So, this post will probably be short. But I wanted to say a few things about my Lenten experience. :) In all honesty, I didn't keep "to the fullest extent" any of my Lenten commitments. I use Google all the time, but I must say that I researched NOTHING in regards to my health. It was quite refreshing. So, I am pleased to say that my goal...well God's goal...was accomplished during that time. YouTube wasn't much of a concern. I didn't obsessively get on it to pass the time. I only used it once in a while to look up a song or watch a friend's video. Not too much of a mess. Facebook was kind of an interesting slip on that first Friday. I won't go into it, but it was quickly recovered, and though I thought about Facebook a lot, I didn't mess up again after that. My best friend did a great job of keeping me away from it. :) As for the +30 portion...It went great the first half of Lent. Not so great the last half. But it doesn't help that I was mad at God for a good portion of it. But, we're working through it. We'll see how it goes.
Couple things...I love blogging. It allows me to be me much more than FB ever will. I can't believe i was that stinkin' addicted to a social network. Hopefully I won't ever be that way ever again. AND...I have the greatest best friend ever. She has helped me through more than just FB withdrawal in the last 46 days. So, thanks to her. And I hope you all have that awesome friend too!
Okay...gonna watch Roswell now...Adios!
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter Tears
Today was an interesting day. It started out with me arising to declare that I honestly didn't think I could make it to the Sunrise Easter Service. I sat in bed, practically heart-broken, trying to decide if I could handle missing it. (I know it sounds ridiculous, but I REALLY wanted to go. It's kind of what I do on Easter.) I ended up going. The music filled the church as the choir took us through the passion and the resurrection of Christ. It was wonderful, and I was so happy that I went. :)
Less than two hours later, I headed over to the United Methodist church in town (my usual). In between, I dealt with stubborn parents. Neither of them were going to go to church, and that was upsetting myself and my sister. It's annoying that they can't even make peace enough to go worship Jesus, ESPECIALLY on Easter when the church is full anyway! My sister, Morgan, got my mom to come, without her fiancee due to a lack of "Sunday's best" clothing. But at least she was there. Late. But there. During the first hymn, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, my mom rushed out of the Sanctuary in tears! About half-way through the hymn, I feel Grandma nudging me in the choir. I look back and she is completely in TEARS! She wants to know if she should go after her. Without much hesitation, I said yes. She as well as my sister went after mom. A while later, a LONG while later, they came back into the service. I could hardly keep from looking at my family members who were trying to recover from a LOT of crying. (And they tried to cover it up with a sneezing-fit???)
After trying to keep my mask from coming unpeeled, we were lucky. A sit down hymn. So, I didn't have to worry about looking down at the congregation at mom's teary-eyed face because of the lilies along the altar rail. Unfortunately, it was a good hymn. A hymn that Grandma usually cries during. Not to mention the words. It's a Gaither hymn...which we love. It's called Because He Lives. I do want to share some of the words with you, because as I was facing this holiday and everything that is going on in my life I was more than moved by the words.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future,
and life is worth the living, just because He lives.
Anyhow, I was balling by the end and therefore was singing in this raspy voice next to my grandma who was crying every single speck of her water-proof make-up off her face with her hands lifted. It was almost a blessing to be half-way decently covered from the congregation by the lilies! :) It was quite an adventurous morning!
More than that, I had to deal with family afterward, which wasn't too bad...but it was different. It was a holiday with my parents divorced...And my mother's fiancee's presence too. Anyhow, I'm tired of typing. Perhaps I'll attach a few pictures for you all from this morning's festivities, and even a couple of this afternoon's. :)
Less than two hours later, I headed over to the United Methodist church in town (my usual). In between, I dealt with stubborn parents. Neither of them were going to go to church, and that was upsetting myself and my sister. It's annoying that they can't even make peace enough to go worship Jesus, ESPECIALLY on Easter when the church is full anyway! My sister, Morgan, got my mom to come, without her fiancee due to a lack of "Sunday's best" clothing. But at least she was there. Late. But there. During the first hymn, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, my mom rushed out of the Sanctuary in tears! About half-way through the hymn, I feel Grandma nudging me in the choir. I look back and she is completely in TEARS! She wants to know if she should go after her. Without much hesitation, I said yes. She as well as my sister went after mom. A while later, a LONG while later, they came back into the service. I could hardly keep from looking at my family members who were trying to recover from a LOT of crying. (And they tried to cover it up with a sneezing-fit???)
After trying to keep my mask from coming unpeeled, we were lucky. A sit down hymn. So, I didn't have to worry about looking down at the congregation at mom's teary-eyed face because of the lilies along the altar rail. Unfortunately, it was a good hymn. A hymn that Grandma usually cries during. Not to mention the words. It's a Gaither hymn...which we love. It's called Because He Lives. I do want to share some of the words with you, because as I was facing this holiday and everything that is going on in my life I was more than moved by the words.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future,
and life is worth the living, just because He lives.
Anyhow, I was balling by the end and therefore was singing in this raspy voice next to my grandma who was crying every single speck of her water-proof make-up off her face with her hands lifted. It was almost a blessing to be half-way decently covered from the congregation by the lilies! :) It was quite an adventurous morning!
More than that, I had to deal with family afterward, which wasn't too bad...but it was different. It was a holiday with my parents divorced...And my mother's fiancee's presence too. Anyhow, I'm tired of typing. Perhaps I'll attach a few pictures for you all from this morning's festivities, and even a couple of this afternoon's. :)
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| Conquering the Easter egg hunt. |
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| "What's inside???" |
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| Tricky hide! |
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| That one was easy!!! |
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| All the baskets! |
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| "That doesn't look like a banana!" |
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| Reading the letter from the Easter Bunny! |
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| The total loot! |
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| Leap Frog!!! |
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| These are my favorite color!!!! Mini yo-yo and a bunny! |
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| Sammie spent a LOT of time building this for me. I'm excited! |
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| Mom and her fiancee, Mike. |
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| Grandma finally got a plate of food!!! |
Hop, Hop at 1am!
Being the mini-mom that I am, I had a few things to take care of tonight, before I nestled into bed after a long HARD day. While I didn't spend a fortune making Easter happen, it works and the kiddos will be happy with it. Though, there is a WHOLE lot of stinkin' chocolate that has been distributed amongst the baskets! Hoping that I am alive to see morning for the sunrise Easter service! So, here's some pics from tonight's handy-work!
Alright! That's all the pics I'm posting tonight! I'm exhausted and I have to be up soon, as in 4 hours from now! So, I do hope that you all have a blessed Easter! May you remember that it's more than bunnies and Easter eggs...It's about Christ's love for us to, not only die a HORRIBLE death on the cross for us, but also to conquer death itself so that we can live eternally with our God!!! Jesus is RISEN! ALLELUIA!
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| The baskets!!! With the crocheted bunnies by my sister, Nichole! |
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| The Easter Bunny's note, mess, and Noah's Ark eggs! |
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| The impressive hide of the year! |
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| My tired, yet always posing, Helper! |
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Eggs Galore
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" - 2 Cor 5:17 (NIV)
Today, we died eggs. It's kind of a process that takes forever when it comes to dealing with a six year-old who is STINKIN' CRAZY!!! Haha. He had a good time, but it was WAY too much work for me. In the meantime, I must admit that I gave the boy brownies. So, because Nichole and I are both gluten free, I made two batches of brownies. One set was gluten-free, the other was gluten-full. They were quite yummy. So, between the brownies and the dying of the eggs, I'm done. Not to mention that I went to clean grandma's place earlier this morning after not sleeping much last night.
So, rather than telling you all about the chillins dying eggs, I figured I would let you see the pics! :) Here they are! There's a lot of them!
Today, we died eggs. It's kind of a process that takes forever when it comes to dealing with a six year-old who is STINKIN' CRAZY!!! Haha. He had a good time, but it was WAY too much work for me. In the meantime, I must admit that I gave the boy brownies. So, because Nichole and I are both gluten free, I made two batches of brownies. One set was gluten-free, the other was gluten-full. They were quite yummy. So, between the brownies and the dying of the eggs, I'm done. Not to mention that I went to clean grandma's place earlier this morning after not sleeping much last night.
So, rather than telling you all about the chillins dying eggs, I figured I would let you see the pics! :) Here they are! There's a lot of them!
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| Finished products! |
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Friday, April 22, 2011
Troublemaker
So, I'm beginning to show my lil' sister the movie, The Passion of the Christ. I haven't seen it in YEARS so I figured this Easter season...I'm due. Hopefully I don't get in trouble with my momma for showin' her it. However, I feel like she is mature enough in both life and spiritually to handle the movie. So, I've already had to give her a few tips on who is who and where in the story the movie is. It doesn't help that the movie is in subtitles...Haha.
Anyhow, I'm going to watch the move now. Just wanted to declare that I am being a trouble maker just by showing her the movie. Guess we'll see if we get through it tonight...and how well we sleep! Haha! :)
Anyhow, I'm going to watch the move now. Just wanted to declare that I am being a trouble maker just by showing her the movie. Guess we'll see if we get through it tonight...and how well we sleep! Haha! :)
Eloi, Eloi!!!
Good Friday. Holy Friday. Great Friday. Sad Friday. So many names for one of the least favorite holidays of the Christian year. However, it is one of my favorite days. Actually, it is my favorite "holiday." It isn't because Jesus died today, although that's greatly remembered. But it is through the solemness of my day that I find peace. Through the peace, I find atonement which can only happen if Jesus dies.
We can only understand the true joy and meaning of Easter if we understand the true meaning of Holy Friday.
So, it's a favorite. Dearly sorry to those who disagree. Anyhow, going on...I love what is cried out on the cross as it is written in Mark 15. It is because it holds a deep meaning within the words. It's from Psalm 22. And unlike some theologies, I don't believe that Jesus was calling Himself forsaken by Himself (God). I believe that Jesus was showing us a way to express our suffering and a promise of the lament. There are always two parts to the lament (same with Psalm 22). There is the suffering cry and then there is the praise/affirmation. So, even just by crying out on the cross, there's still a lesson to be learned. Sorry for those of you who think I'm going to far with it...but it's just where my heart lies.
I think this is all I'll post tonight, as I have a busy night ahead of me. Lots of thinking being done. Lots of self-examination being done. But hey, that's what today is all about. It's Holy Friday.
We can only understand the true joy and meaning of Easter if we understand the true meaning of Holy Friday.
So, it's a favorite. Dearly sorry to those who disagree. Anyhow, going on...I love what is cried out on the cross as it is written in Mark 15. It is because it holds a deep meaning within the words. It's from Psalm 22. And unlike some theologies, I don't believe that Jesus was calling Himself forsaken by Himself (God). I believe that Jesus was showing us a way to express our suffering and a promise of the lament. There are always two parts to the lament (same with Psalm 22). There is the suffering cry and then there is the praise/affirmation. So, even just by crying out on the cross, there's still a lesson to be learned. Sorry for those of you who think I'm going to far with it...but it's just where my heart lies.
I think this is all I'll post tonight, as I have a busy night ahead of me. Lots of thinking being done. Lots of self-examination being done. But hey, that's what today is all about. It's Holy Friday.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Alive and ???
As I near the end of my stinkin' long day, I have so much to say and so little time to do so. I hurt pretty badly tonight, so I don't know how much I will type or if I will even remember everything I want to talk about. Here's the brief form: auditions, bunnies, birthdays, Easter, FB fun, sista, life plans.
Auditions
I'm nervous for them. I know that I shouldn't be. But I am. More than that, I'm nervous about finding my way around campus tomorrow! I don't want to be "that kid." So, it doesn't help that I also didn't print the campus map before I left home. Hopefully I don't get turned around and that the campus becomes home VERY soon. I am looking forward to it though! I'm looking forward to being on the campus on a school day, meeting the music department staff and the financial aid counselor. So yeah! Wahoo. I love it when things start getting set in stone! :)
Life Plans
Yes, I know. I'm going out of order. I don't care. As for life plans, I think I am going to keep up with my creative writing english major. I am hoping to take some technical writing classes and do editing and publishing as a career. Not crossing off the other options, just not pursuing them at the moment.
Birthdays
My bro's sixth birthday is tomorrow! It is SOOO exciting for him. He was super excited tonight when I saw him. He looks so grown up too! I can't believe he is already turning six! CRAZY?!
Also, I've been thinking about various organizations/charities to donate money towards, so if you have any ideas, post 'em in the comments section! :) Thus far, I've been thinking about my child I'm sponsoring from World Vision and donating to her community. Or the endometriosis association. Or UMCOR for relief in Japan and/or Haiti. SO...Let me know your pick and/or suggestion! :) Oh, and this would be a donation in place of a gift to me for my bday in June!
Easter
Easter is almost here, and that means that family drama has picked up. Hoping it calms down soon. I'm worried about my Grandma too. She just seems to be pretty......ummmm......stressed. So, that makes me crazy. But, Easter is another holiday with traditions in place, so it's going to be weird when we stray from them and when it doesn't seem to go as tradition says we should. SO...We'll see. ;)
FB Fun
And with Easter here, I'm approximately a few days until FB returns. I'm not giving it up for good. I've prayed about it, and there's just too much on there that I can use for God's glory as well as a great communication device for college students. So, yeah. It's stayin'. However, I will have to watch myself to make sure I don't become completely dependent on it and that it doesn't steal away time from God. ALSO - I already know what my FB status is going to be as I get back on it. Lol. How crazy is that?! I'm looking forward to it. ;)
Sista
So, tonight, I got this amazing lil' crocheted bunny from my awesome older sista! And that refers to the magnificent Nichole! :) She isn't my sister by blood, but our friendship has definitely become more like family than just besties. Can you believe that she just leaves my orange juice cup sitting on the table until I take care of it? EVEN if it is like a week later?! Yeah, we're family. ;) Now, if only I could get her to come over to my place enough to have her do that...lol. Yeah, finances suck and make that nearly impossible right now. But that's okay. Soon enough we will be incredibly close!!! YAY!
BUNNIES!!!!!
The magnificent sister of mine has bunnies. They are adorable. ANYHOW, so I'm bunny-sitting while they are away on a cruise. And I've been pretty nervous about this whole thing for a while now, right! It doesn't help when she threatens our friendship based on the survival of these bunnies...and of course, she's said this for MUCH longer than just asking me to bunny-sit. Ha. SO, now that I'm bunny-sitting, I have been wondering if I can really handle such precious creatures. But tonight, as we were chasing the bunnies out from underneath her bed, I got to hold the stubborn one! :) Her name is Emily, and she is the most stubborn bunny EVER! I've been scared of her since like...Day one. (My poor sista who is finding all of this out...haha. I have been, you should have figured this out by now.) ANYHOW...I'm not so scared. I know that she will get to know me and that it will be okay. And I'm learning more and more how to handle them, which is comforting. I feel like the worst is over with. I have been able to hold Emily with her relatively calm as she can be! SO, I am at peace with the whole thing. The task doesn't seem so big and scary anymore. YAY! :D I love bunnies!!!
ALRIGHT...So I think that's all I have for you tonight. I'm in pretty intense pain from writing that, so I'm going to attempt this thing you people call sleep. Not sure how it will go, but hopefully it will go well. :) For now, I am alive and....BUNNIES!!!! :)
Auditions
I'm nervous for them. I know that I shouldn't be. But I am. More than that, I'm nervous about finding my way around campus tomorrow! I don't want to be "that kid." So, it doesn't help that I also didn't print the campus map before I left home. Hopefully I don't get turned around and that the campus becomes home VERY soon. I am looking forward to it though! I'm looking forward to being on the campus on a school day, meeting the music department staff and the financial aid counselor. So yeah! Wahoo. I love it when things start getting set in stone! :)
Life Plans
Yes, I know. I'm going out of order. I don't care. As for life plans, I think I am going to keep up with my creative writing english major. I am hoping to take some technical writing classes and do editing and publishing as a career. Not crossing off the other options, just not pursuing them at the moment.
Birthdays
My bro's sixth birthday is tomorrow! It is SOOO exciting for him. He was super excited tonight when I saw him. He looks so grown up too! I can't believe he is already turning six! CRAZY?!
Also, I've been thinking about various organizations/charities to donate money towards, so if you have any ideas, post 'em in the comments section! :) Thus far, I've been thinking about my child I'm sponsoring from World Vision and donating to her community. Or the endometriosis association. Or UMCOR for relief in Japan and/or Haiti. SO...Let me know your pick and/or suggestion! :) Oh, and this would be a donation in place of a gift to me for my bday in June!
Easter
Easter is almost here, and that means that family drama has picked up. Hoping it calms down soon. I'm worried about my Grandma too. She just seems to be pretty......ummmm......stressed. So, that makes me crazy. But, Easter is another holiday with traditions in place, so it's going to be weird when we stray from them and when it doesn't seem to go as tradition says we should. SO...We'll see. ;)
FB Fun
And with Easter here, I'm approximately a few days until FB returns. I'm not giving it up for good. I've prayed about it, and there's just too much on there that I can use for God's glory as well as a great communication device for college students. So, yeah. It's stayin'. However, I will have to watch myself to make sure I don't become completely dependent on it and that it doesn't steal away time from God. ALSO - I already know what my FB status is going to be as I get back on it. Lol. How crazy is that?! I'm looking forward to it. ;)
Sista
So, tonight, I got this amazing lil' crocheted bunny from my awesome older sista! And that refers to the magnificent Nichole! :) She isn't my sister by blood, but our friendship has definitely become more like family than just besties. Can you believe that she just leaves my orange juice cup sitting on the table until I take care of it? EVEN if it is like a week later?! Yeah, we're family. ;) Now, if only I could get her to come over to my place enough to have her do that...lol. Yeah, finances suck and make that nearly impossible right now. But that's okay. Soon enough we will be incredibly close!!! YAY!
BUNNIES!!!!!
The magnificent sister of mine has bunnies. They are adorable. ANYHOW, so I'm bunny-sitting while they are away on a cruise. And I've been pretty nervous about this whole thing for a while now, right! It doesn't help when she threatens our friendship based on the survival of these bunnies...and of course, she's said this for MUCH longer than just asking me to bunny-sit. Ha. SO, now that I'm bunny-sitting, I have been wondering if I can really handle such precious creatures. But tonight, as we were chasing the bunnies out from underneath her bed, I got to hold the stubborn one! :) Her name is Emily, and she is the most stubborn bunny EVER! I've been scared of her since like...Day one. (My poor sista who is finding all of this out...haha. I have been, you should have figured this out by now.) ANYHOW...I'm not so scared. I know that she will get to know me and that it will be okay. And I'm learning more and more how to handle them, which is comforting. I feel like the worst is over with. I have been able to hold Emily with her relatively calm as she can be! SO, I am at peace with the whole thing. The task doesn't seem so big and scary anymore. YAY! :D I love bunnies!!!
ALRIGHT...So I think that's all I have for you tonight. I'm in pretty intense pain from writing that, so I'm going to attempt this thing you people call sleep. Not sure how it will go, but hopefully it will go well. :) For now, I am alive and....BUNNIES!!!! :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sweet Sunday
Church was refreshing today. The pastor talked about me (name-less) in the sermon today. It was kind of strange, but vague that in a 3,000-member church, it doesn't really matter. It could have been just about anyone! But that's okay. I'll admit that I've been angry at God lately. But, He knows that. OH, He DEFINITELY knows that. And so, we are getting through. We always do. Sometimes it takes longer than others. And sometimes, more damage is done than other times. So, it just depends. But, as life seems to be going in the right direction and as I'm beginning to get excited about transferring and moving back close to home, it makes me praise God more than yell at Him. Sure, there are still days where all I do is yell. But, He cried out on the cross, so I am MORE than welcome to express my feelings too. (A little snippet of what I learned at church today. Well, more like what I was validated...)
Anyhow, I got home from church, did a little reading, and watched a cute movie. Worked on a little devotion for the Pray. Study. Grow. devotional material my church puts out in the bulletin every week. And now, I'm going to relax. Read a bit. Finish up left-over homework. And enjoy my sweet Sunday. I'm not stressed at all about this week. It should be good! So, happy SHORT week!!! Lookin' forward to being home for Easter and seeing my family and Sista!!! :)
OH...SWEET SUNDAY!!!!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Sabbath
I made SOOO much progress on my to do list already for this weekend. I'm getting really excited about it because it means that I might be able to have a legit Sabbath day this week, which has always been really important to me. Even when I was younger, and going nuts with everything that I was doing in high school, I still never did homework on Sundays. When I got to college, I voted Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon as my Sabbath. And some weeks, I would just take Saturday off, but recently, with my health the way it has been, I have had to "spread out" the work throughout the week. Especially if it is a bad week with my fibro flaring. So, I am REALLY excited that I might be able to take Sunday off and enjoy the day with church and then nothing! Especially since it is Palm Sunday which makes me SUPER excited.
I heard it at one point in time put this way: What is acceptable on the Sabbath is to do anything that you wouldn't consider work that is fun, relaxing, and refreshing for the week to come. So, if you love playing soccer and don't consider it work, go for it. I on the other hand would consider it work, especially for the coroner who will have to pronounce me as dead afterward! So, no soccer for me. However, I love playing my flute, reading (not for class) and just sitting around and watching movies! So, that's probably what my Sunday will consist of. OH...And EARLY bedtimes! :)
Anyhow, I was really productive and I'm really excited about it. So, I think I might read some or watch some Roswell (a TV show). I'm tired, but not too bad, though my arms and hands hurt pretty bad. So, I think I'm done typing for the night! Good night W.W.W. :)
I heard it at one point in time put this way: What is acceptable on the Sabbath is to do anything that you wouldn't consider work that is fun, relaxing, and refreshing for the week to come. So, if you love playing soccer and don't consider it work, go for it. I on the other hand would consider it work, especially for the coroner who will have to pronounce me as dead afterward! So, no soccer for me. However, I love playing my flute, reading (not for class) and just sitting around and watching movies! So, that's probably what my Sunday will consist of. OH...And EARLY bedtimes! :)
Anyhow, I was really productive and I'm really excited about it. So, I think I might read some or watch some Roswell (a TV show). I'm tired, but not too bad, though my arms and hands hurt pretty bad. So, I think I'm done typing for the night! Good night W.W.W. :)
The WKND! Amen!
Recently, I have been bombarded with news. Even, some very interesting news. However, beyond that...I've been praying. Praying for answers. Praying for His presence to be known. And it could be that today is a Friday, but I feel like some sort of comfort and peace has come out of this day.
First off, my doctor increased my dosage of Lyrica, the drug I take for my fibromyalgia. And so that is good news to hear that he is okay with doing that. I realized today that I can't hardly wear my rings any longer because the pressure of them on my hand hurts!!! It's kind of ridiculous if you ask me. But whatever. So hopefully the increase will show positive improvement. :)
I was able to finish a presentation last night and it seemed to go well this morning. It was INCREDIBLY hard to understand and thus turn around and teach...so I am excited to have that done with. However, I have to mess with this ridiculous paper for that class now. So, that will be ONE thing that will consume my wknd. Not to mention all of the other homework that I have to get done. I actually missed turning in an assignment today, due to lack of understanding. And that is VERY MUCH unlike me. That's okay though. I have extra credit and I am on good terms with the professor. She's fantastic. By FAR my favorite class! :) So, lots to do with revising my short story and working on my oral history religion project.
My weekend will be consumed by homework. But hopefully I will feel good. Laundry is being done. And an audition is being prepared. And I am THRILLED to be transferring!!! Though, I'm not so sure about the marching band thing. Still prayin' on that one! Anyhow, that's all I have for now!
8 or so days until Easter!!! Wahoo! (I'm a creeper...)
First off, my doctor increased my dosage of Lyrica, the drug I take for my fibromyalgia. And so that is good news to hear that he is okay with doing that. I realized today that I can't hardly wear my rings any longer because the pressure of them on my hand hurts!!! It's kind of ridiculous if you ask me. But whatever. So hopefully the increase will show positive improvement. :)
I was able to finish a presentation last night and it seemed to go well this morning. It was INCREDIBLY hard to understand and thus turn around and teach...so I am excited to have that done with. However, I have to mess with this ridiculous paper for that class now. So, that will be ONE thing that will consume my wknd. Not to mention all of the other homework that I have to get done. I actually missed turning in an assignment today, due to lack of understanding. And that is VERY MUCH unlike me. That's okay though. I have extra credit and I am on good terms with the professor. She's fantastic. By FAR my favorite class! :) So, lots to do with revising my short story and working on my oral history religion project.
My weekend will be consumed by homework. But hopefully I will feel good. Laundry is being done. And an audition is being prepared. And I am THRILLED to be transferring!!! Though, I'm not so sure about the marching band thing. Still prayin' on that one! Anyhow, that's all I have for now!
8 or so days until Easter!!! Wahoo! (I'm a creeper...)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
It's 46 Days, Not 40!
Today is Ash Wednesday. It is the time in the Christian church where many people either give up or take on something in resemblance to what Christ did for us on the cross. The traditional number for it is 40 days, though in reality it is 46 days. It goes until Easter. Some people give up chocolate, soda, sweets, television, etc. or they take on something like reading the Bible more often, giving more time to service, spending more time in prayer, etc.
This year, I have given up FBYTG, which stands for Facebook, YouTube, and Google. I'm not really excited about doing it, however I know that I will have much more free time for the next 46 days. This morning, my daily check of the internet took approximately 4 minutes. I checked my two email addresses, and I was done. I have no idea how I'm going to do with this sacrifice. Along with making this sacrifice, I have committed myself to spending 30 specific minutes studying the Word of God. Recently, I slacked off in this and devoted much of any time that I spent with God in prayer. I realized I was doing too much talking in the relationship with I examined myself and my relationship with God, so thus, this commitment was made.
Because this is really the only way that I'm posting online for the next while, I want to warn you that this blog is generally pretty person. It's who I am. It's who I've claimed to be and who I've reclaimed as who I actually am. So, I don't keep a filter on this. If you are one who doesn't want to know the truth, turn back now or forever hold your peace. Haha. I do make the comment box available, so you are always welcome to post your thoughts, comments, or questions. Now, while this is my out-pouring of my heart, I don't want this to take the place of what Facebook had become for me. I will only post once, perhaps twice, a day. And the posts will probably be long, but not books like I sometimes write. Today's is longer because I'm doing more explaining. However, most will be short updates or thoughts on life. Perhaps I'll even include a bit about what I've learned.
In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a pretty cheesy person. So, I'm going to tell you what I think I'm going to learn and we'll see how it compares in 40 days...well, 46 days.
Facebook had become a huge addiction for me recently with all the stuff that's been going on with my health. Facebook honestly became my lifeline to the world. On bad days for pain, I would sit and scroll up and down FB CONSTANTLY and chat with people, look at friends' profile pages, and keep up with what is going on in FB world, not to mention post LOTS of statuses (some more positive than others). Obviously, that lifeline is gone for the next while. I hope that my lifeline will be screwed in correctly this time. I hope my lifeline becomes God. Now, I know that is kind of an obvious one, but I'm also having issues with trust. Even today, I freaked out a little bit because I realized that I've completely detached myself from Facebook. I stopped the FB texts from coming to my phone. I logged completely out of FB. (I may even block the website from my computer for the time being.) AND...I deleted the FB app off my phone and replaced it with a Bible app. Talk about a rude awakening when I push that spot?! Haha. Anyway, back to the trust thing. There are some people that the only connection I have with them is through FB. There are some that will not contact me until Easter because I will be off FB. There are some people who will be able to tell me one thing and post another on FB. I can't tell you how nervous I am about it all. I guess it's my control factor kicking in too. I can't have those posts immediately coming to my phone so I can control the situation. The crazy thing is that these people also know that I'm off FB until Easter. So, in reality, they could post anything (even in regards to me) on FB, and I would never know until Easter. I know that I shouldn't feel that way and that I should be able to trust my friends to talk to me if they have a problem or put decent statuses up and understand why I can't look at them right now. But, I can't. I've been hurt too many times. Ya know, it was a lot easier to give up FB when all my friendships were doing just fine. Haha...So there's that issue that I really feel like God will be working on. And I'm still scared and nervous about it, but there isn't anything I can do but trust that God will get myself and my friendships through what may seem like forever, but merely 46 days. Hopefully He can nix some jealousy out too that is connected with the whole issue. But, I won't go into that right now!
I gave up YouTube, merely because it is something I turn to when I am bored. It isn't something that I'm addicted to, but I think the relief from it will be enjoyable.
And then there's Google. Now, why would someone give up Google for 46 days?! It connects back to my trust issue. I research everything, especially in regards to my health. So, other than what I need from such a wonderful search engine to do my homework, I won't be doing much research with it. I want to be able to trust people and trust that God knows what He is doing with my body. I hope and pray I don't regret this sacrifice. I don't think I will, but it'll be one of the more difficult ones.
ANYHOW...I gotta go. Apparently, I am going in to work today at my mom's office. Hopefully I have the energy to withstand it, but we'll see. Have an awesome day!!! Happy Ash Wednesday!
This year, I have given up FBYTG, which stands for Facebook, YouTube, and Google. I'm not really excited about doing it, however I know that I will have much more free time for the next 46 days. This morning, my daily check of the internet took approximately 4 minutes. I checked my two email addresses, and I was done. I have no idea how I'm going to do with this sacrifice. Along with making this sacrifice, I have committed myself to spending 30 specific minutes studying the Word of God. Recently, I slacked off in this and devoted much of any time that I spent with God in prayer. I realized I was doing too much talking in the relationship with I examined myself and my relationship with God, so thus, this commitment was made.
Because this is really the only way that I'm posting online for the next while, I want to warn you that this blog is generally pretty person. It's who I am. It's who I've claimed to be and who I've reclaimed as who I actually am. So, I don't keep a filter on this. If you are one who doesn't want to know the truth, turn back now or forever hold your peace. Haha. I do make the comment box available, so you are always welcome to post your thoughts, comments, or questions. Now, while this is my out-pouring of my heart, I don't want this to take the place of what Facebook had become for me. I will only post once, perhaps twice, a day. And the posts will probably be long, but not books like I sometimes write. Today's is longer because I'm doing more explaining. However, most will be short updates or thoughts on life. Perhaps I'll even include a bit about what I've learned.
In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a pretty cheesy person. So, I'm going to tell you what I think I'm going to learn and we'll see how it compares in 40 days...well, 46 days.
Facebook had become a huge addiction for me recently with all the stuff that's been going on with my health. Facebook honestly became my lifeline to the world. On bad days for pain, I would sit and scroll up and down FB CONSTANTLY and chat with people, look at friends' profile pages, and keep up with what is going on in FB world, not to mention post LOTS of statuses (some more positive than others). Obviously, that lifeline is gone for the next while. I hope that my lifeline will be screwed in correctly this time. I hope my lifeline becomes God. Now, I know that is kind of an obvious one, but I'm also having issues with trust. Even today, I freaked out a little bit because I realized that I've completely detached myself from Facebook. I stopped the FB texts from coming to my phone. I logged completely out of FB. (I may even block the website from my computer for the time being.) AND...I deleted the FB app off my phone and replaced it with a Bible app. Talk about a rude awakening when I push that spot?! Haha. Anyway, back to the trust thing. There are some people that the only connection I have with them is through FB. There are some that will not contact me until Easter because I will be off FB. There are some people who will be able to tell me one thing and post another on FB. I can't tell you how nervous I am about it all. I guess it's my control factor kicking in too. I can't have those posts immediately coming to my phone so I can control the situation. The crazy thing is that these people also know that I'm off FB until Easter. So, in reality, they could post anything (even in regards to me) on FB, and I would never know until Easter. I know that I shouldn't feel that way and that I should be able to trust my friends to talk to me if they have a problem or put decent statuses up and understand why I can't look at them right now. But, I can't. I've been hurt too many times. Ya know, it was a lot easier to give up FB when all my friendships were doing just fine. Haha...So there's that issue that I really feel like God will be working on. And I'm still scared and nervous about it, but there isn't anything I can do but trust that God will get myself and my friendships through what may seem like forever, but merely 46 days. Hopefully He can nix some jealousy out too that is connected with the whole issue. But, I won't go into that right now!
I gave up YouTube, merely because it is something I turn to when I am bored. It isn't something that I'm addicted to, but I think the relief from it will be enjoyable.
And then there's Google. Now, why would someone give up Google for 46 days?! It connects back to my trust issue. I research everything, especially in regards to my health. So, other than what I need from such a wonderful search engine to do my homework, I won't be doing much research with it. I want to be able to trust people and trust that God knows what He is doing with my body. I hope and pray I don't regret this sacrifice. I don't think I will, but it'll be one of the more difficult ones.
ANYHOW...I gotta go. Apparently, I am going in to work today at my mom's office. Hopefully I have the energy to withstand it, but we'll see. Have an awesome day!!! Happy Ash Wednesday!
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