Tonight, I'm sitting by the fire and the Christmas tree, watching Gilmore Girls with my Mum and my sister Bekah. I hope to actually post a real blog post soon. But, I did feel like I have neglected my blog for far too long.
So, for a quick recap of the past month or so. I finished my semester of ASL strong and signed up for the next semester. NaNo, however, was a quick flop. However, I do think that the story is still there. I have great hopes for Jasmine and her poor squashed frogs. (hehe - who knew that real life could be so funny?)
Anyway, Thanksgiving was interesting. My dad was in India, so we didn't do much as a family, but instead, my sisters and I went to our church and helped serve Thanksgiving Dinner at our church. It was a fun and interesting experience, followed by a "A Santa Clause" marathon. I love those movies! It was great eating good pizza and watching a good movie with my family.
"Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" came out earlier this month. As per our tradition, I traveled down to Mankato and watched it with my good friends and sisters. It was amazing!! And, after I finish reading the book, I will write a post about my thoughts.
I'm currently working on reading "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens, and to my great surprise, I'm actually enjoying it. I've only ever read "A Christmas Carol" and attempted to start "A Tale of Two Cities" like 3 or 4 times, so I decided I didn't like Charles Dickens very much. But I might change my mind. I'm a woman, so I reserve that right. (hehe :D )
I have finished doing my Christmas shopping, and now just have to finish making a couple of Christmas gifts. I should be working on the last one, but I thought I'd devote some time to my forlorn blog. Our Christmas tree is up and has lights on it, but no ornaments. Outside snow is falling, and the air has a magical feel to it. Christmas is coming, and I am with my family. My brother Luke, unfortunately, can't make it home for Christmas. But, the rest of my family is here and I am enjoying it.
Now, I'm going to say good night, since this has turned into a much longer blog than I expected. Hopefully I will post again between now and next week, but if I don't, I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Take a breathe of cold, crisp, fresh air. Hug your family, and thank God for His Son.
In His Love,
Christy
Monday, December 20, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
From Me!
Hello there! I have no idea where Christy has gone, but she seems to have disappeared from the blogging world. But have no fear, I will save the day! Who am I, you ask? My name is Sarah, and I'm the main character in one of Christy's stories. Eventually she'll finish my story, but for now, I'll fill you in on hers. :)
In case some of you didn't know, November is NaNoWriMo!! Which stands for National Novel Writer's Month. The challenge: write 50K words in the month of November. My story was the NaNo story of 2008. But this year Christy is not as hard at work at that as she would like to be, but she is getting there. Also, her sign language class is going pretty good. She aced her mid-terms and did fairly well on her last quiz, thanks to her good friend Alyssa, who has been helping her practice weekly.
And, if any of you are looking for a creative way to throw a ball, you should try what we all did last week. There is a place in town that hosts English Country Dancing every Sunday night. To make it special, they also have live music on the first Sunday of the month. So, last Sunday, we donned our "ball gowns" and suits and went out dancing! The picture below is of Christy and Alyssa waltzing at the end.
When she has more time, Christy'll download the pictures off of her camera and post them, but for now, this will have to do. :) Thanks for the picture, Alyssa! And after dancing, we all went out to Applebee's for yummy food!
And, on top of all of that, she's got her two jobs that are keeping her busy, and life at home. So, on behalf of Christy, I apologize for her tardiness in not getting a blog post up. Eventually, she'll have time to post a real blog. Oh, and Alyssa? She's also sorry that she didn't link up with you on the Simple Moments this past week, but she is really going to try this week. :)
I hope you all are having a great week, and I'm sure we'll be seeing something from Christy soon. Probably a bit of her NaNo story, depending on if she feels like sharing! She decided to use the blog post The Morbid Murderess from one of her previous blog posts, so it should be interesting!
Keeping it lively,
"Sarah"
In case some of you didn't know, November is NaNoWriMo!! Which stands for National Novel Writer's Month. The challenge: write 50K words in the month of November. My story was the NaNo story of 2008. But this year Christy is not as hard at work at that as she would like to be, but she is getting there. Also, her sign language class is going pretty good. She aced her mid-terms and did fairly well on her last quiz, thanks to her good friend Alyssa, who has been helping her practice weekly.
And, if any of you are looking for a creative way to throw a ball, you should try what we all did last week. There is a place in town that hosts English Country Dancing every Sunday night. To make it special, they also have live music on the first Sunday of the month. So, last Sunday, we donned our "ball gowns" and suits and went out dancing! The picture below is of Christy and Alyssa waltzing at the end.
And, on top of all of that, she's got her two jobs that are keeping her busy, and life at home. So, on behalf of Christy, I apologize for her tardiness in not getting a blog post up. Eventually, she'll have time to post a real blog. Oh, and Alyssa? She's also sorry that she didn't link up with you on the Simple Moments this past week, but she is really going to try this week. :)
I hope you all are having a great week, and I'm sure we'll be seeing something from Christy soon. Probably a bit of her NaNo story, depending on if she feels like sharing! She decided to use the blog post The Morbid Murderess from one of her previous blog posts, so it should be interesting!
Keeping it lively,
"Sarah"
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Knights in Shining Armor...
Have you ever been in a situation, and all you wanted was someone to come along and help you? Particularly, a knight in shining armor. Isn't that basically every single girl's dream? Well, the past few weeks, I've been put in different situations where it would have been nice to have a "knight in shining armor," but I had to make do by myself. But then on Tuesday, the car died - again.
I was driving to work, and all of a sudden, it started dinging, and said that the coolant temperature was hot. I couldn't drive, and quickly pulled the car over to the edge of the road, where it proceeded to die. It had been a long day already, and I just wanted to cry. I called my mother, who was driving home with my father, and told her that the car died. She told my dad, and he said he would come and help me. And I was sitting there, in my car, just thinking... I don't even recall what exactly I was thinking about, but I was watching all the cars drive right on by, and I was sort of wishing that someone would just stop and see if I was okay. Did anybody care at all? And then I was thinking, you know, if this was a story, this would be where the knight in shining armor came in on his white horse and rescued the damsel in distress. I mean, isn't that the way it should be? But before I could start to feel frustrated or complain about the state I was in, I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw my dad pull up - in our white pick-up truck, no less! And it was like God just whispered in my heart, "Who says that there aren't any knights around anymore?"
I don't know where I would be without my dad and brother around. Even though my brother is in Germany, he still managed to help me learn how to take the battery out of our van, hook up to the charger and get it fully charged. They've always taken care of me. I'm rather glad that my "little" brother is bigger than me - it's rather fun. :) But anyway, here's to you Daddy, and Luke. You are my knights in shining armor. And I thank God for you daily.
In His Love,
Christy
I was driving to work, and all of a sudden, it started dinging, and said that the coolant temperature was hot. I couldn't drive, and quickly pulled the car over to the edge of the road, where it proceeded to die. It had been a long day already, and I just wanted to cry. I called my mother, who was driving home with my father, and told her that the car died. She told my dad, and he said he would come and help me. And I was sitting there, in my car, just thinking... I don't even recall what exactly I was thinking about, but I was watching all the cars drive right on by, and I was sort of wishing that someone would just stop and see if I was okay. Did anybody care at all? And then I was thinking, you know, if this was a story, this would be where the knight in shining armor came in on his white horse and rescued the damsel in distress. I mean, isn't that the way it should be? But before I could start to feel frustrated or complain about the state I was in, I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw my dad pull up - in our white pick-up truck, no less! And it was like God just whispered in my heart, "Who says that there aren't any knights around anymore?"
I don't know where I would be without my dad and brother around. Even though my brother is in Germany, he still managed to help me learn how to take the battery out of our van, hook up to the charger and get it fully charged. They've always taken care of me. I'm rather glad that my "little" brother is bigger than me - it's rather fun. :) But anyway, here's to you Daddy, and Luke. You are my knights in shining armor. And I thank God for you daily.
In His Love,
Christy
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Submission...
"I have found that often when I am struggling the most with something, I actually already know what I should do or am supposed to do, but I don't like it and want to do something else, thereby creating the struggle."
A few years ago, I was engaged. After a few months, we ended the engagement. That whole process is another story for another time. The important thing is that, I truly believe that God called me into the courtship and He called me out of it. During the time of when I was struggling with whether or not to end the engagement, I really felt like God was asking me to "lay my 'Isaac' down." I was devastated, but was willing to trust God. However, I think a part of me expected a "ram" to show up, or for something to happen so that "Isaac" would come back to me. And I got angry with God when it didn't happen the way I thought it should have.
My "Isaac" - I wanted to be married. I did truly love the person I was engaged to, and had given him my heart totally and completely. Don't get me wrong. But, for the past year or so, I have wanted to be married. I believe that I have put marriage on a pedestal. Above what God wants to do in my life. And a part of me was afraid to trust God again. I'm afraid that He'll ask me to walk away again and I'll never get married.
All that being said, a couple of weeks ago, I was at church, and the topic was on Submission. And one thing that Pastor Bill said really stood out. He used three stories to illustrate true submission - Abraham offering up Isaac, Ananias praying for Saul/Paul (Acts 9:10-17), and Jesus being able to say, "Not My will, but Yours be done." And Pastor Bill asked the question, "Why were they able to do that?" And I know this is probably really basic, but for me, it was what I needed to hear. Pastor Bill said, they trusted in God's love. They knew God and had a relationship with Him. And just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, "Even if He doesn't rescue us, we will still do what He says," I need to come to the place where I trust God's love me. Walking with God isn't a prison. It isn't a list of do's and don'ts. It's about a relationship, communication, trust, and love. And I'm realizing that I cannot love people fully when I myself don't trust my Father's love for me. I cannot be truly content with my life when I don't trust His love for me. Walking with God is freedom - freedom from lies, discontentment, worries, and fear.
And as much as I want to be free, I sometimes think that I am willing to settle because I'm familiar with the fears, worries, and lies. But if I truly trust God and His love for me, then I shouldn't be willing to settle for anything less than what He wants for me. So, the question remains, How much do I really and truly trust Him? I have to honestly say, I don't know. But I want to find out. Every day I want to choose His love over my fears. His grace and mercy over my sins. His path over my own way.
Lord, help me please. I want to submit to Your love, but I can't do it without Your grace. I want to trust You again. Forgive me for my hardness of heart and lack of faith. As I continue to step out in faith, please be with me. I love You, Lord. Help me to know You better. To love You better. Amen.
In His Love,
Christy
A few years ago, I was engaged. After a few months, we ended the engagement. That whole process is another story for another time. The important thing is that, I truly believe that God called me into the courtship and He called me out of it. During the time of when I was struggling with whether or not to end the engagement, I really felt like God was asking me to "lay my 'Isaac' down." I was devastated, but was willing to trust God. However, I think a part of me expected a "ram" to show up, or for something to happen so that "Isaac" would come back to me. And I got angry with God when it didn't happen the way I thought it should have.
My "Isaac" - I wanted to be married. I did truly love the person I was engaged to, and had given him my heart totally and completely. Don't get me wrong. But, for the past year or so, I have wanted to be married. I believe that I have put marriage on a pedestal. Above what God wants to do in my life. And a part of me was afraid to trust God again. I'm afraid that He'll ask me to walk away again and I'll never get married.
All that being said, a couple of weeks ago, I was at church, and the topic was on Submission. And one thing that Pastor Bill said really stood out. He used three stories to illustrate true submission - Abraham offering up Isaac, Ananias praying for Saul/Paul (Acts 9:10-17), and Jesus being able to say, "Not My will, but Yours be done." And Pastor Bill asked the question, "Why were they able to do that?" And I know this is probably really basic, but for me, it was what I needed to hear. Pastor Bill said, they trusted in God's love. They knew God and had a relationship with Him. And just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, "Even if He doesn't rescue us, we will still do what He says," I need to come to the place where I trust God's love me. Walking with God isn't a prison. It isn't a list of do's and don'ts. It's about a relationship, communication, trust, and love. And I'm realizing that I cannot love people fully when I myself don't trust my Father's love for me. I cannot be truly content with my life when I don't trust His love for me. Walking with God is freedom - freedom from lies, discontentment, worries, and fear.
And as much as I want to be free, I sometimes think that I am willing to settle because I'm familiar with the fears, worries, and lies. But if I truly trust God and His love for me, then I shouldn't be willing to settle for anything less than what He wants for me. So, the question remains, How much do I really and truly trust Him? I have to honestly say, I don't know. But I want to find out. Every day I want to choose His love over my fears. His grace and mercy over my sins. His path over my own way.
Lord, help me please. I want to submit to Your love, but I can't do it without Your grace. I want to trust You again. Forgive me for my hardness of heart and lack of faith. As I continue to step out in faith, please be with me. I love You, Lord. Help me to know You better. To love You better. Amen.
In His Love,
Christy
Friday, October 1, 2010
Pouring Out:: September...
Okay, so I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started doing the Pouring Out... But what I didn't expect was to learn so much about myself in the process. But before I go into that, I'll start at the beginning... :)
I really prayed about who I was supposed to "pick" for this month, and the more I prayed about it, the more I felt impressed on my heart to do my sister Bekah. Now, at first I didn't want to - I mean, she is my sister, I see her all the time - she knows I love her! But the more I prayed about it and thought about it, I realized - why not my sister? How often do I go through life and not tell those who are closest to me that I love them? I know I say it to my friends all the time, and we do all sorts of stuff together, but my family? And then I realized to, that i thought my family might not appreciate it as much as someone who wasn't a family member; and then I realized, wow, that is one of the most prideful statements I have made! The pouring out isn't about me - it's about God's love and how He wants to give it to others, and I'm just simply the vehicle. So, after that attitude adjustment, I started praying for ways that I could show Bekah God's love in tangible ways.
So, I first started texting her at night, telling her I loved her, I was praying for her, ect. Then we went and watched a movie that she had really wanted to see. I had so much fun & the movie was great! The next week she was planning on going out of town for 3 weeks. I wanted to get her a going-away gift, but couldn't think of anything, so I went to Wal-Mart, thinking I would just get a couple of things. I ended up getting her some nail polish, cosmetics, and I was thinking that I could get a cute little box or something to put it in, but then all of a sudden I caught sight of the travel cosmetics - and I realized that she didn't have one. I was so grateful to God for showing me that, and it was perfect. I added some candy to fill it up, and put in a fun card. I had so much fun and was so blessed myself.
Then she was gone, and I didn't really know what to do. I was still texting her, but then I got caught up in my own life, and didn't really do anything. I was still praying for her in the morning, but I forgot to show it visibly. Not quite, out of sight, out of mind, but that sort of mentality. And then I was challenged by friend Alyssa, who asked how I was doing. And I was honest and said that I hadn't really been doing anything, that I couldn't really think of anything. And she asked me if I had posted on Facebook, or emailed or texted, and I admitted that, no I hadn't really thought of doing that. So, after being challenged to finish strong, I've been posting on her wall or sending her pieces of flair, and just asking how I could pray for her. It was so eye-opening to see how easily I become absorbed in my own life and forget to do the little details that really do matter. How easy to focus on myself and say, oh I'll do it later. And yet later never comes.
So, this month, I've been learning just how selfish I really am... But I am so grateful that God still loves me. I don't need to become discouraged and wallow in self-pity - "Oh, I'm such a selfish, horrible person," blah blah blah. No! God brought to my mind 2 Corinthians 7:10: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." And I realized that once again, my focus was on me. Instead of learning from my mistakes, I was content to wallow in self-pity. I was so convicted, and have been moving forward since then. I often still get sidetracked, let my focus get off of God and back on me, but my heart's cry is to focus on Him, and let Him love others through me.
Lord, I pray that I wouldn't forget what I have learned this month. Thank you so much for bringing these things into my life, for allowing me to be tested so I can draw closer to You. Help me to turn to You first. Amen.
In His Love,
Christy
So, this month, I've been learning just how selfish I really am... But I am so grateful that God still loves me. I don't need to become discouraged and wallow in self-pity - "Oh, I'm such a selfish, horrible person," blah blah blah. No! God brought to my mind 2 Corinthians 7:10: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." And I realized that once again, my focus was on me. Instead of learning from my mistakes, I was content to wallow in self-pity. I was so convicted, and have been moving forward since then. I often still get sidetracked, let my focus get off of God and back on me, but my heart's cry is to focus on Him, and let Him love others through me.
Lord, I pray that I wouldn't forget what I have learned this month. Thank you so much for bringing these things into my life, for allowing me to be tested so I can draw closer to You. Help me to turn to You first. Amen.
In His Love,
Christy
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A Chapter In the Life of a Morbid Murderess.... The Flat Prince
Once upon a time... Okay, so it was earlier this week, but you are killing my grove!
As I was saying, Once upon a time, on a cold and rainy night, a princess was riding home in her scarlet carriage..... Okay, okay, so I was driving home in my car. But it's a reddish color and a girl can dream, right? Anyway - quit interrupting my story, Alyssa! It's my story and I can tell it how I want to.
As I was saying, a princess - we will call her Jasmine - was going home on a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, from the edge of the road, she saw him.... coming towards her. She tried to stop her carriage, but to no avail! Before Jasmine knew what had happened, she had run over the frog. "Oh no!" she thought. "What if that was my Prince Charming? Does this mean that I'm never going to get married?" In great distress, she rapidly called her best friend, Rose, and sobbed out the whole tragic tale. Rose was stunned. Jasmine and Rose had spent many hours planning their weddings and looking at dresses; discussing character qualities they were interested in and how tall the gentleman had to be. Was Jasmine's future now ruined? What to do now? Neither of them knew, but decided that they would have to get together later on that week to discuss options.
Poor Jasmine.... Life continued, but she was heartbroken... Was her future really ruined? She knew you couldn't always trust to magic spells, but it happened before, so why not? She kept telling herself that not all men got turned into frogs by envious dwarfs. The weather continued to be dark and tempestuous, just like her soul. The sun came out occasionally, but always it was quickly swallowed up by the grey and stormy clouds of uncertainty.
One night, as she was again driving home, she turned on the radio. Turning it up, she sang along to "My Wish." As she came around a bend, she saw him standing there, waiting for her. Her heart jumped into her throat. "This," she thought, "This is my chance for redemption." Smiling shyly, she started towards him. But, before she could get to him, something got in her eye. Blinking, she tried to get it out of her eye before she got to him. He couldn't see her like this! Not when they first met. Although, when she looked at him, she felt like she had known him all her life. But, oh no, he moved! And suddenly, before Marie quite knew what had happened, she heard a thump, thump. Pulling her car over, (yes, I know, I changed it from carriage to car - be quiet, Alyssa! If you don't like my story, tell it yourself. On your own blog!)
Anyway, as I was saying, Jamine pulled her car over. Getting out of her car, she looked down at the road, and saw him. The frog was flatter than a pancake. Pulling out her phone, she rapidly called her friend Rose. "I did it again!" she sobbed.
"What? You did what again?" Rose asked, clearly confused.
"I ran over a frog. He's so flat, you'd need a spatula to scrape him off of the road!"
"You mean, you killed another potential husband??"
"Yes! I'm a Murderess! I turn frogs into flat princes! They should revoke my license and lock me up somewhere!"
"Okay, calm down. Did the frog say anything to you?"
"He tried... He said, "Tell Rose I've" and then he croaked."
"You killed my prince?" Rose asked in disbelief and started sobbing. Jasmine climbed back into her car. Shutting her door, she laid her head on the steering wheel and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Rose," she said after a few minutes.
"I know you tried. But I don't know what to say." Rose said. "I'll call you tomorrow," she said. "I need to think this over."
"Okay, but please, don't hate me forever," Jasmine sobbed. "I don't think I could handle it."
"Oh, dear, I love you." Rose choked out. "Good bye."
"Good bye," Jasmine said. Hanging up the phone, she held her head in her hands and just cried. Suddenly, the stillness was broken by the piercing wail of a siren. Looking around, Jasmine saw a police car pull up behind her. Wiping at her eyes, she looked around for a Kleenex. Quickly blowing her nose, she tried to make herself look decent. At a gentle knock on her window, she rolled it down. "Yes, sir, is something wrong?" she asked.
A young, tall gentleman leaned down and looked at her. Shining his flashlight into the car he said, "I was going to ask you the same question, ma'am. It isn't safe to stay on the edge of the road here. Too many people take these corners too fast."
Marie sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll move on."
"Is there something I can do to help you?" he asked, his dark eyes soft with compassion.
"I'm afraid not," Jasmine said helplessly. "I ran over a frog and now my prince is flat." she said, gesturing towards the road. Turning and pointing his flashlight back down the road, he saw the flattened frog. "But I'll be okay," Jasmine added, turning her car on. "That is, unless, you need something else, officer?"
"I do need your driver's license," he said. Taking it from her, he took out a notebook and made a few notes. Handing it back to her, he said, "You can go ma'am. If we need anything more for the report, someone will be in touch."
Nodding, she watched him walk back to the car. Looking over her shoulder for any traffic, she pulled back into the road and headed home. When she was almost home, her phone rang.
"Hello, Rose," she said, answering it. "You okay?"
"I'll be okay. You?"
"Well, a cop showed up. So who knows, you may have to visit me in some dark dungeon, where I'll be rotting in a dark, damp cell."
"Oh, you poor thing," Rose said. "Do you really think you will be arrested?"
"I don't know," Jasmine said. "All I know is that I'm feeling morbid, a murderess, and I've flattened two princes this week.
What's that - does this story ever end? Well, I don't know.... it only happened this week. I could end up in a dungeon. But who knows, I could end up in a small apartment with five cats - a confirmed old maid but the favorite with the children. :0) After all, this is only a chapter. Guess you will have to wait and see what happens to The Morbid Murderess. Now, if ONLY the police officer really had come to the car....
As I was saying, Once upon a time, on a cold and rainy night, a princess was riding home in her scarlet carriage..... Okay, okay, so I was driving home in my car. But it's a reddish color and a girl can dream, right? Anyway - quit interrupting my story, Alyssa! It's my story and I can tell it how I want to.
As I was saying, a princess - we will call her Jasmine - was going home on a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, from the edge of the road, she saw him.... coming towards her. She tried to stop her carriage, but to no avail! Before Jasmine knew what had happened, she had run over the frog. "Oh no!" she thought. "What if that was my Prince Charming? Does this mean that I'm never going to get married?" In great distress, she rapidly called her best friend, Rose, and sobbed out the whole tragic tale. Rose was stunned. Jasmine and Rose had spent many hours planning their weddings and looking at dresses; discussing character qualities they were interested in and how tall the gentleman had to be. Was Jasmine's future now ruined? What to do now? Neither of them knew, but decided that they would have to get together later on that week to discuss options.
Poor Jasmine.... Life continued, but she was heartbroken... Was her future really ruined? She knew you couldn't always trust to magic spells, but it happened before, so why not? She kept telling herself that not all men got turned into frogs by envious dwarfs. The weather continued to be dark and tempestuous, just like her soul. The sun came out occasionally, but always it was quickly swallowed up by the grey and stormy clouds of uncertainty.
One night, as she was again driving home, she turned on the radio. Turning it up, she sang along to "My Wish." As she came around a bend, she saw him standing there, waiting for her. Her heart jumped into her throat. "This," she thought, "This is my chance for redemption." Smiling shyly, she started towards him. But, before she could get to him, something got in her eye. Blinking, she tried to get it out of her eye before she got to him. He couldn't see her like this! Not when they first met. Although, when she looked at him, she felt like she had known him all her life. But, oh no, he moved! And suddenly, before Marie quite knew what had happened, she heard a thump, thump. Pulling her car over, (yes, I know, I changed it from carriage to car - be quiet, Alyssa! If you don't like my story, tell it yourself. On your own blog!)
Anyway, as I was saying, Jamine pulled her car over. Getting out of her car, she looked down at the road, and saw him. The frog was flatter than a pancake. Pulling out her phone, she rapidly called her friend Rose. "I did it again!" she sobbed.
"What? You did what again?" Rose asked, clearly confused.
"I ran over a frog. He's so flat, you'd need a spatula to scrape him off of the road!"
"You mean, you killed another potential husband??"
"Yes! I'm a Murderess! I turn frogs into flat princes! They should revoke my license and lock me up somewhere!"
"Okay, calm down. Did the frog say anything to you?"
"He tried... He said, "Tell Rose I've" and then he croaked."
"You killed my prince?" Rose asked in disbelief and started sobbing. Jasmine climbed back into her car. Shutting her door, she laid her head on the steering wheel and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Rose," she said after a few minutes.
"I know you tried. But I don't know what to say." Rose said. "I'll call you tomorrow," she said. "I need to think this over."
"Okay, but please, don't hate me forever," Jasmine sobbed. "I don't think I could handle it."
"Oh, dear, I love you." Rose choked out. "Good bye."
"Good bye," Jasmine said. Hanging up the phone, she held her head in her hands and just cried. Suddenly, the stillness was broken by the piercing wail of a siren. Looking around, Jasmine saw a police car pull up behind her. Wiping at her eyes, she looked around for a Kleenex. Quickly blowing her nose, she tried to make herself look decent. At a gentle knock on her window, she rolled it down. "Yes, sir, is something wrong?" she asked.
A young, tall gentleman leaned down and looked at her. Shining his flashlight into the car he said, "I was going to ask you the same question, ma'am. It isn't safe to stay on the edge of the road here. Too many people take these corners too fast."
Marie sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll move on."
"Is there something I can do to help you?" he asked, his dark eyes soft with compassion.
"I'm afraid not," Jasmine said helplessly. "I ran over a frog and now my prince is flat." she said, gesturing towards the road. Turning and pointing his flashlight back down the road, he saw the flattened frog. "But I'll be okay," Jasmine added, turning her car on. "That is, unless, you need something else, officer?"
"I do need your driver's license," he said. Taking it from her, he took out a notebook and made a few notes. Handing it back to her, he said, "You can go ma'am. If we need anything more for the report, someone will be in touch."
Nodding, she watched him walk back to the car. Looking over her shoulder for any traffic, she pulled back into the road and headed home. When she was almost home, her phone rang.
"Hello, Rose," she said, answering it. "You okay?"
"I'll be okay. You?"
"Well, a cop showed up. So who knows, you may have to visit me in some dark dungeon, where I'll be rotting in a dark, damp cell."
"Oh, you poor thing," Rose said. "Do you really think you will be arrested?"
"I don't know," Jasmine said. "All I know is that I'm feeling morbid, a murderess, and I've flattened two princes this week.
What's that - does this story ever end? Well, I don't know.... it only happened this week. I could end up in a dungeon. But who knows, I could end up in a small apartment with five cats - a confirmed old maid but the favorite with the children. :0) After all, this is only a chapter. Guess you will have to wait and see what happens to The Morbid Murderess. Now, if ONLY the police officer really had come to the car....
Monday, September 20, 2010
The following is a poem that I wrote almost 4 years ago that I thought I would share with y'all today.
Someday
Someday we will walk together, you and I.
Someday I'll serve you with joy by your side.
Someday you will lead me along the way.
One day my Someday will become our today.
But, until our Someday, I want you to know
I love you right now though your face is unknown.
May God carry my love, Dear, across the countryside,
Blow it into your heart like the whisper of a butterfly.
I look at the moon and think of you,
And pray for the love that will someday come true.
I will cherish you always, my darling, my prince.
While God writes our story, a precious romance.
Someday we will be together, as God planned.
And Someday I'll follow you to the end.
I pray for our Someday Today
And one day my Someday
Will become our Today.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Are You Who You Want To Be?
Ever been toodling along in life and then something happens and it makes you step back and look at your life in a whole new way? That happened to me last week.....
I was riding in the car with my mom last week, and she turned to me and asked me if I remembered this guy that I knew back when I was a kid. I knew who he was and said yes, I remembered him. We hadn't kept in touch, but I remembered him. Then she told me something that was totally unexpected... He had died the Sunday before. I was so shocked... I never would have expected something like that. They think he died from lung cancer. He and his family didn't even know that he even had cancer...
It made me remember last year, when another friend of mine passed away. He had been out snowboarding and ended up falling and hitting the back of his head with his snowboard. He was younger than I am, and it was so sudden. He was so amazing. He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every moment of it...
I had been thinking about all of that this week, and then I was in church last Sunday, and it was so awesome, because everything I'd been thinking about was what the sermon was about! How, often times, it takes a great tragedy for us to stop and evaluate our lives. 9/11 for example, or the death of a loved one. Pastor Bill then went on to ask, "Who is painting on your canvas of life?" Or, to rephrase the question, Who are you letting influence your life? Are you who you want to be? He used Ecclesiastes 7:2, which says "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." When I was younger, I never really understood that verse, but now it is starting to make sense. Our days are limited, and what are we doing to make them matter?
So I'm asking myself, am I who I want to be? More importantly, am I who GOD wants me to be? And if not, then what am I going to do about it? There are so many things that I have talked about doing and never done! So, I've decided that I'm going on an adventure of a sorts... I may not actually "go" anywhere, but I have decided to try and love deeper and more freely... I'm going to learn how to do ribbon embroidery and bobbin lace... I want to go sky diving and horseback riding. Spend more time with family and friends. The list could go on and on. Instead of boring you all by rambling on, I've decided that I'm going to start a series of posts titled "Celebrating Living Life as a Single Person." I hope you will join me as I explore living the life that God has for me, and not allowing myself to be held back by my fears and failures. I will fail, I know, but it isn't the failure that matters, it's what one does with it.
Make it a great day!
In His Love,
Christy
I was riding in the car with my mom last week, and she turned to me and asked me if I remembered this guy that I knew back when I was a kid. I knew who he was and said yes, I remembered him. We hadn't kept in touch, but I remembered him. Then she told me something that was totally unexpected... He had died the Sunday before. I was so shocked... I never would have expected something like that. They think he died from lung cancer. He and his family didn't even know that he even had cancer...
It made me remember last year, when another friend of mine passed away. He had been out snowboarding and ended up falling and hitting the back of his head with his snowboard. He was younger than I am, and it was so sudden. He was so amazing. He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every moment of it...
I had been thinking about all of that this week, and then I was in church last Sunday, and it was so awesome, because everything I'd been thinking about was what the sermon was about! How, often times, it takes a great tragedy for us to stop and evaluate our lives. 9/11 for example, or the death of a loved one. Pastor Bill then went on to ask, "Who is painting on your canvas of life?" Or, to rephrase the question, Who are you letting influence your life? Are you who you want to be? He used Ecclesiastes 7:2, which says "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." When I was younger, I never really understood that verse, but now it is starting to make sense. Our days are limited, and what are we doing to make them matter?
So I'm asking myself, am I who I want to be? More importantly, am I who GOD wants me to be? And if not, then what am I going to do about it? There are so many things that I have talked about doing and never done! So, I've decided that I'm going on an adventure of a sorts... I may not actually "go" anywhere, but I have decided to try and love deeper and more freely... I'm going to learn how to do ribbon embroidery and bobbin lace... I want to go sky diving and horseback riding. Spend more time with family and friends. The list could go on and on. Instead of boring you all by rambling on, I've decided that I'm going to start a series of posts titled "Celebrating Living Life as a Single Person." I hope you will join me as I explore living the life that God has for me, and not allowing myself to be held back by my fears and failures. I will fail, I know, but it isn't the failure that matters, it's what one does with it.
Make it a great day!
In His Love,
Christy
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Bridging the Great Divide....
I was in church last Sunday, and they were having an intercessory prayer session instead of a regular sermon. I was sitting there, just praying - I really don't remember about what, in all honesty... But there are a few issues in my life that I haven't really been dealing with. Sometimes it is easier to pretend that they aren't really there and hope they go away. But they never do... And like always, God knew what I need to focus on... My heart needs healing & I need to trust Him again. Hence, the following...
"What do I do when the pain is so deep I'm not sure I can trust again?" I prayed. "The pain is like a volcanic chasm, a Great Divide that separates me from You... I know that Jesus can and will heal all wounds. The cross is the bridge that crosses the Great Divide, but I'm afraid. I try and cross, but every time I seem to be getting across and doing better, something happens and I feel like I'm back at the beginning again. If Your love is real, then why is it this way? I want to cross this chasm, but I'm afraid.... I'm afraid of the fire and of falling. Will You really catch me? How can I trust You again?"
And then He answered me in a story, a word picture, if you will...
There was a great chasm, with a river of lava flowing through it. There was a girl on one side and she kept trying to get to the other side. There was a wooden cross that was the bridge, narrow, rough, and wobbly. Slowly, she put one foot in front of the other. Every now and then the bridge would wobble. Once or twice she was crawling, but always moving forward... Finally, after what seemed like forever, she made it across. She stood for a moment, then started walking away from the chasm. Before she got too far away, she looked over her shoulder back at the chasm and saw what she couldn't see when she was crossing - an army of angels surrounding the cross. Huge, mighty warriors, as far as the eye could see, standing guard over the precious daughter of God, sent by her loving All Mighty, Protective Father.
And that's when I knew.... I might not "feel" like I have faith in God. I might still be trying to cross the chasm. But this I know, I must keep moving forward. Even if only a crawl.... For I believe His angels are keeping guard always. And nothing happens that He doesn't know about... Nothing.
So Lord, help me to keep moving forward. Towards You and not away from You. Towards healing and away from anger. Towards trust and faith and away from discontentment and pride. Towards love and away from selfishness. Towards you and away from my own will. Towards peace and healing... The journey will not be easy, I know that, but I can't not go forward. I love You, Lord...
"What do I do when the pain is so deep I'm not sure I can trust again?" I prayed. "The pain is like a volcanic chasm, a Great Divide that separates me from You... I know that Jesus can and will heal all wounds. The cross is the bridge that crosses the Great Divide, but I'm afraid. I try and cross, but every time I seem to be getting across and doing better, something happens and I feel like I'm back at the beginning again. If Your love is real, then why is it this way? I want to cross this chasm, but I'm afraid.... I'm afraid of the fire and of falling. Will You really catch me? How can I trust You again?"
And then He answered me in a story, a word picture, if you will...
There was a great chasm, with a river of lava flowing through it. There was a girl on one side and she kept trying to get to the other side. There was a wooden cross that was the bridge, narrow, rough, and wobbly. Slowly, she put one foot in front of the other. Every now and then the bridge would wobble. Once or twice she was crawling, but always moving forward... Finally, after what seemed like forever, she made it across. She stood for a moment, then started walking away from the chasm. Before she got too far away, she looked over her shoulder back at the chasm and saw what she couldn't see when she was crossing - an army of angels surrounding the cross. Huge, mighty warriors, as far as the eye could see, standing guard over the precious daughter of God, sent by her loving All Mighty, Protective Father.
And that's when I knew.... I might not "feel" like I have faith in God. I might still be trying to cross the chasm. But this I know, I must keep moving forward. Even if only a crawl.... For I believe His angels are keeping guard always. And nothing happens that He doesn't know about... Nothing.
So Lord, help me to keep moving forward. Towards You and not away from You. Towards healing and away from anger. Towards trust and faith and away from discontentment and pride. Towards love and away from selfishness. Towards you and away from my own will. Towards peace and healing... The journey will not be easy, I know that, but I can't not go forward. I love You, Lord...
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Pouring Out:: Pouring Into Others as He Pours Into Us
Pouring into Others.... What exactly does that mean?
I don't suppose we could all go around dumping water on each other's heads, even though that idea could be really fun in the summertime. Well, that is our topic for today's discussion.
Hello and welcome to Beloved Follower's first post in a series. This month I will be doing a challenge issued by Critty Joy. What is the challenge, you may ask? Well, stay tuned and find out!
In other news: My ASL class is going well. I am slightly overwhelmed by the amount of words that have been thrown at me, but I think I will survive. :o) It is going to be a fascinating and wild ride, so stay tuned for more news from the life of Christy!
And we're back! Now, September's challenge is Pouring into Others - but doing it intentionally. The idea behind "Pouring Out" is to pour into others as He as poured into you. In other words, pass it on. This month's challenge is to pick one person - it could be anyone: a sibling, a parent, a neighbor, a friend, a relative - whoever God lays on your heart. Someone who is going through a hard time, or just someone that you want to bless. The point is to spend the next 28 days intentionally pouring into them in a unique and special way that encourages them. At the end of the month, Critty will host a link link up where you post on your blog your reflections, opinions, and thoughts about Pouring Out and into the other person. If you want more information, you can go to her blog here
I am looking forward to this month, and I hope you will join me! I am so excited to see how God is going to use this to bless other people!
In His Love,
Christy
I don't suppose we could all go around dumping water on each other's heads, even though that idea could be really fun in the summertime. Well, that is our topic for today's discussion.
Hello and welcome to Beloved Follower's first post in a series. This month I will be doing a challenge issued by Critty Joy. What is the challenge, you may ask? Well, stay tuned and find out!
In other news: My ASL class is going well. I am slightly overwhelmed by the amount of words that have been thrown at me, but I think I will survive. :o) It is going to be a fascinating and wild ride, so stay tuned for more news from the life of Christy!
And we're back! Now, September's challenge is Pouring into Others - but doing it intentionally. The idea behind "Pouring Out" is to pour into others as He as poured into you. In other words, pass it on. This month's challenge is to pick one person - it could be anyone: a sibling, a parent, a neighbor, a friend, a relative - whoever God lays on your heart. Someone who is going through a hard time, or just someone that you want to bless. The point is to spend the next 28 days intentionally pouring into them in a unique and special way that encourages them. At the end of the month, Critty will host a link link up where you post on your blog your reflections, opinions, and thoughts about Pouring Out and into the other person. If you want more information, you can go to her blog here
I am looking forward to this month, and I hope you will join me! I am so excited to see how God is going to use this to bless other people!
In His Love,
Christy
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Luke
This morning I was talking to my mother and found out she had gotten a call from my brother Luke this morning. He was in the hospital. Turns out he had had another seizure. He's had two before.... One after his airway got blocked when he was state-side. The other occurred in Germany after a fight not too long ago. Both times he had been fighting. But not this time. They were all out doing training and he and the people he was with were cleaning their "track." It's like a tank, but isn't quite. It's what they ride around in while doing their job.
Anyway, they were cleaning it to bring it out to the field and then they were riding it back in to their "tent city" and he just suddenly had a seizure (they think). His body was flaccid, his jaw was rigid, and he couldn't open his eyes. My mom was talking to the captain that was with Luke - he is the physician assistant for their battalion - and he told her that they had taken him to a local hospital. The doctors there were running some tests - a CT, an MRI, and an EEG. The first two turned out normal. I still don't know about the last one. They also did a spinal tap to see if he had an infection of some kind. They don't really know what is going on..... The Captain said that the hospital wanted to keep him for a few days but the battalion is going back to their base soon, so the Capt. is going to try and have Luke transferred to a hospital near their base or have Luke released to him, with a close checkup when they got back to base as he is at a German hospital, not an Army one.
So, needless to say, I have been praying for Luke a LOT today. This has the possibility of ending Luke's career in the Army. It's all he's ever wanted to do since he was 6, I think. God has worked mightily in his favor and opened so many doors for him. It was amazing to watch. And now this happens. Now, I know that God has a plan. And I choose to believe that God already knew that this was going to happen. I mean, nothing is a surprise to Him. Everything is all written out in His book for us before we were born. It was interesting - earlier this month I was reading in Exodus, when God was talking to Moses about all the plagues that were going to happen. And everything just seemed to get worse, and I could just about here the Israelites grumbling, and saying, "This isn't working, God. Whatever You are doing, quit. It is only making things worse!" At least, I could see myself saying that. I have said it. And I've gotten hung up on the part of the verse were God says, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart" and I've missed the second half of the verse, that says, "But I will gain glory for Myself from Pharaoh and all his army." (Exodus 14:4) So easily I get caught up in the "this is so bad" attitude and miss out on everything that God is doing.
So, I just pray that Luke would be able to see how God is working this out for him and for His glory. And that the doctors would have wisdom and know what to do. I appreciate y'all praying for him and for us. This is all much easier to say than it is to do.
In His love,
Christy
Anyway, they were cleaning it to bring it out to the field and then they were riding it back in to their "tent city" and he just suddenly had a seizure (they think). His body was flaccid, his jaw was rigid, and he couldn't open his eyes. My mom was talking to the captain that was with Luke - he is the physician assistant for their battalion - and he told her that they had taken him to a local hospital. The doctors there were running some tests - a CT, an MRI, and an EEG. The first two turned out normal. I still don't know about the last one. They also did a spinal tap to see if he had an infection of some kind. They don't really know what is going on..... The Captain said that the hospital wanted to keep him for a few days but the battalion is going back to their base soon, so the Capt. is going to try and have Luke transferred to a hospital near their base or have Luke released to him, with a close checkup when they got back to base as he is at a German hospital, not an Army one.
So, needless to say, I have been praying for Luke a LOT today. This has the possibility of ending Luke's career in the Army. It's all he's ever wanted to do since he was 6, I think. God has worked mightily in his favor and opened so many doors for him. It was amazing to watch. And now this happens. Now, I know that God has a plan. And I choose to believe that God already knew that this was going to happen. I mean, nothing is a surprise to Him. Everything is all written out in His book for us before we were born. It was interesting - earlier this month I was reading in Exodus, when God was talking to Moses about all the plagues that were going to happen. And everything just seemed to get worse, and I could just about here the Israelites grumbling, and saying, "This isn't working, God. Whatever You are doing, quit. It is only making things worse!" At least, I could see myself saying that. I have said it. And I've gotten hung up on the part of the verse were God says, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart" and I've missed the second half of the verse, that says, "But I will gain glory for Myself from Pharaoh and all his army." (Exodus 14:4) So easily I get caught up in the "this is so bad" attitude and miss out on everything that God is doing.
So, I just pray that Luke would be able to see how God is working this out for him and for His glory. And that the doctors would have wisdom and know what to do. I appreciate y'all praying for him and for us. This is all much easier to say than it is to do.
In His love,
Christy
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Hello!
Hello Everyone! I'm new to this, but I'm looking forward to posting more. I was having a hard time picking a name for my blog, so first I was going through nicknames and decided that while some nicknames are fun to have, they don't necessarily make good blog names. After consulting with a good friend of mine, I decided to go with the meaning of my name. Christy means "Follower of Christ." And I rather like the fact that we are all beloved children of the Heavenly Father, so I put the two together and got "Beloved Follower."
So, welcome, have a look around, even though there really isn't anything to see yet. :0) Comments are always welcome, so feel free to share. Have a wonderful day and enjoy God's sunshine!
Blessings,
Christy
So, welcome, have a look around, even though there really isn't anything to see yet. :0) Comments are always welcome, so feel free to share. Have a wonderful day and enjoy God's sunshine!
Blessings,
Christy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)