Monday, October 29, 2007

whoa...

God is good all the time. Even in the middle of my stuff, He's good.

School is going well. Report cards come home this week. Chaz made the soccer team. He'll be alternating between the Varsity team and the Junior Varsity team. Breezy is singing with a youth band at church and they'll get to sing at the church's FunFest on Wednesday. They've been practicing hard.

I'm actually typing this entry from my laptop. Yes, once upon a time I said I'd never own a laptop and if given one, I'd sell it and buy a desktop. But over the last few months as I think about college and convenience, a laptop was looking more and more sound. 2 weeks ago today, I thought abut that vow (yes, that's what it was), I realized I needed to break the vow. So I prayed and asked God to forgive me for making the vow and broke it. A few days later, I was visiting a friend and the conversation turned to computers. I told her I was looking to buy a laptop with my tax refund check in February. She offered me a computer to use until then and pulled out a Sony Vaio laptop. As we were cleaning her stuff off the hard drive, she looked at me and asked if I would be offended if she offered me the laptop. She said she'd understand if I said no because I wanted to pick out my "own" laptop later. I accepted! This computer is so much more than anything I would have bought with my tax refund. The screen is huge! There is still warranty left on it and it's transferrable. (Already got a new battery for it) What a blessing! She's the bomb-diggity! She told me that since she uses an apple it's harder to transfer back and forth to the Windows platform. Yah! Thank you for my friend and thank you God!

Casting Crowns is coming in concert next month. A friend and I decided to go but had not purchased tickets yet. Today, I got a phone call from someone who said he had 3 tickets to the concert that were available. They had been given to him to bless someone else. Whoa! Yah! So, my friend and I and the friend who gave me the laptop are going to see Casting Crowns next month. My favorite group!

We are doing the Truth Project at the church. Last night we saw the "how great is our God" video done by Louie GiglioThis" is a great description of it by Kyle (google is your friend). WOW! God is so cool. And to think the stuff that holds us together is Laminin and it's shaped like a cross and the cross holds us to God. Dude. Way cool.

Work has been busy. But I discovered something last week that I didn't think about for the first two months of school. My computer was changed out over the summer from a full size (HUGE) monitor to a flat one. What a difference in the clutter on my desk. There is none! I moved my pampered chef pen/pencil holder to a side desk and when I come in the office, my desk is clean. It's a pleasure to come to work and see the desk empty. The days have been flying by. I'll look up at the clock and it'll be 12:20 p.m. and I wonder where the first 4 hours went! It is good!

Anyway, that's enough for now. I am wonderfully made and wonderfully blessed. I have two healthy children (one of which turned 15 last week). I have a great job that I like almost all the time. I'm part of a beautiful church that preaches God's word and reaches out to others. We have a great home, a vehicle, amazing friends and family. God is good!

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Busy week both at work and at home. A few new discoveries. A few lessons. Just what we all need. Right?

Pastor Josh preached the first part of "Welcome to the Family." God brings us into His family and calls us to love one another as we love Him. How we have a tendency to allow gossip to color our world and view of others.

Unfortunately, I have done that a couple times in the last year. I've been guilty let someone else's personal feelings color my view of people. People who while I didn't always agree with what they did, I knew they were good and godly people. And for a short time, I viewed them differently. Both times God pointed it out to me rather sharply. Ouch! I'm sorry for listening to the gossip, participating in it, and acting on it. Sorrier for not listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit this last time that it wasn't right and listening anyway.

Pastor B is preaching on "How to Ruin Your Life" today. It's part 3 of the series. How negativity can ruin your life. He talks of how Paul was in prison and didn't let being in prison ruin his life. How Paul could have been negative and angry over being in prison yet he chose to worship God. He wrote the letters to the Corinthians.

Three of the ladies from the choir sang "Anyway" by Martina McBride. What an amazing rendition. I'm glad it's going to be on today's recording of the service. So good, I can't wait to hear it again the second service!

You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
Yea - I do it anyway

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea, sing it anyway
Yeah, yeah!

I sing
I dream
I love anyway


Last night we attended a get together at our friends' home to celebrate a birthday. The birthday girl turned 20 and is from Japan. The Japanese hold a big coming of age celebration when they turn 20. There were around 30 people ranging in age from 11 to 50 at the party. Good food, DDR, ping pong, air hockey, movies and mostly good company. I didn't think I was ever going to get my kids to leave. We finally made it out of the house on the 3rd try at 11:15!!! I'm pretty sure they'd stay there all the time if I gave them the chance. Heh.

I discovered a marvelous coffee shop on Navy Blvd about a mile out the front gate of NAS. It's called Martelli's. The atmosphere was wonderful. The music was Frank Sinatra and some other singers from that era. There was a warmth to the place that made you feel at home. The pictures on the walls were vintage black and white photos of the family. Old cameras and a phonograph were part of the decor. There was actually a decorative fountain in the middle of the room as well. Lovely chess boards on a couple tables so customers could play a game. A few other board games were available as well. Free wi-fi too! The pumpkin patch mocha latte was yummy! A friend of mine told me that he and his wife go there on Sunday after church every now and again for lunch. She told me this morning that the prices are excellent and her kids love the food too. Sounds like something I need to try with Chaz and Breezy.

Got a haircut (or two). Feels like a ton of weight has fallen off my head. Whew!

Work was busy too. One of our "clients" this week was a teacher with a pretty good size "boo-boo" on his leg. He had fallen off his bike a week or so ago and the pedal gouged his leg. Then he fell while playing basketball a couple days later and reopened it. By the time we saw it, it was red and angry looking and most likely infected. He had to have been in some pain. Friday he made a doctor's appointment to get it checked. We'll find out tomorrow how bad it was.

Well, the service is nearly over and this set of DVD's is nearly done. Hafa Adai and Sayonora!

Oh yeah, I realized two weeks ago that I've been divorced for nearly 5 years. For some reason, I thought it was only 3 years. duh.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

I've been trying to head home for 2 hours and we're still here! LOL

I'll write more tomorrow!