Let God Define You!

Friday, 03 August 2007

  • You Know You Have a Small Bathroom When...

    1. ...the standard size mirror covers the whole wall from above the toilet to above the sink.

    2. ...the counter only comes halfway up your thighs.

    3. ...you sincerely consider standing on your knees to wash your face or brush your teeth.

    4. ...you can reach all four walls comfortably while sitting on the lid of the toilet and drying your hair.

    Ah the joys of hotel life.  ;)

       In other news, I'm home again.  And WOW.  Our great Father blessed me so much during the last two weeks!  I went to TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) with the intention of learning just that.  I thought I may possibly make some new friends - but I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me!

       Tuesday night, 29 students from Taiwan and Hong Kong arrived at the Oklahoma City Training Center.  The VOICE staff, V2, and TESOL breathlessly greeted them.  It was late and they were all tired, so after a few quick announcements everyone went to bed, excited for the next day.

       Wednesday the 18th, dawned bright and early and after breakfast the third day of TESOL classes began.  That evening everyone (50+ people) was invited to dinner at the Greenlaw home.  The house was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the games were great fun.  And let me tell you - the Chinese know how to play volleyball.  My sports philosophy is, "If you're not making noise, you're not really playing your heart out."  There was an awesome amount of grunting, screaming, and laughing going on.  It was pretty much awesome.

    greenlaws 018
    Some of my much-loved girlies: Monica, Angela, Hannah and Lillian.

       Thursday was probably the most random Thanksgiving I've ever celebrated.  We bobbed for apples, had a popcorn relay, and sang some worship songs.  The pumpkin pie was so amazingly good.  Thanks, Jeremy!

    DSC00145

    I'll have to continue this later... I don't have time to get all two weeks up at once. lol

    For my sweet Taiwan girlies, staff girls, and V2 girls...

    I love you!

    I l<3ve & miss you all!!!


Tuesday, 26 June 2007

  • 'Being' vs. 'Doing'

       Several nights ago my family went to a 'hymn sing' at some ATI friends' house.  It was too fun as well as encouraging and inspiring.  We sang a lot of battle-type hymns like Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus and Hold the Fort.  At one point someone asked for hymn number 529, but the pianist heard 429 and so started playing the wrong hymn.  She was corrected, but we all wanted to sing 429 next just to see what it was. lol  Well it was a hymn no one knew, but it spoke right to my heart.  I know God caused the pianist to hear the 'wrong' number so that I would get His message in this song.

    Ready
    by Charles Tillman

    Ready to suffer grief or pain,
    Ready to stand the test,
    Ready to stay at home and send
    Others if He sees best.

    Refrain
    Ready to go, ready to stay,
    Ready my place to fill,
    Ready for service, lowly or great,
    Ready to do His will.

    Refrain

    Ready to go, ready to bear,
    Ready to watch and pray,
    Ready to stand aside and give,
    Till He shall clear the way.

    Refrain

    Ready to speak, ready to think,
    Ready with heart and brain,
    Ready to stand where He sees fit,
    Ready to bear the strain.

    Refrain

    Ready to speak, ready to warn,
    Ready o’er souls to yearn,
    Ready in life, ready in death,
    Ready for His return.

    Refrain

       Lately I've been focusing on 'doing' for Him (heh - Martha!) rather than 'being' with Him.  When that happens, the focus is no longer on Him at all, but on me and what I can accomplish... as if I can do anything of any value without our God!
       So often I'm all 'ready to go' and forget that sometimes it's time to stay, and simply watch and pray.  I've been thinking a lot about what Paul says in II Timothy 2 about being a soldier and servant.  Yet both of those 'jobs' require a Master or Captain to direct the work.  Aren't you glad we don't have to 'figure things out'?!  I really am, because that's one of my huge weaknesses. lol  Just trust and obey.  Easier said than done, but His grace is sufficient and His strength is manifested in my weakness.  What an awesome God we serve.

       Elizabeth wants to have a water fight so I better go before she drags the hose over here! 

Thursday, 14 June 2007

  • Currently Reading
    Holy Bible: King James Version
    see related

    Scraped Knees and Popovers

       Yay! I fell down and skinned my knee! Do y'all have any idea how long it's been since I did that? I was rollerblading with my siblings on our back deck. Said deck is 50 feet long and almost 12 feet wide so we have a lot of space.
       Anywho, we were playing our very own game 'Road Tag' and I was skating my life out trying to escape my brother. All of the sudden, one of my feet (I'm really not sure which one!) went sideways in front of me and I launched into the air. *WHAM* <-- That is Celia falling down.
       Fortunately I'm not too damaged, but it was so fun to actually scrape my knee... you don't really realize that you're not a little kid anymore until that becomes an achievement.

    - - - - - - - - - -

    You hear it all the time.

    "My mom makes THE best <insert random food item here> in the whole world!"

    First of all: wutevv
    Second of all: Please bear with me as I have never said the above statement before.

    My mom makes THE best popovers in the whole world - so THERE.

    popoverpan

    popovers

    P.S. Wow - I'm certain I just had the best watermelon ever. Wow.