Blogs To Go (1.12.12)

Yes, it has been a while. I usually post a bunch of random links on FB, but I've decided the old-fashioned-and-a-little-more-work way is much better. (More traffic to my blog. Yes, I'm selfish. Muahahaha.)

10 Reasons Why Your Kids Might Think You're No Fun

Haiti's Slow Recovery (The Big Picture)

For All Those Who Worship Tim Tebow

It is Possible to Disagree Online and Not Be a Jerk

Fat Bottomed Girls Come Together Mash-up

Blogs-To-Go (6.30.11)

Don't Waste Your Life
Pastor John Piper, again, pleads with us not to waste our lives on the American Dream.


Below is the official music video for Lecrae's song Don't Waste Your Life created by Desiring God.

100 Best Movie Lines in 200 Seconds
I guessed "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," would be on there. It is. 


The Pain of Loneliness
Excellent article revealing how technology doesn't help us truly connect with others.
"Instead of meeting one person face-to-face, we send thousands of e-mails to hundreds of people. But the frantic nature of our online socializing is an attempt to numb the pain of loneliness."


Jesus Eats with His Enemies
Christians, we are called to love our enemies, because we were once God's enemies, and He has loved us immensely. (see Ephesians 2)


A or B
Wonderful post about all the choices us Jesus-lovin' Mommies have to make every...single...day.


Buzz and Woody as Tough Guys
If you love Toy Story (or all Disney-Pixar movies!) as much as I do, this will make you smile. 

Proverbs 31 Pushups

Today, I'm twenty-eight. (I figure if I spell it out, you won't be able to read the number.)

I don't feel old. I'm not really that old. I'm simply enjoying the "other" side of the twenties.

I can still get on the floor and back up again. I can jog. (Well, it's been a while. Not sure about that one.) I don't wear floral blouses and pull my pants right beneath my boobs. I have never been able to see, so glasses aren't new, and I still have all my teeth. Yeah, I'm totally still young.

Today, I also began working out. Again. This is seriously difficult. When? Where? How?

Plus, what are my motives? Get in shape for weddings I'm in? Get in shape to have more energy for my hubby and Caleb? Get in shape, so I don't scare off young children at the beach? Oh wait. All those should be secondary to: Get in shape to glorify the Lord with my body.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

I did 60 pushups, 100 crunches and 100 lunges/squats. (Notice, I didn't spell those numbers out.) Not too shabby for an out-of-shape-late-twenty-something-mom. Happy birthday to me! 

I'm going to have me some Proverbs 31 arms by September. "She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong." (Proverbs 31:17)

Blogs-To-Go (6.9.11)

The Truth About Hoarders
I've never seen the show, and I didn't realize this was such a harmful problem for people.

Celebrity Pastors
Great article on seven things to keep in mind in light of "celebrity pastors."

The Happiness of Holiness
Holiness is much more enjoyable than sin. I agree.

Poking fun at Nazis
I know it isn't PC, but I giggled.

Blogs-To-Go (6.3.11)

Oh, Pluralism.

Logic. Smogic. 

Considering Adoption?

The hubby and I are hoping to adopt the rest of our little ones, so this book will be purchased soon. 

"Getting to the Heart of Parenting"

I'm challenged by pretty much anything this guy or his brother Ted say or write. 

How to Make Strike-Anywhere Matches

These are hard to find, so maybe we'll make our own.

100 Web Apps
The best of the best apps for the Web. 

I know these Blogs-To-Go posts can be random, but random is fun. One can't be serious and solemn or funny and silly all the time. 

Goodbye, Baby Weight!

A mommy friend once told me, "It took you almost a year to get to the size you are now. Give yourself a year to get back down." Fair enough. I got pregnant. Gained weight over almost 10 months, and then lost only 1o-ish of it when Caleb was born. I have a good bit of "Baby Fluff" left to be rid of.


Also, I'm an extremist. I go from prideful to self-pitiful in no time, and lately, my weight has kept me on the pitiful end of the spectrum. I finally broke down and asked my hubby to help me. Neither of us are in the best shape of our lives, so both of us will benefit from this.

Recent Changes at Erven Manor

• Hubby's in charge of grocery shopping. (This means: lots of protein and veggies, and adiós to Nutella and breads and Hot Wings with skin and and apple juice and... Just typing that sentence made me sad.)
• Hubby dictates what I do at the gym. (This means: 3 days of weight training, 2 days of cardio and 1 day of yoga. Did I mention that I loathe weight training and love yoga? I enjoy weight lifting as I enjoy watching ugly paint dry.)
• Hubby dictates what I drink. (This means: I'm going to be sick of water. I mean...I'm going to be well hydrated.)

Allowing my husband to rule over these areas of my life for a while may make him sound like a dictator. It isn't like that. I've asked him to do this for me, because I am not exactly the most self-motivated person. 


However. If Caleb needs to sleep, no matter what it costs me, he's asleep. If my hubby says no, no matter what I lose, I obey him. (He's a reasonable guy. Trust me.) If I forget my reusable bags, I'm heading back to the car to get them. Mr. Erven made the point that I'll do whatever I need to do when it comes to what I'm convinced is important. He made me realize that I can be motivated and determined. I simply have to be convinced that the end result is far worthier than the temporary satisfaction. 


So, here I am on Day 1 of Goodbye, Baby Weight. This is me believing that the end result of healthiness and confidence is far more satisfying than Nutella or Zaxby's wings. No, really, Mrs. Erven. It's true. 


So far, so good. Mrs. Erven, it's not even 8am. Hey! Don't discourage me! I can do this, dang it!

The End of the World As We Know It?

And yes. I feel fine.

Perhaps I should write great and profound theological truths that contradict the conviction that today's the Rapture. In stead, I'll post an R.E.M. video, because this song is in my head.

Enjoy!

P.S. If today is the Rapture, then this is my last post. 

Read This Before You Die No. Seriously. Read that before you die.

Tornado Warning

Background: I'm terrified of a lot of things: spiders, too many people in one room, being looked at, centipedes, car accidents, being tortured, scorpions, and Mother Nature. No, I don't think of earth as a "Mother," but it's the easiest way to list tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes...without having to do it. (That was counter productive.)


At 4:15 this morning, we're hit by a serious thunderstorm. I'm up, out of bed, dressed, glasses, hair up in 1 minute. Off to check the weather online. Praise the Lord for laptops!


Tornado warning?! Everyone into the closet!


Caleb is four and a half months old and has only been woken up (purposely), maybe, twice. He looked completely dazed. 


Here were his thoughts on the matter: 
Wow. Mommy's here. It's too early to get up. Where are we going? Nice. These speakers are excellent. The thunderstorm on my iPhone sounds so realistic. Why are we in the closet? Am I really awake? Hey, Uncle Jimmy. Ooh, I want to touch Sophie. Why are we still sitting here? This is weird. I'm not sure I've ever been in this closet...


If only we'd taken a photo. 


Most beautiful thing? It took him, maybe, 7 minutes to go back to sleep. (He only sleeps in his crib, and we don't rock him anymore.) 


Hopefully he'll stay this way. Mommy and the dogs may be freaking out, but I'm just chillin'. 


Caleb totally believes Psalm 4:8. "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." 


P.S. This storm makes me thankful, incredibly thankful that I am no longer under God's wrath. If a thunderstorm is this frightening and destructive, I cannot begin to imagine God's holy anger against a person. "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."
(Romans 2:4, 5 ESV)