Bed Rules

I know I have not blogged in a VERY long time, and I know it may be a bit unorthodox to make my return with such a silly, and essentially meaningless blog, but I had a thought the other night and I would really like to share it! 

To all married couples, soon to be married couples, and single folks planning on getting married sometime in the future: there are RULES when it comes to sleeping in the same bed with your spouse! Let me map it out for you. Lets say you have a king size bed, which is basically like a large square. On the left side of the bed, imagine a thin rectangular shape, big enough to for a person to fit in, but not much bigger. Now imagine the same rectangular shape on the other side. Now if you are envisioning this correctly you should see a large square (the entire bed) with a long yet thin rectangle on either side of the bed (the space in which the sleepers would inhabit). Now, what this leaves in the middle is a small space called “No Man’s Land”. And there are rules for No Man’s land! This is NO place for either of the individuals to have their ENTIRE body. This is a place where MAYBE it is ok for a hand or foot to cross over into, but by NO MEANS should an ENTIRE body be sleeping in this area! Its just not right! Awful things could happen! People could get hurt!!! 

But it happened….

Happily sleeping was I the other night, when a little breeze and a sharp pain to my side disturbed my slumber. Slowly I opened my weary eyes, when….Holy Trespasser Batman!!!! There he was, my husband, sleeping like a newborn babe, mouth gaped open where a lovely breeze escaped and shot directly up my nose. And Hark! What be that pain in my side?! Why, its an elbow, that could not possibly reach my ribs unless my husband crossed over into, yes you guessed it, NO MAN’S LAND! Oh, but I dont want to wake Sleeping Beauty, at least not completely, so flop, do I, like a fish out of water. And I did not yield in my fish hops until I hear that deep sigh and felt the perpetrator roll back into his own “rectangle”. Now, its all in good fun that I tell this story, but remember ladies and gents, its always a good idea to respect the space of No Man’s Land.

Lack of understanding

This is a picture of a baby 7 weeks into pregancy.

According to the Centers For Disease Control, which tracks all medical statistics in the US, most abortions are performed after 6 weeks of pregnancy.

The majority of women don’t even find out that they are pregnant until the 5th or 6th week of pregnancy.

Again, this is a baby just 7 weeks into a pregnancy. Known to the world as “just a fetus”.

How can someone say to me that a child this age has no life?

He has eyes, ears, a nose, fingers, toes, a little belly, even teeny tiny ribs….yet he has no life?

I dont understand.

Jesus I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God, end abortion and send revival to America.

Thought

I stepped outside of myself

to search for never ending beauty 

that satisfied anew each day

 

I stepped outside of myself 

to search for everlasting joy

That would never go away

 

I stepped outside of myself

to search for eternal peace

in that place I would stay

 

I stepped outside of myself

I searched for the things in which I longed

 

I stepped outside of myself

I knew His name, I had felt His song

 

I searched far and wide

Under, over, near, and far

 

I searched far and wide

Friends, Family, even chords on my guitar

 

But something was missing

There was something I could not see

 

I stepped outside of myself

While all along, He was living within me

Duke can do it, I can too!!

I have the perfect dog. Some of you may think that you found that perfect dog, but the truth is, I did. I am an animal lover to the max, everyone who knows me is highly aware of this fact. If I had my way I would buy thousands of acres of land and take every unwanted animal in. So this blog is actually about our love for Jesus, but if little doggies dont just tickle your heart, you may not relate. What inspired this particular blog? Well about 3 minutes ago my foot got a cramp. And why did it get a cramp? Because my golden retriever was happily snoozing away in his favorite spot….right on top of my feet. Annoyed at the cramp, I decided to shake Duke off and hope he would find a better spot to sleep, that would allow me just a tad more foot space. But before I woke my male version of Sleeping Beauty, I decided to look down at his cute little face before sending him on his way. What do I see when I look down? 50lbs of golden dog, with his head planted right on top of one of my feet….and he was smiling!! Really, smiling. Lips turned up and everything. Well of course my little animal lover heart gets all warm and fuzzy, as the thought runs through my mind “awwww, Duke just loves to lay at my feet”. Lay at my feet….Can you see where I am going with this? Maybe not yet. I’ll continue. Anywhere I go, Duke is right there with me. Even while Im in the bathroom taking a shower, or brushing my teeth, or…..Duke is right there laying on the floor. Ok, now this next part might sound weird, and at times I have even voiced to Travis how weird I think this is. But many times throughout the day I will catch Duke just staring at me. Im laughing right now because this is so true but its so weird. He just stares for the longest time, and if I look back he stares right into my eyes, like he is searching. Then like a flash, he goes back to being a dog, scratching his ears or something. You have to be here to fully understand how weird this dog looks while he is staring. Sometimes I think he is just going to speak to me or something (hey, the animals in Narnia can do it). Today, Duke went to the vet, where they had to draw blood as well as give some other shots. And when they drew blood it was intense. Poor Duke had two people on top of him holding him down while he whimpered out in pain, looking at me with huge, pleading eyes. “Help mom, this hurts!!”. And after the blood was taken he was allowed to come sit in my arms again, where he received the rest of his shots without a whimper or a flinch. AND FINALLY!!! The point of this blog!!! Drum roll please! I want to be like Duke….ok no, I want to be like Jesus. But I want in a sense, to do what Duke does. I want to lay at the feet of Jesus, and I want to be more happy there than anywhere else. I want to always long to be in his presence, luckily He cant shut the bathroom door on me. I dont even know what this looks ike, but I want to stare into the eyes of Jesus, and see right into His heart. I want to know His heart. When I am in trouble, or sad, or hurt, or even angry, I want to look to the Lord, because just being in his presence will be more than enough to comfort me. I am striving for true faithfulness. And if Duke can do it, I can too. 

 

Weekend Fun

This past weekend was great. Travis, his family and I went camping in Oklahoma at a lake called Tenkiller. Weird name for a lake, huh? Luckily its not as bad as it sounds. It was named after a family of the Cherokee tribe who had the last name Tenkiller. The Lake is in the midst of the Ozark mountains so its really beautiful. All we did the whole time was swim, swim, and swim. We found a bunch of different cliffs to jump and dive off of so that was cool. Travis and his brothers made me feel like a super chicken as they were diving off 30ft cliffs and I was too scared to dive off of a 7ft cliff. Whatever though, I am all set with having a cracked cranium. It was Duke and Penny’s (our dogs) first camping experience but they did really well. Penny was just a little nervous about the whole “sleeping in a tent” thing. She seemed to be wondering why the heck we weren’t going home. Travis and I recently rescued her from a shelter where she spent the first 8 months of her life, so she is just now in this “puppy discovery” phase along with the emotion of “woohoo, I no longer live in a 4′ X 4′ box!” Duke on the other hand was his usual man’s best friend self. A perfect gentleman who only cared about being near “mom’s” feet. Even though we only went for 2 days Travis’ mom packed a whole pantry full of food. Along with pretty much an entire kitchen set. One thing I have quickly discovered while being here in Arkansas is the southerners love to EAT. I have never seen so many buffets in my entire life, and the main items on every menu are, fried chicken, friend catfish, mashed potatoes, pork n’ beans, and fried okra. Im thinking “Ok, do they even have access to salad in the south?” There are no varieties of salads ANYWHERE. Kelly: “Hello waiter, what kind of salads do you have?” Waiter:” Well we gots the house salad if ur int’rested een that.” So of course I then ask what is in the house salad, and they tell me ice burg lettuce, carrots, and radish. Then I ask if it happens to come from a bag, which they confirm to be correct, followed by the question of whether I would prefer the fried chicken or catfish as my main course. And though all of this has been very true, I am just busting on the southerners. In truth, they are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Everybody ALWAYS has time to just sit and chat, everybody waves or nods their heads at one another, and everybody always helps each other out. Travis says the problem is that the church of the south is so focused on the “be kind to your neighbor” part, that they are forgetting some of the other parts. And though that might be true, it really does feel good to be in a place where people on a whole are so kind to each other. Not that I dont miss Rhode Island. Sometimes I miss Rhode Island and its people so badly I think I am going to throw up. Strangers aren’t as pleasant in RI as they are in the south, but the close friends that you do find, are unforgettable. Now where was I…camping. Camping was great, for once in my life I didnt get a sunburn, but that is only because I doused myself several times with SPF50 sunblock which I was happy to find gave me a really nice tan, instead of the lobster burn. So all in all it was a great weekend. 

In other news, I think Travis and I may have found a perfect fit for a church. We went last week to a church called New Heights, which was nice but a lot less radical than we are used to. So after the service I went on Myspace of all places to try to find some young christian people in our area who we could possibly befriend and check out their churches. One of the first people I found had a Misty song on her profile so I emailed her to see if she had ever heard of IHOP, and what kind of church she went to. She emailed me back telling me that she definitely had heard of IHOP and that her father was the pastor of a non-denominational church that was also home to a house of prayer. They have sets Thursday through Tuesday night, and several sets in between those two, and when nobody is playing they run the web stream on a big screen. I am pretty sure God hooked me up big time. So travis and I are going this upcoming Sunday to check it out and I think we are going to love it. I have been really missing IHOP since I left and at points I was wondering if I did the wrong thing in leaving, but I think finding this church is an answer to prayer. I am really excited. 

Alot more has happened but my hands are really tired, so until next time, God Bless.

Here are pics of Duke and Penny by the way, just so you have a mental picture in case they get mentioned. Duke is the Golden. Penny is obviously the none Golden )

PS

Author’s Disclaimer: In the following blog, when I say that I love the Psalm, that does NOT mean that all of it applies to me. I have never been the head of a nation. I have also never beaten my enemies into dust. I am a mere mild mannered media apprentice at the International House Of Prayer. Now that you are informed, you may continue on to the next blog titled “A Day”. PS. I also never had any intention of using four “M” words in a row. See: “mere mild mannered media apprentice “ 

A Day

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” I feel like crying. Oh, if the Lord only had arms that I could see and feel so that I could bury myself in them and be comforted. Today has been an upsetting day. When I came here I stopped driving my car because the engine was shaking and the check engine light came on. About a month ago I took the car to a mechanic. The mechanic, who “deals with TONS of Ihopers cars” was incredibly overpriced and charged my dad $600 and didnt even fix the problem, claiming the car needed a new $800 cylinder. While in Wichita KS my starter went out and I had to spend LOTS of money to get it fixed. While there the mechanic informed me that the engine was shaking because of a little $15 dollar wire that had been chewed by a mouse. He changed the wire and my engine worked like new. Then today the Idler Pulley for the belt in my car stopped working so I again took it to the overpriced mechanic in KC. Again his price was rediculous and when my dad expressed his annoyance he gave me back the phone and told me to take my business elsewhere….In so many aspects of my life right now I feel incredibly stressed because of lack of money. My car has a new problem literally EVERY week. And not small problems either, expensive ones. Wedding plans are coming together, but slower than they are supposed to because Travis and I need money to pay for everything. I just need prayer for grace.The Lord had such trust in Job’s faithfulness that he allowed the devil to test him. I am grateful that the Lord tests my heart. That He has such trust in my faithfulness that He would allow me to be tested. The burden of finances is a big one. I need prayer, please consider me in your prayers beloved ones.Is touches my heart when during His sermon on the mount, He instructs us not to worry.”Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”Oh, I do have such little faith. I think I should actually consider tattooing this verse onto my forehead so I have to see it everytime I look in the mirror. Maybe then I will FINALLY remember that our God is a good God who does not forget my needs. Sometimes I feel like I see God as a senile old man who continually needs to be reminded of things, instead of the good shepherd that He is who cares and watches over His flock.I love this Psalm. I am going to say that is the psalm of the day:1 I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;        my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.        He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,        and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me;        the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;        the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the LORD;        I cried to my God for help.        From his temple he heard my voice;        my cry came before him, into his ears. 7 The earth trembled and quaked,        and the foundations of the mountains shook;        they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;        consuming fire came from his mouth,        burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down;        dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;        he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—        the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,        with hailstones and bolts of lightning. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven;        the voice of the Most High resounded. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,        great bolts of lightning and routed them. 15 The valleys of the sea were exposed        and the foundations of the earth laid bare        at your rebuke, O LORD,        at the blast of breath from your nostrils. 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;        he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,        from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,        but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place;        he rescued me because he delighted in me. 20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;        according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;        I have not done evil by turning from my God. 22 All his laws are before me;        I have not turned away from his decrees. 23 I have been blameless before him        and have kept myself from sin. 24 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,        according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,        to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure you show yourself pure,        but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. 27 You save the humble        but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. 28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;        my God turns my darkness into light. 29 With your help I can advance against a troop;        with my God I can scale a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect;        the word of the LORD is flawless.        He is a shield        for all who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God besides the LORD ?        And who is the Rock except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength        and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;        he enables me to stand on the heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle;        my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You give me your shield of victory,        and your right hand sustains me;        you stoop down to make me great. 36 You broaden the path beneath me,        so that my ankles do not turn. 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;        I did not turn back till they were destroyed. 38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;        they fell beneath my feet. 39 You armed me with strength for battle;        you made my adversaries bow at my feet. 40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,        and I destroyed my foes. 41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—        to the LORD, but he did not answer. 42 I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind;        I poured them out like mud in the streets. 43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;        you have made me the head of nations;        people I did not know are subject to me. 44 As soon as they hear me, they obey me;        foreigners cringe before me. 45 They all lose heart;        they come trembling from their strongholds. 46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!        Exalted be God my Savior! 47 He is the God who avenges me,        who subdues nations under me, 48 who saves me from my enemies.        You exalted me above my foes;        from violent men you rescued me. 49 Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;        I will sing praises to your name. 50 He gives his king great victories;        he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,        to David and his descendants forever.    

Disappointed

I was very disappointed to find out that Huckabee dropped out of the running, well not exactly dropped out, but didnt have the amount of delgates that are required to get through the primaries. Lord, I LONG to know your plan for this upcoming election. Whatever happens, may YOUR will be done Jesus. 

Reading Between The Lines

I find myself reading the bible and becoming increasingly curious about the things that are NOT being emphasised upon. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to relate to the people in the bible because I do not know enough about them. In my mind it is almost as if they are the amazing super humans who’s lives were just very easy. Well. maybe not exactly easy, but not relational in any way to my life and my walk with the Lord. I know there is so much more to all these men and women’s stories, and I want to know! I want to know the trials and tribulations that we have both gone through, and I want to be able to link myself to these men and women. Dear John The Baptist, I have never been in jail nor baptized anyone, but I know we have to have SOMETHING in common. You lived in the wilderness right? My hometown is Exeter, RI. Some say thats the wilderness. Dear James and John, I left my father too, so that I could pursue a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ. I now live in Kansas City, 1500 miles away from him. I know you left your dad too, was that hard for you? Dear David, I really love your Psalms, but especially the one that was numbered 23. When I read it I feel an incredible peace wash over me. What were you feeling when you wrote it? Dear Mary, I have never had a child, but what did you feel like when yours was nailed to a cross? I am so curious about the lives of the people in the bible.I mean its possible that when I am at sitting at the banqueting table I might be sitting next to Mary of Bethany, both of us gazing lovingly at our King…  

The Weapons Of The Enemy

I was driving the other day when a few random thoughts crossed my mind. I recently read a book that referred to different sins as “the weapons of the enemy”. In my mind I began to associate certain weapons with certain sins, each picked at random. Pistol-manipulation, knife-lies, sword-deceit. I dont know much about weapons, so I could obviously name more sins than I could weapons. The thoughts frightened me…. The following scenarios are made up. The same tool that an unruly teenager might use to get out of doing something they dont want to do (manipulation) is the same tool that a human trafficker uses to get his victims to believe that they prostitutes by choice.  Another scenario, maybe a little more understandable. An average American man wakes up out bed and flips on the news while pouring a bowl of cheerios. As a doctor he knows the importance of a heart healthy breakfast. Over his crunching he hears a sad tale of a young girl who was murdered in her own home. The doctor turns off the tv in disgust wondering how someone could murder an innocent teenager, then heads out the door to work where he will perform several abortions. (I am in NO way dissing all doctors by the way). This is what scares me. We do not fully understand what we do or the spirits that we are working in. What we are allowing into our spirits when we use the “weapons of the enemy” in even the tiniest way. A small white lie, gossip, manipulation, anger towards a neighbor. It all seems so minuscule. What a deadly lie. This realization has frightened me. Thank you Jesus for your grace and your understanding. Thank you for pleading with the Father telling Him that we do not know what we do. Im not sure if anyone actually followed what I was saying. I sometimes have a really hard time expressing my thoughts. This was one of those times!