Two weeks ago I had a super fun weekend with my mom and a few girlfriends at a Women's Retreat. It was very busy since I had a craft booth set up, but it was well worth the time! (Oh by the way, this has the potential of being a long post...just a warning.) I certainly don't want to forget some of the things that really hit home with me so I want to post them here for myself...and for anyone else who may need some good reminders.
Friday evening and Saturday morning I attended the retreat at the Airport Hilton. I was somewhat bummed out over the food--I discovered that I'm NOT a fan of apple chicken chutney! The music was bearable, and the guest speaker was phenomenal. I had the privilege of hearing her preach a few years ago so I had high expectations, and I certainly didn't leave disappointed. Susie's lat session was by far, my favorite, probably for 2 reasons: first, she had my attention from the get-go when she started speaking about my favorite part of the zoo--the chimpanzees! :) Secondly, she talked about one of the best things in the world--poop! :) lol Okay, okay, not so much...I guess when I really think about it, Chris is probably the only person I know who likes to talk about poop. ;)
So I found out that Susie and I have something in common...we both LOVE monkeys. :) Similar t Susie, I remember putting a pet monkey at the top of my Christmas list for SEVERAL consecutive years back when I was enamored by the cute, cuddly, charming chimps. I could totally picture myself playing in the backyard with him, shooting hoops, swinging, or sitting on the porch while school kids passed by. I would LOVE to go for walks with him, and have my very own "best friend" to take everywhere I went.
And then...you hear the horror stories. And we're reminded every time we go visit the zoo that these funny, entertaining creatures are NOT so nice to be around, nor are they too keen on company--they will defecate in their hands and intentionally throw the poop into the face of someone they do not like. Even worse, is Charla Nash, the Connecticut lady who appeared on Oprah after being mauled and shredded to pieces and left without a face, by a 200-pound chimp. YIKES.
It's in those instances when "your home has now become an extremely volatile environment, in which the forbidden thing you love wants nothing more than to kill you."
Susie went on to say that just like a cute chimp can kill, cute sin wil destroy us. Satan absolutely hates me, and he wants nothing more than to take me straight to Hell with him. Satan comes as a thief in the night, and before I even realize what I'm doing, I'll be asking myself, "How did I end up in this pile of chimp poop?!" It happens...one little dropping at a time. (Gross, yes, but sin is gross. It stinks. It should churn our stomachs, just like chimp poop!)
Susie gave us a battle plan for the chimp fight of our lives.
1. We must realize that it's okay to be different. We were not designed to "fit in" this world; it is not our home!
2. We have to dress for battle and literally wear the armor of God. We are in a WAR! We must pray and establish accountability. We cannot become desensitized to the stink of chimp poop! The dirty website...chimp poop! Flirting with the married man in the office at work...chimp poop! Lies...chimp poop! Gay marriage...it's chimp poop. Gossip...chimp poop. Negativity...chimp poop. Bitterness...chimp poop. Losing sight of the TRUTH--that there is a HELL to shun--simply wanting our congregations to "feel good"...it's all CHIMP POOP!!!
3. Finally, we must keep a clean cage. Search me, God, and know my heart.
Don't get chimp poop thrown in your face. Sin is chimp poop...
and it will kill you.
Needing a shower now,
Sarah
10.22.2010
10.17.2010
Punkin' Patch 2010
Howdy! Hope you've all had a nice, relaxing weekend! Ours was fun, but rather busy, getting the house in order and unpacking the last few boxes...and going to the pumpkin patch!!! :)
Here are a few pics of the monkeys. Carving pics soon to follow. :)
Big Love,
Sarah
Here are a few pics of the monkeys. Carving pics soon to follow. :)
Big Love,
Sarah
10.14.2010
Thankful Thursday
Today I'm thankful for autumn. I'm thankful for cool air, orange pumpkins, red leaves, and hot cider.
What are you thankful for, today?
What are you thankful for, today?
10.08.2010
So Big
Can't believe my sweet, tiny little girl isn't so little any more. She's a (fastly) growing, smart little girl and I'm truly learning just how fast time can fly. Literally. I have been slacking on pictures lately, so here are a few I wanted to post from Maya's very first day of preschool.
9.06.2010
On the Road Again
Happy Labor Day to all of you from all of us as we drive thru Olathe, KS! We're currently on our way home from Sedalia, MO where we spent the weekend with our very special friends! We had a great, relaxing (as relaxing as you can get with toddlers lol) time with LOTS of goofiness, laughter, and fun. Exactly what a three-day weekend should be, right?! :)
Hope you all are doing well. I will update soon about our trip with some pics!
Big Love,
Sarah
Hope you all are doing well. I will update soon about our trip with some pics!
Big Love,
Sarah
8.27.2010
Thank you, Jesus!
Howdy, everyone! Just came in from outside...the cool is back to hot. ugh! I'm more ready for Fall than I was ready for a baby at 38 weeks. :) Now THAT'S a comparison! lol
Lots of fun things coming up in the weeks ahead. One of those things...Maya starts preschool next week! I was so excited...until we had Open House last night...and it didn't go so well lol. However, she hadn't had a nap so she was EXTRA cranky, EXTRA mean, and EXTRA tearful...which didn't make it any easier for mama, of course. So I'm hoping that she'll be in a better frame of mind when I drop her off next week. Please keep us in your prayers. I know it may seem like something trivial to ask prayer for, but at their age, it can be very stressful. (Not to mention I'm probably gonna be bawlin' like a big baby lol)
While we were at the preschool last night, in walked a teacher from the Middle School who I used to work with when I taught ESL. She just lost her husband about 2 weeks ago in a tragic car accident; I heard the night prior to the accident, he was proudly videotaping his sweet babies in their VBS program at church. I just can't imagine. Here one minute, gone the next. And there his wife was, with her happy face on, being as strong as she could be for her little girl. I can't fathom how she felt, being there alone, when I'm sure it was an event she had planned on attending WITH her husband. And the sweet, red-haired, blue-eyed, little girl...beginning a new chapter in life...and most likely, painfully missing her daddy, wishing he was there with her. I'll be honest. I couldn't do it. But somewhere, somehow, they are finding the strength to keep going. Please hold this family in your prayers, too.
On a lighter note, I am thanking God for the work he continues to perform in Dominic's life. Guess what?! My little lovey-lovey honey-honey can spell "Dom!" lol He'll say, "Aunt Sarah, ask him!" So I'll ask, "Nicky, how do you spell Dom?" He uses a few seconds of silence to build the excitement then he screams, "D- O- M!!!!!!!!!!!!" LOL It's so awesome to watch him grow. He's been having a few disciplinary issues at the new school, but hopefully he will adjust soon. They've already learned that using the big overhead projector sends him into melt-down mode. So they've started giving his para his own copy so she can work with him at his desk and he doesn't have to look at the big screen. At this time, we aren't able to determine if his vision plays a factor into this...but, with already having 4 eye surgeries, it wouldn't surprise us if that's why he doesn't like it. Another special guy to KEEP praying for!!!
Tomorrow, Sam and I are venturing out to my 10-year high school reunion. YIKES! Talk about a slap in the face to make ya feel old...and the sporadic gray hairs aren't helping! :) I'm hoping it will be a fun evening of laughing, memories, and REST...Mom & Dad are keeping the kiddos overnight so maybe, after 4 years, we'll actually get 8 consecutive hours of sleep! :)
Hoping you're all well. Hoping you're thankful. Hoping you'll leave a comment. ;)
Big Love,
Sarah
Lots of fun things coming up in the weeks ahead. One of those things...Maya starts preschool next week! I was so excited...until we had Open House last night...and it didn't go so well lol. However, she hadn't had a nap so she was EXTRA cranky, EXTRA mean, and EXTRA tearful...which didn't make it any easier for mama, of course. So I'm hoping that she'll be in a better frame of mind when I drop her off next week. Please keep us in your prayers. I know it may seem like something trivial to ask prayer for, but at their age, it can be very stressful. (Not to mention I'm probably gonna be bawlin' like a big baby lol)
While we were at the preschool last night, in walked a teacher from the Middle School who I used to work with when I taught ESL. She just lost her husband about 2 weeks ago in a tragic car accident; I heard the night prior to the accident, he was proudly videotaping his sweet babies in their VBS program at church. I just can't imagine. Here one minute, gone the next. And there his wife was, with her happy face on, being as strong as she could be for her little girl. I can't fathom how she felt, being there alone, when I'm sure it was an event she had planned on attending WITH her husband. And the sweet, red-haired, blue-eyed, little girl...beginning a new chapter in life...and most likely, painfully missing her daddy, wishing he was there with her. I'll be honest. I couldn't do it. But somewhere, somehow, they are finding the strength to keep going. Please hold this family in your prayers, too.
On a lighter note, I am thanking God for the work he continues to perform in Dominic's life. Guess what?! My little lovey-lovey honey-honey can spell "Dom!" lol He'll say, "Aunt Sarah, ask him!" So I'll ask, "Nicky, how do you spell Dom?" He uses a few seconds of silence to build the excitement then he screams, "D- O- M!!!!!!!!!!!!" LOL It's so awesome to watch him grow. He's been having a few disciplinary issues at the new school, but hopefully he will adjust soon. They've already learned that using the big overhead projector sends him into melt-down mode. So they've started giving his para his own copy so she can work with him at his desk and he doesn't have to look at the big screen. At this time, we aren't able to determine if his vision plays a factor into this...but, with already having 4 eye surgeries, it wouldn't surprise us if that's why he doesn't like it. Another special guy to KEEP praying for!!!
Tomorrow, Sam and I are venturing out to my 10-year high school reunion. YIKES! Talk about a slap in the face to make ya feel old...and the sporadic gray hairs aren't helping! :) I'm hoping it will be a fun evening of laughing, memories, and REST...Mom & Dad are keeping the kiddos overnight so maybe, after 4 years, we'll actually get 8 consecutive hours of sleep! :)
Hoping you're all well. Hoping you're thankful. Hoping you'll leave a comment. ;)
Big Love,
Sarah
8.15.2010
New Slide Show!!!
Hey everyone, I finally got Sam to sit down long enough to help me load up some new pics! I've been quietly reminiscing my days at the hospital with the kids, and I never posted any of the pics with Gus so I've added a few in there. Chill out for a few, enjoy the music, and enjoy the show! And, if you REALLY wanna make my day, leave me a stinkin' comment so I know at least SOMEONE still reads my ramblings! (Don't force me to take roll call.) :)
Big Love,
Sarah
Big Love,
Sarah
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