Project....

I am just finishing Julie & Julia. It is a woman who decided to cook her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking  by Julia Child.

It has made me long for a "project" of my own but for the life of me I don't know what it would be. I like to cook but not enough to cook my way through a cookbook.

I thought about doing a blog on women of the Bible but that has been done then done again. There is a series of book about the bad women of the Bible. In face it is called Bad Girls of the Bible. I can relate to those women. In fact I love Rahab with unnatural affection because she was as bad as you could be, a prostitute but somehow managed to be one of five women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. Doesn't that say something?

I like bad women I suppose because it shows that we are not perfect and it make it seem that God has a sense of humor. Imagine His son being the descendant of a  prostitute. It kinda boggles the mind.

That would be kinda cool. Write about "bad girls" of the Bible. I can base it from the books. Work me way through the books like Julie worked her way through the cookbook. I would want to find out as many details about them as I could. Ummmm...that is a thought.

My other thought was to write about real women. Not Mother Theresa but REAL women. Women who go day to day and not expect any recognition, they love their families, they love their communities, they love their Lord. They go day by day and not expect to be changing a persons life in the process. Those are the women I truly admire. The one who stay after church and tell you they love you and give you a hug just when you need it. The one who teaches Sunday School every Sunday because she wants children to love the Lord.

Maybe that will be my next project.

We shall start with the The Bad Girls of the Bible  and go from there.

I HAVE A PROJECT!!!!!

By the way the Bad Girls are books by Liz Curtis Higgs. They are wonderful and funny and thought provoking. Read them, read them now!!!                   -

Easter

Easter is one of those holidays that is meant to be spent with family. With both of our families two hours away hubby and I usually spend the day by ourselves. We enjoy each others company so usually it's not a problem.

Today we got to spend it with family. My best friend's family has adopted us in every since of the word. We are included in family events and holidays. Even a recent wedding.

Family has always been important to me- I grew up around the corner from my grandparents. I love spending time with my family. When I married I moved two hours away from everything I ever knew. Although we try to visit family as often as possible it's impractical to go all the time. So I am grateful when families allow us to share in their holiday
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I found this in by list of drafts...I guess I never posted it.

That family still takes care of us. The whole family- sisters, nieces, nephews, mom and dad. It seems that we have known the for all time.
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The title of this post is Easter. I suppose back then I was going to have a cleaver little thing about Easter but for the life of me I do not know what it was.

As a Christian Easter is important. It's the day that we celebrate when Christ came from the grave. What a wonderful story. One time a friend asked me if there was another sacrifice that wouldn't have required Christ to die. I immediately said "NO!!" What else would have been great enough? I thought of Job who lost everything, wives, children all his material possessions and at the end  of his story we find out that he had more after the tragedy then before. We can give everything we have but still get more, if we give our life THAT is everything. After we give our life there is nothing else to give. We can't get it back. Christ was born so that he could die for us.

It is hard to remember that Easter is not about the bunnies and eggs and candy (although the candy is a yummy part of it). As much as we remember "The Reason for the Season" we must remember the reason why we celebrate Easter.

Lent

Yes I am Baptist. I am not Catholic. I went to a Catholic school for eight years. It has been over 25 years since I have stepped foot in a Catholic school. Since then I have been in a Catholic church once.

Some things though are hard to shake. I love the some of the rituals of the Church. I like how some of the priests and nuns give their lives, their whole lives to the Lord. I have no doubt that my pastor has dedicated his life to the Lord but Catholic priest give everything, money, a husband, a wife, children, family. They give it all up. (Yes I realize that not all priest are good.)

So tomorrow is the beginning of Lent. According to Dictionary.com lent is (in the Christian religion) an annual season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 weekdays to Easter, observed by Roman Catholic, Anglican, and certain other churches.

Origin:
before 1000; Middle English lente ( n ), Old English lencten, lengten  spring, Lent, literally, lengthening (of daylight hours); cognate with Dutch lente, German Lenz  spring; see Lenten

Growing up I gave up something every year for lent.(I caved to peer pressure)  Usually is was sodas or chocolate and it didn't last very long. Of course after going to public school I didn't have to worry about Lent anymore. As an adult it barley crossed my mind.

Several years after talking to a friend and reading some in a Bible study about how some people were practicing some aspects of Judaism because they felt it added to their relationship to God. (I like bacon too much to give it up.) I thought Lent and how I gave stuff up for it.

This was back in the days of the forty day books. You know Purpose Driven Life, 40 Days to a Better You, The Prayer of Jabez. So my first attempt at Lent was working my way through a Purpose Driven Life. I didn't tell a lot of people because that is a private thing.  And since I didn't finish it no one was disappointed in me.

Since then I have observed Lent. Most of my friends don't know that I do it. I have given up caffeine, meat, my computer. I tried to give up work once and hubby wouldn't let me. This year I said I was giving up cigarettes and beer. He didn't let that fly either.

Now my hubby does it with me. This year we are doing no meat again. I am giving up Facebook. I may give up Twitter but I don't know if I can do without both. 

Why do we do it? I mean we're not Catholics or any religion that practices Lent. Since Easter is the time that we recognize and talk about Christ dying on the cross and his Resurrection. I figure the least I could do to honor his sacrifice was to make a sacrifice of my own, however small. 

I do not expect anyone else to do. I do not expect the Southern Baptist Convention to suddenly say that we are observing Lent. This is part of who I am. I guess that sixth grader at St Edwards who wants to be like everyone else is still there in some way except I am not being like any one else  I am just the sixth grader all grown up realizing what a great and might God she serves and is humbled by the sacrifices that He made for me.

Lord have mercy

I  sit here in my chair content and happy. I am watching NCIS and that always makes me happy.

For some reason the phrase "Law have mercy" keeps running through my mind. It's silly, it reminds me of my oldest brother. I don't know why it reminds me if him but it does. I think the phrase is running through my head because I am so grateful for the Lord's mercy. I have a wonderful life. There have been ups and down but I have it made; my husband loves me, I have a job that I love and never once in four years did I not want to go. I live in a house that is sloooowly being redone. I have a son, well kinda and he IS Chinese. I am  thinking what did I ever do to deserve this? Nothing. I did nothing. It is part of the Lord's mercy.

Those are my favorite thing about the Lord; mercy. I just looked up
mercy on dictionary.com and this is the definition- compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence. Compassion toward an offender. WOW!!! How many times have I shown mercy when someone wronged me? Uhhh not often and if I do it's only be once. How many times have I offended God? How many times did I offend Him just today yet he always compassionate and forgiving. I am sure I have mentioned this before but I carry offenses around like they are written in a little black book. "There's Joe. No I don't talk to Joe because when we were in sixth grade he said I have a pug nose." I guess it is time to throw away my little black book. If I am to be more like Christ I need to show some mercy. (NO mercy for not allowing me to watch NCIS!!!)
  
 For me the cross shows the supreme example of and mercy. God took pity on us because of our sinful condition and sent his Son to die for us. 

The hymn "At the Cross" notice the words of the first verse


At the Cross

~ Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
~ Chorus by Ralph E. Hudson, 1843-1901




Stanza 1:
Alas! and did my Savior bleed?
And did my Sov'reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?


Chorus :
At the cross, at the cross,
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away -
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.


Stanza 2:
Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!


(Chorus)


Stanza 3:
Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut its glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker, died
For man the creature's sin.


(Chorus)


Stanza 4:
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.


(Chorus)


Stanza 5:
But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away -
'Tis all that I can do!

Day 1of my new life

I want this to be a before picture --->



Ok I didn't get up at six to walk and I didn't eat very healthy but I did walk .58 miles. I was disappointed because I wanted to go at least 30 minutes but I just lasted a little over 10 but it is a start.

Tomorrow my life starts back so my aim is six o'clock again. Still walk around the block but maybe my back won't start hurting so quick tomorrow. I know I will start seeing progress but I want to see it now.

We need to go shopping because there is no healthy food in our house. There is no food in our house at all. So maybe I will make good choices at the grocery store. But differently not buying chips, cakes or chocolate. Maybe I need to avoid things that start with "C".

Well for now that will be it. As Scarlet said "Tomorrow is another day"

MandySue: End of the Year (almost)

MandySue: End of the Year (almost): The end of the year always brings about reflection- what we could have done, what we could have done different, what we would have never ch...

End of the Year (almost)

The end of the year always brings about reflection- what we could have done, what we could have done different, what we would have never changed, the happy times, the sad times. Was it a good year or a bad year? Was it everything I thought it was going to be?

This year was a good year. Things happened this year that I thought would never happen, we are sharing our home with a child. He will go home in five months but how awesome to have an impact on another person. We look forward to doing it again next school year.

I learned that I am a lot stronger than I thought. There have been ups and downs with my family. At one time I would have cried gallons of tears over the downs but now I realize that I can not control what other people do or say I have let many things go.

For many years I have said that family is not a related by blood but by love. This year has proved that true more times than I can count. Two wonderful ladies became a bigger part of my life this year and they encourage me and make me feel loved and they ask me about my life. I have been blessed more than I deserved by just having these ladies in my life.

For many years I have bemoaned the fact that I don't have a best friend (really does a 40 year old need a best friend?) This year I was blessed with a friend that is always there for me and goes out of her way for me and never fails to make me laugh. She has allowed me to be a part of her family and I am forever grateful to her.

So what am I going to do in 2012? I am not sure yet... I do know that I want to lose weight. My goal? Two pounds a week. And to get moving. I have a big comfy chair that I seem to be glued to most of the time. I need to MOVE. So to lose the weight I want to start walking then move on to running.

I have realized that I need to set small goals for myself. I want to start by walking around my block. It my be once, it may be twice but I want to start small. The best time to do this is in the morning which means I need to get up an hour earlier than I do now but it will be worth it. This will also give me time to have a prayer time and Bible study.

I may also look into yoga. I have read that it will help with my anxiety issues as well as my weight. I need to do things that are easily assessable and inexpensive. I can get a yoga tape to follow on the days that I do not walk (when it is raining)

I need help doing this. If you see me ask me if I have exercised. If I haven't ask me why not. Do not let me give poor excuses, no time, overslept, sore back. Ask me if how cokes/coffee/teas I have had. I need to drink more water and decrease my caffeine intake.

And lastly I have a favor to ask. I am a needy person and I need people to spoil me lol. Sponser a goal for me; I make it to 250 and I get a prize... lol. A small one, a new coffee cup, a new water jug, a new pen for work. I told you I was needy..

I want to share my journey with you. I am not disciplined and I want to change that. I want people to share in the good things and the bad things. Too often we share the good things (my hubby bought me a present!!!) but not the bad things (if my hubby farts one more time today I will shove a cork..) well you get the idea. I am encouraged not only by a persons triumphs but buy their failures as well. Knowing that someone overcame set backs is awesome.

So Happy 2012 and my changes go into effect in six days!!!