Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage . . . They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
~Psalm 84:5

Friday, May 27, 2005

The Faith of a Child

Last weekend an 8-year-old girl was abducted, raped, and left for dead, buried under a pile of stones in an abandoned landfill. When the police found her Sunday morning she immediately asked for her pastor:
"She stated that she wanted a pastor to pray with her so she could thank God for saving her life," Lisa Taylor, the godmother, told CNN. "She's 8 years old. Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever heard"

Yeah, that is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

Sunday, May 22, 2005

Graceshift

Did you ever get the feeling that God's grace in your life is sort of shifting, so to speak? like there seemed to be so much grace available to do one thing, & suddenly it seems that grace is running out while grace in another area seems to be more plentiful? I'm pretty sure that's what I experienced a year & a half ago when I was deciding to move from Waco to Odessa.

I write about this now because I think I'm having another graceshift. That new job I started at the local newspaper doesn't seem to be working out like I hoped it would (I smell a pink slip around the corner), & in the process I've been evaluating life in Odessa & what it means to be a part of things here. On one hand, I enjoy living with my parents (well, OK, it isn't hunky-dory all the time, like when Mom is chasing me around the house getting me to strip so she can toss my clothes in the wash :">). It's economical, I don't necessarily have to travel anywhere for holidays, & I like being around to help during major events (e.g., giving Mom a ride in my car to take the poodle to the vet, even though the poodle wants to bark so bad she could explode).

On the other hand, I seem to be having a somewhat traumatic time with a supervisor at work, for the 2nd job in a row in this town. (Last fall, I quit a job after the boss confronted me on some issues & I didn't have time to think of a way to say things nicely & I made her cry. I'm really not a scary person, honest!! 8-} ) One of my supervisors at the paper tends to treat her people like crap. Rather, the folks in her department who have worked there for less than a year tend to get treated like crap. The people who have worked with her longer tend to actually get positive reinforcement. Don't get me wrong -- this supervisor can be a nice person, & she is very knowledgeable. But there seems to be a sort of double standard & contradiction in the way she does things that remind me a lot of the mannerisms of my previous weepy boss.

I am compelled to believe that business practices in Odessa are rooted in nepotism & an unspoken set of rules that must be ingrained into a newcomer if the newcomer is to survive here. Meaning that if you ain't one of the good ol' boys, you ain't nothin.'

So this time around, at the newspaper, I think God wants me to respond differently than I did at my previous job. I believe my instructions are to not say anything. Even though I want to grab my sup by the throat & tell her exactly what she can do with her nepotism, perhaps I should walk in self-control & not casually toss my pearls to the swine.

Or maybe Jesus just wants me to be a little more like Him. Every time I watch The Passion of the Christ, I'm reminded of how sometimes Jesus just didn't say anything in response to His accusers. He, of all people, had a perfectly legitimate right to put His persecutors in their place & really let 'em have it. How dare the Son of God be treated so horribly.

And then there were times when He did respond (with really good answers, too), but the people He spoke to just didn't get it. Why did Jesus remain silent? and why didn't the people get it when He did speak? and why didn't He grab His persecutors by their throats & give them what they deserved?

I dunno. It's a mystery, I guess. I think it's all wrapped up in God's mercy, truth, & a love which we are getting dim glimpses of now, but boy when we see Him face to face someday, I'm sure we'll be wonderfully overwhelmed by that love.

Maybe in the midst of all this, I'll get to know more about His love. That's what I'm hoping for.

In the meantime, during this potential graceshift, I'm looking to keep my options open jobwise. This weekend, I hope to embark on a trip to the Metroplex to pursue a job that opened up there. Maybe I'll make a move. Or maybe it'll be back to the drawing board when the trip is over. Or maybe the Metroplex will have its OWN set of rules & yet ANOTHER trying job that'll have me on the carpet & heading for the Kleenex.

Sigh, I guess this is just part of following Jesus. He leads, we follow. Kleenex or no Kleenex. But it's all worth it. :)

Friday, May 20, 2005

This sounds about right . . .

I got this one from my friend James . . .





You Are 55% Normal
(Somewhat Normal)





While some of your behavior is quite normal...
Other things you do are downright strange
You've got a little of your freak going on
But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

Monday, May 16, 2005

Schnauzer City


OK, I've shown y'all pictures of my cats. But I thought you'd also enjoy a picture of the dogs who frequently visit my house... rather, who frequently blow through my house, barking and running around like two little tornadoes. :D The black one will bark at you if you shuffle your feet -- apparently he detests dancing. The white one is extremely hyper and will jump at your hand to bite/lick it.

They are adorable, but usually when they come over, my mom's poodle goes into another room to be by herself. And I hide my cats. :) Posted by Hello

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

The Debbie Update

Well, it's been quite awhile since I have updated you on my life. Sorry for all the impersonal quiz posts. I, for one, enjoy them and wanted to post something on the blog.

So, here's an update on my life and a few random thoughts and observations:

-I was accepted into the ACT Houston program last week! It's an alternative teacher certification program for people with their BA. Classes start on the 23rd-ish(I should actually look it up) and, if I find a teaching position this summer, I will start teaching in a real school starting in August. I'll be a bone fide grown up!
The summer will be crazy, though. I'll have three hours of class four times a week. I also hope to find a summer job. PLUS, the next month and a half will be devoted to finding a teaching job and studying for the TExES exam, so I can actually start teaching in three months.

-Bridget got married on Monday!!! I couldn't believe it, especially since they only just met in JANUARY! These celebrities and their whirlwind marriages; I only hope it works.

-Here's some random news: I have an acquaintance, Josie, who moved to Paris eight months ago to work as a pilates instructor. Yeah, I know, that's awesome! BUT that's not the random part. Apparently, she's going to start giving pilate lessons to JOHNNY DEPP! Crazy, huh? Alls I'm saying is I'm in the wrong profession in the wrong country.

-I just finished watching The Amazing Race and words cannot describe how pleased I am that Uchenna and Joyce won, not Rob and Amber. I'll have to blog more about that later, though.

-Going back to real life: I only have four more days of work left. As I already mentioned, I need to find a summer job. I would just love to babysit all summer, but I don't know enough families in the area. Oh well, hopefully I'll find something soon. But I guess that means I should actively be looking, huh?

-A few weeks ago I was asked to take over the "creative movement" class at work on Tuesdays. I was hesitant to take the position. Debbie does not equal a PE teacher. I hated PE when I was in school. But I am so glad I accepted the job, and it's not just because I make a bit more money. I've had a lot of fun with it and the school does have tons of equipment to work with. I've also received loads of positive feedback, so I know it's not just me thinking I'm doing a good job; other people think I'm doing a good job too!

-GOD IS SO GOOD! Seriously. Even when we wretched creatures do nothing to deserve His goodness, He chooses to lavish it upon us. I am amazed at how He continues to provide for all my needs even after I fall short time after time.
Last week I found out that for my ACT Houston classes, I needed to pay $750 in less than two weeks. Not a problem, if I HAD $750 lying around. But obviously, I didn't. I very sheepishly asked God to provide the money, hardly having any faith that He would since I haven't been the most faithful recently. I decided not to tell many people about my need, either. I think only five people knew, two of which were my parents. I would almost start hyperventilating when I thought about it, so I just didn't think about it. Well, before the end of the week, God provided the $750 I needed!!! I don't know how, but He did. And I sure do feel foolish for my lack of faith. Silly Debbie!

Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
~Psalm 16:5-8

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Happy Birthday To Me

Today I turn 29. I remember when I was a kid, for some reason I thought 29 and a half was the coolest age. Not sure why... (maybe it's an obsessive-compulsive thing. or maybe it's just a weird kid thing...) Anyways, so far I don't really feel that all that different. Maybe I'll post again on November 7th and let you know how 29 and a half is going. :D

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Balcony Scene


But soft! What light through yonder window breaks! It is the East and Juliet is the... Hey, Romeo, wake up!! Posted by Hello

Monday, May 02, 2005

English Skills

Here's another one from Jen:







Your English Skills:



Punctuation: 100%

Grammar: 80%

Spelling: 60%

Vocabulary: 40%




My Vocab and Spelling scores are rather pathetic (once you take the test you'd understand why). My former Baylor English profs would probably be disappointed. *sigh*

Sunday, May 01, 2005

No-brainer


I don't remember seeing this one in the driver's handbook... Posted by Hello
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