Oh, just braggin' ;)

My husband just came up and spoon-fed me some of his cookie dough. . . he must have sensed the chocolate craving pulsing through my veins.


What a guy.

He Is . . .

Our little devil

The destroyer of all things, household & un-household

Landscaper destructo-boy of weeds, flowers and shrubbery in our garden

Fence wrecker

The Charmer of our weak hearts, one puppy-doggone-it- brown-eyed look and we are goo

The Energizer doggy that just keeps on going, sometimes whining through all the night

The Chewer of eletrical cords, saddle blankets and leashes

The proud marker of our white berber bedroom carpet

the sniftiest sniffer of frogs, dead birds, turtles, our little protector from cats and poodles

Our vacuum & shredder

Our hairy beast

. . . and now, our SQUIRREL KILLER

the end is nigh for you, PetsMart bargain

Tuck in

Last night was a messy night. Did you read the news about the insane tornado that ripped through parts of Texas last night?

We were lucky to not have the storm get that worse in this neck of the woods. It was a wild night here though. Hail, violent winds, and rain in unmerciful torrents. At one point, I grabbed the dog and my cellphone and we huddled in the 1/2 bath downstairs. 4 hours later, It finally passed over and I managed to squeeze in 2+ hours of sleep.

So, I should be sleeping. I was watching a really stupid movie (Marie Antoinette) and eating some dark chocolate. Right as I turned down the lights and my bed covers, a lark starting singing loudly outside the window. . . at midnight.

Good grief - maybe its singing lullabies to restless babies. I dunno. I am going to try this sleep thing again though. Cheers.

Hold that Stretch

Okay, so this post really wants to be serious, but when you have sounds of a dog chewing on a plastic bone and bits of that blue bone strewn all over your carpet, you can't really achieve this.

But we push through. Though stormy weather threatens to dash the hopeful spirit, and the hubby is away at training in Indiana, and its 11:05 pm at night, I can't help but have floods of deja-vus when this was about the time I began to click on and study for the next day.

Hang on here, puppy wants some lovin'

Okay, puppy loved.

I had a pretty good day. It was a day where I felt stretched in all the right places, the places where I know that I need to be stretched in order to make worthwhile changes.

First, I felt the stretching in all of my muscles when I worked out at the gym early this morning. Its been a pathetic month since I haven't been disciplined to push myself farther than the neighborhood walk. With moving and life changes, I won't make myself feel too bad about it though. Life kind of sways sometimes, and you have to adjust. I was glad to find a nearby gym to join though. The workouts may be a little intense for the next week, but through the aches, I know that some good differences will hopefully come.

Mental stretching came just a little while later at work. Many things come up every day, and as my employer says, "you sometimes just have to make a list of the fires that you need to put out each day, and realize that you may not even get to them all'. So true. Sometimes you don't even have the time to make a list. You just have to act and pray that you are acting in wisdom. Well anyway, all are opportunities to grow this baby sprout of patience that I know is in there, somewhere ;)

And lastly, emotional stretching. Its been a 'basket case' day. I have felt close to tears with my hubby leaving for training the next couple of days. He doesn't go away a lot, but enough that I should be used to being alone. But I honestly don't think that I ever will get 'used' to being alone. I miss my other half and without him, I struggle to see that I am serving a purpose. I honestly feel so called to be his wife that I feel useless when I am not able to 'wife' him.

After work, I battled through some traffic to get to BSF and had an awesome evening observing the children's program from angles of levels 1-4 and senior high. Being fairly new in leadership with the children's program, these past two weeks have been sort of overwhelming. I love children, but its seemed rather daunting to think of being a leader of them. Oh how faithful the Lord is to us when we are weak. God really opened my eyes and stretched my heart wider than I thought it could stretch. This was a night full of joy and discovery that the Lord can really equip His own children to do anything & everything that He calls them to do. He transforms our weaknesses into His strength through His mighty power. He wraps up all of our doubts and casts them out of our hearts. And what He gives us is beyond what we could ever ask for or think.

Tonight I realized, and without naming them specifically, how much I struggle with two particular sins that are tied so closely together that they could almost be one mega-sin-struggle. Not that it should be foreign to anyone that I struggle with sin either. I do. I seek to daily fight it and claim the power of Christ over it, but I do give in to it as well, which grieves me, but I am always thankful that I am forgiven by God.
Anyway. Tonight's lesson was on Romans chapter 14, which looks closely at how Christians are to live with others in mind, with the goal of not stumbling one another. I realized again how much these two sins I have in mind do that very opposite. Through committing these offenses, I stumble myself and others. It is not gracious, it does not seek the good of others, but delights in the sinful nature into which it was born. It made me sick to think how this affects others. But why would I consider sin such a personal thing to me anyway though?
It always offends God, why would this not get me riled up? I grow calloused again and again, but God always wounds me in the deepest places, to make my heart raw for Him, stretched and aching, bleeding and yearning to be healed, restored and reconciled to Him.

Dark Chocolate Paw Prints

Kat - if you are reading this, you are the best ;)

Thank you for treating all of us :)

Ohio trip pics

Finally - A few snaps from our trip to Ohio :) We had such fun!!!


Our Nephew who is the cutest little guy!



With his daddy :)


A visit to the Air Force Museum of Flight




And a jaunt to Young's Dairy Farm to visit the goats and cows & eat delicious burgers and ice cream ;)

Mural, mural, on the wall

So, I have this vision. The vision entails lots of vibrant colors, paintbrushes of many sizes, a whole lot of patience, creativity & and a certain scene yet to be seen.
Three bare, white bathroom walls are desperately in need of restoration. A large mirror with Grecian-looking decals greets you when you are, ahem, doing your business in our 1/2 bath downstairs.
Not that I mind the mirror all that much, but it would be nice to have a beautiful mural on the other walls (to be reflected in the mirror as well).

Anyway, I am eager to find Mediterranean-ish'oceany,Italian-villa-ish-overlooking-the-oceany sort of mural (ha, if that at all describes anything).

This will be a fun project. :)

*This is the mirror with the Grecian decals ;)


*I already started on a corner, sketching some trailing bougainvillea which creeps up over the door.

And the bare wall, in its nakedness

Praise God!

This is wonderful news - check it out!

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/us-court-ruling-tightens-up-on-abortions/2007/04/19/1176697004338.html

Thanks be to God for working so mightily!

Like a flower in the rain

Its been a crazy past two weeks here - we got back from Ohio and all hell broke loose. I will spare the details, for they are in the Lord's hands and He knows it all and how it will be resolved. Of all comforts that we can cling to, His assurances to us prove the most steadfast and trustworthy. I am seeking to daily claim His precious promises of Hope & Joy in these dismal times when you wonder if He is still really there.


But He is. I can see Him working mightily through the people He has arranged around us, and their testimonies are truly golden.
When I feel overwhelmed in this present place where He has brought me, I am just as quickly strengthened by His Might. And yet, I am struggling. In the blink of an eye, I feel like I have so much less time. Working more hours, BSF duties, and trying to still be a homemaker and housewife has left me reeling. Sometimes, in the weakest of moments, tears catch me by surprise and I ask God, "why this now", "why are You calling me to do this now"?

My own plans were neatly arranged and ready for His use, and yet, He so sovereignly lifted me from my comfort zone, and put me in places where He knew I would have to trust Him. I don't understand it, but then again, I don't have to. He asks me to follow Him, and that is what I am called to do, whether I like it or not.
Submission is not always a joyful path to take, but He certainly is faithful to plant flowers along the way.

- Amen -

You are the One; there's no one else
Who lifts me up
And gives me water from the well
But there's a hole
That seems to drain it all away
And once again I'm left in fear and doubt
When all my strength is crying out

So here I am again
Willing to be opened up and broken like a flower in the rain
Tell me what have I to do
To die and then be raised
To reach beyond the pain
Like a flower in the rain

The evil wind, it blows a storm
To rock my world
Just when I think I'm safe and warm
I'm led astray far too easily
It's always hard for me to say I'm wrong
Until I know I can't go on

Lord, You have searched me
And know when I sleep and when I rise
You're familiar with all my ways
Even the darkness will shine
Like the day
When you look into my heart

Friday - It couldn't have come at a better time ;)

Its been a very long week, and I am glad to see it at its end now.
Hubby and I celebrated the weekend over Chipotle burritos and later, a Lost episode we missed last week. Sigh.
I have the best hubby ever - he mopped all the floors (kitchen & bathroom), unloaded the dishwasher, and disinfected the toilets. I didn't even nag him ;) What a guy :)
I have a lot of BSF lessons to finish before tomorrow's meeting, and its already 10pm!

We are tucking ourselves in for the night, as a sever thunderstorm is headed our way. Night Night!

*Yeah - I am procrastinating about those Ohio trip pics - I'll get to it ;)

Happy Friday - the 13th, AHHH!

Can I take a vacation again? ;)

My plane rolled in to San Antonio last night, in the late hours. I was thankful that I had two family men to pick me up and make sure everything was kosher in my house before they left.
Haven had to stay in Ohio till Wednesday for the C-5 project at Wright-Patt AFB. Its kind of lonely here :(

We had such a wonderful time in Ohioland :)

Thank you Stephen and Rachel if you are reading this :)

*I adore that nephew of mine - he's as cute as a button - no, wait, HE's WAY CUTER.
We spent most of our time enjoying one another's company and holding the baby.

*We had a great time visiting with 'em Paradiso's too ;) (thanks Kat for the dark chocolate and the doggy treat canister - sweetness in a can ;)
*A quick trip to the Air Force Museum & Young's Dairy capped the trip.


I picked up our poochie 'baby' this morning - he has been a bundle of energy and playfulness and is sooo happy to be in his own big backyard.

I'll confess to you, coming back has been a little daunting- some things with my work have happened while I have been away, and its a bit overwhelming to think through it all. I feel kind of inadequate right now, but God gives strength to the weary.

Amen

* I'll post some pictures in a bit :)

Happy Resurrection!

Okay, so this may be a little early, but we are about to head out the door to the airport ;)

I hope that everyone has a blessed Resurrection!


I'll be back Monday!

Chocolate Newsflash

Last night, my hubby indulged me by satisfying a two-day-old-fudge-sundae-craving at Sonic.

We tried the new Hot Fudge Oreo Sundae Shake - ummm. There were not enough oreos, and what meager o's were there were drowned by the vanilla icecream overload. Just thinking about it is making my head spin again. . . dreadful.

More depressing updates: our chocolate supply is completely gone. We are absolutely gonna starve . . .

Happiness

I CAN HARDLY STAND IT!!!!!

my best friend is engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOO HOOOOO!!!!!!

Slower traffic, please move right

I need a chocolate fudge sundae
A backrub
A bubble bath, surrounded by scented candles
A rainstorm
A day off
A Pride and Prejudice marathon
A visit with my best friend


Sorry, its just been one of those days. . . where I was wishing that I didn't have to be a working girl anymore, wishing that my car had wings to lift me above the traffic, my body would be just the size I wanted, that I wasn't getting sick, and that I would feel less rushed.

But this is not the case. Things are exactly the way that God wants them to be. He has put just enough on my plate for me to realize that I need Him DESPERATELY. He has also not given me anything that He thinks that I can't handle. That is relief enough.
There is so much I wish for, and yet, I still would not be completely satisfied if I did have all those things.

What good is it to me to gain the whole world anyway. . .its just the world.

Love, Romans 12:9-21

Last night's BSF lecture was so encouraging. I felt such a conviction in the way that I deal with others, especially those who I so easily 'hate'/enemies. Any way, here are some rabbitty-trail thoughts from it.

Love's
Character - Romans 12:9-12
Response - Romans 12:13-16
Victory - Romans 12:17-21

The world will not care about the Lord we love unless we show it.
What is love?
Love is not a feeling or an emotion, it is an action. (Remember D.C. Talk's 'Love is a Verb'? ;) Love is not meant to be a demand.
To the world, love is lust, personal preference, selfish, what makes us happy, all about what we feel.

There are 4 characteristics of Biblical Love:
1. Eros - sexual love
2. Storge - family devotion
3. Filia - friends, brotherly
4. agape - selfless, unconditional, giving

Sincere love characterizes the Christian faith. Sin Cera means, 'without wax' - tying back to ancient times with pottery. When a clay pot was made, sin cera was inscribed on the bottom to show that this was indeed 'the real thing', without cracks. If there were cracks, wax would be used to seal them up again.
'let love be sincere' also is 'let love be without hypocrisy' - to put on a mask, to pretend to be something else.

Again, true love must be from the heart; true love does not cover an ulterior motive. It can only be given by the Holy Spirit.

How can we love? We love because He first loved us. We ought to see this in light of who God is, and who we are as created by Him.

Love is discerning - We are commanded to 'hate what is evil' and 'cleave to what is good'. It is so easy to find the negative things in others. It seems such a challenge to look for what is good and love and encourage others in that. But we are to be honest in our words and actions with all, encouraging them to seek that which is good and to cease the evil way.

Love is devoted - we are like family because we are united in Christ. How can we show devotion to one another?

-Honor one another - elevate the other person, look for what is good in others and praise them for it.
-be fervent - bubble over with enthusiasm & do not be lazy with your zeal. Serve Him for His glory and other's benefits.

Love has an eternal perspective - we are to long for eternity, be joyful and hope as we look ahead. We are to be faithful in prayer to ask for love.

Love is an obligation, not an option - love is not dependent on another's reaction. It seeks their good, not ours.

Putting this into practice -
Look for the needs of others, do not be prideful -*( this also means that you must allow others to serve you sometimes.)
practice hospitality- look for ways to make other's feel more comfortable. Believers should be made to feel at home with one another.
Bless your enemies - do not slander them, or curse them. God's love is the greatest weapon against evil.
Empathize with those who rejoice and those who mourn.
Do not be conceited - live at peace with others and do not demand your own rights.
Reach out to those who may be different than you. Be willing to love whomever God puts in your path.

Our Little Bluebonnet

You can go ahead and laugh your head off . . .

We are becoming GENUINE Texans at this rate. It is bluebonnet season here, and the freeways are blooming with the blues. And so begins the great family photo-ops as you pass by cars littering the shoulders and families dressed in white posing amongst the buds. . .



Everybody else was doing it, so we decided to take our little pooch for some posey-posing.



Frolicking



Spring Baby


So, he kind of lost his interest in this - he was more interested in chasing a rabbit.




Oh Well. . . ;) maybe we'll be better next year -

Whimsical Wimberley

Saturday, with a little last minute decision-making & a little prompting from my parents, we headed north to a quaint little town called Wimberley, full of charm, culture and humor. . .;)




Fill 'er up!



Mail Houses


Waterfall


Down by the River


Texas Two-Steppin' Sidewalk



'Texicana'



Tallest Tree I've Seen in Texas!