Christmas Day

I learned something today, a valuable piece of knowledge for anyone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen. Did you know that to prevent burning and watery eyes while cutting an onion you just put a piece of bread in

your mouth? Well, you don't need a whole piece, I just used half a heel today...but IT WORKED! And that excites me, because I hate burning my eyes out due to onion vapor. Its weird cuz the gas rising from the onion reacts with the water in your eyes to produce sulfuric acid, but I guess the moisture in the bread must help block the speedy transit to the optical region by soaking up some of the vapors. hmmm. fun stuff.

anyhoot, I got the best Christmas presents ever this year.

Here's the list:

cordless drill complete with bits

golf hat

set of mini hand carved wooden ducks

chopsticks complete with oriental cookbook

book on prayer by oswald chambers

boxed set of 7 harmonicas (yes, seven)

frog hat and matching scarf

set of knives (kitchen not throwing)

an old fashioned malt maker (used, even better, and mint green!)

Story from my childhood

The setting was the Brockett Apartment #12, Camelot West, a nice cozy brick building in view of I-235 and conveniently located a block from the local Chuckie Cheese. The occasion was a night out on the town for Mel, Doe, Larry, and Sue while the Nelson children entertained themselves at the apartment of Sue's parents (Mel and Doe). We were old enough to take care of ourselves, since Brad and Lisa were in high school (17 and 18, respectively) and I was 8.

The adults were all dooded up and excited for a night out. Even us kids were waiting in eager anticipation for a night alone, mainly for the cable tv and 12 tins of homeade chocolate chip cookies that were stashed at random in grandma's kitchen. So after some harried goodbyes and admonitions from mom on personal conduct and bedtimes the adults were off, leaving us all alone. Freedom.

After overloading our guts with pizza and cookies we stretched out in the tv room to watch...what else, the Bulls game or some such NBA sporting event. Let me pause here and set the scene for you:

I, The youngest of the bunch, am on the couch in my homeade pink pajamas that grams made me, holding my stuffed bunny who is suited in a matching set of pink pajamas. Brad is sitting next to me with an arm casually draped over the back of the couch and one lef up restin on the other. He's sporting a red and blue striped sweat band across his forehead, which not only functions as a sweat collector, but also prevents his white fro from obstructing his view of the game. His mint green cheetah t-short coordinates well with his gray cut-off sweatpants. Lisa, chilling on the far side of the room in another chair, is wearing her favorite pair of purple spandex and a pink Mickey and Minnie

mouse tee, hair securely tied in a large multicolored

scrunchie, bangs well fluffed. We'll say that the NBA

shootout was on tv that night, which would have

heightened the excitement for the evening as Brad and

Lisa followed every game and kept up on every player.

During commercial breaks Brad and Lisa most likely

entertained themselves by forcing me to press my nose

down as faras possible and exclaiming to one another,

"look, she has a Scotty Pippen nose!". Other than three

feet, dark skin, and 150 lbs., Scotty and I were identical twins. And the obsession with the Bulls team didn't stop there. Brad never made a lay-up on the court without sticking his tongue out of his mouth and Lisa forced the whole family to eat wheaties every day for a month just so she could collect the boxes with the Bulls team on them. She still has them to this day in out basement along with a McDonalds Bulls team cup collection. High quality stuff. So, back to the story...commercial breaks.

It was during one of these commercial breaks that I ventured out to the kitchen. The purpose of the trip fails me because the scene that I encountered in the kitchen prevented me from accomplishing much of anything. Something was amiss. Oh, it was quiet, other than the soft whir of the

dishwasher as it switched cycles and the soft clang of the wind chimes grandpa

had hung out on the deck. I paused at the point where the dining room carpet met the

yellow kitchen linoleum and stared in awer and wonder at Bubbleland. Yes, there were soap suds everywhere. I had just entered and 82 degree winter wonderland. My 8 year old mind was able to deduce the source of the soap bubbles as I watched the

dishwasher heave, puff, and spew them out. I knew enough about dishwashers

to bet my money on the fact that this was not a normal occurance. And though

none of us had ever used a dishwasher, it obviously hadn't prevented us from

loading it with dishsoap and running a load. Wait...did I say dishsoap? Never underestimate the power of Dawn. It will not only get those dishes spotless, it will also mop your floor or rug doctor your carpet.

After staring in amazement for several seconds, I forced my jaw closed and walked casually back into the tv room.

"Guys, there's bubbles in the kitchen." I stated rather calmly. I don't usually get worked up that easily.

"Right Chrissy." Brad gave me a look as his gaze swung from me back tot he television set. Typical male.

"Guys I am serious! There are bubbles coming out of the dishwasher!" Now I was getting riled.

Lisa gave me an odd look and roused Brad off the couch to go look with her. And there were bubbles all over. This could have been the greatest bubble bath ever, or one heck of a soap sud fight, but we were Nelsons and that meant that we'd had our share of butt beatings. We didn't see belts, spoons, and books in the same way most people did, rather we saw them as objects of wrath. So once the shock wore off all we could do was think of how to get ourselves out of this mess. Beads of sweat began to form and run down our faces. Well at least mine and Lisa's. Brad was well prepared with that nifty sweat band.

So what do you do with an 8' by 10' kitchen two feet deep in soap suds? You don't solve a story problem like that in 5th grade math class. The folks were due back within an hour and we had a kitchen full of suds. There was only one solution. We called it the bubble brigade. It involved raiding the Tupperware cabinet and treading a path to the bathroom where the bubbles were deposited in the tub, sink, toilet...anything with a functional drain. We wiped down the floors with bath towels once all the bubbles had been removed. We made a pact in blood to never tell, and we didn't tell for at least 15 years...thanks to the folks for putting the fear of God in us at an early age. No one suspected a thing when they arrived home, even the large pile of wet towels seemed to go unnoticed, probably excused as the remains of one of my famous 2 hour bubble baths.

Keynesian Economics

So of course I am now reading this book about the economy, but its a biblical perspective. even better. so, there's an excerpt about John Maynard Keynes...maybe you've heard of Keynesian economics? so he says this in reference to the following quote by Lenin:

"By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens." -Lenin

"There is no sublter to surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does so in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose."-Keynes

Here's some other unique history on Keynes (1883-1946):

He was a part of two Eugenics Societies, and in 1946 declared eugenics the most important, significant, and genuine brance of sociology which exists. He was an agnostic. He made the front cover of Time magazine in 1965. He helped found the World Bank and Internation Monetary Fund. He led a homosexual lifestyle until world war 1. He was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, well known for polyfidelity. According to Keynesian economics the state should stimulate economic growth and improve stability in the private sector - through, for example, interest rates, taxation and public projects.

Royal Butt Bruising

Tuesday night was our house Christmas celebration...actually more of a

street celebration...with my sis and i are two upstairs roomies and a couple

of girls who live down the street. The girls upstairs were in charge of meat

and veggie...and i volunteered to pick up a loaf of bread at the bakery

down the street. I headed out the back door at about a quarter of six

in hopes of it still being open.

Now our back entrance is kind of like 459 Darello Street...if you've ever seen the movie, "What's Up Doc?" There are at least 8 stairs and they are wooden and rickety. So, as I was saying, I headed out the door, keys in hand for a walk down the street.

I hit the fifth step and found the foot support to be lacking...accompanied by a sheer covering of ice...not a good combo for the old boots. My feet flew out from under me and I landed with a thud on the ground, luckily managing not to crack my skull on the cement. Ok...crushing blow to the buttox and ego, but worst off was the launching of my keys into orbit as I had gone down for the count.

The hunt began. And continued...until my sis arrived home from work at six...she joined the search team along with one of the girls upstairs. The neighbor guy pulled in the drive and asked if we'd lost some keys. funny thing. He came out 5 minutes later with a magnetic wand. I whipped that thing around in the air like a fairy godmother before attacking the snow with a vengeance. Needless to say we searched for an hour that night with no luck...and in the morning for an hour and a half. My distress would not have been great had I a spare set of keys...but alas, i did not. that would be too logical. i had myself a win win situation. a nice butt bruising accompanied by a bill for a car tow and ignition replacement. yay! FIND THE KEY! so at this point i had a good cry...and then returned outside for a last hurrah. I raked up the area under the stairs through which we had looked at least 10 times. Lisa began hand sorting the leaves, snow, soot, and schmeel into our green recycling bin. Suddenly crying out I found em! I FOUND EM! She raised her hands in triumph. I turned in disbelief. She looked at me and burst into tears...sobs shaking her body. We hugged. I vowed to attach a hubcap or large spatula to my keys, fix our step, and buy some yak traks. ( FYI: Dollar General attaches bathroom keys to unusual and large kitchen utensils...such as ladles, etc.)

And the moral of this story is: Seek and ye shall find if ye seek with all of your heart, soul, and mind.

Other findings: a pair of my flip flops in the flower bed, and four nails thanks to magnetic wandage.

Wintry Wonderland

Top Ten Christmas Favorites in no Particular Order:

1. Day after Thanksgiving decorating

2. Holiday music..esp. records like nat king cole, bing crosby, and manheim steamroller

3. Snowfalls

4. Ice skating at Brenton Plaza with a particularly endearing view of downtown des moines

5. Shopping in valley junction or anywhere local for christmas gifts

6. Joke gifts with the fam...one of our most long term traditions

7. Garfield's Christmas movie special every year on Christmas morning

8. Light picking...as i've heard it so called.

9. Christmas caroling!

10. Gift giving(especially homeade gifts!)

Top Ten Christmas Unfavorites in no Particular Order:

1. Fruitcake

2. Blow up yard ornaments

3. Ugly Christmas sweater parties...cmon people...be original.

4. Being packed in Wal-Mart or Target with 4 crazed shoppers and you per square foot

5. Eggnog in large quantities

6. Trying to get out of our driveway after a heavy show or ice

7. My room with no radiator or heating device of any kind

8. Songs like Christmas shoes, Christmas in Iowa, and Last Christmas as sung by Wham, hottest pop group to hit the stage in 1981

9. 24 hours straight of The Christmas Story

10. The 10 lbs. you thought you wouldn't gain during the holiday season but now have to resolve to take off in the next 10 mo. before you put it right back on again

Sleep sack

So I made this sleep sack several months ago for my nephew. I started it at about 11 at night after I got off work and finished it about 3 am. I wanted my sister to be able to take it to him that morning when she left to go visit our brother and his wife 3 hours away. I made the pattern out of tissue paper. The whale fabric is just a light cotton, but it is lined with white fleece. I attempted a zipper, but at 3 am was unsuccessful...so I just did velcro strips in the front.

hero of the faith

In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell. -William Booth

I found this quote in one of my old journals today and found it interesting to note that Booth(1829-1890) said this in reference to the 20th century which is now over so we can evaluate his prediction. He was dead on. ps- check out his sweet beard.

Jesus for President

I am reading a new book about religion and politics, my two favorite subjects.... and here's an interesting excerpt:

Most of the ugliness in the human narrative comes from a distorted quest to possess beauty. Coveting begins with appreciating blessings. Murder begins with a hunger for justice. Lust begins with a recognition of beauty. Gluttony begins when our enjoyment of the delectable gifts of God start to consume us. Idolatry begins when our seeing a reflection of God in something beautiful leads to our thinking that the beautiful image bearer is worthy of worship.

continuing on i found this real winner quote from Harry Truman:

"Having found the atomic bomb, we have used it. We shall continue to use it...It is an awful responsibility which has come to us. We thank God that it(the atomic bomb) has come to us instead of to our enemies and we pray that he may guide us to use it in his ways and for his purposes."

wait...did i just read that correctly? excuse me, but who made us the moral police? and using weapons of mass destruction in the name of God? i suppose his purposes line up with the US domination of the globe all in the name of freedom. what a concept.

another great quote:

"Every war...with all its ordinary consequences...the murder with the justifications of its necessity and justice, the exaltation and glorifications of military exploits, the worship of the flag, the patriotic sentiments...and so on, does more in one year to pervert men's minds than thousands of robberies, murders, and arsons perpetrated during hundreds of years by individual men under the influence of passion." -Leo Tolstoy

A Father's Love

So I've been struck by some new thoughts lately. Yesterday I had a discussion with a friend about intimacy. And I was asking that person whether or not it was something they ever desired or sought after. This morning I heard the song Divine Romance in a new light. It had never really been one of my favorite Phil Wickham songs, but I had new perspective today.

The fullness of Your grace is here with me The richness of Your beautys all I see The brightness of Your glory has arrived In Your presence God, I am completely satisfied For You I sing I dance Rejoice in this divine romance Lift my heart and my hands To show my love, to show my love A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You Of deep deep love, yeah its filling up the room Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life.

How I am confirming my love for the Lord? A romance is known to make people crazy, foolish some might even say. The evidence of love is all around in every word and action. It is a mutual pursuit to know and be known.

I was really challenged today to dedicate myself to pursuing intimacy with the Lord. To open up all the areas of my life to Him: my heart, my mind, my emotions. To understand that he is like the treasure in the field that once found is again hidden and then bought in exchange for all the other pleasures of this life. His sacrifice and love for me has proven that He is worth loving, trusting, and pursuing. He is my everything.

recent project

I was recently put in charge of table decorations for a women's coffeehouse at my church and ended up making 300 paper boxes with chocolate covered pretzels in them...whew. also, though i didn't get any pictures of them the centerpieces on the tables were twig trees with cutout paper birds and swirligigs on them. they were super fun.

the end of an era

I had a new client on monday. I clean private homes to supplement the fact that I am technically only part time at my other job. I think this is the last one I can take on without overdoing. So this little man greets me at the door and gives me the grand tour of the place complete with an all blue bathroom...(yes!). I was enamored by the ceramic blue toilet...i won't lie. anyhoo, cleaning their house was a good time. its always fun to interact with people and see how people live, the weird collections on their dressertops, the family photos, etc.

As I was busy scrubbing down one of the bathrooms, the little gentleman was in his "office" listening to the radio. And it was oddly comforting. It got me to thinking about my grandpa, how he'd be out in the garage...his so called "shop" as he was a carpenter and he'd hooked up the radio to turn on whenever the lights went on. He'd be listening to the news, talk radio, or sports...never music. Its funny how different generations get news. Ours is definitely an internet generation. I read the newspaper everyday, but I want to get into the habit of listening to talk radio more often. And just embracing the simplicity of the life the generations before us have led.

What will the future hold?

as my brother would say we've got BO for four years.
Obama got the presidency...and we wait curiously for the passing of the next for years and the possibile fulfillment of the Biden/Powell/Albrecht prophecy or "testing" shall we say. hmmm. can't wait to see what goes down in the next year. and sincerely hoping for the return of Christ.

A is for current ANNOYANCE: people who won't stop complaining
B is for number of BABIES you want to have: honestly...i could go for four or five
C is for what you CAN'T wait for right now: leaving work
D is for your DOG'S name: don't have one...but i used to and his name was axle foley
E is for EARNINGS you make per hour: 10.71-11.71
F is for FAVORITE TV show: Lost
G is for GREATEST accomplishment: graduating from college
H is for HERO: my dad
I is for favorite ICE CREAM shop: Coldstone
J is for favorite JUICE: cranberry
K is for who's butt you want to KICK: eh...i'll pass
L is for LAST food you ate: a cracker pack
M is for MARITAL status: single
N is for your dads middle NAME: Alen
O is for last trip to the OCEAN: spring of 2006 (Indian)
P is for PEOPLE you can't live with out: family, housemates
Q is for last time you had peace and QUIET: my morning devos
R is for last door bell you RANG: my grandmas
S is for last bee or wasp STING: i was 8 or something...and i stepped on it.
T is for the highlight of TODAY: when i accidentally called marsha "greg" at work...i have poor lateral vision...
U is for whats UNDER your bed: a couple pillows and a bible and a hat box full of scarves
V is for last time you wore a life VEST: August of 2007 Family vacay to minnesota
W is for how much WATER you drink daily: not enough.
X is for last time you were truly (e)X-CITED!: when my dad modeled his new birthday clothes
Y is for YESTERDAYS events: cleaned house, walked to dahls with bo, made soup, worked
Z is for what you have ZERO of: radiators in my room...or any source of heat for that matter

self discovery

i figured something out today that has been bothering me for a couple of weeks.

i have been feeling overwhelmed by insecurities.
i have been feeling defensive.
i have been feeling disconnected.
i have been feeling uncertain.

all these things have been brewing under the surface and in my usual manner i have managed to just ignore them and deny their existence. i am very good at being strong and controlling my emotions. i've born it through life circumstance.

this morning i spent extra time with the Lord in the word and in prayer and i felt refreshed. i felt like He'd missed me, even though i'd been reading every day...i don't think i've been connecting emotionally. once in awhile maybe. but i don't like to be vulnerable. when everybody around me is vulnerable i feel responsible to maintain this strong presence. some stability in the midst of chaos and mayhem. i hate weakness.

i am hoping God can teach me that weakness and vulnerability are beautiful things to be shared...that sharing them can impact others and strengthen relationships.

Wal-Mart

Today I made a trip to the local Wal-Mart. I had a list which I almost always do in order to make the most of my time. So I was going at a pretty quick clip through wally other than a delay in fabrics (my greatest weakness). It was 1pm and I had to be at work at 2:30 so I wasn't dilly dallying. I paid for my purchases and grabbed my bags and headed for the exit. As I was walking by customer service I made eye contact with this little old lady sitting on a bench next to a bunch of other people. She locked eyes with me and started talking,but I couldn't hear her so I got closer. She asked if I could take her home, which was maybe 6 or 8 blocks away. Initially in my mind I was like "Say no. scary...walk away. She could be a freak killer or something". All sorts of awful things passed through my mind. But I found myself saying "sure". So she handed me one of her bags and instructed me to lead and she'd follow me to my car. So there we went me with my bags and her trailing behind with her two wheeled cart full of bags. She was a tiny thing,hunched over and all bundled up in a coat. Her face was too big for her body it seemed. I found out her name was Shirley and she usually walked everywhere she went. She started to loosen up a little once in the car. I wondered if it had taken her very long to work up the courage to ask someone for a ride or if she did that frequently. She asked me if I was in college and I told her that I wasn't but I was a secretary at Mercy. I asked her if she went to church anywhere. She said she used to, but that it was hard to get a ride anymore. She pointed to a United Methodist church we passed and told me about their upcoming rummage sale which she planned to go to and get a few things. I told her about my church and mentioned her coming sometime. She mentioned that there was a synagogue not too far from there. We discovered that we had a couple of mutual aquaintances that attended there. small world. we pulled up to her house. It was a small pink house with stone on the front. It looked kind of unkempt, but I expected as much. I helped roll her cart up to her door and she told me she could take it from there. She told me I was a nice lady and thanks. I said I might see her around. As I left I was overwhelmed by the whole encounter and cried. I realized how selfish I am, and I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to see into Shirley's world just for those few moments. To see the loneliness and difficulty that she faces everday. It made me promise myself that I would not be ruled by my own agenda and time constraints, by my own fears and judgemental thoughts, but that I would gladly allow God to interrupt my "plans" and to teach me about the love that He has for everyday people like Shirley. And don't worry, Shirley's not getting off that easy...I know where she lives. I hope that this is the beginning of a newfound friendship.

Quotes to make you think

"The worst forms of tyranny, or certainly the most successful ones, are not those we rail against but those that so insinuate themselves into the imagery of our consciousness, and the fabric of our lives, as not to be perceived as tyranny." -– Michael Parenti


"...the high office of the President has been used to foment a plot to destroy the American's freedom, and before I leave office, I must inform the citizens of this plight." -- John F. Kennedy (November 12, 1963, Columbia U, 10 days before his assassination)

"A society whose citizens refuse to see and investigate the facts,
who refuse to believe that their government and their media will
routinely lie to them and fabricate a reality contrary to
verifiable facts, is a society that chooses and deserves the
Police State Dictatorship it's going to get."
-- Ian Williams Goddard

"....We're confiscating property now....That's socialism. It's written into the Communist Manifesto. Maybe we ought to see that every person who gets a tax return receives a copy of the Communist Manifesto with it so he can see what's happening to him." -- T. Coleman Andrews, May 25, 1956, U.S. News & World Report, Commissioner of the IRS for 33 months Under the Eisenhower Administration before he resigned.

"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." -- Hermann Goering, Hitler's #2 man

My weekend

I had Friday off from work which was amazing. I was able to finish my quilt top which just so happens to be slightly enormous and colorful like a circus. I may start on another top before I finish this one bcuz my brother has put in a request for one. I'll have to look through my fabric and see what I have that could even work. Friday afternoon I went to La James beauty school to get my hair done...and did not come out until four hours later. It was out of control. It always is. You have to devote half of your day to the process every time without fail. But I do have some sweet highlights to show for my afternoon in the barber's chair. Friday night I finally got to attend one of the dtc's java jazz events. It was a fun atmosphere and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Saturday morning I got coffee with my dad at one of the local hotspots and we got to have a good conversation about the state of the economy, politics, and the end of the world. We could talk for hours. Its sick, really. After that I headed downtown to the farmer's market and met up with the outreach group from church to help tear down. Its so sad that the farmers market is almost over, it is one of our city's best events in my opinion. After the market we grabbed some lunch at Lucca in the East Village. The building was really narrow and the walls were brick. yay. The food was amazing as well. Unfortunately my fun was ended as I had to go to work afterward. My weekends have been pretty much booked up with working. I get one weekend free the whole month of October. yay for me. And its next weekend during which time I will be making my way to Kansas City to help the ole bro and wife move. And I am so excited to take my latest garage sale purchase with me for use with Brockett my almost 5 mo. old nephew. I will include a pic of a similar model not nearly as cool as mine with the sweet boy scout patches sewn on it. And to think I got it for nothing! The lady asked me to take it off her hands. gladly.

saddest news of the week: Nick Reynolds, a member of the Kingston Trio died this last Wednesday. I have one of their records...ahh folk music, one of my many loves.

most disturbing news of the week: On a recent visit to the Des Moines Register, John McCain said and I quote, "I just want to make a comment about the obvious issue and that is the failure of Congress to act yesterday. Its just not acceptable. […] This is just a not acceptable situation. I’m not saying this is the perfect answer. If I were dictator, which I always aspire to be, I would write it a little bit differently. "

comic of the week: Baby Blues (its all about chin hairs...ya, ya, just trust me on this one)

song receiving most play time in my car: Everything's Gonna Be Alright-Joshua Radin

verse of the week: Psalm 33:18-22

Quilting

so i've been working on my quilt the last few days and its coming together quite well. i can't wait for the top to be finished. it's going to be alot more colorful than i originally imagined but i think i'll still like it. i used a lot of different scrap fabric. i can't wait to start hand quilting...it's my favorite part!

Only in Iowa

I just read the best news story ever. Its about a woman in cedar rapids who had a bat in her house. She reported it to the Dept. of Public Health and then proceeded to get ready for bed setting her automatic coffee pot to go off in the morning. She rose the next day for a cup of fresh brew and then headed off for work. She did not discover the bat in her coffee filter until that night when she was cleaning it out. The woman had to undergo treatment for rabies as it the bat was too fried to determine whether or not it was rabid.

This is the ultimate bad day. It makes me reminiscent of the house I grew up in in Fairfield, Iowa. It had bats, slugs, chipmunks, mice, and shag carpet. What more could you ask for. Oh yes, and Lisa had to walk uphill to get to her bed her floors were that slanted. She could only position her bed one way in the room in order that blood would all flow to her head. I remember many "bat" encounters. My dad always had a tennis racket or boom bat handy in case the bats would strike. They entered mainly through this large fan in the ceiling that connected to our attic. The slugs were another problem altogether. They would creep up from the basement and make a trail of slime across our kitchen floor. It was quite fun to put salt on them and watch them shrivel up and die. It was also fun whenever mom discovered one of their slime trails in her bare feet. Another favorite memory of mine is when we had a mouse in our cupboard and dad went at it with a butcher knife. I will never forget the site of him proudly presenting us with that impaled mouse. I was not a happy camper, I assure you.

I miss those days, but i'll take my hardwood floors over red and blue shag carpet anyday.

Creation

This morning I had the pleasure of spending my quiet time on the edge of the Des Moines river valley. I watched as the current swirled and gurgled across the rocks, the leaves cascaded and tumbled downward, and the gnats hovered and buzzed above the water. I thought about how nature is subjected to certain laws. The laws of motion, gravity, inertia. They function within these boundaries at all times. They have no choice, for in this they glorify God. And God is a god of order. Then I turned my thoughts to humankind. We do not have to live within the boundaries set out for us in God's law. We can either live to please him or we can live unto ourselves. What a privilege it is then, to offer our bodies, our very lives, as living sacrifices unto Him. We are amazed at the beauty of nature, but how much more beautiful is the choice to live solely for the glory of God. How much more pleasure does God take in us and in our faithfulness...more pleasure than the sun which rises every morning, and the trees which shed their leaves every fall.

Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Romans 8:19
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

2 Corinthians 5

starting at verse 11: Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
i've been thinking on this passage today probably bcuz i just really want Jesus to come back and the first part of the chapter talks a lot about heaven. however the second portion which i have above really has encouraged me today and adjusted my mindset.
i love the phrase "Christ's love compels us" and according to merriam webster compel means to to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly. Christ's love is meant to be the driving force of our lives...to directs every thought, motive, action, every aspect. sometimes i feel this way, but much more do i not. i think i fail to remind myself daily of Christ's sacrifice and what depth of despair i would be in without him. i pray that i would be constantly reminded of the fury and wrath of a holy God so that i might be motivated out of desparate love and concern for those around me. What a great responsibility God has given to us...that we might be his ambassadors of reconciliation. Our main aim should be the restoration of man's relationship with God. This is our one plea.

politics and the world as we know it

It only takes reading the newspaper for me to realize my need for wisdom and discernment in this day and age. I find that I get really frustrated with people who are ignorant about politics but always inserting their opinion. I will admit that I am opinionated, but I also will keep my mouth closed when I am uncertain or feel that what I have to say would just wreak havoc. I have made one discovery and that is that a lot of people in my generation look at the world through rose colored glasses. Oh sure, they know that there are people starving in Africa, they know about human trafficking, etc., but they fail to realize the corruption present in our own government, in our nation. And it greatly upsets me, bcuz I used to look through those same rose colored glasses. I used to think that we were always the "good guys", we were the "A team", I mean how could we not be. Everything we read in the media declares our innocence. But, what if? What if, there were other forces at work behind the scenes...manipulating...their own game of monopoly. Power and Greed are strong motivations. What if everything we see in the media today is filtered by the powerful, what if everything we have believed to be true is just a lie, propagated to make us more dependent on the government...They slowly lull us to sleep, they frighten us into giving up our very rights and liberties, they program us to think that the government is supposed to provide for our every need. We are moving from a democratic state to one of socialism. By the way, if you doubt the truth of what I have said thus far, just investigate it. Check out the Northwoods Operation, the Trilateral Commission, The Bilderberg Group. There are greater forces at work here than just a couple of guys attempting to get the presidency that's for sure.

Hooded Scarf

so i recently was inspired to attempt to crochet a hooded scarf. i looked up some patterns online and found out it was much easier than it looked. its just a rectangle for the hood and a scarf that are attached together. needless to say, i was super excited about my final product and can't wait to start using it this fall and winter.

Being fruitful

i think this year the scripture passage that has challenged me most has been matthew 7: 15-23.
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise every good tree bears good, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord'
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many
will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out
demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me
you evildoers!'"
i was struck by the phrase "every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire". it does not say every tree that bears bad fruit, but it says every tree that does NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT. that means that the trees that are unfruitful, neither producing good or bad fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire. that was my life. i knew i was unfruitful for the kingdom of God. i certainly wasn't putting in any effort that's for sure. and the fear of God hit me like a ton of bricks. there was very little evidence of the Spirit of God living within me. I sacrificed very little for Christ and it was brought before my eyes. sure, i could put up a face, i knew the lingo and i had a lot of head knowledge, but as for sacrificial living and putting my life on the line for others and truly loving people as Christ loved me, i knew not. thankfully, God brought me into a church family that lives out the love of Christ and challenges my faith, walk, and daily discipline. its amazing. since then i have changed. i am in no ways perfect, but i desire for my selfish nature to be disposed and for the fruit of the spirit to be produced in my life. i want to lay it down...i want my efforts to be worthwhile and of eternal significance.

rainy day blues

the city was wrapped in a low fog this morning as i left the house at a quarter of eight. now fog is not always my favorite, but on this particular morning i was feeling rather meloncholy(as in pensive, not as in an excess buildup of black bile), so i welcomed the sight that greeted me outside my front door. then the day just got better because it misted/rained. yay. earlier this summer i found an amazingly large ralph lauren umbrella at a garage sale. its one of my favorite things. its brown plaid. and its my therapy for rainy days. so anyway, it was a great morning...but i really should have strolled in the rain. instead i went to prayer at work, which was really good. sometimes i get discouraged and don't feel like it...but its so important to be faithful...and so i go and i am the better for it. i've been learning a lot about obedience this year. the whole "no pain, no gain" philosophy really rings true in Christianity, not just athletic training. Discipline is so vital to my witness for Christ and my spiritual growth.

i stumbled across some great poetic verse today and will post it for inspiration:

we must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn. -Henry David Thoreau

no one can deal with the hearts of men unless he has the sympathy which is given by love. i have often been struck with St. Paul's notion as to the quality and quantity of feeling. if he charges you to be hopeful, it is to be very hopeful. we are not only to be fruitful, but we must abound in fruitfulness. every particular good must be carried to its ideal form...
every quality that goes to manhood, you must have in excess; as the brooks have their treasures, making haste to empty themselves, to give room for that which is coming on behind. you must have enough benevolence not only for yourselves, but for others, to pervade and to fill them. This is what is meant by living a godly life. -Henry Ward Beecher

Lessons on Self-Discovery

yesterday i was talking to my friend who happens to live in the duplex above me, a fantastic arrangement if i do say so myself...and telling her how i really need someone to restrain me at times. i came to this realization after a friend posted a facebook photo of me in which i looked utterly horrible. yes, it happens often. and that is why i need help. maybe even counseling. you see, i think i just got sick of having bad pictures of myself so i started just completely not care and make all sorts of weird faces in front of the camera. this has produced some hilarious laughs on my part, but has also gotten to an extreme point where i have a hard time being normal in front of a camera. my friend has the opposite problem, she can't seem to loosen up in front of people and is ultimately too concerned about what people think. maybe God put us together just to rub off on one another. i sure hope so. in the meantime if you have any brilliant ideas for reformation let me know.

Suprise party

i have recently discovered that i LOVE throwing parties. it's all about the prep work and then
seeing an idea excuted. and of course seeing people enjoy themselves...it makes for a great time.a friend and i threw a surprise party for my sister's 32nd birthday. i cheated and made both cakes from a box to save on time, but we did try out fondant for the first time...and it was AMAZING. seriously. we did two round white cakes and covered them in fondant. then colored the remaining fondant and made stars and wire whimsical decorations for the top of the cake.

guests drank cream soda out of the can with whirly straws and niblled on circus peanuts and m&m's from a lazy susan.

the second cake was covered in regular buttercream icing flavored with cappucino and topped with chocolate shavings. instead of investing a lot of money in cake tins, i just layered some christmas candy tins with waxed paper and baked the cakes in those. the entertainment for the evening was american idol themed karaoke!

headstones

i possess an unusual attraction to old cemeteries. they are so curious. i recently discovered a friend down the street who shared my passion for them and we have made it our perogative to find one this fall and have a photo shoot there. i am already excited and the leaves haven't even begun to turn. Cemeteries are so fascinating, they hold so much history. They are such a great place to think and reflect on life. I would not, however, recommend visiting one after dark. This particular cemetary is down the road from where I live and was the site of a murder just a few years ago. spooky. so i only go to them in full sun. that's my free advice.

Beautiful Love

its so amazing how there is a never ending supply of wonder and knowledge to explore in our world. it is such a gift. today i was amazed by the beauty that i saw around me, and not just in the blue sky and green grass, but in the awesome women that i had the joy of going to lunch with. i kept thinking to myself: how did we all get here, to this place in time, together? there was such an assortment of women, all shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds, iq's, interests. and the one thing that brought us together was the love of Christ. it was sacrificial, it was selfless, and it was truly beautiful.