Using devotions as a horoscope

I over analyze things.

Often, unfortunately, this includes spiritual things. God is patient with me and apparently is showing me when I do this so that I can change my behavior.
To that end, I realized on Friday that I have been using my devotional as a horoscope. When I look at my devotional for the day I read into it what I suspect my challenges will be for that day. For example, if the title of my devotions says "How to trust God thru disappointment" I assume that means I will face a tough day filled with disappointments and with a heavy sigh, read the devotion and "buck up" to face whatever is coming my way. I even look ahead in my devotional and get anxious if I read a challenging title.
Now I'm quite positive that this is EXACTLY what God wants me to get out of my devotions.
Seriously, I am certain that God wants to stretch me and challenge me so that I draw closer to Him, not so that I will anticipate what's ahead but that I can trust Him to make me more like Him no matter what He brings my way- good or bad.

Anyone else find themselves using devotions as a horoscope?

Fun House

Our house is turning into a fun house! Meg and Sy loaned us their rollercoaster. Emma loves it! It does take up some space though. Between that and the slide, the keyboard she got for Christmas and all the babydoll strollers I feel like Toys R Us exploded in our living room.
I wouldn't want it any other way.

How to make "noculars"

Cabin fever has hit the Vore household. Emma used to have some play binoculars that she adored. We went thru three pair in a matter of weeks. They are long gone and she has been asking about them out of the blue this week. So today we got creative.

I was cleaning this morning and used up the last of a roll of paper towels when this idea struck.

Here are the directions. Be sure to follow them to a tee.

Step 1. Use up an entire roll of paper towels. Even if that means putting one end in the toilet and repeatedly flushing until they are gone.

Step 2. Cut the empty paper towel roll in half. Do NOT let your dog see you do this. She will immediately try to fight you for the empty roll.

Step 3. Find a used twist tie. This one came directly from the loaf of bread that I was too lazy to put the tie back on.

Step 4. In the most dangerous fashion as possible poke two holes in the middle of each half of the roll using scissors that are so dull they could be confused with dull dowel rods.

Step 5. Attach the twist tie thru both rolls, all the while keeping the dog away from the roll and answering your two year old's questions about what you are doing and where are the "noculars" I promised.

Step 6. Use Scotch tape (it's the best smelling type out there) to tape around the ends so the roll doesn't continue to "fray".

Step 7. Since the scissors used in step 4 weren't successful in stabbing you in the finger pull out the box cutter and make two more holes, one in each roll, at the top in order to attach the "strap".

Step 8. Cut a length of dental floss long enough to attach to both "noculars" and easily fit over your child's head. Approximately the same length as any item that would have the label "not to be used as a toy". I, sadly, didn't have dental floss so I had to make due with this ribbon I found.

Step 9. Please pay attention as this step is crucial to getting these just right. When attaching the dental floss (or ribbon) to the noculars, Use the stick of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop (I used an orange one) to push the dental floss (or ribbon) thru the hole in the noculars. I suppose another color could be substituted but I highly doubt another type of sucker would suffice.

Step 10. Proudly present these noculars to your child who, by this time, has completely forgotten about them and will most likely play with them for 1.2 seconds.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Vore's

Christmas time is here

We have a lot to be joyous about this Christmas.

Here's a rundown of our lives lately.

- Our dishwasher broke and apparently flipping the breaker to reset it each use is not a "fix".
- Our landlord bought a new dishwasher and I had to run back and forth between work and home 4 times (including 2 times in my friend Lori's car!) in order to be here the exact same time as the delivery men.
- Emma is potty training REALLY well! She only uses pull-ups at naptime and night time.
- Jarrah ate one of the aforementioned pull-ups and commenced to throw four separate times, three of them in the living room.
- Our condo might be selling soon. (We rent it, but still would have to move if it sells).
- Jon's GPS was stolen out of his car- while his car was in our driveway!
- Jon and I got to go on a date! We went to see "RED" at the dollar theater and had a blast.
- We have Christmas plans with family and I'm so thankful for all of them.

Merry Christmas!!!

(ps: Here's hoping the new year will bring us a new little one:))

What can you say

It's been a long week.

I have realized several things about myself in the last week.
I am still not completely healed from all the hurts that came about several years ago. More accurately, I'm still angry about them, and bitter that other people don't have those hurts. Boy that sounds like an ugly sentence when I hear it. But it's the truth. Isn't that what combats all the uglies?
Truth.

I realized that my husband can handle the uglies. He isn't going anywhere. He in this for the long haul. I can lean on him.

I can reach out to others. It doesn't make them pity me. It doesn't make them glad they aren't me. But if it DID make them feel those things, that's out of my control. I am not responsible for others emotions.

I am allowed to have my own real emotions.

I am having LOTS of them! Anger, frustration, thankfulness, relief, pain, sorrow and hope.

Bigger than all the other things I feel is the truth that God loves me. Even when His love feels bad, it's still His love and I still need to accept it.

Last week I found out that I was pregnant. This week I had a miscarriage. We wanted this baby. We wanted to be pregnant now. We have to wait. I hate waiting. I don't like anything about it. I have waited for a long time and now I have to wait longer. That just plain stinks. We had finally started trying and now this. What a confusing pain.

Most people that we told about the miscarriage were thoughtful and caring. A couple people said hurtful things but I don't think they meant to be hurtful. But it still hurt.

My heart hurts. My body hurts. I know both will pass. Catch me in a good moment and I can see ahead and know that God is soverign. Catch me in a bad moment and I'm steaming mad. It will pass. As Jon told me last night when I asked what to do today, "just keep breathing". And I am.

What else can you say?

I'm ok.
I'll be ok.
Most likely we'll be able to have another baby.

God is here. He was there yesterday; right beside me. He's with me today. Isn't that the reminder at Christmas time?

Emmanuel: God is with us.

God is in us.

God is for us.

Even me.

Red velvet Christmas

Emma was in her first ever Christmas play at church last night. Here she is in her beautiful dress. The 2 year old class sang two songs. Emma sang along and did the motions. She and another little boy were supposed to share a sign that they held up at the appropriate time. They managed to get the sign in the air at the right time but then the little boy decided he was tired of sharing and took the sign from Emma and when she tried to get it back he hit her hand away. That was enough to make her burst into tears. Fortunately the second song involved all the kids rocking baby dolls. Emma took her "Sammye" doll to rock and as soon as she had her baby the tears dried up.
I was so proud of her for standing up on stage and following all the directions. She was such a big girl!