Bowling

Last weekend we went out bowling with my cousin Ashley and her boyfriend Zach, and a newly married couple that just joined the church, Katie and Josh. We had a lot of fun, though I had way too many gutter balls. Really though, I did....

I always try to not think about how many people's germs are in the shoes.... or how it smells like a locker room.... Yet, it is just fun to be your own entertainment and interact with people. I just don't think that our society does that much anymore. We'd rather watch a movie...

Anyway, here's a few shots from the night. Don't laugh at our form now!

        

Justin's Birthday!

Today is Justin's birthday!! We started sending messages to each other when I had some leftover sidewalk chalk, and here is what Justin's message today looks like:

I do so love my hubby!!!

The Guide: Colossians and Philemon

Since I finished reading through the Bible last year (I've done it on the even years since 2000), I wanted to get to study one book in-depth. I love reading through the Bible, but one just doesn't have the time to go very deep when you have five chapters to read every night. So I ordered this book- The Guide: Colossians and Philemon by Michael Bentley. And I really, really like it! It just takes 2-5 verses at a time, and explains them completely. Not only that, it give you cross references to other passages that deal with the same theme and concepts. I'm enjoying it because it's making me spend some more time studying.

Colossians 2: 9-10 says, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

In The Guide, the author uses the following for this point, and it really spoke to me:

"One commentator illustrates this by saying that one day he stood beside the vast Pacific Ocean. He had a small glass jar in his hand and stopped to fill it with some of the water from the ocean. When he held it up, it was full of sea water even though he did not have the fulness of the Pacific Ocean in his jar. He says, 'Thinking of Christ, we realize that because he is infinite, he can hold all the fulness of Deity. And whenever one of us finite creatures dips the tiny vessel of our life into him, we instantly become full of his fulness.' "

You can buy it at http://www.christianbook.com/ !

Happy New Year!

2011!

It just seems so crazy.... time is flying this school year. I am continually grateful that I have such a great class this year, otherwise everything else with school and my master's would be so much more stressful.

I finished last semester with 4.0. I'm pretty proud of myself considering that it was 16 credits and I was working full time. I think I am going to apply for graduation speaker too.... but that means that I need to come up with something really good.

We went to Justin's parents over Christmas. It was nice to see everyone and it even snowed, which we would never get in CA over Christmas! His parents have been working on renovating their house, and it is really coming together nicely.

I read "The Hunger Games" series AGAIN!! It is just so good. Everyone should go read it. I also read "The Devil's Arithmetic" and "Number the Stars," both historical fiction of the Holocaust era. And "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. Oh, and "One Child," which by a teacher who had special needs class with a emotionally disturbed and abused child. It was very good and reminded me of how as a teacher I can't always see what is behind a child's behavior, but must do my best to reach out to each one. On that note, I bought "Stand and Deliver," a movie about teaching, and watched it again too. Such inspiration!!!

That's all for this catch-up post. I'll really try to be better about posting, but no promises....