G Rated

Crack me up. I am happy that it's G...I was a little afraid that with my excessive use of the word, barf, it might be PG. But apparently, barf is not at all bad...they only recorded puke as my questionable word. That's funny stuff...to me, that is :)

And now...the before and after!

Dining room ceiling fan/light before:

And super cute new pendant light from IKEA that I absolutely love:

The pics don't quite capture its cuteness...you'll just have to trust me.

Thanks so much to Dennis, Ben and Ryan for hanging it for me :)

Tonight we have a soup supper and hayride at church...so fun!

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Still in There...

Know what's been on my mind a lot lately?


Teenagers. For a couple of reasons:


The past few weeks I've reconnected with some friends from highschool through the previously mentioned wonders of Facebook. It's got me thinking about how fast time has flown by.


In a couple of months I will be 31 years old, but the words of this post, ring as true as ever. (you should go read it, because I wrote it back when I had about 5 people reading my blog, there's a good chance you didn't read it already...trust me.)


I have matured...for sure. But much of that same dorky quirkiness is still living inside of this body. And ya know what...I heart that silly 15 year old...she's the one that get's excited about the little things. Gives people the benefit of the doubt...remembers to give some grace...isn't afraid to ask why or ask hard questions, and easily admits she stands in awe before a Holy God, whom she can't wrap her tiny brain around.


The second reason I've got teenagers on the brain is that I'm going to start teaching a high school Sunday School class...which will consist of myself and 2 girls that are foreign exchange students. I'm already praying for them, because seriously, it's hard enough for people who speak English as their first language to follow my randomness...poor girls...I'm pretty sure the Holy Spirit will be doing some divine interpreting for them ;)


Anyways, last night I went and got a Revolve Devotional Bible for teenage girls (it's a gift to my inner 15 year old;) and the study we're gonna do, which is Experiencing the Heart of Jesus student edition by Max Lucado. When Ben was in seminary we worked with the teens...I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was standing in the bookstore looking at all the different resources.


Fun stuff.


There's more:

1. Picked up this CD for this song...it's my current fave...and life theme.
2. My parents are coming tonight to help Ben install my new light from IKEA. Happy Day! Pics tomorrow.

Phew! This was a long one.

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I'm Nothing On My Own...

Bullet points two days in a row may be a very good indicator of my current mental capabilities.

There's so much swirling around in my head I can't narrow it down to any one thing thus I'll just regurgitate it all into bullets. OK?

• 7pm last night: Bible Club. 52 kids. FIFTY TWO KIDS! 52 precious lives. This ministry exists in order to share the life-changing power of Jesus...the hope and forgiveness we have through Him...it's an honor to minister to these kids.


• Ben was able to deliver a check from our church to a family in tinytown that attends Bible Club and were caught in both the tornado and flood. She didn't open the envelope while Ben was there, but thanked him graciously and shared some of her financial burdens since these disasters. I pray that after Ben was gone, and she opened that envelope, she felt the love of a Savior that wants more than anything to be her provider, to give her new life.


• As Ben and I sat in awe of last night, I sobbed...completely humbled. I could give you a list two miles long of all our inadequacies in our ministry here...but a line from a Casting Crowns song called In Me (which has been our theme song since moving to tinytown), keeps playing over and over in my head..."How refreshing to know you don't need me, how amazing to find that you want me."


• We then turned the TV on to watch the debate that we had dvr'd...what a terrible idea. In the past debates I've been giving Ben a hard time about his interaction with the TV...apparently last night was my turn. At one point, Eli said to the TV, "Stop lieing, you're freaking my mom out." *smiles* You are correct Eli...one particular candidates back-pedaling and out-right lies on his stance/voting record regarding abortion freaks mommy out...I may need to move to Canada after election day...I will miss you tiny town ;)


• Woke up this morning at 7:38 AM...yeah, that's a tad bit late. Spent the next 20 minutes rushing around getting the kids ready for school.


• Then realized the carpet cleaners come today and we forgot to empty the living/dining rooms, which means I now have to do it myself...bummer.


• Made coffee.


• Now blogging instead of 1)emptying living/dining room 2) showering.


• Thinking that I can't leave ya today without a video of that song...


• Enjoy bloggy friends :)

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Reality

On my mind... (kinda makes me think of a Willie Nelson song...)

• gotta add $ to the boys lunch accounts because a note came home saying they're $7.30 in the hole...oops.
• looking at all the "reminder" cards of dentist appointments, flu shots, Fall Party for school sign up sheets, and all the other notes from everywhere that seem to all require something of me.
• trying to resist the cinnamon rolls sitting on the counter...wishing I hadn't seen that they are 650 calories a piece. Evil yummy things.
• realizing that I spend a lot of time mentally scolding myself for not getting more accomplished, even though I know all the reasons I shouldn't do that.
• Trying to figure out how to do a Beth Moore DVD study with my ladies without spending $250 on dvd's (which I'm sure are totally worth it) Tiny church in tiny town probably not gonna think $250 is tiny...and now realizing that my first 4 words of this statement are part of the problem...should read: Seeking God's plan on; instead of trying to figure out...
• realizing Jake is no longer watching Dora, and is very, very quiet...that's never good. Ever.
• Wishing I had the right words to encourage a friend.
• Feeling a heaviness that I can't explain...seems so many around me are dealing with so much, I can't help but hurt for them...but know I'm not meant to carry that heaviness.
• Gonna go spend some time with Him...the one who can bear all of it.

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I Think I Have a Problem...

Last fall I got hooked on Facebook, thanks to my friend Beth.

And by hooked...I mean completely and utterly sucked in.

Yesterday I spent some time catching up with Facebook. I have neglected it since I started blogging, and the fact that Facebook went and changed the format (which has taken me a long time to get used to) didn't help matters.

But Facebook... I. am. back.

Anyways, yesterday as I was looking through my previous profile pictures and stuff I became totally amused at my hair throughout this past year....and then I thought to myself, "Self, wouldn't it be fun if you could see everyone's hair throughout the past year?!? Because it changes more than ya think." Then my self replied back with something to the effect that no one's gonna wanna do that, except me...

So here's mine. We'll start with a really old one first...Christmas 2006...

Good-bye long hair... we were really never meant to be...

October 2007...me and my sister Lindsey.

November...Thanksgiving...we're weirdos.

December

January

February

March

April...straight

and curly...

May was the tornado clean-up...we don't even want to mention what the hair looked like...I did sport that lovely farmers tan all summer long though. Nice.

June and July meant humidity...

August

September & October...

Never in my life have I had so many pictures of myself...I blame facebook, and the need to keep changing my profile pic because I get sick of looking at the same old one.

So...if you haven't tried facebook, you should. It's way, way easy to find old/current friends...and an excellent way to keep record of your hairstyles for a year, because I mean, who doesn't want to do that?!?

And, if you post hair pictures...and I mean any kind, be sure to let me know...because I'm THAT easily amused. ;)

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I Have a Good Excuse...

I'm not dead...no worries.


And there was no disaster in tiny-town that caused my evacuation...this time at least.


It just so happens that we took a tiny whirlwind mini vacation, and because I absolutely positively do not enjoy packing for our whole family and the fact that I put it off until the very last minute, meant that I ran out of time to blog and tell you I would be gone.


Ben thinks that was a tad rude of me...I assured him of how kind ya'll are and how you'd totally understand because you get the whole packing nightmare.

I didn't blog for three whole days! And I didn't even have symptoms of withdrawal. Go me.


We had a fun little trip, that of course requires bullet points.

• Our neighbors loaned us their DVD player for the ride up. It saved our children. Without it, we may have left them somewhere along the interstate. Oh, I kid. I wouldn't actually leave them...I'd just imagine it for a bit ;)


• We traveled up to where we lived the first 5 years of our married life...the city. Turns out, I've turned back into a total rural girl again...you know the kind...grasping the dashboard anytime we even get close to the back end of another vehicle or heaven forbid...switch lanes. Sad times. I used to love driving around up there...well, except for that one time I totaled the car because of that little fender bender...anyways...


• We went to The Mall....The Mall of America. My admiration for it runs deep. And now, because it is the home of Lego Land, I've passed on my love for it to my children.

I give you pictures:

Noah made me take a picture of every ginormous Lego thing there. I'll spare you...Ben and Noah rode bumper cars and I rode this with Jake. (We made Eli ride one thing...he was too distracted by the Legos.)Why Ben didn't want to ride on the pink Blues Clues ride, I'll never know.We ate a lot. A LOT. But my favorite was Bubba Gump's (as in Forrest Gump) It is my new favorite restaurant! And if we ever have another child, I'm naming it Bubba in honor of it...

I love visiting the city. The diversity of it. The fashion. Bubba Gumps. But underneath it all...I'm a small tiny town girl.

Now I'm off to read your blogs and find out all I've missed out on while I was gone!

Happy Monday!

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Glad In It...

Yesterday I mentioned my blind lunch date :) Here we are! She totally let me take a picture (thanks Nicole:) We had such fun chatting for 2 hours, and her sweet little guy was SO GOOD!

Meeting Internet friends is so fun! Seems like I'll have to head south to meet the rest of you guys y'all!

I woke up in the middle of the night with an old song coursing though my head. It's one that I haven't heard in years...we used to sing it at the church that I lovingly refer to as "the church I came from."

I've gone to several churches before tiny town...but this particular church is where I met the real Jesus for the very first time. I met the Jesus that wanted to transform me, and know me. Who knew the worst in me, and loved me the same. Who willingly went upon a cross for the worst in me so that I could be free from it. The Jesus who didn't require me to get my act together first (which was impossible) but instead said, "let me help with that"...and He's still helping with that...

From the ages of 15-20 the people of this church mentored me, loved me, taught me truth and showed me what it meant to really truly live for Him. Since then, it has still played an important role in my spiritual walk...the people there still continue to bless and encourage me. It really is where I come from, it shaped me into who I am today. And just like family, I'll always be one of them, no matter where I am.

The song is just this verse: Psalm 118:24

"This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Sounds so simple, doesn't it...too bad I don't do this often enough.

So thankful for His reminder...today is the day He has created, planned and designed...I don't have to fix it, complain about it, or change it. I just need to rejoice and be glad in it.

I remember my life before Him...and I know life with Him, and the two are simply incomparable. I long for so many to experience Him, to know Him, trust Him, to feel the sweet release of forgiveness...all of which has nothing to do with religion, but with a relationship with Him.

It's the cry of my heart today. And I'm so thankful that 15 years ago I walked into that church, rather unwillingly at the time, and experienced a new kind of life.

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