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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Buddies

Awww! Aren't they adorable?
Irresistible, right?

Free to a good any home.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The Mother Lode

My sister is due with her first child (a daughter!) in a few months. We are having her first baby shower next weekend, so I have been looking for deals so I can get her MORE stuff! She hasn't bought a lot of clothes, which of course is one of the most fun baby shopping experiences. At least, it is for me. I found this adorable outfit at H&M:

It wasn't even on SALE. Hel-lo?!?! (Get it? Hello Kitty?) I don't know the last time I bought a clothing item at regular price. I just thought the Hello Kitty was too adorable, and I figured a hot pink sweater for a baby girl could be worn over many things in the winter. I hope so, because I think it's just precious.

Then my clearance shopping instinct kicked in and I purchased the following items for next summer:

That would be 2 pairs of shorts, 4 tank tops (all items were 98 cents each), two floral print dresses, one insanely cute smocked pink top with brown polka dots (her nursery colors will be pink and brown), and two peasant-style tops with stitching on the sleeves. Oh, and I didn't include them in the picture, but there is a set of onesies with Disney princesses dresses. One says "It's all about the..." and has a picture of a dress. SO cute! I am so glad she found out she is having a girl - it's so fun to shop when you know who you're shopping for!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Kiddies...er...Kitties

So we bought kitty #2 last weekend. Legato. He he...we get to use a musical term to name our kitty! Yeah! He's much, much calmer than Monkey. That's my kind of pet. Life is stressful enough that I don't need a spastic kitty to raise my stress level when I'm supposed to be relaxing at home. Am I right here? I'm counting down the days until they become "outdoor kittens."

I suspect he may have a kitty cold (which is apparently life-threatening at his age), so we have to keep them apart for a couple of weeks. They were so funny when they were able to play together a little bit. I have no idea how to get the video from a mini-DV tape onto my computer, but I would love to so you could see it. I was scared that Monkey would definitely hurt Legato, but the vet said it would be very unlikely that he could cause him real harm.

Ohhh-kkaaayyyyy....maybe you should watch them play before you make a judgment call like that. It's pretty rough in the land of Monkey. Until he gets neutered in a few weeks. Then he may not have quite so much energy.

I hope.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Quote on Prayer

"Prayer always has its effects in the spirit realm. The only thing you must remember is this: It won't be the one who reads about prayer who will move mountains, and it won't be the one who believes in prayer who will cast that mountain into the sea. It won't even be the one who aches to pray more often who will carry the day in battle. It'll go to the one who prays.

You need to pray, my friend."

-Fred Stoeker, The Healing Choice (p. 133)

Friday, July 18, 2008

Reader's MEME

I found this MEME on the blog of one of my favorite authors. I LOVE to read, and I thought it looked like fun. Feel free to use it on your blog if you like!

1.
Do you remember how you developed a love for reading? I believe my parents read to me quite a bit. But I have always loved reading; I can't remember NOT loving it.

2. What are some books you read as a child? Nancy Drew mysteries, Hardy Boys mysteries, Box Car kids, The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley Twins...pretty much everything I could get my hands on!

3. What is your favorite genre? Probably Christian non-fiction. I read a ton of ministry, marriage, and other Christian living books. I love Christian fiction and fiction in general, too.

4. Do you have a favorite novel? I have a difficult time choosing favorites. To narrow it down, some of the top ones I can recall are The Covenant by Terry Blackstock, The Awakening by Angela Hunt,

5. Where do you usually read? At home, on the couch.

6. When do you usually read? In the evening, often before bed.

7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? Oh yes. I have a number of books in progress. I buy more books than I can read at one time, so they keep piling up on the floor, the shelves, the nightstand...

8. Do you read non-fiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? I usually read fiction straight through, often in a few days. If I don't have the time, I will drag it out a little more. I read non-fiction more slowly to process the content and what it means to me personally.

9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library? I buy most of them. I like to have them to loan out and I like full bookshelves. I also highlight and mark up the books that really mean a lot to me. In addition, as a future author, this is a great quote from another author: "I buy them. Because if nobody buys books, authors starve. Sad but true."

10. Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them? Yes, I keep them. I loan them out as well, but I like to have them for quick access. I often plan on re-reading most of the books I have.

11. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child? N/A

12. What are you reading now? Hmmm...I have lots of things in progress. Matt and I are reading The First Five Years by Bill and Pam Farrel together. I am also reading The Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas, In Search of Eden by Linda Windsor, a re-read of Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore, and a book recommended by a friend called The Healing Choice by Brenda Stoeker and Susan Allen. The intended audience is wives who have been betrayed, but I have found that it applies to a much broader spectrum as the woman who writes the first half dealt with her mother's battle with cancer. Many of the truths I have read are universally applicable to everyone who has taken an "unintended journey" in life (who hasn't?). It really has given me some great tools to draw closer to God. I'm only about a third of the way through it, but it is incredible in its ability to honestly address pain and how we deal with it.

13. Do you keep a TBR (To Be Read) list? I buy what I want to read. If I can't afford everything I am interested in (generally true), I save it in my Amazon.com cart so I can retrieve it the next time I'm ready to place an order.

14. What's next? I just ordered Every Woman's Battle, Believing God by Beth Moore, and I also have Authentic Faith by Gary Thomas that I really want to start and When Sinners Say I Do...don't remember the author.

15. What books would you like to reread? A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards. Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. Joy That Lasts by Gary Smalley. Visioneering by Andy Stanley.

16. Who are your favorite authors? Oh, I have so many. I will list just a few. For non-fiction, it would be Gary Thomas, Brenda Stoeker, Beth Moore, John Ortberg, and Andy Stanley. For fiction, Angela Hunt, Karen Kingsbury, Terry Blackstock, and Dee Henderson.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Missing You

When you live far from those you call family - parents, siblings, and extended family - you have to create your own family. Your friends become like family. Those you work with, minister with, and share life with are the family God has provided. I am grateful for each one I have come to know and love.

However, if you are a sister, you also know that there is no bond like a sister bond. We are linked forever by our blood and our heritage, our memories and our faces, our laughs and our shared experiences.

I have two sisters. They live 8 hours from me. One is pregnant, due near the end of October. I feel far removed from this incredible event in her life. I haven't seen her since the end of March, and I don't know when I will be able to meet her beautiful baby because of the distance between us. I talk to my sisters on the phone, but we don't get to "share life" as fully as when we lived in the same town. They still live in the same town, and sometimes I get jealous of the times they share. I am the oldest and not used to being the one left out of things.

Ministry is a different calling; if I had a choice, I would live much closer to them. But unless God allows it, I will make the best of what we have, the times we do share, and the friendship that was birthed decades ago in our cozy, childhood home.

(With Mom and Grandma)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Fading Away

Psalm 102:25-27 "In the beginning, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing, You will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end."

As beautiful as this earth is, it is not forever. As much as I love my clothes/books/shoes (fill in the blank), they are temporary and will all wear out or be discarded. My feelings seem so real that I can forget what is real: God. God alone. Only God is real and everlasting. Being centered on God will provide lasting satisfaction. Nothing else will fill my deepest longings. I have been reading and re-reading and reading again the Word of God. It is the real truth I need when the lies are masquerading as truth. So in lieu of my personal thoughts, I wanted to list some other verses I have loved lately. I hope they encourage you as only God's truth can.

Psalm 27:13-14 "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 73:23-26 "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Psalm 116:1-2 "I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live."

Psalm 91:9-12 "If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

2 Samuel 22:29-31 "You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help, I can advance against a troop; with my God, I can scale a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him."

Monday, July 07, 2008

Tagged

Before I write, I had to throw in a vacation picture. LOVE the Goldmoor.

Beefy tagged me, and I have not blogged much, so this seemed like an easy one. Hopefully.
Here are the rules: All of the answers must be just one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Your significant other? Hysterical
3. Your hair? Long
4. Your mother? Smart
5. Your father? Fanatic
6. Your favorite thing? Home
7. Your dream last night? Unsure
8. Your favorite drink? Starbucks
9. Your dream/goal? Trust
10. The room you’re in? Alone
11. Your church? Friendly
12. Your fear? Misunderstood
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Mothering
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you’re not? Quiet
16. Muffins? Pastries
17. One of your wish list items? Purse
18. Where you grew up? Des Moines
19. The last thing you did? X-ray
20. What are you wearing? casual
21. Your TV? HGTV
22. Your pets? Kitty
23. Your computer? laptop
24. Your life? Eventful
25. Your mood? Tired
26. Missing someone? Sisters
27. Your car? Cluttered
28. Something you’re not wearing? glasses
29. Favorite store? Limited
30. Your summer? Fast
31. Like (love) someone? Completely
32. Your favorite color? Red
33. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried? Yesterday
35. Who will re post this? ??

I tag Mel...I haven't talked to her in a while, and I miss her.