Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Encouraging Words
Dear Child,
I know your worries, I know your frustrations and I know that you are putting your best effort into doing what I’ve told you in my word. Never tire of pursuing me, though your body and mind continuously grow fatigued. Stick it out- month after month, day after day and minute by minute. I see your efforts and I know what your sacrifice means. Hold on to my words and never worry that it’s all for nothing-- it's not. No small act for my sake is insignificant to me, despite the fact that people around you don’t notice. I notice. I see your restraint, I see your service and I hear you when you cry out in sorrow, “How much more can I take?”
Remember that you are not fighting against only mere men, but your battle lies in the supernatural realm as well, so it should come as no surprise you that with every step closer to me, you find it harder to continue among this world. Continue to arm yourself with my truths, for truly they are the only weapon that prevails, but you must know them to use them.
My way is freedom. My way is life. And My way is the good way. Even though you may stumble along the way, I will never leave you. Know that in the most difficult moments of your life, I weep with you for the tiresome journey and my greatest encouragement will come as you ascend the hill on the other side. I promise it is not for nothing. The greatest glory is soon to come. While your actions can never garner your entrance into heaven, your willingness to walk the road with me by your side makes it possible for you to have power to persevere and eventually overcome. You only need call my name.
I love you my child more than you can possibly know and in those moments that you consider the easier path, or the one more difficult…I see you. My Holy Spirit is your advocate constantly refilling you with abundant energies, multiplying your efforts, rely on Him.
Hold on.
March On.
Live On.
For one day this world will be but a shadow of what is to come.
Teach your children, even though your tired.
Say no to gossip, even though it’s tempting.
Serve each other in love, with no desire to prosper yourself.
Sacrifice yourselves for my sake so that one day you will be counted among those who climbed, clawed, and cried their way through this life for the sake of Christ.
Well Done, my good and faithful child. Be Brave.
I know your worries, I know your frustrations and I know that you are putting your best effort into doing what I’ve told you in my word. Never tire of pursuing me, though your body and mind continuously grow fatigued. Stick it out- month after month, day after day and minute by minute. I see your efforts and I know what your sacrifice means. Hold on to my words and never worry that it’s all for nothing-- it's not. No small act for my sake is insignificant to me, despite the fact that people around you don’t notice. I notice. I see your restraint, I see your service and I hear you when you cry out in sorrow, “How much more can I take?”
Remember that you are not fighting against only mere men, but your battle lies in the supernatural realm as well, so it should come as no surprise you that with every step closer to me, you find it harder to continue among this world. Continue to arm yourself with my truths, for truly they are the only weapon that prevails, but you must know them to use them.
My way is freedom. My way is life. And My way is the good way. Even though you may stumble along the way, I will never leave you. Know that in the most difficult moments of your life, I weep with you for the tiresome journey and my greatest encouragement will come as you ascend the hill on the other side. I promise it is not for nothing. The greatest glory is soon to come. While your actions can never garner your entrance into heaven, your willingness to walk the road with me by your side makes it possible for you to have power to persevere and eventually overcome. You only need call my name.
I love you my child more than you can possibly know and in those moments that you consider the easier path, or the one more difficult…I see you. My Holy Spirit is your advocate constantly refilling you with abundant energies, multiplying your efforts, rely on Him.
Hold on.
March On.
Live On.
For one day this world will be but a shadow of what is to come.
Teach your children, even though your tired.
Say no to gossip, even though it’s tempting.
Serve each other in love, with no desire to prosper yourself.
Sacrifice yourselves for my sake so that one day you will be counted among those who climbed, clawed, and cried their way through this life for the sake of Christ.
Well Done, my good and faithful child. Be Brave.
Monday, September 21, 2009
I Know, I Know
… I'm certainly not claiming to know everything, but what I do will save your life.– MercyMe, I Know
What a great line for every evangelitical Christian to remember as they head out the door every morning.
First, that we don’t know everything. Some of us are better educated than others, some of us have vast collegiate or theological knowledge and some of us are just average everyday people—trying to raise a family, and live the way Jesus has asked us to. But God likes to use those of us who are limited in some way. His glory is even greater when he makes something out of what seems to be nothing. So never discount yourself as insignificant- in the eyes of God, you are perfect to be used by Him.
And second, that what we know can save lives! More than CPR, more than a skilled surgeon, more than stop, drop and roll.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. Matt 16:25There is nothing more powerful to save lives, than the power of knowing Christ. And within each Christian is this information to save others.
If you were walking through the forrest and saw a man laying on the ground dying of a poisonous snake bite, and you carried the anti-venom in your pocket--wouldnt you rush over to save his life with it? I bet most of us would.
But the world will try to fault you for sharing this life-saving information.
The world will portray you as biggoted, callus, arrogant, and judgemental for speaking the truth about Christ.
The world will scoff that Jesus is not the only way to heaven.
The world thinks we are narrow minded to assume that only people who believe in Christ are allowed to heaven.
But what we know is the truth.
That everyone is allowed into heaven, when they enter through Christ, who said;
I am the gate. John 10:79
So while this working mom who never went to college certainly cannot claim to know very much about life outside of teenagers and hourly wage jobs, I do know this:
Jesus is the bread of life. John 6:48
Jesus is the light of the world. John 8:12
Jesus is the true vine. John 15:1
And Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through him. John 14:6
Remember that what you know, could save someone’s life today.
Truth.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Men Don’t Speak Good
First, let me say that I love my husband and I don’t wish to de-value him at all as the leader of our house. At the things he is suppose to do, he does an excellent job- doing them the way God asks him to. Of course, there are some things that he probably needs help with, but I probably couldn’t accurately tell you what those things are b/c they would be skewed by ‘my idea’ of how he should lead. Which I am learning...is not necessarily the right way, it’s just MY way. (it's still hard to admit this)
But for amusement sake, I just want to point out how funny it is that men and women communicate so differently. I laughed at this article written by a man, who himself realizes this already. God made us different….so of course we communicate differently. (It’s still funny—if not incredibly frustrating!)
Recently, I was unpacking a left over moving box and came across a picture that Josh bought me when we were still dating in highschool. Now granted, he’s come a long way since boyhood— and I hope that he’s learned a thing or two about romance and me since then. (I hope) But this picture is made entirely of wooden veneer cut outs that create a picture of a rose. It’s sort of like all wooden puzzle pieces of different colored woods, darker red, and lighter pink…all together make a rose.
Now, I understand that when Josh bought this, he thought it was cool, and he thought of me (A GOOD thing! Thinking of me, yes.)
But then, he ruined the romatic part of the gift...when he imortalized this sentiment on the back of the picture by adding this inscription…
Oh swoon... just what every girlfriend wants- a hard picture of a non-smelling rose, that replaces all future need for sentiment of any kind.
How practical that man of mine is in the love department.
Love you Josh!
But for amusement sake, I just want to point out how funny it is that men and women communicate so differently. I laughed at this article written by a man, who himself realizes this already. God made us different….so of course we communicate differently. (It’s still funny—if not incredibly frustrating!)
Recently, I was unpacking a left over moving box and came across a picture that Josh bought me when we were still dating in highschool. Now granted, he’s come a long way since boyhood— and I hope that he’s learned a thing or two about romance and me since then. (I hope) But this picture is made entirely of wooden veneer cut outs that create a picture of a rose. It’s sort of like all wooden puzzle pieces of different colored woods, darker red, and lighter pink…all together make a rose.
Now, I understand that when Josh bought this, he thought it was cool, and he thought of me (A GOOD thing! Thinking of me, yes.)
But then, he ruined the romatic part of the gift...when he imortalized this sentiment on the back of the picture by adding this inscription…
“Dear Kase…I bought this rose so I would never have to buy you another rose again. (Or at least, not as many) Love you always, Josh”
Oh swoon... just what every girlfriend wants- a hard picture of a non-smelling rose, that replaces all future need for sentiment of any kind.
How practical that man of mine is in the love department.
Love you Josh!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Violin and Poker
My summers are so much more lazy than the school year I've noticed. Josh and I have found ourselves bored to tears on some nights in fact. While Jyllie was on vacation recently, there were a few days that Jada was also away and we both found ourselves home alone twiddling our thumbs. We decided to try playing free poker at a local bar/grill place. Both of us like to play for fun, so we headed over to this little place to join.
I think I like cards because my family plays a lot of card games. My mom and I use to play hands of gin rummy when I was younger. And during the holidays when my grandmother would come to visit, we would often have 8-10 people sitting around playing games of 31 or ‘dimes’. These are some of my favorite memories, including the way my German aunt Ernestine would always say “See, I'm on my honor now” and dust her hand over the table a few times, meaning she was out of money, but could play one more hand that way...(tee hee). When Josh and I got married and he was in the military, we frequently had groups of friends come over to play spades, euchre, or hearts. I have pictures of us all sitting on milk crates and fold up chairs at a table in front of windows with blankets tacked up to them (because we couldnt afford curtains). Good times, good times.
And then, of course when we moved to Texas, I naturally learned how to play Texas Hold ‘Em.
I think I’m pretty good at understanding strategy, bluffing, and odds. I know what it means to hit top pair on the flop and whether the guy next to me is placing a value bet or already has a made hand. I love bluffing a good player out of a big pot and I understand why it’s not always a good idea to chase a flush, particularly if your short stacked. I know how to calculate outs and odds, but I also feel like I’m pretty good at reading other players better than percentages. (some call it luck) At any rate, sometimes it all works…and sometimes it doesn’t. And it's no biggy if we win or lose.
But there is a downside to playing cards at the bar. I mean, it IS a bar…not church. People swear, they drink heavily, and the clothing is not always tasteful.
I wish I could find a Christian venue to play cards regularly.
I try to be a little salt and light though...
Sometimes I wear my “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” bracelet, and once a guy commented on it. We had a conversation right there over the poker table about which verse was his favorite. It was one from Hebrews he said, and he quoted it for me too. That was cool. Another guy asked me about the cross on my ring. It's easy for me to speak about Christ, if someone asks me. Not so easy if someone is using his name as a swear word though.
I once sat at a table with a Matthew and a Mark….I commented that all we need was a Luke and John to make the Gospels complete. (I’m not sure anyone got that…but o well.) But I’m not really sure how God feels about us being there. Would he rather we spend our time elsewhere? Is it really gambling, if you never pay any money, or win anything?? Is being in an environment like this…something that tarnishes our Christianity? What do you guys think?
And so, we’ve spent a few nights playing this summer, knowing that when school starts we wont be playing much more.
And, just so that I am well rounded in my hobbies, I’m also taking up violin lessons again.
I played violin when I was in Jr. High from about 6th grade to 8th. But because it was dorky to play in the Orchestra, and because it was a pain to drag my violin case to basketball practice, I quit after I entered highschool. Now that I’m older, I really wished I had continued playing and I mentioned this to Josh in passing.
So my nice husband bought me a violin on craigslist one afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a cheap one and not really able to be played, so I went ahead and rented one from a local dealer who usually specializes in students. Then I managed to find a friend from church who teaches professional lessons to students as well.
Now once a week I have a lesson and in between poker nights-- you can find me in our garage practicing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Life is Good!
I think I like cards because my family plays a lot of card games. My mom and I use to play hands of gin rummy when I was younger. And during the holidays when my grandmother would come to visit, we would often have 8-10 people sitting around playing games of 31 or ‘dimes’. These are some of my favorite memories, including the way my German aunt Ernestine would always say “See, I'm on my honor now” and dust her hand over the table a few times, meaning she was out of money, but could play one more hand that way...(tee hee). When Josh and I got married and he was in the military, we frequently had groups of friends come over to play spades, euchre, or hearts. I have pictures of us all sitting on milk crates and fold up chairs at a table in front of windows with blankets tacked up to them (because we couldnt afford curtains). Good times, good times.
And then, of course when we moved to Texas, I naturally learned how to play Texas Hold ‘Em.
I think I’m pretty good at understanding strategy, bluffing, and odds. I know what it means to hit top pair on the flop and whether the guy next to me is placing a value bet or already has a made hand. I love bluffing a good player out of a big pot and I understand why it’s not always a good idea to chase a flush, particularly if your short stacked. I know how to calculate outs and odds, but I also feel like I’m pretty good at reading other players better than percentages. (some call it luck) At any rate, sometimes it all works…and sometimes it doesn’t. And it's no biggy if we win or lose.
But there is a downside to playing cards at the bar. I mean, it IS a bar…not church. People swear, they drink heavily, and the clothing is not always tasteful.
I wish I could find a Christian venue to play cards regularly.
I try to be a little salt and light though...
Sometimes I wear my “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” bracelet, and once a guy commented on it. We had a conversation right there over the poker table about which verse was his favorite. It was one from Hebrews he said, and he quoted it for me too. That was cool. Another guy asked me about the cross on my ring. It's easy for me to speak about Christ, if someone asks me. Not so easy if someone is using his name as a swear word though.
I once sat at a table with a Matthew and a Mark….I commented that all we need was a Luke and John to make the Gospels complete. (I’m not sure anyone got that…but o well.) But I’m not really sure how God feels about us being there. Would he rather we spend our time elsewhere? Is it really gambling, if you never pay any money, or win anything?? Is being in an environment like this…something that tarnishes our Christianity? What do you guys think?
And so, we’ve spent a few nights playing this summer, knowing that when school starts we wont be playing much more.
And, just so that I am well rounded in my hobbies, I’m also taking up violin lessons again.
I played violin when I was in Jr. High from about 6th grade to 8th. But because it was dorky to play in the Orchestra, and because it was a pain to drag my violin case to basketball practice, I quit after I entered highschool. Now that I’m older, I really wished I had continued playing and I mentioned this to Josh in passing.
So my nice husband bought me a violin on craigslist one afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a cheap one and not really able to be played, so I went ahead and rented one from a local dealer who usually specializes in students. Then I managed to find a friend from church who teaches professional lessons to students as well.
Now once a week I have a lesson and in between poker nights-- you can find me in our garage practicing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Life is Good!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
My own experience
Okay,
So here are some brief points of what I think of the Twilight books and how they related to the way I choose to follow Christ.
1. I loved them. In a way too much kind of way for any sane 33 year old Christian woman.
They are way to easy to become entirely engrossed in. I had no idea how much I would get involved in fictitious characters, music, writings, movies, etc. Maybe it's b/c I've not read any fiction for a long time. Maybe it's b/c I found the characters loveable and the book intellegently written.
Maybe it's just b/c satan realized, this was an opening to capitalize on. Either way...just reading the books these last few weeks-has brought on a fair amount of pain that I personally could have avoided.
2. The writing is pretty clean in the beginning with a stray curse word here and there. There is little if any mature themes other than that compulsive teen love at first sight thing. But toward the end of the books, more mature themes arise subtly. Cursing becomes a little more frequent, sex is a key element and there is a somewhat voyeuristic feel to the book. It's not quite as trashy as say something with Fabio on the cover, but it's pretty close.
Also, I realized that the progression away from God, is a slow fade. No one wakes up one morning against God. I actually thanked God while reading these books, that I felt more inspired, more creative and that I felt like it had awakened something in me that I'd not felt in a while, Passion. But the more I read and the more I spent time away from the Word. The more I realized, it's a slow fade from God that gets ya. When things become slightly accepted little by little. I came across this article that really nailed it home for me.
3. I will say this...what started out as just funny comparing between the lead character and my own husband, became something a little darker as I went through the books. I started to see my own marriage is lacking in comparison with this fictitious story and after a few weeks it really gave a foothold for my own marriage to become troubled. As Josh said to me "things were fine, until you started reading these books. Why?"
I'm not going to come right out and tell you that reading these books is wrong because I think that some people can experience certain secular things of this world without ever succumbing to further temptation. But b/c sex and lust can be difficult lures for even the most devout Christian wife who continually exposes herself to that type of media(don't lie to yourselves, ladies!)that I think we should be really careful what we let into our imaginations and lives.
I clearly kept reading the books all the way through, but felt like it was almost torturous to read them b/c I wanted SO bad for my life to be like the books. (Yes, that sounds a little crazy to say out loud-- And not realistic at all) I became really self serving as I read them. I stopped wanting to be the mom I was, and the wife I was. I wanted just to be a selfish girl again. Like I'd taken a step backward to my twenties again. (I know, I'm really throwing myself out there with this...but I don't care. It's good to be transparent!)
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 tells us to to do everything for the Glory of God, and not not cause anyone else to stumble. I kind feel the weight of this passage on me, as I think about what to say to my daughter about the books. I've kind of enjoyed sharing them with her, and laughing together over them. But am I causing her to stumble by not calling "A spade, a spade"?
We should be careful with what we say, what we do, what we think, and what we see. The Bible says we are to be imatators of Christ. I can see that becoming so engrossed in something, that takes away from spending time with God, is definitely a problem for any Christian.
So, be careful what you let in--and pay attention to how it affects you!
You might have breezed through the books and loved them, never giving them a second thought. (Good for you!) But with this, and anything that affects you deeper...consider this-
So here are some brief points of what I think of the Twilight books and how they related to the way I choose to follow Christ.
1. I loved them. In a way too much kind of way for any sane 33 year old Christian woman.
They are way to easy to become entirely engrossed in. I had no idea how much I would get involved in fictitious characters, music, writings, movies, etc. Maybe it's b/c I've not read any fiction for a long time. Maybe it's b/c I found the characters loveable and the book intellegently written.
Maybe it's just b/c satan realized, this was an opening to capitalize on. Either way...just reading the books these last few weeks-has brought on a fair amount of pain that I personally could have avoided.
2. The writing is pretty clean in the beginning with a stray curse word here and there. There is little if any mature themes other than that compulsive teen love at first sight thing. But toward the end of the books, more mature themes arise subtly. Cursing becomes a little more frequent, sex is a key element and there is a somewhat voyeuristic feel to the book. It's not quite as trashy as say something with Fabio on the cover, but it's pretty close.
Also, I realized that the progression away from God, is a slow fade. No one wakes up one morning against God. I actually thanked God while reading these books, that I felt more inspired, more creative and that I felt like it had awakened something in me that I'd not felt in a while, Passion. But the more I read and the more I spent time away from the Word. The more I realized, it's a slow fade from God that gets ya. When things become slightly accepted little by little. I came across this article that really nailed it home for me.
3. I will say this...what started out as just funny comparing between the lead character and my own husband, became something a little darker as I went through the books. I started to see my own marriage is lacking in comparison with this fictitious story and after a few weeks it really gave a foothold for my own marriage to become troubled. As Josh said to me "things were fine, until you started reading these books. Why?"
I'm not going to come right out and tell you that reading these books is wrong because I think that some people can experience certain secular things of this world without ever succumbing to further temptation. But b/c sex and lust can be difficult lures for even the most devout Christian wife who continually exposes herself to that type of media(don't lie to yourselves, ladies!)that I think we should be really careful what we let into our imaginations and lives.
I clearly kept reading the books all the way through, but felt like it was almost torturous to read them b/c I wanted SO bad for my life to be like the books. (Yes, that sounds a little crazy to say out loud-- And not realistic at all) I became really self serving as I read them. I stopped wanting to be the mom I was, and the wife I was. I wanted just to be a selfish girl again. Like I'd taken a step backward to my twenties again. (I know, I'm really throwing myself out there with this...but I don't care. It's good to be transparent!)
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 tells us to to do everything for the Glory of God, and not not cause anyone else to stumble. I kind feel the weight of this passage on me, as I think about what to say to my daughter about the books. I've kind of enjoyed sharing them with her, and laughing together over them. But am I causing her to stumble by not calling "A spade, a spade"?
We should be careful with what we say, what we do, what we think, and what we see. The Bible says we are to be imatators of Christ. I can see that becoming so engrossed in something, that takes away from spending time with God, is definitely a problem for any Christian.
So, be careful what you let in--and pay attention to how it affects you!
You might have breezed through the books and loved them, never giving them a second thought. (Good for you!) But with this, and anything that affects you deeper...consider this-
Ephesians 5:3,6-14 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Chapter 1. READING
I’ve not blogged in sometime now. Sorry, I’ve been ….er…busy.
That’s not entirely true actually. My kids are both out of the house and work is rather slow, I don’t even have any classes going on right now. Life is pretty slow during the summer. Alright, alright. I’m reading the Twilight books. There, I’ve said it—and I don’t care if you judge me.
I’ve avoided reading these books, namely because my daughter absolutely loved and gushed over them. How interesting could teen drama be to me--30something yr old mom who spends most of my time in church. Not interested in boys or vampires.
Besides, I rarely read any fiction books anymore trading them in for mostly spiritual growth books and interesting biographies of Christians as well.
But as I headed out to sunbathe one afternoon (don’t judge me for that either! I know it’s bad for your skin, …but I am REALLY white and I needed a good dose of vitamin D) I went ahead and grabbed a lended copy of the first Twi Book. I figured it would be good to read it so I would really know what my daughter is also reading. This way I could counter any immoral elements in the book.
And I kept reading with vague interest, until about halfway through the book when I became really engrossed in the characters (namely ONE in particular). And when I finished with the first one, I couldn’t even wait through the weekend to pick up the next copy, and so I made a mid-nite run to Walmart to grab the second book. I’m now nearly finished with it as well, releshing every opportunity to read a few more pages…while walking to the car, while standing in the elevator, on my lunch break, before bed, any chance I can get.
And so because I'm so engrossed...
Here's a chapter of my own life, written in the style of Twilight)
Chapter 1.READING
Yesterday was one of those days…..On my way home, I got a flat tire about 14 blocks from my house. I flagged down a passer-by to call Josh but I knew he was out mowing the yard and wouldn’t hear the phone ring. After leaving a voicemail for him, I grabbed my purse and my book from the Aztek and locked the doors, actually relishing the new-found opportunity to walk home in my work shoes in 100 degree heat--uninteruppted and reading my book.
When I got home, I explained to Josh what happened. Confused by how un-annoyed I was to walk home…he looked at my face and then cut his eyes toward the book under my arm. His eyebrows pulled together and looked back at me with a “whatever” look on his face. I swear, he probably thought I flattened my tire on purpose. I giddily ran up the stairs two-by-two and pulled off my now slightly damp work clothes looking for some shorts and a TShirt to wear. I was humming a song from the Twilight soundtrack thinking how glad I was that the tire had not gone flat just 10 minutes earlier, while I was at the Walmart purchasing my newest CD. I wasn’t exactly hiding the fact that I liked to read Twilight…but I was rather embarrassed to admit that I’d even thought about purchasing other paraphenalia….I mean, I am a grown up and by definition should not be such a sucker for fan-junk.
What was next, posters of Rob Pattinson, T-Shirts that said "Cullen Baseball Club"?
Josh strolled through the door of our room just as I finished putting on a pair of cutoff sweat shorts. He had in his hand a black instrument case, and he casually laid it on the bed. I knew exactly what it was. I’d been wanting to take violin lessons again, and found a great deal online for one. He’d slyly told me earlier in the day that he couldn’t get in touch with the gentlemen selling the great violin any more and I’d been really disappointed. But now I jumped up and hugged his neck, sweaty and covered in lawn clippings and sighed “awww…you DID get it for me. Yay!” He looked pretty proud of himself, and I told him he earned major bonus points for surprising me.
“Come on” he said, as I stroked the aqua colored crushed velvet interior of the violin case.
“Where to?”
“To change your tire”
“Do I have to do anything? Or can I just, um, watch”
“You can sit in the truck and read your book, if that’s what your getting at”
“Thanks honey. More bonus points to you”
“And where can I spend these bonus points?”
We chugged down the stairs one after another, and I snagged the book on the way out the door behind him. Josh hopped up into his blazer, the machine I called “The Eyesore”. It was hard to tell from looking at the monstrosity if it had been orange and painted with grey primer, or primer gray and painted with orange. Either way, it was darn ugly. I scoffed when he shut the door behind him leaving me out on the oil-stained driveway, barefoot. I’d expected to jump in right behind him.
“You lost bonus points on that one” I said, hefting myself into the truck amidst the piles of tools and empty soda bottles laying all over the passenger seat. He lit a cigarette and said “What? You suddenly can’t get in by yourself?”
We took off toward my car, I pointed left turns and a right, and there it was, sitting just as I’d left it just an hour earlier.
Josh parked The Eyesore by the curb and jumped out, making his way toward my car, turning a lug wrench ‘round his hand as he walked. I chuckled at the lady giving him a long, hard suspicious gaze as she pulled her car toward her driveway in the back. Evidently this was her house my car had stopped in front of…and Josh with his sweaty appearance and lug-wrench twirling, was giving her cause for concern.
But halfway to my car he yelled back at me “Hey…it’s locked. Throw me your keys!”
Keys.
I ran my fingers over the cover of the book in my hands, and grinned impishly.
“um….I forgot them”.
He wasn’t pleased with my response and he marched back to the car, and we headed back to the house.
As we stopped near the curb in front of our house, I hopped out and waited for Josh to turn the truck off so he could pitch me his keys. I thought I’d better hurry, he looked wary waiting on me.
I fumbled through the key ring and finding the house key, inserted it and gave it a turn in the lock. But it didn’t budge. Hmmmm, maybe that wasn’t the right key. But there were no other "house-key looking" keys left.
“hey, the key doesn’t work” I yelled out to him.
“Yes it does, try it again”
More failed attempts.
“Josh…it doesn’t work.”
“Then you have the wrong key” What a genius I’ve married, I thought.
After several more obvious and theatrical tries, I could hear Josh give an emphatic huff and yank the garage door opener off the visor and march toward me.
“Let me see that" he grabbed the key ring dangling from my finger that I was holding straight up in the air over my head.
"………WHO TOOK MY HOUSE KEY?!”
We walked around the back together, and after raising the garage door he returned around the side of the house back to the truck, leaving me to walk into the house and grab my keys.
Upon finding them, I shoved them in my pocket, while still clutching my copy of the book. I couldn't risk leaving it unguarded in the truck, Josh had already hidden my book once-annoyed with my constant new hobby. It wasn't unlikely that he'd accidentally drop it down the storm drain or throw it at a stray dog just to be rid of it.
I walked through the front door and shut it behind me, pausing briefly before exploding into laughter.
“Um….I probably shouldn’t tell you, but the front door wasn’t even locked” I said between grins and giggles.
"Wow, you are a special brand of special, aren't you."
(END CHAPTER)
So, yeah, that’s really what happened to me yesterday. The funnier part is that we had to drive home again, because when we got the spare tire put on, he noticed it was low in air and he needed his compressor to pump it back up. But all the while I got to sit in the truck and read even more.
When I get through with the series, I’ll post a review….from a Christian mom perspective.
A Christian mom, sucked into the madness of Twilight. Sigh.
I really should know better.
That’s not entirely true actually. My kids are both out of the house and work is rather slow, I don’t even have any classes going on right now. Life is pretty slow during the summer. Alright, alright. I’m reading the Twilight books. There, I’ve said it—and I don’t care if you judge me.
I’ve avoided reading these books, namely because my daughter absolutely loved and gushed over them. How interesting could teen drama be to me--30something yr old mom who spends most of my time in church. Not interested in boys or vampires.
Besides, I rarely read any fiction books anymore trading them in for mostly spiritual growth books and interesting biographies of Christians as well.
But as I headed out to sunbathe one afternoon (don’t judge me for that either! I know it’s bad for your skin, …but I am REALLY white and I needed a good dose of vitamin D) I went ahead and grabbed a lended copy of the first Twi Book. I figured it would be good to read it so I would really know what my daughter is also reading. This way I could counter any immoral elements in the book.
And I kept reading with vague interest, until about halfway through the book when I became really engrossed in the characters (namely ONE in particular). And when I finished with the first one, I couldn’t even wait through the weekend to pick up the next copy, and so I made a mid-nite run to Walmart to grab the second book. I’m now nearly finished with it as well, releshing every opportunity to read a few more pages…while walking to the car, while standing in the elevator, on my lunch break, before bed, any chance I can get.
And so because I'm so engrossed...
Here's a chapter of my own life, written in the style of Twilight)
Chapter 1.READING
Yesterday was one of those days…..On my way home, I got a flat tire about 14 blocks from my house. I flagged down a passer-by to call Josh but I knew he was out mowing the yard and wouldn’t hear the phone ring. After leaving a voicemail for him, I grabbed my purse and my book from the Aztek and locked the doors, actually relishing the new-found opportunity to walk home in my work shoes in 100 degree heat--uninteruppted and reading my book.
When I got home, I explained to Josh what happened. Confused by how un-annoyed I was to walk home…he looked at my face and then cut his eyes toward the book under my arm. His eyebrows pulled together and looked back at me with a “whatever” look on his face. I swear, he probably thought I flattened my tire on purpose. I giddily ran up the stairs two-by-two and pulled off my now slightly damp work clothes looking for some shorts and a TShirt to wear. I was humming a song from the Twilight soundtrack thinking how glad I was that the tire had not gone flat just 10 minutes earlier, while I was at the Walmart purchasing my newest CD. I wasn’t exactly hiding the fact that I liked to read Twilight…but I was rather embarrassed to admit that I’d even thought about purchasing other paraphenalia….I mean, I am a grown up and by definition should not be such a sucker for fan-junk.
What was next, posters of Rob Pattinson, T-Shirts that said "Cullen Baseball Club"?
Josh strolled through the door of our room just as I finished putting on a pair of cutoff sweat shorts. He had in his hand a black instrument case, and he casually laid it on the bed. I knew exactly what it was. I’d been wanting to take violin lessons again, and found a great deal online for one. He’d slyly told me earlier in the day that he couldn’t get in touch with the gentlemen selling the great violin any more and I’d been really disappointed. But now I jumped up and hugged his neck, sweaty and covered in lawn clippings and sighed “awww…you DID get it for me. Yay!” He looked pretty proud of himself, and I told him he earned major bonus points for surprising me.
“Come on” he said, as I stroked the aqua colored crushed velvet interior of the violin case.
“Where to?”
“To change your tire”
“Do I have to do anything? Or can I just, um, watch”
“You can sit in the truck and read your book, if that’s what your getting at”
“Thanks honey. More bonus points to you”
“And where can I spend these bonus points?”
We chugged down the stairs one after another, and I snagged the book on the way out the door behind him. Josh hopped up into his blazer, the machine I called “The Eyesore”. It was hard to tell from looking at the monstrosity if it had been orange and painted with grey primer, or primer gray and painted with orange. Either way, it was darn ugly. I scoffed when he shut the door behind him leaving me out on the oil-stained driveway, barefoot. I’d expected to jump in right behind him.
“You lost bonus points on that one” I said, hefting myself into the truck amidst the piles of tools and empty soda bottles laying all over the passenger seat. He lit a cigarette and said “What? You suddenly can’t get in by yourself?”
We took off toward my car, I pointed left turns and a right, and there it was, sitting just as I’d left it just an hour earlier.
Josh parked The Eyesore by the curb and jumped out, making his way toward my car, turning a lug wrench ‘round his hand as he walked. I chuckled at the lady giving him a long, hard suspicious gaze as she pulled her car toward her driveway in the back. Evidently this was her house my car had stopped in front of…and Josh with his sweaty appearance and lug-wrench twirling, was giving her cause for concern.
But halfway to my car he yelled back at me “Hey…it’s locked. Throw me your keys!”
Keys.
I ran my fingers over the cover of the book in my hands, and grinned impishly.
“um….I forgot them”.
He wasn’t pleased with my response and he marched back to the car, and we headed back to the house.
As we stopped near the curb in front of our house, I hopped out and waited for Josh to turn the truck off so he could pitch me his keys. I thought I’d better hurry, he looked wary waiting on me.
I fumbled through the key ring and finding the house key, inserted it and gave it a turn in the lock. But it didn’t budge. Hmmmm, maybe that wasn’t the right key. But there were no other "house-key looking" keys left.
“hey, the key doesn’t work” I yelled out to him.
“Yes it does, try it again”
More failed attempts.
“Josh…it doesn’t work.”
“Then you have the wrong key” What a genius I’ve married, I thought.
After several more obvious and theatrical tries, I could hear Josh give an emphatic huff and yank the garage door opener off the visor and march toward me.
“Let me see that" he grabbed the key ring dangling from my finger that I was holding straight up in the air over my head.
"………WHO TOOK MY HOUSE KEY?!”
We walked around the back together, and after raising the garage door he returned around the side of the house back to the truck, leaving me to walk into the house and grab my keys.
Upon finding them, I shoved them in my pocket, while still clutching my copy of the book. I couldn't risk leaving it unguarded in the truck, Josh had already hidden my book once-annoyed with my constant new hobby. It wasn't unlikely that he'd accidentally drop it down the storm drain or throw it at a stray dog just to be rid of it.
I walked through the front door and shut it behind me, pausing briefly before exploding into laughter.
“Um….I probably shouldn’t tell you, but the front door wasn’t even locked” I said between grins and giggles.
"Wow, you are a special brand of special, aren't you."
(END CHAPTER)
So, yeah, that’s really what happened to me yesterday. The funnier part is that we had to drive home again, because when we got the spare tire put on, he noticed it was low in air and he needed his compressor to pump it back up. But all the while I got to sit in the truck and read even more.
When I get through with the series, I’ll post a review….from a Christian mom perspective.
A Christian mom, sucked into the madness of Twilight. Sigh.
I really should know better.
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