I sure have had writers block lately. I haven’t known quite what to post on, and with new hobbies at home and new projects at work, there isn’t much time to develop anything that interesting. I have been working on something though that I hope to start tomorrow. . .but I better wait and see if I get my ducks in a row before I announce anything.

My DD and DS are out of town this week on their first mission trip with the church youth group. I had hoped to post some pictures here for my most loyal readers (hi Mom and Dad), but I can’t quite get the pictures off the youth group site like I had hoped. Anyway, kids are several states away and DH and I find ourselves with some VERY blessed alone time this week, which has lead to many nice motorcyle rides. The past couple of nights our rides have lead to dinner. Monday at Joe’s Crab Shack and last night to Rock Bottom Brewery, both establishments are fantastic places to enjoy with a loved one by the way. Beer and a bucket of crab legs. . .can the week possibly get any better than that?

My mom bought me a copy of this book and said I just had to read it.  As usual, Mom was right!  This book is amazing, and it is right up there with Randy Alcorn’s books on the same theme.  I was drawn to Randy Alcorn’s books after my first reading of Deadline.  Randy is a Christian author who takes what I have found to be a somewhat unique perspective on Heaven.  None of us knows for sure what Heaven will be like, but how many of us have really considered what it may be like?  Revelation reveals to us what the end of this Earth will be like, but does it really explain what Heaven will be like before the end times?  After the end times?   I can’t answer that, but I have learned from Randy that challenging preconceived ideas of Heaven can be a rewarding exercise that usually brings me to a deeper appreciation for the God of the universe.  Like Randy Alcorn did with Heaven, William P. Young has also encouraged me to go back to scripture to check out his assumptions, and mine, about who God is and what he expects.

So while I may not agree with every idea William P. Young puts forth in his book, I think that it is a very good book for adults to read.  I think that people who will read this book, and then go back to scripture and look for answers to questions that it will raise will really enjoy it and get a lot out of it.  I am even going to encourage my DD to read this book, as I think she has a deep enough theological basis to read it from.  But be warned, some of the ideas in this book are not traditional.  I believe that the main point of the book is very scripturally sound and is therefore good for instruction and has redemptive value. 

One more word of caution;  have plenty of tissue handy.

So DD and I (and a couple of days DS too) spent last week volunteering as “Crew Guides” for the Vacation Bible School program at our church. For the most part it was a lot of singing, listening to Bible stories and doing cute crafts. We also had a community focus this year, and we got to see our Mayor and even got to meet one of our town’s firefighters, which was a huge hit with the kids.

It was during our Question and Answer time with our local firefighter that I was reminded of how hilarious kids can be. The Question and Answer went something like this:

Church Boy: What do you do when you get to a house and you break down the door and go in and see all the people with their shirts nailed to the ceiling?

Firefighter: Ahhhh, what do you mean? I have never seen that.

Church Boy: Well, you know, in a fire the best air is up high, so the family would be there.

Firefighter: NO, the best air is down near the floor, in a fire, crawl on the floor and do not stand up.

Church Boy: (long pause) Snakes are lucky.

Folks, you can’t pay for that kind of humor!   I don’t know if this story translates well via blog, but let me tell you that the retelling of this story has caused hours of laughter for DD, DS and I.  If you haven’t volunteered with kids lately, it may just do you some good.

I am going to quit taking myself too seriously, instead I am going to be silly and embarass my children and learn to really live.

I am going to quit looking over my shoulder to see who may be watching me and instead live my life and make my decisions based on what I think.

I am going to quit always looking forward to tomorrow to better, more fun, more perfect, and instead marvel at the glory of today.

I am going to quit eating like there is no tomorrow and dieting like I need to loose 50 pounds.  I am going to eat in moderation and exercise to make up the difference.

I am going to quit going home to sit on my sofa and watch the fascinating lives of those people on TV who will never be like me or have a life like mine.  I am going to start spending more time with people I know and care about.

I am going to quit putting God last and wondering why He always feels so far away.  I am going to start putting Him first again and then marvel at the relationship that develops.

Today is Monday, and I am gonna quit writing and get out and live!

I did something last night that I have never done before, as a reward to myself for two weeks without a cigarette. I got a message! I haven’t done this before because to be honest it has always seemed sort of extravagent to me, but I have been saving a first time special price coupon for a couple of months just waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it.

I went to a place called Message Envy, and they still have the coupon available for first time visitors. They have many locations in many states, so have a look to see if there is one by you.  A word of warning, they will try to sell you on their monthly membership when you are done, but that wasn’t a bit deal and a polite not today was enough.  Regular price is $78 for an hour, but with the first time coupon this is a treat you should try if you can.

From the soft music, to the dim lighting, everything you need to relax is provided, and everything is done to your comfort level.  Beverages are offered, soft meditation type music plays over the speakers in the building, the therapist talks softly if at all and the bed and blankets are warm and inviting.  I was worried that the 50 minutes would go by slowly, but it was over before I knew it and I felt relaxed and comfortable.  Unfortunately, it helped me sleep so deeply that I overslept this morning for the first time in years, but it was worth it!

While a monthly membership may be much too extravagant, I can certainly see myself asking my family for this nice perk once a year on birthdays or something. . .or saving up just a bit myself for the chance to go once a year!

I was a smoker. I smoked on and off for about 12 years, and have decided that I will no longer be a smoker. I have cowered in shame in my garage and hid from my friends at church and even my family members because I was ashamed of my habit. Wisdom has finally come and I have decided that I will no longer live that life.

I do not stand in any kind of judgement of others, but for me, I must quit and move on with my life in a much more healthy pursuit. I want to be healthy. I want to be around for my kids as much as it is in my power to do so, so I am quitting.

It has only been 6 days and about 18 hours since my last cigarette, so I really do have a long way to go, but I will do it. I ran into withdrawl symptoms yesterday that I did not anticipate because I have been weening myself for months, but that will not deter me either (although. . .the past 48 hours has been the worst by far).

If you are a regular here, or a family member, keep me in your thoughts and prayers for the next few days if you can. It is challenging. . .but I will do it. . in God’s power I will not smoke again.

I may have created a monster this past weekend by taking my DD to New York City; she loved it.

We saw some shows:

Saw some sites:

Did some shopping:

And now she is hooked, wants to go back, and wants to live there. What have I done? I am kidding, sort of. We had a great couple of days in New York City and have a great drive there as well. I am so glad we did this!  Even though we drove, which was long, it was a great opportunity to talk and share and see a few really pretty states.  If you only get a chance to do weekend road trips with your kids this summer. . .DO IT!

I love pasta salad.  Well, actually, I love all salads.  My friends know of this passion of mine, and so I am always the dedicated salad girl. And I must say, that of all the recipes I have tried, I make the same two salads most often.

My favorite pasta salad, and the one that I make the most often is one I saw a while back on the Food Network’s Everyday Italian show. The dressing for this is more like pesto than your average Italian Dressing based salad, and it is just delicious. I can’t recommend this recipe enough.  I tend to add some things like green olives and other veggies that I have on hand, and you can certainly make this one your own too.  My advice though, do not skip the smoked turkey or the fresh cheese in this dish.  I know both are expensive, which is why I only make it on special occasions, but this combination is really out of this world.  Here is the recipe for Antipasto Salad.

The second pasta salad recipe that I regularly make is like this Springtime Pasta Salad, except I make a couple of modifications.  I always add at least half a packet of Italian Dressing seasoning and a squeeze of bottled Italian Dressing for flavor.  I also always add tomatoes and some parmesan cheese in addtion to using whole wheat noodles.

Try them both if you can and let me know what you think.

DD, my mom, and I are all headed to NYC for the weekend!  I am so excited.  I haven’t been since moving away from that area over 10 years ago now.  We are headed to Broadway to see a show for sure, the rest is still being decided.  With the cost of airplane tickets, it will actually be cheaper for us to drive, so it is a road trip for us.  Besides, getting there is half the fun anyway.  I LOVE to drive, especially from state to state.  I get such a sense of accomplishment and adventure from driving long distances.  I also really enjoy stopping along the way to eat and see the local sights, you know, be part of a bigger picture.

We will be going to see the show Curtains while we are in NYC.  My DD also wants to see Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, do some 5th Ave shopping, visit Times Square, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art .  I am hoping to get to the New York Public Library, as that is the one site I have not seen yet and I want to see the lions.  I would also like to go back to South Street Seaport, as this was a favorite spot for us to visit and take family and friends when we lived in NJ.  It is a big list and we will really only be there 2 days. . .so we will be doing much walking and quickly taking some photo ops before moving on to our next destination.  However, it will be fun and I can’t wait to share this experience with DD.

NYC. . .he we come. . .

Ok, so it is not much fun, but we girls had to jump one of our cars today, and not a one of us really knew how.  We had all seen it done before, but that didn’t seem like enough information to do it.  So being the tech nut of the group, I googled it and found this site.  Not only are there printable instructions, but a nice little video too. 

We have all now printed out a copy of this article and placed it with our cables for next time. . happy driving!