It is snowing today. It started yesterday, even had some white-out conditions. I was glad that I had no where to go, so I could just stay home. For Hannah, Nathan and me, it was a stay-at-home weekend. We’ve all been battling some bug, wore us out, gave us fevers, some nice congestion to boot. My fevers tend to linger, so I get on with life as best I can.
This past weekend was not a stay-at-home one for Kelly. He was at a country-wide Baptist youth leaders retreat. He was exhausted going into the weekend! If he wasn’t teaching a session on leadership, he probably would have stayed at home too. Just since the beginning of November, he’s been to Prague for a conference, then we both went to Holland via Czech and Germany for a GEM-YM retreat, stopping off in Cologne/Koln, Germany on our way home. Then he went to a weekend retreat for our youth group (I stayed home with Lani, Hannah went to Vienna, and Nathan was with Dad.). Then this weekend, when we had an interesting experience.. well, Kelly and the gang there did.
While they slept, somewhere between 3 and 6 am on Sunday, someone broke into the place they were sleeping and stole a bunch of stuff. At first, Kelly thought that they’d gotten away with his passport, car papers, international driver’s license, key for the house, car and church. But, those items were found, along with Bible and books that had been in his computer bag. What was missing, and still is, is his laptop, camera, iPod and shaving kit. Other people had a laptop, cell phones, money, even shoes stolen. And somehow, I find this rather funny!
Before Michelle and Emily left for the US (soon to return!!), Michelle was talking about the new laptop she was getting. One that Kelly also would have loved to buy. He was trying to figure some way to justify the purchase, but really couldn’t. The problem with a Mac is that it is such a good machine, that even at 3 years old, it is reliable. Darn! So, Kelly learned to be content with his machine, content to wait until next year to replace it. Then, just a day after he tells some of the people at the retreat that he is content, the laptop gets stolen.
Do you ever wonder why God allows such stuff to happen? I think, as far as this laptop is concerned, God wanted to hear from Kelly’s lips that he was content. Now it is gone, Kelly really NEEDS, not just wants, a replacement, so now he’ll get his new laptop. still not sure how we’ll pay for it, but I’m not too worried!
That’s just my thought….
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Analogies
I noticed that it has been awhile since I last posted a blog, so I think it might be time for a new one. Lots of thoughts have been going throught this Mom's head, but here is my most recent pondering..
I have come to realize that analogies are like shoes; you can find one, or a pair, to suit any occasion or situation. The analogy which has been going through my head of late goes something like this. "Your soul is like a door. When you sin, it is like driving a nail into the door. Forgiveness removes that nail from the door, but there is still a mark, since sin always has a consequence."
I am not sure how much I agree with this analogy. The thinking behind it is so human! There is no doubt that there are consequences to our sins. Some are obvious, like an unwed mother, some aren't so obvious, like feelings of regret. I think that when one truely confesses sin and God forgives through Jesus Christ, then the door is restored. He not only removes the nail, but makes it as if the nail was never even there. The problem which I've observed and experienced is that too many people will forgive and remove that nail, but they always seem to want to make sure that the nail still fits. There is no attempt to sand down the mark, fill it in, fix it and make the door new. They want the nail to still fit; they don't want to forget. I think I'll take God's forgiveness, in which He removes my sin from me as far as the east is from the west and will remember it no more.
And that is this Mom's thought for the day. May I seek to fix the door, rather than make sure the nail still fits.
I have come to realize that analogies are like shoes; you can find one, or a pair, to suit any occasion or situation. The analogy which has been going through my head of late goes something like this. "Your soul is like a door. When you sin, it is like driving a nail into the door. Forgiveness removes that nail from the door, but there is still a mark, since sin always has a consequence."
I am not sure how much I agree with this analogy. The thinking behind it is so human! There is no doubt that there are consequences to our sins. Some are obvious, like an unwed mother, some aren't so obvious, like feelings of regret. I think that when one truely confesses sin and God forgives through Jesus Christ, then the door is restored. He not only removes the nail, but makes it as if the nail was never even there. The problem which I've observed and experienced is that too many people will forgive and remove that nail, but they always seem to want to make sure that the nail still fits. There is no attempt to sand down the mark, fill it in, fix it and make the door new. They want the nail to still fit; they don't want to forget. I think I'll take God's forgiveness, in which He removes my sin from me as far as the east is from the west and will remember it no more.
And that is this Mom's thought for the day. May I seek to fix the door, rather than make sure the nail still fits.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Pain Management
"Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who tells you differently is trying to sell you something." at least that's how I remember that infamous quote from that film-by-which-all-others-is-judged, The Princess Bride. If it is indeed true, that life is pain, that pain is a sign that one is alive, then I am most definitely alive. Rarely does a week pass when I don't experience a headache. But the pain I have, I think, is nothing compared to some friends of mine who suffer from RA. One with whom we stayed during our whirlwind trip to the US in May told me, "There is nothing noble about living with pain. Take the meds!"
I've started keeping a log for headaches, which is so much fun... NOT! I'm trying to keep track of just what I take, what works and how much I go through. Let's just say that I'm really quite fond of Excedrine and save the Imtrex for the really, REALLY bad ones. For years, I refused to admit that I even got migraine. My Mom gets them, her mom got them, and I just didn't want to. (Guess it runs in our family, since CJ gets them at times too!) But, when we were in Bakersfield years ago, I was talking with another missionary, and she asked me some questions about my headaches. From what I told her, she confirmed, and confronted me, that I do indeed get migraines.
Now this is where it is strange. Do I refuse to take any medication because I'm too proud to admit I need help or that I can't handle the pain? Hmm... I did birth 4 kid with minimal meds. I know that pride is one of those sins I deal with, sometimes better than at other times. When we first moved to Slovakia, I was getting so many headaches, migraine and "normal", that I was taking a lot of meds for them. Ended up doing a bit of liver damage. That seemed to have been "fixed" with some mega-doses of vitamins here, but it made me wary about taking meds, and about how much. So, for now, I keep a log, avoid the trigger foods or events, try to get enough rest, let things "go", and take a pill when I need it. Oh well, as Jana says, it could be worse!
I've started keeping a log for headaches, which is so much fun... NOT! I'm trying to keep track of just what I take, what works and how much I go through. Let's just say that I'm really quite fond of Excedrine and save the Imtrex for the really, REALLY bad ones. For years, I refused to admit that I even got migraine. My Mom gets them, her mom got them, and I just didn't want to. (Guess it runs in our family, since CJ gets them at times too!) But, when we were in Bakersfield years ago, I was talking with another missionary, and she asked me some questions about my headaches. From what I told her, she confirmed, and confronted me, that I do indeed get migraines.
Now this is where it is strange. Do I refuse to take any medication because I'm too proud to admit I need help or that I can't handle the pain? Hmm... I did birth 4 kid with minimal meds. I know that pride is one of those sins I deal with, sometimes better than at other times. When we first moved to Slovakia, I was getting so many headaches, migraine and "normal", that I was taking a lot of meds for them. Ended up doing a bit of liver damage. That seemed to have been "fixed" with some mega-doses of vitamins here, but it made me wary about taking meds, and about how much. So, for now, I keep a log, avoid the trigger foods or events, try to get enough rest, let things "go", and take a pill when I need it. Oh well, as Jana says, it could be worse!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)