Thursday, May 29, 2008

On Politics

I found this post just yesterday on Your Sacred Calling. I thought with the upcoming election, you all might want to know just what one of the candidates, Senator Barak Obama, thinks about children. I can only pray that he hasn't called his own daughters "punishments". Maybe they are only a punishment if you don't want them. I hope and pray that God will continue to have mercy on our land.

(Warning: this blog entry contains details about partial birth abortions. It is rather graphic about how the procedure works. If you have a weak stomach, please use caution when reading it.)

Today's Ponderings

Yesterday I had a visit from a single friend whom I met in college. She was telling me that she was bored and having a hard time trying to fill in her days, when she's not working. At the time, I chuckled and said that I had the opposite problem. I had too much to do each day to stack it all in. As I was washing yet more laundry and dishes today, I started thinking about just how different my life is now from what it was 2 or 3 years ago.

Over the past few weeks, I have been watching a TV show that I started watching when I was in college. Back then, I would rent episodes from the video store and watch up to 8 episodes in a single day. What else did I have to do during those weeks when homework was scarce? Now I watch as much of an episode as I can while nursing or unpacking boxes, stopping as soon as my daughter drifts off to sleep so I can run to the chores I can't do while she's awake.

When I was still in college, I would go anytime I liked to get my nails manicured, my hair cut and dyed, or to watch a movie at the theater. Now I feel blessed on the days I actually have the time to curl my hair rather than pull it up in to a clip and move on. Gone are the days of manicures and dyeing my hair (even if my husband liked it as many different colors as I used to try).

I would call all my friends in a single day sometimes, trying to find some one to hang out with me. Now I have my beautiful daughter to talk to all day long and my husband to hang out with and watch movies with all the time, no phone call necessary.

I used to grab whatever was easy to make from the grocery store; frozen dinners, nutrition bars, maybe a banana sometimes. Every once in a while I would cook a dinner for myself and eat it...by myself. Now I have the time to cook healthy and tasty food and best of all, someone to enjoy it with me.

I used to look for anyway that I could find to get out of my house, both when I was in college and when I was living at home with my family; not because I didn't like my roommate or my family but because it made me feel even more alone than when I was all by myself. Now, there is no place on earth that I want to be more than my home. When friends want to get together, I would rather have them here for a movie or a cup of tea than being out and about town. Here in my home, I have all I have ever wanted; a husband who loves me and a daughter of my very own. Who could ask for anything more of this life we have on earth?

In college, all I could think about was wanted to get married and have a family of my own. When I graduated, I realized that Jesus was who I really wanted. I needed Him and I would have everything my heart desired, because He would mold me to be more like Him and my desires would change to become His desires. And in doing that, He gave me all these things. And I just wanted to say thanks to Him today.

Psalm 146:1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Pictures from England and Scotland 2006

For those of you who have enjoyed my pictures of England and Scotland, I put together this slideshow. Please feel free to leave a comment about any of them, especially if you have been there too or if you want to know where any of the photographs were taken.

Humbling

Every once in a while someone will tell you some thing that you already knew but you hadn't really put into words. Today was one of those for me. I want to thank her for giving me the prod. I am humbled and ashamed of myself and I hope that this post will be an encouragement to others, who like me, need a little friendly encouragement from time to time. You can read the blog here.

Aprons are lovely!

I found this blog just the other day and wanted to share with you the aprons her daughter makes. They are called Olivia's Vintage Spring Collection.

There is just something about wearing an apron. My mother-in-law and I were talking about this just the other day. It helps you focus on your task at hand. It gives you some where to put little things as you are picking up the house. And best of all, it makes you feel like a little girl again, playing dress up. :D

Anyway stop by and see Olivia's lovely collection of aprons and be inspired!

Monday, May 19, 2008

And the winner is...

It is no surprise to me that on this quiz,

I am Elizabeth Bennet!


Take the Quiz here!



Who are you? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Friday, May 16, 2008

More pictures from my trip to England

I love a good photograph. Now I am by no means an expert but I love to try to take a photo that means something or show beauty. I am going to take some time in the next few days to share some with you.


This first one is from Surrey near a little town called West Byfleet. About the only thing there is a train stop. I only know of it because living there is a kindly family who housed myself and my travel companion when we were there in the Summer of 2006. They were a large Christian family whose hospitality made me so much at home.


This one always reminds me of the Resurrection. The empty cross in the sunrise...just as my Savior was no longer nailed to that cross or even in a tomb, so this grave is empty of the soul that once was a part of what is now buried there.


I love fog. There is something so connected to the past in it. Almost as if you have been transported to some time long ago and now you have a choice to make; do you live there, buried in the stories of once upon a time and the land of legends or do you brake through the mists of days past and once again see the light of reality.

I think that is why I love England so much. It is surrounded by the fog of the past I love so much. It is a beautiful place for the imagination.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

My Favorite Tea

Here is my first post for the Tea Blog-a-thon! I hope you enjoy this post. To read more of them, click here.


I have been wanting to talk about this for a while so here is my best tea story and it comes from the land of tea and crumpets, England.

I was in England in the summer of 2006 on a scholarship from my University. And while in my favorite place while I was there, the Cotswolds, in a little hamlet called Moreton-in-Marsh, I happened upon a small church which was celebrating it's yearly flower festival.

After viewing all the lovely flowers I found they were selling cups of tea for 50p. I asked for a cup. It was the most heavenly tea I had ever drank. Before this trip, I was not a tea fan, now it is one of my most favorite things in the world.

The very sweet lady, who made that delicious cup of tea, came and talked to me about a quarter of an hour, then offered me a second cup at no charge. How could I possibly say no to that! I ended up spending an hour talking about the Lord, England and America with her and I will never forget what a wonderful hour it was.


Post Script: The picture at the top of my blog is the place where I stayed while in Moreton-in-Marsh, Tree Tops Bed and Breakfast.

A Sweet Story


I was reading Your Sacred Calling today. It is not often in our fallen world that we heard such wonderful stories. Too often we focus on the bad things; all the horrible event on the news. I hope this story will give hope to those young ladies waiting for the man God has chosen for them. And be a reminder of what a precious gift God has already given those of us who are married. Click here to read the story.

Blessings!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Reflections on Mother's Day

Yesterday was my first Mother's Day. I never before understood why mothers said that having their children with them was the best Mother's Day gift ever. Now I know why. To be able to spend the day with my husband and our baby girl, I was overcome with the realization of what a great blessing the Lord gave to us when He gave us our daughter. She is an amazing reminder to me of just how much God loves us and longs to hold us close. I understand in a much deeper way, how protective He feels towards us and that through all the things that happen in our lives, He is right there with us and allows them for His good purpose.

I know that my earthly love and care for my child is nothing compared to what God has done for all of us, but it helps me grow a little bit closer to Him and understand His wondrous works just a little more. These things are truly a beautiful glimpse of the Lord I serve is and how much He loves you and me.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

To my mom and my mother-in-law

Happy Mother's Day!

To my Mom:You are an inspiration to me and I know that any time I need to talk or I need advice on being a mommy, you are only a phone call or IM away. Thank you for always being there.

To my Mom-in-law:I am one of those blessed to have two moms not just a mother in law. We have become so close in these past few years and I am so thankful to have you in my life.

Happy Mother's Day

To all mothers:

First, a Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there, especially those who are first time moms like me. This is our first mother's day and no matter what happens between us and our children in the future, even if they die before us, we will be mothers until we die. It is not a job you can give up and a good mother won't try. Yes, there will be days when you want nothing more that 10 minutes without questions about when lunch will be served or can they go play with their friends or do they have to take a bath again. But really, in light of the fact that they will some day leave you to become parents themselves, wouldn't it be better to just smile and say, "Lunch will be at noon, same as always. You can play when your chores are done. And yes, when you are that dirty and covered in mud, you must take another bath." Just remember that some day, they won't be there to pester you anymore. We moms, tired as we are, soon forget that time passes so quickly. We are caught in the moment and don't look to see where the path is headed. We should take the time to listen to our moms, grandmas or friends who have grown children. They can tell us all the things they regret. It will help us have a little more patience with our little ones, when we stop to see the big picture.

If any of us has struggled in the past with our perspective, remember that today is a new day and God wants us to heed the words in Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." We are called to be mothers and we must press on even when we fail. Our Lord will give us all we need to fulfill the calling He has given us.

So enjoy this Mothers Day. And be encouraged, no matter what you children do, their children will probably do the same. After all, what else is the Mothers Curse for?

Friday, May 9, 2008

It's a lonely world in here

Due to moves beyond our control, I have been without blogging for about a month now.

I am so excited to finally be able to blog and communicate with the outside world that I am breaking with tradition and blogging today about absolutely nothing a.k.a. my feelings.

Normally I trying to make my blogs meaningful, encouraging or at least humorous. Today, this blog is for me. I am reveling in a moment of happiness that I am no longer cut off from the world outside; limited to outside contact through only my cell phone, the evening news, and an occasional radio broadcast when driving in the car. No, now I have the world at my finger tips. I can talk for hours, blog at will and never again miss a news story. I have the whole world at my finger tips and I can have it all. Except peace and quiet, for some one will see me online and want to talk while I really should be cooking dinner. Or efficiency, because I will find someone out there that I haven't talked to in years and forget all about the laundry that has been stacking up in my dryer for a week already. Or time with my family because I'm busy trying to catch up with all the other blogs I read. But hey, I need the time to escape, right?

Now, before I get comments about what I just said, I am only half serious.

Blogging isn't all bad. Not having it for so long made me realized that I missed talking to people. But also that I need to keep it from consuming all my time. My daughter is already 3 months old. If I get too busy blogging, she'll be 3 years and I won't remember any of it.

But for as much time as I can get, I am going to enjoy blogging. I just hope I can remember everything I've learned this past month...

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