Lest you think I've been completley lazy over the last few days, I wanted to share that I, by myself, dug my car AND Ashley's car out of the almost 2 feet of snow they were buried under. (I will try and get some pictures soon!). I did it all by myself!
I'm SO proud of myself! And, pretty tired, haha. :0) Now, its off to Teen Club!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
More Snow!
We have now accumulated over 40 inches of snow in the last 5 days. This is the most snowfall we've had in one winter in the history of Philadelphia. Over 70 inches so far this winter!! You would think I would have accomplished a lot in those 5 days, since I've been stuck in the house for most of them. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. Hopefully I will find more motivation in the coming days. :)
I did manage to get a root canal yesterday, and was still able to teach at Kids Club last night. I experienced absolutely NO PAIN during the root canal, and have had NONE since; what a blessing!! Maybe that's a benefit of having an actual Endontist perform the procedure rather than a Dentist? They did prescribe some powerful Motrin for me to take yesterday and today, and it makes me pretty tired (which did make Kids Club interesting), so I'm blaming that for my lack of motivation to do much of anything. Tomorrow I won't have any excuses. :)
Anyway, here are a few pictures of what I (and Ashley) did do today. (And we have not stepped one foot outside! We'll shovel tomorrow, if it ever actually stops snowing!)
Ashley cooked A LOT! I think she used almost everything we had in the house... :)
Lots of tupperware in the fridge. Don't worry Mom and Dad, we won't starve!
I didn't cook, but I did clean the kitchen! :)
I even did ALL the dishes! (And there were A LOT, Ashley cooked a ton of food!)
We know how to rock a snow day. :)
I did manage to get a root canal yesterday, and was still able to teach at Kids Club last night. I experienced absolutely NO PAIN during the root canal, and have had NONE since; what a blessing!! Maybe that's a benefit of having an actual Endontist perform the procedure rather than a Dentist? They did prescribe some powerful Motrin for me to take yesterday and today, and it makes me pretty tired (which did make Kids Club interesting), so I'm blaming that for my lack of motivation to do much of anything. Tomorrow I won't have any excuses. :)
Anyway, here are a few pictures of what I (and Ashley) did do today. (And we have not stepped one foot outside! We'll shovel tomorrow, if it ever actually stops snowing!)
Ashley cooked A LOT! I think she used almost everything we had in the house... :)
Lots of tupperware in the fridge. Don't worry Mom and Dad, we won't starve!
I didn't cook, but I did clean the kitchen! :)
I even did ALL the dishes! (And there were A LOT, Ashley cooked a ton of food!)
We know how to rock a snow day. :)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Weeping With Jesus
The past few months for me have been filled with feelings of hopelessness in my mind and my heart. The struggles with Linda and Bonita have really had me asking a lot of questions. I never thought that my faith was dependent on good things happening in my life, and even after the last few months I still don't think that it is. I'm still single, struggling financially, still haven't sold my house, my dad still has cancer and my brother still doesn't love Jesus. None of those things have changed my faith and trust in Jesus.
My faith and trust in Jesus have not changed with the struggles with Linda and Bonita either. But, I have been asking a lot of questions and really reevaluating what I have been placing my trust in. I have been really trying to discover who God really is and decide if I am really in love with that God, or who I have made God out to be in my mind.
As I have spent time praying and reading, I started to change my mindset. Instead of asking God HOW and WHY He would let Linda and Bonita wander away from Him, and constantly telling Him how all of this made me feel, I decided to start asking Him how He felt about all of this. I turned my focus from ME to HIM, and I was (though probably shouldn't have been) shocked by what I learned.
One of my biggest longings in life is to be known. To have someone love me so deeply that they want to know me, to really know me. How did it escape me that the Lord desires the exact same thing??
So, I stopped asking God questions that I wanted answered and instead simply asked Him to show me more of Him. I started really seeking HIM because I wanted Him. Not answers, just Him.
And the first thing that happened? I cried. I cried a lot. I asked Him to show me what He was feeling (is it weird to talk about God's feelings?) about the stuff going on with Linda and Bonita, and I wept. I wept because He wept. He wasn't weeping because I was upset about everything, HIS heart hurts for them, so much deeper than mine ever could. He was not weeping out of hopelessness or confusion (like I was). I simply felt overwhelming sorrow and sadness at the realization that they were rejecting Him, and He loves them. He couldn't stop loving them if He wanted to, which He, of course, would never want to. His heart is so pure and beautiful, it made me cry.
I wonder how many times He has wept for me like that. Too many times, I'm sure.
God doesn't have my heart for the girls, He has generously given me His heart for them. Well, at least as much of His heart as I can handle. The sorrow He feels was almost overwhelming to me. His love is so deep.
I have wept before God countless times, but for the first time I can remember, as I prayed for Linda and Bonita, I wept with God.
My faith and trust in Jesus have not changed with the struggles with Linda and Bonita either. But, I have been asking a lot of questions and really reevaluating what I have been placing my trust in. I have been really trying to discover who God really is and decide if I am really in love with that God, or who I have made God out to be in my mind.
As I have spent time praying and reading, I started to change my mindset. Instead of asking God HOW and WHY He would let Linda and Bonita wander away from Him, and constantly telling Him how all of this made me feel, I decided to start asking Him how He felt about all of this. I turned my focus from ME to HIM, and I was (though probably shouldn't have been) shocked by what I learned.
One of my biggest longings in life is to be known. To have someone love me so deeply that they want to know me, to really know me. How did it escape me that the Lord desires the exact same thing??
So, I stopped asking God questions that I wanted answered and instead simply asked Him to show me more of Him. I started really seeking HIM because I wanted Him. Not answers, just Him.
And the first thing that happened? I cried. I cried a lot. I asked Him to show me what He was feeling (is it weird to talk about God's feelings?) about the stuff going on with Linda and Bonita, and I wept. I wept because He wept. He wasn't weeping because I was upset about everything, HIS heart hurts for them, so much deeper than mine ever could. He was not weeping out of hopelessness or confusion (like I was). I simply felt overwhelming sorrow and sadness at the realization that they were rejecting Him, and He loves them. He couldn't stop loving them if He wanted to, which He, of course, would never want to. His heart is so pure and beautiful, it made me cry.
I wonder how many times He has wept for me like that. Too many times, I'm sure.
God doesn't have my heart for the girls, He has generously given me His heart for them. Well, at least as much of His heart as I can handle. The sorrow He feels was almost overwhelming to me. His love is so deep.
I have wept before God countless times, but for the first time I can remember, as I prayed for Linda and Bonita, I wept with God.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
SNOW!!
We have 28.5 inches of snow in the back "yard"! We measured it!
Apparently this is the 2nd biggest snowfall in Philadelphia history, and its still going! We are only 3 inches from the record. The 3rd biggest snowfall was the storm we had back in December. Its been a crazy winter!
And my poor little car. Its first winter in the north...
Ashley and I have been happily holed up in the house, having sufficiently prepared for this snow (by getting books, movies and TV on DVD from the library and stocking up on soda, cookie ingredients and cash to order pizza...yes, they do deliver in the snow!). Still, we found ourselves getting a little stir crazy around 4. So, we decided to see what Gizmo thought of the snow. Let's just say he's not a fan!
First, he kinda creeped up to it.
Then, he stared at it for quite a while.
He stalked it for a while.
I think he tried to attack it at one point.
The farthest he got on his own was one paw in the snow.
Finally, we got tired of waiting so we just plopped him all the way in the snow. :)
And about 1 second later, he did this:
And when I went to find where he went, this is the look that I got:
And, now he isn't speaking to me. :)
As you can see, there hasn't been much going on today, haha, and I am loving it! I think I'll go finish my book and then watch a movie. Ashley has almost finished baking her first batch of cookies!
Apparently this is the 2nd biggest snowfall in Philadelphia history, and its still going! We are only 3 inches from the record. The 3rd biggest snowfall was the storm we had back in December. Its been a crazy winter!And my poor little car. Its first winter in the north...
Ashley and I have been happily holed up in the house, having sufficiently prepared for this snow (by getting books, movies and TV on DVD from the library and stocking up on soda, cookie ingredients and cash to order pizza...yes, they do deliver in the snow!). Still, we found ourselves getting a little stir crazy around 4. So, we decided to see what Gizmo thought of the snow. Let's just say he's not a fan!First, he kinda creeped up to it.
Then, he stared at it for quite a while.
He stalked it for a while.
I think he tried to attack it at one point.
The farthest he got on his own was one paw in the snow.
Finally, we got tired of waiting so we just plopped him all the way in the snow. :)
And about 1 second later, he did this:
And when I went to find where he went, this is the look that I got:
And, now he isn't speaking to me. :)
As you can see, there hasn't been much going on today, haha, and I am loving it! I think I'll go finish my book and then watch a movie. Ashley has almost finished baking her first batch of cookies!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Its Official!!
I'm officially a CASA volunteer!! I was sworn in at the courthouse today and I'm almost ready for my first case!! I say almost because although I have been sworn in, I haven't actually finished my training yet, haha. I will be finished a week from today and will hopefully get my first case soon after. I'm SO excited!Here are a few pictures of the swearing in (I'm SO glad Cupcake went with me! Everyone else had friends and family there, I would have felt like such a loser without her, haha). It was a really great time!
Me and Cupcake! :)
Taking the oath!
Me and the judge. She is so supportive of CASA!
My training class. They are such an AWESOME group of people! :)
And finally, here is everyone who was sworn in, along with the judge (in the middle) and the head of the CASA board of directors (to the right of the judge).
I can't wait to get started!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Just an Update
Cornerstone clubs are back in full force this week, so my life has gotten a LOT busier! I am VERY excited (and nervous) to be starting Kids Club up again tonight. I have missed the kids!
Things in my life continue to change, some for the good. My contract with my current realtor runs out this week, and I am hoping to sign with a different one soon. I have really been impressed with the realtors I currently have, but I think I want to try someone who has a little more experience in my neighborhood. I am SO SO ready to move!!
I turned in my resignation to AIM 2 weeks ago and my last day with them will be this Friday. I can't even describe the peace I feel over the idea of only working one job and not having so much of my time divided. I am pretty nervous about the financial aspect of this change (especially since I have several medical bills to pay, and have to go to the dentist soon), but I am really trying to trust in the Lord. I figure, if I have to find a new part time job in 6 months, then that's what I have to do. It'll be a great 6 months! :)
My CASA training is really blowing my mind right now and I'm SLOWLY processing everything. The simple things are even eye opening to me! (I'm not used to going to meetings where there is no prayer!). I am learning a lot about abused and neglected children, and its giving me a lot to think about with...well, with everything.
I am still not sure why God has me doing this at this point in my life. I am really struggling with having hope right now, in so many areas, and learning about so many horrible things, and how little I can do about any of them, is making the struggle a lot more intense. I'm sure He has a plan and a reason, its just really hard right now.
So, that's about it. I know I have been promising to share the things that I am learning, and I really plan to. Right now its just so much and so all over the place, and honestly very raw. I can't even really make sense of it, haha, so I wouldn't want to confuse you!
One thing I can say for sure is that God is so good. He is holding my hand and walking me through a very painful time, not answering my questions when or how I want, but taking me on the path that He has for me; which I can only assume is perfect even though it doesn't feel that way right now.
Please continue to pray for the girls. Their hearts have become so hardened. I literally don't even recognize them.
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." ~ Proverbs 13:12
Things in my life continue to change, some for the good. My contract with my current realtor runs out this week, and I am hoping to sign with a different one soon. I have really been impressed with the realtors I currently have, but I think I want to try someone who has a little more experience in my neighborhood. I am SO SO ready to move!!
I turned in my resignation to AIM 2 weeks ago and my last day with them will be this Friday. I can't even describe the peace I feel over the idea of only working one job and not having so much of my time divided. I am pretty nervous about the financial aspect of this change (especially since I have several medical bills to pay, and have to go to the dentist soon), but I am really trying to trust in the Lord. I figure, if I have to find a new part time job in 6 months, then that's what I have to do. It'll be a great 6 months! :)
My CASA training is really blowing my mind right now and I'm SLOWLY processing everything. The simple things are even eye opening to me! (I'm not used to going to meetings where there is no prayer!). I am learning a lot about abused and neglected children, and its giving me a lot to think about with...well, with everything.
I am still not sure why God has me doing this at this point in my life. I am really struggling with having hope right now, in so many areas, and learning about so many horrible things, and how little I can do about any of them, is making the struggle a lot more intense. I'm sure He has a plan and a reason, its just really hard right now.
So, that's about it. I know I have been promising to share the things that I am learning, and I really plan to. Right now its just so much and so all over the place, and honestly very raw. I can't even really make sense of it, haha, so I wouldn't want to confuse you!
One thing I can say for sure is that God is so good. He is holding my hand and walking me through a very painful time, not answering my questions when or how I want, but taking me on the path that He has for me; which I can only assume is perfect even though it doesn't feel that way right now.
Please continue to pray for the girls. Their hearts have become so hardened. I literally don't even recognize them.
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." ~ Proverbs 13:12
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