tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44050672944341514342024-03-05T09:50:10.838-08:00My Life, as is, on a Snapple CapCrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-89473994305260876562011-10-20T10:55:00.000-07:002011-10-20T10:55:52.528-07:00Halloween<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Halloween seems to be one of those debatable holidays in the Christian community.Some Christians participate while others do not. It has been argued that because of it's dark and pagan roots that it should be avoided, while others argue that it is harmless costume fun for the family. While I can respect that everyone has their own convictions about the day, I wanted to take a few moments and explain why we celebrate the day with gusto.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just like any other holiday, there are pagan roots. Christmas has the Christmas tree and yule log. Easter has the colorful eggs. None of those things really hold up in today's world anymore, and for those of us who are not pagans, have no meaning. We adorn our homes for Christmas. We give gifts to one another and have brightly lit trees in our living rooms. We hide colored eggs for our children to find. All innocent fun. I am reminded of Romans 14 when it comes to those of us who trick or treat and those of us who don't. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28243" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">2</sup> For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28244" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">3</sup> Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28245" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">4</sup> Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord’s help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28246" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">5</sup> In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28247" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">6</sup> Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28248" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">7</sup> For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves.<sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28249" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">8</sup> If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28250" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">9</sup> Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.<br />
<sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28251" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">10</sup> So why do you condemn another believer<sup class="footnote" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NLT-28251a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+14&version=NLT#fen-NLT-28251a" style="color: #651300; text-decoration: none;" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</sup>? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28252" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">11</sup> For the Scriptures say,<br />
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the L<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">ord</span>,<br />
‘every knee will bend to me,<br />
and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.<sup class="footnote" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NLT-28252b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+14&version=NLT#fen-NLT-28252b" style="color: #651300; text-decoration: none;" title="See footnote b">b</a>]</sup>’”<br />
<sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28253" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">12</sup> Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28254" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">13</sup> So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.<br />
<sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28255" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">14</sup> I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28256" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">15</sup> And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28257" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">16</sup> Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28258" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">17</sup> For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28259" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">18</sup> If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28260" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">19</sup> So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.<br />
<sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28261" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">20</sup> Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28262" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">21</sup> It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28263" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">22</sup> You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-28264" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">23</sup> But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning." Romans 14, NLT<br />
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So, my convictions on Halloween are, I can give Satan the power over anything, but I refuse to let him have his day. We have fun, and we give glory to God for another chance to have fun. We celebrate imagination and family bonding. And i fully understand why others have their convictions to not participate in the day. And I respect that. I won't judge you, and please don't judge me. We are all a part of God's family, and what might be right for one person, is not going to be right for everyone. We are not Cookie Cutter Christians. I wish all of you a safe and happy Halloween, whether you are out costuming it up and collecting candy, or if you are home with the family watching a favorite movie or playing a favorite game. WHatever you are doing, do it in a manner that honor's God and one another, have fun, and try to pass on the judgy mc judging. :)</span></span>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-87644272338856020912011-09-12T07:24:00.000-07:002011-09-12T07:40:56.953-07:00CosplaySo, today marks the first day of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=190025581068159">"Speak out with your Geek Out".</a><br />
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Since I am a "geek of all trades"- or many at least- I found it difficult to narrow it down to just one topic. I am currently intrigued by the world (or worlds) of Steampunk. Because Steampunk can have many facets, including movies, literature, music, and folk art, I shall focus this blog entry on Cosplay (costume play). I have been having the time of my life creating Steampunk-esque costumes and accessories, from repurposing old things to creating new things.<br />
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I have loved dress up ever since I was a child. And as an adult, I am still having a blast creating costumes and finding places to wear them. <br />
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I first learned how to sew from my mother, and then with some help from a friend. I made a few costumes for a few roles I played at a community theatre I was involved in. But, then I moved out of state, and had to sew on my own. I was slightly afraid to sew on my own, but I gave it a try. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTV-_xsSL5xCmTA8Ai5wR3aRy9NGdaFqliJBI8zw1iJSvbLvh1rpftvTapwBBjxsRa5WUDvNfNkgt4azfqhTtFqfUjFuQXHbU82o2L8Zx6Kz25TNxRLoXhFPD9xLNfUYjGur_eRUC65gw/s1600/20101009_101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTV-_xsSL5xCmTA8Ai5wR3aRy9NGdaFqliJBI8zw1iJSvbLvh1rpftvTapwBBjxsRa5WUDvNfNkgt4azfqhTtFqfUjFuQXHbU82o2L8Zx6Kz25TNxRLoXhFPD9xLNfUYjGur_eRUC65gw/s320/20101009_101.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lady Amberlinn" costume I made for our local Renaissance Faire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There were a few things I rushed through, and I ran out of eyelets needed to lace up the front of the dress, but I am quite pleased with my first solo project. I then decided it might be fun to sew something for my daughter for her Halloween costume. When I asked her what she wanted me to make her, she requested Piplup from <a href="http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Piplup">Pokemon.</a> How hard could that be? There was no pattern for this character. I had to wing it. She loved the result, as did her friends. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6pWrL4jQKV8iEDPqzX_gQkHHVhRnuu6xTvR8PQ9rojEWzVpOepJx3InTQhkvGaxTmOidkwEjcQC_MpXfNPZ4ExW9gJxVZ-maeB8CITLGvAtG9-WcbYqFKsWXryFi51bK1w2vXGFBkP4/s1600/20101031_48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6pWrL4jQKV8iEDPqzX_gQkHHVhRnuu6xTvR8PQ9rojEWzVpOepJx3InTQhkvGaxTmOidkwEjcQC_MpXfNPZ4ExW9gJxVZ-maeB8CITLGvAtG9-WcbYqFKsWXryFi51bK1w2vXGFBkP4/s320/20101031_48.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee as Piplup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It wasn't long before my group of friends and I had discovered <a href="http://templecon.org/12/">TempleCon</a>. The new oppurtunity for gaming was made all the more sweeter by the cosplay that would occur. And we began our various projects for Steampunk costumes, peicing together things we found at thrift stores. Here are a few things that I came up with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0-5tFMg8LtdVe7DkLqQc86VFL5VFeqtRTp5gFXHmNiM9pU4ArBgKMXzs_TxE6VrBEWyxhRCKYGgU3r10tSPe_LAyGM8rG-8vogZ-GAuj5KcdVDhFXtty7UAniWCJW4xfv268C7H7ueI/s1600/20110116_48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0-5tFMg8LtdVe7DkLqQc86VFL5VFeqtRTp5gFXHmNiM9pU4ArBgKMXzs_TxE6VrBEWyxhRCKYGgU3r10tSPe_LAyGM8rG-8vogZ-GAuj5KcdVDhFXtty7UAniWCJW4xfv268C7H7ueI/s320/20110116_48.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steampunk Tink</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8-izn5U9INLSARNWPND_VHCe1qtrcdyQaoPlfRrEOnE0vzSXwBxop7fdiyrpRT3AZHMEsWbuqJFdTLQQ7af2sZIubvcLCgbrtcumij6R6EFSkqltf5FGYzw5JkOKDDZ1j8lKzjhrQxs/s1600/20110121_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8-izn5U9INLSARNWPND_VHCe1qtrcdyQaoPlfRrEOnE0vzSXwBxop7fdiyrpRT3AZHMEsWbuqJFdTLQQ7af2sZIubvcLCgbrtcumij6R6EFSkqltf5FGYzw5JkOKDDZ1j8lKzjhrQxs/s320/20110121_8.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYdLC0fWBqH066up6NA2HcdyYPhjuRgyJGR-96Aiy2sKXVeLZR5YeuzMs2hCdXIwZEIkoTvKkIbJDzJyDF-G87GfXSHy74IUMHwHp5YCTT7scfIFRaHIJKR0PggDCMUzBDgMFY5p-JPo/s1600/20110130_49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYdLC0fWBqH066up6NA2HcdyYPhjuRgyJGR-96Aiy2sKXVeLZR5YeuzMs2hCdXIwZEIkoTvKkIbJDzJyDF-G87GfXSHy74IUMHwHp5YCTT7scfIFRaHIJKR0PggDCMUzBDgMFY5p-JPo/s320/20110130_49.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Repurposed thrift store finds = Fantastic Steampunk Costume</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNDza7tW4Ers1AaqK1DbNEFH9bVpd2Nrk_PIOjvBE8wA9bEl6MaIOzPqULa_sKXo4wiQDW80yu2j6KDu6mySS_IBs2aZkNjWDFImM4RQEIcmvYFJmfwqec0loEY8qHQYdhsKSkfTjf1c/s1600/Crystal+Steampunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNDza7tW4Ers1AaqK1DbNEFH9bVpd2Nrk_PIOjvBE8wA9bEl6MaIOzPqULa_sKXo4wiQDW80yu2j6KDu6mySS_IBs2aZkNjWDFImM4RQEIcmvYFJmfwqec0loEY8qHQYdhsKSkfTjf1c/s320/Crystal+Steampunk.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created from an upcycled dress and skirt from a thrift store</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Then we heard that there was going to be an <a href="http://internationalsteampunkcitywaltham.org/">International Steampunk City</a> nearby, and we wanted to make it a family event. Creating a costume for my son was easy. I found him a cool hat and he wore his Easter suit. Finding something for my daughter was slightly more complicated, so I found a pattern she liked and a fabric she loved and went to work. This is what I came up with for my kids for Steampunk City. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgS5f5pKw3Aw8QAkbXGZa2G0NotgBcafuTKgp-Ky-As49UuYkqCgK-V9Ldo_cD-pE3KwK7dMIZLOpT6DEYBZQ4Al-HOVUMDQJKrBmZUpVTxSX4fa-CWlK-iKLkHab2dhMZzUAtQnzL-M/s1600/Ryleesteampunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgS5f5pKw3Aw8QAkbXGZa2G0NotgBcafuTKgp-Ky-As49UuYkqCgK-V9Ldo_cD-pE3KwK7dMIZLOpT6DEYBZQ4Al-HOVUMDQJKrBmZUpVTxSX4fa-CWlK-iKLkHab2dhMZzUAtQnzL-M/s320/Ryleesteampunk.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee in her Pink Cupcake dress</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnusuaXLrt6yJZcD06VqMAFz3ePt2nQuyA0TY7m7v-LJAPmxMefSYfbK9EvlgNdoeyveuXgFndnzo7rnHJVCIQo9U3rQ8okc5rzD41Rh4yyD6xi9TfArzMFoQM6VfQY02n9NGlYt43Eko/s1600/Sammysteampunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnusuaXLrt6yJZcD06VqMAFz3ePt2nQuyA0TY7m7v-LJAPmxMefSYfbK9EvlgNdoeyveuXgFndnzo7rnHJVCIQo9U3rQ8okc5rzD41Rh4yyD6xi9TfArzMFoQM6VfQY02n9NGlYt43Eko/s320/Sammysteampunk.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sammy, quite the little Gentleman</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHSiDbCfUgnNegrXslFOw8u6jT1dIprn1Vgudq7-ilN36WS2XoGVkKfV5w3_qb3766eXL2cysQg6NovEXiKuC0Pjad_n0GHLboyA5-kxls96WB-dawSr7_THAwMu9MkToLY4eNyZsX3U/s1600/Time+Travelers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHSiDbCfUgnNegrXslFOw8u6jT1dIprn1Vgudq7-ilN36WS2XoGVkKfV5w3_qb3766eXL2cysQg6NovEXiKuC0Pjad_n0GHLboyA5-kxls96WB-dawSr7_THAwMu9MkToLY4eNyZsX3U/s320/Time+Travelers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time Traveling is a Family Affair</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1RX7O43zMX5Fa0rUWU2UfUTVvWcycpQ4ReChRxGNP-eXjHRJGYtsvLU3Y1puFofvDhqQp5_NwLpeuenPGbPxZbH_SOUpy2Fbf7vCG03aqFkR2p_ckW1oOQEB50iYnyc16sPM7kCNZyQ/s1600/On+the+charles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1RX7O43zMX5Fa0rUWU2UfUTVvWcycpQ4ReChRxGNP-eXjHRJGYtsvLU3Y1puFofvDhqQp5_NwLpeuenPGbPxZbH_SOUpy2Fbf7vCG03aqFkR2p_ckW1oOQEB50iYnyc16sPM7kCNZyQ/s320/On+the+charles.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids and I at the Charles River</td></tr>
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While I love my costume collection, it is ever growing. I have my favorites, but I like to add to them. I even created a ball gown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-su-B6TlN5lLdAWbVrb4fe80Eea3xM8X2DKcIEqXMy1l_vh3zzVe0MRbamOjZwNH8RPUn29QEMbu5E0FDoGXugiEVztKluA_RTAqlhf0hw6sbVedtKaAhY76io_QbTEzUPDtXH_KxrU/s1600/princess+010a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-su-B6TlN5lLdAWbVrb4fe80Eea3xM8X2DKcIEqXMy1l_vh3zzVe0MRbamOjZwNH8RPUn29QEMbu5E0FDoGXugiEVztKluA_RTAqlhf0hw6sbVedtKaAhY76io_QbTEzUPDtXH_KxrU/s320/princess+010a.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ball Gown I made from lavender satin and Chinese brocade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0kZktyay3b-EnsvB-2G9yN4OSEKCHYoYDJa3wuDEDvb7uVWEiip80xXZeJgo_a3Kjvf-fgQpZh1bZvPrdBDgMS7As-1KpxKBZJvL1i-jKnnsDIs9zlYpFWsxvb7PvGbTvAzQxMTeQWw/s1600/princess+009a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0kZktyay3b-EnsvB-2G9yN4OSEKCHYoYDJa3wuDEDvb7uVWEiip80xXZeJgo_a3Kjvf-fgQpZh1bZvPrdBDgMS7As-1KpxKBZJvL1i-jKnnsDIs9zlYpFWsxvb7PvGbTvAzQxMTeQWw/s320/princess+009a.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removable Bustle. There is also a removeable train.<br />
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</tbody></table>As you can see, I love creating costumes. Some I make from patterns, some I create on my own, and others I peice together from the neat things I find. Soon, my husband, friends and I will be off on another Steampunk related adventure. Perhaps we will find more unique things to add to our various collections. Until then, here are few of my favorite pictures of my cosplay, my husband's cosplay, and friends' cosplay:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTMswO8G9TqLslzJDnuZNborEitzBYJ6dODExdvvVRgPOvSo4B1Auf551syf9qYax7DaYcAFnJJYHoZq3KjojqOeJC2Hw4gjKoAYJPHphFCTE-sHWogdZuihhK2EL_wIYFRr6DFS77-E/s1600/Aeslynn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTMswO8G9TqLslzJDnuZNborEitzBYJ6dODExdvvVRgPOvSo4B1Auf551syf9qYax7DaYcAFnJJYHoZq3KjojqOeJC2Hw4gjKoAYJPHphFCTE-sHWogdZuihhK2EL_wIYFRr6DFS77-E/s320/Aeslynn.jpg" width="174" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I dressed as my NightElf counterpart for Halloween a few years ago. I even recreated our Guild's tabard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHVaW0RUDFTEV_5251ymmvRYNfPDb8a82e10tr5637D27g6CCHgjadMPLe9x9zGAJwDtdWuczPru0Tdnhp1PonE25DWdcAWDg_8dMHZovhH0txltyHB1CB1HFBNwrrMT54Nc0ba_8awE/s1600/sistersteampunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHVaW0RUDFTEV_5251ymmvRYNfPDb8a82e10tr5637D27g6CCHgjadMPLe9x9zGAJwDtdWuczPru0Tdnhp1PonE25DWdcAWDg_8dMHZovhH0txltyHB1CB1HFBNwrrMT54Nc0ba_8awE/s320/sistersteampunk.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister, my daughter, and I at one of those Old Timey photo places</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbH79P9VAOSwufGix7NrY28InRdJ7p5Up6tVr9gf62NgZnGA7oMWLx23XiX5YfprN7iNHjWQKunaZP2uwCg1Jk8nLdp8tiKgPgW2cjW3TP6OItPUybhjLJWO9aIotnhNl027Off7AbvYY/s1600/steampunk+Seth+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbH79P9VAOSwufGix7NrY28InRdJ7p5Up6tVr9gf62NgZnGA7oMWLx23XiX5YfprN7iNHjWQKunaZP2uwCg1Jk8nLdp8tiKgPgW2cjW3TP6OItPUybhjLJWO9aIotnhNl027Off7AbvYY/s320/steampunk+Seth+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seth and his "Big Game Hunter" costume, complete with Pith Helmet and Blunderbus, and my friends and I in our various finery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheaB3o7fgCTJo9E5G2PbmFN3kTCGhNhshe8CKQKOUtnnBqUGkKnTYXhPUrK3IUBnql9ItsFQhQS0UkCmGzttYDKoLzf07hMOpKN0NVnOetpgpXBCc1mvMo3oG46zfv3sEYpree4prSYg/s1600/steampunk+sally+forth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheaB3o7fgCTJo9E5G2PbmFN3kTCGhNhshe8CKQKOUtnnBqUGkKnTYXhPUrK3IUBnql9ItsFQhQS0UkCmGzttYDKoLzf07hMOpKN0NVnOetpgpXBCc1mvMo3oG46zfv3sEYpree4prSYg/s320/steampunk+sally+forth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Serenity RPG group "The Crew of the Sally Forth", in steampunk attire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5sinXz8N9fBqy6ajYCq4Im3TqMTRDkY-gjbf2gQg9LtT4UhkuyYfv4SdiNLy-KaYJTG0v-Bq7xKU-WjWwVtwTwxJ8LKGGhAf5WGYLpZL0eAHf8hBNV7wtZwTAu8M9FKKrKOp3TU2Yzs/s1600/steampunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5sinXz8N9fBqy6ajYCq4Im3TqMTRDkY-gjbf2gQg9LtT4UhkuyYfv4SdiNLy-KaYJTG0v-Bq7xKU-WjWwVtwTwxJ8LKGGhAf5WGYLpZL0eAHf8hBNV7wtZwTAu8M9FKKrKOp3TU2Yzs/s320/steampunk.jpg" width="157" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In some shiny Temple Con finds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrPle5xzgJ2ydP5flyN6ZcHimd8dAW5HyUjj9J-UGk138Qt_MseClgy9we0-GRFJ36Z5H0F1xs97d2pnN7XSPQEtH7Skqyt2fDtJSbw1xkORYDz4bz7rfijNnHikdmT-U3Pn8uNjUczQ/s1600/steampunkfriends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrPle5xzgJ2ydP5flyN6ZcHimd8dAW5HyUjj9J-UGk138Qt_MseClgy9we0-GRFJ36Z5H0F1xs97d2pnN7XSPQEtH7Skqyt2fDtJSbw1xkORYDz4bz7rfijNnHikdmT-U3Pn8uNjUczQ/s320/steampunkfriends.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seth and I with our friends at Temple Con</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DyxeWNf6UgL8SIIM2-Y718Xe-Tep6yu-NOf5T7CIpV5YyfkUortK6KDZdoyQOzwQgGwIpwgf3nP1QZnDbMdlO0ojezEeSoGQ0kF7mBytcrkZa7Yu2Mfc7SVaLiSrEZXLE2w26CuIvwY/s1600/steampunkseth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DyxeWNf6UgL8SIIM2-Y718Xe-Tep6yu-NOf5T7CIpV5YyfkUortK6KDZdoyQOzwQgGwIpwgf3nP1QZnDbMdlO0ojezEeSoGQ0kF7mBytcrkZa7Yu2Mfc7SVaLiSrEZXLE2w26CuIvwY/s320/steampunkseth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seth showing off a few of his fave Steampunk treasures ( he created that blunderbus out of a yard of beer and a toy laser rifle.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxau1b7XzdrdQ5NG2FZNkxPIcg-pq_EFh529a62mFXFL80WNGspNgXjaBIx2Piiba32B-XOKq_XJi8TCqsC10eDuNnsl2RWipDmla7gNS8VmLAI5maUW_Xj31tHufT_tEBBoAMOg4l_A4/s1600/steampunkcarons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxau1b7XzdrdQ5NG2FZNkxPIcg-pq_EFh529a62mFXFL80WNGspNgXjaBIx2Piiba32B-XOKq_XJi8TCqsC10eDuNnsl2RWipDmla7gNS8VmLAI5maUW_Xj31tHufT_tEBBoAMOg4l_A4/s320/steampunkcarons.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mister and I in some of our finest Steampunk attire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-6OVWATI6_nPpU5M3Vokq4rdzJdX9cPxn4zPBC3GLm_NPl4ww8gA8Ya4fLzaq-4RImXBd2r_rGm28XfwnA8J3-6x4H7XDFLAX_Lz44S4x5K5LM9RVE_9wmfE-zqZwDcuUgwXdUVkNv0/s1600/steampunkladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-6OVWATI6_nPpU5M3Vokq4rdzJdX9cPxn4zPBC3GLm_NPl4ww8gA8Ya4fLzaq-4RImXBd2r_rGm28XfwnA8J3-6x4H7XDFLAX_Lz44S4x5K5LM9RVE_9wmfE-zqZwDcuUgwXdUVkNv0/s320/steampunkladies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>I love Cosplay. And these pictures are only the tip of the iceburg.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-79662431753213136822011-06-26T19:33:00.000-07:002011-06-26T19:37:16.359-07:00Over-Emotional, Melodramatic, Talkative, and.... WeirdWe all crave to be accepted, to be wanted, and loved just the way we are- and not for something that we used to be or could be, but who we are right now. You know, its ironic that for many, the search for acceptance spans a lifetime and in the end, rather than feeling accepted, they just end up isolated, afraid, and alone, never realizing that perhaps they were loved the whole time. Maybe its fear of rejection that does that to people. And bitterness. I know those have been obstacles in my own life. Heck, sometimes it feels as if its a daily battle. I think of how often when I was young, I was misunderstood by my peers. Dismissed because I was too emotional, flighty, talkative, or... weird. How, even as I grew older, and even though I had a handful of friends over the years that truly did understand me, I was mocked, ignored, taunted. And how those things never did a thing to bolster my self esteem. And how even though some people were awful- seriously, kids can be cruel- I still had friends who loved me. I still had my brothers and sisters. I still had my parents and grandparents. And they all loved me for me, even if sometimes I was overemotional, melodramatic, talkative, and... weird. And even though I had all of those people in my life through the years, who loved me unconditionally, I still struggled to fit in with those who did not see me, appreciate me, or care about me. I still desperately wanted to be accepted by the people who mocked me and made my life hell. I'm still not sure why I strived for that. But, I know what it is like to be a misfit. I know what it is like to be bullied. And I know what it is like to feel alone in a sea of people. And I know what it is like to be loved. <br />
Funny how sometimes a person can't see past the nose on their face. Or perhaps, in my case, I had a bit of a farsighted issue. I couldn't see what I had right in front of me, and ached for things that were oh so far away. Funny. <br />
I can remember the day I wanted to go to that unique little high school that could. They were different. I was different. I thought that finally I would be in a place where I would feel like I fit in. And my 3 years there, I did fit in. And I didn't. Some people saw me as the goody goody church girl. Others saw me the same way people had been seeing me for years: over emotional, melodramatic, talkative, and... weird. And even others saw me for who I was, sensitive, creative, and insecure. Like them. Wanting to fit in, needing friends. <br />
Like most people, high school was a tumultuous time for me. I struggled with making sense of a lot of things that wouldn't make sense to normal people. And in spite of the tumultuosity (I tend to make up words...sorry), I forged my way through. I made my friends. Made my memories. And I graduated into life. <br />
As the years go by, it has become easier and easier for me to see that I am not an outcast, or a reject, or a misfit. There are certainly those people who would judge me for the choices I make, the things I like, or the words I say. Of course, I still want to be accepted and loved, but not at the price of changing who I am. And I have found a place where I can be who I am and feel like I belong without trying to be something I'm not. Without trying to impress people that just simply won't be impressed. I don't care if people think I'm a terrible person for getting a tattoo or liking Dungeons and Dragons. I don't care if people think I'm a crazy Pentecostal or a tree-hugging hippy. I don't care if people give me grief over the books and movies I like, or how I raise my children. I've finally become happy with who I am, and I can finally see right in front of me. And I live a very full and blessed life. Sometimes I can be so blinded by my own melodrama to see that I really matter to other people, that I have friends who love me for me. This quest of mine to fit in has been vain, as I already fit in. I've been seeing quotes all over Facebook over the last few weeks on accepting who you are, being content with the person God made you, and the like. It's funny. All the anxiety seems to melt away when I look right around me. I have a husband that loves me even though I can be an emotional basket case that talks to much. My children adore me. I have the best friends a girl could ask for. And I love my church family. This morning in church, Pastor Glen took time to ask people to praise God for blessings in their lives. There seemed to be a theme in what people had to say. Family. Acceptance. Belonging. Nearly everyone in church this morning that spoke, vocalized some of the same feelings and fears that I have struggled with for almost my whole life. And the funny thing is, they all felt the same thing I did. That they were finally in a place where they felt they belonged. They were accepted. They were no longer brushed aside, and they had a family. I think everyone in that sanctuary this morning felt a sense of connectedness. It was beautiful. I should have expected it too, because I wore mascara. I got all teary. I always get teary when I wear mascara. But the beautiful part wasn't that I felt like I belonged somewhere. Or that I was surrounded by people who loved me. No. THe beautiful part this morning was that, even though those things are true, they are merely the reflection of something greater. God's Love. God created me, quirks and all. He Loves me for me, and He loves me much more than anyone else can. And you know what's funny? He loved me the whole time. Strange how some things can be so obvious you have trouble seeing it. So, to some people, I might always be over emotional, melodramatic, talkative, and... weird. But God sees me as empathetic, passionate, articulate, and creative. And the amazing thing is, with just a small change of perspective, a girl's self esteem is no longer in danger of her own self. I belong. And I'm grateful for every single person in my life that loves me for me... but even more so, I'm thankful that God loves me more.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-13204658925623408552011-06-11T20:36:00.000-07:002011-06-11T20:36:18.280-07:00My little SoapboxI don't like to use this blog as a soapbox to tout my convictions and ideals, which is largely why I have remained silent on this forum for as long as I have. But, I have to pull out the soap box for a few moments tonight. I might later expand on these thoughts in later blog posts. Maybe not. We'll see. I feel like I need to be honest on here, which is the main point in keeping this blog. 15 things I need to get off of my chest. Not all of these qualify for Soapboxing, but they still need to be said. So here goes nothing. <br />
1. My faith in God is a huge important part of my life. <br />
2. Judgmental people irritate the living crap out of me. I know, I know. We are ALL guilty of this at one time or another. In fact, I guess I am judging judgy people just by saying I don't like Judgy people. One of my favorite quotes is by Mother Theresa. She said, "If you judge people, you have no time to Love them." I <em>try</em> to make this my life's credo. I am only human, however, and have oftentimes failed in this area.<br />
3. I'm a geek. This does not effect my family negatively, nor does it hinder my faith in God at all. I love science fiction, musical theatre, RPG's, Steampunk, Renaissance faires and reading books. Lots of books. Including Harry Potter. Narnia. The Hobbit. And, no, I don't think ANY of these books or interests are evil. I might even be convinced one day to read about sparkly vampires. I love a good book that is well written, full of imagination, and has a great "good triumphs over evil" plot line. And imagination and expression oneself is very important to me. <br />
4. I don't home school my children. I have a lot of respect for those of you who do. I think that is a great and valid way to educate your children. But, it is not for everyone. One of my previous posts goes into a little more depth on this subject- and it is a bit of a touchy subject for me.<br />
5. I'm mildly "earthy-crunchy". I wouldn't mind even being more so, but I'm just not that organized. I believe in peace, love, and Joy. I believe in making this world a better place to live in. I believe it is important to take care of God's creation- plants, animals, and environment alike. I could get into greater depth here, but I suppose I might just save this for a later post.<br />
6. Politics are just an organized (?) way to argue with other people. You have the far left and the far right and anyone in between, and no one seems to be able to get along. I can respect other people's opinions, and I would hope that others can respect mine. <br />
7. It is never a good idea to insult the military to my face. Or near me. Ever. I am a Coast Guard wife and proud of it. Many of my friends currently serve in the military, and they span all of the branches, and I respect and am proud of all of them. <br />
8. I'm currently earning my bachelors in ministry and my bachelors in psychology. And I love it. :) <br />
9. I have a diverse group of friends, and I love all of them. <br />
10. I am very defensive of my friends and family. When one of them is hurt, I hurt. <br />
11. Miracles are everywhere. I've had many in my own life. This only solidifies my faith in God. <br />
12. I know I am not perfect. I know I am not always right. I know I sometimes piss people off (unintentionally... mostly). And I am grateful to every single person in my life who loves me anyway. <br />
13. It saddens me when I lose a friend. I realize that death is a part of life. I don't believe death is the end, which does give me comfort here. However, it saddens me more when I lose a friend and it is not because of death, but because of a difference of opinion. <br />
14. I am proud of each one of my brothers and sisters. I love them all more than I can ever write in words. And I miss them terribly. <br />
15. My parents may not have been perfect, but they were perfect enough for me. They loved me, made sure I got a good education, and spent time with me and my siblings making memories. They taught me what family means and the importance of Faith.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-77979610201660746002011-03-26T17:33:00.000-07:002011-03-26T17:43:58.561-07:00No More DebatesIt seems like many other things, people are finding more and more to debate in today's society- education notwithstanding. It seems that Homeschool vs. Public (or private) school will forever be up for debate, each family standing firmly on the side that they have chosen, not willing to budge, claiming that their way is the best- and right- way to educate our nation's children. It gets frustrating sometimes, and I often feel caught somewhere in the middle of this debate. I have many friends who homsechool and many who don't. I have friends who teach in various schools- public and private alike. I have seen public schools, private schools, and homeschools fail and triumph. When all is said and done, I don't think pointing out the flaws in the opposing schooling methods helps anyone. I've seen it all: homeschool, public school, and private school. I seen the ups and downs of both, and here is what I have learned:<br />
Kids can be mean, not matter what kind of education you are dealing with. <br />
If your child is encouraged to learn, he or she will excel- especially when parents and teachers pitch in at school and at home.<br />
The world can be exciting and scary, accepting and rejecting, full of possibility and full of trials. <br />
It is important for each family to weigh carefully their options for education before jumping into something head first. For some, homeschooling is the right choice, and for others, public school is. I don't pretend to have all the right answers, but I do know this: you aren't a bad Christian if you send your children to public school. You have not failed as a parent and your children won't hold it against you. I am sick of hearing otherwise. <br />
We don't homeschool our children. We don't have anything against homeschooling, but we don't homeschool. I am not opposed to the idea of one day maybe homeschooling, but right now, in the season of life we are in, homeschooling is just not for us. And for us, at this point in our lives, this is the best option for my children.<br />
This has been a tough subject for us as we often find ourselves in the midst of a culture in which many people choose to homeschool, for various reasons. Most of our friends are okay with our choice to send our daughter to public school, but often times I find myself faced with a situation where an acquaintance shares their negative opinions on public school, not realizing, perhaps, that this is our choice of education for our daughter (and soon for our son.)<br />
So, for those of you who would cast aspersions on us for sending our children to public school, here are a few things to consider...<br />
What is best for your family might not be best for everyone. Different does not mean wrong. <br />
My daughter is thriving. She is doing great in school and has never been so curious about the world around her. She loves to read and write and learn. <br />
Public school is not corrupting her. School itself is not what corrupts- people do. It is my job as a parent to give my children a strong foundation for life, instilling in them the core values that we follow as a family. She knows about the Love of God. She knows the difference between right and wrong. She knows what it means to love people and care for others. She even recites the Pledge of Allegiance with the rest of the school every morning.<br />
She has been bullied. I have news for you: This can happen anywhere. When I was in private school, I was taken advantage of- often being the scapegoat for trouble makers in my class and not knowing how to explain what really happened. When I was homeschooled, I was actually bullied by kids in my youth group. When I was in private school, you guessed it, I was bullied there too. While it hurt to be pushed around and made fun of, I learned a few things about people. I learned what to expect from real friends and how to handle the people who were not really friends at all. I hate that my daughter has been bullied, but I have to hand it to her: She knew how to handle it. She told the appropriate adults, confronted the girl who was giving her a hard time, and is no longer being bullied. The young girl who was bullying her has since apologized and the two are friends. I'd say, life lesson learned. <br />
Also, a few other variables as to why we do not homeschool are schedule related.<br />
My husband works random, sporadic, and sometimes unpredictable hours. If we were to homeschool, we would both want to be in on the teaching as much as we could. <br />
My husband and I are both full time college students, working toward fulfilling a call on our lives. We barely have enough time for own homework. I feel like if we homeschooled, I should devote full time to teaching them. Because we are in school ourselves, I feel as if we would inevitably be shortchanging them on their education. <br />
This does not mean that in the future it is out of the question, but for now, this is what works best for my family. Let me be perfectly clear: I admire all the parents who have devoted themselves to teaching their children at home. I know many brilliant people who are currently homeschooled or who have graduated as homeschool successes. It is a great way for a family to educate their children. But, it is not the way we have chosen to handle our children's education. And that is just fine. So, to the people who believe that you can only get a good education by sending your children to public school: you are wrong, it is not the only way. And to the people who feel that the only way to teach our children is to keep them at home: you are also wrong. What works best for you, may not be what's best for us. <br />
I know I probably have not heard the last of this debate, and sometimes I feel alone in this one. Someone once told me, " But we need our 'lights' in the public schools too." I found that immensely encouraging. So, Rylee, the bright light that she is, and soon Sammy too, will be learning in the public school system.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-74506267348637778042011-03-21T07:27:00.000-07:002011-03-21T07:27:12.001-07:00Science and Faith<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwJ71aYroFNxEqrunYFdJIbVQmgtMODrNUxMnvZU9L9zwO1zahRNbjqjEf6Uy764cT5t32DAzhs6yTUWFUgzUNWT-u9dkEC6KLN3AbCDwZ9gVDAsOlyogCQelOpv2ztXOeMNM1fJUKlc/s1600/ryleeproject.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwJ71aYroFNxEqrunYFdJIbVQmgtMODrNUxMnvZU9L9zwO1zahRNbjqjEf6Uy764cT5t32DAzhs6yTUWFUgzUNWT-u9dkEC6KLN3AbCDwZ9gVDAsOlyogCQelOpv2ztXOeMNM1fJUKlc/s320/ryleeproject.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee working on her science fair project<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My daughter Rylee is interested and curious about many things. For every question she asks, we find an answer. And for every answer, she asks five more questions. She is in public school, and very bright for her age. She does have some of the same troubles I used to have when I was young, and can be very easily distracted. She has been blessed with having teachers that take the time to help her stay focused and interested. When she is focused and interested she thrives. So, when the school PTA hosted a science fair last year, Rylee jumped at the chance to get in on the fun. She did her project on minerals and grew salt and sugar crystals, trying to decide which might grow faster. She learned that salt was very important mineral to life, but that too much of it can actually be harmful. She loved it! So, when the science fair came around again this year, she was excited for weeks. Try as we might, we could not talk her out of the stereotypical volcano project. The idea of an explosion was so much fun, but her interest in volcanoes themselves won out over a study of chemical reactions between vinegar and baking soda. She learned about lava and magma, and how gasses, heat, and pressure cause an eruption. She learned that ash in the atmosphere can cause changes to the climate, weather, and habitats. She learned about famous volcanoes such as Vesuvius, Helens, Pele, and Krakatoa and the destruction that can follow in the wake of an eruption. And she soaked it all up. At the science fair she kept shooing me away so she could do her presentation solo. Every time I got close to listen to her talk, she'd shoot me that look. I backed away with a smile on my face and pride for my daughter in my heart. She loves science just as much as she loves art. She always says that when she grows up she wants to save animals (think Greenpeace.) She loves the earth and is always fascinated about geology, botany, and zoology. One of her hobbies is googling different animals, plants, or places and learning all she can about them. (She once looked up spider brains.) Her favorite book is about all the different kinds of whales. And dinosaurs fascinate her so much. She believes that if God loves his creation, we should too. She believes it is our job to take care of the earth and the animals, and does not understand why so many people take it for granted. I believe she is right, and she will go far with perspective like that. She is 8 and already wants to make a difference in this world- and she already has. </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsN6e2xJRPpKNzwHK4DIAECkqOcdLZcO56sJJohzSVMHdDu0IeUziWcmmSLjTmDgXlNw915dd2C7uKGcMZYdEDvqlNKCs7EQ044K3VSipYj8nzrmSgWZW0v3_aAPKUaFFReEot50ajlw/s1600/volcano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsN6e2xJRPpKNzwHK4DIAECkqOcdLZcO56sJJohzSVMHdDu0IeUziWcmmSLjTmDgXlNw915dd2C7uKGcMZYdEDvqlNKCs7EQ044K3VSipYj8nzrmSgWZW0v3_aAPKUaFFReEot50ajlw/s320/volcano.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volcano in Action<br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIT9xctzFxUyfSa0GW2qfEd-6ZlkmiLVN0XGWRa6HgQVqt1XxoGhHSfsOPz5Nolr8C_Dqu3yhSdGhW3aVR4gTtEdJddbDcRcfXGD32jyyHaUSHMupz5jCVMNtWH9tm43uwYZaPShnsvo/s1600/Ryleesciencefair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIT9xctzFxUyfSa0GW2qfEd-6ZlkmiLVN0XGWRa6HgQVqt1XxoGhHSfsOPz5Nolr8C_Dqu3yhSdGhW3aVR4gTtEdJddbDcRcfXGD32jyyHaUSHMupz5jCVMNtWH9tm43uwYZaPShnsvo/s320/Ryleesciencefair.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Rylee proud of her ribbon and pin she got for participating</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1t9Cwiy677S6tV2bC9vclJK9WeTEuiATFl-mFRPXr8umLJU7azxZqpRUj_WebdkrbBzLqLp44TvXuMOfnjiYFNt0tOUvMIXIBuMOuPrGxU6Ky2Qoy1GtQwjt15LrABkSb-qEdH1Em7lY/s1600/ryleescifair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1t9Cwiy677S6tV2bC9vclJK9WeTEuiATFl-mFRPXr8umLJU7azxZqpRUj_WebdkrbBzLqLp44TvXuMOfnjiYFNt0tOUvMIXIBuMOuPrGxU6Ky2Qoy1GtQwjt15LrABkSb-qEdH1Em7lY/s320/ryleescifair.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Rylee posing in front of her project. Her shirt reads, "Love your world." (sorry this one's blurry.)</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-64297126761238586662011-02-14T13:28:00.000-08:002011-02-14T13:31:37.025-08:00EpicsFunny how people come and go throughout a person's life, each one making a significant impact in who that person will someday be and each one representing that season of a person's life. I, like many others, have seen people come and go throughout my own life. Some people leaving warm memories, others who helped carry me through rough times, and even others who, whether intentional or not, wounded me deeply. There have been a handful of people who have made such an impact on my life that they have remained in my life no matter the different paths life has taken us, and they will forever be some of the closest people to me. I'm not talking about family- family will always be there for me no matter what I'm going through. I'm talking about friends. These are the friends that would drop anything to be there for my family, the friends that love me no matter how quirky or obnoxious I get. We go way back, we grew up together, and no matter where life leads us, we will always be connected. These precious few mean the world to me.Seth and I went through several years of uncertainty, hurt, and healing. When we came out of it, we were stronger for it. We had learned much about ourselves and about each other. When we were stationed back on the Cape for the second time, it was met with as much joy as uncertainty. Much of our rough times were spent on the Cape, and there was fear of history repeating itself. However, we had a brighter outlook on life and each other, that we were ready to return to the Cape with a renewed sense of love, spirituality, and family. We returned the church that had sparked a glimmer of hope in our marriage some years back. While our first time on the cape, I had only attended the church for nearly a year by myself, hiding in a friend's shadow, and Seth merely attended a few weeks, it was enough to get us thinking and re-evaluating ourselves. Our time away from the Cape was spent healing, growing, and many bitter-sweet days of being apart (Seth was stationed on a cutter and was often away from home.) Moving back to the cape, not only meant that Seth would be home all the time, but that we could return to the church that accepted not just me for me, but Seth despite the fact that he did not, at the time, want to be a part of any church. Our two years away from the Cape were where we needed to be to grow, and the people that were in our lives were essential to that growth. But, it was time to return to the Cape and immerse ourselves in a community unlike many others I have ever known. We are nearing two years back on the cape, and we have developed and grew so many great- no not great, epic- friendships since moving back. These people have become friends, and mentors to us- both of us. They not only love us for who we are, quirks and all, but they are quirky themselves. We are accepted, flaws and all. They not only know our weaknesses and failures, but they see past them, and love us anyway. They are exemplary of Jesus' love for us, and that makes me love them all the more. Recently, Seth and I were introduced to the world of Steampunk. We were quickly immersed and- dare I say it?- obsessed with this genre that reflected creativity, idealism, and an age of gentry long gone by. All thanks, by the way, to one of our dear friends on the Cape. Seth and I rarely get the opportunity to have a weekend away, and even rarer do we get to get away with our friends- our epic friends. We had such a weekend just over a week ago, when we had the privilege to attend Temple Con in Rhode Island. We all worked hard on our neo-Victorian costumes, inventions, and various toy weaponry and immersed ourselves into a world of geekery where no one casts judgement and everyone shares a common passion for gaming and Steampunk. It was at this convention that Seth and I had come to the conclusion that we never have before been so close to a group of a friends as we are now. And every day I am so blessed and thankful that these people are in my life. And I just know that these are the kinds of friends that will forever be in our lives, not just here for a season, but here for a lifetime. Here are just a few pictures of our time at TempleCon with our very best friends in the 'verse.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Epic Friends with Seth and I</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh noes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusuSbm7w3BCHO9PWyi03K4DvGn13tS9x-RbhByKSqAPRlYcjh3JVN5tl2rOypu8IhQpdaLZquXubPxQBlqMi1V2o7E8RZMlrJmJ3EM1fnMUAd2qPebgJ3iuv_U1iOwN9V-4vTdm9KcG8/s1600/lobstergeese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusuSbm7w3BCHO9PWyi03K4DvGn13tS9x-RbhByKSqAPRlYcjh3JVN5tl2rOypu8IhQpdaLZquXubPxQBlqMi1V2o7E8RZMlrJmJ3EM1fnMUAd2qPebgJ3iuv_U1iOwN9V-4vTdm9KcG8/s320/lobstergeese.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband and I <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-66096240672001165652011-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:002011-02-14T11:39:48.431-08:00February 14, 2011So, here it is, the middle of February and it has been awhile since I have written anything here. I've been wracking my brain for something clever or soul-searching to write about, and either I draw blanks or my ideas resemble soap boxes more than thought provoking blog entries. Here I am, once again, trying to figure out what to write about, and it dawns on me: today is Valentine's day. Couples everywhere are behaving sickly sweet and soppy turning the stomachs of single folk everywhere. Consumerism is at an all time high, while boyfriends and husbands rush out willingly paying three times as much for roses and chocolate than they might pay any other day of the year. Girlfriends and wives are planning the perfect romantic evening, hoping that their significant other will notice the hard work it took to make herself drop dead gorgeous or the beautiful gourmet meal that awaits them. This is a yearly ritual that lovers revel in, while cynics and singles secretly hope that food poisoning wreaks havoc on lovers everywhere. Being married to an awesome guy myself, I tend to enjoy the day despite the fact that there have been many Valentine's days we have shared separately, as he is in the coast guard and has often been gone. He never fails to surprise me with flowers, or has them delivered. And yes, I am thrilled that he will be home tonight so we can have a romantic dinner for two at home. So, what's with this day that so many people have a love/hate relationship with? Who was St. Valentine? According to <a href="http://www.catholic.org/">http://www.catholic.org/</a>, he is the patron saint of love, happy marriages, and young people. He was a holy priest and assisted in helping martyrs from being persecuted. Eventually, he was caught and martyred as well after he refused to renounce his faith. He died on February 14th. How he became associated with the holiday of love, might seem odd, but in the effort to discourage non- believers from celebrating their pagan holiday, several zealous pastors began substituting the names of saints on the holiday. Thus, St. Valentine's Day was born. I suppose there are several versions of the story out there, and whatever the truth is, St. Valentine's Day will continue to be a day of consumerism, love stories, and, yes, annoyed singles everywhere. So, as you celebrate today, toast to your sweetie, or to your singleness, and remember that today is not just about loving your family and friends, its also about loving your fellow humanity. St. Valentine died for not just his faith, but also for fighting to save others from unjust deaths. He risked everything because he loved others. As Mother Theresa said, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." And the Bible tells us to love one another numerous times. 1 Corinthians 13 anyone? Not to mention the other numerous passages on the subject. So, today, Love one another. Love your sweetie, love your children, love your parents, love your friends. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-59920831542997537182011-01-01T13:58:00.000-08:002011-01-01T14:01:49.487-08:00Dear Rylee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDV1OxNQ0R8BACsRm8Ls5PgOzPyvtaCZeod0mvD23YhyphenhyphenHXPmmPN_HIaZc8r08DeD9x_L380OpmCZDXTXmiRGxJ4JQacnA53Bcbj0P4yv5ESzZvGH4RJFff5kS4fMupHMr0-sDiQM4EpI/s1600/20110101_9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDV1OxNQ0R8BACsRm8Ls5PgOzPyvtaCZeod0mvD23YhyphenhyphenHXPmmPN_HIaZc8r08DeD9x_L380OpmCZDXTXmiRGxJ4JQacnA53Bcbj0P4yv5ESzZvGH4RJFff5kS4fMupHMr0-sDiQM4EpI/s320/20110101_9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Dear Rylee,<br />
Mostly I write on this blog my own personal reflections and experiences, partly in hope that they will reflect on someone else's life and partly as an outlet for things I might not otherwise have the courage to say. Today is the first day of 2011 and we have a year full of possibility ahead of us. I am writing you this note as a kind of new year resolution, and perhaps someday you will be able to look back on this and read it when you are older. <br />
Growing up can be tough. I remember wanting to fit in and be accepted. I remember how heartbreaking it was when people did not want to be my friend or when people did not understand me. I know the hurt that comes with being stereotyped by things that are considered limitations or socially acceptable. And as I grew up, I have learned that in order to be truly happy, you need to stay true to God and to who you are. He made you who you are for a reason. You are compassionate and sensitive. This is not a bad thing. This just means you have a heart that is bigger than most, which makes it nice because you have more room in there to love other people and animals. You are creative and imaginative. Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't achieve your dreams because you are dreaming too big or because they feel it is impossible. Nothing is impossible. Reach for the stars, Rylee, and do not be afraid to dream. You are beautiful and feminine even though you love things that other people think are purely boy things. If you love dragons, Love dragons. If you love Pokemon, love Pokemon. When I was a girl, I would climb trees in my swirly ruffly dresses and I did not even care. You have a free spirit. Let it stay free. Do not let stereotypes limit you or squash your beautiful radiant personality. Be who you are, because that is who God made you to be. Do not try to become someone you are not. If people cannot love you and accept you for who you are, then they are not worthy of your friendship. I love that old lullaby we used to sing, "If they knew sweet little you, they'd end up loving you too! All those same people who scold you, what they'd give just for the right to hold you!" Remember these words and stay true to yourself. I love you, Rylee. You make my life brighter. Happy new year!<br />
Love, <br />
MommyCrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-72314504898575003662010-12-31T20:47:00.000-08:002010-12-31T20:47:45.627-08:00Auld Lang SyneThis past year has been filled with it's share of trials and triumphs and as I look over the past 12 months I can't help but feel like there has been an incredible amount of growth in such a short amount of time. I will forever be amazed at how God orchestrates things for his glory, even when it might not seem like it at the time. Life on Cape Cod has been so full of blessings this year and I am thankful for each and every one of my friends I have here. I, of course, often find myself missing my friends and family in NH and daydream of ways I can connect the two places via a portal. I usually have to resign myself to being thankful that I have so many friends and family spread out over multiple states and there will always be a friendly face no matter where I travel. This last year has been a tough one in many ways as my family experienced several grievous losses, leaving many of us wondering why we haven't made a bigger effort in familial relationships, and for those closest to our loved ones who have passed on before us, very large empty holes that are simply unable to be filled. It seems that many people, my family aside, has dealt with many losses this year and my heart goes out to each one of them, as do my prayers. I am grateful for the friends and family that lent me their support during those hard times, and just as grateful for them during the good times as well.<br />
Earlier this year my family had the privilege and blessing to be able to go on our first family vacation ever, and to Disney World! This was chock full of memories for us, and Rylee and Sammy are constantly asking if I remember this or that from our trip there. We are determined to return one day, when Sammy is a little older, when we have the finances to do it, and maybe even for an anniversary sans the kids... Who knows? All I know is this was one huge highlight this year for me. <br />
Another one of the many blessings that have filled this year are the many friendships that have been forged through the various social circles I have been involved in. I have always been a fairly social person, although I have not always found my social niche. I fit in nicely among the theatrical, literary, and generally eccentric crowds. And then there are my Wagon Train. These close knit women are most definitely Kindred spirits, and in this crazy world, while I usually love just about everyone, I do not always find people I simply click with. My girls are such a blessing and I love each and every one of them. They are my encouragements, my comforts, and my confidants. With them I am not judged, just loved and accepted for who I am, flaws and all.<br />
My children will forever be the highlights of my life and it is an honor to be their mother. They always know how to make me laugh, the exact times I need a hug, and have such a thirst for learning new things. Their creativity is boundless and to see the world through their eyes is pure magic. <br />
Another one of the bigger things that have happened to Seth and I this year was the acknowledgment of the Call of God on our lives. He had been prodding us for years now, and both of us finally broke down and decided to answer that call. This is scary new territory for us, but we are both very excited for this phase of our life. We are working toward earning our Bachelors in Ministry, and have a strong feeling that we will eventually find ourselves in the church planting world, Seth in leadership and discipleship, and me in counseling. Whichever way this road turns, we are finally willing and excited to see what God does with our lives and how He uses us for His glory.<br />
This was a year of enlightenment for me, as I have finally come to grips with a few lifelong struggles of mine. I have made some major changes in how I handle my ADHD by organizing my life and working hard. I have combated the PSTD by simply learning to let things go, and the anxiety by simply thinking things out logically- which can be hard for me as I think and process things purely on an emotional plane. With each of these struggles and shortcomings, I have grown leaps and bounds in overcoming them.<br />
This was also the first year I have actually completed a New Year's resolution and finished my first novel. I have passed it out to a group of friends, who, when they find time in their busy lives, will read them and critique them so that I might be able to polish it and actually attempt to get it published- which might just be my resolution for 2011. <br />
Another pit fall I seem to constantly find myself in is somewhere between keeping the house to the standards that I would love to say I keep for my family and reality, which is lived in. I plan on continuing to hone this skill throughout the new year, and I feel it is directly related to the aforementioned ADHD stuff I have been overcoming. I have also learned to let some things go, and have come to the conclusion that sometimes it is okay to let the house be "lived in" so that I may play and explore and create projects with my children. As the plaquard above my kitchen sink says, "Pardon the mess, my children are making memories." <br />
My mind is now jumping around to many things I have learned and experienced over this past year, and my conclusion each times leaves me to know that my life is enriched with the people in it, and blessed because of God's constant provision. I have lost count on the many times that my friends, family, and church have come to be anchors and supports throughout the year, not to mention the many times that our needs were met in the most randomest of ways. God is awesome.<br />
As the dawn of a new year fastly approaches, I hope that my perspective on life remains positive and that I continue to work on the self-discipline and logic that so often seems to elude me. I have vowed to value and treasure the people in my life, because they are often gone suddenly and we are left regretting all the time we could have spent together and now do not have the chance. May this new year bring opportunity, strengthen relationships, and the wisdom to listen to God's voice and calling. Here's to 2011 and the infinite possibilities it may bring.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-66680585319316763922010-12-27T13:56:00.000-08:002010-12-27T13:56:44.253-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Usually I am trigger happy with my camera, especially at holidays. This year however, I seemed much too preoccupied with spending time with family to take many pictures. However, I did manage to snap a few of Christmas weekend</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KQuXHQyLtmVt7AGnM3KI4XhZ9nYE2fd3GvXKE-uQ1sLOByWNbRnvhPiyRfnnIa3YvBR9hikWyAUd1aANN6wGsrbo-2varY1iNLDmpmL_Gg_zSnKfFESTN8FGc5F3AsJd18cOtIYs6GY/s1600/20101227_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KQuXHQyLtmVt7AGnM3KI4XhZ9nYE2fd3GvXKE-uQ1sLOByWNbRnvhPiyRfnnIa3YvBR9hikWyAUd1aANN6wGsrbo-2varY1iNLDmpmL_Gg_zSnKfFESTN8FGc5F3AsJd18cOtIYs6GY/s320/20101227_2.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Family Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunX3TkKQ3gfYvJO3VN61xTxNlUb2W0AjjrDmsShFHtfUHXuPH5cTBLNOJPv7BosLN4O5Rkb9Hwyqe3yp1tyFQd_i4elYidDD6YBsmGPLyeIj3YTRA6qrb1sfq3XPIiCJci3TfyHO7CKA/s1600/20101227_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunX3TkKQ3gfYvJO3VN61xTxNlUb2W0AjjrDmsShFHtfUHXuPH5cTBLNOJPv7BosLN4O5Rkb9Hwyqe3yp1tyFQd_i4elYidDD6YBsmGPLyeIj3YTRA6qrb1sfq3XPIiCJci3TfyHO7CKA/s320/20101227_7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samuel tearing into his stocking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>When I was younger my mother decided to forge a new family tradition and started making stockings for family members out of canvas, painting unique and intricate designs on them. Every time a person is married and has a child, she makes a new one. I love these stockings and that my husband and children each has one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYhnisYRqmpnhsUNkWKGoU0QqZSmixkecXfYvNFnUWHYY-AEMAsLzqDnQowPSm-65kudrvI2Bg_ri-gJRtx1xvG-EDEQC46jxdmdqXZugCAN2MKu5MB9odBRy2omE-SaiXnx_lfff2Fk/s1600/20101227_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYhnisYRqmpnhsUNkWKGoU0QqZSmixkecXfYvNFnUWHYY-AEMAsLzqDnQowPSm-65kudrvI2Bg_ri-gJRtx1xvG-EDEQC46jxdmdqXZugCAN2MKu5MB9odBRy2omE-SaiXnx_lfff2Fk/s320/20101227_8.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee examining the contents of her stocking.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZBc3FneJ9Mt8JQQnNMe1sVwdtj7vnfUQ5SoV92x70lNvztYQBYtf5qaEg8M1JEBN2JIQE-1JkyuAgDZO2wnsWSKKGyp8or276K_FGhF4P0v2Va_zam4QMqqhY2oE6pBUADt2udyfr2A/s1600/20101227_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZBc3FneJ9Mt8JQQnNMe1sVwdtj7vnfUQ5SoV92x70lNvztYQBYtf5qaEg8M1JEBN2JIQE-1JkyuAgDZO2wnsWSKKGyp8or276K_FGhF4P0v2Va_zam4QMqqhY2oE6pBUADt2udyfr2A/s320/20101227_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BhAVscV-xlikbGTBuJh13y80OPVwMAu_dKax6O7flrJd9bn0HnXfASjtZ_4VOYoH-TAjG8G3ksCFRRZ18pB8caqk8AcOiyaNBZrZdLD_tMGJP9Ui6i8E02MazMCySf1QELVFwKfneFM/s1600/20101227_13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BhAVscV-xlikbGTBuJh13y80OPVwMAu_dKax6O7flrJd9bn0HnXfASjtZ_4VOYoH-TAjG8G3ksCFRRZ18pB8caqk8AcOiyaNBZrZdLD_tMGJP9Ui6i8E02MazMCySf1QELVFwKfneFM/s320/20101227_13.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sammy and his Night Fury toy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qyRZOUNk33h9To85YRF36ecsma2V6JTHpFLF2eReZKhGpXIaF7U3sPpfImsN2Y91lA7X4GakXCjWo8KKdR1SJSZFfc6i0EArjhHC1d3J-riblREj8pJEGrNQaU_cN7UgCuEOpmzfXZs/s1600/20101227_15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qyRZOUNk33h9To85YRF36ecsma2V6JTHpFLF2eReZKhGpXIaF7U3sPpfImsN2Y91lA7X4GakXCjWo8KKdR1SJSZFfc6i0EArjhHC1d3J-riblREj8pJEGrNQaU_cN7UgCuEOpmzfXZs/s320/20101227_15.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Cousin Sophie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUFQrG9zb-VBkD9wKQea6e7Bh1qtz-V0w0qC453ahwwVc8kMBH42ytcifrO7CGEGO-ZkV4jPhHsvwt8a-B8ZIJnkPPTShyphenhyphenAsxHxdNeX8VwMPdMSRedCXinlVaXhdjTe55hpDXBPgjaJY/s1600/20101227_16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUFQrG9zb-VBkD9wKQea6e7Bh1qtz-V0w0qC453ahwwVc8kMBH42ytcifrO7CGEGO-ZkV4jPhHsvwt8a-B8ZIJnkPPTShyphenhyphenAsxHxdNeX8VwMPdMSRedCXinlVaXhdjTe55hpDXBPgjaJY/s320/20101227_16.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nana Lou (my mother in law)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIThnGNo9A7JwWhDLCkuOMH6E6lWG5oGWOfjT5HBs7Y_Mq2-38gqzP69yKKU-K2H8QqQw22avPtm5YVQ5ub6LsWVVMfyx0luHv1QqjKxU_c_LHnci-K9XXI5TxzKzMgg9P7NBfcpER7mQ/s1600/20101227_17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIThnGNo9A7JwWhDLCkuOMH6E6lWG5oGWOfjT5HBs7Y_Mq2-38gqzP69yKKU-K2H8QqQw22avPtm5YVQ5ub6LsWVVMfyx0luHv1QqjKxU_c_LHnci-K9XXI5TxzKzMgg9P7NBfcpER7mQ/s320/20101227_17.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cousin Joshua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO1RNBhxcky0x_Ed2RkNhOkbD7kbzXXnmmK75ReYKMCDd3NIphL4nd55JWOfBi-cfZsf6Jn0Cm8TklXb4JnJavfHyalg8UZm-dl_2cFZULdXY8KcB3KKjrBYtkyKIYzKoqO_nva4kyE0/s1600/20101227_19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO1RNBhxcky0x_Ed2RkNhOkbD7kbzXXnmmK75ReYKMCDd3NIphL4nd55JWOfBi-cfZsf6Jn0Cm8TklXb4JnJavfHyalg8UZm-dl_2cFZULdXY8KcB3KKjrBYtkyKIYzKoqO_nva4kyE0/s320/20101227_19.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee unwrapping gifts and wearing her pretty dress.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2kcrEa_02B7nfFOAr-MMByaZoae2pfG1R4PUoZ49lYhumbO0FZ-gQwZ90NbjDpd8AgoPNmRJvtG6-p38r4PI15wrcPOVI8Xo88mxyIoOWRcaVRpLApFuLpWjT2uFJdeETfOdJxk6pvQ/s1600/20101227_20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2kcrEa_02B7nfFOAr-MMByaZoae2pfG1R4PUoZ49lYhumbO0FZ-gQwZ90NbjDpd8AgoPNmRJvtG6-p38r4PI15wrcPOVI8Xo88mxyIoOWRcaVRpLApFuLpWjT2uFJdeETfOdJxk6pvQ/s320/20101227_20.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julie's Mantle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-SdLYZ7U9UDusiQ8VUHav6E4bmu32ECmkpn84SZjLeN-pwKRsexEnHNDUOQaBrHQghI-ub0bFJ-j9GJyFKJkVW8Q2VzW6XWdi9kJbhBSBtVIriABJO3a33sH5x4mPCPUEXv488nAC84/s1600/20101227_23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-SdLYZ7U9UDusiQ8VUHav6E4bmu32ECmkpn84SZjLeN-pwKRsexEnHNDUOQaBrHQghI-ub0bFJ-j9GJyFKJkVW8Q2VzW6XWdi9kJbhBSBtVIriABJO3a33sH5x4mPCPUEXv488nAC84/s320/20101227_23.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auntie Lori (my sister in law) and Sammy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT3rLI69-zq0JE5i_r8N22k7RuJjwphIRyugeJ_NVQAkCQrCz2_l-LL4HyHRtNgq0gnlX5AShfNtXoMNlgmJy3gYYc_prdPIzZ0naLH6suYOPI8qgxAROSzZF4Y9Honfrv1wmt2hCKT8/s1600/20101227_27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT3rLI69-zq0JE5i_r8N22k7RuJjwphIRyugeJ_NVQAkCQrCz2_l-LL4HyHRtNgq0gnlX5AShfNtXoMNlgmJy3gYYc_prdPIzZ0naLH6suYOPI8qgxAROSzZF4Y9Honfrv1wmt2hCKT8/s320/20101227_27.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father in his spot</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Christmas at my parents' house is no longer a 5 am ritual, as people congregate here, traveling from their homes. We usually start Christmas around 10 am, or whenever people are all gathered. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seth had the honor of reading Luke 2 this year. This tradition as not changed, and I hope it never does.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Omto9iGrZnaqi7N8VV27N59z_8HyKD_XuelFba-3aLhyphenhyphen8Wq31YhvJrTvPN3vf99N7cUyQgWD1Nec_PLhft1FCfJ_hV5zH60I4sQQwIfrsV7eIvKIg_NwJgb9Ae1wEYzfkLo0V0VpXg/s1600/20101227_38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Omto9iGrZnaqi7N8VV27N59z_8HyKD_XuelFba-3aLhyphenhyphen8Wq31YhvJrTvPN3vf99N7cUyQgWD1Nec_PLhft1FCfJ_hV5zH60I4sQQwIfrsV7eIvKIg_NwJgb9Ae1wEYzfkLo0V0VpXg/s320/20101227_38.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mother's tree.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Christmas in NH with family was wonderful and magical, and I have a feeling that for me it always will be. It was bookended by a pretty epic blizzard that we were brilliant enough to decide to drive home in... We made it home and have another year of memories to treasure. As I write this I look around my chaotic house filled with toys and packages and know that this next week has its work cut out for me, but know that we are so very blessed, not because of all the gifts, but because of the people in our lives that they represent. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I know we did.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-32691825978832593372010-12-23T08:06:00.000-08:002010-12-23T08:06:35.406-08:00Christmas MagicThe sound of my children's laughter will forever be emblazoned on my heart. Their wide-eyed wonderment as they catch those big fluffy chunks of frozen glory as they swirl and twirl through the air on their way toward the earth will be something I will treasure always. As I help my children make their memories, I often find my mind wandering to the bygone days of my own youth.<br />
I am the oldest of five. I have two sisters and two brothers. We have had our share of adventures and memories, many of which are wrapped up in Christmas cheer. As soon as we grasped the concept of telling time, we began to camp out in the Girls' Room playing cards and reading books by the soft red or green glow of our night light. Every hour on the hour after Midnight struck we would knock on my parents' bedroom door pleading with them to get up and get Christmas started. My mother would usually cave at around 5 am when she would convince my father to drag himself, half-asleep, from bed and make his way slooooowly to the living room. We would all be gathered at the very edge of the hall outside the kitchen, trying to catch glimpses of the magic glow the Christmas Tree would cast from the living room. No matter how hard we tried, the angle was never good enough to catch that first view of the mountain of presents nestled under the tree. After what seemed like an eternity, my father would plant himself on the couch with the Bible and we would scrambled to the living room, hoping to be the first one to take in that glorious view. We would all find our stockings and a spot in front of the Christmas tree and my father would read the Christmas story from Luke 2. As we grew older, we all would get the honor of reading the Christmas story. <br />
After the beautiful reminder of what the day is about, we would tear into our stockings, our favorite part of the Christmas Present Ritual. Somehow my mother always managed to find the best things to fill our stockings with, and no matter how hard I try, I do not think I will ever match her talent in stocking stuffing. Of course we all would get our token toothbrushes and chap stick, but she would hand pick things for each one of us right down to quenching our thirst for reading. My parents never had tons of money to finance Christmas, but somehow we always managed to get everything we wanted and needed. My mom had a way with making things magical and beautiful and stretching the almighty dollar, not to mention teaching us the basic virtue of being thankful for what we have. <br />
I remember the year my parents would mysteriously retreat to the basement and build things like elves in Santa's workshop. We were forbidden to play in the basement that year as they would go down their religiously and build Something. I remember Christmas morning finding the biggest doll house I had ever seen. The floors were wide and it had carpet that matched the church and linoleum that matched my grandmother's kitchen. The outside of the house was painted cream and trimmed with brown just like our house. There was a jewelry box filled with Barbie shoes inside. There was a front door and windows and even some wicker furniture. Joshua got a wooden backhoe for the sandbox he could sit on and control the digger. Those toys got played with for years, and to this day I regret ever dragging my dollhouse outside and never bringing it back in. Years later, when my daughter was old enough, I asked my parents to make my daughter her own dollhouse. It is taller and beautiful and sits in her room. It, too, gets played with a lot. Those handmade gifts always carried with them much more value than the store bought ones.<br />
Every year we would get a family gift in addition to the individual ones, and often times this would be the big ticket item. Sometimes it would be in the form of a board game, but there were years when even us kids would be surprised. I can remember the year my parents bought the family a VCR. We didn't have any video tapes, so they taped The Sound of Music off of the television so we would have something to watch. To this day I believe that video was the most watched movie in our house, in spite of the grainy quality and occasional snow. I remember the year they bought the video camera. That year is chock full of embarrassing home movies of my siblings and I (mostly I...) as we hammed it up for future generations. My husband will occasionally pull these out just to watch me pinch my nose and forget the words to Rudolf in my Christmas pajamas. Ahhhh, those awkward adolescent years! <br />
One of the more amusing things I find at Christmas time is my mother's insistence on using a number system instead of name tags on all the gifts. I guess when she was a child, her and her brothers would shake their gifts and figure out who got what. My grandmother cleverly combated this by creating a number system and hiding the list in her unmentionables. Of course they all knew where the list was and figured out not only which gift was whose, but what they were. My siblings and I never set out to intentionally discover what our presents were, although we did like to shake the presents and proudly announce that each and every one was either a puzzle or underwear. There were those times, of course, when we would ruin the surprise by accidentally discovering a present or two while we were pulling back flips off of the window seat onto my parents' bed. And then there was the year that astounded all of us. I think I was about 9 years old. Caleb was not born yet, and Hilary was just about a year old. Jessica, Joshua, and I were pulling capers in my mom's room, and it was probably about a week or so before the Big Day. Her room is off limits around birthdays and holidays, but we didn't care. Flipping off of the window seat was too much fun. (Younger readers: do not attempt, you could break your neck and I was crazy....) We of course were discovered as flipping is never a quiet event when it involves 3 kids ages 7, 8, and 9. She hurriedly shooed us from her room and sent us in search of other means of entertainment. We awoke Christmas morning- well, we never slept, actually- the same as other years, and waited for our dad to find his customary place on the couch before we could rush the Christmas tree hunting for our stockings. It had to have been a good ten or fifteen minutes before Jessica stopped what she was doing and shouted, "Dad has a kitten!!!!" We all stared at him in astonishment. There he was, on the couch, cradling the sweetest orange kitten we had ever seen. We had all been hoping for a kitten ever since our cats Nicki and Casey died, but our parents had never given in. My mother thought the surprise was ruined the day we were jumping on her bed as kitty paraphernalia was scattered throughout her room in plain view. We never saw it. As we all forgot about the rest of the unopened gifts, we hurried to play with our new best furry friend. I remember holding him as we all pondered what to call him. He then leaped from my arms and scurried up the Christmas tree and back down. Such a spunky little kitty. "Frisky," I suggested. So it had been decided that until we could come up with a better name, Frisky he would be. He looked just like the kitten on the Frisky's kitten cat food box. It was perfect. The name stuck, and that cat has to be the single most wonderful magical cat I have ever encountered. He was individually all of our cat, making it a routine to rotate to a new bed each night. He always knew when one of us was sad, and he had the loudest purr motor. He knew all of our secrets, and frequented our thinking spots. I miss that cat, and to this day believe that orange cats have some kind of magic quality about them, although I have yet to meet another cat as wonderful as him. He died a few years ago, and I never cried so hard for an animal than I did for him. And while my husband may never be a true cat person, I will forever maintain that every home should have one, especially if he or she is orange. <br />
These memories are endless and they continue to grow as I have my own children now and we forge our own traditions. Over the past 9 years we have come to establish that our Christmas Eve shall fall on December 23 and Santa brings the kids presents a day early, so that we can have the holidays open for the rest of the family while still having our special day to ourselves. One tradition that I carry on with my children is that Christmas Eve they get to open a present and it usually involves pajamas. We read a favorite Christmas story, and I happen to have two from my childhood: The Christmas Story and The Littlest Angel that are read often in our home this time of year. The children do not yet wake up every hour on the hour to drag us out into the living room to see what Santa has brought them, and I am not sure that will ever happen, even though I still have a hard time sleeping on Christmas eve myself.... After we have our morning together as a family, we pack up the car and the Golden Retriever and head North to spend the remainder of the holidays with our family. Seth's cousins host a huge family party and we love seeing everyone there. It is fun seeing all the little cousins play and watch the June babies grow. Christmas morning is spent at my mothers and she loves seeing my kids first thing on Christmas morning, perpetuating the traditions forged from my own childhood with the next generation. We gather around and read Luke 2, and this year my mother is revisiting her old tradition by creating stockings for her grandchildren this year so that my children too will know of Grammy's magic touch. This year will be a tad different as my brother Joshua and his wife are out in NY celebrating Christmas in their new home and my Grandparents are already south for the winter, but here's to new traditions. I am excited to see my brother Caleb's fiance Gabby, my sister Hilary, my sister Jessica and her girls and making another year of new memories with my family. Christmas for me is wrapped up in memories and making new ones. It is about spending time with the ones I love and treasuring those moments, as they are fluid and seem to pass all too soon. The wonderful thing about memories is that we can transcend time and revisit them as often as we wish.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-92200029268127377312010-12-22T18:21:00.000-08:002010-12-22T18:21:34.346-08:00My Christmas SoapboxWe hear it in countless songs, we see it all over the television: it's the most wonderful time of the year. It seems split, however, when you look at the people around you. People are lonely, anxious, or irritated at the commercialism that haunts the holiday. People cannot get past that the holiday they celebrate isn't the only one celebrated, and get angry when wished something other than the holiday they celebrate. Some people are grieving, others lack faith, hope, or peace. Some people revel in the holiday festivities, joyous that they can give to their friends and family. People curl up in front of fires or gather together drinking hot chocolate and watching their favorite traditional Christmas special. Either people are happy and soaking up every bit of holiday cheer or they are miserable and wishing that this time of year would just hurry up and get over with. <br />
I generally find myself all over the board on the holiday emotional rollercoaster, somewhere between the rise of holiday nostalgia and the fall of never having enough money to buy everyone everything I wanted to. Yet, Christmas is not about the soft glow of the Christmas tree. Hanukkah is not about candy coins. Of course we have our traditions, comradery, our share of distresses. That is all a part of this human experience we call life. These holidays are much more than all of that. It is a time to recognize the miracles that happen all year round. It is a time to find peace and joy in our lives that might otherwise be full of chaos and anxiety. Christmas, Hanukkah, and pretty much any other winter holiday is meant to remember what God has done in our lives, a time to cling to our family and friends, a time to pay it forward and make this world a better place to live in. So the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, rather than being angry and letting it ruin your whole day, think for a moment about what that person might be going through. Say a prayer for him or her. The next time you feel rushed or worry about which bills you can postpone and which ones you cant, think for a moment of the families around the world who do not have roofs over their heads, a warm place to sleep, or food for their children. As our children open their many presents this holiday, remember to be thankful for the abundant blessings in our lives. And if there is anything we can do to pay it forward, such as committing to a cause that helps other people dig wells for clean drinking water or provide food, clothes, toys, and medical care to children who are less fortunate than our own. <br />
Matthew 25:40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'" (NLT)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-53026103543083083242010-11-23T11:14:00.000-08:002010-11-23T11:14:23.583-08:00A Million ThingsIt's that time of year again, friends. That time of year where we are faced with the reality that Christmas is just 2 paychecks away (those of us who even get regular paychecks), the stores are always packed, those familiar holiday songs that have been forever ingrained in our minds since we were children come obnoxiously back to haunt us over and over whenever we run errands, our children want anything and everything they see on the television commercials that air during their favorite programs, the bills seem ever growing, and oh yea... that turkey you have no idea how to cook but because you wanted to carry on the family tradition you volunteered yourself for the task only to pray that you don't somehow dehydrate and under cook it at the same time... Its no wonder that when Thanksgiving arrives most of us don't even feel like we have time to think about being thankful, let alone try to find something to be thankful for. And yet, we have a million things right under our noses to be thankful for and most of the time we take them for granted.<br />
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So when it comes to Thanksgiving, why is it so special to me and why do I feel that it is a very important part in American culture? Simple: It makes life happier. You might be sitting there reading this wondering if I have completely lost it, which is an easy assumption- especially for those of you who don't know me (and some who do.) I know, I know, there is someone that you rub the wrong way or that rubs you the wrong way that you will inevitably have to see at some point on Thanksgiving. Or you might be thinking that Thanksgiving is the perfect day for food consumption and naps with football games and parades humming in the background so that you don't have to think at all. I can understand that for most people, Thanksgiving is one of those given holidays that you know you have off. Some people don't have that luxury. And it is nice to have a day where one does not have to think. But I believe that Thanksgiving is one of those days <em>meant </em>for thinking. <br />
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First of all, most of us know the story behind the day. But to most of us that is all it is: a story. But think about this for a moment: when those pilgrims and those Wapanohoag that came together it was a true celebration of the first success those first pilgrims experienced. It was thankfulness for <em>surviving</em> and the providence of God, and for those Native Americans who helped them learn about this new world. That first winter here for the puritans we know as Pilgrims was devastating, so that first Thanksgiving was more than just a feast.<br />
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When was the last time we gave thanks for surviving? Or for the homes we live in? Or the cars we drive? Or the warm clothes, heat, and food we eat? I don't see any of us scrounging in the woods chasing wild birds so that we can provide for our families and hope to survive the winter. I know some of you hunt for sport, but these people hunted to survive. <br />
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Now, here is where it gets a little more personal for me and my family. My grandfather has made it his mission to learn as much as he can about our family and trace us back as far as he can go. And he has done an amazing job of it, not only telling us hundreds of stories about our forefathers/mothers, but instilling in us the importance of heritage. In order to understand who we are it helps to know where we come from. One of the things he learned was that we not only come from the Pilgrims, but specifically can trace us back to several. This makes perfect sense actually because they were a community, it would make sense that their children would marry. So when we think of Thanksgiving and celebrate, we have the benefit of knowing that these people that started it all were not just nameless faceless pilgrims from a story book, but that they were individuals who had stories to tell and lives to live. When we celebrate we remember our great-something-odd grandparents such as the Standish family, The Bradfords, the Carvers, and the Cooks. We know their stories and we understand that because they survived, because they were adventurous and bold, we are here now. These are the things that I have the privilege of teaching my children now, and I hope that they too will understand and share in the family pride on this particular holiday. <br />
Another unique thing for us on Thanksgiving is that I married a man who is part Native American. He is not Wapanohoag, he is part Sioux. However that does not diminish the fact that we both come from people that contributed to this country's beginnings, and we come from people that did not fully understand or accept one another. I love to look at my family as "coming full circle". Our ancestors were from completely different cultures, and there have been rifts and angst over the years, but here we are, centuries later, sharing our histories and uniting as a family. Thanksgiving is a great reminder for me of these things.<br />
So as we head to my Grandparents' house to celebrate Thanksgiving and then over to Seth's cousin's place for dessert, we find ourselves thankful for many many things, including our family and our heritages that our children get to be a part of. <br />
I am also thankful for where God has brought me and my family in life. It amazes me as I look over the past decade and I see where I was and where I am. I see the many times God has provided for my family in the most random ways. This is where I feel connected to the story of George Mueller. He was a missionary in the nineteenth century and he never asked for handouts or money. He ran orphanages and would often never have enough food to feed the children. This man had incredible faith and would sit the children down for meals and say grace as if they would have a meal, even if he did not know where it would come from, and many times he was rewarded for his faith and God would provide. I think of times as a child where groceries would show up on the doorstep or a friend would have extra milk due to a miscommunication with her spouse and we were blessed as a result. I think of the numerous occasions where we were given grocery gift cards anonymously at times where we needed them most. I think of the random turkeys that were given to us because people felt led by God to do that, not knowing our financial situation. I think of the time we got a grocery card with a note that simply read, "He knows your needs and is faithful to provide." That note is still on my fridge to this day to remind us constantly that God is taking care of us no matter what might come our way. I think of the turkey we just received yesterday because some good people donated them to the base my husband works at and I think of how much of a blessing that was. I think of how my children are my little miracles. My daughter was born 8lbs 3 oz and a week before she was born the doctors were concerned that she was going to be insanely underweight. They couldn't explain the weight gain. Rylee had a perfect APGAR score to boot. My son was born after I had miscarried and I will forever be grateful for Samuel. I feel a connection to Hannah from the Bible who cried out to God for a child and God heard her and blessed her with a son, also named Samuel. (Our son is not named for the Biblical Samuel, but for my husband's oldest friends in the world: Samuel and Luke.)<br />
I am thankful for growth in my life and the mistakes I made and had the opportunity to learn from. There have been some very trying times for me and my family growing up for various reasons I have covered in previous postings, and each time I have come out of it a little stronger, a little lighter, and a lot brighter. I'm being refined here, and while I know I will never be perfect, I hope that I can be used of God in wonderful ways in raising my children and sharing my testimony with others. I am thankful for the first, second, third, tenth, and hundredth chances I have been given and the grace God has bestowed on anyone who simply asks for it. I'm thankful that I can devote my life to God in return. <br />
I am thankful that I was raised in a solid Christian home and that I have not only been born to parents who love me, but I was chosen. (See my Father's Day post.) There is something truly beautiful in being chosen, and for those of you readers who are familiar with adoption might be able to relate to this. I might not have been planned by my earthly parents, but God has a plan for me. I was chosen by my earthly father <em>and </em>my heavenly one. Yea, I think that is definitely something to be immensely thankful for. <br />
I am thankful for college and the training that my husband Seth and I are getting in order to continue God's work and fulfill the call God has on our lives. I am thankful that we live in a country in which I can freely share my faith with others and not be arrested, beaten, or thrown in prison as a result. <br />
I am thankful that my children get full medical care, that they are clothed, they have toys and books, and that they are well fed. My heart breaks for the countless children around the world that do not have these things based solely on the circumstances of birth. No child should go hungry or cold. I would love to see this change, and will do what I can to help. I am thankful that my church, and countless others will give of their time and money and pack countless shoe boxes with Christmas presents filled with toys and necessities for children that don't have the same privileges we take for granted, and all because of the Love of God. <br />
I am thankful for my friends and family that accept me and love me in spite of my faults and idiosyncrasies. I am thankful for the call God has put on my life and for whatever comes my way, including future mistakes and troubles I might stumble through on the way, as I know it just refines me that much more to be a more effective tool for God's work and parenting. <br />
So this year as Thanksgiving, and even Christmas, approaches, if you find yourself struggling to find things to be thankful for, open your eyes and look around. That is the perfect place to start. There really are a million things and maybe this year we should really take the time to think and count our blessings.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-40134259275380114482010-11-23T09:05:00.000-08:002010-11-23T09:05:59.805-08:00October FunIt has been awhile since I have posted here, so here is a quick sum up in photos what has been going on with us. :)<br />
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Halloween tradition for the past 5 or so years has been for us to trick or treat with some very good friends and their children. This year was the same, although instead of trick or treating we headed over to another friend's church's Harvest Party.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PgLLvEtZUnXu-Jaf-kmc2oIldMwyHAaFEsXkHaALkIPV6DQJnUhRWKeX6Da5NX2MNZ4BvqEM3xYfBHtvQsrZLNp7bDScR1tbedbOKKy0GtcXxL6vTiSn-2eP3AhE447SEt4EslFrdKg/s1600/20101031_44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PgLLvEtZUnXu-Jaf-kmc2oIldMwyHAaFEsXkHaALkIPV6DQJnUhRWKeX6Da5NX2MNZ4BvqEM3xYfBHtvQsrZLNp7bDScR1tbedbOKKy0GtcXxL6vTiSn-2eP3AhE447SEt4EslFrdKg/s320/20101031_44.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylon as a Puppy :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2spJQSqQdOjImGPkALUkLlBc1xhuW3phMqq8R0sMF9P1VJezWmYK2pEtktSl15EaS5tGuVBS28QYwuZPDnovpeQa9uyXgqRNK8LX7A_WrYrd_Idi8eRPYTWgsBPbWjlg4azX4yBiXKc/s1600/20101031_45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2spJQSqQdOjImGPkALUkLlBc1xhuW3phMqq8R0sMF9P1VJezWmYK2pEtktSl15EaS5tGuVBS28QYwuZPDnovpeQa9uyXgqRNK8LX7A_WrYrd_Idi8eRPYTWgsBPbWjlg4azX4yBiXKc/s320/20101031_45.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Daughter Rylee as Piplup</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sami as a Kitty</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friend Lori's dog, Romeo, as a kitty </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNTJrPFXijh2ucDfs5rILiWhqsXApCJIuxPZpjM4KaxhYj2zW9mBesGS_UbHe2VYH1kCbG1ABKMlBpo16l-lq5AAS7gb-tmIi_ESXJYIg1cwGGWFu0-frJTfnoqaFrHBEjFhqvsdO710/s1600/20101031_48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNTJrPFXijh2ucDfs5rILiWhqsXApCJIuxPZpjM4KaxhYj2zW9mBesGS_UbHe2VYH1kCbG1ABKMlBpo16l-lq5AAS7gb-tmIi_ESXJYIg1cwGGWFu0-frJTfnoqaFrHBEjFhqvsdO710/s320/20101031_48.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsflbhiRb54H5H8Z-2QXIWaI5K2jgCfKZEfdtYsJMZoAW7MGbyl3pjIMl4rfW9c8u0ZdHMj0PF7L-qMQQEGkgm7NUFJGt8Gd04aeWh8M-YXe8B-bTRnmn5zrZptUnprDlt9A_U2SXAL8/s1600/20101031_49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsflbhiRb54H5H8Z-2QXIWaI5K2jgCfKZEfdtYsJMZoAW7MGbyl3pjIMl4rfW9c8u0ZdHMj0PF7L-qMQQEGkgm7NUFJGt8Gd04aeWh8M-YXe8B-bTRnmn5zrZptUnprDlt9A_U2SXAL8/s320/20101031_49.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trunk or Treating with various friends and their offspring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJIlIq2Ol6Nose9jFWXtgFeKYaWBBQhr3dLvPgEdXAGpbEYuSy325T7B0OZTxbRl6HxdvBQJDtEt2-qnacBxBdRz-20CO2oA8jfP8qxej1JjDjhCBJvnZ4goz7vWRktiMxVxUIvDQwNk/s1600/20101031_50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJIlIq2Ol6Nose9jFWXtgFeKYaWBBQhr3dLvPgEdXAGpbEYuSy325T7B0OZTxbRl6HxdvBQJDtEt2-qnacBxBdRz-20CO2oA8jfP8qxej1JjDjhCBJvnZ4goz7vWRktiMxVxUIvDQwNk/s320/20101031_50.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our favorite Trunk :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNjmSxnnWC0QEbB3FPiwg1aStgI0DFQNHjrsWdPCe753oHeV-LbDV2ZHJk0fA0PFuK0nMJrqlqydGkl9VoXpjFHss0EXRgKJHlb8ULAHTbd5vqQjRpZL7uGkhVgEysW4hfrB5Mi7KX-s/s1600/20101031_52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNjmSxnnWC0QEbB3FPiwg1aStgI0DFQNHjrsWdPCe753oHeV-LbDV2ZHJk0fA0PFuK0nMJrqlqydGkl9VoXpjFHss0EXRgKJHlb8ULAHTbd5vqQjRpZL7uGkhVgEysW4hfrB5Mi7KX-s/s320/20101031_52.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee and me (Piplup and 40's Housewife- Seth called me Donna Reed)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPX38bRQAD9_fHID3sFwgMqbtgqkIYt1IC3jJomc1cpPHtJLaR5IR790GSwsgpOyAopOZbilyk1wZue9VrRk06AVOfxDg_ANQpLr68DFGrZ57WvJ87cWlov0aY7-vz-eFSfISdaGgt5s/s1600/20101031_53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPX38bRQAD9_fHID3sFwgMqbtgqkIYt1IC3jJomc1cpPHtJLaR5IR790GSwsgpOyAopOZbilyk1wZue9VrRk06AVOfxDg_ANQpLr68DFGrZ57WvJ87cWlov0aY7-vz-eFSfISdaGgt5s/s320/20101031_53.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my son Samuel, who was also a kitty :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGucPogBgyHBZnIsenIM_7iucDxS2GyihEXUoUsvKWwTZt2IoYVYtZBFmulkuvXj25HUSRXVvmfwRPoyCqe7vSrN4k7ELd9gfgiPW-skZE6EHDK5iEe9m6jzB78RdvE4B_d4ouwi_BCn8/s1600/20101031_55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGucPogBgyHBZnIsenIM_7iucDxS2GyihEXUoUsvKWwTZt2IoYVYtZBFmulkuvXj25HUSRXVvmfwRPoyCqe7vSrN4k7ELd9gfgiPW-skZE6EHDK5iEe9m6jzB78RdvE4B_d4ouwi_BCn8/s320/20101031_55.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rylee and some of her favorite friends :)</td></tr>
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As you can see, Halloween was loads of fun for us, and we can't wait for next year. There is nothing like playing dress-up with your favorite people and getting free candy is just a bonus. :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-5005154753845333292010-10-26T07:55:00.000-07:002010-10-26T07:55:07.956-07:00On our way to Nineveh.Ever since I was a child I knew that I was destined for incredible things. Of course, in my young mind, those things were greatly romanticized and exaggerated. I pictured myself writing best sellers, traveling the world staying just a few steps behind adventure, intrigue, and international wars, and then coming home to spin the stories for others to read. I saw myself dancing, singing, acting, writing, painting- you name it- and I was proficient at pretty much everything I set my heart on. Of course, as a child I did not put much thought into how I would become proficient at any of it, I just somehow thought I would be. Somehow I thought these grand things would make a difference and I thought that I would have to achieve these things to be a somebody. The thing is, anybody can be great. Anybody can do great things, and it doesn't require becoming famous or inventing new technology. World changers are regular people living regular lives. Our heritage is in our relationships, not our accomplishments. We can make the biggest impact by just living our lives, loving others, and doing our best to make this world a little nicer of a place to live in. <br />
I may have once had grandiose ideas of what I was called to do and be in life, but what I ended up becoming was much greater than I could have imagined. <br />
When I was a teenager my dreams of becoming a figure skater or an astronaut had faded into seeking after what God's call on my life was. Being surrounded by so many strong Christian people who loved me and learning all I could about what the Bible had to say about God's call, I felt that I was perhaps called of God to become a missionary. I was beginning to feel conflicted, however. I wanted to be a part of that Great Commission. <br />
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen." (NIV)<br />
This is reinforced in Mark as well. Mark 16:15 simply says, "And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (NAS) <br />
So, I knew I had to tell other people about God and his love for us. And the logical thing for me to do was enroll in a Bible college and fulfill that call. I pictured myself living the remote jungles of a country whose name I couldn't pronounce, running an orphanage and school, teaching those children about the love of God. But for some reason I still felt the draw toward writing and acting. And in my mind at that point in my life I figured I couldn't do both. It was either one or the other. I could either stay in the states and write novels or I could travel abroad and be a missionary. <br />
Off to Bible school I went. And boy, was I miserable. I struggled to fit into this new world of all or nothing. It seemed that no matter what I did, there was always something I was doing wrong and nothing was ever good enough. Whether these were expectations that I was putting on myself or expectations others put on me, it did not matter. I was struggling to understand what it was I needed to be doing and why I even went to that school. Life was not easy at that point in my life and I was quickly learning who I was and what I wanted out of life- and yes, what God even wanted for me- even if other people disagreed or did not see it. I had to take my life in my own hands and do the unexpected. I admit that the choices I made that followed this revelation were rash and mostly built on extreme emotions, nor would I recommend that for anyone. <br />
So, here I was, in the heart of my first year at Bible College, dragging my feet and wanting to run the other way. The thing with the Great Commission is, it was instructions for all the world- not part of it. A person does not have to go to the far reaches of Africa and preach to remote tribes to fulfil the Call of God on their life. We can look in our own backyards. I also learned that being set apart did not mean isolate myself. I could still go to movies with my friends or listen to the music I liked, even if it wasn't always Newsboys, but sometimes the Beatles. I could still do theatre and write stories and make a difference in the lives of my friends. I began to adopt the ideas of St Francis of Assisi, "Preach the gospel to every creature, and if necessary, use words" and Mother Theresa, "If you judge people, then you have no time to love them." Powerful words from powerful people. But, God was not done with me yet.<br />
In another twist of fate, I dropped out of Bible college. Actually, I purposely failed out. There were reasons, and some of them were ugly and not very wise, but there you have it. I failed out on purpose. I threw myself into a job and community theatre. I spent as much of my time with Seth, as at that point in my life, he was one of the few people that actually understood why I did what I did. I think that while other people didn't understand, and even some were disappointed in me, they all knew that sometimes people need to make mistakes in order to learn from them and grow. And that is what I was doing.<br />
And then the trade towers in NYC were attacked by terrorists. I was making deliveries when I heard it on the radio. I thought it was some sick joke the morning show on the Oldies station was playing until I got to the dentist office I was delivering to and saw the surreal images of the second plane hitting the second building. About a month later Seth and I were married and a month after that Seth was off to boot camp and our lives would forever be changed. We were 20 years old, still trying to figure out life, but not wanting to do it alone.<br />
And then I became a mother. This was a far cry from my lofty dreams of my childhood. I was changing diapers and cuddling an infant. And the words of Pastor David at my high school graduation ceremony came flooding back. He said, "The thing I like about you, Crystal, is that you get it." <em>You get it.</em> I had forgotten he had said that. I got what the Bible had to say, I got what this life was about. I got it. "And at the risk of scaring you half to death, you will be able to teach it to your children." I can't remember the exact words of what else he had said, but yea, he did scare me when he talked of me becoming a mother. But, here I was, a <em>mother.</em> And I had forgotten what it was that I got. So, here was a new plan before me. To be the best mother I could be and teach my children about God and his love. I was to raise a child to be a good member of society and what it means to be a follower of God. And it would begin with me cuddling that small little baby girl. <br />
But life hasn't always been easy. Seth and I had been through a mess of our own troubles. We made mistakes together and learned and grew from those mistakes. I sought after God for comfort and guidance, and had long forgotten that there was ever a call on my life. Seth struggled in his own way, and even found himself running from God.<br />
We found ourselves at a crossroads, both hurting. I was ready to give up, and I felt that my years of praying had gone unanswered. Seth was ready to fight for us. It seemed as if our positions had been reversed, but I conceded and we worked hard and got help. I had found that I was much like Jonah and that I was now in my very own proverbial whale learning hard lessons about myself and revelations about God's love and compassion. What I had not yet realized was that Seth was in the middle of his own Jonah story. He had been called of God a long time ago for great things, but had been running ever since. How is it that we were in the same story, but had no idea?<br />
His fish was the ship he was stationed on. It was full of challenges and temptations, and the perfect place to hide from God. While I threw myself back into musical theater, and even enrolled in college in pursuit of a degree in psychology, Seth found himself suddenly in a position of spiritual leadership. He had become the Lay Leader aboard the ship, running Sunday services and a Bible study for his shipmates. Seth. There was a change in his life. A huge one. My prayers were finally being answered. We were getting stronger as a couple. And our focus was starting to be back where it should be. <br />
Then the time came again where we needed to put in the request for our next duty station. My heart longed to be back on the Cape. Seth was not as convinced, but after praying about it, we put that as our first choice. We were told it was unlikely that he would get a repeat station, especially after spending the last 7 years in New England. And yet, here we are. We got the Cape again, and were back among friends. We got plugged into our church. Seth got involved in an internship program at the church and admitted that he felt we were back here for a big reason, but that he wasn't sure what it was. <br />
Over the last year we faced some tough things, but nothing can derail us of what purpose God has for us. Something happens when God's people start listening and making choices based on what God wants for us. Satan hates it, and will do everything in his power to stop it. He likes to sew doubt and discord, but no matter what circumstances- from hospital visits, swine flu, and financial struggles, we have put our faith and trust in God. And through it all, God has carried us and led us through. Satan tried to sabotage friendships before they even had a chance to begin, but he failed. He failed miserably. Those friendships have not only budded, they have blossomed into a whole freaking rain forest. <br />
Then I ran into some troubles with my school in regards to graduation. I had to wait and wait before I could finish my program and graduate. I am still waiting, actually, but plan on focusing on God all the while. The timing couldn't have been better. That Something Big that we knew God brought us to the Cape for as finally showed itself. I am returning to Bible College. This time I will be attending Forestdale Bible Institute and earning my Bachelors in Ministry. The purpose is to someday use my education and knowledge in counseling for those who need it. The call on my life is to make a difference, and that is huge. I believe we are all called to make a difference. The trick is being able to understand that we are not all called to be inventors or to write the Great American Novel (I think Twain pretty much beat us all to the punch anyway), but we are all called to interact with other people. This is where the difference comes in. God wants me to make a difference. I can do that. My ministry can work hand in hand with whatever Seth's ministry calling is too. It is hard to see where this will lead us, but it looks like it might be along the lines of church planting. Who knows. We are attending Bible college together and finally answering separate calls of God on our lives, but in a unified manner. This time, no matter how scared I get, I am not running. I will not focus on what other people think I need to do, nor will I put unrealistic expectations on myself. No one belongs on a pedestal- its a hard long fall from up there. I know this all too well. So here I am, real and exposed, doing my best as a flawed human to follow a perfect God. Our ministry will be for regular people by regular people, living the extraordinary lives that God intended. Crazy how things come full circle.<br />
Some people believe in destiny or fate. I personally believe that it is our job to forge our own fates or destiny. I believe that God has given us free will, but the trick is, what do we do with that? I believe God has a plan for every single person, but because we are people with free will, we might not always choose to go in the direction that God has intended. The neat thing about it is, however, that for those of us who are faithful in seeking after God, he can set us right, or at least make good things come out of not so good situations. This is clear in Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (NLT) People are flawed and sometimes make poor choices and selfish decisions, but ultimately we can learn from them. Perhaps these things that make up our life stories and testimonies can be tools to connect to other people. Perhaps the mistakes we make and the troubles we find ourselves overcoming can ultimately bring others to God. So, perhaps this is our ultimate calling or purpose. Perhaps we are put on this earth to live our lives and be human, making mistakes and learning from them, so that other people can see how God can work and change lives; so that other people can have a relationship with God too. <br />
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Here we are, on our way to Nineveh.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-56694607094545743792010-10-16T19:49:00.000-07:002010-10-16T19:49:13.671-07:00Forestdale Fall Festival <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To Blave...I mean, True Love</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There is a place that is unlike any other I have ever visited or lived in. There is something special about it, and I think that no matter where I shall travel or move in this life, this one place will forever hold my heart. Curious why? It's the people. The people on this small crook that jets out into the sea, located in the Northeastern part of the United States. It might be unassuming to some, and an Oceanside escape to others, but for me it is another world entirely. The people here are wonderful. I have so many wonderful people in my life, and there are precious few that I have stumbled upon that are truly kindred spirits. I love that I have many wonderful people that mean the world to me spread out all over New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and quite honestly all over the world. But here, on Cape Cod, I am literally surrounded by kindred spirits. These people not only accept me for who I am, but they join in the geekery wholeheartedly. And today, I spent a perfect day revelling in Autumn goodness and comradery with these people. This, my friends, is known as Forestdale Fall Festival. And I love it. Here are some pictures my friend Lizzie took today of all the fun we had. </div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDhfTmSV6QoQEFKeJnHECimTBS9DXWF6leHCDH_SPK7cGwJYDETG1oNCapFFve_5J0WM3UmNNQ2xpLCb7-5naOJPx-w9WMtnZ6YDXStgryZsgNsLhMtMn5_uWd1VRy_jXqbB0T7AJtw8/s1600/Balloon+animals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDhfTmSV6QoQEFKeJnHECimTBS9DXWF6leHCDH_SPK7cGwJYDETG1oNCapFFve_5J0WM3UmNNQ2xpLCb7-5naOJPx-w9WMtnZ6YDXStgryZsgNsLhMtMn5_uWd1VRy_jXqbB0T7AJtw8/s320/Balloon+animals.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a Balloon Swan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKDd1QC3PMrQAS8S7YFCdt2MDz2IR1p38We0c9IUET7xiMtYxk0LjCCyJXonlU03ROzeqT33R508HFW_L1VBWeR8IdNvJg8B20_ksFWfNAjQeR9ivr109LbFFMuwPkbZfIbFEaZ3FFHg/s1600/balloon+tutorial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKDd1QC3PMrQAS8S7YFCdt2MDz2IR1p38We0c9IUET7xiMtYxk0LjCCyJXonlU03ROzeqT33R508HFW_L1VBWeR8IdNvJg8B20_ksFWfNAjQeR9ivr109LbFFMuwPkbZfIbFEaZ3FFHg/s320/balloon+tutorial.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowan instructing me in the art of Balloon Sculpting (it had been years since I have done this.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST5wMdgq_J3BEoc8i-G5oL8mPBlp1JqXFp7z3NgEtBFBo811Nv32byaUPGa1nRWtJqUFMQNXworpno13Y5ZsSNiPWhB05m46g-7S7ZTyA8xFiUzxUZu664I3XAf7tlX5s7mlwqWPLUsA/s1600/Bounce+House.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST5wMdgq_J3BEoc8i-G5oL8mPBlp1JqXFp7z3NgEtBFBo811Nv32byaUPGa1nRWtJqUFMQNXworpno13Y5ZsSNiPWhB05m46g-7S7ZTyA8xFiUzxUZu664I3XAf7tlX5s7mlwqWPLUsA/s320/Bounce+House.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome Bounce House and Obstacle Course</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfloYSDJiXgDtMnYVEsbbBXluBuB8NledVGWcCi0wsDAJjF05hjyHW6Yj-vTdv9SkSsL4qis2F0x2hG4EPNvDiLrv5erEu8EEwnln1wMCY6tie7S80E5VcGdxckLatFXBi3mV7HFGo0A/s1600/Sibling+Rivalry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfloYSDJiXgDtMnYVEsbbBXluBuB8NledVGWcCi0wsDAJjF05hjyHW6Yj-vTdv9SkSsL4qis2F0x2hG4EPNvDiLrv5erEu8EEwnln1wMCY6tie7S80E5VcGdxckLatFXBi3mV7HFGo0A/s320/Sibling+Rivalry.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to race Hilary</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnb2Yh8w3hBrnHVK5IndZcrdb8EYoj-nVDHu9gXuqlVf2AYhSt4LTNXevECOUnx7v-Ze4hRpef81Ys0lm0Y29UZ6uw2KQ2OqSoDojTDywb_caQPoclvwEKN-V6zCdJx3dMNnCmjDhwDM/s1600/Its+a+race.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnb2Yh8w3hBrnHVK5IndZcrdb8EYoj-nVDHu9gXuqlVf2AYhSt4LTNXevECOUnx7v-Ze4hRpef81Ys0lm0Y29UZ6uw2KQ2OqSoDojTDywb_caQPoclvwEKN-V6zCdJx3dMNnCmjDhwDM/s320/Its+a+race.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfUAD2FOvPlM0XGvSIAO9Pf-a4d3vMkW-OjDwB2e3eKY5gWaCmFA6QKHsmTAg2TNsIlh-4tFvM_AcNKxsrOEFSU7yjkXeiaAz9NH46fKtOo6KW49KyDTJUXjv_BcckFh2iL-XT6UDDF0/s1600/im+winning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfUAD2FOvPlM0XGvSIAO9Pf-a4d3vMkW-OjDwB2e3eKY5gWaCmFA6QKHsmTAg2TNsIlh-4tFvM_AcNKxsrOEFSU7yjkXeiaAz9NH46fKtOo6KW49KyDTJUXjv_BcckFh2iL-XT6UDDF0/s320/im+winning.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQvn6eLoQzoq30K_zdjDsVtTkSBUvtmXe12HDvDuRZP7hudiqguqe6mVZe5kiKI8Yc71NzzdFC4TPrzHJnYpFKw1plhjPafDPobb95wB87bzlHLFjV3jjtOlKvBkyt68SrDabDp-hKJo/s1600/or+she+is.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQvn6eLoQzoq30K_zdjDsVtTkSBUvtmXe12HDvDuRZP7hudiqguqe6mVZe5kiKI8Yc71NzzdFC4TPrzHJnYpFKw1plhjPafDPobb95wB87bzlHLFjV3jjtOlKvBkyt68SrDabDp-hKJo/s320/or+she+is.JPG" width="302" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fh8dMvpU3OD4xKKBScrHDFUY2bEUzz3l5HNjg6xcIRRECqOWqgp3ukkx-_EwVWTu-hRqc8JdenJ_n16dN-QX3yKO6iDmyq1Dz9uQvb0iB19yEzHw0kMTzFoZ9YPsVQrQGLrL_CGERq4/s1600/bested+by+my+sister.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fh8dMvpU3OD4xKKBScrHDFUY2bEUzz3l5HNjg6xcIRRECqOWqgp3ukkx-_EwVWTu-hRqc8JdenJ_n16dN-QX3yKO6iDmyq1Dz9uQvb0iB19yEzHw0kMTzFoZ9YPsVQrQGLrL_CGERq4/s320/bested+by+my+sister.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She won. Only because my zipper got stuck...</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRMLBTsqSFZ6dc-tt5wTxIAcTpLxnjR48ilp3bxKcNzhlNhom1-G_Vwocbv0DnKDEqIkYLnCFSiwsJAwAsrlLjcQV5W2vJOIovUjs8GQrGzUbEGhvjzSHw0S_RlI6vCM75zzom4zKGmo/s1600/filming+the+pie+contest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRMLBTsqSFZ6dc-tt5wTxIAcTpLxnjR48ilp3bxKcNzhlNhom1-G_Vwocbv0DnKDEqIkYLnCFSiwsJAwAsrlLjcQV5W2vJOIovUjs8GQrGzUbEGhvjzSHw0S_RlI6vCM75zzom4zKGmo/s320/filming+the+pie+contest.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPlcHvlQezTEMljBpDv5KQ1GhYvxxK6yqKv4HbsI6mF201hIDl3UklzXjOcp2dvZ-kMSoCw6VNCZRkWN70GZZit-WkKmOWvZKyYy2ll1WnReUmRUC4eYnEfRmt7T-n0BANfBsv2jcG2w/s1600/Hilary+and+Rowan+balloon+animals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPlcHvlQezTEMljBpDv5KQ1GhYvxxK6yqKv4HbsI6mF201hIDl3UklzXjOcp2dvZ-kMSoCw6VNCZRkWN70GZZit-WkKmOWvZKyYy2ll1WnReUmRUC4eYnEfRmt7T-n0BANfBsv2jcG2w/s320/Hilary+and+Rowan+balloon+animals.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowan and Hilary making Balloon animals.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUE3_zOGp0czHdnCxdfaUYNS5XPM306ANHwadk4p77eK2gN34aJoN_S0F8vZvf5fJyuhty9gXb8ZOuysNLFCzudglPSOfM3EbNX4xW23Y5yGsBS-f8vpcoVxHETbP1xX4Vun2aax6L8Y/s1600/hula.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUE3_zOGp0czHdnCxdfaUYNS5XPM306ANHwadk4p77eK2gN34aJoN_S0F8vZvf5fJyuhty9gXb8ZOuysNLFCzudglPSOfM3EbNX4xW23Y5yGsBS-f8vpcoVxHETbP1xX4Vun2aax6L8Y/s320/hula.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sammy watching Nathan hula.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSGhzCbojZ92gIhzAZGz5YMIbzvj8BvHt_Zg6RVO836zLcYrEzGHare6N5v59Cqa4hapLDpYSPByNG-ambFX10ZgCY7__WxuH2qzwVkhZ6Xh0l4FKtPJTUPobA8Dtehe01MklX1sybVY/s1600/trophies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSGhzCbojZ92gIhzAZGz5YMIbzvj8BvHt_Zg6RVO836zLcYrEzGHare6N5v59Cqa4hapLDpYSPByNG-ambFX10ZgCY7__WxuH2qzwVkhZ6Xh0l4FKtPJTUPobA8Dtehe01MklX1sybVY/s320/trophies.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trophy anyone?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu89bH27bjFdUIC-6SBEPnDEN-EDRG-DyMm77nGKgh7ihVAJLyTN077Q7WJNIbhQuyIMFDz74PJbjc15V889M956lvage7QmMXijgZBNsVTKMeNalWwd2NG9dDweWRXQqrFTP8S5posc/s1600/small+group+boys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu89bH27bjFdUIC-6SBEPnDEN-EDRG-DyMm77nGKgh7ihVAJLyTN077Q7WJNIbhQuyIMFDz74PJbjc15V889M956lvage7QmMXijgZBNsVTKMeNalWwd2NG9dDweWRXQqrFTP8S5posc/s320/small+group+boys.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pie Eating Contest</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD6zRw8SFuKYMvAky9K5rbjqEPoszR1dL8gJ-P8dk9LTwLRtgcvsFoIM30yobpaR3JmPrP4tA60ooP3mu0HYYlFvoq6lNs2iNv0saV2KNCR0vPd2UsmkgfQ2dfKZm6cn6OIAllMmga-w/s1600/seriously.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD6zRw8SFuKYMvAky9K5rbjqEPoszR1dL8gJ-P8dk9LTwLRtgcvsFoIM30yobpaR3JmPrP4tA60ooP3mu0HYYlFvoq6lNs2iNv0saV2KNCR0vPd2UsmkgfQ2dfKZm6cn6OIAllMmga-w/s320/seriously.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMBKfFz4oL2He68j86IHaZ-mZK8cmuEr4ij53vUNe-ki-5r7PqeeurMBtYjJr338peae6lkr_Ycy6glkiK5QVw9xm9Sp-0YoAHpGr6zvso_fkZnT64vVxw5szSMl-nx6FXY5yqvDzHmw/s1600/small+group+kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMBKfFz4oL2He68j86IHaZ-mZK8cmuEr4ij53vUNe-ki-5r7PqeeurMBtYjJr338peae6lkr_Ycy6glkiK5QVw9xm9Sp-0YoAHpGr6zvso_fkZnT64vVxw5szSMl-nx6FXY5yqvDzHmw/s320/small+group+kids.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxrKpIP8Vpp-7xyf0jctlI2KPBVVB-w4grNSmyHuIZ_UiT9UuuJp4zKWJlSVG1fhR0ks-qSEpDgqyHx3C8T08kPqQ_3AdeeQM3iNGjl2cgzN2728GbDDxGw7To9KHi0sULfC6uxQpdEU/s320/durrr.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="307" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm Special... ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-16919313840569157632010-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:002010-10-04T09:03:08.389-07:00My string of treasures just keeps getting longer!The longer I am on Cape Cod, the more I love it here. I have been blessed by God to be a part of a very wonderful church full of loving people who accept and love me for who I am. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who adores me, even though sometimes I don't deserve it. I have been blessed with two very adorable, intelligent, and loving children. I love my parents and treasure them both for many many different reasons. I love each of my brothers and sisters independently and collectively. And I have the most amazing wonderful women in my "travelling party." So, when my insecurities of not being accepted or my fears of being alone rear their ugly heads, all I need to do is look around to realize that I am not alone and that I am loved for me. And all I need to do to be grateful is to look up and thank God for all his wonderful blessings. <br />
One of the most recent of these blessings was the opportunity to attend the Beth Moore conference in Lowell. I think something like 27 women from our church went, and several women from another local church, not to mention a group from my church in NH. I was overwhelmed as we sat in the Tsongas Arena, rainy and cold outside, and wet and cold inside (we were sitting on the ice), that something like 2,800 women had gathered there from all over the country and Canada. <br />
For those of you who were not there, try to imagine 2,800 women of faith gathered in one room. Try to imagine what 2,800 feminine voices would sound like in unison singing love songs to our God. That is a powerful and beautiful thing. Worship was amazing, spellbinding, and beautiful. What was more amazing was when Beth Moore stepped onto the platform to speak. <br />
I love Beth Moore's Bible studies. She <span style="background-color: white;">always has such insight. She speaks truths and she has a way of showing a girl how to dig deep within her soul to find truth, healing, and God's love. And I was, sitting </span><span style="background-color: white;">in a cold wet arena, listening to her speak live. I had no idea what to expect, but was sure that it would likely bring me to tears.</span><br />
I was a bit surprised that by the end of the first night I had not shed a tear other than at the beauty of so many women singing praises and worship to God. I loved what she spoke on, but I did not really feel a stirring in my spirit. Not yet. <br />
But I was just so refreshed and happy to be there. My kids were excited about being home with just Daddy for once, which surprised me. Not because they dislike Daddy- they love him- but because they always cling to me. And I was surprised that Seth was excited about the weekend too. He was confident he could handle things like cooking and bathing and dressing the children. He sent me off with a kiss and a "Go learn something!" And here I was, off with my amazing friends, no stress or anxiety over Seth and the kids, and open to learning and discovering new things about God and myself. <br />
I was disappointed at first that I didn't get my roommate request of Hannah, but in the end, I was ecstatic at the opportunity of bonding with two very amazing women, Larissa and Donna. My Roomies were awesome. We had some good laughs and I look forward to spending more time with both of these women. <br />
It was nearly 1 am on Friday that we were finally dozing off, all exhausted from our busy lives and our current adventure to the BMC. <br />
I fell asleep thinking on all of the wonderful things Beth had spoken about, finding our treasures, letting down our defenses, and how our treasures can bring us healing. Beautiful encouraging words. <br />
Apparently I talk in my sleep. I know that some of my siblings talk in their sleep, it use to be a source of great amusement for me. And I had heard that Seth talks in his sleep after he had a particularly disturbing dream of the robot Gideon our school had built several years before. I have never actually witnessed him talking in his sleep, nor he me, although he tells me that I snore very loudly. I believe him too, as sometimes my snores will even wake <em>me </em>up. But, never had there been any record of me talking in my sleep until now. <br />
At breakfast Donna told me that at sometime around 3 am I had called out, "I have my Bible!" I think it is odd because I did not bring my Bible as I had one downloaded to my phone and thought we might need as much space in Cordelia as we could get. (I named my van Anne in salute to my literary counterpart, but the van prefers to be called Cordelia.) At least my mind was on good things when I fell asleep. I could have shouted out something more, uh... well, not about my Bible. <br />
I rode with Donna to the arena that morning because the friends I had driven there all had to be up at the buttcrack of dawn. Yes, this is actually a phrase that frequents my household, and apparently one that had come up on Saturday morning when my friend Lizzie freaked her roomies out at 5 am when everything was entirely dark except the glow from her cell phone reflecting off her chin and apparently creepy grin. They all had a good laugh and someone mentioned that it was the Buttcrack of dawn.<br />
What a powerful morning at the arena. We had decided to sit in the bleachers this time and it was much warmer and dryer out than the previous night. I still had not seen anyone from New Life (my NH church), but that was OK. I knew they were there and having just as much of a wonderful time as we were.<br />
The morning was kicked off by yet another powerful Worship service. I so need to buy this guy's CD so I can listen to it all the time. So powerful. There was even women dancing on the floor below us, and that made me grin. It reminded me of home. These songs were mostly clapping songs too. :) I like me a good clapping song. <br />
Again, Beth stepped onto the platform to share with us the rest of her message about treasuring. She talked about Mary, and how she treasured things in her heart. At one point that morning she went on this long tangent about her father. She shared a lot of feeling and pain and even healing. And every word she said I could relate to. And when she was done talking about him she paused for a moment and said that she didn't know why she told us all that, but that God did and that she hoped it resonated with someone in the crowd. And it did. It resonated with me. Every feeling she had, I knew. Even that part at the end, where she held her father's hand and told him she loved him and forgave him. I know my dad is not dead, but I love him. I know that sometimes things can be stiff or awkward with him, but I love him. I love that he calls me. I love that he emails me. I love that he chose me, raised me, and called him his own. Kind of reminds me of Someone else, actually. I could have so easily dismissed this as a treasure altogether, but I won't. This is one of my favorite treasures that I have on my string of treasures. I have been chosen by my dad and by God. And I can let go of the hurt that came from my biological father. I know that he has passed on, and that I have never actually met him, but I can forgive him and let him go. I have a dad. In fact, I have two dads. And I love that. It's a treasure.<br />
After we got out of Beth Moore, we discovered that there were some people out there that were intent on "fixing" things that really did not need to be fixed. It is sad, really. Here we were at this amazing conference, among amazing women, and hearing amazing things from God, and Satan was trying to use something to derail the whole weekend. I saw people hurt by it, and it makes me sad. I saw a friend cry. I never want to ever see her that hurt again. It was not long before we clung to each other and our treasures and we were back on top again. I will pray for those people that are intent on sewing discourd and hurt. I will pray for strength and peace to those that have to deal with such things directed at them constantly. I will cling to something that Beth Moore said herself: It is not about uniformity, it is about unity. <br />
Unity is what makes us strong. That's another treasure. That's one of those things that can bring healing and further God's kingdom. And even though there are people out there that have nothing better to do than judge others and hurt good wonderful people, we can rise above that. <br />
I was blessed beyond words this weekend. Not only did I get to spend time with some precious friends, I bonded with some new ones. My wagon train has grown in so many ways, my string of treasures has too. <br />
Colossians 2:3 "In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (NLT)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-89322040544070963682010-10-04T07:12:00.000-07:002010-10-04T07:12:49.740-07:00And she treasured these things...I have been on this earth for 29 years. I remember mostly everything. It's scary really. I remember events, moments, people, places, and all in great detail. (Except for what I had for breakfast yesterday...weird.) For the longest time this has mostly been a curse, as I not only remembered, I held on tightly to a lot of the bad stuff. I don't really know why I do that, and if I ever had a prayer request for myself, it would be to please pray for me to let that crap go. I treasured up so many things, both good and bad, in my heart. I held onto them. Some of them make me smile, and some of them ache so much. And then there was Cape Cod...<br />
Seth and I were stationed here about a year or so after we were married. Rylee was just a few months old. I was scared to move so far away. In retrospect, it is not so far away. But what did I know? So many of my friends stationed here are from California or Alaska. I need to stop complaining... I did not know what to expect. <br />
The first two years we lived here, I was miserable. I was depressed. It was just hard and there was a lot of drama on our street and I was excluded and ridiculed. Home life was not much better.<br />
Seth had his own set of troubles that he didn't quite know how to handle, and I was floundering. Often I would find myself in church without Seth, sitting in the nursery with Rylee, and never seeming to find someone to connect with. I felt so alone. I was plugged into several Bible studies and volunteered in the nursery, but all I ever got was "I'll call you" but no follow through.<br />
I found that as time continued on, I was less and less motivated to go to church. It was just easier not to. No one ever seemed to notice anyway. Enter Hannah. <br />
I must confess here that Hannah and her family moved in next door as a result of my lying. Yea. I totally lied. When I met her husband, he seemed nice and unassuming. I knew they would not be the type of people that would judge me. I thought, here is a chance to have someone on the block that would accept me and maybe even like me for who I was. I needed some people playing on my team for once. So, I lied. Not my proudest moment. <br />
I told him that everyone got along. I told him the neighbor kids were nice. I told him that it was a great street to live on. None of that was true. They moved in. I had friends. And simply because they were fresh meat, they became the targets of the neighborhood bullies, and learned quickly that I had lied. But, because they are awesome sauce, they forgave me, and Hannah and I are best friends. And it did not bode well with her that I was going to church less and less.<br />
It started with tagging along to a Bible Study with her at her church, Forestdale Baptist. I was cautious, but I was happy to have a friend to go with. And I felt accepted instantly. Gradually, I began to go there on Sunday mornings as well, except on the Sundays that Seth would decide to go to church. On those days, we would attend our other church. <br />
I was pregnant with my son at this point, which was such a blessing and miracle. We had lost our baby Andrew approximately a year before, so this pregnancy was a source of great joy and anxiousness for us. For about 8 months we referred to the baby as Aidan Luc. I wanted to do the ethnic thing for this baby like I had done for my daughter Rylee Michelle, but the more I called the baby Aidan, the more I would hear rhyming names: Aidan, Cayden, Hayden, Jaidan, etc. And not all of them were boys. So, after much reflection, Seth and I decided to name this baby Samuel Luke. Partly because Samuel and Luke were my husbands oldest friends, and partly because I felt such a strong relation to the story of Hannah. She had prayed and prayed and wept for a child, and finally God gave her Samuel. Samuel grew up to be a great man of God, and played a major part in Jewish history. What a great namesake. Month 8 and my baby became Samuel. <br />
The day finally came for me to have my boy, and I was mostly attending Forestdale on Sundays instead of the other church. But, both pastors ended up visiting me. That was when I felt like I was cheating on one church with the other. I did not have enough sense to recognize that I was just blessed. After I came home with my new baby, we were overwhelmed with the amount of support we recieved. Meals, cards, and presents all poured in for our family. Even things for the new big sister Rylee. All from both churches: our old church and our new church. People that I had felt didn't know me well enough yet or didn't really care. So blessed. <br />
It had been some months before I had finally convinced Seth to go to the new church with me. I think at that point he really liked the old one, partly because it was so big and he could skip sometimes and no one seemed to notice. (I am eternally grateful that he is not that person anymore.) I don't think he was super impressed with the new place. People noticed if you missed a Sunday. Everyone said Hi. People remembered our names. And then there were those huggers. I love huggers, but I think sometimes they frighten Seth. He is not a hugger. Well, at least he wasn't. (People who know him should give him a great big hug from me next time you see him. It would be fun. I promise!) <br />
I had decided that I wanted to finally dedicate our children to God publicly. Our other church only did dedications on Mother's day, and did not seem to be willing to change that rule for us even though we spent Mother's day in NH with family. So I asked the pastor of our new church. And he was willing, but only if he met with both of us. <br />
It was right after Easter, and we had him over for lunch. I think this took Seth by surprise, because he didn't know of any pastor that would take time to have lunch in a parishoner's home, especially those who are not that committed. And yet, here he was in our home and not the typical pastor. <br />
We talked for a long time about what it meant to dedicate our children, among many other things. By the time the pastor left, Seth had decided that he actually kind of liked this guy. <br />
We moved just a few weeks later. Seth had been stationed on a cutter in NH and my world was turned upside down. Things between us had not been good, and I was suddenly moving away from all my new friends who actually cared about me. <br />
It was not long in the new apartment before things came to a head. I actually told Seth I was done. There was a lot of emotion and hurt involved, but instead of ending things, we went to Marraige counseling. It was tough, because Seth was gone on the cutter more often then he was home. Counseling was sporradic. But we stuck it out. <br />
I went to my home church with my Mom, Dad, and siblings, even though I did not really want to. And Seth joined me when he was home. And things began to change. Things began to change in us individually, and as a couple. We were going through a Rennaissance. It did not make much sense in the beginning, but we were where we needed to be. So much happened in the two years we were back in NH. <br />
Out of all the people that were stationed with Seth on the cutter, a few people made such an impact. Seth, who at the time was not in love with the idea of church, was suddenly befriended by the lay leader and Bible study guys. He developed a friendship with these men, even though they seemed like the most unlikely of people. <br />
I was getting emails from Seth that were suddenly including scripture and beauty. They were becoming less and less practical and informative, and more and more spiritual and loving. A transformation was happening. I saved every single one of those emails. And I fully intend on putting them together in a book someday. <br />
I was growing too. I was learning that it was not the world around me that was messed up, but that I participated. I was messed up too. <br />
I was able to put some past pain behind me and move forward. Attending the church in which I had grown up was part of that, but even bigger than that. I was falling in love with my husband again. That was something I had given up on for a long time, and yet I would still pray for him. And, still, even bigger than that was that my husband was finally taking his place as the spiritual head of our household, a burden which I had been carrying for so very long. And one that I did not carry well, either.<br />
I has a husband again, and he had a wife. My children was getting the happy, healthy, whole family that they deserved. Things were beautiful. All because of prayer and the willingness to change and become better people.<br />
The funny thing about prayer is, God hears us. And he answers us. And if we are faithful and tenacious, good things begin to happen. That was what happened with us. I had been praying for years that my family would be healed, that Seth would find his way back to God, that everything would be ok. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90CWvgkmL94XrYb_M1MEEMICQ3fZHuKhap2cC_El-gw7Dty5SYyNyzX9VOSJzNgLseX7ZzQKQO1yBWi7GvId9g_9Nt_MvpDh9om4-L5utQRUraLKDQ9d5CwX7oVFmpCgK6CoSd3osLAw/s1600/homecoming3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90CWvgkmL94XrYb_M1MEEMICQ3fZHuKhap2cC_El-gw7Dty5SYyNyzX9VOSJzNgLseX7ZzQKQO1yBWi7GvId9g_9Nt_MvpDh9om4-L5utQRUraLKDQ9d5CwX7oVFmpCgK6CoSd3osLAw/s320/homecoming3.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>Instead of looking forward to my husband's deployments and dreading his time at home, I had begun to dread the deployments and treasure his time at home. I had a great support system, too, while he was away. And that support system was always ready and willing to welcome Seth when he was home. <br />
Seth became the new Lay Leader on board his ship. He had a co-leader too. Larry was awesome. Those two became such good friends, and an encouragement to one another. It was good, even if there were some people on that ship that wanted nothing more than to hurt Seth and destroy his carreer. He did nothing wrong, they just did not like him simply because he is Christian. And as disheartening as that was, it only challenged Seth to grow more in God. And in turn, me.<br />
Then Seth got baptized. This was huge. He was finally making the public statement of obedience to God and an outward expression of Faith for the world to see. And then people on the ship were getting baptized. And sharing communion. And Satan hated that, and tried everything to destroy it. Funny thing about Satan is, even though he pulls out all the stops to sabotage anything good, he cannot beat God at God's own game. <br />
Finally we got word that we were leaving the ship. It was good news. We had no idea where we were going, but prayed for someplace good. Someplace we would be needed. We made our wishlist. Cape Cod was our first choice. I wanted to go back. Seth was interested in getting involved in that intimate friendly church I had loved so much. But we were told that because he had already served on the Cape, chances were slim we'd go back.<br />
And yet, nothing in my life has ever been expected or typical. We got Cape Cod. Those first several months were a bit rocky, as I believe with all my heart that because God gave us the desires of our heart, Satan wanted to ruin things from the start. Something unfortunate happened that ended in an emergency room trip and quite arguably the worst night of my life, but in the end became such a small insignificant and irrevelent part of our life. It could have ruined everything. It could have destroyed a pretty epic friendship before it had the chance to even begin. It could have derailed our spiritual walk with God. But, the thing is, it didn't. In fact, it only made us stronger, more tenacious, more passionate, and not only did that friendship happen it grew and blossomed into a vibrant beautiful thing, and we wouldn't have it any other way.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-30078936001352080002010-09-05T13:48:00.000-07:002010-09-05T13:55:55.109-07:00Growing Pains are Sucky, Wonderful ThingsI have this incessant need to be right. OK, so it is not so much a need as a very strong desire. And the long and short of it is that I loath being wrong. Especially when I am being corrected. It ruins my being right streak. But lately, I had been feeling convicted about being selfish. And needy. Which I hate. Because being convicted means that God is pointing out something that is wrong in my life, which means I was not right, thereby ruining my being right streak. I was perfectly content with being selfish. However, because God is the only one who can really be right all the time, I figured I should probably listen to him. Which opened up this whole world of crazy wonderful things, and some growing pains as well. <br />
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So, first of all, my perfect world was shattered when two of my casual friends moved away, revealing how big the holes they left behind really were. I struggled with the moves themselves, as I tend to like being the one who leaves, not the one being left behind. That is, in part, a survival mechanism I have developed over the years to protect myself from the pain of being abandoned. (Look at me being all psychoanalytical about stuff. Yay! School works!) This is also, in part, because of Seth's job in the Coast Guard requires us to leave every 3 or so years to go to a new base and start life all over. So, I generally cling to my protective tendencies, again, in an effort to prevent the pain of having to leave friends behind. Yea, I know, I have issues with this... And, apparently, God knows this, so He decided to start working hard on me... How did he get my attention? Well, like I mentioned before, He started with a conviction. <br />
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In response to that conviction of feeling like I had been way to selfish and needy, I decided to answer God with a commitment to stop praying selfishly. First of all, I know God will take care of me. He always has, and always will. If you are curious about that, then feel free to read some of my previous posts. I cover that. So, really, what use is it to pray for things I want, when He has always provided me with not only the things I need, but always the desires of my heart. Even the very fact that I am back on Cape Cod is a true God thing. I figured it was about time to start reading my Bible a lot more, and mostly in search of questions my heart kept on asking. And I figured it was time to talk to God and take time to just spend in His amazing presence telling him how wonderful, glorious, and creative he was. I needed to start telling him "Thank you" instead of "I want." So, I went forward with this commitment. At first I felt refreshed and confident. It was a beautiful feeling. My world was still perfect and happy. What could possibly go wrong? <br />
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Well, from God's point of view. Nothing. Well, the trouble is, Satan hates when things are going perfectly for God. And if anyone is selfish and needy, its Satan. *shudder* I have been behaving in a manner like Satan... Now, that puts things in perspective, doesn't it? Anyway, here I was, being a good person and worshipping God and not asking for a single thing for myself. And here was Satan, whispering terrible thoughts in my ear, playing off of my worst fears of being alone and abandoned. Off and On, for a long time, I believed those fears. I repeated truth in an effort to battle those fears. I began to believe I was crazy. And needy. And that my closest friends didn't love me for me, and that I was just a nuisance. I began to fall for these terrible ugly lies. All my insecurities that had sprouted up over the course of my life had grown into full fledged lies, deeply rooted in hurt and bitterness, and they <em>thrived.</em><br />
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It all came to a head earlier this week. I confronted one of my bestest, most favoritest of people, and told her how I was feeling. I spilled it all. I cried, she apologized for stuff she needed to. So did I. She comforted me and reassured me, and we faced those ugly lies head on. All the anger, all the hurt, and all those ugly little insecurities that replayed flashbacks from the abandonments in my childhood, all melted into this big stew pot of crap. And it needed to be incinerated. So, if I had been doing all the right things, then how do I deal with this cauldron of evil that somehow accumulated in my life? Simple. Continue to do those right things. Continue my commitment to praying unselfishly. Continue to be grateful for the wonderful life I have. Continue to feel affirmed that I am a wonderful person because I am simply me. Continue to know the truth that my friends are my friends because they love me for me. Know that I am NEVER alone- even when I might feel like it- God is <em>always</em> there. All those things, those ugly nasty little lies, were- and will continue to be- slaughtered by the truth. Not my truth, God's truth. Because, one of the things I will ever be learning, that I am <em>not</em> always right. And neither is the devil. The one constant, the one truth, is God, and his Love for us. Yes, I am dealing with growing pains right now. And sometimes I am not happy with where life leads and that I don't always get my way. And sometimes I am not happy with God's answers for things, even though his answer is <strong>always</strong> the right answer. Even if his answer is, "Crystal, you don't always get your way." or "Crystal, you can't always be right. If you were, you'd be me. And you are certainly <strong>not </strong>me." (Thank goodness, I'm not or there'd be a heck of a lot of lightning strikes in random places during perfectly clear beautiful weather....) or "Be still. And just <em>know</em> Me." (I hate sitting still and being quiet.) and even "Hilary is following my will for her. I need her where she is. She will always be your sister, even if she doesn't move in." Dang it. Growing pains are sucky, wonderful things. My favorite thing God has ever said to me, I am constantly reminding myself of it... "Crystal, I love you." Look. I'm growing. :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-16771777127558263872010-07-28T16:30:00.000-07:002010-07-28T16:30:16.302-07:00God likes CraigslistYes, you read the title correctly. Actually, I am not sure he approves of all the happenings on Craigslist, but I am completely confident that He uses it for good. Seriously. <br />
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I've been familiar with the concept for quite awhile now, but have honestly only used it a handful of times. I've heard all the horror stories of the unsavory incidents related to the site, but I have only ever had good luck. And recent events in my life had led me back to the Craigslist world once again.<br />
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My Craigslist adventure begins with a search for dressers for my children. My daughter's dresser, while newer, had just about had it. It was made of particle board and cardboard. Of course, to the untrained eye, it looks like wood, but I knew the truth. And over time, the truth became more and more evident. Eventually, the drawers started falling apart. I tried repairing them many times, but it would only get worse. We had come to the conclusion that my daughter needed a new dresser.<br />
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My son needed a dresser as well, and had been using the wardrobe we bought for Rylee when she was an infant. It is white and brown and has a mirror on the door. There are pink flowers and fancy knobs. He was getting to that age where things like that started to matter, not to mention the fact that his clothes never seemed to stay on the shelves. It was time to get him an actual dresser. <br />
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While searching the Craigslist classifieds, I had located a dresser for my daughter. The location was near by and it was just what I was looking for. I coaxed my husband to call the girl listed in the ad because I get anxious about such things. While he was dialing, I made the comment that I thought it would be funny if it was the Katie we knew from church. I knew she was getting ready to move. My husband grinned while he was talking to the woman on the other end of the phone. He said that it was the Katie we knew and handed me the phone. We not only found our daughter a reasonable dresser, it was from someone we knew and trust. And she had another dresser for us too. Two birds with one very lucky stone. I suppose that it was more like God has led us to that ad as apposed to luck. And for that, I am very grateful to him. <br />
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In an earlier blog post I had mentioned my husband's misfortune with my grandmother's table. To make a long story short, we needed a new one. Unfortunately, we just can't run to the furniture store every time something breaks, so again we hit up Craigslist. For awhile we had wanted to get an entire dining room set, complete with buffet table and china hutch. We just figured it would have to wait. And again, God seemed to lead us right to not only what we needed, but what I had wanted. We made the trip to Yarmouthport and picked up our "new" table, complete with matching buffet table and china hutch. They matched our existing chairs, which made me happy that I can use my grandmother's chairs for that much longer. The set was from the 50s and looks beautiful in my dining room. I couldn't be happier!<br />
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Our most recent experience with Craigslist is one of my favorites. For a very long time now, I had wanted to buy a piano. New, pianos can be very expensive. We are talking thousands of dollars. Even the used pianos on Craigslist seemed out of my price range. Every now and then I would check back to see if anyone had posted something new. I had even found a really nice electric substitute that I was contemplating buying off of a friend. I even prayed about a piano. And yesterday, much to my surprise and delight, I discovered a new ad for a free piano. The piano was just a town over and completely free to anyone willing to come and haul it away. A free piano. Amazing. It just needs to be cleaned up and touched up in a few places, but it is beautiful. We plan on hiring a piano tuner in the near future, and it seems like a small price to pay for such a wonderful blessing. I owe my best friends the McCabes so much for being willing to help us move the piano. <br />
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I have so much to be thankful for. God has showered me with blessings. I am just in awe that he takes so much interest in my life to take the time to give me a piano. It wasn't even a need. It was a want. And He wanted me to have it. Funny how He can use things like Craigslist to give one of his daughter's a present. Thank you, Abba.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-11847365552586886742010-07-25T13:38:00.000-07:002010-07-25T13:38:36.272-07:00A Gazillion Things to be Thankful ForSo lately I have been preoccupied with wanting things that I don't have. These are good things that I want, but the trouble is, I get so wrapped up in wanting them that I forget to be thankful for the things that I have and be content with the life that God has blessed me with. Today at church I was reminded to be thankful. More than once, actually. Sometimes its nice to get smacked off the side of the head with a good dose of reality. <br />
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I love worship services at our church. We don't have a drummer or a piano, but we have some really awesome guitar and bass players, not to mention our saxophone/flutist. :) Oh, and we have lots of singers. Some of us even harmonize. Our worship leader Norm will sometimes explain a song before we sing it. And sometimes he will share something related to the theme. Today we sang a song of thankfulness to God, but before we sang it Norm took a few moments to talk about it. He explained that sometimes we can have attitudes and focus on things or circumstances we aren't happy with rather than focusing on the things that God has blessed us with. <br />
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Oftentimes our worship service corresponds with Pastor Glen's message. This never seems to be on purpose either. At least from our own understanding. Sometimes God has a really cool way of tying things together. Pastor Glen's sermon today was also on being thankful. He talked about how thankful and joyful David was. He told the story of how he took off his royal clothes and danced and sang praise to God in the streets with the servants. He talked of how David's wife chastised him for looking foolish and how David said that he'd rather look foolish worshipping God than not. <br />
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I started thinking of my own life and how my attitude lately has been one of discontent. I began to realize that rather than wishing for things that just can't or won't happen now, I should stand back and look at all the wonderful things God has done for me in my life already. So, here we go. I am going to list a whole mess of things that I am thankful for and that God has done for me. <br />
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Being born. It doesn't stop here. The circumstances that surround my birth are dramatic, full of heartache, love, and redemption. That being said, I am also thankful for loving parents. My mother for choosing life and being brave and loving. My father for choosing to be my father when my biological father couldn't. And both of them for raising me to know God. <br />
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I am thankful for my siblings. I find it funny how even though there are five of us, we are all very different, and in some ways, extremely similar. My childhood was full of laughter and the closest friends a girl could have. I might have been somewhat of an enigma in my own home, but they loved and accepted me for who I am anyway. That's what families do.<br />
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New Hampshire. I love New Hampshire. Not only am I thankful that I got to grow up here, I am thankful for the beauty that is NH. We had it all. Seacoast, mountain, forest, four seasons, and we were close to pretty much every other New England state. I have so many memories wrapped up in beach trips, camping, hiking, and even the occasional trips to Maine or Boston. I also love that Vermont looks like NH standing on its head. I just plain love NH. <br />
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Growing up in the same house my whole childhood. It might have been small, but it was ours. We didn't have to move ever. My dad still has the same job he did when I was growing up. We might not have had tons of money, but I am thankful for the stability we had. <br />
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Sometimes we were poor. True story. Sometimes we didn't have a lot of money and wore hand-me-downs or had to rely of the food pantry. I know I've mentioned this before, but here it is. In those rough times of uncertainty, we learned that we can trust God to provide. He always did, and to this day, he still does. Whenever I find myself doubting, I remind myself of the many times we almost went hungry and how he somehow provided us with just the thing we needed: Milk, grocery cards, bread, etc. So, I'm thankful for those poor times. And for God's provision. <br />
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Education. I've seen it all: public school, private school, home school. Each experience I had was a chance for growth and learning. I learned to appreciate family, education, and yet again, God's provision of these things. My parents couldn't afford to send us to private school, and yet, somehow I had the opportunity to attend Jesse Remington High School- which is not your typical high school. I was allowed to be myself there and explore my creativity and love of literature and history. I am so blessed to have been able to go there.<br />
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ZBI. Yea, I am even thankful for that time in my life. That tough identity crisis I hate everyone period that I went through. It was ugly. I didn't last at that school for long, but I did learn a lot about myself back then. I don't regret going. I don't regret leaving. I don't even regret my immaturity. I learned so much from that experience and from the mistakes I made. <br />
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Marriage and Seth. I am thankful for this more than I can even really express. I married young. I married a man that had little in common with me other than our love for history and writing and our belief in God. Many people thought we wouldn't make it or that we weren't a good match. I love that Seth and I are very different. We might not always agree on everything, but I think that's just fine. I believe our differences balance our relationship. He keeps my feet on the ground and I allow him to dream. Things are always interesting in our home and there are always a wide variety of things to do or get interested in. Our differences have become our greatest strengths in our relationship. And even when things got hard and we were thinking of calling it quits, we didn't. We looked to God and to each other. We worked hard and have grown that much stronger as a result. Seth is my best friend, my companion, and my love. <br />
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My children. Rylee and Samuel are my miracles. They are constantly showing me how to laugh and imagine and play. They give me a fresh perspective on the world around us. They are always learning new things and are amazed at so many things that most people take for granted. <br />
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This great big wide world. Its just plain amazing. I stand in awe of God's creativity. I love that everything is so detailed and how everything seems to be connected to everything else. I am thankful that I get to live here and enjoy the beauty of this world. <br />
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The senses. I love that I can see- not just see, but see in vivid and beautiful colors!! I love that I can feel the warmth of the sunshine or the splash of a raindrop. I love that I can taste so many different flavors and that I can smell so many things like how the air in NH smells so full of plants and flowers and the air here on the cape is salty and fresh. I love that I can hear the beauty in laughter, birdsong, and music. So many many things to be thankful for just by existing.<br />
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The Military. Yup, the military. I am not thankful at all for war, however, I am very thankful for our Country's military. First of all, it is because of the military that we live in a free country. Secondly, my husband is employed in one of the military branches: The US Coast Guard. (just a bunny trail here, but check out German Coast Guard on YouTube. Its hilarious.) I am thankful for this in so many ways. My husband had to fight to even get into the CG, but it was worth the effort. He has job security, health care- not just for him, but for all of us, and housing. And in today's economy, that is nothing to shake a stick at. We haven't always loved every place we've been stationed at, but with each base we have learned lessons, made friends, and had a safe place to sleep. We are currently at our favorite place thus far, which brings me to the next thing....<br />
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Cape Cod. I am thankful for this place as it is the official place Seth and I struck out on our own as a young family with our first baby, Rylee. We have so many wonderful friends here and a super awesome church to be a part of. The base Seth is stationed at is awesome, as are the people he works with. He rescues people and is still home every day. We live in the middle of a vacation destination and would not likely be able to live here if it weren't for the Coast Guard. The beaches are beautiful. The parks are beautiful. The people are friendly and welcoming. I love living on Cape Cod. I love base housing. I love that we have access to a very nice pool (and its free!) We are privy to free-view previews at the base theatre. Our friends love and accept our quirkiness- because, well, let's face it, they are quirky too. <br />
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This list can go on forever, so I will just end this blog post with the following:<br />
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reading, writing, art, photography, flowers, clouds, birds, air conditioning, game nights, Writer's Group, Sundays, ice cream, COFFEE, eccentrics, hippies, nature, the ocean, sand, swimming, sandcastles, video games, sketching, friends, goulash, Europe, Canada, musical theatre, Shakespeare, literature, museums, outdoor theatre, Portsmouth, vacations, staycations, family days, quality time, ancestors, history, books, libraries, schools, dancing, jazz, technology, dragonflies, myths and legends, silk, RenFaires, science fiction, psychological thrillers, extended family, heroes, kittens, puppies, bunnies, dandelions, clovers, being barefoot, grass, bike rides, straw hats, Pie in the Sky, memories, Chinese food, figure skating, cobblestone, opera houses, massage therapists, nail polish, glitter, ribbons, crystals, candles............What are you thankful for?Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-17922280234206134582010-07-24T06:33:00.000-07:002010-07-24T06:37:57.601-07:00There is nothing like a good bookSo here I am, yet again, writing a sporadic blog post. I've been pondering what to write for a week or so and finally just decided to write. Life has a funny way of making itself busy whether I planned it that way or not. So, what is it that has been keeping me occupied this last week or so? <br />
For starters, we have been spending time at the base pool. The kids love it. We are so blessed to be living on a base that offers pool access. <br />
We made an appearance at park day, which generally consists of homeschooling families. This makes us the oddballs as I don't home school my children currently. The homeschoolers don't seem to mind, which I think is pretty cool. I've been polling the home school moms to find out what their primary reasons for homeschooling is, and I think its very cool to hear all the many reasons people have chosen this mode of education for their children. And you know what I find refreshing? Many of the reasons I am getting from other home school moms go way above and beyond the stereotypical religion answer. Makes a girl think. <br />
What else have I been doing? Reading. Its been a long time since I have sat down and actually read an entire book. It seems that most days I get busy with life and there are too many interruptions. So what book caught my attention long enough for me to read the whole thing? Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos. This book was recommended by my good friend Lori, who read and reviewed the book prior to recommending it for the summer book club. I love this book. Matt has an abstract way of writing which creates a very unique story full of truth. This definitely brought me face to face with some Imaginary Jesus' in my own life. I laughed, I cried. Awesome book. <br />
Yesterday an iconic movie was released to the theatres. Ramona and Beezus. Yes, that's right. Iconic. Anyone who has read the Ramona books by Ms. Cleary knows that this movie is a MUST see. So, I decided to make this a mother/daughter date and bring Rylee. We of course loved the movie. I cannot wait to buy this movie when it is out on DVD and I think my daughter is finally old enough to start reading the brilliance that is Ramona Quimby. As we arrived home from our afternoon of girl time, I was greeted by an anxious husband that asked if I had checked my facebook yet. I said I had not, suspiciously looking at him. Something was off in the room but I had not yet put my finger on it. I checked my facebook page. Nothing. I checked Seth's page. And then I saw it. The picture of my grandmother's table in a gazillion pieces on the back lawn. My dining room table. Broken. I seriously can't leave the boys alone for a minute... When I asked what happened, my husband admitted to trying to use the table as a stool for his surround sound project. It was an abysmal failure. I have no more table. I did not quite know how to feel and informed my husband that I would likely find it funnier in the morning. Here it is, the next day, I still don't know if I think it is funny. However, my husband promised me we can get a new table, so that has cheered me up a little bit. While he is off to the base dump, I think I will read that last chapter in Imaginary Jesus before I get started on today in search for a new book to read and a new table to eat at.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-33931225474786482182010-07-13T07:33:00.000-07:002010-07-13T07:33:50.173-07:00That Mountain I thought I climbed was just a Molehill? Well, now, that's humbling.I think this planet is pretty amazing. For as long as I can remember, this world astounded me. Everything is just too detailed and beautiful to have been some cosmic accident. I adore that even though everything can be so vastly different, it is all connected. There is a balance in nature. There should be a balance in humanity as well, but because we are flawed, often we fall short of this. That doesn't mean we can't try to get along. I think humans can be narrow minded and stubborn. I know I am. I try not to be, but sometimes I am too busy being right that I forget to be a little more open minded. The trouble that I tend to find myself in is that I pride myself in that I am openminded and accepting of others so often that I tend to judge the people around me that I feel is not doing the same thing. If I am so openminded, then I should probably just leave them alone to their opinions and beliefs and accept them too, right? I suppose the real problem here is that I am looking at other people and what their beliefs and standards are. I really should be foccussing on my own life and living up to my own standards. Mother Theresa said it perfectly. "If you judge people, then you have no time to love them." She was pretty wise. She exhibited what so many people who claim to be Christian have yet to even come close: compassion. She was not out to reform people. She was out to love them. She knew what this life was about and lived her life with that mission: to make this world a better place. She served God by serving others. She gave up earthly things and went places that most women would be scared to death to go to. And she made a difference. A huge difference. The Catholics should have canonized her a saint before she even died, but I doubt that would have pleased her. She was not in it for the glory. She was in it for God. Sometimes I wish I could be that openminded. It is hard for me. I am stubborn. I hate being wrong. I hate when I think others are being wrong, when really its just a matter of a difference of opinion. But, sometimes I think this life isn't about the mistakes we make, or who is making them. The real purpose here is to rise above that and learn from those mistakes. The real purpose is to live our lives as Jesus did. And you know what gets me? All those angelic images we see of Jesus in his perfect white and blue robes surrounded by beautiful clean people in pretty gardens. When I think of Jesus, I think he lived his life more like Mother Teresa. He was surrounded by people that most people would have sat back and judged as not socially acceptable. They were "common" and "sinful." Then I think, aren't we all? Jesus even loved those hoity toity Pharisees that were constantly berating him for hanging with tax collectors and harlets. Seriously. He loved them all, and even though they turned their backs on him and played the "holier than thou" card all too often, he still died for their redemption. For my redemption. Now that I think about it, all too often I am sitting there judging people because they are not up to what I think God's standards are, and it hit me... I am more like those Pharisees than those people I am judging. I don't judge those people that most Christians judge. I have a tattoo. I don't have a problem with people who like wine with dinner or the occassional beer. I never really thought of myself as judgemental. In fact, the people I focus my monacle on are those people I used to see as the Pharisees. But, those people I disapprove of are no better or worse off than I am. So, why do I sit here and decide what it is they are doing wrong and what their fate should be. I hate legalism in the church. I hate it. I feel there is no room for legalism in a community that should love. But, by pointing out all those people I deem legalistic, I am judging them. I am placing myself above them. I am becoming the very thing I hate most. Thank goodness there is a God that loves me anyway. Maybe I should stop focussing on everyone else so much and start working on me. How can I make this world better? I can start by accepting those people around me. I can start by accepting that I am not perfect, no one is. Will I ever make as much of a dent in this world as Mother Teresa? Probably not. But even she said that if you cannot find a thousand hungry people, then feed the one you do find.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405067294434151434.post-67492632897765377672010-07-10T08:37:00.000-07:002010-07-10T08:37:26.939-07:00Everybody has a "thing"; here are 10 of mine...Everyone has their own tailored set of pet peeves and secret (and not so secret) fears. Some people hate rush hour traffic with a passion and others are afraid of heights. So, this got me thinking... My pet peeves and fears range from normal and rational all the way to the bizarre. Here is a list I compiled of these things and the reasons why they are on my list in the first place- in no particular order.<br />
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1. E.T. Yes, that cute little pop culture alien that won over the hearts of millions back in the early 80s. I can't stand that little bugger. And no, he is not a pet peeve. He is just plain creepy. I can't sit through that movie without getting the willies. I can't really explain this one beyond what I have already said, but Seth enjoys torturing me with the fact that I loath the creepy little cutie. He has even changed the sounds on the computer to freak me out. (I.E. when I log onto the desktop it used to say, "Elliot" and when I logged off it would say, "Phone Home". That was mean, Seth!!! MEAN!)<br />
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2. Fish. I don't like them. I'd love to say that this is simple. In my mind it is rational, but in the rest of the world's mind, I'm totally loony. That's OK. I can be loony about a few things now and then. There are several levels to this one, and it has amused my friends and family and baffled my acquaintances. Id like to start by saying that by "fish" I mean both the aquarium occupants and the thing served poached with lemon and butter. I used to love ordering the battered fried haddock at Friendly's when I was a kid. Fish sticks were a favorite. I loved watching my pretty little tetras and zebra fish in our little aquarium at home. I never connected the two. Until we added some tiger barbs to our little tank and they decided to eat all the cute little fish and leave the dead half eaten on the bottom of the tank. Even thinking about this as I write is making me squeamish. Eventually, the only fish that remained was the lord of the tiger barbs. He was mean and he ate his aquarium mates- which, by the way, the kid in the pet store positively assured us, they would all get along! HA! (A side note to you pet shop employees: know your fish before you send home mortal enemies doomed to the same tank. It could scar a person for life. Trust me.) It doesn't end here. Nothing would kill this fish. (PETA, calm down, I was just a kid.) We didn't feed it for days and it lived. Eventually it died of a complete accident. But, boy were we all relieved. I wanted to put the fish massacres behind me. Unfortunately, I had to relive the horror when our two cats, Dandy(lion) and Rose discovered that they could catch the neighbors Koi from his pond and bring home their own dinner. It wouldn't have bothered me so much, but they would bring home these fish still alive. Scales would get everywhere. And my brother used to find it amusing to put the remains in the dog food bag knowing it was my job to feed the dog. Thanks, Josh. I suppose that was some sort of Karma payback for me and Jessica forcing him to wear a dress when we were all younger..... I don't know. Childhood is all about who pranked who, Even Stevens, and tag teaming. Anyway, back to the fish... These images are forever ingrained in my memory. I have such trouble with fish. Especially dead ones. You will never see me in a sea food restaurant if I can help it. I don't mind the Boston Aquarium at all, and I love taking the kids to see the Lobsters in the grocery store. But I don't think I will ever keep a 10 gallon tank with the pretty little tetras again. And then, here is where people scratch their heads.... We have a 65 gallon tank with the biggest ugliest pond fish a person could have: an oscar. Yes, the fish was my idea. And yes, he started in a 10 gallon tank. He was a birthday present for Seth about five years ago. He loves fish. And this was the one he liked. It was ugly and it had personality. We had to move Oscar the oscar to a bigger tank and he is now huge. He survived 2 moves, although this last one almost killed him. While he is a big creepy looking thing, he is the only exception to my fish rule. He's an aquatic puppy. I know. I don't make sense sometimes. But its true. I love the reactions people give when they see him for the first time. It's pretty amusing. When he's gone, I think his tank may be converted into a terrarium, however. Like I said, he is my only exception to the fish rule. When he's gone, there will be no more fish. Right, Seth? Right?! You know its bad when your worst dreams involve fish floating through the air sans water or fish tank... And, no I don't think there is anything Freudian about it.<br />
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3. The purple pizza monster from Chuck E. Cheese. OK, so he doesn't scare me <em>now</em>. But when I was a kid, he used to freak me the heck out. I'm sorry, but whoever thought a purple monster with huge teeth that wants to steal birthday pizza from a bunch of kids was a great character for a children's theme restaurant should immediately be fired from marketing. And while he is packing his desk, perhaps they should find out who invented that giant animatronic lion dressed as Elvis that was also a part of the same restaurant and fire him as well. Seriously. He used to freak me out too. I get that they thought it was "clever" that the King of the Forest was dressed as the King of Rock and Roll. Very cute. Except that, whoever thought of the term "king of the forest" to describe a lion should also be fired. Lions live on the plains of Africa. Not in forests. <br />
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4. Motorcycles. I like these actually, but you would NEVER catch me riding on one. I know way too many paramedics that scrape operators of such modes of transportation off the pavement to want to ride one. However, why I am listing this here, is because, while I am not afraid of the vehicle itself, I am deathly afraid of hitting one in case I don't see it in my blind spot. So afraid of this, in fact, that Seth has pointed out that I will always be aware of them and not hit them. This might be true, but it still scares me. <br />
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5. Lightning. Many of my friends love watching lightning. I actually like watching it too, but it makes me VERY nervous. To be honest, I think most people are not afraid of the lightning itself, but the startling noise it makes: thunder. Not me. Thunder can't hurt me. But if I was struck by a kajillion bolts of static electricity, Id be a goner. I don't like or trust lightning. Although, I might stand on my front porch and attempt to take cool pictures of it- if its far enough away.<br />
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6. Being "left behind." This one might perplex some of you readers of a different faith. That's OK. Chalk this one up to the whole "fear of death" or "afterlife" thing. In my faith, a big debate that plagues churches everywhere is the "rapture" debate. While the specific word is never used in Revelation, the last book in the Bible, it is a word we use for an event that we believe is supposed to happen sometime around the end of time. The argument is generally when and who. I grew up in a very paranoid time in the church and this was often used as scare tactic for Sunday School children to behave. It worked, but sometimes I think it was a poorly chosen method to keep us out of trouble. The idea of a tribulation where the world will hunt down and kill Christians for simply believing in God scares the tar out of me. If a rapture is supposed to happen, I'd like to be included in it... Although, the idea of floating to heaven after a whole mess of undead Christians frightens me a little too... I don't entirely discount the idea of a rapture, or that I will take part in it. These are just the things that concern me. I've seriously had nightmares centered around this.<br />
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7. Coyotes. When I was a child I was afraid of coyotes, lions- mountain or otherwise, and jaguars. I used to think they would hide under the back deck and eat me when I headed out to feed the dog at night. Although, in my mind, the coyotes were generally an aqua or green color with yellow or orange polka dots. Like in some kind of Southwest painting. I had dreams centered around this. My parents used to assure me that there were no such creatures in rural NH. I am now an adult and know that there are. They might not be technicolored and resemble more of a mangy wolf-like creature, but they do exist in the great Northeast. In fact, they are even more common on Cape Cod than in my home town in NH. Ive seen them cross through my yard a few times last summer. I no longer fear them like I did when I was a kid, but I wouldn't invite their presence either. <br />
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8. Aliens. OK, so I'm not one of those UFO nuts (my apologies to my friends that are...) that believe in conspiracy theories or government cover ups, but I have seen my share of alien movies. And in pretty much all of them (with the exception of Disney's The Navigator- I loved that movie.) freaked me out. Let's face it. If there really were some intelligent life out there, why would they be interested in us? Our planet, maybe. But us? As humans, we pretty much suck a lot of the time. We fight. We don't like change. We always fight with one another. We are selfish a lot of the time. I think if an extra terrestrial race ever came here looking for first contact, even on friendly grounds, we'd try to blow them up. We are afraid of things we don't understand. And to be completely honest, we wouldn't have a chance against an alien, unless he had some bizarre weakness- like water (Signs) or malware (Independence Day.) Here's why I think so: 1- if they had the technology to visit us, they are more advanced than us. We haven't even walked on Mars yet. We try to blow them up, chances are they have a laser that can destroy us.... Not to mention, we already pretty much have the technology to destroy ourselves.... We might just beat the aliens to the punch. 2- if they had some kind of weakness- such as a severe allergy to water Ala the Wicked Witch of the West, then why would they come to a planet covered in it and people and creatures that are made up of it. Just wondering. 3- while I think destroying alien enemies with malware is super geeky cool, I must refer to #1 and that if they have the technology to come here in the first place, it would be pretty hard to hack their systems.... Just saying. An alien visitation can't be a good thing- whether the visitors think it might or not. It will end disastrously.<br />
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9. Peeing my pants on stage. Oh, I know. I'm a total nutcase. But, still. I am afraid of this. This can be categorized with "forgetting my lines" or "forgetting the lyrics to that solo I'm singing" or "burping into the microphone". I have actually forgotten the lyrics to a song once, but people thought it was a technical issue (until now... Thanks for being my scapegoat, Sound guy!) so I was pretty safe. I've never burped into a microphone that I can remember and I am pretty familiar and comfortable around the stage. I don't know why this particular fear haunts me, but it does. So, whenever I know I am on stage to sing or act, just like before a long car ride, I make sure I go. <br />
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and *drum roll*<br />
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10. Finding a worm or bug in my food. Chalk this one up to experience. All too often I have discovered little nasties in my food from various places. This is worse than hair- human or otherwise. I'm talking about worms or bugs. One time my sister and were eating macaroni and cheese when we were kids, and we each found a piece of the same worm on our plates.... It was a long time before either of us would touch macaroni and cheese again. Or then there is the time we made and canned our own salsa from the vegetables in our garden. The stuff was pretty amazing until we discovered somehow a tomato worm got past us and into one of the jars. That was the grossest thing I have found in my food thus far. <br />
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There are many things in this world that scare and frighten people, and many of us share the more rational ones (like losing a loved one, or even, dare I mention it, the dark. Yeah, I know I am not the only one.) This was my more lighthearted list of things that bug me. I realize I just opened a whole can of worms (not to be confused with #10....) and will probably be made fun of mercilessly for the things I wrote here, but be careful. I have a blog. I can put your irrational fears here. ;-)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07062145489943628857noreply@blogger.com0