Please forgive me - this blue moon is lasting a while.
Cameron and I went for a long walk this evening around our neighborhood. Part of our walk included a steep hike uphill until we reached a path that took us around part of Tubb's Hill.
In all of my thinking about my walk with God lately, I started thinking about the verse that says to lay aside things and run with patience. You know, if I had been carrying my 10 pound medicine ball up that hill, after just a few minutes, that weight would have been all that I would have thought about. I would have been thinking about how heavy it was, how silly it was to carry it on the walk, and how much it was worth to me. If it wasn't worth very much, I probably would have just left it in the trail so that I could actually finish the hike instead of falling down in exhaustion.
Spiritual application: I have discovered that my life was just like that hike. Except I am carrying along that medicine ball. It's called life. I have a wonderful husband who loves me and treats me with respect and care; we both have good jobs, and our needs and wants are supplied; we have a warm place to live and are looking forward to having a nice house; our cars run, our bellies are full, and we have plenty of clothes to wear. It's pretty easy to get into the rut of just focusing on those "weights". I enjoy my life; it's pretty cushy. I get up, go to work, come home, fix dinner, and most nights get to spend time with my best friend. I have found myself focusing on that though. Thinking about it like a weight puts it into perspective. I'm headed for Heaven: anything that gets in my way is silly. I have to focus on pressing forward, laying aside those weights. (I don't mean literally - I'm not going to leave my husband, etc. I mean spiritually stop focusing on them.) I need to focus instead on how much I enjoy others walking with me, and try to compel more and more people to join me in this glorious race. If only people could understand how beneficial this "exercise" is for them. They work out, eat right, and try to take care of their bodies. You have a soul, people. You should feed it right and exercise it correctly too.
Come and go with me to my Father's house, where there's joy, joy, joy.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Every Other 4th Blue Moon
On my way home from Oklahoma, I was reading a book and there was a statement made in it. The girl was referring to something specific, but when asked why she did this thing, she said, "Because it is a reminder that I belong to God." I thought that statement was so profound in it's simplicity. I have often been asked why I do the things I do. Let's face it, I'm different (by choice) in a lot of ways. I always stumbled around, trying to give some answer that I thought would be understood, and usually not making myself very clear. Really, my whole life comes down to a very simple mantra: I choose to live the way I do because God wants me to. I behave outwardly as a reflection of the fact that my heart and life belongs to God. I plan to continue drawing closer to God so that eventually all people will see in me is an image of Him.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A list.
A list:
1. I really enjoyed my week in Oklahoma. The weather was nice almost the entire time. You see, this is very important to someone who has been living in the Arctic for the past 10 months. I just wanted to stretch a blanket out and soak up the sunshine. Oh, and it was great seeing all of my family too!
2. It was great seeing my family and friends while I was home. But I mentioned that already.
3. Ted's. Oh, how I miss you!
4. I have seen the sun the past TWO days. I am nearly beside myself.
5. I have a really incredible husband. He starts my car in the morning, patiently does things that I have run out of time for, and tells me that everything I make is good. I love him.
6. I was marveling today at how much I already love my job. Ok, so sometimes I have a hard time staying awake. And I have a hard time getting up in the morning. Friday afternoons off are amazing, though. And the environment is SO laid back. Everyone does their job, the boss doesn't yell, and the ladies are all really nice. I'm so very thankful for it.
7. I found out yesterday that some friends are going to live just down the road from me when we finally get our house built. I am ECSTATIC.
8. Speaking of our house, the ground is finally thawing. However, there are load limits on the roads until the first part of April, so we are still on hold. Soon, though!
9. I broke my phone. I dropped it and it decided that was the last time it was taking that sort of abuse. The microphone stopped working. I can still text (thank goodness!) but no talking for me. This works out nicely for Cameron. He can call and talk and actually get to say stuff!
10. Random fact: There is a town somewhere (I don't remember now which city/town/village/county I was working on) that felt the need to define family. In this town, a relative is a mother, father, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, grandparent, and great-grandparent. However, more distant relationships such as cousins are not considered family. So, all of you people who have been secretly dying to marry your cousins, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE.
I have not blogged much lately, mostly because when I get home, it's Cameron-and-Linnie time and that doesn't include blogging. I do have a more serious blog post that will occur eventually. I know, it's hard to believe I can be serious. It doesn't happen every 4th blue moon though! Stay tuned.
1. I really enjoyed my week in Oklahoma. The weather was nice almost the entire time. You see, this is very important to someone who has been living in the Arctic for the past 10 months. I just wanted to stretch a blanket out and soak up the sunshine. Oh, and it was great seeing all of my family too!
2. It was great seeing my family and friends while I was home. But I mentioned that already.
3. Ted's. Oh, how I miss you!
4. I have seen the sun the past TWO days. I am nearly beside myself.
5. I have a really incredible husband. He starts my car in the morning, patiently does things that I have run out of time for, and tells me that everything I make is good. I love him.
6. I was marveling today at how much I already love my job. Ok, so sometimes I have a hard time staying awake. And I have a hard time getting up in the morning. Friday afternoons off are amazing, though. And the environment is SO laid back. Everyone does their job, the boss doesn't yell, and the ladies are all really nice. I'm so very thankful for it.
7. I found out yesterday that some friends are going to live just down the road from me when we finally get our house built. I am ECSTATIC.
8. Speaking of our house, the ground is finally thawing. However, there are load limits on the roads until the first part of April, so we are still on hold. Soon, though!
9. I broke my phone. I dropped it and it decided that was the last time it was taking that sort of abuse. The microphone stopped working. I can still text (thank goodness!) but no talking for me. This works out nicely for Cameron. He can call and talk and actually get to say stuff!
10. Random fact: There is a town somewhere (I don't remember now which city/town/village/county I was working on) that felt the need to define family. In this town, a relative is a mother, father, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, grandparent, and great-grandparent. However, more distant relationships such as cousins are not considered family. So, all of you people who have been secretly dying to marry your cousins, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE.
I have not blogged much lately, mostly because when I get home, it's Cameron-and-Linnie time and that doesn't include blogging. I do have a more serious blog post that will occur eventually. I know, it's hard to believe I can be serious. It doesn't happen every 4th blue moon though! Stay tuned.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Nightmares
I'm weird. I know this, but I wanted to make sure that you all know it too. That said, let me explain.
I leave for Oklahoma VERY early Wednesday morning. Now, a 6:30 flight might not sound that early, but I count the 3:30 rising-time and the 4:00 leave-for-the-airport-time in that. It's really an ungodly hour. I picked this flight for two reasons: I wanted to maximize my time in OK and this way Cameron won't have to miss work to take me to the airport. That information was just background; it's not why I'm weird.
I'm weird because: I'm totally excited about going on this trip. I love to travel, and I am very excited about seeing friends and family and going to Ted's and the zoo and hanging out with girls. HOWEVER. I tend to get anxious about things that change my schedule. I just started a new job and that caused all sorts of trauma. Now I'm disrupting that to go home. I have had many nightmares as a result. I dreamed that I had a baby (or, I laid down pregnant in my dream, went to sleep, and woke up with a baby. Too bad that isn't really how it happens!) while Cameron and I were in Oklahoma. I promptly forgot about this baby. I went to the store with Mommy and Grandma and we were shopping along for quite some time before I realized that: a) I had a baby; and, b) I had no idea where this baby was. Thankfully, she (we didn't name her) was with Cameron. Then, we were getting ready to go home, and I was standing in the airport (having already gotten my boarding pass) with a duffel with my stuff, as well as another bag, plus the baby's diaper bag and the baby in her carrier in my arms (superwoman!). Suddenly there was all kinds of stuff that we hadn't packed on a table in front of me and the plane was boarding. I couldn't get Cameron to understand that we needed to hurry and finish packing this stuff, so I just starting shoving stuff into already full bags. At some point during all of this, I lost the baby's bottle. I think I woke up before there were any further developments though. This is only one dream. I dreamed a good friend became part of a cult and couldn't decide if she was going to become the 4th wife of some guy or make some other equally bad decisions. I also dreamed I was on a train and there were bad guys who were on there and I was trying to call the cops and had to hide in a closet. I woke up right before the bad guy found me. Need I go on? Oh, and this is just the last two nights.
I think getting up at 3:30 on Wednesday morning will be a relief. It will mean the anxious anticipation is almost over. I'm SO ready.
I leave for Oklahoma VERY early Wednesday morning. Now, a 6:30 flight might not sound that early, but I count the 3:30 rising-time and the 4:00 leave-for-the-airport-time in that. It's really an ungodly hour. I picked this flight for two reasons: I wanted to maximize my time in OK and this way Cameron won't have to miss work to take me to the airport. That information was just background; it's not why I'm weird.
I'm weird because: I'm totally excited about going on this trip. I love to travel, and I am very excited about seeing friends and family and going to Ted's and the zoo and hanging out with girls. HOWEVER. I tend to get anxious about things that change my schedule. I just started a new job and that caused all sorts of trauma. Now I'm disrupting that to go home. I have had many nightmares as a result. I dreamed that I had a baby (or, I laid down pregnant in my dream, went to sleep, and woke up with a baby. Too bad that isn't really how it happens!) while Cameron and I were in Oklahoma. I promptly forgot about this baby. I went to the store with Mommy and Grandma and we were shopping along for quite some time before I realized that: a) I had a baby; and, b) I had no idea where this baby was. Thankfully, she (we didn't name her) was with Cameron. Then, we were getting ready to go home, and I was standing in the airport (having already gotten my boarding pass) with a duffel with my stuff, as well as another bag, plus the baby's diaper bag and the baby in her carrier in my arms (superwoman!). Suddenly there was all kinds of stuff that we hadn't packed on a table in front of me and the plane was boarding. I couldn't get Cameron to understand that we needed to hurry and finish packing this stuff, so I just starting shoving stuff into already full bags. At some point during all of this, I lost the baby's bottle. I think I woke up before there were any further developments though. This is only one dream. I dreamed a good friend became part of a cult and couldn't decide if she was going to become the 4th wife of some guy or make some other equally bad decisions. I also dreamed I was on a train and there were bad guys who were on there and I was trying to call the cops and had to hide in a closet. I woke up right before the bad guy found me. Need I go on? Oh, and this is just the last two nights.
I think getting up at 3:30 on Wednesday morning will be a relief. It will mean the anxious anticipation is almost over. I'm SO ready.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
New Job
Sometime around fifth grade I decided that I didn't like school. I'm not sure if this was because it wasn't cool to like school, or if I was noticing how socially awkward I was. I didn't really begin to like school again until... well, ever. There were certain aspects of it that I enjoyed, but on a whole I wasn't a fan. This might seem somewhat peculiar since I was considered a "smart kid". I made straight A's, kept on the teachers' good sides, and generally "did well". Let me tell you a secret - I simply knew how to work the system. I became good at reading a teacher's face, seeing the correct answer there. I was exceptional at looking as if I was paying attention, nodding at all the right moments, when really my mind was anywhere else. Somehow I still retained enough knowledge to pass the tests though. (I'm still not sure how that happened.)
I realized recently that I kind of miss school. I felt successful there. I knew what the expectations were and how to exceed them. I was GOOD at taking tests.
I started a new job today. When I interviewed for this job, I was required to take a proof-reading test. The interviewer told me that I did very well on it. I felt successful again. When I was offered the job, I promptly accepted it. There is a lot of information to be absorbed, and training is supposed to last for the next month. The notable things about the training are: there are four of us; it is set up like a classroom (desks in a row, "teacher" at the front lecturing); we have a quiz tomorrow. I found it very hard to resist the sleep that pulled at my eyelids. There is something about a classroom setting that shuts my brain down in a hurry. All in all, though, I think I will really enjoy this job, once I start working.
I realized recently that I kind of miss school. I felt successful there. I knew what the expectations were and how to exceed them. I was GOOD at taking tests.
I started a new job today. When I interviewed for this job, I was required to take a proof-reading test. The interviewer told me that I did very well on it. I felt successful again. When I was offered the job, I promptly accepted it. There is a lot of information to be absorbed, and training is supposed to last for the next month. The notable things about the training are: there are four of us; it is set up like a classroom (desks in a row, "teacher" at the front lecturing); we have a quiz tomorrow. I found it very hard to resist the sleep that pulled at my eyelids. There is something about a classroom setting that shuts my brain down in a hurry. All in all, though, I think I will really enjoy this job, once I start working.
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