Saturday, January 27, 2007

Random Ramblings #6

If you're panicking (ha!) because you think I've forgotten to do #81-100, not to worry. I'm going to finish that either tomorrow or Monday. I just have a few things to get off my chest.

I changed to New Blogger last night, so now many of your comments are "anonymous." That made me a bit sad when I discovered it. Change is hard, no matter how necessary. There is always that uncomfortable adjustment period.

Speaking of change, Monday is the first day of my new schedule, working mornings every day instead of 2 whole days and a half day. Kristen posted the "cons" of the new arrangement in a recent post. I have discovered a few myself, but know that we'll all adjust. I realized, after I had made my case to my co-workers and they agreed to the change, that there are many things I had adjusted in my old schedule that now will not work with the new. Oh, dear! More adjusting ahead. One thing I'll really miss on the home front is taking the girls to library story time every other Friday, then stopping at KFC for a bit of lunch. That has become a real routine for us. But I'm glad Kristen gets to now take them to the library.

"If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average."- Author Unknown

This quote was in my e-mails this morning. I thought it was appropriate for my week. You may have noticed that I didn't post my weight loss ticker this morning. That's because I'm not weighing this week. I really messed up this week - 3 weeks forward, 1 week back. I am considering it a blip on the screen and will go forward from this moment on.

There is a bit of light snow on top of the ugliness again this morning - that is 6 week-ends in a row. I don't think we'll ever have two lanes on our residential streets until June. It makes picking up the kids from school and parking on the street for church (since we don't have enough parking lot space) very difficult, let's say impossible.

I keep thinking about the snow covering up the ugliness every week-end this winter. It looks beautiful and pure for a day or so, then it begins to melt and turns muddy and ugly again. It's kind of like our lives if we just live for Jesus on the surface. We may look good and clean and pure for awhile, but the ugliness inevitably shows up again when melt-down occurs.

Psalm 51:6-8 from The Message says:

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise.

I love that phrase asking God to "breathe holiness in me." God doesn't just cover up the ugliness - He soaks us, scrubs us, cleans us from the inside out if we allow Him to.

There has been a lot of complaining about the really cold winter and the unusual amount of snow this year. We seem to forget that we have complained for the last 4-5 years about the drought. God must just shake his head. I was walking down the sidewalk toward the Dollar Store the other Saturday morning when a little older-than-me lady was coming across the parking lot. She hollered, "Do you think we'll ever see green again?" I imagine she'd just moved here from someplace like California and hadn't experienced one of these occasionally hard winters before. I said, "Oh, yes, and it's going to be incredibly green because of all of this moisture!"

Psalm 55:8 seems to sum it up very well.

"I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." God's Decree. "For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them."

I have to keep reminding myself of this as well, as I almost slide under my car on the built-up ice in the parking lots.

Have a blessed week-end! Take notes on your pastor's sermon - it will stick with you longer!

15 comments:

Girl Raised in the South said...

You are getting more than your share of snow. Our part of the country is all white too. Two weeks of it and I'm tired of it already. Youre right - taking notes on the sermon, even if you throw them out, it sticks better and we all need that. Glad to see you were able to switch to new blogger - eventually the bugs will work themselves out.

Susie said...

That's one thing I've noticed about blogging in that people all around the world comment about the weather, too much rain, not enough rain, too hot, too cold! I know I'm guilty of it as well! Your post today is an excellent reminder for all of us!
hugs!

Lala's world said...

we have a lot of snow were we live too, we have had snow on the ground since before Halloween! but I like it, and yes it does get ugly sometimes and I loved your analogy! such a great post!

Unknown said...

I haven't switched to the new blogger yet. What is the difference between the old and the new?

My husband would LOVE a lot of snow right now. He just bought some snowshoes and wants to use them!

Sherry said...

It will be so green and beautiful soon enough. The yuckiness will pay off for sure.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

I love snow, but I think it's because it's a relative rarity here, especially in the last 10 years or so. The fact that I don't drive has a lot to do with it, too, I'm sure. ;D

I love the New Blogger templates as far as how easy it is to move and change things around, but I wish they were easier to work with for changing backgrounds, headers, etc. I don't want to give up my custom template for one of their generic ones.

I'm hoping it will be easier to comment here now that you've switched.

Happy weekend, Dawn, and I'll be back for the last 20 things about you. :-)

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

You can have the rest of my snow for the year1 i ahve had enough after the ice storm! LOL1

Barb said...

First of all, congratulations on your nominations over at the Share the Love awards. Very well deserved.

I thought the new schedule might take some getting used to but you'll fall into a new routine and you'll start other traditions with the kids.

I do NOT envy you the mess and the difficulty getting around over there. It's so scary having to walk on a buildup of snow and ice like that. You're all probably really looking forward to seeing some green! I just want it warm up. I'm tired of being cold.

Looking forward to the last segment of your 100 things. Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Kristen said...

I'm actually starting to get a little bit of spring fever, and for me that typically doesn't happen until around March. I know I shouldn't complain, but for cryin' out loud already. I'm sick of my car getting stuck. Sheesh.

Good post today Mom. You, among a few others, could write a good devotional book together.

Linda said...

I couldn't help but thing of the Israelites and their complaining. I often find myself feeling very sympathetic - I see so much of myself in them.
Great attitude about having a bad week. My usual m.o. is to give up altogether when it is so much better just to get over it and keep on keepin' on. I'm sure you'll have a better week.
I'm not big on change either. I did make the switch though; so far so good.
I like the new look of your blog.
Have a good sunday - and I'll pray your new work schedules work out for both you and Kristen.

Carole Burant said...

I, too, found out about the "anonymous" comments after I had switched and it really is sad that we now have no idea who all those commentors were:-(

You certainly will have a lot of adjustments to get used to but in the end I'm sure you'll be happy with your decision:-)

I think it's just human nature for us to complain about the weather! lol We never do seem happy with it, no matter where we live!

Take good care and good luck with your new schedule!! Hugs xox

Tammy said...

Wow, wonderful thoughts, Dawn!
Such a great post!

(By the way, I also changed to new blogger yesterday too...funny, how half the community seemed to do it all the same day!) :)

Have a wonderful week, Dawn! I'll be back to read "the rest of the story..." of your life! I'm lovin' it!

rena said...

I like your perspective on the weather. Seems all North America has experienced a strange winter..including the balmy and usually mild southern BC coast.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and all the best on your new schedule tomorrow. I'm sure you'll settle in, in no time.

kpjara said...

That anonymous commenting is a bummer!

Thank you for reminding me to see the snow and ice for what it WILL bring in the spring.

I've missed visiting. It's good to come here...kind of like chatting in person...but not quite. I'm looking forward to that one day soon, hopefully!

I hope the new schedule is a good thing and isn't a rough adjustment for everyone!

Let us know how it goes.

Blessings for a wonderful Week!

BecsLifeOnline said...

"Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life."

Ha ha this is awesome! I love The Message!