As some of you may know, November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo)! Last year I was able to accomplish the feat of posting a blog at least once a day for the entire month! So here I am to repeat!
In honor of this blogging month, I've decided to post about one of my favorite things - the show "30 Rock" on NBC! I recently decided to sign up for my own Netflix account and the streaming video instantly on my computer has become ADDICTING!! So I just finished watching the entire 4th season and now am about halfway through the 3rd season (yes, I'm working my way backwards).
I now can not go without doing a little dance every time I hear the theme song, and have started to quote the show's lead character, Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) on a regular basis. So please enjoy some of my favorite "Liz Lemon catchphrases". (I tried to find funny images/icons but I found this video instead - SHE'S MY FAVORITE)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Buy Raffle Tickets for $5 - Get Club Level Stars Seats for free!!!
Buy some raffle tickets and win Club Level Seats! All proceeds go towards helping an Ethiopian adoption!!
Numbers 9:19
Yet another good devotional passage. “When the cloud remained…the Israelites…did not set out.” - Numbers 9:19
Yet another wonderful reminder that storms will come and it may seem like the smart thing to do to pack up and move away from the storm. Or, it may feel like a storm is approaching, and you’re stuck, and there’s nothing you can do but wait for it to hit you.
But it’s a great reminder, especially for me, that while I may either be in the middle of a storm, or see one approaching, that I am equipped to handle the storm. I may feel trapped in the storm, sure, and feel like I’d rather be anywhere else where I didn’t have to handle the brunt of the bad weather. But just like the metallurgist doesn’t leave the precious metal alone in the fire, God doesn’t leave you empty handed in the storm. That’s what the Bible and church and family and support is for – they’re your rain gear, to help protect you and get you through the storm!!
The devotional book starts off by saying it’s a test of obedience – rather than picking up and abandoning things, by staying put and sticking out the storm (with help), you’re showing God your obedience and trust that he has you there for a reason, and he has every intention of seeing you come out the other side safely, and a better person for it.
It’s also all about patience. It may be a long, tough storm. No one knows when the storms will end. Rather than praying for the storm to end, I need to work on being patient, and know that God has everything perfectly planned, and I should really be praying that he will give me the tools and equipment to get through it. That will be hard for me. I’m not naturally a patient person – I want it done right now.
So maybe, I should actually pray for patience. And maybe God has me going through this long storm so that I may actually learn patience. While it’s only been 2 weeks, I can actually look back at the last 2 weeks and see my change – while I’m still struggling with patience, I’ve seen a lot of things that I can put my trust in and ways that God has improved my patience. It’s just evidence that patience IS a virtue and there are benefits – I just have to keep reminding myself of that.
Yet another wonderful reminder that storms will come and it may seem like the smart thing to do to pack up and move away from the storm. Or, it may feel like a storm is approaching, and you’re stuck, and there’s nothing you can do but wait for it to hit you.
But it’s a great reminder, especially for me, that while I may either be in the middle of a storm, or see one approaching, that I am equipped to handle the storm. I may feel trapped in the storm, sure, and feel like I’d rather be anywhere else where I didn’t have to handle the brunt of the bad weather. But just like the metallurgist doesn’t leave the precious metal alone in the fire, God doesn’t leave you empty handed in the storm. That’s what the Bible and church and family and support is for – they’re your rain gear, to help protect you and get you through the storm!!
The devotional book starts off by saying it’s a test of obedience – rather than picking up and abandoning things, by staying put and sticking out the storm (with help), you’re showing God your obedience and trust that he has you there for a reason, and he has every intention of seeing you come out the other side safely, and a better person for it.
It’s also all about patience. It may be a long, tough storm. No one knows when the storms will end. Rather than praying for the storm to end, I need to work on being patient, and know that God has everything perfectly planned, and I should really be praying that he will give me the tools and equipment to get through it. That will be hard for me. I’m not naturally a patient person – I want it done right now.
So maybe, I should actually pray for patience. And maybe God has me going through this long storm so that I may actually learn patience. While it’s only been 2 weeks, I can actually look back at the last 2 weeks and see my change – while I’m still struggling with patience, I’ve seen a lot of things that I can put my trust in and ways that God has improved my patience. It’s just evidence that patience IS a virtue and there are benefits – I just have to keep reminding myself of that.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thoughts...
I must admit, I haven’t done a daily devotional probably since high school, or at least my freshman year of college. I can’t even say that I’ve thought about it, or missed it, or wished I had been doing them. However, some recent events have prompted me to go back to it, as I find myself needing daily encouragement and words to help me get through the day. I’ve struggled with finding the right time for me to do this, but I think I’ve started to figure out that starting my day with a devotional will help prepare me for the day, and I can constantly remind myself of what I’ve read and refer to it throughout the day.
A while back, I bought a 366 Day Daily Devotional book called “Streams in the Dessert” by L. B. Cowman, edited by Jim Reimann. I couldn’t tell you when I bought it, but I can tell you I most likely purchased it because it’s an “updated edition in today’s language”. I have My Utmost for His Highest, and sometimes the language is a little over my head, but “Streams in the Dessert” Revised seems to speak to me.
Today’s devotional talks about the refiner’s fire. The verse is Malachi 3:3 – “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver”. It talks about how God is like a metallurgist; the metallurgist knows that only a refiner’s fire will melt the metal enough for it to finally be molded to its perfect shape. Similarly, God knows that we all need to essentially go through a “fire” to come out perfectly shaped and molded on the other side. It’s almost like life is a series of “fires”, because in my opinion, while we strive to be perfect, and that’s God’s sincere goal for us, we will never achieve perfection in this lifetime. He’s getting us ready for what’s after this lifetime.
The line that really struck me the most from the devotional is “It is with the most precious metals that a metallurgist will take the greatest care”. I haven’t really been feeling like a very precious “metal” lately. I’ve been disappointed in myself and have felt that others have been disappointed in me too, or that others deserve to be disappointed in me. Everyone makes mistakes, but recently I’ve had a hard time understanding that God wants you to make mistakes. Because ultimately, in the end, it’s those mistakes that will make you who you are (which is who He wants you to be). And they’re “planned” mistakes, meant for a purpose. While what you’re going through may not be perfect to some people, and it’s hard to see while you’re right in the middle of it, that’s the fire that’s melting you so that you can become the person God wants you to be. I’ve just been struggling with feeling “precious”. It’s hard for me to feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel when I’m in the middle of the “fire”. But reading a devotional like this seems like it’s exactly what God wanted me to hear.
It goes on to say that while the metal is in the fire, the metallurgist doesn’t leave it; rather, he sits down next to it to watch it so it isn’t overheated and the fire won’t harm the metal. In this same vein, God made choosen to put me “through a fire”, but He will never leave me and doesn’t want to see harm done to me; rather he wants to make sure I get exactly where I need to be so I can be molded to be perfect.
To pick up a random devotional book that I haven’t looked at in years, and have this be the particular passage I’m “scheduled” to read when this is how I’m feeling, can only be explained by the simple fact that God can see and hear my fears and knows that I need comfort. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and this “fire” I’m feeling will pass and will only make me a better person at the other end; the mold of what He wants me to be, perfect in His eyes. It’s just hard for me to be in the fire, but it wasn’t meant to be easy.
Excerpt from a poem by Arthur Tappan Pierson –
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,
But our eyes were so dim with tears,
We saw the fire - not the Master’s hand,
And questioned with anxious fears.
There is more before and after that section, but that part sticks out the most for me. Like I’ve said, it’s hard to be in the middle of the fire and see that there’s something good that will come out of this, or to understand that we’re going through something for a reason. And it’s easy to cry and have anxieties and fears and question your life – I’m just glad that I have this devotional today to help remind me that it’s all for a greater purpose, and while it’s not up to me what happens, God is in charge and is keeping an eye on the “fire” and he knows what he’s doing and when we’ll be ready.
Should we think that is pleases His loving heart
To cause us a moment’s pain?
Not so! For He saw through the present cross
The joy through eternal gain.
Amen!!
*On a side note – I took a page from my dad’s devotional “playbook” and brought my devotional book into work this morning, since I knew I’d have a least half an hour to myself before people started to arrive. Shortly after arriving though, a co-worker of mine also arrived and I thought my plans would have to wait. However, she left the office for what I thought was a quick run to the kitchen for coffee, so I thought I’d just read through today’s passage in the 5 minutes or so she’d be gone. But…I was able to spend the next 35 minutes reading and reflecting on the passage and she never came back. As soon as I was done, my boss arrived for the day.
How’s that for God’s perfect timing???!!!
A while back, I bought a 366 Day Daily Devotional book called “Streams in the Dessert” by L. B. Cowman, edited by Jim Reimann. I couldn’t tell you when I bought it, but I can tell you I most likely purchased it because it’s an “updated edition in today’s language”. I have My Utmost for His Highest, and sometimes the language is a little over my head, but “Streams in the Dessert” Revised seems to speak to me.
Today’s devotional talks about the refiner’s fire. The verse is Malachi 3:3 – “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver”. It talks about how God is like a metallurgist; the metallurgist knows that only a refiner’s fire will melt the metal enough for it to finally be molded to its perfect shape. Similarly, God knows that we all need to essentially go through a “fire” to come out perfectly shaped and molded on the other side. It’s almost like life is a series of “fires”, because in my opinion, while we strive to be perfect, and that’s God’s sincere goal for us, we will never achieve perfection in this lifetime. He’s getting us ready for what’s after this lifetime.
The line that really struck me the most from the devotional is “It is with the most precious metals that a metallurgist will take the greatest care”. I haven’t really been feeling like a very precious “metal” lately. I’ve been disappointed in myself and have felt that others have been disappointed in me too, or that others deserve to be disappointed in me. Everyone makes mistakes, but recently I’ve had a hard time understanding that God wants you to make mistakes. Because ultimately, in the end, it’s those mistakes that will make you who you are (which is who He wants you to be). And they’re “planned” mistakes, meant for a purpose. While what you’re going through may not be perfect to some people, and it’s hard to see while you’re right in the middle of it, that’s the fire that’s melting you so that you can become the person God wants you to be. I’ve just been struggling with feeling “precious”. It’s hard for me to feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel when I’m in the middle of the “fire”. But reading a devotional like this seems like it’s exactly what God wanted me to hear.
It goes on to say that while the metal is in the fire, the metallurgist doesn’t leave it; rather, he sits down next to it to watch it so it isn’t overheated and the fire won’t harm the metal. In this same vein, God made choosen to put me “through a fire”, but He will never leave me and doesn’t want to see harm done to me; rather he wants to make sure I get exactly where I need to be so I can be molded to be perfect.
To pick up a random devotional book that I haven’t looked at in years, and have this be the particular passage I’m “scheduled” to read when this is how I’m feeling, can only be explained by the simple fact that God can see and hear my fears and knows that I need comfort. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and this “fire” I’m feeling will pass and will only make me a better person at the other end; the mold of what He wants me to be, perfect in His eyes. It’s just hard for me to be in the fire, but it wasn’t meant to be easy.
Excerpt from a poem by Arthur Tappan Pierson –
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,
But our eyes were so dim with tears,
We saw the fire - not the Master’s hand,
And questioned with anxious fears.
There is more before and after that section, but that part sticks out the most for me. Like I’ve said, it’s hard to be in the middle of the fire and see that there’s something good that will come out of this, or to understand that we’re going through something for a reason. And it’s easy to cry and have anxieties and fears and question your life – I’m just glad that I have this devotional today to help remind me that it’s all for a greater purpose, and while it’s not up to me what happens, God is in charge and is keeping an eye on the “fire” and he knows what he’s doing and when we’ll be ready.
Should we think that is pleases His loving heart
To cause us a moment’s pain?
Not so! For He saw through the present cross
The joy through eternal gain.
Amen!!
*On a side note – I took a page from my dad’s devotional “playbook” and brought my devotional book into work this morning, since I knew I’d have a least half an hour to myself before people started to arrive. Shortly after arriving though, a co-worker of mine also arrived and I thought my plans would have to wait. However, she left the office for what I thought was a quick run to the kitchen for coffee, so I thought I’d just read through today’s passage in the 5 minutes or so she’d be gone. But…I was able to spend the next 35 minutes reading and reflecting on the passage and she never came back. As soon as I was done, my boss arrived for the day.
How’s that for God’s perfect timing???!!!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Dallas Area Dallas Stars fans!! (And coffee fans!)
Dallas Area Dallas Stars fans - my brother is selling $5 raffle tickets (or 4 for $15) for a chance to win 2-$100 Dallas Stars tickets vs. Atlanta on January 15th! They will draw the
winner on December 11th, and add more tickets the more entries we get! They are also offering discounted tickets to other games - anyone interested?? Let me know and I'll get you their info!
He and my sister-in-law (see their story here) are working on adopting children from Ethiopia, and every little bit helps! They are also selling African coffees, with $5 from each bag going to their adoption!! If you love coffee, check these out! --> Buy coffee to help adoptions!
winner on December 11th, and add more tickets the more entries we get! They are also offering discounted tickets to other games - anyone interested?? Let me know and I'll get you their info!
He and my sister-in-law (see their story here) are working on adopting children from Ethiopia, and every little bit helps! They are also selling African coffees, with $5 from each bag going to their adoption!! If you love coffee, check these out! --> Buy coffee to help adoptions!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Fall Decorations
Can't say it would blow an interior designer's mind, but I'm pleased to have some fall decorations in my home!
What you see when you come in - I made that larger cross-stitch in the middle saying "think autumn".
What you see when you come in - I made that larger cross-stitch in the middle saying "think autumn".
Here's the guest bathroom in the entrance hallway, some pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns (thanks to Mom!)
My mom made this for me a while back ... this will be out until Halloween until that passes, then it goes on to the next pillow!
This one my mom also made, but it's good until Winter!!
It's not a lot and it's simple, but I think my fireplace is cute! (But much better for Christmas though!!)
My mom made this for me a while back ... this will be out until Halloween until that passes, then it goes on to the next pillow!
This one my mom also made, but it's good until Winter!!
It's not a lot and it's simple, but I think my fireplace is cute! (But much better for Christmas though!!)
More Adventures in Cooking
Just wanted to share a few more culinary accomplishments for me...
Broccoli and cheese quiche!! This consisted of half full eggs and half egg whites, but it was good. The bad news - I used too much broccoli, and after about 3 days, it started smelling like it went bad. So I couldn't finish it. At least what I tasted was good! But lesson learned...use less broccoli!!
So this isn't a feat of culinary accomplishments, but it was AMAZING and I was stuffed until about 2 pm!! These are breakfast burritos...3 eggs whites and 2 turkey bacon slices (split between the 2 burritos), high fiber tortillas, fat free Cheddar cheese, and I poured about 2 tbsp of Salsa Verde over each before rolling them up! And I also tried the Fruit2Day drinks I've been hearing about - the juice is great, but they put pieces of fruit in them, and I really can't stand that. It really bothers me to have to chew my drinks. So I won't be getting them again. But...that doesn't mean you shouldn't! Like I said, the juice was good.
Broccoli and cheese quiche!! This consisted of half full eggs and half egg whites, but it was good. The bad news - I used too much broccoli, and after about 3 days, it started smelling like it went bad. So I couldn't finish it. At least what I tasted was good! But lesson learned...use less broccoli!!
So this isn't a feat of culinary accomplishments, but it was AMAZING and I was stuffed until about 2 pm!! These are breakfast burritos...3 eggs whites and 2 turkey bacon slices (split between the 2 burritos), high fiber tortillas, fat free Cheddar cheese, and I poured about 2 tbsp of Salsa Verde over each before rolling them up! And I also tried the Fruit2Day drinks I've been hearing about - the juice is great, but they put pieces of fruit in them, and I really can't stand that. It really bothers me to have to chew my drinks. So I won't be getting them again. But...that doesn't mean you shouldn't! Like I said, the juice was good.
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