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Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Bad Hair Day...

Courtesy of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show...

I have a new perspective about what I consider to by my own unruly hair....


hairdo4

hairdo3

hairdo1

and my personal favorite:

hairdo2

Is it any wonder that the Best In Show is a dog with no hair issues? I mean, he obviously was able to concentrate on his form and his walk and listening to commands because he didn't have to worry about his coif...

Bull Terrier

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

I heart you, Babe!

S&F

How long I searched for the perfect man…

What a wonder that you are the man the God brought me…

You are my “lobster”!

You are my laughter, my jokes, my kidding, my tickle, my easy…

You are my struggle, my crazy, my huffing, my snoring, my cover stealer…

You are my kisses, my snuggle, my squish, my rice-crispy nibbler...

You are my rebel, my partner in crime, my 80's music, my coffee-maker...

You are all the things I am not, my perfect balance, my puzzle piece…

You truly do complete me…

It has not been easy for us…

But I have known almost from the very start that you are my “one”…

Meant for me by God…

The perfect-for-me man...

And struggle as we do with things that seem like they should be easy, I would not for anything and everything in the world, trade you…

Each day, I learn a little more – from you, about you, about who I am with you, about who we are together…

Each day, I find a surprise, learn something of my own character, find a new peace, find a new strength because of you…

Each day is an adventure and a dream and a challenge that we embark on together…

Together…

I could not ever have hoped to be the best me possible if you had not come into my life…

There are parts of me I never would have unearthed, never would have forgiven and forgotten, never would have allowed to see the sun if not for you…

You are my catalyst…

And as amazing as it might seem, I do not have words to express how deep you run in my veins, how present you are in my thoughts, how woven into the fibers of my heart you are, how much of my soul you occupy…

I love you so much…

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Out of Order

Sometimes when I put things here, I never know how it will be taken….

Things I enjoy much are not commented on and things I think are my crazy rants touch people…

I will say this, in light of my life recently…God has some pretty unusual timing.

He does things in ways that make NO sense to me…no sense to anyone…and yet, they work, they flow, in the chaos of it all, things click…

Something is happening in my world...completely out of balance, out of order…

Michael Yaconelli talks about life out of balance, out of order in Messy Spirituality:

Balance sounds like a characteristic of the Christian faith, like a goal to seek after or a quality worth cultivating. Balance sounds like a worthy ideal, a perfect description of a healthy follower of Christ.

Beware of balance.

Balance is a dangerous, illusionary characteristic and a temptress. Disguised as normal and sensible, it is silently destructive, crushing the unbalance of giftedness, taming the extremes of passion, smothering the raging fire of a genuine relationship with Jesus. Jesus was constantly criticized for being unbalanced. Think about it: Jesus could have healed six days a week and not upset anyone. People would have been just as healed on the second day of the week as they were on the Sabbath. Jesus could have sat down with the temple leaders and quietly discussed his theological reasoning for not allowing the place of worship to become a carnival of commerce. Instead he crashed like a crazy man with a whip and knocked over the tables, screaming and yelling and creating chaos. He certainly could have been more balanced.


This inspires me to embrace those things that are out of balance in my life right now.

I’m trying to revel in the moments of here and now that are completely out of order, completely unbalanced…

I’m finding the joy in God’s timing, in God’s way, in the indisputable knowledge that He would not bring things in this way if He did not intend to see them finished, see them bring Glory to His name, work them all out for good.

One thing is for sure…the working out of these things, out of order – for some very strange reason, my control-freak-everything-in-its-place nature is ok with this. Its ok. Its wonderful even...

It’s just NOT the way I would have chosen. It’s not the timing I would have chosen. It’s not the safety I would have chosen.

But it will be beautiful and beyond a doubt an undeniable work of God as it is completed.

Amen…

Peace, everyone!

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

by Dr. Seuss

Perhaps this is uninspiring to some, but this is in my head today...read it all...you might not remember some of it! I know I didn't! But it LIFTED me right up two inches above the ground today!


Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!