Randomness from Me

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Lessons from a bowl cozy

Since I've been working at Joann Fabrics (over a year now!), my creative side has come out. My most recent tutorial following project is this bowl cozy. (Let's be real...I'm not quite creative enough to come up with the idea and figure out how to make it, but I CAN follow an online tutorial like nobody's business). Anyway, back to the bowl cozy. This one was my first attempt and I made mistakes. I didn't cut my batting to the exact same size as my cotton material and it shows. Literally. The batting is poking through at the seams in some places. I posted the above photo on Instagram (and Facebook) with this caption: "Staying home with my snot-filled head and sinusy cough this morning = breakfast and using the "test bowl cozy. Just because it has some flaws doesn't mean it isn't useful." Read that last sentence again. God spoke to me as I was writing that. Just because YOU have some flaws doesn't mean I can't use YOU. Intellectually, I KNOW this. Deep down inside, where most people don't get to see, I question it. God has a history of using flawed people, though. (Yes, we're all flawed, but bear with me...) He used Joseph to save the Israelites after his brothers sold him. You may be saying, "Wait. That's on his brothers." While, yes, it is, Joseph wasn't completely innocent. He didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. He blabbed to his brothers about the dream he had and they hated him more. Not once, but twice did he share his dreams. Or what about Moses? He had the opposite problem. He didn't want to talk. Yet, God used him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Take David. Yes, that David. The king. He committed adultery and had the husband of the women he slept with killed. His accomplishments? He is called a man after God's own heart. That's high, high praise. He didn't live in his sin. When it was brought to light, he knew he was wrong. He asked, begged God for forgiveness. And God forgave him. And used him to grow the Jewish empire. Or take Paul. Before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he hunted Christians down and persecuted them. He is now known as the greatest missionary who ever lived. Me? Yes, I have flaws. Sometimes I talk too much. Sometimes I don't talk enough. HE CAN STILL USE ME. He can use YOU, too. Decide not to live in self-doubt. Trust God. Allow him to use you...flaws and all.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

January 2020

I never said I'd be consistent. I just checked to see the last time I wrote...yeah, November 2018. I've been to India and back and Uganda and back since then. Sooo, fresh start?

Fresh start.

In the past year and couple months (not in chronological order):
- I lost 42 pounds using Weight Watchers
- I went to India with an amazing group of people
- I went to Uganda with Kristin and 18 others - most of them from FBCL
- I went back to work - part-time at Joann Fabrics and I love it

I'm sure there are more things, but this is off the top of my head.

I've chosen a word of the year again this year (this is my 7th). My word for this year is SECURE. I'm basing it off of Colossians 1:15-17, particularly the end of 16 and all of 17.

"15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. 17. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. "

Because he created all things and he is in all things and because of him all things hold together, I can be secure in what he calls me to do.

Friday, November 2, 2018

Once again, it's been months...

Months...things change in months. We're in November already. The month of thankfulness. Sounds like a good time to do a things I'm thankful for list, but not just yet.

Let's see...I'm going to India in March with AWAA. I hadn't planned on going anywhere until after our family trip to Argentina next year. God has a way of putting things in your path, though. Last year, our Uganda trip was only 7 people. We weren't sure that we were going to be able to go because AWAA likes to have at least 8 on a team. So, before we found out for sure that we were going, I began to look at other options. India jumped out at me. So, we went to Uganda and came home. While I loved it there, I didn't feel the tug to return and we were planning this trip to Argentina in 2019. So, I continued on my merry way, not looking for a trip to go on. In January or February, our local Christian radio station was raising funds to help people who had been rescued from human trafficking...in India. It kind of piqued my interest, but I didn't dwell on it. Sometime in April or May, One Orphan (AWAA's missions branch) posted on facebook about their India trips for late 2018 to early 2019. The last one jumped off the computer screen at me and I began praying about going. I asked questions of one of the team leaders to get a feel for the trip. In early June, I began to sense that God was telling me to go to India. I asked for confirmation in a way that I couldn't go looking for and that I would know was from him. Well, the following Sunday, our pastor preached a message about a missionary. That missionary had been in India. I, wanting to be absolutely sure before approaching my husband, asked for another confirmation. While this one seems a bit strange, I absolutely believe it is the sign I was looking for. While on vacation, I periodically posted beach pictures to my instagram account. A person from my hometown (that I don't know) liked one of my photos. Now, when someone I don't know likes one of my pictures, I'll go through their account and see if I want to follow them. This guy had been to India. Seriously. I told God yes, I'll go. I filled out the registration form and did everything but "sign" it and pay the fee. I sent a text to my husband telling him that. He wasn't thrilled, but told me that since I can't let it go to go ahead and do it and get started on fundraising. My answer to that was that I tried to let it go and it kept coming back to me. We leave in March and as of 2 weeks ago, I had all my trip money raised. I am in awe of God and how he provided so quickly.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Fun Stuff!

I have been selected to be part of WaterBrook and Multnomah's book launch teams! The fun part is I'm sent books of my choosing that haven't been released yet, read them, and then share reviews and photos with others. I got my first book in the mail on Tuesday. I read it yesterday. All of it. The book is As the Tide Comes In by Cindy Woodsmall. Once I got the characters sorted out, the storyline just drew me in and held me captive. I love a good overcoming adversity and love story wrapped up in one.

Other fun stuff...I went to Missouri with 2 of my friends last week. It was a loooooong 12 hour drive to get there and back. (We drove at night, which seemed to make it longer.) It was a good trip. We went because another friend (who went to both China and Uganda with me) was getting married. We went a couple days beforehand for different reasons. One reason isn't my story to tell, so it will be left out here. My friend who lead both trips grew up in MO and still has property there. We went out to her farm and did some metal detecting for Civil War relics. There have been some people out there doing this already and she contacted them and said that she wanted to do some as well while she was there. Soooo, we met up with them and used their metal detectors and started searching. The 6 of us found quite a few bullets from the Civil War. I had a ton of fun in the 3 hours we were out there. That, the wedding, and the story not mine to tell were the highlights of the trip. We had a really good time.

This past week was Vacation Bible School. What a week! I co-directed this year as well as supervised the kitchen. It was a really good week. We had 79 children the first day with probably around 90 children who registered and attended. (I haven't counted how many registered yet). We also had several who gave their lives to Christ. That's the most amazing part!

Friday, June 1, 2018

It's June!

How did we get here already? June is always a busy month for us. Preparation for VBS, VBS, family mission trip, youth camp, beginning of vacation. I enjoy the busy-ness. I also enjoy the being able to sleep past 6:30 in the morning. This summer is going to have some changes...the teenager will be able to drive by himself on a restricted license. The fun part is that he'll be able to take himself and his sister to school in August. I'll still have to get up, but I won't have to leave.

So, it's Friday. Sounds like a good time for another thankful post.

Awards days
The rain has stopped - for now
Sunshine
TV shows
VBS preparation
Choir rehearsals
Good books
The end of school
Sleeping in
Road trips - coming up
Mug cakes
Coffee
Water
Bacon
La Croix - with stevia
Dishwasher repair
Clean sheets
LWB work
WaterBrook/Multnomah book launch teams
Reclining couch seats
Uganda coffee cup - my favorite
Napping cat
Gift cards
Sugar free ice cream
New music

Friday, May 25, 2018

I had to make an emergency visit to the orthodontist yesterday. The girl-child's HERBST appliance came loose (she swallowed the screw) so we had to get it fixed. The ortho has 2 offices, one in Hendersonville and one in Columbus. We generally go to the Columbus office because it's about 30 minutes closer to home. Well, of course, the Columbus office was closed yesterday. Not only that, they were having continuing education day so they weren't really even open. Fortunately, they were able to see us and fix it. They also went ahead and did new wires that was supposed to happen Tuesday. Nothing like a spontaneous trip to Hendersonville on a Thursday afternoon.

It's looking like I'm not going to be going to China with my friend unless she doesn't go until July or a miracle occurs. Paperwork is delayed again. I'm disappointed, but my prayer has been that however this works out is the best for my friend and not me - even though I still really want to go. So, provided my June is the norm, then the first week is open, VBS is the second week, Andrew goes to camp the third week, and the family mission trip is the fourth week. Oh, and most likely a road trip for a wedding.

What I'm reading:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Passport through Darkness by Kimberly Smith

What I'm watching (on Netflix):
Gilmore Girls (for the 4th time)
The Office

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Ugh

Got in the car this morning to take the kids to school only to discover that someone had gone through it. Stuff that was on the floor was in the seat. The glove box was open. Stuff in the center console was in the passenger seat. Andrew's truck had been gone through also. And so had our neighbor's truck. The only things missing were Scentsy room spray and cologne. Weirdness. I'm a bit creeped out now, though. Called dispatch and had a deputy come out to make a report, but since nothing of value was taken and since there's no damage (we forgot to lock doors...) there's not much they can do outside of fingerprinting, which makes a huge mess. If we discover anything missing, we'll call back.

I finally finished reading Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors. Not sure why I waited so long to read it, except that it spoke to me where I am now. My wrestling with hope isn't near Katie's wrestling, but it is still there. It went hand in hand with Unseen by Sara Hagerty, which went great with the Brave study by Angela Thomas. I love how God joins things together.

What I'm reading: