Monday, February 25, 2013

Waiting for a Blizzard

I find it interesting that we have hardly had any cold weather here in Oklahoma for the majority of winter. However, the last 3 weeks have included at least 1 day where Jillian and I don't leave the house because of snow or ice accumulation. Also, 1 day a week I worry about Phil driving to and from work and being a nervous wreck until I know he's safe. Now I'm sitting here waiting for a blizzard.

That's right, I said blizzard.

I know that seems strange, but this snow storm will include high winds. That will make visibility nearly zero and cause tall drifts of snow. From noon today until about 7 a.m. tomorrow, we'll get anywhere from 3-6 inches of snow. {Maybe even 8" if some models are correct!} Trust me, my Minnesotan dad, (who is in Florida on vacation through tomorrow), is laughing at the fact that he's soaking up sunshine while we get buried in snow. I can't blame him though. It's nice to see the tables turned every so often ;)

Now that February is almost over, I finally got around to uploading some of my phone pics. Please enjoy :)

{All dressed and ready to go to the Farmer's Market with mama and daddy}

{The Farmer's Market!}
{We've gone twice now and it's been really great}

{Our special Super Bowl Dinner!}
{I'll go in more detail in another post later}

{Playing in the park, and looking like such a big girl :)}

{Jillian letting us know she enjoyed her Red Velvet Cookie after her meltdown at her hearing test}

{Church Murder Mystery Dinner! We were able to raise a good amount of money towards our mission trip this summer!}

{I was in charge of helping the youth serve tables. It was crazy busy, but we had fun :)}

{I had to run and get more milk for Jillian before the snow got bad. See the big fluffy flakes?}

{We sold off our car so we could buy my brother's car to help him out. We've been trying to sell his car since he moved in June of 2012, and this scenario ended up working out better. We are now a two car family again!}

{I love my mom :)}

{Baby's first Oreo cookie}

{We went to the zoo and I think this monkey was cold. It reminded me of E.T.!}

{Chocolate frozen yogurt face :)}
{Now you know why I can't say no to this face. Look at those eyes!}

{My Little Bookworm}
{You mean, you don't read two books at once?}

{Sitting in the chair like a big girl :)}

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Embarrassed by Lyrics

As I mentioned in my long winded about me, I really like lyrics to songs. Sometimes, I'll listen to a song and think about how it would be such a great devotional or mini-lesson. Well, mostly just for youth aged kids. Some of my favorites to think about are "Believe" by The Bravery, and "Gone" by Switchfoot, for example.

One of the problems with having a parent as a pastor is the lesson plan they happen to choose for any given day. One time in particular still makes me cringe a little, but mostly laugh now that I'm an adult.

I should preface this with the fact that I was prude-ish as a child. Remember the song "Sex and Candy"? Well, it made me stone-cold silent and very uncomfortable when in would play in the car as my mom drove me to school/church/home. The song "Naked" by the Spice Girls? Even though I had that whole album memorized along with my two best friends in 5th/6th grade, I skipped it every time. Just hearing words like "sex", "naked", etc. made me red-in-the-face embarrassed. Sure I would dream about having a boyfriend, and getting my first kiss. However, anything beyond that was just not on my radar. {Phil is hoping Jillian and any other daughters we may have will be the same way. Otherwise, he's gonna need a shotgun when Jillian gets to junior high. HA!}

At my dad's church, you could start attending PYC, (Presbyterian Youth Connection), when you started 6th grade. When I first joined, we had meetings every so often at a PYCer's house. One of my first meetings, we went to someone's house. We ate some pizza/junk food and hung out for a little bit. After our bellies were full, my dad started the devotion he planned for the evening. It was a discussion based on a popular song at the time. The song? "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed that song. There was one part that I didn't feel comfortable hearing. Lo and behold, that was a part my dad mentioned.

"I'm cold and I am shamed, lying naked on the floor. What do you think she meant by that?" My father asked a room full of pre-teens and teens. My face started to burn.

If memory serves me correctly, no one really spoke up. If they were on the same page as I was, they were probably mortified that an adult said the word "naked" in front of them. Of course, it was worse for me because it was my DAD! I looked over at my older brother as if to mentally ask if this was normal behavior I would need to expect for the rest of my PYC life. He was just looking at the ground, not making eye contact.

Of course, when no one answered, my dad gave a quick analogy and moved on. I doubt it fazed him at all.

My dad did have good lessons to share, but I'm glad he only talked that candidly once in front of me. I also feel like that word would have embarrassed me a little even if a different adult did the same lesson.

Now when I listen to lyrics for potential lessons, I make sure there are no trigger words in case there are any kids similar to me.

Did your parents even do anything embarrassing in front of you?

Friday, February 15, 2013

Every Day

I found myself writing a tweet a few weeks ago. I was describing a favorite show of mine right now, and began using the phrase "watch religiously". Suddenly, I stopped myself. I began thinking of how often the phrase "{to do something} religiously" is thrown around. How often do I use it for actual religious practices like praying, or attending church, etc? Why is it so much easier to talk that way about secular things and not about my own faith?

There is someone I went to high school with. We were close for a number of years, but I've seen her about once a year the last couple years. The last time I saw her, she admitted that she was starting an affair with a married man. She is married with a child herself. When I asked if her marriage was in trouble, she told me no. She was just bored with her life and wanted some excitement again. {Not that her answer would have excused her behavior in my eyes. I think I would have just understood a little more if there was.} She then proceeded to say that she didn't think God really cared what she did in her daily life, just what she did overall.

I must say that what she said really upset me. I know she briefly went to church in high school, but not so much anymore. I don't know much about the church she attended either. Honestly, I think God does care about our day to day lives and actions. I think he wants to be included in what we do. I think God cares so much about our daily life that he sent his only son to live out an earthly life. This way, he can tell us with confidence that he understands completely. He knows our struggles and why they are so hard to shake. God wants to be there every minute of every day.

Our true nature can be seen when push comes to shove. Some of us fall, some of us keep our ground, and some of us shove back. How we respond shows who we are. While it is important to know who you are in terms of the big picture, it's still important to live our daily lives with that big picture in mind. We can't rely on those few and far between major life events to show God where our heart is.

I didn't really respond to this girl's announcement and proclamation of who she thinks God is. I wasn't sure how to. I knew that she wouldn't not respond well to anything I said about God. It's hard to minister to someone that you know won't listen. I do know that I haven't really spoken to her since and probably won't unless I happen to see her out and about. I just don't want to surround myself with someone who is clearly not interested in seeking God. If nothing else, it's important to my faith walk to be with uplifting, and encouraging people who are in the same walk of life as myself. I just hope she sees the error in this affair and calls it off soon. If not for her and her marriage, but for her child who I'm sure will figure it out someday.

Have I prayed about the situation? Maybe once or twice. I know I should be better about it, but it's something I'm still learning to do myself. I sincerely hope that I can one day say with confidence "I pray religiously", or "I read the bible religiously." Remembering that God is there in the everyday, maybe, just maybe, I can grow a little more in my faith.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Driving Adventure and Pictures

When we first moved to Oklahoma, my mom would have what she called "driving adventures". It was basically her driving with a very generalized idea of where she was in an attempt to learn her way around town. Now that I'm older, I have some of my own. Monday was no exception.

Jillian and I met up with some friends at the zoo! Once we left, it was exactly 5 p.m. Since I'm not a big fan of rush hour traffic, I decided to go a different way. I took a main road assuming it would go as far north as I needed it to.

I should preface this with my gas light came on as I parked at the zoo. I tried looking up nearby gas stations, but Siri failed to find any close by. Great.

I got to an area of town that I not only recognized, but I saw a Shell station! Thank ya Jesus! I pulled in, got gas, and started the car. I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to turn left out of there, let alone turn right to continue the way I was going. Remembering a local private university was close, I decided to just turn around there. I turned into campus, but there is one person in front of me and two behind me. I decided I would play it cool and act like I was going somewhere specific before I turned around. That makes it ok, right? {It's not like having a child in a rear-facing car seat is a dead giveaway that I didn't belong.}

Anyways, so I started driving through campus. The person in front of the line turned into a parking lot, and the car in the back of the line followed suit. There was still a crazed woman in a mini-van on my bumper behind me. No problem, I just kept going. So I started to follow the street. It curved to the right. Then it passed the baseball field before another sharp curve to the right. Now I'm near dorm rooms and this person was not turning anywhere. Instead of continuing this impromptu campus tour, I decided to concede and turned into a parking lot. I had to wait on someone to pull out of their parking spot before I could turn around and make my way back to the street. So I curved to the left, passed the baseball field again, curved to the left a final time, then decided to just cut through a church parking lot and got back to the street I needed in the first place.

And that's what driving around with me can be like. Oh well, at least it's kinda funny ;)

Jillian says: Happy Valentine's Day!
 {My Funny Valentine}
 {Sweet, Comic Valentine}
 {You Make Me Smile With My Heart}
 
*from our snow day two days ago*
{Yet, You're My Favorite Work of Art :)}

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Why I Am A Traditionalist

**I'm putting a disclaimer here so that, if you leave hurtful comments, you'll know why I deleted it. I don't mind opposing viewpoints, but I will not tolerate rude/hateful comments. This post is absolutely my opinion. I am in no way trying to say that I'm right and everyone else in the world is wrong. This is just why I believe what I do.**

My world has always revolved around a more traditional type of church. Both my parents are ordained Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ministers who served two separate congregations for over two decades. We didn't get holidays off. Our summer vacations consisted of visiting family and trying to get back before my parents missed a second Sunday. Unless I had a high temperature and was vomiting profusely, I was in Sunday School, then the worship service after coffee fellowship. Most of the members were over the age of 65, and our youth groups were small, (if existent at all). We had organ music, a choral anthem, communion every 4 months, recited The Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed (Ecummenical version if you please), and my parent would stand up and preach for 15 minutes using examples from life and the scripture readings they just read aloud.

This is the church I grew up in. The one with a liturgy. The one without a top-of-the-line sound system and three projector screens. The one that had handbells and acoustic guitar instead of electric guitars and subwoofers. The one without its own Youtube account or TV channel. This is the church I am in love with.

I know that this is not a popular spot for people in my generation. They want to feel plugged in and connected 24/7. They want to feel comfortable and, in some instances, entertained. They prefer a place where they can have their choice of friends for themselves and their small children. The way church portrays itself is different.

My question is, what's wrong with being traditional? When did traditionalists become so outdated that it's considered wrong? Why do I have to feel like people consider me backwards in a forward-moving world?

I'm big on the idea that worshipping God in the way you feel is the most appropriate is what matters. God rejoices in your worship and acknowledgement that he is worthy of praise. If you like attending a church with all the trimmings, then that's what's most important. If you're like me and enjoy attending a more traditional church, that's good too. God just wants our thanks and praise.

It does make my heart sad to see churches closing their doors because they couldn't keep enough members to stay active. Dying churches are just as upsetting to me. There is a level of progress every church has to succumb to, but that does not mean you have to have an extreme makeover to get new members. Unfortunately, it's a bit like playing the waiting game while generations come home to the church of their choosing.

My only request is to make sure you're not making people feel inadequate for not attending a specific type of church.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

I Did It!

Thanks for the sweet comments on my last post :) I promise I'll respond to them in the next 24 hours!
*****
That jogging schedule where I was going to jog for 20 minutes straight? I owned it! I didn't have to stop at all to rest. I still can't believe I was capable of doing that. When I would jog with my dad a few years back, I would jog 1/4 of a mile, then walk 1/4 of a mile. This was the first time I ever jogged for a long length of time. It makes me believe that I can do my first 5K easy. Only 10 more workouts before I graduate from Couch-to-5K. Let's do this!!
*****
My dad is doing the program with me, but is a few weeks behind. However, we've decided to find a 5K to do together. It's looking more like I'll go up to Minnesota the first week of April. There are about 3 different 5Ks that weekend, but I think we've figured out which one we'll do. I'm so excited to do it with him!
*****
My parents may be buying a boat! It's not an official sailboat, but it's one where they can kayak or sail. I can tell my mom is excited about it. Hopefully they'll buy it soon, and we'll get to go out on it this summer.
*****
I finally finished the two posts I've had in my head/drafts for about two weeks. They are scheduled for later in the week. They are pretty deep and covered in my own opinions. Keep that in mind when you read them :)
*****
We may finally get snow on Tuesday! The two times it has snowed since Jillian was born, we've been out of town. It'll be fun to see her play in it a little bit! Well, we'll see how much she plays. Girlfriend doesn't like to be cold so it may not last long. HAHA
*****
The Walking Dead starts again tonight AND Downton Abbey is two hours long! We're going to be up late tonight, but it'll be SO worth it ;) Also, do you watch Nashville? If not, you should. It is really good! It's a drama, but it's nice to enjoy in the middle of the week. It's something I look forward to!

What are some of your favorite shows?

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Ugh

Those three little letters sum up my past week. I blame it all on February. Why?

If you recall from last year, I hinted that Phil has always hated February. Well, it seems as if his Februarys are getting better and mine are getting worse. {Oh joy!}

Don't get me wrong, some good things have happened. All the things that have happened to me are not life-altering or anything like that either. It's just, when lots of little things pile up, they turn into big things. {We're talking Jillian meltdowns at therapy, the highlight of my day being a *ahem* monthly visit, learning that our debt isn't going anywhere anytime soon no matter how we adjust things, etc.} Now I'm to the point where I'm just exhausted and ready for March to get here.

I will share a few photos of Jillian that I took at the park on Monday. It was just the two of us there, {which I secretly loved}, but we had some fun! Well, we did for 40ish minutes. Then Jillian was getting a little too bold with the drop offs and slides so I decided we should head home.

{This face? Oh I see it about 20 times a day :)} 

{Climbing up the stairs} 

{Getting adjusted in the tube} 

{What a sweet smile :)} 

{Crawling up the slide} 

{Oh look! A bug to smoosh play with} 

{Peek-a-boo Jillian!} 

{I just love the look of pure joy on her face :)}

Tonight I am doing my first Couch-to-5K workout where I jog for 20 minutes straight. I know it's ok if I need to pause in between to rest or get some water. However, I'm still a little nervous/scared because it just seems so intimidating! Wish me luck :)

I have at least 2 posts in my head/my drafts. Hopefully I'll get some rest this weekend and can finish them up. Having drafts always bother me. I'd much rather have a post finished than to start one and stop in the middle.

Hope your February is going much more smoothly than my own!

But I Know What It Feels Like

This post is going to be awfully vulnerable and hard for me, but I really want to finally say it out loud. I got permission for my daughter ...