Rescue Me

Today I did a dumb thing. Most of you are thinking, "As if you don't do dumb things ever day, Lindsey?!" But today's was really dumb. Only I didn't mean for it to be dumb. I really didn't know. Really. I didn't. What I didn't know was that you can't leave your car running with the doors locked to make a quick run into WalMart and come back out and expect to use your little clicky door unlocker thingy to get back into the car. Doesn't work. Nope. Why didn't somebody tell me this before? Of course, Gram and Gramps told me that doesn't work, but they told me after they came to pick me up and take me to my house so I could get my spare key. I felt like a complete idiot, but they were so sweet and didn't care that they had to come all the way into Grand Haven to rescue me. I have the best grandparents in the world.

Happy Snowday to Me!

Ich bin krank, again. I don't think it's right to have the flu three times 6 months. Normal people don't have it that much do they? Well, that explains it I guess...I'm not normal! And I'm sick all the time with allergies and sinus stuff anyway, so why am I complaining? I should be used to it by now. Ok, never mind. I've been sick again, big surprise, big deal. =) Maybe being sick alot is my thorn in the flesh. But I don't get it. Andrea was the one to point it out to me - I eat pretty well, I exercise and stay active, I drink lots of water. Doesn't add up. Just goes to show that God is control, not me, and that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. I want to be able to say, like Paul, "Needs, sickness, distress, persecution? Bring it on!" (ok, so I paraphrased that a bit; see 2 Corinthians 12:7ff)

Huge thanks to dad for coming to get me from my house and bringing me here so I could use the computer and be around other humans for a while. I love my house, but today would have been day four in their by myself. TAD has been around a bit, and we watched Two Towers the other night together. That was fun. But mostly I have been there by myself. Boring!! So, I watched the entire 9th season of Stargate SG-1, slept a billion hours, read my Bible and some Harry Potter book 5, slept some more, watched some random TV (oh, I love Ace of Cakes!), did my Bible study. Pretty much everything I did was lying in bed or on the couch. It is good to be out!

You know, I prayed and searched and worried and stressed for two years about moving out of my parents' house. Not once did God give me any clue as to what He had planned for me. I admit I felt a bit like Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:8, "Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer." Then, all of a sudden, God just threw everything in my lap all at once - the perfect roommate (TAD is not perfect, I mean he's just the right roommate=), the perfect house, the perfect price. Everything, just like that, when I was least expecting it. If I had tried to do things my way in my time I would probably be broke and sharing a dumb old apartment with someone I really don't like that much.
Now what I need to do is use this example of God's sovereignty and wisdom to encourage me in the area of men...or the lack thereof. From this experience and others I know that God's timing is not to be debated. He is not a minute early or late. I may want to be married now, or soon, but God knows when is the best time for me to meet someone and make that commitment. Why is it so hard to trust and wait, even when we have personal evidence of God's work like this? Don't you think that if we have seen Him work once, we should just be able to say, "Ok, that's it. You're in charge; You do things way better than I ever could!" But no, every little situation, at least in my life, must be surrendered to God individually. I guess it's better that way than not surrendering at all!

Phew, that was a mouthful! You can see that lying around for three days has given me lots of time to think and that I sorely missed communicating with everyone! I have lots to say and not alot of people to say it to lately. Praise God when I am healthy again and back to school.

"This is how Pator Jim calls a snow day."

A week ago Pastor Jim did a homemade Mad Lib with my class. (click to find out what a Mad Lib is or do some on line!) He actually wrote it himself and had blanks for the kids to fill in. The italicized words are the words my kids supplied. This story was the funniest, in my opinion.

First, he gets up at 12 and eats a big bowl of ice cream. Then he takes a shower and makes sure he washes his fingertip. Then he gets dressed and puts on his undies, socks, and hat. He turns on the computer and checks to see if it has been sunny and how much. He knows that if there is 999 inches of snow, school will definitely be cancelled. Normally, there isn't that much, so he has to check the roads outside. He gets in his scooter and drives around to see if the roads are fat. Sometimes when he drives he sees cars that have been wrecked, and that makes him feel smart. If school needs to be cancelled for 998 years, then he calls the TV stations, especially station
-3.14 and 13,000, to let them know. When the students hear that school is cancelled, they yell, "Tornado!" and spend their days running. And when the teachers hear that school is cancelled they usually yell, "help!", and spend their day thinking about skate boards. And that's how Pastor Jim calls a snow day.

John 15:4

Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

Love-in-a-snail

Here's a quick funny story. Stacie Muri and I went shopping on Saturday and brought home all our exciting purchases to show Paul. He liked the smell of my Coconut Lime Verbana bubble bath from Bath & Body Works, but wondered what verbana was. I suggested he Google it. He found out it was an herb and the birthflower (like birthstone) for a specific day of the year. I asked him to look up the birthflower for September 13, my birthday. My birthflower is "love-in-a-snail". I think someone just made that up because we couldn't find it anywhere else on Google. I thought it was appropriate for me...love seems to be coming to me in a snail. Or, it could also be called "Love-is-a-snail"!!

Memory Verse

I am working on Scripture memory every week, here is this past week's verses. I will post them every Monday. My purpose in memorizing Scripture is so I can grow in my own faith and also be able to help and encourage others that God puts in my path.

Psalm 103:13-14
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. For He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust.

Even me

On the way to the jail last night I was feeling rather inadequate and unworthy to be doing such an important ministry. I basically told God He couldn't use me...not denying His power, but my own weakness. In a sense, then, I was denying His power. But when I got there, I had the opportunity to sit with three ladies and lead a Bible study about the mind. That is the area I have been struggling with and studying in my personal Bible study time. What a blessing to hear that these ladies were struggling with similar issues at the moment! One lady was encouraged to know that I, who am not in jail, was also have trials in life. We shared some verses, some good quotes from godly men and women, and some recent personal experiences. The entire hour and a half was an immense blessing to all four of us. I thank God that He can use me even in my weakness; indeed, that He can even use my weaknesses to get His work accomplished.

Bad Presentation

Mom and Sam would give me an F in presentation for this meal. If I had known it was going to be all orange, I would have served green beans or something with it! If you come to visit, I promise my meal presentation will be much improved. This was just a funny little "oops!". Good thing I was the only one home!

Moved In

The basement, my room, bathroom, and kitchen/living room. We love it! Thanks to everyone who donated to our cause, you saved us a lot of money! This place is exactly what I have hoped and prayed for. I do not deserve such a perfect place. God is so gracious!

Back to School

Oi, what a tired day! I got into the bad bad habit of staying up til the wee hours of the morning and sleeping in til noon (ok, only one day did I do that!) and now I am regretting it! I am definitely ready and happy to be back to school, day care, and all of normal life, but I am beyond tired. I think I am actually asleep right now. Can a person type while sleeping? Maybe not, but I sure feel like it!
Oh, and this Michigan weather, I tell ya. Today was almost 60 degrees! And rain and thunder and lightning. You'd think it was spring or something. This is why I love Michigan. You never know what to expect; you will never be bored.

Getting Settled

I have spent the last, um, four nights in my new house! The first three I was by myself because TAD was either working or out with friends. It was a little scary being alone. I kept hearing noises and thinking, "what was that? who's in my house?" Pretty funny actually! =) We might be getting a washer and drier tomorrow, thank the Lord. Then all we need is dining room chairs. I still have to eat standing up. Oh well. I haven't got any good pictures yet of how it looks with all our stuff in it, but I will do that soon and get them on here so you can all see our place. Now I am heading out to get some groceries. How weird! But fun. I am definitely realizing the need to be careful with my money now too. I used to just buy whatever I wanted since I didn't have any major bills to pay. Now I am going to have to think about what I buy and use some self- control. Bummer =) I am going to enjoy being on my own, but it is also going to take some getting used to. I just thank God for showing us this place and letting it be so perfect.