Friday, July 25, 2008
If we would talk less and pray more about them, things would be better than they are in the world: at least, we should be better enabled to bear them. John OwenBiography-Website
“The custom of sinning takes away the sense of it, the course of the world takes away the shame of it”
John Owen quote
“Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you”
John Owen quote
“In the divine Scriptures, there are shallows and there are deeps; shallows where the lamb may wade, and deeps where the elephant may swim”
John Owen quote
from johnowen.org ....a puritan theologian
Let our hearts admit, "I am poor and weak. Satan is too subtle, too cunning, too powerful; he watches constantly for advantages over my soul. The world presses in upon me with all sorts of pressures, pleas, and pretences. My own corruption is violent, tumultuous, enticing, and entangling. As it conceives sin, it wars within me and against me. Occasions and opportunities for temptation are innumerable. No wonder I do not know how deeply involved I have been with sin. Therefore, on God alone will I rely for my keeping. I will continually look to Him.
John OwenBiography-Website
Saturday, June 28, 2008
12 sins we blame on others
1) Anger
I wouldn’t lose my temper if my co-workers were easier to get along with, or if my kids behaved better, or if my spouse were more considerate.
2) Impatience
I would be a very patient person if it weren’t for traffic jams and long lines in the grocery store. If I didn’t have so many things to do, and if the people around me weren’t so slow, I would never become impatient!
3) Lust
I would have a pure mind if there weren’t so many sensual images in our culture.
4) Anxiety
I wouldn’t worry about the future if my life were just a little more secure—if I had more money, and no health problems.
5) Spiritual Apathy
My spiritual life would be so much more vibrant and I would struggle with sin less if my small group were more encouraging, or if Sunday school were more engaging, or if the music in the worship service were more lively, or if the sermons were better.
6) Insubordination
If my parents/bosses/elders were godly leaders, then I would joyfully follow them.
7) A Critical Spirit
It’s not my fault that the people around me are ignorant and inexperienced.
8) Bitterness
If you knew what that person did to me, you would understand my bitterness. How could I forgive something like that?
9) Gluttony
My wife/husband/roommate/friend is a wonderful cook! The things they make are impossible to resist.
10) Gossip
It’s the people around me who start the conversations. There’s no way to avoid hearing what others happen to say. And when others ask me questions, I can’t avoid sharing what I know.
11) Self-Pity
I’ll never be happy, because my marriage/family/job/ministry is so difficult.
12) Selfishness
I would be more generous if we had more money.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Eleanor Roosevelt
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. Eleanor Roosevelt
Monday, May 26, 2008
To us there are dark places in the truth. But who can say, in this brief vapor's breath of life, what light might break upon the soul that looks, unwavering, and long enough at some dark spot, with prayer and pondering and hope that it may turn into a portal for the sun?—John Piper, Taste and See, p. 179.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Penelope
and God takes me and molds me for the good. For His good. so the onus is upon Him. I remain the eager puppy.
Mister is driving home from MS and I'm praying he drive safely. He's in the new car he bought me, but even though I managed to get him to purchase an automatic transmission (and in another color rather than the RED he was choosing AGAIN. not my fave. it's silver. hooray--black, white, and tan are good too)
tomorrow is mothers day and I'm thinking of my little baby N who is far away. we're going to go to her honey's celebration. we have our 25th anniversary coming up. I want a party but I want my house remodeled as well. we have so much work that we have to do on the house. i was so busy for a few years there. time to clean, repaint, renew and update.
dang, there are so many current fads. like outdoor living. of which i wholeheartedly approve. i always think i'm going to go out there. now with penelope, I do! and we eat dinners out there. we were eating dinners out there when k's fiance would come and when N was here. those were fun days. all the family around and my mom too.
what a blessing that was.
and now things are more quiet.
s has moved out.
mr is calling....
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
I'M BACK!!!

after so long, my friends, i am secretly blogging.
i went through and read some of my blogs. it was interesting to ME. (maybe not you, but I am SO interesting to ME.
I got on MySpace and another relative is on there. Misters half sis by pops has a pic on misters ex wife of half bro by pops. How's that for interest?
this beautiful flower is a peony I bought at the jefferson and 34th street flower shop when I thought I'd be having so many parties.
Monday, January 29, 2007
22 feels like 8

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
staying home today

Sunday, January 21, 2007
ALL FIXED

Saturday, January 20, 2007
Little piggy
Monday, January 15, 2007
Ed and Anita Nenonen

Thursday, January 11, 2007
watching tv again
Watching "all the kings men" about Huey Long in Louisiana. Lived in Louisiana once...didn't like it. Corruption. Trying to do good by doing it badly.I downloaded my readings for one of the courses. I got a book in the mail for another course, but it is the book that I don't need this week. I hope the OTHER book comes tomorrow! There were several packages in the mailbox area on the first floor today. Several Amazon.com boxes. Other students like me in the building. Supposedly there are several MBA students in the complex.
I'm going down to the southern portion of the state where my friend A.N. lives. I get to see her Grandbaby! Yes, my friends having grandbabies, imagine that. I won't be going until Mr gets into town in Texas. He arrives at 8:30 on Friday morning. K and M will go pick him up and take him to breakfast. Wish I were going. But I'll be going to see A.N. and I'll go to church with them on Sunday where E.N. pastors.
Somehow I'll read all my stuff in the meantime and come back here on Sunday or Monday. Can't decide. Depends on how much I can get done while I'm there. If they are able to put me somewhere that I am able to read and concentrate, I might stay longer. It will be nice not to be alone. It is so hard not being at home with S, she is stressing out. It makes me stressed out just worrying about it. But Mr will be there, that gives me a measure of peace. He's been gone from home for 2 weeks and it is just too much for S. She's used to us being there and maybe she's not ready to be independent. I don't believe children NEED to be independent until they are about 25. If they CHOOSE to be independent before that, so be it. But we've still been there to cover for K. We want to see them get a degree. Now that he's got that job, it is nearly as good. If he can do a good job over the next year, the experience will get his foot in the door for many years. Oh how Mr and I wished for the foot in the door when we were young! and we had no connections.
But the world is different for our children.
Steve told me about Mississippi Burning. I read that book when I moved to Texas and took a History course. YEP, I had to move to TEXAS to learn Mississippi history. When I took MS. History in the 10th grade---NO ONE mentioned ANYTHING about the civil rights movement. Neither did I learn about it in American History even though we went from Native Americans to the President at that time! (it was 1981).
In fact, I took Civics in Louisiana in 1979 (?) in the 9th grade from an African American Teacher ---but I don't remember learning anything about it then either! (but in that course, it may have been that I wasn't paying attention, so no valid argument about it).
okay, it is almost 1am. and I am awake. Haven't even gotten ready for bed. But I am not sleeping too well, so it is hard to just head there. but I'll do it anyway. I am able to fall asleep good enough, but it is a crazy sort of sleep with such frequent wakefulness, doesn't seem right. I'll read some of my Field Method text reading and that should be good and enjoyable.
Good night. I pray we all sleep well in the Love and Grace of God.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
trying to watch another video

Monday, January 08, 2007
32 feels like 21

Sunday, January 07, 2007
Happy
Have I used this picture yet?I have definitely decided on going home. I know, I know. Some people will be disappointed in me, but I am the one that must live my life.
I can deal with my own misery (well, half-heartedly anyway) but worrying about S, my baby.....that gets tough. As long as she and Mr are doing well than I my angst is limited to self.
But if I am spreading angst around--that gets to me.
I feel that the time is too long. Even now that I've made a firm decision (I will have to keep the program from talking me out of it), I hate to wait until March.
I have to give 60 days notice and it costs me two months penalty. As if I haven't cost my family enough already! But this was a chance of a lifetime and worth every penny. To decline or to refuse to try would be the antithesis of life! We MUST try and we must move forward. I'm thankful that I have choices. I'm thankful that I had this opportunity.
But it does make me miserable to be away from home. And it is making S miserable too. She's there by herself so much! My mom is there, but she stays up in her rooms. And even when Mr is there---well, three introverts in the house do not make for much livelihood!
I am sad to see how simple I can be. To my church friends, I suppose I am complex and liberal and ambitious. To the people here, I am simple, conservative and mild. It is a whole different world. Sometimes I LOVE that--and other times it is uncomfortable--but I do love the stimulation of all these ideas floating around. AND getting to dispute them ....something I have not really done because I just was able to start thinking critically last week!
I have so many fun things coming up.
On Jan 10th the F forum gets together to watch "7up" or "49up" ...I watched "35up" which is a documentary about a group of seven year olds from 1958 or something. Maybe 1957. They are just a year older than my brother, I think.
A journalist chose them at age 7 from a range of social classes in London. He's gone back to film them every seven years. Great longitudinal stuff!
We'll watch it and then eat deli sandwiches and discuss.
Sometime else this month, we go to a broadway play and then out to dinner to discuss! Then on the 24-27th is the Personality and Social Psychology APA conference. WOO HOO! And I get to go as my advisors student---which is very prestigious.
Then on Feb 2nd, there is a party at his house for the whole department and spouses (or intimate consorts, he said).
Then I go home on Feb 7-11.
Then my family all comes here March 12 + for a few days for Spring Break. K will bring M, L will bring G and S will bring a girlfriend E. (we aren't bringing boyfriend E). Girls will be in one hotel room, boys in another. But Mr will take them around, plus they can go explore. We'll have two big guys with them all if Mr isn't there---and three if he is.
They should have fun.
I'll be finishing so I can't be sure what will happen.
Then I'll move out in March. (sniff sniff)
but I think it is the right thing to do. I do not feel I can sustain this length of time away from home no matter what. I don't want to live a single life here....I'm decidedly a family girl. But it has been fun and tormenting in a dramatic interesting way.
I am so past the worst,
but also.....I think the loneliness part is about to get bad....so I've been watching TV. Citizen Kane last night while Mr went to bed.
He arrived last night 3 and a half hours late due to plane trouble in Ireland. We took D to a nice Hotel in my suburb and we went to an elegant restaurant. Then home and Mr crashed right away. He hadn't really slept in a couple of days. He had gotten some sleep, but not nearly enough. It's more than 10 hours since we got home and he's still asleep.
I got him to unpack and I've washed all his clothes and hung them. I am not ironing because he might wait until he gets to Brazil (they leave today for Brazil) and I also don't do a good enough job for him anyway. He likes a military press or something. Very intense ironing. I just get the wrinkles out and make all the seams smooth.
I'll take them to Bob Chin's crab house and then to the airport. Mr is exhausted, I hope this long sleep does him good. He doesn't sleep well apart from me and I guess I don't really sleep well ANYWHERE! But I've learned a lot about myself. (and some of it is good)
How to be happy and well rather than sad and sick

Seven ways to predict how well you will age Researcher George Vaillant and his colleagues at Harvard University Health Services have found seven predictors, which are at least partly under personal control, and, if adhered to before age 50, can lead to good physical and mental health at ages 70, 80, and older. Some of them are old news, things like quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and not abusing alcohol. Others turn out to be surprises. For example, education trumps money and social prestige as a route to health and happiness. The other controllable predictors are marriage stability, weight, and coping mechanisms. Uncontrollable factors that affect successful aging include parents' social class, family cohesion, longevity of ancestors, and childhood temperament. However, by age 70, these factors are no longer important. High cholesterol before age 50 also loses importance after a 70th birthday.
Read full story (Harvard University Gazette, 6/7/2001)
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Friday, January 05, 2007
Born into Brothels

Thursday, January 04, 2007
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