Samuel, Samson...

I am feeling a little like Manoah today. For those of you who only remember the Samson and Delilah part of the story, Manoah was Samson's father. One day, the angel of the Lord came to Manoah's wife and told her to lay off the booze because she was going to be a mommy. Now, this was incredible because she wasn't supposed to have been able to have kids. Okay, so how do I feel like this dude Manoah? Well, when she told Manoah that they were going to have a baby, his response is pretty similar to the response that I have now upon learning that I am going to have a baby. He said "O, Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born."

I don't know if it is a boy or a girl - What I do know is that I need Christ (who I believe is the angel of the Lord) to help me know how to raise my child. The great thing is that I can ask directly! Isn't that awesome! Because Christ died for me and has accepted me into the family, I can ask Him about anything. This is a really scary time for me. I am now realizing that I have to throw off any selfish ambition. I want to dedicate my child to God not from the first day that it takes its first breath - but from this very moment. I do not believe that life starts when the child is born. Life starts at conception. If you could have seen little Peanut moving around 2 weeks ago, you would agree.

I have been looking at Godly parents in the Bible who raised their kids in a Godly way. I am really impressed with Hannah. She gave her baby to God before God even gave her the baby. I need to be able to give my child's life to God totally. I want my baby to be surrounded by God's presence. I know that I will not always be able to make decisions for my child - look at Manoah and Samson later in life - but I can raise them to know which choices are good and bad. I pray that God would direct me as I embark on this scary adventure. I want God to speak through me instead of the baby always hearing my voice telling them what I think that they should do.

Don't Worry - Be Happy :)

Okay, so another cute baby picture I found online. I can't wait to have pictures of my baby!! I was trying to imagine what it is going to be like last night. I am so excited!

I had this funny dream last night. I dreamed that I could actually feel Peanut kicking. It was magical. Then I woke up - and realized that soon I will be able to feel little Peanut. And not long after that I will hold Peanut. The love that I feel for this little squirming creature inside me is incredible. This is truly one of the greatest miracles that could happen to Hubby and me!!

I am going through so many changes right now. Trusting God is more imperative than it ever has been before, probably.( Then again, has there ever been a time when I felt like I didn't need to trust Him - that I could handle things on my own?) Right now my body is changing alot. Already, I have NO waist. I am tired, and sick - except for about 3 hours in the middle of the afternoon. I cry at Hallmark commercials. (Yeah, I know - it's pathetic. Hubby tries to keep a straight face.) My plans for grad school are gone - for now. And you know what - I couldn't be more happy. This shows me that what I think is good for myself may not always be good for me. But, God's plan is always awesome! So, once again, I am reminded that I don't have to worry. God has things under control. I can just sit back and take commands and NOT WORRY!!! Believe me, I am very tempted to worry - alot. But then I hear the reassuring, all-powerful Voice that I have learned to love and trust saying, "Haven't I always taken care of you? Isn't it Me who is building this baby right there inside of you? Then relax already. It's okay. I've got it."

I made gingerbread cookies with my mom and dad and Hubby tonight. It was so much fun! Christmas is coming soon! There is so much to celebrate!!! Yeah!!

When I was driving home alone tonight, I just kept thinking about how awesome God is. Lately my praise for Him has been centered around how He has been affecting my life. And then the realization came upon me tonight - praise like that is so easy to give. I want to give the kind of praise that comes for no reason, as well. I want to just sit back and quit thinking about myself and really think about Him. I want to tell others. I want to REALLY PRAISE Him. I want the kind of adoration for God that comes just because He is God. It is there - alot - in my heart. But, I want MORE!!! I want people to be able to see it. I don't want to hide it - or forget it - or base it on circumstances. I have to end this with Scripture again. This comes from Psalms 96.

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth."

CUTE!!!

Isn't this just the cutest thing that you have ever seen? I love the way a baby's feet look. They are so cute!!

Soon, Hubby and I will have baby feet to look at in our own house. The little bundle is expected to arrive on July 1st. Isn't it exciting?!!!

I got to see my baby for the first time on Wednesday. The doctor let us do an ultrasound. Baby was just moving her/his arms like crazy. Looks like its got alot of granddad's and Uncle Mike's hyperactivity. (This leads to one worried mommy.)

What an awesome responsibility Hubby and I have now! We are hoping that our friends and family will surround us with their prayers so that we can effectively hear God's voice and follow His direction as we teach and provide for this new little life.

I have to end this with Scripture. This is from Psalms 139:
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Landlords...

Last week there was glass all over my kitchen floor. Little pieces of glass. Hubby and I had no idea how glass spread all over the apartment. We kept sweeping and cleaning. Hubby found pieces of broken glass in the sink. So, knowing that he had not broken anything, he asked me about it. I was clueless. Then we realized - the overhead light in the kitchen had not been shining so brightly as usual. There are two lightbulbs in the fixture. Guess what happened to one of them? Water from a leak that we have had since mid August had been seeping into the light bulb, causing it to explode. Do you think that my landlord is concerned? Her answer to the problem was to have two fat guys look at the bathtub and re-caulk the decaying bathroom floor around the tub.

Do you think that she will care if the floor caves in? What about if a fire starts? Why do I have this luck? My last landlord wasn't anywhere in the running for best landlord of the year. Looks like this one doesn't fit the catagory either.

So as the fat guys are leaving my house, they inform Hubby and I that using the tub/shower is off-limits for the rest of the day. Are you kidding me? I have to go to work tonight. I have to shower and get dressed in order to go to school tonight - and class today. So I called the landlord after a slight confrontation with two plumbers whose combined intelligence doesn't even match that of my dog's. Her response - take a shower at the neighbor's house. Ha! Those of you who have had to be subject to Hubby's and my ranting about our neighbors know what a laugh that is.

I find myself busily cleaning and saying the serenity prayer over and over and over...in my head. "Lord, grant me the patience to change the things I can and to accept the things I cannot..."

Exams

So exams have already started. Hubby had his first exam on Monday. I have two exams, one take-home exam, and three papers to write. I am freaking out. I am so tired I only want to sleep. Oh, well...

Tonight I get to work at the candlelight tours at my historical job. I am so excited!!! When I was little, my family used to go every year to the candlelight tours downtown. It is so exciting that I get to participate this year!!

My fascination for strawberries has now turned into hamburgers. Yesterday, I ate a hamburger for lunch, one for supper, and two guilty bites from one last night. I just ate another for lunch today. You know what -I'll probably eat one tonight, too. Isn't that crazy? I usually don't like them that much.

I have been so busy lately with so much on my mind. I am trying so hard to just worship God in a very special way this month. Every year I tell myself that I am going to really celebrate Christmas in the way that it should be celebrated. You know - really concentrating on the true meaning of the holidays. But then life just hits me. I can barely remember where I am supposed to be the next day. Christmas just creeps up on me. Christmas night is always such a disappointment. I finally realize that the day slipped past me and I am giving God the last five minutes. I am determined it will not be this way this year!!! My first real Christmas decoration is the nativity scene. And the Bible is open on the coffee table to the Christmas story. That way I am forced to remember it when I open the door.

I just feel so guilty, though. It seems as if it should not be something that I would have to work at. Remembering the most important gift at Christmas time. That should be easy. So why is it so hard for me? I hate commercialization of Christmas. I think that it would have been great to celebrate Christmas prior to 1870 when people didn't really exchange gifts, or put up alot of elaborate Christmas trees .... Christmas was purely about worshipping Christ. Yeah, I don't think that there is anything wrong with Christmas trees or Santa Claus, or gifts. I do think that it is wrong if they become your primary focus. And that is where I struggle. By God's grace, this year will be different.

Strawberry Popsicles

Lately I have been consumed with strawberries. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about them. Throughout the day, I think about them... It's insane. So, I found these great strawberry popsicles. I have eaten three today. They are so good!!!

I was thinking about Christmas today. This is a really special year. Hubby and I have never celebrated a Christmas together. I am really excited. Isn't it crazy to think that Hubby and I did not even really know each other last year? I have alot to be thankful for this year. God has performed so many miracles in my life. There are the big miracles - bringing me and Hubby together for one...and others... But there are those little everyday miracles that most people just think are part of the ordinary. But they aren't. It is those little times where a sunset is so beautiful that it takes your breath away. Or that cute little baby at the family Thanksgiving dinner. ( Four of my cousins had babies this year. They are so cute!!!-The babies, that is.) Sometimes I can just really be in such a bad mood. I mean things can really be making me lose sight of how I really should be feeling at the time. And then it will happen - a miracle. Something that stops me in my tracks and puts everything into perspective. No, I don't think that those little things are just everyday coincidences. I think that God puts them there. Little everyday miracles.

The miracle that I always think about happened about 2 years ago, but it still makes me smile. I worked at a grocery store pharmacy - which was CRAZY!!! I was leaving for the day- and in a very sour mood. This little boy stopped right in front of me as I was walking out of the door. My initial reaction was to think "Lady, can you keep an eye on your kid? I mean I could trip over him, and he is adding seconds to the time that I am in this place." But then I realized what he was doing. He had grabbed a grape from produce. He put the grape in the runner of the electric sliding door to watch it get smooshed. That's when the miracle happened. I was suddenly reminded that life isn't supposed to be spent feeling aggravated or angry - Life was about watching grapes explode in the electric door at the grocery store. (Okay, not really.) But we should be more childlike. After all, didn't Jesus say "...the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." And he was talking about children. Isn't that awesome?

Just So Happy

I am so happy today! There is something that God is doing in my life that I can't quite blog about yet, but it makes me so happy!! Lately I have felt His Hand on my life. I always know that it is there, but I can't always feel it - but these past few days! I have really been able to hear His voice so clearly. It is great!! It makes me appreciate how awesome Heaven will be because there we will be able to hear Him and talk to Him with no other distractions. Can you imagine?!

I have been reading Acts lately. I don't even know how it crossed over, but somehow a verse in 2Corinthians chapter 5 was related to what I was reading. Of course, I had to read the whole thing. The chapter was talking about how one day we will be with Christ. That makes me excited! I love my life here. I love Hubby, my family, and my friends. I love sunsets and strong November winds. I love flowers and sunshine. I love alot of things that God has given us here. But I have been reminded that this is not what I was made for. This is just the time for me to prepare for the trip when I am going to my real home. I always procrastinate. If I am going on vacation, I am always the girl throwing everything into a bag 5 minutes before running out of the door. But, God is trying to tell me that I can't do that with this. I am supposed to be ready. And it isn't something that you can do in any set amount of time. Even if I am here for another 60 years, I still need to prepare now! Accepting Christ isn't just enough. You have to really work at it. And there is no return ticket. We will be with Christ for eternity! Isn't that exciting? The Bible says :"Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Isn't God awesome?

Things that Make Me Happy

Here are a list of things that make me happy:

1.Hubby
2. Puppies
3. People who say "God Bless You" when someone sneezes
4.brightly colored umbrellas on a gray rainy day
5.A child's laugh
6.sunsets on the beach
7.running farther than I ever have before
8.Making strangers smile
9."How Do I Look" with Finola (Style Channel)
10.CHOCOLATE
11.New perfume
12.warm spring rains
13. when something touches my heart and makes me cry
14.realizing I am only human and therefore weak, but God is infinitely strong
15.Thunder storms
16.peanuts in a coke
17.Long drives in the country
18.the way a friend's eyes light up when they are truly glad to see you
19.the way an accent reminds me that humanity reaches far beyond the small world I have grown familiar with
20.going to sleep to the cadence of crickets and cicadas and waking to the song of birds
21.the independence that I feel when I go somewhere alone and the accepted and wanted dependence that I feel to my husband as we forge our lives together
22.I love the way Hubby understands me as if he has known me all of my life
23.being Southern :)
24.to see palmetto trees planted by a busy city street 200 miles from the coast
25.pink ribbons
26.to see a child holding their mother's hand
27.feeling ultra-close to my family (We're like the Southern mafia - minus the crime)
28.praying with Hubby

And most of all, my relationship with God makes me happy. More and more I am realizing that to serve God gives me the greatest joy. I once heard someone say that even if there were no heaven to gain, then serving God would still be completely worth it. And I agree. Foremost, because He deserves our praise. He alone is holy. And also because just being His child gives me peace and promise. I can relax and "be still and know the (He) is God." I love and praise Him and thank Him for all of His blessings - great and small. Is there such a thing as a small blessing? I don't think so.

I Wish I Were at the Beach

It has been such a blah day. I came back fron the beach last night. What fun! I did not want to come home. Hubby and I went clamming with my parents and some friends. My dad and I got to run on the beach at sunset on Saturday. God really blessed us with a beautiful view and a great time together. I love my parents so much. It has really been such a blessing to have such great Christian people there to provide guidance - and now friendship - to me.

Today, however, was back to reality. And...I think that I am getting sick. I was sick for almost the entire time that Hubby and I dated. (Not that it was such a terribly long time - but still...) I have no time to be sick! I have to finish out this whole year of school really well. I really want to go to grad school for history. This year contains the bulk of my history classes - and I really need to take the GRE. And I only have about a month and a half to study for the GRE. Which leads me to my favorite pasttime (even more favored than cleaning...) - worrying.

By now I should know that my worrying does no good. Yet I still sit around and think about the numerous things that could go wrong in life. Last night it just seemed like God hit me with the verse "Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you." (It's in 1 Peter.)I've heard it all of my life. I thought that I believed it. And then last night, I realized - I've been too busy worrying to really listen to the words. Do you know how awesome it is that the Maker of the Universe and all that is in it - the One Who put all of these tiny little cells in their places and taught them how to interact with each other in a precise manner - the God Who has wiped out entire civilizations with one word (think Noah, Soddom and Gomorrah...) -- This same God cares for me!!!??? My first response is WHY? And then I just settle back and stop worrying. No, not for good yet. But I just keep reminding myself that He loves me - and He wants me to unload all of my cares on Him. And so suddenly, nothing seems quite so bad anymore. I can just relax. It's kind of the same feeling that I used to have when I would fall asleep as a child in front of the fire while my mom or dad rocked me to sleep. Safe, secure, knowing that I am being taken care of...Isn't God awesome?

I Hate Cluttler!!!

I hate clutter!! My apartment was clean - though I felt as if it could use about 13 more hours of cleaning. Now, it is the chaotic mess that I hate. Most of that mess is thanks to little Miss Bella. She can find paper where I did not know that it existed. One of her favorite pasttimes is shredding paper all over the apartment. She likes to punish Hubby and me when we don't walk her or when we leave the house. So, on the weekends she is a perfect angel. However, when the week days come along she turns into a little devil. What she doesn't understand is that when she creates more mess around the house, I have less time to spend with her. I keep telling her this, and she just doesn't get it. Therefore, tonight I would have liked to play with her, but now I am cleaning.
Hubby and I ran tonight. We ran out of time, too. (Only I will probably think that those two sentences together are funny.) I think that I am going to start training for a marathon - or at least a half marathon. The Myrtle Beach marathon is coming up in about 4 months. I think that that would give me enough time to train for it. I was looking at the schedule that Oprah used when she ran her marathon. In the beginning, you only run 3 miles 3days a week. On the weekends you run one long run of about 6 to 10 miles. That isn't bad at all. If Oprah can do it, I can, too. Yeah for Oprah!!! Oprah is proving once again to be an inspiration to the masses.
So this weekend is my father's b-day. Yes, in my family, b-days are not celebrated for only one day. They are a whole week long celebration. Hubby and I can only take off one weekend. We - meaning my whole family - are going to the beach to camp and clam and run and bike and antagonize alligators...Yeah, I'm excited. This is the first time that Hubby and I will go 21st century camping together. I am really happy! I just want to run on the beach at either sunrise or sunset - or both. I can't wait to clam this year. I love to do that. It feels so great just to get muddy and work until you ache all over. Then, when you go back to camp, you get cleaned up and steam the clams over a big bon-fire. It's one of the most fun experiences that you can ever have. I hope that in Heaven, I'll still be able to clam. I know that if God doesn't let us clam up there, there will be even more fun things to do. However, I don't think that God lets us do things here for no reason. I think that all that we learn and do will bear some relevance to our eternal lives. Nothing happens for chance. Everything has a purpose.
Have you ever thought about that? I mean, sometimes I just really wonder why God has put all of these things here for us to do. Sometimes, I think about how short our lives are, and I think that all of the time that we spend studying and working is just a waste. In my mind, if we are only here for a short time and we will be in heaven forever, I sometimes wonder why we don't spend time learning about heavenly things rather than earthly things. And then it hit me the other day - what if the things that we learn here are preparing us for heaven. The Bible says that we will be known there as we are known here. So, maybe that means that the things that we do here are no accident. Maybe they also play into a heavenly plan. I know that there will be no sickness in heaven, but people in those fields might be learning the compassion and caring that could translate over to a heavenly life.
That verse that tells us that we will also be known there as we are known here has also been really troubling me. It gives some reassurance. I know that I will not be separated entirely from my family or from Hubby after death. But, then there are those that I know and love who might not have the relationship with Christ that is needed. I am going to know that they are not there and I am going to miss them. That has really been bringing me to pray for those that I know and love. I really thank God for bringing this new burden to me. It shows that He is using me for His purpose to bring people to Him - even if I just pray and don't verbally tell anybody about it.
I guess this would be a good stopping point now. I think that my thoughts just ramble on. So, I guess that I should just get back to cleaning so that I can play with demon-puppy so that she will not punish me anymore tonight or tomorrow. :)

History

This may seem a little like a history lesson. I really did not intend to make my whole blog a lesson, though. It' s just that I was thinking about my honeymoon this morning. I was wishing that I did not have to go to class and that I could still emerse myself in history all day...Oh, well, back to reality.
Did you know that I have the honor of working in a very historical place? My job is my absolute dream job. For a whole day or two a month, I get to go to an old house where others who have gone before us have lived and breathed and eaten and entertained and cried... The list could go on forever. My biggest pet peeve with some people who would proclaim themselves to be "history buffs" is that they take a much colder, aloof view of the events that have passed over the ages than I believe that they should. Those people that we talk about lived, had emotions, were afraid of death...just like us. They did think in different thought patterns. Their culture was different than ours. But the bottom line is that they were human beings who did not have the capacity to look at the events that they were living through with any more idea of the impact that those events would have than you or I do about the events that we witness daily. To them it was just life, and it was filled with uncertainty and pain and joy. So, I get the opportunity to tell the story of people who lived and breathed and died while I stand in the place that these people called home. Who wouldn't love a job like that?
Hubby does not believe that the dead can communicate with the living. I am not sure one way or the other. However, I do know that their are some things that cannot be explained. For instance, when I do go to my tour guide job, several rather unexplainable things have happened. And not only to me. I took my parents on a tour last week. I have to lock my group and myself into the house during the tour. That means that there is no other people in the house to make certain noises. While I was giving the tour, my mom became aware of the footsteps that were over out heads on the floor above us. She kept asking me if anyone could have gotten into the house. There have also been other instances where I have heard breathing and, once, I heard a voice. I was talking to a group, so I could not hear what the voice said. The "spirits" in the house do not really show themselves to many of the house's visitors. They like the tour guides, I think. They have been very open with most of us. While I have only heard of one person who saw one of them (a lady in an old fashioned dress), they do make their presence known in some way.
It's not only that, though, that makes me believe that the dead may, possibly, be able to communicate. There is an old country road near my parents house that I would have to go on to go home. When I go over the road, I feel my blood run cold. Now, for a long time I just thought that I was crazy. (And I still might be.) However, there have been about three or four times that I have seen a young man in my passenger's seat while I was on a certain bend in that road. He is always dressed in a white t-shirt, and he leaves as quickly as he appears. I cannot explain this. This is the only time that anything like that has happened to me. I wish that I knew the reason.
I feel as if I owe some explanation for the pictures. I chose to display a picture of Jeb Stuart (one of the greatest cavalry commanders, who also was an inventor). Jeb Stuart has always been one of my favorite people. He never touched a drop of alcohol in his life because he had made a promise to his mother that he would not. Even when he was dying (he had been shot at Yellow Tavern), he would not drink to alleviate the pain. He was one of the major players of the war, being referred to by Lee as the Confederate Army's "eyes".
I also chose to show a picture of John Bell Hood's coat. John Bell Hood was engaged to one of the young ladies who lived in the house that I give tours of. He was also interesting in his own right. A cavalry officer like Stuart, he also differed from Stuart. He had lost a leg in battle. Therefore, when he went into a fight, he had to be strapped to his horse. He was also in much pain. He constantly ingested alcohol and pain killers, which sometimes lead to some rash decisions. When President Davis replaced Joe Johnson with Hood, the Battle of Atlanta ensued. Johnson had managed to hold back the Yankees for weeks with his approach at defense. Hood, however, wanted a fight. It was in this battle that his fiance's brother was killed. Some think that this is the reason that the engagement was broken off.
Okay, this blog is really, really long. So I'll end the lecture here - and therefore the reader's pain. Until next time... :)

Life

What a gorgeous day! I went for a run today. I only ran somewhere between 3 to 4 miles because I had a roast in the oven, but I wish that I would have run farther. I love the way that I feel when I come back from a run. My heart is racing, my thoughts just seem so clear, my lungs feel so refreshed...And I love to worship God when I run. That was one of the things that drew me to running when I started to really, really run about a year ago. I was going through a really tough time. I was dealing with things that most people had no clue about. Yeah, I was in an awful relationship, but that was not even the worst. So, I really needed a time when I could let go of some of my anger and clear my mind and just talk to God. My mom told me that she really felt close to God when she spent her mornings running and worshipping Him. There is something to be said for worshipping God with your body. Look at King David - he danced in the streets to worship God. I think that is what I do with my running. I am using my body to worship God. Not every time that I run, but alot of the times. There is just something about being physically active out in nature and talking to God. I highly recommend it. :)
So, if you think that life doesn't change after marriage - HA HA!!! Not that it's a bad thing. Just, things are different. For instance, last night Hubby and I cleaned the house. And when we diecided to take some date time, we ate sushi and went to the bookstore to look at organization books. (Hubby got his pumpkin-spice latte, of course.) Of course, the books had so many great ideas, I was inspired by them. So, at 2am we were moving furniture around the apartment. I love to clean and always have...but lately I find that all I do is clean. And - get this - it's by choice. I have become my own mom. (Not that my mom ever really nagged me to clean my room. When I finally quit keeping a clean room in college, she just sighed and would mention how nice it would be to see my room's floor again as if it were an old almost forgotten friend.) But now, I am the nagging TV-mom telling myself to clean up. I never think that my house looks clean - even when I spend 13 hours cleaning it. Could I be obsessed with cleaning? Or is it just really, really dirty in my house? Oh, well, I'll think about that while I go clean.

puppies

I WANT A PUPPY!
Yes, I know that I already have one. And I know that she is CRAZY, but I want another one. I think that Bella would be so much easier to handle if she had a friend. I really like the idea of having two puppies. Especially if one of them is a poodle. :) I LOVE poodles. I filled out an application on Carolina Poodle Rescue's website. I have checked my email about 10 times today thinking that they would have let us know something. I WANT A POODLE!!!!!!!!! Hubby is tolerant of the idea. I really don't care unless he says "no" outright. He hasn't. I think that he likes the idea of having a tiny dog that looks like a "bologna sausage." (That is how he describes Sir Lancelot - my parent's fierce little 6 pound ruler.) Poodles are just so cuddly and great and smart and sweet and WONDERFUL!!! Poodles are better than babies! (For now.)
So, I have discovered a new weakness. I was supposed to go to Contemporary South class today at 3:30. I love that class. When I leave that class, my head is swimming with knowledge of Southern thought, my heart is swelling with pride that I am a TRUE Southener, and my stomach is growling for some grits. It's one of the best feelings in the world. So, I begged my boss to cut my section at the restaurant early today so that I could make sure that I would not miss class. I got home at 2:45. I had plenty of time to kill before class. So, I tried to fill my time by "enriching my mind." Yeah, I know that text-twist doesn't really enrich anyone's mind - but, hey, it's a word game for cryin' out loud. So, I sat down and played a few games. When I was finally let loose from the spell of this highly addictive game, the time was after 4 o'clock. How did that happen??!!! Somebody please tell me!! I missed learning about my favorite subject (the South) to play text-twist!!
The only thing that could make this situation better would be to get a poodle - a Southern poodle. I wonder if I could name it Dixie?

Yeah for Mystery Parties!

I am happy to say that the party Hubby and I had on Saturday night was a huge success! I had so much fun! The people who came are so great. They each did a wonderful job with the characters of the party and seemed to have a great time. (Only next time Jed Manlowe will have alot of people to talk to.) Hubby and I are already planning parties for Dec and Jan. We don't want to have a mystery party in December. I think that it would be fun to go Christmas caroling. I don't know how parents can take their children from door-to-door on Halloween and ask for candy and not at all be concerned about bothering their neighbors, but do not take their children caroling. Of course, it is much more fun in a group. Hubby and I do want to have a New Year's Eve murder mystery. Wouldn't it be fun to have a western theme? I would love to give each character a different position in the house to set up. For example, the store-keeper and his apprentice would be in one room "selling their wares" they would work together to find clues. That way, characters would have to circulate. One room would, of course, be the saloon - where a great game of poker would be going on. Hopefully we will invite more people next time. Hubby wants to dress up like Wyatt Earp, and I would love to wear a long dress.
It's funny how much my life has changed since I got married. It's only been 3 mos, but, then again, we only met last February. In fact, February 13th will mark one year of really knowing each other. Now, I can't imagine life without him. The past year has brought so much change. I feel myself more settled than I have ever been. So many good things have happened. When I look back in preparation for Thanksgiving Day, I see so many blessings that I have received. Daily, I feel myself growing stronger in God's Word. I am glad that Hubby and I met, fell in love, and married rather quickly. It just shows the providence of God. Truly His plan is the best. If you think about it, the One who sent His Son to die for our sins would never do anything to maliciously hurt us. So why don't more people just run to Him and trust Him? Probably because people are on a constant quest for wordly happiness. They think that God is obligated to make us happy. But it's not that way at all. He never said that we would never feel pain or loss or suffering. In fact, He said just the opposite. What He offers us is a way to deal with hurt and pain and loss and suffering and our own mortality. God wants us to know that this life here is just a fleeting, imperfect, short-lived glimpse of what is in store. This life is not what we are living to enjoy. One day, our popular culture is going to be forgotten. We will be just a blurb in some history book. Our thought and feelings, opinions and ideas will be generalized, exaggerated, and condensed into several meaningless paragraphs. It doesn't matter if you live in a big house, or which political party you vote for, or even how many friends you have. Everything will be forgotten in a short amount of time after your death. And, really, does it matter if anyone remembers? You will not be around to know the difference. So, what is important is how we live our lives and how we communicate with God. He is the only One Who's opinion counts. No, He does not promise us happiness. Yes, He does promise us His joy. There is a difference. If you want to know what the difference is, you would have to ask God. The only way that you could know the exact definition of joy is to experience it. It is the feeling that you can smile even while feeling that your heart is being pulled out of your body by overwhelming sorrow because God is Sovereign. It is the ability to know that you don't have to worry anymore. It is the knowledge that nothing matters more than the fact that God is God.
God, surround me with Your joy. Thank You for Your blessings. And despite anything that happens in my life, You deserve praise because You alone are Holy.

Yeah for Mystery Parties!

I had so much fun at my murder mystery party last Saturday! The people who came were all so awesome. The costumes were great. And everyone really seemed to have fun with their characters. (Although, next time Jed Manlowe will have lots of people to talk to.)
Okay, so now my hubbie and I are trying to come up with a really great plot for a New Year's Eve murder mystery party. I am really leaning toward a Western theme. Wouldn't it be fun to dress up in a wild west costume? I think that hubby wants to be Wyatt Earp. I would not mind wearing a long dress, myself.
I think that I have found one of the reasons that I really love these kind of parties so much. It probably is one of the reasons that I am a history major and read so much historical fiction and historical diaries. And, you know, it probably has alot to do with the reason that I love to do Revolutionary War re-enactments. Yes, I am a history geek, but that is beside the point. More and more I am realizing that our society is shaped by the choices that our ancestors made. Yes, those who came before us did not think at all in the same manner that we do. Yes, if you read their thoughts, you'll find that thought patterns were shaped in different ways. In some ways, I feel that maybe we have strayed too far from the way that they thought. Think about the modern family. It is not at all like the normal family even 40 years ago. Think about, also, the emphasis on religion. People really made it a central part of their lives. Can you imagine living in a community where you could openly express your devotion to God without being afraid that you would offend anyone? If you want to know what that would be like, just read Samuel Sewall's diary. Of course, it was not perfect, but there is no perfection this side of heaven. I think that by emerging yourself in a culture that belonged to those generations before us, you can learn something more than a text book can teach you. Even if it is just a silly party or a silly fictional novel. It makes you maybe realize that those people whom we read about in history textbooks did, indeed, breathe and live. They had problems just like us. They had to deal with their own mortality, just as we have to. Look, for example, at Samuel Sewall's daughter Betty's struggle with her Christianity and the uncertainty of life. They felt the sting of death. They, while living, knew that they would just become history. We, too, will someday join them in the history books. People will make generalizations and exaggerations about our culture and the things that are important to us. So, as silly as it is, I think that it is easy for me to put modern things into perspective when I look back at the past.
But this is all just my silly thoughts. Okay, I'm off of the soap box - finally. :) Hubby and I are going to adopt a baby. Relax - for those of you who know us - it's just a poodle. He really isn't a baby, either. He is a little boy who is 9 years old. He was found in a parking lot. His hair was so matted that it had to be shaved off completely. Now he's ready for a good home with people who can look past the fact that his remaining life span is not extremely long and he is not as chipper as he used to be. They are reviewing our application now and calling our references. I really hope that they think that we would have a good home for him. Bella could really use another little puppy around to settle her down. She gets so lonely sometimes. I feel sorry for her. Hubby and I took her to Sesqui yesterday and walked her for almost 2 hours over the trails there. She was so cute last night when we got home. She just crashed on the couch in front of the fire. Maybe she will have a friend soon.

Hello

Okay, so this is my first attempt at blogging. Everyone else is doing it... Let's just blame it on peer pressure.
So I'm having a party tomorrow night. I still have a million things to do - cook, clean, laundry...The lists goes on forever. It's one of those murder mystery parties. That basically means that I get to dress up like a gangster's moll or a flapper (I still haven't decided.) Then I get to watch alot of friends act out this little play that I wrote. It's going to be so much fun!!
What's up with the weather? A week ago I was sure that it would not be warm again for months. Now it's almost 90 degrees again. I want it to be cold tomorrow night so that I can have a fire in my fireplace, which, I might add, is the only good part of living here.
Okay, so now I have to go get something to eat with my little bro. I also have to grocery shop, but somehow I have the feeling that I will end up watching cable now and shopping at midnight tonight.
See ya!