We were sitting at the very back of the plane so when it landed I decided that I'd save some time in the terminal and use the bathroom on the plane while we were waiting to deboard. Made sense to me and the people around me thought it was a good idea also. At the time I did not realize that my ID fell out of my back pocket onto the floor of the bathroom. Did not even phase me as I have never lost my ID like that before. Now mind you, I have only lost my ID one other time and I was diving in Cancun... whole different story. So, I had no idea that I was missing my ID and of course, our plane was at the very end of the C concourse so we had a very long way to walk.
I finally realized that I lost my ID after I had taken a shuttle bus all the way to Enterprise Car Rental and stood in-line. Reached back to grab it out of my pocket and it was gone. I didn't quite freak out yet but was frantically looking through all my bags to find it and it just was not there. Then I freaked because I knew the flight was continuing on to San Francisco and I realized exactly where I had lost it at. The guys at Enterprise didn't have any phone numbers for any of the airlines that are actually at SEA/TAC terminal and the only numbers I had from Alaska Airlines were my gold flyer member numbers and of course at almost 9:00 in the evening they were all not answering the phone and were gone for the day. All the numbers I kept getting were not letting me talk to an actual person that was in the airport.
I finally called my husband and he knows that any lost and found items were turned into the airport police after hours and he was going to call his work and get the number fro SEA/TAC airport police for me. He text'd that number to me after I had called another couple of numbers only to talk to people who were not actually in the airport. Everyone kept assuring me that I would be able to ask Lost and Found at the airport when they opened up in the morning at 9:00. By this time Ian and I were back on the shuttle bus going back to the airport.
So, Chris sent me the number and I finally called the airport police to find out if my ID had been turned into them. The woman that answered kept giving me the run around and again she told me that I could just call Lost and Found tomorrow to find out if anyone had turned it in. I tried to explain to her that I had to get my son to the gymnastics meet right outside Portland and in order for me to do that I needed to rent a car but couldn't do that because I didn't have my driver's license which, in fact, were in with my other IDs. After she realized what I was saying she finally gave me the phone number to the Alaska/Horizon counter at the airport.
The young man that answered listed very patiently to my whole story and then said, "let me put you on hold for just a minute and I will be right back with you. Try to stay calm and I promise I'll be right back." Just his calm voice helped me settle down a bit. If any of you know me, I do tend to freak out when things are out of my control. I just needed some help and everyone else seemed like I was intruding on their precious time. I sure hope I am never like that. That I actually take the time to help someone else if I possibly can. It couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes before he came back on he told me that the flight had already taken off for San Francisco. My heart sunk, he then asked me what the ID looked like and what was the most precious things in the ID. I told him it was a pink Coach ID but probably the most precious things were the pictures of my boys, one with a broken arm and the other with a scratch on his nose. The guy then told me that he found the ID. I sat back and said, "Thank God!!" He gave directions on how to retrieve it when I got to the airport. As soon as I got off the phone, Ian said, "See mom, aren't we lucky that God has blessed our family?" I looked at him and gave him a big hug and said, "Yes Ian, we are very lucky to have God in our lives."
I have to say that the real reason I was just freaking out so badly is because my ID also had my debt cards. I keep my credit cards seperately but not my debt cards. Ian did get a little upset with me because in order to retrieve the ID we had to go all the back out to the gate where the plane came in at because the girl that had it wasn't going to be back up front for about an hour. In other words we had to go all the way back through security with all of our bags again. So, my very patient 8 year-old, had just gotten a bottle of juice was not happy when he had to throw it away and pull out mom's laptop, etc. etc. etc. Oh, and because I didn't have my ID we had to go through extra screening because, hey, I didn't have my ID. When we finally got back to the end of Concourse C the girl we were supposed to ask for wasn't there. My heart sunk again and I looked down at Ian and he smiled. I looked back at the girl now sitting at the counter and asked her about my ID and she actually did have it. Going through my head - We are definitely blessed!!
Then we started all over again with going back to catch the shuttle to go back to Enterprise. Ian wanted me to ask to see if they had a truck we could rent instead of an SUV. They did but they were going to charge us $70 a day for it. I just said, no thanks that I would keep the SUV. They then saId they could get it down to $50 a day and I still said no thank you. I told them no, again. I just think that is ridiculous. They did eventually talk me into the insurance which I hate because I don't need it. But when we went out to get our SUV there were none left. I just looked at the guy and said, "This just is not my day". He looked at me and smiled and said, "Well how would you like that Dodge Dakota truck instead? No charge." I'm driving the truck... and Ian took a two-hour nap during our three-hour drive to Portland in which we finally arrived at 1:30 in the morning. It is very apparent to me that our family is indeed blessed!!
- Location:hotel room in Beaverton
- Mood:
tired - Music:Harry Connick, Jr.
Received this from my father-in-law and I wanted to pass it on to everyone...
Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC , with the eighth grade class from Clinton , WI where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.
On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history -- that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.
Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, 'Where are you guys from?' I told him that we were from Wisconsin. 'Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, Cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.'
(James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up.
I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, DC, but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.)
When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak.
(Here are his words that night.)
'My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called ' Flags of Our Fathers' which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.
'Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game. A game called 'War.' But it didn't turn out to be a game.
Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.
(He pointed to the statue) 'You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph... a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old.
It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima .....Boys. Not old men.
'The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Lets die for our country.' He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.
'The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes was one who walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero.' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?'
So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down at the age of 32 (ten years after this picture was taken).
“The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, 'Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night. 'Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19.
When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.
'The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say 'No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back.'
My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press.
'You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.
'When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, 'I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.'
'So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.'
Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.
We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice. Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom. Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also pray for those still in murderous unrest around the world.
STOP and thank God for being alive and being free at someone else's sacrifice. God Bless You and God Bless America.
REMINDER: Everyday that you can wake up free, it's going to be a great day.
One thing I learned while on tour with my 8th grade students in DC that is not mentioned here is . . . that if you look at the statue very closely and count the number of 'hands ' raising the flag, there are 13. When the man who made the statue was asked why there were 13, he simply said the 13th hand was the hand of God.
- Location:Work
- Mood:
touched - Music:Oh Holy Night
'I'm on this cruise to celebrate my 80th birthday and it's today...'
The bartender says, 'Well, since it's your birthday, I'll buy you a drink. In fact, this one is on me.'
As the woman finishes her drink, the woman to her right says, 'I would like to buy you a drink, too.'
The old woman says, 'Thank you. Bartender, I want a Scotch with two drops of water.'
'Coming up,' says the bartender
As she finishes that drink, the man to her left says, 'I would like to buy you one, too.'
The old woman says, 'Thank you. Bartender, I want another Scotch with two drops of water.'
'Coming right up,' the bartender says.
As he gives her the drink, he says, 'Ma 'am, I'm dying of curiosity. Why the Scotch with only two drops of water?'
The old woman replies, 'Sonny, when you're my age, you've learned how to hold your liquor. Holding your water, however, is a whole other issue.
'OLD' IS WHEN...
Your sweetie says, 'Let's go upstairs and make love,' and you answer, 'Pick one; I can't do both!'
'OLD' IS WHEN...
Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes
and you're barefoot.
'OLD' IS WHEN...
A sexy babe catches your fancy and your pacemaker opens the garage door,
'OLD' IS WHEN...
Going braless pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.
'OLD' IS WHEN...
You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.
'OLD' IS WHEN...
You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police
'OLD' IS WHEN...
'Getting a little action' means you don't need to take any fiber today.
'OLD' IS WHEN...
'Getting lucky' means you find your car in the parking lot.
'OLD' IS WHEN...
An 'all nighter' means not getting up to use the bathroom.
AND
'OLD' IS WHEN...
You are not sure these are jokes?
- Location:Work
- Mood:
busy - Music:Take this Job and Shove It
~Judith Viorst - poet, author, and fellow chocoholic
- Location:Work
- Mood:
thankful - Music:Having a Good Time... on the country station
Quote of the day:
'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.
So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.'
- Location:Work
- Mood:
bored - Music:Listening to Wicked
I don’t think I have written about my sorority before but this truly has been a life changing experience for me. Being the kind of person I am and most of my very good friends being male I would have never thought I would be having so much fun and learning so many things from a group of women of all ages.
It all started when my little sister, Carol, asked me to be a financial advisor for the sorority that is at UAA, University of Alaska, Anchorage. Theta Delta obviously was in some serious financial debt and needed some guidance. Carol had been an advisor for her chapter in Mankato, Minnesota (Zeta Kappa) and was recently promoted to District Advisor of which my girls are now a part of. At first I reluctantly said yes but I have enjoyed every minute that I have been involved.
Last June I had the unique opportunity of attending the National Convention where I was actually indoctrinated into my sister’s and my niece’s (Amanda) chapter (Zeta Kappa). There was only one girl from Alaska that was able to attend the National Convention and it just happened to be the treasurer of Theta Delta, Julie. The National Convention was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico which holds a lot of memories for Carol, Amanda and myself.
Carol came to live with me during the summer she was 16. I was stationed in Albuquerque for recruiting duty while I was in the Navy and that is where my youngest daughter, Atraya, was born. Carol came down to help out with the new baby and the first night she was there I set her up on her first date. Okay, it ended up being her first drunk night also and the next morning the guy had enough guts to use his one phone call to call her to go and bail him out of jail. Yep, it was definitely a memorable one that’s for sure.
Amanda’s mom, another sister of mine (Robin), and Amanda came to live with me in Albuquerque shortly after Carol’s summer ended at my house. They didn’t live with us for more than six-months because that’s how much my sister depended on my mom and dad and she still depends on my mom to this day. Amanda can’t breathe in the mornings until after she calls her mom to let her know she made it through the night at college. Any way, totally getting off track here, so Amanda also got to see where she lived when she was just a baby.
During Nationals we got a chance to go out into the community and visit all the old places we had visited so long ago. It was very close to 20 years since any of us had been back there and we really enjoyed ourselves. I thought I was going to be totally bored being around all those women all week but I was enthralled as to how smart and entertaining they were and how much we all had in common and yet we came from all different walks of life. I really did enjoy my time with my “new sisters”.
So, I attended District Day in Chicago with District 8 which is what Carol is the District Advisor for. Julie and I had talked about the National Convention and how much fun we had and even the many, many connections we made that Theta Delta had eight (8) girls sign-up to attend District Day in Chicago. Unfortunately only six (6) of them were able to attend but I was so proud of my girls.
The first thing they did when we landed (on Friday morning) was go wake up two of the girls that had gotten to the hotel the night before and went out for breakfast. I proceeded to my room (it was 8:00 in the morning) and slept until 3:00 pm. The next day they told me they had shopped for 12-hours. Yep, those are my girls!!! They did say they did some intellectual feeding also and ended up going to the Art Museum. Of course, they just had to tell me they found a particular book there with pictures and description of the largest male genitals in the world. They just had to tell me that. Oh, and then they had to alert me to the fact that we could buy that book at the local Barnes and Noble. Oh goody!!!
While my girls were shopping I was having dinner and drinks with Carol and some new friends. One in particular is Nicole and mainly because later in the evening she saved my butt, although I think it was a mutual thing. Carol and I were catching up on family news and what has been going on with all the drama at Zeta Kappa when we remembered that we had forgotten to pick-up some items for the foundation raffle. Looking across the bar Carol noticed there were some young men from Ohio State. Apparently they were in town for a rival football game. Carol was bound and determined to get a jersey or hat or something for our raffle.
Everyone that was having dinner and drinks decided to go up and get away from the collegiates that were in the bar and boy did I end up learning some songs that were absolutely hilarious and very, very racy. Dang, I really missed out on the whole sorority thing in college. Nicole and I decided we would be the ones to accompany Carol back down to the bar because we never leave our ‘sisters’ by themselves when they aren’t thinking right. LOL Anyway the night went on and on and apparently Carol ended up leaving the bar around 2:00 a.m. The reason I say apparently is because I ended up getting so drunk on glasses of wine (that we never paid for) that time just slipped right by me. Nicole and I ended up talking with the college guys and flirting with the bartender way into the morning and she said she poured me into bed around 3:30 a.m. I kept saying that I was so sorry but she ended up saying that it also was a good excuse for her to escape from the clutches of one of the guys. So, in essences, we ‘saved’ each other.
The training the next day went rather well and we made it through with only a few hours of sleep (we were up by 7:08 a.m. – yes, I remember the exact time because I got up and took Tylenol). Nicole and I were both very grateful that we were only learning and not teaching on this trip. Poor Carol had to run the whole show but she did a fabulous job!! Later on that day I noticed my Theta Kappa girls in a circle and talking to one of the women that was watching us at the bar the night before. She had just asked them if they were having a good time and then looked up and seen me approaching. The girls turned around and a couple of them said hello and the older woman said, “Oh, with Angel as one of your advisors, I know you are all having a good time.” I looked at her, smiled and said “Shhhh, don’t tell them a thing. I have a reputation to protect.” All the girls just started laughing. That’s when I found out that they keep inviting me back because of how much fun I apparently am at the parties and even at just the ‘boring ole meetings’. That I try to invoke a little bit of insight and fun into everything I do.
Not only did my girls (I say that like a very proud mom) learn lots of information over the District Days Training, so did I.
The rest of the time in Chicago (until Tuesday) was pretty much just spent in my room getting sicker. Needless to say, not fun at all.
- Location:At work
- Mood: touched
I realize I haven’t been on here in a while and my mental health can sure tell it so there will probably be several posts to follow. There is one thing that has really touched my heart lately and I’m thinking that may have something to do with the reason I have not been on here in a while and that I have not needed ‘rescuing mentally’. My husband!! Yes, I have to say my husband is back better than ever. I was laying in bed with him last night trying to think of something to say to him about how much I truly love him without it sounding corny and without him saying, "Ya ya". It's at those times when my heart is so filled with love that I have my best nights of sleep and that my mind isn't racing from every other thought in the universe and I actually get a full night's worth of sleep.
He has become the love of my life again. The person that I fell in love with so many years ago, there is just no words to say how much I love this man. He has really surprised me over the last couple of months. Now, I’m not saying that everything is absolutely perfect because we still have our problems. But, he has become this understanding person again. On one hand, I’d like to know what made him decide to join the living race again and on the other I’m just glad he has. I have to also admit that I have said many prayers for him and for more understanding in his heart and God has definitely blessed me with not only helping him through the many trials and tribulations of the last few years but God has soooo blessed me with this man.
On the downside, I’m only getting sex, well I won't go into that here :(
I have also noticed a pattern with him getting very upset with me and actually picking arguments of the stupidest and smallest kind right before I leave for a trip. The trip doesn’t have to be with anyone or anywhere in particular (which is what I thought in September) it’s just the fact that I am leaving. I did finally figure out before this last trip (to Chicago) that this is our MO. I remember us doing this when we were in the military and right before either one of us went on a deployment. Didn’t matter who was leaving, where we were going or how long we’d be gone it was just the fact that we wouldn’t be together to face things, together, that had us at each other’s throats. Now that I have finally figured this out (it’s taken me two years) I’m open to having anyone’s suggestions on how to ease into being separated for any amount of time. Especially if I get the new career I want.
All in all, I’m so happy to have my husband and bestest friend back!!
Oh I forgot to add that we just celebrated our 11th Anniversary this last Saturday and even though that day started out with me taking our boys to see a movie it sure ended up quite nice. We ate at this fabulous Italian restaurant that we have been meaning to try and every time we have gone there it has been too long of a wait. We are glad that we didn't take the boys as it was quite pricey but the food was fabulous. I'm also glad that we actually got to finally spend some time alone. We've needed that for a while and Saturday just fell right for us. After dinner we did go home and ended up watching Tinkerbell with the boys. That was fun also!!
- Location:At work
- Mood:
loved
I did get to have lunch with a very dear friend of mine today. Kim's husband left for a one year tour in the middle east when I was still in California. She gets to play single mom for a year and then some because they will probably extend Jason while he is over there. I asked her late last week if I could bring her lunch this week and she said she would just like the company. I know how much she likes pasta so I made lasagna the night before just so I could take her some. Then I stopped by New Sagaya to pick-up her favorite tiramasu for dessert. She almost cried when I took everything out of the basket at her work. We had a great talk and a lot of catching up. Hopefully we can coordinate time so we can spend this weekend together doing some more catching up.
Today I've been working on taxes all day. Yep, the organized figures guru still does not have her taxes done and, get this, they are due tomorrow. I got everything inputted today except one thing.... Chris' 1099 from his retirement pay, which I asked for three weeks ago, is not printed off yet because he decided it didn't need to be done until the last minute and now he forgot his pin. It takes at least a week to get his new pin soooo.... Yep, our taxes are going to be late.... I went to drop of the memory stick and papers at the accountant's office and she wasn't there but her husband was, Mike, and he talks more than I do. For a 30 second job it took me 45-minutes to finally escape.
Tonight the season ticket holders and business partners got to meet the new Alaska Aces team. There has been a couple of preseason games but those are kind of like the final try-outs for the players and we met the full 20 man roster tonight. Number 32 is cute (LOL). Bill and Axel picked a good table and we were able to sit right up front. Tacos and team players was a good distraction from number crunching.
Highlight of the last two days - Chris found a place that carries Skrumpy Jack which is a sweet hard cider that is just yummy but it is way on the sweet side and thus has a higher alcohol content (oh darn!!) This one will definitely have to go on the bar list for the jazz club!!
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood: tired
The day is almost over and its toiling is through;
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word to you?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that’s slipping fast,
That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed?
Did you waste the day, or lose it?
Was it well or sorely spent?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said?
Does the man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?
Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that God will say, you have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?”
By John Hall
- Location:Work
- Mood: calm
- Music:Sweet Caroline
Walk the Line, Galatians 2:11-21
I wish that I was able to draw the graphic that they used in church today. It sure made things a lot easier to understand. I did a lot of note taking this week because thought were just flying through my head and I wanted to get them on paper before they flew out again. The message was about hypocrisy and inconsistency. To be a Christian means that I am an honorable failure!!
My thoughts and what I learned...
I drew a line diagonally on my paper from the bottom left corner going up to the upper right corner. The way our minister was talking about things that just seemed the best way for me to remember them and the title of the sermon being Walk the Line. On the line I wrote "veering from the line of the gospel... I am both justified and sinful at the same time". In the bottom right of the line... Jesus lived and died for me. Jesus lived the life I should have lived and then gave up that righteousness for me on the cross. Above that I am justified in Him with the optimum word here being JUSTIFIED. Changes how God views us and our actions. Does not change *me* fundamentally. When we sin we can't go back and make laws to prevent us from sinning. What about the rules are you 'supposed' to follow? Nothing wrong w/ rules but it doesn't mean you are then righteous when you follow them. We still need to live differently!!! I still need to live differently!!
When you fall off the 'line' you fall into insecurity, fear, shame, guilt, depression, defensiveness, and jealousy... I've fallen off this 'line' several times. But I have also learned every time I have fallen and continue to do so. There are also arrogance, intolerance, bitterness, prejudice, defensiveness, and fear. I have also felt these yet, not as often and these seem to fall way beyond every reaching that 'line'. I know that whatever I am suffering (i.e., cancer) it is not payment for sin because that has already been paid for. So many times I asked myself, "Why me?" "Why do I suffer from this and to watch the people I love suffer with me." It is not because of my sins, because those have already been paid for by Jesus on the cross. It is to make me stronger and to know that I am strong yet still so very weak in my faith but that I am learning and I am staying on the 'line' more and more each and every day.
I died with Jesus Christ and now he lives in me!!
There was one portion of the sermon that I thought was more of a personal opinion and should not have been brought up in the context of what was being said today. Our pastor said that sex outside of the marriage was an example of falling off the 'line'. Sex should be within the marriage the person who decided to take that part of their life outside of the marriage they do not fully believes in the gospel of the written word. Once that person did then he/she will finally be *enough*. It was almost like my sin of fear or insecurity was being compared to another person's infidelity to their spouse. I'm not quite sure how I really feel about that yet but I do know that I was pretty offended by his statement concerning this. Over the last few weeks this particular pastor (and he is one of my favorites) has really been hitting on infidelity quite a bit. I'm not really sure why he is doing that but a couple of the other people I talk to on a regular basis about our sermons hit on this again today and they were the ones that brought it up. We aren't sure what is going on there.
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood:
thoughtful
It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor, but that he can be made rich by it.
A Smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone, until it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile;
Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.
- Location:Work
- Mood:
nervous
The boys and I went to see WALL-E on Saturday at the Bear Tooth theatre but before we went we made our lunch together and that was rather fun. Mom took her oversized bag so we could have our lunch at the movie just like everyone else (only theirs cost more than ours :) ). After that I went down to my office where a friend gave me some amazing advice and help with my resume for a job that I would truly enjoy. I'll keep you posted here if anything becomes of that. The boys stayed to watch Kung-Fu Panda and then walked down to my office to meet me. After that it was off to pick-up a $6 pizza at Carrs and home for root beer floats, pizza and Iron Man. Ended up going to bed aroun 11:00 pm and all in all it was a very nice day.
This morning I woke up around 3:30 and 7:30 because of back pain and natural events but ended up going back to bed both times figuring that I would be up around 8:30 to take a shower and head to early service at church (9:30). I slept right through the alarm and at 11:15 I jumped out of bed knowing church was at 11:30. Chris said he tried waking me up at 8:00 when the alarm went off but I was just not having in. Needless to say I had a horrible migraine and even though Ian was already up and playing a computer game, neither he or Zach were ready. We made it to church at 11:40 when they were still singing. Swwwwsssshhhh
I think I was meant to be at the 11:30 service today. I met a mom that had 9 children from ages 10 months to 13 years. All very blonde beautiful boys and girls. One of the boys ended up being in Ian's class and they became fast friends. The mom and dad sat in front of Zach and I while we were in the service. I got to talking to this mom and it turns out that she is a stay at home mom that home-schools her children and her husband works on the slope in a three week on - three week off schedule. She reminded me a lot about my best-friend Edi and the stamina and brilliance that these two women have are just amazing to me. There are no words about the love, affection and admiration that I feel about my best-friend and I am sure that I will feel very close to that with his woman. Her name is Amy (I think, I forgot). She was saying that it is very tough when her husband is away to do the shopping and get the kids to their activities and necessary appointments. Needless to say, I handed her my card and told her to call me any time as I can help her out when ever she needed even if it was to have Zach and Ian play with the kids while we just chatted. She gave me a hug and then thanked me for my generosity. Before leaving I reminded her to call me any time she needed. I hope to hear from her sooner rather than later. I left church early that afternoon on another high!!!
When the boys and I got home I was supposed to go to the Made in Alaska fair at the Sullivan arena and I completely forgot about it. Besides it was much more fun hanging out at home with my family before Chris had to go to work. We talked about the message we heard today and about what Ian learned (how big the universe and God's love is) and then we talked about football and a new computer program Ian and dad were working on. It was very relaxing. After Chris went to work I jumped in the shower where I freaked out a little afterwards. I lost a LOT of hair while I was in the shower and again when I went to come it out. The last time that happened they found a cist on my spinal column a few days later. Guess I will have to calm down and I will find out the answer to that tomorrow and my weekly MRI. After my shower the boys and I headed back to church for the beginning of a new teen program (Ian went to the join the other kids in Kids Club).
After listening to the presentation for the parents I will now have to ask Chris... To Mission or Not To Mission?? Our church is sponsoring a mission trip to Costa Rica during the spring break time frame in March for the senior high group. There were students that came in and talked to the parents about mission trips they had been on. One student talked to us about going to China and how hard it was to work with the students but not to be able to talk to them about Jesus. Turns out there is no religious teachings to children under the age of 18 in China which really does amaze me. They aren't even able to go to the government church or anything. Parents are not even allowed to talk about anything religious in their homes while the children are around. He talked about the children going to school at 7:00 in the morning and working all day and into the evening on school work, sometimes as late as 10:00 pm. They would talk a short nap during the day but that was the only break they got. Then there was a girl that talked about her mission in Mexico and yet another that has an upcoming mission to Russia. The stories were truly heart wrenching.
So it looks like it is going to cost around $2000 so there will have to be a lot of fund raising. One of the youth leaders that I have worked with on a few of the other high school events asked me if I would be one of the parents to accompany the group. I told him that I would have to do some serious thinking about that and that I'm not sure I am the right person for that job. But that I personally thought that Zach would be great working with the little children at the school that they will be visiting so that is where my fund raising was going to have to be concentrated on first. He said that no decisions have to be made until the middle of December so I have a while to think on it.
The kids already have a fund raiser set-up that is quite different. November 21-23 they will be holding a Unique-Gift Kiosk. The church is the venue and there will be several other church related kiosks set-up. People will donate to the different kiosks in the names of other people and get a gift card and a small token of appreciation to give to the person they donated for. It's kind of hard to explain. Every year my family draws names for Christmas (with six girls and all their families, it's the only way we can afford it) so this year the person that I draw will get a card and the token saying that I donated a certain amount of money in their name to a worth while cause such as the mission trip or for cancer research or for children's ministries, etc. I think it's a GREAT idea!!
This coming week might be a busy one with Chris having the week off from classes (YEA!!) and the first two Aces hockey games (on pink ice - YEA) on Wednesday and Thursday. Oh yes, Allan is still out of the office so it might not be so busy at work.
I'm editing this because I had forgotten to put in that we had snow yesterday. Yep, first for this season and nope, I'm not happy about that. It was the really big flakes (which I personally like the most) and it didn't stay on the ground, of course, but I think it is way to early for snow. I was also just told that we are supposed to get 6-9 inches between tonight and tomorrow night... :-((
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood: stressed
Part 4: Nothing to Add; Galatians 2:1-10
By Pastor Dan
Today's message was based around our relationship with God and about spiritual and cultural bondage.
What I took away from today's message...
God loves me because he chooses me just the way I am.
Our relationship with God is a lot like a marriage; He chooses us for who we are or for who we grow to be over time. God loves you because he wants to. God loves me because he chooses me just the way I am.
Never reject what Christ has accepted. Many people in our society today are rejected before we ever even say hello to them. If they look a certain way, if they love a certain way, etc. We, I, need to accept everyone for who they are and not what I want them to be.
We think we need to measure up to *expectations* that we *think* God wants us to be - we DON'T. We just need to be best of ourselves that we can be and to love God and to love people!!
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood:
weird
No moving parts, no batteries.
No monthly payments and no fees;
Inflation proof, non-taxable,
In fact, it's quite relaxable;
It can't be stolen, won't pollute,
One size fits all, do not dilute.
It uses little energy,
But yields results enormously.
Relieves your tension and your stress,
Invigorate your happiness;
Combats depression, makes you beam,
And elevates your self esteem!
Your circulation it corrects
Without unpleasant side effects
It is, I think, the perfect drug:
May I prescribe, my friend... the hug!
And, of course, fully returnable!
by Henry Matthew Ward
Now, since I have been told I am a world class hugger I can attest to each and every line of this poem. When I meet someone new, in a social setting, I tend to hug rather than to shake hands and each line here is exactly the reasons why. Of course, I always use the line that I live in Alaska and it's too cold up here, most times, to take your gloves off to shake hands so we just hug hug. What excuse am I going to have when I move??? :}
- Location:Work
- Mood: thoughtful
- Music:Hot town, summer in the city... I think!!
Yesterday started out pretty normal. Not running late or anything. Ian and I made our lunch together since we would be eating together and that was quite fun and interesting. He made mine and I made his (dad usually makes Ian's lunch). Ian was a bit upset when I dropped him off at school when I explained to him that I wasn't staying with his class quite yet, but that I would be there when he got back from his play. He actually yelled at me and I immediately asked him to get back into the truck and we discussed how that was inappropriate behavior. He seemed to understand but sulked the whole way into the school.
Work was pretty normal also. Putting out little fires all morning and completing simple tasks. I did do some research on a new position I may be interested in but nothing real spectacular happening there, in the morning.
After arriving back at Ian's school at noon, which was my required reporting time, I ended up waiting around about 35 minutes before they actually arrived back at the school from their play, Bunnicula. Turns out a classmate of Ian's that was in his class last year had the starring role so that was fun for the class to see. Ian came running up to me and gave me a big hug and said, "I'm sorry for my attitude and behavior this morning mom." Awww, isn't he the greatest 8-year-old!!
When they returned the kids were all excited and Ms. Teresa was in a hurry to get to her appointment. Kelly, the class's TA (teacher's assistant) got all the kids that were eating hot lunch down to the cafeteria to pick-up their lunch and I was getting all the kids that were eating lunches from home (I was surprised at how few hot lunches there were) settled down and start on their lunches. That is pretty much how the next two hours went. Very busy with all the kids very excited. I can't tell you how many of them came up to me to say that they thought it was 'cool' that I was Ian's mom and their guest teacher.
After lunch I took them out for a little bit of recess to try and burn up some of that energy. Okay, I thought it was logical but I guess not to 7 and 8 year-olds. They still had plenty of energy when we came back into the classroom. We had a little bit of work to do that included science and that was rather fun. It was about an article that involved inventors looking at nature and using things like a fish to invent new ways of designing cars and studying butterfly wings to invent new cell-phone screens or one that everyone thought was interesting, how the Wright brothers watched birds to invent some aspects of the airplane. It was fun and quite interesting to see where their young minds would come up with things. Whales and submarines; jaguars and motorcycles; sheep and clothing, etc. After that 45-minute lesson and worksheet they were off to P.E. and music. Yep, I didn't have to do a whole lot of teaching but I did grade the papers, cleaned up around the classroom and went through a box of books that had been ordered and put them into individual bags. All that in an hour, dang I'm good. LOL It was a fun afternoon.
After leaving the school I asked Zach to meet me down at my office so we could pack-up Windy's office and get all of her stuff to her. She was supposed to be out by the 30th but since there was nobody that was going into that office John didn't have a problem with delaying it for a couple of days. Took us about an hour and a half but everything except for the plants fit inside the truck. I had talked to Windy earlier during the day and explained to her that I would call her when we were on our way to her house to unload. When I called, she didn't answer :( I then called Sean, her fiance', and he didn't answer either :( Since she only lives a block from my house I decided I was going to go by there and just knock on the door to see if anyone was home. Yep, Sean was there but he didn't look so great. Apparently he had been sick for a couple of days so I asked if it was okay if we unloaded the boxes and he said that he would help. After I explained that I brought Zach and that I really didn't want to catch what he got I asked him to go upstairs and we would unload and let him know when we were finished. Being a man, he didn't like that idea but I finally convinced him. I really don't need to be sick right now. Took us about 30 minutes to unload everything but it was all in the middle of their living room, which is where he asked me to put it. It was stacked up neatly but I don't think Windy is going to be too happy when she sees that.
When we got back home I was surprised to find Chris sitting on the couch watching the Sci-Fi channel. I immediately turned the channel so I could watch the debate. I had already missed the first few minutes but I have to say, or girl Sarah stood her ground. I was a bit, well kind of pissed that the media later said she did better than what they expected but then again their threshold was pretty low to begin with. I guess that doesn't say much for the media, does it? I like the comment that Sarah said in her closing statement... something about that she welcomed the chance to speak directly to the American people without the intervention of the media so they didn't get to twist her words or anyone else's words to their choosing. You Go Girl!!
When the debate was over, and after he was home all day, Chris asked me what was for dinner :( Yep, not happy about this! He apparently took the night off to finish up work on his term paper (he keeps changing it) and to study for his final exam, which is today. I even went to pick-up Ian from gymnastics so he could work on his paper, by the way, he hadn't worked on it from the time I got home at 5:15ish until the time I left to pick-up Ian at 7:10. When I got home, after picking-up Ian, he still was not working on the paper. I just got Ian started on his homework and then started making dinner for the boys. Oh well, it wasn't something that I hadn't planned on doing anyway.
Zach ended up going to bed early - around 8:30 because he wasn't feeling so well. He asked for some Nyquil and then went to bed with a bottle of water and some kleenex. Ian went to bed late because of finishing up homework that he had forgotten the day before. So, they kind of balanced each other out.
It was an exciting day to be well enough to enjoy it!!
- Location:Work
- Mood: cheerful
That pretty much set the tone for my day....
Work was very productive except there was one incident I was a little worried about. It was a type of attack but not as bad as the first one. I got really agitated really quick. There were a lot of people in the office and a couple of people kept asking me for things while I was trying to help out a new client. It took everything I had to keep calm and find the right words to get everything completed for everyone in the office. My hands were shaking so bad that it was hard to type little own navigate my mouse. It lasted about 20 minutes and I could feel it coming on the more people that came into the office asking for things. John noticed what was happening and he helped with getting the requests from people and talking to them while I helped a different person. It wasn't pretty but I got through it. John said I did very well considering everything that was going on. I knew I liked him!!
Since it is Wednesday I had to pick-up Ian from school at 3:15 and he came down to the office with me for a while. He did his homework and I finished up with a work project. While I was picking him up his teacher asked me if I would be able to teach for the class tomorrow afternoon. I said yes, and I'm really looking forward to that.
Tonight, I am hopefully going to finish up Chris' paper as soon as I get done with my current game of NetHack. Okay, maybe after a second game of NetHack...
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood: worried
1. I dropped off Ian at school
2. Took Zach to get his arm recasted (1/2 arm cast now) and new x-rays. While we were there the doctor asked us to schedule a CT scan of the particular bone that Zach broke in his wrist. Seems that is the slowest bone in the body to heal because there is very little blood flow to that portion of the wrist. It is sometimes called the 'peanut' bone and it is the small bone that connects your wrist to your hand. The doctor said the larger bone is healing quite well and is almost completely healed. The smaller bone is going to take quite a bit more time but he could tell from the xrays that it is definitely healing. For Zach, that means no wrestling this year either :(
3. Picked up Ian 3 new pairs of shoes and a pair of boots. It was brought to my attention this morning that both of his tennis shoes had holes in the toes and it wasn't just recently that they had become that way. Geesh, would have been nice to be told when that happened.
4. Took care of a deposition that wasn't actually scheduled for our office today - I did do some work ;)
5. Payed for my Aces season tickets and picked up pre-season tickets. There are two preseason games that benefit Breast Cancer Awareness here in Alaska. The players skate on pink ice (they hate that, can't see the puck very well) and wear pink jerseys. The jerseys are then auctioned off at the end of the second game and the proceeds go to Breast Cancer Awarness for the State of Alaska. I try and get all of my friends involved in at least those two games. They were both sold out last year.
6. Filled up my truck with gas. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal but the grocery store up here has a thing going on that if you accumulate a total of $100 worth of groceries and use their points card, you get .10 off each gallon of gas. If you accumulate $200 then it's .20 per gallon, and so forth. Well today was the last day of this quarter to fill up using that incentive. I only got .20 off this time because I haven't used my card all that much but Bill, my friend mentioned yesterday, paid $1.49 for his 100 gallon tank. Needless to say, he buys more groceries at that store than I do. Chris did get .40 off per gallon last week when he filled the truck up using his card. Hey, when we are still pay $3.99 a gallon or more, every little bit helps!
7. Picked up some files for new adoption cases from an attorney I used to work with at the AG's office - Yep, more work completed :)
8. Watched a couple of really, I hate to use this word, stupid movies. They had been sitting at the house for quite some time and I wanted to watch them and send them back to get new movies. I should have followed my instincts and just sent them back. They were that bad.
9. Last and most trying was working on Chris' final paper. I'm putting his brief into the proper *law* format because he was using way too many footnotes and I happened to mention that and he asked me if I could get it down some. Come on people, it was 77 footnotes in only 20 pages of actual text. That was ridiculous. I still have a lot of work to do on that paper.
10. Oh yes, one other thing I did today, I set up an appointment for Rusty, our dog, to get a hair cut. He hasn't had one in over a year and really needs it. I've been meaning to do this for a while now and just didn't seem to get around too it. I like him with his long hair and everyone else is the ones that want me to keep it cut short. Poor Rusty.... hehe
So, it seems like I did quite a bit today but in reality it was a very relaxing day with things to do and lots of accomplishments. Gee, I think I need more days like this!!
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood: accomplished
I did get a rather nice reprieve in that I went to see the movie Spartacus with a very good friend of mine, Bill, a new friend of his, Therron, and some of my sorority sisters. Okay, I have to admit, that if I wasn't with all those people I would have walked out half way through the movie. It was 3 hours and 11 minutes long and most of it was just completely ridiculous. It was nice to spend some time with everyone though.
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood: busy
May 11, 2008
Chutes & Ladders
Part 1: Abounding Love
Phillipians 1:1-11
Notes:
The longest distance in life is the 12" between your head and your heart.
Points I took away from this sermon:
Your diploma for Life
- What has been granted?
- What was done to earn it?
- To whom has it been granted?
- By whose authority has it been granted?
Also look up Romans 12:9
June 1, 2008
Chutes & Ladders
Part 4: Steady Obedience
Phillipians 2:12-30
Notes:
Justification and Sanctification
Points I took away from this sermon:
Steady Obedience
- A penetrating impact on the world we live in - stop triping
- Powerful encouragement to those who have loved and mentored you
- Steady Obedience brings on personal honor. Brings benefit to the body of Christ
June 8, 2008
Grace Community Church
The Titus Two Blueprint
Titus 2:1-10
Older Saints 1-5
Men
Women
Younger Saints 6-8
Workers 9-10
June 15, 2008
Grace Community Church
Losing Our (false) Religion
Philippians 3:1-9
Beware of False Religion 1-6
Gaining True Religion 7-9
June 22, 2008
Chutes & Ladders
Part 7: Charitable Unity
Philipians 4:1-9
Notes:
Fight Fair by Tina & Jay
The closer the relationship the greater the chance of conflict
The closer you are the more significant the conflict
The hold hands while we are disagreeing actually does help - tried and true
Four Questions to remember in conflict
1. What do I want?
2. What do I really believe?
3. What am I afraid of? (HUGE question for me)
4. What am I thinking about?
Points I took away from this sermon:
Charitable Unity
Give each other space
Control is always the issue
Challenge: Put your faith in the power of the gospel
- Promise: The Lord is in control
Challenge: Give your fears to God
- Promise: God will grant you peace in your fear
Challenge: Concentrate on what God is doing
- Promise: The God of Peace will be with you
Thing to remember - We are all part of God's urban renewal plan. We just have to work the plan.
July 13, 2008
Mystery
Part 2: Weeds
Peter 2:39, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Notes and what I took away from this sermon:
Two families on earth - God's and Satan's
Mystery 1: Why doesn't God save everyone?
Clue: God's glory is revealed by the contrast between his children and Satan's
Application 1 - Satan is our enemy - NOT people
Application 2 - We should not speak to dominate or separate
Application 3 - Changing 'weeds' to 'wheat' is the goal
EDI - Thank you for being the wheat that helped me change back from the weed!!!
Mystery 2: Why does God allow counterfeit Christians?
Clue: They require us to stay in touch with the original
Application 1 - Encounter Jesus every day
Application 2 - Extend grace to the 'weeds'
Application 3 - Examine our roots and fruit
Am I a counterfeit Christian supporting Mark and John in their wedding?
At the beginning of everyday start out with - "Jesus I'd like to encounter you today"
At the end of each day - "Thank you God for your encounters or the hope for more tomorrow"
July 27, 2008
Mystery
Part 4: The Shrewd Manager
Luke 16:1-15
Notes:
Nobody can serve two masters
What I took away from this sermon:
The unfaithful manager...
1. Woke up to the realities of his circumstances
2. Made a decision based on what he truly trusted and loved
3. Maximized what he could control to prepare for what he could not control
Because Jesus Christ's righestenous (sp??) is what I stand in.
What do we want and what are we willing to do to get it?
August 3, 2008
Mystery
Part 5: The Wedding Banquet
Luke 14:15-25
Notes:
The host is God
The Jewish rejecting Jesus this parable was the preamble to that reality.
Think about this specific parable when it comes time for your birthday (to Zach). To a point he already does this.
What I took away from this sermon:
Ask questions to get people to think more deeply
1. Am I hungry? Not for a meal but spiritually hungry - every day
Religious heritage does not give us a seat at the table
2. Do I believe God's "feast" is for me?
God only has promises with you. He does not have problems with you.
3. Am I inviting others to the table?
Be the servant and pass out the invitations
August 24, 2008
Mystery
Part 7: The Persistant Widow
Luke 18:1-8
Notes and what I took away from this sermon:
The Point: Always pray and never give up
The Mystery: Why?
The Solution: The secret is to stay connected to him through prayer and faith
Matthew 6:6-8
1. Because God is never inconsistent or indifferent
2. Because prayer fuels our faith
3. Because we need God for everything and have the right to ask for anything
Ephesians 1:3-5
Stay connected however you need to
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood: accomplished
We started out with Galatians 1:11-24 and expanded to 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 14; Acts 6-9; Isaiah 53:4-7; Hosea 6:2-3 and John 8:31, 36
See what I mean by a lot of scriptures. Three things that I really derived out of today's sermon were:
- God wants to reveal himself to you (us),
- You (we) were designed to experience Freedom in Christ, and
- Whom the Son sets free is Free Indeed
You can only be free when you believe in Christ and the freedom he gives to you! I look forward to diving into these scriptures more thoroughly this week.
- Location:Home on the laptop
- Mood:
excited
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