Monday, November 9, 2009
Berlin Wall
Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. When I heard that on the radio, I remembered how I visited Berlin back in 2006 when I studied abroad in Europe. It was cool to see a physical piece of such a significant point in history...I don't actually remember the fall of the Berlin wall because I was only 5 years old...but later learned about it in college. Here are some photos from my trip to Berlin...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Halloween 2009!
So this years Halloween was a bit of a flop...well sort of. Jason and I spent about an hour at a local thrift store trying to come up with some creative halloween costume ideas. We didn't want to spend a lot of money on a silly costume, but apparently we aren't very creative. We couldn't come up with any costume ideas. All I could come up with was me being Kimmy Gibbler (which someone actually told me I looked like her once....sweet...sense the sarcasm) and Jason was going to be Screech. So we bought some dorky clothes to attempt to be these characters...but honestly, we just weren't feeling it. Plus, the denim overall shorts outfit I bought barely fit me. So it just made me want to hit the gym instead of enjoy a fatty bag of halloween candy. So we ended up not using the clothes we bought (wasting money....always good for the budget) and didn't dress up. We went to a friends house to celebrate her birthday, which was really fun. So it wasn't actually a flop...just not very festive, which I am ok with.
Kimmy Gibbler- FAIL
Screech- FAIL
Even though we might have failed this year...Spud didn't! you bet your bottom dollar that Spud got a costume! This was his first time to dress up since we didn't get him last year until the end of November. So he was a mail man this halloween! Talk about cute...I mean, I know if you don't have a dog, you probably don't care...but seriously, you can't deny his little face. Wouldn't you want this guy to deliver your mail?? I think so...
look at his little mail man butt....
what a good sport!
Kimmy Gibbler- FAIL
Screech- FAIL
Even though we might have failed this year...Spud didn't! you bet your bottom dollar that Spud got a costume! This was his first time to dress up since we didn't get him last year until the end of November. So he was a mail man this halloween! Talk about cute...I mean, I know if you don't have a dog, you probably don't care...but seriously, you can't deny his little face. Wouldn't you want this guy to deliver your mail?? I think so...
look at his little mail man butt....
what a good sport!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Beyonce Clown
Please enjoy this video on this rainy Tuesday....I seriously laughed so hard when I first saw it. Thanks to DUP for continuously showing me hilarious videos. I don't know where you guys always end up finding these....
Monday, October 5, 2009
Hold Me Now
Do I really long for Christ to return right now? Am I really ready to spend eternity with Him? These are things I have been thinking about lately...and I think, if I answer these questions honestly, my answer isn't usually a yes. But shouldn't it be? The Lord has been showing me the importance of genuinely longing for His return. It makes the things of this world much less important and the eternal things that do matter much more urgent. What if I did die today and had to give an account of my life? How would that change the way I lived on a daily basis? I think these are important questions to ask.
I was introduced to this song in June this year and it continues to minister to me more and more every time I listen to it. When I read these lyrics, it reminds me why I do desire to be in His perfect presence and in a restored new heaven and earth. First, as Jas and I have experienced sickness and disease in our family this last year, when I think about the absence of sickness and suffering, I am comforted and grateful. It truly is such a powerful concept to fully grasp. Next, the fact that we will be completely healed and whole spiritually as well...is pretty unbelievable. And last, can you imagine a world without war and violence? Without famine and starvation? It is hard to imagine because we hear about these difficult things every day on the news. It is quite unfathomable. So, thinking about an eternity that is completely focused on Christ and that is without the sin and pain of this world, it gives me great joy...
So, as you read these lyrics today, I hope that you are encouraged and spurred on to long to be with our Great King.
Here is a link to the video on you tube, also...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GH-AkJDkNE
Hold Me Now
By: Hillsong
On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace
All my fear is swept away
In the light of your embrace
When Your love is all I need
And forever I am free
Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails
When Your name is lifted high
And forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name
I'm believing for the day
When the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness, no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
I was introduced to this song in June this year and it continues to minister to me more and more every time I listen to it. When I read these lyrics, it reminds me why I do desire to be in His perfect presence and in a restored new heaven and earth. First, as Jas and I have experienced sickness and disease in our family this last year, when I think about the absence of sickness and suffering, I am comforted and grateful. It truly is such a powerful concept to fully grasp. Next, the fact that we will be completely healed and whole spiritually as well...is pretty unbelievable. And last, can you imagine a world without war and violence? Without famine and starvation? It is hard to imagine because we hear about these difficult things every day on the news. It is quite unfathomable. So, thinking about an eternity that is completely focused on Christ and that is without the sin and pain of this world, it gives me great joy...
So, as you read these lyrics today, I hope that you are encouraged and spurred on to long to be with our Great King.
Here is a link to the video on you tube, also...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GH-AkJDkNE
Hold Me Now
By: Hillsong
On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace
All my fear is swept away
In the light of your embrace
When Your love is all I need
And forever I am free
Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails
When Your name is lifted high
And forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name
I'm believing for the day
When the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness, no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
Monday, September 28, 2009
Washington...a month later.
I just wanted to post some of our photos from our Washington trip that we took in August....it was over a month ago, but the photos are still pretty, so they still count, right? May I just reiterate that I love the state of Washington...Jas and I both do. From the pics, you will see why! enjoy!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
NEXT, not NOW
Life is full of pleasures, but temporary ones. As I was mowing my grandpa's yard this afternoon (something I look forward to weekly), I finally hit that point of the summer when I began to feel the excitement of a freshly cut lawn fade. If you know me, you know that whenever Spring arrives, I get an itch and the only cure is yard work. What I love about mowing is: a good mower, sharp blade, the smell of gas, the sound of the weed-eater, the feel of rocks slapping your skin as you cut a clean edge (for some reason I really do) and the opportunity to just be alone and think.
So, today as I was thinking about my fading joy of mowing, I began to dig at the root of that thought. And what I found, was that all pleasure outside of Christ is unfulfilling and temporary. How often are we looking forward to what is next? I know I always do and I am always disappointed because it never fully satisfies.
As a family, my parents took us to Washington state last month and I tell you what, I had been looking forward to that trip since the beginning of February. August finally came around. When we arrived, I was amazed, I had never seen so much green in one place, it was majestic. I had never been surrounded by such creation in my entire life (check Alex's facebook for pictures). I love the mountains, the waterfalls, the snow capped peaks, green meadows, glacier lakes, wildlife, hiking, etc. But, after being there several days, I began to grow numb to this beauty, the majesty of the mountains began to look normal/ even mundane (which it truly was not). On some of our hikes I would get lose in my thoughts about what is after this vacation, instead of living in the moment. I hated that feeling.
We see this in every stage of life. I can't wait till high school, college, first job, marriage, more money, house, new job, kids, etc. We are always looking forward to the next stage of life. We find pleasure in the next and not the now. We want something more. We try to fill this void in our hearts with worldly pleasures, as if they would sustain us. Alcoholics want more and more alcohol, potheads want more and more, millionaires want to be billionaires, and on and on it goes.
This tragedy can even take place in our walks with Christ. We tend to think that we have experienced all that He has to offer. The mountain top experience was nice, but is that it? We have nailed down our moral checklist, what else is left?
But, WAIT, in Christ there is more......and it sustains. There is One who can fulfill, He is the Sustainer of life, the Creator, Savior, the Prince of Peace. Have you truly meditated on all the attributes of God and become satisfied? A.W Tozer says that "God being infinite, must possess attributes about which we can know nothing" Frederick Faber says that He is a "God of a thousand attributes". What does that mean? We will always have a new attribute of God that we can ascribe to His name and worship Him for. No matter what our Christian maturity level may be, we will never be able to study all of God's attributes, we will never find the mystery of God mundane. He is far more miraculous, glorious, and mysterious than we can imagine. This relationship cannot become dull and mundane. How does Christs work on the cross become ordinary? For we were dead in our sin and trespasses and Christ took them, not holding them against us, and died upon the cross. And what happened next?.....He rose....we rose. We were dead but now we are alive, we were blind but now we see, Christ is alive and we are alive in Christ.
We cannot be a people who seek the pleasures of this world, BUT a people who are fully satisfied in Christ. These were just some of my mowing thoughts.
So, today as I was thinking about my fading joy of mowing, I began to dig at the root of that thought. And what I found, was that all pleasure outside of Christ is unfulfilling and temporary. How often are we looking forward to what is next? I know I always do and I am always disappointed because it never fully satisfies.
As a family, my parents took us to Washington state last month and I tell you what, I had been looking forward to that trip since the beginning of February. August finally came around. When we arrived, I was amazed, I had never seen so much green in one place, it was majestic. I had never been surrounded by such creation in my entire life (check Alex's facebook for pictures). I love the mountains, the waterfalls, the snow capped peaks, green meadows, glacier lakes, wildlife, hiking, etc. But, after being there several days, I began to grow numb to this beauty, the majesty of the mountains began to look normal/ even mundane (which it truly was not). On some of our hikes I would get lose in my thoughts about what is after this vacation, instead of living in the moment. I hated that feeling.
We see this in every stage of life. I can't wait till high school, college, first job, marriage, more money, house, new job, kids, etc. We are always looking forward to the next stage of life. We find pleasure in the next and not the now. We want something more. We try to fill this void in our hearts with worldly pleasures, as if they would sustain us. Alcoholics want more and more alcohol, potheads want more and more, millionaires want to be billionaires, and on and on it goes.
This tragedy can even take place in our walks with Christ. We tend to think that we have experienced all that He has to offer. The mountain top experience was nice, but is that it? We have nailed down our moral checklist, what else is left?
But, WAIT, in Christ there is more......and it sustains. There is One who can fulfill, He is the Sustainer of life, the Creator, Savior, the Prince of Peace. Have you truly meditated on all the attributes of God and become satisfied? A.W Tozer says that "God being infinite, must possess attributes about which we can know nothing" Frederick Faber says that He is a "God of a thousand attributes". What does that mean? We will always have a new attribute of God that we can ascribe to His name and worship Him for. No matter what our Christian maturity level may be, we will never be able to study all of God's attributes, we will never find the mystery of God mundane. He is far more miraculous, glorious, and mysterious than we can imagine. This relationship cannot become dull and mundane. How does Christs work on the cross become ordinary? For we were dead in our sin and trespasses and Christ took them, not holding them against us, and died upon the cross. And what happened next?.....He rose....we rose. We were dead but now we are alive, we were blind but now we see, Christ is alive and we are alive in Christ.
We cannot be a people who seek the pleasures of this world, BUT a people who are fully satisfied in Christ. These were just some of my mowing thoughts.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
hey-o
...don't know if you guys remember me...I'm Alex- the founder of this blog. Jason has been the primary blogger as of late. And I have just been enjoying my sweet little summer life. For some reason, I just haven't felt the need to blog, but maybe I am back in action. We shall see. I am currently sitting at home enjoying a turkey sandwich (duh), wheat thins, and grapes. It's a tasty lunch. I don't have much to do today or this week for that matter because summer school ended on Monday! Sweet!! I have a two week break before the fall starts back up, and I am going to enjoy every bit of my time off...mainly because we are about to take a week long family vacation to Washington state. But you guys went there last year, you say? Yes, Jas and I did, but this time it is the whole Sudan fam...babies included. It is going to be BOMB. I will finally get to experience the infamous Sudan hiking that I have heard so much about. I will take plenty of pics and post them for sure! So lets see, what has happened this summer that is worth noting...
-made the switch from PC to Mac.
-got new bangs.
-lost Spud at the lakehouse....and then found him again (thank you Jesus).
-jas started a Bible study with some Liberians kiddos.
-finished summer school (2 more semesters to go!)
-went to the batting cages for the first time since 1991.
-rekindled my determination to save money through couponing.
-still waiting on the fire department.
It has been a nice summer and I am grateful for it! I also can't wait for football season! I have high hopes in Robert Griffin!! Bowl game this year, perhaps?? Also, Jas and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary on August 18th! We will be in Washington on the actual day, but we are having dinner at my fave restaurant, Tillman's Roadhouse on Friday before we leave! I can't believe we have been married for 2 years! It has been so fun and rewarding in so many different ways. And I am excited for this next year! Anyways, time for me to go be productive. Look for some pics from the Washington trip soon!
-made the switch from PC to Mac.
-got new bangs.
-lost Spud at the lakehouse....and then found him again (thank you Jesus).
-jas started a Bible study with some Liberians kiddos.
-finished summer school (2 more semesters to go!)
-went to the batting cages for the first time since 1991.
-rekindled my determination to save money through couponing.
-still waiting on the fire department.
It has been a nice summer and I am grateful for it! I also can't wait for football season! I have high hopes in Robert Griffin!! Bowl game this year, perhaps?? Also, Jas and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary on August 18th! We will be in Washington on the actual day, but we are having dinner at my fave restaurant, Tillman's Roadhouse on Friday before we leave! I can't believe we have been married for 2 years! It has been so fun and rewarding in so many different ways. And I am excited for this next year! Anyways, time for me to go be productive. Look for some pics from the Washington trip soon!
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