•1:34 AM
•7:47 PM
Recently a comment was added to my blog, you might have read it, from a girl...no a woman...named Brittany. I met Brittany 10 years ago when I went on a missions trip to Ireland. Can it really be 10 years ago now? My goodness how time just keeps marching on. Brittany was a sweet little thing that I got to spend some time with while I was there. She was more of a missionary than myself. She jumped right in and worked with the kids, helped out wherever she could and was just darling to watch. Myself, I was an awkward kid just becoming an adult who didn't have a clue how to just jump in.
Anyways, hearing from Brittany was a pleasant surprise. I went to her site and found that she is now a woman of God. Some things haven't changed. She looks to be very involved with her church community and loving and serving the Lord.
My brother had some pictures posted on his church website a while ago that showed Zach Ruiz, guitar in hand, worshipping God. You could tell he was worshipping just by the closed eyes and expression on his face of adoration.
Its times like these that make me so grateful for the God we serve. I can't tell you how many times people tell me, as if reassuring me, that one day I might still use my teaching degree...What they don't understand is that its not about what you are doing, its about who you are doing it for. When you are in God's will for your life and you realize that, embrace that, and live it to the fullest you are so much more blessed.
And in 10 years you may see some beautiful fruit of it!
I can't say that Brittany was fruit from my labors, and I taught Zach in Sunday School, but I'm not trying to claim that fruit either. Its simply seeing the fruit in the entire orchard, if that makes sense. You step back and see how much God can change a life in 10 years. Where God takes people. Taking children and growing them into Godly adults.
I cannot tell you how blessed I am.
So if there are anymore long lost acquaintances, friends, children I babysat or taught in Sunday School, people I met once on the street, by all means...tell me where you are at now and how God has worked in your life. I would love to hear!
Anyways, hearing from Brittany was a pleasant surprise. I went to her site and found that she is now a woman of God. Some things haven't changed. She looks to be very involved with her church community and loving and serving the Lord.
My brother had some pictures posted on his church website a while ago that showed Zach Ruiz, guitar in hand, worshipping God. You could tell he was worshipping just by the closed eyes and expression on his face of adoration.
Its times like these that make me so grateful for the God we serve. I can't tell you how many times people tell me, as if reassuring me, that one day I might still use my teaching degree...What they don't understand is that its not about what you are doing, its about who you are doing it for. When you are in God's will for your life and you realize that, embrace that, and live it to the fullest you are so much more blessed.
And in 10 years you may see some beautiful fruit of it!
I can't say that Brittany was fruit from my labors, and I taught Zach in Sunday School, but I'm not trying to claim that fruit either. Its simply seeing the fruit in the entire orchard, if that makes sense. You step back and see how much God can change a life in 10 years. Where God takes people. Taking children and growing them into Godly adults.
I cannot tell you how blessed I am.
So if there are anymore long lost acquaintances, friends, children I babysat or taught in Sunday School, people I met once on the street, by all means...tell me where you are at now and how God has worked in your life. I would love to hear!
•6:59 PM
There is an ideal age that I want to hit. I can't tell you exactly when it hits but you know you have hit it by the outcome.
You see I used to live by the motto "who cares, we will never see these people again." Of course that was when I lived in Southern California and the statement was true. Now that I live in a small town it is no longer true. I teach a lesson about purity and use my goldfish as a visual example of how boundaries are healthy and I am pegged as a fish killer for life (please note the fish was fine, he lived to a very old age for a fish, especially a feeder fish).
So the age that I want to reach is that age where you get away with things. I don't mean things like crimes, no age is above that. I mean just silly cultural oddities.
Like wrinkled clothes. Who cares if my blouse has a big wrinkle in it. It means that I fell asleep on the sofa this afternoon. It means that I have learned that ironing is a complete waste of my time. It doesn't mean that I am any less clean or competent than you.
Or skipping. Why is skipping looked at to be childish? It is truly a carefree way of expressing how you feel...carefree.
This is also the age where you are too old to hold a grudge. You have come to realize that people are stupid, people are cruel, people are odd, and who cares. You just shrug it off and love them anyways because...well...who cares. You aren't going to have to put up with them for much longer so you might as well laugh at them instead.
This is the age where you can give advice and people might actually listen. They don't listen when you are their parent and they are your kids living under your roof because they are at the prideful age of the teen who knows it all. They don't listen when you are the grandparent giving advice on how to raise their kids because they want to make sure they raise their kids differently...no they start listening when it is the age of humility. The realization hits that you truly did do what was best for them and that, in spite of all their efforts, they turned out just like you, and now they are proud of that fact...now they will listen to your advice.
So, when I reach the age of "who cares" I will truly have reached my goal age. I love this age. It is the best age to achieve. If you disagree...well...who cares.
You see I used to live by the motto "who cares, we will never see these people again." Of course that was when I lived in Southern California and the statement was true. Now that I live in a small town it is no longer true. I teach a lesson about purity and use my goldfish as a visual example of how boundaries are healthy and I am pegged as a fish killer for life (please note the fish was fine, he lived to a very old age for a fish, especially a feeder fish).
So the age that I want to reach is that age where you get away with things. I don't mean things like crimes, no age is above that. I mean just silly cultural oddities.
Like wrinkled clothes. Who cares if my blouse has a big wrinkle in it. It means that I fell asleep on the sofa this afternoon. It means that I have learned that ironing is a complete waste of my time. It doesn't mean that I am any less clean or competent than you.
Or skipping. Why is skipping looked at to be childish? It is truly a carefree way of expressing how you feel...carefree.
This is also the age where you are too old to hold a grudge. You have come to realize that people are stupid, people are cruel, people are odd, and who cares. You just shrug it off and love them anyways because...well...who cares. You aren't going to have to put up with them for much longer so you might as well laugh at them instead.
This is the age where you can give advice and people might actually listen. They don't listen when you are their parent and they are your kids living under your roof because they are at the prideful age of the teen who knows it all. They don't listen when you are the grandparent giving advice on how to raise their kids because they want to make sure they raise their kids differently...no they start listening when it is the age of humility. The realization hits that you truly did do what was best for them and that, in spite of all their efforts, they turned out just like you, and now they are proud of that fact...now they will listen to your advice.
So, when I reach the age of "who cares" I will truly have reached my goal age. I love this age. It is the best age to achieve. If you disagree...well...who cares.
•6:45 PM
Okay I promise I won't post every day for the next 60 days about this trip...but I am very excited!!!
here is a picture of what our room will look like:
We will be staying in an oceanview stateroom. It means that we will have a view of the water (I'm not sure if underneath or above, but i think its above). Our room itself is 170 sq. ft. Thats over half the size of my current house! Yikes!!! Rents a bit more though.
Thats all for now!
here is a picture of what our room will look like:
We will be staying in an oceanview stateroom. It means that we will have a view of the water (I'm not sure if underneath or above, but i think its above). Our room itself is 170 sq. ft. Thats over half the size of my current house! Yikes!!! Rents a bit more though.Thats all for now!
•2:26 PM
I'm going on a cruise!!! I am SO excited! My mom and I are going together on a girls trip. We will start in Seward Alaska and make our way down to Vancouver.YIPPEE!!
•8:12 PM
Well our little community is now dissolved. We had a wonderful week.
Tonya was our worship leader and she was teaching the children how to worship. It was a precious sight. During a pause in the song she explained to the kids to think about who God is and how good He is. The kids all did this. They were quiet and still and reflective. It was very sweet. I was nearly in tears and had a hard time speaking afterwards.
Pastor Pat was our tax collector. Throughout the week he would go to each different marketplace area and demand taxes from the marketplace owner. Then at the end of the week, when Jesus appeared (thank you Ben!) he repented. Because he was a tax collector he explained he had overtaxed the people and gave all the kids a chocolate coin.
I might give more highlights another day, but for now I am finished.
Tonya was our worship leader and she was teaching the children how to worship. It was a precious sight. During a pause in the song she explained to the kids to think about who God is and how good He is. The kids all did this. They were quiet and still and reflective. It was very sweet. I was nearly in tears and had a hard time speaking afterwards.
Pastor Pat was our tax collector. Throughout the week he would go to each different marketplace area and demand taxes from the marketplace owner. Then at the end of the week, when Jesus appeared (thank you Ben!) he repented. Because he was a tax collector he explained he had overtaxed the people and gave all the kids a chocolate coin.
I might give more highlights another day, but for now I am finished.
•12:16 AM
Jerusalem has hit Carson City Nevada!!! We began our VBS today and it was fabulous!
We started with the gathering time where we learned Jewish style songs and dances.
Pastor Pat was our Tax Collector! He was awesome at it!
We had an amazing time with lots of different shops to visit. There was pottery where they made pinch pots out of some air dry pottery.
Carpentry, where they made rulers and dreidles.
Basket weaving as well!!!
We even had a weaver with a loom! The kids made matza covers!
They went into the herbs and spices and candy shop to learn to grind spices and taste Jewish candies.
In the jewelry shop they made necklaces like they would have in the time of Christ!
I don't know if I can update tomorrow or every day because I am tired a lot :)
•11:52 PM
The following is a link to a page with several possible theories.
My apologies for calling the clockmaker silly in my previous post. Obviously he wasn't the silly one, he was just following some silly tradition that began way before him.
Silliness as a tradition. Thats pretty funny.
But what is even more humorous than that is that there is a whole website devoted to answering the IIII vs. IV question. Its a very good thing that the internet was invented to help us access all this very important information immediately!
CLICK HERE
My apologies for calling the clockmaker silly in my previous post. Obviously he wasn't the silly one, he was just following some silly tradition that began way before him.
Silliness as a tradition. Thats pretty funny.
But what is even more humorous than that is that there is a whole website devoted to answering the IIII vs. IV question. Its a very good thing that the internet was invented to help us access all this very important information immediately!
CLICK HERE
•11:42 PM
As many of you know we have finally moved into our new church building. This is very exciting and fun to write about but that is not my reason for writing today.
My reason for writing today is because of a clock I now have. We have gotten rid of a lot of our old not-so-nice stuff and replaced it with nicer stuff. One thing to go was my Minnie Mouse clock that hung on the wall in my office. Before I get a lot of questions about that the clock was a joke and I didn't really plan on keeping it but I couldn't figure out what happened to the older old one.
Anyway, we purchased a nice clock with a wood frame and roman numerals on it.
This is a hideous looking clock and is not the one I bought. However, it has the same type of numbering. If you have not noticed yet there is a mistake on here.
What I want to know is what silly person made this (and many others I have noticed), researched how to properly show the number 9 but cannot properly show the number 4?
Is this possibly a special clock rule or something?
My reason for writing today is because of a clock I now have. We have gotten rid of a lot of our old not-so-nice stuff and replaced it with nicer stuff. One thing to go was my Minnie Mouse clock that hung on the wall in my office. Before I get a lot of questions about that the clock was a joke and I didn't really plan on keeping it but I couldn't figure out what happened to the older old one.
Anyway, we purchased a nice clock with a wood frame and roman numerals on it.
This is a hideous looking clock and is not the one I bought. However, it has the same type of numbering. If you have not noticed yet there is a mistake on here.
What I want to know is what silly person made this (and many others I have noticed), researched how to properly show the number 9 but cannot properly show the number 4?
Is this possibly a special clock rule or something?
