You can bet your bottom dollar, your top dollar, your middle dollar, and every other dollar there is, that I did NOT want to get out of bed this morning.
Aside from the fact that it's been sleeting all night (sleet is frozen rain, for those of you lucky enough to live in warm climates where this weather wouldn't dare occur).
I did another workout on Tuesday. I was disciplined, and despite my soreness, I did it. I didn't do any stair walking. This time I did a different work out, recommended by Art, of course.
A circuit of 21 reps, 15 reps, and 9 reps of:
-Thrusters (kind of like squats with weights, but when you come up, you lift the weight all the way above your head)
-Sit-ups (again, had to do crunches instead, because I have nothing to anchor my feet in order to sit all the way up).
And of course, I stretched and did my warm up first, which involves squats and sit-ups, so it was almost like a double workout.
Honestly? The actual workout didn't feel that hard. I could have used heavier weights. I could have gone faster. I could have gone on longer. But I decided not to push myself too hard. And I'm glad. Remember how I said that my legs weren't sore on Tuesday, after my workout on Monday?
Yesterday was a COMPLETELY different story. I could barely walk. Going up stairs was (and still is) very difficult. Going down stairs is even worse. My legs are so dead, and beyond.
At youth group yesterday we played live Clue, using the whole church. So it was lot of running around for me. And one very awful staircase. I'll count that as my workout. It was all my legs could take. I'm not sure what I'll do for my workout today, but I have to convince myself to push through. My legs are only going to get stronger, and less sore.
Like Art says: "If you're not scared before you workout, you're not working out hard enough."
April 24, 2008
April 22, 2008
Grumble *pant pant* Grumble *pant*
I resent whoever invented exercise.
I hate it.
HATE. IT.
When Art heard me say hiking, he must have thought...
Hiking
Okay, not quite. But he did tell me that I have to start working out to get my legs strong for whatever vigorous hike we are going on. So I did. I did a workout.
Keep in mind that I NEVER work out. Ever. As in, I walk to work, I walk really fast, but I'm used to that. But as soon as I pick up my feet and try to jog....well, I discovered that I cannot yet jog
So yeah. Me working out? I don't know about this. But I gave it a shot.
Art gave me a warm up to do first. I had to stretch my legs, and then do 3 rounds of 15 reps of:
Push-ups
He told me it would take five minutes.
15 minutes later I was panting, and tired, and wobbly, and thinking: how am I supposed to work out? I just DID work out! Warm up, schmarm up. I called him to whine and complain, and then I put on some fast, upbeat music to motivate me, and I did the actual work out.
To strengthen my legs for our hike, Art suggested that I walk up and down my stairs. For an hour. Everyday. Then he said that 45 minutes would probably be enough. When I still said "no way" he said 30 minutes. Surely I can do 30 minutes. ("No, I can't do 30 minutes, and stop calling me Shirley" - guess which movie that's from. I changed the quote slightly).
So I said I would simply go up and down the stairs for as long as possible.
I was absolutely HUFFING and PUFFING after One. Whole. Minute. How embarrassing.
I suck.
I managed to keep going for about nine minutes, with a couple of breaks in between. And I'm very glad I was home alone, because I was yelling and screaming my displeasure at this impossible, torturous work out. No, I'm not kidding. I was actually yelling and screaming. I did not enjoy the stair walking.
So if you've kept track of any math on here (which you didn't have to) you'll notice that my warm up lasted longer than my work out. And my cool down stretches lasted longer than my warm up. And my shower lasted longer than all of those combined.
The whole point of this story is to show you what a wimp I am. And also not to be jealous of my skinniness. I might be thin, but I am SO, WAY out of shape. Some people might commend me for working out for nine minutes on my first try. I might commend people who go for 30 minutes on their first try!
Now the challenge is keeping this up. Doing it again today. And Thursday (I can't work out tomorrow).
My legs are up for it. They don't hurt at all. My back, however, is killing me. I don't get it.
That honeymoon hike better be worth it. Cheer me on!
I hate it.
HATE. IT.
I made the mistake of telling Art that I wanted to go hiking on our honeymoon. See, when I said hiking, I meant...
Hiking
When Art heard me say hiking, he must have thought...
Hiking
Okay, not quite. But he did tell me that I have to start working out to get my legs strong for whatever vigorous hike we are going on. So I did. I did a workout.
Keep in mind that I NEVER work out. Ever. As in, I walk to work, I walk really fast, but I'm used to that. But as soon as I pick up my feet and try to jog....well, I discovered that I cannot yet jog
ONE BLOCK. My lungs are burning and I have to stop.
So yeah. Me working out? I don't know about this. But I gave it a shot.
Art gave me a warm up to do first. I had to stretch my legs, and then do 3 rounds of 15 reps of:
Push-ups
Sit-ups (I did crunches instead, because I could not get myself all the way up)
Back extensions
Squats
He told me it would take five minutes.
15 minutes later I was panting, and tired, and wobbly, and thinking: how am I supposed to work out? I just DID work out! Warm up, schmarm up. I called him to whine and complain, and then I put on some fast, upbeat music to motivate me, and I did the actual work out.
To strengthen my legs for our hike, Art suggested that I walk up and down my stairs. For an hour. Everyday. Then he said that 45 minutes would probably be enough. When I still said "no way" he said 30 minutes. Surely I can do 30 minutes. ("No, I can't do 30 minutes, and stop calling me Shirley" - guess which movie that's from. I changed the quote slightly).
So I said I would simply go up and down the stairs for as long as possible.
I was absolutely HUFFING and PUFFING after One. Whole. Minute. How embarrassing.
I suck.
I managed to keep going for about nine minutes, with a couple of breaks in between. And I'm very glad I was home alone, because I was yelling and screaming my displeasure at this impossible, torturous work out. No, I'm not kidding. I was actually yelling and screaming. I did not enjoy the stair walking.
So if you've kept track of any math on here (which you didn't have to) you'll notice that my warm up lasted longer than my work out. And my cool down stretches lasted longer than my warm up. And my shower lasted longer than all of those combined.
The whole point of this story is to show you what a wimp I am. And also not to be jealous of my skinniness. I might be thin, but I am SO, WAY out of shape. Some people might commend me for working out for nine minutes on my first try. I might commend people who go for 30 minutes on their first try!
Now the challenge is keeping this up. Doing it again today. And Thursday (I can't work out tomorrow).
My legs are up for it. They don't hurt at all. My back, however, is killing me. I don't get it.
That honeymoon hike better be worth it. Cheer me on!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The saga continues...
1.Our camera batteries died, and we won't be getting more until Thursday, so I still don't know if I've lost pictures or not.
2.Our computer at home is old, so it doesn't recognize my new camera that I got for Christmas, so I can't upload pictures, which means I'm not even using my new camera.
3.Our computer is also the reason why the pictures on my mom's camera didn't upload, causing them to possibly be gone forever.
4.My computer at work somehow deleted the software needed to operate external devices (aka. printer and scanner), and our IT guy didn't come in today to fix it like he was going to. I kind of need my scanner and printer.
5.And now that I'm trying to post blogs using my computer at work, I'm having formatting issues.
At least my phone still works. I would be SCREWED if the phone didn't work. I am SO done with technology.
Thanks for your patience everybody!
1.Our camera batteries died, and we won't be getting more until Thursday, so I still don't know if I've lost pictures or not.
2.Our computer at home is old, so it doesn't recognize my new camera that I got for Christmas, so I can't upload pictures, which means I'm not even using my new camera.
3.Our computer is also the reason why the pictures on my mom's camera didn't upload, causing them to possibly be gone forever.
4.My computer at work somehow deleted the software needed to operate external devices (aka. printer and scanner), and our IT guy didn't come in today to fix it like he was going to. I kind of need my scanner and printer.
5.And now that I'm trying to post blogs using my computer at work, I'm having formatting issues.
At least my phone still works. I would be SCREWED if the phone didn't work. I am SO done with technology.
Thanks for your patience everybody!
April 21, 2008
What a Weekend!
So. You know how I told you I was going to be all disciplined on Friday night? I was going to do laundry, clean my room, and get ready for bed properly, at a decent hour? And then I said I would even take a picture to prove it? Well, I did all those things. I felt very proud of myself.
But all those good feelings were rather short-lived when I tried to upload the pictures from my camera to the computer. It was a no-go.
I won't even attempt to describe to you what was going wrong, but you should know these two things: 1) our computer is an old piece-of-junk (though you would never know it by just looking at it, but trust me, it functions like a POJ).
And 2) I may not be the most techno-savvy person around, but I know enough to know that this is not an operator error. It's my stupid computer.
After I spent a very frustrating 30 minutes trying to figure it out, I gave up, and I was going to check my camera to make sure that the pictures were still on there. (Our camera is set to delete the pictures from the camera when they are put onto a computer). And of course, I couldn't check that either because the battery decided to die.
And since we always seem to have a shortage of batteries around, it will be a few days before I can even turn the camera on. I dearly hope that the pictures are still there. I had taken whole bunch of cute ones of me holding Kiera as well, and there are so very few pictures of me with my niece.
That episode aside, my weekend was pretty fun. I went fabric shopping with my aunt, who is making the flower girl dress (my flower girl is her grand-daughter). The material is very pretty and shiny, I can't wait to see the dress. We didn't buy any material for the red sash that will be around her waist because we have to match it to the color of the bridesmaid dresses, and the dresses are still in Washington. Art will mail them this week, right babe?
Yesterday was by far the best day I have had in a long time. I had my first bridal shower! It wasn't a surprise (I practically helped plan it), but it was still tons of fun. My mom's friend (and our neighbor) put it on for me. Her daughter just became a consultant for The Pampered Chef, so they put on a Pampered Bride shower for me!
I got to make the easiest dessert in the world right beside our host, who was showing me how. I got to use some of the products, and demonstrate them at the same time. And the dessert was heavenly yummy! They also had an apron for me that everybody signed as a keepsake. I'll take a picture of me wearing it when we get batteries for our camera.
Also, every person there was supposed to write down their favorite recipes for me, so that I have some yummy, easy dishes to start my marriage with. I think one of my favorites was homemade spaghetti sauce - what a genius idea! My mom also wrote down the recipe for my favorite dish of hers - pasta salad (or Bowl of Bows). I think I'm going to make it for our Young Adults potluck this Saturday.
But, I can't forget my favorite part: the gifts. I love this part of being the bride! I get to be the center of attention, and everyone lavishes me with gifts! Or in this case, money. We decided it was easier that way, if everyone contributed some money, and then I would pick out what I wanted.
It's a good thing I went through a catalog beforehand and circled all the things I wanted. With all the donations plus free items based on how much everyone else was ordering for themselves, I got nearly $550 worth of Pampered Chef products!!! Talk about spoiled!
So for all the women who were there, thank you for the lovely party. To everyone who contributed [some who couldn't make it are making contributions anyway], thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!! You must know that I put all that money to very good use. To those who were invited but couldn't come, don't feel bad. We had the perfect turnout. Literally.
There were exactly enough chairs. But, if you couldn't come and still want to give me recipe, I would love that! (And please, don't worry about giving me more money. Seriously. I already made my order, so it wouldn't help anyway. But if you insist, I guess I won't refuse. ;)]
I'll see if I can compile a list at some point as to what I all ordered. I'm sure you're all dying to know and become incredibly jealous of me. I'm almost jealous of myself!
But all those good feelings were rather short-lived when I tried to upload the pictures from my camera to the computer. It was a no-go.
I won't even attempt to describe to you what was going wrong, but you should know these two things: 1) our computer is an old piece-of-junk (though you would never know it by just looking at it, but trust me, it functions like a POJ).
And 2) I may not be the most techno-savvy person around, but I know enough to know that this is not an operator error. It's my stupid computer.
After I spent a very frustrating 30 minutes trying to figure it out, I gave up, and I was going to check my camera to make sure that the pictures were still on there. (Our camera is set to delete the pictures from the camera when they are put onto a computer). And of course, I couldn't check that either because the battery decided to die.
And since we always seem to have a shortage of batteries around, it will be a few days before I can even turn the camera on. I dearly hope that the pictures are still there. I had taken whole bunch of cute ones of me holding Kiera as well, and there are so very few pictures of me with my niece.
That episode aside, my weekend was pretty fun. I went fabric shopping with my aunt, who is making the flower girl dress (my flower girl is her grand-daughter). The material is very pretty and shiny, I can't wait to see the dress. We didn't buy any material for the red sash that will be around her waist because we have to match it to the color of the bridesmaid dresses, and the dresses are still in Washington. Art will mail them this week, right babe?
Yesterday was by far the best day I have had in a long time. I had my first bridal shower! It wasn't a surprise (I practically helped plan it), but it was still tons of fun. My mom's friend (and our neighbor) put it on for me. Her daughter just became a consultant for The Pampered Chef, so they put on a Pampered Bride shower for me!
I got to make the easiest dessert in the world right beside our host, who was showing me how. I got to use some of the products, and demonstrate them at the same time. And the dessert was heavenly yummy! They also had an apron for me that everybody signed as a keepsake. I'll take a picture of me wearing it when we get batteries for our camera.
Also, every person there was supposed to write down their favorite recipes for me, so that I have some yummy, easy dishes to start my marriage with. I think one of my favorites was homemade spaghetti sauce - what a genius idea! My mom also wrote down the recipe for my favorite dish of hers - pasta salad (or Bowl of Bows). I think I'm going to make it for our Young Adults potluck this Saturday.
But, I can't forget my favorite part: the gifts. I love this part of being the bride! I get to be the center of attention, and everyone lavishes me with gifts! Or in this case, money. We decided it was easier that way, if everyone contributed some money, and then I would pick out what I wanted.
It's a good thing I went through a catalog beforehand and circled all the things I wanted. With all the donations plus free items based on how much everyone else was ordering for themselves, I got nearly $550 worth of Pampered Chef products!!! Talk about spoiled!
So for all the women who were there, thank you for the lovely party. To everyone who contributed [some who couldn't make it are making contributions anyway], thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!! You must know that I put all that money to very good use. To those who were invited but couldn't come, don't feel bad. We had the perfect turnout. Literally.
There were exactly enough chairs. But, if you couldn't come and still want to give me recipe, I would love that! (And please, don't worry about giving me more money. Seriously. I already made my order, so it wouldn't help anyway. But if you insist, I guess I won't refuse. ;)]
I'll see if I can compile a list at some point as to what I all ordered. I'm sure you're all dying to know and become incredibly jealous of me. I'm almost jealous of myself!
April 18, 2008
Barely Making It By the Skin of My Teeth
I once heard a girl say that she loved being engaged, because she has never taken such good care of her skin, teeth, and nails before.
I think I'm a bit of a bad bride.
Last night I was so tired, that I knowingly went to bed without washing my face, and did a very poor job of brushing my teeth.
I know how gross and bad it is to not wash makeup off your face before bed.
I know that pillowcases should be rotated and washed frequently.
I know that drinking water and not touching your face improves your skin.
I know that finding the perfect face wash is difficult, but once you find it, it will only be effective if you actually use it EVERY DAY.
I KNOW how to take care of my skin. But I simply didn't do it.
I also know that not brushing your teeth properly or regularly just plain gross, never mind the fact that it causes cavities.
So. TONIGHT. When I get home from work today, I WILL start the laundry. I will NOT leave it sitting outside my hamper, on the floor for one more minute. I will also clean my room.
And then? A little later on? I will NOT wait until I'm too tired to get ready for bed. I WILL shower, wash my face, and brush my teeth properly, at a decent hour when I am still awake enough to do so. I will look good, I will feel good, and I will even take a picture.
[Let's hope that my proclaiming it on my blog motivates me to do actually do it; self-discipline is not my strong point!]
Oh, and regarding my nails: I already take very good care of them. At least I got that one down!
I think I'm a bit of a bad bride.
Last night I was so tired, that I knowingly went to bed without washing my face, and did a very poor job of brushing my teeth.
I know how gross and bad it is to not wash makeup off your face before bed.
I know that pillowcases should be rotated and washed frequently.
I know that drinking water and not touching your face improves your skin.
I know that finding the perfect face wash is difficult, but once you find it, it will only be effective if you actually use it EVERY DAY.
I KNOW how to take care of my skin. But I simply didn't do it.
I also know that not brushing your teeth properly or regularly just plain gross, never mind the fact that it causes cavities.
So. TONIGHT. When I get home from work today, I WILL start the laundry. I will NOT leave it sitting outside my hamper, on the floor for one more minute. I will also clean my room.
And then? A little later on? I will NOT wait until I'm too tired to get ready for bed. I WILL shower, wash my face, and brush my teeth properly, at a decent hour when I am still awake enough to do so. I will look good, I will feel good, and I will even take a picture.
[Let's hope that my proclaiming it on my blog motivates me to do actually do it; self-discipline is not my strong point!]
Oh, and regarding my nails: I already take very good care of them. At least I got that one down!
April 17, 2008
Middle Name Meme!
This has been sitting in my drafts folder for a while, so I thought I would pull it out for your reading pleasure!
(1) You must post the rules on your post before you answer the questions.
(2) You need to list one fact about yourself using each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name use your maiden name instead.
(3) When you are finished with your answers, you tag one person for each letter of your name.
C - Can't stand clutter. I am the queen of neatness and organization.
H - Hate being busy. You can read more about it here.
A - Actually like artichokes! On pizza, that is. Art made me try them, and they're not bad!
R - Rent-free. I'm living at home with my parents, and I don't have to pay rent.
L - Love being little. I'm tiny and I like it that way. It keeps me cute.
Y - Yummy? (Art suggested that one. We were on the phone while I was doing this meme)
N - North Carolina is where I travelled to with my whole family when I was eight.
N - Not a coffee person. If anyone out there is in complete shock about that, let me shock you even further. I don't like the taste of coffee, but it doesn't matter because I am allergic to caffeine!!! Lots of people tell me that they could never live without their daily dose of caffeine, even if they had an allergy, but I gotta tell you, it is SO not worth it. Jitteriness, severe stomach aches, dry-heaving, no sleep. Anyway, this really should be a post of it's own, and maybe one day it will be.
So, who am I tagging? Oh, I don't know. I hate tagging people for these things. And I only do them when I have nothing else to write, which hopefully isn't very often. I got this one from Erin at Fully Alive, Ready To Smile, and she didn't tag me, but I felt like doing it. So if you have the same urge or inkling, you go right ahead!
(1) You must post the rules on your post before you answer the questions.
(2) You need to list one fact about yourself using each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name use your maiden name instead.
(3) When you are finished with your answers, you tag one person for each letter of your name.
C - Can't stand clutter. I am the queen of neatness and organization.
H - Hate being busy. You can read more about it here.
A - Actually like artichokes! On pizza, that is. Art made me try them, and they're not bad!
R - Rent-free. I'm living at home with my parents, and I don't have to pay rent.
L - Love being little. I'm tiny and I like it that way. It keeps me cute.
Y - Yummy? (Art suggested that one. We were on the phone while I was doing this meme)
N - North Carolina is where I travelled to with my whole family when I was eight.
N - Not a coffee person. If anyone out there is in complete shock about that, let me shock you even further. I don't like the taste of coffee, but it doesn't matter because I am allergic to caffeine!!! Lots of people tell me that they could never live without their daily dose of caffeine, even if they had an allergy, but I gotta tell you, it is SO not worth it. Jitteriness, severe stomach aches, dry-heaving, no sleep. Anyway, this really should be a post of it's own, and maybe one day it will be.
So, who am I tagging? Oh, I don't know. I hate tagging people for these things. And I only do them when I have nothing else to write, which hopefully isn't very often. I got this one from Erin at Fully Alive, Ready To Smile, and she didn't tag me, but I felt like doing it. So if you have the same urge or inkling, you go right ahead!
April 15, 2008
Because I Can't Stop Talking About Dreams
This one is a little different. I've mentioned weird dreams, here, here, and here. But now I'm going to talk a little bit about recurring dreams.
I don't have actual recurring dreams, like, where I have the exact same dream over and over. And I also never have a dream that stops, and then the next night it starts again from where it stopped. But I have recurring theme dreams.
About tornadoes.
Here's how it goes: in pretty much every dream I'm standing in my kitchen looking out the window, and I see a bunch of tornadoes. Never one. There are always more than two. Usually four or five. And, of course, they are all coming towards the house. Sometimes they start combining to make a bigger tornado, but not always.
Anyway, I turn around to yell to my family about the imminent danger. I yell that there are tornadoes coming, and they should get to safety. But they are completely oblivious. They either don't see the tornadoes, or they don't care (for whatever reason). They don't acknowledge that they have heard me.
The dream always ends there. The tornadoes never actually reach the house.
Four nights ago I had this dream, but it was different than it has ever been. I was standing looking out the window, but there was only one tornado coming. Again, I yelled for everyone to get to safety. (I should mention that Art was there, as well as my sister and bro-in-law, which is different than the usual dream of just me and my parents).
And then I run, with my mom, and my sister, to the landing of our house, (halfway between upstairs and downstairs), and we huddle there for safety. But the men are still upstairs. They see the tornado, and they want to watch, instead of getting to safety. And then I woke up.
The last interesting thing about these dreams is that I don't have them during winter. As in, I only have them during the season where tornadoes are possible: spring and summer. This has been happening for a couple of years, I think, but I only started to take note last summer. I think I had a handful of these dreams last summer.
And no, I never have the dream just before or just after a tornado. They are never literal. We pretty much don't get tornadoes in our town, except for this very bizarre event last summer that my cousin Erin blogged about.
I hope I'm not creeping anyone out, that's not the point of this. I don't believe in psychic powers or any such nonsense. But I do believe in the Holy Spirit of God, who sometimes speaks through dreams. But I honestly don't know what He's trying to tell me, if He's trying to tell me something. I never feel a particular "spiritual tugging" afterward. (Also, most of my dreams make absolutely no sense, and they don't mean anything.) Maybe I should pray about more. Ain't no such thing as too much prayer.
By the way, if anyone reading this feels like they have a spiritual confirmation about my dreams, feel free to speak up.
God rarely speaks to me through visions, and I don't feel that I've ever had a clear-as-day-no-mistake-about-it dream from God. But since this theme repeats itself, you gotta wonder....
I don't have actual recurring dreams, like, where I have the exact same dream over and over. And I also never have a dream that stops, and then the next night it starts again from where it stopped. But I have recurring theme dreams.
About tornadoes.
Here's how it goes: in pretty much every dream I'm standing in my kitchen looking out the window, and I see a bunch of tornadoes. Never one. There are always more than two. Usually four or five. And, of course, they are all coming towards the house. Sometimes they start combining to make a bigger tornado, but not always.
Anyway, I turn around to yell to my family about the imminent danger. I yell that there are tornadoes coming, and they should get to safety. But they are completely oblivious. They either don't see the tornadoes, or they don't care (for whatever reason). They don't acknowledge that they have heard me.
The dream always ends there. The tornadoes never actually reach the house.
Four nights ago I had this dream, but it was different than it has ever been. I was standing looking out the window, but there was only one tornado coming. Again, I yelled for everyone to get to safety. (I should mention that Art was there, as well as my sister and bro-in-law, which is different than the usual dream of just me and my parents).
And then I run, with my mom, and my sister, to the landing of our house, (halfway between upstairs and downstairs), and we huddle there for safety. But the men are still upstairs. They see the tornado, and they want to watch, instead of getting to safety. And then I woke up.
The last interesting thing about these dreams is that I don't have them during winter. As in, I only have them during the season where tornadoes are possible: spring and summer. This has been happening for a couple of years, I think, but I only started to take note last summer. I think I had a handful of these dreams last summer.
And no, I never have the dream just before or just after a tornado. They are never literal. We pretty much don't get tornadoes in our town, except for this very bizarre event last summer that my cousin Erin blogged about.
I hope I'm not creeping anyone out, that's not the point of this. I don't believe in psychic powers or any such nonsense. But I do believe in the Holy Spirit of God, who sometimes speaks through dreams. But I honestly don't know what He's trying to tell me, if He's trying to tell me something. I never feel a particular "spiritual tugging" afterward. (Also, most of my dreams make absolutely no sense, and they don't mean anything.) Maybe I should pray about more. Ain't no such thing as too much prayer.
By the way, if anyone reading this feels like they have a spiritual confirmation about my dreams, feel free to speak up.
God rarely speaks to me through visions, and I don't feel that I've ever had a clear-as-day-no-mistake-about-it dream from God. But since this theme repeats itself, you gotta wonder....
April 14, 2008
Falderall and Fiddlee Dee, and Youth Retreat
I had dream a few nights ago that Art wanted to get a tattoo on his forehead, and I BEGGED him not to. He wasn't happy. Man, what am I eating before bed? I gotta stop these dreams!
And what is up with this WIND?!!! Good grief, it's vicious out there! I had to fight the wind home three times today, and I'm truly quite angry at the wind. I know that it's a South wind, which means it's warming up, and the snow is disappearing without causing flooding.
But it's like a hurricane out there! Without the hurricane part. You know, all those hurricanes that we get on the prairies.
So where have I been? I keep randomly disappearing for a few days here and there, without warning. Well, like I mentioned before, work is only getting busier, so I don't really have time to blog at work, and I've also been busy at home as well. Plus, two other people who are my parents like to use the computer as well.
This last weekend I was on a youth retreat. And boy, was I exhausted. I pretty much lay around yesterday evening after I got home. I vegged on the computer, catching up on blogs. Because, you know, I had been gone for 2.5 days, so it was very important that I do some major blog reading. I so have my priorities straight.
After that I lay in bed and talked to Art on the phone, then I just lay in bed, then I lay in bed reading. Then I went to sleep. At 10:00 pm. Which might seem like a normal time to all you disciplined folk. But that is quite early for me. So you know that I was tired from retreat.
In all seriousness, retreat was as amazing and fun as it was exhausting - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There were two other youth groups with us, and ours was by far the dominant. I mean, we're loud and intimidating when we don't have 55 kids. I was afraid that the other kids would be afraid, but they all meshed so well, and everybody became friends. Just one of many answered prayers.
All of us leaders were also in complete unity, which apparently isn't always normal. And we got many opportunities to pray for our kids and cover them in prayer, which has never happened on a retreat before, but it's so crucial.
Some people opened up about stuff in their life - people who normally don't share at all. So many kids heard from God, and it was all along the same line. They became bold, and shared what was on their hearts, and what God showed them. And many rededicated their lives to Jesus. And it was a serious dedication.
Our speaker (who was amazing) made sure that they knew what they were getting into - our motto was "I will make my boast in Christ alone." That means no more excuses for doing things half-heartedly. That means getting serious about the other things in their lives that are dragging them down, and getting rid of those things that don't glorify God.
I was so proud to see which kids stepped up - kids who have had the call of leadership on their lives for a while, but they were resisting. And what's even better is that they recognized that this isn't an emotional experience that only happened once. It needs to continue as they get back to their homes and to school and to routine.
There was one girl in particular that stepped up, and I got a chance to pray with her and for her, and to speak into her life. I've been wanting to mentor her into becoming a leader (specifically in worship), but I haven't really known how, and she's been flaky for a while. But now I'm excited to walk beside her on this new part of her journey.
I was also convicted about my half-heartedness in my relationship with Jesus. I know that God was preparing me for this weekend as well. I feel like I'm more and more in tune with what the Spirit is doing, in me, in others, in the church, in the youth group, in other churches. And I'm seeing more and more the need for me to spend time in prayer and in the Word. We did a lot of battling in the spirit for these kids' souls this weekend, and though we won some ground, it's only just begun.
Now we have to fight harder to keep that ground. We can't get weary and quit now. God has been pressing on my heart to continue to pray as urgently as I did when I was at retreat.
So yeah. Good. Tiring. Encouraging. Draining. Thought-provoking. Heart wrenching. Difficult on the nerves and eardrums. Not that there are kids in our youth group who are constantly loud and hyper or anything.... Nope. And the hyperest kid certainly didn't buy an energy drink for the bus ride home. And he definitely didn't put up a hysterical, psychotic fit when it was taken away from him. For half an hour.
And this same kid also did not walk out onto the not-so-frozen lake on Sunday morning, instilling fear and anger into the hearts of all the youth leaders. (Don't worry, he had just barely sense enough to come back and NOT fall through.)
And that was my weekend.
And now my contacts are protesting, and Art is supposed to call any minute. I also have some laundry to switch over, so I should haul myself downstairs. Maybe I'll actually post something tomorrow, instead of leaving you all high and dry for three days again.
Not that I've ever done that. Nope.
And what is up with this WIND?!!! Good grief, it's vicious out there! I had to fight the wind home three times today, and I'm truly quite angry at the wind. I know that it's a South wind, which means it's warming up, and the snow is disappearing without causing flooding.
But it's like a hurricane out there! Without the hurricane part. You know, all those hurricanes that we get on the prairies.
So where have I been? I keep randomly disappearing for a few days here and there, without warning. Well, like I mentioned before, work is only getting busier, so I don't really have time to blog at work, and I've also been busy at home as well. Plus, two other people who are my parents like to use the computer as well.
This last weekend I was on a youth retreat. And boy, was I exhausted. I pretty much lay around yesterday evening after I got home. I vegged on the computer, catching up on blogs. Because, you know, I had been gone for 2.5 days, so it was very important that I do some major blog reading. I so have my priorities straight.
After that I lay in bed and talked to Art on the phone, then I just lay in bed, then I lay in bed reading. Then I went to sleep. At 10:00 pm. Which might seem like a normal time to all you disciplined folk. But that is quite early for me. So you know that I was tired from retreat.
In all seriousness, retreat was as amazing and fun as it was exhausting - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There were two other youth groups with us, and ours was by far the dominant. I mean, we're loud and intimidating when we don't have 55 kids. I was afraid that the other kids would be afraid, but they all meshed so well, and everybody became friends. Just one of many answered prayers.
All of us leaders were also in complete unity, which apparently isn't always normal. And we got many opportunities to pray for our kids and cover them in prayer, which has never happened on a retreat before, but it's so crucial.
Some people opened up about stuff in their life - people who normally don't share at all. So many kids heard from God, and it was all along the same line. They became bold, and shared what was on their hearts, and what God showed them. And many rededicated their lives to Jesus. And it was a serious dedication.
Our speaker (who was amazing) made sure that they knew what they were getting into - our motto was "I will make my boast in Christ alone." That means no more excuses for doing things half-heartedly. That means getting serious about the other things in their lives that are dragging them down, and getting rid of those things that don't glorify God.
I was so proud to see which kids stepped up - kids who have had the call of leadership on their lives for a while, but they were resisting. And what's even better is that they recognized that this isn't an emotional experience that only happened once. It needs to continue as they get back to their homes and to school and to routine.
There was one girl in particular that stepped up, and I got a chance to pray with her and for her, and to speak into her life. I've been wanting to mentor her into becoming a leader (specifically in worship), but I haven't really known how, and she's been flaky for a while. But now I'm excited to walk beside her on this new part of her journey.
I was also convicted about my half-heartedness in my relationship with Jesus. I know that God was preparing me for this weekend as well. I feel like I'm more and more in tune with what the Spirit is doing, in me, in others, in the church, in the youth group, in other churches. And I'm seeing more and more the need for me to spend time in prayer and in the Word. We did a lot of battling in the spirit for these kids' souls this weekend, and though we won some ground, it's only just begun.
Now we have to fight harder to keep that ground. We can't get weary and quit now. God has been pressing on my heart to continue to pray as urgently as I did when I was at retreat.
So yeah. Good. Tiring. Encouraging. Draining. Thought-provoking. Heart wrenching. Difficult on the nerves and eardrums. Not that there are kids in our youth group who are constantly loud and hyper or anything.... Nope. And the hyperest kid certainly didn't buy an energy drink for the bus ride home. And he definitely didn't put up a hysterical, psychotic fit when it was taken away from him. For half an hour.
And this same kid also did not walk out onto the not-so-frozen lake on Sunday morning, instilling fear and anger into the hearts of all the youth leaders. (Don't worry, he had just barely sense enough to come back and NOT fall through.)
And that was my weekend.
And now my contacts are protesting, and Art is supposed to call any minute. I also have some laundry to switch over, so I should haul myself downstairs. Maybe I'll actually post something tomorrow, instead of leaving you all high and dry for three days again.
Not that I've ever done that. Nope.
April 9, 2008
Man, It's Like the All-Work Channel Over Here!
So, Jenene: how is work going these days?
Well, thank you for asking. It's been exactly two weeks since they first announced that we have gone bankrupt. And I am busier than ever. The phone calls have slowed down, which means less panicky customers asking all sorts of questions that I can't answer.
And those who make decisions are finally available again. They've been in nearly constant meetings, and constant running around these past two weeks, and very difficult to get ahold of.
A few employees are gone, so it's a bit quieter, and it's starting to feel more and more empty as people clean their offices of personal effects. But, of course, when a few employees move on, their former duties get reshuffled. And some have gone to me. I have had to learn a fair number of new things in a short amount of time. And those things are rather important.
In fact, it feels like every task I am given is very important, top priority. Which can make things very stressful, because I constantly have two or three things to do at the same time, and everyone who asks needs it done NOW. But I can only work on one task at a time. So far I haven't had any complaints. Let's just keep it that way.
If I am allowed a little room to complain, then I will take it. I'm not happy at work anymore. I used to like my job. But it's high stress, everyday. I am glad I still have a job, or rather, that I'm still earning a decent wage. And I just learned that they will grant me my vacation pay, as long as they choose the day of my termination. (So I can't just up and quit. Bummer).
Honestly, it would be easier on the brain and on the emotions if I could just go now, and work somewhere else. But they need me here, and I'm loyal to the bitter end (and easily swayed by that vacation pay. Call me greedy if you want.) So I'll endure somehow.
Art is being so supportive through all of this. (He sent me flowers! I'll put pictures up soon). I'm sure he (and everyone else) is tired of hearing how unhappy I am, but he keeps telling me that it will all be over soon. So I'm trying to keep my chin up. And trying to remember to draw strength from God.
I can't believe how I can so easily forget to rely on Him, when I've been preaching faith in Him so much these past months. And then this comes along, and suddenly I don't trust Him as much? I should be trusting Him more!
On that note, today was less stressful than yesterday, so I'm thankful. I hope this trend keeps up! :)
Well, thank you for asking. It's been exactly two weeks since they first announced that we have gone bankrupt. And I am busier than ever. The phone calls have slowed down, which means less panicky customers asking all sorts of questions that I can't answer.
And those who make decisions are finally available again. They've been in nearly constant meetings, and constant running around these past two weeks, and very difficult to get ahold of.
A few employees are gone, so it's a bit quieter, and it's starting to feel more and more empty as people clean their offices of personal effects. But, of course, when a few employees move on, their former duties get reshuffled. And some have gone to me. I have had to learn a fair number of new things in a short amount of time. And those things are rather important.
In fact, it feels like every task I am given is very important, top priority. Which can make things very stressful, because I constantly have two or three things to do at the same time, and everyone who asks needs it done NOW. But I can only work on one task at a time. So far I haven't had any complaints. Let's just keep it that way.
If I am allowed a little room to complain, then I will take it. I'm not happy at work anymore. I used to like my job. But it's high stress, everyday. I am glad I still have a job, or rather, that I'm still earning a decent wage. And I just learned that they will grant me my vacation pay, as long as they choose the day of my termination. (So I can't just up and quit. Bummer).
Honestly, it would be easier on the brain and on the emotions if I could just go now, and work somewhere else. But they need me here, and I'm loyal to the bitter end (and easily swayed by that vacation pay. Call me greedy if you want.) So I'll endure somehow.
Art is being so supportive through all of this. (He sent me flowers! I'll put pictures up soon). I'm sure he (and everyone else) is tired of hearing how unhappy I am, but he keeps telling me that it will all be over soon. So I'm trying to keep my chin up. And trying to remember to draw strength from God.
I can't believe how I can so easily forget to rely on Him, when I've been preaching faith in Him so much these past months. And then this comes along, and suddenly I don't trust Him as much? I should be trusting Him more!
On that note, today was less stressful than yesterday, so I'm thankful. I hope this trend keeps up! :)
April 5, 2008
Dreams, Faith, and Phone Calls
I had yet another wedding dream last night - that's my third one! This one was even longer, but thankfully, less disastrous. I think my dream spanned the entire day before my wedding, and the entire day of my wedding. That's a long dream! I don't really remember most of it. I do, however, remember what went wrong.
Because, when a bride dreams about her wedding, it always has to be a dream about any possible problem that could occur, just to make her even more nervous than she already is.
The two main problems in this dream were a) the fact that I had forgotten to go to our photo shoots, both before the wedding, and in between the ceremony and the reception, and b) that someone burst into our room that night to tell Art that he had to go to war! How ridiculous is that!
Thank goodness I never have prophetic dreams. And just a note about problem #2: it was very late at night. Very much sleeping in that part of the dream. Very G-rated.
I suppose the dream might have shook me up more than I think. I was supposed to go out tonight to see a comedy show put on by a local up-and-coming comedian, and I was looking forward to it, but as the day went on I started to feel sick for no apparent reason. So I had to call my friends at the last minute and bail on them.
I promised to pay the $5 for the ticket anyway, since they had bought the tickets in advance. I insisted. It was within my budget, and I had withdrawn the money for exactly that reason.
Remember, in my last post, how I said that I'm not worried about my future? Well, it's still true. I'm not worried about my job or my life, or about money. I'm simply being very careful with my money, even more so than I ever have been. I'm not destitute, and I still have a job. I got paid yesterday like usual.
But I don't know if I'll get one more full pay cheque. I want to ensure that I'll have enough money to spend on necessities if there will be a span of time between this job and my next job.
Also, it's pretty much guaranteed that my next job won't be paying as much. So I must learn to be as frugal as possible. Which is actually pretty easy for me, considering I don't own a car, or a cell phone, and I don't pay bills or buy groceries. And that will all change when I move to the US in three months. And until my paperwork comes through, I won't be able to work at all there.
So I'm preparing myself for the future. Getting into habits now that will help me out later on. And while I'm on the subject, please remember to pray for my paperwork. It's a little easier for me to have faith about my future before the wedding, than it is for my future after the wedding.
Well, I hear the garage door opening, which means my parents are home, which means my dad will probably want to use the computer. Tomorrow I'm going to my niece's baby dedication, and then I have a very lengthy mentor meeting to attend, and then my very bestest friend from Edmonton is going to call me. We've been trying coordinate this phone call for two weeks! See you on Monday!
Because, when a bride dreams about her wedding, it always has to be a dream about any possible problem that could occur, just to make her even more nervous than she already is.
The two main problems in this dream were a) the fact that I had forgotten to go to our photo shoots, both before the wedding, and in between the ceremony and the reception, and b) that someone burst into our room that night to tell Art that he had to go to war! How ridiculous is that!
Thank goodness I never have prophetic dreams. And just a note about problem #2: it was very late at night. Very much sleeping in that part of the dream. Very G-rated.
I suppose the dream might have shook me up more than I think. I was supposed to go out tonight to see a comedy show put on by a local up-and-coming comedian, and I was looking forward to it, but as the day went on I started to feel sick for no apparent reason. So I had to call my friends at the last minute and bail on them.
I promised to pay the $5 for the ticket anyway, since they had bought the tickets in advance. I insisted. It was within my budget, and I had withdrawn the money for exactly that reason.
Remember, in my last post, how I said that I'm not worried about my future? Well, it's still true. I'm not worried about my job or my life, or about money. I'm simply being very careful with my money, even more so than I ever have been. I'm not destitute, and I still have a job. I got paid yesterday like usual.
But I don't know if I'll get one more full pay cheque. I want to ensure that I'll have enough money to spend on necessities if there will be a span of time between this job and my next job.
Also, it's pretty much guaranteed that my next job won't be paying as much. So I must learn to be as frugal as possible. Which is actually pretty easy for me, considering I don't own a car, or a cell phone, and I don't pay bills or buy groceries. And that will all change when I move to the US in three months. And until my paperwork comes through, I won't be able to work at all there.
So I'm preparing myself for the future. Getting into habits now that will help me out later on. And while I'm on the subject, please remember to pray for my paperwork. It's a little easier for me to have faith about my future before the wedding, than it is for my future after the wedding.
Well, I hear the garage door opening, which means my parents are home, which means my dad will probably want to use the computer. Tomorrow I'm going to my niece's baby dedication, and then I have a very lengthy mentor meeting to attend, and then my very bestest friend from Edmonton is going to call me. We've been trying coordinate this phone call for two weeks! See you on Monday!
April 4, 2008
Okay. I Think I'm Finally Back. With A Huge Announcement.
So, are you all itching and dying and wondering what is going on around here? The wait is over. Here is the big news:
Yeah. Bet you didn't see that one coming. Neither did I.
I'm sure most of you know that I work as a receptionist, but you don't all know where. And that's on purpose. (Most of the people who read this probably know me, so those people know where I work.) I'm not going to reveal the name of the place that I work at, but I will tell you more about it.
The company I work for is (was?) in the Swine and Poultry industry. Pigs and chickens. Hundreds of farms across three prairie provinces. Agriculture rules these provinces. And we were a big partner for a lot of them.
I don't know much about politics or economics, but now I know just how much it affects me (and other people). The Canadian dollar got really strong last year, stronger than the US dollar, and we Canadians thought that was a good thing. But at our company, we knew that was bad news.
You see, any pigs that are born and raised in Canada eventually end up in the States. They need to be slaughtered and prepared for grocers, and once upon a time, a decision was made to shut down all slaughter houses in Canada. So the pigs must go to the States. But if our dollar is suddenly stronger, we can't sell our pigs across the border, because there won't be a profit there.
Another thing along that line is a policy that the US is going to implement soon, that won't allow Canadian pigs into the States at all, because grocers don't want to sell pork that has the Canada label on it. They only want to sell American pork.
Take these two issues and add to that the ever-rising cost of feed for these animals, and you have a recipe for disaster. The Canadian Hog industry is going down the hole. Hundreds of barns being closed, farms being lost, and families who are out of an income, and a livelihood.
The company I work for is severely affected by this. Our executive team and our CFO have been meeting with an accounting firm to look at everything our business is doing, and what changes need to be made in order to move forward. They've actually known, for months, that it might come to this. But they only announced it to our office last week Wednesday.
I suppose a lot of people suspected that this might happen, but I am naive when it comes to how a business is run, so I had no idea.
So we're bankrupt. We have been received by another company. But we're not closing our doors. Well, we kind of are. As far as my understanding goes, the company still wants to continue, and it is possible to do that. It will be a lot smaller though, and probably at a different location. Very likely, in fact.
You may or may not have noticed that I didn't say I was out of a job. I'm not out of a job yet. I was told yesterday that I'll probably be around for another week at least. As long as the phone rings, somebody needs to answer it, and that somebody is me. But others will be out of a job. At some point.
Today was still business as usual. There is a lot of activity around here as we are figuring things out, shutting things down, or transitioning. It's a little tense (okay, sometimes it's a LOT tense) because everyday, everyone is wondering if they will suddenly be told that they don't need to come in the next day.
I know this post is long, I hope you're still tracking with me. I must tell you that I am optimistic. I'm not worried about anything. I am surprisingly encouraged. The men who own (owned?) this company are quality, upstanding, Christian men who have conducted their business with the highest moral standards, and they care about the industry, about our customers, and about the staff. I respect them and admire them both professionally and personally. I trust them with whatever decisions they make regarding my job. I would trust them with my life.
Even more so, have an amazing, loving, caring, personal God who has never let me down, and He isn't going to start now. I know that He will always take care of me. He always knew this coming, and He has always had plan in place. I don't know what that looks like yet, but I'm not anxious.
Of course, the fact that I have a savings in place, only a few months left in the country anyway, and no expenses also helps me cope with this situation. Others that I work with are not so lucky. They have bills, rent or a mortgage, or family to take care of. I've heard a few people say that they will probably have to move. Two of my coworkers are also planning weddings: one for herself, and one for her daughter. They are downright scared, and I completely understand.
I have no right to complain at this point, and I don't want to anyway. I thank God everyday for the earthly provisions He has made that will keep me safe for the next little while, and for the provisions I know He is making for me out in Washington. I can see very clearly that I am extremely blessed. Now it's my job to pass on that joy and optimism to everyone I encounter. God definitely deserves the glory on this one!
April 2, 2008
Just Popping In. Again
Hey all. I am truly sorry I haven't been around much. I can't wait to get back to blogging regularly. Here's the deal: I normally blog at work (which is not bad or illegal. Sometimes I don't have work to do, so I am free to peruse the internet). But work has been so hectic due to recent events that I do not want to casually mention here. It deserves it's own post, and I am working on that.
In the evening, I am at home, but not necessarily free to be in the computer. We only have one computer (okay, we have actually have two, but they are beside each other) so either way: when someone else is on one computer, both computers are unavailable. And my parents like to be on the computer(s) just as much as I do. Also, I'm often on the phone with Art in the evening.
And I'm not one of those who can quickly sit down and spit out a witty, informative blog in under two minutes. Except for now. But even then, before I write a post, it is stewing in my head for a while. Even this one. So that's what's going on lately, I promise that I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. But until then, expect more of these.
I really must get back to work. Ta-ta for now!
In the evening, I am at home, but not necessarily free to be in the computer. We only have one computer (okay, we have actually have two, but they are beside each other) so either way: when someone else is on one computer, both computers are unavailable. And my parents like to be on the computer(s) just as much as I do. Also, I'm often on the phone with Art in the evening.
And I'm not one of those who can quickly sit down and spit out a witty, informative blog in under two minutes. Except for now. But even then, before I write a post, it is stewing in my head for a while. Even this one. So that's what's going on lately, I promise that I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. But until then, expect more of these.
I really must get back to work. Ta-ta for now!
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