We have survived Ike! He entered our little neighborhood at about 2:49 a.m. on Saturday morning. I know this because that was the last time our electricity was on. It is now Wednesday.
We ate really well the first night. After that, not so much. No way to keep anything cold. By Sunday night, we were feeling pretty hungry. Then some friends loaned us their gas grill. So we grilled the hot dogs we had left, and that was our last hot meal. TuesdayI stumbled upon a gas station opening and got to fill up my gas tank. That same day we found a little mom and pop store with ice! Woo Hoo! What a find!! Today we had COLD drinks. That was so awesome. It went really well with our COLD showers that we have been taking for 5 days.
We heard today that we should have electricity by October 4th. Great . . .
The worst thing that has happened is that we had fish in our freezer. When it defrosted, it leaked fish juice (technically shrimp) into the drain line of the refrigerator. Now our entire apartment smells like dead shrimp. Mike is working on getting it cleaned out and getting rid of the smell.
I am at my sister-in-laws tonight. She lives in a nearby city and is in one of the rare neighborhoods with electricty. So tonight I took a hot shower, watched tv for like 10 minutes, ate a hot meal and SHAVED MY LEGS!!! I'm gonna blow dry my hair in a few minutes. You learn to appreciate the small things. Let me tell you.
I have learned a few things. One, we had NO IDEA how to "prepare" for a hurricane. You should definitely plan for not having power for a long, long time. Some camping gear is probably a good idea. And BIG, REALLY BIG flashlights. And matches. And something to cook on if you don't have a gas stove. Also, own a generator and a few gas cans. They will come in handy when you don't have power.
Also get plenty of paper products, not just paper plates. Stock up on toilet paper too. And own a couple of ice chests. Also, power adapters that you can use in your car to charge up your computers and cell phones. These are also handy. Oh, and don't think you can live on peanut butter and tuna for very long. You can't. I may never eat it again!
All that to say, we have survived. We have several more weeks of surviving to go. And thanks Deb for the food and hot water.
Hurricane Preparedness Kit
So, (I start a lot of my blogs with so) Mike put together a hurricane emergency kit in my absence. It made me smile.
Here is what it contained:
Cases of water
Case of Gatorade
Poptarts
batteries
bread
donut stix
matches
peanut butter
tuna
cheerios
soup
I told him it was a good mix. We should be set in case we lose power. :)
All that to say, "hurricane's a comin."
Here is what it contained:
Cases of water
Case of Gatorade
Poptarts
batteries
bread
donut stix
matches
peanut butter
tuna
cheerios
soup
I told him it was a good mix. We should be set in case we lose power. :)
All that to say, "hurricane's a comin."
This Crazy Life
On Sunday, Mike picked me up from church (late afternoon) and told me how he had jumped down from a 3 or 4 foot ledge, slipped on some gravel and fell backwards, catching himself with his left arm.
By Sunday night, it was swollen, but he was in a good bit of pain. So, we headed off to the hospital. Keep in mind, up until two months ago, Mike had never, in our 27 years of marriage, been hospitalized! Turns out, he had a radial head fracture (elbow), so they popped a couple of vicodin in him, put a cast on him, and sent him home.
It's not too bad a break. He'll recover quickly. But I just had to laugh. Really.
All that to say, normally my life is busy, but boring. Lately, it has been anything but.
By Sunday night, it was swollen, but he was in a good bit of pain. So, we headed off to the hospital. Keep in mind, up until two months ago, Mike had never, in our 27 years of marriage, been hospitalized! Turns out, he had a radial head fracture (elbow), so they popped a couple of vicodin in him, put a cast on him, and sent him home.
It's not too bad a break. He'll recover quickly. But I just had to laugh. Really.
All that to say, normally my life is busy, but boring. Lately, it has been anything but.
Just for Fun Today
I HAD to replay this because it was way too funny.
Yesterday I was at Target and as I am getting out of my car and closing this door, this girl in the car next to me yells really loudly, "Heyyyyyy Girl!" I turn to look, assuming of course that she is talking to me. I make eye contact with her and at that point her smile fades, she looks incredibly irritated at me, and points to her phone.
My mistake.
So I turn around and keep walking. Behind me I hear . . . (INSANELY LOUDLY)
"Can you totally believe how seriously pissed everyone is? I mean totally. Seriously."
"IIIII KNOW!" "She was the worst. And she was like, "How did you pull of getting everyone all about your stupid party?" And I was like, "Facebook and Myspace B#*ch" and she was like, "It said it was a private party" and I was like, "Hello??? How could it be private if it was on Facebook?"
"Ohmigod, she's so stupid. Oh, and now, i've been blowing up all day. My mom is gonna be super pissed."
At which point, mercifully, I entered the sanctuary of Target. But then I laughed outloud (embarrassing as people look at me) because I had this mental picture of someone overhearing that conversation that didn't understand all that slang and trying to figure out why the girl's mom was going to be mad at her for blowing up.
All that to say, I am easily amused. And I love teenage girls.
Yesterday I was at Target and as I am getting out of my car and closing this door, this girl in the car next to me yells really loudly, "Heyyyyyy Girl!" I turn to look, assuming of course that she is talking to me. I make eye contact with her and at that point her smile fades, she looks incredibly irritated at me, and points to her phone.
My mistake.
So I turn around and keep walking. Behind me I hear . . . (INSANELY LOUDLY)
"Can you totally believe how seriously pissed everyone is? I mean totally. Seriously."
"IIIII KNOW!" "She was the worst. And she was like, "How did you pull of getting everyone all about your stupid party?" And I was like, "Facebook and Myspace B#*ch" and she was like, "It said it was a private party" and I was like, "Hello??? How could it be private if it was on Facebook?"
"Ohmigod, she's so stupid. Oh, and now, i've been blowing up all day. My mom is gonna be super pissed."
At which point, mercifully, I entered the sanctuary of Target. But then I laughed outloud (embarrassing as people look at me) because I had this mental picture of someone overhearing that conversation that didn't understand all that slang and trying to figure out why the girl's mom was going to be mad at her for blowing up.
All that to say, I am easily amused. And I love teenage girls.
Raising Churchy or Godly Kids?
When my children were little, we decided that we wanted to raise them in church. So we did. We went to church EVERY Sunday, without fail, unless someone was sick, and even then, one parent stayed home with the sick child and one parent went to church with the well child. Church was very much an integral part of our children's "upbringing" and certainly not something to be ashamed of. I'm glad I took my kids to church. It is where they needed to be.I wanted them to go to church and learn about Jesus and all the stories of the Bible, because as an adult who came to know Christ as an adult, I always felt embarrassed that I didn't know the Bible very well. I wanted my children to KNOW the Bible.Both of them accepted Jesus as their Savior as young children. An important milestone to say the least. They both were baptized as young children as well. Then when they were in elementary school, they started attending a private Christian school. Trust me when I tell you, my kids KNOW the Bible. They know it better than I do.But I forgot one important thing. I was pretty keen on them knowing the Bible, and that is exactly what happened. I wish, in hindsight, that I had wanted them to really love Jesus with all their heart and soul and mind and strength, and that I had wanted them to love their neighbor as themselves. I think I raised up churched kids, but I don't know that I raised up godly ones.As adults, they have had to find their own way to loving Jesus and loving others. Because I, we, the church, was focused on teaching them the Bible on a knowledge level. I'm glad they have had mentors and role models in their young adulthood who have helped them. People like Casey Cease who uses his life stories to rescue people from themselves. And people like Matt Shepperd who is showing them what selflessness looks like lived out (www.hydratehope.org)I think today, as a church, we are doing a better job of balancing knowledge and application. If kids have all the knowledge in the world, but don't have love, what good is that? (I think that's in the Bible . . . I Corinthians 13? Sounds familiar).But, I think we still have to be careful to teach our kids to love God, love others, AND love His Word. Imagine a generation of people who have their priorities in order. :)
All that to say, this is an excerpt from a parent blog I started in April. The idea is that parents ask a question and I answer it on the blog. So follow the link
www.justforparentslikeyou.blogspot.com, ask your parenting question in the comment section, and I'll answer it for you. Periodically, I will just add some thoughts on parenting for you parents out there.
All that to say, this is an excerpt from a parent blog I started in April. The idea is that parents ask a question and I answer it on the blog. So follow the link
www.justforparentslikeyou.blogspot.com, ask your parenting question in the comment section, and I'll answer it for you. Periodically, I will just add some thoughts on parenting for you parents out there.
Back to the Battle
I mentioned yesterday that I am studying what it means to battle the enemy (meaning satan) who seems to desire nothing more than to distract me from God, His purposes, our relationship with one another, etc. In that, I am reading through, studying, and dissecting Ephesians 6:10-18. I'm writing down what I am learning. Feel free to study along.
I'm writing out the verses so you don't have to go get your Bible.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
My first thought is this. Know whose armor you are wearing. Armor was often custom fit for each soldier. It's how it protected them so well. We are told to put on (literally pick up or take up) the full armor of God. This is the armor of God. Custom fit for God. GOD. And we, who are in the image of God, have an armor custom fit for us. You have, at your hand, the strength and might of the Lord God. Think about that for a second. Let that sink in. Armor, Custom Fit for God, is yours for the wearing. Put it on. And don't just put on some of it, put on the FULL Armor. All of it.
Second, Know why you are putting it on . . . so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (vs. 11) TO STAND FIRM AGAINST THE SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL. Put on all of it. (vs13) so that you will be able to stand firm, resisting evil. I looked up "standing firm" in the original text. It basically means taking a battle ready stance. Think of judo (sorry, it's the mental picture I got). There is a basic fighting stance that when mastered allows you to be quick and flexible, but immovable when the enemy strikes. So "stand firm" means that you are in the "ready" position, and when the enemy strikes, you will be able to withstand the blow. So, if you have on the full armor of God, you are not only ready for the strike that will come, but you will also be able to stand up to (stand firm) whatever the enemy sends your way.
And Third, Know your enemy. (vs 12). Sometimes for me, the best way for me to think about what something is, is to think about what it isn't. It lets me rule out stuff. So to think about who my enemy is, I thought about people that I have an "enemy like" relationship with. Then I thought about who others might say their enemies are. Then I wrote all of those down as "who your enemy isn't."
Who your enemy isn't:
Each Other
Your Mom, Dad, Aunt or Uncle
Your Husband or your Wife
Your Annoying Neighbor
Your Daughter or Son
Your Friend that hurt your feelings
Your Boss or Your Sister or Your Brother
It's not:
A Teacher, or a Lawyer, or that person that wanted to get you fired.
It's not:
The person who convinced your teenager to start drinking or doing drugs or,
The person your spouse had an affair with.
If you want to know who your enemy is, know who it ISN'T.
vs. 12 For your struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
All that to say, I must remember that my enemy is not human. And it's not even the people I know that don't act human. And, I need to rest my mind now. That's a lot to take in, in one day.
I'm writing out the verses so you don't have to go get your Bible.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
My first thought is this. Know whose armor you are wearing. Armor was often custom fit for each soldier. It's how it protected them so well. We are told to put on (literally pick up or take up) the full armor of God. This is the armor of God. Custom fit for God. GOD. And we, who are in the image of God, have an armor custom fit for us. You have, at your hand, the strength and might of the Lord God. Think about that for a second. Let that sink in. Armor, Custom Fit for God, is yours for the wearing. Put it on. And don't just put on some of it, put on the FULL Armor. All of it.
Second, Know why you are putting it on . . . so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (vs. 11) TO STAND FIRM AGAINST THE SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL. Put on all of it. (vs13) so that you will be able to stand firm, resisting evil. I looked up "standing firm" in the original text. It basically means taking a battle ready stance. Think of judo (sorry, it's the mental picture I got). There is a basic fighting stance that when mastered allows you to be quick and flexible, but immovable when the enemy strikes. So "stand firm" means that you are in the "ready" position, and when the enemy strikes, you will be able to withstand the blow. So, if you have on the full armor of God, you are not only ready for the strike that will come, but you will also be able to stand up to (stand firm) whatever the enemy sends your way.
And Third, Know your enemy. (vs 12). Sometimes for me, the best way for me to think about what something is, is to think about what it isn't. It lets me rule out stuff. So to think about who my enemy is, I thought about people that I have an "enemy like" relationship with. Then I thought about who others might say their enemies are. Then I wrote all of those down as "who your enemy isn't."
Who your enemy isn't:
Each Other
Your Mom, Dad, Aunt or Uncle
Your Husband or your Wife
Your Annoying Neighbor
Your Daughter or Son
Your Friend that hurt your feelings
Your Boss or Your Sister or Your Brother
It's not:
A Teacher, or a Lawyer, or that person that wanted to get you fired.
It's not:
The person who convinced your teenager to start drinking or doing drugs or,
The person your spouse had an affair with.
If you want to know who your enemy is, know who it ISN'T.
vs. 12 For your struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
All that to say, I must remember that my enemy is not human. And it's not even the people I know that don't act human. And, I need to rest my mind now. That's a lot to take in, in one day.
A Tidy Business Relationship
I'm home this week. A self-imposed vacation so that I don't burn out. I've learned the hard way that one must rest. That's why it's one of the big ten (Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy). It means rest one day or you won't be holy. :) That's a loose translation.
Anyway (someone told me I say that too much when I write). Anyway. As part of my week, I have determined that I am going to try to get this prayer thing in my life straightened out. It occurred to me the other day, that even though I know that I love God and He loves me, my prayer life has become less of a meaningful time with God and more of a good daily business meeting. It usually starts off with me doing the "pleasantries" . . . "Good Morning God. You are so awesome. I worship only you because you are Lord. You made the heavens and the earth. You are in total control. I love you Lord."
If I were in a meeting with someone else this is what the equivalent would be, "Good Morning. You are really looking great today. I wish I could look that good. You are just excellent at your job. You've got it all under control. Way to Go! I love that about you."
But the problem is, I'm not IN a freakin' business meeting. So why oh why I have a reduced my relationship with God to that? I sit down with Him, do the pleasantries, then give Him the list of things I want Him to accomplish for me during the day.
So I started my week really wanting to have a different, more personal relationship with God. I wrote in my journal, "God, I have walked in fellowship with you for a long time, enjoying your presence when it suited me to do so. Oh but God, how much more have you desired from me? How you have longed for my company, but I have doled it out to you in small portions. I do love you, and my heart's desire is to please you. I think the best way for me to do that is just to truly love you, and then from that love, to love others. But maybe I don't know how to love. What if that is true? What is true God?"
I think I am just terribly distracted by the enemy. I believe that I have allowed him to shape the way I interact with God. He (the devil) knows I'm going to meet with God each morning, so over time, he has cleverly convinced me to have a "meeting" instead of a meaningful relationship-building time together. So, I asked God to show me how to fight off the enemy and his cleverness. Then I opened my Bible to Ephesians Chapter 6. No lie. Half of the chapter is about fighting the devil. So, I am reading it, and studying it.
Over the next few days, I'll share with you what I learn.
All that to say, I have thrown out the day timer that once was my prayer life. I almost feel like I'm going on a blind date.
Anyway (someone told me I say that too much when I write). Anyway. As part of my week, I have determined that I am going to try to get this prayer thing in my life straightened out. It occurred to me the other day, that even though I know that I love God and He loves me, my prayer life has become less of a meaningful time with God and more of a good daily business meeting. It usually starts off with me doing the "pleasantries" . . . "Good Morning God. You are so awesome. I worship only you because you are Lord. You made the heavens and the earth. You are in total control. I love you Lord."
If I were in a meeting with someone else this is what the equivalent would be, "Good Morning. You are really looking great today. I wish I could look that good. You are just excellent at your job. You've got it all under control. Way to Go! I love that about you."
But the problem is, I'm not IN a freakin' business meeting. So why oh why I have a reduced my relationship with God to that? I sit down with Him, do the pleasantries, then give Him the list of things I want Him to accomplish for me during the day.
So I started my week really wanting to have a different, more personal relationship with God. I wrote in my journal, "God, I have walked in fellowship with you for a long time, enjoying your presence when it suited me to do so. Oh but God, how much more have you desired from me? How you have longed for my company, but I have doled it out to you in small portions. I do love you, and my heart's desire is to please you. I think the best way for me to do that is just to truly love you, and then from that love, to love others. But maybe I don't know how to love. What if that is true? What is true God?"
I think I am just terribly distracted by the enemy. I believe that I have allowed him to shape the way I interact with God. He (the devil) knows I'm going to meet with God each morning, so over time, he has cleverly convinced me to have a "meeting" instead of a meaningful relationship-building time together. So, I asked God to show me how to fight off the enemy and his cleverness. Then I opened my Bible to Ephesians Chapter 6. No lie. Half of the chapter is about fighting the devil. So, I am reading it, and studying it.
Over the next few days, I'll share with you what I learn.
All that to say, I have thrown out the day timer that once was my prayer life. I almost feel like I'm going on a blind date.
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