Taste of my own....

Sunday night, Joey invited our friends over along with his cousin, her fiancé and their friend, Aaron. Pete, Jenny, Yi and I started discussing language and how our words affect (did I use this right, Meg?) other people. Aaron suddenly chimed in with some scripture. I was taken slightly by surprise and we all ended up having a really good conversation. Then, I started asking him about the church he goes to. Apparently, Sherrie (Joey’s cousin), Vern (her fiancé) and Aaron belong to a very new community church called Red Cedar…something. They all began talking about it and became really excited because they are taking a different approach to reaching people. For the life of me, I can’t remember what the approach is (maybe you can help me, Yi?) but it had something to do with staying in community with everyone else in the church. For example, Sherrie was telling me how someone recently passed away. The whole church knew about it because they are all connected. It wasn’t just a part of the congregation, it was the whole thing.

So, then Aaron asks where we all attend: Riverview. The response was….not as excited. He said he had been a few times but it was just too big...which is fine. I understand Riv can be overwhelming for people. The three of them then began to compare Riverview to their church….making their church look a little better. I smiled and nodded and really listened to them. Or…I tried because of course, I’ve been around the church block a few times and…grrrrrr….Riverview is my home. But something else was happening inside me, too. I realized how I do this to other people when they are talking about their church. I’ll start talking about mine and maybe I won’t directly put their church down (as I have learned not to insult the bride of Christ) but I paint Riv in such a good light that it might turn people off.

So I listened.

But then…

I opened my mouth….

And said….

“Well, I really pray God blesses your church…but what if He blesses it so much that your church grows beyond what you imagined? What then? You lose that small community thing you have now but people are getting saved….which is what happened to Riverview.”

The answer was simple: we will plant other churches in the area.

I smiled as one of them came back and said, “well, maybe that will happen…”

It’s crazy. Sometimes I’m sure lessons cruise right by me but I feel like I’m picking a lot more up before they are leave town. I’ve got another major lesson to share but it will have to wait until another day….

Happy Birthday, Kelly Roo!

The boys got new collars and tags. They are happy.

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend was fantastic. Almost too long to remember.

The weekend started with a half day at work and then a really awesome lunch with my step-dad at Texas Roadhouse. Joey and I went to Dan and Suzanne's for Suz's homemade pizza (delicious!) and then to Sweet Sensations for ice cream. It was fun listening to Jaden's new vocabulary ("sushi") and he also taught me how to play with helicopters. As we were sitting at Sweet Sensations, a really loud motorcycle went by. "Oh..that would be my step-dad," I said.

Saturday, I went running with Melissa. I couldn't believe we did about 3 miles. We could have gone longer but it was so muggy. Joey and I went to the mall for awhile after that and then on to Steve and Katie's wedding. It was beautiful. Hot, but beautiful.

Sunday, we went to church and then to Grandma Corr's for a picnic. After, Jenny, Pete and Yi came over to Joey's to hang out. Seriously, I don't think we need to buy a fire pit. The Koi Pond is way cool and unique. Joey's cousin Sherrie, her fiance Vern and their friend Aaron also came over. We had many interesting conversations around the Koi pond.

Monday, we cruised around town looking for Koi and other cool pet stuff. After a root beer with my dad, we joined the Kranzos and other Riv couples for a grill out.

Good times....

Jaden and Bear at dinner on Friday night.

Steve an Katie's wedding at the English Inn located in Eaton Rapids, MI. Beautiful wedding, you two.

I think this was the chicken dance.

It is not smart to take pictures of people while they are driving at night.

Last Thursday's storm

Joey making paper airplanes for my Sunday School class.

My computer works again, thanks to my friend Peter Awesome. Thanks, Pete (and God).

My mom and her mom (I love this picture)

Another meal at Joey's on Mother's Day

Grandma and Bradley on Mother's Day

Joey and I held an engagement party for Jenny and Peter. This was later in the night when things got a little crazy. Just a little.

Jenny and her mama doing a polka in the living room.

Peter and his groomsmen.

Jennwy and I at her engagement party.

The first tornado watch of the season? No, I feel like we had a freak one in the winter. Anyhow, you must know this girl is excited....

Kids are great.

More sadness in Holt. My prayers go to the family and friends of these two sisters. I cannot imagine. I called my nephew, a classmate of Chelsea's, last night to see if he was doing okay. As we hung up I said, "I love you, Bradley." He said, "I love you, too." I realized it has been years since we have actually said that to each other. The last time he told me, it sounded like, "I wuv you, Howee." Time cannot pass without people knowing I love them...before they are gone. So yeah, I love you, you know.

Melissa and I are going to run in the Angel House 5k in Mason on June 10. I’m excited! I ran 3 miles last night to prepare. Two blisters later, I realize I have a little training to do before the show. Anyhow, if you are interested in running with us or carrying me to Joey's afterward, e-mail me.

Finally….well….almost finally. After tomorrow night, my TV watching will be complete. I had nothing to watch last night (no, I’m not one of those 24 freaks…though I was the first season) and I got so much accomplished. I actually went to bed a little early. Could TV really rule my life like that?

Mondays: Yes, I watch Nanny 911. I love her.

Tuesdays: American Idol. Who is my favorite? I don’t really have one except I did like Elliot. I dig Katherine’s fashion sense. My favorite moment this season was when Mandisa told Simon, “you hurt me and people said I should tell you all sorts of things. But I forgive you and you don’t even need to ask for the forgiveness because I forgive you anyway. If Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, then I can forgive you for yours.” Go girl.

Wednesdays: AI Results show. In the end, I’m not really loyal to either contestant but I have to see how it shakes out.

Thursdays: The Office and ER. I love The Office. Too funny. “Oh…F.” ER has gone down hill but I still hang on for as long as they keep going. I liked their episodes in Darfur. Risky to take the whole show to new ground. I can’t wait to see if Abby makes it and if Kovach lives, too.

Fridays: Nothing. Come on. That’s restaurant and movie night with JAC.

Saturdays: See above.

Sundays: Extreme Home Makeover (yes, I’m a sap), Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy. Now, I do have to say this about DH. I think this season was pitiful. The season finale kind of sucked, too. Creative way of showing each wife moving into the neighborhood and flashing forward to the situation they were in now. Still, it was kind of predictable and tiring. I don’t know if I’ll watch next year (if JAC will let me stop). Oops. Hope I didn’t just rat him out. Both of us really like Grey’s. We end up laughing so hard while watching it. JAC picks up on things better than I do most of the time. He knew the body had live ammo in it. Can’t wait for next season but I’m not rooting for Mer and McDreamy.

And now, back to my regularly scheduled life.

Evolution, Sex and Clothes

So I had a thought last week as I removed my toenail polish. I was thinking about Evolution and how I just cannot figure out how we came from apes or amebas or whatever we “evolved” from. There are so many reasons why humans could not have evolved but suddenly it seemed so clear for just one main reason: sex. Okay, follow me here. I know this is not an original thought but it seemed like I was being given an insight into something no one had thought of before. Somehow, we evolved into male and female. We evolved so perfectly that (for the most part) there are not any in-between sexes. You fall into one category or the other. How did nature decide that?

Now, for our species to survive, we have to procreate. Sex. How could this process be so perfect? Our male and female parts fit. But there’s more. Sex feels good. So good, in fact, we seek it all the time. How could pleasurable sex evolve? The answer is so obvious.

God created sex for us to multiply. But He had to make sex something we would want to do. He also wanted us to do it often with our spouse. He made it good so we would stay together forever. I remember Noel teaching on sex. He made a good point when he said we could have been amebas that just split off from the main body. There didn’t have to be a human connection. There didn’t have to be sex.

Another point: Clothes. Hang with me. This is going somewhere. If evolution starts with the Big Band Theory, Creationism starts with God. He made Adam. He gave Adam millions of animals. Adam was still lonely. God pulled Eve from Adam’s middle. They had each other but they also had God. They were naked and not ashamed because they didn’t know what naked meant. God told them exactly who they were. Then, Satan deceived them, telling the pair they could be as great as God. They bit and immediately knew they were naked. The relationship with God was broken. God would no longer tell them who they were. Adam and Eve realized they were naked and they felt shame. They tried to clothe themselves but failed. God had to kill an animal to clothe them. In Searching For God Knows What, Donald Miller sums all of this up: Evolution may explain how we came from apes, but it does nothing to explain why we wear clothes.

Yeah. So, who told us to start wearing clothes? Who told us it was shameful to be naked? Why is it a deep seeded notion that we must wear clothes? Sure, society tells us but where and why did this…evolve?

Must have been the nail polish remover….

BORN AGAIN! WHAT HAPPENED?

Written by someone else

BORN AGAIN! WHAT HAPPENED?

     The new birth is as real as the first birth.  The Lord Jesus Christ said to Nicodemus, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6)."

     When a child is born into the world, a new life comes into existence.  This life has a human nature, which is sinful.  It is therefore subject to death.  This is the birth that Jesus called "the flesh" and the result of that birth is flesh.  This life cannot change its nature.  It is as the grass that withers, and as a flower that falls away (I Peter 1:24).  To be saved does not mean that this life which is born of the flesh is changed or made over.  This cannot happen, for its nature cannot be changed.  That is the condition that makes the new birth imperative.  The only thing God can do with the flesh is to judge it, and judgment results in condemnation and execution (Romans 8:3, Galatians 2:19: Romans 6:6).

     The new birth is a birth of the Spirit.  It is to be "...born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13)."  Peter says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever (I Peter 1:23)."  This seed not only lives forever, but it has also been revealed that it remains in the one who is born of God (I John 3:9).  Such a life must be eternal and that is what Jesus said it is (John 3:16).  That life which is eternal cannot die.  All who are born of incorruptible seed have an incorruptible nature and have eternal life.  It is impossible for such to be lost, for that would mean the corruption of the divine nature and the death of that which cannot die.  By the new birth, one who has already been born into the human race is born into the Spiritual realm, that is, the Kingdom of God.  This is the only way to see or enter that realm (John 3:3,5).

     "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17)."  This verse speaks of the old conditions, which existed for the unsaved man, as passed away, and behold, all brand new conditions exist for the saved man - the one who is born again.

     When the new birth takes place many irreversible things take place.  The Bible states that the one who is born again has:

1)     Received everlasting life (John 3:16)
2)     Been born again (I John 5:1)
3)     Been born of incorruptible seed (I Peter 1:23)
4)     This incorruptible seed remaining in him (I John 3:9)
5)     Become a son of God (John 1:12)
6)     Become a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17)
7)     Been passed from death unto life (John 5:24)
8)     Been exempted from future condemnation (John 5:24)
9)     Been redeemed from under the law (Galatians 4:5)
10)     Been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 4:5)
11)     Become dead to the law (Romans 7:4)
12)     Received an eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12)
13)     Been reconciled to God (II Corinthians 5:18)
14)     Peace with God (Romans 5:1)
15)     Been justified (Romans 5:1)
16)     All trespasses forgiven him (Colossians 2:13)
17)     Been delivered from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13)
18)     Been translated into the kingdom of the Son of God (Colossians 1:13)
19)     Been perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14)
20)     His sins no more remembered (Hebrews 10:17)
21)     His sins removed as far as the East is from the West (Psalms 103:12)
22)     Been made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
23)     Been accepted of God (Ephesians 1:6)
24)     Been born of the Spirit of God (John 3:6)
25)     Been baptized by the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 12:13)
26)     Been indwelt by the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 6:19-20)
27)     Been sealed with God's Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
28)     Become the object of God's love (Ephesians 2:4)
29)     Become the object of God's grace (Romans 6:14)
30)     Become the object of God's power (Ephesians 1:19)
31)     Become the object of God's faithfulness (I Corinthians 1:9)
32)     Become a citizen of heaven (Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20)
33)     Been seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6)
34)     Been already glorified (Romans 8:30)
35)     Been given a home in heaven (John 14:1-3)
36)     Been kept by the power of God (I Peter 1:5)
37)     Been crucified with Christ (Galatians (2:20)
38)     Been buried with Christ (Romans 6:4)
39)     Been resurrected with Christ (Ephesians 2:6)

     All of the above plus many other things are true about one who has trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior and as a result become born-again.  Not a single individual who has been born into the human race has been able to remove himself from it.  Many have committed suicide, but all they have done is to shorten the days of their earthly existence.  Their existence still continues on and on into the eternity of the future.  Still some teach that one who has been saved can be lost.  By analogy with the human race, this is impossible.  A person cannot become unborn physically, nor can he become unborn spiritually.  No provision is given in the Word of God for one to become unborn.  "That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of Spirit is spirit (John 3:6)."

     One only becomes born-again once.  Nowhere does this imply that you become born again, then unborn, then born again, then unborn, and so on.  Once you trust Christ and are born-again all of the above list of things happen to you.  If you could be unborn, all would have to be made void, but all of the above list is eternal and irreversible.

     Jesus promised the believer, "...I will in no wise cast you out (John 6:37)."  Also, Jesus said of those that are saved, "...I should lose nothing, but should raise it (them) up again at the last day (John 6:39)."  Jesus promised that he would never lose a person who was saved.  If one person were ever lost after having been born-again, then Jesus would be a liar.  Friend, that can never happen.  (See Titus 1:2).

     The only ground upon which God does anything for man is the gift of His Own Son.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE (John 3:16)."

What happened when you trusted Christ?  At least 39 things happened that make it impossible for you to ever be lost!  Praise the Lord!

Uh oh

I started my computer last night and this is the message I got:

Unmountable_Boot_Volume
*Check for new hardware or software (as far as I know, I haven’t loaded anything new in awhile)
*Disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software (again, nothing new)
*Disable Bios memory options such as caching or shadowing (I don’t know what this means)
*Use safe mode to remove or disable components.

Tech info
Stop: 0x000000ED (0x83b8d900, 0xC000009C, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

Does anyone know what this means? Is it serious? Be straight up. I’m on the edge.

Submission and Authority

I have a fantastic relationship with my pastors. Two of them I know well, two others I talk to and have taken classes from and the fifth I don't see often but he's so darn nice and I want to know him better. Like I said, two of these pastors I'm really close to. It's crazy because our church is so big but the reason I think we are close is because I reach out. I don't leave it all up to them. I e-mail them questions sometimes during the week and they respond at lightning speed. Well, this is what happens when a quote a pastor has posted really strikes you and you e-mail them a question about it. I don't know who this friend is of Noel's but wow, buddy, I think the friend got the question answered and then some. See, I don't struggle with submission the way I used to. When I stopped giving it a negative connotation, it felt better. There were also other areas about submission I've needed cleared up. All of this, and a really long entry from Job, made it crystal. I know this might upset some of you out there. Take a chance and comment your thoughts. I miss comments.

Thanks


Submission and Authority
//MOOD: Authoritative //ITUNES: King Of Birds from the album "Document" by R.E.M.

After my previous "Quote of the Day" post, I got an email from a friend with a great question that I felt deserved a full post as a response.
Here was the quote, for the record:
"There is no such thing as submission until you disagree." -Mark Driscoll

Now here's the email I got from my friend:
Is Mark saying that first I had to disagree with an idea before I submitted to it? Otherwise, I wouldn't really be giving myself over to authority? I would just be in agreement with authority? I’m not sure why I’m not getting it but for some reason, I want to…really bad. There are many areas I agree with God but there are many more I disagree. My humanness doesn't want to believe it is the way God says it is in the Bible. However, I have learned to submit to God and die to my opinion rights. I also believe that just because I feel a certain way doesn't make it so. What makes it so is that God said it was and my faith in His righteousness causes me to submit to the ideas I might disagree with. Father knows best. Is that what Mark is saying? Or am I way off the…..Mark?

Great thought / question. Let me tackle your specific thoughts, and then I will add a few of my own.

Is Mark saying that first I had to disagree with an idea before I submitted to it?
I don't believe that is what he is saying. Rather, he is saying that submission occurs when you have a difference of opinion and you choose to submit to someone else and go with their decision.
Here's an example from my life. At Riverview, we have a plurality of elders (pastors) leading the church. What that means is that none of us is the "Senior Pastor," rather we all share the authority, burden, etc. of leading the church. Each of us must submit to the others, and in that sense the other elders are an authority in my life.

This week, we were having an email dialog about something operational at the church. It wasn't a big deal, but we had some disagreement over the right course of action. I was the lone voice for one position, the other guys represented the polar-opposite position. After hearing their opinions, I submitted to them and said, "OK, we'll do it your way."
Do I think they were right?
Nope. I still think I am right on this one.
Will I back their decision?
Yup.
Will I tell you what the issue was?
Nope.
Why not?
Because submission occurs when I rank my will below the will of another. In this case, my co-pastors.
Will I gloat when I end up being right?
Probably, but that will be a sin and I will need to repent. (ha ha...that made me laugh, Noel)

There are many areas I agree with God but there are many more I disagree. My humaness doesn't want to believe it is the way God says it is in the Bible. However, I have learned to submit to God and die to my opinion rights.
Precisely. If you agreed with God in everything He said, you would be God, too. There are times when I encounter something in the Bible that I don't like. And beyond that, there are times I encounter something in the Bible that I intellectually disagree with.
What am I to do then?
Submit.
I love it when God says to Job (It's in Job 38-40 and this is a long passage, but well worth the read):
Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Do you know how its dimensions were determined and who did the surveying? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (I had to cut this down but click here to read the full account.) Then the LORD said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God's critic, but do you have the answers?”
Even better is Job's response:
Then Job replied to the LORD, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will put my hand over my mouth in silence. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”

In other words:
God = Freakin' Huge and All Knowing
Me = Piss Ant and Ignorant

So with God, more than anyone, I must submit. If I truly believe He is God and the Bible is His word, I will submit to it even when I disagree with it. Even when it makes me uncomfortable. Even when it violates my "emotional well-being."

Wow...is anyone still with me? This might be my longest post ever...and it's about to get longer...(Post a comment if you have read this far...I'm just curious if anyone is still with me...)
I also believe that just because I feel a certain way doesn't make it so. What makes it so is that God said it was and my faith in His righteousness causes me to submit to the ideas I might disagree with. Father knows best. Is that what Mark is saying? Or am I way off the…..Mark?
You nailed it. Perfect.
But now I take it to the next level: authority.
We live in a culture that denies authority. We mock authority. And we like to say "Question Authority" when what we really mean is "Usurp Authority."
But the Bible talks a lot about authority. We are all under authority. Even Jesus is under authority. And we realize what we are made of when we disagree with that authority and we are faced with the choice to submit or not to submit to it. Here are some areas of authority and submission.

God Has Authority Over Everything
Romans 9:20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to criticize God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makedoesn'ts out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 God has every right to exercise his judgment and his power, but he also has the right to be very patient with those who are the objects of his judgment and are fit only for destruction. 23 He also has the right to pour out the riches of his glory upon those he prepared to be the objects of his mercy.

Jesus (who is equal to God) Submits to God's Authority
Matthew 11:27 “My Father has given me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
John 4:34 Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

We are to Submit to our Spiritual Leaders
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

Wives are to Submit to their Husbands
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Children are to Submit to their Parents
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.

We are all to Submit to our Government
Romans 13:1 Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God.

We are all to Submit to all Authorities in our Lives
1Peter 2:13-14 For the Lord’s sake, accept all authority—the king as head of state, and the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish all who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

Now, with all of this, we must recognize God as the ultimate authority; the ultimate trump card. Like Peter said,
Acts 5:29 “We must obey God rather than human authority."
But we have to be careful where we throw that one around. We better make sure we are standing on one of God's absolutes if we pull it out.

Well...I think I have rambled enough. My friend's email made me think of all this stuff and I just decided to throw it out there.
Peace out, Homeys.
Technorati Tags: authority, church, leadershipnetwork
Posted by Noel at 04:43 PM

The reasons people give for not believing in God often boil down to something they want God to do to prove Himself. Sadly, in making “to do” lists for God, we miss seeing the countless things He has already done. Even people who lived near Jesus and who witnessed His miracles asked for more proof. Comparing Jesus to Moses, they asked, “what sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?...Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:30-31).

The startling thing about their request is that just one day earlier Jesus had indeed given them bread. He had fed 5,000 of them with the bread from one boy’s lunch! Had we been in Jesus’ place, we may have replied, “what about the bread I fed you yesterday (idiots)?” But Jesus used the moment to teach them, “I am the bread of life” (v35).

Instead of waiting in doubt and disappointment for God to do the one thing we demand of Him, let’s take the time to look at everything God has already done.

–Julie Ackerman Link

There is a new radio station in Detroit where you call or send them your 5 favorite songs and they'll play them. That is the format. 106.7Needshelp.com


Here is a list of some of the songs they just played:

Charlie Daniels Band -The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Tracy Lawrence - As Any Fool Can See
Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel the Noise
Gary Allan - Songs About Rain
Judas Priest - Some Heads are Gonna Roll
Tim McGraw - The Cowboy in Me
Ratt - Round and Round
Toby Keith - A Little Too Late
Motley Crue - Looks That Kill
Keith Urban - Tonight I Wanna Cry
Guns N' Roses - Live and Let Die
Brooks & Dunn - Red Dirt Road
Foreigner - Juke Box Hero
Rascal Flatts - Bless the Broken Road

This is a good thing in my world. A real mix.

Something funny

WARNING--THIS IS GROSS.

Okay so, earlier today, I stopped by Joey's to warm up my chai in the microwave before I went to the baseball game. I let the dogs go potty and then I called them in as I waited for the chai. Cain came in and looked at me funny. Suddenly, he started scooting his butt across the kitchen floor. I yelled at him to stop and immediately put both dogs in the kennel. I went back for the chai and....do I really have to tell you what was streaked across the floor? Animals are gross. I pretended to be an adult and grabbed some Lysol wipes. Problem is disinfected.

Hours later, Joey and I are watching TV when Cain pulls the butt scooting thing again. Joey yells at him and gets up to take a look. "Holl, go get me a paper towel...quick!" I didn't want to look so I took off into the dining room. Socks...wood floors...the corner came so quickly yet everything was in slow motion...whamo. I bit it. I was laughing so hard I was crying. I couldn't get up because wood floors = hard landing. Joey was yelling from the living room, "sweetie, are you okay?!" I couldn't stop laughing. Then he yelled, "Um, could you please hurry and get the paper towel? Something's coming out of Cain's butt and it's gross." I grabbed the paper towel and handed it over. As Joey pulled whatever it was out of Cain's behind, he started gagging and spitting. I got a plastic bag and he threw the paper towel into it...and then he threw up. Well, not really but he ran to the sink and was spitting a lot.

So, what was in Cain's butt? I don't know. Joey said it might have been a clump of grass. Animals are gross.

Guess what?







It's raining.

I just got done watching the season finale of ER. Pratt, one of the doctors, was standing next to Neela, another doctor, at the gravesite of Neela's recently deceased husband. Neela said, "will I ever get over this?" Pratt said, "no, but you'll put it somewhere and learn how to live with it because that's all you can do." I thought, "huh....wow. That was kind of deep."

Yi, I'll call you tomorrow. Miss you, love.

My buddy and fellow Star Wars lover, Blaine, sent this to me. Then, I saw it on Noel's site. Still, this is so good, I had to post.

PDL

Every day, my friend and co-worker Dana sends me a Purpose Driven Life quote from her daily calendar. Wow. These always make me think:

05/17/06
One of the ways God measures spiritual maturity is by the quality of your relationships. In heaven God won’t say, “Tell me about your career, your bank account, and your hobbies.” Instead he will review how you treated other people, particularly those in need. Jesus said…”Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40 NRSV).

05/11/06
God wants you to be in regular, close fellowship with other believers so you can develop the skill of loving. Love cannot be learned in isolation. You have to be around people—irritating, imperfect, frustrating people.

I love that....irritating, imperfect and frustrating. I know I am that to people. I know people are that to me. Isn't it great when you understand that things can be less than perfect? So much weight lifted off our shoulders. I've found the older I get, the more I'm able to say, "oops. I screwed up." I have a quote hanging in my cube which states this:

The next time you feel compelled to bawl someone out or judge them too harshly, take a deep breath and remember to 'give 'em a break.' Who knows, maybe the next time you perform less than perfectly, someone will give you a break, too."

I wish some of my co-workers...friends...family members could live by this. Sometimes it's difficult to be me in my situations....sometimes it's difficult to know me and my situations. I take it and I dish it out. I guess my revelation is that I recognize my behavior and God is helping me see so many things I need to fix and apologize for.

Let me know if you want to get these daily PDLs. I'll hook you up.

I just read two articles my step-mom sent me. I feel sick...on so many levels....

Ricky Holland's Mom
Face Men

The Left Behind Series

So, I just finished the last book of the entire Left Behind series. What can I say about it? I know many of my friends who dog the series and yes, I can see why. It was really cheesy and seemed to be written at a third grade level at times. I almost stopped reading it after the second book but the authors had a way of making me want to follow them through to the end. My curiosity won out. I started reading the series when a co-worker bought me the first book. It took me a few months to pick it up and then took me a few months to finish it but after that, I was hooked. I started in August and ended two days ago. These books taught me so much about end times…random facts. They also tried to explain the judgments and offer varying interpretations. This series also got me through some tough times over these past months. They became like a reliable friend I could turn to at the end of the day when everything else felt like it was going down the pooper. So who is really to say this series sucks? Anyone. Freedom of opinion. I do believe we need to be careful because these books have brought many people to Christ. There is a lot of “Christiany Cheese” out there but if it brings someone to the Lord, who am I to judge...ever? (please don’t ever ask me to listen to a recording of a choir, though…gives me the willies….I like choirs in person but no way on a recording...not sure what it is...).

More Songs About Rain

Okay…since the rain really hasn’t stopped, I thought I’d throw out some more songs about rain:

Barefoot children in the rain Got no need to explain We'd be swingin' on a ball and chain It's always understood by those who play the game Barefoot children in the rain
~Jimmy Buffett

Well, I love a rainy nightI love a rainy nightI love to hear the thunderWatch the lightningWhen it lights up the skyYou know it makes me feel good
~Eddie Rabbit

Raindrops keep falling on my head... And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed, nothing seems to fit. Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling.
~BJ Thomas (submitted by Peter Awesome)

Here comes the rain again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion~ Eurythmics

Me: Hey, everyone...look! It's raining!!!!
Co-workers: Real funny, Holly.

When is it going to flippin stop raining already? This does give me a great excuse to sing some of my favorite "rain" songs.

"Blame it on the rain, yeah, yeah...blame it on the sun that didn't shine at night....whatever you do, don't put the blame on you..." What great advice for life, you know? Milli Vinilli had such great perspective. It really worked when I was 14.

Suddenly, I can't remember any more rain songs. Grrrr....time to go home...

My sister and niece in front of the windmill.

I love tulips. They are my favorite flower. I know this is a lame picture of me but you can see all the beautiful colors God creates....wait...He created me, too :o)

My sister and I took my niece to Holland, MI for Tulip Time. Behind Lyndsay is a working windmill which really came from Amsterdam. There are bullet holes from WWII in the blades. An American soilder hid from the Nazi army in this windmill. Years later, he reunited with his place of refuge in Holland, MI.

Does it look good on me?

We went wine tasting last Sunday in the Jackson area. This is at Cherry Creek. Check it out some time :0)

Mulch pile...oh, how you mock me. I regret the day you came into my life but I remember it so well. You survived the spring, you survived the winter and now, when I come near you, you make me cry, sneeze and nauseous. I will have the last laugh, mulch pile. You, my friend, are going down.

SETTING: Target--Chips aisle
MISSION: Buy snacks for the Presbyterian Lock In.
Holly: (sees non-name brand chips on top shelf and stands on tip toes to reach them)
Joey: (standing behind the cart watching): Need help?
Holly: No....(grrrrr).....I got it.
Joey: Let me help you.
Holly: You aren't much taller than I am.
Joey: (Moves Holly out of the way) Yeah, but I don't want you to hurt your nails.

I don't care who you are, that's sweet...and weird.

Which Tire Is It?

From Our Daily Bread

One sunny day, four high school boys couldn’t resist the temptation to skip classes. The next morning they explained to their teacher that they had missed her class because their car had a flat tire. To their relief, she smiled and said, “well, you missed a quiz yesterday.” But then she added, “Take your seats and get out a pencil and paper. The first question is: Which tire was flat?”

No one gets away with lying. In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira thought they were lying only to Peter and the other believers. But the apostle said to them, “You have not lied to men but to God” (v.4).

Truth is one of the attributes of God. So when we tell a lie, we offend Him. And sooner or later He will uncover every falsehood—if not in this life, then at the final judgment, when we each give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:10-12).

We live in a highly competitive world, and sometimes we may be strongly tempted to shade the truth to get ahead. But the short-term gains from lying are worth little compared with the long-term benefits of telling the truth.

If you have deceived someone, confess it to that person and to the Lord. It may be humbling, but it’s the first step to restoring integrity in your life. –Dennis De Haan

If you always tell the truth, you will never be trapped in a lie.

Sometimes the truth bites, stings and crushes us. We have all been lied to and when the truth is eventually revealed, it causes such a deep pain and distrust.

We have all lied to someone. Perhaps we wanted to spare them the pain we are well aware of or maybe we are trying to escape pain ourselves. Why is it so hard to be truthful? Even the little white lies aren’t little at all.

In RivKids, we drew a scale from 1 to 10 and told stories with different lies in them. We then asked the kids where the lie fell. If it was a little lie, the kids were to give it a rating of 1. If it was a big lie, the kids were to give it a 10. In the end, all of the lies, little and huge, were rated as a 10 because that is how God sees it: a lie is a lie is a lie.

Because we have been the victim and the criminal we know both sides. I am not perfect. When I have been squeezed, I’ve lied. My lies are always revealed to teach me a lesson. A friend of mine recently did something deceitful. It wasn’t malicious, it wasn’t premeditated. It was an error of judgment. When confronted about his actions, my friend could have lied but he didn’t. He risked his career when he admitted the truth. He risked his reputation. In fact, when I found out he told the truth, my jaw dropped. I don’t know if I could have done the same. It is my weakness to hide from the truth sometimes. But this friend of mine has taught me a lesson. By committing the deceitful act, he may have caused people to second-guess his morals but by admitting the truth, he restored his integrity.