7 Quick Takes: My Life As It Is Sung

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7 Quick Takes

I am feeling pretty flattened by a cold that may/may not be pondering a turn to bronchitis so thinking of unique and interesting Quick Takes is not on my list this week. Instead, please accept 7 songs that are speaking to me at the moment.

— 1 —

“Washed by the Water” by NEEDTOBREATHE. (Thanks, Kassie.) This is so incredibly relevant to my life as a pastor’s wife, especially when Jon’s parishes have gotten bitey. It’s such a blessing to know that I am “washed by the water”, that I’m a child of God through it all.

— 2 —

“Give Me Jesus” by Fernando Ortega. It’s a hymn that we sing in church and I love Fernando Ortega doing it because he limits the instrumentation to piano and guitar. It moves me because one of the things I want most in my day is just Christ’s presence with me.

— 3 —

“On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand” by Jars of Clay. There’s been a lot of death among my friends in the blogging world lately so this one is on my mind. I lovelovelove it because it reminds me of the hope we have in being with God after we die and the fact that this world is not our home.

Speaking of such things, please keep praying massively for Dwija of House Unseen and her family The funeral for baby Nicholas is tomorrow at 11 a.m. and they will need much in the way of prayer for comfort, strength, and peace.

— 4 —

“Whom Shall I Fear” by Chris Tomlin. There was a shooting of a police officer in my small town in January and it was definitely a tough week for us. He was a K-9 officer and all of us felt so much pain for his canine partner who couldn’t understand why his master had departed. I was out for a late night Jack in the Box run (don’t judge) and this came on the radio. It was seriously perfect timing.

— 5 —

“Who Am I” by Casting Crowns. This has been a favorite since I heard it on the radio while driving back from Appleton when we lived in Minnesota. My father-in-law reminds me frequently to “remember not only who you are but whose you are.” This song answers that beautifully.

— 6 —

“The Way” by Jeremy Camp. I am not at all ashamed to admit that I sing along with the radio in the car. LOUDLY. 🙂 This is one of my favorites to sing along with whether it be on KLOVE, Air1, or a mixed CD. I may have also cranked up the volume and blasted it to drown out inappropriate music from other cars at stoplights… a few times.

— 7 —

“God’s Not Dead” by the Newsboys. This is another song I love to belt out in the car when it comes on the radio. I haven’t used it to drown out inappropriate music from car stereos at stoplights only because I didn’t have it on a CD… until now. 😀 With the confusion over the Pope offering a plenary indulgence for those who follow World Youth Day on Twitter, I thought it was appropriate for this week. By the way, the best line from the article linked in this Quick Take is from the last paragraph:

The worst headline came from the normally careful Slate: Pope Francis is not offering indulgences ??in exchange for Twitter followers.?? He has plenty of Twitter followers. But he??d probably exchange a few hundred of them for headline writers who actually read the story.

I love the wit of Fr. James Martin, S.J. and I recommend his book Between Heaven and Mirth very highly.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (IX)

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Five Favorites

One

Not a favorite. Let me be clear: this one is NOT a favorite. Dwija from House Unseen just lost her son Nicholas at 21 weeks 3 days gestation. Please send prayers, positive energy, good thoughts, or whatever you do to her and the rest of the Borobia family at this time. I’m wishing I lived anywhere within driving range so I could bring them food, take care of the littles, hug them, and cry with them. Such is the nature of bloggy friendships — we may never meet in person but we know each other by our souls.

Two

Jenn’s Litany Run. Jenn has discerned her vocation as being a nun with the Norbertine Canonesses but in order to enter in August, she has to be debt-free. She has $33K of student loans to pay off and someone has offered to match any donations between now and July 31st. That means that $25 becomes $50, $100 becomes $200, and so on. Go on over and toss a few bucks her way.

Three

The shirt mentioned in #4 on Kelly’s Five Favorites this week. Kelly commented that she needs a shirt that says “socially awkward and unable to shut up.?? If that shirt is ever printed, I seriously need a copy. I seem to be putting my foot in my mouth this week and just opening it to switch feet.

Four

Robitussin. I’m fighting allergy crud that has migrated to my chest so I was up until 4 because breathing hurt. Robitussin is getting rid of some of the crud. I saw my nurse practitioner today and it’s apparently not an infection so I’m on orders to get intimate with my inhaler to deal with the breathing issues and she ordered up some Tessalon pearls to help with the cough. Robitussin has helped though.

Five

Trader Joe’s Honey. One thing that irks me is the fact that a lot of the honey you buy in the grocery store isn’t from the US and some of it isn’t honey. There was an investigation by one of the Seattle newspapers in 2008 or 2009 that showed antibiotics in honey that was imported from China and as I was working for an import brokerage at the time, this didn’t surprise me. One of the store brand honeys that they tested that was what it said it was came from Trader Joe’s so I’ve been buying my honey from them if I don’t have the option of getting it from the beekeepers themselves.

Go love up Hallie and the others.

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: If I Were To Win the Lottery…

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The topic for this week: if I were to win the lottery…

[+] I’d take the cash option. I’m with Becky on this one. It’s more money than I think I’d ever see in my life and I would be investing it so that the amount grows over time, especially if it was hundreds of millions.

[+] I would pay off all our debt and that of my parents and in-laws. Both sets of parents made a lot of sacrifices for my husband and I and it’s the least we could do to help them out. As for our debt, it would be nice to wipe the slate clean and not have a car payment, student loans, or credit card bills.

[+] I would set up a trust for Daniel. Best case, he will have something to help out when he gets older. Worst case, it would fund his care if something happened to Jon or me.

[+] I would re-train as a respiratory therapist. I actually do better when I am working because it gives me some structure and I’d love to be able to do something I love. Unfortunately, this means re-training so I’d like to be able to do so without having to figure out financial aid.

[+] I would give a huge chunk away. I would definitely tithe it but I’d also want to do things like build schools in third world countries, help to re-hire laid-off teachers in Sacramento, fund a preeclampsia study, fund autism research, and make a large number of Kiva loans. I’d also help out a bunch of families with their adoption expenses.

I don’t think I’ve ever bought a lottery ticket on my own but it’s nice to dream sometimes.

Now go see Becky and what everyone else would do if they won the lottery.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 15, 2013

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY July 15, 2013

Outside my window… sunny and hot. I think it was in the 90’s today.

I am thankful… for Jon taking care of Daniel on Saturday when I was going on 2 hours of sleep and taking him to WinCo and Trader Joe’s so I could nap.

In the kitchen… clean dishes. Thank you, Jon.

I am wearing… green t-shirt and black running shorts.

I am creating… blog posts.

I am going… to pray I get decent sleep tonight.

I am wondering… when I’ll do some posting that isn’t meme specific.

I am reading… Apologia pro vita sua by Cardinal John Henry Newman. (It’s a spiritual autobiography on steroids.)

I am hoping… I can get things figured out with my copy-editing tomorrow and what I have left to do.

I am looking forward to… possibly seeing my parents this weekend.

I am learning that I really can’t eat Daniel’s diet without my stomach spazzing.

Around the house… clean counters though I have vacuuming to do.

I am pondering… many things in my heart.

A favorite quote for today… ??Here and here only in all time the myth must have become fact; the Word, flesh; God, Man. This is not ‘a religion’, nor ‘a philosophy.’ It is the summing up and actuality of them all.?? – C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy

One of my favorite things… club soda when my stomach is being grumpy.

A few plans for the rest of the week: copy-editing tomorrow/Weds/Thurs, autism therapy on Weds/Fri, and possibly spending the weekend with my parents.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

7 Quick Takes: Eclectic Stuff Week

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Ziva leaves NCIS. Yep, it’s true. Cote de Pablo, the actress who plays Ziva David, is leaving the show after her character is wrapped up this fall. Ziva isn’t my favorite character so I’m not as bummed as I’d be if Abby (Pauley Perrette) but still kinda bummed nevertheless. I’m just wondering what will be done with her character and how they’ll tie that particular end up.

— 2 —

Orphans. Do you see these three sweet peas?

First row: Brett and Iris.
Second row: Kaia.

BrettIrisKaia

Brett still needs a mama. Iris finally has a family committed to her. Kaia has a family committed to her who will be traveling to her country to meet her on July 26th! Click on their names to see their Reece’s Rainbow pages.

— 3 —

A benefit to singing. According to CNN, choir singers’ hearts beat as one. It isn’t completely surprising to me — when you’re that focused on your breathing and modulation of tone, your body gets into it. The best choirs function as a unit rather than as individual singers, after all.

— 4 —

Prerequisite baseball take. My Giants are at the bottom of the NL West. The freaking DODGERS are doing better and this is a fact that has not gone unmentioned by the fan of said team to whom I am wed. C’mon boys! Knock off the Padres tonight!

The All-Star Game is this weekend. Why yes, I will be annoyingly tweeting the entire game. 🙂 (Those who follow me on Twitter might want want to unfollow me temporarily.) Go NL!

— 5 —

Daniel’s ABA therapy. We’re back on track with ABA therapy for Daniel. He has established that he’ll work for tickles and he’ll try to get those tickles for free if he can. 🙂 It’s too bad his lead consultant is quitting next week because he loves her tickling him. We’re working on getting rapport built up with his normal tutor right now and I think he (the tutor) will do well once he and Daniel are used to each other.

— 6 —

Stop hating on millenials. If you haven’t read this, surf on over and do so. (Please surf back though.) It’s fascinating and I love how the author communicated his message.

— 7 —

For those who missed it… This is the zucchini of light from last week:

The zucchini of light

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (VIII)

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Five Favorites

Yon

Reading. I should do more of it rather than sitting on Facebook and waiting for people to play on Words with Friends or Scrabble. It probably doesn’t help that I actually need to be sitting next to my computer for my current read so I can look up the classical references that I don’t get because I never read the works in their original languages like my dad and my grandfather had to do. I also never got into Jane Austen so my 19th century British reading skills are rusty.

De

This prayer. I’m trying to get in the habit of doing Compline from the Book of Common Prayer every night and I love the following prayer:

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

Twa

Friends who are expecting. I just got the news today that a friend from college and her husband are expecting a little one with a due date of January 4th. It seems like a number of my friends are due in December and January.

Kat

Quiet mornings. I’m incredibly introverted so I need a lot of alone time now that Daniel has after school ABA therapy that lasts 3 hours. This means that I’m really enjoying my quiet mornings by myself when I can get them.

Senk

Cool weather. It’s been 90F+ here for the last few weeks with at least 10 days of triple digits. I’m really craving winter rains and cool temperatures right now.

Go love up Hallie and the others.

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: My Biggest Weakness

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The topic this week: my biggest weakness.

This is easy.

Self-care.

I am ruthlessly efficient when it comes to scheduling stuff for Daniel but I am so bad at doing it for myself. It took me 2 years of living here to get in to see a rheumatologist for my fibromyalgia and forever to get referrals to other specialists and that was because I kept forgetting to ask for referrals. I’m also due for my annual physical which needs to get scheduled ASAP while Daniel is in summer school. It’s been MONTHS since I cut my hair last and it would easily be another month if my nail person hadn’t dragged her co-worker over to me on Monday and told her that I needed to get on her schedule. (I love my nail person.) I get my nails done ever 3-4 weeks only because I live in my flip-flops unless it’s raining or snowing and I have fewer problems with my feet if they take the calluses off of my heels with a belt sander. (I’m kidding — it’s a Dremel of some sort.)

Now go see Becky and what everyone else has as their biggest weakness.