Annoyance vs. Gospel vs. Love

Chipotle:


Situation Number 1:


It was pretty crowded. We got seats along the low wall next to 2 moms and their 3 little kids and a baby. The little girls kept coming over to us and looking at us.. and ..the moms were doing nothing about it. They were in their own worlds eating their lunches. The kids would go over to other tables and also were giving high fives to some fire fighters in line. Some Petco employees came in and sat down at a table on the other side of the moms and kids. The littlest girl went over there and she leaned on the lady and then was resting on her shoulder and it was like.. these kids had NO SENSE of personal boundaries. I was really looking down my nose at those moms. To allow their kids to continuously invade our space and interrupt us and others and for the moms to not care. To me it was wrong and inconvenient.



Here are my thoughts:


I had heard once that America does a bad job of applying "Love your neighbor as yourself." We teach our kids not to talk to strangers (and while I understand the reasoning.. There are two sides to be considered). We say, "Hi. How are you?" and all responses are "Good." We are offended when someone invades our personal space. We are unfriendly. We do what is convenient for ourselves. We cater to ourselves and please ourselves. We do not reach out. Was it really that big of a deal that the kids were by us while we ate? Was it really wrong for them to go visit the Petco people? Was it wrong for the little girl to lean on the Petco lady? Was it wrong that I got offended? Why was I convicted? Was it wrong for me not to say "hi" to the kids as they stared? When I choose to get offended or even not so much offended but ANNOYED I begin to one by one shut down my opportunities to give the gospel. The gospel is about strangers. The gospel is uncomfortable. If I'm bugged by a 3 year old while I eat my tacos something is WRONG. I prayed and asked the Lord to forgive me. I will do better next time loving strangers. I will do better to not fall into the American Dream. I will choose to love my neighbor. I want to make sure I see them in Heaven and not worry about such petty things as having a bad lunch experience.


Romans 13:8 - 10


Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Menchie's

Here is where you start:

Grab a cup..

Pick 1 or 2 or 3 or 12 of their 12 flavors: I chose cake batter only. So good. Adam got cake batter swirled with cookies and cream. There is also a little chilled bar that has fruits and refrigerated items..

Mix it together with the 'snackage.' I got heath bar pieces, oreo pieces and fruity pebbles. Adam got cookie dough, cheesecake and oreos.

Then you eat it and when you are all done you get on a scale and they weigh you. If the scale rolls around to YUM, then you get your yogurt for free. Ok not really, but that would be really cool. You place your concoction on the scale...

and pay 39 cents per oz.
Adam after he ate his yogurt.. It was THAT good.

Lauren got a free tatoo that Jeff kindly helped her put on. It was her first one ever.

Then a Dad and his daughter(s?) and his daughter(s?) friends came in carrying this little "dog." They were stopped right away and told their "dog" would need to wait outside. The girls were young-ish and we could see that that was gonna put them in a predicament so I offered to hold their "dog" while they got their yogurt. Adam protected me and kept me company. The "dog" trembled in my arms the entire time.

This is the bonding between the "dog" and the girls. And my cool new zebra purse. See it?

Why Do I Do This to Myself?

Drywood Termite fecal pellets, the corn nuts I'm currently eating and Australian Stick Bug eggs. I am way grossed out. They all look way too similar?!

Proverbs 27

This speaks to my heart in so many ways:
Proverbs 27 (English Standard Version)



1Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.



2Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.



3A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.



4Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?



5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.



6Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.



7One who is full loathes honey,
but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.



8Like a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.



9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.



10Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.



11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
that I may answer him who reproaches me.



12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.



13 Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.



14Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.



15 A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a quarrelsome wife are alike;



16to restrain her is to restrain the wind
or to grasp oil in one’s right hand.



17Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.



18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who guards his master will be honored.



19As in water face reflects face,
so the heart of man reflects the man.



20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and never satisfied are the eyes of man.



21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and a man is tested by his praise.



22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
yet his folly will not depart from him.



23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,



24for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?



25 When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,



26 the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.



27 There will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.

I want to make art like this:

I see it and I'm inspired. I love when paper and fabric is used together with paint.

Parenting Break Down..

Yesterday, I was walking down the street to give a violin lesson. As I was walking I noticed a man standing on a far corner and there were 3 little kids out and about riding their bikes.


One young boy approached me on his bike and said, "Who are you?" As I kept walking he rode his bike beside me and I said, "I'm Erin." Then a little girl approached on her bike. "WHO are you?" she said. And the boy said, "Yeah, who the heck are you?"


My first thought was along the lines of thinking it was pretty rude for a 6 year old to say 'heck.' I told them both I was Erin. The little girl was like, "No waaay. That is sooo not Erin." (There is another Erin on our street, I figured they were thinking I was saying I was her.) I said, "I'm not the Erin you know, I'm a different Erin and I live in a different house."

"Who are you?" the boy said for the hundredth time. At this point I was little annoyed.


I had reached my destination driveway so I turned to walk up the driveway and the little boy rode his bike up the driveway, challenged me with his gaze and said, "Who the HECK are you, anyway?" At that point I paused, looked him the eyes, and said, "You are not (*shaking my head*) allowed to talk to me that way." I walked past him and knocked on the door.

A Brief (brief!) Thought

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:5-7)



1.) Preach Jesus Christ as Lord




2.) Be a servant for Jesus' sake.




3.) Shine out of darkness (out of not in)




4.) The (all-surpassing) power to do this is given to us from God.





Do not be mediocre. The walls you build around yourself are not necessary. Staying inverted is not an option.

Oh the Things I See

This morning I saw a baby snail on a piece of rabbit poo eating it for breakfast. Why me? There were lots of flowers the little guy could have chosen.


I'm always kinda fascinated as I walk the pathway from my car to the entrance at work. There are always snails and lately there have been HUGE moths over by a water drain spout from the roof. Anyway. Wasn't expecting that whole thing this morning.

Things

For lunch today I ate a Trader Joe's Caesar Salad that was Best if Used By 3/11/09. It was meatless so it was still really enjoyable. But I just want you to know that 3/11 was 9 days ago.



Today is mine and Adam's 7 month dating anniversary. A lot has happened in 7 months. Seems we've really turned a corner recently and God is so good to us always. We are both seeing each other grow a lot and it's exciting and encouraging. Adam's trip to Jackson Hole really revived him. I had a chance to get in some good time with the Lord since there was some down time for me. So we are definitely coming off of our hardest month so far but it has BY FAR been our best month because the results and changes have been so good and immediate. I really love him and I'm really looking forward to what God will choose to do through us. Keep us in your prayers ok? The Lord has been teaching us so much and we want to be faithful with it and keep growing.



Adam said we are going to Pei Wei for dinner. I haven't been there in ages. In Asian food, curry is a frequent ingredient. What are the differences in all the curries? The only one I'm familiar with is the curry you put in that broccoli/chicken casserole with cream of mushroom soup. But it's not ANY sort of spicy and the Asian ones are always noted as spicy. I really would like to try them, but I get scared.



Menchie's in Canyon Country is open. Hopefully we will have Bible Study there tomorrow, or visit it before or after Bible study. Or something. (Or both.)



Seriously, read Romans. (Esp Chap 8) And pray for Jackson Hole.

Chip(otle)

There is nothing like leftover Chipotle chips in the morning. My mouth waters just THINKing about Chipotle's 3 crispy tacos with rice, carnitas, fresh tomato salsa, corn salsa and extra cheese.

I Talked to an Angel Once.. (Full Bloom)

I had turned 17. I was a senior in High School (homeschooled or homeschooled or homeschooled ). Dad held to his opinion that it was time for me to get a job. Oh the dread, considering I wasn’t allowed to get my license until I was 18. Dreaded especially considering he was suggesting I be able to walk to work, or take the bus. Down the hill from our house there is a shopping center consisting of a Ralph’s, Mobil, Rite-Aid, Blockbuster, the typical hair salon, dry cleaner, and restaurants. Back in 2001 there were some cute little shops. One was called Offspring ('..and all the girlies say I'm pretty fly..' I can't help it, I thought it every time, and still do.). It was an extremely overpriced children’s clothing store. The owner was a precious sister-in-Christ though and the clothes were adorable. There was also a shop called Full Bloom.





Full Bloom seemed cute. Filled with items for your home, it was a store that pleaded with women to enter. As you walked inside it smelled so delicious. I will never forget it. The aroma of candles, mixed with flowers, eucalyptus, and everything else that combines to make the aroma of those stores like a sparkle of freshness when you open the door and the air bursts against your face! There were usually pots and bins of flowers outside, rustic iron pieces sitting outside the front door seemed to beckon you inside. There was a crackled Martha Who? sign in blue and white hanging above the cash register. I had been in Full Bloom once. I felt at ease there and tried to spend a day as a volunteer worker for a school assignment in 1999 to which the owner promptly refused.





“Why don’t you apply at Ralph’s?” Dad said. “I do NOT want to work in a grocery store, Dad.” “Well, you really have no choice. You need to fill out an application and turn it in. Your brother worked there and it’s close enough that you can walk.” “How am I supposed to walk there, in the summer, and not be a sweaty mess?” “You need to turn in an application by Thursday.” I turned in an application Thursday.





A week went by. Dad told me I needed to follow up on the application. I did. I ended up with a lame interview. I was basically told, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.” I think I probably sighed with relief. I never heard from them again. In the meantime I had started to wind down my first year of community college. As a High School student you can attend the Junior College free of tuition charges, you just pay enrollment fees and for books. I decided to apply at Full Bloom. Wearing my ankle length denim skirt I went inside and asked for an application. I filled it out and returned it the next day. A week later I stopped back in. I found out the owner’s name was Rhonda. We chatted a bit. She ended up telling me that she thought my application was great, but that she wouldn’t be able to hire me. Rhonda’s sister was sending her niece down for the summer and that meant her niece would be helping in the store. We talked about how I planned on attending The Master’s College once I got some Gen Ed done at COC. We talked about how I played the violin and about my church. I was beginning to think that it really was too bad I wasn’t going be able to work there. Not only did the store smell good, the owner was cool! Rhonda said, “We’re gonna put a sticker on your application so that next time we hire we can give you a call.”





Summer came and went. I somehow managed to be out of the house enough with babysitting that I wasn’t forced to pound the pavement looking for a job.





One day, in early October, I had just gotten home from COC. It was a Friday. The phone rang. I picked it up, “Hello?” The lady on the other side said, “Hi. Is this Erin?” “Yes, it is,” I said. “Hi Erin, this is Kathy, I’m calling from Full Bloom.” “Oh, hey!” “Erin, I’m reviewing your application and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.” “Sure!” “Well, I see here that you haven’t had any previous work experience so I was just wondering if you’ve done any babysitting?” “I have done tons (!) of babysitting. I’ve been babysitting for the past 7 years.” “That’s great. Also, I am wondering if you are good with computers?” “I am pretty good with computers. I can do all the basics on them, but if it were to crash I wouldn’t know what needed to be done.” “Ok, sounds good. Erin, are you free to come in Monday for an interview?” “YES! I am! I get out of class at 12:00.” “Ok, why don’t you come in at 1:00pm on Monday.” “That sounds great. See you then!” And we hung up.





I got out of class Monday. Headed home. Ate a sandwich. Changed once more into my ankle length denim skirt and a nice shirt. I’m sure I brushed and re-curled my nice thick bangs. At 12:45 Mom drove me down the hill (I didn’t want to get sweaty for my interview). I strolled inside. Like usual, it smelled so good in there. Music was playing, breeze was blowing. The lady from the register greeted me. “Hello,” she said. “Hi,” I answered. “My name is Erin. I’m here for my interview.” She paused and looked at me and smiled, “That’s funny, Rhonda didn’t say anything about an interview.” “Oh, I didn’t talk to Rhonda, I scheduled this with Kathy.” “Ok. Hmm.. We don’t have anyone working here named Kathy, besides Rhonda is the owner so she is the one who would be doing any interviews. Let me just give her a quick call and see what’s up.” Cindi called Rhonda and began to explain the situation. Rhonda remembered me from the chats we had earlier in the year. Cindi handed the phone to me. “Hi Rhonda!” “Erin! Hi! I hear you are there for an interview.” “Yeah, I am.” “Erin, I didn’t call you.” “I know! I know you didn’t, because the person who called me was Kathy.” “We don’t have anyone by the name of Kathy and never have. Erin, do me a favor. I really liked you so I might have given your name to Lisa over at Offspring. Why don’t you run down there and see if they were the ones who gave you a call.” “Ok, I’ll do that. The person I talked to said they were calling from Full Bloom though, but I’ll go check.” “Ok, then call me back. I’m so curious about this!”





I ran over to Offspring. It was just three doors down. As I popped my head inside I said to Lisa, “This is actually gonna sound weird, but do you have an interview scheduled for 1:00pm today?” “No, I don’t.” “I got a call for an interview at Full Bloom, but Rhonda and I don’t know where the call came from and she thought maybe she gave my number to you and the interview was here.” I smiled.





As crazy as the story sounded, Rhonda, Cindi, and Lisa, didn’t doubt my word. They didn’t think I was loony. They were all just as curious as I was. I told Lisa thank you then ran back over to Full Bloom. “It wasn’t her,” I said to Cindi. “It wasn’t her,” Cindi repeated into the phone. She handed the phone back to me. “Erin?” “Yes?” “This is so crazy!” “I know!” “Erin, do you believe in angels?” “Yes.” “Because I think that’s who called you.” “Wow.” “And listen to this. I am sitting here in my office. I have been so worried. I just signed a lease to open a shop at the mall for the Christmas season, and I was just going crazy wondering how I was supposed to get that store ready to go and who to hire for the extra shifts we’re now going to have.” “Well, I’m free,” I said. “Do this for me, leave your number with Cindi, and the hours you are available to work and when I get in to the store I’ll look it over and give you a call, because after all this, I’m a little afraid NOT to hire you.”





I ended up getting hired and thus began my relationship with Full Bloom, Rooms & Blooms, Rhonda and Donnie, Cindi and Laina. Flower arrangements, topiaries, Trapp candles, tea towels, painting and crackling and distressing furniture and wreath making. Interior Design and shabby chic. The Mart in Downtown. Jeb Loy Nichols – Tom Petty – Lyle Lovett – BB King(ain't nobody here but us chickens) – Ella Fitzgerald – John Mayer and Nora Jones. Floor moves after closing. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. Oasis, bow making, fluffing, filling pots. Pricing, opening and closing, reconciling the cash register. Parakeets (to me, the top of the parakeet's heads smelled like syrup.). Feng Shui, “Erin, we hang a mirror above the register to create proper flow.” Great memories and soooo much learned. I still visit with Rhonda. She has hired me back when I’ve been in between other jobs. When I put in my 2 weeks notice 10-1/2 months ago, she said, “You’ll be back Erin, you never really leave.”

We Sing the Greatness/How Great is our God

Found this arrangement today. Lovin' so many things about it.

Question

Did I post my angel story before? I might remember posting it, but... ? Eh?


I'm wearing a green dress. No one can pinch me.


Yesterday, after work, I met my friend Susan at Ross. She has taken a teaching position for the next couple months for a teacher going out on maternity leave. In light of this new job, she really wanted a cool bag to carry her books, etc. in. There is a great bag at Target. (Let me see if I can find a pic..)

Cute, huh?

Anyway. Susan wanted to do a little comparison shopping before purchasing, so we wound up at Ross last night. In the olden days Ross was my favorite store. Cheap clothes, it was great fun to find the bargains. In recent days, Ross is losing it's appeal. Yesterday, they got 2 strikes, which are to be added to the strike from last week. (Disclaimer * I do NOT shop there every week, but was looking for something specific last week, and shopped there yesterday for Susan.) Two strikes plus one strike equals three strikes.

1.)Dressing Rooms. The aisle leading to the dressing room is always clogged with carts and 'go backs.' They only allow you to take in 8 items at a time, which isn't suitable for a store like Ross. On top of that they have to take the items out of your hands and count them (which always messes up the hangers and how you've got them aligned *not that I'm particular*) before letting you go in. The hooks in the dressing rooms are all bent. There are children (including young boys running up and down the dressing room aisle) and they have curtains not doors that lock which leaves you feeling vulnerable and in a constant state of worry that someone will be able to catch a peek, or the breeze from the boys running up the aisle will blow your curtain open. Last night there was a line of people waiting to get in the dressing rooms and a line of people waiting to get OUT of the dressing rooms. The lady was so busy counting people's garments and handing them their number card she wasn't dealing with the line of people who were trying to hand off their garments and get outta there!

2.) The plan was to hang with Susan, look for a bag etc. then head to Master's to work out with Adam. That being the case, and me being thirsty I figured I would grab a Diet Coke. Since I beat Susan to Ross and knew that I would just go straight from Ross to working out I decided I would grab the Coke beforehand so I could drink it whilst helping Susan pick out a bag. No biggie - I've done it many times. I walked into Ross with my Diet Coke, I even looked on the window - just in case there was a sign posted about no outside food or drink. There was none. Free and clear. I headed inside, casually sipping my refreshment. I browsed the dresses. I browsed the shoes. I browsed the shirts. I grabbed a shirt. I thought it would be easier if I grabbed a shopping cart. So I headed back to the front and grabbed the cart and unloaded the Diet Coke and my purse in the kiddie seat and the tank top in the back and started to head toward the back of the store. Next thing I know a lady from the front is coming up to me and saying "You aren't allowed to have that in here." I stopped, millions of thoughts went through my brain - trust me - millions. I felt I had a right to have my diet coke for the above listed reasons. I am, however, working on selflessness. Which in my case is denying myself my 'rights.' I paused, looked at the lady, and was gonna say something like, "I didn't see a sign?" but instead this came out: "Oh? Ok, can I just leave it somewhere up here while I shop so I don't have to throw it away?" - -Bless the Lord for His graciousness towards me by allowing that to be my response and attitude. Answered prayer! - - So the lady walked with me up to the register and patted the counter where I could leave my Diet Coke.

3.) There were some super cute stackable mixing bowls. Three of them. A great blue color. The largest had a handle and a pour spout. I pulled the smallest one out, flipped it over, no price. Pulled the middle one out, flipped it over, no price. By this time I was excited... I had stumbled upon a bargain! I lifted the large one off the rack, flipped it over $7.99. I was like all 3 for $7.99? Sweet! I'm getting them! What a deal. When I got up to the register, I paid for: the bag IIiiiiIiIi ended up getting that I tried so hard to talk Susan into, the original tank top that led to the cart that led to the Diet Coke fiasco and the 3 stackable mixing bowls. The lady rang up my items, but pulled the other 2 bowls out of the large one. I said, "Aren't those included?" "No," she said. "They were all together with one price." As she pulls out her book and talks to the lady one register over she says, "The small bowl is $3.49 and this one is $7.99" The middle bowl = the same price as the large bowl with the handle and spout? I asked her to please take it off my bill. I would not be purchasing those. That means for the 3 stackable mixing bowls in the great blue color I would have paid nearly 20 dollars! No deal. Strike 3 for not giving them to me for $7.99.

Finesse Fail..

Something new happened in my life today and I can't say that too often being the 25-1/2 year old that I am.




When I was washing my hair this morning I opened up my bottle of Finesse Shampoo and squirted some into my hands and proceeded to lather up my hair when I began to catch a wift of something hinting at dirty/soured dishwasher sponge stinky. I was like, "Is that my shampoo?" and I sniffed the bit still left in my hand and thought I could smell the stink. So then I grabbed a handful of my hair and smelled it and caught the stink! For some reason, the cap on my Finesse bottle lets water in and I think over the last couple months the water must have soured the shampoo.. OR SOMETHING.

So I rinsed my hair out and REWASHED with my Garnier Fructis.

Money Saver(s)

I found a site called MomAdvice. In one of the articles the author gives 6 tips to Survive The Grocery Hike. I appreciated each one. (Though most of them were not new to me, I still found it a helpful read.)



Also, if you want to save money. Get rid of text messages. There. I said it. I upped my plan today because my dear Adam does not share Verizon with me so we do not have unlimited InNetwork texting. Right now, I can afford it, but I'm just saying.... It would be a great montly money saver.



P.S. I found the BEST salad from Trader Joe's, but who really cares? =)

And For Some Laughs..

Victor Borge - Inflationary Language

(You may have to listen twice to clearly understand what he says. It's pretty funny!)

Romans Questions

(This is just chapters 1-3)I've been reading Romans 1-8 repeatedly recently and there are a lot of things that have been sticking out to me this go around:


1.) What is the gospel? Romans 1:16-17

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 1For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."


2.) What is the first step taken towards walking away from the Lord?: Romans 1:21

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.


3.) God's kindness is for what? Romans 2:4

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?


4.) Who is declared righteous? Romans 2:13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.


5.) When I neglect God's Word what happens? Romans 2:23-24 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."


6.) Who does God praise? Romans 2:28-29 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.


7.) Romans 3:5-8 But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved. To quote my good friend Sarah "Who am I to expect fairness? Fair for me is Hell, and so all in Christ is grace. Easier said than done right?"

8.) This especially broke my heart these times around: Romans 3:9-18 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know." "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

9.) In the OT when 'believers' died how did they go to heaven if Jesus Christ hadn't shed His blood yet? Romans 3:21-26 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Hangers

Today as I was getting ready for work, I pulled a shirt off a hanger and thought to myself, "Who invented hangers?"

Today’s wire coat hanger was inspired by a clothes hook patented in 1869, by O. A. North of New Britain, Connecticut.
Albert J. Parkhouse, an employee of Timberlake Wire and Novelty Company in Jackson, Michigan, created a coat hanger in 1903, in response to co-workers’ complaints of too few coat hooks. He bent a piece of wire into two ovals with the ends twisted together to form a hook. Parkhouse patented his invention, but it is not known if he profited from it.
Schuyler C. Hulett received a patent in 1932 for an improvement which involved cardboard tubes screwed onto the upper and lower portions to prevent wrinkles in freshly laundered clothes.
Three years later Elmer D Rogers created a hanger with a tube on the lower bar which is still used today.
Thomas Jefferson invented the the early wooden coat hanger, the hideaway bed, the calendar clock and the dumbwaiter.

More information on the specifics of the first invention can be found here. It's pretty interesting.

P.S.

None of my safety buddies are here today. I asked a sales associate to save my life if an emergency happens.

Random

I'm so thankful for a certain feature my car has and it's this:



When I leave my lights on and open my car door an alarm goes "DaBedaBEEP DaBedaBEEP DaBedaBEEP" I'm sure it has saved me a battery over the years.

Because Hillsong Changed My Life..#2

My current favorite: At The Cross

"You tore the veil. You made a way. When you said that 'it is done'."

Things in Three

Ok so from posts below you know that Adam is gone, and that I'm booted out of my bathroom. That's 2 things. Thing three?



My car is in the shop. It has been having trouble starting for a while. I had my mechanic look at it and he suggested that we start with replacing a sensor. (I just think mechanics must laugh sometimes when people try to explain to them what is wrong with their car.) I still noticed that it seemed my car was having a rough time starting. Yesterday when I got off work I went to start my car and it wouldn't do it. It tried and tried and was so close, but the engine wouldn't flip over (or whatever it was supposed to do). I tried for a while. A guy from work came out and had me pop the hood. He said it looked to be that the engine wasn't getting a spark. We tried a couple more times and nothing. So I called AAA. They said they would have a tow truck to me by 5:30. At 5:20 they called and said the tow would be there by 6:20. At 5:55 I got a call saying the tow truck would be at least another hour. At that point I had to figure out.. Should I leave the car and have them tow in the morning, or wait the hour and have them still come? I finally decided to have them tow in the morning. I decided to try turning my car on one final time before having my dad drive to get me. My car turned on! So I drove it straight to Kiwi Motors. John was still there so I filled him in. He says he thinks it's the ignitor. He'll give it a look and give me a call today.



God had a lesson for me to learn though.


A gal from work, offered for me to sit in her car with her with the A/C on and watch a movie while I waited for my tow truck. It was such an example to me of serving others and of being selfless.

My Poor Bathroom

The toilet is sinking. Yes. It is. I've been temporarily booted out of my bathroom for now. We aren't sure what the deal is. I cleared everything out yesterday so Dad would have a free and clear work area. I emailed mom and told her to take pics. But I doubt it will happen. I did, however, get this email from her.



"Well Dad is up there starting work now. He said the floor is a mess!! He is surprised it didn't leak through the ceiling into the laundry room. He is going to put the toilet in your bathtub for now. We shall see what the next steps will be."



Officially booted out of my shower now too. Hello, Guest Bathroom.



Update #1:



"He thinks it was definitely leaking around the toilet seal somehow. He is taking the floor out now, so we shall see what is next. The wood is all rotten arounbd where the toilet was supposed to be sealed."



All together now, "eeeewww."



Update #2:



He is stopping for now. He wants to call Terry K to get some input on the best way to repair the floor around the toilet. It will come together.



(Notice my color choices? Sometimes I offend even my own self.)

My (Safety) Buddy

So here at work we are HUUUUGE on safety. Like, spending $100's of dollars every month on it. HUGE. We have used the system of magnet boards with names and magnets and if you are here your magnet is in the 'in' slot and if you are out your magnet is in the 'out' slot. With this concept if there was an emergency, designated persons would grab the magnet boards and proceed with a roll call. Implemented today is the new 'Safety Buddy System.' Basically we pick a safety buddy and we are responsible to know where they are at all times. Due to an uneven number of people I have 2 safety buddies. L and E. When it was confirmed that it was the 3 of us we started joking with each other which led to a chain of events. L saying she was singing the 'My Buddy' song. Me finding a picture of My Buddy. L printing the picture out and posting it on our safety bulletin board. And in a final act the My Buddy Youtube commercial.

I Miss Him Already...

...And he's not even gone yet. This will be the longest we've been apart in over 6 months. He was gone for Christmas but it was for a lesser amount of time, and we were still able to email and call each other a lot. This will be different. I feel lonely already..=( I'm so proud of him though. I've seen him work soooo hard to pull everything together for this trip. I know ultimately it is God's sovereignty, but Adam has still poured so much time and energy into this trip. I'm just praying it all goes smooth and safe and that they grow so much and help the church so much. And of course I hope they have a BLAST!!

Jackson Hole

Adam is leading a team of Master's students to Jackson Hole, Wyoming this week for spring break.

There is a church out there, Cornerstone, and they will be seeking to encourage them through various way. They leave tonight at 10pm to start driving and will be back home on Sunday the 15th. Pray for them as they are still looking for one more car to drive over.

UPDATE: God provided an SUV for the team to use for the week. =)

Mighty to Save

Hillsong has shaped my life in MANY ways:

Office

Two days ago boss sneezed and went deaf in his right ear.



Today he told me he was losing his mind. I ventured a guess.. This is what I said,



"I know what happened! You sneezed and half your brain shot into your ear, thus you are missing half your brain and are deaf because it's clogging up your ear."



I can't believe I said that to my boss! I told him half his brain was in his ear! But he laughed and it was some good comic relief. Poor guy.

Why Wednesday's are Delightful

Wednesday's are delightful for 4 reasons:




1) It is ad day in the mail. So I receive all the ads from the grocery stores as well as the PennySaver. I get to look at all the fresh produce and deals. And dream of my own home.




2) Wednesday is date night with my grandparent's. I've been doing this for maybe a year now. It's great! I get off work and head over to their place. It gives us time to talk and catch up. It gives them something to look forward to. Recently Grandma has been trying out new recipes which has been a lot of fun. We always have a good time. We eat and we watch King of Queens and Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. This is the one thing in my schedule that has not changed. One thing I don't want to let go. I love this time with them. We have great conversation. And it gives me a time to relax a bit.












































And 3) This particular Wednesday is delightful because I get to spend it with Susan. We are getting lunch at In-n-Out!







And 4) because it rained.

Change #3 and Change #4

Change #3:
There is a lady down at the F branch who I work closely with. She is very knowledgable and very helpful to me in my role up here in Santa Clarita. She's taken a job offer and will be leaving the company this Friday. In light of that I'm losing someone who I've relied on a lot. This change affects me in that I will become the contact between our site and the Local Union. I will be reviewing all paper work, verifying EVERYTHING (details!) and submitting the payments. Lots to keep track of. I will also be doing this for the L B site. If I make a mistake it could end up costing $1,000's when that mistake is found in future audits. When I went through everything today and submitted the payment I think I felt my blood pressure lessen. I made it through round one.


Hopefully this doesnt happen because of me:














Change #4:
I think I might be moving out.