I Get Excited...

I get excited about stuff.  


I do.  It's who I am.  How I'm wired.

Unless you're new to me, this doesn't come as a surprise to you.  


There's an ebb and flow to life, and there's an ebb and flow to what I'm currently excited (and by excited I mean obsessed) about.  Kinda like seasons, I guess.


I give you my top 7 as of late:


7.  My Menu Board

6.  The Packers.  I love them, and though I've only been a fan for a few short years, I've invested myself fully :)  and my Noah couldn't have been happier on Sunday.

5.  Sewing.  This one sort of came out of nowhere.  But I'm having fun with it.

4.  Cityville.  It's a dumb facebook application that really should not be all that fun, but lately I find it completely entertaining.  I blame it on February in Iowa.


3.  New Tupperware.  Sounds ridiculous, but when did Tupperware get so cute?!?  A friend had a party and I got this stuff and I can't quit looking at it and smiling.

2.  Reading.  I've rekindled my love of reading.  I don't really get into fiction all that much, but anything else will pretty much do.  My husband (the pastor) also shares the same love so there are piles of books every.where.  One of the last books I finished, I actually read the last page and immediately started at the beginning again.  I love a book that grabs me by the shoulders and gives me a good *shake* to wake me up, make me think.  Crazy Love did that.  And it's ringing in my ears and heart daily that status quo is not good enough...it's garbage, actually.




1.  Spending time with my God.


I recently watched a friend walk through a really tough life situation.  Suddenly everyone who vaguely knew her wanted to be her friend in order to help...in reality, if they had really known her, they would have realized that some of the very things they were doing to "help" were actually causing her more grief.  Their intentions were good, but it irritated me no less.  And it got me thinking...


Do I do that with God?  Do I say I know Him, yet fail to spend time with Him daily, hourly...regularly.  


Relationships never grow without communication.  Ever.  And the closest of the relationships in my life are with the people I rub shoulders with on a daily or regular basis.  Sure, there's some long lost friends that I can go without seeing and then pick up where we left off...but it's picking up where we left off...not from a place of deep understanding of one another in the current.


And there is a difference.  


I realized I was doing this with God.  And I grieved.  


I want to know Him daily.  Because that is really the only way that He is able to transform me.  


Which leads me to this little book:

I notoriously dislike devotional books.  I'll spare you  my list of reasons, but mostly...they annoy me.  


It never fails that God works greatly in  my life through things I find annoying.


Over Christmas, I picked up a flyer that had the above book, Jesus Calling pictured in it.  And, because I judge books by their covers, and thought this would look super cute on my pile of books, I grabbed my cell and asked my mom to pick me up a copy at the store by her house.  It was very random...so I thought.


As soon as I picked the book up, I was hooked.  I read through the whole thing like a novel.  It's written as if Jesus is speaking right at you.  The "I," "Me," "My," etc always mean Jesus, while the "you" and "your" mean me, the reader.  


I fell in love with it.  The kicker:  It's a devotional FOR KIDS.  Crack me up.  


Oh it gets better.


About the same time I was searching for out next Ladies Bible Study material. We were wrapping up Forgotten God (amazing, by the way) and everything I thought was gonna be a great idea, just never quite felt right.


And then He hit me with it.  I wasn't the only one who needed to be spending time with Him on a daily basis.  I sat on the idea of it for awhile, hoping I hadn't quite understood Him right.  After all, the lovely ladies in our Bible study more than graciously put up with my craziness, however presenting them with the idea that our "study" is actually going to be a devotional book for kids was not really what I wanted to share with them.  Because who comes up with that?!?  


God does.


Without a doubt.


And because it's His deal, and not mine, they were totally game for it.


Tonight, we meet together for the first time after starting this "study" and I'm so excited to see what God's doing.  


I'll leave you with this little nugget from the book, that I've been chewing on since January 30th:

... whatever you think about the most becomes your god, your idol, the thing you worship.  From Jesus Calling for Kids

I can't get past it.  How many things do I think about more than Him?  He's changing me though.  Through this time with Him, daily, hourly...He's rising to the top.

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FB is so much quicker...

Saturday I was perusing sewing blogs (it's my new thing) and came across this tutorial.    I think it was probably the "20 minute" project that made me think I could do it, because normally I would think a headband was waaay beyond my 5-minutes-of -sewing-capabilities.  

The first headband (below) took me 1.5 hours to make.  Apparently "20 minutes" is only for those who actually  know how to sew.  

But the second headband, really did take only 20 minutes!  It's completely imperfect.  Which makes it charming.  And least that's what I keep telling myself.

Sewing has turned out to be quite fun so far.  The only place to do it though, is on our main table, which means two things:

1. I have to get it out and put it away every. single. time.
2. The house turns into a slop hole while I sew.

Here's Lucy doing her part to contribute to the mess...it's her favorite thing.  I put all the toys in, and she pulls them out one by one.  

And, just for sheer cuteness, Lucy & the Tutu.

You know how to tell if you've become a lazy blogger?  Your blog post is pretty much the same as your Facebook page.  Yeah...that would be me.

Hoping to stop that...

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I Made Hankies...

So I did end up sewing a couple thing the same night I brought home the sewing machine.  


Flannel hankies for Lucy's nose:

Exciting, eh?  I am ridiculously excited about them!  


Then I put all the sewing stuff away because the kids wouldn't stop messing with my stuff and every time I think to get it out, I don't.  I'm shooting to try a blanket on Saturday.


Don't hold your breath. 


My mother in law sent me home with super cute material that is just waiting patiently for me...to acquire some skill...

Thanks to a friend, I've been introduced to a really great blog that has some easy sewing tutorials. (and by "easy" it means that it is still waaay out of my league.) I feel the need to share them with you.  Even if you don't sew, and don't ever want to sew, or ever want to think about wanting to sew....you will ooh and ahh over the cute stuff.  


For real.


Take a look at Prudent Baby.


And now, I have to go, because  my sweet very loud demanding of attention baby is calling screaming.

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Out With the Old

I've composed approximately 250 posts (in my head) since my last post.  If only they typed themselves out...someday they will, those apple people come up with all sorts of great stuff. ;)

But until then, (by which I mean, until they steal my idea) let me summarize:

• The last post felt good.  Really good.  Writing without my filter, made me aware that somewhere along the way I had started over filtering without even realizing it.  Filters are not bad.  They're necessary.  But too much filtering takes out the good stuff too.
• Your comments made me smile.  And encouraged me.  You're all ridiculously wonderful. :)
• Ridiculous is the word I'm now overusing.  
• I'm getting a sewing machine and I'm going to start making cute stuff.  Why not?  Back several years ago, I started reading a friends blog and I thought to myself: Self, you could never do that. You need to be gifted in that area first. But then time went by and I read more blogs and thought: Eh, anybody can blog, just do it.  And, as it goes, it's turned out just fine.  Which, in essence is the same with sewing...or at least that's what I'm telling myself.  ;)  
• I do know how to use a sewing machine.  I think.  I'm sure it's like riding a bike. *cough*
• My first project if going to be a baby blanket, because my expert friends tell me this is a good place to start.  Don't worry, I'll take pictures...and we can all laugh together.
• Until then, I'm working on the aftermath of all of us switching bedrooms.  I thought about taking pictures, but that just seemed like one more thing to do and so I purposely skipped it.  Next time.  *cough*
• I also need to clear out my scrapbook stuff (my previous hobby that bit the dust a couple years ago) to make room for my new sewing hobby...because that's how I roll.

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I've Been Hiding...

I've been hiding from the blog.  But one can only hide for so long.  I've been avoiding the blog because I've gone quiet.  That's what I do when I'm grieving, or coming up against something hard in my life.  Some people are able to muster their thoughts into deep, moving posts which help them work through whatever is facing them.  But for me, words fail me.  Writing about it doesn't  make me feel better.  I wish it did, but it doesn't.    


I go quiet in real life too.  I need time to think.  To feel.  To process...without everyones thoughts and input and words.  I can't hear God when everyone else is talking to me...and so, for a time, I just sit at His feet...because He's the only one that understands me.  


My last post was December 31st.  At the time I wrote it, I didn't know that I would be spending New Years Eve with good friends...at a Hospice Home.  Laughing, and crying, not knowing what to say, or what to do.   Much has changed since December 31st.  


God called Tate home to Heaven on January 3rd.   My tears and hurt are not for Tate, because I know where he is, running around in that perfect new body that, here on earth, didn't cooperate with him.  


I hurt for my son, who lost one of his best buddies.   I hurt for my friend, who buried her son.  I hurt for their family...because going on with life without Tate seems nearly impossible.  My heart aches for them.


A new perspective has formed.  Tragedy does that.  It's a crash course in perspective.  What I once would have seen as problems, both in my own life, and in others, now seem...well, sort of ridiculous.  


Absolutely ridiculous.


I no longer am going to live my daily life wallowing in meaningless problems either my own or those around me.  What a waste.  Maybe that's not the best thing for a pastors wife to say...after all, we're supposed to sympathize with everyone, right?  Or not.  Maybe all the sympathizing is the wrong thing.  Maybe sometimes, they need a good dose of reality as well.  Maybe, like me, they need to be reminded to Get Over Themselves.  That life is not about me.  It's about what God wants to do through me...which is far greater that meaningless annoyances. 


Let's grieve with those who truly need to grieve.  Let's hurt with those who hurt.  But let's also tell each other when we're being ridiculous.  


My filter is gone, eh? ;)

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In the Moment...

A year ago today, Ben and I were at a giant hospital (the hospital Tate is now in) to have a level II ultrasound because of a tiny cyst they had found on Lucy's brain.  I was 5 months pregnant.  You can go back and read the story here and here.  

It's one of those days that will stick in my head forever.  I remember how I felt, how the hospital smelled, the shoes I wore, the nervousness, the relief, sweet relief that the cyst was gone, that the baby was perfect, and she was indeed still a girl ;)  

Some days from this past year are like that.  Completely memorable.  Others, are just ordinary and blur together. I'm so thankful for both.  It's why I blog, it's life, and it's all worth documenting...the good, the bad, the ugly.

I never know what each day is going to bring.  Oh, I think I know, I plan, I anticipate...sometimes I dread, but really not one of us knows what the next moment will hold.  Only my Heavenly Father knows, and only He gives me the grace to bear whatever is in store.  Joy or pain...I need His grace either way.

My friend Steph, Tate's mom, had this quote as a favorite:  

Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is a mystery
Today is a gift

That's how I want to live 2011.

Happy New Year Blog World!

 

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Fun & Not Fun

In a Nutshell (since my last post)...

• I had a birthday.  33 feels just fine so far.
• Christmasses  (that's not a typo,)t's the new word for the never-ending celebrations of food and presents...what?  you haven't heard of it?  yeah, me either.
• We have entered the world of (red) Wii and Netflix.  Both are fairly amazing.  Oh, and Just Dance...which I remain undefeated in so far ;)
• Days before Christmas we found out that Noah's good buddy Tate's cancer has returned, and this time there is not much that can be done.  It's devastating, I don't know how else to say it.  Please pray for Tate, as he's in a lot of pain, and for his family...because how do you prepare to say goodbye to your child?  Devastating.
• 
  

Noah and Tate

• Thanks for your prayers bloggy friends.

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