Woman of Many Thoughts

The Key to Faith

2012-01-03T22:48:00.001-08:00

http://fashionablygeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/locked-keys-moon.JPG

So the family and I took our monthly trip to the Tri-Cities today. We stopped in at the mall and grabbed a Starbucks (funny, Starbucks is in my autospeller...anyways...). As I got out of the car, the sun was shining and it was pleasantly nice out so I took my jacket off and in to Starbucks we went. We enjoyed some Yummy warm coffee (white hot cocoa for Ike) and then we were off to our next stop. God had other plans than just Win Co for us though. As I placed my coffee on top if the car, I reached for the keys I unconsciously place in my coat pocket, right side to be exact, every time I get out of the car. But wait! I threw my coat in the back seat to enjoy the weather! Oh no. An S-word came out of my mouth as my son and husband holding hands behind me approached the car. After Cam scolded me for my potty mouth I confessed with a flushed face what I had done. 45 minutes away from home, anyone we know, and a spare key...we tried to figure out our options to unlocking the car. Isaac had fun using the rear window as a slide while hubby called our insurance company to see if we had road side assistance coverage. I could see he was getting frustrated after several loops through the automated message line..."press 1 for English, press 2 for a rep..." When he finally got a hold of a live person he kept repeating everything, "No... CAmerOn...NO C as in Charlie, Alpha, Mary, Echo, Roger, Oscar, Nancy...". I knew we were in real trouble when he started using the same alphabet as the military uses. Then he started to say, "I can't give you my policy number because it's in the glove box which is locked in my car. You want a phone number to verify? You need another phone number to verify? You can't find our policy in your records? Nevermind, thanks anyway for your time. Click". In the meanwhile, I had a monologue going in my head with God. He was telling me just to start asking people for help. One person walked by. I said nothing. A couple walked by. I said nothing. An old man walked by and I finally asked him but he was weird. I had almost given up on myself but God kept pushing it. Another couple walked by and just as they were about to pass me I asked them if they knew how to break into a car. They laughed and said no but the guy was super nice...even tried to unlock our car with his keys - said his Honda used to work with other keys lol. And the lady suggested the mall security. I thanked them as they wished us luck and they drove off. A minute passed and the same couple slowed down as they drove passed us again. Two rows over from where we were was a locksmith's van. She had taken the number down for me and said we might try calling him. I knew at that moment God was looking out for us. He placed that van there just for us. Well okay, not just for us. But isn't it weird that the guy was working in the back of the van when we walked up to it? It looked like Gapetto's workshop with a soft lamp lighting a work area where an older man hunched over his table with a magnifying glasses on his head and his hands working on some delicate project. We knocked on his door and told him what had happened asking if he would be able to help us. He grabbed a couple of tools and walked back over to our car. He was a man of very few words and even fewer smiles. As he worked Isaac crawled to the roof of the car so he could watch his new friend work with these tools he's never seen before. I was worried the man would be annoyed with a two-year-old watching over him but he was very kind to him and even smiled at him. Then maybe a minute later we heard that familiar "click". He picked up his tools and started to walk away as we asked him how much we owed him. He said nothing and kept walking. We thanked him as he still kept walking and by the time Isaac said thank you he had to yell it. We were expecting to pay $40 at least for my stupid mistake but I knew God was going to look after us just like he did two days before Christmas when our car wouldn't start and all we needed was a new battery.

See it doesn't take much to see God if you rely on him for the little things. He was telling me to keep my coat on but I paid no attention to it. And then he was telling me to step out of my comfort zone and rely on strangers to help, which I had a hard time paying attention to. And then he was telling me to be like my son to this kind, but awkward, locksmith and know he wouldn't rip us off.

And it doesn't take much to find the key to faith. It's surrendering to trust in the one who provides.

posted from Bloggeroid

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T20:33:00.001-08:00

Here's this year's pop mashup by DJ Earworm. I always find it fascinating how he does this. I don't, however find the videos fascinating. So close your eyes lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ail7D_k0s9w&feature=youtube_gdata_player

posted from Bloggeroid

Meaning of Christmas

2011-12-19T23:09:00.001-08:00

After a day full of last minute shopping, gift making and no nap, I sit here pondering the true meaning of Christmas.

Last week my hubby got a call from the police department (no he's not in trouble... yet. Haha) who had extra donations after their food drive and wanted to know if we had a family at our church who could use the food. So the whole family took a trip to visit our police friends. Isaac was gifted a police car set and his face just lit up. Then he was greeted by the Chief and was star struck. After we picked up the goodies we drove to a nearby trailer park to drop off them off. This family of 8 live in a single-wide mobile home. The kids have never had a bed of their own their entire life. Their uncle sleeps on the porch in a lazyboy recliner in the summer time so he can have more space. As we dropped of the boxes of food all the kids came out to help and say hi to Ike. You should have seen their faces when we handed them a Costco sized box of Pop Tarts. Just as we were leaving their uncle was walking home. We stopped and said hello and as we were leaving he said, "I love you". I remember when his sister first came to our church. She told me about her disabled brother and that she couldn't bring him to churches because he's never been accepted. She was asked one time to not have her brother come back. And I told her he would be safe and welcomed at this church. He's been coming ever since. I cried when he said "I love you". When he came to our church, he brought a friend, and the first conversation we had was how he was the only person who loved this woman. While that is a huge blessing to be loved by one person, it saddened me that she was alone in this world. They share that common loneliness and feeling of being unaccepted by the world. But they've found their belonging with God and through a church family. And that is why I cried. He only said "I love you" because he knows we love him. It's so easy for me to get caught up in my own vainity sometimes that I forget how truly blessed I am.

Tonight as I took the dog out I heard the church piano playing Christmas music downstairs. At night our basement becomes a homeless shelter for families in the community. We have 5 families staying there tonight. And they are happy in the midst of a crappy situation while I sit next door in my warm home, my Christmas presents waiting to be wrapped and a decorated tree in my living room. What do I have to be unthankful for? What in the world could their possibly be? Christ is the meaning of Christmas and his commandment to love one another is the reason. No gift under the tree could be better than the gift we've already been given? Have you said Merry CHRISTmas to someone yet? All it takes is one act of love to be Jesus on earth.

With all my love, Merry Christmas.

posted from Bloggeroid

American Dream?

2011-11-28T01:13:00.001-08:00

As New Years approaches (yes, it's approaching. There may be a 12 step program to help you get out of denial. And by "you" I mean "me". Haha). Anyways, as New Years is approaching I'm starting to think about my goals for my 31st year. I don't like the word "resolutions" but if you want to call it that you can. Resolutions, like most things these days has become commertialized. They consist of loosing weight (to become more like ,not to become healthy...), make more money/save more money (/be more greedy because God forbid we give more money...actually, God very much bids giving), find love (even though we already have it. Just gotta look up.), what else...oh quitting bad habbits (and avoid finding help for the reason behind why those bad habbits exist). Very rarely do I hear truly healthy resolutions. Sure the results can make you more physically healthy, but what are the motives?And here's a bigger idea: how many of these resolutions are God centered? The American Dream looks a lot like a resolution. You're thin, for sure, have money and lots of it...maybe several savings accounts not just one and money coming out your assets, you don't dare have any bad habits, you own a house, you have the fancy new gadgets and your kids are perfect. Here's what my American Dream looks like. I'm so thankful just to have a roof over my head, $20 in my purse for play money for the next two weeks, food in the cupboards. I feel rich to have a smart phone and a car and a t.v. and a bed to sleep on. Friends of mine are sleeping on a futon matress on the floor tonight and there's a 16 year old mom with a 9 month old baby sleeping in her car too afraid to spend the night in a shelter for fear they'd call CPS to take her baby away. There are people right next door to my house in the basement of our church who are homeless. My American Dream might not be much but it's certainly God seeking and I am rich. I'm concerned that it will be harder for me to get to heaven than for that camel to go through the eye of a needle.

My husband and I had a discussion about soluting the American flag. Honestly I have a hard time. For me the government is ran by people who are bought by other people living "the American Dream" and are certainly not my voice. I'm dissapoitned in my countrymen. As priveleged as we are to be living in America I think we do a real shotty job of taking care of eachother. So my American Dream has nothing to do with America. And it certainly has nothing to do with money or looks. There's a reason the bible says you can't serve two masters, both God and money. By "money" did he mean the "devil"?

So after all this babble you're probably wondering what my New Years goal is?Give more. Love more. Be self less.

So wanna see something cute?

That's my American Dream

And so is that.

Amen?

posted from Bloggeroid

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T09:25:00.001-08:00

There are many things to be thankful for any day of the year. Thanksgiving responses of thankfulness bring out thanks for family, friends, God, salvation. Etc. But today I'm thankful for the little things.

My son was sick last week and my prayer was, "Lord, please keep me from being sick for Thanksgiving. I already don't get to enjoy the traditional food rituals packed full of yummy gluten because of this new dietary restriction (more like jail) so please let me feel good. Amen". It was a selfish prayer. I know. But God wants to fulfill the desires of our heart. This I really know. And God answered my prayer. The day after Thanksgiving I started to feel my sinuses fill up and a chestal cough rise up making me sound like a 90-year-old chain smoker. So today as I blow my nose and become miss-coughs-a-lot I am reminded of my answered prayer and how truly thankful I am for a God who answers me when I call.

On to this gluten free thing...I could choose to be bitter over this new change in life-style. It really is a change in my life. I can't eat out easily anymore, or participate in my great grandmother-in-laws cherry pie. But I have a supportive, encouraging family and wisdom from others who live this life-style. They tried every gluten free item I baked and lifted me up for the good job I did *eh hem*. I get to try new recipes and use the gluten free diet change as an excuse to get those big ticket applyances I've been wanting for years (like a kitchenaid mixer, new bread machine and a vitamix Haha) because now I must become a bakery owner. We live on a very limited income and I could chose to be depressed over the cost of gluten free cooking as one loaf of bread is $5. But my frugality insticts tell me there's other solutions. I could chose to be bitter over the 4 batches of pie crust I threw out to get to the one gluten free pie that was worth eating...barely...or I could chose to be thankful for being able to eat and not starve like many people across the world do on a daily basis including holidays.

So today I'm thankful for the small things which I could easily be just as bitter for. Chosing to see the glass more full than empty is a daily experience for me. Without God my glass would be empty but He fills my cup up daily.

Thank you for you God.

posted from Bloggeroid

Remember me?

2011-11-22T23:30:00.001-08:00

Well I've been quiet lately. (which is very unusual for me). We went to the Casting Crown's concert

(That was the best pic we got lol)

The next week we were in Levenworth

The next week was Halloween

I've been making applesauce for a month now, not to mention pumpkin butter and now gluten free recipes (more about that on another post another day)

And it's Thanksgiving already?! Holy time flies Batman! If I blink it'll be Christmas! It's already snowed

Isaac woke up that morning and said, "Daddy! You made it snow! Good job daddy." Ah that kid melts my heart. And he loves his Daddy

I love his daddy too. He took me to see Breaking Dawn tonight. What a man I tell you!

How are you doing?

posted from Bloggeroid

Tractor Tippin' and soreness

2011-07-20T10:11:00.001-07:00

You need to know first that my son has to watch Cars now at least one time a day.

Ok...You know when you aren't looking and then all of a sudden the door frame closes in on you, knocks you on the head and throws you to the ground? Well it just happened to my 2 year old son.

He immediately felt the bump on his head. After picking him up he looks straight at me...stops crying long enough...and says, "Tractor Tippin'."

I about died laughing.

On another note. I'm very sore from my workout yesterday. Here's some motivation to keep me going today:

"pain is weakness leaving your body"

Live Fat Free

2011-07-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

So my husband and I have been saying for YEARS that we should purchase a gaming system. But we just couldn't justify spending tons of money on one. "Couldn't" as in past tense. Yesterday we WERE able to justify it...when we said, "we'd spend the money on a gym membership in one month anyway." We had our eyes on the PS3 but then decided to go with the Wii. We can get all the games we like from PS3 through the Wii plus the fitness games we want.

Here's the thing: My son is two and then some...and I still have not lost my baby fat...nor my pre baby fat, nor my freshmen (sophomore, junior, senior) 15, nor the pounds I gained after marriage. LOL. Are you with me? I've got some weight to loose. I'm not going to tell you how much, because my goal isn't to loose the pounds, my goal is to be healthy (I'm not even going to weigh myself). I'm a fairly healthy person food wise. I just hate working out. I get way too bored. Unless it's for sports. But you throw a video game in front of me? I could do that. (My dad owned a video arcade my entire child hood...yes I'm straight out of the 80's). So we got Wii Active II. And tomorrow we're getting Wii Fitness Plus and Zumba. I figure that will give us enough diversity so as to not get bored.

Here's the other thing: Now my husband and I can work out at home while the boy naps. I don't have to go anywhere! (And I'm not tempted to pick up that ice cold frap on the way home from the gym.)

I'd like to see what life feels like without the extra pounds. I know I'll have more energy. And if I plan on having more kiddo's I'm going to need it because Ike wears me out as it is!

I'm going to blog about my journey so you can keep me accountable. I also have some other goals for a healthy life. Like at least once a week I need to do something creative for me and cook something using all organic and/or whole foods (I'm going to try home made bread next week). Because being healthy isn't just about weight, it's about the mind too. I certainly don't want my child to grow up with my self-esteem. It's time for a change.

So here's to being fat free?! Would you care to join me?

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T12:21:00.001-07:00

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhtgPh3DalmM%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&feature=youtu.be&v=htgPh3DalmM&gl=US

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I was just dated...

2011-06-17T12:55:00.001-07:00

My son found my old box of Barbies. He recognized one of them. Without knowing it...he just dated the age of his mom. Yup...I'm officially "old school". Thanks Toy Story 3.

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Small Town Pastoring

2011-06-10T22:49:00.001-07:00

http://www.churchplanting.com/2011/06/06/3-things-i-have-learned-about-small-towns-and-hard-to-reach-places/

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Breaking Dawn!

2011-06-10T21:23:00.001-07:00

Okay...I can't figure out how to embed the you tube video but the new Twilight Series, Breaking Dawn part 1 movie trailer is out. I'm a little sad I didn't see any feathers in the "chicken coup" during the honeymoon clip. But I still got my Twilight (goose) bumps going! Yay!!!

Anyone else so stinking excited? Time to read the books...again :)

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High!

2011-06-06T10:28:00.001-07:00

Heals.

LOL.

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Success!

2011-06-01T11:27:00.001-07:00

Do you see?! Dog went potty on the puppy pad (we won't count the slight miss), and Isaac is going on the potty! This is a good day. Lol.