If you didn't get an email inviting you to view the pictures, here is how you can do it:
Go to: http://www.pictage.com/770283
Then go to "Member Sign In" (or something similar)
Sign in with the following information
Username (or Email): coxporter@yahoo.com
Password: pictures
There are tons of them but there are definitely some good ones in there! Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Still waiting on pictures...
We haven't gotten the professional pictures yet, but they are supposed to be here any day now! I promise I'm not holding out on anyone. :) Things are moving along pretty smoothly around here! Married life is a blast! Matt and I have had more fun together and have really been blessed by our marriage already. Check back soon - hopefully the pictures will be up soon! :)
Don't forget to check out Matt's blog! He really has some neat things to share and I really want him to keep sharing his thoughts, so be sure to check it out and let him know what you think!
http://charis-humin.blogspot.com/
Don't forget to check out Matt's blog! He really has some neat things to share and I really want him to keep sharing his thoughts, so be sure to check it out and let him know what you think!
http://charis-humin.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
NEW URL!
I changed the url of my blog! It is now http://ldporter.blogspot.com/
Make sure to save it in your bookmarks if you use them :)
Make sure to save it in your bookmarks if you use them :)
A Few Wedding Pictures
Here are a few pictures from the wedding (not in order). These are some that our friends took, but we should get the professional pictures within a week! (YAY!)
Here we are leaving the church building...
A little cake fight.... :) Matt got me better than I got him! He put it on my shoulder and I was SO close to putting it on his, but I didn't want to get his suit dirty... haha
Sharing in communion as husband and wife :)
This is when I was trying to put his ring on his finger! He has big knuckles and skinny fingers so it is kind of hard to get it over his knuckles!
This was Jason talking about how I'm not perfect....? I have no idea what he is talking about. :)
Dad and I on our way down the isle!
Summer and Elijah making their entrance :)
Jason, Matt and Josh (Matt's brother)
Here we are leaving the church building...
A little cake fight.... :) Matt got me better than I got him! He put it on my shoulder and I was SO close to putting it on his, but I didn't want to get his suit dirty... haha
Sharing in communion as husband and wife :)
This is when I was trying to put his ring on his finger! He has big knuckles and skinny fingers so it is kind of hard to get it over his knuckles!
This was Jason talking about how I'm not perfect....? I have no idea what he is talking about. :)
Dad and I on our way down the isle!
Summer and Elijah making their entrance :)
Jason, Matt and Josh (Matt's brother)
I can't wait to get the professional pictures back! I know she got some really good ones and some really fun ones. :)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Married!
Well! We're married! :)
I'm working on getting pictures right now, and we should get the professional pictures in about another week, so I'll be sure and put them up somewhere soon!
I'm working on getting pictures right now, and we should get the professional pictures in about another week, so I'll be sure and put them up somewhere soon!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Lucy Goosey
My sweet puppy Lucy died this week. She was only six years old. We're not sure what happened but she was laying in her dog house when it happened, so hopefully she was peaceful. She was quite an adventure and gave us a lot of good stories to tell, especially from her puppy days! She surprised us all by becoming such a calm and sweet dog in the last few years. She came a long way from tearing up numerous water hoses, squeezing through the tiny dog door and getting into the frozen pork chops, sticking her head through the doggy door during dinner time (when her head was all that would fit!) and whining for food, walking around on the pool cover in the winter, and tearing up garden statues. She was a very good dog and we all miss her! I found a bunch of pictures so I thought I'd share...
Lucy Goosey
August 15, 2003 - October 29, 2009
August 15, 2003 - October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Work
I have TONS of stories to share about things that happen at work. I have a lot of stories written down in a little notebook, but I don't have that with me right now. I am still loving my job, although workplace drama has started! To put it VERY briefly, the person in charge is not doing a good job....at all. It has caused some serious issues and a lot of gossip and hard feelings amongst the staff. Luckily, as of right now, I haven't been directly affected by it all. I just have to listen to the ones who HAVE been complain. Hopefully things are being taken care of though! Regardless of all of that, I still love going to work every day to hang out with and love on the residents! We are supposed to be seeing some really positive changes happening in our memory care. I might even have my own desk pretty soon! ;-)
I had my first really hard time at work when one of the residents passed away. It was my friend David who was always the first to jump in and participate. He had a brain disease and when it hit him, it hit him fast and hard. He passed away on October 7th. He was my Aggie friend. :) He was a very respected and intelligent man and I miss him dearly. I knew that this was part of the job, but I wasn't prepared for David to be the first to go. You can read his obituary HERE. I thought it was neat to read about his life and his accomplishments. If you do some research online you'll also find a few books that he assisted with, one of which includes instructions on how to carve a turkey. :)
I have really grown to love each of the residents and I think and hope they have done the same with me. Although part of my job is to "take care" of them, they take care of me too. On Friday I left work early to go to the doctor for congestion/allergy stuff. I told one of the residents, Ginny, that I was leaving. She responded with a concerned "why?" I told her that I needed to go to the doctor so I could start feeling better. She started brushing my hair with her hand and said, "Now listen here little girl... you be SO careful!" :) Then today, we had a big Halloween luncheon with all of the residents. I got up and danced with Dorothy for a while and we had a good time! After she sat down she called over some of the staff and said, "That girl there is so good. She's my daughter." Haha!
I can't wait to get my notebook and share more stories! I'll share one more for now. Fran fell a few weeks back and hurt her hip/thigh. She has been in a wheelchair since then, but it is starting to heal and she has been able to use it more lately. Yesterday I needed her to walk with me a short distance. I held her hands to help her and said, "Fran, we can just take our time. We can go real slow." She quickly responded, "Well you're gonna have to! I'm an old woman!" :)
More to come!
I had my first really hard time at work when one of the residents passed away. It was my friend David who was always the first to jump in and participate. He had a brain disease and when it hit him, it hit him fast and hard. He passed away on October 7th. He was my Aggie friend. :) He was a very respected and intelligent man and I miss him dearly. I knew that this was part of the job, but I wasn't prepared for David to be the first to go. You can read his obituary HERE. I thought it was neat to read about his life and his accomplishments. If you do some research online you'll also find a few books that he assisted with, one of which includes instructions on how to carve a turkey. :)
I have really grown to love each of the residents and I think and hope they have done the same with me. Although part of my job is to "take care" of them, they take care of me too. On Friday I left work early to go to the doctor for congestion/allergy stuff. I told one of the residents, Ginny, that I was leaving. She responded with a concerned "why?" I told her that I needed to go to the doctor so I could start feeling better. She started brushing my hair with her hand and said, "Now listen here little girl... you be SO careful!" :) Then today, we had a big Halloween luncheon with all of the residents. I got up and danced with Dorothy for a while and we had a good time! After she sat down she called over some of the staff and said, "That girl there is so good. She's my daughter." Haha!
I can't wait to get my notebook and share more stories! I'll share one more for now. Fran fell a few weeks back and hurt her hip/thigh. She has been in a wheelchair since then, but it is starting to heal and she has been able to use it more lately. Yesterday I needed her to walk with me a short distance. I held her hands to help her and said, "Fran, we can just take our time. We can go real slow." She quickly responded, "Well you're gonna have to! I'm an old woman!" :)
More to come!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
So Sorry
I'm sorry I haven't posted in over a month... things have been pretty crazy around here. It has been a real adjustment to get used to not having access to the internet practically ALL the time. I have tons of things to share, and I DO promise I will try my best to get to it soon. The wedding is in less than a month now, so there should be a lot of things worthy of posts coming up. :) Hang in there with me!
P.S. Matt is working on getting a blog started! I am so excited about it. He has really grown and matured since coming to Austin Grad and he has a lot of really neat thoughts to share so I know you will all greatly benefit from reading his blog. I'm excited about it. :)
P.S. Matt is working on getting a blog started! I am so excited about it. He has really grown and matured since coming to Austin Grad and he has a lot of really neat thoughts to share so I know you will all greatly benefit from reading his blog. I'm excited about it. :)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A Quick History Lesson
George Shaw, an Irish playwright, once said, “We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.” Perhaps this could be better stated, “We learn from history that we have learned nothing from history,” for I believe history does indeed have much to teach us. The real question is, “Have we been listening?”
As we look throughout the history of the church, there are countless lessons that have been taught, and I believe these are lessons from which we must learn today. Numerous times, the Christian movement became something it was never meant to be. In the year 313 in Rome, Emperor Constantine declared all of the Roman Empire as Christian. While this may have appeared to be a victory for the kingdom, the overall results were devastating as the church essentially became the government and began functioning as governments do. Money began making decisions, leading to lies and scandals. The church became a business, leading to competition. Around the mid-16th century, we also see King Henry in England separating the Church of England from Catholicism. What may have appeared to be a necessary split began with selfish intentions and caused so much turmoil between believers that is still very much present today, believers fighting believers. The church never recovered. Time after time, we hear of the church making the same mistake, attempting to become something it wasn’t meant to be. Time after time, this led to a change in the very nature of the church, a change in the nature of the kingdom on Earth.
In 2 Corinthians 5:16-19, we are told that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and that we too have been given the ministry of reconciliation. We have been given a great task to draw others into an intimate relationship with God and each other. In reality, as we read the Gospels, this was the ultimate goal of Jesus’ ministry, and it ought to be our goal as well, carrying the message of reconciliation to sinners. In the many times that the church became this national power placing itself in the spotlight, attempting to become more than simply “yeast in dough,” “sheep among wolves,” “wheat among weeds,” it seems that this ministry was lost, and the church subtly changed.
I am greatly troubled today as I look at the Christian movement in our own country. It has been said that America is a Christian nation. We also frequently hear that particular political beliefs are the Christian way; they are the way, the truth, and the life, at least more so than the other. Christianity has begun holding hands and forming relationships with particular movements, and Christians across the nation are focusing more on popular issues of the day and less on the mission that has been laid out before us, the ministry of reconciliation. Just as has happened numerous times in the past, it appears that the kingdom has subtly changed in nature.
You see, the kingdom of God is not an earthly nation with borders, political ideology and issues. We, as the new Israel, have no boundaries, and we are not meant to stand for just one side of society’s ideals. We live borderless, among our enemy. Our role is like that of paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines to infiltrate enemy positions, not the common foot soldier that storms the beaches. We live as a kingdom not of the world but one that opposes the world. If the only thing people can say about modern Christians is that they stand for family values and oppose certain issues, then we have failed in our mission. We live not to make the kingdom of God in our image, but realizing that we are made in his. While the idea of an earthly Christian nation may sound appealing now, let us not forget our history.
With this, we must ask ourselves: what choice are we going to make? Are we going to forget our purpose; are we going to lose focus on our mission and simply focus on a few one-sided issues of the day as has happened countless times before? It has been said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Will we learn today?
-Matt
As we look throughout the history of the church, there are countless lessons that have been taught, and I believe these are lessons from which we must learn today. Numerous times, the Christian movement became something it was never meant to be. In the year 313 in Rome, Emperor Constantine declared all of the Roman Empire as Christian. While this may have appeared to be a victory for the kingdom, the overall results were devastating as the church essentially became the government and began functioning as governments do. Money began making decisions, leading to lies and scandals. The church became a business, leading to competition. Around the mid-16th century, we also see King Henry in England separating the Church of England from Catholicism. What may have appeared to be a necessary split began with selfish intentions and caused so much turmoil between believers that is still very much present today, believers fighting believers. The church never recovered. Time after time, we hear of the church making the same mistake, attempting to become something it wasn’t meant to be. Time after time, this led to a change in the very nature of the church, a change in the nature of the kingdom on Earth.
In 2 Corinthians 5:16-19, we are told that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and that we too have been given the ministry of reconciliation. We have been given a great task to draw others into an intimate relationship with God and each other. In reality, as we read the Gospels, this was the ultimate goal of Jesus’ ministry, and it ought to be our goal as well, carrying the message of reconciliation to sinners. In the many times that the church became this national power placing itself in the spotlight, attempting to become more than simply “yeast in dough,” “sheep among wolves,” “wheat among weeds,” it seems that this ministry was lost, and the church subtly changed.
I am greatly troubled today as I look at the Christian movement in our own country. It has been said that America is a Christian nation. We also frequently hear that particular political beliefs are the Christian way; they are the way, the truth, and the life, at least more so than the other. Christianity has begun holding hands and forming relationships with particular movements, and Christians across the nation are focusing more on popular issues of the day and less on the mission that has been laid out before us, the ministry of reconciliation. Just as has happened numerous times in the past, it appears that the kingdom has subtly changed in nature.
You see, the kingdom of God is not an earthly nation with borders, political ideology and issues. We, as the new Israel, have no boundaries, and we are not meant to stand for just one side of society’s ideals. We live borderless, among our enemy. Our role is like that of paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines to infiltrate enemy positions, not the common foot soldier that storms the beaches. We live as a kingdom not of the world but one that opposes the world. If the only thing people can say about modern Christians is that they stand for family values and oppose certain issues, then we have failed in our mission. We live not to make the kingdom of God in our image, but realizing that we are made in his. While the idea of an earthly Christian nation may sound appealing now, let us not forget our history.
With this, we must ask ourselves: what choice are we going to make? Are we going to forget our purpose; are we going to lose focus on our mission and simply focus on a few one-sided issues of the day as has happened countless times before? It has been said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Will we learn today?
-Matt
Monday, September 14, 2009
Apartment and Work
I'm all moved in to my apartment now! I'm so sorry I haven't gotten pictures up yet. Things have been SO crazy lately! It took us three days to completely finish moving in because it rained ALL weekend. We hadn't had rain here in a long time, then all the sudden it rained all weekend. Of course, we needed the rain, but it made things a little more difficult. I took before pictures, so I'll take "after" pictures soon and post them! So far I absolutely LOVE it! It has been really nice to have my own place. The only BAD thing is that we don't have cable and I am missing football season.... :( I might be having withdraws. I love football. So anyway, pictures soon - I promise!
My job is going WONDERFULLY! Pretty much, I have been put in charge of creating a program for memory care. I will plan and carry out the activities that will create the program. They have never had a program back there before so it is kind of a big deal! Today was my first day to start some activities and it went really well. They were completely worn out after lunch, but that was expected. They usually don't do anything but watch TV, so it will take them a little while to get used to doing activities! Although my title is still "officially" caregiver, I have been given UNofficial titles such as "Memory Care Activities Director" and "Memory Care Director". There is a LOT of potential for me to do really well here and move up quickly if things continue to go well! I am so excited about this opportunity! I will keep you updated on how things go! I think someone is coming in the end of this week to "evalutate" the Memory Care, so maybe we'll get some good news! Remember, I am their "plan of correction". They were scored very poorly for their memory care program (which.... there wasn't one), so I am supposed to be the "fix" for that. Hopefully they will be very impressed when they come back! :)
My job is going WONDERFULLY! Pretty much, I have been put in charge of creating a program for memory care. I will plan and carry out the activities that will create the program. They have never had a program back there before so it is kind of a big deal! Today was my first day to start some activities and it went really well. They were completely worn out after lunch, but that was expected. They usually don't do anything but watch TV, so it will take them a little while to get used to doing activities! Although my title is still "officially" caregiver, I have been given UNofficial titles such as "Memory Care Activities Director" and "Memory Care Director". There is a LOT of potential for me to do really well here and move up quickly if things continue to go well! I am so excited about this opportunity! I will keep you updated on how things go! I think someone is coming in the end of this week to "evalutate" the Memory Care, so maybe we'll get some good news! Remember, I am their "plan of correction". They were scored very poorly for their memory care program (which.... there wasn't one), so I am supposed to be the "fix" for that. Hopefully they will be very impressed when they come back! :)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Work Stories
I decided to share a few fun stories from work this week. A lot of them involve a woman named Fran. She always has something funny to say! Most of the time, they are completely irrelevant and made up, but she always gives us a laugh!
A woman who gives the residents medicine comes in. She is very large and very overweight.
Fran: (out loud, but not actually intended for the large woman) It is a sin in the sight of the Lord to let your body get that big...
I was playing dominoes with two of the residents, Fran and David. When it got around to Fran's turn, I would have to remind her. I was very patient with her, but sometimes even after she would acknowledge that it was her turn, she still wouldn't play for several minutes, so I would have to remind her again. One time, I let her know it was her turn, then waited and waited but she didn't play.
Me: Fran, your turn.
Fran: Honey, when you get old, it takes a little longer to concentrate.
There is a man named Sidney who is a caregiver in the Assisted Living section. He comes through Memory occasionally.
Fran: Did you see that black man? He is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen!
Caregiver: Fran! Why would you say that?
Fran: (in disgust) He tried to get me to wear his engagement ring...
Someone told Sidney about that conversation and he thought it was hilarious, so now he kind of stirs up trouble when he comes through. He will go over and talk to her and smile at her real big. She will smile back, but then she will talk about him once he's gone.
Fran: Did you see that black man?
Me: Yes
Fran: He thinks he is one sharp boy... floating through here like he is big stuff.... ugh!
David is really good at understanding other residents and figuring out what it is they say or want. There is a woman named Pat who is kind of hard to understand sometimes, but David can usually figure out what she is saying. One time Pat was rambling on and we couldn't understand her.
Fran: (to David) What is she saying?
David: I'm not sure...
Fran: (upset/angry) Well you oughta know! She's YOUR mother!
There is a woman named Ethel who never talks. I was told that she got to the point where she had a lot of trouble getting out what she wanted to say, so she just stopped talking completely. She will look up at you when you talk to her and nod yes or no. She will smile at you and even let out a little laugh every now and then, but she RARELY talks. One of the caregivers was telling me on Wednesday that she hoped that I would one day get to hear Ethel say SOMETHING. She told me she has the sweetest voice. On Thursday I was helping her eat her ice cream and we were laughing about how I was making a mess with it because I accidentally let some run down her chin. I got a napkin and wiped it off and she was laughing and she looked up at me and said, "Thank you" in the sweetest voice! It nearly made me cry because it caught me so off guard and it was so cute! I may never hear her say another word, but I'm glad I got to hear it just once. :)
David is the only male resident in Memory. He is in pretty good shape, but has to use a wheelchair because his legs are giving out on him. His mind is pretty sharp though. He is an Aggie and loves football so we have had a lot to talk about so far. I brought some dominoes up there and we had a blast playing. We also played table football (with the folded paper triangle) for over an hour one day. He is very sweet and has quickly become one of my favorites.
I sat by Mary Ada the other day to play dominoes.
Me: Mary Ada, I LOVE that shirt!
Mary Ada: Oh, well thank you!
Me: Do you think I could borrow it sometime? :)
Mary Ada: Sure... just come on in my room and and get it whenever you want.
Mary Ada is probably one of the sweetest people I've ever met. She isn't quite as social as some of the others, but she is ALWAYS smiling... One day she fell asleep at the table before lunch. We put her plate in front of her and said, "Mary Ada...." and she immediately opened her eyes and lifted her head with the biggest, sweetest smile on her face. Seriously, she is ALWAYS smiling! :)
Pat is the oldest resident. She can't do much on her own. We do almost everything for her. She is hard to understand sometimes, but she is very sweet. I was feeding her ice cream one day and she was so excited about it. She kept saying, "Oh boy!" I couldn't get that spoon to her mouth fast enough! As soon as I would get one bite in, she would swallow it then stick her tongue out and wait for the next bite! I got tickled at her, and she knew it!! She started sticking her tongue out then laughing herself. She is very sweet.
There are just a few stories from my week! I know there will be more to come! I absolutely love working there so far. I have already gotten very attached to all of the residents. I don't know what I'm going to do the first time one of them passes... ball like a baby, that's for sure! I just already love them all! More stories to come next week, I'm sure. :)
A woman who gives the residents medicine comes in. She is very large and very overweight.
Fran: (out loud, but not actually intended for the large woman) It is a sin in the sight of the Lord to let your body get that big...
I was playing dominoes with two of the residents, Fran and David. When it got around to Fran's turn, I would have to remind her. I was very patient with her, but sometimes even after she would acknowledge that it was her turn, she still wouldn't play for several minutes, so I would have to remind her again. One time, I let her know it was her turn, then waited and waited but she didn't play.
Me: Fran, your turn.
Fran: Honey, when you get old, it takes a little longer to concentrate.
There is a man named Sidney who is a caregiver in the Assisted Living section. He comes through Memory occasionally.
Fran: Did you see that black man? He is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen!
Caregiver: Fran! Why would you say that?
Fran: (in disgust) He tried to get me to wear his engagement ring...
Someone told Sidney about that conversation and he thought it was hilarious, so now he kind of stirs up trouble when he comes through. He will go over and talk to her and smile at her real big. She will smile back, but then she will talk about him once he's gone.
Fran: Did you see that black man?
Me: Yes
Fran: He thinks he is one sharp boy... floating through here like he is big stuff.... ugh!
David is really good at understanding other residents and figuring out what it is they say or want. There is a woman named Pat who is kind of hard to understand sometimes, but David can usually figure out what she is saying. One time Pat was rambling on and we couldn't understand her.
Fran: (to David) What is she saying?
David: I'm not sure...
Fran: (upset/angry) Well you oughta know! She's YOUR mother!
There is a woman named Ethel who never talks. I was told that she got to the point where she had a lot of trouble getting out what she wanted to say, so she just stopped talking completely. She will look up at you when you talk to her and nod yes or no. She will smile at you and even let out a little laugh every now and then, but she RARELY talks. One of the caregivers was telling me on Wednesday that she hoped that I would one day get to hear Ethel say SOMETHING. She told me she has the sweetest voice. On Thursday I was helping her eat her ice cream and we were laughing about how I was making a mess with it because I accidentally let some run down her chin. I got a napkin and wiped it off and she was laughing and she looked up at me and said, "Thank you" in the sweetest voice! It nearly made me cry because it caught me so off guard and it was so cute! I may never hear her say another word, but I'm glad I got to hear it just once. :)
David is the only male resident in Memory. He is in pretty good shape, but has to use a wheelchair because his legs are giving out on him. His mind is pretty sharp though. He is an Aggie and loves football so we have had a lot to talk about so far. I brought some dominoes up there and we had a blast playing. We also played table football (with the folded paper triangle) for over an hour one day. He is very sweet and has quickly become one of my favorites.
I sat by Mary Ada the other day to play dominoes.
Me: Mary Ada, I LOVE that shirt!
Mary Ada: Oh, well thank you!
Me: Do you think I could borrow it sometime? :)
Mary Ada: Sure... just come on in my room and and get it whenever you want.
Mary Ada is probably one of the sweetest people I've ever met. She isn't quite as social as some of the others, but she is ALWAYS smiling... One day she fell asleep at the table before lunch. We put her plate in front of her and said, "Mary Ada...." and she immediately opened her eyes and lifted her head with the biggest, sweetest smile on her face. Seriously, she is ALWAYS smiling! :)
Pat is the oldest resident. She can't do much on her own. We do almost everything for her. She is hard to understand sometimes, but she is very sweet. I was feeding her ice cream one day and she was so excited about it. She kept saying, "Oh boy!" I couldn't get that spoon to her mouth fast enough! As soon as I would get one bite in, she would swallow it then stick her tongue out and wait for the next bite! I got tickled at her, and she knew it!! She started sticking her tongue out then laughing herself. She is very sweet.
There are just a few stories from my week! I know there will be more to come! I absolutely love working there so far. I have already gotten very attached to all of the residents. I don't know what I'm going to do the first time one of them passes... ball like a baby, that's for sure! I just already love them all! More stories to come next week, I'm sure. :)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Apartment and Work
I move into my apartment next week! :) September 10th is the move in date so we will spend that whole weekend getting everything set up! I am SO excited! The living area is pretty huge, so if anyone ever wants to come visit, we can set up an air mattress for you. :) Once we start moving, I'll be sure to post pictures and all sorts of other information.
I started work today! I didn't do a WHOLE lot today because it was a lot of orientation and shadowing stuff, but I think I'm going to like it a lot! I am only going to be working in the Memory Care/Alzheimers section. There will only be 6 residents there. That is GOOD because I can be more personal with activities and just in my relationships with them. That is BAD because that means I'll be all the more attached to them. :( Once I get going with my own stuff, I'll post more about what I do there.
So things are pretty crazy but a lot of good things are happening and I am VERY excited about it all! :)
I started work today! I didn't do a WHOLE lot today because it was a lot of orientation and shadowing stuff, but I think I'm going to like it a lot! I am only going to be working in the Memory Care/Alzheimers section. There will only be 6 residents there. That is GOOD because I can be more personal with activities and just in my relationships with them. That is BAD because that means I'll be all the more attached to them. :( Once I get going with my own stuff, I'll post more about what I do there.
So things are pretty crazy but a lot of good things are happening and I am VERY excited about it all! :)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
WOW!
I have AWESOME news! I just got a call from The Pointe a little while ago and they offered me something new. I will be working partially as a Caregiver (which is what I was planning on doing the whole time) and partially as an assistant to the Activities Director! WOW! That is what I am studying therapeutic recreation for! This is an AMAZING opportunity for me and I am so blessed that things have been working out as nicely as they are! I will be working Monday through Saturday from 10am-6pm. I am so excited about all of this and I can't wait to get started! I start on Monday, so I should have a lot more information to share next week.
Matt and I also spent most of our morning checking out prices on those apartments we like. :)
Matt and I also spent most of our morning checking out prices on those apartments we like. :)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
New Orleans Mission Trip
There is a small group from our church here in Austin that is taking a mission trip to New Orleans Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately I won't be able to go (but it is because I got a job - yay!) but Matt is still going. There are some of the youth who are in need of financial support. The cost per person is $150. Sonrise was gracious enough to give enough money to fully support Matt and to help some with the cost of someone else's trip, but there is still a great need for some of the others. If anyone feels compelled to pitch in and support any of our teens, I know they would appreciate it! :) Let me know if you're interested in helping out. Thanks!
Click HERE to see a video about the church that they would be assisting. (This is also the same church that Matt and I visited over a year ago and considered working with for the summer)
Click HERE to see a video about the church that they would be assisting. (This is also the same church that Matt and I visited over a year ago and considered working with for the summer)
I GOT THE JOB! :)
I got the job and I start on Monday! I will have more information on Monday and Tuesday once I get in there and have my orientation and so on - so I'll keep yall updated! Thanks for the prayers! :)
Job Update
Well after WHO KNOWS how many job applications I finally have a pretty good lead on a job! There were a few places that I really liked better than the others and wanted to hear back from. I heard back from a couple of them saying that they had filled the position so I was kind of bummed about that. Monday afternoon Matt was driving me around places and I was just going in and dropping off my resume and we had gone to about five places when I got a call from one of the places I was interested in asking me to come in and interview! I was so excited!
It is a place called The Pointe. It is an assisted living and Alzheimer's Care place. It isn't really the most glamorous job by any means, but I think it would be good experience for me considering my field of study. The official job title is "Caregiver" so I would be doing all sorts of things to help out the residents. It could be stuff like picking up their room, doing their laundry or visiting with them. It could also be assisting them while they shower, or cleaning and changing them. The pay is average, but the hours are really good AND they offer full benefits!
I went in yesterday and met with someone and she said that she really like me and she thought that I would be a good fit, but NOW I have to meet with the director and she wasn't in at the time. SO I am going in today at 3:00 to meet with her. I am pretty nervous about it!
So... I don't OFFICIALLY have the job, but it looks promising. I have to keep reminding myself that I DON'T have the job yet so I can't feel TOO sure about it or I am going to be all the more disappointed if I don't get it.
Please be praying about it that things work out! :)
It is a place called The Pointe. It is an assisted living and Alzheimer's Care place. It isn't really the most glamorous job by any means, but I think it would be good experience for me considering my field of study. The official job title is "Caregiver" so I would be doing all sorts of things to help out the residents. It could be stuff like picking up their room, doing their laundry or visiting with them. It could also be assisting them while they shower, or cleaning and changing them. The pay is average, but the hours are really good AND they offer full benefits!
I went in yesterday and met with someone and she said that she really like me and she thought that I would be a good fit, but NOW I have to meet with the director and she wasn't in at the time. SO I am going in today at 3:00 to meet with her. I am pretty nervous about it!
So... I don't OFFICIALLY have the job, but it looks promising. I have to keep reminding myself that I DON'T have the job yet so I can't feel TOO sure about it or I am going to be all the more disappointed if I don't get it.
Please be praying about it that things work out! :)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A Day In San Antonio
Matt and I went to San Antonio yesterday just for the day! Jason & Summer and the boys were also in San Antonio so we got to meet up with them for supper on the riverwalk - so that was fun! Here are a few pictures from our day...
First we went and watched the Dallas Cowboys training camp! We were on the 5th row so we got to see all of the action. It was pretty fun! We were both decked out in our Cowboys gear. :)
Here are a few pictures of the Cowboys stretching and practicing:
Number 82 is one of my favorite players, Jason Witten.
After the Cowboys practice we went downtown and went to the Alamo! It was too late to take a tour, so we just got some pictures.
This was our attempt at taking a picture. Some man saw us and offered to take one for us (the picture before this one)
We walked around the Riverwalk for a while then met up with Jason & Summer and the boys for supper at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk. I didn't get any pictures, but Summer took a few, so you'll have to check her blog for those when she gets them up. We had fun visiting, feeding the ducks and making tortilla faces. :) Summer said, "It's weird how yall live in Austin, we live in Fort Worth and somehow we end up meeting up in San Antonio!" :)
First we went and watched the Dallas Cowboys training camp! We were on the 5th row so we got to see all of the action. It was pretty fun! We were both decked out in our Cowboys gear. :)
Here are a few pictures of the Cowboys stretching and practicing:
Number 82 is one of my favorite players, Jason Witten.
After the Cowboys practice we went downtown and went to the Alamo! It was too late to take a tour, so we just got some pictures.
This was our attempt at taking a picture. Some man saw us and offered to take one for us (the picture before this one)
We walked around the Riverwalk for a while then met up with Jason & Summer and the boys for supper at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk. I didn't get any pictures, but Summer took a few, so you'll have to check her blog for those when she gets them up. We had fun visiting, feeding the ducks and making tortilla faces. :) Summer said, "It's weird how yall live in Austin, we live in Fort Worth and somehow we end up meeting up in San Antonio!" :)
After supper we went to the Landing to hear Jim Cullum and the band. We went and saw them when we went to San Antonio with Matt's parents in May. Matt used to go in high school when the band would take trips to San Antonio. He always loves going there! He said last time, then again this time, that he couldn't live there because he would spend too much money going to the Landing every night! It really is awesome! They are amazing musicians and we really enjoyed being there. I also enjoyed a tasty chocolate martini! It sounded disgusting to me, but the waitress reassured me that it was good and she was right! It was dark in there, so you can't see a whole lot, but here is a picture of the stage at the Landing before they started:
We didn't leave the Landing until close to 11pm, then we headed back to Austin! It was a really fun day!
Matt headed off to Athens today to spend the rest of the week with his family before school starts up and I am heading to Gainesville tomorrow!
Still searching for a job... I would be so thankful if something came up. So far I have only gotten notices that the position has been filled or that they aren't hiring anymore or whatever. Nothing encouraging. Keep praying about it please! :)
We are under 3 months until the wedding! Yikes! :)
Youth Retreat
This past weekend we took the youth on our "end of summer retreat". We went to a place in Burnet on Lake Buchannon. It was a very relaxing weekend and we enjoyed just sitting around hanging out with the youth group! Of course, I forgot to take pictures, so here are a few that I stole from someone's facebook! :)
Matt and I got the youth a pontoon boat... but then we didn't get to ride on it because we couldn't put that many people on there. But here they are about to take off:
I'm not sure when this was taken, but I'm going to guess early in the morning... that is my "early morning" face. See what Matt has to look forward to? ;-)
We got a private show one night! Matt is so talented and I don't think he really knows just how talented he really is! Lately I have been really pushing him to go visit his friend David (who has recording equipment) and record a few new songs, but it has just been an issue of finding the time. I know it would be an awesome CD if he could do it!
Two of the youth (our youth group couple) making their pizza. We all paired up and made pizzas for supper that night. They were yummy!
While the youth were out on the pontoon boat, Matt and I went out on a canoe. We went out pretty far to an island and got out to walk around the island. It was pretty fun until we got ready to leave and I couldn't push the canoe back in the water because I kept sinking to my knees in mud. It was funny, but it was also pretty scary when I couldn't get out!! Matt just thought it was funny. He enjoyed it a little too much I think. ;-)
Matt and I got the youth a pontoon boat... but then we didn't get to ride on it because we couldn't put that many people on there. But here they are about to take off:
I'm not sure when this was taken, but I'm going to guess early in the morning... that is my "early morning" face. See what Matt has to look forward to? ;-)
We got a private show one night! Matt is so talented and I don't think he really knows just how talented he really is! Lately I have been really pushing him to go visit his friend David (who has recording equipment) and record a few new songs, but it has just been an issue of finding the time. I know it would be an awesome CD if he could do it!
Two of the youth (our youth group couple) making their pizza. We all paired up and made pizzas for supper that night. They were yummy!
While the youth were out on the pontoon boat, Matt and I went out on a canoe. We went out pretty far to an island and got out to walk around the island. It was pretty fun until we got ready to leave and I couldn't push the canoe back in the water because I kept sinking to my knees in mud. It was funny, but it was also pretty scary when I couldn't get out!! Matt just thought it was funny. He enjoyed it a little too much I think. ;-)
We also made spray paint tshirts. I had never heard of doing that before but it was really cool and everyone had a great time! I don't have any pictures of our shirts, but I'll try to get one to post on here - they're pretty cool! :)
We had a great time and spent a lot of time just hanging out and relaxing!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
This Week
Well I hope those last few posts got me updated on my blogging! Sorry it has been so long. I could give you a whole list of excuses, but it isn't worth it! :) Things have just been busy.
This is my last week working at the Y doing swim lessons. It has been a lot of fun and I'm really glad I did it, but it has also been very exhausting! Just being out in the sun for so many hours every week just wears me out.
Since swim lessons wrap up this week, I have been on the search for a new job! Just yesterday and today I have applied for about 25 jobs... so HOPEFULLY I will hear back from someone soon.
One of the main reasons I really want something to become available really soon is because Matt and I found an apartment that we just fell in love with! It is SUPER nice and one that we would've never looked at because it looks like it would be way out of our price range but it isn't! It is actually cheaper than some of the tiny, old run down apartments that we've looked at! I don't know how in the world their prices are so cheap, but I like it! It is in Cedar Park and the complex is only 2 years old so everything is really new. It is in a really safe, quiet area and it is gated. They have a big business center where we can get a wireless connection, an AWESOME pool, and a huge apartment! It is a one bedroom, one bathroom but it is very spacious! The giant bathtub had a small part in making me fall in love with the apartment.... ok, a BIG part! :) They are actually Luxury Apartments and they're super nice. :) So that is a little bit of incentive. Here are a couple pictures of the model room from their website. This is the room we looked at, and the one we would get if we're able to. Now, just imagine all of this really nice furniture replaced with hand-me-down furniture that doesn't match and it looks like home sweet home! ;-)
Be praying for my job situation that something will become available! Not ONLY so we can have a nice apartment, but just because I need a job! :) ....and the apartment would be nice too! :)
This is my last week working at the Y doing swim lessons. It has been a lot of fun and I'm really glad I did it, but it has also been very exhausting! Just being out in the sun for so many hours every week just wears me out.
Since swim lessons wrap up this week, I have been on the search for a new job! Just yesterday and today I have applied for about 25 jobs... so HOPEFULLY I will hear back from someone soon.
One of the main reasons I really want something to become available really soon is because Matt and I found an apartment that we just fell in love with! It is SUPER nice and one that we would've never looked at because it looks like it would be way out of our price range but it isn't! It is actually cheaper than some of the tiny, old run down apartments that we've looked at! I don't know how in the world their prices are so cheap, but I like it! It is in Cedar Park and the complex is only 2 years old so everything is really new. It is in a really safe, quiet area and it is gated. They have a big business center where we can get a wireless connection, an AWESOME pool, and a huge apartment! It is a one bedroom, one bathroom but it is very spacious! The giant bathtub had a small part in making me fall in love with the apartment.... ok, a BIG part! :) They are actually Luxury Apartments and they're super nice. :) So that is a little bit of incentive. Here are a couple pictures of the model room from their website. This is the room we looked at, and the one we would get if we're able to. Now, just imagine all of this really nice furniture replaced with hand-me-down furniture that doesn't match and it looks like home sweet home! ;-)
Be praying for my job situation that something will become available! Not ONLY so we can have a nice apartment, but just because I need a job! :) ....and the apartment would be nice too! :)
Wedding Stuff
As of Friday it will be just 3 MONTHS until the wedding! Time is passing so quickly! We have gotten a lot done, but it still feels like there is a whole lot more to do! I went home a few weeks ago when Matt was on Trek and mom and I worked on some things.
The biggest thing is that we booked a photographer! We went back and forth about what to do as far as pictures, but Matt and I both really wanted good pictures, so we found someone that we all really liked and, even though it was WAY more expensive than what we had in mind, we booked them! Even though it is a lot of money, it is a good price considering the quality of the pictures and what all you get with the package. Plus, they cut us a deal since our wedding is going to be so small. We got to meet the woman who would actually be the photographer for us and see her work and we were really impressed with her. Here is a link for her portfolio: http://www.photosbymichaels.com/portfolioaudrie.htm We will get two photographers (Audrie will be the head photographer) so that will be good so that we can get some different pictures. Plus, the main thing that I wanted, we get a CD with all of the images and all of the rights to print them as we please. There are other things with the package, but that was the main thing I wanted.
Some other wedding updates are that we picked out a wedding band for Matt! There isn't a picture of it online or I would post it, but take my word for it: It's cool! :)
We also chose an excursion for the cruise! It is called "Ultimate Adventure". We went back and forth for a long time trying to decide what to do, but we ended up picking this one because it had more of a variety of activities. Here is the description of it:
- Begin your adventure with a high-speed boat ride along the coast, admiring the lovely scenery.
- Arrive at Punta Sur Ecological Park’s Crystal Beach, on the southeastern corner of the island, where you’ll see a stunning 4-mile stretch of white sand beach.
- Discover the colorful tropical fish and local marine life as you snorkel above one of the coral reefs, just off the shore.
- Enjoy kayaking with friends and family through the amazingly clear and tranquil waters.
- Stroll along the pristine beach or relax in the hammocks or your lounge chair, taking in the beauty of nature that surrounds you.
- Satisfy your appetite with a Mexican buffet of fresh tropical fruits, guacamole, salsa and much more.
Sounds good to me! :)
We also picked a hotel for the wedding night. We chose the Omni Mandalay in Las Colinas. That is the same place that Jason & Summer and Brad & Nova stayed! That actually is NOT why we picked it, but that is just how it ended up! We started out with a list of about 20 hotels and bed and breakfasts and eventually narrowed it down to that one!
I think that is about all of the wedding news I have for now! Keep praying for good weather so we can have the ceremony outside like we would like! :)
The biggest thing is that we booked a photographer! We went back and forth about what to do as far as pictures, but Matt and I both really wanted good pictures, so we found someone that we all really liked and, even though it was WAY more expensive than what we had in mind, we booked them! Even though it is a lot of money, it is a good price considering the quality of the pictures and what all you get with the package. Plus, they cut us a deal since our wedding is going to be so small. We got to meet the woman who would actually be the photographer for us and see her work and we were really impressed with her. Here is a link for her portfolio: http://www.photosbymichaels.com/portfolioaudrie.htm We will get two photographers (Audrie will be the head photographer) so that will be good so that we can get some different pictures. Plus, the main thing that I wanted, we get a CD with all of the images and all of the rights to print them as we please. There are other things with the package, but that was the main thing I wanted.
Some other wedding updates are that we picked out a wedding band for Matt! There isn't a picture of it online or I would post it, but take my word for it: It's cool! :)
We also chose an excursion for the cruise! It is called "Ultimate Adventure". We went back and forth for a long time trying to decide what to do, but we ended up picking this one because it had more of a variety of activities. Here is the description of it:
- Begin your adventure with a high-speed boat ride along the coast, admiring the lovely scenery.
- Arrive at Punta Sur Ecological Park’s Crystal Beach, on the southeastern corner of the island, where you’ll see a stunning 4-mile stretch of white sand beach.
- Discover the colorful tropical fish and local marine life as you snorkel above one of the coral reefs, just off the shore.
- Enjoy kayaking with friends and family through the amazingly clear and tranquil waters.
- Stroll along the pristine beach or relax in the hammocks or your lounge chair, taking in the beauty of nature that surrounds you.
- Satisfy your appetite with a Mexican buffet of fresh tropical fruits, guacamole, salsa and much more.
Sounds good to me! :)
We also picked a hotel for the wedding night. We chose the Omni Mandalay in Las Colinas. That is the same place that Jason & Summer and Brad & Nova stayed! That actually is NOT why we picked it, but that is just how it ended up! We started out with a list of about 20 hotels and bed and breakfasts and eventually narrowed it down to that one!
I think that is about all of the wedding news I have for now! Keep praying for good weather so we can have the ceremony outside like we would like! :)
Fan in need of a tan!
Matt and I went to a Round Rock Express game on Thursday night because we thought it was the night where you get free umbrellas. We got there early because usually on promotion nights it fills up a little faster. We walked in and we didn't see anyone handing out umbrellas or anything so we stopped to check the calendar to see if we just misread it or something. As we were standing there, two girls walked up to us and asked Matt if he would like to be the "Fan in need of a tan" and win a month of free tanning. Haha! We laughed about it for a little while then he agreed to do it. After the second inning they put him up on the big screen and introduced him as the fan in need of a tan! :) It was pretty entertaining. The funny thing is that after we sat down Matt said, "I sure hope I don't see anyone here that I know!" A few minutes later we heard someone say, "Hey man you're in my seat" and we turned around and the youth minister from Belton was there with his youth group and they were sitting in the section right next to us! Haha! They thought it was hilarious that Matt was going to be on the big screen and kept poking fun at him, but after the camera guy got Matt on the big screen, he turned around and got their group too. :)
Now, Matt isn't going to go to the tanning beds, and I am certainly tan enough that I don't need to BUT.... I have these awful tan lines that I need to get rid of! So I figure I can go a couple of times just to get rid of these lines before the wedding!
Check out these tan lines! :(
YIKES! I definitely need to do something about that! ;-) 
Oh yeah, umbrella night was Friday night (the next night) but Thursday was Lotto ticket night. Sounds boring, I know, but I ended up winning $20 on a scratch off! So it wasn't too bad. :) Except for that the Express lost....
Now, Matt isn't going to go to the tanning beds, and I am certainly tan enough that I don't need to BUT.... I have these awful tan lines that I need to get rid of! So I figure I can go a couple of times just to get rid of these lines before the wedding!
Check out these tan lines! :(
YIKES! I definitely need to do something about that! ;-)
Here is a silly picture of Matt at the Round Rock game... :) Haha!
Oh yeah, umbrella night was Friday night (the next night) but Thursday was Lotto ticket night. Sounds boring, I know, but I ended up winning $20 on a scratch off! So it wasn't too bad. :) Except for that the Express lost....
Trek
A few weeks ago Matt went on Trek with the church. Unfortunately they didn't get to summit, but I think they all still had a great time - I know Matt did. This was his first time going on Trek so it was really a neat experience for him. They are all out of order, but here are a few of his pictures from their trip:
The whole group:
Matt repelling:
One of the teens, Brandon, leading the group:
This is Matt's pack:
The whole group:
Matt repelling:
One of the teens, Brandon, leading the group:
This is Matt's pack:
You can click this link to see some of his other pictures in a Kodak Gallery:
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
July 14
Happy 31st wedding anniversary
Mom & Dad!
Matt and I have been engaged for one year as of today!
It has been a long engagement but...
It is exactly 4 months until the wedding!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Bowling
Matt and I went bowling the other day and I got a score so bad, and so low... I scored a 32... for the entire game... and not as a joke, I really was that bad. I have never been a great bowler, but I have never been THAT bad!! I am always really inconsistant... but I could not get ANYTHING! It was just one gutter ball after another! It didn't help that Matt got his BEST score ever! He ended up with 195! He was really upset that he didn't break 200, but I didn't want to hear about it.... :) We played two more games after that and I did significantly better, but still not great. Anyway, I'm sure Matt will make fun of me for a long time for scoring a 32. :)
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Webcam Fun
Sometimes Matt and I like to play with the webcam features on my laptop. You can add all sorts of weird things and do funny voices and stuff... so these next few videos are extremely embarrasing, but (to us, at least) real funny. I'm sure most of you won't find them nearly as entertaining as we do, but I figured I'd share anyway. :)
Me doing the Phantom of the Opera song...
Matt giving himself a mustache...
Me being "angry"... (and trying not to laugh)
This was Matt attempting to make a video, but he couldn't stop laughing. I don't think he realized it, but it had one of the voice effects on it so his laugh sounds real funny...
Yes, we are easily entertained and YES we are a little strange... I just saved all of you the time and energy of leaving comments to let us know we're weird... you're welcome. ;)
Me doing the Phantom of the Opera song...
Matt giving himself a mustache...
Me being "angry"... (and trying not to laugh)
This was Matt attempting to make a video, but he couldn't stop laughing. I don't think he realized it, but it had one of the voice effects on it so his laugh sounds real funny...
Yes, we are easily entertained and YES we are a little strange... I just saved all of you the time and energy of leaving comments to let us know we're weird... you're welcome. ;)
Scorpion and a Swollen Lip
A little over a week ago I kept telling Matt that my bottom lip hurt. I had been in the sun a LOT that day and had gotten a little sunburned on my cheeks and I told Matt it almost felt like my lip was sunburned too. I don't think I had ever sunburned my lip before... but I think that is exactly what happened! When I woke up the next morning, this is what I found...
It didn't really hurt anymore, it was just a little tender. I couldn't help but laugh! I called Matt and said, "Man I wish you could see this!!" Unfortunately for Matt (and fortunately for ME) the swelling went down pretty quickly. It was still a LITTLE big on that one side for the rest of the day, but nothing like it was when I first woke up!
My swollen lip was the first adventure of the morning, but little did I know that there was more to come! When I walked over to my sink I found a scorpion in there! I was so scared and I had no idea what to do! I had never seen a scorpion before and it was way bigger than I had imagined them being. So, I considered squishing it with a shoe or something but the sink is kind of deep and in my head I imagined that if I didn't hit it or kill it with the first jab that it would jump onto the shoe and onto my arm and sting me. No joke, that is what I thought. Then I started to worry that it would crawl out of the sink and escape behind something and hide there until I reached to get something THEN it would sting me! I started frantically looking around for something to kill it with and one of the first things I saw was a can of OFF Bug Spray. I started spraying the scorpion non-stop for probably a full minute. There was literally a cloud of OFF around my bathroom counter. Once the air cleared a little bit I stepped back to the sink to see if it did anything. The scorpion was trying to crawl out of the sink but the sink was wet from the bug spray so it just kept slipping back into the sink. So I had now eliminated the possibility of it crawling out of the sink, but it was moving faster than ever now. I had to think fast. So I grabbed the bottle of Cucumber Melon Antibacterial Moisturizing Hand Soap and covered the scorpion. It went crazy and started striking at the soap! It was able to work its way out of the first round of soap, but didn't survive the second...
Now... AFTER this was all said and done, I realized that what I had done was pretty silly! My emotions were a mixture of complete fear and fascination! When I told my mom the story she said, "Why couldn't you have just filled the sink with hot water and washed it down?" Well... that thought didn't even cross my mind. The reasonable and practical ways to get rid of the scorpion were far from my mind. So instead I killed it with OFF bug spray and Hand Soap.
It didn't really hurt anymore, it was just a little tender. I couldn't help but laugh! I called Matt and said, "Man I wish you could see this!!" Unfortunately for Matt (and fortunately for ME) the swelling went down pretty quickly. It was still a LITTLE big on that one side for the rest of the day, but nothing like it was when I first woke up!
My swollen lip was the first adventure of the morning, but little did I know that there was more to come! When I walked over to my sink I found a scorpion in there! I was so scared and I had no idea what to do! I had never seen a scorpion before and it was way bigger than I had imagined them being. So, I considered squishing it with a shoe or something but the sink is kind of deep and in my head I imagined that if I didn't hit it or kill it with the first jab that it would jump onto the shoe and onto my arm and sting me. No joke, that is what I thought. Then I started to worry that it would crawl out of the sink and escape behind something and hide there until I reached to get something THEN it would sting me! I started frantically looking around for something to kill it with and one of the first things I saw was a can of OFF Bug Spray. I started spraying the scorpion non-stop for probably a full minute. There was literally a cloud of OFF around my bathroom counter. Once the air cleared a little bit I stepped back to the sink to see if it did anything. The scorpion was trying to crawl out of the sink but the sink was wet from the bug spray so it just kept slipping back into the sink. So I had now eliminated the possibility of it crawling out of the sink, but it was moving faster than ever now. I had to think fast. So I grabbed the bottle of Cucumber Melon Antibacterial Moisturizing Hand Soap and covered the scorpion. It went crazy and started striking at the soap! It was able to work its way out of the first round of soap, but didn't survive the second...
Now... AFTER this was all said and done, I realized that what I had done was pretty silly! My emotions were a mixture of complete fear and fascination! When I told my mom the story she said, "Why couldn't you have just filled the sink with hot water and washed it down?" Well... that thought didn't even cross my mind. The reasonable and practical ways to get rid of the scorpion were far from my mind. So instead I killed it with OFF bug spray and Hand Soap.
So anyway - if you ever need to kill a scorpion and can't find practical ways to kill it, know that Hand Soap will do the trick! :)
Friday, June 19, 2009
Imagine
When we see a painting of Jesus or picture Jesus in our minds, more often than not we see the long, flowing, dark brown, curly hair, full brown beard, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks, almost like a young version of Santa Clause. This image has, of course, been “romanticized.” The artist has painted a version of Jesus to fit their culture and make him look like one of them.
I sometimes wonder if this is what we do with every aspect of Jesus, including who he was as a man. Although Jesus was fully human, he was also fully God. He struggled with the same things we do. He had some of the same thoughts and emotions; however, the way that he handled these struggles, the way he thought is not the same as we tend to think and handle difficulties. Oftentimes I find myself facing a problem or struggling with a decision and handling it in such a worldly manner, thinking worldly thoughts and feeling worldly emotions, but Jesus faced such situations perfectly. My dad once told me that people tend to expect Christians to always be thinking about the Bible and God and to not worry or struggle with worldly things. He said, though, that Christians still face the same difficulties and problems that the rest of the world faces. We still have financial difficulties, struggle with losing loved ones, and possibly even fear becoming weak and feeble in old age. The difference is not in our struggles and fears; the difference should be in how we respond. I can’t help but wonder if we have attempted to remake Jesus to look and act like us rather than realizing that we are made in his image as Scripture tells us.
Imagine if you were to wake up tomorrow morning and go through the day remembering that you are made in the image of God. What about the way you lived and the things you did today would change? If you were to wake up each day recognizing that every person with which you came into contact is made in God’s image just like you, how would you treat them differently?
Imagine if you were to wake up tomorrow morning and go through the day remembering that you are made in the image of God. What about the way you lived and the things you did today would change? If you were to wake up each day recognizing that every person with which you came into contact is made in God’s image just like you, how would you treat them differently?
-Matt
Express Game
Ok! Last thing from Memorial Day weekend! :) When we got back to Austin from San Antonio we met up with Josh and Carly and we all went to a Round Rock Express game! I successfully ruined most of the pictures of us because the sun was in my eyes and I was making really weird faces... but here is one good one of the whole group!
The Express lost... :( It was the first game Matt and I had been to where they didn't win! We still had a good time though. :) I was pretty tired when the weekend was over - but we had a great time!
The Express lost... :( It was the first game Matt and I had been to where they didn't win! We still had a good time though. :) I was pretty tired when the weekend was over - but we had a great time!
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