So a lot of you may have followed the general facebook updates about Erik's surgery. If so, you know he's doing okay. :) The day of the surgery was pretty up and down because the surgery itself went as well as can be expected but Erik went into an irregular heartbeat later in the day and that really bummed him out. That's what the surgery is supposed to fix, but since his heart just got burned, it's susceptible to going irregular in the first few months.
If you don't really understand it all, that's okay!! It's a complicated thing. It was funny because the doctor said he'd sometimes rather be doing angioplasties so he could simply come out after a surgery and said, Yep, we opened the clogged artery, end of story. The electrical map of the heart gets more complicated and harder to explain.
Anyhoo, all that to say, we're on the road to recovery. :) Emotional ups and downs, but we will make it through. It's made me once again realize how important it is to have friends surrounding you. A lot of times Wednesday, I felt like I was just existing, and the only thing I could do was rely on people around me. So if you ever know someone going through a rough patch, offer to make them dinner, bring them flowers, write them a note, let them know you care... I know it helps!!!!
Right now I'm listening to a friend of ours give us a preview of his band's original songs and I like the songs a lot! We're getting the acoustic version (Erik and I at our house - yay!); the actual song is with electric guitar, drums, and all that. The band is called Catylyst. Our buddy is Danny Ebling and their website is http://www.facebook.com/catylyst. They just started recently but looks like things are coming along nicely for them, which is awesome to hear! They are heading into the studio tomorrow to record two songs (the ones we just heard).
Easter weekend. Yay! What a special celebration. :) I love the hope we celebrate. Such wonder! Thank you, Lord, for your beauty and grace and the redeeming power You gave to us to many years ago! It's wonderful to be with family and celebrate. We're hoping to head over to see Erik's family, but it will be dependent on how he feels tomorrow. (Our plan today has been rest, rest, rest!)
Have a wonderful Easter with your family!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
one day left
My life will change completely tomorrow.
Wow.
Tomorrow Erik goes in for heart surgery, and it's a surgery that will completely change our lives. Again... wow. I'm SO excited to see how Erik's body responds to having his heart fixed. I believe he'll actually be able to sleep for 7-8 hours straight again. He'll be able to walk up stairs as a normal person without taking a break to catch his breath. He'll be able to run with Tucker outside without his heart going into an irregular beat!
His family is coming over tonight for dinner so I need to figure out a filling recipe for our homemade ravioli (it's delicious!). I need to pack my things so I have everything I'll need for tomorrow/Thursday morning. I'm a little nervous about the unknown, and I think Erik is as well, but more than anything, we just want to walk this out!
I'm looking forward to the day when I can change my blog title. I started this when Brian was in his last days on earth. I stayed in the middle of the storm as I grieved for Brian and then watched the symptoms in Erik's body get worse. I believe God will use this surgery to completely revamp Erik's body! He and I will soon be out from the middle of the storm!!
Lord, You've been with me and my family throughout this past year. Please hold me and Erik over these next few days and help our trust in You to be deepened as we see You manifest in our lives.
It helps to write out prayers for me some times. :-) Anyhoo, I'll try to post something soon after the surgery. I will have updates on facebook as well (or at least that's the plan). It will go supernaturally well.
Okay, off to finish out my day!
Wow.
Tomorrow Erik goes in for heart surgery, and it's a surgery that will completely change our lives. Again... wow. I'm SO excited to see how Erik's body responds to having his heart fixed. I believe he'll actually be able to sleep for 7-8 hours straight again. He'll be able to walk up stairs as a normal person without taking a break to catch his breath. He'll be able to run with Tucker outside without his heart going into an irregular beat!
His family is coming over tonight for dinner so I need to figure out a filling recipe for our homemade ravioli (it's delicious!). I need to pack my things so I have everything I'll need for tomorrow/Thursday morning. I'm a little nervous about the unknown, and I think Erik is as well, but more than anything, we just want to walk this out!
I'm looking forward to the day when I can change my blog title. I started this when Brian was in his last days on earth. I stayed in the middle of the storm as I grieved for Brian and then watched the symptoms in Erik's body get worse. I believe God will use this surgery to completely revamp Erik's body! He and I will soon be out from the middle of the storm!!
Lord, You've been with me and my family throughout this past year. Please hold me and Erik over these next few days and help our trust in You to be deepened as we see You manifest in our lives.
It helps to write out prayers for me some times. :-) Anyhoo, I'll try to post something soon after the surgery. I will have updates on facebook as well (or at least that's the plan). It will go supernaturally well.
Okay, off to finish out my day!
Friday, March 19, 2010
me in a movie?
So I had a super interesting day yesterday. I decided to take my office mobile and go to the set of a movie filming in Minneapolis (near the MOA) and be a movie extra! I've always been interested in the "behind-the-scenes" aspect of pretty much anything related to movies, music, TV, theater... not sure why, I simply find it fascinating.
I heard about a movie that was filming with some relatively well-known actors and that they were looking for extras. I figured, hey! I've always wanted to see what a movie set looks like, so why not go? And it was a loooooooong day, but I was super glad I did it and had a bunch of fun being there. :) They prepared us for a long day of "hurry up and wait" and it was exactly that, but it was worth it to be able to go to "hair and make-up" and go to "wardrobe" (they didn't start from scratch, just improved what you already had!) and watch the production assistants run around dealing with the changes that were constantly coming from the movie set.
We (the extras) got to peek in on one scene while we were eating (it was filming down the hall from where we were) and then I was a part of the banquet scene. They warn you that you probably won't make it on camera and if you do, it may eventually get cut, so don't plan on it happening. I was probably off camera and won't be in the scene, but it was a blast to be a part of it. :)
Oh and I don't know much about the movie; it's about a guy hunting for a rare violin or something like that. The part I was in was in a hotel. Since I'm pretty careful about the movies I see, I may not even go see it when it does come out! But if I do see it, I'll be able to say, "I talked to that girl" or "I remember her!" or "He sat at my table!"
On a completely different note, Erik is going in for surgery on March 31st. It's a low-risk heart surgery called an ablation where they will go in an burn the ends of some of the veins that are going into the top of his heart. That will cause the electrical currents to stop coming through them and tripping his heart into an irregular heartbeat. It will be a morning surgery, he'll be in the hospital overnight, and recovery will happen over the next few days. It will take a couple months for his heart to fully feel the effects of the surgery, but his body will recover quickly. He'll be back to work that Monday. (the surgery is on a Wed)
Ideally, this will completely stop the irregular heartbeats he sometimes get and it will stop his stress that he'll go into an irregular heartbeat... and who knows what else it will solve! I'd appreciate prayers for Erik and I to have peace as we walk through this and hope that this will be the solution to the variety of health problems he's been facing. And if it doesn't quite naturally solve everything, that it will bite off a good chunk of them and bring Erik the hope of "a light at the end of the tunnel." It's going to be a good thing. Oh and he said I'll be posting facebook updates throughout the day on his facebook so you'll probably be hearing from me throughout the day. Especially since I'll get to wait for four plus hours as the surgery gets done... I'll have some time to do something. My parents will be there and Erik's family as well.
I "discovered" a few interesting things recently: first of all, I don't want to ever use Brian as a crutch for how I live my life-particularly as time goes on. For example, three years down the road, I don't want to be saying, "Well, I can't do that because my brother died" or "You should feel sorry for me because my brother died." I'm glad I realized that now because I can make a point to keep healing and working through the various thoughts I have regarding that.
My second thought I discovered: the biggest healing right now for me (and maybe other people in my family? I'm not sure) is learning how to trust prayer again. I know the right answer of course, but after seeing so much prayer go up for Brian and not seeing them get answered like we thought they should, it's hard to understand. I don't have the answer and I know no one does. All I can do is ask for God's help in restoring my mental trust in the whole process of prayer. I'm pretty sure my heart trust is there, but my mind is speaking pretty loudly about it. It will come, I know, but that's a hurdle right now.
For some reason, it helps to "confess" that or simply write about it. It's really a God-thing that right now the song "Healer" is playing in the background.... :-) Heh heh just a reminder that God is amazing.
Well, dinner's on the grill, Erik's figuring out stuff for the first wedding he's performing (yay!!), and Tuck is getting some shut-eye. Love and hugs~ thanks for your support. :-)
I heard about a movie that was filming with some relatively well-known actors and that they were looking for extras. I figured, hey! I've always wanted to see what a movie set looks like, so why not go? And it was a loooooooong day, but I was super glad I did it and had a bunch of fun being there. :) They prepared us for a long day of "hurry up and wait" and it was exactly that, but it was worth it to be able to go to "hair and make-up" and go to "wardrobe" (they didn't start from scratch, just improved what you already had!) and watch the production assistants run around dealing with the changes that were constantly coming from the movie set.
We (the extras) got to peek in on one scene while we were eating (it was filming down the hall from where we were) and then I was a part of the banquet scene. They warn you that you probably won't make it on camera and if you do, it may eventually get cut, so don't plan on it happening. I was probably off camera and won't be in the scene, but it was a blast to be a part of it. :)
Oh and I don't know much about the movie; it's about a guy hunting for a rare violin or something like that. The part I was in was in a hotel. Since I'm pretty careful about the movies I see, I may not even go see it when it does come out! But if I do see it, I'll be able to say, "I talked to that girl" or "I remember her!" or "He sat at my table!"
On a completely different note, Erik is going in for surgery on March 31st. It's a low-risk heart surgery called an ablation where they will go in an burn the ends of some of the veins that are going into the top of his heart. That will cause the electrical currents to stop coming through them and tripping his heart into an irregular heartbeat. It will be a morning surgery, he'll be in the hospital overnight, and recovery will happen over the next few days. It will take a couple months for his heart to fully feel the effects of the surgery, but his body will recover quickly. He'll be back to work that Monday. (the surgery is on a Wed)
Ideally, this will completely stop the irregular heartbeats he sometimes get and it will stop his stress that he'll go into an irregular heartbeat... and who knows what else it will solve! I'd appreciate prayers for Erik and I to have peace as we walk through this and hope that this will be the solution to the variety of health problems he's been facing. And if it doesn't quite naturally solve everything, that it will bite off a good chunk of them and bring Erik the hope of "a light at the end of the tunnel." It's going to be a good thing. Oh and he said I'll be posting facebook updates throughout the day on his facebook so you'll probably be hearing from me throughout the day. Especially since I'll get to wait for four plus hours as the surgery gets done... I'll have some time to do something. My parents will be there and Erik's family as well.
I "discovered" a few interesting things recently: first of all, I don't want to ever use Brian as a crutch for how I live my life-particularly as time goes on. For example, three years down the road, I don't want to be saying, "Well, I can't do that because my brother died" or "You should feel sorry for me because my brother died." I'm glad I realized that now because I can make a point to keep healing and working through the various thoughts I have regarding that.
My second thought I discovered: the biggest healing right now for me (and maybe other people in my family? I'm not sure) is learning how to trust prayer again. I know the right answer of course, but after seeing so much prayer go up for Brian and not seeing them get answered like we thought they should, it's hard to understand. I don't have the answer and I know no one does. All I can do is ask for God's help in restoring my mental trust in the whole process of prayer. I'm pretty sure my heart trust is there, but my mind is speaking pretty loudly about it. It will come, I know, but that's a hurdle right now.
For some reason, it helps to "confess" that or simply write about it. It's really a God-thing that right now the song "Healer" is playing in the background.... :-) Heh heh just a reminder that God is amazing.
Well, dinner's on the grill, Erik's figuring out stuff for the first wedding he's performing (yay!!), and Tuck is getting some shut-eye. Love and hugs~ thanks for your support. :-)
Monday, March 8, 2010
One Year Later
fHey Everyone,
I'm writing from sunny Florida today! Erik and I are celebrating our one year anniversary down here and having a wonderful time. I'm writing with the touch of sun on my cheeks after an afternoon at the beach, getting ready to go eat with my relatives whose vacation happens to coincide with ours!
Good news! My writing for a second book to contribute to got accepted! They also asked for one more, so three of my stories will be published in the book "Heavenly Humor for the Chocolate Lover's Soul." Along with that, I'm excited because I included the url to this blog in my bio, so if people are curious and like what they read, they can come find out more about me and my writings on this page. So you might see more stuff pop up on this blog as I get it ready for random people to view it!!! :-)
Oh I have more thoughts to add from my book idea Everything I Ever Needed to Know About God, I Learned From My Dog. (I need to work on shortening that title...)
Erik and I are looking forward to this new year of marriage. We're already saying, this next year will be the best one of our lives.
All for now. Hugs~
I'm writing from sunny Florida today! Erik and I are celebrating our one year anniversary down here and having a wonderful time. I'm writing with the touch of sun on my cheeks after an afternoon at the beach, getting ready to go eat with my relatives whose vacation happens to coincide with ours!
Good news! My writing for a second book to contribute to got accepted! They also asked for one more, so three of my stories will be published in the book "Heavenly Humor for the Chocolate Lover's Soul." Along with that, I'm excited because I included the url to this blog in my bio, so if people are curious and like what they read, they can come find out more about me and my writings on this page. So you might see more stuff pop up on this blog as I get it ready for random people to view it!!! :-)
Oh I have more thoughts to add from my book idea Everything I Ever Needed to Know About God, I Learned From My Dog. (I need to work on shortening that title...)
Erik and I are looking forward to this new year of marriage. We're already saying, this next year will be the best one of our lives.
All for now. Hugs~
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Writing update!
Hi everyone!
So I have super cool news! This spring, I have five devotionals I wrote coming out in a book called Blissfully Blended (a compilation of many different devos/authors). I wrote the devos over a year ago and the book is close to being complete. I found it online:
http://barbourbooks.com/
If you download a sample (the read inside link), the first 25 devos are printed and mine is day 10!!!! (wow! I'm super happy about that!!!) I have four others that are going in the book.
I have the chance to be in another book for this company - Heavenly Humor for the Chocolate Lover's Soul. I have to write two samples and then if they choose mine I could get published and maybe write more stories. I'll keep you posted and if they aren't chosen, I can always post them here for you to read. :)
Once these type of writing opportunities come around, it gets my mind thinking in that direction. I've tossed around this book title for a while: Everything I Need to Know About Life... I Learned From My Dog. Here's a glimpse of what would be inside:
1. Be persistent.
No matter how many times you push Tucker's paws off the counter, table, bed, or sofa, he always jumps back up again. No matter how many times you tell him "no, you can't have any of my dinner," he'll still push his nose up to your plate in hopes he can get a morsel or a lick of anything good. And if he sits still long enough and tilts his head just so, he can almost guarantee himself some type of treat or goodie. Life deserves that kind of persistence.
2. Be joyful.
No matter how long Erik and I leave Tucker in his cage, I have never once walked up to let him out and seen him sad, mad, or upset. His tail is always wagging when he knows he gets to come out and play. Plus, no matter how bleak or upsetting situations can get in life, we can always look to our dog and I guarantee we'll be smiling in moments. Their joyfulness is infectious... and ours should be too. Not because we can put on a fake smile, but because we have a deep joyfulness knowing what Jesus has done for us.
3. Love people.
Every time someone comes to our door, Tucker freaks out. He jumps on them, wags his whole behind (not just his tail!), and pants ecstatically as he welcomes them to our home. (Sorry to all those who have experienced it!) I'm certainly not recommending loving people to the extent that you freak them out or make them nervous, but always, always love people in a crazy, wonderful way, where they can't help but wonder where you get that kind of love. (Hint: it's from Jesus!)
4. Love your master.
Tucker knows Erik and I. As his masters, he loves being by us and cuddling with us. Every time he sees us, he gets happy. We should be the same with our Master and Lord, God.
5. Mark your territory.
Tucker is 10 months old. Since he could barely walk, he instinctively marked his territory wherever he went. I usually roll my eyes and groan, but one morning I took notice as he marked almost every driveway, sidewalk, mailbox, and stake in the ground he went by. He wants people to know where he's been. How much more should we do that as Christians? We should leave a recognizable mark behind in every place we've been: lives changed, new souls for the kingdoms, attitudes reversed.
I'm sure I can come up with more as I watch and learn from my 10-month old puppy. For now, I better go make dinner.
Smiles all around. :-)
So I have super cool news! This spring, I have five devotionals I wrote coming out in a book called Blissfully Blended (a compilation of many different devos/authors). I wrote the devos over a year ago and the book is close to being complete. I found it online:
http://barbourbooks.com/
If you download a sample (the read inside link), the first 25 devos are printed and mine is day 10!!!! (wow! I'm super happy about that!!!) I have four others that are going in the book.
I have the chance to be in another book for this company - Heavenly Humor for the Chocolate Lover's Soul. I have to write two samples and then if they choose mine I could get published and maybe write more stories. I'll keep you posted and if they aren't chosen, I can always post them here for you to read. :)
Once these type of writing opportunities come around, it gets my mind thinking in that direction. I've tossed around this book title for a while: Everything I Need to Know About Life... I Learned From My Dog. Here's a glimpse of what would be inside:
1. Be persistent.
No matter how many times you push Tucker's paws off the counter, table, bed, or sofa, he always jumps back up again. No matter how many times you tell him "no, you can't have any of my dinner," he'll still push his nose up to your plate in hopes he can get a morsel or a lick of anything good. And if he sits still long enough and tilts his head just so, he can almost guarantee himself some type of treat or goodie. Life deserves that kind of persistence.
2. Be joyful.
No matter how long Erik and I leave Tucker in his cage, I have never once walked up to let him out and seen him sad, mad, or upset. His tail is always wagging when he knows he gets to come out and play. Plus, no matter how bleak or upsetting situations can get in life, we can always look to our dog and I guarantee we'll be smiling in moments. Their joyfulness is infectious... and ours should be too. Not because we can put on a fake smile, but because we have a deep joyfulness knowing what Jesus has done for us.
3. Love people.
Every time someone comes to our door, Tucker freaks out. He jumps on them, wags his whole behind (not just his tail!), and pants ecstatically as he welcomes them to our home. (Sorry to all those who have experienced it!) I'm certainly not recommending loving people to the extent that you freak them out or make them nervous, but always, always love people in a crazy, wonderful way, where they can't help but wonder where you get that kind of love. (Hint: it's from Jesus!)
4. Love your master.
Tucker knows Erik and I. As his masters, he loves being by us and cuddling with us. Every time he sees us, he gets happy. We should be the same with our Master and Lord, God.
5. Mark your territory.
Tucker is 10 months old. Since he could barely walk, he instinctively marked his territory wherever he went. I usually roll my eyes and groan, but one morning I took notice as he marked almost every driveway, sidewalk, mailbox, and stake in the ground he went by. He wants people to know where he's been. How much more should we do that as Christians? We should leave a recognizable mark behind in every place we've been: lives changed, new souls for the kingdoms, attitudes reversed.
I'm sure I can come up with more as I watch and learn from my 10-month old puppy. For now, I better go make dinner.
Smiles all around. :-)
Monday, January 25, 2010
prayer
Hi everyone,
It's been a while since I posted. I know you've all been on pins and needles just waiting for me to speak (just kidding!)... so here I am. :)
It's been an up and down month. Erik and I have been fasting meats and veggies... not extremely fun, but definitely good for us! Tonight was our break the fast night (although yes, we were a little flexible this past weekend given everything that went on) and we had fun - date night with flowers (yay for a wonderful hubby!), dinner at Red Robin, and movie. We saw Tooth Fairy - a pretty decent family movie. Kinda silly since it's all about the tooth fairy, but fun. :)
My family and I are doing okay. Cristina's birthday was 1/22 and that was emotional, but she has a good support system in place to help bring a spark in her day. All of us definitely have had our moments of missing Brian; it's fun to remember him as we do things he liked.
I do have a prayer request. I mentioned some of Erik's health issues a little while ago. He's been through the first medicine option for his heart and it seems like it fixed the heart part, but did have some side effects. We just started a second medicine option and we believe it will fix the heart things as well, but with limited side effects. I'll keep you posted as we find out results.
My prayer request is for strength for Erik and more than anything, hope. He's been bombarded with physical symptoms and sicknesses over and over, new ways, different things, and he's getting tired because nothing seems to be going away and everything is piling on top of each other. It's hard to watch and I don't know how to help. I'd appreciate prayers for grace, wisdom, and hope to make it through this season and see God's victory of healing manifest in Erik's life.
Thanks. I appreciate it. This is where it's nice to have a blog because I can write out the truth and be reminded of the reality of it: God is good. He is faithful. His healing power is a reality. Erik and his family were prayed over by a great evangelist this past weekend and I fully believe God is working to restore their bodies. God's not going to leave us in the dark on how to access Him. He will provide each step of the way. I know He is with us. I don't always "feel" him, but that doesn't matter. He is still here, present, working in our lives.
I do love Him. Jesus, you are my hope, my life, my love.
It's been a while since I posted. I know you've all been on pins and needles just waiting for me to speak (just kidding!)... so here I am. :)
It's been an up and down month. Erik and I have been fasting meats and veggies... not extremely fun, but definitely good for us! Tonight was our break the fast night (although yes, we were a little flexible this past weekend given everything that went on) and we had fun - date night with flowers (yay for a wonderful hubby!), dinner at Red Robin, and movie. We saw Tooth Fairy - a pretty decent family movie. Kinda silly since it's all about the tooth fairy, but fun. :)
My family and I are doing okay. Cristina's birthday was 1/22 and that was emotional, but she has a good support system in place to help bring a spark in her day. All of us definitely have had our moments of missing Brian; it's fun to remember him as we do things he liked.
I do have a prayer request. I mentioned some of Erik's health issues a little while ago. He's been through the first medicine option for his heart and it seems like it fixed the heart part, but did have some side effects. We just started a second medicine option and we believe it will fix the heart things as well, but with limited side effects. I'll keep you posted as we find out results.
My prayer request is for strength for Erik and more than anything, hope. He's been bombarded with physical symptoms and sicknesses over and over, new ways, different things, and he's getting tired because nothing seems to be going away and everything is piling on top of each other. It's hard to watch and I don't know how to help. I'd appreciate prayers for grace, wisdom, and hope to make it through this season and see God's victory of healing manifest in Erik's life.
Thanks. I appreciate it. This is where it's nice to have a blog because I can write out the truth and be reminded of the reality of it: God is good. He is faithful. His healing power is a reality. Erik and his family were prayed over by a great evangelist this past weekend and I fully believe God is working to restore their bodies. God's not going to leave us in the dark on how to access Him. He will provide each step of the way. I know He is with us. I don't always "feel" him, but that doesn't matter. He is still here, present, working in our lives.
I do love Him. Jesus, you are my hope, my life, my love.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
cain and abel
Happy Sunday everyone!
How's it going? The New Year is well underway and I hope it's treating you well. Little by little, my family is getting into the swing of things now that the holidays have passed . Cristina and the girls are safely home in Chicago. She was SO excited to be back home, partially because she's been living out of a suitcase for six months or so! From what I know, Angelica and Chloe (the older two) will be heading to pre-school from now until May and Cristina will fully enjoy being a stay-at-home mom. They are definitely quite the little munchkins, so I know she'll have fun (and always have a story!) as she raises them. Oh and my parents are getting some much deserved vacation/relaxation time in Florida - YAY!!!! So happy about that.
Yesterday I was reading Hebrews 11 and finally stopped to ponder something that had been bugging me a long time. It comes from Hebrews 11:4.
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh"
I've always read this verse and thought what did Abel believe? He simply had a better sacrifice than Cain. So I went back to Genesis 4:3-4.
"And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect."
Last night, I came to the conclusion that Abel believed that God deserved his best. I'm not sure if Adam had taught his sons to bring something particular to the Lord or not, but I think whether he had or not, Abel had faith that God was real and that God deserved his best.
You can come to your own conclusions; I just thought I'd share my take on those verses.
Anyway, I'm off to get ready for church and then a day of football and relaxation. Sounds nice. :) And yes, today we'll be cheering for the Green Bay Packers. We're a household with two allegiances right now. And for a moment, let's pretend all is well in our world and the Vikings and Green Bay Packers meet in a head-to-head game in the playoffs? I'm not sure who we would want to win!
I had a nice walk outside with Tucker this morning and God made me smile. That always brightens a day. May He make you smile today as well.
Hugs~
How's it going? The New Year is well underway and I hope it's treating you well. Little by little, my family is getting into the swing of things now that the holidays have passed . Cristina and the girls are safely home in Chicago. She was SO excited to be back home, partially because she's been living out of a suitcase for six months or so! From what I know, Angelica and Chloe (the older two) will be heading to pre-school from now until May and Cristina will fully enjoy being a stay-at-home mom. They are definitely quite the little munchkins, so I know she'll have fun (and always have a story!) as she raises them. Oh and my parents are getting some much deserved vacation/relaxation time in Florida - YAY!!!! So happy about that.
Yesterday I was reading Hebrews 11 and finally stopped to ponder something that had been bugging me a long time. It comes from Hebrews 11:4.
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh"
I've always read this verse and thought what did Abel believe? He simply had a better sacrifice than Cain. So I went back to Genesis 4:3-4.
"And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect."
Last night, I came to the conclusion that Abel believed that God deserved his best. I'm not sure if Adam had taught his sons to bring something particular to the Lord or not, but I think whether he had or not, Abel had faith that God was real and that God deserved his best.
You can come to your own conclusions; I just thought I'd share my take on those verses.
Anyway, I'm off to get ready for church and then a day of football and relaxation. Sounds nice. :) And yes, today we'll be cheering for the Green Bay Packers. We're a household with two allegiances right now. And for a moment, let's pretend all is well in our world and the Vikings and Green Bay Packers meet in a head-to-head game in the playoffs? I'm not sure who we would want to win!
I had a nice walk outside with Tucker this morning and God made me smile. That always brightens a day. May He make you smile today as well.
Hugs~
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