Let me start by saying that I HATE being alone. I am so scared of being home alone. Yes, I am nearly 30 years old. We all have our hang ups and this is one of mine. I have had too many weird and freakish things happen to me when I have been home alone. Bryan and I have been married almost 7 years and I have been home one night alone. Belle and I huddled up on the couch and watched tv all night. I didn't close my eyes once. I was a basket case!!
Bryan left last night to drive to Florida for a couple of days. The normal plan in a case like this is for me to stay with my Grandma or get a babysitter. This week I got a babysitter. My cousin graciously came over and kept me company. I can at least attempt to sleep if I am not totally alone. Bryan doesn't leave me often, but when he does it is always a big deal.
I would take his squirmy snoringness any day over the alternative. There is something about him being there beside me that is comforting and soothing. If he is booted from the bed, he has to sleep on the couch. Yes, we do have another bed, but it is all the way across the house. I can't handle the distance. He might as well not even be in the house. It amazes me how dependent I have become on him. I like to think of myself as a strong independent woman, but I melt without him.
So, it is needless to say that I miss him very much and can't wait for him to come home. I love my Bubby! Hurry back to me!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Every fall our pastor, Eddie, talks about being a good steward of your money. He always challenges our people to tithe for 3 months and see what God does. The promise is that if God doesn't bless you, then you can have all of your money back. Never once has he had to give the money back. His goal is to show us that we can't out give God.
Growing up VERY poor, the management of our finances is very important to me. When we got married, my friend Stephanie recommended that we read a Dave Ramsey book that she and her husband were using. In the last year or so, Bryan and I finally got on the same page about the finances and agreed to start using Dave's debt snowball. One of the first things he talks about is giving 10%. Bryan and I had always given regularly, but it wasn't always the first thing.
As a part of the church staff, it is of utmost importance that we lead by example. Bryan and I not only made a plan to get out of debt, but committed to giving first. This year, that has been a top priority. Even when bills would have to wait or the savings would have to be tapped, we wrote the tithe check first. Sometimes, a lot of times, it hurt.
Using the debt snowball, at the end of February we had only 4 debts besides our house. As of Saturday, we are down to two. On Friday, both Bryan and I got paid, so our bills were taken care of for the end of the month. Bryan checked the mail that afternoon and there were two unexpected checks that pretty much doubled our income for that pay period. It paid off two of the four remaining debts with enough left to make an extra payment on one of the others.
On top of all of that, we went to dinner that night and our bill was about $17. When we went to check out, I gave the girl a $20 and she gave me $10 back. I started to walk away and realized that she had given me the wrong change. I went back and told her and she redid the bill twice. The computer did the same thing every time and only charged us for $9 worth of the food. The girl assured me that her drawer would come up right and that she would not be in trouble for the charge as it was.
I was amazed at how God blessed us! Eddie sure knew what he was talking about. You can't out give God and He will not let your faithfulness go unrewarded.
Growing up VERY poor, the management of our finances is very important to me. When we got married, my friend Stephanie recommended that we read a Dave Ramsey book that she and her husband were using. In the last year or so, Bryan and I finally got on the same page about the finances and agreed to start using Dave's debt snowball. One of the first things he talks about is giving 10%. Bryan and I had always given regularly, but it wasn't always the first thing.
As a part of the church staff, it is of utmost importance that we lead by example. Bryan and I not only made a plan to get out of debt, but committed to giving first. This year, that has been a top priority. Even when bills would have to wait or the savings would have to be tapped, we wrote the tithe check first. Sometimes, a lot of times, it hurt.
Using the debt snowball, at the end of February we had only 4 debts besides our house. As of Saturday, we are down to two. On Friday, both Bryan and I got paid, so our bills were taken care of for the end of the month. Bryan checked the mail that afternoon and there were two unexpected checks that pretty much doubled our income for that pay period. It paid off two of the four remaining debts with enough left to make an extra payment on one of the others.
On top of all of that, we went to dinner that night and our bill was about $17. When we went to check out, I gave the girl a $20 and she gave me $10 back. I started to walk away and realized that she had given me the wrong change. I went back and told her and she redid the bill twice. The computer did the same thing every time and only charged us for $9 worth of the food. The girl assured me that her drawer would come up right and that she would not be in trouble for the charge as it was.
I was amazed at how God blessed us! Eddie sure knew what he was talking about. You can't out give God and He will not let your faithfulness go unrewarded.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Family Night
Bryan's aunt and uncle are in town from Pennsylvania, so tonight we had family night. Almost everyone participated (cousins, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc.) so there were probably 20 to 25 of us. Most of the family met at Silver Bay for dinner followed by bowling. Bryan and I joined them at the bowling alley due to my body's severe aversion to seafood.
We took up four lanes at the bowling alley with one of them being bumper bowling for the little ones. We had 5 girls bowling on that lane with a baby brother simply watching. It was so funny to watch these girls. The tiniest of the girls was little Jessica who probably weighs 20 pounds soaking wet. To see her carrying that 6 or 7 pound ball was amazing. She was so proud of herself for hauling that thing all the way to the lane. When she would plop the ball down, it would barely roll. More than once it literally didn't roll. The first time her ball stopped mid lane, I was convinced that I would save the day and bump her ball with another ball. Boy, that was a bad idea!
I totally missed!!! I felt better when my bother-in-law missed also. This was the first of two trips that the maintenance man made to save her stranded ball. More than once Jessica tried to bowl on our lane instead of her own. Everyone was getting a little nervous due to her impeccable timing. Each time she tried to use the wrong lane someone was playing for a spare. She was totally clueless about her mistake. The second time, I pointed out the bumpers to her and told her that they would help her ball stay of track and knock the pins down. If she would look for the bumpers she would know she was in the right lane.
Isn't it funny how God does that for us. He puts bumpers (guardrails) in our path everyday. If we will just stay between those rails, we will have a much greater chance of hitting the target. Those boundaries protect us just like those guards guide the ball. Sometimes, we just need someone to point the boundaries out to us. Why is it that we get so bent out of shape when we are given boundaries? We get even more bent out of shape when we have to try again. Our childlike faith should push us to try again, to seek out the excitement of a new experiences.
Each time Jessica got up she was so excited. She didn't care that she only hit one pin or that she hit 5 or 6, or even none. Her exuberance never changed. As the night went on, she got some coaching and figured out how to roll the ball rather than her original throw and plop technique. She got much better results! She was sure that it was great no matter what she did. Oh to have childlike faith and wonder!
Kids never cease to amaze me and teach me more than I could ever teach them. And they say the craziest (and sometimes most inappropriate) things. Take for instance my niece tonight. Gailey greeted my sister-in-law with this, "Linda, did you know I had diarrhea today?"
I Love Kids!
We took up four lanes at the bowling alley with one of them being bumper bowling for the little ones. We had 5 girls bowling on that lane with a baby brother simply watching. It was so funny to watch these girls. The tiniest of the girls was little Jessica who probably weighs 20 pounds soaking wet. To see her carrying that 6 or 7 pound ball was amazing. She was so proud of herself for hauling that thing all the way to the lane. When she would plop the ball down, it would barely roll. More than once it literally didn't roll. The first time her ball stopped mid lane, I was convinced that I would save the day and bump her ball with another ball. Boy, that was a bad idea!
I totally missed!!! I felt better when my bother-in-law missed also. This was the first of two trips that the maintenance man made to save her stranded ball. More than once Jessica tried to bowl on our lane instead of her own. Everyone was getting a little nervous due to her impeccable timing. Each time she tried to use the wrong lane someone was playing for a spare. She was totally clueless about her mistake. The second time, I pointed out the bumpers to her and told her that they would help her ball stay of track and knock the pins down. If she would look for the bumpers she would know she was in the right lane.
Isn't it funny how God does that for us. He puts bumpers (guardrails) in our path everyday. If we will just stay between those rails, we will have a much greater chance of hitting the target. Those boundaries protect us just like those guards guide the ball. Sometimes, we just need someone to point the boundaries out to us. Why is it that we get so bent out of shape when we are given boundaries? We get even more bent out of shape when we have to try again. Our childlike faith should push us to try again, to seek out the excitement of a new experiences.
Each time Jessica got up she was so excited. She didn't care that she only hit one pin or that she hit 5 or 6, or even none. Her exuberance never changed. As the night went on, she got some coaching and figured out how to roll the ball rather than her original throw and plop technique. She got much better results! She was sure that it was great no matter what she did. Oh to have childlike faith and wonder!
Kids never cease to amaze me and teach me more than I could ever teach them. And they say the craziest (and sometimes most inappropriate) things. Take for instance my niece tonight. Gailey greeted my sister-in-law with this, "Linda, did you know I had diarrhea today?"
I Love Kids!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Help me, don't leave me hanging!
There is a call in radio show that I have forced myself to listen to for a couple of weeks now. It is so frustrating. The show is designed for people 25 and younger who are dealing with life's issues. The person taking the calls is not a counselor, simply a youth worker/advocate. I totally understand that he is a parent and has worked with students for many years. What I don't understand, however, is how he is actually helping people.
Every time I have listened, I become more and more frustrated. These troubled people pour out their hearts and really get no closer to closure. For instance, last night a guy calls in and says that his parents smoke pot all the time. They have been busted before, but continue to smoke. The young man admitted that he had tried it himself, but did not like it and had not done it again. He said that he and his girlfriend were trying to "get right" and he didn't know what to do about his family. The host asked him what he meant by getting right. The young man didn't have a clear understanding of what it meant to "get right" with the Lord. I was expecting the host to reassure the guy that if he had asked for forgiveness that is all that he had to do. Besides that, his advice was that the boy has to move out. He must prove to his parents that he means business and leave. He then said, thanks for your call (hang up).
What??? Oh if life were that easy. The poor boy could have been 15 or 16 and have no where else to go. What if he has no job? How is he supposed to just leave? Offer him some help. Connect him with someone locally that can help him. Don't just cut the poor kid off with no resources! This is just one example of the frustrations that I face with this show. In my 9 years of youth work one thing that I have learned is that kids have to be given resources and often you have to hold their hand while taking advantage of the resources. They don't have a clue how to seek out help on their own. That is why they come to adults. They are told their whole lives to go to an adult they trust if they don't know how to handle something. That is exactly what these kids are doing and it isn't getting them any further than they were before.
My only hope is that there is more going on off air. I pray there is more going on!!! It makes me so angry each night when I listen to this. I want to call those kids back and offer them real help.
Every time I have listened, I become more and more frustrated. These troubled people pour out their hearts and really get no closer to closure. For instance, last night a guy calls in and says that his parents smoke pot all the time. They have been busted before, but continue to smoke. The young man admitted that he had tried it himself, but did not like it and had not done it again. He said that he and his girlfriend were trying to "get right" and he didn't know what to do about his family. The host asked him what he meant by getting right. The young man didn't have a clear understanding of what it meant to "get right" with the Lord. I was expecting the host to reassure the guy that if he had asked for forgiveness that is all that he had to do. Besides that, his advice was that the boy has to move out. He must prove to his parents that he means business and leave. He then said, thanks for your call (hang up).
What??? Oh if life were that easy. The poor boy could have been 15 or 16 and have no where else to go. What if he has no job? How is he supposed to just leave? Offer him some help. Connect him with someone locally that can help him. Don't just cut the poor kid off with no resources! This is just one example of the frustrations that I face with this show. In my 9 years of youth work one thing that I have learned is that kids have to be given resources and often you have to hold their hand while taking advantage of the resources. They don't have a clue how to seek out help on their own. That is why they come to adults. They are told their whole lives to go to an adult they trust if they don't know how to handle something. That is exactly what these kids are doing and it isn't getting them any further than they were before.
My only hope is that there is more going on off air. I pray there is more going on!!! It makes me so angry each night when I listen to this. I want to call those kids back and offer them real help.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Boys, Boys, Boys
Dealing with teens is a major part of my life. Having been a teenage girl not so long ago, I am especially interested in helping girls through the drama that is teen life! 85% of the time you can be guaranteed that girl drama has to do with boys. And 85% of the time if those girls simply understood and embraced who Christ created them to be there wouldn't be a boy problem.
I often read books written for teens about these very things. I very strongly believe that I can not and will not offer advice or resources that I have not tested my self first. With that being said, I would strongly recommend a book that I am currently reading.
Last year I attended the Revolve Tour (excellent by the way. I highly recommend it!) and became familiar with Chad Eastham. He is a wonderful speaker and was a great choice. He is a young 20 something and is an attractive guy. Therefore, he immediately has the attention of all the girls in the audience. Thank goodness his message is right on target and rock solid. I was so impressed with him that I purchased a copy of his book with the hope of recommending it. Great decision!
The Truth about Guys is a WINNER! Eastham is not afraid to tell you like it is. He doesn't hold back and is very pointed. "When guys look at me, do they see me as a treasure or a target?" Who doesn't want to be a treasure!!! This is exactly what the first seven chapters of the book are about. He explains that girls are valuable and worthy just the way God made them. His message is the same as mine: No one can love you until you love yourself. No one will treasure you unless you treasure yourself. Make sure you are good with you before you try to find a guy that is good with you.
So far I am loving this book! I hope to finish it this week, so be on the look out for more....
I often read books written for teens about these very things. I very strongly believe that I can not and will not offer advice or resources that I have not tested my self first. With that being said, I would strongly recommend a book that I am currently reading.
Last year I attended the Revolve Tour (excellent by the way. I highly recommend it!) and became familiar with Chad Eastham. He is a wonderful speaker and was a great choice. He is a young 20 something and is an attractive guy. Therefore, he immediately has the attention of all the girls in the audience. Thank goodness his message is right on target and rock solid. I was so impressed with him that I purchased a copy of his book with the hope of recommending it. Great decision!
The Truth about Guys is a WINNER! Eastham is not afraid to tell you like it is. He doesn't hold back and is very pointed. "When guys look at me, do they see me as a treasure or a target?" Who doesn't want to be a treasure!!! This is exactly what the first seven chapters of the book are about. He explains that girls are valuable and worthy just the way God made them. His message is the same as mine: No one can love you until you love yourself. No one will treasure you unless you treasure yourself. Make sure you are good with you before you try to find a guy that is good with you.
So far I am loving this book! I hope to finish it this week, so be on the look out for more....
Distractions
Tonight I left work and turned onto Fairview Rd. As usual, I got over into the far lane so that I could exit onto 385. In front of me there was a small Lexus SUV. I noticed something flashing, so I had to "investigate". At first I thought that it must be a navigation system, but as a paid closer attention I realized what I was seeing. The alphabet was flashing by.
It totally caught me off guard. I realized that I am driving on 385 and I am watching a kids video rather than paying attention to the road. This was a built in DVD system that was hanging from the roof of the car. I had never noticed how distrating (and therefore dangerous) these things are. If the screen is mounted on the seat back, the driver behind you can't really see it.
I made a mental note to my self that my child's safety is more important than their entertainment. However, I must say that I have never seen U,V,W, and X is such an entertaining way. Random!
It totally caught me off guard. I realized that I am driving on 385 and I am watching a kids video rather than paying attention to the road. This was a built in DVD system that was hanging from the roof of the car. I had never noticed how distrating (and therefore dangerous) these things are. If the screen is mounted on the seat back, the driver behind you can't really see it.
I made a mental note to my self that my child's safety is more important than their entertainment. However, I must say that I have never seen U,V,W, and X is such an entertaining way. Random!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Why I love children...
This Saturday I visited my wonderful hair stylist, Erin Brown. She did a great job on my hair and I am a little sad that I can't quite recreate it myself. (I did get a little coaching though.) Every time she does my hair, I get an endless stream of compliments. Since I don't wash my hair every day (I know you think that is gross, but trust me, it works best for me.) my hair still looked good on Sunday.
Sunday morning I got up and made my way to church. When I arrived I went to my classroom and prepared for my 2 and 3 year olds to arrive. I love my class and each week there is a new adventure! There is one little boy that holds a special place in my heart. He is absolutely beautiful. He is tall and athletic looking already! His hair is white blond and he has the sweetest face. Someone said he looks like a Ralph Lauren model and that is 100% true. Drew is also quite smart and sweet! When he came into class I sat down at a table with him and began to play. Drew looked up at me and said, "I like your new hair cut." A 3 year old!!! Sometimes my husband doesn't even notice my hair cuts. For this little fella to recognize that I got a hair cut and to say he liked it amazed me.
I did not get to see Drew's mom, but when I do, I can promise you that I will thank her for teaching her son to be so thoughtful! He is going to make some girl a great catch one day.
Sunday morning I got up and made my way to church. When I arrived I went to my classroom and prepared for my 2 and 3 year olds to arrive. I love my class and each week there is a new adventure! There is one little boy that holds a special place in my heart. He is absolutely beautiful. He is tall and athletic looking already! His hair is white blond and he has the sweetest face. Someone said he looks like a Ralph Lauren model and that is 100% true. Drew is also quite smart and sweet! When he came into class I sat down at a table with him and began to play. Drew looked up at me and said, "I like your new hair cut." A 3 year old!!! Sometimes my husband doesn't even notice my hair cuts. For this little fella to recognize that I got a hair cut and to say he liked it amazed me.
I did not get to see Drew's mom, but when I do, I can promise you that I will thank her for teaching her son to be so thoughtful! He is going to make some girl a great catch one day.
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