Let me preface the letter with the fact that the general manager was not of Hispanic origin and therefore not working with English as a second language. This was a native Texan.
How many errors can you find?
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Remember?
Remember what I said about God taking care of us with our hotel on vacation? Jason emailed me the letter they were handing out at our original hotel with whom we had had our fully planned-ahead reservations. This letter and the status of the rooms, the beer bottles by the playground right outside our room and the fact that the "suite" was just two hotel rooms with the dividing wall taken out so therefore two doors open to the OUTSIDE (not cool with 2 kids and too much space separating us) led us to go next door to the wonderful, new, CLEAN Holiday Inn. And the rate was only $4 more a day.
Let me preface the letter with the fact that the general manager was not of Hispanic origin and therefore not working with English as a second language. This was a native Texan.
How many errors can you find?
Let me preface the letter with the fact that the general manager was not of Hispanic origin and therefore not working with English as a second language. This was a native Texan.
How many errors can you find?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Home and late...and relationships
Since we have come home, I have been late to EVERYTHING. I can't seem to get into the swing of things, like arriving on time to church, Mother's Day Out and my bible study or any of my classes at the gym.
I just thought about that title and some of you with mommy minds might have thought late otherwise...no, no, no my dear ones. We are all on schedule there.
We had an amazing time in Arlington/Ft. Worth/Dallas. God really took care of us with our hotel after the RV fiasco of maggots. The Holiday Inn had only been open 12 days, was across the highway from Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor, had beautiful granite countertops and was CLEAN! 12 days old clean! Mommy likey.
I did one final walk-through of the house before we left and realized the camera was on the counter. I walk out to the truck and was all, we almost forgot the camera! Then somehow, somewhere the camera got lost for 3 or 4 days in the vast expanse of clutter that had become our bouncing-air-conditioning-struggling-bring-Ikea-home mobile. Heaven forbid we leave the camera at home and not be able to take pictures! We did grab a couple of disposable cameras for Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor, but let me tell you how reliant I am on that little screen on the back of my digital memory snatcher...First of all, I had to think about putting the little green and black rectangle box up to my eye to take a picture and would catch myself leisurely glancing down after I took a pic to see how it turned out. Oh, the wistful days of old. Now I don't know how those pictures look because both disposable cameras are used up and still sitting in my purse waiting to be dropped off and developed.
The kids had a blast sharing a bed. I think it was on the 3rd night, they had fallen asleep holding hands. Pick up your melted heart, mold it back into shape and shove it back in your chest...I had to.
We did end up coming back a day early, because vacation is tiresome and we were all ready to be out of the heat, and in our own space. Even 2 year olds need some alone time.
I have to mention on another note how floored I was at Bible study today. Of course I didn't crack my book all week while we were gone, but I always get something from the videos that go with the study. The level of impact that God, through Beth Moore, had with me was beyond measure. The study is on the Psalms of Ascent and covers Psalm 120-134 and we learned that these Psalms were often sung or in response to the pilgramages that the Isrealites did during their feasts or regularly scheduled trips to the temple in Jerusalem. I'm going to quote as much of what was said as possible.
Today was on the "most vital element of the journey:our fellow pilgrims" and it talked about being the best traveling partner for our sisters and brothers in Christ through encouragement. "Second Corinthians 2:10-11 tells us to forgive people in the sight of Christ...in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. The enemy is the author of offense." When she mentioned this, she started talking about offenses that we have had in churches in the past and what has brought them on. Was it big enough to make you leave the church? For me, it was yes. And I have held on to that for years and the pain that was caused by that misunderstanding, offense, discouragement has absolutely prevented me from moving forward with deep relationships with other Christian women SINCE THAT TIME 9 years ago.
As I was contemplating this, we moved on to Hebrews 10:24-25 that tells us to encourage one another and I Peter 4:7-8 tells us "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. ABOVE ALL, love each other DEEPLY because love covers a multitude of sins." So Christ is telling us the end is near, gear up, pray, but ABOVE ALL, love each other deeply. More important than what he had just told them before. One of the ways we love each other deeply is to encourage them. To encourage people means to literally "infuse others with courage". She talked about actually writing the notes of encouragement we think about all the time. It may be just what that person needed to get up and go on with their day or life. I am making it a point to pull out my stationery, jot a note of thanks, encouragement for my list of people I have been thinking of lately and spending the money (gasp) on postage instead of email. How joyful to open up a mailbox and get a letter! I still rifle through my stack every day just on the chance that one will arrive. I'm gonna spread that joy.
Then Beth said something that is still making me tear up. She talked about the thousands of women that she ministers to, the hundreds of emails, letters she receives, but when it comes down to who she is going to go to lunch with, she comes up empty. It's loneliness. And it's an epidemic. As soon as she said the word loneliness, I lost it. Who could have known the longing of my heart that much at this very moment? My soul has actually been starving for more depth in relationships. I prayed for months after Camille was born for some friendships I could trust again, and God listened so much to my desperate plea that he brought Keri and Courtney back to me. (At least that's how I look at you both moving back to Tulsa, my dears. What a rocky road back that journey was.)
With so many people using emails, texting, blogs (here I am), to form their relationships, people aren't building relationships with depth. "We are in overload in superficial relationships and starved for something real. We need to have something with depth because we are facing a loneliness epidemic." Hello! What truth! She even mentioned that it was so easy to sit and talk with good friends from the past and say it was like we've never left because we took the time back then to form something solid and lasting. Now, we simply scrape the surface and for me, it is holding my cards to my chest with a white-knuckled grip and striving to appear together and appropriate and unwilling to be hurt again by "church people" so I won't unfold enough to form any lasting, necessary, vital bonds. Beth even read excerpts from two different books that said that people that have strong social circles are sick less often, produce less mucus and even people with poor eating habits, obesity, smokers, and those that are generally considered unhealthy will live longer than those that are considered healthy, but have no social or religious support system. Google it! It's true.
When I think of my handful of real friends, they are all from a time when I was almost forced to take time to get to know them deeply and form those relationships. And I HAD time. Now, I'm limited to the 2-3 hours that I can squeeze in in the morning before the kiddos crumble into a messy, screaming pile of, "I need a nap!" It's just hard. And, I think motherhood is the most important time to have that depth in friendships. I don't know about you, but I can't do this alone. I think we have unrealistic expectations on not needing anyone to be there with us in our lives. I'm not just talking husbands, you know I need my man and always will. I'm talking friendships. We try to get to where we don't rely on anyone so that we won't be let down or let down others (my HUGE issue), but the risk is far outweighed by the reward.
I think that's why I've been irritated with blogging lately. It has felt so superficial to me. I know my audience and I have been candering to them (you), saying what you want to hear and having nothing with meat that I have been passionate about saying. Or maybe having the meat and not willing to open up and share it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still passionate about my blonde-haired beauties, and I will still tell you about their nuiances and cute sayings and have you rejoice with me when Isaac is potty-trained, but I needed to tell you where I really am.
We ended today with Zephaniah 3:9 "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder." Shoulder to shoulder. We stood up in our little group and stood shoulder to shoulder, actually touching each other's shoulders with our own, and it was unnerving. When was the last time you stood so close to someone that wasn't your mate that your shoulders touched and you became vulnerable? Vulnerable but strong at the same time. That's a line of defense not easily broken. I want to ease into that position of standing there with my sisters instead of holding my breath, not rocking on my wedges (super cute, by the way) and pulling my arms in just enough to where I wasn't touching too much to look needy.
I pray you have depth within your grip and that loneliness is taken away from you as I pray the same for myself.
God, please make this verse true in my life that my lips will be purified and not stilted by what is appropriate, but what is real and that I will open myself to the relationships you will give me so I can serve you with them shoulder to shoulder and use the depth you provide us for a foundation I can fall back on through our pilgrimage of life.
I just thought about that title and some of you with mommy minds might have thought late otherwise...no, no, no my dear ones. We are all on schedule there.
We had an amazing time in Arlington/Ft. Worth/Dallas. God really took care of us with our hotel after the RV fiasco of maggots. The Holiday Inn had only been open 12 days, was across the highway from Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor, had beautiful granite countertops and was CLEAN! 12 days old clean! Mommy likey.
I did one final walk-through of the house before we left and realized the camera was on the counter. I walk out to the truck and was all, we almost forgot the camera! Then somehow, somewhere the camera got lost for 3 or 4 days in the vast expanse of clutter that had become our bouncing-air-conditioning-struggling-bring-Ikea-home mobile. Heaven forbid we leave the camera at home and not be able to take pictures! We did grab a couple of disposable cameras for Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor, but let me tell you how reliant I am on that little screen on the back of my digital memory snatcher...First of all, I had to think about putting the little green and black rectangle box up to my eye to take a picture and would catch myself leisurely glancing down after I took a pic to see how it turned out. Oh, the wistful days of old. Now I don't know how those pictures look because both disposable cameras are used up and still sitting in my purse waiting to be dropped off and developed.
The kids had a blast sharing a bed. I think it was on the 3rd night, they had fallen asleep holding hands. Pick up your melted heart, mold it back into shape and shove it back in your chest...I had to.
We did end up coming back a day early, because vacation is tiresome and we were all ready to be out of the heat, and in our own space. Even 2 year olds need some alone time.
I have to mention on another note how floored I was at Bible study today. Of course I didn't crack my book all week while we were gone, but I always get something from the videos that go with the study. The level of impact that God, through Beth Moore, had with me was beyond measure. The study is on the Psalms of Ascent and covers Psalm 120-134 and we learned that these Psalms were often sung or in response to the pilgramages that the Isrealites did during their feasts or regularly scheduled trips to the temple in Jerusalem. I'm going to quote as much of what was said as possible.
Today was on the "most vital element of the journey:our fellow pilgrims" and it talked about being the best traveling partner for our sisters and brothers in Christ through encouragement. "Second Corinthians 2:10-11 tells us to forgive people in the sight of Christ...in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. The enemy is the author of offense." When she mentioned this, she started talking about offenses that we have had in churches in the past and what has brought them on. Was it big enough to make you leave the church? For me, it was yes. And I have held on to that for years and the pain that was caused by that misunderstanding, offense, discouragement has absolutely prevented me from moving forward with deep relationships with other Christian women SINCE THAT TIME 9 years ago.
As I was contemplating this, we moved on to Hebrews 10:24-25 that tells us to encourage one another and I Peter 4:7-8 tells us "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. ABOVE ALL, love each other DEEPLY because love covers a multitude of sins." So Christ is telling us the end is near, gear up, pray, but ABOVE ALL, love each other deeply. More important than what he had just told them before. One of the ways we love each other deeply is to encourage them. To encourage people means to literally "infuse others with courage". She talked about actually writing the notes of encouragement we think about all the time. It may be just what that person needed to get up and go on with their day or life. I am making it a point to pull out my stationery, jot a note of thanks, encouragement for my list of people I have been thinking of lately and spending the money (gasp) on postage instead of email. How joyful to open up a mailbox and get a letter! I still rifle through my stack every day just on the chance that one will arrive. I'm gonna spread that joy.
Then Beth said something that is still making me tear up. She talked about the thousands of women that she ministers to, the hundreds of emails, letters she receives, but when it comes down to who she is going to go to lunch with, she comes up empty. It's loneliness. And it's an epidemic. As soon as she said the word loneliness, I lost it. Who could have known the longing of my heart that much at this very moment? My soul has actually been starving for more depth in relationships. I prayed for months after Camille was born for some friendships I could trust again, and God listened so much to my desperate plea that he brought Keri and Courtney back to me. (At least that's how I look at you both moving back to Tulsa, my dears. What a rocky road back that journey was.)
With so many people using emails, texting, blogs (here I am), to form their relationships, people aren't building relationships with depth. "We are in overload in superficial relationships and starved for something real. We need to have something with depth because we are facing a loneliness epidemic." Hello! What truth! She even mentioned that it was so easy to sit and talk with good friends from the past and say it was like we've never left because we took the time back then to form something solid and lasting. Now, we simply scrape the surface and for me, it is holding my cards to my chest with a white-knuckled grip and striving to appear together and appropriate and unwilling to be hurt again by "church people" so I won't unfold enough to form any lasting, necessary, vital bonds. Beth even read excerpts from two different books that said that people that have strong social circles are sick less often, produce less mucus and even people with poor eating habits, obesity, smokers, and those that are generally considered unhealthy will live longer than those that are considered healthy, but have no social or religious support system. Google it! It's true.
When I think of my handful of real friends, they are all from a time when I was almost forced to take time to get to know them deeply and form those relationships. And I HAD time. Now, I'm limited to the 2-3 hours that I can squeeze in in the morning before the kiddos crumble into a messy, screaming pile of, "I need a nap!" It's just hard. And, I think motherhood is the most important time to have that depth in friendships. I don't know about you, but I can't do this alone. I think we have unrealistic expectations on not needing anyone to be there with us in our lives. I'm not just talking husbands, you know I need my man and always will. I'm talking friendships. We try to get to where we don't rely on anyone so that we won't be let down or let down others (my HUGE issue), but the risk is far outweighed by the reward.
I think that's why I've been irritated with blogging lately. It has felt so superficial to me. I know my audience and I have been candering to them (you), saying what you want to hear and having nothing with meat that I have been passionate about saying. Or maybe having the meat and not willing to open up and share it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still passionate about my blonde-haired beauties, and I will still tell you about their nuiances and cute sayings and have you rejoice with me when Isaac is potty-trained, but I needed to tell you where I really am.
We ended today with Zephaniah 3:9 "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder." Shoulder to shoulder. We stood up in our little group and stood shoulder to shoulder, actually touching each other's shoulders with our own, and it was unnerving. When was the last time you stood so close to someone that wasn't your mate that your shoulders touched and you became vulnerable? Vulnerable but strong at the same time. That's a line of defense not easily broken. I want to ease into that position of standing there with my sisters instead of holding my breath, not rocking on my wedges (super cute, by the way) and pulling my arms in just enough to where I wasn't touching too much to look needy.
I pray you have depth within your grip and that loneliness is taken away from you as I pray the same for myself.
God, please make this verse true in my life that my lips will be purified and not stilted by what is appropriate, but what is real and that I will open myself to the relationships you will give me so I can serve you with them shoulder to shoulder and use the depth you provide us for a foundation I can fall back on through our pilgrimage of life.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
How Do The Flies KNOW?!
How do the flies know I'm about to open my door? How do they know the instant it is open to fly in? Do they lie in wait planning, scheming the heist of my house? I know they're not that smart, because as I sat in the tub the other day, one stinker kept zooming into our mirror, falling down, shaking off the pain he had to be experiencing and doing it over and over and over! Doesn't it hurt to fly into a mirror? I could hear him hitting it. It would hurt if I ran eye first into something shiny. And then, they spend all their time inside trying desperately to get back outside. Stupid flies.
Anywho, we are about to go on vacation (as much vacation as can be accomplished with a moody 3 year old and hyper 2 year old) and Jason has left me to do all the packing alone. He is having his final fishing tournament of the summer. I really tried to be the best supportive wife I could and let him go fishing, have many weekends off this summer and renew himself as a man. But, I continually have been asking myself today, "When was the last time I had a weekend off?" More than once have my frustrations gotten the best of me today and it has resulted in a lost temper with the kids, tears (mine and theirs), and irritation at my insurmountable tasks ahead of me. Alone. Again. I desperately love that man, but I am done with fishing tournaments. I even called him earlier and wished him well on his last one, because it is going to be a looooong time before this rears it's ugly head in our marriage again. He chuckled and said he kinda knew it was going to end that way. Hey, at least we communicate.
I debated off and on with myself on mentioning to the cyberworld that I was going on vacation, but all 6 of you I think I can trust. We will be gone for a week. And it is a full-on kids vacation with Six Flags, water park, museums, aquariums and anything else we can think up. It will be fun. I'll speak it into being, It will be FUN!
Talk soon.
Anywho, we are about to go on vacation (as much vacation as can be accomplished with a moody 3 year old and hyper 2 year old) and Jason has left me to do all the packing alone. He is having his final fishing tournament of the summer. I really tried to be the best supportive wife I could and let him go fishing, have many weekends off this summer and renew himself as a man. But, I continually have been asking myself today, "When was the last time I had a weekend off?" More than once have my frustrations gotten the best of me today and it has resulted in a lost temper with the kids, tears (mine and theirs), and irritation at my insurmountable tasks ahead of me. Alone. Again. I desperately love that man, but I am done with fishing tournaments. I even called him earlier and wished him well on his last one, because it is going to be a looooong time before this rears it's ugly head in our marriage again. He chuckled and said he kinda knew it was going to end that way. Hey, at least we communicate.
I debated off and on with myself on mentioning to the cyberworld that I was going on vacation, but all 6 of you I think I can trust. We will be gone for a week. And it is a full-on kids vacation with Six Flags, water park, museums, aquariums and anything else we can think up. It will be fun. I'll speak it into being, It will be FUN!
Talk soon.
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