Life in the Parsonage

Monday, February 25, 2008

Oh brother

This is me and my little bro. I love him dearly. I am 11 years older than him, which seems to make me feel a little "motherly" over him (ok, a lot motherly). He's 19, and a freshman in college. He has done an excellent job of accommodating my "nosiness" and wise advice....up until this weekend. I warned him I would blog about this...because, let's face it....I have to :) He ended up in the emergency room on Saturday afternoon. Long story, but it ends up he has a ton of gall stones, and they admitted him to the hospital. After a good dose of drugs in his system, he started feeling better, and bored, and didn't see the need for the hospital stay. I visited him, and faced booked him when I got home, reminding him to "be good" and of all the reasons it was necessary for him to be there. Turns out, at 10:30pm he thought it was a OK idea to take out his own I.V., and walk 8 blocks home, in the cold, with his backpack and laptop. At 1:00am my mom got a call from the hospital that he was missing, and after checking his bedroom, she found him sound to sleep. Needless to say, he's back in the hospital and scheduled for surgery at 11:30 am today. I still can't believe he did it. He's a smart, level headed kid! :) What would posses him to take out his own I.V.!?! Boys. I don't understand them. I have 3 of them. Yikes. So, today I'm praying for a safe surgery/recovery, wisdom for a 19 year old, and courage for myself, as I anticipate 19 year old boys of my own someday :) So Little bro...you can run, but you can't hide. AND, you should always listen to my wise advice ;)

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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Something Big

I have this habit of listening to the same CD over and over and over. I'm not talking for a day, or a week, but months! (I think I may have a bit of a obsessive/compulsive disorder that has not yet been diagnosed :) Since the beginning of December, I have been listening to Casting Crowns, Leeland, and John Waller. It's all we listen to. In the van, in the house, on the MP3 player. God uses the words and music in all these Cd's to continually speak directly to my heart, I know he has used them to stir a bit of revival in my own walk with the Lord. I can't help but talk about these Cd's! Those around me are probably sick of hearing about it, and now, you soon will be too :) Hang in there! On different days, certain songs just "hit" me, and today, this is the one.

Something Big by John Waller

I wanna see something I've not seen, something so big.

I wanna be part of something great, greater than me.

It's time to dream big dreams

to see your vision become reality.

Cause it's for you, and by you, and those who love you

want to do something so big, its destined to fail without you Lord.

It's gonna fail without you Lord.

Something so great it takes a miracle to do.

Yes, we your children want to do something big for you.

There's more verses, but

I'll leave you with those for now :)

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Friday, February 22, 2008

It was clean

*Sigh* I had to take a picture of it. My floors without Transformers, Lego's, farm equipment, or wrappers. I made a little deal with myself today, to make up for all the time I've spent at the computer this week. I gave myself a list of things I needed to get done, before I could get on the computer. Bribing myself totally worked! I'm amazed at all I got done! Of course, by the time I had these pictures downloaded, the boys had emerged from the basement with more junk.

It was clean...and now I can prove it!

Do not be deceived, I love that the picture hides how dirty the floor really is.

Carpet...under the table...3 boys...yeah.

Doesn't the furniture look so nice & clean? It's not. I am not yet brave enough to share with you what has been leaked, dumped, and wiped on that chair and ottoman.

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Hijacked

It's been five days since I hijacked the computer from my family. Eli used to get to play learning games...now he sits and watches cartoons (learning cartoons, or course. *cough*). I don't really know how it happened, I think it was partially the insanity that the weather is causing, but before I knew it, I had set up a blog! I had contemplated it some before, but was already spending enough time on Facebook, the way it was. But, here I sit. Actually, here I've been sitting for 5 days now. I'm sure that the newness will wear off (I hope) and my family will eventually regain some use of the computer. Until then, here's what I've learned:

Everything about it is addicting for me. I knew that Facebook was, but this is WORSE!

Even the counter thingy...I love to look at it...WHY?!? Do other bloggers do this?!?

Comments: LOVE THEM. Truthfully, I never understood the concept before becoming a blogger myself. I figured reading it was enough (I found out this is called Lurking :)...I knew I had enjoyed whatever they'd written. BUT, now I get it! The validation helps. Not that I need it...well, ok, maybe I do.

I have actually laid awake at night, this week, thinking of things I could blog about...pathetic...I know.

My exercise this week has consisted of getting up from the computer to either break up a fight, switch to another Dora or Diego episode, or run upstairs to use the bathroom. This will probably lead to other blog topics someday. :)

It really is much more fun that I thought it would be. It's caused me to look at my life a little differently. It's helped me to appreciate that even when it seems boring or redundant, there's usually a way to look at it that makes it seem more entertaining.If you've ever thought about blogging...do it. I'll read it!!

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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Quiet

Finally! School! YAY!!! I tried to keep from skipping out to the van this morning, afterall, it is a small town...I think I did ok :) The house is quiet (except for the sound of Dora the Explorer.) Man, do I need some quiet time with God. I spent much of yesterday afternoon letting the boys run wild while I read blogs. I am hooked. I read those of people I know, sorta know, and have never met. I love reading about people's lives...everyone has a story and a unique bent on things. After reading some of the blogs of people I've never met, I felt like I knew them! Isn't that weid how that happens. Here I am, thinking I know this person, after reading some things they've written and looking at their pictures. It got me thinking about what it really means to "know" someone. I can think I know all about someone without ever really interacting with them personally, but that's not really knowing someone. Someone I truly know, I'm interacting with, it's a give and take. They not only know my likes and dislikes, my interests, etc., they also know the sound of my voice, and my laugh. They've seen me lose my cool, seen me cry, and make an idiot of myself. So it goes with my relationship with God. When I was 15, I met God in a whole new way. I realized I knew about Him, and thought that was enough. Man was I wrong...I was missing the BEST PART! I was missing really knowing Him. Which brings me back to why I need some quiet time with God today. All relationships take effort...lots of it, if we want them to be great. God isn't the one who makes it difficult...it's me. He never asks me to call back at a less crazy hour, he never pretends to be something He's not, He's never demanding. Instead, He's always waiting and happy to see me, and never tires of me....amazing. His love, and mercy and grace is so much more that I can even wrap my mind around. Casting Crowns is one of my favorite groups. Their music reaches deep into my heart and challenges me. One of their songs, has a verse that says, "How refreshing to know you don't need me, how amazing to find that you want me." He really is amazing, and I so long to know Him more. I need Him...everyday.

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