Yesterday was a big day. It was a day long in coming, highly anticipated, and very much dreaded. Yesterday, I finished Prison Break. Yes, I know that this does not seem like it should warrant it's own blog post. However, if kidney stones can get a shout out on this thing, then Michael Scofield certainly can too. If you are unaware of the premise of the show, allow me to break it down for you. Scofield's in prison....and he breaks out. I know. Spoiler. Come on now, did you really think he didn't? So why am I blogging about a fictional character on a fictional show? Because, not only did the show solidify my belief that I am truly gangster, it also taught me some things that I feel necessary to share with all of you....
Lessons Learned From Michael Scofield and Everyone Else on the Show Prison Break
1. I'm pretty sure I would tattoo blueprints all over my body, commit a crime, be sent to prison, and break out if one of my siblings was wrongfully convicted. Yup. Pretty sure.
2. Oragami is not only pretty cool but can also be critical to any plan involving anything remotely against the law. I'm thinking of taking it up this summer. Just in case #1 actually happens.
3. Never trust anyone in a suit and dark glasses. It never ends well. For anybody.
4. Always, always have a back up plan for the back up plan. In fact, have no less than 6 back up plans. And one plan should always involve a gas mask. For coolness sake.
5. Real gangsters keep their phones on vibrate. No sweet ringtones for them. This is where gangsters and I differ slightly.
6. Breaking out of prison and being on the run is a dirty job. Literally. Be prepared and break out with at least a toothbrush.
7. Take a knife to a fist fi.....nah just take a glock to any fight.
8. It really helps to know people with access to boats, planes, and the ability to exonerate you. This will be on any friend questionaire I give out in the future.
9. If you say anything with an intense eye stare and whispery voice, people will take you seriously. Even seasoned assassins.
10. If I were to be on the other side and be a seasoned assassin, I would definitely wear 6 inch heels. And red lipstick. But I would keep my ringtone.
So now that it' s over, I guess I can move on with my life. I hear Sons of Anarchy is pretty good, though.....
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
And the Beat Goes On....
Number 21
I love music. When I am just hanging out, I would rather have music on than watch a movie or television. Road trips? Forget conversation, just turn up the music. And there are some mornings when I wish my drive to work were longer just so I could get more songs in. As it is, though, on my five minute drive, I can usually get through at least three songs :) When I was a little girl, I had a cassette tape of Dolly Parton's album, White Limozeen (that's not a spelling mistake, that's just how awesome Dolly is). I loved that tape. It's a big reason why yellow roses are still my favorite flower and why "cowboy boots and painted on jeans" make me smile.
I love all kinds of music, too. Although, country music remains at the top of my preference list, my Itunes is full of some not so country music. Basically if it has a good beat, it goes on the list. Right now, as I am typing this, I am listening to Gladys Knight and the Pips "Midnight Train to Georgia". Oh man, the stories Chrissy could tell about this song :) Oh and now Bruno Mars' "Grenade" is on. I love my music selections.
Music is something that I am so thankful for in my life. There are songs that, to this day, can take me back to ninth grade and songs that bring back emotions from my junior year in college. Faces, names, and smells return with just the first couple of notes.
I love music.
I love music. When I am just hanging out, I would rather have music on than watch a movie or television. Road trips? Forget conversation, just turn up the music. And there are some mornings when I wish my drive to work were longer just so I could get more songs in. As it is, though, on my five minute drive, I can usually get through at least three songs :) When I was a little girl, I had a cassette tape of Dolly Parton's album, White Limozeen (that's not a spelling mistake, that's just how awesome Dolly is). I loved that tape. It's a big reason why yellow roses are still my favorite flower and why "cowboy boots and painted on jeans" make me smile.
I love all kinds of music, too. Although, country music remains at the top of my preference list, my Itunes is full of some not so country music. Basically if it has a good beat, it goes on the list. Right now, as I am typing this, I am listening to Gladys Knight and the Pips "Midnight Train to Georgia". Oh man, the stories Chrissy could tell about this song :) Oh and now Bruno Mars' "Grenade" is on. I love my music selections.
Music is something that I am so thankful for in my life. There are songs that, to this day, can take me back to ninth grade and songs that bring back emotions from my junior year in college. Faces, names, and smells return with just the first couple of notes.
I love music.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Crazy People
T is for Truth
I'm going to confess something in this blog. Prepare your hearts for this now. Here it is: I am a fearful person. There I said, or wrote it actually. I know, I know. Whoa. Brand new information. But seriously, I am a fearful person. Give me a great situation, any situation, and I can probably come up with no less than ten things that could potentially go wrong. I don't purposefully seek out new situations because of this and have, in the past, missed out on some great experiences. Maybe this is why snowboarding was so exciting for me. Something new and extremely frightening and I did it. If you haven't read those blog posts yet, don't. Just know that I am an amazing snowboarder :)
I never truly recognized how much fear played a role in my life until after college. Before then, I simply considered myself a worrier and just carried on. It wasn't until a series of events after college that I became aware of how big fear is in my world.
It was a rainy Monday afternoon in July. That morning, I had just allowed another opportunity to slip away because I was afraid. I was sitting in the living room, staring out the window at the rain when my mom came in and sat down with me. She never said a word and I just began to cry. I had no idea what was wrong with me, I just knew that I was afraid. Of what I didn't know. But the fear was BIG. She held my hand and told me that after discussing it, she and my dad felt that it was best if I went to see a counselor. Looking back on this now, I know that this had to have been a hard step for my parents. To acknowledge that one of their children was going through something that they couldn't fix could not have been easy. I was a little unsure of the prospect of going to counseling. I thought, then, that counseling was for crazy people and for people getting married (and I wasn't getting married, so.... :)) But, my mom made the phone call anyway, and that Friday I experienced my first counseling session.
My dad came with me and sat in the waiting room. I remember what I wore, what we talked about, and I remember walking out of the room feeling like a little bit of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. And we had just talked about the steps involved with counseling! Over the course of the next few months, I detailed certain events in my life and examined my thoughts. Fear was a constant thread in those thoughts and that fear led to a cycle of events that were easily identified in my life. I remember one particular session when Sara, my counselor, asked me a question that changed my life. I had just finished describing an event where I experienced almost debilitating fear. When I was finished, she asked "What's the truth?" I just sat there for a moment and then said I didn't understand the question. She then repeated herself "What's the truth?" She then explained that if I believe that God is in control, then He is in control in all situations. Even the ones that scare the life out of me. I had a choice to make. To live in the fear or accept that God has given me every place I step my foot. To believe in Truth.
There is a song that I have heard a lot recently, "Forever Reign". Some of the lines in it go,
I'm going to confess something in this blog. Prepare your hearts for this now. Here it is: I am a fearful person. There I said, or wrote it actually. I know, I know. Whoa. Brand new information. But seriously, I am a fearful person. Give me a great situation, any situation, and I can probably come up with no less than ten things that could potentially go wrong. I don't purposefully seek out new situations because of this and have, in the past, missed out on some great experiences. Maybe this is why snowboarding was so exciting for me. Something new and extremely frightening and I did it. If you haven't read those blog posts yet, don't. Just know that I am an amazing snowboarder :)
I never truly recognized how much fear played a role in my life until after college. Before then, I simply considered myself a worrier and just carried on. It wasn't until a series of events after college that I became aware of how big fear is in my world.
It was a rainy Monday afternoon in July. That morning, I had just allowed another opportunity to slip away because I was afraid. I was sitting in the living room, staring out the window at the rain when my mom came in and sat down with me. She never said a word and I just began to cry. I had no idea what was wrong with me, I just knew that I was afraid. Of what I didn't know. But the fear was BIG. She held my hand and told me that after discussing it, she and my dad felt that it was best if I went to see a counselor. Looking back on this now, I know that this had to have been a hard step for my parents. To acknowledge that one of their children was going through something that they couldn't fix could not have been easy. I was a little unsure of the prospect of going to counseling. I thought, then, that counseling was for crazy people and for people getting married (and I wasn't getting married, so.... :)) But, my mom made the phone call anyway, and that Friday I experienced my first counseling session.
My dad came with me and sat in the waiting room. I remember what I wore, what we talked about, and I remember walking out of the room feeling like a little bit of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. And we had just talked about the steps involved with counseling! Over the course of the next few months, I detailed certain events in my life and examined my thoughts. Fear was a constant thread in those thoughts and that fear led to a cycle of events that were easily identified in my life. I remember one particular session when Sara, my counselor, asked me a question that changed my life. I had just finished describing an event where I experienced almost debilitating fear. When I was finished, she asked "What's the truth?" I just sat there for a moment and then said I didn't understand the question. She then repeated herself "What's the truth?" She then explained that if I believe that God is in control, then He is in control in all situations. Even the ones that scare the life out of me. I had a choice to make. To live in the fear or accept that God has given me every place I step my foot. To believe in Truth.
There is a song that I have heard a lot recently, "Forever Reign". Some of the lines in it go,
You are peace, You are peace when my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true, even in my wandering
Singing these words the first time was one of the most peaceful moments of my life. Because, for the first time, in a long time, maybe even ever, I believe them. I believe that He is Truth and Peace. I believe this because I have experienced it. I might wake up some mornings afraid to face the day but I am quickly reminded that He is Truth, simply because I have woken up.
Fear is no longer at the forefront in my life. I have the snowboarding pictures to prove it :)
Do You See What I See?
I got my first pair of glasses in the fifth grade. Red, plastic-rimmed glasses from Lens Crafters. They were special :) Since then, I have come a long way in my glasses fashion sense. I now sport, when I am not wearing my all too expensive but all too needed contact lenses, a pair of half-rimless, black and white spectacles. Needless to say, I like these a bit better. But, regardless of the style, corrected vision has been part of my life since I was 10 years old. I'm not sure what it is like to wake up in the morning and not squint to see what time it is or how not to panic when someone moves my glasses after I've taken out my contacts (you know who you are). However much a frustration as this is, I have been blessed with my glasses and contacts because they have improved my sense of sight and have given me the ability to see, clearly, some incredible things. Things that I am so thankful for....
11. Welcome to Virginia Signs- I moved to Virginia when I was about seven years old. Virginia is home. When I was a student at WCU and missing my home, there was no better sight than the sign with the red cardinal on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. On those long drives back from Beaufort, that red cardinal is there again. Virginia is for Lovers :)
12. Sunrises- I don't see a lot these :) But, seeing one means that I am probably doing something fun. Whether it is on 95 driving south or those ridiculously early morning two-a-days, I have seen some incredible sunrises.
13. Mountain View Road in the Fall- Reds, oranges, yellows, and purples. Fall is my favorite season and this road hardly ever disappoints with the colors. It makes driving the speed limit worth it...
14. Palm Springs Aerial Tram- Not to brag or anything, but this IS the world's largest aerial rotating tram and I have been on it. I might have been glued to the pole in the middle of the rotating death capsule we were stuck on but still. It took me up 8500 feet to one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. We started in the desert and ended up in a snow filled forest. Incredible.
15. A Baseball Field- I love baseball fields. I'm not sure why but I think part of it is because of the infield. Clean, crisp white baselines. The infield grass. Or maybe it's the outfield with the criss-cross mowing. Don't know, don't care. I love baseball fields.
16. The Natural Bridge- I have actually been there twice and both times have been blown away. It's a bridge in the side of a mountain! I mean, wow :)
17. Blue Skies- I like rainy days, but I like blue sky days too. Those days where it seems like you can see forever and wish you could.
18. The Mediterranean- On a Monday in July, I stood on a boat that was actually on the Mediterranean Sea. Unbelievable. It was so blue and beautiful. I took some pictures but I really just stood on the side of the boat and just stared out at it. I think I was too afraid to take a lot of pictures because I didn't want to distract from the actual experience. It was something I will never forget.
19. The Ocean- Let me start by saying that I don't actually get into the ocean. But I do like looking at it. I like being on the beach, with a good book, a cold drink, and a nice big umbrella :) There is something calming and constant about watching the waves crash on the shore. I like that.
20. Snow- Snow and I have love-hate relationship. I love looking at it but hate going out in it. I love the winter wonderland feel of snow and I love the silence of it. I'm thankful that it gives me random days off in the winter, too.
11. Welcome to Virginia Signs- I moved to Virginia when I was about seven years old. Virginia is home. When I was a student at WCU and missing my home, there was no better sight than the sign with the red cardinal on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. On those long drives back from Beaufort, that red cardinal is there again. Virginia is for Lovers :)
12. Sunrises- I don't see a lot these :) But, seeing one means that I am probably doing something fun. Whether it is on 95 driving south or those ridiculously early morning two-a-days, I have seen some incredible sunrises.
13. Mountain View Road in the Fall- Reds, oranges, yellows, and purples. Fall is my favorite season and this road hardly ever disappoints with the colors. It makes driving the speed limit worth it...
14. Palm Springs Aerial Tram- Not to brag or anything, but this IS the world's largest aerial rotating tram and I have been on it. I might have been glued to the pole in the middle of the rotating death capsule we were stuck on but still. It took me up 8500 feet to one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. We started in the desert and ended up in a snow filled forest. Incredible.
15. A Baseball Field- I love baseball fields. I'm not sure why but I think part of it is because of the infield. Clean, crisp white baselines. The infield grass. Or maybe it's the outfield with the criss-cross mowing. Don't know, don't care. I love baseball fields.
16. The Natural Bridge- I have actually been there twice and both times have been blown away. It's a bridge in the side of a mountain! I mean, wow :)
17. Blue Skies- I like rainy days, but I like blue sky days too. Those days where it seems like you can see forever and wish you could.
18. The Mediterranean- On a Monday in July, I stood on a boat that was actually on the Mediterranean Sea. Unbelievable. It was so blue and beautiful. I took some pictures but I really just stood on the side of the boat and just stared out at it. I think I was too afraid to take a lot of pictures because I didn't want to distract from the actual experience. It was something I will never forget.
19. The Ocean- Let me start by saying that I don't actually get into the ocean. But I do like looking at it. I like being on the beach, with a good book, a cold drink, and a nice big umbrella :) There is something calming and constant about watching the waves crash on the shore. I like that.
20. Snow- Snow and I have love-hate relationship. I love looking at it but hate going out in it. I love the winter wonderland feel of snow and I love the silence of it. I'm thankful that it gives me random days off in the winter, too.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Here Goes....
So yesterday, my sister-in-law had a birthday and blogged thirty things she is thankful for, leading up to the 1,000 things she is thankful for in her life. I was, then, inspired to come up with my own list of 1,000 things. SO.....we will see how this goes. I figure if I write 10 things on each blog then it will only take 100 blogs to finish. And they say pretty girls can't do math :).
1. Grace- I have been saved by grace and that has changed my life. Jesus Christ is my Savior and that alone could make up the whole list of 1,000 things.
2. My Mom and Dad- No two people have ever shown me the true definition of unconditional love like them. I have messed up a great deal throughout the last 27 years and yet, have never had to question being loved.
3. Jenn, Katy, Chris, and Allison- These are the people I have hung out with for most of my life. These are the people who have seen me cry, be ugly, and fall flat on my face and they still keep me around anyway. Sitting around the dinner table until late into the evening, telling stories is something I look forward to when we are all old. Or at least older :)
4. Jake and Cole- My life changed on a Monday morning in January 2008 when Jake was born. I'm sure I had an idea of what awesome was before that day but that baby boy redefined it and still does. Oh, and then there is Cole Baby. A perfect little package of sweetness. Love those boys.
5. My Small Group- Our small group exploded last fall and it has been just great. We have had so much fun studying God's word and doing life together. From passing out lunch in D.C., gingerbread house night, and countless dinners in Jenn's apartment, friends and lovers indeed :)
6. My Job- Teaching preschool was not what I imagined I would be doing with my life. But the best thing is, I love it. I have had the privilege of knowing some very special small people over the last few years. I have been challenged, hugged, and blessed by them all and I wouldn't trade that for any job in the world.
7. My Car- It's not fancy, the gas gauge doesn't move, and it makes a strange clicking sound when the A/C or heat is on but that Chevy has gotten me everywhere I have needed to go. From Friday night drive nights around West Chester to trips to Beaufort, it gets me around. I love my car.
8. West Chester University- I love the fact that I despised WCU my first semester but was in love with it by graduation. Church Street in the fall might be one of the prettiest memories I have. I learned so much during those four years and only some of it happened in a classroom.
9. Rain- It might be because it's raining right now but I'm thankful for rainy days. Mainly because it's a chance to slow down and write blogs but also because of sweatpants and ponytails.
10. Green Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream- Ice Cream might be my favorite dessert. I could eat ice cream in the middle of the coldest winter. One of my favorite memories is of eating green mint chocolate chip ice cream at a Baskin Robbins with my dad when I was like five or six. Maybe that's why green mint chocolate chip makes me happy. Or maybe it's just because it's green.
1. Grace- I have been saved by grace and that has changed my life. Jesus Christ is my Savior and that alone could make up the whole list of 1,000 things.
2. My Mom and Dad- No two people have ever shown me the true definition of unconditional love like them. I have messed up a great deal throughout the last 27 years and yet, have never had to question being loved.
3. Jenn, Katy, Chris, and Allison- These are the people I have hung out with for most of my life. These are the people who have seen me cry, be ugly, and fall flat on my face and they still keep me around anyway. Sitting around the dinner table until late into the evening, telling stories is something I look forward to when we are all old. Or at least older :)
4. Jake and Cole- My life changed on a Monday morning in January 2008 when Jake was born. I'm sure I had an idea of what awesome was before that day but that baby boy redefined it and still does. Oh, and then there is Cole Baby. A perfect little package of sweetness. Love those boys.
5. My Small Group- Our small group exploded last fall and it has been just great. We have had so much fun studying God's word and doing life together. From passing out lunch in D.C., gingerbread house night, and countless dinners in Jenn's apartment, friends and lovers indeed :)
6. My Job- Teaching preschool was not what I imagined I would be doing with my life. But the best thing is, I love it. I have had the privilege of knowing some very special small people over the last few years. I have been challenged, hugged, and blessed by them all and I wouldn't trade that for any job in the world.
7. My Car- It's not fancy, the gas gauge doesn't move, and it makes a strange clicking sound when the A/C or heat is on but that Chevy has gotten me everywhere I have needed to go. From Friday night drive nights around West Chester to trips to Beaufort, it gets me around. I love my car.
8. West Chester University- I love the fact that I despised WCU my first semester but was in love with it by graduation. Church Street in the fall might be one of the prettiest memories I have. I learned so much during those four years and only some of it happened in a classroom.
9. Rain- It might be because it's raining right now but I'm thankful for rainy days. Mainly because it's a chance to slow down and write blogs but also because of sweatpants and ponytails.
10. Green Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream- Ice Cream might be my favorite dessert. I could eat ice cream in the middle of the coldest winter. One of my favorite memories is of eating green mint chocolate chip ice cream at a Baskin Robbins with my dad when I was like five or six. Maybe that's why green mint chocolate chip makes me happy. Or maybe it's just because it's green.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
It's Kidney Stones!!!
S is for Savior
This weekend did not begin the way I imagined it would. On Thursday morning, I was woken up by the most excruciating back pain. Oh man, it was so bad. I just laid in bed, thinking that if I didn't move, it would go away. After about 15 minutes or so, it was still there, only worse, and I began to feel very nauseous and sweaty. "That's it" I thought. "I am going to die right here in my blue flannel pants and Navy Sailing shirt. Lord, couldn't it have at least been a Navy Baseball shirt?" The word appendicitis kept repeating over and over again in my head and I became quite certain that this was happening to me. I managed to shower and then walk downstairs to look up the symptoms of an appendicitis on Webmd (because that is what most people do when they are dying-research medical symptoms, right?). Once I read the symptoms of an appendicitis, I was 100% certain that I was experiencing a "rupture of the appendix". Because I am usually hardcore about pain, my parents didn't really need to be convinced that I had to go to the hospital. My mom and I just got in the car and left. We were only in the car about 15 minutes but, oh, it felt like an eternity. And to the man who made an U-turn on Courthouse Road, stopping traffic, THANK YOU. That was great :)
When we finally walked into the ER, I was relieved to see that the place was completely empty. No sweeter sight has ever graced my eyes. My mom filled out my paper work, mainly because she has great handwriting but also because I wasn't sure I could operate a pen. I was called back to see the doctor and about 15 minutes later I was diagnosed. No, it wasn't an appendicitis. Oh no. It was kidney stones. I think I was a little disappointed that my research yielded incorrect results (that brought me back to college :)) but I was more diasppointed that they were not going to operate and put me out of my misery.
After some bloodwork, I was hooked up to an IV and given a dose of morphine. Don't let the movies fool you. Morphine is not what it is cracked up to be. At least not in a pain-fighting way. In a narcotic way, yes. But for pain, no. By this time, my mom and Jenn had come back to my room and fortunately, my mom talked to the nurse and asked to her to give me some more morphine. Unfortunately, this new dose didn't work either and the pain seemed to get worse. The nurse checked in again and this time gave me a dose of something wonderful and finally, the pain lessoned and eventually went away completely. After a while, I couldn't even remember what the pain felt like exactly. I was discharged, and given prescriptions for some mighty good drugs, around noon and slept the rest of the day away in my own bed.
This might seem like a strange lead in for the letter "S" but I have a point. This weekend was also Elevation Weekend. While I did not lead a discussion group, I was able to sit in for the worship services. As I stood in the FLC and worshipped, along with 300 or so other believers, I began to think about Thursday. My physical body was in such agony. It was, quite honestly, the worst pain I can imagine. Almost indescribable. There were moments, in the middle of the worst of it, I wished to die simply to not be in any more pain. It was such a humbling experience. I could do nothing to remove this pain. As I stood there and listened to the band sing, "Oh, how He loves us" I couldn't help but think that not only is my physical body subject to pain, but my spiritual body was once sentenced to not only pain, but death. Because of the fall of man, I am a sinner and the "wages of sin is death". But I have a God who loves me enough to send Jesus to earth to die in my place. If the pain I experienced in that hospital bed is the worst pain imaginable, picture Jesus on that cross, bearing that pain for every human to walk this earth from its creation to the time He decides to return. "Oh, how He loves us." Pain and death are inevitable in this life. Our bodies will hurt and, one day, our hearts will no longer pump life into our bodies. But we have a Savior who left a throne in heaven to enter earth, to die in our place. Because of this, we will one day experience no pain, no death. What a day that will be.
"Oh, how He loves us".
This weekend did not begin the way I imagined it would. On Thursday morning, I was woken up by the most excruciating back pain. Oh man, it was so bad. I just laid in bed, thinking that if I didn't move, it would go away. After about 15 minutes or so, it was still there, only worse, and I began to feel very nauseous and sweaty. "That's it" I thought. "I am going to die right here in my blue flannel pants and Navy Sailing shirt. Lord, couldn't it have at least been a Navy Baseball shirt?" The word appendicitis kept repeating over and over again in my head and I became quite certain that this was happening to me. I managed to shower and then walk downstairs to look up the symptoms of an appendicitis on Webmd (because that is what most people do when they are dying-research medical symptoms, right?). Once I read the symptoms of an appendicitis, I was 100% certain that I was experiencing a "rupture of the appendix". Because I am usually hardcore about pain, my parents didn't really need to be convinced that I had to go to the hospital. My mom and I just got in the car and left. We were only in the car about 15 minutes but, oh, it felt like an eternity. And to the man who made an U-turn on Courthouse Road, stopping traffic, THANK YOU. That was great :)
When we finally walked into the ER, I was relieved to see that the place was completely empty. No sweeter sight has ever graced my eyes. My mom filled out my paper work, mainly because she has great handwriting but also because I wasn't sure I could operate a pen. I was called back to see the doctor and about 15 minutes later I was diagnosed. No, it wasn't an appendicitis. Oh no. It was kidney stones. I think I was a little disappointed that my research yielded incorrect results (that brought me back to college :)) but I was more diasppointed that they were not going to operate and put me out of my misery.
After some bloodwork, I was hooked up to an IV and given a dose of morphine. Don't let the movies fool you. Morphine is not what it is cracked up to be. At least not in a pain-fighting way. In a narcotic way, yes. But for pain, no. By this time, my mom and Jenn had come back to my room and fortunately, my mom talked to the nurse and asked to her to give me some more morphine. Unfortunately, this new dose didn't work either and the pain seemed to get worse. The nurse checked in again and this time gave me a dose of something wonderful and finally, the pain lessoned and eventually went away completely. After a while, I couldn't even remember what the pain felt like exactly. I was discharged, and given prescriptions for some mighty good drugs, around noon and slept the rest of the day away in my own bed.
This might seem like a strange lead in for the letter "S" but I have a point. This weekend was also Elevation Weekend. While I did not lead a discussion group, I was able to sit in for the worship services. As I stood in the FLC and worshipped, along with 300 or so other believers, I began to think about Thursday. My physical body was in such agony. It was, quite honestly, the worst pain I can imagine. Almost indescribable. There were moments, in the middle of the worst of it, I wished to die simply to not be in any more pain. It was such a humbling experience. I could do nothing to remove this pain. As I stood there and listened to the band sing, "Oh, how He loves us" I couldn't help but think that not only is my physical body subject to pain, but my spiritual body was once sentenced to not only pain, but death. Because of the fall of man, I am a sinner and the "wages of sin is death". But I have a God who loves me enough to send Jesus to earth to die in my place. If the pain I experienced in that hospital bed is the worst pain imaginable, picture Jesus on that cross, bearing that pain for every human to walk this earth from its creation to the time He decides to return. "Oh, how He loves us." Pain and death are inevitable in this life. Our bodies will hurt and, one day, our hearts will no longer pump life into our bodies. But we have a Savior who left a throne in heaven to enter earth, to die in our place. Because of this, we will one day experience no pain, no death. What a day that will be.
"Oh, how He loves us".
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Snowboarding Pictures....
A few pictures from the trip....
The group, minus Kevin and Will, at dinner Thursday night.
Action shot of bearded Jenner.
Katie and Jenner waiting for the lift.
The group, minus Kevin and Will, at dinner Thursday night.
Action shot of bearded Jenner.
This is Kristi after getting off the lift.
Jenn looking awesome.
Will, Jenn, and Kevin on the lift.
Katie and Jenner waiting for the lift.
Kristi and me doing what we did best that day.
Me and my favorite at the end of the day.
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