Seriously Ouching!

Ok - learned my lesson - no more running / racing in flip-flops!

Sunday, Tom and I "raced" in the backyard a few times all while I was wearing my pretty little flip-floppy sandals. Not smart. Didn't think much about it until Monday when I got ready to do some yardwork and I was hurting a little. I chalked it up to sleeping wrong at first. So I, being me, thought to myself, 'it'll work itself out as I work out in the yard.' Dumb. I did all kinds of stuff - mowing, lifting, digging, etc. - and the pain was still there. So I took some ibuprofen. But when I woke up Tuesday morning to go to work the pain in my lower back was excruciating. I left work early to go home to take some leftover pain medicine I had gotten in the Philippines last fall (stuff knocked me out good). But when I woke up 5 hours later I found that I couldn't sit-up without feeling like I was going to throw up. What was I thinking when I did all that stuff?

So today I am sitting as still as possible here at my desk at work typing this posting. Potholes are murder. I can't look down. Heaven forbid I need to get up from this seat or reach for something....like now when the FedEx is coming in...why do I have to sign for this? Needless to say, I'm going to do the necessaries and probably go to the doctor.

But all my waking day yesterday I kept thinking about the words of Paul and Casting Crowns - we are the body of Christ. Each of us makes up a part of the body. Different parts serving one purpose. If one part hurts - we all hurt. If one part gets victory - we all get victory. We should not think of someone in our church family as a tool to be used, but a part of the body that is irreplaceable and needed at all times. I never realized how my lower back affects everything else...it's putting me out of commission. If my finger bleeds, I can put a bandaid on it, but not type very well. When I had stitches in my leg - I could barely walk or drive without pain. When I get a migraine - forget functioning for a few hours. There is no non-necessary part of the body. We as the body of Christ are all needed.

It's Done!

So many months of work on this project, granted, not everyday, but it's officially done.

This was a huge project: 10 video tapes transferred to video, then converted to digital, then edited down to less than 2 hours of highlights, produced with music/transitions/titles/menus, "grabbed" the still images as photos, rendered (burned) to disc everything: full video-highlight film-music-pictures, and three copies of everything...plus packaging. I know I have over 100 hours into this project. But all-in-all, looks like it should be on the Travel Channel.

And Italy - pretty amazing. Definitely put it on my list of places to visit. And ths video-stuff...might make it a part-time business. If anyone's interested, just let me know! I'll have very reasonable rates - and would even consider bartering.

Holy Humor

I JUST heard about this on the radio...Holy humor Sunday.

For centuries in Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant countries, the week following Easter Sunday, including "Bright Sunday" (the Sunday after Easter), was observed by the faithful as "days of joy and laughter" with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

Churchgoers and pastors played practical jokes on each other, drenched each other with water, told jokes, sang, and danced.

The custom was rooted in the musings of early church theologians (like Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom) that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. "Risus paschalis - the Easter laugh," the early theologians called it.

In 1988 the Fellowship of Merry Christians began encouraging churches and prayer groups to resurrect Bright Sunday celebrations and call it "Holy Humor Sunday," with the theme: "Jesus is the LIFE of the party."

Many churches from different traditions responded enthusiastically. Holy Humor Sunday services are bringing back large crowds to churches on a Sunday when church attendance typically drops dramatically. If you Google “Holy Humor Sunday” on the Internet, you’ll be amazed at how widespread Holy Humor Sunday celebrations on the Sunday after Easter have become among churches of all traditions. It’s clearly a movement of the Holy Spirit to shore up belief in the resurrection of Jesus.

Pretty cool, huh?

Get Your Grill On!

Ok, ok...shameless promotion, I know! But it's really good stuff!

KFC has started their new very delicious product -- GRILLED chicken. You've GOT to try it out! This is a perfect weekend for it too with Thunder and all!

TEA Party!

OK - I admit - I'm not the best keeper-upper with politics and economy and such, but when a co-worker asked if I wanted to go to the TEA Party Protest downtown - I said 'sure, why not.'

It was incredible to see all the people crammed into the 1/2 block park across from City Hall downtown. Speeches, signs, support for LESS government intervention, LESS taxes, LESS bailouts, etc. All conservatives, most all republicans, and all Christians - or at least in support of the concept that our nation was founded on Christian beliefs. Speakers and organizers and supporters are calling for a revolution - find out more about the TEA Party - check it out at Tax Day Tea Party.

Regardless of your political stance, it's hard not to see our country is not what it once was - even in my lifetime. Be observant people! See the signs. Keep informed. Use your voice. And Pray hard for the leaders of this nation to have thier hearts turned, make wise & Godly decisions, and that God will again bless this nation. Or pray for the rapture to take place soon! Or both!

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is when an Old Testament event mirrors the life of Jesus. For example, Abraham willing to sacrifice Isaac on the mountain is a foreshadowing of God's sacrificing his own son for our sins. Well, this morning I learned a new one for me.

In Genesis you can read about Joseph - which is one of my favorites. Towards the end of the story, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and says, "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you." (read the story here). They thought they were seeing a ghost after what they had done to him years ago! Fast-forward to Jesus' ressurection.

In Luke (24:36-49) it is recorded that after Jesus appeared to the two walking to Emmaus, He appeared to the disciples - out of nowhere! And he tells them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." They thought they were seeing a ghost!

Do you see it? Joseph reveals himself to his group of brothers - Jesus reveals himself to his group of disciple brothers. This was one of the coolest foreshadowings I've seen in awhile! It still amazes me how intertwined the Bible is!

...but Sunday's Comin'

Lately - actually over the past couple of years - Satan has been nipping at my heels, trying to thwart me in every area of my life. Actually, it's been more like sucker-punching me everytime I get back up. The latest is our vehicles.

Bill's car blew-up, well not literally, but it overheated so bad that the hood popped open on its own. It's currently resting in my driveway. Bill's been driving my truck this week. Now, my truck has had it own little issue, he stinks when the heat is on. So yesterday when we spent the afternoon tooling around in the gorgeous weather, the truck decides he's going to overheat! What?!?!? We get some anitfreeze to refill it, let it cool down for awhile while we watched a movie, then try to get blue-boy home.

These trials are good for me and Bill in the early stages of our relationship. How do we handle these interruptions/trials/aggrivations/etc.? Well, if I were alone, I would have cried, Bill would have ranted (he did for about 10 seconds). But we just looked at each other and recognized where all this craziness was coming from - Satan. No coincidence two vehicles down for the same reasons in the same week. I prayed, Bill prayed, we prayed together to just get us home without having to stop and keep our focus on the right enemy. We made it home fine, blue-boy is waiting at the shop for his turn this morning, and I am just so thankful I have a Savior to go to when even this kind of stuff happens.

Bill has such a wonderful outlook in these times - Satan is going to burn in hell for eternity, we're not. And I couldn't resist posting this video today. This is truly a Good Friday!

Picture Update

These may not thrill some of you like they do me -- but I'm posting anyway! I've been so excited to see this little bush bloom! My old trailer and all the trees on the fence row had held this little beauty back from blossoming every year. Can you believe at one point I thought about getting rid of it because it was so scrawny and ugly and in the way -- now look at it! It's amazing what happens when God's creation is given room to grow! (That includes each of us)

This is a close-up of one of the blossoms...


This is the blossom of the little budling from the previous post...

And a cool shot just for fun...Loved how the clouds in the shining blue sky looked in the mirror!

Some favorite pictures

I finally took time to figure out some new settings on the camera!

Helping out is great!

Friday night as I was organizing (surprise, surprise) around the house and in my office, I realized that the Northside clothing drive was in full swing! AND there was an opportunity to be a part of the "packing party" Saturday morning. So I rearranged a few things to make time for this!



The clothes are all going to a mission couple in Columbia serving over 600 displaced families. The site was incredible Saturday morning! I pull in to hand over my three bags of clothes and shoes and see this semi FULL of stuff! And they certainly needed extra hands to ORGANIZE and pack! Right up my alley.



Inside the truck were kids who brought bags & boxes of stuff to us to separate. Then clothes to long tables to be sorted and repacked into these huge plastic bags. Everything else had to be arranged into categories - household, accessories, shoes, toys, etc. - then repacked into boxes that were of consistent size. Three hours of work and we only got half-way thru!



The morning was great - and I got to reconnect with a couple that had attended GCC last year.



Once that was done, I was on my way to help some more friends with putting the cover on a greenhouse. This was an experience! It took 12 of us to get it done. You have to pull TIGHT to get it nailed on. We were so blessed to have a gorgeous, low-wind day. Otherwise, I'd still be floating over Washington County!



Then back to mom's to gather up homemade yeast rolls and chocolate chip bars to take to Big Bill - wondering all the time if they'd make it to the Peake household or not! And Bill (the younger) mowed my yard - it's looking fabulous lately! Unfortunately, his car blew up on the way to my house. He thinks it's the thermostat and hopes he didn't bust the head. So, leaving the car behind, we make our way to church. Northside was celebrating George Ross's 10th Anniversary - the dedication was so touching! The message was given by one of their youth ministers and it was very relevant to us both. He and some others just got back from a mission trip to Haiti.


And Sunday morning McKay class was was good. I was a little nervous about going, but it was better after I got settled in. Then off to lunch with the Peakes. Mmmmm, hot yeast rolls with butter - they made it to the house! Then Bill and I went to my house to do more yard work, then to my mom's where he found out she has lots of big-boy toys and 13 acres with a creek to play in! He and Tom are going to be getting dirty, I just feel it coming on!

All-in-all - great weekend!

My favorite view - another day

See why I love this view! Each sunrise bring different colors. The horses (the dark blobs to the left) are standing on the horizon. The pond is a reflection pool of light. And all this is enhanced with the new green buds on the tree! And when the sun sets from the other side it lights up the tree's new leaves to this brilliant green. It's gorgeous. Every morning I am reminded that all things were made by Him and through Him, I am His child, and His mercies are new every morning. Have a blessed day!