Moment of the Day

I've told you before that my new method of scrapping is to scrap events as soon as they happen. This makes me officially behind right now, as I have not one, not two, but three envelopes of pictures sitting beside me, waiting to take up residence in the album. I just didn't have time this week!

Tonight I walked up to the photo counter to pick up my seven pictures from today's event, and the guy behind the counter, without saying a word, picked up the envelope and handed it to me. I said, "Is it bad that you know who I am?"

He just laughed and said, "Well, you do place more online orders than anyone."

So I guess that means I just won the most frequent photo orderer award! I would like to thank....

Kaegan's Birthday!

This big boy is NINE today.

He's not the tiny kitten I brought home...
But I do love him! This is how he starts nearly every day. He perches on the desk and watches the sun rise. He's kind of a morning person. Not sure where he got that from. (Although if I stayed in bed all day and all night, I could be persuaded to be a morning person too.)

Tonight was Kaegan's little party. I had to keep Braeya behind a closed door while he ate, so she wouldn't steal his food. (She would...and he'd let her.)

After that, he got new toys. I bought these catnip mice Monday night and before the night was over, Braeya had stolen it OUT of the Wal-Mart bag and run away with it in her mouth.

She did finally get released...and promptly took over the gifts.

After a while, they shared...isn't that so precious?

The official birthday portrait....

This guy was a gift to me, and he has been such a blessing! He's quiet, non-destructive, and very good to offer "kisses" (nudges) when I'm having a meltdown. He loves to be cuddled (on his own terms, of course) and is far too gentlemanly (or chicken) to fight with his sister.

Happy birthday, Kaegan!

The Perils of Chat

I've had people tell me before that they're nervous to write me emails or to chat with me because they know I'm a writer and they're worried I delight in reading with my imaginary red pen, marking all their mistakes.

Not true.

I consider emails among friends, all chats, and most texts to be held to a different (a.k.a. lower) standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. When I chat, I rarely use capital letters. I do, however, punctuate. When I text, I omit commas and apostrophes. And I still don't capitalize. When I email, I try to do things right.

Can't remember if I've vented about this before...here...so if I have, sorry. Here's my pet peeve, and boy I sure hope I don't lose any of you as real life friends or chatting buddies after I admit this to you. I hate abbreviations in chat boxes, with the exceptions of LOL and BTW. I'll use those. I don't mind them in texts because I know sometimes character usage is limited and to get the whole message in, they have to happen.

At work, people sometimes tell me "thx." Really? You can't take the three extra letters to tell me thanks? And I don't feel the least bit welcome if you "YW" me. Actually, when people tell me "thx," I usually respond with "hts" - and then I wait a few minutes for them to stew over that one, ask me what it means, and then I figure it equals out to the time it would have taken to just actually thank me. (It stands for "happy to serve." And yes, I am working on my character.)

But this one, the other day, just cracked me up because it proved the perils of abbreviations.

Like I said, at work we use an instant messenger program, but sometimes I want to make sure the person I'm writing to is actually at his or her desk and does not have a student in there before I say whatever I'm going to say. In such cases, I usually begin with "You there?" That allows them to ignore me or ask me to hang on or whatever.

So one day I said to one of the girls, "You there?" Immediately she shot back "Y." Well, you see, in the conversation land of one person I used to chat with often, "Y" meant "Depends on what you want. You tell me and then I'll let you know if I'm here." So when my co-worker said that, I figured she was having a really bad afternoon and whatever I needed could surely wait.

About a half hour later, she stopped by my office and said "I told you I was there - what did you want?" I said, "No, you asked why." She said, "No - Y means yes!" Well to me, Y means why!

And this, my dear people, is why God created words. And I vote we use them.

Rant over. :)

His Good Pleasure

Today in our staff devotions, I read from Streams in the Desert, which is my main devo book this year. I picked the reading from February 12th, because I remembered when I read it on that day...it meant so much to me.

The devo talks about a class of deaf children presented with the question of why God made them deaf and others able to hear. One of the children answered by quoting Matthew 11:26 - "Yes Father, for this was your good pleasure."

If you've lurked here for quite a while, you know that every now and then I talk about how being such a late in life surprise to my parents has been a heart battle for me at times. For years, I wondered why God did that. Why He interrupted a complete family.

And He has been so gracious to teach me...little by little. I'm sure I don't know all the answers yet, but I have come to find a peace in knowing it was for His good pleasure.

Adventures in Fuel Purchase

Tonight I had to make a quick run to Kokomo. And by run, I mean drive.

I took a look at the almost empty gas tank before I left home, but I was just sure I could do the whole trip and then fill up the tank.

Seriously, Rebekah?

On the drive home, the gauge needle started kissing E a little more than I care to see. So about halfway through the trip home, I detoured to Mayberry Jr. go put gas in the car. You should know that being the creature of habit that I am...I always buy my gas at the same station. Always.

But tonight was an emergency. Time to branch out.

Or try, anyway.

I pulled up to the station and checked to see if they had a pre-pay after dark rule. They did not. So I hit the little button that said "pay inside" and then a little message popped up to press start and begin fueling. I followed the arrow, punched the button, and the following message displayed:

TRANSACTION CANCELED.

Not quite "Begin Fueling." So I tried to start over.

TRANSACTION CANCELED.

I left the nozzle in the gas tank and went inside to see if Wally or Gomer happened to be around. This 80ish year old guy came out and told me to go back out and he'd wave me on when I could start pumping the gas.

So I stood by the car and waited for his wave.

TRANSACTION CANCELED.

So Mr. 80 came outside, messed with the pump, took my cash, put me on a pre-pay, and I pumped the gas.

Seriously?

This is why I stick with the station I know.

Bits for Sunday, March 7

Talk about a FABULOUS weekend!

You all know my addiction to scrapping and card making. I just had a healthy dose of both. So rather than trying to inspire you this week, I'm going to give you my school-esque report of "What I did this weekend."

Friday morning, I packed up the car (and I do mean packed)....
...and drove over to the Cherished Moments Craft Hideaway. I'd been there once before, last fall, for a day of crafting, but this time I went for the entire weekend. Did you hear that? The entire weekend.
I chose my table...not surprising to most of you, it's the same one I used last time. Such a creature of habit, I am. I spread out the supplies, opened up the suitcase (which spread over into a laundry basket) and got to work.


The weekend was certainly a crafting success...I completed a mini scrapbook, finished my Brown County vacation book, and made about 50 cards. But it was so much more than just hard core crafting.

I shared the weekend with two great friends, and we had a blast telling stories, laughing until we cried, sharing a cry or two, and of course, oohing and aahing over all our hard work.

And the house where we stayed was just so cozy.

I had breakfast with one of the owners this morning before I left, and I told her that normally, when I stay away from home, I have a good time, but I know I'm not at home. There's that element of tip-toeing around. Not there. Last night as I stayed up by myself, at the craft table, journaling before bed, I realized how very much like home it felt. That is rare.

A mother and daughter duo run the establishment...

...and this weekend the mother took care of us. And I do mean she took care of us. She brought us tea and diet coke to drink, made me some hot chocolate last night, emptied our little table-side trash cans, turned down our beds at night, made them in the morning, pulled out towels and bathrobes for us when we wanted to take a bath in the gigantic whirlpool tub...

...and then cleaned it out so the next person could go.

She brought us snacks so we didn't even have to get up from the table while we worked...

...put our food on our plates for us...

...and brought us dessert and coffee when our plates were empty.

She met us at our cars with a cart to carry in all our supplies and rolled it back out for us when we left.

She even joined us on our Skype call to friends in Hong Kong - just to say hi! (oh yes - did I mention we had internet there too? Nothing like being able to chat and scrap at the same time.)

The house has four gorgeous bedrooms...

...each with a different decor theme...

We stayed in the Three Queens Room, I think it was called. Three little twin beds all lined up in a row...

...with mints on the pillows...

...and bathrobes with a gift set on them at the end of the beds.

Besides the gigantic tub, there was also a bathroom that sported a fancy new shower - complete with a seat and extra jets that did a back massage pulse. Are you kidding me? How do I bring that home with me?

I hated saying goodbye this morning. She got up extra early to cook my breakfast (of scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, biscuits and fruit...and coffee-to-go). I left in time to make it to church.

Yes it was, indeed, a fantastic weekend. Loved every minute of it.

But you know what else I loved? Coming home to some cuteness that missed me more than I thought she would.

Can't beat that!

Heaven on Earth

Just a sampling...more pictures to come another day.

But hand me a piece of this:

And offer me one of these...

And what do you get? ONE HAPPY GIRL!!!!!

Throw in a few prizes...

And scrapping and great laughs.....

And it equals A GREAT WEEKEND.

ABC Verse Scrapbook

When you love Jesus and you love crafts, you can come up with some great projects. :) Here is one I made recently and it received surprisingly positive reviews in person, so I thought I'd share it with you.

You know my love of alphabetical verses as a method of memorization.

So recently I made a new list, and I've been compiling that list into some gifts to give. Here's what I did....

This is a 6x6 scrapbook - just a tiny one.

I used a Cricut (no, I don't have one, but I had quite the fun using it at someone else's house!) to cut out the letters of the recipient's name:

I stamped the pages with butterflies and ran an inked sponge around the edges of each page to give it a more polished look.

I also used the Cricut for the alphabet letters. I don't own any stamps this large.

I printed out each verse on my computer and cut them out to glue on top of the stamped page.


I was pretty happy with the outcome!

The one I made a couple of weeks ago reached the recipient this week and she said she loved it. This one will go out in this week's mail!

The Strep Story

Julie requested this...so here you go!

When I was little, I had strep every winter. The weirdest part about it was...I rarely had a sore throat. That's why, when I had strep in college, I didn't recognize it. My throat hurt. Imagine that!

The worst part of it all was the throat culture. The giant Q Tip. Oh how I hated that thing.

When I was in kindergarten, I started feeling sick, but I begged Mom and Dad to not take me to the doctor. They decided to wait (probably didn't want to fight a cranky kid in the doctor's office), and I tried to will myself toward wellness.

One night, I was sacked out on the love seat, trying to get well, when I saw Dad eating a piece of fudge. I love fudge. I have always loved fudge. I asked for a piece...and he said I was welcome to help myself. It was in the kitchen.

Problem: I couldn't move.

My hip hurt so badly, I could not watch. When the fudge lover won't go get the fudge, you know she's sick.

So off to the doctor I went...and I was diagnosed with strep. And somehow (though I don't know how) - it settled in my hip. I was hospitalized overnight and made a full recovery.

And I still don't do throat cultures.

Maybe...I should post a segment about my trip to the walk in clinic.

A Little Q & A

I was visiting Karen's blog today and found a post with some fun questions. Since I'm at a loss for what to say today, I'm borrowing them. :)

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why? Night! I am a complete night owl. Give me a week off work and by the end of it, I'll absolutely have my days and nights switched around. How is it that switching them BACK takes much longer than a week?

2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of? Oh...I have to narrow it down to one? It's not a food, really, but I am addicted to caramel frappuccinos. So I'm going with that for now. There would, of course, be a huge list of sub-foods I'd add!

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be? It's a selfish one...but I'd love to have back the two babies (not my own..a niece and a nephew) that I never got to know.

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot? My unique ability to attract the strangest drama. I don't mind it. It gives me something to write about and usually makes others laugh...which makes me so happy.

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be? You're going to laugh at me. The Cosby Show. Loved the Huxtables. How did Clair do it all?? If I ever get married and have kids, I want to be that put together. Let the re-cord show.

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be? Hands down - singing.

7.If money were no object, where would you go on vacation? Prince Edward Island. This is actually on my dream list of places to visit. I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and I think the scenery in PEI is stunning. I may or may not have done a lot of research about their vacation packages...

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing? I'm sorry - is there a genre besides southern gospel? I was unaware.

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be? I know you're all going to think I'll put Hobby Lobby - and that's true. I could probably spend 10 grand in there without much problem. But I have a little work I'd love to do in my kitchen and bathroom, so I'm going to go with Lowe's. (When did I become such a GROWNUP??)

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be? Definitely now. I need air conditioning, so the pre-air days would not work for me.

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be? Probably black or red. Black is my power color, but I've been told I look good in red. And I have a SWEET red "Mary Poppins" purse.

12. If you were one of the seven dwarfs, which one would you be?
(Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, or Dopey) Lately? Happy. :)

13. What's the last album you listened to? Reunited...Gaither Vocal Band. Don't worry. It wasn't in the car.

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you? Oooh that's a tough one. Um, maybe that when I was five, I was hospitalized for strep throat that rendered me unable to walk? (Did you already know that one?)

Dial A Story

I told this story at work today, so I figured I'd tell you too. :)

Please bear in mind I am not old, though it's about to sound that way.

When I was growing up, we had an old (ugly) black rotary phone that hung on the wall of the kitchen. It was the only phone in the whole house. Thank goodness cordless phones came out before I hit the drama of adolescence. We all might have killed each other if those conversations had taken place in the center of living.

The phone had a long cord - that could reach the kitchen table, the living room chair, or in moments of REAL privacy, the utility room step.

My mom wasn't really a talker on the phone...most of the time. I mean she did talk on it every day, but not for hours and hours. She did have two friends, though, that she only talked to a couple of times each year. And everyone knew, if one of their names came out of her mouth when she picked up the phone, the next two hours were gone.

I didn't really have phone privileges as a kid...I mean, who did I need to call? However, there was the dial-a-story. I don't remember who sponsored it, but it was a local call that played a kid's devotional story. I loved calling the dial-a-story.

One day I hadn't gotten around to calling it before one of those two-hour-chat ladies called my mom. About an hour into the call, I started getting rather impatient, but Mom just waved me away (as she should have) because this was her long lost friend on the phone!

Finally I could take it no more. I dragged a kitchen chair over to the phone, climbed up on it and clamped down the lever to disconnect the call. Then I calmly stuck my head around the side of the cabinet to find the dial-a-story number and started dialing.

Mom appeared in the doorway, looking very puzzled.

"What are you doing?"

"It's TIME to call the dial a story!!"

Want to guess who won that one? :)

My Secret Talents

Saturday night was game night...with my high school buddies. I promise that other people really were there...but they're blog anonymous. :) So just pictures of me this time.

We started out by playing The Last Word. Please note that this is a word game. And yet I just sat there and stared. Here's my problem with word games (have this problem in Scattergories, too). Once I get a word in my head, it won't leave. So...needless to say...when I finally got my pawn out of start....
...I was pretty happy.

From there, we moved on to Wii games. Did you know I had a hidden talent of cow racing?

Oh yes. Well...once I learned how to NOT let him run off the path and knock over trees and ride the fence.

One of the other players had a great run in cow racing...until I broke her winning streak. SWEET!

Bowling...the one thing I feel I can do well...ish.

It was such a fun night. These friends are so much fun to hang out with a couple of times a year. Those of you who know me well know that I am typically quite frightened of games. I don't like to look stupid in front of other people. It's been a growing experience for me these past 3 or 4 years of game nights...to learn to try even when I know I might not win. They're so good to not tease me too much...but yet they give me a good run for my money. The mark of good friends. :)

And they uncovered my secret talents of cow racing. Can't put a price on that.

Bits for Sunday, February 28

This year my Lenten fast is…unusual at best.

In years past I’ve given up pop…pop again…snacks…a meal…desserts…are you seeing a theme?

I started to feel guilty about that trend, because I don’t think the purpose of Lent is to launch a diet. Then again, I wasn’t raised to observe such fasts, so what do I know?

So this year I had no intention of even participating. On the first day of Lent (that kind of makes you want to break into song, doesn’t it?) one of my friends asked me what I’d given up…and that was the first I even realized it was the first day of Lent.

That night, as I drove to church, I was doing my usual…cranking out a duet with David Phelps.

And then it became unusual. I didn’t want to sing anymore. Not with David. Not with anybody. I didn’t want the music.

Odd.

So I turned it off and just drove in silence for a minute.

And that’s when I knew.

God was asking me to turn off the music during Lent. Drive in silence. Pray. Listen.

That isn’t a big deal on work days. My commute is short enough that one of the guys in my office said, “What do you do? Say Dear Jesus…Amen?” Well, that’s fair. It’s about that short of a drive!

But just ask my parents…I’m the girl who was asking for music to blare before the keys were even in the ignition! And things have not changed. Music is always on in my car. To drive anywhere…even to work without getting through at least a chorus of something is…well…unprecedented.

I won’t lie. I was nervous. I asked God if He was aware how many days Lent covered. He was.

And yet I knew that was what He asked of me.

I haven’t kept track of how many days have passed since the start of Lent, but let the record show, I’m still here! And while I sorely miss the music (and have, a couple of times, created my own acapella serenade), I have to say I would not trade those moments God and I have shared for all the David duets in the world.

Amazing what you can think to say in the silence. Amazing what you can hear in the silence.

I’ve had to explain this fast more than a few times…it’s understandably odd. But it’s an inexplicably wonderful nudge from the Lord. I’m so glad He did it.

Praying on the Run - Card 7

I just finished my workout for today (didn't get to run...the gym is closed) so I thought it was about time I caught up with another card.

This quote came from Tiet Parsons, who said, "I couldn't honestly say that my husband's heart was safe with me. How many times must he have wondered what he would face in the lioness's den when he got home from work?"

Prayer: Ability to create a safety net for his heart.

Until I went to college, I'd always had my own living space. My sisters were grown and out of the house by the time I have memories of living at home, and no one ever stayed at our house long term, so I was used to my own room...my own stuff...getting ready in the bathroom whenever I wanted.

And then there were roommates.

I enjoyed having roommates, because for the first time, I had someone to talk to - on a peer level. I loved the fun times. But oh my word, the drama. I had no idea girls could be that dramatic! I had several roommates throughout college, and I remember sometimes dreading what I might find when I walked in the door. And I don't like to say so out loud, but I'm sure the same thoughts came right back at me from some of them.

That's something I've been working on in these last few years. I've been growing up (can I get a finally!!!??) and praying so hard that whenever that day comes, he won't have to spend his whole ride home from work praying "Please dear God don't let her throw things at me when I walk in."

I consider it a high compliment when I hear husbands say their wives make such a warm and safe home that they can't wait to show up after work. I wonder sometimes if those wives realize what a high honor that is.

Ding-a-Ling

Today is collections day at Kelly's Korner. I wish I had mine out so I could post a picture...but right now it's packed away.

HOWEVER.

I have a story! :) After all, one of the best parts of a collection is the story of how it started, right?

If you're new here, you might not know this about me...I was a late in life surprise/blessing/accident/cancer (depending on who tells the story) for my parents. The whole cancer part is another story for another post.

The day Mom found out she was pregnant, my oldest sister was on her senior trip to Washington D.C. Dad was on the trip with her, and they had no idea the news that awaited them when they arrived home! The story goes (as I'm told...I hadn't so much developed ears to hear it myself) that when Lori heard I was on the way, she ran around the house yelling and ringing the souvenir bell she'd gotten on the trip.

And thus my bell collection began.

Throughout my childhood, I collected bells from everywhere. People brought me bells from their vacations...I received them for gifts at Christmas and my birthday...all kinds of bells!

When I moved out of Mom and Dad's house, I didn't have a way to display the collection, so they've been packed away in the attic for the last ten or so years. But one of these days...I'll bring them back out and maybe even add to the collection!

I Have No Words

It's true. I've been sitting on this couch all night...watching the Olympics...chatting with friends...not putting away the dishes...and I have no words. No wisdom for you today. No wit.

Maybe tomorrow!

Such a Sap...

Phats...if you're reading...this is for you. :)

I told you earlier that I l-o-v-e the Olympics. I'm so glad these past few days haven't been busy, because I've loved the chance to have the games on every evening while I do my chores.

I'm a complete sap for the stories of the games. This is not new. This began the year Dan Jansen won his gold medal. I remember it well. Phats likes to pick on me for that, but I wanted to explain why (hopefully briefly).

Dan won his gold medal in 1994. It's likely you know that story and why it was so beautiful after the race of years before. I hadn't heard of Dan before 1994. I'm not even sure I'd watched any of the winter Olympics before 1994. But the night he won gold, I watched it from this very living room where I sit now as I write this. Back then, my grandmother lived here. I stayed with her often on the weekends.

It was a win-win situation for us. It gave her some company (my grandpa died a few years before), and it got me out of the house.

Why would I want to be out of the house?

My Dad was battling clinical depression. I'm not telling you something he wouldn't...so don't worry. For a teenager to watch, it was awful. My Dad went from busy busy busy every minute of every day to sitting in a chair (if he got out of bed at all) every minute of every day. He just sat and stared. No reading. No singing. No going to church. No meal other than hamburgers. I prayed against school cancellations and offered to babysit anyone in a tri-state area for free...if it meant I could leave the house. No one understood how I felt...because I didn't know any other 16 year olds who had parents battling clinical depression.

** Clarification ** I realize now...lo these many hours after posting...that not further explaining the origin of my dad's depression could lead to some interesting and perhaps VERY WRONG conclusions. Given that I don't want to discredit his good name, here's the story on that. He had been injured and was taking some medication for the injury. The particular combination of medication did not like him, apparently, and therefore the depression emerged. Okay....back to story **

So that night, when I sat in Grandma's living room and watched the replay of Dan's story of deep hurt and disappointment...and then I watched him skate to gold, I cried. (There's a shocker.) I cried because I'm a sap for great stories....but I cried for more than that. I cried because on the TV screen was a guy who gave me hope. Hope that after the worst...could come the best. At that point, for my life, I saw literally no hope. And even though my story's details didn't compare in any way with Dan's, the underlying themes of tragedy, unfairness, and disappointment resonated with me.

I even wrote to Dan and thanked him for the hope his story gave me. Got a postcard back. :) (That was for you, too, Phats.)

My circumstances today, praise the Lord, are not as dire. But I'm still a sap. A sap for the good stories. And there have been some good ones this time!

From-Scratch Brownies

Remember the Weight Watchers brownie recipe? This ain't it. In fact, this is a great lesson in opposites. Not one thing in here that's good for you...but man is it good. :)

I found this recipe many years ago when I was still struggling to learn to cook. I love brownies (hello!) but always feel guilty when I make them from a box. I know, I know. A normal person would feel NO guilt at all. Did I ever claim to be normal? But the thing I love about this recipe is that it is seriously just as easy as a box mix...and yet there's the joy of proclaiming it's made from scratch!

I'm taking these to the next family night dinner at church, so I thought I'd inspire myself to make them by posting the recipe.

ENJOY!

The Recipe

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine everything but the chocolate chips; beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.


As usual...I use real vanilla, not imitation. And as you can see in this picture, I happened to use milk chocolate chips this particular time. I've used both - either one will work.


I start by putting in all the dry ingredients and stirring them with a spoon.

Then I add the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Please make sure at this point to NOT pay attention to how bad this is for you!

Stir it all up...the consistency will be the same as a regular brownie mix. One kind of odd thing about it is that it kind of slides around in a big lump...also slides very easily into the baking dish. Probably from all the eggs and oil!

Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. I've also been known to forget that they're supposed to go on top and I put them in the batter itself. No harm done!

Happiness in a 9x13. They are thick, rich, and definitely need a tall glass of milk!

Ashes

In case I haven't mentioned it lately, loving the study of Do You Think I'm Beautiful? by Angela Thomas. Marie and I are studying it together. It's a six week study that we started in October. :) Okay so we're taking the slow route through it.

BUT LET THE RECORD SHOW...

We have arrived at the final week's study. I have loved this book because I've been forced to look at the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable about my life. And I'm encouraged. Always good to come away encouraged.

Tonight this part struck me in a profound way. As I made my way through the workbook, I read these words: "Think about being free from the sack of ashes that has come to you through the difficulties of life. Because you are dancing in the arms of God, you don't have to haul that thing around anymore. He wants to make a trade. He'd like to take away your ashes and see you wearing a crown of beauty."

Having just gone through an exercise in the workbook that led me to write out the contents of my ash heap, I was very aware of just how big that ash heap is for me. I'm a literal person, so to fully comprehend what Angela wanted me to consider, I imagined what it would be like to literally carry around a jar of ashes that represented all those things. I imagined trying to get ready for work while holding a jar of ashes. Seemed it could be a hair-straightening, mascara-applying nightmare. Driving with the ashes? Eating? Running? Doing tae-bo?

I wouldn't do it. If I had to carry them around, I'd do whatever it took to be rid of them so I could live freely.

So why don't I work that hard to be rid of the ash heap of my heart?

Bits for Sunday, February 21

I scanned through things I’ve written over the years and couldn’t find that I’d addressed this topic specifically, so I’m going ahead with it today. If I have already told you this, I guess you get a week off from reading.

Memorizing Bible verses is not the easiest thing for me. We’re supposed to be doing that as part of our Sunday School unit right now and I’m just NOT doing a great job with it. I tried…at first. I’d write the verses on index cards and put them in my day planner so I could see them throughout the day. But I quickly learned that seeing and learning are two very different things.

Here’s the thing. I know exactly what to do to fix this problem. It’s all about hearing the verses for me. I can rattle off a number of verses I learned from watching Mark Lowry comedy videos in high school. When he got to the serious part of every video, he would deliver verse after verse and I can recite them all – complete with his inflections. I even remember verses I learned from listening to a cassette (gasp!) recording of a college ministry team that traveled to our church years ago.

And of course…music! I have learned so many verses from songs. In fact, I’ve declared that if I ever have kids, that’s what they can spend their time listening to. Verse music. At least it will teach them something productive when it gets stuck in their head. (Years of a career in babysitting soured me toward traditional kids’ music and shows.)

So yes, I know the answer to my memorization problems is to get an audio Bible. But that’s not what I’m writing about.

When I exercise out and away from people (and therefore don’t have to worry about them thinking I’m crazy…) I read verses aloud from index cards. And after hearing them out loud over and over, I begin to memorize them. And in order to make sure I don’t forget what I’m learning, I do alphabet cards.

It’s a technique Mom taught me when I was very young. She had a set of verses written in marker on pieces of construction paper, and she had one verse for each letter of the alphabet. What a great way to work on alphabet memorization (I was very young, remember?) and Scripture memory at the same time!

So now I have my own set of verses…ones that I picked out to pray over Mr. Missing…and I love it when I encounter one of those verses along the way of life. I love seeing it used for another purpose while secretly knowing it’s one of “my verses.”

Recently I compiled a second list, and I’m using them in a project for a gift for a couple of people. But as I looked through the verses today, I thought they’d make a great second set of cards for me…because I could use some of these committed to memory.

So I share this with you…because if you’re like me in not being so great at memorization…this might just be something that can help you!