Moving On...

Last week was one of those horrible, ugly, can't-wait-till-it's-over kind of weeks.


I had strep.  Jake had strep.  Blah blah blah.  We're all glad to move on from it.


I have a deadline looming over my head for some ministry related projects...which is a fancy way of saying I've procrastinated until the last possible minute and if I don't get my butt in gear and write/mail some letters no one will show up to our Wed. night kids program or ladies Bible study because they won't even know it's started yet.


More later...

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Oh Dog...

Dear Gus,


I realize that you haven't lived here all that long.  But, you are a smart dog.  You save the naughty behavior for when I'm gone.  I know you do.  It's why I have to lock the garbage in the mud room, block off the couch, the stairs, and remove the cushions off the chairs so that you won't sleep on them (have you noticed you smell badly?)   

I need you to give me a break.  Leaving the house with three boys and a baby is tricky enough...and occasionally I forget one of the four steps to Gus-proof the parsonage.  I like you Gus, I do.  But...if I come home to find this one. more. time.  You are sooooo getting more than my angry eyes.  We clear?

I didn't think so.

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I've Conquered Math

Happy Birthday Ben!

Ben was preaching on Sunday, and I couldn't help but look at him and think to myself that I've loved that guy for so, so long.  


I noticed him, a few months before my 15th birthday.  I've shared the story somewhere before on this blog, and if I weren't so lazy I'd find it for you, but eh...I'm lazy.  


As he was preaching I was thinking back about time.  We dated five years before we got married.  That five years seemed like forever.  Now...five years flies by like crazy.  And then I had a revelation:  Teenage dating years are to be measured in dog years.  Ya know....x7.


Because if you're a teenager and your relationship can survive the angst and drama and immaturity, then 1 is = to 7.  For sure.  It's only logical.  I can't believe it took me that long to figure it out.  


I have no idea why I did so badly in math, because now it's just all clicking together for me!  Amazing, no?


So, technically, we dated 35 years before getting married.  And we've been married 12.  That's 47 years together so far.  Which is pretty amazing considering Ben just turned 35 today.


It's been a good 47 years.  Happy Birthday to the amazing guy I've loved longer than I've been alive...technically.

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I Love Lucy

Before this week, I had never watched the beloved television show, I Love Lucy.  Crazy, no?   Since I did, after all, name my baby girl Lucy.  And since Lucille Ball is probably the most famous of Lucys' (next to the bratty Charlie Brown one) I thought I should culturize myself a bit.  I'm not sure why, exactly, that I'd never seen it, but I think it may be the fact that I can't stand to watch anything that is not in color.  


I'm lame, I can't help it.  Don't even ask me how many times I've skipped the first part of The Wizard of Oz, just to get to the color part.  


But his week, I happened to find I Love Lucy on the Hallmark channel and so I've been DVRing it.  Turns out, I happen to quite enjoy it!  


But I do have a question.  How old are Lucy and Ricky supposed to be in the show?  Because I can't tell.  The black and white and the clothing styles throw me off a bit.  Please help a girl out.


Oh, and when googling, I found this t-shirt that I may have to order for Ben. :)


On an entirely different subject (other than her name)...


I bought Lucy a excersaucer thingy at WalMart this week.  I'd previously told myself I wouldn't because they're so big and I don't have room.  BUT.  I'm desperate for something to entertain her, other than me holding her in an upright position so she can see everything that's going on.  This one is smaller, and better yet, it was a whole $22. 

She likes it!!  Yay for 10 minutes for me to get something done.  

She's got some room to grow into it.  

*"Lucy" image courtesy of google images*

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Kind of a Boring Update...

I probably have 5 minutes before Little Miss Lucy decides her can-it-really-even-be-called-a-nap-because-it's-so-stinkin'-short "nap" is over.  Let's see how much I can cram in.

1. It's my mom's birthday today.  She's 51.  I only tell you this, because she loves to point out everyones ages...and she always makes me a year older than I really am.  (that sentence will make her smile:)  Happy Birthday Mom!!  Love you.
2. Boys are all back in school and enjoying it.  
3. Lucy turned 4 months.  She's 13 pounds.  Which makes her 2 pounds smaller than Eli and Jake were at this age, and 6 pounds smaller than Noah was.  Her and Jake both had their check-ups/shots yesterday.  They both did great.  Dairy Queen was involved as a bribe.
4. Her smile that will make you want to eat her up:

Of course blogger would choose to not rotate my picture today.

5.  Running (post pregnancy) was...lets say...miserable feeling for awhile.  I just didn't feel like doing it.  And although I've kept at it, much whining was involved.  But this week, I think I've turned a corner, both physically and mentally.  Pushing through the 4-mile wall of torture feels like a breakthrough.  After that wall, the rest of the run doesn't feel quite so bad.  For this week anyways. 

6. I have succumbed to drinking regular pop again.  I know, I know...I'm so weak.  Worse yet, I don't even care about its high fructose corn syrup.  I'll leave you with that super exciting piece of info...and speaking of pop, I could use one right about now...

I made it through 6 things and Lucy is still sleeping!  Wheee!

So, what's new with you?  Tell me what I've missed.

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Family Picture Time

School here starts on Wednesday.  We're all ready and not ready all at the same time, which I know makes sense to all of you.


Jake needs to take a framed family picture along with him to pre-k so a friend snapped one for us, on our front steps, a few minutes before church started.  Because we're fancy like that.


Since everyone is looking at the camera, we call that success.

The Parsonage Family

You'll have to click on the pic to see all of us!

It's sort of our first family picture with Lucy.  Gus almost made it in, but he's just too big and hairy for the front step picture.  Next time, Gus.


And yes, before you ask....Lucy and I do match.  Here's my theory:  Since she's pretty much attached to me all of the time, she's kinda like a fashion accessory.  It's best that we not clash. ;)  

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Sometimes...

Sometimes I start a post five different times because what I thought I wanted to write about ends up sounding dumb.  Or boring.  Or both.  

Today is one of those days.

Sometimes they get too wordy, and I lose my train of thought along the way.  Hate when that happens.  Sometimes, what God is teaching me is so personal and gut wrenching to me, that my limited vocabulary and writing skills (laziness) do it no justice and so I choose silence.

I'm a "so you get the gist of it" kinda blogger.  Not big on details.  Or grammar *cough*  So, in true Sarah form, here's my life:  The Gist it anyways.

In a few short weeks, we will have been in tiny town for five years.  It's got us reflecting on our time here thus far.  Five years ago we came into full time ministry with so much excitement.  We hadn't a clue what we were doing, and we knew it.  Calling on God for His wisdom and assistance was simple.  Without a doubt we needed His help.

And then somehow, as it always seems to happen in my life, I settled in.  Familiarized myself with this ministry thing.  With the community.  With routine.  And called it good.

Turns out, as it always does, that my standard of good is not even close to what God has planned.  Why do I so easily settle for my pathetic version of good?   Oh, the list of reasons is quite long...I'll spare you.

At a friends recommendation, I picked up a book recently.  It took just a few pages before that feeling of "oh this book is talking directly to me" hit.    For some reason, somewhere in the process of "settling in" I also unconsciously decide that I can handle things on my own.  The "I got this!" attitude.  Without even realizing it, I had viewed ministry as a job like any other.  You know,  the experienced worker trains the newbie and before long, the newbie is no longer an idiot and can actually do the job on their own.  Simple.  Except...in ministry, without God, I'll always always always be  the idiot.  

When your husband is a pastor, it is not his job.  It is your life.

I don't mean that negatively.  I mean that ministering to people is a way of life.  No clocking in and clocking out.  You're always on.  Pretty much like parenting.   And, it really is a good thing.  It's what God has called Ben and I to.  Together.  It is a privilege.  And a burden.  It's not something that very many people understand, I'm not sure I understand it yet myself.  What I do know, is that I need the Holy Spirit's leading and empowering to accomplish what He has planned.  

On my own, I have nothing to offer. I take that back, I do.... such things as apathy, annoyance, criticism, attitude, unforgiveness, harshness, loathing.  I could go on.  And on.  It's not pretty.  And it accomplishes nothing for Christ.  

At the end of the day, I want to be able to look back and see what God accomplished through me for that day.  That's where I'm at.  One day at a time.  

I wanna leave you with this quote:

It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are.  But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace.  His purposes are not random or arbitrary.  If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do.  He placed us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph. 2:8-10).  Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in Him?  If so, then that will shape how you live your life in the place where you are.

                   Francis Chan, Forgotten God

I want God to be shaping how I live each day...it's certain to look much different than my version.

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