Convicted...

Today's sermon was about how we need to follow Jesus instead of ourselves or anyone else. One example given was about how this rice farmer guy's paddy kept being drained overnight because his neighbor was stealing water from him to water his own paddy. What he ended up doing was probably pretty much was Jesus would have done...he made sure his neighbor's paddy was watered first, then filled his own. Basically thinking about others' needs before our own. Not a new concept to anyone, I am sure. But it sure hit me right where it counts. These past at least 6 months I have been thinking more and more about how living at Dad's affects me, annoys me, frustrates me, etc. etc. Instead of thinking about how I can serve Dad, how I can make life easier here for him. We have invaded HIS home. We have taken over HIS space. What can I do to make things easier for him? That should be the question I ask myself EVERY SINGLE DAY. And the only way that will EVER happen is through prayer. Clearly I have not brought this to God, because perhaps if I had I would not be where I am now. It just always seemed a silly thing to worry about, to pray about. But it has gotten to a not-so-silly point, a point to where I feel trapped like an animal in my own home sometimes.

But maybe that's how Dad feels, too.

Shrinky Dinks...Terrible Name, Great Craft!

I went over to my friend Becky's house the other day, and she and her sister and all their kids were busy doing Shrinky Dinks. I remember when I was a kid, one year I got glow-in-the-dark Shrinky Dinks for my birthday. They were AWESOME. Now, as a mom who HATES (that might be too gentle a word for it) messy craft projects unless I am the one making the mess, they are even MORE awesome. There is pretty much no mess involved with Shrinky Dinks, and it turns out even I can make cool things with them as well. I had no idea what I was going to make, but I ended up making a pretty fabulous pair of earrings out of said Shrinky Dinks. Aside from the no-mess factor, the other cool thing about them is that they are mostly transparent. If you make one that you like, you can easily trace it onto the other one to make a matching pair. I have now made four pair of really sweet earrings, and am looking forward to making many more. This may turn out to be the best craft discovery of all time for me. Thank you, Becky, for reintroducing me to Shrinky Dinks. Terrible name, great craft. Woot woot!

Early Late 30s...also known as 37.

So my birthday is coming up in less than a week. I will officially be in my early late 30s, meaning 37 years old. A week or so ago someone was shocked to hear that I was a day older than 23. It's funny, I suppose it depends on who you are around. One time while picking up Penelope at preschool this year, one of her friends said, "Are you her grandmother?" That was a good day. Mulled that one around in my head for quite some time. Or just how OLD I feel sometimes. I have a freaking 11.5 year old son. Wasn't I just 11.5 years old? What did I like to do when I was 11.5? Hmmm. 11.5. That was 6th grade. Sixth grade. What a mess. I had like no friends, the boys basketball team referred to me as "Bull" because of the way I played, I didn't have a boyfriend. Awesome. Right now let's take a look at my life. Unemployed, two kids, living with my father-in-law. Hardly any friends. Doesn't look like a whole lot has changed.

Well, my favourite dessert has changed. I now like Key Lime Pie as my birthday treat. I also require medication to sleep at night. I wonder if I will eventually require medication to wake up. So far that has not been a problem.

I think I should go to bed. Ambien will see to it that I forget I blogged and that you should remind me by commenting tomorrow. Thanks in advance!