Can anyone help me out with why one of the current top searches leading to my blog is “burning rubber smell in car?”
I guess it’s better than Casey’s “awkward” top search, but still…
Archive for Random
Random and Fun Photos Part II
Two-headed Snuggie
Three hours of family Rock Band at Christmas in Kansas
Lake Aurora, FL or Cypress Gardens-I can't remember
Southern Utah Rock and Moon
Random and Fun Photos
Merry Christmas from Branson, MO
- A sign that clearly isn’t taken seriously
Looking out my car window. Yes, I live in FL.
Bird on the Beach
Cypress Gardens Bee
Late Entry-this may be a normal occurence now that I don’t have internet
Happy Singles Awareness Day Folks
This Valentine’s Day with its inevitable hyper-awareness of singleness brings along a sickness that began three days ago. Oh, and going with the red theme, well, I suppose you don’t need to know that.
I found the need to get out of my apartment to avoid the unavoidable romantic movies on the temporary cable I have, but also because I’m going stir crazy. So, I go to Publix for some more water, and pharmaceutical advice this afternoon. I wasn’t thinking much about it until the store makes you walk through a myriad of heart-shaped candy boxes, balloons, and the like.
Presently I find myself watching a documentary on “Germans in America” while my cat, my valentine, sleeps nearby. Incidentally, the lady narrating keeps saying, “Missour-uh” and it’s driving me crazy. She’s not southern either. I never knew a great deal of Germans settled in Missouri. Makes sense that they would leave the Rhineland and find the Missouri River. There’s also Germantown in Pennsylvania.
This is a random post, isn’t it? I love Germany. I miss Jen and Nate. They left Tuesday for Herborn. Yeah, I think that’s where my sickness came from. They were both sick, poor things. I pray they are feeling well now. I can’t imagine traveling that long (or at all) feeling this way.
I’m going to attempt attending church tonight. I must go to order Angel Food for one of my clients, and I hope to stay. Perhaps I’ll pop in the back row, and try not to touch anyone or anything, although I’m not sure I’m contagious anymore.
Then, if I’m still feeling half-way human it’s off to Monique’s apartment to get my hair did. It has been in desperate need of being cut, but I want it dyed as well. Okay, time to eat, and save some energy for travel.
Auf Wiedersehen
100 Things I Either Have Done, Haven’t Done, or Want to Do.
Things you’ve already done: bold-I put these in white so they’d show up on my blog.
Things you want to do: italicise
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to: leave in plain font
Have you ever…
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity – define “afford.”
7. Been to Disneyland-Been to DisneyWorld, hello.
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo-in my car all the time…oh, you mean like for real? No.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch-I’m not really sure what this means…I’ve taught myself guitar though.
15. Adopted a child-depends on the Lord’s plans for that one
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort-an igloo big enough for three teens to sit up straight in!
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping – maybe with my husband someday in a place utterly isolated.
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse-of the moon, yes.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors-maybe? I’m not sure where that is.
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language-in progress
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied-I’m human and hoinestly that probably won’t ever happen. Content maybe, but not satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing-okay not for real, but i’ve climbed 75 feet on a rock climbing wall in a gym before.
40. See Michelangelo’s David-does the replica in Caeser’s Palace in Vegas count?
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted-does a characature count?
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris-watched the sunset from it. Beautiful.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma-I tried to, but I didn’t weigh enough.
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London-NOT the best spent time of my life.
77. Broken a bone-not that I’m aware of.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle-I hate motorcycles.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person-I may have as a small child, but don’t remember it.
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake-NO! and I lived near it for six years! Now I have to take a vacation to do it.
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100.Dyed your hair-Just did this Saturday.
From the Father of Lights
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11
Earlier today, shortly before, Lord willing, I move into my apartment my old job at the foster home was selling a lot of stuff. Check this out: I got a washer, dryer, file cabinet, end table, microwave, TV, and Yahtzee for $100! Praise the Lord! I don’t know why He’s so good to me, but He is indeed.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” James 1:17
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
Movin’ on up…!
I’m moving out (again). Yeah, baby!!! I’m so excited yet freaked out about the financially tightness this will bring. I’m both loving and hating the idea of living alone. Amber, come cook me dinner.
Hit-or-miss
I was driving back to my office from a home visit about an hour ago. As I proceeded down the road I saw something flapping back and forth on the ground. Thinking it was probably a paper or some sort of litter stuck to the road I thought nothing of it until I got closer…
It was an undead squirrel. I was nearly simultaneously nauseated and in tears as my car passed over him still flapping, and twitching about clearly in horrible pain. I prayed for God to send a wheel quickly over him to end his, or her terribly violent suffering. I realize it’s just a squirrel, but oh my goodness I cannot get that image of his little body flapping about on the pavement out of my head. Oh, I pray he’s gone by now.
Okay, moving on…sorry.
I was in Wal-Mart looking at sympathy cards for someone who lossed three teeth to the dentist this morning, and something struck me. Besides the incredible heartlessness, and cheesiness of most of the cards (i.e. “Wishing you comfort and peace in this difficult time.” Or, “Warmest thoughts…” Or, “There’s another star in the sky tonight…” Or, “Memories last forever…” Or, “ Knowing your loved one will always be near…”) the absolute false comfort that these give astounds me. The last example in particular. If my mother or friend just died and someone gave me a card that read “Knowing your loved one will always be near…” would infuriate me. ”Near?! They’re gone you idiot! Thanks for the reminder that they’re NOT near!” Maybe it’s just me, but that would NOT be comforting.
Secondly, you can wish me your warmest thoughts, you can wish me peace, and comfort, and you can tell me that my memories will always be there etc., but you cannot offer me true comfort, true peace, and true hope without Christ. The loss of someone you love demands more than frail human attempts at comfort and peace. It asks for more than trite answers or contrived and empty words. Proverbs 21:34 speaks to this: “How then can you comfort me with empty words, since falsehood remains in your answers?”
The kind of peace, comfort, and hope one needs at such a time passes human understanding. It passes what is in our capability to give. It is supernatural; it is real; it is penetrating; it is lasting.
“In the multitude of my anxieties within me,Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalm 94:19
“…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” Isaiah 26:3-4
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
“For He Himself is our peace…” Ephesians 2:14
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Assorted Tidbits
I haven’t posted in a long time (sorry), and there has been way too much going on (partly why I haven’t posted) to catch up, but for now here’s a little info.
-Things are moving along with my going to Germany. By that I mean that there are only 100,001 details to be worked out now. I am going, Lord willing. When? How long? How much will it cost? What about my job? Where will I be staying? Oh yeah, still many unanswered questions. You can pray for me, and my friends in Germany I’m going over to help while I’m there to get all this stuff sorted in God’s timing. I’ll be going to help a family so that they can be freed to do the work God has called them to do. It’s slightly more involved than that, but at least that gives you an idea of what’s going on. God is faithful, HE will do this (I Thess 5:24).
Clearly, since the Germany thing is a go I’m not going to be moving out anytime in the next several months. *sigh* Right now I’m getting rid of all debt (soon to be accomplished) save my student loans which, well, they’ll be there for the next 100 years of my life anyway…so I don’t really count that as debt. I want to be able to go debt-free to Germany – people aren’t paying for my debt, but supporting my call to go serve – so I want to have the money saved for the months I’ll be gone for my student loan.
Just spoke with my Dad, and put in a leave request at work hoping to visit Utah in November – just thinking of the beautiful weather that time of year makes my heart sigh with relief. Dad wants to take me to Southern Utah to go camping and hiking over the weekend I’ll be there which sounds fabulous to me. I pray this works out. He offered to buy my ticket out there. Sometimes he’s pretty cool. There’s something about being all bundled up in the cold mountain air around a camp fire that just makes the world seem peaceful. He talked to my bro about joining us, and since he’s non-committal to breathing I decided not to even think about him being or not being there.
Meine liebe Freundin, Lorna, our contact from the Berlin mission trip last year happens to be in Orlando, and is coming down for church and lunch on Sunday – YAY! We’re having a potluck at Jen’s, and I think she’ll be surprised by it. We’re planning on showering her with gifts (American items she misses that she can’t get in DE), and notes of encouragment. I’m so excited to be able to see her, catch up, and bless her.
That’s all for now. Tschüss!
