Sunday Snippets

"If I could only give three words of advice, they would be 'tell the truth.'  If I got three more words, I'd add: 'All the time.'  My parents taught me that 'you're only as good as your word,' and there's no better way to say it."
--Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture


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"Somehow, in healing others, we ourselves really do find healing."
--Joy McMurray, http://blog.cjanerun.com/2011/04/sgps-joy-mcmurrays-of-eowyn-dragons-and.html


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Oh, by the way...in case you didn't know..

Today is my birthday!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Are you wishing me a happy birthday?  I thought so.

Thanks a mil!

What I Just Finished....a while ago.

Almost a month ago, I wrote about Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.


I'll have to say that it took me a few pages to fully appreciate her writing style, but once I realized how she was crafting her story, I was hooked.


It's not an I-can't-put-this-down kind of book.  For me, it was an I-need-to-put-this-down-and-think kind of book.  Voskamp challenged me.


I thought I was thankful and grateful and all that happy jazz, and I found out I was deader than dead wrong.


In the book, she allows her readers a view into her journey of learning how to really live, how to really love, and how to really be loved.  It all starts with tragedy followed by a dare to write down 1,000 gifts from God.  Not one of those lists five year olds make at Thanksgiving where they have to sit down and really think.  This list is spontaneous.  She leaves a notebook on her kitchen counter and records little gifts and bits of joy throughout her day.


She uses her explanation of her journey to answer hard questions about faith, life, and difficult times.  I kept waiting for her to skate around a question she couldn't answer, but she didn't.  Instead of avoiding the tough stuff, she called on her faith.  


She admitted her faults and weaknesses with an incredible frankness.  It was refreshing.
Being fully present is something I so desperately need to work on, and, as a result, I found this book incredibly inspiring.

I would highly recommend!

And, if you're wondering (which I feel like maybe you are because I would be), I'm making a list of 1,000 gifts, too.

What I'm Reading Now

Presidents interest me.  All Presidents of the United States.  Regardless of their political parties or religious affiliations or good choices or bad choices, I think they're neat. 


It fascinates me that someone would want to run the country.  I mean in reality.  Sure, I'd love to run the country in theory because in theory everything I did would be awesome and everyone would love me and it wouldn't be hard to make decisions because the right answer would be obvious.  Is that your Presidential dream, too?  I thought so.


I recognize that in reality the presidency is inexplicably difficult to maneuver.  Everyone will not be happy with you at one time, no matter what you do.  Probably President Obama could step outside tomorrow and talk about the nice blue hue of the sky, and someone would be upset.  It's just the way life is, I guess.


My parents taught me to respect the office of the President.  It didn't matter if my guy didn't get elected or if my guy was in office and made decisions I didn't like, the President is to be respected and appreciated because, in the end, he's probably doing his best.


So, I decided that I'd like to read memoirs of this fine country's leading fellows.  Since Decision Points was conveniently available on my iPad (I'm talking convenient as in it-was- right-there-on-the-first-page-of-the-store-I-didn't-even-have-to-search-for-it-convenient) and when I heard this President speak he was hilarious, I decided to start with former President George W. Bush's memoir.


So far, I like.

The Prince and Princess Came to Town

Some of our favorite little(ish) people came to town for a few days of their spring break.  We all had a blast.  Hub and I always enjoy hanging out with the Prince and Princess. (I call them the Prince and Princess because sometimes we refer to their parents as the King and Queen of Sheba, so it fits.)

 On Sunday we went to Cherokee Park (a favorite of mine!) and flew kites.  It was great fun, even though we were not such proficient kite fliers as we had anticipated.

 Once the Princess was bored of flying kites, we had a photo shoot of sorts.

She took some pictures of me too, but I'll be honest and tell you not many of those survived.

I hope you had a fun spring break like we did!  

P.S.  I realize none of these pictures show actual kite flying, but these were my favorites, so the others didn't make the cut.  :)

Sunday Snippets

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
--Philippians 4:6


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"I believe in the mysteries of God as much as I believe in the revealed truths. For every explainable action that seems to come from heaven, there are hundreds more that seem unexplainable, even unfair or unjust. Why would God allow this destruction? Why would He let children suffer? What is the point? These are some of the mysteries that make up the nature of God.

Argued philosophically and theologically since...ever, I think these questions, these mysteries have a purpose.  Exploring them, I discover the nature of God.  Who He is.  And in the process I discover my own.  Who I am.

I think the answer is found in not asking these questions about God, but turning the question internally. This destruction happened, what am I going to do? Children are suffering, how will this call me to action?"

--C. Jane; http://blog.cjanerun.com/2011/03/two-cents-for-what-its-worth.html

~~~~~

"If you want to change the world, pick up your pen."
--Martin Luther, qtd. in One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

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"Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life. . ."
--Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts


~~~~~


"When you know you have unconditional love, there is no point in rebellion and no need to fear failure."
--George W. Bush, Decision Points

Don't Be a Fool; Have a Happy April!

Well, friends, April 1st is here.

That's right, it's April Fools Day. I thought about dreaming up some hilarious or frightening story and blogging about it on this day, but let's face it; my current energy levels don't allow such free-flowing creativity and secret keeping.

The best April Fools Day joke ever played at my expense was thought up by my mother. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. The woman who gives her thoughts and emotions away by the gleam in her eye and the curve of her mouth carried through an April Fools Day joke; the April Fools Day joke I call the best. (She didn't fool me for too long, though; don't worry).

One fateful April 1st when I was in junior high, my mother convinced me that my school had burned down. I was all dressed and prepared, except for my shoes. My shoes are always the LAST article of clothing I put on; I prefer for my feet to stay free for as long as possible.


I had just bounded downstairs, looking forward to the breakfast that awaited me in the kitchen. Mama was waiting for me. As I entered the kitchen she said, "Jessica, I have something important to tell you. Let's sit down." We sat down. I was nervous but hadn't forgotten about the breakfast I wanted or the time on the clock (I worked hard to arrive on time every day). Then she proceeded to convince me that my school burned down, and I would be staying at home until the administration figured out where all the students would go to school.


Maybe busses would take us to a school in a neighboring town, maybe we'd have school somewhere else, maybe, maybe, maybe. 


So, I believed her--at first. After all, she is my mother. 


She gave herself away when:

1) She wasn't crying. (We're very sentimental people, and the school burning down would be due cause for wailing. It's just in our nature to mourn.)

2) She made me put shoes on before we got in the car to "go see the ashes."  Also, she insisted I bring my backpack along.


3) I had a cell phone by this time, and I felt sure if the school really had burned down then at least one of my friends would have told me before fifteen minutes prior to first bell.


Just as we were headed to the garage, I finally got her to admit her trick.  I badgered and questioned until she had no more energy to create any sort of believable answer.  She turned around and said, "Oh, fine! It didn't burn down! Now get in the car; we're going to be late!"  And the whole way to school we giggled and thought of ways she really could've convinced me, better jokes to play on some unsuspecting friend next year, and why April Fool's Day was a holiday, anyway.

Happy April Fool's Day!

Don't get tricked!