I am rereading The Heavenly Man by Paul Hattaway. It's the account of Chinese pastor Brother Yun's experience of living and serving and sacrificing for the Lord in China. This is the second time I've read it, and let me tell you, it is breathtaking, shocking, horrifying, and incredibly miraculous all at the same time. I get used to God working in a certain, restrained, conservative way and then I read about the miracles and persecution in today's Chinese church and I'm reminded that God is way bigger than the limits my perceptions put on him.
You should check this book out.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Friday, September 23, 2005
A verse to cling to. . .
. . . for mothers of young children:
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
Psalm 2:5
I constantly need to remind myself that the Lord is the one who sustains me (especially when I desperately need more sleep and the girls desperately need a mom who is not a walking time bomb.)
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
Psalm 2:5
I constantly need to remind myself that the Lord is the one who sustains me (especially when I desperately need more sleep and the girls desperately need a mom who is not a walking time bomb.)
Monday, September 19, 2005
Fofa
It all started last year with a conversation I had with my neighbor. Isa was only 7 or 8 months old at the time, and Gloria commented that I was thin for realtively recently having a baby. I agreed that I might be thinnish but that I was not in shape. I didn't know the spanish word for flabby or jiggly, so I was trying to describe this state to her when all of a sudden she got it and said, "Fofa!" Even though I'd never heard the word, I instantly knew what it meant just from the sound of it: fofa - "spongy, soft, and of little conststency." That was me. That night I declared to Matt that I was fofa and that I would like to join a gym as soon as possible.
Well, as soon as possible turned out to be three weeks ago, so I've been trying out the various classes they offer until they put up the giant tent over the pool for winter. Tonight I went to my first class of Body Step (in spanish it's pronounced Bo-dee eh-Step). I've been going to a strength training class, but tonight I decided to change it up a bit with something more aerobically challenging.
Of course all of the best spots (i.e. in the back and far from the doorway) were taken and I was left with one sort of in the back but directly opposite the instructor. About 35 seconds into the first song my body quickly reminded me that I am not a coordinated person. About 45 seconds into the first song I realized that my sports bra was failing. So less than a minute into the class, I'm directly across from this peppy instructor who probably has his own video series and overwhelmed with the realization that: 1. I'm going to have to try SO HARD over the next 54 minutes not to trip, and 2. my boobs are going to be bouncing all over the place practically the whole time. Oh God help me.
I sort of faked it through the first three songs with my arms flexed and near my chest. This was good because they covered up all the extraneous bouncing and because I really didn't need any other distractions from trying not to trip.
I was more or less keeping up. By the time I learned a step the instructor would switch to the other leg or something new altogether. This was fine because after a few classes muscle memory will kick in, and I won't have such a hard time with the whole coordination thing. Maybe in a few months I might even be able to try arms.
But on the next song out came our instructor's jazz hands. Yes, not only is he in incredible shape, coordinated enough to do both foot and arm motions, but he was smiling and had jazz hands. I think it was during this song that he noticed that I was not doing the arm motions. He looked at me and said, "Amino! Animo!" which basically means, "Come on, you can do it!" Maybe I would have tried the arm stuff had it not been for the failed sports bra, but even if I hadn't been bouncing all over the place, there was no way that I was going to go for jazz hands. I was in an aerobics class, not a musical!
Somehow I survived. I was drenched in sweat by the end of class, so I must have accomplished something aerobic. I think probably tomorrow I'll go back to the strength training class. Very simple motions and it's either your legs or your arms - never both. Sounds good to me until the pool opens back up.
Well, as soon as possible turned out to be three weeks ago, so I've been trying out the various classes they offer until they put up the giant tent over the pool for winter. Tonight I went to my first class of Body Step (in spanish it's pronounced Bo-dee eh-Step). I've been going to a strength training class, but tonight I decided to change it up a bit with something more aerobically challenging.
Of course all of the best spots (i.e. in the back and far from the doorway) were taken and I was left with one sort of in the back but directly opposite the instructor. About 35 seconds into the first song my body quickly reminded me that I am not a coordinated person. About 45 seconds into the first song I realized that my sports bra was failing. So less than a minute into the class, I'm directly across from this peppy instructor who probably has his own video series and overwhelmed with the realization that: 1. I'm going to have to try SO HARD over the next 54 minutes not to trip, and 2. my boobs are going to be bouncing all over the place practically the whole time. Oh God help me.
I sort of faked it through the first three songs with my arms flexed and near my chest. This was good because they covered up all the extraneous bouncing and because I really didn't need any other distractions from trying not to trip.
I was more or less keeping up. By the time I learned a step the instructor would switch to the other leg or something new altogether. This was fine because after a few classes muscle memory will kick in, and I won't have such a hard time with the whole coordination thing. Maybe in a few months I might even be able to try arms.
But on the next song out came our instructor's jazz hands. Yes, not only is he in incredible shape, coordinated enough to do both foot and arm motions, but he was smiling and had jazz hands. I think it was during this song that he noticed that I was not doing the arm motions. He looked at me and said, "Amino! Animo!" which basically means, "Come on, you can do it!" Maybe I would have tried the arm stuff had it not been for the failed sports bra, but even if I hadn't been bouncing all over the place, there was no way that I was going to go for jazz hands. I was in an aerobics class, not a musical!
Somehow I survived. I was drenched in sweat by the end of class, so I must have accomplished something aerobic. I think probably tomorrow I'll go back to the strength training class. Very simple motions and it's either your legs or your arms - never both. Sounds good to me until the pool opens back up.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Wiped Out
I remember this last year too. The first week of school is completely exhausting for me.
We're all getting up earlier and we're out and about way sooner than we ever are when it's just up to me to get moving. We're on our way to school at the same time when I'm usually still sipping my coffee in my PJ's with thoughts of getting dressed and out the door far from my consciousness. I know I'll get into the groove sooner or later, but for now when the girls take a nap after lunch, I do too!
Despite the getting up early (in Spanish there's a whole word for getting up early - madrugar) the girls are doing well with the school routine. Isa loves her alone time with Matt and I, and Abigail loves her social time with all the kids at school.
We're all getting up earlier and we're out and about way sooner than we ever are when it's just up to me to get moving. We're on our way to school at the same time when I'm usually still sipping my coffee in my PJ's with thoughts of getting dressed and out the door far from my consciousness. I know I'll get into the groove sooner or later, but for now when the girls take a nap after lunch, I do too!
Despite the getting up early (in Spanish there's a whole word for getting up early - madrugar) the girls are doing well with the school routine. Isa loves her alone time with Matt and I, and Abigail loves her social time with all the kids at school.
resolutions. . . checking in
1. Finish Abigail's "Baby's First Year" scrapbook (yes, I know, she's 3 1/2)
2. Start Isa's "Baby's First Year" scrapbook and finish at least six months worth
I haven't done any scrapbooking at all. I hoping that I'll be more motivated to do this when the rainy weather settles in.
3. Finish reading the Harry Potter series in Spanish (it's fun and I build my vocab with cool words like "potion" and "enchanted")
Last week I finished book 5. I'm now waiting for our library to get the latest one in.
4. Eat fish at least once a week
We've done OK on this one. More like twice a month than once a week, but it's a start. And last week, the Stribs came over and Scott smoked a salmon on our grill on top of a cedar plank. Now I could eat fish like that every day!
5. Work at least once a week in the café
I've taken over one of Matt's shifts a week and this has been great. I love being in the café, talking to people, serving people, getting to know the staff better. It's fantastic.
6. Keep a regular prayer journal
slightly irregular
7. Keep my email inbox cleaned out by responding promptly
Not doing so hot. I have 6 unread out of the 34 in my inbox. It's a mess.
8. Play more with the girls
This has been fun. Abigail is into making crowns out of construction paper so she and all of her friends can be princes and princesses. Isa also loves to read books with me.
2. Start Isa's "Baby's First Year" scrapbook and finish at least six months worth
I haven't done any scrapbooking at all. I hoping that I'll be more motivated to do this when the rainy weather settles in.
3. Finish reading the Harry Potter series in Spanish (it's fun and I build my vocab with cool words like "potion" and "enchanted")
Last week I finished book 5. I'm now waiting for our library to get the latest one in.
4. Eat fish at least once a week
We've done OK on this one. More like twice a month than once a week, but it's a start. And last week, the Stribs came over and Scott smoked a salmon on our grill on top of a cedar plank. Now I could eat fish like that every day!
5. Work at least once a week in the café
I've taken over one of Matt's shifts a week and this has been great. I love being in the café, talking to people, serving people, getting to know the staff better. It's fantastic.
6. Keep a regular prayer journal
slightly irregular
7. Keep my email inbox cleaned out by responding promptly
Not doing so hot. I have 6 unread out of the 34 in my inbox. It's a mess.
8. Play more with the girls
This has been fun. Abigail is into making crowns out of construction paper so she and all of her friends can be princes and princesses. Isa also loves to read books with me.
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