Category Archives: Verse of the Day

AVMDIJ & "More"

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THIS JUST IN

Stop the presses!! Have I got a news breaking headline!! And this isn’t even part of today’s post!!

A few weeks ago I told you Katie had tried out for the Youth Band at church and had made it. She wasn’t supposed to start singing for another month or so, but she just got a call from the Student Worship Leader, Alex, who asked if she could sing tonight. TONIGHT PEOPLE!! She hasn’t practiced – heck, we just went online to see what songs they’re singing tonight – but she’s up for the challenge. Taylor is practicing with her in the basement while this goes to press.

So guess what I’m doing tonight? Instead of just hanging out with Todd while the kids are at Youth Group, I’m video taping her debut. If I get her permission and I figure out what I’m doing (I’ll be checking with Sing 4 Joy) I’ll put it on YouTube or GodTube and post it later in the week. I know she’s more than capable, but since this is her first time and it was a last minute thing it may not be up to her standards. I’ll let her make the call.

THE REAL POST

How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:7

Today the worship team sang this song during communion. This song holds such a special place in my heart because when Katie was about 9 or 10 we were chatting in the car and I told her I loved her. Instead of the usual, “I love you, too”, or even more common, “I know,” she started singing the chorus of More by Matthew West to me.

I love you more than the sun and the stars that I taught how to shine, you are mine, and you shine for me, too.
I love you yesterday and today and tomorrow. I’ll say it again and again. I love you more.

Can a mother’s heart get any fuller without completely exploding? Comparing a mother’s love for her child to God’s love for us is a common theme among parents. But what about a child’s love for a parent? I remember thinking I loved my mom and dad more than they loved me when I was young. It’s as deep and intense as it gets when you’re a kid.

So if my child loves me that much (we always have these arguments over who loves the other more) how much more does God love me? I don’t believe we have an adequate scale to comprehend it. I just know it’s MORE.

A Bunch of Good Stuff

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So what’s up? Nothin’ much going on here. Just the usual. You know. Todd’s at work – he’s got major short timer’s disease, but he’s making a valiant effort; Katie’s babysitting; Taylor’s at CIY in Tennessee – kind of like church camp only much more intense. Katie’s Little Homies are going camping this afternoon through Saturday morning so Todd and I get some just us time. I think I’m going to make reservations at that new Italian restaurant we were going to eat at for our anniversary, but they were booked. Yeah. That’s a great idea.

***

We watched “Fools’ Gold” last night and LOVED IT! The chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConnohotty is nearly palpable. It had everything I love in a movie. Adventure, romance, humor, an exotic location and even a bit of history. Well, made up history, but still.

The prude that I am was a little disappointed at a flash of anonymous boobies. It’s PG-13, for cryin’ out loud. It was a quick flash, but so very unnecessary. It reminded me of when I was in 8th grade and my AT group went into Hollywood to see Romeo and Juliet at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Really cool experience, but the boys in the group were thrilled when Olivia Hussey jumped out of bed, baring her chest. (But really, what do you expect with a name like Hussey?) The girls were just embarrassed. And a little envious. Or maybe that was just me.

***

OH! Have I told you we actually have a Sonic AND a real Starbucks with a drive through now? Maybe two miles from the house, if that. The only problem with the Sonic is it’s such a novelty up here that they have to have traffic managers with walkie talkies directing cars who are waiting for the next available slot. It’s totally insane. I mean, I love Sonic and all – you know I do – but it’s not THAT great.

Last Sunday after Youth Group a bunch of the older kids went to Sonic. They parked in the lot and walked over to order and eat at the picnic tables out front. You order in the same kind of speaker box as if you’d pulled up to a slot, but you give them your name so when they come out they know where the order goes. So here’s the conversation with the Sonic chick and my son:

SC: What’s your name?

T: Taylor.

SC: What is it?

T: Taylor.

SC: Tyler?

T: Taylor.

SC: What was that?

T: Billy.

SC: Billy?

T: Yup.

***

This is the top of the swimsuit I bought for Hawaii the other day. I consider it was a good day because I didn’t cry in the dressing room. Didn’t even feel the urge. I certainly don’t like the way I look in a swimsuit. Heck, I didn’t like it when I was 40 pounds lighter. But it is what it is so there’s no sense getting depressed about it. But what thrilled me was the fact it’s just a normal top and it just happens to hide both my mastectomy scar (my left mastectomy scar is pretty high up) and my port scar. I also got two different bottoms – red regular bottoms and a coral SwimMini.

***

This morning I found a great deal on plane reservations for my parents to come up for Thanksgiving. So I called Mom and we booked those babies before they went away. Mom and Dad actually get in on my 43rd birthday. I think we’ll celebrate with a chocolate cake and 29 candles. It’s just been the four of us for the last two Thanksgivings so we’re really looking forward to having some family to help us celebrate.

***

All this goodness leads me to today’s verse.

If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give
good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11

What Do I See?

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Back in my 20s I started having trouble reading street signs and bumper stickers and license plates. A trip to the eye doctor confirmed I was slightly nearsighted and glasses for distance were prescribed. My driver’s license reflected this so when it was time to renew at 35 I decided another trip to the eye doctor was in order. My glasses just weren’t doing their job anymore and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to pass the eye test.

After the exam the doctor told me he had good news and bad news. The good news was I had 20/20 vision and I no longer needed glasses for distance. Silly me! I thought I needed a stronger prescription because things were getting a little blurry with my current lenses. I was feeling a bit smug here because, well, I was aging, but my eyesight was getting better. What a nice little birthday present for me!

The bad news, however, was that I was on a pendulum swinging from nearsighted to farsighted. He told me I would be back to needing glasses at 40. Well, somewhere around that time I noticed the print in my books was getting smaller so I bought a cheap pair of reading glasses at Walgreens. Lately I’ve been thinking how nice it would be if my arms were just a little bit longer.

So yesterday Katie and I both had eye exams. We thought Katie was nearsighted because she has trouble seeing the board at school. When the eye is looking at something close the muscles around the lens contract. When the eye is looking at a distance the muscles relax. Katie’s muscles aren’t relaxing like they should and that’s why she’s having a hard time seeing the board. So she’s been prescribed reading glasses in an effort to keep those muscles more relaxed. Interesting, isn’t it?

As for me, I still have 20/20 vision. Yes, unless there’s something wrong with YOUR eyesight, you read that right. When I want to I can read the fine print. The problem is I have to work too hard to do so. My cheap plastic reading glasses help a little, but I’m going to get good reading glasses and give my eyes a break. I hope this will step up my reading a bit. I’m only on my 10th book of the year, down from 28 books the same time two years ago (which was down from my pre-cancer reading days when I ignored my family and responsibilities just to finish a book). I do wear out faster and I think I’m probably exhausting my eyes. So who knows! Another month and I may be back to ignoring my family and responsibilities again!

Katie and I both had our eyes dilated and thankfully we live fairly close to the doctor’s office because things were really fuzzy for a while. Which made me think of today’s verse.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Someday we’ll get to see the completed puzzle with perfect vision. Awesome!

A VERSE, etc., and It’s Over

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Yesterday was my last day at school. No, really. I know I’ve said that before, but this time I really mean it. The third and last week of preschool camp is finished, finito, Beendet, terminado, fini, afgewerkt, acabado, avsluttet, законченный. So in celebration I offer today’s verse.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.

Luke 6:23

Alright. So Jesus isn’t really telling me to rejoice and leap for joy because I’m through working. He’s actually telling his disciples to rejoice when they’re persecuted for His sake. Hey! I can make the stretch and say in all honesty I WAS persecuted for His sake.

There were eleven three-year-olds in my care for five days at a church-sponsored preschool camp. I was working for Jesus. And while I did enjoy these kids, there were times when I was definitely being persecuted. At least once a day. Ergo, I was being persecuted for Jesus’ sake!

And this, folks, is why I will never be a theologian.

AVADIJ – Thursday, 6/19/08

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*sigh* I’m not very good at this verse a day thing. It’s more like a verse every other or every third, maybe fourth day. But that’s a really long title so I’m going to stick with A Verse A Day In June to keep it simple for everyone else. Besides, His Girl’s pretty little banner wouldn’t work with A Verse A Day Or Second Or Third Or Fourth In June.

This week I’ve been ushering eleven three-year-olds around to different centers at Bugs and Bubbles camp. They’re really cute. They’ll be even cuter tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 when their moms come to get them. (Does that sound terrible? My diplomatic center isn’t working well right now. It’s too early and I haven’t had enough coffee.)

I’ve got lots of stuff to post about, some of which nobody will care to read. But I’ll post it anyway because I can and that’s how I roll.

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.

Psalm 105:4

This should be my Verse A Day For The Rest Of My Life.

AVADIJ – Sunday, 6/15/08

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You may have noticed I didn’t post a verse yesterday. I was going to, but we had a horrible storm with lots of lightening and thunder and high winds, and lost electricity so I was unable to. Actually, that’s not true. We had a storm last night and the lights kind of flickered.

But before we had the storm there was a plane crash in the field near our house. Nobody was hurt, but it hit the electrical lines, plunging us into darkness. Actually, that’s not true, either. A plane flew over our house.

But before the plane flew over the house, a traveling band of stealthy ninjas snuck into our house and stole my computer. Okay, so that’s also not true.

I have no excuse. I was busy with housework and driving Taylor all over Southeast Pennsylvania for one thing or another, but I had time to post my verse. I just never got around to it.

Sorry. I have a great one for today, though! Very appropriate, if I do say so myself. Which I do.

The LORD is like a father to His children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Psalm 103:13 (NLT)

Today is Father’s Day, the day we think about our dads and honor them with cards or calls or presents. But every day should be Heavenly Father’s Day. Every day we should think about Him and honor him with praise and thanksgiving.

So Happy Heavenly Father’s Day!!

The Family & AVADIJ Thursday, 6/12/08

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From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.
John 1:16

…one blessing after another. Let’s see…

TODD


Saturday night Todd and I went out for an anniversary dinner. I say “an” and not “our” because there will be another, maybe two. (Yes, Todd. You read that right.) Anyway, we started at one restaurant, but the wait was wicked long. So we went to another restaurant, but their air conditioner wasn’t working and we were heading into the nasty heatwave you’ve been reading about. We finally ended up at our usual pizza joint – the place we pick up the best pizza around from. We’d never eaten there, but it was so pleasant. No wait, cool air, a booth for two, a glass of wine, a delicious meal, even a little hand holding over the table. Niiiice.

When we returned home Todd went upstairs to pack for the business trip he was leaving for the next morning. Remembering I was supposed to iron a pair of slacks for him, I headed up to do just that. But he said he decided to just take the pants the way they were. The conversation went a little something like this:

Me: I actually thought I’d wait until the morning when it was a little cooler up here. You can put them in your suitcase at that time, can’t you?

Todd: Yeah, but that’s okay. I’ll just set the room air on North Pole cold and iron them there. I get in fairly early in the day and won’t have much else to do.

Me: You don’t want to iron while you’re gone. Seriously, I’ll iron them right now for you. (I was feeling kind of guilty because I’d said I would do it.)

Todd: No, really. It’s no big deal. I’ll just iron them tomorrow at the hotel.

Me: You’re sure??

Todd: Yeah. Don’t worry about it.

Me: Okay. (kiss) Um, since the room is going to be so cold and you’re going to have all day, why don’t I just give you the rest of the ironing??

Not surprisingly, he declined.

TAYLOR

I had to drive Taylor to work one day. He works for a lawn care service and I had to take him to Stewart Road. For being a smart boy he doesn’t pay much attention to directions. He knew the neighborhood, but it’s a humongous development and he had no idea where Stewart was. So we drove around and when I saw Tudor Road I knew we were close. He was totally amazed at my knowledge and when I explained the connection he said, “Who knew such useless information would come in handy.”

Fast forward a week or so. He and Kristen were at the mall and as he was getting ready to check out of the bookstore he saw this great book and thought of me. So he bought it for me. With his very own money.

Here’s an example of one of the stories inside:

The infamous battle of Waterloo wasn’t fought in Waterloo. Napoleon’s defeat occurred outside the village of Pancenoit, which was over four miles away.

Who cares? My inner geek does!! I love this kind of stuff!

KATIE

After months, if not a year, of being pestered by Ben and Taylor and some nudges from mom and dad, Katie finally tried out as a singer for the youth band at church. I didn’t go to the tryouts, but Todd and Taylor did. According to Todd, “she was perfect.” According to Taylor, “She totally rocked!” Todd’s pretty biased so I figured “perfect” could be exaggerated. But Taylor’s the brother and has no compunction about telling it like it is. So if he said she rocked then she rocked. Which I had no trouble believing anyway. And, of course, she made the band.

Other than the singing, she’s turning into me. She has a book with her nearly everywhere she goes and is always reading. I love that about her. Especially because she was diagnosed with Phonological Awareness Syndrome, a type of dyslexia, when she was in the 3rd grade. She worked with the school’s speech pathologist throughout 3rd, 4th and half of 5th grade. She could barely read on a 1st grade level when she was diagnosed. Now she’s reading young adult novels that are 500 pages long. That makes me smile.

SOOKIE

A week or so ago I was reading something in preparation for the Mothers with Cancer website. The memory of one of my lowest moments as a parent with cancer assaulted me and I started to weep. Not out and out crying, just sniffling a bit and, well, you know. Sookie looked up from where she was and came over to me. She jumped up on the love seat, sniffed my face while she stared into my eyes, licked my cheek and then snuggled down next to me. What a balm to my heart!

We had her spayed on Tuesday and now she has to wear the cone until the 24th. She hates it, but we can’t help but laugh at her. Just see for yourself:


That was some kind of party last night. Hey! Why is there a lampshade on my head?

Not only is she very loving and sensitive to my emotions, but she also likes to help me plant flowers:

Yup. I’d say that’s one blessing after another after another after another…

AVADIJ – Wednesday, 6/11/08

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Holy moly!! I’ve got less than an hour and a half left to get my verse in for the day!!

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

This is something I forget a LOT. I am, by nature, timid. I don’t want to ruffle feathers. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. I just want everyone to get along. *sigh* I really need to get over that…