Monday's Top Fives

43things.com Top Goals for August 14, 2006

1. write a book - have thought about it, but I know I'm not gifted there. I'd make a good editor, just not a writer.

2. be happy - I think happiness is fleeting and can change in a moment so I'm just I'm trying to learn to be content instead.

3. Fall in love - still falling after 17 years.

4. lose weight - I'm working towards this - actually I'm always thinking about it, not accomplishing much though.

5. Kiss in the rain - For sure have done this one many times.

I think it's interesting to see what people want to do in their lives. To see what my goals are just look at the sidebar or click here.

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43things.com, goals, life

43things.com

Wow - I am so enjoying this new site. 43things.com is about goal setting. Registration is FREE and once you've signed up - you can start adding your goals.

You can word them anyway you'd like and add tags to them too. Once you've added an item, you will see how many other members have the same goal. You can also write comments down about how you will get to your goal or how your progress is going. You can also reply to others and encourage them by giving them a "cheer".

I'm having a lot of fun doing this. Just check out my side bar and see all my goals!

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43things.com, goals, life

Waiting

I'm so frustrated. It feels like I've been waiting for years. I do the normal waiting - at the doctor's office, in a restaurant, in many lines, but this waiting is different. It feels different; it's inner; it's hard to describe. Sometimes I just want to scream, but know that somehow that won't help.

I'm really just waiting on God. I'm very much a do-er when it comes to God and I like it. I think I'm pretty good at it too. I like to do things and have something to show for it. But right now, I really am not doing anything. Maybe it's more like I'm not doing anything "church" related.

I'm involved in a church plant and you'd think there'd be lots of stuff to do, but I've got nothing. At my previous church, I created the sermon powerpoints, did (and still do) the bulletin, ran the Nursery, organized social and outreach events, and helped hubby with the music (he was Music team leader). I shouldn't say I do nothing at the new church, I am an extra adult body in the Sunday School (no planning or preperation just need to show up and sit with the kids). Mind you I really enjoy the kids, but I am never in the church service.

I guess my biggest thing is that I feel like I'm just waiting to see where God wants me. Maybe it's because I don't know - I'm a person who likes to know things. I wonder if this is how David felt when King Saul was chasing him. David had the promise that he would be King, but had to wait before it came to pass.

I need to learn how to just be. Wait and see.

Needed to get this little rant off my chest. Thanks for listening.

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waiting, Church

Blast From the Past!

realhoser's Hangout: Church at New Location Starting This Week!

Recently, on my hubby's MSN space blog, he got an awesome comment! I just had to share what a great guy he is!

Hey Jeff,

Ok this is a little off topic but I have some things I need to get off my chest. I have tried over the last 8 years to get in touch with you with not a lot of luck. Seeing how I can't get in touch with you I will post this and hopefully you'll get it.

All I've ever really wan't to say to you is thank you! You have no idea what a profound influence you had on me when I was young. Sure I was a bit loopy and somewhat out of control but somehow you saw past that and considered me as a friend. Without your influence I may never have been a man of faith, but not just that I may have not have survived my teens. I will always remember your acts of kindness towards me.

I just wanted you to know that people really do care about you and how your doing. I think your space here is terrific. Keep your head up, live hard, laugh hard, and thank God for Hoser's like you!

||||||
(¤¿¤) Frank
O

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realhoser, Life

Clean & Tidy House

It's funny how a clean and tidy house can give you a new outlook. It took me about 2 hours to pick up the toys, paper and general messiness yesterday. I was really proud of myself. Now I'm sure most people don't have a problem with this, but I absolutely despise housework - to the point of leaving it until it is totally out of control and then feeling so overwhelmed and guilty that I can't do it.

Even now as I say my house it clean and tidy I must admit to only having the main floor and entrance way done and even then I have some things shoved away in some corners. Upstairs still needs work as well as the family/playroom.

I also have a huge issue with clutter. For the past few years I've been putting stuff in boxes and marking them for yard sale. We've had a total of 3 yard sales and it looks like each time we get rid of stuff I find more stuff to get rid of to the point that the garage cannot hold a vehicle and we still have so much clutter inside too.

It seems like it will never be done. I'm just thankful we have a dishwasher now. :-)

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Life, House & Home

Went Shopping

I enjoy shopping and this weekend we actually had some money to do it. LOL

We bought a DVD tower. It will not hold all of our DVDs but we want to start to tidy up the clutter (see my 2006 Accomplishment List). Here's the long story - We received a new-to-us TV and stand from hubby's brother and it won't fit in our entertainment unit, so we emptied the unit and moved it downstairs and are using it as a toy storage system for Little People stuff. Now we have no place for all our DVDs, so we bought a DVD tower in the same colour as the TV stand. - end of long story

We bought some clothes for the kids ($8 for 2 long sleeve shirts) and the girls bought some books. I also bought a couple of books - Star Wars trilogy (Episode IV, V, VI) and Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli. I got the Star Wars books because everytime we watch the movies he talks about the books he read when he was younger and I wanted to know what he was talking about. When we came home, I went straight to reading and have read the first chapters of Star Wars IV and Messy Spirituality. I'm trying not to read to fast or else I won't have anything to read for the rest of the month.

Just some of my babbling. What books do you like to read?

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shopping, Star Wars, Michael Yaconelli, books

2006 Accomplishments

Here's a list of things I would like to accomplish in some form or another - maybe not totally complete but at least have improved upon a bit by the end of the year. The list is in no particular order.

• read more (which means lots more trips to the bookstore!!!)
• spend more time with family - be a better mother and wife
  
• learn php
• blog more
• less useless TV watching (that will be hard - LOL)
• listen to the wisdom of youth and learn from the wisdom of the more mature
• don't spread computer time too thinly - focus better
• try harder in keeping house (I totally suck at it)
• cook more meals - less eating out
• give hubby more space and time to be alone
• become personally organized - declutter BIG TIME!!!!
• learn more about who I am and how I fit into the scheme of things
• delve more into the postmodern/emerging christian/church

WOW! Quite the list eh? I've already started to blog more, so hopefully that will continue on throughout the year.

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2006, resoulutions

2005 in Review

Oh heck everyone is doing one and who am I to be a non-conformist in this respect. ;-)

Let's see what has happened in the past year that matters or makes a difference to me.

I was ill for most of the year, starting January 1st - cold after cold - it was rather irritating!!!!! I was feeling great during July and August, except that it was so hot and with no air conditioning. My oldest daughter got the chicken pox, so we couldn't even go anywhere to cool down. We stayed indoors for the whole month - the first 2 weeks with the oldest the second 2 weeks to see if the youngest would get it (which she never did). It was an interesting time.

My oldest also finished Senior Kindergarten and started Grade 1 and the youngest started Junior Kindergarten. They so love school. I also started volunteering at their school one day a week and I love it too!

Hubby has been at his work for 10 years this year and so got an extra week vacation - so very cool!!! It was nice to have some extra time with him.

Thinking about it 2005 was rather mondane, but I liked it just the same. Maybe I'll remember some more things later and edit this post.

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review, New Year, 2005

The Dream

The Dream
Originally uploaded by djking.

I thought this was so neat and had to find a place to use it - thus putting it in the blog. To quote the owner of the pic "Who knew it was so close?"

What a great way to start the New Year - The dream only 90 yards away!!!!

I'm beginning to wonder what dreams I have and how close or far away they are. What are yours are you only 90 yards away?

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Flickr, dreams, New Year

Christmas Countdown

Only 4 more days!!!

I've still got so much to do.

• Shopping - almost everyone is taken care of, except for my girls and hubby.
• Wrapping presents - I'm leaving a few for the girls to wrap.
• Laundry
• Cleaning the whole house.
  
• Packing - going to in-laws for Christmas.
  

Or it just seems like there's so much to do.

The kids are out of school for 2 weeks starting Friday!!! I'm really hoping that I'll get at least one day to sleep in over the 2 weeks. I wonder if that will ever happen. ;-)

How's your Christmas preparations coming?

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Christmas, shopping

Good Day but Yucky

I started volunteering at my kids' school today. I had so much fun. The kids were awesome. For the morning I'm with my daughter's kindergarten class and for the afternoon I'm with a Grade 1 class. Most of the kids know who I am because I walk my children to school and they see me every morning. Also my girls are friends with them. Anyway that was the good part of my day.

Now for the bad - I feel crappy. I've had a sore throat for a couple of days (I took medicine before I left for school today). And now my head aches - an awful ache. I called hubby and asked him to bring home KFC for supper tonight because I just don't feel like cooking.

And because I feel so yucky I don't feel like writing much either, but I had to mention my wonderful day at school.

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volunteering, school, illness

Discussing Faith

Ever have one of those days - when you have a lot to do but really don't want to do anything?

I have laundry that needs washing, minutes that need typing, a PCC year-end card that needs re-working, and lunch to make. But what am I doing spending it online because I don't want to much of anything. I woke up this morning, with a bit of a sore throat and an overall yucky feeling.

Anyway, I wanted to get some of my thoughts down about the conversation hubby and I had the other day before I forget all about it.

I wanted to pick his brain a bit about what he thought of how Christianity is changing or not changing and if any of these things were bad or good. I don't think we narrowed down anything that was negative about change or no change in the church. We both see the need to reach out to others where they are at. Here's a brief summary of what I thought we talked about - although we have talked more since so it may be a combination of those talks too.

Right now I think (can't speak for hubby, he can do that) there are many (but not most) people (Christian and non-Christian) who are finding the "modern" way of doing church lacking. Most people are still content at the way things are and that is great. But I want to know how to reach the ones who find it lacking because quite frankly sometimes I find things in the church rather boring or old or not really where I'm at (hard to explain the feeling actually).

I want to see Jesus as more relevant in my life. I want to be a closer and understand better. I want to have some more experience. Does this make senes? Let's just say I'm one of the "confused" on the T-shirt (see post above).

Well will have to post more later.

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Christianity, faith

Great Weekend

I had a great weekend. Grandparents babysat the kids and hubby and I went out. We had thought about going to a movie but didn't like any of the choices. So we went to dinner, then window shopping in the mall, and then to Starbucks for "fancy" coffee. We were able to sit and chat - something that is hard to do with 2 young kids always around.

We talked about all sorts of things. We talked about our love of our children. How much potential we see in them, how much the same they are yet so different. We were able to have a great discussion about faith and how our lives reflect our beliefs.

I'll post more about the last discussion later when I have more time. I just thought I should try to keep up posting.

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family, Starbucks

Been A While

Well, it's been a while since I started this blog. I just want to make sure that I don't forget.

A lot has happened since June. My mom's cancer returned and she is terminal. She's almost done her chemo treatments. (She decided to be part of a study group which is experimenting with a new combination of medicines.)

Both my girls are in school now. The youngest in JK Tuesdays & Thursdays and some Fridays. I've been given some time on my own and have totally filled it. I'm going to be volunteering one day at the school.

I've had the opportunity to read the rest of Brian McLaren's New Kind of Christian trilogy. I read the first book last year and went to a seminar with Brian as the main speaker. I've just finished the second and third book this week. I couldn't put them down. They've started me on a spiritual journey that I'm sure will change my life and how I view my faith.

Anyway, I better get going and make supper. Maybe I'll be able to write more later.

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cancer, Brian McLaren, christian, books