My blog got a facelift...

I decided that I was bored with my blog layout, and needed a change.  I hunted around a bit and decided to use a free blog background.  I am not totally contented yet, but it's a start.  

You made a difference award

The "You Made a Difference Award" is something that Leigh (my HD from my 2nd and 3rd years of RAing) instituted.  Each week at our meetings, a staff member would receive this award from the previous weeks recipient.  I really enjoyed this process because it made me remember to really appreciate all the little and big things my fellow staff members did for me and for others.  It was generally a morale lift for me.  

The other day I was thinking of instituting a modified rendition of this award on my blog (no string-bean clip art included--sorry Leigh!).  I will be trying to, once a week or thereabouts, acknowledge someone who has made a difference in my life.  I by no means intend this as one of those blog meme tagging hurrahs that circulate, I do however encourage recipients to try and thank someone who has made a difference in their life if they wish to do so.  

Without further ado,  the first You Made A Difference Award(blog edition) goes to Leigh.  I decided to give it to Leigh, not only because he introduced me to the You Made A Difference Award (ResLife Edition), but because he made a profound difference in my life on many occasions.  As one of his only introverted RAs , I definitely had different needs than some of my staff members.  Leigh helped me to find a voice in the often times overwhelming amount of extroverted energy.  He also taught me the importance of taking care of myself  so that I could be there for residents and co-workers.  Leigh was constantly challenging me and my co-workers to reflect on how we thought about a multitude of important issues.  Through out my time as one of his RAs, he really helped me to challenge myself and to grow while still respecting my boundaries.  He also cared enough to drive me to the emergency room when I stapled my thumb one night.  He went from being one of my supervisors to being a friend.  So Leigh, if you are reading this, thank you for taking the time to make a difference.  You are a rock star!

5 things I love about Fall

(in no particular order)

1. Foliage- I am a  New England girl.  Fall foliage hear in MA is a vibrant canvas of colors.  It is hard to explain the wonder and amazement this transformation has on me each year.

2. Apples- Apples happen to be 10 gazillion times better in the fall than at any other time of the year.  They are so crisp and a perfect balance between tart and sweet.  Fall apples also make the best pies and apple crisps.

3. Pumpkin- I have a strange love for foods containing pumpkin.  These foods are featured all over the place in the fall.  I do not, however, like pumpkin pie.

4. Sweater Tights- Fall is  a great time to pull out these warm, soft, thick tights. Since I am generally freezing and I pretty much have made the switch to wearing only skirts and dresses these tights are high on my list of seasonal favorites.

5. Post-season Baseball- Post-season baseball is great.  It is baseball at its finest.  Too bad the Red Sox didn't win the ALCS this year.

HBTRS?

And the ALCS will continue...Woot!

If you know what the letters in the title of this post stand for, congratulations.

Word of the day....

(actually it's 2 words and a very small fraction of the Word)

Jesus wept 

--John 11:35

This verse always makes me marvel at the perfect humanity of my Saviour.  It also always seems to cause me to ponder what other things Jesus did.  Think of the many simple things you do through out a day.  You eat.  You sleep.  Perhaps you talk to your mother or your friends.  Jesus did these things too. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.  God loves us so much that he became man.*  He lived life here on earth.  He felt pain, sorrow, joy, and love.  He laughed and he cried.  Pretty amazing, huh?

*note that God became man.  Man cannot become God.

Yea!

I have kindergarten all day friday. Woohoo!!! :-)

No circulation
Icy cold fingers and toes
I am turning blue

Feeling accomplished...

So today has been a productive day. Aside from getting some laundry done, I made an appointment to get my wedding dress; contacted a few florists; and started contacting DJs. It is amazing how getting little bits of work done can really get things moving in the right direction. This makes me feel like I can rest a little going into the weekend. 9 months and 8 days....

When you can't sleep write a haiku!

I can't get to sleep
Weary eyes refuse to close
Insomnia wins

I was bored...

...so I found an online quiz on political identity.

What is your inner political identity? Bible-Thumper Well, only if Jesus says so...

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Psalm 150 for Post 150

 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy sanctuary; give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.

Give praise for his mighty deeds, praise him for his great majesty.

Give praise with blasts upon the horn, praise him with harp and lyre.

Give praise with tambourines and dance, praise him with flutes and strings.

Give praise with crashing cymbals, praise him with sounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD! Hallelujah!

--Psalm 150 (NAB)

This is my 150th post so I thought I would post the 150th psalm.  It is a beautiful song of praise.  It has on more than one occasion been a reminder to me to praise God.  I am often much better at remembering to praise when things are wonderful, but I often forget to give the Lord the glory and honor He deserves in those times when life brings me to my knees. 

Here is a video that includes the song "Let Everything That Has Breath" by Matt Redman.  This song seems to be a reflection on Psalm 150; it also seems to be an invitation to join in the praise.

Against the death penalty?

   I have come to find an interesting contradiction.  I have started to realize that many people who are against the death penalty are for abortion.  I am pro-life from conception until natural death, but I find it interesting that so many people would rather allow an guilty person to live than an innocent child.  What is more concerning to me is the claim that said death-row inmate shouldn't be executed because he might actually be innocent.  How hypocritical!  So many people can't allow the government to execute a man because he might be innocent, and yet it is perfectly okay to continue the genocide against the unborn?  Why not simply protest the killing/execution/murder of all human beings? That totally boggles my mind.

Verse of the Day

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.--John 3:16

This is potentially the most well known Bible verse.  It is one of the few verses I knew before I ever considered memorizing scripture.   This verse pretty much sums up why God humbled himself and became man.  I find it is a good verse to have written on my mind and heart; it reminds me that I will not and cannot ever achieve eternal life of my own accord.  

Stepping up on my soap box...

Obama and Biden make me sick.  They call themselves Christians, heck Biden calls himself a Catholic, yet they support abortion.  Anyone else see something wrong with this picture?  If America does not start embracing a culture of life, we are going to be in big trouble.  I cannot vote for a man who thinks that it is okay to take an innocent and defenseless life.  John McCain said he would be a pro-life president.  He is ready support and celebrate a culture of life.  This election has become an issue of life and death.  Which will you choose?

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. --Mother Teresa

Verse of the Day

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, my soul; do not forget all the gifts of God,

Who pardons all your sins, heals all your ills,

Delivers your life from the pit, surrounds you with love and compassion,

Fills your days with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

I am running a pretty high fever right now so I don't think i am going to expound on my choice for today.  

October is here...

...which means post-season baseball!

Red Sox won 4-1 against the Angels tonight in Game 1 of the ALDS.  My choice for MVP of tonight's game is a toss up between Jason Bay who gave us the lead with his 2 run homer and Jacoby Ellsbury who played well offensively and defensively--multiple hits, 2 stolen bases, and an amazing catch that made me fear that he may have gotten a good mouthful of dirt in the process.  Pitching wise, Jon Lester really showed the Angels what he was made of--lots of good pitches and 7 strike outs to boot!  Did I mention that the Sox pretty much stunk against LA all season ?  They lost 8 out of 9 games against them in the regular season.  I believe they can win the ALDS.  Go Red Sox!  

Random Note:  I can't watch a full post-season Red Sox game without knitting. Well I suppose I could, but my anxiety levels might go through the roof.  The post-season is a great time to make Christmas gifts.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through my first post-season knitting project of this year. 

Accessorizing the Verse of the day...

When I was reflecting on I Samuel 2:2, I remembered this song, particularly the line that says "I'll take a shack on a rock over a castle in the sand". It is just a really good song and a reminder that we aren't here to further our own personal kingdoms, but to further the Kingdom of God.

Verse of the Day

There is no Holy One like the LORD;

there is no Rock like our God.

I Samuel 2:2 (NAB)

Background

    This verse is a portion of Hannah's prayer of praise to the Lord.  She was barren for many years and it pretty much made her miserable.  She prayed fervently one day at the temple promising to dedicate her child to the Lord if only God would give her a son; her praying was so intense that the priest at the temple thought her to be drunk.  She told the priest of her plight and he assures her that God will remember her.

   The next time Hannah and her husband Elkanah have relations with each other, Hannah concieves Samuel.  When Samuel has been born and subsequently weaned, Hannah brings him to the temple, dedicates him to the Lord, and leaves him to be trained up as a priest.  It is during this visit to the temple that Hannah takes the time to thank the Lord for his blessing her with a child and praising him for all that he is.

Personal Relevance

   Recently I have realized a depletion in my trust in the Lord.  I have been looking to the world and others to help be my stability.  Thankfully I have a wonderful fiancé who reminds me that when the going gets tough, I need to take an honest look at my prayer life and adjust as needed.  This verse serves as a good reminder to me that God is my rock, and if I want to be on solid ground I should stop relying on things with foundations made of sand.  I am not saying a perfect prayer life will eradicate all woes and hardships, but it will make them manageable.  Also since Hannah experienced great grief and then through prayer found her relief and found great joy, this verse gives me a measure of hope when I am in doubt.  Hannah also dedicates her joy to the Lord by offering up Samuel to his service.  It reminds me to be thankful and to offer up my joys and successes for the glory of the Lord.