Monday, November 22, 2010

He's Got The Whole World in His Hands


God blessed me with a beautiful picture of childlike faith yesterday.

It was at the end of the church service while the music was being played that I looked over at the most precious young girl. Her mother had her in sitting in her lap and the little girl was looking into the eyes of her mom with such love and trust that it blew me away. Though her lips didn't speak it, that's what she said with her eyes.

What moved me so much was that this little girl has an illness that has given her a limited capacity of understanding and a complete and total reliance on her caregiver. Her parents' lives are built around caring for this little girl and making sure that the days that she has on this earth are filled with as much love, comfort and joy as they can give her.

In watching her look at her mom, I saw a glimpse of what it means to trust fully and the love that comes from it. Her every need must be met through the hands of another. She may not understand the complexities of life, but she understands its simplicity. Is not simplicity the most difficult of all to grasp sometimes?

At least it is for me. I want to understand why things happen. I want God to fill me in. But sometimes my mind just can't handle it. In fact, most of the time. So He asks that I just trust. Have a childlike faith. He says, "Hey, remember? I've got this!"

In a world that esteems the self-made man, how do I shake off the calloused layers of self-reliance and independence that have formed over the years? I don't know and I guess that's the point. It requires undressing the mind and humbling myself completely before Him. Thank you, Lord for the reminder!

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:5

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hello Guv'nor!

Have you had a most dapper day? I've had a jolly good day, thank you!

I've been speaking in a British accent since this happened:


That would be about a day and a half.

Joey just looks at me funny. By jove, I can't help it, I tell you! My accent tends to be Jane Austen proper meets Harry Potter expressions meets Texas Twang on repeat. Mixed in with a bit'o Irish brogue from time to time just to keep him guessing. Blimey!

I'm feeling a bit peckish. That's hungry for the layperson. Cheerio, old chap!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

No Shave November, Remember?

November

December

March

May

September

October

A few words about No Shave November and my husband.

No Shave November seems to last through June. And the prep work usually begins mid-October.

I have been duped. Ironic considering my profession, it's due to good marketing.

He's been quite wise to continue calling it No Shave November. The entire time we've been married I have been under the guise that my husband has a goatee. That's what I think of as part of his physical identity. But now that I have thoroughly assessed the situation and after looking through several pictures spanning multiple seasons, I have come to realize that I am married to a man with a beard; not a goatee. He shaves it off for only a few short months of the year and then hails in No Shave November as if it wasn't the norm. Clever.

Well played, bearded man.

But I'm on to you.

I have considered instituting my own No Shave November as payback, but cannot bring myself to suffer shame in shorts and a tank top at the gym. I may wear Uggs year round. Joey is not a fan of Uggs.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Hanging Out with the March Girls


Guess what we're reading for November and December? Little Women! An absolute favorite of mine from childhood. Isn't it perfect for the holiday season? It's one of those books/movies that oddly seems to be a favorite during holidays for no other reason than that it makes you feel all cozy inside. Like the first Harry Potter. Or maybe it's just me, but I like to watch these movies around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I can't tell how comforting it is to get reacquainted with Jo, Meg, Amy, Beth and Marmee. I think I was probably around ten when I first met this cast of characters. Dad took me to the library once a week to pick out a new book and it was always on my favorites list.

Here are a few others that I loved-loved growing up:

Anne of Green Gables ( I also loved the TV series and had a crush on Gilbert. I was slightly jealous of Ann with an 'e')

Nancy Drew (this was only after I read all the Hardy Boys books my Dad passed to me and although I was thoroughly positive that Nancy, being a girl, could not hold a candle to the Hardy Boys' adventures, I read every single Nancy Drew book.)


Little House on the Prairie (and who wouldn't love Half-Pint?)


And others such as Sarah, Plain and Tall, Harriet the Spy, A Wrinkle in Time and the Phantom Tollbooth.

We are planning to watch the movie when we get together to discuss "where we will bear our souls and tell the most appalling of secrets". Ha!

Hands down, the Winona Ryder version is my favorite, but I guess it depends on what you grew up watching. When this movie came out I went to see it at the theater with my Mom, sister, aunts and grandmother which is only fitting for Little Women.

Do you have any childhood favorites that you would read again?

Monday, November 8, 2010

Hullabaloo...



...caneck caneck!

How was your weekend? Hope it treated you well and was full of relaxation and fun!

Our weekend was full of chili and football! That about sums it up.

Whoop!

We had a tailgait party at our church on Friday night for the Katy football games complete with a chili cook off. I made a ginormous pot of chili. I have not really attempted chili since The Great Cinnamon Chili Debacle of Early 2010. So why I was entering the a pot of chili can only be rounded up to pure obligation. No, I didn't win, but let me say for the record that I was safe in the middle. Not that awesome, but not just plain terrible either. Whew!

Gig'em!

Saturday, Joey and I headed to College Station with friends for the Aggie/ou game. (Did you see that? I just did a very Aggie thing in leaving "ou" in lowercase. It's what we do. It's the ultimate Aggie diss.) This was by far the best post graduation game I've been to. WE WON!!! A&M 33; ou 19!!!! We yelled the entire game. Joey lost his voice. I hugged a lady I didn't know. We were given the stank eye by ou fans for overzealous comments. In short, we had a blast.

Look, sometimes it's tough to be an Aggie. It's been nothing but a roller coaster of inconsistency over the past few years so we've gotta celebrate when we can!!

I'm not wanting to get my hopes up, but guess what's around the Thanksgiving corner? t.u.

P.S. I had a strawberry tart from Cafe Eccell. I'm still thinking about it. It was bliss.