Down from the door where it began

The Lassie Who Prays

2012-02-13T07:56:00.009-05:00

As Valentine's Day dawns tomorrow, I would like to share a poem that I wrote for a very specific set of young women. It is by no means my intent to give the day more significance that it deserves, or anything else of that nature at all. :) I only use it as an opportunity to offer this bit of encouragement, specifically to young women who are not being pursued, and yet have had their affections unintentionally drawn. This is certainly the less popular category of "waiting," and the condition which the "emotional purity" books/teachers almost criminalize, and pressure girls to escape as soon as possible. ("You are giving away pieces of your heart that belong to your husband!!!!" anyone? Or that hideous story of the apple core at the altar... [that's a rant for another day]). Well, I'm not going to say that it is desirable to become attached too soon, to someone who could very well not become your husband. But I do say that God can use it for sanctification, and I believe that the situation should be seen not as the greatest error a Christian girl can make next to physical impurity, but as a chance to surrender more of our will to Christ, to submit to Him with more trust, to glimpse more of His beauty, and bless the man who is dear to you in mighty ways regardless of the fact that he may never know it!

"The Lassie Who Prays for Him"

She holds and hides these things in her heart

Smiles and makes light of it to those who ask

With very few will she ever share

The real difficulty of her task

For she is merciless towards her own affections-

The trouble is after all, of her on making-

No good to dwell on it over long

No good to admit her heart's near breaking

No, she has chosen her course, fixed her mark

She will not let this tempt her light to dim

She will live fully for her Lord, and regarding this man

She will be the lassie who prays for him

Christ is her first love and blessed Savior

And it is His pleasure she desires in every season

When He made her He also fashioned what she would cherish

And she trusts that He fashioned her this way for a reason

He knows the plans that He has for her

Plans for good and not for ill

The testing of her heart, and the blessing of this man,

May both have a place in His divine will

So faithfully she will petition heaven for his good

And whatever her own lot, with it be content

Casting all her cares upon the Comforter

And joyfully praising Him in this earthly tent

There is a time for everything under the sun

A time to begin, and a time to end

She does not know what tomorrow's call will be

But today she is the lassie who prays for him

Perfect for a cloudy day

2012-02-11T12:35:00.005-05:00

Comfort food! I made this pot of delicious fattening goodness a couple days ago and everybody loved it! I got the recipe from my favorite trusty go-to site for new recipe ideas, The Pioneer Woman, but I tweaked it some this time. Here's the original recipe with my alteration ideas.

-1 whole Onion, Diced

-1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter- I used 1 1/2 sticks. Hee hee! ;)

-1/3 cup Flour

-4 cups Whole Milk

-2 cups Half-and-half - I don't think the milk/half and half ratio is too important. I used a mixture of cream and sour cream and just made it total 6 cups, because the only milk I had was goat milk and Rebekah won't eat anything with goat milk in it.

-4 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets- (I used about 8 cups of frozen florets)

-1 pinch Nutmeg

-3 cups Grated Cheese (mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Etc.)

-Small Dash Of Salt (more If Needed)

-Freshly Ground Black Pepper

-Chicken Broth If Needed For Thinning

Saute chopped onion in butter over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour, stir for a minute or two, add liquid and stir well, turn down heat a bit. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add broccoli, and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

And then I let my heart run free, and cooked up 8 slices of bacon, and chopped it, and threw it in! I also threw in a handful of leftover baked chicken. Then I stirred in the cheese. And then I cooked a box of those fat round noodles that look like drainage pipes, and added them! So it turned out much thicker than the original recipe, and more like a pasta than a soup... but it is SO. GOOD. You should try it. And next time I want to have some sun-dried tomatoes on hand to mix in... I think they would take this to even greater heights of happiness.

My Snowy

2012-02-09T17:12:00.004-05:00

"All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl." ~author unknown

The Crack in the Shell

2012-02-07T22:12:00.006-05:00

I have a conflicting relationship with change, as I highly suspect most people do. I love it, and I dread it! I think of Sam and Anna's approaching wedding with great delight, and yet whimper, "He's not going to live here anymore!" I speak to friends and hear of their wonderful opportunities to go and do, and move into new callings that take them new places, and I inwardly cringe, "But..but... things are going to be so DIFFERENT without you!"

Ah, but did not God create man to fill the earth and subdue it? Was not the great commission to GO and tell? Has he not given us all of eternity to fellowship with each other? The purpose of living here below is not to spend as much time as possible in each other's company. The purpose of living is not to enjoy earthly relationships, regardless of how precious a gift they are! The purpose of mankind is to declare the glory of God, to enjoy HIM forever, and live according to His instruction.

I think I am rather like one of BJ's biddies, who hatched and then promptly decided the world was too scary, and tried to crawl back into the egg. I am very happy in my little egg shell, and I cannot imagine that having the shell cracked is a good thing. But just as we know that there is grass and sunshine and tasty little beetles awaiting that biddy, God has wonderful plans for us that can only unfold as our present circumstances change.

A Shield Maiden

2012-02-02T22:12:00.005-05:00

"Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph? They utter speech, and speak insolent things; all the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. They break in pieces Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, 'The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand.' Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.

Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off his people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgement will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence.

If I say, 'My foot slips,' Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties whithin me, Your comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:3-19.

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.' " Isaiah 6:8.

POOF!

2012-01-30T20:07:00.007-05:00

We took out the braids tonight!

Nephew is like, "Whoa..."

Shampoo model pose ;)

Oh hey, now I look like Anne Shirley!

I'm tellin' you what... this has been just too much fun!

Prepare for a shock

2012-01-27T17:03:00.007-05:00

Oh yes oh yes, I've got corn rows in my hair!!!

Heehee! This is awesome.

A Day in the Life of a Veterinary Assistant

2012-01-26T16:38:00.003-05:00

7:25am this morning- wake up. Andy Grammer's "Keep Your Head Up" starts playing in my head. "♫... but you gotta keep your head up, oh-oh!" Rather fitting.

7:30- downstairs and getting dressed. Quick e-mail check. Outside into a cool foggy morning to milk June, and throw hay to Snowy/goats and Violet the cow. Back inside to strain, jar, and refrigerate the milk.

8:00- strawberry yogurt for breakfast. Set out the lunch I'd prepared the night before. Fill up water bottle and set together on the table where I won't forget it. (Wouldn't be the first time if I did!) Run upstairs to get my Bible, back downstairs to settle on the couch until it's time to go. After reading Psalm 84, "Keep Your Head Up" is replaced by "Better is One Day."

8:20- grab lunch and water, coat, keys, say bye to Daddy and holler the same up the staircase to Mama, and leave. Blessed and exhorted by the song on the radio while driving- "Empty Me" by Chris Sligh. "♫ I know how I can stray, and how fast my heart could change. Empty me of the selfishness inside, every vain ambition, and the poison of my pride. And any foolish thing my heart holds to; Lord, empty me of me, so I can be filled with You." Arrive at the clinic feeling armored! :)

8:24- clock in. Put my lunch goods away, and first check the kennel. When there's a full house, I often find "The Land of Poo," but happily the only patient we had with us this morning was an older Lab for boarding, and she is very good about holding her business. Back to the front to turn on lights, computers, and unlock the front door.

8:30- walk the Lab. A truck and trailer drives up with a colt to be gelded, but as the large animal technician has now arrived, I leave them to her. Back inside with the Lab to put her back in her run, feed and medicate her. I hear the front door open so I hurry back to the front desk. The older client with the horse has unexpectedly brought along his female cat, and inquired if she could be spayed today! Client very sweet, and very deaf so conversation conducted at a shout. Today is a surgery day and we do have a light enough schedule for a work-in, so after I discerned that it has been long enough since she has eaten for us to safely perform the surgery, the client goes back outside, presumably to get the cat. As he leaves, the client whose two cats were originally on the schedule to be spayed and neutered that day walks through the door. I grab that chart to get them checked in. After I have taken down the necessary information (if there is anything else Owner would like done today, if the cats are doing well, up to date on vaccines, would Owner like us to run any pre-anesthetic bloodwork, etc.) and had him sign the anesthesia release, Owner leaves and I take the cats to the kennel and get them settled in individual cages with blankets. I return to the front in search of the other cat, and find that the horse man had already driven off, having left his cat in a wooden cage on the porch! I take that cat to the kennel and get her comfortably settled.

9:00- the rest of the staff has arrived. We turn on lights in surgery and prepare by setting out everything that will be needed for the first surgery. The doctor arrives and I report to her the "history" of each case.

9:15- while my co-workers prep. the first cat for surgery, I check-in our last drop-off for the morning- my favorite rottweiler, presented for a bath!

9:30- bathing the rottweiler. I needed a little help lifting her into the tub, as she's 108 lbs. ;) And I got about as wet as she did.

9:45- finished with the bath- I towel dry her as much as possible and then set her in a pop-up cage next to a fan, for quickest drying.

10:00- on the computer, typing up my case histories and entering charges for the surgeries that morning.

10:15- assisting with prep. of the second surgery, including surgical shave and scrub. Then field trip to the pasture to feed the doctor's horses and fill their water. I check on the colt (now a gelding) in the barn as I go by, and chuckle at his look of having partied too hard on a Friday night. Take care of the doctor's horses, and grab the mail on the way back.

10:30- check clinic laundry- fold dried load of towels, start another load. Wipe down the counters in the kennel and wash the few food bowls in sink. Then assisting in surgery prep. of the last kitty. This one had some lovely diarrhea on the table that was a lot of fun to clean up.

11:00- check in a frequent client with a dachshund, presented for a nail trim only. Bring to back and restrain for the nail trim, (he doesn't care for them). Clean used surgical instruments and lay out to dry.

11:30- make follow-up calls to check on special (sick or surgery) cases from earlier this week, careful to log each conversation. Surgeries are finished- clean the surgery room. File anesthesia sheets.

12:00- LUNCH!! Hop up a few times to check on the surgery patients waking up in the kennel.

12:30-UPS arrives. Unpack boxes, identify merchandise, compare invoice to our order log, make sure order is correct. Pack surgery instruments, wrap and label packs, set in autoclave for sterilization.

1:00- Afternoon appointments begin. First I check in a beagle with itchy ears. Owner more interested in reading a magazine than in telling me about it all. It is a light schedule of regular appointment this afternoon- as we try to keep it on surgery days. We also see a puppy for a booster vaccine, a chihuahua for a recheck, and a hairless beagle for a recheck. In the appointments my role is the initial check-in, asking questions and writing down answers, then reporting the information to the doctor, going in with her for the examination and restraining the animal so that she can safely examine, entering history and charges on the computer, preparing and printing labels for any meds to go home, and going through discharge instructions with the Owner. Appointments ended around 2:30 today. The rottweiler and the surgery patients were discharged between 3 and 4. I go through post-anesthesia care instructions with the Owners of the surgery patients, and take any questions they may have. When all clients are gone we take out trash, put away items used throughout the day and organize as needed, clean surfaces, vacuum and mop floors, walk and treat any hospitalized animals, review the schedule for the next day, and then we're done. It is a good and pleasant work!

"A righteous man regards the life of his animal..." Proverbs 12:10

God's Will

2012-01-14T21:12:00.003-05:00

"Simply put, God's will is your growth in Christlikeness. God promises to work all things together for our good that we might be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). And the degree to which this sounds like a lame promise is the degree to which we prefer the stones and scorpions of this world to the true bread from heaven (Matthew 7:9-11). God never assures us of health, success, or ease. But He promises us something even better: He promises to make us loving, pure, and humble like Christ. In short, God's will is that you and I get happy and holy in Jesus.

So go marry someone, provided you're equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it's not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God's sake start making some decisions in your life. Don't wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God's will, so just go out and do something.

The only chains God wants us to wear are the chains of righteousness - not the chains of hopeless subjectivism, not the shackles of risk-free living, not the fetters of horoscope decision making - just the chains befitting a bond servant of Christ Jesus. Die to self. Live for Christ. And then do what you want, and go where you want, for God's glory.

God's will for your life is not very complicated. Obviously, living a Christlike life is hard work, and what following Jesus entails in not clear in every situation. But as an overarching principle, the will of God for your life is pretty straightforward: be holy like Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God."

~Kevin DeYoung, "Just Do Something."

Thoughts?

Some days you feel like the wind...

2012-01-06T21:16:00.001-05:00

...but more often I feel like the ducks. ;)

Back to December

2012-01-03T19:50:00.007-05:00

... a picture post. (All photos, save very last, are courtesy of Anna).

On the Friday after Christmas, we did something remarkably reprehensible, like, all 10 of us heading to Raleigh on a Friday night, to enjoy ice-skating and late dinner at our favorite restaurant, the Texas Roadhouse! Here we are waiting for the skating rink to open.

Grandma love. Such a precious picture! :)

And then it opened, and the reckless among us pranced out like sand-pipers onto the ice.

Together on land, and by the ice they were not parted!

Hehe! Great shot, Anna!

We had a blast at the Roadhouse later, and I may or may not have danced to "Mercury Blues" with Daddy while we waited to be seated. ;)

On Saturday, I considered how we never do anything out-of-the-way or shocking to bring in the new year, and how it was high time to break that mold. So I proposed to BJ that we should bring it in with a bonfire, marshmallows, and hot chocolate. He added cheddar chex mix and lemonade to the list. (A tradition has been born... BJ and I believe that the new year will not arrive without lemonade. You shall not convince us otherwise. Because we're special like that ;). Anyway, as soon as we were done with our duties, we popped in the car and drove to town to purchase our party goods.

Yes, my mouth was in that same position the whole time to Warrenton and back. Why do you ask?

We watched Facing the Giants to speed the time until about 10:30pm, and then me and BJ went out to light the fire. I had built the stone pit earlier in the day, and am prodigiously proud of it. ;)

We were very happy and having a good time, I promise!!

We prayed together in the last few minutes of 2011.

And then... we whooped and danced with joy as the clock... (or rather, our cell phones)... struck twelve!

Finally, I leave you with cuteness...

...and our Taylor Family picture, Christmas 2011.

That's all for now!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:59:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year y'all! 2012 has arrived! Woohoo! In this year Lord-willing, Sam will wed Anna! Zachary will turn 1 year old! The Steward and Goldberry will celebrate their second wedding anniversary! I will turn 21!? Rachel will go contra dancing! (I am determined ;) And who knows what other wonderful things God has in store for us! It won't be a smooth ride on downy pillows and among the joys named there will be troubles and tears and possibly hot cocoa coming out your nose, (ask me about that some time ;) but each trial will come for a blessed reason and our greater good, and God is in control no matter what happens so let us commit our lives to living our part in His adventure with gusto, designating all our abilities to His service and surrendering again and again our wayward hearts to His guidance. I praise God for all of you my wonderful friends, and look forward eagerly with a twinkle in m' eye to the adventures we will share together this year! ;) May we all grow in faithfulness to encourage each other forward in Christ, now and always. So, here's to a brand new year!!! "♫ ...and if our good fortune never comes, here's to whatever comes! Drink, l'chaim, to life! ♫" and all that. ;) Love y'all. And I haven't seen any of you since last year! Fiddleshtiksh!

The Wishing Window

2011-12-27T19:24:00.009-05:00

The young maiden shifted the small wooden stool farther forward and pressed her cold cheek against the warmth of the dairy cow's smooth side. She blinked sleepily as she inhaled the sweet scent of new hay and listened to the steady swish-swish the streams of milk made, coming easily from the pressure of her practiced fingers. She quietly hummed to herself as her mind wandered. She tilted her head back to look upward into the shadows of the barn rafters and her eyes sought the patch of stars glimmering through the square of missing tin in one corner. She treasured that spot of sparkling night sky, shining out afresh each clear evening. It was dearest to her as a secret Wishing Window. She would often look out that window at the night sky, and she liked to imagine that when she did, her wishes grew wings and flew as messengers to heaven; and when their secret messages were delivered, they would dance and have merry times up there above it all, and sometimes they'd sort of join each other and become one bigger wish while they waited. After a while, when they were strong enough and everything was ready and God said it was alright, they would come back down to earth as a wish come true. But even if they never came back down, it was nice to know that they were safe up there, and couldn't get hurt from being laughed at or torn up by people down below who didn't know how to wish for good things to begin with. Those unreturned wishes would go to live in a special place for Memories. Or sometimes, (and she fancied this happened more often than not), even though her wishes did grow strong and flourish and did come back down, God let them know that she had wished for the wrong thing, and so when they came back down, they went to the person who they really belonged to. Sometimes this hurt a little, but it was alright. God always seemed to take extra good care of her when this happened, and that was nice, and since she found she loved Him so much more after the hurt had come and gone than before it had come in the first place, she discovered that she was glad of the hurt after all. It wasn't an easy business though. It wasn't easy waiting, wondering in suspense what was going to happen to each dear wish, and wanting to be content no matter what happened to them and yet loving them all the same! Loving them made the hurt run deeper. But because of that, it also made the Grace run deeper. And so she found herself in a state not of suspense, but of Hope, and that makes all the difference, because suspense is unpredictable, but Hope comes from a Promise, and the Promise from a Savior!

The milking was done. The maid bent and lifted the full pail of milk to her knees, yet glanced heavenward once more before standing. As if in grand finale to the simple faith of a child, a shooting star shot across the night sky in flaming splendor, full visible through the Wishing Window. The young maid smiled with knowing delight the smile of a woman well-loved, as she arose, pail in hand, and went on about her work.

A Christmas Prayer

2011-12-24T11:18:00.005-05:00

Dear Heavenly Father, on this Christmas Eve day I thank you for the peace you have given to this lovely corner of your world; that my family is in safety and we may come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus freely and without fear. I am grateful for the men you have raised up to be soldiers for our country and I ask your special blessings on them and their families, especially those stationed in foreign countries. I pray for your hedge of protection to be around each one, and for comfort in their hearts as they spend this season apart from home folks. Lord, I ask that you would touch the leaders of our country; that this Christmas they would hear your truth and believe it, and be changed forever. And through them, the heart of our country be changed, into a country that serves the Lord unashamedly.

I thank you for the wonderful things you brought to pass this year. And I thank you for the trials, as each one reveals more of your righteousness.

Lord, here is my heart this Christmas Eve. You know it well... you created it, you see and have seen it's every thought, and you have often had to chasten it! Most wonderfully of all, you have redeemed it. Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place so that my heart could be free from the power of sin, and free from the punishment my sin so well deserves. By faith I trust you when you say that you have made it white as the snow, that isn't falling this year. :) Yes Lord, I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that you are able. Here am I, Lord, your rescued child, and I would spend my life proclaiming the joyous news of Christmas Day! At home, at work, or wherever your roads lead. Here am I, Lord, send me! Amen.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas 2011!!! :) :)

Something Yummy!

2011-12-16T10:36:00.011-05:00

I had one of those "must make something I've never made before!" fits yesterday. So I went to Pioneer Woman Cooks, and found this recipe. I made a few alterations, and a trip to the grocery store, and oh sally! I loved it, Rebekah loved it, the boys loved it, and half of us ate it for breakfast again this morning. Would you like ze recipe? This is my version. For the original, follow the link above.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Whole Medium Onion, chopped to smithereens in a Vita-mixer! (Or finely diced, if you are more diligent than I)

4 cloves garlic, to suffer same fate as the onion

1 28oz can chunky tomato sauce, (tomato sauce with chunks? tomato chunks with sauce? Chunky-dunky? I forget exactly what the can said. You know what I'm talking about)

1 15oz can tomato sauce

Salt and Pepper, to taste. (I probably ended up using about a teaspoon of each, but don't quote me on that. Just... taste)

About 1 Tablespoon of white sugar, (mine is some sort of natural stuff, but any sugar should do)

1 Cup Heavy Cream or Half & Half

8 oz bag of grated Mozzarella cheese

Fresh Basil, chopped

2 boxes (2 lbs) Fettuccine noodles

Additional salt

Additional butter for the noodles

Chicken, cooked and off the bone, shredded or at least in bite-size pieces.

To prepare:

Combine oil and butter in a medium sized sauce pan. (I call all mine "pots" but I do admit that a "sauce pan" sounds pretty). Add chopped/minced onion and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Pour in chunky tomato sauce and add dashes of salt and pepper and sugar until it is pleasantly flavorful instead of just tasting like tomato juice. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Then stir in chicken. Now, although I didn't measure, I think I used about 3 cups, and it was good, but very, very filling. Next time I will probably use a little less. At this point you'll add the other can of tomato sauce, and if you're using less chicken, you might not want to use the whole can. All depends on how juicy you want it. Bear in mind that you've still got a cup of cream to add. And while you're bearing it in mind, go ahead and add that cup of cream. Stir well, and taste. It probably needs some more salt and pepper. Adjust the seasonings, and then let all that simmer while you put on a big pot of water to boil your noodles in. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to that water. Make sure your sauce is turned down low, (but not TOO low); we want a tiny bit of bubbly action going on but we don't want it to burn. When your noodle water boils, cook pasta as directed. Hint: don't overcook the fettuccine! Keep fishing stands out and tasting, and immediately remove from heat and strain when they are "Al dente!" And about the time you put the noodles in the water to cook, dump that whole 8 oz bag of Mozzarella cheese into the sauce and stir around until melted. When your pasta is strained, dump it back into it's pot, (or a pretty dish, if you're more diligent than I ;) and add 3-4 tablespoons of butter; toss until melted. (A Taylor trick is to get a cold stick of butter out of the fridge, unwrap one end and pull the paper half-way back, and then stick it nose-dive into the noodles and use it like a melting utensil to stir the pasta around, until 3-4 Tablespoons worth has melted off into it). Add chopped basil to the sauce. I added probably about 2 heaped Tablespoons worth, (not sure exactly because I was adding, tasting, adding, tasting). Use however much you like! The original recipe had me adding the fettuccine to the sauce, but my family prefers the two served separately, for them as likes more sauce and less noodles, or vice versa. So... do what suits your fancy, and it's ready to serve!

From the kitchen of... Auntie Abigail. :)

It's the little things

2011-12-14T18:03:00.004-05:00

Surprise 1/2 day off... sleeping in until almost 9, (I can't remember how long it's been since I've done that!), leisurely morning chores, late breakfast, online Christmas shopping, work at 1, country music playing at the front desk, Christmas music playing in the back, coming home to an unexpected dinner-for-two cooked by BJ, (no one else was home), goofing around, singing in the dark while doing chores, finding a grinning possum in one of the chicken nests, fetching BJ and chasing said possum in the dark until justice was rendered, coming in to yummy coconut cake made by Goldberry, and a late movie.

♫ It's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most

Not where you live or what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes

There's no dollar sign on a peace of mind, this I've come to know

So if you agree, have a drink with me, raise your glasses for a toast

To a little bit of chicken fried... ♫

Do I Trust You, Lord?

2011-12-12T18:01:00.001-05:00

Did you ever wonder?

2011-12-05T17:54:00.002-05:00

Excerpt from G.K. Chesterton's, "Orthodoxy."

"Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian. And as I close this chaotic volume I open again the strange small book from which all Christianity came; and I am again haunted by a kind of confirmation. The tremendous figure which fills the Gospels towers in this respect, as in every other, above all the thinkers who ever thought themselves tall. His pathos was natural, almost casual. The Stoics, ancient and modern, were proud of concealing their tears. He never concealed His tears; He showed them plainly on His open face at any daily sight, such as the far sight of His native city. Yet He concealed something. Solemn supermen and imperial diplomatists are proud of restraining their anger. He never restrained His anger. He flung furniture down the front steps of the Temple, and asked men how they expected to escape the damnation of Hell. Yet He restrained something. I say it with reverence; there was in that shattering personality a thread that must be called shyness. There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray. There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth."

To find the perfect tree!

2011-12-04T17:30:00.013-05:00

That took longer than finding the perfect turkey. ;) There was a flock in our back pasture.

So anyway, BJ and I set out on the ATV to find a Christmas tree this afternoon! It is tradition to find a nice cedar in the woods and haul it home, (once behind a grouchy horse)- never since living here have we purchased one from a store.

Hitting the trail:

Tour guide ;) "To the right you will see trees..."

♫ My love is deeper than the holler, stronger than the river, higher than the pine trees growin' tall upon the hill...♫

Now on foot, crossing on the dam. Doesn't the water look yummy?

Brotherly attentions... :)

Then he had a monkey moment...

And then an antelope moment.

I climbed a deer stand to see if I could see any good trees from there.

Nope, but the view was great anyway! Made me start singing "A Whole New World" in my head. :)

I picked a bad day to wear a skirt, and yelped in anticipation of torn flesh every time BJ crashed us through briers, but the poor little legs actually fared fairly well.

This tree made us laugh. It's wearing shorts. ;)

We ended up finding three different possibilities, (one of which is the one in shorts), so now a third party (probably the Steward) will make the final decision and then we'll cut it and bring it home! Merry times, merry times. :)

Blessed by the Holy Spirit

2011-12-02T18:36:00.004-05:00

I'd like to share how God met me in my need this morning and spoke directly into my struggling heart!

Carried over from yesterday, my struggle this morning was in handling guilt over a certain weakness, a certain situation in which I had not conducted myself as I ought. I confessed my fault to God and though I knew I was forgiven, I still felt very guilty. (Now, in case I'm scaring anybody, it wasn't really that major of a thing! Simply the heart of it was not Christ-honoring).

In dealing with any emotion, I have a propensity to be a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" sort of person. Or in my own eloquent words, "Look it in the face, and put it in it's place!" Sometimes that attitude is rather appropriate, I believe, given the situation. (And understood in the context that the ability to do so comes through Christ alone). In kicking out a mood, for example. But though it may bring temporary balm, it does not often absolutely conquer the issue and the ugly creature may rare it's head again at any time. And this morning was a time when the bootstrap approach wouldn't cut it. I couldn't shake my gloom over my weakness. So I opened my Bible for my morning reading. My marker was at Mark chapter 5. The familiar story of the "Gadarene Demoniac."

Jesus had arrived in the country of the Gadarenes, and was immediately confronted by a demon-possessed man "who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him." God kindly poked me and said, "Look at it this way. You are that man. And the shackles you try to tie your sin up with are just as useless as these were." Oo, lightbulb moment for Abigail! As I kept reading, I immediately made the connection and fell in love with my Savior all over again. "For He (Jesus) said to him (the helpless possessed man), 'Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" (that was vs. 8). Looking ahead at verse 15- "Then they (scared townspeople) came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine."

The chains didn't amount to a hill o' beans. The simple command of God was fully effective. A perfect, crystal clear picture of man's (i.e., my) efforts, versus God's act.

What changed in my heart and took away my load? It is not a new concept to me, this truth of man's inadequacy and God's sufficiency. But it was so good of God to present it to me in a fresh way, with fresh imagery through the story of the wild man in the tombs. God lovingly caused me to feel His mercies anew. And yes, to laugh at myself, (most of all my prideful notion that I should be able to make myself feel better), and hide away in his loving arms where no condemnation can reach me.

So then I read the end of the story. Jesus instructed the redeemed man, " 'Go home and tell your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.' " So I decided to write this blog entry. ;)

Do you have a story of God speaking into your daily life, that you'd like to share? Or any God-story. Let's sing His praises! Comment away!! :)

Be Still, My Soul

2011-11-29T22:06:00.003-05:00

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

~Catharina von Schlegel

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T17:51:00.004-05:00

What a beautiful evening! I am in absurdly high spirits as I write. The day was a crunch but it is done with, the relentless telephone is silenced at last, cloudy skies turned orange at sunset, and a brisk gypsy breeze made my heart thrill as I walked (or rather ran and bounced with!) the boarding dogs, out by the rippling pond.

Our Thanksgiving celebration will spread over 2 days, as we will be having our main feast on Friday, when the whole family can be joined around the table. (For a special meal tomorrow I plan a big breakfast of homemade waffles and homemade sausage!) But besides the hearty food that everyone loves this time of year, my heart overflows with delight over all God has blessed me and my family with this year, over and abundantly! We have stood in awe at how many prayers, which began YEARS ago, have been granted in these recent years. From simple, to monumental, our family has seen so many blessings! Relief for Mama's rheumatoid arthritis. Miraculous, spontaneous healing of my close friend Emily who had been crippled by MS! The provision of much needed farm equipment, a new roof, spouses for John Paul and Sam! Baby Zachary!!!!

"Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him." Psalm 28:6-7.

Have a wonderful time of Thanksgiving, friends!!! :)

When We're Together

2011-11-22T18:01:00.001-05:00

A Random Interview!

2011-11-14T21:12:00.004-05:00

Like Rachel and I did a while back, this time Emily from Practically Pink and I exchanged random questions! We may expect her answers soon, and in the meantime, here are my answers to hers! :)

1. What is your least favorite chore to do during the day and why? At home, it would be cleaning, vacuuming, that sort of thing. I love a clean house, but I don't much enjoy the process! (Good music cranked up loud does help, though). At work- cleaning up doggy poo? :P

2. What would be your PERFECT day? Making someone I love very, very happy.

3. Do you like sushi? THAT IS RAW FISH! YUCK!!! ...I've never tried it.

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world and spend a week there, where would it be? Somewhere mountainous out west, like Montana. And I would wish to have all the siblings with me.

5. Have you ever dyed your hair or would you ever dye your hair? No I haven't, and no, I wouldn't.

6. Do you know how to drive a stick shift? No! I would very much like someone to teach me! Goldberry said she would, but she's rather busy these days... :P

7. What is the silliest thing you've ever spent money on? hum... I'm not sure! I guess it would have been something when I was little. Nothing I can think of lately... *pats self on back* ;)

8. What is one childhood story that your family always brings up and that you can never forget? That's easy. The day I stole chocolate from the pantry and wouldn't confess, even after many a whoopin'! The stubborn/rebellious streak made it's presence known early...

9. What is your current favorite song on the radio? Same as always... Smile. :) :)

10. Do you like clowns? I like funny people, but the red-nosed clowns never seem to be all that funny, oddly enough... so no!

Thanks Emily, that was fun! :D

Other than the Book Reviews and Karate Chops

2011-11-08T15:36:00.013-05:00

Last weekend was very quiet and frankly, quite boring, because all our menfolk headed out of town to a men's retreat sponsored by our church. Daddy left me in charge of keeping the wood stoves burning. He was real worried I was going to set my hair on fire, and ordered me to tuck it down my coat and wear a hat! This was my "bring it on" pose. (Or maybe I'm carrying an invisible armload of wood?)

I like how my gloves don't match.

All went well and though I was as thoroughly smoked as a country ham, nothing untoward caught on fire and none of the fires went out! Score. Cooking was a big bummer though... it's not half as much fun or inspiring when our hungry boys aren't around to eat. I did take the opportunity to try out a new recipe from PW Cooks- Broccoli Cheddar Soup. I made a 1/2 batch and it was delicious! Now all I need to learn is how to make a bread bowl and I'll be even with Panera! ;)

I loved the time change this weekend! (If Riley is right and Benjamin Franklin really was the first to think of Daylight Savings time, then I would have words with Mr. Franklin. I do not like Daylight Savings time). But this was funny- I got up Sunday morning to milk June, and I was puzzled to find her hollering angrily at me, and her udder tight, even though I was milking right on time! And then it dawned on me that her udder hadn't observed the time change. Fancy that. :D

Hey, the roof is finished! It is beautiful and such a blessing!!! I haven't taken any pictures yet and it's too dark already this evening, so I'll post some in the next day or two.

At work this week, I learned a new skill- I performed a dental prophylaxis! (Fancy word for a cleaning ;)

Other doings... well I am leading a weekly Bible study with my clinic ladies- we are watching Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project." God has blessed that endeavor mightily already!

Also and apart from the Truth Project, I am beginning a focused pursuit of apologetic study... God has laid that desire keenly on my heart! Right now I am reading "Cries of the Heart" by Dr. Ravi Zacharias. Up next will be 2 of Dr. Kreeft's books, which I just ordered off Amazon! *excited* (I may or may not have also ordered the "Annie" songbook. :D)

Lastly, guess where I'm going tomorrow night? (No, not Easy Street. ;) A friend of mine won free tickets to a Toby Mac concert in Durham tomorrow (Thursday) night, and she re-gifted them to me! (Okay, maybe that IS Easy Street...?) But Daddy is going to take me, and it's going to be a blast. Jamie Grace will also be there!

For Fun and Giggles

2011-11-07T18:29:00.008-05:00

Here are a couple of short movies that BJ and I put together last night. All credit for editing and adding sound effects goes to BJ. No people or pets were harmed in the making of these movies. :D

Wisdom from Mr. Holmes

2011-11-04T20:14:00.004-04:00

Excerpt from "A Study in Scarlet," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Dr. Watson, speaking of Sherlock Holmes, early in their acquaintance:

"His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest way who he might be and what he had done. My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System. That any civilized human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth traveled round the sun appeared to me to be such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.

'You appear astonished,' he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. 'Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it.'

'To forget it!'

'You see,' he explained, 'I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.'

'But the Solar System!' I protested.

'What the deuce is it to me?' he interrupted impatiently: 'you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work.' "

Country Fix

2011-11-03T17:22:00.003-04:00

In the brief span of time it takes to drive from work into Warrenton, I heard "Crazy Girl" AND "Boondocks" on the radio. Could life get any better???

Musical Friday!

2011-10-21T21:53:00.004-04:00

"May it Be," by Enya.

{Abigail, soprano and piano}

{Goldberry, alto}

"Captivating." A book review!

2011-10-20T17:51:00.007-04:00

"Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul," by John and Stasi Eldredge.

This book very honestly and accurately lays out many matters that affect a woman's heart. It teaches on how God has spoken into each need, and how for every longing, He is there to fill it. I found it helpful in many ways, and God certainly used it to speak specifically to an area of my heart that He has been changing (for the better!). However, through reading "Captivating" in the spirit of 1 Thess. 5:21, ("test all things..."), I have a few concerns that I would like to share with any sisters out there who have read, or plan to read this book. The two main filters I use in "testing" (both written and spoken) teachings are: "What does this teach me about God? -is it confirmed in the Bible?" and "What does this teach me about myself? -is it confirmed in the Bible?"

Let's jump right in. In Chapter 2, "What Eve Alone Can Tell," God is presented as vulnerable, longing to be loved by us, needing us. Presented as scriptural evidence is Isaiah 49:14-15, 18. Also Jer. 24:7, Matt. 23:37, and Jer. 29:13. Also presented as evidence is this, and I quote Mr. Eldredge, "After years of hearing the heart-cry of women, I am convinced beyond a doubt of this: God wants to be loved. He wants to be a priority to someone. From cover to cover, from beginning to end, God's heart is 'Why won't you choose me?' It is amazing to me how humble, how vulnerable God is on this point. 'You will find me,' says the Lord, 'When you seek me with all your heart.' (Jer. 29:13). In other words, 'Look for me, pursue me- I want you to pursue me.' Amazing. As Tozer says, 'God waits to be wanted.' " Okay. Wow. Do you see the problems here? First let's look at the scriptures. And I'm actually going to make you do that yourself. Go forth and read! Then let us test. The passage from Isaiah: what a beautiful promise! Is it a plea for attention from a vulnerable God? It is not. The passages from Jeremiah: a grace-filled prophecy, and another promise with invitation! But no begging to be "priority to someone." And Matthew- this is a declaration of compassion on us, yet in no way diminishes God's power and authority. All scripture has to be understood in the context of other scripture. What the Eldredges have done here is pull verses out of context and misinterpret them, I believe. To decide if this is true, we must: turn back to Scripture! "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..." John 15:16a. "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will," Ephesians. 1:11. "The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, 'Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand." Isaiah 14:24. "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us." 1 John 3:16. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10. Behold, our God! No less loving, no less personal than the "vulnerable God," but so much more awesome, all-powerful, greatly to be praised, so much more trust-worthy! I could go on and on. But meanwhile, let's look quickly at the other evidence offered for God's vulnerability: a woman's heart. The first thing that jumped out at me is that this is all backwards. You can't look at the creature and understand the creator! You must first look to the creator, and then the creature can be understood in the context of what it was made to be. Yes, we are made in God's image, but this does not dictate that our emotions and heart-condition are exact replicas of His. If this were so, then God would also be sinful.

So we have now briefly examined what the book teaches us about God. Let us now briefly examine what it teaches us about ourselves. Much time is spent declaring that we are beautiful. (That we have "beauty to unveil," to quote the book precisely). It is a sweet ministry to hurting hearts, women who truly doubt that they have any worth and purpose on this earth, and I was encouraged and challenged by the teaching on ways we can share our beauty (of character) with the people in our lives. The only thing that I would point out is that there was a crucial piece of the puzzle left out, in putting together the pattern of our beauty. We are presented (and I'm not sure if it was intentional or not) as having the sweetness, strength, and goodness all hidden down deep in us, ready to spring forth when released! Sort of the catchy, "Be yourself because you are beautiful!" We are presented as victims. What is absent is the truth that there would be no beauty to unveil, save through the grace of God. On my own, my heart is black and ugly. I am not the victim- I am, in fact, the bad guy. There is no treasure in my heart but through the grace of God working therein. My heart does not need to be unveiled; it desperately needs to be washed and covered by the blood of Christ! Another concern was the oft-used sentence, "God is captivated by you!" This is incredibly false. God is NOT impressed by humans. The very idea is laughable and absurd at best, to anyone who has read the Bible. The mystery of grace is not that God is captivated by us, but that He invites us to be captivated by Him, and has made a way through Jesus Christ for us to be reconciled to Him and live in freedom as His children for all eternity!

There were other small points of objection as I read through the book, mainly having to do with these same themes, and the continuous questionable handling of scripture, but I would like to close with the good that God did use parts of this book to help teach me.

To be willing to give of yourself and of your love, even when it hurts. To glory in being gentle, yet strong and unafraid in Christ. That I do have a role to play. That God has spoken into, and provided Himself for, my every need and emotion. That even if I live with unfulfilled desires, my life is still complete in His service. That He has made me beautiful. That the Prince would have each dance, every day. :)

The Little Man

2011-10-17T21:58:00.000-04:00

Meat for the Winter

2011-10-10T21:16:00.006-04:00

BJ took his first doe of the season on Saturday! We're all looking forward to grilled tenderloins, and deer spaghetti this winter!

Searching for Meaning

2011-10-07T21:09:00.005-04:00

Last weekend I had the privilege, along with Rebekah and BJ, to travel down to New Bern, NC and hear Dr. Ravi Zacharias and Dr. Peter Kreeft speak at Temple Baptist Church! It was a real treat, because for years we have listened to Ravi on the radio every Sunday morning while driving to church, and I was pretty much in awe to actually be in the same building with him. His teaching is even more captivating and profound in person- (thank you Lord for the ministry of this man!). We had not heard of Dr. Kreeft before, but he was an incredible teacher as well and I look forward to reading some of his books. Both of their talks centered around the existence of God and what it means to be human. I am eager to share my notes from the talks and was just chuckling over them while beginning this post. My brain and my pen obviously don't always correspond well when I'm trying to jot down the previous profound thought while listening to the next profound thought! (I couldn't spell "dimension" either). Well let me see if I can make this coherent.

We all seek absolute truth and absolute happiness, but it is not found in it's complete form in this life. We catch glimpses of it, so we keep seeking it. We desire more than contentment, we want joy. Joy never gets boring. The Bible calls it a state of "Blessedness." Happiness is a little bit of God through [whatever brought you happiness]. There is a God-shaped hole in our hearts that only He can satisfy. The search for meaning is unique to the human race. Animals respond by instinct, (and dogs never get together for conferences to talk about what it means to be a dog). We need meaning more than we need freedom from pain, and we need a meaning that is genuine. Meaning is to be what your designer designed you to be and happiness is found there. We know that we can miss our meaning, and this makes us restless.

Without God there is no absolute point of moral reference. We would be left in the same state as a pilot flying through fog with no instruments. It is a crucial error when all points are moving- without right and wrong there is chaos. Moves in the mind are made when we don't want to admit that we're nursing evil in our own hearts. The tragedy of disbelief in God is not that you wind up believing nothing, it is much worse; you will believe anything. A bigger question than "why is there evil in the world" is "why doesn't pleasure satisfy?" Emptiness doesn't come with pain, it comes with being tired of pleasure.

Added to our human state is the dimension of eternity. To quote C.S. Lewis, "We are so little reconciled to time that we are even astonished at it. 'How he has grown!' we exclaim. 'How time flies!' as though the universal form of our experience were again and again a novelty. It is as strange as if a fish were repeatedly surprised by the wetness of water. And that would be strange indeed; unless of course the fish were destined to become, one day, a land animal."

On the exclusivity of Christ- it is the nature of truth to be exclusive. Any truth excludes the opposite. Illogical if non-exclusive.

End of note highlights! On to closing thoughts and practical applications that I've been pondering this week:

"We need meaning more than we need freedom from pain." So true! I can endure anything if I know the purpose of it. Meaning is like fuel. Without it I'm either stuck, or rolling down hill. No driving up mountains without fuel.

My meaning is to serve Jesus, my maker and redeemer. I was made to be a loving and willing instrument in His hands all my days on earth! To be his hands and feet and (through scripture) voice. (What wonders He has given my tongue to recite!) And I would encourage you, dear brothers and sisters, if there is an area in your life where you are feeling "burnt out," step back and remember the meaning of it all! If I may quote a SCC song- "♫ It all matters just as long as you do every thing you do to the glory of the One who made you, 'cause He made you to do every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face, and tell the story of grace, with every move that you make and every little thing you do!"

And in those darker trials, on those darker trails- it hasn't been given to us to understand every "why," when bad things happen. Yet, if I may quote another song, "♫ It's not over yet, we're moving on, we're moving on. It's not over yet, we're going home, we're going home!" :) We do know the glorious end of this great story we're in. And it's not even an end. It will be a brand new beginning.

"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son." Revelation 21:3-7

"Looking Back." Part 2

2011-10-04T19:56:00.001-04:00

Upon further inquiries as to what she wished me to write about, Mary mentioned something that caught particularly caught my attention: writing a word or two to young women who, in God’s providence, are yet single. I think I would rather approach this as Some Things I Would Tell Myself if I was, now, myself three years ago, pining away in low-grade dissatisfaction and discontent. Not that any reader of this missive is – but this list may prove to enlightened or encourage you in some manner whatever your current state of being. In no particular order, being not a comprehensive list but rather what comes to my mind:

1. There is no joy apart from the Lord God. Pursue Him, for He is the only worthy God. Affections spent first elsewhere will only beget pain, brokenness, and emptiness. You think to pour your affections onto some handsome creation of His? Foolishness. God is the only true God. Don’t waste your life running to other, lesser forms for the fulfillment that is found only in Him.

2. Marriage can be just as lonely as singleness. We are all fallen creatures, and when our sin gets the better of us, one can be right next to his or her spouse and yet be thousands of unbreachable miles away. And it can be a deeper and more excruciating loneliness, for you know what it is like to be in happy concord with your beloved and now you go without. It is right to seek marriage as an antidote for aloneness – God gave Eve to Adam because he was alone – but make it not your first or deepest reason.

3. Marriage can be wonderful. You guessed at this, but it is better than can be described. The picture of Christ and his bride being lived out by ordinary, sinful creatures is a thing beyond my comprehension. Yet here it is for us to marvel in! There is a wonderful harmony and dance before God that one could not do alone. …. And I always wondered why married folks said such grand things like that – but they do it because there are such innumerable examples in every size and tint that it is impossible to choose only two or three for the sake of better comprehension and illumination. I could no sooner pick a favorite snowflake! I can only tell you that the snow is lovely, enchanting, and exhilarating. God makes beautiful things: a good marriage is one of them.

4. Marriage can also be really hard. Fulfilling? Yes, in abundance. But it’s something that must be tended and cultivated each day. Things don’t always go well. Hearts aren’t always harmonious. Temptation crouches at the door, waiting for any opportunity to seize upon a harsh word or thoughtless action, and our hearts must be well guarded as we stand firm together.

5. Being a housewife is not easy. Yet this is one of my favorite things! I love this difficult and rewarding “job.” Part of my call to being my husband’s wife is to be a keeper at home, holding down the fort whilst he is away fighting the bad guys (literally!) and providing for his family. I keep things running: laundry washed, food in the fridge and on the table, house tidied so there is no clutter to weigh on him – all this and much more so he undistracted by the things at home and that he may give more at work. I pray for him. I love him in as many ways as I can think of, drawing him out to gain a better understanding of him and what best serves him. And now there is the added (and wonderful!) dimension of a sweet baby boy to my life here at home. Which brings me to my next point:

6. Motherhood is amazing. I can’t help but marvel that God causes life to begin, another soul to come into existence, that He carefully and thoroughly causes him to grow in the womb, to be born (AMAZING), to cause my body to supply exactly what this little one needs so that he can grow (like a weed!!) just by drinking nourishing milk. Each day I learn something - or many things! - new, and I look forward to this challenging season. I'm in for the long haul, and I'm excited about it.

7. I had another thought about the whole singleness-to-married desire: whatever particular sins you struggle with now, you’ll struggle with them in courtship, engagement, and marriage, too. And this time you’ve got someone else right there with you: it will come out and it will have to be dealt with. Remember that struggle of mine, the discontentment I was telling you of? Yeah. After that lovely restful autumn, BAM! Along comes a wonderful suitor and a magical courtship….riddled through with my discontent over how “strict” my father’s preferences were, how long things were taking, how little I got to see him (during his semester of basic law enforcement training), etc. Friends and family can attest, I dealt with the same sins I had before – only they affected my (then future) Husband, too. Even now, being married - though I have struggled with it much less - when I do brood over a perceived wrong or something else that breeds discontent, there is a darkness and a coldness that creeps into the atmosphere of our home because of my attitude, and it is not a blessing to my husband. So I fight for joy, knowing that God has indeed blessed me richly.

I know not what else to say. My story of courtship ought to be written out in full, but life seems to run along so quickly that it makes stopping for such an endeavor seem unimportant. There is, too, also the Engagement Story, the Wedding Story, and the Pregnancy and First-Born Child Story. It is in my memory, and I can tell it to whoever wishes (what a story of God’s goodness it will be for my children and their children!) – a sort of mental heirloom. But I cannot write it down yet, if ever. There is simply too much to tell! How complex and perfect and beautiful is this bit of tapestry God has woven. I give Him much glory for all that He has done. Thank you, Lord, for this favor and abundance you have poured upon me! You are good. You are great. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

A Guest Post from Goldberry- "Looking Back." Part 1

2011-10-03T19:02:00.007-04:00

The Steward and Goldberry celebrated their 1st anniversary of marriage yesterday, October 2nd! In honor of this celebration, I asked Abby to write a guest post for us here, sharing some things that God has taught her in these new seasons of marriage and motherhood, and any other thoughts she felt led to share. She graciously agreed! So without further ado, let us hear the wisdom of my dear sister-in-law.

Looking Back: Part First

Mary has given me an opportunity to do something that I've wanted to do, but haven't quite been able to bring myself to sit down and do - and as this Sunday is the first anniversary of The Steward and Goldberry making their marriage covenant - I shall write about God's faithfulness, specifically in these past three years of His plan for me.

First, allow me to share with you a panorama of my life as it appears to me now. I am a contented homemaker, blessed with a cozy, pretty home that I keep for my Godly, wonderful, dashingly handsome, wise (and did I mention wonderful?) Husband. I have a two-month-old baby boy who is daily a sweet delight to my heart. I feel as though I am at the beginning of something very grand, an irresistible, irrevocable, wonderful adventure; something that is quite different from what I have ever done before. Be it my Husband, the Little Man, or (Lord willing!) also many more children, there is a vast opportunity here that I will not be able to fulfill on my own. One day with a sweet, but demanding, infant is enough to teach me that! But if I have learned anything in these last few years, it is that I am nothing without God's grace upon me. He has been faithful again and again and again to bring me through whatever trial, teaching me each time a new aspect of his care and love. He has taught and continues to teach me to trust Him, and points my heart to specific places in my past so that I can see that He has, will, and ever will be faithful to provide exactly what was good. I shall tell you of some of these times, too, so that you too may know how God has been faithful to me.

I can remember a time, not so long ago, when everything was very different. How far God can bring one in so short a time! I still remember coming home after work one afternoon, sitting on my mother's living room floor, in a season of doubt and dismay, weeping, telling my mother that, "No one would ever want me," because I was broken, ugly, unworthy.

To preface further - this was the end of summer in 2009. The previous months were an extended, complicated, and trying season involving "matters of the heart" (to which my mother refers with hot and colorful adjectives) that included more than myself. It was messy. I was messy. But God had so schooled and broken and mended my heart in those months, by His unfathomable grace, that I was learning as I never had before - with a deeper and more steady conviction - to be satisfied in His care.

I had moments, though - oh! Did I have moments! That afternoon in early autumn, weeping bitterly before my mother, was one. My mother was crying, too. She knew what burden was crushing me, and wept with me - reminding me of God's goodness and faithfulness and telling me that I was not worthless, that God indeed had a plan for me. She spoke truth to me in the midst of the storm.

That autumn was one of the best I had known. I am wont to grow sentimental each year when the weather turns and the leaves begin their bright descent to the ground. My heart is often full of a wistfulness and longing that I don't quite understand. That year, I felt serene. The moment weeping with my mother was the last serious storm, and the peace that I had been crying out to the Lord for (for months upon months!) He did bring, and I was content. That autumn there was a quietness, a reverent stillness before God in my heart, listening, praising. A quiet joy was beginning to bloom in my heart, as I trusted God in everything. I cannot really describe it to you, God must bring you there Himself. As a single girl, whose life thus far had been characterized by several, often subtle forms of dissatisfaction as far back as she could remember - this was a restful, peaceful autumn indeed. The heart that had been so devastated only months before, was mending. The broken plea for mercy and peace had been answered, and answered in abundance.

And little did I know, that a man had come to my father at the end of summer, asking for me. He and my father spent the autumn getting to know one another, whilst I was blissfully unaware, spending that wonderful, quiet season resting and simply enjoying doing exactly what God had for me now - which was at the time, being single, working at what my brother humorously/affectionately/sarcasticly refers to as "The Chicken Hut" (Chick-fil-A, in proper name), and enjoying my family and church family. When my mother wept that afternoon, it was in part because she knew that someone was asking for me - that I wasn't worthless, ugly, or broken: an eligible young man wanted me. And yet, because it was decided that they would wait until this man was deemed fit, she could not speak of it. I think she wept harder for knowing she had to refrain from offering this comfort - but I am glad she did. I am glad God arranged for that season of close fellowship for me and Him, unhindered by the distractions of courtship (and yes, everything changes when there are two - married or seeking to be! - and Paul's word are well writ concerning singleness and the distraction of marriage.) I was still and quiet before God, resting in His palm, and grateful for a season of heart-rest.

It was the end of October, near when we had our annual Punkin' Junkin' that my heart began to turn toward an almost-stranger, whom I had not spoken with for more than ten minutes altogether and had seen only a handful of times. I couldn't admit it to myself at first, having been through heartbreak just months before. I cried about it. I didn't want to have my heart drawn toward a man again. I prayed and cried and then offered it before the Lord. I didn't want to repeat my old habit of infatuation again. But the terrible season just prior had taught me both: to distrust my affections and to trust God wholeheartedly.

There is so much to tell and record about how things happened and what each person thought or felt in the seasons of courtship, engagement, and marriage that followed that there is too much to tell here. But this over-arches all: God carefully, wonderfully, and beautifully wove this story and I can look back and say with wonder, There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours. For You, O Lord, had made me glad by Your work; at the works of Your hands I sing for joy. I have trusted in Your steadfast love, my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. (Ps. 86:8, 92:4, 13:5)

And now here I am, happily living in the picture I showed you at the beginning; having been brought through dark trials, I am so much better prepared to live with praise in my mouth and thanksgiving on my lips. Have I “arrived”? Heavens, no. But I learned lessons that I will not easily forget, and I can stand and praise God for His faithfulness in bringing me through it and for the favor and love that He lavishes on me.

***

Look for Part 2 tomorrow! :)

Gone fishin'

2011-09-26T18:58:00.014-04:00

♫ You and me going fishin' in the dark

Lying on our backs and countin' the stars

Where the cool grass grows

Down by the river in the full moonlight

We'll be fallin' in love in the middle of the night

Just movin' slow

Stay the whole night through

It feels so good to be with you! ♫

This Battleground

2011-09-24T16:38:00.011-04:00

Would you agree that the mind is the hardest thing to bring under submission to Christ? There's not a minute of the day when the mind isn't tripping along and thinking about something, (and boy does it think about straaaaaange things at night if my dreams are reflections!), and it if it is not guided most sternly, it will go tripping down a deadly path. The tongue is a dangerous thing indeed, but it is only the messenger of that mind. And the trickiest thing about the mind is that to an extent, it can be separate from my words and deeds. I am good at hiding shame, and I can largely pull off looking like a good christian even if my mind has become shadowed. Often no other person can see what little murmurs have stealthily slipped into that mind. So no one is going to come slap me up the side of the head and say "straighten up and fly right!" And even to my own perception those murmurs come well disguised at their birth. The seed of gloom and worthlessness may slip in under the cover of humility. Perhaps the seed of wistful discontent forms out of innocent sadness in lost companionship.

Another way that this mind is attacked is through the ears- pollution from without instead of within. This is in some ways harder to deal with because you can control it less... you didn't start it, and now you've got to get rid of it. I have encountered a lot of this at the clinic through the daily exposure to foul language, and occasional crude remarks or even conversations not sensitive to an unmarried woman's ears.

Or, as a woman, when my trust is shaken by men who do not treat you in a gentlemanly way.

Come however they may, these darkened thoughts are contrary to what our hearts should be as the redeemed children of God, and they come to poison; to move swiftly to form a pattern that dominates. They steal joy and crush spirits, and above all, they aim to take all eyes off of the Savior.

The Lord has put all this on my heart this week: to fight harder in the battleground of the mind. To fight harder for purity, and to hold on to joy. To fill up this mind with God's glory and the finished work of Jesus Christ. Through His power and grace, we shall be the victors! "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things." Philippians 4:4-8.

Random Quotes and Baby Pics!

2011-09-14T21:12:00.003-04:00

BJ: "I think he's majorly wet. Like, so wet he's about to leak out of the crevices!"

Abby: "He looks like a Buddha!"

BJ: "Hey, you were in the office today! Did you mess with any nasty poodles?"

Abigail: "Uh huh."

BJ: "Shucks, why did you do that for?"

BJ: "I wonder if the same thing would happen if you pulled a girl's hair, as when you pull a cat's tail?"

Abigail while rubbing Abby: "Ahh, the smooth skin that I cannot attain!"

Abby: "Everybody has different skin. I have horrible knees and elbows. You probably have amazing knees and elbows. I'll trade you!"

Abby and Abigail discussing walking preferences: Abby: "What position do you prefer to walk in?"

Abigail: "If I'm with a man I like him to be between me and traffic. Otherwise I like to be between the other person and traffic."

Abby: "Huh. Martyr."

Having too much fun at work

2011-09-13T14:40:00.006-04:00

That is me and "Roxy," the coolest Rottweiler on the planet! She has a job as a junkyard guard dog, and her owners swear that she knows when she's on duty and will eat you for dinner if you try to come around her junkyard at night and you don't belong there. But around us, she is SO sweet and will let you do ANYTHING to her. For Dr. Amy she just rolls over like, "Here I am. Examine me." (See picture! :D ) She loves being scratched anywhere, and if you stop loving on her, she looks at you with her beautiful eyes and puts one foot on your knee, saying plain as can be, "hey, I'm still here... you need to keep doing that." She's my favorite of all our patients!

Keeping up with Legolas

2011-09-10T13:23:00.005-04:00

I crashed BJ's archery practice time this morning! (NC bow season opened today).

I have such manly brothers. *proud*

Oh Sally!

I really love this picture:

And then...

BJ: "What's that look on your face?"

Abigail: *grin*

BJ: "Do you want to lose one of my arrows and try shooting it?"

Abigail: "Yeah!"

BJ: "How did I know."

But he let me. :D

It's fun!!

Awarded by Katie

2011-09-09T21:37:00.003-04:00

Thank you, Katie! :) So I am to write 7 things about myself, and then give it to some other people? Okay, here we go!

*think think think*

1. My favorite steak is medium-rare.

2. My newest hobby is to practice improvising on the piano.

3. My favorite game is Chess.

4. I used to be able to do several card tricks that one of JP's Marine friends taught me, but I only remember one.

5. I am currently undefeated in arm-wrestling among my feminine friends. (But Pluffy came real close!!)

6. I have a mind like a steel trap- rusty and illegal in 47 states.

7. I'm really not a big fan of Scotty McCreery... *runs for life away from angry fan-girl mobs*

I pass on this award to Goldberry!

BJ's Bunnies

2011-09-07T21:04:00.006-04:00

Last week, 3 orphaned/abandoned/otherwise motherless baby rabbits fell into our care. Their eyes were not even open yet! BJ and Rachel taught them to eat from a dropper.

Look at those tiny paws flailing!

(Whoa! how did this get here? ;)

This picture is from today... look how much they've grown! Good ol' goat milk.

"It's so FLUF-FAY!"

Bombur, Fili, and Kili. :)

Bombur is, of course, the fattest.

One Year

2011-09-02T10:50:00.013-04:00

August 30th marked one year since I first began working for our veterinarians. It has been a special year, full of God's goodness and a further unfolding of his plan for me, and wonderfully crowded with new experiences! I have learned that God has me there not only as a physical helper but a spiritual helper. I have gained a better understanding of what it means to be in the world but not of the world, and agreed with Lizzie Bennet in that the more I see of the world, the less I am inclined to think well of it. I have been blessed with sweet, lasting friendships with Dr. Amy and the other techs. We have buckled down to tackle stressful situations together, and more often, laughed until we couldn't breathe. I have gained yet another nickname- my work family calls me "Abigailee!" I have cherished the bonds that form with certain clients and their animal(s). I have rejoiced with them in recoveries, and cried with them in deaths. I have melted over fuzzy puppies, and wrestled snarling Pit Bulls. I have debated God's sovereignty in the middle of taking down case history! I have hidden from creepers. I have been pooped on, wet'ed on, slobbered on, bled on, and sat on. I've been bitten by a weird cat. I've only (almost) fainted once so far, (and yay for Dr. Chris catching me). I can now tolerate and or tune/out practically any variety of music, thanks to the varied tastes of those I work with. The strangest thing that has been on our exam table indoors was a llama. My favorite surgery has been the removal of bladder stones in a dog, (they were golf-ball size!!). I am often voted by the others to handle the difficult clients because I can either make them laugh, or just preserve a sweet countenance until the storm blows over. I have frequently driven a little Prius on errands for Dr. Amy, and less often driven a monstrous 2010 Honda Pilot, (it feels like driving an airplane! and I'm horrible at parking it!). My heart has thrived on being there in a place where (when the Lord wills) we can "fix it," and make-it-all-better. As a child I was the one who was always bringing home injured animals that I'd find in the woods, and I'd try so hard to take care of them, and then cry brokenhearted if they didn't make it. It's still rough when we lose a patient- very rough. But I can't make myself not care, nor do I even want to. It's like that wonderful quote from C.S. Lewis that has been passing around in our circle this week.

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to be sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the coffin or casket of your selfishness. But in that casket-- safe, dark, motionless, airless -- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."

This year of working at the clinic has been a year of pouring out my love and channeling it into the care of God's creatures, and the care of the people who steward them. And the fountain of my love is still full, because it has the Living Water as it's source. As I have been loved much, so I have much love to give. I look forward happily to the adventures of year #2 as a veterinary assistant!

The Hurricane Blessing

2011-08-28T12:46:00.009-04:00

Hey y'all! How's life this side of Hurricane Irene? I hope everyone stayed safe and has their power back on! We were very blessed to have only lost it for a few hours in the morning yesterday. (And then our phones were out this morning, but they came back to life in a few hours, too). As far as we've seen so far, looks like all our big trees were spared, (which I'm very happy about because it's always so sad when a storm takes down one of our beautiful old oaks!). And all the animals are still alive... the barns still standing... and the house... well, actually, the house is a little, um, different than when the storm began!

We were sitting in the living room in the later afternoon, and the wind was whistling outside, when suddenly we heard a ripping, bumping/dragging sort of noise. The sort of sound you'd imagine if there were tree branches scrapping against the roof. I jumped up and went to look out the rear windows, to see if one of the big maples had finally toppled on me and Rebekah's room, (my lifetime fear... getting squished in my sleep ;). But they looked fine. I went back and sat down, and suddenly Daddy came running from his office, where he'd seen something out his window that he didn't want to see. Roof, dangling. :D The most of us ran out the door behind him, into the wind and rain, to see exactly what had happened. This is what we saw!

The wind seems to have gotten under the tin at the back of the house, probably over me and Rebekah's room, and then ripped forward and sort of exploded at the top. :P

Poor house!

This is standing in the boys' room, looking up into the attic... talk about a leak...! :D

Standing at the top of the ladder... it's all blurry 'cause I was getting RAINED ON! ;)

The first thing we did when we saw what had happened was to move all the cars, because we'd had them parked right there in front of the house. You know, out from under the trees. But now we figured the roof might blow on down, and they were right in the landing zone. That was pretty funny, all of us jumping in the different vehicles (we only have like, what, 6? :P) and getting them to the other side of the house as fast as possible without crashing into each other. Then we got tarps and heavy-duty plastic sort of stuff, to put down on the attic floor. This definitely helped things not be as bad as they could have been, and yet there were still plenty of leaks started within minutes, dripping through the ceiling first in the boys' room, and soon in every room upstairs and two places downstairs. We were moving furniture, spreading the plastic stuff over everything, rounding up every bucket sort of thing in the house to put under the biggest leaks, throwing down towels... it was a mess!

But there is SO much to be thankful for. To begin with, nothing caved or collapsed and we're all perfectly unscathed. (Just a little sleepy from having camped out all over the house to avoid getting dripped on last night ;). Further more, (and I really love this part), we have prayed to be able to afford a new roof, for years! because it's so old and has leaked here there and yonder intermittently just about as long as we've lived here. And now, because of insurance, we can! So God totally blessed us, by ripping off our roof. :D Isn't that awesome?

Musical Thursday is back! :)

2011-08-25T21:15:00.004-04:00

I'm not going to tell you what this music is from... see if you recognize it!

(I haven't done "Wildwood Flower" yet, I haven't been able to get the boys together for it).

The COW days of Summer!

2011-08-13T08:31:00.006-04:00

A Peek Inside My Head

2011-08-12T22:03:00.006-04:00

Did you know?

I feel powerful when I make right turns, because left turns YIELD!
I've always wanted to climb a rural cell tower and see the view.
I am very self-conscious about possibly having food in my teeth after a meal. If you are a friend sitting next to me, I'll nudge you and whisper, "teeth check!" while grinning broadly for inspection.
I skip breakfast on work days because food is unpalatable that early. But I try to drink a glass of water, because someone once told me that you become dehydrated overnight.
I would love to learn a handful of country line dances!
I adore going places in the woods that I haven't explored before.
I feel like I'm in a different world when listening through a stethoscope. Just me and the heartbeat, baby, me and the heartbeat.
---

Okay, at this point, I started chatting with Rachel, and we decided to send each other 12 questions for a blog post, just for fun! The idea goes beautifully with this post I'd already started, so here are her questions, with my answers:

1. What do you think of red shoes? Some people have got what it takes, and some just ain't.

2. Do you chew gum? On occasion.

3. If a walrus and a carpenter were walking on a beach, who would you call first? Me, the newspaper, or your Ma? You, definitely you.

4. You never know when Jesus will come back....are you the "don't hang up curtains because it's any day" type, or the "No one knows the day or the hour" type? No one knows- be ready, but put the milk in the refrigerator anyway. ;)

5. Do you like cooked carrots? Come now. Honestly. I do! I promise! Especially with a little ginger seasoning.

6. Would you rather be doing surgery on a small animal, or helping a cow give birth? Small animal surgery.

7. Bare feet or shoes? Bare feet.

8. Those Giant Lollipops: A sticky nuisance or childishly delightful? Actually.... a sticky nuisance.

9. Alligators and Crocodiles: Which one has the sticky-out teeth? (No looking up a picture!)
There's a difference?? Girl, you're talking to the family who calls anything and everything remotely cupcake shaped, "a muffin."

10. Do you ever feel compelled to keep forwarding those "scare the dickens out of you if you don't" emails? NO! I can't count the number of bad things and withheld blessings that are supposed to have happened to me by now, for my refusal to forward. ;)

11. Have you ever done something remarkably reprehensible? (like opening a window?) I occasionally travel after dark! O.O

12. If you could have been born with a foreign accent, which one would you choose? :) Irish.

Here are my questions to Rachel, and her answers!

Training our Appetites

2011-08-10T08:16:00.001-04:00

"You and I are given the privilege by God to train our appetites. And I'm talking now about the passions. Most people long gone into the wrong side of life have trained their appetite with ideas and decisions that have restructured within their own minds what it is they think they need, and by redefining what it is they think they need, they end up hungering for the wrong things and those wrong things end up ultimately devouring them. Your passion, your appetite, is a gift from God, as mine is, and we are given the privilege of training that appetite, and disciplining that appetite." Dr. Ravi Zacharias

A baby for your Sunday morning

2011-08-07T09:03:00.003-04:00

Flexing muscles for Grandma Taylor ;)

Sam and Anna are ENGAGED!!!

2011-08-06T18:13:00.005-04:00

After over 1 1/2 years of courtship, and Sam loving her for even longer than that...

Sam proposed marriage this morning, and Anna said yes. :)

To God be the glory for what He has done in bringing them together!

The Friday Report

2011-08-05T22:47:00.003-04:00

Today was the day of Barefoot Technicians! :D Mary, (not me, but the real Mary) got nailed first. Our very first appointment was to take stitches out of a dog, and when we laid the dog down, she panicked, and in the midst of her struggling, shot anal gland juice all down Mary's leg and into her shoe. (You have not smelled YUCK until you have smelled that stuff- major ICK!) So anyway, we scrubbed Mary's leg clean (thank goodness she was in shorts) and put her shoes in the wash. She became barefoot technician #1. A couple of appointments later, I was restraining a dachshund, and he pooped on my boots! So that made me barefoot technician #2! We all cracked up! I was able to just spray off my boots, though, so that was good.
It's been crazy how people I only vaguely know as clients have come in and said "congratulations about your brother and sister-in-law's baby, I heard it was a surprise boy!" That's Warren County for ya. ;) Nooo secrets. I love it. Oh, but one lady slipped up and congratulated me on my grand-baby! :D
Zachary is doing great! I was going through major withdrawals this afternoon because I haven't seen him much the last two-three days, and so I came home and got changed and ready to go visit, and then Mama asked me to make taters for dinner. I may have wailed a little. "Oh, I was about to go see Baaaaaby!" But just as I started to peel the taters, who should walk through the door, but dear Goldberry and Zach! (Well, Zach didn't exactly walk ;). That little boy just gets cuter every day! His face is so perfect, and he makes funny expressions when you kiss it... I don't think he's enthusiastic about kisses.
I am looking forward to this weekend! Maybe the feed store in the morning, then over to the clinic to change a kitty bandage, then appointment at church in Apex, (any bets on whether the car will break down? :P), then church locally the next morning, and finally, up the road to the Harris plantation for an annual family and friends BBQ picnic on Sunday afternoon. Half the Shire is invited, and the other half will turn up anyway! ;)
I've already stayed up too late- y'all have a splendid weekend!

Circumstances, beyond my control...

2011-08-04T21:19:00.003-04:00

(said in a Mr. Guppy voice).

Again, dear friends, Musical Thursday will be delayed. But it is not for the usual reason! Something of a more serious nature has occurred. Sam, who was to have accompanied me, now cannot.

No, he has not gone to London to get his hair cut.

Rather, dear friends, there has been an injury. He has a splinter on the tip of one of his left hand phalanges, rendering him temporarily unable to perform on his guitar. Poor little bunny! :( Concerts will resume when the damage is healed.

I Dare You

2011-08-02T15:16:00.000-04:00

Go on. Do it.

;)

Thoughts on Worship

2011-07-31T16:23:00.014-04:00

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deut. 4:29

"Every moment is a temptation to worship something other than God." ~Pastor Daniel Baker, SGC.

For a season a while back, I had this picture in my head of my heart being like a puzzle. Each piece was a segment of my attention and affection, and they sure would get scattered when left to their own devices. So when I'd sit down to do my Bible study, I'd imagine myself putting the puzzle back together, until it was all in one piece again- my whole heart, mind, and soul, in one place, ready to listen to God. I was effectively interpreting "all your heart and all your soul" as "all your heart and all your soul while you're doing your Bible study." Problem being, of course, that as soon as I shut the Bible and went about the tasks of the day, whoosh! The puzzle was disassembled, and flying in every direction again. All of my heart for half an hour or so, was not all of my heart. I believe I understand a little better now.

Now? I still think of my heart as being like a puzzle. The thoughts and affections still scatter and sometimes get into trouble. Sometimes get hurt, and broken. But they are claimed. On each puzzle piece, there is an owner's label. "Christ's." In this way He is served with all our heart. When He is set as Lord over every thought and happening of the day. Every sunny conversation, every hidden tear. Remember, that you are not your own; and that you are not alone.

A practical way to seek God and remember his presence throughout the day, for me, has been to talk to him out loud! Oftentimes when I worship God silently, I do not always form words in my head. It is more like a lifting of joyous, grateful emotions towards his throne. In distress, it is a lifting of a broken heart, a surrender and plea for comfort. There is a beauty in this that is not trivial, but the practice of putting my worship, and my sorrow, into audible spoken words has been a means of grace, a means of increasing my affections towards him and deepening my relationship with him.

In closing, a quote that blessed me this week!

"It is of great importance to note from Romans 1-11 that theology (our belief about God) and doxology (our worship of God) should never be separated. On the one hand, there can be no doxology without theology. It is not possible to worship an unknown god. All true worship is a response to the self-revelation of God in Christ and Scripture, and arises from our reflection on who he is and what he has done. It was the tremendous truths of Romans 1-11 which provoked Paul's outburst of praise. The worship of God is evoked, informed and inspired by the vision of God. Worship without theology is bound to degenerate into idolatry. Hence the indispensable place of Scripture in both public worship and private devotion. It is the Word of God which calls forth the worship of God. On the other hand, there should be no theology without doxology. There is something fundamentally flawed about a purely academic interest in God. God is not an appropriate object for cool, critical, detached, scientific observation and evaluation. No, the true knowledge of God will always lead us to worship, as it did Paul. Our place is on our faces before him in adoration. I believe Bishop Handley Moule said at the end of the last century, we must 'beware equally of an undevotional theology and of an untheological devotion.' "

~John Stott, "The Message of Romans," his notes on 11:36.

Odds and ends from the end of the week

2011-07-29T18:17:00.006-04:00

1) This week FLEW by! Can't believe it's already Friday evening! (But I like that it's Friday evening!)

2) I really love working for veterinarians. I know, I sound like a broken record, but I can't help saying it again. :) I'm so blessed! I have been given a good portion indeed.

3) I called BJ with a message on Wednesday, when I was receptionist, and spoke to him exactly as I would to a client, pretending I didn't know him. Later he said I sounded professional, except that I wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise. :D ("Let ME get a word in edgewise before *I* PITCH *YOU*!")

4) My boss had the bright idea to buy these tissue boxes for the exam rooms this week, that instead of being decorated with flowers, are decorated with ice cream! So now whenever I go in there, and you know, I'm a little hot and a little tired, I am tortured with visions of fake ice cream! It's cruel, I say, simply cruel! It's even in a waffle cone.

5) I have Katy Perry's "Firework" stuck in my head. O.o "Cuz baby you're a fiiiiii-yaworrrrrrk!"

6) Yesterday, the radio station at work kept playing songs that Tim Hawkins has spoofed, and I was cracking up because I couldn't take the original song seriously anymore. One of the songs I couldn't figure out why it sounded so familiar, yet I didn't recognize the lyrics, and then I realized it was "I work at Subway." ;)

7) I rode Snowy the other day, and I was trotting a circle around this tree, and when I came around the other side of it, there was a little black snake crawling up it! Yuck! I'm glad I saw it before Snowy ;) We had fun. Sometimes she really misses me when I get too busy, or turn too chicken in the heat, and don't handle her much, and this was one of those times. She perked her ears up and came running when she saw me walking out with all the tack! (I feel rather like a pack-horse myself, coming down from the house toting the saddle, the pad, the halter and lead rope, the bridle, the training stick, and the fly spray! :P )

8) When I - - - - well BJ just came up and asked me about something, and now bless me if he didn't blow the "When I" thought right out of my head. Maybe it'll come back to me in a minute!

9) Daddy added texting to my phone a couple months ago. I've decided that it's both helpful, and super annoying! It's super annoying when people text me questions that they need to know the answer to right away, so I feel like I should reply right away. But since my phone doesn't having a texting keypad or whatever they're called, it takes a long time to reply, and then more then likely, the person will text another question, so I end up having to text them for 10 minutes, when if they'd just called me, we could have had the whole thing figured out in 2 minutes! :P I also don't like myself to be texting someone, when there are other people around, because it bugs me to death when I'm trying to talk to someone, and they keep up a conversation with me and stare at their phone texting AT THE SAME TIME! Why, once Sam and I were eating lunch out, and there was a couple in the next booth who appeared to be on a date, but they took their phones out as soon as they'd ordered, and proceeded to text. They spent their date alternately texting, and/or talking about their phones, and/or talking about stuff happening in their newsfeed on facebook. *shakes head woefully* What a miserable existence!

10) Zachary is 9 days old now! This picture was taken yesterday, and I don't like my double chin but I really like my nephew ;)

He's a great cuddle buddy! He's a thriving, healthy boy, and Goldberry is a great mommy! :)

11) I still don't know what "When I" was going to be! Feel free to finish the sentence, if you're so inclined! ;)

12) A couple weeks ago, JP and BJ finally hung the hammock that Daddy won in the VFD raffle several months ago! I have found great delight in resting in it after dark, watching the stars come out, just lost in thought. It's a good place for that. Prayer, too. Watching the night sky is like a glimpse of God's glory to this heart. A time to be still, and know, that He is God.

Instead of Musical Thursday

2011-07-28T21:49:00.004-04:00

...how about a Western Thursday this week? "The Enemy Twins," a short film directed, acted, edited, etc. by BJ and BJ alone. He did this while I was gone one day! It's pretty epic, if you ask me.

Disclaimer: it contains depictions of gun violence. Viewer discretion advised. ;)

Musical Saturday

2011-07-23T21:25:00.005-04:00

"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from Phantom of the Opera, as requested by Rachel. :)

(My enunciation is not near as strong as it needs to be in several places! I'm so sorry if this bugs you as much as it now bugs me! :P)

And... that performance comes with a brief blooper reel! :D

Birth Announcement!!!!

2011-07-21T18:11:00.008-04:00

It is my great joy to announce that The Steward and Goldberry welcomed their first child into the world yesterday at 5:01 pm- a beautiful, healthy SON!

Zachary Dale Taylor

7 lbs 11 oz, 21 inches.

Grandma holding him for the first time! :)

Uncle BJ and Aunt Rebekah :)

Uncle Sam! :D

Aunt Abigail loves little Zack!

With Grandpa!

He's SO cute!

It is so weird to realize that my brother is a Daddy. I know that he's going to be a great one!

As I was holding Zachary for the first time, and he was blinking at me curiously with his baby blue eyes, my imagination ran forward to when he is grown. One day, Lord willing, he'll be the age I am now- what will he be doing? What will his hopes and dreams be? Will he be watching some pretty lassie with hope in his heart? Will he love this land or will he want to wander? Where will I be, when he is my age? Will I be married and raising children of my own, or still chugging along at some veterinary clinic? I thought backwards, also... almost 20 years ago, I was that size, and people held me and prayed for me, and wondered what kind of woman I'd become. How strange that there are years of my life that are completely closed off from my memory, as if they had happened to someone else, and not to me at all! How wondrous that God, even when I was that tiny baby, had already CHOSEN me to be HIS, setting me apart for salvation and eternal life! Thank you God! HE has known my days, he has crafted my days, he has designed the days to come, and it is with joy that I walk with him fearlessly towards the future, knowing that he's leading me and never forsaking me. And dear Lord, I pray for baby Zachary, that he will grow up strong in you, and valiant for you. That you would be his delight, his passion, his greatest treasure; that he would be filled with your Holy Spirit. Please bless and help John Paul and Abby as they seek to guide Zachary in your ways. Thank you Lord, for this new miracle of life! You are amazing, and I am captured by the wonder of it all!

The Scary Casserole

2011-07-19T20:43:00.005-04:00

This morning, when I went to the cabinet to get a bowl for my breakfast, the cabinet was empty! I looked in the dishwasher, and it was empty too. I turned around and asked Ma, "Where on earth have our bowls got to?" She said, "They're all in the refrigerator, with who-knows-what in them."

I went and looked in the refrigerator, and sure enough, there were all the bowls! You know how it goes... a bit of greens in this one... a bit of gravy in that one... something very disturbing growing in that one there... so I put cleaning out the refrigerator on my list of projects for today.

A couple trips to the chicken pen, and couple of toss's to the dogs later, I was down to a bit of meatloaf, some boiled potatoes, some Italian potatoes, a handful of peas, and some spaghetti noodles. Suspecting that if I put them back in the refrigerator, they'd just go bad too, I decided to use it all up in one scary casserole for supper!

Part-way through I decided to photo-commemorate the process, because I had too much time on my hands. ;) So at this point, I've got a bottom layer of chopped up meatloaf, with peas on top of that, and then the Italian potatoes, and then the boiled potatoes! :D

Looks pretty grim, don't it.

I shall spruce it with Balsamic Vinegar and Red Hot... (Texas Pete would be awesome but Red hot shall suffice). Oh yeah, and salt.

A little more interesting now...

Aha! Cheese makes everything better, too, right?

Annnnd now looks like a good time to throw in the noodles.

Okay, this is going to need a lot more help! So I saute some onions and celery in butter.

And this here... don't be alarmed... this here is just jiggly chicken broth. I shall transform it into a creamy Alfredo!

See? Some goat milk, cream, flour, salt/pepper/garlic and added onion/celery mixture later, it's a creamy Alfredo.

I'm also defrosting some broccoli. This picture was me trying to be cool like Matthew and capture the steam or something...

fail at coolness.

Ah but this is better! Now it's all shiny because I drizzled honey on it!

Continuing with my layers...

Hmm! Much more better? My hope is that when I add the Alfredo sauce, it's going to seep all down and act as mediator between the conflicting flavors, making them "all get along like a house on fire!" (Name that quote anyone? Come on Rachel, I have faith in you!)

More cheeeeeeeese.

Dun dun dun! Here it is an hour later!

Very well disguised, you must give it that! You'd never guess what all is hiding inside, now, would you?

Okay, ... now it's on the plate and I am little worried about this. Words coming to mind as I examine it are "Gravy floe, a glove fry, agofrygov..."

Upon taste: acceptable! The meat loaf on the bottom did turn rather gravy-ish, but it gets along especially well with the broccoli and potatoes, and is at least compatible with the Alfredo sauce. Then the cheese brightens everything up. The peas may as well be none existent, can't taste them at all. More noodles would be nice. On the whole, everyone labeled it as "good!" I hope they enjoy it, because it'll be impossible to make it that way again! ;) But I will definitely do something similar, at some point, just replacing the meatloaf with something lighter like chicken or pork, and probably ditching the potatoes in favor of mushrooms. It was fun, though, turning out an interesting meal from the "boring" scraps! Daddy says I've inherited Ma's knack. A lovely compliment! Well, now I'm going to go play the piano for a bit, y'all have a good night!

Of a graduation!

2011-07-18T15:35:00.003-04:00

As most of you know, my dear friend Rachel graduated this past Saturday! I was delighted when it worked out for me to drive up there Friday morning to help get things ready. Though only a little over 2 hours away, it was the longest road trip I've taken on my own before, and it felt rather like a landmark. :) When I arrived, Leah sneaked (I could have sworn snuck was a word but the computer says no) me in the garage door, and I jumped Rachel from behind. Her squeak of terror was most rewarding! ;) We did various cleanings around the house, and then went shopping for some graduation wardrobe accessories, treated ourselves to happy-hour at Sonic, (where Rachel introduced my slushy to my nose ;) (and where I wondered aloud if they had a drive-in trashcan), and then back to the house for some harvesting. The day ended with "The Magic of Ordinary Days" movie night, courtesy of Anna! And then arm wrestling...

Saturday was more house-prep and setting up tables/chairs etc. And then the peoples came, and the graduate graduated! The ceremony was very sweet. Congratulations again, Rachel. :) :) I think all of us young ladies there were challenged to live up to your beautiful example of godly womanhood.

Then we wined and dined and danced and pranced! (Yeah, not really on the wined part ;). We stayed up late again that night, talking and singing with another family staying over. I headed back south Sunday morning, to get back in time for our surprise Father's Day eat-out for Daddy. (If you're from a big family, I'm sure you'll understand this... we almost never do things on the designated day for it! :P). That drive was about 3 hours, so, another record! ;) It was quite worth the look on Daddy's face as he walked around the corner of the restaurant and saw me sitting on the bench outside. His eyes went from at first "hey..." to "wait, HOW'D YOU GET HERE?" :D We had a very good time.

Thanks for having me up, Rachel and Sarah and company! :) Here's to working out y'all a trip down here soon!

"AAAAAAH!"

2011-07-14T17:36:00.002-04:00

That was a very high, very beautiful soprano note, (in folk style, of course), for your Musical Thursday enjoyment. ;) Yeah, y'all, this is going to be another skip-week because I just got home, and am about to leave again and go to watch a baseball game (really! I'm going to a baseball game! quick somebody remind me of the rules!) and I think we're going to be out pretty late, and then I'm headed out of town in the morning, so, no music! Not that anybody really cares, :P but figured I'd better throw it out there just in case there's one devoted fan who might stay up to midnight in hopes of it. ;) Happy almost-weekend! :)

"Watching the Tide."

2011-07-11T21:35:00.005-04:00

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

See the shells dancing

Washed clean by the waves

And there the gull dipping

Now soaring away

My heart follows as

waters lap at my feet

Happiness in letting go...

Hope and peace meet.

There is a melody in the ocean

Stirring my soul

Drawing long suppressed tears

to swirl with the foam

No grief, this heart

It cries in surrender

Standing on this shore

Watching the tide

(Written at the beach last month).

Musical Saturday :)

2011-07-09T17:12:00.004-04:00

"My Immortal" by Evanescence.

Guest Artist- Goldberry! I talked her into singing it with me!!! Nearly 9 months pregnant and all. :) Thank you, sister-in-law! :)

But where has Music gone?

2011-07-08T21:58:00.005-04:00

Yes, I know that yesterday was Thursday, and today was Friday, yet... y'all look for a Musical Saturday. :) I will hint, that there's going to be a little surprise about it, that I think you will like, very much indeed...

This week has been topsy-turvy, and I am so happy it is Friday night! Tomorrow holds beautiful promises of berry picking, and barefoot weeding in a rain-blessed garden, and perhaps more rain shall fall! Giving me cause to curl up next to a pattering windowsill, lost in an Agatha Christie mystery for an hour or two! All of this to occur after a lovely catch-up sleep tonight. :)

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T20:30:00.004-04:00

"O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

~the final verse of our National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner."

(My favorite verse, that nobody ever sings! What's up with that!)

I hope that you have all had a blessed day, celebrating our God-given freedom! And spending time in prayer that our nation would have a revival and that not only our people, but especially our leaders, would be saved by God, and lead this country in His service!

We spent yesterday evening with Abby's family, jointly celebrating her sister's graduation from Aveda, and having a 4th of July bash! Sam and I didn't get home until past midnight. I sang the National Anthem loudly out the window at any nearby cars who happened to have their windows down. I think I scared some people, come to think of it! But it was fun ;)

Okay, so it's time to draw a name out of a hat to figure out what happens on Musical Thursday! Pardon me a moment while I scribble out the names. (What were your names again...? ;)

Okay! I wroteded them and foldeded them and shookeded them in a hat... BJ reached in and randomly selected one. It was witnessed by 3. BJ unfolded the paper and the name written thereupon is....

.........

..........

GOLDBERRY.

Ah, so I shall be playing "My Immortal" by Evanescence!

Enter to win a song played just for you! ;)

2011-07-02T19:42:00.005-04:00

I doubt any of you noticed, but I forgot to put up a poll for Musical Thursday! :D So we're going to take this opportunity to change things up a bit! You leave a comment on this post, with at least 2 musical requests, 1st choice and 2nd choice. More if you want to. Monday night, I'll drop the names of anyone who commented into a hat, and have BJ randomly and anonymously draw one out. Whoever it is, I shall try to obtain the music of their request and learn it for Musical Thursday. My thinking is that if I can't find your first choice, I'll surely be able to find your 2nd or 3rd choice! And if the winner turns out challenging, we might have to have a Musical Friday or Musical Saturday, haha. Oh, and odds of winning not improved by multiple comments. "Odds of winning approximately 1 in 187,000. For help with problem gambling, dial..." ;)

The Side Effect

2011-07-01T14:14:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, BJ developed a strange, colored circle on his leg, and our dermatologist suspected Lyme's disease. She put him on antibiotics. The area is rapidly clearing up and he's doing great! However, "the pill," as we call it, has had a side effect... it increases his rate of digestion, making him twice as hungry as ever before!

So, we made a a short film about it, titled simply, "The Side Effect." Enjoy. ;)

Home! Last pictures

2011-06-29T21:21:00.004-04:00

Goldberry, is this the Mary-gets-whammed-by-the-wave picture you wanted? :P

Aww lookee it's pretty Goldberry herself! Calling woefully after her water-bound husband! :P

After the beach yesterday, the girls went shopping (again! O.o) at thrift stores and such. Now if you know me, you know I'm not real keen on clothes shopping, but I actually had a good time rummaging the sale racks and attempting the challenging task of finding modest, pretty clothing for excellent prices! My efforts were rewarded, too!

Then we picked up the rest of our group and went out for seafood!

We stopped at DQ on the way back. :)

Ma had a meeting nearby to go to today, (which was our excuse for the whole trip), so Rebekah dropped her off and then we packed up the car and got checked out of the hotel. We weren't sure what we wanted to do to while away the day, so we started by going over to Port City Java, per Anna's continuous insistence ;)

Rebekah and I shared a strawberry smoothie... (for what it's worth, we always call them slushies...) and they misspelled her name. :(

Then Sam and Anna had to head on back. *sniff* That left just Rebekah, BJ and I.

Here we are at the end of the day, waiting for Ma to emerge from the building. It was raining! I SO wish it had rained like that at home!

While we waited, I proposed that we should write a story. A sentence per person, passing it around. You know you want to read it. ;)

Abigail: "One day, Arwen didn't eat her fruit."

BJ: "Her fingernails turned purple."

Rebekah: "So she went to the pedicurist and got them fixed."

Abigail: "Elrond was very angry when he go the bill in the mail."

BJ: "He locked Arwen's account at SunTrust."

Rebekah: "Arwen used her Credit Union account to appease him by giving him a gift card to a Chinese Spa."

Abigail: "Elrond was very pleased, and invited Gandalf to go too."

BJ: "After Chinese, they went to the $1.50."

Rebekah: "Then they went to Dick's and bought muscle shirts."

Abigail: "Then Gandalf said, 'Let's go hang out at Isengard and smoke Longbottom Leaf; maybe Saruman will order pizza!' "

BJ: "But all Saruman would feed them was Pringles - his personal favorite."

Rebekah: "Gandalf was so disappointed he threw down his pointy hat and broke off the point."

Abigail: "Elrond felt awkward, and pretended to be engrossed by the football game streaming in real-time through the Palantir."

BJ: "Gandalf got so worked up he was thirsty, but he didn't want to drink Saruman's city water."

Rebekah: "His throat got drier and drier until he realized what was causing it - his peanut allergy."

Abigail: "He had to dial 911 and via Gwaihir the Windlord, was life-flighted to the Lothlorien ER."

BJ: "There, he had to breath some stinky flower that Celeborn grew in his hothouse."

Rebekah: "Finally feeling better, Gandalf watched 'Storm Chasers' on TV until he got so tired and scared that he fell asleep with his Tangled snuggy Elrond had brought him."

Then End because Ma arrived. :D

The drive home was safe and uneventful! Twas a relaxing vacation filled with good times of togetherness and laughter, and now we're happy to be back on home ground! The fun we had shall endure in our memories... rather like our sunburn. ;)

Briefly checkin' in again!

2011-06-28T15:41:00.004-04:00

Hey y'all! So yesterday in addition to going to the beach, we went to see the North Carolina Battleship! It was an amazing thing to see!

(Below, Sam testing the guns).

She was huge! We spent about 4 hours roaming. It's hard to fathom that hundreds of men lived on board, in the tight, HOT quarters below. In the engine room, the memoirs of the sailors said that it was always between 120-130 degrees. We saw the tiny little beds they slept in, 4-5 stacked on top of each other, and the sailors said the mattresses would get soaked with sweat and drip... ugh... thank God for the men who endured all that to serve our country!

Rebekah and I!

After the ship and beach, Rebekah and Anna and I went shopping last night, and then brought back Cookout milkshakes for everyone!

Today we went to Kure Beach! Free parking, you are our friend! The water was really, really nice! And I only stepped on one wiggly. The wind was incredible, though! We tried to have a picnic, but that didn't go so well! Our blanket was soon blanketed with sand. I was trying to eat Doritos, and I think I ate more sand than anything else! ;)

We had to have a chicken fight, of course. Me and John Paul against Sam and BJ. (Oh yeah, JP and Abby joined us last night!!) It was a draw... everyone crashed at the same time. ;)

It's been a great trip!

Good Morning from Wilmington!

2011-06-27T07:48:00.007-04:00

♫ Good mornin', good mornin'! ♫ We are down here on our beach trip, and nobody else in my room is awake, but my body is being that annoying body that is so used to getting up, it can't sleep in... so I figured I'd do a little blogging while I wait on the beautiful dreamers! ;)

We got here about 4:30 yesterday. We unloaded most of our stuff, and decided to go get supper before heading on to the beach. We went to 5 Guys... = best ever.

When we got back to the hotel, and went to get some more stuff from the trunk, the trunk opened but ate the key... the key was turned in the lock, and wouldn't come out. Sam and BJ fiddled and fiddled with it, and when Georg complained of the sun in his eyes, Tweety tried to be helpful.

After taking the whole thing apart, the key finally came out! The latch is blooey now, so we're rockin' the redneck and have it fastened with bungee cords. By the time the trunk issue was resolved, it was too late to go to the beach, so we headed for the hotel pool instead! We were that loud group who sang, raced, fought with noodles, etc. ;)

Choo-choo train!

Laughing so hard I can't breathe!

(I was a loopy mermaid that they caught, and then decided to throw back.)

"4 feet." Get it? ;)

Mama got incredibly tickled, because from the pool, you can see the fitness room, and this one guy went in there and weighed himself, and then went back without working out. We were like, "He must not have weighed as much as he thought!"

Anyway... such fun we had. Beach today! Lord willing and the trunk don't break! ;) Anna has now joined me in awake-ness... progress!

Musical Thursday: "Anne's Theme"

2011-06-23T21:42:00.005-04:00

We will be going on a beach trip next week, so no Musical Thursday for 2 weeks. If you'd like, submit some requests and I'll see if I have the music! :) Hope you enjoyed this one!

Civil War Ball 2011 and other recent happenings!

2011-06-21T21:18:00.007-04:00

(Entry about last year's dance here)

Our trip up to the dance (in VA) turned adventurous rather sooner than we anticipated, when our GPS landed us on this deserted dirt road! Anna comfortingly told us about a movie she'd seen where the bad guys programmed a man's GPS to take him to the wrong place, and ambushed him. O.o

Once we came out onto pavement again, we passed a bicyclist, and we decided that he must've been the assassin- he'd just gotten out of breath and couldn't reach the rendezvous point fast enough. ;)

We went to the H's house first, to ride with them to the dance. So good to see them again! Rachel fixed my hair for the dance.

Group shot!

The dancing was a blast!

We got back to the H's at about 12:30... *yawn* I snoozed on Rachie's shoulder all the way home, so it was all good. ;)

We were blessed by their church service the next morning, and then played volleyball. The picture below cracks me up every time.

Sad to leave... but we'll be back when we can!

Sam drove half-way home and then got all sleepy so I drove from there. In case you didn't notice, I didn't run any stop signs, Anna. ;)

I was doing good, still running on excitement I suppose, until Monday morning. 7am came way too early. Very loopy... Daphne the Danish Drunk and all that.

And somehow the story at work became that I was tired because I'd been to a formal dance with Johnny Depp. HA! Oh yeah, I also kissed him on the cheek. *shakes head helplessly* :P

Today I was very bad... I went into the back field and ate all the ripe blackberries.

I also ate all the ripe plums.

But there were only two.

Last week one of our clients gave me a big bag of plums off his tree! He was like, "Do you like plums, sug?" Shoot, he can call me sug all he wants if he keeps bringing me plums! :D Just kidding, actually. His plums tasted weird. I fed them to BJ instead.

Well that's all I've got for now! I reckon I'll go practice "Anne's Theme." ;) Glad y'all chose that one this week.

My Favorite Daddy

2011-06-17T22:22:00.004-04:00

He is a good man. He has taught not only in words but by example.

He is humble. He is open to correction.

He seeks the Lord.

When I stagger down the stairs early each morning, he has already been long awake and is studying the Bible, or praying.

He is a gentleman.

It seems like he can fix anything.

He squirts water on the aliens in the fireplace.

He's always good for a laugh-

and even though we moan and roll our eyes when we here one of his jokes for the millionth time, life wouldn't be the same without them. He's a good sport for most any prank. And will get you back.

He's encourages my feminine interests,

and takes pride in the not-quite-so-feminine.

I am blessed to have him as my Daddy, I love him, and wish him a Happy Father's Day! :)

Musical Thursday: "As Time Goes By."

2011-06-16T19:20:00.005-04:00

"Play it, Sam. Play, 'As time goes by.' " ~Casablanca

"People will say..."

2011-06-14T07:49:00.008-04:00

♫ "Why do they make up stories that link my name with yours?

Why do the neighbors chatter all day behind their doors?" ♫

Thinking out loud here. I've been reflecting on my brotherly friendships lately, considering their value, and pondering how they may appear to others. I am the sort of person who is very comfortable being friends and interacting with guys, both in person and on the great and terrible facebook. But it has also come to my attention on a few occasions, with both forms of communication, that someone or some peoples are "♫ ...suspecting things! ♫" So then I have to sit down, put on my thinking cap, and evaluate. Why are they thinking this? Will it be more edifying to withdraw somewhat from the friendship?

Because I have grown up having "extra brothers," I have experienced the joy and benefits of having them looking out for you, picking on you, encouraging you... and because I'm used to it, I'm very comfortable with it. Other girls I know shy away from such friendships, and even think them unwise. Possibly because they know that if you are friends with a guy, it is practically inevitable that someone will try to "match you up," and they want to avoid this. Is one train of thought better than another?

I think not. I think that #1, conscience must be consulted. Is it entirely comfortable with whatever level of friendships you are entertaining with guys? #2, consult parents. Do they see anything imprudent in your friendships?

For myself, I have resolved today to become more scarce in my facebook communication. Written text, visible to so many, proves to invite speculating. And how mortifying if the receiver of the facebook communication misinterpreted it. So this rather ranting post has turn confessional- I have probably not been as careful as I should.

But tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it.

We went to the Zoo!

2011-06-11T18:57:00.007-04:00

I had never been to the zoo before. (Or if I had, I was a baby and don't remember. Same difference). I had so much fun! Many thanks to Anna for providing the free passes for her and Sam, and me and BJ!

This is me with Bison in the background.

This is an Arctic Fox who seems to be... enjoying the sunshine? Suffering from heat exhaustion? I wasn't sure.

The Polar Bear was very cool!

The Grizzly Bear was very fat.

Pink Flamingo's, anyone?

The Gorilla on his throne!

The Gorilla... taking a snooze.

Baboon Pow-wow!

"The Thinker."

Alligators!

Albino alligator!

Sweet'arts. :)

One hot ostrich!

My new friend. ;)

He was breathing, that's all I can say...

Wow. God is such an artist!!!

Again... wow!

Wrinkly Oliphant. :)

We had a late lunch afterwards...

Yums! :)

It was all so much fun!! The Asheboro Zoo, NC, gets my official recommendation. ;)

Musical Blog Project!

2011-06-09T19:33:00.003-04:00

Because I have taken piano lessons since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, it was a rather big deal to me a couple weeks ago when I had to decide whether or not I wanted to continue lessons next fall. When something has been a part of your life for so many years, it's hard to imagine life without it! It's been a constant in my life for so long. However, for a number of reasons I prayerfully decided to, in fact, discontinue lessons at this time.

I don't want to get rusty though! So as a motivation for driven practice, and the sheer fun of it, I'm pleased to announce the launch of a brand new blog project! (Regardless of the fact that I don't usually have blog projects ;). This is going to be the Musical Thursday blog project. As soon as I click "post" on this entry, I'm going to go about setting a pole on which y'all will (please?) vote for which musical work I shall learn and perform next Thursday. (Note: I ask for grace already: as work can be unpredictable, I may not be able to post on time each week! :) The musical works may be ones I've sight-read a few times through or they may be totally new; either way, they'll be ones that I do not know well and shall have to practice to become presentable. I'll throw in equal options for piano solos, and piano with vocal accompaniment! I'm looking forward to seeing what y'all choose! And I hope you enjoy Musical Thursdays!

NEXT 2011!!!

2011-06-02T17:33:00.016-04:00

We set off on Saturday. Sam drove Rebekah, Anna and I to the airport. He almost rear-ended a crow! We survived airport security, (nothing worse than a metal detector for the line we were in), and our flight left on time. Apparently we took the straight shot down to Florida, because for a while we flew over the ocean! Rebekah took a few pics on her phone.

After safely landing in Orlando, and collecting our bags, we found our cab driver! He was standing at the foot of the stairs coming to baggage claim, and sure enough held a sign with Rebekah's name on it. It was a little white-board. He was dressed in a black suit, and spoke with an (Arabic?) accent, and our cab was a shiny black Lincoln town car. I felt very important. As he drove, the driver politely asked about our flight and the weather, and then stayed quiet.

The hotel was very nice- smelled a little funny, and seemed to be having some trouble with their dryer - but otherwise very nice. This was the view from our window; it looked down on the tennis courts and the volleyball sandpit. (I tried to go play volleyball a couple of times, but the court was always filled with a bunch of die-hard shirtless dudes, so I figured maybe I'd better go take a walk instead. ;)

Rebekah and Anna liked trying to sit as close-up as possible during the conference sessions, so we always camped out in front of the doors and tried to be among the first to rush in and claim seats. Rebekah waiting...

I decided that we should play tic-tac-toe in each of the little squares on the booklet they gave us.

But after two games we decided to draw Anna's foot instead.

It has no toenails!

Ah, better.

Inside the main-session room... lots and lots of peoples, all stoked and ready to sing, ready to learn!

(Speaking of stoked, how about my sister-in-law-once-removed's etching work on my brother-in-law's hair? O.o)

CJ giving the welcome.

Jeff Purswell spoke the first night. Then followed over the next three days Scott Oliphint, D.A. Carson, R.C. Sproul, and Kevin DeYoung. The breakout sessions I attended were given by Kevin DeYoung, and Vern Poythress.

Here, in no particular order, are some points from my notes that most affected/spoke to me:

Do you have categories in your mind where God is most forward, and others that exclude Him? Christianity is a claim on your WHOLE life.
"Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," (2 Cor. 10:5), -not only addressing mental purity, but an exhortation to bring your thoughts into submission to Christ to change the way you look at everything! To see life through His eyes.
When sharing the Gospel, be precise because we serve a precise God. If in debate, do not fall to the temptation to try and destroy your opponent; love him humbly. Remember that no matter how good your argument, you cannot change hearts. That is the realm of the Holy Spirit.
Scientific Law = God Speaking.
Creation is full of harmonies; mathematics, physical proportions such as speed, etc. all reflect the perfect proportions and harmony found in the Trinity. God's character is built into science.
Twisted by the fall, a man is tempted to become either a dictator or a doormat. Thus the command to love their wives. Twisted by the fall, women have a propensity to usurp their husband's. Thus the command to submit.
Do not think that what you do now has no bearing on eternity.
The very theme of the conference- "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!' " ~ Abraham Kuyper

If you are interested in downloading the messages (for free!), they are available at this address: http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/sgm/post/Next-2011-conference-audio.aspx

The whole format of the conference was a little different this year, and because of this we ended up with more free time than at previous conferences. We took advantage of this time to enjoy the hotel's swimming pools!

Anna complained because people were just floating instead of swimming.

Maybe they floated because, as this next picture seems to illustrate, swimming takes concentration!

We actually went swimming on the very first day, and were shocked to discover that Joshua Harris was also in the pool! We went swimming with Joshua Harris! :D

The conference ended on Tuesday at noon. As we enjoyed a late lunch outside near the pool, we again spotted Josh Harris, chatting with a small group of people. One of the girls we were eating with, a new friend met at the conference, wanted to go meet him and get a picture. So Anna and I went with her. He is very approachable and friendly, makes you feel like you've been best friends for years. He asked us what our plans were for the rest of the day, and Anna told him about our plans to go walking to the shopping center down the street and do some shopping. He asked if we'd been to Downtown Disney, and Anna said no, and explained that we didn't have a car. Well, he pulled out his wallet and FORCED us to take $40 to get a cab and go to Downtown Disney! Poor Anna was like, "NO!" and he was like, "YES! YOU HAVE TO GO!" It was hilarious for everyone except Anna, who as we walked away, was like, "I feel like I robbed Josh Harris!" :D Anyway, we went, and had a lot of fun! He is a generous man.

The return flight went well too, (although Orlando's metal detector randomly selected me for further searching!) They stuck me in this glass chute, and then a lady came from the other end and said she was going to do a liquid test on my hands. I earnestly hoped that my Mary Kay didn't have any bomb juice in it! ;) All she did was wipe a little paper thingy against my hands, and then stick it in a machine, and then she told me I could go.

I am so glad that the conference is going to be held in the same place next year! Start saving, you've got to come experience it with us this time! You can either fly with me, or drive with Anna, who doesn't want to fly anymore. :P

Excited about NEXT!

2011-05-25T21:05:00.002-04:00

Wow! I can hardly believe that it's coming up THIS weekend! We are flying down on Saturday, and coming back Wednesday. Two things I am very curious about: 1) will Anna freak out and have to sit in my lap the whole flight, and 2) is our taxi driver REALLY going to be standing in baggage claim holding a sign with our name on it?? Will it be a big sign? With bright letters? Will it be cardboard like a homeless man? If a bad man chased us in a car and we asked the taxi driver to lose him, could he do it?

I should probably start thinking about what I'm going to pack. And I need to remember not to put my pocket knife in my pocket before heading to the airport.

Oh this has nothing to do with NEXT but guess what I did today! I finally recorded a message for my cell phone's voicemail. It used to say in that boring electronic lady's voice "(number) is NOT available. At the tone,..." etc. But now I recorded a real "Hey, you've reached Abigail..." Still rather boring, but not as boring as the electronic lady. ;) You should call me and listen to it and then leave me a warm and fuzzy message. I burst out laughing at a client's voicemail today- it said "So, we finally got this machine to work, so, please use it." :D I wonder if anyone would look up the reference if I ended my voicemail by saying, "Thank you, bye. Philippians 3:2."

End of rabbit trail- back to NEXT. If you happen to think of me this weekend and the beginning of next week, I would appreciate your prayers that my heart would be soft to conviction and my ears open to instruction, and my brain able to process the massive wisdom-overload! It's going to be an awesome experience- God does beautiful and life-changing things through this conference! Florida, here we come!

Q & A Resolved!

2011-05-23T22:04:00.000-04:00

If you could choose a certain hair-color for your husband to have, what would it be? :) Dark- brown or black.
If you had to choose to sing "How do you solve a problem like Maria" at a woman named Maria's wedding, or wear a zebra striped dress with a pea green sash and an apricot colored hat to the same wedding, which would you choose? The zebra striped dress with pea green sash and apricot colored hat.
Do you like popcorn? Yeth! Even when it geths thuck in my theeth!
Which of the hobbits is your least favorite? :) In the movies, probably Sam, because he's just not the Sam of the book. In the books, I really couldn't choose a least favorite!
Do you like monkeys? Even skinny ones? Nope. Not fat ones neither.
What is the first thing you'd say to a guy you meet who looks just like the mean-villain-with-the-hook from Tangled? "Do you ride a motorcycle?"
Do you like color movies, or black and white best? Generally speaking, color. But some old ones belong in black and white!
Chameleons or frogs? Frogs.
Keep a jar of tadpoles, or a naked mole rat? Rachel! What were you on when you did these questions? :D I think I'd go for the tadpoles.
What is a galloping ganush, anyway? I think it has 4 legs, and is like an antelope, only totally different.

What is your favorite fictional character? That's a hard one... I think it's a perfect tie between Sherlock Holmes, Anne Shirley, and Samwise Gamgee.

Your favorite season? Fall.
Where would you go if you wanted to have an adventure? Well right now I'd put on my boots, and head down yonder to the v-block that has just been logged. I've never roamed around there before, and there's a band of trees they left down the center that I think are growing by a creek I haven't followed.

Have you ever considered running away, just for fun? No...

Have you ever eaten anything weird and exotic? (like shark and allegator). Not unless crow counts. :P
Have you ever worn four inch heels? Hahahaha! No! I would SO fall over on my head in those.
What was the dummest thing you've ever done? Picked up a live albeit half-frozen squirrel.
What is your least favorite animal? Snakes and chihuahua's. :D
Have you ever considered bleaching your hair blonde, just for the experiance? No, coloring my hair is something I've never had an inclination for.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? Hmm... I'm not sure... almost fainting was plenty embarrassing...

What are 3 of your favorite names? Gideon, Hadassah, Tirzah
Who is your longest known friend? Thinkthinkthink... as far as a close friend that I've stayed in touch with, probably Anna. :)
Do you play piano every day, and if so, for how long? Usually, yes. And it depends on my mood. Sometimes just a song or two, sometimes I'll be at it at least an hour.
Do you like modern or abstract art? No, neither.
How long have you had this blog? Two years this month. *realizes that I missed my blog's birthday* Oh well! Hopefully it won't hold it against me. ;)
What's your favorite kind of goat? Alpine.
Have you enjoyed your souvenir? ;) Oh yes! I was so obsessed, that the very next day I spent a good many minutes staring at it under a MICROSCOPE!
Are you aggravated with Pluffy for *still* not getting more pictures to you? :] It would take more than that to get me aggravated at Pluffy. :)
Have you worn your new dress around yet? Nope, not yet!
What's your favorite music group? I don't really have one... the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Celtic Woman are some secular favorites, and as far as CCM goes, I think Casting Crowns does most of my favorites.
Which translation of the Bible do you prefer? I really like the ESV, but my Bible I've had and used for years (and am too attached to to change) is a NKJ.

What's your earliest childhood memory? Trying to climb the carpeted stairs in our previous house. I would have been somewhere around 2, 2 1/2 years old.
Would you prefer ice cream that was "simple and refined" or "stuffed with all the good stuff"? If I'm hungry, stuffed with all the good stuff. Otherwise, simple and refined.
If you had to choose between biting a snake, and being bitten by a snake, which would it be? As long as it wasn't poisonous, I guess I'd rather get bitten. Creeps. >:/
Is there any difference between Oreos and generic duplex cookies? There is indeed. It must be Oreo, no substitutes will do!

Yeah, about that...

2011-05-21T22:59:00.004-04:00

Real quick- it had slipped my memory that I'm going to be gone all day long tomorrow, so answers to the q & a post won't get posted... I hereby extend the asking time to Monday! ;) Have a great Sunday y'all.

♫ "Life is uh highway!"

2011-05-20T16:22:00.003-04:00

Today was supposed to be my "day off." All that was on the must-do schedule was to drive down to the clinic this morning, and take care of our one hospital resident, (the dog with the broken leg mentioned in a previous post). She's got a big cast on now, and she's pretty deadly with the thing. Because she is h-y-p-e-r. "WOOOOOOF i LOVE you i LOVE you let me LEAP into your ARMS and whack you with my CAST!!!!!!! Oooo IS that my ANTIBIOTIC? i LOVE you!" etc. ;) So I walked and fed and medicated her, and then spent a while trying to coach the vet's oldest dog to eat her old lady food. While I was there, my bosses called and asked me to drive one of their trucks to meet them in Henderson because one of them needed to do errands while the other needed to get home. They said they'd call when they needed me to head that way. I said "sure, no problem," and drove home. I did some farm stuff and checked on the garden (everything's coming up nicely!) and then set about cleaning out the refrigerator- Mama's job for me today. I made up a saying while I did it. "It's a dangerous business, Frodo my lad, cleaning out your refrigerator. You open up that Tupperware and if you don't hold your nose, there's no telling what you might smell." ;) We had a few science experiments in progress... ahem, let's not talk about that. As I predicted, at the same moment that I had everything laid out on the table, I got the summons to head towards Henderson. So I drove down to the clinic, hopped in their big truck, rolled down the windows and let down me hair, turned up the music, and drove to Henderson, 30 minutes away. The bosses weren't at the meeting place when I arrived, so I rolled up the windows and locked the doors and hunkered down trying not to make eye-contact with any hobo's loitering around. Henderson is a sketchy place! The bosses showed up soon and we did the switch-a-roo and I got delivered back to the clinic. There we had to unexpectedly work on a cat, and then I drove home. At home, I realized that today was my last chance to go to the bank for a while, and Mama needed me to get some groceries, so... I had get back in the car, and drive to Warrenton! And the only car that was available was the "put-put" car... it has some problem where it randomly loses power and will only go like 35 mph, and then it'll catch it's footing and act normal. It's got too many miles and is too rickety to spend the money to fix it, Daddy says, so... I just put-put along in it. In the grocery store, I found everything except canned pimentos. So when an employee guy who vaguely reminded me of Peter (from the Narnia movies), said "How are you?" I said, "Do you know where the canned pimentos are?" He said, "Isle 1," and I thought, "How proficient!" and moved on with a "thanks!" At this point I was at the opposite end of the store. So I pushed my basket back the other way, and when I came around the corner to Isle 1, there was Peter! He had apparently hastened down the other side of the isles, and now he was standing next to the pimentos. He said, "Here they are!" Oh my. I guess he was trying to compete with Han Solo for helpfulness! ;) Anyway, then I drove home, and I'm actually very tired of driving right now. Please don't ask me to go anywhere else. I will throw a strawberry at you.

Badminton Video!

2011-05-17T22:35:00.004-04:00

Be awed by the athleticism! ;)

Exciting things!

2011-05-16T20:33:00.003-04:00

First exciting thing: I caught my first wedding bouquet yesterday! I'll let y'all know if this works! ;)

More exciting things: June the goat is giving 7-8 cups of milk PER MILKING! Abby wrote a cool post about making cheese, here.

Even more exciting things: today was a "wow, I can't wait to take a shower!" sort of day. First there was the dog with the terrible ear infection, who kept shaking his head and blessing us with an inescapable shower of yummy ear fluid. Then there was the dog with the compound fracture and goopy chin who thought I wanted the goopy chin on my chin. Then there was the dog who had puncture wounds that needed shaving/cleaning, and drooled all over me, and shed most of his hair onto the drool, leaving me effectively wearing woolly britches. Then there was the fat blue heeler who didn't want to be restrained, and made me ride bronco. Of course I prefer the nice dogs who are like, "whatever!", but every once in a while there is a thrill in the matching of strength, when you get those "I WILL NOT GET STUCK WITH THAT NEEDLE!" ones. Last week, though, we had a sick Saint Bernard. I was SO relieved that he was gentle. I kinda think that's a match I'd LOSE. ;)

Hmm... any more exciting things... nope, not really. I want to go swimming, but that's random. Oh! Let me direct your attention to the Q & A post. Ask away before Friday! Ta-ta for now!

In honor of 426 posts

2011-05-13T17:29:00.005-04:00

Yes, that's how many are on this blog! This one ri'chere makes 427. (If I post again tomorrow, that would make 428! No kiddin'!) In honor of this large and random number, I'm holding my 3rd Q & A post. If you'd like to jump in, (and please do!), submit questions in the comment section of this post, (or email them to me, whichever you prefer), and I'll post replies next Sunday, 5/22/11! (**Yes, I extended the entry time**)

You may ask me any question except "did Adam and Eve have belly buttons." Thank you.

Hopes and Dreams

2011-05-10T21:10:00.004-04:00

A lot of people ask me if I want to be a veterinarian. My answer is No, I do not; recently someone followed up by asking gently, "If not, then what are your hopes and dreams, your aspirations?" I smiled, and glanced out the window, as if towards the winding trail and the next bend, a corner hiding my next adventure.

My heart is still longing to be a homemaker. To be united with a Godly man as his spunky help-meet, Lord-willing raising a house full of children along the way.

So I tell the questioners, "I am doing want I'm called to do... for this season. And I won't be going anywhere else until that season closes." I have no idea how long this season will be, and whether or not the next season- the next bend in the road- will be marriage, or if it will be another labor of hands that I'm to apply myself to, single. I don't know if I'll even get married at all.

But I do know who I have Believed. I know that His thoughts are higher than my thoughts, His plans better than my plans! Whatever He has chosen to do with my life, it will be glorious. I will serve Him with gladness, and perform the works of my hands as unto Him, and not worry about what tomorrow might bring. Here I rest, patching up cats and dogs for the glory of God!! :)

Have a laugh!

2011-05-10T07:09:00.001-04:00

Burnin' Ammo!

2011-05-07T14:27:00.007-04:00

Daddy decided I needed to get familiar with his two newest pistols today! A .380 Ruger and a .45 Springfield. So I'll be able to shoot the bad guy with more than just the shotguns. ;)

Setting up the target...

Me: "Ah, won't we shoot the hot-wire?"

BJ makes it so we won't shoot the hot-wire.

Oh, the intensity!

Daddy cracked me up trying to catch the flying shells!

And listen to Daddy in the background- this happened several times! :D

Okay, stalkers, I'm ready for you now!! ;)

The Difference

2011-05-06T21:09:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking about the story of Esther...

Queen Vashti disobeyed her husband the king; she was punished, and lost her royal position.

Queen Esther disobeyed her husband the king; she was rewarded and exalted.

Two people, two similar actions, two totally different outcomes.

What was the difference?

Vashti's disobedience was rooted in self-service.

Esther's disobedience was rooted in God-service.

Two people can do the same outward thing- but it's the heart that matters.

You can be living just like your Godly parents, siblings, friends, etc.

But it's worthless if your heart, your true motives, are not in God-service.

Is He first in your worship and affections? Is His pleasure your joy? Would you disobey th king, in order to obey Him? Even if it meant losing your life? Are you equipped to be BOLD, like Queen Esther, because you know that God is on your side, and you can trust Him with your life?

Accomplishments of the Day

2011-05-05T18:21:00.003-04:00

Jumping into the position of receptionist at the clinic for the first time, out of necessity (short staffed!)
Taking endless back-to-back phone calls without screaming and running, (yes, that was a big accomplishment for me! ;)
Getting the frightened lost client unlost.
Not doing my weird cough in front of any clients.
Getting the kids to gym class in Abby's place in some semblance of on-time.
Marketing Daddy's business to the nice lady in the gift-shop.
Scaring the people around me by praying with someone via cell phone.
Jumping out of my skin at Daddy's "boo!" prank as I walked through the door.
Still having enough energy to cream BJ in badminton. Well alright, this one is yet-to-be-determined... for he challengeth me as we speak... hey, when we played yesterday, we played rounds for titles, such as "the richest," or "your house doesn't burn down." My house didn't burn down. And I didn't get scalped either. BJ "grew up to have the most cats." O.o Anyway. Here we go. I am glad to be home!

The Stocks

2011-05-03T16:44:00.004-04:00