It's Better Than Nothing...I Guess.

Apparently when I don't blog often I just feel like updating you with bullet points.

Here Goes:

• I am super excited for Labor Day Weekend because we have NOTHING planned. The past, I don't know, 100 weekends or so have been busyness. I heart having nothing planned.
• Saturday I am scheduled to run 10 miles, we'll see how it goes. My body is not cooperating lately with my running plans. If the 10 goes well then I'm gonna go ahead with the 1/2 mary on the 12th, if it doesn't, then I'll surrender in tears graciously and try to remind myself there will be other races.
• Julie taught me to knit on Saturday. I am ridiculously slow. I'm also a huge idiot because I wanted the scarf I'm making to be THICK...thick means more work, more time. Dumb. Maybe I'll just change my mind and decide to make a dishcloth.
• I am so excited for new episodes of The Office. I'm watching old ones to get myself all geared up.
• By the way, right now I am unable to knit and watch TV at the same time because I have to pay complete attention to the knitting to make sure I'm doing it right. It starts to make me dizzy after awhile. I might start taking Dramamine before I knit.
• I've lost that loving feeling about blogging right now. It will probably return eventually. Maybe.
• Is it Friday night yet? I'd like to get the weekend started...the weekend of NOTHING TO DO! YAY!
• Happy week to you!

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I'm THAT Mom...

Before Julie, our exchange student, arrived I was quite confident I'd be the cool mom. I mean, the math alone is in my favor. With my own children, I'm 23, 24 and 27 years older than them which likely destines me to uncoolness in their eyes...eventually. But with Julie, being that she's not really mine, I get to be 14 years older, making the generation gap just small enough to keep me cool, right?

Wrong. Turns out, the age difference doesn't matter, when you're a mom, you're a mom. And to add to it...when you're me, you're me. :)

It doesn't matter that she is technically not mine.

It doesn't matter that she is smart, and seventeen years old.

It doesn't matter that she is brave enough to leave her family and country to live with strangers...

I still...

• ask a million questions.
• ask around to find out the reputations of her new friends.
• feel the need to protect her from making any choices she might regret.
• feel the need to dislike and question the intentions of any and all teenage boys, except for the ones where I personally know their mothers, because for some reason that makes a difference.
• ask what happened during the day...with the who, what, when, where, why, and how following.
• tell her not to stay up too late.

One day, I even asked her to change clothes. Yeah...way, way uncool. The benefit to her not being my "real" daughter is that A - she wasn't purposely trying to push the limit and B - she didn't baulk or complain, but simply changed clothes. It may have been harder on me than her, because it sealed the deal: I'm officially THAT mom ;)

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Nailed It

Sometimes I come across another bloggers post and think to myself...Dang, they nailed it.

Go visit my friend, who is also named Sarah (seriously, there's millions of us) and you'll know what I mean.

Good stuff. Hard stuff. True Stuff.

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Life

Life in the Parsonage...

• Ben's car started on fire as he pulled up in front of our house last night. We had to use the fire extinguisher from the kitchen. I am not even kidding.
• School has been an adjustment for all of us this year. Mainly, the "going to bed very early so that all of us can function the next day"...it's tricky after late Summer nights and lazy Summer mornings. I miss you Summer.
• But I do love cool crisp mornings and evenings...especially for running. Bring it on.
• Julie is doing well. It is totally different to have a teenager in the house. I don't mean that in a bad way...it's just all of a sudden there are curfews and lots and lots of activities. It changes the dynamics of the family, yet all seem to be adjusting well. We joke that it seems like she's lived here longer than three weeks, because she's just part of the family now.
• Currently there are several men outside our office window building a garage. It's for the parsonage, which means we get to park in it. It's ginormous. I'm looking forward to NOT scraping the windshield this winter.
• Odie has a tumor. They give him 6 months to a year to live. We've decided not to treat it because of his age. Instead, Odie continues to live the life of luxury...napping all day. We also no longer worry about his weight problem...instead we give him bacon and hamburger...he may as well live it up.
• God is blowing me away with His timing lately. I'll share more later, in the mean time, I'm still trying to process all He's set into motion...it's a little dizzying.
• Have to go pick Jake up from his 2nd day of preschool. Happy Tuesday!

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Nine

I ran 9 miles today.

And I didn't die.

It didn't even feel terrible.

I feel like that fact alone deserves it's own post.

1/2 mary is in 3 weeks.

I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...

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Now I Get It...

I first heard the song below a few weeks ago.

I didn't like it. I'm not sure why. It just didn't seem "catchy" as I listened to it.

But then it grew on me a little. And then I added it to my ipod. And last Friday night I added it to my new playlist called "Humid Running" because, well, it's been humid and it makes running even less fun. I figured a playlist for it would help.

It did.

And during the 8 miles last Saturday I fell in love with this song...because I sang it (in my head and not out loud) as a worship song. And then I got it...it's a worship song.

God of this city. God of this tiny-town. Same difference. He's made it the cry of my heart.

There is no one like our God.

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Enjoy the Ride

When I was in 3rd or 4th grade I went to an amusement park with my best friend and her mom. They tried desperately to get me to ride the small 4-person roller coaster. It looked ridiculously dangerous to me, and I was content being the wuss who wouldn't ride the coaster. Big deal. Eventually they somehow talked me into it. They promised I just had to do it once. And I did. Turned out...I loved it. They knew I would, if I'd just agree to get on the ride.

I feel like....God has picked me up with His huge arms and placed my body onto the seat of a giant roller coaster. He fastened the safety bar and assured me He's along for the ride and I will survive. I may get scared, and I may feel like barfing occasionally from the fear, but I will indeed survive.

There's two ways I can look at this ride He's placed me on. I can resist enjoying it. I can cover my eyes and scream in fear. I can resent the fact He put me on this particular ride in the first place...wishing he'd chosen a calmer one...that was boring and safe. I can live in fear of what the next hill, or loop or downward spiral is going to look like. I can endure it till it's finally over.

Or...

I can be thrilled that He chose such a crazy, exciting ride for me. I can enjoy the fact that I have no control over where the ride is going...what hill, drop or loop is next...I can find it exciting. I can rest in knowing that although it might be scary sometimes, it's also thrilling...because I'm safe. The safety bar is secure. I can throw my hands in the air and scream with joy. I can laugh.

There are many, MANY times where I find myself resisting the ride. Trying desperately to undo the safety harness and make someone stop the roller coaster. God has spoken some clear truths to my heart lately. I can fight all I want to in order to get off the ride...but I'm not getting off. I can embrace it, or I can resent it, but I don't get to choose a different ride.

And it turns out...I really kinda like this crazy ride. I just need an occasional kick in the butt reminding of it.:)

*image courtesy of www.ultimaterollercoaster.com*

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