Routine

I got the Christmas decorations put away for the most part yesterday. Funny, it only takes a few hours to decorate, but it takes all day to put the stuff away! The house seems kind of bland today but it's nice to have that job out of the way. The decor seems to lose it's flavor with each passing day after Christmas and once the New Year celebration is over, well, it just loses it's magic...weird. I feel better though. I was feeling melancholy looking at the remnants of Christmas every day but, now, the kids are having their first day back to school and I feel a bit of routine bringing order back to life again.



I enjoyed the days off and the sleeping in. It was nice. Like Dave said on Sunday, "The mornings were beginning later and later." It was time for things to get back in order again. I didn't mind getting up this morning (except for crawling out from my nice warm electric blanket). Man it has gotten cold!



So, this is a week for me to unwind. I will enjoy my last few days at home without the kids here before I have to head back to the chaos and stress of school myself. I really hope this semester is easy on me. Last semester was tough due to the surgery and migraine complications I had. However, by God's grace I got through and still made the honor roll. I wasn't happy about my C in Spanish though. It was mainly due to the fact that I maintained a B the entire semester but it dropped to a C by one question on the final...a half a point on my final average. ARrrrggghhh! This is my last semester before I get my first degree and then I have to figure out where to go from there. That will be up to God...I'm really at a crossroads in life but, that's another blog.



So, next week it's really back to the grind. I will be attending a night class and a late afternoon class which is a switch and complicates life a bit since the kids are in school and will be participating in soccer this semester. However, I'll manage around it as usual. I'm looking forward to a class in painting that I am taking (just to get in the hours I need to fulfill the requirement). I also have to take music appreciation...blah blah. I appreciate music! So that should qualify me for an automatic A and I shouldn't have to fulfill that requirment right? Wrong. Anyhow, I'm hoping that this semester will be less stressful than the ones in the past.



Okay, I've jabbered on long enough. I'm going to go and veg for awhile.



Believers, live so that others will see Christ in you today.



Shine



Father, I pray for all who visit this site, for those who know you, that you would draw them into a deeper relationship with You. For those who don't, I pray that you would bestow that blessing upon them.

Interesting Thoughts

Church



It's not a club filled with saints exclusive only to them...but a community of sinners inclusive to all. I heard something along those lines on the radio this morning.



Dating



When you are on a date you should treat that person honorable because you are either dating your future spouse....or somebody else's (in most cases). I read that in a book called "Parenting Today's Adolescent" by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.



Just a couple thoughts to ponder for the day. Happy January 6th!

The Christian Cliche'

When I am down and out and God feels far away, I do in fact remember that I can't depend on "feelings". I may feel like God is far away, but I know that He is not. He is here with me.



When I am depressed because of the circumstances of my life, whether in regard to finances, life changes, or hormones, I know that God will sustain me.



What I know and what I feel are different things, and I know that I can not rely on my feelings.



I also have heard all the words of encouragement I can possibly hear from other believers, all those Christian "cliches".



When you feel down, does it help you to have someone tell you "always remember that God loves you", or "rejoice in your salvation", or "you can do all things through Christ who strenghtens you"?



We've heard them. We've offered them when we have had no other words to speak.



I listened to a friend at SaLT Group last night share about her depression and her longing to go back to her home town in another state. She has been miserable for a long time and shared with us all last night that she hasn't felt joy from God in a long time. She has been wandering in the desert and sees no light at the end of the tunnel. This has been going on for a very long time, many years in fact.



I know that distance from God, although not to the extent that this woman is suffering, but I can relate to not wanting to hear people say "I'll pray for you" or "God didn't move, you did". Blah blah blah. When Katie and I discuss things about my spiritual walk, I will often toss out something like "Oh, don't give me that typical Christian response! Those Christian cliches!" and she will undoubtably respond:



"They aren't Christian cliches, they are Truth!"



How can you argue with that?



I think I am going to send a card to my sister who is suffering.

Boredom????

I'm sitting here trying to think of something to do. There are things I could do...there are always things I could be doing that need to be done like laundry, sweeping, dusting, etc.. But, today there is nothing that is mandatory for a change. I don't have to do anything and I'm choosing not to. So, I'm sitting here experiencing this feeling that I knew once long ago...is this what people call boredom???? Am I actually bored??? I AM!! I AM BORED!!! I'M BOOOOORRREEED!!! THIS IS BORRRINGG!!!!! Wooohooooo!!!!!! I've been wanting this experience for a long time! (Phone ringing)



Well, that was a short lived experience. I now have to go and pick up my daughter at her friend's house. She was planning to spend the night but there has been a change in plans. So goes my experience in boredom. Wow, that was short lived. It was just enough of a taste to make me want more! Bummer! Oh well, back to life.

Melancholy

I have the "After the holiday rush let down I couldn't wait for resting time blues." I love the holiday season. I love to celebrate my Savior. I love to watch Christmas specials and drink hot cocoa and sit by warm firplaces with friends. I love going to Christmas parties, pageants, and services. I love Christmas shopping and wrapping presents. I wish I could imagine my house all decorated and "poof" it would be done. I wish I could do all my shopping and wrapping in one day and just enjoy looking at the decorations and participating in festivities without all the hustle and bustle. Every day is filled with so much demand on time that before you know it, Christmas day has come and gone...the day that you've looked forward to and prepared for for so long is over and it all seems like a blur. There's nothing left but decorations gathering dust waiting to be packed away for the next year.



So, the time has come at last......the rush is over. Things have quieted down and the parties are finished. The mess is cleaned up and there are no commitments. I sit here with a choice of things to do. I could read, watch a movie, blog, write a letter...pray...whatever I want. I should be overjoyed but for some reason there this feeling of melancholy because the rush is over and the holiday is through...and it almost seems that I've missed it. Humans are strange. We're never satisfied are we?



I know I didn't miss the holiday. I spent time with my family. I got wonderful gifts and God blessed me in so many ways that I could blog for a week and never get it all in. But, it was the rush and the constant mad whilrwind I seemed to be in that made it appear that somehow Christmas got by without me. I keep hoping for the time when it becomes simple...but then, being the human I am, I will probably complain about how I miss the days when I would be rushing around for the kids and parties and blah blah whine whine complain complain...right?



Anyhow, I always get this way between Christmas and the first week of the New Year. Once I get Christmas packed away I will be fine. I'm not motivated to do that right now because I just need a couple days of no commitments and I have them so I am not committing to cleaning up Christmas decorations. I'll just sit here with my melancholy self and love every minute of it!

Keyboard Update

Travis was right! I put this thing in the dishwasher and let it dry for a few days and it's working like it's new! Woohooo! Travis was so sure this would work, he offered to send me a keyboard if it didn't. Fortunately all is well and I won't need to replace this one. YAY!



Amazing.

What I Left Behind

Every year since I had my first baby I have had a goal to lose weight. Up until 2003 I have been unsuccessful. Now, I am celebrating the fact that I began 2004 by leaving 25 pounds of me in 2003! I hope to do the same in 2004! Wooohooo! I am really celebrating this awesome victory and it is truly answered prayer! I plan to do a recap and a projection like everyone else probably is but that will more than likely not be for a few days. Hopefully it will be with the keyboard that we put through the dishwasher! LOL! Until then........HAPPY NEW YEAR!