Scribbles and Scrambles ~ 10 Things

...that make me happy. Dedicated to Plinky the website that suggests filler for bloggers with toast for brains.

Ten Things that Make Me Happy.

Not in any specific order, just as they pop into my head.

1. My family. Clearly, they are not so random and would appear in the top two... I love spending time with my family. My kids are amazing. I like them, I love them, they make me laugh and make me proud. My hubby. He's my soulmate. I've loved him in one form or another since I was fourteen.

2. My faith in Jesus. Okay. It doesn't always make me happy. Often it rips and shreds and demands that I behave not as I feel but as I know I should. But in the long run. That does make me happy. I hate having things that I need to take care of, people to apologize to yet again, and knowing that I spent time in the potholes of the low road. And He has given me the road map to avoid those pot holes...

3. My friends. Every one of them adds to my life. From my Mom to my daughters, and my blogging friends to my Sunday hug buddies. People enrich my life.

4. My pets. There is either a spike in blood pressure when they are driving me crazy or a warm body to curl up with when I've had a bad day.

5. My house. It's so not done. And hardly ever something I'd want photographed. But it is ours and it has become a home. Full of warts and creaks and cobwebby crevices.... along the lines of the people who live in it.

6. My location. I've been to the blue ocean white sand beaches, tall, pine-covered mountains, climates that barely change, and cities that don't do a lot of sleeping. I consider Iowa to be home, and absolutely beautiful. There is nothing that beats a bright blue Indian Summer October sky. And if it happens to be an off day in Iowa, change is just around the corner.

7. Beauty makes me happy. Whether a song, a flower, art, words, a person's heart, a hug. They are all beautiful and they fill my soul. Art. Not all, of course, but people using their creativity to try to demonstrate emotion through the beauty of song, pencil, paint or words. Yes.

8. Laughter. And laughing with someone else, being on the same page. Enjoying the ridiculousness of life.

9. Courage. People who stand up and do the right thing, no matter the cost. A happy tinged inspiration.

10. Love. It encompasses and pulls all of these elements into something that can't be defined by words. But it makes the deepest, deepest part of me happy.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Surprised by Worship

Surprised by Worship: Discovering the Presence of God Where You Least Expect It
Travis Cottrell
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (September 28, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310330351


Description

Surprised by Worship is a book for all adults, regardless of age, who suspect they are missing much of the joy of the Christian life, being distracted by the pain, fear, and anxieties of life in the trenches. Building on an amazing introductory chapter written by Beth Moore---a blogger with 41,850 unique monthly visitors, Travis Cottrell explores biblical and modern-day examples of people who are experiencing life's travail, who bring greater meaning to their lives through spontaneous acts of worship. God's goodness is predictable. His mercy is dependable. His ability to work in every moment of our lives, leading us to Him, is unfailing. But often in those moments when we are distracted by great distress, we don't see or acknowledge God's presence and provision. It's at those times that worship can be our greatest resource, bringing us the hope, strength, even deliverance we so desperately need. It may be a startling headline on a web page, an unhappy email from a friend, a near miss on the freeway, or a scary diagnosis from the doctor. In every circumstance, God's voice can be heard, especially in those moments when we never expect it that worship is most meaningful.


My Review:


I wouldn't have picked this book up. It arrived in the mail for review and I hadn't requested it. I wouldn't have requested it. My need-to-read pile of books is huge, and what can you say about worship that we don't already know? And my heart is soft enough. I will raise my hands. And I can't get through Blessed Be Your Name without weeping.

So. This book sat on my table, awaiting a pile to be assigned to. My daughter picked it up, read me a quote and it intrigued me. But then she put it down and moved on. We went to a Beth Moore conference and worshiped with Travis Cottrell. Just a man, good voice, nice worship time, but just a man. I still didn't pick up the book.

Then I tripped up in my walk of faith. And I plunged into regret and conviction. And as I wept through the process of being forgiven and hopefully eviscerating my bitter attitude, I opened the book. And it touched me. And ministered to me. And it surprised me. Less than 200 pages, it speaks to attitudes, it speaks to the heart as it shares stories of a fellow traveler's journey. Will it change your life? Don't know. Are you hurting? Do you have issues with worship? Do you feel dry? Do you want to explore another area of your faith? It could. For me, it was a sweet surprise at a perfect time.

AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Time....Lack....Computer....SLOGGY.

Come back later. Maybe both will have resolved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Must go to work! Must be responsible adult. Must avoid flinging lap top like cheap frisbee.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Man vs Tools.

My creative brother strikes again.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Quirky All the Way Around

I am becoming obsessed with collage photos. I guess it is because I can take in or relive a whole experience in just a few long glances. Does that say something about my attention span? Anyhoo. I made a little photo album for Rob of his Wyoming trip. And then decided to do a collage.

I'm picturing my hallway loaded with 8x10's of where we've been and who we are. Hmmm.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Fun is 100% Attitude

click on the cart to see the video.

If you want to see one of the many reasons I love 23. Here's one for you.

Rain. No golfing experience. Clubs a bit too long. And crazy good fun.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Mayan Apocalypse

About the Book:

Andrew Morgan is a wealthy oil executive in search of the meaning of life. In his quest for answers he encounters the ancient Mayan predictions that the world will end in 2012. That the claims seem supported by math and astronomy drives him to check on them. Then he meets Lisa Campbell, an attractive Christian journalist also researching the Mayan calendar. When he learns that she is a Christian, he quickly dismisses what she has to say.

As the time draws closer to December 21, 2012, a meteorite impact in Arizona, a volcanic eruption, and the threat of an asteroid on a collision-course with earth escalate fears. Are these indicators of a global apocalypse? Will anyone survive? Does Lisa’s Christian faith have the answers after all? Or has fate destined everyone to a holocaust from which there is no escape?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Mayan Apocalypse...go HERE.


My Review:

Christian journalist Lisa Campbell meets oil baron Andrew Morgan. The two chafe and bond over the impending end-of-the-world-on-December 21, 2012 panic. But spanning nearly two years in under three hundred pages makes for some challenges in storytelling. A thread with secrets and another journalist ends up ringing a little "Huh" and detracted from the story. Also big chunks of time are covered rapidly and some of the relationship between Andrew and Lisa suffers.

The fascinating details of the Mayan end-of-the-world theory were intriguing but I knew nothing except the bare minimum of details and there wasn't excessive coverage in the novel. If you are curious about 12-21-2012 or love fiction that compares Christianity and alternative views give this a shot.