Ding Ding Ding...Round 2

Tomorrow morning we leave for round 2 of Holiday travel.

I must first point out that I have turned into an old woman, or someone from a different ethnic group. Please notice to your left the 2007 Chrysler 300. Fully equipped with all the hoopdyness you can handle, enough head room to hold the big old lady hair when you leave the beauty parlor, enough "class" to drive down the road with one arm out the window while the other rest comfortably on the stearing wheel looking as cool as you can be. Enough stereo to bounce the car next to us out of their lane. I think I need to go hang some dice or Mardi Gras beads from the rear view mirror!

To my friend Stacey, please don't be scared when we pull up...it's not the mob coming to get you...it's just us...the Bhamsters! Yo!

Oh my...we have quite the rental car. See its like this...our van is sad. We can't open the back of it. The check engine light is on. The check engine light blinks, and the car sputters when you go up a hill. We are getting horrible gas mileage. We have to put the 93 octane in it, just to upgrade to semi horrible gas mileage.

So hubby suggested to save headaches (which always happen when we travel at the holidays) lets rent a car. He works next to Enterprise (there...I have given them their plug!) so we get a good deal and it's all smooth sailing.

We were supposed to get a small car. He wanted to upgrade for $3 a day to a mid size...they were out of those, so for no extra charge they upgraded us to Hooopdy status!

Boy, I hope this doesn't come back to bite us later when we are mistaken for Tony Soprano, Kanye West, or Elizabeth Taylor!

Adoniram Judson

One of my early New Years resolutions is to read more about Missionaries. My sister is a missionary and I thought it would be good to read about the lives of some older missionaries.
I have started with Adoniram Judson. I have only been reading stuff from the internet, but will try to find a book soon. Anyways. Adoniram Judson was a missionary to Burma in the early to mid 1800's. What an incredible testimony he has to TRULY believing in and grasping the sovereignty of God. He and his first wife, Ann, lost two children on the mission field. After the loss of their second child his wife Ann said this...

"Our hearts were bound up with this child; we felt he was our earthly all, our
only source of innocent recreation in this heathen land. But God saw it
was necessary to remind us of our error and to strip us of our only little
all. O, may it not be vain that He has done it. May we so improve it
that He will stay His hand and say...'it is enough.'"

There is no need to expound on that statement. My words would be inept.
Adoniram Judson was imprisoned for 21 months. His wife Ann was instrumental in pleading for his release. She also died not to long after his release.
Adoniram married again...suffered the loss of more children...experienced the life of children as well...then bore the pain of losing another wife.
He then married again. He married a writer that he had commissioned to write a book about his second wife. They had two children. The first one lived...the second one died at birth, 3 weeks after Judson died.

I look forward to reading much more about the life and ministry not only of Adoniram, but that of his wives as well. Any woman that can write such a statement while living in Burma and losing two children, I think is someone worth reading about.
John Piper stated on this subject that he preaches to produce mothers like that and that he fears there are too few. Am I a mother like that? I don't know. I've never lost a child. But I don't think I have to lose a child to be the kind of wife and mother that is reaching for God's truth and trying to rest in His sovereignty.

Late in Adoniram Judsons life he said this...

"If I had not felt certain that every additional trial was ordered by
infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated
suffering."

That certainly begs the question in my life..."Do I recognize the trials in my life as those from an infinitely loving and merciful God?"
If I don't recognize them as such, then where is my hope? John Piper goes on to say in the same sermon about the Judsons, that he wants to build a fence around the sovereignty of God. So which side of the fence do I fall on?
I have two choices...recognize God's sovereignty in every aspect of my life, or don't. I rejoice in God's sovereignty when I have a good day. I am thankful for his provision for that day. I am thankful when unexpected money arrives to pay an over due bill. On those days it's easy to praise God for his sovereignty. But on the days when I can't pay that over due bill am I still trusting in God's sovereignty.
God is not going to sprinkle me with sovereign dust and suddenly I accept what life is throwing me. I have to choose to believe, as His child, that every trial is from His hand of infinite love and mercy. That is a much better option than to just not know why. I don't have to understand, I just need to know God is loving and merciful. Then I need to praise Him in that.

Well, I am going to enjoy learning more about Adoniram Judson and his wives. I look forward to learning what God will teach me through these studies. If any of you want to study with me, come on! And if you have any ideas on who I should study next, let me know.

Christmas Top Ten

10. I got an MP3 player. Yes, I am cool now!
9. Stacy was suprised by the movie "Tombstone" that I got him. Suprsises are always good.
8. I succesfully made a Red Velvet Cake complete with Cream Cheese Frosting. Yumminess!
7. Lana was very cute singing "Away in a Manger" at church Sunday. She has no stage fright.
6. I am a hero because I spent $8 on a pocket knife for Logan. Hopefully I don't spend $800 at ER.
5. My brother brought his girlfriend to Christmas Eve festivities and she's sweet. I like her!
4. I got to at least see a snowflake mixed with sleet on Christmas day. So it was a wintry mix Christmas.
3. Despite the rain the whole way home, the drive was nice and hubby and I chatted contently! Ah, companionship.
2. We ate Ham, Turkey, and Rib Roast. Can't beat meat!
1. Enjoyed nice time with family. Craziness and all! That's what it's all about.

I'll be home for Christmas...

Isn't it funny how we say we're going home when we're going to our parents house?
I've never even lived in that house, and yet I say I'm going home.

Oh well...It feels like home anyway!

We definitely enjoy being there.

The presents are wrapped.

The suitcases are packed.
The car is loaded.

We're about to take naps to prepare for our journey tonight.

There is a slight possibility of snow for Christmas.

We are stopping at Starbucks before we leave tonight.

AH, all is right with the world.

Well except the fact that I'm irritated with my husband.

I'm leaving a lot of laundry to deal with when I get home,

and it will most likely be raining when we leave tonight.

All was almost right with the world.

By tonight I will get over my irritation. I have no choice.
That is what you have to do when you are married. Like it or not.

Sometimes you have to do things for the greater good.

Maybe the Laundry Fairies will come down and take care of my laundry while I am gone.

I deserve at least that right?

And we will pray for safe travels and get out ahead of the rain.

So maybe all is at least tolerable with the world.

Merry Christmas all of my fellow bloggers. It has been a joy journeying with you guys over these past few months. I look forward to being blessed by your blog company even more in 2008!

I pray you all know God's love and grace even when all is not right with the world!

Love to all!!!

Glorious Sleep!

Last night I took Tylenol PM.
I was sound asleep at 10:00pm.
I awoke at (gulp) 9:00am.
I know...Crazy...but I had to make up for some sleepless nights!
I feel much better and ready to do laundry, wash dishes, do my typing job, and whatever else comes my way today.
Thank God for Tylenol PM!
Thank you all for your advice.
Now, I must go wash me some dishes.
You know...there just is no exciting way to say that.

Help me please!!!

I have serious sleep issues. I can't sleep at night, therefore I am cranky during the day.
I have to leave the house at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow for work, and yet it is 11:35 and I am still up. I just got through wrapping Christmas presents and I my brain won't stop.
What is a girl to do?
My friend Stacey suggested today that I get some special tea. I will do that tomorrow.
I may have to do the Tylenol PM route a few nights just too get into a sleep groove.
I don't know.

Have any of ya'll gone through this before?
Let me go ahead and rule things out:
I drink little caffeine. None at night.
I don't nap during the day.
I am very active during the day.
I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs.

OK...I am going to go now and try to sleep. 6:00 is going to come early.
Tomorrow will definetly be a Starbucks kind of morning!
MMM...Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha Frappacino is calling my name...
Now if it could just lull me to sleep!

Insomniatic Ramblings

Notice the time. 1:30 am....What is wrong with me? I have been going and going all day and I can't stop. It's like I've been nesting for days and I'm not even pregnant. Good grief. I will be so worthless in the morning. But thats OK...I've decided that this week of school is going to be all about Christmas! Fun stuff huh!

Today was a good day.
We had great church service this morning.
Came home and did some cleaning.
Made homemade pizzas.
Took Lana to do her Christmas shopping.
Organized pictures on the computer.

Went back to church for Choir musical.
It was very good. Filled with worship and very God centered.
I enjoyed it emmensly.
Then we had our friends Ken and Gwendy and our Pastor and his wife over to eat the homemade pizzas.
We had a super fun time chatting with all of them.
We covered a wide variety of theological and life topics.

I was given 3 Christmas gifts today. And they weren't Gold, Francincense, and Myrhh!
What a very nice treat!
I am thankful for those gifts and for those givers.
I am thankful for new friends and friends that over time start to become more like family.
My friend Gwendy and I made arrangments to swap kids this week allowing us both time to wrap presents. Thats a good thing. She's a good friend :)

I can't beleive that we leave Saturday to go to Mom and Dads for Christmas.
I really want a white Christmas.
I REALLY wish Laura and the fam were coming to suprise us for Christmas.
I am going to make some White Trash this week. Oh my yum!
We are going to a Christmas party Monday night ( which I guess is tonight now).
We are playing dirty Santa. I hope I get the last number. I want to be really mean! Bwaa Ha Ha! (Kim Hill evil laugh)
I am going to bring Johnchies Jello. It is the best thing ever.

It is too hot in my house right now. Bald husband needs to get a night cap so he can absorb heat better. Or I should shave my head. HMMMMM.....

Well..it is 1:43 now. I should go to sleep.
If you are an early blog reader, and you actually read this whole blog, please don't call me...I will hopefully, finally, be asleep!