Change is in the air

It’s been awhile since I have written about my life as of late, so I thought it was time for another update. I honestly thought before this summer that this week would begin a new journey for me- teaching. I got an interview and turned in countless resumes, but nothing panned out. The interesting thing about that is, I’m okay with it. I have kind of taken it as a sign, like I am supposed to stay right where I am for now and teaching may be something I do down the road, but for now, it isn’t something I’m going to pursue. There are so many other things going on that I am kind of relieved that my routine is going to stay basically the same, so God knows what he is doing and he holds my life in his hands!

WORK- General Conference is over, yay! Things are still up in the air a little, but I am grateful that I still have a job and that my responsibilities and requirements will pretty much stay the same. This really has been a great place to work and I am glad that I can stay. I do have a new boss, whom I haven’t seen much, but he is really nice and I think it’s going to be great working for him. No complaints about work, except that, of course, I have to work Everyone knows I’d be much more fulfilled staying home, raising Aubrey instead of sending her to daycare. At the same time, I know that this season will be worth it someday and I am trying to remind myself every day to have hope that my days hold purpose.

AUBREY- about 3 weeks ago, Aubrey’s daycare provider informed me that she would be closing her facility(a licensed home daycare). I was really sad about this for several reasons, but the main one was that I knew that Aubrey really loved her babysitter and the babysitter loved Aubrey like her own. I never worried or felt bad leaving her there, and she prayed every night for her friends there. It was a rough couple of days, but even in that frustration and sadness (once again, I beat myself up for not being able to quit working and just stay home altogether), God worked everything out. The timing was perfect to get her into a different home daycre, very close to my house, and it is run by the President of the Home Daycare Association. This lady is amazing- our pediatrician’s eyes got so big when Ryan informed her of the change, and she said “How did you manage THAT?!”. The new caregiver does pre-school curriculum and turned her garage into a classroom. Aubrey has done really well there, and is responding to potty training already! Every morning is still really hard (we’ve been there for about 2 weeks now) as Aubrey is figuring out that this is a permanent deal, and she cries a lot… but once she gets used to it, it’s going to be so beneficial for her. She talks about her teacher and the other kids the whole car ride home and I can tell that once she gets over me leaving in the morning, she has a blast. She’s talking up a storm and stealing our hearts more and more every day.

MARRIAGE- Ryan and I are doing great. Pastoring a small group as well as the Singles at Divine Life has been a wonderful, team-building experience for us. I am really grateful to have such a wonderful man of God leading our home. We have been doing some counseling and it has been SO GREAT for us! I have come to the conclusion that couples need counseling at least twice (preventatively): before they get married and before they have kids. Its been a blessing to work out issues together, be creative together and to get on the same page about everything from household chores to when we’ll have our next kid! I recommend it to all married couples, even if nothing is wrong, persay, its just nice to be able to lay it all out every once in awhile.

CHURCH- like I said before, pastoring has been wonderful for us. We are excited to see what God is speaking to Divine Life and happy to be a part of serving Him. The church is doing great- in fact, tonight we launch our youth group and next month we’ll install a children’s pastor! I think God for bringing the right people into our body at the right time to serve others. It’s never easy, but always worth it.

We went to Las Vegas at the end of June and it was a lot of fun- very cool that we got to go with friends and while it was exhausting, it was a much needed getaway for us. We got back the night before Aubrey turned 2- the whole family came out to our house for a BBQ on June 28th and Aubrey enjoyed her Nemo party (she’s obssessed with that crazy fish!). I also got my garden planted and growing, but a bug of some sort attacked my cucumbers and green beans. I have had an amazing harvest of banana and jalapeño peppers and herbs though. My tomatoes are finally acting like they are going to give me something this week, and last week I discovered the cutest little watermelons forming in the watermelon patch. It was a lot of work and fun, but I think I’ll scale it back next year. Ryan got the backyard done and Aubrey’s swingset up and she loves that thing. I think she could swing all day if we let her!

Well, I think I’ve covered my whole life other than the dog, who still resents Aubrey and somehow manages to take up our whole bed every night, leaving Ryan and I curled up into opposite corners. If you are someone who prays for me, please pray for peace and contentment. I want to be effective and not slumped in self-pity, which I tend to do with feeling like I’m not living my full purpose right now. I know my time will come. I am also really working on prayer. I was never really one to pray a lot, especially out loud, and pastoring has definetly shown me that I need to get over that. More than that, I have a powerful tool at my fingertips and I need to use it! Know that I make an effort every day to pray for you if you pop into my head, but I covet your prayers as well!

I’ve had a great summer but I’m ready for fall- pumpkin decor, hayrides and apple cider candles! Life is good- I don’t deserve it but I’m thankful to God that he’s given it to me. Enjoy the rest of summer, then it’s time to copy Hobby Lobby and bust out the Christmas decor!

Update

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated so I figured I’d give it a whirl.

Ryan is on summer break. While this has always made me jealous, this year it is amplified by the fact that Aubrey is only in daycare two days a week to a) save money and b) allow Ryan to spend time with her. So three days a week, I leave for work while they snooze away and get a call around 10 am so that Aubrey can tell me what she ate for breakfast. I love this age, now that she can communicate we can actually talk on the phone. I miss her a lot during the day, but I am glad that Ryan has this time with her. So far none of the home improvement projects on his list have gotten done, but that is because the wrath of Satan has fallen on us in the form of allergies. Which brings me to  my next update…

The chiropractor. I have been going for a month now, and it has changed my life! It is amazing how you can fix your body to heal itself without any medicine at all! I went because I had a nonstop two-week headache and it was a last resort. Man, I wish I had started going years ago! My neck was curved in the exact opposite way that it was supposed to be, mainly because I [was] a stomach sleeper. After one adjustment my headache was gone and my allergies started to improve. Over Memorial Day, Ryan got a terrible eye infection caused by allergies and this week he finally went in to the chiropractor. The minute she applied her accupressure machine to his face, his eyes cleared up and he hasn’t had to take allergy medicine. We have about 1-2 months left of treatment before we are good to go. I am so glad we are no longer subject to our allergies, so I guess it’s time to get to working on the backyard!

Speaking of the backyard, I have planted a garden with the help of my friend Nicole. I am really excited about all my veggies and last night I made spagetti sauce with basil from the garden, and it was SO GOOD! Horray! I am watching everyday for the first fruits of my jalapenos, banana peppers, tomoatoes, cucumbers, green beans, squash and watermelon. There is something about watching green sprouts shoot up when just two weeks ago you were covered in dirt and putting ugly brown seeds into the ground, wondering if this was REALLY going to turn into food you can eat. It’s great exercise (read: I sweat. A LOT.) and actually very calming to garden.

Ryan and I are taking a vacation in a few weeks. We are headed to Vegas with our good friends Gavin and Heather and we can’t wait! I’ll miss Aubrey while we are gone, but its good for Mommy and Daddy to get away every now and then, and since her time will be split between the grandparents, she probably won’t even notice we are gone! The day after we get back, my baby girl turns TWO! I can’t believe it. Time flies. She’s excited for her Nemo party (read: obsessed with that stupid fish) and its actually been fun coming up with “ocean”-themed snacks. We are just doing a small get-together with family, but it will be a great celebration of her sweet life and what an awesome gift she is!

I have become certified to teach Spanish, Psychology and Social Studies. I have even talked to my boss and applied/interviewed for several teaching positions. This is something I have always felt like I was supposed to do, and was on the path before SCU screwed up my degree program and I had to change my major. However, I don’t know what the deal is. There are tons of openings for teachers, all of which I have applied for and it just isn’t happening. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my job here and don’t mind staying, but I really thought it was my time to start this new career. I am doing what I can in applying and interviewing, but I have decided to accept that this might not be something I am supposed to do. Maybe I heard God wrong on that one. Who knows? I am content to stay where I am, but if you think about it, pray for wisdom for me in this situation.

What else? It’s SUMMERTIME! Horray for shorts, picnics and the zoo! Even when nothing else works out like I plan for it to, it’s nice to know that when I go home, Ryan and Aubrey will be there to put a smile on my face and I’ll always have something to do when I get there, be it blowing bubbles with Aubrey or weeding the garden.

‘Til next time…

Baby steps

It’s been a relatively difficult month for me. It seems like for about a month now, I have just totally dropped the ball. I have been forgetting things (desserts at family dinners, mascara on only one eye, etc), activities (taking a meal to a woman who’s just had a baby from the church), unable to sleep at night and suffering from really bad headaches. In talking with friends and thinking back, it seems that it started when I found out that a friend of mine had cancer. Thank God her surgeon was able to remove it all and she is fine now, but it threw me, and I am just now realizing that it threw me a lot harder than I thought it did.

Our life is busy, and full of things that I can’t “cut out” of the schedule. I am normally really organized and the only way to thrive with our calendar is to be very scheduled. My husband thinks I’m crazy and my mother thinks I’m a control freak, but the truth is that our family would not function without a schedule. The problem is, I dropped the ball and it’s taken me a month to get it back.

I haven’t had a panic attack since 2003, but last week I felt very close to having another one. I don’t suppose myself to be a very important person, where the world will stop if I don’t get my stuff done, but in my world, I’m in charge, you know? Everything was jumbled. The only time I remembered to do anything was when someone reminded me that I had forgotten to do it. My to-do list was looming over my head but I couldn’t think clearly enough to get it onto paper. I am the kind of person who has to see it for it to stick with me.

I have finally figured out my problem, though. I think I need to take the “schedule” one week at a time, instead of thinking in terms of months or seasons. When I look at everything at once, that is when I stress. When I take it a day at a time, broken down into daily tasks, however, it doesn’t seem like so much to do.

There are a lot of things I have been putting off because “I haven’t had time”, like finding a general physician, getting a physical (never had one in my adult life), going to the dentist (it’s been two years), going to the eye doctor, and more recently, going to the chiropractor. I am at my wit’s end with not sleeping and these headaches, and I have tried everything. I am hoping the chiro can help me with that, and I go this afternoon for my first appointment. I also have a great new workout plan put in place by my brother-in-law, but never have time to go to the gym (literally, pretty much every night of the week has us being someone other than home), therefore I don’t lose any of the weight I still carry from being pregnant, and therefore I am tired and feel bad about myself. If I look at this list that I have been putting off, everything on it has to do with me taking care of myself. Maybe I feel so drained because I neglect my health.

So, yesterday I decided that enough was enough. If I have to take it a week at a time, so be it. If I have to take some sick leave to get doctor’s appointments in during the day, so be it. If I can get to bed early and actually fall asleep with enough rest to make it to the gym before work, so be it. I went to Target and bought a whiteboard. It is weekly, so I can only see my to-do list for one week at a time. This should curb the panicky feeling. I got some different colored markers and assigned a color to me (pink!), Ryan (blue) and Aubrey(purple) so I can look at it each day, see the pink tasks and know what I have to get done that day.

When I got back to work from Target, I googled some tips and then I brainstormed some ideas and things I had to do this week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing that stressed me out. It’s so jumbled and disorganized and made me feel like I couldn’t possibly get it all done. But then, I put it on the whiteboard:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, that doesn’t look life-sucking to me at all! It’s basically one or two things a day that I need to do. It is so not overwhelming anymore, and I really think this simple change is going to make a huge difference. For one, by the end of the month I will have all my checkups out of the way for a good year or so (except for the chiro). I know I need to just bite the bullet and get it all done now so I don’t have to mess with it. It might not be the best idea to run around so much for the next week seeing the chiropractor, dentist and general physician, but at least it will be done with.

It’s a small change, it’s a baby step. But now that I know I can take this one step, I see the possibility of more steps. I feel like I imagine Aubrey did when she realized that she could get herself from where she was to where she wanted to go. I’m sure it won’t always be as easy as buying a whiteboard, but with God’s help and the accountability of friends and family, I am starting to think that I just might not be crazy after all!

You know your marriage needed work when Wal-Mart fixes it.

The past couple of weeks have been a little difficult for our family. Nothing horrible has happened but we just haven’t seen each other very much. Ryan’s work has been busy due to a death in an employee’s family, and he has been working more than usual. He doesn’t get home too late, but it is weird when he leaves so early that it’s dark out and he comes home after dark. He is more than looking forward to Christmas break (he gets a month off!) and us going to Chile during that time. I guess I could handle working 12 hour days for 4 months if I knew I’d get a month off in December too.

Anyways, we work next door to each other and have lunch together about 3 times a week, but since it’s in a university cafeteria, I don’t think you can count that as “quality time”. He was getting home at 6:30 and we would play with the baby til 8, put her to bed and take care of our respective things (I would do the dishes, pack the diaper bag, get my stuff ready for the next day, play jewel quest or watch Jon and Kate plus 8 on the DVR… he would watch football) until about 10 when we would realize how pooped we were and go to bed. Couple that with Aubrey’s new hobby of waking up at 2 and 4 am to test out her screaming capacity if someone ever tries to kidnap her (they would drop her and run if they wanted to ever hear another thing again), and you have two very tired parents who are feeling accomplished if they can get to and from work, daycare, church and keep the laundry loads to 7 a week.

Now I can see it, and I am sure you can see it, but for some reason the past two weeks WE didn’t see it- how utterly de-humanizing we were treating each other. Instead of turning off the TV or doing the dishes together, we were living separate lives. Ryan was so exhausted last Wednesday that he just sort of shut down and almost didn’t go to church that night- but he was so glad he did because the fellowship and discussion was just what he needed to wake us up out of our “stupor”. He had the entire weekend off work (that NEVER happens, even when all his help is working) and on Friday night we just kind of stared at the two days ahead and wondered what to do with ourselves.

When I jokingly told him that he should go to Wal-Mart with me the next day, I almost fell out of my chair when he enthusiastically agreed. Wal-Mart… on a Saturday… and we are out of EVERYTHING. But who cared if it took two hours? We had the weekend off! So off we headed to our Yukon shopping strip, Garth Brooks Boulevard which holds all the great retailers of our time- you know, Lowes, Target, PetSmart and of course, Wal-Mart. What the heck, we had time, so we went to lunch first. Discovered that Aubrey is a fan of Sun Chips. Got excited when we walked into the store and there was a Christmas tree up! Chatted about how cute our kid is.

We got our shopping done, went over budget bc -”Oh! I’m out of razor blades ($13) or man, I need some new mascara ($7) add in some detergent (the big container is on sale! $15) and then there is the necessary purchase of diapers ($30)- and before you know it your $100 budget just debited $180 our of your account. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching! After loading the car with the kid and the groceries, we hopped in, looked at each other and smiled. Who knew that spending an hour and a half in a super crowded super Wal-mart would be the best way for us to kick off our weekend?

Though, in my opinion, a trip to the zoo would have been cheaper. Just… not as entertaining.

Good stuff!

GOOD FACTS TO KNOW:
1 . Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish
2. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes
3. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE; it will also condition your hair
4. Elmer’s Glue – paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see
the dead skin and blackheads if any (Biore strips work better and don’t pull the fine hair on your face.) 
6. Shiny Hair – use brewed Lipton Tea
7. Sunburn – empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water
8. Minor burn – Colgate or Crest toothpaste
9. Burn your tongue? Put sugar on it!
10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too
11 Bee stings – meat tenderizer
12. Chigger bite – Preparation H
13. Puffy eyes – Preparation H
14. Paper cut – crazy glue or Chap Stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
15. Stinky feet – Jello !
16. Athletes feet – cornstarch
17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails – Vicks vapor rub
18. Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (Wow, and we drink this stuff)
19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won’t hurt them if they eat it!
20. Peanut butter – will get scratches out of CD’s! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
21. Sticking bicycle chain – Pam no-stick cooking spray
22. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
25. Heavy dandruff – pour on the vinegar !
26. Body paint – Crisco mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice!
27 Tie Dye T-shirt – mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
28. Preserving a newspaper clipping – large bottle of club soda and cup of milk of magnesia , soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years!
29. A Slinky will hold toast and CD’s!
30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.
32. To remove wax – Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter !
34. Baked on food – fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets , soak overnight!
35. Crayon on the wall – Colgate toothpaste and brush it!
36. Dirty grout – Listerine
37. Stains on clothes – Colgate toothpaste
38. Grass stains – Karo Syrup
39. Grease Stains – Coca Cola , it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!
40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax – sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again.
41. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox , or 2 Bayer aspirin, or just use 7-up instead of water.
42. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you ’squeeze’ for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie.
They are:
Monday = Blue,
Tuesday = Green,
Thursday = Red
Friday = White
Saturday = Yellow .
So if today was Thursday, you would want red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue- Green – Red – White – Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember. I thought this was interesting. I looked in the grocery store and the bread wrappers DO have different twist ties, and even the ones with the plastic clips have different colors. You learn something new everyday! Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping.

Don’t forget Gatorade for Migraine Headaches. PowerAde won’t work. Pass this information on to friends so they can be informed.

 

Never Forget…

I have never been to New York, the Pentagon or Pennsylvania, but every year on September 11, I weep for the memories of those lost. I don’t know anyone who died, I haven’t been to ground zero, and I have no idea how I would have reacted if I had been there. I do know this: I am an American, as were they. No matter your ideas on whose fault it was, no matter what political party you belong to, no matter your religion… I think we can all agree that these attacks were horrific and changed our lives forever.

I was a sophomore in college on 9.11.01. I was getting ready for class, in the shower actually when the first plane hit. My entire shower caddy for no reason at all just fell off the shower head and all of my toiletries landed on my toes. Annoyed and in pain, I muttered to myself, this is not going to be a good day. 2 seconds after I had wrapped myself in a towel and prepared to apply my makeup, my roomate’s sister barrelled into our dorm room and frantically told me to turn on my TV. I tuned in just in time to see the second plane hit. It took me a long time to realize that this was real, this was really happening. But why? At 19 years old, I had not educated myself about the world much- except to know that I had lived in foreign countries due to my dad’s job, I spoke spanish and had a wider worldview than many of my fellow students at my tiny Christian college in Bethany, OK. I knew what it was like to live outside of the USA, and because of my sadness while I was gone, I was a girl who LOVED MY COUNTRY, still do, and could not understand why anyone else would hate it.

That day was crazy. Everyone panicked and booked it to 7-11 to fill up their gas tanks because relatives were calling with stories of $10/gallon gas and fears that Oklahoma City would be hit again. Chapel was cancelled, we all gathered together and cried and prayed and tried to make sense of it all. There were rants of the end times which made me mad and scared… I got a call from my aunt that my cousin who worked in the Pentagon was unreachable. That’s when I lost it. I went to the park and sat in my car and railed against God, the Muslims, the world. I didn’t feel any better. I didn’t feel any safer. I went back to my room to see images of desperate people flinging themselves off of buildings because they’d rather die like that than burn to death. I threw up. My aunt called to tell me that my cousin was alive and well. I went to class that night, where no one could concentrate. All of the emotion was dizzying, and just thinking of it today overwhelms me. I cannot imagine what it must be like today for those who were actually there and survived, for those who lost someone close to them, for those who saw it from their rooftops.

Time has calmed me- I know that God has a purpose for it somewhere, even if after 7 years we don’t know what it is. I know that not all Muslims are crazed Jihadists. I know the true depth of sacrifice our troops make to ensure this doesn’t happen again. I don’ think I’ll ever be able to not cry when I see the images from that day. I will never be able to really convey what my heart and mind were going through that day. I will always instill respect and love of country into my daughter, I will always be grateful for the sacrifice of people who put people and country above their own lives and fight to keep America safe. I will always remember the heroes of 9.11.01, and I will never forget.

Click here to remember with me. What about you? Where were you on 9/11 and how did it impact you? I’d love for you to share…

In the words of Martha Stewart, that’s a good thing!

(Side note: Martha is one of my personal heroes when it comes to domestic goddess-ness. Is the woman even real?!)

Something that is always running through my head that I don’t vocalize nearly enough is that my church is awesome. Divine Life is unlike any other church I have been to- it practices Christianity in so many real ways that you are constantly aware of how your life should, can and does affect the world around you (which can actually be pretty annoying when you want to have a selfish fit ). We are Pentecostal in tradition, but probably have the most “un-Pentecostal” order of service that most are used to. We meet on Sunday nights and our service is very… well, I supposed “organic” is a good word to describe it. There is an atmosphere of reverence but the freedom to worship how you want. We have stations that you can visit during service to give of your offerings, take communion, journal, do artwork and submit prayer requests. This encourages me to be an active participant in worship, not just standing there and letting the worship team be the only active participants. The sermons delivered are very intellectual and really make you think. There is usually time at the end for questions and clarification.

Like I said, it is unlike any other church I have attended. I say all of that to give you an idea of what to expect if you ever want to check it out. With so many great options in Oklahoma City, I know you have your pick of which church to visit, so I for one would be super pumped if you showed up

Okay, I said all of that because I want to encourage you all to begin to live out what I dub “Practical Christianity”. We go to church on Sundays and hear about how much God loves us, how we should respond to Him; we get instruction on how to go about this life and how to get through another day. But another thing that should be taking away from Sundays is how to live Christianly. I am no expert on this, to be sure, but hopefully the conscious effort is a good start. As Christians we are to show Christ to everyone. We are to behave in a way that humanizes people, and that takes an effort to get your focus off of yourself.

An example of this from my personal life is a little story from my banking days. I was in college working as a teller and my grandma in Chile had just died over the weekend. I wasn’t going to get to go to the funeral and was dealing with the fact that she wouldn’t be at my wedding which was 2 months away. An older lady came in and did a deposit. Being distracted, I gave her the wrong amount of change (I felt tears coming on and honestly just wanted her to leave so I could go cry in the bathroom). Man, that old lady just laid into me on what an idiot I was, how I was trying to steal her money, blah blah blah. I just burst out crying right here and the whole story poured out of my mouth- “I’m sorry but my grandma just died and I am getting married and she won’t be there and I can’t go to the funeral and I won’t have any closure and let me just count it again, please give me a break I’M HAVING A REALLY BAD DAY!!!”

The look on homegirl’s face was enough to make me feel like a jerk, but I am sure her level of jerkitude was much much higher. She mumbled an apology and sent me flowers the next day. I wasn’t trying to make her feel bad, I just wanted her to understand why I was having a “human moment” and to treat me as such. I’m sure we all try our hardest to think that there is always a reason people act the way they do when they mess up our order, miscount our change or cut us off right before the light turns red. But making a conscious effort to live Christianly, to humanize people by our interaction with them- well, that is rewarding in itself.

I kind of got off on a tangent there but that is one of the greatest things I have learned at DLC. And now I just want to thank my church so much. Ryan and I recently learned of a family in need. They are a family just like any of us- nice house, two cars, two kids, good family. However, due to choices and outside influences and people who DON’T make it a priority to put people above money, they are in a tough spot. Looking for a well-paying job these days isn’t easy and with two small children, simple things like diapers and food can cause major anxiety when it comes time to purchase them.

At our small group, Ryan and I asked for the group to pray for them. We asked them to pray practically, that they find jobs. We asked them to pray spiritually, that God would heal the wounds that the bad turns of luck had inflicted on them. We asked them to pray for the couple’s marriage and for their family. Our small group pastor took the needs, anonymously, to our congregation. The response was amazing- not only because of the amount of diapers and supplies that came in, but that it was for people they didn’t even know. They just know that we care for and love this couple and that they needed some help.

Last night we took the stuff to the family and they were surprised that our church would do that for people they didn’t even know. But to me, and many other Christians in this world, I am sure it would be only natural. There is the mindset of “there is a need that I can help meet, so I do it”. Who cares if they don’t go to my church or don’t belong to my political party… who cares if they live here or North Dakota, who cares what the circumstances are? I am proud to be a part of Divine Life, because it is made up of people who will drop what they are doing, re-prioritize and practice their Christianity. It was more than we asked for, but the impact reached further beyond the phrase “We’ll be praying for you”.

Prayer is essential. Everyday Christianity benefits from prayer and spirituality. But it is most seen and felt when it comes to those practical, everyday actions. I challenge you to implement the goal of humanizing those you come into contact with, and to live it out for all to see. How can that be anything but a good thing?

Props to the single parent

It’s been quite the week for me, and not necessarily in a good way. I feel as though my week was going as Angie’s (as told by her husband Jeremy) did after her vacation- everything was against me. I say this lightly because comparatively, my life is so easy and happy. But I wasn’t thinking that last week when I woke up last Monday morning and felt the razor blades in my throat. I had gone to Tulsa for the weekend with my sister-which was great- but somewhere between here and there I inhaled some dust or something because I woke up feeling awful.

 

I was not happy about the throat infection and migraines that resulted in a trip to the doctor, a huge needle in my hip (OW) and a note instructing me not to go back to work until Monday. Normally I would have been really excited about having a week off, but since I was so sick that Aubrey still had to go to daycare (Ryan took her every morning), I just laid in bed praying for my head to just go ahead and explode already. I haven’t been that sick in a long time so I was glad when, 3 days of antibiotics later, I was able to shower and eat and do things that normal human beings do. I have also missed a lot of church, where most of my close relationships are so I can’t wait til Wednesday when I get to see everyone and hear what’s going on in their lives.

 

As soon as I got better, Ryan left for a fishing trip that he has been planning (and talking about) all summer. My mom was coming to town for the weekend so I didn’t throw the normal fit that I do when he dumps me for 4 days of not showering in search of a striper the size of a Labrador. I had a good weekend but was still a little weak so I was glad my mom was there to help me with the baby and everything else to do with weekend cleaning.

 

 After she left, however, I started to feel the weight of being the only adult around. Ryan and I are equal partners when it comes to most things in our lives, especially Aubrey. I know this and appreciate it but I don’t tell him enough. I know there are a lot of dads out there who don’t change diapers or delight in getting puréed bananas sneezed into their face, but Ryan is one of those guys who does. We have our routine, we have worked it out to the point that we don’t even have to play rock paper scissors anymore on who gets up in the middle of the night for a bad dream.

 

He comes home today and needless to say, I am excited. Aubrey is a remarkably good child, but she’s cutting two teeth and misses her daddy so I am ready to see her smiles when we pick her up from daycare and I am definitely ready for some help! Instead of holding her on my hip as I vacuum while defrosting chicken for dinner, he can take her outside to watch the birds (its their thing- outdoorsy people) while I scramble around my house in an attempt to put it in order so I can sleep at night. I know, I know, that’s a whole other issue, one I am sure Aubrey will remedy as she gets older. J

 

This whole thing got me thinking though, about how many single parent families are out there. I know I am spoiled, but I just don’t know how they do it all and stay calm through it all. I suppose you just do what you have to do, but I have a lot of respect for people who do it, and do it well, without the day to day support from a spouse. So props to the single parents out there- your job is tough but I know your families appreciate the sacrifices you make out of love for them.

 

As for Ryan, I missed him being around too, not just because he helps with the baby or mows the lawn (hmm… that actually needs to be done after all this rain we’ve had…) but I’m ready to hear all about his big fish, feel safe at night, tell him how Aubrey took a step yesterday (!) and to hear him laugh. This week is going to be sooo much better than last week!

Life goals…

I just got my July issue of Real Simple Magazine and it gave me a great idea. Every week, every paycheck, every event in my life usually generates a list. What bills to pay, a grocery list, Aubrey’s birthday party… unless I organize a list and stick to it, I spend too much money on stuff I don’t need.

Most of our schedules benefit from lists. But is it possible that my life, my fulfillment even, could benefit from a “bigger” list?  Here’s my list, and I’m sure I’ll keep adding to it:

 

1- save enough money and pay off all debt so I can truly be a stay at home mom

2- swim with dolphins

3- Go to/live in Italy

4- Learn Italian

5- Write a children’s book

6- Devote time and energy normally spent at work to charity work/school functions

7- Get my masters or become certified to teach

 
What about you? What do you want to do/accomplish/see before you die?