There is a Z, and Happy Monday!

Hi friends! I'm sorry I went MIA for the last week. I'm back to my (mostly) regularly scheduled shenanigans, much to your excitement I'm sure. 

This weekend was pretty nice. I always have a hard time sleeping when the Sarge is gone, at least for the first week. I've been waking up extremely late and going to bed extremely early (in the morning) so my days are all wacky. But it was a good weekend, no less.

1. I would have made my dear friend Ezzie proud, as I had a mega-Lost marathon. I never watched the show originally and I've been saving it for when we turn off the cable when Sergeant J deploys but.. I couldn't wait lol. I saw the first season before we left San Diego, but the second season hadn't quite drawn me in yet. This show is exhausting and I hate several of the characters.. but I really need to know what's going to happen next. So.. am I trendy yet??

2. This.

3. Our neighbor's son is a college man now, but he's back in town. Apparently, the entire neighborhood is made of BFFs.. so everyone came out last night. The boys were playing basketball in our little pseudo cul-de-sac. The girls were sitting around .. doing girl stuff. And my neighbors, the parents, sat in lawn chairs and petted the dogs. And there I was. Alongside the parents. 

It was bittersweet, being with the adults. I mean, I'm obviously too old to be hanging around a bunch of teenagers -- and even for those who don't think I'm too old, mostly they don't interest me that much anyway. I prefer the conversations of adults these days. But it's weird being this person. I'm not sure when I made that transition. I guess it was slow and unintentional.

4. Some might say my love of Essie nail polish is an obsession. ....It kiiinda is.

5. I wouldn't exactly say that I finished that A to Z challenge with a bang, but there WAS a Z. It's for Zurg. You know. ZURG! Zurg means: I have a 12 year old for a husband (in Toy Story speak). But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy Monday, friends!

U is for Update and V is for Veneration

Well, this will be a quick, quick post because I have a "W" all lined up in my mind (which also means I'm caught up!).

The U is for update, which is an update on my 30 before 30.

1. Read 30 books. 
In April, I read...
The Kitchen House / Let's Just Pretend This Never Happened / 

2. Do at least one non-meal Pinterest craft every month. 
In April I took this pin as inpiration: 

So, I'm going to frame it and put these pictures on either side:

the first time the Sarge saw the (Pacific) ocean
at our first duty station in California

Our first time visiting the Atlantic ocean together
in Cocoa Beach, FL

12. Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind". 
As of April, I have answered about one of these so.. yeah.. not much in the way of progress, but it's more than nothing!

19. Establish wills for myself and the Sarge. 
Sergeant J did his this month. So we're half way there.

21. Paint/finish the bathroom. 
YAY!! This one is actually done!! Read the post here: 

23. Buy a dress that makes me feel pretty.

26. Get promoted with Perfectly Posh. 
The goal is to get promoted to Pink Plus 3. I got promoted to Pink Plus 2 at the end of March and it was official April 10th(ish)! So yay!!

---

And, since I don't have much time, the "V" for veneration will be short. 

But recently I've been really convicted about what takes precedence in my life, and what should. Veneration means to hold something in high esteem, or even to worship it. 

Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, our heart also is (Matt 6:21). Since in our culture time is money, it seems to me that where we spend our money and our time says a lot about what we value and what's important to us.

What do I spend my time and money on?

-The first thing I do when I wake up is often check my phone/facebook.
-I have be known to buy video games at full price because I want them as soon as they come out.
-Sometimes I go on App "shopping sprees", easily spending $10 or more on apps that I probably use one or two times. Not a very good steward!
-Often when I can't sleep, I "kill time" on the computer.

We are to be good stewards of what we've been given, including time. Time wasted on the things I listed is time NOT spent "binding" the words of God on my arms and forehead (or in my heart); it's time I'm not serving (or even thinking about) others. What is important to me? I mean... what is REALLY important to me? Not just in word, but in deed?

Am I proud of these things? NO. But I want it to be clear that I'm not just writing these types of posts to preach to you, I'm preaching to myself as well. My seminary's PhD program requires students to chronicle every hour of every day for three months. I'll bet that is a pretty eye opening exercise for people who have dedicated their "lives" to service to God and the Good News of the Gospel.

What do you venerate??

B is for Broken (and blog hop... unrelated.)

I haven't really thought up a theme for my blog posts during this A to Z challenge. As I looked through my obligatory 15 or 20 blogs for Day A, I noticed how many people want to be writers. And you know what? I remember a time when I thought I would love to be a writer. 

So I began to think: what might I write, given the opportunity? Currently, I'm a seminary student so the logical (and truthful) answer is that I would love to write about Jesus! Well.. my first thought was "what a broad topic!", but then I began to think how inadequate I am to write anything worth reading for women looking for Jesus in every day life. For anyone. I'm not smart enough to be considered a theologian, at least not formally, and let's be honest: I struggle with seeing projects through to completion. I'm a jack of many intellectual pursuits, master of none, and I'm not sure I've given sufficient time to any writings I've produced. (Let's be honest... how can you give sufficient time to a topic like the incarnation? Especially when you've got a full course load? It all falls short... painfully short!)

But then I thought about who God is, and the types of people he uses to accomplish his work. People that are broken. People who set out to do one thing, and look back over their day or week or year and realize they have completely failed. People who were not eloquent or well versed, who tried to take matters into their own hands, and sinned and failed and were otherwise imperfect for the task God called them to do. That's me! That's you! 

Have you ever heard someone say, "You want something done right, you've got to do it yourself"? God chose to use people who would get it wrong, so that the world would know his great power. We are not disqualified, like I am often guilty of thinking. Instead, he chooses to use imperfect people to spread the word about his perfect love.. As the song says, "I cannot boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom; but I can boast in Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection!" I'm humbled and confused by the way God works, but I can't deny his plan is working. We are weak and powerless, but somehow great things are still done in his name. And since we can't take credit, he gets the honor.  

William Carey suggested this: "Attempt great things for God; Expect great things for God." And that's about all we can do. But I suggest that part of that process is humbling yourself to a point that we realize that all we can do is "attempt" anything. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Usually when someone is using that verse, they are talking about remaining connected to the "source" of your strength. But the profound comment here is that apart from him, "you can do nothing". 

The BEST I can produce on my own is nothing. 

Wow. Talk about broken. 

So, does that mean that this challenge will be spent writing mini theses about Jesus for the next 24 posts? Nah. I don't think so. Will I sit down and write a book? Well.. probably not on purpose. But being reminded of my complete brokenness and need for the power of Jesus is awfully refreshing. 


"B" Also happens to be for BLOG HOP, which is something I happen to host here on Tuesdays.. It has not exactly "taken off" but I enjoy it lol. Did y'all miss it last week? I was in the middle of Passion Week reflections last week, so I decided to hold off on the blog hop.

 Today I want to know what your top two inspirational quotes are. Mine change most days, but here they are!

source unknown

This is especially true because I started my home business, Perfectly Posh, almost a year ago to the date. I earned a big promotion last month and I can truly say I would have missed out on SO many fun times and friendships if I hadn't started when I did. For you it might not be Perfectly Posh. But there is SOMETHING that you've been toying with. Stop living your life waiting for the perfect moment. There is no perfect moment! Start NOW. Tomorrow is not promised!!






Word.

Take Heart...

This is the fourth of a week long reflection on Jesus' sacrifice. Join me tomorrow for more Passion Week Reflections.

Today is last supper day. Right before he is handed away, Jesus held Passover, instituted communion, and WASHES his disciples' feet (john 13-17).

As I read over today's passage, I thought that I would share just a few verses that the Lord pointed out to me.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." (John 14:23-24)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15:8)

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)

"In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 15:33b)

These are Jesus' last words to his disciples. And what stands out to me is that he is concerned about how they behave. It's almost like listening to the dying wishes or the will of a family member: we are so willing to do what they wanted because it was the last thing they said as they knew their time was ending. Jesus warns his disciples that behaving in obedience to him would cost them acceptance, just as it did Him. But, right before he prays for them (and us) in chapter 17, He reminds us that he has already overcome the world. 

I think with all that is going on this week, we should remember Jesus' final prayer for us. He says,

 "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth."

In this last day before we commemorate Jesus' sacrifice, let's we examine our hearts and consider his last will and testament: that we love one another to set ourselves apart, and that we obey his word. It may be difficult or uncomfortable to take the side of truth sometimes, but take heart: he has overcome the world! A special dinner may be in order as we celebrate what God did for the Israelites, and what He has done for us. 

Authority

This is the second of a week long reflection on Jesus' sacrifice. Join me tomorrow for more Passion Week Reflections.

After all the ruckus Jesus caused in the temple yesterday, the religious leaders of the day wanted to know what gave him the right to do what he did. (Matt 21:23-27). Then he taught in the temple and sparred with the leaders (Matt 21:28-25:46).

Jesus' response to the question of the source of his authority was to ask the leaders another question: from  where did the authority of John's baptism come? The leaders were in a conundrum. They couldn't say from heaven, because it would make them look bad. He pointed to Jesus as the Messiah and they had not listened to him. But if they said from man, they would face a potential riot because John was recognized as a prophet and respected by the masses. 

The chief priests and elders made the same mistake that many of us make when faced with Jesus. We are hesitant to admit the truth about him, that he truly is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), but we don't want to insult him by saying that he was anything less than a "good teacher". The popular argument is that Jesus was either Lord, a liar, or a plain lunatic. No one would get away with saying or doing the things Jesus did without being a complete fraud or just plain crazy... unless he was telling the truth. If he's a liar or a lunatic, why even bother calling yourself a Christian? And if liar and lunatic don't fit the bill, the Lord must be the answer. Why? Because that makes all he proclaimed the truth.

The ultimate answer of the leaders was, "We don't know". And I have to believe Jesus was a little snarky in answering them: "Well.. if you don't know, neither do I" (my paraphrase of course!). I think Jesus was making a point: you're acting like you don't know, but you do; two can play at that game! 

So where are we? Jesus is Lord and his authority comes from God (Matt 28). That's not an easy conclusion to draw, though, because it has some serious implications. If he is Lord, as he claims, then he must carry authority as a Lord. That means, we ought to do what he says. This is especially true in light of the sacrifice he made. The disciples and the chief priests and elders did not have history to reflect upon, but we do. We know the result of his death and resurrection, and there are hundreds of theologians who can describe its implications for us. 

On this day of controversy, read his final teachings to the leaders and his wondering disciples (Matt. 21:23-25:46). Who do you think Jesus is, and where does he get his authority? Do you truly believe that he is Messiah? Savior? God? And have you been acting like you believe it? Let us choose this day whom we will serve, and do it wholeheartedly. 

Temple Cleansing

This is the first of a week long reflection on Jesus' sacrifice. Join me tomorrow for more Passion Week Reflections.

Today is Temple Cleansing Day (Mark 11:15-19).

This morning I read Malachi 3:1-9. The temple was to be called a house of prayer for all people (Isa. 56:7), but instead he found tables set up in the outer courts, exchanging currencies (probably at outrageous rates) for the temple tax and selling items needs for the various sacrifices (see Leviticus for more about that!). He came as "refiner and purifier" to those who were robbing the Lord by creating a financial barrier between God and his people. Not only that, but the outer court was the only place where Gentiles could worship and pray to the God of Israel. He also curses a fig tree, which had no fruit but was full of leaves (like fig trees do when they're ready to bear fruit).

Perhaps my temple, that was made for God's glory and HIS purposes, is in need of some cleansing. I am quick to call myself a Christian, Jesus lover, Christ follower -- but what about me is unpleasing to Him or unnecessary for his purposes? I won't speak for anyone else, but I have to say that I have lots of barriers between my world and the Kingdom of God. Is blogging in the way, or Facebook? What's the first thing I reach for in the morning, my phone or my Bible? Why do I do the things I do?

If I'm honest, I'm treating much of my life as my own. Much of what I do is fueled by self-interest. Paul says "if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Rom 8:13). But praise God, he has paid the price for me to have the rights of an heir! There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ (v. 1). Does that mean go on sinning, never trying to improve or change? Of course not! I am not longer a slave to sin, should I continue on under its power? Jesus was lead like a lamb to the slaughter so that I would not have to live as a slave to the sinful nature. And the proper way to show my gratitude is to do what HE has asked me to do.

The truth is that obedience is imperative in the lives of Christ followers. So you believe in God? Awesome. Even demons believe in God. Because he is real. So what is setting you apart from the demons? Who is your master? Are we fig trees full of leaves but lacking the fruit of obedience? Let's use today to "cleanse" our temples.. What needs to be confessed and repented for in our lives?

Prayer with beads, after the jump.

I love bandwagons.

Since I'm turning "21" today, I thought I should act celebrate appropriately. 

Well, as many of you know, I had a 101 in 1001 list. It's supposed to be up this summer, but since we moved smack dab in the middle of it, it has been neglected and is nowhere near complete. (And definitely not because I started neglecting it  way before the move.) So I decided to try something a little less ambitious different. (I will renew the 1001 though... don't you worry.)

I'm trying the 30 before 30. That means in the next year nine years I will attempt to complete this "bucket list". Part of this will be during a deployment, so maybe I'll actually complete it! I am the WORST when it comes to starting and abandoning things, so maybe posting it on my blog will be some incentive. (Because apparently, self-motivation and personal achievement aren't enough for me).


1. Read 30 books. I mean, Books that I haven't read already. 
2. Do at least one non-meal Pinterest craft every month. Because.. what are we pinning for?
3. Spend my 30th birthday in another city (NYC is preferred). I love this city and I'm on the East Coast now, why not? And while I'm at it, try to get a couple friends together to do it with me.
4. Complete the 30 day shred (Jillian Michaels). I stole this one from my pal Brittney. I've been working on my fitness for a while anyway. This seems just about right. 
5. Run (walk or crawl) to complete a 5k. Maybe signing up for one will inspire to finish my Zombies, Run 5k program!
6. Get a gun. You know, so I can stand my ground.
7. Pay off (at least) one student loan or debt.
8. Write a letter (by hand) to five people I love.
9. Visit a Florida orange grove. There has to be one open to the public somewhere. 
10. Save up $1000 for our Italy trip.
11. Stop talking and start acting on adopting. We have a friend in Haiti and hopefully we can get some help adopting a kiddo from my little island!
12. Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind". I have actually started already, but I want to finish it in the next year!
13. Write a letter to future me at FutureMe.org. 
14. Have a month without fast food. Seems reasonable.
15. Eat vegetarian for one week. I don't LOVE meat as it is, I enjoy it occasionally but I'm not a "meat and potatoes girl" as it is. Potatoes, yes. Meat.. meh. So while Sergeant J is gone, I'm going to try out the "other side"... and no... I will not give up my butter.
16. Read a book of at least one movie I have seen. The one that comes to mind is "The Notebook" but hopefully I can come up with something less depressing.
17. Read the LXX. In its entirety. Just because I want to.
18. Write all my bad memories on paper. Burn this paper afterwards. Cleansing.
19. Establish wills for myself and the Sarge. 
20. Finish my furnishing and decorating my office. Right now, it is a storage space. This is a bigger task than it seems because it means that I have to get the garage into storage-space shape.
21. Paint/finish the bathroom. Grey. Probably Pewter.
22. No soda for one month. To get my skin back!
23. Buy a dress that makes me feel pretty.
24. Buy (or make... HA!) curtains for the bedrooms. (/2) Hopefully before the nasty pleasantly warm Florida summer kicks in.
25. Have the neighbors over for dinner. Before the Sarge leaves preferably!
26. Get promoted with Perfectly Posh. To PP3! 
27. Find a small group.
28. Run a 12 minute mile. May not be ambitious for some of you... but for me, it definitely IS!
29. Buy a gift from a random Target wedding registry. I've always wanted to do this but never have. SOME bride is gonna get a surprise! (Or some teenager is going to get a potato masher that they really don't need and I'll be creeper of the year. I might be creeper of the year either way. Whatevs.)
30. Achieve a 60 second plank. Again... perhaps not so ambitious to the friends of the happy life blog, but a big deal to me!
Bonus!: Complete something you meant to complete before, but never did!


Have any of you done a 30 by 30? we're you smarter than me and started before 30 was looking you in the face?

being perfect

 
 hello all. i've been away from the blog world for a while for various reasons... and i can't promise that i'm back (to anyone who was curious) but i will say HAPPY LEAP DAY! did you know that people who turn 21 on a leap day are not "officially" of legal age until march first? that's a bummer, isn't it?

i have a lot going on. being a part of two bible studies, leading one of them, possibly becoming someone's mentor (who let that happen?!), trying to plan and maintain all of the household issues, working for a few hours a week, and of course, a full load at school ( which -- how do you moms deal with the issue of going back to school? and working, some of you full time?! i can't even manage the house and feed my husband without having a nervous break down!). there are a lot of demands on me right now and i'm sure a lot of you can relate.

and pinterest (don't ask me when i have time to pin.. just don't ask!) doesn't help. isn't it just a gallery of how people are doing things so well? isn't it just an opportunity to figure out how many ways you are not making the mark?

my organization board is full of immaculate homes that speak to budgets larger than my own (even stuff from the dollar store adds up once you consider sprucing the stuff up)

my style pin board is full of awesome clothes so that people can dress like an adult while i feel like i'm a teenager masquerading. and let's be honest.. it never quite looks the same on my body.

my recipe board is full of scrumptious and (sometimes) healthy eats. and i'd love to cook them... but when? and let's not forget that i should be counting my points and finding time to work out. let's not even get on that southbound train.

and i feel like i'm not connected to God like i want to be. do you ever think that? beat yourself up because you didn't have a quiet time today? wonder what a quiet time is even supposed to consist of?



tell me i'm not the only one who has dealt with this? you don't have to comment or raise your digital hand, because i already know. augustine had it right: the Lord has formed us for himself, "and our hearts are restless" until we find him. seek the lord for peace and completeness this week. HE is your strength.


stop the madness!


take a deep breath with me.



he knows how we are formed. he remembers that we are dust. (ps 103)

and he is not shaken. (is 54)

in fact, his power is made perfect in weakness. (2 co 12)

WE cannot do it all -- he never asked us to. we rely on HIS purpose. so that he gets the glory. that's the point -- it's not about us!

and there is NO CONDEMNATION in him! (rom 8)

we cannot be perfect. he doesn't even expect us to. isn't that a relief?

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me
and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

girls. let's live in something greater than ourselves this week! i hope to hear from you about what you're giving up control of today, right now! he loved us enough to die. can't we love him enough to live the life he paid such a great price for?

day 26.

How have you changed in the past two years?

i thought that with just a few days left of the challenge, i would actually post on time. 

to think about two years ago is weird; i was newly engaged but still pretty immature. i was working at a place i was totally unhappy and not fulfilled, i was dealing with trust issues with sergeant j... yes.. trust issues after engagement! what?! i was fresh out of college struggling with a lot of things.

the main thing i remember was about making friends and having meaningful friendships. i love my friends, but it is hard to make new ones! i have never had a huge group of friends who went out together and all that but i think it's something i've always kind of wanted. but God has prepared me throughout my life for exactly the life he has called me to. i haven't had a lot of friends. i have a lot of acquaintances from my past but not friends. from each stage of my life (except college), i can really pick out one or two people who i would really now consider friends. college was just different. i had friends and a pretty awesome social life but as much as i love those people today, it's just different. i can't explain it. anyway, not many friends in my lifetime.

and it took me 27 years to be okay with that. for no apparent reason, my life has been marked by change. we only moved once, but i never stayed at the same school for long; always coming into groups of friends that had already been formed. and now i'm a military wife.. isn't that the whole story? so i've totally matured, and through that i've gotten so much closer to God. or maybe it's the other way around.

i've also gained weight. but we won't talk about that.

JOIN THE PARTY!
it's never too late to spring clean. click here for more info on our 30-day blog challenge.

*please link to today's post only, rather than your main blog page. there will be a new linky tomorrow! the main link up is located on the spring forward tab at the top of the page :))

challenge day 16: the eyes of a child

wow! we're half done with this challenge. i've been creeping on you guys who signed up and you all are so funny and challenging and interesting. i'm glad we're doing this. i hope it's making you think about life and where you are today, at least a little :)




what do you miss most about your childhood?

<< source >>

i miss innocence. i miss just living, enjoying baths, coloring, and walks and mommy and daddy time. things are awesome for me right now (mostly) but there is just something sad about growing up. i recently discovered (or realized) that my best friend growing up (who was my cousin) never really liked me. i mean, an adult watching our little lives would have picked that up easily. but where is that sweet joy of not thinking of other's ulterior motives or distrusting them because of past hurt? but i like being an adult. not because i can do whatever i want (although.. that's a cool part of it), but because the first heartbreak, like the first fall, is tragic.

i heard a quote once and i can't remember how it goes exactly, but it's something like this: enjoy your youth because it is youth, but enjoy your old age because it is not. or, as baz luhrmann put it:

enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. oh nevermind; you will not

understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

but trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and

recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before

you and how fabulous you really looked…

you’re not as fat as you imagine.

everybody's free (to wear sunscreen)

JOIN THE PARTY!
it's never too late to spring clean. click here for more info on our 30-day blog challenge.

*please link to days 14 & 15 posts only, rather than your main blog page. there will be a new linky tomorrow! the main link up is located on the spring forward tab at the top of the page :))

challenge day 13: spiritual life

where are you spiritually, in a valley or on a mountain?

it has been said that if you aren't in a storm, you're coming out of one or about to get into one. this is the way our lives happen. my life seems to be in a storm: i'm having a tough time feeling the call in my work, we've just spent about three times the budgeted amount for our car maintenance, i'm battling some serious issues of finding my role in this world, my husband is going through some tough stuff that doesn't seem to make sense, and (like most girls) i'm feeling inadequate and painfully plain... but i'd actually have to say that spiritually, i'm feeling like i'm heading up a mountain! (maybe not quite to the top yet haha!) i feel closer to God and my purpose each day, although i'm not sure how.

it's difficult to explain, but even though the outward signs of spiritual strength are few, the feeling of growing is definitely present. i think that God is growing my faith in him through these small-ish blows. also, i realize that my purpose in this life is not a wife and mother (though that's going to be an important role). God has called us all to further his kingdom, and that can be a very scary thing, especially for someone like me who has been good at a lot but never great at anything. i've come to this conclusion:

the call on my life is something i can't handle.
but if i can do it on my own, it's not God.

and there is peace in that.

<< source. >>

"I'm convinced that God, who began this good work in [me], will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus."
Phil 1:16

and i leave with what is probably my favorite song right now:

JOIN THE PARTY!
it's never too late to spring clean. click here for more info on our 30-day blog challenge.

*please link to today's post, rather than your main blog page. there will be a new linky tomorrow! the main link up is located on the spring forward tab at the top of the page :))

success

have you heard?  i'm sponsoring a giveaway!  enter here.

brittney's 30 day blog challenge, day 2:

my definition of success

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (john 15:5-6)

hm, this is a really good topic.  honestly, i consider myself inadequate at a lot of things, and i think that is the way we're made (as demonstrated by the verse above).  my goal is to do God's work on earth in obedience to his will for his kingdom and my life. i only know what pleases God because of his Word...which is the guideline for my life.  i think living a life of personal integrity (being a woman of my word) and being full of compassion for his children is what makes you successful here on earth.  being fully entangled in his ways and will, putting no other thing before my desire for discovering his heart and giving him mine.

i consider healthy relationships successes, especially with family (husbands, siblings, parents, and children).  a more finite, personal measure of success would include the ability to communicate effectively and sincerely.  other things that i consider success are finishing what you start and doing what you set out to do with a right attitude, learning from your past, listening to and applying good and Godly counsel, and being able to share your knowledge and wisdom with others.  also, your motivation: doing nothing out of selfish ambition, but considering others better than yourself (phil 2:3). 

i definitely do NOT think money or possessions are a measure of success, but attitude and one's heart.

tomorrow: favorite teacher.  oh goodness.  this ought to be good. 

and, because i feel like it, i am showing you this video... which i've probably watched twice a day since i heard about it.

get over to brittney's blog and LINK UP!!

giving thanks!

first, i hope everyone had a happy veterans day holiday!  i had to work, actually, but the Sarge and carin's hubby josh took the kds and had a free meal at applebee's, where i got the unexpected news that the food didn't suck.  i have NEVER known applebee's to be good.  ...well, they didn't say GOOD, but not horrible.  while they were gone, carin and i decided that we are going to do thanksgiving together!  we have so much food planned already, even the six of us probably can't eat it all!  but it's exciting none the less.  you should go by her blog and say hello, all because two people fell in love.

we brought in the stray cat, for those of you who remember my earlier post.  he is a great cat, but i think i'm allergic so we're going to have to call base animal control if we don't find someone to take him by tomorrow (sunday).  that makes me really sad!  i posted about him on our local website, but only one person responded and she backed out today.  gah.  we feed him twice a day and the Sarge is starting to get attached to him.  never good.  but in addition to being allergic, i also know that if we keep him, the Sarge will start to get irritated by him (especially if he does things the Sarge doesn't like...)

he has a little tassel on the end of his tail... does anyone know what kind of cat that makes him?  he doesn't have any other distinctive traits really.  we do think he's young though, because he is really playful.

the Sarge got out of bed to feed him today and came back saying, "i know what it feels like to be hungry... but i can make my own food.  poor little guy."  and it made me think, we are really blessed.  we get all funny looking in the pantry at shelves full of food and saying "there's nothing to eat!"  or racks full of clothes with "nothing to wear."

we are wealthy... maybe not by america's ridiculously exorbitant standards, but we really are. i am thankful for what i have.  think before you speak today...  

how unsatisfied have you become with your wealth?

diary entries

These excerpts from the diaries of pets likely in the same situation: provided for, sheltered, and cared for.  Yet, somehow, so different...


Excerpts from a dog's diary.

  8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
  9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
  9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
  1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
  3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
  5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
  7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
  8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a cat's diary. 

Day 983 of My Captivity
    My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

    The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape...

read more at good eats

What consumes your thoughts?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor. 10:5