Thankful Thursday

1. Happy Birthday Dad!!!

2. My mom's cataract surgery on one eye went well.

3. My company is awarding everyone an extra vacation day since HMI was named in the top 100 places to work for by Fortune.

How Would Jesus Pump Gas

I'm shaking my head over this one. What would he do if the car had an Obama sticker, or a "My child is an honor student at ______________ School" or tourist site sticker?

"Disneyworld, I think you need to have your guests be nicer if they are going to represent you."

By the way, I copied the title of today's post.

How many times does it take?

Last night in class I asked the students to turn to page 98. One student thought I said 198 and turned there. He asked me to confirm the page since 198 was the start of a chapter titled Understanding Pregnancy. In class last week he announced that his wife is pregnant with their twelfth child. He showed the chapter title to the person beside him who just laughed. She told the class, and I said, “Kelly, we just thought you may not have gotten it the first 11 times so this will help you the twelfth time!”

Kay Yow

Kay Yow died yesterday. She was all that is right is about women's basketball. I got to see her coach in the Dayton regionals in 1998 when her team went to the Final Four.

Esther 2

This morning's sermon was from Esther 2. When the pastor read this verse

12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women—

and said that it took 12 months of beautifying for the virgins to be ready for the king, I leaned over to Jayne and said, "If they used Mary Kay it would be 2-3 days, 2-3 weeks, or 2-3 months!"

My friend shared a secret to make me look good when I workout at the gym with her. Obviously, I don't life very heavy--I've had back issues and face it I'm just a woose. Anyway, I move the weight to a pretty low setting, but when I finish I move it down to 100 or 120!

OK, you don't have to confess publically, but I'm thinking some of my readers have done that as well!

Life

Last night as I went to bed I was flipping channels and stopped on a show that had a many dying. He apparently was a doctor, but had no family. There were two other guys with him who it appeared had been mentored by him. The guy kept commenting about dying alone and how even though he had treated so many people he had a fear of dying and no one would remember that he had been here. One of the other guys held him and said over and over, “You were here, you were here, you were here, . . .” as he finally died.

Granted it was just a tv show, but I thought how sad that he had so much contact with people and yet had no reason to feel he had impacted them at all. What a wasted life!

The only things that last forever: the Word of God and people. What are we doing to invest in them?

Getting Ready for Sanctity of Life Sunday

OK, two confessions here:

1. I’m not a big fan of pregnant belly photos.
2. The youngest child in me had the thought of inserting the ultrasound picture of my gall stone in the middle of the attached video.

Now that that is over--
In honor of Sanctity of Life Sunday I’m putting these two links out early to set your mind for Sunday.

You must watch I'm Holding a Miracle. I will never foget the awe of a December night when I walked into my parents home and heard six-week old Andrew crying and then saw him and realized the miracle of life.

Be careful the logic of abortion.

Thankful Thursday

1. I finally found a reason to like running errands at lunch alone—I get to listen to whatever radio station I want to.
2. NyQuil does wonders to help me get a good night’s sleep even with a cold.
3. My current cohort at CU seems after one class to really be on the ball, and I think I will enjoy the next few weeks.

She's Not Smarter Than a Fifth Grader

Today I had to call to make an appointment. After scheduling the time the girl asked for my name. The conversation went like this:

Me: Rhoda R-H-O-D-A
Girl: R-O-D-H-A
ME: No, R-H-O-D-A (a bit slower)
GIRL: OK, R-O-H-D-A
ME: R
(a second later)
ME: H
(a second later)
ME: O
(a second later)
ME: D
(a second later)
ME: A
GIRL: (Just laughed)

I’m thinking she wasn’t valedictorian of her cosmetology class!

Inauguration Day 2009

What a great day to be an American! Before our eyes we saw what Jefferson called “A Peaceful Revolution”.

Just some quick thoughts.

It’s amazing to think of a black President only 40 years after MLK’s I Have A Dream speech. I really can’t fathom how important that is to so many people in our country.

News networks couldn’t keep a streamlined feed to the internet. I never could get Fox’s feed, and I don’t know how many times I heard or saw the Audi commercial on ABC because the feed kept stopping and I’d have to restart.

I love the pageantry of an inauguration.

About 50 people (probably all that are left) in my building gathered around a tv to watch the inauguration. It was interesting to see who clapped when the tv station displayed a message just after noon that Obama was president based on time not on an oath.

I thought Rick Warren had a great prayer. I think Lowery’s prayer was divisive.

For some reason I always like to the outgoing President’s plane leave Andrews AFB and fly off into the wild blue yonder.

It is even more interesting to watch all of the proceedings and see the maps of inauguration events and know that I walked all of that just two years ago. As Renae said, “Walked it over and over and over.”

I must say the idea of being there with the masses of people and tens of thousands of port-a-johns just doesn’t do much for me. I think I like going as a tourist when there aren’t so many people is more appealing. I mean it wouldn’t be bad if there was a driver that took you from the White House to the Capitol door, a seat was reserved on the platform, and you could walk right into the Capitol for a nice lunch after the inauguration, but that’s just not going to happen for me.

Pre-Inauguration Day

Two columns I have found interesting the last two days in light of tomorrow's transition of power.

http://www.nationalinterest.org/Article.aspx?id=20486

http://seanandmandychapman.blogspot.com/2009/01/some-great-thoughts-in-my-opinion.html

Will the real MLK please stand up

Today is MLK day. I think it's great that the entire nation has set aside a day to honor my mother. To celebrate MLK there is no mail, government offices are closed, banks are closed, many schools (except those in west Michigan) are closed, etc.

It just seems they would have scheduled MLK Day closer to her birthday!

Here's to you, Mom, the real MLK.

Sunday

I'm sick. I didn't sleep well last night--started in the recliner, went to bed, went back to the recliner and ended up back in bed. Since I was scheduled to play the keyboard this morning, I went to church even though I really didn't feel like it or want to.

The sermon title was Marital Strife based on Esther 1. Todd put the blame on King Xerxes for alcohol abuse, anger, and abdication. Xerxes abdicated his responsibility for the problems by pawning off on the wise men what to do and making a law that wives had to honor their husbands. He of course went to Ephesians 5, but for one of the first times I can remember the emphasis was on husbands love your wives as Christ love the church and not on wives be submissive. As a single woman, I appreciated that.

However that wasn't the best part of the service that needed to be posted.

The two pastors' wives sang In Christ Alone as a duet. It was worth making the effort to be there.

"In Christ Alone"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001
Kingsway Thankyou Music

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Saturday

Despite my sinuses really hurting and my general not feeling well, I ventured out to my friends' to do some computer work--the price I pay for not paying for internet at home. Today was their church's annual fundraiser for an annual mission trip to an orphanage in Colima, Mexico. Each year they have a cook-off with a different food theme--there's been chili, soup, appetizers, anything, and this year side dishes for a pig roast.

At the table tonight one of the entrants said he has told the organizer that he won't accept the prize "if" he wins. Now he's safe to leave and think he probably won, but the prize just went to someone else.

Soup's On

This week was a first. I've followed a recipe to make soup, but over the weekend I saw a recipe for hamburger soup, but I had chicken to use. That recipe said add tomato juice, but I wasn't sure about that with chicken so I added chicken broth instead. The recipe called for celery which I didn't have so I put in celery salt. Then I put in the carrots, potatoes, and onion the recipe called for. The carrots were in the freezer from this summer's garden. I saw some garden green beans in the freezer too so I threw them in. Then I through in some rice. While in the pantry I saw a can of northern beans so I threw that in as well. The beans and carrots certainly add color, and the soup itself is pretty good.

I am impressed with myself.

Drainage

It’s that time of year again—time for the neti pot. It’s not a fun way to begin and end the day, but if it helps ward off this sinus issue that has started I can do it.

Red Jacket Party

Last night was my big Red Jacket celebration at the MK meeting. Becky did a great job of making a big to do of it all and more than sufficiently honored me. I said she set the bar pretty high for celebrating red jackets and that was her intent. Renae went as my guest, Shelly came as well. Nancy Hanna showed up about half way through as she thought the celebration was going to be near the end instead of at the beginning when it was. At least she was there for cake.

My recruits and other team members gave me "red" gifts. Shelly gave me a red basket with heart candies, Becky gave me a red candies, a red backpack clip in the shape of car in case I want to work for the next level, red batteries, a red key chain with a panic button (she said it would call her for those times when MK life is overwelming), and some other things, Kelli gave me rich hot chocolate in a red tin with a wish that I get rich with MK, Lydia gave me candles to light up my life with MK, and Katelyn gave me red hots because I'm red hot with MK. Julie gave me a red rose--red for the jacket, green leaves for the money you can make in MK, thorns because the road won't always be easy, and a rose scent for the sweet smell of success.


Becky and me

Me with the cake:


Renae with me.

With my recruits: Shelly, me, Lydia, Katelyn

Me with some of the decorations:

Sunroom Picture

This is the result of mostly Renae's work over the holidays. I helped take down the old blinds, prime, move furniture, and of course picked out paint and blinds. Oh yes, and paid for it all too. Glenn helped Renae put up the hardware for the new blinds, but Renae spent many hours priming, taping, painting a couple of coats on the ceiling and the walls, hanging blinds, replacing the light fixture (which I forgot to get a picture of), shampooing the carpets, and putting the furniture back.

It will be so nice to open the blinds and not have some fall down from being rotted and to have it feel much brighter even though the paint color is somewhat dark. It's still not as dark as paneling!

Thanks, Renae!!! It's great to have a friend like you.

A Different Church

Yesterday I left my bag with the things I need to get ready in the morning at Renae's so she said to come over this morning to get ready and then just go to church with them. I did that even though it meant one more week I didn't go to Grace.

It was kind of nice to go to another church. The sermon series now is Why Church? Today the talk was when the church is the church this is what results: God is glorified, evil is struck down, Christians are unified, and something about angels. I learned an interesting piece about the spiritual armor in Ephesians 6--every piece is discussed elsewhere in Ephesians. Truth, righteousness, gospel, etc. Unfortunately I didn't have anything to write with to get down all the verse, but I will look them up later.

Jayne, from handbells--last night I had thought about visiting St. Rose of Lima but went to Evergreen instead.

Isn't this the best looking college sophomore around? I know my parents enjoyed Andrew's playing the piano and singing while he was in AL.

Thankful Thursday

I've been pretty bummed about work this week, but then today I got an e-mail about a missionary couple in Siberia that has no heat and the temp is below 0, and then I remember that I'm thankful for my job in a warm building.

I'm also thankful that this week I had a series of e-mails with a friend throughout the day that has made me smile and even laugh which has helped make work more bearable. Now if only she lets me know she read this.

A couple of Jeffrey stories from the holidays:

I was telling Jeffrey, Grandma, Andrew, and K-Daddy about growing popcorn this past summer. Jeffrey jerked around to me beside him in the car and said, “No you didn’t.” Me: “Yes, I did.”
Jeffrey: “No, you didn’t. That’s impoppable!”

Then he stopped and started laughing at himself. “I said impoppable instead of impossible. That’s a pretty good pun isn’t it? Impoppable.”

I bought this purse with some Christmas money so I asked Jeffrey to take a picture of me with it. He took this one, and when I told him, "Hey, I do have a face" he just smiled and said, "But I got the purse and that's what you wanted!"

On Tuesday Jeffrey, Andrew, and I washed and vacuumed one of Grandma and K-Daddy’s cars. Jeffrey really enjoyed the noise, water, and machinery of the car wash so I suggested after lunch we do the same for their other car and then go get Aunt Mary’s and do hers as well. With big eyes and smile he said, “Yes, and then we can go to the mall!”

We finished one car and then went to get Aunt Mary’s car. While we were inside she told a few of her co-workers that we were washing cars if they wanted their’s washed as well. Mrs. Cook wanted hers washed so Jeffrey and I took that car first. On the way there I said, “Now I don’t know if she will, but if Mrs. Cook offers us money for this, don’t you think it would be good to say, ‘Mrs. Cook, we’re just glad to do a nice thing for you and Mr. Cook.’ “. His reply, “Yes, but if she insists then we should take it, right?” “Well we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but since Mr. Cook is sick and they are good people don’t you think we should just say, ‘Mrs. Cook, we’re just glad to do a nice thing for you and Mr. Cook’?” “Yes, but if she insists then we should just take it.”

We went through this several times to make sure he knew to say we were glad to do it for them. When we got back to Mary’s office, we handed Mrs. Cook the change, and then she gave him a tip. He says, “Mrs. Cook” and then looks at me and says “What is it I’m supposed to say?” Talk about exasperated! She said, “I’d give anyone who washed my car a tip so you take it.” He looks at me, smiles, and says, “She’s insisting.”

Here’s a picture of him on the carousel enjoying his tip.

There's been a lot to blog about lately, but no time or access to do so.

I have a couple of stories from Christmas break to share.

Mixed feelings I have about being at work--seeing the office I sat at for over four years disassembled within a few minutes, seeing Renae's office disassembled as well, saying goodbye to people in other departments who are moving to a different location, etc.

Some big successes in MK over the last few weeks.

Thoughts from some Bible reading.

I want to upload some Christmas pics as well.

In case I don't get any of the above done, you know what I've been thinking about.

My Annual Migraine

I get about one migraine a year, and when I say migraine I mean the aura, feeling nauseous, etc. and not just a bad headache.

Last night I sat down while on the phone and realized that the upper right corner of my right eye was blurry so I knew a migraine was coming on. I took some pills and went to bed as that is usually enough to get rid of a migraine. Throughout today I've had a nagging pain over each eye so it's not completely gone.

Hopefully since as I said I get about one a year I've had my one migraine for 2009.

Oops, tomorrow I go back to work so the migraine will probably go on and on and on.