Passions

 I was whiney recently: Andy goes on and on about his new project car and every single piece of history it contains. My boys can talk for HOURS about Legos or Star Wars. My mom and sisters are very obsessed with a wedding right now. I get pictures of babies on my phone almost daily.

 Everyone in my life has something in their life that they are passionate about.

 It made me wonder. If I could get someone to sit still (which I can't) and give me their attention (which they won't).... well, what would I talk about non-stop.

 I quit scrapbooking years ago. It was really my friend Nicole's passion, and I just sort of fell into it while I was with her. Without her, scrapbooking fell by the wayside.

 I stink at sewing. I can fix a hem or add a button, that really is about it.

 I have no artistic ability. Even my photo's are simply pictures of my children. I love my camera but I don't think I could spend hours talking about it.

 I haven't had access to a piano for a year, so establishing the habit of practice again is a slow process.

 I moved away from my work-out buddies, and from the gym I knew and liked, so I quit working out too.

 I sound pretty fickle, don't I?

 So I was whining to Andy about the fact that I have nothing to be obsessive about like they do. And with that eloquent whining I realized, words are my thing.

 Not always on here, but words are my thing. I have been devouring words, churning them around in my head, reprocessing and spitting them back out my entire life.

 That is a passion I have stood by.

 I like sharing my thoughts, and whatever I am learning from God at the moment, here in blogland. And when I don't get to write I think it shows in my emotional stability.

 But words in general, words are my passion. I don't have to write. But I need to read almost as much as I need oxygen. I read the signs on the road, simply because they are there. I read the scribbles on the back of public bathroom stalls, because they are words, and I am drawn to them like a magnet.

 I love to read everyone-

 Austen, Bronte, Clemons - all the way to my own grandfather, Don Sharp. (and someday I am going to work on publishing more of his words!)

 Classic fiction, Murder mystery, Zombies and Vampires, Historical Romance, Tear jerkers and Self-help.

 I love to read. Devour. Ingest. Absorb. I have from the day I learned that A says ahhh, and B says b.

 And when I hear words I like, words that mean something, I feel the need to write them down and keep them.

  Recently on the way into church Canaan was carrying my Bible for me. It slipped, fell, and the multitude of notes it contained were scattered everywhere. As I awkwardly gathered the random pieces of paper my first thought was that I hold on to entirely too much. But as I looked through them, trying to find places to make them fit, I was so glad to have them. There are notes from Bible Studies, Church Services and Small Group meetings for the last 15 years. The words that I had written because they touched my heart at different times... they still had meaning. Always will.

Truth never dies. Never changes. Never wavers.

 I love words.

 Passionately!

Blessings, 

Abstract art

Just a quick note...
When you look at this picture, what do you see?

 A piece of popcorn balancing on a carrot? 

A Bunny Rabbit in awe of the most amazing dinner ever? 

Proof that my family has some slightly wacky ideas of what is entertaining on a Sunday night?

Perhaps something else altogether? 

We all see the world differently. Good, bad, sunshine and rain- we all see it with different eyes. 

There is a lot to see in a bowl of popcorn 

Just some food (hehe) for thought.  

Blessings, 

Bike wrecks and Brake repair

The boys and I spent some time this morning taking apart Canaan's bike. After the big wreck he had last spring during our "Adventures in Missouri" his bike has never really worked right.

 Just this weekend I had helped Andy clean the garage and organize his tools, so the location of and difference between standard and metric tools was fairly fresh in my mind. Truly, I am not sure I really care about the difference. One uses fractions, one whole numbers. There is a slight difference in the shape of the part that attaches perhaps? I just knew that I had carefully put them in size order.

 So I knew where to look. And we proceeded with the surgery. We loosened. We shifted. We tightened. We found a part that had somehow escaped, so we loosened, shifted and tightened again.

 Amazingly, the horrible grinding was fixed. The "thunk, thunk" was gone. And the brakes still worked.

 After that wreck we knew that it was really important for Canaan to just get back on the bike. The longer he waited the harder it would be, and the scarier the ride would seem. The details of fixing the bike could wait. And when you are thinking literally about bikes and young children I think that is probably good advice.

 But I started talking to God about it.

 Or, I suppose more accurately, He started talking to me.

 How often do we have a bike wreck in our lives and then think it is necessary for us to jump back on the bike immediately? We are so afraid that we will never ride again. We fear failure, in it's many forms.
 And so even though the bike is squealing, or grinding, or has a terrible "thunk, thunk" we jump right back on.

 Our busted knee and scraped up elbow heal. We were wearing our helmet (of Salvation) so our head wasn't injured. We didn't break any bones. There were only a few bruises. Big deal.

 But that bike is still squealing.

 And God is saying, "Rest my child".

 Maybe we're not supposed to be riding that bike anymore.

 Or maybe that bike needs a complete overhaul.

 And maybe it is time to get off wheels all together and try walking.

 Just because we have healed, doesn't mean we are supposed to be doing the same thing we were doing before.

 Sometimes change is good.

 Sometimes sitting still for a moment is needed.

 Sometimes God just wants our attention and squeaky brakes and wobbly wheels seems the only way to get it.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28


 I'm not sure why I was supposed to write this. I'm not sure it even makes any sense with all the squeaky wheels and grinding brakes. I just know that Canaan's bike has a smooth ride now.

 All things are possible when we leave them in hands that are bigger then ours.

 I know who I trust!

 Blessings, 

I'm melting, I'm melting....

First, a quick update on the look of the blog. I have had problems with comments not working lately, so I have added Discus. I am still working out all the kinks, but hopefully it will solve the problems. The nice thing about it is that you can reply to other's comments. Talk to each other, as well as to me. Please, communicate! But that's not what I got on here to say...


The weather has had so many ups and downs lately you never know what you are going to get. Beautiful one day. Pouring down rain the next. Short sleeves one afternoon then pulling out the extra blankets that same night.
 Totally unreliable.

 But on one of the not raining and not too cold nights recently we pulled out the fire pit and made a campfire.

 And proceeded with our torture....

 We had marshmallows left over from Christmas - poor, little gingerbread men marshmallows. 

 And goodness gracious with three "boys" sitting around a campfire, those poor little men didn't have a chance.

 Daisy watched in awe - or was it horror? 

 And their poor melted bodies turned chocolate and graham crackers into a delicious s'more. 

At least they could die knowing that they served a purpose. 

 Did anyone else grow up listening to Psalty the singing song book? "Sitting round the campfire as it blazes.... sing His praises". Even though I can't remember all of the words I hum it every time we have a fire!

Eventually Daisy's watchfulness paid off. We were down to plain white marshmallows by then, but one got dropped and she pounced. I'm not sure she knew what to do with it once she got it! "Why do you people eat these weird things?"

Hope you are enjoying the weird weather this winter too!

Blessings, 

Truth

If you notice, the "quote of the month" has been changed. Truth seemed a good theme this month. Although, truth is always a good theme. I have loved that Sherlock Holmes quote for years. I have actually had the Sherlock Holmes and Albert Einstein quote as well as Isaiah 45:19 written in lovely pink ink on a pretty flowery paper for years. It has survived multiple moves, two toddlers, and emotional turmoil beautifully.
 And still, truth remains.

 That is the beautiful thing about truth. It is absolute. Unchanging. Dependable.

 I have had a lot of change lately.

 I have struggled with some things that were not dependable.

 There are definitely some portions of my life that are not proving themselves to be absolute, or complete, or fulfilled. (Don't everyone start getting all freaked out - I have just had a ton of problems, after not really going to the doctor as I should have during all the moves, of getting my surplus of medical 'gifts' worked out)

 But I have some definite truths that I get to cling to.

 My Savior loves me.

 My amazing family loves me and need me.

 I am not allowed to give up or call it quits.

 Some of the new medicines I have been on had me thinking that calling it quits sounded like a good idea. Just giving up, laying down and begging God to never make me have to move again.

 Anti-seizure drugs have often made me "down". But nothing like this.

 However, Finding the silver lining in this situation:

 1) It wasn't every day, so I was able to come out the other side, without Andy even knowing. He was able to settle into his new job without trouble or distraction. The bad part of that is that he is quite frustrated with me, that I didn't tell him then.

 2) It made me able to say that I truly understand what depression feels like, so will be able to have true empathy with others.

 3) I feel better now! So much better that I appreciate so many little things. Even though the weather has been dreary and yucky I like seeing the clouds blow by in a hurry.

 Truth hurts sometimes. Truth, in all of it's gory details is hard to accept. And perhaps it is too much?

 But it remains truth.

 And I am so thankful for it.

 Blessings,