kristiapplesauce

Theater etiquette

If we are going to be friends you might as well know this up front. I am a movie snob. I have always been a little OCD when it comes to certain things...but sitting in the theater is absolutely high on the list, if not number one for some reason. So when I plan for a movie outing I am always sure to get there way way way early not only to see the previews (because I have always been a huge fan) but because of the disorder that I am about to tell you about; are you ready? I have to sit as close to the very center of the theater as possible. Middle row middle seat. I count the rows then count the seats to get the center. I always have. This doesn't always work...but usually, and yay all is well. I am okay sitting in other rows close to the center, but I like the center seat if possible. BUT here is the thing... I get extremely nervous when we are in a big fat opening weekend or something and people didn't plan ahead like me and they come in late or have too many people with them in their group where they can't all sit together and then they start eye-balling the one extra seat next to me and then ask me to scoot over so they can all sit together. Yes...you know what I am talking about. I also get nervous when the late comers start trickling in and they look lost and you know that they are going to ask me to move. Grrrr. But what I really hate hate hate is when there is a whole great big theater and a wide range of seats available for people to choose from and the stinky guy who just got done smoking his 5 packs of cigarettes comes and plops down right next to me. What? Why? Seriously. There are 300 other seats to choose from. That has happened to me twice in the last month. Seriously RIGHT NEXT TO ME. "Go get your own middle seat Mister." That is what I wanted to say but Daniel made me keep quiet. So yeah. That is my confession of crazy person. Please forgive me for being so lame. I know how inconvenient it can be...but admit it, you are a little OCD too.

Pop Tarts

Just now I ran to the grocery store and what do you suppose they had on an end cap? Yup! A great big "New American Food Import" section. Okay, it wasn't that big...it was an end cap after all...but there was all kinds of stuff...pop tarts (two flavors) shredded wheat, some other cereal and soup and pasta. Ahhh, home. But the other thing that made me happy was when I got back into the car to drive home Milli Vanilli was singing and my day was complete.

"So what are you doing back?"
"Well, I set back and thought about
the things we used to do.
It really mean a lot to me, you mean a lot to me."
"I really mean that much to you?"
"Girl, you know it's true."

Moses and Aaron

I am reading through Numbers right now and it is interesting at times...but mainly it is monotonous. I have also been praying for several people, one in particular who emailed me a very specific prayer request and just like that - God spoke to me about her situation and He guided me as to what to say to her. I love moments like that and I know that if I wasn't in the word, I would have missed out on what He wanted to say to her and actually to me too. Yay for His Holiness and perfection. So if you need a plan or a place to start, I grabbed this off of Bible Gateways site. It allows you/me to skip around or check off where you have read.

So I wonder...

Having to do with God stuff or not having to do with God stuff what absolutes are you absolutely sold out on? I was reading on Anne's blog today about stuff that people "keep their mouths shut about" and it kind of got me thinking...These people (including me) disclosed information that they normally wouldn't talk about at church or in front of their "churchy" friends...but why the hell heck not? Seriously. What is stopping us? What is stopping us from being so honest and forthcoming? Who is going to tell our secrets?? The judgment monster? I am so frustrated. At first when I read peoples responses it was kind of funny, but then as I read on, it kind of made my heart hurt a little, a little more, then a lot more. I think that for me...I wonder if people even know what they believe, and if they are sold out for anything at all. So many times in my own life I have questioned and requestioned everything, people and authority but I am always trying to find the answers...I guess as I read some of those comments, I wonder if those people even know what they believe or why. If I ask them, will they think I am the judgment monster? Aren't we supposed to carry one another's burden and press on toward the Cross? To know the Word of God and live it? To love people? Seriously, I don't get it.

Dung Beetle

Daniel and I are going to the Transkei for a few days so we thought we would leave you with a little som' some'um to keep you entertained while we were gone. Please pray for us and the success of this trip. We are meeting with several people to start up/maintain a Child Sponsorship Program up in a very rural area north of us (Transkei) and also connect with people who are running 2 soup kitchens there. We are super excited to build these relationships and further the ministry. Thanks.

 

Break through

Daniel is so awesome. Okay, rewind...with the teams and a few visitors here, I wasn't able to answer or get to all the emails piling up in my thingy...so he said I could take the next few days to catch up with those and deep clean the house and do whatever else I wanted to do. Yay. So in doing that, I am re-reading all the e-mails I skimmed over (sorry Mom) and answering them all in backwards order. In saying that, I came across one that ROCKED ME.  In it, this person is describing their life and journey in Christ. Dang. I think we can all take notes on this one. This is what it reads:

"I still definitely struggle with those past temptations and still fall to them once in a while, but i know that I no longer have any obligation to my sinful desires because i am FREE in Christ."

POWERFUL. "No longer have any obligation to sinful desires". I think that I have once or twice thought that I have had an obligation to sin. Am I the only one that has thought that? Where does that idea come from? Seriously. This definitely will stick with me. Thank you secret email person.

character

I was thinking about character. What makes us have it? Where do we get it? This past week somebody was talking to me about it and she was saying that her friend has it. Everything about her friend screams "character" and "integrity". Then I was thinking about me and if I have it. There were several times during the week that I was convicted about something I said or did and it kind of surprised me. Not because I think I am perfect, but because we aren't really exposed to that many Godly people all at once in our everyday lives out here. So their Godly examples kind of shocked me back to reality. Then at one point during the week we were staying up kind of late just a handful of us and we decided to play a game called "truth". The premise of the game is like truth or dare with out the dare. Anyways one person in the game totally revealed some things that had happened in the past and what God had done since that time. It kind of surprised me actually that they were so candid. I since emailed that person and thanked them for being so open. They responded with saying that people in the group later came up to them and told that person that they weren't being as honest as they could have been (in fear of the big fat perfect church smiley face we all wear). Not that there were any rules to the game...and not that I needed (or wanted) to know the intimate details of the lives of these people. But why do we hide behind what people think? Why are we so afraid? I am too. I hid in that game. The question that was asked was "What was the biggest lied you ever told?" After much thought on the subject and as I am trying to muster up all the integrity I can find - my answer is this: That I lied to my family and friends about a guy in college. This person lied about being a believer and I lied about believing him. This one particular decision of compromise removed trust and respect from my parents and so much of what we had built throughout the years. Plain and simple I lied. I know that God is so very faithful and pure and that His Grace covers us...but sin is sin and the repercussions of that choice is one that I think will forever have changed my course. God is so amazing though...He took me on a long and drawn out path to correct my wrong, and in the end I of course was drawn back to the Cross...but I chose an idol rather then staying on course. Dang. So I don't know what builds character. I think the Sunday school answer is reading the Bible and Prayer. But my heart tells me that drawing close to the Savior in whatever way possible is (in my opinion) the only way to become like our Lord and of course build some character.

Ephesians 5:1-2

"Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us,  a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God."

My sister

As I was talking to my sister tonight in our weekly Wednesday chat she said this:

"He (your friend) is just as retarded as Grandma"

-No I am not going to tell you the context of this sentence. You will just have to think she is horrible. That is why I love her.

Speaking of birthdays

When is yous???

1978

Just in case you were wondering. My birthday is in 24 days. I will be 20 + 10.