Well, I haven't much felt like blogging this week... after the event of last Sunday night. For those of you who haven't heard, someone broke into my house. Fortunately we weren't here. Apparently a boy (juvenile) and girl were casing the neighborhood or something. They had noticed a purse or something in Theresa's car and were planning to steal it. Before they could do that, though, Theresa came out and left the house. So... they apparently went up and knocked on the door to determine no one was home before going around to the back and breaking in through the bathroom window.
Long story short, they ransacked the place looking for anything they could find that might be worth something. Unfortunately, some of the stuff they took was worth much, much more to me than it would be to anyone else. But, all-in-all, they really didn't get away with all that much. The police pulled them over (because the car had been described in connection with other burglaries) and recovered a portion of the stolen items... my camera and some jewelry.
Since then we've been cleaning and taking all the necessary precautions (changing accounts, rekeying locks, etc.). What a pain!
I like the way my friend Babs put it... "Wouldn't you rather they just write you a letter demanding money? You could just write them a check and be done with it." :)
Thank you to all of my friends and neighbors who have rallied around us in support! (Lesser thanks to the neighbors who the very next night decided to play outside circa 1:30 am and scare us with their screaming and barking dog.)
Commentary on the title... it's a description of the latest thing I've noted missing... a pair of blue dangly earrings I bought last time I was in La Jolla, CA. :(
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Lured in...
Well, I've been lured in by myspace. I have a lot of friends who are out there, so I thought I'd update a profile. My page is pretty pathetic, so I'll have to work on it. However, never fear. I'm planning to keep my blog here at blogspot. I mean... it's been two years now. How can I leave when I've invested so much time here?
For those of you who are interested, my page on myspace is at the following address...
http://www.myspace.com/krista0818.
For those of you who are interested, my page on myspace is at the following address...
http://www.myspace.com/krista0818.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Love Rides the Rails
Theresa has a new quote for all you single ladies out there...
"The Love Train arrives promptly at noon for the girl who waits patiently."
I think it's probably best to be spoken by Barry White.
Enjoy!
"The Love Train arrives promptly at noon for the girl who waits patiently."
I think it's probably best to be spoken by Barry White.
Enjoy!
Friday, November 17, 2006
Middle-Age
Well... it's official. I now own a robe, which in some circles qualifies me as a middle-aged adult. :)
But, it's warm and fuzzy, and even though it makes me look like an abominable snow woman, I love it!
But, it's warm and fuzzy, and even though it makes me look like an abominable snow woman, I love it!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
430 Days of Laziness
I haven't felt well today, and yes... I know it's late, but I can't seem to sleep. Plus, I had something I wanted to blog about.
I was laying on my side in bed the other morning (maybe Saturday) thinking about how nice it was to lay there... just thinking, praying, enjoying the morning. As I thought I could lay there forever, a story came to mind. I was reminded of Ezekiel. I read the story recently about God calling Ezekial to prophesy to the Israelites. Among other things, God tells Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days... one day for every year of Israel's rebellion. When he's done with that... he got to switch to his right side... another 40 days for Judah's rebellion.
Wow! Who can empathize with his initial response to God's call?...
"The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat down among them for seven days - overwhelmed." (Ezekiel 3:14-15)
I think he may have sat there longer, only the LORD snapped him out of it by giving him the 430-day instructions.
So... why is it such a popular notion that God's plan for each of us is to make us happy? The Bible is chock full of stories of God calling men and women to do things that seemed contrary to their logic and unlikely to make them happy...
Abraham - God asked him to move from his home (um... out of his comfort zone) and later to sacrifice his son
Moses - God asked him to lead the Israelites out of slavery (do you remember how many times Moses argued with God over that one?)
Mary - have God's son (how would you like to face the questions/ridicule about that one?)
There's a quote I love... maybe by A.W. Tozer, though I'm not positive... "God's will isn't always easy, but it's always right."
May you and I answer God's call no matter the consequence.
I was laying on my side in bed the other morning (maybe Saturday) thinking about how nice it was to lay there... just thinking, praying, enjoying the morning. As I thought I could lay there forever, a story came to mind. I was reminded of Ezekiel. I read the story recently about God calling Ezekial to prophesy to the Israelites. Among other things, God tells Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days... one day for every year of Israel's rebellion. When he's done with that... he got to switch to his right side... another 40 days for Judah's rebellion.
Wow! Who can empathize with his initial response to God's call?...
"The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat down among them for seven days - overwhelmed." (Ezekiel 3:14-15)
I think he may have sat there longer, only the LORD snapped him out of it by giving him the 430-day instructions.
So... why is it such a popular notion that God's plan for each of us is to make us happy? The Bible is chock full of stories of God calling men and women to do things that seemed contrary to their logic and unlikely to make them happy...
Abraham - God asked him to move from his home (um... out of his comfort zone) and later to sacrifice his son
Moses - God asked him to lead the Israelites out of slavery (do you remember how many times Moses argued with God over that one?)
Mary - have God's son (how would you like to face the questions/ridicule about that one?)
There's a quote I love... maybe by A.W. Tozer, though I'm not positive... "God's will isn't always easy, but it's always right."
May you and I answer God's call no matter the consequence.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
In other words... darling, kiss me
It's late. I won't write long, but I thought I'd catch you up since my last post. Of note...
1) A good friend of mine from Emporia came to visit this weekend. :) I hadn't seen her in quite awhile, so it was good to catch up. Our major activities included going to a Mark Schultz concert and making homemade Christmas cards.
2) I got to shake Mark Schultz's hand. It was mainly by accident. He was out greeting some of the folks in the audience prior to the show, and I was simply trying to find my seat. As I was walking past him, he stuck out his hand and shook me. He sure is lucky! I don't give out handshakes as freely as he apparently does. ;)
3) The Christmas card making was fun! I don't get too many opportunities to be really creative, so I enjoyed that. If you're lucky, you might just get one in the mail (if I can part with them.)
4) I've looked at a few cars but haven't decided on anything yet. I'm leaning toward an Accord or Camry at this point.
Okay. I'm too tired to write any more. G'night...
1) A good friend of mine from Emporia came to visit this weekend. :) I hadn't seen her in quite awhile, so it was good to catch up. Our major activities included going to a Mark Schultz concert and making homemade Christmas cards.
2) I got to shake Mark Schultz's hand. It was mainly by accident. He was out greeting some of the folks in the audience prior to the show, and I was simply trying to find my seat. As I was walking past him, he stuck out his hand and shook me. He sure is lucky! I don't give out handshakes as freely as he apparently does. ;)
3) The Christmas card making was fun! I don't get too many opportunities to be really creative, so I enjoyed that. If you're lucky, you might just get one in the mail (if I can part with them.)
4) I've looked at a few cars but haven't decided on anything yet. I'm leaning toward an Accord or Camry at this point.
Okay. I'm too tired to write any more. G'night...
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Deer Diary,
I thought I'd update you on the weekend festivities. I've been to KC and back since I last blogged. It was good (as always) to see my dear little nieces. They are growing like weeds! (I may have some pics worth posting...)
The real excitement for the weekend:
As if my car was beat-up enough, I hit a deer in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Fortunately it wasn't head-on. (I likely wouldn't have survived to type this blog.) It was more of a side-swiping. It banged up the driver-side of my car... doors, side panels, etc. It knocked off the driver's side mirror and cracked the windshield. My backdoor no longer opens from the outside and the driver's window no longer rolls down. (That makes drive-thrus, ATMs and turnpike entrances a bit more complicated.) With the previous hail and hit-and-run damage, I think it's time to start looking for a new (to me) car. I'll take any suggestions you may have.
Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!
Krista
The real excitement for the weekend:
As if my car was beat-up enough, I hit a deer in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Fortunately it wasn't head-on. (I likely wouldn't have survived to type this blog.) It was more of a side-swiping. It banged up the driver-side of my car... doors, side panels, etc. It knocked off the driver's side mirror and cracked the windshield. My backdoor no longer opens from the outside and the driver's window no longer rolls down. (That makes drive-thrus, ATMs and turnpike entrances a bit more complicated.) With the previous hail and hit-and-run damage, I think it's time to start looking for a new (to me) car. I'll take any suggestions you may have.
Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!
Krista
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
MIA
My home (cordless) phone has gone missing. I last remember using it when I was messing with the lid to my oil tank in my car. So, I'm not sure what happened. I realized it was gone later that night (after taking the car out). I tried to call it, but to no avail. Maybe it escaped from the safety of the house?
Regardless, I now only have a "cord-ed" phone to use. That's just more proof that I should drop the land line. I guess I need to (literally) "cut the cord." :)
Regardless, I now only have a "cord-ed" phone to use. That's just more proof that I should drop the land line. I guess I need to (literally) "cut the cord." :)
Friday, October 20, 2006
Fantasy World
I know it's late (or rather... "early"), but I had some thoughts rolling around and wanted to commit them to writing.
First of all, I've been dwelling on a statement this week... "We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners." It seems somewhat harsh, and yet I believe it's probably a true statement. "To sin" is an action, but "being a sinner" describes one's character. So, tonight, I was thinking of the story in Luke 7, where a woman pours perfume on Jesus' feet. Jesus concludes by saying that those who have been forgiven much love much and that "he who has been forgiven little loves little." I always felt kind of like that person who had been forgiven little. I mean, my sins are "little sins"... not thinking of others first, not fully trusting God, watching too much TV, etc. I know Jesus died for my sins, but I'm not doing too bad on my own.
(I'm feeling fairly heretical writing this, but please hang with me...)
I was thinking tonight of a paper I wrote in high school. I'm not sure what the assignment was, but I titled my paper, "Fluctuations in a World of Placidity." (Gotta love a thesaurus in the hands of nerdy high school student!) The point I made in the paper was how I've had it pretty easy in life... no major trauma or road blocks to work through. And, it's not that life has been all rosy since then, but I still don't have much to complain about. This past month or two, I've had my eyes opened to some of the frightening realities that others have had to deal with and live through. What must it be like to be abused (in any number of ways), to not have parents to love and nurture, to walk through life completely alone, to worry all the time about surviving from day to day? I can't begin to imagine what that must be like. But, again, so many of those things are results of there being sin in this world. I've been very protected.
It's been fairly easy in life for me to ignore my sinful nature and the effects of sin in our world. It's much more comfortable for me to wear blinders and pretend that things are pretty much okay in the world. But then again... if that's true, why did Christ have to die? Here's another quote about sin and grace that shakes me up a bit...
"It is impossible for us to know how profound God's grace is until we grasp the pervasiveness of sin."
So, in terms of sin in the world... it's becoming more and more painfully obvious that sin is running rampant and that we ourselves are helpless to change it. And as for MY sin... maybe I'm still working on that. But this past year, I've faced up to the gravity of sins of omission. We tend to talk more about the sins we commit, but I've come to think that the things we DON'T do are even more of a problem. For example, my selfishness may result in a sin of commission, but it also keeps me from sharing God's love and forgiveness with others. Or, if I mistreat my body (God's temple), I may not remain healthy enough to spread God's Word as he desires. So, I have a LONG, LONG way to go... and I can't get there on my own. So....
God, slap me with the reality of my own sin, and then let me love you all the more for your redeeming grace.
First of all, I've been dwelling on a statement this week... "We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners." It seems somewhat harsh, and yet I believe it's probably a true statement. "To sin" is an action, but "being a sinner" describes one's character. So, tonight, I was thinking of the story in Luke 7, where a woman pours perfume on Jesus' feet. Jesus concludes by saying that those who have been forgiven much love much and that "he who has been forgiven little loves little." I always felt kind of like that person who had been forgiven little. I mean, my sins are "little sins"... not thinking of others first, not fully trusting God, watching too much TV, etc. I know Jesus died for my sins, but I'm not doing too bad on my own.
(I'm feeling fairly heretical writing this, but please hang with me...)
I was thinking tonight of a paper I wrote in high school. I'm not sure what the assignment was, but I titled my paper, "Fluctuations in a World of Placidity." (Gotta love a thesaurus in the hands of nerdy high school student!) The point I made in the paper was how I've had it pretty easy in life... no major trauma or road blocks to work through. And, it's not that life has been all rosy since then, but I still don't have much to complain about. This past month or two, I've had my eyes opened to some of the frightening realities that others have had to deal with and live through. What must it be like to be abused (in any number of ways), to not have parents to love and nurture, to walk through life completely alone, to worry all the time about surviving from day to day? I can't begin to imagine what that must be like. But, again, so many of those things are results of there being sin in this world. I've been very protected.
It's been fairly easy in life for me to ignore my sinful nature and the effects of sin in our world. It's much more comfortable for me to wear blinders and pretend that things are pretty much okay in the world. But then again... if that's true, why did Christ have to die? Here's another quote about sin and grace that shakes me up a bit...
"It is impossible for us to know how profound God's grace is until we grasp the pervasiveness of sin."
So, in terms of sin in the world... it's becoming more and more painfully obvious that sin is running rampant and that we ourselves are helpless to change it. And as for MY sin... maybe I'm still working on that. But this past year, I've faced up to the gravity of sins of omission. We tend to talk more about the sins we commit, but I've come to think that the things we DON'T do are even more of a problem. For example, my selfishness may result in a sin of commission, but it also keeps me from sharing God's love and forgiveness with others. Or, if I mistreat my body (God's temple), I may not remain healthy enough to spread God's Word as he desires. So, I have a LONG, LONG way to go... and I can't get there on my own. So....
God, slap me with the reality of my own sin, and then let me love you all the more for your redeeming grace.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The White Lion
I just returned from The White Lion, an English pub here in town. It's been on "my list" (the list of places I'd like to go) for years, but I just now made it by. It's an absolute must. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get there. It's what you might expect from an English pub... quaint, dark colors, English food, lots of alcohol and good friends. It's a great place for just sitting and talking about the world's problems.
I can't wait to go again!
I can't wait to go again!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
World's Most Famous Novel...
I received an ad in the mail for a sort of book club. It said...
"The world's most famous novel...
by the world's most famous author..."
What do you think it might be?
"The world's most famous novel...
by the world's most famous author..."
What do you think it might be?
Monday, October 16, 2006
Today is my Sabbath
Yesterday was the Grand Opening for The Gathering. I talked to our pastor early in the day and said, "I'm really excited, and at the same time I can't wait for it to be over." It's been really busy lately... leading up to this move and our Grand Opening. We had a great turnout last night... just over 200 people, I think! It was great to have so many friends and family out to support us. Quite a few folks from our parent church showed up, too, so it was good to have them there! We also had a lot of visitors. I'm hoping they didn't feel lost in the shuffle. Hopefully they'll be back again next week so we can really get to know them!
I got home about 11 PM last night and crashed. I felt like I could hardly even walk anymore, as I had been on my feet most of the afternoon and evening. So, with the new full-days on Sundays, I've decided to start taking Mondays off. This one was DEFINITELY needed. I think I slept until 11:30 AM!! I've also been reading and practicing my TOC music. (We have a concert on Saturday.) As I was reading, I happened across this...
"Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts.
Sabbath is a day when my work is done, even if it isn't.
Sabbath is a day when my job is to enjoy. Period
Sabbath is a day when I am fully available to myself and those I love most.
Sabbath is a day when I remember that when God made the world, he saw that it was good.
Sabbath is a day when I produce nothing.
Sabbath is a day when I remind myself that I am not a machine.
Sabbath is a day when at the end I say, 'I didn't do anything today,' and I don't add, 'And I feel so guilty.'
Sabbath is a day when my phone is turned off, I don't check my email, and you can't get ahold of me."
(That's from Rob Bell's book, "Velvet Elvis")
So, I'm trying to learn those things... and God helps me some. I was going to mow the lawn today, but it's been raining all day. :) (Thanks, Papa!)
Enjoy your Sabbath!
Krista
I got home about 11 PM last night and crashed. I felt like I could hardly even walk anymore, as I had been on my feet most of the afternoon and evening. So, with the new full-days on Sundays, I've decided to start taking Mondays off. This one was DEFINITELY needed. I think I slept until 11:30 AM!! I've also been reading and practicing my TOC music. (We have a concert on Saturday.) As I was reading, I happened across this...
"Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts.
Sabbath is a day when my work is done, even if it isn't.
Sabbath is a day when my job is to enjoy. Period
Sabbath is a day when I am fully available to myself and those I love most.
Sabbath is a day when I remember that when God made the world, he saw that it was good.
Sabbath is a day when I produce nothing.
Sabbath is a day when I remind myself that I am not a machine.
Sabbath is a day when at the end I say, 'I didn't do anything today,' and I don't add, 'And I feel so guilty.'
Sabbath is a day when my phone is turned off, I don't check my email, and you can't get ahold of me."
(That's from Rob Bell's book, "Velvet Elvis")
So, I'm trying to learn those things... and God helps me some. I was going to mow the lawn today, but it's been raining all day. :) (Thanks, Papa!)
Enjoy your Sabbath!
Krista
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Nakidity
I got a babysitting gig tonight. :) Actually, I watched my honorary nephew, Seth, while his parents went to a concert. It felt sorta junior-highish. First of all, I went to their house. (I've always watched him here at my house in the past.) Then, Matt and JW joined me for a bit. I teased them that, "I might get in trouble if Tim & Laurel get back and find out I had a party at their house." ;) JW brought some key lime pie. Mmmmmm...
After Seth went to sleep and the company was gone I got to watch "Ren & Stimpy." I haven't watched it in forever, so it was nice to catch. They were camping in one episode, and (among other things) they went skinny dipping in a lake. Stimpy stripped down from his skin (since he doesn't really wear clothes anyway). Ren was very embarrassed, though, because he was afraid someone would see them. And, of course, that happened... other people joined in the fun as soon as they were in the lake. One of the unwelcomed guests said "it's so nice to meet others who feel comfortable with their own nakidity."
Okay, I'm tired. Have a good night, y'all!
After Seth went to sleep and the company was gone I got to watch "Ren & Stimpy." I haven't watched it in forever, so it was nice to catch. They were camping in one episode, and (among other things) they went skinny dipping in a lake. Stimpy stripped down from his skin (since he doesn't really wear clothes anyway). Ren was very embarrassed, though, because he was afraid someone would see them. And, of course, that happened... other people joined in the fun as soon as they were in the lake. One of the unwelcomed guests said "it's so nice to meet others who feel comfortable with their own nakidity."
Okay, I'm tired. Have a good night, y'all!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Diagnosis Murder
From the comments on my last post, it appears I have a lot to learn about boys. (No real surprise there.)
So, Theresa (my roommate) likes to watch "Diagnosis Murder." It's the cheesy detective show with the aging Dick Van Dyke. I can't figure out exactly why she watches it, because she's very young... quite a bit younger than I am. She made a comment about me making fun of the show one night. I told her, "I'm not so much making fun of the show as I'm making fun of YOU." :)
I guess she used to watch it with her dad or something. (So, I'm inclined to accept that as a valid reason for liking the show, because I have the same feelings about "Rockford Files." I used to watch that with my dad when I was very young.) Anyway, in the course of watching the show one night, I asked her, "have you ever noticed the commercials they play during this show?" Then we spent the remainder of the night laughing at the AARP, Medicare, ED and other Wilford Brimley commercials.
You'll be happy to note that we're both fairly hooked now.
(JK)
So, Theresa (my roommate) likes to watch "Diagnosis Murder." It's the cheesy detective show with the aging Dick Van Dyke. I can't figure out exactly why she watches it, because she's very young... quite a bit younger than I am. She made a comment about me making fun of the show one night. I told her, "I'm not so much making fun of the show as I'm making fun of YOU." :)
I guess she used to watch it with her dad or something. (So, I'm inclined to accept that as a valid reason for liking the show, because I have the same feelings about "Rockford Files." I used to watch that with my dad when I was very young.) Anyway, in the course of watching the show one night, I asked her, "have you ever noticed the commercials they play during this show?" Then we spent the remainder of the night laughing at the AARP, Medicare, ED and other Wilford Brimley commercials.
You'll be happy to note that we're both fairly hooked now.
(JK)
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Bowling Update
Game #1: 130
Game #2: 94
It's been said that the absence of a Y-chromosome is supposed to give a human being the willingness to allow the opposite sex to win at any game or competition. I don't believe I have that trait. Now, granted, you probably wonder if I don't given my poor bowling scores above; however, I was playing with four guys. I had the high score in Game #1, and only one person scored a higher score (135) in Game #2.
I used to play chess with a guy-friend of mine in college. I beat him in our first three games. I thought he was kidding when he was pouting on the couch after his third defeat, but I came to realize he was not kidding. He was crushed. So, I did the unthinkable... I threw the next game... lost on purpose. Well, I could never get it back. I probably lost the next 30 games we played, despite my every effort to win. I always thought that was my penance for throwing game four.
So, I don't think I've thrown a game since. Sorry boys! :) But the way I look at it... who wants their ego boosted artificially?
Game #2: 94
It's been said that the absence of a Y-chromosome is supposed to give a human being the willingness to allow the opposite sex to win at any game or competition. I don't believe I have that trait. Now, granted, you probably wonder if I don't given my poor bowling scores above; however, I was playing with four guys. I had the high score in Game #1, and only one person scored a higher score (135) in Game #2.
I used to play chess with a guy-friend of mine in college. I beat him in our first three games. I thought he was kidding when he was pouting on the couch after his third defeat, but I came to realize he was not kidding. He was crushed. So, I did the unthinkable... I threw the next game... lost on purpose. Well, I could never get it back. I probably lost the next 30 games we played, despite my every effort to win. I always thought that was my penance for throwing game four.
So, I don't think I've thrown a game since. Sorry boys! :) But the way I look at it... who wants their ego boosted artificially?
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