Do you ever just feel like saying, "God, are you serious?"
It's been one of those weeks where this lesser Christian woman has been extremely astounded by my lack of composure. One of those weeks where all the smallest, miniscule, things go wrong--and add up to tears pouring down your face and feeling overwhelmed. But...God is bigger than I am. I am so thankful that he chooses to not reveal everything to me at once, but small bits a piece at a time.
The Bible says that God will never give you more than you can handle. But I really think he trusts me too much.

stolen from my sis :-)

To find your ROCK STAR NAME take your first pet & current car:

Pumpkin Lumina

To find your GANGSTA NAME take your favorite ice cream flavor and your favorite cookie:

Mint Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME? Your favorite color and favorite animal:

Pink Monkey

Everybody wants a SOAP OPERA NAME, so take your middle name and the city where you were born:

Nicole Elkhart

Want to know your SUPERHERO NAME? Just add the word "The" plus your 2nd favorite color, and your favorite drink:

The Green Diet Dr. Pepper

Your NASCAR NAME. Take the first names of your grandfathers:

Lowell Arthur

If I ever go into WITNESS PROTECTION you can find me with this name. Your mother’s & father’s middle names:

Jean Paul

TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME? Just take your 5th grade teacher’s last name and add a major city that starts with the same letter:

Dietz Detroit

Of course, if you find me in witness protection I will assume it was because you were using your SPY NAME. Add your favorite season/holiday to your flower:

Fall Tulips

Tell your kids their CARTOON NAME by taking your favorite fruit, an article of clothing you’re wearing right now, now add "ie" or "y":

Pineapple Jeany

And lastly, your ROCKSTAR TOUR is heading across the northeast...it's called

("The” + Your fave hobby/craft, your fave weather element + the word “Tour”):

The Painting Wind Tour

Blessed

Just reflecting on my 24th birthday yesterday--I realize again how blessed I am. I celebrated with friends at lunch, at dinner, at small group...and all the while, I had postings pouring onto my wall on Facebook with well wishes from friends and acquaintances. In my 24 years, I think I'm realizing that it just continues to get better. When I think I may be blessed (and am!) with friends and places, etc., I move on to a new place, and build a new life and with even more friends--it happened when I went to college, and then again when I moved to Philadelphia a few years ago. Not only do I have friendships from the 15 years I lived in Virginia, but I have friendships from the four years at college, and now from my 2 years here. I am so blessed that, no matter the distance, some friendships still sustain--and those are the ones that are worth it the most.

I am so thankful for everything God has given to me in the past year. If you had asked me if I were happy on my last birthday, I probably would have answered with an honest no. Since then, I have fallen into my place here in PA and have more that I could EVER have asked for or imagined (Ephesians 3:20!). All I had to do was follow the Lord's leading. So, if you get even the smallest inkling that the Lord may be leading you somewhere, follow Him there! You will be infinitely blessed in return.

Boredom and weird vampires.

So...lately at work, I have been utterly bored. I should have thought about writing on here. I know my beloved sister reads this, even if no one else does, and that is enough :) I have yet to figure out how I am the admin. assistant for 3 men (HS pastor, MS pastor, and Young Adults pastor) and still get bored, when I only work 20 hours a week. I think I do things too quickly, maybe. And then when they're done, I'm left with nothing to do...again.

So, I've been reading the Twilight series. Yes, reading vampire books while sitting at the front reception desk at a church. No one seems bothered. I really love the books. It took me about 2 days to read the 1st (Twilight), 1 to read the 2nd (New Moon), I don't know, maybe 2-3 to read the 3rd (Eclipse), I started the 4th (Breaking Dawn) yesterday...and I will probably finish it today. I don't know what it is that draws me to these books. As a graduate student, reading mindlessly about utter nonsense during my winter break has been really nice. However, this 4th book is a little ridiculous (SPOILER ALERT.) Half-vampire, half-human baby? Really? Well, I'll give Edward and Bella this--at least they waited until they were married to have a child. Actually, they waited until they were married to have sex. That is good news, since every teenybopper in America has been reading this.

Oh yeah...don't go see the movie. Read the books. Really.

Rant over.

Have a good day!

The Bleeding Woman, from Luke and Mark

Twelve years. I opened my eyes, but stayed in bed, wondering why I would even need to get up. Twelve years unclean--like one of the lepers. So many doctors had come in and out of my life. They each tried their various cures, collecting my money, then got frustrated and left. Now, I was alone, sick, and completely impoverished.

That morning, a crowd of voices drifted through my open window, and I recognized the voice of a man who lived down the street-- "He's coming across the lake! Jesus is coming this direction!"

Something in my heart leapt. Is this what hope felt like? It had been so long since I had felt anything but the pain of constant bleeding and the poking and prodding of doctors. Something deep inside of my broken body stirred as I heard the name--Jesus. With a struggle, I pulled myself to a seated position.

Once, I had been beautiful. But now, the blood had drained from every part of my body. I knew just from the horrified stares that I had gotten when people caught just a glimpse of me, that I must look gaunt and gray-faced.

I stood, feeling dizzy enough to fall face-forward onto the ground. I steadied myself against the wall, sweat forming on my upper lip and on my brow. I pushed with one hand against the wall, and started determinedly taking one step at a time. Somehow, I knew that if I could get to this man, this Jesus, I could be healed. Stories of his miraculous signs and rumors of him being the Messiah that we had all waiter for had filtered through the town.

I took step after step, sweat pouring down my face. It took hours to make it the miles to the lake--and I finally began to see the edge of the crowd. The hope in my heart that had pulled me instinctively in this direction began to build even more. From this distance, I couldn't see him, but I knew he had to be in the center of the crowd. I craned my neck, taking all the strength I had, and there he was. He had a kind face, but wasn't handsome. He looked ordinary. However, he had definitely caught the attention of the crowd. I knew that I would never make it through. I dropped to my knees and squeezed through the edge of the crowd.

A woman stepped on my fingers. I scratched at the hard clay ground with my fingernails, clawing past numberless pairs of feet. I didn't care, I just knew I needed to get to the center. The dust was coating my sweaty skin, and I was exerting more energy than I had in 12 years. The tan hem of the man's garment was in sight. I wearily reached out my hand, my sore fingertips barely brushed his garment--I wasn't even sure that it was enough to get his attention.

I felt the warmth flood my body, and I knew I had touched him. Somehow, the bleeding had stopped, and blood was reaching parts of my body that had been deprived for so long. My breath was still coming in deep gasps, but I found the strength to peer up at him, the sun shining into my eyes.

"Who touched me?" His voice was kind, like his eyes. I rose a little from my crawling position. His deep brown eyes scanned the crowd as I struggled to my feet. I managed a step towards him before I fell at his feet. It wasn't lack of strength that forced me to my knees--it was the awe.

"Sir...Lord. It was me." I met his eyes briefly, but quickly looked away as the whispers about me, "that unclean woman" began. But I knew I had to explain the feeling that had led me to find him. "I knew if I could only touch you, I would be okay."

He kneeled down and laid a hand on my trembling shoulder as tears welled in my eyes. "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." He gently put his hand under my elbow and helped me rise to my feet. I watched him walk away and the crowd that followed him until he was gone from view.

I no longer felt pain, nor bleeding. Months later, our Messiah was crucified. He bled and suffered--so that I wouldn't have to.