Of things lovely

I love scarves. I have many of them, in colors bright, soft, pale and patterned, bold and striking.
I wore them more in my college days, they worked well with pea coats and in my hair. . .

Unfortunately, these days they rarely have the opportunity to make an appearance outside of my closet.

There they hang, lifeless on plastic hangers. This tragedy struck me this morning when I was standing in my closet, scrounging for some clothes to wear to work. I wondered about how one might look, wrapped loosely around my neck with the black long sleeved tailor shirt I had picked out.

Hmmm.

But, for some reason, I didn't feel confident enough. Somehow, I needed to think this accessory option through more and I just didn't have the time.

But then again, spontaneity in accessorizing can sometimes be a lovely thing. So many options with these lovely things like broaches, scarves, headbands and bangles - we are blessed to have such things in our drawers and closets.

Now to have the confidence to wear them? Now that is a lovely thing.

News of the Weird

PHEW . . .

At least it was a terrier-chihuahua cross-breed

Python Eats Australian Family Dog

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

(02-27) 19:16 PST BRISBANE, Australia (AP) --

A 16-foot python stalked a family dog for days before swallowing the pet whole in front of horrified children in the Australian tropics, animal experts said Wednesday.

The boy and girl, ages 5 and 7, watched as the scrub python devoured their silky terrier-Chihuahua crossbreed Monday at their home near Kuranda in Queensland state.

Stuart Douglas, owner of the Australian Venom Zoo in Kuranda, said scrub pythons typically eat wild animals such as wallabies, a smaller relative of the kangaroo, but sometimes turn to pets in urban areas.

"It actively stalked the dog for a number of days," Douglas said.

"The family that owned the dog had actually seen it in the dog's bed, which was a sign it was out to get it," he added.

"They should have called me then, but (the snake) got away and three or four days later, I was called and went around and removed it" after the dog had been killed, Douglas said.

By the time Douglas arrived, all that could be seen of the dog was its hind legs and tail.

The zoo manager, Todd Rose, said pythons squeeze their prey to death before swallowing it whole. The 5-year-old dog would have been suffocated within minutes.

"The lady who was there threw some plastic chairs at the snake, but you've got to remember that this is about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of aggressive muscle," Rose said.

Removing the half-swallowed dog could have harmed or even killed the python, Rose said, because dogs have sharp teeth and claws that could do the snake internal damage if it were wrenched out.

The snake was still digesting the dog at the zoo Wednesday. It will soon be relocated to the bush, Douglas said.

American Idols

Though I have yet to watch the girls compete tonight, I have narrowed it to six - the top being my favorite :)

Manners, please . . .

Sheesh - I have a rude dog.

Not only does he tip over his food bowl, scattering kibbles EVERYWHERE, but after breakfasting this morning, he proceeded to move upstairs in full barrel force only to plop at my slippered feet and emit a great "BURRP" in my presence. . .

And he didn't say 'excuse me' . . .

Wind-sweeping

Its about that time when I would (once upon a time, in a dedicated and disciplined moment) rise, and go sweat bullets at the gym. Then, greater wisdom called me back to bed; bodies need sleep too.

So I sleep. I woke this morning on the early side to find my dog snuggled on the bed at my feet (?!) and the sound of the wind was hollow and exciting outside. . . I couldn't let the moment escape me. After picking up my windswept garbage outside and re-stacking the cans for trash pick-up, I made some tea and here I sit - at 4:30 am.

A magical thing happened last night, and I am not talking about the Spur's win over the Hawks ;)

While the night lay in a quiet slumber, a bold front of cold air pushed away the 90 degree heatwave we were having. The early morning sky is streaked in wispy trails of clouds, and the strong winds did some earth-scattering around my neighborhood. The air turned crisp, cool and inviting. I might go back to bed and snuggle for a little longer, but this was certainly worth waking up for. . .

Rock Water

As I was perusing some liturgy readings this morning, one struck me as so appropriately perfect for my struggling attitude toward life right now. Exodus 17:1-7 - I am one to often compare myself to a rebellious Israelite, not compliant and willing to follow the leader who was chosen by God to guide them out of wilderness and into the Promiseland.
What a daunting task, to lead a grumbling nation who doubted you . . . Moses was doing what God had called him to do. He had no special wisdom, no super power in and of himself to even know where the next step would take them.

He didn't feel equipped to do it, but God was equipping him as he went. The people cursed him and balked his leadership. And yet, he trusted. He trusted the God of his fathers, and he believed that God would get them there.

I may not be a grumbling nation, but I can be a grumbling wife to my own Moses. When I complain and test my husband, I make his road harder. His is a road full of great responsibility and roadblocks that he has to overcome, and the desire of my life is to encourage him and strengthen him through this journey by serving him. But I am a poor example of this. I only fall on my knees once again and ask for his forgiveness and God's forgiveness.

And then I remember how faithful God is, to a grumbling nation -

All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin
by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but
there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with
Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you
quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" 3But the people thirsted there for
water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up
out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" 4So
Moses cried to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost
ready to stone me."

5And the LORD said to Moses, "Pass on before the people,
taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff
with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there
on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of
it, and the people will drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of
Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the
quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying,
"Is the LORD among us or not?"

**He, the faithful God who gave the Israelites water from the rock, is our Rock who sent his Son to be struck so that His saving blood would flow over us, cleansing and purifying our sinfulness and lack of faith.**

Cornbread

I love cornbread.

I could eat mounds and mounds of it, daily if I had a chance. (Good thing I don't! ;)

This recipe from allrecipes.com was so good, so sweet and yummy that it could even stand on its own two feet without butter and honey. But then again, I guess that's just my opinion ;)


Grandmother's (not mine, somebody's) Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Wrapped around my finger

Beloved

This is the meaning of my name - Amy - and what a precious reminder to me.

Sometimes I manage to forget that I am chosen, called, and beloved of God. How could I ever doubt any of these is beyond me, but there it is. I forget, or rather, I disbelieve.

Remembering a moment of tearful doubt, I once confessed to my husband that I was having a really hard time believing in the love he had/has for me. This was a painful admission, and a weak moment that Satan delighted in, took opportunity in, and pounced upon.

My warrior fought for me when he told me to look at the set of rings on my finger. The shape of round. Circles that endlessly turn, continuous until breaking for a beautiful diamond tightly clenched in the middle. The diamond is the love that the Lord perfects as we grow more united in marriage, and the band is the commitment that we have made to each other, and that God has made to us.

And this is how the Lord loves His children.

Amy, I am never letting you go. I love you, you are My beloved.

Coming up slow

like the sun on a muggy day, I am I am . . .

I am not liking this one bit - this humidity, this mugginess, this lethargic start to the morning. One might attribute this to the fact that I sipped some caffeinated soda last night (shock! To get me through BSF class night) I was still awake at 11 - which went on to 12:30.

I watched guys' finals for American Idol and believe that I have narrowed it to a few favorites. There is some pretty darn good talent this season. I am going to wait till the girls compete to make my final pics.

I hear we are supposed to have an eclipse tonight. Do I have to get out of the state of cloudy Texas to see it?

Middle Name Game

*Every answer must begin with 1st letter of your middle name ;)

1. Middle name: CHRISTINE
2. Famous artist/band/musician: COLDPLAY
3. 4-letter word: CRAM
4. U.S state: CALIFORNIA
5. Boy name: COLTON
6. Girl name: CECILIA
7. Animal: CRAB
8. Something in the kitchen: CHEDDAR CHEESE
9. Reason for being late: CRUSHED MY FINGERS IN THE CAR DOOR, CAR CRASH
10. Body Part: CURVES ;)
11. Drink: COKE
12. Something you shout: CRUD!
13. Something you eat: CHOCOLATE ;)

Strawberries and Sunsets

I made chocolate-dipped strawberries this past weekend. Accompanied by brownies, we had some sweet post-Valentine's treats. . .

But the sweetest thing was this stunning sunset we saw on our walk :)

My Valentino

On Love Day, I received a lovely surprise at work. . . a special delivery from Pro Flowers - from my very sweet Valentine ;) Though we were apart that day, he made me beam from ear to ear.

They were lovely - thank you Lovey :)

Creative Splurts

Just so you know - I am doing some 'blogscaping' right now - we'll be a little bit under construction for awhile, while I get these links back up ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Looking back

If I had a penny for every time I looked back. . .

I'd be filthy stinking rich right now.

So what? Looking back is normal, right?

I guess it depends on how you are looking back. I really wish that I could focus on the warm memories. There are lots of shadows that cloud the sunshine though. But the grace of God is evident through the cloud-cover. The blessings are endless, all the way around.

Sometimes I wonder how things might have been if this or that didn't change. . . life would be so completely different, so completely not what God has set out for this life. And that brings me to these things called memories. Memories are like photos. Still life. Time, frozen.

Some of these photos strike the core of me, making me feel everything in that moment all over again. And then I have a lot of pictures that baffle me, what was so important to me then is now so trivial now.

But at some point, you have to put those pictures away, slipping them back into an album, or a box, tucking them in an envelope or putting the frame back on the wall. You walk away and you thank the Lord for yesterday, but you embrace today and you look longingly toward the future.

A time for everything

There is a time to sleep . . . and a time to wake up . . .

Unfortunately, as I sip DECAF coffee it is the time to wake up.

Even Hector isn't a Monday kind of dog

Bleh - okay, here we go. Off to a new week

Whole

Oh the goodness of tea -

Though, I am still a 'coffee-adorer", the black bean has now become that rich, chocolate truffle that is a special treat.
Hot water is now humming in my tea kettle, ready to squeal at any given moment.
I love the process of how we have to heat the water to make tea, the steeping of the tea bag in the scalding water, and that first sip, which burns just the tip of your tongue. The infusions of flavor, the sweet smell, the soothing feel down your throat . . .

Yes, I am loving tea. It is some kind of wonderful wholesome goodness.

And this is my beloved

Words cannot express how much I love you Haven. You are my warrior and my hero.

Rest well - I really miss you

So sleepy

I dunno how I am gonna make it today . . . all that is running through my head is a strong, black, caffeinated cup of coffee. . .

Good thing I am committed. I am going to make it. Don't worry.

To set you at ease, here's a random quote for the day -

"futility is two bald men fighting over a comb"

Cheers :)

Aqua

We painted the 2nd bedroom this past weekend. We covered the tiara, flowers, swirls, yellow, pink and magenta . . .

with a cool and crisp CRYSTAL AQUA!

(This room has yet to be occupied by a baby, so, in the meantime, we are going to make it an office and workout room :)

Oops

The other day, I acted without thinking. Well, this is not really a rare thing I guess, but this particular thing was completely mindless of me. . .

Sigh

Well, here goes. . .

I was sitting at my desk at work, when a young teenage girl walked in the door with a box full of something. While normally I would shue her away like any other vendor, her youth and sweet smile kept me from pushing her out the door.

She was friendly and conversational, and said that she was part of a group that was selling these stained-glass-like designs made from shells from the Philippines to raise money for character leadership training.

pretty ain't it?

Now, if I was not so absorbed in leafing through the wares, I would have been more attentive to what the organization actually was.

But no

I had to be hasty and impulsive, and buy the sun catcher above for a rip-off of $25, only to realize later, as I glanced at the bookmark she had left with me, what I had just supported. . .

Which read:

Our activities are motivated by the Five Universal Principles for Peace:

1. There is one God who is the Creator of all and the Parent of humankind (check - agreed)
2. Human beings are essentially spiritual in nature (okay)
3. The family is the "School of Love" and Cornerstone for World Peace (m'kay . . . ?)
4. The Highest Standard for relationships is to "live for the sake of others" (alright)
5. Inter-religious and international cooperation are essential to world peace. (???)

I feel like I just read something off a starbucks cup. . .

Oh dear. Think girl, THINK!

The Need

21Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." 23But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us." 24But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 26And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."27But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 28Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once.

Looking at this passage for this week's lesson for bsf seemed like perfect timing. My soul is weary.
This past month has been incredibly difficult, with many reasons I cannot convey to you. All that I can convey is that God took us through a storm and we are now in a calm again. Through this time of testing, I was tempted to turn away from God with my lack of faith. But His hold is secure on His chosen, and He bolted me firmly.

Going back to this passage, it emotionally overwhelms me that God acknowledged the faith of a Canaanite, one not of His chosen, and yet she believed. She had persistent faith- she had quick wit to say that 'even the master's dogs feed on the crumbs . . . ' She was so eager for anything, anything that the Lord would give to her. And what she desired was not for herself, but her daughter.

"O woman, your faith is great"

Oh to be like that - to tug at the robe of Jesus, daily in prayer. I have needs, I have anxieties and concerns, and I hunger for righteousness. I have doubts, and I have sin but He collects that garbage and folds me in His embrace.