In light of the tragedies in southern Indiana and other parts of the midwest, I feel a little silly posting this, but I'll start out by saying that everyone who has dealt with these storms the past several days are all in my prayers. A entire town in southern Indiana was basically destroyed, and it's so sad to see. But at the same time, it's encouraging to see how entire communities come together in the midst of tragedy. My parents left yesterday to drive down to Florida with my brother, and they drove right into the heart of the storms. Thankfully, they are safe and arrived at their hotel in Chattanooga, TN late last night. Yes, Chattanooga...another spot that had lots of tornadoes and damage. They were 5 miles from their hotel on the interstate when the traffic completely stopped. They were able to get off the interstate eventually (though the traffic was still stuck) and get to the hotel. When they got there, they found out that a tornado had hit at the next exit and powerlines were down and blocking the road. Please pray for these communities. As for us, we're okay. Northern Indiana was spared, though it looked really scary and we had really heavy winds all night..and it's still pretty windy this morning. I chased some trash cans last night and did some cleanup this morning, but if that's the worst of it, I'm more than thankful. He definitely watched over us. I'm extremely afraid of storms and have a fear of tornadoes, and I'm praising Him this morning that He protected us.
On to the title of this post... When I heard that Davy Jones passed away, I immediately thought of my mom. My mom is a huge fan of all the teen idols from her generation, Davy Jones, David Cassidy, and her all-time favorite, Bobby Sherman. Partridge Family and Here Come the Brides were (and still are) her favorite tv shows (some of are saying, "huh?"). And though I mock her endlessly, I see the appreciation she and my dad have both instilled in me for the "classics" (yes, I'm showing my age by calling The Partridge Family a classic). It's because of my dad that I love the Beach Boys, that I know who Buddy Holly is, that I grew up listening to music from the '50's and '60's. It's because of my mom that I love I Love Lucy, The Partridge Family (as corny as it is). And it's because of my mom that my brother and I saw Davy Jones in person with her.
When we were young (I could probably locate the pictures if I tried...they're probably in the house somewhere), Mom dragged me and Brandon to Union Station in Indy (back when it was a really cool shopping center) where Davy Jones was doing a concert. I don't remember much about it, except that mom got a really good picture of him...this short "old" guy with tight pants and a tight shirt on. Later on, I saw him on a Boy Meets World episode (remember the "Reg, Reginald Fairfield" guy?) and knew instantly who he was and who the other guys in the episode were (the other Monkees). All because of my mom and her crazy obsession :) So yes, the 50 and 60-somethings will miss Davy Jones, but so will some of their kids.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
some thoughts
- Though, so far, I'm not getting as much out of "giving up something for Lent" as I did last year, I am wasting a lot less time while working on school work by not being tempted to hop on over to facebook. I did a solid 4 1/2-5 hours of studying today. I got quite a bit done, but I have a lot of re-reading to do, too. This grammar class is not easy at all...even for a grammar geek like me.
- Emails have become even more special since the start of Lent. Not too many people email me, mostly girlfriends in Nanjing and a friend in Texas, but they're still great to see :)
-Thanks to some help from family, we were able to get a 2nd used car last weekend. It's such an awesome blessing to both have a car to drive now, I can't even tell you. So so thankful. Between that and Raul's job and other blessings, it's been so great to not feel so stressed.
- Looking forward to a vacation in a week and a couple days. Unfortunately, Raul doesn't get to go to Florida with me because of the new job, but we're both okay with it. I'll go down the 2nd week of my parents' time share and spend time with my mom and my aunt and uncle (who are also coming down). Should be good times. I'm looking forward to some time on the beach and reading books that don't have to do with grammar or cultural issues.
-Very random thought: I love The Voice. If I had to choose between it and American Idol (didn't even watch X Factor), I don't think there's a question which I would pick. I love all the teams, but I'm rooting for Adam and Blake again this year.
I hope you all are having a great end to February (seriously, where on earth did it go?) and are, if you're in Indiana, enjoying the warmer weather...for now :)
- Emails have become even more special since the start of Lent. Not too many people email me, mostly girlfriends in Nanjing and a friend in Texas, but they're still great to see :)
-Thanks to some help from family, we were able to get a 2nd used car last weekend. It's such an awesome blessing to both have a car to drive now, I can't even tell you. So so thankful. Between that and Raul's job and other blessings, it's been so great to not feel so stressed.
- Looking forward to a vacation in a week and a couple days. Unfortunately, Raul doesn't get to go to Florida with me because of the new job, but we're both okay with it. I'll go down the 2nd week of my parents' time share and spend time with my mom and my aunt and uncle (who are also coming down). Should be good times. I'm looking forward to some time on the beach and reading books that don't have to do with grammar or cultural issues.
-Very random thought: I love The Voice. If I had to choose between it and American Idol (didn't even watch X Factor), I don't think there's a question which I would pick. I love all the teams, but I'm rooting for Adam and Blake again this year.
I hope you all are having a great end to February (seriously, where on earth did it go?) and are, if you're in Indiana, enjoying the warmer weather...for now :)
Friday, February 17, 2012
thinking ahead to Lent
Next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, I am going to do something for the 2nd year in a row.
I'm going to give up facebook for Lent...and I can't wait.
Last year's season of Lent taught me so much, and I really got excited about doing it again. With everything that's been going on in our lives, I know that this break from social media is something that I need. Last year it came at a time where I needed a reprieve because of work stress, health stuff, and applying for grad school. This year, it's part of my celebration of some of that stress being gone, but at the same time, wanting to enjoy my spring break in Florida, really focus on class work, and spend time with Raul when he's not working. I realized last year how much I avoid the internet if I'm not on facebook, and, except for the fact that I take online classes, I hope to do that this year as well.
I still need my email, namely for my dear friends that live abroad, so that will stay. I still want to use this blog as a way to express my thoughts (and for those few who read them). And I'll still check news sites periodically...but I won't do it through facebook. Maybe someday I'll be able to give up facebook completely, but starting next week, I'm going to to enjoy a 40-day silence.
I'm going to give up facebook for Lent...and I can't wait.
Last year's season of Lent taught me so much, and I really got excited about doing it again. With everything that's been going on in our lives, I know that this break from social media is something that I need. Last year it came at a time where I needed a reprieve because of work stress, health stuff, and applying for grad school. This year, it's part of my celebration of some of that stress being gone, but at the same time, wanting to enjoy my spring break in Florida, really focus on class work, and spend time with Raul when he's not working. I realized last year how much I avoid the internet if I'm not on facebook, and, except for the fact that I take online classes, I hope to do that this year as well.
I still need my email, namely for my dear friends that live abroad, so that will stay. I still want to use this blog as a way to express my thoughts (and for those few who read them). And I'll still check news sites periodically...but I won't do it through facebook. Maybe someday I'll be able to give up facebook completely, but starting next week, I'm going to to enjoy a 40-day silence.
Monday, February 13, 2012
love on this Valentine's Day
I realize I haven't posted in a very long time. But to be fair, and if you've been keeping tabs on facebook, you know it's been quite the month for us.
During this month, our church went through a sermon series on one of the Soulshifts 2 of pastors wrote about in a book called...Soulshift. We spent several Sundays unpacking what it means to shift from slave to child. To be honest, I didn't think this was going to be so life-transforming. I felt that I already knew what it meant to be a child of God. I was never really far away from the father like the prodigal son, I never rebelled or did horribly bad things. I was a fairly good kid growing up. And I have what I feel is a strong relationship with the Father. Pastor Steve showed me I had absolutely no clue what it meant to truly be a child. I wasn't so much like the prodigal son, but I was still a part of the story...as the older brother.
I follow rules, routines, rituals. I judge others based on a standard of what I think it should mean to be a true Christian. I wonder if I'll ever measure up when it comes to judgment day. I see God as being unfair sometimes, unjust and so focused on those prodigals that I'm left to wonder, "What about me?" So even after the first Sunday, I knew this was a series I needed to pay close attention to. I've been so, so much blessed by the different series the church as had since we joined (re-joined) last spring, but this came at just the right time for us.
At the beginning of last month, I was discouraged. I was frustrated. I was jealous and critical of some people around me. I felt God was incredibly unfair with how He blessed others and it seemed we were always hitting these walls that stopped us dead in our tracks. I was mad. But then I heard these messages about what it meant to be a child of God, to move out of that slavery, out of those standards I'd set for myself and the judgement I felt by others, to truly let God show me how He loved me....putting off everything else and just focusing on how He loved me.
The church was told about how, over the course of the series, we could experience God's love. There was a church-wide activity day, a prayer retreat, and local restaurants gave discounts that we could share meals together. And there was an app that was created, where everyday we were asked questions about our soul shifting from slave to child. How have you experienced God in the past 3 hours? On a scale of 1-10, how loved do you feel by God at this moment? Rate how much you've felt God's presence and love today. Questions like this were hard for me to answer a month ago. As I said, I was MAD at God. But over the course of the next several weeks...it all changed. God showed up.
Raul passed his driver's test. He heard about more job opportunities. Word came in about his visa possibly having problems, we sent in more paperwork, then less than a week later, we heard he'd been approved as a permanent resident. Less than a week after that, his new green card had arrived. Then we heard about another job opportunity, and this one showed promise. He went in for an interview. Then we waited. Then, we heard that it was a "go" and that Raul had his first job in the US. God was providing. We've decided not to move to Florida in the near future, and that much became clear to us when Raul got his job (part of the desire to move in the fall was out of sheer frustration and desperation). Suddenly, stress and tension were being relieved. My parents supported every decision we made along the way, and we've seen God provide for them as well.
It may sound like (well, it probably sounds like) my attitude only changed because God provided for our needs. And that's partly true. But my attitude toward God was the result of pressure I'd put on myself to be like other people. I was frustrated that we are still living with my parents and that some even judge us for it, but I forgot how incredibly supportive my parents are of us and that's all that matters. I was frustrated that in the midst of all this talk about illegal immigration, I have a husband who was doing things the right way, paying lots of money and doing lots of waiting, only to be put through the wringer, but I forgot that He can work through the USCIS, too. I was frustrated that Raul didn't have a job and felt discouraged because of it, but I forgot that God can provide everything we need and He provided a job for Raul (one that He loves, by the way). I was frustrated that it seemed there were lots of financial pressures on us and my parents, but I forgot that, guess what, He is also the Lord of financial problems.
I have a new love relationship with God this Valentine's Day, a day where I know and sense God's love for me in a new way. Our pastor said during yesterday's sermon that spiritual growth is the process of believing what you already know is true. I knew all along that God loved me, but it took all the stuff over the course of the past month for me to truly believe it.
During this month, our church went through a sermon series on one of the Soulshifts 2 of pastors wrote about in a book called...Soulshift. We spent several Sundays unpacking what it means to shift from slave to child. To be honest, I didn't think this was going to be so life-transforming. I felt that I already knew what it meant to be a child of God. I was never really far away from the father like the prodigal son, I never rebelled or did horribly bad things. I was a fairly good kid growing up. And I have what I feel is a strong relationship with the Father. Pastor Steve showed me I had absolutely no clue what it meant to truly be a child. I wasn't so much like the prodigal son, but I was still a part of the story...as the older brother.
I follow rules, routines, rituals. I judge others based on a standard of what I think it should mean to be a true Christian. I wonder if I'll ever measure up when it comes to judgment day. I see God as being unfair sometimes, unjust and so focused on those prodigals that I'm left to wonder, "What about me?" So even after the first Sunday, I knew this was a series I needed to pay close attention to. I've been so, so much blessed by the different series the church as had since we joined (re-joined) last spring, but this came at just the right time for us.
At the beginning of last month, I was discouraged. I was frustrated. I was jealous and critical of some people around me. I felt God was incredibly unfair with how He blessed others and it seemed we were always hitting these walls that stopped us dead in our tracks. I was mad. But then I heard these messages about what it meant to be a child of God, to move out of that slavery, out of those standards I'd set for myself and the judgement I felt by others, to truly let God show me how He loved me....putting off everything else and just focusing on how He loved me.
The church was told about how, over the course of the series, we could experience God's love. There was a church-wide activity day, a prayer retreat, and local restaurants gave discounts that we could share meals together. And there was an app that was created, where everyday we were asked questions about our soul shifting from slave to child. How have you experienced God in the past 3 hours? On a scale of 1-10, how loved do you feel by God at this moment? Rate how much you've felt God's presence and love today. Questions like this were hard for me to answer a month ago. As I said, I was MAD at God. But over the course of the next several weeks...it all changed. God showed up.
Raul passed his driver's test. He heard about more job opportunities. Word came in about his visa possibly having problems, we sent in more paperwork, then less than a week later, we heard he'd been approved as a permanent resident. Less than a week after that, his new green card had arrived. Then we heard about another job opportunity, and this one showed promise. He went in for an interview. Then we waited. Then, we heard that it was a "go" and that Raul had his first job in the US. God was providing. We've decided not to move to Florida in the near future, and that much became clear to us when Raul got his job (part of the desire to move in the fall was out of sheer frustration and desperation). Suddenly, stress and tension were being relieved. My parents supported every decision we made along the way, and we've seen God provide for them as well.
It may sound like (well, it probably sounds like) my attitude only changed because God provided for our needs. And that's partly true. But my attitude toward God was the result of pressure I'd put on myself to be like other people. I was frustrated that we are still living with my parents and that some even judge us for it, but I forgot how incredibly supportive my parents are of us and that's all that matters. I was frustrated that in the midst of all this talk about illegal immigration, I have a husband who was doing things the right way, paying lots of money and doing lots of waiting, only to be put through the wringer, but I forgot that He can work through the USCIS, too. I was frustrated that Raul didn't have a job and felt discouraged because of it, but I forgot that God can provide everything we need and He provided a job for Raul (one that He loves, by the way). I was frustrated that it seemed there were lots of financial pressures on us and my parents, but I forgot that, guess what, He is also the Lord of financial problems.
I have a new love relationship with God this Valentine's Day, a day where I know and sense God's love for me in a new way. Our pastor said during yesterday's sermon that spiritual growth is the process of believing what you already know is true. I knew all along that God loved me, but it took all the stuff over the course of the past month for me to truly believe it.
Friday, January 13, 2012
winding down semester break
So, this girl ends her first semester of grad school with a 4.0 GPA :) Yeah, I was pretty happy about that. Now it's up to me to maintain that for the next 2 years...and a scholarship that pushes me even more to maintain it. I have a feeling it's not going to be easy...darn tootin'. But I'm bound and determined to keep it up and study my butt off for a course of study I really love. The new semester starts on the 23rd, Chinese New Year's Day, so I've got one more week of slacking :) But I'll be substituting, so far, 3 1/2 days next week, so that's great.
Meantime, I've been enjoying some reading (Noel Hynd's Russian Trilogy, The Help), some movies (Raul's Christmas present The Smurfs, dad's Christmas present Ben Hur, my Christmas present West Side Story's 50th anniversary), and Boy Meets World dvd marathons with Raul. We're on season 4 now, and I think I love the show more now than I did when it was first on tv. Such a great show. I helped Raul pass his driver's test this past Wednesday (woohoo!). We submitted more paperwork for his visa. We hunted for jobs for him...to no avail thus far, but we continue to look and pray. Meanwhile, Raul is taking 2 more courses this semester in anticipation of going to a PTA program in Florida, which brings me to... we continue to pray about the Florida move.
Please continue to pray with us. I still have no idea how this is going to work, and I pray that God will reveal more to us as we go along, especially as we prepare for our spring break trip to Florida in March. There is so so much to be done in order to make this work, and I'm getting pretty anxious. Not to mention the fact that it can't happen at all if Raul's visa isn't approved. Many people have asked me why we have to go through it in the first place (I think I've said this before), and I tell them that though I loathe the process, I understand why it's in place. You just have to do what you can and pray that it's enough. We know in our hearts that we married for the right reasons, that God brought us together, and we have every intention of staying together no matter what happens. Now it's up to the powers that be to see that as well. So please pray that they do, and in a timely manner...no clue how long it will be until we hear something.
So that's where we are in this first month of the new year.
Meantime, I've been enjoying some reading (Noel Hynd's Russian Trilogy, The Help), some movies (Raul's Christmas present The Smurfs, dad's Christmas present Ben Hur, my Christmas present West Side Story's 50th anniversary), and Boy Meets World dvd marathons with Raul. We're on season 4 now, and I think I love the show more now than I did when it was first on tv. Such a great show. I helped Raul pass his driver's test this past Wednesday (woohoo!). We submitted more paperwork for his visa. We hunted for jobs for him...to no avail thus far, but we continue to look and pray. Meanwhile, Raul is taking 2 more courses this semester in anticipation of going to a PTA program in Florida, which brings me to... we continue to pray about the Florida move.
Please continue to pray with us. I still have no idea how this is going to work, and I pray that God will reveal more to us as we go along, especially as we prepare for our spring break trip to Florida in March. There is so so much to be done in order to make this work, and I'm getting pretty anxious. Not to mention the fact that it can't happen at all if Raul's visa isn't approved. Many people have asked me why we have to go through it in the first place (I think I've said this before), and I tell them that though I loathe the process, I understand why it's in place. You just have to do what you can and pray that it's enough. We know in our hearts that we married for the right reasons, that God brought us together, and we have every intention of staying together no matter what happens. Now it's up to the powers that be to see that as well. So please pray that they do, and in a timely manner...no clue how long it will be until we hear something.
So that's where we are in this first month of the new year.
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