I’M MOVING!!!!

“Where to?” I hear you asking. “Didn’t you just get into the internship you wanted–in Lincoln? Why would you move?”

Calm down–you’re right. I did get into the internship I wanted, in Lincoln–which means I won’t have to move from the wonderful house I currently rent. Instead, I’m moving out of my craft room and completely into my bedroom.

You see, my sister and I have long desired that our home could be a place of ministry–and we both want to be wise with the resources God has given us. So, we have decided to find another roommate–someone who would be able to use my current craft room. That will enable us to stay here and serve a couple of Anna’s classmates who have only a few rotations here in Lincoln–just long enough to need a place to live, just short enough that it’s not feasible to keep an apartment of their own.

So Anna will be cleaning out her room and adding a second bed for when her classmates are in town, and I’m moving entirely into my bedroom.

I’m glad I’ll have a while to work on it though–I have tons of stuff. But I’m pretty pleased with my initial desk setup. Check it out:

Picture of bedroom

I know: the desk is pretty bare (I moved it right before work, okay?), there are books under the computer desk (I pulled it from the trash a while back and part of the shelf underneath is broken), the corner is bare (I’m planning on making a little shelf for that space), there’s a lot of exposed cardboard about (I’ve got some contact paper to cover it with–just be patient), and there’s junk on the floor in the foreground (It was a snap decision to start moving today–and I didn’t really bother to clean anything before I moved it.)–but even so, I think it has potential.


The Principle of Patience

How often do you and I decide that we need something and run out immediately to buy it–only to discover that we already had something that could have fit the bill or that the same item went on sale only a week later? I can’t say how often I’ve done so. Or how often I’ve seen something neat at the store and bought it on the spot–only to arrive home to find that it doesn’t fit, or I have a similar one already, or my sister (and roommate) just bought the same thing.

We’ve been studying finances at church in the last few weeks, and the one thing that has most impressed me has been the practical idea of just waiting before making a purchase. I’m choosing to call it the principle of patience. It’s choosing to say, “I won’t die if I don’t get this right now. How about I just sit on it for a week before making the decision to purchase it?”

The principle of patience has served me well in the past:

When I made my sink caddy earlier this month, I had intended to purchase one but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Then I discovered that I could make one for a lot cheaper.

I found a neat gravity feed can rack

at the Container Store and fell in love with it. I searched our local discount stores and couldn’t find one–so, rather than purchase one online, I made one from cardboard and contact paper for a fraction of the price.

cardboard can rack

My mattress is a bit old and has a sunk-in center–such that I’m constantly being poked by the springs when I’m trying to get to sleep. I’ve been contemplating buying a new mattress, or at least a foam mattress topper. Then, last night, I had an “Eureka!” moment. It just so happens that we have a futon mattress that we’re not currently using–a relatively thin mattress. And it just so happens that I can place that mattress right on top of mine and just do the bed up on top of it–and it works great! I can have a comfortable night of sleep.

I could have searched for a “priceless” (i.e. very expensive after interest) experience using Mastercard–or I can practice a truly priceless principle: Patience. And patience, unlike Mastercard, generally pays YOU in the end.


Matched

12:01 this morning, the results to the Dietetic Internship Computer Matching became available.

I was up to check them.

What I didn’t count on was that every other person who signed up for computer matching would also be up to check them.

Which meant the website would be overloaded with traffic.

It took 5 minutes to be able to access the main page, 10 more to access the login page. Once I had the login page, I had to type in my login several times and submit it again as each attempt timed out.

Anna came to ask me how it turned out at 12:18. I had to tell her I didn’t know yet. So she stood behind me for the next 7 minutes until the operation went through and I was able to access my matching page.

This is what I saw…

Match screenshot

I read it aloud, hardly believing it was true. But there it was, in black and white: “I am pleased to inform you that you have been appointed (computer matched) to University of Nebraska, Lincoln.”

There it is guys. I’ve been computer matched to UNL. TO UNL! I can’t believe it. I hoped that it would be true. I prayed that it would be true. I thought of how everything else I thought God had been saying lined up with it. But I couldn’t let myself believe that it might be true. I couldn’t just assume that it would be so. But it is! It’s true. I’ve been appointed to UNL!

Jason encouraged me tonight at home group to wait until Tuesday to respond–to take my full two days to pray about it. And I will–but I’ve been matched to UNL! My heart’s desire, right there.

Wow, God. That’s all I can say. Wow. I hardly wanted to hope it was possible. But it’s true. Now for the rest–the rest that God will supply just as He has this. Roommate decisions. Mexico. Learning Spanish. When to quit my job. Grad Assistantship or Not. Filing for financial aid again. God will supply.

Not that He wouldn’t have if I’d been matched to either of the other programs. But it is nice to have my desires line up with my appointment. Very nice indeed.

I’ve been delighting
But I’m not sighting
Where are those dreams
You said You’d fulfill?

Forgive me for my lack of faith. Sometimes I just have to wait for you to unveil the dreams–each one in its proper time.


I don’t know…You Choose…

The problem with blogging is that sometimes you don’t have anything truly spectacular to write about–and sometimes you have lots of ideas but aren’t sure which one is the real “stand out” idea. Or you have lots of ideas from yesterday–or a week ago–that you didn’t write about then because something else came up. But now they’re too old–nobody’ll be interested anymore, will they?

Take for instance, today’s options:
–Have a Happy Pill
–Football Saturdays: Flashback (or Forward?) to Fall
–Every morning when I make my oatmeal…
–How does my garden grow?
–I can’t tell whether to be excited or scared
–Makeshift car repair: a do-it-yourself manual

So, what would you like to hear about? E-mail me at my webmaster account (or my normal address if you happen to know it) and let me know. I’ll write about it next time I don’t have anything to write about ;-)


He believed God

Abram was something around 80 years old and childless when God told him he that his descendants would be as the stars of the sky. Abram’s wife, Sarai, was about 70. But Abram “believed in the Lord, and He (God) accounted it to him (Abram) for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) About 20 years passed before God made good on His promise. But He did.

There rests one of the hardest parts of the Christian walk–believing in the Lord. Can I take God at His word, even when life doesn’t seem to confirm that it’s true? Can I trust God when He takes twenty years to make good on His promise? Too often, I lose heart–focusing on the unfulfilled promise and asking God why.

A few months ago, I wrote this song about that struggle–and as a submission of faith. I believe You Lord, even when I don’t see. I am clay–have Your way. Speak Your word, I will obey.

I am clay: Please forgive the rudeness of this recording–there’s only so much I can do with my rudimentary recording tools here at home.


Taxes are already done…

so I’ve been spending the day working on other projects.

The kitchen is done

I’ve been working along with flylady over the past couple of weeks, faithfully working each zone. Well, last week’s zone was the kitchen. I cleaned the appliances, the cupboards, the faucet, the countertops. I decluttered a bit. And, of course, I’ve been keeping the sink shining and have faithfully washed (and put away) my dishes. But a blight has remained on the landscape of my kitchen–the floor. I haven’t mopped it for months. And you can tell. At least, you could until this morning. I scrubbed the floor and boy does it look nice!

kitchen

To paraphrase a woman I read about long ago, whose name I no longer remember:
“The kitchen is done.”

The laundry is done

I rigged up a clothesline in my backyard and Mom’s and did some laundry today. The wind was blowing and the sun was shining–and my laundry dried more quickly than it would have in the dryer!

Laundry on Line

While putting away the laundry, I made organizers for a few more of my drawers–and made my bed with sheets that smell like sunshine!

Drawer Organizer
Fully Made Bed

A couple of quilt tops are done

Nine years ago, I purchased fabric and started cutting pieces for a quilt. Today, I finished marking the top for quilting. All I have to do now is quilt and finish it.

Quilt top

Three days ago, I started a baby quilt for one of the couples in our church who are having a baby. Today, I finished the top of the quilt. All I have to do now is quilt and finish it.

Baby quilt top

Completion–it feels nice–no matter how long it took to get there.

The garden is ready

I decided that I want to plant a garden this year–not a big one like I’ve tried in the past (and desperately failed at)–just a little one. So today I went out and emptied a little plot of its volcanic rocks, took out a volunteer tree, and prepared the area for planting.

garden plot

I plan on planting radishes, spinach, and lettuce tomorrow.

Flylady surprise challenge accomplished

Flylady sent a surprise challenge today–go through the house and find everything you’ve borrowed from someone and return it. I returned these 9 items to Mom and Dad.

Items returned to Mom and Dad

Groceries, check

I’ve had the fabric to make some grocery bags sitting in my craft room for a while. Today, I finally made one–and promptly used it at Walmart. I then emptied its contents into a box and used it at SuperSaver for my groceries.

Grocery bags filled with stuff

I’m quite pleased with it–now I just have to make the matching one so I can take care of those “stock up” trips. Earth Mother I am!

Miscellany–what else I did today

I got some flowers at Walmart and transplanted them into a bucket I’d cut drainage holes into. I plan on sticking it out by the bench in the walk–but for now I’m leaving it indoors overnight. I’m not sure about the protocol for transplanting and immediately exposing to the cold.

Flowers in a bucket

Aside from that, all I did today was:
–Read a few chapters of Rediscovering Birth
–Do my devotions
–Lubricate the back sliding door
–Pay the Sprint bill
–Put away my winter clothes
–Do some general tidying
–Take out some trash
–Begin a “give away” pile
–Dry out my Bible after getting it wet
–Prepare and eat a couple of meals

It was a pretty productive day. And now I’m tired, so I’m gonna go to sleep. ;-)


MY Dance

Our pastor’s son, Brandon, mentioned to me a while back that his sister Ashley had been imitating me during worship. When I sat a bit further back than normal on Easter Sunday, I noticed this same phenomenon.

Ashley

I recognized the rhythms of her dance, the movement of her arms and hands. She was dancing my dance before the Lord.

It’s a great and awesome responsibility to be a role model for a young child. Jesus said “whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” Little children are born imitators–when they imitate me, do they see a walk of uprightness or do they stumble because of me?

It’s a sobering thought. Ashley watches and imitates every sway of my arms, every swish of my hips. She imitates me as I bow or kneel. When I twirl, so does she. So what does she learn as she imitates me?

Does she learn the greatness and worthiness of God as she imitates my worship? Does she see His love as we dance together? Does she follow a life of devotion to the King? Or does she see exhibition, inhibition, or insincerity? Do I put a stumbling block in the way of my little imitator, or am I letting this little one come unto Christ?

Lord, grant that I, like Paul, could say “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ.”


A Place for Everything…

I’m not normally in the habit of showing off my underwear–but this you’ve got to see.

Organized Underwear drawer

I’ve caught the organizing bug and I don’t know how long it’ll take to shed it–but my underwear drawer is likely to stay organized. How can it not?

Cardboard dividers tell each part where exactly to go–no more digging about to find the slips that have gotten lost under a mound of socks. No more struggling to separate black socks from “footie socks”.

Organization is a beautiful thing–and even more beautiful if there’s a promise of it staying organized.

The rest of the house may still need work, but for now I know that in my underwear drawer at least, there’s a place for everything and everything’s in its place.


Some days…

Some days are just long.

Today was one of those days.

I was at work a little over 8 1/2 hours–but it felt like at least twice that. It was just long. I was exhausted by five–with four more hours to go. I was glad to be done.

It won’t kill me. Never has yet. But some days I wonder.


My Brother Tim

Have you met my brother Tim?

Timothy
He’s a great kid. He drove me home from McDonalds a couple of hours ago and came in to chat for a bit.

We’ve been talking ever since. Topics of discussion? Fascism, Communism, and Christianity. The cause, or lack of cause, of World War I. The real reason the Berlin Wall fell. How Communism will fall in China. Economic Theory. Debt, minimum wage, and supply and demand. The record of nature and the Scriptures. Big Bang Theory and how God stretched out the heavens. Point of reference in Genesis 1. Bill Clinton and Kyoto treaty.

I love my brother Tim.