Distracted

I am so easily distractible! I know that I have mentioned this before, but seriously, it's true. Like, I really think that I must have missed my ADD diagnosis as a child. Or maybe I have become this way over the years. Who knows? What I do know is that I have trouble focusing myself on the task at hand. Take the last hour, for example, which has looked something like this:

-Get up off the floor (where I was "wallowing" (as Erin would say) while contemplating taking a nap) and decide that I am going to be productive.

-Try to fix my washing machine, which wants to run water and drain it out simultaneously rather than filling and continuing on with its job...

-Fail at first attempt

-Call my mom to tell her that my washing machine isn't working ('cause she's a genius and very handy and can pretty much fix anything.)

-Mostly talk to her about plans for she and my dad to come up and visit me this weekend.

-Start sweeping the kitchen floor while talking to my mom.

-Stop sweeping the kitchen floor, leaving the pile of dirt in the middle of the floor and go back to trying to fix the washing machine.

-Fix the washing machine (Yay!)

-Send AJ a text to tell her about my washing machine triumph.

-Sweep the pile of dirt into the dustpan, discard, and start mopping the kitchen floor.

-Stop the mopping process when I get to the windows and decide that I should dust them.

-Dust the blinds on 2 windows (the ones in the kitchen).

-Stop dusting and go back to mopping.

-Decide that the plant in the corner is looking sad.

-Get the scissors and start trimming dead branches off of the plant. Leave the branches in a pile on the floor next to the plant.

-Open the refrigerator and eat some raw cookie dough (that I should probably stop eating and throw away already).

-Realize that I have not run the dishwasher from last night. Finish loading it and start it.

-Finish mopping the floor in the kitchen.

-Move the kitchen table back into the kitchen. (We move it when my small group is over so that everyone can eat in one place.)

-Start to put the dining room table back in place. Move two of the chairs under the table and then decide that I should vacuum under there first.

-Look at the pile of dead plant branches on the floor and think to myself that I should pick them up. Don't do it.

-Decide that I want to go get my Ipod and listen to music while I clean.

-Go check my email instead.

-Go back into the kitchen and realize that the washing machine is done. Move clothes into the dryer and reload the washer.

-Think about how ridiculously distractible I am and think that I should maybe blog about it. But, then, I shouldn't because I need to focus on the task at hand. What is that again? Oh yeah, cleaning the kitchen...

-Eat more cookie dough.

-Spray down the counters with cleaner.

-Wonder why the heck the lawn people are mowing grass that is dead and hasn't grown in months now.

-Notice how dirty the baseboards are. Get the sponge and clean a section of baseboard about 2 feet long.

-Stop cleaning the baseboard and start wiping down the cabinets instead.

-Again decide that I need some music. Walk to my computer instead and decide that I will blog about how ridiculous I am...

(Next on the list: Actually go get the music and focus on cleaning the kitchen/dining room until it's done! Wish me luck!)

Prayer Letter

Just an FYI that my latest prayer letter is on the Word Made Flesh website and you can read it here.

A real post coming soon...

Ash Wednesday

Just wanted to invite you to join the church in remembering Ash Wednesday. You can participate online here.

Love and blessings!

Why I Love...

Mondays!

In a world where most people dread Mondays and live for Fridays, Monday may just be my favorite day of the week. Here are a few reasons why:

* I almost never work on Mondays. My schedule is on a fixed 6 week rotation, and I am only scheduled to work 1 Monday during each 6 week cycle. Sometimes I am even able to find someone to switch with me so that I don't even have to work that one!

* Because of the reason above, Mondays have become like my Sabbath day of the week. I typically take more time to be still, read my Bible, listen to sermons, think, pray, and/or listen than I do on other days of the week.

* I also tend to be more productive on Mondays than I am on other days of the week that I am off. Don't know why...

* I always get to enjoy an amazing dinner and great company on Monday nights thanks to these friends:

(plus Matt and Matt, who are missing from this photo)

Besides the food and company, they are also a great source of love, encouragement, accountability, and prayer, and I am thankful to have them in my life.

And that's why I love Mondays!

Not Me! Monday

So, I sat down this morning and started to write a post entitled, "Confessions: Volume 2." Then, I realized that it was Monday and I might as well join MckMama this week and confess those things that I didn't actually do. You know, the things that I would never do....

...Like put some water in the tea kettle downstairs to boil and then run upstairs for a sec to do something on the computer. I certainly would never do that. And if I had, I definitely wouldn't forget about said pot of water and start watching last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy online (a show that I would never want to watch anyway) until I started smelling something burning. Since that wouldn't actually have ever happened, I would never have dropped my computer on the floor and run down the stairs to find the bottom of my tea kettle burned black. Nope, not me!

(And just for good measure, had that event ever actually happened, I would not have decided in that moment to just put the burnt kettle out on the back porch to get rid of the smell while I went back upstairs to finish watching Grey's. Nope, I would never do that...)

What about you? Anything that you need to get off of your chest this week?

King of Wonders

As I drove home from church tonight, I was thinking about what I had just heard and the songs that I had just sung. (FYI - It was a great sermon tonight that you can watch here in the next day or two.) One of the songs that we sang was King of Wonders. As I sang, I couldn't help but think about the ways that the Lord is indeed the King of Wonders - the beauty of Creation, the incomprehensible vastness of the universe, the intricacy of how our bodies function, the miracle of new life...

One of the lines of the song is, "Your glory shines before our eyes, the more we see, the more we love You." The glory of the Lord certainly does shine before our eyes. All around us, Creation proclaims His glory. That was so evident this weekend through the beauty of the snow:



I love to experience His glory through sunrises and sunsets, which are also such a tangible reminder for me of His faithfulness:


The mountains speak of the majesty of the Lord:




His creativity is evident in the variety of flowers in the Spring, and the many colors of the Fall:

"King of Wonders, we stand amazed..."

Georgia Snow

Roommate Aimee at the start of the snow

With Lauren

Pretty trees

Snow makes things prettier, don't you think?

Failed "sledding" attempt #1: the Rubbermaid lid

Failed "sledding" attempt #2: the random large piece of metal from the side of the road

AJ's snowmen

Our snowman (I made the head)

Maddie in the snow

Snowy feet = cold toes!

Doggies in the snow

My very first snow angel

Lauren making her snow angel

Icicles

Me in the snowy tree

Why I Love...

My Sister Carla

In celebration of Carla's birthday (which was last Thursday, but I like to help her extend the celebration for as long as possible), here are some of the reasons that I think she is great!

-She is a middle school teacher, which I think is amazing! Middle school is such a difficult age, and I am thankful that there are people like her who are good at loving those kids!

-She does a great ghetto voice.

-She makes me laugh with her hilarious student stories. She knows that I love hearing about when her students say or do funny things, so she always calls me when she has a good story. Remember this one?

Student: "Ms. Lahey! Did you know they had beaches in the 1920's!?!

Carla: "You mean like sand and water? Yes, hunny - sand and water have been around for quite a while now.

-She has always been an inspiration for me to look up to. And compete with. She is probably the sole reason that I ended up valedictorian of my high school. She was near the top of her graduating class, so there wasn't much room for me to beat her!

-She sent me this YouTube video to enjoy. Isn't it so darn cute??



(I especially love the faces that he makes and the final "I'm Yours!")

-She loves Jesus and lives a life that honors Him. A great example!

-She can bust a move. Unfortunately for you, she usually only does that in the privacy of her own home.

-She has great hair. I wish mine were half as thick!

-She is a great story teller. She has a particular way of making things funny. I guess that's the drama queen in her.

-She sometimes leaves me comments here on the blog (which I love!) even though she refuses to blog herself. (Granted, I coerced her into having a blog in the first place...)

Happy Birthday, Carla! I love you!

The simple things...

Sometimes the simple things in life bring us the most pleasure. Like tonight, when I saw this bottle in the grocery store:

Complete with this message on the bottle:

Seriously?? Peppermint mocha all year long!?!? What could be better??

Wait...I can think of something! The combination of peppermint mocha creamer with Starbucks Casi Cielo:

Mmmm...rich yummy goodness.

Now, if only Casi Cielo was available all the time, I'd be in business...

Who Are You??

Sometimes I wonder who the heck is reading this blog?? I know about a handful - my Momma and sisters, the occasional visit from roommates past and present, Lima friends, and a couple old friends from college maybe. But, who are the rest of you?

For example...

Who are you in Ocean Springs, Mississippi and Reston, Virginia?

Which ones of you work friends connect to me through Melissa's family page?

Who is it in California that also reads my friend Sharon's blog?

Who are you in Gainesville that has this post bookmarked?

Which ones of you read me on your Google Reader? (from WV and Miami???)

It's funny to think about who may be reading. I would love to know who you are! Feel free to leave a comment here!

Confession

I have a confession to make.

Are you ready?

I am addicted to using "..." at the end of a sentence. I do it ALL the time. I can't seem to help it. I don't know why...

See? It just happens! Just like that. I guess in my head there is more to be said, so I just leave a little extra room for the thought to continue. Or something like that...

So, I admit it. That's the first step, right??

And maybe, just maybe, I'll work on trying to change my ways. Maybe I'll replace the addiction with something else. Like italics. But then again, maybe not...


What about you? Do you have confessions you need to make?? Go ahead. It's a safe place here!

A New Thing

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:19

Last night in small group, someone read this verse. As soon as she read it, it resonated with my heart. "Behold, I am doing a new thing..." I think the Lord is doing a new thing in me. I am not sure yet what it is, but I am thankful. I need to be refreshed. I want to be renewed. I want to experience more of the Spirit and His power in my life. I want a fresh passion for the Word and for the Lord.

But, even beyond myself, as we were talking last night, it seemed as though the Lord may be preparing lots of new things...

... new vision for an internet campus of our church. To go beyond just the ability to watch online, but the ability to connect and find resources and support...

... new hope for redemption of lives that have been adamantly opposed to a relationship with Jesus...

... perhaps even new hope that Haiti might through this tragedy be redeemed and become known as a people who love and worship Jesus Christ...

Lord, I pray that you are doing a new thing - in my life, in the lives of my family and friends, in this country, and in the world. Lord, I pray for lives to be redeemed. I pray for diseases to be healed. I pray for Your kingdom to come on this Earth. I thank You for the hope that I have in You.

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel;
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43: 1-3a