He is Risen Indeed

Lent is over; the time of reflection and preparation is passed. Christ is Risen from the grave. It was a strange Easter Sunday today. I wasn't quite prepared. I hadn't reflected enough. Though I made a conscious decision to have an active Lent, I didn't go a very good job. Honestly, I was lousy at it. I figured out something about myself, however, which I have been too afraid to name before. I have no self discipline, really none whatsoever. I had the book to read daily and was planning to spend time with Jesus every day. I did OK at the start of Lent but then one day became the next and then I was cramming many days of reading into one hurried reading. And then the last two weeks, I have spent not one minute thinking about Jesus and His time in the desert and His time preparing for his own death. The book sat idle on my bed side table as I picked up other, more 'fun' books to read before sleepy time.

Today we went out to lunch after church with friends and Bill has his first beer after 40+ day fast from it. He was so excited when it came to the table and had that first glorious sip. I was sad as I drank my diet coke. I remember that glorious feeling last year having a diet coke after such a long fast and the sense of accomplishment I had. I am feeling mixed up because I know that is not what Lent is about really but I missed not having that sense of relief from a hard fast. That comes back to self discipline. I think if I was more disciplined I would have stuck with it again this year and fasted. Maybe having an active fast was really a way out for me from suffering. I am not good at it. When Bill runs, he runs through fatigue and pain and suffering to finish that lap or that mile. I just stop and walk when I've had enough. I'm getting better though, setting small goals when I want to start walking- just to that corner or until the song on my Ipod is over. Maybe my running will help me learn self discipline. It is just so easy to stop when no one is looking.

That is it, that is the bottom line of my struggling... it is just so easy to stop when no one is looking. That is what I am going to work on, in and out of Lent, on and off the track. Please pray for me, encourage me and feel free to ask me how I am doing.

However mixed up my mind is. However undiscplined I am. However avoiding of suffering I am. However incapable I am of writing with proper sentence structure. Christ is Risen and death reigns no more. I am free. Alleluia.

Below is the chorus of my new favorite worship song we have sung the last few weeks at church. I recommend listening to it at http://www.myspace.com/shaneandshane and then click on We love you Jesus. It can also be bought on Itunes.

We love you Jesus for so many reasons
For death, life and freedom
Even now we love you
We love you Jesus in and out of seasons
In valleys and top of mountains even now can we sing
We love you Jesus

Oh the glory!

So I am still in 1st place and moved ahead of Nile in the family pool today. I only could get 6 out of 8 games right today and I did. One in overtime and one a true David v Goliath with Davidson beating Georgetown. It was glorious. I will reign on top until at least Thursday when the next game is. I'll say it again, this could be my year!!!

8 for 8, this could be my year

So today I got 8 for 8 picks right in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Not only am I 1 point behind Nile in the family pool but I am leading, yes LEADING, the pool made up of 21 all male doctors that Bill works with. Bill is in 19th place. Not that I am bragging at all but let's be honest, 1. I'm a girl 2. I barely knew anything about the teams until earlier this week 3. I actually did research and didn't just pick my favorite color or cutest mascot 4. Have I mentioned I am girl and we're not supposed to know anything about sports. I may go 0 for 8 games tomorrow but I'll always have this night, 3/22/08, to remember when I was on top of the leader board. I hope all the guys are looking at the standings right now and realizing Iverson's wife is kicking their butts. Oh the glory. Oh the pride. Oh my brief moment in the sun.

Child birthing, here I come...

Relax, everyone and my mom, I am NOT pregnant but bearing a child is the only thing left on Katie's Terrified to To List now that I can cross of having cavities filled! yippee, I'm done. It went great. I didn't feel a thing and was quite entertaining to the office with my drama. Here are some sound bytes from my day at the Dentist.

Girl at the Desk (GATD): Hi there
Me: I am here to face my doom
GATD: It is not that bad
Me: That is what you all say but I think you're lying. My friends have said you're lying.
GATD: You don't have nice friends. Sit over there and take a few deep breaths
-------
Dentist: Are you ready?
Me: I called my mom and we discussed the distribution of my wealth if I don't make it
Dentist: slight chuckle
-------
needle going in to the cheek
Me: Have you done this before?
Dentist: No but last night I stayed a Holiday Inn Express
** not really but I wish he would have said that, he just rolled his eyes and jammed the needle in**
-------
after the shots
Me: My tongue feels numb
silence- no one picked up my What about Bob? reference but my tongue was really numb
-------
after the last cotton wad extracted
Dentist: You're done, see that wasn't so bad
Me: I am going to go on TV praising the skills of your cavity filling ability. I am going to do a full media blitz. You will have so much business you'll be turning people away.
Dentist: small smile and a patronizing pat on the shoulder for the 'crazy girl' who just paid for his new golf clubs
--------
GATD: See that wasn't so bad, tell your friends they were wrong
Me: Now all I have left is to get knocked up and go through labor and I'll have done all the scary things there is to do
GATD: laughing while thinking 'this girl is nuts. good thing the waiting room is not full to hear her say such things'

and that was what happened at my day at the dentist.

New Sides

It was slow at work tonight so I added some new sides to the blog. My mom would be proud because I put something already done on my list of 'things to do in 2008' to help me feel more accomplished. Bill dislikes that trait in me and wonders why I have to put 'shower' 'eat lunch' 'get up' on my list of things to do over the weekend. "So my list doesn't look so daunting, I already have stuff crossed off" I always answer and to that he says, "Yes Linda (my mom's name)". He has gotten in the habit of calling me Linda when I do things that I learned from my mom. To me there is no higher compliment!

Tomorrow is D-day for the dentist and my cavities. I got my Ipod charged and ready, have a lunch with friends planned for before as a distraction and dinner out with Bill as a treat afterwards. I'll blog about it tomorrow if I survive...

Thanks just isn't enough

They wanted some shots of the leaders I had in high school and these are the ones I found. These people below were the words, feet and hands of Jesus in my life during high school and I debt I owe to them, investing in my life and telling me about saving faith in Christ is enormous. They deserve tribute and homage so I am giving them that in my blog. I am who I am today because of them. If you know the person who led you to Christ or the people in your early faith life that were influential in keeping you on track, take a minute to say Thanks to them if you know where they are or Thank God for them again in your prayers. Bill Tibbit and Suzanne Neiding.

our leadership team when I was a senior in high school. the happy guy on the R in the green sweater is Mike Terranova who deserves not only my thanks but the thanks for 1000s of high school kids who have heard about Christ because he told us. the guy on the L in the glasses is Bob Brittingham who later became one of my summer camp program partners, he helped me navigate my senior year in high school. Don't miss Jon Eric back row in the middle who was the worst prom date ever but taught me a lot about forgiveness

Rob Wolfe and Mike Terry. Mike Terry was the person at camp my first summer who spoke to me about praying for Christ to come into my heart one morning during free time on the back porch of the old club room at Saranac

Stacey Prinzing on the L and I were two peas in a pod our last few years of high school trying to figure out how to love God and each other and our friends while passing SUPA economics, running a year book, finding prom dates and picking colleges. Suzanne in the middle of us was our leader helping us navigate these very treacherous waters.

aahhh the memories

My Young Life area back home is soon to celebrate its 20th year of telling high school kids about Christ. I was contacted for some old pics of when I was on staff in a suburb called Canastota. These are the shots I picked out and am feeling too nostalgic not to share them.

Lizzie Watkins, who is now on YL staff in England, me and Jen U at a track meet.
Getting ready for 80s night in my apartment
this was my cabin for a winter weekend at Lake Champion. Must have been 1998. Jen U, me, Lizzie, Tracy and Jennie Russo
This was the first camp trip ever with kids from Canastota to Lake Champion the summer of 1997.
Me and my awesome leaders. Mark and Barney were such crazy guys and always made me laugh. Trex at the time was my closest friend and I so cherished the time we spent during that season of life.

Tagged

OK I was tagged a few weeks ago by my good Bobby E friend, Laura, in North Carolina. Here are the rules

Here are the rules:

1. List 7 random things about yourself that people may not know - see below

2. Link the person who sent this to you, and leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours - i don't know how to link this to Laura but check out her blog www.amomontheverge.blogspot.com

3. Post the rules on your blog - done

4. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. - which I will do at the end but again have no idea how to link anyone

Random Things

#1 When I was a child, I fell thigh deep in blueberry pie filling at my parent's bakery.

#2 The stairs in our front hall match the life size Yoda statue we display proudly in our foyer. We are Star Wars Geeks to the core.

#3 Both of my grandfathers changed their names before they started their families so I am not related to anyone outside of my extended family who shares the name Cook or Scott.

#4 I have the entire script of It's a Wonderful Life memorized and cry at the same spots every time I see it. "Say brainless, don't you know where coconuts come from?"

#5 I name inanimate objects. My car's name is Legolas, my favorite chair's name is Winston and my oldest plant's name is Floyd (see below)
#6 The first thing I'd do with a million dollars is hire a gardener. I really detest yard work.

#7 I have a doll I got when I was two named Boydoll (because she has a plastic head with no real hair) and a bean bag frog named Froggy I got when I was 5 that I am most likely unhealthily attached to. I travel with them. I do not leave them in luggage, in the house overnight or anywhere where they could potentially get lost or burn in a fire. When I went on a cruise at the age of 25, it was hard to decide about taking them on the ship worried they, at some time, could fall overboard or leave them in my apartment where they could get engulfed in a fire. I blame it on my mom who used to 'make them talk' before I went to bed so in my mind they have entire life stories and personalities. Luckily for my husband, they have been relegated to the side of the bedroom with some other stuffed animals and don't have to sleep with us. When I was little they were an integral part of my fire safety plan. I slept with a bag between the mattresses that I was going to pull out, shove them in, use Boydoll's plastic head to break the window, toss them onto the lawn, crawl out the window, down the roof, jump in the bushes, retrieve the bag and wait by the mailbox which was designated our family meeting spot. Ingenious plan if you ask me!

I don't know if I have 7 friends who have blogs to tag but feel free to leave random facts about yourself in a comment.