i wanted to write this down so i wouldn't forget it...
sunday, BEFORE i heard the great sermon i mentioned in my previous blog, lou and i dropped jacob off in children's church. i had such anxiety about how he would be because he was sleepy, and when i left him for the first time during vacation bible school, he was such a trooper (even though he was sleepy), but BAWLLLLLED as soon as he saw me. it was sweet/sad. he was relieved, tired, and happy all at once, but his only known way to process it all was to cry. so i held him and rocked him as he did the loud, deep, short-gasped, gutteral cry, and then he was fine.
anyway, there was a little boy there who screamed bloody murder the whole time we were dropping jacob off. i kinda consoled him and wiped his nose, but he was SOOOO upset. well, they take that age group around on the cutest little buggy, and jacob was placed next to the little boy who was just so upset. jacob gave the lady over the children a priceless look of "why am i next to him? don't you hear him screaming?"
well, lou and i started to leave in order to get jacob in the computer, and they began pushing the little buggy thingamajig. well, jacob thought we were gone, so he was fine sitting next to the "crier" until he looked over and saw us. then he looked at the little boy and started bawling too. knowing he was sleepy, and kinda not really wanting to leave him i started toward him, but all the ladies there (and lou) were telling me to "go on he's fine. just go on!" lou grabbed me, said let's go enjoy the service and we left (with me constantly looking back...hahahah and everytime i looked back the ladies working would wave me on hahahaha) i felt a LITTLE better because i saw them move jacob away from the "crier."
well, i could not have peace in the sanctuary until i checked on jacob. i was praying during "praise and worship" saying, "lord it's all about you. give me peace. this is your time." but, i could not rest until i laid eyes on him to see that he was okay.
on the way there, i stopped in the restroom. i casually mentioned my feelings to a woman in the restroom, and she also tried to convince me to go back to the sanctuary. she told me to trust god, and trust those he's placed in that position. i realized as she was talking that i always have to do what's best for my child regardless of what others think i should do. and, if i wanna go, i'm gonna go! she then started telling me to also put my husband first before the baby because he has needs to. now, don't get me wrong some of her points were very valid, but i only began to hear "wuh, wuh, wuh wuh, wuh (think charlie brown)." she began telling me something else, but i just said, "thank you. keep me in your prayers, but i gotta go."
anyway, when i got there, the kids were still on their buggy ride, and i talked to the nicest women in the children's church. they were such a relief because they allowed me to confirm my fears instead of condemning me for them. how many of us have tried to offer advice, albeit valid, without recognizing that the other person's feelings were valid to them??! how "job's friends" of us (read the story of job)!
i told one of the ladies how jacob began to cry because of the other little boy and she just said, "oh, that means he has your heart." how could she know me? how could she know how sensitive i am within my bold exterior? how could she know my heart? i got teary-eyed right there! she then told me not to feel bad about how i was feeling. all first time mothers experience what i'm feeling. i discovered she had birthed two sets of twins and a single (as she called it) :). she then told me one of her twins died at 18 mos. (the boy), and she clung to the girl. she said if her daughter even tried to slip, she was there to catch her BEFORE she stumbled. but, she made herself put her little girl in daycare so her child could grow. she said, "remember in the midst of your fears, god's got your child...wherever he is."
wasn't that sweet? she didn't look a day over 45 and had 19 grandchildren to boot. she then told me than when the buggy came, i needed only to look at jacob, but make sure he didn't see me (which was my plan all along. I just needed to see HIM, i didn't need him to see me). needless to say, he was fine. one of the ladies was holding him (while the other little boy was still bawling...which showed me once again how people are drawn to jacob...but that's another story)
on my way out, another lady said, "girl, you're better than me. my daughter didn't go to children's church until she was 3!" hahahaha
i left and was blessed even more by the sermon.
19 June 2007
My sister has moved to Spain...
my sister and her family moved to spain. since living there in college, she has always had a desire to live there again. so, her hubby acquiesced (and his job blessedly transferred him), and they arrived early this morning. her children will now be multilingual...they already know dutch and english. isn't that great?
i am so thankful for modern technology! we can stay updated with emails, blogs, and cell phones. i was telling my nephew (my other sister's son) who is going to college how good he has it. he can register online. i, on the other hand, had to stand in long lines in our coliseum for HOURS hoping to get a class. and, not even being certain i could get the one i wanted until i reached the front of the long line. we didn't have "online" we were "in line."...okay that was corny. hahaha i didn't say that to him, i just thought of it right now and thought it was pretty clever--until i actually saw it in print. hahahahaha
okay, back to spain...i can't wait to visit. i need to brush up on my spanish. my brother-in-laws parents are SOOO excited they will be there. they are belgian, and it's only a two hour flight as opposed to coming to the states 2-3x a year. so, when i try to feel sad about them being gone, i think about the joy his parents are feeling. here are some pixs of them eating icecream when they were here last month:
i am so thankful for modern technology! we can stay updated with emails, blogs, and cell phones. i was telling my nephew (my other sister's son) who is going to college how good he has it. he can register online. i, on the other hand, had to stand in long lines in our coliseum for HOURS hoping to get a class. and, not even being certain i could get the one i wanted until i reached the front of the long line. we didn't have "online" we were "in line."...okay that was corny. hahaha i didn't say that to him, i just thought of it right now and thought it was pretty clever--until i actually saw it in print. hahahahaha
okay, back to spain...i can't wait to visit. i need to brush up on my spanish. my brother-in-laws parents are SOOO excited they will be there. they are belgian, and it's only a two hour flight as opposed to coming to the states 2-3x a year. so, when i try to feel sad about them being gone, i think about the joy his parents are feeling. here are some pixs of them eating icecream when they were here last month:
18 June 2007
Biblical manhood...
been thinkin' about pastor's sermon on sunday (dr. tony evans). he took it from genesis 32:24-32, the story of jacob and his wrestling with the angel. there was so much to the sermon, but here are a few points that resonated with me...
in jacob's old age, he blessed joseph's sons, and he asked to be buried with leah...
jacob loved rachel early on, yet at the end of his life asked to be buried with leah.
why? because at the end of his life he discoverd god's divine order of things, and not his fleshly desires. significance? leah was the mother of judah, from whom would come david, from whose line would come the christ.
also,
blessing vs. curse
blessing = a transference of divine favor (or the favor of god and his authority for the future = god's blessing)
curse = pain of not experiencing your divinely ordained reason for being.
many men are not walking in the blessing of god. when you accept christ you are blessed, however, unless you recognize and walk in god's authority, you are not in a position to receive your blessings. he said, this is not a cursed generation we are seeing, what we are witnessing today is the PRODUCT of a lost generation where men were not walking in their divine calling as men.
a BIBLICAL man = a male who has learned to function under the authority of god or divine authority...if you are not functioning under the divine authority of god, you're functioning under a curse. now, you may be blessed, but you are FUNCTIONING under a curse. a blessing always involved authority, and it always related to the future or where god was taking someone...hence god's being the god of abraham, isaac, and jacob.
the bible says the role of a man is to look after the future; a righteous man is one who looks after his children and his children's children (or g.children)...jacob was the son of isaac, who was the son of abraham.
he discussed jacob's wrestling with the angel and the angel changing jacob's name to israel (jacob means "trickster or deceiver" whereas israel means "one who struggles with god (i think)." in vs. 27 the angel asked jacob his name (trickster) and the angel then told him his new name. BUT jacob also asked the angel his name vs. 29 and the angel said "why is it that you ask my name?"---in other words, you know who i am in knowing who you are (remember, israel means one who struggles with GOD or "who did you just struggle with?")---many men do not know who they are and therefore cannot relay to the generations in the future who they are/need to be.
i am SOOOO not doing the sermon justice, but it was deep and thought provoking. contact my church (www.ocbfchurch.org) or call 972.228.1281 to order the dvd. it's worth it.
"lord, please bless our men to walk in authority under you that their children and their chidren's children will understand their identity, and that their sons will know how to lead their families, and their daughters will choose godly men to lead thier families. bless all who read this blog and guide them to a deeper understanding of you and know you as you TRULY are, and not who they perceive you to be. let your holy spirit direct my words and give you the glory in all that i say, for it is for you and through you that i live. in jesus' name i pray."
in jacob's old age, he blessed joseph's sons, and he asked to be buried with leah...
jacob loved rachel early on, yet at the end of his life asked to be buried with leah.
why? because at the end of his life he discoverd god's divine order of things, and not his fleshly desires. significance? leah was the mother of judah, from whom would come david, from whose line would come the christ.
also,
blessing vs. curse
blessing = a transference of divine favor (or the favor of god and his authority for the future = god's blessing)
curse = pain of not experiencing your divinely ordained reason for being.
many men are not walking in the blessing of god. when you accept christ you are blessed, however, unless you recognize and walk in god's authority, you are not in a position to receive your blessings. he said, this is not a cursed generation we are seeing, what we are witnessing today is the PRODUCT of a lost generation where men were not walking in their divine calling as men.
a BIBLICAL man = a male who has learned to function under the authority of god or divine authority...if you are not functioning under the divine authority of god, you're functioning under a curse. now, you may be blessed, but you are FUNCTIONING under a curse. a blessing always involved authority, and it always related to the future or where god was taking someone...hence god's being the god of abraham, isaac, and jacob.
the bible says the role of a man is to look after the future; a righteous man is one who looks after his children and his children's children (or g.children)...jacob was the son of isaac, who was the son of abraham.
he discussed jacob's wrestling with the angel and the angel changing jacob's name to israel (jacob means "trickster or deceiver" whereas israel means "one who struggles with god (i think)." in vs. 27 the angel asked jacob his name (trickster) and the angel then told him his new name. BUT jacob also asked the angel his name vs. 29 and the angel said "why is it that you ask my name?"---in other words, you know who i am in knowing who you are (remember, israel means one who struggles with GOD or "who did you just struggle with?")---many men do not know who they are and therefore cannot relay to the generations in the future who they are/need to be.
i am SOOOO not doing the sermon justice, but it was deep and thought provoking. contact my church (www.ocbfchurch.org) or call 972.228.1281 to order the dvd. it's worth it.
"lord, please bless our men to walk in authority under you that their children and their chidren's children will understand their identity, and that their sons will know how to lead their families, and their daughters will choose godly men to lead thier families. bless all who read this blog and guide them to a deeper understanding of you and know you as you TRULY are, and not who they perceive you to be. let your holy spirit direct my words and give you the glory in all that i say, for it is for you and through you that i live. in jesus' name i pray."
My sweet baby...
lou let jacob experience the whirlpool the other day, and it was adorable. husbands are so good. they do such daring things with children that moms would never do, and the kids love it! i have never even considered turning on the jets with jacob...because of course children can drown in just an inch of water!
anyway, i wanted to post one of the more adorable shots of this first experience:
I was almost robbed the other day...
i just thank god for his abundant mercies...
several months ago, i saw on the news a new type of robbery that is spreading. it's where the thieves will drive up to cars as a person is pumping gas, open their car door, steal their belongings, and drive away...all unbeknownst to the person pumping gas. the woman interviewed said she didn't see anything happen and would have had no clue as to how her purse was stolen had it not been for the surveillance tape.
anyway, i locked my doors while i pumped gas most of the time before having seen this, but after this i ALWAYS locked my doors while pumping gas. and, i'm glad i did. i was at the pump, and yes, my purse was open and on the front seat. well, i just happened to look over at my passenger's window (it was at night...and my windows are tinted), and this guy was looking down at my purse, then he looked up at me looking at him, looked down at my purse again and just got in his car and slowly drove away.
initially, i was glaring at him, like "I SEE YOU FOOL!" and i watched him as he drove away. but then, i kind of shuddered because I could still see his eyes, and he could have had a gun and jacked me. plus, i shivered at the thought of "what if the baby was with me? (which he wasn't)"
well, the story continues...when i finished pumping my gas, i saw the car slowly drive out of the gas station and he was in front of me. so, i made a mental note of his license plates, but before i called 911, i wanted to be sure that was really him. so, i got in the lane next to him, and just sort of glanced at him so as to not arouse suspicion. he was on the phone, and looked over at me...and i knew those eyes. so, this idiot slowly pulls into another gas station to do it again! needless to say, i called 911 described his car, gave the plates, and told them what was up. they said they would send someone out, but i don't know what came of it.
life is so fleeting. this ending could have been so different...thank you lord!
several months ago, i saw on the news a new type of robbery that is spreading. it's where the thieves will drive up to cars as a person is pumping gas, open their car door, steal their belongings, and drive away...all unbeknownst to the person pumping gas. the woman interviewed said she didn't see anything happen and would have had no clue as to how her purse was stolen had it not been for the surveillance tape.
anyway, i locked my doors while i pumped gas most of the time before having seen this, but after this i ALWAYS locked my doors while pumping gas. and, i'm glad i did. i was at the pump, and yes, my purse was open and on the front seat. well, i just happened to look over at my passenger's window (it was at night...and my windows are tinted), and this guy was looking down at my purse, then he looked up at me looking at him, looked down at my purse again and just got in his car and slowly drove away.
initially, i was glaring at him, like "I SEE YOU FOOL!" and i watched him as he drove away. but then, i kind of shuddered because I could still see his eyes, and he could have had a gun and jacked me. plus, i shivered at the thought of "what if the baby was with me? (which he wasn't)"
well, the story continues...when i finished pumping my gas, i saw the car slowly drive out of the gas station and he was in front of me. so, i made a mental note of his license plates, but before i called 911, i wanted to be sure that was really him. so, i got in the lane next to him, and just sort of glanced at him so as to not arouse suspicion. he was on the phone, and looked over at me...and i knew those eyes. so, this idiot slowly pulls into another gas station to do it again! needless to say, i called 911 described his car, gave the plates, and told them what was up. they said they would send someone out, but i don't know what came of it.
life is so fleeting. this ending could have been so different...thank you lord!
13 June 2007
Personal Policies
okay, last post for the night...
my friend chrystal (see her link to the right) challenged us to examine our personal policies which she got from her friend Rachel. anyway, i thought it would be fun to examine my personal policies...these may be embarrasing cuz i have SO many issues...oops, i mean policies.
let me know yours as well...
1. NEVER wipe your hands on my towel. i don't care if you did just wash your hands.
2. I always have to shower in the morning. it wakes me up (even if i took a shower/bath that night).
3. Please do not poke me to get my attention, just call my name.
4. Do not walk on my bathroom rugs in your shoes.
5. I have to drink orange juice with my oatmeal. they just seem to go together.
6. DO NOT TOUCH MY CHILD'S HANDS!
7. I always wash the silverware and cups first, then the plates/bowls, and the pots are last if i wash by hand. Please don't put anything in the water. you don't know what order i'm in.
8. if i'm driving, I CHOOSE THE STATION!...well, unless i like the song that's on that you changed it to.
9. DON'T EVER USE MY TOOTHBRUSH! EVER!
10. I'm brand loyal to Tide, Colgate, Dove soap, and Ivory liquid. if you see something else in my house, it's because i didn't do the shopping...or the store was out and i needed it RIGHT then.
11. I love to cuddle. I like warm bodies.
12. If someone leaves my house, i have to watch them leave until i can't see them anymore (when i was little i used to wave the whole time, so i've progressed).
13. I eat ice...a lot. don't tell me i have to stop because it MAY crack my teeth (Mr. Dentist!).
14. I only drink after the one i kiss, and he knows to watch the backwash if he drinks something of mine.
15. Don't even think about eating off my plate, and i only do it to the one i kiss.
16. I hate to run out of stuff, so I will get it weeks before I need it.
17. You must NEVER smack around me. Why would you need to chew with your mouth open?
18. Repetitive noises irk me (like finger/pen tapping).
19. Who came up with eating popcorn in the movie theater (see #17 and #18)?
20. I like even numbers, like I had to add this line because I didn't want to stop on 19. hahaha
i've heard it said that "be careful what you tell, cuz what you tell, tells on you." what did i just reveal? :)
my friend chrystal (see her link to the right) challenged us to examine our personal policies which she got from her friend Rachel. anyway, i thought it would be fun to examine my personal policies...these may be embarrasing cuz i have SO many issues...oops, i mean policies.
let me know yours as well...
1. NEVER wipe your hands on my towel. i don't care if you did just wash your hands.
2. I always have to shower in the morning. it wakes me up (even if i took a shower/bath that night).
3. Please do not poke me to get my attention, just call my name.
4. Do not walk on my bathroom rugs in your shoes.
5. I have to drink orange juice with my oatmeal. they just seem to go together.
6. DO NOT TOUCH MY CHILD'S HANDS!
7. I always wash the silverware and cups first, then the plates/bowls, and the pots are last if i wash by hand. Please don't put anything in the water. you don't know what order i'm in.
8. if i'm driving, I CHOOSE THE STATION!...well, unless i like the song that's on that you changed it to.
9. DON'T EVER USE MY TOOTHBRUSH! EVER!
10. I'm brand loyal to Tide, Colgate, Dove soap, and Ivory liquid. if you see something else in my house, it's because i didn't do the shopping...or the store was out and i needed it RIGHT then.
11. I love to cuddle. I like warm bodies.
12. If someone leaves my house, i have to watch them leave until i can't see them anymore (when i was little i used to wave the whole time, so i've progressed).
13. I eat ice...a lot. don't tell me i have to stop because it MAY crack my teeth (Mr. Dentist!).
14. I only drink after the one i kiss, and he knows to watch the backwash if he drinks something of mine.
15. Don't even think about eating off my plate, and i only do it to the one i kiss.
16. I hate to run out of stuff, so I will get it weeks before I need it.
17. You must NEVER smack around me. Why would you need to chew with your mouth open?
18. Repetitive noises irk me (like finger/pen tapping).
19. Who came up with eating popcorn in the movie theater (see #17 and #18)?
20. I like even numbers, like I had to add this line because I didn't want to stop on 19. hahaha
i've heard it said that "be careful what you tell, cuz what you tell, tells on you." what did i just reveal? :)
Immunization
okay, this post is totally for me, but if it helps someone...okay.
my sister has to tell me this all the time, so i wanted to get it immortalized, so as to not have to bother her with it again (per her request...hahaha)
okay,
the 7 day process:
3 days before immunization:
Vitamin C (300 mg); 1 ml Echinacea (3X a day)
The day before:
Add 1 drop of Vitamin A to Vit. C and Echinacea
day of:
do all three
day after:
do all three
next 2 days:
only do Vitamin C and Echinacea
***if you use this, do according to age...i did less for his 6 months shot [i have vaccines issues, so that was the first time he got any]. he's 15 mos. now***
Normally give 100 mg of Vitamin C a day
my sister has to tell me this all the time, so i wanted to get it immortalized, so as to not have to bother her with it again (per her request...hahaha)
okay,
the 7 day process:
3 days before immunization:
Vitamin C (300 mg); 1 ml Echinacea (3X a day)
The day before:
Add 1 drop of Vitamin A to Vit. C and Echinacea
day of:
do all three
day after:
do all three
next 2 days:
only do Vitamin C and Echinacea
***if you use this, do according to age...i did less for his 6 months shot [i have vaccines issues, so that was the first time he got any]. he's 15 mos. now***
Normally give 100 mg of Vitamin C a day
Back to work I go...
well, i am no longer a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom). i started my new job today. i feel SOOOOO blessed to have been able to stay at home for 15 months with my son. god could not have made my transition any sweeter than this morning.
jacob woke up exceptionally early (like he knew we would both be gone). lou got up with him and tried to put him back to sleep, but to no avail. so we all were up at 5:30 a.m. so, lou stayed awake with him and fed him breakfast and they hung out for a while while i got my last hour of sleep. when i got up, lou was on his way out to work and jacob and i played together, and i felt like i HAD to be the one to get him dressed and ready for the day like always. so we snuggled after he got dressed. then he fell asleep in my arms. i put him down, kissed him, and finished getting ready for work. my mom got here needing to do nothing but relax and wait for him to get up and the action to begin. hahahaha
i was so worried about how i would handle leaving him. but, this was a sweet transition. and he had a blast with "gammie." she said he did not miss a beat with my being gone, and i had no heart tugs throughout the day with leaving him (although two days prior i cried myself [and lou] to sleep about having to leave him). everytime i called to check on him he was just having so much fun in the background.
when i got home he was still having a good time with my mom and my nephew, and it just felt wonderful to feel his little body wrapped around me when i picked him up.
what was life before jacob???
jacob woke up exceptionally early (like he knew we would both be gone). lou got up with him and tried to put him back to sleep, but to no avail. so we all were up at 5:30 a.m. so, lou stayed awake with him and fed him breakfast and they hung out for a while while i got my last hour of sleep. when i got up, lou was on his way out to work and jacob and i played together, and i felt like i HAD to be the one to get him dressed and ready for the day like always. so we snuggled after he got dressed. then he fell asleep in my arms. i put him down, kissed him, and finished getting ready for work. my mom got here needing to do nothing but relax and wait for him to get up and the action to begin. hahahaha
i was so worried about how i would handle leaving him. but, this was a sweet transition. and he had a blast with "gammie." she said he did not miss a beat with my being gone, and i had no heart tugs throughout the day with leaving him (although two days prior i cried myself [and lou] to sleep about having to leave him). everytime i called to check on him he was just having so much fun in the background.
when i got home he was still having a good time with my mom and my nephew, and it just felt wonderful to feel his little body wrapped around me when i picked him up.
what was life before jacob???
12 June 2007
you know, on second thought, i will be typing in lower case like i do in emails. it's faster, and i'm used to it...SO DEAL WITH IT!!
having said that...i just wanted to introduce you all to the love of my life and my husband...just kidding. the love of my life and my son, since i'll be talking about them frequently. here's one of my favorite pixs of them sleeping:
ain't it adorable? both of them were snoring.
having said that...i just wanted to introduce you all to the love of my life and my husband...just kidding. the love of my life and my son, since i'll be talking about them frequently. here's one of my favorite pixs of them sleeping:
ain't it adorable? both of them were snoring.
I graduated 20 years ago!!
My classmates and I celebrate our 20 year reunion this year. It seems odd that I graduated from high school 20 years ago. It baffles me at times that I'm actually a "grown-up." :)
We had a nice "get-together" on Saturday. My friend Kenneth arranged it because he wanted something on the actual day, June 9th, that we graduated. Everyone who showed up, it seemed, went back into our high school mode of innocence before life got in the way. It was so refreshing to be around people who, as my friend Carla described it, just "got me."--no pretenses--no titles---no issues...just me. It was great! Lou (my hubby) told me he could tell we were in high school mode...just in observing me (hahahaha whatever that means???)
I could tell life had negatively affected some. But for that moment...in that place...at that time... we were in high school again.
It's funny that although we went to The High School for Health Professions, only a few of us actually pursued the medical field. One who did actually delivered my son. That was a continuous joke. hahaha (how could you let him SEE you???, that would be too weird hahahaha) But we all took it in fun. Everyone knew he was one of the smartest kids in our class, so I have no regrets. Plus he has good bedside manner and it was nice knowing your needs would TOTALLY be met because you knew the doctor. :)
We had a nice "get-together" on Saturday. My friend Kenneth arranged it because he wanted something on the actual day, June 9th, that we graduated. Everyone who showed up, it seemed, went back into our high school mode of innocence before life got in the way. It was so refreshing to be around people who, as my friend Carla described it, just "got me."--no pretenses--no titles---no issues...just me. It was great! Lou (my hubby) told me he could tell we were in high school mode...just in observing me (hahahaha whatever that means???)
I could tell life had negatively affected some. But for that moment...in that place...at that time... we were in high school again.
It's funny that although we went to The High School for Health Professions, only a few of us actually pursued the medical field. One who did actually delivered my son. That was a continuous joke. hahaha (how could you let him SEE you???, that would be too weird hahahaha) But we all took it in fun. Everyone knew he was one of the smartest kids in our class, so I have no regrets. Plus he has good bedside manner and it was nice knowing your needs would TOTALLY be met because you knew the doctor. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)