Taking Captive...

Life is about waiting. I know, it sounds simple and obvious, but for me it's sort of a relatively new concept.



I used to obsess over how impatient I was...how much I hated waiting...for anything. And then, sometime after my 30th birthday, when all my vast knowledge kicked in *cough* I realized that life is about w-a-i-t-i-n-g. No matter what my circumstance, I am literally always waiting for something.



Maybe the waiting is not really the problem...the problem is how I'm waiting.



I have a few things going on in my life right now that I am either waiting on God for answers, or desiring to see what the outcome is going to look like. On the outside I can look calm...but on the inside, in my head, I'm playing the waiting game. You know the game, it's that endless chatter in your head about whatever it may be that you're waiting on. It goes something like this, "If such and such happens then I will do this, or if this happens, I will of course do this...oh and I have no idea what to do if this happens...that just cannot happen...I couldn't handle...will that happen?...AAHHHH!!!" It never ends. No matter what I may be doing, the thoughts run wild...which actually brings me to my point.



I want to learn to CONSISTENTLY bring my thoughts captive, rather than letting them run loose in my head all the time. I know how to do it. It involves purposing to STOP the chatter, and replace it with the truth of God's Word. Just as I choose the words that come out of my mouth, or come out through my fingers on this blog, I also choose my thoughts. They do not control me. I control them. It's time I start living out what I know to be true. Today. I'm also pulling this book off my bookshelf...again.



Now...I may need some Excedrin, because its going to be a loooong day ;)

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 8:32

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Oh Yes We Did...

I'm not gonna lie. I love Batman movies. A lot.


I wonder if I'm the only Pastor's wife to blog about The Dark Knight...likely...anyways...


A couple weeks ago I finally saw Batman Begins, in anticipation of seeing the latest The Dark Knight (for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I apologize, you are obviously not as big of a dork as me.)


Around here, we do not get to the movie theatre very often. But my little bro saved the day and volunteered to come over and watch (play video games with) his nephews last night so we could go.


We ended up having to go to the 9:30 PM show...I KNOW, NINE THIRTY!


Here's what I learned:

• Apparently the late show is when ALL the college kids go to the movies. We were the oldest people there.
• I am not a college kid.
• Most of them were seeing the movie for the 2nd or 3rd time (yes, it is in fact THAT good!)
• I couldn't stop thinking about how MUCH getting into the movie cost!! And in my head, I sounded like my grandma when I was little, she would always go on and on about how much my GUESS T-shirts cost and how absurd it was to pay that much to wear their logo across my chest...
• The movie was 2 1/2 hours of sheer entertainment, I wish I could go see it again...today...except this time, I would not drink the $5 gallon-size Diet Pepsi and need to pee the whole movie but couldn't go because I would MISS something...seriously, it's that good.
• I didn't notice any naughty words in the movie. Violence: of course, but really an excellent depiction of the depravity of man in its natural state. It's obviously not for everyone. It's PG-13...however my kids will not be seeing this one until they're 18...ok, maybe 16 :)
• When we came out of the movie, the parking lot was still full...guess who was the owner of the ONLY mini-van in the parking lot?!? Yep. We are THAT cool.
• Rumor has it there will be more Batman movies...can't see how they could top this one...but it makes me giddy none the less *smiles*
• Who knew?!?! ...that's what you're thinking...I know.

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5 Things...

Jen at Reflections in the Window has tagged me for a 5 things I love (excluding family) meme.

I've tried to think of five things that I haven't already told you I love...which, I might add, was STINKIN' hard because apparently I talk about things I love... excessively.

Here goes...

ONE...
I love big families. LOVE THEM. My husband comes from a family of 7 kids, and I love the dynamics of it. In high-school, I wanted 6 kids. After I got married...I wanted 4. Then, after Jake my third...I decided three was...how should I say it.... enough? Yes. Plenty :) But I still love big families. I'm in awe of the mom's...because most days, I'm at my wits end with just three.

Two...
I love politics. I became really interested in it my senior year of high school. I would have loved to work on a campaign at the grass roots level etc...but I also wanted more than anything to be a stay-at-home wife and mom, and the two do not mix. Also turns out, God had some different plans for my life :)

Three...
I love being home ALONE! Love my fam...but cleaning my house and having it STAY clean...*sigh* it's a beautiful thing.

Four...
Fashion. Not so much in a materialistic, "gotta have it" kinda way, but I love putting outfits together. I will sit and look at the JCrew magazine for hours, to see how they layered stuff and put colors together. This doesn't mean I always look "put together" ...it just means that I waste a lot of time thinking about it :)

Five...
I love passionate people. I think that's why I could watch infomercials all.day.long. Those people are just SO EXCITED about that product...I don't even care if it works or not, I just like that they're so excited about it! Passionate people for Jesus is what changed my life. God used them to reveal Himself to me in a new and fresh way.


OK, so you know I cheat on this EVERY TIME and tag you all...guess who's it?!?



Oh, one more thing...I have some more awards to pass along...I haven't forgotten, I'll get to it!

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Jesus Is Still Alright...

Yesterday I mentioned that my dc Talk dance moves frightened my children :)

It's Saturday, and I think my bloggy friends deserve a visual. No, I do not have a video of me. But trust me, this video is worth watching. I learned some of my (fabulous) moves from watching it over and over back in the day.

I also know every. single. word. I can dance, and rap on the treadmill...I am that talented.

I promise you a laugh...just watch...and visualize me "....kickin' it Jesus style..."





HA! Seriously, you owe me for this one. And I'll try not to talk about dc Talk again for awhile *wink*

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15 Again...

Yesterday I actually got on the treadmill. It had been awhile. My friend Billie and I have been running outside, but missed a day this week so I decided to try the dreaded treadmill again.

Every time I run, my body hates the first 5 minutes. It just does. After that, it gets in a groove and it's not quite as bad.

On the treadmill...it's the first TEN minutes. Bad...very bad. Good thing for Toby Mac...I listened to the same 2 songs over and over for 3.5 miles. The boys kept coming in to see what I was doing because it had been so long since they'd heard the treadmill running.

I don't particularly enjoy them hanging around the treadmill when I am on it, but no one was listening to me to get out (surprise) so I decided I would need to scare them away.

So, I slowed down the pace so I could perform my dance routine while on the treadmill. While singing. It worked. Noah was the first to bolt...and the other two followed. It was lovely. I knew my awesome dance moves would come in handy.

OK, fast forward to last night...I was in the store and bought THIS!

DC Talk defined my life from the years 1992-1996. I've mentioned here that I have a slight compulsion when it comes to music...and this one lasted at least 4 years...and then some.

I put that CD in and it was as if I'd gone back in time! Some of those songs I hadn't heard in 10 years...but you should have seen how cool I looked...as a 30 year old woman (in her mini van) rapping to DC Talk *wink* I OF COURSE still knew all the words :)

Back in the day, I knew the music had a good message, and I also knew I had a slight crush on Kevin Max, but now, looking back, I can see how God used the Biblical truths in their music to shape and guard a young teenagers heart for God. Their music reinforced truth, and I listened to it over and over and OVER. I know God used to shape who I am today.

And now, as a mom of three, I'm praying that God would do the same for my boys.

Happy Friday Bloggy Friends!

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Rebuked...

This week has been busy. I talked about how I feel about busy in this post.



In our little family, Ben and I have an order to life.



God - First

Family - Second

Ministry - Third



The rest of the list varies for each of us, but the first three are the same, and have to be in that order. Within that order, life works. It doesn't mean it's always smooth and easy, it just means that it works, because for us, that is the order God has given. We know that without a doubt.



This week, we (mostly me) have jumbled the order sometimes...and that does not work. At all.



In the wrong order, I begin to get irritated with all three. Seems silly, but it's true. It took me a few days to figure out what the problem was. At first, I was pretty sure the problem was just my kids being naughty and my husband not paying enough attention to me...so I informed them of this.



My husband, of course, listened and apologized while my children stared at me with blank expressions, wondering who this crazy lady was standing before them. I was sure it would be better now that I informed them of their wrong-doing.



But the next day...I still felt the same. Irritated with them.



Puzzling. And then God gave me that list...that order, and the vast knowledge that it was not my husband and children that were the problem...it was me. Ouch. I was the one shuffling the order of things. And once again, I am thankful that I can go before a gracious God, repent, and start fresh.



This morning I opened to Luke 6, and read this verse...(41&41)



"And why quibble about the speck in someone else's eye - his little fault - when a board is in your own? How can you think of saying to him 'Brother, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the board in yours? Hypocrite!"



Just His gentle, loving reminder for me as I begin a new day :)

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Almost Makes is Worth It...

Companies have been donating a bunch of stuff to tiny town to help with disaster relief. I have avoided getting anything because the water in our basement was nothing compared to much of what the rest of the people in town have endured. It turns out though, that there is more than enough for everyone in town to get stuff from the loot.

I did not intend to take 17 bottles...but my neighbor (who's helping organize the donations) forced me. FORCED me. (love you Marlas :)

If you've read for any period of time, you know that one of my FAVORITE things is to get my hair cut at the Aveda salon...I love the smell, and my stylist...anyways... the conditioner is called deep penetrating hair revitalizer to reconstruct and hydrate fine, dry or treated hair. My hair is none of those. I think it means its time to start treating my hair so I can use my free conditioner to its fullest potential.

Try not to be jealous. Someday, you too, might get to experience a EF5 tornado and major flood within 2 weeks of each other...I'm sure Aveda will come through for you too. You'll just have to wait your turn.

Citizens of tiny-town may not have the homes they used to...but they are going to have some fabulous hair during the rebuilding process...and really, isn't that what really matters in life? *wink*

(I also got other good stuff like vitamins and beans and corn...but they're just not quite as bloggable, ya know what I mean...oh, and there's plenty of boxes of Aveda conditioner left for the entire town...I promise.)

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