After picking up toys scatter all over the floor in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and formal sitting room, I vacuumed the floors because everywhere I stepped were crumbs from the weekend snacks and meals!
While vacuuming the kitchen floor, my pinky got caught between the vacuum handle and a cabinet. Immediate fiery pain shot through the tip of my offended pinky and I yowled "ow!!" The very next thought that crossed my mind was, "You should praise the Lord in all circumstances." My very conscious response to that thought was, "No way, Lord!! I'm not going to praise you for hurting my pinky! Really? Today, of all days?" At this point, I have already cleaned up 2 episodes of vomitting from my younger son, Nathan (by the way, his birthday is tomorrow!!!) as well as 2 overflowing massive diarrheas that required a bath afterwards and washing the clothes and blanket that I had laid him on top of.
So as I kept vacuuming, fuming a little bit in my rebellion and absolute refusal to be grateful that I had hurt my pinky, the following thoughts went through my head. I had to share it:
Why should I be grateful that I hurt my pinky? Well, I am grateful that I have a pinky to hurt, and that all that happened was that it got squished. Somewhere, some person may be having his/her pinky amputated for whatever reason: Diabetes, accident, torture. Maybe some person not only lost their pinky, but their whole hand or arm. Or maybe their pinky was resorbed because of leprosy.
Thinking of leprosy and diabetes, I am thankful that I have the sensation of pain. I am grateful that the pain is an early warning that I have done something to my body that could cause damage to it and should not be repeated, if possible.
And so I am truly thankful and grateful to the Lord for the pain that I experienced when my pinky got squashed.
And on those same lines, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to stay home with my sick little baby boy; that I have a wonderful son whom I love and who is so cute and adorable; that Nathan is so obedient and loving; that he has been healthy the majority of his life and this is just a temporary illness. Thank-you, Lord. Thank-you, Jesus. Thank-you, my Father in Heaven. Thank-you for all the blessings that you have poured on me.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
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"The Harbinger" by Jonathan Cahn
So, I know I sent this as an e-mail to just about every contact in my e-mail. However, I just wanted to post it in my blog, too. Also, here is a link to a video that you could watch. It's an interview with Jonathan Cahn and Pastor Jimmy Evans: http://www.tfc.org/sermon/message:america-and-biblical-prophecy
I feel compelled by our Lord Jesus to write this e-mail calling all Christian Believers to pray for our Nation to RETURN to God! Some of you may be thinking, "but what can one person do?" I don't know what one person can do, but I know what God can do and I know that I need to be obedient.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21, the Bible tells us "Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good."
I believe that I have read the truth about our great Nation, the United States of America. If you want to see the end to terrorism and if you want to see economic recovery to our nation, I have come to believe the only solution is this:
In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God tells us "If my people who are called by My Name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
God is calling all God-fearing, Jesus Christ believers and followers to stop being apathetic and passive, but to fall on our faces, humbly recognize that our country has pushed God out of our public lives and squares, and that we desperately need a return to Him in every way imaginable. We need to pray, pray, pray!!
Now, what is my source? I encourage everyone to read "The Harbinger", by Jonathan Cahn, a messianic rabbi from the Jerusalem Center-Beth Israel Congregation in Wayne, N.J. Not only do I encourage you to read it, but I encourage you to test and research everything that he writes about to make sure it's true. I have done this myself, so I feel comfortable telling you to read it for yourself.
SPOILER ALERT!! If you plan to read the book and don't want to know anything else, then continue reading at your own risk. But if you don't want to read the book yourself and just want me to give you a summary for why I think it's valid, then keep reading:
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Premise of book: Other than ancient Israel, there has only been one other nation in the history of the world that was conceived and dedicated to the will of God from its conception: America.
When ancient Israel became a nation, at the dedication of the Temple, King Solomon prayed for the Nation and consecrated it to the Lord. Later that night, God spoke to Solomon (2 Chron. 7) and promised him and the nation great success if they remained faithful to Him. But if they turned from Him and served other idols, then He would withdraw His blessings and hand of protection in an effort to call His people to repentance and to return to Him.
Well, Israel did turn away from God. The first thing that God allowed to happen in an attempt to get Israel's attention occurred in 732 B.C.: the Assyrians breached the nation's defenses, invading and wreaking some havoc. By the way, the Assyrians were the "terrorists" of that time. Israel's leaders' response was to say, in Isaiah 9:10: "The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” God notes in the verse prior to this that the leaders said this "in pride and in arrogance of heart."
Now fast forward to September 11, 2001. Is God calling us back and was this His first attempt just as the Assyrian breech in 732 B.C. was?
9/11 - Breach in our defenses - Terrorists were able to hijack a couple planes.
9/11 - Twin towers fall - "the bricks have fallen"
2004 - a 20-ton rectangular block of quarried Adirondack granite was laid at Ground Zero, later removed to be the symbolic cornerstone of the Freedom Tower (now 1 WTC) - "we will build with dressed stones"
9/11 - debris from falling North tower hits and strikes down a sycamore tree located on the periphery of Ground Zero at the NW corner of St. Paul's Chapel churchyard - "the sycamores have been cut down"
11/22/2003 - "Tree of Hope," a 21' Norway spruce, is donated by Imperatore Nurseries and planted in same place that the felled sycamore tree had been - "we will put cedars in their place"
God had commanded the Israelites in Leviticus 25: "When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5 You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land."
Seven years after 9/11, on September 29, 2008, after the government decided not to bail out Lehman Brothers (9.12.2008), it then chose not to pass a bill proposing the largest government bailout in American history. A financial analyst summed it up by saying that it was this one event, more than any other, that shattered market confidence and led to the economic crisis we now know. And on the Hebrew calendar, September 29, 2008 was the 29th day of Elul, the Hebrew Shemitah, when all debts were to be cancelled.
But how does this relate to 9/11? Well, immediately following 9/11, the New York Stock Exchange was shut down for 6 days. When it reopened 7 days later on September 17, 2001, the stock market had a crash that was the greatest loss in its history up until that day. The Federal Reserve responded by slashing interest rates and suppressing it for many years, even below inflation. This led to the ability to give mortgages and loans that banks would not previously have approved. Also, the government created The Department of Homeland Security and "the War on Terrorism" started. All of these factors led to massive spending that eventually led to the house of cards that fell in 2008. Were all these efforts wrong? In and of themselves, these actions are not evil and wrong. However, they did not address the fundamental problem of our nation: a need to RETURN to God the Father and Jesus Christ. We tried to "fix" our problem with human efforts instead of turning back to the Lord, which was what He was calling us to do.
Is there hope for America? Yes!! Look at Ninevah. God's character is that He is "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." (Jonah 4:2)
So if you're still reading this e-mail and you don't believe or understand any of what I've written about and you'd like to talk about it, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has. But let me just add this: God's desire and wish is for no one to perish. He is loving and merciful. He wants all people to be saved and that includes YOU. Jesus Christ's salvation is for ANYONE who believes.
I feel compelled by our Lord Jesus to write this e-mail calling all Christian Believers to pray for our Nation to RETURN to God! Some of you may be thinking, "but what can one person do?" I don't know what one person can do, but I know what God can do and I know that I need to be obedient.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21, the Bible tells us "Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good."
I believe that I have read the truth about our great Nation, the United States of America. If you want to see the end to terrorism and if you want to see economic recovery to our nation, I have come to believe the only solution is this:
In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God tells us "If my people who are called by My Name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
God is calling all God-fearing, Jesus Christ believers and followers to stop being apathetic and passive, but to fall on our faces, humbly recognize that our country has pushed God out of our public lives and squares, and that we desperately need a return to Him in every way imaginable. We need to pray, pray, pray!!
Now, what is my source? I encourage everyone to read "The Harbinger", by Jonathan Cahn, a messianic rabbi from the Jerusalem Center-Beth Israel Congregation in Wayne, N.J. Not only do I encourage you to read it, but I encourage you to test and research everything that he writes about to make sure it's true. I have done this myself, so I feel comfortable telling you to read it for yourself.
SPOILER ALERT!! If you plan to read the book and don't want to know anything else, then continue reading at your own risk. But if you don't want to read the book yourself and just want me to give you a summary for why I think it's valid, then keep reading:
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
Premise of book: Other than ancient Israel, there has only been one other nation in the history of the world that was conceived and dedicated to the will of God from its conception: America.
When ancient Israel became a nation, at the dedication of the Temple, King Solomon prayed for the Nation and consecrated it to the Lord. Later that night, God spoke to Solomon (2 Chron. 7) and promised him and the nation great success if they remained faithful to Him. But if they turned from Him and served other idols, then He would withdraw His blessings and hand of protection in an effort to call His people to repentance and to return to Him.
Well, Israel did turn away from God. The first thing that God allowed to happen in an attempt to get Israel's attention occurred in 732 B.C.: the Assyrians breached the nation's defenses, invading and wreaking some havoc. By the way, the Assyrians were the "terrorists" of that time. Israel's leaders' response was to say, in Isaiah 9:10: "The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” God notes in the verse prior to this that the leaders said this "in pride and in arrogance of heart."
Now fast forward to September 11, 2001. Is God calling us back and was this His first attempt just as the Assyrian breech in 732 B.C. was?
9/11 - Breach in our defenses - Terrorists were able to hijack a couple planes.
9/11 - Twin towers fall - "the bricks have fallen"
2004 - a 20-ton rectangular block of quarried Adirondack granite was laid at Ground Zero, later removed to be the symbolic cornerstone of the Freedom Tower (now 1 WTC) - "we will build with dressed stones"
9/11 - debris from falling North tower hits and strikes down a sycamore tree located on the periphery of Ground Zero at the NW corner of St. Paul's Chapel churchyard - "the sycamores have been cut down"
11/22/2003 - "Tree of Hope," a 21' Norway spruce, is donated by Imperatore Nurseries and planted in same place that the felled sycamore tree had been - "we will put cedars in their place"
But what was America's leaders' response? We had 3 witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15 says "Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established."
Witness 1: September 12, 2001 - then Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, on the senate floor of capital hill, responds to 9/11 with a speech. He says: "America will emerge from this tragedy as we have emerged from all adversity - united and strong. Nothing...nothing can replace the losses of those who have suffered. I know there is only the smallest measure of inspiration that can be taken from this devastation. But there is a passage in the Bible from Isaiah that speaks to all of us at times like this. 'the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars."
Witness 2: September 11, 2004 - Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards, in a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus, says: "Today, on this day of remembrance and mourning, we have the Lord's Word to get us through: 'The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place."
Witness 3: February 24, 2009 - new President Obama enters chamber of House of Representatives, and in his speech, says "But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this - WE WILL REBUILD, we will recover."
But is there proof that GOD is calling us BACK to Himself?
1) the Ground Zero Cross, also known as the World Trade Center Cross - 20' tall group of steel beams found amidst the debris of the World Trade Center, thought to be from the North Tower.
2) St. Paul's chapel - part of Ground Zero, but miraculously survived any damage other than one cracked (not broken) window, shielded by the Sycamore tree. But what is even more amazing is this: Did you know that it was at this chapel that George Washington led the first members of the Senate and House of Representatives in prayer to consecrate the new nation's future into the hands of God on the day of his inauguration, April 30, 1789? Did you also know that the actual physical site of Ground Zero all used to be land that belonged to the little church? Thus, America's ground of consecration IS Ground Zero.
But wait, there's more! Is the economic crisis of 2008 directly related to 9/11 and was it God's 2nd attempt to get our attention? Keep reading:
Witness 1: September 12, 2001 - then Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, on the senate floor of capital hill, responds to 9/11 with a speech. He says: "America will emerge from this tragedy as we have emerged from all adversity - united and strong. Nothing...nothing can replace the losses of those who have suffered. I know there is only the smallest measure of inspiration that can be taken from this devastation. But there is a passage in the Bible from Isaiah that speaks to all of us at times like this. 'the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars."
Witness 2: September 11, 2004 - Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards, in a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus, says: "Today, on this day of remembrance and mourning, we have the Lord's Word to get us through: 'The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place."
Witness 3: February 24, 2009 - new President Obama enters chamber of House of Representatives, and in his speech, says "But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this - WE WILL REBUILD, we will recover."
But is there proof that GOD is calling us BACK to Himself?
1) the Ground Zero Cross, also known as the World Trade Center Cross - 20' tall group of steel beams found amidst the debris of the World Trade Center, thought to be from the North Tower.
2) St. Paul's chapel - part of Ground Zero, but miraculously survived any damage other than one cracked (not broken) window, shielded by the Sycamore tree. But what is even more amazing is this: Did you know that it was at this chapel that George Washington led the first members of the Senate and House of Representatives in prayer to consecrate the new nation's future into the hands of God on the day of his inauguration, April 30, 1789? Did you also know that the actual physical site of Ground Zero all used to be land that belonged to the little church? Thus, America's ground of consecration IS Ground Zero.
But wait, there's more! Is the economic crisis of 2008 directly related to 9/11 and was it God's 2nd attempt to get our attention? Keep reading:
God had commanded the Israelites in Leviticus 25: "When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5 You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land."
Seven years after 9/11, on September 29, 2008, after the government decided not to bail out Lehman Brothers (9.12.2008), it then chose not to pass a bill proposing the largest government bailout in American history. A financial analyst summed it up by saying that it was this one event, more than any other, that shattered market confidence and led to the economic crisis we now know. And on the Hebrew calendar, September 29, 2008 was the 29th day of Elul, the Hebrew Shemitah, when all debts were to be cancelled.
But how does this relate to 9/11? Well, immediately following 9/11, the New York Stock Exchange was shut down for 6 days. When it reopened 7 days later on September 17, 2001, the stock market had a crash that was the greatest loss in its history up until that day. The Federal Reserve responded by slashing interest rates and suppressing it for many years, even below inflation. This led to the ability to give mortgages and loans that banks would not previously have approved. Also, the government created The Department of Homeland Security and "the War on Terrorism" started. All of these factors led to massive spending that eventually led to the house of cards that fell in 2008. Were all these efforts wrong? In and of themselves, these actions are not evil and wrong. However, they did not address the fundamental problem of our nation: a need to RETURN to God the Father and Jesus Christ. We tried to "fix" our problem with human efforts instead of turning back to the Lord, which was what He was calling us to do.
Is there hope for America? Yes!! Look at Ninevah. God's character is that He is "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." (Jonah 4:2)
So if you're still reading this e-mail and you don't believe or understand any of what I've written about and you'd like to talk about it, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has. But let me just add this: God's desire and wish is for no one to perish. He is loving and merciful. He wants all people to be saved and that includes YOU. Jesus Christ's salvation is for ANYONE who believes.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Reading, Swimming, and Fun All Around
So much has happened since the last time I blogged! We did a week of Vacation Bible School with our church, WUBC. Michael & Nathan had fun and the bonus was that when we would get home each day, we were so exhausted and wiped out, we would eat lunch and nap all afternoon!
I finally decided to buy an inflatable swimming pool for the boys to play in. My parents had purchased one last summer, and the boys love playing in theirs every time we would go to their house. I had a water table, so I figured that was "enough" as far as playing with water. But the deciding factor came the day that I filled up their water table for them and took a bucket of water to the front yard to water my new lemon tree. I returned 2 minutes later to find both boys standing 3 feet off the concrete ground inside the 3' diameter water table (with 2 different levels) jostling each other for the tiny space! I immediately yanked them both off, stuck them in my car, and drove straight to Walmart. I haven't regreted the purchase since! When it's all hot and sweaty in the Houston summer heat, we all jump in and splash around for a while.
3 days ago, we found this baby black bellied whistling duck in our backyard. At the time, I was unaware that he was only 1 day old or just born! Since it was 7pm at night, I called the Nature Discovery Center near our house and left them a message. We then put him in this newspaper lined box, named him Jumpy (because he could literally jump a foot or more high), and put little containers of water, torn greens, and crushed cereal in with him. We put him under a warm light and duck-sat him overnight. The next day, Michael and I took him to the Nature Discovery Center, but because he is a protected species, they sent us to the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (near I-10 & 610). The TWRC took little Jumpy, where they will take care of him and raise him until he is old enough to survive on his own, when they will then release him back into the wild. Thanks TWRC! Of course, I haven't heard the end of "I want to see Jumpy." "Where's Jumpy?" for the last 2 days!
For the past 2 months now, Michael has been learning to put letters together to spell words. While I knew the concept was getting through, I didn't know how much of it was really him reading, or just recognizing the letter pattern and saying the word that he already knew. But today, playing with his foam letters, I started to form different words for him, even words that I knew he didn't know, or at least didn't know well (like "bog" or "sag" or "cog"), and he would sound the letters out and put the sounds together to make the words! I think he read about 25-30 different 3-letter words. He even read five 4-letter words: "clap", "slap", "flap", "camp", and "gnat" (of course I did told him the "g" was silent).
God is so good to us and our life is so full of blessings. Thank-you, Lord Jesus!
I finally decided to buy an inflatable swimming pool for the boys to play in. My parents had purchased one last summer, and the boys love playing in theirs every time we would go to their house. I had a water table, so I figured that was "enough" as far as playing with water. But the deciding factor came the day that I filled up their water table for them and took a bucket of water to the front yard to water my new lemon tree. I returned 2 minutes later to find both boys standing 3 feet off the concrete ground inside the 3' diameter water table (with 2 different levels) jostling each other for the tiny space! I immediately yanked them both off, stuck them in my car, and drove straight to Walmart. I haven't regreted the purchase since! When it's all hot and sweaty in the Houston summer heat, we all jump in and splash around for a while.
3 days ago, we found this baby black bellied whistling duck in our backyard. At the time, I was unaware that he was only 1 day old or just born! Since it was 7pm at night, I called the Nature Discovery Center near our house and left them a message. We then put him in this newspaper lined box, named him Jumpy (because he could literally jump a foot or more high), and put little containers of water, torn greens, and crushed cereal in with him. We put him under a warm light and duck-sat him overnight. The next day, Michael and I took him to the Nature Discovery Center, but because he is a protected species, they sent us to the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (near I-10 & 610). The TWRC took little Jumpy, where they will take care of him and raise him until he is old enough to survive on his own, when they will then release him back into the wild. Thanks TWRC! Of course, I haven't heard the end of "I want to see Jumpy." "Where's Jumpy?" for the last 2 days!
For the past 2 months now, Michael has been learning to put letters together to spell words. While I knew the concept was getting through, I didn't know how much of it was really him reading, or just recognizing the letter pattern and saying the word that he already knew. But today, playing with his foam letters, I started to form different words for him, even words that I knew he didn't know, or at least didn't know well (like "bog" or "sag" or "cog"), and he would sound the letters out and put the sounds together to make the words! I think he read about 25-30 different 3-letter words. He even read five 4-letter words: "clap", "slap", "flap", "camp", and "gnat" (of course I did told him the "g" was silent).
God is so good to us and our life is so full of blessings. Thank-you, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
What I've learned about Groupon & Dealfind deals
Well, this post is me postulating what I've learned from personal experience about Groupon & Dealfind deals. Are they really deals? It depends on the offer. When it comes to online companies where I buy a voucher that can be redeemed with a physical product, I haven't had any problems or issues. But of the 3 salon/spa vouchers that I purchased, two of the 3 businesses refused to honor the voucher. The first place claimed (falsely) that I had already redeemed the voucher. Their proof was that someone had highlighted my voucher number on their list with a yellow highlighter. The second place had set up a "fake" number to call for appointments, which couldn't be reached to make an appointment at all.
Of the third place, Orchid Salon & Spa in Houston, I had one of the better spa experiences ever. My mani and pedi were done by two women who were very kind, polite, respectful, and did a really good job. My facial was done by a third woman who was also very kind and professional. I could see how if I had gone to Orchid Salon & Spa first, I would want to buy more Groupon & Dealfind spa deals.
But after looking up how Groupon & Dealfind make money on Wikipedia, I realize that spa deals are never going to be reliable. You see, the Spa/Salon agrees to sell you a $170 Groupon/Dealfind at the price of $40. But, Groupon/Dealfind takes half of that money. So the Spa/Salon receives $20 for providing you with $170 service. In this situation, the only winner is Groupon/Dealfind, who made $20 for every deal sold, but they otherwise don't provide any further service. The business, especially if it's a small business, may find itself on the losing end of the deal because they are the ones actually providing you with the service, but getting paid a pittance for their time and efforts. This may lead them to have feelings of resentment towards the customer. So the ultimate loser is the customer! I have read so many horrible reviews from Groupon/Dealfind customers about being treated rudely, being denied service (like my first experience), and having terrible experiences (bleeding and pain!).
Why am I writing this? I'm not sure, but I just want to share what my experiences have taught me if they can help even one other person. You see, I had a great experience today. It was fantastic! And I would definitely return to Orchid Salon & Spa again in the future. But if I knew from the beginning that I'd have to go through 2 bad to have 1 good, I personally do not think the trade-off is worth it. In general, it is true: You get what you pay for! And the few times that you are pleasantly surprised - well, those are amazing moments :-)
Of the third place, Orchid Salon & Spa in Houston, I had one of the better spa experiences ever. My mani and pedi were done by two women who were very kind, polite, respectful, and did a really good job. My facial was done by a third woman who was also very kind and professional. I could see how if I had gone to Orchid Salon & Spa first, I would want to buy more Groupon & Dealfind spa deals.
But after looking up how Groupon & Dealfind make money on Wikipedia, I realize that spa deals are never going to be reliable. You see, the Spa/Salon agrees to sell you a $170 Groupon/Dealfind at the price of $40. But, Groupon/Dealfind takes half of that money. So the Spa/Salon receives $20 for providing you with $170 service. In this situation, the only winner is Groupon/Dealfind, who made $20 for every deal sold, but they otherwise don't provide any further service. The business, especially if it's a small business, may find itself on the losing end of the deal because they are the ones actually providing you with the service, but getting paid a pittance for their time and efforts. This may lead them to have feelings of resentment towards the customer. So the ultimate loser is the customer! I have read so many horrible reviews from Groupon/Dealfind customers about being treated rudely, being denied service (like my first experience), and having terrible experiences (bleeding and pain!).
Why am I writing this? I'm not sure, but I just want to share what my experiences have taught me if they can help even one other person. You see, I had a great experience today. It was fantastic! And I would definitely return to Orchid Salon & Spa again in the future. But if I knew from the beginning that I'd have to go through 2 bad to have 1 good, I personally do not think the trade-off is worth it. In general, it is true: You get what you pay for! And the few times that you are pleasantly surprised - well, those are amazing moments :-)
Friday, May 11, 2012
Games Afoot
After running my first ever 5K with my dear friend, Elizabeth Valdes, Eric and I went to the Baptist Student Ministry's Annual Brunch. While we were there, we were approached by a very nice lady, who works with Methodist Hospital Systems. Well, she graciously offered us some tickets to the Astros and Cardinals game this past Sunday. We were able to take Michael & Nathan. Since they were club seats, we were also provided with some delicious ball-game fare as well as pink yoga mats!! It was super fun and I think the boys had a great experience! :-)
We had the privilege of having our Sunday School friends over for Bible Study on Monday nights this year. After we finished our study on the book of James, we decided to have a fun pizza and movie night. We adults watched "Courageous," which is a fantastic movie that really encourages fathers to be Godly men and influences on their kids. I forget what the boys watched, but they sure looked like they were enjoying their popcorn.
It is truly such a blessing for us to be allowed to host our Sunday School Bible Studies, which is an answer to our prayers. Each time I have ever moved to a new home, whether single, or now with a wonderful family, I have prayed that God would use the home to be a blessing to others, for His work and purposes, and ultimately for His glory. What a wonderful blessing for us that we have such good company regularly and Michael has the opportunity to play with his self-proclaimed best friend, Jonathan Collins!
This past Wednesday night, Michael & Nathan's choir had their end-of-the-year Spring program. As Little Praisers, they dress up as animals. Nathan got to be an adorable little zebra and Michael was a super-cute elephant. As a matter of fact, even as I type this, Michael is running around the house wearing his elephant ears and tail, grunting/trumpeting, and claiming to be a "big elephant." Ever since we made his costume on Wednesday, he has worn his little costume every day. And if he feels "hot" from running around with the hat, he takes his pants off, but leaves the costume on!
What else is going on in my life? Well, I'm going to have to get the windshield of my minivan replaced. My big strong husband won the battle with a mosquito, but unfortunately, there was some expensive collateral damage!
Michael & Nathan love riding their horse. This was one of the best buys I made at a garage sale! At first, I thought the $50 price tag was a little steep for a used toy, but it actually was in "like new" condition. While they have ridden the horse together before, this is the first time I've seen them both climb up on the horse together without the help of Eric or myself.
I have been teaching Michael how to play the piano. He's been playing the C-scale with both hands, as well as "There was a catapillar," to the tune of "99 bottles of beer on the wall."
We had the privilege of having our Sunday School friends over for Bible Study on Monday nights this year. After we finished our study on the book of James, we decided to have a fun pizza and movie night. We adults watched "Courageous," which is a fantastic movie that really encourages fathers to be Godly men and influences on their kids. I forget what the boys watched, but they sure looked like they were enjoying their popcorn.
This past Wednesday night, Michael & Nathan's choir had their end-of-the-year Spring program. As Little Praisers, they dress up as animals. Nathan got to be an adorable little zebra and Michael was a super-cute elephant. As a matter of fact, even as I type this, Michael is running around the house wearing his elephant ears and tail, grunting/trumpeting, and claiming to be a "big elephant." Ever since we made his costume on Wednesday, he has worn his little costume every day. And if he feels "hot" from running around with the hat, he takes his pants off, but leaves the costume on!
Their new favorite song:
Who is the King of the jungle?
Hoo Hoo (beating chest)
Who is the King of the sea?
Bubble bubble bubble (hands together swimming)
Who is the King of the universe? (stars with hands)
And who's the King of me? (thumbs point to self)
I'll tell you (shouted)
J-E-S-U-S, Yes!! (arms up)
He is the King of me! (thumbs point to self)
He is the King of the universe, (stars with hands)
The jungle and the sea. (beating chest + swimming hands)
Bubble bubble bubble (swimming hands); Hoo Hoo!! (beat chest)
What else is going on in my life? Well, I'm going to have to get the windshield of my minivan replaced. My big strong husband won the battle with a mosquito, but unfortunately, there was some expensive collateral damage!
Michael & Nathan love riding their horse. This was one of the best buys I made at a garage sale! At first, I thought the $50 price tag was a little steep for a used toy, but it actually was in "like new" condition. While they have ridden the horse together before, this is the first time I've seen them both climb up on the horse together without the help of Eric or myself.
I have been teaching Michael how to play the piano. He's been playing the C-scale with both hands, as well as "There was a catapillar," to the tune of "99 bottles of beer on the wall."
There was a catapillar,
He lived up in a tree.
He wiggled high; He wiggled low; He wiggled right at me.
I put him in a cupboard box
"Now don't you move," I said.
And when I looked inside there was a butterfly instead.
Oh, only God can do this.
Only God, you see.
Only God in heaven above makes butterflies for me.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Review of "Pershing - Commander of the Great War"
Title: “Pershing – Commander of the Great War” by John Perry
This book is the story of General John J. Pershing, a U.S.
army officer who is little known, but was of caliber of George Washington,
Eisenhower, and Patton. The book
portrays him as a very strict man who demanded much of those under his command,
but this was probably what made him the general that he was, the only U.S. army
officer to be commissioned General of the Armies during his lifetime. Incidentally, George Washington is the only
other person to also be commissioned General of the Armies, but he was done so
150 years posthumously.
I found “Pershing” to be interesting, especially for a
person who normally prefers fiction.
There were moments when it got a little slow and dry, but that is to be
expected. I did not have too much of a
problem with some of the other complaints of General Pershing being described
as harsh in one moment and a kind and good person in a different
situation. To me, General Pershing came
across as being well compartmentalized in what he did, separating work from
family life and from social life. I don’t
think anyone’s perfect, so I do think it’s plausible for a good person to still
have flaws and personal struggles. It
was really impressive to me to read about all the things that Pershing
accomplished and did as a General, which I believe saved millions of soldiers
lives. I think he is definitely a General
worthy of respect and honor and more people should read this book to understand
the history of the U.S. better, because he had such a profound impact on how
the military operates and functions today, as well as the outcome of WWI and
other wars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free
from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com>
book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review.
The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>
: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Living Life Day By Day
Nathan is now 19 1/2 months old! He is running, jumping, climbing, and talking. He loves drinking "mkkk", sleeps with his green "pablow" (pillow) and white "eye-ger" (tiger), and copies everything his big brother does. He eats everything in sight and can literally eat all day!
Michael has discovered Nutella and loves eating a "chocolate samwich" everyday. Of course, "pasghetti" is still a staple, too. He also loves playing with his warthog and "niceroscerous". I've been teaching him how to play the piano, so he can play a "C-scale" with both hands, as well as "There was a Catepillar" to the tune of "99 bottles of ...." He does require rewards, so he's working towards earning a "Chesso Bernouli" (from Cars 2). He loves writing his letters and numbers and can count up to 100! I'm so proud of him :-). My mom, a former science teacher, has also taught him how to build a double helix with a little model she has, which he knows is a DNA ladder!
Both boys also loving jumping on Mommy & Daddy's bed. Michael assigns all of us an animal. He's usually a zebra or buffalo! Nathan just loves crashing face-forward onto the bed.
I've been training for my first 5K with my friend Elizabeth Valdes. Considering the fact that I've never run more than 10 minutes at a time in my entire life, this is a pretty big deal for me. Of course, it took 28 minutes to run 2.4 miles - I guess I won't be at goal for the race (30 minutes to run 5K), but that's ok - I'll keep exercising and maybe next time I'll be fitter and faster.
Of course, I say that, but we'll be trying for a baby girl in about a month! I think Michael & Nathan would really love a baby sister :-). Well, Michael certainly. We took him to visit his baby cousin Abigail after she was born. The boy loooved her and wanted to hold her all weekend long.
Oh, and by the way, here's the Noah's Ark Baby Blanket I made for Abigail. It took me a solid month of crochetting 2 hours a night! And even though I didn't have a pattern for the Ark, animals, clowd, or sun/rainbow, and just free-handed it, I was really happy with how it all turned out. Now, why can't I find some more time to crochet a fun blanket for my own sons?!?
My last pictures today are to celebrate the cuteness of my sweet sons!
Michael has discovered Nutella and loves eating a "chocolate samwich" everyday. Of course, "pasghetti" is still a staple, too. He also loves playing with his warthog and "niceroscerous". I've been teaching him how to play the piano, so he can play a "C-scale" with both hands, as well as "There was a Catepillar" to the tune of "99 bottles of ...." He does require rewards, so he's working towards earning a "Chesso Bernouli" (from Cars 2). He loves writing his letters and numbers and can count up to 100! I'm so proud of him :-). My mom, a former science teacher, has also taught him how to build a double helix with a little model she has, which he knows is a DNA ladder!
Both boys also loving jumping on Mommy & Daddy's bed. Michael assigns all of us an animal. He's usually a zebra or buffalo! Nathan just loves crashing face-forward onto the bed.
I've been training for my first 5K with my friend Elizabeth Valdes. Considering the fact that I've never run more than 10 minutes at a time in my entire life, this is a pretty big deal for me. Of course, it took 28 minutes to run 2.4 miles - I guess I won't be at goal for the race (30 minutes to run 5K), but that's ok - I'll keep exercising and maybe next time I'll be fitter and faster.
Of course, I say that, but we'll be trying for a baby girl in about a month! I think Michael & Nathan would really love a baby sister :-). Well, Michael certainly. We took him to visit his baby cousin Abigail after she was born. The boy loooved her and wanted to hold her all weekend long.
Even when he refused to take a nap on Day #2, he still desparately wanted to hold her that he endured the exhaustion and insisted on holding her.
On the drive up to Austin, I managed to get a few pictures of the boys in bluebonnets. Of course, this has only made me want a faster, nicer camera and learn how to do some "real" photography. In my spare time, eh?
Oh, and by the way, here's the Noah's Ark Baby Blanket I made for Abigail. It took me a solid month of crochetting 2 hours a night! And even though I didn't have a pattern for the Ark, animals, clowd, or sun/rainbow, and just free-handed it, I was really happy with how it all turned out. Now, why can't I find some more time to crochet a fun blanket for my own sons?!?
Eric and I finally got a Costco membership today! We're very excited about it. I think the 2 gallons of milk that we go through per week, plus the gas, will pay for our membership in less than half a year! Woohoo! :-)
My last pictures today are to celebrate the cuteness of my sweet sons!
Here they chase each other in circles and end in hugs!
Nathan thought it was pretty fun to wear this grapefruit skin on his head.
And if it fell off, he'd request it back on.
A favorite new toy: Empty Plastic Boxes!
Yes, I think my sons are adorable!
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