Two Lefts and A Few Rights

I had dinner with Lanie tonight. We have fun together. Actually, I don't think God has given me anyone that I consider it a chore to hang out with. Anyways, Lanie is moving across the pond because that's where God is telling her to go. Yay, obedience! So we go to that chicken place where I was hired. We are just sitting there talking about life in general. She knew my roomie so she was asking how she was and I told her she was engaged now. We smiled at that, and I told her the story of how he proposed and we continued smiling.

She was asking about the new fiance, Joe. Well, I said, he's a good man. Really. Some of my favorite times would be when I would walk in the door and they were in the kitchen. She'd be making her lunch for the next day, he'd be munching on something at the table, I'd sit down and we'd all chat for a bit. It was nice. I didn't have to run out of the room just because they were a pair. They have that kind of relationship. Yes, they are an item, but they are friends too. I just think that is so nice! Now they'll be a husband and wife with that kind of a relationship.

Lanie doesn't know Joe, so I'm trying to describe him. And the only way I can do that is to tell Lanie of my experiences with him. That whole hearing the deadbolt lock that makes me feel safe thing. Or just the fact that when you're talking to him, you can tell he's actually listening, not thinking about the next thing that is going to come out of his mouth. Or just waiting for you to stop talking so you'll leave him alone. He'll actually stop and ask me how I am if I'm in the living room or whatnot! As I was telling Lanie this we both just got this dreamy smile on our faces. I don't know, there's just something about a good man who loves Jesus and treats people nice. Then I told her that he designed the ring for Nicole himself, went to H-town to pick it up, wanted to keep everything pertaining to the proposal as a surprise for her, etc. More sighs and smiles from the both of us.

As we are eating our chicken and talking/giggling, my left hand is tingling. After dinner we went to Target to bum around there for a bit, and I'm whining about how my hand is hurting. Well, it turns out that I'm apparently allergic to mosquito bites. I'd been watering the flowers in our courtyard before meeting Lanie for dinner and two little bloodsuckers wanted to see what I tasted like and bit me on my left hand. Said bites are now both about the size of quarters and itch like the dickens. I'm refusing to scratch them because I think my hand might fall off if I do...

Stand by Your Man

My quiet time is in my car in the parking lot of my office. I know its kind of weird, but whatever. It gets my heart to a place that is ready and willing to face whatever opportunities I'm going to be given to glorify Him. Today I was reading Acts 5:1-10. Its about a guy and gal named Ananias (guy) and Sapphira (guy's gal)...

1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.3Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." 5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.7About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price."9Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."10At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

So basically this guy ripped off the church. His wife supported him in this. Which is all sorts of shady, but I don't think that's why God struck them both down dead. In my opinion, it wasn't the theft. It was the lying. First he tells a little white lie, and then his ever supportive (and greedy) wife stands by his decision. She had the opportunity at the end of the story to come clean and she didn't.

I think that honesty is something that should be practiced more often. It takes courage a lot of the time, but there's something to be said for a courageous heart that fears the Lord...

Chicken, Sort of...

Here's the thing. I've gotten a bee in my bonnet about debt. So to swat out said bee, I've decided to get another job. Now, I'm not to the point where stuff is being turned off, or I'm having to hock anything on the street. I just wanna get rid of it. Right now I don't have three mouths to feed, diapers or school uniforms to buy. It boils down to two facts. One, I don't want to bring it into a marriage. Most importantly, I want to glorify Him in all aspects of my life and that includes my finances.

So I got this job at a chicken place. And then told my father about it. He wasn't too happy. My dad's not a big talker. But he can say a lot with his tone. Needless to say his tone wasn't too happy with his eldest daughter. Not over my financial prowess or lack thereof, it was the fact that I wasn't telling him about it. (He's protective of me, will always be. Even when I was overseas, six hours ahead of him, I always knew I could call and he could take care of whatever was going on. Yay, my dad is fabulous.)

In the meantime, I've had a few great things happen in the midst of trying to get my finances in order. I was able to talk with my boss about the way God applies pressure in life. His pressure is gently guiding. Kind of like a hand on the small of my back. Enough pressure to let me know He's there and to steer me where He is leading me.

Two, my friends have been wonderfully supportive. In fact, they've done their best to get me babysitting jobs. Which is great, but in a exquisite torture kind of way. The truth is that I want to be a mom one day. I want to be a wife. I know that supposedly freaks guys out, but it shouldn't surprise anyone that I long to care for and be cared for one day. Its normal to want to be loved. I want to look into my children's eyes and see me and their father in them. So I've been antsy about taking any opportunity to watch over children. Whether volunteer or a paid position. However, it seems that is exactly where He is leading me...The thing is that I truly love caring for the wee ones...

Pastors Who Yell

I was getting ready for dinner tonight and the tv was on. It was the start of Footloose. I had to stop what I was doing immediately to do the dance while the song was on, then got back to getting dressed.

I don't know if you've seen it, but it starts out with a pastor who is telling his congregation that God tests us daily, then he gets so worked up, he starts yelling his words instead of talking. For some reason that stuck in my head. Both the yelling and the idea that God tests us daily.

First and foremost, I don't think God tests us daily. I think that each day I'm given plenty of opportunities to glorify God in my actions. With my mouth in what I say, my hands in what they do, my feet and where they take me. Sometimes I glorify Him, and sometimes, a lot of the time, I fall short. But I get up, rub the dirt off my hands and knees, try to learn from my mistakes and once again get that familiar feeling of His grace enfolding me. Grace is hard to describe, but something in your soul recognizes it immediately when its given to you. And it can only be given. I can't take grace from you. You can't take grace from me. It's a choice. And the feeling of receiving grace never looses its sparkle or its value.

I don't like hate. I don't use the word. I think its the antithesis of who He's called me to be. However, I dislike greatly, with a passion that's almost unholy, when pastors yell at me. I grew up in a church where that was common. Especially during revivals. I'm not sure there was anything restorative or reviving when a man who has chosen to represent God as his vocation yells at the very body he's called to minister to. However, I was a young girl in that environment so looking through a child's' eyes is very different than what I see now.

I did learn from that, even though it wasn't the most positive experience. I learned what kind of church body I want to be in, what kind of pastoral care I prefer, and that people can still get their point across with grace and kindness. No yelling required.

How the Ring got me a Job...

Last night I went to greet Courtney, who's been in Mexico for a week. I went for a few reasons. One, I knew she'd be tired. Two, I missed her face ferociously, and three, I knew she'd be hungry AND tired. It was raining so I threw in my eyeballs and put on a pink LSU hat. What I'm wearing will really matter in a minute, keep reading...

So I met the van, grabbed her stuff, loaded her up and went to a chicken place up the road. We walk in and Courtney orders, then I order. This guy comes up and asks if we're here to fill out an application. Being the dork I am, I pop off, with a "not unless you're hiring part-time help. And I don't work on Sundays because of church." He says, well me neither and gives me a pen.

We go sit down at the table, Courtney's eating and I'm filling out an application. He comes to our table and says that they are looking for unique people. I asked him what it was about us that made him come up and ask about jobs. He said, the pink hat. I saw it through the window and y'all were smiling and laughing with each other and that's the kind of people we want.

Another guy comes up to our table. His name is Damon and he's the manager I'll be working under. He reads on my application that I'm from Texas. He asks what brought me here to BR, I told him at first it was the free rent and free food with the folks after college graduation, and then God kept me here because I fell in love with my church. He asked what church I go to. So I start bubbling about the ring, and he says that one time a big group of guys came from the ring. He says he knows T and Jake, who are two of the Elders at the Ring. So I tell them the news that we're a church now, have been since February. Meanwhile, Nathan walked in so we flagged him down and introduced him to the management.

As my "interview" goes on, Damon is talking to the other manager and he's describing the ring. He says its church, but rock style. Then he asks me if that's a good way to describe it. I smilingly agreed. He talked about the band and how good they were.

And now I start Monday at 6pm... By the way, that's their birthday. Every 10th person gets their meal free all day long...And they'll have cake. Mmm cake.

On the way to the car, Courtney says, I didn't tell them you're bad in the kitchen, I figure they'll find out on their own. And that's true, so its a good thing I'm counter help and not kitchen help...