I'm reading a bit of St. Augustine. I've wanted to read some of his writing for a long time, but I'm just now getting around to it. Here are some ideas that I'd like to explore further:
SECOND COMING: "When He [Christ] did leave the world where our eyes could see Him, it was so that He might return to us in our heart. He left that we might find Him. He departed, and - surprise! - the heart is where He reappeared." --> I don't think he's suggesting this is Christ's second coming, but it made me rethink the coming of the Holy Spirit a bit, and it makes me curious to look at some of Christ's other comments about his own return. I wonder how many of those relate to his coming in our hearts as opposed to his return to earth (i.e. - in the flesh). It's something I haven't thought too much about.
EVANGELISM: "Admiration becomes infectious when the praise is genuine." Augustine was talking of his admiration of a certain orator. His point is that he had an admiration for him not so much because of him or his speaking - but because other friends of his admired him so much. I think he point he was making was that others should notice Christ as a result of our love and admiration of Him. I wonder if people are moved to check out Christ simply because of MY devotion to Him?
LEARNING/KNOWLEDGE: "I delighted in learning, but I had no divine context for what my mind picked up. I had no foundation to discern what is true or certain. I was standing with my back to the light, so that the things that should be illuminated were in shadow, even though they were in front of my face." Wow! Sometimes God is so obvious that we miss Him, because we're trying to understand the things around us outside of the context of Him.
IMPERFECTION: "The promise of satisfaction in worldly loves is an enduring lie that moves the soul to unfaithfulness from it proper lover." The things we chase after in this life leave us wanting, because they're only a slight glimmer of the fullness we find in Christ. We should be thankful for every good gift we have... "If you find physical pleasure in earthly experiences, use the occasion to praise God for these gifts. Turn your love not on the pleasures but toward their Maker. Otherwise, the things that please you will cause you to displease. Love those souls that please you, but love them in God."
Monday, June 16, 2008
A Battle of Wills - Day 5
Friday began well... I beat Erin up by quite a little bit. It gave me a good opportunity to do some packing and cleaning in preparation for the trip up north for our Father's Day Camp Out with the fam. (Note: this would be the reunion with Mom & Dad that Erin has been waiting for all week long.)
Erin finally got up around 11am. I had arranged for us to meet a couple of friends for lunch on the way out of town (for sometime after 11:30). So, my thought for Erin was - get up, get dressed, comb her hair, hop in the car. However, she wanted to eat breakfast. I informed her that we would be leaving shortly for lunch. I asked her to get dressed so we could go, but she refused. She was willing to bargain - clothes for breakfast, but I refused. I was confused by her stubbornness at this point, because she's wanted to go home all week... at that point, we were simply waiting on her to get dressed. One time she said, "Aunt Krista... how would YOU feel if your parents told you you'd be gone THREE nights, and you ended up being gone FOUR nights?!" I said, "so, you're telling me you're being PUNISHED by spending extra time with me?" Regardless, I was incredibly frustrated and expected to just sit across the room and stare at her until she finally gave in to get dressed. Realizing that probably wasn't the best method, I finally "helped" her out of her pajamas and into her clothes. She surprisingly didn't fight me once I got started, so before long we were dressed and in the car.
We joined my friends Matt & Jason for lunch (Erin warmed up nicely for that), hit the grocery store, ran back by the house (to pick up our Father's Day crafts we had forgotten), stopped by the gas station and FINALLY hit the road.
We STILL beat Sarah & David to the campground (shocker) but were finally reunited with the entire family (save John who wasn't feeling well). We had an enjoyable weekend, though Erin and I probably kept more distance between us than on a normal family camp out!! :) I think we both had fun... but were both anxious to rejoin our regularly scheduled lives.
What I learned: Nieces are great, but it's nice to be able to turn them back in. I've been assured (by my sister-in-law) that it's different when you "grow into" parenting a five year old. I guess I'll just take her word on that, and maybe one day I'll be able to judge the veracity of that statement for myself. :)
Erin finally got up around 11am. I had arranged for us to meet a couple of friends for lunch on the way out of town (for sometime after 11:30). So, my thought for Erin was - get up, get dressed, comb her hair, hop in the car. However, she wanted to eat breakfast. I informed her that we would be leaving shortly for lunch. I asked her to get dressed so we could go, but she refused. She was willing to bargain - clothes for breakfast, but I refused. I was confused by her stubbornness at this point, because she's wanted to go home all week... at that point, we were simply waiting on her to get dressed. One time she said, "Aunt Krista... how would YOU feel if your parents told you you'd be gone THREE nights, and you ended up being gone FOUR nights?!" I said, "so, you're telling me you're being PUNISHED by spending extra time with me?" Regardless, I was incredibly frustrated and expected to just sit across the room and stare at her until she finally gave in to get dressed. Realizing that probably wasn't the best method, I finally "helped" her out of her pajamas and into her clothes. She surprisingly didn't fight me once I got started, so before long we were dressed and in the car.
We joined my friends Matt & Jason for lunch (Erin warmed up nicely for that), hit the grocery store, ran back by the house (to pick up our Father's Day crafts we had forgotten), stopped by the gas station and FINALLY hit the road.
We STILL beat Sarah & David to the campground (shocker) but were finally reunited with the entire family (save John who wasn't feeling well). We had an enjoyable weekend, though Erin and I probably kept more distance between us than on a normal family camp out!! :) I think we both had fun... but were both anxious to rejoin our regularly scheduled lives.
What I learned: Nieces are great, but it's nice to be able to turn them back in. I've been assured (by my sister-in-law) that it's different when you "grow into" parenting a five year old. I guess I'll just take her word on that, and maybe one day I'll be able to judge the veracity of that statement for myself. :)
Friday, June 13, 2008
A Mother's "Free Time" - Day 4
Okay, so I've discovered a mother's "free time"... BEFORE a child has gotten up in the morning and/or AFTER a child has gone to bed. I've gotten a few things done today in preparation for leaving town tomorrow (cleaning, washing some laundry, etc.).
Today's activities included:
Going to lunch with some friends of mine. Erin wasn't too thrilled with that, and even reminded me that her daddy told her "time will go quickly in Tulsa if you're having fun." Implication: Lunch with Aunt Krista's fun = NOT fun. :) She was surprisingly anti-social and was happy when lunch was finished and we were en route to the Tulsa Zoo.
The Tulsa Zoo - we had a great time there, though it was very hot and meant several hours of following Erin around wherever she determined it was best to go. Highlights: The Lion (who had his face in a corner and wouldn't even look at us), a baby chimpanzee (very cute, and even stood face-to-face with Erin at the glass... I tried to grab my camera but didn't get it in time) and ICE CREAM!!!! ('nuff said).
Small Group - Our small group came over tonight. After lunch, I wasn't sure what to expect from Erin, but she was actually very friendly and surprisingly hospitable. During the Bible study, she talked to her Mom & Dad on the phone and watched a DVD. She did very well, despite being upset briefly after getting off the phone.
Veggie Tales - we watched a couple of movies tonight, and Erin fell asleep on the love seat (where I think I'll leave her until morning... or until she moves to the sleeping bag in my room).
I'm still exhausted, though, and hoping to get some shut eye in preparation for heading to Kansas in the morning/afternoon.
New thoughts about being a Mom:
1) You have to look for deals... we got some discount tickets to the zoo from a friend of mine. It actually ended up being free admittance. (Actually... now that I think about it... I guess I owe someone a bit for those...)
2) If I were a full-time Mom, I would need to lay down the law a bit more than I have this week. I've been a push-over for the most part. I suppose it's an aunt's job to spoil, but I would be more disciplined with my own daughter.
3) They say having your own child is different... I wonder if that's true and, if so, HOW it's different.
4) I guess that's about it for now. I'm about to fall over.
Today's activities included:
Going to lunch with some friends of mine. Erin wasn't too thrilled with that, and even reminded me that her daddy told her "time will go quickly in Tulsa if you're having fun." Implication: Lunch with Aunt Krista's fun = NOT fun. :) She was surprisingly anti-social and was happy when lunch was finished and we were en route to the Tulsa Zoo.
The Tulsa Zoo - we had a great time there, though it was very hot and meant several hours of following Erin around wherever she determined it was best to go. Highlights: The Lion (who had his face in a corner and wouldn't even look at us), a baby chimpanzee (very cute, and even stood face-to-face with Erin at the glass... I tried to grab my camera but didn't get it in time) and ICE CREAM!!!! ('nuff said).
Small Group - Our small group came over tonight. After lunch, I wasn't sure what to expect from Erin, but she was actually very friendly and surprisingly hospitable. During the Bible study, she talked to her Mom & Dad on the phone and watched a DVD. She did very well, despite being upset briefly after getting off the phone.
Veggie Tales - we watched a couple of movies tonight, and Erin fell asleep on the love seat (where I think I'll leave her until morning... or until she moves to the sleeping bag in my room).
I'm still exhausted, though, and hoping to get some shut eye in preparation for heading to Kansas in the morning/afternoon.
New thoughts about being a Mom:
1) You have to look for deals... we got some discount tickets to the zoo from a friend of mine. It actually ended up being free admittance. (Actually... now that I think about it... I guess I owe someone a bit for those...)
2) If I were a full-time Mom, I would need to lay down the law a bit more than I have this week. I've been a push-over for the most part. I suppose it's an aunt's job to spoil, but I would be more disciplined with my own daughter.
3) They say having your own child is different... I wonder if that's true and, if so, HOW it's different.
4) I guess that's about it for now. I'm about to fall over.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Journal of a Tired Mother - Day 3
Well, well, well... I'm exhausted! It's amazing how there's really NO downtime when you're taking care of a child. Every moment is spent in either entertaining or monitoring. I've found that it's usually when I've left Erin alone (even for a few moments) that she gets a bit weepy for mom. Today we slept in... 'til almost 10am!! :) In fact, when I got up, Erin still wanted to stay in bed awhile. But, we finally had breakfast and eventually made it to the office. (I had a bit of work I needed to get done.) We were there for 2 or 3 hours. Erin watched "Wizard of Oz" in a make-shift personal theatre (large iMac screen and comfy leather-ish chair) in the empty spare office. At some point I was wrapping up and went out to find her crying behind one of the chairs in the sitting area. :( After a hug or two she was fine. We left and went by the bank then checked out a local pool. It was a great pool... not many people, but plenty of sunshine and a few kids about the same age. I was "attacked" by all the kids wanting to play, so at some point had three kids hanging off of me. It was a good day to get out and get some sun. After the pool, we put on real clothes and ran out to the park for a cookout. We took a small charcoal grill I had and took three friends with us (Meghan, Mike & James). We had a good time eating (we didn't drink, because I left the drinks sitting on the counter at home) and playing ball. Erin got "furious" (her own word) with the boys for picking on her. But, it was all in good fun and we came in about dark. Here at home we've been working (yet again) on Father's Day and other art projects. Erin had a bit of a breakdown while I took a shower... she ended up borrowing my roommate's phone and calling Mom & Dad. But, after getting off with them she's fine again. Now, I'm trying to get her to bed... we finally struck an agreement - she'll put on her pj's, we'll play a game of chess (can she play chess?!?!) and then we'll call it a (late) night.
Today's lessons....
1) Kids are EXPENSIVE. (though I suppose I'm sorta spoiling her a bit)
2) I like my adult interaction time and am feeling a bit deprived.
3) Kids are EXHAUSTING.
Today's lessons....
1) Kids are EXPENSIVE. (though I suppose I'm sorta spoiling her a bit)
2) I like my adult interaction time and am feeling a bit deprived.
3) Kids are EXHAUSTING.
The Mommy Experiment - Day 2
Day 2 was the first full day with Erin (Tuesday). She was up and around by 7:30. Aunt Krista was still exhausted from not sleeping too well. (Erin, btw, completely denies the bed hog allegations.) We spent the day on the following activities:
Going to the grocery store
Grilling burgers & pineapple for lunch (Erin helped!)
Washing my car
Erin playing in the sprinkler
Playing ball (we got one at the store) - we threw it back and forth without dropping it 75 times!!!
Going to see "Kung Fu Panda" at the theatre - it was a great movie!
Going to Sonic for a late snack/dinner
Watching "Larry Boy and the Bad Apple"
She did get a bit weepy in the afternoon (4pm), as we were getting ready for the movie. She cried herself to sleep on the couch as I was showering and fixing my hair. So... I tried to wake her up before the 4:50 movie time but couldn't. Tried to wake her up again
before the 5:30 showing, to no avail. She woke up around 6:15 (missed that showing, too), so we finally made it to the 6:45 showing. :) But, going to bed last night was NO problem. We both got sleepy watching Larry Boy, so moved to the bedroom after that. Erin preferred to sleep in/on a sleeping bag on the floor, so we both slept much better!
My thoughts so far on being a mom:
1) Nothing works according to schedule. I'm a schedule person, so that will take some getting used to. It may also give me a bit more compassion for parents and/or families who always seem to run behind (i.e. - David & Sarah) :)
2) I'm selfish. I like being able to do WHAT I want to do, WHEN I want to do it. That's not really possible with a child.
3) Children may scare off men. :) More on that later, though, because...
Erin is complaining that I'm writing and that we're not "doing anything fun." So... I don't want to fall down on my responsibilities of being "FUN Aunt Krista."
Off for another fun-filled day!
Going to the grocery store
Grilling burgers & pineapple for lunch (Erin helped!)
Washing my car
Erin playing in the sprinkler
Playing ball (we got one at the store) - we threw it back and forth without dropping it 75 times!!!
Going to see "Kung Fu Panda" at the theatre - it was a great movie!
Going to Sonic for a late snack/dinner
Watching "Larry Boy and the Bad Apple"
She did get a bit weepy in the afternoon (4pm), as we were getting ready for the movie. She cried herself to sleep on the couch as I was showering and fixing my hair. So... I tried to wake her up before the 4:50 movie time but couldn't. Tried to wake her up again
before the 5:30 showing, to no avail. She woke up around 6:15 (missed that showing, too), so we finally made it to the 6:45 showing. :) But, going to bed last night was NO problem. We both got sleepy watching Larry Boy, so moved to the bedroom after that. Erin preferred to sleep in/on a sleeping bag on the floor, so we both slept much better!
My thoughts so far on being a mom:
1) Nothing works according to schedule. I'm a schedule person, so that will take some getting used to. It may also give me a bit more compassion for parents and/or families who always seem to run behind (i.e. - David & Sarah) :)
2) I'm selfish. I like being able to do WHAT I want to do, WHEN I want to do it. That's not really possible with a child.
3) Children may scare off men. :) More on that later, though, because...
Erin is complaining that I'm writing and that we're not "doing anything fun." So... I don't want to fall down on my responsibilities of being "FUN Aunt Krista."
Off for another fun-filled day!
My Life as a Mommy - Day 1
At the request of MY mom, I decided to try and blog about my week of playing "mommy" to my niece, Erin.
We've been talking about it for several weeks now, and apparently my sister-in-law told my niece that she would get to come stay with me by herself in Tulsa. I guess a day later, Erin asked her mom, "Mom... did you tell me that I get to go visit Aunt Krista ALL BY MYSELF?!?!" Sarah reassured her, to which she replied, "Oh good! I thought maybe I just dreamed that!" :)
I met my brother and sister-in-law on Monday about half-way between our homes - Chanute, KS. We met in a park but decided to grab a bite for dinner at a local McDonalds before hitting the road again. At some point during dinner, Erin sorta broke down and was rather upset at the prospect of leaving her mom. Perfectly understandable, but at some point, she seemed pretty decided on returning home with Mom & Dad. But, finally we got her buckled in, and as soon as we closed the car door and pulled away, we started talking about all kinds of things and she was absolutely fine. (She did seem to think the two-hour trip took an eternity.) But, we listened to a CD - "Bob & Larry sing the 70's." That was quite entertaining. We also played a game - one person would hum a song and the other person had to guess the song. We finally arrived in Tulsa... just after 10pm. Erin was ready to play, but we finally got settled down for bed. I expected more tears, but we both fell off to sleep pretty quickly! Though, I didn't sleep too well... Erin is ONE BIG BED HOG!!!!
We've been talking about it for several weeks now, and apparently my sister-in-law told my niece that she would get to come stay with me by herself in Tulsa. I guess a day later, Erin asked her mom, "Mom... did you tell me that I get to go visit Aunt Krista ALL BY MYSELF?!?!" Sarah reassured her, to which she replied, "Oh good! I thought maybe I just dreamed that!" :)
I met my brother and sister-in-law on Monday about half-way between our homes - Chanute, KS. We met in a park but decided to grab a bite for dinner at a local McDonalds before hitting the road again. At some point during dinner, Erin sorta broke down and was rather upset at the prospect of leaving her mom. Perfectly understandable, but at some point, she seemed pretty decided on returning home with Mom & Dad. But, finally we got her buckled in, and as soon as we closed the car door and pulled away, we started talking about all kinds of things and she was absolutely fine. (She did seem to think the two-hour trip took an eternity.) But, we listened to a CD - "Bob & Larry sing the 70's." That was quite entertaining. We also played a game - one person would hum a song and the other person had to guess the song. We finally arrived in Tulsa... just after 10pm. Erin was ready to play, but we finally got settled down for bed. I expected more tears, but we both fell off to sleep pretty quickly! Though, I didn't sleep too well... Erin is ONE BIG BED HOG!!!!
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