idontbelieveingrammar

I love cheesecake. Or at least I used to. In the last six or so years just thinking about eating cheesecake makes my stomach hurt. I am pretty lactose intolerant, and cheesecake, tasty as it may be......isn't quite worth the hours of stomach cramping that will ensue. I used to eat it anyways. Popping a lactaid ( knowing that it would only postpone the inevitable), I'd scarf down a thick slice of rasberry truffle cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory wincing only at the price....and then spend the rest of the evening curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor. I'm not sure if the part of my brain that connects actions to consequences just finally started working or what, but eventually the after effects hurt bad enough that cheesecake isn't really appealing to me anymore. Lots of things in my life are like cheesecake. like alcohol. or toxic relationships. or saying that really clever, but hurtful thing. or red meat. or buying that new outfit I don't really need. It...

If you happen to sit beside me ( or even in the same room as me) at church. I'm sorry. I know that their is a nursery available, and I do use it during Sunday school, but I like the idea of my whole family beside me at church. Even if that means I am more focused on shoving cheerios in Tess's mouth or keeping Owen from coloring in the hymnal than I am on the sermon. This morning Tess "sang" loudly during the worship, chattered and tooted during the prayers, shoved little tiny fistfuls of Gerber puffs into the seat cushions, droppered her toy repeatedly into the women's purse in front of us and managed to crawl two pews ahead before an usher finally picked her up. During the service and afterwards, I was approached by no less than a dozen people who just want to hold her, ask about her, squeeze her chubby little palm, rub her bald head and accept her sloppery kisses. No one complained about her behavior ( at least not out loud). They all smiled and cooed. Some were...

It seems like most Christian fiction is designed for a very specific demographic. Picture the most perfect stay at home mom at your church who never misses a quiet time, can decorate a cake, always remembers to change the sheets weekly, keeps a perfect house and still finds time to read. They are designed for her. They are usually light, warm, romantic, non-controversial, and pretty much offer an alter call at the end. (No offense father Tim). Don't expect that here. Instead you will find murder, theft, mobsters, drinking, and cussing (even if it is bleeped out). Hynd tucked some Christian themes into appropriate places, but focused on writing a good story rather than generic Christian fiction. This is a book my husband might actually read! Quick Synapsis ( from the back cover): "When a mysterious relic is stolen from a Madrid museum, people are dying to discover its secrets. Literally.U.S. Treasury agent Alexandra LaDuca returns from Conspiracy in Kiev to track down the stole...

So I have taken that spiritual gifts inventory test at least a half dozen times in the last 15 years. I am all for finding and using your gifts......I think this silly little quiz falls very short. a) I usually cheat. Not like copy off of my neighbor cheat, but answer like I think I should or based on what I think my gifts are. b) the words are weird and scary and really generic. exhortation, apostleship, sheperding..just to name a few. c) the paint a pretty small box. I mean I know these words are meant to be broad but sometimes I need specific. when I think of gifts i think of those crazy televangalists shouting "heal", or my friends who can pray without falling asleep or at least the ones that don't worry about what other people are thinking when they pray outloud. i like the idea of hospitality, as long as we do it at someone else's house ( mine is too messy). i want to be a servant, but 75% of the time I just keep driving. I am usually not "using my gifts...

I don't think I have every really seen one. On purpose at least. Maybe some glipses on the way to work, but I have never just gotten out of bed early for the pure intent on watching the sun rise. It is worth it I hear, and I felt like there would be no better place to witness one than my last morning in Cozumel. I had this romanticized picture of me on the beach with a cup of coffee, talking to God and snapping the kind of photos that belonged on the front of a postcard. So I got up at 5:30. a.m. Without the help of an alarm clock or a hungry baby. I just woke up. Iattempted breifly to go back to sleep, but then felt an urging to get out of bed and make my way down to the beach. This was going to be that moment. I told shaun where I was going so he wouldn't worry and before he rolled over and went back to sleep he warned me that the sun rose on the side of the hotel......not the beach and that I probably wouldn't be able to see much. I said I wanted to watch it anyways. I f...

We went to a family wedding in Amarillo and here are a few favorite pics from the weekend.

our kids are at gram and grumps for the week, which means we can go to movies, i can stay up late, i can sleep in, i can watch whatever i want on tv, I can go in and get coffee rather than waiting in a misearably long drive through line, i can go play tennis, take naps and have lunch with friends that do not involve happy meals. don't get me wrong....my house is eerily quiet...too quiet. In the morning and night especially I want to squeeze and snuggle my kids.....but I am enjoying my "freedom" and spending time with that man I married. See most of other time he is my relief when he gets home, the lawn mower, diaper changer, monster scare awayer, tuck back -ner, discpliner, you take this one - i take that one guy. We do a lot of child handing off. We take turns at things like going to the bathroom by ourselves ( a rarity) or going for a run. We do plenty of things as a family but not so many things as just husband and wife ( we can thank Tess for scaring off so many babys...

Ephesians 3-6 "How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. " How easy for it have been for God to have skipped the adoption step or distinction. Just call us his children or sons or heirs. Instead it says multiple times in the bible that we were adopted. That we were picked special. I especially like this translation ( the message) because it talks about how much pleasure he took in planning this. That maybe this path was slightly more exciting, more risky, more intentful and ultimately more costly. Their is s...

mom: "O where do we live" O: " Kennedale"...while running in circles mom: " what state?" O: "Texas" mom: "what country"......while jumping up and down O: blank face mom: "hint, it has 3 letters" O: "oh, A- D- D" not exactly the answer the my question, but he might be on to something........

Somehow I have missed the boat on Sabbath. I always pictured it as some ancient pre-historic tradition. Like walking for miles to church and not using electricity on Sunday. Like being forced to only read the bible and speak in a whisper. Or, I know many people in the ministry who take "sabbath" on Friday or Monday. My translation -- their day off since they work on Sunday. My translation was a poor one, sine my Sundays ( or days off) usually consist of crazy. church, lunch, a soccer game, grocery shopping for the week, paying bills, tackling the giant pile of laundry, a nap (if I am lucky) and then the real fun begins. All the school work, grading and lesson planning that I have put off for the entire week must be addressed. I usually spent my evening in a frenzy of trying to get caught up.Then I spend Monday morning tired, cranky and frazzled from not finishing. Meaning, other than church, coffee, donuts and the occasional Sunday nap there isn't much to look forward to....