Weblog
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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The following is a post I began writing and have only just finished, due to being dreadfully ill. Well perhaps not dreadfully, but pretty darn icky. I'm still trying to catch up, so I'll hopefully be posting more in the coming days.
I caved.
It’s November 4nd and I have dusted off the Christmas playlist on my iPod. It’s gotten me thinking about baking cookies, watching festive movies, and decorating our apartment with twinkly lights. I’ve always preferred religious carols to the secular ones. But the one that always makes touches me is “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”
When asked where I’m from, I usually answer Maryland. It’s just easier. In actuality, I’m from everywhere. Home is a farm in Pennsylvania; the suburbs of Washington DC; Vienna, Austria; Frankfurt, Germany; Yokosuka, Japan; and currently bustling Philadelphia. My family traditions are so much more than traditions. They were what linked each Christmas to the next, no matter where in the world our family found itself. Even now, Christmas is always a nostalgic season. Something always seems missing. Perhaps it’s why I find the lyrics to “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” so poignant.
"Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams."
No matter where I find myself, Christmas is always different but always the same. The same songs, same ornaments, same cookies, even if the city is different and the people around me aren’t all the same faces.
For some reason I am really missing having Christmas at “home” with my parents. Nights where we would turn off all the lights in the house, except the tree, turn on Christmas music (Bing Crosby or Perry Como) and just sing and stare at the tree. I really wish I had a bigger kitchen so I could have female relatives over to bake our traditional family cookies. There is something in me that is saying this is the last year before major changes. Perhaps I’m just getting older and am more aware of how fragile and fleeting our lives on earth are.
Something else I’ve been struggling with this season is keeping Jesus the center of the season (I know it’s only November. But holiday stress is already hitting me). Getting married and having twice the family to visit for the holidays is a pain. I love my new family. But keeping everyone happy is not easy and quickly turns me into a Scrooge. Coupled with the fact that I’m always working over the holidays, my celebratory spirit is fleeting.
A part of me is wondering if listening to Christmas music early will get me more in the spirit and, just like Simeon, I will joyously anticipate the Savior’s birth (see Luke 2:25-35). It’s worth a try.
Tuesday, 03 November 2009
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I'm on day 4 of being dreadfully sick. So I'm going to keep this short.
Saturday evening a tickle in my throat started. And then my nose turned into a mucus faucet which would not shut off.
Sunday brought congestion, runny nose, headache, sneezing, and fatigue. I spend most of the day on the couch sleeping and watching football. My husband did laundry and made me soup.
Monday seemed ok at first. The mucus fest continued. I sucked down tea and OJ and DayQuil. After some concerns about a fever, I left work around 4:30. Bought a thermometer. No fever. Slept. Ate toast. Went to bed.
Tuesday (today) I woke feeling not as achy.* I was breathing easier. A bit weak, since I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's lunch. I had toast for breakfast. Am sipping hot tea and yogurt now. Feeling just ok. I toughed it out and went into work. Depending on how the day progresses, I may leave early. Think I'm definitely skipping home group tonight.
Throughout all this my husband has been the best ever. He's given massages without me asking (this never happens). He's done dishes and laundry. He's made his own dinner and mine. He's let me sleep when I needed to. He's offered to buy more juice to give me a variety...since I might get tired of just OJ and water. He's simply THE BEST!
Here's hoping that healing comes fast. It's month close at work, and I can't afford much time off. Until then friends, it'll be silent on my end.
*I haven't experienced all over aches. Just my neck and head. Similar to what I have been known to experience when I have a sinus headache. So that and a lack of fever have me ruling out the flu. Just a nasty nasty cold.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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A House Divided
My husband and I aren't speaking until after the World Series. Game 1 @ 8:00pm tonight. Watch it. Go Phils!
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
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Family Traditions
I had some time off this past week and Chris and I went home to MD for a few days. On Thursday night, with everyone home, we made empty carcasses of some unsuspecting pumpkins.
My brother didn't like the pumpkin guts.
Then we all went outside to the front step and posed with our pumpkins.
We're a nutty family. :o)
Finally it was time to turn out the lights and let those little pumpkins shine!
(Chris', Brother's, Mine, Dad's, Sister's)
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Picture Post
After 2 years in the city, I finally made it to Eastern State Penitentiary. How spooky and romantic all at once!
In September, I headed to Lancaster to see my college roommate. We shopped at the outlets and then went to the Whoopie Pie Festival.
Don't know what a whoopie pie is. Umm, I guess the best way to describe it is two layers of cake, filled with cream filling. Below is the world's largest (225 pounds). They had over 100 different kinds to buy. We ate whoopie pies for a solid week. Delish!
Just this past weekend we spent the weekend in the Poconos on a church retreat. On Saturday afternoon, the snow stopped and we went hiking to a water fall.
Simply gorgeous! -
I suppose the fact that there is more than one cashew in my trail mix, allows advertisers to pluralize the ingredients. But 2 cashews in the whole bag does not seem right.
Off to MD for a long weekend.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
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Thursday Thoughts
What a gloomy day it is here!
The temperatures have dropped in the past week. My husband and I have been reluctant to turn on the heat because 1) we need a new air filter and 2) it's only the middle of October! I hate that we have to turn it on. But with daily temps in the mid 40s and lower at night, I don't see any other option. We are also in the middle of a nor'easter. Don't know what that is. It's just terribly windy, rainy weather. It was the winds of a nor'easter that blew the hood of my car up, while driving 55 on the highway, blocking my field of vision and denting my roof 3 years ago...but that's a long story which I would not like to go into.
I'm dreading the walk home from work. I have coffee plans with a friend this evening. I know that the minute I get in the door and change into warm clothes, it will become very difficult to leave the house again. The nice warm house....since the heat is indeed on.
I made corned-beef hash last night. Perfect meal for a cool night. It's a real stick-to-your-bones meal. YUM! I even brought the leftovers to work for lunch today. But it still sits in the fridge untouched. I really need to be better about eating at work. Yesterday my lunch consisted of 4 chocolate chip cookies, a granola bar, a fun size Butterfinger, and two bites of a roast beef sandwich. Why only two bites? Because it was really rare. I swear that cow was mooing with each bite. I don't like rare meat. And today, I've eaten two prezels (a gift from the other tenants of the office floor), and a bunch of chocolate bon-bons. Just admitting this to myself, let alone the blogosphere, shames me. I sit on my butt all day, eat crap, and wonder why I'm kushy in the middle.
Dieting and body image aside, it's been a decent week. Not a lot has been going on. We are going on a church retreat this weekend. I'm a bit aprehensive. I don't know anyone else that's going. The retreat is something our church encourages before joining to get an idea of what they are about. I'm trying to keep a good attitude about this. They told us to bring bathing suits for the hot tub. All my bathing suits are two piece. The thought of getting into a hot tub in a bikini with my pastor is a bit unnerving! I'm bringing board shorts and a T-shirt to cover up. My husband thinks I'm being a prude. "I want to see boobies," he declared. Haha! Perhaps I should be flattered that he wants me to show off my girls (in a bikini top of course) to everyone else. I just think it's weird.
Perhaps the best thing about this weekend is that there are rumors of snow in the mountains where we will be. How lovely would that be. It's gonna want to make me sing Christmas carols. And we've already established it's much to early for that.
Monday, 12 October 2009
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God's Calling
In home group last week I asked for prayer concerning what I considered to be God's purpose for me. And guess what pastor preached on yesterday? Our prophetic purpose.
We are working our way through 1 & 2 Kings this fall. Yesterday we looked at the calling of Elisha.
So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant. ~1 Kings 19:19-21~
What I never knew about Elisha was how presumably wealthy he was. He was driving the twelfth pair of oxen, meaning he had 11 other men working for him. He had a life carved out for himself. God called him and then transformed him. Elisha wasn't out in the fields meditating on God's word. He wasn't preaching to the people. He was plowing. He was completely unprepared for the life of a prophet before he was called. Despite this he wasn't discouraged. He enthusiastically took up the call. He burned his bridges by saying goodbye to his family, and sacrificing the oxen. He could never go back to the life that he led. He shared his joy with the people by inviting them to the feast. God called him and then transformed/trained him.
So long I have thought about, prayed about, blogged about what I fell God has called me to. I have used my degree, my passion, my experience as an argument for why God should fulfill this purpose. The sermon got me thinking about whether this is really God's purpose, God's calling for me. Ironically, I was looking back on some journal entries from high school. When thinking about the future, no where did I mention working for the state department and living overseas. Elisha probably thought he knew what his life was going to be like. But God had other plans. I've been so focused on what I thought I needed to do, perhaps I've missed 'Elijah' throwing his cloak around me. I can say that I don't know what God's calling for me is. Though, I am surprisingly encouraged by the unknown (very odd for me, seeing as though, I plan out every detail of my life).
Prepare me Lord for your purpose. Open my ears to your call. -
Connect. Grow. Serve.
My home church has started a blog as part of a 40 day initiative to encourage prayer and spiritual awakening. The devotions are written by members of the church. Some have spoken to me. Hope they speak to you.
Connect. Grow. Serve.
Friday, 09 October 2009
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Back
I've been such a terrible blogger. This I know.
Work has taken over my life. Last week was just endless. I was in the office all day on Saturday. Between last minute changes that HQ wanted, and the accounting system screwing up, we were here later than expected. By 5:00pm there were still no final numbers. So I left.
Chris and I drove out to NJ to see our college's soccer team play a local school. The game was a great way to end the day. We won 6-0. Half the game was spent squinting into the rolling fog to try to spot the footwork on the field. Great match. Great time with my hubster.
I also came into the office after church on Sunday. I rarely do this. I was supposed to dial into a conference call that morning. I told the boss I would not be attending. He didn't ask why. I didn't offer. In July we were on call as well. I missed a call from my planner. When I returned the call, I apologized for missing it. I explained that I didn't have service at the church. His entire countenance changed when he knew I was at church and not avoiding him. Yes people. I go to church. Every Sunday. So don't expect to hear from me until after noon.
But I digress. I did come into the office, to check for final numbers and update my forecast. Took all of 20 minutes. Thank goodness.
This week has been lighter, but still busy. Chris once again had to work the 2:30 - 11:00 pm shift on Monday. Which meant I didn't see him. On Tuesday we have church home group. So on those nights we have very little alone time. Wednesday was the first time we spent time together in what seemed like forever. And last night, I took my man out for a bowling date. I don't know how much time we have left here in the city. And lately I have felt an urgency to do as much as possible in the time we do have here. So last night was bowling.
Life, aside from this, is good. I'm so excited that it's fall. I made pumpkin cookies for home group this week. Everyone loved them. Including my husband (who didn't know what kind they were till after he had eaten one and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sneaky)! And I learned there is a canned pumpkin shortage??? I am loving the Saturday and Sunday afternoons watching football. I am anticipating Thanksgiving with my large, loud, crazy family!! I haven't been to a family Thanksgiving in 2 years. And even better is the idea of Christmas!!! I love this season. So much tradition. So much warmth.
Oh and while I love Christmas, I believe it's WAY too early to start Christmas commercials. Yes, all, I saw my first Christmas commercial of the season yesterday. Definitely too early.
