Learning to Slow Down

Sometimes God teaches us lessons that we don't want to learn. One of my recurring lessons is my need to slow down. And it seems that right now is one of those times. And the way God is teaching me this lesson is through sickness. Apparently I have a sinus infection, along with no energy, extreme sore throat, and overall ickiness. So now, I am being forced to slow down and not do all the things I need to be doing. I didn't go to work today - went to the doctor's office instead, then back home to rest. And I realize some people love having a day off from work, but honestly I would love to be back to work if I could just feel better.

Well I guess that's all for today. I'm just trying to figure out how to apply this "slowing down" lesson to my everyday life... when I start feeling better, I still want to take time to enjoy life and family and friends.

Weekend

We spent this past weekend in Boston for a youth group leaders conference. All went well, except that I apparently came down with something on Friday and it hasn't left me yet. I haven't been sick in quite some time, so having the headaches last week and then this cough/throat thing this week is not very fun. I am just praying that this will be short-lived and not last all week.

So, if you think of it, pray for me... And to youth group kids, sorry I've been MIA two weeks in a row. I really wanted to be there tonight!

Oh, and I'll be posting more about Boston sometime soon. I've got a GREAT video that I want to post. It's so funny!

Amy's Research Questions

Well a few weeks ago, my dear friend Amy posted a blog requesting that people respond to the following questions. I am finally getting around to doing it. Sorry for the delay, Ame!

How long have you been married?
Almost 5 years! Technically 4 years and 9 months.
How long did you and your spouse really know each other before you married?
We dated for 4 and 1/2 years before we got married. We were friends for almost a year before we started dating.
Looking back, how prepared do you feel you were for marriage?
I would say we were somewhat prepared. We knew each other quite well, and we had done some pre-marital counseling. There was, however, quite a lot of adjusting to do once we were married.
If you have kids, how long did you wait before starting your family?
N/A.
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
N/A.
What challenges have you faced at this stage in your marriage?
We have faced several challenges - 1. Adjusting to being married and sharing a home together, 2. Buying our first home and renovating - can create stress :), 3. Dealing with job changes and learning to balance our marriage vs. our work, 4. Deciding what to do regarding further education, and 5. The societal and family pressures regarding having vs. not having kids and trying to make the decision based on our own thoughts and feelings, not those around us.
If you have kids, has your relationship changed since you've added them to your family?
N/A.
If so, in what way(s)?
N/A.
What resources or support systems do you have that benefit your marriage?
1. Our families - both my family and Scott's family are very supportive of our marriage and I feel that we are very blessed that way.
2. Our friends - having several friends who have strong marriages encourages us and gives us someone to turn to for advice/support.
3. Our church - they are beginning to implement more marriage related studies and programs which I feel is very beneficial. We haven't been able to participate in any of them yet, but just the fact that it is happening is encouraging.
What advice do you have for young couples contemplating marriage and starting a family?
1. Get premarital counseling - I think this is a key that really needs to happen before people jump into marriage. You can be as in love as you can imagine, and the marriage could still fall apart if you don't have the right tools and skills to keep your marriage alive. I believe that looking at where each person came from is important, including your views on marriage in general, gender roles, household responsibilities, sex, etc, in order to better prepare for your own marriage. That doesn't mean you have to agree on everything, but just being aware of where your future spouse stands on these issues can eliminate a lot of heartache.
2. Recognize that you are God's gift to each other - This point hit home at a marriage conference Scott and I went to last year. I recognized that there were lots of times that I ignored this fact and treated Scott as my enemy instead of God's gift to me. When you view your spouse as a gift from God, it changes how you speak to them and treat them. Still working on this one myself...
3. Don't be afraid to ask for help! Many people think that going to a marriage retreat or conference (which Scott and I do every year) means that your marriage is falling apart. NO! It's kind of like a car - if you never get a tune up, you are bound to have some major problems. But if you do tune ups every once in a while, the problems will still come, but you'll be more prepared and they won't be nearly as expensive! It's the same with marriage - when you take time to specifically focus on your marriage, you and your spouse will be so much more ready to deal with the inevitable problems that arise. Along with that, I feel that going to marriage counseling or even just talking with close friends about issues is not a bad thing - God created us to live in community and to share our strengths and experiences with each other.

AND THE BIGGY......
What is/are the biggest need(s) that you have as a husband/wife at this stage in your marriage?
The biggest need I would say that I have right now is just to be loved and supported (which Scott does wonderfully!). As we are currently deciding about me getting my Master's degree, I appreciate that Scott takes the time to really talk about this with me and pray about it too. He doesn't immediately shoot down my ideas, even when they may be a bit crazy. He loves me and supports me in all of my ventures. And that makes it easier for me to accept feedback from him about these types of decisions. Being an independent person, I know that I sometimes do not have the most submissive nature. However, I do desire to respect Scott and value his perspective immensely.

Do you feel there is a need for this kind of ministry in your church, and if so, would you attend such a ministry program - either as a mentor couple or as a couple who would like to be mentored?
Yes, there is a need for this type of ministry in every church. Thankfully, our church has started a few different things for marriages. One is an Alpha Marriage Course that is 8 weeks long and is for couples at any stage in their marriage. The other is that we have Bible Studies on Sunday evenings and there are a few studies being offered throughout the year that focus on marriage. I would like to see possibly a marriage retreat or weekend that our church hosts or sponsors, since there are currently those types of options for men or women, but not married couples.

Well, Amy, I hope this helps! Sorry for my delay, but I finally did it.

Recovery Day

After a long week and lots going on, I decided to take a "recovery day". I ended up not going to work partly because I was just exhausted and partly because of the crazy snowstorm this morning. So instead I slept in later than usual, then spent most of the day completely relaxing. Scott and I read together, I sat on the couch and watched tv, and more along those lines... we did actually clean up the kitchen was great, and we had a real meal for dinner!

Well anyway, as for other news. I have been accepted to the Master of Arts in International Development Program at Eastern University. If I choose to participate in this program, I would go to South Africa in July for 3 weeks, and then the rest of the year will be correspondence. Then I would go again next summer as well, followed by another year of correspondence. I am really undecided about this, but God answered one of my prayers. I spoke with my contact at Eastern and got something cleared up. I had thought that the complete payment was due by March 15th, but it was only a deposit. The payment is not due until April 15th, which gives me more time to decide. Plus, I found out I was awared a pretty significant scholarship to go towards the tuition. Scott and I are having our taxes done on Tuesday, so then I can fill out the FASFA and find out what other aid I am eligible for.

Otherwise I just had a long week with work because there are a lot of staff issues going on. Plus I'm currently doing 2 businesses from home, so between everything I was just needing a day to myself. It was really nice to have that today, as I know this next week promises to be just as busy. I hope to keep everything in balance and to keep my priorities straight.

Mia in the Snow

My crazy dog - isn't she amazing? She was jumping up in the air to catch a snowball thrown by Scott. This was a fun day a few weeks ago when we went for walk out behind our home.

Fun and Games

We returned this afternoon from Winter Retreat with our cool youth group kids. The weekend went much differently than originally planned, given the huge snowstorm on Friday. We spent the night at the church instead of at the camp we were headed to. But all went well, and we made some fun memories.

One of my favorite parts of these trips is the games we play. On Friday night, I attempted to teach a group to play Settlers of Catan. This game was introduced to us by my sister and brother-in-law, and now it's one of my favorites! It's very obscure - you can't find it at Toys'RUs or Walmart... you have to go to specialty game stores or on the internet (Amazon or ebay I'm sure). Anyway, the game does require strategy and patience, but it's great because it's different every time you play it. We got about halfway through... I think I was winning when we got done.

Another great game is Cranium - we played that on Saturday afternoon and evening. I love this one because it's a team effort and everyone is good at different things, so you get to work together. We had great fun and that's where my current quote comes from. I said, "She's had a few bad experiences in the recent future" about one of the players who didn't want to do more acting out during the game... what I meant to say was "in the recent past". That's how tired I was!

After that game, we played Mafia, which is probably the best game ever. You can play it anywhere, anytime, as long as you have at least 6 or 7 people. It's all about killing people and lying about it. But hey, what's youth group without a little killing and lying, right? I didn't get to be the mafia in any of the 3 games we played, so that was a bummer, but it was nice when the doctor saved me!

All that to say, it was a good weekend, and yes, there is life away from TV, cell phones, computers, and busyness... and one of the best parts of that life is games!

Lent

Lent began Wednesday, and it came on way too fast. I had been thinking about what I wanted to do for Lent, but I didn't realize how quickly it would be here. I really wanted to spend some time praying about what I should give up, and I haven't done that. However, I think I know one area that God would like to work on with me, and that is TV. It's definitely become a habit for me to watch tv whenever I want to relax, whenever I'm bored, or whenever I'm doing other things. So my plan for Lent is to cut back on TV. I would like to find better ways to spend my time and see what happens. I often put off my quiet time with God but almost never put off watching TV. So I'd like to see that reversed - not because I want to a better person, but because I want to grow in my relationship with Christ.

Until recently I hadn't ever observed Lent, but I really like the idea of giving something up in order to focus more on Christ. I pray that I learn something during this Lent season.

Posting - This one's for Steve

I've been commanded to post something, so here goes. First off, I would like to say to those of you who actually read my blog, comment! If no one comments, I ususally figure no one is reading, and therefore I have little incentive to post. I know that I should be blogging because I want to, not because other people read it, but I have to say that I enjoy reading the comments and I then am inspired to write other stuff.

I guess my last post was about my car accident, so I'll give you an update. Monday was a crazy horrible day - just seemed like everything that could go wrong did. I had to drive Scott's truck, but I couldn't get the key to open the gas door, so I couldn't get gas. So I had to have someone else take me places.... it was just one of those days!

Anyway, Tuesday was a better day since we were able to purchase a new vehicle... well, new to us. I got a Toyota Rav4, which is the same as I had before, but this one is 2 years newer, black instead of white, and less miles. It was a long day and we had to wait a long time to figure out what the interest rate would be, but finally everything worked out. We purchased it at Crafts' Auto Sales in Lisbon Falls, which I felt was a good dealership. I have enjoyed driving it and it is definitely not as loud as my old one. Plus, it has a CD player and a moon roof - bonus!

Well the rest of the week has had it's ups and downs, but today was fairly good - we found out that since we had GAP insurance on our previous loan, we actually are getting some money towards the new loan since we're financing again with Maine Savings. YAY! So my payments are actually going to be LESS than they were before with the older vehicle - God is good.

Other than this, I am keeping busy with work, home business, youth group, and family. It's all good, though, and I am amazed every day at how blessed I am, even when I am not as grateful or faithful as I should be.

Weekend Fun

Some friends are complaining that I never blog anymore, so I'm going to try and improve on that. For starters, we just returned from a great weekend. We attended a marriage retreat that we usually attend in Camden, Maine. It's put on by a great couple who's been married about 50 years, and they are great!

On Friday we drove down to Camden along with our friends Steve and Jess. We had dinner at a great little restuarant while listening to a live jazz band. I had a cheeseburger the size of my head and so I had to take some to go. We then joined the 1o other couples at the Country Inn for a weekend of learning and fun.

A few highlights of the weekend were swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub, hearing the many insights about marriage from Russ and Lorrie, getting to know the other couples, and of course spending quality time with my own hubby. We had a date night Saturday night and we decided to check out a new restuarant, which was okay, but not great. On Sunday we enjoyed a morning of praise and worship led by Steve, which was really nice. We also had sharing time and communion together.

Something a little different this year was some added videos which enhanced our learning and converstations. Russ and Lorrie brough videos by Mark Gungor, who is incredibly funny and extremely passionate about marriage. The videos were awesome and we are planning to buy them for our church and somehow incorporate them into our small group studies or something. I can't wait to see the other videos since we only watched a few.

Well now we are just relaxing at home and enjoying having some down time. And for all you readers of my blog out there... I'll try to post more often!

Long Time...

I haven't blogged in a long time! I just realized that it's been almost a month. So, for my 2 readers, I apologize.

Well Scott and I are sitting here at the table with our laptops, wasting the day away. It finally snowed yesterday - we got about 6 inches I think. So we ended up staying home last night and canceling youth group. I didn't want to be out on the roads, and I didn't want any of the kids out either. Anyway, so today we slept in, had breakfast, and now we're trying to work up the motivation to work on our bathroom. We have trim to put up, and I would love to get it done today.

So anyway, things are good here. 2007 is here and it's already halfway through January! I am continuing to pray that God would show me what He wants for me this year, and what I should be focusing on. I believe God has allowed me to do a lot of things that I enjoy, but I also know that He wants me to keep my focus on Him. So I am asking God to show me how to keep those priorities straight.

Well I guess that's all. That was sort of a disorganized blog, but at least it's something!

The Yankee Swap Escapade

One thing is certain, in a group of 25 people, agreeing on the rules of Yankee Swap is a challenge. Last night we had the annual senior high youth group Christmas party. We all brought our gifts (up to a $6 value) and then we had a nice time reading the Christmas story. When it came time to actually play the game, though, there seemed to be some question about how to actually play. We finally decided, but it definitely was a process. So I just looked up the official rules to the Yankee Swap. It turns out that my version of the Yankee Swap is a combination of the Yankee Swap and a White Elephant. Anyway, I think it's fun however you play it, since everyone goes home with a gift.

By the way, I ended up with a Star Wars figure... yippee...

UPS and New Bedroom Set

Lately I have been frustrated with UPS. I guess I am just really impatient and don't understand why it takes so long for a packaged to get from point A to point B. For example, today I knew I was getting packages delivered, and on the UPS tracking site they listed as being "out for delivery" from the Brewer UPS at 2:35am. Of course, I realize no one gets packages at 4am, but mine didn't get delivered until after we left for youth group, which was about 4:30pm. Hmmmmmm....

In addition, when I got home I thought the packages hadn't come at all. Why, you ask? Well they weren't on my back doorstep or inside the shed where they usually get dropped. So then I started to get really irritated, thinking that they hadn't arrived even though the tracking said they would be. But I checked one more place - the front door. Yup, they were on the front door step. Apparently I must have different delivery guys because they always leave stuff in different places.

Well on a more positive note, we had a huge blessing this past week. We got a beautiful bedroom set given to us, and my hubby and our friend Steve went and picked it up on Tuesday. In addition, Scott and I bought a new mattress set as our Christmas gift to go with the new bedroom set! It was so exciting to actually have furniture that matches and it looks amazing! Plus, it's a queen size set so Scott and I don't have to fight over space on the bed.

Hopefully I'll get some photos up sometime soon! For now, you'll just have to come visit and see it in person (if I know you, that is).

A Good Day

Despite being very busy the past few days, today has been a good day. We got up and went to church this morning. After this, we had lunch with our wonderful friends Steve, Jess, Peter, and Shannon - and Nat, of course. Lunch was so yummy and just a lot of fun to talk and catch up. Then we all headed over to Shamrock Ridge Tree Farm where we all picked out our Christmas trees. How fun! Scott and I opted for a larger tree as usual, while everyone else went for a smaller tree. Then we each loaded up our trees and headed home.

While Scott helped out at Pioneer Clubs tonight, I decided to stay home and relax a bit. I got some cleaning done, laundry, as well as just resting. It's really nice after 4 days of 10-11 hour days at work. Once Scott got home, we put the tree up, although we're waiting to decorate so that we can have a nice, relaxing time.

Well I guess this isn't a real exciting blog. I'm just content tonight to be sitting on my couch, with my sweet doggy curled up next to me, and feeling ready for a new week.

Thankfulness

This week I think God has been causing me to realize just how much I have to be thankful for. And I guess that is what tomorrow is all about - giving thanks to God for what we have. I am just in awe of how much God has given me in my life, and how faithfully He provides.

I feel like this week in particular, God has been directing my steps and my interactions with people. Several examples of "coincidences" which I think are not all that coincidental. I won't go into them all, but I am just so thankful that God sometimes gives us glimpses of how much He cares about the little (and big) things in life.

As I think about all of this, though, I recognize the need I have to be constantly seeking Him for his guidance. With thinking about grad school, career decisions, and just generally how to best make use of the time on earth God has given me, I realize that I can never do this on my own. So lastly, I am thankful that my life truly is in His hands and not my own...

Exhaustion

We have returned from our college trip with the teens. And now I sit here exhausted! My eyes are drooping, my muscles ache, and the thought of my head on pillow is enticing. So that is where I will head very soon!

I just wanted to take a moment to write about our trip. We spent 6 days and 5 nights with 4 students visiting 4 different colleges and universities. It was an extremely fun, educational, and enjoyable trip. We did have a few detours on the way to PA, and then on the way back up to Mass we ran into major traffic, but God kept us so safe! We saw 12 deer total - 9 dead and 3 alive. So we're thankful that we didn't hit any. Plus, with the way people drive in NJ, we're really thankful we're alive!

Well all of the kids seemed to enjoy the trip and they all had the chance to learn about the different options available in this region. We had a rating system for all of our stops, including the colleges. Plus, we videotaped a lot so that hopefully we can go back and remember some of what we saw. That might help the students and their parents get to see what is available to them at the various schools.

Overall, I was inspired as well as grateful during this trip. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to attend Gordon College, which is one of the ones we visited. I absolutely loved my time there and believe that God led me there. I was also inspired to continue to seek God's will for my life, especially when it comes to continuing my own education. I have been praying for some time and am now seriously considering working towards my Masters if that is what God wants.

Also, although we had a lot of teasing about what college is better, etc, I know that God can use a variety of places to shape and mold each person and it doesn't always matter where you are but rather your attitude and pursuit of God while you are there. So my prayer is that each of the students would have gained some insight into the college game and be willing to pursue whatever God leads them to do.

Road Trip

Well we finally arrived at Kevin and Amy's in PA. We drove all day yesterday and it took 11 hours. We had a couple detours - once when Scott was driving (I gave correct directions but he missed the turn) and once when I was driving (he gave wrong directions and I followed them). But other than that, we had good weather and no major traffic jams. During our drive, our teens came up with a great game: Rate the Reststop! At every place we stop during our trip, we are coming up with ratings for the categories of Restrooms, Environment, Food, and Service. It is quite entertaining. So far, I think that Kev and Amy have the highest overall rating.

Anyway, today we visited Kev and Amy's church and it was tons of fun. Then we ate at Bertucci's, which was delicious. I still feel full 4 hours later! Well I have been helping Amy fix her blog so definitely check it out!

Nothing in particular

Well I just got done watching Lost and now I'm sitting here thinking I should blog. The problem is, I can't think of anything interesting to blog about. So I guess I'll just write a little about what's been going on lately.

On Oct. 28th, I held a scrapbooking fundraiser for Tommy. It was a great success, raising $330 for his wheelchair accessible van. That was a lot of fun and I was excited to see how many people came together to support Tommy!

Last week was a horror at work... just seemed like I was grumpy and then everything seemed to go wrong. I'm not sure how much was my own attitude and perspective, and how much of it was really things going wrong. Anyway, Saturday night was a welcome break from all the chaos.

On Tuesday Scott and I got a lot done on Tuesday around the outside of our house. We prepped for winter, putting away junk and trash. Scott mowed most of the lawn and I mulched some over my flower beds. It's nice to see how things look now. There's always more to do, but it looks much better!

Well, on Saturday we leave for the college trip... We're driving to PA with 4 college-bound high school students. It should be tons of fun since it's a small group and colleges are fun. And of course, we're visiting my alma mater. Plus, we get to see our wonderful friends Kev and Amy, and my lovely sister and her husband. Woohoo!

I guess I'm off. Scott is watching "CSI:NY" and it's about paintball, so I think he's really into it.

A Lesson in Humility

Have you ever been told something about yourself that hurt because you knew, deep down inside, it was partly true? That happened to me this week. I was confronted with an issue about my personality that I know is an area of weakness, yet somehow it really bothered me that it was brought up.

I have been obsessing about it ever since. I keep replaying the conversation in my head and wondering if I was being defensive, not wanting to admit that this could be a problem. As much as I know it's an area of weakness, I also do feel that the way it was presented to me was not entirely accurate. After working in my field for over 4 years, this is the first time anyone has ever brought up this issue. So I keep thinking, Perhaps this is an isolated issue from one particular interaction. Or, perhaps this has been an ongoing problem with the way I interact, and no one has ever said something.

Regardless, I have been praying that God will reveal the truth to me. That I won't be too proud to accept the truth and work on it. And that I won't obsess but rather work on my attitude and gentleness with others.

A few more pics of our weekend

Our campsite was huge!














Mia and I on top of Table Rock - tough climb but totally worth it! There was actually one part where there was a huge rock to climb over and there were bars to hold onto. Mia wouldn't jump up over it, so we found a spot for her to crawl through on the other side. It was so cute!














At night, it was very very cold. And since we were sleeping in a lean-to, we let Mia cuddle up between us to stay warm. We also had to cover her with a blanket so that she wouldn't shiver! Doesn't she look sweet?

Fall Retreat

Well Scott and I had our first vacation of the year. 4 days and 3 nights in the Maine woods. The first part of the adventure is that after driving almost 3 hours west to Mt. Blue State Park, we discovered that they were only open one more night for camping. So there we were, in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere to stay. So we pulled out my trusty Maine Gazateer and Atlas, and located another campground.

We drove to Coos Canyon Campground in Byron, Maine. It was beautiful and we got the best campsite with tons of space, a lean-to, and it was right above the river! We had a fabulous time reading, talking, exploring Coos Canyon, hiking into Angel Falls, and touring Grafton Notch State Park.

The final part of the adventure is the most exciting. I'm sure you've heard about the murders that took place a few weeks ago in the Bethel/Newry area of the people in a B&B. So I was already a little weirded out by every strange noise or sound, and if Mia barked I made sure that I paid attention. Well on our last day, I was going to go out to the car to start getting it packed up. Scott stayed back at the campsite getting everything else ready to go. When I got to my car, I noticed an older, bearded man, standing 20 or 30 feet from the car just looking around. He saw me, nodded, and then started walking away. It was then that I noticed he was carrying a guitar and a rifle! Ok, so now I'm freaked out. So I went back to the campsite as quickly as possible and told Scott that I wasn't going back out there by myself. So we went to the car together. On the way back, we heard people yelling stuff like, "Have you found him yet?" I said to Scott, "I bet they're looking for the psycho old guy". And, just as I said it, we arrived back on our campsite and saw the guy walking onto our site. He just wandered over and it was so weird. Scott went over cautiously and asked if he could help him. Apparently he said he's supposed to be shooting a movie with friends but couldn't find them. So Scott told him about the people over on the bridge and he walked that way. Of course, this whole time Mia was barking like crazy at the guy. When he finally left, Scott told Mia to be good. I said, she is being good - she's protecting us from that crazy man!

So anyway, I'm thankful that we didn't freeze to death or that I didn't get shot by some psychopath in the Maine woods...