Laura honored as bride-to-be

This day was to honor Miss Laura Robinson with a recipe shower with a few of her closest friends. It was a lot of fun. Vern and I hosted it for her with a lot of help from Terah (which we couldn't have done without - so thank you!).

We swapped recipes, played wedding taboo, ate cake and other good brunch-y type stuff, prayed for her, and ended the shower by laughing with JD taking random pictures, etc.

These are some of them...

Then we played wedding taboo. Its OK you didn't win Laura even though you were helping out the other team.

Mary and Kate (Mary herself is about to get married to Matt)

The group of all of us (minus Terah who had to leave early - we missed you). We even finished early if you can tell by the clock on the outside of their house...

Next is me, Laura, and Vern. I don't know how we managed to all match.

Then it is me, Vern, and Stephanie (soon to be made of honor... and a good friend)

Thanks ladies for making this day special for Laura and the tummy of her husband will thank all in attendance!

Ode to Unselfish Mothers

This is really for all the new mothers I know out there (or pregnant ones): Davia, Christina, Angela, MG, Tonya, Tab, and probably others I'm forgetting. I just wanted to share some things that I've seen happen in the last few weeks and months of acts of unselfishness. This is really why God has seen fit not to make me a mother yet, because I'm so selfish...
- all the changes your body goes through when you are pregnant and how hard you have to work at it to get it back
- losing sleep so you can get to the pediatrician early on a Sunday morning during the 2 hours they are open.
- changing your eating habits, like not really wanting to drink coffee when you are pregnant
- throwing crazy b-day parties - like Superheroes
- taking longer to get in and out of the car - especially when it is raining
- cleaning out your kitchen pantry so your only daughter can move back home
- giving up peace and quiet except for that rare moment when all your kids are asleep - than all you want to do it take a nap
- all this while keeping your husband as your top priority (outside of Jesus).

Craziness. I thank you for all the stuff you are all teaching me

The Mind of Christ

Colossians 3.1-17 - I have not been living this (as evidenced by people at work, things I spend my time doing, how I answer my roommate, etc):

Put On the New Self
3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: [2] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. [3] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self [4] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Father - make this real in my life. Make me dwell on you - not on everything that comes across ESPN. Not that I can't watch that stuff, it is not bad, but once it becomes the IMPORT then we have a problem. I want the stuff to come out of my mouth, not just be show, but be what is really in my heart.
As Rach has said: Think Rightly. The way I ought to think is by having the mind of Christ. That is done by dwelling on the Word! Not on People Magazine, ESPN, etc. But, on the Word and other Christian writings...

Thank you for conviction - even this morning as I was dwelling on my relationship with my roommate...

Big Game and "People of the Day"

Well - it was a half good day yesterday.
I don't know what happened to the Saints, maybe it was the snow. Bears didn't play all that well - it was just the Saints played horrible.
Then - it was the good game...Colts/Pats. What a game - lived up to its hype. Now, if you turned it off at half time like Scott Smith did - then you missed the half the Colts decided to play. I moved to the floor to watch the last 4 minutes b/c I knew it would be good. Then, after the game, during the presentation, both Jim Irsay and Tony Dungy gave credit to the Lord for blessing them and the team. Amazing isn't it!
So...people of the day:

Jim Irsay - owner of the Colts
Tony Dungy - was done wrong in TB but done right at the Colts and always outspoken about Jesus!
Sean and Dana Cordell - pastor and wife in Raleigh - a church plant in innercity Raleigh reaching people other churches might not - all of God's glory! And taking a stand against abortion from the pulpit and not afraid of the offense is people take - standing for TRUTH on this anniversary of Roe v Wade. If you need to see something on abortion - go to www.theologica.blogspot.com and watch the YouTube video.

BCS Dilemna

If you read the title of the blog and had to ask what BCS means - just skip it. But, if it interests anyone - wanna comment? I've read enough on the subject, pre-, mid-, and post-season. Believe me, I was all for the choice of the BCS title game b/c it featured my Gators. Not really because I thought they would really beat OSU (like they did), but only because UM already had their chance, and we needed to have one.
So...now, what do you do - will they make changes? They better, but what will they be?
NCAA has the Final Four - that would be great, but we'd be playing football up until the NCAA Final Four (AKA March Madness). The +1 game - that doesn't really work either. Here is the only solution to the problem - IMHO (and I don't claim to know a lot)
Have a conference championship for each conference. Then - by computer ranking (based on toughness of schedule) - pick the two best teams and have a BCS Title game. The rest can play in the other 30 something bowl games (good gracious there are a lot). The best football conferences are usually the SEC (by far), Big Ten, Pac10, Big12, ACC (sometimes).
Any takers?

Bugs Bunny and Church

This article by Dr. Russell Moore of Southern Seminary in KY is a good one about the emergent church. I miss Bugs Bunny and all his friends. But, where is the fine line in being "cool" to being strong in the Truth. Can the two coincide? Can Jesus be the "buzz" in culture? Or is the way narrow?

Think, ponder, critique your own church - where does it stand? How is it doing in being relevant yet not departing from the Truth?

Family and Mothering

This has been an interesting week in the thought process of this blog entry. Let me state a disclaimer: this is MOSTLY opinion, so take it as my opinion - one which you can disagree with and not to be condemned by. Hear my heart on this:

This weekend I spent time with a family with 3 kids. I am not ready to have 3 kids - I don't even know about one. Hopefully that will change when/IF I get married...I'm glad I don't want kids now because that would just add to my dissatisfaction in this current life stage...anyway. She is a stay at home mom. Many of the mothers I know are stay at home Moms - and I see such a difference in their kids. I was raised by a stay at home Mom and I think I turned out ok.

Last week I received a magazine from a major medical research corporation. Many of the top execs or speakers were women. I'm glad God has gifted them in area of knowledge and medicine. That is great. But, I wonder out of those women in the magazine - how many had successful marriages and healthy families? I'm not saying all stay at home moms' have this down pat. These women have obviously put so much time and energy into their work outside of the home, that I wonder how much time and energy they have left for their families (if they have any). A friend of mine in ministry wrote this about his wife..."Our home has been very orderly. "My wife" has done a wonderful job of keeping things clean and the girls on a schedule. It makes a big difference as ministry can be stressful, stressful! "

Then I read an article by a fave SE prof of mine, David Nelson, about his family and the "vocatio" of family. His was a slightly different take then mine, but still showing the importance of family. I am realizing the importance of family as I leave NC and return to Lakeland next month to begin working for my Dad. Family was definitely a perk to the move.

I'm definitely not one of those women who say "women can't work outside the home". I don't believe the Bible says that. But, what I do know the Bible says, is that a women (if married) has her chief focus her husband, home, and children (if so blessed with them). I think this applies to both ministry jobs and secular jobs. So often we get so wrapped up in ministry as women that our families fall by the wayside. It isn't just with secular jobs.

That is what I hope to be able to offer to my husband (one day maybe).

Self-Control? Self-Discipline? Legalism?

These have all been questions in my head lately - so I posed the question to several people I know to read their thoughts on the matter. I've read blogs, skimmed articles, etc. This is what I came up with this morning.

Self-Discipline - is something we do. We train our minds, bodies, etc to do, or not do, certain activities or behaviors. Eating, exercising, getting up early. This is a lot of what New Year's Resolutions are about - and thus they fail.

Self-Control - this is a gift from the Holy Spirit. It is not something we can muster up within ourselves. None of the grace gifts can we work up within ourselves. So, a lot of times I need to not rely on self but rely on the Spirit to work within me the gift of self-control. I have this, but I let flesh get in the way. Because I have all of the Holy Spirit (not some of Him), but I let flesh get in the way.

Legalism is the same way I've thought of it in the past. Working (or not working) to improve my standing before God. My standing before God is all grace.

Just some thoughts to ponder!

South Carolina

Well, my weekend in SC was quite good.

Got down there late on Friday - had a great night sleep, ready to venture on Saturday.

Played with these kids before the game, (do you know how hard it is to get 3 kids to all look at a camera and smile at the same time). Then came the GATOR game at USC - my first in enemy territory - but you aren't alone with you are part of the GATORNation! Do you see all that blue? We killed them the second half. Lee H (12) couldn't be stopped on threes! It was great.

Then Tab and I went on some errands and I sat in the car and listened to the Colts game...GO COLTS! Those field goals - hey, I'll take them. The defense held the Ravens - who were picked to win by (the last time I looked) every ESPN writer/announcer. That's rough - but now we got home field advantage. You gotta love the playoffs!

Then I drove to 96 on Sunday afternoon and had lunch with Christina, Marcus, and Will Vickers. William is 5 1/2 weeks old. The spaghetti was nutritious and delicious! Thank you for the hospitality!

Then drove back listening to football through all the small towns in SC.

New Pictures

These were both taken last week - on the same day (I don't where the same clothes everyday!)

The first was with my friends Tonya and Kris and Josiah. We went to Elmo's for a quick lunch. It was yummy, but it was also good to check up on them and talk to them as they have been back in the states for abou 4 months.

The second is when Rach and I went to Chai's and Shadetree Coffee. Cool but empty coffee place (Duke was playing that night at home). We stayed till they closed. It had been a long day for both of us and Rach was getting ready to leave for Boston the next morning.

National Champs!

Never thought this would happen (hope and thought are two different things)

I'll take many more games like that one - they played incredible. I was so nervous at the beginning of the game, even before that kickoff return for a TD. But, then they showed up. Maybe they were nervous too!
But, about 6 minutes left I knew they had it in the bag, Troy Smith looked defeated. Chris Leak looked amazing. Tim Tebow did what he was brought in to do (maybe he learned some from Chris Leak last night). They didn't turn the ball over. The DL got the QB. Urban was a brilliant coach last night (along with Charlie Strong).
My Gators (and GatorNations) - only team in NCAA history to hold both national championships in one year. It is great to be a Florida Gator!

Go blue! I'll go to a b-ball game on Saturday in SC - and then the blue and orange game when I get back to UF in April. Only time in my life I wish I had gone to UF!

Thoughts on 30

Well, 30 was better than 29 (although I didn't get an Elmo hat this year, but I did get a Tiara). That was fun! All the food (since I went out to eat a lot) is on the food blog. These are pictures from time with the Dixons and the night at Cheesecake Factory. Kristin and I had taken a picture with this girl on a poster, but the lighting was so bright it didn't turn out well.

30 is not at all where I thought I would be - but it is where God knew I would be. So, the next decade in my life has to be better than the last - so we shall see what God has in store.

Thank you to all the food, friends, emails, phone calls, cards, gifts - they are all liked, welcomed, and much appreciated!