Sarah Leighann's Thoughts and Adventures

Dissertation Ideas

2012-01-10T21:58:00.001-05:00

So tonight I spent over four hours on homework (not consecutively) and this might sound crazy, but it was awesome. My brain is flowing with ideas for my dissertation and other research projects and it's rejuvenating. I think I have been so focused on counting down the days until I am done with course work to really enjoy what I am learning. And if I am not enjoying what I am learning, what is the point of being in school still? I have three months (give or take) to come up with a solid research question for my dissertation, so this is great timing! That is all I have for now! It's time to do some laundry and hit the hay!

What a weekend....and not a very exciting one!

2012-01-08T23:21:00.001-05:00

This weekend has been very, very uneventful since I have been sick for most of it.

Friday was work, a long nap, date night with my husband (this consisted of simply picking up some food and watching a movie together on the couch since I felt like poo), and bed early.

Saturday I spent most of the day asleep on the couch with my Blossom. She definitely takes care of her momma when she is sick.

Today continued that trend...luckily I am starting to feel better, but not terrific yet.

Tomorrow brings on homework, half a day of work, funeral visitation, trip to sister-in-laws to drop off kids boots, and possibly a stop in at one of Chris's work buddies. I hope I can make it through all that with ease....Blossy is telling me it is bed time and wanting me to cuddle, so I better listen to her!

And the craziness begins!

2012-01-03T22:18:00.001-05:00

First days of class are always interesting....in both good and bad ways. I realized that one of the classes I was encouraged to take is almost identical to one I took while at USC. Luckily I found one that works with my schedule even better and is something new. Once I see the syllabus for this class, I will make my final decision.

And my life is always better after a good conversation with an awesome friend! It is amazing how two people's lives can collide and they become so very important to your life...even hundreds of miles away from one another.

So now it's time for some qt and bed....another day if work followed by class tomorrow....at least it's Wednesday-half way to the weekend!

New Year Goals/Resolutions

2012-01-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

Something that always strikes me as intriguing is how a new year triggers the compulsion for new goals/resolutions. I always sort of forget about this part of the new year tradition until the ball has dropped and the end of the first day is almost over. I guess it's because I see them everywhere (yay for social networks!), or maybe I just need more time to decide what I can actually accomplish in the new year.

Accomplishing new things each year should be very easy for someone who LOVES to make lists...and cross things off as they are completed! However, if I'm going to be serious about a goal, then I need to put some really deep thought into it.

So after deep thought, I've come up with the following goals for 2012

1. Make sure to take time to actually get ready for bed....I sometimes forget to actually get ready for bed...like brush the teeth, wash the face, etc. This probably seems gross, but I know a lot of people who forget to do this. As I get older, it is seemingly more important to me. Do not know why, but it is.

2. No cheating on the gluten free diet. There are times when I get so frustrated and just give in to eating something with gluten in it. No more! I'm going to be 100% gluten free and try new recipes to add flavor!

3. Have a healthy balance between work, school, and fun. I tend to focus on one or the other and stress about it. I need to enjoy all three aspects. That way I can be a better wife, puppy mommy, student, and worker.

4. Sell more items in my etsy store. Slowly, but surely I am building up a solid stock of items-cards, blankets, scarves, and other fun crafty things. I just hope the hard work starts to pay off soon! I sold a total of 33 things in 2011, so my goal is 50 for 2012!

5. Get our will in place. This may seem, silly, but it is something we need to do as a couple. It will be more difficult once we start having children, so it will be nice to get a solid foundation!

6. Start (and finish) some home improvement projects. Now that Chris and I are a family, it's time to start thinking about redoing the decor around our condo.

7. Take Blossom on more/longer walks. She absolutely loves walks and they are definitely helpful for my health, so it makes sense to do. Will help me achieve a better balance as well!

8. Read more for fun. I get swept up in my school books that I forget how much I really like to read for fun! Not this year!

9. Plan and take a honeymoon trip. We're thinking Savannah, GA ( thanks Jenn!) but no definite plans have been made.

10. Make more trips to Dayton to see our handsome nephew and all three adorable nieces! It's definitely something we need to do and want to do!

11. Cook more/ different meals for my husband. Chris and I have different eating habits and tendencies, so it's definitely an adjustment for us both. Hopefully this year we can get into more of a compromise and eat at home more often :-)

12. It is only appropriate to have 12 goals since there are 12 months in the year....however the only other goal I have is to enjoy this year by growing closer to God and enjoy each and every day!

So there we have it folks! My goals / resolutions for this year!

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T20:32:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!!

The Prather family spent our first New Year's Eve being lazy and watching the ball drop...boring I know. But it was sweet and nice. Especially since Chris had to work yesterday and today.

We also are dog sitting for my parents since my dad got Gator Bowl tickets for Christmas. So far, Daisy has seemed to do okay, but I'm sure she'll sleep for a few days when she finally gets home and can shadow my mother!

Daisy May Sleeping at our condo!

That's all for now! Work starts back up tomorrow for me and school quickly follows by starting on Tuesday.... Oh what joys. Luckily there is only 20 weeks of school, a preliminary hearing, comprehensive exam, and dissertation standing in my way of achieving my PhD....only!

December...

2011-12-03T11:41:00.001-05:00

It's really hard to believe it's already December! We're still trying to unpack all of Chris's stuff from where he moved in almost 3 months ago! 3 months? I can't believe we've been married that long! I'm not sure I'll actually be able to have Christmas stuff up until I make some room for all of it! Hope I can though!

I will say this is my favorite time of year (as it is most people's). I love the coziness of winter...fires, hot chocolate, scarves, gloves, blankets, gift buying, Christmas lights on in the evening, Christmas music and most of all getting ready to celebrate the birth of my Savior with family and friends. It's going to be our first Christmas together as a married couple and I'm super excited that we're having a candle light service at church! There's something so special about standing in a dark church, holding a candle, and singing Silent Night. This song always makes me cry because it makes my dad cry...it was Grandma Lashley's favorite Christmas song. But despite the tears, it's my favorite. It reminds me of the peace that God provides for us in the midst of the craziness...and Christmas can be one of the craziest times...

Well, my puppy is snoozing beside me on the couch, my husband is on his way home from work, and I still have a couple of things to finalize for tomorrow's lessons...so off we go to study the Lord's word and then watch some Christmas movies tonight :-)

I do wish I could go to the Opryland hotel and see the decorations...I'm missing Nashville and my friends from there (those who are there and those that have moved away)....

Opryland Hotel Christmas 2005

Five Question Friday

2011-12-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

So it's been awhile...it always seems that the end of the school quarter gets the best of me and fun things just go out the window! Luckily I only have 2 more things to complete before preparing for next quarter :-)

So it's time for Five Question Friday!!

1. What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your house?
Right now there are none, since school has been so crazy! But my favorite Christmas decorations are the stockings that get hung. I think these are so special because they're all different and made with love. I'd also have to say, I love Christmas trees! Ornaments of all kinds, lights that let off a peaceful glow...just amazing :-)

2. Do you finish your Christmas shopping early or are you a last minute type?
I usually finish my Christmas shopping early so I can stay on my budget! Then I help my dad do the last minute stuff. I only one more person to get something for and we'll be done :-)

3. When do you turn on your heat?
When it starts getting too cold to sleep comfortably I turn it on low...like 60ish. But it has to be getting cold for a week straight, not just a day or so.

4. Do you ever wish your blog was private?
Yes and no. I think because it's not I monitor what I write better. But if it was private, then what would be the point of having one?

5. Do you put your deodorant on before of after you put on your shirt?
After...if I put it on before, I usually end up with it on the outside of my shirt.

And that's all folks! I'm off of here to finish some more school work...and hopefully talk my husband into getting the Christmas decorations out of the attic!

Thanksgiving update and Five Question Friday!

2011-11-18T18:36:00.001-05:00

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?

"Walking on Sunshine" or Christmas music or almost anything country...especially songs by Reba :-)

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?

Well, right now I have a small artificial tree that fits well in our small condo...I love the smell and look of real trees (as does my husband)...so hopefully one day when we have a larger house... but with cats, my puppy, and the space, we'll stick with the artificial one for now!

3. What are you thankful for?

The first three things that come to mind are: Everything, my husband, and my puppy.

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?

I would have to say that I am not the most fashionable person...as I wear what I feel comfortable in, not what is "in." So this question does not really pertain to me...

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?

I am the kind of person who drives to the gas station as soon as the gas light comes on. With that said, if I have to be somewhere and the low fuel light is about to come on (around less than 1/4 of a tank), I go to the gas station. SO both. I am very anxious about running out of gas...especially in the winter or dark!

THANKSGIVING UPDATE

So I realize that I have not been faithful in writing this blog...life just sometimes catches up with me and I have to prioritize... But today I will update that I am thankful for an amazing man in my life...my dad.

Today is my dad's birthday, so it only seems right to blog about being thankful for him! My dad is one of the most Godliest, funniest (don't tell him!), and loving person I know. No matter what, my dad has always been there for me. I have always been more like my mom and spent more time with her growing up, but as I've grown older, I covet every moment I get to spend with my dad-especially our lunch dates where it's just him and me.

So today, I am thankful for my Daddy. He's the best Daddy in the world!

Five Question Friday!!! and Day 11 of Thanksgiving

2011-11-11T18:00:00.001-05:00

So today is 11/11/11...it's also Veteran's Day. And therefore, it is a MUST that I say I am thankful for all the men and women who have served, are currently serving, and will serve to protect our country. Being part of a major war, or not, I am thankful for your selfless act of serving our country and protecting our freedoms. I will never be able to comprehend this act, but I am thankful for it. I would also like to name a few of the veterans in my family: my Uncle Skeeter, Grandpa Lashley, and Poppy are a few that I'll name here. I also have some friends that I know who are currently serving: Sarah Bailey's husband Mike and my cousin Olivia's husband to name a couple...

Additionally, I have to say that I am thankful for my husband. Not only have we officially been married for two whole months, but one year ago today was our first date. Some felt we rushed into marriage, but after his car accident in December, I knew I loved him and never wanted to lose him...let alone wait to get married :-) So today I am thankful for this handsome man:

Photo Courtesy of AdrienneFeldmann Photography

And NOW...it's time for FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

1. What's the last thing you spent too much money on?

I would have to say our Honda Civic Ex. I love it, but it definitely was costly (as any car is). It is definitely saving us money in the long run, however....at least compared to the JEEP Wrangler that was a gas guzzler!

2. What celeb chef would you want to make you dinner?

Honestly, anyone who makes me dinner is great! Being on a gluten free diet, I would go with someone who excels in that area...anyone know anyone?

3. Where do you hide things when visitors pop over or do you let them see the real deal?

With the amount of stuff we have in our condo right now, you'd see the real deal! There's no place to hide things! Anything that I really don't want people to see is stuffed in the bedroom, however. We keep that door closed since I can't sleep with my cats anymore....

4. Who is your oldest living family member?

I really don't know if you look at extended family...I would probably guess my Great Aunt Mildge and Great Uncle Carlos. I don't know for sure though that it's not my Great Uncle Lee....I'd have to call Gring and ask...or since I hear she reads these, she can comment and let you know :-)

5. What is your favorite DQ treat and/or Sonic drink combo (ie: cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper)?

From DQ I like the soft serve in a cup with chocolate syrup...and from Sonic I LOVE Green Apple or Cherry Slushies. They definitely give me brain freeze, but it's so worth it!!

And that's all folks! I'm off to get some dinner and some stuff done while my husband is at work. Hoping to celebrate with a movie when he comes home :-)

November 8, 2011-Day 8 of Thanksgiving and Election Day

2011-11-08T17:25:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for the wonderful country we live in and the freedoms that are so often taken for granted...

I will admit that I was sightly annoyed, as I usually am, as today approached. I don't care to have your opinion shoved in my face on a regular basis. I did my research and chose how to vote. I'm not going to publicize how I vote. I WILL, however, encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote...As I did.

I had sort of a flash back to high school when I walked into the arena to vote. Some of it looked different, but oddly most seemed to be frozen in time. Even the smells seemed familiar... I envisioned all the stairs we did during softball conditioning,...and it just felt like home. I guess part of who I am today came from the time I spent in that building...I'm glad to have been able to revisit it AND exercise my right to vote.

Voting is something that people seem to just write off as something that they should do, but they just never get around to it...why is that? We live in a FREE country for a reason...don't take it for granted. Be thankful and go vote :-)

Seventh Day of Thankgiving

2011-11-07T21:36:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful for a warm home and a comfortable couch/bed. Both have come in very handy as I've been out of commission today with a little bug. I'm also thankful for good shows that never get old...like Reba and Golden Girls...and of course Law and Order :-) Hoping tomorrow is a healthier day!

November 6, 2011

2011-11-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Twizzler in South Carolina

Today I am thankful for a couple of things....3 to be exact.

1. My Twizzler kitty. No matter what, he has ALWAYS been there for me when I need him. He is now 11 (as is his brother who I am also thankful for) and loves Blossom. I find them curled up together a lot of the time.

2. I am thankful for my Poppy. Today would have been his birthday....it just makes me remember him. And I needed that today since my grandmother is boycotting Thanksgiving.... I'm sure he had a wonderful birthday celebration in Heaven....

3. I am thankful for my small group/life group. They're AmAzInG is about all I need to say about them :-)

Fifth Day of Thanksgiving

2011-11-05T19:54:00.002-04:00

Today I have lots to be thankful for...but here are 5 since today is day 5 of Thanksgiving :-)

1. Wedding Photo DVDs came in the mail-and I absolutely LOVE them! I already ordered a set of hard copies from Meijer so I'll be able to see which ones we want to order for all our fun picture frames we got as wedding presents! My husband is currently picking them up :-)

2. Blossom Anne. No matter what, she is faithfully by my side, following me around, giving me kisses, tossing a ball up and chasing it, or bringing sheepy up to play...she is by far the greatest puppy in the world and one of the best decisions I have ever made.

3. My husband...who simply loves me unconditionally.

4. Mrs. Sarah Bailey being one of the greatest people I have ever met and FINALLY getting to catch up with a phone date :-)

5. And lastly, an extra hour of sleep tonight :-)

That's all folks :-)

Day 4 of Thanksgiving

2011-11-04T10:29:00.002-04:00

It's Friday!!! And today I would have to say I'm thankful for Fridays marking the end of a busy week and the start of a busy weekend....it seems like this week has just been me tackling one thing after another! It's crazy! And this weekend will be filled with homework and church!

I'd also have to say I'm thankful for this fun little blog thing I found...

Five Question Friday

...courtesy of fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com.

So I'm going to join in this fun little blog hop and see how I like it...

1. What movie do you love to quote?

I am horrible at remembering lines from movies...therefore I don't quote them. I'm much better at quoting songs...even if I get the lyrics wrong (this drives my husband nuts!!).

2. Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?
No. Would I like to? Maybe. I think some back roads would be fun to ride on...I just am totally convinced motorcycles are not safe, especially in heavy traffic.

3. What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
On rainy days, I LOVE to stay in my pajamas, curl up under a fleece blanket with hot chocolate (possibly mixed with vanilla cappuccino), a good movie and/or book, and a skein of yarn. There is nothing like a fresh skein of yarn to start a new blanket with on a rainy day! And of course, intermittent naps would be included!

4. Do you prefer a bunch of small gifts, or one really big, (expensive) gift?
I think it depends on the giver and the gift/gift occasion. In general, however, I'd have to say I like a bunch of small gifts. I guess in some weird illogical way it means that the person took more though into the gifts (even if they're inexpensive individually) than if they just went and threw money at something. This goes along with my favorite part of Christmas being the stocking stuffers. I love both purchasing stocking stuffers for people and opening my stocking on Christmas morning!
5. Do you ever lose track of days and show up somewhere wrong?
Days? No. Time? Yes. I've lost track of time and showed up at the wrong place before...early and late. I think that if I didn'thave my planner, I would probably mix up days as well. It seems like I have to have it in order to know what day it is and what I'm suppose to be doing! Life just is too crazy at times!

Okay, so now you know 5 fun facts about me! Aren't you glad you read this :-) Happy Day 4 of Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day 3

2011-11-03T21:15:00.000-04:00

Today I am thankful for gluten free macaroni and cheese...and a loving husband who makes it for me when I'm not feeling well!

The Month of Thanksgiving: Day 2

2011-11-02T21:28:00.000-04:00

Today I am thankful for some down time on Wednesday nights...where I can watch Criminal Minds, crochet a blanket, and enjoy Blossy laying next to me. It's these little things in life that make the week go by so much smoother!
I'd also have to say I'm thankful for our new car that we've had for almost a week...and the ability to make a color coded excel budget :-) I guess this post is showing my true inner nerd :-)

End of October, Beginning of November

2011-11-01T20:31:00.001-04:00

So Monday was Halloween...and thus not a typical Monday. But Halloween was not the only thing that made my Monday more unique than others. Monday was a day of good news...peace and rest of things that I've been praying over came to the forefront yesterday. I felt God's love in such abundance yesterday...it was AMAZING!!! Additionally having lunch with my Dad made my Monday all that much more enjoyable!

But then today was Tuesday...the beginning of the month where I try to focus on all that I am thankful for...as it is the month of Thanksgiving! It was difficult at times, for today was a little trying...but then a dove chocolate (with peanut butter in the center) summed up what I have to be thankful for today: Today is a bubble bath kind of day! Oh how I LOVE bubble baths! And the timing of that dove chocolate moment was PERFECT!!!The only thing I love more than a bubble bath after a hard day is cuddling with my Blossom Anne. My husband sometimes gets annoyed and says I love her more than him, but it's a different kind of love. Blossom is the best dog that I could ever imagine having.

So in summary, today I am thankful for both bubble baths AND my Blossom Anne. And with that, it's time to relax before bed and find something to be thankful for tomorrow as well :-)

Marbles, Powdered Sugar Donuts, Pecan Pick Ups, Wood Work, and Twin Girls

2011-10-21T22:45:00.003-04:00

What do marbles, powdered sugar donuts, pecan pickups, wood work, twin girls all have in common you ask?

Well...the answer would be the date October 21.

The first four things all have to do with my Poppy.

Poppy collected marbles...he ate powdered sugar donuts almost every morning we were visiting him...he LOVED my mom's pecan pickups (she'd make an extra batch just for him!)...and he loved working in his workshop. Fortunately I have a cedar chest he made, a "books shelf," and a refinished rocking chair. But even more importantly, I have some very fond memories of him.

And today has really made me remember most of these fond memories of him. Four years ago today, Poppy left this world to be in a better place. I miss him terribly every day, but even more so on today's date and on his birthday. Today, a poem that was written and read at his funeral by Allen Hamilton really rang true today.

You Are STILL Here

I received a call the other night,

to inform me you were no longer here,

but as my mind swept through all my thoughts of you,

I still find that you are still very near.

You are here at the chair I sit on

and at the desk where my paperwork lies.

So as long as the world keeps turning,

your spirit here, will never die.

It will be there in every marsh I pass,

Where the muskrat huts grow high

and on every beaver lodge I see,

and in every Rainbow Filled Sky

Even the floors I walk on that once was scarred,

with years of wear,

Now renewed with your hours of toil,

I will see your reflection there.

When winter comes,

with those cold rainy days,

and there is gloom in the air,

I'll hear your laughter in the wind,

that will chase away my despair.

You will be there on your grand kids school yard,

and in all their pleasant dreams.

You will be there on their graduation day

and be in on their ornery schemes.

You will be there in your children's decisions,

so when life's problems they have to face,

with all the values you have instilled in them,

They will handle them in grace.

Now Ginny!! Gary has given you 47 years of great memories

and Holy Scripture I wouldn't want to misconstrue,

Jesus said "He went to prepare a mansion" for us, but I'm thinking Gary is there,

tinkering, trying hard to make yours,

even more beautiful for YOU.

Even as I write that poem out today, I have tears streaming down my face. But I will go to bed peacefully tonight because I have two beautiful Twin Baby Girls in my life! Today my sister-in-law gave birth to two, small, but strong girls. They only weigh about 4 1/2 lbs each and one is in NICU, but only as a precaution....it's such a blessing that I have a happier memory to occupy me on this date...it doesn't mean I miss him any less, but it does make it a little easier to handle.

I truly believe that Poppy was looking over me today smiling at all that his grandchild was getting into! While we were at the hospital, at least 6 pairs of twins were born! Maybe one of them will be named Gary :-)

Hopefully we can hold Elizabeth Ann and Michaiah Kay tomorrow and I can get some good pictures! Little babies are ADORABLE!!! Better get some rest before Braydon and Lilly wake up! Did I mention it's fun being an aunt???

Cloudy Tuesday Morning

2011-10-18T09:43:00.001-04:00

I love being able to sleep in until my body wakes me up...and today was one of those days! And instead of starting right into homework, I decided I'd play around with my blog colors! So please let me know what you think about this fun background/color scheme! I would love feedback!

Anyways...today is one of those cloudy days....the ones where you just want to curl up with a good book and cuddle under blankets. It's not raining, but it's cloudy. Instead, it's off to homework for me :-)

Rain and Peace

2011-10-14T19:11:00.000-04:00

So as a Christian, typically rain in our lives correspond with some sort of trial, chaos, stress, etc. Or at least it does in my head....and the same is true in real life. However, as I'm sitting here tonight (delaying the inevitable task of homework) I look around and realize how peaceful rain can be. My husband is sleeping in the bedroom, my cats are sound asleep in their favorite spots, and Blossom is sitting on the chair monitoring any movement out the window....and all I can think is how peaceful the storm sounds outside are. How peaceful my life is currently....It looks a little intense (both the storm clouds and my current life, but it is somehow peaceful...Reminds me of the promise that comes after the storm....like this picture from Hawaii....

Maybe this is just a family thing-I know my Aunt Judy loves to sit outside when it storms so she can watch the lightning....but I just am overwhelmed by this sense of peace tonight...It's nice. And I felt the urge to share!

Etsy Shop Happenings

2011-10-13T15:06:00.001-04:00

I have FINALLY reached 10 sales on my Etsy account! It's so fun to be in the double digits! Now I just wish they would all be closer together...

Currently I am working on the second baby blanket for Chris's Aunt's grand babies! The first one turned out super cute and soft and only took about a week to make! I'm hoping to have them mailed by the end of next week!

I also am thinking that I should make baby hats. Hats are something I've toyed with, but have always just stuck with blankets for some reason. I have a secret incentive to start looking at making hats though...plus I can probably make them quicker.

On other notes, I found a couple cool websites that talk about crocheting:

CRAFTYARNCOUNCIL.COM
CGOA.COM

Update on products: Look for more cards to be posted soon! They just need photographed and posted! They'll be up by the beginning of next week! I'll blog and let you know :-)

Thanks for reading!

The Scariest word EVER!!!

2011-10-13T14:53:00.002-04:00

So not all of you will appreciate this post, but I know some of you will....

Thes SCARIEST word EVER is DISSERTATION. I swear this word is going to haunt me for the next 3 years of my life. It's the last thing I will ever do as a student. It's the last thing that I have to do in order to get my PhD. And in the end, I know it will be a great feeling to hold the published copy in a hard back book...but today it's just annoying. And here is why...

So I LOVE math, right? I want to work with math and research the rest of my life! I love looking at things from different perspectives and finding better ways to solve problems. It stretches me, frustrates me, and somehow thrills me. However, the words: Bayesian vs. Frequentists freak me out. We're talking theoretical perspective, highly controversial stuff. And of course, I have the brilliant idea to incorporate my master's theseis topic of DALY's (Disability Adjusted Life Years) into this debateable topic!

SO I guess, to summarize it: Thinking about this task I have ahead of me freaked me out! I definitely have my work cut out for me the next two years...luckily I have a very patient husband when it comes to me and my school tasks :-)

My Etsy Mini

2011-09-29T14:54:00.000-04:00

Etsy Blog Beginnings

2011-09-28T11:54:00.000-04:00

One of the things I'm learning is that in order to succeed on Etsy.com, you must network. Blogging is apparently a great way to network. Not sure really how to do this, but got to start somewhere...right? So in addition to my random, daily thoughts/adventures I will be updating things about my etsy store.

Just wanted to prepare you all :-)

Newly Wed Update :-)

2011-09-27T16:19:00.003-04:00

I've been a newly wed for a total of 17 days now...and being married is AmAzInG!!! I won't lie, it's definitely an adjustment living with someone, but it's a good kind of adjustment. I've been forced to grow, and learn to be a better compromisor...and this week has just started off amazing and there's still fun stuff to look forward to.

Sunday-Mom, Chris, and I went to the Davis Reunion. It's definitely hard not seeing Poppy there, but it's great to see everyone else there. It's fun to go to the country for an afternoon, watch the boys shoot clay pigeons, ride a horse, sit and chat with people who have unique views on things, and just get to see people who I love because they are simply my blood line.

Monday-nothing too exciting happened....just work and class. I actually think I'm going to like the class I have Monday nights though. It's not my typical research class since it's qualitative, but it will be something that interests me since it's new. I also decided to drop a class that I know I'll hate and only take 6 hours this quarter. Something I'm not use to doing, but thankful I made the decision. I need some time to relax with my HUSBAND!!!

Tuesday-So far today, we've moved a tv, end table, and large dog crate out of the condo. We added a dresser from mom's (one that we've had since Allison and I were little). Overall, it was a good trade. we rearranged some stuff and I feel like it's becoming OUR home instead of a crazy rat's nest :-)

And still to look forward to this week:

Wednesday-Nothing too exciting, just work and class. But I do get to watch a new criminal minds and law and order svu :-)

Thursday-KING SIZE BED!!! and hopefully date night...maybe I'll finish "The Help" and we can go see that movie...or go to Bed Bath and Beyond and spend gift cards :-)

Friday-half day of work is really not exciting, but it is pay day! And it's a double pay day-Chris and I both get paid-super exciting!!!

Saturday-Doggy Class with Miss Blossy! Hopefully we'll show that we've improved in the past two weeks!

Thanks for reading my ramblings! I need to get back into this and get better at blogging!!!

Wedding Planning Adventures

2011-06-28T21:12:00.000-04:00

I am getting so excited about the wedding reception!!! Since we moved it the following positives are occurring: Dancing, yummy food, DJ to announce our entrance, Beautiful facility, no having to set up or tear things down, and a simple peace of mind! It's wonderful! Yet there is still so much to do...veil, hair accessories, earring choice, anklet choice, bracelet choice, cake topper, picture list, presents for the guys, rehearsal dinner invite....the list seems like it could go on forever!!

In addition to all the wedding planning, I'm trying to stay on top of my school work, train my puppy to obey me (I learned last night that I'm an unenthusiastic puppy mom), work part time (32 hours a week) and have some sort of summer. With all that said, it is time to curl up with my super amazing puppy and get some much needed beauty rest!!

Blossom Anne

2011-06-24T11:14:00.004-04:00

I absolutely adore my puppy! This is an old picture of her, but she's so cute and sweet in it! And the best part (also the reason for this post) is I get to spend a week with her...all by myself :-) See, she usually goes to Granny's (aka my mom) during the week days so she doesn't have to be crated so much. She loves to run outside and keeps my mom occupied. But my parents are going to DC for a week and I'm dog/house sitting for them. So I get the yard for Blossy Boo and I get her all to myself! I really just can't wait! I love cuddling with her and she's just so full of energy and happiness. She is by far the best thing I've ever bought for myself.

On a different note, I'm also very excited that we are meeting with a place this afternoon to hold a wedding reception. Planning a wedding is so much fun, but only when things start coming together...I'm also hoping we can get the guy's yellow shirts tonight...yes I'm making them wear yellow, but not the girls :-) My future husband LOVES me for this too!!!

Update on my Life

2011-06-22T13:28:00.002-04:00

I hate hate hate migraines!!! I hate having to miss work and sitting on the couch without a clear, functioning mind. That's my life in a nutshell for today....

Other than that, I'm finally doing what I (and Chris) really want to do for our wedding. Dad and Mom dictated absolutely no alcohol, so I thought it would be best to have a simple finger food reception. But, then we keep adding people to the guest list...so in order to accommodate the people and still have fun, we're moving the reception to a location other than the church fellowship hall. It's most likely going to be at the Oscar Event Center, which has plenty of fun things to do around it in case people don't want to go home immediately after the fun party. Plus, we can have a dance floor. Which is always more fun!! I'm finally getting excited about something other than the rehearsal dinner...I am ready for Friday afternoon to get here so we can have our meeting with the sales person and get things rolling...I just hope it's not too expensive.

Well, head is hurting me still, so it's nap time! More later :-)

Random Thoughts of Tonight

2010-05-06T22:55:00.003-04:00

So tomorrow I have to get a light put down my throat...also known as an endoscopy. It's a routine procedure, but it does require going under. I'm not that concerned about it simply because my mom has had it done numerous times and she has come out fine. I'm just hoping that after this procedure it is an easy switch to my new gluten free diet....

On a different note-the Amazing Grace version by Chris Tomlin is so comforting when I'm anxious about things...You would think that this version of the song would invoke sadness, and it does at times when I sit and think about Paul and Karen singing it at Poppy's funeral...But mainly it's just comforting to know that it's "unending love, amazing grace" that we receive daily. It makes me put the focus on God have everything in control and not worrying about it...

And with that said, I'm going to go take my medicine and my last drink of water before midnight. Then I'm going to snuggle up with my boys and drift off to sleep...:-)

Revelations

2007-11-30T21:14:00.000-05:00

Revelations is the conclusion of the Christian bible and includes a description of the return of Christ. Many numerical and other symbolizing is used throughout this book. Some of the things that caught my attention while reading revelations was the verses that are now sometimes in songs. 1: 8 calls God the alpha and Omega, who is and who was and who is to come. Then in 4:8, "Holy, Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty...." And 22:13 "I am the Alpha, Omega...Beginning and End."

Revelations is a darker side of the bible in some ways. The judgment day can either be viewed as intimidating and dark, or as magnificent and bright. To me the most impressive image of this book is envisioning every single creature and person bending their knee and worshiping Him. The reason people may see this as dark is that they may be condemned to Hell. Some of the descriptions in this book make the coming of God seem more like the end of the world. I think of the movie Armageddon whenever I read and think about revelations...

And lastly, my favorite verse of revelations is 21: 4. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." I love this verse not only because it declares that the way today's world is will not be but also because at my poppy's funeral the person who did the eulogy wrote a poem. In this poem towards the end it discussed how my poppy loved to do wood work and random stuff like that and how he had joined God to make the mansion a better place for my grandma...This verse is very special to me, the new Jerusalem will have a place for my family that my poppy had a hand in....

Jude

2007-11-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

Jude is a very short book of the bible that falls right before Revelation. The main focus is the destruction of those who do not believe in the Lord. It continues with the idea of persevering (one of my favorite concepts). I feel like our society is in this era right now. There are the scoffers that divide Christians. Just like today in class, discussing if the resurrection really matters-if it could be metaphorical or real...To me there is no question that it is real, but some philosophers scoff at this idea. Yes, they may be intelligent, but part of Christianity is faith. A lot of Christianity is faith-based. And the Lord calls us in Jude to persevere through these times and continue to pray and be wrapped in His love. True-this isn't easy all the time, but it is what we are called to do.

1, 2, & 3 John

2007-11-14T22:44:00.000-05:00

These three books of the bible bring to light that we need to live in the light and love one another as well as love God. I remember that my sophomore year of college I was in a small group that focused on 1 John. We went in this scripture deep. We started with the Word of Life section and discussed what exactly this meant. We decided that the scripture is a way of passing along the good news. We then continued and discussed the light/dark contrast. There are many songs that include the idea about living in the light. It's a theme that we even see in paintings, like the one of the crucifixion in class the other day.

The books develop from the light into the concept of love. 1 John 3:16, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." This verse is so powerful and truthful. We continue to be told different ways of loving through the end of 1 John and 2 and 3 John. I almost feel like the entire bible could be summed up into this one verse, however. The bible is very repetitive and different points speak to different people-because we are all unique. But it boils down to having one common theme: God loved us and Jesus Christ laid down His life for us-showing us how to love. We go once again back to the greatest two of the commandments. Both involved love.

I also feel that 1, 2, & 3 John lead up to Revelations very well. We read about Jesus' life, his crucifixion, Paul trying to teach different churches, then we focus on love right before revelations. The love of Jesus and God are something that as Christians we have to focus on before we discuss the judgment day and stuff. Yes, I am looking forward to the coming of Christ, but at the same time, I wouldn't be if I didn't know His love...

1 & 2 Peter

2007-11-14T19:06:00.000-05:00

These two books are also part of Paul's letter collection. The focus of these letters are on praising God and realizing how special it is to be a Christian. 1 Peter 1: 6-7 exemplifies this point by stating..."In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." Paul writes these letters from prison, and yet still sees that the focus is on revealing Jesus. This to me is a great example of faith.

Chapter 4 of First Peter has the title Living for God. This title is essentially what Christians should strive for-living and worshiping God in all our actions, thoughts, and deeds. A specific verse, verse 8 states that "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." This verse goes in hand with the two, equivalently most important commandments that God gave us. This verse can also relate to 1 Corinthians 13 when discussing what Love is. Love isn't always easy to show to those who disrespect us or do us wrong, but by loving them they cover sins, or wrong doings...it's like love heals everything....

James

2007-11-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

James is another letter in Paul's collection. This letter mainly focuses on obeying the law/scripture and actually living a Christian life instead of just claiming to be Christians. Paul initially makes a point to say to listen, speak slowly, and even more slowly be angered. But then Paul furthers it to say act upon what you listen to from the scriptures...The whole letter seems to be facing trials and temptations and how to deal with them.

My favorite section of this letter is in chapter 4. The Boasting About Tomorrow section is something my parents quite frequently use with me (verses 13-17). "...Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes..." This section (including prior to and after the quoted section) remind me of the serenity prayer. This prayer is not only my favorite prayer but is also my fathers and his mother's favorite prayer. Learning that there are certain things in life that just don't matter and that you shouldn't worry about because you can't control them is difficult. My parents always remind me that tomorrow is not guaranteed-and so does Garth Brooks in his song "If Tomorrow Never Comes..." This concept is so true. We bustle and hustle throughout life and forget to stop and enjoy it and actually do God's will. Part of this is cultural-but I really think that our society should stop and read/listen/take to heart this passage of the bible...

Hebrews

2007-11-10T19:15:00.000-05:00

Hebrews is also in the collection of Paul's letters. The first thing that I found to be quite interesting is the comparison between Jesus and Moses is spelled out in this letter. We discussed this being important to the Jewish culture to compare Jesus to Moses because Moses delivered them from slavery in Egypt. The Hebrews should be the Jewish people, and so Paul recognizes that they need to be able to compare Jesus to their deliverer. I think that it is also important that Paul discusses faith-what it is and who in the old testament showed a faithful living. Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and his parents, and even the people that were delivered from Egypt. The people Paul mentions are prominent figures to the Jewish culture, and he is challenging the Hebrews to take a faithful stand and live like these people they admire.

Hebrews 4: 9-11 discusses and commands us to take rest on the sabbath. This is something I really struggle with. Part of it is the society we live in doesn't adhere to this commandment and part of it is I commit to too much. It seems like Sunday I spend the day catching up on what I haven't finished last week and starting the stuff for the next week. Rest isn't something I necessarily take the time or the effort for. I keep telling myself that once I graduate and get a real job-I'll do better at it, but it will still take a lot then...

Titus and Philemon

2007-11-09T16:05:00.000-05:00

Titus and Philemon are also in Paul's letters that he wrote while in prison. Both of these letters are incredibly short. Titus seems to be giving guidelines on how to be an elder and how to "Do what is good." Philemon takes a different approach and is more of an informative letter as to a messenger who is being sent from Paul.

I think that the Titus 3: 9 definitely applies to class discussion about what different scholars think. In class it seems that we continually are discussing that the scholars consensus is... But in this verse it says "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law..." I think that in some light the scholar's discrepancies could be seen unnecessary. And my first instinct when I read this verse agreed with the unnecessary discrepancies between scholars. Then I got to thinking about how we learn and do research. We come to differences in something and decide to take it and learn with it...We wouldn't know anything about the bible if we had simply accepted the original person's information and never questioned its validity. I think that this is a cool verse to have, but can be misinterpreted.

1 & 2 Timothy

2007-11-05T22:17:00.000-05:00

1 and 2 Timothy are also found in the collection of Paul's letters. These two books seem to exemplify the different aspects of Church. First and foremost, God is the center. But then you have the deacons and overseers as well as widows, elders, and slaves. Then there is the tithing issue-love for money. The second letter takes more of an encouraging and challenging tone.

1 Timothy 4:12 is a prominent verse used in youth/college groups across the world. Sometimes it is the young who can truly witness to people and they can be the heart of the church at times. This definitely seems to fit the "upside-down" Kingdom that God has created. The young/childlike should have an easier time entering heaven than those that don't come to their faith in a child-like manner.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 are also verses worth commenting on. Here Paul makes the disclaimer that scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Basically-the scriptures are may be man made, but only through the breath of God...and they should be used to build the church up and hold it accountable.

1 & 2 Thessalonians

2007-11-05T07:08:00.001-05:00

Both of these books of the bible are part of the collection of Paul's letters. Again these letters begin with thanksgiving for having received and accepted the gospel. These letters also include sections on living to please God and the coming of the Lord along with standing firm and warnings against idleness. These letters are instructions to the church in Thessalonia and encouragement for staying close to God.

My two favorite verses are both in 1 Thessalonian, chapter 5. Verse 11, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." I don't feel that as an entire society that we do this, but I do feel that as a community in my small group we do this. We encourage each other in job/graduate school hunts, in ways we are handling things and we genuinely love one another. I love it.

Verse 16-18, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." To me the only way you can always be joyful is by continually being in prayer. God is the one who gives us joy and we get this through being in constant contact with Him. I like that Paul directly says to give thank in all circumstances. I don't think that this necessarily means just lie down and deal with people being famished or with roommates making you feel unwelcome-but to look upon it as in the solution to these conflicts you become closer to God and can witness to others. If we continually give thanks we can see that this situation will make us stronger in Him and fall more in love with Him.

Colossians

2007-11-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Colossians is another of Paul's letters. This letter closely replicates part of Philippians. The first chapter begins with thanksgiving and prayer and in verse 10 Paul sums up the letter's purpose. "...that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:..." I believe that this is the main purpose of the letter because then it goes through the idea of Christ being the head of the body and rules for holy living as well as rules in a Christian household.

My favorite verse of Colossians is Chapter 3, verse 17: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." This verse is something that I really have to work at doing. Roommate situation is difficult at the present moment and I try to present myself as Christian like as possible to set a good example, but we fail. So I try to just focus on doing my activities as doing them for God and focusing on Him throughout my day and praying He guides my responses and actions...

Philippians

2007-11-01T21:55:00.000-04:00

Philippians is one of Paul's letters. This particular letter is very short-four chapters. It deals with the imitation of Christ and the thanksgiving we need to continually be in.

Chapter 4 verses 5-9 is one of my favorite passages. I have inherited the worry-wart issue from my mother. This verse, however, just says to pray about it and it'll be taken care of. Chapter four then latter states in verse 13 that "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." THis is a passage you see throughout the world. Tshirts, billboards, tattoos. This verse gives us something to fall back on; it gives us a rock on which to lean. Paul seems to be teaching how to trust in God and rely on Him through constant communication. I believe this because chapter 4 follows chapter 2 which discusses how we should imitate Christ's humility.

One of the things that many people kept telling my grandma while I was at home was that God will get her through this...She once responded with the cliche that she wished God didn't trust her so much...this just really stuck out in my memory while reading about praying for my needs and letting the peace of God transcends to guard my hearts and mind...All that I can do for her is to pray for her, call her, send her cards, and just love her...It sucks for me, but I know that if I pray as Paul directed the Philippians-it'll all work out....

Ephesians

2007-10-29T18:21:00.000-04:00

Ephesians is another of Paul's letters. This is a shorter one that spans 6 chapters. Chapter one deals with what exactly being a Christian means. He continues chapter one with a prayer of thanks for other believers. This is what community in Christ really is about. Tonight at small group we just took time to thank God for us being able to get together and form a family away from our biological families.

Chapter 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." This verse is one of my favorites. This verse places the humbleness of being a Christian in perspective. Every time I read it or hear it, I am reminded that I did not do anything to deserve the forgiveness I have received, but that I am still given it. Chapter 2 also highlights how we are made alive in Christ and are capable of doing things that seem impossible through him.

I found it very interesting that in chapter 2, Paul discusses the body as being the temple of the holy spirit. This is a much different view from the old testament and Jewish belief. I think it fits nicely with Paul's idea of when we become Christians we are no longer foreign. This past sunday the pastor discussed us trying to be a fish-it just doesn't work. God created us to be His, so when we aren't His, we are foreign...

Chapter 3 discussed the purpose of the church. The church can be viewed as many different things. The house of God, a place of worship, where more than one Christian gather, a political/governing body...The church has many different connotations, but in chapter 3 Paul discusses that the intent of the church is to manifold the wisdom of God to the rulers. The church is part of making disciples of all nations...

Chapters 4-6 discuss more of what the "guidelines" are to being a Christian. The image of us all making up one body with him as the head is just amazing. Mean God created the body and then we are part of a larger body. It's a marvelous image. Chapter 6 held a lot of parallels between husband/wife; children/parents, slaves/masters, dark/light. These contrasting parallels describe actions that we are suppose to be taking.

Galatians

2007-10-20T14:45:00.001-04:00

Galatians is also one of Paul's letters to the church. This letter initially discusses/chastises the use of different gospels. Paul defends the true gospel and discusses his calling by God and why he opposed Peter. He then switches his discussion to the law and what it means to be a sons of God. And Paul ends his letter with the freedom and life you get by becoming a son of God.

Galatians 5: 22-26 is my favorite passage from this book of the bible. This passage explains the essence of being a Christian. The old self has been crucified, has passed away. The new self is filled with the Spirit and we, as Christians and part of the church, have to "keep in step with the spirit." I think that some people confess their sins on Sunday, but don't keep up with the spirit during the week. This is something I struggle with day to day. I have to be in constant communication in order to keep up with the spirit-just like keeping up with school work, you have to continually be working on it. I think that this message not only applies to the churches in Galatia, but to churches today too.

2 Corinthians

2007-10-20T14:17:00.000-04:00

2 Corinthians is another of Paul's letters. This letter discusses forgiveness, covenants, his personal hardships and ministry, and basically serves as a critique of the church in Corinth.

This book of the bible has always struck me as being sort of chastising. However, Paul does this in a very loving way. My favorite verse of this book is 1:3-4. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

This verse is especially important to me right now because my grandpa may not even live through the next week. By knowing that God will comfort me and use others to comfort me, I know that it'll all work out for the best. But in general this verse plays an important part in my life. I think comforting one another is a very important aspect of community. Handling problems alone isn't easy and God didn't intend for us to conquer it all by ourselves. I think that this aspect of comfort is part of friendship. We definitely comfort our friends when something happens-a death, a break up, a fight, stress, graduate school...And I love that Paul firstly points this out in his letter prior to critiquing the church.

1 Corinthians

2007-10-17T21:53:00.000-04:00

1 Corinthians is another of Paul's letters. The focus of this letter seems to primarily be on the church. There are instructions for not only the people, but also for the group together. I think that the community aspect of church is really focused on throughout this letter. When discussing spiritual gifts, Paul emphasizes that we all can't be a hand or a foot. He also emphasizes that together we make up the body of Christ.

I think it is interesting that we use the body of Christ as a symbol in this situation. We represent His body by taking bread during communion. We also tend to distinguish between the church body and the body of Christ. In theory, shouldn't they be one in the same?? One of the things that we have been discussing this past semester and last spring in a small group I attend is the importance of community. It is important that every week we encourage one another, we lean on one another, and we use one another's abilities to come together as a body of Christ. This is the same purpose that the church holds-to bring people together in community.

Paul discusses a lot about the different laws we hold. Different things that account for sinful acts. Sexual immorality and the difference in men and women are two large parts of these laws. But, more importantly, he also discusses how we shouldn't pass judgment on others because we each face God's judgment in the end. It seems like Paul is trying to explain accountability to the church. We are suppose to hold one another accountable to certain actions (or sometimes lack of) yet not pass judgment on one another. This is so easy to forget sometimes. We pass judgment on people we see in the news, homeless, our friends...the list goes on and on. We as a society pass judgment on what sin is worst than another. We put murderers in jail, but let adulterers run free and freely divorce. Hypocritical-and we were warned by Paul...

1 Corinthians 10:13 is one of my favorite verses that tends to help me persevere. "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." This is something that not only can apply to faith, but life in general. It's saying God will not give you more than you can handle, and he will give you a way to handle everything he does give you. He's got your back in other words. This was especially helpful to read today with all the graduate school stuff hanging over my head...

And of course, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Love. This passage explains true love. This is the gift God gave to us and the love he has for us. Perfect love is patient, kind, unenvious, unboastful, unproud, etc. We think we find love in so many things. Research, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, siblings...all areas in which we think we've found love. I truly believe though that my parents unconditionally love me, but they don't have a perfect love for me, or for each other. God seems to be the only one capable of perfecting love-simply because we are imperfect...

Romans

2007-10-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

Romans is one of Paul's letters and focuses on spreading the good news.

Chapter two speaks about God's Righteous Judgment. I find this passage interesting simply because it is something we encounter everyday. We, as humans, judge one another. We have set up a government that contains judges to make the laws and enforce them. I've always wondered-even having worked in a court-how judges do what they do...People make mistakes. People are biased. The earth is unforgiving, but God is forgiving...It makes me think about what we were talking about in class today as the new testament being written in a way for heaven to come to earth, not for us to go to heaven...How does our government fit in?? This passage seems harsh, but it definitely fits the topic of hypocrisy-one of my pet peeves.

Chapter three first appeals to the value of being a Jew, but then goes back to no one is righteous. Then we see from the end of chapter three through chapter four the idea of faith playing a large role in salvation. I think that Romans 3: 23 is a verse that truly humbles a person and may be a verse that if more people took to heart could minimize racism. We see a form of racism between Jews and Gentiles in the bible. And essentially, this is what Paul is talking about. There is no difference. Both Jews and Gentiles, blacks and whites, are the same when it comes to measuring up to perfection.

Romans 5:8 is a verse that is dear to my heart. This to me is a summary of God's love for us. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This is such an amazing thought. Despite my flaws, my sins, my imperfection- my king died for me. It reminds me of the song: "Amazing Love, how can it be?? That you my king would die for me..." I think of this song and I think of this verse-and together I summarize that God loved me so much...

Romans 9:21 discusses God as a potter. This analogy has been one I have been use to since I was little. There is a hymn that talks about giving yourself to the potter for Him to mold. This image of God fascinates me simply because I can see it happening. Just as we develop both physically and psychologically, we also develop spiritually...and in the beginning we're pretty much nothing-a big hump of clay. And as we draw closer to Him and allow His hands to touch our lives-or the clay, we mold into a form that is in His desire-His likeness. If you've ever seen pottery being made, this analogy really means a lot...

Romans 10:9 always strikes me as memorable-it is the plan to salvation. How much simpler can you state it?

Romans chapter 12 is one that discusses gifts and love and how to behave. At the end it says "Do not overcome evil by evul, but overcome evil with good." SO many times in my personal life I want to take revenge-specifically with my sister. I think this is a verse I should read daily to reflect on and to overcome our disagreements with love...Love is something that has become tainted in our society. Love has become more ofa lust-in general. People live together thinking they are in love, people marry simply because the guy got the girl pregnant....In verse 9 it states that Love must be sincere. I wish that we as a society could have more sincere love...

Romans as a whole is a chapter in the bible that many Christians quote as directions on "how to be a good Christian." I think this has some truth in it since Paul's letter is advising the different churches...

Acts: 15-28

2007-10-13T15:49:00.000-04:00

The second part of Acts deals a great amount with Paul's missionary journey. Chapter 15 is the council at Jerusalem; we then have Timothy joining in chapter 16-along with Paul in prison with Silas; chapter 17-21 accounts the visits to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Macedonia and Greece, and Jerusalem. The end of Acts deals with Paul running from the authorities and being persecuted.

One of the verses that means a great amount to me, and many missionaries, is Acts 18: 9-10. For me it is beneficial to have this encouragement. It is so easy to just be silent, but to speak out takes courage. I think that this is a favorite quote when discussing missionary work, especially in countries that persecute those who are Christians.

I think that overall Acts is a good example for today's Christian society. So many times there are cliques and issues in the church that do not allow for true witnessing. In Acts, however, Paul traveled from city to city, faced persecution, and was still able to witness towards the end. I think that today's churches spend too much time inside the church instead of outside the church-where they are needed.

Acts 1-14

2007-09-25T20:57:00.000-04:00

Acts 1-14 is written very differently than the gospels, but it definitely ties all the gospels together. The entire first half seems to have one main purpose: to spread Christianity, coming mainly from "The Great Commission" (Acts 1:8)

I think the biggest thing that struck me while reading this passage is how passive we are today about Christianity. Religion seems to be the main thing people are trying to spread-not Christianity. Yes, it is true that today we don't throw people in jail for preaching the gospels...but maybe that's because we don't do it in the same way. A lot of people, myself included, take a much more passive approach. I have friends who are gay, Jewish, Atheist, Muslim, and Christians. A couple times a week I join a community of fellow Christians-either through small group or through a prayer group. We talk openly about Jesus and what He's doing in our life, but when it comes to approaching Jesus with my homosexual friend-it doesn't flow as easy. We are too worried about coming across as judging people to actually do what Jesus commissioned us to do...So instead, we accept their non-belief and just try to live your life the way Christ would...interesting...

I think it is also interesting that we now see churches being throughout the lands. Before we had the temple that the Holy Spirit dwells and the synagogue where the pharisees taught. The church is a place where the gospels can be preached. I think the fact that this institution has stayed for so long is really something to help support our faith. Churches have definitely evolved and changed to fit the times accordingly, but to read about the churches during biblical times-we definitely can see the similarities...and I find it significant that church was important to Peter and Barnabus...now adays-even to me-church can come after a lot of other obligations in life...but this is what they made their lives about. It reminds me more of missionaries today than a formal church, but I still find it strange that we can push aside church...Sometimes I even feel guilty because I work in a nursery (for money) on Sunday mornings instead of attending a church service.

I love the gospels because they tell the story of Jesus' life-which is the basis for Christianity, but it is nice to be able to read about people resisting and acting like humans do today. I felt like in the gospels the disciples made it so easy to follow Jesus-and in essence it is, but in reality it isn't because the world gets in the way...and I feel that Acts portrayed that side better. It sort of makes the Bible more real to me...

John 11-21

2007-09-19T18:55:00.000-04:00

The second half of the gospel John is more of Jesus' teachings and miracles as well as the story of His death and Resurrection. The ending is the reappearance to the disciples...

In chapter 11 of John we see a dead man raised from the dead. This is the miracle we 'witness' right before Jesus is arrested. This, as we discussed in class, was a very big no-no to the Jewish community. Getting rid of your earthly body is something to be grateful for. As I was reading this I thought about a story I heard on the radio (I am not sure how legit it is). A guy was in a car accident and was declared dead. He was then sent to the morgue and apparently when they autopsy people, they begin by cutting the face deeply. During this part of the procedure, the guy "woke up" and was declared alive. Now whether he had been alive the whole time, or was raised from the dead-I do not know and most others don't either...but I thought of Lazarus...I also find in this passage that Jesus thanks God the Father. I always have found it interesting how we exchange Jesus' Name; in thy Father's Name; Heavenly Father; Lord Jesus...etc while we pray...who exactly is it that we are suppose to pray to?? In the Lord's prayer it says "Our Father who..." Just a thought.

A couple things I find peculiar about John's version of the death and resurrection of Jesus includes the idea that Judas didn't betray Jesus with a kiss. In the first three gospels Judas betrays Jesus by a kiss, but in John, Jesus approaches the soldiers willingly. Another thing, that I sort of like, is that the writer seems to relate the story of Jesus' life better to the old testament. comments about this was done so this could be fulfilled seem to be more prominent in John than the other gospels. I like also how Jesus' prayers are included in John...it seems that the other gospels glossed over this...

The last two points about the end of John I would like to make is the reinstatement of both "Doubting" Thomas and Peter...It seems that this is the Jesus Christians like to believe in...the forgiving one and the one we can always trust in. I think that the reinstatement of Peter especially shows the character that Jesus has and the forgiveness He showed us...

And to end this entry, I absolutely loved the ending of John. It makes it seem more like a story book...but a true story book. It also takes into the account the magnitude of Jesus' life on earth and how we will never be able to fully understand what exactly happened then because it's both history and unrecounted, but also because if it had been recounted, we wouldn't be able to process it all. This statement at the end seems to validate the bible for me...maybe it's just tonight and the way I read it, but in a way it does.

John 1-10

2007-09-18T20:14:00.000-04:00

John 1-10 begins with a reflection of Genesis and then continues with Jesus' teachings. The early life of Jesus is skipped over along with most of John the Baptist's story. John the Baptist is mentioned as denying that he is the Christ, but that's about it. We jump from the Word Became Flesh to Jesus' teachings.

Chapter 1 is very interesting. The connection that we have discussed in class as to this first part of John and Genesis fascinates me. Up until this point, there seems to be a lot of connections randomly thrown in the gospels to connect to the prophesies such as Isaiah. To start John off, we immediately reflect back to Genesis. For Jews I would think that this is a powerful statement and a hard thing to argue. I think it is interesting that the last gospel is began this way instead of the first. Why is this?

The miracles Jesus performs in John seem to be the miracles that make him more well known and destroy his time on earth. This gospel doesn't seem to have the tag of "do not tell anyone" to the end of the miracles. Water to wine is a famous miracle that seems so insignificant. Wine isn't comparable to healing the sight of a blind man or having a paraplegic get up and take his mat-at least not in today's society.

John is also an interesting gospel because we see Jesus get angry when they have turned the temple into a market. We also see him approach specific people like Philip, Nathanael, Nicodemus, and the Samaritan woman. We also see specific references back to Abraham and the testimony of John the Baptist. It seems like John spends a lot of time trying to convince people that Jesus is the Christ-more than just by telling stories or testimony.

The last thing I want to point out for the first half of John is the idea of spiritual blindness followed by the sheep analogy and disbelief of Jews. It seems at the end of chapter 9 that Jesus is saying that because we see our sin it makes us guilty. This reminds me again of Genesis 1 in the idea that Adam and Eve did not know they were naked until they sinned... The sheep analogy has always fascinated me. The good shepherd is a great image of Jesus. Watching over us as we sleep. Finding us if we are lost. This image definitely is a comfort as a Christian and a great way to explain Jesus to non-believers. On another note, it has always seemed so easy to believe that Jesus existed so the disbelief of the Jews astonishes me still. It seems interesting to me that he was persecuted as the King of the Jews, yet the Jews didn't believe in him...

Luke 10-24

2007-09-12T20:42:00.000-04:00

These passages hold a lot of teachings and advice. The "end" of Jesus' life is also discussed. Much is repeated from Matthew and Mark.

In Luke 10:25-37 the parable of the good Samaritan is expressed. This parable has always been heavily portrayed in Sunday school and church. My struggle with this passage is how to apply it to today's society. As a female-it is unsafe to stop on the side of the road and help a homeless person or someone whose car has broken down. And yes, there are other ways of helping these people-and I do these things. But what about in my everyday life?? I pass a smoker and hold my breath. I pass someone who smells and move farther away. Jesus isn't talking about the people I bend over backwards to help on a daily basis, but rather the random person we encounter who needs a pick me up. This pick me up could be a physical need, an emotional need, or a spiritual need. The smokers that I pass and the unclean people I pass are the ones that may need me more than I'll ever know. Whenever I read this parable I think of the chain email that gets sent out randomly about the boy cleaning out his locker. He's carrying a stack of books home, so his parents won't have to once he kills himself. A friend offers to help him and they develop a beautiful friendship. The boy then turns into Valedictorian and in his speech shares his story with the entire class. One random act of kindness saved a life. In a way, this chain email is The Parable of the Good Samaritan. I think I should read this every day until it is a part of my life to help at least one person I don't know a day.

The next verse I would like to point out is a small verse, but incredibly significant to me. Luke 12: 7 describes how the hairs on my head are numbered. This just shows how amazing God is. I lose hair daily when I wash it, brush it, play with it...yet every moment of the day God knows how many are on my scalp. I find this amazing...

Luke 12:22 is one of my absolute favorites in the bible. Do not worry. Three words I have difficulty putting into practice. So many things happen in a day-and in a lifetime. How am I not suppose to worry about grad schools?? or my grandpa who is incredibly ill?? I don't know how, but I know Im not suppose to-which is one step in the right direction...

I feel like Im writing in little segments, but this is sort of how the bible is written. At the end of chapter 12, it discusses interpreting times... I find it interesting that while I mentioned above how the parables were suppose to be interpreted in today's society, I then come across this passage...Why has the bible become so nonimportant to some religions and people?? It seems like this is one document that will never be outdated.

Chapters 13-16 Seem to be more teachings that are greatly similar to the first two gospels...The mustard seed of faith, the cost of being a disciple...The parables of the Lost sheep, coin, and son seem to be an addition and is also heavily related to the old testament...It seems like the middle, or the meat, of Luke holds a great amount of teachings that we still use today.

The last thing I want to point out is how similar, yet different Luke is from the first two gospels. There is the prediction, the betrayal by Judas, the Last Supper, Jesus praying, the arrest, the denial by pater, the mocking, and the crucifixion/resurrection. One of the big differences I see, however, is in Luke 23: 34. Jesus asks for God to forgive us because we know not what we do... This is differnt than what is in the first two gospels. But this powerful line is repeated in churches everywhere...Luke seems to make the whole experience come to life. We even are able to witness the appearance to the disciples after the resurrection along with the ascension. It is no wonder that this gospel is the most read during Christmas-it is less factual history and more of an actual story...

Luke 1-9

2007-09-11T21:22:00.000-04:00

Luke 1-9 primarily deals with the Christmas story, but also goes deeply into Jesus' teaching part of his life. The opening, however, holds a great deal about John the Baptist.

It's seemed a little odd in the first two gospels for John the Baptist to be mentioned, but not really explained. Luke, however, opens up with some background of John the Baptist and how he was conceived/born. The way the father responded seems much more natural than either Mary or Elizabeth's response. If an angel showed up to me today and told me I would have a child-being a virgin or an old lady-I would think I had lost my mind! I think that it is very significant that both Mary and Zechariah have a song in the first chapter of Luke. We see a lot of praise songs in the Old Testament-Psalms is dedicated to this, but in the New Testament it doesn't seem that lots of song praise is happening. Yes, the people who are being healed and witnessing miracles praise the Lord, but through song??

Reading through Luke I felt like I was back in my elementary sunday school classes. I've read these words so many times, but now I have a historical background and a different perspective. Yes the commands of love your enemies and do not judge others are very much applicable in today's world; but I read through these first 9 chapters and realize how my life has been affected by it. You hear of these miracles and we chalk it up to simply being Jesus. Can you imagine witnessing a person come back from the dead? Can you imagine a person being healed simply through faith??? I want to believe that this still happens today. Mean, I continually pray that my grandpa be healed from the disease that has no known cure...I've prayed for many who have had cancer...Can faith still really heal?? I believe it does, and the power of that is overwhelming. I feel like sometimes the bible downplays the excitement of this simply because it is a historical document. In chapter 8, Jesus heals a dead girl-but orders the parents not to tell anyone. Why is this?? Could you really keep that secret??

The last thought I have is a little random, but whenever I read Luke 8: 16-18 I think of the song we use to sing as a kid. "This little light of mine...Im going to let it shine..." This song is still powerful to those of us who believe-whether a child in the age aspect, or simply at heart.

Mark 9-16

2007-09-01T15:42:00.000-04:00

Mark 9-16 continues Jesus' life story, includes some parables, and ends with crucifixion and resurrection. Parallel to the end of Matthew.

One of the first things I notice is in chapter 10, when Jesus is discussing how divorce is wrong, He doesn't include the "unless the other is unfaithful." In Matthew, Jesus discussed divorce as only being justified if the spouse is unfaithful. This difference fascinates me simply because it is a written from a different perspective and an important aspect seems to be missing from Mark's version (or was added in Matthew's).

The next thing is in 11:14. Jesus has come up to a tree and finds no fruit on the tree and thus rebukes the tree and says "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." Was this His way of getting back at the tree for not providing Him fruit?? What exactly is the significance of this statement??

Then in 11:18 it discusses how the chief priests and teachers of the law feared Jesus and discussed how to kill him. Was fear one of the reasons Jesus was crucified?? This question sort of lets me jump right into the bigger question I kept pondering while I was reading: How do we balance the concept of free will and God already having our life planned out?? This concept has always driven me crazy because there doesn't seem to be a straightforward answer. Take Peter for example-Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him 3x before the rooster crowed twice, and this happened-but Peter still could have chosen not to deny Jesus. Does this passage explain the relationship of free will and Jesus having a plan for our lives?? and if it does-what is it?? It's one of those things that have always bothered me, and it really bothered me this afternoon while reading. The purpose of Him coming was to fulfill scripture-so He knew what would happen and when the time was right and everything. Yet, why then do we, as humans, still feel we have the choice of different paths in life?? Is this the concept of sin coming into play?? Is it the concept of giving our life to Him makes our paths straight and then we follow His will?? But what if we miss a step in His plan?? God knows that, then why does He let people go to hell?? When I get to Heaven, I think I am going to ask God-if I still care at that point.

Verse 11:24 is the last thing I want to point out. This verse is very good for those who struggle with prayer. It can be difficult to know that prayer is your only option for some things. I read this verse and thought about how you have to believe in what you pray in order to receive it-faith. Interesting.

Mark 1-8

2007-08-30T20:47:00.000-04:00

Mark 1-8 repeats a great deal of what is in Matthew from a different perspective. The specific stories of Jesus' life that are highlighted vary and Mark starts with John the Baptist.

The fact that John the Baptist is called the messenger before Christ, and the fact that he realizes how much greater Christ is, amazes me. Sometimes the intimacy and holiness of baptism is ignored. By reading about the beginning baptisms, however, the impact of this symbol for Christians is so tremendous. I think it has been awhile since I really focused on the symbol of baptism as something more than just a symbol of you being saved.

Another thing at the beginning of Mark that I would like to point out is the statement "he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law." Thinking back to todays conversation in class-it seems odd that Jesus would not be considered a teacher of the law. The law was brought up to be one of the five moments in the Old Testament that are crucial. This may be one of the things that prohibits Jews from believing in the New Testament. The laws were given to the Jews as guidelines to abide by in their covenant and if Jesus teaches them not as a teacher of the law-they may have some dissonance with that. For me it makes perfect sense because the covenant has been broken and Jesus Christ was sent-with authority-to bring God's people back. The Jews-from interpreting from this wording-may not have seen this connection.

Moving on through Mark, it appears that there is more doubt openly shown than there was in Matthew. There also appears to be more emphasis on the fact that Jesus focuses on the sinners-surrounds himself with sinners-than with the righteous. This goes along with a part of chapter 2 that I found particularly fascinating: the sabbath was made for man not man for sabbath. This is something I think people forget this concept many times and take the sabbath for granted. I found it interesting though that the Lord had to state this.

A lot of Mark, as I stated previously is a repeat of the parables/lessons in Matthew. Some of the stories paint a different perspective on the way things went-they highlight different aspects. I believe this is why we talk about these stories and look at all the versions together in church (or at least my pastor at home does). The one I would like to highlight is where Jesus Walks on Water. In Matthew it seemed to highlight Peter's doubt, but Mark seems to highlight Jesus walking on the water and the idea to take courage and strength in Jesus. It also seemed to highlight do not be afraid instead of do not doubt. The same story-two different sides. And like my dad has always said: there are at least three sides to every story: yours mine and the truth...

The last question I would like to address that was brought up in these first 8 chapters of Mark is what exactly is the difference between a synagogue and a tabernacle?? If there is any...

Matthew 13-28

2007-08-29T22:01:00.000-04:00

This part of Matthew begins with lots of parables and lessons that Jesus teaches during his life and then diverges to the ending of this world and the passing/resurrection of Jesus. It's definitely a mixture of aspects that is difficult to take in one chunk and slightly overwhelming.

The first thing I want to reflect upon is the parables. There is a parable of the sower and the weeds, very closely placed. The parable of the sower has always fascinated me. Originally, hearing this in Sunday school, I simply thought it was fascinating that we could use objects such as plants to explain our faith. Now I think it is fascinating that we take plants and explain our faith and can explain how others' faith is. We as Christians go through phases similar to plants, and it can start with something as tiny as a mustard seed. The mustard seed parable always reminds me of the story of Jack and the Bean Stalk-selling the cow and everything for a few beans. This is kind of a weird comparison, but continually Jesus tells us to drop everything and follow him-and it only takes a mustard seed of faith to move a mountain. Jack did this-he sold everything for a few beans. Fascinates me.

The next thing I would like to focus on is the Jesus walking on water section. Peter begins to sink because of doubt. This seems to be a parallel in some people's faith. You doubt God and you begin to sink, yet He stands tall. I think this is much more appropriate than Joseph or the fisher of men simply dropping what they are doing and following without any doubt. Mean, we are humans and taught to question-so there will be some doubt.

I also really like the theme of forgiveness that seems to run through this book. In Matthew 18:3 it discusses how we have to approach faith in a childlike manner. Awe. Amazement. Complete Trust. Asking questions, but accepting answers. All of these things are aspects children possess and are aspects that help someone grow in faith. Children are very forgiving too, and although Matthew talks a lot about an eye for an eye and other bodily harm, I don't think this is literal. If we could learn to forgive not only ourselves but others, the world would be more the way Christ is.

Moving on to the end part of Matthew-I am always breathe taken. The fact that Jesus would simply submit to God's will and be crucified for nothing, knowing who would betray him, and eating the last super with Judas-his betrayer: simply amazing. There is so much hype these days about predictions of the Messiah and we can try desperately to predict the day-but we can't. Jesus tells us this continuously to simply be on guard because we do not know when it is. If this was the focus-simply being prepared for Jesus, faith would be so much stronger. Instead we focus on other aspects of life and struggle with faith. (or maybe this is just me) The whole concept of Jesus being willing to eat with the one who will betray Him fascinates me. We as humans tend to desert those who betray us and avoid them at all possible costs. This just goes to show how perfect He lived.

Lastly, the actual crucifixion gives me goosebumps. Leading up to being nailed on the cross-Jesus simply states that Yes, it is as you say-to the question of if He is the King of the Jews. Anyone else would sit and defend themselves to avoid death. Jesus was different because He knew He would be resurrected and He would conquer death. Then the whole earthquake making people exclaim that He was the Son of God simply amazes me...I will never forget a cantata my Dad was a Roman Centurion in one Easter. Growing up my parents were more involved in my softball life than in the church. I came home one Easter and my dad had told me he was acting in the cantata and had a couple of lines-turned out he was the main character. The cantata was done from the perspective of the Roman Centurion. The chills that ran through my spine at the sound and sight of "Jesus" being nailed to the cross was unforgettable. Then the remorse that the Roman Centurion felt later and the turn around of his faith-being forgiven by the same one he helped crucify was truly moving. Sometimes you believe that the things you do can never be forgiven, but being shown that even the one who helped nail him to the cross could be forgiven gave the whole forgiveness through crucifixion and resurrection a new light.

It's been awhile since I have read the story of Jesus. And this time, looking at it from both a spiritual and academic view was very good for me. Refreshing. Rejuvenating.

Matthew 1-12

2007-08-28T22:51:00.001-04:00

Matthew 1-12 begins with Jesus' birth and continues to his teachings and gatherings of his disciples. Parables are beginning to be utilized and the miraculous deeds of Jesus are exemplified.

While reading this passage, a lot of questions came up and a lot of jumbled thoughts came to me. One thought/question was how come Joseph and the fishermen make following Christ look so easy?? In Matthew 1:24 it simply says that Joseph awoke and obeyed the angel that appeared to him. and in Matthew 4: 18-22 the fisher of men simply leave their lifestyles and follow Jesus. Today this is something that many people struggle with. Following God's will is hard to understand and obey. Joseph and the fisher of men had no problem, however. Why is this?? and why in Matthew 7:13-14 does it talk about the "right path" not being easy?? Is this contradictory or is it trying to explain to us that it isn't as easy as Joseph and the fisher of men made it appear??

Another thought regards John the Baptist. I felt like we jumped a whole large section of Jesus life and wasn't sure why we went to John the Baptist until Jesus was actually baptized. How old was Jesus at this time though?? and How does baptism fit in with Judaism?? in Matthew 5: 17 Jesus states that He is there to fulfill the prophets instead of abolish them-which is a good thing to point out to Jews.

In Matthew 4:7 it talks about not testing our Lord. I have always been taught that it is ok to question the Lord though. What exactly is the difference between testing and questioning?? I think that it is mainly the motive behind the act. Testing is more of a malicious act-like the devil testing the Lord in the wilderness. Questioning is more for an understanding purpose.

Matthew 5:42 is one of my favorite verses because it is what I try to do with my life. Matthew 6:34 is also one of my favorites because it is something I struggle with-worrying about tomorrow. Matthew 7:23 is a pretty cool verse also because of the idea the all the Lord really wants is to know us. It really hit me all over again when I read this tonight.

The last couple things I thought about after/while reading this was what was the motive for killing Jesus (Matt 12:14) and how has prayer changed today?? In Matthew 6: 9-13 the Lord's Prayer is recited and it is stated that that is the example prayer we should follow. Why is it then that we spend hours communicating our prayer requests with others?? Is it simply for a sense of community?? But then are we truly following the ideas of doing things in secrecy to not take glory for it?? When I pray I usually write my thoughts out-this helps God know me better, and this is done in secrecy. Where is the link I am missing?? Am I just thinking two hard about it??