Life Is Straight Again

Yippee! I found the justification toolbar again in Blogger. The irony is that this post won't be long enough to justify.

If you're confused, read the post below.

It's a Jungle Out There

I really don't watch that much TV. My life makes far too many demands on my time to afford the luxury of sitting down in front of a big box to observe the lives and stories of others. But, when I do carve out some time, one of the things you'd be most likely to catch me watching would be "Monk". I love Monk. I didn't discover this show until a couple of years ago and now, we don't even get the channel that it shows on, so I download the episodes from iTunes. (Sometimes it's great to be a geek.)

Monk is obsessive compulsive. He likes things neat. He likes things straight and even. Just like me. I totally get this guy. I like things straight and even. Symmetry is a major comforting factor in my life.

So when you visit my blog and scan down the main page, you'll notice that the older posts are fully justified. I mean justified in the "text-alignment" sense, not the "I-have-good-reason-to-be-writing-this" sense.

But recently, the text justification buttons on the Blogger toolbar, which determine if text is centered, left or right or fully justified, have disappeared. My world is askew. My posts are out of alignment. The left side is straight, but the right side is jagged. This is bothering me immensely! Not only is it displeasing to the eye, but it means that I'm going to have to go to the extra work of figuring out how to manually edit the webpage code to line it up...time that could be much better spent watching Monk. You'll know right away by my next post if I figured it out or not.

It's a jungle out there.

Who's Kid is That Anyway?

I can accept the fact that once in awhile strange things happen. Computers crash for no apparent reason, doors are open when you swear you closed them, the car keys aren't there and know for sure that's where you put them, etc, etc... But when something happens twice you have to ask yourself why? What's going on? This is more than coincidence... it's a pattern. Hmmmmm. Very interesting. Will it continue to happen?

For the past two nights in a row, I have experienced something that makes me ask such questions. Pertinent to this post is the fact that I love ice cream. It truly boggles my mind how some people only eat ice cream once in awhile, like as a treat or something. For me, ice cream is a staple. Bread, milk, flour, eggs... ice cream. It's NEVER not on my grocery list. I try to choose the low fat or sugar free varieties because of the quantities I consume, but either way, I eat ice cream EVERY night.

So, like I said, the past two nights, I'm dishing up a big bowl of ice cream for myself. Well, actually, it's a fat free, sugar free chocolate Blue Bunny bar. Actually really yummy and fulfils my ice cream needs without turning me into a size 42. (My husband always tosses in the obligitory "How-can-you-eat-that-junk-it's-not-really-ice-cream") But that's not the point...

I ask my son, "Honey, do you want me do dish you up a bowl of ice cream? We have vanilla and some chocolate syrup."

His reply comes back, "Mom...can't I just have an orange or a banana?"

"Scuze me? A what?"

I was stunned but quickly gave him an orange with the wonderful realization that there's more ice cream in the house for me. If anyone has any used clothes in a size 42, please pass them my way!

One Of Those Nights

Last night was one of those nights. No sleep. You know the ones... no real reason, just a series of events that keep you from the sound night's sleep you were hoping for.

For me, I was a little late getting to bed. My son was still up and needed just one more kiss (about 3 times). Then, "Oops..tomorrow is Monday, I better make sure I have an ironed shirt for work." Then a few more things like that before I could actually get myself into my bed. As I lay there unable to doze off, it occurred to me that perhaps that double latte I had late in the afternoon was not such a great idea, although it seemed like a spectacular one at the time.

After finally just falling off to sleep, my husband, who couldn't sleep either, (lucky for me, his cure for insomnia is doing the dishes)came back to bed. But he was still tossing and turning, so I found myself awake again. This went one for hours...awake, slightly asleep, just getting really asleep, awake again. It was a vicious cycle. Toss in a son with a wet bed at 2am and a hurting foot at 2:30am and you can begin to get the full picture. All the while I'm looking at the clock thinking, "I only have X number of hours left to sleep until my alarm goes off."

This morning I opened my Bible to Psalm 62 and read the first verse:

"My soul finds rest in God alone
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken"

Then again in verse 5

"Find rest O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him."

When David wrote these verses he was dealing with larger issues than a poor night's sleep. Thank goodness that's not the case with me today. But the truth is still there for me to read and be encouraged by. So this morning, while the rest of my family sleeps in peacefully, I will find my rest in God.

You Call That Dinner?

I really like to cook. I'd been doing quite a bit of it, but after adding extra hours working each week, my dinner menus have gone drastically downhill. (that's an understatement). I also like watching the Food Network. They make it look so easy and tasty, that it always makes me want to grab my santoku knife, julienne some veggies, and magically make some incredible meal appear.

Because it's summer, I've been spending a lot of time outside doing other things rather than watching TV. But this evening, after spending the afternoon at the lake, I came home to our 90 degree house, plopped down in my favorite chair, pointed the fan at myself and turned on "The Next Food Network Star". It made me feel a loss for the time I have NOT spent cooking. It really is rather easy to put a decent meal on the table, rather than end up at the Golden Arches three nights a week. (OK, I really haven't slipped THAT far yet).

Anyway, as on my television, they made grilled fish with saffron and butter cream sauce and grilled sugar glazed asparagus, I had to think twice about the microwaved Costco dog I was eating. Here's to better days of cooking ahead!

The Voice of God

How does God speak to me? It’s definitely not in an audible, booming voice coming down from heaven, like you see on TV or read about in the Old Testament, although that would sure be cool.

I’m one of those “One-Track-Mind” sort of people. I get something in my head and it’s very difficult for me to rid myself of the thought until I act on it. Like when I decide I want to purchase something. I think about it non-stop until I actually go out and buy it. Good examples are my Espresso Machine, my iPod, and my laptop. It drives my husband absolutely insane. I’ll talk about it until I’m blue in the face and ask him a million times, “Do you think I should do it?” until finally he gets fed up and says, “Just go buy the darn thing!!” Admittedly, this has worked to my advantage in several situations. (See Java 4 Me).

Lately, I’ve been pondering a new ministry/hobby. It’s a stretch for me, a little out of my comfort zone. I keep talking myself out of it. It’s too time consuming, I’m not the right person for the job, I’m not gifted enough, people will laugh at me…on and on. But for some reason, I can’t get this thing out of my head. I feel compelled to do it, even though I’m pretty sure I CAN’T do it.

So I return to my question about how God speaks to me? I woke up this morning thinking about this thing. Literally, the first conscious thought that popped into my head. I went out for a walk and prayed, “God, what do you want me to do?” At the same time I’m praying, I’m thinking about the fact that maybe the reason it’s on my mind is because GOD is laying it on my heart. But it’s difficult to discern my own obsessive-compulsive thought patterns from God nudging me. So because I’m thinking about it, does that indicate that God is speaking about it? I’m not sure, but I am sure that others must struggle with the same questions.

The one thing I do know, is that God is faithful to speak through His word and through quiet times of reflection between the two of us. So for now I will continue to pray and listen and a request that you would pray with me for wisdom and open ears to hear God speak (even if it is in a wee small voice).

God Knows....

...when we need a good laugh. Like much of the Northwest, it's been HOT where I live. Most of you know we built a new house last year. I love it. It's beautiful. No complaints. OK, one small complaint. We don't have an airconditioner...yet. We plan on it, but you know how things go. You get busy, you forget, you run out of money...whatever the reason, it just hasn't happened yet. Temperature in our living room and kitchen has been hovering around 90. Yikes!

Needless to say, after a hard day working, coming home to a 90 degree house, cooking dinner and doing the normal routine, we have all been slightly cranky. Husband yells at me, I yell at son, son yells at dog...poor dog, he's the bottom of the food chain at our house. Anyway, the point is, we are hot and cranky.

Last night we all head down to the basement, which is nice and cool and flop on the couch to watch TV. Did I mention we are all a little cranky? Nobody is smiling, everyone is tired, we have no enthusiasm. (except possibly the one of us that is 5 years old). We flip on the TV and "I Love Lucy" comes on.

Not just any "I Love Lucy", but the critically acclaimed "Vitameatavegemin" episode. Within minutes, we are all hysterical. We can't stop laughing. I understand the argument of not laughing at drunkenness because it's sin and sin is not a laughing matter. And usually, I'm all about that argument, however, come on, it's I Love Lucy...besides she didn't know the Vitameatavegemin contained 23% alcohol.

The point is, we laughed our heads off and then it was getting late and time for bed, so we headed back up into the heat and resumed yelling at each other. All in all, not a bad night.

In The Blink of an Eye...

...my son went from this...

...to this.

I don't know whether to applaud or cry or run to Wal-mart and buy knee pads! I suppose a little of all three.

Dating

My Mom and I were talking about my cousin and his wife being out on a “date”.

“What’s a date?” My son asked.

“It’s when you go out to eat or something so you can spend some time together.” My Mom explained. “Someday you’ll go out on a date...maybe with Sally or Jenny.” (names have been changed to protect the innocent).

“Oh.” My son looked unenthusiastic and there was a long pause as the little wheels turned inside his head. “Or,” he stated triumphantly, once the answer came to him, “I could go with Johnny!” (his best friend in the whole, wide world).

“Well, Sweetie,” I explained, “A date is when a boy and a girl go out together, not two boys.”

“Oh.” He said again. (another long pause) “Well, what do you call it when two boys go out?”

“Wrong.” I said.