifice, I often think of Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene before he was taken. I feel like this shows the heart of Jesus so well. Enjoy.
John 17 (New International Version) Jesus Prays to Be Glorified
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples 6
“I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.8
For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They
knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you
sent me.9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.11
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world,
and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b]
your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.12
While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that
name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to
destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in
the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within
them.14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,21
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in
you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you
have sent me.22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—23
I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as
you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you
have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory
you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the
world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.26
I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known
in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself
may be in them.”
If you really delve into this American society, one thing is pretty certain: you will never have enough time.
There are a million and one things demanding your time. Exercise, self-improvement, hobbies, kids, church, work, work, and more work, family, friends, alone time, spouse time, music, Internet, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, your phone, games, this blog, your blog, your hopes and your dreams. Everything wants a piece of your precious time.
And guess what? Time is the one of the few things you have that you cannot change. You can improve your health. You can earn more money. You can get an education to gain more knowledge. You can move up (or down) the social ladder, the economic ladder. You can even change your gender if you want.
A few days ago, I started telling of my journey through Lent. Check it out here! It was the first time I've given up anything for Lent, and I chose coffee.
So, Lent is not quite over yet, but you're probably wondering with my overly dramatic intro in part 1 how I've been doing without caffeine.
I started off Ash Wednesday in Hawaii, the capitol of the decedent Kona coffee. We arrived at the resort and for breakfast, the server offered us coffee. We smiled and said, "Tea please." The server seemed startled that we wouldn't want coffee.
We returned from Hawaii and got back into the swing of things at work. I missed walking in and making my trip to the Keurig maker for my cup of hazelnut or vanilla coffee. The first few weeks continued similarly; I was always thinking about coffee.
This year was the first time I've ever given up something for Lent. I gave up coffee.
Lent, the 40-day time of preparation for Easter, is a period celebrated by Christians. The tradition of giving up something for that period of time is often observed by Catholics and some Protestants as a way of showing penitence or to symbolize Jesus' sacrifice (in some small way) in their own lives.
Giving something up, now, is supposed to somewhat difficult for you. If I gave up mountain biking or going to the gym, the sacrifice would not be the same. I don't mountain bike, and I don't enjoy going to the gym. So, coffee. Why was that a big deal for me?
aka How to Appreciate Modern Plumbing & Hot Water More aka First World Problems
My water heater recently broke. The hubby said the pilot light wouldn't light and all that. Most of it went over my head. All I knew was there wasn't hot water for my shower, and it was winter. As for me, my skin and scalp in less than 24 hours get as greasy as a bacon pan, so I need my shower every day.
Desperate and unwilling to take a shower in the frigid waters of the Arctic, I did the following:
1) I took my largest pot and filled it with water. I lugged it to my stove and brought it to a boil. Took awhile. It was a large pot of cold water, so its understandable.
2) I filled my tub with about two inches of cold water. I dumped about a quarter of the hot water in, so it would be tolerable to sit in the tub.
3) I used a pitcher of water to pour the hot water on myself. I would mix it with the cold water from the bottom of the tub at first because the water was so hot. Later, it cooled enough.
3.5) My husband had the absolutely BRILLIANT idea of pulling the room heater into the bathroom. He turned it on high, and because the bathroom is such a small room, the room heated up in a few minutes.
4) Washed my hair twice, conditioned it, washed my body, and washed my face. Felt a little exotic, like bathing underneath a warm tropical waterfall. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration due to the fact that I was relishing in the hot water. (And note: it had only been 36 hours since my last hot shower.)
5) I had a third of the pot left at the end of the day to just pour over my face and body and indulge!
So, that is how I did it, for anyone who was wondering. And for those who are thinking this is "TMI" for you, my apologies for making you feel awkward.
Funny how taking one "simple" thing away as a hot water heater made me that much more thankful for hot water. And funny how living for 48 hours without a water heater can cause such a disruption in my life when people across the world don't even get clean water on a daily basis, much less clean hot water to shower in.
According to the first link on a quick Google search, the average shower head is using 2.5 gallons of water per minute. So a 10-minute shower uses 25 gallons of water. And I just used less than probably three gallons to wash myself this way.
I'm not here to bash the wastefulness of America or harp on our society's water usage. I'm just concentrating on thankfulness. 48-hours and a new water heater later (Yay for my hubby, my water heater hero), I can say that I have a new appreciation for my hot showers.
And just to be super appreciative of this piece of technology, here is a picture of our new water heater. Ta da!
And if you also from FWP, check out this video to help you here!
