finding Joy.

yesterday morning i got called to save the day at a local daycare, but i chose not to go. the world changers didn't have school and i promised them i'd take them shopping to  #1 find jeans that were long enough for the oldest, and #2 find  shoes that were big enough for the middle. when i said "no" to that money it was WAY hard, really. hard. but i had to choose my changers.. had to.

fast forward a bit..we get to that wonderful place where all your dreams come true, aka target. and i run into a gal i knew that i hadn't seen in a few years,  yes, we are friends on Facebook, so i did keep up with her that way and vice versa..but it was in the halloween discount isle that i fulfilled a promise. remember?  

we talked and chatted for what seemed like a moment.. but my world changers told me later it was FOREVER. gut level ministry/parenting stuff. it was a God ordained moment in time, both encouraging and convicting. it was so very good.  a blessing that i couldn't have possibly have seen when i said "no" to that save the day job earlier. and as if i wasn't loved on enough through that convo. God had me find 20 bucks in my pocket! whoohoo!!!!

"though i have much to write to you, i would rather not use paper and ink, Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete." 2 John 12

are there any little desicions that you can make today that might have a huge impact on your joy?

building beauty.

Legos, the ever present building material thats scattered hither and yon in my house. 

it's chaos actually most of the time, but once in a while you can catch something

 being built that takes your breath away.  

thats when you have to look to the creator and be amazed once again at the complex beauty made out of chaos. but it takes time to see the ultimate creation.  

do you have enough patience to wait for it? 

(btw, i think this is a head factory made by my favorite 8 yr old.) 

Facebook check up.

well, it's been 6 weeks, time for an honest assessment of the why and the how I'm doing while being off facebook.  i wish i could tell you that i don't miss it like i did last month. i DO miss the people. i guess that's the whole reason Facebook was started. i miss my college friends out west, my family up in north, my sister-in-laws. i miss laughing so hard at daisyman and his antics that my morning cereal flies onto the screen. i miss all the good people from Kansas. yes, that includes a Fletcher or two, and i even miss in a sick sort of way the liberal trucker that annoys me with anti Palin comments.  it's the people i miss, so i guess Facebook is successful in that regard.

 In times of "boredom" when i just have a few minutes to burn. which happen mostly in the car while I'm waiting for a world changer to finish some school function, i find myself reaching for my phone like always, and playing a game of farkel. which really in some respects isn't all that different from Facebook, except that well, Farkel doesn't talk back.

so i guess the point i'm trying to process with you is that it's not about Facebook anymore for me.  It's about using my time wisely and productively. yes, i have gotten a ton of stuff. yes, i have gotten closer to friends by meeting face to face, and actually talking on the phone.  yes, it's been worth it. yes, yes. yes. And if i'm completely honest, i'm going to have to say that i'm done with facebook forever.

God didn't intend for us to sit and develop meaningful relationships through a screen.  He intended for us to take the time and dig deep and talk about what's really inside. What we are struggling with, what we are rejoicing about. Having real friends who know more than the surface stuff is what God wants and blesses.

i knew this before, but as i'm sure a bazillion people do, i got caught up in the hype of finding and reconnecting with people all over the country. Is that bad? heck no. however, it is bad if you rely on those relationships as your only source of friendship, you miss out on the blessing that God gives you when you meet face to face. There is a whole generation that doesn't know how to look a person in the eye and talk, because facebooking is easier, and quicker. But really, it's not better. i now know that i'd rather have a 20 minute conversation with you face to face than a day long chat on Facebook.

and if you live in a place where i can't chat face to face with you at least once a week, God might someday cross our paths again and we will laugh and giggle to our hearts content, and we can talk about eternal matters of the heart.

i promise.


(oh and go vote today!!)

tattling.

lead singer took me out for a cheap date on friday. 

and scarfed down all my yummy malt.