Remembering John Stott

 We drove out to Wheaton a few days ago.  They were having a memorial service for John Stott and Mike and I wanted to go.  I must confess, I have not completely read any of his books, but I look forward to doing so.  It was a beautiful, inspiring, challenging, encouraging and convicting service.  Made me stop to think about what am I really living life for.  Am I living for me? Or for God? 

A verse shared by Tim Keller during the service:
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.  Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
~Hebrews 13:7


Here is a link to an article written several years ago about him.

From the article:
More than his books, documents, or institutions, Stott's most important legacy to the church has been his wisdom. Thoroughly biblical, disarmingly open, shrewdly discerning, Stott's thought has helped guide the evangelical movement as it engaged social concerns, the charismatic movement, female clergy, homosexuality, and challenges to core doctrines.


I'm so glad we have so many outstanding leaders and faithful servants of the gospel to imitate.  God has generously provided us with these people, knowing that we are weak and sometimes dense, and need clear examples of how to live.

The Many Names of Virginia Peanut

a.k.a :
Peanut
Peanut Butter
Nutter Butter
Butter Bean
Bean
The Nut
Fur Child
Sweet Pea
Little One
Tiny Dancer (video explanation below, though it doesn't really do her justice)

Veins and Vanity

Varicose veins. I have had them since my early twenties, possibly even teen years. I will have them for the rest of my life, unless I pay thousands to be rid of them.  Which, I have to confess, has seemed like a viable option at times.  However, when I stop to think about it, that would be the very definition of vanity at it's worst.

I also don't have the whitest teeth... they aren't bad, but could be better.  I've thought about buying those white strip things, or some other form of whitening, other than toothpaste (cause Mike and I share toothpaste, and his teeth are more sensitive and whitening paste is hard on your enamel).  For some reason, the thought of spending money on whitening my teeth seems far less appalling than spending money on fixing varicose veins.  It also feels less vain.  Is it just a money thing?  Because it costs less?  Or is it more.  Maybe it's because teeth whitening is much more common and socially acceptable.  Everybody does it... no biggie, right?

Mike and I frequently talk about being honest with ourselves, our friends, and our appearance.  Meaning, trying to be true to who we are, and not put on a front as to appear to be something else.  Yes, I take time getting myself cleaned up, doing hair and makeup each day, debating over what to wear, but I try to keep in mind as I do these things that they should not consume me, and they should not define me.


“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”
~John Newton


 

Ode to Sweetness

I always say that I don't have a sweet tooth, but sweet TEETH :) 



Some of my absolute faves (in no particular order):
~ Candy Corn (hands down my favorite part about October - and the inspiration for this post)
~ Sour Patch Kids
~ Cinnamon Crunch Bagel from Panera (through the bread slicer, with cream cheese)
~ Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownie Bars (new find!)

And of course...

~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake



Do not leave me home alone if any of these items are in the house.  They WILL disappear :)

Cultivating a Healthy Marriage -

Mike and I listened to this lecture after dinner (a few dinners to be exact - we paused it a few times) and really enjoyed it.  It is full of practical suggestions and techniques to help grow your marriage.  Though cheesy, the analogy of a garden really makes a lot of sense in marriage.  You have to work on it, every day, or it will most definitely have weeds and pests in it.  In a drought, you have to water the garden.  In overwhelming amounts of rain, you have to diligently weed the garden.  Where as in marriage, when life is hard, it's hard on your marriage.  When life is "easy", you still have to work on your marriage.  Tim & Kathy explain it better, but I really enjoyed it.
Another of my favorite points that they made was in regards to debriefing.  They emphasized the importance of debriefing arguments after the fact.  When the air is clear and the nerves have calmed, talking about the fight and where it came from and how we can better communicate next time to keep conversations as that, and not fights.

Did I mention that we also laughed a lot? They make a good team.

From the Redeemer Presbyterian Website:

Using the metaphor of cultivating a garden, Timothy and Kathy Keller address methods of cultivating healthy marriages by exploring eight practical areas in marriage: planning and planting, roles, headship and submission, fertilizing and watering, love language, sex, conflict resolution, forgiveness and repentance, and spiritual life together.

Listen Here

Quick note: The audio tracker moves very slowly, making it seem like the recording is hours and hours long.  In reality, about halfway through, the audio restarts back to the beginning, so you have to fast-forward until you catch back up to where you were.  Not the best technical job ever, but the message is worth it.

Book Review

"O Me of Little Faith" by Jason Boyett

2 thumbs up
An easy, non-overwhelming read.  He is a clever writer with witty comments and funny footnotes.  Besides, you have to have a good sense of humor to put that picture on the cover :)

This book has made me think hard about my faith and how I handle my doubts and uncertainties.  I am definitely going to keep it on the shelf and refer back to it in the future.  I also plan to recommend it to a few friends. 

Buy it online!

PS - kudos to me for actually finishing a book.  Yes, I said it was an easy read.  That is in comparison to books my husband reads.  I also have a tendency to start books and not finish them.  So, regardless of how high the hurdle, I give myself points for jumping it at all.  :)

I love my job

I'm such a dork. Today, I was getting ready for work, and actually excited to go there. I was looking forward to seeing customers, coworkers and the products! I love those products. Before you go on thinking how lame and nerdy I am (cause I am, don't you worry) chew on this: how many people get to say they are looking forward to going to work? Excited to go to work! Now who's the nerd :) I'm so blessed that God has brought me where I am today. Not just a job, but a good one, and not just a house, but a free one, and not just a husband, but an awesome (and hilarious) one at that.
 

God has blessed us through this journey, and I am so grateful for it.


See if there's a store  near you!

An interesting read if you have a moment and are interested in some of the reasons that make this a company different than other retailers.

Have a good one!

"Have a good one!" a phrase I use often. Especially at work. I think it's the lazy way of telling someone to have a good day or good evening, because you don't have to think about what time it is.

"See you later!" is in the same line of conversational mannerisms. Usually used when I don't know when I will see someone (friends, usually) next. If I were to say, "have a good week!" that would imply that I won't see them till the next week. And what then if I see them in between?! When someone tells me, "See you on Sunday", I immediately ponder, "will I actually see them? wait, are they referring to something I planned but forgot? have I double booked myself? uh oh." The only times I'm really comfortable saying the specific next time I will see someone, is when we just finished making the plans to meet up again. If you say, see you tomorrow, and we have not made any plans to hang out, I have a minor panic moment. I know, I'm weird :)


"Have a good one!"

In the Dog House #1

So anyone who reads our blog, probably already knows that we live at a dog shelter. But in case you didn't know... now you do!

Most people are very curious how this works... so I figured I'd share some fun details.

We have over 100 dogs on any given day, and sometimes up to 150. We usually get new van loads of dogs 2-3 times a week. They usually come from local animal control organizations and high kill shelters. Most of the dogs are strays, abandoned, or owner surrenders. We also have cats here, several hundred, in fact.

There is an apartment above the shelter, and also a house on the shelter grounds. We moved into the apartment in October of 2010, and then over to the house in June of 2011. The best part is, we get to live rent free in exchange for helping with chores!

That's our life now. Not what we had imagined or anticipated, and probably not what we would have chosen or planned had we been in charge. But I'm sure glad we're not calling the shots. I love our little life. It's quirky, it sometimes smells like dog poop. We have more space than we know what to do with. Oh, and our favorite part, is that we found our little Virginia Peanut! She is our baby, and she loves us back :)




"Thank You!" - Peanut