Sweet!!

I was just looking through my e-mail, which I hadn't checked in several days, and saw that I have won two books through Goodreads First Reads giveaways! WOOT!

One is Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar, and the other is This Burns My Heart by Samuel Park.

They should both be arriving in the mail within a couple of weeks! AWESOME!! I'm super excited! Free stuff is the best, especially if it's books!

Catching up... again.

Did ya miss me?? I simply haven't made time to keep up with my blog for the past month... other things kept crowding it out... work, commute, READING!, goodreads.com (my new favorite website; it's like a facebook for booklovers!), and this past weekend, the beach. Speaking of the beach, it was gorgeous weather: low 80's, breezy, a bit overcast- all of which made me succumb to the illusion that less sunscreen was required and the umbrella wasn't really necessary. FALSE. I now sport the worst sunburn I've had in years, and am religiously applying aloe lotion at every opportunity. Despite being cooked, it was a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I just love walking barefoot along the shore in the evening, right where the waves skim the sand, listening to the soft rush of the water and taking deep breaths of the cool salt air as it ruffles your hair. Ahh... bliss.
The reason goodreads is taking up so much time? I've joined a book club on there, and I love it! Games, giveaways, book discussions... it's fun. I've already won a book!! You can also use the site to rate books you've read, make a to-read list, and see what other people are saying about books. It's fabulous.
I can't believe it's June. 2 year wedding anniversary coming up! Time has really flown, but I'm loving every minute.
I guess that's it for now!
Please pray for our church: our new youth pastor and his family are moving here this week; and keep Daniel and I in your prayers as well.

Creative Tuesday: Short and Tall

Whew! Almost didn't get this one done! I had a really hard time getting the creative juices flowing this time, then when they did flow, they refused to translate from my imagination to paper. But I finally got it! Just a sketch, but I'm satisfied. The little dog is based on my dog Griffin, but as you can see in the pic on my sidebar, Griff is much lighter in color. I love my poochie!!

When I first saw this theme, my very first thoughts were of couples. I'm not a portrait artist, thus, the dogs. Anyway... There's a super sweet couple at my church where the husband stands at close to 7' and is long and lanky, and his wife is about 5'2" and a bit plump. Such a big contrast!! Next I thought of myself and my husband, I'm about 2 1/2" taller than he is, and when I wear heels (he doesn't mind) it's much more drastic. One of my cousins and his wife make a very tall couple, he at 6'8 and she at 6'3. Then I've seen cute little old couples, both short and stooped. Some say "opposites attract", and others want to find a match who has many of the same characteristics they themselves possess.  Height really doesn't matter, it's the quality of relationship and the love shared between that makes a couple last. Much love to my Baby!

You can check out other peoples' tall and short artwork at Mr. Toast's blog.

Resurrection Sunday

Wow. What a wonderful Easter! Church services today were amazing- the music, the preaching... everything. We had 5 people saved in our bus ministry, and I just heard that one of our sister churches had 30 people saved as a result of a play they did tonight. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!

I really just wanted to take a minute to thank God for all He's done for me. I want to thank Him for dying on the cross for my sins. For taking my place as he was beaten, mocked, tortured, crucified, and for rising again so that I could have peace with God and eternal life with Him. I serve a risen Saviour who is alive and well today. I don't deserve His love, His mercy, or His amazing grace, but I'm thankful that I have it. It's available to any who will receive it: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16

The Arby's Solicitation

While sitting in Arby's eating my lunch today, I was solicited for food by one of America's homeless.

I didn't see her come in; I only noticed her when she was right next to my booth. She put down her plastic sack containing some bottles with labels I didn't recognize, turned to me and said "I'm hungry. I want some food. Will you buy me some food?" Before I could respond, she went on "I'm homeless, I live on the streets, but someone I know let me stay with them last night.  They sent me to the store, I had to walk all this way, and I'm tired and hungry." She paused for a moment, then repeated "Can you buy me some food? I want that, what you've got."

I was completely taken aback by her manner. Aghast. Flabbergasted. I think I sat there with my chin hanging for a moment.

Here's why:
Her attitude as she gave her speech was haughty and brusque, and not at all sincere. She was seemingly flippant, so I was a bit unsure how to respond. I didn't mind getting her some lunch, but I was in the middle of my meal, and sitting alone. Since she had been to the store, I asked if her friend had not given her some money. She replied "Yeah, for the store, but I want some food", continuing to hold to her very loud and obnoxious style. I said "Ok. Are you going to be here for a little while?" She said she was. "Well, do you mind if I finish eating? I don't have any cash, just my card, and I can't leave my food." She then said "Well I can take it and go order."

Umm... "NO". I think not.

I repeated my request to finish my meal, and told her I'd get her something then. She sat down at the table nearest mine, and I went back to my food. Not two minutes passed, and she went to ask a man sitting across the room. He was with a group, and agreed to help her, so I was off the hook. Had she waited, I would have helped her, but she was impatient, and to me, that speaks of the lack of a genuine need.

I don't mind helping people in need, but the way she conducted herself rather put me off it. She was loud and offensive, walking around the place like she owned it and talking down to me as if I owed her something. When I told Daniel about it over supper, he brought up a simple truth. Americans are spoiled and lazy. There are so many programs that provide things free of cost to the poor without them having to do anything to earn it, that many of them have lost their sense of work-ethic. This is not always the case, but it certainly seemed so for the woman I encountered today. It's hard maintain a compassionate spirit in situations like that.  I felt a bit inept and uneasy following the experience, but I think I responded the best that I could given the circumstances.

Similar stories? Comments??

Update

I had forgotten how exhausting it can be to sit in class for a week, absorbing and applying a boatload of all new information. By 5 on Friday, my brain had shifted to "stand-by".

My set of skills has expanded quite a bit since I started my new job.  If you were to come to my clinic, I now have the skills to enter you as a new patient in the system, register you, put in all your insurance information (if you have multiple insurances, I can coordinate your benefits), get a referral from your doctor and enter it in our system, and collect your co-pay (if you have one). After I got you all checked in, I'd take you to an exam room and get you settled to await your consultation with your doctor and possible subsequent treatment for whatever ails you. I can take your x-ray, and if need be, wrap you up in a splint or cast. I can also remove said cast on your next visit. When we're all done, I can show you out. Oh yeah, I've got skills. Will I have to do all of these things with every patient that comes through the door? No (I don't have that multiply-yourself-into-10-people superpower). But I know how. They're making me a very valuable and versatile employee, which is great for my job-security. Once the clinic really gets off the ground and we bring a few more staff on-board, things will be a little easier. I'm really enjoying work, it's just taking some time to rebuild my stamina after being off for so long. Weekends have definitely regained their value.

In other news, we had a youth revival at church last night and tonight. It was such a blessing to see the teens' willingness to come and serve God. The services each night were wonderfully refreshing. I really enjoyed all the singing, as well as the messages. I hope it becomes an annual event. On a side note, Daniel has done a great job leading our youth choir. Every week you can see their confidence increase, and more and more of them are volunteering to sing a solo part or participate in a small group. I love it! Now, I'm really looking forward to our church services tomorrow.

As you may have noticed, posts are coming few and far between these days. This is due to the fact that my spare time has become much more... spare. I'll continue to blog, but it'll probably be just one or two per week, whenever I have the time or something worth saying. I've got to balance blogging with my other hobbies, reading and art! Thanks to all of my readers- keep me in your prayers! 

Creative Tuesday: Rooftops

My first CT watercolor! I got done with the original, and thought it looked a bit too dark and gloomy, so, I added Rapunzel! Check out all the other rooftops at Mr. Toast's blog!

Oooh, shiny!

Well, you can tell I'm a working girl again... hardly any posts lately!! I'm loving my new job. So far it's mostly been training, but yesterday I actually got to go out to the clinic, which hasn't officially opened yet, and scope things out. Everything is brand-spanking new, all shiny and clean! As in, all the cabinets are still empty. I unpacked the boxes that held my new lead, slider board, and octostop (a pediatric immobilization device). I worked on lists of the stuff I still need for casting and also for my x-ray room.... which, by the way, I think I'm going to love. Top of the line equipment, totally digital... I'm going to be so spoiled. Awesome!! I'm thinking about putting up a few decorations in there once things get settled, especially since I'll be working quite a bit with pediatrics. I can't wait to move in and get started! Hope everyone is having a great week!

Creative Tuesday: Springtime

I know spring has begun when I see crocus and daffodils popping up all around, but I must say that my favorite part of spring, aside from rising temperatures of course, are the PINK TREES!!!! Blossoming cherry trees are just gorgeous in the springtime- and they're so fluffy!!! Love them. One day, I will have one in my yard. Today's Creative Tuesday piece is just a quick oil pastel drawing I did of my spring faves.

Thinking about this post also made me realize that I never posted a pic of the cute spring/Easter cupcakes I made last year! I figure that now is as good a time as any, sooooo... 

This is the most adorable desert I've ever constructed! They make me smile.

You can check out the other "Springtime" entries over at Mr. Toast's blog.

First Day

I am happy to report that my first day at my new job went wonderfully. There was only a brief moment of panic this morning when I came downstairs to double check the name of the guy doing my training today, rounded the corner toward the living room, and saw that it was SNOWING, and sticking to the yard! Ahhhhhh!! Nooooo!!! Just my luck. I calmed down when I found out that there was nothing on the roads, but I was gasping and bug-eyed there for a minute!

Today I did my orientation, then began training. This week I'm learning to do casting. They have a practice arm manikin, which I successfully wrapped in stockinette, cotton, and fiberglass, let it set, then sawed it off!! (The cast, not the arm.) At the end of the day, I got to cast my first actual patient in a short-leg cast (one that comes just below the knee). Tomorrow I get to meet the ortho doc I'm going to be working with, and learn and practice some more casting techniques! Hopefully the rest of the week will go just as well. :-)

Not again...

If you weren't already aware, I will tell you now that I am notorious for getting locked out of my house. You'd think by now I'd have hidden a spare key outside, but I haven't. I did get one made, but it's still inside, on the desk, waiting to be hidden. Whole heaping lot of good it's doing me there!

Well, I came back to the door after walking Griffin this afternoon to find that the lovely breezes that I had been enjoying on our walk had conspired against me and pulled the door closed, and it was, of course, locked. Argh!! No phone, no key (I've got to hide that thing!), and I've got the dog. What to do??

Then I remembered- I've got the windows open!!  Thank the Lord for pretty weather!! So, I went 'round back to my kitchen window, the base of which is about level with my stomach, pushed up the screen, and attempted to get in. As I was lying on my stomach on the windowsill, wondering how I was going to avoid crash landing inside (it's not a big window), my gaze came to rest on my low lying dining room window, which was also open!! Realizing that this was the far better option, I heaved myself back out, trudged around to the front, wedged in behind the bushes, and easily stepped through the window into my house. SUCCESS!!!!  *fist pump* Then, I went out and untied Griffin from the grill and brought him in. So, that is the story of my first time entering my home through a window. Now I can go bake some cupcakes for youth club, and then find a place for my spare key!

Anybody else have a similar story they'd like to share?

Why?

"Why?" is probably the hardest question any one person can pose to another. The answers to it are both numerous and non-existent. It is a curious child's favorite and often most annoying question. It is what we ask when something happens beyond understanding. I've heard it a lot lately.

Last Wednesday night we got the news that one of my husband's best friends from childhood had committed suicide. I never got to meet him, but from stories I heard, he was a great guy, outgoing, a volunteer, competitive, a police officer, friend to many. He took his life because his girlfriend wanted to break up with him.  It seems such a horrible waste of life; surely he could have coped some other way? Here we ask "why?!".  There's not a good answer, but I will say that there's no problem or depression so deep that God cannot bring you through if you'll only trust Him and draw from his infinite strength and comfort.

Psalm 18:2   The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Isaiah 25:4   For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is a storm against the wall.

Philippians 4:13   I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Then on Sunday, we received more bad news. A 7 year old boy at one of our sister churches had died of an illness, and a teenage girl who went to summer camp with our youth group this past summer was hit by a car and killed. I did not know the child, but I was a counselor at camp, and the girl who died was in my group. Sweet girl. So sad. Again we can ask the question "why?'. We don't know, but God does. 

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

That doesn't mean that we'll understand "why", it means we're to trust Him to do what's best. It's possible that someone may be drawn to God and come to know Christ as a result of these tragedies and the testimonies of the Christian families involved. There is a peace that only God can give, that there is hope for those who know Him to see their loved ones again. While we are sad at the loss, we do not despair. All of these tragedies involved young people: ages 7, 15, and 25. It is a glaring reminder that we are not promised tomorrow. Anything could happen at any time; if it did, are you prepared to meet God? Do you know for sure that you will go to Heaven? You can know. 

Romans 10:9   That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

1 John 5:10-13   He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Time is short. Get it settled. Just believe; God will do the rest.

Creative Tuesday: Breakfast

Well, my original idea for this theme was a kid with tousled hair looking up at a great big plate of pancakes, but I just couldn't seem to get it on paper. So I drew this fellow (based on no one in particular). 

He looks about like I feel while eating breakfast- still droopy-eyed with messy hair, reading whatever's handy and trying to wake up with coffee and something sweet. I am NOT a morning person!

After I finished him, I decided to try my original idea one more time, because I loved it so much, but this time from a different perspective and using a different style character, just to see....

and VOILA!! :-D

Head on over to Hot Toast and Jam to check out all the other visions of "breakfast"!

Great Read

Want a story that will make you laugh aloud, prick your eyes with tears, and cause you to swell with pride for it's hero? Read "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss. It's in the fantasy fiction genre, but it goes much deeper than that. It's about Kvothe, a curious young boy overcoming hardships and celebrating triumphs as he leaves his childhood behind and matures, learning from his experiences and becoming wise. Full of danger, joy, pain, and excitement, it's an epic adventure that's hard to put down. I was drawn in from the first page, and though long (662 pages), once you're inside, it's an easy story to get lost in. GREAT book.

Thumbs up for color!

It's funny... I've been out of work for a year, and now that I have just one more week off, I finally decide to knuckle down and paint my downstairs entry room today. That's procrastination for ya. While I was taping out the trim this morning, Griffin kept moving his rope toy every time I moved my step stool. I'd move and he'd come pick up his toy and move it to where I was. Then he'd stare up at me expectantly, sending the message "Play????" to me as hard as he could. But, as I had a lot to do, I didn't give in. You might think this cruel of me, but to Griffin, it's ALWAYS playtime. Don't worry, I obliged him later.

Anyway, I've just finished painting, and I LOVE the new color!! SO much better than beige. Ugh. And scuffed up beige at that. Just in case you weren't aware, beige is not my favorite. It's just so.... beige. Blah. The trim has a fresh coat of "Dove White", and the walls are now the beautiful shade "Irish Tea". It's a difficult one to describe... it's a medium to deep neutral shade, sort of a brown with plum undertones. Once I remove all the tape and get the furniture back in place, I'll take a picture to post to better explain it.

The only other thing I did today was watch the Carolina/Clemson game. I'm glad to say my Heels will be moving on to play Duke for the ACC Championship, but they'll have to play better than they have thus far if they expect to win. Unfortunately, I'll be at work and won't get to watch the game tomorrow. But the good news is, tomorrow is the LAST Sunday I have to work!! Can I get a woot woot!?!

Interesting...

Tonight was my night to teach in Youth Club at church. The first half of the year, our class studied women in the Bible, comparing the "good girls" with the "bad girls". For the second half, we're studying Bible stories that involve animals. I decided to teach on Daniel and the lions' den, and in the course of my preparations, came upon something that I had not noticed before. The internet is a wonderful tool... it started as I was looking up the location of Babylon, where the story takes place. It's located about 50 miles south of modern day Baghdad on the Euphrates river. I'm sure I've heard this piece of information before, but it had never dawned on me that Iraq is an odd place for lions to be. Unless I am mistaken, that is not their natural habitat, and even if I'm wrong, it still led me to the discover something new.

This is part of the Ishtar Gate, a section of the "Processional Way" leading out of Babylon. Ishtar was the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war. Her symbol: a lion.

This statue is known as the Lion of Babylon. The lion, depicted trampling a man, symbolizes strength.

This picture, taken in the 1930s, held the caption "The Lions' Den, Babylon". You can see the Lion of Babylon statue on the hill above the ruin. Could that ruin be the site of the actual lions' den into which Daniel was thrown? Possibly- it's uncertain.

Daniel was thrown into the lions' den for ignoring the decree given by king Darius and continuing to pray to God openly thrice daily. Knowing that the lion is the symbol of the Babylonians' pagan goddess, doesn't it seem that by throwing Daniel to the lions, in a way, it was actually a challenge to God? I had never considered it in that light. But just like the story of God and Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, God is once again shown to reign victorious when he shuts the mouths of the lions, allowing no harm to come to Daniel. Daniel went through all this so that the name of God could be glorified, and indeed it was. In the end, king Darius makes another decree:

I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

Daniel 6:26-27

Cool, huh!?!

Surely not.

People want this?? Surely not, but apparently so. Dear mercy.

Meanwhile, In Germany of the Day: A Bavarian entrepreneur has begun selling cans filled with the scent of cow farts in an effort to provide homesick city-dwelling country folk with “the authentic smell of the country.”

“Countryside air to go” creator Daniela Dorrer said there are plans to add other smells such as horse, straw, pigs, and manure, “[b]ut most people miss the smell of the cows in the country, not really surprising as much of the smell is from cows.

see more The Daily What

Well, Daniel did say he'd be interested in the "hay" scent, so who knows?! This is just not my thing. Craziest thing I've seen this week!

God is so good...

God is so good. Right at this moment, I feel blessed beyond anything I deserve. This week has been great!!

As I said in my last post, I was offered two full time jobs this week. What's even more amazing is that after I posted, I was contacted about a part-time job that I had accepted back in November, but the company experienced some set-backs and is just now ready to open. So I had THREE jobs offered to me this week!!! I am just blown away. What's even more astounding- both of the full-time jobs were offered to me without my sending in an application! One was with my former employer, and the other was sent my way by the same source. God gave this especially to me... and words simply cannot describe how that makes me feel. I am SO thankful.

I know you're all wanting to know, so I'll tell you that I did verbally accept a job on Friday! YAY!! Now I'm just waiting to hear from HR to make it official and go over all the little details. It's at a brand new clinic, so I'll be with them from the ground up as a core member of the team. Things will go slowly at first, so in addition to doing x-ray, I'll be cross-trained to do casting and registrar. As more doctors join and the clinic grows, things will pick up. The drive to work will be a little longer than I'm used to, but the hours are great: Monday-Friday 8-5, no weekends (praise the Lord!!!) and no holidays! I'm very excited to have this opportunity to learn some new skills and to grow with the company! *insert big cheesy grin* Thank you all SO much for your prayers!!!

Today we had our 4th annual Ladies Conference at our church. Our theme this year was "He Sees the Sparrow", so there were bird and garden themed decorations all around the church. (I really meant to take pictures, but today was busy, and I forgot my memory card in my camera last night. So sorry!) There were bird houses, nests, eggs, bird-baths, greenery, flowers, and of course, little birdies everywhere! Very cute!! Our speaker was Kay Chandler, and as always, she was such a blessing. My mommy went with me, and we had a lovely time. We sang, we laughed, we ate (of course), I even won a door-prize- a cute little indoor fountain/waterfall thingy, and we talked about God. In the morning session, we talked about keeping our eyes on God- about His names and what each means:

Elohim: our Creator, who made each of us with a purpose.

El Elyon: the most high God, who is in control of the universe and is our refuge.

El Roi: God who sees, and knows all our heartaches and troubles.

El Shaddai: the all sufficient One, who pours out Himself for us who believe.

Then in the afternoon, we talked about how God's eyes are on us, on our "secret sins", of our spiritual walk (or lack thereof), of the tongue (lying, gossip, a critical spirit, profanity), and of the heart (jealousy, bitterness, anger, an unforgiving spirit).

It was a very encouraging yet humbling time, and a great reminder of exactly how well God knows us, and just how much He cares about us. His love is limitless.

Luke 12:6-7

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Prayer Request

Say a prayer for me- After a year of no luck finding a job, I've had 2 jobs (full-time) offered to me in as many days, and I don't know which one to choose! This is a really big decision- please pray I choose the right one!

Creative Tuesday: Bedtime

Bedtime... when is that?? Have you noticed how quickly the time flies at night when you're bundled in your Snuggie reading, drawing, or browsing the internet? I'll eventually look at the clock and to my surprise, it will read one, two, or three am. I currently don't have to get up at any particular time in the mornings, so I don't have a bedtime I enforce on myself. So here is my Creative Tuesday Bedtime piece- an ode to how "Time Flies" at night.

"Time Flies"

And can you believe it's already MARCH???

A Better View

On any given warm-ish day, I am likely to imagine myself at the beach at least once. Like today. Although it is cloudy and windy, my thermometer reads 75 degrees. So of course, I'm taking a visual vacation. Can you see it?? No? Let me help you.

This is my actual view for today, the February 28 skyline from my backyard:

It has it's own sense of bleak beauty I suppose, but this is what I'd rather see:

Mmmmm... St. Croix. Gorgeous, yes? I'd love to be standing right there again. Sun warming my skin, breeze lifting my hair, the soft sound of the water kissing the shore, the vibrant colors of tropical foliage...

Or here, EI, NC (one of my favorite places):

Much more realistic for the present- again with the ocean breeze, the roar and shush of the waves, the water skimming over my feet, and the feel of soft sand beneath them...

These images have planted a serene smile on my face. Makes you want to just take a deep breath and go "aaaahhh." doesn't it?

Where do you go on your "mental vacations"?

Belated...

Whoops! Well, I missed my post yesterday to say Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband, but I told him in person, so it's ok. 8^) We had a lovely dinner at Olive Garden, which was very good, but would have been better if Daniel were completely well. He still has some residual ickyness from the flu. Then we headed over to Best Buy to see about getting his present- a new laptop- but they were out of both of the kinds we were looking at, so we'll be returning later to look again.

In other news, I had an interview yesterday for another PRN position at a local hospital, so pray that I'll get it, Lord willing. More gainful employment is always a plus; playing housewife, artist, blogger, and reader is fun, but it doesn't exactly net me any cash.

Also, pray for my cousin who is having surgery today.

Have a happy Friday everyone!

Just doodling...

Last Thursday I mentioned that I wanted to do a Zentangle. I've been working on it here and there for the past few days, and today, I put the finishing touches on it. I went to scan it, and found out that the image is actually too big for the scanner. BOO! I got the majority of it, but some of the edges were clipped, so I took a photo of the whole thing to include as well. I really enjoyed doing this piece! I can't decide which "tangle" is my favorite... i think perhaps the flowery one in the upper right corner (which I think would have looked better sans the outline... oh well, too late for that) or the scroll-y looking one that occupies 3 spaces. Which section draws your eye most?

Click to enlarge

Loss, life, fear, and comfort.

Yesterday was a study in contrasts.

Sadness: I woke to a text from my mom informing me that she was going to have to put down her dog Lacey. Anyone who knows Momma will know that this was a very painful and heartbreaking for her to do. That little dog loved her, was her constant shadow from the time we got her (before I started high school), and was anxious when Mom wasn't around; she was Momma's baby. So, I went and held my Momma and we cried together while my step-dad buried her four-legged child. We get so attached to our pets, especially ones who live indoors with you, so that it feels like losing a family member when they die. To follow this up, a "deep theological question" was innocently posed in Sunday School this morning: Will there be dogs in Heaven? Irony. The jury's still out on that one.

Happiness: Then last night, I went and celebrated the 92nd birthday of Daniel's grandma. We ate chicken stew and laughed together about things past and present. I can't imagine what it must be like to have lived 92 years. The multitude of experiences, gains, losses, times of joy and hurt are heartening to contemplate. It evokes ruminations of what path my life will take, what trials, triumphs, and failures will come my way, and how those things will shape me. Who will I be when I am old, given that I actually live to become old? The myriad possibilities exite me, dissipating my earlier melancholy.

Fear: We got news that my 18 month old nephew had fallen and was at the hospital with a fractured skull. Pray.

Relief: Good news that he was up playing around and there was no bleeding on his brain. Thank God for his protection. Pray for healing.

By the time I crawled into bed, the emotional rollercoaster I had ridden all day had left me fatigued and scattered. I needed to be held. Daniel was already asleep, still recovering from the flu, so I opened my Bible to Psalm 139 and let God hold me close. This is probably my favorite chapter in the whole Bible. It never fails to comfort me, reassure me, and make me feel close to God. Peace closed over me, I turned out the light, and slept dreamlessly.

ahhh.

Today I spent a delightful afternoon in my lounge chair on our patio, reading a book. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees, with a slight breeze. Bliss. These spring-like days really spoil me... I can't wait till they're here to stay!

Role change!

Is there anything quite as pitiful as a sick man? Helpless, subdued, and despondent. Poor guy. He really does feel awful though. Daniel has come down with the flu and has taken my place as house invalid. It seems like everybody's getting it. He's done a great job coddling me these past few weeks, now it's his turn for some pampering. Don't worry Mrs. Betty, I'm taking good care of him! I've even got a roast & veggies in the crock pot for supper (yay me!). Please pray he gets better soon, and that I don't get it!

From doing the Creative Tuesdays, I have discovered a new kind of art to try. Actually, it's really just a lot of doodling, but the end product looks so cool!! It's called a zen-doodle or Zentangle. I tried one the other night, and it turned out pretty good, but I want to get better at doing some of the "tangles" before I post a sample. It's supposed to be really relaxing- you put on some calming music, then just doodle, paying attention to one section at a time, and see what materializes. Sounds fun right?? I don't have any of the special markers for it, but I think I can manage.

Also, today I downloaded the free Kindle reader to my mac! Free books- what's not to love? Woot!

Creative Tuesday: Luck/y

I went back and forth quite a bit on how I wanted to present the idea of "luck/lucky", and without drawing a shamrock. The result is this little cartoon starring "Lucky Duck" and Hop-along Hare; in which the new owner of Hop-along's rabbit foot is feeling very lucky, while Hop-along is feeling rather down on his luck, being minus a foot. Hope I haven't offended any ASPCA people out there. I'm feeling very empathetic toward Hop-along, having been called that name several times over the past few weeks as a result of my own left-foot injury. I'm excited to see what everyone else came up with on Mr. Toast's blog!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!! At first, I thought I was going to be alone all day, since Daniel is working and Mondays are typically when he goes to the church to work on the radio broadcast and go on visitation. However, the thought struck me at about 10:30 this morning that we could still have lunch together. So, he got his lunch hour switched around and we were able to have a lovely lunch date!When I met him he informed me that he had changed his plans to go to the church after work and would instead be coming home to spend time with me. (Awww!) He gave me my valentine gift the other week: he got me a really pretty silver cuff bracelet, which I love. How did you and your sweetheart celebrate your couple-ness?

Today will complete our love verse countdown! I hope y'all enjoyed reading the love passages as much as I did. It has been said that "love is blind..."; that when you deeply love someone, you don't notice all their imperfections. This statement is often followed by "... but marriage is a real eye-opener!". True, living with a person does shed light on those quirks, flaws, and annoying habits which were previously concealed. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to strengthen the love and friendship you have with your other half. Love leads to forgiveness (sooner) in those times when someone of lesser importance would have suffered your wrath. So here it is:

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

I hope everyone is feeling the love today! Hugs to you all!

Love, Dara

Sacrifice

And he said, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Genesis 2:22

What are you willing to sacrifice for God? Does He really take first place? How great is your faith? I'd like to say I have faith like Abraham. He left his home, everything he knew simply because God told him to. God promised he'd be the father of many nations, but he had to wait years for that promise to be fulfilled. Then when he finally has the son he's waited so long for, that God promised him, God tells him to offer Isaac for a burnt offering to Him, and Abraham would have actually done it had God not stopped him. I'm not at all sure I could do something like that, but God commands us to love Him above all else. When you think of it this way, saying "Yes, I love God" takes on new meaning. It's being willing to go anywhere, do anything for Him, trusting that He will always do what's best for you.

~~~

Today was lovely. Daniel and I just went out and goofed off for a while. We did a little window shopping, some actual shopping, and got ice cream at Coldstone! MMMM. We walked around until I ran out of juice, then had Chic-fil-a. It was great! I wish we could have more such days of just being together.

Today's verse:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ~Galatians 5:22-23

Love is the first of the fruits of the spirit; the evidences of Christ in your heart.

What a Friend we have in Jesus

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ~John 15:13

Today I get to go have lunch with some of my friends, both of whom I haven't gotten to spend time with in quite a while. One lives in Alabama and has come up for the weekend. The other, although she lives in the same town that I do, has a crazy busy schedule- in addition to her full time job, she is a volunteer firefighter and is looking into doing broadcast journalism as well, yet still finds time for church and family. So, I'm feeling very excited about seeing them. They are part of the group of girls who I was best friends with in high school. I still love them dearly, but as our lives have taken us down different paths, we have grown up, apart, and are not as close now as we were then. Like I said, I love them; but would I die for them? Maybe, but I'm not sure. Jesus loved me enough to die for me. He is the greatest friend a person can have.

All for One, One for all

Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ~Matthew 22:37

Devote all that you are to Him.

This week, I finished reading Alexander Dumas' "The Three Musketeers". I loved following Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan on their many adventures. It was easy to read and packed with danger, duels, secret missions, love, court intrigue and much sarcastic humor. It's one of those books I would truly label as "timeless". I grew up watching it in movie form, courtesy of Disney (still one of my favorite movies). Although the story-lines between book and movie aren't parallel and the bad guys are much more diabolical in the movie, I enjoyed both immensely.

Hooray for pics!

Today, I've got some lovely pictures for your viewing pleasure. Yippee! Sorry for the delay on these- I've been too lazy to do anything with them till now.
On display, we've got:

My last moments in 2010...

Yay!

Couples...

Me & Daniel! He just loved his hat...

Kelli & Brian

Kerri & Micki : the newlyweds, obviously.

And the beautiful single chicas!

Destiny & Robyn

My 1st broken bone: splinted. I really hated that thing. : ( Booo!

Daniel and I @ Amy & Andrew's wedding (that's the groom behind us.)

And finally, Beauty and the Beast!! I loved the set- so pretty! I was too busy watching to take pictures during. If you'd like to see some pics of scenes, you can check them out here. I think this might have been my favorite Christmas present this year.

Mommy & I

Woot!

Olivia, Abbie, & I

Intermission- pretty set! (wish it wasn't blurry)

Enchanted rose :-)

Good memories all. Well, except for the foot. Not so good, and not yet just a memory.

God's Word on love for today:

And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us,

and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice

to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

Ephesians 5:2

To love as Christ loves, we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him. Living for Him is the least we can do after all He's done for us.

Free to me.

Psalm 40:11

Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

I'm so glad that we serve a merciful, loving, and just God who forgives and protects us; whose love is freely given.

Since my temp job at the bookstore ended this past Thursday, I'm back to hanging around the house for the time being. I'm going to give my foot this week to heal some more, then hopefully they'll let me come work a little bit at the orthopedic office where I interviewed the day before I broke my foot. For that job I'm going to have to be on my feet almost the whole time, and I discovered yesterday at church that I'm not quite ready for that. The trek from the lower parking lot to my Sunday School class about wore me out! The Superbowl party went well last night- Daniel was thrilled that the Packers won. He even busted out his Green Bay tie for church last night and work today!

I'm really enjoying looking up all these verses on love. They're everywhere, since it's kind of a central theme in the Bible. I was flipping through and saw this one, already underlined, and fell in love with it again.

1 John 4:10

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,

and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

It doesn't matter how many times I hear the word propitiation and it's definition, I can't seem to get it to stick in my brain. So, I had to look it up again: maybe it'll stick this time.

*Propitiation: to appease/ satisfy God; to "quench His righteous anger"*

Great verse, huh!

Knocking Heads

First off, I've got to tell you.... Beauty and the Beast was AMAZING!!! I absolutely loved it!! Great performance! I love theater! There's just something about seeing a live play. Wow.

Secondly... it's Superbowl Sunday! Daniel and I will be hosting the teens in our home tonight after church. We're going to have a house-full. Our menu consists of those wonderfully tasty and fattening party foods that everybody loves: rotel cheese dip & chips, meatballs, ham & cheese delights, wings, brownies, cookies, etc. Mmmm...

Our verse for today is Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

What does this mean? Well, I know that I fought with my brother a lot growing up. Have you ever noticed that we are closest to are the people we butt heads with the most? Family is stuck with you no matter what, and we tend to take them for granted, treating them somewhat less than kind. However, if you want to keep your friends, you have to work at it. Show some extra lovin' to your family today!

It shows!

Lots to do today! Daniel and I have to get our house prepared to host some of the teens at our church for a Superbowl party, so this means cleaning and cooking for both of us. In addition to this, I have special plans for the evening. My mom got me and my step-sisters tickets to see the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast for Christmas! Girls night! We're going out for a nice meal in Greensboro, then it's on to the coliseum! I'm so excited!! I'll post some pics of it sometime this week.

My love verses for today are found in John 13:34-35:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

One of the main identifiers of a Christian is their love for other people. Good relationships with fellow believers, and burdens for lost souls. People should be able to feel God's love radiating through us. Smile. Care. Don't hold grudges. Have compassion. Love.

Faithfulness

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

~1 John 2:15

Read that one more time, and really think about what it's saying. Were this Daniel's blog, it's likely he would break down this passage and preach a small sermon right here. I'm simply going to say: don't spend your whole life pursuing things that don't really matter. Pray and read to discover what action God wants you to take for Him, then follow His lead and do it. God is jealous: we are His bride; he wants and deserves all of our love. He doesn't want to share with "the world". He wants His bride to be faithful to him. Failures though we are, He will always take us back. We know from yesterday's verse that God will never divorce us. Jesus is faithful to me.

I can't figure out how to upload an mp3 to the blog, so I'm giving you a link for Jesus Is Faithful sung by Anna, a sweet lady at our church who is my dear friend and mentor.

Amazing Love

I am filled with wonder every time I read the verses I've chosen for today.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We talk about what Jesus' sacrifice means to us all the time; but have you ever considered exactly what it meant to God? We now have direct access to the Father; we are not separated. If you're covered by the blood of Jesus, you have God's love for all eternity. Nothing I do can stop Him from loving me. Wow. Amazing love. God's love.

Love puts up with a lot.

I needed this passage today. I know many of you have heard these verses read at weddings, and naturally so... they go right along with those "for better or worse" vows. Take a look, and remember, "charity" in these verses means "love".

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. ~1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Here's what it says to me:

*Suffer long- if you love someone, there's a lot you'll have to tolerate that you may not like, but be kind about it.

*Envy not- don't be resentful of your mate.

*Vaunt not- talk about something besides yourself.

*Not puffed up- nobody likes someone who's arrogant and conceited.

*Unseemly- don't embarrass me in public! Use some discretion!

*Not easily provoked- don't pick a fight over trivial things!

*Think no evil- look for the good things, and don't assume the worst! Trust is vital to a relationship!

*Rejoice not in iniquity- it shouldn't make you happy when your spouse messes up.

*Rejoice in truth- celebrate success!

*Bear it- when those "worse" times come.

*Believe it- don't ever doubt your love... doubt leads to disunion.

*Hope- share your dreams & goals; pray together.

*Endure- stick it out, no matter what!

Easy preachin', hard livin'!

Creative Tuesday: Valentines

It's February, and I'm starting something new! I'm going to join in with "Creative Tuesdays" on a blog I follow. I found this blog when it received a blog-of-note a month or two ago. You just post your personal artwork, and link to his page to share. This Creative Tuesday's theme was Valentines. I actually did two... and couldn't decide which I liked best, so I'm putting them both up! *Note: I am by no means a professional artist, or even a good one. I'm just doing it because it's fun.

"Daisy Love Me?"

"Through It All, Together"

http://goodteatoo.blogspot.com/

Another thing I'm going to do is countdown to Valentines Day by sharing a verse or passage of scripture on love each day. So, you'll be hearing from me a lot for the next couple of weeks!

Today's verse is very famous: the greatest display of love that exists.

For God so loVed

the world thAt

he gave his onLy

begottEn

soN

thaT whosoever

believeth In

him should Not

pErish

but have everlaSting life.

~John 3:16

In other news: my foot appointment went fine this morning! Looks like everything is staying in place and healing as it should. I go back in another 3 weeks, but until then, I get to continue wearing my lovely boot.